Short NHL One-Shots

#77 TJ Oshie [3] {continuation of 2}

"Flares"- The Script

******

"Are you ready?" I ask, and (y/n) bobs her head, clutching my hand tighter. We've arrived at her hometown via plane, ironically, since there was no other way to get there in time from DC.

"Y-yeah, I think so." Her free hand tugs at her long black dress, and I bite my lip as we head to the funeral home to meet up with some of her family friends. We've taken a taxi, and upon our arrival I see cars upon cars already parked, 95 percent of them black or some other dark color.

"(y/n)!" Someone exclaims, running up to her as we enter. The place is crowded with darkly clothed mourners, and I feel a bit out of place as people comfort her. I get a few nods, and a few people even hug me, but not that many. I never really had the chance to come out here, even though we've been dating for five years. Sounds like a long time? I know...we've been through everything together.

"Would (y/n) come up to the podium?" A priest says, and my girlfriend nods as she grips the paper tighter and moves to the front of the room. Her speech is full of stops as she pauses to breathe or cry, but I listen intently to every word. Every person in the room can tell that each word she says, she means, and we're all teared up by the end.

We all make our way to the graveyard, where there's two large gravestones with all 21 names carved onto them. 21 lives lost in this one family. Tragedies like this only come around once in forever.

The priest does his thing, but I'm not even paying attention as my arm wraps around (y/n)'s waist to bring her close. She didn't wear makeup--not that she needs it--because she knew it would all go to waste after the river of tears she knew would fall. Just as she predicted, she's crying into my shoulder, and I hold tighter onto the two bouquets of flowers in my left hand. "(y/n)," I murmur when she's quieted down.

"Yes?" I simply hand her a bouquet, and one by one, every person places flowers in front of the grave. (y/n) and I are last, and as we set down the posies I see her run her finger over her mother's name. They were always extremely close, I know they'd call each other at least twice a week. From the moment she was born, (y/n) always had a special relationship with her mother; more than each had with anyone else. "I miss them, TJ," she whispers, wrapping her arms around me.

"I do too," I say just as softly, not hiding the tears just like her. I don't care that my jacket is soaked, all I want is for her to be happy. I don't know if she could ever feel that way again.

***

"What's this?" (y/n) asks as I hand her a wrapped box. "Christmas was last month."

"You deserve gifts year-round," I tell her honestly. "Open it, I think you'll like it." She nods, sitting on the couch beside a cross-legged me. I watch her face intently as she pulls off the wrapping and pulls out the present.

"Is this a--" She cuts herself off as she opens the photo album, seeing pictures of her entire family. Her hands go to her mouth, and she drops the album in her lap.

"Do you like it?" I ask with a weak smile, and she nods vigorously before leaning in to hug me. "I reached out to friends of you and your family, and they sent in various pictures that I arranged into this album."

"It's perfect." (y/n) pulls away for a moment, kissing my lips with the passion I thought she'd lost. "You're perfect." I set the gift aside, pulling her into my lap. She straddles me as she hugs me even tighter, my fingers gently stroking her hair as she sobs into my t-shirt. We've shed so many tears lately, I think we probably literally cried a river.

"I love you," I whisper in her ear, and she nuzzles her face deeper into my neck.

"I love you more, Timothy." I always get shivers when she says my full name, and now is no exception.

"Impossible."

"Not with me, it isn't." I smile to myself, knowing I've found a keeper.

***

"She's on her way," Andre tells me through the phone. "She just left our place and she's headed for the  beach. It should be about a half hour, maybe a little longer."

"Thanks bud," I say, taking a deep breath as I sit back down on the bench on the sidewalk in front of the beach. I would wait a lifetime for her, I think as I hold the paper tightly in my hands.

35 minutes later, a car pulls up, and (y/n) calls out, "TJ? Is that you?" I turn around, and she smiles and runs to me. I pick her up in my arms and spin around, proud to hear her laugh once again. It's been a while since I've heard it. "So...why are we at a beach?"

"We're going on a little treasure hunt," I answer, handing her the map. "There are four items, each one representing something different. They're meant to be found in order, so follow the map." She studies it, nodding as we step onto the cool evening sand. 

"Okay, so what's the first thing?" 

"I can't tell you what they are, silly." She pouts at me, and I send her a goofy smile as she comes across a stick in the sand, the first item underneath it. 

"Is it here?" She asks, and I nod. She gets on her knees--this is why she's wearing her old jeans--and digs up the "treasure". "Ooh!" (y/n) opens the box, and finds nothing in it.

"I gave you an empty chocolate box to symbolize me before you--empty," I explain, and she blushes cutely. "You can put the rest of the things in there as well." Off we are to the next item. 

"A baseball?"

"Your brother played in high school, he was an all-star pitcher and first baseman. This is when you opened up to me about how much you cared for each and every member of your family." I see her eyes sparkle, tears probably threatening to fall as she remembers her relatives who've passed. 

"This?" She holds up cut outs of a heart--one black, one gray, and one white. Respectively, they have the words "I love you" on them. 

"They represent all we've been through, all the good times and the bad, and how we were always there for each other." Finally we reach the last item, and I take an object from my coat pocket and hold it in my closed hand.

"A note and a little--oh!" After she finished reading the note and sees the tiny jewelry box, (y/n) turns to see me on one knee. I bite my lip as I say nervously, 

"You've been there through thick and thin, you've loved me like no one ever has, you encourage me, you stand up for me and those that you love. I admire you in everything you do, and you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met. (y/n), you started out as my friend, we were boyfriend and girlfriend...will you become my perfect wife? (y/n)(y/l/n), will you marry me?" After my speech I show her the ring in my hand, and tears of joy flow down her face. 

"I couldn't say no," she whispers, flinging herself into my outstretched arms. I hold her tighter than ever before, and when she finally releases me my shaking hands find hers. I slip the ring on her finger, pressing a soft kiss to her lips as cheers erupt from the dunes. "Did you have the boys record that?" She laughs through tears--they're happy ones, for the first time in months.

"I wanna save this moment forever," I grin, and I stand up with her in my arms. I grab the heart shaped box and lead her to the car, sure that we'll never forget this moment.