Gavin

16

T ori told me she was at the game last night. I didn't know until after, when Tori texted to say she wasn't waiting for me. But that didn't lessen the boost to my ego from just knowing she'd come to watch.

I wish I'd seen her, though.

This feels like progress, like maybe she's not fully opposed to me in her life. She said she could offer me friendship, but the sadness in her voice made me believe that wasn't exactly true.

I've mostly backed off the past couple of weeks while we've been on the road, but we're home now, and I happen to have two days without games.

"," she answers when I call, hoping to spend time with her.

"Odette," I mimic. "What are you up to?"

"I'm about to be knee-deep in my emotions. Why?"

"I was hoping I could pick you up, take you to lunch. But maybe that's not what you need right now. What's going on?"

"Flare-up. I wouldn't be great company," she says. I hear the anxiety in her voice and maybe even some fear.

"What do you need, Odette?"

"Rest, I think." Her voice breaks some, even though she tries to hide it.

"All right, Ode. I'll check in with you soon."

She hangs up without another word, only ramping up my worry for her. I don't know what a flare-up is, exactly, but it doesn't take long to find the results on Google. Hashimoto flare-up comes up with page after page of symptoms and personal stories from those who suffer.

The most common things being fatigue and cold sensitivity. It's November, which in the PNW means chilly temps, rain, and the occasional windstorm. I bet that mammoth of a house of hers is impossible to keep heated.

The image of her tiny body shivering under a blanket forms in my mind. It's probably not what's happening but I can't seem to shake it now that it's there. I spend another thirty minutes basically doom scrolling before I take action.

Another hour later, I'm at her door knocking.

"," is all she gets out before tears stop her words.

"Hey, hey, it's gonna be okay, Ode." I step into her, carrying my bag of supplies in one hand and using the other to wrap her up.

"My hair is falling out," she says, her voice rattling as much as her body.

"Ah, fuck, babe. Come here," I say, bending to leverage under her ass and pick her up. "Where's your room?"

"Upstairs," she says, then she darts her eyes to mine. "I'm not going to fuck you."

"Not why I'm here, Odette." I laugh.

"Why are you here," she says, relaxing some in my arms as I take the stairs as quickly and carefully as I can.

"You sounded like you needed some comfort. I brought some over."

"You? Are you the comfort?" she asks skeptically.

"I wouldn't dare to presume such an idea," I answer, feigning aghast.

"Okay, good," she says with a sigh as I walk into her room and place her on her enormous bed.

"Is this a king size?"

"No, bigger."

"Why?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," she snarks, and I'm glad she at least has her moxie.

"Fuck yeah, I would, but again, not why I'm here. Bathroom?"

She points to a door, then rolls herself twice in the comforter on her bed, releasing a pained groan as she does. Her bathroom has an extra-large bathtub, because of course everything in this house is oversized. It takes a few minutes to find the right temperature, but when it starts to fill, I pull the essential oils from the bag and drop some into the water. Then I go to find her closet and rummage around. I'm trying to find a bathing suit because I don't think she'd appreciate me dumping her into a bath naked as much as I would like to. But other than three drawers full of the sexiest, skimpiest lingerie I've ever seen in my life, I have no luck.

Though, like everything here, the closet is massive and full, I could have missed her stash of bikinis.

"Hey, Ode?" I crawl up the bed, moving away the blanket and her mass of hair until I find her face. It's blotchy with tears, reminding me of a time I don't want to remember. "Do you have a bathing suit?"

"Why?"

"I've started a bath," I say.

"I bathe in the nude, weirdo," she mumbles into the blanket.

"I figured you wouldn't want to do that with me. And I was going to get in with you so I can massage your shoulders and help you relax."

"That sounds…presumptuous but also like heaven. I really want a hot bath."

"Okay, so we're on the same page. Swimsuit?"

"I swim in the nude, too."

"You're fucking killing me here, Ode," I say, starting to unroll her from her blanket taco. "Nude it is."

"I'm too tired to argue with you, . Just get me in the bathtub." Her arms wrap around my neck, and I feel fresh wetness as tears fall.

"How long has this been going on?"

"I've only had a couple before, but never as bad as this. I woke up in the middle of the night, freezing cold," she says when I place her on her feet next to the tub. "I think I overdid it yesterday."

"Tori said you enjoyed yourself." I stretch her chin up and look at her neck, not knowing why. I have no idea what a swollen thyroid looks like, but if I don't get familiar with her neck, I won't notice when it is.

"I did, my body didn't." She runs a hand through her long dark hair, too easily finger combing out a clump. "L-look."

"Is that normal?"

"I don't know. I don't know what to do, . What if it all falls out?"

"That's not going to happen," I say, untying her silk robe and finding nothing underneath. She's suffering, so I suffer in my own way and don't take her in the way I want. I don't touch and explore every inch of her soft skin with my mouth.

Instead, I take her hand and help her into the tub. She exhales a deep sigh when she submerges her shoulders under the water. I go to the counter and take a hairbrush before undressing down to my boxers and climbing in the bath behind her. She doesn't move at all, not even a flinch as she buries her face in her knees.

"My business depends on how I look," she says. "I can't lose my hair."

I pick up a different bottle of oil and dump some into my hands, slowly massaging it into her scalp.

"You're not going to lose all your hair," I say, even as I watch more strands easily fall out. "You have healthy, thick hair. You'll survive losing a little while we figure out how to prevent it. But even if you did lose it all, you'd still be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Your hair doesn't change that, or the fact that you're the best at what you do."

"My brain says you're right, but my nerves can't hear that right now. Oh god, that feels amazing." She melts under my fingers, her body falling back into mine. I'd been trying to keep from being skin to skin with her, not wanting to blur boundaries just because she's in crisis. But fucking hell, she's soft and impossibly silky against my hard muscles. My cock reacts all on its own.

"Try and relax," I say, scooting back an inch.

"Your dick is making that a little hard," she says, but can't do it without laughing.

"Your ass is making my dick hard; this is your fault. I'm trying to be a friend here."

"Well, I'm sorry I have such a great ass," she says. "Whose crazy idea was this?"

"Mine. But you didn't argue."

"We could have gotten in the sauna."

"Of course, this place has a sauna," I say.

"Right? I'm not sure it's in functioning condition. This house is crazy, what was I thinking!"

"You'd have to answer that one, Odette." I add more oil to my palm and work her nape, making her moan.

"I haven't done many overly lavish things in life. I lived in the same shoebox apartment for years, it barely had furniture so I could fit all my racks of clothes and shoes. I amassed all this wealth and didn't do anything with it," she says. "My sole focus was styling other people's lives. When I moved here, I needed new distractions. This house is taking the brunt of it."

"You're styling it instead of people."

"That is exactly what my mother said. Lower, please?"

"Sure," I say, working my fingers to her shoulders. "This isn't weird for you?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She laughs. "It's the strangest thing I've ever done. But I've also never felt like this. I think I was on the verge of a panic attack when you showed up, so thank you for that. I'm sure I'll be mortified later when my brain starts functioning properly. But it isn't anything you haven't seen before, I guess."

"Yeah, it's pretty weird for me, too."

"Really? Aren't you athletes all man-whores? I figured you'd have a piece of ass in every city you play in. Don't you have a harem of them here at home?"

I don't know why, but I like that she already thinks of Seattle as her home.

"Is that what you think?"

"Are you telling me it isn't true?" She turns her head to see me. "You aren't hooking up with groupies, or whatever they're called, since your divorce?"

"There were a few times. Before—" I hesitate on how much to say. I don't want her to feel pressure, but damn it, she's naked in my arms and doesn't have her armor up. Maybe now is as good a time as any. "Before a gorgeous brunette returned into my life and reminded me of what I've been missing."

"…" she says.

"Shh." I stop her, my thumb pressing to her lips that have more color now than when I got here. "I told you before, this is not a transactional relationship. You don't owe me yourself just because I want you. If friendship is all you can give, I'll take it gladly. I'll be the best one you've ever had."

Her eyes bounce between mine, weighing what I've said. I imagine she has a hard time trusting anything I say. I can't blame her, but I hope she finds the sincerity she's searching for.

"You really mean that, don't you?" she asks, her breath tickling my thumb that I haven't moved. I like the feel of her lips. I'd like them more on my mouth or my cock, but I'll take what I can get.

"Of course, I do. I still care, Ode. Whatever you need, I'll try my hardest to give." My other hand falls from her shoulder, inadvertently catching some side boob action. I close my eyes for a brief moment, trying to keep my composure. "Sorry."

"It's okay," she says quietly, turning back around, but snuggling deeper into me at the same time. A cup sits at the side of the tub, and I use it to wet her hair, she hums in pleasure as the heat soaks her scalp.

Gently, I wash her hair, and once I get the conditioner worked in, I brush through her long strands.

"See," I say, showing her the brush, nearly clear of hair, when I'm done. "There's not much here." Odette releases a relieved sigh. I get the conditioner rinsed out as the water starts to cool.

She wastes no time hopping out of the tub and giving me the absolute best view of her glorious ass as she does.

"What else do you have in your bag of tricks?" she asks, wrapping a towel around her and setting another one on the tub ledge for me. I stand, enjoying the way her pupils pop to life as she takes in the water streaming down my chest. Then I push my soaked boxers down over my ass and step out of them. They were barely hanging on, anyhow.

"A dry bean soup mix that's Tori's favorite whenever she doesn't feel well. My mom makes it in mason jars and sends it to us every few months. And a heating pad."

"Suddenly, I'm not feeling so cold." She swallows hard when her eyes drag down my chest and lower to my cock that's enjoying her attention. "I don't think you play fair, Vaughn."

"Me?" I laugh. "It was your naked ass rubbing against me the last half hour. Who the hell doesn't have a fucking bathing suit anyway?" I grab the towel and wrap it around my waist before I step out.

"I lied. I wanted to see what you'd do."

"Are you kidding?" I ask, looking up to see her smirk. "You fucking tease."

She apologizes again, but this one is full of silent laughter.

"You hungry, Ode?" I ask, stepping closer to her. So close that she has to tip her chin up to keep eye contact.

"Not for soup." Her chest heaves, the towel holding on for dear life over her ample breasts.

"For what?"

"To feel beautiful," she says, so softly I almost ask her to repeat it.

"I don't want you to hate me tomorrow, Odette," I say, cupping her cheeks. "I don't want you to wake up and think I took advantage of this situation."

"You're so fucking nice, ," she says. "I appreciate it, I do. Everything you've done for me tonight; I can't thank you enough. But right now, I need you to set that aside and give me some of that feral attitude you have on the ice. I need you to fuck me into oblivion."

"And tomorrow?"

"Forget it happened and just be my friend," she says. "You can say no, if it's too much to ask."