“So I ain’t lookin’ over fences tryna find a better view. My search for all that ended when I first laid eyes on you…”


Charlotte never thought she would’ve preferred night after night of multiple Christmas or New Years parties. She never could've anticipated that the nervousness she felt every time she was around Darcy’s teammates would be amplified somehow. Then again, she couldn’t predict how it would feel to be coming up the driveway of Darcy’s childhood home in Saskatoon. That’s where the nerves came in. That’s why she felt the way she currently did.

It didn’t matter how much Darcy reassured her that everything would be fine. His parents would love her, his siblings would love her… but what if she made an absolute fool of herself in front of them. What would they think then? That Darcy was playing around with some girl that actually thought she was an artist for a living? She wanted to be everything his parents wanted for their eldest son, and no matter how much Darcy promised that she was and that his parents would see that, Charlotte was bound to worry endlessly about it.

Even when they parked and Darcy got out of the car to grab the bags, all Charlotte could muster was to stare out the window up at the two story house. And even when the front door to that two story house opened up and a train of people came out, she still couldn’t even come up with the strength… or courage… to push open the car door. That was left up to Darcy too, who after grabbing their bags, yanked open the passenger side door and forced her to exit.

He took her hand as the train of humans got nearer, and they closer they got, the closer Charlotte got to Darcy. She took her bag out of his hand just so she could use his new free hand to hold hers. He looked down at her and shook her hand reassuringly, leading her in. But just as soon as his hand was hers, he was leaving her side to greet the people who had come to see him. She stood there for what felt like an eternity as he hugged his mom, dad, brother, and more than a few friends they had invited over for dinner. In reality, it probably wasn’t more than a few seconds before he turned around and reached for her. She was introduced to his immediate family and told that his sister was away at school, and if Charlotte thought that was going to be the worst of it, she was sorely mistaken. Because then she was being introduced to a woman by the name of Lauren.

Meeting Lauren wouldn’t have been so bad if she was just Lauren. But she wasn’t, or at least Charlotte didn’t think she was. Based on the way Darcy hesitated when introducing them, and the way they spoke to each other in catching up, indicated to Charlotte that Lauren was one of the past girlfriends. And when she thought about the serious girlfriends Darcy had mentioned before, she understood that Lauren wasn’t the one from Minnesota that had cheated on him. This was the one who was still in love at the time of their breakup but decided to end things amicably when their lives began heading down different paths. And when Charlotte and Darcy made eye contact, she realized that her inkling was correct. Everyone was hurrying back inside the warm house when Darcy reached for Charlotte’s hand again. With their bags, they walked up the pathway, trailing behind everyone else.

“Did you know she was going to be here?” Charlotte asked innocently. She wasn’t angry with Darcy; she had no reason to be. She just wished she could’ve prepared for meeting the first love of his life.

He shook his head earnestly, “I didn’t even know she was in Saskatoon.” He paused and shut the door behind them, urging Charlotte to drop her bag by the staircase. “She’s nothing, Char.” Darcy leaned in and kissed her cheek, “I’m in love with you.”

“Alright love birds,”

Darcy and Charlotte looked back, finding his mom in the doorway, grinning.

“We all want to hear about how you met,”

When she left, Charlotte tugged on Darcy’s sleeve. “We can’t tell everyone how we met. My first memory is being on my knees blowing you,”

Darcy led her into the living room and was quickly tossed into the fire of questions. Obviously coming to the same conclusion as Charlotte, Darcy amended the way they met for the sake of his friends and family. Instead of mentioning that they had gone back to his hotel room to sleep together, Darcy insisted that he spent the night they met walking with her on the Strand. Even Charlotte paid careful attention when he spoke. She wanted to know what he fantasized about in terms of how he wished they’d had met. After walking, he proclaimed that they had made it all the way back to her apartment, and instead of going in (although he admitted he was smitten), he kissed her chastely and caught a car back to his hotel.

More than everyone believing that was cute, everyone believed it was true. Darcy wrapped his arms around Charlotte’s shoulders and bent down to kiss her softly. He was sure that his family would love her as they got to know her more.

“How’d you spend Christmas?” Lauren asked, leaning forward with her elbows resting on her legs. Her eyes were locked on Darcy like a tiger stalking its prey.

But Darcy was oblivious. He was locked onto Charlotte. “We didn’t,” he said unwaveringly. “Char’s Jewish,”

While he was still staring at her, Charlotte glanced around the room. His parents shot each other looks, but why, she didn’t know. And Lauren looked absolutely crushed that someone wouldn’t celebrate her holiday. Charlotte gulped, “I wanted to…”

Darcy grabbed onto her hand, “but on our first holiday season together, I wanted to celebrate hers.”

---

Charlotte followed closely behind Darcy’s mother as they ascended the stairs. Behind her was Darcy, carrying up their bags. Based on the way he let out a subtle breath, Charlotte knew that he understood what was about to come.

“Charlotte, you can stay in Darcy’s old room,” his mom started. Charlotte immediately understood where Darcy’s frustration was coming from. “Darc, you’ll stay in Em’s.”

Charlotte looked back at him, but he didn’t put up a fight. She figured that had always been the rule, from Lauren and on, and that the rule wasn’t bound to change until he was married. So Charlotte just smiled and followed his mom into his childhood bedroom. It was typical of that of a teenage boy, only significantly cleaner. She looked around, taking all of it in, like it would somehow teach her something greater about her boyfriend. And even though he objected to the sentiment, Darcy set her suitcase on the ottoman at the foot of the bed.

His mother paused as though she was waiting for Darcy to leave so she could follow him out. Charlotte didn’t have the courage to look back at her, so instead focused on Darcy. He was the one to look back at his mom, “I’m just gonna say goodnight. I’ll be out,” he promised. Once she was out of the room, he looked back down at Charlotte and cupped his hands over her cheeks. She pouted and set her hands on top of his wrists. Darcy laughed and pressed his lips to her forehead. “My parents are old-fashioned,”

“And don’t like that you’re dating a Jewish girl,”

He looked at her, “that is simply not true.” He slid his hands from her cheeks down to her hips and pulled them flush against his.

“I saw their faces when you said you didn’t celebrate Christmas this year. Not to mention Lauren’s,” Charlotte set her hands on his chest, keeping them just far enough to look at each other.

“It’s not that they don’t like that you’re Jewish, I just don't think they ever really gave it much thought. The idea that I would be dating a sassy little Jewish girl is new to them.” He kissed her when she pouted, “and Lauren doesn’t matter.”

“She was your first love,”

“And how often are people ending up with their first love?” He leaned in and kissed her slowly. “I’m in love with you,” he kissed her again but was quick to step away when the bedroom door opened up a little bit more. His mom poked her head inside, finally urging him to leave.

Once he was gone, Charlotte unzipped her suitcase and dug through it, searching for something to wear to bed. She settled on one of Darcy’s t-shirts. It’s original use was supposed to be for when he was doing off-ice workouts, but after Charlotte washed it one day, she decided to keep it and use it for her own purposes. For nights like tonight when she wasn’t going to have him beside her, so she could still smell him and it would feel like home.

After brushing her teeth and settling in bed, Charlotte found it hard to fall asleep. Because this was someone else’s house, she felt it was difficult to relax, especially without her comfort. Had it been a hotel anywhere in the world, she could’ve convinced herself to shut her eyes and sleep, but now, she just stared at the ceiling hoping her mind would calm down.

She didn’t actually know how long it had been. Maybe an hour, but maybe only ten minutes. In any event, the bedroom door creaked open and the familiar form of Darcy creeping in, trying not to rouse her, came into view. He shut the door behind him gently and tiptoed to the bed with one of his sweatshirts in his hand, effortlessly making a spot for himself. Charlotte turned into his chest and wrapped her hands on either side of his neck.

“Your mom’s going to be angry if she finds you here,” she whispered, feeling Darcy lift her leg and settle it over his hip.

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take,” he grinned and leaned in to kiss Charlotte.

She cupped her hands over his cheeks and stared at him for a moment before moving one of her hands through his hair. He seemed content to just lay there with her, sharing this part of his life. “Where’s your parents room?” She pressed her forehead against his, pressing their bodies together.

Darcy pointed at the wall behind the headboard and then lifted his head, resting against his forearm to prop himself up just above her. He dropped his head and kissed her again. “On the other side of this wall,”

Charlotte covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a giggle. Darcy smiled at her outburst and cupped his hand around her neck. “How’d you manage to fuck in here as a teenager?”

“Very quietly,”

“That wouldn’t work with me,”

Darcy shook his head in agreement. Oh, how he loved this girl. “You make far too much noise,”

“Well you’re such a good lay. No one’s ever been able to fuck me the way you do,”

He blushed and was about to go in for another kiss, but Charlotte sat up and reached for the sweatshirt he’d brought in, that now laid at the foot of the bed. She tugged it on and flipped the hood up onto her head. And when she laid back down next to Darcy, he pulled on the strings until the hood closed around her face. Charlotte giggled and wrestled against his hands until she was able to loosen the hood.

“I don't want you to leave tonight,” Charlotte whispered, tucking her head back against Darcy’s chest. She let out a long sigh when she felt his arms wrap around her body and hold her tight.

He pressed his lips to the top of her head when he felt her kiss his collarbone. “How could I leave you tonight?” Darcy looked down at her and smiled, “looking this good in my sweatshirt.”

She looked up at him and smirked, “I’m serious.”

“So am I. I’m not going anywhere,” he got a devilish grin on his face. “I’m here to cuddle you all night,” Darcy curled his fingertips against Charlotte’s ribs and tickled her. She writhed beside him, laughing and trying to get away. But remembering his parents were just on the other side of the wall, Darcy cupped one of his hands over Charlotte’s mouth.

Her chest heaved as she fought against Darcy’s hand to regain her breath. And when she finally did, Darcy pulled his hand away and replaced it with his mouth. Charlotte remembered the brief make out session that followed. And she remembered how he began talking about what he wanted his future to look like a couple years down the line, but she didn’t quite remember how and when she fell asleep.

That, of course, was easy to do with Darcy beside her. He was her comfort. Especially in this new environment. For someone who prided herself on being independent and the maker of her own destiny, she sure wanted to be held and cuddled and loved like some damsel in distress. With Darcy sleeping next to her, it was like any other night. She was almost able to forget that she wasn’t in one of their California apartments.

Even when the door creaked open, the first thought she had was that it was Chief, nudging it open with his head. But then she remembered that Chief was with the Clifford’s. And if he was with the Clifford’s, then who was opening the bedroom door. She hadn’t even fully opened her eyes by the time she remembered she was actually in Saskatoon and lying in Darcy’s childhood bedroom. And she expected to hear an angry tone because she was being caught in bed with Darcy by his mom after she’d explicitly told him to sleep in the other room. Now, Charlotte didn’t have the courage to open her eyes. She didn’t want to have that confrontation. All she wanted was for his family to like her.

She and Darcy were facing each other in the bed, and somewhere within the depths of his sleep, he reached out and slung his arm over Charlotte’s waist. Now she opened her eyes to stare at him, basically pleading with the sleeping figure to realize now probably wasn’t the time for physical touch. This all happened within a couple seconds of the bedroom door creaking open, but to Charlotte it seemed like it had been an eternity. And then…

“Kids,”

Charlotte heard Darcy’s mom call out in a gentle and hushed tone. Darcy groaned and opened his eyes, blinking in rapid succession to let little bursts of light in. He looked at Charlotte, and then lifted his head to look at his mom. Judging by the eased expression on his face, Charlotte could tell his mom wasn’t giving off any disapproving glares.

“Breakfast is ready downstairs,”

The door was pulled shut and Darcy laid his head back down on his pillow, taking long breaths in as he continued to work his way out of sleep. Charlotte now noted that at some point during the night, he’d pulled off his shirt while she had somehow acquired a pair of the fuzzy socks she’d packed.

“Is she gonna be angry at us?” Charlotte whispered, almost dreading that she’d have to hear the answer.

Darcy peeked past his eyelids and shook his head. “Do you see how many layers you have on right now? She’s not concerned about a thing,”

Charlotte couldn’t help but giggle at that. It was true… and slightly absurd at how many layers of clothes she’d put on for the night. It wasn’t every day the temperature in southern California dipped below twenty degrees. Actually that never happened.

By the time they got downstairs, no one was in the kitchen. Well, no one from Darcy’s family. Just as they were coming down the stairs, Darcy’s mom was on her way out and told them plates were fixed up, waiting to be claimed. But the clanging of silverware they heard coming from the kitchen nearly stopped Charlotte in her tracks. The woman sitting at the table in the kitchen nook was really the last person Charlotte wanted to see. Lauren.

“Morning, Lauren,” Darcy smiled, not thinking anything of it. He didn’t even seem phased by Charlotte’s shocked reaction. Instead, as she stood by him, he handed her a plate of food and bent down, pecking her lips. “Do you want coffee?”

“Please,” she kissed him back, now slightly wishing he had put a shirt on before coming downstairs. When Darcy left her side to pour her a cup, she felt the least awkward thing she could do was sit down at the table with Lauren, no matter how much she dreaded or was nervous about it. “Morning,” she murmured.

Lauren smiled pleasantly. “Not used to winters, are you?”

It wasn’t meant to be rude, and Charlotte didn’t even necessarily take it that way. It was just a very obvious observation judging by what she’d slept in. Before she could answer, she heard Darcy laugh.

A couple moments later, he set a cup of coffee in front of her and then came down to sit at the table between the two girls, with a plate of his own. “My California girl’s got thin skin,”

“You got to be the rock, hot from basking in the sun, then.”

Another comment from Lauren that was mostly innocent; just a mere observation, but somehow, it had the ability to make Charlotte feel on edge. She took a sip of coffee, hoping to ease her nerves.

Darcy raised his eyebrows and smiled as he took a bite of his food. “Did my mom seemed mad when she came back downstairs?”

Charlotte flicked her eyes between Darcy and Lauren. She wanted to know this answer. How far was she from earning the respect of Darcy’s family now that she was caught in bed with him. Lauren just chuckled and shook her head. “She was ready for a war path, but I talked her off the ledge. Told her I remembered how hard it was to come in and meet everyone for the first time. And how I wished you were man enough to come into the room to stay and comfort me that first night. And how you were clearly man enough now to make that decision.”

“Attack my manhood,” Darcy giggled, “the perfect way to disarm my mom.”

Charlotte was confused as to why Lauren had gone to bat for them, but was nonetheless happy that she did. If anything, she may be the reason why things could continue on smoothly here. “Thank you,” she said strongly, making sure Lauren knew she actually meant it.

Lauren smiled and wrapped her hands around her coffee cup. “No problem. I already like you a hell of a lot more than Darcy’s last girl… what was her name?”

Darcy bit into his toast, “Cassandra.”

“Yeah, you got out of that relationship far too late.”

Without a moment of hesitation, Darcy responded, “caught her in bed with a teammate in Minnesota.” He looked at Lauren as she choked on her coffee, “actually I think she was mid-orgasm when I found her. Which, I guess, good for him because she was a real pain in the ass to get off.”

“Fuck,” Lauren murmured.

“If it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have met the love of my life,” he looked over at Charlotte and put his hand on top of hers. As her cheeks turned pink, he leaned over and kissed her temple.

Notes

"My Side of the Fence" by Dan + Shay

Thanks for reading everyone!