Start Me Up

"So, I've been thinking." Tessa started as she sat on the end of the bed, staring at her bare toes.

Shea leaned against the bathroom door frame and asked her, "About what?"

"Well... for starters how you should put some damn clothes on." Tessa informed him and he laughed.

He approached her, tackling her back onto the bed onto her back. Once he got comfortable above her he smiled, leaned down and kissed her cheek loudly and asked, "Other than my lack of clothing what were you thinking about?"

She shuffled underneath him, but when he didn't move or even budge she gave up with a sigh and told him, "I've been thinking about maybe doing Roman's house after all."

"He asked you?" Shea asked her curiously. Tessa nodded and she let out a yelp when Shea shifted to try to get more comfortable, he looked at her in alarm, "Did I hurt you?"

"For someone with so much muscle, you sure are boney as hell." She mumbled, reaching between them to rub her hip, where his own had bumped hers.

Shea grinned at her, "I know."

She rolled her eyes but changed the subject, "He asked a while ago but at that time I was still planning on leaving. I was just thinking that with us doing this whole dating thing I need something to do, something to occupy myself with when you're not around and you know, making my own money is kind of cool. We can't all get by on our good looks and decent hockey skills."

Shea narrowed his eyes at her, "I am more than decent."

"Nope." She told him, shaking her head.

"My contract begs to differ." He told her cockily and Tessa laughed.

"Shut up Mr. 110 million dollars." Tessa told him, reaching up to pinch his bicep.

He rubbed his skin through his shirt where she had pinched him and he made a face, "That hurt."

"Which, the pinch or the insult?" She asked him with a quirked eyebrow.

"Both." He told her with a fake pout that made her smile and lean up to kiss him. He held her in place until he had deemed the kiss good enough and then he let her pull away and he brushed her blonde hair back behind her ears as he told her, "I think you should do it."

"Yeah?" She seemed surprised.

He nodded his head and explained, "You love what you do Tessa, don't ever let that change. You should do Roman's house, and whoever else's house that you want."

She surprised him by leaning up again and kissing him. When they pulled apart he raised his eyebrow and she smiled as she told him, "Thank you."

He nodded, not quite understanding what she meant, but he felt the need to tell her, "You don't ever have to ask me things like that. Your career is your career, don't feel like I need to approve anything. I'm not him Tessa, I'm never gonna be him."

"I think I'm beginning to understand that." She told him, smiling as he leaned down and kissed her gently.

He pulled away from her lips just enough to mumble, "Good, don't ever forget it."

Shea dropped his head into the crook of her neck with a groan when Tessa's phone beeped on the nightstand to interrupt them. She let out a laugh as she reached out blindly to grab it and bring it over to herself, and he looked at the message and told him, "Roman."

"I'll kill him tomorrow." Shea mumbled against her skin and she laughed.

She read the message and then told Shea, "He wants to know if I can come see the house today, he just got the keys last night."

"Yup, definitely gonna kill him." He stated.

She ran her hand through his hair, smoothing it back, as she told him, "Be nice."

"I'll make it quick." Shea told her, smiling against her neck. Tessa pinched his back, and then he sighed again and stated, "I guess we should get dressed."

She glanced at himself, in nothing but boxer briefs, and then at herself in his t-shirt and her underwear and with a smile, she asked him, "What, we can't just go like this?"

Shea smirked and he pinched her thigh as he heaved himself off of her, he told her, "As much as I wish you never had to put clothes on I am not okay with my teammates seeing this much of you."

"I barely wear more than this on a daily basis." Tessa stated with a grin and she let out a laugh when Shea wrapped his arms around her and he nipped at her neck. She told him, "Your beard is scratching me."

He pulled away from her and told her, "I'll shave tonight."

"Please don't." She told him with a smile, running her thumb over his jawline.

"Oh no?" Shea asked her with a smile.

She shook her head and told him, "I like it like this."

He grinned over at her and leaned down to kiss her once more before he told her, "Alright, get dressed. I'm hungry and I believe I was promised dinner."

He headed into the bathroom and Tessa got up from the bed and she called out to him, "You better not be shaving, I meant what I said."

He let out a laugh as he rooted through his travel duffle that was tucked underneath the bathroom counter for a fresh pair of jeans and a new t-shirt. It was hard, especially in moments like this, not to compare Amelia and Tessa and the relationship he had with both of them. Amelia hated facial hair, and Shea would need probably a hundred different hands to count how many times he had to deal with razor burn from having to shave every other day and even that didn't make a huge dent. She still complained about it. He grew to love road trips because that meant he got a break from shaving, in fact, often he would wait until the very last second on a road trip to shave, and that meant he would sneak into the bathroom on the plane on the way home to do it. It was nice to know that Tessa liked his facial hair.

Tessa was playful, whereas Amelia was always so serious. It was nice to be with someone who made him laugh, who he had a good time with. Things were so much lighter with Tessa, though he thought that could have more to do with how new things were between them, but he really couldn't ever remember things being this light and fun with Amelia.

He was beginning to realize just how well he and Tessa worked together, now that they didn't have to skirt around their feelings for each other.

She walked into the bathroom completely clothed, and grabbed her own toothbrush, standing next to him while he did whatever he needed to do. When he was totally ready Shea leaned over against the wall next to him and watched as she tied her hair up into a high ponytail and he couldn't help but tell her with a grin, "You so don't look your age."

"What does that mean?" She asked him in amusement.

He smirked and told her, "Means I look like I'm dating someone younger than me, not older."

"I'm only three years older than you." Tessa stated, rolling her eyes at him.

Shea told her with a grin, "Four years in two days."

She narrowed her eyes at him and told him, "You're on thin ice buddy."

"But you look so young that no one would ever know you were a cougar." Shea joked, laughing when Tessa picked up a hair tie and shot it at his chest. He picked it up off of the floor and slipped it over her wrist before he pulled her into him, leaned down and told her, "They'd just think I was some big creep dating a twenty-year-old."

She laughed and then rolled her eyes and told him, "Please, no one in their right mind would think I was that young. Good try though bub."

She patted his chest and then slipped out of his grasp and made her way out of the bathroom. She was slipping into a pair of heeled ankle boots when Shea arrived to pull his own shoes on, and then Tessa held her arm out and Shea linked his through hers and they left the apartment together. Once they were in the elevator Shea unlinked their arms and he wrapped his around her shoulder to pull her into his side, and then he leaned down and spoke softly, "For the record, I wasn't lying; you really don't look a day over thirty."

Tessa laughed, pinched his side with her fingers and she leaned into him as she joked, "Maybe that's why you let so many pucks fly right by you."

"Why's that?" Shea asked her in amusement, quirked brow and all.

She grinned up at him as she said, "Well you clearly need glasses."

"Oh... you think you're funny, do you?" He asked her and she nodded, still grinning so he wrapped both arms around her and pulled her tightly against him before he dug his fingers into her sides.

She squirmed, and laughed and they pulled apart when the elevator came to a stop on the floor below Tessa's, to let a middle-aged man in. Tessa and Shea both smiled politely at him before Tessa tucked herself back into Shea's side and she told him quietly, "For the record, I know I'm hilarious."

Shea let out a laugh and together they stepped out of the elevator and they were both quite on the way to Shea's truck. Once they both got into the truck Shea turned to Tessa and he asked her with a grin, "Is that a backpack? Seriously?"

"You're just noticing this now?" She asked him with a quirked eyebrow. He shrugged and she told him, "Yes, it is a backpack. Way more functional than a purse."

"You do the outfits, you have the crazy amount of shoes but you draw the line at purses?" Shea asked her with a raised eyebrow. Tessa shrugged her shoulders and he told her, "You are odd."

"Some would call me quirky." She informed him.

She made a face when he told her, "Those people would be just as odd."

"You are really mean to me today." She told him, smiling when he leaned over and kissed her quickly after stopping for a red light.

Shea looked over at her and told her just before the light went green, "I'm taking you on a date."

"A date?" She asked, brow cocked and when he nodded she asked, "Why?"

Shea let out a laugh at that and then he told her, "Because real couples go out on real dates Tessa."

"Alright, if you feel you must."

They arrived at Roman's new house, there couldn't have been more than eight homes on the street total and his was definitely the nicest looking, which was saying something considering that in her opinion they were all pretty nice looking. Tessa practically jumped out of the truck before Shea could even put it in park. He stood back and watched her marvel at the outside of the house with a smile on his face. She turned to look at him with a grin and he stated, "Pretty great place."

"Pretty great? This is nicer than your house." Tessa told him and Shea's brow lifted. Her cheeks flushed as she told him, "No offense or anything, but your place is awful and I'm glad that I can finally tell you that."

Shea rolled his eyes before admitting, "I didn't pick it out."

Amelia had, Shea had just gone along with it because he really didn't care what it looked like as long as it functioned for him; bed, TV, bathroom, washer and dryer, decent outdoor space and a barbecue. He didn't really need much more than that.

He slipped his hand into Tessa's as Roman came out of the front door and down the steps to greet them, he looked at Tessa with a glint in his eyes as he asked, "What do you think? Nice, huh?"

"Very, I'm impressed." She told him, taking a moment to run her hand over the wooden rail leading up the front steps to the porch that ran all the way across the front of the house.

Roman grinned at her and he told her, "There's a lot of work that needs to be done. Kitchen, bathrooms, that kind of stuff."

"Well then hurry up and show me what I'm working with already." Tessa told him, motioning him forward and toward the front door as he and Shea chuckled at her.

The moment they walked into the foyer Tessa heard everyone before she saw them, "Surprise!"

She jumped slightly and turned around to find so many of Shea's teammates in the living room of Roman's new house. Pekka caught her eyes and grinned, handing her a balloon he told her, "Happy birthday Tess."

Her brow raised, "My birthday isn't until Tuesday."

He shrugged, "And seeing that we are in Dallas then we thought we could do a dinner thing today. It was Shea and Roman's idea."

"I hate you all." Tessa stated as she turned narrowed her eyes at Shea before she turned to Roman and said, "And you, I am so not doing your house now."

"Please, I saw your eyes light up when you saw the place, you're not walking away from this." He told her, dismissing her comment with a shrug of his shoulders and a confident smile.

She pouted and muttered, "I hate you for knowing that."

Pekka approached them and wrapped an arm around Tessa's shoulder, he kissed the side of her head and told her, "Ah, come on Tessie just have fun tonight."

"Yeah, yeah." She mumbled, ducking underneath his arm and turning to Shea. She narrowed her eyes but had trouble keeping the corners of her mouth straight when she told him, "You are so going home alone tonight."

The guys all let out rounds of jokes and noises in response to Tessa's words and Shea smiled, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him, leaning down to kiss her quickly before he told her, "You love me, and you'll have fun tonight you know it."

She sighed loudly and dramatically and turned to look at Roman as she spoke, "Alright, house tour or your captain might go missing."

Everyone laughed and dispersed around the house while Roman lead Tessa into the kitchen. His cheeks flushed and he told her, "So... it's not as nice as the outside of the house."

There was nothing modern or updated about the kitchen she was seeing, and as she looked around the rest of the house she realized the rest of the main floor was the same. Curiously she asked him, "No offense, but with the money you make why didn't you get a more updated place?"

He shrugged, "I liked the area, the outside, the backyard and the house had what I wanted in terms of rooms and size. I figured this would be good because I could customize it to what I wanted now instead of buying and having little things I don't like."

"Yeah you'd never know what the place looked like on the inside compared to what it looks like on the outside." Tessa stated with a nod of her head. He lead her upstairs, which she noted appeared to have a little more work done but the first thing she stated when they stepped off of the stairs was, "This flooring is the first thing to go."

They both looked down at the carpet and Roman nodded, "Thank god."

She chuckled and stuck her head into each room, before they stepped into the master suite. It was more updated than the rest of the house, but it still could use a lot of work in Tessa's opinion. She asked Roman, "You really wanted to buy a total gut job?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I thought it could be fun."

"And uh... should I be working with a certain female on some of this stuff?" Tessa asked him with a smile, her brow quirked.

Roman's cheeks flushed and he told Tessa, "It is entirely possible that I bought this house with the intent for Harper to move in, my apartment is big but I just feel like this is better. But she has no idea I've done this, I want it to be a surprise."

"Hell of a welcome to Nashville present." Tessa said with a grin.

He smiled and nodded, "Yeah, so I've been watching a lot of HGTV with her. I think I have a good idea of what she likes."

"Well... I'd really like to make the bathroom in here a little bit bigger so that we could put a good shower and a really big tub, and then build one hell of a closet for the both of you, and maybe actually put a little balcony out there where the doors are." Tessa told him and they both glanced at the French doors that clearly been put in with the intent to build a balcony but that never happened.

"Sounds good." Roman said with a nod of his head.

She continued, "Paint, new flooring, and baseboards and what not in all the other rooms upstairs. That Jack and Jill bathroom needs an update but not much and I'd like to swap out the railing on the stairs so it matches a little better, and then downstairs there's a lot of work."

"Yeah, kitchen, bathroom... everything." He said with a nod, and then he grinned and told her, "But hey, at least I have a deck already and it doesn't need any work."

Tessa let out a laugh and they both turned around when Shea stepped into the master bedroom and joked, "I don't like the idea of you two in here alone."

Tessa rolled her eyes and informed him, "I think I should be the one worried about the two of you alone."

Both of their eyebrows raised and Tessa laughed as she took off in a run out of the master suite and down the stairs. Pekka's eyebrow raised when she went running behind him, and everyone else in the room watched in amusement as Shea and Roman came downstairs with looks of pure confusion on their faces.

Pekka looked over at Tessa and asked, "What did you do?"

"Told them I worried about them being alone together... you know, with how close they are and all." She said with a grin and he laughed.

Craig said, "You're evil."

Roman nodded and Pekka joked, "I mean... I don't really blame her. You two do spend a lot of time together."

Shea rolled his eyes, "Don't help her out any man."

Roman grinned over at Tessa and joked, "Don't worry, out of the two of you he's not the one I'd be interested in."

"Dude." Shea stated with narrowed eyes.

Everyone burst into laughter when Tessa told him, "As hot as you are, which you definitely are, sorry... I like my men tall and broad and caveman like."

Colin called out, "Smitty, dude, you still have a chance!"

Craig laughed and he stated, "Nah, I like my head on my neck. It's a better look for me."

Tessa was sure to tell him, "Don't worry, Shea would never hurt you because I would never let him."

Shea reached out and grabbed Tessa's hand and pulled her over to him, wrapping his arms around her waist he leaned down and spoke quietly into her ear, "You're being very bad tonight babe, I might have to do something about that later."

She looked up at him with a glint in her eyes and a playful smile on her face as she not so subtly reached down and slapped his butt as she asked him, "You promise?"

Shea laughed loudly, and he pulled her tightly against him, pressing his face into the hair at the side of Tessa's head as everyone turned to look at them with a raised eyebrow. He told Tessa, "You're killing me here."