Downtown (auston matthews x oc)

-twenty-

𝖠𝗎𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗇

Auston didn't even think twice about tugging Nora all the way to his car in the players' lot. Fuck going out with the guys-this was far more important. Hearing the way her voice broke and watching heavy tears slip through her lashes was enough to shatter Auston's heart into a million pieces.

"What about my car?" Nora asked as he opened the passenger-side door for her.

"I'll bring you back to grab it later," he promised. Once she was in her seat, Auston was quick to clamber in on the driver's side, desperate to get out of the pouring rain.

"Thank you," Nora breathed, her eyes frozen on the windshield.

Auston rested his hand on her knee, which trembled slightly beneath his touch. All he wanted was to hold her, to make whatever was bothering her go away.

They were quiet the whole way home, though about halfway there, Nora slipped her fingers between his and held on tight until they pulled into his apartment. Even then, she seemed hesitant to let go, so Auston was quick to return his hand to her when they met at the front of the car.

Auston rarely brought people to his apartment. Hell, even he hardly stayed there. For the most part, he was at his house just outside of the city, or, during the off-season, he was usually back at his place in Arizona. Had he been less eager to hold onto Nora, he would've driven her to his real place, but this was closer to the rink.

"This place is so nice," Nora marveled as Auston shut the door behind them. Auston placed his hand gently on the small of her back as she asked quietly, "Give me a tour?"

He smiled, leaning down to kiss her temple, and then he ushered her further into the kitchen. "It's nothing special," he announced. "My real place is in Bedford."

"Oh," Nora whispered, eyes still scanning the apartment.

"Living room-" Auston gestured towards it "-and the kitchen obviously." He guided her around the counter towards the first door. "This is one of the bedrooms," he announced, opening the door. It was the smaller room, and while it was furnished for a guest, no one had ever used it. Next, he showed her the guest bathroom on the right, before finally landing on the door to his own bedroom. The bed was neatly made, as it always was, and the air inside was still from lack of use.

Surprisingly, though, Auston had been sleeping at this place more frequently as of late-in large part because it was closer to the Castle. Though he would never tell Nora that.

"Wow," Nora remarked as she stepped inside the room. "You like it clean." She turned around and grinned up at him, expression soft.

"Yeah," Auston admitted, "I'm kind of a neat-freak."

Nora hummed. "That surprises me," she told him.

Because he couldn't stand being more than a few inches away from her, Auston slid an arm around Nora's shoulders, pulling her into his chest. There, she let out a sigh and sunk into him gratefully. Knowing that she felt comfortable with him, that maybe he was starting to earn some of her trust, filled Auston with a warmth he had never felt before.

He kissed the crown of her head before resting his chin on her to ask, "Can I get you a drink or anything?"

Against him, Nora replied, "I'm okay. I just want to stay right here forever."

"That's fine with me," Auston chuckled. He squeezed her a little tighter before adding, "My feet are killing me after that game, though, so we might have to sit down instead."

Nora didn't hesitate to grab a hold of his hand and lead him to the bed, where she sat down on the edge and waited for Auston to do the same. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face, but even when it was tucked away, he let his touch linger on her cheek. She was, without a doubt, the prettiest girl Auston had ever seen.

Apparently oblivious to his obsession, Nora told him, "You played great tonight. Even though I wasn't sure what was going on for a lot of it."

"Thank you," he replied with a smile. He kissed her gently, pulling back to admire the rosiness in her cheeks as she crinkled her nose at him. "I liked having you there," he told her.

She nodded, looking away for a moment to scan the walls, which were mostly empty. "I'm sorry I couldn't go out with you and your friends," she murmured after a moment, though she didn't turn to meet his gaze. "I've got some weird anxiety things, and I should've told you. I'm sorry."

Auston furrowed his brows and shook his head. "You don't have to be sorry for anything," he promised. "Seriously, Nor, I couldn't give less of a shit about going out with those guys tonight. Honestly, I was just using it as an excuse to keep hanging out with you." He chuckled lightly, and Nora smiled.

She shrugged. "It's just me not being a super cool chill girl," she joked, though there was a hint of genuity in her voice that tugged at Auston's heart. "Super cool chill girls definitely don't have anxiety like I do."

"Well then I don't want a super cool chill girl," he concluded. "I want whatever you are."

Nora rolled her eyes and assured him, "I promise you do not."

Auston couldn't let her think it for a moment. He tugged her down onto the bed, wrapping his arms around her. "You're impossible," he declared with a sigh. "And you couldn't be more wrong."