#Boston bruins imagine

[cuteandhughesy]

hiii!!! i love your writing, like the angst and the fluff is amazing. i actually had a request for arturs silovs (canucks) or jeremy swayman (bruins obv, for now at least) where they go on reader's popular hockey podcast, which kinda goes viral in the hockey community with many ppl shipping the two, and they kind of get pushed into doing more media stuff together as it brings views for the teams and stuff? im sorry thats all i got, feel free to add or change this if you do choose to write it. thanks

The Alchemy | Jeremy Swayman

summary: having your own sports podcasts was one of the most enjoyable and rewarding jobs you could ever have. when a particular episode with bruins goaltender blows up - you are jermey are pushed together to film more videos. it doesn't help that everybody is shipping you two together - making your growing crush on him become harder to mask.

9.6K

warnings: SFW! friends to lovers | mention of covid -19 | fishing | suggestive dialogue | kissing

a/n: thank you for the request! your idea was so cute that I just had to write! I chose sway obviously so I hope yall love <3 happy halloween 🎃

link to masterlist

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when you were a little girl you'd often find yourself huddled on the cozy material of the living room couch, watching your dads tv shows until way past your bedtime. you'd always stay quiet, eyes focused only on the tv, too scared that if you'd move you'd be put into bed.

that's when you first fell in love with hockey. having no choice but to watch the tv and seeing professional athletes zip around the stark ice at high speeds, shooting dangerously, and throwing hits - you were immediately drawn into the crazy world of hockey.

but when you're a girl and you express your love for any kind of professional sport, you become immediately labeled; gold digger, clout chaser, a bunny. whether it is football, baseball, basketball, or hockey, nobody believes girls when they say they're into the sport simply because they like the sport.

that's what made you want to start pursuing a hockey related career. you wanted to show everybody that girls, just as well as men, could watch and enjoy a sport without any ulterior motives.

in 2020, with covid-19 at its peak, you started to create hockey related content and post it on tiktok. it was simple videos with just you and your mini microphone - discussing game play, trending and popular news, and nhl players.

it blew up, and after a year of tiktok content, you were approached by barstool sports with the opportunity of a lifetime.

starting a professional sports podcast was intimidating, especially under such a well known company like barstool. you'd be competing with pardon my take, bussin' with the boys, and most famously, spittin' chiclets.

you started with high hopes and a nervous belly, recording a solo episode in your small podcast room. thankfully because of your large following on tiktok, your podcast was a successful one, and you continued to grow into your space and talk all things hockey.

what set you apart from other sports podcasts was your style of content. you were good at remembering these athletes for who they were: human. of course, you'd analyze and discuss their game, but at the end of the day, these men aren't machines and you were always reminding your audience of so.

fans of the podcast described you as 'an amazing sports analysts who perfectly represents how it feels to be a woman in sports. y/n is respectful but honest. funny but kind. clever but not a know it all. pucks in deeper with y/n is the best sports cast for everyone."

it wasn't long before your podcast, titled pucks in deeper, was gaining traction outside of your tiktok fans, and you started getting occasional sponsorships and guests on the show. starting smaller with paul bisosnette and ryan whitney (who graciously had you featured in an episode of their podcast), then landing your first active nhl athlete, only 9 months after starting at barstool.

ryan reaves was the perfect guest for your podcast and perfectly matched your vibe and the vibe of content you wanted to put out into the world. the episode with reaves birthed your first viral clip, and from there you had other professional hockey players wanting to come on your podcast and chat.

at 25 years old, and almost 5 years deep into your podcast, you were thriving. often getting compared to a mixture of bobbi althoff, alex cooper and brittany broski - your content was very personalized to your interviewee, and you specialized in humour and lighthearted conversation that the players were very intrigued by.

obviously, you got hate comments, mostly from people who had nothing better to do. you'd get called a puck bunny, and were told that ‘you knew nothing’, and ‘should quit while you're ahead.’ but that didn't phase you, and you thrived off the negatively. it pushed you to prove them wrong, and continue to have a viral and successful podcast despite the criticism.

——

email from: barstool sports inc

to: y/n y/l/n @pucksindeeperpodcast

y/n,

as usual, your podcast remains a positive and successful experience for our company. we continue to be absolutely blown away by the outpouring support and love for pucks in deeper, and are excited for you to continue at the pace you are still gaining.

due to the incredible virality of your podcast episode with jeremy swayman, we have reached out to both you and swayman with a proposal. the fans and viewers have loved your shared dynamic, and we are wanting to feed off that outpouring obsession by having you and jeremy film some content for our barstool channels.

that includes an expenses paid trip from new jersey out to boston, where you'll be staying for a few days for filming - as well as transportation and hotels in boston.

we are certain this will benefit you and the continuing growth of your podcast.

jeremy swayman's team has already agreed to the terms of the proposal and he is willing to spend time and participate in planned content recordings.

let us know what you're thinking and if you'd be so kind to consider this opportunity.

thank you,

barstool sports inc.

you re-read the email again, knawing on your thumb nail gently. a few weeks ago, the boston bruins goaltender, jeremy swayman, had graciously made an appearance on pucks in deeper. instantly, jeremy became one of your favourite guests. his calm exterior and humor had bounced off your style of interviewing perfectly, and you found yourself feeling very much intrigued by the goalie.

even though the interview was over a zoom, the entire podcast went smoothly. jeremy was kind and a willing participant in all the quizzes, games and questions you'd thrown his way.

there was a clipped video from the podcast your team had uploaded to your channel's tiktok page that had gone viral, and the traction on the swayman episode after that was mind blowing.

PODCAST CLIP

"okay," you start, a gentle and anticipating grin on your face. "this is near the end of our episode - sad, I understand," jeremy laughs at your humor, his eyes squinting. you continue, "and like usual i've hand selected a question from a fan and i've found the perfect one for you."

jeremy's brows raise, "should I feel scared right now?"

you dismiss his question, a gentle grin still softening your expression. "a little birdy told me that you're a big rom-com guy."

"is this little birdy in question named brandon carlo?" jeremy questions knowingly. you'd had the bruins defence man on the podcast the week before, and he'd immediately spilled the embarrassing and memorable tea on his teammates.

"answer the question."

jeremy laughs once, and through the slightly grainy zoom video, you watch him run a hand through his hair. he nods quickly, still smiling with amusement. "i'd say yeah - fuck it, im a self proclaimed rom com enthusiast."

"well I have the most fun question that i've kind of turned into a mini game," you clear your throat, and your eyes briefly flicker down towards your desk top, scanning over your podcast notes. "the question is from @swaymansbae - damn it they stole the username I wanted." you slip in the joke quickly, just a subtle end to your sentence.

it works, and jeremy laughs again. "oh god - you should fight them for it."

you nod, "i'm going to - anyways. @swaymansbae asks what are you favourite rom coms."

jeremy hums appreciatively, already thinking of movies he'd share his love to the hockey world with.

"but I've added my own little twist. okay, so you've all seen how blind ranking things has become just like, this crazy phenomenon online. and i feel left out...so, jeremy i've got a list of 5 of my favourite romantic comedies, and you'll have to blindly rank them - 1 being the best, and 5 being the worst. ready?"

"oh fuck," jeremy huffs a laugh, and you watch him adjust into a more relaxed posture on the camera. he rubs his jawline, eyes bouncing around the computer screen. "i'm feeling nervous now - they're your favourites?"

"yeah," you nod, pushing your blue light glasses higher up the bridge of your nose - your makeup always has them slipping down. "so there is definitely a right and wrong answer."

jeremy curses again, a quiet chuckle coming alongside the swear.

you begin, "10 things I hate about you." you look away from your notebook and back at your computer screen, eyeing jeremy with faux caution.

he hisses through his teeth, teetering his head in quick thought. "i'm going to have to go 5."

"what?!!"

he laughs again, "I don't know…i'm not big on the whole enemies first storyline."

"enemies to lovers, jeremey, get it right."

another chuckle is heard before he starts to defend his rank. "I don't know it's something about that storyline I find so unbelievable. I think if you truly loved one another, you wouldn’t treat each other like that."

you sigh loudly, "okay, I guess that makes sense."

"is that your favourite?" jeremy questions, a teasing glimmer in his eyes.

"no comment." you clear your throat, reading your next movie from your notes. "next: to all the boys i've loved before."

"i've never seen that one - 4."

"jeremy...oh my god."

he raises his hands in surrender, teeth sparkling where they are just becoming visible under his growing smirk. "it's too new!"

"it came out in like 2018 -"

"- okay and i'm more into the classics. that's not one i've seen, but maybe i'll have to check it out."

"no, yeah you absolutely need to watch it." you tell him, eyeing him over the rim of your tortoise shell lenses.

"it's not enemies to lovers is it?" he gets the name of the trope correct this time around, and it has your lips quirking up pleasantly.

you shrug a shoulder, "no, not really."

his brows furrow, "not really?"

"moving on - how to loose a guy in 10 days."

he claps his hands, rubbing them together. "okay now I can get down with this - amazing movie."

"amazing." you echo, nodding. "and like hello matthew mcConaughey is this movie is like perfect, as well as kate hudson."

"way better than him in the wedding planner." the bruins goalie agrees, leaning forward in his kitchen chair as he gets more engaged with the conversation.

your eyes widen in suprise, "100%. and you wanna know why?"

"he's a cheater in that movie."

you make a noise - a combination of joy and shock escaping your throat. "no exactly! you get me."

"I get you." jeremey nods his head in a jerk like motion, acknowledging you like a flirty teenage boy. "i'm going to have to put that at...damn - gotta go 2."

ever so slightly, your cheeks tinge pink. regardless of your online persona of lighthearted, flirty, and funny, you're easily flustered. it sometimes made your job a bit difficult - but you're also good at your job, so repressing that initial haze from his compliment is quick and easy.

"not 1?"

he kisses his teeth, "something could always be better."

"very optimistic of you - the proposal."

his gentle laughter comes to a soft end, and he eyes you through the camera. "y/n…that's that stupid enemies shit again."

"okay, yeah but this one is different."

"how?" jeremy chuckles.

you splutter for a moment, thinking of some sort of answer. "he's all like scared of her and it's just, I don't know, well executed! and it's not like she's horrible to only him, it's just her personality."

jeremy scrunches his noise, clearly not vibing with the proposal even with your explanation. "what do I have left open?"

you glance at your notes, where you've taken the time to make sure you'd been tracking the places of each of jermey's ranking on the movies. "1 and 3."

he curses. "it's gotta be 3 - I can't put it at 1."

"oh my god, better hope you like this next movie. god forbid if the characters are mean." you tease him, eyeing him playfully through the screen. jeremy's lip tugs up, a grin forming. you continue, "and your number one....the last movie is...she's the man with the lovely amanda bynes and channing tatum."

"okay I'm actually really happy with that. I'm obsessed with that movie." he beams, "that is the kind of rom com that you just can't argue its greatness. not only is it funny and unique, but it's a sports movie - c'mon."

you echo him, "c'mon, what's not to like?!"

"sports romance for the win."

"very fitting," you chime warmly. "are you saying if a girl wants your attention she should disguise herself as brad marchand and zip around the ice."

he barks out a laugh, nodding reluctantly. "something like that."

comments

user1: wait this is everything

user2: OBSSESED

user3: sway + his love for rom coms = my new obsession

user 4: no because they way he's looking at her !

user 5: justice for 10 things I hate about you

user 6: why do I ship them together

user3: no because I was going to say that

user 7: they vibe so well together I need this is be like a weekly thing honestly

user 8: he's got rizz

user 9: MORE pls i love you both

user 10: okay but you two would be the most stunning, perfect couple. the humor matches, the banter, the way they look at each other

user4: just watched this again and omg the way sway says he hates enemies to lovers bc he doesn't believe you could treat somebody you love that badly - CERTIFIED LOVER BOY

the fans were always amazing, but as they loved on the episode, the comments about you and jeremey being cute together and shipping you were coming in at a lightning pace. it had you feeling weary of filming more content with him - despite knowing it would be a professional working environment.

the comments made me you feel like you were falling into the stereotyped female hockey fan category - labeled as a puck bunny or clout chaser. and although you found yourself always growing stronger from those false accusations, it doesn't make you the happiest to see those types of comments.

you sigh gently, pressing the respond tab on the barstool email. through your doubts, you know that barstool is right, and filming more content with jeremy while your podcast episode was still gaining traction was smart. and it's not like jeremy was a bad guest - quite the opposite. so you'll learn to work around the fans who want the two of you to date, and the allegations that you're already in jeremy's pants.

spending time with him would be good, you think. without any idea of what you'd have to participate in, you say yes - looking forward to meeting jeremy and continuing to get to know a potential returning podcast guest - getting shipped together be damned.

no harm, no foul.

boston, here you come.

— youtube: JEREMY SWAYMAN TEACHES Y/N Y/L/N HOW TO FISH

"okay and here we have - camera man, come closer." you gesture for daniel, the younger camera guy to come closer. once he's in your space, you direct his attention towards the portable flat table filled with fishing rods along other fishing things. you continue, "and this right here will be my rod. the fisherman's dream 2000."

beside you, jeremy laughs. he's fiddling with his own fishing pole, attaching the fake shrimp lure on his hook. he's laughing because there's no fishing rod on the table called the fisherman's dream 2000, and you are simply just fooling around.

regardless, your face is very serious, and you continue. "I mean, even though this is my first time fishing, jeremy told me - he actually said this - he said: I can tell you're going to be the best fisherman already so you deserve the nimbus of fishing rods. to which I responded, 'jeremy I'm a fisherwoman not a fisherman.'"

"yeah, you're right I totally said that." gently with his hip, jeremy shuffles you slightly off to the side, making more space. you don't mind, and allow him to move you around with his gentle push. immediately, he reaches for the fishing rod you'd been talking about, picking it up off the table to start attaching bait.

before he hooks the mini lure on, he looks at you. he's already grinning, and one of his brows is raised questioningly. "you sure you don't want to hook it on? you're supposed to be learning."

you cross your arms over your dark green plastic overalls, and the fabric puffs around you awkwardly. "I can watch and learn."

he eyes you slowly, gaze dragging down your body, assessing your fishing attire of rubber boots, overalls and a long sleeve - and back up to your face. jeremy is dressed the same, keeping him dry from the drizzly, cooler june day. "you definitely like to watch, huh?"

your mouth drops slightly, and in an instant you're getting into his space, taking the bait from jermey's calloused fingers. "okay, fine." he's laughing at you gently, watching as you try and attempt to attach the rubber fish to the sharp hook. you curse, merely missing pricking your finger. "this is rigged - there's no way it's supposed to be hard."

gently, jeremy takes over once again, hooking your lure correctly so it's secure on the end of fishing rod. you look back up towards the camera again, "okay and as you can see we've attached the fake bass fishy to the rode - hopefully to catch some big fish." you fist bump in and early celebratory gesture.

chuckling, jeremy shakes his head in amusement. it wasn't a bass lure, and they're aren't even bass on the lake you're at. regardless, he lets you take control and entertain- what you're best at.

"if I was a fish, i'd fall for that fake food -  zoom in on that masterpiece, my god!" daniel the camera man does what you ask, expertly changing the framing on the camera to capture the neon oranges and pinks of the lure.

shrugging, you dig into the tackle box, pulling out some more fishing necessities. things like rolls of fishing line, pliers, scissors and anything in between. you pull out a small pocket knife, holding it wearily as you eye the camera - a frightened expression on your face. "what's this for? are we gutting them?"

jeremey laughs once, shooting you a look as he fiddles with the rod. you had no idea what he was actually doing with the fishing rod, because you've never held a pole in your lifetime. "we're not gutting them." he tugs one of the levers, and the clear fishing line tightens before your eyes.

"then what's the knife for?" you question, swinging it back and forth between two pinched fingers.

he shrugs, testing the retention of his fishing line. "don't worry about it." your eyes widen comically, and the swinging knife comes to a dramatic stop. it has jeremy laughing again, his shoulders shaking as he does. "okay, are you ready to head over to the lake?"

the lake in question was only 10 feet away - the water looking awfully calm through the misty weather.

you turn your body to face jeremy fully, an amused frown tugging at your lips. your brows raise playfully, "am I ready?" you echo, sarcasm lacing your tone. you pull the straps of your rubberized overalls, letting them smack back against your shirt. "i'm ready to catch some fish."

with that, you grab the orange rod from jeremy, bringing it against your chest. jeremy cringes slightly, watching the way your fingers merely miss the hook on the end of your line. on instinct, he reaches out to you, moving your hand gently so that you're out of harms way. "do you remember what I told you?"

you think back to the beginning of filming, after you'd mentioned to everyone that you had absolutely zero clue how to fish. jeremy had nicely said there was nothing to it, and as long as you remembered a few rules, you'd be fine. you sigh in thought, eyes looking into jermey's - his gaze encouraging. "stay calm and speak gently - to not scare the fish."

you're praised immediately, jeremy smiling warmly as he gathers the fishing necessitates to bring down to the water. on the way down, you almost wipe out, practically shrieking as your foot slips down the wet, grassy hill. it would've had you feeling embarrassed, but thankfully jeremy's reflex's were superior (those nhl goalies are on a different level), and he grabs the crook of your elbow to stabilize you.

he smiles slightly, eyeing you playfully when he asks if you're okay. you blush slightly, brushing off your slip with some teasing remark.

when you had arrived at the filming location this morning, you weren't expecting to end up at a fishing park - you weren't expecting fishing period. you'd been left feeling clueless about what you and jeremy would be filming for barstool, and you definitely weren't prepared for water related activities. thankfully, the crew had provided both you and jeremy with proper waterproof attire - your tights and long sleeve align top wouldn't cut it.

right before getting changed, jeremey had shown up and....he was much better looking in person. you hate yourself for even thinking that, and you almost feel guilty for daring to even have those thoughts about an nhl athlete. anytime you think an athlete is cute, you have that guilty feeling - you hate that it plays into that bunny stereotype, even though you'd never get on your podcast and solely discuss an athletes look.

regardless, you're not blind. jeremy swayman was taller than he looks, and broader than expected. he also smelt really good, and his smile had you feeling flustered. it had your online persona feeling more real, and your borderline flirty comments had you getting hot and bothered - especially when jeremy flirts and teases back.

off camera, you and jeremy (mostly jeremy) set up the fishing equipment on the dock; poles, extra bait, and even adorable little camping chairs - you really felt like you were getting the premium fisherman experience. he runs over simple fishing techniques and hacks, showing you how to keep ahold of the rod, how to reel your line and casting. the camera catches all your poor attempts, as well as jeremy covering his snicker behind his hand - his amusement at your poor cast very evident.

5 minutes into fishing

you jerk the rod slightly, trying the movements jeremy had showed you just two minutes prior - trying to snag any fish nibbling around your bait.

you sigh gently, pursing your glossy lips outwards. eyeing jermey, you ask, "so like what kind of fish are we exactly trying to catch?"

jeremy hums, "some perch would be nice. or possibly cod, or halibut..." he trails off, eyeing your confused face, and the look you're giving him has a subtle smirk tugging at his upper lip. he breathes a laugh, "you have no idea what I just said, do you?"

you bark an unattractive laugh, and that has jermey's smile deepening. "not a clue."

"that's okay," he assures you immediately, and his leg moves towards you like he was planning to knock your thighs together reassuringly. but your bodies don't touch, and it has you feeling a little disappointed. "everyone has their own interests. besides sports, what else do you like?" he looks towards you quickly, but looks back at the water when he feels his line tug slightly - nothing has bitten unfortunately.

you swing your fishing pole back and forth tiredly, enjoying the way the water ripples from your line moving on the surface. "oh god - honestly i'm into a lot of stuff; movies, books, fashion, food. you name it and i'm into it." you pause, eyeing him playfully. "you must not watch my podcast - I tend to talk about myself a lot."

jeremy looks back at you quickly, but once he sees that you're clearly being playful, his once tight shoulders relax, and he smiles gently. "maybe I get distracted when I watch your podcast and don't catch everything you say."

he was insinuating that he's distracted by your face - his teasing gaze and laughing smirk has you clueing into jermey's underlying undertones.

you clear your throat. you can feel heat rise to your makeup covered cheeks, and you advert your gaze back to the lake - trying to distract yourself from the whirling fluster caused by jermey's flirting. "well guess you'll just have to hear me talk about it all over again."

11 minutes into fishing

"what's your opinion on one direction, jeremy?"

he pauses from reeling his fishing line in momentarily, and a very small, breathy laugh falls from his tinted lips. jeremy looks at you, scratching his stubble in thought. "love them." he admits.

you smile automatically at jeremy's willingness to answer you absurd, random questions - just like he's been doing since you first meet through a zoom meeting for your podcast. your brows raise questionably though, not truly believing that a 25 year old man would vibe to a british teen boy group.

"okay," you hum questionably, "but who's your favourite?"

jeremy doesn't back down, keeping eye contact with you - reeling in his fishing line long forgotten. "who do you think it is?"

now you're invested. you squint at him, deep in thought. you look jermey once over, "probably zayn. yeah, you give big zayn vibes."

he smiles, brows pulled tightly. jeremy jerks his head at you, expression full of curiosity. "who's your favourite?"

"louis." you tell him.

jeremy laughs triumphantly, "i knew you'd be a louis girl."

you click your tongue, and adjust your seating position. without thinking, you let go of the fishing rod so you can push yourself upwards in the chair. before the most likely expensive rod takes a tumble into the misty water, jermey catches it, jolting across your thighs so he can grab it before it plunges.

you don't notice the chaotic series of events, and you smile, still thinking of the one direction conversation. "what can I say," you hum, " I like them a little wild."

jeremy eyes the camera - a mixture of amusement and fear on his face.

19 minutes into fishing

jeremy watches you intently, observing the way you change your bait. there'd been nothing caught yet, and honestly you were playing up the impatient act pretty well.

so, jermey suggested to change the bait on your hook. that way you'd not only be able to have a new opportunity to attract fish, but also learn how to change your lure.

he sighs gently, "okay, you're still not hooking it right." he leans closer to you, the arm rest digging into his muscled side.

"oh, shut up." you grumble, making sure your playful flare is very prevalent in your tone.

jeremy takes the pink bait from your fumbling fingers, properly demonstrating the correct way to attach it to the sharp hook. "you shut up." he echos you, nudging your side with his elbow - his hands not once leaving your fishing rod.

"make me." the underlying suggestiveness that can be taken from your remark doesn't dawn on you at first - but as soon as jeremy pauses, and gives the camera a knowing glance, brow quirked playfully, you realize your mistake.

you blush, and without really knowing what else to do, once jeremy fixes your lure and pulls away, you throw the extra fake fish at him, hitting his bicep.

25 minutes into fishing

"holy shit," you beam, eyeing jeremy beside you. when his posture suddenly changed, as well as his body position- muttering a curse under his breath, you knew something was happening. you watch him reel the line expertly, "do you have a fish right now?"

"yup," jeremy's tongue darts out, tucking against the corner of his mouth as he concentrates on reeling in his catch. it's not much labour for him to bring in the fish, effortlessly lifting it out of the water. it's a pretty big fish, you think, considering you've never seen a living fish this close.

he holds it expertly, detaching the hook lodged in the fishes throat. ones it's free, he switches hands so he's pinching the lip between two fingers, holding it out.

"oh my god, you're like really good at this." you compliment, tilting your head to get a better look at the side of the fish, eyeing its reflective, slippery scales.

"you like that, huh?" he spins the fish in between his fingers, allowing you to get a proper look at all angles. jeremy grins, eyes watching your wondrous face. "want to hold it?"

you frown unpleasantly, eyes darting between jermey's reassuring face and the scaly fish gripped in between his fingers. "I don't know?" it comes out like a question, your weariness about holding the fish clear.

"you got it," he assures you, "come here." he holds his free arm out, silently gesturing you to come towards him.

almost reluctantly, you take the few steps left between you, and stand beside him. the camera catches it all; jeremy practically gentle parenting you as he shows you how to properly hold the fish, the uncertain expression pulling at your face, and the shriek you let out when the fish starts to squirm around - its tail flapping up against your wrist.

"oh it's slimy," you state the obvious, holding it as far away from your body as human possible. it squirms again, and you can feel your fingers slipping away from their grip. you look at a smiling jeremy, who's clearly having fun watching you struggle. "jer, yup."

you gesture the fish at him, eyes darting between the aquatic animal and jeremy.

"he's fine." he smiles through gentle laughter.

"no, no, take the fish."

32 minutes into fishing

you reel in one last time, watching the fish come up from the waters surface, dangling off your hook. it's squirming around, water spraying all over.

jeremy comes up beside you, helping you bring your fishing pole upwards to properly display and hold the fish. "yes, y/n," he smiles praisingly. his arms come around you from behind, adjusting your positioning.

you're too distracted by the fish frolicking around at the end of your clear line to feel flustered by jeremy's closeness - paying no mind to the gentle way he helps you. "oh my god," you beam, "I just caught a fish." 

"yeah you did!" jeremy nods encouragingly, slipping his body around to your side. he looks between the fish and your bright eyes, and he squeezes your bicep warmly - oh, he's still got an arm around you. "you gotta try and take it off the hook."

"no. jer, i'm scared!" you tell him immediately, "I can't do that."

"you can," he assures you, "just try once, and if you really feel uncomfortable after that, ill do it, okay?" his warm eyes stare into yours softly, providing a comforting vibe towards your clear uncertainty.

that combined with his sweet smile and the heat of his body, which, yes, his arm was still wrapped assuringly around your body, has you sighing shakily and you nod. "okay, i'll do it. i'll try just for you."

— tiktok video:

when you'd finished up filming, one of the producers who'd been off working in some white, pop-up tent while you'd be with jeremy, informed you that before leaving, they need you and jeremy to make a tiktok.

but surprisingly, they gave you and jeremy a lot of creative freedom with the direction of the video. meaning, you'd get to choose the audio and your positions and presentation of the tiktok.

"twin" the audio starts through the phone, and you mouth the beginning of the song. the camera catches you stepping out of one of the trucks, mimicking you as if you'd just got to the filming sight. you've still got your fishing gear on - rubber overalls and boots included.

the next shot is on jeremy, who you both decided would be at the picnic bench, looking like he was waiting for you. as the audio starts, he whips around towards the camera, lip syncing to the next line of the audio. "where have you been?" he points off camera at you, and his overalls squeak at the friction of movement.

you laugh at him behind the camera, stifling your laugh into a clenched fist. jermey finishes that part of the audio with a large wink in your direction, and you shake your head with amusement- a giant blush covering your cheeks.

"nobody knows me like you do." you're at the picnic table for the next part, and you previously decided to pretend one of the fishing rods was a microphone, singing into it sarcastically.

the audio continues, and jeremy comes into screen behind you, taking the fishing pole turned microphone to sing the next line. "nobody can't love me quite like you can."

the last remaining seconds of the audio, you wanted to capture you and jeremy from a distance. as an ode to your famous podcast episode clip, you and jeremy previously decided on recreating the dirty dancing lift for the video. right before beginning to film the last part, jeremy checks in on you to make sure that you're still feeling okay with being lifted, which sends your heart running rampant in your chest.

the camera is set to slow-mo, but in real life it feels like you're running a million miles an hour. the way jeremy easily lifts you into the air and over his head - his hands splay over the entirety of your hip bones, holding you steady.

you're glad for the ridiculous overalls in this moment, because you think if you'd be able to feel the warmth from his hands too close to your skin, you'd die.

10 minutes later, when you and jeremy are watching the video back, you get all those fluttering, nervous butterflies once again. he laughs against you, body just grazing your backside as he watches the tiktok over your shoulder.

as the lift plays out on the phone, he leans in closer, his chin gently brushing against your shoulder. out of the corner of your eye, you look at him. jeremy is smiling, eyes bright as he watches the end of the tiktok. his woodsy scent is intoxicating, and you can count every freckle sprinkled across his nose with him being so close.

suddenly, he looks at you. his smile doesn't falter, and if anything it changes into a more smirky, excited one. "that's a good one, don't you think?" briefly, you watch his eyes flicker away, landing farther down your flushed face before meeting your gaze again.

you nod once, blinking gently. "yes....really good."

— 9 months later: NHL ALL-STAR GAME

there's not a day that's gone by since the videos of you and jermey had been posted to the barstool media accounts, that you haven't been tagged, sent or mentioned in a clip of the two of you. fans loved you and jeremy, and still continued to blow up not only the fishing video and tiktok, but your podcast as well.

there's also not a day that's gone by since leaving jeremy in his rubberized overalls that you haven't thought of him. in the few conversations you've had face to face with him, you've been left feeling rather smitten and flustered with jeremy swayman. it doesn't help that before you left boston 9 months ago, jeremy had asked for your contact - all smooth and smirky. it obviously had you swooning and giving him your number.

so in all these months, you and jermey had been in contact. it started simple, with sweet check ins every couple days, you congratulating him on wins, and teasing him for his game day suits - but that soon turned into more flirtatious, and playful conversations. on a few occasions, you'd even sent him tiktok edits of himself, accompanied by a sequence of heart eye emojis from you.

jeremy would like and shamelessly comment on all your photos on instagram, and vice versa. which obviously has the shipping edits and comments spiralling to an unfathomable level. at first, you were worried that jeremy would feel uncomfortable with the fans wanting you two together, showing their support through comments and videos - but no, jeremy loved it all.

him having enjoyment in the relationship shipping between you both has you feeling even more into him - your feelings for jeremy growing stronger and stronger. that combined with fun text threads, edits and occasional facetimes from jeremy, has you crushing hard on the bruins goal tender.

two months ago, you had the nhl social administration and event team reached out to your team and ask if you'd been interested in interviewing nhl players on the red carpet for the nhl all star game. it was such a surreal moment and immediately you took the offer.

for the entire two months since accepting the opportunity to be an interviewer for the nhl social team, you'd been looking forward to the february, toronto bound event. the nhl administration has taken care of the expenses, as well as wardrobe and makeup for you - which is wild.

now here you are, standing on the red carpet while interviewing amazingly good nhl superstars. thankfully, you've meet and interviewed a lot of these guys on pucks in deeper, which leaves no room for awkwardness. the players know you and your style of interviewing, and that visibly has them lightning up from their previous over professional exteriors.

you're mid conversation with tom wilson, listening intently as he answers one of your more serious interview questions, when you feel your heart speed up.

it's weird - at first as you're not sure why exactly you've become nervous. you swallow, adjusting the mini-microphone by your painted lips - your gold bracelets clinking against each other. as subtly as you can manage, you let your eyes wander down the carpet, and it doesn't take you long to see and understand the sudden change in your hearts pace.

kids near the entrance of the arena are all calling for jeremy, their hands tightly holding out bruins memorabilia for him to sign.

the light catches the silver chain on jeremy's neck,  complimenting his shining smile to make his grin look even brighter. you clear your throat, tearing your eyes away from jeremy and back towards your interviewee. thankfully, tom is clueless to your shift of mood, and is still happily answering into his own tiny microphone.

you've only got one more interview before you get to talk to jeremy. it's with mat barzal, who if you weren't so infatuated by the bruins goalie , you'd been shamelessly flirting with. you'd never had barzal on your podcast before, but that didn't matter - talking with him was anything but akward. it was nice, and (if you aren't going insane) you're pretty sure the islanders forward was flirting with you.

but you're too blinded by jeremy to entertain any of those thoughts. soon enough, he's next in queue, chatting to his assistant without realizing what exactly he's in line for.

you lock eyes as he is directed towards you, and immediately you feel yourself relax. your once tense shoulders fall back into a comfortable position, and your cheeks heat pleasantly as a smile automatically grows on your face. instinctively, you're falling into your interview shoes (currently very glamorous shoes). "you just can't stay away from me for too long, huh?" you tease him as your social director passes him the mini mic.

jermey's smile is matching yours, his gaze not leaving you as he takes the microphone, holding it tightly between two fingers. "what can I say? you look great!"

you drag your free hand down the front of your red dress, the soft material tickling the pads of your tanned fingers. "why thank you, jer. i've got to say i'm digging this look on you - much better than the boring suits you usually wear."

jeremy smiles at your lighthearted jab to his fashion choices. his last game, you'd given him slack on his boring suit choice and had followed with a text thread of insane, over the top suits you'd considered better options. "I was taking inspiration from the ones you'd sent me."

you hope fans don't piece together any insinuations from jermey's comment  referencing your texts. although it has you blushing, you recover from your fluster relatively quickly, and you reach towards him, poking one of the black, shiny buttons on jeremy’s jacket. "and tell us what you're wearing mister fancy jacket."

he looks down at the material of his suit jacket, "i've got a custom todd snyder on - very comfortable and stylish. it's just what I was looking for when I was trying to find a jacket for this event."

you nod understandably, "yes, like cute and professional but also cozy."

your chipper tone has jeremy's smile growing. his warm tinted eyes go hazy, and they rather slowly watch you - tracing down your dress covered neck, down your bare arms, and all the way down to your painted toes peeking out your heels. his tongue wets his plump, bottom lip, and his eyes find yours again. "you look cute and cozy."

even if he's meaning it innocently, you can't help but think otherwise. what feels like the 20th time since the start of the interview, you blush. "were twins then." you shrug sweetly, as if to show the audience that the way you were speaking to one another was no big deal - hopefully they buy it …because you certainly don't.

jeremy’s smitten grin grows wider. he bites the skin of his bottom lip, tucking it between his teeth seductively. it's like he's in a trance, which usually would have you feeling creeped out or weird, but because it's jeremy and not some random guy, you feel your skin prickle pleasantly, and your knees begin to feel weak.

the camera man clears his throat - a subtle and gentle reminder that you're supposed to be interviewing jeremy, not eye fucking him.

you blink. "unfortunately, I have to get a little boring, jer. can you tell me and the viewers what you're looking forward to the most at all star weekend. sorry I know, boring and repetitive." you stick your tongue out, blowing a raspberry.

your noise mimicks a fart if anything, and jermey laughs a real laugh - all teeth and squinted eyes. he rubs his chin in thought, but comes up with an answer pretty quickly. for the first time tonight, his media training is kicking in. "i'm really looking forward to just spending time with all these amazing guys and having fun on the ice."

teasingly, you purse your painted lips, cocking your head to the left. "so not me?"

through his constant grin, jeremy clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth - nodding at your correction. "okay, maybe you too."

you give the camera lenses an unimpressed look, as if to say - is this guy being for real? you shake your head, playing into your annoyed persona. "since our fishing video together, which thank you to the fans for blowing that up -"

"- oh my good, yes, thank you." jeremy adds on, nodding thoughtfully.

you continue, "fans want to know...what is your favourite one direction song?"

jeremy exhales loudly, eyes bouncing between you and the camera lens - a whisper of a curse heard from under his breathe.

you nod understandably, "we've really got the hard hitting questions, so I can understand if you need to take a second to think-"

"kiss you." jermey interrupts with a triumphant tone, and he looks very proud of his answer.

"that was pretty fast - why kiss you?"

his slinky smile is back, and it has your stomach falling all the way down to your feet. "why not?" jeremy shrugs one suit covered shoulder nonchalantly, and the sleeve of his jacket brushes against your bare arm at the same time.

you smile, "what's been your favourite part of toronto so far?"

this time, jermey's answer is instant. "you."

you laugh proudly, nodding in approval. "that's a better answer."

behind the camera, one of the social directors holds up a pamphlet, one that she'd change throughout the night. it only ever said a last name - the last name of whichever nhl player was next and approaching your interview area. it was essentially a one minute warning, and she was trying to tell you to start wrapping up your conversation with jeremy.

disappointment pangs deep into your chest, the thought of having to part ways from jeremy is not one you enjoy.

reluctantly, you look away from the director holding william nylander's name up over the camera man, and set your gaze back on jeremy. "okay, i've got a two part question. firstly, are you up for a little challenge?"

he nods, "right now I think you could probably talk me into anything. so yes."

your heart flutters but you stay composed. "good. secondly, which celebrity team do you hope picks you? because personally i'm hoping you get team tate, so you can sneak me in for a picture with her."

jermey laughs again, his head rolling backwards. "obviously id be happy with any team, but if I get tate...I got you."

you smile brightly, "thanks jer."

"anytime."

"we appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to chat with us, we always love catching up with you."

"thank you for having me, y/n/n." the sudden nickname has your heart beat coming to a dramatic halt, and from now on all you ever want to hear is jeremy swayman's voice, saying your name over and over again.

there's a brief moment before nylander gets to your portion of the carpet - he is currently too caught up with screaming fans and paparazzi. the camera lens isn't focused on you as the camera man fiddles with some of the dials, affectively blocking the two of you from its view.

jeremy passes the tiny microphone back to you, and his fingers graze yours softly on the way back. you swallow nervously, meeting his gaze once more.

he clears his throat and suddenly he seems almost...nervous. he rubs his hand against his jawline scruff once, a nervous habit he’s always had. "hey, after the stuff going on tonight, a couple guys and their girlfriends were planning on getting dinner. I was wondering if you'd like to tag along?"

your eyes widen in suprise, "guys and their girlfriends?"

he breathes laugh, "yeah. I want you to come with me."

"okay," you nod bashfully, "i'll come."

you watch william nylander enter your queue behind jermey's broad shoulder, chatting happily with your director as she goes over the process. you've interviewed nylander before, so it will be another breezy and entertaining interview- especially with the swedes personality.

jeremy's grin is blinding, bringing you back into reality. "great," he sighs, "i'll text you after."

"i'll be looking forward to it."

-- DINNER

you take another hearty gulp of your spiced red wine, letting the clash of flavours sit on your tongue briefly before swallowing fully.

you're on your third - maybe fourth? - glass of your preferred wine, and sure, maybe you were using the buzz as a way to calm your erratic, exited heart. since jeremy had texted you after the events of the all star celebrity draft, you've been filled with happy butterflies - and only a part of that was because of the picture he sent you of him with tate mcrae.

jeremy had walked to your hotel room -he didn't want to just meet outside or just meet at the restaurant, he picked you up on the 10th floor of the expensive toronto hotel. he had complimented your new, dinner appropriate outfit - a shiny maroon top with sleek pants and jacket and you had shared the compliment back at him.

you had to clench your thighs together to calm yourself when you were right outside the extravagant glass entryway of the restaurant, pastrnak just seeing and waving you both over, when jeremy leaned down, lips brushing your ear and admitted he hadn't stopped thinking about you and your sexy little dress.

so, yeah, the wine was definitely needed. you stab one of the only remaining potatoes onto your expensive silverware, bringing it up and past your lips. you chew lazily, listening quietly to the conversations around you. after all, it had been a few hours of meaningless conversations since you and jeremy arrived - your borderline drunk brain needed a minute.

the potato was cold now, and the gravy coated it had that slimey film coating. you pull a face to yourself, chewing the mushy food quicker than before, trying to get to swallowing it faster.

fingers tickle your arm over the sheer material of your blouse - jacket long abandoned over the back of your chair. you look over to jeremy, who's got his arm rested loosely on top your jacket - the culprit of your bicep tickles.

he looks amused, "you okay?"

with no regards to the food in your mouth, you turn towards him and begin to speak. "my potato is cold."

jeremy chuckles lowly, continuing the leisure up and down motion with the pads of his fingers against your covered skin. "want to spit it out?" he can tell you're teetering on drunk, and he doesn't mind at all. you're at the perfect level of buzzed - still controlled and conscious, but also having no care in the world. jeremy feels pleased that you feel comfortable enough to let go with him, and he finds amusement with your usual laid back, humorous behaviour.

you shake your head, finally swallowing the food in your mouth. you turn your body into his, and push your body against the side of your chair, trying to get closer to the man beside you. jeremy raises his brows questionably, the start of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I don't spit."

the suggestive undertones to your words don't go unnoticed, and jeremy is spluttering. his cheeks tint pink, and he takes a harsh swallow. you bite down onto your lip to contain the flurry of giggles that want to pass, and you lean further into jermey's bicep behind you.

finally, he collects himself. behind you, you can feel his elbow bend, and with the new position he can come around to the side of your head - his fingers taking some of your hair between them, gently running through your strands. "no?"

you shake your head. "nuh uh."

"so, y/n." the sound of a fork hitting someone's plate combined with them calling your name, has you pulling away and out of jermey's personal bubble. you're back to the reality of who you are and what you're doing here - not just at dinner tonight, but in toronto this week. you're supposed to be a professional. your cheeks flush with the guilt of feeling caught - even though you're not actually doing anything wrong.

kenna, mat barzal's girlfriend, is looking at you expectantly, her pointed chin resting on her tanned palm. you resist the urge to huff at the sight of her sour face. since the start of the evening, kenna has been very passive aggressive towards you - no compliment was given without a condescending remark. not only that, but mat had been very flirty and friendly with you since the red carpet, and although you've been unresponsive to him, it only fuelled kenna's fire.

she hums in faux interest, eyeing you and jeremy. "so like, it must be nice with your podcast and having the pick of like any and every nhl player you want, huh?"

a couple of people sitting at the lengthy table hear, and they look down at you quickly. you laugh awkwardly, eyes briefly meeting the crisp, white table cloth below you. you shrug, "I suppose? everyone is really nice, and i'm very grateful for their support."

she laughs, "I mean, like, do you just like, fuck any of them?"

her words are like a stab to your chest. all those derogatory hate comments and misogynistic remarks come rushing back to you. you don't know what to say, even though no, you've never hooked up or dated any nhl player, especially while you're working with them. but you can also understand why kenna would think that - the way you're cuddling up and talking with jeremy is very much telling.

that guilty feeling is back, and all you can do is just stare at kenna's smug face - mouth open wordlessly.

"I don't think it's any of your business, honestly." jeremy’s voice is firm, but not unkind, as he responds for you. "it's nobody business but hers. y/n is ridiculously good at her job, and she is way past the point of having to prove that she's serious about her work."

kenna laughs it off, mentioning something about just playing around as she takes another sip of her mixed drink. the conversation slowly starts up around you again, and without the attention focused on you and the awkward exchange, you feel like you can finally exhale.

you look at over at jeremy, your eyes glossy and wide. his expression is hard, and his brows are pulled tightly together in irritation.

"you didn't need to say anything...I'm used to those kind of comments." you try and dismiss your feelings - trying to lighten the mood, but jeremy doesn't buy it.

he shakes his head, "you shouldn't have to deal with that - especially from some douche bags girlfriend."

the end of his sentence has you cracking into a smile, a breathy laugh following. "thank you." you take a quick inhale, stopping your quiet laughter. your face turns serious again, "but I don't do that - i'm not some crazed, horny, puck bunny in disguise. that's not what this is." you gesture between the two of you without thinking, and you feel your lips falling into a frown - your emotions catching up to you.

jeremy mimics your frown, and before he can stop himself, he reaches out and takes ahold of your hand. he gently keeps ahold of you, bringing your hand down to rest on his lap. jeremy runs his thumb along the wrinkles of your palm, soothing you. "you don't need to justify anything to me."

you nod silently.

"ready to head out?" jeremy questions gently. you answer yes quickly, letting jeremy help you out of your seat and into your winter jacket. he gives david some money - enough to cover both of your meals before he guides you out of the restaurant, hand in yours.

the walk back to the hotel is pleasant, the once lingering awkward feeling from the restaurant vanishing once you and jeremy were alone. like earlier in the night, jeremy comes to your hotel door - he doesn't suggest that you'll go your separate ways once in the elevators, or part ways in the lobby, he doesn't even hesitate to walk you back.

before you swipe your key card in the holder, you torn to face jeremy. you smile, leaning your bodies weight onto the closed hotel door. "I had a nice time tonight, jer - although I think it's only because you were there."

he laughs gently, "i'm glad you came."

you cringe at yourself and your rather rude insinuation about everyone else at the restaurant tonight - even if it was true. "sorry, when I drink wine I have a hard time controlling my mouth."

jeremy shuffles closer to you, so subtle that you don't even register him moving. he shrugs, "I don't mind. they deserve it."

you giggle. "and you also look really good - like, all the time. I haven't stopped thinking about you in fucking, like, 9 months." you shake your head, "sorry - the wine." you remind him.

"don't apologize, if wine makes you say things like that, I never want you to stop drinking it." jeremy reaches out to you, resting his large hand on the side of your jaw. his thumb strokes your ear lobe softly, running over your studded earring.

your stomach swoops, silently looking up at him. jeremy is so much taller than you, standing over you like a damn giant. the position of you two has you feeling small - sexy. your tongue darts out, wetting your lips. your lipstick has faded throughout the night, and your spit adds more colour to them - more appeal.

but jeremy thinks you've never not looked like the most beautiful, amazing, appealing woman he's ever seen. he smirks slowly, a warm, syrupy feeling in the air around you. "I really like you, y/n - so much that it's kind of embarrassing."

you smile, "I don't think it's embarrassing, especially because I feel the same way....but I think my wine mouth gave that away."

"it sort of did." he teases.

you huff gently, eyes twinkling with amusement. before you can say anything back, jeremy leans down and kisses you. the wine flavours mix between you, and the exchange of quick kisses combined with slow, tongue chasing kisses making your knees buckle.

jeremy presses you further against the door, his thigh slotting between yours to provide an extra form of stimulation. you sigh into his mouth, holding onto his shoulders warmly as you continue to make out in the hotel hallway.

reluctantly, you pull away. you're breathing heavy, heart pumping loudly through your ears from the adrenaline high. "maybe we should clam down - we're in public."

"shhh," kiss. "just a little bit more." his words are mumbled, his lips brushing against yours. jeremy’s lips find yours again, and all your worries float away.

you blindly grab ahold of your key card, and it takes a couple of attempts of trying to slide it through without the use of your vision - but you get it. jeremy’s lips don't leave yours, and you don't want them too. he uses his body to push you both through the door and into the hotel room, kicking the door shut with his dress shoe behind him.

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

[ilyasorokinn]

what's in a name , jeremy swayman

note, i love them, i do. and i'm not even a boston fan. anyways, this fic is part of the "swinging with the swaymans" series. check out this masterlist for more. pair, jeremy swayman x reader summary, y/n surprises jeremy at practice with baby eli, where they then surprise linus (and the team) with eli's full name. warnings, babies word count, 1159 words

(gif not mine)

“Bye Bye,” Jeremy spoke in a baby voice as he said his goodbyes to Elijah. You watched, waiting to take your son from him when he was done. It was Jeremy’s first day back at practice, which, since Elijah was born, would be the longest they had been apart.

“We’ll be okay, won’t we, Eli?” You shook his little hand softly, “Tell Daddy we’ll be okay.” you smiled up at Jeremy, who looked nervous. Elijah babbled his baby talk, whining when he was moved from his dad’s arms and into yours, but quickly settled down.

"I’ll miss you both.” He frowned, leaning in and pecking your lips.

“I’ll miss you, too. And so will Eli, even if he doesn’t know it.” You smiled, leaning up and pecking him back.

“I love you both,”

“We love you, too, Jer.” You sighed, waving Elijah’s little hand as Jeremy picked up his bags. he slung the duffle bag over his shoulder then pressed one more quick kiss to each of your heads before he stared longingly at you and waved.

“Go.” You laughed, pushing him out the door carefully. Once he was gone, you set your plan in motion. You packed your bags and got Elijah situated in the car. You were thankful that he had distracted himself and wasn't screaming his head off.

You transferred him from the car seat to the baby carrier, making sure he was comfortable and warm, making funny faces at him and smiling when he giggled at them.

You greeted the security guards, who peeked into the baby carrier, making his own funny face, and smiled when Eli giggled at him. You decided to take the long way to show Eli around, even though he wouldn't remember or understand anything you were showing him.

You finally made it to the rink and couldn't but smile when you heard all the guys laughing and skating around. You carefully got Eli out of the carrier and pointed out all the guys to him.

Eli's eyes were wide as he took everything in. From the glass to the ice to the skates to the guys, "There's daddy." You pointed across the ice over to the other side of the rink where Jeremy was in front of the net.

Eli followed your hand but no look of recognition crossed his face, which made sense. Eli's attention was quickly taken when Charlie Coyle stopped in front of you and was waving to him. You could tell he was basking in the attention he was getting from the guys because of how big the smile on his face was.

Practice had seemingly halted as all the guys had skated over to say hi, which confused Jeremy. He couldn't tell what was going on from the other end of the ice, so he skated over.

Once he got closer, he finally saw who had distracted everyone. He took off his mask as he skated closer. Once Eli saw his dad, a look of recognition finally crossed his face and he smiled. A path was formed and Jeremy skated through, a smile on his face too.

"Hi, buddy." He beamed, waving and making funny faces at Eli, which sent him into a fit of giggles and laughs which, in turn, made Jeremy smile even bigger.

Eventually, an assistant coach came over and broke up the scene. You watched Jeremy skate backward, a pout on his face as you laughed and waved Eli's hand at him again. You pointed over to the general area where you would be sitting to watch practice and that seemed to brighten his mood.

You stayed for the rest of warmups, which was only about 20 minutes, but Eli fell asleep halfway through and was out. You sat in the bleachers, even after practice was over, waiting for Jeremy to come out.

While you waited, you talked to the security guard who was always by the glass during warmups. He entertained Eli with some funny faces, joked around with you, and showed you pictures of his grandbaby who had been born just a few months before.

Eventually, after about half an hour, Jeremy came out, which you were expecting. What you didn't expect was almost half the team to come out with him. Practically the entire team had come out of the locker room to see Eli.

"They wanted to meet him." He shrugged, setting his bags down and taking the baby from you. You smiled, accepting the hug from a few of the guys. You watched as all the guys fawned over Eli. Your heart warmed at the smile on Jeremy's face as he held Eli and showed him around the circle of guys.

"So, tell us, what's his name?" You broke through into the circle, stood by Jeremy, and smiled.

"His name is Elijah Linus Swayman," Jeremy stated, a proud smile on his face as he looked over at the other goaltender, who was standing there, frozen, as he took everything in.

The guys patted him on the back and cheered for him. Jeremy handed Eli over to you as Linus pulled him in for a hug. When they pulled away, Linus turned to you and pulled you in for a hug, careful not to disturb Eli too much.

"Do you want to hold him?" You asked. The look on his face melted your heart, and once he was ready, you set Eli in his arms. Linus began cooing over the baby and couldn't stop smiling.

Eli eventually went around the circle and each of the guys got to hold him, cooing and fawning over him. While all the guys were busy fawning over your baby, Linus turned to you and Jeremy with a smile on his face.

"Thank you both for this. I'm truly honored." He put a hand to his heart as he spoke, "This is the sweetest thing."

"Well, would you pass out if we asked you to be his godfather too?" Jeremy asked, laughing at the shocked look on his face once again.

"Really?" He asked, his voice squeaky.

"Really." You both nodded, laughing when he quickly pulled you both in for a hug. Eventually, the guys started saying goodbye and began filing out to leave.

You turned to Jeremy when it was just you and him, "This was a nice surprise." Jeremy smiled, setting Eli down in the carrier and wrapping you in a hug, "I wasn't expecting to see you two until after practice."

"Wanted to surprise you." You hummed, looking up at him, "I'm ready to go home." He smiled, kissing your head.

"Let's go home. We'll take your car and I'll catch a ride tomorrow."

"Yeah?" You raised a brow at him, throwing the diaper bag strap over your shoulder while Jeremy did the same with his own bag.

"Yeah. You can sleep on the ride home." He threw an arm around your shoulders while the other pushed the stroller.

-

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[happilysmythe]

❥ 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧

trent frederic.

word count: 5.0k

warning: explicit content

"can you blow my mind?" — tyla

A/N: i recently received a request for trent and a leafs fan. i was given creative freedom and this is what i came up with. hope you like it, nonny <3

- - -

Bruins win Game 7 in OT.

The headlines came out at a rapid rate, informing the rest of the world that the Boston Bruins made it out of the first round and turned the Toronto Maple Leafs into mulch. Again.

Trent Frederic, along with a few teammates, were on too much of a high to return to their rooms at the hotel they’d been staying in just yet. Though they were home in Boston, coach Jim Montgomery thought it would be smarter to have the guys stay in a hotel instead of going back to their homes and apartments. Team bonding, he said.

The bunch set off for the bar inside the hotel, only a few blocks away from TD Garden, waiting a few hours before slipping in nonchalantly. They weren’t trying to get outed too fast, and they usually didn’t. Even once they were recognized, not much came of it. Most people were too drunk by then to make a scene, anyway.

So they sat down at the bar and ordered a few beers, celebrating accordingly and talking amongst themselves. They would finally let loose for just a night before the inevitable start of round 2 in just two days. They’d be having practice the next morning and flying down to Sunrise, Florida to face the Panthers, who were on their extensive break after knocking the Lightning in just 5 games.

Trent decided he’d had enough after his fourth beer, so he left his share and stood up to make his way out. As he turned around, his body hit something with a thud. He looked down and saw what it was that he came into contact with; a thin blonde woman with her arms out, jaw slack, and an empty hand that once held her drink.

Oh, and a Maple Leafs jersey.

“Oh, shit,” Trent muttered, compressing his lips.

You scoffed, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I can get you a new one.”

You looked up, a look of guilt on your face as your hands fell back down to your sides. “Shit, I’m sorry. I should’ve been looking where I was going, too—”

You paused.

“Where do I know you?”

He remained silent, shooting you a look as if to tell you that it should be obvious. It wasn’t long before your face dropped and it hit you. He suppressed a grin at your realization and parted his lips to speak.

“Name’s Trent,” he spoke smoothly, “but something tells me you already figured that out.”

“Well, you’re one of the last people I’d like to see right now,” you rolled your eyes, arms folded. “What’s a guy like you doing at some random bar at,” you looked at your watch, “12 in the morning after the game where you just knocked my team out of the playoffs?”

“Had to celebrate somehow,” he winked.

“Oh, god,” you grimaced. “I really do hate you guys.”

“Well, aren’t you a little ray of sunshine,” he laughed, putting his abnormally large hands on his hips. Your eyes subtly followed their path.

“Lighten up,” he teased. “C’mon. What’s your name? I know you’re not a,” he pinched the fabric of your jersey and pulled it to see the numbers, “Marner. Unless you’re into that sort of thing.”

You sighed at his remark and told him your name, but he made a face afterward.

“Too long.”

“Too long?”

“I think I’ll stick to Marner,” he told you, much to your dismay.

“Gross,” you replied irritatedly. “I don’t particularly feel like giving you the privilege of using a nickname. Just use my real name like everyone else. ”

“I’m all set, actually. I think I’ll stick to mine.”

“God, you’re annoying.”

“You gonna let me buy your drink or keep bitching about who I am?”

“Fine,” you sighed, “buy me the damn drink.”

He and you made your way to the other side of the bar, far enough away from the rest of the guys and the few friends you went with that you wouldn’t be noticed. You sat next to each other on the bar stools, Trent talking your ear off and you reluctantly replying with mostly one-word responses.

“You can’t be that angry with me,” he finally spoke, breaking another silence. “I’m not the whole team, you know.”

“I can and I will,” you shrugged, sipping your almost-empty drink.

“If you won’t talk, then I’ll just have to make you talk.”

He put his elbows down on the table and turned his head to face you, “Why’d you decide to come out in public after that game? I wouldn’t have even bothered to show my face in a bar wearing that. You here with other people or something?”

“I came with a couple of friends.”

“Doesn’t answer my first question.”

You looked down. “They wanted to come down here. I told them it was probably a bad idea because of the fact that we’re, you know, Leafs fans. They did it anyway so I just tagged along.”

“Bet you didn’t expect to run into me,” he nudged you with his shoulder, bringing a faint smile to your lips. “There you go,” he teased when he noticed your expression. “See? I’m not so bad.”

“Fraternizing with the enemy is a bad look for a woman like me,” you retorted, a playful undertone to your words. It was uncharacteristic compared to the closed-off manner you had with every other response. You wouldn’t admit that, however.

“Oh, she jokes,” he took the final sip of the drink he’d bought himself upon sitting with you, even after deciding he’d had his last beforehand.

“Shut up, Frederic.”

“We’ve regressed to my last name now? Can’t even call me by my first?”

“But you won’t use mine at all,” you rolled your eyes, “Trent.”

You looked at him for maybe a tad longer than you should’ve, eyes slowly moving down his body. He wore a white collared shirt that hugged his arms and gray dress pants that looked awfully tight around his thighs. You couldn’t help but notice the facial hair he’d grown since the start of the round, giving him a gingery mustache with a somewhat patchy beard. You’d seen what he looked like before that and were undoubtedly intrigued by it, regardless of whatever grudges you held against him. But you couldn’t let him know that.

So you turned to face the television above the bar, watching the commercial in a quiet trance as if nothing happened.

“Hey,” he tapped his finger on the bartop, diverting your attention back to him. “Tell me something,” he softly requested as you looked back, adjusting his body to face yours. “Why did you let me buy you the new drink if you weren’t going to talk to me, hm?”

You swallowed, “I wasn’t going to be rude.”

“The real reason,” he pressed.

“There is no real reason.”

“Alright,” he nodded, “so why were you staring at me before?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He lowered his voice and brought his face just slightly closer, a faint grin tugging at his lips. “You’re not a very good liar, you know that?”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. I mean,” he laughed, shrugging his shoulders, “unless I didn’t see you looking for a while there. But I’m pretty sure I know what I saw.”

“Just…just shut up, Trent, alright?”

“Sounds like I hit a nerve,” he noted and you rolled your eyes. “You know, you’re cute when you’re irritable.”

His grin widened when you shook your head again, promptly informing him of how annoying he was once again. “But if I’m really being honest here,” he lifted his fingers and gently brushed a strand of hair behind your ear, “I think you’re pretty.”

At this, your hardened exterior softened. Your head turned just slightly so that he was in your field of view and you sighed gently. “Thanks.”

“Mhm.”

“I, um,” you cleared your throat, taking a breath, “I was looking before.”

“I know,” he softly responded, hand slipping down until his palm rested on your thigh. Initially, you flinched at the contact, but your muscles relaxed when you realized it was a warm gesture rather than one with malicious intent.

“You don’t have to be so cold,” he told you. “No matter who I play for, I’m just a guy.”

You were more attracted to him than you wanted to let on, and it surely didn’t help that he was being nicer to you. You suppressed a smile and faced him fully.

“It’s not that, it’s—it’s the point,” you flatly responded.

“You can look at me again,” he teased, thumb rubbing your thigh. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“Don’t count on it.”

Your gaze lingered on him again, eyes flitting down to his lips before you looked away. It wasn’t hard for him to see through you—after all, you allowed him to keep his hand where it was, even after refuting his words. He took notice of your wandering eyes and finally pieced it together.

“Like the new look, eh?”

Your brows furrowed and you swallowed, “What new look…?”

“I think you know what I’m talking about,” he replied with certainty. “You have a thing for the scruff?”

“Please. I don’t even know what you looked like before that,” you lied, taking an unsteady breath.

“Doesn’t change that you were looking at it, does it?”

“Well…” you trailed off, lips parted as you tried to think up an excuse. “No,” you finally gave up, letting your head hang down. “It doesn’t, because I have seen you before and I do have a thing for it. For you,” you shook your head, laughing at the reality of how weak you truly were. How stupid you must have looked to him. “So tease me all you want, say that you told me so—you’re right.”

A ringed finger slipped under your chin and tilted your head toward him, his face mere inches away from yours.

“I’m not going to tease you.”

You swallowed, expression falling as your eyes locked with his. They were brown, you noticed. And they were…warm. They largely contrasted how he looked at you previously. It brought you to an entranced sort of state.

His touch was soft, comforting. But in a way that made you want him more. Caused your mind to wander to places you knew it shouldn’t have gone. It felt good. Really good.

And you had no business wondering what the rest of him would feel like on you.

“Where are you staying?” you blurted out.

“Upstairs.”

“Take me,” the words left your mouth before you could protest.

An eyebrow raised and his grin turned to a smile. “Gladly,” he whispered, lowering his hand and standing up.

He held his hand out and you hesitantly took it, allowing him to discreetly walk you toward the exit of the bar. You ducked when you saw your friends, praying that by some miracle they didn’t see you walk out with Trent Frederic.

“Trent,” you whispered, clutching onto him harder now that you couldn’t be hidden by the darkness of the bar any longer. “What if someone saw?”

“You would’ve known by now. Trust me,” he reassured you as the elevator doors slid open. You walked in and the doors shut, enclosing you in the small space. “And if anyone did,” he started, fingers brushing against the nape of your neck, “it’s none of their business, anyway.”

“Mhm,” you agreed softly, eyes beginning to close when you felt his warm breath on your neck.

“See? Not so hard to agree, is it?”

“Mm…no…”

He laughed softly in your ear and pressed a tiny kiss to the skin behind it. He intricately placed a few more on the exposed skin, prompting a faint hum from your lips as the doors slid back open. His hand found its place on your waist as he gently pushed you out, guiding you down the hallway and finally stopping in front of his door.

By now, you’d become urgent—urgent to feel his lips on yours no matter how much you told yourself it was a stupid idea. You lived in Toronto; a whopping 500 miles away. And he played for Boston, the team you hated with a passion so strong that you vowed to never let yourself be endeared by them. Yet there you were, standing next to the forward who contributed to your favorite team’s loss, wanting nothing more than for him to make you feel oh, so good.

And he would.

The door clicked open and he pushed the lever down, stepping aside to let you in. He was quick to pin you to the door with his body, arm coming up behind your head to lock it and toss the room card to the side.

“I can’t believe I let you charm me.”

“What can I say,” he rasped, leaning in closer, “I know how to get a girl in my room.”

His lips finally connected with yours and you immediately reciprocated, hand flattening against his chest and gripping the material of his shirt. You pulled him closer, slipping your free hand around his neck before tilting your head to deepen the kiss. The hair above his lips rubbed against your skin, the feeling eliciting a faint hum from your mouth into his. He grinned at this and hooked his fingers under the blue jersey you wore, pulling away promptly and carefully lifting it up.

“Taking this shit off,” he mumbled, pulling the fabric over your head and discarding it to the floor. “You’d look much better with mine.”

You rolled your eyes, “Not going to happen, Trent.”

“We’ll see,” he grinned, moving his lips to your neck and marking up the skin, drawing whimpers from your mouth.

Your hand snaked into his hair, fingers threading between the dusty ginger strands as you pushed his head closer. He kissed up to your jaw, sliding his hand up to your neck, the other placed on the bare skin of your hip. His fingers pressed into the nape of your neck and his thumb rested just under your chin, hand pressing the back of your head against the door as his lips kissed a path down your jawline.

“Shit,” you moaned breathily, reaching for the buttons on his shirt as his mouth returned to yours hungrily.

You worked your way down, the material of his shirt parting and exposing his skin as each button fell open. His tongue slipped between your lips, grazing your teeth before rolling over yours languidly. Soft fingers untucked his open shirt from his pants and began to trace his stomach, moving slowly up to his firm chest. The action caused the large hand around your neck to tighten its hold, prying a moan from your throat.

“Didn’t know,” you panted, “—didn’t know you wore a chain.”

“Like it, mm?”

The way he grinned down at you brought a lump to your throat. He made you nervous. Weak, even. And the height at which he stood compared to you surely didn’t help. So you nodded curtly in response, hoping he’d take the hint and not press you further.

But he took it and instead removed his hand from your neck to slide it down and meet the other at your lower back, promptly hoisting you up. Your hands moved to his face and held it while you continued to kiss him, him walking the two of you away from the door and in the direction of the bed. You kicked your shoes off just as he grabbed a towel from the rack on the wall outside the bathroom and laid it lazily atop the sheets. He then lowered you onto your back and let go, allowing you to lie comfortably on the bed as he remained on his knees in front of you.

He quickly shed himself of the torn-open shirt and tossed it toward the empty bed on the other side of the room. His body soon hovered over yours, an arm on the bed on each side of your head as he kissed you again. His lips moved to your neck once again, working the skin until soft moans slipped through your parted ones.

“Trent,” you exhaled, chest rising and falling deeply, “isn’t…isn’t someone else staying here with you? There’s—mm—two beds.”

“There was,” he mumbled into your skin, moving down to your collarbones.

“So couldn’t we get—”

“Was,” he repeated. “He already went home to his girlfriend. And I have both room keys.” He chuckled softly and reached around your back to unclasp your bra, the fabric coming loose on your chest. “So relax.”

You nodded and lifted your arms for him to pull it off, him letting it fall from his hand before kissing a path down the valley of your chest. His body moved down as he continued down to your stomach, then to your waist where his fingers hooked in your pants and slid them down your legs.

You kicked them off and opened your legs, allowing Trent to slip between them. He gently kissed your inner thigh, slowly working his way up until he reached the lacy fabric that covered your skin. He looked up, making and not breaking eye contact with you as he took the waistband between his teeth and tugged the fabric slowly down your legs. As he rose upwards, they and your pants were dropped to the floor.

Warm breath fanned the skin between your aching thighs, awaiting his touch oh, so impatiently. His fingers brushed the area, dragging themselves slowly up and down. His eyes flitted up to you, a faint grin playing on his lips before focusing back down.

“God, you’re wet,” he rasped, leaning down and settling his face between your thighs, your legs atop his shoulders. His hands wrapped around your outer thighs and gripped them, pulling you in promptly.

“Especially for someone who claims to hate me so much.”

You rolled your eyes and groaned, “Think that’ll make me like you any more?”

“No, but maybe this will.”

With that, his mouth wrapped around your clit, tongue swirling around and eliciting a gasp of shock from your parted lips. Your eyes widened as he sucked gently, hands kneading the warm flesh of your thighs.

He then trailed downward, planting small, light kisses on the sensitive flesh, all before his tongue carefully parted your folds and delved slowly inside. Your fingers gingerly threaded into his strands, palm flattening itself on the back of his head as you pushed him down, your body weak with the need for more friction.

The hair that had recently grown above his lips brushed against your skin, rubbing back and forth forcefully and bringing meaning to the term, ‘hurts so good.’

“God, fuck,” you groaned, hands tenaciously gripping the sheets and his curls as his tongue moved in a rhythm that was just enough to make you long for more.

He lapped at you mercilessly, expert movements of his tongue coaxing soft moans from your mouth. A cocky grin stretched across his lips as he brought you to the brink, then pulled away, forcing a whimper from you at the loss of contact.

A large hand was removed from your thigh and brought between your legs, knuckles once again dragging lazily along the sensitive, needy skin, but refusing to give you the satisfaction of doing what you wanted most. He was teasing you; punishing you for the way in which you treated him earlier without giving him as much as a chance to prove himself.

“Trent,” you whined impatiently, hips writhing involuntarily against his bearded face.

“Mm…what?”

You refused to admit the irrevocable attraction you had to him because you didn’t want to let him win. And now he was being a bitch to you, just like you were to him. He chuckled softly and pressed the tip of his finger to your entrance, allowing you to feel the small bit of pressure that came with it. 

“Please,” you whimpered, fingers tightening in his curls.

Enough was enough and he pushed the finger in, drawing a moan from your lips before adding another and thrusting them in and out with no room for complaint. The cold metal of his ring brushed against your sensitive inner walls and you gasped at the initial contact, your rampant mind having forgotten about the jewelry to begin with. And deep down, you loved it.

His mouth returned to your skin, tongue licking small stripes on the mound of flesh above his fingers, the scruff on his chin rubbing roughly against it. You knew you were going to have burns on your skin caused by his facial hair but you didn’t care; you just wanted to keep feeling him.

“Trent, don’t stop.”

He laughed quietly and sped up the pace of his fingers, urging you even closer to the edge. Your thighs closed in around his head, hand still pushing his head down. He hummed in satisfaction, the noise vibrating against your skin as he felt you clench around his long fingers.

His lips sucked on your clit in a steady pattern, causing your release to rip through you, prying a moan from deep within your stomach. You fisted the sheets tighter as your hips writhed against his face and fingers, legs beginning to shake from the pressure. Trent continued to work you through it, tongue lapping up the wetness that accumulated until you sunk back down into the mattress, spent.

Slowly he removed his fingers, first bringing them to his lips to lick them clean before rising back up. You inched backward on the bed until your head pressed against the pillow, Trent following and planting himself on his knees between your legs. His fingers reached down and fumbled with the buckle on his belt, eyes never leaving your body in the process. It wasn’t long before his belt haphazardly hit the floor, then his pants and his painfully hard cock was freed from its constraints. A rough palm placed itself on your knee, rubbing it slowly.

“Trent,” you swallowed, drawing his attention back up to your face. “Con—”

He raised his hand to cut you off, a gold wrapper resting comfortably between his index and middle fingers. The action having rendered you silent, he promptly took the foil between his teeth and pulled, spitting out the excess before taking out the latex and rolling it onto himself. You soon felt the pressure of him at your entrance, legs subconsciously widening to let him slip between them further, then heard the sound of him groaning as he pushed into you.

You swore it was the sexiest thing you’d ever heard.

He leaned forward slowly, giving you just a moment’s time to adjust to his size as he stretched you out. Your breaths were unsteady, eyes screwed shut as your fingers maintained their forceful grip on the sheets around you. Your mind was racing, but you knew one thing for certain—the man was about to fucking blow it. His body hovered above yours as he kissed a path from your stomach up to your neck, hands pressing into the mattress on each side of you.

“Where did you,” you breathed, “get that?”

“Pocket,” he rasped, mustache brushing against your neck.

Eyes wide, you responded, “That’s not—”

“Relax,” he mumbled, the corners of his lips slightly upturned. “I put it in there today.”

Then you impatiently lifted a hand to the back of his head and pushed his lips onto yours, kissing him urgently and wordlessly telling him to just move. He obeyed your silent command and pushed his hips into yours, burying his dick into you before pulling back, leaving only the tip inside. He repeated the process at a steady, slow rhythm—tortuously slow, at that—until your back was arching, hand in his hair sliding down to his shoulder blade as the long, coffin-shaped nails dug into his soft skin. The chain that you’d noticed earlier tapped against your cheek, the feeling provoking you to throw your head back against the pillow.

His hand slid up your front, fingers curling around to the nape of your neck and thumb resting under your chin once again, pulling your head back up as he quickened his pace, driving into you with more force. Every inch of his thick cock slid smoothly along your velvety walls, your mouth frozen in its open state as his lips worked at your neck again. And god, you just couldn’t understand what made you hate that guy in the first place. It must have slipped your mind completely.

Upon the first thrust of his hips, he felt just how tight you enveloped him. The immense pressure of you wrapped around his strained length, practically squeezing it. The age-old trick of conjuring up the most repulsive of thoughts seemed nothing but moronic to him in the past, yet for some reason he found himself naming off presidents in his head to prevent from coming so fucking soon. He only wished that he could feel it; really feel it, if it weren’t for that godforsaken rubber that separated him from you.

And he’d make it his mission to do so, whether you lived five hundred miles away or not.

He just hoped he’d last when he finally did.

The hand around your throat closed just slightly, using just enough pressure to threaten your intake of breath without causing any pain. It was delicious. You didn’t have the will to fight it—your body had already submitted to him long before, and there wasn’t much that you could focus on other than the feeling of him roughly thrusting into you, lips marking up one side of your neck while his hand firmly gripped the other.

The sounds of your mixed moans bounced off of the walls and you began to wonder whether anyone could hear it or not; if any of his teammates were close by, walking back to their rooms from the bar. The thought instilled enough fear for you to weakly voice it.

“What if—ah—what if someone hears us?”

“Let them,” he rasped, kissing behind your ear.

“But—”

“God, shut up,” he pushed his lips to yours, swallowing your words, moans, and expletives that threatened to destroy your mediocre attempt to stay quiet. His tongue rolled over yours, low hums reverberating in your mouth and filling your ears.

Finally, he released his hold from your neck, allowing the air to flow smoothly into your lungs once more. The hand reached for yours, roughly threading his fingers between yours before pushing the two forward and pinning the back of your hand to the headboard behind you. You let out a whimper at the sudden contact but quickly gripped his hand with a matching force to his as he hit the sweet spot inside you and a familiar pit in your stomach formed.

“Close,” you panted, back arching off of the bed and forcing your front to press firmly into his.

“I know,” he told you, grip tightening as the taut line in your stomach snapped.

His mouth enveloped yours again to swallow your noises, tongue swiping against your bottom lip. Your inner walls constricted around his length as you hit your climax, nails digging into his back as you grasped desperately at him for stability, support—any sort of strength that he could provide you with. And he did, grunting sporadically as he fucked you through your second orgasm, thrusts growing sloppier.

It wasn’t long before he twitched inside you, hitting his own peak and letting out a deep moan. Your name—to your surprise—left his lips in a slurred form, repeating it softly as if it were a hymn. Sweat coated your forehead, droplets dripping slowly down your face, and the frontward strands of your hair had grown wet. His curls dripped with his own sweat as his lips hovered just centimeters above yours, warm breath fanning your face and gaze aligning with yours.

You finally swallowed, “Wow.”

“Mm,” he hummed, pressing a chaste kiss to your lips, hand letting go of yours and gently running up and down your side.

He waited a moment and carefully pulled out, the action drawing your eyes shut before he slipped off the used latex and disposed of it. You adjusted yourself as he did so, ridding the bed of the towel and briefly cleaning yourself up before you felt a piece of fabric hit your arm. You looked down to see a large, black t-shirt on the bed and grabbed it, quickly slipping it on as he walked back over. He motioned you under the sheets and you silently obliged.

Your back pressed against his chest, chain pressing into the skin as an arm wrapped around you and a hand flattened on your stomach. His other fingers pushed your hair to the side, exposing the skin to his eyes, and he saw the faint marks his fingers left on your neck. A pair of lips brushed against your ear and the soft rasp of his voice returned.

“You know, that’s a Bruins shirt,” he teased, scruff grazing your damp skin as his lips connected with your shoulder.

“Mhm,” you flatly responded.

“Going against your word pretty fast, eh?”

“Yeah, well,” you started, nuzzling back into him. “I told you I hated you and ended up in your bed, so,” you turned to him slightly, “unreliable source.”

He chuckled softly and brought his fingers up to brush your hair back, pressing a light kiss to your cheek. “Night, Marner.”

“Shut up,” you mumbled, and he laughed one final time before closing his eyes and relaxing into you.

So, against everything that you stood for just hours before, you fell asleep in Trent Frederic’s arms without much forethought. In his shirt and his bed, effectively leaving your friends behind because they’d for some odd reason just slipped your mind completely.

And when Trent woke up the next morning, he was no longer in your company, much to his dismay. Any trace of your presence the night before had perished, down to the towel on the floor. But there was one thing—one saving grace that caught his eye as he scanned the room.

A piece of paper on the nightstand with a phone number scribbled on it and a small note below it that read,

“For the next time you’re in Toronto.”

[prettytoxicrevolver]

Christmas | Jeremy Swayman

wc. 1.2k

Spending Christmas with Jeremy and your family

Your family always got together on Christmas. 

This year, it was at your parents house and your multiple aunts and uncles, your cousins, siblings, grandparents, second cousins, etc. would all be in attendance. Your family treated holidays as if they were a big family reunion and you loved it every single year. 

Your eyes flutter open and are met with the early Christmas morning sunlight streaming in through your bedroom window. You turn in Jeremy’s embrace, eyes falling over his soft features. His hair is tousled, sticking up in every direction, his lips resting in a soft smile, the quiet snores escaping through. You lift a hand up, running your thumb over the crest of his cheekbone and tracing the skin there. You watch as Jeremy’s eyes peak open and upon seeing you, his smile grows wider. 

“G’mornin,” he murmurs, his voice deeper due to not using it. 

“Morning bear,” you greet and he grins at the pet name. 

“What time is your family coming?” he asks, pulling you closer towards him, pressing a soft kiss to your cheek and then your lips. 

You roll over, grabbing your phone to see it’s almost 10 o’clock. You turn back and face Jeremy who has now pulled a lock of your hair into his fingers and is combing through it delicately. 

“Any minute,” you tell him and he smiles but you can tell there’s a hint of anxiety behind his expression. 

“It’ll be okay,” you tell him, reaching up to brush your fingers lightly over his chin, forcing him to look at you. 

“I know,” he says, moving to press a kiss to the center of your palm. 

“Ready?” 

You two lounge in bed for a bit longer until you start to hear a commotion downstairs and you can tell that your family members are starting to arrive. You both get out of bed, getting dressed in a comfy but cute style outfit. You’re in the middle of pinning up your hair when Jeremy strides into the bathroom, wrapping his arms around your waist and pushing his face into your neck. 

“You look beautiful sugar,” he whispers and his breath against your exposed neck causes a shiver to run down your spine. 

You place your hands on his, leaning back into his embrace and letting your eyes flutter shut. Jeremy presses a long kiss to your neck and begins to move his hands so they’re softly massaging your sides. 

“Keep doing that and we’ll never make it downstairs,” you warn, sleepiness threatening to take over you. 

“They’ll wait,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to the shell of your ear and you grin, but ultimately move away from his touch. 

“Come on lover boy.” 

You lean on your tiptoes and press a kiss to his lips before walking out of the bathroom with Jeremy on your heels. 

The minute you begin to descend the steps, you hear your family members and smile at the rambunctious group crowding your family home. You can’t help the trot you sport heading downstairs excitement running through your veins as you get closer and closer to your cousins. 

“(y/n)!” your cousin Abby bounds towards you, tackling you in a tight hug and you reciprocate, screaming her name back out of habit. 

“You look so cute!” she gushes, pulling back to look at you and you turn in a circle to show off your Christmas outfit. 

“Abs, this is Jeremy,” you step back and take Jeremy’s hand, pulling him towards your best friend and family member. 

“Jeremy, the beautiful, wonderful, psychotic, Abigail,” you joke and Abby nudges your side. 

“Two out of the three of those things are true,” she grins and tugs Jeremy in for a hug before letting go. 

“Who else is here?” you ask when she steps back again. 

“Alex, Lindsay, Brad, Aaron, everyone,” she lists with a shrug of her shoulders. 

“Already?” 

“We’re waiting!!” your mom yells, finally catching onto the fact that you and Jeremy have made your way downstairs. 

You roll your eyes but smile as Abby grabs your hand and drags you into the living room. Jeremy follows nervously, wanting to stay back and prepare himself to meet your whole family but never given the chance as he’s thrown right into the whirlwind. 

Your Aunt is first to attack, rushing over from her seat to greet Jeremy and welcome him to the family. 

“I’m Aunt Judy but you can just call me Judy!!” she greets, pulling Jeremy into a hug and Jeremy casts you a surprised glance that makes you hide a giggle behind your hand. 

“Let me introduce you to everyone! You’re so handsome! (y/n) is so lucky my goodness,” your Aunt rambles as she starts to pull Jeremy around the room and you and Abby are a mess of laughter at the sight before you. 

“(y/n)!” your older brother Thomas calls and you turn and pull him in for a hug. 

“Where’s Ava?” you ask when you pull away and your brother rolls his eyes but smiles and points behind him. 

“Aunt (y/n)!” she screams in excitement.

You bend down as she bounds over to you and when she reaches you you pull her up into your arms and swing her around. 

“Ava baby!! I missed you!!” you squeal, pressing kisses all over her face making her giggle loudly. 

“Ava, do you want to meet someone special?” 

“Santa?” she asks and you throw your head back in laughter. 

“No baby Santa was already here,” you remind her and she pouts for a moment. “This is someone really special to Aunt (y/n).” 

“Who?” she shrieks, whipping around to look at everyone. 

You carry her over to where Jeremy is, standing near the Christmas tree and chatting with your dad. 

“Ava baby,” you say, taking Jeremy’s hand and calling his attention to your niece. 

“This is Uncle Jeremy, my boyfriend,” you explain and Ava grins, hiding her face into your neck for a moment while peeking over at Jeremy with curious eyes. 

“Aunt (y/n)?” Ava tries to whisper but fails. “He’s cute.” 

“He is, isn’t he?” you say, turning to Jeremy who’s face flushed red at all of the attention on him. 

You gesture for Jeremy to follow you, the two of you taking seats on one of the open couches and Ava snuggles up to you on your lap. 

“Uncle Jeremy? How old are you?” Ava asks, feeling bolder now that she’s close to you. 

“I’m 25,” he says, leaning in and smiling widely at the young girl. 

“What do you do for a living?” 

“I play hockey,” he tells her. 

Ava continues to ask Jeremy question after question and he answers them with ease. At some point, Ava has moved off of your lap and into Jeremy’s. He bounces her on his legs, answering questions and playing games, generally keeping the young child entertained. 

You watch the scene with huge heart eyes for your boyfriend. Ava was smitten the second she laid eyes on Jeremy and you can’t say you blame her. Jeremy was your whole world, you couldn’t help but imagine a future where this was your daughter instead, where you and Jeremy are married, where Christmas is hosted at your house instead. 

“You okay?” Jeremy asks, finally noticing your stare. 

“Just love you that’s all,” you murmur and Jeremy leans in and presses a kiss to your lips. 

“Love you more.” 

You spend the rest of your Christmas with your family, opening presents, watching movies, and enjoying your time with the people you love the most. 

[snorky]

Verbatim

Hey y’all! I’m posting another story today as well because I wrote the last story at the same time I wrote this one. I saw a particular image of Swayman with his November mustache, and I must say it suits him well (maybe I just like mustaches). The confidence he exuded at the 11/11 Bruins v. Canadiens game was *chefs kiss* and I loved it. Title inspired by the song "Verbatim" by Mother Mother, mostly the intro guitar part. I hope you all enjoy this fic, and take care of yourself!

Pairing: Jeremy Swayman x F!Reader

Word Count: 1.5k

Warnings: None

—

—

The chilly, familiar, cold Boston air came rolling in, making the apartment seem much more frigid than it had to be. Although it was her favorite time of the year, when alluring holiday lights were hung on street lamp posts, and the scent of baked goods seemed to linger around, the cold air was rather uninviting compared to the other joys of winter.

It reminded her of sweet childhood, full of color and happiness and innocence in a swirl of hot cocoa, dashes of marshmallows and with whipped cream on the top. As she grew into adulthood, that childhood never seemed to go away since she met Jeremy.

She shared an apartment with Jeremy, her friend since university, and it helped cut some costs off of the heart-issue-inducing price of rent in the area, although to compromise, she wanted to help with groceries and chores as much as she could.

“Hey, Jeremy—” She closed the door behind her with her foot, her hands occupied with the task of carrying paper grocery bags. “Let me know if we need any winter supplies.”

He was always a friend, first. He was someone she cared about much more than just someone she lived with and split rent. They both inspired each other to grow better, never putting one or the other down, but always uplifting each other.

Turning around the corner, he stood in the kitchen with his back turned to her, cooking up a simple lunch for the both of them. “I’ll let you know, but I don’t think Boston winter is going to be too rough this year.”

“They say that every year, until one day in the middle of winter, we suddenly get a foot of snow,” she sighed.

He turned around, placing the sandwiches down on the counter, and helped her with some of the groceries. She looked up at him and became startled, “Jeez, Swayman—” Her arms quickly grabbed the groceries that she had almost dropped. “What did you do?”

“Oh, yeah,” he chuckled. A dopey smile was plastered on his face. “Forgot to tell you that I was keeping the ‘stache for ‘Movember’ and I’m surprised that you just noticed it now.”

She felt slight embarrassment in not noticing, but it wasn’t every day that she stared at his face constantly, at least, she thought. “Well,” she paused before speaking again. “You know what, yeah.”

Grabbing the bags of produce and vegetables, she put them in a colander and began to rinse them in the sink as he put the other foods into the refrigerator. The thought of him having a mustache was new to her, especially since he was either clean-shaven or had a slight scruff. Taking a peek at him, she observed it, settling down on the idea that it wasn’t too bad.

“Do I have something on my face?” He laughed. Noticing her flustered expression, he gave her a slight smirk. “Ohh.” Closing the fridge behind him, he walked slightly closer to her. “It’s the mustache isn’t it?”

She didn’t have any romantic feelings for him on the surface, but it was evident that there was a live wire spitting sparks into the air between them.

The late weeknights when it was Jeremy’s rest days, spent on the couch with her, watching their favorite TV show with a bowl of Chipotle. Or the times when she made post-game dinners for him, seeing the genuine smile in his eyes when he looked at her.

It made her do a double-take when thinking about him, and she tried so hard to not let it get to her. For Pete’s sake, he was her friend and roommate for years. And it’d be so, wrong, in many more ways she could explain, yet it was beyond easy to fall for him.

Looking her up and down, he noticed the heat that seemed to drift to her face and neck. “Definitely the ‘stache,” he laughed as he took a step back from her, grabbing his sandwich from the counter and walking to the stools on the island counter. 

Oh, damn him. He knew the effect he had on her and she noticed it, but it felt like a jumble of mixed signals. Did he like her? Was he just teasing her? It was a whirlwind of mixed feelings and unsteady ground.

She brushed her feelings aside and grabbed one of the two sandwiches that he had made for the both of them and started to eat it, enjoying how pleasant it tasted. “This tastes pretty good,” she hummed.

“Thanks,” he responded, continuing to eat. “Tried out a new recipe.”

They both continued to eat in silence together, across the kitchen island from each other, the distance separating them. Awkward tension hung in the air as her feelings about him were slightly revealed, but not enough so that he knew something was definite. He moved his gaze from his sandwich to her, observing her like a hawk.

“I’ll do dishes, go relax after you finish your food.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“Why?” she asked. It confused her as to why he wanted her to relax, especially out of the blue. “What’d you do?”

“You got the groceries and I think that you should just rest.” He smiled.

She hummed in response, content with the idea of relaxing on the couch after running some errands. “Thanks,”

Finishing up their sandwiches, Jeremy grabbed both of their plates and placed them in the dishwasher as she went out to the living room. Laying face-down on the couch, she let out a long exhale, relaxing her muscles and body.

“Long day?”

“Your mustache is unbearable,” she groaned.

He laughed at her, “I think you like it.” Crouching down to be at eye-level with her, he paused before he spoke softly, “Tell me what’s wrong,”

She turned her head to look at him, his face drawn with light concern. “What?”

“I can see it, you have something you want to say. And it’s not about my facial hair,”

Time seemed to slow as they remained in silence looking at each other. He searched her eyes for an answer to her silence. Was it in fear? Discomfort? Annoyance?

She held her pinky up to him, a symbol of keeping a promise. “Promise to continue helping me pay the rent?”

Jeremy let out a small laugh, considering how silly the request seemed, but at the same time, an odd feeling sunk within him when she said that. “Promise.” He wrapped his pinky finger around hers tightly.

Releasing a breath she didn’t know that she was holding, she buried her face into the couch, hiding from his gaze that he kept on her. “I think I like you,” she mumbled. Her face was hot with embarrassment, a mixture of fear and shame bubbling inside of her.

“Well I mean,” he paused briefly, “I hope you do, we split rent and live with each other twenty-four-seven if I’m not on road trips.”

“No—”

“Okay, I know what you mean, I was just messing with you.” He smiled. “Please look at me,”

She picked her head up off of the couch slowly, turning to look at him, he remained smiling, and it looked sweeter than before. He had the softest, precious-happy look in his eyes, the one that she’d see after a game win, but better.

His cheeks were dusted with a gentle pink tint, his face soft. “I like you as well. In the way of me wanting us to be more than friends,”

Smiling at him, she gently cupped his face, her thumb running over his cheek. It was the answer that she had preferred to hear from him, but it seemed better than she had initially thought, and it was relieving. Her own cheeks were a rosy shade, flustered and feeling all sorts of fuzziness.

“Let’s go out and grab dinner later this evening, my treat,”

“I’m sleepy though,” she sighed.

“You need a midday nap?” He asked as he stood up. “Cause if so, I’m grabbing some blankets and joining.” He let out an obnoxiously loud yawn, which she laughed at, as he walked away to grab the blankets from the closet.

This was routine for them from time to time since they were close, but it was slightly different now, knowing that they both felt like they were more than friends. When he came back, he gave her a few blankets and then laid on the couch beside her, head in her lap.

“We’re going on a date tonight, so let’s get some rest.” He let out another yawn, which in turn, caused her to yawn.

“What? A date?”

“The best for the best,”

She smiled softly at him, adoring his genuineness. Her hand drifted to his hair, playing with it gently as he drifted off to sleep, and shortly after, she started to fall asleep as well, peacefully in his presence, together.

[huuuuughes]

Swaymas 2024 Masterlist Masterpost

Introducing what I would like to call Swaymas 2024! Kind of like the 12 days of Christmas, except for everyones favorite Boston Bruins Goalie, Sway :) Each day will be one chapter starting 12/24/24. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season, and all the good vibes going into the new year no matter what you celebrate.

A/N: i just want to apologize in advance for those reading this due to the title and the time of year. i do know that sway is jewish, and tried to stay around the general theming of all holidays. i started writing this with only christmas in mind and i wanted to put that apology out there. sway in the santa hat had me feeling a little inspired, hence the picture and title. the actual holidays themselves have little to do with the plot, so they are kind of skimmed over. all in all, just wanted to offer my apologies.

Summary: It's December and somehow you've made it to the end of one of the worst years of your life. Your fiance left you out of nowhere, and now the parents you spent years avoiding suddenly wanted to contact you again. They thought you were still engaged and about to be married, and there was no way you could tell them the truth. The holidays are one of the most stressful times of the year, and the potential for everything to fall apart is high. Enter Jeremy Swayman, starting goalie for the Boston Bruins, who reminds you of the fact that there are miracles hiding around every corner.

Warnings: (not all have been mentioned as of 12/25/24 but will be by the end of posting) fluff, talk of injury, angst, family trauma, eventual anxiety, mentions of grief, smut like basically porn and those chapters will be labeled as such.

Key:

x - Smut

^ - Fluff

+ - Angst

Chapter 1 ^

Chapter 2 ^

Chapter 3 ^ +

Chapter 4 x^

Chapter 5 + ^

Chapter 6 ^

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

[senditcolton]

can this be a real thing? can it?

a/n: here is my submission for @wyattjohnston and @comphy-and-cozy 's Eras Tour Challenge. I was given "Snow on the Beach" and Jeremy Swayman. And I went out there with this song, transforming it into another royalty au. Did I shove multiple Taylor Swift lyric references in here? Yes. Does it connect to the Prince Andrei universe? Yes. Did I write this whole thing while live-streaming the last show of the Eras Tour? Yes. Hence why I'm posting in literally in the middle of the night, my time. I had hoped to get it out sooner but I ended up sobbing during surprise songs and needed to take a minute. But anyway, I love this fic and creating it made me appreciate this song a lot more than I did.

summary: Princess Patrycja Berezovsky is a pawn in the game of thrones. She is seen as the eligible princess of Roslindale, destined to be married off to the highest bidder. Nothing more. The only person that sees behind the mask is her sworn protector Jeremy. song inspo: "Snow on the Beach" (feat. Lana Del Rey) word count: 4.9k warnings: royalty au! knight x princess, forbidden romance, unresolved angst, the general medieval attitudes towards women, attempted suicide, and tragedy with a capital T (i'm sorry).

The moonlight casts a silver glow over Princess Patrycja Berezovsky’s room, overpowering the small golden light emanating from the dying embers in her hearth. It cascades over the new gown hanging on her wardrobe, dancing over the jewels resting on her vanity. Everything glitters and shines in the light, flawless and beautiful and perfect. Just like she was.

But in the silence of the early winter night, the princess’ eyes remain open, sleep evading her even now. In this moment, Patrycja felt like she might shatter into a million pieces. Like she was the embodiment of the crystal swan – the emblem of her country of Roslindale – perched on her nightstand. False and fragile. All because of what tomorrow would bring.

Tomorrow was the reason for the brand-new gown on her wardrobe. The reason for the royal tiara on her vanity. Tomorrow, she would be boarding a boat and sailing down the coast to be married to the crown prince of Carolyna. A marriage that Patrycja had no say in.

She knew this moment was coming. She had known it from the moment she turned fifteen. That was the first year that the scrolls had started arriving from all across the land, when she was fitted for a new dress every month, when she was paraded into the throne room and forced to meet the suitors that came to offer their hand in marriage.

Back then, it had been exciting. She had been giddy, her mind swimming with the songs that she heard played in court and the stories passes down from folk tales; stories of beautiful maidens meeting handsome princes, of knights rescuing damsels, of lovers whose romance brought about magic and overcame every obstacle.

But she had quickly learned that life was not like the songs.

She couldn’t pinpoint a precise time when that realization hit her, if there ever was an exact moment. It felt more like a slow build, a chain reaction of events leading her to that conclusion.

The first time she met one of the suitors in her father’s throne room who happened to be thrice her age.

The times her father refused to talk to her about her choice of suitors, instead looking towards the councilmen around him as if she weren’t even in the same room, as if she didn’t have an opinion in these negotiations.

Every time she was asked what she felt about one particular suitor or another, her concerns of age or cruelty or just general dislike were brushed off as vanity, glossed over because that prince or lord had a kingdom that yielded good crops or commanded a strong army.

Marriage was a political arrangement. And it was arrangement in which she hastily learned she had no say.

It had been three years since the first scroll arrived, her marriage to whatever eligible man her father and his council chose delayed. Mainly because of their focus on the war against Her father and his council held off for three years, their focus more on the war against Vizcaya. But when the opposing countries army had secured their claim to the lands surrounding the Stanley River Valley in the west, the council’s focus shifted from winning the war to recovering their losses. And the easiest recovery for the kingdom of Roslindale was by securing the engagement of Patrycja to the crown prince of Carolyna. A man that Patrycja had met only once before – two years ago.

The entire situation – her entire life – had turned from a fairytale into one giant tragedy. Her path had been planned out since she took her first breath. Her fate was sealed, the prophecy was written. Now, the weight of her future was locked onto her like a ball and chain, dragging her down. Something that she could not fight no matter how hard she tried. It felt ironic: here she was, princess of a great country whose name carried great power but she herself, had none.

There was nothing she could do.

That was the thought that had been twirling in her head, the image of her dancing in a strange ballroom, trapped in the arms of a man who did not care for her. A man who could bed a hundred other woman without penalty. A man who she would essentially be sold to for what? His country’s naval power?

There was no escape. She had no power to stop it, to change anything.

There was nothing she could do.

Patrycja can feel the panic rise in her chest, her ribcage rising and falling at a rapid pace. In a haste, she throws off her bedcovers, her body lifting from the plush mattress. The moonglow is still flooding into her chambers, casting a ghostly silver light over everything. She rises from her bed, her bare feet hitting the cold stone floors as she walks towards the glass doors, pushing them open and walking onto the balcony overlooking the ocean.

The early winter chill hits her skin, causing goosebumps to rise, helping to slow her panicked breathing, if only slightly. Her blue eyes stay fixed on the horizon, watching as the waves crash onto the shore, the beat of the ocean slower than the beat of her heart. The cold air stings her lungs with every inhale and she can feel the scream perched just below jaw, begging to be released. But she doesn’t let it fall.

It was a skill that she had perfected long ago. Hide every ugly, raw, uncouth emotion behind her polished façade. Never let them see you crack. Accept your fate with a demure smile and a graceful curtsy. It was what was expected. It had been expected of her from the moment she was born. It would be expected of her till the moment she died.

There was nothing she could do.  

She felt fake. Part of her wondered if she was even a real human anymore or if she had been transformed into the crystalline swans embroidered onto tapestries, engraved onto the palace doors, embossed into the castle walls. That she had turned from a person with emotions and needs into something monetary – something beautiful and valuable and disposable.  

Patrycja knew she hadn’t faded entirely because she could feel the pure want build inside of her body. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted… to have a say in how her life was plotted. But there was nothing she could do.

The crash of the ocean waves draws her back to the present moment, her eyes refocusing down the cliffside the castle was perched on to the dark blue almost black ocean, the darkness broken only by the white foam on the waves. And the sight of that sea, so far below her, pulls a story from England into the forefront of her mind. A story that whispers through her thoughts in a voice of a young maiden so much like her. A maiden who, driven to despair over the lack of control and agency in her life, chose to meet the waters and drown.

Patrycja Berezovsky had no power in this life. Except one.

She had the power to say when it ended.

The clarity settles into her bones, as cold as the air around her, freezing any panic that once existed in her veins, replacing it instead with a chilling acceptance.

Patrycja spins away from the stone railing of her balcony, crossing her bedchamber to the door. The heavy oak gives way with the push of her hand and she pokes her head out of the small crack, eyes glancing around the silent hallway. It is abandoned, the moon the only light and the sheer luck of being able to slip out of her bedchamber unnoticed seems like a sign from the universe urging her on. She doesn’t hesitate to leave, not even grabbing a cloak or candle or slippers.

She knows that her current fortune would not last to the seashore. The night patrol would be walking the halls, guard would be posted outside every exit. But Patrycja knew the secrets that the palaces stone wall held, secrets that most guards were not privy to.

You see, there were tunnels that wound their way through the bowels of the castle and led directly to the cliffside overlooking the ocean. Her uncle Brajan had showed her these passages when she was a child, excited to share his hidden playground with his niece. Patrycja wondered if he saw something of himself in her. He had always been the black sheep, willful and wild and never tied down. She shared a similar desire. Maybe that was why he showed her a way to escape.

However, she knows that her current plan, one to not only escape the castle but escape the trappings of her life was not the form of freedom he had in mind. She sends a silent thank you to him anyway, hoping that when the news reached him, he would understand. Pressing on a painted panel a few paces down the hall, the entrance whooshes open, reveal a staircase to Patrycja.

The tunnels are cold but comforting, a labyrinth that she knew like the back of her hand. Her body naturally moves her around turns and corners, the steeled resolve never wavering in her veins.

The chilled ocean breeze is the first thing she can feel, even before the world appears to her, the exit a small silver box promising her a getaway. The cacophony of waves is louder down here than from her chamber’s balcony, only increasing in sound as she walks closer.

Finally, her bare feet hit the delicate grass of the cliffside, the wind ruffling her pale blonde hair. The edge of the outlook is within sight. Patrycja moves forward, her eyes fixed on the line where the earth ends and the sky begins until she is near enough to the edge to see the ocean waves crashing beneath her. She watches the water break against the rocks below, the waves beckoning to her with their steady ebb and flow, the foam retreating back into the darkness, seemingly begging her to follow their path. The wind picks up the edge of her long nightdress, the hem fluttering in the breeze, her long flowing sleeves cascading behind her.  

She is sure she looks like a character from a song, ready to meet her fate. She is sure that her life will be reduced to a tragedy. What kind? Of that she isn’t sure. People will either whisper about the princess who went mad and killed herself or she will be an archetype in a folk tale, a tragic heroine that took control of her life in the only way she could.

There was no way of knowing what she would become once she was gone. There was only the going.

A small slip of the rocks beneath her lurches her body, the surprise pausing her forward momentum briefly. She takes a small breath, steadying herself again, before taking another step forward. She could do this. There was nothing stopping her but her own fear and hesitancy.

That is, until she feels the tight grip of a hand on her shoulder.

The mere touch stops her in her tracks. She was supposed to be alone. This was supposed to be her escape. Her entire body stays frozen in place, waiting. For what, she wasn’t sure. She just keeps her gaze focused on the beach below, the waves still kissing the sharp rocks. Then, a voice sounds out, rising above the crash of the sea.

“Princess?”

Patrycja recognizes its tone and timbre. Her own surprise accompanied by the press of the hand on her shoulder forces her to turn around. And her blue eyes land on the concerned brown ones of Ser Jeremy – her knight, her sworn protector.

The moonlight glints off his armor, the black metal looking even darker in the night, the only color on his body coming from the gold of the cloak clasped around his shoulders. Patrycja watches as his gaze dances across her face, glancing down at her thin nightdress, her bare feet.

“What are doing out here?” he asks, the concern lacing his question. The query demands an answer, an explanation – one that Patrycja is hesitant to give. So, she stands frozen, her eyes still distant and stare blank as Jeremy continues to look at her.

His hand falls from her shoulder, tracing down her arm to loop around her wrist. The hold around the joint is delicate, as is the pull of it on her arm. Jeremy’s gentle urging makes her walk a few steps forward, at least until they are away from the edge of cliff. Patrycja watches as he reaches behind him, tugging the golden material of his cloak. Above the ambient noise of the ocean, she can hear the clasps holding the material click, the fabric releasing. He twirls the material around her, quickly and efficiently wrapping it around her frame, the soft cotton descending upon her own shoulders. Jeremy pulls the fabric tight around her, willing the winter chill away.

Jeremy’s voice sounds again as his hands move against her arms in an attempt to both warm her and shake her out of the fugue state she was in. He repeats his prior question, the syllables still laced with confusion and the silent request for any response lingered in the air.   

“Isn’t it obvious?” Patrycja finally speaks, her voice quiet and humorless. She watches his eyes look over her before flicking to the where the earth gave way to the sea and then back to her. She can see the realization settle in his dark irises and she can feel a strange ache in her heart at the sadness that seems to spark in his eyes along with that understanding.

“Why?”

His question is a genuine one, she knows this. But his ignorance at the position she was in, the choices made without her consent, choice that drove her to choose this path, ignites a righteous anger in her. That fire flows through her veins and all that bottled rage and anguish that she had been holding back for years finally bursts forth.

“Why? Why?! God, Jeremy, why do you think!?” Patrycja says, her voice rising with every sentence.

She throws his hands off her with a sharp shake of her body, the anger forcing her to move, even if it is only to pace side to side in front of him. Part of her knew that she couldn’t go further even if she wanted to, not with Jeremy’s eyes following her every step.

“I am about to be married off to someone I met two years ago, a marriage that I have no say in in a life that I have no say in! I have no control, no power. I might be a princess but I am not awarded the agency that every man around me is given freely. I am an item: a brood mare, a diamond to auctioned off to the highest bidder. Percious cargo to be shipped off to another country. Forced to be tied a man that I do not know and do not love. At the worst, he could be cruel – at best, indifferent. Regardless, I will belong to him for the rest of my life. And there is nothing I can do to stop it except walk off that precipice, let the rocks meet me and the waves take me.”

Her final declaration is emphasized with a point of her finger towards the cliffside. Jeremy’s eyes follow her gesture and Patrycja sees the dark brown irises harden in a rocky determination before returning to her, locking with her hysteric gaze.

“I can’t let you do that,” he says, his voice steady in its resolve.

“Yes, you can,” Patrycja replies, stalking towards him, the finger that had been pointing to ocean now pressed against his breastplate. “You are sworn to me. So if I demand you to return to the castle and let me die, you have to obey.”

“I cannot obey you in this, Princess. You are right, I am sworn to you. I took an oath to guard your secrets, to defend your name and honor, to give my blood for yours and protect with all my strength and – ”

“Then protect me!” Patrycja screams. Her hand reaches for the hilt of the sword hanging at his side, her hand stopped by Jeremy’s own calloused palm wrapping around her wrist. She can feel the tears that are tracking down her cheeks, her blue eyes gazing up at him as her voice breaks.

“Please. Jeremy, please. Save me from a fate that I do not want, from a life that I cannot control.”

“I can’t let you die!” Jeremy exclaims, pulling her body to his, his hands turning to grip her waist as he meets her pleading gaze. The close proximity forces Patrycja to keep his steady gaze. She had never noticed how the moonlight turned them from their normal dark umber to a brighter chestnut color.

“I can’t let you die. Even if it is by your own hand,” he declares, quieter this time, one of his hands reaching up to brush away her windswept hair from her cheek. “Not if I can stop it.”

This was dangerous. The thought passes through Patrycja’s mind before she can help it and she quietly scoffs at its absurdity. Of course this was dangerous. It would be that way even if her and Jeremy were twenty paces apart from each other. The two of them shouldn’t be out of the castle, alone together, at this time of night. But standing here in her thin nightgown, her sworn protectors’ cloak around her shoulders, his hands on her body, their frames close enough that Patrycja can feel his breath fanning across her cheeks, the warmth a sharp contrast to the chill around them… it was compromising.

Very compromising, in fact.

The realization seeps into her bones faster than the realization that she could jump from the cliffside if she wanted to. Here was another way to escape that wouldn’t cost her life. There were few weapons in a princesses’ arsenal but one was their virtue. And if that was sullied, she would be shunned, most likely disowned. She would be free.

So, without hesitation, she lifts her body up to press her lips against Jeremy’s.

It was an impulsive decision, not even entirely thought out. She didn’t know if anyone had already discovered them standing on the cliffside together, if there even was a witness to this indiscretion. It was reckless and rash. But all thought: her original plan to throw herself into the ocean, her reasoning behind the kiss, her anger, her anguish, her desperation, her hysteria… it all disappeared with the touch of Jeremy’s lips.

And in its place… a peace.

The feeling of his lips against hers was indescribable. The sensation was… magical. It felt similar to the emotions that used to fill her body when heard tales and songs of true love, an emotion that she had hoped to experience for real when she kissed her own prince charming; warm, beautiful, and all encompassing.

And it certainly didn’t hurt that Jeremy was kissing her back. The hand that had been on her waist had tightened around her, pulling her impossibly closer to his body, the cold metal of his armor pressing against her front. His other hand had fallen from behind her ear where he had so tenderly tucked her hair to cup her jaw, guiding her deeper into the kiss. The way his fingers rest on her skin is delicate, touching her with a reverence that she had never felt so personally, holding her like she was about to shatter into a thousand pieces. Which, considering the position he had found her in only moments ago, might have been true.

The sensation of Jeremy’s kiss is gone as swiftly as it came. He pulls away from her, his head ducking down. In regret? In embarrassment? In disgust – at her or himself? She didn’t know.

The two stand there frozen and it only then that Patrycja notices the snow falling from the sky. The white flakes land on Jeremy’s dark hair and armor, covering him with a natural silver glitter that sparkles in the moonlight. He looks even more like a hero in the songs – the melancholy knight, honor bound to his king… to his princess.

“Why did you do that?”

His question is slightly muffled by the tilt of his head and the gentle snowfall but Patrycja can hear the sharpness of his words, a small undercurrent of anger painting the syllables. She stands frozen, unsure on what to say in response, much like when he asked her a question earlier that night. But unlike before, the reason she does not answer is not because she was caught in a catatonic state. It because she wasn’t sure of the answer now.

“Was that your newest escape plan?” Jeremy continues, his dark eyes finally reconnecting to hers. “Kiss me and be shunned? It is clever – your father would most likely disinherit you, send you away to a convent or some other institute where you would never be seen again. But I would be killed for besmirching the Princess’ honor.”

The guilt crashes Patrycja with the strength of the ocean waves beating on the cliffside. She should’ve realized that her choice would affect Jeremy. Even before the kiss and the feeling that it brought forward, she had always cared about him. He was kind and noble and brave. He had always kept his oath, preformed his duty as her sworn protector. Tonight was no different. He stopped her attempt to end her life and how had she repaid him? By trying to implicate him in an action that would not only undo the honor that he had worked so hard to achieve but would force him to meet the hangman’s noose.

“So did you?” he asks, his voice pulling Patrycja back, her blue eyes meeting his hardened gaze. “Did you kiss me in the hopes that someone was watching and would report back to your father?”

The shame thrumming through her body forces her to respond.  

“I did. At least, that was the plan. But now…”

Patrycja’s voice trails off and she can see Jeremy’s eyes soften in understanding. He must’ve felt it too, that force, that magic between them; rarer than a comet or the aurora borealis. It had enveloped both of them, covered them like the snow now covering the beach… unlikely, strange, but beautiful.

“Why did you kiss me back?” Patrycja questions, her head tilting ever so slightly in confusion. “Even if it would mean death for you?”

The change of expression on Jeremy’s face is almost imperceptible, just a small lift of one corner of his mouth in a subtle smirk.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he responds, an echo of the first words she spoke to him that night. “I’m sworn to you. I am willing to die for you. In every way.”

Oh. Oh.

It had always been Jeremy. He had always been there, by her side and not just because duty demanded it. It was because he felt something towards her – something more than just the devotion of a knight to his princess. It couldn’t be real. This was impossible… as impossible as the snow falling around them. Jeremy… loved her? At least, he cared about her – deeply.

Patrycja watches Jeremy’s head drop, the smile disappearing from his face.

“I apologize. I shouldn’t have said anything. Not now, at least.”

She knew what Jeremy meant with those words. There was never a time or place for him to confess his feelings towards her. Their positions simply didn’t allow it. But his confession coming out now, mere moments after she was planning to end her life, the night before she was to be married off… it was jarring to say the least. But a small part of Patrycja doesn’t care.

“Would you ever have told me how you felt?”

“It is not my place to ask for the affection of a princess,” Jeremy replies, the smile returning to his face but this time it was laden with sadness.

The reasoning behind his melancholy seems to hit Patrycja slowly. Of course he wouldn’t have told her. Even if he had confessed to her before tonight, they would’ve never been able to explore their feelings, safely. It would be forbidden, dangerous. One misstep could spell the end for them both.

These emotions existed in a space that they could not survive in. This could never exist. All they could only have this moment – in the peace and calm of snowfall on the cliffside, the moon as their only witness.

“I’m glad you told me,” Patrycja whispers, her gentle confession drawing Jeremy’s attention back to her. “At least I know that there is someone out there who sees me as more than just my title and my inheritance. It’s a comforting thought.”

Jeremy only offers her a subtle bow of his head, the action of a knight proud to serve his princess. Nothing more. Patrycja can see the rise of his chest is response to his deep inhale, his head lifting, shoulders straightening and she heartachingly watches as his own mask – one of a  duty-bound knight – falls back into place.

“We should get you back inside, Princess.”

The words aren’t meant to be cruel but Patrycja can feel the cut of them in her heart, the pain of which shocks her back fully to the present. She registers the numbness in her fingers and toes, feels the dampness of her now snow-ladened hair, and a shiver wracks through her body. And finally, the wave of exhaustion sweeps over her, brought on by the lack of sleep and every choice, plan, secret that had been revealed.

There is no arguing from her, no fight. Instead, she just nods her head and walks back towards the castle. She can feel the familiar comforting presence of Jeremy trailing closely behind her, an energy that meant so much now, after the revelations of tonight. Patrycja walks back through the hidden tunnels, turning the opposite directions that she had mere hours ago until she was climbing the staircase that would lead to the secret entrance a few paces down from the door of her bedchamber.

Before they walk out into the hall, Jeremy steps in front her, his head poking through the crack in the wall, checking to see if anyone was lingering the corridors. It was only when he confirmed the coast was clear did he step forward, allowing Patrycja to walk into the hallway before he clicked the panel back into place. He escorts her to her chambers, standing a few paces behind her as her hands grasp the iron doorhandle. But before she can pull open the carved oak, Jeremy’s hands once again stop her.

In a move that was laden with every ounce yearning, every impossible desire, his hands gently grasp the edges of his golden still thrown over her shoulders. The fabric falls from her, exposing her skin to silver moonlight. Patrycja can only let in a shuddering breath, brought on by the intimacy that was a whisper of what she now knew they could’ve shared… if only they were different people. 

“Good night, Princess,” Jeremy says, his whisper echoing down the hallway and Patrycja desperately holds onto warmth that his devotion provided her, if only for a moment, before she steps back into her gilded cage.

She walks into her bedchamber, ready to lay her head down on her pillow and let herself fall into what she hopes is a deep and dreamless slumber. But as she is about to pull the door close behind her, a tremor of fear runs through her. She turns, her gaze now landing on Jeremy’s back, his golden cloak once again secured to his shoulders.

“Jeremy,” she says, her voice calling his attention back to her. She swears she can feel her heart skip a beat when his gentle brown eyes fall on her. “You aren’t going to tell anyone anything? About tonight?”

She can see the understanding cross over his expression, knowing that she meant her sneaking out, the hidden tunnels, how she had been on the cliffside, ready to jump into the waves, their kiss, everything. A soft smile tugs at his lips before he speaks.

“I swear to ward the Princess. With all my strength and give my blood for hers. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall guard her secrets, obey her commands, ride at her side, and defend her name and honor.”

His words were verbatim to the vow that he took in the throne room, kneeling in front of both her and her father while the rest of the court looked down on them. That day where he became more than a knight from the Rosalind ranks, when he turned into her sworn protector. It was his promise to her.

“That was the oath I took,” Jeremy says, his voice filled with the sincerity that Patrycja had only dreamed of receiving. “My first and only duty is to you.”

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[skjeinon]

captain doesn’t have to know - jeremy swayman

summary: you’re patrice bergerons little sister visiting him and his family during the holidays for christmas. one so you can go to the winter classic but also to see the family- the bergerons are hosting a small dinner for any of the team that wanted to show up on christmas eve. this is where you’re reunited for the time of the better with jeremy swayman..

warnings: smut 18+ , literally the longest one person fic i’ve ever written, jeremy swayman gets a little kinky in the end, porn with plot and lots of it, no proofread which is probably an awful idea, maybe wrong wag names sorry

The environment that patty and his wife steph create for you when you visit is nothing you’ll ever take for granted, especially this year during christmas. when you arrived and got up to the guest room, you saw steph had lit candles and given you new sheets and silk pajamas for the two weeks. she had given you soaps and salts for baths and the bathroom connected to the bedroom was nothing but beautiful with amenities for you to enjoy while in their humble abode. the flight to boston had been nothing but stressful but you gave it some praise due to the fact that it had been worse two days before christmas in the past.

you knew tomorrow was their little get together so you relished in the fact that it was calmer in the house, as you turned on the lamps in your room and put on the silk pajamas that had been laid out for you. you unpacked and knew you could smell something being cooked downstairs as you saw coming in, when patrice had gone to pick you up, that steph was cooking dinner but also preparing for tomorrow night as well. you enjoyed it, knowing you’d get a nice home cooked meal. college has been kicking your ass, so home cooked meals are far and few between.

making your way downstairs, the kids were giggling as they played with toys, sitting on the floor with patrice. you walked past them, smiling at the fact that they were filled with blissful ignorance, knowing only that christmas was two days away and that tomorrow, they’d probably be brought gifts by the team to add to their collection of gifts under the tree.

seeing stephanie behind the counter, you made your way to sit on one of the stools, starting small talk with her before she asked “where are y’all’s parents for the holidays?” knowing you probably wouldn’t be in boston if it hadn’t been for some other reason.

“did patrice not tell you?” you questioned.

“he did, but i will be frank, i just don’t remember” she shrugged as she cut away at some vegetables going into a dish.

“ah, well they’re going to south america for a few days, they’re coming back up north to boston for the winter classic though” you said as you watched her hands move expertly. in the few seconds of silence, she got an idea and smiled “would you like to try some of this soup? it’s for tomorrow night but i need a good judge.” you smiled and nodded and she gave you a bowl, which sparked thoughts in your noggin.

“so who’s coming tomorrow? to the party” you said as you took a spoonful into your mouth, as you swallowed you gave her compliments on it and smiled. she smiled at your compliments before thinking on the question.

“oh well, brad, his wife and kids, mcavoy, jeremy and jake, taylor and linus and linus’ wife, nick and his kids and probably a few other kids or girlfriends or even players. i cook to feed an army so that everyone is well fed.” she shrugged, she began to clean up, wiping down the counters before pulling some plates out. it was time for dinner and after dinner maybe you’d go and take a bath after. but alas, right now you were about to chow down. “dinner time!!” steph shouted, the kids and patty walked into the kitchen ready to eat.

—

that night you found yourself in the bathroom, in the tub taking a warm bath while you looked through instagram, taking every name you remembered and searching them on instagram. it wasn’t as if you forgot names or faces but in reality you hadn’t been around the team enough in the last few years to remember them all perfectly, especially the older guys. you knew you liked jeremy, i mean you were following him on instagram and he followed you but honestly, even then you didn’t know him super well. you thought he was cute but you thought charlie was also cute.. even david- besides the point. you continued your adventure before you shaved and washed yourself down. you found yourself back in the silk pajamas and soon enough in bed. you had another long day ahead of you so you knew sleeping early would strongly be to your benefit.

the moment you laid down, you honestly knocked out, sleeping well into the morning, showing further how tired you were when you woke up to knocking on your door before the kids ran in to wake you up. “auntie!!” they chanted before attacking you in bed, shaking you before you sat up. smiling, you held them and shook them around before patrice came and got them. “cmon kids, aunt y/n needs her beauty sleep.” he smiled as they ran to him, gently closing your door before you got out of bed.

“i guess that was a good wake up call..” you mumbled as you looked at the clock, seeing as it said 9:56 am. you realized you slept in so late and almost cringed a little before you went and brushed your hair, teeth and washed your face. instead of remaining in your pajamas, you simply changed into some simple clothes for the day and made your way downstairs.

“morning sunshine” stephanie said as you walked into the kitchen, she was cleaning up from breakfast but pulled the plate with your food on it from the microwave. she sat it down as you sat down and offered you some coffee before she went back to doing what she was doing. her and patrice had been cleaning the house and cooking some more already, as they wanted to take the kids ice skating before the party tonight. to not only fire them out a little but to give them a nice skating experience on a nice day like christmas eve.

as you finished eating, everything for the day was set in motion and everyone finished getting ready to leave the house. you joined them in ice skating and the outing was a success. you all had fun but coming back home, you knew you’d probably be sore the next day. to relieve this, you took a warm shower before everyone planned to arrive, doing your makeup and hair as well. you picked out a dress to wear that night way before you had even packed to come to boston. it was a deep red, crushed velvet dress that held your hips while puffed out at the sleeves. you had white tights and black boots with it , and it was almost santa-ish when you looked in the mirror. looking at yourself, you felt cute and hoped to gain something from it. whether it was compliments from wives or the kids saying “you’re so pretty!” you hoped to gain something.

you walked down the stairs and saw the tree lit up with all the other gorgeous lights and christmas decorations lit up. you smiled and walked through the living room to see the dining room and eating area near the kitchen set with gorgeous dining areas and beautiful centerpieces. you walked into the kitchen, it being empty as steph was with the kids helping them get ready. patty walked in and was wearing a nice button up. “you look nice” you smiled to him and he nodded. “same to you. i hope you feel good about tonight. i know it may be weird for you to spend christmas eve with the boys and not mom and dad.” he said leaning into one of the chairs at the bar top. you shrugged.

“it’s fine. i think i’ll enjoy myself.” you smiled, before hearing the sound of a knock at the door. you hustled to the door with patrice following behind you. you answered the door with a smile, it was brad, sloane and the kids. he smiled seeing you- “Y/N Bergeron, who dragged you into town!”he smiled before offering you a hug as him and his family walked in. the rest of the night when letting people in, it was all very similar except for when jeremy saw you…

he was one of the last ones to show up, fashionably late with flowers for stephanie and some baked goods for desert. you were on door opening duty while stephanie and patrice hosted. opening the door, you saw his tall thin stature walk up to the door. “hi!” you smiled and he stared at you for a moment, silent before he realized he needed to speak. “h-hello! i didn’t realize you were coming into town-” he laughed, his cheeks turning pink. “it’s good to see you.” he smiled walking in. you closed the door behind him, offering to take the flowers from him. “it’s good to see you too..” you smiled up at him, but he simply was staring. you thought that maybe he was a little dumb but seeing him this shocked at your presence made your cheeks burn.

you walked with him into the area everyone else had made themselves home at. a few guys waved to him and charlie stared at you for a moment before staring back at him as you walked through the living room to the kitchen. charlie gave jeremy a thumbs up- against my own knowledge. standing in the kitchen, you showed steph the flowers that jeremy had brought her and ordered him to sit down the dish he brought with him. the rest of the girls who stood with steph talking complimented the flowers which just made jeremy’s cheeks burn brighter before he dismissed himself.

“hey y/n?” sloane said as you cut the ends of the flowers off to put them in a vase.

“yes?” you turned your head, looking at her as you placed the flowers into the vase. she noticed the way jeremy stared at you and was curious.

“do you and jeremy talk outside of when you come to boston?” she asked , you were a little confused but complied. “uh, no not really. sometimes we chat, like he’ll respond to a story i’ve posted. we’ve had a few long conversations before though” you shrugged and went back to looking at the flowers.

“hm, do y’all talk a lot when you come to town?” she said , thinking ab other events that you had attended with him present.

“yeah i’d say so. he’s probably the easiest to talk to. we’re pretty close in age and he’s super sweet.” you smiled to her, trying to figure out what she was getting at. you knew that the moment you finished in here, you’d go into the living room and sit next to him and you both would pick up a conversation like you didn’t have lapses in speaking.

“hm- okay!” she nodded her head and continued on before you interrupted her. “wait- why do you ask?”

“jeremy was red in the face the moment you walked him in here.. i just think he likes you.” sloane spoke with the utmost confidence while steph and janelle agreed. a small smile came to your face, because you knew you had fond thoughts of him but just never chose to say or do anything about it because it never seemed right. i mean he’s the goalie for your older brothers team. it’s not like jeremy is older than patty or anything but it just seems wrong. the whole team will be on his ass if he breaks your heart. that’s caps sister.

your heart ached a little before you walked back into the living room, seeing the empty seat next to him where you felt as if you had seen someone sitting in before but you ignored it as you came and sat next to him.

“so- how have you been?” he said, looking down at you with a smile. you turned to face him, his eyes shining with the christmas lights that decorated the room. “i’ve been good.. how about you?” you said, nudging him slightly. “it’s been good. being apart of a professional sports team isn’t the least physically demanding job yknow, but i get by.” he smiled, leaning back against the couch. you did the same, getting comfortable. “you started your senior year this year right?” he asked, watching as you turned to look at him.

“yeah it did, it’s going pretty good. senioritis hasn’t really hit me yet, i’m hoping it doesn’t. the faster i can get to boston to stay, the faster i’ll be glad college is nearing its end.” you spoke, your body a little closer to his as you turned to speak to him easier, your hands at your thighs, playing with the hem of your dress.

“oh- you’re coming to boston after college??” he said, trying to hide his excitement. “how come?”

“i was offered a job with the boston celtics once i graduate” you looked down, staring at your hands, hiding the joy on your face.

“seriously?? that’s awesome, y/n!!” he say up, placing his hand on your arm, almost overjoyed at the idea of you getting a successful job with someone so soon.

“i know right!!” you giggled, looking up at him. he had a beaming smile on his face and you were just a little stunned at how … cute.. he was. your cheeks were warm as you looked away, and before you knew it, dinner was called. the growing tension was broken as he pulled his hand away from your arm to stand up, but when he stood up, he noticed your heels and offered you his hand. “mlady..” he smiled as you took his hand, he kissed it gingerly, watching you stand up from your seat.

“why thank you, kind sir..” you smiled back, squeezing his hand before letting go, him following behind you as you went to get food. Filling your plates, everyone scattered to the different seating areas, you finding yourself in the dining room, one of the first to sit down. after a few minutes, jeremy walked into the dining room. “do you mind if i sit with you?” he asked, pointing to the seat next to you. you shook your head, he came by and joined in by sitting with you at the table. others came and sat down around the two of you, but a small bubble formed around the two of you as you both talked and giggled over stupid stuff that no one at the table would get like the two of you.

when you finished your food, you got out of your seat after speaking to him saying “are you done? i can take your plate..”. this resulted in him also getting up, he followed you to the kitchen and the two of you were standing alone in the kitchen while you cleaned off your plate and his. most people had migrated back to the living room if they weren’t still chatting at the table. everyone who had finished, respectfully had cleaned off their plates and you praised them silently for it.

jeremy walked around, picking from the ham left out. you turned around and snapped at him. “hey! knock it off” a laugh fell from your lips, grabbing a towel to dry off your hands.

“i’m sorry!” he stuffed a piece into his mouthc watching you throw away the paper towel. you walked over to him and stood against the countertop after having grabbed a small piece for yourself. he turned to watch you, placing his hand on one side of you to lean against the counter rather than standing on all his weight.

“you’re here for the winter classic right?” he said, staring down into your eyes, he was good at eye contact in conversations. you nodded, swallowing before giving an answer.

“i have to go home like the day after, but i definitely am.. why do you ask?”

“oh well.. uh i was wondering if you wanted to go out and get breakfast or lunch or coffee or something one day.. while you’re still here. you should even come to the game on saturday or something.. i won’t be here tuesday or wednesday..” he almost kicked himself when he said the last bit. of course you knew he wouldn’t be here, his captain is your brother.

“are you asking me out, jeremy?” you tilted your head over against your shoulder, giving him a devious little smile.

“yeah.. i think i am.” he said leaning in a little closer, arrogance washing over him a little. confidence came easy when girls gave into his flirtatious acts. “i should’ve done it a long time ago.” he said as he leaned closer to you. your cheeks burned a dark red as he got closer. you took a moment in your head to acknowledge what he was wearing.

it was a dark brown flannel, jeans and some boots that matched the rest of the outfit. his sleeves were rolled around his wrist and his hands that you thought were usually bare, had a nice little bracelet around his wrist. everything about him just screamed he was more than an athlete. he seemed so genuine and soft with what he wore. you knew he was outdoorsy and you thought that was super cute about him. his face was gentle, and facial hair always fit how he looked. you’d thought in passing about how it would feel to kiss him, but right now as he inched closer, you thought about it now more than you ever had in your time knowing him.

“yeah?..” you spoke in almost a whisper, allowing him to come closer, as he placed his other hand down next to you.

“mhm” he hummed, coming in closer. “is it too soon to kiss you?” he said, a short laugh falling through his words. you shook your head and he placed his lips against yours, pulling himself in closer, with his legs on either side of you, a hand coming to hold the side of your face as your lips fit almost perfectly to his.

his were soft despite the constant chill he finds himself in. he couldn’t stop thinking ab the strawberry taste on your lipgloss. he would kiss you forever if it meant he’d taste it over and over again. slowly, he pulled away with a smirky little look on his face before he let go of your cheek and stood up straight. “we’ve spent too long not talking to each other enough..” the two of you let out a gentle laugh at his words.

“i’ve always been fond of you.” you shrugged as you stood up on your feet, stepping out from under him. before walking away, to join people in the living room, you have him a quick kiss on the cheek. “i can’t wait for you to take me on a date, jer.” you spoke in his ear before joining everyone else.

you sat with him for the rest of the night, but honestly couldn’t stop thinking about how you managed to pull him in a simple few hours. you had always wanted him and how you finally had him.. life is on your side.

you also just couldn’t get his lips off your mind… ugh.

—

christmas came and went.. it was a lovely day but honestly you couldn’t get your mind off of jeremy. that night after he went home, the two of you chatted almost the entire night until you forced yourself to sleep, knowing the kids would just wake you up in the morning. they did. but in that night where you talked to jeremy, you had decided where you would go and you decided thursday after they had come home, you’d go and get dinner together.

dinner was intimate, but maybe not as intimate as breakfast. patrice still doesn’t know but as long as jeremy can keep it a secret, you’ll be flying smooth. on the two nights they were gone, you helped steph a lot, hanging out with her and getting deep into conversation with her as well. you folded and told her about jeremy, but only so she could help keep it a secret.

“me and jeremy are going to dinner when they come home tomorrow ..” you hummed to her, thinking about it, but also just needing to see if she could cover for you. “i don’t want to tell patrice.. do you have any idea of how to cover it?”

“aww that’s so cute.. did he ask you out at dinner?” she said, sitting down, handing you a warm cup of tea, thinking about a resolution to your problem.

“yeah he did..” you smiled, looking down at your mug, trying not to blush at the basic idea of it.

“well, do you have any friends here? any that you just like don’t keep much contact with?” steph asked

you shook your head.

“what if you just pretended to be going on a date” she shrugged. you honestly thought that was probably the best idea and nodded your head.

“oh yeah, that’s definitely a good idea- especially cause i’ll probably be dressed up. you’re brilliant!” you smiled, leaning back into the couch, taking a sip of your tea. the kids had been laid to bed a bit ago, but you and steph stayed up watching the hockey game. you had watched the game the night before when jeremy had played, later that night you talked to him until he forced himself to sleep- he was bummed about the overtime loss against the senators. tonight linus was playing. you didn’t know linus that well, you wish you did though. he seems very sweet and you know that him and jeremy were very close.

that night you slept in peace knowing that they’d be home in short time tomorrow, their game only having been in new jersey. you spoke to him a little after the game but you were just tired and maybe a little over excited about the dinner date to come. waking up the next day, it was probably the most peaceful day so far because somehow steph got the kids out of the house with her to run errands before you even woke up. when you woke up it was late morning and you had 1. a goodmorning text from jer, 2. a text explaining why steph and the kids were gone and 3. a text from patrice saying what time they’d land and be home, but it was to a group chat with you and steph in it. you thought it was a little silly, but carried on.

over the day, you drank a nice cup of coffee while staring out the window, the day being not totally gloomy but a few grey clouds in the sky. you then ate something for breakfast before going to your room to take a long bath. in the almost hour and a half you spend in the bath you end up shaving your legs, doing a face mask and washing your face, preparing to wash your hair and simply just thinking about that guy you were gonna see tonight.

after washing your hair and body, you got out and did the rest of your routine, hoping this late morning was shifting quickly into a late afternoon which it was. Patrice, Steph and the kids have come home at this point, which helps you gauge where jeremy is in his day, though you knew anyways as between everything you’ve chatted with him. he got home almost an hour ago… two hours ago… oh god you’re just behind on everything you need to get done.

he was getting you at 5 and after stalling in the bath, while also stalling between coffee and breakfast and breakfast and picking clothes and picking clothes and a bath- time slipped away from you, so now you had to get hair and makeup done in the time between now and five..

you hustled and hustled until you were satisfied, seeing that text from him saying “i’m on my way now” made it all worth it, as you kicked your shoes out of your way to sit down on the bed for a moment, taking a deep breath. you flailed your hands around your face, fanning it before you leaned over pulling your shoes on, they were boots, leaving you a few inches taller than you were with them off. you grabbed your things and made your way downstairs.

steph and the kids were sitting in the living room watching a movie, patrice was in the kitchen making dinner.

“wow!!” steph exclaimed, prompting you to give a small twirl while the kids stared in awe before exclaiming how pretty you looked. patrice walked over, observing how you looked. “where ya goin, pip?”

“i have a date with someone i met on a dating app” you shrugged with a small smile. he nodded quickly and turned around to go back into the kitchen.

“does he have a jacket you can wear? it’s chilly outside..” he said, referring to your dress. it wasn’t short but alas it was a dress, you’d be chilly no matter what.

“yeah i’m sure he does..” you felt your phone buzz in your hand, you looked down to see his text light up your phone. “oh goodness, he’s here! okay! bye!! love y’all!!” you said as you slipped out the front door, hustling so that the chances of patrice seeing his vehicle were low.

he unlocked the car and the moment you got in, his infectious smile grew. “hey..” he said, leaning over his center console. you gently kissed him on his lips. “hi..” you smile in response to his own.

“how was the fight?” you asked as you pulled the seatbelt over your lap, staring at him as he pulled his car into drive, his eyes stuck on the road.

“ah it was good.. little bumpy but it’s a cloudy day, i can’t complain..” he shrugged, one hand on the wheel, while another leaned into the center console. his hand was sickeningly close to yours, you held your breath hoping he’d move closer. “how has it been since christmas? anything new you haven’t told me about?”

“ah no.. but i convinced patrice i was going on a date with some guy i met online, tonight..” a giggle left your lips, seeing the slight part of his lips from shock.

“you devious little fuck” he laughed. the two of you acted like two teenagers who were forbidden to see each other in some world where your two families or something were at odds. it was fun to act that way, even though you being with jeremy maybe wasn’t as big of a deal as you both made it out to be.

the drive was filled with small laughs and conversations, talking about some tv show you both had watched in passing and favorite movies and actors. his hand slowly sat atop of yours before you got to the restaurant, somewhere in downtown boston you honestly had never been to. when arriving, he opened your door for you, helping you out and continuing to hold your hand as the two of you walked to the entrance. he was nothing but a gentleman.. it really shocked you how calm he was about everything, especially because of how he acted when he first saw you on that saturday night.

though you thought he was calm, in his head his thoughts were racing. he controlled his big smile and blushing face while just thinking about you. your dress was flattering and he tried his best to keep innocent eyes on you. he wanted everything right, so much lead up to this that he needed it to end right- he needed it to end with you.

sitting through dinner was nothing but pleasurable, especially when you shared desert with him, watching as whipped cream sat on his upper lip. “jer, lick your lips please” and as he did, he realized why you spoke your request. he was so.. silly and always had something funny to say. he was never super witty or rude, but was silly. he paid for dinner in whole, and you suppose maybe it was the fact that he was a hockey player and was rich or maybe that he was just a gentleman but you felt flattered by the gesture.

leaving, the two of you slowly walked back to his car.. slowly. you knew you didn’t want to leave him, he felt the same way. standing outside of his vehicle, the two of you stopped. he leaned over you and you stared into those mesmerizing eyes.. thinking about whatever he could possibly be thinking. in silence, he leaned closer to you, and before you knew it the two of you were kissing again.

his hand came to your cheek and pulled you just a little closer. while your hands were against his chest, slowly pushed their way up to his neck wrapping around the back of it. your kiss was deepened by the closer contact until you pulled away to take a breath.

“you should come back to my place..” he spoke quietly, barely above a whisper. the close contact made his silence so loud to you. you nodded and a smile spread across his cheeks. you kissed him once more, then again and again very quickly before the two of you let go of each other so that he could let you into his car so he could drive you back to his. when he got back in and began to drive, his hand ended back over on your side of the car, this time now on your thigh…

-

he lived in some nice apartments, and when standing in the elevator together, your hand brushed against his before you linked your pinky with his. he walked you down his hallway and as you got to his door, you stood there very patiently as he nervously fumbled with his keys. he got the two of you inside and you were almost in awe at how clean it was. he lived lavishly, not in an irresponsible way, but in a way that shows he spent a lot of time and money in making it his home.

he offered you to sit on his couch while he poured the two of you a glass of wine, but you turned down the offer, instead you asked if he had any sodas or .. whatever they called it in alaska. he nodded and asked

“is coke okay? i don’t drink it very often i just keep it mostly for guests.”

and you nodded as you sat down. “sorry i didn’t want a glass, i don’t wanna somehow end up in any situation where i’m hungover tomorrow” you claimed as he offered for you to pull your shoes off and you complied. you already had a drink or two already so you were satisfied anyways when he came over and handed you the can.

“glass or anything?” he asked, standing above you, watching you as you shook your head. he nodded and as he moved to sit down, you spontaneously grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled him down to kiss you. he responded by quickly sitting down, deepening the kiss while placing his palm on your thigh, gently squeezing it as you pulled him closer.

“mhh” a soft sound left him before you pulled away.

“yes?” you asked quickly “is this not okay? i’m sorry if i got the wrong-“

“what? no! i was just trying to get a little more comfortable i’m sorry.” he said through a chuckle. your face flushed, a little embarrassed.

“how would you like me to sit for you?” you asked, trying to make both of you comfortable.

“you can sit in my lap?” he asked and you nodded, waiting for him to turn so you could sit in his lap, placing your legs on either side of his. the way he stared at you as you were just barley elevated above him made your stomach twist. his eyes glowed as he placed his hands on your sides, his palms cradling your hips while his fingers gently squeezed the sides of your belly.

you leaned over him and as he turned his head back to meet you, you kissed him. this time it was all more passionate than the last. your hands moved to his shoulders, one closer up his neck before it was holding his face. slow kisses turned into his tongue pressed against yours. his hands slowly moved around your body, down your thighs before taking a gentle squeeze. your dress began to ride up your thighs and helplessly, you allowed him to hold your bare legs, refusing to stop him as his palms held your ass.

your hands on the other hand, moved down, trying to pull at his jacket to get it off of him. breaking the kiss, you whispered “jer..” loud enough to make him stop so he could remove his blazer, while underneath having a dark button down on, something easy for you when you’re kissing him again.

he held you with one hand while the two of you worked together to get the jacket off, before throwing it somewhere else in the living room. the two of you were back to your stupid little tango of touching each other while messily making out, maybe too scared to go further until someone else makes a move.

as you two moved some more, you began to unbutton his shirt.. slowly getting further down to his belt that held his shirt between his skin and pants.

“jeremy..” you spoke softly, separating from him.

“yes, baby?” he said, staring at you, his hands pushing under your dress against your back. your cheeks burned at the word “baby.”

“i need these clothes gone.. yours and mine-” you were embarrassed at the words, you felt needy.. ugh.

“do you want to go to my bedroom instead of the couch?” he asked, his eyes bore into yours. he was mostly trying to ignore your chest in front of him, but was also just trying to seem as confident as possible.

“sure.” you smiled down at him, the question seeming so personal. he made sure he had a good grip around your ass as he picked you up, wrapping your legs around his waist, leaning into his shoulder as he carried you to his room. your hands were linked around his neck as he opened the door, kissing your cheek before placing you down on his plush bed.

you took a moment to observe his room, with big window and gorgeous design, it matched the rest of the apartment. it was clean and his sheets smelled nice- thank god the boy respected himself this much.

“do you think i could take off your dress?” he said, pulling away as he sat you down to get a good look at you as he asked. you nodded and watched as he tried to contain a smile into a sly smirk as he took his hands and slowly pulled the soft material from above your hips up past your belly, chest and then over your head after saying “lift your arms” kindly.

as he threw the dress elsewhere, he observed what you wore underneath. it wasn’t matching on purpose, but definitely had that effect. your bra was a soft yellow while your panties were a lacy black. the bra had a clip in the front while the back had more lace connecting the bra together. “i um..” he blushed as he stared at you.

“sorry- it .. wasn’t super on purpose..” you laughed nervously but he shook his head.

“no, don’t apologize- it’s perfect” his eyes met yours, both of your cheeks burning before he leaned down over you to kiss you. as he did so, he used his free hand to unbuckle his belt and then push down his pants. his shirt remained buttoned as he slowly pushed you back farther onto the bed until you were fully laying down. your hands moved to his shirt and slowly unbuttoned it, until you were reaching down far enough to struggle. he pulled away, unbuttoning the shirt before pulling it off of him. you examined his thin but fit body before he leaned back over you and kissed you again.

he moved past your lips and was kissing at your neck, leaving soft kisses on your skin while he slowly moved down to the valley between your breasts. his hand slowly slid up the side of your ribcage, feeling very divot in your skin before taking your breast into his hand, as he began to kiss at the skin under your bra. he used his free hand to pull the fabric to the side as he kissed and sucked at your soft skin. eventually he switched everything, kissing at the other while holding the previously kissed. after much impatience, he fully sat up again-

“can i take it off?” he said, his hands placed against your ribs, cupping your bra. you nodded.. before speaking

“yeah you can.” you had a small smile on your face as he seemed satisfied with himself as you had said yes. he had you sit up a little and as you were nose to nose with him again, you pressed your lips to his as he unhooked your bra. as he did, he threw it to the side and laid you back down, moving back down between your breasts. as he sucked and kissed at the soft flesh, his knee was placed against your panties, allowing you to helplessly grind against his bare thigh as he sucked at your hardening nipples.

while your ground against his thigh, gentle and weak moans left your lips, until he pulled his thigh away, letting a soft apology leave his lips as he moved down your stomach in kisses, making his way down to your thighs. he asked quickly if he could pull off your panties, and as he did, he kissed at your thighs until he could fully have access to your cunt. it was dripping, and you knew it was as he let out a soft groan as he got a good look at you. he leaned in, a kiss pressing against your clit before his tongue gently licked over it. he replaced his tongue with his thumb momentarily, moving down so he could drag his tongue through your folds. tasting your slick cunt, he tries not to groan as he begins to eat you out, taking you like he was a starving man. his thumb rubbed at your clit, creating a steady rhythm. after a while he switched, beginning to finger you while licking at your clit. your legs began to shake as he flicked at your clit.

“j-jer..” his name fell from your lips as your hips began to buck into his face. “fuck.. jeremy..” you cried out, your head thrown back while your hands came to his hair, gently pulling at his soft curls. he began to work with more pressure, him fingering you a little faster, as he felt your legs shake and press his head between your thighs he knew you were at your edge- and as you cried out his name, your back coming off of the bed, he got the satisfaction of feeling your legs tighten around his head until you could finally come down from your high.

he slowly sat up, leaning over your to kiss you before he looked at your flushed face. your eyes were doughy as you stared at him.

“you okay?” he spoke softly, moving your hair out of your face. you nodded and he smiled. “you need some water?” and you nodded again. “do you have any words?”

“yeah.. i’m just saving them for later..” you teased, poking him in the belly before he rolled his eyes, getting out of the bed to go and get you a glass of water. as he walked back, you observed his body, seeing the trail of ginger hair that trailed down his midriff. you stared at his frame, he had so much muscle on his skinny frame, almost making you drool before you sat up to take the water. he handed it to you, sitting down next to you. you tilted your head back, downing almost the entire glass.

when you finished, he took the glass from you and placed it on the bedside table. the slender guy leaned over you and pressed a few kisses against your mouth. “you ready for a second round?” he moved your hair from your neck as he looked down at your body. “yeah i think so..” you smiled.

“would you maybe want to ride me? if not it’s okay..” and you looked up at him, nodding. you wanted to stare at him and just everything about him. “you sure?” he asked.

“yes i’m sure , jer.” you smiled softly as you sat up a little more, urging him to sit down so you could sit in his lap.

as the two of your switched around, he relaxed into the back of the bed frame, allowing you to sit on the lower halves of his thighs, looking down at how his boxers were low on his hips, doing nothing to hide that hardon he had in his boxers.

“can i take them off?” you asked, your hands around his hips. and as he gave you a “yeah” of confirmation, your fingers hooked in the elastic, pulling them from his legs. he pushed his head back, his cheeks a little red from embarrassment before you stared at him for a moment.. your mind was racing as you took your hand and gently wrapped it around his cock.

“nice..” you mumbled, feeling his veins against your soft palms. he was hard in your hand as your fingers barely met in a ring to your thumb. your slowly began to stroke him, observing his abdomen before he finally pushed his head back forward to look at you, watching as you sat there stroking his cock.

“fuck..” he groaned as you rubbed your thumb over the tip of his cock. his hair was a mess from you pulling at it, which only added to the effect of his heavy breaths, soft groans and flushed face. “fuck.. baby- i just.. please just ride me don’t do me like this…” he whined in his deep voice, forcing you to listen. he was so fucking hot.

“yeah okay..” you rolled your eyes, sitting up to place a kiss against his lips. your hand was placed on his chest to hold yourself up while your other hand held his cock, directing it to press against your cunt. his hands came up to your sides, as the tip pressed against entrance. “j-jer..” you whimpered. and again he realized that he had you in the palm of his hand while you began to sink yourself onto him,

“fuck..” you whined, your hands moving up to his neck, wrapping around the back of his neck. your head fell forward, trying to keep yourself composed. his hand moved to the back of your head, tangling into your soft hair, trying to comfort you.

“shhh.. babydoll..” he cooed while he himself tried to stay composed, having mumbled some curses while you took his cock. as you finally adjusted to him, while he fit perfectly inside of you, he helped you begin to fuck yourself on his cock. his hands were on your hips, helping raise them off of his cock. once your legs gained their strength back, he allowed you to hold yourself up on your knees.

“why don’t i fuck you baby..” he spoke softly his mouth close to your ear. he held your hips high as he thrusted his cock up into your cunt. you placed your face in the crook of his neck, your hot breath against his neck as he slowly thrusted into you. his breath was heavy, groans leaving him as you whimpered his name.

“f-fuck.. i’m sorry i-“ you whined, trying to apologize for not being able to ride him like he wanted.

“shh.. it’s okay baby- this is better anyways” he had a smirk on his face, thinking about how not only he was fucking the girl of his dreams, but he had her like putty in his hands. your moans came out in whines and moans as he began to thrust into you just a little harder.

“oh please. jeremy…” you cried, your breath sending goosebumps across his skin.

“yeah baby? tell me..” his hands gripped your hips, his hands on your ass as he thrusted into you.

“it feels.. so good..” your words were drawn out as you called out to him. your eyes rolled back , gasping as he pounded your guts in, increasing his pace and thrust as he fucked into you. your words soon became a slurred mess as he ruined your brain.

he could feel himself getting closer, as his muscles tightened. his grip on you became harder and as you neared the same fate, you struggled to hold yourself up on your knees.

“just a little longer baby.. just a little bit. i can tell you’re about to cum..” he said as he struggled through clenched teeth and holding back on cumming.

“please.. jeremy.. let me- jer please..” you strung together as your knees began to give out. “f-fuck!”

he finally gave in. “okay baby cum for me” he spoke softly, pulling you down on his dick. he held back. he needed to be able to ask if he could cum inside and he was just torturing himself to not let himself go. he let you sit there on his cock, your walls squeezing around him as you sat there with your hands gripping his shoulders while your face was pushed into his neck. you could barely think but as you came down from your high, you just realized he hadn’t cum.

“can i cum inside of you..” he was quiet about it, the room was quiet and it seemed a little awkward.

“oh i’m so sorry i didn’t tell you- yes jer you can.. i’m on something.” you smiled, kissing his neck affirming my before he suddenly picked you up and turned you over, laying you on your back before he was on top of you, pushing his dick inside of you. before you could say anything you were overcome by his cock deep inside of you again, pressing against that weak spot that caused you to whimper.

he took your leg, pushing it over his shoulder, leaning forward. “cmon baby.. do you think you can cum again..” he said as he began to not just thrust into you. he began to fuck you. his free hand was placed on your lower abdomen, reminding you and him of who your cunt belonged to now as he was gonna pump you full of his thick cum.

“oh my god.. baby..” he groaned , almost drowning out your own overstimulated cries. his thrusts were wild and lacked rhythm but probably felt better than anything else as he intended to make you cum as he filled you up.

“fuck im so close.. cum for me again baby.” you could feel it coming as he demanded for it again. “im gonna fill you up, i’m gonna fuck this cunt full..” he threw his head back, groaning deeply again. your body was shaking as he grabbed your other leg, pushing it over his shoulder. you could hear the slapping as he fucked you as hard as you’ve ever been fucked.

“god im gonna cum- baby i’m gonna cum inside of you” he finally said before his cock , which filled you entirely, was fully inside of you, pumping his thick cum all over your walls. he leaned over , pushing your legs with him, showing him how flexible you truly were as your third orgasm came with it. the feeling of his cum inside of you did nothing but send you over the edge, the both of y’all’s moans and groans mixing together to create the most annoying neighbors ever.

his name fell from your lips until you could finally think again. he was still buried deep inside of you as you came back from your high. he sat there, your legs still to your chest.

“you can stay inside of me all you want, but i would like to have legs that work tomorrow..” you said, running your hands through his hair. he nodded and said he sat up, he kissed you quickly before he moved back, letting your legs fall to his sides. he then thrusted into you one more time for good measure.. but mostly just to see your cute reaction to his big cock.

slowly, he began to pull out, staring as the cum became to seep out of your cunt.

“yeah.. i think this date was a success..” he teased as he got up, resisting the urge to lick your creamy pussy. he got up and found a clean pair of boxers before running off to his bathroom go get you a washcloth to get everything cleaned up.

“me too..” you responded as he came back. he got down between your legs and gently cleaned you up before placing a kiss against you clit. he gave you a clean pair of his boxers and a t-shirt to wear.

“you should spend the night..” he said as he handed you the clothes. you nodded in agreement while putting them on. you looked at yourself in the mirror, seeing smudged makeup and a very tired girl with a very cute guy in the background to the mirror. he came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, kissing your ear and your cheek until you turned your head to kiss his lips. “you’re beautiful…” he said in the softest tone you’ve ever heard from him. “let’s lay down..”

you ended up staying the night and sleeping in late the next morning. the two or you slept, cuddled up like bears. the two of you knew that this secret relationship wouldn’t be a secret very long, especially with you being in boston for another week or so but however much time you could savor with jeremy was enough. you’d be moving back soon anyways but until then

captain doesn’t have to know..

[alltaternotot]

Looking Glass | N. Zadorov

Nikita Zadorov x tailor! Reader

Summary: Nikita is trying to find a new suit tailor after his retires, and he is surprised to find a small tailor shop with all kinds of surprises, even beyond the suit

WC: 11k

CW: fluff, smut, relatively slow burn, strangers to friends to lovers?? swearing, limited knowledge about tailoring/suitmaking, the use of the words “suit” and “hand” a million times, light proofreading. Let me know if I’m missing something!

NSFW (MINORS DNI): fingering, p n v, in the mirror, clothed sex, so much praise it’s not even funny, Z likes to talk, consent checks, creampie (BE RESPONSIBLE! WRAP IT!), aftercare, this one got HORNY so be warned.

A/N: cuz we all love a giant pretty man in a nice suit ;)

<><><><>

1 - the meeting

“I’m sorry Nikita, I’m retiring in two weeks, I’m finishing your last suit order then I can’t take any more. But I really do appreciate your business over the years, my friend.” Nikita’s tailor, Dimitri, said over the phone in Russian.

This was a little bit of a shock to Nikita, as his tailor had been designing and fitting his suits from day one, all the way back in Colorado. His closet was piled high with suits he would never stop loving, years and years of designing a look that was perfect for him.

“I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m thankful I could at least get one last suit from you. I hope retirement treats you well, call anytime if you find yourself in Vancouver.” He said, earning a light hearted chuckle on the other line.

“Will do Nikita. Your suit will be on its way to you in the next few days. Best of luck this season.”

They ended the call with the usual goodbyes and made his way over to his closet, pulling out his navy pinstripe suit for the game coming up in just a few hours. His ex used to pick out his suits every game day, but now that they had been broken up for some time he started to enjoy the freedom of wearing whichever suit he felt like. His style was his own after all.

He burned the day away, working out and skating in the morning, eating a light lunch and watching some new show that Quinn had mentioned. He felt calm and ready for the evening ahead. The game hadn’t changed in that way for him, he still loved it like he did as a little boy back in Moscow.

It was finally time to get dressed, his favorite part of his game day routine. He threw on a crisp white button down with a burnt orange tie, one that stood out against the rich blue of his suit. He slipped his legs into the soft fabric of his dress pants, then his large arms into the sleeves of his jacket, he opted for sunglasses, one of his gold watches, and a spritz of his favorite cologne. Finally, he slipped his feet into his nice warm brown dress shoes and did up the button on his suit.

He let out a sigh, admiring his outfit and fixing a lock of hair that had fallen into his face. The floor length mirror across from his bed lit him up perfectly. He looked sharp and professional, the kind of look that seeps confidence. He loved dressing the part of a millionaire athlete, there was no denying that. He shuffled around his room, picking up his essentials before throwing them all into their respective places in his pockets. He was ahead of schedule today and feeling a little bit more antsy to go. He pulled his front door shut and locked it before spinning on his heel towards the elevator.

The only thing he disliked about his his large apartment was the parking. He took the elevator down into the labyrinth of a parking garage his building had, low ceilings and mess everywhere. They had construction going on for the past two weeks or so, mildly inconveniencing him quite a few times. He would walk along the barrier of the construction to his waiting car every game day, trying not to let all of this piss him off. He pulled his phone out to pick a song, one earbud in, trying to keep his mind on the game ahead. Suddenly, he brushed the chicken wire fence that was up to close off a good 15 parking spots. He heard a rip and some pressure on his arm, right near his shoulder. His hand flew to his shoulder, almost trying to save it from what already happened.

“Shit!” He exclaimed to no one in particular. His fingertips were in contact with a decent sized rip right on the seam of his sleeve, a little hole showing the white shirt underneath.

He untangled himself from the chicken wire, not wanting to pull any more fabric, before jogging up to his car window to examine the tear. Luckily, it looked like just the seam was torn, so hopefully it was an easy fix. He didn’t want to go back upstairs and plan an entirely new outfit, so he just got in the car and left the stupid parking garage. He knew he would get an earful from the guys and probably a go-around meme post on Instagram about the visible rip, but at this point he just wanted to leave and get ready for the game.

The drive was maybe fifteen minutes without traffic, but usually ended up being closer to 30. He spent most of that time mentally preparing with soft music playing on a normal day, but this whole ordeal left him brooding with displeasure about nearly ruining one of his favorite suits. He was first at the light on one of the corners that he always passed on this route, when he noticed a shop he had never noticed before.

It was a little shop right next to a corner store, a chalkboard sign out front reading Suits! Dresses! Tailoring! He perked up a little at the sight of a tailor, the rip on his shoulder almost taunting him. He pulled off the road, right into a parallel spot on the cross street, getting out and almost running up to the door of this place. It really did look unassuming from the outside, but inside was really glorious. A bell chimed as he stepped inside and took it all in.

There were bolts of fabric stacked up taller than him, and designs of beautiful dresses and suits scattered around on mannequins, amazing colors and patterns on full display. There was a small counter and a desk, catalogues and thick design books littering both tables. He could hear a few people talking somewhere in the back, or rather one person shouting numbers and the other repeating them.

“Just a second!” A voice echoed from somewhere behind the bolts of fabric.

A woman appeared from a back room, a tape measure hanging around her neck snd and a notebook in her hands, scribbling down numbers on the page. She was short (even though pretty much everyone was short to Nikita) and very pretty. She wore a nice blouse and a mid length skirt, all topped off with a pair of nicer looking heels. It almost caught him off guard, like he was blindsided by meeting someone so pretty on a normal work day.

“How can I help you?” She asked, looking up, then up again to meet his eyes.

“Hi, umm, I know this is a weird ask but I am almost late for work, and I accidentally ripped the seam of my sleeve. Would you be able to fix it quickly? If not, totally fine, I’ll just be on my way.” He explained, turning to show her the tear in his shoulder.

“I can do that! Do you have maybe 10-15 minutes?” She asked, his eyes falling to his watch to check. He would turn out to be right on time.

“I think so.” He murmured, taking his phone out of the inside pocket and the jacket fully off.

She took the jacket, giving it a once over, then opened a tub of spooled thread sitting on one of the tables not too far from where he stood. He watched her pull out a tray of blues, holding them up to the blue of his jacket, then replacing them till she found an almost perfect match to the rich navy. She threaded a needle with lightning speed and flipped the jacket inside out to pull the seam together and pin it, deciding it would be the fastest to just stand at the desk and hold the massive jacket in her hands.

She could see how the sleeves accommodated large corded muscles in his arms, and how well done the work was. Whoever made this suit certainly did an excellent job and took his measurements down to the millimeter. She let herself look up at him briefly, his attention now on a deep purple suit displayed in the corner.

He was larger than life and had a confidence about him that was hard to ignore. His frame was perfectly accentuated with the cut of his suit pants and the button down he wore. His hair was perfectly cut and his sunglasses were perfect for his handsome face. The scar running through his lip down to his chin gave him a tough, no bullshit kind of look that only added to his confidence. He had a great taste in cologne, the spicy warm scent wafting through her senses from having his jacket. Even his accent was like a deep, rich honey being pouring from his lips. She pictured him as a hit man, or a spy, or some sort of agent. Something fantastic.

Once the stitching was done, she took the jacket over to one of the many massive mirrors on the wall and flipped it back, looking closely at the seam to make sure it was straight. Nikita walked up behind her and she offered up the jacket.

“Try that, hopefully the seam sits straight on your shoulder.” She remarked, watching him slip his big arm through the sleeves and button it back up.

He turned in the mirror, running a large finger over where the rip once was, now perfectly hidden by a straight seam. It was like nothing ever happened to it. He cracked a smile and turned back to the woman, yanking on the hem of the jacket to straighten himself out.

“That’s perfect. How much do I owe you?” He asked, pulling out his wallet.

“Oh don’t worry about it! It was just a quick stitch!” She exclaimed, holding her hand up in a stop gesture when he tried to hand over a fifty dollar note.

“Really, I insist. You’re saving me a lot of embarrassment with my… coworkers.” He said, circumventing the fact that his coworkers are in fact teammates on the most famous sports team in the area.

“Honestly, it’s no big deal. I’m just glad you let me work on this amazing suit. Your tailor is a magician!” She joked, and he just smiled.

“What was your name? I’ll be sure to recommend you for any fixing my coworkers need done on their suits.” He said, grabbing a business card from the desk.

“My name is Y/N, but the people who own this place are Rob and Krista. Any of us would be happy to help!” She exclaimed.

“Great. I’m Nikita. It’s nice to meet you, but I have to run. Thanks for everything!”

He turned on his heel to leave, sending a gentle wave her way before picking up the pace back to his car. When she turned around, the 50 dollar note was sitting on the desk, inconspicuously next to the pile of business cards he grabbed from. She let out a chuckle and let the fantastical daydreams of secret agent Nikita fill her mind up as she pocketed the note.

“Who was that Y/N?” Rob asked, emerging from the back holding the plans for a custom gown he was making.

“He just needed a seam stitched, no big deal.” She muttered, and he hummed at the far of gleam in her eye.

<><><><>

2 - the outing

Nikita scored two goals and got an assist that night. He was on top of the world and couldn’t come down. When the final horn sounded he found himself thinking of Y/N, and how the blue thread she used must have weaved some luck into him.

After his post game shower and doing media he found himself back at his locker, pulling his suit back on to return home. His button up was on, no jacket or tie, and he was almost done loosely tying his right shoe so he could finally leave. Quinn and Brock were close by, chatting with each other about the game.

“Fuckin rights Z, what a game!” Brock exclaimed, clapping a hand on his back, “What’s with you huh? Where’d all that goal scoring energy come from?”

“Just a good night I guess, nothing too crazy.” He responded, a little reluctant to share why he truly thought he was finding the back of the net.

He stood, quickly going back over to the sink to give himself a once over before finally leaving. Out of curiosity, he flipped the seam of his jacket into the light of the mirror in front of him, eventually finding a section of the seam that was a slightly different color with two tiny knots at each end. He smiled to himself and flipped it back, throwing it over his arm. Quinn and Brock watched, also curious why Nikita was all of a sudden examining his jacket. The looked at each other with a shrug, and let it go.

~ two weeks later ~

The universe had a funny way of treating Nikita sometimes. JT Miller gave him a call, basically begging him for a tailor recommendation. He said that ‘nothing was fitting well’ and that ‘you should know Nikita, I’ve never seen you wear a bad outfit!’. He was absolutely happy to give JT the information, and he told him that he had a suit he needed to get fixed anyway. He didn’t, but he wanted an excuse to go see Y/N and try to thank her in a hopefully normal sounding way for giving him good luck. They made a plan for their next day off in two days.

“Ah, perfect…” Nikita muttered to himself, digging out a beige jacket that he had made years ago, one that had a ripped inner pocket, buttons missing, and a weird seam wrinkle that wouldn’t go away. He had been digging around in his massive closet for close to an hour, trying to find something to bring to the tailor so it didn’t look like he was acting as the peanut gallery for JT, and now Elias as well, who weaseled his way into their trip because of similar reasons to JT.

A knock sounded at his door, Petey and JT both with their suits wrapped up in bags. They were dressed casually. Nikita offered to drive them all, making sure to avoid the chicken wire fence despite being in a black t-shirt and shorts. The drive was short and easy, but his heart beating with a flutter of excitement made it slightly harder to focus.

The bell chimed in the doorway when they entered, the sound of people talking in the back filling the men’s ears. JT and Petey had a similar reaction to the state of the store as he did the first time, both of their mouths falling open in surprise.

“Welcome in, gentleman. What can we help you with today?” An older man stepped up to the counter, a confident smile making his crow’s feet appear.

“Hi! I believe we talked on the phone a few days ago about some repairs the three of us need done? My name is JT.” He said, shaking the man’s hand earnestly.

“Ah yes! We would be happy to help! Let me go grab the other two.” He said, retreating to the back again.

This time, Rob, Krista, and Y/N all came up front. Y/N hadn’t been expecting secret agent Nikita to be standing there. He offered a gentle wave, and she offered one back as Rob began consulting JT while Petey introduced himself to Krista.

“Back with friends I see! How did the seam turn out for you?” Y/N inquired, coming up close to him.

“Very well. It’s holding up perfectly so far.” He answered, letting his hand fall on top of the jacket folded over his arm, “I actually have another one I could use your help with.” He said, offering up the beige jacket.

“No problem! We should be able to get them done in a day or two-“

“We can get these done today for you gentleman! You are more than welcome to hang around, it shouldn’t be too long.” Rob announced to everyone.

Y/N was a little surprised at this. Rob wasn’t usually the type to cut out time for walkins when his plate was stacked high with custom orders. Krista also seemed unbothered. She had been working on a dress that was due to the client in two days before they all came in, which normally took precedent over whatever little fixes came and went.

“Are you sure Rob? Mrs. Fueller’s dress needs to be done soon?” Y/N asked under her breath as they walked out of earshot.

“I will gladly finish suits for Vancouver Canucks players same day Y/N, it would be insulting to our great hockey town to not!” He exclaimed jovially.

It all clicked for her then, why Nikita was in a rush and dressed so well. Why him and his friends were also so athletic looking. Nikita also heard, eyes going wide as his cover crumbled right in front of him. He wanted just a few more moments of bliss without the fanfare, selfishly. He offered a sheepish smile to her when she looked back at him, feeling a little caught despite not really doing anything wrong.

She retreated to get her kits, still holding onto the jacket. This one smelled faintly of that warm spicy scent she loved last time. This one would be a relatively quick fix like the last one. She took the space at the front desk so Rob and Krista could have the work spaces in the back. They called Petey and JT into the back work space, leaving Nikita to wander.

As she came back up front, she found Nikita in front of a dark green suit, pulling at the sleeve and rubbing the fabric between his fingers. He noticed her sit and turn the lamp on, laying his suit out on the smooth surface. He made his way back over to her, not resisting his urge to talk to her. His presence was strong and steady as he watched her rip the thread from the buttons left on the suit.

“I’m starting to think you’re clumsy, Mr. Canuck. Two suit coats in two weeks?” She joked, and he took a seat in the leather chair placed in front of the desk.

“I try not to be. I just like to be on my game with my suits y’know?” He answered, letting a twinge of guilt rip through him for not being totally honest about who he really was, “I’m sorry I wasn’t up front about who I was at first.”

“It’s ok, I understand. I’m sure you have people stopping you at every corner.” She answered as she pulled buttons out of their little plastic case.

“Not much of a hockey fan?” He asked.

“I grew up New Mexico, so there wasn’t much hockey around. Once I moved here I never totally caught on. But I like it when I see it! I know you guys have played well this season!” She explained.

He hummed in approval, “you should come see a game. It’s a lot of fun to see it live. I’ll even score a goal for you.” He joked, and she laughed along with him.

“Maybe I will.” She agreed, now moving on the inner pocket.

They continued to talk, just sharing about themselves and other light topics. He was absolutely endeared by her, her quick wit and personality shining through as they continued along. He learned that she moved to Vancouver for college and never left. This job was essentially dumped in her lap and it was too enjoyable to abandon. She could execute her favorite designs and get paid a decent wage.

Nikita’s coat was all wrapped up with all repairs made flawlessly, his old suit jacket returned to rights. He took it back, slipping a 100 dollar note into her kit when she tried to refuse him again. Now it was a waiting game for his teammates. He could see Petey with a tape measure in his armpit and JT looking through a few bolts of gray fabric; he guessed it would be a little while before they wrapped up. He perused the mannequins, taking note of the beautiful craftsmanship. He stopped at the double breasted dark green suit again, taking a good long look at it.

“I designed that one, y’know.” Y/N piped up, suddenly very close to him, making him want to reach out and touch her. He had a foot on her at least, her head reaching just above his sternum he guessed. He could smell the faint scent of sickly sweet flowers coming off of her, and instantly thought he would never smell anything better ever again.

“Really? It’s very impressive, something I would wear in a heartbeat…” he admired, then a lightbulb went off in his head, “I’m actually interested in buying some new suits, would you be willing to do them for me?” He asked.

“Absolutely Nikita. What kind of look do you like?” She responded, immediately interested.

“the style you saw on me the first day mostly. I think I want some color or something to give it a bit extra though.” He pondered, Y/N immediately beginning to swirl with ideas.

“Tell you what, I’ll set up an appointment with you and we can discuss it.” She offered, and he turned to her with a smile, “we can look through some catalogs and pick out some cool options.”

“Hmm, I would gladly take an appointment, but I don’t want a catalogue suit, I want what you think looks best,” He said confidently, “if you are ok with it, I would like to give you my number so if you see a pattern or inspiration you can tell me.”

Y/N’s heart dropped into her stomach, never to come out again. It was very, very rare that someone wanted anything other than an average suit, especially someone that seemed to be built for a nice suit like he was. Her mind lit up with a constellation of ideas.

“I-I would be honored.” She said, a little too stunned to say much else.

He smiled, making his way back to the desk for a business card and a stray blue pen. He jotted down his information on the back, handing it to her. She pocketed it, shoving it deep so there was no chance it fell out. JT and Petey made their way up front, now holding their suits plus some papers and fabric squares.

“All set Z?” Petey asked, and he nodded to the two men.

“We hope to see you all soon! Enjoy those jackets!” Rob said, waving as they made their way out the door, the little bell sounding as they exited the store

~*~

Rob and Krista returned to work on Mrs. Fueller’s dress, talking amongst themselves about how ‘nice those young men had been’ and how ‘you don’t see down to earth athletes like that anymore’. Y/N sat down at the desk gathering all of her supplies back into the kits. She smiled to herself at the 100 dollar note Nikita had left for her, making a mental note to scold him when she saw him next time.

There was a next time.

She fished the business card out of her pocket turning it over to reveal his neat, square handwriting.

Y/N,

Don’t share this with anyone! Hope to hear from you soon.

-Nikita Zadorov

XXX-XXX-XXX

She quickly put the number in her phone and saved it under secret agent Nikita before sending him a text.

Hi Nikita, it’s Y/N. Let me look at my schedule and we can put something on the books. I already have some ideas!

Not even ten minutes went by before a text buzzed from him

Sounds great. We leave for a week and a half tomorrow, but I should be available once we get back to Vancouver. Thanks for all of your help!

She sent off a thumbs up and a thank you before cleaning up her space to finish the last details on Mrs. Fueller’s dress. She imagined beautiful rich fabric and how it could lay on Nikita’s build, where to accentuate and where to bring in. There were seemingly endless options.

She couldn’t wait

<><><><>

3 - the fitting

During the week and a half the Canucks were on the road, Nikita found himself a little absorbed in talking to Y/N. They scheduled for a few days after the Canucks returned to Vancouver, and he couldn’t stop the flutter of excitement he felt when he thought about seeing Y/N again.

She started to send him photos of chic magazines, ones that had borderline eccentric suits, which she promised she would dial back but she ‘saw lots of potential’ in them. She sent him pictures of bolts of fabric, which he eventually just FaceTimed her to see. She was in the middle of a massive fabric store, dressed in a hoodie from what he could tell, which for some reason was endearing to him.

Y/N was very surprised by the FaceTime, but picked up anyway after the second ring, as it would give her an opportunity to hear his honey laden accent. He looked to be in a hotel gym, lightly huffing and trying to dry his damp forehead off with a towel. His hair was undone and falling in his face, and he was close enough to the camera that she could see the light dusting of freckles across his nose and cheeks. A domestic thought of doing this all the time flashed through her mind before she stamped it out.

“What do you think of doing something in this?” She asked, flipping the camera to show off a beautiful deep green.

“I like that a lot, I have a couple of green suits so maybe red? Or purple?” He inquired.

“Now we’re talking. I’ll get back to you ok? I’ll find the best red and purple I can.” She promised, which made him smile.

“I’m holding you to it.” He said, then a faint ‘come on Z food’s here’ sounded of in the background, “I have to go, but we’ll talk soon!”

“Ok Z, have a good night! Good luck for the game!” She said

He sent a wink into the camera, “will do Y/N.” Then ended the call.

Y/N couldn’t help the butterflies that erupted in her stomach as she played that wink over and over again. He was just so nice and confident (not to mention handsome), all while trusting her to deliver something great. She perused the bolts some more, finding a luxurious maroon and a dark purple that looked almost black. She bought them both and returned to the shop to place them in the pile that was forming for Nikita’s appointment.

They kept texting. Not even about suits or fabric or accessories, just casual conversation. He would text her before games, after games, late at night when he should have been sleeping. He imagined her cuddled up on the couch in a soft t-shirt with snacks and a movie on, or at the shop with her cute heels on and hair all styled, answering his texts with a smile and a giggle when he said something funny. They didn’t really talk about hockey either, outside of an occasional question about the rules or a funny story from Russia, which was refreshing for him.

Y/N had done her own digging (for research purposes of course) and fallen into a hole of stalking his socials. She had watched a heavy hit compilation of him on YouTube, and couldn’t believe that the one she met and the one knocking people into the next year were the same person. She watched one of his away games, against the Seattle Kraken, finding herself invested in the play going on and feeling that twinge of excitement when the camera found Nikita every once in a while.

It was days and days of sweet conversation and thinking about each other when they weren’t talking. Multiple teammates of Nikita’s were giving him shit for always being on the phone, but he felt like he couldn’t help it. It lit him up inside to see Y/N’s contact flash across the screen. She was so witty and kind, not to mention beautiful. She even began to cross his mind when he was alone in the hotel room.

The day finally came. His appointment was at noon, so he prepared a little early and stopped for coffee, also grabbing Y/N’s order as a little surprise. He felt like he needed to show his appreciation for the wonderful couple of weeks he had. The familiar bell chime went off as he opened the shop door, this time no bickering voices, just faint music coming from the back. Y/N walked up front to meet him, cracking the smile she had been waiting to crack since he asked her what her favorite color was over a week and a half ago. He handed her the coffee he was holding and offered a friendly side hug.

“Oh! You really didn’t have to, but thank you! Always full of surprises.” She remarked, setting down the coffee.

“Hey, what can I say. We’re gonna need all the caffeine we can get.” He said, then looked around to find no Rob or Krista, “where is everyone?”

“Rob and Krista decided to take a vacation in Italy, they’re gone for another week, so you’re stuck with me by myself I’m afraid.” She explained, grabbing a book from the corner to set out.

He perked up a little unintentionally at that news. The thought of the two of them together like this felt eerily similar to just, hanging out, and not an actual business deal being done by two professionals. He had been waiting for the appointment like it was a scheduled hang out for fucks sake.

“So first I’m thinking we get your measurements, then talk about what you want to see, and see where it takes us?” She offered, and he nodded, “great, if you don’t mind coming over here under the light so I can see you.”

He was dressed in a t shirt and shorts again, hopefully something that would make it easy for her to get good numbers. She had a little lawyer pad and a pencil, along with a tape measure ready to use in the other hand.

“Just stand normally and relax, I’m gonna work from the bottom up.” She noted and Nikita relaxed his stance.

She began, quickly pulling the tape measure around his ankles, jotting down numbers then moving up. She measured his calves, then knees, then thighs at their thickest, then the outside seam from hip to ankle. Nikita was trying to focus on anything but her touching him, literally anything but her skilled fingers pulling the tape measure taught around him. She finally measured his inseam, going from his groin to the inside of his ankle, then the other side, all before popping up and writing the last numbers down.

He was so, so still. He felt like if he moved he would shatter like glass under her touch. He was barely breathing. She moved to his hips, then waist, then from his armpit to hip. She wrapped the tape measure around his chest, the metal tag hitting him dead center, and she took the number. He wondered if she could feel his heart rattling his rib cage under her hand.

She pulled a block out from the corner to stand on, giving Nikita a moment to breathe and relax. She started on his arms, taking his wrists, biceps, and shoulder width, then from shoulder to wrist. Finally, she wrapped the tape measure around his neck. His pulse quickened at her closeness, and all he could think about was her breath fanning over his collarbone while she leaned in to read the number.

“Ok… that’s the last number…” she murmured, letting the tape measure fall loose around his neck, “wanna sit down to talk about what you’re thinking design wise?”

“Y-yeah, let’s do that.” He said, letting out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

She directed him to the seat around the front of the desk. She grabbed her pre-cut fabric squares in maroon, dark purple, and a sage green with silver detailing woven in. She grabbed her organizer of buttons and other accessories, and the magazines she had compiled since they began texting. She had tabs sticking out of each one, the magazines resembling annotated homework more than catalogs. She stuck them all on the desk, then sat.

He leaned back to accommodate his size in the seemingly too small chair, his knees bent up at a slight angle and his arms resting beside him. To a passerby it might look like an interrogation if they didn’t know any better. It was like he took up as much space physically as he did mentally for her.

“So, I showed you the fabrics I liked best over our call, but I wanted you to feel them and decide for yourself if you like them.” She started, handing him the fabric squares that he pinched between his fingers, one by one.

“The purple and the maroon are great, and I like that you went for a lighter green. I think three suits is a good amount for now, so let’s stick with these.” He explained.

“I thought the same, so we’ll go with those.” She set aside three piles, with one fabric square per pile, “I love to see double breasted suits, and they look great on you, so I was thinking about making the purple fabric double breasted with these buttons.” She pulled out gold buttons that were adorned with little flowers, very much like an old wax seal, “they’re vintage, and I think they fit the style nicely.”

He nodded, and let her take them back to set in their own pile with the purple fabric square.

“I think since the maroon is a little more adventurous we could try a strap closure in the front, it’s one of the more chic styles coming out of fashion recently.” She explained further, flipping to a saved page in one of the magazines where the model had a suit that was closed with a slim gold buckle and a strap across the waist. He had never considered something like that before, but he could see Y/N’s vision coming to life, so he agreed.

“And for the green I think a couple of buttons and a nice fit will do the fabric plenty of justice.” She said, holding up the green fabric square.

“This is all perfect Y/N.” He said, looking over the three piles in front of them, “what can I expect in terms of time?”

“I have one quick project before you, but I would say around a month for everything? Rob and Krista gave me permission to take on just your project after my other project is done.” She said, taking a glance at the calendar on her desk.

“That’s perfect for me, don’t rush on my account, I’m a very patient man.” He said with a sly smile, and she just laughed, the clearest most lovely laugh he could have imagined.

“We’ll plan on it then.” She whispered, seconds going by before she looked away from his eyes.

They both stood, Nikita reaching out to shake her hand once she came around the desk within arms reach of him. He pulled her in for a brief hug, as if to say ‘we’re past all the pleasantries’. Something was shifting in the air, between them.

“Um, I really wanted to thank you, for the trust. This project is a big deal for me.” She murmured.

“It’s an honor for me to own such a brilliant collection.” He assured, letting her go after one final pat on the shoulder, “I can’t wait for a month from now.”

“I can’t either.”

<><><><>

+1 - the gifting

Right on schedule, Y/N had all three pieces done in a month. She stayed up late and got up early quite a few times simply because she was inspired to finish. Everything, down to the very last stitch, was perfect. She thought of making replicas to save for a future fashion magazine.

Nikita and Y/N continued to talk, a lot. He found himself texting her anytime he thought something was funny, or interesting, or really any sort of thing that he thought she would like. When he was home, he would drop coffee off to her, and she would try to hide his suits from his curious eye. Each time he did, it would end with a hug and a promise to talk soon.

She ended up calling him one afternoon extremely frustrated. Her dishwasher started to make a funny noise and her landlord wouldn’t pick up, and he happily came over to help her, fixing it in a mere hour. They spent the whole evening tucked in a private corner of her favorite restaurant, her treat, as a thank you.

One night, on a rare off day on the road, she picked up another FaceTime call from him, and they talked into the early hours. He wanted to hear her voice all he could, and play her pretty laugh on repeat. They waded a little deeper beyond light banter, and they both shared personal things, and tried to be encouraging. Nikita admitted that NHL life could be lonely without anyone to share it with, especially since his ex moved on, but he was trying his best to enjoy every minute with his teammates. Y/N hoped she could give him a little peace in that way; be an avenue for him to take when the nights got a little too lonely. When they signed off, Nikita found himself biting back an ‘I miss you’.

He was on a road trip for a couple of days after his suits being finished, so they planned on meeting up at the shop on his next off day, which happened to be the day after the Canucks returned from a very successful 3-0 road trip.

Y/N had secretly been watching his games from the privacy of her apartment, cheering on the Canucks of course, but especially Nikita. She watched all of his media availability, and laughed at all of his witty replies. He was witty with her too, but from a different place. She knew he wasn’t trying to be smart with her, he just wanted her to laugh.

She had been waiting so long to see him, and today was finally the day.

She got up late morning, the sun already decently high. She decided this day was a hair down kind of day, so she brushed and lightly curled the ends. She threw on her favorite green dress with built in cups, and a black cardigan over the top, pairing everything with black heels. She threw on a light dusting of makeup and some perfume to finish everything off.

She made her way into the shop, not noticing the dark clouds rolling in behind her as she pulled each suit off the rack and placed them in very nice suit bags. The plan was to meet Nikita at 4pm, then get dinner after. When she turned back towards the front of the store, the sky was much darker and big raindrops were gliding down the windows. The storm got heavy very quickly, the wind whipping sheets of rain into the side of the building. Normally Y/N would find this kind of weather relaxing, something that would warrant comfy clothes and a cup of tea, but she had Nikita to wait for, and the more it rained the more she got worried about her plans for the day.

She was suddenly bathed in darkness as the power flickered and shut off completely. The light coming from outside was dim at best, and the rain only seemed to pelt the glass harder. She felt her heart sink. There was no way she could work on anything, let alone meet Nikita and give him his suits.

Right on cue, special agent Nikita flashed across her phone. She picked it up and tried to smooth over her frustrated tone. Despite being frustrated, she was tremendously relieved.

“Y/N, are you ok?” Nikita asked, hearing the rain in the background.

“Yeah, yeah, I think I’ll be ok, I just have to be careful getting home and we can reschedule, ok?” She asked, the defeat weighing down her last few words. She thought of her shit box sedan, probably floating down the flooded street by now.

“What’s happening over there?” He inquired, it couldn’t be that bad, right?

“Uh, the power’s out and the street is flooded out front, I’m not going to make you come over here Nikita.” She argued, “the roads are dangerous as it is.”

“Im coming to get you, just relax and I’ll be there soon.” He said, the determination in his voice rocking her a little bit.

“It’s really not safe right now! Don’t worry about me I’ll just wait it out.” She tried to reason, but she was cut off with a ‘no, no, no, stop.”.

“I’m not letting you sit there in the dark Y/N, I have an SUV I’ll be fine. Just sit tight and I’ll be there soon.” He pushed, and quickly hung up so she couldn’t try to deter him any more.

Not even fifteen minutes later, a black SUV swung up into the spot right in front of the door, Nikita running to the door with his arm up over his eyes. He threw the door open and pulled it closed, water gathering on the floor in front of him.

“You ok?” He asked.

“Yeah I’m good, it’s just dark.” She laughed, gesturing to the flashlight on her phone illuminating them.

“Good, let’s get the suits and get out of here.” He said, stepping back to the door to wait for her.

She first slung her purse over her shoulder and grabbed her keys from the desk. Then she grabbed all three garment bags, tucking them into her cardigan before folding it over her body like a disgruntled teacher. He pushed the door open as soon as she was by his side, fighting the wind and big drops. He stuck his arm out, using his big body to try and shield her as much as he could. He hit the hatch button on his key fob and she ran as quickly as her heels would allow on the flooded sidewalk, laying the bags down flat in his trunk before hitting the button to close them in safely. She made the quick shuffle to the passenger seat, shutting the door with an aggressive thud.

Nikita and Y/N both let out a breath. She hoped they would both make it out without getting too wet, but it was no use. She was soaked, her nicely curled hair now a damp mess, her cardigan and dress soaked on top. Nikita’s sweatshirt and hair were also soaked, him taking the hem of his sweatshirt to wipe his dripping forehead.

“So I was thinking we could go to my place, but if not I’ll take you home..?” He suggested, and she nodded after a beat.

“We can go to yours, I want to show you the suits.” She said, and he pulled out of the parking spot with a nod.

The road was absolutely drenched, so the drive home was slower, but nothing his SUV couldn’t handle. Nikita wordlessly turned on her heated seat, hoping to combat the shivers she developed as the minutes ticked on. He felt really bad about her getting rained on, but he couldn’t in good conscience leave her to drive home that shit box sedan or sit in the dark studio all day till the rain stopped. He was so relieved when the entrance to his building’s parking garage came into view. He parked in his spot, getting out first and grabbing the garment bags out of the back. Y/N brushed her wet hair out of her face in the mirror before opening her door and hopping out.

They made their way inside the elevator, side by side, until it arrived at his floor. He opened the door and let her in first, extending his hand in a come in motion. His apartment was nothing short of amazing. The space was large and open with a beautiful kitchen, plus large windows that overlooked Vancouver. The room was decorated exactly how she pictured, lots of sleek neutrals and modern details. He had a massive sectional sofa, with a huge tv and an electronic fireplace right underneath. He had a sliding glass door that lead out to a lovely balcony that housed a couple of plants and Adirondack chairs.

They could see the rain still coming down hard against the glass, with no signs of stopping any time soon. Across from the open living space was a large hallway that she assumed led to his bedrooms and bathrooms and any other extra space he had.

Y/N bent and grabbed a hold of one heel, sliding it off, then the other, then tucked them into the mat where a lot of his shoes sat near the door. Her heels were covered in water stains and grime from the dirty sidewalk, so she figured it would be better to leave them there for now. Nikita set the garment bags over the arm of his massive cushy sofa sectional before he meandered into the kitchen, pulling out two mugs and setting some water to boil. Without heels on, she fell right below his sternum, and it was now even more glaringly obvious how wide their size difference was.

“What kind of tea do you like Y/N? I have mint, camomile, and some sort of spicy-orangey one.” He asked from around the corner.

“Spicy orangey sounds good.” She joked, finally walking into the kitchen where he was pulling a little box out of one of the higher cabinets, “I never took you as a hot tea kind of guy.”

“I like it sometimes. Nathan MacKinnon said I should try it when I can’t sleep before taking melatonin, and he was kind of right.” He laughed at the memory, “the Dogg is always right when it comes to what you eat and drink.”

“Hey, if it works it works.” She remarked as he handed her a perfectly warm mug of tea.

They sat quietly for a minute, letting the warm liquid warm them up a little further. The sound of the rain outside was much more soothing in the comfort of his apartment. Y/N hadn’t realized how deep the chill had gotten from her still too wet cardigan and hair. He looked at her for a moment, realizing she was still shivering a little and damp. Once both of their teas were done, he grabbed the mugs and turned them in the sink.

“You should take that cardigan off, you’re going to catch a cold,” he said matter of factly, “I’m sure I have something you can wear if you want.”

She shrugged it off, and Nikita took a hold of it and turned on the electronic fireplace, putting it next to the slowly building warmth. He turned to the garment bags, and picked them up carefully, nodding his head towards the hallway.

“My closet’s down here, I want to see in the mirror.” He said.

At the end of the hallway was his room, decorated similarly to the rest of his living space. The bed was underneath the window on the opposite side of the door, a nice long ottoman chest sitting at the foot of his bed, the kind that had a cushioned top to sit on like a bench. Across from the bed was an absolutely massive ceiling to floor mirror that was backlit with soft white light, making it easy to see. There was a connecting door to the bathroom, and another door that seemed to be a walk in closet, absolutely filled to the brim with suits. Her jaw fell to the floor at the sight of all of this tailoring genius in front of her, and they were about to add three more to his amazing collection. She continued to look around while he slipped into the closet.

“What do you want to see first Y/N?” He asked, separating out the bags and hanging them on the closet door. He had thrown on a nice white button down and a black tie on, just to make sure he was doing the suits true justice. He kept his shorts on, creating a very interesting sight

“Hmm, the green one?” She asked, and he nodded, turning on his heel to take the green suit into the bathroom.

She took a seat on the ottoman chest, waiting patiently for him. He returned, pulling on the sleeves and adjusting the jacket on his frame. The green complimented him so well, and the cut hit him in the perfect spot on his hips to make him look muscular and fitted. The pants perfectly accentuated his thick thighs. He turned to the massive mirror, taking a quick once over before turning back to Y/N, who’s jaw was on the floor again.

“I don’t think that could fit you any better.” She said, and he laughed.

“Well, you took the measurements, I knew it was going to be perfect.” He responded, “ok, what next?”

“Do the purple one, the last one is going to surprise you.” She said, and he obliged, of course.

After another few minutes in the bathroom, he re-emerged, the velvety purple showing up almost black with the gorgeous vintage gold buttons holding it all together. The suit, again, was cut perfectly, showing off his physique. He turned, looking at the fit and the buttons, all before turning to Y/N once again.

“I think you were made for the double breasted suit.” She admitted, and he gave her a wide smile and a dorky little spin.

“I love the color, it’s so deep.” He said, again turning to go back to the bathroom with the maroon suit in hand.

Now this one, she wasn’t entirely sure about how he was going to feel. The buckled closure was new for his wardrobe, but she had faith that he would embrace it. While he was in the bathroom, she stood from her spot and looked inside his closet, wanting to grasp the full picture of his collection. His closet felt like it continued on for miles. She heard the door open, and turned to see Nikita messing with the closure.

“Can you help me close it?” He asked, and she took a moment to look at him.

The maroon of the suit was perfect for his skin tone, and the fit, again, looked perfect. the clasp that closed the jacket was a delicate gold, something that would fit with his usual accessories. The fabric tie that he would attach to the buckle seemed to be jammed a little, very easy to fix. She grabbed the tie, pulling it gently so it would slide out again, and grabbed the buckle with her other hand, slowly snaking the piece in and looping the pieces together.

Nikita’s brain shut off. She was so close to him, smelling like rain and sickly sweet flowers, with her hair now falling in messy locks from being wet. Flashes of every moment they spent together, through the phone or not, spun through his mind. He thought about the dinner they had, and how pretty she looked, and how hard they laughed. In this moment she looked beyond beautiful in her dress, the freckles on her shoulders standing out. His arms were at his side but he so desperately wanted to reach up and touch her.

So he did.

He ghosted his hands over her bare arms, up her shoulders, and placed them on the sides of her neck. She looked up at him, her gaze finding his. She didn’t look apprehensive at all, in fact there was a glimmer in her eye that he had never seen before.

“What?” She murmured, keeping their eyes locked.

His thumb grazed her jaw, keeping a slow, feathery pace, “nothing, I just wish this would happen every day.”

“Trying on new suits?” She wondered, even though she knew that wasn’t it.

He leaned down, almost to her lips, “No, having you here to help me.” He murmured, “I want you here all the time. I’ve dreamed of having you here with me.”

That was all she needed. She met him the rest of the way, standing on her tiptoes to reach his lips. Their kiss was all consuming, encapsulating every feeling they both felt over the last few months, but were never able to say. He felt so soft against her, his hands remaining on her neck while hers slid around his waist. She pulled back, Nikita chasing her lips as she broke away. She looked at him for a minute with a soft, twinkling look on her face, Nikita deciding he never wanted to see her look any other way.

“C’mere.” He said, pulling her back in.

He kissed her deeper, his tongue dancing over her bottom lip so she would open up. She did, willingly, the both of them melting into each other’s embrace. One hand snaked back into her hair, the other sliding down and across her back. Her hands crawled up his arms, holding onto the soft fabric of his suit jacket.

He tightened his hold on her hair, kissing across her cheek and down her pretty neck. She let out a soft moan, her lips sitting on the shell of his ear. He wanted to bottle up that sound and keep it forever.

As he mouthed at her collarbone, he took a step, then another, till they were standing in front of his ottoman chest, the mirror right across from them. He sat down, finding her lips again. He reached up and pulled on the knot in his tie just a little loose, giving him more room to move. Their kiss was growing hungrier, his need to feel her growing stronger with every move. Her hands found his hair, fingers carding through his soft locks.

He grabbed at her waist, pulling her flush with him between his thick thighs. She began trailing kisses down his neck, or what she could reach with his stiff collar in the way. He opened his eyes, just for a moment, and watched her squirm under his touch in the mirror. He could see his own pupils darken at the thought of watching her.

“Nikita..” she groaned, “please.”

“What is it baby?” He asked, letting his hands wander to the sides of her breasts.

“I, I just want you.” She said, placing a desperate kiss on the corner of his mouth, “can we go to bed?” Grabbing his hands to pull him up.

“No, wait,” he said, using the hand that she was holding to turn her around, “right here.”

Y/N and Nikita looked like a work of art together in that mirror. Her hair was tousled and messy, falling down to one side while he kissed and sucked at her shoulder, moving the thin strap of her dress down her arm with one hand and caressing her head with the other. The maroon of his suit and her green dress accented the other perfectly. She could see her nipples beginning to pebble under the built in cups of her dress, making her look beyond sultry in his arms. The most striking piece was how much bigger he was than her.

He moved his hands again, bringing them to her waist, then the sides of her breasts, then over them on top of the dress. He gave them a gentle squeeze, working a moan out of her throat. He kneaded her softly, then reached into the soft fabric, pulling her tits out over the top of the dress. He rolled her nipples in his fingers, making her shudder and arch in his grip.

“God you’re so beautiful,” he murmured in her ear, watching her eyelids squeeze shut at all of the sensations, “I thought about you like this, all sweet and pliant under my touch.”

“Shit, N-Nikita.” She panted, coming down to fully sit in his lap and grasp at his arms. She could feel his bulge growing in his nice new suit pants, and whimpered at the feeling.

“Do you like that? When I touch you like that?” He egged on, wanting to hear her say it.

“Ah.. yes, yes I love it.” She sighed out.

He shifted one arm over to play with her nipples and hold her up while his other hand reached for the hem of her dress, slowly pulling it up till he could see her panties. He almost died at the sight. He could see how spun up she had gotten just from kissing and touching her.

“Shit, look at you.” He said, cupping her pussy with his massive hand, “all wet from a few touches.”

“Only for you.” she admitted, letting him take control of the whole situation. She leaned her head back onto his shoulder and gazed at the ceiling.

He reached into her panties, letting his fingers graze over her wet lips, before slowly pulling her panties down and off. He grabbed her by the waist and shifted her back so she was fully seated, throwing her legs over the outsides of his. She was fully exposed to the mirror, and all of his ministrations were on display. He ran two fingers through her wetness before sinking them into her pussy, agonizingly slow. He began to make a come here motion, letting his thumb circle her clit. The sound of her arousal filled the room, and she couldn’t help the moans that tumbled out of her mouth as Nikita dragged his fingers over her sensitive walls.

She worked her hand into his hair behind her, the other coming to cover his as he worked on her. He placed kisses on her temple and neck as he slowly worked more sounds out of her, her movement working him up underneath his suit pants. Every sigh and gasp in his ear, every time her grip tightened on his hair, every grind of her hips against him, was heaven. Every inch of her was perfect for him, and he got to watch it all unravel right in front of him.

“God I’m s-so close, please!” She gasped, her pussy tightening around him.

“Go ahead baby, take what you need.” He encouraged, “cum all over my fingers.”

His words were like magic. She came all around him, her legs clamping down around his and her fingers tightening in his hair. He kept gently moving his fingers inside her, the waves of delicious pleasure washing over her. His eyes never dropped from the mirror.

Once her orgasm ebbed, she grabbed his wrist and moved his hand away from her oversensitive bundle. He brought his soaking fingers to his mouth, sucking her juices off of his fingers with an ‘mmm’. She grabbed his hand and kissed his palm, letting herself catch her breath while she tasted her essence on him.

She was very, very aware of his hard dick pressing against her; with every shift he would groan. His hands found her waist again, gently lifting her out of her seat so there was enough room for him to unzip his pants and bring them down just enough for his cock to spring free. She started to turn and sink down on her knees but he stopped her, pulling her back up.

“Maybe later, I wanna be inside you.” He stated bluntly.

“What about your suit?” She asked, running her hands along the fabric, “you haven’t even worn it out yet.”

“I’ll take it to the dry cleaners if we make that much of a mess. All I’m worried about is you.” He said giving her hand a kiss. “Where do you want to be baby?”

“Right here, I liked how we were.” She admitted, climbing back onto his lap with her legs bent on either side of him, facing the mirror.

She was spread open and on display for them again, this time his cock was painfully hard resting against her back. He took her hips in his hand, pulling her up while she grabbed a hold of him, giving him a couple of pumps before lining him up with her. She took it slow, settling down inch by inch. She sank down till she was fully seated in his lap, being practically split open. She moaned out a breath, giving them both a moment to adjust to the feeling.

For Nikita, it felt like coming home. She was so tight and warm and all enveloping. He wanted to stay that way forever, close to her with the perfect view. He let a hand ghost over her stomach, a touch that ended up feeling comforting to her.

“You ok?” He asked in her ear, laying a kiss on it.

“Y-yeah, you’re just really big.” She admitted, making him chuckle. “Feels so good..”

“Good, baby.” He reassured.

After another moment, she pulled up, then sat back down, starting a deep slow pace. She put her head back on his shoulder, letting pretty moans tumble out just like before. Nikita’s hands were everywhere, her stomach, thighs, tits, waist, all of her. Every nerve in his body was on fire. He looked at the scene before him in the mirror, watching himself disappear into her tight heat. He had never seen something so hot, it was a miracle he was even able to utter a word in English.

“Fuck, baby, look how pretty you are.” He whispered, bringing his hand into her hair again, “watch with me.”

She looked up, as mesmerized by the two of them as he was, “s-shit, you’re taking me so well, baby. Keep fucking me like that.” He mumbled, watching her bite down on her lip.

She watched him slide into her, feeling him deep inside while she took him at her own pace. She watched her tits bounce as his hands came up to meet them, rubbing her nipples to add some more sensation. Her thighs began to burn and her legs were shaking, both from the stimulation and the effort. She was trying her best to keep pace, but she was losing rhythm.

“Nikita.. please.” She asked, grabbing his hands and sliding them down to her hips, where he squeezed.

“Oh, do you want some help baby?” He whispered, earning a nod from her, “that’s ok baby, relax and I’ll help.”

He began lifting her and setting her back down, keeping his hands firmly planted on her hips as he guided her body. He set a slightly faster pace, one that would keep winding them up without hurting her. Their moans were getting louder and higher, and he could feel her pussy squeezing around him.

“Oh fuck Nikita I’m so close! Keep going!” She moaned out, one hand coming to play with her puffy clit.

“That’s it baby, feel good for me, cum all over me”. He rambled, his breath growing ragged as he felt his orgasm approaching, “I wanna see you come all over my cock, make a mess.”

The last few strokes with her pussy basically holding him in a vice pushed him over the edge; he came deep inside her with a loud moan. the feeling of him unraveling sent her into her very own. Her orgasm practically ignited her whole body, her vision exploding with stars. He kept the pace up, even if she wasn’t using any strength anymore. The waves kept crashing over her, high pitched whimpers escaping her. She kept rubbing her clit, teetering on the edge of overstimulated until Nikita set her down on his cock, letting her hips go. He ghosted his hand over her waist again, laying little comforting kisses on all of the skin he could reach. The comedown was slow, like floating feathers in the air. The only sounds left were their breathing and the gentle pattering of the rain outside. The sun had set not too long ago, so the room was dark except for the halo lights around his mirror.

“Fuck baby, that was the hottest thing I have ever seen.” He painted, “…you ok?”

“..yeah, t-that was amazing.” She said, turning her head to capture his lips in a soft, tired kiss.

“I didn’t hurt you did I?” He asked, and she shook her head no, but not before nikita’s eyebrows rose in realization, “shit, we didn’t use protection-“

“It’s ok Nikita, I’m on birth control and I’m clean, I trust you…” she said, and a small shift in their position made her wince. Her hips and thighs were beginning to ache with soreness from the open position, “as much as I like feeling full, I really need to move.”

“Of course, let me help.” He obliged, grabbing her hips one more time, sliding her off his cock so she was able to close her legs in front of him, “what would you say to a quick shower, then relaxing in bed?”

“Mm, I could be persuaded.” She giggled, letting him finally stand up.

His lap was a wet, creamy mess of both of them, but it wasn’t so bad that he would be shunned from every dry cleaner in Vancouver. He would just wash off the incriminating stuff and wet his new suit pants a little and say he accidentally dropped them during the rain storm. They both made their way to the massive bathroom, pulling off their clothes. The shower they took was strangely the most wholesome part of the night, both of them taking turns washing each other while they had soft conversation. They gave each other sweet kisses, and laughed at the couple of hickeys that adorned the both of them.

Nikita shut off the water and reached for his fluffiest towel, wrapping it around her with a kiss on her nose. They dried off, him finding a stretched out old shirt for her to wear for the rest of the evening, while he picked new boxers and an old tee as well. He picked up her panties and handed them to her, then leaned up over the bed to crack the window, the soft sound of rain and the cool breeze wafting through. He reached down bringing his comforter and sheets down the bed and sprawled out on top. She joined him on the other side. She snuggled up to his chest and he began tracing soft patterns on her back, his other hand falling to the ditch of her knee as she crossed her leg over his lap. A loud growl erupted from his stomach, and they both laughed. They accidentally skipped dinner all together.

“You wore me out, you minx.” He joked, earning a slap to the chest, “want to order in?”

“Sounds delicious!” She exclaimed, Nikita fishing for his phone on the table beside him, “hey, Nikita?”

“Yes baby?” He responded, looking away from the online menu to her.

“Thank you, for being so amazing,” she muttered, “for being there for me and taking care of me, I guess.”

“Oh, baby,” he said, leaning down for a chaste kiss, “you’re the amazing one, I’ve been dying to ask you out since you fixed the seam on my jacket,”

“Really? That long huh?” She teased, and he laughed along with her.

“As long as it took to make you mine.” He admitted, her heart fluttering at his words.

“Does that mean you’re officially asking me out Mr. Zadorov?” She giggled, making his cheeks turn red with blush.

“And if I was, would you say yes?” He whispered.

“One hundred times over.”

<><><><>

[misshoneyimhome]

Can you write for Trent Frederic? Maybe like telling him your pregnancy or first announcing you two are dating just pure fluff!

Oh babe! I am so so sorry this took forever 🤍✨

But I finally got around to it - Now, I couldn't quite decide on how to go about it... so I just kind off went with it and did both 🙈 Since it's my first time writing for Trent F. I had to do some research ofc; and I know it's a bit short, but hopefully you still enjoy it ❤️🤗

Tropes and warnings; just pure fluff, strangers to lovers, no warnings; pregnancy announcement

Word count: 1.7K

➼｡ﾟ

Next Chapter I Trent Frederic

The morning light streamed through the bathroom window, casting a soft glow over the room, and as you stood there and looked down at the plus sign indicating the result, a small curve slowly crept onto your lips. Your heart raced as you processed the reality of the situation. You knew it was soon in the process, and it had all happened a lot faster than you’d expected—yet, you knew this was a good thing for your next chapter. You felt a mix of exhilaration and nerves, knowing that your life was about to change in the most profound way.

So, over the next few hours, you couldn’t help but contemplate and think back on how everything had unfolded over the past couple of years. The house was quiet, the only sounds being the distant hum of city life and the occasional chirping of birds outside. You made yourself a cup of tea, sitting down at the kitchen table, your mind drifting to the pivotal moments that led you here.

How your life had turned upside down, just like that, in a way you’d never expected.

_

It all started with a friendly pickup hockey game organised by mutual friends back in 2018.

You had always grown up with hockey around you, your father playing all his life and then passing it on to your older brother. Weekends were spent at the local rink, the chill of the ice and the sharp sound of skates cutting through it became a comforting backdrop to your childhood. So, naturally you quickly learnt to lace up your skates and found your way onto the ice, much to the delight of your family.

Of course, your mother first thought you’d be on the ice as a beautiful princess of a figure skater. She had dreams of you twirling gracefully in sparkly dresses, capturing the hearts of audiences with your elegance. However, despite everyone trying to dress you up in tight suits and all that sparkling glitter, you instead always found your way to some sort of hockey gear and a stick to shoot a puck around with. The thrill of the game, the teamwork, and the adrenaline rush drew you in far more than the idea of being a figure skater.

In a way, you were a bit of a tomboy; always hanging out with a solid group of guys as well as other hockey-interested girls. You relished the camaraderie, the sense of belonging that came with being part of a team. And as far back as you could remember, you always preferred to hang out with your brother and his friends. In fact, this bond over hockey brought you closer to your brother, and eventually, to a wider circle of friends who shared the same passion.

Which eventually led you to the group of friends that set up the friendly hockey match during the winter of 2018.

And that’s when you met Trent.

Just another 20-year-old with a passion for hockey, hanging out with his group of friends, who hung out with another group of friends—and so on.

Long story short, you were all a bunch of hockey enthusiasts, joining together on a sunny winter Sunday in Boston, and as a newcomer to the city, Trent had joined his group of friends, which led to you all mingling coincidentally on an outdoor ice rink.

And apparently, your wide smile and vibrant enthusiasm caught Trent’s eyes immediately. So, for hours he thought about how to start up a conversation with you.

Trent wasn’t usually insecure about himself. He knew he was a young, charming lad, with a strong and impressive career. He knew he was a fighter, making his way to the best league in hockey—yet, seeing a girl like you had his stomach turn and he immediately rather wanted to get into a fist fight than trying to flirt with you.

Not that you were intimidating in any way. On the contrary. You were just so open, outgoing, and simply sparkling with joy. You had that captivating aura that just drew people in, and a part of him knew that if he didn’t at least try to talk to you—aware he might get rejected, he knew he’d regret it.

So, naturally, putting on his greatest smile and polishing his confidence, he skated up next to you when you were finally alone, having a sip of your water by the ice rink railing.

"Wow, you're not too bad for a non-pro," he teased, nudging you gently with his shoulder.

"Just trying to keep up with the big leagues, I guess," you shot back, feeling the warmth in your cheeks that had nothing to do with the cold. You were used to holding your own among your brother’s friends, but Trent’s playful banter and genuine smile disarmed you in a way you hadn’t expected.

And when the game then ended, the easy camaraderie lingered. As you both decided to stay back and help clean up, Trent found the courage within and suggested grabbing a hot chocolate to warm up. 

One cup then turned into several, and before long, the two of you were lost in conversation, sharing stories and dreams long into the night. It felt natural, easy, like slipping into a favourite jumper. You found yourself laughing more than you had in ages, the connection between you undeniable. Neither of you knew it then, but that night was the beginning of something special.

_

Months into your blossoming relationship, it was clear that what you had with Trent was something special. Yet, announcing it to the world felt daunting - at least to you. 

Though you were used to the hockey world, being with a professional athlete came with its own set of challenges, and you weren't sure you were ready for the spotlight. The media scrutiny, the fans, the pressure of public perception—all of it weighed on your mind.

However, one evening, after a particularly thrilling game, Trent then pulled you aside in the empty rink. His eyes sparkled with excitement, his energy infectious, and you could see the determination in his expression, the way he had set his mind on something important.

"I want to tell everyone about us," he said, his voice full of determination.

But you hesitated, your mind racing with doubts. "Trent, it's a big step. Are we ready for this?" 

The what-ifs and potential fallout played on a loop in your head, but Trent’s presence grounded you.

Trent just took your hands in his, his grip firm yet gentle. "I love you, Y/N. I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I want the world to know that you're mine, and I'm yours." His confidence was unwavering, and it gave you the strength to face your fears.

His words simply melted away all your fears. So, with a deep breath, you nodded. "Okay, let's do it."

And to your relief, the announcement was met with nothing but an outpouring of support from fans and teammates alike. The love and encouragement bolstered your confidence, and you felt more connected to Trent than ever before. The world now knew about your relationship, and it felt liberating. So, walking hand in hand, you faced the world together, ready for whatever came next.

_

Now, five years later, the playoffs were in full swing, and the Boston Bruins had just advanced to the second round. The excitement was palpable, but so was your anxiety. You had taken a pregnancy test that morning, and the positive result had left you reeling. The implications of this tiny plus sign were enormous, and you couldn’t shake the mix of joy and apprehension.

Though you knew it could happen anytime - aware of how biology works - it happened sooner than you expected. And with Trent's focus on the playoffs, you were unsure how to break the news without distracting him. So, you decided to wait until the right moment, hoping the Bruins would continue their winning streak.

But then when the team lost and their season ended, you suddenly saw an opportunity to lift Trent's spirits. The defeat was a heavy blow, and seeing your fiancé so despondent tugged at your heart. So, that night, as he sat quietly in your living room, his disappointment evident, you took a deep breath and approached him.

"Trent, there's something I need to tell you," you began, your voice trembling slightly. The weight of your news felt immense, though you had a feeling it was something that could bring light into this dark moment.

He simply looked up, concerned about replacing the sadness in his eyes. "What is it, honey?"

Without any words, you just handed him the positive pregnancy test, watching as his expression shifted from confusion to shock - and then finally to pure joy. You could see the moment the reality of it hit him, his eyes widening in surprise.

"We're going to have a baby," you said, tears of welling up in your eyes, as the words felt surreal, yet so right.

And Trent's face just lit up with the biggest smile you'd ever seen. He swiftly stood up, lifting you into his arms and spinning you around. "Oh fucking yes! This is the best news ever!" he exclaimed, his excitement infectious, the room seeming to brighten with his happiness and the earlier gloom dispelled.

He then gently sat you down, his hands carefully resting on your belly. "I can't believe it. We're going to be parents."

You nodded, the weight of the moment sinking in. "Yes, we are."

Trent then pulled you in for a deep kiss, his joy and love overwhelming, as he allowed you both to sink more into the tender moment, before slowly pulling apart. "This is the perfect way to start the off-season, baby," he said, his voice full of promise. "I can't wait to start this next chapter with you."

And as you stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, you knew that whatever the future held, you would face it together, united by love and the new life growing within you. The journey ahead was filled with unknowns, but with Trent by your side, you felt ready for anything.

[cuteandhughesy]

Never Let Me Go | Jeremy Swayman

summary: jeremy thought he lost his chances after charlie beat him to you - but years later with jeremy becoming your best friend, a weekend at the carlo’s lake house may just prove otherwise.

15.0k

warnings: NSFW! fake dating | friends to lovers| angst | suggestive themes | accidental grinding | smut | kissing | brief breast play | unprotected! p in v intercourse | pull out method | read at your own discretion.

link to masterlist

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

june 2021

your forearms rest against the sticky counter top of the bar, the action elevating your cleavage to any viewing eye. the bartender slides the tray of drinks towards you, a sweet smile on her face.

"wanna start a tab?" she asks you. you're just about to answer as you feel a body press into your side, arms big and strong against yours.

"add it to mine," the voice says beside you.

the bartender nods and walks away, presumably taking more orders at the other end of the bar. you look to your left and see a tall man, a smirk on his face. he's handsome, sure, with a body that definitely works out like, every day - the thought had you blushing.

"thanks," you say, "i'm y/n."

"charlie," he shakes your outstretched hand.

"you didn't have to get my drinks," you reiterate with playful smile on your face. you're sure your friends were watching this with amused faces.

"I wanted to," he leans against the bar top. he wasn't your typical type - he had lighter hair than you preferred, clean shaven and straight forward. but there was nothing wrong with a bit of flirting.

so you leaned over, batting your lashes up at him. "you buy every girls drinks or what?"

he laughs deeply, eyes glancing over his shoulder before meeting yours again "only the pretty ones."

you giggle, grabbing the a drink off the tray and twirling the straw with your tongue before sipping it slowly. you watch charlie gulp, rolling his shoulders back. "you think i'm pretty?"

"yeah, I -"

"dude what's taking so long?" a voice interrupts.

your eyes are drawn to charlie's left. he's about the same height as charlie, but looks a few years younger. presumably around your age. he's got dark features, and a polite smile. you feel yourself wanting to swoon in his direction. he's smirking, and his voice is soothing.

"sorry jer, just chatting to..."

you give charlie a look because there's no way he's already forgotten your name. you save him the awkwardness, "y/n," you smile, shaking the hand that he's outstretched to you. his grip is nice, soft.

"jeremy," he smiles softly, and if he doesn't drop his hand until you do...well you just have to ignore that. "sorry to interrupt," he says, eyes darting to charlie quickly before meeting yours again.

"no worries, charlie was just paying for my friends and I's drinks," you say, "he's trying to tell me he doesn't buy drinks for just any woman..."

jeremy laughs like it's a joke and charlie shoots him a slight glare. "correction, I said only the pretty ones."

you smile, "right of course. and how many pretty ones have you boughten for tonight?"

"just you," charlie says back.

jeremey clears his throat, turning slightly and flagging down the bartender, seeing as charlie came over here to order the team drinks and had yet to do that: too busy flirting with one of the prettiest girls jeremey has ever seen.

"good," you laugh, "I should get these drinks back to my friends."

"too bad," jeremey hears charlie say, "I was going to see if you wanted to sit with me and my table."

"is that so?" you say back. "i'll have to check with my friends. can they come?"

"yeah," he nods, "i'll go make room," he walks away, into the VIP section that's roped off in the back corner of the bar. you watch him walk and then eye your drinks again. you try to pick them all up, failing as the six glasses clink and almost slip from your hold.

"need help?" jeremey asks beside you, tracing the label of his beer.

you smile shyly, "yeah, if you don't mind."

he nods, grabbing four of the six drinks in his very large hands, following your lead back to your table of friends.

"sorry guys," you say, setting down two of the drinks, "I got busy talking the bar,"

your friend ashley laughs, "we saw."

it seems all at the same time your friends notice jeremy behind you and they go quiet in the presence of an attractive man. "this is jeremey," you take two of the drinks he's holding, "he's helping me carry the drinks,"

"we can see that," danielle nods and jeremy smiles politely in the face of five staring eyes.

"actually, him and his friend charlie were wondering if we wanted to sit with them." you watch their reactions to your words with a hopeful glint.

"you guys don't have to if you don't want to," jeremy held his hands up in surrender, "it's just charlie is wanting to...mingle."

"i'll come," danielle says, standing up with her hand bag. ashley says she would come as well but the rest claim they were tired, and would be leaving. you don't push them and you say goodbye. then jeremy leads the three of you over to his table were you meet the rest of his friends.

jeremy ends up sitting beside you, with charlie against your other side. the table is loud, conversation bustling with the addition of three new personalities. after 40 minutes, charlie throws and arm around the back of your chair, and jeremey's stomach plummets slightly.

jeremy had noticed you immediately when they walked into the bar that night. you had a nice laugh - it was loud and could be heard if he was at the bar and you were at your table. you had a beautiful face, and were wearing a sweet perfume that had his stomach flipping.

charlie was in a conversation with pastrnak who sat on his other side, while you looked around the table, knawing on your lip.

"what do you do?" jeremey asks. you dart your head in his direction, to make sure he was in fact talking to you. he's got a soft look on his face and your shoulders drop.

"oh, i've just graduated actually. i've got a degree in journalism."

"wow, you must be like super smart. did you like school?"

"yeah," you smile. "well as much as one can actually like school," you're laughing at yourself slightly. "what do you do?"

"I play hockey."

"really?" you give him a slight once over, "i thought hockey players had like missing teeth and black eyes."

you're joking, he can tell by your tone. he laughs, "well, some do but i'm a goalie so it's hard for me to loose teeth and get black eyes."

"I like that," you smile. you look around the table and then lean in closer to jeremy, whispering, "do you guys all play hockey?"

"yeah," he leans in too, whispering to try and be as conspicuous as you. it has you giggling slightly while staring into his eyes, crinkling at the edges as he laughs. "how could you tell?"

your eyes flicker to pasta, "I think I see a chipped tooth."

he's laughing, sitting back up in his chair. he has a nice laugh, you think. "your eyes do not deceive you."

you nod, taking a sip of your drink. "how long have you played hockey for?"

"well, my whole life," jeremey says, swallowing a mouthful of beer, "but I just finished my first year with the bruins."

"so you're a rookie? is that the right word?"

"yeah," he says. "see? I knew you were smart."

you laugh gently, "one day i'll write an article on you, jeremey. the best upcoming bruins goalie."

"I don't know about that," he laughs sheepishly, "i'm just a backup."

"for now," you smile reassuringly.

and jeremey really believes you. maybe it's the tone of voice you use, or maybe it's the way your eyes twinkle when you talk - he would believe anything you said.

the end of the night approaches not long after, your conversation with jeremey only stopping when charlie butted in to talk to you.

you are all standing outside the bar, waiting on ubers. the boys uber arrives first, and they start to climb in. charlie doesn't move though, turning to you with a smirk. "I had a really good night, I like talking with you."

"thanks, I had a great night as well."

jeremy is nearby, standing at the open door of the car, waiting for charlie.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me? we can get dinner or something."

you suck in a gasp of air. your eyes dart over charlies shoulder to catch jeremy's. you thought maybe...maybe he would intervene and ask you out with him instead. but he looks down at the pavement, breaking eye contact.

you look back at charlie and nod. "yeah, i'd like that."

the next morning, you had a text from charlie asking you for dinner.

june 17th 2023

you were elbow deep in soap suds when your apartment door opened, a brief knock was heard before jeremy entered, kicking off his shoes before moving to your couch. he flopped down and groaned, which made you laugh, working the sponge against a mug as you glanced over your shoulder.

"hello to you too, jer."

he rolled over so he was on his back. "hi."

"what do you need?" you finish up your scrubbing, rinsing off your hands as drying them with a little bumblebee towel.

jeremy sits up, walking over to you in the kitchen knook, leaning back against the counter top. "who says I need anything?"

"you just have that look on your face. what is it?"

"can I not just come hang out with my best friend without her questioning my motives?" he blinks at you innocently and you cross your arms.

in 2021, charlie and you had dated for four months. it was nice, sure, but it wasn't fulfilling. he was so kind, and sweet and the two of you decided to be friends. you had actually set him up with your friend danielle, and now the two of them were like engaged, so there's that. throughout that time, you grew close with the bruins roster - how could you not? but nobody got you like jeremy did. the two of you grew close pretty quickly, and now he has the code to your apartment, which is...nice.

you blink. "no. you want something, what is it?"

he covers his face with a hand and mumbles, "I fucked up."

concerned, you reach forward, rubbing his shoulder. "why? what's wrong?"

jeremy groans again, head falling back to stare of the ceiling. thinking back to the phone call he had right after his gym session, wincing at the memory. he shouldn't of said it. jeremy knows he shouldn't of said it, but he couldn't help it. "you can't make fun of me."

"that's no fun," you laugh.

"y/n, i'm being serious. I kinda got myself into some shit and I need your help."

"jer, you're kind of scaring me. do i like need to call the police?"

"what? no. no, I just...." jeremey groans once again, thinking back to the phone call with his teammate.

"sway, dude," brandon carlo said through the grainy phone speaker, "mason wanted me to check and see if you were up for the lake house again this year."

jeremy sighed, "sure, yeah. who else is coming?" 

brandon's wife pipes up in the background, "charlie and danielle, us, charlie and kiley a couple others and you..." she trails off like there's something else she wants to say.

"right," jeremy responds. "anything else?"

"mason wants to know if she should prepare for a plus one." brandon says.

he rolls his eyes. "oh."

"don't worry about it," mason says quickly, no doubt giving her husband a deathly stare, "It's okay!"

brandon laughs, "jer, I told her you wouldn't have one, that there was no way you would -"

"actually, I have a girlfriend...so I do have a plus one" he face palms because, no, he doesn't have a girlfriend.

mason gasps, "what?"

brandon laughs like he doesn't believe jeremy.

"what's her name?" she asks.

jeremy gulps but then he says, "actually, it's y/n."

"y/n?" mason questions, "our friend, y/n? I thought you said you'd never see each other that way?"

he shrugged, even though the couple couldn't see him. which was good, because if they could, they would know he is lying. "something changed."

"well, that's great! how long??"

"a few months," he lies, "we've been keeping it pretty low-key. nobody really knows expect you two."

"this is so exciting, jeremy. I told you brandon."

jermey ignored that last sentence.

jeremy was almost guilty because mason was so happy based on the confession and it wasn't even the truth. so there he stood, in your kitchen looking into your soft eyes. "I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend."

you laugh, doubling over. "what? why?"

"brandon and mason are doing the lake house this year and they asked if i had a plus one and i said yes because I had a girlfriend and when they asked me who...well, you were the first person I thought of."

you stand up straight because, oh, he was being serious. then you grab that same bumblebee towel and whack his chest with it. "why would you do that?"

"ow! what else was I supposed to do?" he says, hand holding the peck you had just smacked.

"tell the truth?" you shrug, a raise to your brows. "did you forget that these are our friends - like we both know them...they are the last people who would believe this."

"you don't understand!," he walks over to your living room and flops on the couch cushions once again, "it's just i'm so tired of going to all this shit without a girlfriend and it's going to be like all couples and i didn't want to feel...left out. I don't know. just the way brandon sounded so unsure, I mean can you believe him? is me being in a relationship that big of a deal?" he takes a breath, "maybe I should call him back tell him I can't come."

you follow him and sit down, "no don't do that."

he scoffed, "think I should just show up by myself? no thank you."

you narrow your eyes, "that's no way to talk to your girlfriend."

his eyes dart over to yours and he sat up a little straighter, "what?"

you smiled at him softly and leaned deeper into the cushions, "I mean..forget what I said earlier. I can do it - we can do it, but...only if you ask me nicely."

he rolled his eyes but a smile was pulling at his lips, "y/n, will you please be my girlfriend?"

you smirked, "i'd be honoured jeremy."

he laughs, pulling you into his side so he can hug you, squeezing you tight. "I owe you."

—

june 19th 2023

"okay so, remind me how long did you tell them we've been dating?" you're sitting in the passenger seat of jermey's car, your hand resting out the window to catch the wind. you loll your head over against the head rest so you can look at your friend.

"a few months," jermey's eyes leave the road briefly to look into yours before darting back out the windshield. "I said we've been keeping it under wraps." he can smell your raspberry hair oil through the breeze flowing through the car and it has him shuddering.

"and why's that?"

he sighs slightly, "because we wanted to see if it would work before telling everyone."

"that makes sense." you hum. "so when did you realize you liked me?" you tease, knees pulled up to your chest.

jeremy laughed quickly, "nobody is going to ask that."

"they might!" you counter, a teasing smile still tugging at your lips that has jeremy joining in.

"if they ask...i'll say, I don't know, last year sometime?"

you nod, "okay...that makes sense."

jeremy thinks you're done with the questions for time being, so he turns up the radio slightly, the SZA song flowing through the speakers for only a moment before you're reaching over and turning it back down. "okay who's all going again?"

if jeremy wasn't so enamoured by you he would've thought you were being annoying. "the usual group, I think monte mentioned that beecher and matt poitras will be there."

"I haven't met them yet," you hum, "it will be harder to lie to them if they ask questions."

jermey groans, "don't remind me."

"my job is to constantly remind you," you tease, reaching over and patting the top of his head of curls, hair grown out from the summer. "don't worry jer, i'm the best liar I know."

"you're not the best one I know," he says, "maybe I should've just canceled."

"no." you insist, slapping your hand against the thick of his upper thigh quickly. "don't worry," you sigh, "we may not be dating, but it's not like we hate each other, right? we just have to act like we usually do... but in love. we got this, jer, we are the dream team."

jeremy blinks and looks over at you, the warmth from were your hand once sat now ice cold. he watches as you lean over, fiddling with the radio until the start of a new taylor swift song, one he's grown to love, is playing full blast. you're smiling, chest pushed against your folded legs, unknowing of his stare. jeremy swallows thickly at your words and nods. "yeah."

you smile at him then, grabbing his hand to get him to sing along to the familiar chords of bejeweled.

the two of you arrive at the lake house just over an hour later, jeremy waisting no time parking the car in between two other vehicles that sat along the side of the dirt driveway.

you were too busy admiring the large lake house to notice jeremy leave his seat and round to the passenger side, opening your door.

the sticky heat of the summer air snapped you out of your stare, "this is...really nice." your mouth is totally hung open in shock and jeremy takes notice of your expression, laughing softly.

"cmon," he helps you out of the car, letting you settle on your feet before jogging to the trunk, pulling it open so he can start unloading the weeks worth of luggage you claimed you needed (jeremy told you that you definitely didn't need two suitcases but it didn't take long before he was folding in your favour, wheeling both down to his car.)

"hey guys!" a voice calls out from the house. you look up from your small pile of bags to see mason carlo, accompanied by wren (who was like a whole toddler now which is crazy) and the two dogs. winnie and emmy are faster than their mom, their paws smacking on the wood, both running down the steps and jumping up at you and jeremy, tails wagging and panting.

"hey!" Jeremy calls out just as you drop down on your knees to except the puppy kisses. he heaves the last bag over his broad shoulder just as mason reaches you, wren tucked into her neck. "are we the last ones?"

"yeah," mason nods, "how was the drive?"

"it was good," you say. you place your hands on your knees, pushing up from your crouched position. you don't realize how close jeremy is standing and on your way up, your ass bumps against his crotch. he lets out a gentle grunt.

"sorry!" you wince, but before you can move away, jeremy's arm wraps around your waist, fingers flexing against your lower stomach as he pulls your back into his chest, holding you in place.

"it's okay baby." he says. you try not let your eyes widen at the nickname or the way you can feel his semi poking at your lower back. you're sure the blush you're now sporting is visible by anyone in the general vicinity.

mason must not notice your flustered face or jeremy's awkward smile because she coos,"aren't you too so cute, I'm glad you two are finally together." she squeezes her daughter, "right wren? aren't you glad the two are together?" wren laughs at her moms baby voice.

"finally?" you question, your eyes squinting from the sun and the tone of your friends voice but somebody calls out before mason can answer.

you see brandon and mac jog down the wooden steps of the porch, already sporting tans and wide smiles.

jermey clears his throat behind you, dropping his arm from your waist and turns around so he can adjust himself. you try not to frown at the loss of contact, smiling brightly as your friends greet you in big hugs.

"hey dude," charlie smiles, cheeks becoming even larger (which you didn't think was possible), wrapping you in a tight side hug.

brandon takes over, ruffling your hair after a quick embrace. "so," he smirks, "you and jer huh?"

you stutter, trying to form words under his inquisitive gaze but charlie's loud voice distracts you both, effectively ending that conversation.

"sway, dude, how's it going?" charlie smiles, dapping his goalie up before pulling him into a brief hug, like the handshake usually entails. you've never understood that, even though debrusk has tried to teach you multiple times - you've stayed confused.

"ready to relax," jeremy sighs. the guys laugh in agreement, ruffling up their friend a bit more before they each grab a suitcase, charlie proposing a race which has the two defencemen jogging away towards the house, mason trailing behind, calling the dogs with her.

you smile, picking up your duffle bag containing your skin and hair care, slinging it over your shoulder and you start to walk up to the house. you can hear the trunk click shut before you can hear jeremy's air forces move through the dirt. he slides into step beside you, grabbing the bag off your shoulder and slipping it over his free one.

"hey!" you protest.

"what?!" he laughs softly, "i'm not going to let my girlfriend carry her own bag, i'm a gentleman."

you send him a look as the two of you make it up the steps onto the porch. you stop before entering and you turn to look up at him, "i'm sorry about earlier, with the accidental grinding...it got awkward and now i'm feeling weird - i'm sorry."

jeremy blushes but laughs, even though it sounds awkward. "no, ugh that's my bad. you didn't do anything wrong so don't apologize."

you nod, "okay..." your smile is sheepish.

"and i'm sorry if me calling you baby made it awkward...I just thought-"

"no! I get it - it makes this more believable." you interrupt, gesturing between your bodies.

"hey, you guys don't need to be like, invited in...you're not vampires right?" brandon makes an appearance by the open door, now holding his daughter.

you send him a tight lipped smile and nod, sneaking past him, not without a tickle to the babies side, and walk into the home.

jeremy watches you leave with a look on his face that has brandon snickering. "you good?"

"yeah," the goalie scoffs, walking through the threshold into the house, avoiding eye contact with the defensemen all together.

brandon smirks at his retreating figure. "you can leave the bags at the stairs!' he calls out.

weaving through the kitchen, jeremy can hear your laugh before he can spot you. he feels that burning smile tugging at his lips, chest filling with that familiar warmth that always found its way into his body at the sound of your laugh.

he finds you on the back deck, mingling with the rest of the group. you're sitting beside danielle, who is hugging your side in a greeting, and jeremy assumes your old friend is the reason of your laughter.

"sway!" the group shouts in a greeting, a course of hellos echoing at him as he is spotted standing staring at you by the open patio door. he smiles politely at his teammates and their significant others, hugging and greeting his friends as he makes his way around the table they were all sat at. jeremy makes his way back around to where you are sitting, the sun hitting your face, leaving you squinting and flushed.

jeremy smiles at your expression, taking the only free chair beside you - which was probably left open for him purposely.

you're still squinting as you look over at him and wordlessly he unhooks the pair of sunglasses attached to the round of his tshirt, sliding them onto your face.

you're glad the sun is beating on your skin because you're blushing at his gesture, "you don't need them?"

he's squinting too but shrugs, "gotta protect your pretty eyes." he almost shocks himself with his statement but he doesn't show it, looking away before he has no choice but to kiss you.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me," danielle says and you're blinking hard, head snapping away from jeremy and towards your blonde friend. she pushes your upper arm with a teasing grin.

"tell you what?" you question, brows drawn together behind the rim of jermey's large sunglasses.

she laughs softly and gives you a bewildered look. you're still giving her a clueless expression so she wildly gestures between you and the net tender on your left. "about the two of you! dating."

"right!" you say, blinking fast. you toss your hand on jermey's thick thigh, rubbing it briefly. at your touch jeremy tenses slightly, you can feel it under your palm. he turns fast from his conversation with kiley, eyes meeting danielle's from beside you.

subsiding his fluster from your touch, jeremy smiles politely at the blond, throwing an arm around the back of your chair like it was second nature. "it's new, we didn't tell anybody until...recently."

"It's just surreal!," she gushes, "I always thought the two of you would be cute together. i've been telling y/n that since, what, like january last year?" her last question is directed at you, which has jeremy also looking, awaiting your answer.

it's clear danielle has no real intention of obtaining an answer because she turns away, pulled into a conversation with mason and a babbling wren.

you let out a breath, retracting your hand from jermey's strong muscle. jeremy is quicker than you though, grabbing your hand before it's gone, interlocking his fingers with yours and setting them back against his thigh.

the two of you smile at one another, and it feels like time is slowing down, thick like syrup and for a moment you let yourself pretend that it was real. but then coyle is grabbing jermey's attention, and kiley wants to show you pictures from her last dress fitting and the syrup is gone.

the rest of the afternoon goes buy quickly, brandon takes charge of grilling up burgers and hotdogs for lunch that are inhaled quickly. after that, mason drags you to the local grocery store, the two of you loading up the cart with the healthy amount of food and drinks.

an hour later you're back at the lake house, and the two of you along with kiley and danielle immediately start unloading the plethora of groceries you bought that was needed to feed the amount of athletes being housed.

you're on washing duty, fruits and vegetables alike. you're standing at the sink, laughing at something danielle says as you strain the strawberries when brandon and jeremy walk in from outside. brandon walks up to mason, giving her a kiss and swiping his card out of her jean short pocket. you're smiling sweetly at them over your shoulder when jermey slides in beside you, dropping a couple plates in the empty side of the sink.

you're looking at him as he reaches across you to grab a sponge, getting to work on scrubbing the dishes. you bite your lip and look back down, switching out the strawberries for raspberries, repeating the rinsing process.

he finishes the washing up quickly, and then moves behind you, reaching around your body to grab a strawberry. you shiver as his arm brushes your hip. "hey!" you scold, "they're not even dry yet."

"I can help it," he says around chewing, "they're so juicy when they're fresh." he says the last part in your ear, trying to sound sudective but all you can hear is his chewing and it has you laughing, pushing him away as his voice tickles your neck.

"you're so gross." you laugh, putting the raspberries to the side. you're done cleaning all the food so you turn to face him, grabbing the last bit of strawberry in his fingers and popping it in your mouth.

he tongues his cheek as you chew up at him, the both of you caught in a staring match, too afraid to let the moment pass.

but then mac is pushing jermey away in favour of grabbing raspberries and you walk away to hide your blush.

the night approaches fast, everyone winding down in the living room or in their respective bedrooms - watching movies or scrolling social media. you're watching some funny tiktok on kiley's phone, the two of you giggling together when mason descends down the stairs, retuning from putting the toddler to bed.

charlie is then plopping down between you and his girlfriend which has you laughing, pushing away from him and unknowingly into jeremy, your back bumping his broad shoulder.

"oh, god," mason breathes, having you look over at her, "i'm a terrible host. i'll show you and jermey to your room."

"oh my god, no worries," you say, using jermey's thigh as leverage to push yourself up to stand, "you've done so much, I wouldn't care if we had to sleep in a tent outside."

she waves you off, "alright you two, cmon." jeremy's hand touches your back ever so lightly, as if to guide you in the direction of the blonde. "brandon," mason calls from the stairs, "can you start bringing up their bags? when you get a moment."

she doesn't wait for a response and starts leading you and jermey up the steps and then down the hallway until you're all at the second last door.

the room is nice, you think when she opens the oak door - cream coloured walls decorated in homey artwork, accompanied by a large wardrobe and an even bigger window. there's a mahogany desk with neatly folded towels on top, a couple shower essentials in a bin beside them. the bed looks heavenly, a queen sized mattress covered in four fluffed pillows and a matching duvet, a throw blanket hanging off the end.

"it's not much," mason laughs, "but it'll do."

"no, mase, it's beautiful," you say, fingers brushing over the navy bed spread. "this is more than enough."

brandon walks in then, with the rest of the bags he hadn't brought up earlier in the day. he rolls your suitcase beside the closet. "well," the defenseman says, "we will let you two settle in, it's been a long day i'm sure you two want to...canoodle."

you blush deep at his insinuation, jeremy rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly and mason laughs, slapping her husbands chest as she slips into his side. "let us know if you need anything. we're the last door by the stairs."

"thanks guys," jeremy says after clearing his throat awkwardly, waiting until the door clicks shut before he turns to you and lets out a deep breath. "are you okay?"

you raise your brows, dropping down to sit on the bed. jeremey walks over, taking the spot beside you. "are you okay?"

he leans back on his elbows and look over at you. "i'm sorry I didn't even think about having to share a bed, I can sleep on the floor if you want."

"what? jer, no. we've shared a couch before! it's just like that but it's a bed. not a big deal, right?"

jeremey gulps, "yeah...right." he laughs, snapping himself out of his own thoughts, "as long as you promise not to stare at me when i'm changing we should be good."

you send him a look but smile anyways, falling on to your back. before you think too hard, you're moving, rolling into the side of jeremy's strong torso, the action pulling out a sigh of content.

he chuckles as your breath tickles his ribs, absentmindedly rubbing a hand up and down your back. "you okay though? really?" jeremy whispers.

you smile into his shirt, nodding gently. "yeah. I think i'm going to head for a shower though, i've been sweating all day." you see the tiny clock on the nightstand says 8:45, and it has you standing up - grabbing your toiletry bag from your luggage and a set of appropriate pyjamas for sharing a bed with your guy best friend. "i'll be back soon." you nod.

"okay," jeremy smiles, standing up as he moves to unpack his bags, assumingely grabbing something to sleep in. "i'll be here."

"you better be," you laugh, heading towards the bathroom. its 20 minutes later when you return to the shared bedroom. your hair is wet, sitting against the gray tank top on your back, water darkening the material.

jeremy is slouched against the headboard, watching a video on his phone but looks up when the door is clicked shut. he smiles lazily at you, sleep clear in his eyes. he looks so cuddly under the covers, only illuminated by the bedside lamp. you're fighting the urge to swoon.

you have to not read too deep into the way he took the right side of the bed knowing you prefer the left, and the way he gave up one of his two pillows because you can't sleep comfortably without three. so you don't pay it any mind, smiling at him gently and climbing into bed, tucking into his side until you're both falling asleep to the sound his his youtube video.

—

it was wren's squeal that woke you up right as the sun was rising. you groaned into the pillow, burying your face deeper into the soft fabric. a thick arm tightened its grip around your waist. for a moment, you panic, trying to wriggle away from the person who had you locked in bed, but the mystery person grumbled and groaned.

"y/n/n if you keep moving like that, i'm going to need a cold shower. so stop."

oh.

jeremy.

oh.

immediately you stop moving, relaxing into your friends arms. "sorry," you stifle your laugh.

he's clearly still sleepy because jeremy doesn't let you go but instead he pulls you closer into his chest, breathing into your mess of frizzy hair. "mhmm it's okay."

you hear wren again, followed by charlie's distinctive laugh and then the smell of breakfast wafts upstairs, invading your nostrils and that makes your mouth salivate. "I can smell breakfast." your voice is quiet and you turn your head so can look at him properly. you find jeremy's eyes already on you softly.

suddenly you feel hot under the covers, his eyes burning into your exposed skin. "should we go down?" you ask with a small gulp.

he shrugs, "I kinda like laying here with you."

you playfully roll your eyes, looking away before he can see the wide smile that takes over your face. but jeremy does see it and he can't help but smile even wider than you had, feeling successful in his attempted flirting.

"let's get up." you insist, pushing away from him a little.

feeling bold, jeremy grips you tighter with a smirk, "oh, i'm already up." on cue you feel something hard around your hip and your eyes widen. it isn't much longer until your squealing and falling out of bed with laughter.

"jermey oh my god! you're such a douche." but it had no real bite, your angelic laughter music to jermey's ears.

"i'm sorry," he laughs, "It literally happens almost every morning and it's even worse when i wake up with a pretty girl pressed against me. I can't ignore nature." jer shrugs.

you raise your brows, "you wake up beside pretty girls often?"

he looks so serious when he says, "only you."

it has you feeling flustered and you pick yourself up, trying to keep your expression neutral: searching through your bag for a pair of shorts and a t-shirt to change into. "get dressed you big flirt."

by the time you made it downstairs after taking care of your hair and brushing your teeth, brandon was just about done frying the eggs at the stove. "hey you two."

you look behind you at his words and see jeremy, rubbing the last bit of sleep from his eye, wearing much more clothing than the last time you saw him.

"breakfast is just about ready," brandon continues.

jeremy moves past you on the stairs, running a hand over your tamed hair as he passes. you follow after him with a shove to his shoulder, the other hand smoothing your hair back out.

you take a seat on a bar stool, right in front of the breakfast making. your stomach growls at the sight of melted butter and perfectly cooked bacon.

you assume not everyone is awake yet, as you don't spot the macavoys or beecher anywhere, any lingering feeling of being late to the informal breakfast seeping away.

brandon and charlie coyle stand in front of you on the other side of the kitchen island, setting out sausages and eggs in a buffet style sequence, not finishing without fighting about the best style of eggs, which has everyone joining in. not long after that, everybody is serving themselves a plate and sitting back down to dig in.

you end up between jeremy and matthew, still in your original seat. breakfast is filled with small chatter, and you're laughing at something danielle says from the dining table when the stairs creek. you look behind your shoulder and see john beecher coming down the stairs, still clad in pyjama bottoms and a plain white tshirt, eyes not long open as he stumbles to the island. he greets the room as he begins to load his plate with a heavy portion of home fries.

"so, y/n," john says, meeting your eyes briefly before loading some eggs onto his platter, "how did you and sway meet? i feel like everybody knows the story but me."

"I don't know the story," matthew says from beside you, shoving toast in his mouth.

beecher's question is innocent enough, so you find yourself swallowing your piece of bacon quickly. charlie snickers pleasantly, like he usually does when the story is about to be told, from a few seats down. you take a sip of coffee, "we met at a bar." you settle on, avoiding charlie's stare for shoving some eggs in your mouth.

"that's it? give me detail, y/n. paint the picture," john says, dragging a stool around so he could sit across from you, plate sitting right in the middle of all the serving trays.

laughing awkwardly, you nod, "umm, okay...it was summer so it was hot in the bar, and I was doing the drink run for my table. so I went up to get drinks for my friends and I, one of them being danielle." you looked over to your blonde friend, but she was busy at the table watching mason feed wren. "and umm, a guy came up to me and started hitting on me."

"ouuu, was it sway?" matthew asked beside you, chuckling as he plopped a handful of blueberries in his mouth.

you laughed and shook your head, "no, actually it was charlie."

john coughed as he choked on his sip of orange juice. "what?! coyle?"

charlie laughed, "yeah, don't look so suprised. I was hitting on her and it was working and then sway walks over, babbling about something - totally kills my game."

jeremy rubs his eyes in embarrassment. "oh my god I hate this."

"and then at the end of the night charlie asked me out." you continue.

"so wait," john says, brows furrowed, "you two used to date?"

"only for like four months," you say, "but that's how I met jer."

john and matthew laugh, but it's john who says, "so charlie beat you to her huh? asked her out before you could."

you can feel jeremy looking at you, so you keep your eyes forward.

"yeah...he did." he says.

oh.

"but, it all worked out in the end." charlie says, oblivious to the way the air grew thick between you and the bruins goaltender.

john hums, chewing on a sausage. "im just suprised is all - the way sway talks about you y/n, is like you two have been together since like forever...I can't believe it."

oh wow.

"I wasn't expecting that," matthew says beside you, forking some of his egg into his mouth. "it's kind of like you guys were just...one step out of order which each other."

"yeah," you nod gently. sipping on some more coffee.

jeremy tosses an arm around the back of your chair, his plate already devoured. his fingers itch to rub along the expanse of your exposed arm, the black ink of your tattoo tempting him.

"so sway, what did you think when you first saw her." the question has him looking away from your skin, eyes blown wide.

you are looking at john with the same expression, crossing your legs nervously, accidentally slapping your foot against matt's calf. you were actually going to die because of john beecher.

jeremy laughs awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck with the hand that once sat behind you. "well, I can remember her laugh. I really liked her laugh. it was loud but unique- it matched her perfectly." he gulps, looking into your eyes for the first time since the conversation started, "and she was wearing a black skirt and some black strappy top and I remember thinking she looked really...beautiful. and then we started talking and I thought she was so smart, she still is one of the smartest people I know. I fell for her that night, charlie be damned."

then jeremey smiles sheepishly, looking away from your gentle gaze and back over to the rookie, john, who is staring at the two of you with a look you can't decipher.

"but it all worked out in the end." jeremy reiterates the words said earlier by charlie, "we're here now. right baby?" the nickname has you freezing and that pretend world you'd been in once again disappearing.

"yeah," you clear your throat. jeremey's words laying heavy on your heart. "it did."

you think it's a shame it was pretend, because when guys usually talked about you, the first thing they bring up is something superficial or objectifying...never your laugh or your brains. it has you melting back into that pretend land and reaching over run your hand through jeremy's curls, smiling in thanks.

kiley and charlie descended down the stairs then, a mix of greetings and heckling being thrown at them about their late wake up time as theyre grabbing their breakfast. the conversation grows normal again, less talk about yourself and jermey's fake love story and more about plans for the day.

the boys all head out after breakfast to workout at the local gym, claiming they needed to burn off the grease. that left yourself and the girls to sit out in the sun for the morning, each taking turns tanning and entertaining wren and/or the dogs in the peak summer heat.

you're holding wren in your lap when the boys get back two hours after their initial departure, the sound of vehicles rolling into the driveway alerting you all. wren claps her hands at the mention of her dad, which has you smiling with her as she talks your ear off.

it feels like 5 minutes later when the boys are entering the backyard in their respective bathing suits to join you all. bare feet thumping down the back deck steps and onto the separate wooden platform.

suddenly a shadow covers the sun from your skin and you glance up to find jermey smiling down at you two, "hey," you whisper.

"hey there," he smirks.

"hi," wren laughs in her adorable little voice, leaving the two of you laughing.

"move your legs a little," he tells you, to which you do, the once occupied space now being taken over by jeremy's large frame. he wraps a hand around your ankle, squeezing slightly. you try not to squirm from his touch.

"how was your work out?" you ask to try and distract yourself from the way jeremy was playing with wrens little feet, making her smile up at him. if you keep watching him interact with the baby you're ovaries will surely light themselves on fire.

"it was good," he says, eyes darting up to meet yours. "how is tanning?"

"nice but i'm very hot now." you huff, pulling hair away from your neck.

he smirks, eyes dancing over your now exposed throat, "yeah you look it."

instead of dissecting that comment you tickle the girl sitting against your bent legs, "did you hear that? jer is trying to make moves on me."

he laughs loudly, head thrown back which makes the little girl laugh as well, her barbie hitting against your lower stomach, "well you are my girlfriend in case you couldn't remember."

"how could I forget?" you tease him, digging your foot into his thigh.

jeremy is leaning closer into you and you can smell his body wash. his tongue darts out to wet his lower lip and you have to resist the urge to lean in to close the gap, wanting to use your own tongue on his mouth instead, licking and kissing until you can't breathe.

as if brandon can hear your thoughts, he walks over. "okay lovebirds, i'm going to take my daughter back before she sees something she shouldn't."

you roll your eyes playfully but let him grab a laughing wren from your lap without fuss, brandon immediately kissing her chubby cheek and bouncing her in his large arms, leaving you and jeremy alone.

when you look back over at him, he's already got his eyes on you. he wraps and arm around your legs now that they aren't occupied by a small human, and tug them into his side. the way he moves you around has you feeling warm, clenching your thighs together.

he runs a hand down your thigh, feeling the heat of your skin he ticks his tongue, "are you wearing sunscreen?"

"I put some on earlier but I haven't re applied it recently..." you can see his smirk forming, a dirty comment desperate to make an appearance, "and before you get any ideas, you're not rubbing sunscreen on me, this isn't a porno."

"I wish it was," beecher teases in passing, beer clutched in his hand.

that has jeremey laughing, his chest vibrating against your legs. "I was just going to suggest that maybe you should head into the lake for a bit...cool off. I'll come with you."

in a moment of boldness you smirk, "well if you're coming with me I won't be able to cool off,"

surprisingly jeremey catches your suggestive tone and raises his brows at you, tonguing his cheek in a way that has you sweating. I mean, you weren't blind. your friend was stupid good looking, you've thought that since that night at the bar and that was back when he wasn't quite as built as he is now. but now he's filled out, grew a inch or so taller and uses all that expensive cologne that makes him smell ridiculously good.

"that's good then," he says, "because I haven't been able to cool off since the moment we met."

jeremey is leaning close enough so even if prying eyes and ears wanted to eavesdrop, they couldn't, his whisper too slow and too quiet. suddenly the situation feels too real and you're gulping, sitting up a bit straighter.

"i'm going to get a drink." jeremey lets go of your legs and your up standing immediately, walking away from him and into the house. and if you have to stick your head in the freezer to calm down that's nobody's business.

when you return outside 5 minutes later, you don't go back to where jermey sits and that has him frowning.

jeremey gave you space for the rest of the day, going as far to look away when the two of you made eye contact. he sat with matthew during dinner while you sat with mason and brandon, claiming you wanted more time with their daughter so your and jeremey's distance didn't seem suspicious.

the day in the sun had tired you out and you headed to bed just after 8. you lay awake for awhile and you can't help but think of the day as well as your conversation with jeremy on that lounge chair.

you have to remember that your friendship has always been touchy and flirty - it wasn't new but that doesn't mean your stomach didn't flutter anytime his touch lingered, or when his breath tickled your skin, or when his words have you wondering: wondering if maybe he felt the same way about you that you've always felt about him.

jeremy comes upstairs an hour after you had, and you pretended to be asleep when he whispered your name. regardless he cuddled into you, leaving your heart beating rapidly.

__

you're the first one awake the next morning, the sun just barley peeking over the horizon through the open window. you gently push jeremy's arm of your waist and sneak downstairs, pulling his discarded hoodie on as you descend down the hallway quietly.

you make yourself a cup of coffee, stirring in your sugar as the room is enveloped in the first hour of sunshine.

the sound of feet dragging have you glancing over your shoulder to see john. he's wearing the same pyjama pants as the previous day but no shirt this time, which has you looking away like you've been caught staring when you shouldn't have been.

"good morning," he sighs, moving so he is standing beside you, making himself his own morning coffee.

"morning," you smile politely, testing your drink before deciding you need another sugar.

"brandon mentioned taking the boat out today," he adds his creamer to the mug, "you going to come?"

"that sounds nice," you agree, "i'll definitely be joining."

"good," he takes a sip of his drink, turning to face you, "he said there's a decent sand bar like 10 minutes out that's never busy - should be a nice spot."

"yeah," you take another sip, "I hope nobody is there, i'm not in the mood for conversation with strangers."

john laughs which makes you giggle along. "I hear that."

"hey," a voice interrupts and you look over and see a very sleepy jeremy. he's shirtless too which has you feeling warm, eyes darting down to look into your mug "i wondered where you went." jeremy says to you and you shrug, peeking over the rim of your drink to look at him.

"sorry, woke up early." you shrug. "I didn't want to wake you."

just as jeremy looks like he may say something more, brandon jogs down the stairs behind him, wren babbling in his ear about food. "oh hey, didn't think i'd see anybody yet, I would've put pants on."

suddenly you're very aware of the fact brandon's only wearing boxers and you laugh, looking away.

"I was just talking about the plans for today and that sand bar you mentioned." john says, grabbing some ingredients to make what looks like a smoothie.

"yeah," brandon nods, adding apple juice to a sippy cup, "i'm so down for that, you all coming?"

so that's how you ended up on the boat, jeremy sitting beside you as the two of you, brandon, john, matthew, mason, danielle and kiley all clad in beach attire as brandon drove out to the sand bar.

your arm brushes against your friends anytime brandon hits a wave, but you don't dare look over at him. you keep your eyes straight forward, even when you can feel jeremy's burning into the side of your head.

it isn't long before you're all arriving, anchoring down only 3 or so meters from the hump of sand that has formed a sand bar. there wasn't anybody else there, like brandon claimed, so your prayers of no conversation had been answered.

just as the engine shuts off and people start moving around, grabbing floaties and drinks alike, you can see jeremy look at you again. "y/n?" he whispers quietly.

you weren't wanting to be confronted on the boat in front of all your friends, so you pretend you don't hear him, standing quickly and making your way to the back of the boat were you see the girls chatting and changing out of their cover up's and into their bathing suits.

"you getting in?" kiley asked as you approached. she is standing, peering down into the water below like she may be unsure.

"yeah," you say and without much longer, you reach for the hem of your loose tank top, pulling it up and over your head to reveal your halter bikini top.

danielle whistles from her spot sitting with her feet in the water, "looking hot y/n!" the girls start cat calling you and you blush, throwing your top at your blond friend.

at the commotion, jeremy looks away from his conversation with charlie just as you're bent over in favour of taking off your jean shorts, giving him the perfect view of your bikini covered ass.

he blows out air, turning away as a blush rises to his face. charlie just laughs at him, patting his shoulder as he makes his way over to the girls, leaving jeremey to collect himself.

charlie rushes past you, cannonballing into the lake, effectively soaking his fiancé and drenching your legs.

"hey!" danielle scolds, wiping her face. charlie then swims back over, dragging her into the water.

you're laughing at your friends protests when suddenly hands are on your hips, arms bringing you to a chest before their launching you both off the boat, plunging into the chilled morning water.

you are submerged and the hands let go, allowing you to freely swim up to the surface. you splutter, pushing your hair away from your face. turning around you find jeremy just as he emerges and you shove his shoulder. "what the hell."

you're thankful other people have started jumping in, their screams and laughter drowning out your harsh tone.

he wipes his face before sending you a stern look. "why are you ignoring me?"

"i'm not."

"you are." he fights back. "did I do something?"

he looks genuinely concerned and it has your stomach dropping. "no...no you didn't do anything."

"so why are you mad at me?"

"i'm not mad at you," you say quickly, "sorry just yesterday I just..."

"look, if I made you uncomfortable..." jeremy starts and you shake your head, shoulders starting to burn from shredding water. "you didn't do anything, Jer. I was just feeling sick or something." he's looking at you all warm and it has your shoulders deflating. "I shouldn't have been cold towards you."

he breathes out a sigh, "well, are you okay?"

"i'm fine, I promise."

"okay, just, I don't want to ever upset you and I was going crazy thinking I did something wrong. I miss you like every moment we don't talk, it's kind of insane - and I never want to be the reason we don't talk, y/n. dream team remember?"

you nod, "dream team. i'm sorry."

he shakes his head, "don't apologize."

a beat passes and then your sighing, "my arms are going to fall of soon if we keep talking here, I can't reach the bottom."

without a word he grabs one of your moving legs, dragging you through the water until he can wrap both of your thighs around his hips, holding you against him. "is that better?" he whispers, eyes searching your face for any signal of your emotions.

you nod once, "yeah..."

the moment feels too real again so you laugh, "screw you for being tall and reaching the bottom."

expect jeremy doesn't laugh but holds an expression you can't quite pinpoint. "what were you and johnny talking about this morning before I came down?"

"oh," you breathe out, "nothing really. just the boat I guess, we just kind of woke up at the same time and made coffee," you see his expression is sour so you smirk, "why?...are you jealous?"

he laughs at first like he's going to deny it, shaking his head slowly. but then he says, "maybe I am,"

"don't be," you whisper, fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, your legs lightly squeezing his torso to keep yourself grounded.

his face changes again, "I don't want him taking you away from me with his stupid charm and stupid face..."

you're looking into his eyes with the same look you had given him that night outside the bar. "nobody could ever take me from you, jer."

your tone is gentle and it has him melting into your touch. his eyes dart down to your lips and you take a shallow breath, anticipating swirling deep in your gut.

just as it looks like jeremy might lean in, you're interrupted. "hey! you guys hungry?" mason calls from the boat, "we are gunna head back soon to get the grill going!"

you clear your throat, unraveling your legs from jeremey's torso to which he sighs, dropping his hands from your waist. "okay! yeah sounds good," you call back. your pray nobody could tell your voice was shaky, too pumped up on adrenaline of what almost happened.

your turn your gaze back to jeremy and you find he is still looking at you, a blush starting to form on his face.

you smile brightly, splashing him with the water before darting away, letting him chase after you in the water as you make your way back to the boat.

the rest of the day is spent relaxing, especially now that jeremey has brought you back to earth from your previous self pity party. everybody ends up hanging outside for the rest of the day, drinking and snacking until the sun was setting on the lake, to which they headed inside to get a start on dinner - which was going to be pasta.

the last lingering person slips inside as the stars start to twinkle, leaving you still lying on your sun bed, staring up into the now night sky. you're sure it's chilly now, but the six white claws that are flowing through your blood stream are effective in keeping you from feeling cool.

a familiar face appears above you which has you smiling softly. "you're blocking my view."

jeremy laughs, "oh my apologies your highness," he teases, "aren't you cold?"

you shrug, "nah...i'm too busy trying to find the dippers."

jeremy looks up briefly with lip stuck between his teeth. he chuckles, looking back down. "okay, make room for me, i'll help you look."

"and how are you going to fit on here?"

"sit up," he instructs and you roll your eyes playfully but obey. just then he slips in behind you, his legs falling in line beside yours. just as you go to question him he pulls you back down so your pressed into his front. then he pulls his knees up, trapping you in. "that comfortable?"

you nod, too nervous to speak. your eyes search the stars again but it isn't long before you can feel jeremy chuckle, "got it."

"what? where is it?"

"look carefully," he tells you, grabbing your hand and bringing them both into the sky, where he then points in the direction of the constellation with both your fingers. "see it now?" his breath is warm against your ear.

you nod. "I do." a beat of silence passes, "isn't it beautiful?"

your eyes are still dancing through the stars when jeremey looks down at you, a smile tugging at his lips. "the most beautiful."

"are you guys like fucking or can you come eat with us?" you recognize charlie macovy's voice form the back door and it has you sitting up.

laughing you say, "don't be gross." you push away from the man behind you, leaving him to take a deep breath and follow behind you.

__

the next couple days end up being pretty tame. the group ends up either tanning, swimming to walking on the nearby trail. all eating together and packing in early every night and each night john jokes that you're all old, but cuddling into bed with jeremy at the end of every day made you not care.

it's the second last night at the lake house and instead of being boring like you all had been for the past couple nights, matthew and john beg for a bonfire which brandon agrees wasn't a bad idea. so he sends the two youngest out to get some drinks and smore necessities while the rest of you stay back and start the fire.

matt and john get back just as the sky turns dark and you have all taken a seat on makeshift chairs and benches. it doesn't take long after smore making for you to start feeling the affects of your consumed bottle of wine.

your laugh becomes louder and your face becomes redder, which has jeremy laughing amused at your tipsy state.

a few hours pass and mason has to put wren and the dogs to bed, which ends up with brandon following for a much needed sleep. kiley and charlie head up to bed too, followed by matthew which leaves not many of you by the fire.

never be like you is coming out the mini speaker, loud enough so you could dance and sing along, but quiet enough where it wouldn't disturb anybody sleeping in the lake house.

jeremey watches you and danielle twirl each other around, smiling and laughing amongst yourselves.

"sway, there's something I want to say," charlie says beside him, which catches the goalies attention. coyle laughs, "I should've said this along time ago but, back at the bar when I asked y/n out...I knew that you wanted her, I could tell by the way you looked at each other." charlie takes a sip of beer, "I really thought you would've beaten me to her that night so I was shocked when she said she'd go out with me."

"really?"

"yeah," charlie says, "even on our first date, she asked about you. I thought she was just curious about my friends, but she didn't ask about anyone else. you're her home, jeremy. so...I don't know, I guess i'm apologizing for dating her and not giving you a chance because I think you both wanted it."

jermey gulps, "oh. it's, ugh, its all good."

"she's like really awesome, and a great girl and an even better friend for setting me up with my now finance. now that you finally have her, never let her go."

just as he goes to respond, you stumble over, tripping over some uneven ground but before jeremy can get out to break your fall, you catch your balance, laughing. "whoops."

"you okay?" jeremy asks amused. you're clearly drunk, he can tell by the way your eyes have glossed over and how your chest was red with heat.

you nod with a smile, "jer...come dance with me?"

"I don't know," he laughs softly, eyes moving over your body as if he was assessing you.

you frown playfully, "please? just one dance. please, I love this song."

you can already see the answer on his face before jeremy speaks and that is enough. his slight smile and shy eyes have you breaking out into a grin, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the camping chair.

he does all the work of pulling up his body weight though, too heavy for your intoxicated sate. you're smiling when you start dancing, arms wrapping around his neck. the synth pop tune is suddenly quiet, and you're focused on the way jeremy is breathing, staring down at you with the most gentle smile. "if you're sick of me after this week and never want to see me again, I understand." you say.

jeremy draws his brows together, "what? no. nothing could make me never want to see you again."

you bit your lip to try and stop your smile.

"and honestly," he lowers his voice, "this has turned out easier than I thought it would be - I think that's why I chose you to be my fake girlfriend for this trip. I knew we could do it."

you take a shaky breath, choosing to ignore the fake part of fake girlfriend. "why do you think that is?"

your question seems simple enough, jeremy not catching the underlying tone of real wonder. he looks away from your gaze and over to the lake. shrugging his shoulders, he swallows thickly, "I'm not sure, maybe I knew that I didn't really have to pretend with you"

he looks back over to you with a sheepish expression but the look on your face has him frowning slightly. you're eyes are starting to close, the affects of your wine finally catching up to you. "y/n..." jeremy says your name in a whisper. it has you blowing your eyes open wide and you stumble again. he blinks hard, running a hand flat over your hair before keeping his hand resting on where your neck and shoulder meets. jeremy laughs slightly. "I think it's time for bed."

you let jeremy tuck you under his arm, and you use his body weight as support while you both bid goodbyes to the remaining bonfire enjoyers. he's practically walking for you as the two of you climb up the stairs and slip through the back doors of the lake house: slowly pattering up the carpeted stairs with jeremy guiding your hips to ensure your stability.

jeremy shuts the bedroom door once the two of you are inside the room and when he turns back around to face you, you're lying flat on the bed, smiling lazily over at jeremy.

"you can't fall asleep yet," he teases, walking over and tracing a pattern on your thigh, "you have to change out of your bonfire clothes."

he's referring to your jean cut offs and oversized bruins shirt. his words have you groaning out, "can you do it for me."

you miss the way jeremy gulps nervously, eyes darting away when your legs fall open and your pink underwear become slightly visible. you call his name and he looks back over. you have your hands out, "please, i'm tired."

he nods quickly, grabbing a hold of your outstretched hand and pulling you into a sitting position. you're still sporting that lazy smile that has jeremy feeling nervous. "stand up for me." he says quietly and you nod, standing on unsteady feet infront of your best friend.

he's not looking into your eyes when his fingers pop open your shorts metal button, running down and pulling on the small zipper. your chest starts heaving at his gentle touches. he drops down to his knees infront of you, slowly pulling down the material off your legs. his knuckles grazing your smooth skin has you sighing, mouth hung open.

he's still avoiding your stare, his eyes focused on the knitted blanket beside him. the alcohol is still in control of your actions and it has you giggling quietly just as jeremy reaches your ankles.

"lift your foot." he says, eyes finally falling on your feet to make sure you keep your balance. you grab a hold on his strong shoulder so you can lift your feet one at a time so the shorts can fall to the carpeted floor.

the room is only illuminated by the moon light, which jermey is thankful for. he's sure his red face is very bright, his semi even more noticeable under his lulu lemon shorts. you’re left in the same shirt and your underwear, the tshirt just barley covering your exposed butt cheeks.

"jer," you whisper as he moves to a standing position. he's still not looking in your eyes so you reach out, hand resting over the stubble on his jawline and cheek. "you can look at me."

his eyes finally flicker to yours and you smile, your other hand moving to rest on his chest. instinctively, jermey grabs your waist, your tshirt bunching up and exposing your hip, covering by your pink thong. "can I ask you something?"

he's nodding wordlessly so you continue. "if charlie didn't ask me out that night...would you have?"

jeremy doesn't answer right away, only the sound of his breathing lets you know that he's actually still infront of you.

he thinks back to earlier in the evening, and his conversation with his teammate. he thinks you're just curious, no other reason why you could possibly want to know. jeremy tries not to let his mind wander back to how your half naked infront of him. how not even the smell of smoke could over power your fruit hair oil he can smell. he also thinks about how you're intoxicated, and how you aren't going to remember this interaction when you wake up tomorrow. so, jermey sighs, squeezing your hip, "yes, I would have."

"jeremy...I should tell you- "

"it's okay," he whispers, embarrassment of his confession wanting to badly take over, "it all worked out, right. best friends."

no, you think. we aren't just friends, please just confess. lean in and kiss me and take me to bed and just finally love me -

"you're still drunk," jermey interrupts your racing mind, "let's just go to sleep."

—

the sun beating on your back is what wakes you up the next morning. it has your groaning out, pulling the covers up and over your head to further bury yourself in the cocoon. it doesn't take long to realize you're alone, the bed empty next to you.

you sit up, frowning at your lack of pyjama bottoms but then you start to remember the night before. the dancing, jermey's calloused hands on your legs, his confession, you're longing need for your best friend. you feel like crying, groaning and covering your eyes.

you slip on a pair of sweatpants and a different shirt, trying your best to eliminate the smell of bonfire before you need to take a shower. mason and danielle are the only ones downstairs, greeting you with sweet smiles and an avocado bagel. your stomach growls at the sight, devouring the breakfast quicker than the coffee pot finishes its brew. "where's everybody gone?"

mason looks at you over her shoulder from her spot on the stove. "oh! the guys went for a run and I think kiley is still sleeping."

you nod, taking a sip of fresh coffee.

danielle giggles, biting down on her own bagel. "why? missing your man?"

you try not to frown at her question and you just nod once.

your mid sip when the boys return from their run, all shirtless, tan and sweaty. when you spot jeremy, you choke, his sweat glistening off his body making him look even more desirable. danielle pats your back while you collect yourself, the boys making fun of your reaction as they pass.

jeremy sends a quickly smile your way before turning to make his way upstairs. in that moment, you're sure he thinks you don't remember the night before, so you decide that you'll pretend you don't: that you'll go on about your day as you two usually would.

that way it wouldn't be awkward or tense and even though all you wanted to do was finally tell jermey how you feel - finally confess everything after all these years, you won't. because you think if he felt the same way...he would've told you last night. he doesn't want to embarrass you, you think.

so when jeremy returns from his shower 15 minutes later, smelling like woody cologne and old spice products you smile normally, pulling him in for a hug that has mason cooing and danielle giggling. he squeezes you back and kisses the side of your head and in that moment you smile because ignorance is bliss and you can't loose him.

wren is very active, so in the afternoon you all take her for a walk on the nearby trail, dogs dancing throughout all your feet as they move. jeremy has to ignore the urge to kill his teammate when you trip, beecher catching you and letting his hands linger on your waist for a few extra seconds. it's whatever.

dinner approaches quickly, and brandon uses whatever is still left in the fridge to cook up a meal. it ends up being a mix match chicken taco feast, with masons famous garden salad - which was super tasty. the conversation was flowing, everyone trying to make good use of the last night all together before parting ways.

jeremy has been holding a sour expression since the hike, jaw clenched with white knuckles. only speaking when spoken to. even during dinner when you placed your arm on his bicep, he tensed, but didn't look at you: shoving more leafy greens into his mouth.

wren goes to bed not long after, followed by beecher and matt who claimed they needed rest for their early morning. so brandon suggested a movie night, which was highly praised. everyone occupying chairs and couches alike, snuggled under throw blankets as monte slid are we there yet? into the old dvd player.

you're chuckling quietly when jeremy glances over at you. the room is pretty much dark now, only illuminated by the tv screen. he can't help but let a smile tug at his lips, they way you looked so happy made him feel better. he knows he's been acting a grouch all afternoon, he just can't get over how john touched your body, or the way the rookie never failed to make you giggle. it was so...infuriating.

you catch his eyes but jeremy looks away. it has your frowning before looking back at the tv, movie nearing its end.

when the credits roll everybody bids goodnight, climbing the stairs to their respective rooms and/ or bathrooms to get ready for the last night. jeremy beats you upstairs, his back turned when you enter the bedroom. his muscles are flexing underneath his shirt and the action has you drooling, wanting desperately to run your hands over the expanse of his back.

you clear your throat and shut the door. jeremy doesn't look at you, still rummaging through his duffle bag.

"are you mad at me?" you question, taking a small step towards him.

"no," he says quickly, tossing a towel over his shoulder. he turns to face you and you see him gripping his toothbrush, presumably wanting to get to the bathroom. jermey tries to side step you but you block him, standing in front of him.

"then what's wrong?" he doesn't answer so you sigh, dropping your shoulders, "did something happen today? you've been acting weird since we got back from the walk."

at the mention of the hike earlier, jeremy's eyes flash. you let out a satisfied laugh, "what happened on the hike?"

jeremy take some look at your curious face and sighs, placing his toothbrush down behind him. "nothing, really, it's stupid."

"it's not stupid if it has you this upset, jer."

your eyes are all soft as you look up at him and it has him faltering, eyes darting to the ground briefly. "it's just...the way beecher was touching you. yeah, he helped you before you could fall, fine, but he lingered and then he just kept touching you - which is crazy because hello, like i'm the one supposed to be touching you and making you laugh, not him."

he kind of spews that all in one breath so it takes you a moment to digest what he's said. you giggle slightly, "I told you you don't need to be jealous."

he groans, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I know, I know! it's just...you're mine and he doesn't even care."

you gulp. his eyes open and he's looking down at you, the dawn of realization of his own words raining down over his head. just as he looks like he may apologize, take back his possessive statement, you're pushing closer, grabbing his hand and placing it on your waist. "yeah, I am yours." you whisper.

instinctively his other hand grabs the back of your neck, so you have no choice but to keep looking up at him. his eyes go hazy, tongue darting out to wet his bottom lip.

you push up on your tippy toes, bumping your nose against his a few times. then jeremy leans in, placing a fast kiss on your mouth. he pulls away, scared you'll turn and run, but you don't, hands sliding up his chest and around his neck, bringing him back down to kiss him again.

the kisses turns hot and fast, jeremy's back burning from leaning down to keep your lips together. his hands leave your waist and neck, sliding down over your ass until he's gripping the back of your thighs. he pulls you up, letting you jump up until your legs are secure around his waist.

he walks blindly until he finds the desk, dropping you down with a thud so you're sitting on the top, not once stopping the heavy mess of wet kisses and hot breath.

you're tugging off jermey's shirt then, hands sliding up the hard front of abs until he's sighing, pulling you close until your pelvis is bumping his dick. the friction has you moaning, head falling back.

"can I take this off?" jeremy whispers, hands fiddling with the hem of your shirt. you're nodding quickly, lifting your arms so he can easily strip you of the top, leaving you in your string bikini, nipples hard through the fabric. you begin to untie the last article covering your breasts, jermey helping you remove the orange material and exposing you.

"you're so beautiful," he sighs, leaning down and sucking one of your hard buds into his mouth.

"jer," you sigh, hands running through his hair as he licks, your other nipple being played with by his fingers. pinching and pulling until you're grinding against him. "need you inside me," you say when he comes back up to face you.

cheeks flushed he nods, "yeah, okay." his fingers start to tug on the zipper of your shorts, "lift up for me," he tells you. you lift your ass of the table just enough for him to slip down your shorts, discarding them on the floor with the rest of the clothing.

"your turn," you giggle quietly, tugging on the hem of his basketball shorts until they drop to his ankles, leaving him in just his briefs, cock straining against the fabric.

he grabs your face, kissing you hard. your hand slips down so you can palm him, his mouth falling open against yours as you move. "I don't have a condom," he says.

"I don't care," you bite your lip, "can just pull out." your breath is heavy and it has him nodding against your forehead.

"sounds, yeah, that sounds good." his fumbling has you laughing slightly.

"put it in me."

jeremy nods, pulling down his underwear enough so his dick springs free, standing hard and strong below his belly button, right against his happy trail. you moan at the sight, reaching forward to kiss his neck.

he pumps himself a few times as he pulls your bikini bottoms to the side, your glistening sweet pussy, wet and ready with anticipation. "fuck you're so hot." he says, running his top through your folds to collect your arousal.

"please," you wither.

without being asked again, he slowly sinks into you, both of you moaning out in sync at the stretch. he grabs one of your legs, hauling it up and over his shoulder for the deepest possible angle.

it has you crying out, hand slapping over your mouth. he begins thrusting into you, hard enough where he has to hold your hips to keep you from jittering up the desk and away from him. you're both moaning out as quietly as possible, very aware you're surrounded by your friends and a child.

it isn't long before jermey can feel you clenching around him. "are you close baby?" he asks through heavy breaths and it has you whimpering, nodding your head. "yeah? I can feel it. you feel so good, like you were made for me."

"you feel so good jer," you moan, "i'm going to cum."

his thrusts increase and it has you gripping his shoulder harder, your other hand digging into the wood desk. "cum on my cock, I wanna feel you."

his words have you pushing over the edge, the coil in your stomach snapping and releasing all over his length as it moves inside you.

you're moaning as you recover, his thrusts still fast as he chases his own release. you pull him in for a messy kiss, "are you close?"

jeremy breaths, "i'm gunna cum on your stomach, okay?"

you nod, kissing his neck until he's groaning, pulling out of your warmth and releasing his load over your lower stomach, pulling on his cock until he's empty.

your heaving breaths are in sync as you both come down from a high, the room enveloped in almost full darkness saved by the one beside lamp. "you okay?" jeremy asks, pulling you from your post - orgasam daze. you nod, letting jeremy man handle your leg until it's back on the table top.

"you okay?" you reiterate and he chuckles softly, picking up his discarded shirt.

"i'm great," you says, softly wiping away his mess from your torso.

once you're both clean (clean as possible from the wiping of a tshirt) he leads you to bed silently, both of you slipping under the soft blanket. jeremy smiles at you softly before pulling you into him, kissing your shoulder once before closing his eyes.

it isn't long before you follow suit, letting sleep overcome you as you think about how jeremy is the first man who's ever given you an orgasam without touching your clit. it's no big deal....really.

—

on the last morning at the lake house, you had woken up before jeremy. his naked chest is warm where its pressed to your side, his arm heavy were its resting under your chest. his soft snores tickle your shoulder, breath gentle as it raises goose bumps on your skin.

your mind reels over the night before, face immediately flushing at the thought of jeremy all over your body, wet kisses and strong hands running over every inch of you.

gently, you slip out of his hold. you're quiet when you slip on a hoodie and sweat shorts, leaving the room just as the sun is peeking over the horizon. the house is quiet, not even wren or mason are awake. beecher and matthew had left an hour before you woke, catching flights home to spend their rest of the summer with their respective families.

you grab one of the last pre-made protein smoothies from the rather empty fridge before quietly slipping onto the back deck. your bare feet are tickled by the grass as you make your way down to the dock, the cast of orange and pinks illuminating the worn out wood platform.

you're in your own head as you sit, phone gently playing taylor swift as the gentle waves lap against the docks posts. pulling your knees up to your chest, you rest your head on top, staring out into the peaceful morning water.

the sound of footsteps fill you with a momentary panic, turning down your music and looking behind you. jeremy is there, now dressed in his own hoodie and shorts, hood pulled over his head.

you're clearing your throat of its thickness as he sits down beside you, "hey, what are you doing out here?"

you just shrug, watching as his legs stretch out before him, thigh bumping your hip.

he clears his throat which has you darting up to his face. "I thought you left."

you sigh, "no I wouldn't do that."

jeremy nods and you watch his adam's apple bob as he swallows. "I feel like we should talk about what happened." his words are so quiet it has you question if he even said it. then you find him looking at you with an expression which leads you to bite your lip.

"we don't have to," you say quickly, "jeremy I don't want to embarrass you."

he thinks he sees your eyes start to fill with tears and it has him sitting up straighter, wanting to bring you into his chest and kiss your hairline until you're happy. but at the same time he's also thinking the worst. that you know about his feelings, and you're about to tell him that you don't feel the same. that the week has been nice, but you think the two of you should stay friends. he's thinking that you'll say thanks for the sex but that's all this would be. but then jermey thinks maybe that's okay, because he'd rather you only ever want sex from him that one time than loose his best friend all together n

he looks over at you carefully. "why would I be embarrassed?"

the sun is higher up now, but the sky is still casting a warm glow over the lake house. you take a moment to admire jeremy, his beard is grown out and his hair is long at the nape of his neck, curling around his ears. he looks so handsome in the summer - he looks handsome is very season though, so your thoughts are biased. "embarrassed because you know I want more than just sex...and it's okay if that all you needed from me, jer, really. I can't push my feelings aside because i'd rather give you that one thing than loose you all together."

jeremy can't even think straight at that confession, his own thoughts bouncing around his head, contradicting one another as they swirl. "what?" he settles on, his breath heavy.

you look at him with a soft look, "I remember the other night about what I said to you. even my drunk brain couldn't forget something like that."

his face falls momentarily.

you continue, "I remember what I asked you and I remember what you said and i'm sorry okay, I don't want to put you in a tough spot. I thought that there was a small possibility that maybe, just maybe you'd like me back but we're friends, like you said -"

"wait. what?"

you swallow thickly and feel like crying. "no it's okay," you whisper, "we can pretend it never happened - I don't mind,  but I can't loose you jer, we have to still be friends and if we need to forget about my feelings for you to do that, we can!"

jeremy sits up straighter and breaths out a laugh. it has you furrowing your eyebrows. he grabs your face in his hands, "y/n, every day since that night at the bar... I have regretted not asking you first. that's what I wanted to say the other night but I didn't want to scare you away."

it's your turn to look confused, "what are you implying?"

"It's never been about just having sex with you: never. I've never not wanted you in every way humanly possible but I just didn't think you felt the same way." he pulls his hood down, the heat of the sun and his confession too much, "nobody has been like you, y/n, in fact - how many girls have I dated since we met?"

you blew out a soft breathe, wiping a tear that had fallen down your cheek, "i don't know...none."

jeremy nods, "none. do you want to know why?"

"why?" you whisper.

"they're not you."

"what?"

"they're. not. you. that night at the bar, when charlie asked you out...you looked at me and that's when I should've asked you, charlie be damned. I love you and I have for a long time."

his confession has you breathing out shakily, hand creeping up so you could ground yourself onto his wrist. he doesn't let your face go. "jeremy," you smile wetly, "I love you. i'm sorry for not telling you sooner, I was too scared."

he laughs, "there's nothing to apologize for," jeremy rubs his thumb along your cheek bone, stroking your tan skin. "I wasn't brave enough to tell you back then, but I am now."

then he leans in and finally kisses you. a long peck until your lips slot together in a dance of their own. this kiss was different form the ones the night before. this was was soft, full of love and time and longing. your free hand settles at the nape of his neck, running through his curls.

jeremy pulls back slightly, his lips still brushing yours as he spoke, "now that I finally have you, i'm never letting you go."

"good," you kiss him, "I don't want you too."

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

A/N: I kind of hate this ? but I wanted to get it posted so here yall sway girls go - feast my queens.

[ilyasorokinn]

i know your requests are closed for now, but i thought i would send one in for when you get back because i think the idea is so cute and i dont want to forget it lollll

i was thinking freddy (trent frederic) being soft with his gf? like he seems so goofy and i feel like he doesn’t let his walls down in public, but would totally be a soft when it came to being a boyfriend and being in the presence of his s/o 🥰

anywaysss i hope you find your way back soon! we miss you! enjoy your break tho, take all the time you need 🫶

GOLDEN RETRIEVER BOYFRIEND

this was sent in during one of my earlier breaks... i'm just finally getting to all the old stuff in my inbox because i suck, but trust i will be getting to everything or at least mostly everything. n e ways, this is inspired by all those tiktoks of like golden retriever bfs in public looking around for their gfs and when they find them, they're all smiley :)

if there was something you learned about trent early on, it was that he got lost a lot. he would always get distracted by something in a store and would lose you. it happened more times than when he actually followed you around.

it especially happened a lot when you would drag him into a store he didn't want to be in. he loved following you around and helping you find new things, but sometimes he just wasn't in a shopping mood, so you couldn't blame him when he did get lost.

you were looking for some silverware for a friend who was moving and you wanted to alleviate some of the stress for her. the second you stepped into the store, you knew trent would wander off and find something more interesting to look at, and you were right. it took him all of 2 minutes to wander off and lose you.

you finally managed to find everything you were looking for and couldn't help but roll your eyes when you looked around your surroundings and couldn't find trent.

"trent?" you called out, but all you got were looks from the people around you, "geez, not again." you sighed.

trent, on the other hand, was standing in front of the kid's cutlery section, looking at all the little forks and spoons. he took pictures of a few different utensils, excited to show you later.

after spending a few minutes looking at all the cartoon plates and odds and ins, he started to get bored again. he decided you had spent enough time looking for whatever you were looking for, so he would try and find you and bother you until you got annoyed with him and decided you were done.

he wandered around the store, a few things catching his eye but he ignored it because he was on a mission: find y/n.

he started to get worried, but the look on his face made him look calm and collected. he didn't want to show anyone he was silently panicking. of course he had wandered away from you before, but this time felt different.

you weren't in a tiny little store, you were in a ain't department store with at least 4 floors and 30 different departments.

things weren't much better on your end. you had spent the last 20 minutes looking around the entire store for him. luckily, you turned the corner and spotted him.

his back was to you, but when he turned around, you got a better look at his face. he might have looked not panicked but you could see the crease in his forehead and the worried look behind his eyes.

you pulled out your phone and started recording him, wanting to get his reaction for when he finally did find you. there was a small group in front of you and his eyes quickly flicked between the entire group before they finally landed on you.

when he spotted you in the crowd, he couldn't help but let out a giant sigh. his shoulders dropped in relief and his eyes showed he was more than happy.

he quickly made his way over to you and you set your phone down, "i thought i'd never find you. i thought i'd have to live here." he joked.

"you have a phone, silly. you could've called." you reminded him, a smile on your face.

"i know, but i hadn't thought of it, for some reason." he scratched the back of his head.

you chuckled, "i have an idea, trent. how about, next time we go to a giant department store, don't leave my side."

"i like the sound of that."

"i'm gonna get you one of those backpack leashes. you wander off too much." you joked, grabbing his hand and leading him towards the cashier.

"okay, how about i just hold your hand." he rolled his eyes.

[thatsdemko]

lil secret - j.swayman

masterlist

requested: y

pairings: Jeremy swayman x mcavoy!fem!reader

warnings: nsfw + not intended for minors + a little short + mentions of panic

a/n: this was supposed to be with the ask as a blurb BUT tumblr found the picture offensive with the ask so it’s in imagine form but really it’s a blurb! this blurb has been lightly proof read

《 the following content is not intended for minors. 》

“we really shouldn’t be doing this.” were the famous words of any secret relationship or situationship. it was the words you and Jeremy were constantly saying over and over, yet you both found yourselves underneath each other every occurring week. you were both were addicted to each other.

“well I couldn’t resist myself, you look good in that dress.” he pulled you into his lap. his hands finding their way under your dress, and his fingers just grazed the cotton material that was damp. you, yourself, couldn’t wait to get behind a closed door with him. when you saw him in that suit walk into your brothers apartment, you just knew you needed him alone.

his fingers moved from the fabric to inside of you, and a moan— that may have been too loud for trying to keep privacy—slipped out of your mouth. Jeremy shoved his tie in your mouth for you to clamp on. he couldn’t have you blow this.

chuckling to himself, he removed his fingers from inside of you. you watched him lick his fingers, joyfully, “you gotta be quiet if you don’t want your brother to know, baby girl.”

your legs were straddling his thick thigh. the moment he sat down next to you on the couch you mentally moaned and physically squirmed next to him. the dress pants were awfully tight on him, and he picked them for a reason. to toy with you.

shifting underneath you now, you felt him push his thigh up and down reminding you why you were in the family bathroom in the first place. “you gonna ride me, baby girl?” he whispered in your ear sending chills down your spine.

“like no tomorrow.” you felt his hands gripping your hips guiding you up and down the fabric carefully. you could feel the relief in your body finally having this moment. he was absolutely astounded by just how much joy and pleasure this was bringing you.

but on the other side of the door, there was your panicked brother searching for you. the last he saw you was at the bar ordering a drink, and ever since twenty minutes ago he hadn’t seen you since. he was asking everyone he knew, or just anyone in general, but nobody knew where you were.

“calm down, she’s gotta still be in the building. I’m sure she’s just doing her makeup.” Jake tried to calm him down because usually at events you stuck by Charlie’s side, and Jake knew this. but seeing your phone was still at the table, he had lost all hope you were still here.

“she doesn’t have her phone, man. I’m worried.”

one of the girlfriends had reported no one was in the ladies room, but one of the family bathroom doors was locked. his only hope was for you to still be in there, or else he was the worst brother ever and somehow let you slip out the building.

making his way to the family bathroom door he could smell your perfume. if it’s one thing Charlie ever knew, it was that he loathed the scent of warm vanilla. and that just so happened to be your scent, but this time he was glad to inhale it.

the loud knock of someone’s knuckles against the steel door was enough to jolt you off of Jeremy and immediately run to the mirror to fix yourself. the voice coming from the other side of the door was no one other than your brother. of course. you knew with how long you’d been gone, he had a search party looking for you.

“y/n, are you in there?” you heard his voice ring through the bathroom, you heard Jeremy whisper a few swear words trying to find somewhere to hide, but there was nowhere. you could not have your brother see you with him. not in the panicked state he was already in.

“yeah, hold on!” you peaked behind you to see Jeremy gesturing for you to go first and he’d somehow make his way out of the bathroom after you. you just had to make sure the door didn’t open wide enough to reveal you weren’t in there alone.

letting out a final sigh having brought yourself back to a decent state, you opened the door in the slightest, revealing your face to Charlie, and then squeezing your way out.

“it’s been twenty minutes, are you okay?”

smiling to yourself, you nodded, taking a glance back at the door to see Jeremy had just slipped out, he sent you a wink as you watched him adjust his tie, “oh I’ve never been better.”

[happilysmythe]

❥ 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧

trent frederic.

word count: 4.2k

warning: explicit content

"kiss it, kiss it better, baby" — rihanna

A/N: okay, so i saw this happen against TB and immediately opened my notes app. he's actually criminally attractive. anyway hope you all enjoy the long-awaited fic 💞

- - -

Complicated was one of a handful of words that could accurately describe your relationship with Trent. You were friends; good friends, at that. You had been for a long time.

But some would argue that most friends didn’t do the things that you did on most nights.

You always knew he was good-looking—it wasn’t to anybody’s surprise. It sure as hell wasn’t unknown to the girls who offered themselves up to him on any platform they could get their hands on. And it especially wasn’t by the ones who’d do it to his face. Thing is, he often turned them down.

He didn’t need to oblige them if he was getting it from you every other night.

It started late in the 2022-23 hockey season. You were shocked by just how incredible the Bruins’ season was going, and by association, Trent’s. He was even up for NESN’s 7th Player Award.

He’d gained…confidence. And a lot of it. Of course, Trent kept a good head on his shoulders—he was never in over his head, but he carried that high with him when he played, and it showed. That was around the time you began to see your friend through a different lens than you normally had.

And it was through that same new lens that you saw him the first time he took you to bed.

It was often that you’d go for small periods of time without seeing each other since the team would travel for their road games. But this time it had been weeks since you’d seen him; you lived in Boston, but you went on a trip with your family, and the team left for a road trip when you got back. It was the longest you’d been apart since the beginning of the season, paired with the newfound attraction to him.

He showed up at your door when they finally arrived home, much to your surprise. One thing led to another, and you eventually found yourself laid flat on your bed with the weight of his body on top of you.

But he traveled a ton, visited home often, and you had your own life, so things remained strictly physical. And when you weren’t tangled up with him, you were friends.

Was it stupid? Probably. No, it was—you knew that much. Maybe because it was just meaningless sex. Maybe because you could only see each other when he was in Boston. Or maybe because the one thing that wasn’t supposed to happen, happened.

Maybe you’d begun to feel for each other.

Trent loved to fight. It was an integral part of his game, and it even used to be one of the only things he did do. You couldn’t lie, either—it was hot when he did it, and the nights after were typically…well spent.

So when Trent got into a tussle with Tampa Bay’s Tanner Jeannot, you found your attention to be especially focused on him and the blood trickling down his face as he skated off the ice. 

Two nights later, you heard the noise that you’d been not-so-patiently waiting for; the one that you rejected sleep for, and the one you assumed you’d be hearing at some point during the night. The knock on your door.

At nearly two in the morning, you heard it, and your feet quickly carried you to the door, knowing exactly what was waiting behind it:

Trent, arms folded, sporting a vicious black eye with a particularly large grin on his lips.

You put on a brave face and straightened out your shoulders, hoping to achieve some sort of collectiveness. A brief period of silence prevailed until you finally broke it.

“Hey,” you spoke in your best attempt to sound nonchalant.

“Hey,” he repeated your tone, taking a step closer to you as you took one back, silently allowing him to pass through the doorway and into your apartment. 

“I missed you, y’know,” your voice rang softly in his ears as your head tilted back to look up at him.

His ringed finger traced the shape of your jawline and found its place just under your chin. “That so?” he rasped, a teasing hint in his tone.

“Mhm,” the matter-of-fact response softly left your stretched lips as your arms wrapped around him. “How’s your eye?”

“Eh,” he shrugged, “not that bad. I’ve had worse.”

“I was watching. It looked pretty bad at first, no?”

“It was. I couldn’t see.” His eyes narrowed as he leaned down to you, tongue slipping out to lick his lips. “Why do you ask? You worried about me?”

Instead of a verbal reply, your hand slid up to his face, thumb gently grazing the bruised skin of his eye as you quietly examined it. Then, you leaned up, gently pressing your lips to the corner of his eye, just where the bruising originated atop the initial cut. His hold on you tightened just slightly as he flinched at the contact. You trailed more feather-light kisses down his cheek, moving in a path toward his nose and the second wound.

“A little,” you finally whispered as your lips reached the reddened skin near the cut, then moved downward at a torturously slow pace, eventually hovering just in front of his parted ones. “But I was more focused on how you looked rather than how it looked.”

“And how was that?” he inquired, his warm breath fanning your lips.

The soft “hot” barely was able to leave your mouth before he pressed his lips firmly to yours, effectively cutting you off. Large hands pressed into your sides as the one previously under your chin slid down and aligned with the other at your hips. He pulled you into him, the gesture with a bit of force driven by the want that built up in the time that passed since he’d seen you last.

He walked you backward, slowly urging you toward the nearest surface that he could press you against. The leg of the couch hit the back of your knee and brought you to a halt just as he pulled back for a breath.

“You want it here or—”

“Bed.”

In a matter of seconds, your body was hoisted up, legs wrapped around his waist as he walked you down the short hallway and into your room. The slam of the door echoed throughout the space when his foot kicked it shut. It wasn’t long before you laid flat on the bed with the weight of Trent’s body atop yours.

The whole arrangement was stupid—hooking up with the same person, however many times, just for the satisfaction of it. You knew you should’ve ended it weeks ago—hell, months ago—but you didn’t. Because he felt too good, and you just couldn’t find the strength to deny him.

The warmth of his hands imprinted itself on your hips, your waist, the frail skin below your t-shirt that had begun to ride up your midsection. Your own fingers tangled into his hair, grasping the loose reddish-brown curls with a sense of fervent urgency as his lips trailed from your jaw down to your neck.

“Shit,” you sighed, pushing his head further into your neck, pulling him impossibly closer to your skin. 

“Like that, mm?”

“God, don’t start now,” you spoke with a roll of your eyes, breaths labored as they passed through your parted lips.

“Too late.”

A roll of your eyes was your only response, and his fingers left a faint squeeze on your waist as he lifted his head, face hovering above yours. “What, you just gonna take that from a dumb hockey player?”

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself.”

“And why shouldn’t I?”

“Because,” you breathed, “you haven’t seen everything yet.”

When he asked what you meant, he was first met with a silent grin; one that told him he was going to have to find out for himself, but not before you gave him a hint, just a nudge in the right direction. So you removed a hand from his head and wrapped the fingers around his wrist, slowly pushing his own hand up until it came into contact with the soft material that hugged your upper body, still covered by the fabric of your shirt.

Only a moment passed before he was peeling it from your body, quickly having realized exactly what that  “everything” was from earlier.

Now, your upper half was exposed, the cool air streaming in from your cracked-open window and hitting your skin in just the right places. And on display for Trent’s eyes to see was the black, lacey material—a sight he’d never seen on you before, and one that he just knew he could get used to.

“Well,” his head dipped down, lips beginning to kiss along your stomach and slowly working their way up, “would you look at that?”

“Mm,” was all that you were able to manage as he reached the fabric on your chest.

“Not every day that I get to see you like this,” he noted softly.

“I know.” A faint groan left your parted lips when you exhaled, letting go of the breath you held in as he worked his way up to your collarbones. 

Your hands found the hem of his shirt and swiftly tore it from his body, letting it fall to the ground as your fingers explored his back. The tag that hung from the now-visible chain around his neck hit the warm skin between your collarbones, the familiar cold surface telling you what it was without you having to bat an eye. 

“Still haven’t…haven’t seen everything yet.”

“I’m working on it,” he cooed, lips teasing the skin of your neck as he worked your sweatpants down your legs, just far enough for you to kick them off.

Finally, the purchase you made earlier that day was on full display for him, hugging each curve in the perfect place. He pushed himself up, both hands planted on the bed with one on each side of you. You watched as his eyes trailed from your face down to your chest, stopping at your waist before bringing them back into focus at your eyes. The breath he let out before speaking could have easily been mistaken for a moan.

“You’re incredible.”

You grinned as his hand slipped between your legs, fingers dancing along the dampened lace slowly. “God, already?” he teased, dragging his fingers across the fabric, causing your breath to hitch just slightly.

“Please,” you laughed. “Don’t act so surprised.”

“Oh, don’t worry—I’m not.”

It never took much for you to be ready for him; he always had this way about him that never failed to turn you on, and he knew it.

And tonight, he and you both knew that there wasn’t room for stalling.

So you pulled him back down to you, tongue tangling with his. His hand rose up to take yours, lacing your fingers tightly with his, then brought the two to his face where he kissed the back of yours.

“Symbolistic tonight, aren’t we?” you remarked with a faint laugh.

“Something like that,” he winked as he reached down and unbuckled his belt, tossing it to the floor along with the other discarded articles of clothing.

“Tell me something,” he spoke promptly, fingers unzipping his pants.

“Hm?”

“If I wanted you to do something, would you do it?”

“Such as?” you inquired.

“Such as…” he repeated with a stretch of his lips as he lifted himself up and moved onto his back beside you. “Come here.”

At his words, you inched closer to him, his eyes boring into yours as you looked up. “Yeah?”

“I want you to get on top.”

Your eyes shot open.

He made himself clear, and you knew exactly what you heard. You probably should have predicted it from the way he laid on his back so fast, but you didn’t think anything of it. It wasn’t exactly something that would’ve crossed your mind; it couldn’t have when you’d never done it before. All of the times you’d been with him—in all of the places—it was something you hadn’t done. And he knew that.

“Trent, I’ve never—”

“I know,” he cut you off, a finger placed just under your chin. “It’s okay. I’ll help you.”

“I…” you swallowed, brows knit together as he looked down at you, “…okay.”

He pressed a kiss to your lips. Despite the situation, he was being gentle. “Just let me help you, ‘mkay? And if it gets too much, we’ll stop.”

You nodded, and that was when he brought his hands to your lips and carefully lifted you over him, setting you down atop his lower stomach before he situated himself below his waist. Then, he instructed you to lift yourself up slightly, allowing his fingers to slip between your legs and move the fabric to the side so he could line himself up.

Finally, you felt the pressure of him pressing at your entrance just slightly, and you knew he was ready.

“Hold on to me.”

At his word, you put a hand on each shoulder firmly and looked at him, giving him the cue to continue. His hands on your hips slowly and carefully lowered you down, allowing you to sink into his lap comfortably. Various soft whimpers were pried from your throat as you took him, the all-new feeling setting in.

You hadn’t noticed that your eyes had screwed shut at some point through it, but of course, he did.

“Hey,” he spoke gently, not to startle you.

You slowly opened your eyes and looked down into his, brows still knit and unwilling to falter as you awaited his next word. You didn’t say a word, knowing that you’d be letting nothing slip from your lips but heavy breaths as you adjusted to him.

“Look at how pretty you are…”

A curt tilt of your head was your first move. “Don’t,” you tried to speak, cut off by your own breaths, “don’t lie.”

“You think I’m lying?” he scoffed, chuckling as he brought his ringed finger under your chin once more. “Just look at you.”

A hand ran along the lace around your waist, then slowly moved up to your chest, tracing the band. “See?” he leaned up and pressed a kiss to your lips. “See how pretty you are?”

All you could manage was a nod as his hands settled at your waist once more and moved his hips, lowering you just slightly further, carefully gauging how much you could take to start.

“You feel that?”

“Mhm.”

He slid you up a bit, allowing you to feel the movement; to adjust to it before he started for real. He gave you a moment to tighten your grip, and when he finally felt your muscles relax just slightly, he let you sink down fully. You let out a whimper as your fingers dug into his shoulders.

The feeling of him inside you should’ve been all too familiar by now, and it would’ve been had it been under the typical circumstances. But this time was different. For just a sliver of time—a split second—it felt like you were back to the first night you spent with him, your senses heightened as they hyper-focused on how perfectly he filled you.

Every last inch of him could be felt from this position. It felt incredible, and you couldn’t gather enough strength to voice it.

“You okay?”

“Yes,” you nodded, “I’m…okay.”

“Good,” he softly replied, leaning up to kiss you again. “This is the hard part, ‘mkay?”

“Okay.”

With that, he used his hands to begin moving you. It was slow at first—he knew you would struggle then, and he wanted you to be able to handle it before he continued. So he moved his hips along with you, keeping a pace that he was sure you were okay with.

“Fuck,” your voice finally sounded, and he couldn’t help but grin softly. Before he knew it, you were moving along with him, matching his pace and breathing deeply.

“That’s it,” he encouraged quietly.

And when he knew you were alright, his hips sped up, just enough to satisfy his own needs without making you uncomfortable. His position was now altered, as were the places he reached, prolonging your pleasure and providing another feeling for you to get used to—him buried to the hilt as he thrust his hips up, meeting with yours each time as you slowly gained comfort.

You buried your face into his neck, the skin doing an average job at concealing your moans. He breathed out deeply as your hand trailed from his shoulder down to his chest, cold metal of his chain pressing into your palm. Your mind was unable to fixate itself on anything other than him, how good he felt, and how you hadn’t already done it before.

It never took much to remind you of why you kept agreeing to this.

“Look at me,” he finally spoke, prompting you to lift your head, eyes meeting with his as you gripped his chest.

“When you’re close, say something to me.”

At his bluntness, your stomach dropped. It was a demand, no doubt, but despite the situation, his demeanor was gentle. His intentions were clear; he wanted to know, to prepare you. To help you when the time came, because—like anything—it wouldn’t be easy.

A breathy “okay” was all that you managed to let out, accompanied by a sharp nod.

His gaze trailed down, stopping at your chest and finally taking in the sight before him. He’d never seen you in something so weakening. As much as one part of him wanted to tear the black lace straight from your body, the other couldn’t imagine letting it leave his sight. And although he was in control, guiding you through each and every movement, he was completely captivated by you.

By now, you’d begun to take a sliver of initiative, allowing yourself to set a pace that you could comfortably keep up with. Trent’s hands remained on your hips, loosening their grip just slightly to give you not just the freedom you needed, but the support that he knew you couldn’t go without. 

Finally, a familiar feeling grew in your stomach as your hand moved back up to his shoulder with a growing suspicion of needing the extra support. You wanted to listen to him; to tell him something like he said to do before. So you did.

“Hands,” was all you could manage, your strained voice pulling him and his focus away from your chest.

“Hm?”

“Don’t,” you sighed, “move them.”

“They’re not going anywhere,” he reassured you, repositioning them just above your waist, grip remaining firm as he pulled you into him, allowing you to sink more comfortably into his lap. 

The warmth that his large hands gave to your skin paired with the cool touch of his ring brought a sense of familiarity to you, allowing your body to relax into his as you rode through the mild, yet growing discomfort.

“Right there,” you mumbled, gripping him tighter as the pit in your stomach grew, urging you further toward your breaking point. He allowed you to get yourself there, to go at your own pace, helping you to keep yourself as comfortable as possible, given the situation.

And before you knew it, your eyes were screwed shut as you reached the high you’d been chasing. He felt you tighten around him, the pressure causing his head to fall back as he sucked air through his teeth. But through it, he helped you, worked you through your release as he finally brought himself to his. You were grateful for his support, especially in this moment. 

Moans spilled from your lips, each one more uncontrollably loud than the last. He always felt good, but god, it had never been this good. 

And when he slid a hand from your hip to your stomach, you were easily able to guess what he was doing; what he was feeling for. That was all it took for him to be pulled over with you, thoroughly coating your walls with his own warm release and undoubtedly increasing your pleasure.

You continued to move your hips as much as you could manage, and your efforts drew a low groan from him. Your legs were weak, trembling from the unfamiliar feeling of being spread open for such an extensive period, along with his dick hitting just about every last sweet spot possible.

“Trent,” you whimpered, and he removed his hand from your stomach to place it behind your head, easing you down to his chest as he stilled.

Labored breaths filled the space as you lay just under his shoulder, your palm having made its way back to his chest, chain resting below it once more. His arm was wrapped around your waist, hand now in the small of your back, rubbing back and forth gently.

“You did great,” he whispered.

You nodded slowly, eyes closed as your breathing began to steady. The hand that rubbed your back was the subject of your focus, helping to calm you and your body as it melted into the warmth of his. 

“Hey,” he spoke softly, tapping the back of your head with a finger. Warm brown eyes greeted yours when you looked up, a faint smile taking shape on his face as his palm flattened against the back of your head.

“I’m proud of you.”

Your head tilted to the side as a smile crept up on your face to match his. “You are?”

“Mhm,” he confirmed, pulling you closer. “You did so good.”

He leaned over to kiss your cheek, lingering for just a moment before resting his head back once more. Beads of sweat coated him—his forehead, his neck, his chest—and you could feel it under your palms. But you didn’t pay it any mind. You just kept your body comfortably still against his.

“Thanks,” you chuckled quietly.

“Mhm.”

“You know, I, uh,” you started, then took in a breath while you gathered the words that slipped you. Your head tilted downward, eyes honing in on his chest as you continued, just slightly too embarrassed to look up. “I’m glad it was you.”

“Yeah?” he asked softly.

“Yeah,” you nodded back. “You’re just about the only guy I’d trust not to…to hurt me. Or use it to his own benefit instead.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, “It sounds so fucking stupid saying it out loud, but people just…suck.”

“Hey,” he brought his finger under to your chin once again, nudging it upward until your gaze realigned with his.

“I’d never do that.”

“I know,” you whispered, brows knitting together as you nodded. “I trust you.”

“Good,” he nodded, then leaned up to kiss you softly, pulling you in with his finger.

When he pulled away, his lips remained centimeters away from yours, warm breath grazing your face lightly as you parted yours to speak gently.

“Stay with me.”

He didn’t have to think about it—he already knew what he’d say. But he wanted to be sure that you were sure first. Through all of the nights you had together, he’d never stayed the night, and neither had you.

His freckled cheeks stretched as a smile shaped his face, his teeth now on display. “You sure?”

When you nodded in response, you barely gave him time to finish the phrase, swallowing thickly as you awaited his answer.

“Then I’m not going anywhere.”

When you leaned back over to hug him, it caused him to shift in you, eliciting a whimper from your lips. He took notice quickly, moving his hands back to your hips and stabilizing you.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I just,” you breathed shakily, “just need to move.”

“Come on, I’ll help you.”

He gripped you tightly as you slowly lifted yourself up, a long, weak breath escaping your parted lips as your eyes began to close. His voice helped calm you down as he spoke to you softly. “It’s okay,” he reassured you for what seemed like the tenth time, “I’ve got you.”

Finally, you laid down comfortably next to him. Your arm rested atop his midsection, hand resting in the same place on his chest as he wrapped his own arm around your waist. He pulled you into him, into the warmth of his large body, coaxing your head to his chest once more.

“Trent,” you spoke finally, your eyes growing in size as you tilted your head up. “You didn’t put a—”

“I know,” he softly told you, his soft eyes meeting yours. “You’re consistent, and I’m not hooking up with anyone else.”

“Okay.”

At first, your mind seemed to slip past the last part. It quickly circled back around, however, a confused expression now lined your face. “You’re not?”

“No,” he shook his head.

“Why?”

“You’re enough.”

Your expression fell instantly, shock plaguing your thoughts as you lifted your head and tried to blink yourself out of the state you were now in. “But we’re not—”

“I know.”

You knew you wouldn’t get more out of him, and both you and him could tell that the other was tired. So you put your head back down and set it aside for the morning. “Okay.”

Trent pulled the sheets up and laid them across your shoulder, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of your head.

“Get some sleep, ‘mkay?”

“Okay,” you whispered back with a nod.

“…Night, Trent.”

The two of you were asleep just moments later, wrapped up in each other’s warmth. Now, something was different, and you both knew it. It was intimate; more intimate than it had ever been for you two.

For the first time, you would spend the whole night with him. And it surely wouldn’t be the last.

So maybe this whole thing was stupid, after all. But this time, you came out the other end knowing why.

Because you did feel for each other.

[prettytoxicrevolver]

can you write any drabble from your prompts YOU want with swayman? 🤭

27. Cold Hands 

(His hands are HUGE okay gimme a break) 

You and Jeremy stroll down the narrow spaces of Bryant Park, peeking in and out of shops while people rush around the two of you. Your hands have frozen since your hot chocolate has run out and you’re doing everything to warm them up in the hopes that you don’t lose any fingers. 

Jeremy notices this, gazing down at your frozen state and smiles, his heart eyes growing bigger every time he looks at you. You’ve both stopped by the ice rink, just watching the skaters make their laps around, your eyes lingering over a younger girl at the center, trying her best to perform a figure skating move you would never attempt in a million years. 

Jeremy’s eyes keep sliding over to you, noticing the blue hue covering your hands and the need to take care of you wins over his nerves. He takes both your hands in his, cupping them and pulling them towards his chest to try and warm you up. Your heart pounds, you let yourself step closer to him and cautiously lean your head on his chest. 

Sway moves your hands from his chest to around his back and rests under his jacket while his arms move to wrap around your neck in the warmest hug you’ve ever received. 

“Feel better?” 

“Tons,” you whisper against his chest, snuggling closer and smiling widely.

[snorky]

As My Broken Heart Falls To My Feet, You Picked Up The Pieces Having Never Hurt Me Anyway

Hey y’all! I hope you all are having a wonderful and blessed holiday season, and if not, I offer some comfort. Mason Lohrei comfort, sweet like hot cocoa, for the bitter winter air. I haven’t been all in the best spirits recently, but I offer you angels with something special. For those who have studied long and hard for school, or those who seek warmth, here is a story I hope you all enjoy. Take care of yourself!

Pairing: Mason Lohrei x F!Reader

Word Count: 4.3k

Warnings: Toxic Relationship (not with Mason), Angst, Stressed Reader, Infidelity/being cheated on (not by Mason), Drinking/Alcohol consumption (of legal age) (let me know if I need to add anything)

—

—

As the finals and midterms approached, the sense of being a false being, an impostor, filled her to the brim. She wanted to have knowledge, the desire to learn and know more, but there was only so much she could cram in before the next week.

A message buzzed on her phone, once or twice, bringing her back to the suffocating dorm room where she sat at her desk, notes and textbooks and pens sprawled everywhere.

When she looked, on the screen was a message from her significant other, who she felt was too overbearing, poisonous.

Nausea flooded her senses, the world seemingly swaying around her, spinning. Her stomach churned, heart sank, but then it all came to a halt. Taking a breath in, her fingers carefully sent out a response, praying to some higher power that it wouldn’t aggravate him further.

He saw her message no later than a few seconds, and sent a reply back just as quick.

After she responded, she set her phone down, forcing herself to refocus on the information of notes and diagrams in front of her, ignoring the outside world.

But again, her phone buzzed, almost angrily, forcing her attention back towards her phone. She didn’t have to look twice to know who it was, her heart kept its guard up well.

Her head swirled in loss, unable to come up with an answer that would satisfy the both of them. There was no solid answer, someone had to be disappointed.

Every time she went to his place, she left feeling just as empty as she came. All take, no give, and she felt like she no longer had anything to give. Her purpose seemed like a lost cause, drifting around on the Earth, seeking for something to fulfill her meaning.

His words cut through her like a shard of glass, broken from a cup. Common, all too familiar, and yet it hurts every time.

She set her phone down and gathered her notes into her bag, seeking a quick escape to the campus library, alone. No phone, no distraction. It was her safe space, and she'd be damned if it was occupied by someone that made her feel like she had to walk on eggshells.

The walk to the library was short, brisk, the cold evening air more apparent with each passing day. It was crowded, common for this time of year when each student suddenly discovered what a library was.

Luck was on her side as she found a seat near the back, empty and unoccupied. Quickly, she made her way through the mass of people crowding around the large tables, and took a seat at the smaller table.

As she reorganized her notes and books, she started to feel more at ease, at calm. All the information seemed to flow smoothly, easily in her mind, all the equations and diagrams making more sense than ever.

“Oh hey! It’s you!”

She looked up, searching for the voice, and her eyes were met with a familiar face from her analytics class. He was always cheery and energetic, a smile on his face paired with his rosy cheeks seemingly every day, a breath of fresh air from her hectic life.

“Oh, hi Mason.” A soft smile appeared on her face. “What’s up?”

His hands were stuck into the pockets of his jacket, emblem of the school’s hockey team embroidered proudly on the upper left of his jacket. “I’m bored, but I also need your help studying for the exams.”

Observing his face, she knew he was an honest man, no lie weaved in his words. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, I know you’re smart,” he stated with a smile.

She let out a gentle laugh at his words, warning herself not to take it to heart since she was, well, afraid of not meeting his expectations.

“I try, but that’s how it is sometimes,” she sighed. “Come sit, you’re welcome to if you want.” Her hand gestured towards the chair across from her, in which Mason set his bag down beside him as he sat in the chair.

He thanked her as he started to unpack his own notes, careful to not overtake the table. As he started to work on revising and studying his notes, he became stuck, evident in the confusion on his face and his furrowed brows.

She took note of this and tried to help him. “What’s wrong?”

Shaking his head slightly, he set the paper down between the both of them so that she could see the problem.

“How does this like, work?” He pointed towards a question written at the top of the page.

Looking at the paper, she saw a graph with several data points all clustered together in a pattern, as well as an equation written beside it, most likely representing how the data should be represented.

“So the equation represents how the data should show up over a given set of time, and you should first pick two points from the cluster to figure out the predicted trajectory of the data,”

He nodded his head, slowly starting to understand where he should go from there. She watched him as he scrawled down some numbers, using the equation to compare his results.

“Oh, just be careful, the data can switch up if you consider any external factors that might affect the data collected,” she added.

  A smile formed on his face once he got the hang of it, the numbers and words making sense. “Thank you, a lot actually,” he chuckled. “I’ve been stuck on this for a day or two.”

Smiling at him, pride swelling in her heart, she spoke. “My pleasure, Mason. You’re always welcome to reach out to me ya’know? You have my email,”

“Mhm, sorry.” He let out a small laugh as he rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “I just don’t use email often, I’d prefer to text you if that’s okay,”

She nodded in understanding and scrawled down her number on a post-it note, adding a small smiley face in the corner before she handed it to him.

He took the note and smiled at the little drawing, before putting the slip of paper in his pocket. “Thank you,”

Giving him a small smile, she returned her focus back to her own work, calculus problems to prepare herself for the upcoming exams.

They both worked in silence separately, and yet in each other’s presence. It was comforting, the sense of companionship.

Warm, inviting, it was all amazing, and all felt good. 

Time flowed by like honey, slow and sweet, and it became late at the time it should’ve, and yet she didn’t want to go. The library was almost empty, few students still remaining.

He looked up at her, not wanting to leave either despite the late time. “Do you mind if we study together again?” His eyes were filled with a look of pure sweetness, a smile just as delicate. “I learned a lot from you, and I think that I’d learn more the next time,”

She smiled back, just as sweetly and twice more. “Of course, my pleasure, Mason.”

“Tomorrow?” A twinge of hope was interwoven in his voice.

“Tomorrow.” She nodded.

The look on his face could only be described as pure in her eyes, the look you’d see on a child holding their favorite stuffed animal, knowing that they’d carry it long into their adult years, never forgotten.

As they packed their bags and parted ways, they looked back at one another, still smiling.

She walked back towards her dorm, the night now dark, and only illuminated by the street lamps. The winter chill crept up on her, only making her move faster towards her destination.

When she opened the door to her dorm, her roommate, her best friend, stood in front of her, a rather concerned look etched on her face.

“Where have you been? Your boyfriend seems pretty angry and has been blowing up your phone,” she said nervously, an awkward grin on her face.

Her stomach sunk, a pit that her heart seemed to fall into. “Shucks, I guess I forgot my phone.” A lie, but it was necessary.

“Good luck, I’m here if you need anything.” Her friend saluted her, in which she saluted back as she grabbed her phone off of her desk.

Text after text was displayed on her phone, each message getting more furious after the previous one. 

Carefully, she responded, with as much love and care and forgiveness as a saint would, despite her soul being marred and tainted with fear and doubt.

A few seconds after she sent the text, he called her. Her stomach sunk once more, her skin growing cold and clammy. The phone buzzed in her hand, sounding like a swarm of hornets hurling at her.

As she picked up the call, she anticipated his shouts, filled with wrath and anger, lashing out at her.

And so there was, his rough, gritted voice echoing through the phone, yelling some sort of rhetorical question about her whereabouts, hypocritical when she asked about his evening.

Shortly after, he hung up on her, allowing the silence to sound the other line. Her friend walked back into the dorm room, arms open in sympathy, which she took in the offer for.

“Listen, I’m not telling you what to do, but I think it’s best you drop him,”

She looked up at her friend, not in anger, but in saddened understanding. It was too evident that she was constantly being hurt, being deteriorated by his behavior.

“Just not right now, one day,”

Her friend nodded in understanding and walked back to her bunk while she stood there, thinking. It was a major step, maybe in the right direction, maybe in the wrong, but her foot wasn’t yet planted in the ground.

Nights passed, and it became the day, or rather night before her first exam. Empty disposable cups that were previously filled to the brim with tea were littered all over her desk, her notes scattered around, pens and pencils and highlighters sprawled out.

Her friends were in the library studying together since they had the same classes, as well as a final presentation and paper due, and so it was just her in the shared dorm, alone with the silence.

She had confidence in herself, that she’d do well, maybe even surpass her expectations, but there was some sort of lingering doubt. 

Perhaps that doubt was reinforced by the fact that her significant other barely reached out to her at a time when she needed reassurance. Or maybe how he barely checked in on her, despite her checking in on him.

Tears sat on the edge of her eyes, her vision blurring slightly as she wiped them away, attempting to turn her focus to her work. 

She wanted, desired, a future where she was at peace. Where she could come home smiling, where she would live without fear of disappointing or angering. What she wanted was to get herself back.

As she began to refocus herself on her work, fueled by some fury to be better, the stress seemed to watch her from afar, but not far enough. It was a false ideology to believe that she was okay at the moment, but nothing felt better than masking it for a little while.

Knocking came from her door, which was odd when she considered that her friends told her that they would be back by nine, not seven. She also considered the fact that her friends would most likely have their keys on them.

Getting up from her chair, she walked to the door, confused.

“Hello?”

“Hi.” A familiar voice responded. “It’s me, Mason, from your analytics class.”

She opened the door, revealing him standing there, a beautiful bouquet of flowers in one hand, and a bag of fancy chocolates in the other. His smile seemed extra sweet, sweeter than it normally was, and his face was flushed with a soft pink tint.

“These are for you,” he said, his voice tender and soft.

Her hand came up to her mouth slightly, attempting to cover up the fact that she was beyond awe at what he had brought to her.

“Mason, what—”

Mason quickly became more flustered, embarrassed by the fact that her reaction was a little different from what he’d expected. “I’m sorry if you don’t like them—”

“No no,” she interjected, walking closer towards him, her fingers lightly grazing the petals of the flower. “They’re gorgeous, Mason.”

His smile came back again, beaming with delight as she took the bouquet from his arms. “Thank you,” he said bashfully. “And I got you some chocolates as well, you deserve some after working really hard on studying.”

Her eyes lit up as she noticed it was her favorite, and she looked up at him. “How’d you know?”

“On the first few days of the lectures, you gave everyone around you chocolate,” he chuckled sweetly, his laugh smooth like honey. “You then turned to your friend stating that these were your favorites.”

She blushed, acknowledging how he was attentive to the little things, as well as the gesture of it.

Looking down at the flowers in her arms, she smiled, but not yet understanding why he gave them to her. “And the flowers?”

“A little birdie told me you were not doing so well, and so I thought you might want something that’d maybe cheer you up,”

He smiled more at the sound of her slight laugh at his response, but he could tell that the look in her eyes seemed heartbroken.

“Thank you, Mason,” her voice broke a little. “It means a lot during around this time, ya’know, finals and stuff,”

His face expressed slight worry and concern at the sound of her voice, not sounding as happy as she seemed. “My pleasure, but may I ask you what’s wrong?”

She looked up at him, suddenly vulnerable and scared, but she trusted him. “Just a crappy personal life, that’s all,” she laughed bitterly.

Nodding his head, he hummed in understanding. “I’m here if you need anything, I can assure you that you saved my butt for that analytics class.” He let out a laugh, in which she laughed as well. “Pretty sure I would fail my exam tomorrow if you hadn’t helped me,”

At this point, she finally snapped, the storm of tears flowing down her face rapidly as she sobbed. 

No one had ever thanked her so purely just for helping them. No one had been so kind and sweet to her besides her friends and roommates. Not even her significant other had cared for her this much in a time where she needed it.

“What’s wrong, are you alright?” He quickly took a step closer to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as she cried into his chest.

“M’sorry Mason but—” She hiccuped, “I just really appreciate you caring for me like this.”

His hand gently stroked her upper back in a soothing motion as he hushed her, hoping that she’d be comfortable around him.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he whispered. “I’m really proud of you, alright?”

The kind words fell from his lips so sweetly that she cried even harder, knowing that even her significant other hadn’t said anything reassuring in nature to her.

“Mason, I’m sorry but, not even my boyfriend did anything like this for me.” She continued to cry in his embrace, grateful that no one was watching as he walked them both further into the room, closing the door behind him.

His stomach dropped, not for the fact that she had a boyfriend, but for the fact that her boyfriend, someone who was supposed to be kind and caring towards her, couldn’t even do the bare minimum.

“It’s not your fault. You deserve everything, alright?”

She nodded her head, still wrapped in his arms, and her breaths slowly began to become more steady as time passed.

Her friends came back not too much later, smiling and giggling to each other as they saw her wrapped in Mason’s arms when they walked into the room, the both of them asleep in an awkward position, sitting on the floor. 

When she woke up the next morning to her alarm going off, she was in her bed, tucked in warmly with little to no memory of how she ended up there. Looking over on the bedside table, she saw the familiar bouquet of flowers with the chocolate from Mason last night, but also a sticky note.

Reading the note, she smiled to herself from the thoughtful message that Mason wrote before he left, with a little smiley face in the corner.

He was always so sweet and attentive to small details, making him all the more perfect. But she knew it would be wrong to think of him as anything more than a friend. Just because her significant other couldn’t take care of her doesn’t mean that she could seek out some sort of comfort. Or at least, that’s what went through in her mind.

But the final and midterm exams came and went, and her stress seemed to slowly let go of the grasp it had on her.

She laughed more, smiled more, and got herself back, with one less thing stressing her out. Her friends invited her out for some drinks and food to celebrate, specifically at a bar-and-grill nearby campus.

“Jeez, it’s cold tonight,” her friend shivered, her hands wrapped around herself.

“Dunno why you didn’t want to bring a jacket then,” another friend said, looking over at her. “The right jacket won’t ruin a cute outfit.”

They approached the bar, the sound of nostalgic Christmas music seemed to flow from the open doors, laughter and the clinking of glass from toasts and celebrations interweaved within.

When they all settled down at a table, neatly tucked into one of the dimmer corners of the place, they placed their orders, in which they all settled on some appetizers. The drinks they ordered came by shortly, multiple glasses of varying shapes and sizes, colors and flavors since they decided to treat themselves.

“Cheers!” Her friend said, holding up her raspberry daiquiri in the air. “Cheers to a new semester of learning!”

They all clinked their drinks together, smiles plastered on their faces in pure happiness. Jokes and banter were shared, their laughter filling the air like fluff, and conversations that seemed so natural.

As they were all enjoying the night, her phone buzzed, and the unsettling feeling crept up on her again.

Looking at the text that appeared on the screen of her phone, she couldn’t tell whether or not she should cry, or laugh. Her significant other was no longer significant it seemed, having admitted to being unfaithful, having admitted to being what she thought he wasn’t.

She laughed, drawing the focus and attention to her at the table as she held her face with one hand, holding her phone with the other. The mix of alcohol in her system didn’t seem to make it all clearer.

“What happened? What’s so funny?”

“He did it,” she paused. “He actually did it.”

All of her friends looked at her in confusion, unaware of the turmoil that boiled within her. She slid her phone to her friends, showing them the messages that he sent to her, the confession of his infidelity. Their faces all turned to shock, jaw-dropped and mouths agape.

One of her friends set their hand on her shoulder gently, “Oh my gosh, are you alright?”

She smiled back at them, almost wrongly for the situation at hand. “I am now, he’s no longer mine.”

As she sent her final text to him, a formal message of separation, she put her phone in her bag, and picked up her drink.

“Cheers to everlasting happiness!”

They all arose in celebrations, toasts, cheers, smiles and all the sorts, fireworks almost sparkling in the air. It was a new start, but especially for her. The world seemed more vibrant now, the fuzzy soft glow of the bar lights making everything all the more ethereal, and it reminded her of Mason.

She smiled as she thought of him, his soft lips that smiled so sweetly and only spoke kindly, his bright eyes when he was passionate, and his laugh that was so contagious.

“Jeez, is it the alcohol that is making you all flustered or is there something else?” Her friend laughed.

“I think she’s thinking about her prince charming,”

“Speak of the devil—”

When she looked up from her drink, her eyes met Mason looking right at her, a smile appearing on his face as he saw her. It seemed as if her prayers were answered by some higher power.

Her blushed face became more blushed, hot on her skin, and her world seemed to become a fuzzy blurry madness. His own face seemed to light up at the sight of her, cheeks beautifully rosy, even in the dim lighting.

She looked back at her friends, their smiles softly encouraging her, beaming with bright pride for her success, and then she wandered off towards the direction of him, his warmth lulling her in. 

As she approached him, he seemed all the more soft, no sharp edges or harsh words. He was an angel, more beautiful than ever now.

“Oh, hey you,” he said softly.

She couldn’t necessarily hear him, especially over the loud music, but she read his lips as if it were the first language she ever learned.

“Hi, Mason.” Her lips were upturned in a dopey smile,

He observed her with soft eyes, admiring her seemingly endlessly, her beauty holding him in a trance.

“Are you okay?” he asked with genuineness. “You don’t normally like to drink and go out like this,”

A soft, saddened look seemed to take over her face, her heart searching for why he was so concerned. 

“Sorry, I don’t mean it in a rude way, it’s just that you—” His pause made him feel confused at his own words as well, not knowing why he was so worried about her. “I want you to be safe, and I know you’re with your friends, but I just want to be sure,”

She smiled at his sweetness, a familiar pattern now that he seemed to always be the one making her smile. “It’s okay, I’m safe,” she assured him. “I’m single now, he doesn’t have me anymore.” 

He stood there, frozen in shock at her suddenness, unexpecting the reason behind her energy being more outward and extroverted.

“Oh—” He paused, not knowing what to say. “Are you alright?”

“Better than ever.” She gave him another soft smile as she tried to move back to her friends, waiting at the table for her, but Mason’s hand gently grasped hers.

“Please stay with me, we can go get some food, another place more quiet, just me and you.” His eyes twinkled with a newfound magic, like little sparklers on New Year’s Eve.

She nodded as a response, her face more flushed than ever with the alcohol in her system, tipsy and woozy. “I’ll go tell my friends, I don’t wanna scare ‘em,”

As she went to tell her friends, he let his own friends know about his whereabouts before he followed behind her, making sure that she’s okay. She quickly pulled out a twenty dollar bill to cover her own drinks and foods’ expenses, setting it down on the table where her friends were.

“M’kay, let’s go,” she said, holding Mason’s hand as she led them both out of the stuffy, noisy bar. He nodded, following her without complaint, happy to see her energetic and lively.

The fresh air was cold and sharp against their skin, making her shiver slightly as it was colder than before when she arrived at the bar. Mason took quick note of this and shrugged off his jacket, placing it over her shoulders.

She looked up at him, a soft, gentle look in her eyes that made him melt into a blush. “Thank you,” she whispered, her breath visible in the air.

“My pleasure,”

They both continued walking down the street, fingers intertwined with each other’s hand, the snow falling down like petals from a flower, flurrying around the both of them like magic in the air. It crunched beneath their feet, the sound familiar to the winter for the both of them. 

The light from the lamp post shone delicately, fuzzily on their figures as they walked down the street, the sound of Christmas music flowing out of a nearby restaurant. 

She gave a gentle tug on Mason’s hand, looking up at him with wonder in her eyes. It was a newfound magic, to see her so happy, so free from her stress it seemed.

“Dance with me,”

“You don’t have to ask me twice.”

He gently held her hand in his, the warmth between their palms being shared, and placed a hand on her back, pulling her closer to him, which in turn erupted a soft giggle from her.

They twirled around together, laughing, smiling more than ever. She’d never felt so free before, so unbound to any restriction in her life. His heart seemed to grow at the sight of her, free from the weight on her shoulders, and how she seemed to be more heavenly.

“You’re so beautiful,” he sighed.

Her cheeks became more red, a lovely concoction of being enamored, slightly tipsy, as well as the cold air. “You are too, Mason.” She paused for a brief moment, admiring his features, his gorgeous eyes, lips, all that he had. “You’re so lovely,”

Their night was spent full of laughter, sweetness, the sort of things she could only ever dream of, and here it was, a reality. It was a new start for her, a fresh, clean start for her life, a new chapter, new beginnings.