Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Entering his Junior year in college, Keith is surrounded by people and yet he feels...alone.

He is doing well academically, spends a lot of time hanging out with his best friend Hunk and Hunk’s girlfriend Shay, and is a member of the Blades of Marmora Ice Hockey club. When he first joined the club, he was a scrawny, lanky, uncoordinated player. Now three years in, he’s filled out and, standing at 6’5” tall, is one of the more feared members of the league. He loves hanging out on the rink and being with the team, but when the lights go off in the arena he feels…alone.

Oh, he’s tried his hand at dating…and was shot down more times than he cares to remember. It’s been ten months since he last asked a girl out on a date. She said yes, but after a couple of dates she told him that it wasn’t working out, that she was going out with someone from one of the fraternities, but they could still be friends. Once again, he feels…alone.

Tired of having his heart ripped out of his chest, he’s decided he’d had enough with women. No more.

And then he met…HER.

He’d seen her around campus a few times. She played Center on the Women’s basketball team. She was in his Business Law class. Sat in the corner, wearing flannel shirts, baggy jeans, and combat boots. A bookworm who kept to herself. What really got his attention was the fact that she stood a good two-inches taller than he did. She was cute, and he developed a bit of a crush on her. But she never seemed interested in boys, and he never worked up the courage to ask her out. He wasn’t ready to have the heart he wore on his sleeve trampled on yet again.

So, he continued to suffer in silence.

Until the weekend of the charity walkathon.

Every year, the Blades of Marmora Hockey Club sponsored a walkathon weekend for the local Children’s Hospital. It was a great way for the students at the college to help raise money for a good cause. Keith loved kids, and he loved the kids at the hospital. Every year he could be found pouring his heart and soul into the marathon.

This year, to raise more money and set a record for donations the Blades, unofficial winners of the last 10 walkathons among campus organizations, issued a challenge to all the other clubs, fraternities, sororities, and sports teams on campus. If they could beat the Blades in the number of laps walked, the Blades would double their donation to the hospital.

This year, the campus was gunning for the Blades.

And that’s exactly what Keith, the author of the challenge, was hoping for.

Walking the route on the first day of the marathon, Keith is joined by Hunk. He’d asked Keith if he and Shay could walk the marathon with him, along with one of Shay’s friends. Keith recognized the very clear setup for a blind date of sorts, but he also wanted to spend time with his friends, so he agreed.

“Hey buddy, way to get everyone riled up for this marathon! Man, we are going to have so much fun kicking Blade butt this year…and raising money for the hospital of course.”

“Uh huh. It took an obnoxious challenge to get your big butt out here, so I guess it worked! Where’s Shay and her friend? I thought you said they were coming with you.”

“They did, and speaking of the devils, here they are!”

Keith looked up and stopped dead in his tracks. Walking up with Shay was the girl from his Business Law class. Except the flannel shirt, baggy blue jeans, and horn-rimmed glasses had given way to a pair of properly fitting jeans, a very complimentary sweater, and contact lenses. She looked amazing. He swallowed hard to get the lump in his throat back where it belonged.

Shay greeted Hunk with a peck to the cheek. “Hey sweetie!”. She then turned to Keith to introduce him to her friend. “Keith, I want to introduce you to my friend. Keith, this is Acxa. Acxa, this is Keith.”

Acxa awkwardly extended her hand in greeting and said, “Hi Keith. It’s good to meet you at last. I understand you’re the one who gets the credit for getting so many people out this year.”

He stares dumbly at Acxa for a few seconds before Hunk snaps him out of his daze. “Um, Keith, this is where you tell Acxa it’s nice to meet her."

Blushing beet red, Keith extends his hand. “I am so sorry for being rude. It’s good to finally meet you too, Acxa. I remember you from our Business Law class, but I didn’t recognize you without…”

He pauses, realizing he’s about to embarrass himself even further. But she doesn’t leave him hanging. “I got rid of the flannel and the boots. Shay convinced me to dress a little better.”

Without thinking, the words slip out of his mouth. “I’m glad she did. You look great!”

And she shot him a smile that made his heart melt.

The rest of that day, Keith and Acxa walked the route together. Neither of them are usually comfortable in social situations around strangers, but they find it very easy to talk to one another. Without running out of things to say. When Keith needed to see to some of the business of running the marathon, she willingly volunteered to help him. He genuinely enjoyed her company, and it was becoming clear to him as the day wore on that the feeling was mutual.

They discovered they had a lot in common. Both had lost parents at a young age and spent time in orphanages. They both have a love of the outdoors and of skating. She confessed to Keith that she’d been following the Blades for the past two years, and one player in particular. A certain 6’5” defenseman who’d just gotten promoted to Captain of the team this year.

As day turned to evening, they met up with Hunk and Shay. As Acxa prepared to leave, she turned to Keith and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “That’s for all you’re doing for the kids in that hospital. I think it’s wonderful. And…I had a good time today. Thank you.”

“I had a good time today too. Um…will I see you tomorrow? I’m…hoping you come back.”

She flashed him that million-dollar smile. “I’ll be here!”

And she came back. Along with everyone else who had come to challenge the Blade’s supremacy.

“You know Keith, it looks like the Blades need some help. I’m going to count my laps for them today.”

Keith smiled broadly. “I knew I could get you to join the Blades eventually!”

As day turned into evening yet again, and the marathon wound down, it became obvious the Blades were about to come in second for the first time in years. And that was ok with Keith. As a club they had already broken their record for laps walked, and for the walkathon the campus set another record for money raised.

Walking the final laps together, Hunk asks Keith a rather awkward question.

“So, Keith, you got a date for the big dance yet? It’s only 5 weeks away.”

Ready to strangle his big friend for putting him on the spot, Keith does the only thing he can do.

Panic.

“So, Acxa. If you’re not doing anything in 5 weeks, would you like to go to the Fall Formal with me?”.

Taken completely off guard, a very surprised Acxa does the only thing she can do.

Panic.

“Um…sure. I’d love to go with you.”

“There Hunk! See, I have a date for the dance.”

The way he said it, Hunk couldn’t tell if his friend was relieved or terrified. He and Shay both wear wide-eyed expressions of shock and disbelief. And Acxa is right there with them.

Back in his room later that evening, Keith gets a call from Hunk. “Hey, Keith. Were you serious when you asked Acxa to the dance?”

“Yes, I was. Why do you ask?”

“Because she and Shay are over here, and we’re all trying to figure out if you were serious or not.”

Now Keith is really panicking. “So…are you telling me she doesn’t want to go with me?”

“I'm not getting in the middle of this. Hold on, buddy. You can ask her yourself.”

“Keith?”

“Acxa, I wanted to let you know, my invitation to the dance was serious, and sincere. I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.”

“Keith…Of course, I want to go with you. I wasn’t sure if you were serious, and I feel stupid for doubting you. To be honest…I’ve been wanting you to ask me out for months. I…was just too afraid to ask you myself. I didn’t think you would be interested.”

“No worries there. I am DEFINITELY interested.”

And they proceeded to run up Hunk’s phone bill by talking for the next hour.

Chapter Text

Practice is over, and not a moment too soon for Acxa. Her legs are dead. Between practice, the game the night before, and two days spent in a walkathon the previous weekend, she is physically spent. But the sight that greets her as she leaves the gym immediately brightens her spirits and puts a spring back in her step.

Standing there, fresh from hockey practice and grinning at her, is Keith.

“Hey, Keith! I didn’t expect to see you here, but…I’m glad to see you!”

He breathes an immediate sigh of relief, for what she’s not quite sure. “I’m glad you’re glad. Acxa, is everything ok? I didn’t see you in class yesterday and I thought…maybe…something was wrong. It’s not like you to cut class. I…was worried…”

"Keith, that’s sweet. Nothing’s wrong. We had to leave early to get to our game site on time yesterday. It was four hours away by bus. Ugh! I let Professor Hansen know last week, and he told me to make sure I got notes from someone. I…was going to call you later to see if I could borrow yours?“

"Then you’ll be wanting this. My notes from class.” Handing her the notebook, he asks a question that’s been on his mind for the past three days, since the end of the walkathon. “I was wondering…if you’re free this weekend…if you might like to go to the film festival…” Keith gulps hard to get the lump out of his throat. “…with me.”

Eyes widening with delight, she can’t say yes fast enough. “I am, and I’d love to!”

“Then…I guess it’s a date. Walk you back to your room?”

Slipping her hand into his, she tells him, “Darn right you are!”

___________

In her room later that evening, she relates the story of Keith showing up after practice to Shay. Shay sighs heavily, shakes her head, and gives Acxa some additional insight.

“Sweetie, that boy has been shot down and had his heart broken by girls more times than you can possibly imagine. It wouldn’t surprise me if he thought you were dumping him when you didn’t make it to class.”

____________

To say that Acxa and Keith stand out in the crowd would be an understatement. Standing at 6'7 and 6'5 respectively (Acxa being the taller of the pair), they tower over their fellow students. The stares Acxa is getting would normally bother her, but tonight she doesn’t give them a second thought.

She is on a date with the guy she’s had a secret crush on for over a year. The guy she was finally introduced to a week ago at the walkathon by her friend Shay, and Shay’s boyfriend Hunk. The guy who asked her to the university Fall Formal, an event she never thought she would ever attend, because no guy wanted to date a girl much taller than himself.

Tonight, she is with Keith. He has her full attention, and the rest of the world can just go away.

Tonight she is going to make it clear to him that she is not like the rest of them.

_______________

“So, here’s a serious question for you. What do you think? Snack before we go in? Popcorn or chocolate?”

Acxa stares intently at the counter. “Hmmm…shame they don’t have chocolate-covered popcorn. Or better yet, chocolate-covered bacon!”

Keith just groans and laughs. “Shay warned me you were a bacon-loving chocoholic. Sorry kiddo, no chocolate-covered bacon here. Not in any movie theater I’ve ever been to.”

“Too bad. Ok, let’s go with the popcorn. Better get a big bucket, though!”

____________

He selects two seats in the back row of the theater so as not to block anyone’s view. At least that’s what he tells her. She’s hoping he has something else in mind, but it’s best to be cool and see how the rest of the evening plays out.

Settling in for a long evening of movie watching, she decides to have a little fun. “Hey…how about we play movie critic and give comments on the movies as they play out? Sorta like what they do on Mystery Science Theater 3000?”

“And they call ME a geek? So, you’re suggesting we make tacky comments throughout the movie and annoy everyone around us?”

“Why not? It’s not like anyone in this part of the theater is going to be paying attention to the movie anyway. I mean, the serious movie watchers are sitting closer to the front of the theater. Back here, it’s all couples.”

“Meaning…what exactly?”

Acxa just rolls her eyes. Her new boyfriend is definitely a clueless dork at times. But he is an adorable clueless dork. “Just roll with it, Keith. What do you say?”

“Sure.” He picks up three pieces of popcorn and throws them onto the head of Hunk, who is sitting with Shay two rows in front of them. “If it means I get to annoy Hunk, I’m all in.”

An annoyed Hunk turns to Keith. “Dude…if your idea of showing your new girlfriend a good time on your first date is throwing popcorn on someone…you have more issues than I thought you did!”

She senses Keith tensing up just a bit. She reaches over, takes his hand again, and squeezes it. “It’s ok. I thought it was funny.”

________________________

The first movie (a romance chick flick) proves to be more entertaining than Keith and Acxa though it would be. She is enjoying herself, and it’s clear he is as well. She is so engrossed in the movie that she fails to notice Keith slyly slipping his arm across the back of her seat and putting his arm around her.

Noticing his left hand is now on her left shoulder, she smiles broadly, leans over to him, and in a sultry tone whispers in his ear.

“Smooth move, Keith!”

Sputtering, Keith begins to apologize and move his arm, but she stops him by putting her index finger on his lips. Raising and stowing the armrest between them, she slides over close to him and nestles her head into the hollow between his neck and shoulder.

“Keith…it’s ok. I…like being held by you.”

__________________

They are standing at the door to Acxa’s room, their long first date night coming to an end.

“Acxa…I had a great time tonight. I…hope you enjoyed yourself.”

“Keith, I had a great time. I’m glad you asked me out.”

“I was wondering…if you would like to do this again. Go out on a date together.”

Acxa gives him the answer he was hoping for, but not quite in the way he expected. She pulls him in to her and plants a long, searing kiss on his lips. Overcoming his initial surprise, she feels him returning the kiss with equal fervor.

He just rocked her world, and looking at the smile on his face she’s guessing she just rocked his.

“So…I can take that as a yes?”

She rolls her eyes and chuckles. He is such a dork. But, he’s her dork. She cups his cheek in her hand.

“Oh, Keith. I wouldn’t have kissed you if the answer were no, silly!”