What If I Told You I Love You

Despite popular belief, and the fact that I was raised to be polite and use fake smiles even when I felt like freaking out, I was not the girl you bring home to mom. I was out there, drop dead gorgeous, and had a bitchy attitude that I had a hard time shutting off. None of that ever mattered until now, when I wanted so bad to impress the 5 people sitting, oh wait, there is a 6th, in the living room before us.

I glanced from TJ back to the blonde woman, whom I'm assuming was TJ's mom. They had similar features and you could just tell by the obvious love that shone in her eyes when she looked at him. A small smile tugged on my lips at their hug exchange and for a second I missed my own mom so bad, it hurt.

"Oh my TJ. This girl is stunning. Come over here, sweetie," His mom said, waving me over with her hand and then crossing the room to meet me halfway. I was raising my hand to shake hers, since that was what I had always done before, but she pulled me into her body, squeezing me with as much force as she had TJ.

"Hi, I'm Sirena," I choked out, gasping for air, and looking at TJ with wide, cautious eyes. He chuckled and then swooped in to save me.

"Sirena, this is my mom, Tina. She's a lover, not a fighter, like me. So this will be an everyday occurrence from here on out." TJ said, patting his mom's hair. I giggled when she turned towards him, pinching his cheeks and telling him she knew some pretty embarrassing stories, so he better be nice. I could tell I was going to like this family, and I had only, officially, met one of them.

I turned towards the rest of the room, taking in the smiling faces of the Oshie clan. All of them looked so much a like. But then there was one, who didn't share any of the typical characteristics. He had brown hair, a little pudgier face than any of the Oshies, and he had thick, brown eyebrows along with eyes that bore no resemblance to those of the family surrounding him.

"That's Brotha, otherwise known as Brandon Horton." TJ told me, and a huge grin broke out on my face. I squealed and ran over to him. Despite the fact that I probably looked like a total creeper, I hugged him tight, just like Tina had done to me.

"Hi!" He said brightly and I squeezed harder.

I had been waiting to meet this kid ever since TJ told me about him. He sounded like such a fantastic guy. He was TJ's second brother, along with Taylor, and they were virtually inseparable. They went everywhere together, including North Dakota, except for when TJ moved down to St. Louis. It was hard for them to be apart so much, but Brotha frequented St. Louis a lot.

"It's so nice to finally meet you! TJ talks about you all the time," I told him, my grin still plastered on my face. Brotha kept his arm around me, squeezing me into his side and giving TJ a sly smile.

"And you still like me?" He asked, causing the room to fill with laughter. I laughed too, while TJ's face became a little redder as he crossed the living room to where I was, still under Brotha's arm.

"Moving along," TJ muttered, grabbing my arm and pulling me into his side. I hid my giggle by looking down at the floor. TJ was a little shaken that I had taken to Brotha so quickly and jealous because my first impression of Teej was so much different. But who's fault was that?

"This is my dad, Tim, and my oldest sister, Tawni. She lives in Everett, Washington with my mom still, while this little bugger, is my littlest sister, Aleah. She lives in Hockeytown, USA." TJ picked up the adorable, black haired girl, tickling her slightly as he scooped her up. I smiled at the little girl who looked me up and down like I was trying to steal her brother. "Say hi Ali."

"Hi," the little girl said, still giving me a disapproving glance. I pursed my lips nervously, glancing at TJ who rolled his eyes at my behavior.

"She's just shy." He told me.

"No, she just only likes you," the guy next to TJ spoke, whom I assumed was Taylor. I smiled shyly at him, all of my confidence deflated by the little girl in TJ's arms. "I'm Taylor." He said, pulling me into a hug just like everyone else had. "Don't worry about her, she's a brat." Taylor whispered into my ear, winking when he pulled away. I liked him too. He made me feel at ease, just like TJ always did.

"So not that I don't love you guys and all, but what are you doing here. On Valentine's Day, when some people should be at home, getting ready for school.." TJ trailed off, giving Taylor a slight glare.

"Well, we weren't going to be able to come down for a little bit. So we wanted to take advantage of our only free weekend. Play-offs are coming up," Tim pointed out to TJ. He nodded his head, shifting his eyes to look at me for a second, before looking back at Taylor.

"You behaving lil Osh?" TJ asked him, a crooked grin slapped on his face.

"Yeah, just like my big brother," Taylor responded, sending him a knowing smile.

"So, you aren't?" I asked him, seriously.

The room erupted in more laughs and TJ's dad pulled me into his side.

"You are going to fit in just fine with this family," he told me, grinning widely and giving TJ a nod.

We decided we would try our luck and go out to dinner instead of trying to make some for all of those people. We found a great pizza place on the outskirts of the city, pretty close to my house, and got seated right away despite the line of people that was waiting to be seated. People started to grumble but when they saw TJ, all of it turned into looks and whispers of awe.

I sat in between TJ and his mom, who had pummeled me with questions the whole car ride. TJ has tried to get her to calm down but there wasn't much he could do when I was in the back seat, squished between his mom and Aleah. I didn't really mind though. Tina actually seemed interested in whatever I had to say, unlike Derek's mom who had her nose in the air and a stick too far up her ass to pay attention to me.

We ordered our food and aimlessly talked about anything under the sun. The conversation changed so fast, sometimes I found myself completely lost and I would need to ask TJ what they were talking about. It was not only social time, but catch up on what everyone has been up to.

About half way through the meal, Tina and TJ both got up from the table, eying each other in silent agreement that they wanted to talk. They headed over to the door, side stepping several Blues fans that wanted a piece of TJ. I watched them leave, gulping when the door shut tightly behind them. I tried not to let the paranoia slip onto my face as the meal continued without them.

"She likes you," Taylor told me, from across TJ's empty chair. I looked over at him and then past him at a nodding Brotha.

"If she didn't like you, you wouldn't be getting ten feet near TJ." Brotha confirmed, ignoring the rest of the Oshie's who were watching our exchange. I just nodded, felling my breathing return to normal.

TJ and Tina came in after only a couple minutes, TJ with a huge grin on his face, directed at me, and Tina with a content look on hers. Their looks made me feel so at ease that I couldn't even remember why I was so freaked out in the first place. TJ sat down next to me and grabbed my hand, gently tilting me towards him, until his lips hovered next to my ear.

"I think she already loves you more than me," his breath made shivers run up and down my spine and lust burned so hot in my body that I temporarily forgot that we were sitting at a table with his family.

"I doubt that. It's obvious you are your mommy's pride and joy. Who would have thought? TJ Oshie, a momma's boy?" I teased him, kissing his cheek lightly.

"I am NOT a momma's boy. I lived without my mom for a majority of high school and all of college." He grumbled at me, obviously offended.

"Oh, that's too bad. There is something sexy about how much a boy cares about his momma. Too bad you don't fit into that category." I shrugged nonchalantly, taking a sip of my pop.

"Baby, I don't have to be a momma's boy to be able to make you scream," TJ said, biting my ear lobe.

I looked around the table, thankful that no one was paying attention to either of us, as TJ's lips started to move down my neck. I mustered up all the strength that I could and pushed his face away from my neck, and playfully glaring at him.

"Play nice TJ." I scolded.

"Screw that. I want to play dirty." He moved closer to me and I gave in, giving him a small kiss on the lips, while he wanted things to turn way hotter. He pouted but the food came, causing him to accept his defeat.

It surprised me though, that none of the Oshies seemed to be bothered by how TJ was acting. Making out with me, teasing me with his lips, and talking dirty, rather loudly. It was almost like they were used to him acting like this with girls. I gulped, once again having to turn off my brain at that thought. I know there were girls before me, I wasn't stupid, it's just sometimes I wondered why he choose me and not all them. The girls who would do anything to have a piece of him, and the bragging rights of getting to screw him.

"You okay?" TJ whispered in my ear, kissing my cheek and squeezing my hand. I turned to him, smiling at his cuteness.

"I'm always okay if you're here," I told him, kissing his lips lightly.

Dinner was filled with some more random conversation that I once again had trouble following. I didn't ask TJ for clarification though. Instead, I watched him interact with his family. How he made sure everyone was a part of the conversation, even me. The way he tickled Aleah from across the table, and the way he would roll his eyes whenever Taylor or Brotha would try to take a shot at him. I loved the way he smiled and laughed with them. It was obvious that I was seeing TJ in a totally different light than ever before. And I'll be damned if it didn't make me love him so much, I thought my heart grew a little.

Dinner ended all too quickly, with Tina saying she was tired and yawning for emphasis. She winked at me and TJ, who gave her a huge smile in return. The rest of the family caught on quickly, sensing that it was time for TJ and I to have some alone time, without them. As much as I wanted that solo time with him, I also found myself wanting to hang out with them some more. They were such an open and welcoming family that I felt as if I had known them forever.

We said our goodbyes, TJ rushing them a lot faster than I would have preferred. I hugged everyone, even little Aleah who seemed to like me a lot more since "TJ loves you, I guess I can too." I laughed out loud as TJ's cheeks flushed a deep red. He gave me a sheepish smile and muttered a 'sisters' under his breath with a head shake.

I waved good bye to them as they headed over to TJ's truck and we walked left, the direction that would bring us to my house. We decided to walk, seeing that it was a beautiful, winter night, and his family needed the car to get to their hotel. Plus, we would get more alone time this way.

"I'm really sorry. I had no idea that they were even coming here. Usually they give me forewarning." TJ told me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"It's okay. They were great, plus I was going to meet them eventually, right?" I explained, lacing my fingers with the fingers of the hand that was resting on my left shoulder.

"Right." TJ mused, leaning down and placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

We walked in silence, all talked out from the previous conversations we had shared with his family. My mind worked over the extent of the day, waking up in Nashville, a plane ride home, and then dinner with the most entertaining family I have ever met. I felt myself grow tired at how crazy my day had been, and even though I wanted to spend time with TJ, my body was not having any of it.

"Teej, I'm tired," I mumbled into his chest. I felt a soft chuckle vibrate his body and he turned right, heading down the street to my house.

I felt my eyelids grow heavy, and my feet started to drag against the sidewalk. TJ chuckled again, stepping in front of me, causing me to run right into his back.

"A little warning next time, baby?" I asked him, grabbing onto his shoulders, while he hoisted me onto his back.

"Sorry, I forgot how klutzy you are," He joked, laughing at himself.

"Ha ha. You're so funny." I told him, laying my head on his shoulder and letting him do all the heavy work.

We got to my house to find that my dad wasn't home. I told TJ to carry me to the kitchen, where a note was waiting for me. Apparently, my dad found a valentine. I scrunched my nose, knowing he was probably with some slut and wouldn't be home tonight. So much for a movie.

"Wanna stay?" I asked Teej, already having the puppy dog eyes ready in case I needed them.

"Mhm," He said, carrying me up the stairs to my room.

We got out of our clothes, slipping on some PJ's that I preferred a lot more than jeans and a sweater. TJ had some clothes that he left here, so he pulled them on before he moved towards my walk-in closet. I sat in bed, watching the door of my closet, pondering what TJ could be looking for in there. I was about to call out to him when he emerged, holding something behind his back.

"What is that?" I asked him, my curiosity perked.

"Just a property of TJ Oshie shirt that you have to wear from this moment on." He told me, throwing me a jersey with his name and number on the back. I squealed in delight, happy that he finally listened to my pleading for one of his jerseys. I smelled it, wrinkling my nose at the smell of sweat and hockey funk.

"Just how I wanted it!" I exclaimed, waving him over to the bed. He laughed and dove on top of me, smothering my face with kisses until I begged him to stop. "I got you something too."

"Baby, I said not to." TJ scolded, pulling me back into him when I tried to reach for the drawer of my nightstand.

"And I did, so shut up and take it," I reached for the box in the drawer, smiling when I felt the soft velvet brush my skin. I handed it to him and he took it with a questioning look. "Open it," I commanded, rolling my eyes at him.

He did and what he saw caused a huge grin to spread on his face. He pulled the necklace out, a pair of hockey sticks coming out of the numbers 74, something I had made for him a couple days after he gave me his necklace. He handed it to me, signaling he wanted to put it on. I did and when it was clasped around his neck, he tackled me to the bed, pressing me into the mattress and kissing me like there was no tomorrow.

"This is by far, the best thing I've ever gotten," He whispered.

"I'm glad you like it." I told him, cupping his cheek with my hand.

"I'd like anything as long as it came from you," He spoke softly, brushing some of my brown hair off my face. I smiled up at him, wrapping my hand around his neck, and forcefully brought his lips to mine.

The kiss turned hot within seconds, just like mine and TJ's relationship had. Things always seemed to go from sweet and innocent, to hot and heavy in a matter of seconds. I love the roller coaster feel of our relationship. How one minute we could be screaming at each other, and the next, kissing with no intension of stopping. And right now, we were sharing one of those kisses.

The kiss was coming to the point where TJ's hand was traveling up my shirt, his destination mere inches from being reached. His other hand was tangled in my hair, pulling hard enough to make my scalp tingle. Our tongues battled for dominance, both of us determined to win, but him winning because he didn't play fair. His hand groped at my chest and the hand that had been in my hair, traveled down my back, heading towards the waist band of my shorts. I squirmed under him, enjoying what he was doing, but I couldn't help but feel like this wasn't how it was supposed to happen. TJ pulled away, taking his hands away from my body and lacing them with the hands over my head. His breathing was heavy and I felt guilty for making him stop.

"I'm sorry-"

"No, that was me. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let it go that far. I know you aren't ready." He told me, a pained look crossing his eyes. I winced at his pain, wanting to slap myself for the turmoil showing in his eyes. He closed his eyes and as fast as the wave of emotions had come, they were gone, a hard mask put in their place.

"I-I just don't feel like this is how it should be. It doesn't feel right yet. I'm sorry that sounds so corny." I winced at the words coming out of my mouth, knowing I sounded like someone who hadn't had sex in a year and a half, which was true.

"It's fine, Rena. I understand." He said, rolling off of me, the mood completely killed.

We laid there in silence, and I knew I had to throw him a bone. Something to make him understand. "I never had sex with Derek." I confessed, not looking at him. I heard his head turn, the sheets rustling against his hair.

"What?" He asked "weren't you together for like a year?" His curiosity was perked and I could hear a somewhat giddy edge to his voice.

I shrugged, "He was a bad kisser and never turned me on like you did. Plus, everything[/] felt wrong with him. But with you, everything feels so RIGHT it scares me. I feel like you could just up and leave at anytime."

"Rena, we talked about this. I'm in this relationship as much as you are. Everything will be okay." He murmured, his fingers coming up and brushing my cheek lightly.

I turned to him, looking him dead in the eyes, searching for any sign that he was lying. When I didn't find any, I smiled widely, and spoke, "good because I'm in this for the long haul. No matter what, you are stuck with me." I scrunched my nose and stuck my tongue out at him.

He let loose a hearty laugh, before he pulled me close, my head resting on his chest, just below his chin. "You have no idea how much that puts me at ease." He whispered in my ear. And that was the last thing he said, before he lulled me to sleep with steady strokes on my back.