huuuuughes - Tumblr blog

huuuuughes · 16 hours

Text

Chills - Chris Driedger x Reader

Pairing: Chris Driedger x Fem!Reader

Summary: You just can't seem to stay away. Good news is, neither can he.

Word count: 2.2k

Warnings: angst. this is v angsty and im so sorry!!! but its not all bad i swear

A/N: posting before he possibly isnt with the birds/kraken lololol. also i know the birds didn't win the cup this year but this is my fic and my dream so just pretend shhhh

also thank you to the lovely @knivesareout for being my beta for this and for being my bff ilysm. this is for and dedicated to you <3

also (again lol) this is lightly inspired by the song Chills by Down With Webster linked here

Chills

My hearts racing trying to catch up to you

The light that you give off is gold

I can’t shake this feeling it fills the room

These chills didn’t come from the cold, they came from you…

You told yourself you weren’t going to come after what happened. You weren’t exactly part of the WAGS anymore after your most recent breakup with ‘he who must not be named’, but you were still friends with a few. Watching hockey felt bittersweet, knowing it was your happy place but also the reason you’d experienced such a rollercoaster of emotions in your personal life.

You just couldn’t stay away. No matter how hard you tried to, the thought of him was always in the back of your mind. You were just tired of coming in 2nd place to him. Of course you knew hockey came first during the season, but you should be next in line. You were supposed to be planning your life together- the ring on your finger still stared back at you. You couldn’t get yourself to give it back. He hasn’t asked for it, but you knew it was the right thing to do.

Staying away from the arena and the game was the smart option, but part of you, for lack of a better term, just wanted to feel something. So you packed up your stuff, and got in the car. You called Coach, knowing he knew what had transpired. He understood- you wanted to be there, just under the radar. Just because your future with him was uncertain, didn’t mean you didn’t want to be there to support your friends. Playoffs meant everything to the Firebirds, they had so much to prove and everything to gain with this series. There was a ticket waiting for you. On the glass, right behind him. You wore everything you could to disguise your face, and covered your hair.

You didn’t want him to know you were there but you couldn’t bear to be farther away. You just wanted to matter, and be supported as much as you gave. He had the kindest heart and you felt like the intent was there, but you knew athletes weren’t the brightest in the love life department. He didn’t want to admit his wrongs and you could tell the frustration was building up in his game play.

You took your seat among the crowd, blending in and sinking into your seat behind the goal. You watched as he did his creases into the ice, his normal pregame routine. The arena filled with chants of his name, the name you once proudly wore on your back to every game. Driedger.

Chris Driedger. Number 60 and starting goalie for the Coachella Valley Firebirds. You’d met soon after he moved to the Valley. He accidentally picked up your drink at the coffee shop and the rest was history. You were inseparable. Your job was work from home and that allowed you almost too much freedom, letting you become immersed in the world of minor league hockey. With his gear on he looked larger than life, but underneath the goalie mask were the most beautiful eyes and stunning smile you’d ever seen. He was like a magnet, sucking you in any time you were remotely near.

Lucky for you he didn’t spend much time turning around and hadn’t noticed you sitting in your normal spot. You couldn’t help but wonder if he had looked anyway, knowing the secret part of his routine. There were the parts everyone knew, and then there were the ones just for you. Every time he came out into the ice you made sure he saw you. You always made sure that he knew that even if he felt unsupported or alone that you were right there behind him. Sometimes all it took for athletes was knowing that at least one person in the room was there just for them.

Transfixed on the game, you almost jumped out of your skin when an arena employee you recognized tapped you on the shoulder.

“Sorry to bother you Miss, but he wanted you to have this.” They handed you a paper bag, and nodded their head in sympathy before walking away. It wasn’t like the breakup was very public but somehow every person who worked at Acrisure knew already. You opened up the bag, and it was his jersey. Not just a jersey from the shop with his name, but his jersey. It was his normal away game jersey which was so big it was essentially a dress on you. This told you one thing: he knew you were there. Either Coach had ratted you out, or that sixth sense he always claimed he had began working. You didn’t draw attention to yourself but yet, in your lap, the jersey sat like a weight.

Taking it out of the bag, a note began to fall from the sleeve.

Thank you. Meet me after, win or lose. - C.

His handwriting was instantly recognizable. He loved to leave you random love notes all over your apartment together. He wasn’t always the best at saying how he felt out loud, so the notes were his way of telling you how he felt. This one felt different- he liked to remain in the zone before and after games. This told you all bets were off. Putting the jersey on you felt a wave of relief come over you. You were the only two people in the room, or at least that’s how it felt. He was your home base and safe haven. You knew you were first in his heart but you needed him to show it. He had to fight for the two of you just as hard as he did. This jersey was his version of a white flag, so to speak. The break up was supposed to be good for the both of you. It was the worst kind of breakup. The kind where you were still in love but you were supposed to be letting them go.

My world came crashing down right under you,

These chills didn't come from the cold,

They came from you.

It was kind of incredible when you thought about it. Someone who is a stranger one day, can walk into your life and turn your world upside down. The center of your universe changes, and the feeling in your chest doesn’t want the center to change. It was never going to. You couldn’t ask someone to change overnight.

He was playing so well. He remained one of the best goalies in the entire AHL but there was something about him today. If you didn’t know him well, one might not even notice it. His movements were a second too slow, almost too late. The game remained tied at 0-0, but that wasn’t going to be enough, something had to give. It was frustrating that they weren’t making any progress halfway through the second period. With one minute left in the period, the announcer shared with the crowd that there was such a time remaining. The buzzer sounded a minute later, and he didn’t even look back. The team made a beeline for the locker room and you didn’t even hesitate to get up. You made your way to the tunnel where you could access the facilities underneath the bleachers. Flashing your ID that you were supposed to give back, the security guard recognized you and let you pass.

You didn’t even know what your plan was. You just needed to get to him. Now was probably not a good time to try and get to him, they should all be focused on the game. You were going to have to beg Coach in front of the whole team to let you speak with him, which was going to be embarrassing enough. Except when you reached the end of the tunnel and turned the corner, there he was. Still in full gear, helmet still on. His head is bowed down, but at the sound of your shoes his head bolts in your direction. You can feel his gaze through the mask, his eyes like daggers following you as you got closer to him.

“What are you doing out here?” You asked, after finally managing to speak.

“I could ask the same question about you being here.” He was hiding the emotion in his voice as best he could.

“You and I both know I wouldn’t miss this game, whether we’re together or not. This team is still my family.”

“Then why did you sit in your normal seat? You could have sat anywhere else in this arena. You didn’t even need to be here. Why there, when you know I can see you?”

“You should be watching the puck Chris, not me. You have an entire team you’re supposed to be working for.”

“How can I focus when you’re right behind me? Do you think that it’s been easy for me, being without you? I knew the moment you walked into this arena. The moment you sat down. You have been the only thing on my mind for weeks. You are the only light that I notice when you’re in the room. It is maddening to think I am not with you or have you because I can’t seem to get my shit together.” His tone had gotten louder the more he spoke, filling the empty hallway you were occupying.

“You have me! That’s what I came down here to tell you. I thought being apart was the better thing for us. I thought you needed to get it together and so did I. But all of those problems seem small now. I want you to be the best version of yourself. You have earned that cup, you and I both know that. So stop making stupid mistakes. I know you’re holding yourself back. You’re hesitating. I know you’re tired. I know it’s been a long road, but you have 20 more minutes between you and the cup. Do what you do best, please.”

“I- what?” Based on the expression on his face, he wasn’t expecting that response.

“I will be right here at the end of this game, win or lose. Regardless of the outcome, I am proud of you and I love you. But I know your team would appreciate it if it was a win.” You smiled, and he finally took off his helmet. You could see him, truly, for the first time since you walked into the tunnel.

“You’ll be right here? You love me?” He smiled and stepped closer to you.

“Your team needs you now. I suspect Coach will come out here and have my head if you don’t get back in there.” He didn’t need to hear the confirmation, but you could tell in his eyes that he wanted it. He put on a protective shell for everyone else, but only you were the one who could see the little breaks where he let people in.

“Driedger get your ass back in this damn locker room before I die of old age!”

You were really gonna miss him next season.

“That’s my cue.” Before you could say no, he leaned in and placed his hand on the side of your face bringing you closer to him so he could place a kiss on your forehead. “See you in 20 minutes.”

The rest of the game was absolutely electric. You could almost feel the arena vibrating beneath your feet. You wore his jersey proudly, bragging any time he made a save that he was your man. You could almost feel your heart beating out of your chest with every second that passed on the clock. 30 seconds left, a tie score, and the only thing between the Firebirds and a win was just a single goal.

It was like the next 30 seconds passed in a blur. Hershey pulled their goalie in a desperate attempt to get an extra skater on the ice. Out of the corner of your eye you could see Chris leaving his goal like he was going to the bench but that wasn’t what he did. Shore passed him the puck from down the ice, the goal was left unattended, and the next thing you knew the arena exploded. The entire team jumped from the ice and you couldn’t see him anymore.

“ITS OVER ITS OVER, COACHELLA VALLEY IS A CITY OF CHAMPIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR TEAMS HISTORY WITH THEIR FIRST GOALIE GOAL!”

The scoreboard read 3-2.

If you could have jumped the boards you would have. But you ran to the tunnel as fast as your legs would allow. You had to wait for the trophy ceremony and pictures and all of the other hockey politics before it was just the players and their families on the ice. Everyone on the team was telling him how well he did but the only person he had eyes for was you.

“Were you saving that goal for a special occasion?” You raised an eyebrow.

“I gotta keep them on their toes.” He crossed the remaining space between you, and kissed you differently than he had before. This one said he wasn’t letting go.

“AYEEE DRIEDGS GET A ROOM MAN!”

“GOALIE GOAL’S GOT HIS GIRL!” You knew it was Stezzy just from the accent. You continued kissing Chris but also managed to give Aleš a very nice middle finger out of love of course.

“Oh, and I love you too.” This man would be the death of you.

#chris driedger #seattle kraken #goalie #goalie goal #nhl #hockey #coachella valley firebirds #coachella firebirds #firebirds #ahl #chris driedger x reader #angst #fic #danielle writes

4 notes · View notes