Sky Full of Stars

She's not there when he wakes up but there's a note left on the pillow she'd slept on, letting him know where she will be when he finally gets out of bed. He pulls on some basketball shorts and an old tee shirt and heads right down to her apartment but she's not in the living room or kitchen when he gets there and he can hear the shower running down the hall. He goes ahead and starts the coffee maker before sliding into the chair at the end of the bar and dropping his head down to rest against the cool counter. He ends up dozing off again in that position but the moment the sound of bare feet pattering down the hallway hits his ears, he's wide awake again and his mouth falls open a little when she rounds the corner.

"You woke up sooner than I expected," she says casually, like she's not standing there in nothing but a short gray towel. She somehow was able to dry her long hair in the span of thirty seconds, or he may have nodded off for longer than he thought.

"Well, good morning," he grins, sliding off the chair as she moves closer to stand in front of him. "That's a good look."

"Mmm, don't even think about it."

"Too late," he retorts, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into him. "Is that a T?"

He reaches one hand up to her neck and runs his finger along the dainty silver chain to the small letter pendant dangling between her collar bones. She just shrugs with a little smile. "Maybe."

"Looks good on you."

"I thought you might like it."

"You thought right," he retorts, hooking his finger into the top of the towel and looking back up to meet her eyes with a sly smile. She gives him a warning look, her fingers closing around his wrist, but he just bites his lip and tugs a little.

"Don't you dare," she scolds playfully, pushing his arm back and slowly moving away from him before spinning around and heading down the hall back to her bedroom to get dressed.

He waits a few minutes to follow her and he knocks once before he tries to open the door, pleasantly surprised to find that she left it unlocked. She has music playing through the little speaker atop her nightstand and is standing with her back to him but she spins around when he enters the room, holding the front of her unbuttoned silk blouse closed. They just stare at each other for a long moment before he starts inching closer and she drops her arms to her sides, swallowing hard as he finally comes to a stop right in front of her.

He slowly reaches out to grab both sides of her blouse then glances back up to look into her eyes and make sure what he's doing is okay before he proceeds. She just nervously watches his face as he pulls the shirt apart and gently slides it back off her shoulders and down her arms, letting it fall to the floor. His hands immediately go back to run up and down her smooth sides several times before traveling around to her back. He deftly unhooks the clasp of her bra and then leans back to stand up straight and watch as the loosened straps slip down from her shoulders and she pulls the garment off completely, dropping it at her feet next to the puddle of ivory silk. She chews nervously on her bottom lip as she waits for his reaction. He still hasn't seen her completely naked and the terrifying reality that that's going to happen very very soon is at the forefront of her mind. She hopes he doesn't notice that her breathing is a little heavier and her hand are definitely shaking.

"Shit," he exclaims under his breath as his eyes roam across all this bare skin that's completely new to him. He raises his hand to touch but then freezes, glancing back up into her eyes. "Can I?"

The question catches her off guard and she smiles a little at the hopeful look on his face. "You don't have to ask."

He leans in to kiss her, surprisingly innocent at first as he rests his hands on her sides, but after only a few seconds they begin to creep up and up and up and then he's got both hands cupping each of her breasts. They squeeze and caress and massage and she lets out a little gasp when his thumbs softly brush over her nipples. He breaks the kiss then to move down to her neck, sucking and nibbling the skin there on his way to her chest. He presses a kiss to the center of her chest, feels her heart pounding under his lips, and when he glances back up at her face, he finds her looking right back at him. Keeping eye contact, he leans back in to continue his work, and he relishes the sound she makes when he teases a nipple with his tongue before closing his lips around it. Her eyes flutter closed and she sighs contentedly as she reaches up to brush her fingers over the back of his neck and the tops of his shoulders, absentmindedly tracing intricate patterns in the skin before running her fingers through his hair.

Once he's done a complete and thorough job with her chest, she grabs his face and pulls him back up to her level to kiss him again. He seems to enjoy that if the way he grabs her hips and pulls her tight against him is any indication. She runs her hands up his sides, pushing his grey tee shirt up along the way and he breaks the kiss to yank it off over his head. She takes that moment to really appreciate the view, running her fingertips down his chest and abs and across the ink over his ribs, and he just watches her until she's done touching. She throws her arms around his neck and now that they're both bare chested, it feels like they're even that much closer when he wraps one arm around her waist and pulls her tight against him, grabbing the back of her neck with his free hand to kiss her.

He steers her backwards toward the unmade bed and when the backs of her legs hit it, she untangles herself from him and sits down, making herself almost eye level with his crotch. The basketball shorts he's wearing don't do much (read: anything) to conceal just how aroused he is and she glances up at him before she reaches for his waistband and tugs them down til they're pooled around his ankles. He kicks them off and while he's distracted for that short moment, she takes hold of him and slowly begins working her hand up and down a few times before leaning down to add her mouth. He groans loudly, tangling his fingers into her hair but keeping his hand still and not trying to control her movements.

She's only just beginning to build on the rhythm she's set when he gently grabs her chin to get her attention and she lets go of him, dabbing her lips with the back of her hand as she looks up questioningly. He kisses her in response, leaning her backward at the same time and then bracing himself over her so that he can immediately move back off the bed when she breaks the kiss.

"What're you-"

She doesn't even have to finish the question because as she props herself up on her elbows, he unfastens the little gold button and zipper on her jeans, quickly tugging them down her legs, along with the scrap of black cotton she had on underneath. He tosses them over his shoulder and then goes completely still as he stands over her, just taking in the sight of her like this. Her whole body is suddenly very warm and tinged pink and she's about a millisecond from grabbing the sheet and hiding herself because this is very overwhelming for her, even if he happens to be just as naked as she is.

But then he drops to his knees.

The song playing in the background ends and then it's just the two of them breathing to fill the silence. His eyes flicker up to hers for a moment and he licks his lips as he pushes her knees apart before leaning in and slowly teasing his tongue against her. She inhales sharply, biting down on her bottom lip as her head tilts back and her eyes flutter closed. There's nothing tentative about his technique now, with him having obviously paid very close attention the last time to learn exactly what she likes, and maybe the fact that's already so keyed up anyway is a contributing factor, but in practically no time at all, her toes are curling and her legs are feeling shaky and she can't seem to catch her breath.

"Okay, okay, okay," she gasps, pushing his head away. "Get a condom."

"What?" he asks in confusion, sitting back on his heels, but after a beat, it registers in his brain and he breaks out into a huge grin. "Really?" He immediately reaches for his discarded pants but realizes as soon as they're in his hands that-- "Shit, I don't have-....I left my wallet upstairs."

"I think I actually might have one," she says, scooting up to the head of the bed and leaning over to open the drawer on her nightstand. She comes away with a little silver packet and flicks it at him to put on before pulling the loose sheet over her body.

"Hey, wait for me," he jokes as he gets up from the floor and she shakes her head at him, unable to contain her smile as she lifts the sheet to let him climb in with her. He leans over her, bracing his arms on either side of her and grins. "Hi."

"Hi."

"Are you sure about this?" he asks, suddenly earnest, his eyes searching her face for any signs that she might want to change her mind.

She reaches up to brush her hand across his scruffy cheek. "I'm sure."

He breaks out into another grin and ducks his head down to kiss her once more before he gets re situated between her legs so that he can slowly guide himself into her. She gasps, squeezing her eyes shut, and he stills immediately, looking down at her with worry written all over his face.

"Okay?"

"Yeah," she squeaks out, a little embarrassed because she's overwhelmed already. She hates that this is such a big deal to her, but she just can't help it. "I just, um-....it's....been awhile." A fucking year, she thinks, more specifically. It goes without saying that in addition to it having been so long, Tyler is only the second person she's ever done this with, the first of course being someone that she was in love with for a pretty long time. It's just....a lot.

"Hey, me too," he reminds her softly. She opens her eyes to look at him then, finding his face merely centimeters from hers. "Oh so....sorry in advance if I, ya know, don't.....go long."

She chuckles at that, brushing a hand up his bare side and back down to his hip. "Right."

"Okay?" he asks in a whisper and she can't help but smile as she nods her head. "What's that look for?"

She only smiles wider, draping both arms around his neck. "Nothing. You're perfect."

"No, you are."

The rush of feelings that flood her brain she has to tamp down pretty quickly before she blurts out something stupid and ruins the mood so instead of saying anything at all, she just pulls him back down onto her until his chest is flush against hers and kisses him hard. He slowly begins to move again and all her little sighs and moans are swallowed up by his mouth as he finally works all the way in. His eyes slide shut and he drops his head into the crook of her neck, cursing under his breath at the feeling and she tangles her fingers in his hair, pressing light kisses across his shoulder and up his neck and basically any bare skin her lips can reach.

He takes great care in being very gentle at first, letting her body get used to him, his hips rocking slowly against hers like they've got all the time in the world, and she appreciates it more than she'd ever be able to express. But just about the time he pushes himself up onto his hands and really starts driving in with a purpose is when her brain feels like it's shorting out, like she doesn't really have the presence of mind to form a single coherent thought and she's pretty sure that if someone were to ask her her name, she probably wouldn't be able to tell them. Every thrust punches the air from her lungs and she digs her fingertips into his back, unable to do much more than just hold onto him for dear life when he really gets a rhythm going.

It may or may not have been a joke when he mentioned that he might not be able to last since it's been a long time for him too, but it doesn't matter because she comes first, and he makes sure of that. He follows right after though, like he'd been making himself wait juuuust long enough for her to finish, and as soon as he drops onto the mattress next to her in a tangle of sheets, breathing heavily, she immediately wonders if things are going to turn awkward between them. But then he reaches out for her hand, tangling their fingers together, and when she turns her head to the side to look at him, he's got a little grin on his face. "Hi."

"Hi," she replies, smiling too, and he brings their linked hands up to his lips so that he can press a kiss to her knuckles.

"So," he starts, squeezing her fingers with his. "I'm sorry, but I'm so fucking thirsty right now, I need a Gatorade like ASAP. You go do your thing while I do that and we'll meet back here in two minutes, deal?"

She's almost surprised that he apparently knows the routine women's post-sex tasks but he's looking at her like this is a serious detailed plan that needs to be agreed upon to be followed so she chuckles and says, "Sure."

"Good," he says, satisfied and he leans over to press a kiss to her forehead before he just fucking rolls himself over her to get up instead of getting up on his side and walking around the bed. "I'll bring you a water back," he says over his shoulder and she just smiles as she watches him walk across the room to the bedroom door in all his naked glory.

That's mine, she thinks to herself and wonders how in the hell she got so lucky.

-----

It's time for Game 6. This is it, do or die, win or the season is over. The boys have a home advantage for this dire situation, which means they'll at least have the support of their friends, families, and fans right there in their own building. Tyler was already gone to the rink when she woke up this morning and hasn't even read the text she sent him after lunch so she knows they must have just shut out the world and holed up to prepare for tonight.

She heads to the AAC to meet her favorite family, the Parker-Foster clan, and they make it to their seats well before the festivities begin, leaving them plenty of time for Nick to take Violet for snacks and Felicity to confront her best friend about the stupid grin that's been permanently plastered to her face since they met up on the main concourse.

"So," she starts, smirking because of course she already knows. She has a sense about these things.

"So, what?" Calista asks, oblivious, as she finishes typing out a reply to her brother.

"You had sex!"

Calista's head snaps up then, eyes wide. "Shhhhh! Jesus Christ, I think they heard you down at ice level!" she whisper yells, glancing around the immediate vicinity for anybody that potentially overheard.

"But you did!" Felicity presses, thankfully in a much quieter tone this time and Calista just flushes bright red in lieu of answering. The blonde throws her arms around her friend and squeezes her tightly. "Oh my God, yes! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks, Fifi," she chuckles, patting her friend's arm and once she releases her, Felicity leans in closer.

"So, you gotta tell me. Where'd it happen, when did it happen, how'd it happen? I need details!"

Calista's whole face still feels really hot but she shakes her head in amusement at her friend's enthusiasm. "Yesterday. I'd left him asleep to go back to my apartment and shower. When I came out of the bathroom, he was already there. Went to my room to get dressed and....he followed."

"And how was he?"

She pauses to think of a fitting descriptor but can't think of anything that properly conveys the experience so she just says, "Amazing," even though that doesn't even cover it.

"Better than Jordie?"

"Oh my God, how did I know that question was coming?" she sighs, raking a hand through her hair. "And yes. Just-....the whole thing is-....yeah."

"Aww shit!" Felicity drawls, playfully elbowing Calista in the ribs. "Is he bigger?"

If her cheeks weren't already flaming red, they would be now but this is one of her best friends, the only person she has to talk about these things with and it's not like Felicity hasn't talked to her about Nick's sexual prowess and the equipment he's working with in exquisite detail on several occasions before. "Not as thick," she replies quietly, but she's not making eye contact at the moment and that's a good as Felicity's gonna get. "But longer. And he....definitely knows what he's doing with it. Besides, it's not just that. I mean, Jordie never....well, it was really only all about....ya know....penetration."

Felicity grips her arm dramatically and makes a gagging sound. "Oh my god, I hate that word!"

"I know," Calista laughs. "That's why I used it."

"You're the worst," the older woman replies. "So, Tyler's got a mouth on him too, huh?"

"That he does." She bites her lip just thinking about it, but the group decked out in Stars gear taking their seats two rows in front of them gain her attention. Okay, no more name usage. No need for this preteen girl with SEGUIN printed across her back (and presumably her parents) to hear all about his sex life.

"I can't believe it finally happened," Felicity continues, but also having noticed the other people who have sat down around them, keeps her tone lower. "Finally got some good dick."

"Jordie was good dick too," she says defensively, because regardless of everything else, he's still her friend, or at least she thinks he is. She hasn't talked to him since that wedding and even though things were left on a weird note, that's never completely and effectively ruined their friendship before.

"But this dick loves you," Felicity argues. "Like an insane amount."

"You don't know that."

"Calista, come on! Are you still on this? You have to know he does."

"He hasn't said it," she says simply. "Until he does...."

"Okay, fine," the blonde surrenders, rolling her eyes. "Are you admitting you love him yet? Or are you still in denial about that too?"

"No, I do."

Felicity's eyes widen almost comically as she stares at her friend. "Sorry, what?"

"I do," Calista repeats, then clarifies. "Love him."

"Oh my God, Calista!" she squeals, pulling her into another hug just as Nick and Violet return to their seats with armfuls of snacks and drinks. "I'm so happy for you."

"What's up?" Nick asks, handing Calista her water bottle and his girlfriend the giant soda he bought for them to share before sitting down in his seat.

"She fucked Tyler and she just admitted she loves him," Felicity supplies, filling him in on what he's missed.

"Oh yeah?" he says, brows raised in surprise. Thank fuck Violet is way too interested in her nachos to pay any attention to the adults around her. Calista only nods and Nick sticks his fist out, waiting for her to bump hers against it. She laughs as she does it, then leans all the way back in her seat as the row directly in front of them fills up all at once with a massive group in head-to-toe victory green. The seats on her other side fill in too, just as the lights go dim in the arena and the intro begins to the sound of loud cheers. It's a nice break from the conversation she was just having but then she remembers that, oh yeah, it's fucking Game 6 and it's win or they're done, and suddenly she's filled with nervous energy.

The sold-out crowd is loud and wild, the atmosphere exciting yet tense with everything riding on this one game. The boys look serious and determined down on the ice and Calista takes a deep breath, making a silent wish that this game will go their way. She knows how much this means to them, all of them, and she's not sure she's prepared if it ends up not happening for them. They want it so badly and she wants it for them just as much.

Daley opens the scoring five minutes in and then Eaks gets one after five more. It's a great start but she still can't relax at all, knowing how quickly these games can turn around. Her nerves are wrecked for the entirety of regulation and it gets infinitely worse when the game ends in a tie and they have to go into overtime. Violet is on Nick's lap screaming and cheering and Felicity is next to Calista, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder because she's hiding her face in her hands and all she can handle is peeking through her fingers to see what's going on down on the ice.

Those two minutes and forty-something seconds are agonizing but then, just like that, Anaheim takes a shot and suddenly the puck is in the net and it's over. The guys in white go crazy celebrating and her heart just breaks when she sees the looks on her guys' faces. Violet starts crying and Calista doesn't blame her because she feels like crying too.

Nick and Felicity decide to go ahead and head home since Violet is obviously tired so they each hug Calista before following behind the rest of the people who are leaving. Calista stays in her seat until after the handshakes are done and the team salutes the crowd. It makes her happy that despite the outcome, most of the Stars fans still stick around and cheer for their team.

Once the arena crew come in to start cleaning. she gets up and heads in the direction of the locker room, thinking about how to handle her situation. She knows Tyler's going to be upset about it, angry too, and she wants to be there for him but she's not sure in what capacity exactly that may be. Like she knows Jamie will spend the next week in the dark in his apartment feeling solely responsible and beating himself up about their early post-season exit and he'll want to be left alone, but she's not quite sure how Tyler will handle this. Of course she's seen him after losses, but this is on a whole other level. She decides she's just going to play it by ear, let him take the lead and show her how she can best be there for him.

The atmosphere down in the hallway outside the locker room is tense, the various families and significant others all anticipating the moods of the players who will be coming out shortly. Bethany is down at the other end next to Brijet Whitney and Calista carefully avoids eye contact, ducking her head down to focus on her boots instead. The Anaheim team's celebrations are so loud that they can be heard even from here and she wishes they would just get the fuck out of the AAC so that her boys don't have to hear it.

Finally, they start to file out of the metal double doors and split off in the directions of their families. Jamie is one of the first ones out and he just looks heartbroken. She throws her arms around him and squeezes him as tight as she possibly can but he just seems kind of out of it, probably replaying the whole game in his head and imagining what he could have possibly done different.

"You played hard," she says quietly, squeezing his arm.

"I couldn't even get a fucking goal."

She knows he knows it's not that simple, but he's also upset with himself and he's the type of captain that's going to take sole responsibility for a loss. She also knows not to argue with him about it. "I'm proud of you regardless," she shrugs.

"We just got knocked out of the first fucking round, Liss. It's not something to be proud of."

"Jamie, your first season as Captain, you got this team to the playoffs. Somewhere it hasn't been in years. You may not have gone all the way but you went farther than you ever have before so there's still a hell of a lot to be proud of."

He shakes his head but doesn't bother arguing that, instead changing the subject. "I'm gonna head home. If you need me, you know what I'll be doing for the foreseeable future."

"Well if you need me....just call."

"I know."

"I love you, Jame."

"I know," he says again, and then after a beat, he leans in to kiss her temple. "I love you too."

She smiles to herself as she watches him walk away down the hall toward the players' entrance before she turns back to wait for Tyler to come out. She texts back and forth with Felicity while she waits, and allows herself a few moments to be sad when Dillon comes out and doesn't even look at her, much less talk to her; luckily it's only a few more minutes before Tyler emerges, following right behind Daley and Lehtonen. He looks miserable, which is to be expected, but what takes her a little bit by surprise is how distant he's suddenly being towards her, especially after the past few days they've had together. She isn't really sure what to say when he won't even look at her directly and isn't trying to initiate any physical contact. "I'm really sorry," is what she settles on.

He shrugs his shoulders like it doesn't matter but his face says the exact opposite. "We weren't good enough," he mutters, shoving his hands into his pants pockets and glaring at the floor.

"The fact that you got here at all is something to be proud of," she tries, but Jamie didn't believe it and Tyler doesn't either. She knows he wanted more for himself and his new team, especially his first season fresh off a trade; he wanted to prove that he'd been worth it. He shakes his head in disagreement and she reaches up to touch his scruffy cheek. "C'mon, let's go home."

"Babe, I don't-....I just wanna go out and get wasted."

"Are you su-..." She hesitates when his dark brown eyes bore right into hers. Are you sure that's a good idea? might not be the best thing to say to him when he's just been kicked out of the playoffs, especially knowing that it has to be even more painful for him that the team that traded him has won their first round and is advancing to the second. "Okay," she says instead, albeit reluctantly. "Where are we going?"

"I'm just gonna go with some of the guys," he replies, jerking his thumb in the direction that some of his teammates have already gone. "Probably catch a cab home later."

"O-oh," she nods, trying not to feel too hurt that she's apparently not even invited. She has to remind herself that she had said she would be there for him in whatever way he needed and if that's just taking herself home and letting him go drown his sorrows with his teammates and not her, then that's just how it's going to be. "Well just be careful, okay? Call me if you need me."

"Yeah," he agrees halfheartedly and when she leans up to kiss his cheek, he doesn't try to turn it into more like he usually would, doesn't even really acknowledge it at all. She honestly feels kind of embarrassed, knowing that several other girlfriends are standing not too far down the hallway waiting for their own boyfriends and watching this exchange. She knows he's not doing it on purpose, that he's just upset they lost, but it still stings a little and at this point she is more than happy to go home alone.

"Okay then," she says awkwardly and then turns to head the opposite way that he'll be going without waiting for him to say anything else, doubtful that he even would anyway. She passes the other girls, carefully avoiding everyone's eyes as she tucks her hands into the pockets of her jacket, and books it straight outside to her car where it sits all alone in the middle of the now mostly empty parking lot. Casey's texted her about the game after having watched at home in BC and she responds to him quickly before she buckles her seat belt and heads back toward her building.

The apartment is too quiet when she returns home so she puts on some music, changes into some comfy pajamas, and has a few glasses of wine. Stupidly, she keeps a check on her phone for awhile just in case, but when it's just past two in the morning and the only person she's talked to is Casey, she finally shuts off all the lights and buries herself under the covers, falling asleep quickly.

The phone buzzing directly under her face is what rouses her less than five hours later and when she squints one eye open to see who it is, it's her perky blonde friend's picture that's looking back at her. She's barely able to answer it before it stops ringing and she's grumbling about the time as soon as she puts it to her ear but there's worry in Felicity's voice that makes her immediately alert. "Sorry I woke you up, but it's important."

"What? What happened?" Calista asks, sitting straight up in bed.

"Go look at your instagram," Felicity replies softly, and she feels her stomach drop. She puts her friend on speaker before opening the app in question and then she's immediately flooded with notifications of posts that people have tagged her in overnight. They're all the same photo, just reposted by several different accounts. It's blurry and was taken in really low lighting but it's unmistakably Tyler pressed up against a thin pretty blonde, his hands gripping her hips and their faces so close together that their lips are almost touching.

"Oh," she mumbles, instantly feeling a little bit sick. She sinks back down into her pile of pillows, taking a few shaky breaths in and willing herself not to cry.

"Are you okay? Do you need me to come over?"

"No, I just-..." She pauses to clear her throat so that her voice doesn't come out so pitiful and weak. "I'm okay."

"Okay," Felicity says gently. "I'm sorry, Calista. I just wanted you to have a chance to prepare before it gets too far out there."

"I know," she mumbles. "Thanks."

"Seriously, if you need me-."

"I know."

"Lemme know how it goes," Felicity says before she hangs up and then Calista feels a wave of panic when she realizes she's actually going to have to confront this with him. She turns her phone onto silent and pulls her comforter up over her head, willing herself to go back to sleep so she doesn't have to fucking think about it.

-----

There's a knock on the door when she's in the middle of typing an email and she has a feeling it's him so she decides not to answer it. She ignored the text he sent an hour earlier when he finally woke up too; honestly, she's just upset and trying not to think about it because she has too much work to get done today and she can't let her emotions get the best of her when she needs to be focused on that. She'd had a couple of hours to wallow earlier but after she pulled herself out of bed and showered, it was time to focus on something else.

A second knock comes about fifteen seconds later and when the phone starts ringing on the counter next to her laptop, she tries to silence it quickly but it's too late-- now he knows she's there in the apartment. His voice is muffled behind the door but judging by the tone, it seems he's also seen the photo from last night. "Calista, open up, I need to talk to you."

She rolls her eyes and continues typing like she didn't even hear him but then he just knocks again ten seconds later. "I'm working, Tyler. I can't do this with you right now."

"Please lemme just talk to you."

Despite really really really not wanting to deal with this at the current moment, she saves the email draft and closes her laptop before sliding off of her seat and walking around the counter to go and open the door. Tyler looks like complete shit, most definitely suffering a hangover in addition to feeling guilty and she takes a little bit of comfort in that as she moves aside wordlessly to give him room to step into the apartment. He hesitates, even though this is all his doing, but she just goes back to sit in her seat at the bar, hands folded on the counter top and eyes trained on her nail polish as opposed to his face. He closes the door behind him, takes three more steps until he's standing right next to her, and exhales heavily before reaching out to place his hand on her shoulder. "Babe-"

She shrugs his hand off of her, leaning away from him. "Don't touch me."

Tyler immediately draws his arm back into his side and frowns. "Calista, nothing happened last night," he says carefully.

"It didn't look like nothing."

"We just danced. That's it, I swear."

"How am I supposed to believe that?" she asks, finally looking up at him. He already knew he fucked up, but the moment his eyes meet hers he sees just how upset she actually is. She's way more upset than she is angry and that makes him feel even worse.

"It's the truth."

"How do I know it's the truth?"

Tyler sighs in defeat. "You're supposed to trust me."

"Trust you," she repeats with a sad smile. "I did trust you. I trusted that you'd changed. I trusted that you wouldn't hurt me again. I trusted you enough to let you fuck me." She pauses and shakes her head. "That was a mistake."

"C'mon, it wasn't a mistake."

"I'm in love with you, asshole," she blurts out, feeling like she's about to cry. It's definitely not the best time to just throw it out there but if this whole thing is already going to shit in less than three months, then there's no point in holding it back now. "Just-....why'd you have to go out last night?"

Tyler looks surprised, guilty, and sad all at once and he knows it's a rhetorical question but feels the need to defend himself anyway. "We just got kicked out of the playoffs, Calista. I was a mess, okay? I was sad, I was frustrated, I was pissed off. I didn't wanna take it out on you. I just wanted to go blow off some steam."

"God, you don't get it, Tyler! Yeah, it hurt my feelings that I didn't get to go with you, that you didn't want me there. But I'd told myself that I was going to be there for you in whatever way you needed me to be. I didn't know that meant you out grinding on randoms at the bar while I sat at home, worried about you."

"I didn't mean for it to happen. I'm sorry."

She shakes her head and drops her gaze back to the counter in front of her. Neither of them says anything for a long moment until her phone beeps and she picks it up to read the text from her boss Charlie, asking whether she's been able to find out any information on something she's supposed to be researching. She sighs as she puts her phone back down and reopens her laptop. "I have a lot of work to do," she finally says. "Can we finish this later?"

Tyler doesn't bother fighting her on it, even though he knows it'll probably only get worse the longer they leave it the way it is now. He silently turns away from her and goes to leave the apartment but just before walks out the door, he turns back to her only for a moment. "I love you too," he says quietly, and she snaps her head up to look at him in surprise. He just gives her a sad look as her eyes fill up with tears and then he shuts the door softly behind him.

-----

She's curled up on the sofa with a mug full of hot cocoa watching a rerun of Friends when she hears someone shoving a key into the lock of her front door and, knowing it can only be one of two people, she just waits to see which one swings the door open. It's the younger Benn that steps into the apartment, and when he spots her there in the living room, he makes his way over and drops onto the sofa next to her with a heavy sigh.

"What are you doing here?" she asks him, because if her calculations are correct, then there's still at least four more days before he usually comes out of his brooding stage.

"I heard about you and Tyler," he says simply, and oh. So she's right that he's not even out of his brooding stage yet but he came to check on her anyway because she might need her best friend. She sighs, giving him a sad nod, and takes a sip of her cocoa which he then removes from her hand and takes a sip of himself. "What happened?"

"I don't know for sure," she admits. "He said it was nothing."

"You don't believe him?" Calista shrugs her shoulders because she honestly doesn't know what the hell to believe and he frowns, leaning forward to set the mug on the table in front of them. "Liss, you know how those things can be. It's just a picture; there could be more to the story, or a whole lot less."

"I don't even care if nothing else actually happened. No one should have to expect their boyfriend to act that way when they're not there." And he made it clear he didn't want me there she thinks to herself, but doesn't say out loud. It really doesn't matter at this point.

"I know," he concedes, and then holds his arm out for her. "C'mere."

She scoots over into his side, throwing her arm around his waist and letting him hug her tightly to him. She knows he's definitely still feeling pretty lousy too and she wants to make him feel better but she doesn't know how when she feels so emotionally exhausted and shitty herself. "We're a pretty pitiful pair, aren't we?"

"Yeah, we are," he agrees, with a chuckle. "Hey you know, I was thinking....locker clean out is tomorrow. What if-....what if we just headed home after?"

She exhales heavily, her chest immediately feeling lighter with relief because that's exactly what she didn't know she wanted until he just said it. "God, yes please."