"Too tired... can't go on," Francesca says dramatically as she rolls around in the snow at the bottom of the hill.

"Alright butt, I get it," I laugh reaching for her hand so I can pull her up.

She lets me but then falls dramatically onto me like dead weight. I don't even argue with her as I adjust the two sleds in one arm then grab her by the waist with the other and carry her like a suitcase.

She hangs limp the entire walk to the car but I can hear her trying to hide her giggling. When I set her down right next to the car, she quickly pulls on the locked car door frantically.

"So cold, so cold Ry!"

I unlock the car so she can get in, then lock it and use the remote start to turn it on while I walk to the trunk to put the sleds away.

When I finally get into the car Francesca has kicked her snow boots off and has curled into a small little ball, shaking like a leaf. The snow soaked through my jacket and snow pants a while ago and I bet it soaked through hers as well. She tries to give me a smile but her teeth are chattering.

"Here," I shove my emergency gym bag toward her, "I swear it's all clean."

She hesitantly opens the bag and surveys the sweatpants, t-shirt, and sweater.

"I'm ok," she chatters, "you take them."

"I grew up here, I can handle a bit of cold Beck. Besides I have a sweater in my trunk and probably a pair of sweats. You change in the car real quick and I will go check."

"You sure?" She asks, looking at me with concern. Her nose is bright red in the cutest damn way and her cheeks also are pink from the cold. She ripped her wet hat off her head already so her hair is wild and sticking up in every direction but to me she is still painfully gorgeous.

"Absolutely, bang on the back window when you're ready."

Without waiting for her further protests I hop back out of the car. I can see her still hesitantly holding my stuff as I open the trunk and search around for a change of clothes. I find a t-shirt balled up and some sweatpants which are questionably clean but the cold is starting to get to me too, so I rip off my layers and change outside in the snow covered parking lot. When I am done I ball my wet stuff up and throw it into a pile before grabbing my hockey Leatherman which has also been sitting in my trunk a questionable amount of time.

When Francesca finally knocks on the window I shut the trunk and get back in the car again. When I look over at her again I think time completely freezes.

She has put her warm fluffy boots on again and my sweatpants are so big on her I am certain that both her legs could fit in one pant leg. She is wearing my sweater with the hood up and pulled tightly around her face so just her nose and eyes stick out, her hands are pulled inside the sleeves which she's balled up around her fingers for a little bit more warmth.

I have seen Francesca in so many different outfits ranging from just leggings and a sports bra to her sick day pajamas. I have seen her in my stuff plenty of times before too, she has been wearing my stuff to games for weeks. Yet looking at her now I feel like this will easily go down in the history books as my favorite outfit she's ever worn or will ever wear. I may have to take her sledding more often if it means moments like this.

"I like the snow, a little. I still don't like to walk to class in it but anytime you need a sledding buddy, you have my number."

I can't help the cocky grin that spreads across my face knowing she had fun today. "Looks like you are a little bit of a Michigan girl after all, Beck."

"Well this Michigan girl is hungry, can we get dinner?"

"Yeah definitely, I know a place where no one will find us."

Yay," she cheers as I begin to drive and she grabs the aux like this is her car.

I don't recognize the song when it comes on but I know it's Taylor Swift because that is the only thing Francesca ever listens to. I don't say anything though because honestly I like her music and mostly because it makes Francesca so fucking happy.

When we get to the diner about 20 minutes from school Francesca has to hold up my pants to keep them on her. I laugh as I warp my arm around her to keep her from slipping on the ice.

"You have a big ass," she teases once we sit down, on the same side again because apparently I was finally owed some good karma in life.

"I know, Bray tells me all the time."

"Bray has questionable taste."

"Eh, yeah but he is my best friend so I have to pretend to be nice sometimes."

"Parker has questionable taste too, so I get it."

I almost suggest we hook them up but I keep that to myself because if I said it out loud they might hear me from multiple towns over and after a month or so of the prank war all I have learned is they both terrify me. Luna threatens to burn my things but they are psychotic enough combined to legit do it.

Dinner is relaxing and over the two hours we spend in the diner eating way more food than two college athletes should be eating, I learn a lot of things.

The first thing I learn is that Francesca loves dipping her fires in her milkshake. To be fair I did try it and I saw the appeal.

Second, Francesca keeps a list of rides I give her and things I pay for so one day she can pay me back.

Next I learned her phone password. It is 1989, I know I was about as unsurprised as anyone else. I used that to delete her stupid list of money she thinks she owes me. If she had any idea how meaningless money was to me and how valuable her friendship was.

After that I learned that she swears she has no intention of giving me my outfit back because it is just so comfy and amazing.

At the same time I learned I never wanted her to give it back. I want her closet to be filled with my stuff and I want her to walk around with my name on her back and I never want to see her wearing someone else's clothes.

And lastly, I learned her laugh is my favorite sound.

For so many years it was the goal horn, especially after one of my own goals. The deafening noise that silenced all the noise around me was a sound I have always craved. Today with every lame joke I tried and stupid wink I gave the sweet sound of her laugh climbed its way to the top until I couldn't even remember what a goal horn sounded like anymore.

The new little tidbit about myself is only confirmed as I pay at the counter with Francesca twirling in circles around me with her new found burst of energy.

"I just think that if more people tried it they would like it," she explains with a laugh as I grab her hand and twirl her once more before leading her to the exit with my hand on her back.

Did I mention I also learned I don't hate physical touch? Actually when it is her I am touching or being touched by, I find I sort of long for it. It is strange... in a good way. Never before have I tried to find ways for someone to touch me even if it is just their knee under the table.

"Tried... eating playdoh."

"Yes!" She exclaims like I am the weird one here. I am not sure how we got on this topic but I know soon we will be on to a new and equally as interesting one that her mind will come up with out of thin air as if it makes complete sense.

"Is this something you do often Beck or..."

"Don't be ridiculous Carson," she scolds while rolling her eyes and pushing me slightly away from her.

"Oh yes, me the ridiculous one butt," I say flatly, though in the dimly lit parking lot I can see the smile tugging on the corners of her lips.

"You are," she insists, spinning toward me quickly.

She is so focused on challenging me that she doesn't watch her step, doesn't see the patch of ice at all. She begins to slip so I reach for her to attempt to steady her.

It is a hopeless attempt which results in me slipping with her. Somehow I manage to protect her face from hitting the hard ground but not my own.

"Shit," she curses, scrambling up as I push up slowly and brush the dirt off my cheek. "Oh god you're bleeding Ry!"

"I'll be ok," I laugh completely unfazed. If I freaked everytime I cut my face and it bled it would be really hard to play hockey at the level I do.

"We have to get it cleaned up before it gets infected! Let's go back inside, I bet they have a first aid kit!"

"Beck, it is fine," I assure, stopping her as she tries to rush back into the restaurant. "I will clean it up at home, trust me, this is nothing."

"You're so stubborn," she huffs. "Give me your keys."

"Yeahhh.. No. I have a scratch, I don't need to have a limb amputated. I am perfectly fine to drive."

"Agh," she screeches as I open her car door and kind of force her into the passenger seat against her will. "At least let me clean it up a bit before we drive home," she insists as I get into the car.

I nod and let her take a half finished water bottle from my cup holder and some napkins from my glove compartment. So carefully she wets a napkin and then gently puts her other hand on the side of my face to hold it still.

I try not to react but when she presses against the cut I hiss a little in pain.

"Oh god, I am so sorry," she rushes looking so scared to keep attempting to clean up what I can only assume is a bloody mess based on the state of the napkin she is discarding into a small ziplock bag she finds also in the glove compartment.

"It's ok, I have lost so many teeth this is nothing," I tease, trying to lighten the mood.

She gives me a weak smile before trying again to clean my face. I bite my lip so I don't flinch as she gingerly tries to clean me up. She is so focused that she doesn't notice me watching her. Nor does she notice how my heart is racing and it feels a little claustrophobic in this car.

When she is done she folds one final napkin and tells me to hold it to my cheek while I drive since the bleeding still hasn't stopped.

I do as I am told the entire drive back to her place where I assume she is going to collect her things and say goodnight. I should have known better.

"Park there," she demands.

I do and as soon as I do she grabs my keys and begins to grab her stuff. She is a few steps away from the car when she realizes I am not following. Slightly exasperated she pulls open my door and gives me an impatient look. "Should I be worried about head trauma?"

"What are you doing?" I ask, completely confused.

"Uh, heading up to my apartment with you so I can properly take care of your cut?"

"You... I could... it isn't..." I can't find my words. She wants to take care of me?

"I know, but I would feel better if you let me," she tells me gently as she reaches her hand out toward me.

I take it and she tugs me along up to her apartment where she bypasses everything else and drags me right into the bathroom. There she sits me on the toilet and then takes a large first aid kit from under the sink.

I watch her pull different things out as she carefully turns my face to her with her small warm hand resting on the side of my neck.

"I am sorry if this burns a little," she apologizes and she takes some alcohol pads and properly disinfects the area.

It does burn but I couldn't be bothered with the pain because she is standing between my legs with my one hand resting on her waist as her one hand rests on the side on my neck with her thumb gently brushing my uninjured cheek.

When I am all cleaned up she rips open a box of Band-Aids and begins layering them on my cheek. I think they're completely overkill and so unnecessary but she is smiling so proud of herself for patching me up so I let her continue.

When she is done she makes me check out her work in the mirror. There is dried blood still on my face and neck that she missed and there are probably 8 Band-Aids piled on my one cheek.

"Fish?"

"Finding Nemo Band-Aids were all I had," she whispers, seeming a little embarrassed.

"I like them," I assure her, even though I am sure their presence on my face will be short-lived.

"I am so sorry I pulled you down Ryder, really I hope you're ok," she insists as she walks me to the front door.

She looks so guilty that I quickly pull her into a hug. She squeezes back tightly nestling her face into my chest. "It's ok Francesca, I promise you it's fine."

She seems unsure as she lets me go but doesn't say anything more.

I leave and as always text her as soon as I get home. She says good night and gives me instructions on taking Advil for the pain. Little does she know in December I had 13 stitches in my face from a stray hockey puck, this tiny scrape is nothing.

As I lay in bed I can't stop thinking about Francesca with her cute little Finding Nemo Band-Aids. As far back as I can remember no one has ever taken care of me like that, never been so worried about me. It is a feeling I could get used to, that felt almost as good as when I took care of her. It is nice to know my well being means as much to her as hers does to me.

________________________________________

Author's Note

Since today is Fryder's anniversary I thought what better way to celebrate  than one of the most requested scenes from Double Booked. If you want a read the before and after to this scene read chapters 28 & 29. Also there might be some other anniversary celebrations posted in the next 24 to 48 hours so I would keep an eye on the New York Summer Epilogues. Parker and Brays book Prank War will be updated again soon.

Love you all and happy Fryder Day!

<3 Tay