Work Text:
Garrett and I are standing, stunned in the main room after Dean slammed the door in our faces. Still processing what happened, Garrett addresses the first matter at hand, Sean’s departure.
“Please let me kick his ass.”
“No because then your ass gets kicked off the team.”
He sighs, he knows I’m right but I can see it in his eyes that he really wants to, and that gives me a little pang of gratitude. He cares about one of the most important people in my life, and that makes me happy.
“He can’t just say things like that Hannah and not pay for it,” his eyes are still blazing. “He called your best friend a disease ridden whore.”
“Garrett, I’m a hundred percent sure you gave him enough of a verbal beat down to compensate.”
“Damn right I let him have it while I was waiting for that cab to take his drunk ass home,” the set of his jaw tells me he’s still fuming. “I just want to make sure my words set in.”
I smile faintly at him. I know he was stewing downstairs and was in as much distress as I was when I was trying to figure out how to keep Allie from completely losing her mind. His protectiveness sometimes gets on my nerves when it gets out of check but that’s rare. Right now I haven’t been more grateful for him stepping up and dealing with Sean. I can’t really imagine what we would have done if he hadn’t been staying over. I probably would have ended up calling him.
“I think what we should focus on now is why the hell Dean DeLaurentis is currently comforting my best friend,” I’m still reeling from him hanging up on me. “When he showed up here, I’ve never seen him so… protective.”
Garrett starts leading me towards my room, probably thinking we should get away from Allie’s door to have this discussion. They’re probably too wrapped up in each other to bother to listen to our hushed conversation through the wall. Nonetheless, I’m exhausted and the adrenalin from Sean’s abrupt arrival and then departure is wearing off. I can see the tension leaving Garrett’s back as well, definitely trusting that Dean being here isn’t any threat to Allie based on his reaction when he stormed in.
“What I really want to know is how the hell we missed this? They hid this pretty damn well considering what we just witnessed. I haven’t seen Dean that mad off the ice since some idiot decked at Tuck at a house party sophomore year.”
We’ve reached my room and Garrett starts for the bed, but I don’t climb in immediately after him. I plant my hands on my hips and give him the meanest look I can muster. Dean better know he’ll be six feet under if he does any more damage to Allie.
“I swear to god Garrett, if he breaks her more than she already is, you’re going to be down a defenseman.”
He lets out tired laugh and pats the space on the mattress next to him. I huff and crawl into bed again as he pulls the covers up around us. I get comfy, snuggling back into his embrace, letting his even breathing soothe the rest of the tension I’d been holding onto since Sean came knocking.
“Well Wellsy, we’re not looking too hot for the playoffs so I might just let you.”
He leans down and presses his nose into my hair, breathing me in like I’m what he needs settle down. I relish the feeling of his easy breathing drifting through my hair. Why had I ever thought that Garrett Graham and I should just be platonic friends? That kiss that set my bones on fire should have been enough of a clue, but I was the queen of denial. The fact that I made out with Dean to fuel that denial and now he’s most likely been making out and much more with Allie blows my mind. Is this why Allie has been taking things so well? I thought she had just emotionally adjusted to being single. Granted, I haven’t been around that much. I definitely take advange of any Garrett time that I can get. I really don’t think the so called “honeymoon phase” with Garrett and I is ever going to end, and this summer had proved that. I hum contentedly when I think about all those lazy summer afternoons and long nights spent tanned and content.
“What are you thinking about Wellsy?” Garrett pulls me back to where the weather is colder and life is a hell of a lot more confusing.
“Just the summer and how everything made sense then,” I sit adjust my position in his arms so I can look at him. “What happened to the Dean who went on runs with us and couldn’t be bothered to put a shirt on for fear that the female population forget about his washboard abs?”
Garrett looks down at me, his eyes reflecting the confusion that must be coloring mine. He doesn’t say anything. Neither of us can wrap our heads around this new manifestation of Dean DeLaurentis. The man who once had a freaking threesome in the middle of a house party is now holding Allie like he’s afraid she’ll fall apart if he lets go. Life is so fucking weird.
“I just want to understand why him of all people,” I keep coming back to that, cognitive dissonance is driving me crazy. “He’s the furthest thing from Allie’s type.”
“We all know she’s not his type either. You know as well as I do that the word ‘relationship’ makes Dean run for the hills. The most he can commit to is what type of beer he’s going to be shotgunning on any given night,” his eyes dancing with a flicker of humor. “Besides, Allie is a nester.”
At that I sit up completely. What the hell does that mean? If he’s making a Notebook reference, a ‘if you’re a bird, I’m a bird’ thing he’s failing miserably. He whines a little at the loss of my warmth but the playful glint in his eyes stays when I spit out:
“I’m sorry, a nester?!” He laughs and looks at me like I’m an idiot, like that term is in the common vernacular.
“Yeah, you know, girls that don’t hookup, like ever. The relationship only type.”
“That’s the stupidest thing you’ve said in a while.” He puts his hands up in defense as I roll my eyes.
“I’m just stating the facts Wellsy, Allie builds a nest anytime she wants to bang a guy and expects him to live in it with her.”
Of all the dumb things he has ever said, this takes the cake. He’s pretty progressive in terms of his views on female empowerment and agency, but this is way off the mark. He can’t seriously believe that girls who like relationships can’t hook up with a guy and not want to build a life with them. And all of a sudden I realize something.
“Am I a ‘nester’ Garrett? Answer wisely.”
He looks a little worried about the fire I know he sees burning in my gaze. In my head I’m fanning the flames, ready to swallow him up if he continues on with this idiotic line of thinking. Yes, I like monogamy and commitment. Yes, I haven’t been one to hook up in the past. I don’t count messing around with Garrett as hooking up, we knew each other way too well at that point and were too emotionally invested for me to classify it as just messing around. He better have a damn good answer. He seems to be weighing his words before opening his mouth, smart boy.
“I never said it was a bad thing Wellsy, just telling it like it is,” he pulls me back to him, pressing a kiss to my hair before continuing. “I’m very happy you’re a nester, I don’t like to share.”
He says that last part with a predatory growl that makes me pull back again to look at him. He’s such a jackass.
“I’m this close to putting you on the floor.”
Garrett redoubles his efforts, kissing his way along my jaw and down my neck. He’s good, because damned if I don’t swoon a little.
“Aw come on,” he whispers against my skin, his words ghosting their way down my neck. “I just told you that you’re the only girl for me. Could you really make me sleep on the floor?”
I continue to glare at him, not that he can see it from his current position nuzzling my collar bone, trying to hold my ground. He’s so good at distracting me that I almost miss the last part.
“It’s cold down there!” he pulls out the ‘aw shucks little boy’ grin, not an ounce of shame in his sculpted body. “Besides, I need your love to keep me warm.”
He winks and I smack him. Of all the corny shit he could have said. And the sad part is my heart melts a little. This is how I know I’m screwed and I’m never going to be able to get rid of him, not that I want to, but still. I’ve turned into a rom-com heroine and I can’t bring myself to be mad. But I can’t let him know that because he’ll lord it over me until the end of time.
“You’re not helping your case asshole.”
“You love my cheesey lines and you know it. I can read you like a book Wellsy,” he tugs me back to lay down. Returning us to our previous arrangement, him on his back and me curled into his side like the leech I am, stealing his body heat.
“If I’m being honest though, I just revoked my own man card. That was the most gushy thing I have ever said and I sort of want to take it back.”
“Too late now, you gave Logan a run for his money and you know I love you ya goof, no matter how corny your lines are.”
“That’s what I was banking on.”
I sit up and kiss him, sweet and slow. We’re both exhausted so it stays that way. I feel a rush of peace wash over me. I don’t have a clue how Allie tamed Dean, but I hope he gives her the kind of serenity Garrett gives me. Garrett pulls me to his chest again and stokes my hair until I drift off.