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"Bob, where are you dragging me out to?" You mumbled as he kept a firm grip on your hoodie sleeve.
"I told you, it's a surprise."
"Well, do you have to hold me like I'm about to run away?" You lifted up your arm, and his grip tightened on your sleeve.
"Yes, because you might run away. Remember when I tried to get you to a party last week? You bolted as soon as I told you. But I paid money for this, so we're going." He attempted to look serious, but he looked more like an upset puppy.
"Alright, alright. But only because you're my best friend."
He smiled and continued to walk until you both got outside a giant building. It looked a lot like an ice hockey building. Wait a minute...you turned to Bob and his smile only grew bigger. He rummaged in his bag and pulled out two hockey jerseys.
"Put this on over your hoodie." He held one out to you and you gently grabbed it.
You looked at the last name on the back. Walker. You shot Bob a look. "Bob...."
Bob shrugged. "I saw you ogling him on campus."
Your cheeks heat slightly. "Was I that obvious?"
"What? No..." You could tell he was lying. "Anyway, come on, I got us good seats. Right up front." He nudges you playfully and drags you into the building.
It was cold as you entered, but not unpleasantly so. You followed Bob like a duckling as he handled tickets and got to your seats. The players were warming up, and your eyes scanned for your tiny crush, John Walker. He was just getting out onto the ice. He glanced your way for a second, and Bob grabbed your arm and waved it in John's direction. You quickly forced your arm down and elbowed Bob, before looking back at John. He smiled in your direction and winked before skating some drills.
Bob looked more excited than you did when he did that. "Did you see that? He's totally into you! I'm definitely giving a speech about this at your wedding."
You shot Bob a glare, but there was no real heat behind it. "He does that to all his fans."
He sank in his chair a bit. "Could you please have a bit of imagination?"
"Okay, fine. He's totally into me." You retorted sarcastically.
That seemed to please him and you both watched the players warm up. Bucky Barnes skated the ice like they were lost lovers. Soft, smooth, but calculated. John, on the other hand, skated like it was his last day on earth. Harsh movements. Split-second turns and hard blades against the ice. Both looked very intense, but they seemed to complement each other in the rink. The whole team did. They skated together like they were a family of chaotic brothers. Unstable at times, but surprisingly got the job done.
When the game started, you and Bob scooted to the edge of your seats. It looked like a tough match. You watched the game intently, and you jumped in your seat as John smashed one of the opposing players against the boards. The opposing player's stick toppled to the ground and so did his gloves. The crowd screamed, "YARD SALE!" and your eyes scanned the huge group of fans. You realized a lot of them held signs that read, Yard Sale Walker. You noticed throughout the game that John had a tendency to smash opposing players against the boards so hard that their equipment would fall off. And maybe watching him do it sent pleasant shivers down your spine, but you weren't going to say anything.
John looked like a man possessed as he played. Deep breaths, hard tackles and shots that had the puck whizzing past the goalie's head and into the net, lighting the red lamp. His team ended up winning, and the crowd screamed. John took off his helmet and shook his head. His damp blonde hair unstuck from against his forehead and when he looked up, his blue eyes looked directly into yours. He stared at you for a moment, his tongue wetting his dry lips. Your body seemed to erupt in heat. He twirled his hockey stick and looked at you one last time before heading to the locker room.
Bob's voice kicked you out of your trance. "Come on! I know the team's manager, Yelena. She said we can meet the team!" Bob was practically pulling you out of your seat and you just nodded and followed him.
After weaving through a crowd of people, you were soon introduced to Yelena. She chatted with you and Bob a bit before the players came out. John was a lot bigger up close. You expected him to ignore you, but he walked right up to you.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" His voice came out in a rough rumble.
"Um, hi. You did great out there." You wanted to smack yourself. You sounded like an idiot.
He just chuckled. "Well, I had a pretty lady cheering me on." His blue eyes scanned over your body briefly before settling on your face. "We have english together, right?"
Your eyebrows shot up. You didn't think he actually noticed you. "Yeah, we do. Professor Beck."
He hummed, the sound rumbling softly from his chest. "I thought so. You gave a nice presentation last week. Flowers For Algernon, right?"
"Yup, that's the one." Your voice came out a bit quiet, still in disbelief he knew who you were.
He smiled, and you swore your knees went weak for a second. "Well, the team's going out for some victory pizza...You wanna join? I could give you a ride."
"I would love to but..." Your eyes drifted over to Bob and he was already giving you a double thumbs up. You looked back up at John. "I mean, that sounds great. I'd love to."
John ran his fingers through his hair. "Perfect. Let's get out of here."
You followed John as he walked out. You would have to remember to give Bob a huge batch of whatever cookies he wanted. You owed him.