Coming Up for Air (cole caufield x oc)

Forty-Nine

𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕪𝕒

When the guys come down the hall from the locker rooms, Cole is talking quietly to Josh while Nick and Brady approach first.

"What happened out there?" Freya whispers. She glances to Tate, who chews nervously on her nail, eyes glued to Josh as he makes his way over.

"I didn't hear all of it," Brady murmurs, "which is probably a good thing."

Nick shoots a look over his shoulder at Cole and Josh, who have stopped to talk face-to-face. "I talked with Kirby," he remarks. "He said it was just run-of-the-mill chirps, but I mean—you don't get a reaction like that out of Norris for just anything."

"I'll talk to him," Tate breathes, already pushing past Nick and Brady to reach him. Cole pats Josh's shoulder in consolation, and then he moves away to let them talk.

Freya hugs him tight. "Hi, sweetheart," he breathes, slipping his arms around her waist.

When he releases her, she asks, "Did Kirby say something about Tate?"

"Yeah," he sighs, and Brady and Nick turn to listen, too. "Josh said it was something about her job, just a bunch of really gross things."

"There's no way he's gonna tell Tate," Brady concludes.

Freya looks over at her friend, who is examining Josh's knuckles as he talks quietly. Even from far away, Freya can see they're swollen and cut, probably from catching Kirby's visor. 

It's then that Freya's phone buzzes. Evidently, it's the groupchat, since the others reach for their phones at the same time that she does. 

-----

Messages

sexy people only 💦

Trevor
yo just saw on twitter about norris
u okay buddy?

Alex
holy shit.

Jessie(s Girl)
fuck kirby dach.

Quinn
is someone with him now? brady?

Freya
we're here, he's just talking to
tate right now

Brady
whoever plays habs next needs to absolutely
murder dachs. assuming josh did not already kill
him.

Jack
jesus christ norris rocked him.

Riley
good.

Nick
hope that teaches everybody not to try
tate's man

Jack
damn, genuinely can't stop watching this vid
on twitter

Riley
josh looks great pounding kirby's face in

Cole
i do love to see it

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Josh and Tate approach the others, though Josh refuses to meet their stares. Freya asks him gently, "You doing all right?"

He shrugs and holds up his hand, which appears to be freshly stitched. "Out for a couple," he admits. At this, Tate wraps her arms around his waist and squeezes him. He kisses the top of her head and then offers to the group, "I didn't mean to ruin our night."