therapy // w. nylander

4⇒ "condensed feelings"

William notices her staring, seeing the shine of bright green eyes in his peripheral vision. As soon as he does so she shrugs back into the couch, pulling the blanket further up her body and almost covering her entire face.

He thinks it's absolutely adorable how shy she can get around him. Just as thoughts of Constance begin to flood his mind, the episode finishes, showing the black screen that asks if you're still watching.

Both at the same time they reach over to grab the remote from the couch cushion in between them, their fingers delicately brushing against one another.

"Sorry." William rushes out, his tone unsure.

"It's okay."

After that accidental moment, William may or may not have accidentally scooted closer to her. For the next five minutes he shifts in his place trying to find the position for optimum comfort. He looks tired, and Constance begins to wonder if she's taking up too much space.

"It'll be more comfortable if you lay down.." Constance mumbles almost wordlessly.

"Yeah, you're probably right." William sighs. "If that's okay with you?"

"Of course, it's your couch." She laughs softly, smiling warmly.

William had an achingly long day of practice today, meaning he was sore after working out too, not to mention extremely exhausted. When he finally got home to his apartment he'd realized how empty it felt, and that maybe he should invite one of his friends over.

That's where Constance came along.

She tries to wedge herself as far way from the blonde as humanly possible so he won't have to touch her if she lays down— because she has no idea if he would be comfortable with that, but it just won't seem to work no matter how hard she tries.

William's head ends up falling right into her lap, his soft blonde hair cascading across his forehead. At first she lets out a small wheeze, before she adjusts to the weight. Constance has never done this before with a boy.

"Erm— um sorry, I didn't mean to," He stutters.

Constance laughs. "It's okay Will, I don't care, your hair is super soft anyways." Amazingly, she laughs it off humorously. That's how it goes, covering all of her emotions with sheer humour.

They watch another episode of The Office, where this time Michael hits Meredith with his car. William laughs, the loud annoying sort of laugh that for some reason isn't annoying at all to Constance.

This is before his breathing slows and his eyes begin to droop as he blinks continuously. She knows he's asleep when she hears his soft snores.

William is unknowingly cuddling up to Constance, face shoved into the side of her hip making his snores all the more louder.

He looks so focused, driven, observant, sometimes even alarmed when he's awake. Constance notices how now when he's sleeping there's a sense of peace floating through his features, like he's finally relaxed and not on guard.

Is it possible for a heart to shake? Her heart was shaking?

• • • • • • •

It's around 7:30 and Constance is out for dinner with her friends at some sports bar downtown. She's bored, tapping her nails against the table and eyes flickering around the room.

On the tv they're talking about hockey, the Toronto Maple Leafs to be precise. Constance remembers how they're William's favourite team; how he has a huge amount of his wardrobe dedicated to the hockey team.

Then she wonders, does he go to their games? Constance had never been. She was always more of a baseball fan.

"Con, what do you think?" Madison taps her shoulder to get her attention.

"Hmm?" She hums.

"About the leafs new rookies, how do you think they're doing?" Hadley nods her head in reference.

"Who?" Constance furrows her eyebrows. She has no idea what they're talking about.

"Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, you know, those guys?" Paige waves her hands around gesturing to the tv above their heads.

"Look they're playing right now." Hadley points.

"William Nylander? Who's that?" Constance only asks because that's the same name of her friend, who happens to be obsessed with the leafs. He must think it's cool to have the same name as him.

"Just watch the player reel, it'll show him I think." Madison smiles.

They all watch the tv above their table as they wait for their food, and sure enough guess who's on the tv: William.

Not the hockey player her friends were talking about— well yes actually, but it's William from therapy, William who binge watches Netflix with her on Sunday nights, William who's obsessed with the toronto Maple Leafs.

"Are you sure that's right?" Constance interjects.

"Yeah, that's him. Don't you think he's cute? The hair brings me life." Paige laughs grinning.

He's cute alright. A moment of realization dawns over Constance.

William isn't obsessed with the Leafs, he's is one.

"Why are you so interested all of a sudden?" Hadley furrows her brows.

Constance doesn't know what to say at first, still a little shocked— no not just a little, a lot shocked.

"Um, I know him." She mutters, blinking to make sure that it's actually William's face on the tv screen above her.

"Who? William Nylander?" Madison scoffs playfully. "Yeah right Con." Everyone laughs.