Sticks and Stones

Thirteen: Stumbling Blocks and Slapshots

She gave him an impressed look. "You know how competitive it is these days?"

"You need to let loose a little," he commented, sinking into the chair.

"My stomach is still recovering from the last time you wanted me to let loose," Tatum snarked in a teasing manner. "I can never eat a hot dog again."

"Hey, the hot dog was your idea," Brady pointed out.

"You're the one who trusted our school to actually do something well," she said pointedly, tilting her head down at him.

He held his hands up innocently. "Fair enough. But still, you should come to the hockey house tonight."

She raised her eyebrows at him, disbelievingly. "I don't know what to unpack first. You inviting me to a party or the fact that you're going to the party at your house. Thought you hated them."

"Hate them when it's full of people I don't know," Brady corrected with a shrug.

Tatum placed a hand on her chest. "Brady Parker, are you saying you like hanging out with me?"

"Hey, my turn, my rules," Brady argued. "You're coming."

"Fine, but you're doing single-leg squats," Tatum negotiated as she placed her hands on her thighs.

He gave her a deadpan look. "You just wanna see me fall on my ass."

Tatum shrugged as she fought a smile. "You gotta enjoy the little things, you know?"

She set up the mat for him in her private office. Typically, she would move them to the main area with all of the equipment. However, she decided to take it easy on Brady and allow him to stay in their room. She had been wanting him to do this particular exercise for a while now. It should genuinely help him with his mobility as well as his balance. But she wouldn't be opposed to seeing him wobble around a bit.

He had a game in a few hours, so she would need to be careful. They moved the session to be before the game in attempt to warm his knee up a bit before putting him on the ice. Naturally, Brady was opposed to it since he still tried to claim it didn't bother his knee to play. However, Tatum reminded him that she got to pick considering it was her turn. She would be attending the game again to ensure he would be all right. The next game would be away. Tatum wasn't entirely sure if she would attend, but she wouldn't mind

Brady let out a sharp breath as he stepped onto the mat, adjusting his leg to be as sturdy as he could make it below him. He slowly lifted his left leg to hold it up. Instantly, he wobbled a bit on his right leg. Tatum watched his face carefully for any sign of pain. When she saw none, she allowed herself to find a bit of amusement in the situation.

"Don't laugh," he gritted between his teeth, eyes wide with determination.

Tatum bit the inside of her cheek. "Mhm, I'm not."

Brady let out a strained grunt as he tried to balance well enough to squat. He shook slightly from the effort, body swaying from side to side. She tried to cover her laugh with a couch, dipping her head down. He shot her a glare which quickly turned into a wince. Tatum straightened her back instantly, narrowing her eyes as he tried to hide any sign of showing that he was in pain.

"You okay?" Tatum asked in concern, the smile gone from her face. Brady opened his mouth to answer before he leaned too far to the side, toppling over. His arms flailed out in attempt to break his fall, but all he did was grab onto Tatum. He dragged her down with her, much to her dismay. She squealed as she cried out, "Hey!"

Brady quickly maneuvered their bodies so he broke their fall, landing on the ground with a groan. She let out a short grunt as her body hit his roughly. Her hair sprawled in front of her face and she lifted her head from his shoulder. Tatum placed her hands on either side of his head as she pushed herself up. She froze at their position, eyes wide. He stared up at her, seeming just as startled as she was.