Collision // Freddie Andersen

iv

*

One would think that moving into someone's spare room versus moving into a brand new place would be much easier. But as Lydia wiped the sweat off of her brow she berated herself for actually believing that. Much to Ema's chagrin, Auston's apartment was very much a bachelor pad no matter how much decor she bought him or pictures she hung on the wall. 

Lydia had arrived fresh off of her plane in Toronto and had been picked up by Mitch's girlfriend Stef who all of the boys believed was the first person she needed to meet in Toronto. Lydia was inclined to agree after the girl had ushered the blonde into her passenger seat and proceeded to tell Lydia the exact state of Auston's multi-million dollar penthouse. 

Lydia and Stef had walked into the apartment and could immediately see what Stef was talking about. There were only two pillows on the couch and a single thin blanket. The fridge was bare and there was a full drawer in the kitchen full of take out menus, and the only sign of a real person living in the space was the gaming console under the TV and the laundry piled on top of the washing machine. 

Lydia had thrown her bag down and proceeded to turn around and leave the apartment again with Stef, their first step being the closest department store. Lydia knew she had enough knick-knacks to convert the space, but she did not have the kitchen supplies or groceries to have it ready for her plan to cook every night. 

By the time the two girls returned home, there was an IKEA delivery scheduled for the next day, and the two girls had their arms filled with shopping bags. When they pushed open the door, they were unsurprised to see Auston, Mitch, Freddie and Morgan Rielly sitting on the couches. 

"Auston Taylour Matthews," Lydia huffed, shooting Freddie a smile as he hurried over to take bags from her hands. "If your mother could see this apartment you would be dead."

"What do you mean?" Auston whined as the boys all followed Lydia and Stef into the kitchen where Freddie had already begun unloading their buys. 

"No blankets for guests, no personal pictures on the walls, and the worst would be your empty fridge and cabinets," Lydia ranted as she began placing pots and pans on the rack hanging over the island. "Ema would die if she knew you were eating take out all the time."

"Well now that you're here you can cook," Auston countered sassily as he watched Stef roll her eyes while putting food in the fridge. 

"We can make a deal if you keep that fridge stocked I'll feed you," Lydia said with an easy smile, knowing cooking was the easy part of the deal. 

"Ok done," Auston yelped, making the other boys look at him strangely. "What?" he protested. "Lydia makes amazing food."

"That's right, and I'm ready to start dinner so get out," Lydia pointed at the group with a brand new wooden spoon, smirking when they all rushed out of the kitchen except for Freddie. "You too you ginger giant, before I smack you," Lydia threatened with a test swing of the spoon, making Freddie chuckle. 

"I was gonna offer to help," the Dane smiled gently as Lydia raised her eyebrow at him. 

"I really don't need-"

"Yeah well I want to," he said with an air of finality as he opened up the fridge door and peered in. "So what are we having."

*

Lydia couldn't keep the grin off her  face all through dinner. She was sitting between Freddie and Stef, and she and the blonde were giggling through the whole meal as they watched the boys all chirp each other and tell stories from their latest road trip. 

Playoff season was right around the corner and Lydia felt her heart warm when Stef had gone out of her way to warn Lydia as to the nuances of living with an NHL player during the run for Stanley, especially when his teammates would be frequenting the apartment a lot during that time as well. 

Stef and Mitch left at around 11 pm, leaving Lydia, Auston, Mo, and Freddie to relax on the couches. The boys ended up setting up a game on the Xbox, meaning Lydia abandoned them after ten minutes for her own room. She decided to unpack the suitcases she had flown with as her car would be arriving in Toronto the next day where the real unpacking would begin. 

Lydia found herself cuddled up in her bed after unpacking her suitcases and looking over some of the paperwork for her internship she would be starting with the Blue Jays next week. She would be working on her practical hours with the team through the summer and beginning her first semester of PT school in the fall. 

A soft knock at her door led her to close her laptop as she called for them to enter. She grinned when she saw Freddie walk through the door, hopping up from her bed. 

"I just wanted to say bye before I left," Freddie grinned sheepishly, running his hand through his hair. "I'll probably come back with Matts after practice tomorrow though, maybe we can do something in the afternoon?"

"I would love that," Lydia internally squealed as she walked forward to wrap Freddie up in a hug, practically melting into the embrace as he squeezed her body gently. "Maybe you can show me around your favorite parts of the city?" Lydia suggested, leaning back slightly to look into his eyes. 

He nodded with a soft smile before leaning in and pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open when he released her and whispered another soft goodbye with a smile, before heading out and closing her bedroom door behind him.