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riveramorylunar · 1 year

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Pairings: Joker Maria Hill x Psychiatrist/Harley Quinn Reader, Joker Natasha Romanoff x Psychiatrist/Harley Quinn Reader, Joker Maria Hill x Joker Natasha Romanoff, Joker Blackhill x Psychiatrist/Harley Quinn Reader & Chato Santana(El Daiblo) x Adopted Sister Reader

Warnings ⚠️: Knives, Guns, Other Weapons, Blood, Psychotic Behavior, Murders, Killing, Scars, Height Difference, Age Difference, Acid, Asylum, Violence, Fire, Explosions, Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, Motorcycle Crash, Chaotic Love, Theft, Arson & City on fire

Pet Names/Nicknames: Doll, Darlin, Pretty Girl, Peach, Doll-face & Mar

Word Count: 2,736

They were the kings and queen of Gotham. If anyone disrespected their queen they'd be dead. They were the perfect chaotic couple.

Y/N was a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum. She was the best one there. She was assigned to the clowns themselves. Psychotic people who loved to kill and explode things up. Sometimes even make jokes at inappropriate times. They had scars on both of their faces on the sides of their mouths. One had red hair and emerald green eyes while the other had Black hair and brown eyes. They had many tattoos most of them were matching tattoos. They both had snake bite piercings while the black haired one had a double eyebrow piercing. Their real names were Natasha Romanoff and Maria Hill. Maria was more crazy than Natasha so she had to be locked up in a cushioned room so she wouldn't hurt herself or anyone else.

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"Well aren't you looking cute today doll" Natasha said as she watched Y/N walk in. "Hello Natasha" Y/N said as she sat down across from Natasha. When Y/N looked up she already saw Natasha looking at her with a smile. "Do you need anything before we get started today" Y/N said as she looked back down at her clipboard. "A gun" Natasha stated causing Y/N to look up. As the two looked at each other Y/N started falling even more in love with the woman sitting in front of her. "Come on can't you do this one little thing for me no one will know it was you" Natasha said and Y/N frowned before she looked away. "Please it's just a simple request do it for me please" Natasha begged and Y/N looked back up before looking straight into Natasha's eyes.

Gunfire was heard all over the asylum. The guards were all dead as most of the patients were free. Some of the nurses and doctors were dead or tied up. "Natasha where are we going" Y/N said as she was getting dragged by Natasha. "Underground to get someone" She said and Y/N's eyes widened in shock immediately knowing who Natasha was talking about. Before Y/N could get a word out Natasha shoved her against the wall before grabbing her by the neck. "I know what you're gonna say and I don't give a shit about it she's my girlfriend I don't care if she's crazier than me" Natasha growled out before letting go of Y/N's neck. Y/N coughed as she grabbed her neck. "Now unlocked the damn door I don't have all day darlin" Natasha said and Y/N grabbed her card before swiping the scanner. The door to the underground floor opened and the two made their way down the long flight of stairs.

They got to the bottom of the stairs and started walking through the long hall that had metal doors on each side. Y/N jumped when one of the patients banged their hands against their door. Natasha smirked at that before grabbing her by the wrist. "Come on" Natasha said as she pulled Y/N with her until they reached the end. Natasha stopped in front of the last metal door and peaked through the bar window. "Hey Mar I'm here to break you out" Natasha said and Y/N heard rustling before someone appeared on the other side of the door. "Tasha how did you get free" Maria said and Natasha stepped aside before shoving Y/N forward. "I had a little help" Natasha said before chuckling. Maria chuckled as well before she looked Y/N straight in the eyes. "Unlock the door" Natasha demanded and Y/N looked up at her with a glare. "I don't have to do what you say" Y/N said and Natasha cackled before her eyes darkened. "Would you rather me kill you instead" Natasha asked and Y/N clenched her jaw before swiping her key card in the scanner. As the door unlocked it was slid open harshly causing Y/N to jump back. Natasha's gun clattered to the ground as she was pulled into Maria's arms. Y/N watched as the two kissed. She looked away as her face flushed.

Natasha was the first to pull away before looking over at Y/N. "You should leave this place so the others don't know you helped us" Natasha said and Maria scoffed. "Why do you care if she gets caught" Maria said looking at her redheaded girlfriend. "Because I like her that's why" Natasha said and Maria rolled her eyes before bending down and picking the gun up. She grabbed Natasha by the hand before walking past Y/N. Maria stopped when they were a couple feet away. "Aren't you coming Doctor" Maria said causing Y/N to rush up to them. Natasha smiled before turning back around. Maria leaned in and whispered something in Natasha's ear causing Natasha to clench her jaw tightly.

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"Chato I did something terrible and I don't know what to do" Y/N said as she walked into the kitchen of her house. Chato looked up to see his adopted younger sister on the verge of panicking. "What happened" he said as he stood up before walking over to Y/N. "I helped the two most crazy villains escape and I don't know what to do now" Y/N said as her hands started shaking. Chato stood there frozen for awhile until he snapped out of it. "Why would you do something like that Y/N" He said sternly and Y/N looked up at him. "I- I don't know something in me just wanted to help them" Y/N stuttered out. Chato stayed silent as he sat down in his chair. Y/N watched as her older brother rubbed his face while sighing.

"Do you love them" Chato said after a while. He looked up at Y/N who was looking at him with wide eyes now. "What no are you crazy, what made you think that" Y/N slightly shouted out. "Did they force you to help them escape" he asked as he stood up from his chair. "N-no they didn't force me to do anything" Y/N stuttered out. "Answer this question then. Did you help them because you're in love with them and wanted to make them happy" he asked and Y/N lowered her head while biting down on her cheek. "You do don't you" Chato asked and Y/N took a minute before nodding her head. Chato sighed before standing up and resting his hands on Y/N's shoulders.

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Y/N was racing through traffic on her brother's motorcycle trying to catch up to the car that had the two Jokers in it. She sped past them before swerving and crashing the motorcycle. She got up from the ground and stood frozen in place. Maria saw and slammed on the brake right in front of Y/N. Maria got out and slammed her door shut as cars went in the other lane honking. "What the hell is wrong with you" Maria shouted as Natasha got out of the passenger seat. "Y/N what are you doing get out of our way" Natasha said and Y/N clenched her fists together. "I'm not moving" Y/N said and Maria smirked before she walked back to her car. "Maria don't" Natasha said causing Maria to stop. "Why she's not going to move like she said" Maria growled out and Natasha ignored her as she walked up to Y/N. Natasha grabbed Y/N's wrists tightly before yanking her forward. "What do you want. Money? Weapons? Cars? Clothes?" Natasha asked and Y/N looked up into Natasha's eyes.

"I want to join you guys" Y/N said as she pulled on her wrists to try and get free from Natasha's grip. Maria froze as she looked at Natasha. Natasha froze as well as she just stared down at Y/N. After a couple seconds Natasha's eyes darkened before she smirked. "Would you do anything for us" Natasha said causing Maria to snap out of it. "Yes" Y/N muttered out and Maria had a slight smirk on her face. "I'd do anything for you even if it means I have to kill someone" Y/N said and Maria barked out a laugh as she walked up to her. Y/N looked over to see Maria smirking wickedly. "Is that so" Maria said and Y/N nodded her head. Maria walked around Y/N before leaning down. "You want to rule Gotham city with us" Maria purred into Y/N's ear causing Y/N to shiver. "Yes" Y/N said and Maria smirked before looking at Natasha who looked back at her. "Well then you have to do a couple things for us if you want to rule beside us" Natasha said before dropping her hands from around Y/N's wrists. "And what would that be" Y/N asked. "Well tell you soon enough Peach" Maria said before walking past Y/N.

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"WHY AM I NOT ALLOWED TO JOIN YOU YET I'VE DONE EVERYTHING YOU'VE ASKED ME TO IN THE PAST MONTHS" Y/N shouted, her voice echoing through the chemical factory the three were in. Natasha and Maria were standing in front of her a couple feet away. Natasha rolled her eyes as she shoved her hands into her pockets and looked away. Maria chuckled before it turned into a light that made Y/N's skin crawl. "Did you really think it would be that easy Doll-face" Maria said after her laughing episode stopped. She took out her blue knife and walked up to Y/N. Maria grabbed Y/N's jaw tightly and made Y/N look directly into her eyes. "All that needs to be done is cut your pretty little face up to look like ours" Maria said before smirking as she pressed the tip of her knife against the side of Y/N's mouth. Y/N's eyes widened in shock as she grabbed Maria's wrists. "Maria stop it" Natasha finally said and Maria chuckled slightly before pulling the knife back. Maria pushed up her rimless glasses before gripping Y/N's jaw tightly.

"Would you die for us" Maria said and Y/N looked at Natasha before looking back at Maria. "Yes" Y/N said without hesitation. Maria's eyes darkened "would you live for us" she asked and Y/N said yes again. "Careful Doll-face" Maria said as she covered Y/N's mouth before leaning in. Do not say this oath thoughtlessly. Desire becomes Surrender. Surrender Becomes Power" Maria purred the last word out before letting go. Natasha looked over to see the two staring at each other. "Do you want this" Natasha spoke and Y/N looked over at her before nodding her head and said I do.

Maria and Natasha looked at each other before looking back over to where Y/N was to see her falling backwards. They both heard a splash as they walked over to the edge. Natasha stood there as Maria started walking away. Natasha looked over at her girlfriend to see her groan before taking her glasses off and her tailcoat. She dropped them to the ground before walking to the edge and jumping down. Natasha smirked as she stepped a few feet away from the edge. "I knew you liked her Mar" Natasha whispered. Maria emerged from the acid holding Y/N in her arms. She leaned down kissing Y/N on the lips causing Y/N's eyes to snap open. She wrapped her arms around Maria's shoulders as the kiss deepened. Maria pulled back and smiled down at Y/N. "Let's set the world on fire" Maria muttered out and Y/N pulled Maria back down into a kiss.

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Chato had joined the trio not long after Y/N became the queen of Gotham. They were the perfect villain squad. They set fire to everything that was in their way. They burned cities and towns down with the help of Chato's powers. Y/N was known as the doctor who fell in love with the Jokers and became their partner in crime. They did everything together. Some people might say that they were the best Chaotic couple and to be honest they were.

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The four of them were in the villain club on the edge of Gotham city laughing and dancing. Chato was off flirting with a girl of course. Maria wrapped her arm around Y/N pulling her back flush against her as she leaned down. She took the cigarette out of her mouth before kissing Y/N on the lips. Y/N wrapped her arm around Maria's neck as Natasha walked up to the two. She took the cigarette out of Maria's fingers causing the black haired woman to look at her. She smiled into the kiss as she watched Natasha take a drag of it before dropping it to the ground and stepping on it. Maria pulled away before grabbing the class Natasha had. She downed the drink before groaning as it traveled down her throat. "Having fun doll" Natasha purred out as she was standing in front of Y/N now. Y/N looked up with a slightly blurry vision before she smiled. "Yeah" Y/N muttered out and Natasha leaned in and whispered into her ear. "Why don't we get out of here and steal some stuff and maybe set some stuff on fire" Natasha purred out causing Y/N to shiver before nodding her head. Natasha pulled back with a smirk as her eyes darkened. She grabbed Y/N's hand before dragging her through the crowd with Maria behind them.

They walked through the doors of a jewelry store, Natasha and Maria pulling out their guns as Y/N dragged her bat behind her. "Everyone get out" Natasha shouted and everyone screamed before running out. Maria tripped one of the people causing them to fall to the ground face first. Y/N started laughing first as she leaned down with her head tilted. "You should really watch where you're going or I won't hesitate to bash your head in with my bat kay mr" Y/N said and the man scrambled up before dashing off. The three walked up and looked at the person that was behind the counter. "What's the most expensive Ruby and Sapphire thing you have" Natasha said as she laid her gun down on the glass counter with the barrel pointed towards the seller. "Oh uh that'd 4 grand 2 grand each" the seller said and Maria started laughing. "We don't want to know the price, hand them over or we'll kill you" Natasha said and the seller gulped before rushing off.

When the seller disappeared Maria smashed the top of the glass counter and grabbed a handful of jewelry. She put it in the bag she had. The seller came running back out holding the pieces of jewelry. "Uh here you go" she said and Natasha snatched the two jewelry pieces before Maria shot the woman in the head. "Let's go" Natasha said as she grabbed Y/N's hand before making a run for it right as they heard police sirens blaring down the street. The three ran through an alleyway before stopping. "Hold on Y/N" Natasha said as she turned around. Maria grabbed the ruby necklace and put it around Y/N's neck as Natasha clasped the sapphire bracelet around Y/N right wrist.

"Beautiful" Natasha muttered out before kissing Y/N on the lips. "Now let's go set fire pretty girl" Natasha said after pulling away and the other two smiled.

They had set fire to three different buildings while laughing in Gotham before running off. As most of the firefighters and police were busy the three had their fun. They were on a rooftop on one of the tallest buildings. Maria grabbed Y/N by the waist pulling her close before kissing her. As the two were kissing Natasha walked over and wrapped her arms around Y/N from behind before kissing her neck. "Nothing will ever stop us from being the kings and queen of Gotham city" Natasha muttered out as she grabbed onto Maria's free hand. "Nothing will" Natasha said again as Maria and Natasha looked at each other.

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idontgiveaflyinggrayson69 · 2 years

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Life As We Know It | Part 20

Author: Nat / @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69

Tagging: @thirteenisles @matbaerzal @mcmo-anon @texanstarslove @matbarzyy @hockeywocs @ggggmoneyyyy @tysonjost-taylorsversion @toplinetommy @fiveholegoal @itrocksmysocks @joelsfarabee @barzysreputation @iangiemae @stlbluesbrat @c-tangerine @canadianheaters @jeylia-haj @roopehintz @dreamsndior @beauvibaby @2manytabsopen @nazdaddy @sorryjustafangirl @fallinallincurls @pastelpapermoons @hockeybabe87 @kayt-marie @heatherawoowoo @islesnucks @whoeverineedtobe @ohpuckyeah @tpwkstiles @mf-mightyducks @day-dreamerr @ficsilove10 @notaccurateornice @rapidfever @hoodpankow @oopsiedoopsie23 @haylie-mcc @jostyriggslover96 @newlibrary @honestreputation @the-philthepill13 @justanotherfansblog @simpgirl-lat @hockeypuckspost @great-puck-work @yzas-stuff @sidscrosbyy @teenagekook @svechnikolan @lovethepreds @strong134 @dylancozzys @gravyoverall @lena306 @caelum-the-part-time-acosmist @taiter-tots @canesjedi31 @kq9003 [let me know if you want to be added!]

Word Count: 9k

Warnings: Alcohol. Sexual references?

Comments: I know this took a million years and I’m so sorry!!! I hope it’s worth the wait!!! I’ll now be devoting all my time to my fic exchange fic but after that’s done, Tess and Beau will be back (and I already have more than 3k written up for Part 21)!!! xx

In hindsight, Anthony should have known this would happen.

It had been …a while since he had gotten any action and Tess was really fucking attractive and her ass was pressed right up against his hips and whether she meant to or not, he woke up to her trying to wiggle closer to him.

He didn’t realize it at first, sleep still clouding his thoughts and he tightened his grip on her waist and pulled her closer, burying his face into her mess of curls and took a deep breath. It was only when Tess tensed that Anthony opened his eyes and shook the fog of sleep from his mind that he felt it too.

He was hard against her ass.

“Oh fuck,” he said and quickly pulled back from her, a deep flush creeping up his chest as he stared at the ceiling with his hand clutching the blanket over him. “I’m sorry,” he told her.

“It’s okay,” she replied just as quickly and rolled over to lay on her back. It wasn’t the first time she felt a man hard, it had just been …a while. And it was Anthony.

“It’ll go down,” he told her after a long moment but he could still feel her body against his and her ass against him and it really was not helping his little problem.

“Yeah, of course,” she replied and kept her eyes on the ceiling. A moment passed. And then another. “Better?” She asked and looked over at him.

“No,” he sighed and tossed the blankets back. “I’m going to shower,” he said as he made his way toward his ensuite. Tess flushed all over again as her eyes dropped to the tented front of his sleep pants and she had to take a deep breath when he closed the door behind him and she heard the water turn on. She pushed the blankets back herself and got up to head to her own bathroom where she splashed some water on her face before going to check on Sorel.

And if Anthony’s shower took longer than normal and his cheeks were a little more flushed, she didn’t say anything.

“Hey,” he said and reached out to touch Tess’s hip when she wouldn’t look at him. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she told him against as she finally met his eyes. “It’s normal. It happens. I’m not upset or anything.” She had just been surprised.

“You’re not?” He asked and Tess shook her head before she wrapped her arms around his neck and Anthony’s hands found her hips.

“Just wasn’t expecting it,” she told him before she leaned up to kiss him, surprising both of them when she pressed her chest flush to his, letting him feel her just like she felt him not an hour before. Anthony hesitated for half a moment before pulling her close. Tess let him deepen the kiss for a moment before she pulled back. “What time is your flight again?” Tess asked.

“Four,” Anthony replied. “So I gotta be out of here by two at the latest.”

Tess hummed and kissed him again, “I’m going to miss you. We both will.”

“And I’m going to miss you both,” he sighed and pulled Tess back in for another kiss. Of course, Sorel still hadn’t accepted her dad stealing her mom from her, so she called for Tess and Tess pulled back from Anthony to tend to her.

If he was being honest, Anthony could still feel her body against him and he dropped his eyes to Tess’s ass and bit his lip before quickly shaking his head and starting on making breakfast.

He was never going to get enough of her.

Anthony was a bit surprised when Mat sat down next to him on the plane, but he didn’t say anything. It was only once they were in the air that Mat said, “I need to tell you something.”

Anthony immediately looked up from his phone, “you didn’t knock Connor up, did you?”

“Oh fuck no,” Mat replied quickly. “I just actually care about telling my friends what’s going on in my life instead of leaving them to find out on their own.”

Anthony took a deep breath as he rolled his eyes, “it was two times.”

“Two times too many! And not like small things either. You had a baby and didn’t tell me. And then you get with the girl I have been trying to get your head out of your ass about for literal years!” Mat told him, his voice raising, earning a not so subtle glare from Clutter.

Anthony scoffed, “I was a little busy, you know, with a newborn, and it wasn’t like I was expecting you to come over that day. And Tess and I decided to keep things between us for a bit, I just jumped the gun a bit. I would have told you. But whatever, what’s going on with you? What did you want to talk about?”

It was Mat’s turn to roll his eyes but he dropped it and moved on. “Connor’s moving in with me,” he told Anthony and Anthony immediately looked over at him with wide eyes.

“Isn’t that a little fast? Has it even been six months?”

“Like you’re one to talk having Tess move in with you right after having a baby with another woman,” Mat shot back and Anthony opened and closed his mouth for a moment.

“That was different,” Anthony tried. “And I’m just worried about you. I don’t want you to get taken advantage of or end up hurt.”

“I won’t,” Mat said firmly. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and, like, I get that it’s maybe fast in the traditional sense but,” Mat smiled as he shook his head. “She’s over all the time and I hate being away from her and she hates being away from me. Connor… Connor makes me so happy I don’t have words to describe it. She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, and I know we’ve only been together a few months but, fuck, Beau, I… I just have this feeling that I’m going to marry her one day.”

Anthony was quiet for a moment before he said, “you’re really serious about her.” He’s known Mat a long time, but in all the time he had known him, he had never seen Mat like this.

“I am,” Mat told him softly.

Anthony nodded and reached over to give Mat’s thigh a pat, “she’s good for you.”

“She is,” Mat agreed with a small laugh.

Anthony nodded, “if you’re happy, then I’m happy.”

“I am. Really fucking happy,” Mat smiled.

Anthony felt the same way about Tess and, if he was being honest, he couldn’t imagine her not living with him and getting to see her basically all the time he was home so he knew exactly where Mat was coming from, even if he thought it was a little early for them to be moving in. But everyone moved at their own pace and he wanted to be supportive the way Mat was with Sorel, and Connor was actually super amazing and Anthony really liked her, liked her with Mat. And he liked that she was able to reel him in when he needed to be. “Okay, good,” Anthony nodded.

“Well, now that that is out in the open, how’s you and Tess?” Mat asked and gave his eyebrows a little wiggle.

The corner of Anthony’s lip twitched up. “We’re good, really good,” he replied. “I know it’s been like two weeks, but she’s the best thing to happen to me.”

Mat scrunched his nose up, “pfft, who would have thought?”

Anthony rolled his eyes as his smile widened and he gave Mat’s shoulder a shove, “shut up.”

“No fucking way, bro. I’ve waited for this since you met her,” Mat told him with a cackle of a laugh that had Anthony shaking his head.

“But seriously, we’re good. I mean… I won’t lie, things got a little awkward this morning when I woke up with morning wood against her ass, but besides that, yeah, we’re good.”

“She didn’t suck you off?” Mat asked without a second thought. Connor always either sucked him off or rode him if he woke up with morning wood.

“No,” Anthony answered with a tight laugh. “We’re not there yet.”

“Not there yet? Bro, it’s been two weeks.”

Anthony shrugged Mat off, “we’re taking things slow.”

Mat immediately twisted his face up. “I could never,” he said, thinking back to all the ways Connor ruined him in those first two weeks.

Anthony shrugged him off again, “we’re good, we’re happy. We’ll get there when we do.”

“Of course,” Mat nodded. “And remember to wrap it before you tap it.”

“Trust me, I’ll never forget again,” Anthony told him and took a deep breath. “I should probably get on that and buy some condoms though…”

“I’d offer you some, but Connor and I are way passed condoms. And they’d be too big for you,” Mat teased.

“Too small more like,” Anthony replied making Mat laugh.

“That’s just not true,” he said like he hadn’t seen Anthony naked several times.

“We’ll have to let the girls decide then,” Anthony hummed.

“We’ll have to,” Mat agreed.

Their flight to Columbus wasn’t long and soon enough they were landing and as soon as the wheels touched the ground, Anthony did his best to switch his focus to the next game. They may have been second in the Metro, but every point counted in the home stretch.

It was only a three game road trip, Columbus, Carolina, and Washington, but it still pulled at Tess and Anthony more than they thought it would.

For Tess, it meant sleeping in her room again. Alone. And cold. For Anthony, it meant being miles away from his girls, and the first time having to sleep away from Tess after knowing how perfect she fit in his arms and he struggled more than he thought he would. Sure, he had left her and Sorel dozens of times over the last year, but this was different.

So, once they had handed and got checked in, Anthony got comfortable in bed and FaceTimed Tess. It only rang twice before the call connected and Tess’s bright smile filled his screen. Anthony instantly smiled when he saw her and—

“Are we feeling red or white?”

Anthony’s brow furrowed. That sounds like—

Connor stepped into the frame with a bottle of wine in each hand and her smile widened when she saw Anthony on the call. “Oh, hey Beau. Don’t worry, I’m taking good care of your girl,” she winked.

“Hi Connor?” He asked, a little confused.

“Uh, yeah, we’re having a girls’ night,” Tess told him before look over at Connor. “Red to start. Pinot—“

“Noir, I know,” Connor nodded and walked back into the kitchen to open the bottle.

“So you’re having a good time?” He asked and Tess’s smile softened as she nodded.

“Yeah, it’ll be nice. I still miss you though.”

“I miss you, too,” he said softly. “But you deserve a girls’ night. It’s been a while.”

Tess laughed as she nodded. It really had been. “You’re going to regret saying that. She said she’s been dying to talk about you boys.”

Before Anthony could reply, Connor sat down next to Tess and leaned into the frame and handed Tess her glass of wine. “I want all the deets on my favourite couple. Both the PG and the 18+ versions,” she winked again.

Anthony had to fight off a blush as he leaned back against the headboard. “Alright, I will take that as my cue to go… I’m glad you’re having fun, babe. And if I don’t talk to you again because I know how you get with red wine… I hope you have a good night and sleep well.”

Tess rolled her eyes but ducked her head to hide her blush. “It was one time… But yeah, okay. I hope you have a good night, too. I love you.”

“I love you more,” Anthony replied without a second thought and Tess struggled to restrain her smile before she blew a kiss to the camera and of course Anthony caught it.

“Goodnight, Anthony,” she told him again before ending the call and when she looked over, Connor had a shit eating grin on her face.

“That was disgustingly cute. I love it,” she told Tess and Tess rolled her eyes before taking a big sip of her wine.

If Connor was being honest, she had never really had a girls’ night before, so she didn’t know how they typically went and it made her nervous because she wanted—needed—it to go well because she didn’t want to fuck things up with Tess. She really liked Tess and she was the mother of her boyfriend’s best friend’s baby. She needed Tess to like her. She wanted what Sydney had with Kristy and Meg with Tess.

But she was nervous.

And when Connor got nervous, she talked. A lot.

She couldn’t stop talking about Mat and his laugh and all the cute, dorky, funny, and embarrassing things he had done recently, including him getting hard in the gym parking lot because she kissed him and how they had to sit in the car until it went down. “But the thing is, and I’m sure you know this, Mathew is a horndog. Once he’s hard, he’s hard until he cums, so I had to blow him in the parking lot just so we could go workout,” Connor shook her head and Tess poured herself a second glass of wine, having finished her first throughout that story and she was glad Sorel was focused on her toys.

But, of course, Tess put the wine bottle down a little too hard making a clanking sound that drew Sorel’s attention and she used the coffee table to pull herself up and walk over to her mom, who pulled her up onto her lap.

“But I feel like I’ve been talking a lot. What about you and Beau? Have you guys…?” Connor gave Tess a suggestive look that make Tess blush harder and look down at Sorel on her lap.

“There is a child present,” Tess tried, but Connor waved her hand dismissively.

“Please, she’s one, she has no idea what we’re talking about and she won’t remember. So, what are we talking? Second base? Third? I want to know everything.”

Tess blushed harder and was quiet for a long moment. “There’s not much to tell,” she said quietly.

“Wait… You guys still haven’t done it?” Connor asked and Tess shook her head as Connor put her glass down to cup her chest. “Not even a little?” Connor added.

“I told you, we’re taking it slow.”

“I know but wow. I could never. I railed the fuck out Mathew on our first date,” she said and picked her wine back up to take a sip.

“Language!” Tess hissed and put her hands over Sorel’s ears making Connor roll her eyes.

“Relax, she doesn’t care. Look, she’s completely focused on your bracelet.” Tess looked down and Connor really wasn’t wrong. It was the bracelet Anthony had gotten her for her birthday last year and Sorel really seemed interested in the charms, making Tess sigh before dropping her hands and reaching for her wine.

“Well… There was this one time…” Tess started and Connor perked up immediately.

“Tell me immediately.”

Tess shrugged, “well, this morning I woke up and he was…hard, you know, against my…behind.”

“Ass, Tess. You can say ass,” Connor deadpanned before leaning toward her. “But how did it feel? Did you like it? Is he big?”

“Again, language,” Tess said before she kissed Sorel’s head and Sorel looked up at her with a giggle.

“Fine,” Connor sighed. “Is it her bedtime yet so I can get literally any crumb of details from you? It’s like pulling teeth.”

Sorel had been quiet for a while now and it was a bit passed her soft bedtime… “Yeah, okay, I can put her down,” Tess nodded and got up to carry Sorel to bed.

By the time she came back to the couch, Connor had a wicked smile on her lips and both their glasses of wine had been topped off. Tess was thankful and took a big sip when she sat down. She could really start to feel the wine, but it left her feeling warm and it made it easier for her to open up.

“So, spill,” Connor said.

“I don’t know what you want me to say. It felt like a dick against my ass,” she laughed and Connor laughed with her.

“And did you like it?” Connor pushed, grinning like the cheshire cat.

Tess scrunched her nose up as she closed her eyes. “I think I did,” she said after a moment.

Connor made a muffled sound of victory, “bet it’ll feel even better when he’s finally inside you. You know, I’d be happy to watch the little one if you and Beau need some alone time.”

Tess flushed a dark red and drank the entirely of her glass of wine before clearing her throat. “Uh, thanks, Con. I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”

“No problem,” Connor smiled and filled her glass again. “Are you ready to take the next step? Do you have any cute panties he can tear off you with his teeth?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes, I do. And do I want to take the next step? Obviously. But I don’t want to rush into it and have things be awkward. We’ve been friends for years and what if it’s bad?”

“It’s not going to be bad,” Connor told her. “Maybe awkward, probably not great, at least not the first time. But you’re super fucking hot. He won’t be able to get enough of you and once you guys figure out what you like, it’ll be great, I promise.”

Tess was quiet. The wine made her feel fuzzy and she leaned back against the couch with a sigh. “He’s really fucking hot.”

“He is,” Connor agreed. “We have hot boyfriends.”

It made Tess laugh. “We do,” she agreed before she looked over at Connor. Her long, strong legs were tucked beneath her and her t-shirt left nothing to the imagination of how strong she was. Connor was all hard work and determination. “You’re good for him,” Tess said after a long moment. “I’ve known Barzy a long time now and I’ve never seen him like this before.”

It was Connor’s turn to get quiet and she seemed to fold in on herself, all her confident melting away. “Really?” She asked softly.

“Yeah,” Tess nodded and reached for the bottle only to find it empty. “Hold on, I’ll get another.” It only took a moment for Tess to grab another bottle and open it but by the time she came back, Connor had a distant look on her face. “You okay? Want another drink?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah sure,” Connor nodded and held her glass up so Tess could fill it but she was still uncharacteristically quiet. Tess was about to ask if something was wrong, but Connor spoke up. “Did you really mean it?” She asked softly.

Tess furrowed her brows as she sat down on the couch, “that you’re good for him? Yeah, of course.”

The corner of Connor’s lips twitched up as she looked down at her lap. “No one has ever said that about me before,” she whispered. “I’ve always been the bad influence, the annoyance, the one that needs to be fixed.”

“What?” Tess asked and Connor put her glass down on the coffee table before leaning back. The wine was more than hitting, both of feeling more comfortable than they would normally to open up.

“My whole life…I’ve just been a nuisance. My dad… he wanted an heir, my mom never wanted kids but agreed to having one. A boy. I was supposed to be a boy and I’ve been a disappointment ever since I wasn’t,” she said softly.

It was all incomprehensible to Tess who furrowed her brows as she focused on Connor. When she first met Connor, she joked about her parents expecting a boy, but she never could have guessed that it weighted on her like that. If she was sober, she probably would have known what to say, but she settled for reaching over and gripping her hand.

Connor gave her a small smile as she squeezed her hand back. “If it was up to my dad, they would have kept trying till they had a boy, but my mother… She never wanted kids so she put her foot down. God knows they could have afforded as many kids as they wanted…”

Tess couldn’t imagine growing up alone. Her family was everything to her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Connor shrugged her off and reached for her wine and took a big sip. “It is what it is. It’s not like I’ve spoken to them since I was 17.”

Tess may have been way more than tipsy, but she could do the math and she knew that meant that Connor had been on her own for a decade and she couldn’t imagine. Her mom always had her back and maybe she fought with her siblings, but they were still her family and she loved them. “That’s a long time,” she whispered.

“Yeah, well, it’s not like I saw much of them when I was with them,” Connor scoffed.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like—” Tess started but Connor cut her off.

“No, I know, it’s okay. I just meant… My dad’s the CEO of a tech company and my mother’s a senator in Connecticut so I never saw much of them growing up. Probably would have seen more of them if I had a penis but here we are.”

“What?” Tess said without thinking.

“A lot of money,” Connor confirmed as she nodded. “Not a lot of caring.” She took another sip of her wine to swallow back her feelings. “Not a lot of caring at all,” she repeated before she shook her head. “Sorry for going off like that, what were we talking about before?”

“Don’t apologize,” Tess replied immediately. “Thank you for sharing, I know it must be hard.” She paused, “and I mean it. You and Mat, you’re good together.”

“Even after all that?” Connor asked softly and Tess nodded.

“Doesn’t change how I see you, I promise.”

“Thank you,” Connor nodded and finished her glass before yawning, the alcohol and emotions hitting her like a truck.

“Are you tired?” Tess asked, the mom in her coming out.

“What? Me?” Connor replied but she yawned again. “Okay, maybe it’s a little passed my bedtime, but I’m okay.” She had never had a girls’ night before and she didn’t want her first one to end early because of her.

“It’s okay, we can call it a night,” Tess told her but Connor shook her head.

“I’m okay. The wine just makes me sleepy. Gin gives me a headache and tequila makes me horny,” she replied. “But enough about me. Talk about you and Beau.”

“I don’t know—” Tess started but the look Connor gave her told her not to argue so she sighed and leaned back against the couch. “I really love him,” she said softly. “I want a family with him.”

“You and Ellie?” Connor asked softly and Tess nodded.

“And any others we may be lucky with,” she whispered making Connor’s eyes light back up.

“You want more babies?” She asked.

Tess smiled as she looked down at her stomach. “I want a big family, you know, if I’m lucky enough.”

“You will,” Connor said without a second thought. “You’re such a great mom, Ellie is so lucky. And Beau will definitely want more babies with you. I hear it’s a very enjoyable process making them.” Tess blushed as she shook her head with a sigh but she still wrapped her arm around her stomach. It had to be the wine, but she couldn’t stop wondering what it would be like to carry their baby.

She did her best to push those thoughts aside as they continued to talk as they finished the second bottle of wine, and Tess was more than happy to tell Connor about some of the embarrassing things Mat had gotten up to over the years, which made Connor cackle.

By the time it was finally done, they were both more than ready for bed. Connor couldn’t stop yawning as she stretched out. “I’ll just sleep on the couch,” Connor said before fluffing up a throw pillow but Tess shook her head.

“That’s dumb. There’s two beds, you can take my room and I’ll sleep in Anthony’s like I have been,” she replied, and, well, Connor wasn’t about to turn down a bed for a couch.

“You sure?” She asked and Tess nodded.

“I’ve probably only slept in there once since washing the sheets, so it’s clean. And I really don’t want you sleeping on the couch.”

“Washing the sheets is such a pain,” Connor groaned. “Especially when you have to do it like three times a week.”

Tess’s eyes bugged, “three times a week?”

“Well, yeah,” Connor shrugged her off. “When you’re having that much sex you gotta change the sheets often.”

Tess’s lips tightened into a line before she nodded. She wouldn’t be surprised if Connor had more sex in a week than she had had in her whole life. “Okay, well, I’ll just grab my toothbrush from the bathroom and it’ll be all yours,” she said before getting up and heading to the bathroom.

She was almost to Anthony’s room when Connor spoke up. “Thank you, Tess,” she said softly. “Tonight was great.”

“Thank you for coming over,” Tess replied. “We’ll have to do it again.”

“We will,” Connor agreed with a smile and Tess nodded before heading into Anthony’s room and closed the door behind her. Despite the warm fuzziness of the wine, she made her way into the ensuite and brushed her teeth and braided her hair. It felt weird being in there, especially without Anthony, but it also felt oddly comfortable, like she could feel herself doing this in the future.

Anthony’s bed felt bigger without him. Colder. Just like Tess’s bed felt smaller and firmer than Mat’s for Connor. But they made it work.

Connor stayed over much of the next day, too, and she and Tess made grilled chicken salad for dinner before she got ready to leave, but Tess couldn’t help herself. “Do you have any plans tomorrow?” She asked.

“Not really, why?” Connor replied and Tess shrugged.

“But of our boyfriends are on a roadie so we’ll both be alone until they get back to New York, me obviously with Ellie, but… We could spend that time together? You know, if you want.”

“Yeah?” Connor asked, perking right up, and Tess nodded. “I mean… I can’t say no to that,” she smiled.

The Isles trip wasn’t all that long, but Connor still spent it all with Tess and Tess loved having her. She hated the way her, Darcy and Cass had drifted apart after she took on the mom role, but she could never turn on Sorel. For so long it had been about her friends and what they wanted to do that she put herself in the backseat. But after Sorel…

Tess had always wanted to be a mom and she prioritized Sorel and what she wanted and what made her happy and they just couldn’t understand. But Connor could.

Her and Connor… They couldn’t be more different, but they worked.

And so, Connor stayed over for the roadie and only left the morning the guys were coming home.

Tuesday morning, while Tess was pouring herself a glass of orange juice, Anthony wrapped his arms around her and hooked his chin on her shoulder, pulling a soft laugh from her as she leaned back against him.

“I want to take you out,” he said before she could say anything and she turned around to look at him.

“You do?” She asked and he hummed.

“Barzy and Connor said they’d watch Ellie so we don’t have to tell our families--”

“Which we really need to do,” she cut him off.

“I know,” he sighed and nuzzled at her neck. “But I love how things are now and I definitely want to take you out first. So, what do you say? Thursday?”

Her smile softened and she nodded, “sounds perfect, I can’t wait.”

Anthony’s smile widened and he kissed her. “It’s a date then,” he told her, giving her butterflies.

The Islanders played Wednesday at home against the Ducks and after Anthony went to the rink, Tess tried on every dress she had in her closet to figure out what to wear for her date. She had been dreaming of it for so long she just wanted everything to be perfect.

She tried a floral dress, a wrap dress, her sweater dress, her red dress, a floor length blush dress, and two black dresses, but no matter how many times she turned in front of her mirror, she didn’t know what to go with. So, she did the only thing she could think: she took pictures in all of them to show Connor at game. If there was one thing she could count on Connor for, it was being honest.

And, naturally, she spent too long trying everything on that she was late to the game and the first period had already started when she got there with Sorel on her hip.

“I’d assume you’re late because you were fucking but I’ve been watching your boyfriend this whole time,” Connor said as soon as Tess sat down next to her.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry,” Tess rushed out and put the diaper bag at her feet before settling Sorel on her lap. “Anthony and I are going on our first date tomorrow and I was trying to figure out what to wear.”

Connor lit up, “tell me everything.”

“There’s not much to say,” Tess laughed. “He said he had everything under control and that it’ll be perfect but I have absolutely no idea what to wear.”

“Okay, describe your sexiest dress to me,” Connor replied and Tess immediately pulled her phone out.

“Way ahead of you,” she said and pulled up the pictures on her phone before handing it over to Connor.

“You really are,” she smiled and started flipping through the pictures. “That’s cute, maybe, no, oh definitely not, maybe,” she said as she looked through the pictures. “You’re hot, Tess. You need to show— There we go,” she cut herself off when she got to the last dress.

It was black and while it had a high neck rather than the deep V Connor preferred, it fit Tess’s body well. It wasn’t overly tight but it was snug and it carved out Tess’s waist and hips and the slit on the skirt came up to mid-thigh.

“This one,” Connor told her and turned the screen to her. “Beau will lose his mind seeing you in this dress.”

Tess ducked her head, “you don’t think it’s too much for a first date? What if I over dress?”

“Then he’ll undress you,” Connor replied without missing a beat.

Like always, Tess blushed but nodded. “Okay, what about shoes?”

“Do you have heeled boots?” Connor asked and when Tess nodded, Connor nodded back. “Then those.”

“And hair? Down? Up? Or I could straighten it?”

Connor hummed as she studied Tess and reached over to bunch Tess’s hair up. “Definitely don’t straighten it. Up could be cute, but your hair is so nice. I think you should leave it down.”

“Okay, thanks,” Tess smiled. “And for the record, your hair is nice, too.”

Connor laughed. “My messy brown hair? Yeah, okay, it definitely compares to your beautiful blonde locks of yours,” Connor replied and gave one of Tess’s curls a tug.

“You haven’t seen me in humidity. Or when it’s frizzy,” Tess laughed and looked down at Sorel. Anthony may have had some curl to his hair, but her hair was straight and dark, even darker than Anthony’s. Tess carded her fingers through Sorel’s hair before she cleared her throat. “But anyway.”

Connor’s eyes dropped to Tess’s hand in Sorel’s hair before she looked back to the ice in time to see Anthony lay a hit in the corner. “Your boy is throwing his weight around,” she said.

Tess laughed. “He does that, doesn’t he? He’s conned more than a few shoulder massages out of me over the years because of it.”

“I know what you mean. Mathew may talk a lot of trash, but let me tell you, he’s a huge baby when he’s hurt. I have to rub his shoulders and back and God forbid it’s his wrist because he will whine all day about it.” And as if to prove her point, Mat went down easy after a tug on his hip and he started barking at the ref, making Connor and Tess burst out in laughter.

“He’s certainly one of a kind,” Tess replied once she stopped laughing and Connor got a faraway look in her eyes as she watched him on the ice.

“Yeah,” she sighed with a smile. “But he’s my one of a kind.”

Tess could see the genuine love in her eyes and it made her smile. “Maybe you’ll knock some sense into him,” she commented.

“Believe me, I try. Every day. His skull is just so dense,” Connor laughed.

“God, I know. What would they do without us, huh?”

“Crash and burn?” Connor suggested and looked over at Tess.

“Something like that,” Tess agreed before turning her attention back to the ice.

With the All-Star Game in the rearview window, it was the home stretch of the season and they needed every win and point they could get. Every division in the league was hard, but the Metro was especially, and they wanted to be in the best position they could for the playoffs.

And the two points they picked up from the Ducks that night certainly helped.

When it came time for the date the next day, Tess followed Connor’s instructions. She wore the black dress with the heeled boots and a light jacket, and she left her hair down with a darker smoky make up than she normally did.

Once she was done, she gave herself more than a once over, trying to get as many angles as she could and even she had to admit she looked good. Tess smiled to herself as she fluffed her hair up before she opened the door and stepped into the living room.

“I texted Barzy and they said they’re on their way over about five minutes ago so they should be—” Anthony started as he looked at his phone but as soon as he looked up, his words died on the tip of his tongue.

Anthony had seen Tess through a lot, since her second year of college when they were both teenagers. The first time they met at Starbucks, her hair had been tossed up in a messy bun and she was wearing an oversized NYU sweater. Since then he had seen he dressed to the 9s for graduation, for team events, trips, and he had seen her hugging the toilet bowl groaning and crying, hungover on a Sunday morning.

Tess had taken his breath away a lot over the years. The trip to Quebec, wearing his jersey, wearing his jacket, the team Christmas party, New Year’s Eve, but he completely short circuited looking at her now.

The dress clung to her body, showing off her every curve, the synch of her waist, the softness of her hips and breasts, and the smooth skin of her thigh peaked out of the slit. Anthony’s lips parted as he ran his eyes over her body and he couldn’t believe she was his.

Only his.

His reaction had Tess squaring her shoulders and she popped one of her hips with a new found confidence. “Is this okay? You know, considering I don’t know here we’re going?” She asked.

She snapped him out of his thoughts and he mumbled some French curses before he met her eyes. “More than okay,” he told her and tossed his phone onto the couch before standing up and letting his hands rest on her hips.

Tess immediately leaned into him and lopped her arms around his shoulders, “yeah?”

Anthony let his eyes wander down her body again as he nodded. “Trust me, if this wasn’t our first date, we wouldn’t be making it out of this apartment.”

Most of Tess’s blush was hidden by her make up, but Anthony could still see it, so he added, “but it is our first date so nothing will be happening, but you look really fucking good, Tessa.”

“You look really good, too, Anthony,” Tess told him and pulled back enough to fix his collar, even if it didn’t need to be fixed. He was dressed in slacks and a blue button down with the first couple buttons undone and his matching jacket was hung over the back of his couch. He looked like a five course meal to her.

“Not half as good as you, trust me,” he replied and pulled her in for a kiss before she could argue.

Tess immediately melted into the kiss and pressed herself flush against him. “So, where are you taking me?” She asked when she pulled back. Anthony opened his mouth to reply but before he could get the words out, there was a knock at the door and Anthony bit his lip to restrain his smile.

“Guess you’ll have to wait and see,” he told her before he pulled back to get the door.

To no surprise, it was Connor and Mat on the other side and Anthony stepped aside to let them in. As soon as Connor saw Tess, her smile widened. “Damn! You look amazing,” she told her and Tess laughed as she shrugged Connor off.

“Thank you,” Tess told Connor before walking over to the island to pick up the piece of paper and she immediately went into mom mode. “So you obviously have our numbers, but this has all the emergency numbers if you can’t reach us, her schedule, what she eats, what she doesn’t like, her favourite toys, how to settle her, etcetera,” Tess explained as she handed the paper over to Connor.

“Right, got it,” Connor nodded as she looked it over. As usual, Tess didn’t miss a detail. “We got this, though, okay? Go have fun, enjoy each other.”

“We will,” Anthony replied for her.

“You sure you don’t have questions for us or anything?” Tess had to ask but Connor shook her head.

“Absolutely positive,” Connor told her and not so subtle ushered her toward the door.

“Okay, okay,” Tess sighed and let Anthony hand her coat to her. He helped her put it on, but Tess still kept looking over at Connor and Mat as Anthony guided her toward the door. She loved them both in their own way, but unlike her sister, she had never seen either of them with a baby for longer than a few minutes and it made her nervous. But, with his wallet and keys, Anthony was able to get Tess out the door.

“Thanks again for this guys,” Anthony said as he went to close the door, but Mat quickly stepped forward before Anthony could close the door to give Anthony a bro shake.

“Have some fun tonight, yeah?” Mat said intentionally and Anthony gave him a levelled look in return when he felt the foil package in his hand. Still, Anthony took the package as Mat pulled back and Anthony immediately put it in his pants pocket with a sigh.

“We won’t be out late,” Anthony told him but that only made Mat and Connor’s smirks widen so Anthony rolled his eyes. “Text or call if anything happens. Now goodbye.” He didn’t wait for a response as he closed the door.

“All good? Tess asked and Anthony nodded before he smiled and held his hand out to her.

“All good, let’s go, mon amour,” he told her as she took his hand and they headed down to the garage.

Anthony ended up taking her to a quaint French restaurant on the Island and while Tess wasn’t sure where they were going, she wasn’t surprised in the slightest and there was nowhere she’d rather be for their first date. “Reservation for Beauvillier,” Anthony told the hostess who gave him a smile as she nodded.

“Of course, right this way,” she replied and picked up two menus before leading them to a table.

Anthony helped Tess take her jacket off and hung it on the nearby coat rack before he tucked her into the table. “This is a lot nicer than I was expecting,” she told him with a smile as he sat down across from her.

“You deserve the best,” he told her and opened the menu. “Get anything you want, okay? I was actually thinking we’d start with an appetizer and maybe some pinot noir? Though… Maybe sauvignon blanc will better pair with dinner.”

Tess had a soft look on her face as she looked at him. She was so in love with him and she still couldn’t believe this was really happening. That she was this lucky. “That sounds great,” she replied and Anthony returned her smile and watched as she looked back at the menu.

And, well, if she asked him what a couple menu items were just to hear him speak French, sue her. Her boyfriend was French and he sounded damn good when he spoke in his mother tongue.

At Tess’s request, Anthony ordered for both of them. They had shrimp for an appetizer, Tess had the seared snapper with red wine peppercorn sauce while Anthony had the filet mignon with port wine sauce and they paired it with sauvignon blanc, a better match for the fish, along with a glass of water.

It didn’t take them long to get their drinks and then they were left alone for the first real time since becoming a couple.

“So…” Anthony started.

“We’re on a date,” Tess replied with a small laugh.

“We are,” he laughed with her before he raised his glass to clink hers. “To our first date.”

“To us,” Tess smiled before taking a sip of the wine.

They hadn’t really been alone, just the two of them, in the past year. They always had Sorel or they were out with the team or family. They were so used to having someone else around that they didn’t know how to be alone.

Anthony hated how awkward it was. Tess was the most amazing woman in the world to him and he just wanted everything to be perfect, he expected everything to be perfect, and it wasn’t. And he didn’t know how to handle that. He thought they’d smile and laugh over dinner and split a desert and go home and cuddle on the couch, maybe steal a few kisses.

But Anthony was tense. They both were.

As much as it was a first time, it also wasn’t. They knew everything about each other, they had been friends for years, so that didn’t leave much to talk about. So they were both thankful when their meals arrived, giving them something to do and talk about.

“Oh my god, this is amazing,” Tess said after her first bite and it made Anthony’s chest a little less tight.

“Yeah? I’m glad,” he smiled.

“You should try some,” Tess told him and Anthony opened his mouth to say it was okay, but he closed it to smile and nod and he stole a bite and Tess was right, it was amazing.

“Want a bite of mine?” He asked and let Tess steal a piece.

“Wow,” Tess nodded. “This place is amazing.”

“Not as amazing as you,” Anthony replied cheekily, but it made Tess smile.

They both seemed to relax with dinner and the conversation flowed easier with the glasses of wine and every time Tess smiled, Anthony fell in love with her a little more.

“Do you want desert?” Anthony asked as they finished up dinner.

As great as dinner and the restaurant was, it just wasn’t them. Tess fell in love with Anthony, not what his money could buy. Sure, the fancy restaurant was nice, really nice, but she felt out of place. She wanted to spend time with Anthony, her Anthony, but that was hard to do when they were both playing at part at a restaurant.

“I think I’d rather have desert at home, you know, just the two of us, she told him and he gave her a soft smile as he nodded.

“I like the sound of that.”

So once they boxed up their left overs and he paid the bill, he helped her put her coat on and they made their way out to the car, Anthony’s hand on Tess’s lower back as he guided her. Once they made it to the car, Anthony opened the door for her and it only made her heart flutter a little. And, of course, while the drive back to the apartment wasn’t long, Anthony kept his hand on her thigh the whole time.

The elevator ride up to the apartment was quiet but Tess rested her head on his shoulder and he traced soft circles on her hip until they reached their floor and they walked handed in hand to the door. As soon as the door opened, Connor was on her feet and Mat held her wrist from his spot on the couch. “You’re back earlier than anticipated…” Connor said, looking at her watch. “Everything okay?”

Anthony helped Tess take her coat off. “It was good,” he told Connor and hung their coats up before they took their shoes off.

“He took me to a really nice French restaurant and he ordered for us so I could hear his French,” Tess smiled and Mat not so subtly let his other hand rest on the back of the couch to fist bump Anthony as he walked to the kitchen. “We’d thought we’d come home for desert, though,” Tess continued and Mat tightened his grip on Connor’s wrist.

“Then we’d hate to get in your way, so we’ll get going. Ellie was great. She pulled my hair and threw her blocks at me and wouldn’t stop crying but she was great,” Mat said as he stood up and guided Connor toward the door. Tess furrowed her brows as she watched them put their shoes on and Mat was about to open the door when he turned back to Anthony. “And as lovely as Ellie is, please use the condom I gave you and wrap it before you tap it, okay?” He said and Connor smacked him on the back of his head before getting him out the door.

“He’s right, though. And we’ll talk soon,” Connor smiled before following Mat out and closing the door behind her and Tess looked over at Anthony with flushed cheeks.

Anthony was quiet for a long moment before he got done two glasses and pour them some wine. “They’re not wrong,” he said eventually and walked over to the couch with the glasses. “But just ignore them. Nothing will happen that you don’t want to happen,” he told her and once he was settled on the couch, he rolled his sleeves up.

It had to be the two glasses of wine talking but Tess let her eyes wander up Anthony’s arms and for a moment she thought back to how he felt against her and wondered what he would really feel like and her blush darkened before she made her way over the couch and took a big sip of her wine. “I know,” she told him and leaned into him. “I’m not thinking about them anyway. I’m thinking about you.”

Anthony wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, momentarily pressing his nose into her hair before he reached for his wine. “What about me?” He asked.

Tess took another big drink of her wine before she replied, “just you.”

He let his hand trail down to her side, “but what about me?”

Tess’s nose scrunched up in the cutest way. Before she would have played him off but they were together now and the wine was definitely hitting. “How hot you are,” she told him softly.

“You think I’m hot?” He replied like it was somehow a surprise.

Tess put her wine down on the coffee table to kiss him. “Of course I do,” she said and bit her lip as she ran her hand up his arm. “I mean… You can tell you’re a pro-athlete.”

Anthony’s cheeks and ears heated up and he pulled her closer. “You’re really hot, too. This dress… Your hair… You drive me so fucking crazy,” he told her softly before she caught his lips in a kiss and when she pulled back, Anthony chased her lips for another, softer, kiss.

“I love you,” Tess told him and he smiled.

“I’m so in love with you,” he whispered. “I’m so lucky to have you, Tessa.”

His words pulled at her and gave her butterflies and she had to kiss him again and he was gentle as he ran his hands down her back. For the first time, Tess thought about taking things further, but she knew in the back of her mind that it was the wine talking, so she pulled back and tucked herself into his side and once they finished the bottle of pinot noir, Anthony opened a bottle of merlot.

The date and the restaurant were nice but there was just something about being cuddled up with him, talking and laughing and his hand trailed up the slit of her dress to rest high on her thigh but she didn’t care. She liked it. She liked his touch and how it made her feel.

Anthony wasn’t surprised when Tess fell asleep on him. Wine always made her sleepy, but a bottle of red seemed to do her in. He took a moment to look at her, her make up was smeared and her hair was frizzy but she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him and he didn’t know what he had done to deserve her.

He was careful as he pulled back and scooped her up in his arms just like he had done countless times before. Tess woke, but just for a moment as he carried her to bed and set her down gently. Her hair laid on the pillow like a golden halo and for a moment he thought about taking her dress off she she’d be more comfortable, but he didn’t want to cross any boundaries so he pulled the covered up over her before kissing her temple and getting ready for bed himself.

He brushed his teeth before stripping down to his underwear and slipped into bed. Tess stirred a little as he made himself comfortable but she didn’t wake as he pulled her closer.

If his legs were a little slower at practice the next morning, well, Mat could think what he wanted because he knew he had his girls waiting for him at home.

When Anthony got back from practice, Tess was wiping down the kitchen counters while Sorel played in the living room. Even if she had just seen him a few hours ago, Tess still dropped what she was doing to go greet him, looping her arms around his neck as she smiled. “I missed you,” Tess said and Anthony gently rubbed her back.

“I missed you, too,” he replied. “Barzy was following me around looking like the chesire cat all practice it was throwing me off all morning.”

“Oh, baby,” Tess said softly and Anthony scrunched his nose up before he kissed her softly. Tess completely melted into the kiss making Anthony sigh contently and when she pulled back from the kiss, he chased her lips.

“Better,” he whispered when he finally pulled back. Tess blushed softly but pulled him in for another, deeper kiss before walking back to the kitchen so he could say hello to Sorel, but Anthony couldn’t help but bite his lip as his eyes drop to her ass.

Finally, he was able to pull his eyes from Tess and toes his shoes off before going to say hello to Sorel. She smiled at him and lifted her arms so he could pick her up, which of course he did. “Hey babygirl, how are you?” He asked and Sorel laughed softly. He was expecting a ‘good’ or ‘dada’ maybe ‘papa’ or ‘hi,’ but instead Sorel said,

“Ass.”

Anthony did a double take and Tess whipped her head up. “Excuse me?” Anthony asked his daughter but Sorel only laughed harder.

“Ass! Ass!”

Anthony’s eyes widened as he looked over at Tess who flared her nostrils. “Fucking Connor…” she grumbled, making Anthony burst out in laughter.