#frederik andersen fanfic
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laurenairay · 22 days ago
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Corn maze - F. Andersen
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Summary: getting lost in a corn maze with your boyfriend Freddie was not what you had planned.
The third of my Autumn & Halloween blurbs! Freddie is my favourite fridge and I will accept no arguments.
Word Count: 464 words.
Tagging: @starshine-hockey-girl @misshoneyimhome @lam-ila @kurlyteuvo @tonyspep
@cixrosie
~
You were lost. You were officially lost. You and Freddie had been wandering around for at least 20 minutes in this corn maze, taking turn after turn, and yet you hadn’t even glimpsed the exit yet. You could tell he was getting frustrated, as much as he was trying not to show it. At least no-one in the group chat had announced they’d gotten out yet either – Freddie wasn’t exactly the type of guy who liked to ‘lose’ at something that was meant to be simple fun.
“Who said this was a good idea?”
You giggled at your boyfriend’s grumbling, nudging him with your shoulder.
“I think it was Neci,” you mused.
“Fucking Neci. Since when do we listen to Neci?” he muttered.
So grumpy. Somehow it was endlessly endearing.
“Aww come on Freddie, he was so excited to plan a group activity!” you teased, “how can you be mad about team bonding?”
He sent you an unimpressed glance, before his face softened.
“You are way too forgiving,” he said, smiling softly, “I know you’re just as cold as I am.”
Well, he wasn’t wrong there. “I’m sure you can find a way to warm me up later.”
The not-so-innocent implication in your voice made Freddie’s gaze darken slightly, just as you knew it would. You could help but gasp as he tugged you firmly against his body with a hand on your hip, his other hand rising to cup your face.
“Why wait for later?” he murmured.
Oh fuck.
The deep rumble in his chest made you shiver, and whatever Freddie saw on your face made him smirk. He wasted no time in capturing your lips in a kiss, making you groan quietly and sink into his arms. His tongue slipped past your lips easily, hand gripping tighter at your hip, and it was all you could do to lose yourself in his kiss.
Eventually he slowed the kiss down to a few pecks, your heart still racing, and he pulled away to smile down at you softly.
“The sooner we get out of this corn maze, the sooner I can get you home,” he murmured.
“I’m pretty sure Neci wants everyone to eat together at least,” you mused.
Freddie groaned, tilting his head back dramatically, making you laugh.
“Come on grumpy, we can do this,” you teased.
“As long as we beat Svech and Jarvy out of here, I’ll be happy,” he said, laughing softly.
Oh that wasn’t going to be a problem.
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misshoneyimhome · 2 months ago
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S’s summer fic rec list
➼。゚
This summer has been full of incredible fics, so I just wanted to share a small list of the ones I’ve read over the past few months that deserve a special shout-out 🥰
(I know there are so many more that could be added, my apologies) 🌺
_
I Wish You Would // William Nylander by @wildrangers
By @laurenairay:
felt like magic - N. Hischier I can't help it if I like it - M. Martin no hesitation, what are we waiting for? – M. Tkachuk
Betting On Brats | Nico Hischier by @sc0tters
Don’t Chirp My Girl | M. Knies by @hockeybabe
Elsker by @mp0625 (Freddie Andersen)
By @couldawouldashoulda50
From Completely Different Worlds (William x OC Loren Girard) Chapter One - Easter Seals Skate Chapter Two - Bath time Chapter Three - The Filler Chapter Chapter Four - Time Alone Chapter Five - Toasting to the Present Chapter Six - The Whiskey Lounge Chapter Seven - The Inevitable
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cellythefloshie · 1 year ago
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;; Nu är det jul igen written for @mp0625 the hockey girlies fic exchange
Summary: You spend your first Christmas with your boyfriend, Freddie Andersen. Word Count: 1.2k+
A/N: It's a miracle that I was able to get enough time to get this one done! I was worried I was going to run out of time! Thank you Mara or taking the time to coordinate the exchange! It was a pleasure writing for you this year. Happy Holidays to all, I hope enjoy!
The scent in the air could only really be defined as the holidays. It was a whimsical mixture of sugar cookies, pine needles, and the simmering pot of citrus and cinnamon that you had on the stove. It was just like how it smelt back home at Christmas every year, but this year, you weren't at home with your family. This year, you were spending Christmas with your boyfriend, Freddie. 
With the tight schedule, the National Hockey League kept, the holiday season could be lonely for some. Not every man on the roster had their family living in Carolina with them or could make one quick drive or flight out of state to see them for the few short days they had off. Freddie couldn’t fly home to Denmark. The 20+ hours of travel time made the trip unjustifiable. He would have to spend most of it in the air, losing precious time with his loved ones alone on a flight. And no one deserved to spend the holiday season alone. 
That was why, the moment you found out he was remaining state-side for the holidays, you canceled all of your plans. 
Your mother was more than understanding, although your father was wary as to why you didn’t just bring him home for the holidays. And you had half the mind to ask, but your relationship with Freddie was, well, in your mind, still new. The two of you had been together just over a year, but with his busy schedule, you found yourself apart more often than not. And while you were head over heels for him, and couldn’t wait to introduce him to your family, the last thing you wanted was to rush things. 
With little protest, home for the holidays became spending Christmas Eve in Freddie’s apartment. It didn’t have the same novelties of home, but the two of you had spent the day getting into the Christmas spirit. You had put on the simmering pot in the morning, letting its smell relax you as you decorated the apartment and put up a small artificial tree in the corner, complete with lights and ornaments. Then, the two of you made cookies together, and come sunset, the two of you snacked on a charcuterie board of cheeses, nuts, meat, and fruit while bingeing some of your favorite holiday movies. 
It was the last chance the two of you had to relax, because come Christmas Day, you would be conquering cooking Christmas dinner for yourselves for the first time. Which you didn’t even want to think about until morning. The giant turkey was all too intimidating for you as you sipped a glass of wine and watched the credits roll. A single hand fell to the remote, your thumb pressing the series of buttons to close the current movie and fall back into the holiday movie catalog on Netflix. Beside you, the couch shifted, Freddie getting up from his place beside you. And you didn't think much of it. Maybe he had to use the washroom or wanted to refill the bowl with some of the caramel popcorn you had made for your movie night. 
Freddie didn’t return with a bowl. No, in his hands he had a large box. It wasn’t something that came in the mail, none of those big brown packing boxes. It was nicely wrapped in bright red paper with a bow so large it spilled off the top of the box and hung down the sides. 
“I was going to wait until morning, but,” he started, his words perking you up with interest. 
If you didn’t have to wait, you weren’t going to say no. 
Opening your arms, you let Freddie settle the box in your lap. The sheer size of it left your heart racing. It wasn’t all that heavy, which gave you no clear indication of what may be inside. You hadn’t asked for anything too grand, either. Which made you all the more eager to open it. 
Fingers lipped the bow from the box, the sticker holding the ribbon to the box leaving a colorless mark behind where the adhesive tore away the color. Then, you tore at the wrapping, leaving it in large rips at your sides, removing just enough to open the box and see what was inside. 
The first thing you saw was a bouquet of daisies. Which made you smile. They were fresh, or as fresh as you could get them in the winter. Freddie must have just put the finishing touches on your gift before giving it to you. 
“These are gorgeous,” you smiled up at him. The two of you loved daisies. They reminded him of home, and it had quickly become one of your favorites because of it. 
“There’s more,” Freddie insisted, and you handed off the flowers to keep digging for more. Beneath the daisies was white green and red tissue paper and among it a series of other gifts. Your hands went to a smaller box fist. Inside, two crystal swans from Swarovski. Your eyes went wide as they rose to meet Freddie’s. 
He smiled and nodded toward the box. There was more. 
Then, unwrapped, a large bottle of akvavit and two glasses. And finally, an envelope. But as you reached for it, Freddie reached in with his goalie-fast reflexes and took it into his hold. 
“Hey!” you shouted playfully. 
“You will get it. But first, we drink. It’s tradition,” he explained with a grin, his hand wrapping around the bottle while he tucked the envelope beneath his thick thigh. 
The bottle opened with a satisfying sound, and he filled each glass halfway. Together, you raised your glasses, and each took one large gulp of the liquor that burned as it traveled down your throat. It was only when your face contorted from the burn of the alcohol that Freddie offered you the envelope again. 
Placing your drink down on the coffee table, you reached out and pinched the envelope between your fingers carefully. Whatever it was, he was just as excited for you to open it as you were to receive it. The gifts you already opened were just the precursor. In this envelope was the grand finale of gifts. 
It’s a beautiful card, with a snowscape. Green pine trees, and snow a glitter that left traces behind on your skin. But it was what was in the card that mattered, and they fell right into your lap as you opened the card. 
Two plane tickets to Denmark. 
You stared at them, your eyes wide and your jaw slacked. You weren’t expecting that, and he could see it all over your face. A laugh rumbled through him, and you could feel it as his hands found your hips to draw you into his lap. “I want you to come home with me when the season is done. Meet my family.”
A heavy breath shook you, his gaze raising to meet his warm stare. You had been on the same page the entire time but had always been too worried to ask. But he was telling you now. The two of you were serious. He wanted you to meet his family, and he could meet yours. It left you beaming, your smile reaching your eyes as you gave him an eager nod. Of course, you would go, and you sealed the agreement with a warm, simple kiss with both of his hands, cradling each of your cheeks as he drew you in. And as he held you there, he pulled back ever so slightly and muttered out a soft, Merry Christmas. 
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mp0625 · 11 months ago
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Top 10 of 2023
Pass the Cranberries- Oscar Piastri- 243 notes- 238 likes and 5 reblogs
Lazy Sunday- Logan Sargeant- 228 notes- 216 likes and 8 reblogs
Sushi- Vince Dunn- 179 notes- 178 likes and 1 reblog
Aussie!Teammate- Oscar Piastri- 139 notes- 131 likes and 8 reblogs
Last Day- Anthony Beauvillier- 41 notes- 40 likes and 1 reblog
Fairytale of New York- Anthony Beauvillier- 37 notes- 35 likes and 2 reblogs
Under The Moonlight- Jeremy Swayman- 37 notes- 34 likes and 3 reblogs
Race To The Net- Frederik Andersen & Daniel Riccardo- 32 notes- 29 likes and 1 reblog
Teammates with Dan- Daniel Riccardo- 31 notes- 26 likes and 5 reblogs
Sun and Sand- Pyotr Kochetkov- 20 notes- 19 likes and 1 reblog
THANK YOU Y’ALL SO MUCH!!! For making my first year writing awesome so many people liking and interacting with my fics! With 11 fic I have 954 likes!! That just blows my mind! With 11 people on my taglist. With me only starting writing in July. I’m blown away with the support!! Just thank you from the bottom of my heart!! Y’all can join my taglist here. And check out all 11 fics here. There are a ton more fics coming very soon. I want to say thank especially @snugglyducklingbrewhouse @cellythefloshie @puckmaidens @swissboyhisch @callsign-denmark @wyattjohnston @offside-the-lines Whoever else I forgot cause I know I did. Thank you for always being there when I had questions and ideas to bounce off and helping me through writers block.
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the-slapshot-series · 1 year ago
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Welcome to the Slapshot Series!
Enter below ⬇️
To get you started here is how this series works. Each story is interconnected through the casts, knowing each other in some way, shape or form. Each book can be read as a stand alone, but after book 1, there will be spoilers through each book that will point to a chapter or event that had happened in a previous book. This won't affect the outcome of you reading the story you picked, but reading in order will help you understand some things within the story. (but the path you choose is totally up to you! Don't feel obligated to read about a player you don't like.) Below is the books in order of how I would read them based on the events that happen within each story. Main blog Masterlist
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*** Loosely based around the song "God Made Airplanes" by Jason Aldean. Set in 2021***
Tyler Seguin thought he found the woman of his dreams. A perfect girl, a perfect engagement and the soon to be perfect wedding, he had everything down to a T. Or so he thought. Just a few short weeks before what was supposed to be the most perfect day of his life, turned into him booking a one way flight to Pittsburgh to spend the summer with his Best Friend and forget about his cheating ex fiancee. Wanting to shut out the world, his parents and most of his friends for the time being, Tyler find refuge with the only person who really seems to know the real him, Arabella Kerfoot, who plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins. While spending his summer hiding away, his best friend not so sneakily plays match maker with her childhood best friend, Quinn Canton. Sparks soon begin to fly, and a whirlwind summer romance takes hold of these two burnt out hearts. But when hockey starts back up, and old partners come back to burn them to ashes, can they withstand the distance between them, or will it be to much for them to handle?
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
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Arabella Kerfoot is the younger sister of Alex Kerfoot and she one of the only female hockey player in the league. Ella as she likes to go by is the wild child of the family and also of the Pittsburgh Penguins. With a reputation of the "Wild Cinderella" Ella is the media's #1 target. Her best friend is Tyler Seguin, who had a bad reputation in Boston before going to Texas, so he understands her better then her own family and is trying to help work through her rebellious reputation. After a wild and not so pretty night out on the town Ella is quickly not the favorite anymore in Pitt and is soon traded to Toronto who is looking for a power forward with the speed and risky skill set she brings to the table. The catch: they need to fix her tarnished reputation before the Toronto media tears her apart. The solution: have her fake a relationship with Morgan Rielly to show she is determined to settle down and leave her wild Cinderella life behind, and make a fairytale lifestyle in Toronto instead. Only Ella wasn't planning on falling for the red haired man who offered the solution to her problems. With the media and her brother breathing down her neck to fix her past, her best friend telling her that a fake relationship will only hurt her and the man she never new she needed in front of her, she is about to ether live out a Hockey-Ella fairytale or an ultimate disaster.
Part 1
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miracleonice87 · 3 years ago
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Freddie Andersen, number 3? 😊
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Spending Christmas at the other’s childhood home with their family (3) - with Freddie Andersen 🎄
from m’s winter prompt list 2021
a/n: yay, my first-ever Fred fic! 🤗 three more holiday blurbs to come after this.
word count: 1,800ish
warnings: mention of a parent leaving a child, divorce, alcohol
_____
You’d seen Freddie nervous for games, sure. Particularly when he was coming back from injury or in the thick of the playoffs. But never had you seen him this nervous – and what had him in such a tizzy was meeting his significant other’s family at the holidays.
The two of you were set to spend the short NHL holiday break with your dad and stepmom at your childhood home in Asheville, North Carolina. Your mom hadn’t been in the picture since you were a toddler, and you shared a close relationship with your dad, being his only child – you, for one, were excited for the two most important men in your life to meet. The prospect of which had Fred absolutely terrified.
Of all things this big, strong NHL player had to be concerned about, like pucks flying a hundred miles an hour at his face on a nightly basis, you were shocked that this was one of them.
The past couple of days, he’d been quiet – too quiet. He wasn’t the most talkative guy, of course. But it just wasn’t Freddie to be so sullen, lost in his own head, where he tortured himself with the idea of your family not believing he was good enough for you. Not trusting his lifestyle. Not being accepting of the traveling and training he had to do, taking him away from you. If Fred had said it once, he had said it a thousand times – he couldn’t imagine having to accept his own child putting up with such a life (hell, he hated that he had to put you through it at all). He was certain your family would feel the same.
Finally, after a few tension-laden days of silence, Fred had voiced all of this to you when you pressed him once more about what was on his mind and how you could help.
And after he did, near panting as he rushed out his every anxious thought, you cocked your head a bit, frowning. You hated seeing him so unsure of himself, especially when he had no reason to be.
“Baby…” you cooed, perching yourself on his knee and slinging your arms around his neck. “I don’t want you to be worried about what my family thinks of you, okay?” you said, smoothing a hand over his cheek before settling your thumb against his perfectly dimpled chin. “They’re going to love you. Besides… if anything, they’re gonna be on my case more than yours, what with my recently becoming a hockey player-chasing gold-digger and all,” you joked with a wink.
But Fred barely cracked a smile, totally unusual for how he normally always laughed at your jokes, at the very least beaming at you with an amused expression as you tried to make him laugh.
“Promise me you’ll try to stop worrying? Please?” you begged, mouthing softly at the hinge of his jaw as you made your way to his ear lobe. “For me?” you added tenderly, sending a shiver down Fred’s spine.
He shifted your hips so that you had to look at him again and he gave a solemn nod before cupping your cheek in his hand and capturing your lips in the sort of kiss that completely stole your breath away and made him forget what he was so worried about in the first place.
But in the blink of an eye, it was 24 hours later – Christmas Eve – and as he pulled up in front of your childhood home, your dad already waiting outside, Freddie most definitely remembered what he was so worried about in the first place.
Fred didn’t come literally face-to-face with many people, due to his tall frame. But your dad… of course, your dad not only met him at eye level, but even appeared to be just an inch or so taller, a state champion high school basketball player back in his day. Fred couldn’t help but gulp as he toted the bags and followed you up the driveway, feeling his palms begin to sweat simply by being in the man’s presence.
And then, you nearly knocked the formidable figure over, arms thrown around his waist, your cheek pressed as close against his sweater as possible, your eyes drawn shut and a contented smile on your face. And with your simple, syrupy sweet, “hi, Dad,” the commanding, authoritative man melted before Fred’s eyes, folding his arms around you and pressing a reverent kiss atop the crown of your head, his eyes sparkling before closing in joy, and as he watched, Fred could clearly see that your father was holding his entire world in his grasp.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he spoke, his voice booming. “Merry Christmas,” he said as he smiled down at you. Then, he met Fred’s gaze.
“Hi, son,” he greeted, extending a hand which Fred accepted, making a mental note to shake firmly. “Nice to finally meet you.”
Fred nodded as you smiled encouragingly at him, though he could still hear his nervous heartbeat pounding within his chest. “It’s nice to meet you, too, sir,” he commented. “Thanks for having us here for the holiday. You have a beautiful home,” he added, vaguely gesturing to the exterior of the stately old house.
“We like it alright,” your dad replied. “Surprised this one here still wants to be seen here considering the mansion she has access to now, thanks to you,” he said sarcastically, nudging your shoulder.
You rolled your eyes. “Dad,” you protested through gritted teeth.
Freddie shook his head humbly. “No, no, it’s alright,” he said with a nervous laugh. “I’ve been lucky, no doubt, but I didn’t grow up with much, so I certainly haven’t forgotten where I came from. Big house or not.” He stopped himself before he came off too defensive, aiming to put on an air that told your dad he was ready for anything he threw Fred’s way.
Your dad nodded slowly, eyeing Freddie carefully. “Well, I’m glad, and I hear you’re a hard worker, so I’m sure you deserve all you have,” he noted, tying a bow on the topic, to your relief. He nodded his head toward the door, motioning for the two of you to enter the house. “Now, come on in and get settled,” he encouraged, Fred following behind with the bags as you curled your hands around his bicep, pushing yourself up to kiss his cheek. He took comfort in the gesture, hopeful that the rest of your stay would entail only a few further shots at his character.
And it did – over the next three days, your dad kept the jabs relatively innocuous and certainly manageable from Fred’s perspective. Once again, he put himself in your dad’s shoes and reminded himself that he, too, would probably be giving his only child’s suitor a difficult time upon their first meeting. You were pleased and proud that he took it in stride, as you knew he would – offering to help your dad and stepmom with meal prep and cleanup without coming off as a kissass, always having you within his protective arm’s reach while respectfully limiting your PDA, and alternating between politely listening to your family stories and inside jokes and asking questions to better understand the dynamic among you.
On your last night with your family, you and your stepmom had cleared the table and then lingered in the kitchen, having a lengthy conversation over glasses of wine, and your dad, left in the dining room with Freddie and their glasses of whiskey, saw his opportunity to conduct his final test of the visit.
“Fred, I appreciate the way you’ve handled yourself throughout this trip,” your dad spoke, rolling his knuckles along the table. “I know I’m maybe not the most easygoing person, but I love my daughter more than anything, and so I hope you understand where I’m coming from.”
Fred nodded, twisting his glass against his palm.
“I do, sir,” he said. “I’d like to think I’d be somewhat similar to you, when put in the same situation. You want what’s best for your daughter, and I want nothing more than to be that for her. And to give that to her.”
Your dad attempted to keep his pleasure at Fred’s response from showing on his face, but Fred noticed the way the corners of his mouth turned upward as he shifted in his seat.
“Speaking of which,” he began, “since you came here with her, I assume things are serious. So… what do you think your future holds?”
It was Freddie’s turn to attempt to hide his smile, at which he failed miserably. He cleared his throat, holding his chin high.
“Well, to be perfectly honest, I can see myself spending the rest of my life with your daughter,” he leveled, meeting your dad’s eyes. “If she’ll have me,” he added, making both men chuckle.
“Well, that’ll be up to her, but, uh…” your dad ran a hand along his jaw in thought. “But if that’s what she wants, then I for one would be thrilled to have you as part of this family.”
Fred’s heart fluttered in his chest as he broke into a full-fledged grin.
“Thank you,” he said soberly. “That means more to me than I can say.”
Your dad offered a wink and a nod before patting Fred’s shoulder.
“Now, come on, let’s make sure those girls aren’t talking about us out there,” he joked as Fred laughed.
_____
That night after your parents had retired for the evening, you lay on Fred’s chest, settled on the couch between his legs, basking in the glow of the lighted tree as you listened to piano Christmas music over the sound system.
“Are you awake?” Freddie whispered, his hands giving just the slightest squeeze for where his arms were looped around you, resting on your stomach.
“Mmm, yeah,” you half-lied, blinking your bleary eyes to glance up at your boyfriend. “What’s wrong?”
Freddie shook his head. “Nothing,” he soothed, smoothing his hand over the side of your head. “I just wanted to say you were right.”
A sleepy smile spread across your face, and you moved your head just slightly to look into Fred’s eyes.
“Was I now?” you asked, nuzzling your head against the soft fleece of his sweatshirt.
“Mmhm,” Fred’s voice rumbled in his chest. “You told me I have nothing to worry about, meeting your family. And you were right. I loved it. I love them.”
You beamed, reaching up to cup Freddie’s neck gently, pressing a kiss to his stubbly jaw.
“I love you,” you whispered, knowing this was the perfect opportunity for such an admission – one you had been certain of long ago. “And they love you. It was the best Christmas, baby. Thank you.”
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laurenairay · 8 months ago
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comes back to me, burning red - F. Andersen
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Summary: Kendra Lee and Freddie Andersen lost touch after he was traded from Anaheim – will a surprise encounter bring back their friendship? And maybe more?
I’m jumping in as a pinch hitter for @misshoneyimhome for @callsign-denmark’s Luck of the Puck fic exchange! I haven’t written about Freddie in a little while so it was fun getting back to him – and thanks for answering all my questions! Such a lovely twist of fate after receiving my own fic from her today.
Flashback sections are in italics.
Words: 7.9k
Warnings: discussion of Freddie’s injuries, light angst, friends to lovers, cheesy flirting
Title from: Red by Taylor Swift
~
“Good morning Kendra Lee!”
Kendra grimaced, shutting the door to her yoga studio behind her, her long blonde hair swinging as she turned.
“Full name, first thing in the morning? What did I do?”
Her colleague and friend, Mimi, just snickered, shaking her head.
“Nothing bad, I promise,” Mimi said, smiling.
“Still ominous,” Kendra mused, swiping her staff card to log her as present in the building, “What’s going on?”
“Okay so you know how you moving over to Raleigh with me a month ago was to give you opportunities to do more yoga rehabilitation work?”
“Yes…?”
It was true, as vague as her friend was being. Having worked across yoga studios California for nearly 11 years, Kendra had jumped at the chance of diving more into rehabilitation work within yoga. Being made co-owner with Mimi and her sister Celeste was just the cherry on top.
“I was staying late last night to finish up the stock check and I got a call – specifically for you to do yoga rehab for an athlete needing conditioning to make his way back to playing. I know it’s right up your street, kind of exactly what you want to do more of, so I said yes.”
“You said yes already?” Kendra asked, surprised.
“I know, I know, but this is a huge opportunity. I said yes, with the caveat that I would double check timings with you this morning and let them know your availability for today,” Mimi explained.
“For today?” Kendra gasped.
“Yes, I know, but the guy organising it all for the athlete was insistent – the athlete chose you, off a list of yoga instructors based on feedback from other clients you had, and that’s huge,” Mimi said, wincing in apology.
Kendra took the time to think over her friend’s words, throwing her long blonde waves up in a twisted bun, her typical work hairstyle.
“You’re right. That is huge. Surprising, but huge. I guess, uh, just see what I’ve got this afternoon? I know I’ve got a couple of classes this morning already,” Kendra eventually said, “including…damn it, one that start in 15 minutes.”
Pregnancy Yoga, affectionately known as Moms who Move. Not women to mess around.
“Alright, you go get set up and I’ll call them back. Thanks, Kendra. And sorry for it being so last minute,” Mimi smiled.
“Hey, it happens. Let’s stay positive with it!” Kendra grinned.
As sudden as the work was, it really was where her heart lay, so this could only be a good thing right? Everything she’d been working towards?
“That’s the spirit I love! Get it girl!”
Kendra just laughed her way into Studio Two, her usual room, ready to make sure her class was set up in time.
By the time the afternoon rolled around, Kendra was pleasantly tired. All three classes had run smoothly so far today and there had been no major hiccups (or incidents) with any of her students. Even the Grooving Grandmas class (the adorable name her group of 12 senior ladies gave themselves) had behaved today, which only left her in a great mood.
So great, she lost track of time, until Mimi poked her head into the room.
“Hey, Kendra, your 2pm is here.”
“Oh damn, the athlete?”
“Yeah that’s the one. I’m just finishing up his intake forms if you want to join us,” Mimi said with a smile.
Kendra smiled back, nodding as she followed her friend out to the front desk. If she was being honest with herself, she would’ve liked a bit more preparation time, or even a name to start with. Hell, even the sport the athlete played in would’ve been useful, so she could start thinking of a program for them. Hopefully the athlete would understand the last minute nature of the set up. Hopefully.
But standing there in the lobby was the last person she expected to see. Just as tall and gorgeous and imposing as she’d last seen him in Anaheim, before he left over 7 years ago. He was her athlete?
“Freddie?”
“It’s been a long time, Kendra,” he murmured, smiling.
“You two know each other?” Mimi said, confused.
~
“How are your teaching hours coming along? You can’t have many left now before the next level, right?”
Kendra smiled up at her boss brightly. After her initial 200 hours training, she knew that teaching yoga was going to be her life’s work, even though she was only 21. Having worked insanely hard over the past two years, she was nearly ready to lead classes all by herself rather than as an assistant, and wasn’t that a heady thought? “No, not many left at all. As of yesterday I actually have 990 hours logged.”
“So you’re nearly ERYT 200?” her boss, James, grinned.
The third level of yoga instructor, after two years and 1000 hours of teaching.
“Just 10 hours left!” Kendra said brightly.
“That’s kind of perfect, if I’m being honest. We’ve been contacted by the Anaheim Ducks to run a conditioning class for a portion of the team. There are 20 players who’ve signed up, and the idea is that those who find it useful will sign up for more classes.”
“20 ice hockey players. My God. Will they take it seriously?”
She’d seen plenty of jocks in her 21 years and she knew exactly how much they goofed around when they didn’t care about things.
“Oh yeah, this is mandatory for these players and I’ll be evaluating them to send it back to their trainers. It’s serious – and it’s a big opportunity for the studio too.”
“Yeah definitely. And it’ll be good to see a different type of client for a change,” Kendra nodded.
“We love our yoga moms, don’t front,” James mused.
Kendra just grinned. She did love her beginner’s yoga mom class, he was right.
“It’ll be a big opportunity for you too, to work with them. If enough sign up, I’d like you to take on at least one for solo instruction the moment you have those 1000 hours done, to give you that experience. But if any of them give you any trouble, you let me know, okay? I won’t stand for it, regardless of who they are.”
“Thanks boss.”
“Any time.”
By the time 11am rolled around, Kendra was nervous. Not a bad nervous though, more like butterflies. She was so closed to her next stage of yoga teaching that she could almost taste it. She just hoped that this giant group of giant men would be a positive experience. They arrived in a herd, filling up the room quickly, and Kendra waited at the front of the room off to the side while her boss waited for them all to be ready.
“Alright, thanks for joining us today. I’m James Fields, owner and lead yoga instructor here, and this is Kendra Lee, who will be running this class alongside me,” he started.
She just grinned at the curious looks sent her way. Let them underestimate her, that was fine.
“As you all know, this class is mandatory and I will be evaluating you for your conditioning staff, so pay attention and we’ll all have a great time.”
Kendra watched a few disgruntled expressions popping up and fought not to laugh. Hockey players. She should’ve known they wouldn’t be any different. As her boss continued to talk, Kendra’s eyes drifted across the room, eventually landing on the man in front of her. Well, man was pushing it – this guy couldn’t be more than a couple of years older than her. A broad-shouldered redhead, pretty face, serious expression taking in her boss’s words. This one was paying attention. This one wanted to learn. Good. Even from here she could tell he would tower over her, although at 5ft2 that wasn’t really a difficult barrier. Maybe 6ft4? Maybe? Either way, this guy was going to be a good student, she could already tell.
As if he could sense his eyes on her, the man glanced over, catching her gaze. She froze, a little embarrassed to be caught staring, but he just smiled. Oh what a lovely smile that was. It was all she could do to smile back.
“If you’re all ready then, Kendra will lead you through Sun Salutation to warm up.”
She broke out of her thoughts, waving cheerfully at them all and earning a laugh. “I’ll be gentle, I promise,” she grinned.
~
“Yeah Freddie used to come to classes at my first studio, back in Anaheim about 10ish years ago. It’s been a while,” Kendra nodded, forcing a smile on her face.
Mimi raised an eyebrow but smiled politely at Freddie. “If you head on into Studio Two, Kendra will be right with you. I just need her to sign a form.”
He nodded, following the instructions with a smile sent Kendra’s way, leaving her alone with her colleague.
“Okay what the hell was that?” Mimi asked, wiggling her fingers in the direction Freddie went.
Kendra sighed, hands on hips.
“That was an old friend who I haven’t seen or spoken to in over 7 years. Him coming here out of the blue just threw me off, that’s all.”
“Is he going to be a problem? Because I have no issue with kicking him out if he doesn’t deserve a moment in your company,” Mimi said firmly.
It was times like this that Kendra really loved her friends.
“No, no it’ll be okay. There was no drama, we just drifted out of contact. Sure it sucked, but it was a long time ago? It’ll be fine. Besides, like you said, this is a big opportunity for me to do more with yoga rehab, right?”
Mimi pursed her lips but nodded. “Alright, if you’re sure. But let me know the second that you change your mind, if you need to.”
Kendra just gave her a quick hug, nudging her friend’s hip with her yoga mat, before heading resolutely towards Studio Two.
~
“So you enjoyed the last group class then?”
“I did. Anything to keep my flexibility up as good as it can get, right?”
Kendra just smiled, nodding. “Not that you seemed to have a problem with your flexibility.”
“Well I certainly haven’t had any complaints.”
He froze the moment the words left his lips, looking mortified. It was all she could do to burst into laughter at the horror on his face.
“I am so sorry. That was so unprofessional,” he groaned.
“Honestly, I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard since I’ve started here,” she said, still giggling, “You have nothing to worry about Mr Andersen.”
“Please, call me Freddie?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as his cheeks flamed red.
“Sure thing. Now let’s talk solo session scheduling – what works best for you?”
~
Kendra took a shaky breath as the memories of her first solo yoga session with Freddie washed over her, before steeling herself, pushing open the studio door. Freddie was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor on the mat he’d brought with him, and immediately smiled up at her, loosening a bit of tension in her chest. She could do this. She could totally do this.
“Hey, Freddie,” she said, unrolling her own mat.
“Hey Kendra. It’s good to see you,” he replied as she sat down opposite him.
“Good to see you too. I won’t say it isn’t a surprise because that would be a lie, but it is good to see you after all these years.”
Freddie winced a little, making her grimace inside. Was that too much?
“About that…”
He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck, so Kendra quickly shook her head. Their past wasn’t what this was all about, and it would do neither of them any good to hash it up now.
“You’re here now,” she said firmly, “So, yoga rehab. Do you know much about what it entails or if there’s anything your team specifically wants?”
“Uh, I only know the basics really. Obviously I’ve done it a lot before for conditioning, which is what my trainer said this mostly will be as my injury was a blood clotting issue rather than muscles or joints?”
Blood clots. Damn. And for someone only in their 30s?
“That must’ve been really scary,” she murmured.
His eyes widened a little in surprise, but he nodded, smiling sadly. “I genuinely thought my career was over. I’ve been out for stretches of time before, but never for anything like this. I felt…helpless,” he admitted.
She could only guess he was being so vulnerable because of their history but she still appreciated his honesty. It can’t have been easy to admit such a thing.
“I can imagine you would, yeah. But the team are figuring it out, right? They wouldn’t be signing you up for yoga rehab if they didn’t have a plan in place?” Kendra said, trying to be positive.
“Yeah, yeah you’re right. They’ve tried a few things and they seem to be happy with the results anyway – they’re looking at about a month if all goes well,” Freddie nodded.
“That’s fantastic. I’m glad I’ll be able to help you get back to where you need to be. I’ll do a bunch of research after today, to make sure I’m not pushing you too hard, to make sure I’m doing the best I can for you,” Kendra said, smiling.
One month. One month with a rehabilitation she’d never come across before. This was the exact kind of challenge she wanted – and it would be with Freddie?
“I know you will, Kendra. I trust you completely. I just…”
He trailed off, chewing his bottom lip, his hesitation making her chest ache.
“What is it?” she prompted, trying to be gentle.
“I don’t want this to be it. I’m not ready for my career to be over. I still want, no, need to prove myself,” he said softly.
“Your talent and reputation precede you, Freddie. Everything that you’ve achieved with the Leafs and now with the Canes? How beloved you are by teammates and fans? You prove yourself, every day.”
“You’ve followed my career?” he asked, clearly surprised.
To be fair, she didn’t think she would’ve been able to keep following him after he left Anaheim, but it was Freddie.
“How could I not? We were friends,” she shrugged, trying to keep her voice light.
A wave of sadness washed over Freddie’s expression, making her heart clench in her chest, but before he could speak, Kendra cleared her throat.
“You’ve got this, Freddie Andersen. We’re going to get you back to where you need to be, and you’re going to kick metaphorical ass. Maybe even literal ass if you need to,” she said firmly.
Freddie managed a small smile, nodding.
“Let’s do this then.”
~
“Hey, Kendra. Thanks for today. I really enjoyed the session.”
She looked up at Freddie as she took her hair out of the twisted bun she put it in for working, letting her hair cascade down her back in blonde waves.
“You don’t have to thank me every time, you know,” she mused.
After that fateful first group class, Freddie has eagerly signed on for more conditioning classes at her studio, and her boss had happily signed him on as her first solo yoga client the moment she reached her 1000 hours milestone. It had been intimidating, if she was being honest, but she was thriving under her own steam, leading all on her own. It didn’t hurt that Freddie was a willing student, keen to increase his flexibility and core strength. And it didn’t hurt that he was absolutely gorgeous either – but that was just for her own thoughts.
“I want to thank you though. The team, management in particular, are really noticing the work I’ve put in as full-time backup, and that’s all down to you,” Freddie said with a shrug and a smile.
“Well in that case, gold star for me,” she grinned.
Freddie barked out a surprised laugh, making her giggle as she rolled up her mat.
“Did you, uh…do you have any more classes now?” he asked, awkward enough for her to pay attention.
“No, you were my last of the day. Why?”
“There’s a new smoothie bar that’s opened up down the road and I was going to go after this – if you want, come with me? I’d love to learn more about how you got into yoga instruction so young,” he said hopefully.
Kendra eyed him for a moment, trying to read any implications or anything untoward in his words. The last thing she wanted was to give off the wrong impression, especially in her first adult job, but Freddie just looked so genuine that she couldn’t help but to smile. A friend couldn’t hurt, right?
“I could go for a smoothie,” she said after a moment or two, nodding.
“Great! Um, I’ll shower, change, and meet you in the lobby?”
“Sounds like a plan,” she mused, “See you soon.”
Within no time at all, Kendra had changed into a cute little cropped lilac sweater and black jeans, leaving her hair down her back to dry in waves. She hadn’t packed any makeup with her, annoyingly, but Freddie saw her all the time without makeup so she guessed it didn’t really matter. Even if she would’ve preferred a dashing of mascara and a swipe of lipgloss. Maybe she’d have to leave a spare of each in her work bag, just in case any future hangouts after work happened.
If today’s smoothie run wasn’t awkward, of course. Damn she hoped it wouldn’t be awkward.
“Ready to go?”
“Let’s do this!” Kendra said cheerfully.
Freddie just smiled down at her, easily towering over her 5ft2 frame with his 6ft4 one – yes she’d looked up his height to be certain, she was curious – opening up the door for her to walk through first.
“Such a gentleman,” she teased.
“I aim to please,” he drawled.
Kendra snorted, immediately covering her face in embarrassment, but Freddie grinned like a cat who got the cream.
“Cute snort,” he smirked.
“Ass,” she shot back, sticking out her tongue to let him know she wasn’t actually mad.
Freddie just laughed, a clear beautiful sound that sent butterflies in her stomach going overdrive. No, this was not the time. Be a professional. Don’t be a giggly idiot. Damn it.
The walk to the smoothie bar couldn’t have taken more than 5 minutes, the two of them staying in a comfortable silence – something that Kendra found difficult with people she’d known for years, so for her to feel such at ease with someone she barely knew? It was strange. Nice, but strange.
“Okay, what’ll it be?” he asked, looking up at the board, “My treat.”
“Are you sure?” she frowned.
Sure, this was her first job and she’d only been in it a couple of months, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t pay her way.
“Absolutely sure. I insist,” Freddie said firmly.
The intensity in his eyes, warm but solid, made her inhale sharply and nod. If he insisted…
“I’ll have almond milk, pineapple, kale, and mango, with a dash of honey. Thanks, Freddie,” she said, smiling up at him.
He just smiled back down at her, sending those butterflies into overdrive again, stepping forward to repeat her order as well as giving his own. When their smoothies arrived, Freddie walked over to a table in the corner so she followed, sitting down with a happy sigh.
“Oh man that’s good. Thanks for inviting me out,” Kendra said, after taking a sip of her smoothie.
“You’re welcome. It’s nice to actually meet someone near my age that as interested in yoga as I am,” Freddie said simply.
“Yeah? Not too many friends or girlfriends wanting to join you?” she asked, somehow managing to stop herself cringing to hard at the wording of her question.
Freddie just smirked slightly but didn’t call her out, thankfully. “No friends who want to do yoga with me, no. Most the team only do yoga when they absolutely have to. And no girlfriend either.”
“That’s a shame,” she said lightly, ignoring the zing through her body, “Yoga is fun and a great stress-reliever.”
“Is that why you got into it then?”
Kendra relaxed back into her seat, taking another sip of her drink, before starting to talk. Over the next hour, the two of them exchanged life stories, getting to know each other properly. Freddie talked about his career so far in the Danish league, how different and difficult it was to move over to Anaheim in August, how he’s just trying to make his mark now he’s been with down with the AHL team most the season and only up for a week. In turn, Kendra talked about how she’d always lived in California, having moved from her hometown in Santa Monica to Anaheim after meeting her now-boss at a training course, how she’d seen her mom doing yoga with her friends and fallen in love with the flow and peacefulness of it as well as the strength it gave. Talking to Freddie felt like they’d been friends for all her life, something she’d never experienced before, and she could only hope this wasn’t the last time they got to do this. Freddie was special, that was clear as day, and she felt lucky to see this relaxed side of him that she doubted many were privy to.
Eventually though, once their smoothies were finished, they had to leave before they overstayed their welcome, and Freddie walked her back to her car.
“I’m perfectly capable of walking across the parking lot on my own, you know,” she mused, jerking her chin in the direction of his car, all the way on the other side.
“And if some weirdo stalks you to your car when I can prevent that, I’d rather avoid you being alone,” he shrugged.
“Aww are you my knight in shining armour, Mr Andersen?” she teased.
Interestingly, his cheeks dusted with a blush.
“I’ll sweep you off your feet any time you need, Miss Lee,” he smirked.
Kendra just burst out laughing, shaking her head at his banter flirting. Ridiculous guy. This was going to be a fun friendship, she could already tell.
“Give me your number? We can sort out another smoothie run,” Freddie said, smiling.
She ignored those traitorous butterflies and nodded, unlocking her phone and handing it over. It could only be a good thing to have more friends in Anaheim, right?
“You think you can handle seeing me outside of the yoga studio?” she mused.
“Oh I know I can.”
~
Kendra and Freddie settled on three yoga sessions a week for his rehabilitation, 12 in total, to give him the conditioning build up he needed while still taking care to manage his recovery. She’d spent all night after that first meeting researching and planning the best course of movements and flows for him, making it challenging but helpful, eventually dragging herself back to bed at 4am, satisfied that what she’d planned would help him.
With any client, she would want to make sure she was satisfied, but with Freddie? She needed it to. Even after everything, she didn’t want to let him down.
Their first two sessions went well, the first mostly easing Freddie back into the swing of things, assessing where his strengths and weaknesses were, and the second session left Freddie groaning but smiling, happy he was able to push himself. Their third session, which Kendra was preparing for, would be another mild push, nothing extreme but still to see where she would need to adjust any plans.
It was all a process, but one she was enjoying immensely. Not just because of her student.
“Knock knock.”
Kendra jolted out of her thoughts, hand on her heart as Freddie walked into the studio with a grin.
“You are the worst,” she groaned.
“So you don’t want the smoothie I picked up on the way?” he mused.
He brought her a smoothie?
Her lips parted in surprise, but she stuck her hand out anyway, Freddie just laughing as he passed it over. The moment she took a sip, a wave of nostalgia ran over her. All she could think about were the smoothie runs and coffees hangouts and even the occasional lunch they used to go to together. Two and a half years of memories all flooding through her system, and it was all she could do to keep her face calm and neutral as the memories of conversations and vulnerability and laughter swirled through her thoughts. This wasn’t fair. This really wasn’t fair. She wanted to be mad at him for daring to dive back into their past like him leaving meant nothing, but how could she? How could she be mad when those memories still brought her joy?
“Almond milk, pineapple, kale, and mango, with a dash of honey. My favourite. Maybe you’re not the worst. You really remembered this?”
“Of course I did. I loved our smoothie dates,” Freddie nodded, smiling.
Dates?
“Dates?” she said, raising an eyebrow.
“Figure of speech? I don’t speak English?” he offered.
“Yeah nice try, I’m pretty sure your English is better than most people I know,” Kendra mused.
Freddie blushed but laughed.
“How could I forget anything about the girl who got me doing the best Bridge pose of my life, hm?”
She tried valiantly not to think about how good Freddie looked bent over in a backwards arch. Valiantly.
“Alright, but don’t think this means I’ll go easy on you, Freddie,” she said brightly, “We’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he grinned, “Give it to me rough.”
Kendra took a moment, trying to hold in her laughter, before she gave in and cackled.
“Oh man that was so bad, even for you,” she grinned.
“Not my finest, I’ll give you that,” Freddie shrugged, a light blush on his cheeks, “Still made you laugh though.”
Well he wasn’t wrong there.
Kendra sipped on her drink while Freddie laid out his mat, leaving the cup in a safe spot as she moved to stand in front of him.
“As always, let’s start with Sun Salutation,” she grinned.
The next hour flew by. As she promised him, Kendra did push him hard – some of the poses he wasn’t quite ready for, she could see that, at least even for the length of time they were trialling today. His natural flexibility hadn’t left him, that much was obvious, but there was still work to do. At least she could take pride in being part of rehabilitation that would never push him further than he was ready for. His safety, physical and mental, was the most important thing.
But he could do this. She knew that he could do this, and that excited her.
“Alright, that’s us done for today. Thanks, Freddie,” Kendra said softly.
Freddie opened his eyes, practically floating from savasana, face flushed from exertion.
“Thank you, Kendra. I feel awesome. Tired but awesome,” he grinned.
“Not aching too much anywhere?” she asked, standing up gracefully.
Freddie groaned as he stood up, rolling his shoulders as he checked in with himself. Kendra smiled wryly at the action – at least she could trust an athlete to know his own body.
“No, not too much,” he said.
“Are you sure?” she frowned, hands on hips.
“I promise. I know the difference between aching from a good workout to aching from injury and pain. This is good,” Freddie insisted.
Well alrighty then.
“That’s what I like to hear,” Kendra said happily, rolling her neck from side to side to loosen tension, “Take a shower, Andersen, I can smell you from here.”
Freddie barked out a laugh, shaking his head in amusement.
“Care to join me?”
“In your dreams.”
Freddie just smirked, sending a shiver down her spine. There. That was it, the spark she’d been missing for so many years.
“See you on Wednesday?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Freddie nodded.
~
From: Freddie I have a return date March 7th
From: Kendra That’s amazing! I told you that you could do it! These last eight sessions have really paid off! Do you feel ready?
From: Freddie As always, I should’ve trusted that you were right lol I think so? My body does for certain
From: Kendra And your mind? If you don’t feel mentally ready, Freddie, please don’t let them push you
From: Freddie Thanks, I appreciate that I think it’s more nerves than not mentally ready? Like, I don’t want to let the team down. And I don’t want critics to call me washed up
From: Kendra You could never let the team down They can see your passion, see how hard you’re working And screw the critics. They don’t know you or your body You are the furthest thing from washed up, so don’t talk about yourself like that
From: Freddie I’ve missed your fire. Yes ma’am
From: Kendra Damn right you have. That’s more like it
From: Freddie Can I still finish off my course of session with you? And maybe carry on for a few more afterwards? Just to make sure I still have that confidence?
From: Kendra As many as you want I’m here for whatever you need
From: Freddie Whatever I need? I like the sound of that
~
“So today’s your last official yoga rehab session with Freddie. How are you feeling?”
“Yeah, it’s all gone really well. It’s been nice reconnecting with him, as well as seeing him grow back into his conditioning and confidence. You were right, Mimi, this was a great idea,” Kendra grinned.
Mimi and Celeste both smiled at her, but the smiles quickly turned hesitant. What? What was wrong?
“Has he said something? Have the Canes said something?” she asked, starting to worry.
Had she done something wrong and he hadn’t had the guts to tell her?
“No, no, god no. Freddie’s had nothing but high praise for you since he got here and I have no doubt he’ll be saying the same to his team,” Celeste said quickly.
“He talks about me?” Kendra asked, not knowing whether to ignore the butterflies in her stomach or not.
“He does. And he always has a smile on his face when he leaves here, same as you. We just…”
“Just what?” she prompted.
“We just want you to be careful,” Celeste said, finishing her sister’s sentence.
 What the hell?
Mimi winced at Kendra's expression before clearing her throat.
“When I met you, it was obvious that part of you was missing,” Mimi said softly, Celeste nodding.
What?
“What do you mean?” Kendra frowned.
“This fun flirty side of you? These beaming smiles? It’s great, don’t get me wrong, but seeing you around Freddie makes so much sense,” Mimi explained.
Okay that was crazy.
“We really are just friends,” Kendra said, shaking her head.
Mimi and Celeste send her matching disbelieving looks.
“No, really,” Kendra said, shrugging, “We always had this flirty banter but it was never anything more than that.”
“Never anything more?” Celeste said, raising an eyebrow, “Not even once?”
“No!” Kendra laughed, “He would come to my yoga classes, we’d get coffee or smoothies occasionally, sometimes lunch, but never anything more.”
“I really don’t think you see what we see. What no doubt everyone sees when they watch the two of you,” Mimi said.
“You can’t fake that kind of chemistry, Kendra. He clearly has feelings for you,” Celeste added.
What?
He had feelings for her?
And everyone saw it?
Mimi and Celeste watched her obvious turmoil with soft pitying smiles.
“Think about it. Just think about it. That’s all we’re saying,” Mimi said, her voice warm and reassuring, “And be careful?”
“You’re our girl, okay? We just want you to be happy,” Celeste said, smiling.
“Uh yeah, sure. I’ll think about it,” Kendra murmured.
It was all she could do to walk in a straight line for their staff kitchen, desperately needing a cold bottle of water to sip on while she sorted through her thoughts.
She’d always found Freddie attractive. That was something she could admit to without hesitation. But it was something she’d buried deep, knowing she could never act on it. Bringing that acknowledgement back up to the surface was terrifying, because it wasn’t just a physical attraction – it was everything about him. If she let herself think about how attracted she was to him, let herself think about his laugh, and his kindness, and his terrible taste in coffee, and his soft smile when he talked about his family, and literally everything else about him…she felt like she would explode.
How was she supposed to behave normally around him in their last scheduled yoga session, when all of these dangerous feelings were bubbling at the surface?
No, she had to find a way. She couldn’t ruin everything, not when she’d just got him back into her life. She just couldn’t.
Somehow, she managed to keep a lid on her emotions for her entire day until Freddie’s session at the end of her evening, running through the most challenging routines that pushed him to his limit, but left him with a smile on his face. He was ready. He was really ready for his return to play in two days time.
So why did it feel like everything was ending?
Freddie had stayed mostly quiet, focusing on his movements, but there were times in between flows that she caught him staring at her as if he was thinking. Thinking hard. It was almost off-putting, if it didn’t make her feel giddy. Were her friends right? Were her feelings really reciprocated?
Whatever was going through his mind, she didn’t know, but even she could feel a trembling intensity between the two of them that she couldn’t put a finger on. It felt like…anticipation.
When their class was over, Freddie insisted on waiting for her to grab all of her things, Mimi and Celeste just smirking as he waved goodbye to them, escorting her out to her car. This time he apparently hadn’t parked that far away from her, so he was insistent on walking her properly, although it could definitely be classed as more of an extremely slow stroll rather than a walk.
Like he was drawing this out as much as she was.
“You must be freezing,” Freddie murmured, “Here take my jacket.”
Before Kendra could form a word of protest at his sudden words, Freddie was slipping his jacket off and placing it over her shoulders. The warmth immediately hit her body, thrumming through her veins, and she knew without a doubt that her burning cheeks gave her thoughts away.
“There. Better?”
It was all Kendra could do to nod, staying silent as Freddie made a grunt of approval. Why was this affecting her so much? It was a just a jacket. It was just a jacket, right? It didn’t stop her sinking into the warmth though, picking up the scent of his cologne, ignoring the way her heart started beating that little bit faster.
She had to say something. She had to say something.
“Freddie…I need to ask you a question,” she said softly.
“Go for it,” he mused.
“Did you know it was me when you agreed to do a yoga rehab course?”
“What?”
Kendra exhaled a little shakily, but shook her head. She needed to know.
“When your team suggested yoga classes as part of your rehab treatment plan, how did you pick a teacher? Did you know I would be running this for you?”
“Ah.”
A single word. How ominous.
But Kendra just stayed silent, unwilling to say anything else before he did. She needed to know. It would change everything.
“The team gave me a list of options, with short descriptions about the teacher and any feedback from other clients. And…the moment I saw your name on the list, I didn’t have to think any further or look at anyone else,” he murmured.
“What?”
Freddie let out a shaky breath, halting his walk, so Kendra stopped next to him. What did he mean by that?
“I took it as a sign from the universe that I finally had a chance to make up for letting our friendship fizzle out. You were one of the best parts about Anaheim for me, and I was so wrapped up in my head in Toronto that I was stupid enough to let our friendship go. To let you go. I wanted to see you again. I knew that you would be amazing from the yoga side of things, but to get the chance to say that I’m sorry? I couldn’t pass that up.”
As he spoke, his words clear and his expression more serious than she’d ever seen, her heart started racing like it never had before. He really meant all of that, didn’t he? He really chose her?
“You have nothing to apologise for,” she eventually said, a little more breathless than she would care to admit.
“Yes, I do,” Freddie replied, huffing out a laugh, “You deserved better than I treated you.”
He looked relieved, like her being mad at him was even a possibility (not with them, never with him), but she just shook her head. Yeah, it had hurt at the time, when she finally resigned to losing contact with him – but that was over 7 years ago. With time, that hurt had faded into an ache, which in turn faded to occasional wistfulness. She could never hold a grudge against him for a trade, and certainly not for following his dream. That just wasn’t who Kendra was.
She started walking again, Freddie wasting no time in joining her, even though their steps were practically glacial in speed.
“Maybe I deserved a little better communication but it was so long ago, Freddie. I’m not holding onto past grudges. And honestly, the fact that you chose me because you wanted to reconnect? That’s all I needed.”
“Really?” he asked, voice hopeful.
“Really really,” she grinned, “Although I’m sure you can think of something to make it up to me.”
A grin spread across Freddie’s face too, making her feel a little giddy.
“Anything you wanted, Kendra Lee.”
“That is a dangerous offer, Frederik Andersen,” she shot back.
He just shrugged, grin not leaving his face. “You know I’m good for it.”
This, these flirty exchanges, served to do nothing other than light her blood on fire. Why was it always so easy to slip back into this with him like nothing had changed? That was a good thing, right?
“Come out with me on St Patrick’s Day night,” she blurted.
He raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed, but she just laughed.
“I’m going to a karaoke bar with Mimi and Celeste – join us,” she explained.
“That’s what you want? Out of all the things you could’ve asked for…you want me to join you for karaoke,” he said incredulously.
Kendra inhaled sharply at the implication in his words but nodded anyway, hoping she wasn’t making a huge mistake.
“I do. It’ll be fun, to see you outside of work, and to do something with you that we’ve never done before. We already have a little booth booked and it’ll be better than cramming into a regular bar for St Patrick’s Day,” she said firmly.
He laughed softly, shaking his head in disbelief, before eventually nodding.
“Alright, I’ll be there. Text me the address,” he mused.
Kendra just grinned, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach as they finally reached her car.
“Thanks for lending me your jacket, Freddie.”
“Any time.”
~
By the time the evening of the 17th March rolled around, Kendra was buzzing. She'd not seen Freddie since his debut back on the ice, him having given the three of them tickets to say thank you. Watching him win? It was everything, and she couldn't have been prouder of him. But with his schedule and hers, he hadn't scheduled any more classes like he'd said he'd wanted to, so Kendra had been limited to text messages, hoping that her daydreams weren't just silly fantasies.
Kendra, Mimi, and Celeste had been in O'Malley's for an hour, and Freddie still hadn’t arrived. The longer that time went on, the more disappointed she felt, not wanting to believe that after everything they’d regrown between them that he would just ghost her. No, that wasn’t Freddie. It couldn’t be Freddie.
“Breathe. Have a drink. He promised he’d be here, right?” Celeste said with a sweet smile.
“He did. But that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have changed his mind,” Kendra sighed.
“Hey, no sad faces. It’s St Patrick’s Day and we’re having a good time!” Mimi said cheerfully.
Kendra just groaned, taking a big gulp of her beer, her friends just cheering. They were right. She couldn’t dwell on this. If Freddie was going to come or whether he wasn’t, she was still out with her friends to have a good time. That was what she needed to focus on.
“Up next, Kendra singing Red!”
“Ooh girl that’s you, go!” Mimi squealed.
Kendra took a deep breath to steel herself, sliding out of their booth with a confident smile. If anyone could make her feel better, it would be Taylor Swift, she knew that much. As the intro music starting playing, she focused on letting it flow through her, tapping her foot in time with the beat.
“Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street, Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly, Loving him is like trying to change your mind, Once you're already flying through the free fall, Like the colors in autumn, so bright, just before they lose it all.”
As if summoned by magic, the door to the pub opened, and Freddie walked in. Within seconds he saw her standing on the karaoke stage and stopped in his tracks, offering her a small stunned smile. He came. He didn’t ghost her. Freddie actually came as she asked him. That had to mean something, right?
“Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes, Tell myself it's time now gotta let go, But moving on from him is impossible, When I still see it all in my head, In burning red, Burning, it was red.”
She found herself pouring her emotions into the words, pouring everything she felt about Freddie into the song, not able to take her eyes off him. By now, Mimi and Celeste had noticed how she was performing just for Freddie – she could see their grins from across the room – and a few other patrons were starting to notice too. But she couldn’t stop herself. Her body felt almost out of control, singing her heart out to the only man who’d ever truly held it.
“Oh, losing him was blue, like I'd never known, Missing him was dark gray, all alone, Forgetting him was like trying to know, Somebody you never met, 'Cause loving him was red, Yeah, yeah, red, Burning red.”
His eyes were almost wild, locked onto her like she was the only person in the room. It was a heady feeling, giving her the confidence she needed to finish the song with a smile.
“And that's why he's spinning 'round in my head, Comes back to me, burning red, Yeah, yeah.”
She curtseyed dramatically to cheers and applause as the song ended, a wide grin on her face, and she moved to step off the stage, Freddie was already there with a hand extended to help her down. She took it silently, inhaling sharply as Freddie didn’t let go – instead her guided her across the room to the bar, the crowd parting with whatever intensity was on his face, so much so that they were served immediately.
“Two baby guinnesses,” Freddie asked politely.
The barman just laughed, nodding as he poured the shots, Freddie not letting go of her hand even as he paid for their drinks. He passed her one of the shots with a hopeful smile, the sweetness in his eyes intoxicating, so she clinked the glass gently with his, the cool liquid sliding down her throat smoothly.
“I wasn’t sure if you would make it,” Kendra said, offering him a small smile.
“I was thinking. Thinking about a lot of things. And I have something I need to say,” Freddie murmured, voice barely audible above the rumble of the room’s conversation.
“Oh?” she said, breath caught in her throat.
“I need to be honest with you, Kendra. I don’t think I can do any more classes with you.”
Oh. Everything in her chest felt like it was crumbling, Kendra barely able to get a breath in.
Wait, what?
“It would be incredible unprofessional of me,” Freddie added.
“Unprofessional? Freddie, if I’ve done something-”
The last thing Kendra was expecting was for Freddie to cut off her words with a kiss.
And not just any kiss. A toe-curling, melt into his arms, curl her fingers into his shirt kind of kiss. As his hands cupped her face and his lips moved with hers, it was all she could do to let out a soft little moan, interrupted only at the chorus of cheers and whistles around them. Freddie broke the kiss with a soft laugh, Kendra just feeling dazed, but his shy smile just made her giddy all over again.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long. I just didn’t think I could,” he admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
They were right. Mimi and Kendra were right.
“What changed?” she managed to ask.
“We changed,” he said. “We’ve both grown so much in ourselves since I left Anaheim and I am proud of both of us for taking what we need to make ourselves happy and successful. But I don’t want to lie to myself any more, thinking that I don’t need you too.”
“You need me?” she said, surprised.
“I do, in every way. I was an idiot for so many years, Kendra. I don’t want to waste any more time,” he said seriously.
“Jesus, Freddie, knock a girl for six why don’t you,” she said, huffing out a laugh.
He froze at her words, clearly fearing the worst, but Kendra just grinned. How could she be anything but excited?
“I’m yours, Freddie Andersen. I always have been,” she said happily.
The smile that spread across his face was worth a thousand lifetimes. This was what she had been waiting for. Exactly this.
“Now, buy me another drink and sing a song with me, and I’ll consider kissing you again,” Kendra grinned.
He laughed in disbelief but grinned so widely in response that it made her giddy. “One blue moon pale ale, coming right up.”
Her favourite girls night drink? How did he remember everything she’d ever said?  They were really doing this. They were finally doing this. 
“You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?” she laughed.
“Probably. You love it though.”
That she did.
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randomuploadburnerblog · 6 years ago
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Alright, 31
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Boy howdy it’s my first fic ever and there’s no way I’m putting my name to it so we’re on a burner blog baby!
Freddie Andersen x reader, a little fluffy, pretty smutty, basically my dream scenario (-:
Word count: 2205 woah
He’d been at work all day and you couldn’t wait until he got to your place. Both of you had decided to spend the holidays with your individual families this year since last year was your first Christmas away from the parents and just three months of dating seemed a little quick for him to meet them. Freddie got back to the city a couple days ago to get back into the swing of practices and press conferences before the Leafs’ special afternoon next gen game scheduled for today. You spent the extra couple days relaxing at your family cottage and overthinking every second of your reunion. It had only been a few weeks apart at this point, but coming back to an entire evening of Fred instead of just an hour after a late game? That thought made every minute feel like an eternity. Why couldn’t all NHL games be matinees?
You looked at the clock. He said he’d be at yours before 6:00 which gave you about two hours to prep dinner, freshen up, and try your hardest to slow your racing thoughts and heart.
After getting your anxiety out by spending too much time chopping vegetables and chicken and grating cheese, you figured you’d wait for Freddie to get home to cook it all. Besides, there was a slim chance that eating would be the first thing the two of you did when that giant goalie walked through the front door... You were still a virgin at this point, but enough flirty texts and real conversation led you to believe that tonight would be the night.
With less than half an hour of alone time left, you brushed your teeth, washed your face, checked yourself out over and over again, and put on one of your favourite Christmas gifts. You and your family aren’t ones for expensive clothing, but this year your mom splurged. And for good reason! It was about time that you got your first official NHL Toronto Maple Leafs jersey. You were dating a pretty big part of the team after all. 
You threw jersey #23 on over your cutest bralette and immediately grinned the cheekiest grin you’d ever had. Your mom made the right choice with Dermott. He had the best name and number combination and was one of your favourite players to watch. Plus, the thought of Freddie getting jealous of you having someone else’s last name on your back was turning you on already. 
Suddenly, you heard a knock. You ran to the front hall to greet your new boyfriend and swung the door open so fast it shocked you both. “Hi,” you squealed. 
Freddie pulled you into his arms midway through your greeting. “Hey,” he cooed. “Love the sweater.” He used his mass to push the two of you inside and closed the door.
You smiled into his chest, absorbing the heat and enjoying the smell of musk and day old cologne, but mostly thinking about how he only noticed the classic logo and probably wouldn’t love the sweater upon further inspection. Neither of you were planning on letting go until Freddie looked up and saw a giant 23 on your back reflected in the hallway mirror. 
“Woah! Hold on! Y/N... This doesn’t look like a 31 to me.” He turned you around to look in the mirror and lowered his eyes.
“Well I’m glad you can read numbers,” you said, smirking even more than before. You stepped away and headed to the kitchen, leaving Freddie to stand in the hall and watch that number sway with you while you walked. “We’re having fajitas!”
He took off his coat and shoes and dropped all his stuff before stomping over to where you were. You scanned his body up and down as he approached, his muscles taught from a long day and eyebrows furrowed from your immediate sass upon his arrival. Your heart rate increased with the endless possibilities of how this evening was about to transpire running through your head. 
“Why Travis?” Freddie grabbed the hem of your jersey and played with the soft material. 
“Well I figured Auston’s was too basic -”
You felt a warm set of lips on yours, cutting you off mid sentence. He slowly pulled away, teeth clutched to your bottom lip. Something about this was almost too careful. Where was the fierceness you expected from your easily riled up hockey boy?
“And 23 is a way better number than 31,” you finished.
Freddie’s hands brushed against your sides and pulled the jersey off your body with so much force that you heard a seam rip. There it is! Your eyes shot to the pile of blue and white on the kitchen floor. “Don’t worry about it,” Freddie said, breathing deeply. “I could probably get you one of those from Travis’ laundry anyway.” That last bit was obviously meant to be sarcastic, so your little bounce and “Would you please!” response sent your boyfriend over the edge.
Before you knew it, you were hanging over his shoulders being carried to your bedroom. 
“I love the view from here!” Humour was always your go to in nerve-wracking situations and your flushed face was mere inches from Freddie’s ass. All you really wanted to do was grab it, so you brought your hand up. But before it could make any contact, you were being thrown onto your queen size bed. 
“Two and a half weeks apart and this is what I have to put up with after a dumb loss?” Freddie crawled over you, never breaking eye contact. 
“Fred, I-”
You were cut off again, not by lips, but by some strong fingers snapping the waistband on your leggings. 
“Ow!” You blinked and just looked up at his fiery eyes. He kissed you hard, keeping his hands on your waist and gently pressing his body into you. He let you explore his mouth for just a second before pushing himself up and off you.
The man rolled off the side of the bed and started unbuttoning his dress shirt. All you could do was stare blankly at the shirtless Adonis now standing in front of you. 
“Please come kiss me again,” you said sheepishly. Your hands roamed his chest as Freddie crawled back up to lie beside you. Your next kiss was slow and deliberate. You scratched at his beard and he caressed your back. You felt down the curve in his side and he toyed with your bra straps. Almost in sync, you tugged on his belt buckle and he snapped the clasp of your bra open, revealing your sensitive nipples to the open air. He smiled into your lips, taking one breast into his hand, massaging it and rubbing circles into your nipple and made you gasp.
He took the opportunity to separate your mouths and stand back up. “You’re unbelievable, Y/N. You’re so beautiful and kind... And nefarious. For someone who claims to be clueless about romance and sex, god you know how to get me going.” He monologued and slowly took off his pants. Your eyes stayed locked on the soft briefs hugging your boyfriend’s butt as he walked around the room.
He kneeled over your hips and started peppering kisses across your neck and chest. Your breaths got heavier and you let out a moan. “I missed you. You’re so hot,” you panted as your fingers ran through his hair. You felt teeth grab one of your hardened nubs and had to hold back a scream. 
Freddie travelled further down your torso until reaching the waistband of your leggings, still clinging to your sweating body. He looked up and raised an eyebrow, asking for permission. You nodded. His calloused, yet soft, fingers hooked into your leggings and panties and peeled them both off. The friction of his hands gliding down your legs was enough to make you throw your head back with pleasure. 
“Oh babe, you’re soaked already.” With one swift motion, his hands were on your hips, his shoulders between your thighs, and his tongue ran all the way up through the lips of your pussy, tasting the wetness. You shivered and moaned louder than you thought possible with this new sensation breaking down your walls. His tongue continued to work away at your core, playing with your clit and dipping in and out of your hole.
You were seeing stars at this point, body writhing underneath your giant lover. Your arms had been frozen in place above your head and it took every ounce of energy to finally say, “Fred, please, I think I’m close.”
He backed away and placed chaste kisses on your stomach and thighs as your breathing calmed ever so slightly. He stood up at the end of the bed and removed the fabric that had been concealing his hard and already dripping cock. 
You gasped. With all of your overthinking and day dreams of this moment, nothing had prepared you for how big and ready your boyfriend’s member would be. 
“Are you okay? We can stop if you’re not ready,” Freddie said with a look that could only be described as loving. 
You nodded. “Yes... You’re... I’m... Perfect.” You paused, still staring into his wild eyes. “I just didn’t know I’d like this view so much.” You looked down at his crotch and licked your lips. Your body jumped up before your brain could decide what it was doing. You moved towards the man and gently grabbed the shaft of his dick, Freddie’s breath catching in the back of his throat. 
You slowly pumped your hand and licked a stripe up the underside of his cock before a big set of hands pushed you back on the bed. “There’s no way I’m going to last with your pretty mouth around me,” he said matter-of-factly. The Dane hovered over you again, being sure not to make your groins touch while the two of you kissed passionately. Only a couple minutes had passed before he was out of breath again and asked, “are you ready?”
You held his shoulders for dear life and whispered, “yes.”
Freddie reached for the condom he had placed on your nightstand without you realising. He tore it open, slid it on, and kissed you again. Suddenly, there were thighs in between yours and fingers pushed into your vagina, curling into your g-spot and stretching your entrance. Freddie lowered his body onto yours and the contact made you arch your back. You had never been closer to your boyfriend, or more comfortable, until seconds later when he pushed his hard cock into your centre. 
You threw your head back and moaned, “oh my god!”
“You like the feeling of having me inside you? I bet you do... Especially after how hard you tried to make me jealous.” Freddie whispered filth into your ear about everything he’d always wanted to do to you and how you were his and no one else’s. He lifted your legs to straddle his lower back and moved in and out of you with so much strength, you thought you might break. You bit into his stiff shoulder muscle to hold back your squeals and moans and he reached around to slap your ass.
That finally brought you to the top. “Baby, I’m gonna cum! Please, fuck me harder!”
You heard a stifled laugh and felt your boyfriend pull out of you almost completely before slamming into you so hard that you screamed. An orgasm took over your body instantly, your head pushing back  against the pillow and every part of you tingling. Seconds later, Freddie released inside you and let out a high pitch moan that made you burst into laughter. He pulled out, got up, and tossed the condom into the trash while you caught your breath and sat up on the bed. 
The smiles you exchanged were the sweetest either of you had ever seen. He came over to the bed where you were still giggling and wiped a tear from under your eye.
“Oh... I didn’t even know I was crying,” you said hoarsely, “that was amazing. You’re amazing.” You held his face and kissed his soft, puffy lips. 
He broke away for a moment and said, “so, fajitas?” You chuckled and started getting up off the bed. “I love you Y/N.”
You smiled so wide your cheeks hurt. “I love you too, Frederik.”
You turned to head over to your closet and throw on something cozy. “Wait!” Freddie had left the room to grab sweats from his bag and came back with something big and blue. “Wear this,” he said with a smirk.
It was his jersey. It smelled like your beautiful boyfriend after having been stuck in a gym bag with the rest of his clothes and it was so huge on you that you definitely didn’t need to wear pants. But that would just make things easier for after dinner anyway. 
You did a twirl in the giant sweater and looked in the mirror as Freddie came up and hugged you from behind. “Alright, 31 is an okay number,” you teased.
“As long as your back says Andersen, you can wear whatever number you want, love.”
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nebulein · 2 years ago
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Trevor does Vegas by @nebulein A Trevor Zegras welcome to the show fic featuring Jack Hughes, Freddie & Auston, Claude Giroux, midnight guy trouble McFlurrys and sex yoda Patrick Kane on speed dial (8k, rated E)
TZ: I’m going to Vegas! PKane: i thought terry was TZ: they want me there so bad TZ: gonna be a special guest babeeeeey PKane: oh so you’re not REALLY an all star TZ: why u gotta be so mean 😭 TZ: sure u don’t wanna come? TZ: u can be my plus one 😀 PKane: no thanks I’ll pass PKane: but have fun kiddo TZ: oh I will 😏😏
It’s loud. It’s big. It’s Vegas, baby.
read on ao3
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klea221 · 3 years ago
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Freddie to the Rescue!
"Game 7"
*Special thanks to @holidaywishes for helping me edit this and for @hockeyblogg and @ew-nat for collaborating with me!
I hope this helps us all cope with the Leafs losing the series and possibly losing Freddie 😖
My favourite coping mechanisms are denial and day dreaming 💁🏻‍♀️so if you're like me, then enjoy!*
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It was yet another day of feeling useless.
Awaking from his nap, Frederik pulled the freshly dry-cleaned suit out of the plastic. Walking over to the mirror, he makes quick work of his tie. Letting out a sigh, he can't help but feel dread about the night ahead.
Another game spent on the bench…
Only this was the most important game of the season…
Freddie’s POV
*7:50pm*
It was the third consecutive goal for the Canadiens. The first period was just coming to an end. Looking over at Jack, I could feel his desperation for a win and I just felt incredibly sorry for him. He had battled so hard this series, despite this, I knew he would undoubtedly blame himself for this inevitable loss. We were cursed. You were certain of that.
As the buzzer signaled the end of the period, the team shuffled their way into the dressing room. The emotions of despair and frustration thickening the air.
Taking the opportunity to stand after sitting for the last half hour, I notice Keefe talking to Jack in the hallway. Trying not to interrupt, I walk slowly towards the door, passing them on my way.
“Ah, Fred, can you come here for a minute?” beckons Keefe.
My heart quickens. Could it be?
“I don’t think I can go back out there, man,” Jack sighed, struggling to keep eye contact as his eyes brimmed with tears. He looks like an absolute wreck.
“Are you sure?” I ask, putting a hand on his shoulder.
“Yeah, I’m sure. It's too much…” he says shakily.
I pull him in for a quick hug. “It’s alright man, you did great! We all love you Soupy!”
The guys must have been listening too because the room erupts in chants for Jack when he comes into view. He really is an amazing guy and I hope he is able to push past this!
In the following moments of intermission, I try to push all thoughts out of my mind. Having not played the entire series, I need to be able to work through the nerves and play my absolute best!
As we make our way out of the tunnel, my heart rate quickens.
“Andersen can’t even play at the AHL level”
“10 Reasons Why the Leafs Should Ditch Frederik Andersen”
“Should Frederik Andersen Retire?”
“Leafs Goaltender Controversy: Solved”
  I shake my head, trying to banish my demons. This is my moment now. My past doesn’t define me.
Second Period
*Puck is dropped*
“Andersen with a glove save! Perry absolutely robbed!”
“And he SCORES! Jason Spezza gets the Leafs onto the board!”
“Andersen with an enormous save on Kotkaniemi!”
“WILLIAM NYLANDER brings the Leafs one behind the habs!”
“Mitch Marner scores forty seconds after the Nylander goal bringing it to a tie game!”
“How did that stay out of the net??!”
“Andersen keeps this a tie game going into the third!”
Intermission
As soon as the buzzer goes off, I make my way off the ice. That was intense! But it felt amazing!
The energy in the dressing room has changed dramatically. Everyone takes a seat, anticipating Keefe’s speech.
“My message has not changed. I know I don’t need to tell any one of you what is at stake tonight. What I will say is, I am incredibly proud of each and every one of you! I KNOW that we can do this! So let's do it!” says Keefe proudly as the boys begin to chant from their seats.
For the first time in my career, I know that we'll pull through, I know we can do this. As I make my way onto the ice, I no longer feel anxious. I am calm, steady.
Third Period
*Puck drop*
Kerfoot loses the draw but I'm prepared.
“Caufield fires that off the post! But Andersen covers that up right away”
My heart surprisingly calms down once the threat of a rebound has passed. Standing up, I toss the puck to the linesman.
The entire arena holds its breath as Toffoli takes off on a breakaway towards me. Reading him, I can see exactly what he’s trying to do. Five-hole -- of course. Not going to happen, not today, not now.
“Andersen with the save!”
Only two minutes left in the game.
One minute left in the game.
"Someone score, please," you thought to yourself
“And the game is tied at 3-3. Game 7 is headed to overtime!”
Forcing myself to breathe, I can't help but feel as if the world was sitting on my shoulders. We are so incredibly close I could taste it. I don’t even want to leave the ice… I just want this over with!
Overtime
Spezza wins the draw but Thornton’s pass is missed by Sandin and slides down the ice towards my net. Coming out to play the puck, looking over to Spezza, I quickly pass the puck and get back into position as he skates down to the Habs' end.
Spezza passes the puck to Foligno, getting into formation. Foligno passes the puck back to Sandin who quickly takes a shot at Price.
Off the post!
But Spezza tips it in!
“JASON SPEZZA SCORES FIFTEEN SECONDS INTO OVERTIME!”
Not caring about anything any longer, I skate across the ice, leaping into the air to hug Spezza! We did it! We actually did it! Holy fuck, we actually did it. As the rest of the guys come onto the ice I am filled with absolute pride.
Pride in my teammates, yes.
But pride in myself.
For the first time in years. I finally feel proud of what I've done for myself and for this team.
I helped make this happen. And no one could take that away from me. No matter what happened going forward.
*Later That Night*
“Hey, Mom and Dad! It's me, Freddie! We did it! We won the series!” I practically scream into the phone knowing very well it was 3am in Herning.
"We know son, we saw it all! You were incredible! We're all so proud of you Fred!" said my father.
I could not help the tears as they rolled down my face.
This was the best day of my life.
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nhlandotherimagines · 4 years ago
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Tell Me A Lie- Frederik Andersen
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@natbarzal @anastasiyaigorevnadobrodevskaya @jonnytoews19 
This hurt me to write, but here we go! Blurb number 7 of the Up All Night series with one of my favourites! Warning this is straight angst, a super toxic and unhealthy relationship, and it does have some strong language at times! Anyway I hope you enjoy! ❤️
Can't ever get it right, no matter how hard I try, and I've tried
Fred tries. You know he does. However, it always ends up here. The two of you once again fighting over seemingly nothing. This time, it was his shoes that started the fight. Stupid? Absolutely, but this is how the two of you function. One of you does something that irritates the other, and your tiny argument blows up into something much larger.
Today when you get home with an armful of groceries, you trip over Freddie’s shoes. You aren’t hurt, and the groceries are fine, but that’s not the point. “Can you not for once put your shoes in the damn closet?” You yell out in frustration.
“Jesus Y/n, it’s not a big deal!” Fred rolls his eyes as he stumbles into the kitchen, where you are now angrily putting away the groceries.
“Right,” you roll your eyes, slamming a cupboard door shut and turning to him. “I nearly dropped all the groceries and broke my neck, but tell me again how it’s not a big deal.”
“Well it’s not like I put them there to hurt you!” He huffs back, grabbing a beer from the fridge. The sound of the can opening sends a new wave irritation through you.
“That’s why you put them in the closet! What about that is so hard to comprehend?” You scoff out loud as he settles himself against the counter, taking a long sip of his beer. “Oh don’t worry about me, I will put away all your groceries. Enjoy your beer love, don’t let me get in your way.” Your words are dripping in sarcasm, and you hear Freddie groan.
“Are we seriously doing this again?” He asks incredulously.
“Doing what exactly? Because if you mean you being lazy well I tend to your every need once again, then no. I’m not doing it. Put away the fucking groceries yourself.” You make sure to drop the lettuce you had been holding to the counter, for dramatic effect. Then quickly you shuffle to your shared room, slamming the door behind you. Sure you are being dramatic, you know it better than most.
Well, I put up a good fight, but your words cut like knives, and I'm tired
Fred curses under his breath, as he runs a hand through his hair. After giving you a few minutes to calm down, he places his beer on the counter and turns to walk to the bedroom. As he lifts his arm to knock on the door, it flings open. The anger, hurt, and sadness flash across your eyes in waves. Fred doesn’t know what to say, and when you realize he isn’t going to speak, you throw the bag you packed over your shoulder and push past him.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Freddie’s voice calls out for you, angrier and louder than you had expected. You jump slightly at the sound, but quickly compose yourself. Wrapping your fingers around the doorknob, you glance back at your boyfriend.
“I don’t know. Away from you.” The venom in your voice makes you yourself shiver. Before Fred can even think about responding, you’re slamming the door behind you.
Freddie wasn’t expecting those words from you. They felt like a knife to his chest, and it hurt. Like really hurt. Sure, you two fight all the time. You scream, curse, and call each other names, but you never run from him. Normally you’d end up in his arms while the two of you cry over the hurtful things you’d said, but not tonight. Tonight you just left him.
The scariest part for Freddie, was the fact he didn’t go after you. The both of you now too exhausted for the fight. The pair of you like a pot of water continuously boiling over on the stove. Except now, the water is all gone. Both of you on empty, no more fight and it absolutely terrifies him.
As you break my heart again this time tell me I'm a screwed up mess. That I never listen, listen. Tell me you don't want my kiss. That you need your distance, distance.
“She’s not with me Fred.” Your best friend, Maddison, assures him for probably the fifth time since she had answered the phone. Freddie was sure you would have gone to Maddison’s, she was your closest friend. Panic starts to set into his bones when he realizes it’s been 24 hours, he hasn’t heard from you, and he has no idea where you are. He doesn’t know if you’re safe, if you’ve eaten, if you’re coming back. Maddison soon squashes his fear though, by speaking up again. “She’s at her co-worker Brady’s house, she’s okay. I was just talking to her.”
The wave of relief that floods his chest is soon suffocated by a cloud of jealousy. Who was Brady? You had never mentioned him, and now Freddie’s brain was going into overdrive. “I’ve got to go get her Mads. Where is she?” Maddison can hear the desperation in his voice, so she caves. She texts him the address, and wishes him luck before hanging up. She knows he will need it.
———
“Fred? What are you doing here?” You ask, confused as to how he even knew where to find you.
“I’m here to take you home Y/n, we need to talk about this.” Freddie says calmly, reaching out for your hands. As he goes to take them in his, you immediately pull away. A frown settles onto Freddie’s features, as he pleads to you with his eyes. “Please baby? Come home. You can yell at me, tell me to put my shoes away, tell me I’m a mess, because I am. Scream about how I never listen, and then when I try to kiss you to apologize you can be stubborn and hold out as long as you want. Hell if you want some space baby, I’ll sleep on the couch, but you need to come home. Please.”
Tears burn your eyes, but you take a deep breath to steady yourself. You’ve spent the last 24 hours preparing yourself for this conversation. How could you tell your boyfriend you were done? You thought you were ready, but him showing up with no warning proved you weren’t.
“Who is it Y/n/n?” Brady asks as he walks up behind you, placing a hand protectively on your back.
Tell me anything but don't you say he's what you're missing, baby. If he's the reason that you're leaving me tonight, spare me what you think, and tell me a lie
“I’m her boyfriend-“ Fred starts, but you quickly butt in, “ex-boyfriend!”
Both men stare at you in disbelief, as you avoid eye contact with both of them. “Y/n come on, we can’t even talk about this?” The hurt is evident in his voice, tears threatening to spill down his pale cheeks.
“I think it’s best you leave man.” Brady speaks, standing up a little straighter. Likely, because he was expecting Freddie to fight him on it.
“It’s him isn’t it?” Fred starts, chuckling in astonishment, “I guess I should have seen it coming, huh?” He watches your face closely, hoping to see some emotion. Preferably a protest. Nothing comes.
“On second thought.” He pauses a moment taking a deep breath, “Don’t tell me. Don’t tell me he’s the reason you’re leaving me. Just lie okay?” His eyes are watery when they meet yours. He can’t handle the truth, he knows it, and you know it.
So instead of being honest, you choose to lie. “I love you Fred, I’m sorry.”
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mp0625 · 1 year ago
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Race To The Net
Chapter one: scrimmage
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Frederik Andersen x Reader x Daniel Riccardo
Taglist. Masterlist. Race To The Net Masterlist.
A/N: Sorry about it taking so long to get the first chapter out. I can’t wait to get the second chapter out, hopefully it will be out next week. Thank you to @swissboyhisch for being a sounding board for this whole thing! First and second chapter are supposed to take place Tuesday the week of the Vegas Grand Prix
Tw: None in this chapter
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“Right this way drivers, the team is already on the ice warming up for the scrimmage” says the lady that met them outside the back of the rink when they got off the bus. The atmosphere of a brand new circuit in a new city feels electric.
The 20 drivers plus the gaggle of media Team members from every team followed the lady into the labyrinth below the arena. The tunnel pops out into the lower bowl completely decked out in gold and black, and they get their first view of the ice. It hit Dan like a crash into the barriers his soulmate was in the building. 
Down on the ice the team was practicing and shooting pucks at you, it hit you like a puck to the chest protector your final soulmate was in the building.
As you are walking off the ice to allow the ice team to zamboni the ice, you could hear William up ahead of you calling you, “Y/N, your phone is ringing!” 
“I’m coming.” You said, as you started shuffling faster as quickly as you can with all of your heavy pads on. Once you got into the dressing room you could see Willi with your phone talking to someone.
“Oh, she’s here. I will give you back to her.” William said with a smile.
“Hey, Freddie! Sorry I didn’t call last night, it was a long, hard game with lots of shots on goal.” You said with a sigh.
“You’re fine, my game was long too.” He said, sounding tired. 
“Hey, I have something to tell you.” You said, as you got up and walked into the hallway to give you and Freddie some privacy. “I found our third soulmate.” You said your voice barely above a whisper. 
“Say what now?” He said in shock. “Do you know any info about them?” 
“No, all I know is that I felt it when I was practicing before the scrimmage game.” You said with a sigh.
“Ahh, do you have any ideas who?” He asked.
“Maybe? But nothing concrete.” You said with a soft sigh.
“Hey Y/N, it’s time to go back on the ice.” William said coming out of the dressing room.
“Hey, Freddie?” “I gotta go, our game is about to start, love ya.” You say with a smile.
“Love you too, have a good game, bye!” He said hanging up. 
“Y/N, are you leading us out onto the ice?” William asked.
He was wearing the same color jersey as you, he would be on your team for the scrimmage.
“Hell yeah!” You said as you pull your mask onto the top of your head. As you walk down the tunnel onto the ice. As you stepped onto the ice you could hear talking, but you could also hear the pregame music that always plays and the announcer saying his pregame rituals, instead of introducing the away team and saying where they are from, he is introducing the other half of the team that is acting as the away team. While your half is the home team. As the National anthem played you pulled your mask fully on and got into the headspace for a game. 
As the puck dropped, the players were off down the ice towards the home goalie with the golden jersey. Up in the stands the drivers could hear the goalie in the gold jersey yell, “I swear to all things 9 if you hit me with that puck I’m going to tackle you!”
“Yeah right like you would do that,Y/N.” They hear him say back tauntingly.
“Don’t try me Eichel!” They hear get yelled back from the goalie they now know as Y/N. As they see the puck get slammed into the crossbar. As the minutes ticked down and the players went back and forth from either side with no one getting a goal. 
As the final four minutes tick by the home team just narrowly got the puck into the net! “Scored by number 71 William Karlsson.” The announcer rang out. As the buzzer went off two minutes later. Signaling the end of the game and the meaning that the home team won! Down on the ice the away team shuffled off and down the tunnel, while the home team celebrated with high fives and goalie hugs.
As the drivers watched the celebrations, the lady that led them to their seats earlier spoke up, “Are y’all ready to go down and get your pads on and learn a little bit before you play?”
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Taglist: @studioreader @theforevermorereject @tpwkstiles @honethatty12 @slafgoalskybaby @topguncultleader @wondershells @cixrosie
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zackcollins · 4 years ago
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i can feel my heartbeat || f. andersen/j. campbell
masterlist
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Author’s Note: Hi, guys, gals, and non-binary pals! I’m back with another fic! This one is a little different than what I usually post but I’m not new to writing fics like this either. I actually started off my writing journey in the hockey fandom by writing player/player fics in February 2020. And 15 months later, I’m writing both player/player and imagines. Hope you guys are okay with this because I had a lot of fun writing it. GIF credit to dilfjohntavares!!
Warnings: I don’t think there’s anything. Let me know if you disagree though. I’ll gladly add a warning for anything anyone feels needs one.
Word Count: 1.9k+
Title: Heartbeat by Chris Young
Additional: If you found this by Googling yourself, are in this yourself, or know someone in this, please click back. No harm was meant in the creation of this fic. It’s fictional and was inspired by some pictures of Freddie and Jack after Game 2 win against Montreal. Hope you guys enjoy this! (Bamse means “teddy bear.”)
Freddie's hair was all over the place on his head. Strands of hair hung down his forehead and kept getting in his eyes to the point where he had to keep brushing them aside so that he could focus fully on the task at hand. He knew he should probably go and grab a bobby pin or a hair clip from the bathroom drawer but he was so focused on trying to perfect the bread dough he was making that he didn’t want to step away for even one nanosecond.
That being said, the bread dough seemed to be coming along relatively well. Because he had never attempted to make bread before and he didn't believe himself to be the best at cooking or baking, to begin with, he was beyond proud of himself. He was kneading the dough in the bowl, trying to work out any air bubbles and mix the ingredients as best he could before he had to stick it in the fridge to rise. 
He worked it over for a couple more minutes before he was satisfied that it was all kneaded out. As he lifted his hands out of the bowl, Freddie did his best to slide the excess dough from his fingers and put it on top of the dough ball he had created. When he was satisfied that his fingers were as clean as they were going to get, he walked across the kitchen to the pantry to grab the cellophane wrap to cover the bowl. 
Right as Freddie opened the pantry, he heard something metallic clatter against the kitchen floor tiles. Whipping around, he saw Keola standing on the counter where the bowl of dough had been and the bowl of dough on the floor. The ball of dough that had been in the bowl had landed on the tiles and splattered a little. Freddie refrained from slamming the pantry door, though he did close it a little more aggressively than was strictly necessary. Cursing under his breath in Danish, Freddie walked back across the kitchen and scooped the dough in the bowl before he placed the bowl onto the counter with a heavy thud.
Keola tilted her head and skimmed her tail along the top of the counter, meowing a couple of times at Freddie. He rolled his eyes as he walked over to the sink and opened the cabinet underneath it.
“You would meow at me,” he grumbled, reaching for the Lysol and a dishtowel. “Wouldn’t you, you little hell-raiser?” Freddie closed the cabinet and walked back across the kitchen, getting on his hands and knees on the floor next to the remnants of the dough. "Wait until your other father hears about this." Freddie shot Keola a stern look as he sprayed the remaining dough with the Lysol. All Keola did was meow before shaking her head, jumping off the counter and walking away in the direction of her cat condo. Freddie scoffed as he took the dishtowel and began scrubbing the dough on the floor in an attempt to clean it up.
"Wait until I find out what?"
At the sound of Jack's voice, Freddie looked over in the direction of the kitchen's archway. Freddie looked back to what he had been doing, motioning up to the bowl on the counter with one hand while he continued to hold the dishtowel and scrub the floor with the other.
"That bowl up there," he said, pausing to spray some more Lysol on the floor. When he placed the spray bottle back beside him, Freddie spoke again. "Ended up on the floor because our hell raiser of a cat knocked it off the counter." 
"Keola would never!" Jack chuckled. Freddie heard footsteps on the tile and then felt Jack's presence beside him a moment later. "Dough? Were you making pie?"
Freddie grabbed the counter and pulled himself up, having finished scrubbing the floor. Jack took the dishtowel from his boyfriend and tossed it in the sink. Smiling, Freddie leaned down and pressed a kiss to his boyfriend's forehead, ruffling Jack’s hair in the process. Jack hummed before he leaned up and pressed a kiss to Freddie's cheek., smoothing a thumb along Freddie’s jawline momentarily. Freddie smiled softly when Jack pulled away, grabbing his hand and running his thumb across Jack’s knuckles. Jack smiled earnestly.
"Thanks, bamse," Freddie said, dropping Jack’s hand and leaning into his boyfriend’s side. Jack took his arm and wrapped it around Freddie, pulling him in closer. "And no. Not pie. It was going to be homemade garlic bread to go with some Italian soup recipe Ilya found and said was, and I quote, 'better than mom's borscht.'"
Jack chuckled, rubbing Freddie’s upper arm and dropping his head against his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Must be damn good soup for Ilya to say that.”
“I’m more of a hamburger guy.” Freddie pressed a kiss to the top of Jack’s head, taking his hand and tucking some hair behind his boyfriend’s ear. “But Ilya was adamant that I tried it. So, I was going to make it and surprise you for our anniversary tonight.”
Jack looked up at Freddie, a soft smile on his face. “Can I give you a surprise? Since dinner is ruined?”
“Of course, bamse. I’ll cook tomorrow instead because the sentiment is the same, no matter the day.”
Jack nodded briefly before he pressed a kiss to Freddie’s cheek. Freddie pressed a kiss to Jack’s forehead before Jack stepped back and walked across the kitchen to the freezer. He watched his boyfriend open the freezer and pull out a box about the size of a skate box. Freddie blinked in surprise because he hadn’t even been aware that it had been in there. A moment later, Jack was closing the freezer and walking back across the kitchen to be beside his boyfriend again.
He held out the box for Freddie. Without a second thought, Freddie took it, moving the bowl of dough aside so he could place the box on the counter. He flipped the lid open and noticed that there was a cake inside the box. His best guess would be that it was an ice cream cake, seeing as it had been in the freezer. When Freddie focused on the cake, he nearly slammed the box lid closed and willed the ground to open a wormhole that would teleport him back to Herning.
On top of the cake was a little message written in Danish.
Vil du gifte dig med mig?
And a little baggie with a ring inside of it. When Freddie looked over at Jack, Jack was, predictably, on one knee. He was looking up at Freddie nervously, his hands on his knee and his eyes looking like they were ready to burst into tears at any moment.
“So…” Jack said, trailing off. Freddie could hear the hopefulness in his boyfriend’s voice. “What do you say, bud? Wanna make it official and become Frederik Campbell?”
Freddie reached inside the box and grabbed the baggie with the ring in it. He handed it to Jack; Jack looked a little confused until Freddie held his hand toward Jack.
“Well? You going to put it on me or not, bamse?” Freddie chuckled, kicking at Jack’s shin playfully. Jack knelt there, a dumbfounded look of confusion still on his face. He made no move to open the bag or to grab the ring and place it on Freddie’s finger. Freddie rolled his eyes, kicking at Jack’s shin again. “That means yes, Jack. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Jack snapped out of whatever daze he was in and quickly opened the bag, nearly dropping it in his haste. Freddie chuckled as Jack grabbed the ring, fumbling it a few times as he slid it onto his fiance’s finger. Freddie leaned down, grabbed Jack by the shirt collars, and dragged him to his feet. Jack looked confused again but shifted to a look of understanding when Freddie grabbed his cheeks. Freddie stood idle for a moment to see what Jack wanted; Jack’s response was to feverishly nod his head and connect their lips, kissing his newly minted fiance as if his life depended on it.
Freddie smiled into the kiss, smoothing his thumbs across Jack’s cheeks. Jack hummed softly, opening his mouth a little. Freddie took that as his cue to slip his tongue into the equation. Jack groaned, though he stepped back and ran a hand through his hair. Freddie smirked when he noticed how dishevelled Jack looked. It was nice to see that he could still make Jack this flustered from a simple make-out session this far into their relationship.
Jack walked across the kitchen and opened the cutlery drawer, pulling out a knife and a couple of forks. Freddie opened the cabinet above him, pulling out a couple of plates. Jack returned and cut a couple of pieces of the cake, dropping a piece onto each of the plates. Before either could dig into the cake, Jack quickly put the cake back into the freezer, confirming Freddie’s theory that it was an ice cream cake.
When Jack returned, Freddie looked at him with a small smirk. “I want to make one thing clear, though.”
Jack put a piece of cake in his mouth, chewed and swallowed before looking over at Freddie. “What’s that, bud?”
“It’s you that’s changing your name to Jack Andersen.”
Jack took a piece of his cake and smeared it into Freddie's nose. Freddie chuckled, taking a piece of his cake and smearing it across Jack’s forehead. Jack chuckled, taking more of his cake and smearing it across Freddie’s lips. Freddie took it one step further and smashed the rest of his piece directly into Jack’s face. Jack didn’t seem to mind because he was laughing like an idiot the entire time. He took his finger, swiping it through the cake on his face. He stuck it in his mouth, humming as he licked it off. Freddie ruffled his fiance’s hair, kissing his forehead. Freddie smiled because the cake still tasted delicious, even though it was splattered across Jack’s face.
“Okay, okay,” Jack said, half-breathless from how hard he had been laughing. “Since you won the food fight, I’ll change my last name.”
Freddie snorted, pushing Jack’s head backwards with his hand. He licked the cake off of it before speaking. “I was just kidding, bamse. I just wanted to see how you’d react.” Jack leaned up and pressed a kiss to Freddie’s cheek. Freddie wiped away the cake that was left behind by his fiance’s lips and licked it off of his finger. “I’ll happily change my name to Frederik Campbell.”
“Yeah, bud?” Jack had a hopeful smile on his face and his eyes, once again, looked like they were about to cry at any moment.
“Yeah.” 
Freddie held his left hand over Jack’s heart. Jack looked down briefly before looking up into Freddie’s eyes. They shared a long, meaningful look shrouded in comfortable silence. Freddie was eventually the one to break it. He took his other hand and brushed a stray piece of hair behind Jack’s ear before leaning down and pressing a kiss to his fiance’s forehead. When he pulled back, he looked at Jack and smiled fondly, patting Jack over the heart before bringing his hand over and patting himself over the heart.
“Anything for the man that not only earned my goal crease but also my heart.”
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miracleonice87 · 2 years ago
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ouu can i request an angsty but happy ending blurb w auston pls!
here you go, babe 🤍 feat. Fred (of course) and some Harry lyrics that nobody asked for but I felt tied in. enjoy!
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As It Was with Auston Matthews
In this world, it's just us
You know it's not the same as it was…
“He’s miserable without you, you know.” 
You let your eyes finish scanning the skyline from your perch at the downtown rooftop restaurant. Your gaze slowly met Freddie’s again, but you said nothing. 
He continued, undeterred, yet gentle. Thoughtful. “He doesn’t know I’m seeing you, so it’s not like he told me to say that,” he assured, sitting back against the patio chair which seemed far too small for his broad, muscular form. “But he misses you. I know he does. And I know that’s, like, the most cliche thing for a best friend to say to the ex post-breakup, but…” Freddie shrugged. “You’re not just ‘the ex.’ I think you know that.” 
You chewed at the inner corner of your lip and, for a brief moment, wished you hadn’t agreed to this dinner after all. Because, goddammit, could this man still see right through you. 
You were in Raleigh for a work conference – just a couple of days, in and out. You could have popped in and back out with no trace of you left behind; you’d debated dozens of times whether or not to tell Freddie that you’d even be in town at all. 
Because, like he said. You were the ex, and he was the best friend – Auston’s, that is. 
But as you’d sat at your gate at JFK the day before waiting to board, maybe against your better judgment, maybe wanting some sense of familiarity in the unfamiliar world you found yourself in these days, your fingers were soon flying across your keyboard.
Hi, Fred. I hope you’re good. I know it’s been a while, but I’m about to fly to Raleigh for a couple days for work and wanted to reach out. Wanna grab a drink sometime? 
You didn’t even have time to tuck your phone back into your bag before a response flashed onscreen. 
So great to hear from you. Yes, let’s meet up. Let me take you to dinner. You say when.
So, you’d arranged to meet him the very next night, and immediately fell back into your easy way with one another. His big arms nearly crushed you in a hug, leaving you giggling. You bantered back and forth just like you’d done hundreds of times back in Toronto – at Auston’s house, at bars after games, at team events both official and impromptu. Freddie considered Auston a brother, and ever since you’d seamlessly entered their social group via mutual friends, he had viewed you as something of a younger sister, making the bond among the three of you something special – even sacred. 
But, no matter how much some things felt the same, many things were different now – that much was clear, from the foreign landscape of the city around you, to the fact that it had taken nearly two hours, not until after dessert and another round of drinks, for Freddie to even summon the courage to broach the topic of Auston Matthews. A subject that everyone else in your life had allowed you to avoid since the split six months back… everyone, that is, except for Freddie. You had known this would be the case, and hell, in some masochistic way, maybe this was exactly why you’d felt the need to see Fred on this trip.
You heaved a sigh, folding your arms across your torso and tucking your hair behind your ear. 
“What am I supposed to say to that, Fred?” you eventually asked, your voice barely above a whisper. 
“You don’t have to say anything,” he replied, shaking his head. “Or do anything. Not if you’re happy, not if you don’t miss him.” His face softened as he studied you. “But… if I’m honest, I just don’t know that I’m convinced that that’s the case. So I felt like I owed it to you to bring it up. To both of you.” 
You leaned forward, resting your elbows on the table. And suddenly, your heart was on your sleeve.
“I thought I’d be good on my own again, you know?” you said, your focus shifting into the distance, past Fred, or even through him. “I was before him. I thought I needed to get back out there, find myself like everybody talks about. But you know what?” You scoffed. “Turns out that’s just… complete bullshit. Because I know who I am. I have for a long time now. And I guess I can be on my own if I have to be, but… I-I don’t wanna be. I really believe that I’m better when I’m with him,” you said, sitting up straighter with each word as if the moment of clarity was pulling you up and out of yourself. 
Fred smiled proudly. “I think you’re both better together,” he concluded.
_____
Your heart thudded against your chest and inside your ears the entire way back to your hotel, through the lobby, up the elevator, and down the hallway. Your hands shook violently as you forced them to remain at your sides, though they were being drawn to your phone as if by magnetic pull. The second you opened your door, you kicked off your shoes, tossed your bag onto the table, and sat at the end of the bed, your phone already unlocked, your thumb already hovering over that name that you hadn’t been able to bring yourself to remove from your list of Favorites. You tapped the screen and held your breath.
Ring. Ring. Ri-
“Hello?” You’d never heard his usually even, unfazed voice filled with so much confusion. 
“Hi… it’s me,” you greeted stupidly, then immediately winced. “As if that wasn’t obvious. Sorry, I-”
“No, no, don’t apologize,” Auston said swiftly. “I’m just… I’m glad you called. Is… is everything alright?” Suddenly he had the distinct fear that maybe something was wrong with someone in your family, maybe one of your mutual friends. Maybe you felt like there was no one else you could call. He had to get to you as fast as he could. He couldn’t leave you to deal with this alone. He-
“Oh, yeah, everything’s fine,” you answered automatically, then thought through your own response. “I mean, overall, yes, things are okay, but I… I just had dinner with Fred.” 
Auston slowly switched the phone from one hand to the other, convinced he hadn’t heard you properly. 
“You did…?” he spoke, clearing his throat. “How-how was that?” Your call alone, paired with this new information, had his head swimming.
“Um… you know, it was so good to see him,” you answered innocently. “It had been way too long.” You paused then, unsure of where to go next despite being the one so hell-bent on making this call. 
Auston filled in the silence. “Well, that’s good,” he said softly. “I’m sure he was really happy to see you… I gotta say, I’m a little jealous.” 
You stared out the window, an involuntary smirk playing at the corners of your lips. “Of who, me or Fred?” you joked. You simply couldn’t resist.
“Very funny,” Auston said dryly, pretending not to be amused, though you could literally hear the smile in his voice. 
You rubbed at your forehead, eyes fluttering closed. You needed to just go there. 
“How are you, Auston?” you asked sincerely, emphasizing each word so that he would recognize that you weren’t asking that with the goal of casual conversation. 
He chuckled sadly, a sound your heart wasn’t prepared for. “I guess I should lie and spew some shit about how great I’m doing, how I’ve never been happier, but… that’s… not exactly true. Honestly, I’m just, I’m not doing so well.” 
You tucked your chin to your chest and were surprised to watch a tear fall onto your light-wash jeans. You sniffed, swiping at your eyes with the back of your hand. 
“Yeah, me either,” you all but whispered, and Auston could hear the tension in your voice. 
“Baby, don’t cry,” he pleaded, the term of endearment sounding as natural as your given name. 
“I never should have left you,” you cried, voice shaking. “I never should have taken this stupid job in New York. Auston, I have never been happier than those two years with you in Toronto.”
He assumed he could not be hearing you correctly, that there was simply no way, because these are the words he’d longed to hear for months now, every night as he fell asleep and dreamed of you asking to come home. This conversation had to be a figment of his imagination. 
“Baby… what’s gotten into you? Are you… what are you saying?”
“I’m saying,” you began, drying your tears as best you could, “that I want you back. And I know that’s like, super fucking unfair of me to say, and you have every right to-”
“Where are you right now?” he asked, and you heard shuffling on the other end of the line, keys jingling. Your brow furrowed.
“I’m in Raleigh for work,” you answered. 
“Don’t move,” he instructed, stressing the syllables as if his life depended on you hearing his words. “I’ll be on the next flight. Give me a few hours.” 
Your hand flew to your mouth as you dissolved into more tears – this time tears of elation. 
“I love you, Auston,” you said, beaming, because really, what else was there to say or do? 
“I love you,” he echoed. “It’s me, and you, forever, alright? Just us, always.”
“Always.”
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laurenairay · 1 year ago
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I’ll always guide you home - F. Andersen
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Summary: Three years into dating Freddie Andersen, and Karla Nielsen still gets butterflies.
Words: 1.6k
This is my fic for @callsign-denmark​’s birthday bingo! I chose the bingo squares surprises, anniversary, free space (‘Christmas’), “Say it again”, and learning to cook, as well as a few other of your favourite things (including our favourite fridge Freddie), so I really hope you like this!
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Warnings: fluff, sugary sweetness, christmas in july.
Title: Never gonna let you down, by Colbie Caillat.
*
“Happy three years elskede.”
Beloved. Karla couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face at the sound of her boyfriend’s rumbling voice, giggling as he slid his arms around her from behind, resting her hands on the kitchen counter next to the Christmas gift tags she’d been writing.
“Good morning to you too,” she grinned, tilting her head up for a kiss, “and happy anniversary.”
Freddie hummed happily to the Mariah Carey music playing quietly in the background as he ducked his head to kiss her, Karla just leaning into his body with a smile. Three years with this man and his sweet little kisses still thrilled her every time. He eventually pulled away after one final peck to her lips, burying his face in her long dark hair with another happy hum.
“You weren’t in bed when I woke up,” he murmured, words muffled, “Was worried until I smelled something amazing.”
Oh that sweet sweet man.
Karla turned around in his arms, resting both hands on his chest as she smiled up at him reassuringly, the twinkling lights from the Christmas tree only serving to highlight his messy red hair. He really had just rolled out of bed, hadn’t he?
“I just wanted to do something nice for you, that’s all.”
“Something nice for me?” he asked, confused.
“Well, yeah, it has been three years,” she said simply, smile not shifting.
“I don’t…I…”
Karla just giggled at his shocked stammering, patting his chest in a ‘there there’ motion. There wasn’t much that could surprise her boyfriend, she knew that after all this time, so it felt good to be able to keep him on his toes at least a little bit.
“You’re right that something smells good. I…I’ve been learning to cook some traditional Danish dishes recently, and I know how much you miss home around this time of year, so I wanted to make something that you love.”
While her father was Danish himself, he’d emigrated to the US not long after college and hadn’t really shared his home traditions with Karla and her brothers growing up. It had only really been since meeting Freddie that she had delved into her unknown heritage, trying to learn a little more each day. After connecting with her grandmother back in Aarhus, she’d been sent a recipe that even she couldn’t mess up as a novice – klejner. Little twists of fried dough dusted in powdered sugar. Simple but sweet, and something that she knew Freddie loved as a Christmas treat.
“What did you make me?”
“Well let’s see if it’s recognisable first,” she mused.
Freddie huffed out a laugh but nodded, so Karla turned around once more to open the oven door where the oven dish had been warming. Freddie took a step back to give her some room, and when she pulled out the dish with her oven mitts, his jaw dropped slightly, eyes shining in a way she hadn’t expected.
“You made klejner for me?” he asked, eyes wide.
“I tried at least?”
“You are…my god Karla, no-one’s ever done something like this for me. And like, I know you’re half Danish but this is…wow,” he murmured.
“It’s a good surprise then?” she asked hopefully, setting the dish down on the kitchen counter.
“It’s the best surprise,” he nodded, “Tak. Thank you. You’re…incredible.”
But then he cleared his throat, a look of disbelief on his face for a moment as he stared at the dish, before he smiled softly at her.
“Okay, wait there. I’ve got to get something.”
Before Karla could even ask him what was going on, he power-walked out of the kitchen, leaving her staring after him in confusion. What the hell? She knew in her gut that he wasn’t mad at her because he left the room with a smile, but this abrupt behaviour was odd, even for him.
Maybe he was just giving her a Christmas present early? There were still two weeks to go…but she honestly couldn’t think of what else, what ‘something’, he could possibly be getting right now that couldn’t wait.
In the end, as she heard him rustling around in their bedroom, she took the time to put the klejner onto a Christmas plate that her mom had sent her – a subtle one, snowflakes and a winter woodland scene, unlike some of the garish reindeer and snowmen ones she knew her mom owned for herself – and by the time she’d put the original oven dish in the sink to soak, she could hear Freddie walking back. So she braced herself against the kitchen counter again, apprehension filling her body in a way that she couldn’t control, but she still managed to push a hesitant smile onto her lips when he boyfriend’s large frame filled the doorway.
He looked a little frazzled, eyes a little wild and hair even messier than earlier like he’d been running his fingers through it, making her swallow heavily. What was going on? What was affecting him like this?
“You know that I love you, right?” Freddie said softly, eyes serious.
“I do…but say it again,” she said, teasing slightly to break the tension a little.
The tense air between them eased just as she hoped when Freddie cracked a smile and ducked his head briefly, before looking back at her with such warm emotion that butterflies erupted in her stomach. The things this man did to her.
“I love you. I love you so much that I don’t know what to do with myself sometimes. Every morning that I wake up with you in my arms, I know I’m the luckiest man in the world, and every morning we have to be apart I count the hours until I come back home to you. I’ve never felt like this for anyone, and I know I never will.”
“Freddie…” she murmured, trailing off as his sweet words overwhelmed her.
He took the chance to walk across the room, stopping a few feet away from her, and he held out both hands for her to step forward and take – which she did. There was something in the intensity of his gaze that made her blue eyes fill with tears. The way he looked at her - no-one else had ever looked at her like that, like she was their everything and more.  
She remembered the way he had smiled at her when they first met, not too unlike how he was smiling at her now. A mutual friend had introduced them, had convinced both of them to go on a blind date because they were sure she and Freddie were ‘perfect’ for each other…and they’d been right. Ever since that first coffee date, there had been no-one else for her, and the rest was history. And here they were now.
“Karla. Elskede. The woman I love for so many reasons that I can’t possibly name them all,” he said softly.
She laughed, feeling a little incredulous, a smile tugging at the corner of Freddie’s lips.
“You made me klejner, on our anniversary. You put so much effort into something that you knew would make me happy, just like you always do. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I hope that I get to prove to you every day how much I appreciate it. How much I am never going to take you for granted. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
As Nat King Cole’s voice filled their home, Karla watched as Freddie dropped her hands and stepped backwards…to kneel down on one knee. It felt like her world was in slow motion as he reached into the pocket of his sweatpants and pulled out the most beautiful white gold ring she’d ever seen, three square diamonds dotted across the top of the band. It was stunning. It was delicate. It was…Freddie?
“Karla Nielsen, will you marry me?”
Despite his shaky voice, Karla could tell by the emotion in his voice that he’d been planning this for a while. He wanted to marry her. He wanted to marry her.
“Okay you beat my surprise by a mile,” she giggled, voice thick with tears as well as more tears trickling down her cheeks.
“It wasn’t my intention I promise,” he said, huffing out a laugh.
It was all Karla could do to lean down where he was kneeling and press her lips to his in a slow intense kiss, feeling Freddie’s breath catch in his throat before she pulled away.
“Is that a yes?” he asked softly, hopefully.
“Jeg elsker dig så meget, min kære,” Karla said sweetly. I love you so much, my dear. “Of course it’s a yes.”
Her heart clenched in her chest as Freddie choked out a sob, but the moment that he smiled widely at her, sliding the ring onto her left hand, complete disbelief on his face like he hadn’t even thought about getting this far, the widest smile spread across her face too.
“Get up here and kiss me,” she murmured.
Freddie wasted no time in doing as she asked, cupping her face with both hands as he kissed her deeply, Karla clutching at his t-shirt for stability when he pushed her against the kitchen counter, the world fading out around her as his embrace consumed her body and soul. Freddie had proposed. Freddie had asked her to marry him. Freddie wanted to be her husband. Freddie wanted her to be his wife. And she’d said yes.
Merry Christmas to her.
*
Tagging a few people who might like this: @sorryjustafangirl, @myhockeyworld87, @starshine-hockey-girl, @2manytabsopen, @typical-simplelove, @wyattjohnston, @thebookofmags, @cellythefloshie, @senditcolton​, @fallinallincurls​, @jostyriggslover96
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astrangesociety · 4 years ago
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NAH CAUSE WHOEVER IS FINALLY WRITING FREDERIK ANDERSEN x AUSTON MATTHEWS FICS ON AO3 NEEDS THEY ASS ATE
LIKE PLEASE I NEED MORE
I’LL GIVE YOU ANYTHING I SWEAR
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