Under The Sheets

The noise outside was unbearable especially with the night that TJ had. He rolled onto his right side glaring at the window that was allowing all the noise in. The construction outside of his window was such a nuisance and he couldn't wait for it to be over with.

TJ unwillingly pulled himself out of his bed and sat on the edge of the bed, his feet touching the carpet. He curled and uncurled his toes and stretched his legs as he ran his hands through his messier than usual fading blonde hair. He put his glasses on and stumbled tiredly out of his bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen.

He opened the fridge and was thankful for the cool air hitting his body. It was almost November but he had woken up in a sweat from being all bundled up in his king-sized bed.

"What time did you get in last night?"Came the familiar voice of the girl that Patrik and TJ had put up the last month.

TJ had promised Patrik that he wouldn't try anything with Eden being as that Eden was a good friend of Patrik's. Patrik had met Eden a few years ago back in Sweden, she had been his coach's daughter. There was never anything between them, they were simply just friends. But, Patrik had promised Eden's father that nothign would happen to her if he let her come out to St.Louis. And by nothing he meant he wouldn't let his roomate sleep with her.

Everyday was harder for TJ to keep away from Eden. She was beautiful, and she was funny. She was fiesty and a warrior. There was something so fierce about her when she'd stand toe to toe with him or any other man for that matter.

"Uh,I think around 2."TJ replied, closing the door of the refridgerator and lettinng her pass by him to get to a cabinet.

"Nice. Where did you guys go? I got a drunk text from Patrik around 12:30,I think and he said something about you guys being at Dante's Night Club."She stated briefly looking up at him.

"Yeah,we went there and made a stop over at Complex for the remainder of the night. You should come out with us sometime."TJ stated trying not to sound as though his ulterior motive was to get her drunk and have her judgement, aswell as her clothes, fly out the window.

"Yeah. Patrik's been asking me for the passed little while. I will one day soon. When school isn't so crazy,you know?"She smiled.

"Yeah. College can be a pain." TJ nodded. They stood in a silence for a few moments until TJ realized that he was standing infront of her in just boxers, nothing but. Instead of blushing and covering up like he should've he played up. He held himself up against the island counter,making sure that his arms were flexed.

"But,here's the difference between you and I in the whole school situation: you did it because you got to play hockey until you were ready to take your position here in St. Louis. You had it all set out for you. Me? I had to transfer here from Sweden to be able to be with Patrik because he said that he needed me here with him. Now,I have to go to school to be able to work in this country." Eden smiled. She wasn't being bitchy with him, and even if she was TJ didn't know. That smile melted away any of that.

"Why are you at Webster, again?"TJ asked trying to keep her infront of him as long as possible.

"Business Administration. But,I'm thinking of changing to teaching English or art."She replied.

"Those are two totally different things."TJ commented.

"I like business and dealing with people, and English and art make me happy." She shrugged. She gave his bicep a pat and walked away and out of the apartment. Her knee high, heeled boots making small sounds on the linoleum floor.

TJ sighed and pushed himself off the counter and opened the fridge once more.

"Was that Eden?"Came Patrik's tired voice, startling TJ.

"Why does that keep happening when I'm at the fridge?"TJ muttered to himself.

"Yeah,that was E. She just left for school. I'm suprised that she didn't say good-bye to you."TJ stated, genuinely surprised that. Eden always said "good-bye" to Patrik.

"I think she's a little mad at me. I woke her up last night when I got home. I walked into her room thinking it was mine and dropped ontop of her."He replied,playing with his spiky hair.

"Good job."TJ laughed, grabbing the jug of milk then reaching over to the cabinet over-head and grabbing a glass. "Want some?" He asked.

"Nah."Patrik replied, shaking his head. He sat down at the island counter and played with the cover a book that Eden had left on it.

"E said that you texted her last night,too."TJ stated,sitting on the counter by the fridge sipping at his milk.

"Yeah. I think it was just telling here where we and that she should come and hang out."Patrik replied not looking at TJ.

"Are you sure you don't like her?"TJ asked,staring at the top of Patrik's head seeing as that was the only part of him that was exposed to him.

"No,I don't. I really don't. She's my best friend and that's all she'll ever be because that's all I want her to be. But, I can tell that you like her. You can't hide it from me,TJ. I know that you do. The way you ask about her, or the way you talk about her in general. It's okay to admit that you like her. But,you have to understand that I can't let you two be together because her father would have my head. I made him a promise to have her with me. And that promise was no American hockey players."Patrik replied. He didn't like that he had to be that way with TJ. He knew that Eden liked TJ ,even a little bit. But, he was never one to go back on promises. Especially a promise he made to a man that assured him that he would break his legs if his daughter was hurt.

"How is he even going to find out? C'mon,Bergie. Help me out,man. I'm not going to hurt her. Don't you think that if she was anything more then a fling I would've found a way around it already? I would've already had my way with her already if it was just a fling."TJ replied.

"She'd tell him. Or she'd tell her sister and her sister would tell her father. You don't get it. Her mom left her Dad a couple of years ago for an American and her dad has had this thing against American men ever since then. The last thing he wants is his daughters to end up as American men's wives," Patrik stated. "It took me months to get him to let Eden come down to St. Louis so I could see her. He nearly had an aneurysm he was freaking out so much about her coming to America.".

"He lets one incident ruin his entire view on the whole country and it's men?"TJ asked.

"That's how the world is,TJ. One person messes up and the entire race, country, what have you, it completely at fault," Patrik repliedHe wanted to see TJ and Eden together. He knew that it would make the both of them very happy. But, Eden's father had so much against Patrik as it was. He didn't want to mess this up because Eden's father terrified him.

"You had to bring a pretty girl into our place and tell me I can't touch her," TJ muttered. "I was never good at that whole 'look but don't touch' thing,Bergie." He sighed and walked towards his bathroom for a shower.

There had to be a way around Bergie and Eden's father. TJ was never one for rules,either. Especially when it came to a pretty girl