#cale makar imagines

[withwritersblock]

Colorado (For the First Time)

~Colorado (For the First Time) by Daniel Nunnelee~

Author's Note: I'm lowkey really proud of this idea ngl Summary: Y/N returns to Denver after her breakup with Nate Warnings: none? Word Count: 3,935 Nathan Mackinnon x fm!reader

She hasn’t returned to Colorado since she broke up with Nate a year ago. It was a difficult time on her part, to break up with him right before he had a six away games but it was the only time she was able to move everything from their shared apartment to her new place in Seattle.

She didn’t want to go back to her hometown in Nova Scotia since she’s been away from it for eight years now. She couldn’t stay in Colorado because everything reminded her of him. 

The street they lived on for eight years together, the coffee shop she would go to every morning and before every one of his games. The hike they would take together every weekend he was home. The friends she made were also his friends. 

The signs all over Denver that talked about the Avalanche and Nathan. He was having the best season of his career, which was difficult to say because it seemed as though every season he was getting better and better. 

She moved to Seattle because that’s where part of her has always wanted to live. She loved the ocean and the rain. It seemed as though it was the perfect place to live. Except, she missed everything about Denver. 

Nate and Y/N’s relationship was perfect. She was happy with him and he was more than happy with her. Except they had been together since they were seventeen years old. 

It’s silly to say but Y/N wanted to get married and have kids before she was thirty. She was twenty-seven and Nate kept telling her he wanted to wait until after his career was done to get married. Which was understandable but Nate could have a career that would last another decade. 

Selfishly, Y/N couldn’t wait another decade to get married and start a family, she wasn’t even sure she could have children by then. She spoke to Nate about her wants and desires out of the relationship but he wouldn’t listen. He thought that she would drop it and then they’d go along his plan. But eventually, Y/N got tired of waiting around and just being his girlfriend. 

If he wasn’t ready to settle down and start an official life as one, she needed to step away. He couldn’t say the words and she couldn’t stay with him anymore. Within a few days her entire life in Denver was behind her.

Except her friends. She missed her friends dearly. Melissa and Gabe have been begging her to come and visit. Alongside a few of the other wives and girlfriends. She wanted to go but she felt as though it would be going behind Nate’s back. She didn’t want to do that. But here she was with her suitcase waiting on her Uber to her AirBnb she was going to be staying in for a few weeks. 

It was March in Denver and it was fifty degrees. It was beautiful and not too cold. Her Uber stopped in front of her, she double checked it was her own before she climbed inside. The driver was making small talk about why she traveled to Denver.

“Are you a sports fan? You should go see the Avs play tomorrow night,” he explained as he glanced towards her at a red light. She forced a polite smile.

“Yeah, I was thinking about it, I do love the Avs,” she mumbled as she took a deep breath before glancing at her phone to see Melissa had texted her. 

“Nathan Mackinnon is supposed to continue the home point streak tonight, you have to go see it. He’s insane,” the driver explained.

Hearing his name, felt like a dagger in her chest. The driver had no idea but it was unbearable to hear about him.

~~~

He was lying on his apartment couch tossing a tennis ball into the air with a random movie on his TV screen. He had an optional practice today, and he decided that he needed a day of recovery. He spent the morning getting a few treatments done at the arena and he was ordered to lay down and do nothing. Which was weirdly harder than he thought.

Gabe left the arena at the same time as Nate and decided to invite himself over to Nate’s apartment. Nate was starting to feel like himself once the season went into full swing. Except he was still empty. His entire NHL career he had Y/N by his side, this was the first season he was without her. Except, he knows that she still watches every game. 

He knows she was at the game in Seattle in November. She posted something on her Instagram story about being in Climate Pledge Arena. He got three assists on the night. All he wanted to do was call her and see her before he left Seattle. 

He didn’t. He couldn’t. He was selfish and waited too long. Her mind was already set on not wanting to wait, he couldn’t change it. 

“I’m trying to decide if I should tell you this or not,” Gabe muttered as he liftedh is gaze from his phone. Nate caught the ball and threw it for his dog, Maggie, before he switched his gaze to Gabe. 

“Well now you have to tell me,” he let out with a huff of air as he sat up, leaning his head against the top of the couch. Gabe paused for a few moments as he dropped his gaze towards his phone again before he took in a long breath.

“Y/N in town for a few weeks,” he said, meeting Nate’s gaze. His eyes widened slightly as he became still. “Melissa has missed her a lot, she’s staying at a BnB near uh-here actually,” Gabe explained further. 

Nate dropped his gaze towards his lap at the ball, Maggie dropped in his lap. He took it and threw it down the hallway. “Have you seen her?” he asked, his voice breaking while he spoke.

“Yeah, she saw the kids and stayed for a few drinks,” he said as he leaned forward, resting his arms on his hands. “She’s good, I mean she loves her new job in Seattle. Her and Johanna are still close, she sees Burky all the time. She loves it there,” he explains. 

“That’s good, I’m-I’m happy for her,” Nate said hesistantly, forcing a tight lip smile while switching his gaze towards the movie. Gabe smiled half-heartedly as he lets out a dry chuckle. 

“That’s a load of bullshit, you wish she was miserable,” 

“That’s not true, I am happy that she is happy,”

“Oh come on, Nate, you know damn well you wish she was miserable like you are,” Gabe countered while throwing his hands to the side. 

“I am not miserable, look at the year I’m having,” Nate argued back as he shook his head. “If she’s happy, I’m happy,” he repeated with a forced smile before leaning back. Nate dropped his gaze towards his hand as he watched Maggie drop the ball in his lap again. Gabe clenched his jaw as he looked over Nate’s hesitant frame. “Did she ask about me?”

Gabe smirked as he chuckled, “She asked if you thought it would be weird if she went to the game tomorrow,” Gabe met Nate’s eyes and his mouth fell open and he shook his head.

“Not weird,” he mumbled as he kept eye contact with Gabe, “It wouldn’t be weird at all.”

“Okay, good because she’s coming tomorrow, hanging in the suite with us,”

“Even better,” Nate mumbled as he tossed the ball for Maggie. Gabe furrowed his eyebrows as he stared towards Nate suspiciously. 

“It doesn’t bother you one bit that the girl you’re probably supposed to be engaged to right now is staying at an AirBnB two streets over,” Gabe said as he paused the movie on the screen. Nate shrugged.

“What do you want me to say, Gabe?” Nate said as he clenched his jaw, “I had a ring ready but I made her wait too long and she left. What do you want me to do?” ~~~

Every morning, she’d go to the coffee shop on the same street her old apartment was on. She wanted to avoid Nate but it was inevitable that she was going to see him after the game tonight. Which Gabe convinced her to go to. 

She walked up to the counter and Jeremiah was standing behind it with a wide grin, “Oh my god, Y/N! It's been so long! How have you been?” he said excitedly as he pulled out the large plastic cup and began writing the details of her usual drink on the cup. She returned the kind smile as she handed him her card.

“I’ve been good, I live in Seattle now,” she replied as she added fifteen dollars as a tip to her drink. His eyes widened as he smiled. There was no one waiting behind them so he pried some more information out of her.

“What happened to Nate?” he asked in a hushed voice, leaning closer to her. She let out a dry chuckle.

“We broke up, but I’m back in Denver visiting a few friends and my favorite places,” she offered as she met Jeremiah’s gaze. His eyes widened as his mouth fell open.

“You’re kidding!? You guys were soulmates, I’m sure,” he let out as he was handed back her coffee order. She took a hold of it, sipping it. Seattle had some amazing coffee but nothing was like her coffee shop directly across from her apartment. She’d spend many hours in the coffee shop working on her writing. 

“Even soulmates don’t end up together sometimes,” she offered him a sad smile before she took a deep breath, “Seattle has nothing on your lattes Jeremiah,” she mumbled.

“You know, he still comes in before every home game. Tips fifteen dollars like you, but never smiles. He stopped smiling just around the time you stopped coming in. I knew it had to do with you,” he explained. She pressed her lips together as she tilted her head to the side. 

“He only gets a two dollar coffee,” she let out with a dry chuckle. She glanced towards her watch. It was three hours before puck drop, Nate would be stopping by to get his coffee any minute. Jeremiah glanced towards his watch before glancing towards the door. “Well, I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow Jeremiah,” she mumbled as she began walking out of the coffee shop.

She shoved the door open and turned left to walk back towards the AirBnB. She glanced towards her watch before she lifted her gaze to see Nate standing dead in his tracks. She stopped walking as she met his gaze. His blue eyes were bright, even from a distance.

His nose was more crooked than before, she remembered the game he face planted against the panthers that messed up his jaw and his nose. He was wearing a navy suit, one of his many suits that pratically look identical. But if you’d ask him, he’d say they were a slightly different shade of blue.

He took a few steps towards her as he dropped his gaze towards the concrete. He admired the black leather pants she was wearing with her grey sweater with the words Avalanche written across it. Her lips curled upward once she met his gaze, it was almost a reflex. It was so natural.

He was only a foot away from her, maintaining eye contact with her as he had so many words on his tongue. Marry me? I love you. I need you. I haven’t been the same without you.

She kept staring at his nose, it was already crooked but it was much worse than before. “Your nose,” she let out, reaching her hand towards him, but she quickly dropped her hand to her side. His eyebrows raised as a smile formed to his lips. A real smile. 

“Is it that bad?” he asked, scrunching his nose slightly when he asked. “Didn’t think it looked that bad,” he mumbled, raising his hand up touching it.

“Does it hurt?” she asked, concern still written all over her features. He shook his head as he scanned her features. “Can you even breathe with that, Nathan?” she asked, a small smile forming on her lips. His cheeks flushed red at the sound of his name falling from her lips. She rarely called him Nathan, or Nate for that matter, so when she did say his name it felt extra special. She also only called him that when she was being serious or flirtatious. 

“I can breathe fine, my-” he cleared his throat, “I use a breathing strip sometimes, but I’m fine. No nose job needed, unless you think it’s too crooked now,” he muttered, rubbing his thumb across the bridge of his nose. 

“Not too crooked, it fits you,” she mumbled as she scanned his features. He chuckled nervously as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

Seeing him felt like the first breath of air after being underwater for too long.

“How’s Seattle?” he choked out. Her smile faltered slightly as she took a deep breath.

“It’s great, but I do miss home,” she said as she tilted her head to the side, meeting his light blue desperate gaze. 

His breath caught in his throat as he glanced towards the coffee shop behind her. He clenched his jaw as he dropped his head. “What if you stopped by after the game? Maggie would love to see you,” he offered, meeting her gaze. 

She wished she would’ve contemplated a little longer but the words, “Yeah, of course, I’ve missed her a lot,” came out of her mouth before she could come up with an excuse. In all honesty she probably didn’t have any excuse. He smiled widely.

“Okay, I’ve got to go before I’m-”

“Off schedule, I know, I’ll see you later,” she muttered as he kept eye contact with her for a few seconds before he walked past her towards the coffee shop. Her heart fluttered like it did every day for a better half of a decade. She missed the feeling in her chest when was around.

He was her soulmate and she knew that but she was so tired of waiting around. She needed to step away. But here he was, the same person she fell in love with. Was it all worth it?

~~~

She was sitting in the suite beside Gabe as he was holding his son in his lap. The first period was underway and it was a lot of back and forth. Gabe bumped into her shoulder, “Are you okay?” he asked. She nodded as she watched Nate skate towards the penalty box. She lifted her gaze towards the jumbotron to see the penalty. She rolled her eyes as she turned her gaze to look at Gabe. “You’re like extra quiet,” 

“Don’t have anything to talk about,” she countered, fighting the smile forming on her lips.

“Uh-huh, you’re smiling,” he muttered.

“I’m a smiley person,” she countered as she looked back towards the ice. She watched the penalty kill work.

“You haven’t been smiley in a while,” he observed as he looked back towards the ice watching twenty-nine skate back onto the ice. He smirked, “Did a certain someone help with that?” he teased.

“I saw him earlier when I stopped at my old coffee shop,” she muttered. 

Gabe started laughing excitedly, “I knew it!”

The game ended in a disappointing shootout loss and the loss of his home game point streak. She waited outside of the locker room like she had done for their entire relationship. He walked out first, wanting to avoid the media frenzy. He smiled widely as he walked towards her. Making sure to keep his hands to himself.

“I’m sorry about the point streak,” she let out as she tilted her head to the side. He shrugged his shoulders.

“Stupid technicality, nothing to worry about,” he mumbled still with a wide smile. “Come on, Maggie is dying to see you,” he said as he guided her towards his car through the parking garage. 

“You got out pretty fast,” she observed as she glanced towards the locker room to see a few of the other guys leaving. He nodded as he ran his hand across his chin. 

“Was avoiding the questions about the home point streak. Honestly, kinda glad it’s off my plate,” he expressed. 

“I’m sure it was a lot of pressure,” she mumbled as he stopped in front of his car to open the passenger door for her. Like he used to do every time they would drive together. She smiled towards him as she climbed into his car. It smelled the same of black ice car scent he’s had since he first ever bought a car.

He jogged to the other side of the car and quickly collapsed in the driver seat. “It’s nothing I can’t handle,” he let out as he met her gaze, he gave her an over the top wink before he turned the car on. “Mikko totally put it in the net though,” he mumbled as he started backing out of his parking spot. She chuckled.

“Gabe thought so too,” she mumbled as she tilted her head to the side as she looked out of the window as they pulled out onto the streets of Denver. 

“When do you go back to Seattle?” he asked as he tilted his head to the side to meet her gaze at the red light. She clenched her jaw as she scanned his features, the cut on his lip got worse after this game. 

“In two weeks,” she mumbled barely above a whisper. He nodded as he began driving back towards his apartment.

They remained in comfortable yet awkward silence. There were so many words she wanted to say to him, and he had so many words to say to her. After twenty minutes they walked up towards her old apartment. It was like deja vu as he pushed the door open and Maggie ran towards the door. She began to squeal and jump up on Y/N.

She laughed excitedly as she leaned down and let Maggie jump all over her. She got teary eyed as guilt consumed her. “I know, Maggie girl,” she mumbled as she glanced towards Nate who was smiling widely. 

After a few minutes, Maggie calmed down and wandered away from the pair. She turned her gaze towards Nate. His eyebrows furrowed harshly as he reached his hand over to her and rested it onto her cheek. It was a reflex, “Hey, hey, hey,” he mumbled as he scanned her features. “What’s wrong?” he asked as he ran his thumb across her cheek. She shook her head as she pulled away from him.

“This was a mistake, I’m sorry, Nate. I should go-” she let out as she began walking towards the door. He shook his head as he reached his hand towards her again resting his hand on her waist. She squinted her eyes hard as tears fell onto her cheek.

“Don’t leave,” he mumbled as he pulled her towards him, she didn’t pull away as she rested her hand onto his chest. “Don’t leave,” he let out again as he looked deeply into her eyes. She had a small smile on her lips as she continued reading his light blue eyes. “Don’t leave,” he let out again, barely audible, before he leaned towards her and kissed her urgently. She gripped his suit jacket tightly as she returned the kiss. 

He pulled away as he took a deep breath, breathing in her vanilla perfume. “How’d I manage to not kiss those lips for a year,” he mumbled before he pressed his lips against hers again. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she pressed her body against his. She needed to be close to him, and nothing seemed to be close enough. 

She tugged his suit jacket from his body as she stumbled backwards towards the hallway that leads towards their, his, bedroom. “Wait,” he mumbled as he pulled away. She leaned towards him and kissed him again. He chuckled as he pulled away again, “I need to ask you-” he trailed off as he clenched his jaw, still panting hard as he kept his hands on her waist.

He swallowed hard before he took a sharp breath, “Did I do something to make you end things? I know I waited too long, I know I fucked up with that. I shouldn’t have-I just need to know if that’s actually the reason,” he muttered as he brushed a few pieces of hair away from her face. 

She scanned his features, “You didn’t do anything,” she mumbled. He clenched his jaw as he nodded. He licked his lips before he pulled away from her, “Nate,” she muttered.

“Wait there,” he mumbled as he walked towards his bedroom. He clenched his jaw as he dug through his drawer next to his bed and pulled out the ring box. He walked confidently towards where she was waiting in the living room, still teary eyed. He opened the ring box and showed the ring inside the box. 

Her eyes widened as she gasped, “Nathan,” she mumbled. 

“I had the ring for months, I just thought that when I asked it didn’t matter. I didn’t realize how much it actually mattered to you and-and I should’ve realized it. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he explained, waving the box dramatically in his hands. “I wanted to ask you, of course I wanted to ask you,” he let out as he took another step towards her. 

She met his gaze as she took short small breaths. “Nate,”

“Still do,” he let out as he scanned her features. She fought the small smile on her lips as tears filled her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t make you feel like I wanted to. I’ve spent every day since you left regretting I didn’t get the chance to ask,” he muttered. 

“Ask me,” she let out, her voice breaking. His eyes widened.

“What?” he asked barely above a whisper.

“Ask me,” she let out as she nodded her head. He smiled as he kneeled down onto one knee without an ounce of hesitation.

“Will you marry me?” he asked. 

“Of course, Nate, oh my god,” she muttered as he stood up from his kneeling position as she jumped into his arms and kissed him urgently. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he guided her towards their bedroom. She pulled away, resting her forehead against his, “It wasn’t just the ring, Nate,” she mumbled before she kissed him again, “I was worried you were bored with me that’s why you didn’t want to ask,” she let out as she ran her fingers through the short ends of his hair. 

He shook his head slightly, “I love you, okay? I’m sorry I didn’t show it. But I’m going to do better, alright?” he reassured as he shoved open the door as he guided her towards the bed they once shared. She nodded as she hummed.

“I’ll do better too, I love you so much,” she mumbled as she pressed her lips hard against his as he slowly laid her down onto her back. He pulled away as he admired her features.

“Let me remind you how much I love you,” he whispered as he started to kiss her neck slowly.

[fallinallincurls]

all’s well that ends well to end up with you

here is my entry for @wyattjohnston’s summer fic exchange 2k23!! this fic is for @ya-pucking-nerd !! i had so much fun writing this and i hope you love it just as much! writing cale has always been a favorite of mine and this one was no exception. and shutout to @tonyspep as always for brainstorming so much of this idea with me!

i ALSO made a playlist for this fic which you can listen to here! 

hope you enjoy!! feedback is always appreciated! xx

word count: 5.3k

~~~~~

Cale’s offseason has hardly started, yet his phone is already lighting up with a call from you to no doubt make summer plans before he heads back to Calgary to enjoy time with his family and to start his summer training. 

It’s not unusual for his best friend to call him and the soft, giddy smile on his lips at just the sight of your name on his phone display is nothing new either, but when the call connects and words are practically spewing from your lips, he knows something must be wrong.

“Woah, woah, woah. Slow down. I can’t understand a word you’re saying.” Cale cuts you off, trying to figure out what’s going on.

“I said,” You emphasize, taking a deep breath to ensure you speak slower this time, “you got invited to Ryan’s wedding right? The one that’s in a few weeks in Montana?”

“Yeah, I did. What about it?”

“Well, uh, I kinda realized that showing up by myself would be lame right? Like this guy used to be insanely in love with me, but now he’s getting married and I’m, well, not even close to being in a relationship let alone a serious one.” 

“There’s nothing wrong with that. You and Ryan are still friends so it won’t be awkward and I’ll be there so you won’t be bored at any point.” Cale replies, still confused as to what you’re getting at.

“We are still friends, but I have to prove that I’m doing just as well as he is, you know? So I have a plan. Well, more of a question before a plan.” You explain, feeling the nerves creep in as the moment about revealing what you’ve been thinking of asking Cale nears with each passing second.

“Okay…” 

“What do you think about going as a fake couple? Like we’re dating but it’s obviously not real? Just to prove to Ryan that I’ve moved on and am doing better! He already knows we’re friends and I don’t think it’d be that hard for us to come up with a story and act all lovey dovey together for a few days.”

Cale is silent on the other line and you have a sick feeling in your stomach that you’ve really messed up. It was a stupid idea anyway. Why would he agree to it? He might be your best friend, but asking him to fake date you? It wasn’t that smart.

“So what’s our story?” Cale asks after a moment, trying to hide the smile growing on his lips that you can’t see anyway.

“Our story?”

“Yeah, if we’re going to make this convincing we have to be on the same page about how we met, the first time we said ‘I love you,’ some funny moments that have happened since we got together. Stuff like that.”

Before you can even begin to think about everything Cale just mentioned, your heart begins racing and a grin is on full display across your face.

“So you’re in?” The question is full of excitement and Cale can’t help but chuckle in response.

“Of course I’m in. I’d do anything for you Y/N. Plus, I think it would be fun to finally get back at Ryan for what he did to you.” Cale replies, trying desperately to ignore the butterflies erupting in his stomach. You squeal on the other end of the line and jump right into ironing out the details so there isn’t anything missed that can foil the plan.

Cale pays attention because he has to, but he knows he’s in trouble. He just agreed to be your fake boyfriend for a whole weekend. Cale’s already hiding how he really feels about you and he has a feeling getting a taste of what he wants so badly will only make him fall even harder.

“Okay,” You say, clicking your seatbelt back into place as the plane begins its descent and turning your gaze to the blue eyed, rosy cheek boy next to you. “Remember our story?” 

Cale playfully rolls his eyes at the question you’ve asked about a hundred times since you both boarded the short flight to Montana. ���Yes, I do. We met in one of the business classes we were both taking together at the University of Denver when I was working towards finishing my degree in my free time. You had no idea I played hockey and after I asked for a pen that day in class, we started hanging out together. The rest is history.” He recites the story of how you actually met with a smile. “Our anniversary is April 29th, we’ve already met each other’s families and we couldn’t be any happier together.”

“Good job!”

“Most of our fake relationship is based off of how we really met so it isn’t that hard to remember, Y/N.” Cale teases, earning a small chuckle from you in response.

“I know and that will only make it more convincing, don’t you think? Being best friends and having history together already gives us an advantage. I just hope it works.”

“It will.” Cale murmurs, intertwining his fingers with yours and giving your hand a squeeze. You give him a sweet smile in return, before you begin talking about how excited you are about all the plans that are in place for the moment you land. He has to try and remember none of what happens between the two of you this weekend will be real, but that won’t stop him from taking it all in as if this was his real life even if just for a short amount of time. 

Best friends, nothing more. Best friends, nothing more.

The words repeat in his head when the plane lands, as you both gather your luggage from baggage claim and throughout the entire cab ride to the resort where the wedding is being held. And just when Cale thinks the reminder is concrete and that nothing will sway him, he opens the door to your assigned hotel room and he stops breathing as he freezes in the threshold. 

“Cale? What’s wrong?” You ask from behind him, unable to see around his broad shoulders into the luxurious room. He doesn’t say anything at first, just shuffles through the door and you’re about to tease him until you see the single king size bed in the middle of the room. “Oh.”

“Uh, there’s only one bed.” Cale states the obvious as if both of you aren’t already staring at the bed. “I swear I booked a room with two separate queens, but there must have been a mixup or something. I can check with the front desk to see if we can be moved and if not, I can just sleep on the floor. You can have the bed. That’s fine. It’ll work if-”

“Cale.” You say his name firmly, holding his wrist in an attempt to get him to look at you. He has flipped into rational thinking mode because of the issue at hand, but you know calming him down is the first step in telling him it’s all okay. “You will not be sleeping on the floor. I won’t allow it. That will kill your back and you know it.” “But-” 

“No buts. We’re only here for two nights. Sleeping in the same bed won’t be the end of the world for us. How many times have we fallen asleep on the couch together? Or taken a pregame nap? This is no different. I promise.” Your words are soft and visibly make Cale relax. He knows you’re right, but a large part of him knows he won’t be able to handle being that close to you in such an intimate setting even if it’s under the guise of a fake relationship.

“You’re right.” Cale sighs, calming himself down and realizing the situation isn’t as bad as he thought it is. “We can do this.” 

You offer him a sweet smile before walking further into the room and dropping your suitcase to the ground. “Do you want to explore the town today since we’re here a day early? I looked up the usual touristy things and places to eat just in case.” Cale looks at his watch and shrugs, feeling happiness surge through him at the thought of wandering through a new place with you.

“That sounds perfect. I’ve never been to Montana before so getting to spend a little time in the town would be really nice.” Cale doesn’t mention how spending all that extra time with you is really what he’s looking forward to most. He would go anywhere in the world if it meant being by your side.

“Then what are we waiting for?” You say excitedly, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the door. And if your heart races a little faster than usual when Cale chuckles and follows behind, no one has to know.

Cale wasn’t kidding when he said he’s never been to Montana before, but he has to admit the little town not far from the resort is the cutest place he’s ever seen. Little storefronts line the streets and both locals and tourists take their time enjoying the cozy town. The scenery is gorgeous too, snow capped mountains extending high into the bright blue sky, but there’s nothing quite like the joy on clear display across your face at every new experience you and Cale do while exploring.

So far, you’ve stopped in various antique shops, a bookstore, two art galleries and took a tour of the local distillery. You haven’t stopped smiling at all and Cale can practically feel his heart swell every time you turn to him with nothing but excitement and adoration. 

You’re walking down the busy street next to Cale, still trying to take in the entire scene when your stomach growls. The lighthearted laugh that you love so much slips past Cale’s lips and you can’t help but smile at the beautiful sound.

“Sorry,” You giggle. “I guess we should find somewhere to go for dinner, huh? I didn’t even realize how late it was.” 

“Want to try that restaurant we passed before that looked good?” Cale suggests and you nod in agreement. As you both turn in the opposite direction to head back to the establishment, Cale takes a subtle leap of faith and intertwines his fingers with yours. He argues it’s just to get used to faking a relationship especially around other people, but when you smile up at him and squeeze his hand in response, he can’t help but think maybe, just maybe, you feel the same way about him. 

That would be crazy though. Cale knows that.

He pushes those thoughts out of his head and focuses on dinner with you. The meal is full of laughter and recounting shared memories which fill both of your hearts to the brim. By the time you’ve both finished eating and had a few glasses of wine, the sun has fully set and the road is calmer than it was earlier. 

When the waiter comes back with the check, you thank him before Cale insists on paying and you don’t object because you know he won’t budge. You try to stifle a yawn as he signs the receipt, but he somehow notices everything so it’s no surprise he asks the obvious question.

“Sleepy?” Cale chuckles, putting all his attention on you again. You feel your cheeks heating under his attentive, but soft gaze.

“A little. It’s been such a good day, just a little long.” You reply with honesty and Cale nods along in agreement.

“Well, we can’t have you falling asleep during the ceremony tomorrow so we should probably head back.” 

“I guess so.” You smile at Cale before following closely behind to exit the restaurant. “Although having you there will already make the whole wedding more bearable. Thank you again for this.”

“It was an easy decision to come along with you. Plus, I can’t wait to see Ryan’s face tomorrow when he sees us together as a couple. Besides getting to spend time with you in this beautiful place, that will make the whole trip worth it.” 

You giggle because the mental image is hilarious. Although the walk back to the resort isn’t long, you lean into Cale, who wraps his arm around you, and take in the serene moment. Any worries or anxieties about spending a whole day tomorrow fake dating your best friend have seemingly disappeared which you couldn’t be more grateful for. You’re determined to just enjoy the day with him and not let your feelings get tangled with whatever may happen to convince everyone at the wedding that you’re actually together.

It can’t be that hard.

But when you return back to the hotel room ready to watch a movie and call it a night, Cale seems nervous and jumpy again. It must still be the one bed situation even though you reassured him earlier that it’s fine.

“Um,” Cale starts, his voice quiet and shy. He meets your gaze for a few seconds before looking away. “Is it okay if I take the bathroom first?” 

“Yeah, of course! Go ahead. I’ll just get changed real quick while you’re in there. My nighttime routine isn’t anything crazy anyway.” You chuckle, hoping to ease some of the obvious tension Cale seems to be experiencing. With a nod and a gentle smile, Cale disappears into the en suite bathroom which leaves you scourging through your suitcase for the pajamas you packed. “Where in the world are they?” You mutter to yourself before finding the set buried all the way at the bottom.

With a silent celebration, you quickly switch out your jeans for the comfy shorts and right as you’re pulling the shirt you’ve been wearing all day off, the bathroom door creaks open. Before he can catch a glimpse of anything, you face away from him and call out, “Cale! Just turn around a minute, please?” 

He does as you ask, he wouldn’t ever overstep like that. But Cale’s breath was already stolen away from those brief, accidental seconds when he got to see the smooth expanse of your back, the gentle curve of your breast and your hair spilling over your shoulders. 

His mind is going a million miles a minute, trying to remind him that that’s his best friend he’s thinking about this way. You’ve always been gorgeous and he’s known that since you met, but something about this moment is striking him in an entirely new way. Maybe it’s the small proximity of the hotel room. Maybe it’s that his feelings for you continue to get stronger and stronger with each passing minute.

Cale has no idea, but he’s in big trouble either way.

“Okay!” Your voice interrupts his thoughts, “I’m all good. You can turn back around.” Cale lets out a sigh when he sees your bright smile and how cozy you look in the matching blue pajama set. “All good?” You double check while trying not to make it obvious that you’re taking in just how adorable Cale looks right now.

“All good. Want me to pick the movie? And do you, uh, prefer a certain side of the bed?” 

“Yes, pick the movie. Whatever you want! And nope, I’m not picky.” With that, you disappear into the bathroom for a few moments as Cale settles in. By the time you reemerge only a few minutes later, you see he picked a movie you’ve both watched a thousand times and claimed the right side of the bed. He looks so soft and cuddly which makes your heart skip a beat just at the sight of him. 

Cale pats your side of the bed and gives you that sweet smile you adore so much. After slipping under the covers and plugging your phone in, he starts the movie. Despite how weird sharing a bed felt hours ago, now there’s nothing but comfort evident in this moment. You don’t know how much of the movie you actually watch before you start drifting off, head resting against Cale’s shoulder. But the last thing you remember before sleep takes over is Cale whispering a quiet “Goodnight, Y/N.” 

The warm sunlight shines through the hotel room curtains, pulling you out of the peaceful dream currently unfolding in your mind. You slowly blink your eyes open and get reacquainted with where you are, in Montana with Cale for the wedding, when you realize that you’re wrapped up in a strong embrace and your head is resting against your best friend’s chest. 

And before you even have time to realize you’re both practically snuggled up together which somehow must’ve happened during the night, you notice Cale’s beautiful blue eyes are focused on you and there’s a lazy, but adorable smiling donning his lips. His hair is messy from sleep and his cheeks are already rosy. He looks like a dream.

A part of you thinks that you could get used to this, but that reality still seems so far away and unlikely to happen. So you might as well enjoy the moment when it’s here. 

You match his grin, lean up a little to get a better view of him and start absentmindedly playing with the loose collar of the old t-shirt he’s wearing. He watches you, waiting with patience for you to say something. 

“You drool in your sleep, Makar.”

“Hm, do I?” Cale laughs softly, rubbing a hand up and down your back while the other brushes some loose hair behind your ear. “Well, I guess I should make it up to you by letting you shower first, huh?”

“That would be the gentlemanly thing to do.” 

“Bathroom’s all yours then. Just let me get in there at some point before we have to leave, please. I can’t show up with my hair looking like this.”

“Your bedhead is so cute though! I don’t think anyone would mind.” You tease him back, the happiest laugh escaping past your lips as you untangle yourself from the blankets to head towards the bathroom. The moment the door closes behind you and the sound of the shower running can be heard, Cale lets out a sigh while scrubbing his hands over his face. 

That felt a little too real for Cale’s liking if he’s going to try and keep all his feelings under the guise of pretending. But he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the banter and soft moment of waking up next to you. 

As he listens to you sing a Taylor Swift song while getting ready, Cale goes through his usual routine before beginning to get dressed in his favorite suit. He happens to know it’s also your favorite suit of his so maybe, just maybe, he picked it for that reason too. He’s just fixing the navy blue tie you told him to wear so he’d match your dress when you step out of the bathroom and Cale has another moment where it feels like he can’t breathe.

You hadn’t told him anything about the dress minus its color prior to this very moment. The beautiful navy blue fabric hugs your body in all the right places and stops mid calf to showcase the pretty heels you picked to match. Cale also can’t help but notice the slit that shows off your left leg too. The straps are tied in bows at your shoulders and the dress is perfect, yet simple and you look absolutely stunning.

But Cale’s gaze catches on the glittering bracelet on your right arm. The one he gifted you as a graduation gift. The one you’ve told him you only wear for special occasions. It almost shocks Cale to his core that you’re wearing it now, but his heart couldn’t be happier.

“Wow. Y/N, you look gorgeous. So pretty.” Cale manages to get out, eyes still taking the sight of you. The bright smile that takes over your face rivals the sun which makes him practically melt on the spot. Cale knows then, more than ever, that he’s hopelessly in love with you.

“Thank you,” You say, voice shy and gentle. “You look really handsome yourself, Cale.” And he does. He’s wearing your favorite suit of his and looks incredible as always. Your heart swells just looking at him. 

“Thanks,” He replies with a sweet smile before you close the space between the two of you to readjust his tie. That same surging emotion from last night rushes through his veins at the close proximity to you and when you pat his chest, signaling your work is done, he meets your gaze and takes a few seconds to remember every detail of this moment. “All ready to go?” Cale asks simply, trying to make sure he looks unaffected by what just happened.

“Mhm. Remember our story for when people ask because you know they will and we both know each other’s boundaries with PDA, so we’ll stick to what’s appropriate there, yeah?” Your best friend nods in response as he slips his fingers between yours again like it’s something that happens all the time.

“Sounds like a plan. We have to leave now so we aren’t late, sweetheart.” Cale ties the pet name out while guiding you towards the door and as your heart is racing, you can’t stop smiling knowing that today is going to be amazing with this incredible man by your side even if he’s only your fake boyfriend for the day.

And you aren’t wrong. The ceremony goes by without any hiccups. Cale keeps his hand in yours the whole time and presses the softest kisses to the side of your head throughout. You introduced Cale to a bunch of your friends as your boyfriend which only earned you more sweet smiles and gentle touches from the boy at your side. It felt like living in a blissful bubble where nothing could disrupt your fantasy even though you knew deep down this was all still pretend. There was no way Cale had real feelings for you.

The real test though is the reception. You can’t avoid Ryan forever and you have a feeling he’s going to make a point to come over and talk, but more importantly, ask about your date. Before the nerves can take over though, Cale puts all your worries away. As you both stand side by side in front of the seating chart in search of your names, he kisses your cheek and pulls you in closer to his side.

“How are you holding up?” 

“Pretty good. There’s this awesome guy who is making the whole night a lot more fun than I thought it could’ve been.” You giggle, watching Cale’s cheeks brighten with the familiar pink color of blush. 

“Really? Because I can’t get enough of the girl I’m here with either. Her smile is making it hard to breathe. And I’m glad she invited me along.” Cale responds with a smile on his lips and blue eyes full of nothing but adoration. His words pierce your heart in the most unexpected way because you know he means them. None of what he says is pretend to fit the show you’re both putting on. 

But what could that possibly mean?

You don’t get a lot of time to think about it because Cale spots your names together under Table 8 and gives your hand a tiny squeeze before guiding you through the decorated ballroom. You take in all the beautiful sights and settle in next to Cale as you greet the other guests seated at your table. One of your college best friends is in the chair on your right which brings you even more comfort. 

“Y/N!” She exclaims, giving you a hug while sporting a huge grin. “Last time we talked you didn’t mention that the handsome, but adorable professional hockey player who you always claimed to be your best friend is your boyfriend now!” 

“Oh,” You chuckle, glancing at Cale who is in a conversation with one of the guests who are also sitting at your table. “We didn’t want to tell everyone just yet. But yeah, we’re together now and he’s the best.”

“I don’t know why you both waited all that time. It was obvious you two had feelings for each other the first time you met! I remember how you bursted into the campus coffeehouse with the happiest look on your face and I knew you met someone incredible.”

“It wasn’t that obvious to us for a while, I guess. But we’re making up for the lost time now.” You say softly, turning to look back at Cale as a million thoughts run through your head. 

Since you met Cale, you’ve had feelings for him and for years, you never said anything because you couldn’t risk losing the best friendship you’ve ever had. But with your friend’s words echoing in your mind, you realize there is no time to waste. He didn’t even object when you asked him to be your fake boyfriend for the wedding. He has been noticeably more sweet and attentive the whole weekend and you’ve even noticed things he’s said or done that seem to be hinting at the fact he might want to be more than friends with you.

Ohmygod.

You’re in love with Cale and he most likely has feelings for you too. 

Suddenly, nothing else matters except confessing the very thing you’ve tried to hide from him for years, but when you turn to ask Cale for a moment outside, the lights dim and the DJ’s voice booms through the speakers around the room. 

“Everyone, please welcome the bride and groom!” Everyone stands and claps as the newlyweds enter the ballroom hand in hand with beaming smiles on their faces. The first dance song is introduced and even though you watch the couple dance together, you’re more focused on the boy next to you. 

Cale’s arm is wrapped around you as a silent reminder he’s there because he probably thinks seeing your ex-boyfriend dance with his now wife at his wedding isn’t the greatest reminder that you’re single and here with a “fake” date. But you don’t even care about that right now. His touch grounds you and it’s what makes your mind up about telling Cale about how you feel. 

Applause erupts again as the song finishes and almost drowns out the DJ’s next words. “The newlyweds would like to invite all couples to join them on the dance floor for this next dance.”

The familiar beginning notes of Taylor Swift’s “Lover” fill the air which makes you let out a little gasp in surprise. You love this song and Cale knows it. He can’t let this opportunity slip away from him, especially not with the plans he has.

“May I have this dance?” Cale asks softly, sporting an adorable smile while holding his hand out for you. A giggle slips past your lips as you nod and put your hand in his. He leads you out to an open spot on the crowded dance floor before pulling you into him. You wrap your arms around his neck as his hands settle on your hips, eliminating any space between your body and Cale’s. 

For a moment, neither of you say anything. The music plays and you sing along under your breath all while never pulling your eyes away from his. How could he be so oblivious to the fact that he’s in love with you? All this time it could’ve been real, but it took a fake relationship for him to realize he can’t wait any longer to tell you how he feels even if it’s terrifying.

Little do either of you know, the same thought is going through both of your minds at the same exact time.

This is it.

“Y/N,” Cale starts when you say “Cale,” at the same time. He chuckles, trying to hide his nerves, and dips his head down before looking at you again as you both keep dancing. “You go first.”

“Okay,” You whisper, fumbling with Cale’s collar and keeping your gaze locked with his. It feels as if the rest of the ballroom falls away. There aren’t any other dancing couples or bright lights shining down. It’s just you and Cale and your favorite Taylor Swift song playing in the background. “I know this may seem like a surprise and if you don’t feel the same way, that’s okay. This is just something I can’t hide anymore.”

Cale’s breath is knocked out of his lungs at just those few sentences. Is this really happening? Is he about to get his girl after all this time?

“I love you, Cale. I love you with my whole entire heart and I’ve known since the day we met in class, but didn’t want to ruin the best friendship I’ve ever had. I realized though that it’s not your friendship that makes my life infinitely better, it’s you. And I know you came to this wedding as my fake boyfriend because I was nervous about seeing my stupid ex, which was beyond kind of you to do, but I want to leave here with you as my real boyfriend. I want to love you like I’ve dreamed of for years now.”

Time stops. Or at least Cale swears it does. He almost thinks this is all a dream except he knows it isn’t because of the tender look on your face. Nothing but love and admiration is on display across your beautiful features and he knows you’re preparing yourself for a potential reaction which is the farthest thing from the truth. 

“I love you too, Y/N. Always have. Everyone around me has seen how insanely in love I am, but I couldn’t risk losing you either. You’re the most amazing person I know and it would make my heart so happy to be with you. I think we’ve proved this weekend that we can definitely make a real relationship work.” Cale replies honestly, his voice shaky. You laugh softly, your eyes filling up with tears for a moment. 

This is real. He loves you too.

As you’re convincing yourself this is all real life, the bridge of the song begins and a beaming smile blossoms across Cale’s lips. He looks beautiful under the shimmery lights of the dance floor and he’s excluding pure happiness. His cheeks are rosy, blue eyes bright and you’ve never been so in love.

“Can I kiss you now?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” 

Cale leans forward to close the small gap between the two of you with a gentle, but passionate kiss that says everything he’s been holding back for years. You melt into him, letting the overwhelming sensation of love wash over you. And as Cale pulls you impossibly closer to deepen the kiss, your heart feels as if it might explode. 

This is all you’ve wanted for so long.

When you both slowly pull away, leaning your forehead against his, the rest of the crowd dissipates as the fast paced music picks up to get the party started. There’s nothing to do but bask in the moment and commit every detail to memory. Cale hasn’t stopped beaming yet and you don’t think you’ve ever been this happy before.

“I know everyone here already thinks we’re a couple, but just wait until the guys find out. I think they’ve been waiting for this just as long as I have been.” 

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” You chuckle, cheeks going pink from blush at the thought of Cale’s teammates hearing the news the two of you are now together. Cale is sure that he’s never seen anyone cuter in his whole entire life and now he gets to call you his. 

But right now, he isn’t thinking about talking to Ryan like you’ve been dreading all day or returning home for the rest of the offseason. Cale is just focused on having the best time dancing the night away with the love of his life because he finally has you. And he won’t be letting you go anytime soon.

tagging some friends/mutuals who might be interested!

@tonyspep @starshine-hockey-girl @kailyn-writes @happer08 @rosesvioletshardy @sorryjustafangirl @laurenairay @miracleonice87 @hockeyunits @stroopwaffle8 @musiclove-12 @eightmakar @ilyasorokinn @barzysreputation @breezymichelle99 @comphyjost @comphy-and-cozy @jostystyles @ya-pucking-nerd @fallen-froots @beauvibaby @barzysunflower @boqvistsbabe @wyattjohnston @tpwkstiles @hockeylvr59​ @2manytabsopen​ @lam-ila​ @nateslehky​

[mourirderire]

NHL Fic Rec list

Hiii!!! I just wanted to share a few fics that really made me feel strong emotions...

Oh and make sure to check the warnings before reading :)

Avalanche:

Four times You Run Into Cale Makar and the One Time He Runs Into You - @kailyn-writes

i miss you like the very first night (Cale Makar) - @mattyanonwrites

Mistletoe Magic (Cale Makar) - @the-penalty-box-imagines

Nothin' Like You (Cale Makar) - @ghstandpucks

Teach Me To Please (Cale Makar) - @pucksalotguys

Annoying Little Brother (Erik Johnson) - @ghstandpucks

Apartment 352 pt 1 (Erik Johnson) - @imaginingsoftly

Have My Cake and Eat It Too (Erik Johnson) - @mikkorantanev

Like Father Like Son (Erik Johnson) - @ghstandpucks

look what you started (Erik Johnson) - @mattyanonwrites

Only All the Time (Erik Johnson) - @antoineroussel-archive

Overwhelming Light (Erik Johnson) - @burkymakar

the nanny (Erik Johnson) - @holy-pucks

Two Slow Dancers (Erik Johnson) - @hockeywocs

The Turn In Our Relationship (Gabriel Landeskog) - @yourfavewriteress

The Second Time (Nathan Mackinnon) - @wyattjohnston

Till Forever Falls Apart (Nathan Mackinnon & Sidney Crosby) - @pucksalotguys literally heres their whole masterlist i encourage you to read them all

Blues:

Right Under Our Noses (Colton Parayko) - @yourfavewriteress

Bruins:

5 Times the Team Told David He Was in Love + 1 Time he Realized it (David Pastrnak) - @mainlypastrnaksbae

Canucks:

Coach Hughes (Quinn Hughes) - @matsmarts

Midnight Rain (Quinn Hughes) - @babydollmarauders

Milkshakes AU (Quinn Hughes) - @hugheshugs

Devils:

Lies (Jack Hughes) - @nolanmoylee

Kraken:

Four Times His Teammates Said "I love you," and One Time He Did (Vince Dunn) - @blueskrugs

Panthers:

Baby, It's Cold Outside (Matthew Tkachuk) - @raysofcrosby

Wish We Were Older (Matthew Tkachuk) - @sorryjustafangirl

Penguins:

By The Water, Euphoria (Sidney Crosby) - @flashyfucker

Illicit Affairs (Sidney Crosby) - @blueskrugs

Two Little Lines (Sidney Crosby) - @pucksalotguys

Maple Leafs:

What Once Was (Mitch Marner) - @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69

Sabres:

All's well that ends well to end up with you (Tyson Jost) - @mattyanonwrites

[kaleforcale888]

Just Y/n - Cale Makar

Summary: You are not sure where you and Cale stand in your relationship.

Word count: 2.3K

Warning: cale being a red flag; lack of communication; anxiety

a/n: so while going through the notes app in my phone I found some of my work from the original kaleforcale888 and decided to rewrite it. Anyway thanks for sticking around as I get my crap all back together!

You didn’t know what it was about Cale, but you were definitely starting to have stronger feelings than just “liking” him. What a cliché, middle school thing to say, liking someone. You didn’t know what it was about the man; maybe it was his beautiful, blue eyes that caught you attention, or his crazy hair that sticks up in all different directions at any given moment.

Despite being incredibly good looking, he was also the sweetest person you had ever met. Cale had the best personality. On the outside he was reserved and quiet, but once you got to know him, he was actually really interesting and fun to be around.

You hadn’t been seeing or even hanging out with Cale for very long, only going on a few dates here and there depending on when he was in Denver. You had met at a King Soopers’ Starbucks, him having come in for a drink and leaving with your phone number. From then on you had been on one formal dinner date but had hung out at miscellaneous times when he was in the state. Your favorite was just spending time with him at his apartment and doing random, mundane things. You felt like you got to know the real Cale, not Cale Makar: MVP defenseman.

Spending so much time together made you feel like you had known him your entire life. One date and ever since, you had magically fallen into a routine together. When he had home games, you’d stay at his apartment until the game was over, then spend the evening together before sharing a bed together for the night. While he was away, you would sit at home, missing him, wishing he was there with you.

With your routines naturally integrating, you never had the “what are we talk.” Yeah, you kissed on a regular basis and often slept in the same bed, but some aspects of your life never fully unified; and for a time, part of you was fine with that, but as of late, it was starting to wear on you. You had never met his friends or even teammates, let alone his family, and you started to doubt your relationship, or maybe lack thereof.

***

You sat on the couch of Cale’s apartment, watching the end of the hockey game. The Avs won again, and you knew he would walk through the door nonchalantly but would be elated on the inside. After about an hour or so later, a jingle of keys in the door let you know that Cale was home. You smiled to yourself.

“I’m home,” Cale joked, throwing his bag next to the door so he could easily find it tomorrow morning.

Looking back at him, you rested your chin on the back of the couch, “Hi, how was it,” you asked, acting like you hadn’t just watched the entire game in his living room. You always liked to ask him how it went to get his perspective.

He crouched down to be level with you and smiled, “It was good.”

You rolled your eyes at his humbleness and leaned in closer to him. Cale closed the gap between you, placing a quick kiss on your lips and stood up, too fast for your liking.

There honestly wasn’t a thought running through your mind that he didn’t like you, especially not after that flirtatious kiss. You just wished you would finally make it “official.” All you wanted recently was to meet his friends and to be a part of his world, completely.

“Hey babe,” Cale called, you didn’t even realize he had walked away because too distracted by your own thoughts.

Slightly smiling to yourself at the sweet endearment, “Yeah?” Why were you even questioning anything?

“I think I’m gonna take a quick shower, then head to bed. You are more than welcome to stay if you’d like,” he said, leaning on the door frame of his bedroom, waiting for a response. You just shook your head and settled back into the couch.

***

A few days later, you found yourself back in the very same place, Cale’s apartment. You had spent the night and he had just got back from his morning skate. “So then, Mel and a few of the other girls came and picked up their new jackets, and the guys got distracted so Bednar just ended it then.”

You shook your head, just listening to him as you stole a grape from his lunch plate. You were keeping unusually quiet today and sat with your thoughts, this was new to Cale, but he could tell that there was something bothering you. All you could think about was getting a jacket with Cale’s name on the back and being able to sport it with pride on game days. You also couldn’t help but wonder if you would get along with the other girls and wanted to meet his friends.

Sitting in silence for a few more moments, opening and closing your mouth, Cale looked up at you, expecting you to speak, “do you think I’d get along with the other girls?”

“I don’t see why you wouldn’t,” he responded, walking to the kitchen, “You’d probably love them.”

“What about the guys?”

“They’d probably adore you, probably chirp you for being with me, but its all-in good nature,” he said as he opened the fridge to pretend to look busy, “But why are you bringing this up now? What’s going on?”

“I want to meet your friends, your Denver family. I want to see the other side of you and the other community you’re apart of. I feel like you’re ashamed of me or some…” before you could finish, Cale closed the door of the fridge and pinched the bridge of his nose. He let out a breath, walked closer to you, and grabbed your hands.

“I’m not ashamed of you by any means… it’s just always been hard for me to let people into my life. But listen, if it really means that much to you,” he stopped and took a deep breath, “there is a charity dinner next weekend, before the start of the playoffs, would you like to be my date? We could get all dressed up, maybe look for a dress…”

Before he could continue, you shrieked out a yes and grabbed his face, kissing all over it. “Does this mean I get to meet all the guys?”

“I don’t see why not,” he smiled at you and pressed your foreheads together before kissing you.

***

The charity  dinner was tonight and to say you were nervous was an understatement. How was Cale going to introduce you? Were you his girlfriend, his good friend? You weren’t entirely sure.

You looked in the mirror, and touched up your hair as Cale came into the bathroom connected to your bedroom. He arrived 30 minutes early as always and waited on your bed as you finished getting ready. Making eye contact through the mirror, you gave him a tight-lipped smile to which he returned, “I’m a little nervous,” you said as you scrunched into your shoulders.

“It’ll be okay,’ he said, finally walking into bathroom to wrap his arms around your shoulders.

“I know,” you turned around in his arms, “but what if they don’t like me? They have to be protective over you.”

“I promise you, if I like you, they’re going to have to put up with you. But you only have like 2 minutes, otherwise we’re gonna be late,” he said, checking his watch.

You rolled your eyes, “your definition of late or mine,” you teased and turned to finish what you were doing.”

***

As you walked into the hall, it felt like all eyes were on you and Cale, his arm interlocked with yours as you entered. “Calers!” A tall blonde man shouted across the room. Cale’s cheeks turned brighter red than normal as he directed you towards the group the man was standing with.

“Hey guys.”

“Well, well, well, Calers, who is this?” One of the men in the group asked.

“This is Y/n. Y/n this is Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan Mackinnon, and JT Compher.” He finished, pointing to a decently tall man with flaming red hair. Your heart sank in your chest, and you looked down hoping your face didn’t show too much disappointment. You weren’t officially his girlfriend; you just did relationship-y things. An awkward silence landed over the group.

“It’s nice to finally put faces to the names,” you fake laughed, breaking up some of the silence.

As the guys started up a conversation about what they could do better heading into playoff season, a woman walked up to Gabe. She gave the man a drink before stepping closer to you and offering you a smile, “Hey, I’m Mel.”

“Hi, I’m Y/n,” you smiled back at the blond.

“All this hockey talk is kind of boring, would you like to get a drink?”

You shook your head and untangled your arm in Cale’s before leaning up and whispering to him, “I’m gonna go get a drink,” to which he responded with a nod and a kiss to your cheek.

You followed Mel to the bar and ordered your drink, “I’m Gabe’s wife, if you couldn’t tell,” she joked, making you feel less nervous, “Are you Cale’s girlfriend?” She asked as you sat down at the bar together.

There it was the ever so dreaded question. Taking a sip of your cocktail to distract yourself, you shook your head, “no, just Y/n,” you said, repeating what Cale had told the other guys earlier in the evening.

Mel shook her head in understanding, “We’ll, he’s truly a good kid, if that’s what you’re worried about,” she said, looking over at her husband and the defenseman interacting.

“No, yeah, I know. We’ve been hanging out for a while and I really like him, but we’ve never made anything official.”

Mel looked at you, studying your body language, she could tell this was bothering you. “Well, I don’t know how long you guys have been “hanging out”, but I’ve known him for three years now, and he’s never once brought a date to one of these. Let alone a barbeque or team pool party.”

A slight smile crept up on your lips. At least he felt comfortable enough to be willing to introduce you to his friends, despite you having to ask him. You and Mel continued to talk and get to know each other before she excused herself. When you looked over to find Cale, you saw her talking to Gabe and Cale, who looked like he was very interested in whatever she had to say.

Not long after, you finished your drink and followed in her footsteps to find Cale who was talking to some older looking men. Tapping on his shoulder, he greeted you with a smile, pulled you into his side, and continued his conversation with the men. Once there was a lull in the conversation, he looked down to you, noticing you weren’t acting like yourself, “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” you lied, “just getting a little tired,” you finished off with a fake yawn.

Cale shrugged it off and looked at his watch, “It is getting late, why don’t we get out of here?”

As you walked to the car hand in hand, your thoughts couldn’t help but spiral. Cale opened the car door for you; this sucked, you knew when you got home you would fall directly back into the dance of avoiding whatever conversation needed to happen.

Slamming your eyes shut, you laid your head on the car seat. The quiet got interrupted by Cale gently whispering, “You’ve seemed a little off these past few days. What’s going on in that mind of yours Y/n?”

“Nothing.”

“Please don’t lie to me, Y/n.” Cale whispered, grabbing your hand.

“I’m not lying.”

“I know you are. I was talking to Melissa, and I think we need to have a conversation.”

This conversation could either be very bad or very good, there was no telling at this moment.

“I agree,” you breathed out.

“She said that I should stop avoiding telling you how I feel,” he said as gently started rubbing his thumb across your knuckle, “I hope you know I really like you,” you slightly chuckled, “like a lot.”

“Well, that’s good to know. I was really starting to doubt, I mean just Y/n. Really, Cale? You can’t even introduce me as your girlfriend,” you said, refusing to look up at him.

“I didn’t think we needed a title. For goodness’ sake, we practically spend every waking minute together!” Despite his frustration and lack of being able to truly communicate his feelings, he remained calm. He knew that raising his voice could only make the situation worse and he would only feel more frustrated, “I thought those were titles were juvenile.”

You quickly looked up at him, laughing, trying to hold back tears, “Cale, I want to be your girlfriend!”

Cale sighed and leaned over the console, putting your foreheads together.

“Okay then, will be my girlfriend?”

“Really? That’s all it took for you to finally ask me but yes” you smiled and kissed him.

“I’m sorry, by the way��� I didn’t know it meant that much to you.”

“I accept your apology. But I will say, we are both terrible at communicating.”

“I agree, now can we go home?” he asked as he put the car in reverse to pull out of the parking spot.

***

A couple of weeks later, a package was delivered to Cale’s apartment addressed to you. Opening the cardboard box, you found a burgundy jacket with two interlocking hockey sticks on the arms. On the back was “MAKAR” stitched in black with a white outline and a big 8 to match his jersey. You smiled widely and hugged the fuzzy jacket in excitement. The only other thing inside the box was a note.

“Just in time for playoffs :) - M”

[boqvistsbabe]

Different Skates: Cale AU - Pt. 2

A/N: Okay, so a couple of things: 1.) I know this wasn’t super anticipated but still I apologize that this took so long to write (I started it the day after I posted the first part, that was in Oct), 2.) it’s Thanksgiving themed and I’m very aware that it is way past that but I didn’t want to have to go back and change a bunch of stuff, 3.) there’s supposed to be a couple more parts and with how I have it planned out other already passed holidays will be in them, 4.) this is very unedited and I’m sorry if it’s choppy like i said it’s been written over multiple months which is very not me (normally i write everything in one sitting), 5.) I hope y’all like it!

Once again thanks to that irl friend for the peer pressure and for the much asked for peer pressure from @typical-simplelove and to @savoies for being my soundboard

Warnings: swear words, she/her pronouns for the reader, if I missed anything let me know!

Word count: 4,402 💀

—————-

“Okay great practice today guys. Go home and rest up, don’t forget tomorrow night at my house, team dinner. Be there by seven and please dress decent for pictures.” Charlie was just finishing up as you walked out of the break room you used to edit in.

Tomorrow night was Thanksgiving dinner with the whole team. So tonight you get to help cook everything that can be cooked ahead of time. Charlie was helping too, but only with the stuff that doesn’t require the stove or oven. He complains every time we don’t let him use them, but in our defence he almost burned the house down. He’s not allowed to have candles either. He’s mostly gonna help our dad put up tables and chairs; after they move the furniture and clean the living room.

The boys are so loud in the locker room that you can hear them all the way out here in the lobby. You're doing some last minute touch ups to some game shots before posting them to the team Instagram while you wait for Charlie. You hear footsteps approaching and look up. It’s Cale. He looks over just as you look up.

“Hey Y/n, how are you?” He asks with a smile.

“I’m okay, you?” You’ve decided to be civil with him since he’s been nice to you so far.

“I’m pretty good, excited for a couple days off to rest.”

“Yeah that’s fair.” You don’t really know what to say after that so you just kind of sit there.

“Hey Caler, you still coming over tonight to help move stuff?” Charlie looks at Cale as he walks up beside him. Also what? You knew nothing about this.

“Yeah of course. Just gotta go home to drop my stuff off then I’ll head your way.” His eyes flick from you to your brother and then back again.

“Awesome, thanks dude. I’m not sure Pops can help move the furniture anymore, even if he thinks he can.” Charlie’s not wrong. Your dad has had some issues with arthritis for a long time but it’s gotten a lot worse in the last year. You just had figured you’d help this time around.

“Yeah not a problem. I’m gonna head out now, but I’ll see y’all in a bit.” He gives you a little

wave before heading to the parking lot.

“You warming up to him yet?” Charlie asks as you head to his car,” “he’s a really nice guy.”

“I know, he’s alright. I thought I was helping you tonight?”

“That was the plan, but I was talking to him about tomorrow and mentioned Pops not being able to move stuff anymore and he offered to help.” Charlie shrugs as he turns the key.

———————-

You were elbow deep in the turkey (literally) when the doorbell rang. Your mom yelled for Charlie to get the door. His footsteps thundered down the stairs as he ran to let Cale in.

This turkey was the most annoying thing to deal with, and you still had a second one to go. Your mom loves to go all out for the team dinners, especially since she knows not all of the guys have family that does. This year she decided to let you deal with the turkeys instead of the sides. Which fair but you were more of a dessert kind of gal. You didn’t mind doing the turkey, you know it’s your mom’s way of passing the torch; but you’d rather be making pies and cookies right now. Your mom just insists on plucking and dressing and all of that ourselves instead of just getting a frozen one, why you have no idea but it’s a pain in your ass right now.

“Hey Ma, Cale and I are gonna move furniture so we can set up the tables!” Charlie yelled before disappearing into the living room.

“Alright just be careful!” She yelled back before turning to the doorway, “ Hi Cale, how are you sweetie?”

“Great Mrs. Y/LN, you?” When you looked up he was standing just outside the kitchen door, he caught your eye and smiled. Giving him a small smile you looked back to the turkey you were violating. Gosh this is going to take forever. You blow a piece of hair out of your face before it gets totally in your view.

“I know told you to call me Melissa, and I’m fine dear. You better run off and help Charlie before he decides he can move that heavy furniture by himself.”

“I’m on it, don't worry.” Is the last thing he says before he disappears into the living room.

“He’s such a sweet boy. Your father wasn’t happy about us deciding he wasn’t helping but we compromised with him being able to “supervise” whatever that hell that means.” She shook her head before walking to the over to pull out two of the pies.

There is so much food that we still have to cook, you were just glad that your mom has it figured out perfectly. You’re still gonna be up a couple more hours but there’s enough to do you won’t even realize.

——————-

The boys are watching a game in the living room. The only reason you can tell is cause of the yelling. They finished setting up all the tables and chairs an hour ago. Both turkeys are ready to be cooked and the only thing left to do tonight is clean up and set stuff out for tomorrow morning. Thank goodness, you felt like you could take a nap right there on the kitchen island. You’ve had a long day between editing, two practices (both dance and skating) the gym, and some schoolwork plus cooking; you were ready to curl up in bed and sleep the night away.

“Okay we’ll take a quick break then clean up. Everything we need for tomorrow should be set out so that we don’t have to worry about it. All the desserts are in the fridge or are covered and on the counter. The only thing for tomorrow is the sides and setting out places. Good work kiddo. The turkeys look great.”

“Thanks Ma, pies look good too. Can’t wait to dig in tomorrow.” Dessert was by far your favourite part of the holidays. Best food group in your opinion.

You both plopped down on the stools at the island. Grabbing the remote from the counter, you turn the tv on to some Christmas movie. It was one of your mom's favourites so you turned the volume up so she could hear it better. Not even five minutes in you heard the boys head towards the kitchen. Charlie no doubt on his way to steal a cookie or six.

“Really?! Christmas movies already? It’s not even Thanksgiving?!”

“Hush Charles, you know Christmas starts on the first in this family.” This argument has been going on between your mom and Charlie since he was ten. You and your pops stayed out of it.

“Christmas starts in October for my family.” You look over to Cale, who’s leaning against the island right next to you.

“Bro what? That’s even more crazy than my mom.” Charlie was gobsmacked.l, “What about Halloween?!”

“Oh yeah we decorate for that too, but the movies and music start then.”

“Dude there is something so wrong with you people.” Charlie shakes his head before sneaking towards the counter by the fridge. Where the desserts were set.

“Charlie, you leave the food alone or you will be cleaning the whole kitchen tonight.” Mom says without looking from the TV.

“Fine.” He heads back to the living room where your dad was still watching the game.

“I can help clean up tonight.” You looked back to Cale after he said that.

“You don’t need to do that, me and Y/n have got it, we just needed to rest a bit. Plus you’ve done enough.”

“Please Melissa, I insist. You’ve done so much for the team, it’s only fair at least one of us helps.”

“Fine, but Y/n will help. You don’t know where everything goes and she won’t mind.” Your mom gets up to head to the living room, stopping to kiss the top of your head and pat Cale’s arm as she walks by.

A little bit of an assumption there mother but okay. You didn’t really mind honestly, it wasn’t fair the Cale was cleaning up in someone else’s house. Even if he insisted.

“You don’t actually have to help, you’ve done a lot today too. Just tell me where stuff goes and I’ll put it there.” Cale is now looking down at where you’re still sat on the stool.

“It’s not fair that you’re cleaning up our mess, I’ll help. I’m not even that tired.” You stand up from the stool and move over to the sink. You let out a big yawn before making eye contact with Cale. He’s trying not to smile.

“You sure about that?” He’s totally smiling now. And you’re a little surprised to find that you’re smiling back.

“Okay maybe I am tired, but I still should help.”

“Yes, you can help by telling me what to do. All I have to do is do it. Teamwork makes the dream work.”

“That is the cheesiest thing you could’ve said, but fine you win. This time.” You hop up on the counter.

“Okay where should I start?” Cale turns to look at you expectantly.

“Hmmm dishwasher would probably be best.” Was your reply.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Okay now that all that is done, what’s next?” Cale looks at you again. Those pretty blue eyes meeting your own. He tilts his head a little. That’s when you realised that you were kind of starring.

“Oh yeah! That’s it, I don’t think we have anything else to do tonight. Everything else we have to do in the morning. So you can go hang out with Charlie. I think he’s still in the other room watching the game. Thanks for all your help today.” You hopped off the counter and walked to where he was standing by the island.

“Okay, I actually think I’m gonna head out. I can come help out in the morning. I’m not the best cook but I think I can handle it.” He’s giving you a half smile and between the Christmas music from the movie still playing and the low lighting in the kitchen; he looks entirely too attractive right now.

“You don’t need to do that. You’ve done a lot already.”

“Ah no it’s fine. I got nothin else to do.”

“Alright. I’ll see you in the morning then. We’re gonna start at about eight since dinner is gonna be at noon. Just come over whenever after that.”

“I’ll be here at eight then. See you in the morning Y/N.” He gives you a nod and a smile before heading to the front door. You hear him stop and say goodnight to your family before the front door shuts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You’re totally dragging. It’s too early to do this. Not even changing out of your pajamas, you head downstairs. There’s already a mix of smells happening. Your mom must have put the turkeys in early.

Walking into the kitchen you slowly register everything going on. Your mom is checking the turkeys in the oven, your dad is drinking coffee and reading the paper from last week at the island, there’s a Christmas movie playing and Charlie is nowhere to be found. Figures.

Twenty minutes later, you’re slightly more awake, breakfast has been eaten, you’ve started helping with the sides, and Charlie’s just now walking through the kitchen door. And Cale is right behind him.

“Morning loser,” Charlie says as he bumps you into the counter where you were chopping potatoes.

“Charlie, stop messing with your sister. She’s helping me, unlike you.” She gives him a pointed look as he heads back to where Cale is standing, “ morning Cale, how are you?”

“I’m okay, would be better if my truck had started this morning.” Ah so that’s why Charlie was gone.

“Ah yeah Charlie said that’s what happened. Will you be able to figure out what it was?”

You tune out their conversation and continue with your task.

~~~~~~~~

Cale’s POV

When I walked into the kitchen I was not expecting to see a very tired and annoyed looking Y/N. Who definitely just got more annoyed when Charlie bumped her into the counter. Who’s still in her pjs. That have reindeer all over them.

She’s so freaking adorable.

Yesterday I felt like we might’ve gotten a little closer to that friend line. She laughed at most of my horrible jokes when I was cleaning up the kitchen last night. Honestly I cut it pretty close to my curfew. I probably shouldn’t’ve stayed, but Melissa looked tired and as much as I could hope Charlie would’ve helped clean up; I know better than that. So I stayed way later than I should’ve and had to rush home.

Shaking my head I answer Melissa’s questions about my truck. It wouldn’t start this morning. Charlie and I both think between how old it is and the cold front that moved in last night, that my truck might not be starting for a while. He offered to take me to practice and school, so that helps at least.

~~~~~~~~

A couple hours later your mom is at the door welcoming all of the boys in. Between Charlie and Cale helping you and your mom, everything got done so you had extra time to get ready and hide in your room for a bit. At least you can wear something comfy. You have to look nice for pictures so you grabbed a sweater to go with your leggings.

The boys were all really loud and you were kind of over it already. Your mom wanted you downstairs at least. She understood why you didn’t exactly want to be around them. So you were sitting on the kitchen counter; reading a book. The only guys that had sought you out to greet you were John and Tyson. They both gave you a hug and asked how you were before joining the rest of the team in the living room.

You were about halfway through your book when somebody hopped up across from you on the island. Looking up you realise it’s Cale.

“Why are you in here?” It came out a little harsh but he didn’t seem bothered by it.

“They’re getting really loud and I get headaches easily.” Cale shrugs, “I can find somewhere else to hang out if you want me to.”

“No you’re fine, I was just wondering. Why do you get headaches easily?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cale’s POV

When she asked why I was in here I panicked a little. I mean I was mostly in here for the quiet, but also kind of to see her. I don’t even know why. I think she’s just nice to be around. Especially compared to the guys.

“Oh, it’s cause of all of the concussions I’ve gotten in the past.”

“Hmm” that’s all she gives me before going back to her phone.

I feel kind of awkward just looking at her. I’d love to ignore the world and be in my phone, but it’s almost dead, plus it would make my headache worse. It’s quiet in here, not awkward but almost… comforting. Honestly it’s kind of nice. I end up looking out the window above the sink. My eyes catching on the snow flurries outside.

“It’s snowing.”

Y/N looks up from her phone before setting it down on the counter and jumping down. Walking over to the sink, she stares outside.

“I love the snow. It’s so pretty and peaceful.” She sounds wistful as she says it.

I have to fight myself from saying she is too, “Me too, winter is my favorite season because of it.”

“Same here.” She turns around and meets my eyes, “this is off topic but if I’m going to be completely honest would rather be skating than here right now.”

“Well if I had to be completely honest, I’d say the same. Why do you not want to be here?” I have a feeling I know what her answer is going to be.

“I assume Charlie told you all about what happened, I’m also going to assume you’re smart enough to connect those dots,” I nod and she shrugs, “honestly you don’t seem all that bad. I know I came off harsh, Charlie told me all about that. I’m sorry. I am trying to be nicer, especially since you don’t act like an asshole like the rest of them. Just know that, that doesn’t mean we’re friends, just that you’re not a total jerk. Anyways, why don’t you want to be here?”

Her statement relieves me. I’m glad I don’t come across like an asshole. I didn't think I did, but it’s always nice to hear. Especially from someone as biassed as her.

“Well mine’s kind of similar, I don’t really want to hang out with the guys. I Know it’s good for camaraderie and whatever, but they annoy the hell out of me. And they all are in fact a bunch of assholes. Even to teammates. Plus skating is so much more fun than sitting here doing nothing.”

That got a smile out of her. She turned back to the window.

~~~~~~~~~

“Dinner was good as always ma, thanks for inviting the team.” A chorus of the rest of them following Charlie’s thanks.

I ended up seated between Cale and Charlie. I think they did that on purpose. Especially since John and Tyson were across from me too. They totally surrounded me so I didn’t have to sit next to the jerks. I’m totally grateful but I wanna be anywhere but here. I lean over to Charlie.

“Hey you going anywhere later?”

“I’ll probably go hang with the guys but Tys will drive.”

“Okay, I’ll have the car then.” Charlie nods before continuing his conversation.

Now I have to figure out a plan to dip after pictures so I can get to the rink.

~~~~~~~

Cale’s POV

It’s picture time. And nothing against Melissa, but she has no control over any of this. She’s currently standing behind the camera and trying to get us lined up so we all fit. It’s not going well, Charlie is nowhere to be found and Y/N looks like she’d rather be anywhere else. Can’t blame her, I’m feeling the same way.

“Hey hey everyone chill out and listen.” There’s Charlie. I can hear him but I can’t see him. He’s still shouting orders when I look back over to Y/N. She sees me, rolls her eyes and shakes her head. Then she walks towards the couch, and steps up so she’s standing on it.

“EVERYONE SHUT THE HELL UP! I UNDERSTAND NONE OF YOU WANT TO DO THIS CAUSE I SURE AS HELL DONT. BUT THE FASTER EVERYONE LISTENS AND DOES WHAT THEYRE SUPPOSED TO DO AND THE WUICKER YOURE OUT OF HERE AND OFF DOING WHATEVER THE HELL YOU IDIOTS WANT TO DO!”

Every single person in the room turned to look at where she was looking down on all of them. Silently everyone moved where Melissa had originally placed them. Y/N got down from the couch and walked over to where I was standing on the outside of the group.

“I’m glad that worked, I was tired of standing there.”

“Me too, ready to go home and change and do nothing the rest of the day.” I whisper back as I move to tuck in next to John. She moves right next to me so that she’s in the shot too.

“About that, I was planning on heading to the rink after this. I normally would prefer to go alone but you mentioned wanting to skate earlier so…” she kind of trails off and I turn my head to look down at her, “would you want to go with me? Totally cool if not, just thought I’d offer.”

I can feel the smile stretch across my face.

“I would love to go to the rink. I’d have to get my skates from home first though.”

“We can stop on the way to the rink.” She gives me a small smile and I nod.

“Cale! Y/N! Look at the camera please.” We both follow Melissa’s directions and everyone is excited to be released from the pictures from hell.

“Cale?” I turn to see Y/N still next to me, “I’m gonna go talk to my mom then I’m ready when you are.”

“Okay, meet you at the front?” She nods and is gone.

Now I just gotta figure out what to tell Charlie. He invited me to go hang out with him, John, and Tys later. But if so much rather go to the rink. I look around the room before I spot him by his mom and make my way over.

“Hey Charlie I’m gonna head home. Thanks for inviting me to go out but I’m not feeling it today.”

“That’s alright, do you need a ride?”

“Nah I got it figured out.” I kind of hate lying to him. Not that I’m lying technically, but it sure feels like it.

“Alright man. Let me know if you need anything. Have a good night.” He holds his hand out to shake and I do the same.

“Thanks Melissa for dinner. You and Y/N did really good. I had fun.” Not a total lie but not a truth either.

I turn to head to the front door when someone pokes me in the side. I look down and lock eyes with Y/N. Who’s smirking like she just caught someone in the act.

“You’re a liar! You did not have fun.” She whispers to me as we head out together.

“I did have some fun, I wasn’t totally miserable.” We both climb into Charlie and hers shared jeep.

“Uh huh sure. I totally believe you. But did you really like the food?” She looks over at me as she puts the key into the ignition. She looks a little nervous. I wonder why. Then it clicks in my brain. Charlie said something about it being her first time doing the turkey. That makes sense.

“Yeah everything was really good. I liked the turkey a lot.” I give her an affirming nod.

“That’s good, I was a little worried I’d fuck it up somehow. I’ve seen mom do it a million times, but I definitely was not confident in actually doing it myself.” She turns to back out of the driveway then looks at me before she continues.

“I have absolutely no idea where you live.” I laugh a little before directing her to my house.

~~~~~~~~

By the time you pull up to the rink, the sun has disappeared from the sky and there’s only a few other cars in the parking lot. Perfect. You’d have the ice to yourselves mostly. Which is great because you really wanted to work on your triple lutz. It was the hardest move in your program and it showed. You needed it to not show. And if you could get your coach off your ass about it, you definetley wouldn’t be mad.

The moment your blades hit the ice, you feel so much better. The last couple of days have been a lot. Being on the ice just made everything better. You could hear Cale cut through the ice behind you. Pushing yourself off, you started some lazy laps. There was a couple of kids on the ice too, so you kept an eye on them to make sure there was no collisions. Skating over to the corner you made sure the coast was clear before marking your jumps. Starting small at first before making it to the bigger jumps. There was no way you were going to go full out on everything you did tonight, you just had to make sure you were warm before going for the triple. Feeling warm enough, you went for it.

And landed on your ass.

“Fuck.” Starring at the ceiling you went over it in your head. Knowing it was exactly what your coach had said (that you didn’t have enough momentum) you got up, shook it off. And went again. And landed on your ass again. And again. And again.

“You good?” Opening your eyes you saw Cale’s face, right above you. Oh right. You had got in your head and forgot he was there.

“Yeah, I’m good.” Taking the hand he offered, you pulled yourself up, “I’m gonna go again so you might want to watch out.” Cale wisely backed out of your way. By now all the kids were gone, and it was just the two of you.

Taking a deep breath, you pushed off. Up in the air you went. One, two three. Hell yeah. Now you just had to stick it. And you did, kind of. Your hand touched the ground to steady yourself, but it was improvement.

“That was so cool!” Cale looked a little awed. Had he never seen a skating program before? It was kind of cute the way he looked so excited.

“I’ll agree with you there, but I need to work on that landing. I at least got three full turns. I’ve only done that once before.”

“Well I mean that's an improvement right?” You shrug, “I think that calls for a break” he gives you a mischievous smile.

“What were you thinking for this break?”

He doesn’t say anything as he slowly skates towards you, until

“TAG!” He barely touches your arm before he’s off.

~~~~~~~~~~

By the time you get home after dropping Cale off and taking a shower, you’re exhausted. There’s a smile on your face though.

Before falling asleep you send Cale quick text.

You: I had fun tonight :)

Cale: me too :)

——————————————

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[ethanedwardsnumberonefan]

Insta Hockey AU | x Reader

AU: You grew up with The Hughes boys as their neighbour and the fact your dad coached Jack’s PeeWee team, making you bestfriends. And by some luck the year The Hughes were supposedly leaving you to move to Michigan for Jack to join Team USA, your dad gets a call about an assistant coaching job for Team USA. Thus moving to Michigan and becoming an honorary member and best friend of the Team USA boys and attending Umich

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😵‍💫🫶

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Y/nL/n

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Y/nL/n

crazy (in love)

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FROM TREVOR AND Y/NS LATEST POST OMG TEAM ZEGRAS WINS

user4 TEAM TREVOR SINCE DAY 1

user2 stopp theyre so cute but i would of bet all my money on team jack 😭

user7 i dunno if i wanna celebrate or cry

user5 PROCESSING THIS WHAT

user3 bare minimum but i find it so cute he launched them first 🥹

user8 brb i need to cry bc this feels like a rom com “after years of unknowingly pinningafter eachother they finally get together”

user1 STOP THATS SO CUTE

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jamie.drysdale has posted to their story!

A/N uhh this is the second last post because i have no clue where this story is going, but make sure to vote on the poll on my page for a new story with a new player!

[offside-the-lines]

Only You Can Decide | Cale Makar

Summary: For her parents, Cassandra has always tried to be good— perfect, even. Just grin and bear it. That all comes crashing down because, at the end of the day, Cale is her fiancé— her partner— her future.

This was written for @wyattjohnston's Lowkey Lovefest 2k24. The prompt used: “Fine. Throw me to the wolves. See how that works for you.” Pairing: Cale Makar x Female!OC (Engaged) Word count: 3.4k ⚠️ Warnings: this is pretty angsty and features a lot of the OC's toxic parents and her struggle with them. It does have a happy ending though. The story is also slightly non-linear/features flashbacks. ⚠️ a/n: Thanks to Demi for also requesting such an interesting prompt. I would never have thought to pair the two and it was so fun to write. Thanks to @imperatorrrrr for always co-drifting the writing Jaeger with me (just a random Pacific Rim ref). Nobody show this to my therapist LOL she would be frantically taking notes. Requests (open) | Masterlist & Who I Write For | Join My Taglist

Cassandra sat in her childhood bedroom and stared at the blank white walls. Growing up, she never had any posters, or magazine cutouts, or pictures taped to the wall like the other kids. The walls remained always pristine. Plain. Perfectly presentable. She guessed it worked out now that her parents used the room as a guest bedroom.

There were obviously no tissues in here— she sure as hell wasn’t about to go find some— so she just wiped her tears on the sleeves of her sweater and tried not to wince at her makeup staining the beige cashmere. Fuck.

The thing is, she knew that this would happen. They had been fighting about it the entire drive over.

“Cale, we can’t just tell them. It’s my parents. You know what they’re like,” she huffed as he pulled into her parent’s driveway.

“I know Cass, and that in and of itself is already so fucked up. They shouldn’t get to talk to you like that. They definitely don’t get to talk to me like that,” he sighed.

“I don’t know what you want me to do.” Her cheeks were hot. She knew they needed to calm down before they went inside; otherwise, her parents would have a million questions about why they looked so flustered.

“Cassie, baby, we have to tell them. We can’t keep doing this,” he sighed.

“I know… I just have to make sure it’s the right moment, or it’ll be this whole thing. They’re just…” 

“And you have to set a boundary with them.” He reached across the center console and tried to take her hand.

She snatched her hand away, snapping, “I can’t do that. You know I can’t do that. Look, Cale, why can’t you just fucking grin and bear it like the rest of us? Aren’t you hockey players supposed to have thick skin or something? Why are you being such a fucking pussy?”

Cale leaned back and just stared at her for a long minute; the oppressive silence in the car was becoming unbearable. She could see the tick in his jaw that indicated he was holding himself back from retaliating. The mounting tension was broken when they heard the front door open, and her mother call out to them.

Cale took a deep breath. “Fine. Throw me to the wolves. See how that works out for you,” he mumbled before he opened the door and stepped out.

Cassandra felt a wave of nausea roll over her. She barely recognized that version of herself, the Cassandra that was bitter enough to say hurtful things on purpose. God, she thought she was better than this— better than them.

She knew in her gut that it was going to be bad because they started off-kilter, the unresolved disagreement hanging over them as they tried to play nice. Anxiety had twisted her body like a coil, winding her too tightly. She had naively hoped they would just get away with it.

Things were fine until the second course. At the end of the day, her parents were sharks, smelling a single drop of weakness from miles away.

Her father was the one to pop the bubble, not even looking up as he casually cut his steak, when he asked, “So, Cale, you’re not still doing that hockey thing, are you?”

She felt him freeze next to her as her own knuckles went white from her grip on her cutlery. He took a deep breath.

“Yes, sir, I am.” Cale’s voice was so calm and even. Too calm and even.

Her father hummed as he chewed, looking between them appraisingly. “That’s a shame,” he finally said, “Do you have a plan for finding a real job when you’re done with that nonsense, then, son?”

Cassandra looked down at her plate and swallowed hard. She could feel Cale’s gaze on her, but the searing heat of shame traveling up the back of her neck paralyzed her.

“No, sir. I am still pretty young for a hockey player. I hope to play for at least another 10 years,” he said. She could see in her peripheral vision that he had put his cutlery down and was clutching the napkin in his lap. 

This time, her mother spoke up, “Oh honey, that seems a little silly, wasting all your good years on nonsense like that. A nice young man like you would do so well in a respectable profession. Have you ever considered investment banking? I’m sure Cassandra’s brother would be happy to tell you more about it.”

“Darling,” her father cut in, chuckling lightly, “Wall Street is cutthroat. Only the best of the best make it there. I admit, I don’t know much about Cale here, but I’m sure there are more realistic aspirations for an athlete. I guess he could always work for Cassandra once she owns her own veterinary clinic, isn’t that right, kid?”

Cassandra could feel the tightness take over her throat; her hands were shaking so much her cutlery was clattering on the porcelain. She put them down and wiped her mouth with her napkin. 

“Cassandra, I expect you to respond when I speak to you,” her father’s voice boomed.

She forced herself to nod, her eyes darting around the table.

“Sweetheart, sit up,” her mother needled, “No one likes a girl who slouches.”

She felt her spine straighten stiffly without her meaning to. Cale shifted in his seat next to her, placing his napkin, which was clenched in his fist, on the table.

He clears his throat. “Actually, I have no interest in quitting hockey. I will never— With all due respect, Sir, Ma’am, you don’t seem particularly informed on the topic, so I ask that you please not make any comments about it. I am happy to talk about anything else.”

“Do not disrespect me in my house, son.” Her father slammed his own knife and fork onto the table; it made her jump, eyes remaining fixed on a breadcrumb on the tablecloth.

“I’m not going to apologize for making a reasonable request, sir. It seems my presence here isn’t wanted, so I’m going to have to excuse myself. Thank you for the meal, Mr and Mrs Wentworth,” Cale stated dispassionately. He stood up and tucked his chair in before pausing. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and quietly murmured, “Cassie, can I speak with you outside?”

Cassandra was standing up to follow Cale, who was already walking down the hallway when she heard her father command, “Sit down.”

Her body froze, halfway out of her seat. She watched as Cale kept walking; he didn’t turn to look back once. She tried to swallow down the mounting panic and willed herself not to cry, even as her vision blurred.

“I did not invest so much time and money into my daughter only for her to end up with some stupid, insolent, meathead athlete. Cassandra, I have had enough of this childish thing. Find someone more suitable,” he spat, “Now, you’re going to sit here and eat the food your mother made.”

She didn’t even realize she was crying until she felt the wet splash of tears on her hands clasped in her lap. She dug her nails into her palm and tried to focus on the sharp pain there instead.

“Cassandra,” her mother’s voice added softly, “I know you’re upset right now, but that’s temporary. Your father’s right; you should listen to him. We have lived long enough to know what’s best for you, and we’re just the only ones who love you enough to tell you the truth. You are wasting your time with that boy.”

She felt the words hit her like a slap in her face; it was enough to unfreeze her body and her voice. She sprung up, knocking over her chair. “Excuse me,” was all she said before running out of the room. She heard them yell after her, but she wasn’t listening.

When she threw the front door open, she saw Cale ducking into a car.

“Cale, wait!” she yelled, frantically running to him. 

He looked up, red-cheeked and teary; it had hurt that he looked surprised to see her.

“Cale, please— Please don’t go,” she cried, reaching out for his hand as soon as she was close enough.

He allowed her to pull him out of the car but only moved until he was standing in front of her. He reached up and cupped her cheek. She hated what she saw: Cale was teary and red. The rosy cheeks she loved so much meant something different at that moment.

“Please don’t go,” she whispered, biting her bottom lip hard enough to taste the metallic bloom of blood.

He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. 

“Cassie, I love you, I really do. But I—” His voice wavered. “I have heard a lot of shit on the ice, but I have never felt—” He paused and took a deep breath before continuing, “Look, you are welcome to stay. It’s your parents, I understand, but I just can’t be here anymore. I’m just heading home, okay?”

“I��” she interrupted before he shook his head once, curt and resigned.

“I promise I’ll be there when you are ready to head back. We can talk about this later, maybe once we’ve both had some time to cool off and think.”

“Think?” she felt sick, the blood draining from her face.

“Cassie, if I stay, we’re— I’m going to say something I’ll regret.” He looked down at her with his eyebrows scrunched and jaw clenched tight. “I left the keys in the car, but please don’t drive if you’re upset, okay?”

“Cale…” she started again, but her voice voice trailed off; she didn’t even know what she meant to say.

He leaned in and gave her a kiss on her forehead before stepping back into the waiting car. “I love you, Cass. I’ll see you at home,” he said before closing the car door.

“Please…” she whispered as she watched the car pull away from the curb.

She unclenched her hands and watched the color return; the crescents her nails left behind were dark and deep in the skin. She flipped her hands over, inspecting them.

Cassandra knew it was childish hiding from her parents in her room. But then again— wasn’t she always hiding herself from them?

She took the ring out of her pocket and put it on her left ring finger. As she looked at the sparkle, she felt a fresh wave of tears crash into her. Her chest felt cracked open; Cassandra was sure at that moment that having an eagle rip at her liver for the rest of eternity would hurt less. 

She sobbed into her hands until the tears stopped falling from her eyes, wrung dry. The longer she sat there, the more her sadness morphed into anger. 

What the fuck was she doing?

Maybe she hadn’t realized before that she was making a choice, but at that moment, it felt crystal clear that she had made the wrong one.

Why was she even there?

When she couldn’t come up with a good reason, she finally stood up and made her way back downstairs. Everything had come into focus, and she had never felt more sure of herself.

“My god, Cassandra, you look an absolute mess,” her mother chided immediately, “Those stains are never going to come out of the cashmere.”

She stood in the doorway of the formal dining room, and she laughed a loud, hollow sound.

“Yeah, no, I’m not doing this anymore,” Cassandra retorted flatly. For once, her voice did not wobble. 

Both of her parents made affronted sounds, leaping out of their chairs, but she continued speaking right over them.

“No! I’m done. I do not deserve to be treated like this. I don’t care how much you’ve ‘invested’ in me. You can find your return on investment elsewhere. I’m leaving.”

“Cassandra—” her mother wailed, clutching her hands to her chest.

“Over my dead body,” her father snarled, stomping over towards her.

She shook her head and turned to leave. Her father’s hand tightened around her arm, pulling her back. She snatched her arm away; her heart was thundering in her chest.

“Do not try to stop me from leaving, or I’ll scream. You don’t want everyone to hear, do you? Because I will cause a scene. You’ll be the talk of the neighborhood. Wouldn’t really be good for the family image, would it?” she spat.

She had taken a few steps toward the door before she turned back, her glaring eyes flicking between her parents. “For your information, Cale is a better person than either of you could ever hope to be. I’ve always let you treat me however you like. I don’t even care; I’m used to it at this point. But not Cale— He is absolutely incredible. Not just an incredible hockey player, but he is an incredible teammate, an incredible fiancé, and an incredible person—”

Her mother squawked.

“Yes, mother, I said fiancé. I plan on spending the rest of my life with him. So don’t call me again until you’re ready to treat him with the respect he deserves.”

Cassandra didn’t hear another word they said as she stormed out of the house, slamming the door as she left.

The drive home was excruciating. She sat in silence, her hands white-knuckled on the steering wheel; the only sounds were her heavy breaths and thundering heartbeat. 

Cale was sitting on the couch, a duffel bag next to him, when she burst through the front door. She didn’t bother to take off her shoes as she sprinted to him.

“Cale, what is this?” she said, horrified as she pointed to his bag.

“Cass, I just figured— If you want some space to think, I can go. I called Nate, and I can go stay with him for a couple of days.” He sounded just as raw as she felt.

Her head spun, and she suddenly felt like the air she was breathing was too thick, like she wasn’t getting any oxygen. She fell to her knees in front of him.

“No! No, don’t— No—” she pleaded frantically.

“Woah— Woah. Don’t—” His eyes widened, his arms reaching out to lift her onto the couch.

“Please don’t leave, Cale. Please— Please don’t— I just want to talk, okay? Please— Can you— Just hear me out,” The words rushed out of her in a jumbled mess, catching in her throat. 

“Okay,” he said, “Okay, I’ll stay. Just breathe for a second.”

She tried to take a deep breath, but the panic gripping her chest made it difficult. He took her hands, applying gentle pressure as he rubbed circles with his thumbs on the back of her hands. 

After a long silence— it could have been a minute or an hour— Cale was the first to speak.

“Are you ashamed of me? And my quote-unquote unrespectable profession?” Cale’s voice was quiet, tired.

“What? No!” she gasped, shaking her head violently, “Of course not.”

“Do you still want to marry me?”

“Yes!” she yelled. She caught herself and continued at a more normal volume, “Of course, I want to marry you. What are you— Cale—”

“Okay, that’s a good start,” Cale shot her a small strained smile, squeezing her hand three times: I. Love. You.— their silent message. 

“I’m sorry, Cale. Back at my— I should’ve— I’m sorry.” She paused and let out a shaking breath. “I love you. I choose you. And I will always choose you. I’m sorry that I haven’t been acting that way.”

“Cassie—”

“No. Please just let me get this out. I was planning this speech the entire drive home.”

He chuckled lightly, his smile more natural, “Okay. Go on.”

She nodded and took a deep breath. “After you left, I was just sitting there, hiding in that god-forsaken room I grew up in, and it just hit me: what the fuck was I doing.” She looked down at their joined hands and fidgeted with his fingers.

“Growing up— That room—” She paused, shaking her head. “My parents have always made me feel like I needed to be perfect in order to be loved. I had to be the perfect daughter, following the perfect plan they had mapped out for me. And fuck— I tried. I tried so hard to be that girl. To make them happy. To make them proud. And every time I thought I was getting close, they would just move the bar. It was never good enough. I was never good enough. And I was never going to be— I will never be good enough to deserve their love and—”

She wanted to dig her nails into her hands, but his fingers were in the way.

“Fuck, Cale. Sitting in that room, I realized that I didn’t even want it anymore. I don’t want or need their approval anymore. Because you— You taught me what it meant to be loved without expectation, without conditions. I can totally fuck this up like I did today, and you are always there, loving me and ready to figure it out together. As a team.”

She forced herself to look up at him. It was hard not to get lost in his blue eyes, always so warm, always so constant. She felt herself send him a small smile. 

“I never thought that I would get to have this. To be loved like this. Or maybe even deserve to be loved like this. So I just— I’m sorry, Cale, for not having your back and for not being a team.”

“What about your parents?” Cale asked quietly.

“My parents— They are my past, and you, Cale, are my future. And I am never going to forget that again. I’m sorry for all the shit they said to you and for all the shit I said to you. I promise that I will never throw you to the wolves like that again.”

Cassandra was panting, her breaths coming out in wet hiccups. Cale pulled her in and enveloped her in a tight hug.

“Wow, Cass, I’ll give it to you; that was quite a speech,” he mumbled into her hair. 

It startled a laugh out of her— although it came out as more of a choked sob.

“Maybe we should’ve recorded it so you could just play that for your vows when we get married,” he chuckled in return.

He leaned back and held her face in his hands. He brushed his callused thumbs over her tear-streaked face.

“For what it’s worth, you deserved better than how they treated you. You deserve— You have always deserved to be loved without condition and without expectation,” Cale whispered, his expression so earnest she could feel herself welling up with tears again, “I hope I can remind you of that every day for the rest of our lives. I can’t wait to build a future with you. I love you, Cassandra. So much.”

“Maybe we should just elope,” she mumbled, a wide smile finally settling on her face.

“Okay, maybe let’s talk about that another day when we are a little less wrung out emotionally,” he said as he leaned in to press a chaste kiss to her lips.

“Fine, I guess,” she groaned cheekily.

“Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait to marry you. I just don’t want to make any rash decisions you’re going to regret,” he squeezed her cheeks together, smiling as her lips puckered.

“Shut up, Makar,” her words came out all mumbly, “Stop being so perfect. It’s so annoying.”

Cale’s laugh filled her body with warmth, seeping into every single corner, and loosening the iron grip anxiety and fear had on her chest. He kissed her cheek and stood up from the couch, holding his hand out to her.

“How about this? We run a hot bath, and then we can see if any reckless things come of that.”

“Are you propositioning me, Cale Makar?”

He shrugged, “Maybe? What if emotional intimacy turns me on?”

“Oh my god, you are such a weirdo,” she laughed, rolling her eyes while she let herself be pulled up from the couch.

“Your weirdo,” he smiled proudly, wrapping his arms around her from behind and gently nudging her to their bedroom.

She felt the corners of her mouth tick up automatically, “Yeah, you are.”

Requests (open) | Masterlist | Join My Taglist

[laurenairay]

Horror movies - C. Makar

Summary: You’re a big fan of watching horror movies on Halloween. Turns out, your boyfriend Cale? Not so much.

The fourth of my Autumn & Halloween blurbs! How could I resist an excuse to snuggle with Cale?

Word Count: 571 words

Tagging: @fallinallincurls @starshine-hockey-girl @lam-ila @tonyspep @cixrosie

~

Over the years you’d developed a tradition for yourself. On Halloween night, you’d spend the evening watching at least three bloody slasher films, the gorier the better. You weren’t quite sure exactly what started it when you were a teenager, but it was something that guaranteed you’d get a little time by yourself – your family were not horror film fans – and it was something that you’d kept up growing into your adult life.

You knew this tradition wasn’t for everyone – you could respect that – but it was something that was important to you, and you weren’t changing it for anyone.

This year was the first year that you were sharing this tradition with a boyfriend though.

You’d met Cale nearly a year ago, and while he was well aware now of your fun Halloween celebration, this would be his first time experiencing it first hand. The notion made you nervous, if you were being honest. More than anything you wanted him to enjoy himself – he had promised he was excited, but that didn’t mean anything until he actually got through the night. This was important to you and he was important to you, and you wanted everything to be seamless.

You could only hope.

“So what are we starting with?”

You smiled up at Cale where he was settled in next to you on the sofa, and snuggled in under his arm a little more.

“I thought we’d go for the Classics tonight, okay? So definitely starting with Halloween. Jamie Lee Curtis is an icon,” you said, smiling, “And then Nightmare on Elm Street followed by Friday the 13th.”

“I’ve heard of all of those, not that I’ve watched them though. I supposed they’re Classics for a reason,” he said, smiling.

“They are. I hope you like them,” you said, a little hesitant.

“Hey, I’m sure I will. If nothing else, I’m happy to be sharing this with you,” he said softly.

You could tell he was trying to reassure you, and it was all you could do to try to believe him. Cale was willing to try. That had to be enough.

“Ready?”

“Let’s do this,” he nodded.

~

As the credits for Friday the 13th rolled, you chanced a look up at Cale. Over the hours you’d felt him getting stiffer and stiffer, flinching more and more, and even now he was pale, staring at the screen with wide eyes.

“So, how are you doing?” you said hesitantly, trying to keep your tone light.

“I, um…”

He trailed off, blinking a few times, before he cleared his throat.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be?” he offered.

“No? You liked them?”

He winced, making you laugh softly. You hadn’t thought so.

“I didn’t hate them? I don’t know if I’d watch them throughout the year but I would be happy to share this tradition with you on Halloween?”

That…that was more than you could hope for. Wow.

“You really mean that?” you asked.

“Yeah, I do. This is important to you, and if nothing else, I enjoyed seeing you enjoy them. I think if there’s a vague storyline, rather than just mindless gore, then I could handle it,” he nodded.

Oh this sweet sweet man.

“You have no idea how much this means to me,” you murmured, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he grinned, “Can we turn the lights back on now?”

[withwritersblock]

~Masterlist~

Requests are open: ~But I hold the right to delete any request I do not feel comfortable writing! Also if it takes me more than three weeks to create the one shot/part to series it may not be published. Last Edited: 10/31/24

Fluff- ❤︎ Angst-★ Dad Fic- ✿ Spicy (Implied Smut or actual Smut)-✖︎

Luke Hughes Masterlist

Cale Makar

Say Isn't it Strange pt. 1 ❤︎ pt. 2 ★ Lover ❤︎ Dog Days are Over ❤︎ just like heaven ❤︎ Castles Crumbling ★✿ Coconut Perfume❤︎

Nathan Mackinnon

The Fall of Home ❤︎✖︎ I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) ❤︎ Colorado (For the First Time)★ ❤︎ Fix You ★ ❤︎ Blessed❤︎ Carry On, Carry On❤︎ Love You, Miss You, Mean It★ ❤︎ This is Home - a series

Cole Caufield

5 foot 9 ❤︎ When He Sees Me ❤︎ Shadow in the Sun ★✖︎ Break up in the End ★ Half as Good as You ★ Until I Come Home ❤︎✖︎ Be My Forever✿❤︎ Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat❤︎ Halloween❤︎

Kirby Dach

Small Talk ❤︎ ✖︎ Your Needs, My Needs ★ Love You Goodbye ★✖︎ Say Love ❤︎ the boy is mine ❤︎ Please Please Please❤︎

Alex Newhook

To Love Someone ❤︎ Heaven ❤︎ Hey ★✖︎

Nico Hischier

Isn't She Lovely ❤︎✿ because i liked a boy★ think later❤︎✖︎ Hard Sometimes❤︎✿ Oh Well, So What❤︎

Jack Hughes

Espresso ✖︎❤︎ F.Y.B.F pt. 1 ✖︎ pt. 2 ❤︎ Do I Wanna Know? ✖︎ Happier Than Ever ★

Ross Colton

Room for Two ❤︎

Quinn Hughes

Oh! Darling - a series Champagne Problems★ Meant To Be ★ Happily ★ What's It To You ❤︎ Feelslikeimfallinginlove ❤︎ Light my Love ★

Ethan Edwards

If You Love Her❤︎

[fallinallincurls]

tell me you want it a thousand miles away from the day that we started

i’m so excited to share this one! this is my fic for @antoineroussel‘s winter fic exchange 2k23 and it’s for @hockeylvr59 !! i hope you love this so much! it’s my first time really writing an oc and it was fun stepping out of my comfort zone to try something new. as always, shoutout to the very best @tonyspep​ who listened to me ramble about ideas and is just amazing.

summary: evelyn and cale were perfect, until their relationship couldn’t stand the distance of him moving to colorado. now, years later, cale runs into the girl who still holds his heart after she goes through a bad breakup and is hoping for a second chance. one that evelyn is more than happy to give him.

playlist- still by niall horan, love of my life by harry styles, always been you by shawn mendes, i’m in love with you by the 1975

hope you enjoy!! feedback is always appreciated! xx

word count: 5.6k

~~~~~

“No way in hell am I going skiing. What if I break my leg or something? Who’s going to explain that to Bedsy?”

“Nathan, there’s this thing called fun. You should try it sometime.” EJ chirps back, clapping a hand on Nate’s shoulder as the Canadian rolls his eyes.

“Just don’t break your leg, Nate. Simple as that. We’re doing this in the spirit of team bonding! It’s a team holiday trip.” Gabe says in response with a genuine smile on his perfect face.

“Yay! Team bonding!” Newy exclaims, a little over the top which makes several of them laugh including Cale.

“Can we get hot chocolate after?” JT chimes in, voice serious but hopeful like that’s the only thing that can convince him to get on the slope. 

“Sure. Hot chocolate after. Now let’s go!” 

Nate shuffles forward, grumbling to himself and the sight makes Cale chuckle. He’s not the biggest fan of skiing either, but he always enjoys any time he can spend with the guys. No matter what activity it includes.

This time, it just happens to be skiing at a resort in Vail. Gabe decided a team retreat would be a fun idea leading up to the holidays and you can’t say no to the captain.

So here Cale is, awkwardly standing in the lobby dressed in his ski gear and surrounded by his teammates who all have mixed reactions to what’s about to happen.

He’s just about to ask Nate if he even knows how to ski, because if not they might actually have to think up a reason to give Bedsy just in case, when a flash of bright red hair catches his eye near the entrance of the lodge. 

At first, Cale thinks it’s the resident ginger of the team. But JT is ahead of him, being jostled around by Newy and Bo, so it can’t be him. Why does he care anyway? 

But then, as he looks back to hopefully get another glimpse, he realizes why he cares. He realizes why the splash of red captured his attention in the first place. Because it was that exact red hair he used to see every day, run his fingers through and adored so much. Cale is frozen in place, gaze locked on the girl he still loves with his entire being. The one who got away.

Before he can think or see the confused look on Nate’s face, he’s leaving the group behind and trudging across the lobby towards the familiar red hair. He’s nervous, really nervous, but he hasn’t seen her in a few years now. And if he misses this opportunity, he wouldn’t ever forgive himself. 

“Evelyn.” Cale doesn’t even recognize his own voice. He gently taps her on the shoulder and all the wind is knocked out of his lungs. Maybe it’s the time apart or Cale’s simply forgotten how gorgeous she is, but when she looks at him, he swears she is the most beautiful person he’s ever seen.

“Cale?” She asks in shock, brows furrowing for a moment before a beaming smile blossoms across her lips. “Cale! Ohmygosh, how are you? It’s been so long.” Evelyn gives him a quick hug and suddenly, Cale is thinking about how he’s going to have to thank Landy for this silly idea.

“It’s nice to see you.” 

“You too! I didn’t know you skied. A new hobby?” Evelyn teases. It’s like nothing ever happened, no time has passed. But Cale knows that’s too good to be true. 

“No, no. A team bonding trip.” Cale explains, nodding towards the door where the team left moments ago. “I’m not very good anyway.” He can feel his cheeks heating up with blush, the familiar pink becoming apparent in mere seconds. 

“Oh, please. I’ve seen you skate and know you’ve got balance and coordination like no one else.” 

“Uh, well, thanks.” He murmurs shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. Cale knows the inevitable end of conversation is coming. Where she tells him how great it’s been to see him and she disappears from his life again. His mind is whirring to find something to say just to keep her talking, to keep her in front of him. 

He isn’t quick enough.

“It’s been nice seeing you, Cale. And I’d love to catch up more, but I have to go. Have fun on the slopes and tell everyone hi for me!” Evelyn says cheerfully, giving him the smile that he still loves before he gives his own goodbye and she’s gone.

“Dude, who’s the redhead?” Nate’s voice snaps Cale back to the present. Of course, Nate stayed behind and saw all of that. “And why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost? You’re not gonna get a girl looking that terrified.”

“Geez, thanks.” Cale mutters, turning to face Nate who’s wearing a look of concern mixed with curiosity.

“Who’s the redhead?” He asks again. Nate is nothing but relentless, Cale should know this by now, and he’s going to have to explain in order for the topic to be dropped.

“Her name is Evelyn. We dated for awhile back when I was at UMass and we tried to keep it going long distance when I came here, but it didn’t work out.”

“But you’re still in love with her.” It’s not a question, but a statement.

Damn it. Why couldn’t EJ have seen the whole interaction? He would’ve just teased Cale about having a thing for gingers. Or even Gabe who would’ve given him some kind of pep talk. But no, Nate had to be the witness and he’s so observant that nothing can be hidden from him.

“Yeah, I’m still in love with her.” Cale admits, voice full of defeat and longing.

“Then why didn’t you just make your move?” The question falls from Nate’s lips with a tone of incredulously and Cale sighs. There’s so much more than them just being exes.

“She just got out of a long term relationship. They were together for a year and half or something like that. Mom told me. I can’t just jump in there like she’s okay and the last thing I want is to be a rebound.” 

But Cale can’t help but wonder what exactly Evelyn is doing here. Last he heard, she had graduated from UMass and returned home to Calgary where she got her first big job and her own apartment. Plus, she had told Cale himself when they were trying to make long distance work that she couldn’t see herself living in Colorado. Yet she’s here.

Does she live here now? Or maybe she’s just visiting. That’s more realistic. But who would she be coming to see? She doesn’t know anyone in the entire state of Colorado besides him. At least that Cale knows of.

“Cale?” Nate’s voice is soft, but snaps the defenseman back to the present. 

“Huh?”  

“I think you should talk to her. You never know what could come of it. And you still love her! Doesn’t matter what happened in the past, I think she needs you more than you realize right now, especially coming out of a relationship like that.” 

“Thanks, Gabe.” Cale says pointedly, giving Nate a look that’s supposed to be mean but he doubts it comes across the way he intends. Nate’s smile gives that away. “When did you become so wise and captain-like?”

“Just-” Nate starts, putting a hand on Cale’s shoulder shaking his head at the chirps before continuing. “Think about it. Okay?”

That’s easy, but Cale doesn’t say that out loud. All he’s going to be doing until he sees her again is thinking. Thinking about her.

Cale gets answers to all but one question when he calls his mom the next day. He barely gets through saying hello before the news bursts out.

“Mom, you’ll never guess who I saw yesterday.” 

“Who?” Laura asks with curiosity.

“Evelyn. Eve, like my Eve.” The nickname rolls off his tongue naturally. Cale’s the only one who ever got to call her Eve and saying it now feels so right. Like there’s still a chance she could be his Eve again. Not Evelyn like she is for everyone else. Eve.

“Oh, honey. Did you really?” 

“Yeah, we’re on this mini team retreat right now, Gabe’s idea, and I saw her in the lobby before we went skiing.” He explains, taking a deep breath. “Did you know she would be in Colorado?”

It’s a loaded question, Cale knows that, but he has to know. He’s known Evelyn pretty much his whole life and even after they broke up, their families still stayed in touch. He just needed to know more about why he saw her in the last place he ever would’ve expected.

“Um, not exactly.” 

“Mom!”

“I didn’t know, Cale! Her mom said that after the breakup, Eve decided she needed a fresh start and left Calgary. That’s the last I heard. But apparently she landed in Colorado if you saw her.” 

Cale is silent for a moment, absorbing everything Laura just said. Nate’s words from the other day become clear again and he knows what he’s going to do next. 

“I know it might be out of nowhere, but I think she could use a friend, Cale. She’s taking this really hard and I can’t imagine how scary it might be also being somewhere completely new too. If you see her again, ask if she wants to get a coffee or something simple. You know how she loves the wintertime and that might be tainted now with everything going on.” Laura says softly and Cale knows she’s right. In fact, that’s almost exactly what he’s thinking. 

“Okay, you’re right. Thanks, Mom.” Cale replies before they exchange the usual love you’s and see you soon’s. He lets out a sigh of relief and leans back against the couch. It might not have been the answers he was looking for, but now he at least knows what he has to do. 

And if there’s any chance of getting back together, even just the tiniest little sliver of hope, Cale has to know. But first and foremost, he has to be the friend that Eve needs more than ever.

Not even a week into the new year, Cale finds himself back at the ski lodge where the team was during the holidays for Gabe’s grand idea. He has no idea if he’ll see Eve here again, like maybe the run-in was some twist of fate and only destined to happen once, but he has to try. As he’s running through all the options of what to say to her, Cale spots the familiar flash of red hair and his heart starts to race.

Now or never.

He walks up to the front desk in the lobby where Eve is talking to someone on the opposite side, her sweet smile on full display. Before Cale can even say anything, she senses someone next to her and turns to offer a kind look but then realizes who it is.

“Cale! How crazy is this?” Eve says, her voice full of happiness. She guides him away from the front desk, thanking the employee she was just talking to and that’s when Cale seemingly loses control of his tongue.

“Eve, hi. It’s really great to see you again.”

“You too. Do you come here often? I didn’t think you’d have a lot of time to take up skiing or anything else with how busy your schedule is with hockey.” She asks, her big brown eyes holding Cale’s gaze.

“I- uh, no, I don’t. I was hoping to see you again actually.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Cale starts, unsure of how to phrase what he wants to say, but Eve is looking at him so fondly and he can’t put a single thought together. “Look, I heard about what happened and I’m really sorry things ended that way. You don’t deserve that and even after all this time, I still care about you. A lot. Plus, you’re new to Colorado so I wanted to let you know I’m here for you and would be happy to show you my favorite places around here or maybe do some of the things we used to do together to cheer you up. It’s up to you.” He trails off, hoping she doesn’t notice how nervous he is. 

Eve doesn’t say anything for a moment and Cale worries he already messed this up. He’s ready to face the rejection and continue on with his life as if this never happened, until Eve’s smooth voice cuts through his thoughts. 

“You’re just as sweet as you were at UMass. Nothing’s changed.” She whispers, her cheeks becoming a deep color of pink. Cale swears he’s never seen anyone so adorable. Her beaming smile is directed at Cale for the first time in years and he doesn’t want that to change. “I would love that. Whether it’s seeing your favorite places or doing what used to be our favorite things. Sounds perfect to me.”

“Yeah?” Cale asks, trying to mask any shock in his voice. 

“Yeah. So when do we start?” 

“What about right now?” He giggles as Eve nods with excitement. It feels a lot like the old days when they would spend any possible moment together, laughing and sharing kisses without a care in the world. That kind of happiness is one Cale wants back and hopes Eve feels the same way too. 

“Okay, then let’s go, Makar. We’ve got quite a lot to catch up on.” 

And just like that a new routine is born. Every waking moment the two of them have is spent together. They start with seeing Cale’s favorite places around Denver, spanning between the variety of tourist attractions and the little hidden gems of the city. 

Slowly, but surely, Evelyn opens up about the breakup and it physically pains Cale to see her hurting over some stupid guy who just lost the best thing that would ever happen to him. He offers nothing but his support and kind words because despite the feelings he might have for her, he still cares about her more than anything.

An unspoken list of things they used to do together, especially during the winter time, is put together. Driving around to see the Christmas lights while drinking hot chocolate, making cinnamon rolls, playing crib, a spontaneous snowball fight and so much more. The more time spent together, the more it feels as if they’re back at UMass and completely in love.

Cale doesn’t push. If all he gets is Eve as a close friend, he’ll take it. She’s back in his life and he couldn’t ask for anything more. 

But with each passing day and activity done together, Eve remembers exactly why she fell in love with Cale in the first place. And it’s more obvious than ever that her feelings for him never fully disappeared. Her heart seems to be healing because of him and although she can’t admit she wants to give them another try just yet, there is something she’s ready for that Cale hasn’t mentioned once since they saw each other again at the lodge.

“Hey Cale?” She asks softly, looking up at him across the table. The cafe isn’t that busy during this time of day and Eve learned quickly this place has the best breakfast so this morning her and Cale decided to grab a bite before he had to go to morning skate. This used to be a regular occurrence for them back in college. Getting up early, sharing breakfast together while giggling over everything and then going their separate ways until Cale was back from practice. Eve starts to feel a weird sense of deja vu, but pushes through. 

“Hm?” Cale hums in response, taking a sip of his coffee before meeting her gaze. He looks so adorable in the early morning light that she can’t stand it. Cheeks rosy as always, wearing a warm knitted sweater and his hair is just the perfect kind of messy, sticking up in all different directions.

“How’s the team doing? Do you like playing here?” The questions tumble off her lips innocently, but shock Cale for a moment. 

“You- sorry, you want to talk about hockey?” Cale shakes his head in disbelief, blue eyes searching Eve’s face for any sign of worrying emotions.

In the last few weeks, there hasn’t been a single mention of the sport Cale plays despite the two of them planning around his practice, game and travel schedule. Eve hasn’t addressed it yet because in the end, hockey is what took him away from her, it’s what broke their relationship when it couldn’t have been better. But now, realizing she’s falling in love with him again, Eve knows talking about hockey isn’t going to ruin anything.

In fact, now, she can’t wait to hear about Cale’s career here in Colorado. 

“Yeah, I do. If this,” Eve gestures between the two of them, “is going to work, I can’t be scared of something that we had no control over in the past even if it’s the thing that separated us. Plus, it’s such a big part of your life so I want to know everything, Mr. Norris and Conn Smythe Trophy winner.” 

Cale laughs, that beautiful smile overtaking his face and pure joy radiating off of him. “Well someone has been keeping up, huh?” 

“Please, it’s hard not to when everyone back home couldn’t stop talking about you during the playoffs and then your day with the Cup…”

Without any hesitation, Cale jumps right into telling her about everything hockey related since he got to Denver. Joining the team during the playoffs, winning the Calder, all the fun and not so happy moments with the guys over the years, how he’s trained in the offseason and of course, the biggest moment of all, winning the Cup last season.

Cale’s in the middle of telling a funny story about Nate, one of thousands, when he catches a glimpse of the time on Eve’s phone. 9:15.

“Oh shit. Eve, I’ve got to go. Morning skate.” He says quickly, kissing her cheek and making sure the check is paid for. “I’m sorry, I totally lost track of time. You’ll hear the rest of the story later I promise.”

“It’s all good, Cale. Have fun at practice! I’ll see you later, okay?” Eve says, her voice soft and Cale feels his heart swell. “And thank you for telling me about hockey again. I’m so proud of everything you’ve accomplished.”

“Anytime, Eve. And thank you.” With that, he offers her the kindest smile before heading out to the rink.

Cale is late. Well, not technically since morning skate doesn’t start until ten, but by his standards he’s late. He already missed the usual routine of getting ready with Nate and catching up with Devon. And the worse part is, he doesn’t have a single clue about how he’s going to explain this to the guys who will definitely be asking him what happened.

But Cale knows he isn’t good at lying and at the same time, there’s no way the team can know what he’s up to. Even if it’s making him way happier than usual.

Which of course, EJ notices right away as he’s hustling into the locker room.

“Look who decided to show up! Nice of you to join us, Caler.”

“Sorry,” Cale mumbles in response, heading right to his stall to get ready for practice. But he feels his cheeks heat up and knows it’s a dead giveaway.

“What took you so long? You’re usually here with this maniac way earlier than need be.” EJ pushes, gesturing to Nate for a moment before all his attention focuses on Cale. A beat of silence lasts too long and somehow EJ knows exactly what’s going on.

“It’s a girl, isn’t it?”

“EJ,” Nate warns, ready to step in since he knows Cale has been talking to Eve again, but everyone knows EJ is mostly all talk. The chances of him overstepping is slim to none. It’s just fun and games. Except Cale’s lack of response and rosier than usual cheeks say everything he doesn’t put into words.

“I just got coffee and breakfast with a friend. We’ve been catching up lately after not seeing each other for a while.” Not a lie. That’s partially true and he hopes it’s enough to convince the team to lose interest.

“With a girl!” EJ says with a laugh, clapping him on the shoulder. “They grow up so fast, don’t they?”

And just like that, everyone moves on. Almost everyone. While the rest of the team filters out of the locker room to hit the ice, Nate gently taps Cale with his stick and gives him that same knowing look that he did a few weeks ago.

“How’s it going? With… ya know?”

Cale kind of wishes the floor will swallow him, but he knows Nate is being nice. He’s just not used to talking about his love life with any of the guys because there hasn’t been much of a love life to talk about.

“Really well actually. Nothing’s happened and neither of us are pushing, but it’s been great just spending time together again. I miss that, you know? It’s great to have her back.” Cale explains, cheeks becoming pink with blush as he talks. Nate offers a genuine smile in response and bumps his shoulder.

“That’s good. You deserve her. So I’m rooting for you.”

“Thanks, Nate. Means a lot.” He shrugs softly, trying not to let his thoughts wander.

“Just an idea though, maybe see if she wants to come to a game. She might like seeing you play.” Nate says out of nowhere and Cale just nods, unable to think of a proper response. They walk out to the rink together and the moment Cale takes the ice, all his worries fall away.

But beneath it all, Cale can’t help but think about how Eve has just started asking about hockey again. And he’d be lying if the idea of her in his jersey, cheering him on in the stands and waiting to greet him afterwards didn’t make his heart race.

This is crazy and Evelyn knows it. She hasn’t seen Cale play since college when she would sit with her friends and the other girlfriends in a much smaller rink. He might not like her being at a game even if that sounds far fetched. Yet, here she is right against the glass on the Avs side of the ice at Ball Arena.

The sign she’s clutching in her hands is another reminder of how insane this whole idea is. Although it will help her blend in among the other fans who have brought their own homemade signs as well. But it’s too late to back out now, and if there’s one thing Eve is sure of, it’s how she feels about Cale.

So she waits at the glass in anticipation of seeing the team skate out for warmups. The same giddiness that used to run through her veins when she attended the games on campus returns and realizes she’s missed this feeling without even knowing it. Sure, she’s watched the Avs games at home from the comfort of her couch, but this is a whole different experience that she is happy to have back.

The only person that knows she’s here right now is Nate. He's the only one who knows more than he should about her and Cale, which she didn’t think was ideal until she came up with this bright idea. Nate only encouraged her and even helped organize all the details to ensure everything about the surprise goes according to plan.

That also means he’s the only one who won’t have an outrageous reaction to her sign.

Eve snaps out of her thoughts as the lights begin to come up, illuminating the ice in the usual brightness that she has grown accustomed to. Her eyes focus on the tunnel next to the bench while pressing the sign against the glass. She has no idea if Cale will even see it, but everything in her is hoping he does and if not, one of his teammates points it out to him. He’s followed in Nate’s footsteps of being zeroed in during warmups and the fan interaction falls to the wayside in terms of importance. 

Tonight will be different. 

The team skates out onto the ice and cheers erupt from the crowd. An instant smile spreads across Eve’s lips when the familiar number eight steps onto the rink, immediately skating around effortlessly. As the guys settle into their usual warm up routines, Eve keeps an eye on Cale as if she could look anywhere else. Nate skates by and taps his stick against the glass, a beaming grin of his on display.

“He’s going to flip out.” Nate says, shaking his head and tapping a fist bump against the glass. Eve does the same with a giggle before he skates off to continue with drills. 

It’s then when she spots JT and Mikko whispering to each other opposite of where she’s standing. Mikko’s got that mischievous look in his gaze as the ginger next to him can’t stop smiling. They’ve noticed the sign and Eve feels her nerves spike. It’s only a matter of time before they bring it to Cale’s attention.

“Hey, Caler! Why didn’t you tell us you finally invited your girl to a game?” JT calls out, giving Cale a playful bump to the shoulder.

“What?” Cale responds, looking up from his stick handling in confusion. “I didn’t invite anyone.”

“Well, that sure looks like Evelyn to me.” 

“JT, don’t be- ohmygod. It is Evelyn.”

As an unbelievable amount of shock rolls through him, Cale can’t help but beam in her direction. He would recognize her fiery hair color and beautiful smile anywhere. She’s here at one of his games. She’s really here. He’s been waiting to have this back for so long. His eyes never move away from her even if he can hear JT and Mikko chuckling nearby.

Despite the happiness coursing through his veins as he slowly skates over, he tries to take in every detail of this moment. Eve is wearing what she called her “lucky jersey” from Cale’s time at UMass. Seeing her in the familiar maroon and silver jersey with the number 16 on the sleeves and a simple A on the chest makes Cae’s heart soar. His last name is on the back of that jersey and even better, she’s kept it after all this time even if it’s been years since she saw him play in Massachusetts. Cale doesn’t even have enough time to process all this when he realizes what is written on the sign she’s pressing against the glass.

“Even in burgundy and blue, my heart still belongs to you #8!”

All the air in his lungs is stolen away and everything else seems to fall away except for Eve. Not only is she here at a game, but her sign holds the confession that Cale has been wondering about since they ran into each other again.

She still loves him. He doesn’t know if her feelings ever went away or she fell in love again, but Cale can’t believe this is happening. After all this time, her heart still belongs to him just like his belongs to her.

“Hi,” he murmurs, pressing his hand against the glass when he comes face to face with Eve. She waves in response and the smile he gets in return rivals the sun. He pulls a puck over and flips it up onto his stick before tossing it over the glass. The moment she catches it, looking up with the most hopeful expression on her face, Cale takes the leap of faith. “I love you so much.”

Evelyn doesn’t think she can smile any bigger and swears her heart might explode with pure joy. This beautiful, sweet, amazing boy just said the three words she’s been waiting to hear since the day things ended. Cale loves her. Nothing else in the world matters more than that.

“I love you too.”

Cale taps the glass a few more times before ever so slowly skating away. His cheeks are pink with blush and the smile on his lips won’t be going away anytime soon. Eve gives him a wave, holding the puck to her chest where her heart is racing. With his mind on his girl, Cale returns to the usual warmups and knows this game is a must win more than it was before.

Because of Eve.

The Avs win 4-1 and Eve doesn’t think she’s ever had this much fun before. All of Cale’s games at UMass were an experience, but that doesn’t even come close to how happy and excited she is when the buzzer sounds and the boys spill onto the ice for hugs and celebration.

Cale scored two goals and had a three point night which isn’t unusual for him, but he seemed to be playing on a whole other level. She is beyond proud of him for making it to the biggest stage in hockey and it’s no surprise that he’s thriving because he’s just that good.

“Evelyn, do you want to come with us to the tunnel? We wait for the guys down there after the game, if you want to see Cale.” Mel asks softly as the rest of the wives and girlfriends start filtering out of the suite.

“Oh, yeah, I’d love that. You’re sure it’s okay?” Eve responds, trying not to let any sign of nerves seep through her words.

“Of course it is. You’re part of the family now! We all see how that boy looks at you. It’s only a matter of time before he makes it official.” Mel chuckles sweetly, looping her arm through Eve’s to show her the way through the arena. Eve feels a tiny smile creep onto her lips after what her new friend just said, but the giddiness running through her about seeing Cale so soon takes precedence.

In no time, the small group is waiting outside the locker room and Eve can’t seem to stand still. Anxious thoughts run through her mind. How does she greet Cale after their mutual confessions during warmups? What if he didn’t mean it? Where do they go from here?

Before she can get lost in the whirlwind of anxiety and what if’s, the door to the locker room opens and the guys start to filter out. She says hi and congratulates each of them on the win, including Nate who tells her Cale will be out in a few before bumping her shoulder playfully and giving her a knowing look.

And just like Nate said, Cale is the next player to exit the locker room. His bright blue eyes are searching the area like he’s looking for someone specific. Then he sees her.

“Eve!” Cale calls out, hurrying over with open arms to scoop her up in the tightest embrace. She can’t help the giggles that escape when her feet leave the floor for a quick moment as Cale spins her around.

“Hey bubs, you played so well! I missed seeing you out there. And I already knew it, but you’re one hell of a player.” Eve says, cupping his rosy cheeks in her hands as they maintain eye contact. The close proximity is enough to make her dizzy, but the look on Cale’s face steals her breath away.

“Thank you. It was a big surprise seeing you out there, but I’m so happy you came.” 

“Me too.”

Everyone is probably watching the moment as it’s happening, but Cale doesn’t care. His girl is in his arms and there’s a tension in the air that he needs to get rid of which means he has to ask the thing he’s been wondering since he saw her during warmups with the sign that changed everything. 

“Also noticed your creative spark for making signs hasn’t disappeared either.” Cale hints, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

“It wasn’t my best work, but I couldn’t wait to tell you something so important.” Eve giggles, hands sliding up to lock behind Cale’s neck. “And it’s still true.”

“I know,” Cale mumbles under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear. “And I meant what I said. I love you more than anything, Evelyn. I never stopped. Not when I left for Colorado or when we decided to end things. Not even when I found out you had moved on. It’s always been you and I don’t plan on letting what we have slip away again.”

Tears begin to spring up as Eve listens to Cale speak and she can’t even begin to find words to properly express her emotions. Instead, she closes the space between them with a long awaited kiss that’s soft and gentle, but full of love. Cale pulls her impossibly closer and feels her smile against his lips. Time seems to stop and neither of them can believe how lucky they are.

“You’re it for me, Cale. I love you so much. Even if it’s a thousand miles away from where we started, I want this. I want you. There’s never been anything I’ve been more sure of in my life.” Eve says quietly, pressing her forehead against his for a brief moment before the team, who has been watching the whole moment, erupts in cheers. “Ohmygod.” She whispers, hiding her face in Cale’s chest.

“Finally!” EJ yells, shaking some of the guys in excitement.

“You might want to give Gabe a really big thank you for that stupid team bonding trip. None of this would’ve even happened if we weren’t dragged there.” Nate laughs, taking in both Cale and Eve who are glowing with nothing but pure happiness. 

And years down the line, if Gabe gets the first invite to their wedding at that very same ski lodge, no one has to know.

tagging some friends/mutuals who might be interested!

@tonyspep @starshine-hockey-girl @kailyn-writes @happer08 @rosesvioletshardy @sorryjustafangirl @laurenairay @miracleonice87 @hockeyunits @stroopwaffle8 @musiclove-12 @eightmakar @ilyasorokinn @barzysreputation @breezymichelle99 @comphyjost @comphy-and-cozy @jostystyles @ya-pucking-nerd @fallen-froots @beauvibaby @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69 @boqvistsbabe @antoineroussel @tpwkstiles @hockeylvr59 @2manytabsopen @senditcolton @equallyshaw @lam-ila @nateslehky​

[harlowhockeystick]

hockey blurb masterlist

[a] = angst, [s] = smut, [f] = favorite

brock boeser

"are you sure that's how you do it?"

erik johnson

"you were the first one who actually loved me" [a]

frederik andersen

picking apples

at the dinner table [s] → in the shower [s]

laundry day [s]

"say the word and i'm yours"

stood up [f]

"i'll take care of you"

"how many rounds do you have in you?"

"make sure nobody sees you leave"

matthew tkachuk

"your hands are warm"

"you're giving me those fuck me eyes again" [s]

nolan patrick

"i just want you all the time" [f]

"this shit is so overrated"

"i've never had a valentine before"

putting his princess in her place [s]

"my head hurts, stop talking"

by the fireplace [s]

"i'm so in love i might stop breathing"

"please come out, i need to talk to you" [f] [a]

quinn hughes

"i'm bleeding"

"show me where it hurts"

"can i stay here tonight?"

sidney crosby

"and he never thinks of me, except when i'm on tv"

"that's so hot, do it again"

"this reminded me of you"

"i'm so in love i might stop breathing"

"i'll never forget you" [a]

william nylander

"just wait until tomorrow, everything will be on sale"

"look in my eyes"

"i need a vacation. and a shot."

"i miss my dog. and my wife."

"i want to wear his initial on a chain 'round my neck"

"i want to know what your moans sound like"

feedback | main masterlist | taglist | more blurbs

[kaleforcale888]

MY LITTLE ROSY CHEEKED GUY || avs tiktok 9•20•2023

[toasttt11]

mack

August 7, 2019

Sidney quietly opened Cameron’s bedroom door holding a plate with her favorite breakfast, banana bread and candles light for her thirteenth birthday.

Sidney sat on the age of the bed and smiled fondly seeing her hair all crazily spread out across her pillow and he gently brushed some back and off her face, “Cam Bug.” Sidney softly cooed to his most important person.

“Mmm.” Cameron grumbled naturally leaning into her father’s touch.

“Happy birthday.” Sidney softly spoke and Cameron bounced up looking wide awake and Sidney bittersweetly smiled at his now teenager.

“Make a wish.” Sidney told her rubbing her back gently as she closed her eyes and blew out her candles. Cameron smiled and immediately broke off a piece of the banana bread and stuffed it in her face.

“Thank you.” Cameron mumbled leaning her head on her dad’s shoulder as she continued to stuff her face.

Sidney just sat with her as she ate and stealing a few bites and once she was finished, “Why don’t we get dressed there is some surprises for you down stairs.”

Cameron nodded and got out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom and came out a few minutes later in a pair of white cargo bangs and a blue and white striped shirt and a brush in her hand. She walked over to her dad and handed him the brush and Sidney gently brushed through her hair and got all of the knots out.

Sidney spun her around and gently kissed her forehead, “Beautiful.” Sidney proudly smiled at his beautiful daughter and he stood up off her bed.

They walked down the stairs and into the living room seeing a lot of people in there.

“Aunty Tay!” Cameron gasped and all but ran over to her aunt who has been on a trip the last few weeks.

“There’s my favorite niece.” Taylor smiled hugging her favorite niece tightly and pressing multiple kissed to the top of her head.

“I’m your only niece Aunty Tay.” Cameron giggled shaking her head at her silly aunt.

“Oh there’s my granddaughter.” Troy grinned at his granddaughter as she walked over to his wife and him. He pulled her into a tight hug rocking her back and forth before reluctantly releasing her as he knew his wife wanted to hug her too.

“Happy Birthday Cammie.” Tina beamed as she pulled her granddaughter into a hug.

“Thanks Nana.” Cameron smiled at her before skipping over to her Anna and Geno and Baby Nikita.

“Hi Kiki.” Cameron softly cooed at her baby cousin and looked at Anna for permission to hold him, Anna smiled and handed her son into her niece’s arms.

“Happy birthday маленький пингвин.” Geno pressed a kiss on her head and has been calling her little penguin in Russian since she was born as well as teaching her Russian.

“Thank you.” Cameron beamed but kept her eyes on her baby cousin in her arms, she gently brought her finger to his face and his little hands wrapped around her finger and opened his eyes at her.

She reluctantly passed him back to Anna and Anna smiled and gently kissed her forehead.

“Uncle Flower!” Cameron cheered as she rushed over to hug her godfather. Marc chuckled and hugged his goddaughter back.

“Hi Stells!” Cameron beamed at her two year old cousin.

“Cam Cam!” Estelle smiled widely and toddled over to her and lifted her hands up to her older cousin. Cameron picked up her and spun her around making Estelle giggle before Cameron set her cousin on her hip and gently hugged her very pregnant godmother.

“Hi Aunty Vee.” Cameron gently kissed her aunts cheek and Veronique gently caressed her sweet goddaughter cheek.

Cameron walked a step forward and a tiny body ran into her legs she looked down seeing her four year old cousin staring at her with a beaming smile.

“Hi Xan.” Cameron smiled and picked him up to setting him on her other hip.

“Happy Birthday Cam Cam.” Alexander cheered pressing a sloppy kiss onto her cheek and Cameron smiled tickling him slighty as she brought her cousins over to Kris and Catherine.

“Hi Uncle Krisy and Aunty Cat.” Cameron greeted them with a smile as her hands were full of her cousin.

“Hi darling, happy birthday.” Catherine gently kissed her nieces cheek. Kris gently ruffled her hair and hugged her being mindful of the kids in her arms.

Cameron smiled and heard to the couch and gently dropped both of her baby cousins making them giggle.

Cameron walked to her Nate, “Natey!” Cameron grinned and Nate smiled picking her up off the floor and shaking her back and forth in the hug.

“Happy Birthday baby Crosby!!” Nate cheered as he shook her like crazy before setting her back down gently.

Cameron smiled as a lot of her closest family members all came out to see her for her birthday.

Sidney had snuck out of the living room when Cameron was greeting everyone and he came back in with a something behind his back.

“What’s that?” Cameron titled her head curiously seeing her dad hiding something behind his back.

“Your present. Close your eyes.” Sidney smiled and Cameron closed her eyes holding out her hands and Sidney set the pet carrier in her hands, “Okay open.” Sidney smiled. Taylor had her phone out to film Cameron’s reaction.

Cameron let out a loud gasp as she opened her eyes and saw a cat in the carrier, she quickly knelt down setting the carrier on the ground and opened it up and the tiny white fluffy kitten popped her head out staring at Cameron.

“Hi.” Cameron whispered giggling happily as she been wanting a cat for years but Sidney wanted her to be a bit older so Cameron could take care of it.

The kitten meowed and jumped right out and onto her lap cuddling up on her. Cameron’s smile was so wide as she gently began petting her kitten.

Sidney sat down next to his daughter and smiled seeing her so happy.

“Thank you Dad.” Cameron hugged him being careful of her cat.

“Of course Cam Bug, happy birthday.” Sidney proudly smiled and brushed her hair out of her face and kissed the side of her head.

“What are you going to name him?” Taylor asked curiously to her niece.

Cameron titled her head thoughtfully before a mischievous grin came to her face, “Mack! Mr. Mack.”

Sidney let out a groan of defeat and Nate let out a booming laugh hearing the name.

[ethanedwardsnumberonefan]

Insta Hockey AU | x Reader

AU: You grew up with The Hughes boys as their neighbour and the fact your dad coached Jack’s PeeWee team, making you bestfriends. And by some luck the year The Hughes were supposedly leaving you to move to Michigan for Jack to join Team USA, your dad gets a call about an assistant coaching job for Team USA. Thus moving to Michigan and becoming an honorary member and best friend of the Team USA boys and attending Umich

(I have no clue who this AU will end up with 😭)

Pt 2

Y/nL/n

Liked by _quinnhughes and others

Y/nL/n

Golfing -> Golfing ⛳️☀️🌴🥂💕

trevorzegras woah woah paparazzi much?

Y/nLn you’re never being posted on my account ever after this

thomasbordeleau_ atta girl

jackhughes so trevor and luke got solos but i had to share my feature?

Y/nL/n im going to block you and z soon try me, at least cole was funny when he did this

colecaufield thank you

lhughes_06 no pic creds?

Y/nL/n pic creds to lu 💕

trevorzegras why isnt he getting potentially blocked

Y/nL/n hes the most tolerable out of all you

_quinnhughes you sure about that?

user6 👀👀

calemakar ⛳️🥂

user1 haven’t seen him comment on something in a while 🤨

markestapa when are you gonna visit me ethans getting annoying

edwards.73 ??

user4 shes so cute how has none of the boys dated her what 😭

user7 that’s what im saying something there has gotta be going on 😭😭

Load more comments

Y/nL/n has posted on their story!

jackhughes has posted to their story!

trevorzegrasfanaccount

Liked by user3 and others

trevorzegrasfanaccount

Z and Y/n golfing 👀

user2 girl they’re just golfing no need for 👀

user7 i dunno guys..

user6 has no one heard of best friends 😭😭

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A/N: I still don’t know who this ends up with please comment and help me 😭

[matthewkniesys]

we’re just best friends - cale makar

Summary: Three times people assume you and Cale are dating and one time you and Cale actually talk about it.

Pairing: Cale Makar x gn!reader

A/n: I don’t really have a lot to say except I’m just getting back into writing so please be nice!! That being said honest feedback is always appreciated! Love you all and hope you enjoy 🫶

Warnings: some swearing and I think that’s it

The first time someone mentions it, you're out at lunch with a friend.

"So you two are dating right?" You almost choke on your water when your friend asks you this. You aren’t dating anyone.

"Me and who?" 

"You and Cale?"

"Me and Cale. Are you crazy?" You respond, laughing at the thought and ignoring the butterflies that start swirling in your stomach.

"Wait, what you aren't?" You friend looks so utterly shocked as if there was not a doubt in her mind that you were a couple.

"Trust me, he's my best friend and I love him to death but us dating... will never happen."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that if I was you."

"What makes you say that?" You question.

"I see the way you look at him," you snort. That's ridiculous.

"If you wanna deny it that's fine but I can't pretend I don't notice the way he looks at you. We all notice how he looks at you. And I think maybe you’re starting to look at him like that too."  You shake your head. Cale doesn't like you and you don't like him. End of story.

The second time is at an Avs game.

You’re sitting with a bunch of the wives and girlfriends because being Cale’s best friend has it’s perks like free tickets and sitting with the families of the players.

Gabe’s wife, Melissa,  sits down next to you and the conversation starts off normally. You talk about hockey and the team and you find the 2 of you are getting along quite nicely. 

All of a sudden Melissa says “So how is it going between you and Cale?”

Confused you ask “ What do you mean?”

“I mean, how is your relationship going? How long have you two been together?”

“Oh well, um,” you stutter, not knowing what to say. Does everyone think you and Cale are a couple? “We aren’t actually together.”

Now it was Melissa’s turn to ask “ What do you mean?”

“Cale and I aren’t dating. He’s my best friend that’s all.”

Melissa pauses for a second then asks, “ Well I never would have guessed.” She pauses “Do you want him to be your boyfriend?”

Your first reaction is, as always, to say no, but you hesitate. Lately you’ve been wondering... but no it wouldn’t work so you say, “No.”

Are you sure, you seem unsettled?”

“ It doesn’t matter it wouldn’t work anyways.”

“I think you should give it a shot. You might be surprised.”

You brush off the words in that moment but don’t stop thinking about them for days.

The third time it wasn’t even anyone you know... it was the fans.

You and Cale had went out for dinner and a movie and he posted a picture of you on his story.  A picture of you holding the flowers he had gotten you. And yeah it kinda sounds like it was a date but it wasn’t. You were just friends doing things friends do. And yeah sure most of your friends don’t buy you flowers when you go out but it was Cale. He’s so much more caring and thoughtful than everyone else.

One of your close friends texted you the next morning, telling to check the comments on Cale’s story. You knew the moment you saw the text what it was about. 

Every single time Cale posts you or with you there are always the comments about your relationship status.

Last week you had finally admitted to yourself and to them that you had feelings for him and since then your friend had been hounding you to tell him. She didn’t understand why you were so scared to say something. You just didn’t want to fuck everything up.

You opened the app, clicked on the story and checked the comments. You blinked at the screen, in shock. Usually there were a handful of comments about you two sprinkled throughout the section but on this post, of the 10 000 comments more than 3/4 of them were about you and Cale... and how you looked so in love. Everyone was saying there was no possible way you two weren’t dating.

You only really admitted to yourself that you had feelings for Cale last week, and you can’t even comprehend that he might have feelings for you too. Everything is making you so conflicted. You wish it could go back to how it was before. When there wasn’t a doubt in your mind that all you’d ever be is best friends.

The last time is when you and Cale sit down to talk about it.

You hadn’t seen Cale in a week, since the dinner date that wasn’t actually a date, and you had had lots of time to think since then. And your feelings for Cale were honestly the only thing you thought about for the last week. The reason you hadn’t seen him had nothing to do with the comments, it was simply because he was on a roadie.

You were drinking your morning coffee when you got a text. You flip over your phone and see a text from Cale asking you to come over. The text was weirdly formal and that was starting to make you anxious.

You got in your car and drove over to Cale’s apartment. You just became more and more jittery throughout the drive and were really regretting the 2 cups of coffee you downed before leaving.

You park and take the elevator up to Cale’s place. You pause outside the door, not ready to go in. Why did everything have to change? 2 weeks ago you never would have been hesitating about going to talk to your best friend but now you aren’t so sure.

You knock and soon after you hear footsteps and Cale opens the door. He looks so soft wearing his glasses and a hoodie. He scratches his neck, looking as nervous as you felt.

“Um hey, y/n.” 

“Hey Cale, what’s up?” You hoped your voice didn’t quiver as much a you think.

“Uh just come in, then we’ll talk.” Well, that just made you a whole lot more anxious.

“Do you want anything to drink... coffee?” You already had 2 cups of coffee that weren’t sitting right so you turned him down.

“Come sit ,I guess,” Cale says, pointing toward the couch. 

You awkwardly perch at the end of the couch. Why is Cale acting so weird? Oh shit, he must know that you like him. Fuck. He’s probably gonna tell you he doesn’t wanna be friends. Right now you’re having a hard time holding back your tears.

You take a deep breath “Cale just spit it out. I already know what you’re gonna say.” You were preparing yourself for when he tells you, that he can’t be friends anymore.

“Wait, what, you do? You must hate me.”

“I could never hate you, but i know it’ll be hard.”  Though maybe not being around you and over analysing ever little interaction will be easier, is what you think but don’t say.

“ It’s  been going on for awhile, a few years actually, and I can’t not tell you anymore.” Is what he replies with.

“I’ll just get- wait what for a few years? I only realised I liked you, like, last week!” Your mind is reeling. What the hell does he mean? A year?

“What the fuck do you mean? You like me?” Cale looks incredulous. You’re even more confused.

“Yeah... isn't that why I’m here? You’re gonna tell me we can’t be friends anymore because I like you?”

He takes a deep breath, looks you in the eye, grabs both of your hands in his and starts, “Y/n, I asked you to come here because I needed to tell you I like you. I couldn’t do it anymore. Being best friends is great but it started to not be enough.  I wanted to hold your hand, take you out on dates, kiss you ,and live with you. I wanted everything that comes with being best friends plus all the dating stuff. Seeing you with other guys, y/n, was ruining me. I wanted to be supportive of you but it was hard cause I just wanted to be that guy. That’s why I asked you here today. To tell you I love you.”

“I don’t understand... for 3 years? How did I never realise?” You feel like you're losing your mind. Everything is changing so quickly.

“I don’t know. I thought for sure you’d realise and then you’d never want to hang out with me. But you didn’t so I kept pretending and then it just became too much. I needed to tell you.”

You pause and then suddenly start laughing. And you can’t stop. And then Cale joins in and starts laughing.

In between your gasps for air you say, “I think part of me has loved you for years and years and I just never realised it. We’re both kinda dumb.”

“Yeah but mostly you, y/n. At least I realised I was in love with you years ago.”

“Okay, that’s fair.” 

The laughing just doesn’t stop. By the time you and Cale are done, you’re lying on the floor, clutching your stomach and gasping for air. 

“I feel like we’re 8 again, laughing over something stupid.” Cale says, looking at you, his eyes are shinning.

“Yeah, I mean we’ve grown up a lot since then but at the root we’re still those same kids. Especially when we are together.” After your reply the two of you sit in silence for awhile.

Cale is the first to break the silence. “I feel like part of me always thought maybe we would end up together. Like even when I didn’t yet have feelings for you, it felt right for us to be together to the end. Like even if we never fell in love we would marry each other just cause we’re best friends. We were always the kids that other people looked at and thought I want that, you know like everyone was always asking me if we were going out together. You wouldn’t believe the amount of people that have asked me if we’ve been going out for more than five years. In hind sight it’s funny cause I guess everyone realised before we did.”

You pause taking in what Cale just said then,”Actually the reason I figured out my feelings for you was from Melissa - Gabe’s wife, asking me questions about us. And then I kinda spent the last week freaking out about it.”

“Knowing you, you probably spent hours over-analysing everything,ever.” Cale laughs, gazing at you with so much love in his eyes. You look away, blushing since he’s 100% right.

Cale gets up off the floor and sits on the couch. He motions for you to come sit beside him.

“Y/n, I know us dating will be quite a mess, like everything we do,” you let out a quite laugh “But I think we should try. Go out with me tonight. I’ll make reservations at a restaurant and pick you up at 7 and hopefully by the end of the night you’ll be my girlfriend, does that sound good?”

“Yeah.” Is all you say, not knowing what else you could say. 

Cale smiles at you and pulls you into his lap. You spend the rest of the morning like that, talking and laughing. 

You’re sure you’re getting a glimpse into your forever future with Cale.

Thank you for reading 🫶

Taglist: @woodruff-edwards @boldysswld @cobrakaisb @makarhughes​ @liquidflyer​

[laurenairay]

you can’t blame a girl for trying - C. Makar

Summary: The night Luna met Cale, she thought her world was going to get turned upside down…so why are all of their dates such disasters? Also known as, the Cale Makar dating fail fic. 4 times a date with Cale failed, and 1 time a date went well.

Word Count: 9.8k words.

Warnings: some bad language, awkward situations, one bloody injury, anxiety, 4+1, fluff

A/N: this has been a work of love over the past few months, a WIP I kept going back and forth from, and I just want to say thanks to @wyattjohnston​ for all of the support and encouragement!

Title credit; Lasso by The Band Perry

also tagging @hockeylvr59​ @fallinallincurls​ @starshine-hockey-girl​

*

Friday night

When I first laid eyes on you, Well, the night just felt so odd, You looked at me and the stars lined up, So I thought I'd heard from God, And I gave him my best shot.

Friday nights were made for dancing, drinking, and letting go of the stresses of the week. At least, that’s what Luna believed. Going out with friends to blow off some steam felt so cathartic, and this evening was no different. She’d come out to one of her favourite bars in Downtown Denver with some friends from work, and she’d danced, sang, and gossiped her heart out, a few shots of vodka easing the way into the weekend. This was her comfort zone for sure, and she knew her confidence turned heads just as much as the loud conversation with her friends did.

A few cute guys had come over to their table, clearly intent on talking to a couple of her friends – which Luna was absolutely cheerleading because get it girls – and she took the time to escape to the bar herself, ready for another drink. It was only when the bartender had taken her order that she noticed a guy staring at her from down the bar. Huh. He was cute, that much was clear even if he wasn’t Hollywood Handsome, and the way his shoulders filled out his shirt definitely caught her eye. Well it couldn’t hurt to hold a conversation of her own while her friends were busy, no? Luna flipped her long dark hair over her shoulder, tilting her head invitingly, and the guy’s eyes widened slightly before he slowly made his away over. She couldn’t remember the last time a guy looked so nervous to talk to her, especially a guy this cute, and it only enthralled her more. When he finally reached her side, she forced down the butterflies stirring in her stomach at just how much bigger he was than her. Wow.

“Hi,” she murmured, looking up at him through her lashes.

“Hi…do you come here often?”

Oh wow.

Luna couldn’t stop her inelegant snort at his cheesy words, grinning slightly at the mortified blush that crept over the guy’s face. “How often has that line worked for you?”

“I’ve literally never used that line before in my life, I am so sorry,” he groaned.

Simply by the horrified look on his face and the stiff way he held himself, it let her know that he was telling her the entire truth. Poor lamb. Somehow it was endearing though.

“I’m Luna,” she mused, holding out her hand.

He quickly took it, shaking her hand gently, yet she could still sense the strength of his grip. Definitely something she appreciated in a man.

“I’m Cale,” he replied, more relieved than anything else, “Do you mind if we forget the last 30 seconds?”

“Oh I’m remembering this for years – you’re not getting out of that embarrassing line that easily,” she smirked.

The guy…Cale…groaned but seemed to laugh at himself anyway, shrugging his agreement. “That’s fair.”

Luna just smiled to herself, taking him in. She tried waving off Cale’s offer to buy her drink as the bartender finally appeared back in front of her, smiling her thanks as Cale just added it to his tab – who was this guy? – taking a sip of her vodka soda while her eyes not-so-subtly ran over the man next to her. Just as cute as she’d thought when she first spotted his eyes on hers, shoulders somehow even broader in the best way, and his blue eyes were both pretty and earnest. Not to mention tousled light brown hair that she just wanted to run her fingers through, and a perma-blush dusting across his cheeks? He’d definitely caught her attention looking this good, even if his clear awkwardness being in this environment caught her attention even more.

What was this guy’s deal?

“You really don’t come here often, do you?”

“I can’t say a bar of this…intensity is my usual forte, no. I’m just here with friends,” he admitted.

Honesty. She could appreciate that. And he was cute…

“So what would be your forte?” she asked smoothly, tilting her head ever-so-slightly again.

He immediately picked up on her change in tone, her lean towards flirting, and it was almost as if his whole demeanour changed; his shoulders broadened as he relaxed against the bar top, his nervousness eased out, and he smiled softly. She liked it.

“Somewhere a lot quieter. Can’t exactly talk to someone properly when I can’t hear them, hm? Can’t appreciate them like they deserve here,” he shrugged, although his eyes locked with hers, intense and intent.

Oh damn. How direct. How perfect.

“Somewhere quieter to appreciate someone? Like what?” she asked, smile curling at her lips, playing along with his flirting.

“A private intimate dinner. Maybe a little light music, just to set the mood. Candlelight, flowers, excellent wine,” he said with an effortless smile.

Oh he had game, finally.

“That sounds much more appealing than this place. I can see why it’s more your forte,” she said as neutrally as she could.

Nice and neutral, just to see what he would do next. Just to see if he would take the bait.

“Maybe I should take you some time then. Take the opportunity to get to know you properly,” he suggested, eyebrow raising in suggestion.

Oh wow. Hook, line, and sinker – she was intrigued.

“I could be up for that,” Luna replied simply, smiling innocently back, giving none of her racing thoughts away.

“Sounds like a date,” he grinned.

*

Thursday night

“So you’re really going out on a date with awkward bar guy?”

Luna glanced away from where she was putting on mascara in the mirror, frowning at her flatmate Elena standing in the doorway.

“Cale?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Weird name,” Elena snorted.

“Rude,” Luna shot back.

Elena just stuck her tongue out in retaliation, making Luna laugh. It wasn’t that Elena was acting strange or jealous – she was protective. The two girls had lived together since college, meeting freshman year and moving in with a group of friends in sophomore year. While everyone else had moved away or moved back home, they were the only two to stay in Denver and they knew each other well enough to not want to separate as well.

She and Elena were two peas in a pod, both outgoing and still loving the nightlife that their chosen city gave them, but still with that comforting balance of girls’ nights in; both sharing so much in common that Luna truly considered Elena to be her best friend. And to be honest, Luna couldn’t fault her friend for being overprotective; it wasn’t like her dating history was all that great, and it could never hurt to have a friend looking out for her. Especially when it came to meeting up with strangers.

“Look, he’s really cute and we’re meeting in a public place,” Luna pointed out, “And he was really dorky with his flirting. Even when he got a little smoother, that blush told me everything I need to know about how little he actually flirts around.”

Elena tilted her head in acknowledgement. “Not a fuckboy?” she asked.

“Not that I can tell. I’m pretty good at spotting a red flag like that,” Luna mused.

“And you normally run headfirst towards those red flags,” Elena teased.

Well that was unfairly true.

“Maybe meeting Cale is the break I’ve been looking for,” Luna said, shrugging.

“For your sake, Lu, I hope so,” Elena laughed.

In the week that had passed since she’d met Cale in the bar, having exchange numbers after talking over a couple of drinks, they’d texted here and there; mostly to confirm what day and time to meet for the dinner he’d romanticised about, but also tentatively getting to know each other. Luna hadn’t been lying when she said that she hadn’t spotted any signs of him being a fuckboy. He seemed sweet, and genuine, and even a little shy, which surprised her considering how attractive he was. Then again, it wasn’t like her to judge a book by its cover, so she was trying to keep an open mind about how such a hot broad-shouldered guy could be so modest.

To be honest, she was looking forward to finding out more in person this Thursday night.

Soon enough, she was happy enough with her appearance, smoothing her floaty silk dress over her curves – apparently their restaurant tonight had a dress code – and by the time she’d slipped into a cute pair of heels, her uber was outside.

“Have fun!” Elena grinned from where she was sat on their sofa, “Don’t forget – no glove, no love.”

“Oh my god, not on the first date,” Luna groaned, feeling her cheeks heat up at the ridiculous advice.

Elena just shrieked with laughter as Luna shut the door behind her, leaving her cheeks still burning as she headed towards the waiting uber. The drive to the restaurant was short, not giving her any time to get too nervous, even though she’d taken even precaution by not giving Cale her address and so on, and when the uber pulled to a stop, she smiled to herself as she noticed Cale already standing in the street.

But when she got out of the car, shutting the door behind her, she noticed that Cale looked frazzled, eyes a little wild, sending a pang of worry through her body. What the hell?

“Uh, hi?” she said, more than a little awkward as she waved hello.

“Hi!” he blurted out, although he didn’t look any less stressed.

“Is everything okay?” she frowned.

“The restaurant we were meant to go to, the one I’d made a booking with for tonight, is closed,” he huffed, running a hand through his hair.

“What?”

How had he been able to make a booking, if the place was closed?

Cale pointed just to the left of where they were standing, and it was only then that she noticed a couple of even-more-frazzled people standing out the front of a darkened restaurant, in the typical white shirts and black trousers of waiters, talking to people apologetically.

“What happened?” she frowned.

“A pipe burst,” he explained, making her groan in understanding, “It flooded the main dining area but also shorted out their booking system.”

“So they couldn’t contact anybody who had reservations for tonight,” she guessed.

“Exactly!” Cale nodded, before sighing, “I just wanted tonight to be perfect, to wine and dine you just as I said, and even that can’t go right.”

The poor guy looked miserable, genuinely upset as well as flustered at the thought of not taking her out on the date he’d promised her, and it made her heart ache a little. When was the last time she’d met such a sincere person?

“Hey, this isn’t your fault. And it’s definitely not their fault, so there’s nothing to blame here other than some shitty pipes?” Luna mused.

Cale huffed out a laugh, nodding his acknowledgement, making Luna smile as he smiled slightly too.

“Sorry for not texting you in time – I only got here a few minutes before you did, and I spent that time talking to the restaurant staff as they apologised,” he winced.

“No harm, no foul,” she laughed, shrugging, “Not all plans go smoothly.”

“Still…we can reschedule? I’ll find another restaurant for another time?” Cale offered.

“We can’t still go out tonight?” Luna asked, confused.

Unless he was trying to think of an excuse not to see her…

“I mean, I don’t think anywhere I wanted to take you will seat us tonight without a reservation,” he explained.

Oh.

Oh.

He really wanted to wine and dine her, didn’t he? Pull out all the stops, everything fancy?

“You know, I don’t need anything high-end to be on a date with you,” she pointed out, “I’d be happy somewhere really low-key.”

“Really? Even though we’re dressed up fancy?” Cale frowned.

Luna looked down at her silk dress and his nicely tailored charcoal grey suit, before shrugging. “So we may be the nicest dressed people in the next place, that doesn’t matter.”

Cale laughed softly, shaking his head fondly. “You might be the most chilled-out person I’ve ever met.”

“And you are adorably flustered over a restaurant reservation,” she teased, earning a fierce blush, “Come on, relax a little. It’ll be fun.”

“I promise I’ll make it up to you,” he insisted.

What a sweetheart. Still incredibly flustered, but sweet.

“Alright, it’s a deal,” she mused, earning a smile, “And I know just the place. Let me just text my flatmate about the change in plans.”

“Ah yeah, of course. Safety first!” he nodded seriously.

Could this guy be any more perfect? Really?

~

To: Elena

The restaurant has a burst pipe.

[image]

I’m going to take him to Tom’s diner down on Colfax.

~

To: Luna

Oh man, that sucks for the restaurant. But thanks for keeping me in the loop.

Hah oh wow, I bet he’ll love that place in his fancy suit.

~

To: Elena

How did you guess he was wearing a fancy suit?

~

To: Luna

I just got those vibes.

Fancy restaurant equals fancy suit.

But seriously, have fun!

And have a chocolate milkshake for me.

~

Luna smiled and tucked her phone back into her handbag, earning a smile from Cale.

“Is your flatmate okay with us changing location?” he asked.

His eyes were earnest, letting her know he wasn’t teasing in the slightest, allowing her to relax slightly. “Yeah, she’s glad I let her know. And she’ll be even happier that you understand that it’s important,” Luna nodded.

Cale just smiled a little wider, looking pleased with himself, making her laugh at his reaction.

“Ready to change things up?”

“I trust you. Can’t be worse than my attempt to take us out to dinner,” he winced.

“Alright, I’ll keep it a surprise then,” she grinned, “It’s not like you could’ve predicted a burst pipe.”

Cale just laughed, shrugging in an easy going way, Luna just smiling as she pulled her phone back out to pull up an uber request. Soon enough the two of them were on their way, and Cale’s eyes went wide when they eventually pulled to a stop.

“Oh man, you weren’t kidding about changing things up,” he said, smiling.

The smile let her know that he wasn’t put off by her casual choice, and she just waved goodbye to the uber driver as she stepped up next to him.

“I figured that a fancy place was off the cards tonight, so why not go for something comfy and casual,” she shrugged, “The food here is great and so are the vibes.”

“Can’t go wrong with that,” Cale grinned, opening the door to the diner for her.

Sure, they might’ve been the only people in the place in a fancy silk dress and effortlessly tailored suit, but that just made it more fun. Luna knew she looked good and she felt good in her dress, so what was wrong with that? It didn’t hurt that Cale looked amazing in his suit too, all the lines accentuating his incredible physique. And maybe tonight hadn’t gone as well as planned so far – but that wasn’t anything a chocolate milkshake couldn’t solve.

“So what’s good here?” Cale asked.

If he was put off by how sticky the table and menus are, he wasn’t showing it.

“Okay, get ready for the burger that will change your life.” Luna said, smiling.

*

Friday morning

To: Luna

Hey, are you free on Sunday?

~

To: Cale

For you Cale, absolutely.

What did you have in mind?

~

To: Luna

I thought it might be nice to visit Denver Botanic Gardens?

It’s meant to be really pretty there.

And I thought it might be good to try something different than dinner.

~

To: Cale

Dinner last week was great, even if not how you planned.

But a walk around the Gardens sounds good to me!

~

Sunday morning

Luna checked out her outfit one last time in the mirror before leaving to catch her bus to meet Cale. She’d decided on wearing a pretty blue sundress, dotted with tiny pale pink flowers – it had a mid-depth v-neck and cinched at her waist, more than enough to let her feel as feminine as she liked without feeling over the top. It wasn’t anything fancy, not like her silk dress from their first date last week, but it was still more than nice enough to show Cale that she’d made an effort.

Her dark brown hair was perfectly straightened, make-up simple but pretty, and her shoes were comfortable to walk around in – she was ready.

Elena wasn’t home right now to tease her or boost her confidence, either of which she could’ve used to distract her from the butterflies she felt in her stomach. All Luna could hope was that this would go smoother than their first date. All of their conversations over text had been so easy since the night of the restaurant fail three days ago, so she desperately wanted that to continue throughout their date today.

Different setting, different time of day, different vibe.

Positive thinking, right?

Thankfully her bus ride was fairly quiet, leaving her as relaxed as she possibly could be as she walked up to the entrance of the botanical gardens. Cale was waiting for her off to the side, and the wide smile he sent her when he spotted her walking towards him sent those butterflies going crazy again. Wow. He looked so good in his white polo shirt and jeans. How was it possible for anyone to make a polo-shirt look that good? His broad shoulders and defined chest filled it out so well, and it took all of her effort not to get caught staring at him.

“Hey, you look beautiful,” he said sweetly.

She laughed softly even as she felt her cheeks heat up with a blush. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

Cale just grinned. “Good to know. Shall we?”

Luna tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow as he offered it to her, trying to tamper down the giddy feeling rising in her chest. What a gentleman.

The next few hours were spent arm in arm, walking and talking, everything going to smoothly that it felt like she was floating through a dream. The botanic gardens were incredible, she had to give him extra points there for how pretty everything was, and she loved that she was experiencing it all with him. Strolling around the Monet Pond with Cale by her side? Win. Hushed conversation through the Shofu-en Japanese garden? Win. Everything from the orangery to the iris garden to the oak grove, they wandered through and around it all for hours and hours, just talking and laughing, enjoying each other’s company on this beautiful day.

The whole vibe was so incredibly different to their first date, completely different atmosphere, and she loved that she got to see this side of him too. His easy laugh, warm smile, and attentive listening was winning her over quicker than she ever thought possible, if she was being honest with herself, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this at ease with a guy this quickly. It was everything she’d been wanting for so long, and she almost felt like pinching herself to see if it was all real.

But all good things had to come to an end.

One moment sunlight was streaming down warming their skin, and the next dark cloud cover had rolled out over the blue sky, a gusting wind picking up. Before Luna could even voice her wonder to Cale, a deluge began, rain hammering down in a way that momentarily stunned them both, before they quickly ducked under a tree as refuge.

“What the hell,” Luna gasped, clutching her handbag to her chest, trying not to think about how her dress was sticking to her skin.

Cale still looked stunned, eyes wide as he watched the pouring rain in front of them, before he seemed to shake himself out of his stupor. “Let’s make a run for the gift shop?” he said, pointing to a building in the distance.

“Good idea!”

Luna found herself smiling as Cale took her hand, the two of them wasting no time in breaking into a light jog through the lilac garden, unable to talk as they went because of how heavily the rain was battering down. By the time they eventually reached the visitor center, far from the only people sheltering inside, Luna was completely drenched from head to toe, her dress soaked through and her hair a sopping mess.

Of all the things – a freak heavy rain shower. What were the chances?

Cale guided the two of them to the far side of the gift shop, an illusion of privacy, before stopping to stand in front of her.

“Are you okay?” Cale asked, pushing his dripping hair off his forehead.

She tried to ignore how disappointed she felt when he let her hand go.

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine! Not what I expected to happen today, but fine,” she laughed, “Are you okay?”

“Other than another date going awry, sure,” he said, frowning slightly.

“Two dates in a row where original plans have gone wrong,” Luna mused.

“This has never happened to me before. I swear!” Cale groaned.

“Cale, relax – it’s not like you could control any of it? You literally couldn’t predict that pipe bursting in the restaurant, and you certainly can’t control the weather,” she teased.

“I know, I know,” he laughed, making her smile in return, “I just want something to run smoothly for once, to make a good impression with you, you know?”

Well that was sweet.

“You’ve already made a good impression, I promise. Dressing up all fancy to eat in a diner was a memorable first date,” Luna insisted, laughing softly, “And what we had of this second date was good too…up until we got soaked.”

He winced, nodding his head in acknowledgement. “Shall we do a rain check then? No pun intended.”

As much as she would’ve liked to have continued on with the date, like they had the first time that their original date plan had failed, this time she was soaked to the bone and so unbelievably uncomfortable. And she dreaded to think what her mascara looked like.

“Definitely reschedule. Maybe an indoor one next time just in case?” she mused.

“Yeah that sounds like a good idea,” he said, laughing again, although his cheeks flooded with a fierce blush, “Can I at least give you a ride home so you’re not sitting on the bus soaking wet?”

Oh what a sweetheart.

And absolutely what she needed.

“That would be great,” she nodded.

Elena was going to get a real laugh out of this date, that was for sure.

*

Thursday night

“I can’t say I was expecting you to suggest this for our third date.”

Cale just laughed, nodding his acknowledgement as she waved goodbye to her uber driver, moving to stand by his side.

“I know, it’s not my usual. But I heard good things about this place anyway? One of my neighbours goes out in this area a fair bit and this is one of the bars she always talks about in the elevator,” Cale explained.

He hadn’t waited to ask her out after their failed-date in the rainy botanic gardens – the moment that he pulled up outside her apartment building, he’d asked her to go out with him again, somewhere ‘indoors’ this time as she’d teased. After tentatively suggesting Thursday night then and there, Luna leaving him with a kiss on the cheek, he’d texted her the next morning with a plan, leaving the two of them to resume their easy conversation just like before.

As their date drew nearer that Thursday night, Luna had kept things casual with her outfit again, at Cale’s suggestion, wearing a pretty white blouse over her favourite black jeans, pairing it with a pair of pretty silver hoops, black leather jacket and her comfy black ankle boots. Simple but again it left her feeling confident, which shone through to add that little extra edge. While she had gotten herself ready for the evening, she’d drank a glass of wine with Elena, her flatmate sitting on the end of Luna’s bed to tease and support her, a much-needed girl’s time while she dressed and put on her make-up, so by the time her uber pulled up outside the bar that Cale had suggested, her butterflies were in full effect.

Despite the fact that their two dates so far had each failed to a certain degree, she was still excited to spend the time with him, desperately hoping that for this date things would just run smoothly. She deserved that much, right?

“Hey Cale!” she said with a big smile, as she walked up to where he was waiting for her.

“Hey Luna,” he replied sweetly.

As she leant up to kiss his cheek in greeting, just as she had on Sunday afternoon when he drove her home in the rain, his cheeks flushed a vivid red, only making her smile even wider. If that reaction was anything to go by, he was just as excited to see her as she was to see him, which could only be a good thing.

“It’s good to see you again. I haven’t been here before, but I know there’s definitely indoor seating,” he mused, a playful nod to their interrupted outing four days ago.

“So you haven’t been here yourself?” she teased.

Cale blushed slightly again but shook his head, making her laugh. She already knew he wasn’t a bar person – he’d admitted as much the first time they met. So why now?

“Why a bar tonight then?” she asked curiously, eyeing the expanse of outdoor bench seating and music drifting out from inside the building.

“It’s a pretty casual place, rather than the intensity of the bar we first met in?”

Well that answers that question.

“…and I know you feel comfortable in these situations so I thought I’d push the boat out since my last two attempts didn’t work out well?” he offered.

“That’s really sweet, Cale,” she said, smiling softly, “But I don’t want to be comfortable at your expense. If it gets too much at any point, let me know? I’d hate for you to feel completely out of sorts.”

“Deal,” he nodded, smiling in relief as the two of them finally made their way towards the entrance, “We can do easy low-key drinks, right?”

“Definitely,” Luna replied, laughing.

Cale just smiled a little wider, holding open the door of the bar for her. Immediately she was hit with the familiar scents and sounds and vibe of a well-loved local bar, and she quickly relaxed. He was right – this was definitely her preferred social scene, and the fact that he was willing to be here with her, trying out the bar that was new to both of them? That made her heart beat just that little bit further, she could admit that.

Somehow they managed to snag a table in the corner, leaving her with a view of the entire room and Cale with his back to everyone, both of them comfortable with the situation. It was far from the fanciest place – definitely far from the bar that they’d met in those couple of weeks ago – but it was busy and comforting and had a great vibe. Luna was honestly excited to see how this evening went, eager to see him in this kind of setting, and she loved that he was trying to do something she felt comfortable with. Hopefully it wouldn’t come at the cost of his own comfort, but time would only tell.

“What can I get you to drink?” he asked, resting his forearms on their small table.

Luna happily asked for a glass of wine, figuring it was probably safer to stick with what she’d already started drinking at home, and soon enough he returned from the bar. They eased into conversation as easily as they always did, talking about their week so far, stress from their workplaces, ridiculous stories about Elena and Luna’s work colleagues as well as Cale’s own colleagues. Speaking of colleagues…Cale also finally told her about his job. About the fact that he was a hockey player in the NHL. It blew her mind a little that he had even looked her way that first night in the bar, that he was still interested in little old her, but she could tell that as much as he was trying to downplay his career to her, he was so incredibly proud of everything he’d achieved. Which, yeah, maybe she should’ve recognised him or at least his name from the Cup Championship last year – but to be honest, she was a football fan (go Broncos!) and had never seen a hockey game in her life. For some reason, that admission eased out a line of tension in his shoulders that she hadn’t realised was there, easing her guilt a little for not knowing who he was. If Cale – Cale Makar – wanted to keep his career low-key with her for the moment, then she was absolutely happy to let him do that. It just showed her yet again how much of a genuinely low-maintenance chilled-out guy he was, and it only made her like him more.

One drink turned into two, Luna buying the second round seeing as he bought the first. As she sat back down at their table, she launched into the details of the trip she was planning in the summer to go back home to see her family, Cale admitting he would be doing the same for the first time in a while. Easy, breezy, fun conversation as always. People ebbed and flowed from the bar, filling up the room beside them, but it felt like they were in their own bubble, nothing mattering outside their little table. How did things feel so easy with him, after only a matter of weeks? It felt crazy, if she was being honest with herself, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to complain.

Halfway through the third round of drinks though – he bought this round, taking things in turn again – someone cleared their throat into a microphone, snapping Luna’s attention across the room. What the hell?

“Testing, testing, one, two, three.”

Oh no.

Everything had been going so well…

“Alright, welcome back to Thursday nights at Tavern on 26th! Who’s ready for karaoke?”

Karaoke.

Fuck.

Luna quickly looked over at Cale, who had gone white as a sheet and looked horrified.

“You didn’t know?” she asked, grimacing.

“Not a clue. I’ve never been here before!” he groaned, “And my neighbour has never said anything about karaoke!”

Luna couldn’t help but laugh, a little resigned already. “Well it is our luck, I suppose.”

“Maybe it won’t be so bad?” Cale offered.

“Up first, Miranda with Total Eclipse of the Heart!”

Maybe not.

As the wailing voice started out across the room, a pained look flashed across Cale’s face, making Luna laugh again. “Shall we get out of here?”

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea,” Cale said, sighing softly, “Sorry.”

“Hey.”

Luna rested her hand lightly on his forearm, smiling softly as he looked down at her.

“Not your fault. You didn’t know,” she shrugged.

“I should’ve looked it up? Checked out the bar’s event page?”

“Who does that for a low-key bar, eh?” she mused. “Why don’t we just go for a walk?”

“So much for third time lucky,” he said dryly, grimacing as the chorus started.

Damn, this ‘Miranda’ was clearly heartbroken and at least one bottle of wine down. At least.

“Date’s not over yet,” she said simply, “Just because we don’t want to stay in this bar, doesn’t mean we can’t keep talking on a walk, right?”

“You are too forgiving,” he said, huffing out a laugh.

“There’s nothing to forgive,” she replied. “Now let’s get out of here before the key change.”

“Oh fuck yes,” he laughed.

He held a hand out to help her up from their table, Luna gladly taking it, smiling to herself as Cale didn’t let go. As he threaded their fingers together, she felt an unfamiliar blush settling dusting across her cheeks, Cale smiling down at her. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

Another date plan fail.

Hopefully the walk would salvage what was left of it, the alcohol in her system making her not want to leave him just yet. But as he said, it was third time unlucky – was that a sign? What was the universe trying to tell her, in making the plans for their third date come to an abrupt fail? As much as his smile gave her butterflies, could she really ignore all of these signs?

For this evening, she absolutely could, she knew that much. Holding his hand while they walked out of the bar felt too good not to.

*

Friday morning

To: Luna

Hey, I’m sorry about last night.

Again.

Can I make it up to you?

~

To: Cale

No apologies! The bar was fun…before the terrible karaoke.

But I’d love to see you again?

~

To: Luna

Fourth time lucky, right?

How do you feel about going on a picnic on Sunday?

~

To: Cale

I can’t remember the last time I went on a picnic.

I’d love to.

~

To: Luna

Okay great!

Leave everything to me.

I’ll pick you up at midday?

~

To: Cale

Okay sure, sounds like a plan!

~

Sunday midday

For once, Luna was driving her old car to their date today – she rarely drove, usually preferring public transport, mainly due to the lack of decent public car parking available in downtown where she spent a lot of her time, but Cale had already promised her that the park he’d chosen had plenty of parking spaces, leaving her able to sing along to the radio as she drove, calming her nerves a bit.

Sure, she’d decided to wear a pretty green dress, floaty and low-cut but still cute, curling her hair to give herself that extra boost of confidence. Sure, Elena had let her borrow her comfy white sneakers, keeping the outfit casual. And sure, she’d even had the chance to facetime with Cale yesterday before his game in Minnesota, knowing they wouldn’t get a chance to speak before their date today. But it was Elena’s hesitant words that had left the usual butterflies feeling a little frantic.

A picnic in a park? The two of you are chancing the outdoors again with your luck?

Because Elena wasn’t wrong. Three dates they’d been on now, and not a single one had gone by without a fail. The pipe burst in the restaurant. The unexpected rainstorm in the botanic gardens. The sudden karaoke in the bar. She could only wonder what today would bring, even as much as Elena tried to hype her up with positive attitude.

As she pulled into the parking lot, spotting Cale easily with his cheery smile and wave, she tried to let all of the worries go. Cale wanted to be here on this date with her. He wanted to be with her, which should be enough in itself, right? Fourth time lucky, that’s what he joked. She could only hope he was right.

“Hey, glad you made it okay,” Cale said, smiling as she locked the car behind her.

“Old Betsy may be getting on in life but she still gets me around,” Luna laughed, shrugging.

“You named your car Old Betsy?” he teased.

Luna fought back the blush on her cheeks. “What, you haven’t named your car?”

“I can’t say that I have…”

From there, their conversation started up as naturally as always, Luna smiling as they walked through the park, glad that there wasn’t too much of a crowd yet, letting him lead her to a shaded area under a tree. Perfect.

“I packed a few things for us – I hope they’re all okay?”

As Cale spread out the blanket he’d had tucked under his arm, Luna opened up the picnic basket he’d been holding, eyes wide as she took in all the tubs inside.

Mini vegetable tarts. Chicken salad. Sliced strawberries and kiwis. Double chocolate brownies. Freshly squeezed orange juice from a deli. If she was being honest, Luna was a little blown away at the thought he’d put into this picnic basket, and she knew by the little smile on Cale’s face that he was pleased with himself – as he should be.

“This looks amazing, Cale. Wow,” she murmured, still a little stunned.

“I hope it tastes as good as it looks,” he mused.

Luna just laughed, shaking her head. If nothing else, the effort would win out over anything else – no-one had ever tried so hard to make sure she was happy. She sat down with her legs crossed, facing him as he pulled out the various tubs as well as cutlery, leaving the napkins in the basket for now, smiling at how happy he looked. He really was so cute, wasn’t he?

“Dig in, please!”

Well he didn’t have to tell her twice.

Between bites of food, talking about their last few days apart including the game that Cale scored the winning goal on, as well as people watching and cooing over cute dogs, the next couple of hours passed easily. Luna found herself basking in Cale’s happy smile, sweet and shy all at once, all of her earlier worries melting away. Here was an amazing guy, who’d planned an amazing date, and everything was perfect. The whole date was perfect, from the location to the relaxed atmosphere, and she couldn’t help the wide smile on her face. Finally. Finally.

Eventually, after they’d faux-battled with their forks for the last strawberry, Cale packed all of the tubs away in the basket, letting them both stretch out their legs across the blanket.

“I can’t believe how full I am,” Luna groaned.

“Me too,” Cale laughed, resting a hand on his stomach, “I may have overdone it with that last brownie.”

“So worth it though,” she grinned.

Cale just grinned back, nodding his agreement. A man who appreciated food – she could definitely appreciate that.

Luna tilted her head back for a brief moment, closing her eyes as she let the sun wash over her and sink into her skin, before she opened her eyes again. Out of the corner of her eye, a large black object flew across her vision, and just as she turned her head to see what it was, she saw it collide with Cale’s face with a crunch.

And then blood started pouring down his face.

Oh god, a drone. A drone had hit him smack in the face, and the crunch wasn’t just the plastic either. Fuck.

“Fuck,” Cale groaned, clutching at his face with wide eyes as he unknowingly echoed her thoughts.

What the hell?!

Without hesitating, Luna pulled out the bundle of napkins from the picnic basket, quickly passing them to him, and he wasted no time in pressing them to his nose with a wince. Oh shit. Oh shit, he was really injured, what the hell was this? Of all the things to happen, even with their track record, this was terrible. Fuck, poor Cale.

“Oh man I am so sorry, a dog ran into me and I lost control…”

The apologetic voice trailed off, just as the two of them looked up.

“Oh god no, I broke Cale Makar,” the man gasped.

Shit. A fan. Now she could see why Cale wanted to keep his career so low-key with her – attention like this really wasn’t what he enjoyed, not in this kind of setting. She could only hope this wouldn’t get plastered all over the internet; they’d spoken before on how much social media could drag people down, and that was the last thing she wanted for him, especially because they were on a date. But what could she do?

Cale winced, shaking his head. “Really, it’s fine. Doesn’t feel broken.”

Luna raised an eyebrow, not believing him in the slightest, but stayed quiet for Cale’s sake. If he wanted to make a fan feel better then that was his choice – and fair enough, the guy looked distraught – but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to make sure he had it looked at properly.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, yeah?” she said lightly, smiling as genuinely as she could.

“Good idea,” Cale nodded, voice muffled through the tissues.

The guy apologised profusely again as they stood up, Cale just waving him off as Luna picked up the basket and blanket, and they started to walk back through the park towards the parking lot. She could see people stopping and staring at them, not just because of the blood staining his white t-shirt, each time Cale’s shoulders stiffening a little more, him looking more and more uncomfortable as they made their escape. Finally, when their path was a little clearer, almost at the exit, she took the chance to glance up at him, feeling a pang of sympathy at how miserable he looked as he held the bloody tissues to his nose.

“Hospital then?”

“No, definitely not,” he groaned, shaking his head, only making her frown.

Why was he being difficult?

“Cale, you really should have that looked at,” she said hesitantly.

“Oh, no, shit, yeah I will, you’re right about that. I just think maybe it might be better to go to the medical staff at the arena? I know there’s some of them working today, and it’ll avoid any fans taking photos.”

That made much more sense.

“Fair enough,” she mused, trying not to grimace at the fact he had to take publicity into account. “I’ll drive us, yeah? I guess you can send someone to pick up your car later?”

Cale just nodded, wincing again, making Luna grimace in sympathy. Thankfully she hadn’t parked too far away from where they’d walked in, and in no time at all, she was buckling her seatbelt, waiting for Cale to do the same before she started the engine of her old car.

“Do you want to call and give a heads up that you’re coming in? So that we’re not held up at the gate?” she suggested, pulling up directions on her own phone.

“Another good idea. You have a lot of those,” Cale nodded, “Shame that I don’t.”

What?

She frowned to herself before his words clicked in her head. Another date gone wrong.

“A picnic was a great idea, okay? Getting hit in the face by a drone wasn’t part of your plan at all and, again, nothing you could’ve predicted,” Luna said firmly.

The last thing she wanted was for him to blame himself. Again.

“I have the worst luck,” he laughed dryly.

Well, yes, it really did seem that way. But she wasn’t going to say that out loud.

“All the food was really nice?” she offered.

Cale laughed for real this time, sliding his phone back into his pocket now that his messages were sent. “Can’t go wrong with strawberries and kiwis together.”

“Right? Perfectly sweet,” she nodded.

“I might have to see if I can recreate those vegetable tarts myself too,” he added.

The hopeful look on his face, that she could see out of the corner of her eye, made her smile, relaxing into her seat as she navigated the street in front of her. This positive attitude was much more like it – and he wasn’t wrong about those tarts either.

“They were so good! You’ll have to let me know if you can find a matching recipe,” she grinned.

She quickly glanced at Cale, finding him grinning back at her, through the blood and tissues still covering his face. At least he didn’t look as miserable as he had done in the park – that was at least a silver lining on the epic fail this date turned into.

Fuck, what was their luck, seriously?

As she dropped him off at the arena gates, several members of training staff waiting their anxiously for him, it was all she could do to squeeze his hand goodbye as he promised to call her, a heavy ominous weight sitting in her stomach. Why did things always have to go so wrong around him?

*

Friday night

“Hey, how do I look?” Luna asked Elena, leaning in her doorway, “Is this date-night-at-home suitable?”

She was wearing a light-knit dress, long-sleeved with the skirt reaching just below her knee, clinging to her curves in the most comfortable flattering way possible. The soft grey material felt right for a meal indoors, her dark brown hair falling in gentle waves in a way that added to the whole vibe, and she could only hope Cale liked it too. She knew she looked good…but was it the right choice?

“Well, you look as hot as always…but really? You’re going on a fifth attempt at a date with Fail Makar?”

Fail Makar. Ouch.

Technically not wrong, but ouch.

This Friday was not Luna’s usual Friday night. Instead of her typical night out at a bar with friends, she was trying something new. Both her and Cale were – rather than going out, Cale was making them a home-cooked meal. After insisting that the trainers had cleared him from serious injury, going as far to promise that he was still okay to play in the two games over the days that followed, he’d asked her out on another date.

Luna had been hesitant, naturally. Not because she didn’t like him, not because she wasn’t attracted to him – both of those he pulled out of her in spades – but because of everything that had happened over their past four dates. She was only mildly superstitious in general, but even she couldn’t deny that there was some serious bad luck surrounding them so far. How bad was she going to let it get before it was irreparable?

But when he had suggested a date night in, him cooking for them, she hadn’t been able to say no. She was so desperate to make this work with him, the sweetest most genuine guy she’d ever met, that she knew she’d have to give him another chance to have a date run smoothly. That didn’t mean it was fun to hear from her friend.

“Don’t be mean,” she frowned.

“Don’t ignore the cosmos and karma and all that jazz,” Elena shot back, raising her eyebrows.

Luna sighed, but nodded. It wasn’t as if she’d been ignoring the signs herself.

“I’m giving it one more chance, or I really will have to accept that this is fate telling me that things with Cale really aren’t meant to be,” she admitted.

Elena’s expression shifted from judgemental to sympathetic. “Hey, I know you like this guy, okay? I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I know. And I appreciate that. I just really want this to work out,” Luna sighed.

Cale had kept texting her while the team trainer took a look at his nose – it wasn’t broken, thankfully, but he did have a nasty bruise, which she’d been stupid enough to look through the speculation on the internet before Elena took her phone away to stop her looking at social media. She couldn’t help the guilt she felt for the extra attention on him, attention she knew he hated, even though she knew that she wasn’t directly responsible for the vivid bruising on his face. That didn’t mean it was easy to read all the stupid rumours sprouting out about what could’ve caused it, seeing as there was no evidence of him being hit in a game or practice.

But there wasn’t anything she could do about. All she could hope was that this attempt to get a date to go smoothly for once wouldn’t be their last one – she just didn’t know how much more she could take.

“Well if a stripped-back, low-key, homecooked meal doesn’t work then I don’t know what will,” Elena mused, “If you need an escape at any time, you just text or call me, okay?”

“I will,” she nodded, smiling. That was the friend she knew and loved. “But I have a good feeling about this date.”

“I can only hope you’re right, for your sake.”

Again, Luna had decided to drive for this date, mainly at Elena’s insistence to give herself an out if she needed it, but she only hoped that she didn’t need it. Maybe she’d make sure to only have one glass of wine, just in case.

By the time she’d arrived at the address Cale had given her, parking in the private apartment parking lot, she’d relaxed enough to feel a lot more positive about the evening ahead of her. Cale was a great guy. They would have a good night, she was sure of it. Why should she let the past four fails dictate how this night was going to go as well? As she walked up to his apartment, Cale having buzzed her in like he’d been waiting at the door, she steeled her nerves and untensed her shoulders. He was letting her see a side of him that no-one ever did outside of his team – and maybe not even all of them. Welcoming her into his home? That was special, and she was determined to embrace it.

“Hey,” she said, smiling as he opened the door.

“Hey!” he said happily, stepping aside to let her inside, “You look incredible.”

Flattery, as always. She couldn’t deny that she welcomed it though.

“Thanks! And thanks for inviting me over,” she said simply.

He shut the door behind her, helping her slip off her light jacket, and hung it up on the hooks next to their heads. It was a relief to see that the bruising on his face had almost completely faded, just as he said it had – even though he’d insisted it wasn’t as bad as it had first looked, seeing it for herself fizzled away the last of that guilt.

“It’s really good to see you. Thank you for giving me another chance,” Cale said softly, “I know things haven’t exactly gone how I’d hoped so far.”

“I can’t say that I’ve ever had so much bad luck either,” she mused.

She winced as Cale winced himself, biting her bottom lip lightly.

“I really don’t want to mess things up tonight,” he murmured.

Her heart panged a little at the nerves in his voice, hating that she was glad he felt as nervous as he did. It was a good sign that he cared so much, right?

“We can only see how the evening goes, right?” she said simply, smiling as reassuringly as she could, “I’m happy I’m here with you, if that counts for anything.”

As Cale smiled, she noticed how relieved he looked, making her smile in turn. “It definitely counts for a lot. Um, dinner is all ready, it’s just warming in the oven. And I’ve set up our date just through here.”

Cale guided her out of her entry hallway into the open-plan living room, dining room, kitchen, a gentle hand on her back, pausing in the doorway. Oh wow. As she took in the room with lips parted in surprise, her mind drifted back to the words he’d said to her the very first night they’d met.

~

“Somewhere quieter to appreciate someone? Like what?” she asked, smile curling at her lips, playing along with his flirting.

“A private intimate dinner. Maybe a little light music, just to set the mood. Candlelight, flowers, excellent wine.”

~

It was all here – candles lit around the room, beautiful yellow roses in a vase on the counter, soft music playing from the kitchen that drifted into the dining area. A private intimate dinner – complete with excellent wine, in the glasses he now held in his hands. She hadn’t even realised he’d left her side, too caught up with her memories.

“My god, Cale,” she murmured, “this is amazing.”

“Yeah?” he said shyly.

“Yeah, it is. Exactly how you described your forte location, when we first met,” she said, still in awe as he handed her a glass.

He huffed out a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “I didn’t think you’d remember that.”

“Of course I do. It was one of the things that intrigued me most,” she admitted, making his blush softly, “And then I got to know you even more.”

Cale’s blush deepened but so did his smile.

“I hope I can keep getting to know you, Luna. I know our dates have failed pretty spectacularly so far, but I really like you. I’ve never met anyone as amazing as you before,” he said softly.

Her lips parted at his earnest words, Cale’s eyes watching her intensely, and it was all she could do to take a quick sip of wine. Damn, it really was excellent. He really liked her? Like, really really? Wow. Even after everything, he was happy to be so open with his thoughts and feelings?

“I really like you too. And I really want this to work,” she said seriously, “I just…hope tonight doesn’t have the same bad luck.”

“Me too. The flowers are for you, by the way, to take home with you. And I cooked one of my staple recipes which hasn’t gone wrong so far, and the candles haven’t burned down the apartment while I was getting ready, so it feels pretty good so far?” he said sheepishly.

She couldn’t help but laugh at his expression, forcing down her doubts, letting his increasingly-familiar comforting presence soothe her. So far so good, right? He had pulled out all the stops, recreated their attempted first date in a safe-space setting, and she could definitely appreciate that. The fact that he was letting her see this side of him too, this vulnerable intimate portion of his life? She’d be a fool not to embrace it.

“Shall we?” she said, tilting her head towards the kitchen.

“Absolutely,” Cale nodded.

While Cale pulled out the covered dishes from the oven and plated them all up, Luna sipped at her wine, watching him intently. He seemed so in his element, relaxed in a way she’d never seen him before, and she had to admit that she liked seeing him like this. Maybe this was what they’d been missing, that comforting edge. She could only hope.

“Okay, ready.”

Cale’s cheerful declaration broke her out of her gaze, and she immediately smiled at him.

“It smells amazing, Cale,” she said happily, letting him lead her into the dining area as he carried both plates while she held their drinks.

“Can’t go wrong with coq au vin!” he said simply, although his cheeks were dusted with a pleased blush, “And I made garlic mashed potatoes as well as roasted green beans to go with it.”

Wow.

Just wow.

“Incredible,” she murmured.

Cale just laughed softly, shaking his head as he sat down at the table.

“I like cooking, you know? It’s something that so different to everything else I do, gets me out of my head when I’m stressed with hockey,” he explained.

“I can definitely understand that. How long have you been cooking like this? Because this, and I can tell you this now with sincerity, isn’t just amateur,” Luna mused.

That blush of his really was something. But as he started talking about when he started cooking, mostly with his mom and family, their usual easy conversation started to flow, allowing Luna to sink into the relaxed atmosphere. She shared some of her own family cooking stories with him when he asked, the two of them continuing to talk as they ate, laughing and smiling the whole time, and to be honest Luna couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a date like this. With anyone. It was everything she’d dreamed of, everything she’d ever wanted from the food to the conversation to the vibe in general, and the more that she was consumed by it all, she forgot all about her worries that had built up over the past week.

How could she have doubts about him, when he made her feel so at ease?

After they’d finished eating, Luna helping Cale load the dishes into the dishwasher for later, they moved to the sofa with a glass of sparkling water each, Cale insisting on not drinking now that she’d stopped too. Honestly it felt like a dream. Where had this guy been all her life?

She lost track of time while they continued to talk and laugh on the sofa, the music still playing softly in the background like a damn movie, and before she knew it, the evening was drawing close to midnight, and she needed to get going before she gave into temptation and stayed overnight. That was far too soon for their tentative relationship, she knew that much.

“Did we just have a date that went smoothly?” Cale mused, as he helped her back into her jacket.

Luna laughed but nodded her head. “I think we did.”

Her grin matched his, and she didn’t care if she looked silly because she was just so damn happy. Finally, fucking finally, their date hadn’t failed. The universe had finally worked in her favour, giving her a perfect date with a perfect guy, and she knew that despite everything, the wait had been worth it.

“Call me when you get home? Just so I know you’re safe?” he asked softly.

Those wide earnest eyes were going to be her ruin, she could tell. Fuck it. Here goes nothing.

“Only if you kiss me goodnight before I leave,” Luna said hopefully, far braver than she felt.

Cale’s lips parted in surprise, only briefly, before that familiar sweet smile spread across his face with a blush to match. He didn’t reply to her, just stepping forward to lean down towards her, one hand rising to cup her face just as his lips touched hers. Luna couldn’t stop the soft sound that escaped her mouth at the gentle touch, hands clutching at his shirt as they kissed slowly, sweetly, sending tingles down her spine. Wow. So incredibly worth the wait. After what felt like hours but could only have been minutes, Cale slowed the kiss down to a few last gentle pecks, lifting his head away from her with a stunned smile.

“Best date ever,” he said happily.

She couldn’t agree more.