14. mr. congeniality

The Knights coach could be heard from the lobby. He was not happy. Half his players were black and blue. They were, however, all on time.

Kitt felt bad that this could be the teams last game and it was starting out like this.

Axel was visibly pissed off that he had not been there to join the fight. He almost seemed offended that they would fight with out him.

They took the ice and Kitt could see the dark shadow covering Leo's eye from across the ice.

"So I leave you with the team for a few hours and they come back looking like they went through the wringer!" Trevor said sitting behind Kitt and Alex.

"Yeah, we met up with the loosers from the first game." Alex said.

"They weren't pleased to see us." Kitt added.

The game itself was painful.

Axel was determined to fight which meant he spent more time on the bench, either in the penalty box or beside the coach than on the ice.

Tim the second string forward seemed lost half the time not taking chances on the goal or making bad passes.

The girls sat and watched in stunned silence. No one was cheering this time.

The Knights had lost all their energy by the middle of the third period. They were loosing by three and had yet to score.

The final ten minutes of play was just a serious of sloppy passes and half hearted shots on goal.

The buzzer sounded to silence.

The Knights filed off the ice.

K- you ok?

L- it's going to be a long ride back to campus.

K- want to come with us?

L- better not, Coach is furious and said if we want to play for him again we will have to prove it.

K- want us to wait until you come out?

L- better not.

K- ok see you back home.

***

Kit sat on her bed studying for a test in her biology class.

She hadn't heard from Leo again since he was in the dressing room after the game. The ride back to campus was less exuberant. They had kind of expected the boys to win.

The excitement of blood borne pathogens wasn't enough to hold her attention alone, she opened Spotify and selected her study mix. She hummed along as she made notes.

The course load was heavy, but even more so when she was taking a double major. Adding her hockey on top amounted for some very strategic planning on her part.

With the season officially over, she was primed to enter finals with her head on straight and no distractions.

L-hey, wha4rt are you your  doing ç?

K- what? Are you drunk? Lol

L- maybe,ca Dmitry. Axel is veins awhile, can Iv see you?

K-where are you? You need a nap.

L- it's coldness, in outstanding. I can't try to te Axem anymore tonifht.

K- um I'm not sure what you have going on, but for your own safety, you might want to come here.

L- o don't really have any house Gorham yu

K- come to the back of Maid Marion's. I will come get you.

L- we list the tournamfgent

K- I know, see you in a minute, message when you get here.

Kitt pulled a hoodie over her tank top and shorts combo set. She had no idea where Leo was when he had messaged so it could be a while before he arrived, or he could be outside already. She hoped he was coherent enough to follow directions.

A few minutes later he texted her a string of nonsense, which she assumed meant he was outback.

She went to let him in, sliding her feet into her fuzzy slippers.

"Kitten baby!" He yelled when he spotted her at the top of the stairs.

She buzzed her key fob opening the door which let him in. She looked around knowing they were completely alone. Her floor mates rarely used the balcony in good weather, they wouldn't choose a random Saturday night in late March to change their habits.

"Come on before I freeze my feet off!" She ushered him up the stairs and guided him to her room.

"Kitt?" He asked loudly.

"If you are going to be snuck into my room after midnight, you are going to HAVE to whisper!" She shushed him.

"Sorry." He said as he struggled to remove his coat, he went in little circles trying to free his arms.

"Stop moving." He did as she instructed. She helped him out of his coat to find he wasn't wearing a shirt. He sat heavily on the floor and tugged his shoes off.

She closed and locked her door and closed her sheer curtains to be on the safe side. She picked up his shoes and  oat and put them out of the way.

He crawled into her bed like a cat finding a spot amongst her books to stretch out and get comfortable.

"Make yourself comfortable." She rolled her eyes when she turned around to find him taking up more than half her bed.

"Kitt?" He mumbled.

"Yes?" She said clearing her books away. Apparently study time was over.

"Axel was being a jerk!" He said sleepily.

"He is not great." Kitt admitted sitting against her pillows beside him.

Leo moved to use her midsection as a pillow. He wrapped his big, long, strong arms around her like she was his comfort item. She stroked his hair and quickly breathing slowed.

"Your my favorite." He mumbled.

"You're drunk." She laughed.

"And your my best friend in the whole world." He said.

"I doubt that very much." She laughed again.

"No I'm seriousness. Being around you makes me happy." His words were slow and his eyes were closed.

"Ok. I'm glad you are my friend too." She said quietly.

He started to snore.

Kitt smiled down at him and reached for her laptop. She could study with him sleeping beside her easily enough.

When she finished her paper she yawning and ready to sleep. Leo had rolled over at some point, leaving little room for her to get comfortable. She poked him gently on the thin strip of skin showing where his shirt had ridden up. He grumbled but didn't move. She tickled the hollow over his hip making him grumble again. She couldn't help but laugh. She kept bugging him until he moved. She slid down in her bed, hoping he would roll over to make room.

He rolled over and decided that she was his new body pillow. He pulled her against his body and put his knee over her hip. She was now cucooned in his limbs.

The next morning Kitt woke up with the light filling her room. She was snuggled between the cool wall and the warm body beside her.

Through the night she had somehow switched spots with Leo who was dominating her bed. His large frame taking up three quarters of the double mattress leaving her less than a third for her own lanky frame.

She was using his chest as a pillow and his arm around her kept her from rolling away. Not that there was anywhere for her to go.

"Leo?" She said softly, not wanting to startle him.

"Hmmmrm". He grumbled. He rolled towards her pulling her against him, cucooning her again.

"Leo?" She whispered again.

"Whaaat?" He whined a little still not opening his eyes.

"What time is it?" Whe asked quietly.

"Um, Sunday?" He asked sleepily.

"That's a day, not a time." She smiled.

"Good." He said.

"I have to pee." She tried to roll him over to escape.

"Noooo!" He whined doubling down pulling her tighter.

"Sorry, but if I don't pee, I might explode, then you will have so much explaining to do." She said pushing him back.

He rolled over letting her climb over him to slide her feet into slippers and rush out of the room to the washroom.

She shook her head after she relieved herself, and was washing her hands. She looked in the mirror. Leo had slept over and was in her bed. She slept in his arms and he had never even tried to kiss her. He was in her bed and referred to her as his best friend. It didn't matter that her heart fluttered at the thought of him, he was officially her 'friend'.

There was no use in questioning her feelings any more, his intentions were completely clear. She almost felt relieved. She could just be herself now.

Kitt opened her door to find Leo standing in the middle of her room with his shirt in his hand.

"Oh hello." She said with a laugh.

His shoulders were broad and muscular. His body was lean making his muscles especially defind.

"Sorry. I went to take a sip of water and I spilled." He said holding up his shirt.

"Here, you can borrow one of mine." Kitt turned to search her wardrobe for something appropriate. She often wore big hoodies or oversized seaters, but she was worried none of them would fit.

"Ok, I know you are a bad ass hockey player, but we don't exactly share sizes." He gestured to his physic and then to hers.

"Yeah, I definitely have bigger boobs." She studied him pensively and then looked at herself critically in the mirror.

"Kitt!" He laughed in surprise.

"Please don't tell me you think yours are bigger! Do I have to pull out a tape measure?" She stood looking at him with her hands on her hips.

"If I asked would you really measure to prove it?" He grinned playfully.

"Yeah, probably." She shrugged and went back to searching for a shirt.

"How- um, how do you measure?" He asked looking down at his hands embarrassed.

"Boobs?" She looked over her shoulder with one eyebrow up.

"Ugh, don't make fun!" He blushed as she watched him in the mirror in her closet.

"It's actually like a formula. You measure around your ribs, under, like around here. Then you measure around the fullest part. The first measurement is your band size and the cup is determined by the difference." She explained. Knowing he had no romantic feelings for her made it easier to ve comfortable around him. She could still feel her heart react to his presence, but she also knew that would pass eventually.

"Being a girl seems complicated." He said plopping down in her desk chair and looking at her cosmetics and skin care.

"Only if you make it complicated." She shrugged.

"If you say so." He was picking up bottles and smelling them.

"Oh! Here!" Kitt found a shirt at the bottom of a pile of shirts.

She tossed him a shirt with a grin. He caught it and held it up.

"Seriously?" He laughed.

"It's the biggest shirt I have!" She covered her mouth to hide the smile on her lips.

"I am going to rock this. You have no idea." He pulled the shirt over his head.

As he stretched to put his wet shirt over the back of the chair his stomach growled loudly.

"I think that means it is time to get food." She said pulling a pair of jogging pants out of a pile.

She pulled the wardrobe door to make a partition between her and Leo. She slipped her shorts off and pulled her joggers on. She tossed the oversized shirt onto her bed and pulled a hoodie on. She closed the door to see Leo looking at his phone in hands with a hot pink blush across his cheeks.

"Are the guys looking for you?" She asked nodding at his phone. She assumed they were teasing him about where he spent the night which was making him blush.

"They are all still drunk I think." He shook his head.

She just nodded in response as she brushed her hair up into a high ponytail which she twirled into a bun.

"Ready?" She asked pushing her feet into her shoes.

He didn't say anything as he followed suit.

"I hope it isn't too cold out today." She sneered at her window.

"I think it is more mud than snow at this point." He said looking out the window.

"Yuck! I didn't brink my rain boots, I hate when the ground us squishy and it makes my feet wet." She made a favlxe coming to look out the window beside him.

"I will give you a piggy back." He offered opening the sliding door. The deck was dry and clear and the sun was bright and warm. Kitt smiled, it was finally becoming spring time!

When they stepped off the back steps the ground was squishy and wet, just as Kitt had feared.

"No reason to miss food!" Leo said three steps away on the mushy grass.

"You promised a piggy back!" She reminded him refusing to step off the concrete pad at the bottom of the stairs.

"I guess I did, didn't I." He grinned brightly before closing the gap and turning his back to her so she could jump onto his back.

"I'm glad this friendship has benefits." Kitt said, meaning the piggy back ride specifically, but the other meaning hung in the air like a slap to the face.