#cale makar series

[incorrectthots]

Thinking about it (I forgot to post it) the Cale vs mush fight was so funny to me bc it was girl vs girl and I love them both dearly

[puck-heaven-now]

From nhl.com:

The Dallas Stars were minutes from elimination Saturday when [Mikko Rantanen] exploded for three goals and an assist, leading his new team to a 4-2 win in Game 7 of the Western Conference First Round against the team that had traded him, the Colorado Avalanche.

The forward became the first player to record a hat trick in the third period of a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Obviously, things happened not the way I expected to happen [with Colorado], but it’s business, like I’ve said many times,” Rantanen said. “I don’t know. Revenge? I’m just happy to win [against] another team in the playoffs. It doesn’t matter who it is. So, I’m just happy to be on the winning side and move on here.”

...

The Avalanche had to watch as crew members picked up all the hats the fans tossed onto the ice.

“It’s pretty shocking,” Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon said. “I felt like we were in total control, and Mikko, credit to him, he made some amazing plays. He was the difference-maker. He took over. Yeah, I don’t know. I’m in shock, to be honest.”

...

Let’s be honest,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “He took over the series the last three, four games. He just decided that we were not going to go home and we were not going to lose. I think it started then. But I mean, what you witnessed there was special. …

“This was Colorado and the team he had played for for a decade, and I don’t know all the behind the scenes, what went on there. But he was a motivated guy to make an impact in this series, and he just got better and better.”

There is no doubt Rantanen is one of the best playoff producers in NHL history. He entered this season averaging 1.25 points per game in the playoffs, tied with Mark Messier for sixth among players who had played at least 74 games. But people asked if that was because he had played with MacKinnon and Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar.

“I think he answered that question,” DeBoer said. “I’ve had a lot of playoff runs, and I know I haven’t had a player string together the three games he strung together -- 5, 6 and 7 -- how dominant he’s been shift to shift.”

The handshake line was emotional. Rantanen had gone through so much with so many of the guys on the other side, including winning the Stanley Cup in 2022. He called them his “brothers.” Present tense.

“I always love them off the ice,” Rantanen said. “It doesn’t matter if it was between games, the day off. I love every one of them. And then when we go on the ice, they’re enemies. That’s how it goes.

“Yeah, it’s emotional, for sure, because everything happened so quick. It’s only a couple months since I was still with them, playing with them and chasing a playoff spot and stuff, and now I’m, all of a sudden, a couple months later, playing against them in a Game 7, so emotional is the right word for sure.”

Surreal is another word. Rantanen was asked how he would have reacted had someone told him in training camp he’d have a hat trick for Dallas to defeat Colorado in a Game 7.

“I think I would have left the room in disbelief,” he said. “Yeah, for sure, would have not believed it if somebody told me that. Yeah, difficult year personally. Mentally tough overall, getting traded twice. It’s not fun ever to get traded even once, but twice in the season [is even harder].”

Rantanen thanked everyone in Dallas for welcoming him and helping him adapt.

“You can’t write it up any better than that -- guy comes over and knocks out his old team, puts the team on his back,” Stars goalie Jake Oettinger said. “One of the best individual performances I’ve seen in playoffs in my life, so just so happy for him.

“And it’s just the start.”

[full article]

[withwritersblock]

~Masterlist~

Requests are CLOSED Last Edited: 7/15/25

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 couplet Daylight ❤︎ The Day I Knew I Needed You❤︎

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❤︎ Take Your Time❤︎

Kirby Dach

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

Alex Newhook

To Love Someone ❤︎ Heaven ❤︎ Hey ★✖︎ Honey ❤︎

Nico Hischier

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

Jack Hughes

Espresso ✖︎❤︎ F.Y.B.F pt. 1 ✖︎ pt. 2 ❤︎ Do I Wanna Know? ✖︎ Happier Than Ever ★ No Caller ID ❤︎★ Pt. 2 ❤︎ Teenage Dirtbag❤︎ Hold my Hand❤︎ Back to Friends❤︎★✖︎ Do You Think About Me? ❤︎

Quinn Hughes

Oh! Darling - a series Champagne Problems★ Meant To Be ★ Happily ★ What's It To You ❤︎ Feelslikeimfallinginlove ❤︎ Light my Love ★ Kiwi❤︎ Pt.2 ★✖︎ Blowing Smoke❤︎ Springsteen❤︎ Just You and I❤︎ The First Time❤︎

Ethan Edwards

If You Love Her❤︎ Miss Possessive✖︎❤︎

[writingwithciara]

Fics

Auston Matthews - best friend for life

Brock Boeser - friends

Jack Hughes - he never will - could be - paper rings - you make me wanna fall in love 🆕

Jamie Drysdale - in the chaos, i have you

Luke Hughes - in the heat of the night [two] - the stand in

Nico Hischier - it's the little things - wanna be - aggravations

Quinn Hughes - missed goal - love or something like it - married in vegas - welcome to the family (part 2 to 'married in vegas'). - is she really yours - fancy friends for the summer - birthday cake - family game night - blinking lights - across the hall [multi-part series]

Ross Colton - mending hearts

William Eklund - conversation hearts

Fake Social Media AUs & Texts

Cale Makar - caught in an avalanche

Connor Bedard - crossing enemy lines [fic]

Jack Hughes - texts with jack hughes - the locked heart of a celebrini

Luke Hughes - the devils in the details

Nico Hischier - here for hischier

Quinn Hughes - not very fond -we got over it -this is forever - in perfect harmony

Ross Colton - caught in an avalanche

William Eklund - swimming with sharks 🆕

[yamball]

You seem like a very good source to ask 🙊 can you please explain the Makar thing and why the kraken hate him? I'm extremely new here, sorry if it's a stupid question

Hello!

It’s not a stupid question! I’m going to do my best to present the facts and why this is such a Thing lol. We’ll start with the specific reason it started, zoom out to ‘why are we STILL booing though??’, and then zoom out even wider to playoffs in general for extra context.

A note about this: I have my own personal feelings but I’m gonna try REALLY hard to stay neutral and simply present the facts of why this has happened and continued. This could be about any bad hit in the playoffs when it comes down to it. I am not here to convince anyone to boo anyone lol anon did not ask me why IIIIII would boo him, but simply why so many boo him. I will try to answer.

Another note: I’m not blocking out Makar’s name so I apologize for this coming up in Avs tags; I promise I didn’t mean to. We’re all floating in this fucked up algorithm and search feature anyway

1. Why Climate Pledge Arena boos Cale Makar

On April 24, 2023, the Kraken are playing Game 4 of Round 1 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Kraken are down 2-1 going into this game, hoping to tie it at home.

Jared McCann has the puck but then plays it up. McCann is looking up, puck not on his stick, and Makar hits him into the boards. Video.

McCann is taken out of the game. Eberle wins it in overtime (series tied 2-2). Makar is suspended for one game. Here is Makar talking about the hit. The Kraken win the game he’s suspended for. (3-2). The Avs win the sixth game, but ultimately the Kraken win game 7 and the series. McCann is out for this series but is able to come back (and lose) the next series against the Stars.

Of the hit, McCann later reflected that he did want an apology but he got that it was playoff hockey. Here’s him talking about it.

So that’s why we initially booed, but of course…we are still booing. Even though we won the series. Even though Cale Makar is clearly not a goon, given his record. He also declined to settle it when they met in the next season.

I can’t speak for everyone but there’s a few reasons we still boo. But before we get to those reasons, I also want to point out some perspectives (some reflected in many Kraken fans!) on why the booing has gone on very long, perhaps too long for some people. You can make your own choices!

2. Why are we still booing, though?

The tension of the boos come from both inside and outside the house.

Fans of the Avs point out Cale’s record otherwise. It’s pretty spotless, and he’s not a guy who throws his elbows around. He doesn’t need to. He’s really talented lmao I hope no one is disputing that. But his fans love him for pretty clear reasons and seeing him get booed really intensely for over a year and a half appears very irritating for them.

They also tend to point out that Jared’s injury was not the worst injury to come out of that series. That honorific would go to Cogliano, who suffered a fractured neck at the hands of Captain Jordan Eberle (he was not captain then but it’s weighty now). He’s wearing a neck brace when he first holds his child, born just a few weeks after the hit. It’s pretty awful. But fans do point out that Avs fans never kept a grudge against Ebs like Kraken fans have kept against Makar. Could be a high road; could be the reality that Ebs and Cogs have been friends and teammates before, they had history beyond the NHL. I don’t know. But it’s true that Ebs escaped most derision from the fanbase. He did answer LOC’s proposal to settle it on the ice during the season opener after.

Some also point out that the Kraken won the series. That’s the reality — so why boo someone who ultimately didn’t have a say in the final result of the series?

I’m sure there are other reasons to let it go; Makar doesn’t seem to care. I’ve seen fans on either side of the aisle call for the Makar boos to be retired.

So why do we hold on?

I can’t speak for anyone and again, I’m not here to sway reasons for or against the booing. Here are some perspectives I’ve seen.

We may hold on because it’s Jared McCann. From the outside, people may not understand it. But Jared McCann is an emotional pulse of this fanbase. We are more protective over him than most of our players.

We may hold on because we would also welcome boos on Ebs or anyone else. I think this may be the most…amusing? Entertaining? I don’t know? response because it’s an implicit awareness that, no, Kraken fans are not claiming a moral high ground in booing someone for probably far too long, when looking at comparables. But this perspective is acknowledging that and also saying that no one is stopping others from booing any of our guys either.

We may hold on because…ugh. Bear with me. We may hold on because we don’t have much else to hold onto. I know. That sounds negative. But listen — when Avs fans point out their team’s obvious success in recent years and their MUCH better talent pool than the Kraken (sorry my friends but we gotta just admit this right now), it’s just kinda like…yeah. We don’t have much. We’ve won one series in our short little lives, so all those memories are SOOOO much more salient for us. Please don’t think this is me begging for folks to be sorry for us as we boo a guy — it’s just that the energy has to go somewhere and the cheers haven’t been as forthcoming. It’s just like…science or something. We are young and want to scream about something!

Adding in again that we just love Jared McCann. It cannot be overstated.

We may just hold on because it’s exciting to join together like this. Sorry to Makar for getting caught in the middle but we don’t really have much yet to focus on. It comes with history. And I know a favorite joke about our fanbase is that we don’t know shit about hockey or we’re still brand new to this but perhaps the real fan behavior are the players we boo along the way.

3. Playoff Tensions

We should zoom out just a little bit more, too, especially after that last point. The Kraken fanbase has been desperate for a true rivalry. We reallyyyyy want one and these rivalries tend to come and go in the regular season. It feels like a rite of passage, to be able to be initiated into true haterism.

You get there in playoffs. When the stakes are just higher.

The Kraken were not supposed to win that series. I’m not exaggerating when I say literally no expert, analyst, anyone thought the Kraken were going to win in prediction articles.

It’s just the fact: they were up against the more talented team on paper. They were up against the champions. This isn’t a cute underdog point; it’s that we were already angry. We won’t add onto this the drama around Nichuskin in Seattle but it’s a factor if we consider fanbase anger.

It’s a tough point of sports but even tougher in playoffs — your own guys are the good guys and the other guys are the REALLY bad guys. No matter who you try and convince me is the rosy-cheeked guy there…I’m not gonna buy it in those specific playoff situations at all. It’s so easy to get caught up in that; I am not immune and with the way these fanbases can still go at each other? That’s what happens.

You see it across fanbases; the Kraken aren’t special for letting playoff tensions bleed over. In reality, the Kraken perhaps are special just for booing a guy that most everyone else likes. Lowkey, I hope we never have another occasion to boo the way we do, but maybe this is just practice for that next enemy of CPA.

[scuderiacanucks]

lowk i wanna get into hockey

whats happening now…

has the season started yet..? does it ever even end…

hi !! so glad you want to get into hockey its an incredible sport (and my favourite). right now the nhl regular season is over and the postseason is *almost* over. the stanley cup finals are upon us this week, which i dont know if i'll watch due to um. severely disliking both teams haha. but thats where we are with the season!

regular season runs from early october through early april; each team plays 82 games total in that time, and at the end of the season the four playoff rounds start. my team (vancouver canucks) did *not* make the playoffs this season due to genuinely everything going wrong, but i'm hoping next season will be better -- they're a really fun team despite the curse, and i'm always looking for people to lure into the fanbase, although picking your own team (based on location, vibes, or anything at all) is also a great idea.

(more general nhl stuff below the cut, a LOT more, but if you want more info feel free to jump into my dms!)

there are 32 total teams in the nhl right now, 6 of which have been there since the start -- the other 26 have been added at various points along the way. the teams are divided equally into conferences (east and west), and each conference is divided again into divisions (eastern conference is divided into atlantic and metropolitan; western conference is divided into pacific and central). so each division has 8 teams and each conference has 16 teams.

who makes it into the playoffs is determined as follows: the top 3 teams from each division (so, 12 total) automatically qualify; then the top 2 *remaining* teams from each conference (so, 4 more) are added, to get 16 total -- exactly half the nhl. then each team is matched against another team from the same conference, and they play a best of 7 elimination series to get to the next round, and so forth and so on until we have one victor. this year we ended up having the same two teams for the final round as last year, which is. fine. probably really great if you love those teams, but i *am* biased lmao

it's a game with 60 minutes of total play, divided into three 20-minute periods, with two 18-minute intermissions in between. if a game in the regular season is tied at the end, it goes to 5 minutes of 3-on-3 overtime, in which the first team to score instantly wins. if nobody scores within that time frame the game goes to a shootout, in which teams put their best shooters out in a best-of-three attempt to score on the opposing goaltender. whoever scores more in the shootout wins the game. 2 points are awarded to any regular season win, no matter if its in regulation time or overtime; 0 points to a loss in regulation; and 1 point to a loss in overtime/shootout.

there are three positions in hockey, which i'm going to very briefly explain and give a few examples in the nhl so you can look up different styles of play for each of those positions if you want (sorry i'm just fully nerding out now):

goaltender -- tends the goal. only one on the ice at a time, and generally two on the team. a few great modern examples are marc-andre fleury, roberto luongo, carey price, juuse saros, and thatcher demko;

defence -- general job is prevent opponents from having chances to score. two on the ice at a time, one on each side, and at least 6 on the team. a few modern examples: cale makar, chris tanev, jaccob slavin, quinn hughes, zach werenski;

and forward -- generally responsible for most scoring; 3-person units (known as lines) with at least 12 forwards on the team. lines are divided into left wing, centre, and right wing, and typically players can only play one (or sometimes maybe two) of those positions. examples: sidney crosby, daniel and henrik sedin (twins!!!), alex ovechkin, connor bedard, travis konecny, connor mcdavid ... honestly most of the Big Names in hockey are forwards.

um. there are So Many Rules. this is already pretty long and idek if you wanted this whole essay so i'll leave it here, but as i said already my dms are super open for *any* hockey questions and there are a lot of things like youtube videos explaining nhl rules. although i can definitely do that too fhskkfdkg

oh and there are also other leagues .. whl my beloved junior teams .. pwhl WOMENS HOCKEY coming soon to a city sort of close to me .. there is so much hockey all of the time except during summer but even then there *is* australian hockey i just havent fully gotten into it yet .. okay cutting myself off now this is long enough

[huggybug]

masterlist!

requests: open

au masterlist

✧ - requested

dilf day tag - dad au’s

anaheim ducks

trevor zegras

poppy’s au masterlist

meet the parents ✧

fight for your love ✧

i’m yours ✧

this is what dreams are made of

moments ✧

he’s just not that into you ✧

old flame

somewhere only we know ✧

something about the sunshine ✧

mason mctavish

last night

colorado avalanche

nathan mackinnon

paper rings

number one

turn the lights off, carry me it home

cale makar

the winner takes it all

minnesota wild

matt boldy

better together

nashville predators

nick blankenburg

you gave me something to lose

new jersey devils

jack hughes

ifly ✧

3,000 miles ✧

don’t believe everything you hear

surprise

don’t be stupid ✧

tell me what you want ✧

luke hughes

just friends ✧

time’s up

fishin’

promises are broken like a stitch is

you’re a liability

welcome to the lake house

it’s so hard to say goodbye

new york rangers

brendan brisson

make you miss me

let me fix what’s broken

we should just kiss like real people do

new phone, who’s this

philadelpha flyers

jamie drysdale

old friends ✧

first game ✧

san jose sharks

thomas bordeleau

don’t let me go (series)

all the right problems

you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here

falling in love in the cruelest way

seattle kraken

matty beniers

how not to

laps around the sun

when it rains, it pours

everything i love

vancouver canucks

quinn hughes

christmas morning

meet the hughes’

fixer upper ✧

years in the making

facetime ✧

piggies or bunnies?

black and white

elias pettersson

nonna’s favourite

family

stay stay stay

hard sometimes

the love connection

brock boeser

drunk people do dumb things

welcome home

washington capitals

ryan leonard

red flags

umich wolverines

assorted blurbs

ethan edwards

life goes on

mark estapa

what happens in vegas…

drunk on you

nolan moyle

uh oh

luca fantilli

good luck charm

misc.

ig edits

[socialfakes]

linked below are all my social media au posts, listed alphabetically by person's name

Cale Makar caught in an avalanche [series masterlist] {coming soon}

Connor Bedard crossing enemy lines [series masterlist]

Jack Hughes the locked heart of a celebrini [series masterlist]

Joe Keery your hand fits in mine

Joseph Quinn lasting love

Luke Hughes the devils in the details [series masterlist]

Matt Sturniolo there for you [series masterlist]

Milo Manheim start to finish

Nico Hischier here for hischier [series masterlist] {coming soon}

Quinn Hughes not very fond we got over it this is forever in perfect harmony [series masterlist]

Ross Colton caught in an avalanche [series masterlist] {coming soon}

William Eklund swimming with sharks [series masterlist] 🆕

[hocksburn]

thank you @rubberpuckies for the tag in this get-to-know-your-mutual game!

last song: ROKI by mikitoP. im on a jpop streak rn dont worry abt it

favorite color: grey

last movie: wicked! WHICH IS REALLY BALLER EVERYONE SHOULD GO SEE IT

last tv show: taskmaster series 16!

sweet/savory/spicy: sweet but where is my beloved sour :(

relationship status: single n ready for ppringles. actually no pringles are like the most nothing snack like they have NOOO substance i dont like them at all

last thing i googled: shear stress of a circular beam. me n the robotics team r goin thru it

current obsession: ao3 comments :) :) :) ive gotten so many recently and the sheer joy i felt has reminded me to go comment on other ppl's fic too :] when im havin a bad day i go look at them and its like Wowza... so many people in my phone n they care so much abt me waugh <3

looking forward to: my beloved stupid ass ncaa hockey boys tomorrow! hockeyblr coffee date on saturday plus more stupid ass ncaa hockey boys! grocery shopping tomorrow! im just like cale makar

tagging: @tjarry @endeus @cerona10 and sending it over to the esports side @boxenstopp @clover-siya!

[withwritersblock]

Castles Crumbling

~Castles Crumbling by Taylor Swift~

Author's Note: some crazy dad!cale angst. that was sorta requested Summary: Cale and his family after the Game 7 loss against the Kraken Warnings: Kraken mention (jk) crying, swearing I think? Word Count: 2,175 Cale Makar x fm!reader

The clock was ticking down and they were still down by one in the dying seconds of game seven against the Kraken. The suite was full with the wives and girlfriends and the injured players. It was silent as they were watching the game come to a close. No cheers from the crowd, silent as they all were leaving their seats. Y/N leaned her body against the edge of the suite as she watched all of the players skate on the ice. 

Cale’s head hung low as he skated in a small circle. She knew that he blamed himself for how the series turned out; from his suspension he got. She covered her mouth with her hands as she felt her eyes fill with tears. She shifted her gaze towards the TV screen to see a zoom in look on Bo crying. 

She began crying at the sight of the emotions of the boys on the ice. It was difficult to be a first round exit after winning a cup. Knowing what it takes to win a cup. 

It was a tough game, it was a tough season. Selfishly she was glad that it was over, Cale needed to rest up and so did the rest of the players.

Her kids were at home, watching the game with her parents. Her daughter, Hannah, is very close with Cale. She’s only four years old but loves everything about her father’s career. Her son, Jackson, was only seven months old. He was too little to even know what was going on. He was asleep as it was well past his bedtime, but Hannah was allowed to stay up since it was an important game for the team.

She tightened her fists as she watched the team do the end of series handshake. Cale was in the middle of the pack which made it hard to watch him. She knew it was going to be a long couple of months watching the playoffs without them in it. 

After another hour, she was waiting outside the locker room to meet up with him. She watched a few of the players exit, teary eyed or stoic. After a while Cale walked out, his head still hung low. His hair was wet as he covered his frame with an Avalanche hoodie with his number on the front and a pair of black shorts.

“Sorry, I took forever. I wanted to shower, clear my head a bit,” he mumbled as he finally approached her, afraid to meet her gaze. She nodded as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Don’t apologize,” she mumbled as she rested her hand on the back of his head. He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. He shut his eyes, fighting the tears filling his eyes. He wasn’t emotional, he couldn’t show his emotions. “I’m so proud of you, no matter what.”

“I love you,” he let out as he pulled away from her. He took a hold of hand as he guided her towards their car in the parking garage. “Is my girl going to be awake?” he asked, glancing towards Y/N. 

“I was hoping my parents could get her to bed but it seems like she’s waiting for you to put her to bed,” she mumbled as she squeezed his hand. Cale nodded, taking a breath. “We could circle the block a few times so you can prepare for confrontation,” she let out. Cale chuckled dryly as he ran his hand across his nose.

“You see me drive past our street, just don’t say anything,” Cale mumbled as he turned towards his car. He unlocked it as he tightened his grip around her hand. He pulled her towards him. She furrowed her eyebrows as she met his gaze. 

“Cale,” she questioned as she scanned his features. He stayed silent as he scanned her features, his eyes tearing up slightly. He clenched his jaw.

“I can’t look at my teammates because I’m so disappointed in myself. How am I supposed to tell my daughter that I failed my team,” he said as a sob left his throat.

Her eyes widened as she quickly wrapped her arms around him. “Honey, you know that is not true,” she muttered as she pulled away, keeping her hands resting on the base of his neck. Her thumbs ran along his jawline. 

“This is not all on you, my love. It was a tough series for every single one of you. Everyone is banged up one way or another. It is probably for the best-” he clenched his jaw as he rolled his eyes, “It is probably for the best that you all get the rest time you deserve. Cale, you played your heart out. It was not meant to be this season. Recover and rest to be better next time around. I am so proud of you and you should be proud of yourself for pushing yourself the way you did.” she paused as she felt her eyes tear up.

“You tell our daughter that you can’t win them all, but you played your asses off. I love you, you know that?” she mumbled as she scanned his features. He leaned towards her, kissing her like it was the last thing he was ever going to do.

“You’re fucking incredible,” he mumbled against her lips as he pulled away from her reluctantly. 

~~~

The drive back to their house was fast and silent. They were just listening to Cale’s playlist as they were both trying to think of the best things to say to Hannah. She was nosy, most kids her age are. She also has no filter and Cale was preparing for her to let Cale know it all.

He parked in the garage, turning the car off at the same time as he shut the garage door behind him. He shifted his gaze towards Y/N in the passenger seat and pressed his lips together nervously. 

“What if we just camped in the garage? She’ll fall asleep eventually,” he said jokingly. His eyes widened as he nodded, “I’m an awful father,” he let out through a dry chuckle as he rested his head on the steering wheel.

She leaned towards him, “I was thinking the same thing, I don’t know what will come out of that little girl’s mouth,” she said while chuckling. 

After a few seconds, Cale let out a long drawn out breath as he opened the car door. She followed in pursuit as they both walked towards the door that led into their house. Cale pushed the door open as he stepped inside there was loud excited shrieks from Hannah from the living room. 

It was soon followed by tiny stomps towards the kitchen, where the small hallway led from the garage. “Daddy! Dad!” she yelled as she ran into the kitchen. Her thin hair strands were tied back away from her face as she grinned widely. Cale leaned down, a groan leaving his lips, as Hannah ran into his arms. He excitedly wrapped his arms around her as he picked her up in the air. A giggle left her lips. 

“Hello, my darling, why are you still up?” he asked her as he tickled her side. She giggled as she threw her head back.

“Nana and Papa let me watch the whole game!” she bragged as she threw her arms to the side dramatically. Y/N’s parents slowly entered the kitchen exhausted. They didn’t live in Denver and during playoffs last season they stayed with them to be able to watch Hannah during the games. 

During a few of the games, Hannah was able to join them at Ball Arena but every game would’ve been too much.

“They did?” he asked as he slowly put her down on the ground. 

“Yeah, it was fun,” she mumbled, brushing her hands across her face. 

Her parents walked towards Cale giving him a hug, “I’m sorry,” her father let out as he rested his hand onto Cale’s arm. Cale nodded as he pressed his lips together.

“But you didn’t win,” Hannah continued her thought after the interaction. Cale chuckled as the rest of the family looked towards Hannah in horror. 

“Hannah,” Y/N let out in a whisper, scolding her. Hannah pouted her lips. 

Cale shook his head as he leaned down towards her level, “You’re right, I didn’t. But that’s okay,” he said as he forced a smile on his lips. 

“Why?” she asked. Cale chuckled as he scooped her up, giggles left her body as she was hanging upside down on Cale’s shoulder.

“You need to go to bed, sweetheart,” Cale said, giving Y/N a wink. 

“No!” Hannah protested on Cale’s shoulder.

“Yes!” Cale sing-songed as he carried her towards her bedroom. He delicately tossed her down onto the bed. Giggles continued to leave Hannah's body. “Climb under the covers,” he instructed as he leaned down onto his knees as he leaned his body against the tiny bed.

Once under the blanket, her head secured on the pillow, her eyes met Cale’s. Their identical eyes. “You didn’t win,” she let out again, a small pout on her lips. 

Cale smiled sadly as he took the small ponytail out of his daughter’s hair. He slowly ran his fingers through the pieces of hair. Her eyes were getting heavy in the process. 

“No, Daddy didn’t win,” he mumbled as he clenched his jaw, “But it’s okay,” he let out as he continued to run his fingers through her hair. 

“Why?” she asked as a yawn left her body. 

Cale took in a deep breath as he looked into his little girl’s eyes, “You know how I got hurt a few times during these past few months?” he let out. She nodded, “Well, Uncle EJ was hurt for a while, Uncle Nate wasn’t feeling great. Uncle Bo was hurt a lot too. Sometimes if we lose right now, we’ll be better in the future. And then we’ll win some games,” he said while nodding excitedly. 

She nodded dramatically, furrowing her eyebrows. “Not hurt anymore, right?” she asked. Cale nodded as he smiled widely. He ran his thumb across her tiny cheek. Her eyes were blinking slower and slower by the second.

“Nope, I’m all good, lovebug. You get some sleep, I love you,” he whispered towards her, kissing her tiny forehead. 

“Love you too, daddy,” she mumbled as she watched him stand up. He winked towards her, forcing a giggle leaving from her throat. 

Cale left the bedroom as he slowly shut the door before he quickly turned down the hall towards his son’s room. Jackson was a heavy sleeper for a baby, which always worked in Cale’s favor. Many times instead of going straight to bed when he would get home from road trips, he would sneak into Jackson’s room. He would take Jackson’s from his crib and rock him in the rocking chair for an hour before he went to bed. 

He snuck into the room and walked towards the crib. He leaned over and stared towards his son. He was wearing elephant themed pajamas that himself and his mother picked out. Cale thought it was the cutest thing. He felt his eyes tear up again as he admired his little boy.

He slowly reached down and picked him up. He slowly secured him in his arms, Jackson not stirring once. Cale smiled towards his baby as he walked towards the rocking chair. He slowly began to rock as he stared towards his chubby cheeked baby. Hannah and Jackson were slowly becoming the reasons why he wanted to win. 

He wanted them to be proud. Have an amazing person to look up to. That was the new goal. Which is why every loss hurts a little more. 

He blinked as a tear fell on his cheek as he continued to slowly rock back and forth. He lifted his gaze to see Y/N standing at the doorway. He pressed his lips together as he tilted his gaze back down towards his son. 

She slowly stepped inside the nursery, shutting the door delicately behind her. “Cale? Do you want to get ready for bed?” she asked quietly as she kept her back pressed against the door. He shook his head as he took a deep breath.

“I’m good right here for a while, if that’s okay, my love?” he asked. She nodded as a sad smile formed to her lips. 

Taking small steps towards him, Cale lifted his gaze to meet hers. She decided to ignore the tears fighting to fall from his eyes, knowing it would be better off. “I’ll be in bed when you're ready,” she continued as she kissed his cheek. He nodded as he looked back towards Jackson.

After a few seconds, she left the nursery. Cale took a deep shaky breath as he looked back down towards his son, “I’ll make you proud, kid,” he mumbled as he leaned down and pressed his lips to the baby’s little forehead.

[ilyasorokinn]

colorado avalanche

* = from a prompt list

jack drury !

blurbs,

✷ luna beam - y/n and jack's daughter, luna, loves her birthday cake cake-pops.

✷ a dog for the dog - after drinking of a whole can of redbull, y/n stays awake almost the entire night, annoying jack. *

✷ stealings bad - y/n hates when people steal her food, and jack likes to mess around. *

erik johnson !

imagines,

✷ my person - y/n and nathan mackinnon’s girlfriend payton are best friends. they’re each other’s  “persons” if you will. whenever y/n has boy troubles, she goes to payton and nate’s at whatever time of day. that includes when she has erik troubles. 

blurbs,

✷ not alone - erik and y/n are long-distance, so as an early birthday gift, he (with the help of friends), surprises y/n when she least expects it.

✷ 900 club - y/n throws erik a little party in honor of him playing 900 games. and a love confession ensues.

series,

✷ life with the johnsons - erik johnson, and his life with his three kids, twins lila and zach, and little ivy. 

artturi lehkonen !

imagines,

✷ perfect time - artturi had been planning on proposing for months, but could never find the right time. that perfect time finally presents itself when they're both covered in snow. (part of “taylor’s very merry christmas” series)

blurbs,

✷ game winner - artturi, the winner.

ryan lindgren !

blurbs,

✷ crappy comments - y/n, a youtuber, gets a hate comment of sorts and shows ryan, who seemingly doesn't care. *

✷ ryan "little spoon" lindgren - after a roadie, all ryan wants to do is cuddle, but he wants to be the little spoon. *

nathan mackinnon !

imagines,

✷ better man - a fic based on "better man" from taylor swift's red album. (from the “taylor’s version” series)

blurbs,

✷ spicy tofu - nate is playing a game and gets the call that y/n, his wife, is in labor. *

✷ a “work” trip - nate and y/n used to date. people used to think they were the “it” couple. so when they break up, it’s quite the surprise. after a few years, nate moves on and gets engaged. y/n gets an invite, but she just can’t find it herself to go. *

✷ time to move on - y/n confronts nate, and tells him it’s time to move on. (part two to “a “work” trip”)

✷ sheep keychains - nate comes home after a roadie, and gives y/n a keychain with a sheep on it. *

✷ two month secret - y/n and nate keep a pretty big secret for two months. *

✷ consequences of my own actions - after the hit, little patrick mackinnon is worried for him.

✷ the injured guy - after “the injury”, y/n plays the dutiful girlfriend, and takes care of nate.

✷ shot glasses - nate comes home from a roadie with a little gift for y/n. *

✷ post-roadie ice cream - after every road trip, the mackinnon's get a treat to celebrate nate being back, and more often than not, it's ice cream. *

cale makar ! (no longer write for)

imagines,

✷ a big warm welcome - the avs organization, as well as the team, welcome annabelle makar to their family. 

blurbs,

✷ auntie y/n and uncle cale - after seeing y/n with a baby, cale starts thinking about their future together.

miles wood !

blurbs,

✷ jamie and miles - with y/n off on a girl's trip, that left miles alone with little jamie wood.

[ wips ] [ masterlist of masterlists ] [ taglist ]

[ivyrosewater]

CM8 • CALE MAKAR MASTERLIST

SERIES

coming soon!

ONESHOTS

Behind the Scenes: A Hockey Boyfriend -- When you first start dating a hockey player, there’s much to learn. One of the most important is learning all about hockey, especially when your boyfriend is the one and only Cale Makar, and when you are completely lost when it comes to all things hockey.

BLURBS

coming soon!

MAIN MASTERLIST • LAST UPDATED: ...

[hockeylvr59]

Here With Me Part 32 || Taylor Makar

Author’s Note: Taylor and Kelsey have an enjoyable morning before Tracy and Cale arrive at the lake and Cale being a drama-king leads to an evening dock talk for Taylor and Kelsey. FC: Marina Laswick (@marooshk on instagram).

A/N2: It's my birthday and though I've had no muse to write lately I've had this one banked so why not.

Warnings: smut, past emotional abuse // Word Count: 6,479

~~~~~~

Thirty One

The bedrooms in the lake house did not have room darkening curtains so Kelsey stirred as soon as the sun started rising above the horizon. Unlike when they had gone to sleep, only Kelsey was still on her side, her head on Taylor’s shoulder as he sprawled out on his back. Her arm was still draped across his body and her palm rested lightly over his abs. Unconsciously her brain sought out her favorite spot, even if there wasn’t going to be hair growth back quite yet, and instead was greeted by the tented fabric of his boxers. 

A spark of curiosity filled her and she carefully lifted the covers to see that Taylor’s dick was indeed awake even if he was not. Letting the blankets fall, she slowly slid her hand back down, grazing her fingers against the soft skin of his stomach along his waistband. Slipping her fingers under the elastic, she continued to tease gently, gradually sliding further south. 

Hearing a groan fall from Taylor’s lips, Kelsey paused her movements waiting to see if she would get any other reaction from her boyfriend. When she didn’t, her fingers continued their teasing movements, grazing against the growing stubble of Taylor’s pubic hair. Exploring a few inches further south caused her fingers to bump lightly against the base of his dick and Kelsey didn’t hesitate in wrapping her fingers around his length, jerking slowly. 

He was so warm, solid, and heavy in her palm and Kelsey closed her eyes just focusing on the feel of him. 

Suddenly, the shoulder that had been propped up by Taylor’s body hit the bed as her boyfriend rolled from being partially under her, to slumped over her, his dick now trapped between their bodies since her hand had released him with the shock of the movement. For a moment he didn’t move but then he raised his head, his mouth connecting with hers in a series of sloppy, lazy kisses. As they kissed, Taylor ground his hips down into her body, his dick rubbing against her where she wanted him most. 

Needing more contact, Kelsey slipped her hands under Taylor’s boxers again, this time palming the firm ass all his hockey training had given him. She hadn’t intended any of this when she had aimlessly started touching him, however, she couldn’t deny the way her underwear was becoming soaked with arousal, feeling him between her hips and kissing her with full tongue. 

With her whole body tingling, Kelsey needed more and twisted her hands to try and push the boxers from Taylor’s body unsuccessfully. Frustrated, Kelsey whined into Taylor’s mouth, wordlessly expressing her need for him. Pulling back just a breath, Taylor spoke against her lips. 

“Should I get a condom?” 

“Please.” Kelsey agreed, needing him inside her. 

Kissing her for another thirty seconds or so, Taylor pressed up off of her and slipped out from under the covers. As he moved toward his bag, he slipped the boxers from his hips, letting them pool on the floor at his feet. Revealed fully to her eyes, Kelsey admired every inch of him as he bent over to dig through his bag. She had to be the luckiest girl on the planet. 

That sentiment only grew as he turned to face her showing off exactly what she was about to get. 

“Want you.” Kelsey murmured, shifting up onto her knees to face him as he stood at the side of the bed. Though they shared a few need filled kisses, Kelsey realized that she was missing the additional intimacy of skin to skin contact and reached down, quickly pulling her sleep shirt off over her head. Now when she kissed him, her breasts pressed against his bare chest making everything feel just that much better. 

After tossing the condom packet and a bottle of lube further onto the bed, Taylor's hands slipped to the back of Kelsey’s thighs. In the blink of an eye, he had lifted her to wrap her legs around his waist and had carefully laid her back on the bed. That quick flash of speed was replaced by the languid pace he’d been moving at all morning and he kissed her again, occasionally leaving her lips to tease his way across her upper body. 

Seemingly getting his fill of just kissing, Taylor slipped his hands down to Kelsey’s waist to carefully pull her underwear from her body, removing the last item of clothing separating them. Then he reached for the condom he’d tossed onto the bed, tearing the wrapper and sheathing himself in the latex before applying a generous amount of lube. All of that situated, he settled himself back between Kelsey’s thighs. 

“All good?” He questioned softly, his eyes warm as he looked at her. 

“All good.” Kelsey echoed, reaching up to tangle her fingers in his hair as he pressed into her slowly. Absolutely nothing compared to the stretch of him inside her and a moan started to rise in her throat. It was then that her brain remembered where they were and how his parents could literally be two feet outside the door. Biting back the moan, Kelsey let out a shaky breath instead. They could do this but they had to be quiet. It was one thing for his parents to know they’d had sex, it was another for them to hear them in the midst of it. 

Kissing him again to help silence herself, Kelsey focused on how it felt to be intimate with him. 

Still maintaining the languid morning mood, Taylor moved slowly in his thrusts, movements that allowed Kelsey to feel every inch of him. It also kept things quieter, an added benefit but not really the intention. 

Gradually, the coil in Kelsey’s stomach wound tighter as Taylor pressed into her over and over again. But as his movements started becoming less steady, Kelsey knew that this alone wasn’t going to push her over the edge even if she was enjoying it tremendously. Thankfully, Taylor seemed to make the same observation and so he adjusted himself slightly, shifting a hand to slide between their bodies and rub his thumb against her clit. 

It may not have seemed like much but it sent sparks flying through her body and Kelsey gasped into his mouth. This was exactly what she needed. Now confident that she was going to get there right behind him, Kelsey tugged Taylor’s hair gently. 

“You can cum Tay, I’m right behind you.” She murmured against his lips. Still stroking her clit, Taylor’s movements became more erratic and she felt his body draw taut above her before relaxing as he released into the condom after just a few more thrusts. As he came down from his high, Kelsey hit her own, spasming around him and whining softly in the back of her throat. 

Panting as Taylor pulled out, Kelsey watched as he got up to dispose of the condom before returning to her side. Both knew they could only cuddle for a moment before Kelsey needed to get up to pee and clean up but she was going to bask in that moment and Taylor’s hug, his fingers trailing lightly over her back. 

“Well that was unexpected.” Kelsey said lightly, a slight giggle in her voice. 

“Unexpected for you?” Taylor joked. “Last I checked I’m the one that woke up to your hand around my dick.” 

“It was right there.” Kelsey added, still playful. “What was I supposed to do?” 

Rolling his eyes fondly, Taylor tickled her sides. 

“Go pee Kels.” He instructed a minute later, stopping his teasing and kissing her lips softly. 

Stealing a second kiss, Kelsey reluctantly got out of bed, reaching for clothes to throw on to get her to the bathroom in case his parents were in fact awake. Without a mirror in the room, Kelsey couldn’t tell how she looked but even if her hair was messy she at least had clothes on her body. Once Taylor at least had boxers back on, Kelsey opened the door to cross the living space toward the bathroom. She was immediately grateful she was decent because his parents were both present in the kitchen discussing what to make for breakfast. 

“Good morning Kelsey.” Gary greeted. 

“Morning.” She murmured, her cheeks flushing a bit unconsciously as she made her way into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. 

After peeing, Kelsey wiped herself clean of her bodily fluids and any lubricant that had been left behind. Then she combed her fingers through her hair trying to make it look a little less tangled and splashed some water on her face. Deciding that was as good as it was going to get until she officially got dressed for the day, Kelsey moved to step out of the bathroom only to bump into Taylor who was standing outside the door already dressed for his workout. His presence made her jump and she cursed under her breath causing him to laugh as he moved her forward so he could step into the bathroom behind her. 

Crossing back to their room, Kelsey closed that door behind her as well and then lifted her suitcase up to find something to wear for the day. A quick check of her phone revealed that although today was going to be one of the warmer days, it was still going to be chilly, so she pulled out the single pair of pants she had brought and a t-shirt along with clean undergarments. She’d have to borrow one of the hoodies T had packed for her if she was going to spend any time outside today. And she’d definitely have to figure out how to make her wardrobe work given that she had not packed for the weather to be this chilly.

Dressing herself in at least the lighter layer, Kelsey ran a brush through her hair and put deodorant on, deciding she’d brush her teeth and do a light layer of makeup after having her coffee and breakfast. 

Feeling more put together, Kelsey left the bedroom once more, making her way into the kitchen to make up a cup of coffee to actually get her brain working. With Taylor already standing making coffee, Kelsey moved over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. 

“When you’re done with yours can you get one started for me?” She questioned. 

“This one is yours.” Taylor declared, his tone hinting at the unspoken ‘who do you think I am’. 

“Tay. I can wait for a second one to be made, I’m not gonna take yours.” Kelsey murmured. 

Turning slightly, Taylor glared at her softly, his look communicating for her to take the coffee because he had made it for her not himself. 

“Okay, fine. Thank you.” Kelsey murmured. “I love you.” 

Immediately Taylor’s facial expression softened and he pressed his lips to her forehead in a quick kiss before sliding the mug of coffee over to her as his parents shared an unseen look. 

Taking the mug, Kelsey stepped out from Taylor’s proximity to get the cream from the fridge and a little bit of sugar to make it more palatable before moving to the living room to get out of everyone’s way as breakfast was made. Honestly, she couldn’t have asked for a better start to the morning and she smiled to herself as she sipped at her coffee. 

It didn’t take long before Kelsey was summoned to make herself a plate for breakfast and she loaded it up with eggs and bacon, thanking Laura and Gary for the food. Devouring everything on her plate and finishing her coffee, Kelsey got up to take care of her dishes. Seeing Taylor also finish as she moved to get the rest of the things she needed to get ready, Kelsey asked if he could grab one of the sweatshirts he’d packed for her before he left to go workout. 

Said hoodie was laying on the bed by the time she finished and Kelsey put all her things away, grabbing the first of the two books she had packed. Though it might be too cool to sit out for long, Kelsey was going to try to get some fresh air and read while Taylor trained. Throwing the hoodie on, Kelsey smiled at how huge it was on her body, making her feel warm and safe. Then she padded out to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water before making her way onto the porch with her book in hand. 

Laura and Gary must have been getting themselves ready for the day because she hadn’t seen either of them but that didn’t matter much as she settled herself into one of the comfy chairs before cracking her book open to sit and read. It definitely was chilly out but it was manageable, especially curled into a ball with a book in her lap.

Losing herself in the words on the page, Kelsey barely noticed when Laura came out, settling into one of the other chairs with a book of her own. They read silently until voices came from the hill beside the house. 

“Those two never can be quiet.” Laura murmured, raising an eyebrow at the sound. 

“Of course not.” Kelsey added, shaking her head softly. It wasn’t exactly easy to block out the sounds of Gary and Taylor going back and forth with each other, but Kelsey did her best and focused on the words on the page in front of her. She only had to reread paragraphs a few times which overall was a success. 

Eventually, Laura got up and moved back inside as it became clear that Taylor was wrapping up his training for the day. When her boyfriend appeared over her, he was dripping in sweat and had a smoothie in hand. 

“Cozy Kels?” He questioned, adjusting his ball cap over his sweaty hair. 

“Just chilling…” She shrugged. “Good workout?” 

A simple nod of the head was his answer as he chugged more of the smoothie. 

“Gonna shower but then I was thinking I’d take you out on the lake…” 

“Sure T. I’m down but there’s no rush.” 

Taylor paced around the porch for a minute while he finished his smoothie before he slipped back inside. Judging by how long it usually took Taylor to shower, Kelsey read for another ten minutes before marking her spot and closing her book. Then she headed inside herself to put her book away and grab shoes to go out on a boat with him. 

Once all that was done, and just to be safe, she threw her phone in the waterproof floating pouch she had brought and sealed it shut before sliding it back into her pocket. 

Taylor was out of the shower not long after that and after putting her shoes on Kelsey followed him downstairs and outside where they met up with his dad who was giving the boat a quick hose down before they took it out onto the water. 

“How can we help?” Kelsey asked. 

“Once T and I flip it to drain the water you can towel it down.” Gary directed, tossing the hose aside now that he was finished with it. Together the boys flipped it over to pour the water out and then flipped it back onto its bottom. Taking her cue, Kelsey grabbed the towel from the ground where Gary had put it and started to dry off the inside of the boat starting with the seats. 

When she was finished, Gary and Taylor carried it down to the water, carefully setting it into the lake alongside the dock and tying it in place. While they hooked up the engine to it, Kelsey retrieved the life jackets from the storage shed where Gary had said they were located and carried them down to the dock. 

With everything situated, Kelsey put her lifejacket on before climbing into the boat with Taylor’s help. Sitting down, she waited for him to climb in too, his lifejacket getting tossed under his seat, before he untied the boat from the dock and pushed off slightly before giving the engine a start. 

It wasn’t a very powerful engine but it did the job of motoring them around the lake steadily. Out on the water, Kelsey could see the houses scattered around the shoreline but it was the view of the mountains in the distance that took her breath away. It really couldn’t get much prettier than this. 

“Pretty huh?” Taylor mused, watching the expression on her face as he steered the boat slowly around the lake. 

“Gorgeous Tay.” Kelsey agreed, just taking it all in. “You know…any trip I’ve ever taken basically anywhere was to a beach…” She reflected. “But I think you’re converting me into a mountain and lake girl instead. It’s so peaceful.” 

A pleased grin crossed Taylor’s face and he slowed the boat to just drift through the water. 

“You’ll like Colorado then.” He murmured. 

Kelsey’s heart jumped and then fluttered in her chest hearing Taylor reference Colorado. Moreover, referencing her being in Colorado. Never before had he connected those two thoughts and it caught her slightly off guard. He’d talked about wanting forever with her but he’d never given that forever any context before and she couldn’t help the giddy grin that spilled onto her face. 

“Yeah?” She questioned, wanting to hear what other thoughts he had on the topic. 

“Yeah.” Taylor affirmed. “It’s a fun place to be. Great people, lots to explore. Plenty of beautiful places I can show you.” 

“Sounds amazing.” Kelsey murmured honestly. After all, there was a reason she had applied to med school in Colorado in the first place. That reason just so happened to be sitting across from her praising the state he’d only been in a few dozen times. Admittedly, it was their shared smiles that said everything that they hadn’t in words and made her heart flutter once more. 

Taking in a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, Kelsey just let herself relax fully. She was here with the boy she loves with glimmers of their future together being presented to her. His parents had welcomed her with open arms quashing each fear she’d had one after another. Things were good. 

As they continued drifting around the lake, Taylor told her stories of his memories on the lake itself, where the best fishing spots were, the antics and trouble they’d gotten up to over the years and it only made her smile more. 

“Would you mind if I came and kept you company when you go out fishing?” Kelsey questioned.

“It’s kinda boring Kels…” Taylor mused. “But sure…if you want to.” 

“I do.” Kelsey affirmed. It didn’t matter if she was just sitting and reading while he fished, it was time with him and Kelsey wanted to soak up as much of it as she could. 

Conversation faded a bit and Kelsey just basked in the view. She really never had been anywhere like this before and it was stunning. If Colorado was anything like this she knew at least scenic wise she could be very comfortable there. 

Boating around the lake for a little while longer, Taylor eventually started back toward the dock as lunchtime approached. Cutting the engine as they approached, Taylor drifted the boat alongside the dock with precision before hooking the tether around one of the dock’s poles to secure it in place. Then he climbed out, careful not to rock the boat too much before reaching a hand out to help Kelsey back onto dry land. 

She wobbled slightly as she tried to regain her legs but quickly balanced herself, laughing softly at how she had gotten sea legs after just a short boat ride. 

“You good?” Taylor questioned as he checked his work in securing the boat.  

“Yep.” Kelsey murmured. “My equilibrium just needed a second there.” 

Taking off her life jacket to leave with the boat, Kelsey slipped her hand into Taylor’s as they headed back up to the house. 

“Thanks for that T.” She murmured, stepping sideways to bump into him gently and playfully. 

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, Kels.” He replied, squeezing her hand, his voice soft. 

Kicking their shoes off at the door, they climbed the stairs to the kitchen where his mom was already working on pulling things for sandwiches from the fridge. 

“Good boat ride?” She asked, smiling at them. 

“Yeah it was.” Kelsey agreed. “The lake is beautiful.” She leaned against the island as Taylor moved to the fridge, tossing her another bottle of water. “Anything I can help with?” She asked not wanting Laura to feel like she was ungrateful. 

“No, just getting things out so you guys can make your own sandwiches.” Laura replied. “And I think that’s it so have at it.” 

Both thanking Laura, Taylor moved to get food and Kelsey rounded the island following behind. Making herself a sandwich she added some chips onto her plate before taking it and her water out onto the back deck to sit and eat. 

“Would it bother you if I did some homework after lunch?” Taylor asked softly while sitting across from her. 

“What no of course not!” Kelsey exclaimed after swallowing. “Have you been putting off homework for me? Taylor…” 

“I worked ahead, it’s fine. But I should probably do some soon.” He shrugged, his body language showing that he wasn’t at all stressed about it which helped Kelsey relax a little. 

“Do your homework Tay, I’ll be fine.” Kelsey assured him. “I can read or see if your parents want to play some games or something.” 

“We’d happily play some games with you Kelsey.” Gary declared walking through the backdoor with his own lunch. 

“See I’ll be fine.” Kelsey assured Taylor, nudging his leg under the table. 

Finishing her lunch, Kelsey moved back inside to dispose of her plate and maybe take another look at what games they had. In the kitchen, she saw Laura working to clean up, her food still sitting on its plate. 

“I can clean up.” Kelsey declared as she tossed her plate into the trash. 

“Thanks Kelsey.” Laura declared, picking up her plate to go sit and eat. Nodding, Kelsey moved to finish putting everything from lunch away. She really didn’t mind, after all they were feeding her and everything else for these two weeks. Once everything in the kitchen was dealt with, Kelsey resumed her quest to look through the cabinet of games again to try and figure out what she’d play with Taylor’s parents after they finished eating. 

Ultimately, they settled on starting with another round of Catan without Taylor there to swoop in and beat them all. Then they walked her through a game of Ticket to Ride since Kelsey had never played it before. Thankfully, the concept was simple enough that Kelsey was able to pick it up easily and she enjoyed jockeying with Taylor’s parents for prime train routes. Finishing that game as well, they cleaned up and Kelsey thanked them for playing with her. 

“I think I’m going to go lay down for a bit if you don’t mind.” Kelsey added, partly feeling tired from having gotten up really early and partly feeling some anxiety creep in at Cale and Tracy’s pending arrival. 

“Of course we don’t mind.” Laura insisted and after refilling her water Kelsey headed into the bedroom she was sharing with Taylor, shutting the door behind her. Though she scrolled on her phone for a while, unsurprised by a lack of contact from her parents, eventually Kelsey closed her eyes and after tossing and turning for less time than she expected she fell asleep. 

Waking with a start, Kelsey’s brain first processed the sound of activity in the kitchen. Groaning softly, she forced herself to sit up before checking her phone. 4:51 p.m. It had been nearly two hours since she’d come to lay down and she definitely hadn’t anticipated sleeping that long. 

Through the door she could hear a mix of voices including two that were more unfamiliar than the rest. Cale and Tracy.  Over all of them boomed Taylor’s as he seemingly chirped his brother for something that Kelsey couldn’t quite pick up. 

Slipping out of bed, Kelsey fixed the covers before running a brush through her newly messy hair, attempting to not look like she had just spent over an hour sleeping. Then she made her way to the door, opening it quietly. With her eyes landing on Taylor standing and animatedly talking, she moved over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and tucking herself into his side. 

After a moment, Taylor squeezed her tight and dropped a kiss to her head. 

“Oh hey Kelsey” Cale commented before Taylor fired back at his brother regarding whatever they had been talking about. Still tucked in his side, Kelsey nodded at Cale and tried to fight off the remnants of sleep while Taylor’s thumb stroked her side absentmindedly. 

With her body more settled from the contact, Kelsey looked toward the kitchen where Tracy and Laura were getting things out to start on dinner. As Tracy turned from pulling something from the fridge her eyes met Kelsey’s and a smile spread across her face. 

“Hi Kelsey.” She stated warmly. Putting down what she had in her hands, Tracy scurried across the kitchen toward Kelsey. Doing her best to mask her discomfort, Kelsey squeezed Taylor tight for a moment before releasing to accept Tracy’s hug. Hugging was something that Kelsey was only used to doing with people she was close to, yet she didn’t want to seem rude when Tracy was clearly trying to make her feel welcome. The excitement was just a little much. 

After hugging her, Tracy turned to head back into the kitchen and taking a deep breath, Kelsey followed asking what she could do to help. Really she just wanted to have something to busy her hands before the anxiety sank too far into her mind. Cutting up vegetables for a salad would go a long way to keeping her mind busy and calm. 

After a minute more of bickering, the boys headed outside with Gary to prep the grill and likely continue their antics. While they worked on readying the food, Laura and Tracy chatted talking about everything from what Cale and Tracy had been up to during the week to the weather.

 “It’s going to be a cooler week that’s for sure.” Laura said, agreeing with Tracy’s prior statement. 

“Great…I did not pack for that.” Kelsey mumbled, her quiet voice still audible from a few feet away. 

“We have a washing machine.” Laura started.

“I packed extra.” Tracy chimed in, cutting Laura off. “You can borrow whatever you need. We’re probably about the same size.” 

Half nodding, Kelsey mumbled a ‘thanks’ as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She hadn’t meant for anyone to hear her. 

Conversation dipped for a moment but as Tracy moved to grab something from one of the drawers next to Kelsey, she gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before returning to her task. 

After that, Laura and Tracy resumed talking but Kelsey kind of just blocked it out, focusing on making the salad for dinner. She heard the door open as the food was taken to the grill but she just focused on her own breathing as she worked. The sounds of the rest of the things used for prep being cleaned and other things being taken outside followed, just barely registering in the back of Kelsey’s mind. 

Once the salad was finished, Kelsey switched to cleaning up the scraps along with the knife and cutting board she’d used. 

“Looks great Kelsey, thanks.” Laura declared, taking the salad bowl and salad spoon outside to the table. 

“What do you want to drink Kelsey?” Tracy questioned while standing at the fridge. 

“Water is fine.” Kelsey stated softly as she dried her hands, her items now clean. 

With everything inside taken care of, they headed out onto the deck where Taylor was once again manning the grill while Gary supervised and Cale glowered. Kelsey followed behind waiting for Laura and Tracy to claim seats. Gary’s was also obvious based on where his drink was located. Quickly surveying the table, Kelsey slid into the seat across from Tracy waiting for the boys to finish cooking dinner. 

Thankfully it didn’t take long before they were pulling the food off the grill onto platters and heading over to the table. Sliding in beside her, Taylor sat down and gently brushed his hand over her thigh before reaching for food as they all started to serve themselves. 

Dinner passed by fairly smoothly, snippets of conversation proceeding though everyone was mostly occupied with the food on their plates. Even as plates were cleared, no one moved to get up, just sitting and relaxing instead as conversation picked up a bit more. As Taylor and Cale talked about their training in the morning, Gary piped in. 

“Tomorrow is the first day for the Farmer’s Market.” 

“You guys should go and show Kelsey.” Laura added quickly. “Pick up some things for the rest of the week.” 

“We can definitely do that.” Tracy declared, smiling. Neither Cale nor Taylor seemed to care much one way or the other so apparently they were going to the farmer’s market though Kelsey had no real idea what that entailed. “Was thinking about taking Kels on a hike tomorrow since it should be nice ” Taylor added, glancing over at Kelsey. “Can do that after the farmer’s market and lunch though.” 

“Wigwam Rim Trail or Sheep’s mountain?” Cale suggested, listing a few of what Kelsey assumed were local hikes. 

“Silver Springs Lakes” Taylor declared having already decided where he wanted to go. 

“You guys can come with us if you want.” Kelsey stated, speaking for the first time. While she would love a hike with just Taylor, she knew that the likelihood of that happening was small so she might as well be the one to put the invitation out there instead of being upset by the inevitable. 

The smiles she received told Kelsey that it was the right call but it didn’t make her not wish for time alone with Taylor. Needing a moment, Kelsey pushed her chair back to stand and started to gather up dishes, deciding to take them inside to load the dishwasher. She could only handle about half on her own so she knew that someone would end up following but even ten seconds  to herself was something. 

Almost everyone ended up following her inside. Gary brought the remainder of the dishes while everyone else moved to ready the table inside for playing games as evening took hold making it harder to see outside. 

“We’re playing crib right?” Cale questioned, though the tone was more of a statement. 

“Nope.” Taylor said dryly. “We can play Uno, Apples to Apples, Catan, or Yahtzee.” 

“Why not crib?” Cale grumbled, his face showing he was clearly not pleased at being told no. “I don’t want to play those games.” 

“It’s fine. You guys can play cribbage.” Kelsey said, trying to defuse the situation. “I wanted to go watch the sunset over the lake anyway.” 

Finishing loading the dishwasher with all the items from dinner, Kelsey moved around the island sending Taylor a smile as she descended down the stairs to get her shoes and head down to the dock. 

After sliding her shoes on, Kelsey stepped outside, closing the door behind her. Immediately a deep breath spilled from her as the cool air enveloped her along with the simple noises of nature. The quiet was a welcome contrast to the noise that surrounded Taylor’s family. She loved Taylor so much but she had to admit she was struggling to adapt to the chaos. 

Making her way down to the dock, Kelsey picked a spot and sat down, leaning back on her palms as her legs stretched out before her. Breathing slowly, Kelsey just took in the view of the trees and mountains in the evening light. There were a few boats on the water but it was still peaceful and Kelsey attempted to let her stress bleed out of her body as she enjoyed this moment alone. 

It was crazy how she had only been here a day and already this dock was where she felt most comfortable. There was just something about it that she couldn’t put into words. 

Kelsey was unsure how long she’d been sitting there when she heard the sound of one of the doors of the house opening. Not bothering to look up, Kelsey just continued enjoying her quiet time. After a minute or so she felt someone approach before moving to sit down beside her. Again, Kelsey didn’t need to look to know that it was Taylor and she shifted a bit closer to him. 

“Who won?” She asked softly as to not break the overall peacefulness of the moment. 

“Mom and me.” Taylor replied just as quietly. “How’s everything down here?” 

“Beautiful.” Kelsey murmured. “I think this is my favorite spot.” After pausing a moment, Kelsey continued. “But if you’re asking how I’m feeling, I’m fine T…just didn’t want to cause a conflict.”

“You sure you’re okay?” Taylor mumbled. “Because you promised to tell me if you aren’t and it seems like you have a lot on your mind.” 

Sighing softly, Kelsey glanced over at her boyfriend. 

“I promise I’m okay.” She assured him reaching over to brush her fingers over his thigh. “But yeah, just stuff I’m dealing with.” 

Taylor’s expression shifted to look even more concerned and Kelsey bit her lip. 

“Like I was just getting used to your parents and now there’s two more personalities in the picture…two more extremely intense personalities…and it’s just a bit overwhelming.” She explained. “Tracy is sweet…she’s just a bit much. And your brother…well it doesn't seem like he really wants to get to know me or that he doesn’t like me or something…I don’t know.” 

Breathing, Kelsey squeezed Taylor’s thigh again to reassure him. 

“It’s nothing I can’t handle, it's just…it’s a lot and Cale was getting upset so I figured it would be better for me to give everyone some space and come breathe.” 

Pausing again, Kelsey glanced out at the lake and mountains in front of them as the sun sank further in the sky. 

“Your family loves you so much Tay…” She started. “Just…I’m an only child. An only child who has never been loved like your family loves you. I mean….your mom hugged you last night…I don’t think mine has ever hugged me like that even when I was little. And she’s pissed at me for being here, neither her nor my dad have even tried to check to make sure I’m still alive.” 

Sighing softly Kelsey finished her rambling. 

“So yeah it’s just…I’m overwhelmed but I’m okay Taylor. I’m so glad I get to be here with you and get to know the people that love you, it’s just sometimes a lot for me.” 

Having just dropped a lot on him, Kelsey stopped to let it all sink in. After a moment, Taylor’s arm draped over her shoulders and she leaned against his side. 

“I can see if I can get Tracy to chill out a little.” Taylor murmured. “I know she came on a little strong but she is genuinely excited to get to know you.” Nodding, Kelsey tipped her head back to kiss Taylor’s jaw. 

“Cale is…he’s just protective. It’s not that he doesn’t like you or want to get to know you, he just…” Taylor paused, letting out a deep breath of his own. 

“My highschool girlfriend was emotionally abusive.” Taylor admitted. “She would question why I even bothered with hockey because I wasn’t good enough to make it. She would find a way to be unhappy about every single thing I did and blame me for her unhappiness. Our entire relationship was based around her needs…I…mine didn’t matter.” 

“Cale saw it all and just…you’re the first person I’ve been with seriously since then and he’s just concerned about me even if you’re nothing like her. It’s nothing you’ve done and he’ll come around.” 

With Taylor seemingly finished, Kelsey twisted to kneel beside him, wrapping him in a tight hug. 

“Thank you for telling me.” She whispered, a fierce sense of love rushing through her as he hugged her back just as tightly. 

“I’m in a pretty good spot with all of it now.” Taylor assured her. “Just...that’s why my family is the way it is when it comes to you. Cale most of all.” 

Pulling back just enough, Kelsey kissed him gently, trying to pour her love for him into the kiss. 

When she stopped she teased at the hairs on the back of his neck gently. 

“For the record. You are good enough. You make me so fucking happy and I just want to make you as happy as you make me so I need you to speak up if there’s something you need that I’m not doing.” 

“I know.” Taylor replied, his nose dipping into her neck for a moment as small tremors rolled through his body. 

For a while they stayed just like that, but eventually Taylor nudged her softly. 

“You’re going to miss the sunset you came down for if you stay like this.” He teased. 

Kissing him softly once more, Kelsey settled back onto her butt, her knees stinging slightly from kneeling on the hard wood of the dock for so long. They didn’t bother her for long though as she took in the orange sky as it turned to pinks, blues, and purples. 

“It’s so beautiful.” Kelsey murmured, voice in awe. “I feel like I could watch this every night and still be awestruck.” 

“Why don’t we?” Taylor suggested causing Kelsey to turn her head, expression mildly confused. 

“I mean I guess we could.” Kelsey replied though she felt like she was missing something. 

“I mean why don’t we come down for a few minutes every day, be it sunrise, sunset, or to look at the stars. We can touch base with each other about the day and just talk.” Taylor elaborated. 

It clicked that Taylor was offering her a daily escape from the chaos of his family. Those precious moments with just the two of them. 

“Yeah. Yeah, let’s do it.” Kelsey agreed, the remaining tension in her body melting away. 

With the sun finally sinking below the horizon, Kelsey tipped her head back to kiss Taylor once more. 

“I love you Tay.” 

“And I love you.” He echoed as they exchanged soft short kisses. Soon they would have to go back up to the house and rejoin the chaos but this time on the dock…that was theirs. 

[laurenairay]

I still can’t believe that this many of you follow me but I appreciate all of you so much!

This weekend I wanted to celebrate with a little blurb prompt list weekend! I thought I’d try something a little different, something to get my creativity shaken up after posting a few longer fics recently, so I have curated a series of 12 blurb prompts, each based on a different type of kiss, and I would like to do each of them for a different player – so once a player’s name is updated on the list below, then he’s taken!

Please take a look at the list of players that I write for, and send in your ideas!

First Kiss - Nolan Patrick Shy Kiss - Andrei Svechnikov Surprise Kiss - Quinn Hughes Cute Kiss - Matt Martin Forehead Kiss - Matthew Tkachuk Passionate Kiss - Jack Hughes Sad Kiss - Anthony Beauvillier Goodbye Kiss - Elias Pettersson Reunion Kiss - Erik Johnson Funny Kiss - Tyson Jost Stop Talking Kiss - Jeff Skinner Accidental Kiss - Cale Makar

[tkachuktkaching]

No EA Cover, but Stock of Matthew Tkachuk Keeps Rising

Matthew Tkachuk will not be on the cover of the popular EA Sports NHL 24 — that honor is going to Colorado defenseman Cale Makar — but that does not mean the stock of the star Florida Panthers forward does not continue to rise.

Funny what a starring turn in the Stanley Cup playoffs do for a reputation, eh?

Although Tkachuk was looked at as one of the premier wingers in the NHL during his time with Calgary, his first season with the Panthers put him in another stratosphere as far as stardom goes.

Tkachuk has quickly become one of the most recognizable players in the league, his playing style and performance in big moments helping that along.

His emotional celebrations — and the ever-present hanging mouthguard — have not hurt.

On the day it was released that Makar would be on the cover of the popular video game, NHL Network released its top wings currently playing in the NHL.

Tkachuk was ranked No. 2 on what is, of course, a very subjective list. It is also a list made for just these times: The dead of summer.

At this time last year, Tkachuk was ranked No. 12 — with former Florida forward Jonathan Huberdeau, who was traded to Calgary as part of the Tkachuk deal ranked No. 5.

Huberdeau, after scoring just 55 points in his Calgary debut, is not among the NHL Network Top 20 this summer.

When it comes to this summer’s rankings, it is hard to quarrel with NHL Network’s Top 5 although these kind of lists, being as subjective as they are, can lead to some arguments about the actual rankings.

As it stands, Boston’s David Pastrnak is ranked No. 1 with Tkachuk right behind. Rounding out the Top 5 are Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen and Jason Robertson of Dallas.

Mitch Marner, Kirill Kaprizov, Alex Ovechkin, Artemi Panarin and Brad Marchand make up the rest of the Top 10.

That is a pretty good neighborhood Tkachuk now occupies in the eyes of the rest of the NHL — and his house is right on the corner.

It is hard not to see how high Tkachuk’s stock has risen in the top year and it is certainly deserved.

Not only was he named the All-Star MVP here in Sunrise, but he finished third in Hart Trophy voting after recording his second consecutive 100-point season with 40 goals and 109 points which has five better than his previous career-high point total with the Flames prior to the trade.

Tkachuk certainly took a big step forward on the national stage during the postseason, making a bold statement after Game 5 in Boston that the Panthers would return for Game 7 despite having been down 3-1 in the series — and scoring twice in that Game 6 to ensure his team would indeed return to the Garden.

In 20 playoff games, Tkachuk scored 11 goals with 24 points — scoring four game-winning goals along the way including three in the Eastern Conference finals sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes.

His four-overtime winner against the Hurricanes in Game 1 was followed up with the game-winner in Game 2.

Those kind of big-time goals will get you noticed.

And, had it not been for a fractured sternum which he played through for a bit, who knows what Tkachuk’s numbers in the Stanley Cup Final would have looked like.

[blueeyedbesson]

going to make another social media series but am having trouble deciding who it'll be for