Downtown (auston matthews x oc)

-ten-

𝖠𝗎𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗇

When Auston got off the ice after the San Jose game, he felt damn near unstoppable. Two goals and an assist? Not half bad for a guy who was violently hungover thirty hours earlier.

Auston's teammates give him their congratulations as the group stripped off their gear. His whole body ached, but he knew he couldn't dwell on it long, considering their next game of the roadtrip was the very next night against the Kings in Los Angeles. In the hopes that it might alleviate some of his pain, Auston sunk into one of the rink's cold tubs once most of his teammates had left for the hotel.

On the little table beside him, his phone buzzed.

---

Messages

Conversation with Henley (Castle)

Henley
hiiii :)
i thought you played great
tonight :))

---

Before he could even consider responding, a new notification appeared at the top of the screen, this one from Instagram. It made him smile.

---

Instagram Messages

Chatting with n.e.mallone

n.e.mallone
booo
piss poor job out there.
next time maybe try to pass
the puck every once in a while.
just a thought.

austonmatthews
so sweet of you to watch baby

n.e.mallone
oh i wasn't watching for you.

austonmatthews
of course not, im sure it just
happened to be on at your place

n.e.mallone
oh no i put it on. not for you.
for your teammate.
he's so fucking hot.

austonmatthews
and who's that?

n.e.mallone
nylander.
i'd let that man do anything
to me.

austonmatthews
very funny.

n.e.mallone
not joking. can i get his number?

austonmatthews
of course.
287-555-0923

----

Messages

Conversation with Unknown Contact

Unknown Contact
how dumb do u think i am?

Auston
huh? i dont know wym.
this is william nylander.

Unknown Contact
bite me

Auston
gladly. ill be back from
this roadtrip on sunday. my
place or yours?

Unknown Contact
thought you only fucked in
public places that i have to clean
up afterwards.

Auston
oh, so you wanna fuck?
you could've just said so baby

Unknown Contact
next table that breaks at the Castle
is gonna be the one i smash over the
top of your head.

Auston
i know another way we
could break a table 😳

Unknown Contact
fuckhead. bye.

Auston changed contact name to: Nora Mallone

----

Mitch appeared in the doorway to the training room, his bag slung over his shoulder. "You wanna grab something to eat on the walk back?" he asked.

Auston let his head fall back against the edge of the tub. He sighed, "I can get on board with that." Staying at a hotel so close to the rink was nice and all, but walking meant lugging all of the hockey gear on foot. Hell, maybe that was why Auston was so sore.

Mitch came all the way in and sat on one of the massage tables as he played on his phone. "So," he prompted, "there are some rumors on Twitter that your new girl is your good luck charm."

"What girl?" Auston asked, shaking his head.

"The chick from the Castle," Mitch clarified.

Auston, without thinking, replied, "Nora?"

At this, a smile crept across Mitch's lips, and Auston knew he fucked up. "No," Mitch breathed, expression smug, "not Nora."

"Oh," Auston muttered as he sunk further into the tub. "Why are they even saying that shit? We just hooked up."

Mitch shrugged and responded, "I don't know, I wouldn't be surprised if she was telling people it was more than that."

Only then did Auston remember the message he had received before Nora's. He grabbed his phone and opened it to the conversation with Henley.

---

Messages

Conversation with Henley (Castle)

Henley
hiiii :)
i thought you played great
tonight :))

Auston
thank you, appreciate it.

Henley
you looked good doing it too
:)

Auston
thanks

Henley
will you be back in town soon?
wanna do something?

Auston
wym?

Henley
maybe dinner? :)
dessert back at my place? :)

Auston
like a date?

Henley
yes haha
like a date :)
figured you also felt what
i felt the other night :)

---

Auston tossed his phone aside, out of his reach. He shuddered and concluded, "Yeah, so her telling people we're a thing is definitely a possibility."

"Gotta be better than that, Tone," Mitch sighed, standing up. "Chicks are a handful."

"You're not allowed to say that now that you're engaged," Auston snapped back, to which Mitch just shrugged. "Whatever," Auston muttered. He didn't really care what Henley was saying or what the public believed about him. They could say he and Mitch were dating, for all he cared. As long as he was still playing good hockey, he was perfectly happy with his life.

Mitch came over just to kick the tub. "Let's go," he prompted. "I'm hungry."

With a sigh, Auston clambered out of the water, retrieving his phone from the floor. He decided hockey was all he needed. Fuck the rest.

Though, as he ducked out of the room, he couldn't help thinking that it might be nice to have something more than that, too.