Northern Lights

Ava was thankful for days like this; days where she and her best friends sat around TJ's apartment and watched movies. When they talked and joked around and laughed until their ribs hurt. It was late at night and half of the boys had fallen asleep on the living room floor, while the ones who stayed awake joked around and watched movies.

Ava sat on the couch next to TJ, her legs curled under her small body and her arms folded over her chest. Even though she was wearing a huge sweatshirt and a pair of Pony's old sweatpants she was still freezing. When she shivered, TJ threw his big arm over her shoulders and pulled her into him. She smiled up at her friend and he grinned right back.

"You two are gonna get married," Brad stated randomly.

"I could see that," Jonathan nodded.

Ava giggled, "Oh hush," she instructed the boys.

"She's gonna marry me, actually," Ryan Duncan smiled.

"Lies, we're getting married and having Eskimo children," Evan pointed out. Ava laughed loudly at his statement.

"Really Ev?" She asked him, still smiling.

"We already give each other Eskimo kisses. The next step is Eskimo children. We take stuff like that very seriously in Alaska," he said seriously. This time everyone laughed and TJ just smiled, keeping his mouth shut for once. He may have been pretty young, but he wouldn't mind marrying Ava. She was sweet, she knew how to cook, and she didn't binge drink- and that was a lot more than he could say about most of the girls who attended UND.

"Osh loves it," Pony laughed. "He would marry you in two seconds, Ava."

Ava looked up at TJ again, a small smile playing her lips. He looked back down at her a little more seriously, but smiling none the less.

"You make a good sandwich," TJ said. Ava rolled her eyes and poked him in the ribs.

"That's not nice. I'm good for more than that," she defended herself.

"I'll bet," Brad coughed under his breath. TJ sent him a narrow look and Brad just shrugged and smiled innocently. TJ looked back down at Ava as she laughed along with his teammates. TJ was sure Ava would make a good wife- a good girlfriend even. But he wasn't so sure about the kind of husband or boyfriend he would make. He felt like he couldn't handle something like that, at least not yet. He needed about three more years of maturity before he could think he deserved a girl like Ava.

It was a beautiful day for a wedding. The sun was just setting behind the make-shift church set up next to a beautiful lake. The colors cast across the sky were all sorts of beautiful- oranges, reds, and pinks smeared across it like they were painted against it.

But not even the sky could compare to how beautiful the bride looked. She was wearing a simple white gown that just barely reached her knees and she wasn't wearing shoes. The groom looked equally as handsome, just wearing a nice button down white shirt and a pair of nice shorts.

Everyone watched as the two exchanged their vows, looking at each other like they weren't surrounded by close to a hundred people. It was a look you would only know about if you had ever been in love before, a look that wouldn't be given justice if tried to describe.

And then came those words, the two most important ones from the entire wedding. The two words little girls practice saying into their mirrors, and the two words everyone hopes to say one day to the person they love.

"I do," she said.

"I do," he said.

Ava shed a few tears as the words were spoken, a broad smile stretching across her face. She pushed back her red bangs from her eyes and tucked them safely behind her ear. TJ smiled at her, his chest heaving with pride.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride," The minister smiled. The pair kissed and everyone applauded, TJ and Ava, who were merely just members of the audience, included.

"That was beautiful," she whispered as she watched Patrick Sharp and his new bride walk down the aisle, stealing kisses all the way.

"You'll make a gorgeous bride," TJ whispered into her ear. She turned around and looked up at her boyfriend, cocking her head to the side with a smile on her lips. "Everyone will be so jealous of me," he said, kissing her lips softly.

"TJ," she murmured against his plump lips. She trailed her eyes up to his, but they were still closed as he relished the moment he was in.

"Hm?"

"What do you mean?" She asked softly, her tiny hand pressing against his cheek.

"I think you know," he smiled, his grey eyes fluttering open and connecting with her bright green ones. Her breath hitched in her throat as he pressed his large paw against the small of her back, bringing her closer to him. They hadn't even noticed most everyone had began to file over towards the reception which was only a few yards away under a few gorgeous tents. They were too lost in the moment, too lost in each other.

"Timmy," she gasped quietly.

"I'm gonna wait to ask you until the perfect moment. But I mean what I said. I want to be with you forever Ava," he smiled. More tears fell from Ava's eyes as she stood in front of her boyfriend. He kissed them away quickly and then slipped his hand into her's, lacing their fingers together loosely. She smiled and they followed everyone else, lagging behind quite a bit but not caring in the least bit.

"I love you," TJ leaned down to whisper into her ear as they made their way to their table. Ava blushed and sent a short glance up to him.

"I love you too."

"I liked it better when you hated him Ava," Jonathan informed her as they sat down at their table.

"Then you shouldn't have brought me to Chi-town idiot," TJ mused.

"You're just jealous," Ava said with a smile. Jonathan laughed lightly at the couple, shaking his head slightly.

"Ava- TJ's had you since back in college. You've always been his."