Picture Perfect | Claude Giroux Philadelphia Flyers story |

A Past Uncovered

(hey guys make sure to read the author's note at the end!) 

-----Kat's POv

"Goodbye Katina!" Jules sings into my dark bedroom just before she leaves for work.

"Bye" I grumble back, "have fun at work." Once I hear her close the front door I turn onto my stomach in bed and let out a huff. My bed was so comfy- did I really have to get up? I didn't even have to go to the morning skate this morning for once but I was still up early as hell. My pillows entice me to just shut my eyes and sleep but it takes all of my will power to get out of my blanket burrito.

I shuffle across the cold hardwood floor and feel blindly around the foot of my bed for my slippers with my toes. My phone growls against my night stand but I decide not to check it- anyone who was texting me this early in the morning could wait till later when I at least have some coffee in me. I waste no time in showering and getting straight back into a tank top and sweatpants. Making my way to the kitchen, I turn on my Mac prepared to edit some more photos of the guys to post on the Flyers web page as well as our old beat up radio. Just as I'm about to pour a bowl of cereal there's a light knock on the door that interrupts my chain of thought and the cheerful Christmas music.

I shake my head walking over to the door, "Jules I swear if you forgot your friggin' keys ag-" I scold as I open the door, "oh." My heart stops dead in my chest.

"Just a hint- Jules has straight brown hair- I have orange curls," Claude says with a huge grin spread across his stupidly handsome face. His hair was damp with some stray curls stuck to his temples and his rain jacket was dripping on the hardwood in the doorway. Claude's holding two coffees in one of those flimsy cardboard carriers and a brown paper bag with cute pink and yellow writing across the front. We hold each other's stare a little longer than normal. "I brought breakfast," he states, holding up the decorated bag breaking the silence, "and latte's... for us to eat... " he trails off with a devilish grin, "don't tell me you forgot about our date already Katina."

My heart jumps into my throat- shit I did forget, but who in their right mind starts a date at 8:00am? "Okay maybe I did forget," I mumble and step aside so he can walk into the apartment. Wait did he call this a date? There's no way this can be a date date my mind reassures itself. As he passes me, he hands me one of coffee cups warming my hands and heart immediately; "you're lucky you brought caffeine with you G or I might not have been so loving," I tease with a playful sneer.

"I think I could've worked my way in here without the caffeine somehow," he beams with a wink sending a deafening blow to my weak, pathetically smitten heart.

"Don't be too cocky Giroux," I manage to say with a bit of confidence, "remember the last time I took a coffee from you?" I add with a grin referring to a laughable memory made in Jersey. Truth is he probably could've shown up at 6:00am, waking me up with an air horn, wearing a trash bag, and I still would've let him in without a damn fight. He sets down the bag that reads "Sweetie Pies" and pulls out some amazing looking pastries and donuts I couldn't wait to get my hands on. He grabs a plate from the cabinet and places it on the counter, "hope you don't mind sharing with me or pigging out on sweets," he says softly with a smile as he tears the pastries in half, "you have to try all of these they're amazing."

As we eat our sweets and drink the lattes, he's constantly making me laugh and asking me how the sweets taste, making sure I like everything; Claude is being incredibly suave- even at this early in the morning- does the guy ever take a break from being so friggin' charming? If he has a warning label it definitely says "watch out women within a three mile radius: may cause butterflies, vertigo, obliviousness, heart eyes, endless smiling, and heartbreak."