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Bitty wakes up sweating. It can’t be more than 75 upstairs, but his room is so stuffy he wants to explode. Maybe it’s because he spent all day in his room working on a midterm paper, or maybe it’s because he made no progress because he misses Jack so much. Maybe the distance is making him claustrophobic. It’s only 45 minutes, but with their schedules, it feels like hours. Jack recently had a long roadie, and Bitty’s been swamped with school lately. It’s been weeks since they last saw each other in person. Maybe he just needs to open the window a bit, Bitty thinks. He checks the clock and groans before rising out of bed reluctantly. It’s only 11. With the amount of tossing and turning he did, it feels like it should be at least 4. He never sleeps well alone anymore, not without Jack’s arms around him. Not without feeling Jack’s heartbeat against him, without their breathing falling together.
He flips on the lamp, takes a moment to adjust to the brightness, eyes squinting in discomfort, and saunters toward the window. He reaches it and is about to pull it open when he sees a light on the roof. He wouldn’t have questioned it a year ago, but with Shitty absent from the house, it just doesn’t make sense. He opens the window about halfway and peeks his head out when he sees the light move a little. Now he can make out a face, and laughs to himself, because God, he’s dating a giant dweeb. Jack Zimmermann is sitting on the roof next to Bitty’s window, looking worn out, with a flashlight in tow. He must have driven down as soon as he could after his game. They’d won that night, wiped the floor with the Bruins, actually, but Bitty could tell Jack wasn’t feeling right when he left the ice that night. The game had ended two hours ago now.
Jack looks back at him, and moves in to kiss him gently, Bitty’s head still sticking out the window.
“I missed you,” Jack says into Bitty’s hair.
Bitty smiles at him and moves to open the window further, climbs out onto the roof, and rests his head on Jack’s shoulder.
“I missed you too, sweetheart.” Bitty replies before leaning into kiss Jack again. It’s a slow, gentle, sleepy kiss. Neither wants to pull back until Bitty remembers that he needs to breathe.
Bitty pulls away gently, but leaves their foreheads touching. “Honey, you could have called, or, you know, come in the door?”
“I wanted to surprise you. I was gonna knock on your window and climb through like they do in those movies you like. But then I got up here and you were asleep and I didn’t want to wake you up. So I waited. Thank goodness you decided to open the window, eh?” Jack replied.
“Jack Laurent Zimmermann, you could have been stuck out here all night because of me. I could have been responsible for the NHL’s top center catching a cold. It’s still March, Jack! It’s only 40 degrees out here! And you have playoffs coming up!”
Bitty stops to think for a second, before laughing to himself. He rests his head back on Jack’s shoulder.
“I can’t believe my boyfriend is a nerd whose plan to woo me is sitting on the roof, waiting for the off chance that I open the window. Come on, let’s go in before you get sick.”
“Bittle, I’m Canadian. 40 is nothing. But a bed sounds nice right now.”
They reluctantly get up and head in through the window. Bitty closes it behind them. His room doesn’t feel so stuffy anymore, and he can breathe again. Jack collapses on the bed and Bitty follows. Jack wraps his arms around the smaller boy.
“Sweetheart, you must be so tired. To drive up here right after a game…” Bitty says into Jack’s chest.
Jack mumbles him reply into Bitty’s hair. “It was worth it to see you in person. I needed to be able to kiss you, to wrap my arms around you, to feel you there. I’ve missed you even more lately. And I just. I needed to see you.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Honey, but how did you get up here?”
“I called Lardo on my way down. I climbed out through her window and crawled to yours.”
“Mr. Zimmermann, has anyone ever told you that you’re a massive sap?” Bitty asks. Before Jack can answer, Bitty continues. “But you’re my sap.” He says, smiling into Jack’s chest. Jack leans his head down to kiss Bitty again before their breathing falls in with each other’s and they drift to sleep.
_
Bitty wakes up the next morning still snuggled in Jack’s arms. He smiles and leans up to kiss Jack.
“Morning, sweetheart.” He mumbles when they pull away. “What time do you have to leave?”
“Day off today. I don’t have to head back until tonight.” Jack says sleepily.
Bitty starts to stir, but feels Jack pull him back in.
“Just stay for a while?” Jack mumbles, holding Bitty a little tighter.
Bitty settles back in, his head against Jack’s chest again. Breakfast can wait.