What Dreams Forget

An hour and forty five minutes later James pulled into the parking garage. He parked next to Tori Lynn's beat up pickup. He was trying to figure out the best way to get her to keep driving the Rover instead of the truck. Richie told him that the truck was Bodie's so getting her to trade it or give it up would be a fight. Maybe he could con her into letting him have it completely redone so it's safe. She wouldn't agree but maybe he could figure it out. He was pretty sure that fell into the category of big gifts that she didn't allow. But he could always point out that he could have just bought her a new car. Hell maybe he would just buy a smaller BMW or Mercedes SUV and see if he could get her to drive it. He would have to gear up for this fight and it was absolutely not happening tonight.

James unbuckled and leaned over "Hey babe we are home." he said. Tori Lynn stirred slightly but didn't wake up. "If you don't wake up I'm just going to carry you up to my bed." Her eyes fluttered open. She smiled at him as he unbuckled her seat belt. "Damn and I was being quiet too." She laughed as she watched him come around the SUV. He had her door open and her up in his arms before she could grab her boots.

"Damn it Neal" she cursed "Put me down. I can walk."

"You don't even have shoes on. We'll get them in the morning. Now be still or I will drop you."

They doorman did not even glance up from his iPad as they walked in. So much for him knowing what was going on. James carried her bridal style through the lobby. Tori Lynn then noticed him staring at her feet.

"What" she asked.

"Did you really wear Bruins socks to a Preds Blues game?"

Tori Lynn smiled and nodded "They are my lucky hockey socks." Neal shook his head. "We are inside now. You can put me down."

"Not a chance in hell." he replied "I will put you down inside my apartment."

"What if I want to go to my apartment" she asked

"I guess then I will follow you home again" he answered as the elevator doors opened "What's it going to be?"

"I want to change before I go to your apartment but I don't want you to see it without me."

James strided over to Richie's apartment. Tori Lynn laughed and turned the door knob. James carried her inside the apartment. They got as far as the kitchen before they noticed the random guy clad in bright yellow boxer briefs in her kitchen. James quickly put her on her feet. They were both looking at the random guy rummaging in the fridge. Random finally noticed them. His eyes became large.

"Shit y'all scared me. Fuck you're James Neal." Tori Lynn was busy checking out the mostly naked guy in her kitchen. Colby's friend was hot and covered in quite a bit of colorful ink. He also was apparently not bashful and didn't even attempt to hide or get dressed.

"Last time I checked." replied Neal "Care to explain why you are my girl's kitchen."

"Umm maybe I should grab Colby. He is in the shower. I was looking for a snack for us and some bottled water. I am Kase. I don't think Colby thought you or Addi would be home tonight. Sorry."

Colby meandered into the kitchen. Tori Lynn started laughing at Colby's expression when he saw them. Colby had a black towel wrapped around his waist. Apparently the pants in the kitchen memo was out the door. Colby looked at Neal "Dude you had one job."

James started laughing at Colby "She wanted to change clothes." explained James as he nudged Tori Lynn towards her room "We'll hurry. She didn't want me to see the apartment without her. I'll have her out of your hair in 10 minutes."

"Take your time" said Kase. Colby shook his head. Neal laughed even harder.

"Be glad it's Tori Lynn and not Addi. The Spanish Inquisition has nothing on her." supplied Colby. James was standing in the kitchen with the boys "Want a drink Neal?"

"Nah, we are heading over to the apartment. I grab something there."

Tori Lynn came out of her room. She hugged Colby and winked at him. "Nice to meet you Kase."

"I said no hoodies" sassed Colby. She leaned in and whispered to Colby. He nodded his understanding. James' hoodie was huge on her and hung to her knees.

"See ya around" said Kase.

Tori Lynn and James walked over to his apartment. Tori Lynn pulled the key from her hoodie pocket. "If you hate it you can tell me. I promise not to get mad. I can change anything you want. Pauly thinks you will love it. I hope you do. I tried..." He hauled her up against his body and kissed her. He took the key from her hand without leaving her mouth. He pushed the door open and pulled her inside before he broke the kiss. "Damn it Neal you can't just kiss me to shut me up." His mouth found hers again. He kissed her breathless before shutting the door. He managed to look over her shoulder at the living room.

"Holy fuck" exclaimed Neal "I am in the wrong apartment."

"Nope you're home" she replied smiling and bouncing. She pulled off his hoodie and hung it on the hook by the door. He stopped long enough to realize she was wearing his jersey and not much else. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her towards him. "No way Neal. I want you to see everything." His hand found purchase on her hip. The jersey sliding up. Tori Lynn smacked his hand. Then used it to pull him into the living room.

James was taking in the scene in front of him. The paint, the furniture, and all the decorations were perfect. It might not have been exactly what he would have came up with. But it was definitely Tori Lynn. Her touches were everything. She pulled him in the kitchen and dining room area. He was amazed with all the changes. He had appliances. Hell he had a toaster on the counter.

"You found the toaster." he said in an amazed tone "And all my stuff matches."

"It does now." she said watching him. James turned towards the living room and checked out the space better. Again with the matching. He tucked her up against his side as he looked at the entertainment center and the bar.

"I have a bar" he said looking down at her.

"I thought since we were aiming for grown up liquor bottles on top of the fridge might take away from the effect. "

"So now I am a grown up" he asked.

"No! I had a credit card not a wand" she sassed as she walked farther into the room "There is your precious chair." He smacked her ass as she walked away."Damn it Neal"

He laughed and looked at his chair. It was placed so that he could play with his XBox and watch TV. Wait where was his XBox. He looked at the lack of boxes and wires near his TV. He didn't say anything. Tori Lynn walked over to the new entertainment center. She leaned over and pulled open all the doors and showed him all his toys. He had totally lost function when she leaned over. His jersey had ridden up. She didn't have shorts on. "Here are all your toys, Nealer." she said looking at him. Neal was standing in the same spot staring "I didn't toss the anything. I put a few things away but nothing is gone. Even your miserable couch. Speaking of couches." She nodded to the new couch "Come look."

James moved from the space beside the recliner to standing in front of the new couch with Tori Lynn. It was a big comfortable looking couch. He liked the fact that it was L shaped. Tori Lynn pulled him over to the part that made an L and shoved him down. James laughed as he landed on the couch. "See much better" said Tori Lynn "You'd be out with a lower body injury if you landed on your old couch. Stretch out, Neal. You made me promise you could fit." James stretched out on the chaise side of the couch. He made a grab for Tori Lynn but she moved away from him. He wasn't sure what she was up to. She sat down near his feet. James started to pull her to him when she started taking off his boots. They landed with a thud on the floor. "Comfy right" said Tori Lynn as she climbed onto the couch beside him. She snuggled into his side for a minute. "It's perfect for snuggling." she stated. She moved before James realized what she was doing. Tori Lynn was straddling him. She leaned in and pressed him farther back into the couch. Her mouth landed near his ear "And maybe other things." Her mouth slid from his ear down his jaw. She pressed soft open mouthed kisses on his jaw line before her mouth found his. She kissed him gently. "Want to see your room." she asked as she kissed him again. His hands were sliding up under his jersey. The more they slid the more skin they found. She pushed his hands away and climbed off him and the new couch."Coming Neal" she asked walking down his hall.

James shook his head and followed Tori Lynn. He noticed two of her guitar stands near his patio door. Seeing those in his living room made him feel more at home than a lot of the other renovations. Tori Lynn was standing in the hallway that branched off to the 3 bedrooms. She was waiting for him. Part of him wanted her waiting for him after every game. Hell he wanted her there waiting for him every day. James was absolutely floored when he saw the wall. Pictures of him, pictures of the boys, and pictures of his family all framed in black and white. They were beautiful. Well as beautiful as a picture of a bunch of sweaty hockey players could be. "I've never framed anything other than jerseys" he said kind of in awe. "No wonder mom was asking questions. I don't know what to say."

"I'm glad you like it. The one of you, Pauly, and Geno is exclusive to you. Carmen had never printed it." she replied "She is going to come down and get a few of you in your Preds gear so I can finish out the wall. Come look at the guest room."

James walked into the guest room. It was painted a light yellow. The horrible couch was taking up one wall. Next to it was a white doll house with everything Nat could ever want. There was also a white book shelf with kids books, adult books, and lots of things she had gathered throughout the house. Tori Lynn had a giant black and white picture of James and Nat on the ice at the last Pens Christmas party. She was laughing as he was carrying her around the ice. It was in a huge glittery frame. Tori Lynn flipped on the bathroom light and James laughed. It was done in yellow and gray as well but there were tiny penguins throughout the room. "She will love it." he said "It is great Tori Lynn."

"One more room Neal" she said taking him by the hand. He let her lead him to his room. Tori Lynn flipped on the light as they came in. He was facing his bathroom. He crossed his room and looked at the new dresser. He loved the color of the paint it was somewhere between black and a deep gray. Tori Lynn clicked on the two industrial looking lamps on the bedside tables.

"That might be the biggest fucking bed I've ever seen." said Neal looking at his giant bed.
"It's a California king." she answered "You slept sideways on the queen size bed. You needed room to sleep."

"And maybe other things" he said quoting her from earlier. James then noticed the wall above his bed. She had arranged his jerseys in frames in a large grouping his Whitby Wildcat jersey, a Bowmanville Eagles jersey, his Whaler's one, his Dallas Stars draft day jersey, his first game day Pen's jersey, his All Star one, and finally Pred's assistant captain jersey. "Where did you get them all? I didn't even know I had some of them."
James was leaning against his dresser looking at the wall. She wasn't sure if he was happy or confused. "We can take them down. Pauly said you might not be thrilled with a love me wall. But Fish and Carrie love it. Oh you didn't have all of them framed. Your mom robbed your place on the lake in Whitby for them." She came to stand in front of him. He was still looking at the wall. Tori Lynn wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his chest.
"All that's missing is my Canada World's" he said quietly "I am not even sure where it is?" He looked down at her snuggled against his chest "Why this of all things you could have done?"
"So when you look at it you can remember when you were more than just the Real Deal. You have made your way up from peewee to here. Maybe in 2018 we can hang an Olympic one up there." she replied looking up at him.

James knew he should say something. He should confess undying devotion. Tell her he loved the jerseys and her. But he was afraid if he said anything she would realize that she said she planned on sticking around for at least a few years. He didn't want her to take it back and he didn't want to fuck it up. So he took the easy way out. "The entire place looks perfect." he said hugging her to his chest. She smiled up at him. She stepped away from him.

He was watching as she took his right hand in hers. She started undoing his cufflink. She laid the first on the tray on the dresser. She worked the link on his left side. It joined the right one. She undid his watch and placed it in the drawer full of watches to her right. She motioned for him to lean down. She pulled the collar stays out. She placed them in the tray. She then started unbuttoning his shirt. She kissed his throat. He growled at her but didn't move. He was holding on to the edge of the dresser. She kept unbuttoning and pulled his shirt free from his slacks. Tori Lynn pushed his shirt free from his shoulders and off his body. Standing there in the white undershirt made the ink swirling down his arm stand out more. Tori Lynn snaked a finger down the tattooed arm. She pulled the arm towards her. "I've never really looked at it." she said "It's beautiful."

"No" he said his hands coming up and framing her face "But turnabout is fair play. You are the only beautiful thing in this room. And all your ink is hidden." He didn't give her a chance to answer. His mouth was on hers. His hands skimmed down her curves. She made a small sound and James deepened the kiss. His tongue dipped in and slid against hers. She wasn't sure how long they had been kissing. It varied from sweet loving kisses to ones that could set her soul and body on fire. She was pulling at his undershirt as he plundered her mouth.

"Off" she panted breaking the kiss. He smirked at her and pulled it free from his pants. He grabbed the back of it with one hand and jerked free from his body. Her hands went to his belt. She opened the button and dropped his pants to the floor. He kicked them free from his feet. He toed his socks off. Tori Lynn took in the sight of Neal clad in nothing but a pair of Armani briefs and a lot of ink.

"Now you have too many clothes on" said James picking her up and stalking towards the new bed. He stood her on the edge of the bed. She was finally close to his height. "Arms up" he instructed. His jersey hit the floor. He drew in a breath. The only thing under his jersey was a tiny pair of transparent navy lace panties and matching bra. With her standing on the bed he was eye level with her breasts.
"Hey I thought you wanted me in your jersey" she teased.
"Oh I do. I told you I plan to keep you up all night. At some point that jersey will be on you." he said cockily. He was looking at her. She was fucking perfect. "Now I need to inspect someone's tattoo.
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Notes