Sunshine - Dean Portman - The mighty ducks 2

Part twenty-nine

She was beautiful, but not like those girls in the magazines. She was beautiful, for the way she thought. She was beautiful, for the sparkle in her eyes when she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful, for the ability to make people smile even if she was sad. No she wasn't beautiful for something as temporary as her looks. She was beautiful, deep down to her soul. She is beautiful.
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Irene slowly walked down the hallway to her dorm room. Her feet dragging behind her. She didn't want to have to face the girls. She knew they'd look at her with pity among hearing what happened to her shoulder. She instead counted each step she took.

She couldn't believe it was over, that they won. The next day they would be waking up early in the morning and heading to the airport, sadly also meaning they had to say bye to Russ.

She couldn't believe they won, couldn't believe what was happening to her, couldn't believe she wasn't able to play. The talk with Kai helped but mostly it just distracted her from real life.

She reached Fulton and Dean's room. She stood outside their door. She debated whether to go in or not. Was Fulton even in there?

She stared at the door for what seemed like hours, her glasses sat on top her nose, something she didn't wear often but did for the doctors. She finally found the courage and knocked on the door.

The door opened and Irene was surprised to see Dean Portman at the door. His hair was messy and his face had gash on his lips.

"What happened to you?" She asked, forgetting about her problems and looking up at his bruised face.

"I might have gotten into a fight.." He admitted looking guilty, like a dog who was just caught chewing his owners slippers.

Irene's good hand reached for his face subconsciously. He didn't pull away. Her soft touch ran across each bruise and cut.

"Did you win?" She asked and he let out a laugh.

"Yeah..yeah I did.."

His eyes flicked away from her face for a moment and landed on her shoulder.

"What did the doctor say?" He asked, catching Irene by surprise and she pulled her hand away.

"How did you..?"

"I saw you and the tutor lady leave."

"Very observant." Irene pointed out.

"Only to you."

Irene awkwardly stepped away from Dean and walked towards the closest bed and sat on it. She saw both boys packed bags and made a mental note to pack hers later.

The bed dipped and Dean sat next to her.

"How's the shoulder?" He asked, looking at her.

"It's okay. The pain meds help." She let out a laugh. 

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you." Dean told her, feeling guilty about her getting hurt.

"There was nothing you could have done, besides, beat him up." She let out a laugh then stopped when pain shot through her shoulder all the way down to her chest.

"Besides that."

A silence fell over the two teens as they looked at eachother. The dorm, almost empty besides them, made no sound besides the occasional noise from outside the doors. Quiet and alone. Just the two of them side by side.

"I can't believe we won. It's like a dream." She told him after a long moment of silence.

"It's crazy sunshine."

She glared at him but not actually caring about the nickname for some reason. In a weird way it was a comfort.

Maybe it was because of everything they went through together, going to LA, seeing eachother everyday, her dad...
But Irene felt like the two had grown closer, no longer annoying each other just because they didn't like each other but now they had a mutual friendship, or at least they weren't always arguing. 

Things with Dean were complicated and she hated it. She hated how he smiled, how he'd always tie his hair up in a bandana before playing hockey or  how he'd always occupy her thoughts even when she was with Caleb most of all she hated how little she actually hated it.

Irene didn't care that his music was so loud you could hear it from his headphones or how energetic he was compared to her in the morning. She liked it.

He caught her staring and smiled, not his usual smile but an actual happy grin. Her brown eyes looked like deep honey in the yellowing light.

Dean always thought Irene was pretty but in that moment he truly saw her. Her short choppy brown hair that was tucked behind her ears and in a low bun, her brown's eyes he could stare at forever which sparkled like golden honey in the light, her wispy laugh he could listen to forever, her lips...

Somehow he found himself leaning in, his hand found its way to her face but she didn't pull away. He hesitated giving her time to move if she didn't want it but she didn't. Their lips touched and at first the kiss was soft and slow, like the first snow of a winter, light and airy before it could turn into something more Dean pulled away and let out a soft whisper.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have." Normally Dean wouldn't have stuttered. He was a smooth talker when it came to stuff like this so why was Irene any different? He'd kissed plenty of girls before and never felt how he felt at that moment.

"Dean. Shut up and kiss me."

So he did, well at least  until someone interrupted the two. The door swung open and out walked a redhead.

"Party time in dean's dorm" he looked at the two who quickly pulled away from one another, a deep embarrassed blush on Irene's face and a smirk on deans. "Private party in deans dorm, have fun you two."

Irene looked at Dean and groaned. The moment, whatever it was, was now over because of averman.

Dean laughed at her frustration trying to ease the awkwardness.

"It's not funny Dean. Now the whole team is going to think we're dating, which they already do because of the girls!"

"Then let them think, who cares sunshine."

She debated it.

Now that the moment was ruined a awkward silence filled the dorm room. She quickly got up and ran out the door. Running from all her problems like she always did.

She saw a wisp of red hair turn around the corner.

"Averman! Averman!." She caught up to him, "I swear if you tell anyone I will end you." She threatened and he gulped.

He nodded and Irene smiled. "Great talk." He croaked out and ran off.

Irene sat on her bed staring at the ceiling thoughts from that day keeping her up. Winning, getting hurt, kissing Dean. They all swirled around in her head giving her a headache. She looked over at Julie and Connie who were fast asleep, Julie's soft snores that night weren't soothing like they normally were, instead they just kept her up even more. She was wide awake. Falling asleep seemed impossible to Irene at that time. She worried that Averman didn't stay true to his word and then everyone knew what he saw. She didn't regret kissing him; she'd probably do it again if the opportunity showed itself, no it wasn't that, she was worried what everyone would think. She knew it was silly, that her teammates wouldn't care that they'd even be happy the two finally stopped arguing. Irene kept replaying in her head what happened over and over.

His hand that brushed over her jaw how her hands found their way into his hair so easily like they were made for it.

Little did she know Dean did the exact same thing. He sat music blasting in his headphones staring at the ceiling. He couldn't believe it. He kissed her. He finally kissed her. Ever since the day they had met he knew there was a spark in her, a spark that he was attracted to like a moth to a light even though he knew it was a bad idea, that he was going to end up burnt. He didn't care though.

All he cared about was her at that moment and nothing else.
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Word count: 1391