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couldawouldashoulda50 · 10 days ago

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A/N: I had this idea back in December when Alex was playing with the Marlies. He led the team in an incredible comeback after being down 3-0 against Bakersfield, finishing the night with five points—two assists, three goals, and an OT winner to complete the hat trick.

I started wondering… what if Loren showed up at his game one afternoon—completely unprompted, just because she wanted to support him? Would that mean something to Alex? Would it affect him in a way he didn't expect?

I had so much fun writing this, and I hope there’s an audience out there for it. ❤️ *Note - as much as I try to keep real events aligned with dates and such, I realize that Ella Nylander was already in TO at the time but kept that fact out for the sake of the story.

Warnings - profanity, high level description during a hook-up (not terribly detailed smut), allusions to Loren and William in bed.

18+ only please.

Word count - 7k

Loren approached the usher at the entrance to the stands at Coca-Cola Coliseum, the home arena for the Toronto Marlies - the farm team for the Maple Leafs.

She showed the electronic ticket on her phone with her seat number. “Row CC - straight down to ice level…you’ll see a lot of the action - great view. Enjoy the game and let me know if you have any questions.”

Loren thanked him and began descending down the metal steps which creaked and shifted slightly with every step. She felt the energy and excitement in the air of the arena as she slipped into her seat by the glass. She was the lone person in her row at that moment, the coldness of the seat and the chill from the ice’s surface had her zipping up her vest and adjusting her knitted cream turtleneck.

William had left for Detroit the day before and told her to stay at the condo, take it easy - try to enjoy a rare weekend to herself. But sleeping in his bed without him had only made her miss him more. She decided to head home after lunch on Saturday, but as she merged onto the northbound Don Valley Parkway, she had a spur-of-the-moment idea and decided to go to see Alex (Nylander) and the Marlies play that afternoon instead. Taking the first viable exit off the parkway, she entered the address of the arena into her GPS at a traffic light. She decided not to even let Alex know she was coming - she would send him a congratulatory text or one with words of support afterward once she arrived home, depending on the outcome.

As she settled into her seat, Loren took another glance around the arena, her gaze lifting to the banners in the rafters and the large video screen hanging over center ice. William played here once. The thought crossed her mind as she imagined him at eighteen—this gorgeous, fresh-faced, highly touted rookie as he stepped onto this very ice. He had always been confident, that much she knew, but she wondered, aside from the hockey aspect, how he truly felt back then, navigating his life as a young player in a city like Toronto.

Smiling to herself, she pulled out her phone and snapped a quick selfie—her seat by the glass, trying to angle the shot to capture the Marlies emblem at centre ice. She sent it to William - no caption, no explanation - just a photo.

The response was almost immediate.

William: Beautiful ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 are you at Alex’s game?

Loren grinned, pulling her phone out of her pocket again.

Loren: Yes - I decided to come watch him at the last minute. I was actually going home because I miss my boys so much…but I turned around when I got the idea to come watch Alex play.

There was a pause—just long enough that she could picture him considering the words in her message.

William: That’ll mean a lot to him. Does he know ur there?

Loren: No - I didn’t want to bother him…he’ll be coming out soon for warm-ups so maybe he’ll see me. Snagged first row - I can’t even get first row to see you 😝😘

William: I’d be too distracted seeing you in the first row ❤️‍🔥🫠🥴

Loren: It would be distracting since I’d be in heat and licking the glass the entire time 🤤🫦

There was another pause, he was typing, then he would stop and start again.

William: Fuck, you really are the best. Please don’t go home afterward….it’ll be late but I really hope you’ll be there in bed when i get back.

Loren: I can hardly wait…have a good game. will be thinking about you.

She knew they could just go on and on with messaging so William just responding with another heart-on-fire emoji.

She slipped her phone back in her pocket, barely realizing her perma-grin that she was wearing. William had this way of making her feel like she could levitate. The warmth she felt from their brief exchange cut through the chill in the arena far better than her chunky turtleneck did.

Loren looked around at all the spectators starting to file into their seats. Kids started to line up along the class with some handmade signs for their favourite players - smaller scale than what she had witnessed at Leaf games but no less endearing. The energy in the atmosphere was building and there were moments where she felt just as excited to be there as she is when she sees William play.

With the bass pounding and the laser show flashing, the announcer riled up the crowd as the Marlies players began filing onto the ice, followed by Bakersfield, the opposing team. Her eyes darted around as she scanned the sea of jerseys and helmets. It wasn’t long before they landed on the jersey number 92, who was skating hard around the corners, a look of absolute focus on his face.

He skated past her spot in the stands, and Loren figured he hadn’t seen her. Her gaze trailed after him for a moment before shifting to a few other players she recognized. But when she glanced back, searching for Alex again, she caught him mid-lap—just as he turned his head and nearly collided with Alex Steeves. Both players stumbled, their skates catching awkwardly on the ice. He stopped abruptly, his skates gripping the ice as his brows furrowed, focusing on her and processing her presence. As he approached the glass, she gave him a small wave and an easy smile, mouthing, “Hi.”

Alex grinned, a mix of surprise and delight lighting up his expression. He shook his head slightly, as if to say, What are you doing here? Loren smiled and shrugged, pointing to the ice, mouth: to watch you play.

Alex was touched. He had never even thought of asking if she’d ever want to come to a Marlies game. And he liked Loren - he always had. They got along well and occasionally bantered back and forth but there was a part of him that felt something else whenever she was around. It wasn’t that he was uncomfortable - unsettling maybe? Not about who Loren was - he knew she was good to the core. But still - it was something he noticed, this vague feeling that he could never put his finger on it, but it wasn’t hidden enough for him to shake entirely.

As warmups continued, Loren noticed some of Alex’s teammates lining up along the glass and seemingly sneaking glances her way, nudging each other and laughing under their breath. She pretended not to notice, keeping her attention on Alex as he shot pucks at the net. He barely looked her way again, but she knew he was aware of her. His strides were longer, his shots harder. And when he lingered near her side of the ice, stretching, working his edges, it wasn’t an accident.

Some of the players were flipping pucks over the glass towards a group of young fans. A boy near Loren, not more than 9 or 10 approached her with a puck that he had just caught, and offered it to her.

Loren’s eyes went wide with appreciation, sweetly declining the offer.

“Oh my gosh, no….you keep this, but I really appreciate the offer! Thank you so much…that was very kind of you,” Loren smiling.

Alex laughed as he watched the reaction of the boy walk away grinning like an idiot as he approached his friends. If he was being honest, he didn’t blame the boy one bit.

As warmups concluded and the players all filed off the ice, Loren settled back down in her seat. She flagged down a vendor selling drinks and popcorn, and watched as her food was passed along towards her, promptly thanking her seat “neighbours” for obliging.

Once the game began, it was clear Loren was not bringing the Marlies any kind of luck. She tried not to be superstitious or think that because of her mere attendance that day, that she could set the entire tone for the game. Still, Toronto being down 3-0 by the end of the first wasn’t what she had hoped for.

The second and third periods made up for the abysmal start to the game. Bakersfield answered the first Marlies goal by scoring two more. But Alex clapped back and potted one in the net edging the game closer in scoring. What no one knew is that after the 5th Bakersfield goal, the Marlies would own the rest of the game.

With the game tied at the end of the third, heading into overtime, Alex had scored twice, and had two secondary assists.

Once OT had begun and bolstered by their amazing comeback to tie the game, the Marlies, and Alex specifically, had a dogged determination apparent to every spectator in the stands.

Over three minutes in, Loren was on the edge of her seat as she watched Alex hit an opposing player, then take off up the middle of the ice. United with the rest of the fan base, Loren could feel the roar increasing as the Marlies pushed down in to the offensive zone. With a teammate on his left, Alex took the pass keeping his stride, skating straight toward the goalie. Loren, along with everyone around her, shot to her feet as Alex veered right. A smooth backhand—perfectly placed—and just like that, the puck hit the back of the net. OT winner. Hat trick. First star of the game.

Loren chatted briefly with her seat neighbours before they began the ascent up the stairs towards the exit. Loren wasn’t in a rush as she hadn’t figured out what was in store for her for the rest of the night. Yes, she was staying in the city but there were hours before she would be ready to crawl into William’s bed. She considered texting Alice—Simon Benoit’s partner—to see if she and baby Adelaide were up for a little late-night fun. But, as Loren soon found out, both Alice and Adelaide were down for the count with a virus that had been making the rounds, for the second time that season. Although Alice texted she would love for Loren to come and keep her company, they both knew that Loren couldn’t risk transmitting to those she supported in the group home.

A woman’s voice called out to her. “Loren?”

Loren smiled, but she did not recognize the woman who called her name. “Hi, yes - I’m Loren.”

“Nice to meet you. Alex wanted me to try and catch you before you left. Sorry - I’m Kate Bascom, Media Manager for the team.”

Loren’s eyes flashed with recognition. “So nice to meet you, Kate. Alex wants to see me?”

“He asked that I bring you down the tunnel - they’ll be doing their media availability soon so I’ll find a spot for you to sit and wait for him, okay?”

“Oh - okay, sounds good. Thank you so much,” Loren blushed.

Loren followed Kate as she lead the way through the twists and turns of the corridors leading towards the lockers.

As they walked, Loren hesitated, her steps slowing. The last thing she needed was people jumping to conclusions about her and Alex. Explaining the truth felt almost worse—because once people started talking, through all the available forums for gossiping, it would be out in universe forever.

It was as though Kate could read Loren’s mind as they walked. “So Alex mentioned you’re William’s girlfriend?”

Their pace slowed. Loren flexed her fingers, her stomach tightening at the question. Loren Looked at Kate and spoke as quietly as she could. “Well, yes - we’ve been seeing each other exclusively since Thanksgiving.” Loren hesitated before she continued explaining her and William’s status to Kate. “Both he and I want to keep everything absolutely under wraps so I’d rather just sit somewhere off to the side until Alex is done his stuff.”

Being the Media Manager for the Marlies for a number of years, this was well within her area of expertise. Kate found it oddly refreshing - normally it was the player asking to keep things confidential, not the other way around. The worry in Loren’s face made it clear—this wasn’t just something casual. Whatever was between her and William, they were serious about keeping it private.

Kate led Loren through a small enclave that opened into a much larger room, packed with every kind of hockey equipment imaginable. “Loren, I’m going to grab Wil - he’s the Head Equipment Manager. He’ll find a spot for you to wait for Alex, okay? I’m sure you’re used to waiting around after the games,” she winked.

“I really appreciate it Kate - thank you so much,” Loren smiled, cheeks still aflush.

The life these professional players led often felt dizzying to Loren. Even after her time with William, she felt like she’d barely scratched the surface. And now, seeing Alex’s experience too, she was even more amazed. The contrast between William and Alex was vast—both professional players, both Nylanders, yet leading very different careers. And behind closed doors, she saw the unique bond they shared. The chirping they doled out to each other, the arguing, the laughter, their undying support for one another. She felt so fortunate to witness any of it.

Approaching Loren was a broad man with slicked back hair, accompanied by Kate. Kate began the introductions. “Loren, this is Wil Burns. He’s been a part of the equipment staff for the Marlies for many years. Wil this is Loren - ,” Kate looked at Loren to fill in the blank.

Loren extended her hand, a wide grin on her face. “Girard. Loren Girard. Wil - it’s so nice to meet you.”

“Likewise, Loren,” Wil smiled, shaking her hand. “You can come back into this area and watch all the goings on until Alex is through with his interviews. You came for the right game - pretty exciting, eh?”

Loren chuckled. “I thought maybe I should leave after the first - that maybe I was bad luck for the team,” she smiled. “I’m glad they grabbed that momentum and just ran with it. It’s such great hockey.”

Wil took the time to walk Loren through the post-game routines of the players and staff. She’d never been this close to it with the Leafs, so she absorbed every detail, fascinated by how much went on behind the scenes.

As the post game media scrums wrapped up, Loren saw Alex walking through the dressing room, followed by William Villeneuve. Both players had an incredible night - Alex with his 5 points and William with 4. She smiled watching Alex from a distance - there was no denying he was 100% pure Nylander. There were many different traits between William and Alex, both in stature and in personality, and Loren had begun to see those differences the more time she spent with the brothers.

Kate tapped Alex on the shoulder, nodding toward Loren. His grin spread wide before he could stop it, and—almost unbelievably—his cheeks flushed pink as he stepped toward her.

Then she smiled at him. Her expression was full of warmth mixed with excitement and pride. The way she looked at him made Alex feel like he was the only person in the room.

Something strange settled in his chest.

Up until that moment, Loren had always just been William’s girl. Hell, Alex had once flat-out told William to move on from her—to focus on hockey instead of whatever was happening between them.

But so much had transpired since then.

Alex remembered when William told him—plain as day—that no one brought anything close to what Loren brought into his life. Alex had brushed it off at the time, giving William some generic, emotionless response.

But now, standing in front of her, he understood what William meant in a way he never had before.

Alex barely had time to process the shift inside him before Loren stepped forward, her eyes dancing with excitement.

"Hej där!" Her Swedish was careful and a little hesitant, but the fact she tried made it endearing. "Oh my gosh, amazing game! Congratulations, Alex!" she beamed.

A warmth filled Alex’s chest - it was nice having someone waiting for him after a game. Someone that was invested and cheered for whether his team won or lost. Someone that was gorgeous on the outside, enough to make his teammates envious, but sweet enough on the inside to impress his grandmother.

Someone like Lo—no. No, no, no. Not someone like Loren. Not Loren.

She was William’s girlfriend. You cannot think about her that way.

Alex clenched his jaw, forcing the thought from his mind before it could settle.

And then Loren hugged him.

Brief. Polite.

But long enough for Alex’s cheeks to flush an even deeper shade of red. Long enough for him to catch a hint of her fragrance—warm and familiar, the same scent that marks her presence in the condo.

“I was thinking that I brought some bad juju or something in the first…I was going slink out and send you an apology later. But god, when you guys turned it around….well, I guess you don’t need my replay - you made so much of it happen,” Loren blushed, slightly embarrassed about her enthusiastic commentary.

Alex chuckled at the jab she made to herself. “Hey - well…uh, I think a bunch of us are going out…did you want to tag along or -?”

Loren’s expression was appreciative mixed with apologetic. “That sounds awesome but I think it’s best if I just head back to the condo. Watch William play, head to bed - pretty tame….you know me,” she smiled.

Alex looked around into the adjoining room where a few of his teammates had conveniently stopped to have a “conversation” about “their hockey sticks” all while unabashedly checking out Loren from behind.

“Nawh - that sounds good, some these guys might start creepin’ up to you anyway,” Alex remarked, looking over her shoulder and making eye contact until they unglued their gaze from Loren’s ass. “Some of them don’t know how to behave…,” he said loudly, getting their attention before Loren had a chance to turn around.

Loren sensed there was a moment that just occurred between Alex and the small group of players off to the side. Whatever just happened was more than enough to signify that it was time for her to go.

She and Alex chatted for a few more minutes, keeping it light—whether William had asked her to pick up Pablo and Banksy, or if she wanted Alex to grab something for her and bring it by later.

Loren thanked him and replied that William wanted to keep his routine with the dogs, then told Alex she might make something for herself, but she appreciated the offer.

And with that, she said she’d see him later—and to call if he needed a ride.

Alex reentered the dressing room, already bracing himself for the chirps and questions. He knew they were coming.

And sure enough—he wasn’t wrong.

After systematically shutting it all down with a casual, “She is 100% taken—no guy on the planet has a chance with her,” followed by a chuckle and a resounding, “Give it up,” Alex hit the showers, letting the hot water drown out all the questions, the teasing, and whatever the hell that weird feeling was from earlier.

—

Alex slid into his older brother’s Porsche. He sat for a moment, contemplating his options for the night.

He could drop the car off at home, grab an Uber, and really let loose.

Or he could just drive himself, keep it to one or two drinks, and call it a night.

There were plenty of options, but given his mood? Two drinks felt like enough.

Soon, messages began popping up—many from girls he’d connected with recently, all of them congratulating him on a great game.

One message caught his attention—not because of what it said, but because of who sent it. Nevaeh.

They met one evening at a popular Toronto night spot back in November when the Nylander siblings were all together. Alex had been dancing with another girl, her name long lost in his mind, drowning in a sea of possibilities—when Nevaeh scooched behind him to get by.

Her hands were planted firmly on his waist as she shimmied past, but given the dance floor seemed to have ample room, her touch left Alex a bit puzzled yet intrigued.

The two would keep bumping into one another, and by the end if the night, Alex had her online details. Over the course of the past weeks, Alex and Neveah kept in touch, though there were no real conversations to speak of. They sexted, sending provocative and extremely elicit messages and photos back and forth. He liked her confidence - her boldness - he had always been drawn to women who just lay it all out there.

Neveah’s message suggested that he come over for a bit while she got ready for the club. Just hang out, she said. Then we can go together.

Alex wasn’t an idiot. The invite was simple enough but it was the accompanying pictures that gave him the extra context he needed.

His lips quirked at the corner as he tapped out a reply.

Alex: Omw.

And with that, he pulled out of the lot.

—

Nevaeh wasted no time the second he closed her apartment door.

He barely had a chance to scan her body under the robe that she quickly untied. She was pressed up against him, threading her fingers through his hair along the collar of his jacket. She flashed a wicked grin, telling him how fucking hot he looked, before her lips pressed against his. Alex let her take control, let her pull him toward the bedroom, let her undress him with absolute efficiency.

This wasn’t about connection.

She was good—knew exactly what she was doing, knew exactly how to work him up, what to say and how to say it. She was on her knees, her expression covering all bases between innocence and unbridled sexual hunger. Before he had a chance to think, her hands and mouth moved on his cock with practiced skill.

It was good. It had its desired effect.

Later, she climbed on top of him, sliding his cock into her, rolling her hips, and taking what she wanted while Alex let her. His hands gripped her waist and watched her enjoying herself. He was feeling pretty good himself as well so win win at the end of the day.

He watched her as she bounced on him, closing in on her orgasm. He could feel his own climax beginning to take hold, and once she reached the height of her release, he flipped her onto her back and jackhammered her until he spilled out into the condom.

After the highs of their respective orgasms had faded, they lay apart in silence as their breathing returned to normal. Nevaeh barely spared him a glance as she pecked him on the cheek, reaching for her phone while curling into his side. Scrolling. Giggling. Liking. Typing.

Alex stared at the ceiling, waiting for that post-sex haze to settle in.

It didn’t.

The silence between them solidified their lack of compatibility, apparent to Alex only in that moment.

But what Neveah said to him, once she broke the silence, was the thing that really annoyed the shit out of him.

“So,” she started, her voice suddenly a slightly higher pitch, almost childlike. “We should skip the club and go back to your place. Introduce me to your brother.”

Alex brows furrowed as he tilted his head to look at her.

"What?"

"You know," she said, smirking at her screen, "I bet you and him would love me and…oooh, maybe even a couple of my girls." She finally glanced up, giving him a playful nudge. "You should make it happen. We'd be... very attentive to both you boys, if we were given the opportunity."

Alex let out a short laugh, mostly because what the fuck else was he supposed to do?

This wasn’t new. Not even remotely. Women had been propositioning them both for years—together, separately, in various places around the world. And of course, as young and virile men would do, they enjoyed in obliging the offers from time to time.

The annoying part was how casually Neveah brought up William. Like it wasn’t enough that Alex had just fucked her—she wanted a shot at his brother too.

Of course she did.

Even after a five-point night, even after leading his team to an OT win, William was still the focal point.

Alex didn’t resent his brother. Not really. But it was hard to ignore that no matter what he did, no matter how good he played, William was always the name people cared about.

He exhaled sharply, shifting out from under Nevaeh’s hold and reaching for his phone.

He tapped on a new message received. The second he saw her name, his stomach flipped.

Loren.

He frowned at his own reaction. That was weird.

Still, he opened the message.

Loren: Hey - hope you're out enjoying yourself - I just wanted to let you know that thanks to you, I'm hooked on Chipotle’s and I got a separate order of your favorite if you (and any potential company 😉😉😉😉😏😏😏) might be hungry when you come in.

A grin tugged at his lips. Even the insinuation made him chuckle.

And then, just as quickly, that strange feeling crept back in.

Loren.

How was she always like this?

God, she was so caring, so thoughtful. Even with him.

It wasn’t just her coming to the game today. It wasn’t just the healthy breakfasts and dinners that she made for them. There were so many little things. The way she always made sure that when she brought William little treats from some obscure place that there was something for him too.

William had once mentioned how Loren tried to make sure that he and Alex had their space to do their things together. She never wanted anyone to feel like she was encroaching on their time together. She understands how important our relationship is, William had explained.

Alex had been baffled by that at first. Almost suspicious at times thinking that it was set up. That she would turn into this overly demanding, over-bearing, attention seeking girlfriend.

That hasn’t happened.

Loren genuinely cared. About William. About their family. About him.

And the fucked-up thing? He liked how that felt.

Alex exhaled, locking his phone before he let himself think too hard about it.

"I should head out - not feeling great," he muttered, already grabbing his underwear and his pants.

Nevaeh barely looked up. "Mmm, Alex - let me come home with you. It’ll take me 10 minutes just to grab a few things."

*"*Not this time - got family visiting,” Alex countered, which wasn’t true — the family was arriving the next day.

She pouted, running her nails down his stomach. "Oh c’mon…..families love me, and I want to meet your dogs…they’re soooo cute."

Alex huffed a laugh. Sure she did.

Was it that she was confident? Or plain delusional.

“Maybe another time. I think I’m coming down with something… been going around on the Leafs too," Alex mumbled, already pulling on his jacket.

Nevaeh pouted, tugging at his wrist. "Fine. But next time, I wanna meet your brother."

Alex didn’t bother responding. He just grabbed his keys and walked out

—

It was a Saturday night—a night for celebrating, for drinking, for being out with his teammates and countless available women.

Yet for Alex, all he felt was the pull to go home.

He sat in the Porsche, the low idle of the engine filling the quiet space around him.

The club had been an option. Hell, it was still an option. He could turn around right now, meet up with his teammates, let himself get lost in the music, the booze, the girls who were always eager to celebrate a win or to soothe a loss.

But tonight somehow was different. Tonight, the only place he wanted to be was home.

What remained an issue in his mind - he was sat there not because he was tired. Nor was it because the post-sex emptiness with Nevaeh pissed him off.

He hated to admit it but he wanted to be home because of Loren.

Alex ran a hand through his hair, sighing as he stared out the windshield, the underground parking garage dimly lit around him.

Loren was William’s girl. That was unshakable. Undeniable.

She loved his brother in a way that made it clear there wasn’t a single other man on the planet for her.

And Alex? He would never—could never—betray William like that.

So why the hell was he here instead of out celebrating?

His fingers drummed against the steering wheel, thoughts circling, twisting, refusing to settle.

Maybe it was that he needed comfort instead of clubbing tonight.

Maybe he just liked having her around.

Maybe it was nice to talk to someone who wasn’t trying to use him, or compare him to his brother, or get something out of him.

And maybe, for the first time in a long time, that felt better than anything else.

Alex groaned, shaking his head. Jesus. What the fuck am I even thinking?

He grabbed the keys, cut the engine, and climbed out of the car.

When he got upstairs, Loren would be there. Probably curled up on the couch, watching the Leafs game, waiting for William to get back.

And for Alex - Alex was just going to walk in, sit down, and act like nothing was different.

Even if everything felt different.

The minute he walked in - he realized he had been building up an idea in his head that dissipated the second he saw her. She looked exactly as he envisioned her to be. Curled up on the couch, watching the Leafs and her beloved, his brother, try to win a hockey game.

She game him a warm smile when Alex appeared from around the corner. “They’re down 3-2.”

“Ooof, fuck.” Alex’s focus immediately went to the time remaining in the 3rd period as he stretched out on the opposing end of the couch. “Woller will be coming out soon.”

Loren covered her eyes. “See - I’m not good in these games…I can’t watch. I’ll grab you a glass of wine if you want?”

Alex chuckled. “Yeah - sure, go make your escape…some red would be great.” Relief washed over him as he sat and watched the dying minutes of the game. He felt okay - he felt in control, and he felt that whatever emotions he had going on earlier that night were circumstantial and very temporary.

Loren called from the kitchen asking Alex if he wanted his Chipotle’s warmed up.

Suddenly starving, Alex called back “Ja, tack.” A minute later, she heard him loudly mutter to her from the living room “Fuck - empty netter. Well, that’s that. 4-2.”

Loren walked back in and set down a coaster and a glass of wine for Alex and herself.

"Tack. Ser du? Kanske hade de kvitterat om du inte hade gått," Alex teased. "William tappade pucken med sex sekunder kvar." ("Thanks. See? Maybe they would have tied it if you hadn't left," Alex teased. "William lost the puck with 6 seconds left.")

"Oh no—jag borde ha stannat... Fan också, jag visste det..." ("Oh no—I should have stayed... God damn it, I knew it...")

"Jag säger till William att det är ditt fel..." ("I'm telling William it's your fault...")

Loren gasps feigning disbelief. "Du skulle aldrig...!" ("You would never...!")

Alex shrugs, taking a sip of his wine. "Mmm... jag vet inte..." ("Mmm... I don’t know...")

Loren grabs a throw pillow and smacks him with it. “Vilken liten skit…,” (”Such a little brat”).

Alex laughs and mockingly whines that she messed his hair up. Yeah, this was better that going out he thinks.

The timer on the oven sounded and soon after Alex retrieved his food, he returned to his spot with a glass of water. As he blew the steam off of his fork, he started asking Loren questions, mostly about little things at first - what she ordered for herself when she decided to pick him up something, if she’ll maybe come back to another Marlies game (he joked it might make William a little jealous if she started attending more games of Alex’s), if she’s finished Christmas shopping for William yet.

Loren answered each one, her typical buoyant personality - skirting around the William getting jealous if she went to see Alex play more with absolute modesty with “I highly doubt William would get jealous,” followed by a chuckle. She mentioned she was concerned about his Christmas gifts, confiding in Alex that she often worries that her gifts might be underwhelming.

'If I had the means, I’d buy him the world,' she admitted, her cheeks turning red. 'But I just… can’t.”

Alex didn’t know why that hit the way it did.

Maybe because women in his orbit seemed to want a guy who could buy them the world.

But Loren? She just wanted to give William everything.

And for some reason, that sat with him longer than he expected.

Alex shook his head, swallowing the last bite. “Awh - don’t worry, if it comes from you, he’ll love it. Trust me.”

Loren cocked an eyebrow. “That’s the kind of thing that people say while they’re bracing themselves to receive something that they’re never going to like in a million years,” her shoulders shaking as she let out a low giggle.

Alex chuckled. “Okay, so what’re one of his gifts then?”

Loren tried to stifle a smile, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Same thing as I got you.”

Alex’s expression showed intrigue. He sat back against a pillow and let his stomach rest from all the food he just ate. “Oh yeah, what’s that then?”

Without missing a beat, she smirked “Dayglo Condoms and a vibrating cock ring.”

Alex’s eyes grew wide as he started to laugh.

Loren covered her face, her cheeks hot to the touch. “Yeah, I gotta cut myself off for tonight, that last glass of wine…” Loren giggled.

She stood up and offered to take Alex’s glass. “Nah, thanks though. The wine’s going down a little too easily - I’m gonna have more.”

Loren laughed and shook her head again. “Sorry, I have the humour of a 9 year old boys sometimes - the going down easily comment…ah, sorry, don’t mind me.”

“Yeah… you’re cut off, you loon," Alex chuckled. His laugh was something else—apparently even more unique than William’s at times.

“Alright then Alex, good night,” Loren smiled.

“Night Loren. Thanks again for coming today and for dinner. It was really nice of you to do that,” Alex replied softly.

“Anytime,” Loren replied with a small nod. He heard her pad to the kitchen, wash her glass quickly and then into William’s bedroom seconds later.

Alex exhaled as he leaned his head on the back of the couch. He now has seen a glimpse - a mere glimpse - of what Loren is like naturally, just on her own. God, this is why he’s never seen his brother quite as happy, quite at ease, quite as open and loving the way he’s been since Loren has been around. She really was like a breath of fresh air.

The realization that Alex might be looking for that kind of connection - for the kind of love, understanding and devotion that Loren has, not just for William but his whole life…it hit him in that moment.

Alex stayed up for awhile - gaming, messaging, texting, swiping…all half-heartedly. He downed another glass of wine while watching the highlight reels of all the Saturday night games that had ended.

Around 1:30am, William arrived home. Pablo and Banksy b-lined it for the couch where Alex lay fast asleep - snoring with his mouth agape. He was jolted awake with Banksy climbing onto his chest, Alex groggily giving him a rub and setting him aside as he stood up from the couch and stretched.

Immediately the brothers caught each other up from the last 24-36 hours - Alex’s stellar performance versus a less than stellar one from his older brother, most of their family arriving tomorrow, and the oddly scheduled 5pm Sunday afternoon game, Leafs versus Buffalo. Alex even gave William a quick run-down of his hook-up, passing over the part that she wanted to meet William too. Him coming home instead of heading to the club where others on the team were just leaving.

“So what - you and Loren hung out?” William asked as he scarfed down part of Alex’s leftovers.

“Not for long really," Alex shrugged, maybe a little too casually. "She picked up some food for me just in case, and yeah—when I got home, we watched the rest of the game. Well, I did,” Alex chuckled, correcting himself. “She hid in the kitchen hoping you’d score if she wasn’t watching.”

“Didn’t work,” William joked.

“That’s what I told her. She even tried to call me a little shit or something in Swedish,” Alex smiled.

William grinned thinking about Loren and her potty mouth…in Swedish even. She’s been practicing…that’s my girl he thought.

For a split second, William thought about asking Alex what he thought of Loren—not because he was even remotely concerned. Not even a little bit. It would just make him happy to hear that Alex sees all the good in her. Given the hour, William shelved the thought…Loren was in his bed and he could hardly wait to be alone with her.

The brothers said their goodnights, and Pablo and Banksy followed William down the hallway to his bedroom. And once again, the condo was quiet and Alex was by himself.

With another back to back game against Bakersfield at 4pm that afternoon, Alex meandered down to his bedroom. He was tired and for a moment thought that all of the buildup surrounding Loren in his mind might just be from his tired mind taking Loren’s kindness and turning it into something else.

Alex shut off the water, catching the faint murmur of William’s voice through the walls as he walked into his bedroom. He smirked at the sound of his brother’s unmistakable laugh. Sliding into bed, he flipped onto his side, wrapping himself around a larger stuffed pillow.

Although he had achieved a satifactory release with Neveah earlier on, a familiar need reentered Alex. He tried to push out the images and thoughts of the women he’s “connected with” lately, knowing sleep was necessary, especially in a back to back game situation.

As he lay there, with the distant hum of traffic in the background, he soon heard what could only be a bed shifting back and forth, and it certainly wasn’t his. The pace of the sound was steady at first but gradually increased, mixed with the faint moans of two voices.

Exasperated, Alex grabbed his earbuds and sought out a distraction, the blood flow to his own cock starting to build pressure. He saw his ex-girlfriend Isla’s green dot indicating she was online. He tapped out a quick message to her…she was someone that really knew Alex well, and he needed that familiarity too.

Phone sex wasn’t ideal, but in a pinch, Isla obliged, lounging through a lazy Sunday morning in Stockholm. In some ways, it was nice to have someone—someone who knew him as well as she did, even if they weren’t always good for each other. Even if they weren’t together anymore.

After this impromptu rendezvous with Isla, Alex cleaned himself up and ventured out to the kitchen one last time. He jumped when he saw the refrigerator light illuminating Loren’s figure as she grabbed two ice packs from the freezer.

Loren jumped when she spotted Alex, giggling from the sudden jolt of fright that he gave her.

Alex gave a crooked smiled her way. “His knees?” nodding towards the ice packs.

Loren smiled sheepishly. “I swear, I didn’t break him - yeah, it’s his knees.”

Alex smiled and nodded. “He’s lucky he’s got you here to take care of him when he needs it,” he remarked warmly. “I’m not very sympathetic.”

Loren paused and looked at Alex with a knowing smile. “Ah, you are….it’s absolutely there - it’s just a flag you choose to not fly as high.”

God, she really is great he thought.

“Night, Alex…have a good sleep,” Loren said softly, before padding back towards William’s bedroom.

He was thankful their family was arriving later that morning. He needed the distraction. The noise. The chaos. The sublime madness of a full Nylander house leading up to the holidays.

Anything to help him tuck away this ridiculous little crush and pretend it had never happened.

#william x loren #alex nylander fic #alex nylander imagine #nhl fanfiction #ahl fanfiction #nylanders #alex nylander #william nylander imagine #william nylander

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