Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Can I sit here?” Bitty hears a voice coming from his right, and when he looks up, he sees the honest to god Adonis of his class standing there, holding a camera bag and a backpack slung over his shoulder.

Up close, the guy’s shoulders are wide and he’s tall and dear lord his jaw-

“Um- uh- hello?” Adonis says confusedly as Bitty just stares and he realizes that he’s checking out the hot guy who can probably bench him sAY SOMETHING-

“OH! Of course! Go right on ahead!” Bitty basically exclaims, feeling his face heat up at his own exuberance. The guy does an approximation of a small smile, his face slightly amused, but less confused.

As Adonis (he should probably find out his name) sits next to him, Bitty thinks back to the first time he saw him.

It was the first day of the class, and Bitty was a little (alright a lot) late, and he burst into the room out of breath, having run from the other side of campus. Unfortunately, he ran into someone. Because the world hated him, he ran into said Adonis. Because the world wanted him to suffer, he dumped his coffee on said Adonis’ (bright yellow) shoes.

Despite his insistence that he would help and apologies, the guy just looked at him annoyed and very, very intensely, and all Bitty could do was jump and run to the farthest seat in the room. As it turns out, it was the best way to avoid the Adonis because he usually sat near the front or middle of the class.

But over the next few weeks, Bitty had found himself catching glimpses of the guy out of the corner of his eye, and he was…attractive. Really attractive. Bitty found himself “glancing” over more often than not, but the one time he found the guy staring back at him made him a lot more cautious of it.

Bitty thought he was going to go through the class never talking with Mr. Adonis again and that he’ll never see him after the class was over.

And now he’s sitting next to him.

As Bitty tries not to freak out, he spies the guy set his camera bag down and pull out his laptop. The guy looks…intense in everything he does, like he gives it his full attention. Bitty wonders what it would be like to have those blue eyes look at him like that.

Fidgeting with nerves, Bitty tries to debate whether he should strike up conversation with the bona fide Greek God sitting next to him when the guy’s phone rings. The guy frowns down at it, before sighing fondly and picking it up with a small smile.

“What’s up Shitty?” the guy says into the call and Bitty purses his lips because this man might not be as pleasant in personality as he looks. But then there’s that fond look on his face, and Bitty thinks this might be an inside joke?

There are words too quiet for Bitty to hear coming from the phone, but the guy rolls his eyes and hums along to whatever the other person is saying.

“Shitty,” Bitty wonder’s what kind of nickname ‘Shitty’ is as the guy continues, “I don’t think the LAX bros are trying to one up you, I think they are just doing their own parties since they won their last game.”

There’s a quick response on the phone.

“It’s not a matter of principle Shits, I think it’s personal reason for you at this point.” Bitty is trying not to listen in too hard to the conversation, and the guy’s not exactly being quiet, but Bitty just taps away on Twitter, side-eyeing the conversation every so often.

“Shits, don’t call me Jay, I swear, I just think-” There’s a very loud response. “I am not ‘conversing with the enemy,’ I’m literally just trying to make sure you don’t get caught committing a crime!”

Well, at least Bitty knows this guy’s nickname (Jay? Maybe??) and that he’s friends with some interesting people. Bitty thinks back to Ransom and Lardo, and realizes he can’t really judge.

The other person tries to say something, but Jay (?) interrupts with a very flat, “Saying ‘ it’s not illegal unless you get caught ’ is NOT a good excuse.”

There’s a pause, then the person on the other side says something much less enthusiastically.

“I know you want to do something, but we should plan something that probably won’t get us fined by the school.” Jay’s (?) eyes flick to the wall clock before he speaks again, “Sorry Shits, I have class in 5 minutes, I need to go. Just don’t get in trouble….or just- don’t do it naked.”

There’s a loud laugh on the other end of the line, and then Jay (?) ends the call with a small laugh of his own. Bitty is mesmerized by that little sound and kind of wishes that he could make Jay (or whatever his name is) laugh like that.

Jay (?) turns to look at Bitty, who’s already looking his way, and his expression turns a bit colder, but also sheepish.

“Sorry about that, my friend Shitty’s a bit…enthusiastic?” Bitty holds back a laugh at the way Jay (?) ends the sentence more like a question, and just waves him off with a smile.

“Don’t worry about it! I’m a little enthusiastic myself,” Jay (?) just raises an eyebrow, and Bitty huffs in response, “Hey! Just because I’m not that tall doesn’t mean I can’t raise a little hell!”

There’s a moment of silence as Jay (?) just stares at Bitty, then there’s a small laugh that he catches at the last moment and Bitty finds himself insulted.

“Well then, Jay , do you always laugh at your classmates when you talk to them?” Jay blanches at the name, but responds with a blank face.

“First off, don’t call me Jay, and second, only when they spill coffee on my shoes, eh?” Bitty finds himself blushing at the memory, sputtering as he tries to say something in response. But then he sees the mischievous glint in Jay’s eyes, and he realizes he’s being played with.

This man-

“That was an accident!” Bitty gets looks from the other students, so he lowers his voice, “And it wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t so-” Jay looks at him expectantly as Bitty flounders, “-TALL! If you weren’t so tall!”

Jay’s eyes betray his amusement, and Bitty want’s the ground to swallow him whole.

Trying to stave off the blush on his face, Bitty says, “Anyways, I don’t know what to call you besides Jay, so I’m gonna call you Jay until you give me your name! Now what was it?”

Jay looks … surprised? There’s an intense, searching look on his face as he seems to scan Bitty’s, and Bitty tries to will himself not to blush. After a few seconds, Jay seems to sigh in relief and then looks both curious and uncertain.

“You really don’t know?” Jay asks, and Bitty has the feeling that he should. Or was expected to at least. Bitty quickly goes through every single person he should recognize in his head, but Jay’s face, although handsome, doesn’t ring any bells.

“…no?” Bitty stretches out the ‘o’ as he says it, and searches Jay’s face for any sign that this was a prank or not. But then Jay smiles, a small thing, but it’s genuine and bright and all Bitty can do is stare.

“Then I guess you can just call me Jay.” Bitty huffs in surprise, and Jack laughs at his expression and the smile stays on his face. Bitty realizes that he just made Jay laugh, and it was as wonderful as it sounded the first time.

There’s a warmth in Bitty’s chest as he looks at Jay, who glances at Bitty as he sets up his computer, and he feels like this is the beginning of something new.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Bitty smiled at Jay as they said their goodbyes, both of them going their separate ways to their next classes. As soon as Bitty was sure Jay couldn’t see him, though, Bitty let himself do a fist pump as he practically skipped to his next class.

He finally talked to Mr. Adonis AND he got his name! …well- kind of? Bitty doesn’t let the lack of a real name deter him. He started conversation! He talked with a man who looks too handsome to be real! And he didn’t act like a (complete) idiot!

By the time Bitty got to his next class, he was practically glowing with joy, and he found himself split between paying attention in class and thinking off Jay (and his face, his muscles, his accent, the little laugh he has, gosh his jaw-)

Bitty smiles dozily at every Jay related thought, but when his classmates slowly inch away from him, Bitty realizes he should probably try to keep his feelings in check. The rest of his class ends without much fanfare, except that Bitty should have probably taken more notes, but he’s still on cloud nine.

As Bitty walks through campus, his mind still is replaying his conversation with Jay, so he doesn’t hear someone calling his name until they’re already behind him. When he turns around, Lardo is standing there, raising her eyebrow with a suspicious look on her face.

“’Sup Bitty,” Lardo squints at Bitty with a searching look on her face, “…why are you so giddy all of a sudden?”

Bitty blushes and just tries waving away her curiosity, “Oh nothing! Nothing! Just, uh, y’know…things?” Bitty winces at his own comment, and Lardo narrows her eyes.

“Uh huh. ‘Things,’” Lardo looks at Bitty for a long moment, making Bitty squirm. Lardo always seemed to know what was going on, and Bitty was already having flashbacks to the times he’s drunkenly rambled to her and Ransom about Adonis’ (Jay’s) perfect butt. If she figures it out-

“Do these ‘things’ involve a certain ‘Adonis’ that you talk about all the time?”

“NO! No! No. Why would you- how would you- I mean come on Lardo, I wouldn’t- I have never- I don’t even know what to say-”

Lardo simply raises an eyebrow and Bitty knows he’s already been caught, and just sighs and slumps his shoulders. Moments later, he feels a weight lean on him from behind, and he almost falls over before catching himself and what ever is weight suddenly appeared.

When Bitty looks up, he sees Ransom’s face, but instead of the energetic expression he normally has, Ransom looks like someone threw him into a machine press and let it spit him out. Ransom groans, and then buries his face between Bitty’s shoulder and head, wrapping his arms around Bitty from behind.

At first, it took Bitty a while to get used to how affectionate Ransom was at times, but after hearing stories about his, uh, “friendship” with Holster, Bitty understands that he’s naturally affectionate. Bitty just pats Ransom’s head as he groans again, sounding like someone was stabbing him.

“Are you alright?” Bitty asks him, and Ransom just groans again in response, sounding less like a ghost from a low budget horror film. Lardo just walks in closer to rub at Ransom’s back.

“Jack’s been pushing the team harder since it looks like we have a chance at the Frozen Four,” Lardo explains, and Bitty can feel how Ransom nods in agreement before squeezing Bitty briefly. They all know that Holster doesn’t get out of class until an hour from now, so Bitty is stuck with a very tired Ransom attached to him like a barnacle until then.

They start walking to Annie’s, their little pit stop in between classes, and Lardo make sure to slow down with Bitty, still rubbing circles into Ransom’s back. Bitty just hums and thinks about what Lardo told him. He tries to wrap what he knows about hockey (which is unfortunately pretty minimal) with everything else.

“Jack? That’s y’all’s captain, right?” Ransom squeezes Bitty in confirmation as Lardo just nods, “He wants y’all to win the Frozen Four because it’s the- uh, championship?” Bitty asks.

“Pretty much. It’s just that Jack’s a bit of a hard ass,” Ransom snorts at Lardo’s description, but she continues, “but he really does care. He just- has a hard time showing it. Things haven’t been as… calm for him as now, and with the Frozen Four on the horizon, and the fact that it’s his senior year, he’s just been a little obsessed with making sure we can win.”

As the three of them reach Annie’s, Lardo opens the door for Bitty and Ransom, and as they wait in line, Bitty thinks back to what he knows about Lardo and Ransom’s Jack.

Bitty’s heard about it all over campus: Jack Zimmermann, hockey royalty, a wunderkid prodigy, and NHL prospective first draft pick. But then something happened just before the draft, and he disappeared, only to start playing at Samwell a few years later. Now he’s captain of the Samwell Men’s Hockey team and apparently still good as ever (but also hot as hell? Or that’s at least what one of his classmates told him).

As for Bitty, he hasn’t actually ever seen the guy. Sure, Samwell is pretty dedicated to their hockey team, but Bitty makes sure to shy away from most news about them to preserve his sanity. He’s had enough dealing with the hockey team at his high school and did not go to Samwell to have a repeat experience.

As Lardo and Bitty order their drinks (getting weird looks by the cashier for Ransom just hanging onto Bitty), Ransom just hugs Bitty appreciatively. Bitty knows that SMH is not like his old school, and that they can be nice (Ransom is a prime example), but Bitty’s content on keeping the number of hockey players he knows on one hand, and that’s it.

Besides, from what Ransom and Lardo have told him, Bitty isn’t sure he wants to actually meet Jack.

Not that he believes those rumors about what made Jack drop out of the draft, but Ransom told him that Jack complained about the pie he gave him for winning a game. And for all that Ransom and Lardo tell him about Jack’s better side, Bitty can not excuse a man who slanders his baking for no reason. No matter how hot Jack supposedly is.

Anyways, Jack probably has nothing on Jay, with his piercing blue eyes and swoopy hair. Bitty just sighs, as they wait for their drinks, and Lardo gives him a very significant side eye. Bitty just looks away immediately, and as soon as their drinks are out, he grabs his and Ransom’s, and leads them to the few open booths.

Ransom lets go of Bitty to slide into the booth, and Bitty slides in after him, with Lardo taking the side across from them. Bitty gets one sip into his drink when Lardo looks at Ransom.

“So, Ransom, did you know that Bitty made a move on ‘Mr. Adonis’?” Bitty cokes on his drink, and Ransom’s expression goes from zombie to full attention in a blink of an eye. Ransom’s head snaps towards Bitty, and Bitty shrinks down on himself.

“BRO!” Ransom’s exclamation causes only a few other students to turn their heads, since most are used to the hockey team’s behavior, “YOU TALKED TO YOUR CRUSH? WHEN?? HOW?? DEETS-”

Bitty’s face is a red mess as he swats at Ransom, who starts to lean into his personal space as though Bitty would start talking if he got close enough. Lardo just laughs as Bitty glares at her, and he knows who isn’t going to get a surprise treat after his next baking spree.

 “There are NO. DEETS.” Bitty whisper shouts at Ransom before he can interrupt, “We just talked! He needed to sit next to me in class and just said hello! There, that’s it!” Ransom looked disappointed, but Lardo was squinting at him again.

“You guys said hello, right?” At Bitty’s nod, Lardo gives him a smug look, “Then what’s his name?” Bitty realizes his mistake when Ransom looks back at him with renewed interest.

From what Bitty’s heard, both Ransom and Holster are in charge of setting people up for “Winter Screw” and apparently know “everyone on campus.” Bitty knows that if he gives them Jay’s name, Ransom will probably spend the next few days tracking down every single person and trying to find him. He’s seen the spreadsheets before, and knows to fear them. Except-

“I don’t know.” Bitty says, his former disappointment and incredulity turning to relief. At Ransom and Lardo’s looks of bewilderment, Bitty explains, “He never actually gave me his name, I just heard his nickname when he was on the phone, and then he just let me call him that.”

Lardo just stares at him like he’s crazy, and Bitty realizes it does sound kind of crazy. But Ransom has already whipped out his phone, and Bitty can see that he’s opened up a spreadsheet already.

“What’s his nickname?” Ransom innocently asks, but Bitty recognizes the look in his eyes and knows it spells trouble.

“Not on my watch, mister!” Bitty points a finger in warning at Ransom, who raises his hand in surrender. “If you so much as try to ask around or look around for him, I will cut you off! No pies, nothing!”

Ransom gasps, but Bitty remains resolute. Bitty knows it’s a bit mean, but he doesn’t want to scare off Jay just because his friends got too involved. Besides, Ransom would do anything for pie.

Lardo does a low whistle, impressed. “Harsh Bitty, harsh.”

“Also!” Bitty turns and then points at Lardo as well, “That means you too! Not a word!” Lardo mimes zipping her lips and throwing away the key.

When Ransom sees that Bitty isn’t budging, Ransom sighs, and just throws his hands up, “Fine! Okay!” Bitty lets himself relax, and take sip of his drink. “Can we know his name now? Please?”

Ransom looks at him with puppy dog eyes, and Bitty can’t help but give in.

“His nickname is Jay.” Bitty can see the way that Ransom is mentally going through every person he knows and what names they go by, while Lardo just tilts her head in thought. “And no, I have no idea what his real name is. I barely know him! He’s just- really nice.”

Ransom and Lardo share a look, and then they both give him a soft smile.

“You must have it bad, huh?” Ransom says and Bitty buries his face in his hands. Bitty knows they both mean well, but having it said to him so bluntly makes him feel exposed.

“Why am I friends with you two?” Ransom pats him on the back, and Bitty actually thinks back to when they actually all met.

Well, more like when they all were pushed together during Bitty’s freshman year, when he ran into one of Ransom’s teammates, who told Bitty that “Your name’s Eric Bittle, right?” and before he could answer, he was already pulling him along.

“I’m Johnson, and we’ll be calling you Bitty, so no one’s gonna know your real name, except, y’know,” the hockey player said, and before he knew it, he was being introduced to Ransom and Lardo as Bitty, and then Johnson walked off. 

When Bitty asked them about why Johnson just dragged him over there, they both shared a look and shrugged, and Bitty learned that Johnson was just like that. Bitty also gained two new friends as well.

When Bitty thinks about how Jay made him feel, he really hopes that they get to be friends, too. (And hey, maybe more?)

However, frowning in thought, Bitty realized something about that encounter that he never questioned before.

“Hey y’all, why doesn’t Jack have nickname? I thought all of y’all did it for everyone?” At Bitty’s question, Lardo shrugged, and Ransom just kind of did a lone “eh” sound.

“Jack’s a special case; nothing’s every really stuck for him, everything’s kind of landed short. Like, we used to call him JZ, Jimmy for a hot minute, also Yum-” Lardo slams a fist onto the table and Ransom shuts his mouth.

“We will NOT speak of that name. Never. Again.” Lardo was unusually serious, and Ransom acted like he never was speaking in the first place.

“ANYWAY, yeah, nothing’s really stuck, so we’ve just called him Jack.” Ransom rubs his chin, “it kind of fits him, you know? He’s always a bit serious about hockey.”

Bitty just hums in response and takes another sip of his drink. If this Jack Zimmermann is as serious and a stick in the mud as he’s heard, Bitty’s not sure he wants to meet him. But he sure is ready to see Jay again, and lets that thought warm him as Ransom and Lardo start talking about hockey stuff.

_X_

Jack found his thoughts flicking back to Eric as he went through the rest of his classes that day. Something about the way Eric made him feel had Jack perplexed, but the feeling wasn’t unpleasant. But Jack couldn’t figure out what it was. 

In the middle of class, Jack found himself realizing he’d spaced out thinking about Eric, about the endearing way he reacted to his chirping, about his endearing mannerisms, his accent.

But like most things, Jack shook his head from it, and tried hard to focus back on the task at hand. Jack found his thoughts drifting still, but he still focused on class enough to get his notes and things squared away. However, with the end of his last class of the day, Jack found his thoughts back on Eric. So much so that Jack didn’t realize someone was calling his name until Jack was slammed in the side by his best friend.

“JACKABELLE!” Shitty practically yells into his ear, and Jack wrestles him in the middle of the sidewalk.

“Shitty! You can’t just run into me like that!” Jack laughs at the scandalized look Shitty shoots him and then Shitty’s hugging him tight.

“Are you saying you don’t want me around anymore? Have the LAX bros manipulated you that much??” Jack sighs at Shitty’s theatrics, but then he’s smiling.

“Yeah Shitty, turns out that they actually wear clothes when going around the house.” At Shitty’s even more scandalized expression, Jack laughs and turns to walk to the Haus. It was already in sight, and Jack realized that Shitty probably saw him coming and ran all the way there to get him.

“How. DARE. YOU!” Shitty yells and then he’s going off on a rant, and at this point Jack knows the LAX bros can probably hear it loud and clear, and just smiles as Shitty gets increasingly more exasperated and dramatic as they closer to the Haus.

By the time they are at the Haus’ front steps, Shitty is running out of steam, and Jack just turns to look at him as he unlocks the front door. They both walk in, and Jack sees Dex and Chowder aggressively typing away on the green couch as Shitty grabs him and pulls him into a bone crushing hug. Shitty finished his rant as fast as he started it, and just shakes Jack a bit in their hug, before letting go.

As Jack opens his mouth to ask Shitty how his day’s been, the oven dings, and then he sees both Dex and Chowder stand up immediately and race to the kitchen. Before Jack can process that, the attic door bursts open, and both Holster and Ransom race down the stairs, yelling and pushing at each other, almost causing the other to slip, but barely not. It honestly looks like a tangled mess of arms and legs.

Lardo just leaves the kitchen holding a plate of what looks to be pie, and then walking out the back door. Jack didn’t know that Lardo was there. From the surprised look on Shitty’s face, neither did he.

Nursey bursts out into the Haus from the front door, behind Jack and Shitty, and races past them to get into the kitchen, yelling “SAVE ME A PIECE YOU HEATHENS-” before a pained sound interrupts him. Jack tries looking at Shitty, but realizes his best friend had already ran into the kitchen right after Nursey.

Jack walks to the entrance of the kitchen and looks in, only to see that a good quarter of SMH surrounding two pie tins, straight from the oven. They all are holding forks and aggressively fanning the pies with anything they can get their hands on. Jack’s pretty sure Chowder is using his computer.

The more impatient of the group (Nursey, Holster, Shitty) are shoveling burning hot pie into their mouths and running around the kitchen trying to cool it off in their mouths.

Jack pinches the bridge of his nose as he watches his teammates scrambling like moths to a flame and then knows who’s to blame for this.

Bitty.

Jack knows about Bitty. Oh, does he know about Bitty.

Bitty apparently was introduced by Johnson (who told him “Just be ready for a big reveal dude!” right before he left) to Ransom, who introduced him to Holster, and then he had SMH wrapped around his fingers.

How?

By baking pie.

Jack just sighs at the thought and watches as Ransom tests a bit of pie, deems it as cooled down enough, and then they all attack it like men starved for food. Nursey and Dex are shoving each other and getting pie everywhere. Shitty is sword (fork?) fighting Holster as Ransom tries stealing the tin. Chowder is at least cutting the pies into slices.

Ever since Bitty became friends with Ransom and Lardo, the Haus has had some sort of pastry or desert in the kitchen at least once a week. Probably even more, it’s just that his team eats them faster than he can tell.

Jack knows that having this many sweets could wreak havoc on their diets and their ability to play, and the team can’t risk it if they want to get to the Frozen Four, so he’s put his foot down when it comes to Bitty’s goods: no more than once a week, and then only in appropriate amounts. However, by the amount of times he’s found Holster eating cookies with milk at night, he knows they’re trying to get around him.

Jack’s never actually met this mysterious Bitty, but from what everyone’s told him, he’s like a southern angel who can make your favorite pie with the flick of his hand. There’s not much else Jack’s gathered about him either, since the moment he put his foot down about the sweets, the more secretive that they got about Bitty.

To be honest, Jack thinks that part of the reason he’s never met Bitty is because the team doesn’t want him to intimidate him to stop making them pies, and he wouldn’t do that…exactly. He’d still want to talk with Bitty about maybe taking it down a notch with the pies, but Ransom and Lardo are especially evasive.

Jack knows of all people not to pry when it’s not his place, but sometimes Jack wants to know HOW Bitty’s making this many pies and what he gets out of it. With how nice Ransom makes him out to be, Jack’s a bit suspicious. It’s the same reason why he hasn’t tried any of the baked goods (and also mostly, maybe superstition).

But when he sees how satisfied (and chaotic) his friends are after they finally finish off the pies, Jack can’t help but smile. He’s conflicted, but he can’t really do anything about that now, with the pies already eaten and Jack fairly sure he couldn’t stop Ransom and Holster if he tried.

Jack’s phone buzzes with a text, and Jack realizes it’s one of his classmates in his class with Eric, texting him some of her notes that he missed at the end of class. Jack smiles at the reminder of his banter with Eric, and saves the notes to his phone, going to his messages to send it to Eric before he realizes it.

He never got Eric’s number. 

Jack shakes his head at the slip up, and thinks of asking Shitty if he knows Eric, but realizes that he can ask for Eric’s number the next time they are in class. Jack doesn’t know why, but that makes him feel a bit warm. As Jack escapes the kitchen to his room, there’s a smile on his face.

Chapter Text

When Bitty’ alarm blares, Bitty’s immediately moving towards his phone like a man possessed. But like a sleepy dumbass, his foot gets caught in his blanket. And like a tired idiot, when he grabs his phone, he loses his balance. And like a complete dumbass, he slides off the bed in a blanket cocooned heap, face down and arms tangled. After taking a few seconds to just bask in how he got there, Bitty carefully unfolds his arms from each other.

Bitty grabs the phone, squinting his eyes as they adjust and-

No new messages.

Bitty groans at the sight, rolling back face the floor. There’s probably a good reason Jay’s hadn’t texted him yet. He could be busy! Probably very busy! Maybe using his muscles helping his friend lift something and-

Yeah. Very busy.

Bitty throws his phone up onto the bed as he turns over and covers his face in his hands. A low groan escapes him as he thinks about Jay. Bitty knows he shouldn’t be so invested in boy he just talked, but as he stretches, he feels well-rested and a warmth in his chest. There’s sunlight streaming from the small window in the room and Bitty smiles.

He’s been bouncing off the walls all morning, going through his day-to-day routine with a pep in his step. His phone had been (disappointingly) silent all yesterday, but Bitty knows that he’ll get a message soon. Preferably by a hunky Canadian dude. That has blue eyes. And nice arms. And a cute laugh. And a big butt-

It’s not until his pancakes start burning that Bitty realizes he got lost in his daydream. After Bitty eats his slightly crispy pancakes and pulls a set of cookies he may or may not have stressed baked after the lack of messages, he grabs his bags and makes his way to Faber, skipping the entire way there.

When he gets there, most of the team is already there, a few stretching and other’s tying up their skates. Bitty makes his way to the changing rooms, waving to everyone on the team, his smile getting bigger as he pulls out his skates.

After Bitty’s family moved to Madison, despite Bitty’s worries about leaving Katya, Katya was still resolute to keep Bitty going with figure skating. She sent him a recommendation to another figure skating coach in the area, someone she knew from her own figure skating days, and Bitty threw himself into figure skating again.

The kids in Madison were…nicer than his old school, but Georgia was Georgia. Bitty knew how bad other kids could be, especially the jocks, so he avoided any other sport like the plague. (He likes himself away from enclosed spaces, thank you very much).

When Bitty gets his skates on and walks out to the ice, he goes through his typical warmups along with the other skaters already there. Most of it goes by memory, but Bitty finds his thoughts wandering as he goes through the motions. And his thoughts wander right back to Jay.

As Bitty listens to the Coach Murray (the man is still intimidating even after all this time) and goes through practicing his routine, Jay buzzes around in the back of his head. There smile he gave him, the way his laugh sounded, all of it makes Bitty’s skin feel buzzy and electric at the same time. Even Coach Murray comments that Bitty looks like he’s floating on cloud nine, and Bitty laughs as the team wolf whistles.

With all these thoughts though, Bitty wonders why Jay hasn’t texted him at all. He wonders about it as he goes through his routine, the movements familiar to his body. Bitty focuses on the way his body moves as he goes through the routine, the thought of Jay still pushing at him.

As Bitty moves to his next jump, Bitty knows he shouldn’t let a boy eat up his thoughts like this, not at practice. There are so many reasons why Jay hadn’t texted him yet! He could be busy! He could be sick! He could have forgotten! He could just be ghosting him, but Bitty really hope he isn’t!

It’s not like he doesn’t have his number, right?

…right?

Bitty’s mid-jump when he realizes he forgot to give Jay his number. He gets in the air, fumbling the entire way there and then flops to the ground in a weak arc. When he hits the ground, he rolls face side down. He doesn’t do anything even as he starts sliding across the ice.

A few seconds later, someone is standing above Bitty. When Bitty turns his head to look up, he stares up at Coach Murray leaning over him with an eyebrow raised.

“You okay, Bittle?” Coach Murray doesn’t look concerned. But that’s probably because Bitty has ranted for two hours about Beyonce when someone on the team said they thought Beyonce of all people were overrated. He’s known for dramatics. Unfortunately.

Bitty just groans and puts his face to the ice again. Coach Murray laughs above him.

“Baking trouble?” The sound of more skates moving around as people go to sit down surrounds Coach Murray’s voice. Bitty just lays face down in silence.

“Did you forget your homework?” Bitty lays there motionless. He is an idiot.

“Left something in the oven?” Bitty is dead to the world. He can’t believe he was waiting for Jay to text him when he didn’t even have his number.

“Did you remember a recipe?” Coach Murray kicks him gently with his skate and Bitty wishes the ground would swallow him whole.

“…is it boy trouble?” Bitty can hear the amused smile in Coach Murray’s voice and Bitty just lets out quiet groan onto the ice. Coach Murray and the rest of the figure skating team have tried setting Bitty up ever since he came out to them and the only thing that’s fended them off is because Bitty gets them fundraiser money through his baking.

The last time Bitty talked about a crush, Coach Murray had practically asked every professor on campus who the guy was. His need for drama was unmatched, and honestly a bit concerning.

Now? Now Bitty wished someone would bury him in that spot.

“No, but seriously, you’ve been off all practice Bittle,” at Coach Murray’s tone, Bitty flips over to stare at his coach. He has a hard look on his face. “If something bad happened and you need to say something- to anyone-”

“Wait!” Bitty blurts out, face reddening, “I just- I uh.”

At Bitty’s floundering, Coach Murray leans back to place his hands on his hips. He still has that hard look on his face and he is giving his best ‘concerned coach’ face.

Bitty can’t handle this right now. He slaps both hands over his face in embarrassment, “I forgot.”

“…forgot what?” Coach Murray squints at him.

“I forgot to give him my number.”

A moment of silence fills Faber. Bitty isn’t look at Coach Murray, but he knows that he probably has that surprised expression on his face. The one he gets when Coach Hall sort of flirts with him in an antagonistic way. It’s a look of complete confoundment and confusion and would be really funny if it wasn’t because of him.

“I- Bittle- you’re gonna be-” Coach Murray sounds like he’s struggling and when Bitty looks between his fingers, he sees the way Coach Murray looks like he’s a bout to burst at the seams. His shoulders shake with suppressed laughter.

Bitty sighs. “You can laugh.”

Coach Murray’s laughter booms throughout the ice rink as Bitty lets ice soak into his shirt. He’s wet and cold and tired and that’s what he deserves because he’s a dumbass.

“Uh, Coach?” Bitty turns his head to stare at the new team manager, his fingers fidgeting around the clipboard in his hand. Coach Murray tries to look up at him, but he keeps doubling over with laughter. Bitty just lets himself melt into the ice.

“Yeah kiddo?” Coach Murray says between laughs.

“Er- the hockey team is coming early?” At the manager’s words, Coach Murray’s face goes from amused to annoyed. Bitty starts rolling towards the door.

“That Jack Zimmermann,” Coach Murray whispers as he pinches the bridge of his nose. As Bitty gets up to get out of the rink, he finds he agrees with the sentiment.

Even before Bitty was on the figure skating team, the Samwell’s Men Hockey team had been fighting with them for ice time. And the newest hockey captain has been as ass about it ever since the year started.

Part of Bitty wants to give him a piece of his mind. A larger, much more reasonable part of Bitty knows he’ll get his ass handed to him and goes to untie his skates.

Coach Murray starts moving everyone off the ice as Bitty gets ready to leave. Stripping off his wet clothing, Bitty looks down at the phone in his hands. Groaning, Bitty slams his forehead into the wall. He’s a hopeless, hopeless idiot.

“I am NOT going to be arguing with Jack Zimmermann today, so pick it up!” Coach Murray’s announcement makes Bitty pick up his pace as he stuffs on his spare sweatshirt.

He’s a hopeless, hopeless idiot who’s also freezing cold.

_X_

When Bitty gets out of his afternoon class, he stomps his way over to Anne’s. His professor assigned even more reading (and for a gen-ed class!) and then his group mates decided that they weren’t going to finish their part of the project even though Bitty finished his. They were behind, concerningly so, but they all just talked the entire class.

Even after the group project from hell, Bitty was messaged by his math professor that he was pushing up the quiz because he had a scheduling conflict. Instead of, y’know, pushing it back like a normal person.

Then Bitty planned on studying for tomorrow’s class but realized he didn’t have the notes. Which Jay was supposed to send to him. Which was impossible, since Jay didn’t have his number.

The only thing that’s going to make this day better is probably coffee. A lot of it.

As Bitty shoves open the door, he keeps his gaze pointedly forwards, glaring into the back of the guy in front of him. In front of both of them are a group of girls that are incredibly loud, but compared to sitting next to guys who thought figure skating was the “gay sport” at Samwell for 2 hours, it was a relief.

The line takes forever to move along, and Bitty can feel his patience starting to thin. When the girls get to the front of the line, they all say the most complicated orders he’s ever heard, and he wishes that he just went home. The guy at the counter is lazily leaning against the register with his headphones in, making each girl repeat their order at least twice, and Bitty debates just jumping the counter and doing it himself. Bitty’s still judging the height of the counter when the girls get their order in and move out of the way. The guy in front steps forward.

“Can I get large coffee?” Bitty’s gaze snaps up at the voice, and he blinks at the back of Jay’s head. He’s standing there, a camera bag and backpack wrapped around his body, and Bitty beats himself for not noticing him to begin with.

The guy at the counter doesn’t even look up at Jay’s words, both earbuds in his ears, fiddling with his phone. Jay stands for a few seconds before trying again.

“Eh-uh, excuse me?” The guy at the counter continues to type on his phone. Jay’s hand tries to move forward, but he pulls it back. Bitty can feel the way Jay just looks behind the guy, trying to catch the attention of the people.

Bitty has had a long day. He’s had to deal with a group project from hell, dumb jocks, and embarrassing himself in front of his coach all before he got a cup of coffee. And now his sort of, kind of crush is currently in front of him, without his number, struggling to get a cup of coffee and Bitty is Done.

Bitty steps up next to Jay, making him jump, but Bitty gives him an apologetic smile. He looks at the employee’s name tag, then pastes a smile on his face.

“Hey Greg!” Bitty says in his most passive aggressive voice possible. Greg’s gaze finally leaves his phone, and he looks up at both Bitty and Jay.

“…huh?” Greg looks at them like they were annoying him, and Bitty just smiles wider. Jay just looks wide-eyed between him and Bitty (bless his heart).

“Can we get our drink orders?” Bitty says in his southern passive aggressive voice, “or are you too busy texting at the counter?”

Greg freezes, trying to subtly put away his phone in his pocket. Bitty just keeps his smile on his face. Jay looks like he’s sweating besides him.

Greg opens his mouth to speak, but Bitty cuts him off. “It’s gonna probably be easier to hear us without your earbuds in, hun!”

There’s a moment where Greg looks incredibly uncomfortable as Bitty just looks at him, waiting. Jay definitely has his eyes darting between Greg and him, but Bitty is too tired to decipher what’s going on with his face. As Greg takes off his earbuds, Bitty nods to him and pats Jay on the back (and maybe he lets his hand linger, but it’s a solid back. Nice muscle.)

“Go ahead, sweetpea.” Jay blushes at the endearment, and Bitty doesn’t have the time to figure out how that’s making his insides feel, and just lets himself combust as Jay orders his drink, Greg putting it in quickly.

“Oh, er- what do you want?” Bitty looks up at Jay eyebrows raised, as he rubs the back of his neck. Jay’s eyes stare at his own, but there’s a bit of nervousness in them. “It’s on me.”

Well alright then.

“Can I get a caramel macchiato, please?” Greg just hurriedly nods and types out his order.

After a few buttons clicks, Greg looks up at both of them. “Names?”

“Ja-Jay- I- er, I’m Jay.” The way that Jay says it makes both Bitty and Greg look at him weirdly and he just doubles down on it. “I’m Jay.”

“…ooooookay,” Bitty gives Jay a look out of the edge of his eye. Jay is pointedly looking at the countertop.

“Eric. I’m Eric,” Bitt says, trying his best to sound like Jay. He gives him the stink eye, so Bitty thinks that he did a pretty good job.

After Greg gets their orders squared away, they move to stand in the far wall across from the pick-up area. Standing next to each other, Bitty can spy the camera around Jay’s neck. Looking up to talk to Jay, he stares right at Jay’s piercing blue eyes that are already looking down at him. A few moments pass where they both just look at each other

“Uh…” Bitty feels like he should feel awkward, but part of him feels like they could just stare at each other for hours without noticing.

“Your number,” Jay blurts out suddenly. “I forgot.”

Bitty blinks. Jay stares at him. Bitty blinks again. Jay still stares.

It’s a few seconds before it clicks in Bitty’s head.

“Oh. Oh! My phone number!” Bitty says and Jay nods. “Uh, I think I’ll need your phone for that?”

Jay blinks and then reaches for his back pocket, Bitty mentally recounting his number, but Jay’s hand comes back empty. A moment passes, and Bitty watches as Jay pats down each of his pockets, trying to look for his phone. Bitty bites back laughter as Jay pats all his clothing pockets, none of them having his phone in it.

“In your bag?” Bitty suggests, and Jay whips it open as soon as he says it. He makes a small noise of triumph and holds up his phone like it’s a baby, handing it to Bitty with a small smile. Bitty smiles back.

When Bitty moves to turn on the phone, the screen immediately shuts off, the front showing a dead battery.

“Huh.” Bitty looks down at the phone, then up at Jay, who is looking at the phone like it personally betrayed him. He has to stifle a laugh at the way Jay’s face looks both murderous and disappointed.

“That- I thought I charged it.” Jay sounds so apologetic, Bitty can’t help himself from patting him on his (very defined) bicep.

Jay looks put out, so much so that Bitty, with all his dumbassery and lack of self-control, lets the words slip out before he realizes.

“We can wait for it to charge over coffee?” Jay gives a hopeful look and Bitty is both kicking himself in the shins and praising his tiredness.

“Sure! I- that sounds great. I’ll find a table?” There’s a hopeful sparkle in Jay’s eyes that has Bitty nodding before he watches him walk away to find a table.

(And if Bitty lets his gaze drop a bit, well. He’s only human.)

Bitty’s still buzzing at his own words when the server calls out their names, and Bitty mechanically grabs either cup, walking over to the small two-person table that Jay found in the corner of Anne’s. Jay has made himself comfortable, bags set down and computer set up. A charger cable is already plugged into the wall, Jay’s phone plugged in.

When Bitty approaches the table, Jay’s gaze snaps up to him. Finding Bitty there, Jay gives him a smile, which only gets bigger when Bitty places his coffee in front of him.

“I didn’t know what you wanted, so I got some sugar packets and-” Bitty goes to say but looks up from putting down his bag to see Jay already drinking his coffee. “And of course, you take your coffee plain. Figures.”

“Really?” Jay sets down his cup and raises an eyebrow at him. “Says Mr. More Sugar than Coffee?” Bitty scoffs at the implication, and Jay eyes twinkle as Bitty aggressively takes a sip of his own drink.

“I’ll have you know, mister, that I can drink coffee! It’s just more fun if it tastes good, too.” Bitty may be a bit self-righteous about it, but not everyone can handle black coffee whenever. He needs his sugar fix. And caffeine fix. And maybe he just likes something after a long day, okay?

Jay lets out a soft laugh, the same soft laugh that messed with Bitty’s insides the first time he heard it. A smile finds his way one Bitty’s face involuntarily at the sound, and a warmth in his chest makes his face light up. He’s in over his head if a laugh makes him feel like that.

Well…maybe he can enjoy this before it goes downhill?

“What are you working on?” Bitty asks, leaning forward on the table after Jay clicks a few times on his computer. Jay looks up at him, then swivels his computer around to show him.

There’s a photo on the screen shows a dramatic image of the inside of a darkened building. Through the large windows that frame the entire wall, the light of the sunset cuts through them, leaving long shadows behind. Outside, the sky is a pale red-orange, the colored light filtering through the windows like stained glass. The beams of light hit the surface of an ice rink with a gentle brush, the carvings in the ice from skates looking like an infinitely expanding pattern. A goal post sits behind the beams of light, faintly reflecting the light of the building.

Everything in screams of something tender and unearthly beautiful that Bitty loses his breath for a second. It takes Bitty a few seconds to recognize where he recognizes the building.

“It’s for a photography project I have. It’s- um, about my life. Supposed to be. Well. Yeah.” Jay trails off as Bitty continues to stare at the photo. “Do you- um- like it?”

“Jay,” Bitty’s eyes snap up to Jay’s, “This is Faber?”

“Oh,” Jay stares at him for second, “yeah.”

“It’s-” Bitty looks between the picture and Jay, feeling like there’s something missing, “it’s gorgeous. I- I can’t believe you were able to take this! This is amazing!”

Jay, honest to God, blushes at the praise, scratching at his face. His eyes don’t leave Bitty’s, but he does give him a smile. “You really think so?”

“Of course! Holy moly,” Bitty leans back in his chair, “I swear, this is the best photo of Faber I’ve ever seen. It might be the best photo I’ve ever seen to be honest.”

Jay looks so happy at Bitty’s reaction, Bitty can’t help the warm feeling he feels from his chest. It spreads to his arms and legs and cheeks, and Bitty feels warms all over.

“It wasn’t that special; I just noticed the light coming through the windows later in the day and I thought it would give a good shot. There were only a few minutes where the light came through the way I wanted it too, so I had to go through a lot of planning to find the right day that it would look the best under the light. I had to skip my late classes for a week straight to get it, but when I saw the shot through the camera…” Jay takes a reverent breath, his eyes alight, “it felt worth it.”

Bitty look at Jay, at the love and determination he describes how he took the photo and feels his heart thump through his chest. The warmth is undeniable, and Bitty’s a hopeless idiot, but he doesn’t care.

“Jay- that’s, no, you’re amazing.” Bitty can’t help himself from saying it, and Jay’s eyes widen at the words.

“I mean- that- it’s amazingthatyoursogoodatphotogrpahyanddevoted.” Bitty clamps his mouth shut. He’s a stupid. So, so stupid.

Jay is still looking at him wide-eyed, but then a smile, a private smile that turns Bitty’s insides to mush blooms on his face.

“Thank you.” The words are quiet compared the chatter around them, but Bitty smiles at Jay with all the same emotion.

“…can you show me your other photos?” Bitty asks, and he doesn’t really know why, but when he asks it, it feels delicate. It feels important in a way that Bitty doesn’t really understands.

Jay is silent for a moment, but the smile doesn’t leave his face, and he nods enthusiastically. When he reaches back for his computer, his hands must have gotten confused, when the one holding his coffee cup moves forward. Noticing right before, Jay lifts ups arm up, but the coffee is already on its way out.

Luckily, it’s not landing on the computer

Unfortunately, it’s landing on Bitty. Great.

Bitty sees the entire exchange and feels the coffee land onto the chest of his sweatshirt. Jay looks immediately mortified, and Bitty thinks that that’s what he gets for being pining. He really can’t catch a break.

“I’m so sorry.” Jay is saying, and Bitty already is bunching napkins in his hand against the sweatshirt. The Samwell red of the material is dark, but not dark enough to hide the obvious coffee stain in the center of it. “Is it hot? Fuck, if it’s hot-”

“It’s not hot, don’t worry,” Bitty puts down the napkins when he realizes it’s not doing much. Bitty sighs. He really liked that sweatshirt.

Bitty hears Jay go to say something, but Bitty grabs the edge of the sweatshirt and lifts it up, over his head. Whatever Jay was going to say is muffled, but Bitty can make out some sort of gargling sound. With the sweatshirt clear over his head, Bitty realizes his tank top rode up, and adjusts it back over his waist. When Bitty looks up to Jay, Jay’s looking at him (is he…blushing?), lips pushed together.

“Everything okay?” Bitty says at Jay’s expression, “The coffee didn’t hurt me, I just didn’t want to wear it around all day.” Jay says nothing.

“Jay?”

“You’re…fit.” Jay says out of nowhere, and Bitty gives Jay a look.

“What, didn’t believe me when I said I could raise a little hell?” Bitty flexes an arm with and exaggerated eyebrow raise. He’s been working out more ever since he got to Samwell, and he was going to feel good about his progress, even compared to Mr. Adonis himself.

Jay makes a choking sound, but before Bitty can blink, Jay’s trying to play it off.

“What-” Bitty begins to ask, but Jay just takes a long sip of his coffee.

“Swallowed wrong.” Jay says with finality. Bitty just slowly nods.

“So…photos?” Jay snaps up to attention again and scoots his seat so him and Bitty are sitting diagonal to each other. He’s close enough that Bitty feels the warmth of his arm when he leans over, and Bitty lets himself lean in a bit. Just a bit. A tiny bit.

As Jay goes over each of his photos, Bitty finds himself amazed over and over again by the skill in Jay’s photography. Whenever Bitty says it, Jay looks at him in surprise, but ducks his head a bit. It makes Bitty want to do it over and over again.

They both look over photos ranging from landscapes to people, Bitty asking questions about each one. Jay says some are from his walks between classes, others are from moments he plans out days before. One picture is just of Jay with a snapback on and posing with a goose, which Bitty has Jay promise to send him later.

Some photos Jay swipes past faster than Bitty can see any detail. When Bitty gives Jay a look about it, he just smiles.

“Can’t give away the surprise that quickly, now, can I?” There’s a playful tone there that makes Bitty smile back at him, and they soon fall back into their progress of photos.

Bitty gives his opinion on Jay’s best photos, and Jay looks appreciative on how much Bitty takes to it seriously. Bitty can’t help but look at how much emotion and meaning Jay gives each photo and wonder how much it means for the person who takes them.

It’s not until Bitty’s phone buzzes with an alarm that Bitty and Jay break out of their bubble. Checking the screen, Bitty’s eyes bug out of his head at the alarm.

Go Get Ready for The Worst Class of Today! blares at the front of his phone.

“It’s 4 PM!?” Bitty’s words shock Jay as well, and he glances down at his computer’s clock, which says the same thing.

The two of them were talking about Jay’s photos for hours, barely ever taking a break. Bitty’s and Jay’s drinks were done a while ago, neither of them noticing in the bubble of them talking. Jay grabs his phone from the charger, seeing the bright green of a full battery, before turning it on.

“I’m so sorry, I kept on talking about my photos for so long,” Jay looked bashful, and Bitty couldn’t help the smile on his face.

“Hey! I asked for it! Don’t go apologizing for things that aren’t your fault, or are you too Canadian for that?” At Jay’s laugh, Bitty let a smile slide on his face. More quietly, Bitty says, “And I really enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

Jay gives him that private smile again, and ducks his head, “Of course.” He says it easily, as if he’d share it with Bitty any time he asked, and Bitty’s too happy to parse what that means right now.

“About my number-” Bitty starts, but the rapid dings and clicks from Jay’s phone interrupt him. Jay looks down at his hand, watching his notifications go crazy. The screen glitches with the sheer amount of them. Bitty’s kind of amazed. Jay, evidently, is not.

“Oh. Sorry about that.” Jay says as he lowers the volume of the notifications. The screen still is filling up with more and more notifications. “Group chats are…a lot.”

“I can see that,” at Bitty’s tone, Jay huffs a breath, and Bitty pulls out his own phone from his back pocket, opening the screen and holding it out to Jay. “If I can’t give you my number, might as well get yours instead!”

Jay takes Bitty’s phone from his hands, about to plug in his information, when he pauses. He looks at Bitty’s phone, to his own, then up at Bitty with a twinkle in his eyes. Bitty knows by now that when Jay’s eyes do that, he’s excited about something.

“What?” Jay gets the most amused smile on his face at Bitty’s confusion.

“If you had your phone this entire time, I could have given you my number hours ago.” At Jay’s words, Bitty opens his mouth.

Wait. Bitty closes his mouth.

Wait a damn minute.

Bitty slaps his forehead. Jay bursts out laughing. After a few seconds, Bitty starts laughing because they were both dumbasses. By the time Bitty and Jay finally get their laughter under control, Bitty is wiping tears from his eyes and Jay is typing his information into Bitty’s phone.

“Hey,” Bitty looks up to Jay, who’s sliding his phone back to him, “I’m happy we forgot though.”

Bitty smiles, “Really now?” Jay nods.

“If we hadn’t, I wouldn’t have known you don’t know what the difference between a goose and a duck was.” Bitty groans.

“They’re kind of the same!”

“Nope. They aren’t.” At Jay’s shit eating grin, Bitty realizes it’s the final nail in the coffin. Bitty’s doomed.

“You’re a very stubborn man.” Bitty grabs his phone back, spying the way that Jay put his contact’s name as Jay, with three bird emojis next to it. “Birds? What’s that for?”

“Your twitter,” Jay says, shit eating grin still in place, “and the fact you keep chirping me.”

Bitty points at Jay’s face with an accusing finger, “You’re on thin ice, mister.”

“And you’re running late for your next class.” Jay’s words cause Bitty to check his phone, and he curses under his breath when he realizes he’s right.

“You better tell me about the ones you skipped next time.” Bitty is folding his sweatshirt to stuff in his bag as Jay closes his laptop.

“So, there’s a next time?” Jay asks his question sounding like he already knows the answer.

“Not if you keep chirping me, Mr. Jay.” Bitty’s smile is reflected in Jay’s own. Bitty hitches his bag over his shoulders.

“No promises!” Jay enthusiastically says as Bitty just rolls his eyes.

Bitty punches his arm and waves as he walks out of Anne’s, Jay’s quiet laughter following him outside. There are a few seconds where Bitty walks away, and when he’s out of sight, he jumps and pumps his fists into the air. The cool breeze doesn’t take away from the warmth that’s made its home under his skin.

While Bitty walks to his next class, he finds himself thinking about Jay the entire time. There was something there. A big part of him knows he can’t get his hopes up, that boys like Jay don’t fall for other boys, but Bitty can’t help but feel like this is something more. Something there. Even as Bitty walks away from Anne’s, the feeling persists.

It felt like a date.

Taking out his phone, Bitty pulls up Jay’s new contact, and sends him a text. “I’m still going to win btw”

Bitty knows he’s in deep. Bitty knows he’s getting his hopes up for just another straight boy.

His phone dings with a new notification, and he sees Jay responded with, “Not if I win first.”

Bitty knows he’s not going to come back from this. But he’s pretty sure it’s going to be worth it.

Hopefully.

Chapter Text

“Brah, who the FUCK is blowing your phone up this early?” 

Jack blearily groans into this pillow. There’s shifting in the bed. The sheets are getting tangled, and Jack feels someone trying to crawl over him. An uncomfortably naked someone. An uncomfortably naked someone who’s slapping in his face with his foot -

“Shitty, why are you in my bed?” Jack bats at Shitty’s foot as he continues slapping him like a wet fish (maybe he should listen to less of Dex’s fishing stories-). Shitty’s over the covers and upside down on the bed, meaning he came in after Jack had already been asleep. 

“Well Jackabelle-”

“Naked.”

“-you should be grateful to see me in all my glory-”

“ Again. ”

“-especially in the morning’s rays!” Shitty finishes with a flourish, flaring out his arms into the window’s light. Jack just discreetly pushes the covers so that Shitty’s less…exposed.

“Lardo kicked you out because you got too naked, eh?” Jack deadpans. Shitty responds with another foot slap to the face.

Jack grabs him by the ankle, twisting his body and shoving the covers off in one smooth motion. In seconds, Shitty’s trapped in a blanket burrito of his own hubris. Jack smiles to himself as Shitty tries his best to wiggle out of it, yelling time out as Jack proceeds to ignore him. 

There’s an ease to this routine. Shitty knows Jack’s limits and knows whether he’s actually hurting Jack or if Jack’s just straight up annoyed, and it’s…comforting. To have someone who’s willing to push him, but also knows how not to push. It’s what makes their friendship thrive even when he “had a huge hockey stuck up his butt” as Shitty would put it. 

Jack proceeds to toss a pillow at Shitty’s head, when he turns to grab at his phone. It stopped buzzing, but Jack groggily wipes at his face anyway. Unplugging the cord, he turns the screen on to see Eric’s contact staring back at him. 

Taking a moment to just stare, Jack unlocks his phone, and opens the message app, only to get assaulted with the blue of Eric’s messages taking up the entire left side of the screen. Jack scrolls up to spy the start of Eric’s barrage. 

Eric

>>> Y’all I cannot believe I have to get up this early. 

>>> Who allowed this? WHO

>>> Oh wait. I did.

>>> I had to wake up to drop off a care package to some friends!

>>> …but now I have to get breakfast

>>> Anne’s coffee here I come! 

 

>>> Apparently they have scones? I’m going to try them

>>> Okay, it’s not bad, but they’ll do for now. I could 

>>> Make them a lot better to be honest. 

 

>>> Oh! A goose approached me? I think it wants some of the scone

>>> It ate it!

>>> Another goose appeared

>>> Another one

>>> Jay

>>> Jay they’re starting to quack at me

>>> Jay theyre starTING TO FOLLOW ME

>>> HELP 

>>> HELP

>>> HELP

>>> RED ALERT

>>> THIS IS WORSE WHEN I GOT SICK BEFORE THE NEW BEYONCE ALBUM CAME OUT

>>> HELP 

>>> WHAT DID YOU SAY TO DO WHEN THEY FLY AT YOU

>>> GRAB BY THE NECK?? WHAT 

>>> JFDSKALFJKDALSKJFLAD;

>>> IMBOUDL NA GOOSE BY THE NECK

>>> I HAVE A GOOSE

>>> BY THE NECK

>>> H

>>> E

>>> L 

>>> P

 

>>> I THREW IT

>>> IT HIT A GUY ON A BIKE

>>> I FEEL BAD 

 

>>> A security guard came by!

>>> THE GEESE HAVE TAKEN HIM DOWN

>>>  THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

 

>>>  I think I’m safe! 

>>> I just shut the door on them when I got to my lecture hall!

>>> Also

>>> Avoid the entire west side of Samwell. 

Jack just stares. He texts back. 

I did not think you were that bad with birds. <<<

Also, I would like to try your scones. <<<

If you make any. <<<

No pressure. <<<

Are you alright though? <<<

 Jack groans. There’s a moment where Jack wishes he would just shut himself up because he’s awkward and just-

>>> I’m not bad wirth birds!

>>> I’m just. Not inclined

>>> To them

>>> At all

>>> Okay maybe birds hate me

>>> If you keep that up though, there’ll be no scones for you!

>>> (You know I’d save you some though)

>>> and yes, I’m fine. The only thing hurt is my ego

>>> and that one security guard

>>> He was just. Mauled

>>> I think i’ll have nightmares

Jack takes a minute to just process the whole…everything that is Eric. It just seems like days ago that they started texting, but it’s been a few weeks now, the topics bouncing from pop culture to old architecture. Jack doesn’t think he can just get how easy it all feels. The constant banter is like riding a bike, the words bouncing between them casually in a way that just fits. 

Jack feels that warmth bloom deep in his chest again, a familiarity to it. It’s the same kind that rears its head when Eric pops back up in his life. The kind of warmth that Jack doesn’t know what to do with but just keeps coming back. 

It’s like he’s-

“Who the FUCK are you texting and how the FUCK are they making you smile like that?” Shitty’s voice cuts through Jack’s thoughts like a saw through a hockey stick. 

Jack’s head snaps to the side where Shitty has finally untangled his head from his the blanket cocoon. Jack frowns. He wasn’t smiling. 

(Right?)

Shitty’s staring at him like he’s one of Bitty’s pies (a look Jack loathes to know). It’s a look of sheer and utter glee. 

“Oh- er-What, eh?” Jack says eloquently. Shitty’s face turns into a smile.

“Who are you texting, Jacky Jack?” Shitty asks in his I-know-you're-hiding-something voice and Jack feels the need to avoid this conversation at all costs. 

If Shitty met Eric, that means that Jack would have to explain how they met. And if he had to explain that, that means that Shitty would figure out that Jack feels bright when Eric talks to him. And if Shitty knew that, then Jack would have to explain how he feels-

Shitty can’t figure it out. 

Jack and Shitty just stare at each other. 

Jack realizes he should respond.

“My er- papa.” Jack fumbles.

Shitty’s smile widens. Jack knows he would be able to catch himself if he threw himself out the window, but it would be a long fall and they have practice. Jack still spies the open window. 

“Yeah, totally,” Shitty nods. 

Jack jerkily nods his head. “Yep.” 

There’s a moment where they’re just nodding. Jack thinks he’s in the clear.

“Soooooooooo can I see what you two are talking about?” Shitty asks. 

It’s a simple question. Jack feels a bead of sweat run down his face.

“No.” Jack says. 

“Alright!” Shitty says, clapping his hands. 

They stare at each other for a few moments. The air’s tense. Jack knows what’s about to happen, but it’s like when someone loses a skate blade: there’s nothing he can do to stop it. 

Jack sees the exact moment that Shitty lunges. It’s the same moment Jack goes hard left, narrowly missing Shitty’s outstretched hand. Shitty follows, though, and Jack does his best to keep his phone as far away as the two of them wrestle on the ground, the covers getting wrapped up as Shitty’s shouts increase in volume.

The door slams open. Jack and Shitty’s heads both snap to the left, where the open door reveals Lardo in sleep rumpled clothing holding a box cutter up like a weapon. Lardo stares at them for a moment. Jack takes stock of the way he’s positioned under Shitty, his arms above him to get his phone away. Shitty’s right hand is right next to his head, he left reaching down to tickle at Jack’s side. 

Lardo squints, but sighs, “Shitty woke up in your bed naked again.”

 It’s not a question, but a statement. At this point, Jack’s pretty sure Shitty’s slept in other people’s beds more than his own. Which is really unfortunate because his mom gave him new bedsheets.

Jack’s about to open his mouth and agree, but Shitty’s smile gets blinding as he cuts him off.

“Jack has a new friend !” Shitty’s words leave his mouth before Jack can have even a second to realize what’s happening. When Jack looks back to Lardo, she sees her face still.  

Fuck . That’s never a good sign.

“A new friend?” Lardo says carefully, but Jack knows the light in her eyes are from curiosity. 

“Um.” Jack flounders. He’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. Or, more accurately, his best friend and his team manager. Which is objectively worse.

“He saw the texts and he was smiling , Lards! Full on Zimmermann smile! The Eighth Greatest Wonder of the World- oof- HEY” Jack slams a pillow on Shitty’s face. Shitty keeps trying to talk regardless. 

Lardo looks between Jack’s phone and Jack’s face, surprise on her face. Jack feels off kilter, the immediate switch between Eric to a naked Shitty making him dizzy. 

His phone buzzes, and Jack sees the notification with Eric’s name pop up. The warm feeling is back again. 

“Oh wow, he wasn’t kidding.” Lardo’s voice cuts through the moment. 

Jack’s brows furrow. He’s not smiling? 

Right? 

Unless he is. 

But he isn’t.

Jack takes the moment to shove Shitty off, but when he turns back to Lardo, she already has her contemplating face on. It’s the one that Jack’s been careful to avoid because it’s impossible to escape. Dex and Nursey have fallen victim to it one too many times, and Jack’s no exception. Unless-

“If you don’t ask questions, I’ll pay for your fancy paints,” Jack offers quickly. Lardo quirks an eyebrow. “And bus music privileges.” 

Lardo shoots him a finger gun. “You got yourself a deal, Mr. Zimmermann.” 

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Shitty squawks as he throws a pillow at Lardo, outraged at the betrayal, “You’re as curious as me dude!”

“And I also want some 50 dollar paints, so I’m taking the money.” Lardo dodges the pillow effortlessly. 

There’s a moment where Shitty just glares at Lardo’s smile. Jack just slowly extracts himself from the situation, reaching for his pants. Shitty and Lardo barely notice when Jack just starts changing beside their whole…negotiation. 

“I’ll buy you 20 of those paints if you help be figure out who it is,” Shitty offers, but Lardo backs out of the doorway, hands in the air. 

“I’ll model for you whenever!” Shitty begs. Lardo just shakes her head, her face solemn, but Jack can see the line in her shoulders shake. They do this every time. 

Shitty’s on the floor still, and then just crawls on his knees towards her, hands clasped, “Brah. You know everything! I’ll even get you a whole Bitty pie!” Shitty’s using his puppy dog eyes. Or cow eyes. Jack doesn’t know. Shitty uses a lot of looks. 

Lardo is completely immune. “Sorry Shits, but cap’s orders.” 

There’s a moment where Shitty just falls to the ground like a puppet with it’s strings cut. Jack’s fully dressed. He’s about to open his phone when he notices the look on Lardo’s face. It’s the one she only gets when there’s something she knows that no one else does. 

Uh oh. 

“Besides,” Lardo smiles innocently, “Bitty just dropped off some goodies.” 

The words hang in the air for a moment. The moment the meaning clicks, Shitty snaps up like he was struck by lightning. He looks crazed. Lardo’s already bolting for the stairs as Shitty runs after her, yelling that everyone is heathens for not waking him up. 

Jack just groans, wiping his face with the palm of his hand. Frustration sparks in the back of Jack’s head, as he hears Shitty and Lardo fighting each other as they try to make it down the stairs. He’s pretty sure they’re going to break something if they keep doing that. But Jack’s too busy trying to breathe through his emotions to call them out.

Just when he thinks they’ll have a peaceful day, pies arrive. Just when the new diet plans come in, a batch of cookies is at the doorstep. Just as they come back from practice, something’s always baking away in the oven. Just when they have a non practice day, then there’s a whole breakfast drop off.

And It always comes back to Bitty . 

Bitty, who just so happens to have free time to bake. Bitty, who just so happens to be baking at all times. Bitty, who makes enough to feed an entire hockey team ten times over and just keeps coming back ! Bitty, who he’s never met and yets always seems to be at the Haus .

Bitty, who everyone on the team loves. 

If Jack’s a bit aggressive when he throws his sheets back onto his blanket, only his hockey posters are there to see it. And the bobble head of his uncle that he got as a gag gift since his uncle thought it was funny.  

Jack’s shoving his frustration back into the back of his mind as he walks downstairs, where it feels like the entire Haus is just surrounding the kitchen island, slapping at each other as they try to get a piece of whatever’s there. Jack’s pretty sure that Shitty’s still naked- no yep he still is. 

A moment passes where Jack just sees all of them ravage the kitchen like wolves, crossing his arms. It would be surprising what they were doing if not for the fact that Bitty has been dropping off goods since Jack’s junior year. That is, he’s been doing it for over a year and Jack can feel his patience fraying as the Chaos in the kitchen unfolds. 

“HEY!” Jack says into the crowd of frat bros (and Lardo). They all snap towards him like kids caught reaching into the cookie car. Which. Isn’t far off. 

Jack takes stock of his team. Holster and Ransom have a between them a pile of what looks to used to be…tarts? Ransom has his hand pushing up at Holster’s head, away from the table, as Holster is reaching behind to tickler Ransom. Crumbs are all over their shirts, mouths, and hair. They look like over grown toddlers.

(If Jack’s being honest, they always do.)

Shitty and Lardo are poised over a pie, Shitty with a spoon in either hand. Shitty’s mustache is full of pie filling, tiny crumbs coming off onto the floor. Lardo is holding the biggest spoon in the Haus in her left hand, the right hand pushing the pie away from Shitty.

Nursery, Dex, and Chowder surround the other end of the island, bread and jams laid out between them. Nursery has a knife pointed at Dex. Dex has a fork pointed at Nursey. Chowder is trying to stuff as much food into a container between them. 

All of them froze when Jack called out, and Jack just stares at them in awe. Or, morbid awe. He’s never seen them be as enthusiastic for breakfast before, except after his training days, but that was rather from desperation. Here, Jack can see the way that the food was eaten with enthusiasm and the burning frustration makes itself known again. 

“Heghf Jaqksdjf,” Holster says around a mouthful of something brown and blue, and he starts to chew, but then there’s choking. Everyone stares as Holster chokes around a bite of whatever he stuffed into his mouth, Ransom slapping him on the back. Ransom tries to reach for the last tart-thing and Holster slaps his hand away despite his coughing. 

“HEY JACK!” Holster yells after clearing his throat. 

Jack knows his face normally is a “resting b-word face” according to Shitty, so when he stares down at his team, he can feel the way they squirm at the attention. But Jack just grinds his teeth because they’ve talked about this . 

“What’s this, eh ?” Jack says evenly. 

“Oh he’s in his captain voice mode-” Chowder whispers, but Nursey and Dex shush him, which causes them to start shushing each other. 

“Um…” Ransom just slowly reaches for the tart again, “Breakfast?” Holster slaps his hand away again. 

“What type of breakfast?” Jack asks, and Holster and Ransom just look at each other, before looking at Jack. 

There’s silence in the Haus. Silence that Jack most likely would have been fine with except for the fact that there’s a table full of non-diet food in the Haus, and his team just ate all of it. Even though they were supposed to be getting ready for hockey. Even though it’s his last year here and-

“Breakfast from…” Holster winces with Ransom, and very quietly finishes with, “Bitty?” 

Jack takes a breath in as he closes his eyes. He holds it. He holds it because if he doesn’t, he’ll probably grab a trash bag and start chasing them around. So Jack breathes in and holds it because if he doesn’t, he’s going to-

“Dude,” Nursery whispers, “Is he even breathing?” 

“Of course he is,” Dex says. “...Right?”

 Jack lets his breath go and the tension of the room is palpable. He’s trying to figure out how he’s feeling. It’s bad. Frustration and hints  of betrayal pooling in his gut and making him feel angry when he knows he shouldn’t be. 

“Just-” Jack bites his tongue until he knows what he’s saying, “ Why ?”

Holster flops against the kitchen island, “Come on, man! You’ve been working us hard as hell all year!” 

“We just wanted to have…” Ransom continues with a thoughtful look, “...a cheat day?” 

“You have cheat days.” Jack says, “It’s in our nutrition plans.” 

“We’re having another one.” Holster says.

“You all already had yours.” Jack glares.

“You don't know that!” Ransom says. 

Jack’s eyes narrow, “I memorized your nutrition plans.” 

A moment passes where everyone just processes that. More crumbs are falling from Ransom and Holster onto the floor and Jack feels the need to just clean this up. Including all the food that’s there. 

“Dude.” Holster and Ransom say at the same time, and Jack pinches the bridge of his nose. 

“We have a nutrition plan for a reason,” Jack thinks if he pinches hard enough, this will make sense, “I don’t care what you eat on your cheat days-”

“You do,” everyone in the room says back. Jack pinches harder.

“...I don’t care entirely what you eat, but this is a non-skate day.” Jack emphasizes, “We can’t be lazy if we want to get to the Frozen Four and win .” 

Jack’s sharp tone makes the Frogs look down guiltily, but Holster and Ransom just cross their arms. Jack feels the frustration building and building, and the indignant looks on their faces aren’t helping.

“Bro.” Holster says, and just gestures, to the air above him. “We want to win just as much as you do. But you can’t expect us to just ignore the good food that someone gives us willingly and out of his free time.” 

“Yeah bro.” Ransom nods. “Bitty made me my favorite desserts during finals. It was one of the only things that helped me in Coral Reef Mode. You know this. I know this. We all know this.”

Jack opens his mouth to argue, but Shitty cuts him off. 

“Okay, brah, I know you don’t like us going off diet,” Shitty says with the gentle firmness that he gets when he talks about Jack about serious stuff, “But seriously. You’re never this intense unless it involves Bitty.” 

“You threw out a whole pie!” Holster explodes, arms whipping up in the air. Crumbs pelt Jack’s face. “It wasn’t even for us! It was for Coach!” 

 “To bribe him!” Jack knows that the only reason that Coach Hall is loose about the diets is that Bitty bakes him stuff to give to Coach Murray. The last time Jack pointed that out, Coach Hall was unsubtle in putting the box under his desk and said he had no idea what he was talking about. 

Coach Hall glared at him the entire practice after the pie tossing. Jack’s still suspects he taped his skates at the beginning of practice. 

“Bitty likes making all this stuff!” Ransom says, and Jack is scoffing because the amount he bakes seems impossible. 

“No, he’s right,” Lardo says from the edge of the table. She’s looking at him with a little judgement, “Bitty needs mad stress relief and likes making stuff for other people. I tried to get him to stop once and he snapped a four by four in half. With his bare hands.” 

“It was mad hot,” Ransom says dreamily, and Holster slaps him in the arm, which causes Ransom to slap him back. 

Jack’s still just thinking back on the whole Bitty situation as Holster and Ransom slap each other silly. No one is that kind and nice and just- good. No one is that willing to give up time to bake insane amounts. 

The first Bitty pie was apparently a thank-you-pie for making friends with Ransom and Lardo last year. But then it evolved to two pies, then three pies, then cookies, then scones, then actual orders. At first, Jack thought they made up Bitty in order to justify that they were buying baked goods from some bakery. 

But as the sheer amount of goods kept coming, Jack realized that maybe Bitty is real. Maybe there’s someone who really just makes things like magic. Maybe there’s someone who just has entranced the entire hockey team in less time than it took for him and Shitty to become friends.

Maybe there’s someone who the team liked a lot. Maybe there’s someone that they like more than him. 

Maybe Jack feels like Bitty is intruding on his life like an invisible ghost hanging around him. 

(Just like Kenny-) 

Jack doesn’t think too hard about it. If he does, he’s not sure what he’s feeling. But Jack knows it’s no use in trying to get Bitty out of the picture. If anything, Bitty glued the frames and nailed it to the wall. All the frogs love him because he gives them treats when they should be pushing themselves. 

“Can-” Jack feels helpless under all their eyes. He knows they aren’t trying to be mean, but it rattles his insides how much Bitty is just. There. “Can you get him to slow it down? Or move it somewhere else? We’re supposed to be athletes with actual meals besides just sugar.”

Holster opens his mouth, but Lardo cuts him off with a single hand. There’s a moment where she’s trying to figure out how to say something, and then just sighs. 

“Look, telling Bitty off isn’t going to get anywhere. Heck,” Lardo shrugs, “I told him about how you didn’t like the goods he makes for us and he just shrugged and said for you to mind your own business.”  

Nursey snorts and Dex swiftly slaps him up the head. Jack feels like he’s losing ground, but he can’t give up. 

“Then let me just talk to him, eh?” Jack offers. He thinks it’s reasonable. Talk to this guy, tell his southern ass to stop harassing the team with sugary baked goods, and then no more breakfast pies.

The entire kitchen stops. There is not a single movement from anyone, all eyes laser focused on Jack. A moment later, everyone is staring at each other, gazes bouncing back and forth, silent communication apparent. Jack tries to follow it, but Holster and Shitty start miming musicals and Lardo and Ransom are laser focused, doing swift hand motions that would be useful on the ice. 

But they’re in the kitchen of the Haus and Jack doesn’t know why this is so difficult. 

“What’s the problem?” Jack would feel unnerved by the way that half the kitchen winces, but Shitty tilts his head back and forth before he answers. 

Shitty takes a breath in, “Jack. You know I love you right?” 

Jack nods. 

“And I would never say anything bad against you for whatever reason?” 

Jack’s eyebrows furrow. He nods.

“So you know that if anything were to happen, I would one-hundred-percent be on your side-” 

“Shits,” Jack huffs, “the point?” 

Shitty shuts his mouth with a click and then just says, “You’re a tinsie bit, little, a tad, maybe a bunch actually-” 

“Shitty-” Jack starts.

“...intense.” Shitty finishes with a tiny wince. 

There’s a moment where everyone looks at Jack with bated breath. 

“I’m not that intense.” Jack says, and the whole kitchen looks the other way. “I’m not!” 

Holster raises an eyebrow, “You literally scared off reporters by staring at them too long.” 

“And you also made Heather cry after you told her to stop loitering.” Ransom adds in. 

“You basically tried to rip our heads off because we were eating free food.” Lardo points out.

 Shitty just gestures meaningfully. Jack doesn’t know what to say to that, so he skips over it. He knows he can be a little intense, but he’s not going to scare him away. 

…unless that’s what it takes. Then, maybe. Maybe a little scaring away.  

The looks on his team’s faces tell him that that’s not going to an option though. Jack taps his foot on the ground, trying to think of a way to put a plug on the Bitty situation. He can’t ban the goodies because the team literally overruled him. He can’t steal them first because Bitty is apparently a southern baking ninja. He can’t even look for him because all he knows is his nickname .

How ridiculous is that?

“Also, Bitty just straight up hates your guts.” Holster says at the end, and both Ransom and Lardo slap him in the arm. 

Jack frowns. “How can he hate me, eh? He’s never even met me.” 

Lardo and Ransom share a look, and Jack feels like he’s not going to like his answer. Ransom sucks a breath between his teeth and Lardo just looks a little pained. 

“Dude really doesn’t like jocks, Jack.” Lardo tells him with a slightly closed off face. Jack raises an eyebrow. “It’s not my place to tell, but you being the captain of the team…”

“And like…the articles?” Ransom winces at the mention, and Jack feels like it’s a bit of ice in his veins. His past always comes up at the worst times, but he didn’t think it would come up about Bitty . 

“We told him how different you are from those shitty opinion pieces though,” Lardo says before Jack can spiral, “but he’s had bad experiences and likes to keep his friend circle a bit…small?” 

Holster laughs, “Bro, he literally jumped out the window when we came in on you guys baking! I don’t even know what he looks like!” 

“Dudes,” Shitty says solemnly, “If anything he avoids me! I haven’t even seen the man in action! I don’t even know what I did!” 

“He’s a polite kid from the south.” Lardo answers, “The most scandalous thing he’s seen is probably an elbow. You’re always naked, Shitty. Bits wouldn’t even let met say your name before he was blushing up a storm.”  

Shitty looks down at his naked self. “Touché.” 

“But he doesn’t really hate you, Jack, but…” Ransom starts trying to gesture his meaning. Jack just squints.

“But, he probably never wants to be within 6 feet of you.” Lardo finishes with a shrug. “That’s what Johnson said, at least.”  

Jack just squints, “What am I, the plague?” 

“More like a pandemic?” Ransom offers. From Jack’s look, Ransom just zips his lips and looks away. 

Jack feels the frustration just wash over him in waves. He doesn’t know what he can really do here. He either keep fighting his own team about this apparent baking angel or give up and let him destroy their whole diet. 

Being a captain is about compromises. Being a captain is about doing what’s best for his team. Being a captain is taking into account what they need.

Being a captain means Jack has a headache every other day. 

“You can’t stop us!” Holster yells out in triumph, “Bitty’s too important to our schedules! He’s part of half the team’s superstitions!” 

Ransom crosses his arms with a smug look, “The spreadsheets don’t lie.” 

Jack looks between his teammates for support. None of them are willing to meet him in the eye. There’s a moment where Jack just thinks about how he got there. How things ended up where a baker apparently has his entire team in a chokehold. A chokehold that apparently means that Jack has to deal with it.

…For now.

“HEY!” Shitty points at Jack’s face, “STOP IT WITH YOUR PLANNING FACE!” 

“I don’t have a planning face-” Jack gets cut off with another Shitty scream. 

“As your best friend,” Shitty dramatically gets closer, crumbs still flying, “I know your face, and THAT is your planning face.” 

“It’s no-” 

“NO LYING!” Shitty interrupts, and Jack can see the rest of the team looking at him. 

There’s nothing he can do here. He’s been betrayed by his own team. It’s worse than when Alicia mass texted the group chat with his baby pictures on his birthday . 

Jack folds. Regrettably. 

“Fine!” Jack throws his hands in the air, “But if I see another thing from Bitty, I’m throwing it out! Immediately !”

Shitty whoops, spilling crumbs all over Jack’s face. Jack wipes his face of crumbs and when he looks up again, Holster and Ransom are stuffing the rest of the baked goods into sealed containers. Lardo somehow disappeared the pie. Chowder has the sealed container in his bag as Nursey and Dex just struggle against each other, reaching for the bread. 

Jack swears. If the team was this coordinated on ice- Well. He’d probably wouldn’t be worried about Bitty. 

Probably. 

As the rest of the goods are squared away, Jack glares at the messy counter top left over. He can see the amount of sugar left over and clenches his hands. 

Sugar. It’s so much sugar. 

“Dude, you literally look like you’re going to murder the counter,” Shitty says, finally wiping his mouth. 

“You know what Jack needs to do?” Holster asks.

“To chill out?” Ransom throws in. 

“To stop being a sourpuss?” Holster’s eyes start to sparkle. Jack thinks about how he could move back home.

“To stop being an ass about Bitty?” Ransom’s eyes sparkle in return. Jack thinks he could hide out for at least the rest of his life. 

“Bro.” 

“ Bro .” 

“ Bro . ” Holster and Ransom are eerily in unison. Jack thinks that he should probably try to stop this. It won’t work, but he could try. 

“THIS MAN NEEDS TO GET-” Ransom and Holster start. Lardo covers her ears. Shitty is giving him the eyebrows. The Frogs groan. Jack thinks he could fake his death and become a historical actor if he never had to deal with this again. 

“- LAID !!!” The word feels like it echoes through each creaking board of the Haus. Jack’s pretty sure that’s why Holster was scouted by the acapella group each year. 

“Ransypoo has a spreadsheet of every possible girl you could need, bro.” Holster says like he’s trying to sell a product. 

“I know you don’t really have a type, buuuuuut,” Ransom pulls out his laptop out of thin air, “I’ve been compiling girls that I think would match you well.” 

“And so have I!” Holster pulls out a piece of notebook paper from his back pocket. 

“Do you just have that in your pants? At all times?” Lardo asks. 

Holster scoffs. “Of course I do. Cap needs to get LAID!” 

“LAID!” Ransom calls out in response. 

They high five. Jack thinks that this should be insubordination. Or whatever that word means.  

Between the mutterings of Ransom and the shouting of Holster, Shitty catches his eye. Shitty’s expression asks, ‘ Is this okay ?’ and Jack’s chest warms over. Jack knows that Shitty’s always going to be there for him and smiles a bit. Jack shrugs, which Shitty processes for a bit before turning back towards the two bros. 

Shitty hooks one arm over each of their shoulders, “Bros. You’re intentions are great, but bro’s gonna pull on his own terms. Y’all know this brah.” 

Holster looks at Shitty, then looks at Jack. He squints. “Dude, we’re trying to give him quality . Someone real.” 

Shitty blinks in surprise. “Like a date?” 

“Yeah, dude!” Holster says, pulling Ransom closer with his laptop, “this isn’t a hook-up list, oh no no…it’s a potential date list. ” The flourish in his voice almost feels aggravating. 

Holster leans closer to Shitty’s ear, but his voice is loud enough to hear his stage whisper, “And also it will take his mind off Bitty.” 

Jack’s about to protest until Lardo walks up to see the spreadsheet Ransom has. 

“Bros,” Ransom turns the computer around to show Lardo, “I got their favorite date locations, foods, and feelings about dating athletes all in here.” 

Lardo looks impressed, “How did you even have time for this?”

Ransom tilts his head, “Well, I was trying to look for Bitty’s-” his eyes cut to Jack, who’s trying to subtly listen in, “-you-know-who, but then that was going nowhere, so I changed targets.” 

Lardo nods. Shitty opens his mouth, and just looks at Jack with feeling. Jack-

Jack doesn’t know how to feel. He’s thought about dating before in abstract terms. He sort of dated Camilla when they were together, but it was more subtle-friends-with-benefits-and-mutually-beneficial type deal rather than actual dating. Jack’s not really sure what he’d do if he was actually dating someone.

He’d probably talk to them a lot. Probably on the phone a lot since he’s busy with hockey. Text messages that span the day, back and forth that feels nice- easy. There would be the occasional coffee date, probably, and maybe he’d talk about his photos. Maybe he’d talk about his friends. Maybe his chest would feel warm and-

A soft ping interrupts Jack’s thoughts, and Jack pulls his phone from his pocket. Eric’s contact blinks up at him and that feeling floods in and-

“Holy-” Holster suddenly starts,

“Fucking-” Ransom pipes up.

“Shitballs.” They both finish in unison, surprise evident in their voices. 

Jack blinks up, and find the entire kitchen just staring at him like he’s an alien. Holster and Ransom’s mouths are open in shock. Shitty looks weirdly giddy again. Lardo is squinting at him like she can peer into his soul. The Frogs look equal parts in awe and equal parts weirded out. Er. More than usual at least. 

“Holy shit. I didn’t think he could do that.” Nursey tries to whisper to Dex and Chowder, who both just nod. 

“Eh-um- What?” Jack asks hesitantly. 

The silence in the kitchen is oppressive. No one dares to speak, and Jack doesn’t know what triggered it, but tries to subtly tuck his phone away anyway. 

Holster slams the counter, ending the silence, “Who the FUCK was that, Jack?” 

Ransom’s muttering increases tenfold as he rapidly scans his computer screen, “There’s no one here who would make the first move this fast- maybe it was Veronica? Patricia? Maxie ?” The tone of Ransom’s voice sounds a little unhinged as each name is listed. 

“It was-” Jack feels defensive all of a sudden, “-just a friend?” 

Every occupant of the Haus turns to stare at him like he just old the most obvious lie straight to their faces. Jack feels the inexplicable need to hide himself, hide Eric for some reason. It’s- different. New. And he really doesn’t want to mess it up. 

“That’s not what you told me, brah!” Shitty says in is fake indignant voice. (Jack knows because he had to ask if he was really mad the first time). 

Lardo shoots Jack a look. “Dude.” Her eyes are burning with curiosity and Jack doesn’t know why . 

Ransom and Holster look equal parts devastated and exhilarated, like sharks finding fresh blood. Jack feels the need to backtrack. Maybe, if he explains the whole game situation thing with Eric, they’ll help him find out who he is. Ransom has a spreadsheet for everything. What are the downsides-

“Bro. You’re getting pussy without giving us DEETS?” Holster practically shouts. 

“DEETS.” Ransom echoes, and they both give him a look . 

Ah. That’s the downside. 

“There are no deets,” Jack feels embarrassed for some reason. “And it’s not like that, I don’t know why you guys are being weird-” 

“Bro, do you seriously not know?” Holster sounds delighted, which is always a bad thing. 

Shitty smiles, turning to him. “He absolutely does not.” 

Ransom and Holster share another inconceivable look. “ Bro .” They say in unison. 

“Know what?” Jack’s getting annoyed at the amount of ‘bro’ he’s been on the receiving end of. 

“You really don’t know dude?” Holster says giddily. 

“Seriously? One hundo percent?” Ransom pipes in.

“More serious than the Frozen Four?” 

“More serious than your mom -” 

Jack gives them all another glare. Lardo just sighs. 

“You started grinning like a goof, dude.” Lardo says semi-playfully, but the look on her face shows that she’s being serious. 

“I did not.” Jack says convincingly. There’s a buzz from Jack’s phone again and the entire kitchen just looks at him. He’s ignoring it. Completely ignoring it. Just standing there in front of his team. No phone in sight.  

“Dude, I can tell how hard he’s trying to ignore his phone from over here,” Nursey stage whispers to Dex. 

The look the others give him make him glance around the room. “...What?” Jack knows he sounds unsure, and based on the look on his friends’ faces, they know it too.

“...right.” Lardo says back. 

“Totally.” Shitty nods. 

“Sounds right.” Ransom mutters as he rapidly scrolls through his spreadsheet.

“Yeah.” Holster shrugs. 

“Am I the only one who’s confused?” Chowder asks. 

“Soooooo Jack,” Holster’s innocent face is…unnerving, “when will we meet this…friend of yours?” 

Jack stares at him. Jack remembers how everyone in the Haus is about deets, and just being a little too into each other’s lives. But showing Eric off? To his friends, who might scare him off because they’re all a lot? Jack’s chest squeezes at the thought. 

A memory at the back of his mind reminds him of the bet and Jack thinks that that’s important too. Yeah. Main reason.

“Eventually.” Jack lies. 

“Dude, you’re not afraid we’re gonna scare her- I mean, your friend off, right?” Shitty says unsubtly. There’s a bit of hurt in his voice and Jack winces a bit. Shitty gives him his best puppy dog face. 

Lardo makes a noise, tilting her hand. “I mean, the team is a pretty…uh…aquired taste.” 

“Last time you flashed Farmer.” Chowder points out. 

Shitty winces, and goes to open his mouth. 

“She still won’t eat anywhere in the Haus, Shitty.” Chowder finishes with a bit of tiredness. 

Shitty closes his mouth. Ransom and Holster still are just muttering to each other, pointing out names on the spreadsheet. Jack knows that they won’t let it go, so might as well just nip it at the bud.

“We aren’t- we aren’t dating.” Jack says. He doesn’t know why it was so hard to say out loud. “Things are…complicated.” 

Out of everything, it’s most likely the fact that Jack doesn’t even know who Eric is. Besides the fact his name is Eric. And that he’s really short, and he’s blond, and cute, and maybe laughs a little bit like sunshine. 

Okay. He’s not unpacking that. 

“Oh.” Holster says. He looks a bit awkward, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Oh, you mean like- complicated complicated, right?” Ransom finally looks up from his spreadsheets, the tone of his voice weird. 

“...yes.” Jack agrees. Because things are complicated with Eric. They’re still playing their bet/game thing, and it’d be a dead giveaway if he showed up with half the hockey team. 

“Shit-” Shitty winces, “I didn’t mean to…y’know, pry?” 

Jack raises and eyebrow and shrugs, “I mean, eh, I would have told you eventually, it’s just…complicated.” At Shitty’s downtrodden look, Jack adds in, “I’m fine if you bring it up though.”

Shitty nods solemnly, “Right. Don’t feel pressured to tell us anything but-” 

“Feel free to tell us anything.” Holster interrupts, suddenly energetic again, “Or EVERYTHING.”

Ransom is back to mumbling into his spreadsheets, and Lardo gives him an analyzing look. Lardo gives him a single nod and a thumbs up, which Jack thinks is just another agreement. Probably. Hopefully. 

Another text message buzzes in Jack’s pocket, and Jack has to stop himself for immediately pulling out his phone. Holster and Shitty both give him the eyebrows while Lardo wolf whistles. Jack feels his face heat, then throws the finger over his shoulder as he leaves the room. 

Shuffling over to the bathroom, Jack finally pulls out his phone, to see more texts from Eric. 

>>> I found a recipe I wanted to try, but it makes a whole dozen. Did you want some?

>>> Oh lord, youre probably eating breakfast, i’ll leave you be 

 

>>> Would you like to go meet up this week? 

>>> My friend found a fun restaurant away a little away from Samwell

>>> But it looks gorgeous and I think they have really good french food?

>>> Or. Apparently

>>> Yelp reviews are a bit iffy 

Jack can already hear Eric’s indignant feeling towards the way people review food online. The easy feeling’s there again, and Jack’s typing back before he can realize it. 

Sounds fun. <<<

Jack doesn’t know why, but the first thing that Jack thinks is that this sounds like a date. But it’s not. It’s not. Really. Totally. Yeah. 

When Jack puts down his phone, he looks up at his reflection and-

Oh.

Huh. 

Jack stares back at his reflection and sees that he’s smiling. He’s smiling in a way that he remember really smiling like, but recognizes it. It’s a smile that’s happy, elated, a bit nervous. There’s a bit of everything warm there, and Jack realizes that Lardo wasn’t lying. But-

Jack’s phone pings again. 

>>> Great!

>>> 😊😊😊

>>> Can’t wait!

Jack can feel his face stretch into that smile again. He can’t help it. Eric apparently pulls it out of him every time. 

After a few minutes of just seeing himself smile and processing it, Jack knows that the warm feeling isn’t fading. It’s easy for Jack to fall into Eric’s orbit. It’s easy as breathing. Jack can sort of understand why they thought he was in love with Eric. There’s so much to love.

But then his thoughts snap back to the team, the then the goodies, then Bitty. The thought of the mystery man made Jack grit his teeth, but then he let out a breath. If the team wanted to eat so much junk food now, might as well make them work for it. 

Jack’s already dialing Coach Hall to see if they can extend their hockey practice times longer. Last time, Coach Hall was called out by Coach Murray of the ice skating team, but Jack’s 85% sure half their arguing is foreplay. Which was not a thought he wanted to have. 

If the ice skating team rose hell, Jack would deal with it. He knew they were just as willing to win as he was, but Jack needed his team to win. He just-

A quiet ping. 

>>> Wait I forgot to ask you when you’re free fhdsuifbdsafoasifj

Jack smiles (he could get used to this). 

Maybe when the geese aren’t there? <<<

>>> Oh, ha ha Mr. Jay 

>>> See how you like it when you get chased by geese half across campus

>>> I better send a gift basket to the security officer…

Jack laughs at Eric’s dramatics. It feels…good. It always does when he’s with Eric, even across text messages. 

Jack doesn’t think it can get better than this.