lee-laurent

[lee-laurent]

It's Hard to Keep Secrets -- Luke Hughes

Summary: sadie and luke get the shock of their lives

content: situationship, make out session, pregnancy, birth (not graphic), angst, fluff

wc: 8.4k

notes: hi guys! i hope you like this one, it took me a bit cause i didn't like the way it was going at first. lemme know what you wanna see in the future! i think a quinn fic is coming up!!

Sadie cracked open the door just wide enough for Luke to slip inside, the hallway light catching on the bright red of his Devils hoodie. His hair was messy under his backwards cap, cheeks pink from the cool air outside, and he was grinning like he was on some sort of super secret mission.

Technically, he was.

She stepped back to let him in, quickly locking the door behind him. Luke kicked off his sneakers with a soft thud, his movements the same as the hundred other times he'd done it before. He shrugged out of his hoodie, leaving it in a pile on the floor like he lived there, like it wasn't just another stolen night between them.

"You're late," Sadie whispered, voice low even though Sophia's room was at the other end of the apartment.

Luke shrugged, looking entirely unbothered as he padded after her toward her bedroom. "Blame Jack. He wouldn't stop talking about his NHL 25 win. Full play-by-play, for like an hour."

Sadie smiled without realizing, shaking her head as she pushed open her door. The moment it clicked shut behind them, Luke was on her, hands sliding under the hem of her sweatshirt, mouth finding hers with a heat more intense than that of the cheap radiator buzzing in the corner.

She kissed him back instinctively, fingers threading through the soft curls at the nape of his neck. Luke kissed the same way he played hockey--all energy and drive, but with a passion that made her chest ache if she thought about it too hard.

Which she didn't.

Thinking was dangerous.

Luke backed her toward the bed without breaking the kiss, both of them laughing quietly when Sadie's legs hit the mattress and she toppled backward. He followed her down easily, bracing himself with his elbow next to her head, hovering just enough to look at her face.

"Miss me?" he teased, voice rough and low.

Sadie rolled her eyes and yanked him down by the collar of his t-shirt. "Shut up."

Later, much later, Luke lay tangled in the sheets, one arm thrown across Sadie's waist, his breathing deep and even. His body was heavy in his sleep, anchoring her to the mattress.

Sadie stared at the ceiling in the dark, her heart still beating harder than it should've been.

This was normal now. Sneaking him in after games, stealing a few hours together, pretending in public like they only interacted at work. No labels. No promises.

Sophia's muffled sigh of annoyance drifted through the thin wall between their bedrooms, followed by the unmistakable creak of Sadie's bed as Luke shifted in his sleep.

Sadie clamped a hand over her mouth to smother her laugh. She was definitely getting an earful in the morning.

~~

Sunlight filtred weakly through the kitchen blinds, making the linoleum floor look even more pathetic than it usually did. Sadie shuffled in wearing Luke's abandoned hoodie, it hung halfway down her thighs, and found Sophia already at the counter, aggressively pressing buttons on the Keurig.

"Morning," Sadie croaked, dragging her hand through her hair until it caught on a knot.

Sophia didn't look up. "You and your boyfriend kept me up half the night," she said, voice flat. "I hope you're happy."

Sadie blinked blearily. "He's not my boyfriend."

Sophia turned slowly, holding out a coffee mug like it was a peace offering, or maybe a weapon. "Tell that to the three-hour amateur porn soundtrack I was forced to listen to."

The blonde wrapped her hands around the warm cermaic and bit back a grin. "You're being dramatic."

"Am I?" Sophia leaned against the counter, an eyebrow cocked. "Because if I have to hear Luke Hughes groaning your name through the wall one more time, I'm gonna start charging you for the therapy I'll have to attend."

Sadie blew on the coffee, not meeting her best friend's eyes. "We're... you know it's not serious."

Sophia snorted. "Could've fooled me. Guy's here more than Uber Eats."

She didn't bother defending herself. What was the point? Luke tended not to correct Sophia when she called him her boyfriend. He didn't act like it was just sex when he lingered after, tracing patterns on her hip or scratching her head until they both drifted off.

But they'd never said it out loud. That was the rule, unspoken but ironclad.

Sadie drained her coffee in a few gulps and headed back to her room to get ready for work. Another day of pretending everything was normal. Simple enough.

~~

The Hockey House at the Prudential Center was buzzing when she arrived, players and staff moving between morning practices and meetings. She tucked herself in the flow, camera bag over one shoulder, work badge clipped to her quarter-zip.

She found a spot near the boards and pulled out her work phone, tapping through the dozens of pictures she'd taken at the game the night before. Quick edit, capation, post. Repeat.

On the ice, Luke skated backward, head on a swivel, sticking handling the puck with an ease that would've made her week in the knees if she weren't already used to him by now.

Jack skated up behind him, jabbing at him with the knob of his stick. Luke whipped around, laughing and pushing him in retaliation, and the two of them chirped each other loud enough for everyone to hear.

Sadie caught the moment out the corner of her eye, Luke's quick glance toward her, the smirk he tried (and failed miserably) to conceal.

She ducked her head quickly, pretending to fiddle with the settings on her camera.

Jack, of course, wasn't about to let it go.

"Rusty, stop trying trying to look cool for Sadie!" he called out, voice carrying across the ice.

A couple guys laughed. Luke shoved Jack hard enough to send him sliding. Sadie kept her expression neutral, but her fingers twitched around her phone, itching to text Sophia about it.

Business as usual.

Except for the part where Sadie's stomach twisted painfully, a low ache blooming deep in her gut. She pressed a hand against her abdomen, frowning slightly.

Cramps. Nothing new. Her period had been weird lately--lighter, shorter, but not enough to make her think anything of it.

Her phone buzzed. Sophia.

Soph: just got one of those posts that was like the first person in your share button is pregnant. if you're knocked up i'm suing you for even more emotional damages.

Sadie laughed under her breath and fired back a middle finger emoji, rolling her eyes.

Pregnant? Funny. She'd just had her period. Kind of. Mostly.

Everything was fine.

Totally, completely fine.

~~

Sadie woke up to a sharp twist of pain low in her abdomen. She groaned, curling tighter into herself under the blankets. Her room was still dark, the cheap digital clock on her nightstand blinking 7:12AM in angry red numbers.

She'd been dealing with cramps for days now, but this was worse. Deeper. Heavier.

Still. It was nothing a hot shower and an extra-strength Advil couldn't fix.

She hauled herself out of bed, wincing as she stood, and dragged on a pair of sweatpants and the first hoodie she could find, one of Luke's (of course) because half of her closet was unofficially his at this point.

The kitchen smelled like burnt toast and cinnamon cereal when she shuffled in. Sophia was perched on the counter, bare feet swinging, eating Froot Loops straight out of the box.

"You look like shit," she said through a mouthful of cereal.

Sadie grunted in response and headed straight for the coffee pot.

Sophia crunched loudly and gave her a once-over. "You're glowing, though. Remember what I texted you about. Pregnant women glow, right?"

Sadie flipped her off without turning around.

"I'm just saying. You're either pregnant or dying."

"Probably dying," Sadie muttered, pouring herself a cup of coffee and leaning heavily against the counter.

Sophia watched her for a long beat, the teasing fading from her eyes. "You good, though? Like for real?"

"Just cramps. Nothing new."

Sophia didn't look convinced, but she let it go, hopping off the counter and shoving the cereal box at Sadie. "Eat something before you pass out, idiot."

She rolled her eyes but grabbed a handful of cereal anyway, crunching absently as she scrolled through her notifications. Devils practice at 10AM. A TikTok scheduled to post at 9. A team meeting she wasn't invited to but would probably show up at anyway since her coworkers sucked at taking notes.

Busy day. No time to feel like shit.

~~

Sadie quickly tucked herself into the controlled chaos of the arena, phone in hand, camera on her shoulder, and her second coffee of the morning in the other.

Same as always. Smile, nod, get good content, stay mostly invisible.

Except she wasn't invisible, not really. Luke's eyes found her almost immediately when she stepped onto the edge of the practice rink. He didn't smile or wave--he never did when they were in public--but there was a flicker of something there. A caringness in his gaze.

Sadie lifted her phone and started recording as practice kicked off. Jack was being his usual self, cracking jokes at everyone within a fifty-food radius. Nice was focused, laser-locked on the drills. Luke looked good, fast, confident, but somewhat distracted compared to most days.

Or maybe that was just Sadie projecting. Because five minutes later, her stomach twisted so hard she nearly doubled over behind the bench.

She squeezed her eyes shut, breathing shallowly through her nose. Jesus. It felt like someone was wringing her insides out with their bare hands.

As soon as practice ended, her phone buzzed.

Lu: You okay? You look kinda pale today

Sadie swallowed hard, texting back:

Sadie: fine. just tired

She forced herself to focus on her work, wiping the sweat from her forehead. It was just cramps. Bad ones, sure. But she wasn't going to make a scene at work over something stupid.

~~

By the time she got home, she was ready to collapse.

Sadie tossed her bag down and immediately sank onto the couch, grabbing her heating pad from the basket of blanket, then curling into the corner like a wounded animal. She fumbled with the remote and flipped through channels until she landed on some trashy reality dating show, the noise comforting in it stupidity.

She barely registered Sophia's footsteps until the other girl flopped onto the couch beside her, a bag of chips in her lap.

"You look worse," she said bluntly.

Sadie didn't even argue. She hugged a heating pad tighter to her stomach and closed her eyes. "Still dying."

Sophia muted the TV, brows drawn together. "You seriously don't think something's wrong?"

Sadie cracked one eye open. "It's cramps. I'm not gonna waste three hundred dollars at urgent care to be told to take some Midol."

Sophia hesitated, then reached out and touched Sadie's forehead like a worried mom. "You're sweating."

Sadie batted her hand away, embarassed.

But a sharp bolt of pain made her whole body jolt a second later, and she gasped without meaning to, folding over herself.

"Okay, nope, we're done," Sophia said, standing up so fast the chip bag toppled onto the floor. "Get up. We're going to the clinic."

Sadie shook her head, stubborn. "Sophia--"

"No. I'm not gonna sit here and watch you pass out on the couch. Get. Up."

Sadie tried to protest again, but the wave of pain nearly knocked the wind out of her. Tears sprang to her eyes, unbidden.

She didn't even remember standing. One minute she was hunched over, and the next Sophia was hauling her toward the door, shoving sneakers onto her feet and grabbing her car keys with a muttered, "If you die in my passenger seat I swear to god..."

The drive to the walk-in clinic was a blur. Sadie sat curled into herself, forehead pressed to the cold window, breathing shallowly as Sophia broke every speed limit on the way there.

Luckily, the clinc was half-empty.

Sophia bullied the receptionist into fast-tracking Sadie, and within minutes, she was in a freezing exam room, trying not to throw up from the pain.

The nurse was kind but brisk. Asked her a million questions Sadie barely registered. When was your last period? Any chance you could be pregnant? Any nausea? Fainting? Or bleeding?

Sadie answered automatically: Last week. No chance. Just cramps.

The nurse frowned but nodded, handing Sadie a plastic cup for a urine sample and promising the doctor would be in soon.

So she sat on the edge of the paper-covered exam table, shivering, arms wrapped around her middle.

Sophia paced the tiny room, muttering under her breath about worst-case scenarios.

Sadie tuned her out, focusing on the rhythm of her breathing, the way the fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, the way her whole body felt like it was floating and anchored down all at once.

She was fine.

It was nothing.

It had to be nothing.

~~

She had moved her focus to the sterile white walls of the exam room when the door opened again.

The doctor was young, maybe mid-thirties, with kind eyes and a clipboard tucked under his arm. He didn't smile. Didn't joke. Just stepped inside and shut the door careufully behind him, like he was containing something dangerous.

Oh my god, maybe she was contagious.

Sadie sat hunched on the table, one hand pressed to the deep cramp in her lower abdomen, the other gripping the edge so hard her knuckles were white. Sophia stood off to the side, arms crossed, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet.

The doctor cleared his throat. "Hi, Sadie. I just got the results from your urine catch. I was going to order a bedside ultrasound, but I've decided against it here."

Sadie blinked at him, confused as ever. "Okay...?"

The doctor pulled a stool over and sat, his voice low and even. "I know this is going to sound impossible, but you're not just cramping. You're in active labour."

Sadie stared at him.

And then, out of reflex, she laughed, although it was completely humourless. "No, I'm not. I had my period. I have my period. Last week... it's been lighter, but... I would know."

Sophia stiffened like she'd been struck, eyes wide as saucers.

The doctor nodded patiently, like this was the reaction he had been expecting. "I believe you. It's rare, but cryptic pregnancies happen more often than people realize. Sometimes hormone levels stay low enough that you don't stop bleeding. Sometimes symptoms are mild enough that they're mistaken for normal cycle changes."

Sadie shook her head, trying to physically shake off his words. "No. No way. I'd know. I'd feel different."

"You didn't," the doctor said gently. "But it's happening. Would you mind if I did a quick exam to see how far dialated you are? We need to transfer you to a hospital as soon as possible."

Sadie nodded, opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. The room was tilting sideways. She tasted acid at the back of her throat.

"You're about five centimetres dialated."

Sophia finally moved, stepping forward. "Is it... I mean... is the baby okay?"

"We won't know until we get to labour and delivery," the doctor said, standing. He opened the door, calling down the hall for an ambulance.

Sadie sat frozen on the table, heart hammering wildly against her ribs.

A baby. A baby. Inside her. Right now.

Tears blurred her vision. Her hands were shaking. She couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.

Sophia was suddenly in front of her, crouching to meet her eye level. "Hey. Hey. Sadie, listen to me. It's okay. It's gonna be okay. You're not alone."

Sadie let out a hysterical little laugh. "Soph, there's a fucking baby."

"I know," Sophia said, her voice wobbling just a little. "We're gonna handle it."

The EMTs arrived in a blur of noise and flashing lights. They helped Sadie onto a gurney, strapping her down carefully. The pain was coming in faster now, like waves hitting too hard against a crumbling bridge.

Someone was talking to Sophia--paperwork, hospital forms-- but Sadie couldn't focus. She was being wheeled through the clinic, the cold air hitting her sweat-damp skin like a slap.

"Is there someone you want us to call?" one of the EMTs asked kindly as they loaded her into the ambulance.

Sadie squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted her mom. She wanted Sophia. She wanted everything to go back to the way it was hours before.

Another contraction hit, sharp and vicious, and she gasped.

Sophia appeared in the doorway of the ambulance, holding Sadie's phone.

"Who should I call?" Sophia asked, voice urgent.

Sadie clutched at the stretcher rails, breathing hard. Her mind went blank, then filled with one image:

Luke.

Luke's stupid, soft curls. Luke's steady hands. Luke's smile when he thought she wasn't looking.

"Luke," she croaked. "Call Luke."

Sophia didn't argue. She turned and bolted toward her car, fumbling with the phone as the ambulance doors slammed shut and the siren wailed to life.

~~

Luke was sprawled across his bed, half-watching a movie, when his phone buzzed.

Sadie.

A weird pit opened in his stomach. She never called him during the day, especially when she had work to get done at home.

He answered immediately. "Hey's, what's--"

"LUKE," Sophia's voice exploded through the speaker, shrill with panic. He shot upright, his heart slamming into his ribs.

"What's--what's wrong?"

"You need to get to University Hospital right now," Sophie said breathless, near tears. "Sadie's in labour."

Luke's brain flatlined for a full two seconds.

"Labour?!" he repeated stupidly.

"YES. LABOUR. BABY. NOW. MOVE YOUR ASS." Sophia hung up without waiting for a response.

Luke sat frozen for half a second longer, then the adrenaline kicked in.

He grabbed the first hoodie he could find and bolted into the hall, sprinting to Jack's room.

Jack opened the door, hair sticking up in every direction, looking like he'd just been woken up.

"Dude--?"

"I gotta go," Luke gasped, already halfway down the hall. "Sadie's--Sadie's having a baby."

Jack's face went through about six stages of confusion before Luke disappeared out the front door.

~~

Sadie felt like she was floating above her own body by the time they wheeled her into the labour and delivery unit.

The pain was constant now, rolling through her like a freight train. She could hear monitors beeping, nurses shouting orders, the bright clinical lights in her eyes again.

"Almost there, Sadie," a nurse soothed, adjusting something on her IV. "You're doing so good."

Sadie didn't feel good. She felt like she was dying.

And then--

A flash of movement at the door.

Luke.

He stumbled into the room, hair wild, hoodie half-zipped, sneakers untied, eyes huge and horrified.

He looked at her like she was the only thing in the world.

"I'm here," he said, voice cracking. He crossed to her bedside in two strides and grabbed her hand. "I'm not going anywhere."

Sadie didn't even think--she clutched at him like a lifeline, squeezing his hand until her fingers ached.

The doctor glanced at the monitors and nodded. "Okay, Sadie. It's time to push."

Sadie turned her head, met Luke's wide, terrified eyes. Neither of them said anything. They didn't have to.

The world had already split wide open.

~~

Sadie didn't even realize she was screaming until her throat was raw.

Everything blurred, the bright lights, voices shouting encouragements, Luke's hand crushing hers. Sweat dripped down her temples. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe, could only push because her body had taken over.

"You're almost there!" the nurse was saying, way too cheerfully.

Luke was leaning in close, forehead nearly touching Sadie's. His voice was low and frantic. "You're doing so good, Sadie. You're so strong. I'm right here."

Tears stung her eyes from the pain, the fear, from the sharp reality of it all.

This was happening.

There was no way of stopping it now.

Another contraction ripped through her and she bore down, every muscle straining, vision going white around the edges. Luke squeezed her hand harder.. or maybe she squeezed his. She couldn't tell anymore.

One final push and--

A sharp, wet cry filled the air. Tiny, raw, and very real.

Sadie gasped, her whole body sagging back against the bed. The pain ebbed instantly, replaced by something heavier, something dizzying.

There was a baby crying.

Her baby.

Their baby.

She blinked through tears and saw the nurses moving fast, bustling around the tiny, squirming form. Sadie caught a glimpse, wrinkled skin, wild flailing arms, before they whisked the baby over to a warming table.

She tried to sit up but her body was boneless, trembling.

Luke stayed rooted by her side, looking completely wrecked. His face was pale as hers, his eyes leaking tears.

A nurse touched his arm, smiling kindly. "Dad? You want to come meet her?"

Luke looked at Sadie, silently asking for permission.

She gave a tiny nod, throat too tight to speak.

He stumbled forward like he wasn't sure how his legs worked anymore, hovering awkwardly by the table where their daughter was being cleaned and checked.

Sadie watched through blurred eyes as Luke bent over the baby. She saw him reach out a shaking finger, saw the way his whole body jerked when the baby's tiny, hand curled around it instinctively.

Luke made a choked-off sound, half-laugh, half-sob, and wiped at his face with the sleeve of his hoodie like he could pretend he wasn't crying.

Sadie bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. Something inside her cracked.

Luke turned back toward her, cradling a tiny pink bundle in his arms like she was made of spun sugar.

He crossed the room in careful steps and sat down gently on the edge of her bed, holding out their daughter.

She automatically reached for her, hands trembling so badly Luke had to help her adjust her grip.

The second her baby was in her arms, Sadie felt it-- The click. The one everyone always talked about. The way her whole world shifted and snapped into place around this tiny, squirming perfect thing.

"Oh my God," she whispered, tears spilling over. "Hi, baby. Hi."

The baby blinked up at her, mouth puckered.

"She's... she's so small," Sadie said hoarsely, like the words couldn't possibly hold enough weight.

Luke laughed weakly, wiping his eyes. "She's perfect."

Sadie couldn't argue.

~~

They let her rest for a while--as much as anyone could with nurses checking her vitals every ten minutes and monitors beeping constantly.

Luke never moved more than a few feet away.

Sophia finally made it to the hospital after the adrenaline had worn off enough for her to drive safely. She peeked into the room with red-rimmed eyes and mouthed holy shit when she saw the baby curled up on Sadie's chest.

Sadie gave her a shaky thumbs-up.

An hour later, a nurse came in with a clipboard and huge grin.

"We need to fill out the birth certificate before we can start even thinking about discharging you," she said, flipping to the appropriate page.

Sadie's stomach twisted. She clutched her baby tighter, heart speeding up again.

The nurse smiled again. "Name for the baby?"

Sadie swallowed hard. She hadn't thought this far ahead, hadn't had any time to think, but the name slipped out, soft and sure.

"Elisabeth," she said. "Elisabeth Jeanne Howard."

The nurse scribbled it down. "Beautiful name? And what's your name, Dad?"

Sadie's whole body locked up.

Luke was sitting in the chair next to the bed, Elisabeth's tiny hat clutched loosely in his big hands. He looked up at her then, not demanding or pleading, just waiting.

Waiting to see if she was going to let him be part of this.

Sadie's throat closed up. Her mind raced: It would be easier if it was just her name. Cleaner. Simpler. Safer.

Luke could walk away. He should walk away. He wasn't supposed to stay. They weren't supposed to be like this.

But when she looked at him, his hoodie rumpled, his hair a mess, his eyes still red, she knew.

She couldn't erase him from this. Not when he showed up. Not when he stayed.

Sadie nodded, voice barely a whisper.

"Luke Hughes. He's the father."

Luke exhaled a shaky breath, nodding back like she'd just given him the universe.

The nurse beamed and filled in the rest of the form, humming under her breath.

Sadie leaned back against the pillows, every muscle trembling with exhaustion. She stared up at the ceiling, blinking hard against the fresh wave of tears that had hit her.

Beside her, Luke shifted closer. Sadie turned her head just enough to see him lift Elisabeth from her chest, whispering nonsense under his breath like she was the most important thing he'd ever seen.

Sadie let her eyes flutter shut.

The world outside the hospital room was still turning. But inside, for one perfect moment, everything else had faded away.

It was just them.

Sadie. Luke. Elisabeth.

And a future she hadn't planned for, but could maybe, just maybe, survive.

~~

Sadie thought that leaving the hospital would make things feel normal. Like maybe once they were back in the apartment, she could pretend this was just another weird, bad dream she could wake up from.

It didn't work.

Sophia helped balance the ridiculous number of bags and folders the nurses had given them while Sadie clutched Elisabeth like she was made of glass. Luke hovered so close it was a wonder he didn't physically carry both of them to the car.

Loading Elisabeth into the car seat (one they'd sent Sophia to get) was an absolute disaster.

Sadie fumbled with the straps, her hands shaking so badly she couldn't figure out which clip went where. Elisabeth let out a wail that sliced right through Sadie's already fraying nerves.

"I'm hurting her," she panicked, blinking back tears. "I'm already fucking this up."

"Hey, no, you're not," Luke said quickly, scooching in to help. His hands weren't much steadier. "We'll figure it out. She's okay."

"Barely," Sophia muttered as she elbowed Luke out of the way and buckled the car seat in two quick moves.

Sadie sagged into the passenger seat, still physically and emotionally drained, listening to Elisabeth's tiny cries of discomfort in the backseat.

Yeah, definitely not a dream.

The apartment felt different when they got back even though nothing had physically changed.

Sadie set the carrier down in the middle of the living room, not sure what the hell to do next.

Sophia grabbed their stack of takeout menus from the junk drawer and disappeared into the kitchen, muttering about needing to eat or she was gonna pass out. Luke stood awkwardly beside Sadie, shifting from foot to foot, looking just as lost.

Then Elisabeth started crying again, the sound instantly making Sadie's chest ache.

She tried to pick her up, tried to rock her like the nurse had shown her how to do at the hospital, but Elisabeth's face screwed up even tighter, her little fists waving angrily.

"Uh... maybe she's hungry?"

Sadie stared at him. "Cool. So you breastfeed her."

Sophia barked out a laugh from the kitchen.

Luke flushed but didn't back down. "Didn't they give you some bottles? Formula?"

Sadie almost cried from relief when she remembered the little starter packs the hospital had shoved into her bag. Luke ripped one open and started reading the instructions out loud while Sadie stumbled through mixing the powder and water with her shaky hands.

The first eating out of the hospital was a disaster, half the bottle ended up on Sadie's shirt, but Elisabeth drank it down, making little coos as she enjoyed her meal.

By late afternoon, Sadie was fading fast. Her whole body felt like it was aching. Elisabeth was sleeping, again, swaddled awkwardly but securely thanks to some frantic googling. Sophia was passed out in the armchair, one hand still clutching her half-eaten granola bar.

Sadie couldn't blame her.

Luke stood up, stretching, his shirt riding up just enough to flash a strip of his toned stomach. Sadie quickly looked away.

"I'm gonna go shower and grab some stuff," he said quietly. "You'll be okay?"

She nodded, even though the thought of him not being there made her even more anxious. She pulled the laundry basket that had turned into a makeshift bassinet closer, breathing in that new baby smell.

Luke hesitated. For a second, it looked like he wanted to say something important but he just leaned down and ran his thumb over Elisabeth's cheek before slipping out the door.

~~

Jack was waiting.

The second Luke opened the apartment door, Jack was standing there in the middle of the living room, arms crossed, eyebrows practically up to his hairline.

"Okay," Jack said, voice tight. "Start talking."

Luke kicked the door shut behind him and ran a hand through his hair, feeling ten years older than he had the day before.

"It's... a lot."

Jack snorted. "You think?"

Luke flopped onto the couch, head in his hands.

There was no easy way to say it, so he just ripped the plaster right off.

"Me and Sadie... we've been, uh, seeing each other."

Jack blinked. "You mean fucking?"

Luke groaned. "For two years... a few weeks after I got here."

"TWO YEARS?!" Jack choked.

"Yeah."

The older boy paced in front of him like a caged animal. "And you didn't tell me? Your own brother? I thought we were cool, man."

"We are! I just... it wasn't--it wasn't supposed to be serious."

"You said she was in labour?" Jack stared at him. "You just had a baby with her?"

Luke scrubbed his hands over his face. "I KNOW."

"So what, you're together now? You're dating? You're what?"

Luke swallowed audibly.

"We're not focused on figuring that out right now," he said finally, voice rough. "But yeah. She's, uh, she's not doing this alone. I'm not bailing."

"Good. Cause if you bailed, I'd kick your ass."

"You'd try," Luke laughed weakly.

There was a heavy silence between them as they both took the time to process what was happening.

Then Jack perked up.

"So... can I tell the guys?"

Luke gave him a look.

"Absolutely not. Nobody can know yet. Not until Sadie and I figure it out. Promise me, Jack."

Jack sighed dramatically, but reached his hand out to shake his brother's. "Fine. I swear. Not a word."

Luke didn't feel relaxed.

He knew Jack. Secrets never stayed secret for long.

~~

The first couple days after Sadie disappeared, nobody thought much of it. Social media was always chaotic, schedules changed last minute, people missed games for personal stuff, it wasn't weird.

But by day four, the whispers started.

Sadie's absence wasn't just a day or an emergency doctor appointment. She was just gone. No warning, no cover posts, no subtitute lined up to watch over the Instagram and TikTok.

Someone from ticketing mentioned it first, standing around the coffee machine in the break room.

"Anybody heard from Sadie?" she asked, casually, like it was nothing.

A guy from PR shrugged. "Maybe she quit."

Another assistant chimed in, lowering her voice like she was afraid Sadie might appear out of thin air. "I heard she had a baby."

The room went silent.

Someone snorted. "Sadie? A baby? No way?"

"No, seriously," the assistant insisted. "My roommate's friend works at the hospital. She said Sadie came in last week in labour. Like... didn't even know she was pregnant."

Another beat of stunned silence.

"Bullshit," someone said finally.

"Swear to god," the assistant said, crossing her heart. "Arrived in an ambulance, labour and delivery, boom. Baby."

Nobody knew what to do with that information.

It didn't take long for the rumour to hit the locker room.

Players trickled into the locker room, sweaty from morning skate. Luke sat in his usual spot, untying his laces, heart pounding harder than normal.

"Yo, you hear about Sadie?" Dawson called across the room, towel slung around his neck.

"What about her?" Timo asked.

Dawson grinned. "Supposedly she had a baby."

Half the room laughed like he'd just told a bad joke.

"Sadie? Nah," Nico said, shaking his head. "There's no way. I saw her like, last week. She looked fine."

"She's always wearing sweatshirts, man," Dawson said. "Maybe you just didn't notice."

"Still," Timo said, frowning. "Was she even dating anyone?"

That sent another ripple through the group. Nobody could remember her even mentioning a boyfriend, let alone looking pregnant.

"She always kept to herself," someone muttered.

Luke kept his head down, taking off his pads with more focus than necessary, pretending he didn't hear a word of it.

Beside him, Jack was weirdly quiet.

Too quiet.

And when Dawson made a joke about how maybe Sadie had a secret life, Jack visibly flinched.

Luke glanced sideways to see Jack muttering under his breath, almost too low to catch.

"If anyone knew her secret life, it was Luke."

His stomach dropped.

Nobody reacted, too much noise, too much movement. But a young intern standing near the doorway raised an eyebrow. He didn't say anything. Just slipped out of the locker room a few seconds later, phone already out in hand.

Jack realized what he'd done half a second later, eyes wide, mouth opening to apologize.

Luke shook his head tightly. Too late. He knew with a sick certainty that it wouldn't take long now.

~~

Upstairs, in the offices behind the glass walls of the Prudential Center, the gears were already starting to turn.

The staff who needed to know already knew: Sadie was out on emergency leave. She had a healthy baby girl. It was a private matter. No need for an official announcement, social media posts, or a team statement. Yet.

But Sadie wasn't just anyone. She was on the content team. She was constantly around players. And now there were rumours swirling that one of those players, maybe several, had known a lot more than they were supposed to.

It wasn't hard for the whispers to make their way up the chain.

When HR got the tip that Luke Hughes and Sadie Howard might have crossed professional lines?

They flagged it immediately.

Luke knew something was wrong the second he stepped off the ice the next day. The way the coaching staff looked at him. The way one of the HR reps was standing just inside the tunnel, arms folded.

He didn't get pulled... not yet. Not today at least.

But the look on their faces told him everything he needed to know.

Time was up.

~~

Luke had just finished his first warm-up lap when he saw them.

Two HR reps, black blazers and stiff expressions, standing behind the bench like they had a death warrant in their hands.

His stomach dropped to his feet.

Coach Keefe skated over to Luke mid-drill, murmured something low and tight. Luke's chest squeezed when he heard the words: "You need to come with us."

The entire team was watching. Not a full stop, but enough that the mood shifted. Eyes followed him as he skated off, taking off his gloves with jerky movements. Jack caught his gaze briefly, brows pinched together in worry.

Luke kept his head down as he stepped off the ice, tugging a hoodie over his damp hair, suddenly feeling very exposed.

The HR reps said nothing as they led him down the hall, the click of their shoes echoing off the concrete walls.

Luke already knew what was coming. He just didn't know how bad it would be.

The conference room felt colder than the rink. Sleek, glass table. Leather chairs. A pitcher of untouched water in the centre. HR, legal, two guys from upper management, all sitting there like a jury.

Luke swallowed hard and sat when they motioned.

The lead HR rep, a woman with sharp eyes and a crisp file folder in front of her, started immediately.

"We've received a report regarding a potential violation of the organization's Code of Conduct."

Luke's palms went sweaty.

She continued, voice even, almost mechanical. "We have reason to believe that you've engaged in a romantic or sexual relationship with a member of the Devils' social media staff. Namely, Sadie Howard."

Luke's throat felt tight enough to cut off air. He forced himself to nod. "Yes. I have."

"How long has this relationship been ongoing?"

He could lie. He could say it was new, recent, barely started. But his gut twisted at the thought.

He didn't want to start this with a lie. Not about her. Not about Elisabeth.

"Two years," he said quietly. "Since my rookie season."

One of the legal guys whistled low under his breath before catching himself.

The HR woman kept her expression blank. "And you confirm the relationship was fully consensual?"

Luke lifted his chin. "Yes. Always."

More notes scratched onto legal pads.

"And you acknowledge that at no point was this relationship disclosed to management or HR as required by organizational policy?"

"No. It wasn't disclosed."

He could see it in their faces, the weight of that admission.

The HR rep closed her folder with a soft snap.

"We're evaluating next steps. There could be disciplinary action, including but not limited to suspension from team activities. Ms. Howard's employment status is also under review."

Luke's heart dropped even more. Sadie. She could lose her job. Because of him. Because of them.

He wanted to argue, to say it wasn't her fault, that she hadn't meant for any of this to happen. But the HR woman stood and smoothed down her jacket.

"You'll be informed of the organization's decision within the next twenty-four hours," she said crisply. "You're dismissed for the day. No media appearances. No contact with staff."

Meanwhile, across town, Sadie was fighting her own battle.

Elisabeth was wailing in her arms, tiny face scrunched and bright red. Sadie bounced her gently, humming nonsense under her breath, but it barely made a dent.

She was exhausted. Bone-deep.

The ring of her phone made her jump. She almost let it go to voicemail, but something in her gut told her to answer.

"Hello?" she cleared her throat.

"Ms. Howard?" The woman's voice was smooth and polite. "This is HR from the New Jersey Devils organization. We'd like to request you come in for a meeting regarding your employment status. Today, if possible."

Sadie's blood went cold. "I... I just had a baby," she stammered. "I'm on leave."

The woman didn't miss a beat. "We understand. This is a time-sensitive matter."

Time-sensitive. Employment status.

Someone knew. They knew about her and Luke.

Sophia came barreling into the room, took one look at Sadie's face and grabbed Elisabeth out of her arms.

"Go," Sophia said fiercely. "I've got her. Go do what you need to do."

~~

Luke was sitting outside the HR office when she got there. He stood the second he saw her. Sadie stopped short, heart cracking at the sight of him. Neither of them said anything. They didn't have to.

It was written all over Luke's face: I'm scared. I'm sorry. I'm here.

Sadie opened her mouth to ask what happened, to ask how bad it was, but a woman in a blazer stepped into the hall.

"Ms. Howard? We're ready for you."

Sadie forced herself to move, to walk into the conference room like she was a dead man on trial.

She sat down in the stiff leather chair, her back straight, her hands flat against the cool glass tabletop.

Across from her sat the same people Luke had met with, three faces she'd worked alongside for years, now looking at her like she was a liability they didn't know how to handle.

"Ms. Howard, we're here to discuss a violation of the organization's professional conduct policy. Specifically, the nondisclosure of a romantic relationship with a player currently on the New Jersey Devils roster."

Sadie swallowed hard but said nothing.

The HR woman flipped through a file. Sadie caught glimpses--notes on notes about her and Luke. It felt invasive.

"You admit to being involved with Luke Hughes for the past two years?" she asked, pen poised.

Sadie forced a nod. "Yes."

"And you understand that under organizational policy, you were obligated to disclose any personal relationship with players to HR at the outset?"

Sadie clenched her hands in her lap. "It wasn't--" She cut herself off, took a breath. "It isn't a relationship. Not officially. We weren't... aren't dating. It's private. We kept it separate from work."

One of the men leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "No one is accusing you of unprofessional behaviour in your job, Sadie. But perception matters. Risk matters. If the public were to find out and perceive bias, favortism, or worse, it damages the organization's credibility."

Sadie stared down the table at them.

They weren't wrong. Intent didn't erase risk.

The HR rep continued. "Effective immediately, you'll be placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. You'll retain your benefits, but you are not permitted to perform work duties or access any Devils facilities."

Sadie nodded numbly.

"Termination is a possibility, depending on the outcome of the review," the other man added, almost as an afterthought.

They dismissed her after that, politely, formally, like it made it easier. Like manners softened the blow of your entire life falling apart.

Luke was pacing the hallway when she walked out, sneakers squeaking against the polished floor.

Sadie brushed past him, head down, throat burning.

"Sadie--" he started, reaching out.

"Don't," she snapped, whipping around. Her voice cracked from how hard she was trying not to cry. "Don't you dare."

Luke's face crumpled, but he didn't move, didn't argue.

"This is my life, Luke," Sadie hissed, keeping her voice low because God forbid someone else overhear. "My career! The thing I worked my fucking ass off for. It's all I had."

Her chest heaved, watching Luke open and close his mouth. She wanted to punch something. She wanted to scream.

Instead, she said, bitter and broken, "I can't do this right now. I need to get home."

"I'll drive you."

The ride home was thick with silence. Sadie stared out the window, arms crossed tightly over her chest, blinking back furious tears. Luke gripped the steering wheel like it was the only thing anchoring him to the earth.

Halfway home, the words started to spill from her mouth before she could stop them.

"I never planned this. Not the baby. Not sleeping with a guy from work. I had it all figured out. Graduate. Work for a sports team. Build a career. Be independent. Never have to rely on anyone but myself and Sophia from time to time."

She laughed, wiping her nose.

"And now I'm twenty-one, possible jobless, a single mom, and completely screwed."

Luke put the car in park as they rolled up to her building, turning to look at her.

"You're not alone," he said. "I know it feels like it, but you're not. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, Sadie."

She didn't answer.

Sophia was waiting when they walked in, Elisabeth in her arms.

She took one look at Sadie's face and immediately handed the baby to Luke without a word, disappearing into her bedroom to give them space.

Luke shifted Elisabeth in his arms, moving carefully, like he was afraid to break her and Sadie.

Sadie sank down onto the couch, staring blankly at the TV that was playing a cooking show on mute. Her vision blurred and before she could stop herself, she turned into him, pressed her face into the fabric of his sweatshirt and sobbed. Big, ugly, shuddering sobs she hadn't even known were inside her.

Luke didn't say a word. He just stroked her hair until she cried herself to sleep, cuddled into his side.

~~

Back in the conference room, back in the stiff leather chair.

But this time, there was no waiting, no buildup.

The HR rep looked at him over a thin stack of papers.

"Mr. Hughes, we've concluded our investigation."

Luke nodded, trying not to bounce his knee under the table.

"Given the circumstances, the absence of workplace misconduct or complaints, we're opting for a formal reprimand. You will need to disclose any future relationships immediately. And be aware, any further incidents could lead to suspension or more severe consequences."

"Yes, ma'am," he said quickly.

She slid a paper across the table. "Sign here acknowledging receipt."

Luke signed without hesitation.

"And Mr. Hughes," she added, softer yet still professional, "congratulations on the birth of your daughter."

He blinked, completely caught off guard. He mumbled a "thank you" and practically bolted before they could change their minds.

~~

Sadie's meeting had been shorter, but no easier.

They'd told her she'd remain on leave for now. No termination. Not yet.

When--if-- she returned, she'd be placed on a three-month probation, monitored closely for any sign of unprofessional behaviour. One wrong move and she was out.

She had nodded, signed, agreed to everything without really hearing the words. She was focused on surviving. One hour, one day at a time. At least she still had a job.

~~

Luke braced himself as he walked into the locker room. Morning skate had just ended, but he'd been in his meeting.

Guys were half-dressed, laughing about something when they spotted him.

The room went dead silent. Every head turned.

Luke froze in the doorway, pocketing his phone.

Jack broke first. He grinned so wide it was almost blinding. Dawson followed, smirking like he was having the time of his life.

"HEY," he said loudly, standing up and pointing at Luke. "YOU HAD A WHOLE SECRET GIRLFRIEND AND A BABY?!"

The room erupted.

"What the fuck, Rusty?"

"No warning? No gender reveal party? Weak."

"Dude, you pulled Sadie? Respect."

"Was it your TikTok skills? Is that how you got her?"

Luke flushed red up to his ears, but he couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out. He shook his head, knocking Jack with his shoulder.

"Jesus Christ," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Jack was practically vibrating with glee, clapping Luke so hard on the back that he stumbled.

Nico, ever the team dad, gave Luke a nod. "Congratulations, Rusty. Seriously."

"Yeah," Siegs chimed in, grinning. "You're officially a hockey dad. Better start working on your minivan budget."

Laughter broke out around the room, guys elbowing each other, tossing chirps back and forth like it was any other day-- like Luke hadn't just dropped a nuclear bomb onto their normal lives.

But under all the jokes, Luke could feel the acceptance. No anger. No resentment. Just a weird, clumsy love. The only way hockey guys knew how to show it.

It was going to be okay. They had his back.

~~

Back at the apartment, Sadie was curled up on the couch, Elisabeth dozing in a bassinet beside her, Sophia scrolling through baby clothes online.

Lu: They know. They're not mad. They're actually being kinda annoying abt it lol

Sadie stared at the screen, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Sophia looked over, saw the look on her best friend's face, and smirked.

"Told you," she said, nudging Sadie with her socked foot. "He's not going anywhere."

~~

Sadie was curled up on the couch, one of Luke's hoodies swallowing her whole, bare legs tucked underneath her. Luke sat on the other end, close enough that their knees touched, hands fidgeting in his lap.

Elisabeth was finally asleep, bundled so tightly in her swaddle that she looked more like a burrito than a baby.

Sophia had left earlier, giving Sadie a pointed look and a mumbled excuse about "spending the night at Travis's place."

Sadie knew she was trying to give them space. She wasn't sure if she was grateful or terrified. Maybe a bit of both.

Luke cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "She's... cute when she's not screaming."

Sadie laughed. "Yeah. When she's quiet, I almost think I know what I'm doing."

He smiled, nervous. He rubbed the back of his neck the way he always did when he was anxious.

Sadie bit her lip, staring down at the worn throw blanket bunched up in her hands. She knew they couldn't avoid it any longer.

The conversation. The where do we go from here.

Luke leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, voice low.

"I'm sorry," he said, the words rough. "For everything. For not protecting you better. For putting your job at risk. For... everything I guess."

Sadie opened her mouth to argue, to tell him it wasn't his fault, but he shook his head before she could.

"No. Just let me say it," Luke said. "You didn't ask for this. You didn't plan any of this. And you still handled it better than I ever could've."

Sadie blinked hard, tears burning behind her eyes.

Luke kept going, voice cracking at the edges.

"I don't expect anything, Sadie. I don't want to trap you into something you don't want. I just... I want to be here. For you. For her. Whatever you need."

Sadie stared at him.

At this boy, who was still so young but somehow had already given her more than most people twice his age ever would.

She closed her eyes, inhaling sharply.

"I'm scared, Luke," she whispered. "Like really scared, all the time."

He didn't flinch. He carefully shifted closer, like if he moved too fast, she'd run away.

"I'm scared too."

Sadie opened her eyes. Met his.

She saw it in his eyes, the fear. But also hope.

Stupid, stubborn hope.

She let out a shaky breath, her voice barely audible.

"I don't know what the future looks like. But I want you in it."

Luke's face crumpled for a second, before he reached out and pulled her into him.

The kiss wasn't frantic or desperate. It was slow, taking their time to show their love for each other. It was a promise. A beginning.

~~

Later, they lay tangled on the couch, the TV playing quietly in the background. Elisabeth snuffled in her sleep, her tiny fists twisting inside the swaddle.

Luke's hand found Sadie's, tracing slow patterns along her knuckles. He murmured nonsense about baby clothes and daycare options and future trips they could take together.

Sadie just listened, her heart so full it ached.

For the first time in forever, she let herself believe it. Believe in him, them, their future.

She closed her eyes, pressing her forehead to Luke's shoulder, feeling the beat of his heart against her cheek. It wasn't the life she had planned. But it was one she was starting to see work out for her.

[lee-laurent]

i have an exam tomorrow and then i’m moving to a house on monday!!! making big adult moves 💪💪 but i should be back to writing soon! it’s gonna be a longgggg luke fic

[lee-laurent]

can u guys tell me what kind of fics you want to see? i feel like my nico one did pretty good but this latest one is just like whatever. maybe it’s cause it’s easter so im like in my head

[lee-laurent]

idk how i feel abt my last fic tbh. i feel like i can do so much better for you guys i just need to get back in the groove

[lee-laurent]

Hey There, Delilah - Luke Hughes

Summary: Luke finally has a chance with Delilah Zegras. Or in which, Delilah Zegras isn't over her ex

content: fluff, angst, breakup, smoking, drinking, exes, kissing, zegras!oc x ex!matt rempe

wc: 6.7k

notes: idk how to feel abt this... but enjoy! also if u saw it before the title change, the (version 2) was because i rewrote it completely from my original draft

It was so damn humid.

That kind of sticky heat that made everything feel like it would be better if done barefoot and half-drunk. The lake shimmered past the treeline and the house buzzed with the slam of car doors, music blasting from a speaker, and the hum of a weekend that already smelled like cheap beer and sunscreen.

Luke was on cooler duty. Which meant standing on the porch with half-melted ice up to his elbows while Jack shouted about how "you can't just throw a thirty-rack on top of the coolers, Luke, Jesus."

Cole was already shirtless, naturally, and Quinn was somewhere inside, pretending that the chaos wouldn't grow by nightfall.

Luke wiped his hands on a towel and reached for another case of beer just as a car pulled into the gravel driveway behind him.

Trevor.

And--right. Her.

Delilah Zegras slipped out of the passenger side like she hadn't been gone for three years.

The air shifted. Or maybe it was just Luke's stomach.

She was older now--not in the tired, adult way, but in the subtle, glowing kind of way that came from too many summer days. Her hair was longer, curled in loose waves that looked like they had a mind of their own. She was tan, her legs bare under cutoff shorts, a simple tank top that stopped just above her waist. She wore sunglasses and a scowl and looked like she was already regretting being there.

Luke didn't move.

Trevor slammed the trunk shut and waved lazily toward the house. "We made it," he called.

Jack stepped out just in time to see the two of them. "Ayy, Z!" he shouted. "And the prodigal little sister returns."

Delilah gave him a small, close-lipped smile. "Hey, Jack."

"You remember everyone, right?" he asked, walking down the steps and pulling her into a hug before she could deflect it. "Cole's still an idiot, Quinn's still boring, and Luke's... somewhere."

Luke cleared his throat.

Jack turned, "Ah, there he is. Cooler boy."

Delilah's eyes flicked to Luke, expression unreadable behind her sunglasses. "Hey, Hughes."

"Hey," Luke said, as casually as possible.

He hadn't seen her since she was nineteen--back when she only wore Ducks hoodies and acted like everyone around her annoyed her. Even then, she'd been Trevor's snarky little shadow. Now she looked like someone who'd spent the last two months of her life drinking wine on her couch and trying not to cry.

Yet, she was also, somehow, even hotter than he remembered.

Luke turned back to the cooler before his brain could spiral.

~~

Inside was chaos.

Bags were dropped in the wrong rooms, someone was already searching for a bottle opener, and Quinn had his arms crossed in the kitchen like a parent watching a toddler birthday go off the rails. Cole was making a playlist, still shirtless and dancing like no one had asked him to.

Delilah trailed behind Trevor with her bag slung over her shoulder, scanning the place with the cautious eyes of someone trying not to seem out of place.

Luke hovered by the kitchen, cracking open a drink even though it wasn't late enough to justify it. Jack caught his eye and grinned.

"Dude," he mumbled under his breath. "You're staring."

"I'm not."

"You are. It's fine. She looks--"

"Don't."

Jack smirked, clearly entertained.

Luke didn't say anything else.

~~

By the time the group finally made it down to the dock, the sun was low and casting long shadows across the water. They'd all changed--swimsuits, loose t-shirts, bare feet thudding across wood. The lake lapped gently at the shore, and the air smelled like barbeque and spilled drinks.

Delilah sat near the edge of the dock, legs stretched out, sunglasses still on, one hand braced behind her as she leaned back to take in the last bit of sun. Her expression was calm, maybe even a little distant. Not unfriendly... just hard to read.

Luke tried not to look. He failed.

Every time he glanced over, she was laughing softly at something Treovr said or tossing her hair over one shoulder or stretching in a way that made Luke's brain short-circuit.

It was really fucking annoying.

She wasn't doing anything on purpose--she didn't even see him that way. She never had. He was just Luke. Trevor's friend. Jack's little brother. The kid who used to try too hard to make her laugh then they were preteens.

Now she was here, freshly heartbroken and wearing the hell out of a bikini top, and Luke didn't know what he was supposed to do with himself.

They stayed out late. Long enough for the dock lights to flicker on and cooler to run low. Someone sugested a drinking game. Trevor grilled more burgers. Cole fell off the end of the dock, fully clothed, and Delilah laughed, actually laughed.

Luke noticed.

He noticed that her face lit up when she smiled, even if it was for half a second. The way she flipped her phone over to check a little too often, even when no new messages came in. The way she turned down another drink and then accepted it anyway five minutes later. The weight she carried that she was pretending wasn't there.

And the way that Jack caught Luke staring again and said nothing, just raised his eyebrows and walked away.

Luke took a sip of his drink and sat a little further back, looking up at the stars in the sky. The stars you couldn't see in Newark.

He was gonna make it through this trip, even if it killed him.

~~

Delilah knew the sound of a hangover when she heard one.

Cole was groaning from somewhere down the hall. Jack was loudly asking who the hell had moved the chips. Someone dropped a plastic cup in the kitchen and then said "I meant to do that," which was obviously a lie.

She rolled over in bed and buried her face into the pillow.

Her room was quiet. Too clean. The kind of guest room that didn't look lived in, plain blue quilt, one sad framed photo of the lake, air slightly too cool from the fan humming in the corner.

It was a nice house. It smelled like cedar and sunscreen and expensive body wash.

But it wasn't hers. None of this was.

She rubbed her face and sat up slowly, head pounding.

There was a moment, half a second really, where she almost forgot... where it felt like just another vacation, another house full of boys laughing too loud and beer in the fridge and a lake waiting outside.

Then the ache in her chest settled back in like it had never left. The sharp reminder.

Matt.

Her mouth was dry. She reached for her phone on the nightstand, hoping for a weather app or a notificaiton or something other than his name.

Nothing.

But the fact that she even looked?

She hated that.

~~

By late morning, everyone was already halfway through breakfast beers and discussing who was in charge of lunch.

Delilah moved through the kitchen like background noise. Said yes when offered coffee, stood near the counter instead of sitting, smiled when spoken to.

Trevor kept glancing at her like he was waiting for her to crumble. It was annoying. She wasn't going to break. She was just... quiet.

Luke was at the sink washing a pan with his sleeves rolled up and a slice of toast between his teeth. She tried not to look at him too long. He didn't say anything to her, didn't stare, but there was a softness in his body language. Unbothered. Like he wasn't performing for anyone.

It made her feel even more out of place.

~~

They all ended up outside again by middday. The dock was scattered with towels and drinks, someone brought out the speaker again, and Jack declared it a "no shoes, no shirt, no baggage" zone.

Delilah was once again on the edge of the dock, sunglasses on, hoodie zipped despite the heat. Her legs dangled over the water, barely touching. She could hear everyone laughing around her--something about Cole trying to flirt with a bartender a few weeks before--but it felt like a different world.

She should've stayed in New York.

Or maybe gone to her parents'. Or literally anywhere else.

This was supposed to be her distraction--sun, drinks, no expectations.

But all it did was make her feel lonelier.

She didn't want to be that sad girl. She hated the way people looked at her now--like they were waiting for her to talk about it. Like they expected her to unload everything just because it made them uncomfortable to pretend it wasn't happening.

Luke sat down next to her without a word.

She blinked, startled out of her spiral. "Hey."

He handed her a can of something cool. "Tangerine or... mango? I panicked."

She took the mango without hesitation. "Thanks."

He shrugged. "You looked like you could use one."

She popped the tab open and took a slow sip.

They sat in silence, both staring at the lake waiting for it to answer all their questions.

After a minute, Luke nudged a bag of chips between them. "Also found these in the back of the cupboard. Probably stale."

She didn't reach for them. Just let the bag sit there like some kind of peace offering.

"Everyone's pretty chill," he said after a while. "If they're too much, you can just... disappear for a bit. No one'll take it personally."

Delilah nodded. "It's fine. I'm just tired."

"Not sure that's allowed here," he joked.

She just shrugged, but he didn't press. Didn't ask any more.

She wondered if that was worse, the patience.

He stood up after a few minutes when someone called his name. Before he left, he gave her a small half-smile. Not pitying, just... present.

She hated it.

~~

Delilah had showered, changed into dry clothes, and curled up in the corner of the living room with her phone. Everyone else was playing some aggressive, probably ruleless drinking game around the dining room table. Quinn was halfway invested and Jack was narrating every move like a sportscaster.

Trevor flopped down on the couch next to her.

"You okay?"

She didn't look up. "Fine."

"You've said maybe four words since we got here."

"I'm just tired."

"Del."

She finally met his eyes. He looked concerned, big brother concern. The kind that really got on her nerves.

"I'm here, aren't I?" she said.

"Yeah, but... are you here here?"

She exhaled and leaned back, rubbing her eyes. "I don't know what you want me to say."

"You know you don't have to fake it, right?"

"I'm not faking it."

"You're not fooling anyone."

She didn't answer.

"We're going out on the boat tomorrow. You better participate."

She gave him a tired thumbs up.

Alone again, she sank deeper into the couch. The laughter was still going. Someone had turned the music up louder, if that was even possible.

She checked her phone.

One notification.

Not a new one. Just him.

Matt: Thinking about you. Call me?

She didn't respond.

Didn't block him either.

Just locked the screen, pressed her forehead to her knees, and stayed quiet while the rest of the world kept moving.

~~

Late afternoons at the lake were one of the best parts of owning the house.

The sun hung low and the temperature got a bit more bearable, drinks got stronger, music got louder, and whatever plans had existed melted into the bottom of solo cup.

Jack called it "golden hour energy," or some stupid shit like that, meaning people got a bit more reckless.

This specific night, it meant beer pong.

They dragged a table out onto the back deck, cracked open another round of drinks, and started forming teams like their lives depended on it. Luke ended up standing by the railing with a drink in hand, watching the chaos unfold, when Jack slinked up beside him.

"You're being so fucking obvious."

"What?"

"Don't play dumb, Rusty. You're looking at her like she's a mirage."

Luke took a slow sip. "I have not."

"Oh my god," Jack said, delighted. "This is amazing!"

"She's our friend's sister."

"Exactly! That's why it's so much fun."

Luke rolled his eyes.

"Do you think she knows?" Jack chuckled.

"I'm not doing anything."

Jack cocked an eyebrow. "You gave her your mango seltzer and your chips yesterday. You never share food with like anyone."

"That's not--"

"And you haven't made eye contact with her for more than five seconds because you know you'll start blushing like a teenage girl."

Luke stayed quiet.

"Unreal," Jack said. "I fucking love this."

~~

Trevor was refilling his drink when Jack cornered him in the kitchen.

"Hey. So. Quick question."

Trevor shook his head. "No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"Yes, I do."

Jack grinned. "Your sister's hot, man."

Trevor looked like he was debating whether to pour the rest of the vodka on Jack's head. "Don't start."

"I'm not saying I'm into her. I'm just noticing. And you should probably know that Luke is currently fighting for his life every time she walks by in that bikini."

Trevor sighed, hard. "He's not--ugh. No. No way."

Jack just looked at him.

Trevor's jaw clenched. "That's my sister, dude."

"Yeah, and Luke's not exactly a creep. If anyhting, he's too respectful. It's almost annoying."

"Do not encourage this."

Jack threw his hands up, innocent. "I'm not encouraging! I'm just observing. Like a scientist."

Trevor mumbled something under his breath and walked off, muttering something about "pushing Luke into the bonfire."

When they both got back outside, everyone was buzzed and shouting. The beer pong table was fully set up again, the unofficial second round. Jack was undefeated and way too smug about it. Delilah was sitting on a lawn chair, sipping something pink through a straw, watching it unfold like she was trying to decide if she wanted to join or not.

"Del!" Jack called. "You're up!"

She looked over. "Against who?"

"Team Us," Jack said, pointing between himself and Trevor, who was making a point to look anywhere but at her. "And your partner is... drumroll... Rusty!"

Luke looked up from where he was sitting on the steps.

Delilah raised an eyebrow.

"Come on! Don't be lame."

He stood slowly, walking over with half-nervous energy that made him look guilty even when he hadn't done anything wrong. He offered Delilah a small smile.

She smiled back, polite but still distant. At least she hadn't said no.

The game started off slow. They weren't great, but they weren't terrible. Delilah was the more competitive one, which caught Luke off guard. She got quietly pissed every time they missed a shot, and muttered "let me do it" before sinking three in a row.

"Damn," Luke said, impressed.

She barely looked at him. "Trevor and I used to hustle guys at parties."

He snorted. "Remind me not to play against you."

"Smart."

They lost by a cup, and Jack did a full victory lap around the table, yelling, "Undefeated! Put it on my fucking tombstone!"

Luke grabbed a drink from the cooler and passed one to Delilah without asking. She took it. Their fingers brushed, and neither of them said anything.

It was nothing. But it wasn't.

"Loser has to do a dock jump!" Jack announced. "Lukey, that means you!"

Delilah stood near the top of the dock, arms crossed, hair messy from the breeze. She looked at Luke, not in a big, obvious way, just a small glance.

But it was enough.

Luke sighed, handing his drink to Cole as he walked toward the edge. Jack and Trevor were cackling.

"You good, Rusty?" Jack asked with a grin.

Luke didn't answer. Just looked down once, back at the shore, at Delilah.

She met his eyes. Just for a second.

Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth.

Luke jumped.

~~

It was midnight by the time it was quiet outside.

Inside the music was still thumping and the boys were still shouting, but outside past the hum of the porch light, everything was still.

Luke stood on the dock, toes curled over the edge, shirt off, shorts low on his hips. He could still hear Jack and Trevor laughing from earlier: "You lost, dude. Strip and jump, that's the rule."

So he did.

Trevor had doubled over, tears in his eyes. "You look like a wet dog," he'd choked out when Luke came back up, soaked and gasping.

Now the chaos had moved inside, and Luke was alone, dripping, staring at the dark water.

Until the sliding door squeaked open.

Delilah.

She stepped out barefoot, hoodie halfway zipped, drink in hand. Her hair was down again, loose from the ponytail she'd worn during pong, and her eyes were glossy in that way that said tipsy, not quite drunk, but close.

Luke turned slightly. "Hey."

She raised her eyebrows. "I can't believe you really jumped."

He pointed to his soaked hair. "You're telling me?"

She smiled, small, amused. "Trevor's still crying laughing."

Luke smirked. "He'll live."

There was a beat of silence. The music inside muffled.

"Is it cold?"

"Kinda perfect."

She set her drink down on the dock, kicked off her hoodie.

"You're not gonna--?"

But she already was, tugging her shorts down, peeling off her tank top. Underneath: a plain black bra and underwear. Nothing fancy. But Luke still forgot how to breath.

He turned around fast, like an idiot. "I didn't mean--I wasn't trying to--"

"You've seen a girl in her underwear before, right?" she called behind him, amusement laced through her voice.

He let out a shaky breath. "Yeah. Just... didn't expect it."

A splash.

He turned just in time to see her surface, hair slicked back, eyes closed for a second. Then she looked at him, blinking water from her lashes.

"Well?" she asked.

He didn't hesitate.

Luke jumped into the water for the second time that night.

They swam for a while. Not really talking, just floating near each other. Every now and then their arms would bump. Their knees. The lake was quiet in the way only summer nights could be, everything felt suspended. Lit only by stars and the distant porch lights.

Luke kept looking at her.

She was bloating on her back, arms out, her stomach rising and falling just above the water's surface. Hair spread out like seaweed. Eyes closed.

He was sure she didn't even know he was watching.

She did.

Delilah rolled over in the water and swam toward him, slow, unhurried. They met halfway between the dock and the boat.

"You're quiet," she said.

Luke shrugged. "You're floating around in your underwear. Kinda hard to focus."

She grinned, drunk and lazy. "So you are looking."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean... I guess."

They drifted closer. Neither of them moved away.

Delilah's voice dropped. "You always this shy, Lukey?"

Luke met her eyes. "You always this bold?"

She tilted her head. "No."

That one word hit heavier than it should've.

There was barely a pause, a hearbeat maybe, before her arm slipped around his neck.

And then she kissed him.

It wasn't gentle or delicate. It was a lot. Teeth and tongues and wet skin and drunk laughter between breaths. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and his hands found her waist under the water by instinct.

Luke couldn't think. Couldn't breathe. Not from the lake. From her.

Delilah kissed like she was trying to forget something. Luke kissed like he was trying not to fall apart.

Eventually, they pulled away, panting, foreheads nearly touching.

They both laughed.

"Wow," she said, brushing her wet hair out of her hair.

"Yeah," Luke said, dazed.

She floated back a little, giving them space. "That didn't happen."

Luke blinked. "Nope."

"Just swimming."

"Exactly."

They stayed in the water for another twenty minutes.

Neither one brought it up again.

But when Delilah climbed out first, reaching for her clothes on the dock, Luke watched her like he didn't know what the hell to do with himself.

Because he didn't.

He was fucked.

And all she did was smile like it hadn't meant anything at all.

~~

The next morning felt slow and unwelcoming.

Delilah stood in the kitchen, staring at a bowl of cereal she had no intention of eating. Someone had made a pot of coffee and left it to burn on the hot plate. The lake outside shimmered like it hadn't witnessed any emotional sabotage the night before.

She ran her tongue over her bottom lip.

She could still taste him.

Luke.

His name in her head made her flinch, even though no one had said it out loud.

She hadn't meant to kiss him. Not like that. Not at all. It had just happened. They were drunk. It was late. She was floating in the lake with someone who looked at her like she wasn't a mess. Like she was still some version of herself she barely recognized anymore.

And then she'd kissed him like she was starved.

Now her skin buzzed with regret. Not because she didn't want it, but because it was easier not to want anything.

Especially not Luke Hughes.

"Morning."

His voice was soft behind her, almost hesitant.

She turned slowly to find him leaning against the fridge, damp curls sticking to his forehead, hood half-zipped over his bare chest. His expression calm. Open.

She nodded. "Morning."

That was it.

He waited for more, maybe a smile, maybe a glimmer of last night. But nothing came.

Delilah turned back to the counter and stirred her cereal.

Luke shifted his weight like he was going to say something else, but then Trevor appeared behind him and clapped a hand on his shoulder, making the moment vanish.

"Someone better come help with the boat," Trevor said. "Jack's trying to tie knots like he's on Deadliest Catch."

Luke nodded, glanced at Delilah one more time, then followed him out.

She finally let herself breathe.

~~

Delilah moved through the house like a ghost.

She sat out on the dock for a while, pretending to read. She laid on a towel and kept her sunglasses on, pretending to nap. She even laughed a bit--too loud, too fake--when Quinn made a rare, yet funny joke.

But inside? She was splintering.

Her phone buzzed on and off, the screen lighting up every few minutes. She ignored it at first, then couldn't anymore.

Finally, in the bathroom with the door locked, she sat on the edge of the tub and opened the messages.

Matt: I hate how we ended things. I was angry. You were angry. But I still love you. I can't stop thinking about you. Please, Del. Talk to me.

Her chest clenched. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, then pulled away. Again. And again.

She didn't know what to say.

She didn't know what she wanted.

Matt had always been all-in. Until he wasn't. Until hockey came first. Until the calls stopped and she was left with long voicemails and empty weekends. They were still in love. That wasn't the problem. The problem was life--messy, relentless life.

Trevor found her later, leaning on the porch railing, phone in hand, screen dark.

He stepped beside her, arms crossed. "You're being weird again."

No answer.

"I mean, like, weirder than usual."

Still nothing.

Trevor let the silence sit for a beat. Then, quietly: "Something happen?"

She shook her head. "No."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Trevor narrowed his eyes. "Is it Matt?"

Delilah stiffened.

"I knew it," he muttered. "Is he texting you again?"

She turned, eyes sharp. "Can you not?"

"I'm not judging. I just don't want you spiraling again."

"I'm not spiraling."

Trevor didn't push. But the look on his face said everything.

She brushed past him and went inside without another word.

~~

That night, everyone gathered around the TV watching some terrible horror movie Jack insisted on. The room was quiet except for the occasional yelp from a jumpscare or tense scene. Luke was tucked into the corner of the couch with a blanket tossed over his lap, eyes flicking to her every so often.

Delilah didn't stay long.

She slipped out quietly and padded across the porch, hoodie pulled tight around her, vape tucked in the front pocket.

She only hit it when things were bad.

Maybe the silence outside would help her clear her mind, but instead the stillness made everything louder in her head.

She sat on the edge of the porch, knees pulled up to her chest, and breathed in until she couldn't anymore. Held it. Exhaled slowly.

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She blinked them back.

She didn't know why it felt like everything was closing in.

Maybe it was the texts.

Maybe it was the kiss.

Maybe it was the way Luke kept looking at her like she meant something.

She hit her vape again.

Behind her, the sliding door rattled, but no one came out.

Good.

She didn't want to talk.

Didn't want to explain that she was stuck in the space between wanting Matt and not being able to let go. That her body remembered Luke's hands on her waist, but her heart still ached at Matt's name.

She didn't want to be there.

She didn't want to be anywhere.

She buried her face in her hoodie sleeve, blinking away tears.

This time, she didn't hear the door as it opened.

She was too deep in her own head, hoodie over her knees, still holding her vape like it was the only thing grounding her. The stars in the sky were blurred now, not by clouds, but by her tears.

She blinked hard. Hit her vape again.

The porch creaked gently behind her.

She didn't look up. "Don't say anything."

"I wasn't going to."

Luke's voice was quiet. No judgment. Just him.

She didn't stop when he sat down beside her.

He didn't sit close--left a little space, just enough for her to breathe. His hoodie sleeves were pushed to his elbows, his legs outstretched. For a second, neither of them said anything.

Just the soft sound of cicadas and crickets chirping.

"I thought you were watching the movie," she said eventually.

"I was," he said. "Then I saw you leave."

She nodded, eyes still forward. "Movie was too loud."

"Yeah."

More silence.

Then, her voice, smaller than before. "I didn't mean to be weird today."

"You weren't."

She huffed out a breath. "You don't have to lie."

Luke shook his head slowly. "I'm not."

"I just... sometimes it's like I can't get out of my own head. Even when I want to. Even here."

"You don't have to explain."

"I kind of do."

Luke shrugged.

"I didn't come here to make things more complicated," she sighed.

He turned his head, watching her.

"I didn't expect to feeling anything," she added. "And then I did. And it caught me off guard."

Luke's jaw twitched slightly, but his voice stayed soft. "Was that about him? Or...?"

She shook her head fast. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Okay."

It came out steady. Easy. But she heard the disappointment in it.

He wasn't asking for much. Just something. Just a little honesty, a little clarity, some kind of thread to hold onto.

And she couldn't even give him that.

She turned toward him, finally meeting his eyes. "You're... good at this."

He raised an eyebrow confused. "At what?"

"Sitting with someone while they're falling apart."

Luke looked away, half-smiling like it hurt. "I've had practice."

She nodded, then quickly looked back down at her hands. "I don't wanna like... hurt you."

"You're not."

Delilah didn't believe him.

He stood up after a beat, slow and reluctant. He looked down at her, like he wanted to say something else--to ask, to push, to feel something outloud, but he didn't.

He just said, "Night, Del."

And then he went inside.

She sat alone on the porch, vape forgotten beside her, the air suddenly colder than before.

The kiss still sat heavy on her lips. So did the guilt.

She hated that she hadn't say anything. Hated that she was the one making it weird. Hated that Luke had looked at her like that and she couldn't look back.

She blinked slowly, jaw tight.

"Why the fuck did I come here?"

~~

The bar was all bass and bodies packed together tight.

It smelled like tequila and bad decisions, but the group had shown up anyway, ready to make their bad ideas sound fun. Jack was holding court at a high-top table and Trevor was already two drinks deep, making fun of Cole's fake ID that he carried around despite not needing it anymore.

Delilah had started the night slow.

A seltzer. Then a vodka soda. Then someone handed her a shot, and she didn't ask what it was, just tipped her head back and swallowed.

Luke had noticed.

She wasn't drunk at first, just loose around the edges, easier with her smiles, her shoulders a little less tense.

But by midnight, she was gone.

Luke saw it first when she came back from the bathroom with her mascara slightly smudged.

He didn't say anything. Just stood beside her while the others argued about Uber rides and dive bars and whether or not they should drink more.

She blinked too much. Her hands were shaky.

Luke leaned down. "You okay?"

She nodded too fast. "Yeah. Totally."

She wasn't.

Fifteen minutes later, she'd disappeared.

He found her in the back hallway of the bar, crouched on the floor outside the bathroom with her head in her hands, quietly crying.

Not dramatic sobs. Not the kind people notice.

The kind that's silent. Exhausted. Almost invisible.

Luke crouched down in front of her. "Hey."

She looked up, startled. "Shit."

"It's okay."

"No, I'm fine... I just..." She wiped her eyes, smudging her eyeliner more. "God, this is so pathetic."

"You're not pathetic."

She sniffed hard. "Everyone else is having fun. And I'm here, crying like some emotionally unstable idiot."

Luke gave her the faintest smile. "A cute idiot."

She laughed, broken and tired. "You're too nice to me."

He didn't respond, sitting close enough to be steady, far enough to give her space, just like the night before.

"I don't know what I'm doing," she whispered.

"With what?"

"Everything."

He waited.

"I'm still in love with him," her voice cracked. "Matt."

Luke didn't flinch.

"I hate that I am. I hate that I--" She sucked in a sharp breath. "I hate how he makes me feel now. Like I'm chasing him. Like I'm waiting for him to figure it out. And I know he loves me, but it's not enough. It's never gonna be enough."

She paused. Then added, softer, "But I still want it to be."

Luke swallowed hard. "Yeah."

She looked at him, eyes glassy. "That's messed up, right?"

"No."

Delilah shook her head. "I kissed you and I didn't even-- I didn't think about how it would make you feel. I was just trying not to feel like this. And now I made everything worse."

"You didn't."

"I did."

Luke moved closer, his shoulder brushing hers.

"I'm not trying to replace him," he said.

She turned her head.

"I'm not expecting anything," he added. "I just want you to be okay."

Something in her face broke and she let her head fall gently onto his shoulder.

They sat like that for a while. No pressure. No words. Just breathing quietly together in the back of a bar.

~~

He got her home safely.

Helped her up the stairs of the house, handed her a glass of water, and made sure she got to bed with her makeup wipes and a bottle of Advil on the nightstand.

He didn't linger.

Didn't touch her again.

Just stood in the doorway for a second, unsure what to say.

Delilah looked at him from her bed, blankets pulled up to her chest.

"Thank you."

Luke nodded. "Get some sleep."

He closed the door behind him and leaned back against it, exhaling slowly. Even if nothing had really changed that night, he stil felt... different.

~~

Delilah woke up with a faint headache and vague memories of crying in a hallway, followed by Luke's voice and the feeling of being carried back home. It felt like someone had finally taken all the weight off her shoulders, even for a night.

She stayed in bed longer than usual, doomscrolling through her phone, heart racing each time Matt's name would pop up on an app. But no new texts. No missed calls.

Eventually she got up. Washed her face. Pulled her hair into a loose braid. Hoodie. Shorts. As little effort as possible.

The shift wasn't dramatic. It was subtle.

She lingered a little longer in conversations. Laughed a little more. Sat closer to the group instead of on the edge. She didn't flinch or look away when Luke made eye contact, and once (maybe accidentally) her knee bumped his under the picnic table, and she didn't move right away.

Luke didn't push. He didn't flirt. He met her where she was.

They joked a little. Shared glances during Jack's overdramatic stories. Passed drinks and sunscreen and chips without having to ask.

It felt like something new was growing out of what had almost broken them.

Trevor noticed first.

He was mid-sip of a beer on the dock when he saw Delilah bump Luke's shoulder with her own after he said something sarcastic, and Luke grinned at her like it lit him up inside.

Trevor narrowed his eyes.

Jack saw it too. Of course he did. He was basically watching their entire dynamic unfold like it was a reality show he'd produced.

"Don't say it," Trevor warned him.

Jack held up his hands. "I didn't say anything."

Trevor muttered, "I swear to God--"

"I'm just observing." Jack paused. "They're cute though."

Trevor groaned.

Jack clapped him on the back. "At least he's not a Ranger."

Trevor didn't laugh, but he didn't argue either.

~~

The text came in just after sunset.

Delilah was upstairs, towel-wrapped and fresh out of the shower, hair damp, phone facedown on the nightstand. She'd been having a good day (good in a fragile, new way where she was still worried it would fall apart).

Until the screen buzzed.

Matt: I know you don't want to hear from me. And I'm not trying to change your mind. I just can't stop thinking about you. I can't stop picturing what it would've been like if I had just put you first. If I had fought harder. If I'd told you what you meant to me before it was too late. I still love you, Delilah. That's not a line. It's the truth. You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know.

She stared at it for a long time.

Not crying. Not shaking.

Just still.

Because it was everything she had wanted to hear him say for almost two months, back when it would've rewired her heartbeat. Back when she was practically begging the universe for one text said that "you matter to me."

But now?

Now it didn't hit the same.

Now it just felt like a weight--not a safety line.

She didn't reply.

Didn't type. Didn't even screenshot it to send to her friends.

Instead, she put the phone down and slipped into her pjs, before heading down toward the dock, where Luke was sitting alone.

She could tell it was him from the posture, legs stretched out, body slouched, but still alert like he always waiting for something.

Each broad creaked softly beneath her.

He looked up when he heard footsteps. Didn't speak, just shifted to make room for her.

Then she spoke. "Can we talk about the kiss?"

Luke glanced over. "Yeah."

Delilah didn't look at him, just kept her eyes on the water. "It messed me up."

His brow furrowed.

"Not because it was bad," she quickly added. "It wasn't. It was... the opposite of bad."

That got a soft, breathy laugh out of him.

"I think that's what messed me up," she said. "I felt something. And I wasn't ready to feel anything."

Luke was still, letting her speak.

"It wasn't about Matt. It wasn't me trying to forget him. I thought it was... but it wasn't."

He nodded once. "I know."

"And I'm not saying I'm ready now. I'm still, kind of, a mess."

Luke didn't flinch. "Okay."

"I just didn't want you to think I regretted it."

"I didn't."

Delilah exhaled. "You've been really... good to me."

"I'm just trying to be real with you," he replied. "That's it. I'm not waiting on some big moment. I'm not trying to push you anywhere. I just want you to know I'm here."

She looked at him like she didn't know what to do with all his kindness.

Like she never really believed someone could mean it.

"I still feel it," he said softly. "The kiss. The shift. All of it."

Delilah's throat tightened.

She looked back out over the water.

Then leaned her head on his shoulder, gently, like she wasn't sure she was allowed to--and relaxed when he didn't move.

The dock swayed beneath them, quiet and slow.

Above them, the stars blinked into place.

And between them, something sparked. Not a fire, but the start of one perhaps.

~~

The lake still looked the same as the first they got there.

But now the dock was worn slightly more from wet footsteps, the cooler practically empty, the towels faded from the sun. Everyone had written their name on the bottom of the table they used for pong.

Summer was winding down.

The house felt quieter somehow, even when it was loud. Like the energy had shifted. Like it knew they were all about to go different ways again.

Delilah leaned on the railing of the deck, drink in hand, watching the different colours set over the lake.

She wasn't over Matt.

But she wasn't unraveling anymore.

She could breathe again. She could laugh without flinching. She could sleep without checking her phone first.

Luke hadn't asked her for anything since that night on the dock. No pressure. No expectations. Just presence.

And it made all the difference.

~~

Their final party was a quiet kind of wild.

Delilah and Luke had moved to the stairs leading to dock, both tired of Jack's horrible DJing skills. The two of them were slightly buzzed, legs touching, watching fireflies blink across the trees.

Neither of them had said much.

They didn't have to.

Delilah looked over at him, his profile lit by the string lights draped on the railing, the curve of his crooked smile, quiet and content.

"Hey," she said.

He turned toward her, eyes steady.

She leaned in, her hand finding his knee for balance, and kissed him.

It was nothing like the first one.

It wasn't drunk. It wasn't desperate.

It was soft. Slow. Meant.

Luke didn't move at first, then kissed her back gently. No rush. Just quiet understanding.

When she pulled back, she didn't say sorry. Didn't explain.

But she did pause.

Then, gently: "Don't wait for me."

Luke's eyes didn't flicker. Didn't change.

Just a soft smile.

"Wasn't planning to."

She nodded, and they sat there a while longer, not touching, not speaking. Just sharing the last quiet of the last night.

And even though she hadn't told anyone about her and Matt--hadn't told Luke, hadn't told Trevor, hadn't even told herself out loud--she knew that he knew.

Not because she'd said it.

Because Luke saw things. Accepted things. Let them be what they were.

And that? That would stick with her.

~~

The next morning was a blur of bags, bad coffee, and half-hearted goodbyes.

Trevor packed the last of the stuff into his trunk while Jack hovered, giving unhelpful instructions. Delilah came down the steps with her bag slung over her shoulder.

Luke was sitting on the steps, arms crossed, face unreadable.

She looked at him.

He lifted his hand in a wave.

She waved back, small, soft, and held his gaze for a beat longer than necessary.

Then she opened the car door, climbed into the passenger seat, and didn't look back as they pulled away.

But Luke did.

He watched the car disappear down the gravel driveway.

He didn't chase. Didn't wonder. Didn't hope.

But he didn't forget either.

[lee-laurent]

gonna try to get a new luke fic out in the next couple days

[lee-laurent]

perhaps a new fic today !!

[lee-laurent]

new fic!! i don't think i'll be like on a regular schedule for posting any time soon, but i'm back to writing :)

[lee-laurent]

Juno - Nico Hischier

Summary: nico and aj hughes have a little bump in the road

content: pregnancy, angst, a tiny bit of fluffy

wc: 5.1k

notes: wellllll, first fic back! i don't think it's my best work, and i apologize for that, but i have to ease myself back in somehow. missed this... hope you guys like it :)

Was it possible for an inanimate object to mock you? Because that stupid, white stick definitely felt like it was mocking her.

AJ didn't move. She sat on the closed toilet lid, hoodie sleeves tugged over her hands, foot bouncing like it might help tap the panic out of her bloodstream. Her stomach had been unsettled for days--she'd chalked it up to stress, bad takeout, the air of New Jersey finally hitting her Michigan immune system.

But somewhere deep down, she'd known.

She'd known the second she stood in the drugstore, hand shaking as she reached for the most reliable looking test. The second the little screen blinked to life, then filled in the lines with cruel clarity.

Two months.

She did the math without meaning to. That first night at Nico's after the Devils' win. White wine, soft kisses, and the sound of his laugh in the quiet of her apartment. She'd thought she'd taken the pill that day. She always did--or, usually. But "usually" wasn't enough, apparently.

She pulled out her phone and stared at it. Her thumb hovered over his name in her messages for a few seconds before she actually typed anything.

AJ: can you come over? Nico: be there in 10

She blinked fast, trying to fight back the tears. It wasn't that she regretted it--not Nico. Not this. Not entirely.

But her life had just split into two timelines. Before. And now.

The knock at the door came much faster than she had expected. AJ opened it, and there he was--messy hair, hoodie pulled over his head, expression shifting to worry the second he saw her face.

He stepped in, closing the door behind him. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She didn't say anything. Just turned and walked to the bathrom, grabbed the test off the counter, walked back, and held it out like she was handing over something radioactive.

Nico took it without a word. Looked down. Looked up.

"You're--" he started, then stopped. "You're pregnant?"

She nodded once. Her throat felt too tight to speak.

He set the test down slowly, gently, like it could shatter into a million pieces. The he crossed the space between them and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest like it was the only thing that mattered.

AJ let herself sink into him. Her hands twisted in the fabric of his hoodie. Her face pressed against his shoulder.

"I don't know what I'm doing," she said into the silence. "I'm twenty-one, I just got here, I feel like I've barely figured out how to be an adult, and now--"

"You're not doing this alone," he said, quiet but firm. "You hear me? Whatever you want--whatever you need-- I'm here."

His hand slid up her back and into her hair, grounding her.

She swallowed hard. "I haven't told anyone. You're the first."

He pulled back just enough to look at her. "I'm glad you told me. I mean it."

AJ searched his face. "You're not... mad?"

Nico's expression softened--that Nico kind of soft, the rare kind, the one she only ever saw when they were alone. "No, AJ. I'm not mad. Scared, maybe. But not mad. I love you. That's not changing."

It hit her again--just how deeply she felt for him. And how complicated that love had become.

She gave a short laugh, a little watery. "Guess this means we have to tell people."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "You mean tell your brothers that I've been sneaking around with their sister and now she's pregnant with my baby?"

She smacked his chest lightly. "Don't say it like that."

"I'm just saying, might wanna let me wear my helmet for that conversation."

AJ rolled her eyes, but the tension in her chest eased a little. It always did around him. That's what scared her most, maybe--how quickly she'd fallen, how easily he made the rest of the world feel quiet.

She pulled herself closer again and closed her eyes.

"We'll figure it out," Nico said, his lips brushing her hairline.

"I know," she whispered. "I just... I didn't expect my life to look like this."

"Neither did I," he said. "But if it's with you, I'm good."

~~

AJ was once again staring at the contacts on her phone.

She'd already texted her mom. That had gone okay--better than she expected, actually. Ellen had taken a pause, sent back "we'll figure it out" in a way that AJ knew was in that steady, calm mom-tone that she didn't appreciate nearly enough growing up. They called for almost an hour after. AJ cried. Her mom didn't.

But this... this was different.

Telling Quinn meant telling a brother. And while he wasn't in the same post code as Jack and Luke, he was still protective. Still a Hughes boy. Still going to have feelings.

She hit the FaceTime button before she could talk herself out of it.

It rang twice.

"Hey," Quinn said, propped up against a headboard in a hotel room. His curls were messy, and he looked like he'd just gotten back from a morning skate. "What's up? You good?"

"Yeah," AJ said automatically, which was a lie. She tucked her legs underneath her on the sofa. "Kinda. Sorta. No."

Quinn sat up straighter. "What happened? Did something happen?"

She took a breath. "I need to tell you something, and you have to promise not to freak out."

"You know saying that just makes me want to freak out harder, right?"

"Quinn."

"Okay, okay." He held up his hands. "I'm chill... I'm chill."

AJ exhaled and rubbed her fingers along the seam of her hoodie sleeve.

"I'm pregnant."

Silence.

Quinn blinked. "Like... you're pregnant."

"No, Quinn, my imaginary friend is. Yes. Me."

He leaned back against the headboard, eyes wide, running a hand down his face. "Holy shit."

"I know."

"I mean--like, wow." He wasn't yelling. He wasn't even mad. Just surprised. "You're sure?"

"Two tests. Same answer."

"Okay," he said, nodding slowly, like he was still catching up. "Okay."

"I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Obviously."

"I'm not... I'm not freaking out exactly, but it's a lot. I didn't know who to tell after Mom, and you felt like the least terrifying option."

"I'm honoured," Quinn deadpanned, then softened. "No, seriously. Thanks for telling me."

She looked down at her lap. "I'm keeping it."

"Alright."

"That's all you're gonna say?"

He tilted his head at her. "Do you want me to scream or something?"

"I don't know. Maybe?"

He gave her a small smile. "AJ, if you want to do this, I've got your back. Full stop."

The tightness in her chest eased.

"But I gotta ask," Quinn continued. "Does the guy know?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I told him right away. He's... he's in it. He wants to be there."

"Good." A beat. "Are you gonna tell me who it is?"

AJ hesitated. The silence dragged.

"Oh my god, is it someone I know?"

Her face gave her away before she could even lie.

"Wait. Is it someone Jack and Luke know?"

Her silence deepened.

Quinn's eyes narrowed. "Jesus Christ. It is, isn't it?"

She tugged the sleeve over her hand again. "Don't say anything. Please. Not yet."

Quinn groaned and threw his head back. "AJ."

"I'm serious. I need a minute before the chaos starts. I'm barely holding it together as it is."

He looked back at the screen, more serious now. "Fine. I won't say anything."

"Thank you."

"But you have to tell them eventually. Jack's gonna lose his shit."

"I know."

"And Luke..." He trailed off.

"I know," she repeated, quieter this time. "It's gonna hurt him."

"You're like his other half," Quinn said simply. "He's gonna feel it."

AJ nodded. Her eyes stung a little, but she blinked it back.

"I didn't mean to keep this from them," she said. "It just... happened fast. And then I was in it. With him. And it felt too good to wreck by dragging my brothers into it."

"Yeah, well," Quinn sighed, "you kind of wrecked it anyway."

She smiled despite herself. "Thanks for the pep talk."

"Anytime."

~~

The first time she saw Nico Hischier in person outside of hockey, AJ was standing outside her new apartment holding a box of wine glasses and pretending she didn't want to throw up from nerves.

Not because of him--not just because of him--but because this was it. New city. New life. No roommates. No college safety net. Just her, a freshly printed finance degree, and six-month internship at a firm in downtown Newark.

"You're sure you don't want help unpacking?" Jack had asked when he dropped her off, eyes darting toward the building like he didn't trust it. "I could come up for a bit."

She'd rolled her eyes. "I'm not twelve, Jack."

"Okay, but if your place sucks ass, you can come crash with me and Moose."

"Appreciate the vote of confidence."

He'd ruffled her hair and left after swearing he and Luke would drag her to dinner sometime soon.

That was two hours ago. She'd only gotten one box up the stairs before someone knocked.

She opened the door expecting a neighbour or maybe a building manager.

Instead: Nico.

AJ blinked. "Oh."

He smiled, easy and lopsided. "Hey."

Her stomach did that fluttery thing it always does in those kind of situations.

"Jack said you were moving in today. Figured I'd say hi. Offer some help."

"Oh, so you're the welcoming committee?" she teased, stepping aside to let him in.

"I take my job as captain very seriously."

He walked in like he'd been there before--which made sense, she guessed, since the team had a couple players in the complex. Still, something about Nico made the space feel smaller. Or warmer. Or both.

AJ wasn't sure what she'd expected from him in person after weeks of casual DMs--little things like "you'll love this coffee place" or "this street sucks at 5pm"-- but the real thing was... different.

He was taller than she remembered. And quieter. And still standing there.

They unpacked a few boxes together. He found her coffee mugs and made a whole show of inspecting them like they were the most important part of the kitchen.

"You drink too much caffeine," he said with mock judgment.

"You sound like Luke."

"Well, maybe he's right for once."

That made her laugh--a real one. And he looked a little too pleased about it.

At one point, they reached for the same picture frame and their fingers touched.

Just for a second.

But the air shifted.

It felt like some sort of shitty rom-com moment.

AJ looked up at him. Nico looked at her. Neither moved.

She cleared her throat first. "So... I guess I owe you a coffee now?"

He smiled again, slower this time. "Guess so."

~~

They tried, for maybe two weeks, to keep it casual. Friendly.

They got coffee. They "ran into" each other more often than made sense. He helped her build a desk. She brough him cookies from a bakery she found. One night she came over to watch a movie and ended up asleep on his couch-- when she woke up, he'd covered her with a blanket and left a glass of water next to her.

By the time he kissed her--a soft, stupidly gentle kiss outside her building after walking her home--neither of them pretended it was still casual.

They didn't label it right away.

But AJ knew what it was. What it felt like.

Warm. Solid. A little terrifying.

She hadn't told anyone. Not because she was ashamed--but because it felt like the one thing in her life that was completely hers. No brothers. No media. No pressure.

Just her. And Nico.

And for a while, that was enough.

Until it wasn't.

~~

Jack had Quinn on speaker while making eggs--half-listening, half-focused on not burning his food.

"Tell me again why you voluntarily live in Canada in the dead of winter," Jack said, flipping on of the eggs with a little too much force. "It's like Antarctica."

"It builds character," Quinn replied dryly.

Jack snorted. "You need less character."

"Oh, I'll remember that next time you call crying about your power play minutes."

"Shut up," Jack grinned. "Anyway, how's the team?"

They talked hockey for a few minutes. Coaches, line changes, whatever. Just brothers being brothers. Jack tossed some toast in the toaster and leaned against the counter, phone still propped beside the stove.

Then Quinn said it. Casually. Mid-sentence. Like it wasn't a bomb.

"...and last time I talked to AJ she seemed good. She said the morning sickness was starting to ease up, so that's a win, I think."

Jack froze. "Wait. What?"

Quinn didn't even pause. "What?"

"What did you just say?"

There was a silence. Then a quiet, cautious: "... nothing?"

"Quinn."

"Shit."

Jack straightened up, heartbeat in his ears now. "Morning sickness? Are you kidding?"

Quinn swore under his breath. "Dude. I thought--"

"You thought what?"

"I thought you knew!"

Jack's hands clenched around the edge of the counter. "Knew what, Quinn?!"

There was a beat. Quinn's voice was lower now. "She's pregnant, Jack."

Jack stared at the stove like it had betrayed him. "She's what?"

"I thought she told you--"

"Well, she didn't!" Jack snapped, the volume of his voice bouncing off the walls of the kitchen. "Jesus Christ."

"Jack--"

"Who is it?" Jack's voice dropped to a growl. "Who got her pregnant?"

"I don't know if that's--"

"Quinn."

Another pause. Then Quinn said, carefully, "That's her story to tell. Not mine."

Jack's jaw tightened. "Unbelievable."

"Just take a second before you--"

"I've gotta go," he muttered, and hung up without waiting for Quinn to stop him.

~~

Jack slammed his bedroom door harder than necessary.

Luke looked up from the couch, startled, a protein bar half-open in his hand. "You good?"

Jack didn't answer, just pacing the room.

"Jack?"

"She's pregnant," he snapped.

Luke blinked. "Who is?"

Jack stopped. Turned. "AJ."

Luke's face went blank. "What?"

"She's pregnant, Luke."

Luke just stared at him, like the words hadn't landed yet.

Jack kept going, too fired up to stop now. "Quinn let it slip on the phone before you got home. Just-- casually. Like we were all in on it. Like we all knew."

Luke stood slowly. "Wait. She told Quinn?"

Jack's hands went to his head, gripping his hair like it might help him think. "Quinn. And probably Mom. And who the hell knows who else."

Luke's voice was quieter. "But not us."

Jack looked at him. "Not us."

A long beat passed between them. Jack's anger was hot, restless. Luke's was colder--the kind that sits heavy in your chest.

"She's my twin," Luke said, barely above a whisper. "She's supposed to tell me everything."

"I know."

"No, like-- everything. We've never not told each other something. Not like this."

Jack didn't say anything. There was nothing to say.

Luke sat down, slowly, like the news physically drained him. "She couldn't even text? Call?"

Jack leaned against the wall, breathing hard. "I'm going over there."

Luke looked up, surprised. "Now?"

"I need to know who the hell got her pregnant."

Luke didn't stop him. He just nodded, quiet and distant, eyes fixed on some invisible point on the floor.

"Let me know how it goes," he said, and unwrapped the rest of the protein bar with a kind of numbness that hurt more than any yelling ever could.

~~

Jack didn't knock.

He didn't even hesitate. Just buzzed into AJ's building, took the stairs two at a time, and slammed his fist against her apartment door like it had done something to someone he loved.

It wasn't AJ who opened it.

It was Nico.

Standing there barefoot, in a t-shirt and joggers, hair still damp from a shower.

Jack froze for maybe half a second.

Nico's eyes widened--just slightly--and then he stepped back like he knew exactly why Jack was there.

"Jack--"

"How long."

Nico sighed. "Come inside."

"No. How long."

Nico looked him in the eye. Calm. Controlled. Not trying to fight--but not backing down either.

"Three and a half months."

Jack let out a laugh that had no humour in it. "Are you serious?"

"I didn't plan for this to happen."

"Oh, that makes it fine then."

"Jack--"

"You got my sister pregnant."

AJ's voice came from the hallway before Nico could answer. "Jack--stop."

She was in an oversized Devils hoodie, eyes wide.

"You're dating him?" Jack pointed like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "You didn't think to mention that before this happened?"

"It wasn't just some hookup," she snapped, stepping between them. "You think I'd do that?"

"I don't know what to think, AJ," Jack fired back. "You're my little sister--"

"I'm twenty-one, not sixteen."

"Yeah? Still feels like you went behind my back."

"I did," she said without so much as flinching. "We both did. Because we knew you'd react like this."

Jack turned to Nico, furious now, there was practically steam coming out of his ears. "You're the captain. You couldn't have come to me? Said something?"

"And say what?" Nico said, his voice tight. "Hey, Jack, I'm in love with your sister, don't punch me? Come on."

Jack's breath caught. "Youre what?"

AJ went still.

Nico looked at her, then back at Jack. "Yeah. I'm in love with her. I didn't mean for it to happen, but I'm also not gonna apologize for it."

Jack didn't say anything. His jaw was tight, his fists tighter.

AJ stepped forward. "I get that you're mad. I do. But this isn't about you, Jack. This is my life."

"You lied."

"I protected something that mattered to me. Something I wanted to figure out on my own before the three of you tried to take it apart."

For a moment, nobody moved.

Then Jack shook his head, slow and hard. "You should've told me."

"I know," she said quietly.

Jack glanced at Nico one last time--something unreadable in his eyes--then turned and left without another word.

~~

AJ stared at the ceiling from her spot on the couch, curled under a blanket she wasn't really using. The apartment was dark except for the kitchen light. Nico had left to give her space--not because she asked him to, but because he knew she needed it.

She'd said she was fine. Lied straight to his face with a soft smile and a kiss on the cheek.

She wasn't fine.

Jack had barely been gone two hours, but it felt like her whole world had tilted sideways. The yelling still echoed in her ears. The hurt in his voice. The look on Nico's face when he told her brother he was in love with her.

She hadn't heard from Luke.

That was what ate at her most.

He always texted her. Always checked in. Even if they were under the same roof growing up, even if it was dumb meme or an "omg look what I saw". And now? Radio silence.

When she finally worked up the nerve to call him, it rang.

And rang.

She was just about to hang up when it clicked.

"Hey."

His voice was weird. Not cold. Just... tired.

AJ closed her eyes. "Hey."

A pause.

"Jack came home quiet," Luke said after a moment. "Didn't say anything at first. Then he sat down and told me everything."

AJ swallowed. "Yeah."

Another pause. Longer this time.

"You told everyone but me."

It wasn't accusatory. Just honest. And it cracked something in her chest.

"I didn't mean to," she said quietly. "I just... I didn't know how to tell you."

"I'm your twin."

"I know."

"You've never not told me something before."

"I know, Luke."

Her voice caught. She hated how small it sounded. "I wasn't trying to shut you out. I'm scared. And everything is happening so fast, and it felt like if I said it out loud to you, it'd make it feel more... real."

"It is real," he said. "You're pregnant, AJ."

"Yeah, I know that."

Luke was quiet again. She could picture him--sitting on his bed, phone pressed to his ear, hair messy, that look on his face like he was trying to solve a puzzle with pieces missing.

"I'm not mad," he finally said. "As stupidly cliché as it sounds, I'm... disappointed."

That word hit harder than all of Jack's yelling.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't want to hurt you."

"I know."

"I should've told you."

"You should've."

Silence again. But not as tense this time. Just heavy.

Then Luke said, "Is he good to you?"

"Yeah... he really is."

"Then okay," Luke said. "That's all I need."

Tears slipped down her cheeks before she could stop them.

"I love you, you know," she sighed.

"I know," he said, voice a little thicker now. "I love you too, A."

~~

Practice was brutal.

Not because the drils were any harder than usual, or because they'd run extra conditioning, but because the tension on the ice was thick enough to skate through.

Passes from Jack came half a second too late. Luke missed a read he never missed. Nico's jaw was locked the entire time.

They weren't talking. Not really.

Not unless they had to.

Coaches noticed. A couple of teammates noticed. But no one said anything out loud.

Until the end.

Everyone was stretching, cooling down. Nico stood near the centre ice, stick resting against his shoulder, eyes locked on the Hughes brothers like he was deciding how far he could push before snapping.

Jack skated by, muttering something under his breath--something sharp, just loud enough for Nico to catch.

That was it.

Nico dropped his stick to the ice with a clean clack and turned.

"Enough."

Everyone froze. A few heads turned. But Nico didn't care.

He skated over to Jack, calm but ice-cold.

"I don't care what's going on between us off the ice. But here? This is my team. And if you've got a problem with me, you deal with it when we're not wearing the same logo.

Jack's jaw clenched, but he didn't answer.

Nico didn't let it go. He looked at Luke, too. "Same goes for you."

Luke met his eyes, didn't say anything--just gave a single nod.

Nico's voice dropped lower. "You think I don't get it? I do. But we've got a job to do. And I won't let this mess fuck it up for the rest of the guys in this room."

Jack finally spoke. "Hard to play with someone you don't trust."

"Then get over it," Nico said, deadly calm. "Because I'm not going anywhere. And neither is she."

Silence.

Then Nico turned and skated off the ice like the conversation was over.

Because it was.

~~

Nico knew it was coming.

The second he saw the text from Jack--"you home?"--he knew this wasn't going to be about hockey. Or anything that could pass as casual.

Still, he said yes.

So now he stood in his apartment, arms crossed, watching Jack and Luke walk in like they were there on official business. Not as teammates. Not even as friends.

Luke looked tense. Jack looked like he hadn't slept.

"Water? Coffee?" Nico offered out of habit.

Jack ignored it. Luke shook his head.

Cool.

Nico leaned back against the kitchen counter. "So... what do you want to say?"

Jack didn't waste time. "We want to know what your endgame is."

"My what?"

Luke shot Jack a look. "Dude."

"No," Jack said, eyes still locked on Nico. "Seriously. What is this, Nico? You're the captain. She's my sister. His twin. You really think this wasn't gonna blow up?"

"It wasn't about what I thought would happen. It was about how I felt about her."

Jack scoffed. "So what? You fall for her in secret and decide to roll with it?"

"She's not just your sister, Jack," Nico said evenly. "She's her own person. And she's not some mistake I made on a Friday night. I love her."

Luke flinched a little at the word. Nico noticed.

"Sure I didn't plan it, but I'm not walking away from it."

Jack shook his head. "You should've come to us."

"And said what?" Nico asked.

"You lied to us."

"No. I kept it private. There's a difference."

"Feels the same."

Luke finally spoke up, voice low. "You knew how close we are. You knew what she means to us. You could've told us. Trusted us."

Nico looked at him. "She asked me not to."

That landed.

Luke leaned back against the arm of the couch, expression unreadable now. "That sounds like her."

Jack didn't look as forgiving. "You don't get to stand there and pretend like this didn't break something."

Nico didn't flinch. "I'm not pretending anything. I know what this did. I know how it looks. And I still chose it. I chose her."

None of them moved.

Then Jack mumbled, "This doesn't change anything for me."

"I figured," Nico shrugged. "But it will eventually."

Luke stood up. Jack didn't.

"We're going to dinner with our parents this weekend," Luke said flatly. "They want you there."

Nico blinked. "They know?"

Luke nodded. "Didn't AJ tell you? They know everything."

Jack grabbed his jacket, "Doesn't mean we're cool."

Nico didn't stop him. "I wouldn't expect you to be."

And just like that, they left.

No shouting. No fists. Just the sound of a door shutting a little too hard.

~~

The restaurant was nicer than AJ had expected. Low lighting, white tablecloths, the kind of place where the menu didn't list prices and the waiter knew everyone's wine preferences before they even ordered.

She'd picked a black sweater that was just loose enough to hide the ever so slight bump but still nice enough to pretend she wasn't spiraling internally.

Nico looked good. Clean, simple. Button-down shirt, nervous smile. He kept checking in with her with little glances and thigh-squeezes under the table. She squeezed back every time.

Jack hadn't looked at either of them once.

Luke had, but barely.

Ellen and Jim, on the other hand, were warm as ever--acting like this was just another family dinner. AJ didn't know if that made things better or worse.

"So," Ellen said, smiling as she set her napkin on her lap. "How are you feeling, AJ?"

"Good. Tired. Hungry, like, all the time."

"Growing a human'll do that," Jim added, reaching for his water.

"And your internship?" Ellen asked. "Still liking it?"

"I love it. They've been super understanding. Said I could move into a full-time position after the baby comes if I want to."

"That's incredible, sweetheart."

AJ smiled softly. Nico planted his hand gently on her thigh again under the table. It grounded her. Always did.

Then Jack spoke.

"Wild how everything's just working out, huh?"

AJ stiffened.

Ellen turned her head, calm. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Jack muttered, stabbing a piece of asparagus to get out his frustration.

Nico stayed quiet. But the shift in his posture was subtle. Straighter. Steadier.

"So, Nico," Jim said. "You excited to be dad?"

Luke's fork paused halfway to his mouth. Jack set his down completely.

Nico didn't flinch. "Yeah. I am. I never saw this coming, but... I am."

"You sure about that?" Jack asked, too casually.

"Jack," AJ warned.

"No, I'm serious," he continued. "Because being a dad isn't just about showing up to ultrasounds and holding her hand when she's scared. It's real. It's hard. And it's not going away."

"I know," Nico said calmly.

"You think you know."

"Jack," Ellen said sharply.

He didn't stop. "He kept it from us. They both did. And now we're supposed to be cool with it?"

"We're not asking you to be cool," AJ said quietly. "We're asking you not to treat us like we're something that you have to fix."

That shut him up for a second.

Then Ellen stepped in. "Jack. Luke. I understand this was a shock. I understand you're upset. But I also see how much Nico cares about your sister. I see how calm she is around him. How safe."

Jim added, "You don't have to approve. But you do have to support her."

"She's not a child anymore," Ellen said. "You don't get to decide who she loves. You get to show up for her. That's your job now."

The silence at the table was thick. But different this time.

Jack didn't say anything else.

Luke looked at AJ and gave her a small, apologetic smile.

And Nico--Nico finally exhaled. Just a little.

~~

The lights were off in the exam room, just the glow of the monitor and the hum of machines filled the space.

AJ lay back on the table, shirt bunched up around her ribs, fingers curled around Nico's hand. His thumb traced slow circles over hers.

"You ready to see your baby again?" the tech asked, cheerful in that calm, practiced way.

AJ nodded, still stunned that they were there again.

The image flickered to life.

There it was. A blurry, perfect mess of movement. Tiny limbs. A strong heartbeat pulsing in the room.

AJ didn't cry. She thought she might, but she didn't. She just stared, wide-eyed, overwhelmed in the best way.

Nico was the one who squeezed her hand tighter. "Hi, little one," he whispered, like it was just for them.

Outside in the waiting room, Luke sat hunched in a chair, scrolling aimlessly through his phone. Jack was next to him, arms crossed, eyes on the floor.

Neither of them spoke.

When the door opened, AJ stepped out first. Her cheeks were pink, and she looked lighter somehow. Not nervous. Not afraid.

Nico followed behind her, one hand on her back, the other holding a small printed photo--the ultrasound.

AJ held it up. "Wanna see?"

Luke stood up first. He crossed the room and took the photo carefully, like it might crumble if he breathed too hard.

He stared at it. Long enough that AJ started to wonder if she'd misread everything.

Then he smiled--just a little--and handed it back.

"They've got your nose," he said quietly.

AJ laughed, "Our nose."

Luke nodded, eyes flicking to Nico for a second. He didn't say anything. Didn't need to.

Jack stood slower.

He didn't ask to see the photo. Didn't speak right away either.

But before they left, he reached out and clapped a hand on Nico's shoulder--quick, a little stiff. But real.

"We good?" Nico asked softly.

Jack's jaw ticked.

Then he nodded. "We're getting there."

[lee-laurent]

Hi!! I was wondering if you were still going to write Juno about Nico?

that’s the plan!! i’m really hoping to write some more this weekend :)

[lee-laurent]

i might try to write after my classes today… i really miss it

[lee-laurent]

heyyy… so i haven’t opened this app in like over a week, which is very unlike me. but this semester has been much more serious than my last couple. i’ve been locked in and this past week was march break so the only thing i wanted to do was spend time with my family. i love writing, and i definitely see myself coming back to it eventually. i just need to get through the rest of this semester and finals while also paying attention to the ppl i love. i hope you all understand

[lee-laurent]

sooo life’s gotten a little crazy. i love writing but i just can’t find the time atm. im trying to focus on school and my relationship, writing comes after. i will try to get something out soon, i hope you all understand xx

[lee-laurent]

i’m writing, i promise!! school is just busyyyy rn

[lee-laurent]

Home Away From Home -- Luke Hughes

Summary: Annika isn't gonna fall for the stupid hockey guy her parents are housing... right?

content: angst, implied smut but no explicit smut, some makeout scenes, fluff!!

wc: 8.9k

notes: i love this trope so here we are!! enjoy!!

Annika hadn't signed up for this.

She sat at the kitchen island, her arms crossed, watching her mom fuss over a plate of freshly baked cookies. George Thompson, her dad, was setting up the dining table with an enthusiasm that made her roll her eyes. The boys--twelve-year-old Alex and nine-year-old Flynn--were practically shaking with excitement.

"Do we really need cookies?" Annika asked, a touch of exasperation in her tone. "We're not adopting a puppy. He's just a guy. A hockey player, at that."

Andrea turned, a stern look on her face. "Annika, be polite. Luke is our guest. He's going to be a part of this family while he's here."

"Right," Annika muttered, "because this house isn't already crowded enough."

"Hey!" Alex piped up, shooting her a look of betrayal. "Luke Hughes is not just a guy. He's going to play for the Devils! He's super awesome!"

"Yeah!" Flynn added. "And he's way cooler than your boring boyfriend."

Annika groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "For the last time, Bryce and I broke up like three months ago."

"Probably cause he wasn't cool like a real NHL player!" Alex nodded.

Andrea shot the boys a warning glance but said nothing as she placed the plate of cookies at the centre of the table. "All I'm saying, Nick, is that this is a big adjustment for him too. He's young, he's new to Jersey, and he needs a supportive home environment. So please, try to make him feel welcome."

Nick refrained from commenting, though her skepticism must have been obvious, because her dad chuckled. "Come on, Nick. You might like the kid. Who knows?"

She doubted it. Sure, Luke Hughes was talented--she'd heard her brothers talk about him nonstop since her parents agreed to host him--but "some guy who skates for a living" didn't exactly sound like the type of perso she wanted to hang out with.

Still, when the doorbell rang, she couldn't help but feel a little curious.

~~

Luke hadn't expected to feel nervous.

But as he stood on the porch of the Thompsons' suburban house, duffle bag swung over one shoulder, his nerves hit him like a train. He rang the doorbell twice, the chime ringing out into the evening air.

The door swung open, and two kids stared up at him like he was a rockstar.

"Whoa," the older one--Alec or Alex, Luke couldn't remember--breathed. "You're really Luke Hughes."

Flynn just blinked, his jaw practically on the floor. "You're so tall," he finally said, wide-eyed.

Luke laughed awkwardly, glancing past the kids as an older man appeared in the doorway.

"You must be Luke," George said warmly, extending a hand. "Come on in, son. Welcome to our home."

"Thanks for having me," Luke said, stepping inside. The house smelled like cookies and furniture polish--cozy and warm, a sharp contrast to the hockey house he'd lived in the last two years.

The rest of the family came into view, and Luke felt the weight of their attention. A kind-looking woman who must've been Mrs. Thompson smiled warmly, and then his gaze landed on the girl standing behind her.

She was... unexpected.

Annika's arms were crossed, her expression unreadable. She didn't seem particularly thrilled to see him, though Luke couldn't tell if that was because of him or if she was just naturally unimpressed by life.

"This is Annika, our oldest," Andrea said, gesturing to her daughter.

Luke offered a hand. "Hi."

"Hey," Annika replied shortly, barely glancing at him before turning to her mom. "Can we eat now, or...?"

Luke's hand fell awkwardly to his side. Okay, then.

~~

Luke followed the Thompsons into the dining room, where the table was already set with a plate of cookies and some milk. He wasn't sure if it was meant to be welcoming or if they thought he was still ten years old, but the gesture was nice.

"Sit, sit!" Andrea said, waving him toward the table like he was royalty.

He slid into a chair, his bag at his feet. Across the table, the two boys continued to gape at him like he had two heads.

"Can I touch it?" Flynn blurted out, and Luke's eyebrows shot up.

"Your hockey stick," Alex clarified, giving his brother an exasperated shove.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Luke said, chuckling nervously. "I left it by the door. I can show you later."

"Awesome!" Flynn squealed.

Nick, leaning against the doorway with her arms still crossed, looked like she might die of secondhand embarrassment. Her blue eyes were narrowed in thinly veiled irritation.

"Boys, give him a minute to settle in," Andrea scolded softly. "Luke, you can call me Andrea, and that's my husband George." She gestured at her husband, who was helping himself to a cookie. "You've met the boys, Alex and Flynn."

"Yep," Luke said with a smile. "They're... enthusiastic."

"And Nick already introduced herself."

"Nick?" Luke tilted his head, confused.

Annika sighed as though she'd had to explain this a million times. "It's short for Annika. You know, like a nickname?"

"Oh. Got it."

Luke was quickly starting to realize that Annika wasn't the "warm and fuzzy" type.

"Nick's a student at Rutgers," George chimed in, as though sensing he needed to fill the silence. "She's studying communications. Smart kid, but she's a bit of a grump."

"Dad," Nick said sharply, though her cheeks flushed slightly pink.

"Don't mind her," George added with a conspiratorial grin. "She's just mad she doesn't have her bathroom all to herself anymore."

Nick shot Luke a look, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Sharing a bathroom? Great. This was going to be... interesting.

~~

By the time Luke hauled his duffle bag up the stairs, he was ready to crash. The Thompsons were nice--mostly--but the whirlwind of introductions had left him drained.

"This is you," George opened a door at the end of the hall. The room was small but tidy, with a twin bed, a desk, and a window overlooking the backyard.

"Thanks," Luke said, dropping his bag onto the bed.

"Bathroom's just down there to the left," George added. "Sorry in advance if Nick complains about you using it. She's not used to sharing."

Luke nodded, unsure how to respond. George clapped him on the back and left, leaving him alone to unpack.

"Just so we're clear," Nick showed up in the doorway. "I don't care if you're some big hotshot hockey player. It's still my house, and if you leave your gross hockey gear lying around, I will throw it out."

Luke blinked, caught off guard. "Uh... noted?"

"Good," she said, her tone sharp enough to cut steel. She started to leave, then paused, glancing over her shoulder. "And don't take forever in the bathroom. Some of us actually have places to be besides the hockey rink."

Before he could respond, she was gone, leaving Luke standing there with a pair of socks in his hands and the faintest trace of a smirk on his face.

She was definitely going to be a challenge.

~~

Nick woke up the next morning to the sound of running water and muffled thud from next door. Groaning, she rolled over and squinted at the clock on her nightstand. It was barely 6:30 a.m.

"Seriously?" she muttered, pushing the covers off.

Her first day sharing a bathroom with Luke was off to a fantastic start. Wrapping herself in her fluffy robe, she shuffled out of her room, only to nearly collide with Flynn, who was standing in the hallway, clutching his toothbrush.

"Is he still in there?" Nick asked, jerking her thumb toward the bathroom door.

"Yeah," Flynn said, his voice tinged with awe. "I think he's doing hockey stuff. Like stretches or whatever."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "In the bathroom?"

Flynn shrugged, and Nick let out an exasperated sigh. She banged on the door. "Hey, Hughes! Some of us need to use the bathroom too, you know!"

There was a brief pause before the door cracked open, revealing a very shirtless Luke. His hair was wet, beads of water clinging to his skin, and he held a towel loosely around his waist.

Nick froze.

"Uh... sorry?" Luke said, looking sheepish. "I didn't think anyone else would be up yet."

"Yeah, well," Nick snapped, forcing herself to look anywhere but at his chest, "you're not living in a bachelor pad, so maybe keep it moving."

"Right. Got it." He stepped aside, gesturing toward the sink to let her pass.

Nick brushed past him, her cheeks burning, and shut the door firmly behind her.

~~

When Nick made it to the kitchen, she was still fuming. Flynn and Alex were already seated at the table, shoveling cereal into their mouths like Luke sat across from them, wearing a hoodie and looking way too innocent.

"Morning," Andrea chirped, sliding a plate of scrambled eggs in front of Nick. "Sleep okay?"

"Would've been better if someone didn't turn the bathroom into his personal sauna," Nick muttered, shooting a pointed look at Luke.

To her annoyance, he just smirked. "I'll set an alarm for 6:29 next time. How's that?"

Alex snorted milk out of his nose, and Flynn started laughing so hard he nearly fell out of his chair.

"Luke's funny," Flynn declared, as though it was groundbreaking news.

"Luke's annoying," Nick corrected, stabbing her eggs with a little more force than necessary.

Andrea sighed. "Annika, be nice. Luke, honey, make sure Annika has time in the bathroom too."

"Yes ma'am," Luke grinned.

Nick glared at him, but his smile only grew.

~~

Nick had classes at Rutgers until late afternoon, which was usually her excuse to escape the chaos of her house. Today, though, chaos seemed determined to follow her.

She was sitting at her favourite coffee shop near campus, trying to focus on a group project, when her phone buzzed with a text from Alex.

Alex (12:34 PM): Guess what??? Luke said he'd come to my game on Saturday!!!

Nick rolled her eyes but responded anyway.

Nick (12:35 PM): wow! cool, bud. tell him to pack an extra helmet in case you miss a slapshot

Her phone buzzed again almost immediately.

Alex (12:36PM): u r not funny

Nick smirked, but her amusement was short-lived. A voice behind her said, "You look like you're plotting someone's downfall."

She turned to see Luke standing there, hands shoved in the pocket of his hoodie, looking slightly out of place in the sea of students.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, frowning.

"Your mom said you had the extra car... and I need a lift to the rink."

Nick blinked. "So you walked here? Just Google how to walk to the rink."

Luke shrugged. "Figured you'd just let me borrow the car."

She sighed, grabbing her laptop and shoving it into her bag. "Fine. Come on."

~~

That evening, after dinner, the boys dragged Luke into the living room for a mini hockey practice. Flynn wore a devishly determined look as he tried (and failed) to get the puck past Luke, while Alex gave commentary.

Nick watched from the sofa, trying not to smile. It was hard to keep her guard up when Luke was crouched on the floor, pretending to dramatically miss a save just to make Flynn cheer.

"He's good to them," Andrea whispered, sitting down beside her.

Nick blinked, startled. "Huh?"

"Luke," Andrea said, nodding towards the game of floor-hockey. Luke had ruffled Flynn's hair, earning a high-pitched giggle, and Alex was laughing so hard he had to clutch his side.

"Yeah, I guess," Nick admitted reluctantly. She wasn't ready to admit that Luke might've been slightly, a tiny bit okay-ish.

~~

She wasn't sure when she started noticing the little things about Luke.

Maybe it was the way he always made time to answer Alex and Flynn's endless questions about hockey. Or how he seemed genuinely interested in her every meal her mom made.

Or maybe it was that he wasn't as cocky and annoying as she'd originally thought.

Not that she'd admit it.

Saturday morning found Nick sitting in the bleachers at Alex's hockey game, sipping a lukewarm coffee and trying to focus on anything other than Luke, who was perched on the edge of the bench next to Flynn.

"Think he'll embarass himself?" Luke asked, lowly enough that only Annika could hear.

"Alex?" Nick smirked. "Absolutely. He lives for the drama."

Luke laughed, and Nick hated how much the sound didn't make her cringe. He was wearing a Devils cap pulled backwards over his messy curls, a plain hoodie, and an easy smile. It was almost... attractive.

The game started, and Alex threw himself into it with the subtlety of a wrecking ball. He wasn't the most skilled player on the ice, but his enthusiasm was unmatched.

"Go, Alex!" Flynn shouted, nearly toppling over the edge of the bench.

Nick found herself glancing at Luke occasionally, surprised by how invested he looked. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, watching Alex like it was Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

When Alex scored--a chaotic, scrappy goal that Nick was pretty sure only counted because the ref was feeling generous--Luke jumped up to his feet, clapping and cheering louder than anyone else.

"You act like it's the Olympics," Nick teased as he sat back down.

"What? That was awesome!" he said, still smiling like an idiot. "Kid's got guts."

Nick shook her head, but a smile tugged at her lips. She hadn't seen Alex light up like that in a long time.

The parking lot was full of parents chatting as they loaded their kids and gear into cars. Alex was still on cloud nine, his sweaty hair sticking to his forehead as he recounted his goal for the tenth time.

"And then I deked left, and the goalie totally fell for it!" Alex said, demonstrating with exaggerated movements.

"More like you tripped into the puck," Nick teased, ruffling his hair.

Alex scowled. "You weren't even paying attention!"

"I was," Luke cut in, slinging an arm around Alex's shoulders. "And I think it was a sick goal."

Alex beamed up at him, and Nick had to admit--grudgingly--that Luke's support was doing wonders for her brothers' confidence.

"Thanks, Luke," Alex said. "Maybe you could help me practice my shot sometime?"

"Yeah, anytime, dude," Luke said without hesitation.

Nick's mom appeared then, holding Alex's bag. "Luke, seems like you're fitting in just fine around here."

Nick rolled her eyes but didn't comment.

~~

Back at the house, Alex and Flynn insisted on replaying the game on the living room floor, complete with mini-sticks, a foam ball, and way too much shouting.

Nick sat, pretending to read while Luke crouched on the floor, acting as a goalie.

"Careful," Luke warned, blocking one of Flynn's shots. "I don't want to break another lamp."

"That was Alex's fault!" Flynn protested.

"Was not!" Alex shouted, aiming another shot.

Nick couldn't help but laugh as the foam ball ricocheted off the wall and into Luke's chest.

"Game over," Luke declard, collapsing dramatically onto the floor.

The boys groaned, but Nick was grateful for the silence as they finally trudged upstairs, still arguing about whose shot was better.

Luke sat up, running a hand through his hair. "Your brothers are intense."

"They're obsessed with you," Nick said, closing her book. "It's kind of nauseating."

"Jealous?"

"Of what? The chaos? No, thanks."

He stood, stretching, and Nick's eye flicked to the hem of his shirt, which rode up just enough to reveal a sliver of toned abs. She quickly looked away, hoping her cheeks weren't as red as they felt.

"Good game today," she said, standing and heading toward the stairs before he could say anything else.

"Thanks," he called after her, and there was something in his voice that made her stomach flip.

~~

Nick paced back and forth in her room, her phone pressed to her ear as she tried to keep her voice down.

"I'm telling you, Mia," she whispered, "he's insufferable. Like, he doesn't do anything that bad, but the fact that he exists in my house is enough to drive me fucking insane."

On the other end of the line, Mia snorted. "Translation: You're fucking obsessed with him."

"What! No?" Nick flopped onto her bed, glaring at the ceiling. "I'm just... he's in my way. All the time. The bathroom thing? Unforgivable. And he's always around, charming my brothers and being all polite to my mom, and--it's annoying!"

"You're mad because he's polite?" Mia teased. "Wow, Nick, you're really reaching."

Nick groaned, throwing an arm over her face. "You don't get it. He's--ugh. He's just one of those guys, you know? All... awkwardly cute and unexpectedly funny and stupidly attractive--"

"Uh-huh," Mia interrupted, her voice laced with amusement. "Say that last part again?"

Nick sat up, her face heating. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"Sure you didn't."

"Mia," Nick hissed, her eyes darting toward the door. "I'm serious. He's just--fine, okay? I'll admit it. He's hot. Like ridiculously, stupidly hot. But that doesn't mean I don't hate his guts."

"Hate his guts? You sure you don't just want him to rearrange yours?"

Nick groaned. "I can't stand you?"

"And yet here you are, calling me for emotional support about your hot hockey housemate," Mia said smugly. "What a tragedy."

"He's just... objectively attractive. I can hate someone and still recognize that they're good-looking. Those two things can coexist."

"Sure, Nick," Mia giggled. "Whatever you say."

Nick groaned, burying her face in her pillows.

Flynn crouched in the hallway, his ear pressed to the crack under Nick's door. Beside him, Alex knelt, covering his mouth so he didn't giggle too loudly.

"Did she just say Luke is hot?" Flynn whispered, eyes wide.

"She totally did," Alex grinned.

Flynn giggled. "We have to tell him!"

"Duh," Alex said, scrambling to his feet.

The boys darted down the stairs, giggling like they'd just discovered the best secret in the world.

Luke was sitting in the living room, flipping through channels on the TV, when they skidded to a stop in front of him.

"Luke!"

"You're not gonna believe this!"

Luke quirked an eyebrow, setting the remote down. "What's up, guys?"

"Nick thinks you're hot!" Flynn blurted out, unable to contain himself.

Luke blinked, caught completely off guard. "What?"

"She said it on the phone," Alex explained. "She was talking to her friend, and she said you're 'ridiculously, stupidly hot.'"

Flynn nodded eagerly. "She also said you're annoying, but mostly that you're hot."

Luke huffed out a laugh, leaning back against the couch. "She actually said that?"

"Yup!" Flynn said proudly.

Luke shook his head, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Alright. Thanks for the intel."

The boys high-fived and ran off, leaving Luke alone with his thoughts.

Ridiculously, stupidly hot, huh?

He filed that tidbit away, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. He didn't plan on using it right away--but when the right moment came, he'd be ready.

A few hours later, Nick came downstairs to grab a glass of water, grateful that the house was finally quiet. She froze when she saw Luke in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a glass in hand.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked casually.

"Nope," she said shortly, pouring herself some water.

As she turned to leave, she felt his eyes on her, and her steps faltered.

"What?" she snapped, glancing over her shoulder.

Luke shook his head, his expression unreadable. "Nothing. Just... interesting."

"What's interesting?"

"Nothing you'd want to admit," he said with a slight smirk, turning back to his drink.

Nick scowled, marching back upstairs, vowing to ignore whatever cryptic nonsense he was playing at. Behind her, Luke chuckled softly to himself, his smirk only growing.

~~

Annika was still determined to go about her life as if nothing had happened. Luke was still the irritating, too-hot-for-his-own-good hockey player who'd invaded her space. Nothing more.

But he wasn't making it easy.

It started small. Like how he suddenly seemed to be everywhere she was.

Case in point: the kitchen.

Nick had just finished a workout and was rummaging through the fridge for a bottle of water when Luke appeared, freshly showered and leaning against the kitchen island.

"Morning," he said, annoyingly chipper.

"Morning," she replied shortly, avoiding eye contact.

"Work out hard?" he asked, his gaze sweeping over her.

Nick's head snapped up. "What?"

"You're all flushed," he said innocently, taking a slow sip of his protein shake. "Maybe you overdid it."

Her cheeks heated further, and she hated that he'd noticed. "I'm fine," she said, grabbing her water and slamming the fridge shut.

Luke smirked, watching her retreat.

~

That weekend, Andrea sent Nick and Luke to pick up groceries. It was supposed to be a simple errand, but the tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Nick fiddled with the AUX, flipping through songs until Luke reached over and stilled her hand.

"Pick something already," he said, his fingers brushing hers.

The touch was brief but electric, and Nick pulled her hand back like she'd been burned.

"What's your problem?" she snapped.

Luke shrugged, trying to conceal his amusement. "No problem. You just seem... jumpy."

"I'm not jumpy," she said through gritted teeth.

"Okay?"

Nick gripped the phone a little tighter, silently cursing him and the stupid butterflies in her stomach.

~~

That evening, the family decided to have a movie night. Nick reluctantly joined, sinking into the sofa and snatching the bowl of popcorn.

Luke sat beside her, closer than necessary, his knee brushing against hers as he man-spread.

She stiffened, but he didn't move.

"Comfortable?" she asked, shooting him a pointed look.

"Very," he said innocently.

Andrea shushed them, and Nick tried to focus on the film. But every time Luke shifted, she was hyper-aware of the warmth of his thigh against hers.

Halfway through, he reached for the popcorn, knocking her arm with his.

"Do you mind?" she hissed under her breath.

"Not at all."

Nick gritted her teeth, determined to ignore him. But when the movie ended and she stood to leave, he softly caught her wrist.

"Hey," he said, locking eyes with her. "Relax. I'm just messing with you."

Her breath caught in her throat, and for a second, she couldn't look away.

"Whatever," she muttered, yanking her hand free and hurrying upstairs.

~~

Alex and Flynn barreled into the kitchen, sweaty and red-faced from playing street hockey.

"We crushed the neighbours!" Alex announced, dropping his stick and gloves on the floor.

Flynn followed suit, throwing himself onto one the barstools at the island. "Yeah, but Alex missed like ten open shots."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Guys," Nick interrupted. "Gear in the laundry room. Now."

The boys groaned but trudged off, muttering under their breath. A minute later, Luke strolled in, hair damp from a shower. He grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and hopped to sit on the counter, watching Nick with his lopsided grin.

"You run a tight ship," he teased.

"Someone has to when my parents aren't home."

Before Luke could respond, the boys returned, still arguing.

"Whatever," Alex said, rolling his eyes. "At least I'm not as bad as Bryce."

Nick scowled, her stomach sinking. "What does Bryce have to do with anything?"

"Nothing," Flynn said, grabbing a cookie off the counter. "Just saying Alex is better than him at hockey."

Luke's brow furrowed, gaze flickering between Annika and the boys. "Who's Bryce?"

"No one," Nick glared at Alex.

"Her boyfriend," he said, completely ignoring her. "Well, ex-boyfriend. He was like super into hockey but I think he sucked. Nick used to help him with his stats for school."

Nick shot him another warning look. "Shut up, Alex."

Flynn, too young to realize the tension in the room, chimed in, "He coached Alex's team last year, but he's not as cool as you, Luke."

Annika could feel Luke's eyes on her and turned away, busying herself with wiping an already-clean counter. "Bryce is like... history. Can we drop it now?"

The boys shrugged, losing interest as they rushed off to play Xbox.

Luke lingered, arms crossed, watching her closely. "So... Bryce?"

Nick sighed, turning to face him. "It's not a big deal. We dated for a while. It didn't work out. End of story."

Luke nodded slowly, though his expression shifted slightly. "Sounds like a real winner."

Nick narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing... nothing. Just that he doesn't sound like much competition."

"Competition for what?"

He shrugged. "Relax, Annika."

"You're fucking insufferable," she mumbled, pushing past him and heading for the stairs.

~~

Luke was still thinking about Bryce.

He told himself it didn't matter, that it was none of his business, but the image of some guy hanging around Nick, talking hockey and being such an important part of her brothers' games, made his chest feel tight.

Jealousy wasn't a good look on him, but there it was, simmering just under the surface.

He was sprawled on the couch when Nick came downstairs again, her arms full of laundry. She stopped when she saw him, a guarded look on her face.

"Still brooding about Bryce?"

Luke smirked, trying to mask his annoyance. "Why would I brood about some guy I've never met?"

"Good question."

Her tone was casual, but the way she avoided his gaze told him she was more affected by their earlier conversation than she cared to admit.

She shook her head, going to walk past him. But just like the other night, he grabbed her wrist. "For the record, I don't think he deserved you."

Nick just stared at him, blinking slowly.

"Goodnight, Nick."

And with that, he got up and walked away, leaving a very confused Annika in his wake.

~~

The rain started in the late afternoon, a light drizzle that quickly turned into a full-on downpour.

By the time Nick got home from class, her sneakers were soaked, and her hair was plastered to her face. She shoved the door open with a grunt, muttering curses under her breath.

"Rough day?"

She startled, looking up to see Luke in the living room, also soaking wet, with his bag slung over his shoulder. He must've just gotten back from practice.

"Rain fucking sucks," she said shortly, kicking off her shoes and peeling off her wet socks and jacket.

"Not a fan of Jersey weather?"

"Not when I have to walk through it because someone took the car," she snarled, brushing past him on her way to the kitchen.

He followed, watching as she rummaged through a cabinet for a snack. "Where's the rest of your family?"

"Out," she said, grabbing a box of crackers. "My mom took the boys to the movies, and my dad's working late. Why?"

"Just curious."

Nick turned to look at him, but before she could reply, a sudden crack of thunder made the house shake. The lights flickered once, twice, and then everything went dark.

"You've got to be kidding me," she groaned, fumbling for her phone.

"Relax," Luke said, his voice steady. "It's just a power outage."

"No big deal for you, maybe," she muttered. "I've got work to do."

"Yeah? What kind of work?"

"The kind that requires electricity."

"Well, unless you can magically fix the power grid, I'd say you're stuck."

Nick rolled her eyes, but she couldn't ignore the flutter in her chest at the way his voice sounded in the dark--low and teasing, but with an edge she couldn't quite place.

"Great. Guess I'll just sit here and wait for the apocalypse."

"Or," Luke said, his voice closer now, "you could stop being so dramatic and light some candles."

Nick scowled, but another loud crack of thunder made her jump.

Luke laughed. "Scared of storms?"

"Of course not," she snapped, though her hands were trembling slightly.

"Right."

Nick shook her head, retreating to her bedroom, hoping to escape the weird tension that always settled between them. She lit a few candles, their warm glow casting flickering shadows on the walls, and tried to focus on her textbook.

But her thoughts kept drifting--to the storm, to the empty house, and to Luke.

She didn't even hear him knock.

"Hey," he said. "Mind if I hang out in here? It's kind of creepy downstairs."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "You're a professional hockey player, and you're scared of the dark?"

"Not scared. Just bored."

She sighed, gesturing for him to come in. He shut the door behind him and sat on the edge of her bed, his presence suddenly overwhelming in the small space.

For a while, they sat in silence, the sound of rain pounding against the windows filling the room.

"You're quiet," Luke said eventually.

"So are you."

He glanced at her, his eyes catching the candlelight in a way that made her stomach flip. "You've been weird around me lately."

"I'm always weird around you."

"Not like this," he whispered.

Her heart started thudding against her chest. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Nick."

She froze at the way he said her name--soft, almost pleading. When she finally looked at him, the intensity his gaze made her breath catch.

"Are we just gonna keep pretending this thing between us doesn't exist?"

"What thing?"

Luke huffed out a laugh, shaking his head. "You're really gonna make me say it?"

She didn't answer, and in the silence that followed, he got closer.

The air between them crackled, the storm outside quiet in comparison to the sound of her heart.

"I think about you... way more than I should."

Her breath hitched at his words, and he leaned in, his hand brushing hers.

"Nick," he whispered, his lips hovering just inches from hers. "Tell me to stop."

But she didn't.

Instead, she closed the distance, her mouth crashing against his in a messy kiss of spit and teeth.

His hands quickly found her waist, pulling her until they tumbled onto the bed. Hers found the curls at the nape of his neck. And outside, the storm faded into nothing.

~~

The storm had become nothing but a soft patter of rain against the windows. Nick lay across her bed, Luke's arm draped lazily across her waist as they caught their breath.

The room was warm and still dark, the flickering candlelight casting a soft glow over their bodies. Nick could feel the steady rise and fall of Luke's chest against her back, his skin sticky but still comforting against hers.

"You're sweaty," she mumbled, her voice muffled by the pillows.

Luke chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. "So are you."

She wrinkled her nose but didn't move, too content--and too tired--to care.

They lay there in comfortable silence for a while, the weight of what had just happened settling over them. It wasn't awkward, though. If anything, it felt... right.

Luke broke the silence. "You know, the candles really set the mood."

Nick snorted, turning her head to look at him. "Oh, totally. Very romantic."

"You don't think so?"

She rolled her eyes, biting her bottom lip. "Honestly? It might've been the most romantic sex I've ever had."

"High praise."

"Don't let it go to your head."

They fell quiet again, Nick tracing lazy circles on Luke's arm as his fingers skimmed along her hip.

"Can I tell you something?" Luke said suddenly.

"Sure."

"Your brothers... they told me."

"Told you what?"

"That you think I'm hot."

"They what?!"

"Yeah," Luke smirked, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Apparently, you were on the phone with your friend, and they overheard you saying I'm 'ridiculously, stupidly hot.'"

Nick stuffed her face in the pillows, groaning. "Oh my God. I'm gonna fucking kill them!"

"I mean," Luke continued, "I wasn't going to say anything, but now that we're here."

"Shut up."

He laughed, gently tugging her out of the pillows. "Hey, I'm flattered. Really."

"Don't be," she said, though the blush creeping up her neck betrayed her.

Luke leaned in, his lips brushing against her temple. "For the record, I think you're ridiculously, stupidly hot too. Still wanna kill your brothers?"

"Absolutely," she said, but her voice was lighter now, her cheeks still pink.

Although killing her brothers didn't really matter when she was laying in bed with Luke.

~~

Nick had no idea the thrill that sneaking around would give her.

There was something almost intoxicating about the stolen moments--the way Luke's touch would linger as he walked past her, the charged glances across the room, the whispered goodnights as they traded the bathroom.

It was dangerous and utterly addictive.

She hated how much she liked it.

Family dinners at the Thompsons were always chaotic (as were most things in their house). Andrea was bustling between the kitchen and the dining room, carrying plates of steaming food, while George tried to wrangle Alex and Flynn into their seats.

Luke sat across from Nick, his expression perfectly innocent as he buttered a piece of bread.

Nick didn't trust him for a second.

The meal started without incident--Andrea asking Luke about practice and an upcoming roadie, Flynn babbling about a school project, Alex loudly debating which NHL team had the best defence. Nick tried to focus on her food, keeping her gaze firmly away from the boy across the table.

Until she felt it.

A soft nudge against her ankle.

She froze, her fork halfway to her mouth, and glanced up. Luke's eyes were on his plate, the faintest hint of a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips.

Nick shifted her leg, but the nudge came again--this time more deliberate, slowly moving up her calf.

Her eyes narrowed.

Subtly, she kicked back.

Luke's smirk widened, but he didn't react otherwise, his foot pressing against hers in a way that made her stomach flip.

"Nick," Andrea said, snapping her out of the moment. "Pass the salad, please."

Annika blinked, her face burning as she shoved the salad bowl across the table.

"You okay?" her mom raised an eyebrow.

"Fine," Nick said quickly, glaring at Luke.

He looked up then, his smirk replaced with an innocent smile. "Everything alright, Nick?"

She wanted to throttle him.

Instead, she dropped her napkin on the floor, ducking under the table.

"What're you doing?" Alex asked as she crouched, fumbling for the napkin.

"Nothing," she muttered.

She grabbed the napkin--and Luke's ankle.

He jerked slightly, his leg pulling away, but she squeezed just hard enough to make her point before sitting back up.

"You sure everything's okay?" Andrea asked, her tone tinged with suspicion.

Nick forced a smile, her heart pounding. "Just peachy."

Across the table, Luke's smirk was back, but this time it was tinged with something darker--something that made Nick's breath catch in her throat.

~~

Later that evening, they weren't so lucky.

Andrea had sent the boys upstairs to clean their shared room while she and George tidied up the kitchen. Nick, seizing the opportunity, had slipped into Luke's room under the pretense of "helping him settle." As if he hadn't lived there for weeks.

Luke was waiting for her, his grin smug as he pulled her inside and shut the door.

"You're getting reckless," he teased, his hands sliding around her waist.

"You're the one who started it... and keeps tempting me," she shot back, her voice breathless as he backed her against the closet door.

"Is that so?"

Her lips found hers, and for a moment, she forgot all her worries--her parents, the risk, the fact that her brothers were just down the hall.

Until the footsteps started.

"Luke!"

Nick froze as Flynn's voice rang out.

"Shit," she whispered, shoving Luke back.

He stumbled slightly, but didn't stop smiling. "Relax."

The door burst open a second later, Flynn standing there with hockey stick in hand.

"There you are!" he exclaimed. "Alex and I want you too referee!"

Luke cleared his throat, stepping back even further from Nick. "Uh, yeah, for sure. Be right there."

Flynn squinted at his big sister. "What are you doing in here?"

"Helping him find something," she lied, her face burning.

Flynn shrugged. "Okay, whatever." He turned and darted back down the hall, yelling for Alex."

Nick let out a shaky breath, her head dropping back against the closet.

"That was close."

Luke chuckled, stepping closer again. "Too close?"

"Yes," she hissed, swatting his arm as he leaned in.

"You love it," he teased, his lips brushing her ear before pulling back. "I'll see you later."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving Nick to realize that she did, in fact, love it.

~~

The bathroom was filled with steam, despite the fan being on. The warm spray of the shower drowned out the storm that had started outside.

Nick leaned back against the cool tiled wall, her skin slick with water, as Luke pressed a line of soft kisses along her collarbone.

"This is so stupid," she mumbled, her hands sliding over his shoulders.

"Probably," he agreed, smirking as he pulled back to look at her. "But when have we ever done anything smart?"

"If we get caught--"

"We won't," he promised, pushing his lips against hers.

The sound of a knock at the bathroom door had them both pulling away.

"Luke?" Andrea's voice called from the other side of the door.

"Oh my God," Nick mouthed, her heart hammering inside her chest.

Luke held a hand up, silently telling her to stay silent, before clearing his throat. "Uh--yeah?"

"Have you seen Annika?" Andrea asked. "I thought she might be in her room, but she's not."

Luke shot Nick a panicked look, and she mimed strangling him, her lips forming "fix this."

"Uh, no," Luke said, scrambling for an excuse. "I think she said something about--uh--going for a walk?"

"A walk? In this weather?"

Luke winced, cursing himself for the lame excuse. "Yeah, she, uh...said she likes the rain. Said it's like refreshing or something?"

Nick buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

There was a long pause on the other side of the door, and Luke could practically feel Andrea's doubt seeping through the wood.

"Well, alright," she said finally, though her tone was still dubious. "Let me know if you see her, okay?"

"Will do," he said, waiting until he heard her footsteps retreating before turning to Nick.

She was doubled over with laughter now, her hands braced against the wall. "Refreshing?" she wheezed, still whispering. "That's the best you could come up with?"

Luke scowled. "You're welcome."

Nick pressed her chest against his, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Guess I should be grateful," she whispered, her lips brushing his ear. "You're quick on your feet when panicking."

"Yeah, well," his hands settled on her waist, "let's just hope your mom doesn't start asking more questions."

Nick smirked, leaning in to kiss him softly. "Guess we'll have to be more careful, huh?"

"Guess so."

~~

They'd barely recovered from their bathroom incident, but Luke seemed determined to push their luck even further.

They were standing in the kitchen, the rest of the family scattered--Andrea folding laundry upstairs, George in his office, and the boys glued to a hockey game on the TV.

Nick was just trying to make herself some tea, trying to ignore Luke's presence at the counter, when she felt him move closer.

"Relax," he wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning in his chin on her shoulder. "Nobody's around."

"Ugh, you're insane."

"Probably," he said.

"Luke, not here," she tried to escape his grasp, but his hockey training must've been paying off because he wouldn't budge.

"Why not?"

"Because we almost got caught earlier. You're pushing our luck. If someone walked i--"

Her words her cut off as he spun her around, her lips ghosting his. She crumbled instantly, her fingers gripping the counter as she kissed him back.

"Annika!"

"Fuck me," she groaned, jerking back so quickly she almost knocked the kettle over.

"Later," Luke retorted, earning a glare.

"What?" she called back.

"I need some help up here! Can you make your brothers' beds?"

"Uh--yeah! I'll be right there, Mom!" She pressed her palms against Luke's chest. "You're a bad influence."

He shrugged, moving to let her escape upstairs with her tea in hand, but not without giving her ass one last squeeze.

"I hate you."

"No you don't."

~~

Luke seemed determined to finish what they started in the shower, because he'd managed to be in the laundry room just as she was heading there to grab her mom a blanket.

"Are you fucking tracking me?"

"Just lucky timing."

"You're going to be the reason we get caught."

"Only if you scream," he teased, boosting her on top of the washing machine.

"Luke..."

"Relax," he pressed a kiss to her neck.

She really wanted to believe that they'd be in the clear down in the basement, but apparently her parents really wanted that spare blanket.

"Let's go, Nick! Chop, chop!" George shouted from the top of the stairs.

"Coming! Coming!"

"God, why is it so hard to get you alone?" Luke groaned.

"Welcome to my life."

~~

It was bound to happen sooner or later.

Nick knew their little game of sneaking around was risky, but she hadn't pushed it to stop. She blamed Luke entirely--his stupid smirk, his stupid face, the way he couldn't seem to ever keep his hands to himself.

But when the door to her bedroom flew open late one afternoon, she swore she had a heart attack.

"Annika!"

Her mom's voice was sharp, the shock in her tone unmistakable as she stood frozen in the doorway.

Nick and Luke jerked apart like they'd been electrocuted, the tangled sheets doing little to hide the situation.

"Mom!" Nick shrieked, her face going bright red as she scrambled to grab the blanket.

Andrea's eyes darted between them, her face covered in disbelief and mortification. "Luke?"

Luke, to his credit, managed a sheepish smile he sat up, adjusting his shirt and ruffling a hand through his hair. "Uh...hi, Andrea."

She blinked, her mouth opening and closing like she was trying to form words but she couldn't process what she was seeing.

"I--I'm gonna go see your father," she shook her head, backing out of the room and slamming the door shut behind her.

Nick groaned, burying her face in her hands. "We're so fucking dead."

Luke flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. "I told you to lock the door."

"Luke!"

"Yeah, this is... not ideal."

~~

The tension in the living room was palpable as Nick and Luke sat on the sofa, side by side, waiting for her parents to join them. The rest of the house was quiet for once--Alex and Flynn had been banished upstairs with strict instructions not to come down.

Andrea and George finally appeared, their expressions grim as they sat down across from the couple.

"Well," George began, clearing his throat. "This is, uh... unexpected."

Nick wanted to crawl in a hole and die.

Andrea crossed her arms, her gaze sharp as it landed on Luke. "I think we need to have a very serious conversation about boundaries."

Luke nodded quickly, the confidence he'd felt the last few days nowhere to be found. "Of course. Absolutely."

She turned to Nick, her tone just as firm. "Annika, you're an adult, and I understand that you're going to make your own decisions, but this is our home. And there are certain... expectations."

Nick groaned, slouching further into the couch. "Mom--"

"No," Andrea interrupted. "This is important. You're under our roof, and we expect you to be respectful of that."

George cleared his throat again, clearly uncomfortable. "What your mother is trying to say is, uh, we don't want anything... inappropriate happening here."

Nick buried her face in her hands, her voice muffled. "Can we not do this right now?"

"We absolutely need to do this right now," Andrea said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

She turned back to Luke. "We welcomed you into our home, Luke, and we expect you to behave like a gentleman. This... this cannot happen again. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Luke said quickly, nodding so fervently it was a wonder his head didn't fall off.

"And that goes for you too, Annika," Andrea added, fixing her with a pointed look.

"I get it," she muttered, her face still hidden.

"Good," Andrea said, standing. "Because if I find you two in a... situation again, you're both going to regret it."

George stood as well, patting Luke awkwardly on the shoulder. "Just, uh, keep things... above board, okay?"

"Got it."

The parents left, leaving Nick and Luke in stunned silence.

After a long pause, Nick finally spoke, her voice still muffled by her hands. "I'm never leaving his house again."

"I don't know. I think that went pretty well," Luke let out a breathless laugh.

Nick finally dropped her hands to glare at him. "Pretty well? Are you kidding me?"

"Hey, at least your dad didn't kill me... or cut off my balls."

"You-- UGH!"

"If you say so."

~~

The shift in the house was obvious.

Andrea seemed to materialize whenever Luke and Annika were in the same room, her watchful gaze making Nick's skin crawl. George was less obvious but still lingered nearby, pretending to fiddle with the thermostat or check a sports score while clearly keeping tabs on them.

Even Alex and Flynn had picked up that something was wrong, their usual teasing replaced with curious glances and hushed whispering.

"Your mom's fucking scary," Luke said one evening, his voice low as he passed Nick in the hallway.

"You're telling me," she muttered, glancing over her shoulder to make sure nobody was around.

Luke smirked, leaning closer. "So... does this mean we're done?"

Nick frowned. "Done with what?"

"This," he gestured between them.

She hesitated, gnawing at her bottom lip. "I don't know. Do you really think it's worth getting caught again?"

Luke leaned against the wall, his grin softening into something more sincere. "Yeah. I do."

"You--"

"I'm insane, I know But I'm not ready to let this go. Are you?"

Her walls crumbled as he reached out, his fingers brushing against hers.

"Fine," she whispered. "But you have to keep it under wraps. I'm not dealing with my mom's wrath again."

"Deal."

~~

Keeping things under wraps was easier said than done.

Every interaction felt like a minefield, with Andrea constantly dissecting their every move.

Luke made it harder by being... well, Luke.

He would brush against her as he passed by. He'd lean in close to whisper something that wasn't remotely necessary.

It was maddening.

One night after dinner, they were in the kitchen, Nick washing dishes while Luke dried. Andrea was sitting at the table, her back to them, flipping through a magazine.

Luke bumped her hip with his, his voice low. "You're tense."

"Gee, I wonder why."

"She's not even looking," he grinned, reaching for a plate.

"She doesn't have to look. She knows everything."

"You're paranoid."

~~

Sitting in the backyard under the stars, finally having time together. Their hands were intertwined as they stared up at the sky.

"Is it really worth all the trouble?" Nick whispered.

"Of course it is," he replied, swinging their hands.

"Why?"

"Because I like you."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

Nick didn't respond, but the smile on her face told him all he needed to know.

~~

A quiet afternoon in the Thompson house was hard to come by. The boys were upstairs playing video games, Andrea and George watching a show in their room.

Nick and Luke were taking advantage, lounging on the sofa and watching a movie.

Well, trying to watch a movie.

Luke kept nudging her with his knee, a silent plea for attention that she ignored for as long as she could.

"What?" she paused the movie, turning to look at him.

"Nothing. Just... thinking."

"Dangerous," she teased, though her stomach fluttered at the way he was looking at her--soft yet serious.

"Nick," he said, his voice lower. "I've been thinking about this for a while now."

"Okay..."

"I want to make this official," he said, his hand finding hers. "I know we've been sneaking around and keeping things quiet, but I... really, really like you. And I want to do this for real."

"You're asking me to be your girlfriend?"

"Yeah... I guess I am."

Nick hesitated. She knew this was risky, that saying yes meant inviting even more complications into their already chaotic situation.

But as she looked at him--his goofy grin, the way his thumb brushed over her knuckles--she knew she couldn't say no.

"Okay. Let's do it."

Luke's grin grew, and before she could second-guess herself, he leaned in and kissed her.

"Ew!"

They sprang apart, Flynn stood in the doorway, his face scrunched in disgust.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, pointing an accusatory finger at them.

Nick scrambled to her feet. "Flynn! Don't you knock?"

"This is the living room!" he retorted. "You can't kiss here!"

Luke cleared his throat, standing up and running a hand through his hair. "Uh, maybe we keep this between us, bud?"

"Why?"

Nick groaned. "Flynn--"

But he was already running toward the kitchen, yelling at the top of his lungs.

It didn't take long for Alex to join the chaos, and before Nick and Luke could figure out what to do, both boys were standing in front of their parents, firing off questions.

"If Luke and Annika get married, does that mean he gets to live here forever?" Flynn asked, his face alight with excitement.

"Wait, does this mean Luke is our brother now?" Alex added, his brow furrowed.

"Do you think Luke will take us to games since he's Annika's boyfriend?"

Andrea's eye widened, snapping to Nick and Luke, who were standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"Annika," she said slowly, her tone suspiciously calm, "is there something you'd like to tell us?"

Nick opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. She glanced at Luke, silently begging him to say anything, but he looked just as panicked.

"Well?"

Nick swallowed harshly. "It's not what it looks like--"

"It's exactly what it looks like," Flynn interrupted. "They were kissing on the couch!"

"Flynn!" Nick hissed.

Andrea sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as George rubbed the back of his neck.

"Annika," Andrea said firmly, "we talked about boundaries."

"I know! And we only kissed! We've been careful!"

"Careful? You were kissing in the living room!"

Flynn leaned over to Alex, whispering loudly. "Do you think they kiss a lot?"

Luke coughed, trying to stifle a laugh, but one sharp look from Andrea wiped the grin from his face.

"This isn't funny. We'll be having a conversation about this later."

"Great!" Nick threw her hands up.

~~

There they were, sat on the couch... again. Two angry parents in front of them like they'd just gotten in trouble for something stupid.

"Alright," Andrea said. "Start talking."

Nick glanced at Luke, who gave her a small, reassuring squeeze of the hand before she cleared her throat. "Look, I know this isn't ideal, but... Luke and I really like each other."

"Really like each other?"

Nick nodded, her voice steadier now. "Yes, and we've been trying to keep it low-key because we didn't want to make things weird for everyone else."

Andrea snorted. "Well, that worked out great."

"I know it's a lot to ask," Luke said, leaning forward. "But I care about Nick. A lot. And I don't want to mess up the trust you've shown me by letting me stay here, and I don't want to make things uncomfortable for your family. But I also don't want to pretend I don't... like Nick."

Her gaze softened slightly, though her expression remained guarded. She looked at George, who shrugged.

"They're adults," he said simply. "I'm not thrilled about it, but it's not like we can tell Nick who she can and can't date."

Andrea sighed, hands on her hips. "I guess that's true. But if this is going to continue, there are going to be rules."

Nick and Luke exchanged a quick glance, relief washing over them.

"Rules?" Nick asked cautiously.

"Yes, rules. First, no sleeping in each other's rooms. Doesn't matter if you're both adults, it's my house, that's my rule."

"Understood," Luke nodded.

"Second," she continued, "keep the PDA to a minimum. Especially in front of the boys. I don't need Alex and Flynn asking any more awkward questions."

"Agreed."

"Third...if I catch you breaking these rules, this arrangement is over. Got it?"

"Got it," they said in unison.

"Alright. As long as you respect the rules, I won't stand in your way."

"Thank you," Luke said sincerely.

"Don't screw this up, kid," George whispered to him as he left.

"I won't."

~~

A few months later, the whole Thompson family was packed into The Rock, cheering as the Devils faced off against the Pens.

Alex and Flynn were decked out in jerseys, cheering as loud as they could, while Andrea and George clapped politely whenever Luke's name was mentioned.

Nick sat by her brothers, trying (and failing) to hide her smile every time Luke skated by.

When he scored late in the first period, Flynn jumped out of his seat, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"THAT'S MY SISTER'S BOYFRIEND!"

Nick groaned, pulling her Hughes jersey over her red face as the people around them laughed.

But when Luke glanced at their section, his grin wide as he pointed toward her, she couldn't help but cheer just as loudly.

Because, for better or for worse, Luke was a large part of her life now. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

[lee-laurent]

the poll was superrrr close! but luke won! out either tonight or tomorrow

followed by a new quinn one!

[lee-laurent]

whoever clicked the just for me button, you count as a luke vote cause i’m just assuming you misclicked