Fantasy World

"So that's where my team sweat shirt went," Steven commented as he eyed the sweatshirt Maci was snuggled into as she slid into his car.

She blushed fiercely. "I kept meaning to get it back to you, but then I always forgot," she mumbled as she buckled up.

He smirked to himself and began driving down the roads of Tampa to find a coffee shop they'd be okay to go to without getting mauled by fans. He reveled in the fact that she'd been wearing his sweat shirt. Regardless if it only had the team logo on it and a small 91 on the shoulder, he still felt a confidence boost from it.

"No worries. I have several more," he assured her. He just didn't want her to no longer have one to wear. Especially one that represented him. 

She gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

He glanced over at her to give her a smile before looking back at the road. "Your bruise looks quite attractive. You could pull off being on a hockey team," he commented.

Maci let out a loud laugh. "I feel like it! I've never had a black eye. I feel like I live on the dangerous side for once," she joked.

It was Steven's turn to laugh loudly. "Studying physics. Very dangerous. You're just one grand bad ass," he told her.

She smirked before digging into his center console for his extra pair of sunglasses. She placed them on her nose and leaned back into her seat. "Now I definitely feel like a bad ass. But this hurts my nose," she added on quickly. 

Steven chuckled as she lifted the glasses off her nose slightly so they wouldn't apply pressure to her rather nasty looking bruise. "Your black eye isn't all that bad, either, Mr. Stam Bam Thank You Ma'am," she commented.

Steven let out a groan. "Who sent you that interview?" he demanded. "Stephanie?"

Maci let out a giggle. "Downie sent it to me on Facebook," she corrected.

He let out a sigh. "Damnit, Downie..." he muttered shaking his head. His lips were slightly pulled up into a smile, though. 

Maci let out a softer giggle. "He just wanted to make sure I knew what you were up to."

Seven let out a snort before finally laughing. "Whatever. You two are just jealous," he responded lamely.

Steven pulled the car up into a parking spot and turned off the engine. Maci discarded her sunglasses back into the center console before slipping out of the car. They met on the side walk to walk down the block to the cafe. "Jealous? Of what?" she asked. "Getting awkwardly interviewed?"

He jabbed his finger into her side, making her squirm away with laughter. "You're just so funny, Maci."

She laughed louder as his other hand dug into her side. People gave them weird looks as they passed by, but the two ignored them. 

"Thanks, I like to think so," she told him as she finally got away from his outstretched arms. She stood beside the doors to the coffee shop, waiting for him to return to her side. 

Steven pulled open the door for her. "I'm sure," he mumbled teasingly as she walked past him into the shop. 

She lightly smacked his chest. "Whatever," she said with another laughed. 

Steven smiled stupidly as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders while they took their place in line. His eyes scanned over the menu, debating what to get. 

Maci leaned into his side. She knew this wasn't a smart thing to do. She was playing with fire right now. After what had happened, she didn't need to act like they were a couple. They needed to go back to acting like they were indifferent towards one another. 

But she couldn't pull away nor did she really want to. He was comfortable to be pulled up against in a way she hadn't felt before. Kyle had done it numerous time, but it never felt like this. Kyle was usually showing off to someone that she was his or he was drunk. Steven's arm was planted on her shoulders just to hold her there. It was no show or prop to hold him up right. 

She felt her stomach twist a little as she tried to hold back her wide smile. She turned her attention back to the menu as Steven left her side to step up to the register to order his own coffee. 

"What do you want?" Steven asked her. 

Her eyes went a little wide. "Oh, you don't have to pay for mine. I brought some cash," she told him, holding up a five to enforce her point. 

He rolled his eyes and turned back to the girl behind the counter. "She'll have a blended coffee with caramel," he ordered before pulling out his card. 

"Steven!" Maci exclaimed as she stepped forward. He simply smirked as he signed the receipt. 

"I offered first," he reminded her. 

She sighed heavily and glanced at the girl behind the counter. She was a cute girl their own age. She was smiling to herself as she typed something into the computer. Her eyes went back up to Steven. "Thank you, Mr. Stamkos. We'll call your name when it's ready," she told him. 

Steven nodded and thanked her before turning away. 

"You didn't have to pay for me," she told him as they walked to a table that was off to the side. 

"Maybe I wanted to," he pointed out with a smirk. 

Her heart started beating faster. This wasn't supposed to be a date in any way what so ever. She was trying to draw that line between them since she felt it was desperately needed now. Steven seemed oblivious, though. 

Maci didn't respond as they sat down at the table. "So, how are your classes going?" he asked. 

She grinned widely, forgetting about her worries. "I talked to my councilors and what not and it looks like I'll be graduating this June for sure if I pass these classes I'm taking now," she told him excitedly. 

He gave her that smile that melted the hearts of thousands. That one that showed true happiness or pride. Knowing he was proud of her brought a small blush to her cheeks. "That's amazing! Who would've thought my little sister befriended a genius?" he teased. 

She looked down as a blush colored her cheeks. "I'm not that smart," she mumbled. "I've just put in summer classes and J term classes," she mumbled. 

He scoffed, studying her face. "And what will you be graduating with a degree in?" he asked. 

She rolled her eyes. "It isn't as hard as it sounds," she stated. 

He let out a loud laugh. "What do people with those degrees typically go on to doing?" he pushed. 

Her blush increased. "Working with satellites," she mumbled. 

Steven poked at her hands, hoping to get her to look up at him. "Doing what exactly?"

She let out a sigh. "Come on, it's not a big deal-"

"There's a reason people say 'it's not rocket science' for easy stuff. Rocket science isn't easy," he interrupted. 

She finally looked him in the eye. "You just have to have the right mind set," she told him. 

He laughed at her humble expression. His fingers were still toying with her hands. She seemed to not notice or care, so he continued. "What a rare mind set to have," he commented. 

"Being a nerd?" she questioned. "It's an embarrassing mind set to have. People treat you differently," she mumbled. 

He scoffed. "Well I think it's fucking hot," he countered without a second thought. 

Maci let out a loud laugh. "I'm telling your sister you said that," she decided. 

He smiled widely. "I think we can both agree that she's admitted to finding much worse attractive," he reminded her. 

Maci giggled, looking down at their hands. He had flipped her hands over and was tracing her fingers. She curled her fingers so theirs were hooked together. What was she doing? This was not helping her case in the slightest. "I still don't understand the big deal about liking guys who have dark hair on their legs compared to guys with blonde hair on their legs," she mumbled. 

Steven chuckled. "Well, what do you think? Are my legs nicer than Kyle's?" he asked teasingly, knowing Kyle had brown hair and therefore most likely had darker leg hair. 

Maci pretended to look down at his exposed calves. He lifted his leg up to her, already laughing. She lightly brushed her hand over his leg, feeling the hair tickle her skin. She returned to her previous position. She wasn't about to speak her honest opinion, though. Maybe she did understand having a preference. Either that or she just preferred Steven over Kyler. "I think I just prefer dogs to men," she decided.

Steven laughed louder. "Good to know," he responded. 

"Steven?" the small blonde that took their order called out. 

Steven looked up and quickly huried over to get their coffees. He thanked the girl and went back to Maci, not even sparing the girl a second glance. He set her coffee down in front of her and took a sip of his own. "What are you looking at?" he questioned when he noticed her eyes were glued somewhere across the coffee shop. 

He looked over and spotted it right away. His back stiffened at the sight of Kyle Graceson. He looked back at Maci's hurt face. "He isn't worth is, baby Steven," he told her. 

Maci couldn't pull her eyes away from him, though. He was all over some girl that looked twenty times prettier than she ever could. "He's already got a new girlfriend..." she whispered. 

Steven frowned and snorted. "And you slept with me the night you guys broke up," he muttered. 

Maci glared at him. If looks could kill, he would have been murdered a dozen times over. "Fuck you, Steven. You said we wouldn't talk about that anymore," she muttered. She abruptly pushed her chair back and got up, heading towards the exit. 

Steven regretted his words. If he had wanted her to ever see him as more than her best friend's older brother, he was now failing miserably. He quickly got up and chased after her, not before letting his shoulder slam against Kyle's. Kyle turned and began to snap at whoever had just hit him, but stopped when he saw the dark look on Steven's face. He knew where he stood with the hockey player. It was obvious Maci had told him what had happened. And so he just took it silently. 

Steven easily caught up to her a block away. "Maci!" he yelled out at his got closer. She ignored him and kept walking. He nudged her arm with his hand that clutched her coffee. "Please, I'm-"

She looked up at him with such hate and hurt he wanted to go jump into the ocean and let the current take him down. "You said... I just... He..." She struggled to find exactly what she wanted to say. Her eyes brimmed with tears. "You... I can't... I..."

He watched her carefully. She hated him for sure. "Why would you... I thought... And he! And..." She shook her head as the words still refused to show her thoughts. Her head fell forward while her hand reached up to brush at her cheeks. "I hate this, Steven," she finally mumbled. 

He held her coffee out to her. "I shouldn't have said that and I am truly sorry I did. As for him, he knows he is in the wrong. He knows he just gave up the best thing he'll ever have. If he doesn't try to get you back, I'll be surprised," he told her honestly. He didn't want to think of Maci going back to him, though. 

She sniffed and grudgingly took the coffee. "He left me like ten dozen roses at my dorm and asked for my forgiveness," she told him. Steven's stomach sunk. The bastard was working to get her back and then finds himself a different girlfriend instead. "I kicked the roses apart and told him no."

Steven let out a laugh and pulled her into his chest. Her arms rested on either side of his waist, not fully circling him. "I'm proud of you, baby Steven. You don't need him. You need someone who's good to you and keeps you happy," he told her. 

And he wanted to be that guy more than anything.