nhl one-shots | multi

give a little | v. dunn

Vince didn't even know why he stuck around. This was getting too hard for him. He didn't want to have this argument every couple of weeks, he wanted an answer- he wanted Y/N and if she couldn't give herself to him, then he needed to do what was best for himself and leave. When Y/N didn't say a thing, he sighed. "I won't do this anymore Y/N..." he gulped, walking towards her front door- he picked up his jacket and keys. "You need to figure out what you want- and If your answer isn't a relationship with me... then I need to know." He turned on his heel and headed out.

It felt as though Y/N's stomach had been replaced by a heavy boulder. She felt like she could just sink into the floor and become one with the wooden grains along the ground, she was going to lose yet another person in her life because she didn't like the idea of commitment. Usually she would just run away when it came to this point in the relationship, she always told her friends and exes that she wasn't one to stick around, it was up to them to take off- and often times they were gone within three weeks. But here she was, in this odd grey area with Vince after six months.

He had stuck around longer than she deserved and she couldn't expect it to last forever. It was selfish of her and she knew it.

She had to make a decision. Did she want to lose another great person? Or did she finally want to move on and give herself a chance at love?

The latter option ended up with her at Vince's apartment late one night, rain pouring into the streets of St.Louis behind her as she swallowed her pride. She curled her fists and knocked against the heavy metal door of his apartment- the navy blue paint looking almost grey as thunder cladded behind her. She was drenched, soaked from he'd to toe from the storm.

It wasn't long before the door had opened up, revealing an exhausted hockey player- Vince's hair was forming into small curls, damply lining to his forehead. Judging from the towel tied snugly around his waist and his bare torso, Y/N connected the dots. He had just gotten out of the shower. Biting her lip she spoke. "We need to talk."

Vince was tired of talking, it only ever ended in an argument and his hopes getting crushed. "I think we've talked enough-" he went to close the door on her but Y/N had reached out and stopped him before he could. "Please Vince..." She breathed heavily.

Suddenly Vince felt a familiar pang in his chest, there it was again- that hope and craving to have Y/N possibly care for him just as much as he cared for her. Against his better judgement and the voice telling him to lock up his heart so he wouldn't get hurt again, he let inside. "If were going to talk I should go put some clothes on." He mumbled- already bitter about the upcoming conversation.

He to Y/N make herself comfortable, but considering the current standing between them, it didn't feel right to just take a seat on his couch. So she opted to stand- holding her arms tightly around herself as she stuck out in the middle of his living room. She didn't kick her shoes off like she usually did, she didn't throw her coat over the rack and take one of his hoodies from the front closet... it didn't feel right.

If anything, she felt isolated.

By the time Vince returned, Y/N wasn't even sure that she could go through with this- the tears were already building in her eyes and that lump in her throat burned. The fact that Vince stood in front of her with his arms crossed like he was challenging her didn't help. His eyes were set in a glare and he looked so bored.

"I uh- okay." Y/N ran her fingers through her hair, taking a deep breath. "I know I'm not the best at commitment- and I know you know that too." She gulped. "Ive never let a relationship go on for this long Vince... I've always run before a month is up and the fact that we've been doing this back and forth for almost a year terrifies me." She whimpered.

She felt pathetic and weak, she hated showing that she was vulnerable, but it was exactly what Vince wanted to see. He needed to see that she could be more than the stoic and bottled up girl he had come to know. He loved her, but he needed her to be in touch with her emotions too or this would never work.

Biting her lip, Y/N glanced at the floor. "I know I love you... I know that I'm in love with you- which is why I'm so scared to stick around. Ive never cared about someone as much as you, and the fact that you could walk away at any moment-" her voice cut off as she got choked up. She knew she had to explain to him why she felt this way.

As a single tear slipped down her cheek, Y/N looked out the window- not daring to look him in the eye. "Ive grown used to people leaving me... My friends, my boyfriends, even my parents- So I'm sorry if that makes me harder to deal with... and I'm so sorry that I've hurt you.." She looked back at him. "But I'm here now... and I want to stay... I want you." She confessed.

Vince took in everything she said, he hadn't realized that she was so alone- he knew bits and pieces but never the full story. "You want to stay?" He asked, walking towards her hesitantly and standing closer to her. As soon as Y/N looked up and locked eyes with him, he knew that he had forgiven her. "I love you Vince... I don't want anyone else." She promised him.

Reaching out and cupping her jaw, Vince let his thumb slide against her cheek- wiping her tears away, he pressed his lips to her forehead. "I love you too..." he wrapped his arms around her tightly and hugged her. "I love you.."