"Uncle Darryl!" you yell as soon as your feet touch the floor of LA airport. Darryl Sutter, your uncle, lifts his head and huge smile draws on his face. As much as media portrays him as someone who has the same expression all the time, he is completely different when he is with you.
"Y/N! It's so good to see you again. Haven't seen you for a long time."
"Ugh, I know. I missed you, uncle," you say, hugging him. He smiles lightly and returns you a hug. You inhale a smell of expensive sports clothing, mixed with a smell of ice hall, where your uncle spends most of his time. Two small tears gather in your eyes as you realize how much you really missed your uncle. But thanks to your mother, Darryl's sister, you see your uncle once a year or maybe not even that. You know something little about your mom and uncle's argument and why they don't talk to each other, but it really bothers you to see your uncle occasionally.
"I missed you too. Come on, let's get your luggage. How was your flight?"
"A bit bouncy, but I survived."
"Glad to hear that." - he looks at you once again -:"You are still the same as you were when I last saw you. When was that again?"
"Nearly three years..."
"Let me guess, your mother didn't want to let you visit me, hm?"
For the first time since my arrival to LA, an uncomfortable silence lays between us.
"You know what, it doesn't matter. All that it matters is that you are here now and we have the whole month to talk about it."
"Yeah, about that..."
"What's wrong? We said for one month, didn't we?"
"Mom wants me back after two weeks. She said I have to study and..."
"Every excuse is good for something," he mumbles under his breath and says a bit louder: "Then we'll make the best of those two weeks. God knows when will I see you again."
Later in a car, he turns to you and asks: "I have to go to an ice hall. Do you want to go with me or you want to go home?"
"If you don't mind I'd like to go with you. I've never seen how you coach."
"It's basically just bunch of guys squeezing each other against the boards, stealing pucks, shooting on goal...and me yelling at them how bad they are. That motivates them, trust me."
You chuckle, hardly imagining your uncle telling players how bad they are. He's been telling you how talented and good you are, how your smartness cannot be contained, and been giving you more faith in yourself than your own parents, since the early age.
After a short ride, he pulls over in front of Staples Center and opens car door for you. You get out and look at the stadium with respect.
"So this is where all the magic happens," you mumble to yourself and continue staring at it.
"Y/N, come on!"
You look around and see your uncle nearly at the entrance, which gives you no other option that run after him. Inside the Staples Centre is quiet, only few pucks flying into boards to be heard.
"You can wait on the stands, okay? Do you have a book or anything?"
"I have my phone," you smile and lift your brand new iPhone 6, your mother's last gift.
"Nice phone. Okay, I'll see you later. Toffoli! What are you doing off the ice?"
You turn around to see who your uncle is yelling at. Your eyes meet with eyes of unknown, yet gorgeous man, and you suspect is one of the players.
"I am sorry, coach, there was a traffic jam."
"Toffoli, I've only just arrived and the roads were clean. Why are you late?"
"Okay, you got me. I slept in and I didn't hear alarm."
"Get changed, Toffoli. Those youngsters," uncle turns back to me and rolls his eyes.
"That was Tyler Toffoli. Great player, but has minor troubles with discipline."
"He is one of those players who you were telling me to keep my distance, right?"
"Keep your distance from all the players, Y/N. I know them, they are like young bulls. I have no problems with you talking to the older or married ones, those won't harm you."
"Uncle! I am not a little kid anymore."
"I know. But you will always be my little bee, no matter how old are you."
With those words he shows you where to wait for him and heads the other way. You sit on the stands, behind the players' bench as one of the players approach you.
"Hi there."
"Uh, me?"
"Yeah, you. I saw you with coach earlier and wondered what is such a pretty like you doing with old man like our coach," he grins and reveals two rows of perfect teeth.
"Watch your tongue, I am coach's niece," you reply, smiling innocently.
"Oh, man, please don't tell him-"
"TOFFOLI! What the hell are you doing?! Get out there and PRACTICE, don't drool over my niece."
"I was just talking to her, coach," he answers however, his cheeks turn slightly pink.
"Hey, guys, check that out, Ty is blushing!" yells one of the players (you can't see who he is, due to him wearing complete gear and the distance) and makes Tyler blush even harder.
"Shut up and start practicing! Actually, no, you two-" your uncle shows on Tyler and his team mate whose tongue was a bit too long-" twenty laps right now."
"But coach..."
"Thirty, Toffoli. You wanna skate the entire practice?"
"No, just..."
"Thirty-five."
At first you think your uncle was joking but when you see his expression, you realize he was being dead serious. Unfortunately for Tyler. The rest of the practice flies by quickly, but you realize Tyler was checking you out entire time, every second when your uncle was not paying attention.
For SadieSummers , hope you like it:) I'll try to put part 2 up soon:)
