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You sat down in your third row seat in Verizon Center and waited for the teams to come out on the ice. You had season tickets for the second level, but your good friend Tom Wilson worked his magic and got you third row season tickets for the same price.
Much to your demise, he was only a friend and it had been that way for a few years. You met him at the grocery store when he grabbed a box of cereal from the top shelf for you. The two of you hung out quite often and you slowly developed feelings for him. It was hard being just a friend. Seeing him dating and going out with a few girls hurt, but you always tucked it away and never let him see it's effect on you. You tried going on dates and even had a boyfriend for a short period of time, but you just couldn't be more than friends with any of them because you always wished it was Tom. No matter how hard you tried to get over him, it never seemed to work. You loved him and he didn't even notice.
Your relationship was different. He did all the things a boyfriend should do. He held you when you cried, made you laugh, reassured you that you were beautiful, and hell, he even cuddled with you. But the only thing missing was the emotion.
Before you knew it both teams had taken the ice and began warmups. Your eyes immediately located Tom, who was messing around with Burakovsky. You had to admit Andre was cute and possibly the sweetest person you ever met, but he was no Tom. Maybe he could have been the guy to sweep you off your feet if your feelings for Tom hadn't gotten in the way.
From across the ice his blue eyes caught your gaze and he smiled at you. He skated around the boards and stopped in front of you. The tenants of the glass seats in front of you had yet to arrive, so you crawled over the seats and stood in front of the glass. Tom pulled his hand out of his glove and pressed his hand to the glass. You smiled and put yours up to his. "Good luck, Thomas." You tell him.
"I'll see you after the game, right?" He asked.
"Of course." You answered.
A smile appeared on Tom's face, makings your heart pound. "Good, I'll see you later then. I love you." He said before skating away, leaving you shocked. You slowly walked back to your seat and sat down, the same shocked expression plastered on your face until game time. Your thoughts ran wild. Tom could have meant 'I love you' in several different ways and you couldn't decide which. Did he mean it like you wanted him to? Or did he mean it as a friend?
You sat through the game barely even paying attention. Your thoughts always drifted back to his words. They echoed in your head over and over. It wasn't until you were standing in front of the locker room door after the game that you went into panic mode, pacing back and forth until you heard the door open. Out came Burkie in his suit with a gym bag slung over his shoulder. "Good luck with Tom. He's a nervous wreck right now." Andre said, stopping to talk to you.
"What do you mean?" You asked, trying to hide the desperation in your voice.
"Something about a girl. He won't really talk about it and it's been bothering him all night. Maybe you can talk to him. You can go in if you want." He explained. You thanked him and made your way to Tom's stall. He had changed into a pair of basketball shorts and a fitted t-shirt, which didn't help the pounding of your heart. His forearms rested on his thighs and his head hung. Ovi and Jay sat on either side of him and tried talking with him, but he barely got a word out.
"I got it, you guys can go." You told the two older men. They looked at you gratefully before grabbing their bags and heading out, leaving you alone with Tom. You sat down next to him and took his shaking hand in your.
Before you could say anything he began to speak. "Please, please say you love me. I couldn't handle it if you don't. I can't just sit around anymore and wait. I need you, okay? I'm not afraid to say I love you anymore. I'm not afraid to tell you how I really feel. But if you don't feel the same way, don't say anything. Spare me the pain of hearing the words I'm dreading you'll say." He was almost on the verge of tears and his eyes looked at you desperately. It was hard to find the words to say, so you just stared at him.
"Tom, I-" you started slowly before being cut off.
"No, Y/N, don't say it. I knew you didn't feel the same way." He grumbled, pain laced through his voice and painted on his face. Tom pulled his hand away from yours and dropped his head once again.
"I love you." You finished. He slowly picked up his head and looked at you, searching your eyes, for anything to tell to him you weren't lying.
"What?" He askedy, surprised.
"I love you, Tom." You repeated, tears welling up in your eyes. You had waited a long time to hear him say he loved you, and now that it finally happened you couldn't help but cry happy tears. He wrapped his arms tightly around you, burying his head in the crook of your neck. You felt his tears on your skin and knew you were his and he was yours, forever.
