"How do I look?" I ask Bray as I adjust my tie. Tonight is my first proper date with Francesca and I'm sweating a little. It is just dinner, we have gone to dinner plenty of times in the past, but this time is different.

"Like a gay mans wet dream baby," Bray yells throwing me a wink and slapping my ass.

"Damn baby, take me out to dinner first," I laugh while grabbing my suit jacket and doing a final once over in the mirror.

We both head down the stairs and out to my car with Bray once again driving. I wanted to just drive on my own since I am feeling better but everyone shot that idea down. Shit just getting Francesca to agree to dinner was a fight but I had the team's athletic trainer call her and say it would be ok.

"Ryder not to get all mushy and stuff because I know you aren't about that shit still but I'm like really proud of you bro. I mean shit we've been playing together since we were, what 12? That is 8 years of knowing you and this is the happiest I have ever seen you, it is fucking nice."

"It feels nice," I confess. "I feel like it is finally my life I'm living, not someone else's."

The car is quiet as we park and walk into the building. As the elevator doors shut I fiddle with my watch. "You guys leave tomorrow, right? And then come back Sunday?"

"Yeah. It will be weird not having you there. I always just assumed when we committed to Michigan together we'd always be on the ice together. If I ever see those two defenders off the ice, I swear to fuck-"

"It is hockey, it is a brutal sport and I will be back on the ice soon," I cut him off before he gets all worked up.

"This could be our last Frozen Four together before you leave Michigan and you can't even play." The idea hurts more than I have admitted to anyone. The fact I might leave on an injury sucks. The fact that potentially my last game in the Michigan uniform I didn't get to play till the end, it feels wrong but that is life as an athlete. Sometimes your career is out of your hands and when a door closes you have to just keep going and trust the process.

"Life sucks then you die," I quote Francesca as we step off the elevator.

I don't bother to knock and instead just barging into Francesca's apartment. I can hear Maya yelling at her in the bedroom while Luna watches from the hallway and Parker sits on the couch with some popcorn. The whole apartment has a more lively energy now that their season is over. Of course they have the national championships at the end of July but for the next three and a half weeks until the semester ends, they just have school to focus on.

"Happy Monday," Parker greets, reaching for Bray who is already moving toward his boyfriend.

Luna walks over to me and looks me up and down. "Lulu," I tease but I think everyone within a mile radius can hear the nervous edge to my voice.

Without saying a word she reaches out and gently adjusts my tie and then wipes a little piece of lint off my jacket. "You look... decent," she says even though she sounds like she is in pain while saying it. To many, her compliment would sound insincere but I know she means it which settles my nerves a tad.

"I tried," I tell her honestly. I try to adjust my hat on my head but I remember I am not wearing one. For the first time in a long time I am not wearing my signature backwards hat and I feel slightly exposed without it.

Maya comes running out of the bedroom with a huge smile on her face. "You look great," she compliments as she drags me over to their table and forces me to sit down. "Now close your eyes."

I do as I am told but just for safe measures Maya places her hands over my eyes. I hear the click of heels against the ground before Maya moves her hands from my face and I slowly open my eyes to see Francesca standing in front of me. My breath catches in my throat as I look at her. She looks absolutely stunning in a tight black long sleeve dress and heels. Her hair is straight instead of her usual ponytail and she is wearing a dark pink lipstick.

"Fucking hell," I curse as I rise from my seat and walk over to her. "There is no way in hell you're mine."

"I borrowed the dress from Maya," she confesses as if that makes any difference. It doesn't. Francesca in her normal attire of leggings and t shirts is beautiful but right now, she is heart stoppingly gorgeous. The back of the dress is all open and my fingers brush the soft exposed skin. She shutters and lets out a breathy noise that has me nearly melting into a puddle.

"Are they gonna bang?" someone whispers.

"Not until after I get pictures of this," Maya yells, breaking me from my trance.

"Beck, you look absolutely incredible," I tell her sincerely before I bend down and give her a quick kiss. I want to do more but I am scared if I fuck up her make up Maya will attack. I have suffered enough injuries for the season, I don't need to add mauled by Maya to the list.

"Look at you, you're so... damn. I really better mark my territory now before you make it to the NHL and everyone wants a piece of my boyfriend." The way she says 'my boyfriend' has a cheesy smile lighting up my whole face. This is the first time in my life I am someones.

Maya takes about a million pictures in all different poses before we leave with Bray and apparently Parker. Francesca thinks it is so funny we have a driver to our date and giggles about it the entire ride. Bray makes up a whole backstory for himself, really playing into his role as driver while Parker shakes his head.

"You two kids behave, remember it's a school night," Parker says as we pull up in front of the restaurant.

When the car stops I rush out to open Francesca's door. "What a gentleman," she compliments as she carefully takes my hand and steps out. For a split second I envision Brays made up scenario that we are going to the NHL Rookie of the year event. Francesca is stealing the show despite me being the one up for the award. The whole thing doesn't sound that far fetched anymore. I haven't let myself picture the future even now that we are dating, I don't want to set myself up for disappointment, but if this is our future than all those times I said I want time to move slower while I am at Michigan, I take back. If my future is with her then I want it, every minute of it.

When we get to the table I pull out her chair. "Careful spoiling me like this Ry, you'll create a monster."

Before I sit I give her another kiss. "I have to be better than everyone who came before me," I tell her, half joking but also half serious. I dated 2 or 3 girls before Francesca but we weren't really dating. It was more we'd grab food occasionally and hook up, but Francesca, she's dated dated. She has had lots of great boyfriends and girlfriends who knew what they were doing, unlike me. I know that it isn't a competition but I want to be the best boyfriend she ever had. I want her to be so happy with me that she forgets about everyone who came before me.

"Well, not to inflate your ego but you beat all of them before we were even dating."

"I did?" How can I beat anyone before we were dating?

"You got me in ways they never did. If I was busy you respected it and instead of guilting me for not being able to make time for you you tried to find ways to be a part of my schedule instead of interrupting."

"You do the same for me," I remind her.

"Well who wouldn't want to watch you play hockey, I don't know if you know this but you look really hot while playing."

"Be careful butt, keep sweet talking me like that and I might fall in love with you."

"Please, we both know you fell first," she brags as if she has me all figured out.

"When did you develop feelings for me?" I ask genuinely curious.

"When you took my temperature when I was sick. I think that exact moment was when I knew I wanted something more. I loved how you made me feel even when I was sick like no matter how bad things got I wasn't worried because you had me."

"I always have you," I tell her, lacing our fingers together on the table.

"I know," she beams a bright smile. "When did you know?"

"When I met you in the lobby to steal Penelope from the lab. You were so fucking cute with your elaborate plans and all black outfit. From that day on I just kept falling harder and harder." It is very obvious I fell for her before she fell for me which I thought would bother me but it doesn't. I was way more closed off when we first met while she gave me everything I needed from the start. She took an interest in my life in ways no one else ever had. I think I had to fall first to open myself up to her so she could fall for me, the real me behind all the walls I built.

"I wanted to save her so you were happy. You were so sad that day, I am pretty sure I would have scaled the side of the building like Spiderman to save her just to see you happy again." The sincerity in her voice has me reeling. How can my happiness have meant so much to her back then? We barely knew each other.

"Why? Why did you care about some guy you were just sharing the ice with?"

"You were more than that Ryder, you always were. Arguing with you even on that first day, it was the most exciting thing I had done in awhile. I have been in this routine since as long as I can remember. It was school, work, ice skating and nothing else. Yeah I had friends but for every 10 times they went out I maybe went once. When I met you I had gotten to the point where I had spent so much time by myself I forgot what it was like to have fun. When we met I was burning out, ice skating was becoming a chore, you changed that."

"You threatened to kill me," I refresh her memory from the first time we met.

"I did not, you said my holes in the ice would break your neck and I said yes, that is not threatening to kill you."

"Semantics," I mumble as she giggles. I had no idea that day as she stomped over to me on the ice that the best thing to ever happen to me had just walked in. I had no idea as we ran to the office begging to not have to share the ice that sharing the ice would change my life forever.

"I am so glad they fucked up our ice time," she echos my own thoughts. "That fuck up may be the best thing that has ever happened to both of us."

"100%," I confirm.

The waiter comes over and takes our orders and we continue talking about the past few months. Slowly we go from talking about the past to talking about the future, a topic we've barely talked about beyond me moving to New York for the summer.

"So rookie of the year, do you get to bring like a date to that?" Francesca asks after she swallows her bite of her steak.

"It is like all hockey events, you bring your family, including girlfriends, and like coaches and stuff. I would obviously bring you, your parents and brothers. I would also like to bring Josh and Barb but I don't know if they'd be able to leave the rink for a whole weekend."

"My whole family," she whispers softly looking up like she just found out some magical secret.

"Your family has been nicer to me in the few short hours I have met them than my family was my entire life combined, I would love to have them there." I shrug at the end to act more indifferent about it, maybe I am moving too fast. I can't just adopt her family after one meeting because they were decent human beings.

"They'd be so honored. But if you win you better mention me in your speech."

"You will get your own shoutout babe, don't you worry," I laugh because I know she is dead serious. If I didn't mention her I am almost sure she'd make me go back up there and redo the whole thing.

"Carson Ryder NHL Rookie of the Year," she tests out loud, nodding her head along. "Has a nice ring to it."

"You make me sound more special than I am, you're the cool one. Francesca Beckett, Olympic Figure Skating Medalist, sounds much better."

"Yeah but yours is more realistic," she admits with a sad look.

"I know you're going to make the Olympic team one day Francesca."

"How?" she questions.

"Because I believe in you and not just because I am your boyfriend. I believe in you because I have watched you put in so much time and effort. You are destined to do amazing things one day."

"You really mean that?" she asks softly.

I abandon my chair that is across from her and crouch down next to her so she can see how serious I am. "With every fiber of my being, yes."

Francesca places her hands on either side of my neck and kisses me. I get a little greedy and slip my tongue into her mouth not caring we are in public, in the middle of the nicest restaurant in town.

After dinner we take a walk at the park across the street. I am still walking slow with my ribs but she never complains, just walks slow right next to me. Francesca swings our arms between us and stares at the stars. I watch the way the moon glows across her face, highlighting her features.

"That was the fanciest dinner I have ever had," she confesses as we continue to walk.

I grin at her as my head begins filling up with all the things I can do on future dates. This place is nice but it is college town nice not New York City nice. There are about 1000 places I could take her this summer that would blow this place away. "Oh Beck babe, you should have never said that."

"Why?" she squeaks nervously.

"Because I like spoiling you, maybe too much. It is a good thing the NHL pays well because I am going to give you the world."

"You don't need to do all that, I don't need all of that honestly. I just need you."

I stop short and pull her to my chest holding her against me. "I know, which makes me want to do it even more. You've given me the world by loving me and now I want to give you the world with the best of everything for as long as I possibly can."

"Can we travel?" she asks hopefully. "I have never been to California, or Canada, Europe and Asia are far but maybe one day?

"We can go everywhere, you name it we will go," I tell her before kissing her forcefully. She wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me back under the moonlight with the same passion.