White Orchids
Realization
The moment the words were out of his mouth, Nicki’s eyes began to fill.
“Where?” she asked, the word barely making it out of her mouth.
Tyler cocked his head, unsure of why she would wonder of all things where they would be talking. It took him a bit of time to piece together her worried expression and watery eyes.
“Oh, shit babe, no. I haven’t heard anything yet. This isn’t about the trade.”
Not once in his life had he seen such a relieved look on her face. Due to his racing thoughts concerning life’s latest obstacle, he’d nearly forgotten about the trade. Seeing how hard she was taking it sent all of the anxiety crashing down onto him.
Nicki stretched on top of him and looked around, most likely just remembering that they had a house full of hockey players. She pushed herself up slowly, and Tyler’s hands cupped her bottom to help her up.
“I have to start cooking,” she whispered, glancing frantically around the room. “They’re all gonna wake up starving.”
He grabbed her hand to keep her from going into the kitchen and pulled her between his legs. Looking up at her, he shook his head.
“It would take a team of chefs to make enough food for them. I don’t think we have much, anyways. Why don’t we run out and get some bagels or something?”
She shrugged and swiped a pointer finger underneath each eye, ridding her face of the blackness that he couldn’t get off himself. Tyler knew she loved to cook for people, especially when it was breakfast. But there was no way that they had the time or the resources to make enough eggs and toast for his whole team. Their biggest meal often came in the morning, and he wasn’t about to subject Nicki to all of that work. So bagels would do. He assumed they would probably start drinking around 11, anyways, and no one would have any room for food after guzzling beers all day.
Two little hands were placed in front of him, offering to help him up from the couch. He grinned, knowing that there was no way, no matter how strong she was, that she could pull his weight. Instead of refusing, he accepted her offer in hopes that he would make her feel like she was helping. If anything could make that girl happy, it was helping him, even when he didn’t need it.
When he got on his feet, he made sure that the first thing he did was place his lips on hers. She fell into it quickly, making it clear that she had been as thirsty for his kiss as he’d been for hers. Tyler had to be the one to end it, as he was sure Nicki would have gladly kept going all day if he didn’t. She gave him a longing look, one that never failed to make his gut churn, and one that always made her thoughts evident. She had sex on the brain, and just because they had a full house did not mean he would be escaping it.
A smug smile worked its way onto her face. They both knew that he would cave, no matter how long they debated over it. Truthfully, he wanted her as badly as she wanted him. Worse, even. But with everything going on around them, he had no idea how he could possibly manage to satisfy her.
“Babe,” he said, with warning in his voice.
“We’ll get the bagels first. We both need to shower, right? Might as well save water.”
Again, she’d made a point that he couldn’t argue with. In the end, it could only make him feel better. He left another kiss on her lips before stepping around her and wandering into the kitchen in pursuit of his keys. They were sitting out on the counter. As he went to grab them, arms wound around his waist, and a head rested in the middle of his back, forcing a soft sigh from his lips.
Hands snuck up the hem of his shirt and fingers traced over his abs, making him shiver. He’d never gotten used to her soft touch, and suddenly couldn’t wait to feel her hands all over his slick skin during the shower that he would be inevitably dragged into. Unwillingly, he caught her hands in his and removed them from his stomach. Nicki retreated, and he knew he would be feeling the repercussions later on. She never took well to him stopping her.
He turned to face her, finding her already staring up at him.
“So what do you need to talk to me about?” she asked. “You know you freak me out when you say that, right?”
“Say what?”
“’We need to talk’. I feel like you’re going to tell me something horrible every time you say that.”
Tyler leaned forward and placed an apologetic kiss on her forehead.
“Sorry. I’d like to have a word with you?”
A small giggle came from her and she moved to his left, taking her place by his side as they prepared to leave.
“Well, you sound like my third grade teacher now but I guess it’s an improvement.”
After exchanging a smile with her, Tyler grabbed her hand and led her out of the house. She didn’t have any idea of the bomb that he was about to drop on her, and for that, he felt awful. It wasn’t like she didn’t have enough to deal with already. Suddenly, he began to regret bringing it up so soon. He wished he’d waited, at least until all of the trade business was settled. What if he got shipped to Calgary? Or even Tampa Bay? Even if they could take on a child, how could they possibly drag him so far from the only place he knew? It was tough on them as it was, and at least they had each other to lean on.
As always, he opened the passenger side door for her, earning a smile and a pat on the side. Although a darkness still loomed behind her eyes, Nicki’s mood seemed to have improved greatly since the night before. Tyler normally found that after spending a night with her, waking up in the morning, everything seemed a little less horrible than it had been before they went to sleep.
He rounded the car and carefully lowered himself in, keeping in mind the small injury he was nursing. A tweaked hamstring was nothing in the NHL, but if he didn’t take care of it, it could become season threatening. The last thing he needed now was to tear it and have to miss his workouts and double sessions.
Once they were well on their way to the Bagel World one town over, Tyler clenched the steering wheel and prayed that their conversation would go smoothly. He didn’t think he could handle a fight with her, not now. Before he could muster the courage to get it out, she spoke.
“You can’t put it off forever Ty. What’s bothering you?”
He took a deep breath, feeling confident that she wouldn’t over or under react. Although she may have exploded the day before, she seemed to have her head back on her shoulders. She was a level-minded girl, and surely she would find the best solution.
“Uh, well, right before you woke up, I got a call.”
“From Peter?” she asked hesitantly. “I thought you said you didn’t hear anything.”
“No, I didn’t. It wasn’t Peter.”
“Okay… so who was it?”
Focusing on nothing but the road ahead of him, he gripped the wheel a bit tighter.
“Do you remember Amelia, the woman from the adoption agency?”
“Yeah. What the hell did she want?”
“They uh,” he paused, trying to gauge where her emotions were. A glance her way told him that she was perfectly calm in his leather passenger seat, waiting patiently for him to explain. “They found a boy. On the streets by the Garden. I guess his mother died and it took a couple of days for someone to find them. So they took this kid in and all he had with him was a picture of me and an autograph or something. She made it sound like he’s pretty fucked up from the whole thing, and said the only way they could get him to talk about anything was by bringing up hockey.”
“They want us to take him,” she inferred, barely giving him a chance to finish. He didn’t respond, allowing her to draw her own conclusions. “And you want to.”
“No. I mean, yes. Ugh babe I don’t know. Of course I want to help the kid. But this decision is on you.”
“Oh, great,” she muttered sarcastically. Tyler knew that she hated making big decisions by herself, but it would be unfair of him to try to persuade her one way or another. He wasn’t going to be the one raising three children alone.
“Listen, take as long as you need. And don’t feel like you have to say yes just because I want to help some boy we don’t even know.”
“How old?” she asked, her vision directed straight in front of them.
“She didn’t say. I’m assuming not too old.”
“And there’s no other family? Not even some long lost uncle?”
“It didn’t come up. I figured if she was going to risk her job by calling me, we were her last hope.”
“God Tyler, I don’t know about this. What if he’s some kind of psycho? Do you really want that around our children? And what if you have to pay for therapy and shit? This just seems like a burden too big for us to handle.”
“Well, we’d get money form the state for taking him in, I’m sure that would cover whatever expenses he might have.”
For the rest of the drive, the only sound was the Maserati’s wheels against the uneven Massachusetts streets. He would let her take as long as she needed, whether it be hours or weeks. It wasn’t like Tyler knew this boy, and if she decided that it wasn’t something that she could do, he wouldn’t be devastated. There were many pros and cons that he wanted to go over with her, but the timing wasn’t right. He himself still needed time to think it through, and until they’d both reached a decision in their own minds, talking would only bring them around in frustrating circles.
When they pulled into the drive thru, Nicki pretended to gaze out the window at the menu, but she wasn’t fooling anyone. As a college student, she had lived off of Bagel World, and he wasn’t about to forget all of the times he’d come home from a road trip to find two or three empty wax bags with the company’s name plastered on the front. She knew the menu by heart. He guessed she was trying to avoid any kind of unnecessary conversation.
“What should I get?” he asked, hoping that he hadn’t irritated her.
“I’d get four baker’s dozens, assorted. Unless you know everyone’s favorite type of bagel.”
Tyler leaned across the car and pressed his lips to her cheek, in an attempt to alleviate some of the tension that had birthed between them.
“So I’ll get a couple of French toast ones for you then,” he said playfully.
“Actually, I think I want onion.”
“Onion?” he inquired, baffled. “I thought you didn’t like those.”
She shrugged, and a smile crossed her face. “Well, someone in here does,” she said, rubbing a hand across her stomach.
Both relief and excitement filled him as he watched her caress her own belly. He was relieved that she didn’t seem to be upset with him, and excited at the mention of his babies. The last time she was pregnant, it was the only thing going on in their lives. It was all he had to focus on. This time around, with so much happening, it constantly slipped his mind that no matter what happened, he still had something life changing to look forward to.
“Alright, I’ll order a few extra then.”
He couldn’t stop the grin that dominated his face, nor could he stop the hand that made its way across the car and landed on Nicki’s thigh. Her own hand covered it, her fingers stroking lightly across his skin. It was mindboggling how happy she could make him feel, even in the direst of situations. That one, solitary moment they shared in the car was enough to ease his worries briefly. They would return later, but for now, he was on a high.
Giggling filled the car as Tyler placed their order, and Nicki pointed out that the people most likely thought they were either on drugs or the biggest fat asses in North America. He doubted that many people ordered more than fifty bagels at a time, and guessed that they did a good job cleaning them out.
When it came time to pay, Nicki shoved her credit card into his hand. He gave her a questioning look, but took it from her, figuring she would explain sooner or later.
“Sorry love,” she murmured as he handed the card back to her. “I didn’t want them to see your name and bring anything up. I’m finally in a sort of good mood.”
He chuckled and squeezed his hand around her thigh, realizing how ingenious her plan had been. Seguin wasn’t a popular last name, but if people didn’t recognize him by his face, he didn’t think they would make any connection with someone who had the same last name.
Although the drive back was mostly quiet, the sickening atmosphere had changed to one that was much lighter and easier to cope with. He’d come to the conclusion that every time they faced an obstacle together, they bounced back stronger than they were before. The resilience that had been created in the wake of their tragedies made dealing with lesser situations much simpler on the both of them. Whether they decided to help this boy or not, he was sure their relationship wouldn’t take a blow.
The second Tyler pulled into the garage, Nicki was out of the car and gathering as many bags of bagels that could fit in her arms. He laughed at her efforts and did the same, figuring out why she was so rushed as the trip up the front lawn and to the door turned into a foot race of sorts.
It took a bit of skill to get through the door without dropping bagels everywhere, but they managed to do it successfully. They each tossed the bags into the middle of the island, and Nicki filled the Keurig with water in preparation for their groggy guests. A hunger had grown inside of Tyler, but not for breakfast. He eyed Nicki’s backside as she bent over the sink, trying his absolute hardest not to take her right there against the counter. Whether it had been the change in atmosphere or a simple lack of sex over the past weeks he didn’t know. But he was ravenous.
She spun around quickly after she finished what she was doing and caught him staring at her, which was the biggest mistake he could have possibly made. The look in her eyes matched the desire burning in his stomach, revealing just how long it had been since they’d had one another. Tyler had been exhausted every day after his grueling workouts, so much so that he passed out as soon as he came home, sometimes before he even got to eat.
As she inched towards him, all of his blood rushed south. Few things were sexier than watching her watching him. He kept his eyes on her as she drank in every inch of him. When her gaze landed below his waist, his breath caught. Even with all of his clothing on, he felt exposed, as if she could see right through him.
Upon reaching him, her hands slid up his stomach and landed on his chest, where his heartbeat had become out of control. Teeth peeked out from behind her perfect, pink lips, momentarily taming the beast inside of him. He brushed his hand against her rosy cheek, causing her eyes to flicker. Taking advantage of her nearly shut lids, he leaned in, trapping her in a kiss that rivaled every kiss they’d ever had. When emotions ran high, it only added to the electricity that flowed between them. He was just now realizing that they could use it to their advantage instead of sulking in it.
Tyler hoisted her up, and the feeling of her legs locking around his waist ignited a flame inside of him, one that would refuse to be extinguished until he had her in her entirety. They shared a few more soft kisses before he began to make his way through the first floor and up the stairs. Her lips on his neck were severely distracting, and he had a few close calls, nearly toppling backwards down the steps. She could have cared less; the only thing on her mind was making him lose his.
“Shower or the bed?” he asked breathlessly once he made it safely into their room.
Her lips parted from his neck for only a second, to mumble, “Both.”
Seeing no issue with her answer, he let her down gently on the bed. Her legs never unwrapped from his waist, and he had no choice but to go down with her. He propped himself up on his forearms, being mindful of her belly. Although they’d been assured that pressure to her stomach wasn’t dangerous to the babies yet, he wasn’t about to take any chances.
Leaving small kisses along her collarbone, he gradually worked his way up her neck, until he reached her mouth. She greeted him eagerly, and her fingers tugged at the hem of his shirt. Tyler leaned back on his knees and ripped it off, grinning as she marveled at his sculpted body. It seemed she still hadn’t grown used to his new, larger physique, and a part of him wished she never would. Every time he undressed, it was like she was seeing him for the very first time. Her eyes scanned over him, and her hands explored in ways that made him tremble. He shut his eyes as she touched him, letting the sensations take over completely.
When she pulled at the button to his shorts, his eyes popped open. He’d nearly forgotten about the monstrosity that had grown inside of them. He let her do the work, only moving to kick them off, along with his briefs. Tyler didn’t stand a chance against her hand, wrapped around him in a millisecond. Her fingertips ghosted along his length, just barely making contact with his skin. A long moan pushed its way from him with no warning; it felt even better than he remembered.
His noise fueled her desires, and in a flash she’d wriggled out of her clothes and tossed them to the floor. Even with the aches that wracked her body some days, she was as lithe as ever. The talent she had for shedding her clothes was both impressive and dangerous, and on more than one occasion she’d caught him off guard and sent him into a visual overdrive.
While positioning himself between her legs, Tyler realized that this would be only their second time since finding out that she was pregnant. Something about that simple fact made everything feel special, as if it deserved the ceremony that they lacked in such desperate times. As a display of affection, he leaned over her and left a long kiss in the center of her forehead. Hands skimmed his sides, forcing the breath from his lungs.
When Nicki’s hips bucked against him, he stopped procrastinating. Back on his knees, he gripped her legs and pulled her closer to him. He looked intently into her eyes as he pushed into her, watching her face contort with the pleasure of something so familiar. Tyler held her legs around his waist, moving faster with each thrust. Being able to watch himself as he entered and exited her was one of the most enticing things he’d ever seen, and it became evident quite quickly that he wasn’t going to last long. To make up for it, he pressed his thumb to her most sensitive spot, trying to help her along.
Within seconds she was moving with him, creating more friction as a team than a single effort. Her hips swiveled and lifted in ways that perplexed him, and suddenly he found himself simply along for the ride. He waited for her muscles to clench before powering through, bringing them both to their peaks. A muffled yelp escaped her, covered too late by her shaking hand. If anyone was awake downstairs, chances were, they heard it.
Tyler rocked his hips softly a few last times, unable to come to a complete halt right away. Her body started to squirm and finally he covered her with his own, keeping his stomach raised above hers. He grabbed her wrists and pushed her arms far above her head, showering her neck with tiny kisses.
“Are you ever going to stop surprising me?” he whispered into her ear, smiling as she began to giggle softly.
Her only response was her fingers entwining with his, and a look on her face that just begged him to kiss her. His head dropped slowly, letting his lips fall to hers. They were warm from the blood that rushed through her after her orgasm, and tasted sweet, the way they always did. Tyler found himself unable to stop, taking an obscene amount of pleasure in feeling her mouth working so naturally with his. His tongue slipped through and stroked the roof of her mouth, causing her to wiggle underneath him. There was no stopping the laugh that came from him, and Nicki caught on quickly. What about it was so funny he wasn’t sure, all he knew was that she was a level of adorable that he couldn’t handle. Their teeth banged together lightly from the lack of lip surrounding them, as they were too preoccupied with chuckles.
“I love you so much,” he said, refusing to remove himself from her face.
She stayed put as well; her only movements were her feet rubbing against the backs of his calves.
“I love you so much too, Ty.” It sounded like she wanted to say more, and he finally lifted his head to give her some space to speak. One last peck was exchanged, one full with hope and love and promise. “Listen, I’m sorry I was weird in the car. After yesterday, I was convinced that nothing else could possibly happen to make our lives any more stressful. I guess being wrong kind of threw me off. I’m giving you my word, babe. I will think about it. But I also think it’s something we need to discuss together. I can’t be the one to make the decision, not by myself. So why don’t we give each other some time and reconvene when we’ve both reached some sort of conclusion?”
He nodded, in agreement with everything she’d said.
“That’s exactly what I think we should do.”
“Good. In the meantime, I am pretty sweaty…”
“Say no more.”
As Nicki laughed, he peeled himself off of her and scooped her up in one, semi-graceful motion. He high tailed it across the room and through the open bathroom door, letting her down in front of the granite, walk in shower. After pressing his lips to the top of her head, he swung open the glass shower door and pressed a button on the control pad to make the water run. They’d indulged a bit in the bathroom and the master bedroom, figuring they would be spending a great deal of time there. Touch screen utilities were still quite new to him, and it had taken the entire time they’d spent in the house trying to master it.
Checking the temperature, he stuck his hand under the streams. He nodded to Nicki and stepped in, waiting for her to follow. The rainfall showerhead had him drenched in seconds, matting his hair down in front of his forehead. He spat out some of the water that had trickled into his mouth, earning entertained giggles from Nicki. Post sex, she was many things. His favorite, however, was how bubbly she became. Her laughter rang through his ears, reminding him of the times in their life when they were truly, undeniably happy.
“Let me under,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest, “I’m cold!”
He shuffled over, trying to remain underneath with her. In order to do so, he had to hold her body close to him, which he had no problem with. She felt so tiny now, wrapped up in his enlarged frame.
“Mmm, much better,” she sighed, resting her head between his pecs.
Tyler held her head, pressing it closer to his chest as the water cascaded down on them. Although it was getting in his eyes, there was no irritation great enough to pull him from her. Her slick body clung to his, her slippery skin causing sensations much too good to be real. Trying to buy himself some time to recover from their last encounter, he slowly bent down, taking one knee to the floor at a time.
On his knees, his head aligned perfectly with her stomach. Although it was still flat, the muscles that had protruded slightly from it just a few weeks ago had vanished. He missed the sex appeal of her toned torso, but knowing that he had two miracles growing inside made everything worthwhile. Tyler was attracted to her on a much deeper level, one he’d only experienced during her pregnancies.
He tilted his head, letting it fall gently to her belly. In a short amount of time, it would begin to engorge. Eventually, he would be able to feel again his child pressing up against him through her skin as he spoke to it, feeding it nothing but love and encouragement. Tyler left a kiss right above her navel, moving slowly southward with his lips. She began to anticipate what was coming and writhed, but he caught her thighs in his hands to hold her still.
His lips hit her first, followed shortly thereafter by his tongue. Her fingers attempted to routinely grip his hair, and he could feel her struggling to grasp anything of substance. It was weighed down with water, lying flat against his head. When she removed them from his head, he glanced up to see what she’d done with them, and nearly choked as he watched her slide them through her own hair, clenching her fists around the long strands.
Whines echoed above him, loud and uncontrolled. Tyler decided to spare her the torture and, after leaving a soft kiss, lifted himself from the floor. He looked at Nicki, who was holding a hand to her chest and panting heavily. A grin spread wide across his face, basking in getting the best of her. When she mirrored him with a grin of her own, the worry set in. It had been stupid to provoke her.
Still smirking, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his chest. She slid down his body at an excruciating speed. Not overlooking the dizzy spells that had plagued her, he kept his hands on her, ready to catch her if she lost her balance.
“Careful,” he warned.
Nicki looked up at him and nodded. The wait was killing him, the expectation suffocating him. Her head was positioned inches away from him, and she held his gaze as she opened her mouth and covered him. Her lips were like silk around him, her tongue like velvet as it rubbed against him.
His head rolled back, and as badly as he wanted to watch, he couldn’t. She had him ready to go with a flick of her tongue, but kept working long after he became solid again. Tyler didn’t know if she enjoyed the act, or if she just thrived off of giving him more than he could handle. Either way, she performed it eagerly and skillfully, unlike anyone else he’d ever been with.
He groaned her name, finally letting his hand do as it wished and crawl to the back of her head, pushing himself to the depths of her throat. She managed to accommodate him and moaned, sending a bone jarring vibration through him. In order to save himself for her, he raised his hips back, removing himself from her mouth. Without giving her the chance to chase, Tyler placed a hand underneath her chin, raising it up and hoping the she would follow.
Once she was upright, he lost all of the control he might have had. He herded her to the far end of the shower, and she bent over knowingly, gripping a small soap shelf for support. He secured his hands around her hips and sank into her, exhaling a violent breath and clenching his abs from the gratification of being surrounded by her. Holding back a growl, Tyler moved recklessly, allowing his body to take the wheel.
Her noises echoed through his head, made louder and clearer by the acoustic conditions of the shower. He pushed harder, figuring the increase in volume paralleled an increase in pleasure. Before he could figure out what was going on, Nicki had a hand on his hip, shoving him back a few steps.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, growing concerned when she failed to straighten herself out.
She mumbled something, but the pattering of water against the granite floor muffled her voice. Tyler approached her again, placing a hand in the center of her back. He bent at the waist, getting his head level with hers. She turned to him with a face filled with pain.
“My back,” she choked, squeezing her eyes shut as if speaking alone had caused her agony. “It fucking kills.”
“Shit.”
Tyler hadn’t considered that although she was still agile, she wasn’t as strong as she’d been before. He grabbed her around the waist, lifting her slowly upwards. A loud groan rumbled in her throat; a groan that made him want to slam his fist against the wall. Nothing hurt him more than seeing her in pain, especially when it was something that he could do nothing to help. In a way, he was partially responsible for what was happening to her. Even if he hadn’t just bent her over in the shower, he’d still planted the seed that was now causing her suffering.
“Babe, I’m so so sorry,” he said, pulling her into his arms.
She nodded against his chest, letting him know that she was at least slightly okay. It took a moment for him to notice the shaking, and stepped away from her to get a better look. There were no tears on her face, and her eyes weren’t bloodshot. But all of her limbs were quivering alarmingly.
“What the hell?” he whispered, both confused and worried.
The only things that he could think of to do were turn off the shower, wrap a towel around her, and bring her back into their bedroom. He set her down on the bed gently, observing her closely for any signs of the condition worsening. Tyler covered the side of her face with his hand, and she lifted hers over it.
“What’s happening to me?” she asked, with a bewildered expression on her face.
“Fuck, Nicki, I don’t know. I’m giving it five minutes before I call Dr. Baker.” He paused, rubbing his thumb carefully back and forth across her cheek. “Can you feel yourself shaking?”
Her head shook slowly, and her widened, desperate eyes stared right into his.
“Does it hurt?”
Another slow shake.
“Do you feel anything?”
“I feel normal,” she muttered, holding up her arms and watching the vibrations that shook them.
“Okay,” he said, breathing regularly again. “Good. I’ll be right back, I just need to grab a towel. Don’t move.”
He took off sprinting towards the bathroom, attempting to get there and return as quickly as possible. Knowing his luck with Nicki, he’d come back five seconds later and find her unconscious on the bed. On one stride, his hamstring stretched too far and sent a searing pain down his leg.
“Fuck!” he hissed, clenching a hand around it.
Trying to ignore the burning in the back of his thigh, he grabbed a towel and wrapped it hurriedly around his waist. On the way back, he stepped in the puddles he’d made and hoped that the wetness wouldn’t ruin the hardwood. His floors were the least of his concerns at the moment. As he got closer to Nicki, it seemed as though the trembling had subsided.
“Is it over?” he asked, sitting down carefully next to her.
“I… I think so.”
She lifted her arms again, waiting for the quakes to begin. When they didn’t, they both breathed a sigh of relief.
“I feel like I should still call,” Tyler said, slinging an arm across her shoulder.
“I’m not against that,” she admitted, giving tell to the fear behind her voice.
Until now, nothing particularly abnormal had happened to her. It was quite obvious from the apprehension in the room that they were both thinking the same thing. Last time, they’d ignored the warning signs. Neither of them was about to do that again.
Tyler scoured the floor for his pants, where his phone laid in the left front pocket. Dread filled him as he pulled it out and prepared to light up the screen. When he did, there could be a call or a voicemail or a text, confirming what he’d been denying for the last day. In order to find the courage he needed to check, his eyes travelled up to Nicki, slouched over on the edge of their mattress. Briefly he went back to a time when she was nineteen again; when she was fiery and filled with life. She sat the same way on his old bed in his apartment, hung over after a long and wild night out with his friends.
Her eyes caught his, trapping him in their warmth. From across the room, he could still make out the swirls of caramel in them, that only came out when the sun shined on her just right. She nodded her head as she looked at him, and he knew that she was aware of every single thought running through his mind, every doubt and every fear.
With his thumb, he pressed down the home button, listening as his heartbeat picked up and his breathing became shallow. It took a while for it to register that there was nothing on his screen but the picture of him, Nicki, and Marshall, wearing matching Santa hats in front of the Christmas tree.
He unlocked the phone and wasted no time in finding the phone number that Dr. Baker had given him. He decided to try his office first, not to keen on the idea of disturbing him if he was catching up on some much needed rest. As it rang, he sat down again next to Nicki.
“Obstetrics diagnostics, Dr. Baker,” a familiar voice recited through the phone.
“Hey, yeah, Dr. Baker. It’s Tyler Seguin.”
“Is everything alright?”
Tyler had to smile at the sincerity in his voice. The man had taken a personal liking to both him and Nicki, and had become much more than just a doctor to them.
“Uh, I’m not sure.”
“Okay, can you tell me what happened?” he asked patiently.
“We were, um,” he hesitated, realizing that he hadn’t considered what was going on before she began to tremble. “Nicki bent over and her back started to hurt, and she was having a hard time straightening herself out. I helped her up, but she was shaking all over.”
“Has the shaking subsided?”
Tyler placed a hand on her arm, where the shakes had been the worst.
“Yeah,” he answered flatly.
“How long did it last for?”
“A few minutes. Is that something I should be worried about?”
Dr. Baker cleared his throat, and the longer he took to answer, the more fearful Tyler became.
“Not necessarily. Keep an eye on her, I wouldn’t let her out of your sight for more than a half an hour. If it happens again, I want you to take notes on it. Can you do that?”
“I guess. What am I supposed to write?”
“Most importantly, you should time it,” the doctor answered, now sounding like more of a consultant than a friend. “Write down what time it is when it starts and what time it is when it stops. If you can, describe the severity, and where on her body it’s the worst.”
He made sure to store the information deep within his brain, afraid that it would be happening again. With the way things normally went for them, things were only about to get worse.
“Okay, I can do that. What do you think caused it?”
As he asked, Nicki turned her head to look at him. He mustered a small smile, trying to ease the worry that had surely been clouding her thoughts. She gave one in return, and while he waited for the doctor’s answer, he leaned forward to place his lips gently on hers.
“Most likely, it was her body reacting badly to the sudden pain in her back. It may have gone into a temporary shock, especially after all of the injuries she’s sustained before. My advice? Give her a massage, try to loosen up her back. If you do that and it happens again, bring her in. I’m on until six today.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” he said, placing his hand around Nicki’s knee, which was moving up and down in anticipation.
“It’s my pleasure. Just to be safe, I’ll do some digging, make sure it isn’t something we should be concerned about. I’ll give you a call if I find anything.”
“Great, thanks again.”
Tyler pulled his phone away from his ear and tossed it on the mattress behind them, taking in all of Nicki’s frightened expression.
“You’re fine,” he assured her. He didn’t want to make her wait any longer than she already had, and launched into an explanation. “He thinks the shaking was probably from you hurting your back, but he’s gonna look into some stuff to be sure.”
“So what do we do?” she asked, still a bit frazzled. “What if it happens again?”
“If it happens again, I’m bringing you in to see him. But as long as it doesn’t, I have to keep an eye on you. And he recommended a massage to help with the back pain,” he said, knowing that the entire statement would serve to reassure her.
A smirk crept onto her face, forcing him to smile in return. There was no plausible way that he could watch her smile and not smile himself. Every time, it took him back to the very first time they met, and how her shy grin had lit up her entire face. He remembered how hard it was to look away from her, even how Lisa had to clear her throat to bring him back down to earth.
Without saying anything else, Tyler peeled the towel off of her and let it fall to the floor beneath them. Nicki climbed slowly into the middle of the bed before lying down on her stomach, as an open invitation for him to mount her. Sometimes he couldn’t help himself; watching his own hands work on her bare body was too much to bear. In a few situations he’d been able to multitask, and he didn’t think he’d ever heard her moan so loud.
Tyler slipped out of his own towel, grabbing the massage oil from Nicki’s bedside table. He knelt with her legs between his and let the oil trickle down to her back, chuckling as her muscles tensed from the coldness. His hands moved rhythmically across her skin, attempting to evenly distribute the slippery liquid he’d just poured on her.
A groan came from underneath him, and he grinned as he pushed a little harder, using his fingers to loosen her muscles gradually, the way she’d taught him to.
“Ugh, Ty – “
He shushed her softly, gliding his hands up to her neck. Another noise escaped her as he gently rubbed her favorite spots, where he knew that she was often the stiffest and the most tender. Two hands slid up the sheets, coming to a rest on either one of his thighs. Something about it was overwhelming; her touch had an electricity to it that was impossible to ignore.
For the rest of the time that he worked on her, it took everything he had to hold himself together. Her fingers danced across any skin of his that she could find, and the noises of gratitude that she was making were all too similar to the ones she made during more intimate activities. With every breath he took it became more and more difficult to overlook the sexual frustration that fogged his brain. That last time had been the only occasion when he hadn’t finished the job, and he was left with a dull ache that he felt he would probably have to alleviate alone.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, ready to climb off of her.
“So much better,” she mumbled, “Thanks baby.”
Instead of rolling over and letting her get up, Tyler leaned forward, using his forearms to both pin her down and keep himself propped up. He nuzzled his face against hers and left a kiss on her cheek, earning a few quiet giggles.
“You know Ty, I can feel that,” she said suggestively, raising her butt to rub against him. “You’re not wearing pants, so it’s not like I can make the banana in the pocket joke.”
Tyler let out a nervous laugh. Why he felt so anxious over the situation was a mystery. He boiled it down to not knowing where she stood on the matter, and being afraid of hurting her again.
“I’m sorry, it’s just – “
“Are you gonna stick it in me or what?”
This time, he bellowed a real laugh. Her blatant disregard for romanticism always caught him off guard. For such a soft, sweet girl, she could be so nonchalant in the bedroom. Normally, she spoke with colorful language and an air about her like she was the smartest thing to ever walk to planet. It wasn’t overwhelming, but you knew as soon as she opened her mouth that she was educated and well rounded. Certainly he would never expect instructions to ‘stick it in her’.
Quickly, the humor dissipated. There was a task at hand, and he was ready to complete it diligently. Tyler shifted his weight, allowing his knees to take some of the pressure off of his forearms. His head dropped to the crease between her neck and her shoulder, leaving hungry kisses across her skin. It wasn’t like he needed it. Hell, he’d just had her twenty minutes ago. But as long as her clothes were off, there was no stopping him. The desire never ceased.
Her legs spread a little wider underneath him, and he used his prior knowledge of her body to find his way without the guiding help of his hands and eyes. The moment he was inside of her, everything around him failed to matter. Nothing was relevant except for their tangled bodies and the growing feeling of fullness inside of him. Being with her could cure anything, even if just for a small amount of time.
Somewhere in the back of his mind loomed the recent memory of her bent over in the shower, in excruciating pain. It helped him keep control, knowing that her wellbeing could be on the line if he went too roughly. That constant reminder fueled him to move slowly, forcing every inch of himself in before backing out. Nicki seemed to be enjoying the newfound pace, as her hands were stretched out in front of her, gripping fistfuls of sheets and blanket.
His mouth continued to barrage her with kisses and licks and tender nibbles, just forceful enough to make her squeak. Without warning, she squeezed around him, driving him to switch gears. She only did that when she was about to hit her high, or when she was trying to tease him. Tyler didn’t see the necessity of teasing, so he assumed that it was the former and picked up his speed, trying to remain gentle still as he brought her to her peak.
Tyler heard a shout, muffled by the mattress, which Nicki had buried her face in. Her feet curled around his legs and the extra contact brought him to his own climax. Relief flooded through him as he came down, no longer dissatisfied or worried about relieving himself. He should have known better; the day Nicki turned down sex would surely be the day that she died.
He laid on top of her a while longer, not willing to sacrifice yet the warmth that radiated softly between them. Her feet remained on his legs, the tops of them rubbing back and forth against his tired calves.
“I think we needed that,” she said quietly.
He lowered his head so that he could see her face, and found her looking half asleep with her eyes closed. Tyler snuck in a kiss, resulting in a smile. Her eyes remained closed, and he was just about to recommend that they take a nap when a violent rapping on the door interrupted him.
“Hey, you guys in there?” Candace shouted, still knocking.
“Yeah, give me a minute,” Tyler called back, lifting himself quickly and unhappily off of Nicki and sprinting to the closet.
He threw on a pair of gym shorts and grabbed Nicki’s robe, tossing it to her once he reentered the rom. Before opening the door, he made sure that she was covered. Tyler couldn’t help but linger a moment as he watched her slip the sapphire robe onto her skin, admiring the way the silk hugged her curves and the way the color made her skin glow and her eyes sparkle.
Mouthing a quick You’re beautiful, he turned his attention from his glorious wife to the chestnut colored door in front of him. As soon as he opened it, Candace came barreling through.
“There’s pandemonium downstairs,” she said, out of breath. “I think everyone’s still a little drunk, and Brad and Adam ate half of the bagels.” She stopped talking to give her lungs a break, and that seemed to be when she noticed what had been going on before she came in. “Really, guys? While you have guests?”
Tyler felt his cheeks begin to burn, but relaxed when he heard Nicki laughing behind him. He turned to look at her, and was surprised to find her suddenly standing next to him, wriggling her way underneath his arm. The cool material of her robe felt incredible against his susceptible post coital skin, and briefly considered buying one for himself.
Nicki seemed to bypass Candace’s entertained comment and asked, “Do you need me to make another run? I could always go to Dunks or something.”
“I was gonna offer to go with you, but I wasn’t expecting you to be in the middle of banging my brother…”
“Give me a few minutes, I feel like getting out of the house for a little anyways.”
“Then I’m coming too,” Tyler said.
“Of course you wanna ruin girl time,” Candace teased, placing a hand on her hip.
Nicki slung an arm around his back and leaned her head against his shoulder, intensifying his already outrageous urge to cuddle her.
“It’s fine baby, you stay here with the guys. I don’t trust them in the house alone.”
“Dr. Baker told me to not let you out of my sight,” he stated firmly, not about to lose this battle so easily. A nagging part of him was still worried about what happened earlier, and he wasn’t about to let her go off for an hour without him.
“Did I miss something?” Candace asked, her eyes darting between the two of them.
“Candace will be with me, I’ll be fine Ty.”
He sighed, acknowledging that maybe he [i]was[/i] being a little overbearing.
“Alright. Candace, keep an eye on her. If she starts shaking, take her straight to Mass General. But call me first, okay?”
“Woah! Hold the fuck up!” she exclaimed, inching closer to them. “Not until you tell me what’s going on. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” she answered calmly, her fingers tracing over the bare skin on Tyler’s back as she spoke. “I started shaking earlier and Ty called my doctor. If it happens again he just wants me to come in so he can check me out. It’s not a big deal.”
“Going straight to the hospital sounds like a big deal to me, but whatever you guys say. It’s not my baby.” A frightening look crossed her face, one that Tyler had seen on many occasions throughout his lifetime. “Oh. I’m sorry. Babies. I can’t believe you assholes didn’t tell me.”
“It would have been way better if I could have surprised you with it like I wanted to,” Nicki said, with more than a hint of sadness in her voice. “Alright, I just have to get dressed. I’ll meet you downstairs in five.”
Candace rolled her eyes as she left, making sure they knew that she was not pleased with them. Nicki had lucked out, she didn’t know Candace the way Tyler did. She liked her right off the bat, and never had to deal with her maniacal plots and ridiculous outbursts. Tyler loved his sister, but she wasn’t exactly the nicest human being he’d come across. He was thankful to the heavens and back that her and Nicki got along, but he would never be able to see past the way she’d treated other people in the past. As often as he tried to explain that, Nicki never seemed to understand, and could never comprehend why he got so fed up with her.
“Do you think she’s really mad?” Nicki asked once the door was closed and they were back in the safety of each other’s company.
“Probably,” he said, hoping to dismiss the topic before they delved too deep into it. “Can you just promise me something?”
She removed herself from under his arm and came around to his front side, wrapping her arms loosely around his waist.
“Anything, love.”
“When you get back, I want you to wear my old sweatshirt. And I don’t want you out of my arms for the rest of the day.”
“What if I have to pee?” she inquired, poking her tongue through her teeth as she laughed playfully.
“Then it’s going to be one really awkward trip to the bathroom.”
Her laughter rang through him, more uplifting than any noise he’d ever heard. Tyler let his arms fall over her shoulders and dropped his lips to her head, As pathetic as it was, he was going to miss her. A lot. He could pretend that it was because he needed the emotional support, what with the draft taking place later that day. Deep down, however, he knew that it was much simpler than that. He loved her. And every minute he had with her, he cherished.
“Okay,” he sighed, letting go of her. “You have to get ready. Don’t want her to have any more reason to be pissed at us.”
Nicki pursed her lips as she pulled away from him, and he hoped that she was just as disgruntled about being away from him as he was her. Some days it truly sucked to need her, and the only thing that could make it better was knowing that she needed him, too.
He watched her as she sauntered into the closet and disappeared behind the doorway. Eager to spend whatever time he had with her, he followed, and was faced with her robe as it slipped off of her shoulders and floated to the floor. Tyler had to cover his mouth with his hand, unable to peel his eyes away from her. A hunch told him that even when she was nine months pregnant and about to burst, he would still be able to find something sexy about her. The way she carried herself around him, the way her long hair cascaded over her flawless skin, it drove him wild. He noticed things about her that he never could be bothered with around other girls. Every minute detail of her body and the way she used it seemed important, and over the years he’d taken note of each and every one.
She glanced over her shoulder at him, and it was enough to make him comatose. Tyler was frozen in place, with a brain that didn’t work and a longing that seemed unquenchable. Nicki could sense his dismay and turned slowly, A grin rested on her face, one that was deeply satisfied in her ability to turn him back into an awkward, pubescent fourteen year old. It was an effect she always had on him, and that he’d never experienced with any other girl. He’d been with playmates and models and even a handful of actresses, and none of them could do to him what she did.
“Is that a banana in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”
“Shut up,” he snapped, doing a terrible job of keeping the smile off of his face. “You know these shorts don’t have pockets.”
Another laugh escaped her precious lips, and she winked at him before turning around again in pursuit of her underwear drawer. Naturally, she slipped into one of the sexiest things she owned, even though they both knew that he probably wouldn’t be seeing her in them again until they undressed for bed that night. His eyes drank in the thin, black lace that barely covered any skin at all, desiring nothing more than to rip it off of her.
The throbbing in his shorts eased slightly as she began to dress, slipping on a pair of shorts and a black V-neck tee shirt. Unfortunately, her cleavage was irresistibly perky and her legs were lean and toned, as they always were. Tyler silently thanked himself for picking a girl with curves, rather than the stick skinny ones that he usually ended up with. Nothing compared to feeling muscle underneath his grip, rather than skin and bone. Not to mention, her athleticism proved to be quite the useful tactic in bed; sometimes her stamina even outlasted his.
Without his consent, a groan slipped out of his mouth. Nicki spun around quickly, most likely out of concern. Quickly, it turned to entertainment as she scanned him over, taking in the sight of her husband worshiping her like the goddess she was.
“You really know how to make me feel good about myself,” she said, a shy smile now replacing her proud grin.
“Why’s that?” he asked, more out of the longing to hear how she’d respond, rather than not knowing the answer.
She stepped towards him, taking slow, elongated strides. His eyes instantly glued to her legs, passing one another as they came closer and closer to him. He drew in a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever may come. Nicki stopped a few inches away from him, raking her eyes up his body until they were met with his own. Tentative hands slid up his arms, resting on the hills of his biceps.
“What you’re doing right now,” she began, holding him in place with her soft touch and molten gaze, “The way you’re looking at me, words could never do justice to that look. You make me feel like I’m the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen, Ty.”
Tyler held her face in his hands, tracing over all of his favorite parts. The tiny, barely noticeable freckles sprayed across her nose and cheeks, her unimaginably soft lips, and all of the different shades of brown that melted together to create her perfect irises. If warmth was a color, it would have been the color of her eyes. She’d set herself up for this one.
“Because you are.”
On most days, she would have challenged him until she was blue in the face. She would never be able to comprehend his reasoning, she would never be able to see herself the way he saw her. This time, an already irritated Candace waiting for her kept Nicki from arguing. Tyler was more than happy to take the easy win, and felt confident that he had just made her day. He would never tire of telling her how beautiful she was, or seeing how she reacted to it. Each time, it was different. Sometimes she would pounce on him, taking advantage of him in ways that he couldn’t even dream of. Others, she would become silent for hours, tears falling in intervals down her cheeks.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she murmured, the honesty seeping through her voice like venom. It was painful to think about how much they relied on one another, more so for Nicki than for him.
“I don’t either,” he said, pulling her close.
Tyler experienced a brief moment of bliss, between the feel of her embrace and the intoxicating sent that filled his nostrils as he buried his face in her hair. He held on as long as he could, until they heard Nicki’s name being screeched through the house. They backed away from each other reluctantly, with only the promise of being reunited soon driving them out of their bedroom and down to the first floor.
** * * *
“You’re a little horn dog,” Candace snickered, turning out of the driveway and onto Main Street.
Nicki laughed with her, not feeling the slightest bit of shame. Although it might have made Tyler uncomfortable to have his sister know what was going on, he had no idea how often the topic came up in their discussions. She was perfectly fine with knowing all of the details of her brother’s sex life, which was a refreshing change from Cassidy, who cringed every time it was brought up. Even Jackie had conversed with her on numerous occasions concerning what happened between them. It was mostly telling them to be quieter when they stayed at her house, but not always. She figured it was more of an age thing, that the older you got, the more you realized how natural sex was.
“I’m sorry you had to experience that, but you knew me before I was pregnant. Can you even imagine what it’s like now, while my hormones are quadrupling by the minute?”
“Sure, and it has nothing to do with him looking like the Rock,” she joked, sneaking a glance at Nicki before changing the radio station to some mainstream pop song.
“Believe me, it’s not helping.”
“I’m on the same boat, sis. Brad’s determined to be the best player on the team next year. I’m not complaining, but he’s barely got any time for me anymore.”
The sadness was easily detectable in her normally upbeat, high pitched voice.
“Are you guys doing okay?” Nicki asked, fearful of how a breakup might sever some of her closest relationships.
“I hope so. I mean, I don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t be. It just sucks I guess.” She was about to respond, but Candace started speaking again. “But who am I to complain? I almost forgot the reason why we’re together right now. What the fuck are we gonna do if he gets traded?”
Nicki shook her head slowly, not thrilled to be thinking about it.
“I have no clue. He made me promise that we’d be okay, no matter where we end up. Candace, I don’t know how I could possibly live somewhere like Calgary. Or Florida, even. Ty won’t even be able to go outside, he’ll be a lobster year round.”
“Aw, boo, at least you still have your sense of humor,” Candace said, grabbing her hand for a second and squeezing. “I’m going to miss you like fucking hell.”
“You have no idea. Think about it. You guys might miss us, but you’ve all still got each other. We’ll have no one. Not to mention, I don’t think I can bear the thought of leaving home. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to adjust, and it kills me to know that I’m going to make things even more difficult on him. I should be supporting him. He’s the one losing his team. But I’m still being a whiney brat about it.”
“Stop it! Hon, he isn’t expecting you to be some emotionless wall here. By now, he’d be an idiot if he did.”
“I just feel so bad – “
“I’m sure you do. Nicki, you always feel bad. About everything. If it makes you feel any better, I talked to him last night.”
“About what?” she asked hesitantly, remembering the occasions when she’d heard things she wished she could forget about their conversations.
“About all of this. His biggest worry is that you’ll be unhappy. And maybe you will be. But I think we both know that as long as you two stay together, you’re gonna be okay. I mean fuck, you have two kids on the way. You guys are finally starting a real family. So, you might have to move across the country. Or out of it. So it might suck. At least you have each other to lean on.”
Nicki stared forward, letting her sister-in-law’s words sink in. She was right. And the more time that passed, the more confidence she gained that they would be alright. If that morning had been any indication, they would survive this.
“Where?” she asked, the word barely making it out of her mouth.
Tyler cocked his head, unsure of why she would wonder of all things where they would be talking. It took him a bit of time to piece together her worried expression and watery eyes.
“Oh, shit babe, no. I haven’t heard anything yet. This isn’t about the trade.”
Not once in his life had he seen such a relieved look on her face. Due to his racing thoughts concerning life’s latest obstacle, he’d nearly forgotten about the trade. Seeing how hard she was taking it sent all of the anxiety crashing down onto him.
Nicki stretched on top of him and looked around, most likely just remembering that they had a house full of hockey players. She pushed herself up slowly, and Tyler’s hands cupped her bottom to help her up.
“I have to start cooking,” she whispered, glancing frantically around the room. “They’re all gonna wake up starving.”
He grabbed her hand to keep her from going into the kitchen and pulled her between his legs. Looking up at her, he shook his head.
“It would take a team of chefs to make enough food for them. I don’t think we have much, anyways. Why don’t we run out and get some bagels or something?”
She shrugged and swiped a pointer finger underneath each eye, ridding her face of the blackness that he couldn’t get off himself. Tyler knew she loved to cook for people, especially when it was breakfast. But there was no way that they had the time or the resources to make enough eggs and toast for his whole team. Their biggest meal often came in the morning, and he wasn’t about to subject Nicki to all of that work. So bagels would do. He assumed they would probably start drinking around 11, anyways, and no one would have any room for food after guzzling beers all day.
Two little hands were placed in front of him, offering to help him up from the couch. He grinned, knowing that there was no way, no matter how strong she was, that she could pull his weight. Instead of refusing, he accepted her offer in hopes that he would make her feel like she was helping. If anything could make that girl happy, it was helping him, even when he didn’t need it.
When he got on his feet, he made sure that the first thing he did was place his lips on hers. She fell into it quickly, making it clear that she had been as thirsty for his kiss as he’d been for hers. Tyler had to be the one to end it, as he was sure Nicki would have gladly kept going all day if he didn’t. She gave him a longing look, one that never failed to make his gut churn, and one that always made her thoughts evident. She had sex on the brain, and just because they had a full house did not mean he would be escaping it.
A smug smile worked its way onto her face. They both knew that he would cave, no matter how long they debated over it. Truthfully, he wanted her as badly as she wanted him. Worse, even. But with everything going on around them, he had no idea how he could possibly manage to satisfy her.
“Babe,” he said, with warning in his voice.
“We’ll get the bagels first. We both need to shower, right? Might as well save water.”
Again, she’d made a point that he couldn’t argue with. In the end, it could only make him feel better. He left another kiss on her lips before stepping around her and wandering into the kitchen in pursuit of his keys. They were sitting out on the counter. As he went to grab them, arms wound around his waist, and a head rested in the middle of his back, forcing a soft sigh from his lips.
Hands snuck up the hem of his shirt and fingers traced over his abs, making him shiver. He’d never gotten used to her soft touch, and suddenly couldn’t wait to feel her hands all over his slick skin during the shower that he would be inevitably dragged into. Unwillingly, he caught her hands in his and removed them from his stomach. Nicki retreated, and he knew he would be feeling the repercussions later on. She never took well to him stopping her.
He turned to face her, finding her already staring up at him.
“So what do you need to talk to me about?” she asked. “You know you freak me out when you say that, right?”
“Say what?”
“’We need to talk’. I feel like you’re going to tell me something horrible every time you say that.”
Tyler leaned forward and placed an apologetic kiss on her forehead.
“Sorry. I’d like to have a word with you?”
A small giggle came from her and she moved to his left, taking her place by his side as they prepared to leave.
“Well, you sound like my third grade teacher now but I guess it’s an improvement.”
After exchanging a smile with her, Tyler grabbed her hand and led her out of the house. She didn’t have any idea of the bomb that he was about to drop on her, and for that, he felt awful. It wasn’t like she didn’t have enough to deal with already. Suddenly, he began to regret bringing it up so soon. He wished he’d waited, at least until all of the trade business was settled. What if he got shipped to Calgary? Or even Tampa Bay? Even if they could take on a child, how could they possibly drag him so far from the only place he knew? It was tough on them as it was, and at least they had each other to lean on.
As always, he opened the passenger side door for her, earning a smile and a pat on the side. Although a darkness still loomed behind her eyes, Nicki’s mood seemed to have improved greatly since the night before. Tyler normally found that after spending a night with her, waking up in the morning, everything seemed a little less horrible than it had been before they went to sleep.
He rounded the car and carefully lowered himself in, keeping in mind the small injury he was nursing. A tweaked hamstring was nothing in the NHL, but if he didn’t take care of it, it could become season threatening. The last thing he needed now was to tear it and have to miss his workouts and double sessions.
Once they were well on their way to the Bagel World one town over, Tyler clenched the steering wheel and prayed that their conversation would go smoothly. He didn’t think he could handle a fight with her, not now. Before he could muster the courage to get it out, she spoke.
“You can’t put it off forever Ty. What’s bothering you?”
He took a deep breath, feeling confident that she wouldn’t over or under react. Although she may have exploded the day before, she seemed to have her head back on her shoulders. She was a level-minded girl, and surely she would find the best solution.
“Uh, well, right before you woke up, I got a call.”
“From Peter?” she asked hesitantly. “I thought you said you didn’t hear anything.”
“No, I didn’t. It wasn’t Peter.”
“Okay… so who was it?”
Focusing on nothing but the road ahead of him, he gripped the wheel a bit tighter.
“Do you remember Amelia, the woman from the adoption agency?”
“Yeah. What the hell did she want?”
“They uh,” he paused, trying to gauge where her emotions were. A glance her way told him that she was perfectly calm in his leather passenger seat, waiting patiently for him to explain. “They found a boy. On the streets by the Garden. I guess his mother died and it took a couple of days for someone to find them. So they took this kid in and all he had with him was a picture of me and an autograph or something. She made it sound like he’s pretty fucked up from the whole thing, and said the only way they could get him to talk about anything was by bringing up hockey.”
“They want us to take him,” she inferred, barely giving him a chance to finish. He didn’t respond, allowing her to draw her own conclusions. “And you want to.”
“No. I mean, yes. Ugh babe I don’t know. Of course I want to help the kid. But this decision is on you.”
“Oh, great,” she muttered sarcastically. Tyler knew that she hated making big decisions by herself, but it would be unfair of him to try to persuade her one way or another. He wasn’t going to be the one raising three children alone.
“Listen, take as long as you need. And don’t feel like you have to say yes just because I want to help some boy we don’t even know.”
“How old?” she asked, her vision directed straight in front of them.
“She didn’t say. I’m assuming not too old.”
“And there’s no other family? Not even some long lost uncle?”
“It didn’t come up. I figured if she was going to risk her job by calling me, we were her last hope.”
“God Tyler, I don’t know about this. What if he’s some kind of psycho? Do you really want that around our children? And what if you have to pay for therapy and shit? This just seems like a burden too big for us to handle.”
“Well, we’d get money form the state for taking him in, I’m sure that would cover whatever expenses he might have.”
For the rest of the drive, the only sound was the Maserati’s wheels against the uneven Massachusetts streets. He would let her take as long as she needed, whether it be hours or weeks. It wasn’t like Tyler knew this boy, and if she decided that it wasn’t something that she could do, he wouldn’t be devastated. There were many pros and cons that he wanted to go over with her, but the timing wasn’t right. He himself still needed time to think it through, and until they’d both reached a decision in their own minds, talking would only bring them around in frustrating circles.
When they pulled into the drive thru, Nicki pretended to gaze out the window at the menu, but she wasn’t fooling anyone. As a college student, she had lived off of Bagel World, and he wasn’t about to forget all of the times he’d come home from a road trip to find two or three empty wax bags with the company’s name plastered on the front. She knew the menu by heart. He guessed she was trying to avoid any kind of unnecessary conversation.
“What should I get?” he asked, hoping that he hadn’t irritated her.
“I’d get four baker’s dozens, assorted. Unless you know everyone’s favorite type of bagel.”
Tyler leaned across the car and pressed his lips to her cheek, in an attempt to alleviate some of the tension that had birthed between them.
“So I’ll get a couple of French toast ones for you then,” he said playfully.
“Actually, I think I want onion.”
“Onion?” he inquired, baffled. “I thought you didn’t like those.”
She shrugged, and a smile crossed her face. “Well, someone in here does,” she said, rubbing a hand across her stomach.
Both relief and excitement filled him as he watched her caress her own belly. He was relieved that she didn’t seem to be upset with him, and excited at the mention of his babies. The last time she was pregnant, it was the only thing going on in their lives. It was all he had to focus on. This time around, with so much happening, it constantly slipped his mind that no matter what happened, he still had something life changing to look forward to.
“Alright, I’ll order a few extra then.”
He couldn’t stop the grin that dominated his face, nor could he stop the hand that made its way across the car and landed on Nicki’s thigh. Her own hand covered it, her fingers stroking lightly across his skin. It was mindboggling how happy she could make him feel, even in the direst of situations. That one, solitary moment they shared in the car was enough to ease his worries briefly. They would return later, but for now, he was on a high.
Giggling filled the car as Tyler placed their order, and Nicki pointed out that the people most likely thought they were either on drugs or the biggest fat asses in North America. He doubted that many people ordered more than fifty bagels at a time, and guessed that they did a good job cleaning them out.
When it came time to pay, Nicki shoved her credit card into his hand. He gave her a questioning look, but took it from her, figuring she would explain sooner or later.
“Sorry love,” she murmured as he handed the card back to her. “I didn’t want them to see your name and bring anything up. I’m finally in a sort of good mood.”
He chuckled and squeezed his hand around her thigh, realizing how ingenious her plan had been. Seguin wasn’t a popular last name, but if people didn’t recognize him by his face, he didn’t think they would make any connection with someone who had the same last name.
Although the drive back was mostly quiet, the sickening atmosphere had changed to one that was much lighter and easier to cope with. He’d come to the conclusion that every time they faced an obstacle together, they bounced back stronger than they were before. The resilience that had been created in the wake of their tragedies made dealing with lesser situations much simpler on the both of them. Whether they decided to help this boy or not, he was sure their relationship wouldn’t take a blow.
The second Tyler pulled into the garage, Nicki was out of the car and gathering as many bags of bagels that could fit in her arms. He laughed at her efforts and did the same, figuring out why she was so rushed as the trip up the front lawn and to the door turned into a foot race of sorts.
It took a bit of skill to get through the door without dropping bagels everywhere, but they managed to do it successfully. They each tossed the bags into the middle of the island, and Nicki filled the Keurig with water in preparation for their groggy guests. A hunger had grown inside of Tyler, but not for breakfast. He eyed Nicki’s backside as she bent over the sink, trying his absolute hardest not to take her right there against the counter. Whether it had been the change in atmosphere or a simple lack of sex over the past weeks he didn’t know. But he was ravenous.
She spun around quickly after she finished what she was doing and caught him staring at her, which was the biggest mistake he could have possibly made. The look in her eyes matched the desire burning in his stomach, revealing just how long it had been since they’d had one another. Tyler had been exhausted every day after his grueling workouts, so much so that he passed out as soon as he came home, sometimes before he even got to eat.
As she inched towards him, all of his blood rushed south. Few things were sexier than watching her watching him. He kept his eyes on her as she drank in every inch of him. When her gaze landed below his waist, his breath caught. Even with all of his clothing on, he felt exposed, as if she could see right through him.
Upon reaching him, her hands slid up his stomach and landed on his chest, where his heartbeat had become out of control. Teeth peeked out from behind her perfect, pink lips, momentarily taming the beast inside of him. He brushed his hand against her rosy cheek, causing her eyes to flicker. Taking advantage of her nearly shut lids, he leaned in, trapping her in a kiss that rivaled every kiss they’d ever had. When emotions ran high, it only added to the electricity that flowed between them. He was just now realizing that they could use it to their advantage instead of sulking in it.
Tyler hoisted her up, and the feeling of her legs locking around his waist ignited a flame inside of him, one that would refuse to be extinguished until he had her in her entirety. They shared a few more soft kisses before he began to make his way through the first floor and up the stairs. Her lips on his neck were severely distracting, and he had a few close calls, nearly toppling backwards down the steps. She could have cared less; the only thing on her mind was making him lose his.
“Shower or the bed?” he asked breathlessly once he made it safely into their room.
Her lips parted from his neck for only a second, to mumble, “Both.”
Seeing no issue with her answer, he let her down gently on the bed. Her legs never unwrapped from his waist, and he had no choice but to go down with her. He propped himself up on his forearms, being mindful of her belly. Although they’d been assured that pressure to her stomach wasn’t dangerous to the babies yet, he wasn’t about to take any chances.
Leaving small kisses along her collarbone, he gradually worked his way up her neck, until he reached her mouth. She greeted him eagerly, and her fingers tugged at the hem of his shirt. Tyler leaned back on his knees and ripped it off, grinning as she marveled at his sculpted body. It seemed she still hadn’t grown used to his new, larger physique, and a part of him wished she never would. Every time he undressed, it was like she was seeing him for the very first time. Her eyes scanned over him, and her hands explored in ways that made him tremble. He shut his eyes as she touched him, letting the sensations take over completely.
When she pulled at the button to his shorts, his eyes popped open. He’d nearly forgotten about the monstrosity that had grown inside of them. He let her do the work, only moving to kick them off, along with his briefs. Tyler didn’t stand a chance against her hand, wrapped around him in a millisecond. Her fingertips ghosted along his length, just barely making contact with his skin. A long moan pushed its way from him with no warning; it felt even better than he remembered.
His noise fueled her desires, and in a flash she’d wriggled out of her clothes and tossed them to the floor. Even with the aches that wracked her body some days, she was as lithe as ever. The talent she had for shedding her clothes was both impressive and dangerous, and on more than one occasion she’d caught him off guard and sent him into a visual overdrive.
While positioning himself between her legs, Tyler realized that this would be only their second time since finding out that she was pregnant. Something about that simple fact made everything feel special, as if it deserved the ceremony that they lacked in such desperate times. As a display of affection, he leaned over her and left a long kiss in the center of her forehead. Hands skimmed his sides, forcing the breath from his lungs.
When Nicki’s hips bucked against him, he stopped procrastinating. Back on his knees, he gripped her legs and pulled her closer to him. He looked intently into her eyes as he pushed into her, watching her face contort with the pleasure of something so familiar. Tyler held her legs around his waist, moving faster with each thrust. Being able to watch himself as he entered and exited her was one of the most enticing things he’d ever seen, and it became evident quite quickly that he wasn’t going to last long. To make up for it, he pressed his thumb to her most sensitive spot, trying to help her along.
Within seconds she was moving with him, creating more friction as a team than a single effort. Her hips swiveled and lifted in ways that perplexed him, and suddenly he found himself simply along for the ride. He waited for her muscles to clench before powering through, bringing them both to their peaks. A muffled yelp escaped her, covered too late by her shaking hand. If anyone was awake downstairs, chances were, they heard it.
Tyler rocked his hips softly a few last times, unable to come to a complete halt right away. Her body started to squirm and finally he covered her with his own, keeping his stomach raised above hers. He grabbed her wrists and pushed her arms far above her head, showering her neck with tiny kisses.
“Are you ever going to stop surprising me?” he whispered into her ear, smiling as she began to giggle softly.
Her only response was her fingers entwining with his, and a look on her face that just begged him to kiss her. His head dropped slowly, letting his lips fall to hers. They were warm from the blood that rushed through her after her orgasm, and tasted sweet, the way they always did. Tyler found himself unable to stop, taking an obscene amount of pleasure in feeling her mouth working so naturally with his. His tongue slipped through and stroked the roof of her mouth, causing her to wiggle underneath him. There was no stopping the laugh that came from him, and Nicki caught on quickly. What about it was so funny he wasn’t sure, all he knew was that she was a level of adorable that he couldn’t handle. Their teeth banged together lightly from the lack of lip surrounding them, as they were too preoccupied with chuckles.
“I love you so much,” he said, refusing to remove himself from her face.
She stayed put as well; her only movements were her feet rubbing against the backs of his calves.
“I love you so much too, Ty.” It sounded like she wanted to say more, and he finally lifted his head to give her some space to speak. One last peck was exchanged, one full with hope and love and promise. “Listen, I’m sorry I was weird in the car. After yesterday, I was convinced that nothing else could possibly happen to make our lives any more stressful. I guess being wrong kind of threw me off. I’m giving you my word, babe. I will think about it. But I also think it’s something we need to discuss together. I can’t be the one to make the decision, not by myself. So why don’t we give each other some time and reconvene when we’ve both reached some sort of conclusion?”
He nodded, in agreement with everything she’d said.
“That’s exactly what I think we should do.”
“Good. In the meantime, I am pretty sweaty…”
“Say no more.”
As Nicki laughed, he peeled himself off of her and scooped her up in one, semi-graceful motion. He high tailed it across the room and through the open bathroom door, letting her down in front of the granite, walk in shower. After pressing his lips to the top of her head, he swung open the glass shower door and pressed a button on the control pad to make the water run. They’d indulged a bit in the bathroom and the master bedroom, figuring they would be spending a great deal of time there. Touch screen utilities were still quite new to him, and it had taken the entire time they’d spent in the house trying to master it.
Checking the temperature, he stuck his hand under the streams. He nodded to Nicki and stepped in, waiting for her to follow. The rainfall showerhead had him drenched in seconds, matting his hair down in front of his forehead. He spat out some of the water that had trickled into his mouth, earning entertained giggles from Nicki. Post sex, she was many things. His favorite, however, was how bubbly she became. Her laughter rang through his ears, reminding him of the times in their life when they were truly, undeniably happy.
“Let me under,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest, “I’m cold!”
He shuffled over, trying to remain underneath with her. In order to do so, he had to hold her body close to him, which he had no problem with. She felt so tiny now, wrapped up in his enlarged frame.
“Mmm, much better,” she sighed, resting her head between his pecs.
Tyler held her head, pressing it closer to his chest as the water cascaded down on them. Although it was getting in his eyes, there was no irritation great enough to pull him from her. Her slick body clung to his, her slippery skin causing sensations much too good to be real. Trying to buy himself some time to recover from their last encounter, he slowly bent down, taking one knee to the floor at a time.
On his knees, his head aligned perfectly with her stomach. Although it was still flat, the muscles that had protruded slightly from it just a few weeks ago had vanished. He missed the sex appeal of her toned torso, but knowing that he had two miracles growing inside made everything worthwhile. Tyler was attracted to her on a much deeper level, one he’d only experienced during her pregnancies.
He tilted his head, letting it fall gently to her belly. In a short amount of time, it would begin to engorge. Eventually, he would be able to feel again his child pressing up against him through her skin as he spoke to it, feeding it nothing but love and encouragement. Tyler left a kiss right above her navel, moving slowly southward with his lips. She began to anticipate what was coming and writhed, but he caught her thighs in his hands to hold her still.
His lips hit her first, followed shortly thereafter by his tongue. Her fingers attempted to routinely grip his hair, and he could feel her struggling to grasp anything of substance. It was weighed down with water, lying flat against his head. When she removed them from his head, he glanced up to see what she’d done with them, and nearly choked as he watched her slide them through her own hair, clenching her fists around the long strands.
Whines echoed above him, loud and uncontrolled. Tyler decided to spare her the torture and, after leaving a soft kiss, lifted himself from the floor. He looked at Nicki, who was holding a hand to her chest and panting heavily. A grin spread wide across his face, basking in getting the best of her. When she mirrored him with a grin of her own, the worry set in. It had been stupid to provoke her.
Still smirking, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his chest. She slid down his body at an excruciating speed. Not overlooking the dizzy spells that had plagued her, he kept his hands on her, ready to catch her if she lost her balance.
“Careful,” he warned.
Nicki looked up at him and nodded. The wait was killing him, the expectation suffocating him. Her head was positioned inches away from him, and she held his gaze as she opened her mouth and covered him. Her lips were like silk around him, her tongue like velvet as it rubbed against him.
His head rolled back, and as badly as he wanted to watch, he couldn’t. She had him ready to go with a flick of her tongue, but kept working long after he became solid again. Tyler didn’t know if she enjoyed the act, or if she just thrived off of giving him more than he could handle. Either way, she performed it eagerly and skillfully, unlike anyone else he’d ever been with.
He groaned her name, finally letting his hand do as it wished and crawl to the back of her head, pushing himself to the depths of her throat. She managed to accommodate him and moaned, sending a bone jarring vibration through him. In order to save himself for her, he raised his hips back, removing himself from her mouth. Without giving her the chance to chase, Tyler placed a hand underneath her chin, raising it up and hoping the she would follow.
Once she was upright, he lost all of the control he might have had. He herded her to the far end of the shower, and she bent over knowingly, gripping a small soap shelf for support. He secured his hands around her hips and sank into her, exhaling a violent breath and clenching his abs from the gratification of being surrounded by her. Holding back a growl, Tyler moved recklessly, allowing his body to take the wheel.
Her noises echoed through his head, made louder and clearer by the acoustic conditions of the shower. He pushed harder, figuring the increase in volume paralleled an increase in pleasure. Before he could figure out what was going on, Nicki had a hand on his hip, shoving him back a few steps.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, growing concerned when she failed to straighten herself out.
She mumbled something, but the pattering of water against the granite floor muffled her voice. Tyler approached her again, placing a hand in the center of her back. He bent at the waist, getting his head level with hers. She turned to him with a face filled with pain.
“My back,” she choked, squeezing her eyes shut as if speaking alone had caused her agony. “It fucking kills.”
“Shit.”
Tyler hadn’t considered that although she was still agile, she wasn’t as strong as she’d been before. He grabbed her around the waist, lifting her slowly upwards. A loud groan rumbled in her throat; a groan that made him want to slam his fist against the wall. Nothing hurt him more than seeing her in pain, especially when it was something that he could do nothing to help. In a way, he was partially responsible for what was happening to her. Even if he hadn’t just bent her over in the shower, he’d still planted the seed that was now causing her suffering.
“Babe, I’m so so sorry,” he said, pulling her into his arms.
She nodded against his chest, letting him know that she was at least slightly okay. It took a moment for him to notice the shaking, and stepped away from her to get a better look. There were no tears on her face, and her eyes weren’t bloodshot. But all of her limbs were quivering alarmingly.
“What the hell?” he whispered, both confused and worried.
The only things that he could think of to do were turn off the shower, wrap a towel around her, and bring her back into their bedroom. He set her down on the bed gently, observing her closely for any signs of the condition worsening. Tyler covered the side of her face with his hand, and she lifted hers over it.
“What’s happening to me?” she asked, with a bewildered expression on her face.
“Fuck, Nicki, I don’t know. I’m giving it five minutes before I call Dr. Baker.” He paused, rubbing his thumb carefully back and forth across her cheek. “Can you feel yourself shaking?”
Her head shook slowly, and her widened, desperate eyes stared right into his.
“Does it hurt?”
Another slow shake.
“Do you feel anything?”
“I feel normal,” she muttered, holding up her arms and watching the vibrations that shook them.
“Okay,” he said, breathing regularly again. “Good. I’ll be right back, I just need to grab a towel. Don’t move.”
He took off sprinting towards the bathroom, attempting to get there and return as quickly as possible. Knowing his luck with Nicki, he’d come back five seconds later and find her unconscious on the bed. On one stride, his hamstring stretched too far and sent a searing pain down his leg.
“Fuck!” he hissed, clenching a hand around it.
Trying to ignore the burning in the back of his thigh, he grabbed a towel and wrapped it hurriedly around his waist. On the way back, he stepped in the puddles he’d made and hoped that the wetness wouldn’t ruin the hardwood. His floors were the least of his concerns at the moment. As he got closer to Nicki, it seemed as though the trembling had subsided.
“Is it over?” he asked, sitting down carefully next to her.
“I… I think so.”
She lifted her arms again, waiting for the quakes to begin. When they didn’t, they both breathed a sigh of relief.
“I feel like I should still call,” Tyler said, slinging an arm across her shoulder.
“I’m not against that,” she admitted, giving tell to the fear behind her voice.
Until now, nothing particularly abnormal had happened to her. It was quite obvious from the apprehension in the room that they were both thinking the same thing. Last time, they’d ignored the warning signs. Neither of them was about to do that again.
Tyler scoured the floor for his pants, where his phone laid in the left front pocket. Dread filled him as he pulled it out and prepared to light up the screen. When he did, there could be a call or a voicemail or a text, confirming what he’d been denying for the last day. In order to find the courage he needed to check, his eyes travelled up to Nicki, slouched over on the edge of their mattress. Briefly he went back to a time when she was nineteen again; when she was fiery and filled with life. She sat the same way on his old bed in his apartment, hung over after a long and wild night out with his friends.
Her eyes caught his, trapping him in their warmth. From across the room, he could still make out the swirls of caramel in them, that only came out when the sun shined on her just right. She nodded her head as she looked at him, and he knew that she was aware of every single thought running through his mind, every doubt and every fear.
With his thumb, he pressed down the home button, listening as his heartbeat picked up and his breathing became shallow. It took a while for it to register that there was nothing on his screen but the picture of him, Nicki, and Marshall, wearing matching Santa hats in front of the Christmas tree.
He unlocked the phone and wasted no time in finding the phone number that Dr. Baker had given him. He decided to try his office first, not to keen on the idea of disturbing him if he was catching up on some much needed rest. As it rang, he sat down again next to Nicki.
“Obstetrics diagnostics, Dr. Baker,” a familiar voice recited through the phone.
“Hey, yeah, Dr. Baker. It’s Tyler Seguin.”
“Is everything alright?”
Tyler had to smile at the sincerity in his voice. The man had taken a personal liking to both him and Nicki, and had become much more than just a doctor to them.
“Uh, I’m not sure.”
“Okay, can you tell me what happened?” he asked patiently.
“We were, um,” he hesitated, realizing that he hadn’t considered what was going on before she began to tremble. “Nicki bent over and her back started to hurt, and she was having a hard time straightening herself out. I helped her up, but she was shaking all over.”
“Has the shaking subsided?”
Tyler placed a hand on her arm, where the shakes had been the worst.
“Yeah,” he answered flatly.
“How long did it last for?”
“A few minutes. Is that something I should be worried about?”
Dr. Baker cleared his throat, and the longer he took to answer, the more fearful Tyler became.
“Not necessarily. Keep an eye on her, I wouldn’t let her out of your sight for more than a half an hour. If it happens again, I want you to take notes on it. Can you do that?”
“I guess. What am I supposed to write?”
“Most importantly, you should time it,” the doctor answered, now sounding like more of a consultant than a friend. “Write down what time it is when it starts and what time it is when it stops. If you can, describe the severity, and where on her body it’s the worst.”
He made sure to store the information deep within his brain, afraid that it would be happening again. With the way things normally went for them, things were only about to get worse.
“Okay, I can do that. What do you think caused it?”
As he asked, Nicki turned her head to look at him. He mustered a small smile, trying to ease the worry that had surely been clouding her thoughts. She gave one in return, and while he waited for the doctor’s answer, he leaned forward to place his lips gently on hers.
“Most likely, it was her body reacting badly to the sudden pain in her back. It may have gone into a temporary shock, especially after all of the injuries she’s sustained before. My advice? Give her a massage, try to loosen up her back. If you do that and it happens again, bring her in. I’m on until six today.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” he said, placing his hand around Nicki’s knee, which was moving up and down in anticipation.
“It’s my pleasure. Just to be safe, I’ll do some digging, make sure it isn’t something we should be concerned about. I’ll give you a call if I find anything.”
“Great, thanks again.”
Tyler pulled his phone away from his ear and tossed it on the mattress behind them, taking in all of Nicki’s frightened expression.
“You’re fine,” he assured her. He didn’t want to make her wait any longer than she already had, and launched into an explanation. “He thinks the shaking was probably from you hurting your back, but he’s gonna look into some stuff to be sure.”
“So what do we do?” she asked, still a bit frazzled. “What if it happens again?”
“If it happens again, I’m bringing you in to see him. But as long as it doesn’t, I have to keep an eye on you. And he recommended a massage to help with the back pain,” he said, knowing that the entire statement would serve to reassure her.
A smirk crept onto her face, forcing him to smile in return. There was no plausible way that he could watch her smile and not smile himself. Every time, it took him back to the very first time they met, and how her shy grin had lit up her entire face. He remembered how hard it was to look away from her, even how Lisa had to clear her throat to bring him back down to earth.
Without saying anything else, Tyler peeled the towel off of her and let it fall to the floor beneath them. Nicki climbed slowly into the middle of the bed before lying down on her stomach, as an open invitation for him to mount her. Sometimes he couldn’t help himself; watching his own hands work on her bare body was too much to bear. In a few situations he’d been able to multitask, and he didn’t think he’d ever heard her moan so loud.
Tyler slipped out of his own towel, grabbing the massage oil from Nicki’s bedside table. He knelt with her legs between his and let the oil trickle down to her back, chuckling as her muscles tensed from the coldness. His hands moved rhythmically across her skin, attempting to evenly distribute the slippery liquid he’d just poured on her.
A groan came from underneath him, and he grinned as he pushed a little harder, using his fingers to loosen her muscles gradually, the way she’d taught him to.
“Ugh, Ty – “
He shushed her softly, gliding his hands up to her neck. Another noise escaped her as he gently rubbed her favorite spots, where he knew that she was often the stiffest and the most tender. Two hands slid up the sheets, coming to a rest on either one of his thighs. Something about it was overwhelming; her touch had an electricity to it that was impossible to ignore.
For the rest of the time that he worked on her, it took everything he had to hold himself together. Her fingers danced across any skin of his that she could find, and the noises of gratitude that she was making were all too similar to the ones she made during more intimate activities. With every breath he took it became more and more difficult to overlook the sexual frustration that fogged his brain. That last time had been the only occasion when he hadn’t finished the job, and he was left with a dull ache that he felt he would probably have to alleviate alone.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, ready to climb off of her.
“So much better,” she mumbled, “Thanks baby.”
Instead of rolling over and letting her get up, Tyler leaned forward, using his forearms to both pin her down and keep himself propped up. He nuzzled his face against hers and left a kiss on her cheek, earning a few quiet giggles.
“You know Ty, I can feel that,” she said suggestively, raising her butt to rub against him. “You’re not wearing pants, so it’s not like I can make the banana in the pocket joke.”
Tyler let out a nervous laugh. Why he felt so anxious over the situation was a mystery. He boiled it down to not knowing where she stood on the matter, and being afraid of hurting her again.
“I’m sorry, it’s just – “
“Are you gonna stick it in me or what?”
This time, he bellowed a real laugh. Her blatant disregard for romanticism always caught him off guard. For such a soft, sweet girl, she could be so nonchalant in the bedroom. Normally, she spoke with colorful language and an air about her like she was the smartest thing to ever walk to planet. It wasn’t overwhelming, but you knew as soon as she opened her mouth that she was educated and well rounded. Certainly he would never expect instructions to ‘stick it in her’.
Quickly, the humor dissipated. There was a task at hand, and he was ready to complete it diligently. Tyler shifted his weight, allowing his knees to take some of the pressure off of his forearms. His head dropped to the crease between her neck and her shoulder, leaving hungry kisses across her skin. It wasn’t like he needed it. Hell, he’d just had her twenty minutes ago. But as long as her clothes were off, there was no stopping him. The desire never ceased.
Her legs spread a little wider underneath him, and he used his prior knowledge of her body to find his way without the guiding help of his hands and eyes. The moment he was inside of her, everything around him failed to matter. Nothing was relevant except for their tangled bodies and the growing feeling of fullness inside of him. Being with her could cure anything, even if just for a small amount of time.
Somewhere in the back of his mind loomed the recent memory of her bent over in the shower, in excruciating pain. It helped him keep control, knowing that her wellbeing could be on the line if he went too roughly. That constant reminder fueled him to move slowly, forcing every inch of himself in before backing out. Nicki seemed to be enjoying the newfound pace, as her hands were stretched out in front of her, gripping fistfuls of sheets and blanket.
His mouth continued to barrage her with kisses and licks and tender nibbles, just forceful enough to make her squeak. Without warning, she squeezed around him, driving him to switch gears. She only did that when she was about to hit her high, or when she was trying to tease him. Tyler didn’t see the necessity of teasing, so he assumed that it was the former and picked up his speed, trying to remain gentle still as he brought her to her peak.
Tyler heard a shout, muffled by the mattress, which Nicki had buried her face in. Her feet curled around his legs and the extra contact brought him to his own climax. Relief flooded through him as he came down, no longer dissatisfied or worried about relieving himself. He should have known better; the day Nicki turned down sex would surely be the day that she died.
He laid on top of her a while longer, not willing to sacrifice yet the warmth that radiated softly between them. Her feet remained on his legs, the tops of them rubbing back and forth against his tired calves.
“I think we needed that,” she said quietly.
He lowered his head so that he could see her face, and found her looking half asleep with her eyes closed. Tyler snuck in a kiss, resulting in a smile. Her eyes remained closed, and he was just about to recommend that they take a nap when a violent rapping on the door interrupted him.
“Hey, you guys in there?” Candace shouted, still knocking.
“Yeah, give me a minute,” Tyler called back, lifting himself quickly and unhappily off of Nicki and sprinting to the closet.
He threw on a pair of gym shorts and grabbed Nicki’s robe, tossing it to her once he reentered the rom. Before opening the door, he made sure that she was covered. Tyler couldn’t help but linger a moment as he watched her slip the sapphire robe onto her skin, admiring the way the silk hugged her curves and the way the color made her skin glow and her eyes sparkle.
Mouthing a quick You’re beautiful, he turned his attention from his glorious wife to the chestnut colored door in front of him. As soon as he opened it, Candace came barreling through.
“There’s pandemonium downstairs,” she said, out of breath. “I think everyone’s still a little drunk, and Brad and Adam ate half of the bagels.” She stopped talking to give her lungs a break, and that seemed to be when she noticed what had been going on before she came in. “Really, guys? While you have guests?”
Tyler felt his cheeks begin to burn, but relaxed when he heard Nicki laughing behind him. He turned to look at her, and was surprised to find her suddenly standing next to him, wriggling her way underneath his arm. The cool material of her robe felt incredible against his susceptible post coital skin, and briefly considered buying one for himself.
Nicki seemed to bypass Candace’s entertained comment and asked, “Do you need me to make another run? I could always go to Dunks or something.”
“I was gonna offer to go with you, but I wasn’t expecting you to be in the middle of banging my brother…”
“Give me a few minutes, I feel like getting out of the house for a little anyways.”
“Then I’m coming too,” Tyler said.
“Of course you wanna ruin girl time,” Candace teased, placing a hand on her hip.
Nicki slung an arm around his back and leaned her head against his shoulder, intensifying his already outrageous urge to cuddle her.
“It’s fine baby, you stay here with the guys. I don’t trust them in the house alone.”
“Dr. Baker told me to not let you out of my sight,” he stated firmly, not about to lose this battle so easily. A nagging part of him was still worried about what happened earlier, and he wasn’t about to let her go off for an hour without him.
“Did I miss something?” Candace asked, her eyes darting between the two of them.
“Candace will be with me, I’ll be fine Ty.”
He sighed, acknowledging that maybe he [i]was[/i] being a little overbearing.
“Alright. Candace, keep an eye on her. If she starts shaking, take her straight to Mass General. But call me first, okay?”
“Woah! Hold the fuck up!” she exclaimed, inching closer to them. “Not until you tell me what’s going on. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” she answered calmly, her fingers tracing over the bare skin on Tyler’s back as she spoke. “I started shaking earlier and Ty called my doctor. If it happens again he just wants me to come in so he can check me out. It’s not a big deal.”
“Going straight to the hospital sounds like a big deal to me, but whatever you guys say. It’s not my baby.” A frightening look crossed her face, one that Tyler had seen on many occasions throughout his lifetime. “Oh. I’m sorry. Babies. I can’t believe you assholes didn’t tell me.”
“It would have been way better if I could have surprised you with it like I wanted to,” Nicki said, with more than a hint of sadness in her voice. “Alright, I just have to get dressed. I’ll meet you downstairs in five.”
Candace rolled her eyes as she left, making sure they knew that she was not pleased with them. Nicki had lucked out, she didn’t know Candace the way Tyler did. She liked her right off the bat, and never had to deal with her maniacal plots and ridiculous outbursts. Tyler loved his sister, but she wasn’t exactly the nicest human being he’d come across. He was thankful to the heavens and back that her and Nicki got along, but he would never be able to see past the way she’d treated other people in the past. As often as he tried to explain that, Nicki never seemed to understand, and could never comprehend why he got so fed up with her.
“Do you think she’s really mad?” Nicki asked once the door was closed and they were back in the safety of each other’s company.
“Probably,” he said, hoping to dismiss the topic before they delved too deep into it. “Can you just promise me something?”
She removed herself from under his arm and came around to his front side, wrapping her arms loosely around his waist.
“Anything, love.”
“When you get back, I want you to wear my old sweatshirt. And I don’t want you out of my arms for the rest of the day.”
“What if I have to pee?” she inquired, poking her tongue through her teeth as she laughed playfully.
“Then it’s going to be one really awkward trip to the bathroom.”
Her laughter rang through him, more uplifting than any noise he’d ever heard. Tyler let his arms fall over her shoulders and dropped his lips to her head, As pathetic as it was, he was going to miss her. A lot. He could pretend that it was because he needed the emotional support, what with the draft taking place later that day. Deep down, however, he knew that it was much simpler than that. He loved her. And every minute he had with her, he cherished.
“Okay,” he sighed, letting go of her. “You have to get ready. Don’t want her to have any more reason to be pissed at us.”
Nicki pursed her lips as she pulled away from him, and he hoped that she was just as disgruntled about being away from him as he was her. Some days it truly sucked to need her, and the only thing that could make it better was knowing that she needed him, too.
He watched her as she sauntered into the closet and disappeared behind the doorway. Eager to spend whatever time he had with her, he followed, and was faced with her robe as it slipped off of her shoulders and floated to the floor. Tyler had to cover his mouth with his hand, unable to peel his eyes away from her. A hunch told him that even when she was nine months pregnant and about to burst, he would still be able to find something sexy about her. The way she carried herself around him, the way her long hair cascaded over her flawless skin, it drove him wild. He noticed things about her that he never could be bothered with around other girls. Every minute detail of her body and the way she used it seemed important, and over the years he’d taken note of each and every one.
She glanced over her shoulder at him, and it was enough to make him comatose. Tyler was frozen in place, with a brain that didn’t work and a longing that seemed unquenchable. Nicki could sense his dismay and turned slowly, A grin rested on her face, one that was deeply satisfied in her ability to turn him back into an awkward, pubescent fourteen year old. It was an effect she always had on him, and that he’d never experienced with any other girl. He’d been with playmates and models and even a handful of actresses, and none of them could do to him what she did.
“Is that a banana in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”
“Shut up,” he snapped, doing a terrible job of keeping the smile off of his face. “You know these shorts don’t have pockets.”
Another laugh escaped her precious lips, and she winked at him before turning around again in pursuit of her underwear drawer. Naturally, she slipped into one of the sexiest things she owned, even though they both knew that he probably wouldn’t be seeing her in them again until they undressed for bed that night. His eyes drank in the thin, black lace that barely covered any skin at all, desiring nothing more than to rip it off of her.
The throbbing in his shorts eased slightly as she began to dress, slipping on a pair of shorts and a black V-neck tee shirt. Unfortunately, her cleavage was irresistibly perky and her legs were lean and toned, as they always were. Tyler silently thanked himself for picking a girl with curves, rather than the stick skinny ones that he usually ended up with. Nothing compared to feeling muscle underneath his grip, rather than skin and bone. Not to mention, her athleticism proved to be quite the useful tactic in bed; sometimes her stamina even outlasted his.
Without his consent, a groan slipped out of his mouth. Nicki spun around quickly, most likely out of concern. Quickly, it turned to entertainment as she scanned him over, taking in the sight of her husband worshiping her like the goddess she was.
“You really know how to make me feel good about myself,” she said, a shy smile now replacing her proud grin.
“Why’s that?” he asked, more out of the longing to hear how she’d respond, rather than not knowing the answer.
She stepped towards him, taking slow, elongated strides. His eyes instantly glued to her legs, passing one another as they came closer and closer to him. He drew in a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever may come. Nicki stopped a few inches away from him, raking her eyes up his body until they were met with his own. Tentative hands slid up his arms, resting on the hills of his biceps.
“What you’re doing right now,” she began, holding him in place with her soft touch and molten gaze, “The way you’re looking at me, words could never do justice to that look. You make me feel like I’m the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen, Ty.”
Tyler held her face in his hands, tracing over all of his favorite parts. The tiny, barely noticeable freckles sprayed across her nose and cheeks, her unimaginably soft lips, and all of the different shades of brown that melted together to create her perfect irises. If warmth was a color, it would have been the color of her eyes. She’d set herself up for this one.
“Because you are.”
On most days, she would have challenged him until she was blue in the face. She would never be able to comprehend his reasoning, she would never be able to see herself the way he saw her. This time, an already irritated Candace waiting for her kept Nicki from arguing. Tyler was more than happy to take the easy win, and felt confident that he had just made her day. He would never tire of telling her how beautiful she was, or seeing how she reacted to it. Each time, it was different. Sometimes she would pounce on him, taking advantage of him in ways that he couldn’t even dream of. Others, she would become silent for hours, tears falling in intervals down her cheeks.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she murmured, the honesty seeping through her voice like venom. It was painful to think about how much they relied on one another, more so for Nicki than for him.
“I don’t either,” he said, pulling her close.
Tyler experienced a brief moment of bliss, between the feel of her embrace and the intoxicating sent that filled his nostrils as he buried his face in her hair. He held on as long as he could, until they heard Nicki’s name being screeched through the house. They backed away from each other reluctantly, with only the promise of being reunited soon driving them out of their bedroom and down to the first floor.
** * * *
“You’re a little horn dog,” Candace snickered, turning out of the driveway and onto Main Street.
Nicki laughed with her, not feeling the slightest bit of shame. Although it might have made Tyler uncomfortable to have his sister know what was going on, he had no idea how often the topic came up in their discussions. She was perfectly fine with knowing all of the details of her brother’s sex life, which was a refreshing change from Cassidy, who cringed every time it was brought up. Even Jackie had conversed with her on numerous occasions concerning what happened between them. It was mostly telling them to be quieter when they stayed at her house, but not always. She figured it was more of an age thing, that the older you got, the more you realized how natural sex was.
“I’m sorry you had to experience that, but you knew me before I was pregnant. Can you even imagine what it’s like now, while my hormones are quadrupling by the minute?”
“Sure, and it has nothing to do with him looking like the Rock,” she joked, sneaking a glance at Nicki before changing the radio station to some mainstream pop song.
“Believe me, it’s not helping.”
“I’m on the same boat, sis. Brad’s determined to be the best player on the team next year. I’m not complaining, but he’s barely got any time for me anymore.”
The sadness was easily detectable in her normally upbeat, high pitched voice.
“Are you guys doing okay?” Nicki asked, fearful of how a breakup might sever some of her closest relationships.
“I hope so. I mean, I don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t be. It just sucks I guess.” She was about to respond, but Candace started speaking again. “But who am I to complain? I almost forgot the reason why we’re together right now. What the fuck are we gonna do if he gets traded?”
Nicki shook her head slowly, not thrilled to be thinking about it.
“I have no clue. He made me promise that we’d be okay, no matter where we end up. Candace, I don’t know how I could possibly live somewhere like Calgary. Or Florida, even. Ty won’t even be able to go outside, he’ll be a lobster year round.”
“Aw, boo, at least you still have your sense of humor,” Candace said, grabbing her hand for a second and squeezing. “I’m going to miss you like fucking hell.”
“You have no idea. Think about it. You guys might miss us, but you’ve all still got each other. We’ll have no one. Not to mention, I don’t think I can bear the thought of leaving home. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to adjust, and it kills me to know that I’m going to make things even more difficult on him. I should be supporting him. He’s the one losing his team. But I’m still being a whiney brat about it.”
“Stop it! Hon, he isn’t expecting you to be some emotionless wall here. By now, he’d be an idiot if he did.”
“I just feel so bad – “
“I’m sure you do. Nicki, you always feel bad. About everything. If it makes you feel any better, I talked to him last night.”
“About what?” she asked hesitantly, remembering the occasions when she’d heard things she wished she could forget about their conversations.
“About all of this. His biggest worry is that you’ll be unhappy. And maybe you will be. But I think we both know that as long as you two stay together, you’re gonna be okay. I mean fuck, you have two kids on the way. You guys are finally starting a real family. So, you might have to move across the country. Or out of it. So it might suck. At least you have each other to lean on.”
Nicki stared forward, letting her sister-in-law’s words sink in. She was right. And the more time that passed, the more confidence she gained that they would be alright. If that morning had been any indication, they would survive this.
Notes
Hi everyone!! I'm sorry I haven't been leaving these little notes lately, I always seem to be in a rush to update (also apologize for not spacing out this chapter I know it's annoying lol)! I just want to thank every single one of you for reading and voting and commenting, I absolutely LOVE seeing all of your opinions on what might happen or what you think or what you want to happen, it's the ultimate reward for writing!! You guys are all so amazing! <3Oh, cool side note, a very awesome Bruins blog did a little tidbit on me and my stories, if you're interested, here's the link! It's an AMAZING blog for Bruins fans! I can't thank these ladies enough, and if you're an author on here you may just find your stories featured too!
http://acupab.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/ffts-getting-to-know-nicki-titus/
Update soon!!!!! Love this story!!!!!
11/14/15