(*whispers softly* just look at his fucking curls and that beard and those eyes omfg I want to die...)

“Hey, I haven’t seen Isa around lately. How’s she doin’?”

Shayne looked up at Michael Del Zotto and he couldn’t help but recall the conversation he and Isa had had about him, specifically the part where she admitted she masturbated to thoughts of his fellow defenseman fucking her in the locker room showers.

He shook the image from his mind and explained, “Yeah, she’s graduating this semester, so she’s got shit going on, projects she’s stressing about.”

Michael nodded and took about bite of his sandwich. The pair of them and few other players were enjoying a leisurely lunch after morning skate. Shayne hoped that that was the end of their Isa conversation, but Michael had other plans.

“She seeing anyone?”

“Not that I know of. Why?”

Michael shrugged. “She’s cute. You aren’t hitting that?”

Shayne did his best to look repulsed. “No, no way. We’re just friends.”

“Hmm.” There was a pause so long you could have driven a Mac truck through it before Michael asked, “You mind if I take her out?”

Here’s the thing, Shayne had never considered dating Isa. They were friends, period. He would admit that she was pretty, but he always felt that she was too tomboyish for him; he liked girly girls, always had. But that had worked for them; she was the first female he had ever successfully been just friends with and they had grown really close over the last few months. Sure, a couple weeks ago they had masturbated in front of each other, but that hadn’t changed anything. He hadn’t thought of her in a new light or had an epiphany of any sort.

And yet, for some reason, the idea of Del Zotto calling her, taking her on a date, and then most likely fucking her? Well, that just didn’t sit right and it annoyed him to no end that he couldn’t figure out why. So, naturally, he lied, to Michael and himself.

“I don’t mind.”

“Cool. Thanks, man. You got her number?”

As proof that he didn’t care, he gave Michael her number, sending her a text that he had done so. Her response: a series of heart-eye emojis and a simple statement, “Thanx for getting me hella laid!!!”

Shayne left soon after, returning home to nap and get ready for the game that night. But he was restless, anxious even, tossing and turning in bed until he finally got up and started doing pushups to try and burn off the excess energy so he could get some sleep that afternoon.

Shirtless and dripping sweat, he did more sets than an army recruit in boot camp and still he kept going until his arms were weak and he felt like throwing up. He collapsed onto the floor in a pile of exhaustion and that was where he stayed.

His mind struggled to put all the pieces together - why was this bothering him? He had no claim on her and honestly believed he didn't want to have one. He liked Michael, knew he was good guy, and he knew for a fact that Isa liked him. What was the problem? And why the hell had it hit him like a ton of bricks out of absolutely nowhere? He had no answers and thanks to his stressed state of mind, he also got no nap, either.

That night at the arena, things only got worse. Del Zotto was carrying on about her in the locker room, on the bench during the game, in the showers afterwards. Shayne wanted to throttle him or in the very least shove a puck in his mouth to shut him the hell up. The more Isa’s name came out Michael’s mouth, the more intensely Shayne started to regret giving him her number.

After the game when he got in his car, he headed straight for Isa’s apartment, because he needed to sort this thing out, tonight.

As soon as she opened the door, he came barging in. “Alright, listen -” He stopped short when he got a good look at her. “Are you okay?”

She knew she looked borderline haggard, sleep deprived while simultaneously strung out on caffeine. She hadn’t left her apartment in days, let alone showered. She pulled up the droopy edge of her sweater to cover her shoulder and started cleaning up her bun while smiling at him. “I’m a college student taking eighteen credits my last semester so I can graduate early, I’m never okay, but continue. Listen, what?”

He stuttered to a stop as he took her in. She was the same old Isa to him, but now, for some reason, he developed a hollow feeling in his stomach watching her smile sweetly at him. “I…don’t know.”

Now it was her turn to ask, “Are YOU okay?”

He ignored the question, because the answer was no, he was not okay. “Did you and Del Zotto set up a date?”

He watched the giddy grin dawn on her lips and it was like a knife to his heart. What the actual hell was wrong with him? They were both his friends, he should want them both to be happy.

“Yeah, for tomorrow. He’s taking me to some French place. That reminds me, I should probably shave tonight…”

“Isa.”

She looked up into those bottomless brown eyes that were pleading for something he didn’t even seem to understand. “What?”

“I…please, don’t go out with him.”

Her shock was genuine. “Why the hell not?”

Shayne started to pace now and Isa stood still, just watching him. “Because…I don’t even know. It’s just a bad idea.”

“For you or me, Shayne?”

“For both of us.” He came up short in front of her, grabbing her by the shoulders, suddenly focused. “Can I kiss you?”

Her eyes went wide, her head snapped back. “Excuse me?”

“Honestly, this has got me fucked up. And I don’t know if it’s because I’m just competitive and territorial or because I might be attracted to you or if it’s that other thing I do.”

“You mean the thing where you fixate sexually on woman you can’t have?”

“Yeah, that thing. I thought…maybe if I just kiss you…I could figure out which one it is. We’re friends, right? Friends help each other with this kind of shit.”

Isa felt bad for him. She could tell he was seriously conflicted over this with her and Michael and it was written all over his face; he had no idea how to handle it because he didn’t even know what IT was. And how did she feel about him? Complicated, to be brief. He was too adorable for words, but they had decided long ago that they were just going to be friends so she had purposely avoided any thoughts that might have been screaming what an A+ boyfriend he would make. Maybe she was just as curious about this as he was.

He continued to grip her shoulders and she brought her hands to his pecs before sliding them up towards his neck. “Okay, Ghost. Just one kiss. Just to figure out how you feel.”

Shayne had not expected her to say yes and now he didn’t know how to begin. He gave up trying to overthink it and just went for it, pressing his closed lips to hers and letting his eyes lull shut. First impression: her mouth was luscious, her plump lips giving way to his easily, cradling them in wet softness. He came back, moved in again at a different angle, kissing her again, but this time opening his mouth just slightly to rub his bottom lip on hers.

He shifted again, came in for another go, now parting his lips to free his tongue. When it met hers, he nearly groaned. Her mouth was hot and sweet, still pungent from black coffee and marshmallows, a strange combination he knew she loved. His tongue stroked along hers, exploring the intricacies of her mouth with a relaxed laziness. He was so distracted by how good it felt, he almost forgot what the hell he was supposed to be trying to clarify.

Was it good because she was good kisser, or was it good because it was Isa? Sadly, he knew the answer to that far too quickly. She wasn’t the best kisser he’d ever had and she wasn’t even the sexiest, but she was his Isa. He knew her, he cared about her, he loved to see her smile. This had nothing to do with Del Zotto or Shayne’s propensity for fantasizing about the wives and girlfriends of his teammates. This was all about Isa. Del Zotto pursuing her had just been the catalyst, but now Shayne knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they would have come to this point eventually.

The only question was, what the hell was she thinking about him?

Their lips parted, but when he looked down at her, her eyes were still closed, mouth hanging open just a touch. He watched her eyelids rise slowly as she finally met his eyes. “Well?”

Isa’s tone was soft and gentle. “You’re asking me? This was for you, Ghost. You tell me.”

Suddenly, faced with the prospect of being entirely honest, he was frozen in fear. What if she hadn’t felt it the way he had? What if she was just thinking about Del Zotto the whole time? He swallowed down a proclamation of affection and just licked his lips instead.

Sweet Isa, she could read him like a book. She nodded encouragingly. “Maybe we should do it again. For science.”

“Right. Science.”

He didn’t require any more motivation than that. He kissed her again, pressing his tongue immediately between her lips. This time she moaned and it sounded ragged, like she had been holding it in and was relieved to let it out. He swallowed it down and did his best to draw another from her. He managed it easily with just a quick flutter of his tongue across hers.

Suddenly, she was grasping him tightly, holding onto the hunks of flesh between his shoulders and neck, pulling him closer. He found his own hands moving lower, hooking under the loose sweater she was wearing and then searching out the skin of her abdomen.

When his warm hands hit her flesh, she stopped, pulling back to look at him, breathless. No, no, no, he thought, don’t do this now. He was practically trembling with need and missing her mouth already. But instead of stopping things, she simply used the new distance to shed the sweater, leaving her topless without a bra on. He tried not to stare at her breasts, but failed miserably.

She hooked her hands together behind his neck and pulled his face back against hers. “For science, Ghost.”

“Yeah, good.”

He kissed her yet again, for science of course. She found herself being pushed clumsily backwards until the sharp edge of the coffee table stabbed her calf.

“Ow, fuck!”

Shayne was just giggling, pulling her back against him, kissing her frowning mouth, saying, “Sorry.”

He spun them in place and found the couch with his ass, pulling her on top of him. That kiss and his hands all over her…goddamn, if it wasn’t the hottest thing she had ever experienced in her life. Better even than some of the actual sex she had had. His palms were flat against her bare back, caressing her gently before he dropped lower to grope her ass. Still, he kept kissing her.

He grabbed the back of her neck, just to hold her in place as he adjusted his mouth against hers, slotting them just so as he listened to her whine from the back of her throat. She felt his hard member between their bodies and she remembered watching him jerk it that night a few weeks ago. His cock was beautiful, but it was the sight of his lovely hands wrapped around it had really gotten her going. Now those hands were on her and it was driving her mad. Maybe she had started this thing off being a little confused about her feelings, but the more he kissed her, the clearer they became.

They made out like teenagers, humping their bottoms halves together over their clothes as Shayne now moved his hands between them to fondle her breasts. Isa leaned back a little to expose more of her skin to his touch. Then a little more, keeping her thighs around his on the couch as her hands came back to rest on the coffee table and brace herself.

Shayne bucked his hips slightly just to see her breasts bounce against her body and then returned his hands to all that soft skin. He told her quietly, “God, Isa…you really are so pretty. Scientifically speaking, that is.”

Let’s be honest, both of them knew that this had jack shit to do science and now even less to do with helping Shayne get his mind right. They had crossed the line from friends to lovers many minutes ago and since both of them were pursuing this tentatively, the jokes make it feel like a smoother transition, more like themselves.

Isa smiled at him and then leaned her head back, stretching out her body even more. Shayne’s fingers pinched her nipples and then the backs of his hands rubbed that silky skin on the underside of her breasts. Still panting from those sensations, Isa felt him move lower until a wide thumb pressed directly against her clit over her shorts and undies.

Her breath caught on its way out of her mouth. “Ghost…please…”

He responded by shifting forward on the couch and in the process pushing her forward until she was half reclined on the coffee table, her feet on the ground. Coming down to kneel on the floor, he laid his torso flat against hers after he pulled off his shirt, once more finding her red, raw mouth. He sat up a little, pushing her back against the wooden surface and shoving a pile of printed articles out of his way and onto the floor. That made her giggle, but when more of his weight pressed down on top of her, the table creaked loudly.

She pushed him away with a hand on each cheek. “You break it, you’re buying me a new one.”

Gathering her up in his arm, he hauled them onto the floor, which he hit hard, forcing the air from his lungs. The sight of her half naked and straddling him certainly didn’t help his breathing either. Before he could even ask for it, she laid out flat on top of him, planting a few silly kisses against his mouth while she pushed her shorts down and off, taking her panties with them.

When she sat up, she put her bare pussy against his abs and then reached behind her to shove his athletic pants down. Shayne came up to help, meeting her mouth when he got up high enough and bending his knees to get rid of the rest of this clothes. He used both palms to cradle her jaw and he met her eyes for long moment.

He tried his best to be a rational adult, despite how badly his body was pleading for her. “Isa…do we need to talk about this first?”

“There’s nothing to say, Shayne. We both fucked up, but we’re fixing it. I want this. You want this. So what do you wanna talk about?”

He shook his head, smiling. “Nothing.”

She was still nestled in his lap between his propped up knees and his torso when he leaned in for a playful kiss. His cock fell hard and heavy against her stomach and she felt like her skin might catch on fire from the feeling of it.

Isa reached between them, using the tips of her fingers to rub the head of his dick and then pull it closer, pressing it between her folds lengthwise. Shayne’s kiss became sloppy, unfocused as he breathed heavily against her mouth.

She shifted her hips, pressing up onto her knees before sinking back down, pulling his cock into her warmth. Shayne visibly shuddered and his blunted nails made a home for themselves in the skin of her hips.

Isa’s eyes rolled back as her neck became weak, letting her head incline backwards as well. “Oh, yeah, Ghost. Feels good?”

His voice sounded raw. “Don’t even ask me stupid shit like that right now.”

Isa’s laugh started in her belly and came out strong. Shayne’s face was now burrowed in the crook of her neck, but she felt his breathy giggling against her skin. Slowly, she started to move her body, her back still pressed against his thighs as Shayne propped himself back on his arms to keep his body in a perfect V shape.

The undulating waves started around her chest and ended with her pussy working him beautifully. Her back arched deeply with every pass, her hips snapping forward to pull him back inside her glistening center. Shayne looked so strung out on pleasure already, eyes hooded and heavy, mouth agape. She resisted every desire to close her eyes; the show was simply too good to miss.

She couldn’t help the words coming out of her mouth. “Good God, you’re stunning.”

Those deep, dark eyes of his were fixed on her and it was all she could to keep herself on earth, because that look made her feel like she could float away on a cloud of joy. He said nothing at first, just let her work her hips against his at a slow pace as he watched. Isa couldn’t look away, forcing herself to keep her eyes locked on his.

Eventually, he brought a hand to her cheek and brushed his thumb along the soft skin there. It was such an intimate thing, a thing that lovers do. And even though he was buried deep inside her as they coupled together on the floor, it was a quiet, peaceful moment between them.

His name bubbled out her mouth, “Shayne…” That was all she could say, because she had been right, there was nothing to talk about. But it was clear at that moment that this was no casual fuck session between friends, this was something more, something real, a connection so strong it was almost shocking.

“Isa…” That as far as he got before he wrapped his arms around her, his forearms intersecting as his palms reached the sides of her ribs and he held her close. Isa’s own arms wrapped around his neck, her hands pressing lightly against the massive muscles of his back.

Pulled so tightly together, she could hardly move her hips, but that didn’t matter. She worked him as best she could, his hardness stayed deep and just inching along her walls every time she managed a downswing onto him.

And yet, that minimal contact was almost too much, although it was probably everything else that was pushing them steadily towards completion. She breathed in his musky, masculine scent and rubbed her nose against the sweet smelling and soft sweaty curls of hair behind his ears. Shayne run his thumbs first along her ribs that pressed against her skin when she moved her body and then down her back, finding the raised birthmarks around her shoulders and circling them erotically.

For a long time that was how they stayed, panting breaths, delicate touches, no words necessary. They both built and grew the tension between them until it was unbearable, until Shayne felt liable to pass out and Isa’s body was flush with heat, her muscles so wonderfully sore.

Finally, Shayne forced them apart, laying with his back flat on the floor and Isa reclining against his still bent legs, her back cradled by his thighs. The first real words he managed to articulate in a long time were just perfect. “Isa, let me see you touch yourself again. It’s so beautiful.”

Bracing her knees on the floor, Isa took advantage of her improved range of motion and fucked him a little more aggressively. And then she did as he asked, bringing her hand to her cunt and seeking her swollen clit in her folds.

She nearly sobbed at the contact. It was so good, so intense, so right to have it with Shayne there watching again, only this time with his member working in tandem. It didn’t take long, a few quick passes over the wet nub before she was jerking her hips wildly, letting her eyes close again as she came around him, not having the energy left to shout so she just murmured his name quietly.

Shayne followed, twitching his release inside her as he gripped her thighs tightly before releasing them, letting his hands and arms fall to the floor.

Isa was spent and just slid off of his body to lay down next to him. Shayne thought his heart might explode it was beating so fast and Isa was breathing so heavily she felt like she might use up all the oxygen in the room. Before she even had her wits about her, Shayne rolled over on top of her body, greeting her languorous smile with one of his own.

She let him kiss her again as she stroked the stubble on his cheeks. When he pulled away, she just said, “Goddamn…I fucking love science.”

Shayne started laughing so hard he had to roll off her again so his belly could fully expand with it. They laid on their backs, laughing together like children. He was still giggling when he asked her, “So what are you gonna tell Del Zotto?”

Isa sat up and gave him a sassy look. “Me? What are you gonna tell him?”

“What? Why do I have to tell him?”

She shrugged and reached for her sweater. “He’s your friend.”

She had the thing pulled over her arms before Shayne sat up and ripped it off again, dragging her back into his lap to sit on his crossed legs. “I’ll make you a bet. If I can make you come again in less than five minutes, you have to tell him. If I can’t, I’ll tell him.”

“Oh, my little Ghost Bear thinks he’s got game, huh? Alright, buddy, you’re on.”

“No cheating.”

The idea of her trying to hide an orgasm from him was laughable. Isa just smiled at his wide, mischievous eyes and that silly grin he wore. “Never.”

Notes

A list of things that I am in the middle of writing and that I will finish once I stop being distracted by the fucking Flyers: Seguin Part 2, Del Zotto/Raffl's mom (LOL @ myself because more Flyers!), David Pastrnak, Brandon Saad.

I do have a final project coming up and it is time for AHL playoff hockey in my hometown, so I am going to be pressed for time, but you know me, I pretty much always make time for porn, so hopefully I will still be able to update a lot!