#LA kings

[secretlittlerandezvous]

Unexpectedly Ours - Alex Laferriere

Summary: Alex and Y/n have been dating for a while, but recently, Y/n has become distant, leaving Alex confused and hurt. When she finally reveals that she’s pregnant, Alex is overwhelmed with fear and uncertainty, unsure if he’s ready to be a father.

Words: 2148

The tension between Alex and Y/n had been building for days. It was subtle at first just little moments where Alex felt her pull away when he reached for her hand or when her responses seemed short and dry. He didn’t want to make it a bigger deal than it was, but it was hard to ignore. Y/n was always on his mind, and her silence felt like a wall he couldn’t break through.

They had been dating for a few months now, and things had been going well, at least that’s what he thought. But lately, something was different. She was withdrawing, and Alex didn’t know why. He tried calling her, texting her, even stopping by her apartment a few times, but it always felt like she was avoiding him, like there was something she wasn’t saying. He couldn’t help but feel frustrated and hurt.

He sat on the couch that night, mind racing with questions. What happened? Was it something he did? He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, but what? Was someone else in the picture? No, surely not, she wouldn’t do that to him.

Finally, that evening, the silence between them was too much to bear. Alex couldn’t take it any longer. He needed to know what was going on, and he needed to know now.

“Y/n, we need to talk,” Alex said, his voice firm but filled with concern.

Y/n stood in the kitchen, her back turned to him as she nervously dried the plate with towel in her hands. She had been dreading this moment all day, knowing it was coming. She wasn’t ready to face it, but she couldn’t avoid it forever.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you,” Alex continued, frustration creeping into his voice. “You’ve been avoiding me for days. What the hell happened, Y/n?”

"I… I don’t know how to say this," she whispered, her voice trembling. "But it’s not you, Alex. It’s me. I just… I need some time."

Alex felt his heart tighten. "Time? What do you mean by that?"

She finally turned to face him, her eyes full of guilt and hesitation. "I just don’t know if I’m ready for all of this… for us. I don’t know if I’m ready for the future, for all the things that come with it." Her voice broke, and she quickly looked away.

Alex’s confusion deepened. "You’re scaring me, Y/n. What are you talking about? We’ve been figuring this out together. I thought we were on the same page."

Y/n took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but the weight of the words she was about to say felt too overwhelming. She had spent the last week avoiding him, hoping that somehow the distance would make the situation clearer, but it only made it worse. She had to face it, she knew that, but she wasn’t prepared for his reaction.

"I’m… pregnant, Alex," she said in a rush, her voice barely above a whisper.

The words hung in the air like a weight, suffocating them both. Alex froze. His mind went blank, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to react. His first instinct was disbelief, followed by panic, but he couldn’t even find the words.

“You’re… you’re what?” Alex whispered, his voice strained, the shock evident on his face.

“I’m pregnant,” Y/N repeated, her eyes searching his face for any sign of understanding, any sign that he would help her through this.

"Pregnant?" he repeated. "Wait, what? How… how could you…?"

Y/n’s heart sank as she saw the shock and confusion on his face. She knew this wouldn’t be easy, but she hadn’t expected this reaction. "I didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t know what to do. I’m scared, Alex. I didn’t plan for this. I didn’t think it would happen."

Alex’s chest tightened as his thoughts spun wildly. This was… this was too much. He had just started to get to know Y/n, and now this? They were barely getting settled into their relationship, and now they had to think about something as big as this?

"I… I don’t know what to say," he muttered, his hand running through his hair, his thoughts racing. "This is too much. We’re still figuring each other out, and now… this? I don’t know if I can do this, Y/n. I don’t know if I’m ready for this kind of responsibility."

Tears welled in Y/n’s eyes as she took a step back. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out.

He also took a step back, the frustration boiling over. “You don’t get it, Y/n. This is too much. I can’t just drop everything and-” His voice cracked, but he pushed through. “I can’t be a father right now. I don’t know if I want to be part of this.”

Y/n’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What are you saying?” Her voice wavered with emotion, her chest tight with hurt.

Alex’s heart pounded in his chest, and his mind was a whirlwind. He wanted to say something to comfort her, but the words felt stuck in his throat. How could he comfort her when he wasn’t even sure what he was feeling?

"I… I didn’t think it would be like this," he said, frustration creeping into his voice. "I didn’t think you’d just… drop this on me. You said you weren’t ready. I’m not ready for this either."

Y/n’s voice cracked. "I’m sorry.” It was also she was able to say.

Alex’s face reddened with frustration. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do! This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t prepared for this, Y/n. I don’t know how to handle it.”

Y/n wiped away her tears, stepping back. “Well, maybe you should’ve thought about that before,” she shot back, her voice trembling. “Maybe you should’ve thought about it before we got this far, Alex. I’m not asking you to have it all figured out right now but I can’t carry this by myself.”

Alex shook his head, his expression hardening. His eyes focused on Y/n, but he couldn’t make sense of her expression. She looked scared, and all he felt was panic.

“I’m not ready for this. I’m not ready for a baby. I don’t know if I can do this, and I don’t know if I want to.”

The words hit Y/n like a knife to the chest, taking breath out of her. She couldn’t breathe. She tried to hold it together, but the tears started to fall before she could stop them.

“You don’t know if you want to?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “You don’t even want to try?”

Alex’s face softened for a moment, but it didn’t stop the pain in his chest. He wanted to reach out to her, to comfort her, but he was drowning in his own fear. How could he even comfort her when he had no idea how to comfort himself? “I don’t know what to do, Y/n. I might need space to figure this out.”

Y/n wiped away her tears, stepping back. “Fine,” she said, her voice cold. “If you need space, then I’ll give it to you.”

She grabbed her purse from the counter, turning to leave. She couldn’t be there anymore, not when everything felt like it was falling apart.

“Y/n, wait,” Alex called out, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t stay. Not when his words were still echoing in her mind. Not when she couldn’t tell if he cared about her anymore.

The door slammed behind her, and Alex stood there, feeling like the world had just collapsed around him. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know if he could be a father. He didn’t know if he was ready for any of this.

Days turned into a week, and Alex hadn’t heard from Y/n. His phone was silent, her absence hanging over him like a cloud. He tried reaching out, sending texts, calling, but she didn’t respond. He didn’t blame her. He had pushed her away when all she needed was his support.

His mind was a mess. He spent long nights sitting on the couch, trying to process everything, but nothing made sense. He had said things he didn’t mean, but now it was too late and he could never take it back. He was given the space he asked for, but it wasn’t helping. He wondered if the space had any affect on Y/n.

One evening, as Alex sat alone in the dark, his phone buzzed with a message from Y/n. His heart skipped as he quickly opened it.

Y/N: I don’t know what I’m doing, Alex. I’m scared. But I can’t do this alone. I need you. I still want us to figure this out.

When he arrived, Y/n was sitting on the couch, her face tired, her eyes red from crying. She looked up as he walked in, her expression unreadable.

“I’m sorry,” Alex said, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ve been an idiot. I don’t know what I was thinking. I was scared, and I let that control everything. But I don’t want to lose you.”

Y/n didn’t speak at first, just stared at him, as if trying to read him. “I don’t know if I can just forget what you said, Alex. You said you didn’t know if you wanted to be a part of this and if you wanted to be a father.”

“I was scared,” he said, his voice breaking. “But I don’t want to be scared anymore. I want to be with you. I want to be there for you and our baby. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I want to try. If that’s what you want, if you want to keep this baby and,” he paused. “Whatever you want to do, I want to be with you.”

Y/n took a deep breath, her eyes softening. “You’re scared and I’m scared. But I know if you’re with me then it’ll be all better.”

Alex nodded, stepping forward and taking her hand. “We’ll figure this out, together.”

Months passed, and as the days grew warmer, the thought of their baby becoming a reality settled deeper into Alex’s heart. He had his moments of doubt, but each time he looked at Y/n, he felt a sense of calm. They were building something together, and despite everything that had happened, he was ready to embrace it.

And then, one late night, the day arrived.

Y/n’s contractions started in the evening, sharp and quick. He had just returned home from the game. She gripped Alex’s hand, her breath coming in short bursts as she tried to focus on each breath, her mind overwhelmed with the pain of it all.

“You’re doing great, babe,” Alex whispered, holding her hand tightly as they rushed to the hospital. He could see the fear in her eyes, and he wished more than anything that he could take it all away for her.

They barely made it to the delivery room, and the moments that followed were a blur of pain, anticipation, and worry. Alex stayed by her side, whispering encouraging words, trying to be her rock even when his own fear threatened to drown him.

And then, in the early hours of the morning, after what felt like an eternity, they heard it. The first cry of their baby.

Tears filled Alex’s eyes as he looked at Y/n, his hand on her cheek, his voice trembling. “You did it,” he whispered, his heart overwhelmed with love and awe. “We have a baby.”

Y/n smiled weakly, exhaustion written across her face, but her eyes shone with a joy that made everything worth it. She reached out to hold their newborn, the tiny life that had changed everything between them.

Alex looked down at their child, his heart bursting with emotions he couldn’t put into words. He had been scared, terrified even, but now, in this moment, he felt an overwhelming sense of love and connection.

This was their family.

“We’re a family,” Y/n whispered, her voice soft as she looked up at him.

Alex nodded, the weight of it all settling in as he kissed her forehead. All the fear, all the uncertainty - they had faced it, and they had made it through.

[korshrimpski]

alternate title: the la kings are whimsical and here is some of the proof

photo creds: byfield: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | clarke: 1, 2, 3 | helenius: 1 | laferriere: 1, 2, 3 | lee: 1 | spence: 1, 2 | thomas: 1, 2 | turcotte: 1, 2

transcript/id: (i'm so sorry)

SLIDE 1: on a gray background is a doodle of the la kings logo centre page. Text: los angeles kings youth renaissance primer / (aka me begging you all to realise the lak are whimsical)

SLIDE 2: Quinton Byfield

Text:

drafted second overall in 2020: centre

fractured his ankle in 2021 preseason against the yotes after falling awkwardly into the boards delaying him joining the kings (a common theme within the kings youth roster)

moves between the second and third line but found a home on the third line with warren foegele and alex laferriere

starting to show colours of being a shutdown centreman (kopi would be proud)

currently on a five year contract

Photo 1: Quinton Byfield #55, in his gear on the ice twirling the strap of his helmet.

Photo 2: Comments under warren foegele's post. there is a red arrow pointing from the text to the screenshot that says;

alaf14 (alex laferriere): Lineyyy quintonbyfield: Foegdadddyyy

SLIDE 3: Quinton Byfield

Text:

named after quentin tarantino

phillip danault’s son (real)

noted goofball

you will be hard pressed to not find any post game picture with him not shirtless

has a post win hug tradition with alex laferriere

has more swagger in his pinky finger than i will ever have in my life

loves darcy kuemper and i don’t blame him

Photo 1: Quinton Byfield with his hands on his hips his body is facing the right but his head and upper chest is facing the camera. there is a silly look on his face while he wears a silly hat.

Photo 2&3: la kings player of the day helmet photos. Quinton Byfield is shirtless in both pictures and there is a red circle around him highlighting that fact

Photo 4: tweet for LA Kings: when your goalie is 9-1-2 in his last 12, he deserves a little 😘. attached is a gif of quinton byfield skating into darcy kuempers arms kissing him on the side of darcy's mask.

SLIDE 4: Brandt Clarke

Text:

drafted 8th overall in 2021: defender

the youngest player (21, 09/02/2003) on the kings

younger brother of wild prospect graeme clarke

has lots of comparisons to drew doughty, yk no pressure

won gold in 2023 at wjc

first full season with the kings after spending half the season in the ahl last year

randomly was made a winger for a few shifts on the third line against the kraken (18/01)

on an entry level contract

Photo: Side profile of Clarke in his gear.

SLIDE 5: Brandt Clarke

Text:

shit disturber

he does not shut up <3

carpools with anže kopitar to the rink

used to billet with jonathan quick in 2022-23 and would play goalie against quick’s kids

how kingsblr sees him*

*cont. Photo: Tweet by fartpog: saw this guy and said Ew ew ew ew ew ew ugly and then felt so bad i cried and bought him. with brandt clarke's headshot overlaying the gingerbread man plushie.

SLIDE 6: Samuel Helenius

Text:

drafted 59th overall in 2021: centre

the tallest kings player (6'6ft/198cm)

the son of Sami Helenius

has been up and down in the nhl and ahl this season

scored his first nhl goal yesterday!! (22/01)

on an entry level contract

in smaller text: (sorry sammy i don't know much about you)

Photo: Samuel Helenius raising his hockey stick to salute to crowd after getting first star of the night

SLIDE 7: Alex Laferriere

Text:

drafted 83rd overall in 2020: RW

laffy season

plays up and down all lines but mainly plays on the third line with Warren Foegele and Quinton Byfield (rip the alex²-foegele line)

went to harvard (and majored psychology (i think he graduated recently or he might soon idk))

at the time of writing this (24/01, acst (australian central standard time)) he currently has an upper body injury

on the last year of his entry level contract

Photo: Close profile shot of Alex Laferriere concentrating on something out of frame.

SLIDE 8: Alex Laferriere

Text:

got his diploma in case this hockey thing goes to shit

don’t let his unassuming appearance fool you he is a shit disturber

has bodied logan o’connor and connor mcdavid. ig he doesn’t like connors :/

he hated skating at first so his big sister, sophie, bribed him with skittles to get him to skate

at the start of the year was on a line with anže kopitar and adrian kempe, kingdblr called them the “triple AAA” line (#reunitethetripleaaaline (no matter how much i love other alex on the first line))

post win hug tradition with qb

Photo 1: Alex Laferriere sitting politely smiling wide at the camera.

Photo 2: Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere hugging both pairs of arms around the others abdomen.

SLIDE 9: Andre Lee

Text:

drafted 188th overall in 2019: LW

cousins with sharks fabian zetterlund

plays up and down in the nhl and ahl and is usually a healthy scratch most nights (sadly)

scored his first nhl on new years day against the devs

on a one year contract (kings please resign him, i will cry if you don’t)

got a leg injury last season in the ahl and couldn’t play for 2 months

grew up a kopitar fan (he has taste)

loves his family so much and told his mum “we made it” once and i get emotional thinking about it

in smaller text says: (sorry for the 1 slide tazer idk much about you)

Photo: Andre Lee towering over Tanner Jeannot (?) as he leans down to hug him.

SLIDE 10: Jordan Spence

Text:

drafted 95th overall in 2019: defender

grew up playing hockey in japan (his mum is from japan)

was born in manly australia (no he is not australian stop saying he is australian he is japanese-canadaian you asreholes) (that last bit is targeted at a certain section of twitter)

he was struggling at the start of the season but since being paired with Jacob Moverare he and moverare are now amazing and i love them both sm

on a 2 year contract

Photo: Jordan Spence turned to the left smiling. He is illuminated by a red light.

SLIDE 11: Jordan Spence

Text:

speaks 3 languages (english, japanese and french) although his french is a bit iffy

roomates with alex turcotte

phillip danault’s son (real)

survived andreas englund (i’m sorry andreas but spenny carried you when you guys were paired together)

likes calling people (namely qb) goofballs

had a dog growing up called doughty after drew doughty (who was his favourite players growing up)

rides an ebike with qb. like they literally share one bike to ride around la

to learn english after moving to canada he would ask his teammates bad english words to chirp opponents and in turn he would teach them bad japanese words

Photo: Jordan Spence looking stoic holding a tiny fish.

SLIDE 12: Akil Thomas

Text:

drafted 51st overall in 2018: centre

oh buddy it has been a journey to get to the nhl. The first three season after the draft were good he was developing in the OHL and won gold at the wjc in 2020 (where he scored the golden goal), and made the ontario reign in 2020-21. then in 2022-23 he got a shoulder injury. then in 2023-24 he got another one.

but now he’s here and he is the real deal. even though jim hiller keeps scratching him (jim hiller you asshole)

on a 2 year contract

Photo: Akil Thomas in practice gear smiling.

SLIDE 13: Akil Thomas

Text:

skipped a year of high school and started taking classes at Brock University at age 17

got bullied by david rittich after czechia beat canada at wjc 2025

he will comment a gif under your insta post, it is his thing

scored his first nhl goal last season but a lot of people thought he scored it this season (thanks a lot commentators)

might have been roommates with alex turcotte but idk for sure

part time model ig, idk the logistics but i think he endorses a clothing brand

Photo 1: Akil Thomas walk in picture wearing a white top with an off white coat and dark blue dress pants, with egg patterned socks and white air forces.

Photo 2: Akil Thomas posing of a photo looking down hands in the pockets of his flannel that is layered on top of a hoodie.

SLIDE 14: Alex Turcotte

Text:

drafted 5th overall in 2019: C/L/RW

son of alfie turcotte

currently stabbing the bust allegations with a knife

started the season on the bottom two lines, then got bumped up and down the line up for a while and now he has solidified himself on the first line and he deserves it after the tumultuous years of getting to the nhl

shoulder injury after wjc delaying his start to the reign → got acute appendicitis → then got a concussion → then got another concussion. and along the way he kept getting minor injuries side-lining him for a handful of games

but now he is here and it is officially turkey season

on a 3 year contract

Photo: Alex Turcotte pumped up after scoring raising his left knee towards his chest.

FINAL SLIDE: Alex Turcotte

Text:

billeted with the hughes family when he was in the usndpt (yes, he was in that weird american hockey cult)

while with his concussions he spoke/texted with bowen byram a bit because it was nice to have someone who could understand his circumstances

kingsblr will go to bat for turkey. listen hear hockey podcast he is not a bust he is unlucky. get. it. right.

loves when warren foegele is grumpy. true younger sibling behaviour

Photo: a screenshot of la kings tweet: TURCY DAY!!! attached is a photo of Alex Turcotte in Lando Norris's helmet. to his left is. Trevor Lewis and Jordan Spence. To his right is Tanner Jeannot and Anže Kopitar. In front of him on the ground from left to right is Brandt Clarke, Adrian Kempe and Warren Foegele

END.

[ohpuckno]

Hockeyblr is hilarious because every now and then, you’ll catch your mutuals cheering for teams you despise on your dash. It’s like discovering your dad has a secret second family. My brother in Christ, we were fighting on the frontlines together in the same lb no more than 24 hours ago, what happened

[three-headed-monster]

anatomy of a fight | brandt clarke and luke hughes 01.01.25

[mikeywayarchive]

frankieromustdie: he’s a consummate rams/kings/dodger fan (we let that slide), a bigtime hat enthusiast, mychem’s bass player extraordinaire, my personal photographer, all around sweet little dude who’s always down for a mall hang or a shit talk, and one of my oldest & most handsomest friends.

you know him / you love him…

my brudda from anutha, michael romance.

[Aug 1, 2024]

[samanthasgone]

Credit to Pinterest

[foegoal]

yappers in the bad box

[callsign-bubbles]

your 2023-2024 stanley pup competitors!

[atwhughesversion]

i forgot about this 😭 why’d they just start playing mcpingpong

video source

[sunshine-gumdrop]

I'm so incredibly offended.

[giganticism]

@lakings: Anze Kopitar is your favorite player's favorite player

[secretlittlerandezvous]

Caught In The Act - Alex Laferriere

Summary: Alex’s teammates suspect he’s hiding a new relationship after noticing his unusual happiness.

Word: 675

Alex had always been the quiet type, the kind of guy who flew under the radar when it came to anything off the ice. Alex wasn’t exactly secretive, but he valued his privacy. Recently, though, his teammates couldn’t ignore that something was different about him.

“Alright, what’s up with Laf?” Kevin asked one day as they hanged out in the locker room after practice. “He’s been smiling like he won the lottery, and I’ve seen him check his phone at least five times today.”

“I’ve been saying it for weeks,” Quinton Byfield chimed in. “He’s seeing someone.”

“Definitely,” Adrian agreed, leaning back against the bench. “Did you see him after practice yesterday? He was humming.”

“Humming?” Brandt’s eyebrows shot up. “Okay, now I’m curious.”

The group laughed, but from that moment on, Alex became their main target of playful investigation. They started watching him like hawks trying to catch him slipping out of the arena, glancing at his phone, or acting suspicious in any way. But Alex wasn’t giving anything away, and his tight-lipped attitude only made them more determined.

The break finally came one Friday night when the team decided to grab dinner at a new restaurant everyone was talking about. They chose a large table in the back, the usual banter and laughter filling the air as they waited for their food.

“Man, Laf’s missing out,” Adrian said, taking a sip of his drink.

“He said he had plans,” Quinton replied, narrowing his eyes. “Pretty convenient excuse, huh?”

Kevin smirked. “He’s definitely on a date.”

“Guys,” Brandt interrupted suddenly, his voice low and urgent. “Look over there.”

All heads turned to where Brandt was pointing. There, in a booth near the window, sat Alex. His face was lit up with a rare smile, and he was leaning toward a girl across the table. The girl was laughing at something he said.

“No way,” Jordan muttered, sitting up straighter. “Is that Laf?”

“Busted,” Adrian said with a grin.

The group stared as Alex reached across the table, brushing a stray piece of hair behind Y/n’s ear. She blushed, her hand resting on the table near his, and it was clear from the way they looked at each other that this wasn’t just some casual hangout.

Quinton was the first to react, standing up and waving dramatically. “Hey, Laf!” he called across the restaurant.

Alex froze mid-sentence, his head snapping toward the sound of Quinton’s voice. His eyes widened in horror as he saw the entire table of his teammates grinning and waving at him.

“Oh no,” Alex muttered under his breath, sinking a little lower in his seat.

Y/n, confused, turned to look at what was happening. “What’s going on?”

Alex let out a resigned sigh. “Those are my teammates,” he said, nodding toward the group.

Her eyes widened slightly before a laugh escaped her. “Well, they seem fun.”

“That’s one word for it,” Alex replied.

Adrian, Kevin, and Brandt were all gesturing for Alex to come over, but Alex shook his head firmly. This only made them laugh harder, and they started clapping loudly, much to the amusement of the others at the restaurant.

“Well, I guess the secret’s out,” Alex said with a small smile, turning back to Y/n.

“You were keeping me a secret?” she teased, though her tone was lighthearted.

“Only because they’re impossible,” Alex assured her. “And now I’ll never hear the end of it.”

From the other table, Quinton cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “We love her already, Laf!”

Alex groaned, burying his face in his hands as Y/n’s face turned red from embarrassment. “They’re never going to stop, are they?” she asked.

“Not a chance,” Alex admitted.

The rest of the team laughed as they got up to leave, teasing Alex the whole way out.

As Alex and Y/n finished their meal, the easy affection between them was undeniable, and Alex knew that no matter how much his teammates poked fun at him, he wouldn’t trade the peace he found with her for anything.

[sweetiepoison]

Famous Baby blurb

(The Leafs Game)

A/n: I’m actually really struggling writing the next part so a throwback! Italics indicate a flashback

“Try going up one note” You suggest standing across from Justin at the piano.

Your friend asked you to come over to help out with some new music he was working on. You also were trying to write an album of your own and figured the afternoon spent working would help you as well. Justin sang the previous verse over again but higher like you suggested.

“Yeah I like that.” He commented going straight into the next verse. You hummed along joining in on certain verses creating a harmony.

“How would you feel about this song being the first I release off the new album?” Your jaw dropped at Justin’s question.

“For real?” You gasped. Justin’s return to music had been long anticipated by both fans and the media alike. And for him to want the song you collaborated on to be his intro back into the music industry was appreciated.

“Of course!” Justin exclaimed scooting back from the piano. “(y/n), you are one of the biggest names in the industry right now if not the biggest” he said putting an emphasis on the word the.

You were like a little sister to Justin, originally signing onto the same label when you were 16 and starting your career. Justin knew what it was like to be so young and in the spotlight so he looked out for you. Despite you switching labels and Justin taking a step back from music, you remained close. There was no one else he trusted more to debut his new album with.

“You’re still Justin Bieber.” You reminded him. “You don’t need my name attached for this to be successful.”

You continued practicing until the afternoon slowly turned into the evening and Hailey came downstairs with a leafs jersey on and an extra in her hands.

“Cult meeting tonight?” You asked as she handed the jersey to Justin.

“Yeah, do you want to come?” She offered.

You laughed at the thought, “Hell no.”

“C’mon, (y/n) please.”

“Come support our friend with us.” They both wore the same pouty expression.

“Auston is not my friend.”

“But we are,” Justin cut in before you could go on a rant. “And would you rather hang out with your friends or stay in by yourself tonight?”

“I’m fine with staying in.”

“C’mon everyone’s going, and it’ll be a fun night and we can go out after-“

“Fine.” You give in. “But I’m not wearing a jersey.”

—

It wasn’t enough for you to just not wear a maple leafs jersey. You knew one thing would piss off Auston even more. So once you all settled into your seats you grabbed your best friends hand and dragged her down to the gift shop.

“You don’t even like hockey.” She reminded you as you searched through the jerseys. “Why waste money on something you’re never gonna wear again?”

“Because, Auston will hate it.”

“And why do you care what he thinks?”

“I don’t.” You immediately snapped. “But I definitely don’t want him to think I came willingly. Plus we’re from here so why not support the hometown team.” You shrugged continuing your search.

Once you finally settled on a jersey you liked you didn’t wait for a bag and instead immediately pulled it on over your shirt. The jersey may have been petty, but you knew it would get the job done and that’s what mattered.

Justin groaned and rolled his eyes once he saw you return to your seat, “I’m not even gonna say anything.”

“Good choice.” You said sitting down next to Shawn with a satisfied smirk, actually looking forward to the start of the game.

“The arena is packed tonight. And we are not short of celebrity guests. Up in the stands we have Justin and Hailey Bieber, Shawn Mendes, and (y/f/n) (y/l/n)” The crowd cheered loudly following the announcement and the excitement only grew as your section was featured on the Jumbotron. You waved and smiled for the camera.

“It looks like there’s a rivalry going on up there.” The other announcer commented on the oppsoing jerseys you were wearing. You adjusted in your seat making it very known that you had a Kings jersey on.

“I would love to hear the trash talking that’s going on up there between Justin and (y/n)”

—

Once again the crowd went wild as Auston scored a goal. The group around you excitedly jumped up cheering along with others. You remained stoic looking down at your phone to check the time.

“At least pretend to be happy.” Justin leaned down to whisper his back facing the ice. “The cameras are on us.”

“Excitement for Auston is just something I can’t fake.” You finalized with a shrug of your shoulders, but the pleading look on Justin’s face was too hard to ignore. So you forced a smile throwing in a few claps.

“I’ll take it.” Justin said satisfied.

Once everyone calmed down you went back to your phone showing Shawn pictures from the vacation your family took recently. You were so absorbed in telling various stories from the trip you didn’t notice the time out that was called.

Shawn’s song, Fallin’ All in You began playing. You absentmindedly hummed along and looked up to see the Jumbotron started back up and this time with the kiss cam.

The camera suddenly panned on your section and was featuring Justin and Hailey. All of your friends instantly began cheering the couple on. And when they gave in and the crowd erupted.

Your excitement was fleeting though as the camera moved off of them and onto you and Shawn.

“Oh God.” You mumbled with a smile on your face trying to cover up any discomfort you were feeling.

You thought your immediate hesitation would be enough of an indication that you didn’t want to kiss your ex, but they persisted refusing to move the camera.

“They aren’t going to move on till we kiss.” Shawn whispered.

“Fine.” You conceded leaning back and looking over at him. “You make the first move.”

“Like our first kiss all over again.” He laughed before leaning over and kissing you. It was gentle and sweet, but had the whole arena booming with excitement.

You immediately covered your face laughing along with him as the camera stayed on you two to get the aftermath. Shawn kept his arm wrapped around your shoulders and kissed the side of your head. “Give it a second they’ll move on…And we’re good.”

You were relieved when you looked up and it wasn’t your face you were seeing on the screen. The breakup took place seven years ago and you stayed true to your word remaining friends after the split.

While there were no longer romantic feelings, Shawn was a comforting piece of your foundation. He not only maintained a good relationship with you, but your family as well. You knew he would be a part of your life for the rest of your life.

“Good job guys, no matter what happens with this game, that’s all anyone’s going to be talking about.” Justin reached over to fist bump Shawn.

“So we need to know are you guys back together.” Your best friend held out her water bottle as a fake microphone to you.

“Yeah, that kiss seemed pretty intimate.” Your other friend, Mason joined in also holding out a water bottle.

“Shut up.” You giggled pushing the water bottle away. “If any of you say we’re together I will end you.”

“Not the threats.” Mason joked, “I’m for sure telling TMZ that when they call me.”

Following the kiss cam the intensity seemed to go up for both teams, especially for one player in particular.

Auston wasn’t sure why seeing you on the kiss cam annoyed him so much, but it did. Everyone was supposed to be here to watch a hockey game and you turned it into a joke.

“Fuck.” He angrily slammed his stick against the boards breaking it before taking a seat on the bench.

“Dude, take a breather.” Mitch encouraged sitting down next to him.

“I’m fine.” Auston insisted taking a long swig from his water bottle.

“You sure because you’ve seemed tense?”

“Yeah I just want to win.” Mitch knew that wasn’t the reason, but he also knew not to push so he let it go.

Following your kiss he began playing harder. His hits were more forceful, his trash talking more heated, and his need to score at an all time. The intensity in the arena extended beyond the ice. As the game drew closer to ending fans of both teams started getting more aggressive.

“Matthews sucks. Anytime anyone gets near him he’s crying and acting like a little bitch.” A man sitting in front of you screamed at the glass. You had watched him down four beers already and become progressively drunk as the game went on.

“He’s talented, but selfish with the puck and a show off. The talent won’t last forever.” His friend next to him chimed in. They were both wearing Kings jerseys similar to the one you had on.

The way they were talking about Auston didn’t sit right with you. Any other day you would agree and probably even say those things yourself, but today was not that day.

You may have not known much about hockey, but you knew Auston was good (you would never admit that to him). And two middle aged men saying otherwise annoyed you.

“(Y/n), don’t.” Your best friend wrapped her hand around your wrist. You looked down now noticing that your hands were clenched and tapping against your leg.

“I’m not going to do anything.” You reassured her, trying to take deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

“Are you sure? Because you have this crazy look in your eye and your extremely stiff right now.”

“I’m fine.” You seethed through clenched teeth.

“He’s overrated and overpaid.”

You took it upon yourself to tap on one of the men’s shoulder. As they turned around you cleared your throat and plastered on a tight smile. “Don’t you think this is the type of conversation you can have in your car on the ride home or maybe not even at all?”

“I can talk about whatever and whoever I want, when I want to.” The man on the right replied his beer sloshing around in his glass.

“You are two grown men talking about another grown man, be realistic.” You bit back, your attempt at being nice slowly fading away.

“You’re right we are grown men and allowed to have whatever opinion we want.” The second man replied raising his voice.

“Yeah maybe just don’t have it so loudly.” You suggested shrugging your shoulders and leaning back in your seat.

“You don’t know anything about hockey.”

“I know that right now the leafs are beating the kings.”

“Games not over yet.”

“And Matthews has scored two of their four goals.”

Despite your best attempts to keep the conversation cordial. The raised voices started gaining the attention of others around you. You knew a disagreement was one thing, but a full blown fight wouldn’t be a good look for you. As far as the public were concerned you weren’t the type of girl to be aggressive. And you would have maintained that look had one of the men not stood up so he was towering over you.

“He sucks the same way you probably get on your knees every night and suck his dick.” Any thought of being passive for your public image was out the window as you also stood not backing down.

“Excuse me.”

“You heard me.”

“No say it again I want you to hear yourself and how stupid you sound.” Image be damned. You didn’t want someone talking about Auston like that and you definitely weren’t going to allow them to talk about you like that.

“You’re nothing more than one of his sluts.” He threw his arms in the air, but before anything further could happen security was closing in on you quickly. You realized you hadn’t only caught the attention of the people around you but the whole arena as you looked up and could see yourself on the Jumbotron.

“And you’re a pathetic excuse of a human being. People pay to watch him, you’re running your mouth for free.” You had the final say as security pulled him away kicking both man out of the game. The crowd cheered watching them get escorted out, still fighting with anyone they could.

Watching them leave, however didn’t make you feel any better. You quickly picked up your bag and began climbing up the stairs before anyone could stop you. You were embarrassed that someone spoke to you like that especially in front of a crowd. You ran into the nearest bathroom locking yourself in a stall. You cursed yourself for letting your anger get the best of you. You knew this was going to be everywhere in a matter of hours. The string of texts coming into your phone from your publicist let you know that word already got to her.

“Fuck.” You groaned letting your head fall against the stall wall.

“(Y/n)?” You knew your best friend would find you. She stopped in front of the stall you were in, “I know you’re in there. I can see your feet.”

You groaned stomping your foot on the ground,“Go away.” There was no way you were opening the door.

“A security guard came over to us, Auston’s asking to see you.”

“No.” You flat out refused.

“Please.” You didn’t need to open the door to know she was biting down on her lip, a nervous habit she picked up from you. “He’s refusing to go back on the ice until he talks to you and they kinda need him.”

“Oh my god, he’s so dramatic.” You exclaimed opening the door. You usually were against giving into tantrums, but this needed to be resolved.

You begrudgingly followed security as they took you down to the tunnel where Auston was waiting.

“Are you crazy?” Auston screamed as soon as he saw you walking towards him.

Auston was confused as both teams were forced back to their benches in the middle of the game. Nothing happened on the ice to justify this, but as the crowd started to get loud and the Jumbotron featured the stands he realized it wasn’t because of what was happening on the ice, but rather off of it.

He watched as two people stood toe to toe yelling back and forth, neither backing down. But once he looked closer he realized he recognized the people around the two and then realized one of the people standing was you.

“So fucking stupid.” He mumbled, anger starting to flare up in his eyes. He continued to watch until the man raised his arm and that’s when Auston started moving before he could think. He didn’t get very far though, before multiple people were holding him back.

“Get off me.” He growled fighting against Mo, John, and Willy.

“You’re not going over there, this isn’t our arena and those aren’t our fans.” John kept his arms on Auston’s shoulders.

He continued watching as security closed in on the altercation separating you two, “fuck this.” He snapped breaking free from the hold on himself and moving towards the tunnel. “Someone get her down here.”

“Are you?” You shot back, “your holding up a whole game for this!” You motioned your hand between the two of you.

“I wouldn’t have to if you would’ve just sat down and stayed quiet!” He was pissed and didn’t care about who could possibly hear him.

“Oh yeah because I wanted a grown man yelling in my face.” You sarcastically let out, your voice going up an octave as you also got louder.

You watched as Auston shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. He had a concentrated look on his face, a look you’d seen before. This was the look Auston wore when he was trying to figure something out. But unlike before, the look didn’t go away, he was still frustrated.

“What the hell were you thinking?” He huffed pacing back and forth.

“I wasn’t, I was defending you!” You flung your arms in the air voice strained. “And based on how you’re treating me right now, I shouldn’t have.”

“I don’t need you to defend me.” Auston didn’t hold back, “people say shit all the time. You included.”

“But they weren’t me and no one besides me should say those things about you.” Your pulse was racing and it took a generous amount of self control to bring your voice back down to a reasonable level.

It felt like an eternity of silence before Auston finally replied, his voice much softer and more worn out, “You could’ve gotten hurt.”

“But I didn’t.” You watched as he leaned against the the wall hunched over. You realized that this was effecting him more than you. You were worried about your image, but Auston was worried about you. If anything would’ve happened to you, he would’ve never forgave himself. That’s not because he had any feelings for you, but because his parents raised him right (or at least that’s what he told himself when he flew off the ice and down the tunnel demanding to see you.)

“Hey, Auston.” You timidly touched his cheek forcing him to look at you. “I’m fine. Okay?” You searched his eyes for any confirmation that your words were getting through. “Plus I didn’t totally disagree with them, they did call you a little bitch.” The smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth and the deep chuckle confirmed that he was fine.

“A little bitch, huh? Not very original.”

“They also called me a dumb bitch so we have that in common.” You shrugged taking a step back.

Auston was amused, “Who would’ve thought that would be what we have in common.”

You smiled crossing your arms over your chest. You both took a second to really look at each other. You may have disliked each other, but you shared common ground when it came to dealing with hate. Auston didn’t deserve it any more than you did.

“This color looks terrible on you by the way.” Auston broke the silence lightly tugging at the jersey you wore.

“Really? You looked down at your outfit, “I think it’s sleek and flattering.”

“You’d look better in blue.” Auston stood to his full height.

“Win this game and I might consider it.” You offered side stepping to allow him to get closer to the entrance.

“Really?”

“No.” You shook your head, “but I do actually need you to win now. That fight can’t be for nothing.”

“This next goals for you, then.” He smirked.

“Don’t miss it like the last one.” You teased.

“Don’t get into anymore fights.” He retorted walking away and you watched as he returned from where he came.

[three-headed-monster]

brandt: *face wash*

quinn: *TACKLE*

[mikeywayarchive]

frankieromustdie: he’s a consummate rams/kings/dodger fan (we let that slide), a bigtime hat enthusiast, mychem’s bass player extraordinaire, my personal photographer, all around sweet little dude who’s always down for a mall hang or a shit talk, and one of my oldest & most handsomest friends.

you know him / you love him…

my brudda from anutha, michael romance.

[Aug 1, 2024]

[puckpocketed]

10/12/2024 - LAK @ NYI