thin ice // mitch marner

CHAPTER 34

^chap34hehehhehehe u kno what that means anyway carry on:):):):)

I knocked three times on Auston's apartment building door before letting myself in.

"Nat." He said when he saw me. He looked breathless, almost surprised to see me, which was weird considering how I told him I was coming. 

"How've you been?" I asked, standing by the door. He was on the other side of the room, and I felt awkward making any closer contact. 

"I'm... fine." He says. I nod. This was more awkward than I thought it'd be. 

"I brought you some food, I was just at Tim's." I say, moving to put the stuff down on the kitchen table. He took it and walked over to the couch, me following behind. 

He sat down in the middle of the couch, chewing softly on the donut as he stared ahead, silent. I took a seat next to him, curling up my legs and looking over at him. "Why are you being like this?" I ask softly. 

He answers immediately, "You know why." 

"Everything's been weird since the new year started. I want us to go back to normal." I say.

He finally looks over at me, not answering. "Auston, I..." I pause, collecting my thoughts. "We talked after New Year's, and then I gave you space for a long time. If there's something you're still mad about, or something you need to say to me, just say it."

"I don't know what to say." He replies. "I don't know how to act about it all." 

"I want us to be like how we used to be." I smile, remembering. "Back in the day. Before you left me to go to Switzerland. We were best friends, we did everything together." Just talking about how things were when we were teenagers made me smile.

"So you want us to do everything together now?" He raises his eyebrows.

"No." I say, rolling my eyes. "I want that friendship back. I want us to be like that again." I didn't even care if I was getting too sappy. I was just a sappy person, what could I say? 

"What's stopping it?" He asks. I'm sure he knew the answer to that one. 

"You are." I frown. "You, and your dumb pettiness. You won't even talk to Mitch?" 

He looks annoyed now. "I haven't had anything to say to him." He says curtly. 

"Auston." I sigh. "It hurts me that I feel like I've come between you guys. I don't want that. I never wanted that to happen." 

"What do you want me to do? I feel weird about everything." He says. At least I appreciate how honest he was being. I didn't expect for this meeting to go this way, at all. 

"It won't hurt you to be nice, will it? You guys are still friends. Nothing has changed." I say lightly. "Just don't be so rude." I add. 

He looks away, taking a long sip of the coffee. "Do it for me, please." I continue. "I don't want to be the reason you two stop being friends." 

"Nat-" he starts, but I cut him off again. 

"You're teammates. Why can't you keep things professional, seriously-" 

"Natalie." He interrupts me. "I hear you." 

My eyes flicker from him to the ground. "So...?" I say. 

"Just don't talk about him to me." He says mock-threateningly, there's a small smile on his face. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." 

"Oh, thank you!" I exclaim, wrapping my arms around him. He chuckles, hugging back for a moment before pushing me off.