Status: Completed. (: Request finished.
Just Because.
Just Because.
Emmaline paced her and her boyfriend’s apartment as she waited for him to come home from hockey practice. TJ was never usually late but today he was almost an hour and a half late making her worry like crazy. She sighed as she ran her hand through her dark locks and looked at the clock once again, only 3 minutes had passed.
As she walked toward the foyer she passed by a picture on the table next to the lamp that was slowly collecting dust. She stopped and retraced her steps until she was standing in front of the picture again. It was of her and TJ back when they had just gotten together, which was almost 3 years ago. She didn’t remember who took it but they had great timing skills, they had just caught TJ kissing her forehead while she snuggled into his muscular chest, a large smile gracing her face. Her eyes softened and she ran her thumb across it, wiping away the dust so she could see it more clearly.
She noticed he was still in his St. Louis Blues jersey and his head was covered in a sheen of sweat. But that didn’t matter to Emmaline; she still thought he looked amazingly adorable. She could remember that night perfectly, she could practically hear the loud buzz around them from the reporters and people talking but they seemed to be off in their own little world.
People had said that they seemed more like a married couple rather than just being exclusively boyfriend and girlfriend which they took as a compliment because even though Emmaline, knew every little quirk about him, like how he hates when his pants are ironed and how his socks can only be a certain brand or it makes him uncomfortable or even how he can’t work the washer to save his life, she still loved him for who he was.
It was no different for TJ though, he knew how she hated when people were obnoxiously loud and rude, and how she was never happy when she had to wake up early. He loved how she was amazing with little kids, and that she was as obsessed with hockey as TJ was. He still loved her like when he had first met her.
When people ask how they met and the couple answers people never believe them. They always joke around and then ask again how they really met but it was true on what they told them before. It was adorably cliché and seemed out of some kind of romance novel.
They had met in the library at the University of North Dakota when they were both sophomores and he had asked her for some tutoring in English. It had started out innocent, well on Emmaline’s side it had, but TJ later admitted that, sure he did need help in his English class, but he mainly thought she was so eye catching that he had to bribe her in. Whenever he told her that she always seemed to blush, which was not surprising since TJ always found a way to make that happen.
After almost 2 weeks of tutoring TJ had finally gotten the balls to ask her out, which surprised her but she immediately said yes. And from there it was history. Two years after being officially together TJ had asked her to move to St. Louis, Minnesota with him and she accepted, finishing her college education online and getting her degree while supporting TJ in his hockey career.
Emmaline had been with TJ through the good and bad times, the victories and defeats, through everything. They both had complete trust in each other, but sure they still got in petty fights over little things and sometime big things also. Sometimes one storms out of their 3 bedroom apartment but no matter what, they always end up apologizing since it’s hard for both of them to be apart when they don’t need to be.
When TJ went on road trips of course it was hard for both of them, especially for TJ. A lot of people don’t know him as well as she did since she knew that he was a big softie at heart and hated sleeping alone. Plus, TJ had gotten so used to sleeping in the same bed as Emmaline that he just hated being away from her. But usually they would talk as much as possible and Skype for the extra-long trips which helped slightly, but nothing is the same as being face to face in person.
The door opening caused Emmaline to snap her head up toward the sound and she was met with the familiar baby blue eyes that made her heart drop to her stomach every time she saw them. He came inside the apartment and closed the door, dropping his hockey gear in the hall closet before slipping off his coat and shoes. She saw that he was rushing slightly and she raised an eyebrow in question. TJ ignored her look and walked over, picking up his slender girlfriend and planting a long kiss on her plump naturally dark red lips.
“You’re late.” She mumbled against his lips that were still on top of hers. She heard him groan and pull her closer, if that was even possible. She grew concerned when he didn’t answer a few moments later.
“I missed you.” She heard him mumble into her neck. Emmaline smiled, loosening her grip on
TJ while his just grew tighter.
“I missed you too. Why are you so late, you scared me.” Emmaline whispered. TJ sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
“I’m sorry, I just um, I had to grab some...uh something.” TJ stuttered slightly. Emmaline pulled her head away from his shoulder and looked up to see him biting his lip, something he did when he was nervous.
“TJ, you okay?” She asked him and TJ kissed her softly before nodding.
“I’m going to go get a shower, okay?” TJ asked her before walking back toward their bathroom. Emmaline sighed and bit her lip, shaking her head and deciding that when TJ was ready to tell her then he would.
<3
The next few days TJ became distant from Emmaline, not physically but mentally. He still kissed her every morning before he left for practice and snuggled with her on the couch but he had barely talked to her, like actually talked to her.
She’d tried to bring up what had happened that night but he would either change the subject or abandon the conversation completely. She sighed as she sipped her morning coffee, reading the sports section of the newspaper.
“Good morning.” Emmaline heard from behind her, feeling a soft kiss on her temple a few seconds later confirming it was TJ. She looked up at him over the rim of the mug and nodded, going back to the summary of the Penguins vs. Montreal game that happened the night before.
“So, um, what are you going to do today babe?” TJ asked her, cracking his knuckles loudly as he watched her eyes move back and forth along the paper. She shrugged, looking up at him for a second before looking back down again.
“Probably nothing, it’s a Saturday so I don’t have anything I need to do.” She replied, stirring her coffee subconsciously.
“Do you want to hang around here with me, maybe watch some movies?” TJ asked, leaning against the counter across from her. She didn’t look up this time while she nodded and replied with a quiet ‘sure’. TJ smiled widely and kissed her cheek before going to set up what he had planned.
Almost an hour later TJ walked back into the kitchen to see Emmaline in the same position he had left her. He smiled and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her slender waist and resting his head on her shoulder. She turned toward him and smiled slightly at his messy bed head.
“Come on, I set up the movie.” He mumbled, kissing her neck before leading her into the living room where he had set up a pillow fest on the floor, along with quilts and blankets surrounding the array of pillow. He had even placed her favorite stuffed animal on top of the pillows. She smiled and walked over to the array, sitting down and motioning for TJ who was standing by the doorway watching, to join her.
He sat behind her, letting her lean against his chest while she sat between his legs. She
leaned up and kissed him softly while he pulled a quilt over the two of them.
“What’s all this for?” She asked him, watching as the previews for the new movie she wanted to see came on the TV screen.
“Just because.” He replied and she smiled at him. Together they spent most of the day watching TV and occasionally taking breaks for some ‘sexy time’, as TJ calls it.
Around dinner time the two were getting hungry and TJ said he had something prepared, as he got up and headed into the kitchen. Emmaline didn’t see that TJ had grabbed her animal on his way out. Inside the kitchen TJ fixed Emmaline’s favorite meal and while he waited for it to be heated, he slipped the ring he had gone out of state to pick up a few days prior onto the animal’s ribbon he had tied around its neck.. His nerves set in as he mixed the meal together before bringing in the plates, setting both the animal and the plate next to Emmaline.
She smiled at him, thanking him sweetly before digging into the meal. She brought her hand over to grab the drink that was placed next to her animal when she accidently knocked it over. She took a sip of the drink and reached to pick the animal back up when she noticed the ring.
Her breath got caught in her throat when she picked it up off the ribbon and examined it in her palm.
“Emmaline, you know that I love you. You know that I need to be around you for me to be happy, and I love that you embrace all my crazy flaws and pet peeves. You’re the type of woman I want my kids to learn from, you’re perfect for me and I want to spend the rest of forever with you. So…Emmaline, will you marry me?” TJ asked her, seeing the tears run from her eyes half way through his speech. Emmaline nodded, and TJ took the ring from her hands, slipping it on her left finger and kissing each finger on her left hand.
She laughed and brought his lips to hers, securing her answer without words.
As she walked toward the foyer she passed by a picture on the table next to the lamp that was slowly collecting dust. She stopped and retraced her steps until she was standing in front of the picture again. It was of her and TJ back when they had just gotten together, which was almost 3 years ago. She didn’t remember who took it but they had great timing skills, they had just caught TJ kissing her forehead while she snuggled into his muscular chest, a large smile gracing her face. Her eyes softened and she ran her thumb across it, wiping away the dust so she could see it more clearly.
She noticed he was still in his St. Louis Blues jersey and his head was covered in a sheen of sweat. But that didn’t matter to Emmaline; she still thought he looked amazingly adorable. She could remember that night perfectly, she could practically hear the loud buzz around them from the reporters and people talking but they seemed to be off in their own little world.
People had said that they seemed more like a married couple rather than just being exclusively boyfriend and girlfriend which they took as a compliment because even though Emmaline, knew every little quirk about him, like how he hates when his pants are ironed and how his socks can only be a certain brand or it makes him uncomfortable or even how he can’t work the washer to save his life, she still loved him for who he was.
It was no different for TJ though, he knew how she hated when people were obnoxiously loud and rude, and how she was never happy when she had to wake up early. He loved how she was amazing with little kids, and that she was as obsessed with hockey as TJ was. He still loved her like when he had first met her.
When people ask how they met and the couple answers people never believe them. They always joke around and then ask again how they really met but it was true on what they told them before. It was adorably cliché and seemed out of some kind of romance novel.
They had met in the library at the University of North Dakota when they were both sophomores and he had asked her for some tutoring in English. It had started out innocent, well on Emmaline’s side it had, but TJ later admitted that, sure he did need help in his English class, but he mainly thought she was so eye catching that he had to bribe her in. Whenever he told her that she always seemed to blush, which was not surprising since TJ always found a way to make that happen.
After almost 2 weeks of tutoring TJ had finally gotten the balls to ask her out, which surprised her but she immediately said yes. And from there it was history. Two years after being officially together TJ had asked her to move to St. Louis, Minnesota with him and she accepted, finishing her college education online and getting her degree while supporting TJ in his hockey career.
Emmaline had been with TJ through the good and bad times, the victories and defeats, through everything. They both had complete trust in each other, but sure they still got in petty fights over little things and sometime big things also. Sometimes one storms out of their 3 bedroom apartment but no matter what, they always end up apologizing since it’s hard for both of them to be apart when they don’t need to be.
When TJ went on road trips of course it was hard for both of them, especially for TJ. A lot of people don’t know him as well as she did since she knew that he was a big softie at heart and hated sleeping alone. Plus, TJ had gotten so used to sleeping in the same bed as Emmaline that he just hated being away from her. But usually they would talk as much as possible and Skype for the extra-long trips which helped slightly, but nothing is the same as being face to face in person.
The door opening caused Emmaline to snap her head up toward the sound and she was met with the familiar baby blue eyes that made her heart drop to her stomach every time she saw them. He came inside the apartment and closed the door, dropping his hockey gear in the hall closet before slipping off his coat and shoes. She saw that he was rushing slightly and she raised an eyebrow in question. TJ ignored her look and walked over, picking up his slender girlfriend and planting a long kiss on her plump naturally dark red lips.
“You’re late.” She mumbled against his lips that were still on top of hers. She heard him groan and pull her closer, if that was even possible. She grew concerned when he didn’t answer a few moments later.
“I missed you.” She heard him mumble into her neck. Emmaline smiled, loosening her grip on
TJ while his just grew tighter.
“I missed you too. Why are you so late, you scared me.” Emmaline whispered. TJ sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
“I’m sorry, I just um, I had to grab some...uh something.” TJ stuttered slightly. Emmaline pulled her head away from his shoulder and looked up to see him biting his lip, something he did when he was nervous.
“TJ, you okay?” She asked him and TJ kissed her softly before nodding.
“I’m going to go get a shower, okay?” TJ asked her before walking back toward their bathroom. Emmaline sighed and bit her lip, shaking her head and deciding that when TJ was ready to tell her then he would.
<3
The next few days TJ became distant from Emmaline, not physically but mentally. He still kissed her every morning before he left for practice and snuggled with her on the couch but he had barely talked to her, like actually talked to her.
She’d tried to bring up what had happened that night but he would either change the subject or abandon the conversation completely. She sighed as she sipped her morning coffee, reading the sports section of the newspaper.
“Good morning.” Emmaline heard from behind her, feeling a soft kiss on her temple a few seconds later confirming it was TJ. She looked up at him over the rim of the mug and nodded, going back to the summary of the Penguins vs. Montreal game that happened the night before.
“So, um, what are you going to do today babe?” TJ asked her, cracking his knuckles loudly as he watched her eyes move back and forth along the paper. She shrugged, looking up at him for a second before looking back down again.
“Probably nothing, it’s a Saturday so I don’t have anything I need to do.” She replied, stirring her coffee subconsciously.
“Do you want to hang around here with me, maybe watch some movies?” TJ asked, leaning against the counter across from her. She didn’t look up this time while she nodded and replied with a quiet ‘sure’. TJ smiled widely and kissed her cheek before going to set up what he had planned.
Almost an hour later TJ walked back into the kitchen to see Emmaline in the same position he had left her. He smiled and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her slender waist and resting his head on her shoulder. She turned toward him and smiled slightly at his messy bed head.
“Come on, I set up the movie.” He mumbled, kissing her neck before leading her into the living room where he had set up a pillow fest on the floor, along with quilts and blankets surrounding the array of pillow. He had even placed her favorite stuffed animal on top of the pillows. She smiled and walked over to the array, sitting down and motioning for TJ who was standing by the doorway watching, to join her.
He sat behind her, letting her lean against his chest while she sat between his legs. She
leaned up and kissed him softly while he pulled a quilt over the two of them.
“What’s all this for?” She asked him, watching as the previews for the new movie she wanted to see came on the TV screen.
“Just because.” He replied and she smiled at him. Together they spent most of the day watching TV and occasionally taking breaks for some ‘sexy time’, as TJ calls it.
Around dinner time the two were getting hungry and TJ said he had something prepared, as he got up and headed into the kitchen. Emmaline didn’t see that TJ had grabbed her animal on his way out. Inside the kitchen TJ fixed Emmaline’s favorite meal and while he waited for it to be heated, he slipped the ring he had gone out of state to pick up a few days prior onto the animal’s ribbon he had tied around its neck.. His nerves set in as he mixed the meal together before bringing in the plates, setting both the animal and the plate next to Emmaline.
She smiled at him, thanking him sweetly before digging into the meal. She brought her hand over to grab the drink that was placed next to her animal when she accidently knocked it over. She took a sip of the drink and reached to pick the animal back up when she noticed the ring.
Her breath got caught in her throat when she picked it up off the ribbon and examined it in her palm.
“Emmaline, you know that I love you. You know that I need to be around you for me to be happy, and I love that you embrace all my crazy flaws and pet peeves. You’re the type of woman I want my kids to learn from, you’re perfect for me and I want to spend the rest of forever with you. So…Emmaline, will you marry me?” TJ asked her, seeing the tears run from her eyes half way through his speech. Emmaline nodded, and TJ took the ring from her hands, slipping it on her left finger and kissing each finger on her left hand.
She laughed and brought his lips to hers, securing her answer without words.