#Jack eichel fic

[chukys-mouthguard]

short n’ sweet

status: being written

a series of blurbs inspired by sabrina carpenter’s - short n’ sweet

Taste

-> auston matthews

Please Please Please

-> matthew tkachuk

Good Graces

-> william nylander

Sharpest Tool

-> trevor zegras

Coincidence

-> cam york

Bed Chem

-> matt rempe

Espresso

-> jamie drysdale

Dumb & Poetic

-> quinn hughes

Slim Pickins

-> arber xhekaj

Juno

-> nico hischier

Lie to Girls

-> jack eichel

Don’t Smile

-> luke hughes

[thatsnotbuddies]

Changes on our hands and on our faces, Memories are mapped out by the lines we'll trace Jack Eichel & Noah Hanifin x Laughter Lines - Bastille

[angelwithdemonictendencies]

i won't chew you up the way i do all lovely things; my teeth lose their bite around you, i have other things going on.

no one thinks we'll work out; part one.

5.1k. no warnings! a little talk about family and anxiety and the horror that is workshopping writing in an academic environment.

(a/n: sick of me yet, favorites? here's the first part of another fun longer thing i've been working on. it is very much inspired by jack eichel and his weirdness (i was so uncreative with names it was crazy). i don't really get why he is so interesting to me, maybe this whole project was a way of trying to figure that out. regardless, here you have jack and victoria. jack is a professional hockey player (shocking, i know), and victoria is a poet getting her mfa. i actually wrote this meet-cute scene right before my frat jh86 one, so they look a little similar (but this is the original). there is so much more where this came from, and i promise it will start to make more sense as the world continues to grow and you see the vision. victoria is very special to me, as is her freak brother cosmo and their friends. i can't wait for you all to see where this is going - i've written some scenes for further on in this story that are some of my favorite works i've ever written. thank you for giving me a shot! and showing up for me! i'll keep showing up for you as long as you'll have me, i promise. yes, i named the dog after qh43. much love to you and your snakes. breathe easy).

this was victoria baines’s favorite time of day.  this time, dusk, maybe twilight, when the sun sank in the sky, like the darker-tinted air couldn’t support the glutted weight of it all, when the oranges and pinks and burnt yellows were scorched into blackberry purples and maple-tree reds.  

it was her favorite time because it was when classes were done for the day, when the traffic-ridden trek was over, at least until tomorrow.  it was when there was not much else to do besides take quinton, her flamboyant senior dalmatian, for a walk.  

quinton was high-maintenance, though, had been since he was a puppy, always silently demanding the high-end food from the shelves of the pet section in target, always whining softly when he was not afforded direct attention, so of course he insisted on being walked in the gated community just adjacent to where Victoria lived with her family, even though it wasn’t technically allowed.  consequently, that’s what victoria was doing - walking down the much nicer, cleaner sidewalk at a tantalizingly slow pace, so as not to aggravate quinton’s stiff joints.  

tonight’s beautiful dusk, though, was a little lost on victoria.  The colors didn’t soothe her as they typically did, the rhythm of the walk didn’t feel like a lullaby.  this walk felt like more of a death march, maybe a walk down the aisle towards a cursed marriage, each step one second closer to some inevitable doom.  

it was her own fault, and victoria knew it.  that whole day, she could not stop thinking about her workshop the following day, when the members of her creative writing cohort would tear into her poetry like starving vultures to a carcass.  they would, inevitably, forget how scary and vulnerable it felt to present your work in this way, or, if they didn’t forget, they would view it as an act of justice, like if they had to be torn apart the week before, they should, at the very least, finally get to do some of the tearing.

victoria’s head was cloudy with worry, already muddled with defensiveness and anxiety.  maybe, this is why she didn’t immediately register the presence to her side, which appeared to be some kind of officer on a bike.  not quite a police officer, perhaps a sheriff?  

when he spoke, victoria jumped a bit, the sound of another voice besides the one in her head like the shock of a defibrillator jolt.  “miss,” the officer began, with the kind of confidence and authority that comes only with the recitation of a memorized script, “are you a community resident?”

the truthful answer was a resounding no.  quinton’s cataract-misted eyes seem to gaze disappointedly up at her, like he knew the answer, like he was just an innocent bystander to her malevolent crime.  still, while their twilight stroll did technically constitute trespassing, it had never felt that way, ever since victoria had started coming here at the beginning of her school year.  these sidewalks were for members of this gated community only, but there was an opening next to the gate, just big enough for her and her dog to slip through, so the powers that be couldn’t possibly have taken that rule that seriously.  if this guy really cared, wouldn’t he be in the security booth by the gate, anyway, not roaming around on a bike?

victoria squinted at the officer, whose stitched-on name tag read officer jeb, quickly decided that any officer known by their first name was probably not one to worry too much about.  “i am,” she responded, trying to urge a sense of easiness and certainty into her voice.  she suddenly felt fairly tired, like the weight of the day was only just beginning to pull at her legs, stretching them like taffy.  victoria was twenty-three, but she felt much younger standing in front of this officer, in her yoga pants and furry boots, in her t-shirt from a 5k that she ran in high school.

she could tell from the twitch of his mustached mouth that jeb wasn’t buying it, and then she realized that it was a pretty small community, only a few twists and turns down the street before one made it to the other gate.  it was quite possible that he knew all the residents by name.  victoria looked down at quinton for help, but his judging glare offered no solace.

“which number?” officer jeb asked, reaching for a pad of paper in his shirt pocket, clicking a pen.  his tone wasn’t accusing, not really, but his resignation was almost worse, like he would hear whatever excuse she had for him, but only to make her feel better, not because he was really contemplating the veracity of it.

victoria was about to make something up, maybe add a few digits to the house she was looking at, just to the left of jeb’s giant head, but the gravelly roll of recycling bin wheels against a driveway drew her attention backwards, behind where she was standing.  by the looks of jeb’s straightening posture and the clearing of his throat, she wasn’t the only one whose attention had wandered.  quinton was now laying down on the sidewalk like it was nothing but a living room rug.

“what’s goin’ on here, oj?” 

the man rolling his recycling bin to the bottom of his driveway had one of the weirdest voices victoria has ever heard.  she thought for a moment that she could probably analyze it critically in an entire collection of poetry and still not completely nail the line it towed between arrogant and self-conscious, between goofy and serious.

“good evening, mr. easton,” jeb said, and victoria was almost surprised that he responded to oj.  jeb shifted on the seat of his bike, adjusted the pens clipped onto his pocket.  victoria narrowed her eyes.  did jeb really care that much about what this resident guy thought?  “just doing the daily trespassing check.  making sure everyone’s accounted for, and all.”

the rolling sound stopped, and then the newcomer was right next to victoria, close enough that she could really get a good look at him.  if his voice was weird, his appearance was just downright odd, she decided, not quite knowing what evidence to cite to support such a conclusion.  he had a tall, broad build, the kind that made victoria think that he walked with a sense of mobility and ease, so unlike her own tense shoulders and achy knees.  his complexion was so pale that it was almost pink in the light, and his blond hair was so curly it looked kind of like a wig, so tightly wound victoria was sure it held some kind of spring force.  with all that, together, he should have been shy, or at least aware of his oddness, but his stance was nothing but composed, cool like the funniest kid in middle school science class, like the best basketball player on the girl’s varsity team. 

“are they?” mr. easton asked, but there was an air to his tone like he was kidding, like he was making some joke that he didn’t need anyone else to be in on.  

“what?” jeb asked.

“are they all accounted for?”

victoria was skeptical, still deciding what to make of mr. easton, but quinton seemed to like him enough, picking up his heavy head and placing it down again on top of the man’s slide-covered foot.  mr. easton didn’t react, like he didn't notice the old dog’s weight leaning on him.

jeb cleared his throat.  “well, yes,” he said, before making eye contact with victoria, again.  “what number did you say again, miss?”

victoria opened her mouth to speak, but was promptly cut off.  

“this one's with me, oj,” came that voice from beside her, practically pulpy with confidence.  “you have a good night now.  with great power, great responsibility, you know how it goes.”  

effectively dismissed, jeb still didn’t look convinced, but he rode off anyways, having proclaimed well wishes, leaving only victoria and the man whose foot had become a pillow for quinton.  

only when jeb was entirely out of earshot did victoria fully turn to face him.  “thanks for that,” she said, simply.  head on, he looked a little older than she was, maybe by five or so years.  she could see it in the corners of his eyes, the top of his forehead, his spine.

he hummed, leaning slightly onto the large green bin next to him.  the lean didn’t appear to be comfortable, victoria noticed, instead coming across more as a learned habit.  his elbow jutted into the hard plastic with all of the gracefulness of a beginner’s punch.  “i’m jack,” he said, sticking out his hand.  victoria wasn’t sure why it mattered, it wasn’t as if she would see this man again.  it wasn’t like they would become best friends, like he would even remember her name if told him.

even so, she just replied, “victoria,” while slotting her delicate palm against his rough one.  “my friends call me tori.”  she shook his hand for too long, because she was wondering what would possess her to say such a thing, to offer such information to this stranger.  she shook his hand for too long, then dropped it like it had burned her, clearing her throat as she did so.  she gestured to quinton’s spotted torso.  “and this is quinton.”

jack didn’t appear phased by victoria’s stiffness, only swiftly bending at the knee so he could scratch quinton’s head.  “hey, bud,” he said softly, and victoria thought about disclosing to him that quinton was deaf, but decided against it.

“how’d you know i wasn’t a resident?” victoria asked, almost hesitant to pull his shock-blue gaze to her again.  

jack was still bent down when he spoke again, waving in the direction of the gate.  “saw you come in through the side,” he said, almost amused, moreso observant.  “and pretty much all of my neighbors are families with young kids or elderly couples.”

victoria sort of wanted to stay here, to ask him something.  like why he acted so casual and cool when he obviously noticed small things, or maybe why he was dragging his recycling out when trash day wasn’t for three more days.

but the sky was growing darker, and quinton was exhausted.  “well, thanks,” she said, and then realized she had already said that.  “we, uh, should be going.”

“bye, quinty,” jack said, giving quinton’s head one more rub before pushing back up to full height with a grunt.  he nodded to victoria, his gaze heavy on her frame, before he turned to walk back up his driveway.  “see you around, yeah, vic?”

victoria blinked, stayed completely still for a good moment before finally shaking herself loose and turning away, too.  no one had ever, not in her twenty-three years of living, called her that.  it made her sound like a retired motorcycle gang member, someone with a smoking problem, someone whose voice was rough and raspy not just from tobacco but from experience.

and yet, victoria noticed, as she slipped back through the side of the gate and onto the main road, pulling her black-and-white spotted bag of sand behind her, she didn’t really seem to mind.  

the following morning started as an especially chaotic one, because it was something sinister that victoria would be late to her own workshop.  but her mom had been called into work a few hours earlier than she originally anticipated, so the task of getting her younger brother, cosmo, to school on time had fallen to her.  cosmo had never been the most diligent or time-conscious, either, so victoria had waited in the car for maybe fifteen minutes before cosmo finally emerged from the front door with a bowl of cereal in hand, his eyes droopy with sleep.

“yeah, no worries,” victoria said as she pushed the passenger door open for her brother, “not like I have anywhere to be, or anything.”

cosmo shrugged a bony shoulder, yawned, revealing a flash of braces even though he was a senior in high school.   “looney tunes can wait, no?” he said, referring to her writing workshop cohort.  he’d given them the moniker as soon as victoria had told a story at the dinner table about how one of her classmates had written a short story that seemed to have the exact same plot as a specific roadrunner and coyote cartoon.  

“yeah, well, i’m getting workshopped today,” victoria said, practically grimacing, as she pulled away from the house.  “so i kinda’ need to be there.”

cosmo chewed loudly.  “are you doing the one about quinton’s alter ego?” he asked, around his spoon.  “love that one.”

a couple of weeks ago, victoria had written a short poem about an old detective with salt-and-pepper hair with a taste for the finer things, inspired by their family dog.  she wished she could present something like that to her class, but she figured it didn’t achieve the kind of emotional depth her cohort would be craving, the kind of vulnerability they’d be foaming at the mouth for.

“are you wearing that to school?” victoria said instead, changing the subject to cosmo’s outfit of choice, dress shoes and slacks paired with a faded hoodie under an old rugby jersey.  

“yeah, you’re right,” cosmo said, nodding.  “they probably won’t let me wear the hat.”

victoria hadn’t even noticed the beanie, figured it was the least of his worries, but cosmo always did have a flair for the dramatic, not really a tendency towards the normal.

pulling up to the brockton regional high school always made victoria a little homesick even though she lived at home.  the drop off line reeked of a time when things felt a little more predictable, even if they were scary.  things were a different kind of scary, now, in her final year of the brockton university mfa program, the kind of scary you associate with standing on the high dive at a public pool.  

victoria dropped cosmo off in the designated area.  “aren’t you ever gonna get your license?” she asked as her brother drank the milk from his cereal bowl, then set it down on the console of the car with a musical clatter.  

“as soon as the freeways get less scary,” he said, plainly, without a hint of urgency.  he smiled at her.  “good luck with your poems, tori.”

as much as driving him was an inconvenience, as much as it sucked that she was going to be late, the sentiment struck victoria straight in the heart, made her feel like she wasn’t alone for a second.  “thanks, cos,” she said, before motioning to her upper lip, making a short swipe.  

 cosmo mirrored it, effectively wiping the milk from his mouth.

“cos, we’re late for calc,” came an approaching voice, slow and lazy.

“yeah, yeah, give me a sec, web.”

hunter webber, the tall redhead who was cosmo’s best friend, slung an arm around cosmo’s shoulders, then peered into the open window of victoria’s van.    

“oh, good morning, tori,” hunter said, a wide, alert smile on his first-period-tired face.  “don’t you look lovely today?”

“have fun in calc, guys,” victoria said, ignoring one of the blatantly flirtatious comments that she had been facing from hunter since his freshman year, when his family had first moved to town.  

cosmo elbowed his friend.  “it’s workshop day,” he said, giving hunter a look, nodding towards his sister. 

understanding lit up hunter’s unserious gaze.  “i hope your true genius and intellect shine as bright as the stars,” he said, in such a tone that had cosmo rolling his eyes and dragging his friend away by the arm.  “they’re fools if they don’t appreciate your artistic expression!”

“have a good day!” victoria called out the open window before pulling away from the curb and beginning the short drive to her workshop.

it had been something of a miracle that victoria had been accepted into brockton’s prestigious mfa program.  the setup on paper was so perfect it had worried her when she’d first been admitted - the school being so close to her home, so she could help her mom out with cosmo, make sure the dog was taken care of and there was dinner on the table.  that, combined with all the financial help she received that allow her to attend.  she had pinched herself all throughout her first year, wondering if it was still real.  

it was such a miracle, though, that victoria never took what she had here for granted.  she tried to maintain that optimistic attitude when she stepped into the small classroom that the creative writing department used for workshops, found all seven of her cohort members already there and already looking at her.

“sorry i'm late,” she said, making to take her seat and pull her papers from her school bag.  velma, one of her two actual friends in the group, began a slow and sarcastic clap, which made victoria smile, despite it all.  

“nice of you to join us,” sean, her other friend, called from his designated seat at the far end of the table, just enough of a distance away to be awkward for everyone else.  

mr. joseph, the director of their cohort, a tall, wide man with gray hair and thin-rimmed glasses, cleared his throat.  “miss baines, you understand how important punctuality is to the function of our workshop.”

he had a peculiar way of speaking, always a statement, never leaving any space for question or doubt on the receiving end.

“yes, i do,” victoria said, passing out printed pages to her classmates.  she wasn’t going to apologize again, she had already done that.  “family difficulties this morning.”

mr. joseph had never seemed to really understand what she meant when she said that, but he let it rest, for now.

as soon as victoria took her seat next to velma, they began with her first poem, reading it aloud verse for verse.  

the creative writing mfa program was so small and competitive that victoria was only one of two poets in the program.  the other was jeffrey, who experimented with format and rhyme scheme way more than victoria did.  jeffrey also tended to write about death way more than she did, preferring the existential and abstract to her real and everyday.

there were more novelists in the group, including twins samira and aman, who tended towards science-fiction and fantasy, respectively, and dot, who wrote some of the most tooth-rottingly sweet romance victoria had ever come across.  velma worked with longer-form fiction, too, while the rest of the group typically wrote shorter pieces, including sean’s comedy-laced contemporary fiction and sofia’s jarring snapshot-style stories.  

it was a small group with diverse interests, writing styles, backgrounds, and personalities, which always made workshops interesting.  last week had been dot’s turn, and she’d appeared particularly aloof while jeffery attacked the genre of romance as a whole and samira failed to grasp dot’s long, drawn out plot structure.  dot hadn’t taken a single note for the whole two hours.  “thank you for all your advice,” she had said, as everyone packed up, “so helpful.”

the only person who seemed to like victoria’s first poem was sean.  even velma didn’t appear to get it, a mass of gory description and bloody adjectives detailing the act of getting ready for an undergrad night out.

“what were you trying to say with this?” jeffery asked her, and victoria had to fight back a face.  “i’m trying to get the essence out of this, but it’s hiding from me.  it’s shy, evasive.”

it’s a poem, victoria wanted to say, it doesn’t hide, but she knows it would be coming from a place of defensiveness. 

the second one doesn’t go much better, even though mr. joseph seems to appreciate the ironic sonnet structure paired with the modern commentary on technology.  the last one is alright, though, by far the poem that went down the smoothest with the group.  dot loved the flowery imagery, velma thought the tragic love story was “wicked,” and sean found the musical rhythm “witty and playful.”

victoria tried not to dwell on jeffery’s cutting remarks about emotional insecurity, elusive meaning, and confusing word choice.  she just packed up her notes and thanked everyone at the end.  

“we’ll meet one-on-one on friday, miss baines?” mr. joseph said, to which sean whistled, the way he always did when one of his classmates and director had this exact interaction, complete with identical dialogue.

“sounds good,” victoria said, the drag of heavy wooden chairs thunderous as the students made their way out of the room.  

“i can’t wait to read more of your collection,” dot said, slow and soft, on her way out, her red backpack slung onto one soft shoulder.  it was genuine enough to make victoria blush, a little.  

“thanks, dot,” she said, “see you next week?”

dot murmured her goodbye as velma and sean flanked victoria on her way through the doorway.

“safe for another month and a half,” velma said, bumping her hip against victoria’s side.  

victoria made a relieved wipe of imaginary sweat from her forehead.  “thank god,” she said.  “i’ll need at least that much time to recover from jeffrey’s insistence on the shyness of my writing.”

“good ol’ jeff,” sean mused, giving a theatrical sigh.  “one day he’ll grow a real-life heart.”

“maybe then i’ll be able to bear his poems,” velma snarked, making victoria laugh.  

“what’re you guys up to now?” victoria asked, pushing open the doors into the parking lot.  

sean glanced at his non-existent watch.  “i'm ta-ing in ten,” he said, “intro to conflict and antagonism.”

“sounds like my biography,” velma quipped.  “i have a date that i am a fashionable twenty minutes late for.”

sean’s face scrunched up.  “you scheduled a date for the middle of our workshop?”

“yeah,” velma said, turning to the bike rack to which she had locked up her manual scooter.  

velma was a bit of a serial dater, had been on more first dates than victoria could properly conceptualize.  “is this one with that bio phd candidate?” she asked.

velma shook her head, waved her off.  “that one told me he loved me after two dates,” she said, “this one is with that pretty studio art mfa, the one with the split-dyed hair.”

sean snapped his fingers.  “i told you bio guy was weird,” he said, “i knew it.”

“until next time, knuckleheads,” velma said, scootering off with a salute.

sean blew out a breath.  “i actually do need to go,” he said, looking especially defeated, groaning slightly.  “these kids are such a pain, and three-quarters of them couldn’t give less of a shit, and the prof takes a million years to respond to my texts.”

“but some of them do care, and you’re being paid, and you’re a champion of the creative youth,” victoria countered, sending him off towards the english department building with a gentle pat on the shoulder.  “have fun!”

victoria had a few errands to run before making the drive home - the grocery store, namely, as it was hunter’s birthday on friday and she always baked for birthdays, but also the target downtown for more ruled paper and dog treats.  

when she got home, her mom wasn’t back yet, but she could hear cosmo upstairs, his eighties rock music blasting through the walls.  he’d texted her earlier that hunter was giving him a ride home from school after band practice.  

once she had greeted quinton and changed out of her day clothes, victoria made a box of mac and cheese for dinner, leaving the rest on the stove for cosmo and her mom.  she ate alone at the kitchen counter, a book flipped open in one hand and her fork in the other.

like clockwork, when quinton started whining, she leashed him up and began their daily evening walk.  

“what do you think, q-ball?” she asked his deaf ears when the two of them reached the gate.  “should we push our luck?”

in answer, quinton strode through the side of the entrance, so victoria had no choice but to follow.  as they walked, phrases and pieces of poetry would come to her in her head, as they often did at times when she had no means of writing them down, fragments of description about the sky or the clouds or someone’s wilting daffodils or the kind of person one has to be to live in a luxury complex and still let the paint chip on their door.

“chip, chip, chip,” victoria was mumbling to herself, trying to evoke some bit of artistic genius, staring at her barely moving feet, visions of woodpeckers and burly workmen with ice-picks in her mind.  

“hungry, vic?” 

victoria looked up to find jack, seated in an adirondack chair out in his front yard, just next to some kind of pen-like enclosure.  There appeared to be some small, snorting dog running around inside of it.  she ignored his question.  “what is that?” she said, nodding towards the wire pen.

“this guy?” he asked, “that’s walter.  getting all his energy out post-dinner.”

“you don’t take him for a walk?” she asked, almost confused, her brow slightly scrunched.

jack shook his head twice, blew out a breath as if imagining the peril of such a situation.  “walt can’t stand a leash.  drives him nuts.”  

victoria just hummed.  jack rubbed at the back of his neck, his elbow sticking up, making his bicep tense and release.

“why don’t you bring quinty over here?  the two gentlemen should probably meet,” jack said, nodding towards the wire enclosure.  even from a bit of a distance, victoria could see the hope existed in his eyes, poorly hidden behind a veil of coolness, like seeing a comet stream across the sky behind designer sunglasses.

victoria didn’t really believe this to be true, but she quickly discovered that her feet were moving forward anyways, of their own volition.  at the motion, walter noticed quinton and started to bark, a shrill sound, and victoria winced at the sharpness.

“knock that off, walt,” jack scolded, opening the fenced entrance so quinton could amble into the enclosure.  victoria clipped off his leash, watching warily as walter sprinted in circles around the disinterested senior.  an empty leash in her hand, victoria’s fingers twitched without anything to do.  

she looked up at jack, and the poet stumbled, because the sun made his mis-matched appearance beautiful in a way she hadn’t truly appreciated the first time they met.  she had noticed it, but this was different, the kind of appreciation you feel in your ears, every bit as destabilizing.  the light dripped from his brow, then down his nose, highlighting his sharp bone structure and impossibly light eyes.  she blinked at him, words and phrases flashing across her mind like asteroid blasts.  

jack was quiet for a moment, and victoria got the feeling he was actively and mercifully letting her stare.  “so, what’d you get up to today?” he asked, eventually, turning to face her.  

victoria swallowed.  she had never been especially good at talking to strangers, making new friends, and definitely not outside of a school setting.  school, where all of the typical talking points are lying right there in front of everyone, ripe for the taking.  “it was my turn for workshop today,” she said, then sucked on her teeth.

“what’s workshop?” jack asked, completely pleasant, “is that like a job?  like a mechanic, or something?”

victoria shook her head, casting her gaze on the dogs so she didn’t have to face the overwhelming weight of jack’s attention head on.  “i, uh, i’m an mfa student at brockton,” she said, “for poetry.  and workshop is when the group reads your work and gives you feedback.”

“sounds scary,” jack said, shoving his hands in the pockets of his shorts.

“it is,” victoria said, too fast, almost cutting him off, because it was scary, and she wished more people in her life would see that.

in an instant, something flashed in jack’s gaze, and it gave victoria goosebumps.  “how’d it go, then?” he continued.

victoria shrugged.  “‘bout as well as can be expected.”

“you’re a poet, you said?”

she shrugged, again.  “a student.  i write poetry.”

“what do you write about?”

victoria meets his eyes again, tries to make out if he’s making fun of her.  no one really tended to take her seriously, if they’d made it this far into this conversation.  there was nothing snarky in his eyes, though, only curiosity.  he spoke with the easiness of a person who grew up with eyes on them, almost media-trained.  “real life, mostly,” she said, twisting the sole of her shoe slowly into the ground.

“plenty of material,” jack said, nodding, like he understood.  “i’d love to read some of your stuff.”

victoria squinted at him.  “you would?”

“oh, yeah,” he affirmed, and victoria again couldn’t find any semblance of a joke in his words.  “been getting dumber as the season goes on, swear it.  need to get into reading.”

victoria wanted to ask what he meant by season, but she was sort of uncomfortable with the fact that this almost-stranger said that he wanted to read her poems, even more uncomfortable that he seemed to mean it.

“think you could bring me something next time you’re walking by?”  he paused, shifting on his feet.  “only if you’re comfortable, ‘course.”

she was anything but, but somehow victoria found herself nodding.  “sure,” she said, softly.  she pushed her long brown hair behind her ears.

jack smiled, and it hit her in the chest, a bullet, a knife, a balm.  his imperfect teeth, one noticeably chipped, seemed to glow with genuineness.  “you’re the best, vic,” he said.  there was that nickname again.  it made her blush.

“i told you everyone calls me tori, right?” she said.

jack shrugged.  “you told me your friends call you tori,” he clarified.  “gotta earn it, right?”

when walter grew tired of terrorizing quinton, when he was all leashed and ready to go, jack only bent down again, a motion that suggested a swift kind of agility.   “bye, bud,” he said, scratching quinton’s head.  “get home safe, alright?”

victoria gave him an awkward wave that made her feel like her limbs weren’t connected to her body.  jack didn’t seem to mind, though, returning it with a smile that pulled at the corner of his lips.  some time over the course of being around jack, the chip, chip, chip in victoria’ head had phased into a chipped tooth.  victoria hated how telling it was that there was a fully formed verse in her head by the time she got home.

fin. (until the next part).

[simmyfrobby]

Do you have any McEichel’s for us queen

― Natasha Trethewey, from Thrall: Poems; "Mythology"

[linskywords]

Do you think you'd ever write NateJo? 💜 They're really having their moment right now, the narrative is ripe! (I love all your stuff by the way! 💜)

Oh man yes! Nate and Sid, both people I want to pair with each other and other people. I love love love me some high school boyfriends narratives, and we've gotten such good reunions lately. Nate and Jo, Noah and Jack...they really deserve stories! Noah and Jack I want to write a Persuasion AU for someday; not sure what I'd write for Nate and Jo. I could see them as having had HUGE unconfessed crushes on each other in high school but never making a move. Then it's ten years later, they're finally reunited, one of them is a cup winner, one of them has been struggling to find his place in the league; it shouldn't be this easy to fall back into the old friendship. It shouldn't make them want things they haven't thought about in years. They set those feelings aside a decade ago. Didn't they?

[crunchycrispy]

bitches do love jeichel

(or: this gif held me hostage and made me write my first hrpf!)

[sergeifyodorov]

hi, i recently started to see the light re: eichel. do you perhaps have any fic recs for him? i would like to see him experience intense emotions, get shaken in a tupperware or just get railed. hope you are having a pleasant day, cheers.

MOST jeichelfic is eichel/mcdavid. and i agree with it. what can i say i’m a slut for a theme or perhaps a motif. theres a lot more works in the uhhhhh jeichel tag but here's a couple i read recently plus an old bookmark of mine that i revisit because i adore it.

stay as long as you need to/get familiar with the feeling, pertinence, 6.4k, jack eichel/connor mcdavid. set during the old team north america. TRUTH SERUM. more of a character study of these two than anything else, i don’t even think they kiss. such a slay though

put your money where your mouth is, idday, 7.5k, connor mcdavid/jack eichel, noah hanifin pov. short n sweet Vegas Wedding Goes Wrong Goes Right!?? fic. really well paced, manages to feel both longer (in a good way) and shorter (in a good way) than it is.

what you can do for your team, noodlee, 5.8k, connor mcdavid/jack eichel, winner’s room. it’s a winner’s room fic set right after the oilers elimination this year. do with that what you will.

[reneserseya]

⁃ Don’t you think you’re taking this too far? - Noah says. - It’s a pee wee championship, not a Stanley Cup. Jack raises an eyebrow: ⁃ He said we’re “manageable”, dude, that’s not a compliment in my book. ⁃ And you’re sure it has nothing to do with, you know…you and him? And your Christmas fling? ⁃ Flings are for summer only, - Jack finishes taping his stick and checks the blade with a bit too much of concentration. ⁃ So what do you call it then? Jack bites back a smirk: ⁃ Opponent assessment.

Jack and Connor are rival pee wee teams coaches who take their competition a little bit too personally.

7/?

[tapedsleeves]

Fiiiiiic

[catzy88]

Is the Connor McDavid vs. Jack Eichel rivalry finally about to become reality?

Rogers Place in Edmonton is the stage for Connor McDavid versus Jack Eichel, as division rivals, when the Golden Knights visit the Oilers on Saturday night.

The star centers were drafted No. 1 and No. 2 in 2015, heralded as one of the most talented duos atop the draft in some time. They began their NHL careers eight years ago in opposite conferences, but Vegas’ trade to acquire Eichel last November brought the two competitors closer.

They’ve both had plenty of success on an individual level, with McDavid and his two Hart Trophy wins far outweighing Eichel’s accolades to this point. But neither has won at the level they desire. At least not yet.

Now that they’re both on teams with Stanley Cup aspirations, they’re standing directly in each other’s path as divisional foes.

This has the potential to become the NHL’s next great individual rivalry.

��Any time they play, that’s going to be watched by a lot of people — and should be,” said Mark Seidel, chief scout of North American Central Scouting, who has watched the two develop since their pre-NHL days.

“They’re the best players on both teams. It’s not that different than (Sidney) Crosby and (Alex) Ovechkin, how they used to be when they went head to head. It’s the next step of that rivalry. I think it’ll be that way for a long time to come.”

McDavid and Eichel have played against each other only once in the last 1,000 days. They’re certainly further along in their careers than Crosby and Ovechkin were when their rivalry began, but in leading two of the most talented teams in the Western Conference, they could see a lot of each other moving forward.

“You’ve got two highly competitive guys,” Seidel said. “Connor is legendary. I don’t like how Jack gets portrayed as a sulking superstar. He wants to win something fierce.”

There’s no question that McDavid has been the better player to this point — and that’s no surprise.

McDavid was seen as hockey’s next can’t-miss star before he was even a teenager. He was always the youngest player on his minor hockey teams and always the best. He entered the Ontario Hockey League and dominated that league for three seasons. All he’s done in the NHL is produce. In his six post-rookie campaigns, he’s been the scoring champion four times and finished in the runner-up spot twice. He paces the NHL in goals (15) and points (32) this season in just 17 games.

“I don’t think anyone should compare themselves to him,” Eichel said of McDavid. “I think with what he’s doing, and the way that he plays, he’s just on a level of his own. I don’t try to compare myself to anyone. I just try to be the best version of me.”

McDavid has 729 points in 504 NHL games. He doesn’t turn 26 until January, but his place as a hockey immortal is already secured.

The difference between McDavid and Eichel is vast, which is more a credit to the former than a slight against the latter.

“Connor McDavid is one of the top 10 greatest players ever, maybe top five, and Jack Eichel is a superstar,” Seidel said. “There are 20 superstars in the NHL today. In all ways, Connor has certainly been better.

“It’s unfair to Jack because you’re talking about a generational, top-10 forever player.”

Eichel’s been no slouch, though, with 401 points in 427 career games despite playing the vast majority of them on a struggling Sabres squad. Finally back to full strength after neck surgery and surrounded by a talented cast in Vegas, Eichel is hitting his stride.

He’s nearing a 100-point pace for the first time in his career, leading the Golden Knights in goals (10) and points (21) as they’ve built up the best record in the Western Conference. Perhaps more impressively, he’s taken over all three zones. Eichel has used his unique combination of speed and strength to muscle the puck away from the opposition and convert those takeaways into immediate offense.

“He’s big and he’s a power skater,” McDavid said. “He’s a great player.”

Vegas’ top line of Eichel, Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson is tops in the league in expected goal share, and Eichel has been on the ice for 13 goals for and only four against at even strength.

This stat visualization from WaveIntel shows McDavid’s individual stats are otherworldly, but whether it’s the result of playing on a stronger overall team or his own defensive improvements, Eichel’s on-ice metrics are vastly superior this season, especially defensively.

“They’re both world-class players,” said Sharks forward Timo Meier, who was selected at No. 9 in that draft by San Jose. “McDavid is no doubt the best right now, but Jack has shown that he’s up there, too, and he’s a player that’s very hard to play against.

“Seeing them play against each other, and competing, is fun for the fans. Obviously two really hard players to defend and play against. The skill sets they have. The way they can beat you in multiple ways. Both have unbelievable speed, so they are two of the top superstars in the league.”

McDavid had been viewed as the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft for years. There were times when Eichel got his name in the conversation during the 2014-15 season — even if it was just whispers — but McDavid was the wire-to-wire leader.

“He was a good player (that season),” McDavid said. “He was playing in college and our paths never really crossed. He’s a guy I’ve gotten to know a little bit around the draft stuff. He’s a guy I quite like.”

Meier is from Switzerland but played his draft season for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Halifax Mooseheads, so he heard plenty of McDavid-Eichel scuttlebutt.

“You could definitely tell how big the hype was around these two guys,” Meier said. “You see these guys and you compare yourself. You always want to be the best.”

The 2015 draft lottery was a made-for-TV special, designed so everyone could find out which team got the right to draft McDavid. Eichel, who was unable to attend the event in Toronto, was merely an afterthought.

“They really weren’t that close,” Seidel said. “The term ‘generational talent’ gets thrown around way too much, but Connor truly was that. The difference was his skating.

“You just knew his skating was going to be that much better than everybody else’s.”

Never was that afterthought status surrounding Eichel more obvious than when then-Sabres GM Tim Murray, whose team had the best odds to land the No. 1 pick, compared the slide down to a player getting the call that he’d been cut from the Canadian world junior team. He added that he felt bad for Sabres fans.

“From our standpoint, you’re talking about a guy who we felt — and it hasn’t changed — was so much different than any other prospect that we’ve seen in so long, probably since Crosby,” Seidel said of McDavid.

“Jack was a really, really good prospect — certainly, a high-end prospect — and the second-best prospect that year. But the gap was significant. There was no team that was going to try to trade up to (No.) 1 and take Eichel over McDavid.”

Eichel didn’t let the noise get to him. Quite the opposite, in fact. He reportedly told teams in his draft interviews that he’d be better than McDavid. That clearly hasn’t come to fruition, but he’s done just fine in his NHL career.

Eichel has now joined McDavid as the best player on one of the Pacific Division’s best teams.

In the Oilers’ case, that descriptor is more projection than reality at this point. After reaching the final four last season, they’re a middling 9-8 so far with below average underlying numbers.

McDavid has been one of the few standout performers. In addition to his remarkable counting stats, he’s the only Oiler to be at least even in goals for, shots for and Corsi for percentages at five-on-five — per Natural Stat Trick. He drives the bus; most others hop aboard when they can.

The way things have gone for the Oilers, it might take a gargantuan effort from McDavid on Saturday for them to beat Eichel’s Golden Knights in the first matchup in the new head-to-head battle.

“I can see how people want to make that a story, but it’s so long ago now,” McDavid said. “I don’t think people are talking about the Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin (draft) year. Time kind of fades (things). He’s a great player. Vegas and himself are off to a great start.”

There’s obviously no rivalry at the moment. The two have only played against each other nine times.

“Honestly I don’t really look at it like (a rivalry),” Eichel said. “The draft is so long ago, and it’s one or two days and you’re past it. You might use that hype for one season, and you get past the draft and all that comes with it pretty quickly. At the end of the day, you’re going out there with your group, competing against another group, and that’s really just the mindset for everyone.”

In the nine regular season meetings, Eichel has a slight edge with five wins. Eichel has five goals and five assists, including two game-winners, while McDavid has three goals and five assists. The games themselves, however, were little more than a novelty since the Sabres were awful and the Oilers often weren’t much better. Now, the circumstances have changed.

Edmonton advanced to the Western Conference finals last season, and Vegas has gone at least that far in three of its five seasons. After an injury-riddled 2021-22, the Golden Knights appear to have returned to a familiar perch atop the Pacific Division. As each team’s top player, McDavid and Eichel will play major roles in that race — starting on Saturday.

“You always like challenges, as a group and as an individual,” Eichel said. “That’s a big game for us. They’re a team that we want to establish ourselves as competitive with.”

There’s a mutual admiration between the two players as they embark on battles as divisional opponents. It extends beyond the respect they have for each other’s abilities on the ice.

Both players have endured serious injuries that had the potential to drastically alter their career trajectories.

McDavid suffered a torn-in-half PCL, torn knee joint and cracked front tibia when he went crashing into the goalpost in the final game of the 2018-19 season. He returned in time for the next campaign after a grueling summer of rehab work.

Eichel suffered a herniated disc in his neck as a result of a hit in March 2021. The Sabres organization urged the star forward to undergo disc fusion surgery, but after discussions with several doctors, Eichel decided on artificial disc replacement surgery — a procedure that had never been performed on an NHL player at that time.

After months of dispute, Buffalo eventually dealt Eichel to Vegas. He had the surgery performed shortly after, in November 2021, and returned to NHL action three months later. Eichel was in a difficult situation based on the rules written in the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHLPA — which place some control over medical decisions in the hands of the teams — but he remained steadfast on his decision and eventually had his preferred surgery.

“As athletes, as hockey players, I think everybody understands injuries are part of it, and it’s a scary thing,” McDavid said. “Just to see him go through that situation was troubling.

“Players should have a say in what happens to their own body. We’re the ones that have to live in that body for the rest of our lives. I thought he did a good job of standing up for what he thought was right and getting the procedure that he thought was right. It’s good to see him back on his feet.”

The two aren’t close friends, but have followed each other’s careers after sharing draft day in 2015.

“I’ve known him for a while now,” Eichel said of McDavid. “I’m friendly with him if I see him in the summer. If we’re at the BioSteel (offseason camp), or whatever. I wouldn’t say we’re calling each other and seeing how we’re doing, but when I’m around him we converse, catch up and things are good.”

Eichel finished ninth in Hart Trophy voting in 2019-20, his last full season. He’s back to that level now. Of course, McDavid has consistently been on the shortlist of the league’s best players for years.

Eichel’s early work and recent resurgence, coupled with McDavid’s dominance through seven-plus seasons, has already established the two as one of the best 1-2 draft combinations in NHL history.

The standard-bearer remains Hockey Hall of Famers Guy Lafleur and Marcel Dionne, who were selected with the first two picks in 1971. Seidel already has McDavid and Eichel ahead of the 2009 pairing of John Tavares and Victor Hedman. He ranks them as the best duo since the 2004’s Nos. 1 and 2, Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin — two more surefire Hall of Famers.

“The top of that (2015) draft is as good as we’ve seen in a long time,” Seidel said.

Winning will only heighten the legacy of the player who does so.

A playoff matchup or two during the next few springs will no doubt kick a nascent rivalry into overdrive, as it did with Ovechkin and Crosby’s battles.

Ovechkin and Crosby have 63 head-to-head meetings in the regular season and have faced each other in the playoffs four times.

Considering McDavid and Eichel’s ages, and the current landscape of the Pacific Division, a playoff series or two between them isn’t hard to imagine.

“(For Eichel) to go head to head with McDavid, that would be a seven-game series that I would certainly pay to watch,” Seidel said. “Fans want to see the best players on the ice and those are two of the best in the league.”

(Photo: Andy Devlin / NHLI via Getty Images)

Source: Is the Connor McDavid vs. Jack Eichel rivalry finally about to become reality? via The Athletic

[chukys-mouthguard]

A Shot at Love: Welcome to the Mansion

5.65 words

meet the 12 eligible bachelors

It’s time, for the premier of ‘A Shot at Love: An NHL Dating Show AU’ ! The 12 lucky bachelors arrive at the mansion to meet our lovely bachelorette Y/N!

Who will impress? Who will receive the coveted first rose? It’s all up to the viewers in this one of a kind interactive au series!

Voting is only open for 24 hours, so be sure to cast your vote for who should get the first rose!

note: if you want to be added to the tag list for this series, please comment or send me an ask! :)

A deep sigh left your lips as you looked yourself over once more in the mirror, palms smoothing over your dress before nervously messing with your hair.

In just a few minutes you’d be introduced to twelve NHL players that were going to be competing for a chance at forever with you. The idea was one you sure would never come to fruition when first pitched to you, and when you found out the players of the league would be voting for the twelve eligible bachelors, you were surely convinced the concept would die.

But as the twelve players were determined and had all accepted their spots on the show, you were realizing this funny concept had turned into your reality.

“Y/n, are you ready to get this show started?”

The voice of Paul Bissonnette interrupting your thoughts as you turned to find him and Ryan Whitney, the hosts of the show, both waiting patiently for you before heading out to the front of the mansion to welcome the mystery men.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

A soft chuckle left your lips as you could feel your palms growing sweatier as you headed for the door. The limo transporting the men now visible in the distance as it drove down the long winding driveway.

“Pink Whitney to calm your nerves?”

Ryan pulled 3 mini bottles of the pink lemonade flavored vodka from his suit pocket, Biz quickly taking one and cracking it open.

“Are you guys gonna constantly plug your vodka during this show?”

“You bet your ass we are!”

Biz and Whit tapped their bottles together before throwing them back, you rolling your eyes before joining them in taking the shot.

“Alright, we are gonna go give the boys a warm welcome, then it’ll be show time!”

Nodding your head you watched as the two hosts headed down to meet the limousine, each of them climbing inside to welcome the mystery men. Your nerves at a high as you tried to imagine who would’ve actually accepted a spot on this show, quickly running through every team in the league trying to picture who would come out of the limo. Surely no stars were putting themselves on a dating show, your expectations assuming them to be lesser known guys who maybe didn’t have some superstar image to uphold.

“Holy shit Whit, look at these fucking beauties we got in here!”

Whit quickly smacked his co-host as the group seated around the limo laughed. “Biz watch the mouth! This is national television, you’re gonna get us fired before we even make it to the rose ceremony.”

Biz covered his mouth in embarrassment before mouthing an I’m sorry to the camera.

“Alright boys, so you’re all here because the players voted you all as the worst in the league when it comes to dating and the ladies. So congratulations!”

The limo erupted in laugher and some half hearted cheers. “Y/n’s waiting for you all. She’s a little nervous, but excited. And she’s a drop dead smoke show, so it’s you all who should be nervous!”

Biz went to climb from the limo, time for the grand reveal, but Whit stopped him. “Biz, I think they all could use a little liquid courage don’t you think?”

Whit pulled a bag full of Pink Whitney bottles seemingly from out of nowhere, tossing one to each of the men. “This portion of the show is sponsored by Pink Whitney, the official drink of ‘A Shot at Love.’ Cheers boys!”

As you headed to the bottom of the staircase out front of the mansion, hearing the boys all saying cheers with their shots in the limo, you rolled your eyes.

“Those two are seriously gonna plug that drink every chance they get.”

Biz and Whit reappeared and headed your way, signaling that it was finally time to meet the men that would be competing for a shot at love with you. Your mind racing as you wondered what their opinions of you would be. Would they like you? Would they think you were attractive? Certainly being professional athletes they’ve had plenty of women throwing themselves at them.

“Y/n, it’s time. Should we bring out the first gentleman?”

A simple nod was all you could muster as you patiently waited for the door of the limo to open and Biz or Whit to call their name, wondering who you might see emerging from behind it.

“From the New Jersey Devils…Nico Hischier.”

Nico stepped out of the limo, his smile immediately settling your nerves. A hand running through his hair to ensure it sat perfectly as he buttoned his suit jacket before he walked towards you.

If this was how the night would start, you couldn’t imagine who else was hiding in the limo.

Your heart racing as Nico now stood in front of you, politely taking your hand and kissing it. A true gentleman.

“Hi y/n, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Hi Nico, likewise, even though I had no clue you would be here.”

The blush on your cheeks had to be visible at this point as you couldn’t stop smiling. His accent sounded like music to your ears as he spoke.

“Though I have no clue what to expect out of this experience, I’m excited to get to know you,and for you to get to know me. At the end of this hopefully we are jetting off to Switzerland together.”

“I mean that would definitely be a pretty great ending in my eyes!”

“Well we could leave now? Screw this show?”

Nico playfully pulled your hand to run, but stopped as he laughed, making you melt right there.

“I don’t wanna take up more of your time, I’ll let you meet the rest of the guys. But I promise they won’t be as great as me.”

Nico shot you a wink before heading up the stairs and into the mansion, your smile now permanently on your face.

“So? What did you think of that fine piece of Swiss chocolate?”

A cackle left your mouth at Biz’s drunken commentary, shaking your head as Whit moved to knock on the door of limo to signal the next man to reveal himself.

“You guys are drunk and we’ve only met one guy, oh my lord.”

You were surely in for a wild night, and this was only the beginning.

“From the Philadelphia Flyers, Jamie Drysdale.”

“Hi y/n, it’s nice to meet you. You, you look beautiful.”

“Thank you Jamie, it’s lovely to meet you. How’s your shoulder doing?”

Jamie was shocked at your question, surely he didn’t expect you to be familiar enough with him to know he’d injured the same shoulder two seasons in a row. Laughing a bit as he playfully rubbed it.

“It’s good, better than ever. I’ll never turn down a good shoulder rub though.”

“Maybe if you’re lucky we can do that later for your one on one time?”

“Sounds like a plan to me, I’ll head inside and find a good spot for a massage.”

Jamie flashed a smile before heading inside, Biz looking towards the car to see who was next. A soft chuckle leaving his lips as he gave you a thumbs up, as if to say it’s a good one.

“From the New York Rangers, Matt Rempe.”

Your eyes went wide as the Rangers rookie emerged from the limo. You’d seen him on tv and knew he was tall, but seeing him in person made that crystal clear.

“Hi.”

A soft chuckle leaving your lips as you could sense his nerves and the awkwardness emanating from him.

“Hi, um, I’m sure you get this all the time but, you’re even taller in person.”

“Yeah, I hear that sometimes. Does that mean you’ve watched me on tv?”

“I might have a few times, but don’t think that’s gonna give you any type of advantage here!”

He smiled wide as he ran a hand through his hair. “I’m just happy to be a part of this with a pretty girl like you, I’m not expecting any special treatment.”

“As long as you don’t start any fights here okay?”

He shot you a devilish grin as he headed up the stairs.

“No promises.”

“Hey, how many shots have you boys had over there?”

You shouted across the drive, noticing the two men getting the giggles. Most likely laughing at something stupid, telling you they were well on their way to being drunk.

“We might as well have just brought a whole bottle out here. These mini bottles aren’t cutting it.”

Shaking your head you smoothed your hands over the front of your dress, readying yourself for the next mystery man to emerge.

“You guys aren’t gonna make it to reveal number six at this rate.”

“From the Seattle Kraken, Vince Dunn.”

The moment Vince stepped out of the limo he’d immediately caught your eye, noticing his style differing from the first few guys. No suit for Vince as he wore a short sleeve shirt that was tastefully showing off the outline of his chest and arm muscles thanks to it being a little on the tighter side. Pairing that with some solid colored chino pants, and some slip on vans.

“Am I a little underdressed or something?”

He playfully joked as he walked up to you, giving you a hug before taking the time to look you up and down. A smile on his face as he held your hand.

“If this is your style, then never worry about being underdressed. I think you look great!”

“Suits are great and all, but my mind is always focused on when I can just throw on my sweats and be comfy.”

“Trust me I’ve been thinking about that the entire time I’ve been standing here, I especially can’t wait for the moment I can take my bra off.”

You and Vince laughed as he made his way towards the staircase to head inside and join the growing group.

“Oh me too, taking my bra off is the best part of my day for sure!”

“From the Vegas Golden Knights, I fucking love this kid-“

“Biz watch the goddamn mouth!”

“Oh fu-I mean, fudge. Jacky Eichs!”

Jack emerged from the limo laughing at the two drunk hosts, both of them giving him a little cheer as he made his way to you, giving you a hug before he introduced himself.

“Hi y/n, I’m Jack. And if we are gonna be together at the end of this, I think it’s important I be honest with you right from the start.”

“Okay, I love honesty.”

He sighed, as if to suggest it was something tough for him to say, making you nervous as this was only night one and you weren’t expecting any drama this soon.

“My, my real name isn’t Jack, it’s John. Woo, that feels good to get off my chest!”

Rolling your eyes you let out a sigh of relief, playfully smacking him on the chest as he laughed. “I thought you were gonna say something off the wall crazy Jack, I mean, John?”

“You can call me Jack, I just didn’t want any secrets on day one, big or small you know?”

He headed up the stairs as Biz and Whit are still shocked they never knew his real name was John, chirping him until he’d finally shut the door to the house behind him.

“Fuc-fudge me Biz what are we on six now? I mean I can’t even see who is coming out of the limos anymore.”

“God forbid you say the wrong name Whit, better put on the glasses for the next one.”

“From the New York Islanders, Mat Barzal.”

If your heart could stop beating, but somehow you’d still be standing and breathing, it had just happened. The minute he’d stepped from the limo you were confused as to how he’d ended up here. Mat was one of the hottest guys in the league, but he did have a bit of a reputation. So how they got him to agree to something as crazy as this, you’d never know.

“Y/n, nice to meet you, I’m Mat.”

“I know, I’ve seen you on tv once or twice, so I know a thing or two.”

“Uh oh, good things or bad things?”

His smirk shot you right through the heart and you could barely focus on speaking. Aspiring how good he looked in his dress pants as loose fitting button up, following Vince in the more casual style of dress.

“I guess you’ll have to wait and find out?”

He shot you a wink before heading inside, your heart rate not slowing down as you urged Biz to hurry up with the next man.

“From the Anaheim Ducks, Gouda!”

“Huh?”

You looked at the two hosts confused as Whit shook his head at Biz, taking the Pink Whitney bottle from his hands as he quickly corrected his partner.

“Jesus Christ, please ignore his drunk ass for the rest of the night, it’s Trevor Zegras.”

The smiley boy emerged from the limo, running a hand through his hair as he approached you. Wrapping you in a tight hug as he seemed to exude confidence.

“Hi y/n, so nice to meet you.”

“You as well, is it Trevor or Gouda?”

He threw his head back laughing as he shrugged. “Whatever you wanna call me, I’m here for it. Trevor, Gouda, maybe your boyfriend by the time things are done here. I’m fine with any of those options!”

“Confident, okay, I like it . Well, I’ll stick with Trevor for right now, don’t wanna get ahead of ourselves.”

Shooting him a wink you bid him farewell as the next man was already emerging from the limo.

“From the Vancouver Canucks, Quinn Hughes.”

To say you were shocked was an understatement. Quinn was known to you as a bit more reserved, often quiet. And quite frankly, he was the last person you expected to be on a dating show.

“You seem a bit surprised, were you expecting Jack to come out of that limo?”

He shyly laughed as he gave you a hug. Quickly shaking your head you tried to erase any thoughts from his mind that you weren’t thrilled to see him.

“No no! Not at all, you just don’t strike me as the dating show type.”

“Well I guess there’s a lot you need to learn about me. For one, reality dating shows are actually a guilty pleasure of mine. And two, maybe I’m not afraid to admit that t I might need some help in the dating department. So here I am.”

“I guess you could say I need some help too and that’s why I’m standing here. But I’m very happy that you’re here too Quinn!”

“How many more guys are there holy shi-shoot?”

Biz headed to the limo, peeking his head inside to count the remaining guys.

“Can we speed run these last guys? Like oh my gosh.”

“Imagine standing on cobblestone in heels this whole time Biz!”

“Exactly! Speed round, hello?? Whit, help me out here!” Whit shook his head as he continued with the script, not wanting to add to the list of reasons he and Biz would be on the chopping block after this episode airs. Most of those reasons being the accidental f bombs and high alcohol content.

“From the Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews.”

If you had to rank the players you were most familiar with, Auston would have been towards the top of the list. Though you knew of him for the fact that Toronto wasn’t known for doing too hot in the playoffs the last few years, though you’d never say that to him.

“Hey y/n, how are you?”

He wrapped you in a hug with a smile plastered in his face, unsure if it was him or the Pink Whitney shots that had you blushing.

“Hi Auston, nice to meet you. Loving the outfit, different from the other guys. Which is good, helps you stand out for sure.”

He playfully showed off his outfit, which was more street style than formal attire. But it was true to Auston, which you appreciated him taking the chance to just be himself and show that.

“Figured it was best to show up true to me. Glad you like it. I’m hoping that here I can bring home the win, unlike my track record on the ice.”

“Viewers, he said it, not me!”

You pointed to the camera, staring it down playfully as you laughed, Auston backing you up that it was his words and not yours.

“God bless, final 3 boys, then we’re done.”

“Biz they still have the opportunity for some one on one time, we aren’t done after this.”

“Jesus….pass me another shot.”

“From the Montreal Canadiens, Cole Caufield.”

The smile on Cole’s face never left from the time he exited the limo to when he hugged you. Kindly greeting you as he introduced himself.

“Y/n, ask him what his nickname is.”

Cole immediately shook his head at Biz butting into the meeting, “we really don’t need to do that. Maybe we can reveal that if I make it past tonight.”

Despite Cole’s pleading to ignore Biz, you couldn’t help but be intrigued. “Is it really that bad?”

Cole sighed as he rubbed his neck, debating on whether or not he wanted to tell you. “I’d rather leave you guessing for now, it’s not bad, just, not television appropriate let’s say.”

Your eyes went wide as your mind raced as to what the nickname could be, but letting it slide as you could sense Cole’s nervousness.

“Maybe later you can tell me without these two hanging around.”

Cole smiled as he headed inside, hearing him mumble “fuck I need a shot after that” on his way up the stairs, making you chuckle to yourself.

“I don’t know who let this kid in because he’s not even old enough to drink Pink Whitney, the official sponsor of ‘A Shot at Love’. But he’s here so I guess we just have to deal with it. Get this boy an apple juice, from the New Jersey Devils, Luke Hughes.”

The idea of 2 Hughes brothers’ being included in this show was not one that crossed your mind, but if it had, Luke would definitely have not been the other brother you expected to see step out of that limo.

He shyly made his way over, a soft smile on his face as he hugged you. You couldn’t help but smile, trying your best to make him feel less nervous or anxious.

“Hi Luke, very nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. I’m sure you weren’t expecting this to become Hughes’ bowl, minus Jack of course. But he’s not that great anyways, so you’re not missing much.”

The two of you laughed at his brotherly jabs, appreciating how he’d seemed to relax a bit once he made you laugh.

“Well things definitely just got interesting with 2 Hughes’ brothers in the house, I’d say cheers to the idea of you both making it to the end, but the boys said you’re not 21.”

Like shrugged off the comment, not paying much attention to that fact. “Trust me, it’ll come in handy for me when all these other guys are hungover trying to compete in some sort of physical challenge!”

You were thankful that you’d reached the last guy to appear from the limo, desperately needing to not be standing on cobblestone in your heels.

“And finally, thank the lord, from the Utah Hockey Club. That’s so fucking weird to say oh my god, John Marino.”

John appeared from the limo, laughing at Whit’s comments on his new team, and if you were honest you’d not paid much attention to him prior to him being traded. But as he walked over to you, with a smile on his face as he ran a hand through his loose curls, you were mad for not paying attention sooner.

“Hey y/n, how are you?”

“I’m good, feet hurt a little from standing for so long, but I’m surviving. What about you? Last guy having to sit in that limo all night.”

John shrugged it off, “it was worth my butt falling asleep 4 times if it meant I got to walk out here and see you.”

Playfully holding a hand to your forehead as you pretended to become faint, John laughed.

“Well it’s true! You look beautiful, and I’d wait in the car for another 4 hours if I had to. But, I’ll wrap this up so we can get inside and you can get your feet off this cobblestone. Lovely to meet you, and I’ll see you in there.”

John pulled you in for a hug before heading up the stairs, Biz and Whit joining you as the three of you followed suit. Ready to welcome all of the guys as a group.

As you headed inside, the competition was now seeming like it was going to be more difficult than you’d imagined. Thinking of all of the guys that were inside waiting. All of the handsome, funny, talented athletes, full of personality. How the hell were you going to eliminate any of them tonight?

Entering the room the men had all been waiting in, you took a deep breath. Facing them all together made you nervous as they surely had been sizing each other up from the moment they’d all settled in. All of them smiling once they saw you walk in, a few whistles and cheers coming from the group while you found your place in front of them.

“Okay, well, we’ve made it this far! I can’t speak for Biz and Whit because I think they are one shot away from passing out on us. But, I just wanted to thank you all for being a part of this crazy journey. I find it hard to believe that the twelve of you would voluntarily put yourself through something like this, for me. And for a shot at love. I’m so excited to learn about each of you for who you are off the ice, because that comes first to me. I’m not paying attention to who in this group scores the most goals, who plays on the best team. I’m here looking to find my person, and I’m excited to know that one of you will be that guy.”

The guys cheered as your lovely hosts were passing around more Pink Whitney shots, as if they’d hadn’t had enough tonight already.

“Can you two even handle another shot?”

“Are you kidding? Pink Whitney is the official sponsor of ‘A Shot at Love’, and the best pink lemonade flavored vodka on the market. Of course we can handle another shot! Plus, we made the damn thing!”

Rolling your eyes you accepted the shot from Biz, the group holding their shots up as you proposed a toast.

“Well, I can guarantee with hosts like these there will never be a dull moment around here. Cheers to ’A Shot at Love’! Sorry Luke…promise we will get you something non-alcoholic for next week so you can still feel included.”

Everyone tossed back their shots, then placed the empty bottles on the table. Immediately the competition had begun as it was a race to who was going to ask you for some time alone first.

Jack Eichel appeared at your side, taking your hand as he asked if the two of you could talk, the other guys immediately groaning at his eagerness to steal you away.

The two of you found a spot in one of the side rooms, taking a seat on the sofa with a sigh as Jack laughed.

“Tough night so far?”

Shaking your head, you smiled as you weren’t trying to come across tired or anything with the night so far. “No no, just, nice to sit down! Heels on cobblestone do not mix.”

“Well if beauty is pain, you must be in agony because you look gorgeous tonight.”

Blushing at his words you couldn’t help but smile, softly biting at your lip the way the compliment just effortlessly rolled off his tongue.

“You’re a pretty smooth talker Mr. Eichel. How’s the night been for you? Probably weird seeing all these guys under one rough and you’re all competing in a different way than usual.”

He nodded his head as he chuckled, “you could definitely say that. It’s weird seeing some of the guys, only because they seem a bit out of place in my opinion. Like I know we were voted here by guys in the league, but some of these guys, I mean Luke Hughes? He’s 20, how much dating experience does that kid have? I just think it’s a little unfair to him that he found himself thrown into this you know?”

Nodding your head you were unsure what Jack’s intentions were with this conversation. It seems odd that he’d take his first opportunity to chat with you to talk about who he believes should and shouldn’t be in the house.

“Well, hey, he’s here right? So, either he will make the best of it and find love for himself. Or he won’t. But, I think that’s for him to worry about Jack, not you, you know?”

The conversation with Jack continued on, thankfully moving away from the focus on what guys were voted in the house, but soon enough you’d be interrupted by another man trying to steal your attention.

“Knock knock, times up Eichs.”

Jack looked over his shoulder to see Auston and he reluctantly got up, playfully whining that time went by too quick. Bidding you goodbye as he exited and allowed Auston to take a seat next to you.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

You could feel your smile had doubled in size from the moment Auston walked in. Something about him just gave you butterflies, and you almost felt embarrassed for how excited you were to see him.

“How are you?”

He took your hand in his as he watched you attentively, waiting for your response as you laughed. “I mean, it probably sounds wrong to say, but I’ve got 12 pretty amazing guys all in one house because they want to date me. That’s a pretty nice feeling I’d say?”

Auston laughed with you as he sipped his drink, nodding in agreement.

“I mean, I think we’d all be crazy not to be here, and any one of us would be lucky to walk away with you after this.”

Though all the guys had made a point to say that, you could hear the sincerity in Austin’s voice, he meant it.

“I guess I just wonder how some of you ended up here, or why. I feel like you all should be in relationships and unavailable, how do some of the league's best stars get voted here by their peers?”

He shrugged as he sighed, “because that’s just it, we’re stars, so we should have a girl on our arm. And there’s countless girls we could have on our arms. But, they aren’t there for the right reasons, because of who we are. I can’t speak for any of those guys, so I’m simply speaking for myself. I’m not here for a check, some screen time to promote myself, I’m here because I genuinely think you could be the girl I’ve been missing.”

You felt your heart practically melt at his words, something you’d only ever dreamed of hearing someone say to you.

“I can’t tell you how amazing that makes me feel, hearing you say that. Truly.”

He held your hand tighter as he could see you trying not to get emotional.

“I’ve been through my fair share of rough relationships, being used or played by guys. And, it’s not fun. Thinking you’ve found someone that loves you for you, and it turns out to just be a game to them. But I can hear in your voice how sincere you are, and you mean what you say. And that really just warms my heart. So thank you.”

“Well I’m happy to be the one to say those words to you. And I hope you really do trust me when I say, you’re going to find someone here. Whether it’s me, which I hope it is, or another one of these guys, you’ll find your person. I promise you that.”

Conversations continued throughout the night, some more awkward than others. Particularly with the younger guys like Matt Rempe and Luke Hughes. Both of them taking awhile to open up, but as soon as they did another guy was coming to take their place.

Jamie made a point to ask if you were serious about his shoulder massage, to which you told him if he won the date with you next week you’d promise to give him one.

Trevor and Cole were probably the most talkative out of any of the guys, both full of energy and constantly cracking jokes. Which you appreciated since you knew you needed to find a guy that could make you laugh, that was non-negotiable.

You were sure that Nico was thankful when Quinn came to interrupt the two of you. You’d been talking Nico’s ear off asking him about Switzerland, his taste in music, anything you could think of to get to know him better in the short amount of time. But little did you know he found it adorable, loving how sincerely interested you were in learning about where he’s from, and his interests. He wished he didn’t have to let anyone else have their time with you because he could’ve talked for hours.

Quinn noticed you were a bit talked out when he walked in, but he didn’t mind. Taking the league in telling you about himself, making a point to talk about his love for his family and how important they were to him. He expressed that his past relationship struggles weren’t exactly his fault, as he wanted to be sure the girl he chose to be with would love his family and vice versa. He was a picky sort of guy, but he wasn’t the type to waste anyone’s time when he knew what he wanted, and you appreciated that. Hearing him talk about his family and the love he had for them, it warmed your heart because you could only hope that you’d be the girl Quinn chose to meet his family one day.

As the night was winding down, with only a few guys left to talk to, you found yourself realizing that also meant an elimination was just around the corner.

“How the hell am I gonna do this?”

Questioning yourself as you paced the floor, your thoughts the only noise in the room, you tried to imagine who you would eliminate. But it seemed almost impossible to choose, they were all so amazing. Sure some conversations weren’t the best, but no one had given you a reason to say goodbye to them so soon. Not to mention you still needed to decide who would get the first rose of the night.

“Ugh!”

Letting out a groan you plopped back onto the couch in a huff, resting your head in your hands. The pressure of things weighing heavily on you as you tried to calm your nerves.

“Is now a bad time?”

Looking up you saw John poking his head in the room, a playful smile on his face as he waited for your invitation to join you.

“Now is actually a great time, please.”

A slight laugh came from you as John found a place on the couch, studying your expression and sensing how stressed you were. Before you could say anything more he pulled you into his chest, one hand rubbing your back while the other rested in your hair. You felt yourself melt in his embrace, that hug not what you’d expected, but everything you needed. John could feel you relax the moment his arms wrapped around you, a smile on his lips knowing such a small action could bring you so much comfort.

“Thank you, I, I really needed that.”

A soft blush on your cheeks as you pulled away, tucking some hair behind your ear as he smiled down at you.

“It’s okay to be stressed. This is a crazy experience, probably more for you than the rest of us. But, a crazy experience nonetheless.”

John’s hand rested on your thigh as his thumb traced circles over the fabric of your dress, simply enjoying being there with you in that moment and not needing to have conversation or ask you tons of questions that could add to your stress.

“Y/n, we’ve got 5 minutes before first rose.”

Biz popped his head in to give you the warning, a soft smile on your lips as you thanked him. Looking at John with a sigh, you apologized.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get time to really talk, I was busy being stressed.”

He wrapped you in a hug once more before heading off to rejoin the group. “Don’t apologize, I think we spent our time exactly how you needed it. And I’m happy to have helped in any way that I could’ve.”

Entering the room to see all of the guys once again, you could feel your heart beating out of your chest. Their eyes on you as you stood before them holding the first rose of the night. All of them were hopeful that their name would be called, knowing it would be a boost in confidence for them heading into next week.

As you scanned the room, you took a deep breath, a smile on your face as his name sat on your tongue, eager to shout it out and see his reaction. But you kept your composure, as you finally called his name.

[simmyfrobby]

― it was you, it was you, Salma Deera

Hockey Poetry Post 44/?

(Photo credit: Jeff Bottari, Ethan Miller, Dave Sandford, link, Derek Cain, Jeff Speer, Abbie Parr)

[linskywords]

Hi Linsky, love love all of your work and ‘more than i could ever promise’ is one of my favorite fics ever! I was looking through old tags and saw you mentioned a 1988 Persuasion AU, is that still something that’s in the works?

Funny you should mention that! I was actually just thinking about how I would love to write a story for Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin now that Noah's been traded to the Knights, and the more I thought about it the more it was obvious that Persuasion is the perfect narrative for them. They fall in love in the USNTDP and stay together when they're both in Boston, but then someone (a parent?) convinces Noah that if they try to stay together long-distance when they're both in the NHL they'll be miserable and get outed and ruin both of their careers. Noah's not sure he'd be able to bring himself to break up with Jack if it was just his own career at stake, but if if staying together means also ruining Jack's...

So he breaks up with Jack, and Jack is furious and betrayed, and they don't speak for years. Noah resigns himself to being loveless in a career that feels lonelier by the year, and he thinks that if he could go back in time he would tell his eighteen-year-old self to forget about caution and practicality and just stay with the person who meant the most to him in the world. But it's obviously too late for that now. They play in different countries, and Jack won't even talk to him.

But then Jack has to talk to him, because Noah gets traded.

[gaybroons]

Opening line pattern tag game!

Rules: list the first line of the last ten (10) stories you published. Look to see any patterns you notice yourself, and see if anyone else notices any.

Tagged by @ephhemeralite and @capsvsducks (aaaaaaa I’m sorry it took so long!)

(Organized starting by the most recent)

1. Dressed in nothing but gold

Willy’s fingers are tight in Mitch’s hair, he tugs him back far enough to see his back arch, poised and ready, a bow preparing to fire.

2. Hot Blue Mess

“Please,” he gasps, “please please please please please,“

3. Paying what’s owed

Of course Crosby’s here.

4. Why the fuck is there a PRIEST?

He just wants this nonsense to be over with.

5. BAM-BAM!

Andy leans in, stretching his arm; the cabinet door is too narrow for him to reach in further, and he still can’t get to the tape down there.

6. Pink Whitney doesn’t taste like lemonade; you’re just an alcoholic

They’re trying to watch a football game, or more accurately, Whitney is trying to watch a football game while Biz is doing everything in his power to obstruct him from doing so.

7. Do you think you deserve a kiss?

Kailer looks beautiful on his knees, flushed and panting, already hard in anticipation.

8. Inevitably you will burn (as all living things do)

Max knows he shouldn’t mess with this. He knows .

(Disclaimer, the actual first three lines of the fic are a poem that joy sent to get me to write the fic, but I imagine the game is more about writing trends so I’m using the first written line.)

9. If this Eichel/Tkachuk Rumor is True, it Would’ve BLOWN UP the NHL…

“Nobody’s gonna know,” Matthew whispers against Jack’s lips.

(I feel like I need to defend my title choice here. This post is what inspired the fic)

10. Dude, like, why can’t we just print more money?

“Ughh!!” Trevor groans, flopping down on the couch next to Jamie.

I’m actually shocked that I’ve GOT over 10 fics out there. Man. That’s crazy. This was fun tho!!!! Thanks for the tag guys :)

I can’t really see a specific pattern other than liking to start by using people’s names, my writing style is far from consistent.

No pressure tags: @hard4softthings , @keyshui , @darkangel0410 , @draisaitleons <3

[tradetobest]

dee's january 2024 fic recs

ok so. i thought i'd do a fic rec list every month this year of just my favourite fics that got bookmarked in the month (not necessarily written in the past month) that had just passed... i was a bit busy for the past few days but FINALLY i got the chance to sit down so!!

(if you want to play fic roulette here's some blind links otherwise!! enjoy under the cut

1 2 3 4 5 6)

3:30 by sevenfists

pairing: sidney crosby/evgeni malkin rating: E words: 11k summary: Napping with Sid would be inconvenient, embarrassing, and more than a little gay, and maybe Zhenya was a little gay, but he didn’t need to advertise it.

i LOVE "oh this thing we do together has become a routine now we Have to do it before games" fics and you should too!! this one is So cute i love it....

waiting for confessions of love by catchingpapermoons

pairing: jamie drysdale/trevor zegras/mason mctavish rating: M words: 41k summary: “I’ll be so real with you, man,” Trevor says, pulling back. “I had no fucking idea you liked dudes.”

one thing about me is that i am an absolute sucker for miscommunication and will love it at all costs and this fic DELIVERS!!!! and so well!!

high into the blue by idday

pairing: jack eichel/connor mcdavid rating: T words: 10k summary: Lieutenant John Eichel of the United States Navy – Boston to his squadron and Jack to the people who matter – is reckless and cocky and too smug for his own damn good. But even Connor has to admit that the boy can goddamn fly. (Captain Connor McDavid, Royal Canadian Air Force, is by the book in the worst way, conservative and careful and liable to get himself killed out there. Jack shouldn’t be impressed by him. He really shouldn’t.)

when i tell you i SCREAMED when i got the notif for this fic and then immediately went and watched top gun.,.... if you know me you know anything idday puts out i literally eat up like mceichel is the only thing that will ever sustain me ever again and this was NO exception,,,, always a pleasure to be able to experience an idday fic is what i say

play your heart out by ribena

pairing: leon draisaitl/connor mcdavid rating: M words: 4k summary: Connor loses his heart. Leon finds it for the both of them.

oughh./.. ouhhh.... what even to say.... clutches my heart (lol)...... beautiful..... i literally screamed cried went through it..... please read like literally begs you

nobody wins afraid of losing by adelphenium

pairing: tyler bertuzzi/dylan larkin rating: E words: 12k summary: It’s been almost a year since the first trade. It’s been just a few weeks since they last saw each other, facing off on the ice here in Toronto. In all the months since the Boston run, Tyler’s done nothing but read Dylan’s texts from the notifications bar like a sad and filthy sack of shit, too weak not to feel a thrill whenever a Saw that goal, what a beauty berts or a Hope you’re sleeping ok came through. Or: Tyler and Dylan during the 2024 bye week.

"hey you bookmarked this one on december 31st" IM PUTTING IT IN JANUARY!!!!! PLEASE READ THIS FIC!!!!! not only did jamie adelphenium write it but its just. it has shaped the way i view tyler bertuzzi and sparked a love for mr hockey butt himself..... what a good fic yall please read

reserve your ardors by wrightsworth

pairing: jamie benn/tyler seguin rating: E words: 9k summary: Jamie was in over his head. He had been out of his depth for months if he was being honest, ever since he picked Seggy up from the airport that first time in the humid Dallas air and his Omega genes decided to make themselves known, and loudly.

it wouldnt be me without some good old bennguin and RAHH pining and omegaverse and unrequited-requited and miscommunication like what else could you want in a fic its so good

[reneserseya]

Connor feels him looking, shivers a bit at the unexpected pleasure of it. ⁃ “Do you really need a golfing lesson though?” Jack flushes tearing his eyes away. ⁃ “Not really.” He doesn’t look embarrassed exactly or maybe a little bit, cheeks streaked with red prettily. Connor is the one looking now. ⁃ “How about we meet somewhere else then? Where I don’t have to drag my clubs with me.” ⁃ “I kinda like the way you go around with your clubs.” Connor likes his smile, self deprecating with a bit of sharpness. Likes how Jack’s eyes sparkle when he’s flirting - all at ease and generous in his big body and presence. He’s attractive. And Connor can’t look away.

A Stanley Cup Winner Jack and PGA Champion Connor meet at the golf field for an awkward flirting match.

8/?