#(CALL ME COLT || COLTON)

[skatesnstuff]

Omg we need jacks reaction to coles sister dating Colton!!

rowdy ~ c. dach

a.n: this is one i’ve been so excited to write!! it’s set in june, the first time caufieldsister! brings colton (or any boy for that matter) to the lake house :)

i nervously play with colton’s hand that’s been sitting on my lap the whole drive over here. we’d been in alberta with his parents and extended family for his cousins wedding the last week, and the boys had been begging me to come out to the house. especially jack.

“you nervous?” i glance up at my brother in the drivers seat. “not really.”

colton squeezes my hand. “it’s gonna be fine. i should be more nervous than you, my love.” he let’s out a chuckle and i try to smile back.

the reality is, he is most definitely not more nervous than i am. i’m on the verge of a nervous break because of how unsure i am of how jack will react. quinn was a sweetheart, already commenting on my posts about colt and luke had thrown me a big congratulations dinner (which was a bit much), but i’d heard nothing from jack like that. of course he still talked to me, but he never once mentioned wanting to meet, hear from or see my boyfriend. i’d mentioned him a few times when we talked and he changed the subject as quickly as possible. now, i was bringing colton straight into the lions den. it was nauseating.

“so, who’s all there?” don’t say jack, don’t say jack, don’t say- “quinn and petey came together last night. jamie and trevor came together a couple days ago, but jack had to pick them up from the airport. luke and a couple of his michigan friends have been here since the devils were knocked out.”

i nod softly, looking out the window as we turn onto the street where the house is. i hop out of the car after colton, and i can’t help the smile that comes to my face as i remember the memories it holds.

“BUG!!” my head turns at the childhood nickname to see quinn and luke barrelling towards me.

i grin wider, clinging on to them both as they hug me. when they pull away, my glance is grateful as luke shakes hands with colton. “hey man, how’ve you been?”

my view of the reunion is cut short by a pair of arms around my waist, lifting me up and spinning me. i know who it is before he puts me down.

“ROWDY! PUT ME DOWN!” he laughs, complying with my shout and placing my feet on the concrete. he envelopes me in his arms. “i hate you.” is the first thing i mutter into his chest.

“nah, you love me.” i roll my eyes. “never say ‘nah’ again. you’re so cringy.” his arm is still around my shoulder when my boyfriend calls.

“hey, baby, do you want me to take your stuff up to the house?”

i look back over at him. feel the boy beside me tense. “no, my love, but thank you. i wanna show you my room! you coming, rowdy?” he shakes his head.

“no, i’m good. i’ll see you later.” he glares over at colton, and then he walks away. what the fuck?

i walk over to colton, confused as hell. “everything okay?” i nod slowly. then shrug. “he’s being weird.”

his arm around me in a second, pulling me closer. “it’s gonna be fine.” a deep breath is all it takes to plaster a smile on my face and walk into the house.

once a few hours have gone by and dinner’s being prepared, i stick my head out from where i’ve been cooking in the kitchen. “hey jack?! can you bring me the big pot from in the dining room?!” “yeah, one second!”

i turn back into the kitchen to see colton with his eyebrows furrowed. “what?” “why is the pot in the dining room?” i shrug. “the boys aren’t very good at cooking so i put things in places so they can feel like they’re helping without fucking up my food.” he bursts into laughter. “you’re such a mom!” “i know, i know. but i like to see them happy.”

“hey bug, i found it but it’s got a bunch of dust on it so you might need to wash it.” jack says as he walks into the kitchen, stopping dead in his tracks when he sees colton. i grab it from him and hand it back to colton. “thanks, j. do you want anything to drink? i can-“ “no, i’m fine. wouldn’t want to intrude.”

and he starts to walk away. “i’ll be right back.” i follow jack before colton can protest, jogging a little to catch up with him. “j. jack, wait!” he spins around, a confused look on his face. “what’s wrong?” i scoff. “what’s wrong? you’ve been acting like a fucking asshole for hours! is it because i brought colton? cause your mom said she thought it would be fine.”

he sighs, running a hand through his hair. “no, it’s not that. i just- it’s a hard pill for me to swallow.” i cock my head. “what do you mean?” “look, bug, i know you’re happy, okay? i see it when you’re with him. but it’s really hard for me to be happy for you guys when i’ve wanted it to be me and thought it would be me our whole lives.”

i shake my head, biting the inside of my cheek to hold in my anger. “jack, listen to me very carefully. i know this is hard for you, i get that. but how do you think i feel? you’re my best friend, but my whole life all i’ve heard was how perfect we were for each other. now i’ve found someone who loves me, and i love him so much. i need you to know that this shouldn’t change the beautiful friendship we have, because i still love you. it’s just… not the same. and i won’t apologize for that.”

he’s nodding, and a sigh of relief leaves me. “i understand. i just want you to know it’s a big change for me and i might not be… myself for a bit. but i’ll try. i promise, buggy.”

i smile as he hugs me. “thank you, j.” i look up at him when he says my name.

“he really makes you happy?”

i nod. “he makes me the happiest.”

a.n: idk how good this is but here you are! i’m so sorry it took FOREVER, i’ve been camping with minimal service and lots of family time so i’ll try to get back into it! please feel free to request anything, including other players and ideas for them as well!! much love <3 - lily

#hockey #team canada #colton dach #hockey imagines #nhl imagines #cole caufield #hockey blurb #jack hughes #quinn hughes #luke hughes

[yourfavewriteress]

right under our noses (part 5) | colton parayko

Teaser: "I feel it in my gut, Colt."

“What are you doing right now?” Jayne’s voice sounded in your ear seconds after you answered her call. You had gotten home from work nearly two hours ago, taking time to only shower then collapse in your living room.

"Laying on my couch watching Netflix,” you responded.

“Well, we’re having some people over after 8 and I want you to come,” She said.

“Last minute invite, nice," You rolled your eyes. "What does 'some people' mean?"

“The team and close friends,” Was the reply. It was never just the "team and close friends."

“I don’t feel like doing my makeup, Jayne,” You groaned. “Or, even getting dressed for that matter. I just laid down.”

“Come on, please?” She pleaded. “It’s lowkey so you don’t have to really wear makeup if you don’t want to.”

"But I would need to change. Do you know how much energy that would require?"

"If we waited around for you to have energy, we would never see you!" You heard Alex yell in the background.

"Why am I always on speaker?"

"You have something to hide from me, Y/L/N?"

“Anyway,” You rolled your eyes. “Will jeans and a t-shirt satisfy you guys? It doesn't sound like I can get out of this.”

“That sounds perfect,” Jayne responded. “Just come by whenever you’re ready.”

“Do you want me to bring anything?” 

“Nope, we’re all good. See you when you get here!”

“Bye.”

You definitely took your time getting ready. Although you said you wouldn't put in any effort, you ended up showering, doing light makeup, AND coordinating a presentable outfit.

By the time you pulled into Jayne and Alex's gate, you could tell quite the crowd had already started to form inside. You took a deep breath before pushing your way through the doors and the growing crowd. Saying hi to a few people as you made your way to the kitchen, you made a beeline for the Vodka bottle.

"I thought you weren't going to show," Alex appeared next to you within a few seconds.

"I considered it," You smiled.

"How's the job search going?"

You rolled your eyes, "Is that really the first question you want to ask me when I have a glass bottle in my hand?"

He laughed loudly, voice echoing over the music, "Understood, boss."

"I thought this was supposed to be a small get-together?" You asked.

"Is that what Jayne said?"

"Your wife is a liar."

"No argument there," He shook his head. "But, if you need a minute, the patio is always pretty quiet, because I always tell the guys to stay away from it."

"I'll probably head out there for a bit before I put on my social smile."

Alex left you alone in the kitchen, wheels already turning in his head. He pulled his wife, Jayne, away from her friends and into their bedroom.

"What? She was just going to give me what moisturizer she's been using!"

"One, your skin is beautiful, baby," She smiled at that. "Two, Y/N just got here and I think she's going to the patio."

"Is she okay? Should I go check on her?"

"She's fine. And no, you shouldn't go, but maybe someone else. If I'm the one to tell him to go to the patio, it's going to be obvious."

"Well, he was telling me earlier that he had a headache from the music."

"You have to be slick about it," Alex coached. "If he even smells bullshit, he'll figure it out once he gets out there."

"Okay, so what do I do?"

****

You made a deal with yourself: you could only stay outside for four songs. Anything more than that, you should have just stayed home. You knew Jayne wouldn't invite you out if the other half of the experiment wasn't here, and you had to make yourself seen.

The third song started to play, and you began to coach yourself to be the social butterfly you knew you could be. All before...

“Can I join you?” You turned around at the sound of the voice. You smiled widely when you locked eyes with Colton. My savior.

“Yes, of course,” You slid over, making room for him on the stairs. “Get tired of the crowd?”

“A little bit," He laughed. "This song is a fan favorite and I don't think my head can take the yelling. Plus, I saw you out here and wanted to make sure you were good."

“Oh,” I waved him off. “I’m fine, just needed to feel fresh air for a second.”

“It is getting a little tight in there now,” He commented, looking over his shoulder to Alex and Jayne’s home which had continued to fill up more and more in the past half hour.

“How’s your night going?” You asked.

He shrugged, “Pretty good, this was the only thing I got out of bed for today.”

“That sounds like such an amazing day,” You nodded. “I’m jealous.”

“You worked today?” Nod again. “When was your last day off?”

You thought back, “Last Tuesday, maybe? I’m not sure.”

“You’ve worked ten days straight?”

“I probably shouldn’t have told you that,” You sighed. 

“I’m not going to say anything,” He held up his hands. “You’re an adult, you make your own decisions.”

“Thank you,” You said, letting out a laugh after.

“But, you deserve better.”

“I remember our deal at the bar, Colton," You pointed out. “I plan on holding up my end, trust me.”

“How do you even work that much?”

"Well, not everyone is on an NHL contracted salary," You responded. "I do have to pay my bills."

"I get that part, but how do you actually make it through every day when you hate your job?"

You smiled, incidentally leaning closer to him as you reached into my left pocket. You pulled out the bag of gummy worms you had brought, “Sugar.”

Colton took a slightly deeper breath when he got a waft of your shampoo as you leaned closer to him. He had never smelled anything like it, like you. And your smile. His eyes flickered to your lips and back up before he could even register it.

You were doing things to him that even he had never felt before. That’s why it was so easy for him to mistake the goosebumps you gave him for being from the windy night air.

“No way,” Colton laughed. “The only thing that keeps me going sometimes is a soda.”

“Yeah, it’s either that or candy,” You agreed. “Sometimes I get worried that I might get diabetes.”

“Me too,” He responded. “If you had to pick one food or drink to have an unlimited supply of for the rest of your life, what would it be?”

“One?” You asked, earning a nod. “Hm, I’m not really sure. I feel like if I had an unlimited supply of gummy worms, that’d be great. They definitely raise the prices once a month.”

“You’d get a lot of cavities,” Colton commented.

“I wouldn’t eat it all at once, but to not have to buy it every single time I have a craving? Heaven,” You sighed, happily.

He smiled as he shook his head, “Heaven with cavities.”

“You’re one to talk,” You chirped lightly. “You’re going to get diabetes with all the sugar you consume from those cokes. At least my gummy worms are sugar-free.”

He rolled his eyes, “Then, does that really help? Anything sugar free is a scam.”

You laughed at him, your head thrown back. “It tastes the same!”

“I can’t believe you,” He shook his head, smiling. “Phony.”

A comfortable silence fell over you both for a few moments.

“You guys had a game yesterday, right?” You asked as another song began to play inside.

“Yeah,” He nodded. 

“I’m taking it didn’t go as planned?” 

“It was alright,” He shrugged lightly, looking back over Alex and Jayne’s yard. 

“That’s exactly what I said when you asked about work at the bar,” You teased, nudging his shoulder. “Should I be encouraging you to quit, too?”

He laughed, “Not at all.”

“Yeah, my job doesn’t come with traveling the country.” You said. “Honestly, I’m still super confused about hockey and the calls that refs make. I mostly just let Jayne translate for me.”

Laughing, “Refs definitely make bullshit calls a lot, though.”

“Is that what happened yesterday? I didn’t catch the game but Jayne was texting me about it.”

He shrugged, “There were a couple of questionable calls, but we lost because we’re not playing the way we should be.”

“Well, I guess you guys are going to be busy at your next practice".

“I just feel like my game has been lacking so much lately,” Colton sighed, eyes still trained on the yard ahead. “And, then we just keep losing so that solidifies it.”

“Or, it solidifies that the entire team needs to try something different?” You suggested, raising your eyebrows at him. “It is a team sport, right? You can’t take all the heat for yourself, just like you can’t take all the praise.”

“I’m pretty sure I deserve the heat, though.”

“Okay, break it down for me, since I’m a hockey idiot,” You started, turning to face him. “Tell me what you think is going wrong.”

“You’re not an idiot,” He rolled his eyes. “And, do you really want me to bore you with hockey at a party? You don't want to go back inside and have fun?

“To be honest, I lied before. I’m actually out here because I didn’t want to come in the first place but Jayne begged and also lied about how many people would be here. Which is very common for her, so I don't know why I fell for it.”

“I’m obligated to be here because of the team,” He let out a laugh.

“So, we both got screwed,” You laughed, making him smile. “I was going to just sit in silence anyway, so if you want to talk about hockey, I’ll listen.”

It was a genuine offer, and Colton knew that as he looked into your eyes. He felt something at that moment, but he really couldn’t figure out what it was. It was almost a calming feeling, like all the stresses he had been feeling were subdued for the time that he was with you. 

He explained everything to you, way more than you were ever going to be able to remember but you watched him relax as he talked. What started as a self-deprecating account turned into Colton going through some of his favorite hockey moments, of his career and of all time. 

“I wish I had something to be this invested in,” You let out a laugh after he had finished going over the team’s Stanley Cup run.

“Well, what are you interested in?” He turned to you, leaning back against the patio. He took another sip of his drink. “Now it’s your turn to talk.”

And, talk, you did. You surprised yourself with how much you told Colton, but he had given the same amount. It was only fair. You were reminded then how much you got along with him. Even though you guys only spoke at times like these where the team was gathered with close friends, he was always one of the easiest people to talk to. It wasn’t uncommon for you both to be catching up at parties.

Colton enjoyed your conversation and realized that you both had a lot more in common than he originally thought. And, you could clearly talk about anything. Well, obviously. We’re friends, he thought.

And, Alex. There was a voice in Colton’s head, telling him that you were the person he was being set up with. The louder voice, however, reminded him that Alex cared too much about you to ever set you up with someone on the team, let alone him. 

Colton vowed at that moment to completely remove you from his list of potential matches. It would only hurt him in the end, to wish it was you and then be disappointed. He felt that it was nearly impossible for it to happen, and he actually enjoyed having you as someone to talk to. She’s a friend. He had to respect Alex’s wishes, and if he was being honest, he thought you were out of his league too.

“Hey, Y/N?” You both turned at the sound of a voice behind you. “Jayne is looking for you.”

“Oh, okay,” You smiled at Ryan. “I’ll be right in.”

He nodded, disappearing back inside. 

“She’s probably going to make me drink something with her so I don’t know how conversational I’ll be after that.”

Colton laughed, “Maybe another time, then.”

“Definitely next time,” You corrected, pushing yourself up to your feet. “I want to hear all about the team’s crazy comeback, and your point streak.”

“How do you know that’s gonna happen?” He laughed. “What if you just jinxed it?”

“I feel it in my gut, Colt.” You said, right before you disappeared inside to find Jayne. 

Although you didn’t realize it, your words stuck with Colton. Not just your belief in him, but the nickname, too. It wasn’t the first time you’ve used it, but it was the first time it gave him goosebumps. 

A few hours later, as the party died down and people began to disperse, you were having a very tipsy conversation with an also very tipsy Jayne. “I’m really glad you came.”

“Honestly,” You paused, pursing your lips. “It was bad, at all. I actually talked to Colton for a bit and then drank, probably a bit too much, with Vince.”

“Really?” She quickly found something to occupy her eyes with because although she was drunk, there was no way she was going to blow up her own plan. “How was that? Your talk with Colton, I mean. We all know how Vince gets at these.”

“None of your business,” You joked with a serious tone. Jayne froze, looking back at you.

“Uh-”

“-Dude, I was just kidding,” You furrowed your eyebrows curiously at her with a laugh. “What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” She recovered, taking a sip of her drink again. "I thought something happened."

“Okay,” You trailed off. In your drunken state, you didn’t bother to further question. “It was actually pretty nice, though. We talked about hockey and my job, nothing serious.”

“That’s cool,” Jayne said. “I’m glad, he’s been feeling down lately.”

“Yeah, I could tell. I just told him he doesn’t need to be because all I hear about him from the other guys is how good he is. Tonight was actually the first night I somewhat understood hockey,” You shrugged absentmindedly. Not knowing how to respond without blurting out “You’re perfect for each other!” Jayne began to recount what she could remember of her night. 

Later that night, Alex and Jayne settled in bed after making sure you were asleep in their guest room. 

“How drunk are you?” Alex laughed at his wife, pulling back the covers for her.

“Just a little,” Jayne responded with a laugh. “But, I think we’re making headway with the plan.”

Raising his eyebrows, “How? What did I miss?”

“Y/N and Colton were on the steps for at least an hour talking tonight!” Jayne whispered excitedly. “She said it was really nice.”

“Holy shit,” Alex said. “She figured it out, then?”

“No, no, I don’t think she has a clue. Maybe if she was sober, she would have put two and two together, but I tried not to pry too much and make it obvious.”

“What did they talk about?”

“She said this was the first night she actually understood anything about hockey.” Alex smiled, rolling his eyes. “And, I guess they talked about her job, too.”

“Well, it had to be good if they talked for an hour, right?” Alex shrugged. “Is that really where he disappeared to? I remember him saying he was getting a drink and then I didn't see him for a while.”

“I guess so.”

“Now that I think about it, he did seem like he was in a better mood when he came back,” Alex said.

“Do you think they’re going to figure it out?”

“I feel like Y/N is going to catch on sooner than we think,” Alex said, looking up at the ceiling. “She over analyzes everything.”

“I don’t think so," Jayne replied. "Do you see the way Colton looks at her?"

"No, how?" Alex looked over at her.

"Like she puts the fucking stars in the sky," Jayne laughed. "I only noticed it tonight, but I think he may already have it figured out."

"I highly doubt it, he would have said something to me."

"Well, until either of them say anything, the plan is still in motion. We should talk about next steps in the morning. I have to sleep."

#colton parayko #nhl fanfic #nhl fic #nhl fanfiction #nhl imagine #nhl #nhl imagines #nhl blurbs #nhl blurb #nhl writing #colton parayko blurb #colton parayko fanfic #colton parayko imagines #colton parayko imagine #nhl fluff #hockey fic #hockey fanfic #ice hockey #hockey smut #hockey #` #hockey fluff #colton parayko writing #hockey blurbs #hockey blurb #st louis blues imagines #st louis blues imagine #st louis blues blurb #st louis blues blurbs #right under our noses

[babythe67]

HELLO

Meet the writer !

LETS START OFF EASY

I’m Chevy or Colton, you can call me Cole, Colby, Chev, or Chevs. Please don’t call me impala or baby I know my name is similar to the car but please it makes me insane 🙏 Colt is fine too, just use it sparingly. 

MY PRONOUNS ARE HE HIM

2. Listen I understand wOAH MALE FANFIC WIRTER- yOu mUst bE aGiRl- please shut up PLEASE PLEASE LAST TIME I CHECKED I GOT BELLS AND THE TREE. MERRY CHRISTMAS.  

IM 19 

3. Guys. Let’s have a talk. 18 and over to interact. Listen. I was 16 once sobbing ab my Sam Winchester x readers and I know I physically cannot stop you, it’s the internet. Fuck can I do, reach through and smack your hand? No. But for my sake at least try to stay incognito or at least try to pretend good. I will be checkin accounts, if you’re under 18 I’ll straight up block you 💀 idgaf ab views or notes or reshares Im in it for just having a visual diary to put my writing. 

IM A MEXICAN MAN

4. guys please. PLEASE. MY ENGLISH IS AS GOID AS IT CAN BE. AND YES I MIGHT FORGET A WORD AND TYPE IT IN SPANISH. IM SORRY. AND SOME POSTS MIGHT BE IN SPANISH MY BAD. also I write from Mexican perspective so again MY B A D 

WHO DO I WRITE FOR

5. LISTEN listen guys. My list is long but this is just for spn atm. You want my other writing check out my other accs THELTGHOST or Calahansdrabbles

Cals has a mix writing. It’s like. Everything.  Ltghost is mainly cod.  Here you Can find; Sam Winchester  Dean Winchester  Castiel Novak  G A R T H  Charlie Bradburry  Crowley Lucifer  Etc etc  Dick Roman if you ask nicely. 

WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU COLT.

6. HI. It’s Colby here. Im a tall nerdy Mexican, probably on the chubby side. I wear glasses and have black shaggy hair. I cosplay ghost and konig and castiel- some other mfs too.  No I DONT wanna show my face bruh then you’ll find my TIKTOK and HARASS ME FOR THE FOUL THINGS I WRITE. Uh. Im pretty cool I’d say. And I love interacting and taking requests. Like yes baby let me write you your slow burn destiel fic you’ve been itching for. 

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

7. MEXICOOO BABY. VIVA MEXICO HUEVONES. uhhh no but fr I’m from Jalisco Mexico but now live in California bordering TJ. 

WHAT FANDOMS??

8. UHHHH This acc is mainly spn cause I want Dean to suck my dick. Uhhhh though I do enjoy a lot of different shit. This includes good omens, cod, overwatch, greys anatomy, adventure time, yadda yadda

Uh that’s kinda all I guess. Stream vampire by Olivia Rodrigo. And Stay with me by Ghost.  

That’s all folks. ♡

#dean winchester #sam winchester x reader #castiel x reader #spn #castiel #deancas #supernatural #the winchesters #jared paladecki #jensen ackles #supernatural x readers

[sxlcst]

starter for @utterxdesires muse: colton for: pandora

the game developer had been obsessing over the new co-worker who had been hired to work at the company only a week ago. thinking they were hitting it off when they would find the time to talk and chat but the conversation wouldn't last long noticing she was more interested in others. watching her from his office as she gained a lot of attention from the men which internally irked and bothered him. devising to hatch a plan as a means to possess and have her permanently for himself he would be discreet in obtaining the woman's dna by taking a hair sample which he scanned in his computer replicating her to be in his private server. tonight was the night when colton would log on and immediately would enter into the game world. having chosen the particular world he wanted to play in which was ' wild west '. spawning in as a bandit as he entered inside the saloon and immediately drew out his colt pistol firing three shots when he moved the gun around the room. each bullet struck each man in the head killing them instantly. colton would then spot pandora a burlesque dancer and a lady of the evening. " evening miss, sorry for intruding on your night but those three men got what they deserved. you see they were here to rescue you from me but they're bad men. " in truth, he had no idea if they were bad or not however those men resembled the co-workers pandora would always come to and confide in and talk too even touch them as colton felt a sense of satisfied revenge killing them in his game world.

"come closer now i am not going to shoot you but i am in the mood for some company. you see after robbing a train of wealthy folk who work for the pinkertons i decided to come down here to wet my whistle. " placing his gun in his holster when lips curved into a sly smirk as he eyed her with attraction and lust not taking his gaze off her. " everyone leave the saloon now. " the npcs ( people ) would stand out of their seats as if they were zombies all simultaneously going silent when they proceeded to move towards the door and exit. " finally some privacy with little miss perfect. you wouldn't mind calling me daddy would ya? " oozing confidence and demonstrating his power in the digital game space. he placed his hands on the buckle of his belt as there was a glint of lust in his narrowed eyes

#utterxdesires #m: colton #hope this is okay!

[blueskrugs]

Blanket fort with Colton? That just screams adorable to me and I have no doubt you will come up with something good for it :)

oh boy i had to DIG through my inbox for this but I did actually manage to finish this colton blurb like I promised yesterday!

14. blanket fort

length: 458 words

It was date night. You and Colton usually took turns planning dates, and this week it was Colton’s turn to plan. When you pressed him for details, all he gave you was a smile and a, “I’ll take care of it.”

Naturally, you were a little suspicious, but it was Colton, and you trusted him. 

You came home from work to a dark house. Which was strange, because Colton’s car was in the garage.

“Colt?” you called, kicking off your shoes and setting your keys and work bag down. You heard muffled swearing from the living room before Colton appeared, looking flustered.

“It’s not ready yet!”

Colton threw some clothes at you, and you caught them before they hit you in the face. A pair of your lounge shorts and one of his shirts. “What’s not ready yet?” you asked. Colton looked sheepish. 

“Just go change, yeah?” Colton came closer to give you a kiss. You tried to peer around him, but he blocked your view. Damn him and his broad shoulders. 

You gave him one last suspicious look but headed upstairs to change. Colton watched until you were safely out of sight before ducking back into the living room. You took your time getting changed, and when you came back down, Colton was waiting for you, lingering awkwardly in the doorway to the living room. You still couldn’t see what he’d done. 

“What have you been up to?” you asked.

Colton ducked his head, shy all of a sudden. “We’ve both been so busy lately, I thought we could stay in tonight.” He took your hand, leading you into the living room. “I got pizza from that New York-style place you like, and we can watch a few movies…” He trailed off, and you gasped when you saw the living room for the first time.

Colton had set up a blanket fort that covered the entire room. He’d stripped the guest bedroom of sheets and comforter, and had stolen all the dining room chairs to carefully drape the sheets over. The lights were still off, the room lit only by the late afternoon sunlight. There was a stack of Disney movies laid out, the DVD player already on and waiting. You made a beeline for the pizza.

“Have I told you recently that I love you?” you asked, through a mouthful of food.

Colton pretended to think as he carefully made his way into the blanket fort beside you. “Not since this morning.” He reached across you for a piece of pizza, but you grabbed his wrist before he could.

“Hey, Colton,” you said seriously. Colton looked at you. “I love you.”

“I know,” Colton said simply, letting himself be reeled in for a kiss. “I know.”

#blurbs! #cait writes things #colton parayko imagine

[nomadjones]

closed for: @christinaxwagner

where: beside the flying elephant ride

"You're brave as hell, lil dude." Dallas called out to Colton who was whiteknuckle gripping the edge of the elephant shaped flying car he was strapped into. The flying in the title was generous, it was more like a little lift off the ground in a circular motion, but he was certain at that age it must have felt like an actual rollercoaster.

His phone camera was trained on the ride, recording the whole journey and capturing the low-grade scream that started when he and Christina were in Colt's line of vision and then died out as soon as they weren't.

"Am I a bad dad if I laugh if he spews? Because I think that would crack me up. I'm barely keeping it together every time he does that baby eagle scream-squawk. I don't think he's going to go for a second go on this one."

#closed starter. #thread. #ft. christina wagner. #christina 004. #aurorabay.carnival #event: the carnival. #christinaxwagner

[cagenewman]

A LIL ABOUT ME…

What is your character’s full name?: Cage Lucas Newman.

When were they born?: St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th), 1986 in Merrock.

What are their parent’s names?: Jason (father, deceased) and Victoria (mother, deceased).

Do they have any brothers or sisters?: Cage is the middle child, with a younger sister, Clementine, and older brother, Kellan.

What kind of eyes do they have?: Startlingly blue, light eyes that he’s very good at using to get what he wants.

What kind of hair do they have?: Right now, it’s very dark blonde, almost brown, and wavy, a few inches long.

What is their complexion like?: Like worn sandpaper; he has nice skin, but it’s definitely rough and callused. He freckles in the sunshine, and has a number of moles and scars.

What body type are they?: Stocky, for the most part. Athletic and strong, but he’s built in a sort of ‘stacked’ way.

What is listening to their voice like?: Traveling down an old dirt road in the countryside. His voice is so deep that it’s surprising at times, but it’s very soothing, and has been called a little sexy, too.

What do they hate most about themselves?: He wishes he was a little more disciplined about his physique, for sure.

Do they have a favorite quote?: “It doesn’t hurt to feel sad from time to time.” – Willie Nelson.

What sort of music do they enjoy?: Country, but old country – 70s, 80s, 90s, the stuff his dad liked to listen to. He’ll listen to just about everything, though, isn’t really picky.

Have/would they ever cheat(ed) on a partner?: He’s never cheated on a partner, no. He’s been in open relationships or flirtationships or whatever they are called, but has never cheated.

Have they been cheated on by a partner?: To his knowledge, no.

Have they ever lost someone close to them?: Yes. Cage has lost both his father and his mother at this point.

What is their favorite sound?: Nature. There is no one sound that he loves more than any other, anything that reminds him of being outside, being around the people that he loves in the middle of a field on his farm.

Are they judgmental of others?: Nah, Cage is very live and let live in his life. Why bother to spend that time judging someone who doesn’t care what you think?

Have they ever been drunk?: Far too often, although he doesn’t tend to overdo it now in his ‘old age.’

What are they like when they stay up all night?: His crew knows if he’s stayed up too late the night before because he’ll be in his office, door closed, lights off to catch up on paperwork… or sleep on the couch. If he’s on a job site, he’s absolutely chugging coffee to stay awake.

Have they ever been arrested?: He’s been hauled into the drunk tank a couple of times. And although never formally charged, he did get taken in for a bar fight once.

What evokes strong memories for them?: Blueberries and high school football games.

What do they do on rainy days?: Rainy days are the ones that he spends working in the work shop, catching up on projects. If he’s at home, he spends his time watching TV or movies, normally with Colton.

What religion are they?: Raised Catholic, Cage attended church as a kid, but once he got older, he lost his faith. Namely when he lost his father as an adult. He hasn’t been to church much since then.

What word do they overuse the most?: “Colt!”

What do they wear to bed?: Flannel pants and not much else; he tosses his sweatshirt on the chair near his bed to throw on in the morning, though. Too chilly sometimes.

Do they have any tattoos or piercings?: No, neither.

What type of clothing are they most comfortable in?: Jeans, a plain white t-shirt, a flannel plaid shirt unbuttoned and work boots.

What is their most disliked food?: He’s not super into asparagus.

Do they have any enemies?: Not really, no. Although he does have a hard time being nice to McMansion owners.

What does their writing look like?: It’s not as bad as someone would expect, but it’s definitely kind of fitting for someone in construction who writes on 2x4s most of the time.

What disgusts them?: Those fucking McMansions.

#merrockdevelopment #all about cage

[daringsunflowers]

@rainsong​

this was bad, this was real bad, in fact the right term was fucked.  when colt had went on tinder it was back when his girl and him were having some issues, but the two made up and got back tonight. however colton couldnt stop texting this girl. something felt different he had felt like she was the person he was supposed to be with. they connected on a level he could describe. and yet when he finally met her it wasnt like he had planned. how was he to know she would be his girlfriends sister. 

dinner that night went well though he avoided making eye contact with her. the last thing he needed was to get called out at the dinner table. however whenever went to bed and his girl had fallen asleep he snuck out of the room and quickly made his way to the room was staying in. without warning he opened the door and quickly dipped in. “let me explain before you fight me..” he softly spoke. 

#c. colton

[autistic-fuckwad]

uhm, well, i've been pretty open on my past so i'll be a bit more open. the name i go by is Colton, you all can call me that or nickname me anything derivative of that ( colt is a favorite of mine! ) I'll slowly be posting some of my new art here, I don't feel comfortable posting my backlog.

[colton-reynolds]

Name: Colton Reynolds

Age: 28

Occupation: Tattoo Artist

Pronouns & Gender: Cis man, he/him

Faceclaim: Ronen Rubinstein

Neighborhood: Berry Hill

BIOGRAPHY.

tw: sibling death, drug addiction, alcohol addiction

Colton and Kelly Anne were born six weeks early and spent the first two months of their lives in the NICU but little Kelly Anne was strong and she showed promise early on. While Colton wasn’t doing well, his sister was thriving and with her beside him, he pushed through. He could get through anything as long as he had her by his side. That would prove to be true for years to come, a bit of foreshadowing of their lives.

Colton was always the shy one, less adventurous and afraid of everything as a kid. His twin was a firecracker, pushing him to his limits and then some but Colt was never afraid when Kelly Anne was with him. She had a calming presence about her. “I won't let you fall, Colty Bear.” Her words echoed in his mind any time he felt too small and too scared to take a risk. Her easy grace and her iconic charm made it impossible to doubt himself. She was the reason he ever found the courage to learn to ride horses. That became his comfort when life got hard, taking a ride on his mare, Willow.

Smartest kid in the class to Kelly Anne’s most popular, they were a perfect dichotomy and everyone knew they were a package deal. Nothing could touch them and their futures looked brighter than ever. Colton accepted the offer of an academic scholarship to University of Tennessee, Kelly Anne went to beauty school because academics weren’t her thing. It was the first time they were ever really apart.

One, two, three, four, five missed calls. “Colt…it’s your sister.” Nothing could have prepared him for those words. His world came crashing down in a matter of moments. It wasn’t real, it couldn’t be. But as he stepped into that emergency room he could have sworn he felt the bond between them sever. She was gone. Twenty years old and suddenly so very alone.

The next few years were a blur, Colton spent most of them drinking and doing drugs. Those who knew him before could hardly recognize him now. His older brother tried to talk some sense into him but he couldn’t hear it. The voices, the memories, the haunting screams, nothing could drown it out. And then one day, he just started moving on. He met someone who brought him to his first NA meeting and slowly, things got better.  He never went back to school, deciding that there was no life outside of Nashville for Colton anymore. He started doing tattoos and took a job at a local shop as something to channel his pain into.

Even after everything that happened in his life, all the broken pieces in his heart of missing his sister, Colton found a way to bring sunshine into the lives of everyone he’s around. Keeping Kelly Anne with him and sharing the love and light that she was in his life gave him a purpose, he does a lot of things now these days because “Kel would want me to” and that’s played a huge part in his self discovery as well.

Coming out as bisexual was easy because he knew that if his sister were around she’d have been squealing and hugging him and so happy for him. He was sure she knew anyway, she’d always kept a fairly close eye on his love life, or lack thereof. Twenty two felt a little late to come out but he’s never once regretted his decisions.

extras.

Colton is all golden retriever energy. He’s a sweetheart to his core and if you didn’t know he’s been through a bunch of trauma, it would never be obvious.

His sobriety journey has been up and down, he’s had relapses but he has been clean and sober for a year now and is doing his best to keep things that way.

He has a ton of tattoos, both arms are covered as well as a few on his chest, neck, back and stomach.

#bio #about #death tw #drug addiction tw #alcohol addiction tw

[infectedshq]

welcome  to  the  memphis  safezone,  &  good  luck  out  here  !  please  report  to  pete  for  your  first  duty  in  24  hours.  the  following  faces  &  roles  are  now  closed  for  applications :

˚ 。❛ —— michael b. jordan.  thirty six (36).  he/him.   ⟩ yeah,  that's  ERIK MOXLEY,  originally  from  st. louis.  they're  known  ‘round  here  for  patrolling and helping with on sight aid in  memphis,  but  they  came  into  the  zone  three years ago  ago.  they  were  BY  THEMSELVES,  but  they've  done  pretty  well  fittin'  in  here,  i’d  say.  don’t  know  how  to  feel  about  the  fact  that  they  would  call  themselves  a   WASP,  but  it  helps  that  they  remind  me  of  a man who lost those most dear to him, continuing normalcy in dystopia, and wanting to find a way to be keep the world in line.    [  colton/colt,  he/him,  cst. ]

˚ 。❛ —— olivia munn.  forty two (42).  she/her.   ⟩ yeah,  that's  ADELYN DELGADO,  originally  from  Arlington, Tennessee.  they're  known  ‘round  here  for  food management and farming monitoring in  memphis,  but  they  came  into  the  zone  length  of  time  ago.  they  were  THE MEMPHIS  GROUP,  but  they've  done  pretty  well  fittin'  in  here,  i’d  say.  don’t  know  how  to  feel  about  the  fact  that  they  would  call  themselves  a  CIVILIAN,  but  it  helps  that  they  remind  me  of  a childless mother, survivor with hidden guilt, and a woman who wants to protect the innocent minds.    [  colton/colt,  they/them,  cst.  ]

#tlou rp #apocalypse rp #twd rp #new rp #accepted.

[hannahsmusings]

Renee

I call bottom bunk! Sorry, Ant, but I'm not dealing with the bus stopping abruptly and I fall out! You know that would happen to me! *I giggle, hip checking him gently* *I look over at Evan as he makes fun of Ant, looking up at him with a big smile* Aw, bub, you talking about me? You’re so cuuuutteeee! *I giggle, wrapping myself around him even more, nuzzling my nose into his shoulder, always being very affectionate with him, more so than I was with my own actual romantic partners* *I turn when I hear Colton, taking him in, giving him a sweet smile, turning on my charm, having had slept with Colton a few times, the two of us always linking up when we were together and both single which didn’t happen very often, but Colton was a good time and I was very single and I wasn’t against resuming a relationship* Hey Colton! Long time no see! *I move to give him a hug but Anthony just my waist tighter, knowing he didn’t necessarily condone Colton and me* *I reach one arm out and hug Colt, Ant’s arm still around me, finding him ridiculous but as usual I wasn’t going to let his overprotectiveness bother me* You look good yourself! Been working out, hm? Just for me? *I giggle, looking up at him in the flirty way I had perfected over the years*

_______________________________

*rolls my eyes with a laugh as you call top bunk, shaking my head a little* Such a drama queen, how could I forget? *grins, kissing the top of your head before groaning as you tease me, shaking my head and looking up at Evan* I hate you man, where's your bro loyalty? *shakes my head in mock disgust before looking up as I hear Colton, frowning a little as I watch his eyes linger on your body, hating that I knew that you guys had hooked up previously and now I couldn't stop seeing it in the way he behaved around you, having always had this protective nature with you as you were my best friend and I knew what these lads were like, especially Colton, he was a huge player and ladies man and I wasn't sure I trusted him with you* *pouts just a little when you still give him a one arm hug, pulling you back into me when it was over before cringing as you compliment him* Seriously guys? *says in an attempt to be playful but it coming out a bit flat* -Ant

*rolls my eyes at the one arm hug, Ant always being hugely protective of you and him having already given me the talk about boundaries with you but we'd already slept together before so it was guaranteed to happen again, looking forward to it really as you were hot and good fun* *wiggles my brows and flexes my arm muscles with a laugh* Oh yeah, of course babe. All for you. *flirts playfully before looking at Ant as he reprimands us* You can't have her to yourself all the time, man. -Colton

#submission #renee plot

[colecassiidy]

"Now, I ain't too high an' mighty t' admit there's a FEW things you'd prob'ly best me at." Like...being annoying, or SLIGHTLY taller — Colton still couldn't really tell...but he chokes back his unsolicited opinions with another swig from already half-empty bottle, continuing with a knowing, lopsided GRIN.

"But ARM WRESTLIN' ain't one of 'em..."

It's still strange getting used to a face and voice that sounds like his own when he still can't catch his own eyes in the mirror. On the other end of it, it's just as strangely easy to fall in step next to Colton like he'd always been there. This is simultaneously a relief and a strangulation, and the back of his mind scratches, like rats scraping claws in the hollows of walls, wondering what in the hell God has planned that's going to set this odd period of peace into a tragedy. (He does not want to think about Cain and Abel, but there are days he sees his reflection and feels his fingers twitching instinctively for a trigger. He doesn't know where to put this feeling, the one that insists that he should be dead. It's heavy, so heavy. But helping Colton around the farm helps. He lets Colton's mother call him Cole and ignores how the nape of his neck bristles or the way his gut curdles and tries not to think about transplanting parasites flowering off of the ill. Cassidy, he feigns, ain't so bad a name.)

Still, he's learning to live with this. Enjoying it for what it is. The beer's cheap, sticky and sickly, but it's left his mind humming pleasantly and he's splitting his lips into a mirror grin that's lining itself into a smirk.

"Sounds t'me you're fixin' for a bet," He lifts his own bottle, neck cradled loosely by two crooked fingers, and seats it off to the side of the table where the amber-glass heel clunks. His chair creaks and squeals as he leans forward and sets his elbow on the table, eyes glinting in earnest; a wolfish sort of joy beaming, "All right, c'mon, let's see it, Colt. Ain't a better way t'find out."

#ic; #quick drawn #wood rot on the family tree {quick drawn}; #v;heathen thing borne from dirt and desolation #B) they can rematch when they're older with their metal arms lmfao #suicide mention tw

[ilyasorokinn]

buying something that reminds you of them with Jamie O. if you’re still doing these prompt request

ROCKY THE FISH

i changed it up a bit :)

9. "buying something that reminds you of them" (from this prompt list)

tw: children/kids

jamie had been on the road for a few days and was ready to be home, with you, the dogs, and of course the kids. he was in the airport, walking past a shop when something caught his eye.

it was a little fish necklace, and if there was one thing people knew about josie oleksiak, it was that she loved her fish. she loved going to the aquarium, loved watching "finding nemo", and had tons of fish stuffed animals, and other decorations in her room.

"rig, what're you doing?"

"gotta pick something up for jo," he answered, walking into the shop, grabbing the fish keychain, and heading for the cash register.

he paid for it and kept it in his hands, not wanting to let go of it. he picked something small up for colton so he wouldn't feel left out.

the moment he got home, he couldn't through the door quicker. the dogs obviously rushed up to him first, and both kids quickly followed, "daddy!" he bent down, petted the dogs, then hugged both kids tightly.

"oh, hi." he felt at peace for the first time in four days.

"daddy, we got to go see the fishies again," josie spoke excitedly.

"again? really? did you see any new ones?" jamie asked as if you hadn't called him the day you had visited the aquarium and told him all about your trip.

"yeah, saw a blue one and i named it rocky." josie giggled.

"what about you, bud? score any goals at your game?"

"yeah." colton nodded excitedly, "i got ice cream after too."

"did you get the trophy too?"

"yeah." colton nodded excitedly, running off to get the plastic trophy given to every child after they score their first goal of the season.

colton was on a pee-wee hockey team, and it was so non-competitive, but parents, of course, have to make everything competitive.

colton came back, flashing his father the trophy proudly, "wow, look at that." jamie marveled at it, spinning it around in his hands.

"okay, okay, go wash your hands. it's almost dinner time," you announced, pushing them in the direction of the bathroom.

they ran off to wash their hands, giving you time to turn around to jamie, "thought you weren't getting in till later."

"surprise," he murmured, pressing a kiss to your shoulder.

"missed you." you wrapped your arms around him and held him close.

"missed you, too." he hummed happily. you stood wrapped in each other's arms for a few seconds before you spoke.

"you got the pictures, right? from colt's game?"

"his celly pictures? i did." he nodded, a proud smile on his face. before jamie could say anything else, you could hear josie and colton run down the hallway and into the dining room into their spots.

you could then hear them begin to argue about something. you sighed, pulling away and making your way into the dining room, jamie trailing behind you.

"all right, stop fighting. give her the bread, colt."

"but it was my bread."

"there's literally a whole basket in front of you." you waited for colton to hand josie the bread roll, then placed one on his plate.

"all right, i got you both something." jamie announced as he dug into the dinner in front of him.

"a present?" josie squealed.

"yeah, jojo, a present." jamie laughed, pulling the two objects out of his pocket, "this one's for you." he handed colton a toy car from the airport with the city on the side.

"wow, so cool." colton excitedly flipped the car to every angle so he could see the design, "thank you, daddy."

"your welcome."

"what about me?" josie asked.

"i didn't forget you, silly goose." jamie picked her up and set her in his lap, "i got you this." he produced the bluefish keychain.

"rocky!" she exclaimed happily, "thank you, daddy." she beamed happily, clutching the keychain to her chest.

"you're welcome, jo bug." he kissed her head.

#jamie oleksiak imagine #jamie oleksiak imagines #jamie oleksiak x reader #jamie oleksiak fic #jamie oleksiak blurbs #jamie oleksiak #nhl imagine #nhl imagines #nhl fic #nhl blurbs #nhl #hockey imagine #hockey imagines #hockey fic #hockey blurbs #hockey #seattle kraken imagine #seattle kraken imagines #seattle kraken blurbs #seattle kraken fic #seattle kraken #taylor writes #taylor writes: hockey #taylor's blurbs

[laurenairay]

Day 11 – Colton Parayko

Trope: Christmas Sweaters

Word Count: 916 words

A/N: Colton is such a sweetheart, so obviously I had to include him. Another beauty enlightened to me from @tippedbykreider 😍

*

“Honey, I’m home!”

You grinned as you shut the door behind you; calling that out when you got home to Colton never got old.

“About time!” he called back, “I thought you were lost!”

You rolled your eyes at his teasing, dumping your bags, coat and shoes before heading into the kitchen where you’d heard his voice come from. Sure enough, he was leaning against the counter, a teasing grin on his face, making you smile softly.

“Hey Colt,”

“Hey baby,”

You smiled a little more, leaning up to kiss him softly before you hopped up onto the counter.

“Did you have a good time shopping with the girls?” he asked.

“Yeah, they’re always fun! I was able to buy a few bits I needed too,” you nodded.

“Anything nice?”

“Oh just some christmas presents for my parents and two christmas sweaters,” you shrugged.

“You bought two?” Colton asked, surprised.

“Yeah two new ones, why?” you frowned.

“Baby, you can’t possibly need that many Christmas sweaters. We’ve together 5 years and I haven’t seen you repeat one at all,” Colton mused.

You bit your bottom lip, mildly reluctant to add on to that. Did he really think you only had 5 Christmas sweaters? Colton noticed your hesitation however, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

“You don’t just have 5, do you?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Uh, no,”

“How many?”

“Colton…”

“How many, baby?”

You groaned, closing your eyes briefly. There was a reason you hadn’t told him about the full extent of your christmas sweater collection – it always got the same kind of reaction, even if it was only a few family members who knew.

“15,” you mumbled.

“What?”

“I have 15 christmas sweaters, okay?” you admitted.

Colton’s jaw dropped in shock. And you could tell the shock was genuine, especially with how he fell silent. Fuck. It wasn’t like it was a dirty shameful secret…but it wasn’t exactly something you advertised, for this exact reason. Colton open and closed his mouth a couple of times without saying anything, only making you wince.

“Please say something Colt?” you sighed.

“I just…15?” he said incredulously.

“Yes, 15, okay? One for each of the work christmas sweater days, one for christmas day with my parents, and one for boxing day with my extended family. None of them have ever been repeated,” you explained roughly, folding your arms over your chest.

You couldn’t help but to start getting a little defensive. You knew it was a lot – hell, your family had told you enough – but of all the people to judge you, you hadn’t expected Colton to be one of them.

“Can I asked why you haven’t repeated any?”

You frowned at him, bristling, but Colton just held his hands up in surrender.

“I’m just trying to process, baby,” he mused.

“First you judge me, now you’re making fun of me?” you retorted.

“Never,” he said, shaking his head fondly, “I’ve just never met anyone with 15 christmas sweaters before,”

You sighed, unfolding your arms, trying to relax a little bit. Colton wasn’t being mean - it wasn’t in his nature – so you knew you needed to give him a chance.

“There’s just so many fun designs, I can never choose! Everything from snowflakes to snowman to all the christmas and winter animals. That’s not even counting all the christmas things like gingerbread houses, candy canes, snowy forest scenes, and santa. I just always see new ones I like that I haven’t already got something similar for – and none of them are even the ‘ugly’ sweaters either,” you said softly, “Is that so bad?”

Colton shook his head, smiling sweetly at you, and walked over to stand between your thighs. You didn’t ease up on your frown, but you did slide your arms around his neck, letting him move your bodies close together.

“It’s not bad at all, baby. I promise,” he reassured, pressing a kiss to the top of your head, “a little excessive maybe, but your reasoning is all very cute,”

“Colton,” you whined, tilting your head back to look at him.

Colton just laughed, dipping his head to kiss your lips softly.

“I mean it! I don’t care how many you have – I promise,” he grinned.

You raised an eyebrow at him – seriously, sometimes this man was too good to be true – but smiled softly back at him. If he said he didn’t care, then you would trust that. You had to, right?

“So you bought two today?” he asked.

“Yeah, two. One for me and one for you,” you explained.

“You bought me a christmas sweater?” Colton asked, confused.

“For your team christmas sweater party – they’re matching!” you nodded.

Your wide eyes and exaggerated pout made Colton throw his head back with laughter. You couldn’t stop the way your stomach filled with butterflies at the sound, nor did you want it to stop. Getting that kind of reaction from him was priceless.

“You really are one of a kind, baby,” Colton grinned.

“You don’t want to wear matching sweaters with me?” you shot back, only teasing.

“For you, I will. But I draw the line at full matching outfits,” he warned.

You just laughed as he bopped you lightly on the nose with a finger, earning a crinkle-eyed smile back.

“Oh we can leave the christmas onesies to the Bozak family,” you mused.

As much as it would be cute with Colton…the Bozak kids made it cuter.

“Deal,” Colton nodded.

One day, Colton, one day.

#my writing #31 days of december blurbs #colton parayko #colton parayko blurb #colton parayko fic #colton parayko imagine #hockey imagine

[tippedbykreider]

something just like this | c. parayko

Word count: 14.6k Warnings: Mention of infertility Author’s Note: Colt and Cass are back! There’s been about 1.3k of stuff added to this but everything has remained pretty much the same :) Song title is from ‘Something Just Like This’ by The Chainsmokers Summary: Colton Parayko is no stranger to living life on the road and being away from home, but when a new neighbour moves in to the property next door, Colton comes to learn that perhaps home isn’t a place after all.

Colton Parayko would consider himself to be a lucky man. He had a dream job, he was living in a city that felt like home despite being thousands of miles away from his actual home. He drove a nice car, had a nice house in a good area and his neighbours were some of the kindest people he’d ever had the pleasure of encountering. Sure, there were days where he could kill a man for a Tim Horton’s but had to settle for a Starbucks instead, and those days made a pang of homesickness rear its head in his chest, but they were few and far between and if his biggest gripe was a lack of Tim Horton’s coffee in St Louis, then Colton thought he was doing pretty damn well if he was to say so himself.

He’d been in the city for the better part of five years now and had really found a place where he felt like he could put down roots, or at least for as long as his career would allow. When he’d first moved to the city he’d found himself an apartment right in the heart of Downtown, and while it was exciting and there was never a dull moment, it never really felt like somewhere Colton could see himself long term. He liked to party just like anyone else, but he was happiest when relaxing in his own space with a puzzle or a good book. To some this might seem boring or like he was old before his time but with a life as full on as Colton’s could be, it was a nice change of pace to kick back, relax and unwind. That’s what led him to the house he’d called home for the last couple of years. It was modestly sized but bright and airy and a perfect base for him during the season. The neighbourhood was quiet and filled with a lot of young families and it had that real sense of community that reminded Colton of his hometown back in Canada. He didn’t have to think twice about leaving his number with Laura and Joe or Tom and Martina on either side of him in case of an emergency and he knew that his bins would be taken care of if garbage day fell during one of his stretches on the road.

Things had been the same since he’d moved in and in some ways it seemed like time had stood still in that little corner of St Louis but rather than feeling humdrum and dull, Colton felt like it gave him a safe harbour to come back to during the crazy storm of the hockey season. No matter whatever else was happening in his life, Colton could always rely on the community spirit of his neighbourhood to make him feel like he was at home. But sooner or later, the tides of change sweep in and life as we know it is rearranged, sometimes in small ways, other times beyond all recognition. It started on a Tuesday morning in late-February; it was a rare day off and Colton was locking the front door to his house before heading out on his morning run when he noticed the for-sale sign in the front yard of the house to the right of his. He had no reason for the odd feeling that had sprouted in his stomach and had begun to settle heavily there, but there it was all the same.

He set off down the street at a leisurely jog, casting his mind back to the last conversation he’d had with Tom or Martina to try and remember if they’d mentioned anything to him about them potentially moving elsewhere but he was certain that they hadn’t. He would have remembered something like that, he would. He wasn’t exactly sure why seeing the sign had jarred him so much in the first place because while he was friendly with Tom and Martina and while he had always made sure to buy their son a small gift every Christmas and birthday since moving there, it wasn’t like he would consider himself to be their best friend or anything like that. But even so, Colton always enjoyed hearing Sam play outside on warmer days and he knew that he would miss his raucous laughter, it had reminded him so often of his own niece’s back in St Albert. Perhaps that’s what all this was about, Colton thought, the nostalgia and the sense of normalcy and that feeling of home, but even he understood that all things succumb to the rolling tides of change and that people move on to pastures new. All he could hope was that the new owners were just as nice and friendly as the soon-to-be old ones were.

 It was early April when Colton spotted the removals van parked out on the street and within 48 hours he found himself waving off the Parkers along with the rest of the cul-de-sac. He wondered then who the new owners were, what they were like, whether they had children and hoped beyond hope that they would be willing to help keep an eye on his place while he was either away on the road or back in Alberta. He didn’t give it much more thought after that; the Blues were about to start their playoff campaign and Colton’s mind was firmly fixed on hockey. It was only when he returned home from a two day trip to Minnesota that he noticed a silver Mercedes coupe on the driveway next-door. The neighbourly instinct in him told him to go and introduce himself, but it was getting late and all Colton could think about was getting inside, taking a hot shower and dragging his tired body into bed.

An early practice meant that any semblance of a lie-in was out of the question. He’d decided to forgo breakfast at home in favour of an extra fifteen minutes wrapped up in the warmth of his duvet, figuring that he’d find some time to eat at the rink instead. By 8am he was slipping on his sneakers and heading out the door, a small duffel slung over one shoulder with a travel mug of coffee in his hand and his keys in the other. He was so focused on getting the front door closed and locked without having his bag slip from its precarious perch and spilling his coffee that he didn’t notice his new neighbour going through a similar routine of their own. She had a tan leather satchel balanced on her shoulder and her tote handbag was hooked over the same arm and dangling obnoxiously enough that it was severely impeding her ability to get the front door closed. Colton had just turned to get into his car when he saw her and his eyes immediately went to the comically large travel mug that was being held at an almost dangerous angle while she tried to move the bags out of the path between the door and the frame.

It was a no-brainer for Colton to set his own travel mug down on the roof of his car and cross the distance between the two houses, pocketing his car keys as he went. He couldn’t help the small smile that sparked across his face as her voice came into focus with every step he took.

“Με δουλεύεις? Δεν έχω χρόνο για αυτό! Σκατά στον τάφο σου…”

His brows knitted together in confusion despite the gentle smirk on his lips, stifling a laugh as he approached the porch steps while his new neighbour sighed in pure exasperation, completely unaware of his presence behind her.

“Σάλτα και γαμήσου.”

Colton leaned forward and took the mug, which was now tilted almost horizontally from her efforts, from her hand. She turned her head quickly, a look of surprise on her features that Colton returned with a friendly grin.

“You looked like you were having a bit of trouble there.”

She closed her eyes and offered a small laugh on the exhale of a single breath, the corners of her lips quirking ever so slightly into a hint of a smile.

“Sorry about that,” she said apologetically. “The plan wasn’t to cause a ruckus in the street this morning.”

Colton laughed and offered his hand to take the bags from her which she accepted gratefully, turning and shutting the front door before turning the key in the lock with a sense of finality.

“Sounded like you were really sticking it to that door.” He handed back her bags and waited until she’d pressed the button on her car keys to unlock it before giving her back the mug of coffee, taking in the navy blue pencil skirt suit and the powder blue silk blouse she wore. “You gonna be okay from here?”

“Yeah,” she nodded as she tossed her bags onto the passenger seat and surveyed him with a thankful expression. “Sorry for the theatrics, I just get a little flustered when I think I’m running late, especially on my first day at a new job.”

“Completely understandable,” Colton agreed while nodding sagely. “I’m Colton, by the way.”

“Cassandra,” she replied, offering her hand which he shook. “I’m guessing you live around here?”

“Yep,” Colton pointed to his house, not a stone’s throw away from hers. “Literally just there.”

Cassandra smiled at him, bright and dazzling and a million miles away from the frustrated little grimace she’d had on her face only a few minutes before, as if the incident with the door was already a distant memory.

“Well, it was lucky you came along when you did. Two bags, one of them heavy and a mug full of coffee? Could’ve been messy,” she smirked behind her travel mug as she took a sip, surveying him with chocolate eyes that were keen and warm all at once. “That’ll teach me, huh?”

“Glad to help. Although maybe leave the octopus impression to actual octopuses. Or is octopi? I never know which,” Colton mused, adjusting the strap of his duffel on his shoulder.

“I believe octopuses is the correct plural, grammatically speaking, although I’m not sure they mind either way,” Cassandra contemplated with a bemused smile on her lips before a brief silence fell between them as they surveyed each other with easiness and a gentle intrigue.

She was beautiful, Colton thought, and nothing like any woman he’d ever seen before with her olive skin and hair as dark as her eyes and there was a kind of fire in her belly, of that Colton was sure because in his twenty seven years of life he’d never seen anybody berate an inanimate object with the kind of gusto that she just had, even if he didn’t understand a word of it. He thought it was an odd contrast to the perfect, pristine suit that she was wearing and he found himself wondering just what it was that she did for a living. That thought quickly brought his mind back to the present, remembering that the real world was calling and that they both indeed had to get to their respective jobs, and he made a mental note to ask her about it when they both had a little more time on their hands.

“Well, I uh, I actually gotta shoot for work too but it was really nice meeting you,” Colton announced with what Cassandra interpreted as slight reluctance which she found both intriguing and endearing in equal measure. “And good luck for your first day at work, I hope it goes well for ya.”

“Yeah, you too and uh, thanks again.”

Colton flashed her a toothy grin, one that gave him a boyish kind of charm despite his imposing size, as he replied, warm and genuine, “Anytime.”

Cassandra watched with intrigue as Colton retreated back to his driveway and got into his SUV, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She wasn’t sure what exactly the rest of her day would have in store for her, but as she saw the little wave Colton gave her through the window as he pulled away, she could feel a lightness start to spread in her chest and knew without a shadow of a doubt that the small act of kindness from her new neighbour had salvaged her morning.

 It was four days later when Cassandra saw her neighbour again, an unusually warm Friday afternoon to be exact. It was his car in the driveway that she noticed first on account that it had been missing for the last two days and while she knew nothing of the man that had rescued her Monday other than the fact that his name was Colton, she couldn’t help the involuntary smile that had settled on her lips as she turned into the quiet cul-de-sac and saw the dark grey SUV she’d recognised from the other morning. She wondered just exactly when he’d come home, remembering her earlier observation that it was still missing as she reversed off her own driveway a shade past 8am that morning. It was 2:30pm now and all Cassandra could think about was getting out of her tailored dress and court shoes and into something much more comfortable.

She shut the engine off and climbed out of her car, grabbing her purse as she went; she’d come back for her satchel later. She immediately slipped off her shoes, not caring that she hadn’t even made the short distance up the driveway to the house, and tucked them carefully under her arm while she fished in her purse for her keys. She didn’t notice the tall blonde from next door emerge from his house, nor did she notice the bemused smile he wore while he watched her root around her too-large purse for her house keys and she definitely didn’t notice him set down the bucket of water and sponge he had in his hands before starting to cross the short distance between their houses.

“You need some help there?” he called out with a grin, causing her to jump and drop the shoes under her arm and the purse in her hand with a clatter.

“Ιησούς Χριστός!” She turned then, the slightly startled expression on her face melting into a warm smile and a soft laugh as she took in the large man in front of her, playfully prodding his solid chest as payback for the little fright he’d given her before moving to bend down and pick her belongings up off the floor. Colton was quicker though and before she had a chance to really register what was going on, Colton was handing her back the oversized purse, the black court shoes still in his other hand.

“Now, I’m gonna hazard a guess here and say that those aren’t your size,” she added with a devious little smirk, nodding towards his hand and laughing. Colton took a couple of beats to catch up to what she was saying as his eyes drifted from the easy grin she had on her face to the shoes before his face turned an interesting shade of pink and his free hand moved to rub the back of his neck.

“I just, um, I figured I’d keep a hold of them while you looked for your keys,” he offered.

“Very thoughtful of you. I swear I’m not usually this disorganised,” she said while she resumed her search inside of her purse. “It’s the Friday brain.”

“Rough week?”

“I’ve questioned my life choices exactly seven times this week and considered becoming a stripper but then I remembered that I couldn’t dance and my parents would be extremely disappoin- Aha!” She pulled the keys from out of her purse and put them into the lock. Colton was instantly hit with the sweet smell of summer flowers mixed with a scent that he couldn’t quite place the second her front door swung open but it somehow seemed to fit her, despite him still not really knowing her all that well. He wanted to though, because while she was intriguing and piqued Colton’s interest in all manner of ways, she was also incredibly warm, the kind of warmth that would draw even the most adventurous wayfarer to hearth and home. He wasn’t exactly sure what it was about her that gave her this gentle presence, maybe it was her eyes and how they seemed to hold a kind of sincerity that he couldn’t help but be enchanted by. Perhaps that was the reason why he was still standing holding her shoes in his hand even after she’d crossed the threshold into her home, despite him every intention of using the rare sliver of free time he had to do something productive like wash his car.

She’d finished hanging up her purse and was now back in front of him, surveying him with an easy smile while her hands reached out to gently take the shoes from his hand.

“Do you wanna come in for a drink or something? I bought a new espresso machine the other day and it’s the perfect weather to make iced coffee, although other beverages are also available if you’d prefer something else.”

“Oh I don’t wanna interrupt-“

“You’re not,” Cassandra assured. “I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want to, believe me.”

There was a lightness in her tone that matched her smile and Colton found himself nodding in agreement, the bucket and sponge sat on his porch steps forgotten as he followed her inside and closed the door behind him. Her home had a warmness to it, much like the one Cassandra radiated herself, and Colton couldn’t help but be impressed at just how put together and lived in the space looked, despite it not even being two weeks since he was sure she’d moved in.

“Wow,” he said as he followed her deeper into the house. “You wouldn’t think you’d just moved in here, it took me weeks to unpack.”

Cassandra smiled as she grabbed two glasses from the cupboard while Colton settled himself against the kitchen island.

“I don’t have a lot of stuff really. This place is easily two or three times the size of my old apartment back in New York so once the furniture was in there wasn’t really an awful lot left to unpack. I did go to Pottery Barn on like, my second day here, which I’m not sure I’ll ever financially recover from but those chunky merino wool blankets are like crack to me.”

Colton laughed as he allowed his eyes to go to the blankets in question that were arranged over the back of a cosy looking cream fabric corner sofa. There were scatter cushions that somehow managed to look both homey and perfectly placed and while the whole room screamed French farmhouse vibes that wouldn’t have looked out of place on Pinterest, it never lost the inviting and hospitable charm that hit him as soon as he stepped foot inside. He took in the rest of the décor while Cassandra busied herself with their iced coffee, pushing away from the island to get a closer look at the many photographs arranged on the side tables and walls.

His attention was caught by a particularly large framed picture on the wall above a console table, eyes immediately drawn to the large group of smiling faces staring back at him. There must have been at least forty people in this photograph, he noted, all standing in front of a white villa with shutters that were the colour of the bright sky above them. He found Cassandra easily, her smile even more dazzling than the sun was that day. She was stood between a man and a woman whom Colton could only assume to be her parents. She had the same golden olive skin as her father, he thought, and her eyes bore a remarkable similarity to his in the way they crinkled slightly at the corners when she smiled but her smile itself and the rest of her features? They were all her mother’s and Colton caught himself smiling softly as he traced his gaze over each happy face in the photograph.

“Is this your family?”

Cassandra poked her head around the wall to see what Colton was referring to, laughing softly at the sight of him looking at the picture with a mild sense of wonder resting on his face before going back to finish making their drinks.

“Yeah,” she called from the kitchen.

“That’s a, that’s a real big family you got there.”

“Well,” she started, the amusement and teasing clear in her voice. “I am Greek and if you’ve ever seen that movie with John Corbett and Nia Vardalos you’ll understand exactly what it’s like.”

Colton fired a grin at her as he shook his head gently, “can’t say that I have.”

“I wish I could say that they exaggerated what it’s really like for the purposes of the movie but they really, really didn’t,” she laughed over the sound of the espresso machine. “Although I am glad that the swearing the other morning didn’t tip you off, I was trying to stay incognito so I didn’t have to spend my life listening to people talk to me about how good the gyros are here. The ones you guys sell here? Not traditional Greek gyros and frankly I’m insulted.”

She reappeared with two glasses in her hand, sidling up next to Colton with a brush of her shoulder against his bicep as she nudged into him with a playfulness that he couldn’t help but chuckle at, thanking her as he took one of the glasses from her hands.

“I mean, I thought you looked Mediterranean but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure on what language you were yelling at your door in.”

“Sometimes when I’m frustrated I open my mouth and my baba comes out,” Cassandra shrugged casually from behind her glass as she took a sip. “Those genes run pretty strong. They’re a passionate people, the Greeks.”

“So were you born in Greece and then moved here when you were young, or?” Colton asked, following Cassandra as she moved to the patio door and out onto the deck before settling down in the chair next to her.

“Oh no, I’m a born and raised New Yorker,” Cassandra clarified as she set her glass down on the side table between them.

“Really? I’ve been to New York a few times with work and you don’t have much of an accent, if you don’t mind me saying. I uh I don’t mean it rudely it’s just, there’s usually a distinctive accent there.”

“Ah, they beat accents out of you in Law school,” she grinned as she surveyed him. “It’s not professional sounding apparently. Although it’s probably for the best, if I sounded anything like my mother I’d never be taken seriously in my field.”

Colton nodded, becoming more intrigued by the woman sitting beside him by the second. “So your parents came here from Greece,” he hadn’t meant for it to sound so much like a question but he was eager to hear more.

“My dad did, my mom was actually born in New York but my grandparents emigrated here from Italy so you can just imagine my mom’s accent,” she punctuated her answer with a laugh before continuing. “My Nonna is from Naples and my Nonno was born in Bologna. They met and got married in Italy and then emigrated here when they were in their early twenties, it was all very romantic. Nonno passed away a couple of years ago and Nonna took it pretty hard but she has my mom and aunts and uncles around to take care of her.”

“So your mom’s family-“

“Also massive,” Cassandra laughed. “I say that I came to St Louis for work but really it was for the peace and quiet.”

Colton chuckled with her at that, unable to even imagine the size of her combined family. He wondered if they’d ever all been together in the same room during Cassandra’s lifetime and whether it was as chaotic as he thought it might have been based on Cassandra’s words.

“So family gatherings must be pretty wild, huh?”

“Thankfully most of my dad’s family are all in Greece. My paternal grandparents are really old now so they don’t venture very far, let alone this far but my dad’s siblings have been to visit a couple of times and it’s always, um, interesting when mom’s family visit my parents while dad’s relatives are staying there and when I say ‘interesting’ I mean ‘loud’,” she grinned. “Everyone forgets regular social conventions like waiting for the other person to finish speaking before starting to speak themselves and the concept of an indoor voice.”

Colton let out a noise that was halfway between a laugh and a cough as he stopped the mouthful of coffee he’d just taken from reappearing out of his nose, Cassandra laughing along with him before she offered him an apology and a smile.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to make you inhale your drink there.”

“No,no, it’s okay,” he assured. “It was a good mental image, almost curious to see what that’s like.”

“Well, if you ever feel like subjecting yourself to a headache and my family is in town I’ll let you know,” Cassandra winked as a gentle laugh floated past her lips.

“I appreciate it,” Colton grinned in reply, although he couldn’t help the heat rising in his cheeks at the thought, which was an unusual response in itself, he thought, given that the woman sitting beside him was still really an acquaintance. He paused briefly as the light moment they’d shared settled between them, filling the space with a quietness that was by no means uncomfortable despite it being light-years away from their laughter not moments prior. There was a distinct curiosity there, a desire to know her in the way that friends know each other and it was a curiosity that Colton couldn’t trace the source of. She was his neighbour, yes and neighbours often knew a surface level of information about each other and their lives in a kind of shallow and superficial kind of way, and she’d been kind enough to invite him in for coffee, which was probably about as neighbourly as you could get but there was something else about their interactions that felt like more than being just neighbourly. There was a lightness to them, a playfulness that he couldn’t recall experiencing with any of his other neighbours and that curiosity, that need to keep talking to her and listen to her life story, her likes, her dislikes and everything in between, but he also didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, and so he opted to ask her about something safe, something she’d already offered to him in passing.

“You said you went to Law school? I know you probably get this all the time but you must be pretty smart.”

“Yeah, uh, NYU. Graduated a few years back, took the bar examination and then got a job at a decent firm in Manhattan. It’s just so competitive there, y’know? It felt like I couldn’t ever really get ahead no matter how hard I busted my ass because of just how cutthroat that whole scene is and I was sick to death of feeling like I had to prove myself in an old boy’s club just because I was a female in my mid-twenties with a foreign sounding surname so I thought I’d broaden my horizons a little bit. I looked up some reputable firms across the country, sent a few speculative letters and here I am.”

“I can’t even imagine what that’s like, having to jump over hurdles like that just because you’re a woman with a mixed heritage, like I guess I’ve always been aware of how my privilege has meant I’ve never really had to deal with stuff like that but I just can’t even… You’re one tough cookie, you know that?” Colton turned in his seat so that he was facing her better, his glass cradled within his hands.

“I guess you kind of have to be when you work in law, especially as a woman. I spend most of my days around guys who look for opportunities to turn any situation into a dick measuring competition and who look at you like you’re some incompetent newbie who’s only in that position to fulfil some sort of equality and diversity quota bullshit,” Cassandra sighed heavily, meeting Colton’s eyes as she continued. “Real talk? It feels like I lead a double life every single day. I go to work and it feels like I have to put on a persona just to prove that I belong at the table and that shit is fucking exhausting. That person I am when I’m at work? That’s not the real me but people will see that person and make judgments about her, y’know? They’ll say that I’m ‘difficult’ or that I’m ‘cold’ or ‘standoffish’ when in reality they create an environment that is so toxic for women that they force them to be someone they’re not just to get by.”

Cassandra inhaled deeply, filling her lungs back up with air after her mini-tirade had come out on a whoosh of a breath. She was wearing an almost sheepish look as she surveyed Colton, an apologetic smile gracing her lips before she spoke again.

“Sorry for the rant that you literally didn’t ask for or need.”

“Hey,” Colton replied sincerely. “You don’t need to apologise. Honestly? I’m just in awe that you’ve not let the bullshit stop you, most people would have thrown in the towel and peaced out.”

“It’s definitely better now that I’m not working in New York, like, I know it’s still very early days but all my colleagues are really nice and the few attorneys from other firms I’ve dealt with have all been really respectful. I don’t know, it just feels different here. Don’t get me wrong, I love my city, I love New York but I don’t miss the toxicity of working in practice there.”

“Was it hard? Leaving your family and stuff? I mean, it sounds like you’re all pretty close,” Colton asked.

“So hard,” Cassandra nodded solemnly. “Mom and dad were devastated. Their only daughter moving nearly a thousand miles away? God, I remember their faces when I told them. Mom cried, fuck, I didn’t think she was ever gonna stop.” She paused briefly and Colton felt her sigh settle all through his body as her dark eyes found his. “I don’t know how much you know about Greek and Italian culture but family is everything.”

“I don’t but I kind of know what it’s like,” he spoke softly, hoping that she would pick up on the reassurance he was trying to offer her. “Picking up and starting all over again? Leaving your family behind? I know what that’s like and sometimes, when the summer rolls around and my work is done for the year, I almost don’t wanna go back home because it’s hard. It’s hard to see all the things you’ve missed and it’s hard to leave it all behind again but I wouldn’t ever change that feeling because it’s good to know that you have something you miss that much.”

Cassandra took a few moments to let Colton’s words settle in her chest before asking quietly, “where is home?”

“Canada.”

“Wow, so you’re even further away from home than I am. God, I’m sorry. I invite you in for coffee and pleasant conversation and I turn this into a ‘woe is me’ pity party for myself.”

Cassandra looked down into her glass and Colton felt an unfamiliar pull in his chest. It was as if a cloud had passed in front of the sun and the light had dimmed and everything suddenly felt that little bit colder. He wasn’t sure why he all at once felt compelled to open himself up to her, usually being one for his own company and never extending the hand of close friendship to any of his neighbours before, but there was something about Cassandra and the way that she already felt like a ray of sunshine in his life. If there was a way for him to chase the clouds away, even for just a little while, Colton was going to make sure of it.

“Hey, Cassie?” he started, quickly correcting himself. “Um, can I call you Cassie?”

Cassie looked up from her glass to find him looking at her with a newfound softness and she was struck by how much he reminded her of her ancestral home with the rich, warm sand of his hair and the ocean harboured within his eyes. She smiled then and much like a passing cloud, the sun seemed to come back out with that small quirk of her lips.

“You can.”

Colton set his glass down on the table then and folded his hands together, looking at her with a gentleness that was reflected in his voice as he spoke. “I know I’m not always around. My job it- it takes me away quite a bit but I want you to know that you don’t have to feel like you’re alone here. I know how rough it can be starting over in a new city and if I can help or if you ever wanna just talk or hang out, I’m here for you. You can even have my number, if you want, y’know in case you wanna talk or anything while I’m out of town and I just, I want you to remember that it’s okay to feel homesick sometimes.”

Cassie nodded at that because more than his words and the candour with which he spoke, it was the sincerity in his eyes as he looked at her that made her believe him wholeheartedly.

 Colton’s offer of friendship was one that Cassie had taken him up on and it was a state of being that came naturally to the pair. Cassie had learned about Colton’s job as the number one defenceman for the St Louis Blues during their conversation on her patio and while hockey wasn’t a sport that she professed to be well versed in, she still enjoyed hearing about his training, the games and everything that came with it, and she’d been around the Rangers fans in her family long enough to know that he was pretty big deal given that he was a Stanley Cup Champion. Colton, on the other hand, found himself completely in awe of Cassie’s role as a complex litigation lawyer for one of St Louis’ most prestigious firms, especially knowing a little bit more about her struggles to be seen and work her way up the ladder and while he couldn’t profess to be au fait with how it all worked and what was involved in her line of work and the litigation process, he loved to hear about the cases she was working on and how her work helped others. But above those things, their jobs were ones that kept them both busy and it was during the quieter times, the times that would have had them both seeking the solace of their own company once upon a time, that they would seek out each other.

It had started as cups of coffee and quick catch-ups in the brief respites of their hectic schedules, but had soon evolved into making time for lunches and even dinners shared over bottles of wine, continuing long after Colton’s season had ended before finally pausing around mid-July when he would be heading back North to spend the rest of the summer with his family. It had worked out fortuitously though as Cassie’s caseload had multiplied seemingly overnight and she would find herself working longer days and spending more time at the office than her own home. Colton was concerned of course, as any friend would be, and he would check in often when he knew she was working late. It’s not that Colton thought that she shouldn’t be working more hours, understanding enough about her job and role to know that the final push before a big court date often meant extended working hours to get everything ready, but he wanted to make sure that she was taking care of herself and wasn’t putting herself at risk of burnout.

It was a late-August evening when Colton called at around 7:30, just as he had been doing for the last couple of weeks, knowing that Cass would usually be home from the office by that point with her being an hour ahead in Missouri, even with her later working hours recently. The line rang for a few seconds, longer than it usually took for Cassie to answer him and Colt wondered if he’d maybe caught her taking a shower or making dinner. She answered eventually though, a little breathless sounding and an almost forced calmness in her voice.

“Cassandra Constantinou.”

“Cassie? Hey, it’s Colton. Is uh- is everything okay? Is this a bad time?”

“Colt,” she breathed, voice softening immediately. “Hey. God is that the time already?”

She ran a hand through her dark hair as a tired exhale passed her lips which had Colton furrowing his brow at the other end of the line and while Cass couldn’t see the slight worry that rested on his features, she could hear it in his voice as he spoke.

“Are you alright? You never answer your phone with your full name.”

“Sorry,” she murmured, slumping back into her desk chair. “Still in work mode.”

“Wait, are you still at the office?”

“Yeah,” she grimaced as she took a sip of her long-cold cup of coffee. “The court date for that big case I’ve been working on is in two days and I just need to make sure I’ve got all my ducks in a row. Time got away from me a little bit tonight and I was already behind from putting metaphorical fires out earlier in the day.”

Colton sat up from where he had been laid on his bed, unable to keep the concern out of his voice despite the fact that he didn’t want to come across like he was being overbearing.

“Have you eaten?”

“Lately?” Cassandra replied.

“Cassie-“

“I had lunch around 12:15.”

“Cass, that was 8 hours ago,” Colton chided gently. “You gotta eat, πουλάκι μου.”

Cassandra paused her action of moving papers aimlessly around her desk, a grin sparking at her lips for the first time that day and catching like kindling until it had spread the full width of her face and all the way up to her eyes.

“Did you just- have you been googling Greek pet names, Colton Parayko?”

Her tone was light and bright and Colton could feel her smile through the phone, feel the way it crawled through his skin and settled in his bones like a welcome ray of sunshine on a cold day.

“I-I,” Colton was flushing beet red and he was thankful that Cassie couldn’t see him in this moment because the redness in his face was quickly spreading to the tops of his ears. “I’ve been trying to learn Greek.”

“Oh yeah?” Cassie grinned with equal parts mischief and glee, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her desk. “Look, if you wanna learn how to swear at guys on the other team, you might not wanna call them ‘my little bird’, you totally could’ve just asked me if you were wanting to learn some Greek phrases. I can teach you all the good insults.”

“That’s not,” Colton sighed in mild exasperation, although inwardly pleased that this had provided Cassie with a much needed distraction from the stress of her work. “I just wanted to surprise you.”

Cassie’s grin softened immediately and she didn’t miss the way her heart constricted ever so slightly either. Her tone shifted to something much gentler and a world away from her playful teasing not a moment ago.

“Well, consider me surprised.”

“You don’t mind, do you?” Colton asked after a pregnant pause.

“Not at all. I think it’s actually really sweet and thoughtful.”

A silence descended between the pair but it wasn’t one that was uncomfortable, instead it allowed the seed that had been buried deep in Cassie’s chest since the day Colton had gone back to Canada to sprout and it was in that moment that she found herself really missing him. She missed him for a lot of reasons, some she could rattle off like how he looked out for her and made sure that she was taking care of herself, and others she wouldn’t understand fully until later. It was as if Colton could hear that quiet call of her heart in that moment where she found herself wishing that he was back in St Louis because he broke the silence with the words Cass had been longing to hear for weeks.

“So I’m coming back at the end of next week and I was hoping you would be free to hang out.”

“That would be amazing,” Cassie’s voice was rich through the phone with her smile and Colton couldn’t help the slight flutter in his chest when he thought about how pretty she looked when she smiled in the way he was imagining her to be.

“Yeah? I figured I’d come back a couple of weeks early before training camp because… well because I’ve really missed hanging out with you.”

“I’ve missed you too, Colt.”

Colton didn’t miss Cassie’s choice of words and had to fight to resist the urge to analyse them for anything other than what they were. She said it though, not just that she missed hanging out with him, but that she missed him and she had meant it too. She had missed him, more than she thought she ever would and maybe more than friends should miss friends, and despite it being the height of summer, Cass felt like she’d been living under a grey cloud since Colton had left for Canada. It should have rattled her with how easy it had been for Colton to become a part of her life, especially when she had been so used to her own company. It had been the same since she graduated law school – she would work, often long hours as was expected of new associates trying to find their footing in a firm, she would come home tired, she would eat, shower and sleep before getting up and doing it all over again. Any free time was spent either catching up on all the things she didn’t have time to do during her working week or with her family, knowing her parents and grandmother well enough to know that if she didn’t surface frequently there would be a freak-out of epic proportions. Since moving to St Louis though? Cass’s life had changed completely and in ways she never thought possible.

Work was still stressful, yes, but for the first time in a long time she felt valued and appreciated and she was on course for partnership if things kept going the way they were; but more than that, she felt a sense of fulfilment that extended beyond her career. Being friends with Colt was easy and it was as if the two of them had an unspoken mutual understanding of what they needed from each other and their friendship. Cassie understood the pressures of Colton’s job, just as he understood the stresses of hers and it was that awareness of each other and their lives that had allowed their friendship to blossom so easily. That time spent with each other, whether on Cassie’s back patio or curled up on Colton’s couch, was what they both needed to re-center and reset. Sure, they would talk about work but it was always kept brief because neither felt the need to discuss it in great detail, they both knew what it was like for them and they both knew that their time together was an escape from all of that. Some nights they’d sit in companionable silence with nothing more than soft music in the background, others they would talk and talk about everything and anything. But as the weeks had progressed, they found themselves saying goodnight to each other later and later and that hint of reluctance would creep in in the form of a too-long hug or a lingering look. It felt natural though, and good and right, and so it was incredibly easy to make firm plans for when Colton came back to the city.

The end of the work week brought about a successful conclusion to the case that had consumed so much of Cassie’s time and with the resolution that she’d worked so hard for came vast amounts of praise from her bosses and a lighter work load the following week. They’d even gone so far as giving Cassie the Friday off for her efforts but there were a couple of loose ends that needed tying up and so, despite their gentle protests and their best efforts to get her to stay home, Cassie found herself at her desk that Friday morning. As lunchtime approached and all loose ends were sufficiently tied, Cass turned her computer off for the final time that week and said her goodbyes as she headed out of the office. She’d use the afternoon to spruce her house ready for Colton coming over once he was back from the airport and she’d resolved to give her parents a quick Skype after receiving a string of text messages from her mother, with the last one being a threat to fly down to St Louis if she didn’t hear from her soon.

The baking late-August heat had Cass tearing off her pencil skirt and blouse no sooner had she stepped into her house. She cursed as she hopped down the hallway in her heeled pumps, the grey fabric of her skirt bunched around her knees while her clammy hands fumbled with the tiny buttons on the crepe silk blouse.

“Γαμώτο!” she exclaimed as she came dangerously close to slipping on the rug in her hallway and face-planting the floor. “ηλίθιο χαλί.”

She kicked off the shoes that had almost been successful in making her the proud owner of a broken neck and pulled her skirt down her calves, stepping out of it before pulling her half unbuttoned blouse over her head and tossing the discarded clothing into the hamper in the laundry room. She rooted through the shamefully full basket of clean clothing that sat upon the counter top until she found the loose cotton maxi-dress she was looking for.

After indulging in a cool glass of ice-tea, Cass set about tidying the house - not that there was much to do, but growing up in a family full of house-proud women meant that not a single cushion could be out of place if company was coming over, especially if that company was of the male variety (not that she’d ever share that bit of information with her mother). After all, as her Nonna Gioia would say: “a ogni uccello il suo nido è bello,” and even Cassie could appreciate that a beautiful nest was indeed a tidy nest.

It was close to 3pm by the time Cassie settled down on her couch with her laptop, the temperature inside the house much more comfortable with the whisper of a breeze coming through the wide-open patio door. She balanced her computer on the arm of the sofa as she started the Skype call to her parents, her mother’s voice the first thing she heard, even before the video had loaded and before Cass had the chance to say ‘hello’.

“Mamma mia, Cassandra! We thought you’d dropped off the face of the earth!”

“Hi, mom,” Cass smirked. “How’re you?”

“Not funny, il mio passerotta.”

Cassie watched as her mother inched closer to the screen with narrowed eyes, already expecting the next words that came out of her mouth.

“You’re looking thin in the face. Are you eating? Are you sick?”

“No, mama, I’m not sick and yes, I’m eating,” Cassandra replied with as much conviction as she could muster in order to appease her mother, her effort falling short with her mother’s next line of questioning.

“What are you eating?”

“Giovanna,“ Cassie’s father interrupted.

“Look at her, Hector! She’s all skin and bone! Don’t you want to know what she’s been eating? She could be living off celery for all we know! When was the last time you had a proper meal? You’re not doing one of those ridiculous diets are you? They’re no good for you, Cassandra, there’s nothing wrong with a woman having a bit of meat on her bones.”

“I’m fine, mama,” Cassie sighed, keen to steer the conversation away from herself. “How is everyone? Nonna okay?”

“Yes, yes, we’re all fine here. You should call your Nonna though, she misses that pretty face of yours.”

“I’ll call her tomorrow and arrange to Skype next weekend, give her chance to get someone to set things up for her.”

Conversation quickly turned to the family happenings back in New York, much to Cass’s relief. Her father had been incredibly busy with work, she’d learned and he’d finally got around to buying himself a new record player after Cass had spent the better part of four months trying to convince him that there was no salvaging the old one. After half an hour or so of catching up, Cass felt a mild sense of relief wash over her at the sudden realisation that she’d managed to get through any amount of time talking to her parents without the subject of her love-life being brought up.

“Oh, your cousin Antonio had a date with a very lovely girl last week. She’s a hairdresser, such a good girl.”

Ah, fuck.

“Really, mama?” Cass said indifferently, praying to whoever was listening that she wouldn’t follow that up with anything. “Good for him.”

“You know,” her father began, looking over his glasses at her. “If you didn’t work so much then maybe you’d have time to find yourself a man.”

“Baba,” Cass warned gently.

“Your father’s right, Cassandra,” Giovanna gently scolded. “You’re a beautiful girl, why haven’t you found a nice boy yet? You’re too young to be a spinster.”

“Exactly, mama,” Cassandra replied calmly. “I’m too young to be a spinster. I’m working hard to get where I want to be in my career. There’s plenty of time for all the other stuff. Didn’t you tell me to work hard at my job and do well for myself?”

“Well, yes, but I don’t want to be an old Nonna. I want to be able to run after my grandbabies and I’m not getting any younger.”

Cassandra opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the sound of her front door opening and then closing with a soft click.

“Cass?”

Cassandra’s face flashed with a gentle confusion as she checked the watch on her wrist before contorting into mild horror at the sound of Colton calling her name again, louder this time – loud enough that it carried through the microphone and out through the speakers of her parents’ computer judging by the gleeful expression on their faces.

“Is that a man?” her mother said excitedly. “I heard a man’s voice. Who is he? Why is he letting himself into your house? Is he your boyfriend?! Why didn’t you tell us you had a boyfriend?!”

Colton appeared in the living room, a sheepish look on his face as he spoke.

“Sorry, is this a bad time? I caught an earlier flight and wanted to surprise you.”

“Cassandra Giulia Constantinou, you’d better answer me this second!”

Cass winced at her mother’s voice and threw Colton a glance that she hoped would tell him to run far, far away before her parents started making demands that would make Colton want the ground to swallow him up, demands that she was sure would make their friendship incredibly awkward.

“Bring him in,” her father asserted. “Let me get a good look at him, make sure he’s good enough for you.”

“Baba,” that warning tone was back in Cassandra’s tone and there was a look in her eyes that Colton found adorable but knew better than to make a comment describing it as such.

Whether or not his next move was against his better judgment would remain to be seen but Colton found himself coming deeper into the living room and sitting down on the couch next to Cass, Giovanna audibly gasping as he did so while Hector removed his glasses and surveyed the large man sitting next to his daughter.

“He’s very pale, does he not go outside? Is he sick?” Hector remarked. “It doesn’t snow in St Louis, does it? You’d lose him in a blizzard.”

“Ooooh, Cassandra. Isn’t he tall? And so broad!”

Cassie gave Colton, who had turned an interesting shade of crimson she’d never before seen, an apologetic smile before turning her attention back to her parents.

“Okay, could we try maybe not weirding my friend out? ‘kay, thanks and Jesus Christ, dad, you can’t just say stuff like that to people, I don’t even know where to start with how inappropriate that is.”

“I thought my tan was pretty good this year,” Colton muttered loudly enough that only Cassandra heard him and she had to fight with every bit of self-restraint she had to keep a straight face.

“So, young man,” Hector was speaking again; those eyes that were so remarkably like Cassandra’s were keen on Colton and Cass knew that she wasn’t going to like what was about to come out of her father’s mouth. “What is it that you do? Cassandra is a very bright girl and she shouldn’t be settling for just anybody. She deserves only the very best. Tell me why you think you’re good enough to date my daughter-“

“Okay, that’s it,” Cassandra interrupted, her tone sharper than Colton had ever heard it before. “αυτό είναι απαράδεκτο. δεν τον ανακρίνεις έτσι! είναι φίλος μου και είσαι πολύ αγενής!”

“Cassandra,” her father tried but he was immediately cut off by her once more.

“είμαστε φίλοι και τίποτα άλλο. σταμάτα να με πιέζεις να παντρευτώ” Cassandra paused for a second, as if to catch her breath from whatever tirade she’d given her parents that Colton could only begin to imagine before she spoke again, in English this time. “Now, if you don’t mind, Colton here has just got home from travelling and we have plans. I’ll call you again on Sunday.”

Whatever Cass had said to them must have worked, Colton thought, because their responses were much more subdued and they said their goodbyes rather quickly, Cassie closing her laptop with more force than was necessary and with a long exhale of breath that flared her nostrils.

“I am so sorry,” she started, her eyes apologetic as she surveyed him with a slight crease in her brow that made Colton’s heart tug in his chest.

“Hey, it’s okay. I shoulda-“ he rubbed his large hand over the back of his neck as he spoke softly. “I shoulda called ahead or something. Or knocked. Literally could’ve done a thousand things differently. Sorry for putting you in a spot there.”

“No, no, you’re fine. It’s just them. They mean well but fuck.”

Colton reached across and squeezed her hand gently, the touch managing to warm Cassie’s skin even on a day as hot as that one.

“Y’know,” he began, his tone light with a hint of teasing. “You’re terrifying when you’re pissed and start talking in Greek.”

He grinned as Cassie barked out a laugh, her head thrown back in that carefree way that made his stomach do backflips and her dark eyes sparkled behind her long lashes as she looked at him with a beaming smile, the annoyance that had rested on her features melting away into nothingness.

“Yeah? You’d do well to remember that, Parayko.”

“I wouldn’t dream of fighting you,” he quipped. “You’d kick my ass.”

There was a pregnant pause before Colton spoke again, unsure whether or not to say the words that sat heavily on the tip of his tongue. It was the gentle look in Cassie’s eyes, the smile that still graced her lips as she surveyed him easily and the way her thumb had taken to absentmindedly stroking the back of his hand that spurred him on, sure as he was that he could always be candid with her.

“What um, what did you say to them? I’ve never seen two grown adults look so timid after a telling off.”

Cassie chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, chewing over the words in her mind before she spoke them quietly, her eyes resting on Colton’s hand in hers.

“They just have this thing about me settling down and I get it, I’m their only child, I’m approaching thirty and they want grandkids. Remember how I said that family was really important to Greeks and Italians?”

Colton nodded, his eyes soft on her while he waited for her to continue.

“And every time we talk it’s ‘your cousin is seeing this girl’ or ‘the oldest Maloney girl is pregnant, isn’t that nice?’ and it is nice, it is, like, good for them, y’know? And I know my parents wanted a big family and I can’t even imagine how that must have felt, being told after the birth of your first child that she’d be your only child when they had all these plans to have lots of babies and have a big family. I want to make them happy and give them the grandkids they’d always dreamed they’d have, I do, but I’m not there yet, maybe sometime in the future but it has to be right. It has to be.”

She paused then, the rich earth of her eyes finding the summer skies of his and felt a flicker of a flame stir within her chest at how easy it was to just be like this with him, to be open and honest without fear of him somehow using that vulnerability against her. It was liberating and terrifying and everything Cassandra ever dreamed it would be when she eventually found someone she was comfortable sharing this part of her life with, that vulnerability and intimacy that was often so hard to show because of her line of work. But Colton was good and sweet with a pure heart and purer intentions and so she didn’t need to think twice about sharing this part of herself and what she’d said to her parents with him.

“I told them that they were out of line, that they can’t interrogate you like that and that their behaviour was incredibly rude. I told them that we were just friends and that they needed to stop pushing me to get married.”

Cassandra could’ve sworn that Colton’s expression had deflated slightly at the mention of their relationship status but before she’d even had the chance to process it, Colton had fixed his features back to the easy and gentle expression he usually wore around her.

“They just really care about you, y’know?” Colton said quietly after a brief moment of silence. “They want you to be happy.”

“I am happy,” Cassandra assured and Colton couldn’t help but wonder if the conviction in her voice was for his or her own benefit. “I am. Moving here has been the best thing. Work is awesome, I have a house that I could only have ever dreamed of being able to afford in New York.” She paused again, making sure that she had Colton’s eyes on her before she dropped the volume of her voice to just above a whisper, “and I met you. How could I not be happy?”

Colton smiled, not big and bright, but soft and warm and filled with a tenderness that teetered on the edge of crossing the line of friendship. Here in front of him was someone he would have never imagined would become a good friend in the relatively short time they’d known each other, his best friend in fact and now that she was here, in his life and in his heart, he wondered how he’d ever lived a life without her because with Cassandra, nothing was ever forced and she gave him a strange feeling of freedom that he’d never had before. It was that kind of ease that makes the stresses of life fall away and whenever he was with her it felt like they could be the only two people on earth. She knew when he was struggling with the stresses of his job without him ever needing to say it out loud, just like he would know when she was under pressure with her own work but more than any words of encouragement they could give to each other to alleviate the stresses and burdens of life, it was that peaceful, secure feeling between them, that came so effortlessly, that pulled them towards each other like planets to a sun. It was then, in that moment, that Colton began to understand that maybe home wasn’t a place at all, it was a feeling. It was something that you miss when you’re without it and Colton could say with completely certainty that he’d missed Cassie.

Cassie and Colton would see each other almost every day over the course of weeks that followed. Even with the start of training camp, Colton found himself home every evening and Cassie’s work schedule had eased somewhat, meaning that she was often escaping the office at 5:30 on the dot. They would spend those precious few hours before sleep called them to their respective beds together, talking over dinner with a bottle of wine open between them before eventually retiring to the couch. Sometimes they’d find themselves talking all night, with the TV in the background forgotten about, others they’d watch something easy together (which led to Colton discovering that he really enjoyed Bake Off, much to Cassie’s delight) but their favourite nights together, or at least for Colton anyway, were the nights where they would share their favourite music with each other. Colton had admittedly not been much of a music enthusiast. Sure, he enjoyed listening to it just as much as the next person, but he would be the first person to confess that his listening never really extended beyond the radio. The same couldn’t be said for Cassie.

Much like her father, Cassie was the proud owner of an old record player that had been lovingly refurbished. If asked about it, she’d preface her love of the item by saying that it was probably the most extravagant purchase she’d ever made, but she would also make no hesitation in saying that there was just something about listening to Etta James or Billie Holliday on vinyl that digital versions just couldn’t hold a candle to. Colton loved that Cassie’s music preferences had been influenced by her family, he loved hearing about how her father had fallen in love with Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin when he first came to America at the tender age of 21, he loved hearing about how Cass’s father would purchase a new vinyl with every pay-check, something that had started when he first started earning money as a carpenter and handyman and still continued to this day. He loved how Cass could recall, with complete clarity, the way she would sit on the rug in front of the record player as a child while she watched her father unwrap the vinyl, filled with both excitement and anticipation at what wonderful music was held on the black disc in his hands. Colton learned that music had been such a prominent and important part of her childhood, whether it was listening to her father’s music collection with him and telling him about new artists to try or weekends spent at her Nonna and Nonno’s house filled with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. All of those songs had touched her life in some way and with each story Colton couldn’t help but feel thankful and grateful to see inside the heart that brought him such peace and happiness without even realising.

All too soon though, the season had started once more and once again Colton found himself on the road. This time it felt different though. Instead of the usual indifference he would feel about being away from the comforts of home, he felt an ache that had started in his chest and settled all through his bones. It wasn’t homesickness, at least not in the traditional sense of the word, because it wasn’t his house that Colton missed, it was the person that made him feel like he was home. It was the person who had taken the time to make him a Spotify playlist to listen to while he was travelling, that playlist that he couldn’t help but have on repeat because during those moments that the music filled his ears and filled his soul like sand in an hourglass, he was back in St Louis on her patio with her, drinking wine and laughing together with that same music filtering through the sliding doors. It was easy, in those moments where he would be on the plane with his headphones and that playlist on, to close his eyes and imagine the way her rich laughter crawls all the way through his skin and warms his heart like a shot of whisky on a winter’s day.

Cassie hadn’t really noticed just how much a part of her life Colton was until his schedule was pulling him out of the city and she found herself alone again during the evenings. She also found herself, in those moments, picking up the television remote and tuning in to Blues games, even going so far as reaching out to her cousins back in New York to pick their brains about the finer details of hockey, citing her sudden interest in the sport as a new hobby on account of her not wanting to throw Colton into the lion’s den. She’d made sure to test her newfound knowledge on Colton during their phone calls while he was away (which impressed him to no end) and had made a promise to come and watch him play his next game at Enterprise Center. It was that promise that had Colton wrapping up a blue jersey, with his name and number on, in pretty floral paper, going so far as adding a length of ribbon tied in a little bow on top, even if it did look a little droopy by virtue of his large hands and less than nimble fingers.

Colton was tired. A tough stretch of road-games had his body aching in ways that would ordinarily have him crawling into bed and not resurfacing until practice obligations demanded it, but it’d been almost a week since he’d seen Cassie and the promise of her company, a home-cooked meal and all the wine he could manage was something he wouldn’t dream of resisting. He had taken a quick shower once getting home before changing into a pair of jeans and a soft-knit sweater, making sure to grab the wrapped jersey and the small bouquet of flowers he’d picked up on his way back from the airport. He was a little early but he’d learned from experience that Cassie wouldn’t mind. He would simply make sure that she had a full wine glass and offer to help in the kitchen.

He let himself in as normal, the beautiful smell of rich tomatoes and herbs hitting him immediately and sparking a wide smile on his face. He didn’t speak immediately, the volume of the music she had on loud enough for him to know she wouldn’t hear him, but instead slipped off his sneakers and moved further into the house.

“Hai usato capperi?”

The voice that came from the kitchen belonged to an older woman and Colton found himself wondering if he’d missed something during his earlier conversation with Cass. He was sure she hadn’t mentioned having extra company but he had been picking up flowers for her at the time and it was entirely possible that he could have missed that small detail in the process.

“Non è una vera puttanesca se non usi i capperi. Me lo hai insegnato tu.”

Colton paused in the archway, his eyes falling to Cassie in the kitchen while his heart swelled to ten times its normal size at the sight in front of him. There was no one else there with her, only her iPad on a stand resting on top of the counter. It took a moment for Colton to realise that the voice was in fact coming from the device when he heard the older woman begin to speak again.

“Dimmi di più su questo ragazzo che ti piace”

Cassie laughed at whatever the older woman had said before replying, “Ti ho già parlato di lui, nonna.”

‘Ah,’ Colton thought. ‘This is the word famous Nonna.”

“Bene, dimmelo di nuovo!’ her grandmother chuckled. ‘Sono una vecchia signora e la mia memoria è terribile”.

If you asked him about this particular night at a later date, Colton wasn’t entirely sure how long he had stood there listening to Cassandra talk with her grandmother while her hands worked the pasta dough she had been making, but he would tell you that it was long enough for him realise what had been in his heart for a while. Because somewhere in between Cassie talking and laughing with her grandmother and their spirited rendition of the number he recognised as being Dean Martin that was playing loud enough through Cassie’s record player for her Nonna to hear, Colton understood what that recent feeling of homesickness had been. It wasn’t homesickness at all, it was love.

He wasn’t sure why the sight of Cass kneading pasta dough while Facetiming her grandma had made the penny suddenly drop for him. Perhaps it was the fact he could feel every bit of the love that this girl had for her Nonna, much like the love she had for every member of her family. Perhaps it was the fact that she had taken time out of her day to spend time listening to old jazz records with her grandmother just like she had when she was a child. Perhaps it was the fact that the woman in front of him was beautiful and intelligent and so unbelievably kind. But the truth and reality of it was that it was all of those things and above everything else, it was the peace and sense of belonging he felt whenever he was with her. It was having someone to be proud of and be proud of him in return and it was having someone to miss, having someone in his life who makes saying goodbye so hard. Cassie was all of those things and deep down Colton knew that he was those things for her too.

His feet must have heard the call from his heart that his head had not because before he could catch himself he was right behind her with his hand on her lower back, gentle and soft. She jumped slightly at the contact, not expecting him to be in her house for another twenty minutes.

“Sorry,” he laughed quietly before pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. “I figured I’d come over early and help but this all looks a little out of my ability range.”

“Guests don’t help the cook. Guests sit at the island, drink alcohol and mock those who are doing the cooking. Those are the rules” she grinned in reply.

“Mamma mia, Cassandra, cioè un bel giovanotto!”

Colton wasn’t entirely sure what Cassandra’s grandmother had said but whatever it was had Cassie groaning slightly and, unbeknownst to him, her face burning white hot.

“OK, ora riattacco il telefono,” Cassie groaned causing her Nonna to cackle wildly.

“Dagli un bacio per me!”

“Sei una cattiva signora,” Cassandra grinned before the pair said their goodbyes and she was closing the case on her iPad.

Cassie’s attention then turned to Colton who was leaning casually against the counter with an easy grin playing on his lips.

“So that was Nonna?” he asked.

“Yeah, that was Nonna,” Cassied laughed softly. “She was just checking in to make sure I wasn’t desecrating her spaghetti alla puttanesca recipe.”

“And were you?”

“Are you nuts? Do you know how angry Italians get when you don’t make their recipes properly? You might as well set fire to the flag.”

Colton barked a laugh at that, an impish little smirk on his face as he asked, “So cream in a carbonara would be a ‘no’?”

Cassie’s hands, which were rolling the dough ready for the pasta machine, stopped dead in their tracks, a look of abject horror on her face as she looked at Colton.

“Don’t even joke.”

“That’s one for the book then,” Colton grinned, referring to the little notebook sitting on his kitchen countertop that held all of his little tips and reminders he’d learned when it came to cooking, which Cassie found to be both hilarious and endearing in equal measure. “So your Nonna is okay?”

“Yeah,” Cass replied as she fed the pasta dough through the machine. “She said you were very handsome which is high praise indeed because unless it’s Dean Martin, Nonna doesn’t wanna know.”

Colton chuckled as he pushed away from the counter to fix them both a glass of wine.

“Your Nonna has good taste,” he smirked as he set Cassie’s full glass down beside her. “And what about you? Do you think I’m handsome?”

Cassie’s only reply was to suck air in through her teeth before giggling mischievously at the mock hurt on Colton’s face while his hand clutched at his chest.

“You’re wicked, you know that?”

“I get that from my Nonna too,” she laughed.

With Colton’s help, dinner was promptly served and Cassie asked Colton all about his recent trip while they ate. The first bottle of Barbera was soon empty and the pair were well on their way with the second one by the time their plates were clean of their food. Colton insisted on clearing the dishes away and loading them into the dishwasher, despite Cassie’s protests and soon enough they were both curled up on her couch with the glass pyrex dish Cass had used to make her tiramisu in and two spoons. The rest of the evening was spent in easy conversation, Cassie pressed into Colton’s side while his arm wrapped around her shoulders and held her against him. He couldn’t help the way his nose found the soft chocolate strands of her hair where her head rested heavily on his shoulder. They had been sitting in companionable silence for a while, with nothing but the smooth voice of Norah Jones filling the space between them but neither felt the need to speak, not because they didn’t have anything to say, but because there were no words that needed to be spoken, both content to just be there in that moment together.

That’s how it had been all along though, Cassandra thought as she listened to the steady beat of Colton’s heart beneath his strong chest. They had always been comfortable with just basking in the presence of each other, where nothing was forced or artificial. Every part of their relationship, from the moment Colton came to her rescue on the morning of her first day at work, to being in this moment with him now, felt natural and organic. It was easy to let him in and easier to open her heart and her life up to him and it was a trust that Colton gave back to her in spades. Cassie wasn’t sure if she really knew what love was, not having much of a positive experience of it herself and only having her parents’ and grandparents’ relationships to go off, but she believed that it had to be something just like this.

She wasn’t sure at what point she’d fallen asleep and she certainly wasn’t sure at what point she’d laid down with her head in his lap, but it was Colton’s gentle voice and the feeling of his fingers lightly carding through her hair that pulled her from the dream she was having, the memory of it slipping quickly away from her as she passed into the waking world.

“Cass? It’s almost midnight, πουλάκι μου… I gotta head home.”

He smiled softly as Cassie groaned while her eyes fluttered open slowly.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” she mumbled, the last little remnants of sleep still clinging to her voice.

“It’s okay, babe. I wish I didn’t have to go but I have some stuff that I need to do in the morning before practice.”

“Yeah,” Cass croaked as she sat up and moved so that Colton could stand. “Yeah, of course.”

She followed him out of the living area and down the hall to the front door, her eyes drifting immediately to the small bouquet of flowers and gift-wrapped package that sat on her console table.

“Colt?”

Colton followed her gaze to the gifts he’d brought with him.

“Ah shit, I completely forgot I’d even brought these. I heard voices when I let myself in and I guess I just got distracted.”

“You bought me flowers?” she asked as she picked the blooms up, smiling softly at the spray of freesias, peonies and baby’s breath before picking up the wrapped gift. “And what’s this?”

“Just a little something for when you come to the game,” Colton grinned as he slipped on his shoes before turning to face Cassie.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know,” Colton said softly, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. “But I wanted to.”

There was a brief pause before Colton leaned in and placed a chaste kiss to Cassie’s cheek, his smile warm and gentle as he pulled back and with a tone to match while he spoke.

“If you’re home tomorrow afternoon I’ll come over with coffee and pastries after practice.”

With Cassie’s agreement plans were made for the following day and Colton said his goodnight before heading back home, already missing her despite only being next door. As Colton got himself ready for bed he let himself think about Cass and the way he felt whenever he was with her. She gave him the safe space to just be and that was something Colton wasn’t sure he would ever have the words to thank her for. He’d dated enough since going professional to know that not all women were genuine and that in itself made it hard for him to find a meaningful connection, but things were different with Cassie. She had her own life, was successful in her own right and didn’t care about who he was or what he did for a living. Instead, she was supportive and listened to what he was telling her, really telling her, and she always seemed to know what to say and, most importantly, when to say it because for all Colton was always open to hear someone else’s perspective, there were times where he just needed to he heard.

Cassie not only gave him that but so many other things too. She was bright and witty, thoughtful and patient, kind and generous but above all of her wonderful qualities, she’d been an incredible friend to Colton. That friendship was one that he cherished and he knew it was something she cherished too, but rather than be rattled by the idea of that friendship potentially becoming something else, Colton embraced it because it was only what he knew to already be true between them. Their friendship had laid the foundations for them to build something truly wonderful and Colton knew that he was ready to take that leap, but more importantly, he knew that he’d be taking that leap with an amazing woman by his side, and so, as he climbed into bed and settled his head against the pillow, he resolved to tell her his truth when he saw her the following afternoon.

It was a little after 2pm when Cassie opened the door to Colton, the promised coffee and pastries clutched in his hands which she gratefully took from him as she invited him inside. She arranged the baked goods on a plate while Colton poured their coffees into mugs and shortly after they were settled on Cassie’s couch with her sat cross legged facing him and her back against the arm.

“How was practice this morning?” she asked after swallowing her first sip of coffee, a gentle look on her face as she surveyed Colton.

“Yeah, it was good. Coach worked us hard but it wasn’t too bad.”

“Good,” Cassie hummed from behind her mug, eyes narrowing slightly at the way Colton was cradling his mug with his brow slightly furrowed. “Is everything okay with you? You seem a little distracted.”

“I um, I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Colton replied as he set his mug down on the coffee table and turned his body to face her better. “About last night.”

Cassie set her own mug down, giving Colton her complete and undivided attention. She didn’t say anything else, instead giving him the time and space to get his thoughts in order and say what he needed to say.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever really told you just how thankful I am to have you in my life.”

“You might have mentioned it once or twice, yeah,” Cassie grinned, causing Colton to laugh softly and some of that tension he was carrying in his shoulders to melt away.

“Well I am,” he replied, tone filled with sincerity. “But I’ve been feeling like something has changed between us and I think it started not long after I’d gone home to Canada.”

Cassie exhaled and chewed on her lower lip slowly, not entirely sure where he was going with this but unable to stop the little pit of dread from opening up in her stomach. She didn’t speak though and so Colton continued.

“I missed you, more than words can say really and while I loved going home and seeing my family, there was a big part of me that couldn’t wait to get back to St Louis and for no other reason than because you were in St Louis and I realised then, that home is wherever it is that you are. Then last night, coming in here and seeing you talking and laughing with your Nonna, God, you’ve never been more perfect to me because all I could see was that love and passion that you have for your family and fuck, Cass, I wanna be a part of that. I want to be a part of your world. We’ve not been just friends for a while and I know that it’s because I’ve loved you for a while, last night just kind of confirmed to me what I already knew deep down.”

“Are you done?” Cassie asked with a straight face and Colton looked at her a little stunned before nodding apprehensively.

It took precisely 1.7 seconds for Cassie to close the distance between her and Colton and crash her lips against his, and another .5 of a second for Colton to catch up and move his hand to cup the back of her head while he kissed her back. They stayed that way for a few moments, their lips moving slowly together in perfect harmony as Cassie manoeuvred herself into Colton’s lap while her fingers busied themselves in his hair, long-overdue for a haircut but Cass found to be a look that suited him along with the short beard he’d grown.

She pulled away only once her lungs had begun their gentle protest for breath before pressing another, quicker kiss to his lips, Colton’s brow quirking as she devolved into giggles.

“What’s tickled you?”

“Nothing,” she grinned. “Just that second one was from Nonna. She told me to give you one from her.”

Colton couldn’t help but laugh at that and found himself wearing a grin to match Cassie’s, still smiling even as their lips met once more.

“God, I can’t wait to meet her, all of your family, actually.”

“You, Colton Parayko, are either incredibly brave or certifiably insane,” Cassie teased as she carded her fingers through his hair, the smile still bright on her face. “It’s a lot, you think you can handle it?”

“I know I can,” he replied, all cocky and confident with a sparkle in his eyes that reminded Cassie of the way the sun kisses the Mediterranean on a summer’s day.

“Good,” she grinned with that bright and beautiful smile that Colton loved so much. “Because one of the perks of loving me is that you inherit a weird, obnoxious family who will drive you completely crazy but who are the most generous and wonderful people you will ever meet.”

“I do love you,” Colton said, his tone soft and a million miles away from what it was not a moment ago. “And I want this, I want you and everything that comes with that because this? Us? It’s perfect and it’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

Cassie kissed him, slow and sure and soft while her hands moved from their home in his hair to cup his face while her thumbs swept along the scruff at his jaw. It was a featherlight, her touch, but Colton felt it spread all through his skin until it had filled every single corner of his body and had him feeling both grounded and weightless all at once. He pulled back a shade to look into her eyes, those brown eyes of hers that held all the warmth of an everlasting hearth, as if they were the wood that could burn with golden flames and yet be forever perfectly entire. In those earthly hues was his soul, those eyes that were filled to the brim with the kind of beauty that expands a moment into a personal eternity, a heaven he wished to always be a part of. So lost in that astral plain as he was, he almost missed her words, but they were the kind of words that go beyond hearing. They were words that he felt, in the way that she looked at him, in the way that she touched him and in the way that she spoke his name and hearing them said out loud only confirmed what they both felt in their hearts and in their souls.

“I love you too, Colt.”

Colton couldn’t help the smile on his face as he connected his lips with hers once more, sighing into their kiss. That feeling was there again, that feeling that had been there all along, that peaceful, easy feeling of being at home and while neither of them knew for certain what the future would bring, they knew that they would be okay while they always had each other. Neither Cassie nor Colton had ever really experienced what it was like to be in complete and irrevocable love, but somewhere deep inside of them, despite not really knowing what it was that they should have been looking for, they knew that it was something just like this.

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