Miracle On Ice One Shots

Coffee (Jack O'Callahan- #17)

Jack was exhausted.

Herb had woken them up at 4:30 for another strength training that had lasted for 3 hours, and then they had skated their legs off until noon. Thankfully, Herb had given them the rest of the day to rest and recover. Jack's first thought- caffeine. And food. Caffeine and food.

Even though he wasn't in school anymore, he still kept up on his readings and was looking into some internships in the business world for when his hockey career ended, as well as his off seasons.

So, after practice, it was time to hit the books once more. He didn't mind- he actually really enjoyed school, and he was excited for his career after hockey.

"OC! You wanna grab a bite to eat?" Magic called out from across the room. The man in question looked up. "Yeah, sure. I've got some studying to do, so let's make it quick, yeah?" There was a chorus of agreements- the boys were used to the hours Jack had spent in books. They quickly agreed on a diner down the street, and set off, chatting as they went.

****

"Alright boys, I'll see you back at the dorms. I've gotta go find some coffee." Jack stood up, and headed to the front to pay for his meal.

He walked out of the diner and walked the two blocks back to the rink where his car waited for him.

He got in and started it. Thankfully, he had already been around for a few months at this point and knew of a coffee shop 10 minutes away. He switched gears, and pulled out of the parking lot.

Aerosmith blasted through his speakers, and Jack tapped along to the beat. As he drove through the Twin Cities, his mind wandered to life after the games. He was excited to play for Chicago- one of his lifelong dreams was to play in the NHL, and he was thrilled that it was coming true. There hadn't been any girls over in Boston that he was serious with- and that may be the one thing that he was disappointed about looking into the future. He was ready to be serious about someone.

That realization jolted him, but he quickly shook the thoughts out of his head. No room for that right now. He had a medal to win in a few months.

He pulled into a parking lot of a coffee shop called "Evergreen." He hadn't been in here since his first few weeks out west. It wasn't a bad joint. He shifted his car into park, got out and headed into the cute shop, with his bag slung over his shoulder.

He could never get any work done around the boys- there was always so much going on. The team dynamics were some of the best that he had experienced- they truly were a band of brothers. Thankfully, the boys from Boston and Minnesota were able to work through their differences (thanks to the fight that took place between him and Mac) and from there, each day they only grew closer and closer.

The bell on the door jingled as he walked through. He went up to the counter and ordered a black coffee and turned around. It was pretty packed, but he managed to find a table towards the back. He walked back, sat down and pulled out his first book- a finance book that he had been working through for a few months.

He got lost in the pages and the work problems- he loved it. This is the part of himself that he wished more people got to see- his "nerd" side as Silky called it. Before he knew it, an hour had passed. The coffee shop had gotten even more packed.

Looking around, he noticed a girl with dark hair at the counter. She was dressed in a simple denim dress and platform sneakers. Her hair was being held back by a red headband. A brown satchel was slung over her shoulder, and a book in her arms. When she turned around, he thought his heart was going to stop.

Grey, calculating eyes roamed over the shop. Her face was sculpted, yet had a certain softness to it that can only be described as stunning. She was absolutely beautiful. Her lips pursed together as she tried to find an open seat. Jack became keenly aware of the free seat that sat across from him. He looked up again, and made eye contact with her. He motioned his head to the chair, and she slowly made her way towards him.