Begging You

*Patrick*

Did she have to make it so obvious? Pat asked himself, it was one thing that his teammate was flirting with her, it was another that she was reciprocating. The way she laughed and smiled at Viktor. It made his stomach sick, the way her bedroom eyes blinked her long lashes at him. Holding his kid, none the less.

Pat did his best to hurry and get dressed. The only satisfaction is seeing her peak over at his shirtless form a couple times. When he finished and was making his way to her, he heard her tinkling laugh ring in the room, Stalberg was flashing her a million dollar smile. Patrick wanted to shove his Swedish teammate into a stall.

“You have such a pretty laugh.” Viktor told her, Pat could feel the bile rising from his throat. Scarlet actually blushed, bright pink. It bothered him to no end.

“Scar, we’re leaving.” His tone was gruff, but that’s how he felt. Watching as Viktor leaned into kiss her cheek, he fisted his hands. When she approached him, Pat took Brennan from her and started walking quickly out to the parking lot.

“Pat, practice was great, thanks for inviting us.” She giggled. It took every ounce in him not to roll his eyes at her. Instead he gave her a strained smile.

“Okay.” The ride home was pretty much silent, when they reached the house, he immediately opened the back to pull his son out of the car seat and raced into the house without even acknowledging her. It was only seconds after he settle Brennan in his play pen did he hear here angry steps.

“What was that, Patrick?” Her voice was strained. A glance at her told him that she wasn’t angry, more worried and concerned. It only inflamed him more.

“It was nothing. I’m glad you had a wonderful time at practice talking up my teammates, while holding my son.” If he slapped her, she would have been less shocked. He watched as emotions ran across her pretty features, first shock, then hurt, and lastly anger.

“Are you serious? You’re acting like a four year old because I was talking to Viktor? Well, I’m sorry if I don’t want to be a hermit and actually want friends.” Her face was red with trying to keep herself from raising her voice.

“Don’t bullshit me. You were giggling like a fifteen year old girl. You were so obvious about it, too.” He fell onto the couch and turned on the NHL Network. They were discussing their predictions of the upcoming season. In Pat, opinion, he thought this was garbage, any team could come out on top and the preseason hadn’t even started.

“All that was happening is that we were talking.” Scar stood firm on her stand. This time he actually rolled his eyes. He watched her get two shades redder.

“You practically melted when he said you had a pretty laugh.” He put air quotes around the last part of his sentence and tried to imitate Stalberg’s Swedish accent.

“You’re such a child, Pat. If you want me to be stuck inside this house, don’t invite me out.” She turned and walked away. Pat was almost positive that she called him a dick before walking out of hearing range.

For a while, Patrick sat there and wait for some satisfaction to seep into him. It never came. Instead, all he felt was guilt and worry. He felt bad that he’d been such a jerk to her. Worried because he was afraid he’d pushed her too far. When it came to Scarlet, he never could understand. She confused him more than any woman he’d ever known. It was like as much as he kept trying, he only pushed her further away.

Patrick walked into the kitchen, making sure he could still see Brennan’s sleeping from in his play pen. Opening the fridge, he figured that he could somehow make up for what he did. Eyeing the brownies, Chris made with Ryan the day before on the counter, he came up with an idea.

Over the next couple minutes, he pretended that he was a tv chef. Twirling around the kitchen grabbing ingredients, pretending to talk to an audience, and presenting his masterpiece to no one. Only when he completely turned around did he see Scarlet there, silently laughing, tears streaming from her eyes.

“How long have you been there?” he chuckled. She just waved her hand at him for a minutes, indicating that she didn’t have enough oxygen to breath, let alone tell him what she’d seen. Scar was so beautiful. Viktor had been right, she did have a pretty laugh, but it was more than just the sound, it was how her whole face lit up.

“Too long, Pat, too long.” She just giggled at him and made her way to the fridge, only glimpsing at his masterpiece.

“It’s for you. It’s a piece offering.” He smiled at her when she turned. If only she could see how hard he was trying, she’d be okay with it all. Pat watched as she hesitantly took a bite, then she seemed to melt.

“Thanks, Pat.” She shrugged and dug into the sundae he made her.

“I’m sorry you know. I just, I don’t know, I guess I wasn’t all too comfortable what happened. Stalberg is into you, I guess. And if you want to date him, go ahead.” It was his turn to shrug, but it was really for his discomfort.

Scar lifted her eyes to his. “Are you trying to fill me with sweets so he’ll think I’m fat and ugly? My body is bad as it is.” That made Pat laugh, no way could she find her body bad. If it were up to him, he’d spend all day worshipping her curvy figure.

“No, but seriously, Scar. I’m not trying to trap you in my house. You can go out and have fun on nights that I’m off. It’s okay.” She nodded, looking down at her bowl.

Pat didn’t even realize what she was doing until the cold spoon holding ice cream hit the tip of his nose. She just giggled at him and continued eating her ice cream. “Did you really just do that?” he laughed.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about Patty Cakes.” Her voice was light and arrogant as she managed to somehow make it seem like she was peering down at him.

Pat just nodded before waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He was so focused on waiting for her to put herself into position that he barely noticed that the ice cream on his nose dripped down. When she raised the spoon to her mouth again, he reached out to shove it in her face.

Scarlet’s mouth fell open as he smeared the cold ice cream all over her face. He just laughed heavily, unable to contain it anymore. When he pulled his hand away, he wiped it on the rag sitting on the counter. “Scar, you got a little something on your…” Patrick waved his hand in front of his face.

For a minute she just stood, then she turned her head in the slightest to look at him. “Now that we’re made up, Pat. We should hug.” Over the next few minutes, they proceeded to chase each other around his new kitchen. Patrick had never had so much fun than at that moment. In his kitchen, with his kid asleep in the other room, being chase by a short Asian woman with ice cream all over her face.

---

One week had passed since their kitchen fight. Patrick paced the living room, glancing between the clock and his bags placed against the wall. Anxiety of leaving his son for the first time for a road trip was suffocating him. The clock seemed to be ticking faster and faster.

Soft footsteps puttered down the stairs. Brennan was in Scar’s arms, mid-yawn. Love filled his heart.
“Hey, Bren.” Pat reached out to hold his son. “Daddy’s going to be back soon.” He touched his lips to his son’s smooth forehead and nuzzled his nose against the soft blonde hair that grew on his head.

“It’ll be okay, Pat. I’ll be in constant communication with you. Text, call, Skype, you name it.” Scar’s bright smile soothed him. Seeing her there, barefoot against the dark hardwood, her hair messy and skin dewy. It made him never want to leave.

“Promise you’ll call me right away if anything happens.” She just snorted and rolled her eyes. Fully aware that he’d told her this a million times, he let it slide. “And Callie will answer whenever Jon or Ryan or I can’t answer.”

“I know, Pat. Trust me, I know.” She pulled Brennan out of his arms. “It’ll be alright.” Her soft lips touched his cheek briefly in a friendly kiss.

Pat kissed his son’s forehead once more and soft pecked hers. It felt too much like saying good bye to his wife. It was too perfect. For the first time in a long time, Patrick was completely happy with his life. As he made his way out of the door and jumped into the car where Jon, Ryan, and Callie had been waiting, he waved back at the lovely vision saying goodbye to him from the door.

“I like that too much.” He murmured. Ryan just tapped his shoulder. Callie was smiling at him brilliantly. Jon didn’t say or do anything for a minute.

“I know you do, Pat. Just don’t mess it up.” The words were more than a warning, to him it was a reminder that it could all to easily slip away, it was a reminder that he would have to work hard to keep what he had. He had to work hard to make Scarlet fall in love with him. It was something he was willing to do.