Chapter Text
Jack had always liked routine. After three years of summers in Montreal with Eric he had almost started to look forward to the end of the season. As he boarded his flight his thoughts drifted back to his team. Thirdy and his wife were expecting a baby, Shitty and Lardo had finally gotten together, and Tater was becoming weirdly secretive about his text messages. Jack had been thinking more and more about his future. He had gotten the A and his team had won their first Stanley. It might be time to start thinking about life outside of hockey.
Jack looked out the window into the fluffy clouds. There was a long time where Jack had written off Eric as anything more than a friendly acquaintance. He was just a teenager when they had met and they never saw each other more than a few weeks every year. But when Jack started to think about dating again his mind always drifted back to the bouncy personality of Eric Bitwell. He could do it. Ask for his number, or even ask him on a date. Yeah, he could do that….
The next day Jack rounded the corner to the Zimmerman’s Tim Hortons. He was bubbling with nervous energy. He had taken the long route to the store. He couldn’t shake the nerves he had. He had missed Eric and was looking forward to seeing him but he also was planning to invite him out to dinner.
He knew something was wrong as soon as he noticed there was no music coming from a side door. He hesitated before opening the front door. Why go in if Eric wasn’t there? Maybe he could ask the baker inside if Eric was working on a different day that week. He put the key in the lock then paused. He really didn’t want to go in to find Eric wasn’t there. He could just run by later that week and look for him.
Jack ran by every day for a month. Every morning he was disappointed. The day before he was scheduled to go back to Providence he worked up his courage to peak in the side window. The little redheaded kid kneading dough couldn’t have been older than 17 and was absolutely not Eric.
Jack’s heart sunk. Part of him had been holding onto the idea that Eric would suddenly show up. It was a sad and disheartened Jack that went back to Providence.
“Jacky-boy!!!!” Shitty’s voice rang out loud on the other end of the phone.
“Hey Shits” Jack chuckled.
“Brahhhhhh my two favorite NHL stars are playing in the same game and I HAVE to see it in person!”
“Are you looking for tickets to the game against the Mapleleafs by chance?” Jack smiled. Shitty had been dropping hints about this game for weeks. “One of the Samewell kids that joined after I left right?”
“Jack man! I keep forgetting you haven’t met Bits!! How is this possible? I have been remiss as a friend. He is the best. The Mapleafs better know how lucky they are to have him as a Rookie!”
“Ill take your word for it. Ill make sure I get tickets for you and Lardo. We can all go out after we beat your friend.” Jack allowed himself a smirk.
“You just wait Zimmerman! Bits is the fastest player I have ever seen. YOU WILL SEE!!”
“Bye Shitty”
“Bye you beautiful hockey fucker”
Jack couldn’t help but grin as he hung up the phone. He had heard a lot about Shitty’s friend Bitty over the years. It would be nice to put a name to the face.
Jack felt a deep breath of cold air rush through his nose, down his body, and into his gut. The smell of ice calmed his nerves and the cold woke up his senses. As he skated over to center ice number fifteen caught his eye for a second. A flash of blond hair and a cheeky smile…no, must have been a trick of the light.
Jack put on his game face as he squared up for the face off. Nothing existed beyond this moment. They won the face off and raced down the rink. Jack glanced over looking for a pass but everywhere he looked number 15 was there.
He was fast. Jack couldn’t really see his face but in the second period he heard a smug chuckle as 15 ducked out from under Taters defense and raced towards Jack.
Jack lost the puck.
He knew that laugh. Jack was now starting to get confused. Why was 15 so familiar. The name on his back read Bittle.
Oh… that was Shitty’s friend right? Maybe he had heard him in the background before? Maybe Shitty had Skyped him while Bittle talked in the other room. Jacks brow furrowed as the game pushed on. The Falconers ended up winning 3-2. But it wasn’t an easy win.
Jack hurried to get dressed and cleaned up. Something told him that his recognition of Eric Bittle had to be more than just background noise on a phone call. He was trying desperately to place those laughs, that smirk…
“Hey its Jack.”
Jack looked up at his name. He hadn’t realized he had been walking without looking where he was going. Leaning up against the wall was none other then Eric Bitwell. They hadn’t seen each other for two years but suddenly all the air had been pushed out of Jack’s chest.
Eric was leaning easily up against the wall. If he had been filled out the last time Jack had seen him, it was nothing to what the NHL had done. Eric was made of lean muscle and confidence. His head was tilted in a cocky sassy way that had only been hinted at in previous years. His black shirt clung to him in all the right ways and his tight jeans made Jacks mouth dry.
“Eric?”
Eric smiled at what must have been a look of complete and utter bewilderment and shock on Jack’s face.
“Long time no see. I did say you could watch one of my games when I was in the NHL. Not that I thought that would ever actually happen at the time.”
Jack was frozen his mouth slightly open.
“did I break you?” Eric asked. He had started walking over to Jack and Jack didn’t know what to do about that.
“Euh…so…you play hockey?” he managed.
“Yeah Jack.” Eric had moved into Jacks space. Jack could feel the heat from his compact frame. Eric put a hand on his hip and flipped his hair to the side; it was still wet from his shower. “I play hockey, however did you guess.”
“Lucky…” and with that Jack closed the gap between them and his mind turned off. He pulled Eric towards him by the waist, tilted his head and kissed him. Eric gasped in surprise before quickly wrapping his arms around Jack’s neck. It was everything he hoped it would be. Eric smelled like vanilla and cinnamon and like summers in Canada. He tasted like maple syrup and apples and Jack was in heaven. He was in heaven because Eric was kissing him back.
Jack had forgotten they were in the tunnel but was suddenly brought back to a sharp reality when he heard a loud whooping and cheering behind him. Thirdy, Tater, and Snowy had stumbled upon Jacks little make-out with Eric…. wait.
Jack broke this kiss abruptly. “Wait your name is Eric Bitwell! Why does your jersey say Bittle?” Jacks head was suddenly swimming with connections, and questions. Was Shittys friend Bitty really Eric all along?
Eric’s face was flushed red, eyes still partially closed, and lips puffy and red from Jacks surprise kiss. “Wha?... Oh that.” Eric giggled. I didn’t have the heart to tell Bad Bob Zimmerman that he had spelled my name wrong. I just kept the nametag. I didn’t realize I never told you that.” His brow furrowed. “That actually explains a lot. I was really confused how you never realized I was Shittys friend.” He blushed “I thought you just didn’t really remember me but that obviously isn’t true.”
Jack kissed him again to make it as clear as possible that he absolutely did remember him.
Jack and Bitty came out of the tunnel laughing. Jacks arm was slung around Eric’s shoulders and had slung both their bags over his back. The look of surprise on Shitty’s face was priceless.
“Wait you two know each other!”
Jack smiled down at the ball of sunshine he had under his arm.
“Yeah” Jack said, “We sure do”