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sweetteainthesummerx · 8 months ago

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⋆·˚ ༘ * oh, my, my, my ⋆·˚ ༘ *

nhl masterlist !

pairings: quinn hughes x childhood friend!reader, jack hughes x platonic best friend!reader, quinn x artist!reader

warnings: angst and comfort, fluff

summary: you and quinn throughout the years, and how you fall in love <3

song: mary's song (oh my my my) by taylor swift

word count: 4.4 k

notes: I love lake quinn sm :)

★・・・・★・・・・ ★・・・・★

our daddies used to joke about the two of us, growing up and falling in love, our mamas smiled, and rolled their eyes

"oh, she's so tiny!" ellen cooes, cradling the little bundle of pink, "and she has your eyes, birdie."

your mother smiles at the nickname her college friend had given her freshman year, when a bird had pooped on her head during a girl's night out.

it stuck (literally), and almost 10 years later, as her best friend holds her babygirl, she's reminded of everything they'd been through together.

"congrats, man. the first girl in the family!" jim slaps your dad on the shoulder, the two men smiling at their wives.

"oh, she's just precious." you yawn, and all of the adults are reduced to an awwing mess.

quinn toddles over, chubby toddler legs still unsure. he lands on his butt half a foot away from ellen, who lifts him up with the hand that wasn't holding you.

"look, quinny."

quinn reaches out a finger towards you, and jim is about to chide him when your tiny little fist locks around it. his wide eyes widen even more. you gurgle happily at him, and for the first time in a while, he goes completely still, enraptured by the baby in front of him.

"oh." your father whispers.

"well, that's your son-in-law now," jim laughs.

"hey, don't count out jack! they're closer in age, after all."

your mom rolls her eyes, as ellen snorts, "let's not pre-write our kid's futures before they're five, please."

..••°°°°••....••°°°°••..

i was seven and you were nine, i looked at you like the stars that shine

"y'know, birdie," ellen starts, "the boys might be right."

"no, they cannot eat four pb and j's and then go to the carnival-"

"no, not the little ones!", ellen laughs, "our husbands. they might be right."

"oh, that? the whole son-in-law thing?" your mom grins, as she watches luke chase after you with a worm.

the two women are silent and thoughtful as you - screaming at the top of your lungs - duck behind quinn, who sternly tells off his little brother. your sticky hands lace with his, naturally, albeit a bit awkward the way only kids can be.

you absolutely adore quinn. he's your protector, the one you turn to more often than not. jack is your best friend, and you remind her of that often. luke is your baby brother, the one you coddle and fuss over.

and the boys adore you just as much; jack plays pirates with you all day, Luke follows you like a puppy, and quinn...

he's staked a claim on you that makes your mom laugh, but worry a little when your older and you inevitably find someone who isn't him.

it never occurred to her that he might be the one.

"oh my god." your mom says as your dad walks in with jim.

"ha! see? I know I put money on my son for good reason." jim says gleefully, and quickly pipes down at ellen's dirty look.

"jack is also your son, man." your dad shakes his head.

"seriously? you guys made bets on the future love lives of your prepubescent kids?"

"birdie, it's just a joke!"

he eats his words as quinn leads you through the door. you're in tears, a nasty scrape on your knee. he's got your hand cradled in his.

ellen and your mom fawn over it, how brave you were, but all you could remember is how quinn held your hand the whole time.

..••°°°°••....••°°°°••..

take me back when our world was one block wide, i dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried

when you're ten, you almost have your first kiss.

you're going through a phase, really, when all you would wear were your overall jean shorts, a big t-shirt and your red converses. you have little pen drawings all over your shoes and shorts.

now, when you look at the photos from back then, you cringe a little at how lanky and young you look.

you're with the boys at one of the neighbouring lake houses, a couple of other girls and a few guys too.

everyone there lived on the same block, so it was odd that you hadn't all hung out together before.

quinn can tell you're uncomfortable around the other guys, who are loud and frankly very obnoxious. even his 12-year-old self can tell.

he tells you that you can all leave and go get ice cream near the boardwalk, but you refuse. you're 10 already, you can handle a few new strangers.

somehow, spin the bottle is brought up and you find yourself sitting cross-legged as one of the older girls - who's kind and much more grown than you - tellsdyou how to spin the bottle.

your hands shake and the backs of your knees are slick with sweat, but you spin anyways. you want to seem cool and older too.

you watch the root beer bottled patter as it turns, the ting, ting sound dissonant with your thumping heart.

it lands on quinn.

your quinn who knows all of the words to the spider man movies, who gives the last popsicle to you and lets you tuck your feet under his thighs when you get cold.

this is a disaster, you think, because you don't know how to kiss! are you supposed to use your tongue? you almost gag at the thought.

quinn can see your very apparent panic, and the only thing on his mind was to make it of away.

he wants to hold your hand, but when you turned nine you had decided that boys had cooties, so you refused to touch him or his brothers.

"...we don't have to," he offers, scratching his neck. one of the boys boo, and you flush.

you shook your head, "i want to."

he smiles, shy and boyish and your heart goes into overdrive.

his face matches yours in colour as he scoots forward awkwardly, cupping your face the way he'd seen his dad do to his mom.

as he leans forward, you burst into tears. if you kiss him, and he's disgusted by your kissing skills - or lack thereof - he wouldn't be your quinn anymore.

you run out embarrassed, leaving quinn's hand outstretched and the older girl from earlier confused and worried.

you think that you had ruined it all, but later that night when quinn offers to take you to get ice cream and lets you get two scoops, you know nothing can tear the two of you apart.

..••°°°°••....••°°°°••..

take me back to the creek beds we turned up, two A.M. riding in your truck and all I need is you next to me

the year quinn turned 16, he gets his boating and drivers license.

when the first real day of summer - he doesn't count the days until he sees you and the lake house again - starts and he finds you making eggs and bacon in the kitchen, he gives you an offer.

"hey, chickie." he tugs playfully at the string of your apron. jim had given you that nickname because of your mom's. chickie, like a baby bird. jack liked to call you chicklet, and Luke followed suit.

the adults think you've outgrown that name, and only call you chickie sporadically.

it's become special for you and quinn, sacred even,

"hi, quinny." you answer in the same tone, swatting him with the spatula in your hand.

"give me a piece of bacon and i'll take you out onto the water. i'll even let you drive a bit when we're far out." he murmurs as you turn the stove off.

"really?" you squeal, and he winces jokingly.

"yes, yes! finally!" you throw yourself at him, letting the older boy catch you around the waist. he grins into your hair, his cheek muscles unused by the seasons without you.

"okay, kid. pipe down. where's my bacon?" he grumbles, but he smiles when you turn around to fix him a whole plate.

you forget in all of your excitement that he doesn't even like bacon.

it's pathetic, really, but he missed you. he still does even though you're less than a foot away from him, salting your scrambled eggs.

he finishes his food faster than you do, and leaves to set up the boat with your promises that you would hurry.

he's excited; he hasn't seen you since christmas, and then, he had to share you with jack and luke and his parents too.

that year, you and jack had become decidedly closer, and quinn knows he has to establish that boat time was for you and him only.

so when jack and luke both follow you onto the boat, whooping and screaming, he's pissed.

and on top of that, he has to drive the boat while you and jack banter and threaten to shove each other off of the moving vessel.

it wasn't fair: you're his person. you guys did gas station runs together, you always looked at him with sad puppy eyes when you were cold.

he'd always grumbled and give you his sweatshirt when you refused to bring a jacket and ended up shivering. you always begged to braid his hair when the sun was at it's highest and there was nothing to do.

so yeah, excuse him if he was mad that your time together was interrupted by jack and luke of all people.

so when you walk up to him, hair messy and wearing nothing but your bathing suit and one of his old hockey jerseys, he tries his best to ignore you.

"quinny!" you exclaim, nudging his shoulder, and once more when he doesn't answer.

he glances quickly at you, but one look is enough to make his chest squeeze in that way that it started to do since last summer.

you had always been beautiful, but you were starting to be seriously gorgeous.

your hair is windblown, skin tanned and freckled with eyes bright from the sheer novelty of it being summer again.

you'd started to fill out more; the tiny bikinis you - and he - loved made something hot tug in his lower stomach.

tucking your hand into the crook of his elbow in the way that always makes him soften like butter, "I thought you were gonna let me drive!"

"ask jack to teach you," he snarks, and regrets it immediately at the hurt on your face.

his chest tightens, like someone has taken the hurt on your features and shoved it between his rib cage so he couldn't breathe.

the two of you don't talk for the rest of the day.

quinn feels like an asshole, and he really doesn't like how you refuse to sit in your normal spot next to him during movie night, instead opting to tuck yourself between the edge of the couch and luke.

and the salt on the wound was when you don't laugh at the stupid jokes he makes for you, especially.

his mom asks him what he had done when he goes to get more popcorn in the kitchen.

"what? why did you automatically assume I didn't something?" he asked, offended.

"because, that girl sticks to you like a magnet," ellen smooths his temple, "and because no one makes you smile and talk like she does. you've been silent all day."

the next night, he shows up at the door of your room in the lake house your two families shared.

he knocks, and pokes his head in, "chickie?

you're at your table, drawing again like you always were.

he keeps the little sketch of him you made last summer in his wallet, tucked under the picture of all of the hughes boys and you.

you ignore him, and he flops on your bed. the floral sheets your mom bought when you were 11 smells like you. he tries not to be creepy and inhale - at least too noticeably.

"gas station run?" he asks.

you finally spare him a glance, "quinny, it's past one o'clock, and it'll take at least 20 minuted to get there."

"please? I really want chips."

you sigh, ever the martyr, and agree. neither of you mention how the hughes stock up enough snacks to last at least 2 months the beginning of every summer.

the battle of who cracks first kept on, until finally, on the way back from the gas station, quinn sighs, "I'm sorry.

you frown, clearly not impressed, "I don't even know why you're sorry."

"god, this is embarrassing-"

"quintin, i swear-"

"i wanted the boat ride to be just us two!" he exclaims loudly.

there was a beat of silence, only the chirp of crickets that crept in the tall grass you could hear through the open windows of jim's truck.

the light on the radio shined, 1:59 AM.

"what?" you ask, a little confused and very much flustered.

"i missed you, chickie, and jack is always monopolizing your time! you're my person and-"

"are you jealous?"

"what?"

"oh my god, you are! you're jealous!"

"no!" he splutters, grateful that it's pitch black outside, because he can feel his ears heating up.

you laugh, tugging at one of his curls, as he grumbles something about not letting you eat any of his salt and vinegar chips.

"quinny?" you ask a little while later, when he's pulling back into the drive way, "y'know that you're my person too, right?"

you look soft and sleepy, under the light of the car, in one of his hoodies and sleep shorts.

he swears he turns into liquid in the drivers seat.

..••°°°°••....••°°°°••..

well, i was sixteen when suddenly, i wasn't that little girl you used to see

"I wouldn't worry about that, chicklet." jack throws his arm around you, and you roll your eyes at the many girls starting to glare at you.

"I don't know what you're talking about." except you do.

there's a girl flirting with quinn, and she's pretty. she's got tattoos on her arms, and she's tall, almost tall at him.

you take a break from the self-deprecating comparison between yourself and her to admire quinn for one second.

he's gotten so tall and broad, all the signs of boyhood gone, except when he smiles that special smile for you. the one when his eyes get all squinty and he bares all of his pretty teeth.

your heart twists, because he hasn't smiled at you like that all summer.

you don't know what you did wrong. maybe he's outgrowing you. he'll be a college man next fall, and you're still in high school.

he's got the whole world in front of him, and well, you couldn't blame him if he didn't want to settle for you.

you realize your feelings for him the beginning of the summer.

or you uncover them, because if you're honest, they've always been there.

and right now, you're wearing your heart on your sleeve, because he looks so handsome in a tight black t-shirt and shorts, a backwards cap on his curls.

his biceps look huge, and between the teenage hormones and the two shots in your system, you want to climb him like a tree.

the more romantic side of you wished you had your charcoal and parchment, so you can copy down his likeness for when your old and greying and you can't remember how he looks illuminated by the moon and bonfire.

"yeah, sure. you're clueless." jack snorts, and he makes his way to the drink table at the party you're at.

you pass by Luke, who's preoccupied by a girl way too old for him, and go sit closer to the fire.

you're mad.

you're mad because you've dressed up real cute, in a tiny black tube top and denim shorts.

you're mad because your hair is curled the way quinn likes it.

you know that for a fact because every time it looks like that, he comes up behind you to wind his fingers through a strand. it was a hassle, and he won't even look at you.

"what's a pretty girl like you doing alone?"

it's a boy with mussed, brown hair and a nice smile.

he's cute. peter, or pierre, he introduces himself. he reminds you a bit of the boyfriend you had first semester of sophomore year.

you've had boyfriends, and quinn has had his relationships, but summer was sacred.

that's why you felt ill when you flirted with him, not because quinn was a mere 20 feet away, starting to glance over and frown.

quinn has always been a jealous motherfucker; you'd give it 5 minutes before he comes over.

you try not to gloat when he comes over in 2.

"hey, chickie. time to go." he tells you, taking you cup and winding an arm around your waist.

you roll your eyes, pushing him off, "no, I'm good here,"

quinn crosses his arms and puffs out his chest, biceps flexing in front of you.

the boy smiles - you've already forgotten his name, something p - and shrugs at quinn.

he's mad now, you can tell, but you wrap you're fingers around the other boy's elbow to egg him on.

"oh, for- that's it. c'mon."

suddenly, your feet are swept out from under you, and you're thrown over his shoulder.

you frown, realizing that you're in the air.

"hey!" you protest weakly as people turn to look at you. quinn continues his trudge all the way to where he's parked his dad's truck and dumps you on the hood like you weigh nothing.

"what are you doing?" he asks, eyes dark, "that guy is no good-"

"no! what are you doing?" all of your frustration pools in your throat, and embarrassing tears are starting to prick at your eyes.

"you won't even look at me all summer, you're flirting with some girl and you get mad at me? you're being such-"

he shakes his head, looking as exasperated as you feel.

"do you know how hard it is-" he breathes out shakily, "how difficult it is to control myself around you?"

"what?" you ask, heart beating in your ears, "what?"

"i have been in love with you since i was 12, chickie." his tone is begging, and so are his eyes.

he looks pained, and you want to relieve it so, so badly. but he still won't touch you. he's hovering away from you, like he has for the past month.

"i love you, and you see me nothing more than a brother, like how you see jack. and it hurts, here," he rubs the heel of his palm between his ribs, "to know that you'll never want me the same way."

"quinn-"

"no, let me talk. I've spent the past 6 years pining after you. I've tried to move on, but all...nothing compares to you. I want you so bad, chickie, but..." he turns from you, head in his hands.

now, if you weren't like 3 beers and 2 shots deep, you would realize that he can't really go anywhere because you're quite literally on the top of his car.

but drunk you is clearly a dumbass, because you think he's trying to leave. so you tell him what's actually on your mind.

"i love you!" you blurt out.

he turns slowly, "what?"

"i love you too. i thought you didn't want me because you're leaving for college, but i want you so bad, please-"

the next thing you know, he's between your legs, so warm and solid, pulling you in by your cheek like during that spin the bottle game 6 years ago.

you let him kiss you for real this time, you let him push up your shorts to feel more of your skin, you let him lick into your mouth.

he pulls away, and you whine, tugging him in again.

he laughs, which makes you laugh in turn, and you slide down the hood as you giggle. he catches you, because he always does.

"i love you." you tell him, and he flushes, nuzzling into your neck.

"say it again," he demands, just because he can.

"i love you, my quinny." you coo, and he wants to crawl into your skin and settle there forever.

"i love you too, chickie."

..••°°°°••....••°°°°••..

oh, my, my, my

"told you so." Jim tells the rest of the parents.

the four of them - the weirdos - are on the second floor, leaning on the bannister as you make breakfast with quinn.

well, you make breakfast and he's distracting you.

he's got his arms wrapped around your shoulders from the back, and the two of you waddle like a pair of penguins around the kitchen gathering ingredients for pancakes.

you're giggling, and he's got a half-smile on his face.

you look so happy together than ellen and your mom are ignoring jim's gloating.

they are even kind enough to ignore the exchange of money between the two men, after all, your dad had bet on jack and lost.

"i can't wait for their wedding."

"hold on, now!"

..••°°°°••....••°°°°••..

a few years had gone and come around, we were sitting at our favorite spot in town and you looked at me, got down on one knee

you're on Quinn's lap, content and warm. the two of you had gotten up to watch the sunrise, first day of the summer at the lake house.

it's nice to have everyone in one place again, the two of you coming from vancouver, the boys from new jersey.

the past couple of years had been hard; a year or two long distance, until you went to study architecture at UBC after quinn had been drafted.

this year, 24 and 22, you finally get some rest and the promise of settling down more.

quinn's captain, and you have a good job that lets you work remote and do what you love.

and more importantly, the two of you are always together.

"babe?" quinn asks, running a hand down your arms, "c'mon, let's go to the dock?"

you don't protest, just happy to be at your childhood lake house.

he leads you there, like he always does.

"pretty." you stare out at the water, orange and pink sky meeting in the still horizon.

"yeah." quinn gives you a smile, rare for anyone else.

but he has always smiled for you, and you greedily hoard them in your memories.

"got something to show you," he pulls his wallet out, the two pictures in the clear flaps catch your eye.

one is a polaroid of you and your boys. quinn is 15, jack is 14, you're 13 and luke is 11. all of you are lanky and awkward, wrapped around each other and grinning ear to ear.

the other is also a polaroid, taken by ellen a year or two ago, when all of your parents came to visit your Vancouver apartment.

quinn's arm is around your shoulders and you're clinging to his side, one hand curled around his waist and the other on his chest. you're smiling at the camera, and quinn is smiling at you.

"cute," you tell him, but he digs a finger into the little pocket.

"fuck," he swears when whatever he's looking for doesn't come out.

"here, let me," you offer. you retrieve a piece of thick parchment with your smaller hands.

it's a sketch of quinn you did when you were in your early teens.

it's not great, you have to admit. the lines aren't smooth like how you sketch now, but the ink and paper is in pristine condition.

"quinn...you kept this?" you ask softly, oddly emotional.

when you look at him, he has a weird look on his face. he scratches his neck.

you stare at each other for a moment, the familiarity of your love almost stifling in the cool morning air.

and then he drops down on one knee.

you start crying, immediately.

that sets him off, and the two of you are blubbering as he tries to get through the speech he wrote in his notes 7 months ago after he got the ring and you were in the shower.

he tells you he loves you, how he's never going to leave you, that you're going to build a life together, just like how you've done everything together since you were kids.

you believe him, because your quinn is nothing if not earnest and steady.

you let him slip the simple ring onto your finger, and he lifts you up into strong arms to kiss you.

you're so deliriously happy that your teeth clash with his in a smiling kiss.

your families cheers from the porch, and you laugh, watery and heart full.

jack runs up first, swinging you around and clapping his hand down on quinn's shoulder.

Luke kisses your cheek and hugs his older brother, as ellen and your mom hug you together.

jim wraps his arms around you, pressing his lips to your forehead, "thanks for helping me win the bet, chickie." you chuckle, reaching for your dad next.

..••°°°°••....••°°°°••..

take me back to the time when we walked down the aisle, our whole town came and our mamas cried, you said I do and I did too

the wedding takes place a year later, in a small winery near the house, because ellen and your mom refused to let you have the wedding on the dock.

this was your compromise, because it's a small affair.

your dad walks you down the aisle to quinn. you're smiling, like there's a hanger in your mouth because you're just so happy.

he cries when he sees you, and so do the other hughes boys.

you hear your mom and ellen, tears meeting shaky smiles on their faces.

your own college friend, your birdie, fixes your veil and holds your bouquet.

sweet promises are exchanged in your vows, and when you have your first kiss as mr. and mrs. hughes, all of your loved ones cheer.

quinn sweeps you off your feet and bridal carries you to a change room so you can switch into your reception dress.

he sees you later as jack, who volunteered to be the mc, announces you guys as mr. and mrs. hughes.

quinn's eyes are hot and dark as he sees your smooth skin under white lace, and whispers something into the shell of your ear that makes you pink.

you dance together, with his brothers and his dad, with your own too.

but the last dance is saved for the two of you.

"i can't wait to grow old with you, chickie." he whispers romantically.

"you'd make such a cute old man," you tell him, and he rolls his eyes.

you laugh, and so does he.

forever sounds real good to you.

★・・・・★・・・・ ★・・・・★

2K notes · View notes

sophsbookstore · 9 days ago

Note

i loved the quinn x pregnant!reader 💕 i was wondering if you could write one of their baby shower, where quinn is just being so attentive since it can get overwhelming tyy

Little All Star

Quinn Hughes x Pregnant!reader

read part 3 here!

Word count: 1564

Hockey Masterlist

A/N: Baby shower time!! (I also added a gender reveal at the end!)

The room buzzed with a chaotic symphony of laughter, chatter, and the clinking of champagne flutes (sparkling cider for her, of course). (Y/N), radiant with a seven-month glow, navigated the crowded living room of their Vancouver home with practiced ease, a hand resting protectively on her swollen belly. It was her baby shower, and the guest list read like a who's who of the NHL. Seriously, almost every player seemed to be there, along with their wives and girlfriends. It was a testament to Quinn's popularity, and to the genuine warmth (Y/N) herself radiated.

(Y/N) turned to Nathan MacKinnon and his partner. "Nate! You made it! I was worried you’d still be stuck in practice."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Nate grinned, handing her a gift bag. "Congrats, (Y/N) and Quinn. You two are going to be amazing parents."

She moved on, greeting Auston Matthews, Cale Makar, and a slew of other hockey stars and their families. It was a whirlwind of well-wishes, baby advice (solicited and unsolicited), and gifts that ranged from adorable knitted outfits to high-tech baby monitors. Quinn, ever the gracious host, was circulating too, though (Y/N) noticed he kept a watchful eye on her, always ready to steer her away from any potential bumps or overly enthusiastic hugs.

After working her way through the room, (Y/N) clinked a spoon against a champagne glass, the sound cutting through the din. "Okay, everyone, can I have your attention for a moment?" she announced, a playful smile on her face. The room quieted down, all eyes turning towards her.

"First off, thank you all so much for being here. It means the world to Quinn and me to have you all celebrate this special moment with us. We're so excited to welcome our little one into the world, and we can't wait for all the chaos and joy that's to come."

She paused, gesturing towards a table laden with plain white onesies and fabric markers in every color imaginable. "Now, for a little activity. We'd love for each of you to personalize a onesie for our baby. Get creative! Draw a picture, write a message, whatever you like. We'll cherish these forever."

A murmur of excitement rippled through the room. Hockey players, known more for their skills on the ice than their artistic abilities, suddenly became engrossed in the task at hand. Auston Matthews meticulously drew a maple leaf, while Cale Makar opted for a more abstract design. Even Quinn, usually so reserved, was sketching something with a focused expression. (Y/N) watched him, her heart swelling with love. She knew he was going to be the most amazing dad.

Her future in-laws, Quinn’s parents and brothers, were beaming with pride. They hovered nearby, offering (Y/N) snacks and drinks, making sure she was comfortable. "You're glowing, sweetheart," Quinn’s mom, Ellen, said, squeezing her hand. "You and Quinn are going to make such wonderful parents."

As the afternoon progressed, the onesie-decorating continued, the laughter and chatter never ceasing. (Y/N) felt overwhelmed with love and gratitude. Looking around at the room full of people who cared about her and Quinn, she knew that their baby was already surrounded by so much love.

The aroma of mini quiches, sliders, and an assortment of other delectable finger foods filled the air. The onesie decorating had transitioned seamlessly into a relaxed buffet-style meal. Guests mingled, plates in hand, the earlier artistic endeavors now a source of amusement and lighthearted ribbing. (Y/N), however, was content to perch on a plush armchair, a plate of fruit and a small pastry balanced on her bump. She watched the scene unfold with a warm smile, feeling a profound sense of happiness.

Suddenly, Quinn was beside her, his hand gently resting on her shoulder. "Hey," he said softly, his eyes filled with concern. "You okay? You've been sitting here for a while."

(Y/N) looked up at him, her smile widening. "I'm perfect," she assured him, taking his hand in hers. "Just soaking it all in. It's amazing to see everyone here celebrating with us."

Quinn's gaze softened as he looked at her. "You're amazing," he murmured, his thumb gently stroking her hand. He glanced down at her belly. "And so is this little one."

"They're both great," (Y/N) confirmed, patting her bump affectionately. "Really. I'm feeling good. A little tired, maybe, but good."

Quinn still looked a little worried. "You sure? You haven't been up and moving around much."

(Y/N) chuckled. "I'm seven months pregnant, Quinn. Moving around isn't exactly my favorite pastime these days." She squeezed his hand. "Go on, enjoy yourself. Talk to the guys. I know you haven't seen some of them in a while."

Quinn hesitated. "I'm good here with you," he said, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Quinn," (Y/N) said gently, "I want you to have fun too. This is a celebration for you as well. Go on. I promise I'll be fine. My mom and your mom are keeping a close eye on me," she added, nodding towards the two women who were indeed hovering nearby, chatting animatedly.

Quinn finally relented, though his expression still held a hint of worry. "Okay," he said, giving her hand a final squeeze. "But I'll be checking in every five minutes."

(Y/N) laughed. "Deal."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," (Y/N) replied, her heart overflowing with love for this man who was so devoted to her and their unborn child.

As Quinn went off to join his teammates, (Y/N) watched him go, a soft smile playing on her lips. She knew he would always worry about them. It was just the kind of person he was. And honestly, she wouldn't have it any other way. It was a testament to his love, a love that she knew would only grow stronger when their little one finally arrived. She looked down at her belly, feeling a tiny flutter. "Your dad's a good one," she whispered to her baby. "We're lucky to have him."

The buffet tables were now mostly cleared, the remnants of the delicious food a testament to the celebratory feast. (Y/N) and Quinn, hand in hand, made their way to the center of the living room, a shared, excited glint in their eyes. They had a little surprise planned, a grand finale to the already wonderful afternoon.

"Alright everyone," (Y/N) announced, her voice ringing with anticipation. "We have one more little thing to share with you all before you go."

Quinn stepped forward, placing a protective arm around her. "We're so excited to finally reveal the gender of our baby," he said, his gaze sweeping over the crowd of smiling faces.

A collective gasp rippled through the room, followed by a flurry of excited whispers. The guests had been eagerly awaiting this moment. (Y/N) had strategically avoided any hints throughout the shower, keeping everyone guessing.

"And to help us with this very important announcement," (Y/N) continued, gesturing towards the doorway, "we have two very special helpers."

As if on cue, Jack and Luke Hughes walked into the room, a dramatic flair in their steps. The crowd erupted in laughter. Jack was decked out head-to-toe in blue, while Luke was a vision in pink. The brothers grinned mischievously at each other, the playful rivalry evident in their eyes.

"So," Quinn explained, a smile playing on his lips, "the Hughes brothers are going to settle this once and for all. A little brotherly competition to reveal whether we're welcoming a little hockey player or a future hockey player!"

The room erupted in cheers and laughter. Jack and Luke squared off, their playful banter echoing through the room. They started “play” fighting, shoving each other lightly, much to the amusement of the crowd. It was clear they were enjoying the theatrics of it all. The playful wrestling match continued for a few minutes, with both brothers putting on a show. Finally, after a particularly dramatic tumble, Jack emerged victorious, pinning Luke to the ground.

"It's a boy!" Jack shouted, pumping his fist in the air, his blue attire now even more prominent.

The room exploded. Cheers, whistles, and applause filled the air. Quinn let out a whoop of joy, pumping his fists in the air mirroring his younger brother and then turning to (Y/N) and pulling her into a passionate kiss.

"We're having a little boy!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with pure happiness.

The hockey players in the crowd went wild. "Future NHL star!" someone yelled. "Another Hughes brother on the ice!" "Get him a mini stick!" others shouted, their voices filled with excitement.

(Y/N) laughed, her eyes sparkling with tears of joy. She looked around at the room, at all the people who were sharing in their happiness, and felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Their little boy was already so loved.

As the celebration continued, (Y/N) leaned into Quinn, her hand resting on her belly. "Looks like we're going to have our hands full," she murmured.

Quinn smiled, kissing her forehead. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied, his eyes filled with love and anticipation. "I can't wait to meet our little guy."

#quinn hughes fluff #quinn hughes fanfiction #quinn hughes x reader #quinn hughes imagine #quinn hughes #quinn hughes fic #quinn hughes x you #quinn hughes x pregnant!reader #quinn hughes x y/n #hockey imagine #nhl imagine

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zegrasdrysdale · 1 year ago

Text

[ slip of the tongue ] n. hischier

paring : Nico Hischier x fem!reader

summary : after a Devils win, Nico gets interviewed in the locker room after scoring his first NHL hatty. he slips up in front of the cameras and mentions his girlfriend for the first time. it doesn't stop her from showing Nico how proud she is of him though ...

warning(s) : smut ! p in v protected sex, oral (m receiving), pet names during sex, language throughout. possibly wrongly translated german (i'm learning)

author’s note : this plot has been in my head for a while so here i am. pls just indulge me w this bc i was having a moment while writing it

18+ below the cut ! MINORS DNI

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(Y/N) swears she won't have a voice come the morning.

As soon as the puck went into the net and the goal horn went off for the third time, she's been screaming in the suite with the other Devils wives and girlfriends. Her boyfriend just scored his first NHL hat trick and she couldn't be prouder of him. They're now up 5-2 on the Sabres with less than a minute left in the game.

Jack and Dawson have a goal each along with Nico's three goals. It's a four-point night for her captain boyfriend since he got an assist on Jack's power play goal. She remains standing until the final horn that signals the game is over. The Rock is buzzing as the Devils give Vitek some goalie hugs.

She records when Nico is announced as the first star of the game for his four-point night. The crowd cheers as loud as they did when Nico scored the hat trick. Her lips hurt from smiling for nearly ten minutes straight.

As soon as Nico skates off the ice, (Y/N) makes her way down to the players' lounge room that the wives and girlfriends usually hang out in before and after the game. She hangs out with Vitek and Erik's wives as she waits for the players to come in after they've changed and showered.

Notifications start coming through about a half hour after going to the players' lounge. A lot of notifications. New followers, lots of likes and comments on Instagram. A lot of mentions on Twitter. She has no idea what's going on.

(Y/N) reads one tweet that's in her mentions that has a clip attached to it.

vina @/hischiers i knew there were rumors but nico hard launching his relationship after the game was not something i expected to happen today of all days

She clicks on the clip of Nico in his postgame interview and watches it.

Amanda Stein asks off camera, "Did you have any friends or family present for the game today to witness your first NHL hat trick?"

Nico doesn't hesitate to reply, "My girlfriend came to her first Devils home game today." He smiles and bites his bottom lip. "Yeah, she, uh, this game was really special for me because she's here and she got to witness my first hat trick in person." He blushes and doesn't stop smiling in the clip.

"Oh my God," (Y/N) gasps as the clip restarts.

They never talked about going public with their relationship. They've been dating for about seven months. Nico is one of hockey's most popular players, and (Y/N) has seen how loved he is among the fans. She's basically a no one from Newark dating the captain of a hockey team in the NHL.

The players begin to make their way into the lounge area. They make their way to their wife or girlfriend or really whoever they invited to the game. Her eyes are on the door as she waits for Nico to come in.

Jack and Luke walk into the room with Nico five minutes after the rest of the team does. They're deep in conversation but she can't help but run over to her boyfriend and basically jump into his arms.

Both Hughes boys both laugh as Nico catches her and she wraps herself around him completely. He wraps his arms around her torso so she doesn't fall.

"Congratulations, baby," she says against his hair. It's still damp so he recently showered. "I'm so proud of you."

"Guess you're my good luck charm," he laughs in reply. (Y/N) pulls back so she can see his face and he looks genuinely happy. "I play a lot better when you're in attendance."

She shakes her head and smiles. "I think that's bullshit," she tells him. "There's a reason you're one of the league's best players since you came back from your injury. It's not because of me."

"I think you should come to more games anyway," Nico says. "Clearly I like when you come to games."

(Y/N) laughs and rests her hands where Nico's shoulders meet his neck. "I'll come to games whenever you want," she replies. "You like to show off when I come."

He smiles and nods. "I gotta show off for my girlfriend," he retorts. "Especially when she looks so good in my jersey."

"Flatterer," she laughs before she leans down and captures his lips in a soft kiss. Nico laughs into the next kiss before she pulls back and looks at him. "By the way, did you know you told the entire league and it's fans that you have a girlfriend during your postgame interview?"

"You saw?"

"It's all over social media, Nico. People are saying you hard launched our relationship."

She lets her legs drop and Nico lowers her to the ground. "There were rumors anyway," he replies. "It was bound to come out. Did it bother you? It just kind of came out when I was asked and I wasn't really thinking about the fact that we never talked about it."

"I just would've liked a little heads up," she tells him with a smile on her face. "Are you ready to go?"

He nods and begins to make the rounds to say goodbye to the Devils. She never lets go of his hand as he says goodbye to his teammates. It's his job as captain to tell the team how good they did so he doesn't forget about that. He congratulates Jack and Dawson on their goals before they finally head to the parking lot.

Nico drove them to the Prudential Center in his car so she sits in the passenger seat of the car so Nico can drive them to whoever's place is closest. Which is Nico's apartment.

As they leave the parking lot, Nico stops and says hi to some fans. Pictures are taken where (Y/N) is definitely in the background but at this point, she doesn't care. Nico already told the entire world that he had a girlfriend that was at the game.

He signs some jerseys and pucks, takes some pictures, and gets more than a few congratulations on his hat trick before Nico finally pulls out of the parking lot. He looks over at (Y/N), who gives him a small smile as they stop at a red light.

"You played really well tonight," she tells him. "I'm not just saying that because you had a four-point night but you played really well. I'm so proud of you for getting your first hat trick tonight. I can't believe that I was able to watch it happen in person."

Nico laughs and says, "I told you that you're my good luck charm. The first game you come to after we start dating and I score my first NHL hat trick. It's not a coincidence."

She shakes her head with a smile on her face and looks out the window until they get to Nico's. She plays with her thumbs under the sleeves of her too big jersey that Nico gave to her a few weeks ago.

Fifteen minutes after leaving the arena, Nico pulls into his apartment building parking lot and parks in his usual spot. Her car is parked next to his. They get out and begin the trip up to the top floor of the building where Nico lives.

The building is ten stories tall so it takes a minute for the elevator to get up to the tenth floor from the first floor. Their fingers are laced together the entire time.

(Y/N) follows close behind as Nico unlocks the front door to his penthouse apartment. She wraps her arms around his torso as he unlocks the door and presses her front to his back. "You can't wait until we get inside?" Nico asks as the stupid door finally unlocks.

"Nope," she replies, popping the "p". "I wanna show you how proud of you I am."

He laughs before he pushes the door open. (Y/N) stumbles inside after her boyfriend. She closes the door behind her and Nico presses her against it with his hands on her waist. She stares up at him like she’s challenging him to do something.

Nico looks her up and down. “I wasn’t lying earlier when I said you looked good in my jersey,” he tells her. His voice is deeper and accent thicker than it normally is. “I love seeing my name and number on your back. Knowing you’re mine. It’s so hot. You're so beautiful.”

“Do something about it.” Her voice almost comes out as a whisper. She is absolutely challenging him at this point.

He leans down and captures her lips in a searing kiss. Her heart leaps in her chest when their lips touch. Her back hits the door with the force of the kiss and her fingers grasp at the collar of the jacket Nico is wearing. (Y/N) pulls him as close to her as she can get him.

He presses himself completely against her and slots a thigh between her legs. She has to resist the urge to grind up against his thigh to give herself some relief from the pressure that's building between her legs.

"Off," she mumbles as she pushes Nico's jacket off his shoulders. He helps her out and shrugs the fabric off. He kicks it to the side when it hits the floor and grabs her by the waist.

She pushes her waist off the door and they stumble toward the master bedroom where Nico sleeps. Their shoes are kicked off by the door and Nico's jacket is abandoned on the floor. He loses his tie in the living room and his button-up is lost in the hallway.

When Nico falls onto his back on the mattress, all he's wearing is his suit pants. Even they're unbuttoned and the belt is on the floor. (Y/N) looks down at her boyfriend on the bed and gnaws on her bottom lip.

Sometimes she doesn't know how she got so lucky. She fell in love with the most beautiful and loyal guy. He's captain of a NHL team but still manages to find time to see her whenever he can. He's a talented hockey player that fell in love with her.

She can't believe this is her life. Being able to fall in love with Nico has been the best thing that's ever happened to her. Being able to be loved by Nico is an honor.

"You okay?" Nico asks as he sits up. His hands run up and down the back of her thighs. "You look deep in thought."

"Just thinking," she tells him as she crawls onto his lap. She straddles his waist. "I don't know how I got so lucky to love and be loved by you. You could've fallen in love with anyone but you fell in love with me."

Nico smiles up at her and wraps his arms around her waist. "I fell in love with you because you are the most incredible and beautiful woman I have ever known," he replies. "You're so supportive of me despite my crazy schedule. I don't know how I got so lucky."

Her face gets hot as she smiles. "I'm proud of you, Nico," she says. "I am so happy that I get to see you grow as a person and a player." She leans down and presses a quick kiss to his lips. "Gonna show you how proud of you I am."

She slides down to her knees on the floor at the foot of the bed. Her fingers work on unzipping his pants. She pulls Nico's pants and boxers off in one pull. His hard dick pops out of its prison and stands against Nico's stomach. (Y/N) throws them to the floor and kisses up the inside of his leg from his knee.

After placing a soft kiss to his hip bone, she takes him in her hand and gives him a few slow pumps. Nico grabs a pillow and uses it to prop his head up so he can see her without straining his neck. She smiles up at him before she takes him in her mouth.

"Oh, fuck me," Nico breathes out as (Y/N) moves her head up and down on him. "That mouth of yours feels so good, liebling."

(Y/N) loves it when Nico uses German nicknames on her, especially when they're in bed. They sound ten times hotter when her mouth is on him or when he's inside of her. There have been times when (Y/N) has been in control and Nico has been reduced to speaking his native language.

She'll never get enough of it.

One of her hands makes up for what can't fit in her mouth while the under snakes into the leggings she's wearing under the jersey. Her own fingers run through her folds and work her toward her orgasm. She lets out an occasional hum, which drives Nico crazy. She knows it drives Nico crazy by the way he squirms under her touch every time she does it.

Then she does the one thing she knows gets Nico to come almost as soon as she does it. She hollows out her cheeks and sucks before she swirls her tongue around the fire red tip.

"(Y/N), baby," Nico pants. "Gonna come in about two seconds if you keep doing that."

With a pop, she pulls off his leaking dick. She uses her tongue to get a bead of precum that was on the corner of her mouth. "We wouldn't want that to happen so soon now would we?" she asks as she stands up.

Nico's eyes widen as she begins to undress. The leggings come off first. She reaches down to pull the jersey over her head and Nico sits up quickly. "Uh uh," he says. "Jersey stays on."

"If you come on it, you better get me a new one," she tells him as he slides back on the bed. "I'm not walking into games wearing a jersey you came on." He laughs as he reaches into his bedside drawer and pulls out a foil package.

She finishes getting undressed but leaves the jersey on. Nico slides the rubber contents of the packages onto himself as (Y/N) straddles his thighs. He sits back against the pillow and headboard. She leans down and captures Nico's swollen lips in a tender kiss. He matches her pace and slowly kisses her back. He puts a hand on the back of her neck. His fingers curl into her hair.

All of her emotions are poured into this kiss. Her hands are on his jaw so he can't go anywhere. Not that he could go anywhere since she is sitting on his lap.

(Y/N) begins to move her hips slowly. She hums as Nico's dick slides through her folds and against her clit. A soft moan falls from her lips into the kisses she exchanges with Nico.

One of her hands leaves Nico's jaw and she positions him at her entrance. She presses a long kiss to his lips and leaves them connected as she slowly sinks down onto him. A whimper comes from her as the familiar pressure fills her. Nico takes the opportunity to lick into her mouth before he pulls back to look at her.

"You feel so good, schatzi," Nico tells her. "So good for me. You take me so well, you know that?" She replies with a soft hum as he completely fills her.

She allows herself a moment to adjust before she begins to roll her hips. Nico's hands fly to her thighs before sliding under the jersey to her waist. "Fuck, Nico," she breathes out as he moves in and out of her while she rolls her hips. Her hands are on his torso to keep her balance.

Slowly, she begins to pick up her pace. Moans fall from her lips the faster she moves.

One of the best things about being with Nico is how intimate these moments are. It feels amazing to be physically connected to him like they are one person. She wouldn't trade this for the world.

They fit together like two puzzle pieces. His hands fit perfectly on her waist. Their lips mold together every time they touch. The way his nose fits perfectly above hers when their foreheads touch is her favorite thing. She molds against his body every time they lay in bed together.

It's like they were made for each other.

"(Y/N), liebling," Nico breathes out. His eyes are on her as she rides him. "Ich liebe dich so sehr."

This is what she means. It's like he's forgotten how to speak English when they're in bed together. She loves it.

"I love you too," she pants because she's slowly been learning simple phrases and knows what Nico said. He tells her he loves her all the time in German. "I love you so much. I'm so proud of you. Fuck. You're amazing."

One of Nico's hands slide to the back of her neck and he pulls her down so their foreheads rest against each other. Her nose brushes his every time she moves. Her eyes close and Nico's thumbs brush her cheeks. "Open your eyes, baby," Nico tells her. "I want to see them. Please."

Her eyes open back up and meet Nico's big brown eyes. He smiles and she leans down to kiss him. She breathes hard into the kisses that are exchanged between them.

Nico takes advantage of the distraction and rolls them over so he's hovering over her. She smiles up at him until he begins to thrust hard and deep inside of her. A pornographic moan passes her lips and she arches her back to get closer to Nico.

He reaches between them and his fingers find her sensitive clit. She gasps when he touches the bud then whines when he begins to rub her closer to her pending orgasm. "Holy fuck, Nico," she cries out. "Keep going. Fuck."

Nico throws her legs over his shoulder so he can get a new angle and move even deeper into her. She has to bite her lip to keep from screaming his name as he begins to slam into her g-spot over and over again.

"Let me hear you, liebling," Nico says. "Don't hold back."

His pace quickens and she has to grab on to something. She chooses his hair when her hands slide up into his locks and her fingers curl. "I'm gonna come, Nico," she warns him. "Fuck, I'm close."

He keeps the same pace and uses his fingers to bring her over the edge. She comes so hard she sees stars. Her vision goes almost white and Nico's name passes her lips along with a string of curses. Her legs shake as they hang on his shoulders and she cries out as she has one of the most intense climaxes of her life.

Only Nico could ever get her to come like that. No one has ever made her come like that. No one besides Nico will ever get her to come like that.

There's a weight on her chest as she comes to and she realizes that Nico is lying on her chest. They're both panting messes as Nico gets off of her after resting for who knows how long. He ties off the used condom and tosses it into the trash can by the bed.

(Y/N) pulls off the jersey and takes off the bra she's wearing because she's sweating before she crawls under the blankets to cover her naked and spent body. Nico joins her and she rests her chin on his chest. Her eyes are on his the whole time. She traces little shapes on his belly.

"I think I got a little carried away," Nico admits. "I blame the jersey."

She laughs and shakes her head. "Good to know you have a thing for me wearing your jersey," she replies. "I'll have to remember that when you're having a bad day or you have a rough game."

Nico smiles and brushes a piece of hair out of her eyes. "I really do love you a lot," he tells her. "Thank you for coming to the game tonight. It meant a lot to me that you were there to watch me score my first hat trick."

"Thank you for inviting me," she says. "I had a lot of fun watching you score your first hat trick. It was incredible."

He leans down and presses a soft kiss to her lips.

Their night is nowhere close to being over. Nico has a day off so she is going to make sure she takes care of him and gives him whatever he wants for the rest of the night. All because of that hat trick.

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MASTERLIST

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#nhl imagines #nhl imagine #nhl fanfiction #nhl fic #nhl oneshot #nhl fluff #nhl smut #hockey imagines #hockey imagine #hockey fanfiction #hockey fic #hockey oneshot #hockey fluff #hockey smut #nico hischier #nico hischier fluff #nico hischier smut #nico hischer x reader

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youunravelme · 2 years ago

Text

the worst wing-woman

author's note: just like all my other fics, we are existing in an alternate plane where tito was never traded. also i've never worked for the nhl, so i have no idea how accurate being a photographer is but guess what. idgaf. also sorry for the amount of italics in this fic, i have no self control apparently. and shoutout to my new friend @dani746 for helping me with this monstrosity.

summary: you've been in love with mat barzal for as long as you can remember, so what do you do when he asks for your help to win over your friend?

pairing: mat barzal x islanders photographer!reader

warnings: cursing and low self esteem

despite working for the isles for two years now, you still got nervous walking into work.

you weren't a stranger to the team, some of them you knew quite well. anders and marty being two players you were friendly with (mainly due to the fact that you were somewhat friendly with their wives). but there was always one player who eluded you, who you'd only ever had professional interactions with.

mathew barzal.

and it shouldn't be surprising, you were a measly photographer whereas he was the star player of his team, the winner of the calder trophy, an nhl heartthrob. why should he pay attention to you?

media day was one of your favorite days, mainly because it was the closest you ever got to holding full conversations with him. not that the conversations went anything beyond "look right here" or "great job, mat."

you didn't even think he knew your name.

the longest conversation you had with him consisted of him asking to see the photos you took and patting you on your back when he liked what he saw before he went off to talk to tito.

"you having a good day?" you nearly jumped a foot in the air when your staring was cut off by anders walking up to you.

"yeah," you said when your heartbeat returned to normal. "just busy is all." you held your camera up as if that was enough of an explanation.

anders nodded. "any of the boys giving you a hard time?"

you shook your head rapidly. "nope, they've all been on their best behavior."

"even barzy and beauvillier?" at the mention of their names, the duo turned their heads and locked eyes with you and anders.

you wanted to dig a hole and die in it.

"what about us?" mat asked, sauntering over with his best friend right behind him.

"you haven't been giving her a hard time, have you?" anders crossed his arms. and if you weren't panicking at the closing distance between you and mat, you might've noticed the shared smirk between the three hockey players in front of you.

"us?" tito asked. "why would you think that? we've only ever been angels."

before anders could ask you to corroborate tito's story, your name was called. you awkwardly waved to the three men before walking over to another set of props, ready to photograph another hockey player.

"done embarrassing yourself?" your coworker tyler asked.

you lightly shoved his shoulder. "shut up."

"seriously, you're not his type," he added. "he's not gonna go for you."

tyler might as well have stabbed you in the gut with how much his words hurt you, but you put a smile on and nodded. "yeah, i know. i know."

and you did.

you knew.

but you'd be delusional for a little while longer if it meant going to work wouldn't suck every day.

later that night, you found yourself at a bar with a group of your friends. you didn't want to go originally, but when alexa said she needed to go out to get over her ex, you felt like you had no other choice.

which is how you found yourself sipping a soda water in a booth while your friends danced and took body shots.

your gaze wandered around the bar aimlessly before you checked your phone for the time.

you'd only been there for an hour.

it took all self restraint not to bang your head against the table.

"having fun?" your head snapped up at the familiar voice only to see anthony beauvillier standing at the edge of your booth with a self satisfied smirk.

"i--"

"i didn't take you as one to go out drinking on a weeknight," he said.

you slumped into your seat. "i'm not. my friend alexa wanted to go out because her boyfriend just dumped her and she wanted a distraction."

anthony took the seat opposite of you. "and that is...?" he gestured at your drink.

"soda water," you answered. "i'm the DD for tonight."

"oof," he groaned before taking a sip of his beer. "that's rough."

you shrugged. "it's not that bad, i'd rather my friends get home safe than get drunk and show up to work hungover."

anthony nodded in a way that you'd seen other men do, the type of nod that comes right before someone looks around for someone more interesting to talk to.

"but what about you?" you rushed out, nearly tripping over your own words.

tito smiled. "what about me?"

"why're you here?"

he shrugged. "mat wanted to come out and didn't want to go out alone, so here i am."

mat.

you wanted to vomit.

"oh," you mumbled. "mat's here?"

tito nodded and gestured with his bottle to the bar. "he's over there talking to some brunette."

you followed with your eyes and when you finally locked eyes on him, you wished you hadn't.

he was talking to alexa, smiling at her the way you wished he'd smile at you.

maybe you could leave the bar and get hit by a taxi on the way out, that would be less painful than seeing the man you're in love with flirt with your friend.

"you okay?" anthony asked, nudging your leg with his foot.

you turned your gaze back to him and attempted to give him your most convincing smile. "i'm great!" you said before throwing your soda water back and coughing when the carbonation burned.

anthony didn't say a word.

when you looked back at the bar, alexa was nowhere to be found while mat was fiddling with one of his wristbands. you looked around to find alexa, thinking maybe she was in the crowd dancing or perhaps she was in line for the bathroom.

but she popped up at your table, sweaty and smiling.

"you good?" she asked before fixing her eyes on anthony who was sipping on his beer. "who's this?"

"anthony. i know him from work." tito gave her a small wave before taking another sip of his beer.

"alexa," she smiled before her attention focused back on you. "i actually met one of your coworkers, mat right?"

you forced a smile and nodded. "the one and only. what did you think?" though, to be fair, you didn't really want to know her opinion on him. not when you thought the world of him.

alexa shrugged and tossed her perfect hair over her perfect shoulder and gave a perfect smile that was a healthy balance of nonchalant and mildly interested. "he was alright, he knows he's attractive which is rather unattractive if you ask me."

tito choked on his beer while you stared in awe.

of all the words you'd use to describe mat, "alright" was not even close to the top 25.

"something funny?" alexa asked.

"nope," tito supplied, shaking his head. "nothing at all."

alexa looked at him, unconvinced, but didn't let it bother her. "i'm gonna go dance, you coming?" she asked.

you shook your head. "not really my scene."

alexa nodded and pranced off to the dance floor where the rest of your friends were grinding on strangers to the tune of some 2000s pop song.

"she's a delight," tito said.

you sighed. "she's practically miss america." you were too busy staring at her having fun to notice another person walk up to your booth until he was standing right in front of you with a question posed on the tip of his lips.

mat.

your mouth went dry at the sight of him.

"you know her?" he gestured over his shoulder to where alexa was laughing with one of your friends.

you nodded.

"are you two close?"

you shrugged.

mat sighed. "are you capable of speaking?"

tito spoke up. "mat, you just bombarded her without a single hello, chill."

mat pinched the bridge of his nose. "sorry, i just--she rejected me and i don't know why."

"you're too attractive and you know it," you blurted out before you could stop yourself. you quickly slapped a hand over your mouth like that would stop any other bullshit that might come out.

mat tilted his head and leaned in. "huh?"

"her words, not mine," you said like it would absolve you of any guilt.

"what do you mean by being 'too attractive' and 'knowing it'? how does that even make sense?"

you shrugged for what felt like the twelfth time that night. "alexa's not really into guys who are obsessed with their appearances. she just got out of a relationship with a guy like that," you explained.

mat ran a hand down his face before placing both hands on his waist. "so what do you suggest i do?" he groaned.

"i--"

he snapped his fingers and looked at you for what felt like the first time. it sent a chill down your spine that you had a problem suppressing. "can you help me?"

your mouth dropped open. "huh?"

"you're friends, right? can you help me win her over?"

you could list about a thousand other things you'd rather do. you could think of five just off the top of your head.

but he looked so earnest and willing and how could anyone possibly resist him when he looked at you like that--

"of course!" you smiled.

of course?! yes would've sufficed but now you've got him thinking you'd enjoy this. which you most certainly wouldn't.

oh who were you kidding? all attention was good attention when it came to mat barzal and you'd give anything to keep him looking at you.

"thank you!" he smiled before clapping tito on the shoulder. "ready to head out?"

anthony nodded before addressing you. "i had a nice time. see you tomorrow?"

you smiled and nodded, giving them both a small wave as they walked away. the second they were out the door, you thumped your head against the table.

playing wing-woman for mathew barzal.

what the fuck was wrong with you?

how to be a wing-woman: a guide

usually when you went to work, you kept your head down and stayed out of the way. occasionally, you'd run into anders or marty, or maybe even tito, who would say their polite hellos, but for the most part you stayed out of the way during practices.

you were looking at the photos you just took when someone banged on the glass. a quick glance (that turned into a double take) let you figure out it was mat based on the 13 on his jersey and the fact that you could pick him out of a crowd anywhere.

he waved and smiled (and you might've died inside). "can i talk to you after practice?"

you nodded frantically before gaining a semblance of self respect and slowing down.

"great! meet you outside of the locker rooms!" he said before skating away.

"what was that about?" tyler asked. you turned, not even realizing he'd made his way towards you considering you thought he was on the other side of the arena.

"what? can't i talk to the players?"

tyler laughed. actually laughed. "considering barzal has never so much as looked at you, i'd say him approaching you during practice is pretty strange."

your shoulders sunk at the weight of the truth. "if you must know," you started. "he wants to date one of my friends, so i'm helping him out."

tyler laughed again and walked away without saying another word while you scrolled through the photos you took again until practice ended.

you headed towards the locker rooms only when the last player had been off the ice for ten minutes, you didn't want to chance waiting around too long looking like an idiot.

as you waited, you made a mental note of all the editing you'd have to do when you got back to your cubicle. you got a few good shots earlier, but they'd need some tweaking before you sent them to the social media team. in fact--

"hey, what're you doing here?" you glanced up and saw anders, hair wet from whatever brief shower he took.

you shrugged, not sure if it was your place to give away mat's intentions. "just waiting around."

"for?" he pushed.

"barzy needs her to play wing-woman," tito said from over anders' shoulders. "he wants to get with her friend, but her friend isn't interested."

anders threw his head back and laughed. "barzy not getting a girl? that's fucking hilarious."

tito smirked. "tell him what your friend said" he told you.

"she doesn't like that he knows he's attractive," you mumbled.

if it was even possible, anders laughed even louder. "un-fucking-believable."

"what's so funny?" mat walked up, running a hand through his damp hair.

you said "nothing" at the same time anders asked "you got rejected, barzy?"

mat's face dropped before looking at you and tito accusingly. anthony sighed and nudged his best friend. "chill out, barz. she didn't bring it up, i did."

mat's shoulders relaxed before he punched tito in the arm. "dick," he mumbled.

anders looked between the three of you and sighed. "i don't have time for this shit," he said. "i'll see you later." and he was off down the hallway.

"so what's the plan for today?" tito asked.

"you're not included," mat said. his gaze focused on you. "can i have your number?"

you blinked. "what?"

mat laughed a little and you could feel heat and shame running up your spine. he asked you one fucking question and you had to go act like a weirdo. "so i can text you? i think we should sit down and create a strategy."

you nodded and read off your number as he typed it into his phone. "great," he gave you his megawatt smile. "i'll text you."

"okay," you breathed out as he walked away without a thought.

tito kept standing there, smirking to himself. "you're so fucked," he said.

you nodded because there was nothing else to say.

step one: talk him up

you and mat got lunch two days later on a saturday when he didn't have a game. it was rather surreal, sitting across from him in public. the delusional part of you was begging you to imagine this as a date instead of a meeting to set your friend up with mat.

when did your life turn into something so pathetic?

"okay," he started. "tell me about your friend."

you would rather do anything else.

"she just got out of a long term relationship with this guy named jared. he was a bit self absorbed which is probably why she didn't like you knowing how hot you are." you paused as the words left your mouth, ready to set yourself on fire if he reacted. but he didn't, he only leaned in closer to listen. "she uh--she likes daffodils and goes to the farmer's market at union square every saturday."

"but what's she like?" he asked. "what's her personality?"

how would you say she's the trademarked cool girl? the girl every guy wanted, that mat was one man in a long list of men who tried and failed to win her over.

"she's sweet and affectionate," you started. "she pretty girly on the outside but knows her way around a car. she grew up with three older brothers so she knows a fair bit about sports, just not hockey, but if you wanted to talk stats about football or basketball, she's your girl. in college, she held the record for fastest shotgun in her sorority."

you racked your brain for more information about your friend, but it was difficult under pressure to sum up someone you'd known since freshman year of college.

"what else?" mat asked.

"she's a bit of a partier, but knows how to settle down and just chill. she's a really good friend, like last year i dated this guy who was cheating on me the entire duration of our relationship, which i should've known about because he said he had to go on business trips all the time but he worked as a barista, and she held me while i cried for three days straight and even threatened to fuck up his car."

mat stared at you without saying anything in a way that made you want to sink into a hole, never to be seen again. "you dated a barista and thought he needed to go on business trips?"

you blinked. "that's what you got from that? me dating a shitty barista?"

he shrugged. "i heard everything else, but that was definitely the funniest part. how long did you date him?"

"six months," you replied quickly. "but that's not the point! alexa is going to play hard to get because she doesn't want anything too serious right now."

"great! neither do i!"

"but she's not a one night stand kind of girl anymore. so if you want her, you have to prove to her you can be serious enough for a relationship but not serious enough that you get clingy and overbearing and propose within six months."

mat blinked at you. "how the hell does that make sense?"

"believe me, there's a balance."

he sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. "and you would know this how?"

"well i uh--" you sputtered. your nerves were only encouraged by his light chuckling. "all girls know these things! we don't want overly possessive boyfriends but we also want someone to care. it shouldn't be that hard to comprehend."

"it's not," he defended. "just a little...complicated, don't you think?"

"alexa's a complicated girl!"

he sighed and ran a hand down his face. "okay so how do i show her i mean business but that i'm not looking to settle down and get married?"

"i guess i could talk you up to her in passing conversation?"

"what would you tell her? we don't know each other very well."

"i know more than you think!"

"please, share with the class."

shit.

do you confess that in the two years you'd worked for the islanders that you watched him borderline obsessively?

"well, i know you're good with kids, if your interactions with young fans is anything to go by. you don't like dogs, which is a bit of a red flag in my book, but alexa shouldn't mind. you're a fantastic hockey player, and a great teammate."

"is that enough to convince her?"

you grimaced and shook your head. "she's a bit more personable. she one time broke up with a guy because he was rude to waitstaff. she would want to know how you treat non millionaires and authority figures. for instance, how much do you tip a server?"

"25%," he replied. "but why does that matter?"

"alexa used to be a server throughout college and couldn't stand people who she knew had money but would cheap out on the tip because she didn't greet them fast enough."

mat opened his mouth, presumably to ask another question, when his phone started ringing. "shit," he mumbled. "listen, i gotta go. it was nice talking to you, i'll be in touch." he pulled out a few twenty dollar bills and put them on the table before getting up and walking away.

you waited for the server to come back before paying the bill and told them to keep the change before you got up and walked home.

when you got back to your apartment, alexa was already standing at the door, waiting to be let in.

"finally," she said. "i was wondering when you were gonna come home."

"you could've texted me," you said while unlocking the door.

she followed you inside and shut the door behind her. "i could've, but your phone was on do not disturb for some reason, so i doubt my texts would've gone through in time. where were you anyway?"

"getting lunch with a friend from work," you replied.

alexa groaned as she all but collapsed onto your couch. "please tell me it's not tyler. i hate how he treats you."

you dropped your bag by the door and headed back to your room, but not before calling over your shoulder. "he's not that bad, he's like that to everyone!"

"doesn't make it any better!"

you changed into some comfortable clothing before joining alexa on your couch. "did you have fun the other night when we went out to the bar?"

alexa looked at you weirdly.

shit. you must not have been as subtle as you thought.

"i did," she said. "but what makes you ask."

you shrugged. "i know it's been rough with your breakup lately, but i saw you talking to mat and you looked happy."

alexa groaned and sunk into the couch. "i thought we talked about this already. he knows he's attractive, it's such a turn off. you should've seen the way he was talking, it was like he knew that if he gave me a look, i'd be going home with him."

"well he's really nice, i promise! you should see him with kids at the stadium--"

"you mean the kids who idolize him? yeah i bet he's real nice to them."

okay, switch strategies.

"he tips waitstaff really well!"

"with what he makes? he better." alexa sighed. "listen, i'd be more impressed if he could tell me anything about you, but seeing as you've worked there for two years and he couldn't tell me anything other than your name the other night says all i need to know about him. so can we talk about something else?"

you nodded, ignoring the jutting pain in your chest at her words. you knew well enough that mat knew nothing about you, why would he? but to hear it come from the mouth of someone else stung.

getting them together was gonna be harder than you originally thought.

step two: get them interacting

you were dreading the next time you saw mat for the first time in your life. you were in your cubicle editing photos from the game that night to be posted tomorrow to distract yourself from the inevitable conversation you'd have to have with him. tyler, unfortunately got the shot that was posted immediately to the islanders' instagram account to celebrate their win over the rangers and he had no problem letting you know it. and while it was annoying, it served as a great distraction from your other problem.

"maybe you'll get it next time," he sneered as he packed his bag. most days you hated the fact that you were cubicle neighbors, but neither of you were powerful enough to request moving spaces. and even if you could, you knew it would just make you look hard to work with.

"have a good night, tyler," you replied, not even wanting to give him any ammo to use against you.

the door shut behind him with a click, locking you into sweet sweet silence.

until a minute later when your phone went off with a text message.

mat barzal: where ru?

mat barzal: wanna go to a bar with me and tito and you can bring alexa?

you scoffed. "you can bring alexa," you mocked under your breath. "like that's not the sole reason for you asking me to go out tonight." you packed your bag up and shot a quick text to alexa, asking if she wanted to go out. she replied with an immediate yes, asking where to meet you, which prompted you to reach out to mat who sent you an address in response.

which is how you ended up on a sidewalk in front of an incredibly busy bar with alexa next to you.

"i've never been here," she remarked. "how'd you hear about it?"

"oh, a coworker mentioned it," you said in what was hopefully a nonchalant manner.

she looked at you a moment too long before grabbing your hand and pulling you inside. "you find us a place to sit and i'll grab our drinks!" she shouted over the music.

you quickly looked around for mat and tito, the former who'd texted you the second they arrived. you saw a head of dark hair and immediately knew it was mat. you hurried over, panting when you arrived from having to shove your way towards them.

"you made it!" anthony said. you looked at him and mat, eyes bouncing back and forth between them, when you realized your first problem.

they were sitting on opposite sides of the booth.

which meant you would have to sit with one of them, and alexa would have to sit with the other. if mat had it his way, he'd sit next to alexa, but you knew your friend wouldn't have that. she'd feel manipulated and uncomfortable.

"is there a problem?" tito asked.

you gestured to the booth. "alexa will want to sit by me. she's still not convinced about you, mat."

mat, to his credit, didn't look shocked or offended, he just shrugged and moved to tito's side. "this work?" he asked as you sat down.

you nodded.

"so what's the plan? how should i approach this?" he asked.

"keep the conversation on her, when she tries to turn it on you or about your career, focus on other people, applaud your teammates, your coaches, but whatever you do, don't talk about yourself too much. she already thinks you have a big ego."

"to be fair," tito started. "he does."

mat didn't even dignify that with a response. "so keep the conversation on her and others, got it."

alexa found you a moment later and didn't do a great job covering up her disinterest in sitting with mat and beau.

"i couldn't find anywhere to sit," you explained.

alexa didn't buy it if her eyes bouncing around the bar to find empty tables said anything. but she sat next to you anyway, placing your drink in front of you.

"you remember mat and anthony from the other night, right?" you asked.

she just hummed and took a sip of her drink.

"so, alexa," mat started. "what do you do for a living?"

she stared at him and sighed. "i'm a vet tech," she said, but offered no other information.

"she especially loves the cats," you added.

"cats are great!" mat said a little too enthusiastically.

alexa drained the rest of her glass and got up, leaving the three of you behind.

the second she was gone, beau broke into laughter, slapping his own chest. "that was fucking hilarious," he said.

"yeah yeah yeah, laugh it up," mat grumbled, swirling his cup around instead of making eye contact with anyone.

"i'm serious, i don't think i've ever seen you fail so quickly. it's kind of amazing."

mat focused his eyes on you. "what did i do wrong? i tried asking about her life and she seemed wholly uninterested."

you shrugged. "i don't know! maybe she feels cornered?"

tito took a sip of his beer. "i think you need to workshop this. clearly, neither of you thought this through."

you groaned and rested your head on the table.

this was already harder than you anticipated.

step three: reevaluate and regroup

you met mat in a booth of a coffee shop after you got off work. he was staring at his phone when you walked in, completely unaware that you even existed.

which wasn't abnormal considering you didn't even think he knew who you were a few months ago. but the second the barista called your order out, his head whipped up.

you could've sworn time stopped at that moment.

you made your way towards him and plopped down in the booth opposite of him.

"hi," you smiled. "what's up?"

"i don't know what to do, she doesn't seem interested in me." he groaned into his hands before running one of them through his hair.

god he was so attractive.

you snapped out of your reverie. "listen, you've got what it takes, we just need to reevaluate our strategy. i think the bar thing was a bad idea, she felt ambushed and it probably set us back a little, but i have an idea."

he leaned his forearms on the table. "let's hear it."

"practice dates," you said.

mat blinked once. twice. a third time before he spoke. "practice dates?"

"okay hear me out," you said, pulling a notepad out of the bag you brought. "i have a list of things that alexa likes to do and i was thinking, you and i can do them and work on conversations and how to approach her. so when the time comes, you don't feel out of your element."

"who said i feel out of my element?"

you stared at him. "you said last night 'cats are great!' and expected conversation to flow naturally."

"okay so not my best moment."

"not even close." you sighed. "listen, i wanna help you, and i feel like this is your best bet in winning her over."

mat ran a hand down his face. "okay fine. what's the first date?"

practice date one: pumpkin patch

to be quite frank, you were nervous when proposing the idea, scared that he wouldn't be willing to sit in a car with you for three hours just to get to the pumpkin patch. and maybe he would find it childish.

when in fact, he said nothing about the long car ride, he even offered to pick you up from your apartment, and laughed when you offered to pay for gas. when you finally arrived, you jumped out of mat's car like an excited child. mat stepped out like he knew he was the romantic lead in a movie, suave and collected.

you two could not be more opposite of each other.

it took everything in you to focus on the task at hand, and not fall deeper in love with him. but how could you not? when he looked so boyfriend in a coat and flannel and beanie and jeans that hugged his thighs just right--

you were getting ahead of yourself. you were doing this for mat and alexa, not your own selfish ambition.

"so what's the plan?" he asked after locking his car with the key fob.

you shrugged. "what would you do if you were here with alexa?" the words tasted bitter in your mouth. it was such a painful reminder, knowing that this wasn't real and was in service to hook him up with your friend.

mat looked around and shoved his hands in his pockets. "corn maze?" he pointed. you must've made a face because he spoke up again. "what?"

"alexa hates corn mazes."

he paused. "to the pumpkin patch then?" you nodded and followed his lead. "so how did you meet alexa?"

"she was my first roommate in college, we shared the smallest dorm in history."

"that sounds like an exaggeration."

"says the man who never went to college."

he laughed. "i don't need a college education to identify a hyperbole when i hear one."

you gasped and looked at him with wide eyes. "a hyperbole? what a word."

"laugh it up," he said. "but i'm not a complete idiot, you know."

"never said you were. i just haven't heard anyone use hyperbole in a sentence outside of my english lit classes."

"well, you should know i'm full of surprises."

the two of you approached the pumpkin patch and started weaving between families and the occasional rogue toddler. mat had to tug you out of the way a few times when you about stepped on a child because you were gazing at pumpkins.

"if you don't mind me asking," mat started. "why are you helping me? you don't owe me anything. i feel like i'm taking advantage of your kindness."

you shrugged. "you wouldn't be the first one."

"what's that supposed to mean?" you looked up from the pumpkin patch to see mat's brows furrowed together and his mouth twisted in a cute frown.

"well, i mean, i've been told i have a habit of being a doormat at times."

"who said that?" his tone had changed to a softer one.

"huh?" you asked.

"who called you a doormat?"

you shrugged again, that seemed to be your go to move around him. you squatted down to look at a particularly fat pumpkin, inspecting all sides of it before you responded. "i've heard it all my life, some have said it in meaner ways, others have been nicer about it."

"i'm sorry," he said.

you stood to your full height which was still much shorter than mat's. "why? it's not like it's not true."

"what if i helped you?"

it was your turn to frown. "help me? with what? ice skating?"

mat rolled his eyes. "no, with confidence. maybe even get you a date."

you guffawed, mouth opening and closing like a fish. "what?"

mat pulled you out of the way of yet another child and kept his hand on your elbow until you were clear of the pumpkin roots. and if your heart stopped for a few seconds, that was your business, no one else's. "you heard me. you're young, single, and attractive and you spend all your free time at the office or DDing for your friends. we can work on your confidence and get you out there."

"i don't know..." though your mind was still focused on the fact that he'd called you attractive.

"what about that other photographer guy? tony?"

you cackled. straight up burst into laughter. "tyler? that's fucking hilarious mat."

"what?" the two of you continued down the patch, occasionally gazing at the pumpkins, but mostly just talking. "you two are always talking."

talking or being insulted?

you shook your head. "enough about me, we're here for alexa."

mat nudged you with his elbow. "actually we're here for me to win alexa over."

you kicked a small stone with the toe of your shoe and said nothing. the tragedy of your own personal situation wasn't lost on you, neither was the idiocy of your plan. what were you thinking, spending your free time with mat? to win over your friend?

it was textbook self inflicted torture.

"where'd you go?" mat nudged you again. "i lost you there for a second."

you bent down and picked up a smaller pumpkin. "what do you think about this one?"

"it looks fine. you're ignoring my question."

you juggled the pumpkin back and forth in your hands to determine if you liked it or not. "what question?" you looked up just in time to see mat roll his eyes, but he dropped the topic anyway.

the both of you walked over to the stall to pay for the pumpkin. you reached into your tote bag to grab your wallet, but mat was already holding out a five dollar bill to the vendor.

"you didn't have to--"

"do you wanna get some cider?"

you could've started drooling at the idea of drinking cider. "yes!"

mat chuckled and started walking towards the cider stand where a small family waited in front of you. "does alexa like cider?" he asked.

"what a random question."

"well you're not giving me anything to work with!"

you almost groaned. because he was right. you got caught up in the idea of hanging out with mat outside of work that you forgot the real reason both of you were there in the first place.

"she loves cider, especially when it's spiked. she also loves mulled wine." mat scrunched his face up. "not a fan?" you asked.

"warm wine? no thank you."

mat paid for the cider, going as far as having the cash ready before you could even order.

"you really don't have to keep buying things. i can pay!"

"oh this is all a bribe to get you to go through that corn maze with me."

your face dropped. "alexa doesn't like mazes."

"so i won't go with her next time, but you're here now and i wanna go."

you let him drag you along until you were in the thick of the maze. you let him guide the both of you through it like he knew what he was doing even though you were pretty sure you hit every possible dead end in the maze.

two little kids ran past giggling and smiling. "we found the end, mama!"

you almost laughed at the look of irritation on mat's face.

it took an obscene amount of time to get through the maze, and mat was in a much worse mood when it was all over.

needless to say, the ride home was quiet.

practice date 2: dinner at mat's

you weren't quite sure what mat was planning on making for dinner, but you were willing to bet the smell of smoke wasn't a part of the plan.

the scene when you walked into his apartment could only be described as chaotic. the smoke detector was going off and when you walked into the kitchen, mat was going between waving a towel under the detector and opening every window in his kitchen.

"you weren't supposed to be here yet!" he shouted over the noise before darting past you into the living room to open the windows in there.

you dropped your things on the counter and took over waving the towel under the smoke detector.

"what happened?" you asked.

"i suck at cooking!" he came back in the kitchen and took the towel from you. "i'm taller," he said like that was an explanation.

the beeping ceased and left the two of you in a hazy apartment. when you looked around the kitchen, you saw what had to be charred meat and veggies in a skillet.

"okay so when you cook dinner for alexa, don't. just hire a chef."

mat held up his phone. "or order pizza. you in?"

"do i get to financially contribute?"

he gestured to your belongings on the counter, one of which was a bottle of red wine. "you already did."

"you can't keep buying everything," you said. "it's not fair."

"why not? i'm the millionaire here, i'd look like a dick if i made you pay for anything. besides, when i date alexa, it's not like i'm gonna let my girlfriend pay."

girlfriend.

right.

that was the end goal for him.

you kept forgetting.

you cleared your throat and dusted your hands on your pants despite them being clean.

"you can go pick out a movie or something while i order the pizza?" mat suggested.

you had no choice but to nod and wander into his moderately decorated living room. it definitely still looked like a bachelor pad, but if a bachelor had enough money to hire someone to say he needed artwork, decorative pillows, and a couch that wasn't brown.

you were scrolling through netflix when mat came into the living room and plopped on the sectional beside you, shucking his shoes off. why he was wearing shoes in his own apartment was beyond you, but you weren't one to judge.

"you look nice," he commented, as if just noticing you for the first time that night.

you looked down at your own outfit. it was a pair of jeans and a nice blouse. "this?"

"are you wearing something else that i'm not seeing?" he teased.

before you could die of embarrassment, you switched subjects. "what do you want to watch? i haven't made a decision yet." you handed the remote to him, hating being the one to make the decisions.

he shifted on the couch so he was sitting up instead of lounging on the chaise and took the remote. "what's alexa's favorite movie?"

"birdbox."

mat did a double take. "she likes birdbox?"

you shrugged. "she's into suspense."

mat was about to select birdbox until he took one look on your face. you don't know what you looked like but it made him pause. "but are you?"

"why do you care what i like?"

"because you're here, alexa's not. i don't wanna make you watch something you'd hate." mat shifted on the couch. "why don't we work on those dating tips i talked to you about."

"oh i don't think--"

"why not?" he asked. "you're always so jittery whenever we talk about it."

oh.

was he referring to the other day after practice when he saw tyler tormenting you and mat misinterpreted that as flirty banter? mat had come up to you afterwards to give you pointers but you practically ran away.

"it's not that simple, mat."

"i think it is."

you threw your hands up. "well then, by all means you must be right."

"what's with the attitude?" he asked. "did i say something?"

it was a good question. one that shouldn't make you want to cry, but life felt overwhelming in all the worst ways. between tyler harassing you every second of every day and pretending like you weren't in love with mat so you could set him up with your friend, and taking photos for games and practices, you were exhausted.

"i'm not sober enough for this," you said before getting up and popping the cork on the wine bottle and drinking straight from it.

it was another thirty minutes before the pizza arrived and the both of you were well on your way to wine drunk, you more so than mat. who could blame you though? your life was a sad excuse for a single twenty-something and you were tired of thinking about it.

"truth is," mat started with a mouth full of pizza. "you just need to act like you're the best thing that's ever happened to this city. guys love confident women."

"and that's your biggest issue with alexa right now."

"wanna switch personalities?"

you laughed.

"what?" he asked. "what's so funny?"

"i'm trying to picture you without an ego and i don't think it's possible."

mat rolled his eyes but had a smile on his lips anyway. it shouldn't have made your heart pound the way it did, but you were weak for that man, you had been since day one.

so you switched courses.

"okay," you started. "how do i make get a guy to wanna date me?"

mats eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "you're serious?"

you nodded. "as a heart attack."

mat sat up on the couch and faced you. his eyes scanned your face like he was looking for something but couldn't find it. maybe he was looking for a reason to change the subject.

"alright," he said. "you gotta be confident, even if you don't feel like it. most guys don't mind a little insecurity, they find it kinda cute, but a guy who wants an insecure girl is a red flag."

"should i be taking notes or...?" you took a large sip of your wine and smiled when mat rolled his eyes again.

"secondly, you can't be hiding behind your camera all the time."

you guffawed. "i do not hide behind my camera!"

"oh give me a break, you totally do! you walk around like it's a safety blanket or something."

"because it is!"

"exactly my point! thirdly, chivalry isn't dead. if he's not doing basic things like opening doors, walking on the closest side to the street, and he's only talking about himself? run."

"what? he can't be a good person if he doesn't do those things?"

"if he can't do a basic kind gesture, he's not going to do larger ones. sorry. i don't make the rules."

you blinked. "but you kinda are making the rules for me, right now."

"you're such a smart ass, just like tito."

"is that a good or bad thing?"

mat shrugged and took another bite of pizza. "hard to say, i love tito most days."

love.

don't be an idiot and read into things.

"so," mat leaned back into the couch. "i gave you advice, it's my turn. how do i win over alexa?"

you thought back to the conversation you had with her a few weeks ago about mat. and one comment stuck out the most. "i think the biggest sin you committed was not knowing anything about me despite working together for two years," you admitted shyly.

mat's brows furrowed in that cute way they always did. "what do you mean?"

"she said she's not impressed by you being nice to kid fans or tipping waitstaff. she would be impressed if you knew anything about me because i'm not a hockey player."

mat recoiled as if physically struck by your words. "she thinks that low of you?"

"no she didn't mean to say you were--" you paused. "me? you think she has a low opinion of me?"

mat crossed his arms. "she just insinuated that you weren't important enough for me to know."

"no! that's not what she meant! she was saying that you think you're better than me."

"that's not even remotely true." and he said it so confidently, you almost believed him. "it's not, you know that right?"

you hesitated and you might as well have punched him in the gut.

mat said your name so softly like it was precious. like it was something special. "you have to know, i have never, not once, believed you were beneath me."

you gave him a small smile. "you don't need to explain yourself to me, mat."

he reached over and grabbed your hand, tugging on it lightly. "no. i need you to know, you are important to me."

your heart fluttered at his words, or maybe it was the fact that you were holding hands and you could feel the calluses rub against your own palm.

you could've stayed there forever.

"jesus fucking christ, why does it smell like something burned in here?" the front door opened and slammed sending you and mat sprawling apart like you hadn't been locked in a staring contest and holding hands. tito rounded the corner and crossed his arms, a smug expression on his face. "what do we have here?"

"nothing!" you squeaked out. "i was just leaving!"

"no you weren't," mat started, eyes wide with an emotion you couldn't place. "beau was just leaving."

you looked as confused as tito was. "what? no i'm not." you glanced back at mat who could not have looked more annoyed if he tried. "or i can...?"

"no!" you said. "i need to get going anyway. got work tomorrow, long day."

mat stood up when he realized there was no convincing you. "i can walk you out--"

"don't worry about it! i'm a big girl." you were leaving when you heard whisper shouting. you couldn't fully make out what they were saying, but before you shut the front door behind you, you could've sworn you heard them mention "liking her."

you did your best not to let the talking break your heart even more.

practice date 3: ice skating

you made mat pick out the last date but he hadn't told you what it was, just asked for your shoe size.

aside from that?

radio silence.

maybe you should've seen this coming. you'd talked to alexa a few days ago and she'd suggested that maybe you should put yourself out there more, find a date, find a boyfriend, find some happiness.

after practice, you found yourself scrolling through your camera roll in one of the seats in the arena when a pair of skates came into your peripheral. you looked up expecting to see a mop of black hair and hazel eyes.

but it was tito with a sheepish grin on his face.

"hey," he said.

you put your camera down and smiled. it was always good to see tito, with the exception of the other night. "hey, what can i do for you?"

anthony playfully rolled his eyes. "you don't live to serve us," he said. "i don't need anything, just wanted to say hi."

"hi!" you smiled even brighter.

"i was wondering, what're you doing friday night?"

you jaw dropped. and it must've been funny because tito threw his head back and laughed. "what?"

tito smiled at you and gestured towards you. "i was wondering if you'd want to get dinner with me on friday. i don't know what time you get off work, but i was thinking 6:30?"

you blinked. you blinked again. "are you serious?"

"why wouldn't i be? you're attractive, single, and i like your company. i think we'd have a fun time."

"okay," you smiled again. have you ever smiled this much in your life? you were unsure. "okay yeah, friday at 6:30 is perfect."

"great," tito grinned. "can i have your number?" you handed your phone over rather quickly, watching as he typed his number in and texted himself. "i'll see you," he said.

"bye tito!" you waved until he was out of sight. and even then, you continued to stare at the spot he was once occupying.

"what the hell was that about?"

you jumped about a foot in the air when tyler made his comment from over your shoulder. "jesus fucking christ, tyler." you placed a hand over your heart to feel how rapidly it was beating. "are you some sort of lurker?"

"what did beauvillier want with you?" he condescended.

"it's none of your business." you rolled your eyes when your phone buzzed.

mat barzal: come down to the locker room.

"who is that?" he asked, peering over your shoulder, but you stood up and started walking away.

the both of you headed down to the locker rooms, though you weren't really enjoying the company. tyler kept talking about your lackluster photography skills like the both of you didn't have the exact same job title.

you were rounding the corner when you saw mat leaning up against the wall, still in his hockey gear. tyler, being confronted with an audience, immediately departed. if you had to guess, he probably went back to his office to scheme how else to make your life miserable.

"hey," you said as you approached. "what's up?"

mat reached down and tossed a duffle bag at your feet. "open the bag," he directed.

you squatted and opened the zipper to see a pair of ice skates. you looked up at mat who looked pleased with himself. "what're these for?"

"you ever been ice skating?" he asked.

the short answer? no.

the long answer? once in second grade for a field trip.

"kinda?" you said instead.

mat laughed, like an actual laugh. there was a shiver that went down your spine at the very sound of it. "it's a yes or no question."

"i would say yes, but i was like eight."

"yeah, doesn't really count anymore. grab the bag, let's go." he walked off without a second thought, leaving you scrambling with the bag and rushing after him.

"what's the point of this?" you called after him.

"you told me to pick the last date, this is it!"

you stopped walking immediately. "mat, i don't know if this is a good idea..."

as if sensing your hesitation, mat turned around and walked back towards you. he rested his hands on your shoulders and squeezed lightly, ducking his head down towards yours. "i'm not gonna let anything bad happen to you, i promise. you have nothing to be afraid of."

"what if my boss sees? what if lou sees? i'm a lot more replaceable than you are."

mat scoffed. "first of all, you're not replaceable. second of all, it's gonna be fine. i'll take all the heat if we get in trouble, which we won't because it's not a big deal." he reached down and grabbed your hand that wasn't holding the duffle bag. "now c'mon."

he led you out to the bench where you sat down and placed your camera on the bench. "take your shoes off and put these socks on." he tossed a pair of socks at your head that you barely caught in time.

"but i'm already wearing socks," you said.

"these are longer, unless you want the boot to cut into your ankle."

safe to say, you put the socks on.

mat knelt in front of you to help put the skates on, tying them up so they were secure on your feet.

you wanted to swoon at the sight of him before you. thankfully, he stood up and helped you to your feet before you could start imagining anything preposterous.

like him proposing.

you watched as mat slid over the top of the bench railing and onto the ice. he turned around and looked at you expectantly.

"oh hell no," you said. "where's the door, i'll use the door."

he cackled as you walked and opened the door, but skated to you anyway to give you some assistance when stepping onto the ice.

"easy does it," he said, chuckling when your grip was practically crushing his fingers. "you're okay, i'm not gonna let you fall."

"it's not you i don't trust, it's me."

mat kept a grip on your hands and led you out to the center of the ice. on the way to the center, you slipped twice, a squeak leaving your lips. you quickly latched onto mat who only laughed at your death grip on his forearms.

"it's not funny," you whined. "i'm terrified."

"you're right, it's not funny. but it is cute." he removed your hands from his arms and skated away from you. "okay, now come to me."

he was easily twenty feet away.

you glanced down at the ice and then back at mat. you would've sat down if you knew how to without eating it. "mat, i'm telling you right now, that's not gonna happen."

"it's not that hard."

"you've been skating since you were a child. i have not." you attempted to take a step forward, but thought differently of it. "besides, how does this help you with alexa?"

"easy," he said. "if i can teach you to skate, i can teach anyone."

"so your idea of a romantic date is a girl busting her ass over and over for an hour?"

"not quite," he said, skating circles around you.

literally.

"you're being an ass,' you whined. "why did the one practice date you pick out have to do with hockey?"

"because it's what i love. and if a girl can't hang with it, our relationship is doomed to fail."

you rolled your eyes. "that's a bit dramatic. you can appreciate and love hockey without having to ice skate. thousands of fans do it all the time."

"but my girlfriend won't be just a fan, now will she?"

your heart sank at the idea of alexa and mat in a similar situation. alexa actually trying to skate and looking beautiful while doing so. you pictured them laughing as she slipped and mat catching her before she could fall.

"you okay? i lost you again." mat skated right up to you, leaving maybe a foot of space between the two of you.

"yeah," you breathed. "just thinking."

mat smirked and skated backwards. "uh oh. that can't be good. less thinking more skating. would it help if i pushed you?"

"no!" you shrieked. "it definitely wouldn't!"

but it was too late. mat was skating up behind you and placing his hands on your waist. "relax," he murmured. "i'm not gonna push you without a little guidance."

relax?

when his hands were on your waist and he was mumbling in your ear?

how the hell was anyone supposed to live, laugh, love in these conditions?

mat added a little pressure to your back. and suddenly you were moving. "that's it," he praised. "now just move your feet."

it was easier with mat's hands on you, the sensation forcing you to focus on the warmth of his palms than the fact that you were skating on sharp knives.

"see? this isn't so bad, right?"

it wasn't too terribly bad, truth be told it was just like roller skating, just ten times scarier.

"yeah," you said. "not too bad."

"so you're ready to go by yourself?" his hands starting slipping away, leaving a burning sensation in their wake.

"i--"

but he was already skating away. he stopped about twenty feet away and smiled. "skate to me."

"mat--" your voice shook at the idea. skating with him was one thing, skating to him was another.

"hey," he said quietly. "eyes on me, okay? i'm not gonna let you fall, if i think you're gonna fall, i'll catch you. i was the fastest skater in 2020, remember?"

you nodded. "just like roller skating," you mumbled.

"except better," mat added.

you took a deep breath and put one foot in front of the other, slowly but surely gliding towards him. you started picking up pace the closer you got to him.

"mat?"

"you're doing great!" he smiled.

"i don't know how to stop!"

mat laughed even as he caught you. his arms gripped your biceps and his smile was a mile wide. "you okay?" he asked.

you couldn't help but smile. "yeah," you breathed.

there was hardly any room between the two of you. your heart was beating wildly in your chest at the proximity, the rush of skating alone, who knew? you surely didn't.

you looked into his eyes and could've sworn his gaze dropped to your chin, but you were known for your hopeless romantic delusions, so maybe--

"hey!" whatever trance you were in ended when you saw a man in coveralls standing at the end of the rink. "time's up, i gotta clean the ice!"

"sorry!" mat called. "we'll get out of your way!" he gently took your hand in his and skated the both of you back to the benches.

mat helped you take off your skates and walked you back up the tunnel towards the locker rooms. the both of you stopped just outside of them, considering mat still had to shower and go home while you had the rest of the day to do your work.

"this was really fun," you said. "terrifying but fun."

"i'm glad you enjoyed it." his smile just about made you collapse into a puddle.

but you got a grip on reality and nodded. "well, i hope this helps with alexa, i'll try to talk to her in the next day or so, see where her head is."

mat's jaw clenched but he nodded. "i'll be seeing you."

"bye, mat."

you might as well have been on cloud nine by the time you got up to your office. you were in a different zone, focused on the way that mat's hands felt on your body, in your own hand. the feeling of euphoria wouldn't leave your body, you were sure of it. nothing could take that feeling away.

until you got to your desk and saw tyler.

who was sitting on your desk and using a paper clip to get the dirt out from under his nails.

"what were you and barzal doing?" tyler asked, moving off your desk, instead choosing to lean up against the cubicle.

you ignored him.

"i asked you a question," he said.

"i heard you, tyler. but i have work to do." you signed into your computer and plugged your camera in, ready to start uploading and editing photos from practice and the game yesterday.

“do you really think sleeping your way through the roster will help you get your pics chosen for the social media accounts?” he sneered.

you froze, your fingers hovered over the keyboard. "what?"

"i said--"

"don't repeat it." another voice joined in and when you turned around to see who came in, you were flabbergasted.

mat.

"barzal i--"

"where do you get off talking to her like that? talking to anyone like that?" he stepped into the room, chest puffed out.

in all of your time working for the isles, mat had never been much of a fighter, but he looked ready to pummel tyler if need be.

"mat, it's fine," you mumbled.

"no, it's not. is this how he normally talks to you?"

you said nothing.

that only seemed to make mat angrier. "you need to go to HR about this. this is workplace harassment. now apologize," he directed at tyler.

"for what? speaking the truth? is this how you think you can get ahead in life?" tyler said to you. "first beauvillier now barzal?"

you and mat both froze. in the corner of your eye you could see his jaw clench before he looked at you.

"can you do your work from home?" he asked.

you nodded. "i just have a shit ton of editing but i can do that on my laptop--"

"great. i'll take you home."

"but my boss-"

"if anyone has a problem with it, they can talk to me. let's go." mat was spinning on his heel and walking out of the room as quickly as he came in. you were unplugging your camera and logging off your computer, packing up your things, before sprinting after him.

"mat! mat, wait up!"

he stopped walking and looked at you, an unfamiliar expression in his eyes. "can you wait for me outside the locker room? i still have to shower and change."

you nodded. "why did you come upstairs anyway?"

"to give you the skates." you glanced down at his empty hands. "i forgot the bag, and by that point, i was too lazy to go down and get them without you."

the both of you continued your walk until you got to the locker room.

"i'll be a few minutes and then i'll take you home."

true to his word, mat was only gone for ten minutes before coming out freshly showered and ready to go home. neither of you spoke until he was pulling the car out of the parking garage.

"what did tyler mean when he mentioned tito?" mat asked after moments of silence. his fists were gripping the wheel tightly, though you didn't know why.

"tito asked me to dinner on friday."

mat's fists tightened their grip on the wheel and his jaw clenched so hard, you were afraid he was going to chip some teeth.

"oh." was all he said.

"something wrong? i just figured for once i wouldn't be hiding behind my camera like you said and i thought it would be fun, you know? we get along fine. why? do you think i shouldn't go?"

"no!" mat said quickly. "no, i just, it just caught me by surprise is all. i'm sure you'll have fun."

"and i can give you alexa's number if you want to ask her out! she's coming over tonight so i can talk you up now that i know more about you, make it seem more genuine."

"yeah," he choked out. "yeah, that would be great."

mat pulled up to your apartment a few minutes later and watched as you got out. "i meant what i said in your office," he said. "you need to tell HR about tyler's behavior."

"i will." you probably wouldn't. "thanks, mat."

he nodded as you shut the door and waited for you to go inside before driving off.

you walked up the stairs to your apartment and unlocked the door. as you shut the door behind you, you felt the weight of today bearing down.

tito asking you out.

the moments with mat.

the slut shaming comment from tyler.

when did your life get so dramatic?

step 4: get her to say yes

you had alexa over that night, armed with a million reasons why she should say yes to mat.

and the one reason why she should say no was locked deep in your chest. your happiness and affection for him shouldn't deter her.

besides, you would eventually get over your silly little crush, right?

right?

"so what's new in your world? i feel like you've been so busy lately. it's kind of strange," alexa said before shoveling a forkful of pasta in her mouth. it should've been disgusting, but she made it look graceful.

"oh you know, just working."

"is that why you were in the middle of nowhere a few weeks ago? work?"

"what?"

"i checked your location, you were on a farm. didn't realize the isles was doing photoshoots that far out of the city."

"oh they're not," you explained. "i was with mat, we were just hanging out."

alexa blinked. "since when do you and mat hang out?"

ouch.

but true.

you couldn't come out and say it could you? that the reason the two of you started interacting was because he wanted to date alexa?

no, you couldn't.

so you lied.

"oh, the social media team wanted me to get some information on mat, like a get to know you segment. they wanted something outside of work, so we were just hanging out so i could write this article on him."

a complete lie. you haven't had to write anything on anyone since your college journalism class. but alexa didn't know that. you never told her what you do all day for work. for all she knew, you could be running the tiktok account.

alexa raised an eyebrow. "and how did that go? was he talking about himself the entire time?"

"no!" you said. but then you paused, realizing that getting defensive would just look suspicious. "he told me a lot about how he doesn't like mulled wine and loves corn mazes despite being absolutely shitty at them. he loves his friends and hockey, obviously. he refuses to let anyone pay for anything while you're with him because he has money and likes to treat people. and he sticks up for the people that are important to him. and once you're in with him, you don't have to worry about your place in his life or how important you are because he will keep reminding you."

alexa stared at you. "are you sure you don't want to go out with him?"

you guffawed and hoped that it covered up your embarrassment. "what? no! he's clearly into you, and i think you should go for it."

"give me one good reason why."

"because he's kind, and nothing like your ex. he cares, legitimately cares about people and their lives." you sighed, not sure if you were convincing her. “it’s just one date, lex. if you don’t like him at least you got a free meal.”

alexa chewed her lip, letting you anguish in silence. "fine. you can give him my number and we'll set up a date. i trust you."

"fantastic!" you were already pulling your phone out. "he'll be so excited--"

"only if you can look me in the eye and tell me you don't have feelings for him."

you opened and closed your mouth. "i don't have feelings for him," you said with as much confidence as you could.

"honey..."

"no! i don't! if i had feelings for him, would i be going out to dinner with his best friend on friday?"

alexa didn't look fully convinced, but your date with tito was a welcomed distraction as she started rattling off questions about what you would wear and where he was taking you.

alexa left two hours later, meaning you could go to bed at a reasonable hour. as you laid in bed, you grabbed your phone and opened mat's contact, drafting a text to him.

here's alexa's number. managed to convince her you were worth a shot. xxx-xxx-xxxx.

you locked your phone and put it on do not disturb before you could see his response.

when you woke up the next morning, you saw mat had simply liked the message and left it at that.

by noon, alexa texted you that her date with mat was on saturday.

step 5: let the dates begin

friday came faster than you were anticipating. you kept your distance from mat, unable to look at him without thinking about how he was taking your friend out the very next day and that your interactions from that point on would probably be through alexa.

tyler kept his distance, must've been the threat of going to HR (that you still hadn't gone through with) that had him treating you like a human being with feelings.

as for tito, you probably should've been more excited for your date that night, but all you could focus on was how mat and alexa would fall in love and get married and have beautiful babies and grow old together.

and you would be the sucker who set them up because you could never tell mat no.

a slam against the boards startled you enough to look up from your camera to see tito standing there with a smile on his face.

"you okay?" he asked over the sounds of his teammates on the ice.

you gave him what you hoped was a convincing smile and nodded. but he rolled his eyes.

"we'll talk later," he said before skating away. you smiled and waved at him before you made eye contact with mat who was clenching his jaw. at what? you weren't sure. you even turned around to see if tyler had entered the arena, but you were standing alone.

like you always were.

you were headed back to your desk to do some editing as practice let out, but your name was called before you could get away.

when you looked over your shoulder, you saw tito doing an awkward half jog half walk towards you with a tired grin on his face. "hey," he said. "how do you think practice went?"

you turned to face him fully. "you're asking me? a professional asking some photographer how practice went?"

tito rolled his eyes. "oh c'mon. you've seen our practices, by now you should be able to determine whether or not it was a good one."

"well, no one fought each other, so i guess that's a win."

tito shook his head. "nah, that's when the best practices happen. when everyone's pissed at each other."

you smiled. "shows what i know."

"i think you know more than you think. you've worked here for awhile now."

"i've just gotten better at motion capture photography and following the puck around the ice. doesn't mean i know shit about hockey."

"don't think we don't notice you getting riled up during games when calls are missed."

you tilted your head and furrowed your brows. "we?"

tito shrugged and laughed to himself. "mat usually points it out before i can." you must've made a face because he added more. "it's usually on the bench, he's focused on the game when he's playing."

the both of you turn your heads at the other players walking down the tunnel. when the both of you caught sight of mat, tito smiled.

"will you send me your address? so i can pick you up?"

your attention snapped back to tito. "yeah! of course!"

he nodded and started his walk towards the locker rooms right when mat walked up to you. "what was that about?" he asked.

you shrugged. "just going over details for tonight. he needs my address to pick me up."

mat clenched his jaw again and looked down the tunnel, nodding his head. "that's tonight?"

"yep. at 6:30."

he wouldn't meet your eyes. instead, he looked at your shoes, your camera, the hallway, his teammates, but would never look at your face.

"you and alexa go out tomorrow, right? where are you taking her?"

he ran a hand through his hair and nodded at anders as he passed by. "yeah, we're going out to this sushi place. did you ever talk to HR?"

"well no but--"

"do i need to talk to HR?"

"he really hasn't been that bad lately--"

"because i threatened to tell HR on his ass. he's gonna get comfortable and start insulting you again. it's just a matter of time."

you nodded, feeling a lump in your throat form at the idea of mat scolding you, in front of his teammates no less.

mat sighed and ran a hand through his hair again. "i'm not trying to fuss or tell you what to do, i just don't like seeing you treated like that."

"thanks, mat," you mumbled.

he still wouldn't meet your eyes, instead looking down the hallway to see most of his team in the locker room. "i gotta go, but um, good luck tonight. beau's a good guy."

with that he turned on his skates and walked away.

you felt every bit of pathetic as you watched him go.

that night, you settled on a pretty dress that wasn't too fancy, seeing as the only details tito had given you were that it was nicer than an olive garden but not a michelin star restaurant. you were strapping yourself into your heels when you heard a knock on the door.

your phone said it was only 6:15, but maybe tito was accounting for traffic. he never did specify when the reservation was.

"coming!" you called as you put your last heel on and made your way to the door. "i wasn't expecting you this early, you never told me when the reservation was--" your voice trailed off when you opened the door and saw who was standing on the other side.

mat.

he looked more disheveled than you'd ever seen him. it was clear he'd been running his hands through his hair repeatedly just by the strands sticking out every which way.

he still looked handsome.

"mat, what're you--"

"i think you're beautiful. and smart. and passionate about a lot of things. and i think anyone who tells you otherwise is an idiot, and i'd fight them if you'd let me." your eyes started welling up with tears. "i think you're perfect for me and if you'd let me take you out, i promise i'll spend the rest of my life proving it to you."

you blinked until the tears disappeared by sheer willpower, not willing to cry in front of him. "that's perfect," you said. "say that to lex and she'll be eating out of the palm of your hand."

you turned around to grab your bag and coat before you could see mat's face drop in confusion. by the time you turned back around, anthony was standing next to his best friend.

"you ready?" he asked, only glancing at mat out of the side of his eye.

you nodded and squeezed mat's arm as you passed; you couldn't help yourself. "get home safe, mat."

neither you or tito spoke until you got into his car. "what was that about?" he asked.

you shrugged. still not fully comprehending why mat showed up at your door in the first place. "he was telling me what he was gonna tell lex tomorrow, i think."

"really." he didn't sound convinced.

"why else would he show up?"

tito mumbled. "i can think of a few reasons."

after he parked the car, tito got out and opened the door for you while you were answering texts from alexa. he offered you a hand to get out that you took.

there were no sparks, no electric sensations going up your arm. just physical contact, just the warmth of his palm in yours.

he led you into the restaurant which was moderately fancy, like he said. the two of you were escorted back to a table in the corner, away from windows and therefore away from prying eyes.

like a gentleman, he pulled your chair out and helped you scooch up to the table.

"i can't remember if i told you this, but you look lovely," he said with a smile.

"thanks," you replied. "you look handsome." and you meant it. if you weren't in love with his best friend, in another life, you could see yourself falling for his blue eyes. and maybe you still could. mat was going on a date with your friend tomorrow so it was better that you just get over him already and--

"so how long have you been in love with mat?"

you choked on your own spit, and for a minute, tito looked apologetic. for his timing, you had to guess, not the question itself.

surely you heard him wrong.

"what?" you asked when you finally got your bearings.

"how long have you loved him?"

nope. you heard him correctly.

"i--"

he leaned forward, arms braced on the table. "you don't have to lie to me, i know. i've known for awhile."

"i--"

but the server came up and asked for drink orders. tito ordered a bottle of red for the table after asking for your thoughts.

you were still reeling from his question, safe to say you didn't have any thoughts.

"sorry," tito started. "i didn't mean to make you feel cornered, i just wanted to be honest."

"it doesn't look like you're the only who needs to be honest, it's me." you fiddled with the ends of your dress.

"why'd you do it? why'd you help set mat up with your friend?"

you shrugged. "i just wanted to see him happy. and i wanted alexa to find a good guy, i knew mat was one. they make sense together."

"even if it makes you unhappy."

"even if it makes me unhappy."

tito nodded, and looked at you like he could see something you couldn't. "let's forget about him for now and just enjoy dinner, eh?"

you gave him your best smile and nodded.

the rest of the night flew by. soon enough, tito was walking you up to your apartment and kissing your cheek before he left. you wished you felt butterflies, or something, but there was no special sensation. nothing to make you weak in the knees.

it was like a kiss from an old friend.

your phone buzzed with a text from alexa.

alexa: how'd your date go?

you typed out a quick response.

it was good. just got home.

you locked your phone and placed it on your nightstand before collapsing into bed. but your phone buzzed again. you thought about ignoring it, but if it was alexa, you didn't want her to think you were upset at her.

mat barzal: did you have fun?

you blinked before typing back.

yeah. tito's great.

not a second later, you got another text.

mat barzal: good. have a good night.

you fell back against your pillows and cursed at the ceiling.

step 6: let them fall in love

you woke up the next morning and stayed in bed until your bladder was about to burst. after the date with tito and the reminder that mat was going out with alexa tonight, it was all enough to put you back in bed as soon as you peed.

and you stayed there, flicking through netflix shows and wallowing in self pity. you usually weren't this pathetic, but the idea of alexa and mat getting cozy on their date that night was enough to warrant your sadness.

you'd pull yourself together by monday when you'd have to go back to work and see how happy she made him.

that's what you kept telling yourself, that at the very least, two of your friends would be happy.

by 7pm, you were sitting on the couch, waiting for takeout to arrive.

when a knock on the door signified your food arrived, you got up with your blanket burrito and walked to the door. you didn't even bother checking before yanking the door open and looking down at your doormat.

only to see a pair of shoes.

"what the hell," you mumbled. "i thought i said leave at the door...' your voice trailed off as your eyes lifted to meet a pair of hazel.

mat barzal.

he had your food in one hand while the other was in his pocket.

"mat?" you whispered. suddenly, you were throwing the blankets off your shoulders and behind you into your apartment where they'd be out of sight.

though it was then you realized you were in sweats and you hadn't done anything with your hair all day so you were probably better off with the blanket burrito instead.

"hi," he breathed. "here's your food." he handed it over, nodding when you murmured your thanks, and shoved his other hand through his hair.

you glanced at the time on the clock on your wall to make sure you weren't hallucinating. "why're you here, mat? shouldn't you be with alexa?"

"that's what i wanted to talk to you about, actually."

"oh no," you started panicking, your eyes widened. "did she not show up?" you turned back into your apartment and went to your phone, searching for texts from alexa to explain her absence. "i swear i thought she'd show. she told me she would and she's usually a woman of her word."

you turned around when your front door shut with mat standing in the middle of your living room, looking out of place and right at home somehow.

your phone was vacant of any text messages from alexa.

"no, she showed. i left early."

that caught your attention.

you set your food on the coffee table and turned around to face him.

"why did you leave early? was she rude? are you sick?"

mat shook his head. "no, i'm fine, she was fine. that's not why i'm here. i mean it is but that's--that's--i want, no i need to tell you something."

"tell me what?"

he rolled his eyes. "i'm getting to that." he started pacing your very small living room. you wondered if he knew how much space he took up in your apartment. you wondered if he cared how messy your place was. "i'm just gonna come right out and say it, and don't interrupt me this time." you nodded.

mat ran both hands through his hair for the twentieth time since he showed up. "when i said all those things last night, i wasn't talking about alexa. i was talking about you."

what.

but he continued.

"i'm not gonna pretend i've loved you this whole time, but i fell in love with you along the way. the way you kept analyzing every fucking pumpkin for the perfect one, or how you bring red wine to dinner unprompted because you can't not contribute to something, or the way you trusted me enough to take you on the ice and show you something i love, or how you laugh like no one has ever said something mean to you in your life even when i know that jackass tyler harasses you on the daily. you're kind to literally every person i've ever seen you interact with.

"but i hate the way you shrink yourself like you're afraid to take up space. i hate the way you act like alexa's better than you, like i couldn't fall in love with you when you're literally the most generous, kindest, passionate, and beautiful person i've ever met in my life. because i do love you. every fiber of my being loves you."

you blinked once. twice. and breathed.

"what?" you whispered as tears gathered in the corners of your eyes.

"i know you just went out with tito last night, and if you like him, if you love him, i get it. he's a great guy and you'd be great together. but i'm asking you to give me a chance, give us a chance. i've had fun with you the last few weeks and i cannot bear the thought of not calling you mine any longer." his chest was heaving as the words rushed out of his mouth.

you rounded the coffee table to get to him. as soon as you were in arms' reach, mat was pulling you to him. with your hips pressed together, your lips just a breath away, you spoke softly.

"please tell me this isn't a dream."

a small laugh escaped his lips and echoed over your own. "it's not a dream, baby. this is real. i love you so fucking much."

"i love you too, mat."

any words you had left to say were lost as he brought your mouths together.

you weren't sure how much time had passed before you separated from him with your hands pressed on his chest. mat tried to follow your lips, but you kept a firm hand on his sternum so you could speak.

"what about alexa?"

mat pulled back. "what about her?"

"you were on a date with her and just left her there?"

"i more than covered the tab if that's what you're afraid of--"

"what if she hates me?"

he laughed. like threw his head back and laughed before kissing you again. "baby, we were there for fifteen minutes and all i could talk about was you. she told me to come here and tell you the truth."

you smiled. "thank god for alexa."

"thank god for alexa."

mat led the two of you over to the couch where you immediately curled into him. he kissed the top of your head, seemingly addicted to having his lips on your body at all times. "you're fired, you know."

you would've pulled away had mat's grip allowed it. "what? fired from what?"

"the wing woman business. you're absolutely horrible at it."

"yeah, well i think it worked out pretty well."

he pressed his lips into your hair and mumbled. "yeah, i think so too."

#mat barzal #mat barzal imagine #mat barzal x reader #nhl imagine #nhl imagines #nhl blurb

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qrrieterisunnq · 1 year ago

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I would never do that to you; and her - Dawson Mercer

dawson!mercer x fem!reader Summary: You are pregnant with Dawson's baby, but you're afraid to tell him. When you do his reaction catches you off guard, in a great way as you two end up in bed. request: yes/no A/N: Hello! My first time writing smut, so I hope it isn’t as terrible as I think. Also English isn’t my first language, so be patient with me and if you find some error, don’t hesitate to correct me. I hope you will like it. Everything I write is a figment of my imagination! ikes are good, reblogs are better <3 gif not mine word count: 3,2K warning(s): fluff, pregnancy, oral (fem receiving), fingering, dirty talk, unedited, MINORS DNI - 18+ content below the cut

masterlist | wip's

After the announcement of the stars of the match, I slowly walked to the family waiting room to tell Dawson the news. I’m scared to tell him. I know he would be thrilled, but that feeling of uncertainty still resides in the pit of my stomach, along with our miracle.

I walk down the hall with other wives and girlfriends, with my hand before my stomach. Besides me and Clara, John Marino’s girlfriend, no one knows it. They are like family to us, and I’m so grateful for them.

“Breathe, babes, everything is gonna be fine,” she assured me while stroking my back.

“Yeah, I hope,” I let out a nervous sigh, fiddling with my fingers.

“Hey look at me! Dawson is a great man, he would never do anything stupid about the baby, okay? And if you have me and John we will always have your back, just like all boys from the team,” she smiles at me, giving my shoulders a little squeeze.

“Thank you!” I smile at her before we continue on our way to the family room.

When we walked in, Clara immediately pulled me to the couch and pushed me so we could sit down instead of staying the whole time while waiting on our boys.

I pull my phone, open it, and click on an Instagram icon to find out what’s new in the world of celebrities and my friends.

“Oh, y/n how are you?” Ellen asks you with a big smile on her lips as she makes her way toward you. Ellen is the mom of the Hughes brothers. She’s the sweetest woman you have met. She’s like mom to all the boys I dare to say.

“Ellen! Hi! I’m fine, how are ya?” I ask her with a smile as she pulls me in her embrace, hugging me tightly.

“Oh, you know, as a mom of three sons can be!” she laughs pulling from our hug. “I’m fine. Jim is being a pain in my ass as always but otherwise, I’m fine,” she tells me with a smile which makes me and Clara laugh. “Oh, hello dear!” she exclaims pulling Clara in a hug.

Sitting back down on the couch, I rest my head on the headrest closing my eyes. I blow out a deep breath thinking about our baby and what would be Dawson’s reaction.

I know I don’t have to be scared about his reaction because we both want kids, but I’m not sure if it’s too soon for us. Yes, we’ve been married for two years now but you both are just twenty-two and he is enjoying his NHL years.

As I sat here preoccupied with my thoughts I didn’t notice that the guys were already walking into the room. I stand up when I see my man walk into the room.

His eyes traveled around the room to find me. As soon as his eyes land on me a smile grows on his face and he immediately makes his way towards me.

Putting his back down beside me, he pulls me in a tight hug, kissing my forehead. “Hi, beautiful.”

“Hi, handsome. You played amazing today. I’m proud of you.” I whisper in his chest with a smile on my lips.

He slightly pulls away looking you in the eyes before he leans down and presses his lips against mine in a delicious kiss. His right hand takes its place on my cheek deepening the kiss as his tongue makes its way to meet mine.

A slight moan leaves my lips when his tongue starts exploring your mouth. With a grin, Dawson pulls away chuckling at your whine.

“Needy girl,” he smirks resting his hands on my ass, pulling me more into him. My cheeks turn red at his statement burying my head into his chest.

Your moment is interrupted by Jack and Luke, who pull Dawson away from you so they can hug you too, and have you for a minute.

“I’m glad you’re here.” Luke is the first to pull me in a hug kissing the side of my head. I and Luke have known each other since uni. We met because of my mistake when I accidentally poured my drink all over him. But I’m glad that I was so clumsy, because thanks to that I lately met my amazing hot ass husband.

“Yeah me too,” I whisper as I pull away from him only to be pulled in another bear hug, only this time from the middle Hughes brother.

“Hey, I’m glad you made it, Bubba!” he whispered in my ear, his stubble tickling my neck which made me squirm in his hug with a laugh.

“Yeah me too! You played amazing guys!” I laughed pulling away from his tight embrace.

“Sure and that’s why we lost,” Dawson says, the sarcasm clear in his voice as much as in his face.

“Hey, I mean it, okay! It doesn’t mean that you played terribly when you lost. You played amazing, it just wasn’t meant to be.” you shrug your shoulders smiling at them.

“God, if we weren’t already married I would marry right now.” John’s voice comes from behind me as he and Clara stop by us.

I let out a laugh, shaking my head at his statement. “In that case, you wouldn’t have your amazing wife! What would you do without her.”

“That’s true!” he smiles kissing Clara’s cheek.

“Ey, back off man, this is my woman,” Dawson growled playfully, hugging me from behind and resting his hands on my belly.

Clara’s eyes land on his hands, and then she quickly looks into my eyes tilting her head to the side. I just shake my head. I want to tell him when we’re alone.

I let out a deep breath and leaned onto Dawson. ��Tired?” he whispered in my ear earning a chuckle from me.

“Shouldn’t I be the one to ask this question?” I ask him tilting my head to the side to see his smile.

“Probably.” he grins leaning into the kiss I happily give him.

“Okay, guys I think we saw enough! Especially Moosey here, he’s too young to see this.” Jack groans playfully.

“I’m not a kid, Jack!” Luke defends himself shoving Jack in the shoulder.

“Yeah leave my baby alone!” I say with a laugh, earning a mean gesture from Luke.

“Okay, Okay, we should get going. I think we all are tired and the only thing we want is a hot shower and bed.” Dawson tightens his hug around me, pulling me closer to him, which is in our situation impossible.

“Yeah, Merc is right!” John nods picking his bag from the ground. “Let’s go home!”

— — — — — — —

“Oh, finally home!” Dawson groans as soon as I unlock the doors and step inside our apartment.

“Yeah,” I nod slipping out of my coat.

“I’m gonna hit a shower and then we can have dinner, huh?” he states resting his hands on my hips as I grab his forearms.

“Sounds good.” I hummed in response. Dawson smiles kissing the tip of my nose before he pulls away, and makes his way to our bathroom.

I make my way into the kitchen and open the fridge to find something that I can do for our dinner, while is Dawson in the shower.

I found some chicken breasts, so maybe I can make them in a pan with some vegetables and quinoa.

I start with dicing the chicken, so I can marinate them in my honey marinade. When I'm done I put the pan on the stove, pour on it some oil, and let it heat up.

Meanwhile, I cut the vegetables I will put in the pan with the meat, which is broccoli, carrot, and zucchini.

When I'm done I put the meat on the heated pan letting it fry.

I take the quinoa out of the cabinet and rinse it twice so we don't eat any dirt. I put it in the pot with two mugs of water and let it boil.

I stir the meat lightly so it doesn't stick to the pan. I pour myself a glass of water leaning my back on the counter and thinking about the way how I tell Dawson about our baby. I'm scared he will leave me. I mean, we're both so young for a baby, even for our marriage, but I'm just scared he doesn't want the baby right now.

He has his best hockey years ahead of him, and I'm just scared he'll blame me, that I ruin them.

"Oh, this smells delicious," Dawson's voice surprised me just like his hand around my waist. "What is it?" he rests his chin on the crock of my neck.

“Chicken with quinoa and vegetables. I know you probably don’t have the mood for my healthy recipes, but…” I trail off, tilting my head to the side to look him in the eyes.

“No, no, I love your meals, love,” he assured me kissing the tip of my nose and placing his hands on my belly.

“Okay,” I smile. “Can you serve the table, please?” nervousness starts to take over my calm voice.

“Sure love.” Dawson pulls away from me, getting two plates for us and the table ready.

When the food is ready I take the pan to the table as Dawson takes the pot and places it next to the pan.

“You can eat now, I'll just cut the vegetables.” I smile at him when I notice him leaning against the table.

“That’s okay, I wait for you,” he mumbled as he mixed the meat and vegetables.

With the vegetables on the plate, I sit down on a chair opposite Dawson, waiting for him to serve himself the food. He reached his hand out, signaling me to hand him my plate.

“Babe, you’re quiet today, is everything okay?” Dawson asks with a full mouth of food, a concern in his eyes.

I slowly pull the meat off the fork, which I slowly chew and swallow. I put the cutlery on the plate and fold my hands in my lap.

“I…uhm…I have something to tell you. I will understand if you want to end it or something…” I trail off.

“Hey, I will never leave you, okay!” Dawson states firmly, grabbing my hand in his.

“I…ugh…I am pregnant,” I mumble out. “I-I know we’re young and even the marriage was so soon, so I will understand if you won’t have something to do with us.” I ramble out nervously.

“You. Are. What?” he shouts out, dropping his cutlery on the table.

“I’m pregnant,” I whisper and I feel how my eyes start to tear. I set my eyes down on my hands in my lap, tears streaming down my cheeks as Dawson doesn’t say anything.

As I hear the sound of the chair being pushed back, a sob escapes my mouth and I look up at him. He’s standing here, one hand over his mouth, the other on his hip, tears glistening in his eyes as he looks behind me. As soon as his eyes find mine, he walks to me and squats in front of me.

“We are going to have a baby, y/n,” he whispers with a smile on his face. “You and me, baby. Oh god, I fucking love you.” he laughs pulling me down into a deep passionate kiss.

Our lips moved in sync. His tongue runs above my lower lip, making its way into my mouth, lightly caressing mine.

The tears make our kiss salty, but breathtaking as it always is.

“You’re not mad?” I whisper in his lips, our foreheads leaning against each other.

“Why would I be mad?” he furrows his brows in confusion.

“I…we never…ugh…we never talk about kids and, and were only twenty. Your hockey career is at the beginning so I thought you, don’t want kids, so you don’t want u-” Dawson stops me, shaking his head.

“Don’t even finish it,” he swallows shaking his head. “I would never leave you. I would never do that to you, or her. I want a family with you, either way, I would never marry you.” he places his hand on my belly, caressing it.

“Her?” I chuckle at him.

“Yeah, my princess.” he nods, nudging his nose to mine. His hands slowly make his way to my waist, pulling me towards him. His semi-hard cock pressed against my hip.

“What if it’s boy?” I grin at him, swinging my hands around his neck, bringing him closer if it’s even possible.

“Then he’ll be our second nhl star in the family.” grinning, his lips graze mine as his hands make their way to my ass. His hand taps on my tight signaling me to jump up.

I wrap my legs around his waist, and he places his on my tights. His lips captured mine in a heated kiss. I return his kisses as passionately as he does.

I have no idea where it comes from. Not even two minutes ago I was sitting on the chair crying and now I’m in his arms, while he walks into our bedroom with a semi-hard cock.

He places me gently on our bed, still kissing me. His, now hard cock is pressing against my cunt, which makes me let our moan of pleasure

Dawson takes that as his chance to escape my lips and attack my neck with kisses and soft nibbling.

His hand slips under my shirt and slowly makes its way to my breast. He massages my breast, and his lips slowly move to the hem of my t-shirt.

“Dawson,” I moan when his thumb runs over my hard nipple, my pussy throbbing.

“This needs to be off.” he tugged at the shirt, signaling me to get up. As soon as he pull off my shirt, his mouth attacked my nipple, sucking on it, his fingers taking care of the other one.

“Daws,” I winced. “Don’t tease.” I jerk my his up only to meet with his hard cock which makes me wetter even more.

“Not teasing, I just can’t get enough of you,” he mumbled, letting go of my nipple and his lips collapsed with mine in a delicate kiss.

I let out a whimper when his finger slid in between my folds. I didn’t even notice when he slipped his hand in here. “Fuck!” he cursed. “You’re so wet,” he hums. “And this all only for me, right?” he nudges his nose in mine earning a nod from me as his finger starts circling on my clit. “Words baby.”

“Yeah, only for you, Mr. Mercer,” I whine jerking my hips to make him quicken his moves.

“Say it again,” he growls in my ear, his fingers quickening their pace on my clit, the well-known pleasure forming in my lower belly.

“Mr. Mercer.” a cry of pleasure leaves my lips, she he pushes one of his fingers inside me, moving slowly with him as his thumb still circling on my clit.

“Fuck,” he growls in my neck, slipping his hand out of my panties he brings it to his mouth sucking on them, before he puts them on my parted lips. I take them in my mouth sucking hard on them, my tongue licking them. “Oh, baby,” he pulls his fingers out, getting off of me. With a slight smirk on his lips, he slowly pulls off his shirt, revealing his toned chest and abs which makes me clench my tights together.

“Take them off.” Dawson points towards the shorts I have still on me.

As soon as he says it my shorts are flying somewhere just like my panties. I lay down, my legs bend in my knees, so my pussy is on display for him.

“Oh god, baby. So gorgeous. Naked only for me, your wet cunt glistening.” he hums, slowly crawling towards me, his legs between mine, hands on the sides of my head and his cock laying on my stomach. He presses his lips to mine, sucking harshly, causing me to moan his name.

“Daws, please.” I moan, my legs clenching around his body.

“Daws please, what?” he mocks me, pressing his body more into me, his chest pressed to my chest.

“Fuck me with your tongue.” I breathe out, avoiding his eyes.

“As you wish, ma’am,” he smirks. He presses his lips to my jaw trailing kisses down my neck. He sucks on my spot on my neck, causing me to squirm underneath him.

“Daws, please.” I tug on his hair as I push his head down towards my throbbing pussy.

He smirks and in a moment his lips are clasped around my clit. I let out a cry of pleasure as I tugged on his hair. His tongue swipes around my clit, sucking on it harshly.

His tongue leaves my clit, his hands grab my thighs above my ass, he swings them over his shoulders and his thumbs hold my folds open. His tongue lick his way up from my entrance to clit.

Moaning I tug at his hair making him groan. The vibrations of his voice on my clit makes me clench my tights around his head.

“Taste so good, baby,” he whispers in my tight, placing soft kisses here. “So sweet. So mine.” and with that he dips his head in my pussy, making me come.

He drives me through my orgasm, licking all of my juice. He let go of me, stripping from his pants and briefs, his hard cock slapping over his lower belly. I clench my tights at the sight of his cock. The tip is red glistening from the precum. I swallow hardly looking into his eyes, smirk lays on his lips as his hand grabs his cock tugging at it in slow strikes.

He places himself between my legs, I wrap my legs around his waist smirking up at him. He smirks, sliding his tip between my folds making me shiver from the pleasure.

He pushes his tip slowly inside me, waiting for me to get used to it. Even after these years we're together it's impossible to get used to his size, he's really big and thick. I nod, and he takes the signal, slowly sinking all his length inside me.

Moans leave our mouths at the feeling of pleasure. He bends down, pressing his lips on mine, his hands on the sides of my head, as he slowly jerks his hips, to meet mine. His thrusts are slow and deep, just how he loves it.

His lips now kissing my neck, which makes me moan all I please.

"I love you," he groans, his thrusts faster and deeper, making me clench around him. "Both of you."

"I love you too!" I cry out loud, clenching around him as he perfectly hits my g-spot, my legs shaking around his waist.

His hands sneak under my head bringing me closer to him, our orgasms hitting us at the same time.

He collapsed on top of me, our breaths were heavy. The air around us smells like sex, sweat, and love.

He turns us around, me laying on top of him, his hand resting on my ass and the other on my belly, caressing it slightly.

"My family." he kisses my forehead, inhaling my scent.

"Our family." I kiss his chest smiling up at him.

#nhl fanfiction #nhl hockey #nhl #dawson mercer #new jersey devils #dawson mercer x reader #nj devils #dawson mercer imagine

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criminalgays · 1 year ago

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pro-exy au but it’s all the WAGs getting together for Neil and Andrew’s team to do their holiday charity shit like a lot of real nhl WAGs do

and all the WAGs know that neil and andrew are married, but they don’t know who to, and are lowkey judging neil and andrew for not getting their wives to join to not-technically-required-but-it-totally-is-required holiday charity events they all take part in

eventually neil gets so fed up he shows up to the next WAG event just like “y’all motherfuckers wouldn’t shut the hell up so i’m here for andrew and i” and all the WAGs are like “no it’s supposed to be your wives”

it’s at this moment neil realizes he and andrew never actually told anyone outside of the foxes they’re in a relationship, let alone married

this incident becomes known in the press as “that one time the WAGs of the Kansas City Firebirds accidentally outed star exy forward Neil Josten and his husband, star exy goalie Andrew Minyard”

Kevin Day is quoted on ESPN as saying “those stupid motherfuckers couldn’t keep ONE thing to themselves”

(actually they can. no one knows that kevin lives with them in the off season too ;))

#all for the game #wives and girlfriends of sports teams #my beloveds #exy #neil josten #andrew minyard #kevin day #andriel #oh fuck what’s kevin/andrew/neil #kevin day x andrew minyard x neil josten #but only at the very end #KANDRIEL #I FOUND IT

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oeldeservesthenorris · 1 year ago

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Listen, guys, cause I'm only gonna say this briefly because as we all know I don't pay attention to/want no information on NHL WAGs/players' relationships (with the exception of my future wives Karly Konecny and Kenzie Larkin, Kenzie and Karly - are you free on Saturday? I am free. Call me.)

What I want to say is: the NHL is so consistently the NHL in fucking up everything - and I mean EVERYTHING they do. In this case, it is absolutely hilarious that the one thing they fucked up was hard launching the new girlfriend of one of their most marketable and recognizable (and notably private re: his relationships) stars, and in doing so inadvertently exposed to her friends and the world some girl's long time bizarre catfish/grift in which she was playing his girlfriend and leading this amazing albeit totally made up romance with him.

Like, sometimes the NHL is so damn clownshoes it's downright cinematic.

As an aside, why do people still believe that in this day and age they can attempt a grift like this and really pull it off? That they won't get caught at some point? and an entire professional sports league being the one to expose you? That's the cherry on the shit sundae, no?

#nhl #nhl hockey #nhl players #jack hughes #nj devils #newjerseydevils #nhl2023 2024

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hockeymusicmore · 8 days ago

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#nhl #cbj #johnny gaudreau #meredith gaudreau #zach werenski #baby #odette peters #nhl wags

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cleverhottubmiracle · 30 days ago

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If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. In case you were living under a rock and didn’t know, fertility struggles are so, so common. In fact, an estimated 10 percent of women (6.1 million) struggle with infertility in the United States. Yet somehow, it’s still a topic — along with the common circumstance of miscarrying — that many feel uncomfortable discussing. Why? Because going through infertility struggles, whether or not you end up moving forward with fertility treatment measures such as IVF, can be extremely painful and isolating. And why do parents feel pressure to keep the whole thing a secret from loved ones on top of all that? Isn’t it unfair for any hopeful would-be parent to feel like they’re going through this battle alone? (Answer: Yes. Yes it is.) Enter these outspoken celebrities who are getting vulnerable about their own challenges to break the taboo around infertility. From Amy Schumer to Chrissy Teigen and Gabrielle Union to Kevin Richardson (yep, the Backstreet Boy), plenty of Hollywood’s major stars have gone public with their family’s fertility challenges, from IVF treatments to hiring a surrogate. And by opening up the conversation, they’re working wonders to help others understand they aren’t alone in this usually exhausting, often heart-wrenching experience. Because even though the struggle to start a family might be ongoing, there is comfort in knowing there are others sharing that same journey. In the words of Amy Schumer after she opened up on Instagram about beginning the IVF process, “There are sooooo many of us willing to be there for each other. Your stories helped me more than you can imagine.” Ahead are a variety of famous figures who are changing the conversation and busting the stigma surrounding infertility. A version of this story was originally published in August 2016. Erin Andrews Image Credit: Nina Westervelt for Variety Erin Andrews opened up about her experience with IVF during a Jan. 2025 appearance on the Wave Original podcast Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce. The sports broadcaster and her husband, former NHL player Jarret Stoll, had a 9-year-long fertility journey — which included IVF, freezing embryos, and a cervical cancer diagnosis — before welcoming a son via surrogate in 2023. “It sucked,” Andrews groaned. “It was so long … I was so embarrassed.” Andrews explained that it was especially hard for her as a hockey wife to be in the hockey wives room and see all the women having babies at a young age. “I helped raise their kids in the hockey wives room,” she said. “I always say to people even if your friends have never gone through IVF, surrogacy, or adoption, just talk to them because you can’t keep all this stuff in and sometimes it’s tough for your partner to relate,” she said. ” … The day I went public with how much it sucked and that we weren’t having success, so many people reached out to us and were like, ‘Oh my god we’ve gone through this too.'” “So it was kind of like therapy.” Kylie Kelce — who is expecting her fourth daughter with husband Jason Kelce — could relate, saying that when you start to discuss loss, IVF, infertility, and the likes, people “start coming out of the woodwork” to share their similar experience. “It’s one of those things that makes you so sad because obviously it’s not necessarily a club you want to be a part of,” Kelce said, “but then you realize how many people have experienced that and how many people are sitting in silence with it and it sort of almost stings a little to realize that we’re all carrying this degree of trauma.” “[People are] not talking about it as if it’s something that we should be ashamed of, that doesn’t need to be talked about, that’s too personal to talk about,” she continued, “but if we’re all experiencing it, is it really that personal?” *Mic drop* Kourtney Kardashian Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection In a raw Instagram Q&A in May 2024, Kourtney Kardashian shared that she underwent five failed cycles of IVF and three retrievals before ultimately conceiving her son Rocky — who she shares with husband Travis Barker. “My body relaxed, and I believed in God’s plan for my life,” she shared. “Lots of prayers for whatever was meant to be for us.” “Also lots of optimising my health. I know how hard it is to feel like you’re not trying, but believing in God’s plan and saying your prayers is so powerful.” Kardashian found out she was pregnant on Valentine’s Day 2023, one year after stopping treatment. Kardashian and Barker each have three children from previous relationships. Colton Underwood Image Credit: Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection Former Bachelor Colton Underwood got incredibly raw in a 2024 interview with Men’s Health where he revealed that he and husband Jordan C. Brown were expecting their first. When collecting samples for their surrogate, Underwood found out that while his husband had “50 or 55 million” sperm in his semen, Underwood had four. Not four million. Four. “And three of them are dead. Word for word, what the doctor said, he goes, ‘Uh, I can maybe make this one work.’ This one?!” “I wish somebody had educated me about my sperm and my body, and the decisions that I made and how it would impact me,” Underwood said, later explaining that it could have been his daily hot tub soaks, morning coffee, strenuous workout sessions, and visits to the sauna that impacted his sperm count. After many lifestyle changes, Underwood got his count up into the millions, and the couple proceeded with their journey to fatherhood, seeking out a surrogate and an egg donor. Underwood and Brown expect a baby boy in October 2024. Emma Thompson Image Credit: Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty Images In the hopes of giving her daughter Gaia a little sibling, actress Emma Thompson underwent IVF treatments. “I would have desperately liked to have had more children and it’s been a great agony for me,” she said in 2003. “There’s been an awful lot of grief to get through in not being able to get pregnant again, but there are thousands and thousands of women like me who can’t have children.” That year, Thompson and her husband Greg Wise met Tindyebwa “Tindy” Agaba, a refugee from Rwanda who later became their informally adopted son. Hugh Jackman Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Hugh Jackman and ex Deborra-Lee Furness always wanted both adopted and biological children, but after IVF treatments and miscarriages, they realized the latter was not going to happen. “It is a difficult time. The miscarriage thing — apparently it happens to one in three pregnancies — but it’s very, very rarely talked about,” Jackman said. “It’s almost secretive. But it’s a good thing to talk about. It’s more common and it’s tough, there’s a grieving process you have to go through.” The actor and Furness later adopted kids Oscar and Ava. “The moment Oscar was born all the heartache melted away. You can’t prepare for that moment, nothing can prepare you.” Dylan Dreyer Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Today Show co-host Dylan Dreyer got incredibly vulnerable when sharing her infertility journey in April 2019. It’s a journey that included a heartbreaking miscarriage when trying for Baby No. 2, a surgery to remove scarring from her emergency C-section, and finding out that, at age 37, she had around the same number of eggs as someone in their mid-40s. “[My husband] and I have been going through all this without anyone knowing because these are all private things… aren’t they? Why do women (and their partners) have to go through all these ups and downs in the dark? Smiling on TV when I want to burst out in tears,” she said on Today.com. She acknowledged how grateful and lucky she is to have one son but wished she could give him a sibling. “The way Cal loves on other babies and asks to hold them and gently touches their arms shows me that he would be an amazing older brother. Brian and I are the youngest of three and the relationships we have with our siblings is so special. We have so much love to give and we want to grow our family. We thought it would be easy to do that, and it’s not.” Ahead of IVF treatments she said, “I don’t know how I really feel right this second. I guess I’m excited … albeit a little disappointed that my body couldn’t do this naturally. I’m scared about what’s ahead … I feel like on one hand I’m going against what God has in the cards for me, but at the same time he helped me to make this decision so it could very well be part of the plan.” Dreyer and husband Brian Fichera welcomed their second son, Oliver, in January 2020, and their son Rusty less than two years later. Halsey Image Credit: Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection After being diagnosed with endometriosis, having surgery to treat the condition, and suffering multiple miscarriages, Halsey decided to freeze her eggs at age 23 to “aggressively” protect her fertility. “Reproductive illness is so frustrating because it can really make you feel like less of a woman,” she said. “…you don’t feel sexy, you don’t feel proud, and you don’t feel like there’s much hope, so taking these measures to make sure that hopefully I get to have a bright future and achieve the things I want to achieve by doing an ovarian reserve is so important.” Nicole Kidman Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Nicole Kidman is the proud mom of four kids. After infertility struggles, an ectopic pregnancy, and a miscarriage, she and ex-husband Tom Cruise adopted their daughter Bella and son Connor. Then, in 2007, she welcomed her “miracle” daughter, Sunday, at age 40. Three years later, they welcomed a second daughter, Faith, via surrogate. The actress thinks it’s important to destigmatize conversations about infertility, per Hello! “I do believe we help carve paths that bring us together and you go, ‘Oh, OK, you’re going through this, too. There is hope.'” Rebel Wilson Image Credit: Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection In 2020, Rebel Wilson spoke to Today, per BuzzFeed, about realizing how much she wanted to be a mother as she approached age 40. “But at the time, I didn’t have a partner, and so I went to the fertility doctor,” she explained. ” … Then it was devastating when I’d gone through three egg-harvesting procedures and then, while I was filming The Almond and the Seahorse, I tried to create embryos from the eggs, and none of them survived.” “[I was] being healthy and [doing] everything the doctors had said, and feeling awesome — and then it didn’t work,” she continued. “All 18 eggs that I had, none of them worked. I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ It was such an emotional roller coaster.” In Nov. 2022, Wilson welcomed daughter Royce Lillian with Ramona Agruma. Tamron Hall Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Tamron Hall spoke to Allure in 2019 about the mental health aspect of her infertility journey. “We don’t talk about [that] aspect of it enough, the loneliness enough, because it’s easy enough to hide these things and make it about the physical nature of it. But, for me, it’s a whole-body experience and a whole journey that can be shared,” the TV host said. “This is not an issue exclusive to women,” she continued. “It’s a parenting journey … So many stigmas have been broken down and so many stereotypes have been demolished that if you can’t conceive you’re not flawed. Your body is not betraying you. It’s a journey, and sometimes it’ll turn into your dream and sometimes it won’t. But we can talk about it.” Earlier that year, at age 48, Hall welcomed son Moses with husband Steven Greener. Sarah Jessica Parker Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection One of eight siblings herself, Sarah Jessica Parker is now a mom of three — but would have had more, if it weren’t so difficult. She told Vogue in 2010 that she had “tried and tried and tried and tried and tried to get pregnant, but it just was not to be, the conventional way — I would give birth as often as I could, if I could. I cherished all the milestones, the good and the bad.” Luckily, surrogacy was an option for Parker and her husband, Matthew Broderick, and they welcomed twin daughters Tabitha and Marion in addition to their son, James Wilkie. Michelle Obama Image Credit: NBC In former first lady Michelle Obama’s 2018 memoir, Becoming, she revealed that she and President Barack Obama had used IVF to conceive their daughters, Malia and Sasha. “We were trying to get pregnant and it wasn’t going well,” she wrote in the memoir. “We had one pregnancy test come back positive, which caused us both to forget every worry and swoon with joy, but a couple of weeks later I had a miscarriage, which left me physically uncomfortable and cratered any optimism we felt.” Idina Menzel Image Credit: Manoli Figetakis/Everett Collection Idina Menzel opened up to InStyle about her struggle to conceive a second child via IVF, saying, “At a certain time, you’re exhausted emotionally and physically. It becomes apparent that it is just time to let that go and move on,” adding, “the more you [try for it] — and when it doesn’t happen, you’re upset, you realize how much you want it.” Speaking about sharing her experience with infertility in her documentary, Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage?, the singer and actress explained, “I want women to feel like they’re being seen and heard. And for people to understand that experience a lot of us go on, how emotional it is, what it does to our bodies and how it affects us day to day, let alone trying to sing high notes and get on stage.” Amy Schumer Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Fabulous funnylady — and former SHE Media BlogHer speaker — Amy Schumer revealed on Instagram in January 2020 that she was “a week into IVF and feeling really run down and emotional.” Supportive comments from fans and friends rolled in, and Schumer continued to keep it real throughout her treatment process, sharing drugged-up videos and doctor’s office glamour shots. “I learned to eat salty food after and drink Gatorade,” she wrote on Instagram of the IVF injections. “Ice the area. Take arnica and put arnica on the bruises. To be patient and kind to myself and that there are sooooo many of us willing to be there for each other. Your stories helped me more than you can imagine. I feel incredibly lucky. I’m really hoping this works and staying positive.” Amazon MGM Studios THE IDEA OF YOU Advance Screening & Conversation Image Credit: Quoin Pics/Everett Collection Gabrielle Union, who wasn’t sure she wanted to have children until she bonded with her stepchildren, chronicles her struggles with infertility in her book We’re Going to Need More Wine. “For three years, my body has been a prisoner of trying to get pregnant — I’ve either been about to go into an IVF cycle, in the middle of an IVF cycle, or coming out of an IVF cycle,” Union writes. She also revealed that she’s had multiple miscarriages in her journey to conceive. After all the heartbreak, Union and husband Dwyane Wade welcomed their daughter Kaavia via surrogate in 2018. “We are sleepless and delirious,” Wade wrote on Instagram, “but so excited to share that our miracle baby arrived last night via surrogate and 11/7 will forever be etched in our hearts as the most loveliest of all the lovely days. Welcome to the party sweet girl!” Jaime King Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Supermodel and actress Jaime King gave birth to her first son, James Knight, in 2013, and second son, Leo Thames, in 2015. But it took seven years of trying to conceive for her to get pregnant — and she’s been vocal about that trying time in her life. In an interview with Fit Pregnancy, she discussed how her second pregnancy differed greatly from her first: “Nobody knew how long it took me to get pregnant: That for seven years I had so many losses, I’d been trying for so long and I was in so much pain,” King said. “I felt like a part of me was broken because the fact is let’s be real: The only difference between men and women that we grow up with is that we’re able to carry a child. Somewhere in our subconscious when someone tells you, ‘Oh, you might not be able to do that,’ you feel like it’s the one thing that you have that’s this gift, that makes you a woman, and there’s something wrong with you.” Giuliana Rancic Image Credit: Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, Giuliana Rancic had to take cancer-suppressing medications that made getting pregnant a risky endeavor. The television host told People she and husband Bill Rancic welcomed their son Edward Duke with the help of a surrogate in 2012, but that when they tried for a second child with a surrogate, Rancic discovered on New Year’s Eve that she miscarried with their third and last remaining embryo. Rancic called the loss the “toughest blow” and confessed, “It was a really hard time.” She also revealed that she is more open than ever to the idea of adoption because she thinks to herself, “I love Duke so much, if I couldn’t take care of him, I hope there would be someone else who would love him.” Tenth Breakthrough Prize Ceremony Image Credit: Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection On Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kim Kardashian spoke often about the difficult time she and Kanye West had conceiving after the birth of their first child, North West. The reality star and her musician/designer husband tried for more than one year after North’s birth to conceive again, and after announcing their second pregnancy, Kardashian revealed that giving birth for the first time was no walk in the park. “I had so many complications. I had this condition called placenta accreta. There were a couple little operations to fix all that, so that created a little hole in my uterus, which I think made it really tough to get pregnant again. It was a long road. I would go to the doctor in Beverly Hills every day at five in the morning to get tested to see if I was ovulating.” Kardashian said all of the pressure and stress took the fun out of trying to have a baby, and she did everything from consulting a nutritionist to getting acupuncture in order to help. But it’s been worth the long haul: She welcomed son Saint in 2015. She’s also mom to two more kids via surrogate: Chicago, born in 2018, and Psalm, born in 2019. Mariah Carey Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Legendary singer Mariah Carey opened up to Barbara Walters on 20/20 about her infertility struggles after safely giving birth to twins Monroe and Moroccan in 2011. After marrying now ex-husband Nick Cannon, she had a miscarriage in 2008 and, as a precaution, took progesterone before and during her second pregnancy and had daily acupuncture treatments to help reduce her stress. “The main thing I did that was tough, was to go on progesterone like every month… and then when I was pregnant, I had to stay with the progesterone for 10 weeks,” Carey said. While pregnant with her twins, Carey discovered she had gestational diabetes, was at risk of suffering from seizures, and was put on bed rest. “I don’t think I understood the enormity and the magnitude of what it really does to your body,” she said of having twins. “Carrying two babies. Unless somebody’s been through it, it’s difficult to understand what I went through, because my pregnancy was very unique in terms of what happened to me.” Trista Sutter Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Former Bachelorette Trista Sutter described the two years she and husband Ryan tried to conceive as a dark time in her life. In her book Happily Ever After: The Life-Changing Power of a Grateful Heart, Sutter reveals that she has always wanted to be a mom and that when that didn’t immediately happen after she and Ryan married in 2003, she began to question their relationship, herself, and God. “It’s a very difficult thing to not be able to do anything about making a dream of yours come true and questioning whether something is wrong with you,” Sutter explained. “So that was definitely a dark time in my life.” Sutter told People she and her husband were ready to try IVF, but then they discovered she was pregnant with their first child, Maxwell. She worked with a company called OV Watch to predict when she was ovulating — and it worked for them. Since then, Sutter and her husband have also welcomed a daughter named Blakesley, but she says three kids are not in the cards — she had the Essure procedure done, which is a permanent form of birth control. Tyra Banks Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Supermodel and businesswoman Tyra Banks welcomed a baby boy named York Banks Asla, who was born via gestational surrogate in 2016. But Banks and her FabLife co-host Chrissy Teigen revealed that they both struggled with infertility issues on a segment of the show. After Teigen begged the audience to stop asking her about children because the struggle to conceive is a very real one, Banks broke down in tears as she explained the pain she and other women feel when they can’t conceive: “I want to co-sign what Chrissy is saying and say ‘You have no idea what people are going through,'” Banks said. “Why am I crying? You just have no idea what people are going through, so when you ask Chrissy that or me that or anybody that, it is none of your frigging business, OK? And for any women, it is none of your business what somebody is going through. Whether they want to have a child or don’t ever want to have a child or may have a child on the way, it’s none of your business, OK? Until somebody wants to make it your business.” Banks later revealed she underwent IVF treatments and that the procedure was difficult for her. “We’re kind of going through this similar thing with IVF,” she said. “And, you know, putting needles in your tummy every day and having to come to work and smile when you feel like you want to throw up and lay down… I can’t believe I’m saying this right now.” Padma Lakshm Image Credit: Christina DeOrtentiis/Everett Collection The birth of Padma Lakshmi’s baby girl in 2009 was described as a miracle because the actor discovered at age 36 that she suffered from Stage 4 endometriosis and had to have two surgeries to help with her condition. Lakshmi, who co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America, said doctors told her she’d probably never be able to get pregnant and that she froze her eggs as insurance. The cookbook author says by some miracle she got pregnant naturally, but that she was very lucky because it’s a rare occurrence in someone with Stage 3 or Stage 4 endometriosis. Now, she’s doing her part to raise awareness of infertility and how difficult it is for women. “I think infertility is one of those subjects that nobody likes to talk about for obvious reasons,” she said. “It’s very personal, everybody’s different. It has to do with your sexuality, but it also has to do with your own feelings about your womanhood and all the cultural and religious and familial taboos wrapped around that. And we have insecurities about that, so why would we want to be open about something so touchy? But I think it’s important, as a community, to come together.” Naomi Campbell Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection As one of the original ’80s/’90s supermodels, Naomi Campbell is a woman who seemed to be on top of the world; but in 2008, when she was 38, Campbell opened up about her personal struggle with infertility. At a fundraiser for the White Ribbon Alliance, which offers health care for pregnant women around the world, Campbell said she wanted children, but that she was infertile until she received a corrective surgery that year for what she originally thought was a cyst. “I was not able to have children until March,” Campbell said. “Now it’s in God’s hands. I would love to have a family.” At 50 years old, the supermodel announced that she had become a mother to a baby girl in 2021, but she’s kept her daughter from the public eye since. Brooke Shields Image Credit: Manoli Figetakis/Everett Collection As a spokesperson for Fertility Lifelines, model and actress Brooke Shields is an open book when it comes to her infertility issues. The mom of two had to have surgery on her cervix to remove precancerous cells, and the procedure left scarring that made it difficult for her to become pregnant. She tried artificial insemination several times with husband Chris Henchy, but the procedure was unsuccessful. Because she was 36 when she started trying to conceive, she says her doctor suggested IVF. “I had to take these shots for weeks,” she wrote in her memoir, Down Came the Rain. “In addition, there were countless doctor visits for blood tests, sonograms and peeing on sticks, not to mention the estrogen patches I had to wear that made me look and feel like I’d had a skin graft when they were removed.” She continued, “The whole process was quite an ordeal, and we became slaves to the time of day and to little vials of liquid. We’d find ourselves out at dinner with friends, and then we’d have to sneak off to a coat room, where we’d huddle over syringes and a travel-size cooler filled with small bottles of drugs.” After her first round of IVF, Shields became pregnant but miscarried. She was ready to stop trying when she got pregnant during her last cycle of treatments in 2002. “I was about ready to call it quits. I was growing weary of the anticipation and the pressure, and Chris said he wasn’t sure he could handle seeing me rip off another estrogen patch in frustration… at wit’s end, we decided to try one more time.” The couple is now raising their daughters Rowan and Grier. Elizabeth Banks Image Credit: Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection In an interview with Lucky, Banks revealed she had a womb issue and that her embryos wouldn’t implant. As a result, she and husband Max Handelman chose to use a gestational surrogate, whom she remained close to. “It’s a big leap, inviting this person into your life to do this amazing, important thing for you,” she said, continuing, “And it’s hard losing that kind of control. But our surrogate is so extraordinary, and she’s still in our lives. She’s like an auntie.” Banks and Handelman have sons Felix, born 2011, and Magnus, born 2012, both born via gestational surrogate. Again, Banks was quick to praise her surrogate. “This experience has exceeded all expectations, taught us a great deal about generosity and gratitude, and established a relationship that will last a lifetime.” Jimmy Fallon Image Credit: Manoli Figetakis/Everett Collection Women aren’t the only celebrities who feel the anxiety, disappointment, and sadness of infertility. After welcoming their daughter Winnie in 2013, TV host Jimmy Fallon revealed he and his wife used a surrogate after trying for five years to get pregnant. “We’ve tried a bunch of things,” Fallon said. “Anyone who’s tried will know, it’s just awful.” The couple told friends and family they were pregnant in the past, but Fallon said it didn’t work out and it was hard on everybody. They kept Winnie a secret until the very last minute, and Fallon used his position to speak directly to anyone dealing with infertility issues. “We tried for a long time, for five years. I know people have tried much longer, but if there’s anyone out there who is trying and they’re just losing hope… Just hang in there. Try every avenue; try anything you can do, ’cause you’ll get there. You’ll end up with a family, and it’s so worth it. It is the most worth it thing. I’m just so happy right now. I’m freaking out.” Chrissy Teigen Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Despite her giving nature on social media, model and TV personality Chrissy Teigen and husband John Legend didn’t feel it was OK to broadcast their infertility struggle to billions of strangers. Teigen says she wanted to talk about infertility for so long, but that her IVF treatments felt too personal to discuss. “It didn’t feel right to ever tweet, ‘Ugh, doing my IVF shots again,'” Teigen said. “It just sounded silly. It definitely was not planned in that episode at all.” Teigen was referring to an episode of her show FabLife, where she and co-host Tyra Banks opened up about the difficulties both were facing getting pregnant. She says she and Legend had dealt with the challenge for years and that they relied on the support of close friends to see them through it. “I think we just have really good people around us that never said anything or else you would have known,” Teigen said. “I have a team of maybe 60 people, John has hundreds and everyone knew. They knew the failures, the successes, everything, but it’s never gotten out.” Teigen and Legend are parents to Luna, Miles, Esti, and Wren. Wren was born via surrogate just months after his big sister Esti. Gwen Stefani Image Credit: Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images After giving birth to two sons with now-ex husband Gavin Rossdale, Gwen Stefani desperately wanted a third baby — but told Marie Claire she had trouble conceiving. She was 40 at the time and admitted to the magazine that she was all set to accept life the way it was. “I really, really, really wanted one about two years ago,” Stefani said. “And it didn’t really work out. So… I feel good with what we’ve got. Everything works out how it should. You can’t plan anything, right? You can try.” Then, in 2014, Stefani discovered at 44 she was pregnant with her third son, Apollo — and she said son Kingston had everything to do with it (leaving us to assume IVF treatments were not involved). “Kingston… has a direct line to God, basically,” Stefani said. “[He started to pray,] ‘Dear God, please let my mom have a baby. Please, God! Please let my mom have a baby.’ I swear to you, he prayed every single night, and four weeks later, I was pregnant.” Tia Mowry Image Credit: Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection Tia Mowry and ex-husband Cory Hardrict are the proud parents of Cree and Cairo, but the Sister, Sister star said endometriosis made her dreams of giving big-brother Cree a little sister tougher than she’d imagined. “I often felt like something was wrong with me,” she told Women’s Health. “I thought I was alone because no one I knew personally had dealt with this. And then I realized: I’d never really seen someone African American in the public eye talking about endometriosis or their struggles with infertility. And when you don’t know or see anyone who looks like you talking about what you’re going through, you feel alone and suffer in silence.” Kevin Richardson Image Credit: Derek Storm/Everett Collection Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson and wife Kristin have two little boys, but they’ve been frank about the infertility struggles they faced before conceiving son Maxwell. In fact, Kristin appeared in Pushing Motherhood, a documentary about the topic in which she spoke out about multiple rounds of IVF and other clinical procedures that were unsuccessful. As Kevin said of the process, “It just didn’t feel right, so we were like, ‘Let’s stop this. Let’s reset your body, reduce stress, make you feel happy and healthy, then go back to the roots of how it’s supposed to be done. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be, and if not, we’ll adopt.’” In the end, Kristin conceived naturally. Source link

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If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. In case you were living under a rock and didn’t know, fertility struggles are so, so common. In fact, an estimated 10 percent of women (6.1 million) struggle with infertility in the United States. Yet somehow, it’s still a topic — along with the common circumstance of miscarrying — that many feel uncomfortable discussing. Why? Because going through infertility struggles, whether or not you end up moving forward with fertility treatment measures such as IVF, can be extremely painful and isolating. And why do parents feel pressure to keep the whole thing a secret from loved ones on top of all that? Isn’t it unfair for any hopeful would-be parent to feel like they’re going through this battle alone? (Answer: Yes. Yes it is.) Enter these outspoken celebrities who are getting vulnerable about their own challenges to break the taboo around infertility. From Amy Schumer to Chrissy Teigen and Gabrielle Union to Kevin Richardson (yep, the Backstreet Boy), plenty of Hollywood’s major stars have gone public with their family’s fertility challenges, from IVF treatments to hiring a surrogate. And by opening up the conversation, they’re working wonders to help others understand they aren’t alone in this usually exhausting, often heart-wrenching experience. Because even though the struggle to start a family might be ongoing, there is comfort in knowing there are others sharing that same journey. In the words of Amy Schumer after she opened up on Instagram about beginning the IVF process, “There are sooooo many of us willing to be there for each other. Your stories helped me more than you can imagine.” Ahead are a variety of famous figures who are changing the conversation and busting the stigma surrounding infertility. A version of this story was originally published in August 2016. Erin Andrews Image Credit: Nina Westervelt for Variety Erin Andrews opened up about her experience with IVF during a Jan. 2025 appearance on the Wave Original podcast Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce. The sports broadcaster and her husband, former NHL player Jarret Stoll, had a 9-year-long fertility journey — which included IVF, freezing embryos, and a cervical cancer diagnosis — before welcoming a son via surrogate in 2023. “It sucked,” Andrews groaned. “It was so long … I was so embarrassed.” Andrews explained that it was especially hard for her as a hockey wife to be in the hockey wives room and see all the women having babies at a young age. “I helped raise their kids in the hockey wives room,” she said. “I always say to people even if your friends have never gone through IVF, surrogacy, or adoption, just talk to them because you can’t keep all this stuff in and sometimes it’s tough for your partner to relate,” she said. ” … The day I went public with how much it sucked and that we weren’t having success, so many people reached out to us and were like, ‘Oh my god we’ve gone through this too.'” “So it was kind of like therapy.” Kylie Kelce — who is expecting her fourth daughter with husband Jason Kelce — could relate, saying that when you start to discuss loss, IVF, infertility, and the likes, people “start coming out of the woodwork” to share their similar experience. “It’s one of those things that makes you so sad because obviously it’s not necessarily a club you want to be a part of,” Kelce said, “but then you realize how many people have experienced that and how many people are sitting in silence with it and it sort of almost stings a little to realize that we’re all carrying this degree of trauma.” “[People are] not talking about it as if it’s something that we should be ashamed of, that doesn’t need to be talked about, that’s too personal to talk about,” she continued, “but if we’re all experiencing it, is it really that personal?” *Mic drop* Kourtney Kardashian Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection In a raw Instagram Q&A in May 2024, Kourtney Kardashian shared that she underwent five failed cycles of IVF and three retrievals before ultimately conceiving her son Rocky — who she shares with husband Travis Barker. “My body relaxed, and I believed in God’s plan for my life,” she shared. “Lots of prayers for whatever was meant to be for us.” “Also lots of optimising my health. I know how hard it is to feel like you’re not trying, but believing in God’s plan and saying your prayers is so powerful.” Kardashian found out she was pregnant on Valentine’s Day 2023, one year after stopping treatment. Kardashian and Barker each have three children from previous relationships. Colton Underwood Image Credit: Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection Former Bachelor Colton Underwood got incredibly raw in a 2024 interview with Men’s Health where he revealed that he and husband Jordan C. Brown were expecting their first. When collecting samples for their surrogate, Underwood found out that while his husband had “50 or 55 million” sperm in his semen, Underwood had four. Not four million. Four. “And three of them are dead. Word for word, what the doctor said, he goes, ‘Uh, I can maybe make this one work.’ This one?!” “I wish somebody had educated me about my sperm and my body, and the decisions that I made and how it would impact me,” Underwood said, later explaining that it could have been his daily hot tub soaks, morning coffee, strenuous workout sessions, and visits to the sauna that impacted his sperm count. After many lifestyle changes, Underwood got his count up into the millions, and the couple proceeded with their journey to fatherhood, seeking out a surrogate and an egg donor. Underwood and Brown expect a baby boy in October 2024. Emma Thompson Image Credit: Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty Images In the hopes of giving her daughter Gaia a little sibling, actress Emma Thompson underwent IVF treatments. “I would have desperately liked to have had more children and it’s been a great agony for me,” she said in 2003. “There��s been an awful lot of grief to get through in not being able to get pregnant again, but there are thousands and thousands of women like me who can’t have children.” That year, Thompson and her husband Greg Wise met Tindyebwa “Tindy” Agaba, a refugee from Rwanda who later became their informally adopted son. Hugh Jackman Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Hugh Jackman and ex Deborra-Lee Furness always wanted both adopted and biological children, but after IVF treatments and miscarriages, they realized the latter was not going to happen. “It is a difficult time. The miscarriage thing — apparently it happens to one in three pregnancies — but it’s very, very rarely talked about,” Jackman said. “It’s almost secretive. But it’s a good thing to talk about. It’s more common and it’s tough, there’s a grieving process you have to go through.” The actor and Furness later adopted kids Oscar and Ava. “The moment Oscar was born all the heartache melted away. You can’t prepare for that moment, nothing can prepare you.” Dylan Dreyer Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Today Show co-host Dylan Dreyer got incredibly vulnerable when sharing her infertility journey in April 2019. It’s a journey that included a heartbreaking miscarriage when trying for Baby No. 2, a surgery to remove scarring from her emergency C-section, and finding out that, at age 37, she had around the same number of eggs as someone in their mid-40s. “[My husband] and I have been going through all this without anyone knowing because these are all private things… aren’t they? Why do women (and their partners) have to go through all these ups and downs in the dark? Smiling on TV when I want to burst out in tears,” she said on Today.com. She acknowledged how grateful and lucky she is to have one son but wished she could give him a sibling. “The way Cal loves on other babies and asks to hold them and gently touches their arms shows me that he would be an amazing older brother. Brian and I are the youngest of three and the relationships we have with our siblings is so special. We have so much love to give and we want to grow our family. We thought it would be easy to do that, and it’s not.” Ahead of IVF treatments she said, “I don’t know how I really feel right this second. I guess I’m excited … albeit a little disappointed that my body couldn’t do this naturally. I’m scared about what’s ahead … I feel like on one hand I’m going against what God has in the cards for me, but at the same time he helped me to make this decision so it could very well be part of the plan.” Dreyer and husband Brian Fichera welcomed their second son, Oliver, in January 2020, and their son Rusty less than two years later. Halsey Image Credit: Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection After being diagnosed with endometriosis, having surgery to treat the condition, and suffering multiple miscarriages, Halsey decided to freeze her eggs at age 23 to “aggressively” protect her fertility. “Reproductive illness is so frustrating because it can really make you feel like less of a woman,” she said. “…you don’t feel sexy, you don’t feel proud, and you don’t feel like there’s much hope, so taking these measures to make sure that hopefully I get to have a bright future and achieve the things I want to achieve by doing an ovarian reserve is so important.” Nicole Kidman Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Nicole Kidman is the proud mom of four kids. After infertility struggles, an ectopic pregnancy, and a miscarriage, she and ex-husband Tom Cruise adopted their daughter Bella and son Connor. Then, in 2007, she welcomed her “miracle” daughter, Sunday, at age 40. Three years later, they welcomed a second daughter, Faith, via surrogate. The actress thinks it’s important to destigmatize conversations about infertility, per Hello! “I do believe we help carve paths that bring us together and you go, ‘Oh, OK, you’re going through this, too. There is hope.'” Rebel Wilson Image Credit: Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection In 2020, Rebel Wilson spoke to Today, per BuzzFeed, about realizing how much she wanted to be a mother as she approached age 40. “But at the time, I didn’t have a partner, and so I went to the fertility doctor,” she explained. ” … Then it was devastating when I’d gone through three egg-harvesting procedures and then, while I was filming The Almond and the Seahorse, I tried to create embryos from the eggs, and none of them survived.” “[I was] being healthy and [doing] everything the doctors had said, and feeling awesome — and then it didn’t work,” she continued. “All 18 eggs that I had, none of them worked. I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ It was such an emotional roller coaster.” In Nov. 2022, Wilson welcomed daughter Royce Lillian with Ramona Agruma. Tamron Hall Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Tamron Hall spoke to Allure in 2019 about the mental health aspect of her infertility journey. “We don’t talk about [that] aspect of it enough, the loneliness enough, because it’s easy enough to hide these things and make it about the physical nature of it. But, for me, it’s a whole-body experience and a whole journey that can be shared,” the TV host said. “This is not an issue exclusive to women,” she continued. “It’s a parenting journey … So many stigmas have been broken down and so many stereotypes have been demolished that if you can’t conceive you’re not flawed. Your body is not betraying you. It’s a journey, and sometimes it’ll turn into your dream and sometimes it won’t. But we can talk about it.” Earlier that year, at age 48, Hall welcomed son Moses with husband Steven Greener. Sarah Jessica Parker Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection One of eight siblings herself, Sarah Jessica Parker is now a mom of three — but would have had more, if it weren’t so difficult. She told Vogue in 2010 that she had “tried and tried and tried and tried and tried to get pregnant, but it just was not to be, the conventional way — I would give birth as often as I could, if I could. I cherished all the milestones, the good and the bad.” Luckily, surrogacy was an option for Parker and her husband, Matthew Broderick, and they welcomed twin daughters Tabitha and Marion in addition to their son, James Wilkie. Michelle Obama Image Credit: NBC In former first lady Michelle Obama’s 2018 memoir, Becoming, she revealed that she and President Barack Obama had used IVF to conceive their daughters, Malia and Sasha. “We were trying to get pregnant and it wasn’t going well,” she wrote in the memoir. “We had one pregnancy test come back positive, which caused us both to forget every worry and swoon with joy, but a couple of weeks later I had a miscarriage, which left me physically uncomfortable and cratered any optimism we felt.” Idina Menzel Image Credit: Manoli Figetakis/Everett Collection Idina Menzel opened up to InStyle about her struggle to conceive a second child via IVF, saying, “At a certain time, you’re exhausted emotionally and physically. It becomes apparent that it is just time to let that go and move on,” adding, “the more you [try for it] — and when it doesn’t happen, you’re upset, you realize how much you want it.” Speaking about sharing her experience with infertility in her documentary, Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage?, the singer and actress explained, “I want women to feel like they’re being seen and heard. And for people to understand that experience a lot of us go on, how emotional it is, what it does to our bodies and how it affects us day to day, let alone trying to sing high notes and get on stage.” Amy Schumer Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Fabulous funnylady — and former SHE Media BlogHer speaker — Amy Schumer revealed on Instagram in January 2020 that she was “a week into IVF and feeling really run down and emotional.” Supportive comments from fans and friends rolled in, and Schumer continued to keep it real throughout her treatment process, sharing drugged-up videos and doctor’s office glamour shots. “I learned to eat salty food after and drink Gatorade,” she wrote on Instagram of the IVF injections. “Ice the area. Take arnica and put arnica on the bruises. To be patient and kind to myself and that there are sooooo many of us willing to be there for each other. Your stories helped me more than you can imagine. I feel incredibly lucky. I’m really hoping this works and staying positive.” Amazon MGM Studios THE IDEA OF YOU Advance Screening & Conversation Image Credit: Quoin Pics/Everett Collection Gabrielle Union, who wasn’t sure she wanted to have children until she bonded with her stepchildren, chronicles her struggles with infertility in her book We’re Going to Need More Wine. “For three years, my body has been a prisoner of trying to get pregnant — I’ve either been about to go into an IVF cycle, in the middle of an IVF cycle, or coming out of an IVF cycle,” Union writes. She also revealed that she’s had multiple miscarriages in her journey to conceive. After all the heartbreak, Union and husband Dwyane Wade welcomed their daughter Kaavia via surrogate in 2018. “We are sleepless and delirious,” Wade wrote on Instagram, “but so excited to share that our miracle baby arrived last night via surrogate and 11/7 will forever be etched in our hearts as the most loveliest of all the lovely days. Welcome to the party sweet girl!” Jaime King Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Supermodel and actress Jaime King gave birth to her first son, James Knight, in 2013, and second son, Leo Thames, in 2015. But it took seven years of trying to conceive for her to get pregnant — and she’s been vocal about that trying time in her life. In an interview with Fit Pregnancy, she discussed how her second pregnancy differed greatly from her first: “Nobody knew how long it took me to get pregnant: That for seven years I had so many losses, I’d been trying for so long and I was in so much pain,” King said. “I felt like a part of me was broken because the fact is let’s be real: The only difference between men and women that we grow up with is that we’re able to carry a child. Somewhere in our subconscious when someone tells you, ‘Oh, you might not be able to do that,’ you feel like it’s the one thing that you have that’s this gift, that makes you a woman, and there’s something wrong with you.” Giuliana Rancic Image Credit: Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, Giuliana Rancic had to take cancer-suppressing medications that made getting pregnant a risky endeavor. The television host told People she and husband Bill Rancic welcomed their son Edward Duke with the help of a surrogate in 2012, but that when they tried for a second child with a surrogate, Rancic discovered on New Year’s Eve that she miscarried with their third and last remaining embryo. Rancic called the loss the “toughest blow” and confessed, “It was a really hard time.” She also revealed that she is more open than ever to the idea of adoption because she thinks to herself, “I love Duke so much, if I couldn’t take care of him, I hope there would be someone else who would love him.” Tenth Breakthrough Prize Ceremony Image Credit: Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection On Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kim Kardashian spoke often about the difficult time she and Kanye West had conceiving after the birth of their first child, North West. The reality star and her musician/designer husband tried for more than one year after North’s birth to conceive again, and after announcing their second pregnancy, Kardashian revealed that giving birth for the first time was no walk in the park. “I had so many complications. I had this condition called placenta accreta. There were a couple little operations to fix all that, so that created a little hole in my uterus, which I think made it really tough to get pregnant again. It was a long road. I would go to the doctor in Beverly Hills every day at five in the morning to get tested to see if I was ovulating.” Kardashian said all of the pressure and stress took the fun out of trying to have a baby, and she did everything from consulting a nutritionist to getting acupuncture in order to help. But it’s been worth the long haul: She welcomed son Saint in 2015. She’s also mom to two more kids via surrogate: Chicago, born in 2018, and Psalm, born in 2019. Mariah Carey Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Legendary singer Mariah Carey opened up to Barbara Walters on 20/20 about her infertility struggles after safely giving birth to twins Monroe and Moroccan in 2011. After marrying now ex-husband Nick Cannon, she had a miscarriage in 2008 and, as a precaution, took progesterone before and during her second pregnancy and had daily acupuncture treatments to help reduce her stress. “The main thing I did that was tough, was to go on progesterone like every month… and then when I was pregnant, I had to stay with the progesterone for 10 weeks,” Carey said. While pregnant with her twins, Carey discovered she had gestational diabetes, was at risk of suffering from seizures, and was put on bed rest. “I don’t think I understood the enormity and the magnitude of what it really does to your body,” she said of having twins. “Carrying two babies. Unless somebody’s been through it, it’s difficult to understand what I went through, because my pregnancy was very unique in terms of what happened to me.” Trista Sutter Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Former Bachelorette Trista Sutter described the two years she and husband Ryan tried to conceive as a dark time in her life. In her book Happily Ever After: The Life-Changing Power of a Grateful Heart, Sutter reveals that she has always wanted to be a mom and that when that didn’t immediately happen after she and Ryan married in 2003, she began to question their relationship, herself, and God. “It’s a very difficult thing to not be able to do anything about making a dream of yours come true and questioning whether something is wrong with you,” Sutter explained. “So that was definitely a dark time in my life.” Sutter told People she and her husband were ready to try IVF, but then they discovered she was pregnant with their first child, Maxwell. She worked with a company called OV Watch to predict when she was ovulating — and it worked for them. Since then, Sutter and her husband have also welcomed a daughter named Blakesley, but she says three kids are not in the cards — she had the Essure procedure done, which is a permanent form of birth control. Tyra Banks Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Supermodel and businesswoman Tyra Banks welcomed a baby boy named York Banks Asla, who was born via gestational surrogate in 2016. But Banks and her FabLife co-host Chrissy Teigen revealed that they both struggled with infertility issues on a segment of the show. After Teigen begged the audience to stop asking her about children because the struggle to conceive is a very real one, Banks broke down in tears as she explained the pain she and other women feel when they can’t conceive: “I want to co-sign what Chrissy is saying and say ‘You have no idea what people are going through,'” Banks said. “Why am I crying? You just have no idea what people are going through, so when you ask Chrissy that or me that or anybody that, it is none of your frigging business, OK? And for any women, it is none of your business what somebody is going through. Whether they want to have a child or don’t ever want to have a child or may have a child on the way, it’s none of your business, OK? Until somebody wants to make it your business.” Banks later revealed she underwent IVF treatments and that the procedure was difficult for her. “We’re kind of going through this similar thing with IVF,” she said. ��And, you know, putting needles in your tummy every day and having to come to work and smile when you feel like you want to throw up and lay down… I can’t believe I’m saying this right now.” Padma Lakshm Image Credit: Christina DeOrtentiis/Everett Collection The birth of Padma Lakshmi’s baby girl in 2009 was described as a miracle because the actor discovered at age 36 that she suffered from Stage 4 endometriosis and had to have two surgeries to help with her condition. Lakshmi, who co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America, said doctors told her she’d probably never be able to get pregnant and that she froze her eggs as insurance. The cookbook author says by some miracle she got pregnant naturally, but that she was very lucky because it’s a rare occurrence in someone with Stage 3 or Stage 4 endometriosis. Now, she’s doing her part to raise awareness of infertility and how difficult it is for women. “I think infertility is one of those subjects that nobody likes to talk about for obvious reasons,” she said. “It’s very personal, everybody’s different. It has to do with your sexuality, but it also has to do with your own feelings about your womanhood and all the cultural and religious and familial taboos wrapped around that. And we have insecurities about that, so why would we want to be open about something so touchy? But I think it’s important, as a community, to come together.” Naomi Campbell Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection As one of the original ’80s/’90s supermodels, Naomi Campbell is a woman who seemed to be on top of the world; but in 2008, when she was 38, Campbell opened up about her personal struggle with infertility. At a fundraiser for the White Ribbon Alliance, which offers health care for pregnant women around the world, Campbell said she wanted children, but that she was infertile until she received a corrective surgery that year for what she originally thought was a cyst. “I was not able to have children until March,” Campbell said. “Now it’s in God’s hands. I would love to have a family.” At 50 years old, the supermodel announced that she had become a mother to a baby girl in 2021, but she’s kept her daughter from the public eye since. Brooke Shields Image Credit: Manoli Figetakis/Everett Collection As a spokesperson for Fertility Lifelines, model and actress Brooke Shields is an open book when it comes to her infertility issues. The mom of two had to have surgery on her cervix to remove precancerous cells, and the procedure left scarring that made it difficult for her to become pregnant. She tried artificial insemination several times with husband Chris Henchy, but the procedure was unsuccessful. Because she was 36 when she started trying to conceive, she says her doctor suggested IVF. “I had to take these shots for weeks,” she wrote in her memoir, Down Came the Rain. “In addition, there were countless doctor visits for blood tests, sonograms and peeing on sticks, not to mention the estrogen patches I had to wear that made me look and feel like I’d had a skin graft when they were removed.” She continued, “The whole process was quite an ordeal, and we became slaves to the time of day and to little vials of liquid. We’d find ourselves out at dinner with friends, and then we’d have to sneak off to a coat room, where we’d huddle over syringes and a travel-size cooler filled with small bottles of drugs.” After her first round of IVF, Shields became pregnant but miscarried. She was ready to stop trying when she got pregnant during her last cycle of treatments in 2002. “I was about ready to call it quits. I was growing weary of the anticipation and the pressure, and Chris said he wasn’t sure he could handle seeing me rip off another estrogen patch in frustration… at wit’s end, we decided to try one more time.” The couple is now raising their daughters Rowan and Grier. Elizabeth Banks Image Credit: Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection In an interview with Lucky, Banks revealed she had a womb issue and that her embryos wouldn’t implant. As a result, she and husband Max Handelman chose to use a gestational surrogate, whom she remained close to. “It’s a big leap, inviting this person into your life to do this amazing, important thing for you,” she said, continuing, “And it’s hard losing that kind of control. But our surrogate is so extraordinary, and she’s still in our lives. She’s like an auntie.” Banks and Handelman have sons Felix, born 2011, and Magnus, born 2012, both born via gestational surrogate. Again, Banks was quick to praise her surrogate. “This experience has exceeded all expectations, taught us a great deal about generosity and gratitude, and established a relationship that will last a lifetime.” Jimmy Fallon Image Credit: Manoli Figetakis/Everett Collection Women aren’t the only celebrities who feel the anxiety, disappointment, and sadness of infertility. After welcoming their daughter Winnie in 2013, TV host Jimmy Fallon revealed he and his wife used a surrogate after trying for five years to get pregnant. “We’ve tried a bunch of things,” Fallon said. “Anyone who’s tried will know, it’s just awful.” The couple told friends and family they were pregnant in the past, but Fallon said it didn’t work out and it was hard on everybody. They kept Winnie a secret until the very last minute, and Fallon used his position to speak directly to anyone dealing with infertility issues. “We tried for a long time, for five years. I know people have tried much longer, but if there’s anyone out there who is trying and they’re just losing hope… Just hang in there. Try every avenue; try anything you can do, ’cause you’ll get there. You’ll end up with a family, and it’s so worth it. It is the most worth it thing. I’m just so happy right now. I’m freaking out.” Chrissy Teigen Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection Despite her giving nature on social media, model and TV personality Chrissy Teigen and husband John Legend didn’t feel it was OK to broadcast their infertility struggle to billions of strangers. Teigen says she wanted to talk about infertility for so long, but that her IVF treatments felt too personal to discuss. “It didn’t feel right to ever tweet, ‘Ugh, doing my IVF shots again,'” Teigen said. “It just sounded silly. It definitely was not planned in that episode at all.” Teigen was referring to an episode of her show FabLife, where she and co-host Tyra Banks opened up about the difficulties both were facing getting pregnant. She says she and Legend had dealt with the challenge for years and that they relied on the support of close friends to see them through it. “I think we just have really good people around us that never said anything or else you would have known,” Teigen said. “I have a team of maybe 60 people, John has hundreds and everyone knew. They knew the failures, the successes, everything, but it’s never gotten out.” Teigen and Legend are parents to Luna, Miles, Esti, and Wren. Wren was born via surrogate just months after his big sister Esti. Gwen Stefani Image Credit: Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images After giving birth to two sons with now-ex husband Gavin Rossdale, Gwen Stefani desperately wanted a third baby — but told Marie Claire she had trouble conceiving. She was 40 at the time and admitted to the magazine that she was all set to accept life the way it was. “I really, really, really wanted one about two years ago,” Stefani said. “And it didn’t really work out. So… I feel good with what we’ve got. Everything works out how it should. You can’t plan anything, right? You can try.” Then, in 2014, Stefani discovered at 44 she was pregnant with her third son, Apollo — and she said son Kingston had everything to do with it (leaving us to assume IVF treatments were not involved). “Kingston… has a direct line to God, basically,” Stefani said. “[He started to pray,] ‘Dear God, please let my mom have a baby. Please, God! Please let my mom have a baby.’ I swear to you, he prayed every single night, and four weeks later, I was pregnant.” Tia Mowry Image Credit: Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection Tia Mowry and ex-husband Cory Hardrict are the proud parents of Cree and Cairo, but the Sister, Sister star said endometriosis made her dreams of giving big-brother Cree a little sister tougher than she’d imagined. “I often felt like something was wrong with me,” she told Women’s Health. “I thought I was alone because no one I knew personally had dealt with this. And then I realized: I’d never really seen someone African American in the public eye talking about endometriosis or their struggles with infertility. And when you don’t know or see anyone who looks like you talking about what you’re going through, you feel alone and suffer in silence.” Kevin Richardson Image Credit: Derek Storm/Everett Collection Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson and wife Kristin have two little boys, but they’ve been frank about the infertility struggles they faced before conceiving son Maxwell. In fact, Kristin appeared in Pushing Motherhood, a documentary about the topic in which she spoke out about multiple rounds of IVF and other clinical procedures that were unsuccessful. As Kevin said of the process, “It just didn’t feel right, so we were like, ‘Let’s stop this. Let’s reset your body, reduce stress, make you feel happy and healthy, then go back to the roots of how it’s supposed to be done. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be, and if not, we’ll adopt.’” In the end, Kristin conceived naturally. Source link

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