Chapter Text
1)Now what?
“So...Now what?” Scott asked. Scott was sitting on Tessa’s cream coloured sofa with a Toronto Maple Leafs throw blanket draped over his legs, Tessa had been lounging back with her feet up on Scott’s lap. This was a pretty usual layout for them. When they decided to skate with Marie-France and Patrice in Montreal rather than paying for two seperate apartments they opted for one. The first few months they worried that they’d bite each others heads off but now, two years later and Olympic champions, they are still best friends. They finally realized why Kaitlyn and Andrew loved living together, it had been so convenient. Scott did most of the cooking and Tessa would make sure everything was organized, having an extra set of hands around the house really did save them tons of time. It was all very domestic, and surprisingly platonic. On the train to Montreal when they mapped out their two year plan, they made one thing very clear, the one rule they had been following since they broke up as kids. Absolutely no falling in love with each other. They both laughed off the idea because after 20 years, you’d think you would know if you were in love with your best friend and skating partner. Despite the on and off ice chemistry, they were in fact just friends.
“We could walk to that coffee place you like, they have the largest cinnamon buns I have ever seen.” Tessa said, scrolling through her phone.
“Let's do it.” Scott said giving Tessa’s foot a tickle, causing her to pull her knees into her chest allowing Scott to move out from under her.
The two walk down the sidewalk chatting about the ‘Ellen Show’ and how disappointed they had been that she only wanted to talk about their relationship when they had two gold medals strung around their necks. This had been a topic they had been hearing a lot about the past few weeks since Pyeongchang, are they dating? Do they love each other? How do they define their relationship? Do they see a future together? It was all so exhausting and yes, they had rehearsed answers...but still nobody believed that they weren’t a couple. They had passed some of Tessa’s favourite stores as they walked and she couldn’t help but glueing her eyes to the windows. She stopped to look at a lavender scarf on one of the manikins that she had fallen in love with since they first started displaying it. It had tiny little navy pinstripes down it that could only be seen if you look hard enough.
“Why couldn’t they have asked us about how many hours we spent at the rink per day or how often we needed to be adjusted by a chiropractor? -Tessa?” Scott had continued walking and didn’t realize he had lost Tessa to the sight of her dream scarf.
“Sorry!” Tessa jogged to catch up, bumping into his arm to let him know she was beside him.
“Why don’t you just buy the scarf?” He asked her.
“I don’t know...I don’t actually need it. I just like it.” She furrowed her forehead in deep thought.
Scott opened the door for Tessa and they walked into the Cafe claiming their usual spot. Tessa unbuttoned her jacket and draped it over her chair neatly. She immediately walked up to the counter and ordered a double almond milk cappuccino, a large coffee with two creams, and a cinnamon roll with two forks. Tessa handed the barista money and then came back to join Scott at their table. He had made himself comfortable and was staring happily out the window, people watching. Sometimes it took her by surprise how interested people where in her and Scott’s lives, they were after all just regular people who do regular things...like drinking coffee at their favourite cafe on a sunny thursday morning.
“So, Jordan called me last night and she’s staying with my mum, apparently they have had reporters calling and asking for interviews about us.” Tessa stated, drawing Scott’s attention back on her.
“See this is what I hate the most about all this publicity, suddenly it came from us being the most decorated figure skaters to harassing our families on private information. It makes me feel really terrible, they didn’t sign up for this- we did.” Scott huffed. Agitated.
“It’ll die down.” Tessa said, trying to sooth her partner. Placing her hand over his on the table.
“Yeah, I suppose so.” Scott looked back out the window and Tessa removed her hand from Scott’s when the barista placed their coffee’s in front of them.
“Thanks.” Tessa said smiling at the young girl who has served them many times before, “I got two forks because you’re helping me with this.” Tessa pushed the plate closer towards Scott.
“Sounds great!” Scott stood up. “Just give me two minutes, I have to call my mum quickly.” He said, excusing himself from the table. Tessa had felt bad for worrying him.
Scott had walked out of the cafe stuffing his phone back into his pocket, not actually intending to calling Alma. He walked across the street to where that silly scarf was displayed in the window and opened the door to the quaint shop. A bell above the door chimed as he stepped from the cold into the stuffy little shop, the floorboards squeaking with every step he took. He walked over to where the scarf was displayed and yanked it off of the plastic manikin. Tessa would continue looking at this damn thing forever and never buy it, even though she knows it would look amazing on her. Scott placed the scarf onto the counter and pulled his wallet out to pay.
“Beautiful, isn’t it. Is this for your special lady?” The middle aged woman asked in a french canadian accent.
“Yeah.” Scott said, only half paying attention.
“That will be 98 dollars.” The woman said.
“What? For a flimsy piece of cloth?” Scott raised his voice before remembering it wasn’t the ladies fault.
“It is Cashmere.” The lady said, “It’ll make your girl very happy.”
“Ah, okay fine.” Scott said handing her his card. He kept glancing out the window hoping Tessa doesn’t think he’s left.
The lady wrapped up the scarf in an unnecessary little plaid box with a white ribbon keeping the lid on. Scott shifted his weight impatiently and when she was finished he thanked her, grabbing the box and jogging across the road back to Tessa. When he walked into the cafe the table where Tessa was sitting was now surrounded by teenagers who were asking her to sign stuff. Tessa smiled at Scott over their shoulders and when he approached the table the four girls squealed and started begging for pictures. Scott placed the box on the table momentarily distracted while he smiled for pictures and signed t-shirts. Once the girls were satisfied, they thanked the ice dancers and let them be. Scott sat back down across from Tessa who was now eyeing the box.
“What is that Scotty?” She asked, curiously.
“It’s a special delivery for miss Tessa Virtue, consumer of entire cinnamon rolls.” Scott teased, Tessa’s face went pink when she noticed she had accidentally eaten the entire treat she was supposed to share.
“I’ll add that to my resume...sorry Scott.” She shrugged her shoulders, picking up the box.
“S’okay, you know how I feel about sweets.” He smiled, watching her unlace the bow.
“You didn’t!” She gasped pulling the scarf out from the box. “Oh Scott, this is an amazing surprise. Thank-you!” Tessa stood up and wrapped the scarf around her neck before plunking herself down on Scott’s lap and enveloping him in a hug.
“I hope you’re prepared to explain this one to the tabloids.” Scott chuckled into her ear.
And Scott was exactly right. By the time Tessa and Scott walked back to their condo and settled in, their phones were already blowing up with people they didn’t know posting photos of Tessa sitting on Scott’s lap wrapped in the scarf he had just bought her. They had captions such as ‘Scott just bought Tessa a $100 scarf. Yeah. Right. Platonic.’ or ‘First a cashmere scarf, next a diamond ring. Admit it, you’re a couple.’ Scott swore under his breath when the lady in the shop he had bought the scarf from confirmed over twitter that he ‘was buying it for a special lady.’ Yeah, he agreed that he was, but this had been taken out of context. Tessa tossed her phone onto the their kitchen table and crossed her arms over her chest. Scott stopped scrolling through instagram and went back to stirring the spaghetti sauce.
“We’re kidding ourselves if we think this is going to stop anytime soon.” Tessa said, rolling her new scarf between her thumb and index finger.
“What do you want to do about it?” Scott asked, equally annoyed.
“I think we should try going on a date.” Tessa said casually before realizing what she said. Scott turned to face her, his head cocked to the side. “I mean..with other people.”
“Oh...um..yeah, I knew what you meant.” He said running his hand through his hair nervously.
“Let’s do this tomorrow night!” She said, when Tessa puts her mind to something..
“T, I know it’s probably easy for you. You’re so damn beautiful and smart..but I can’t get a date in one night! I don’t have many beautiful woman knocking at my door.” Scott says.
“Yes you do!” Tessa smiled, “Except I always answer the door and tell them they got the wrong house. I think the man with a great body and mysterious brown eyes lives a few blocks down.”
“Tess!” Scott laughed throwing a noodle at her. They both laugh harder when it makes a splat sound, sticking to her forehead. “I think it’s al dente.”
“Seriously though Scott, you can get a date easily. I watch girls checking you out all the time. What about that Amy girl who was the photographer for our charity event?”
“She was pretty cute.” Scott said, considering the idea. “She was kind of short though.”
“She wasn’t that short.” Tessa defended.
“She kind of reminded me of Meagan Duhamel.” Scott shrugged.
“Call her!” Tessa pushed. “It’s the only way people will stop considering us a couple.”
“Who are you going to go on a date with?” Scott asked, while looking through his contacts.
“Oh, I don’t know...who do you think I should go on a date with?” Tessa asked.
“How about Guy from the studio?” Scott suggested.
“Guy is gay.” Tessa rolled her eyes. “I think i’ll ask Geoff.”
“No way Tess! Geoff is kind of a player.” Scott groaned.
“No he isn’t. He’s nice.”
“T, he’s going to try to get your drunk..and..and.” Scott fumbled over his words.
“Scott, relax! It’s just to cool the rumors. We can go to the same restaurant and look out for each other, okay? After the date is over we will take a cab together back home.” Tessa reassured him.
“Okay, let’s do it.” Scott said calling Amy. Tessa walked into the other room to call Geoff.