Broken

Tommy walked her home that day, quiet as always. Jade could usually interpret his silences, knowing when something was bothering him or if he just didn't feel like talking. But today's quiet was different, almost like he was nervous. And that was setting her on edge.

Jade immediately looked around now as they approached her place, looking for any sign of Andrew. It had become habit the last few days, since that morning that she swore she had seen him. When nothing seemed out of the ordinary, she walked up the steps to her porch, surprised when Tommy didn't follow. He usually came in to talk to Nanna Paul, at least for a few minutes before he left. Nanna had taken to Tommy quickly, raving about the "nice boy" that had helped her that one morning that Jade couldn't. He had been kind enough not to mention her hangover.

Tommy just stood on the bottom of the steps, shifting his weight from one foot to the other while he stared at the ground. He was definitely nervous about something. "You comin' in, Tommy?"

He wouldn't quite meet her eyes as he spoke. "Gotta ask you somethin' first."

Jade huffed out a sigh if impatience. She was hungry and he was wasting time. "So stop being a pussy and ask me! This quiet brooding shit gets old sometimes, you know."

He hesitated before finally blurting out "Can you get Monday night off?" His words tumbled out so fast it took her a minute to understand what he said.

"That's the night-" Jade sputtered.

"Before the order expires, I know. Can you get off work?"

"I guess I can get one of the girls to cover for me. But why, Tommy?"

"I wanna take you out somewhere." He finally met her eyes when he spoke again, the source of his nerves finally clear.

"Holy shit, Tommy, you asking me out on an honest to goodness date?"

"Guess I am."

Jade's heart was pounding, exhilarated at the thought. A date? She had never been on an actual date, unless you counted the backseat of- "Yes!" she babbled out before she could mentally continue down that particular memory lane. "I mean, yeah, we can go out."

Tommy nodded and seemed to breathe a little easier. "Alright, then." And at that, he finally climbed the stairs and followed Jade inside.

-----

It was an adjustment, not training with Tommy. But Brendan grew on her fast. He was just so naturally honest and sweet that she found it difficult to be her usual surly self with him. It was disarming, really. At times she wondered how the two brothers had come out of the same household.

Her schedule hadn't changed at all, and that certainly helped. She still ran with Tommy each morning, though he had definitely picked up their pace since he started training. Eggs, time with Nanna, head to the gym to meet up with Tommy again. Only he went off to do his own thing now, handing her off to Brendan with a wink before he left.

Tommy had been right about his brother, he was helping her. Tommy may have had a lot of raw power, but Brendan was faster. He was pushing her limits daily, challenging her speed and reaction time more than Tommy ever had.

The days passed in an exhausting blur, and before she knew it, it was Monday and Tommy was walking her home from the gym. They hadn't really spoken much since he had asked her out, a strangeness settling over their relationship for the first time. It was almost like their first months running together, with a lot less exasperation and a lot more awkwardness.

Tommy disappeared into Nanna's room as Jade made her way into the kitchen to make lunch. She was so involved with peeling and chopping vegetables for a quick stir fry that she jumped when she looked up to see Tommy watching her. "Never scare a girl with a knife in her hand, you asshole!"

He chuckled. "Sorry. Just wanted to tell you I'll be back at six to pick you up."

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"Well what am I supposed to wear?" she huffed. "A dress? Jeans? Toga? Kilt?"

"You own a kilt?"

"No."

"Then jeans'll be fine, doll. But dress warm. I'll see you then." Tommy gave her a nod and left. Dress warm? In May? What in the hell was he up to?

Jade finished her lunch, serving Nanna and then cleaning up before collapsing in an exhausted heap on her bed. She lay there spread eagle, heart already starting to hammer with nerves. Sleep came swiftly, though it was far from restful. Tommy played a very prominent, very inappropriate role as dream morphed into fantasy.

She woke with a start, a little embarrassed at the tone her dream had taken. The light in her room was perceptibly dimmer as she rolled over to stare at her clock. Fuck, she was already running late.

Her shower and blow dry were hurried along by the butterflies that had decided to take up residence in her stomach. She decided to leave her hair down since Tommy had only ever seen it in a ponytail. A touch of make-up. Some skinny jeans and a simple black top that would show off her tattoo. She had just shrugged on her favorite leather jacket and zipped up her heeled boots when the knock on the door made her jump.

Jade took a few deep breaths to try to calm herself before moving to open the door. It was only Tommy, right? "You're early." The words died on her lips as she took him in.

She was so used to seeing Tommy in his track pants and hoodie that it never entered her mind that he might be wearing something different. He was facing the street, giving Jade a perfect view of the way the jeans he was wearing were hanging off his ass just so. As he turned to face her, she took in the blue button-up shirt, sleeves rolled up just enough that she could see a hint of his ink peeking out on his forearms. And the color turned his normally stormy eyes into a brighter shade of blue. She was speechless.

But apparently he was too. Tommy unabashedly looked her up and down, jaw clenching and unclenching as his eyes skimmed her body. A cool shiver of anticipation snaked down her spine. He was looking at her in a way that was somehow hungry, like he didn't want to go anywhere anymore, but stay in and devour each other all night. "You look ..." he mumbled, eyes continuing their feast.

"You too."

Her words seemed to snap him out of his reverie. "I mean, you look beautiful, doll. You deserve to hear it." Jade could feel the blush coloring her cheeks. "And something else."

"Heading out, Nanna!" she called out, shooing Tommy forward so that they could get going.

"Badass. You look badass."

Jade laughed, breaking the tension between them as she did. She locked the door behind them before heading down the stairs, Tommy following behind her. "So where to?"

"I'm starting to rethink our night."

"Oh?"

"You look like we need to go find some vampires to slay or demons to hunt or something." Tommy stood facing her, seeming to pause slightly before reaching out to hold her hand.

Jade tucked her hair behind her ears with her free hand, trying not to betray the shot of adrenaline that had just flooded her system at his touch. "I think I'll pass."

"You sure?" She nodded, unable to stop the stupid smile from spreading on her lips, suddenly giddy with excitement. "Then we got a train to catch."

-----

"Hockey?" Jade questioned skeptically as they stood on Broad Street, facing the Wells Fargo center. "You're taking me to watch hockey?"

"That an issue?" Tommy tugged at her hand to pull her forward to the line leading into the arena.

"No, I've just never really watched it before."

Her words pulled him up short, literally stopping him in his tracks. "You've never-"

"Nope."

"Not even-"

"No."

Tommy grabbed her hand and started dragging her towards the entrances again, Jade nearly tripping in her heels as she tried to keep up. "You're gonna love this, doll."

The excitement in the air was palpable as they made their way inside and to their seats amid a sea of orange. In fact, the whole place felt electric, charged. Jade couldn't help but key into the emotions surrounding her, nerves standing on edge as she waited in anticipation for the game to begin. The game better be good, or she would be sorely disappointed. "Is it always like this?" she couldn't stop herself from asking.

"Haven't been to many games, but yeah. Doesn't hurt that it's the playoffs."

Jade was squirming in her seat, anxious for the start of the game. Closest she could compare it to was being turned on, the air just filled with the promise of some kind of release and catharsis.

Tommy leaned over, pulling her hair to the side to whisper in her ear. His breath tickled her neck, raising traitorous goosebumps on her skin. "I told you that you'd love it." He pulled back just enough to give her a knowing smirk.

"It hasn't even started yet! It's just the atmosphere, it's really something."

He leaned closer again, his lips tickling her ear. "Got ya squirming?"

Jade couldn't help the flood of desire that rushed through her system. She had already felt on edge, and fuck him for adding to it. "You-" The lights dimming cut her off, a cheer running through the crowd. Tommy went to pull away from her but she grabbed his forearm to pull him closer again. "You're going to fucking pay for that." And at that, she released him and stood up to join the cheers that were echoing around them.

The teams skating out sent her heart racing, the anthem gave her goosebumps. And then the puck was dropped and everything, even Tommy, faded into the background.

It was insanity. Every hit, every shot, every confrontation sent her reeling. The pace was frantic, leaving her to wonder how the players' hearts didn't explode. And then a fight broke out, Jade standing up to root them on as the two men tossed their gloves and helmets. Tommy was at her ear again, but mercifully it wasn't to torture her this time. "Watch how they use the jerseys to try to unbalance the other guy."

"I can't believe they fight on skates!" she yelled over the crowd as the men started exchanging blows. The style was so different than what she was used to seeing, but it was still exhilarating. Hockey was certainly living up to its promise.

By the end of the first period, she was officially converted. She had to stop herself from bouncing up and down in excitement as she filed out of their seats behind Tommy to grab something to eat. Someone jostled her into his back, but rather than pulling away as she may have done normally, she held into his shoulders and spoke instead, close enough so that he could hear. "You're a fucking genius, you know that?" Jade couldn't help but be pleased as she saw hairs raise on the back of his neck. Two could play at his game.

"That may be the first and last time anyone ever calls me a genius," he called to her over his shoulder, giving her hand a squeeze as they continued their way through the crowds. Jade could see looks of recognition on some of the faces surrounding them as they saw Tommy, but none approached them. He didn't exactly give off the welcoming vibe.

Their choices were limited at the concession stand, each opting for a simple hot dog before making their way back to their seats. Tommy had polished his off in about ten seconds as they walked, but Jade savored hers. There was a crowd waiting to make their way back up the stairs, so they stopped at a railing, leaning on it with their elbows and watching the kiss cam on the Jumbotron as Jade continued to eat.

"So I had an idea about the Andrew situation, but you might not like it." Tommy was chewing on his lip as he said it.

Jade had just taken her final bite, her mouth too full to respond immediately. They turned to face each other, Jade anxious for a solution to her problem. Or was it their problem now?

The catcalls and whistles started then, someone yelling "kiss her!" as they passed. Jade looked up to see herself and Tommy on the big screen, covering her mouth in surprise. Tommy cocked a single eyebrow at her, seekin permission, maybe? She dropped her hand, swallowing hard before giving him a slight nod..

And then he was pulling her into his arms, spinning and dipping her until she was off balance and her world was tilted. His lips sought hers, the kiss sweeter and gentler than she would have expected. Whistles and hoots of appreciation echoed around them, but every sense she had was being overloaded with Tommy. His arms holding her tight, his scent in her nose, a growl barely audible. And she was drowning in him, dizzy, leaving her gasping for air when he pulled her upright again and broke their kiss. He shot her a knowing smirk before cocking his head to the side, ready to go back to their seats.