Bleeding Black and Gold (Bruins- Tuukka Rask)

Thieves and Pictures

The next morning, Tuukka and I don't have to go anywhere because of a huge snowstorm that blew in overnight. It would've been nice to sleep in for a change; except for the fact that neither of us could sleep. I sat in my bed, surround by pillows and blankets, hugging Bobby Orr, not even trying to sleep while Tuukka tossed and turned next to me. I must've dozed off early in the morning, because I woke up with a start, my face resting on Bobby Orr, my arms locked around him. I look over and see Tuukka's blue-gray eyes. 

"What are we gonna do?" I whisper. Tears fracture my vision, but I still see Tuukka sit up, still feel his arms come around me. 

"Hey, hey, hey. It's gonna be okay," he whispers to me. 

"Tuukka, I already get so much attention for being an Olympian; I don't want any more for being your girlfriend!" I sound almost hysterical, even to myself; as my breaths begin to quicken. 

"Alex, calm down. Just calm down." 

Tuukka tightens his arms around me, and strokes my hair. I start to take slower breaths as he does this, beginning to relax. I shift so that I'm hugging Tuukka, my face pressed to his chest. 

"But I don't want to come off as a puck bunny," I whisper into his chest. 

"Alex. Look at me." Tuukka pushes me back enough so that we're making direct eye contact. 

"Who are you?" He asks sternly. 

"Alexandria Leighton," I mumble. 

"Do you play hockey?"

"Yes."

"What position do you play?"

"Goalie."

"Where were you a week ago?"

"Sochi, Russia."

"What did you come back with?"

"Silver."

"Okay, now answer this: do you still honestly think that any fan of the Bruins would be upset that I'm dating a fellow Olympian, who I don't know, is from Boston, works at a goalie clinic, wants to be normal, and plays goalie like me?"

"Maybe," I mumble, still looking him in his eyes. 

"They shouldn't. They would have no valid reason." 

"But they will be, Tuukka. I know teenage girls and young women everywhere. And if you tell them that you have a girlfriend, then they're only going to throw themselves harder at you because they want to show you that they can make you happy, not me." 

"But they don't. I never liked going to parties with all the girls and trying to pick them up like Brad. It isn't right. And I could never date a girl who doesn't like or know hockey. Alex, I know it's still a little tender for you, but hasn't the Olympics proved that I'll never leave you? I love you, Alexandria Leighton, and I always will. No one can change that." 

"I love you too, Tuukka," I whisper, and I hug him. 

"And also, a plus is that no one knows that it's you. They couldn't possibly tell from the picture." I relax for a minute, replaying his soothing words in my head until a thought makes me let go of Tuukka and sit bolt upright. 

"No one can tell," I whisper. 

"What? No, they can't." 

Tuukka tries to smooth my hair down, but I jump up from my bed, knocking his hand aside. 

"No one can tell who I am. As long as they don't already know," I muse, pacing the bedroom floor. 

Tuukka's eyes widen. "You don't mean-"