Figuring it Out

F I F T E E N | S L A P S H O T

Slap Shot: In hockey, the hardest shot one can perform. Sometimes it can reach speeds of 100 miles per hour.

It took Xavier a while to hear the knocking. While it was loud, he was in the middle of a game, headphones plugged in. Frowning, Xavier glanced at the time wondering who was at his door on a Sunday morning.

He peeked through the small hole to see Rosaura on the other side. A smile made its way onto his face and he opened it to let her in.

"You look cute," he said in a way of greeting. And she did. Rosaura was decked out in a navy oversized sweater and black tights. On her feet were black boots and an long tan coat. Her black hair was pulled back into a messy bun that gave him a clear view of his face.

She scrunched her nose. "Somehow, I thought my greeting would be in the way of a kiss."

Xavier laughed before pulling her into his arms and kissing her long and hard. When he pulled back, he saw the glimmer in her eyes. "Is that good enough?" he teased her.

She rolled her eyes but didn't push him away. They stood in an embrace at the front of his door until he heard someone from the outside, "dude, get a room."

Rosaura immediately made a move to step back but Xavier pulled her inside and closed the door.

"Not that I'm not glad to see you, but your appearance is really a surprise," Xavier said jokingly.

She smiled at him before pointing to the door. "Get out loser, we're going somewhere."

Xavier's eyebrows rose. "And where would that be?"

"It's a surprise. I'm taking you out on a proper date."

Xavier let out a hearty laugh. "Are you forgetting our very memorable date?"

Rosaura shook her head. "It was memorable but now I want to go somewhere else, and you're going to need to try to disguise yourself."

Xavier looked longingly at his PS4, but Rosaura pushed him towards his room. A couple of minutes later, he was ready and the two of them left the building.

"Where to now, princess?"

Rosaura shrugged in mock horror. "Don't call me that."

Xavier linked her fingers with his. "Why not? Seeing you on the ice reminds me of an ice princess." His eyes crinkled. "I could call you my little flower?"

Rosaura didn't respond but Xavier saw her cheeks heating up. He smiled but it turned into a frown as he saw they were at a bus stop.

"Are we really not taking a car?" he asked.

"Don't be so entitled." Rosaura replied. "Going on the bus will make our destination much easier."

Xavier groaned but he got onto the bus behind her. He pulled the baseball cap lower over his head to avoid being recognized. Rosaura looked happy and he didn't want any fans to ruin the moment.

It wasn't as if Xavier didn't adore his fans. He did. It was amazing to have so many young players looking up to him as a role model but sometimes—times like this, he just wanted to be a boy hanging out with a girl he really liked.

What seemed an eternity, but was only half an hour, they arrived at their destination. Rosaura tugged on his hand and he blindly followed her. They got off the bus and began walking into a couple of narrow streets.

"This seems really shady," he commented drily.

Rosaura was looking at her phone with a frown. "Google maps said this was the fastest way to..." she caught herself before revealing the location of wherever they were going.

They circled around for a few minutes and that's when Xavier started to get frustrated. "If you would only tell me where we are going, I could help you."

Rosaura gave him a sheepish smile. "I was thinking of taking you to the History Museum since I know you like that kind of stuff."

Xavier was momentarily taken back by how thoughtful Rosaura was. It was true, he loved reading history books and if he didn't play hockey, he probably would have studied history at university. Xavier also knew the location of the museum, but he hadn't visited in years. Somehow, his games, road trips, and other commitments got in the way of one of his favourite places.

He led Rosaura to the building and she smiled up at him—it took Xavier's breath away. It was terrifying to see someone having so much power over his mood. Rosaura was his first serious relationship. Most people expected him to be a womanizer, but his mother had taught him to respect women and his hockey life had left him unable to commit to a prior relationship.

"Thank you for bringing me here." he said softly before leading her in.

He bought their tickets and began showing her around the place. Rosaura seemed interested and so Xavier blabbered on about the different displays and provided more information than was available on the small plaques.

They spent most of the afternoon slowly making their way from one exhibit to the other. It was nice being able to share his lesser known passion with someone else. As they made their way towards the exit, Xavier gently pulled Rosaura back. He had forgotten about the gift shop. He guided her towards the doors and set out for the counters.

Xavier was delighted to see the object he was looking for was there. He pointed towards the necklace, currently encase in glass. "How much is it?"

The man behind the counter followed his gaze, "Forty bucks son."

Xavier nodded. "I'd like to buy it please."

The man took it out and Xavier purchased the necklace with his credit card. Rosaura was still looking around the shop and so when Xavier casually touched her shoulder, she almost jumped into a rack of hats.

"A little warning would be nice." She muttered.

Xavier smiled. "See anything you like?"

Rosaura shook her head. "Nah, lets leave we have other places to go."

Xavier's eyebrows rose but he did what she asked. As they exited the store, Xavier handed the bag to her, "For you."

Rosaura took the bag and opened the small box. Inside a necklace lay with a small rose. Her fingers brushed over the pendent softly. "It's beautiful" she breathed.

Xavier grinned. "I realized I never asked you officially to be my girlfriend and so I am now." And then he uttered the words.

Rosaura gave him a soft peek on his left cheek. "Of course, I will. Thank you for the gift."

Xavier helped Rosaura put it on and through the rest of the day, he often saw her tracing the pattern or looking at the necklace. He smiled. He had gotten his little rose the perfect gift after all.

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Sorry for the late update! It was my cousins wedding so I was busy the past couple of days. Fun fact about this chapter, I had to go back and write it because I realized I had written the next chapter in Rosaura's POV instead of Xavier's.