“Ty! Stop it!” Nicki shrieked, giggling as Tyler showered her face with kisses.

“I. Can’t. Help. It. Your. Face. Is. So. Soft.” He paused after each one to say a single word.

When he finally stopped she sighed. She was out of breath from giggling so much.

“Well, I guess there are worse ways you could have woken me up.”

Tyler flashed a smile and leaned in to kiss her. Nicki drew in a breath as his soft lips hit hers; her hand inched its way to the back of his head. He pulled away slightly, leaving his face centimeters from hers.

“Happy birthday,” he said, giving her a last peck on the lips before rolling off of her onto his back.

Nicki took it as an invitation to cuddle and scooted towards him, lying her head on his chest.

“Thanks, sweetheart. I can’t believe I’m twenty four years old. Where the hell does the time go?”

“I don’t even want to hear it! I’m almost thirty! Before you know it, I’m gonna start losing my hair.”

She gave him a smack on the chest. “Tyler, you’re twenty six. Stop being overdramatic.” Nicki reached up and ran her fingers through his growing hair. “Besides, you’re never going to lose your hair. It’s too beautiful.”

A soft sigh from Tyler made her smile. Nicki nearly put herself back to sleep playing with his hair.

Just as she was about to drift off he said, “Don’t you want your birthday breakfast?”

“Depends on what you made.”

He scoffed. “You know, I miss the days when you’d cry when I made you breakfast.”

“It’s your fault,” she said. “You spoiled me.”

Tyler wrapped his arms tighter around her. “What’s gotten into you this morning?”

“I don’t know. I’m sorry. I think I’m just anxious about tomorrow.”

“What is there to be anxious about?” he asked, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

“After tomorrow, I have to start my real life. It’s kind of scary. Jesus Ty, can picture me running a business? That’s terrifying!”

The next day, Nicki would finally be graduating from college. She’d earned her Master’s degree in business management and took interior design classes on the side. Everything was ready for her to start her own business. Except for her.

“You’re going to be fine. And if it doesn’t work out, you can just stay home and be my trophy wife.”

“Yeah, that sounds like the perfect existence,” she said sarcastically.

“What’s wrong with that? I’d love it if I could just do nothing for the rest of my life. Besides, that’s what everyone else’s wives do.”

She shook her head against his chest. “I’m not like them, you know that. And no you wouldn’t love it. That’s so boring. And lonesome.”

“We could get another dog,” he suggested.

Nicki chuckled. “I think Marshall is all we can handle for now. I’ve always wanted a husky though…”

“Well, maybe when we buy a house we can get one.”

She looked up at him. Did he really just say that?

“Seriously?” She was talking more about the house part than the dog part. Tyler knew what she meant.

“It’s not like we’re gonna live in this apartment forever.”

“I can’t even imagine living anywhere else.”

“Neither can I. It feels kind of lonely without Freddy and Evaline though, huh?”

Nicki nodded. They’d gotten married last year and bought a house, leaving Tyler and Nicki alone in the apartment. After spending three years under the same roof, it almost felt like losing family members.

“Are they coming over today?”

“Yup. And so is your father and my whole family. And Brad.” His tone changed when he mentioned Brad. Tyler still hadn’t warmed up to his relationship with Candace. He checked the clock over his shoulder. “They’re coming at noon. Which means you should probably get off your lazy ass and eat.”

** * * * *

Tyler sat at the island waiting for Nicki to finish her pancakes. He’d made some for himself too, but had devoured them before she even picked up a fork.

“They get better every year,” she said, putting her hand over his on top of the table.

“So do you.”

“Aww, Ty!”

She left her unfinished pancakes in pursuit of his lap. Her birthdays had become a day of sweet comments and hot sex, with a little bit of family and presents thrown in. It was just fine with Tyler. Her birthday usually ended up being his favorite day of the entire year.

“Do you think we have time before – “

A knock on the door cut her off. She groaned as Tyler lifted her off of his lap to answer it.

“Next year you’re taking me out of the country!” she shouted after him.

He couldn’t help but laugh. Nicki loved their families to death, but she complained every year that she just wanted to stay in bed all day, the way they had that first year. Tyler always tried to remind her that they’d thrown a surprise party for her, but apparently it wasn’t one of the details she chose to remember.

Maybe he would take her somewhere next year.

“Whoever it is, stall them! I’m gonna get ready!” she called from the other room.

Tyler unlocked the door and opened it. Freddy and Evaline bounced through the doorway, presents in hand.

“Hey buddy! Where’s the birthday girl?” Freddy asked as he wrapped an arm around Tyler’s shoulder.

“Getting ready. How are you guys?”

Evaline stepped up to hug him. “We’re great! I have to say, though, I miss living here sometimes. And I miss having my bestie right down the hall.”

“Oh, thanks,” Freddy said, snaking an arm around her waist.

“You know I love you.”

Tyler glanced away to give them some privacy. Things had been different before they moved out; they’d grown a bit distanced. He heard galloping on the hardwood floors.

“Marshall!” Freddy yelled, getting on his knees to play with him.

Marshall had grown into something of a monster. He weighed in at a solid one hundred and twelve pounds. The vets were astonished. Even his breed of lab only got to be about eighty pounds, at the most. And there wasn’t an ounce of fat on him; he was pure muscle. Tyler knew back when he was a puppy that he’d picked the right dog. He’d been dead on. He loved his bulky companion.

Tyler noticed that Evaline stayed put. If he remembered correctly, she adored Marshall. She used to roll around with him all over the floor, playing with him whenever no one else wanted to. Before he could inquire too much about it, Nicki came back into the room. She’d put on the white dress Cassidy gave her four years ago.

As she went to say hello to Freddy and Evaline, Tyler stepped in her way. He slipped his fingers into her hair, leaving his hands on either side of her head.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.

A smile lit up her face and she wrapped her arms around his neck, forcing her lips against his. Kissing her never got old; he still hadn’t quite gotten used to it. Tyler found any excuse to do it. When all else failed, he complimented her. That always did the trick.

Freddy cleared this throat. “May I remind you that you have guests? With presents?”

Nicki’s lips curled up against his, but she continued to kiss him. Tyler rested his hands across her lower back and pulled her a little closer. Her hands cupped his face.

“This is unbelievable!”

It was Tyler’s turn to smile. Freddy never ceased to shit on them whenever they had a moment; it had become the sole purpose of his life. It used to bother him. One night, he’d taken it too far, sending Nicki running into their room crying. It was the first and only time Freddy ever admitted that he thought they were good together.

At last, Nicki pulled away from him. Her kiss had left him breathless.

“Finally! Christ. Here I am thinking ‘hey, we’ll go to the apartment, hang out with Nicki on her birthday, it’ll be cool, right?’. I’m not here to watch the two of you make out all day.”

“Freddy, be nice,” Evaline scolded.

Since they’d gotten married, she’d had Freddy wrapped around her finger. When she called, he came running. When she told him to shut up, he’d be damned if a whisper escaped his lips. Tyler got a kick out of it.

“Yeah Freddy, be nice,” Nicki repeated as she went to hug him. “It’s my birthday. I’m gonna kiss who I want, when I want, for how long I want. And there ain’t a damn thing you can do about it.”

“This should be so much fun,” he muttered sarcastically. He made up for some of his cynicism by placing a kiss on her cheek.

Moments after Nicki and Evaline hugged and said hello, there was another knock at the door. Tyler excused himself to answer it. He guessed that it was Bill. It was five minutes to twelve, and his family was never on time. The thought of them showing up early was preposterous.

“Hey, Seggy.”

Tyler opened the door further to let Brad in. He had flowers in one hand and a gift bag in the other. Tyler had to admit, ever since he gave Brad the okay for Candace, he’d been exceedingly respectful. They still had some wild fun on the ice and after the games when they went out, but in any other social situation, he acted completely different. It was slowly convincing him that maybe he matured; maybe he actually was worth Candace’s time.

“Hey. Candace should be here any minute, she’s stuck in traffic.”

During her senior year of high school, Candace had been approached by just about every Division 1 hockey school in the country. Her love for Boston (and for Brad) led her to choose BU. She was only fifteen minutes away from Tyler and Nicki, and saw them often. She and Nicki had more or less become sisters. They told each other everything, to Tyler’s dismay. A while back, Nicki had let it slip that they’d slept together. They’d both woken up to very angry voicemails from a very furious Tyler.

“Oh, cool,” Brad responded, stepping through the doorway. “Hi Foxy,” he said as he handed her the flowers. “Happy birthday.”

Nicki threw her arms around him. “Brad! You are so sweet! Thank you for the flowers, they’re beautiful.” When she released her hold on him she said, “I’m gonna put them in a vase right now. Anyone want a beer while I’m in the kitchen?”

Everyone said yes except for Evaline. Neither she nor Nicki drank beer. Tyler noticed a tone in her voice when she’d said no.

“You feeling okay, Evy?” he asked, wondering what was going on with her.

Her blue eyes became round as she looked at him. “Uh, yeah. I’m good! Why?”

“Just wondering.”

She smiled at him and turned back to Freddy. He knew she was lying.

The door opened again. The only other person with a key to the apartment was Candace. She stepped through the doorway and Tyler glanced at Brad. He looked like he was about to burst. They hadn’t seen each other in weeks because of conflicting hockey schedules. He was clearly holding back because Tyler was in the room. He went into the kitchen to find Nicki, hugging Candace on his way.

He watched her as she cut the stems of the flowers and placed them into a vase that she’d filled with water.

“That was really nice of him,” he said once she finished.

Nicki turned to look at him, smiling as soon as she saw him. It gave flight to butterflies in his stomach. She was always so happy to see him. He figured after four years, she would start to tire of him. If anything, she’d grown even fonder of him. It was a mystery; the same had happened to him.

“Very sweet,” she agreed, placing her hands on his hips.

Tyler couldn’t help himself. He leaned in slowly, holding her gaze until their lips touched. He felt himself shudder as her hands found their way underneath his shirt. Her tender hands on his skin spread warmth throughout his body.

He knew that they had guests and that they were supposed to be entertaining. But, for a reason he couldn’t quite comprehend, kissing Nicki seemed like the most important thing in the entire world.

“What time is everyone leaving?” she asked once he let her go.

Tyler chuckled. “Probably around six. Which gives us the entire night to ourselves. Don’t worry, I’ll make it worth the wait.”

He watched as she bit down on her lower lip. Her sparkling white teeth against her soft pink flesh drove him wild. Tyler took the bait and pressed his lips to hers again, this time slipping his tongue into her mouth. She greeted him with her own, and moaned when they met. Her eager fingers clenched tufts of his hair.

Yet another knock on the door snapped them back to reality. It was for the best. Tyler was seconds away from whisking her off to the bedroom and doing unspeakable things to her. When he turned to answer the door, he received a firm slap on his backside, followed by incessant giggling. He shook his head as he walked to the door, trying to push away the thoughts she had instilled in his mind.

“Hey Bill, hi Diane. How are you?”

Bill gave Tyler one of his manly hugs before entering the apartment in search of Nicki.

“We’re doing well, Tyler, thanks for asking,” she said as she hugged him, too. “How are you and Nicki? Excited for the wedding?”

“To be honest, I haven’t really thought much about it. There’s been so much going on lately, it’s been hard to look forward to it. I think after tomorrow it will really set in, though.”

Diane put a hand on his shoulder. “It will. And you can tell Nicki if she needs any help planning, I have a lot of experience with it. I know it’s hard with Lisa being so far away.”

“I’m sure she’d love that. Thanks, Diane.”

Only a year after their wedding, Lisa and Zach had moved to Michigan. Zach got a job offer that paid way too much money for them to refuse. Tyler was expecting a video chat from them later that night to say happy birthday to Nicki, just like every other year.

Before Tyler could close the door, Cassidy shoved her way through, followed by his mother and Jim.

“Hey Ty!” she yelled, latching on to him. She’d grown up tremendously, but never lost her annoying little sister habits. Tyler imagined she would remain that way for the rest of her life.

Tyler greeted his mother and Jim, then turned to watch as they pulled Nicki into a group hug. The expression on her face told him that she was just as excited to see them as they were to see her. Candace and Cassidy were constantly telling him how excited they were to have another sister; one whom they actually liked. It amazed him to see as Cassidy grew up, she almost always went to Nicki with her problems. Boy problems, friend problems, school problems, anything that went wrong in her life. She had spent countless hours on the phone with her, comforting her and making her laugh. When Tyler listened in, he was captivated by the advice Nicki would give her. She knew how to handle every single situation.

It made him consider what an amazing mother she would make someday.

** * * * *

“Can we just eat the cake, already?” Nicki begged, growing impatient with the speeches that everyone was giving her. “I mean, you guys are great. But I’ve been dying for chocolate cake for a good three months now.”

Evaline laughed beside her and nodded her head. “Me too! Holy crap, sometimes it’s all I can think about!”

Tyler noticed Freddy give her a small nudge. They’d been acting strange the entire afternoon. He planned on pulling Freddy aside and asking him about it as soon as he got the chance. If there was something going on between them, he wanted to help.

“That’s up to Tyler, he’s the only one who hasn’t said anything,” his mother pointed out.

He stroked his chin, pretending to think. Nicki glared at him, sending the room into hysterics. She was the only person he knew that would literally hurt somebody over a piece of chocolate cake. Not wanting to wake up bruised, or worse, written on, the next morning, he came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

“Of course we can,” he said, kissing her cheek. He let his lips linger by her ear and whispered, “I’ll give you my speech later.”

Tyler felt her lean into him, just enough to let him know she’d heard.

“I wanna cut it!”

“Cass, please be careful with that knife,” his mother warned.

“Don’t worry mom, I’m not Nicki. I can cut stuff without cutting myself, too.”

Everyone laughed again, Freddy the hardest. He loved to make fun of Nicki, but loved it even more when other people joined in on the fun.

“Pretty sure I’m never making cupcakes for you again,” Nicki said in retaliation.

Cassidy dropped the knife onto the counter and sprinted over to her, throwing her arms around her shoulders.

“Nooo! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it! Please keep making me cupcakes!”

Nicki hugged her back and chuckled. “I’ll keep making you cupcakes.”

“Okay, good then.”

The feeling in the room that day was one Tyler had sincerely missed. It had been months since he’d seen his mother, Jim, and Cassidy. It had been almost as long since he’d seen Freddy and Evaline. It was elating to have everybody back together again, having a good time.

Once everyone had reclined back, overstuffed with cake, Tyler made the announcement he’d been waiting for all day.

“I believe it’s time for presents…”

He grinned as Nicki groaned. Every single time he got her anything, she complained. It never failed. ‘Tyler, why are you spending money on me?’ ‘Tyler, I didn’t need that.’ ‘Tyler, I don’t want anything.’ He’d memorized each and every one of her grievances. At the end of the day, though, she always gave in. If it took puppy dog eyes, then it took puppy dog eyes. This year, he knew he was really in for it.

“Tyler, I swear to God, if you got me something expe – “

Tyler interrupted her with a kiss, hoping to butter her up. He heard a few “aws” and an “ew” from Freddy, as always. A few seconds passed before she began to kiss back, and she lifted her fingers to his face. He pulled away from her, confident he’d done the job. The soft gleam in her eyes confirmed it.

Everyone left the kitchen and spread out across the living room, grabbing the presents that had been left scattered throughout the apartment. Tyler sat down in his usual spot on the couch and Nicki plopped onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her stomach, noting how tense all of her muscles had become.

“Loosen up, babe. You love to give presents. That means you have to be happy about getting them, too.”

She slumped into him and huffed out a breath.

“That’s better,” he said, brushing his lips against her neck.

It seemed as though everyone had respected Nicki’s wishes except for Tyler. She got her annual scrapbook from his mother and Jim, a Victoria’s Secret gift card from Candace and Brad, a book of dessert recipes from Cassidy, and candles and a book from Bill.

“Open mine next!” Freddy shouted at her over the three different conversations going on. He tossed a box across the room and Tyler caught it, handing it to her.

“Is it appropriate to open in front of everybody this year?” she asked skeptically.

Freddy tried to hold in his laughter, creating a funny looking expression on his face. “Um, it depends. Cass you’re eighteen now, right?” She nodded. “Then yeah, it’s fine.”

Two years ago, Freddy was having a hard time deciding what to get Nicki for her birthday. So, being Freddy, he figured he’d venture into Spencer’s gifts and see what they had to offer. The result? A whip. He thought it was the funniest idea for a present ever, and when Nicki cracked up as she opened it, it started a beautiful tradition. Last year, he’d gotten her a “clone your guy” kit, designed to create an exact mold of a man’s private parts. Freddy said it ‘was for when Tyler went on the road’. Suffice it to say, things had gotten awkward.

Tyler held his breath as she opened it, praying that he hadn’t found something even worse. She pulled out a pair of furry handcuffs.

“Freddy, am I ever going to get something normal from you?”

“I think that’s the dumbest question I’ve ever heard you ask.”

She giggled and set them back in the box. Tyler secretly wondered whether or not she would want to try them out later that night.

“So I’m done, right?”

“No!” Evaline squealed, “You forgot about mine!”

She picked up the narrow bag next to her and walked it over to Nicki.

“Evy!” she said as she pulled the bottle out, “Cupcake wine!” She got off of Tyler to hug Evaline. “This makes me miss you even more.”

Tyler smiled as he remembered the innumerable occasions he’d woken up in the middle of the night to find Nicki and Evaline sitting at the island laughing, going through bottle after bottle of the stuff. It had become the staple of their friendship.

“Let’s open it now!” said Nicki, running into the kitchen with it.

“No, let’s wait,” Evaline called after her.

Nicki came back into the living room slowly. “But it’s your favorite.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just…”

Tyler intervened. There was no point in waiting anymore.

“What is up with the two of you today?”

Freddy and Evaline exchanged glances. Evaline sighed and looked around the room.

“We were going to wait until after your graduation,” she said hesitantly.

Nicki set down the bottle of wine and stared at them.

“What are you talking about?”

Evaline held out her arms in a half excited gesture. “I’m pregnant.”

“PREGNANT?! You’re pregnant?!”

She nodded and Nicki hugged her tentatively, as if she was afraid she would hurt the baby.

“And you were going to wait to tell me?! God, have long have you know?!”

“Only a week,” Freddy said, sliding an arm across her back. “This is a big week for you, we didn’t want to steal the spotlight.”

Nicki locked her arms around Freddy. Tyler could tell by the way her shoulders shook that she was crying.

“I can’t believe you guys. I am so happy for you,” she sobbed.

Freddy laughed over her shoulder. “Stop crying, would you? It’s your birthday.”

“I don’t even care! This is amazing. You guys are gonna be parents…” she said in disbelief.

Tyler knew how she felt. It was hard to imagine the people they’d lived with for the last four years were moving on with their lives. Even though they’d been together longer than Freddy and Evaline, it felt like they were so far behind. Suddenly, he couldn’t wait for the wedding.

After everyone had congratulated them, Tyler reminded Nicki that he still had something for her. Those who knew what it was stared at her, waiting to see what her reaction would be. He led her down the hallway towards Freddy and Evaline’s old room.

“Go inside,” he said, pushing lightly on the small of her back.

She twisted the doorknob and let the door swing open, revealing the office he’d set up for her. He was genuinely surprised she hadn’t gone in there the last two months while he was getting it ready. Nicki crept into the room, awestruck. There wasn’t much in it besides a fancy lamp, some artwork, a computer chair, and a nice dark chestnut desk with an iMac on top of it.

“I figured you’d want to pick the color scheme and everything, that’s why there’s nothing in here.”

Nicki turned on her heel and jumped on him. Tyler laughed and held her up, bracing himself for a kiss that was sure to be incredible. It left his mind reeling. Nicki tilted her forehead against his.

“Tyler, this is perfect. You finally got me something I actually needed,” she said softly, laughing through her tears.

“It’s not the only thing I got you that you needed.”

Her head snapped back. “You got me something else? This is plenty, Ty.”

“Nothing big. I think I left it in the car, though. Will you go get it?”

He let her down. “Uh, yeah. Sure. Where are your keys?”

Tyler pulled the keys out of his pocket and handed them to her. It took her a moment to look up at him.

“These aren’t your keys.”

He wore his best shit eating grin.

“Tyler… what did you do…”

“Just go outside,” he said, trying to push her towards the door.

“You didn’t.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The group got up to follow them outside. Every few seconds, Nicki would glance over her shoulder at Tyler, who hadn’t stopped smiling. He wouldn’t be surprised if she murdered him in his sleep that night. She stopped short when she exited their building. In her parking spot stood a sparkling grey BMW convertible. The shining sun glared off of the shiny exterior, making it look even nicer than it had when Tyler bought it.

“I fucking hate you.”

Tyler grabbed her and picked her up, trying to rub her nose with his. She turned her head.

“I love you, too.”

She glared at him out of the corner of her eye, trying her best to pout. He saw right through it.

“You love it.”

A smile forced its way onto her face.

“Oh my God. It’s gorgeous.”

The words came out strained. It hurt her to say them. Tyler understood why it was so hard for her, and he felt a little guilty for putting her in that position. But she desperately needed a new car. And the future wife of a future hall of famer was not driving around in a Toyota. Tyler set her back on the ground.

“Go check it out.”

She stared at him for a moment before dashing over to the car. He followed her slowly, waiting for the next round of screaming to start.

“Tyler?!” There it was. “Who’s car is this…?”

He picked up his pace, coming to a halt at her side. The grin was back.

“It’s mine.”

Tyler took a minute to appreciate the pure glory of it. The sleek, black body drew stares from every direction.

“Is that a Maserati?”

He nodded proudly. She was obviously torn, trying to decide which to look at first. She shook her head.

“What the hell went through your mind?!”

“They extended my contract,” he said, pulling her close. “Surprise!”

Nicki squeezed him around the waist and buried her face in his chest. He knew the news he just broke to her was more exciting than any new car. The last few months, there had been some issues with his agent. It wasn’t clear what his future was with the Bruins, and the thought of having to leave Boston was slowly killing Nicki inside. It was their home; the idea of moving was absolutely heart wrenching.

“When?” she asked, lifting her head.

“A few days ago. For another seven years. And I got a ridiculous signing bonus. So I traded in my old car for your new one and bought this beauty.”

She backed away to look at it. “It’s almost sexier than you are.”

He smiled at her and walked around to the driver’s side of the BMW, opening the door for her.

“Get in! I want to see what you look like in it.”

Slowly, their family and friends made their way over to check out the cars and take pictures. Tyler made sure to get plenty of Nicki for the scrapbook. So far, every year they’d managed to fill an entire one. Sometimes two, depending on where they went over the summer. After getting her fill, Nicki got out of her car and hopped inside of Tyler’s. She spoke to him through the cracked window.

“Can we go for a ride later?”

“I thought you wanted to –“

“Oh, yeah. I almost forgot,” she said, letting out a soft chuckle. “You obviously did a good job if you made me forget about that.”

Tyler stuck his head through the window, keeping his face inches from hers.

“We’ll go sometime soon, I promise.” He leaned in, meeting her halfway for a kiss. “I know exactly where to take it, too.”

She answered him with a smile. It was the first time she’d been so ready to accept a gift from him. Maybe he was finally breaking her in.

** * * * *

“Yeah, I will mom. Call me when you land tomorrow,” Tyler said as he shut the door to their apartment. Finally, they were alone.

“At least they aren’t staying with us this year,” he said, turning around to face Nicki.

His jaw dropped. Somehow, in the few seconds it took him to close the door, she’d gotten completely undressed. Her clothes laid in a heap by her feet.

“Shit,” he muttered as the all too recognizable throbbing returned in his jeans.

She stood there looking at him, daring him to come closer. Tyler accepted the temptation and closed the space between them. Nicki drew in a breath as he ran his hands up her sides, following the flow of her curves. He reached her neck and cupped his hands around it as her eyes drew him into a trance. He so easily became lost in them, their depth dragging him deeper and deeper until he could no longer breathe.

“You really are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he whispered.

The agonizing truth behind his words frightened him. If being with her had taught him anything at all, it was that what they had was fragile. Everything in their world was so easily broken; so effortlessly shattered. And it was the most beautiful things in life that he was afraid of losing the most.

Her hands on his jaw enticed a sigh from him. He hung his head, surrendering to her touch. Her lips found their way to his, enveloping him in a sensation that he’d become addicted to. His thoughts swirled together, producing a confusing sort of peace in his mind, allowing him to focus wholly on Nicki. He got his arms around her and lifted her up, feeling the familiar embrace of her legs around his waist. Her arms snaked around his neck and she forced her face closer to his, her tiny nose sinking into the fleshy skin of his cheek.

The longing to feel her skin against his overpowered Tyler. He fell gently over the armrest of the couch, taking her down with him. Hands explored every inch of her exposed skin, coming to a rest on her back. Nicki arched her back to push up the hem of his shirt, gliding it easily up his stomach before relaxing her spine and dropping her weight onto him. The contact with her smooth belly demanded for him to remove the rest of his clothes. He couldn’t stand another second without feeling her fully.

Tyler lifted his shirt hastily off of his head and Nicki caught on. In seconds he was entwined with her; their bodies flowed together in an endless stream of flesh and warmth. Their lips connected again and he ran his fingers through her silky hair that cascaded down on him and tickled his chest.

Nicki slowly dragged her lips across his jaw, down to his neck. A moan escaped him as her tongue touched down, lips pulling at his vulnerable skin. A careful hand reached down to grasp him, tugging at his sanity. She knew exactly how to make him come undone.

Without warning, he tightened his arms around her back and lifted himself off of the couch. Nicki, who was still attached to his neck, squeezed her legs around him, holding herself up. He stumbled towards their bedroom and shoved her against the wall next to the doorway. She used the support of the wall to crawl up, placing her head far above his.

Tyler left light, affectionate kisses across her neck and chest, just the way she liked them.

“Ty,” she mumbled, almost inaudibly.

She’d told him everything he needed to know. He brought her to their room, lying her down on the bed, never breaking his hold on her. When her head hit the pillows, he brought his lips down again to hers, kissing her with the same passion he had by the pool, four long years ago. He nearly died as he leaned into her, knowing it was as close to heaven that he’d ever get.

Her fingers dug into his back before sliding down and coming to a rest comfortably at his ribs. He went slowly for his own enjoyment, but also to draw the soft, precious moans from Nicki’s lips. When they finally parted, Tyler kept his face right above hers and quivered as her warm breath surrounded him. She tensed her muscles around him and it took every ounce of strength he had to pull away, leaving her gasping and frustrated.

Tyler rolled over onto his back and grabbed her hips, pulling her on top of him. Her frustration quickly turned to satisfaction as he moved her body with his hands. The control he felt over her sent chills up his spine. The power she had over him was undeniable; whenever the authority shifted it gave him a rush.

She leaned over him to grab the headboard, giving him the perfect view of her chest. He concentrated on the way she moved above him, the way the muscles flexed in her arms as she clenched her knuckles from the pleasure he provided her. There was nothing like it, nothing compared to making her feel the way he knew he could. As her whines grew louder and more frequent, he lifted his hips in a rhythm with his hands.

Nicki’s whines escalated to cries, and he moved faster, trying to get them both there at the same time. She slammed a hand to the wall and squeezed him, finally shoving him over the edge.

Her tired body collapsed onto his, head falling perfectly into place in the crook of his neck. Tyler hugged his arms around her back and pressed his lips to her forehead. They lied there in silence as their breathing returned to normal. A delicate pair of lips against his neck made his eyes flutter shut.

** * * * *

When Tyler woke up, Nicki was still lying on top of him, tracing calming circles on his chest with her finger. She noticed him stirring and looked up at him.

“Hey.”

He smiled at her. How could one word make him feel so happy?

“Hey,” he said, resting a hand on the side of her face. “I’m sorry I fell asleep.”

She shook her head against his neck, eyelashes like feathers on his skin.

“Don’t apologize. You were so peaceful.”

“How long was I out for?”

“An hour, maybe less,” she answered. She sounded tired.

“Are you okay?”

Nicki snuggled up to him, wrapping an arm around his stomach.

“I am so much more than okay,” she said, letting out a long sigh.

So she was the good kind of quiet. She pulled his hand from her face to her lips, leaving a kiss in the center of his palm.

“I have so much to say to you, I just genuinely don’t feel like talking right now,” she admitted, laughing light-heartedly.

“You don’t have to,” he whispered. Not talking was fine with him. He enjoyed her silence as much as he enjoyed her conversation. “Wanna take a bath? I’ll give you a massage,” he proposed, knowing that she would say yes.

“Mhhmmm.”

Tyler chuckled and Nicki rolled off of him, onto her side. He walked into the bathroom and turned on the bathtub faucet before grabbing two fresh towels from underneath the sink and placing them on the floor next to the tub. He turned to look in the mirror, noticing that his face was still flushed from earlier.

Once the bath was nearly full, he went to get Nicki. It had become custom for him to carry her in, she was even lazier than he was after sex. She held her arms out for him as he lifted her up, cradling her close to his body. Tyler lowered her into the water and climbed in behind her. The warm water soothed his sensitive skin, causing him to lean back and rest his neck on the side of the tub. Nicki shifted and did the same, letting her head fall to his chest. He snaked his arms around her stomach and settled in, relaxing.

Nicki’s breathing started to become shallow. Before she fell asleep, Tyler sat up and leaned her forward to rub her shoulders and neck. She rolled back to meet his touch and groaned. Lately she’d been giving him massages nearly every day; hockey was kicking his ass. He hadn’t had time to pay much attention to her and her needs. He hoped to make up for it over the coming days which he miraculously had off.

Nicki’s phone started to ring from deep in the apartment, startling both of them. They’d been engulfed in their own cozy little world, where outside distractions didn’t exist.

“I should probably get that,” she said, gripping the sides of the tub to push herself up.

Tyler grabbed her hips to help her up, not minding in the least when her butt ended up in his face. She bent down to take a towel which she wrapped around herself, finally obstructing his view. He pulled the plug to let the water drain and got the second towel for himself. He could hear Nicki’s voice in the distance.

“Yeah, Lisa, Lisa listen to me. Lisa? Give me five minutes, okay? I’m a little busy right now.”

“Yup. I’ll be on in five minutes.”

She came back into the bathroom and removed her bathrobe from the hook on the back of the door.

“It was Lisa. She wants to skype.”

Tyler nodded and dried himself off before dressing himself in his own robe. He watched Nicki as she draped the silky fabric over herself. Not a moment went by that he didn’t silently thank himself for buying it for her. It was the same sapphire blue that he’d grown to love on her, and the silk showed her off in all of the right places. It was a little skimpy for a video chat with her best friend, but he decided not to mention it.

He followed her to the living room where she set up his laptop on the coffee table. She picked up the bottle of wine that had been left there after Freddy and Evaline’s announcement.

“Want some?”

Tyler nodded and took a seat on the couch, reclining into the softened leather. It was nearly time for a new one again. Marshall came trotting into the room and plunked down onto his dog bed, glancing up at Tyler with his sad eyes.

“Good boy,” he cooed, praising him for sitting on his bed instead of the couch. Marshall’s ears perked up and his tail wagged ever so slightly at the sound of his voice.

Nicki came back with two glasses in hand, sitting gently on his lap before handing him one. He wrapped his free arm around her waist and she leaned forward, opening up the chat window to wait for Lisa.

“Aw! Don’t you two look cozy!”

They heard her voice before they saw her face pop up on the screen. Zach was next to her, only half of him made it into the shot.

“Hey Lis,” Nicki said, an enormous grin growing on her face. “Hi Zach.”

“Happy birthday baby doll! How’s it feel to be twenty four?”

She giggled. “The same as it did to be twenty three. How are you guys?”

“Good.”

“Tired.”

Nicki laughed at their varied responses. Tyler could tell they were both exhausted; they had dark circles underneath their eyes.

“I won’t keep you long then,” she said, moving slightly on top of Tyler.

“Ugh, I would love a glass of wine right now,” said Lisa.

“I want a glass of wine, too!”

Tyler watched Nicki’s face light up. “Is that our beautiful god daughter?!”

A tiny face popped onto the screen. “Hi Auntie!” She paused before screaming, “Uncle Tyler!”

“Hi Bella,” he said, chuckling.

They’d established that Bella had a crush on Tyler. Whenever she saw him, she wouldn’t leave his side. When she was smaller, she would climb all over him, latching onto him when he needed to get up. Lisa and Zach incessantly apologized for it, but Tyler never minded. He thought she was adorable. He’d never been around a little kid like that before, and was generally just glad that she liked him.

“Bella, sweetie, what in the world are you doing up right now? It is way past your bedtime!” Nicki said, the pitch in her voice raising a few octaves.

Lisa pulled Bella onto her lap and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose.

“If you’d believe it, our little angel is going through a rebellious stage. She thinks she’s old enough to stay up with the grownups!”

“That’s because I am! Right Uncle?”

Tyler laughed, unsure how to answer. The last thing he wanted to do was make things harder on Lisa and Zach.

“You’re very grown up. But I think you should listen to your mom. If I go to sleep, will you?”

She nodded eagerly and bounced up and down on Lisa’s lap.

“Zach, honey, take her to bed? I’ll be done in a minute.”

Zach came across the screen and lifted her up underneath her arms.

“Not til Uncle Tyler goes to sleep!”

Lisa glared at him through the computer. He knew what that meant. Nicki got off of his lap and he stood up, bending down in front of his laptop.

“I’m going right now. Goodnight Bella, I love you,” he said, smiling into the small camera.

He watched as her cheek’s turned a rosy red. “I lub you too,” she mumbled shyly. She was still too young to pronounce all of her words correctly.

Zach left the room with Bella, leaving Lisa to talk to them. Tyler sat back down next to Nicki.

“Thanks, Ty. I might have to use that trick more often.”

“Whenever you need me to,” he said. “She just keeps getting cuter.”

“Yeah, to you maybe,” she scoffed. “And I wouldn’t tell her that. Nicki’s going to have some serious competition in about fourteen years.”

“Oh, thanks Lisa,” Nicki said, giggling. “How’s Danny doing?”

Lisa sighed. “He’s good. Poor little guy’s still recovering from the damn whooping cough.”

“I can’t wait to see him. Did you know I haven’t seen any of you since the day he was born?”

“Yeah, sorry about that, boo. Things have been so crazy here. But it should settle down soon enough. Come and spend a week out here sometime. It’s pretty lonesome with Zach working all the time.”

Nicki nodded. “Yeah, I know what that’s like.”

Tyler wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He always hated leaving her alone. Maybe it would be good for her to spend some time with Lisa and the kids.

Lisa perked up. “So did Freddy get you anything good this year?”

“Handcuffs,” Nicki replied, matter-of-factly. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I forgot! Evy’s pregnant!”

“No she’s not. That goon is going to be a father?”

Tyler laughed. Lisa and Freddy had a dynamic relationship, to say the least.

“Stop it, Lis. He’s going to be great. I can’t believe everyone is having kids, for Christ’s sake. What happened to us?”

“We grew up, way too fast if you ask me,” Lisa said, shaking her head. “But I wouldn’t give it up for anything. Those kids, they’re my life.”

A hand squeezed Tyler’s thigh. He looked at Nicki, who didn’t seem to know what was going on. He wondered if she’d done it subconsciously. He took a sip of his wine, waiting for someone to speak.

When no one did Lisa said, “Nick, can I talk to Tyler for a sec? I promise it’s nothing bad. Wedding stuff.”

“Yeah, sure. I’m gonna go to bed,” she said, leaving a kiss on Tyler’s cheek. “Night, Lis. Love you.”

“Love you too, girl.”

Tyler watched Nicki go into the kitchen and come back without her glass. She flashed him a tired smile before walking down the hallway and into their room.

“What’s up?” he asked once she was out of earshot.

She stared at him for a second before she said anything.

“I just can’t help but notice how good you are with Bells,” she said, implication strong in her tone of voice.

“Sure. She’s a great kid.”

Lisa nodded. “And Freddy and Evaline, I can’t believe it. I feel like they just met still.”

“I know, I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. I never thought Freddy would grow up, never mind be a father.”

There was an awkward silence. Tyler didn’t know what else to say.

“Listen, Ty. You’re not stupid. I know you know what I’m getting at. I understand that it was Nicki’s decision to wait, and that’s fine. And I know how serious you are about her. But that girl is going to make an incredible mother.”

A smile crept onto his face. “I know she is.”

“Oh. So you do want kids?”

“Of course I do.”

She let out a breath. “Well, good. I won’t have to give you the ‘you better have children with my best friend speech’, then. Because I’m tellin’ ya, it might have gotten a little awk.”

“No, you don’t have to have that speech with me,” he said, chuckling. “You should go to bed Lisa, you look like you’re about to keel over.”

“That’s probably a good idea. I’ll be in touch, Tyler. It was nice talking to you again.”

“Yeah, you too.”

The screen went blank on her side and Tyler shut his laptop. He decided to leave his glass on the table, it could wait until morning.

He walked quietly down the hall, just in case Nicki had already fallen asleep. When he got into their room, the light was still on and she was reading the book her father gave her earlier that day. Tyler dropped his robe and stepped into a pair of boxers before joining her in bed, slipping underneath the covers.

“What did Lisa want?”

Tyler rolled on his side to face her and propped himself up with an elbow.

“Like she said, wedding stuff. Secret wedding stuff that you aren’t allowed to hear,” he lied.

She made a face and nodded, shutting her book and turning off the lamp beside her. The room went dark, forcing Tyler to rely on his ears and sense of touch. By the movement of the bed, he could tell Nicki had curled up on her side. He inched towards her and molded his body against hers, draping an arm over her stomach. She pressed back into him and sighed.

“Did you have a good birthday?” he asked softly into her ear.

“The best.”

Notes

Hi everyone!! Here's the first chapter to the sequel! Unlike Autumn Leaves, this one isn't complete, so I'll be posting as I go.

Thank you so much for reading <333