#aleksander barkov x reader

[secretlittlerandezvous]

If Love Is Enough - Aleksander Barkov

Summary: During a trip to Chicago, Y/n and Aleksander join her family for dinner, where her sister questions why they haven’t gotten engaged despite being together for years. The conversation plants a seed of doubt in Y/n’s mind, making her question whether love without marriage is truly enough for her.

Words: 922

Chicago had been cold, much colder than what Y/n and Aleksander were used to in Florida. But unlike Aleksander, Y/n was excited about the trip - seeing her family, catching up with her sister, and her old friends.

Dinner had been going well. Y/n’s parents were warn to him as always, her father making jokes about Aleksander’s quiet nature, and her mother gushing about how nice it was to see him again. Her sister, though, had been studying him all night, as if she had something on her mind.

Aleksander had excused himself to take a call, leaving Y/n at the table with her family. That was when her sister leaned in, lowering her voice just enough for only Y/n to hear.

“So… when’s the ring?”

Y/n nearly choked on her drink, caught off guard by the question. “What?”

Her sister shrugged, innocence in her voice. “You two have been together forever. You live together, you follow him everywhere he asks. Why aren’t you engaged yet?”

Y/n felt her stomach twist uncomfortably. “That’s not…. We’re not thinking about that right now.”

“Why not?” her sister pressed. “You want to get married, don’t you?”

The words stung more than they should have. Y/n never allowed herself to think about this very often. She already knew the answer. She wanted to get married, wanted something permanent with Aleks. And she also knew his answer and that he didn’t believe in marriage. He had told her that early on, not in a cruel way, just in a matter-of-fact way. He loved her, but he didn’t see marriage as something necessary.

And she had accepted that. Hadn’t she?

“If he hasn’t proposed by now, maybe he never will,” her sister continued, the words slicing through Y/n’s thoughts like a knife. “What if you’re wasting your time?”

Before Y/n could respond, Aleks returned, his presence settling beside her like an anchor. He wrapped his arm around her back, glancing between her and her sister. “What are you two talking about?”

Y/n forced a smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Nothing important.”

The rest of the night was a blur for Y/n. She laughed at jokes, responded when necessary, but her thoughts were elsewhere, circling around the possibility that maybe she had been lying to herself all along. Maybe love without marriage wouldn’t be enough for her in the end.

As they left the restaurant, Aleksander slipped his hand into hers, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. “You okay?” he asked.

Y/n hesitated, staring up at him, at the man she loved more than anything. And yet, for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t sure if love was going to be enough.

“Yeah,” she lied. “I’m fine.”

But doubt had already settled in, and she couldn’t shake it off.

…

She sat on the edge of the bed, absently unzipping her boots, her mind replaying the dinner conversation over and over.

What if you’re wasting your time?

She barely noticed Aleks moving around the room until he sat beside her, his body radiating warmth. He was quiet for a moment.

“You’ve been quiet since dinner,” he finally said.

Y/n forced a small smile. “Just tired.”

Aleksander hummed, unconvinced. He reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. “You know I know when you’re lying, right?”

“My sister asked me why we aren’t married yet,” she admitted, her voice quieter than she intended.

Aleksander didn’t react right away. She usually loved it, the fact that he never rushed to answer just to fill the void. But now, it drove her crazy.

“Did that bother you?” he finally asked.

Y/n exhaled, looking down at their joined hands. “I don’t know. I thought I was okay with it. I thought… loving you would be enough.” She swallowed, voice thick with uncertainty. “But what if it’s not? What if I do want marriage? Do we avoid it and ignore it?”

Aleks stayed still beside her, but she felt his grip on her hand tighten, like he was afraid she might slip away if he let go.

“I love you,” he said, quiet but firm. “That’s never been a question.”

“I know,” she whispered. “But what if it’s not enough?”

He turned slightly, bringing his other hand up to her chin, tilting her face so she would look at him. His blue eyes were steady, searching for hers.

“I don’t need a ring or a contract to prove I love you.”

“I know,” she said again, but the words felt hollow now.

He hesitated before continuing. “Is this a dealbreaker for you?”

Her heart clenched. “I don’t know.”

She had always been so sure about Aleks, about them. But now, for the first time, she wasn’t sure of anything at all.

Aleksander exhaled slowly, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“I don’t want to lose you either.”

But love alone wasn’t the problem. The problem was what came next.

Aleksander squeezed her hand again, grounding her. After a moment, he spoke, his voice softer this time. “If marriage is something you need… I want to understand why.”

Y/n’s chest tightened. “It’s not about needing a wedding or a ring. It’s about knowing that forever means the same thing to both of us.”

“Then I guess we need to figure it out.”

And that uncertainty lingered between them as they sat there in silence, still holding on to each other, but unsure if love would be enough to keep them from falling apart.

[haddonfieldwhore]

silver & gold - aleksander barkov

aleksander barkov x mcdavid!reader

summary: what better time for the world to find out about your private relationship than the stanley cup final?

warnings: private but not secret relationship?, sprinkle of angst, reader is mcdavid’s younger sister, i switch from calling him aleksander and sasha which i hope isn’t too confusing, i think i hate this but im posting it anyway sorry

word count: 1.9k

“romance is not dead, if you keep it just yours”

you had a habit of getting yourself into complicated situations, but as you sat with your family in the crowd, you decided you would never be able to outdo yourself with this one.

only moments were left in game 7 of the stanley cup final between the edmonton oilers and the florida panthers, the latter ahead by just one goal as the window of opportunity to change that grew smaller and smaller for the oilers.

your older brother, connor was the captain of the edmonton team, and you hated to think of how much it would hurt him to lose this game, and have to go home without the stanley cup; the thing he had dreamed of for as long as you could remember. edmonton was a good team, no doubt about it, but they were running out of time. you felt your moms grip on your hand tighten even more than it already was, her fingers wrapped around yours like a vice, and your breath caught in your throat as the seconds ticked away on the score clock.

you loved your brother, and would be overjoyed if he led his team to win the cup, but there was a small part of you that was rooting for florida as well. a part of your heart that belonged to someone here in sunrise.

the crowd was on their feet, the building roaring with cheers and applause as you watched the players scramble for the puck against the boards, unable to take your eyes off your brother until the sound of the buzzer snapped you out of it.

it was over.

the panthers were the stanley cup champions.

you didn’t know how to feel; the heartbreak and devastation radiated off of your family and connor’s fiancé lauren. combined with the volume of the fans in the arena, you found it hard to breathe. your eyes met connor’s as he slowly made his way off the ice, and your heart sank for him; this had meant the world to him and you knew it. as he and the rest of the oilers players slowly made their way down the tunnel in defeat, your eyes landed on a different team captain. your fingers fiddled absentmindedly with the charm on your bracelet, in particular the heart with the number 16 engraved on it; a gift from your boyfriend.

the panthers players celebrated their victory, and you watched as aleksander barkov became the first finnish captain to hoist the stanley cup. as the panthers each took turns hoisting the silver trophy until they’d all had a turn, you realized you were crying; but although you were sad for your brother, they were tears of joy.

“you can go sweetie, it’s okay,” your moms voice snapped you out of it, a slight tremble in her tone as you gave her the tightest hug you could muster, before sneaking out of the private box you all had been seated in and making your way to ice level. after a few shortcuts and showing a lot of arena staff your id so they would let you in, you had made it to where the rest of the families were waiting to join the team on the ice to celebrate.

you got a few confused looks sent your way from some of the other wives and girlfriends, and your stomach did a flip. it was a weird feeling, like you were an outsider invading a space that wasn’t meant for you; reminding you that not everyone knew who you were. correction, they knew you were connor mcdavids sister, not that you were aleksander barkovs girlfriend.

you had met sasha a few years ago at one of the many nhl events you’d attended with your brother, and you had found yourself immediately charmed by the panthers captain. you had never met a man so talented yet so humble, and it made a lasting impression. more encounters over the years led to you to of you keeping in touch and growing to be close friends, eventually getting together, though opting to keep your relationship private for a multitude of reasons, your brother being one of them.

it’s not that your relationship was a shameful secret, you just both were content with keeping it out of the public eye, and didn’t want the attention the media would bring to both of you for it.

it had even been nearly 8 months of the two of you dating (partly due to sasha’s busy schedule) before you told anyone in your family that you were together.

connor probably would have taken the news that you were dating a florida panther a lot worse if barkov wasn’t so respected within the league, and overall just a great guy on and off the ice.

“you’ve been dating someone for how long and didn’t tell me?” he had replied when you told him, and while you could tell he was upset, he thankfully didn’t sound as angry as you had anticipated.

“connor-“

“and a panther, you traitor,” he teased, but he cracked a smile and you felt a wave of relief.

“i wanted to tell you, i really did.” you hated keeping secrets from your family, and you hoped they’d have similar reactions when you told them; not unhappy with your choice but just suprised you’d kept it hidden for so long.

“i know you did, and it will take some getting used to, for sure.” you nodded in response. “but i’m happy for you, he’s a great guy.” connor smiled, and you hugged him.

“thank you for not freaking out about this.”

“did you think i would?” connor asked.

“i wasn’t sure - i could understand if you did,” you admitted.

“i can tell he makes you happy - you sort of light up when you talk about him. that’s what matters,” he smiled. “and it’s kind of impressive that the media hasn’t caught you guys out together or anything. you do have a pretty famous brother- hey!” he laughed as you punched his arm playfully.

there had definitely been times that the media (mostly gossip blogs) had speculated that sasha was seeing someone, and there had even been a few pictures caught and posted over the course of your relationship, but nothing that you could be identified in. the headline ‘panthers captain spotted with mystery woman’ had crossed your feed once or twice, but nothing concrete had ever been published. you and aleksander had discussed from the start that you would both prefer to keep things quiet as not to stir up drama, and you were mostly successful.

“yeah, we’ve been pretty lucky,” you sighed. there was something special about having something so personal and special just between you and sasha - and you were grateful you’d been able to keep it just your own for so long.

“we’re just private people, that’s all. even some of the other panthers didn’t know for the longest time,” you laughed as you remembered some of their reactions when they’d finally found out about you and sasha; tkachuk especially, the star winger being both suprised and happy for his captain when he found out.

“you know i love you no matter what right?” connor asked, and you smiled, giving him another hug.

“i know. i love you too, con.”

that had been a year ago, and telling the rest of your family had gone similarly well, any hurt your mother felt from not being told sooner overpowered by her happiness for you and sasha, and your father also approved.

despite the few uncertain glances, you were greeted with a smile by some of the wags you had become close with. you mostly kept to yourself, not taking part in a lot of the wag activities, which you sometimes regretted but mostly didn’t mind. you heard a few hushed whispers, overhearing your last name mentioned in confusion as ellie, tkachuks girlfriend coming over to give you a hug.

“hey,” she smiled as your arms wrapped around her in response. she was your closest friend amongst them, as sasha and matthew were such good friends.

“hey, oh my god,” you exclaimed, laughing in excitement as she squeezed you tightly. “they did it!” you finally said, and while you knew your family wanted a different outcome, right now your heart was here; in florida.

“they did it!” she repeated as a few of the other girls joined in the hug. “are you coming out there with us?” she asked, and you took a deep breath.

“yeah, i am.”

you and sasha had discussed this already, and he assured you that he wanted you out there with him if they won the cup.

“i want to share this moment with you,” he had said when the subject came up one day. “you are the most important to me, and if people find out then that is when they find out.”

“there’s no going back after that, once people know-“ you worried he might regret giving up the privacy you’d worked so hard to keep for the near 2 years of your relationship.

“i don’t care if they know. what we have is still special and you should be there for such a special moment.”

you and the other family members got the signal that you could come out into the ice, and your heart hammered against your ribcage as the anxiety crept up on you. the roar of the crowd was defeaning, cheering and applause echoing off every surface of the arena, and for a moment you thought you were going to pass out.

but it all melted away the moment you saw aleksander, a grin stretched wide across his face as his eyes landed on you.

the captain skated over to you, his tall frame exaggerated by his skates as he towered over you and offered his hands to steady you on the ice, which was still slippery in heels despite the carpet that had been rolled out on top.

his eyes sparkled with the brightness of all the stars as he embraced you, and you couldn’t hold back the tears as your arms wrapped around him.

“you did it,” was all you could say, though you didn’t know if he could hear you over the sound of everyone around you celebrating. “i’m so proud of you!” you said next to his ear, and his arms tightened around you.

“sasha, come get a photo,” someone called, and he led you hand in hand to stand in front of a backdrop for photos with the cup.

“come on,” sasha tilted his head, gesturing for you to help him hold up the cup, and you did, though he held most of the weight of the trophy.

your eyes found your parents in the crowd, and you couldn’t help but realize they were watching the wrong child hoist the cup, and you dreaded how much that would hurt your brother.

you heard some of the panthers cheering and your gaze found them looking onward at their captain, and smiling as they saw you by his side.

“kiss her!” chucky yelled, earning a laugh from some of the guys and even a shy chuckle from aleksander.

the two of you handed the cup back, and his hands turned your chin towards him, and you looked up at his beautiful smiling face.

“well, kiss her,” you teased, and he blushed a shade of light pink, but leaned down and connected his lips to yours.

on any other day, this would be big news. but somehow you felt like this wouldn’t be the biggest panthers headline in the papers tomorrow.

disclaimer: all screenshots, events, and/or interactions depicted in this are a work of fiction. i have no association with any parties mentioned

[baugettetaylorsversion]

What can I say?? My weakness is sarcastic dark haired men with a rough exterior and a heart of gold

[cheeeeseburger]

An autograph is fine, but your number would be better

Aleksander Barkov x Reader

Masterlist

A/N: Idk how but I wrote the reader in the third person, I'm very sorry! Anyway, English isn't my first language, hope you enjoy!

Gosh, she was pretty. All soft smiles and reddish cheeks, eyes sparkling. She looked so gorgeous, but Sasha knew the jumbotron wasn’t doing her justice.

The young popstar of the moment. Of course, he had heard her songs on the radio, but he hadn’t paid attention to the singer behind them until he was informed she would be meeting the team before the game. A quick google search of her name and he was suddenly driving to Amerant Bank Arena with her songs blasting through the speakers.

She was shyly waiving to the camera, and Sasha couldn’t keep his eyes off her. He hadn’t felt like this since he was a teenager. In this case, the singer nearly was a teenager. She had to be at least 5 years younger than him.

The crowd was going wild while her song was playing. He had to remind himself to focus on the game on multiple occasions. He kept replaying their interaction in his head.

“Hey guys, I’d like you all to give a warm welcome to someone who’s very excited to meet you, the newest princess of pop!” announced the Panther’s PR manager.

“Hello everyone!” The beauty walked in, dressed in jeans and a Cats’ jersey. Probably like all the other players, he hoped she was wearing his name on the back. They were all staring in awe, to starstruck by the gorgeous girl who had just entered their dressing room. Some rookies even elbowed each other.

Finally, a chorus of “hey” and “hello” echoed. A young defenseman went forward.

“Sup’. I like your songs.” She let out a nervous chuckle.

“Aw, thanks. I like you guys. I actually love hockey!” Everyone seemed to like her even more.

“Are you a Panthers’ fan at least?” someone asked. She bit her lip and looked away, shifting from one foot to the other, her hands behind her back.

“Umm… Next question please?” Multiple protests were heard. The pop star laughed. “Alright, alright guys! I’ll admit that my loyalty belongs to another team. Wait, don’t kick me out! My favourite player since forever is on your team!” Her arms were in the air, to show peace.

“Well, who is it then?” asked a rookie, probably believing it was him, since he was currently trending on social media for his good looks, and since he was close to her age.

She blushed slightly. “I can’t tell you guys! I don’t want to make anyone jealous. Let me tell you this, though. I’m wearing his name on my back.”

The next scene would be engraved in his brain forever. Like the performer that she is, she made a show of slowly turning her back to them, her hips and hair swaying. It was captivating to see her move. Her jeans fit her ass perfectly, her long hair hiding the back of the jersey. It seemed like every guy held his breath. Finally, she whipped her hair around. Sasha roared interiorly when he saw “Barkov” in capital letters. Many guys hit him on the shoulders and a few wolf-whistle were heard. Finally, she faced them again, laughing, then winked at Sasha. All he could do was give her a small smile and hope she was into shy guys.

When it was time to get a picture, she immediately stood next to Sasha.

“Guys, I love you all, but after the group picture, can I please get one with my favourite player?” Sasha just felt so fucking proud in that moment. He exchanged a quick, shy smile with the young singer, then positioned himself closer to her body then he needed to. He could smell her sweet perfume, a mix of vanilla and jasmine. God, she was perfect.

Before he got the chance to pull away, she got on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear: “I think you’re really cute. I hope you slide into my DMs after the game.”

All he felt was shocked, and a wave of heat and… were those butterflies? He didn’t even get a chance to answer before she was waving to the rest of the team.

“Good luck, guys! I’ll be cheering for you. Especially for you, Barkov!”

He was screwed. He wanted to have his best game, to impress her, but instead, he could only look at her through the glass. How he wished he was bold enough to make a move. If she gave him a chance, he would be the best man there ever was. She could write love songs about him and the way he would worship her every single day of his life. An entire album could be dedicated to how good he'd take care of her.

Sasha thought she might be interested. There was a chance she could like him for more than just his hockey skills, right? Because he also got hickey skills, and he would be more than happy to show her.

He had to think this through. First, he had to get through the game without embarrassing himself more than he already had with how poorly he played in the first two periods. Next, he had to find a way to talk to her. She deserved more than a simple “hey “on Insta. He hadn’t totally figured out that part yet because before any of this, he needed build the confidence to make a move. That was the tricky part.

Sasha had a newfound motivation for the rest of the game. He pulled through in the last period and scored a goal. He even felt bold enough to point his stick to the young popstar in the stands. Of course, everyone picked on it and the crowd cheered, since this was far from his usual modest celebrations. It’s not everyday that their captain dedicated a goal to a celebrity.

The game ended with a win from the Panthers. Somehow, Sasha ended up first star of the game. While he was doing the interview on the ice, he noticed from the corner of his eye that her section was now nearly empty, and the girl he had daydreamed about during the entire game had left.

Gutted, he returned to the dressing room, upset that he had missed his chance.

That was until his phone made a faint noise. It was a request for a DM with a blue little check mark next to it.

I know you just finished to play, but I can’t wait to see if you do slide in my DMs, so I’m doing it instead. Hope it’s ok :)

It was more than okay. Time to see if he had game somewhere else than on the ice.

[paladin--strait]

paladin's 100 follower celly and new request list!! ✨

ahhh thank you so much for 100 followers! im so happy 🥳 and on my birthday too?? its like a gift 🎁 but, i hope that you guys like these prompts and the people i chose but if you have anybody that you want me to write for or a different prompt you wanna read you can still send it in and i'll see what i can do!

I love you all so much! keep reading to see the prompts and the people for your requests! ⬇️

the people who you request for are referred to as "name" in the prompts. and sorry, but none of these will be NSFW. even though i read it sometimes, im not comfortable with writing it just yet. all fics written will be under the tag "paladin's 100 follower celly!" make sure to check it out and drop a follow to see when a new fic comes out!! ❤️

some will be written in headcanon form and some will be in fic form! but let me know which one you want it in! ❤️

please let me know if you want the reader to be plus size, i'll happily write it for ya!

current request status: open!!

✨ prompts!! ✨

1 - "I'm sick, don't get near me" "I don't care"

2 - "I want you to meet my parents." "but we just met!"

3 - crying in his arms

4 - him crying in your arms

5 - "listen to me, everything is going to be alright."

6 - "I'll take care of you."

7 - "they didn't deserve you."

8 - sugar baby x sugar daddy

9 - "I'm gonna be here for you whether you like it or not."

10 - bodyguard!(name) x reader

11 - sunshine!reader x (name)

12 - lazy morning

13 - team staff member x (name)

14 - comparing hand sizes

15 - cooking for his team (athletes only)

16 - cooking for his parents

17 - meeting his team (athletes only)

18 - (name) x baker!reader

19 - reader brings cookies or cupcakes for players team after a huge win (athletes only)

20 - reader gets hurt and (name) takes care of them

21 - wearing another players jersey (athletes only)

22 - (name) cooks for reader and it goes terribly wrong

23 - (name) cooks for reader and its good

24 - reader cooks for (name) and it goes terribly wrong

25 - reader cooks for (name) and its good

26 - reader hosts a suprise party for (name)

27 - rival player chirps player about reader, player goes crazy (athletes only)

28 - reader is a ref for the nhl, slowly falls for player (athletes only)

29 - reader cooks for (name)'s friends

30 - reader's child takes a liking to (name)

31 - reader is a storm chaser

32 - reader meets (name)'s pet and the pet loves reader

33 - reader watches an episode of her and (name)'s show without him knowing

34 - (name) comforts reader in a storm

35 - reader and (name) go to a pet store and reader convinces him to buy them a pet

36 - going to the eras tour with them

37 - going to a nba game with them

38 - going to yours/his little siblings sports game

39 - hairstylist!reader / doing his hair

40 - he teaches you how to play hockey (athletes only)

41 - reader compliments their eyes

42 - reader is a florist

43 - reader is a coach for a pee wee team

44 - teacher!reader

45 - coaches daughter

✨ nhl players! ✨

matt rempe

jack hughes

luke hughes

quinn hughes

trevor zegras

jamie drysdale

sidney crosby

cole caufield

nico hischer

timo meier

dawson mercer

andrei svechnikov

arturs silovs

sergei bobrovsky

matthew tkachuk

brady tkachuk

auston matthews

igor shesterkin

connor bedard

jeremey swayman

andrei vasilevskiy

stuart skinner

marc andre fleury

nico daws

jacob markstrom

aleksander barkov

brock boeser

j.t. miller

macklin celebrini

leo carlsson

mason mactavish

david pastrnak

artemi panarin

✨ other fandoms! ✨

tyler owens (twisters)

javi (twisters)

boone (twisters)

daryl dixon (the walking dead)

rick grimes (the walking dead)

carl grimes (the walking dead)

negan smith (the walking dead)

eugene porter (the walking dead)

abraham ford (the walking dead)

(there may be more added later)

[haddonfieldwhore]

santa doesn’t know you like i do - aleksander barkov

aleksander barkov x reader

summary: just a little christmas special 🎄

warnings: mention of injury, nsfw implied, gn reader, but reader is referred to as pretty once

word count: 0.9k (short and sweet)❣️

“don’t you wanna wrap me up and mistle-touch under the tree?

he won’t bring you somebody that loves you more than me.”

you were placing a few last minute ornaments on the tree when you heard sasha come home, the sound of the key in the front door followed by his footsteps alerting you to his presence.

“hey,” you smiled as you walked over to him, greeting him with a kiss which he returned.

it was the night before christmas eve and the panthers had just played a tough game against the tampa bay lightning, filled with rough hits and a few injuries, tampa winning 4-0 in the end.

“hey,” he replied, and you could tell from his voice that he was tired and a little frustrated; though he rarely showed it. he managed to crack a smile as he gently plucked a stray piece of tinsel out of your hair, and wrapped you in his arms, walking you further into the living room towards the tree.

“i’m sorry the game didn’t go well,” you murmured, and sasha rested his chin on your shoulder, your back pressed flush against his chest as his arms encircled you from behind. he only hummed in response, swaying side to side softly. “is chucky okay?” you asked; the left winger having been hit knee on knee during the first period. miraculously, he had returned to play the other two periods of the game, but it still wasn’t enough for the panthers to walk away with the win this time.

“yeah, i think so. the days off should help as well,” he replied, referring to the four days off the panthers had for the holidays.

“that’s good.”

he hummed again, and you let a silence fall over the two of you as you stood admiring the twinkling lights on the tree. your eyes landed on your favourite ornament, a small red picture frame in the shape of a stocking with a photo of you and aleksander together on your first christmas together a few years ago.

you looked down at the gifts beneath the tree, a few for sasha from you, some for your families as well as his teammates, and a few clumsily wrapped packages from sasha. it was endearing to you that despite trying every year, his wrapping skills never improved.

“what are you smiling about?” he asked, squeezing you tighter.

“i’m just happy,” you admitted. it was the truth; you were feeling the warmth of the holidays, and the physical warmth of sasha’s body against yours. you turned around in his arms, snaking your arms around his neck, your fingers lacing through the short honey blonde hair at the base of his skull.

“i love you,” you whispered, and he smiled back at you.

“i love you too.”

you leaned up to kiss his lips, and his fingertips dug into your hips softly, your t-shirt riding up slightly as he slid his hands beneath the fabric to touch your skin with his warm hands. the kiss deepened as you tugged at his bottom lip with your teeth, and he pushed you gently towards the couch, tumbling into the sofa after you.

•

you were nearly asleep when you heard a quiet beeping sound, and felt sasha moving beneath you, a subtle disturbance as your head was resting on his chest.

you weren’t sure exactly when the two of you had ended up on the floor, a blanket beneath you and another one covering your tangled bodies as his fingers traced shapes on your bare thigh absentmindedly.

“it’s midnight,” he said, the beeping having been his watch, signalling the change of the hour.

“it’s christmas eve,” you realized, snuggling closer to him as his arms wrapped around you.

“we should go up to bed,” aleksander mumbled, his voice deeper, and you could tell he was as close to falling asleep as you were.

“yeah, probably not a good idea to sleep on the floor,” you laughed. “although it is pretty, looking up at the lights,” you said, gazing up at the tree.

“yeah,” he agreed; although he was looking at you rather than the tree. “come on, let’s go to bed.”

you followed sasha upstairs to your shared bedroom, flopping face first into the bed, causing sasha to laugh softly.

“someone’s tired,” he teased, crawling overtop of you and placing a kiss on your shoulder as he caged you beneath his large frame.

“mhm,” you mumbled in response, already half asleep again. you protested at the sudden absence of his body weight on top of you, and felt him slide the blanket from beneath you so he could tuck you in, before crawling into bed next to you.

“goodnight,” he kissed the top of your head as you wrapped your arms and legs around him.

you were asleep before you could reply, and sasha leaned over to switch off the lamp on the beside table, before pulling the blanket up higher over your body, and drifting off to sleep to the sound of your heart beating in time with his <3

disclaimer: all screenshots, events, and/or interactions depicted in this are a work of fiction. i have no association with any parties mentioned

[haddonfieldwhore]

nhl (hockey) masterlist

oneshots / drabbles

vince dunn - seattle kraken

torn ❕

talk me down ❕☁️

like crazy ☁️

offline ☁️

matthew tkachuk - florida panthers

fragile ❕☁️

i don’t dance ***

hands to myself ❕

right here (hands to myself pt.2)❕

winter things 🎄 (xmas special) ☁️

hurt my feelings ***❕

wildest dreams ❕(IMY,IS preq.)

i miss you, i’m sorry ❕

jealousy, jealousy ***

bad idea ***

guilty conscience *** (bad idea pt.2)

safe and sound ❕☁️

hold it against me ***

will borgen - seattle kraken / nyr

sugar ***☁️

clandestine

tequila sunrise ☁️

welcome to the party ☁️

headfirst, fearless ☁️ (wttp part.2)

welcome to new york

aleksander barkov - florida panthers

silver and gold

florida!!! *

i swear i’ll never leave again * (florida!!! pt.2)

santa doesn’t know you like i do (🎄xmas special)

misc - seattle kraken

tied in knots - brandon tanev ☁️

mine - tye kartye ☁️

game over - tye kartye ☁️

series

sparks fly - will borgen

one ☁️

two ☁️

bonus! (social media posts) ☁️

other

thomas milic playlist

vince dunn playlist

matthew tkachuk playlist

leon draisaitl playlist

trevor zegras playlist

kraken hype playlist

panthers hype playlist

matthew tkachuk (taylor’s version) playlist

matthew tkachuk yeehaw mix (the only man i’ll listen to country music for)

will borgen playlist

jeremy swayman playlist

aleksander barkov playlist

[haddonfieldwhore]

i swear i’ll never leave again - aleksander barkov

aleksander barkov x reader 🌴 part 2 to florida!!!

summary: an old flame has been rekindled; is the second time the charm?

warnings: a mixture of aleksander and sasha used throughout, angst/bittersweet, nsfw implied

word count: 1.9k

the cool water of the evening tide tickled your toes as it crept up the shore of the beach, the wind blowing softly over your bare skin and sending a shiver up your spine. the sun had begun to set, painting the sky in vivid shades of orange and pink, with fluffy white clouds stretching across the sky.

“do you want to head home?” sasha asked, sitting next to you and placing a kiss on your shoulder. you shivered again from his touch, and leaned into him, resting your head against his chest. his white t-shirt was slightly damp and clinging to his skin in spots where his torso had still been wet from the ocean when he’d put it on.

“not yet,” you sighed, closing your eyes and listening to the sound of the water.

if you went home - sasha meaning his house where you were staying - the night was over; your last night in florida.

it had been 3 months since you and sasha had first reconnected, and any chance that you could see eachother since then, the two of you had found a way to make it happen. whether he was in your hometown for a game, or he paid for you to come spend a few days with him in florida while he was home, like he had done now.

you had spent the last 3 days glued to him, and you were dreading waking up tomorrow morning, knowing you would be going home; and going to bed alone.

“it’s getting late,” he said, a defeated tone in his voice. “your flight is pretty early tomorrow, you should get some sleep.”

you knew he was right, even if you didn’t want him to be. he always was.

“can’t we just stay here like this forever?” you asked, crawling into his lap, straddling his legs that were outstretched in front of him. his large hands slid up your thighs, brushing crystals of sand off your skin in their wake, and up your sides until they cradled your face.

“i want to,” he agreed, smiling softly until he saw a tear fall from your eye, and his face fell. his thumb gently wiped it away, and he kissed your forehead, his lips lingering there for a moment.

“we must have something good here, or else it wouldn’t be so hard to say goodbye,” you sighed.

“it doesn’t have to be goodbye,” he offered.

“sasha-“ you looked down. “i don’t want to leave.”

“you don’t have to,” he replied. “i don’t want to watch you go again.” this was the first time he had said it out loud, even if you both knew it already. you thought back to finland, when you walked away from your life with him the first time, and the piece of you that had been missing ever since. until now.

“i want to, more than anything. but i have a whole life back home, a job, my friends…” you said, but you knew in your heart that your home was here, with him. you were just scared to admit it. if he asked you to leave it all behind and stay here, you knew you wouldn’t be able to say no.

“i know,” he pulled you close, kissing your neck softly as he nestled his face against your collarbone. “i know.”

if you could freeze time, you would have in that moment. you didn’t know what else to say, so you said nothing, opting to sit in silence and try to enjoy the feeling of being wrapped up in eachothers arms.

•

two months passed without seeing sasha again, and it was starting to wear on you noticeably. it wasn’t for lack of trying, but your schedules didn’t line up, and you could only afford to take so many vacations from work.

your friend jamie was currently over, and while you were trying to be a good host, you were not in the mood to entertain. you had told her about sasha when you got back from florida the first time, after you had spent the remainder of your trip spending as much time catching up with him as possible. you only had a week together to make up for the years you had spent apart, but you had fallen for him all over again, and he was just as head over heels for you as he had been in college. she was ecstatic that you two had decided to give things a second try, and had even met sasha when he visited you at home on the last panthers road trip.

“you miss him,” jamie said, unable to ignore the cloud of gloom that hung over you lately. at least, when aleksander wasn’t around. you thought back to when she had said the same thing on the phone months ago, before you had reached out to him again, and you had tried to deny it. but it wasn’t a question when she said it the first time, and it sure as hell wasn’t now.

“so much, j,” you agreed, your lashes wet with tears that threatened to spill over your cheeks as she embraced you in a hug.

“have you thought about moving out there to florida?” she asked.

“of course i have, i think about it all the time. but he’s away so much, and i’d be there by myself.”

“beats being alone here,” she offered, and you managed a smile.

“but you’re here. my whole life is here.”

“is it?” she asked. “i love you, you know that, but what’s really keeping you here? your job? is that really something you can see yourself doing for the rest of your life? can you see yourself living in this apartment for the rest of your life?”

“i guess not,” you sighed. you hadn’t thought about it like that. maybe you were just scared to throw everything away in case things didn’t work out with sasha.

“so what’s stopping you!” she smiled. “i know he’s on the road a lot, but wouldn’t it be better to be there waiting for him when he gets home, instead of being miserable here wondering when you might get to see him again?” she asked.

you knew you had been making excuses in your mind, but you were too scared to admit the truth until now.

“maybe im just waiting for him to ask me to stay.” jamie looked at you with a look that too you she meant what she said next with love, but it still stung, even if she was right.

“maybe he’s afraid to because the last time he did, you said no.”

•

“hey,” you smiled, as you wrapped your arms around sasha’s shoulders in a bone crushing hug. you had just landed in florida, and as always he insisted on picking you up at the airport, like a true gentleman. you kissed his lips gently, wanting nothing more than to melt into him completely, but knowing he wasn’t one for pda, that could wait until you were behind closed doors.

“hi,” he smiled back, his arms around your waist as he held you close. it had been three months since you had seen him, and it felt like an eternity, despite texting or calling each other every day. it was miserable to be apart for so long, emotionally and physically, and you couldn’t wait to get to his house so you could spend the next few hours showing him just how much you’d missed him .

he carried your suitcase to his car, loading it into the trunk before driving to his house. you spent the short duration of the drive (which somehow felt like forever) catching up on anything you had missed telling eachother. sasha always kept you updated on the team and how they were doing, as if you didn’t watch every game.

“we play the next five games at home, so i’m home for about two weeks,” he explained.

“that’s pretty nice,” you smiled, though you couldn’t help but think about how much you wished you could stay for the whole home stand. you were using the last of your vacation days for this visit, unbeknownst to aleksander, and in just four days had to fly home.

but you didn’t want to think about that right now.

all you wanted to think about was the man next to you, and as he turned into his driveway and led you inside, you quickly found it hard to think about anything besides the feeling of his lips on yours.

•

the next few days went by way too fast, and suddenly it was your last morning waking up in sasha’s arms. you snuggled closer into his chest and willed yourself to fall back to sleep, so that you could wake up here again, but it was no use.

“good morning,” he kissed the top of your head softly, his arms tightening around your body that still ached from the previous nights activities.

“good morning,” you hummed, your fingers reaching up to trace the outline of a love bite you had left on his neck.

“i wish i could wake up to this every day.”

“me too,” you whispered sadly, tracing patterns with your finger on his bare skin.

“maybe….” he trailed off, and he had spoken so softly, you wondered if you had imagined it.

“you have to go back today?” he asked, though he knew the answer. you had told him when you planned the trip that it would only be a few days.

“yeah,” you nodded, taking a deep breath. you were both silent for a few minutes until sure of what to say, until you found the words. “i love you aleksander,” you confessed for the second time; the first having been back in college.

“you do?” he asked, seeming surprised. of course you did - how could you not?

while you had made your relationship official only a month after your first visit to florida, you hadn’t said those three little words yet since getting back together.

you rolled over so you were laying on top of him, looking up to face him as he sat up slightly to lean against the headboard.

“i do,” you agreed. “i love you.”

he smiled at you, cradling the side of your face in his hand, and you closed your eyes, trying to memorize the feeling of his touch.

“i love you too,” he beamed. “i wish you didn’t have to go.”

“i know. me too.”

“is there anything i could do to make you stay?” he asked, and you blinked in disbelief.

“you mean.. stay here with you? like move to florida?” you asked, only for clarification; you didn’t want your emotions to misinterpret what he meant. his eyes refused to meet yours, and a light blush covered his cheeks.

“if you don’t want to i understand-“ he began, but you cut him off with a kiss.

“just ask -“ you smiled. “if you want me to stay, all you have to do is ask.”

sasha smiled back at you, pulling you up into his lap, and you slid your arms behind his neck, kissing him deeply.

“stay with me,” he whispered against tour lips when you parted for air. you smiled.

“i swear i’ll never leave again.”

disclaimer: all screenshots, events, and/or interactions depicted in this are a work of fiction. i have no association with any parties mentioned

[haddonfieldwhore]

florida!!! - aleksander barkov

aleksander barkov x reader

summary: while in florida on vacation you reconnect with someone from your past

warnings: a mixture of aleksander and sasha used throughout, angst, nsfw implied, small age gap (not specific), not edited (it’s 3am)

word count: 4.1k (oops)

“i’ve got some regrets, i’ll bury them in florida”

the smell of coconut wafted through your nose as you applied sunscreen for the third time that day, your skin not yet used to the heat of fort lauderdale. you were visiting for 2 weeks, a much needed vacation from your life back home, and you already felt relaxed after only two days here.

some of your friends were supposed to join you on the trip, but eventually cancelled, either not having the money or not being able to get the time off from work.

though it would have been more fun with them here, you didn’t mind travelling alone, having studied abroad in college and enjoyed every second of it.

well, mostly - you thought to yourself. despite only being here once before as a child, florida was bringing up some memories in your mind that had been long dormant. it wasn’t the state itself that was to blame though; it was something else. someone, to be more specific.

your phone rang in the back pocket of your shorts, and you swiped answer on the call.

“hey jessie,” you answered with a smile.

“hey! how’s florida?” your best friend asked.

“i wish you were here with me, but it’s still pretty amazing,” you admitted.

“i know, i wish i was there too,” she sighed. “next time, i promise - even if i have to quit my job so i can get the time,” she laughed.

“how will you pay for the trip then genius?”

“leave that to me.”

“alright,” you surrendered with a chuckle.

“see any hot guys yet?” she asked, of course that’s what she wanted to know.

“a few, not that i’m really looking,” you admitted. while there had been a few good looking men you had spotted while you were here, there was one specifically that was occupying your mind for the last few days; and you were trying to drown out any thoughts of him.

“did you decide if you’re going to a game or not?” jessie asked as if she had read your mind.

“maybe - the arena is right near my hotel, but i just don’t know if i’ll find the time,” you brushed it off.

“babe, you’re there for 2 weeks, i think you can find time if you want to.”

“you’re right,” you sighed deeply, flopping onto the soft duvet spread across the bed.

“i always am.”

“i’m gonna ignore that,” you smiled. “it’s not like i would see him anyway,” you thought out loud.

“unless you did.”

“that’s not helpful,” you replied with a roll of your eyes.

“i’m sorry!” jessie apologized. “and don’t roll your eyes at me, i can hear it in your voice,” she teased, and you both laughed.

during the 2 years that you had studied abroad in finland, you had wound up entangled with the one and only aleksander barkov; who in the years since then had blossomed in the national hockey league and become the captain of the florida panthers.

things were good for the most part, despite both of your busy schedules you made it work, and all too quickly found yourself falling for the handsome and humble man. he was a few years older than you, kind, handsome, and a perfect gentleman. there were ups and downs, and he was away from home a lot, but you made it work, keeping things casual and not exactly exclusive; not that you even entertained anyone else when he was gone. unfortunately, like most college relationships, things fell apart when you ended your studies there. you tried for a few months after you finished your courses, but despite your feelings for him, there wasn’t enough to keep you in finland without school to occupy you when he was gone so much of the time.

you thought back to the day that you told him you were leaving; the hurt in his eyes broke your heart, but you both knew the day was coming. you were on borrowed time and you both realized it long before either of you gained the courage to admit it.

“i don’t want you to go, but it’s selfish of me to ask you to stay,” he said sadly, and you buried your head in his chest, tears threatening to spill from your eyes as he wrapped his arms tightly around your body.

“we knew it wasn’t forever right?”

“yeah, we knew,” he mumbled, kissing the top of your head.

a part of you wished it could have been.

“are you listening to me?” jessie’s voice snapped you out of it, and you ran a hand over your face in frustration.

“yeah, sorry,” you shook your head, trying to think about anything else.

“you’re thinking about him, aren’t you?”

“it’s hard not to - knowing how close we are right now,” you sighed in defeat. you had found it hard to stop yourself from wondering how he was doing, besides thriving on a successful hockey team.

“you miss him.” the way she worded it, it wasn’t a question, you realized.

“our lives are so different and it’s been years since i’ve seen him, jess.” the last time you had seen sasha was when he dropped you off at the airport, the kiss goodbye was almost enough to make you stay. you had texted him when you landed back home, and you’d kept in touch for a few weeks, calling eachother here and there but the distance drove a wedge between you. soon enough life got busy and it was easier to lose contact.

“you didn’t answer the question,” she pointed out.

“i don’t even know if he’s the same person he was back then - i’m certainly not. and he’s a hotshot nhl captian now.”

“of course people change, but this is sasha were talking about. do you really think he’d be that different than he was when you knew him?” she asked. you had told her so much about him, it was like she knew him even though they’d never met. and it was true; the sasha you knew would never let the fame get to him.

“i don’t know him anymore.”

“if you say so. i got to get back to work, my break is over. i’ll call you in a few days?”

“sounds good,” you replied. “love you jess.”

“love you too. keep me updated.”

before you could protest she hung up, and you tossed your phone onto the pillow next to you.

you stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, before grabbing your phone again, opening it to contacts without realizing what you were doing until your finger hovered over the name ‘sasha’.

you hesitated for a moment before closing the app, and googling florida panthers tickets instead.

•

three days later you found yourself sat in one of the crimson seats of amerant bank arena, waiting for the game to begin. you casually followed the nhl, not watching every game, but for obvious reasons, you had a soft spot for the south florida team; it helped that they were fun to watch and had become a force to be reckoned with these last few seasons.

as interested as you were in the game, you found it hard to focus on anything but the memories of aleksander that had continued to float around in your mind for the duration of your vacation. you had woken up this morning with an ache between your legs as you dreamt of the last night you had spent tangled with sasha beneath the sheets of his bed. you could still remember the way his hands felt tracing every inch of your body; not even a cold shower could erase it.

you’d considered not going to the game despite having bought a ticket, but wanted to experience a panthers game while you were here, unsure of when you would get the chance to see them play at home again.

the panthers won, and you weren’t sure if it was the adrenaline from the crowd lingering, but you found you thumb hovering over sasha’s contact in you phone again as you sat next to the pool back at the hotel later that night.

you decided against a phone call, typing out a text message before you could talk yourself out of it.

hey - it’s y/n from college. congrats on the win tonight! :)

a simple ‘hey’ didn’t seem like enough - you weren’t even sure if he had the same number after all these years, or if he remembered you at all. the doubt started to set in the second you hit send, the possibility that you hadn’t left as much of an impact on him as he had with you setting in fast.

what if he didn’t remember you at all?

you decided to call jessie to distract your mind, and you were thankful that it didn’t take her long to pick up.

“hey! i was just about to call you!”

“great minds think alike,” you laughed, her voice putting you at ease a little already.

“what’s up?” she asked.

“just sitting by the pool,” you replied. you hadn’t told her you’d decided to go to the game, and you hadn’t decided if you were going to tell her about the text you’d sent or not yet.

“ugh i’m jealous. i’m considering ditching work and flying out there to join you at this point. you’re still there for another week or so hey?” she asked.

“yeah, 9 more days actually. it would be nice to have you here, jess.”

“is everything okay?” she asked, always able to tell when something was bothering you.

“yeah, i think i just got too much sun today, my head hurts.” you weren’t entirely lying, but you just hoped she didn’t check the weather and see that it had been cloudy in fort lauderdale that day.

“bet you never had that problem in finland, hey?” you knew she was teasing, the climate in finland in fact being drastically drearier than florida, but you were hoping to not think about that for at least a few minutes.

“yeah, definitely not.”

despite the cold, you loved everything about finland. it took some getting used to the dark and cold, but each time aleksander showed you around different places around the country, you knew you would find it harder to leave.

for more reasons than just the scenery.

the day he showed you around his home town of tampere finland was the day you realized that you were falling in love with him.

you walked hand in hand down crowded streets, sasha pointing out different things from his childhood, like where he grew up playing hockey, his favourite restaurants, everything.

you looked up at him in wonder as the glow of the street lights illuminated his face, a light pink tinge across his cheeks and nose from the cold. fluffy white snowflakes fell softly around you, gathering atop the beanie that covered his head and across his broad shoulders.

it was only a few months since you had met, but it felt like you had known him for years. you never imagined a day would come where it would feel like you were strangers, even knowing that your time in finland was temporary.

“you don’t have to leave,” he had said, only a month left in your final semester abroad.

you laid bare next to him, his bedsheets the only thing covering your body as you fiddled absentmindedly with his hands, tracing calluses with your fingertips.

“once the semester is over i won’t have a place to stay, i can’t stay at the dorm.” you had gotten a job at a coffee shop that made you enough money to afford food and necessities, but you couldn’t afford an apartment with that salary, and hadn’t intended to get a job in your chosen field here. the plan was always to go home after your schooling was done.

“you could stay here, with me.”

it wasn’t an absurd idea; you spent a lot of nights at aleksanders house anyway when he wasn’t on the road. but in reality, he wasn’t home that often, and you would feel weird living in his house without him.

“you mean it?” you asked, your heart aching at the thought that even if he said yes, you knew your answer was no. part of him knew it too.

a notification went off on your phone, and you snapped out of your daydream, realizing that you’d once again become lost in memories of what once was.

you pulled your phone away from your ear, jessie’s voice getting quieter as she went on about something that happened at work today. you knew you were being a bad friend, and made a mental note to make it up to her later.

you saw that you had a text message and your breath caught in your throat as you tapped on it.

hey ☺️ it’s been a long time. you watched the game?

you stared at the message, suprised he’d responded so fast, if at all.

“i’m sorry, i gotta go, my phones about to die, i’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” jessie said, and you said a quick goodbye before you both hung up, leaving you alone to deal with your thoughts.

what had you intended when you texted sasha? you weren’t sure even you knew, but typed out a reply anyway; deciding you would figure it out as you went.

i was there actually - i’m in florida for a few days.

you impatiently waited as the three dots appeared to indicate that he was typing.

oh wow. thank you for coming to the game.

you smiled.

i wouldn’t miss it.

it took a few minutes after he read the message for him to reply this time, and you worried you’d said something wrong. deciding you didn’t want to sit by the pool anymore, you wrapped your towel around yourself, fighting of the evening chill that had begun to tickle your skin.

you’d made it up to your hotel room by the time your phone went off again, though it was a text this time; it was ringing. you assumed it was jessie, but froze when you saw sasha’s name light up the screen instead.

should i answer it? you thought.

a thousand reasons why you should or shouldn’t ran through your mind, but you ultimately swiped accept and closed the door behind you as you stepped in to your suite.

“hi,” you answered nervously. all these years later and he still had this much of an effect on you.

“hi,” he replied, and you couldn’t help but smile at the sound of his voice. “it really is you.”

“did you think it might not be?” you laughed slightly, and on the other end of the call, aleksander realized how much he’d missed the sound.

“i don’t know, maybe,” he admitted. “it’s good to hear from you.”

your heart skipped a beat.

“how have you been?” you asked, pacing around the room. despite how easily sasha used to be able to put you at ease, you couldn’t stay still.

“i’m good,” he replied, and you had forgotten that he was a man of few words at times. “what about you? what brings you to florida?”

you couldn’t exactly tell him that you had been good save for the fact that he was all you’d thought about for the last few days.

“good,” you decided was your answer. “why did you call instead of texting?” you asked. it had been years since you last spoke, but you felt like you were back in college, calling him while he was on the road to hear about his latest game.

“oh… i just wanted to hear your voice i guess,” he admitted, a blush forming across his face that he was glad you couldn’t see.

sasha sat in his car outside the restaurant where he and some of his teammates had been out to celebrate their victory when you texted, and he had excused himself to make a phone call, quietly sneaking out to his car.

of course he’d thought about you in the years since you left finland, always considering you to be the one that got away, despite the fact that you both knew from the beginning that you’d be leaving.

he hadn’t expected you to text him out of the blue that you were in florida, and it made him anxious to know that you were so close, especially knowing that you had been at the game earlier that day.

a happy anxious.

“yeah, it’s nice to hear your voice too.”

“are you coming to the game later this week?” he asked. you hadn’t planned on it, but the way he asked made you hope it meant that he wanted you to say yes.

“i might be, i’ll have to see about getting a ticket,” you replied, giving an open ended answer.

“if you need a ticket i can send you one,” he said, before quickly adding. “if you want.”

“do you want me there?” you asked, hoping you weren’t being too bold to assume that could be what he meant.

“of course i do.”

•

you spent the next few days feeling like you were floating on air, like you would wake up any moment and this would all be a dream.

you had been texting aleksander almost constantly, and he called you every night, catching up on the years you had missed, though it felt like no time had passed.

you were suprised when he had asked you to meet him after the game tomorrow, which he had in fact gotten you a ticket for. you tried to offer to pay for it, but he refused. you knew he could easily get them for free as the captain, but still felt wrong taking it.

you were getting ready to head to the arena, when your phone rang.

“are you ever actually working when you’re at your job?” you laughed as you accepted the call from jessie.

“i’m on my break for your information,” she argued playfully.

“fair enough. how are things back home?”

“boring without you of course,” she laughed.

“obviously,” you teased.

“did you decide if you’re going to the game tonight?” she asked, and you half wondered if she had cameras watching you.

“i am actually getting ready to go right now, stalker.”

“good - i’m sure you’ll have a great time,” she replied. “and who knows, maybe you’ll run into a certain finnish captian while you’re there…”

“i doubt it,” you lied. you still hadn’t told her that you’d already gone to a game, or that you’d been talking with sasha non stop for the last three days.

“you never know. cupid works in mysterious ways.”

“jess…”

“i know im just teasing.”

you talked for a few more minutes before you had to leave to go the arena, still thinking about what she had said.

if only she knew, you laughed to yourself.

•

you waited in your rental car after the game for aleksander to text you where to meet him, giving him time to shower and talk with the team after yet another panthers win.

he had let them know that he wouldn’t be joining them to celebrate tonight, but hadn’t told them why, deciding to keep your existence a secret for now as neither of you were sure exactly that this was.

you phone went off and you checked to see that he had sent you his location, still at the arena but he must have parked on the other side where fans couldn’t usually go.

you drove over until you saw him standing outside the players entrance, and your heart rate sped up.

talking on the phone was one thing, but seeing him in person was different.

you hoped you looked okay as you parked and got out, walking up to him with a smile.

“hey,” he smiled, and you couldn’t resist the urge to embrace him in a hug, which he thankfully returned.

sasha felt a pang in his heart as he held you tight to his chest, your arms wrapped around the back of his neck. he missed this; sure he had moved on with his life in the time you had spent apart, but there was a part of him that always wondered what it would have been like to have you there by his side the whole time.

“did you get taller?” you laughed, and he smiled, blushing softly like he always did anytime you complimented him.

“maybe,” he shrugged as he felt your arms release their grip on him. as you stepped back, he took in your appearance. you had grown up slightly since he’d watched you board a plane and leave him behind, but the years had been good to you.

“congrats on the win by the way,” you said, suprised at how the nerves had melted away. so far, he was still the same sasha, and you’d always found it easy to talk to him.

“thank you,” he said shyly, humble as ever.

“where did you wanna go?” you asked.

“do you want to get coffee?”

“sure,” you smiled. “lead the way, captain.”

•

you and sasha spent nearly three hours in the small coffee shop, catching up on anything you’d missed telling eachother over the phone, and repeating somethings you already had. neither of you minded, and when the barista let you guys know that they’d be closing up soon, you found yourself wishing you had more time.

just like in finland.

there was no one else in the coffee shop since it was late at night by now, and the soft music was quickly making you tired despite the caffeine in your system.

“i should take you home,” he offered, and then as if he read your mind, added. “i can pick you up tomorrow morning and take you to your car if you want.”

“sure - thank you,” he helped you put on your light jacket you had worn despite the florida heat, and you hesitated before slipping your hand into his as he walked beside you to his car, fingers interlocking.

once you were back at your hotel, you hesitated before getting out of the car.

“do you want to come up with me?” too scared to see his reaction, you looked down at your lap as you waited for his answer, but the sound of the engine shutting off made you lift you gaze and meet his eyes.

“i’d like that.”

•

you woke up to the feeling of sasha’s fingers tracing patterns on the bare skin of your shoulder, and cuddled closer into his chest as the sunlight crept in through a crack in the curtains.

“good morning,” he whispered.

“good morning,” you repeated, feeling the warmth of his arms wrapping around you, your legs tangled with his beneath the covers.

“i missed this,” he admitted, and you hummed in response.

“me too.”

he was silent for a moment, as if he was mustering up the courage to ask you his next question.

“do you ever wonder what things would be like if you had stayed in finland?”

you looked up at him, your eyes meeting.

“yeah, a lot actually,” you admitted. “sometimes i regret leaving.”

“you had to go,” he said, but you could tell that it had hurt him when you left. maybe as much as it had hurt you.

“it was one of the hardest things i ever did. leaving you.”

“we found eachother again though,” he replied, always finding a way to look at things in a positive light. reality set in as you realized the harsh truth.

“i’m only in florida for a few more days sasha,” you confessed, and you felt guilty. surely he knew that you had to leave again, but it still felt like you were doing something wrong.

“i know,” he assured you. “no one stays anywhere forever.” you knew he hadn’t meant it with any hostility.

“do you like it here in florida?” you asked, trying to shift the subject off of you leaving. “it’s so different from home.”

“it’s very different, but it’s nice.” he agreed, and while he knew when you called finland home you meant his, but there was a time when you called it home as well, even if you were just a guest there.

“yeah, it’s really nice,” you agreed.

“will you visit again?” he asked the question you had been dreading.

“i don’t know when i’ll be able to,” you said honestly. “but i’ll try, sasha.”

he smiled, placing a kiss on your forehead.

“we play in your hometown next month,” he remembered aloud, and you smiled, knowing you would see him again sooner than you imagined.

“i’ll have to get a ticket,” you smiled at him.

“i think i can help with that.”

disclaimer: all screenshots, events, and/or interactions depicted in this are a work of fiction. i have no association with any parties mentioned