Open Your Eyes

The second the final buzzer sounded following the Blackhawks' five goals to one win over the Devils, most of the team only had one thing on their mind. Not only had they finished out the month of December with only four losses and eleven wins, but it was also New Years Eve. The city of Chicago, still decorated with Christmas lights and covered with snow, was alive with the sounds of celebration. It was a celebration most of the team was dying to participate in. They had been given the green light from the coaching staff to enjoy themselves, seeing as the next day they only had to hop on a plane for a short trip to St. Louis.

The bar the team had chosen to go to, just a few blocks from the United Center, was already crowded and rowdy when the hockey players and some of the staff began to filter in. Drinks were ordered, the music was turned up, and everything outside of fun and relaxation was forgotten. The team was ready to let loose after a grueling start to the season that was only going to get more intense pre and post Olympics.

When Aimee and Alyssa walked through the door, the loud music nearly deafened them. They shared a mutual look, knowing they were in for an interesting celebration of the new year. They laughed at themselves for thinking the boys of the Blackhawks would do anything quiet. Despite the bar being crowded with people and the music at an almost illegal level, the girls heard their names being screamed, and they quickly spotted Adam Burish poking his head above the people between them, waving them over to him.

Squeezing through the mass of people, they were joined with Adam just a few seconds later. His heavy and muscular arms fell over their shoulders as he gave each a kiss on the cheek. “I was waiting for you to get here. I had thought you decided not to come!” he told them, leading them toward the back of a the bar where they saw the rest of the team, a few wives and girlfriends, and Blackhawks staff members.

Drinks were thrust into their hands as they were greeted loudly. Aimee was left standing next to Adam as Alyssa untangled herself from the injured enforcer to take the empty chair between Dustin Byfuglien and Marian Hossa. Aimee sent her an amused glance as Alyssa waved back at her before leaning close to Marian, listening to what he had to say. Adam's hand grabbed Aimee's as he pulled her toward where he had been sitting. She fell into his lap a second later with a small grunt as she tried not to spill the drink, she wasn't sure what it was, she had been handed.

Adam began talking to Patrick Sharp as he wrapped an arm around Aimee's waist, keeping her balanced on his good knee. She rolled her brown eyes at her position as she looked around the table, groaning when she caught sight of Tomas Kopecky's brown eyes locked on her from the chair just next to Adam's.

“How do I always end up next to you?” she asked, before taking a sip of the mystery drink, wincing as it burned her throat slightly despite how delicious it was.

“I guess you just want to be around me, Aimee,” he laughed, leaning back in his chair and hooking his fingers together across his stomach. The look he gave her both turned her on and made her sick. His lips were curled into a smirk as his eyes were only full of mischief.

“Please,” she started, “You're the last person at this table I want to be around. You know I only tolerate you because we both agree on one thing.”

Tomas' smirk faltered, but he leaned forward, keeping his eyes locked with Aimee's. “What's that?” he asked her.

She snorted. “I thought you were supposed to be smart, Tomas. I'm only a waitress, but I seem to be more educated than you right now.” Before the Slovakian could interrupt her, she continued. Her finger pointed a few spots down the table where Alyssa and Marian were laughing with each other. “We agree that they are so stupidly perfect for each other, Tomas.”

“Yeah,” he nodded, turning serious as he looked at his best friend and the pretty brunette next to him. “They're almost the same person.”

“Exactly,” Aimee laughed. “Both sweet and caring as hell. Never met two nicer people,” she mused.

Adam Burish, both tipsy and naturally nosy, chose that moment to butt into their conversation from his spot beneath Aimee. “If you're going by that logic, the two of you are perfect for each other, too! You're both stubborn and kind of bitchy,” he laughed, standing up and lifting Aimee up with him, only to set her back on her feet before he headed for the bar, probably completely unaware of what he had just said.

Aimee cleared her throat as she claimed the chair for her own, her brown eyes locked on the table beneath her hands. The drink she had been handed was looking more delicious than ever, and she quickly picked it up, gulping down almost half of it despite how strong it was. Tomas watched her intensely, unamused and actually rather hurt that the thought of being with him was driving her to drink, apparently.

“Want to dance?” Kris Versteeg asked, appearing suddenly next to Aimee's seat.

“Oh jesus, yes,” she quickly responded, putting her hand in his and letting herself be carried away from the table.

Patrick Sharp laughed from his spot across from Tomas, causing the Slovakian to give him a curious look. “You two need to just get together already, man.”

“She clearly doesn't want that, and I am not bitchy!”

Patrick laughed. “She doesn't?” he asked. “Maybe she wouldn't be so repulsed by the idea of being with you if you stopped being an asshole to her. I know it's fun to be a pain in the ass, but Tomas, if you want her to see you in a different light—and I know you do,” he laughed as Tomas opened his mouth to protest, “start treating her differently, like you actually care about her and like her, like we all can see you do.”

With that, Patrick stood up and moved to where his girlfriend stood at the bar. He came to a stop next to the petite blonde, letting his hand fall on her lower back as she smiled up at him, cuing him into the conversation she'd been having with Dave Bolland.

It was only a few minutes before Aimee came back to the table, dragging Alyssa from her seat and taking her to the dance floor. Tomas and Marian lost sight of them as they were surrounded by guys from the team, completely enclosing them. Alyssa laughed as Adam wrapped his arms around her midsection, pulling her close as he offered her his big, cheesing grin. She felt someone on her back, and it didn't even take a glance behind her to tell it was Ben. The muscles of his body and scent of his cologne were more familiar than she wanted to admit. She smiled lightly, turning her head to give him a small smile. “Nice goal tonight, Eags,” she told him, using his nickname like she always had before they had started their little not-relationship.

Bright blue eyes lit up and Ben Eager's trademark smirk graced his handsome face. Alyssa let out a deep breath, glad their friendship had not been a casualty of their little experiment. Aimee grinned between them before grabbing Ben and pulling him away from Alyssa, leaving her best friend to be surrounded by Dustin, Kris, and Adam again.

At the table, Tomas nudged Marian toward the dance floor. The blond Slovakian man rolled his blue eyes, but took the younger man's cue. He squeezed through people until he found the small brunette he had been searching for. Alyssa grinned widely as she caught sight of him, immediately reaching out to grab him, abandoning her previous dance partners to give all of her attention to Marian. He smiled at her before pulling her body into his, moving to the beat of the music as the team continued to celebrate.

With only a few minutes until midnight, everyone had gathered on the dance floor. Alyssa found herself between her two favorite Slovakian men as they watched the local TV broadcast, counting down until the new year. The music in the bar had been turned quiet as champagne was passed out. From the corner of her eye, Alyssa saw Aimee, holding on to Ben Eager to keep her balance. Letting out a small laugh, the brunette knew her best friend was drunk. A quick glance at Tomas told her she wasn't the only one who had noticed.

At twenty seconds until the new year, the bar started to chant along with the TV broadcasters. A stern look from Tomas told Marian to go for the midnight kiss he was dying to give Alyssa, who stood tucked into the older man's side. He was pleasantly surprised to find that when the countdown reached five seconds, Alyssa turned toward him, clinking her champagne glass with his and taking a sip, a move that he mimicked. As the crowded bar cheered, Marian leaned down toward the woman, pressing his lips softly against hers. He counted to three before he pulled apart reluctantly. Alyssa smiled brightly at him.

“Happy New Year,” she said so quietly, he almost didn't hear. Marian grinned widely, repeating her words as he kissed her temple and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

Alyssa turned toward Tomas, wanting to hug him and share a toast with the man who'd quickly become one of her best friends in the few months she'd known him. “Tomas?” she questioned when she turned toward him to find his back to her. He did not turn, and Alyssa followed his gaze to see what had captured his attention. Her brown eyes widened as she took in the sight of Aimee's lips locked with Ben's.

Both Marian and Tomas, when he realized Alyssa had also noticed what he had, turned their attention on her, trying to read her reaction. There was no doubt of the shock written across her face. What they did not expect was huge grin and the laugh that came from her mouth.

“You find this funny?” Tomas laughed, his brows knitted together in confusion.

“Hilarious,” Alyssa gasped out, putting a hand to her chest as she watched Aimee and Ben split apart. The enforcer's face and neck were red with drunkenness and Aimee's eyes were glassed over. Clearly, each was completely obliterated.

“Happy fucking New Year!” Ben yelled, getting cheers from the people around him.

Tomas didn't quite see the humor in it, she knew. Putting a hand on her friend's shoulder, Alyssa gave him an amused look before grabbing Marian's hand and taking him back out to the newly reformed dance floor.

---

Aimee cursed as she slipped into consciousness. She could feel last night's eyeliner and mascara smeared across her eyelids, and she groaned, sitting up slightly as she rubbed at her face. She hissed, the pounding in her head finally registering in her mind. “Fuck,” she whined, squinting her eyes open. Sliding back down onto her pillow, Aimee grabbed at the bottle of aspirin and the bottle of water on her bedside table, making it obvious that Alyssa had brought her home and took care of her.

Letting herself adjust to the brightness of her room and the pounding of her head, Aimee finally slid out of her bed. In the bathroom, she laughed at her appearance as she wondered how much alcohol she had the night before. It was incredibly rare for her to be hungover, no matter how drunk she got. Maybe it was because she wasn't a young kid anymore. Whatever the case, she hated it.

Quickly washing her face and tying her hair up in a messy ponytail, she ventured into the kitchen to find Alyssa wiping down the kitchen counters. “Hey,” Aimee mumbled, taking a seat at the table. Alyssa turned to her, a plate with two pieces of toast with a small amount of strawberry jam on them. Setting it down in front of Aimee before pouring her a hot cup of strong coffee, she took the seat across from her best friend and roommate.

Holding her own coffee mug between her hands, Alyssa stared Aimee down as the girl took small bites. “What?” she asked, a mouth full of toast.

“Do you want to talk about last night?”

“What about last ni—” she started to ask before she stopped suddenly. “Oh my god, why don't I remember last night?”

Alyssa snorted before taking another gulp of hot coffee. She stood from the table and rinsed her now empty mug before putting in the sink to be washed later. “You made out with Ben.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“I'm serious, you whore. At midnight, you and him started going at it like two teenagers dry humping behind the bleachers at school.”

Aimee was silent as her mouth fell open, her cheeks turned red, and her eyes widened. She jumped up from her seat immediately, ignoring the pain in her head and the nausea in her stomach. Grabbing onto Alyssa's arms, Aimee finally found words. “I am so sorry, Lyss, so fucking sorry.”

“Aimee—”

“I must have been fucking wasted, because I would nev—”

“Aimee!” Alyssa laughed, grabbing her best friend's hands. “I saw how it all went down. In fact, I thought it was hilarious, and I am not mad. Pretending to be mad at Ben when he called this morning was pretty awesome, though.”

“Oh thank god,” Aimee breathed.

“Though, I think someone else is a little mad.”

“What, who?” Aimee asked as she sat back down to her toast.

“Tomas!”

Aimee only glared as Alyssa giggled, continuing to clean up the kitchen. The amount of teasing both Marian and Alyssa were doing was starting to get on her nerves. Her and Tomas hated each other, still, and Aimee would guess it would always be that way. Just because they spent an ungodly amount of time together and pretended to get along for the sake of their friends did not mean they were starting to like each other, and it damn sure didn't mean they were developing feelings for each other, either.