That’s just our luck
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Summary: birthday bingo prompt ‘only one bed’ with Jack & Nico
Author’s note: I wrote this for @hischierlovebot in honour of her birthday bingo. Happy birthday! 🥳
*opening lines are lyrics from the song ‘Don’t you’ by Darren Criss.
Word count: 1180
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“Don’t you want the way I feel? Don’t you want the way I feel for you?”
The New Jersey Devils were on the road again for an away game. As fate would have it, a booking mix-up left Nico and Jack with only one room, one bed, a whole lot of awkwardness and just maybe a sliver of something else…
Nico and Jack exchanged a tensed look as they entered the room, hockey bags still in hand. Their eyes widened at the sight of the cozy, yet inconveniently, solitary queen-sized bed. "This... wasn't what I was expecting," Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
Nico chuckled softly albeit awkwardly. "Yeah, definitely not." He tossed his bag onto the floor and shuffled his feet, trying to figure out how to navigate this unexpected situation.
Jack hesitated before speaking up again. "So, uh, what do we do now?" The question hung in the air, leaving Jack feeling exposed and vulnerable. For years, he had harboured secret feelings for Nico, feelings he had buried deep beneath the surface, afraid of what might happen if they were ever revealed. He couldn't deny the warmth that spread through him whenever he was near Nico, the way his heart skipped a beat whenever Nico smiled at him or brushed against him in passing. But Jack had always been too afraid to admit his feelings, too afraid of ruining their friendship, of losing Nico altogether. As he awaited Nico's response his heart was beating so loud he was pretty sure Nico could hear it. His mind was racing with a million different possibilities as to what answer Nico would come up with.
But then, as he saw the hint of a smile tugging at Nico's lips, Jack felt a flicker of hope ignite within him. Maybe, just maybe, this could turn out better than he had imagined. Maybe this was the moment he had been waiting for, the moment when everything changed between them.
As Nico shrugged in response, trying to play it cool, Jack couldn't help but admire his calm demeanour. How was it that Nico always seemed to have everything under control, even in the most unexpected of situations? "Yeah, I guess we'll have to share," Nico finally replied, his voice breaking through Jack's spiralling thoughts. "I'll take the side closest to the door."
"Right, yeah, sounds good," Jack replied quickly, his cheeks flushing pink as he tried to suppress the whirlwind of emotions threatening to overwhelm him.
As they both got ready for bed, the air between them was thick with tension. Nico pretended to be engrossed in his phone, while Jack fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, avoiding eye contact. Eventually, they both climbed into bed, lying stiffly on their respective sides, each hyperaware of the other's presence. Minutes turned into hours, and the silence grew deafening. Nico tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable position. He could hear Jack's steady breathing beside him, and it oddly soothed him.
Nico wondered if Jack was still awake but he didn’t dare roll over once again to have a peek so instead he let his voice fill the dark room, finally breaking the silence. "You know, if you snore, I'm kicking you out of bed," he said with a playful smirk as he tried to lighten the mood a little.
Jack's eyes widened in mock offense. "Me? Snore? Never!" he protested, a hint of laughter in his voice.
Nico raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Hmm, we'll see about that." Although they hadn’t ever shared a bed before they had shared a room in the past and Nico knew all about Jack and his snoring tendencies. Especially if the younger boy slept on his back and was particularly tired after a tough game. Did it say something about Nico that he knew these little details about his friend, maybe so but Nico told himself that it didn’t mean anything.
“Okayyy, goodnight Nico." Jack said, playfully smacking his captain in the face with one of the spare pillows.
Nico rolled his eyes at Jack’s antics and dumped the spare pillow on the ground before Jack could get any more ideas. Or worse, before Nico could act on his own ideas. A pillow fight ending up with him pinning Jack to the mattress, their faces only inches apart… "Goodnight, Jack."
And with that, they both settled into a more relaxed position, the tension easing between them. As they drifted off to sleep, the only sound in the room was the quiet hum of the air conditioning and their soft evened out breathing.
Around eight hours later the morning sun gently filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. Nico stirred awake, blinking the sleep from his eyes. As he shifted, he realised something was different. Something warm and comforting was wrapped around him. Opening his eyes fully, he glanced down and saw Jack's arm draped over his waist, their bodies tangled together in a way that felt surprisingly natural. For a moment though Nico panicked, unsure of how to react. But then he felt Jack stir beside him, a soft murmur escaping his lips as he nuzzled closer. In that moment, Nico allowed himself to relax into the embrace, letting the warmth of Jack's body seep into his own. It felt...nice. More than nice, actually. It felt right.
As they lay there, tangled together in the early morning light, Nico couldn't help but wonder if Jack felt the same way. Would he enjoy waking up like this, wrapped around his teammate? Or would he feel confused, conflicted or even worse; troubled? Before Nico could dwell on it further, Jack shifted beside him, blinking awake with a yawn. He glanced down, a faint blush colouring his cheeks as he realised their position. "Uh, hey," Jack said softly, his voice still rough with sleep.
"Hey," Nico replied, offering a tentative smile. There was a moment of awkward silence as they both processed the situation. But then, to Nico's surprise, Jack didn't pull away. Instead, he only held onto Nico more securely, pulling him closer.
"Sorry," Jack murmured quickly when he felt Nico stiffen. Nico was surprised when Jack had tightened his grip instead of loosening it now that they were both awake and aware of what was happening. However he couldn’t say he minded. He didn’t mind at all if he was being honest with himself. Jack’s breath was warm against Nico's neck. "I didn't mean to...I mean, unless you want me to..." Nico's heart fluttered at Jack's words. Without hesitation, he leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to Jack's cheek. "It's okay," Nico whispered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't mind."
And with that simple and small confession, the tension that had been lingering between them melted away, replaced by a newfound sense of connection. As they lay there, wrapped up in each other's arms, Nico couldn't help but feel grateful for the unexpected turn of events. Who knew that a simple booking mix-up could lead to something so... perfect?
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