#it's literally just nhl links!!
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i'm going to scream ......... why on god's green earth is tumblr SPECIFICALLY fucking up the links in my posts that go back to videos on nhl dot com 😭 no i don't want you to take me to the broken tumblr page that is https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nhl.com%2Fstars%2Fvideo%2Fdal-chi-pregame-justin-hryckowian-6366530400112&t=NjIwNjQ2NDQxODdjOGQ0NzRjMjk0MTFjM2M1OTRiMzFiZDMxZTY5YixhYjAwMWIzNDdmOTk1YjZkNWQzZTJkMDY5ZDE5MDIwYjFkZTRlYTFj&ts=1735606160, i would instead like you to take me to the actual nhl dot com video of ritzy.
i went in to edit the link with the correct link because who knows maybe it's on me. for trying to link something on tumblr. and then once the post saved, it saved the absolutely correct link to the nhl dot com url as the same broken tumblr page!!! what is the beef with nhl dot com!!!!!
so then i was like FINE whatever it doesn't like when i link nhl dot com in the body of the post itself. let me simply link the nhl dot com video page in the source of the post. and now EVEN THOUGH the SOURCE LINK reads NHL.COM on the BOTTOM OF THE POST, it is taking me to the SAME fucked up 'THERE'S NOTHING HERE' tumblr page. what is going on!! why is tumblr actively becoming hostile to me specifically, what with making all my archiving link work moot & also hiding all of my posts from before december 3rd or whatever from every tag i've ever posted in.
#zoe.txt#seeing that the ritzy post was fucked up prompted me to check the otter & robo gifs i'd also linked back to nhl dot com yesterday#and they were ALSO fucked!!!#same w my mav & osker posts from earlier in the week so like. presumably all of my links are fucked which sucks#because then what is the POINT in linking everything if tumblr's just going to decide to fuck my perfectly fine links#links going back to twitter & insta are all apparently still fine#it's literally just nhl links!!#which i do actually super care about!!!#i put effort into making gifs & transcribing the media avails & then linking them so i have an archive of all the interviews i want to keep#i use my own posts all the time to find specific media avails!!#and it's not like i'm going to stop transcribing & making gifs#but it feels like?? a big part of that work is down the drain if the links are all broken now. like what is the POINT alskdjhfg#this is such a dumb thing but it is also very infuriating#also btw i linked the actual nhl page in this post and it's BROKEN
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I Can Do It With A Broken Heart | Matt Rempe
summary: after a gruelling breakup with you boyfriend, you thought taking the opportunity to teach some nhl players how to figure skate for the nhl youtube channel would be the best distraction. after seeing who your assigned player is though, you're not sure if it'll be as easy as you thought.
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warnings: SFW! figure skater! reader | heartbroken! reader | friends to lovers | fluff | pinning | kissing | suggestive themes |mentions and talk about the death of readers parent | read at your own discretion.
a/n: this is fic that mentioned figure skating and bare with me because I know absolutely nothing about it! also the first figure skating dialogue is meant to be read as like a compilation of that makes sense - like it’s not a complete scene just highlights of one. OH and the dialogue of the montage scenes are literally inspired from coach chippy’s tiktok where he learns how to figure skate. clearly that was my inspiration. okay, that’s all, enjoy!
link to masterlist
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the streets and busy buildings of new york city flash past you, screaming at you with large signs and bright lights. the taxi stops, stuck in a corner of traffic. you sigh gently, your busy travel day beginning to catch up with you. it's not like you even travelled that far, but any type of travelling always took your energy away. you look away from the bustling streets and rejoin the reality of the taxi cab.
the familiar melodies of taylor swift are gently playing through your wired headphones - wired because you've lost two pairs of airpods and can't afford a third set. instinctively, your eyes find the rearview mirror like you're the one driving, your own exhausted face starting back at you. you frown at yourself, looking away.
your taxi driver is taking, his thin lips moving animatedly expressing as he - oh he's talking you.
you tug your headphones out, abruptly stopping your music. "i'm sorry, what was that?"
"are you from new york? or vacationing?" the driver repeats himself, eyes kind from where he glances at you in the mirror.
"i'm here for work, actually." you tell him, deciding to pack up your phone and headphones for the remainder of the drive, shoving them in your duffle bag.
"ah okay, what do you do for work?"
you knaw on your lip - you've never really known how to answer that question. you're technically a professional figure skater. you went to boston university for skating and competed on the world woman's figure skating team. but that didn't always pay the bills, so you split the rest of your time working reception at a house league arena and teaching figure skating to kids 5-7.
"I teach figure skating," you settle on. the taxi starts to move again, the driver taking a sharp left turn that jolts you sideways in the backseat.
"some kids need your help here?" the driver laughs gently, working the wheel to weave the car through traffic.
you breath a little chuckle, eyeing the traffic. "something like that."
a few weeks ago you had been approached by somebody apart of the social administration team for the national hockey league asking if you'd be interested in a mini youtube series where they had professional skaters come and teach nhl players how to figure skate.
at first you were going to pass on the opportunity. your boyfriend of two years had broken up with you only a week before the nhl reached out to you- claiming he wasn't in love with you anymore and needed a fresh start. you were crushed - and honestly still are. you thought there was no way you'd be able to focus on teaching professional athletes how to arabesque properly all while navigating you're first real breakup.
but after really mulling it over, you decided that it could be the distraction you needed in your healing process. you told them yes and two weeks later you were on the train from boston to new york city - all your stuff packed in your nike duffel bag. it shouldn't be too overwhelming, you think. after all, it wasn't just you that would be teaching, there'd be four other figure skaters there with you. the email wasn't too informative about how it would all work, but it gave you basic information like schedule, times, and the actual idea of what was being filmed.
you'd each be assigned an nhl player from the teams in the surrounding areas, and you'd be responsible for not only teaching them how to figure skate, but creating a brief routine for the nhl youtube channel - then again preformed for one of the local kids hockey teams. as well, all proceeds from the video would be given to the kids - which was obviously amazing.
the taxi pulled up to the sheltered entrance of your hotel, which thankfully the nhl was paying for. after all, this trip wasn't one where you'd be getting commission and were solely here voluntarily - so you appreciate how kind the nhl has been with expenses.
"here you go," your taxi driver turns over his shoulder and gives you a warm smile, "need help with your case?"
you shake your head, "i've got it, thank you." digging through your bag to grab some cash, giving it to the old man before making your exit.
he thanks you politely. "good luck teaching those kids," he says. "I know how hard they can be to get through to."
"oh i'm ready for it."
with that you make your way into the hotel, checking in at the reception desk. the hotel is like ridiculously nice and a bag boy even takes your suitcase from you and preemptively delivers it to the room before you get there.
immediately once you get into your room, you exhale tiredly. you shower quickly, barley getting to admire how stunning the bathroom was because of your lacking levels of energy. you don't even dry your hair before you're getting into bed, setting an alarm before closing your eyes.
your stomach is tickling with nerves as you begin thinking about your day tomorrow - the unknown of it all making you anxious. you just pray your designated nhl player is a good listener, patient and a good partner.
— Day One
"and this is the rink - obviously nothing crazy but it is the rangers practice facility so it's definitely nice," mark, the main personal of the admin team gestures to the stark white rink behind him, an excited smile on his face as he talks to you all.
just the smell of the ice has you smiling, and any lingering feelings of anxiety you were feeling about this week were disappearing. you breathe happily, taking another look around the arena facility.
"look at that ice." beside you, another figure skater gleams, her dark brown eyes transfixed on the sheet in front of you. she had introduced herself earlier as shay, her bubbly personality quickly exposed as she started asking you a million questions excitedly. "I can't wait to tear it up."
you quirk a brow slightly, lips pulling into a smile. "well, i'm not sure how much actual figure skating we'll get to do between teaching."
she groans and you giggle at her dramatics.
"alright, guys so," mark claps his hands together, gathering all figure skaters and media personals attention. "we're going to head back to the meeting room and the players will be arriving shortly - once they get here we will go over the process of partnering up and the schedule."
you enter the meeting room soon after, shay at your side - a spring in her step. as you make your way back to the table you'd earlier left your duffle bag (stuffed full with anything you may need), you can't help but feel eager to learn which players would not only be participating, but which player you would be assigned to.
the skaters take various seats in the room, but mostly stick together - opting for the two oval tables towards the side of the room. demi, a small blonde girl, takes a quick seat beside you, immediately resting her chin on her palm as she leans in. "who do you guys hope is here?" she smirks, her voice quiet as she asks. demi doesn't wait for an answer before she speaks again, "i'm hoping for trevor zegras."
out of the corner of your eye you watch as shay gives an unimpressed look. you fight off the knowing smirk that begins to make its way on to your face - you weren't going to be the one to tell the blond that the chances of zegras coming to new york from the other side of the country was very unlikely.
"i'm hoping for somebody who doesn't mind a challenge," you say gently, "doesn't matter who."
demi just hums uninterested, eyes leaving you and moving over towards the front of the room. just as she does so, mark along with another older gentleman enters the room, the latter of the two holding a stack of papers in a brown folder, the word "CONFIDENTIAL" stamped in bold font on the front.
instantly, you become nervous again. the door reopens a few seconds later, and five men walk into the meeting room, laughing and chatting with one another as they do so. based on the pure build of them, you know they are the nhl players you'd all be teaching. you didn't know too much about hockey, and without them wearing their teams jersey you had no idea who played for who. they all look around the same age, which was likely around yours.
in the middle of the five hockey players stands a very tall man - so tall that immediately you feel nervous. teaching somebody that tall and long limbed to figure skate would be difficult and an extreme learning curve. you can only hope whichever skater gets paired with him is patient (and you hope it's not you or shay). ideally somebody shorter and stocky would be best as they'll have an easier time learning spins and bends.
"alright, now that we are all here," mark starts, taking the stack of papers into his hands. "i'm going to go over the jist of what we're doing." he flips open to the first few pages, scanning it quickly before he starts again. "okay so, here's how it's going to work. James and I have preemptively paired each skater with one of our athletes, which was completely random - rempe don't start." one of the players laughs gently, dismissing marks teasing.
"the next couple days will have a lot of filming, so be prepared for the cameras and for my media crew to be all over you." another round of laughs echo throughout the room, and you smile gently. "to my hockey players, please be kind and respectful with the skaters - there already doing a great deal by coming here to teach you, so don't make it difficult."
James is the one to continue, his deep voice projecting around the room. "any and all proceeds from our tiktok and youtube accounts will be given to the new york rockets little league team. as well, the figure skater and assigned player will be preforming a mini routine for the rockets team before our hockey players will be playing a game with them - understood?"
a murmur of agreements can be heard throughout the meeting room. mark clears his throat, beginning to read off his papers. "shay biles, raise your hand for me," like told, shay happily puts her arm in the air, waving slightly. mark beams, "perfect, okay, john beecher this is your partner."
john waves back gently, nodding his head in greeting from across the room. shay definitely got lucky, you think. john seems kind, his eyes gentle and smile bright as he looks at shay. beecher is a name you've heard living in boston, and your younger brother has definitely screamed his name at the tv while watching the bruins. you feel a bit upset that you hadn't gotten john, at least that way you'd have living in boston to relate to.
one of the girls you hadn't really had a chance to talk with is called out next, and she gets paired with an islanders player. she seemed relatively content with her partnership, her smile wide and eyed slightly shiny as anthony greeted her from across the room- perhaps she was a fan of duclair.
demi is called for next. the blonde grins smugly, waving her fingers in a way that seems very amorous. "dawson mercer this is your figure skating partner." the nhl star in question raises his hand from between his crossed arms in greeting, giving the bright blonde one quick wave.
you swear you can hear demi mumble something to you about dawson being 'kinda cute', which makes you feel a bit awkward - you don't know is demi wants you to respond or just stay quiet and nonchalant. shay seems to of heard demi's comment, and she nudges you side gently. shay's smile is barley noticeable, but you see it, and you have to hide you face.
"okay, y/n y/l/n..." mark calls your name and your stomach swoops. the reality of the situation all feels a bit daunting - reminding you of when a teacher would randomly call on you in primary school. your hand moves upwards, your elbow still resting on the table top as you wave gently. mark smiles triumphantly, "ah wonderful - okay matt rempe this is your partner."
it feels like the room goes silent, the constant mumbling and laughter from the table of nhl players comes to a halt. nervous and confused, you eye them all, waiting with anticipation for matt rempe to make himself known - although based on the pause of commotion in the meeting room, it seems like everybody but you is already acquainted with him.
just then, the tallest one that had caught your eye earlier leans forward. you can feel your stomach come up your throat before quickly dropping down to your feet. matt's lips tug up in a slinky smile, jerking his head once in greeting. you can't believe your luck. of course you'd get paired with the borderline giant guy - you can't even begin to fathom how much taller he'll be on skates. you're not too sure yet how you're going to teach him to figure skate gracefully, especially when it comes to spins and gliding - both of those naturally being more difficult to do when you're taller.
you look away. the combination of matt's confident greeting and your own personal turmoil about his height all too much. you swallow nervously, fuck.
you can already tell from the way matt carries himself and how his co-workers act around him that he is the kind of guy who's very...vainglorious. that had you feeling even more timid about teaching him - still dealing with the affects of your heartbreak and learning how to handle everything on top of that was a very different feeling.
and just as the cherry on top, demi leans closer to you from across the table, her voice a quiet, teasing hum as she talks out of the side of her mouth. "lucky duck - you got the hottest one."
double fuck.
soon after the mini breakdown in your head - all figure skaters, hockey players and media personnel were directed back down to the ice level of the rink. the former two groups quickly getting ushered towards the dressing rooms of the practice facility to change into appropriate clothes for skating.
thankfully all the other skaters opted for a more toned down, casual figure skating attire, so you don't feel out of place in your flare leggings, leotard and align zip up. shay looks like she's wearing something similar to you, smiling at you warmly before leaving. so that anxiety slowly settles down.
shakily, you pull your hair into a ponytail, tugging to ensure it's tight and in place. you take a slow breath, preparing yourself for the day ahead of you. slipping on your skates, you've already decided you're not going to let any hockey player change your self-healing journey - the main reason you accept the offer was to heal. you breathe a smile, tightening your skates.
as you approach the ice, you take a momentary pause - observing the scene infront of you. most of the other skaters were enthusiastically chatting with their assigned nhl players, laughing and smiling as they stretched. the atmosphere around you was filled with anticipation and excitement, which had you stomach buzzing.
you step onto the sheet of ice, your eyes darting throughout the sea of skaters and media team. there's more people and camera crew than you were originally expecting, with a good chunk of the arena filled with professional filming cameras, wires, and photographers. with a push forward, you begin to make your way into the crowd, weaving through the chaos in search of matt rempe.
you've heard talk about the name matt rempe - living in a hockey based household with your brother and dad, his name was bound to come up. unfortunately, the talk you've heard hasn't been all sunshine and flowers. matt has made a name for himself in the nhl by fighting - which obviously wouldn't be a problem with your teaching because hopefully he doesn't want to fight you. that as well as his flirtatious personality though has you still feeling a bit worried.
you still haven't caught sight of him yet, which seems odd considering his towering frame. you're definitely not the shortest of all the figure skaters by any means, but you definitely have a smaller stature in compared to your partner and some of the others crowded towards the one side of the rink.
you push forward as you glance over your shoulder - eyeing behind yourself to try and catch sight of matt. you come to a halted stop, your body being held still.
"whoa," a voice breaths with laughter above you, large hands finding your shoulders to stop your movement. "gotta watch where you're going- just saved you from tripping over a pile of wires."
you jerk your head up, finding the soft but teasing brown eyes of matt rempe staring down at you. "matt!" you exclaim loudly. he raises his brows with amused suprise, which immediately has you flushing with embarrassment - you curse yourself for your uncool exterior. "hi! matt. sorry, I'm your skater, my names-"
"y/n," matt says your name - tone a combination of gentle and amusement, your clear borderline frantic state fresh on his mind. he releases the gentle grip on your shoulders in favour of dropping his hands back down against his side. "I remember."
"right, sorry." you laugh gentle, hands nervously fiddling with the zipper of your jacket - a bad habit you'd always had has been fiddling with your clothes as a distraction. you think it's because it helps focus your energy on something else - negative or positive. during your breakup, you think you destroyed two separate strings of hoodies.
you clear your throat, dropping your hands. "have you ever figure skated before?" instantly you regret your awkward question - and you try not to cringe at yourself. you can only hope you don't come across...unintelligent or discombobulated. the chances of a hockey player participating in this sequence of figure skating related events/ filming of he knew how was very unlikely.
matt looks himself up and down before eyeing your through his lashes, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "I definitely have not."
you chuckle awkwardly, ringing your hands. "right, of course not. you probably would've turned down all this figure skating stuff if you knew how. after all why would you willingly volunteer to get bossed around and be taught something you already knew how to do! sorry, I feel like i'm rambling."
"you apologize a lot." matt laughs, eyes glimmering with charm in the arena lighting above. "you don't need to."
"sorry-" matt's brows raise, immediately cutting you off from another apology. "im not going to finish that."
matt smiles fondly.
just then, somebody approaches you both. he looks maybe 2 or 3 years older than you, with dark hair and standing around 6 feet tall. he's got a phone clutched in his hand, and a media lanyard around his neck. "hey," he smiles when he approaches, "i'm david. i'm apart of the social admin team for the nhl and i'll be filming you guys for the tiktok content - which will be today."
you shake his hand gently, "y/n, nice to meet you." matt follows suit, shaking david's hand in greeting. david briefly discuss the filming process with you and matt, and tells you what to expect with the cameras while you're teaching. david’s instructions, although speedy, make you feel more confident in the day - finally having a clear rundown of the process lifting a weight of your shoulders.
david directs you both towards the benches where some of the other partners are stood - waiting their turns in front of the camera. some groups are with their own social media team, filming for instagram and tiktok accounts. the lighting is dimmed on your half of the rink, providing the filming side with correct studio lighting. there's a small dunkin coffee station set up right by the bench entrance, filled with multiple coffee flavours, takeaway cups, creamers, sugar and even a box of donut holes.
you grab yourself a large paper cup, filling it to the brim with decaf. you don't even bother grabbing cream or sugar - taking three hearty gulps of coffee in hopes to get some hyperactive energy.
lowering the cup from your face, you catch sight of somebody as they skate up beside you. you glance over, just to see matt grab one of the cake flavoured deserts and shoving the whole thing in his mouth. he catches your gaze, and he smiles - mouth full of donut and all.
your brows raise in surprise, his clear comfortability almost has you feeling envious - for his sakes you're trying your best to lighten up and he just is already. you clear your throat twice, "need some coffee to wash all that down?"
matt eyes your cup and he almost makes a face. he swallows heavily, shaking his head. "i'm good - takes more than tiny donut hole to take me down."
you nod with understanding, an amused smile pulling at your mouth - you raise your cup, taking a sip to mask your enjoyment.
matt indulges in one more donut, dusting his hands free of any icing against the front of his rangers jersey. you cringe momentarily, resisting the urge to reach out and wipe away any remnants. "so," matt starts, finishing the last few chews of the donut, "how long have you seen skating?"
"my whole life," you tell him, happily taking another sip of your drink. "my mom was a figure skater so as soon as I could walk she put me in lessons," you continue, "which obviously seems a little controlling - but i'm glad she did...the opportunities i've had and the memories i've made are just unbelievable."
you pause and take a moment to think about your figure skating journey and just how thankful you are being put in lessons that young - you're not sure where you'd be without skating. you lost your mom when you were 15 - only 8 years ago. figure skating was always a way to stay connected to her and her memories. seeing your dad's blissful face when he watches you compete is always so fulfilling.
matt nods almost solemnly, as if he knows what you were thinking off. he shifts so his entire body is turned towards you, giving you his full attention. "that's actually pretty amazing - where do you compete?"
"i've gone to worlds a handful of times, which is just crazy at my age." you laugh in disbelief just at the thought. first time you went to worlds was when you were 16 years old, and a two more times when you were 17 and 18. you were one of the youngest competitors at being freshly 16 - only two girls from japan and canada being the same age.
matt's brows furrow, "how old are you know?"
"23 right now," you answer, "but I started competitively training when I was 12 and went to the first championship series when I was 16."
"holy crap," he laughs, nodding his head impressed - lips quirked in a half smile. "do you still train competitively? is all this your full time job?"
after another drink of your coffee, you sigh with ponder. "honestly - no. I still work in figure skating - teaching kids in my free time at the arena back home - hence why i'm here. it's just...." you trail off, brows furrowed as you try and find the right words. competing at the levels you used to was a lot. the diet was extremely strict, the training was intense and your mental and physical health was not good. you love skating and you'll always continue to teach it, but actually competing is something you'd never subject your body to again.
"too much." matt nods in understanding, answering for you.
you smile in conformation, "too much." you can tell by matt's sad and understanding smile that he knows exactly the strain and intensity you'd dealt with - he is an athlete after all. you clear your throat, "but i'm excited to be here though, I promise."
he dissolves into laughter, shoulders shaking. "don't worry, I didn't think you weren't."
you breath in relief, your moment of silent worry that matt would think you weren't grateful for the opportunity you were in slipping away. "so how come you decided to do this?" you ask curiously, topping up your coffee cup with more decaf. it overfills, sloshing over the rim as you look at him. silently, you curse, releasing the latch to stop the liquid from pouring out.
matt smiles fondly as you switch hands, moving your cup out of your wet hand. thankfully, it's not scorching so you're not burnt but you're wet and a little embarrassed. you're trying to shake the liquid off your hand when matt wordlessly grabs a napkin out of the stack on the table, gently grabbing your wrist as he pats your skin with it.
you swallow gently, watching him clean the coffee off your hand. matt doesn't seemed fazed, eyes focused on your sticky skin as he answers your question. "honestly, I don't think I was their first choice - they asked Schneider first but he declined. i'm glad they asked me next though, because i'm always looking to try new things." your hand is dry now, and matt balls the napkin up before throwing it into the trash can. he smiles, "and figure skating is on skates right, so I mean i've already got that part down."
in a moment of vulnerability, you spin back to properly face him. you go to speak, "can I be honest with you?"
he nods.
you continue, "tall people and figure skating don't always go hand in hand- when you're tall things like twizzles and jumps and flexibility don't come as easy. so when I first saw you I remember thinking I felt bad for your partner," you laugh once, "and then once I found out that you were my partner I got really nervous. I just...," you pause, sighing, "I don't want you to feel like you can't do it properly or as well as some of the shorter players or feel upset because I can't show you everything- i'm rambling again, sorry I-"
"y/n," he hums playfully, "the only thing i'll be upset about is if you keep apologizing for no reason." he spins on his skates so that his back is towards the coffee table, his side bumping into your front teasingly. he rests against the edge, hands gripping the table to keep himself steady.
you breath a laugh, mimicking his position. your arms brush together, and you belly sort off...wobbles. "I know, I know - I just want this to be good."
"it will be," matt smiles triumphantly.
david comes shuffling over again, now with a mini ring light attached to the media branded cellphone. he beams, coming to a shaky stop. he gestures to his phone, "i've got to get you two for a tiktok before the youtube crew takes you." david then goes into what you need to say and maneuvers you both to a more aesthetically appealing background.
you begin, smiling brightly at the camera and praying your eyes aren't squinty with the bright light. "hi tiktok i'm y/n and ill be teaching new york ranger, matt rempe, how to figure skate this week."
"stay tuned for exclusive content and behind the scenes on the new york rangers tiktok and instagram page - as well for the full videos on youtube." matt concludes, looking down at you briefly.
"great - that's amazing guys! i'll catch up with you both later." then david scoots away, back towards the exit off the rink where some media tables are set up - full of equipment, passes and extra water bottles and snacks.
next thing you know you and matt are both being ushered in front of the cameras for your segment of todays filming. like david, one of the directors - a middle aged blonde woman with a encouraging voice - tells you how to start and what to say. she ensures you if either of you need a break and/or further instructions to not hesitate to stop and ask.
with that being said, matt begins to video off. he stands tall, large arms held behind his back as he stands perfectly on the mark. "I'm matt rempe from the new york rangers and today I'm learning how to figure skate," matt smiles with exaggerated nervousness, eyeing you.
you giggle quietly, "and i'm professional figure skater, y/n y/l/n and today i'll be teaching matt the basics of figure skating - starting off easy for ole matt."
his arms come loose, and he holds his hands up in a surrender like position, turning towards you. "okay if im being honest I think i'll get the hang of this pretty easily," matt admits confidently.
smirking, you eye him, "let's see." you push off, skating away gracefully, spinning back around to face your partner. "ready for your first set of moves?"
"born ready."
-
you finishing off one of the quicker spins, making your final turn before gracefully skating out of the motion - demonstrating for matt.
his brows raise in shock, eyes slowly meeting the camera. staring down the lens. he shrugs doubtfully, cracking his neck in preparation. "my turn."
matt tries to recreate the spin, slowly and wobbly twizzling around the ice. it's definitely not perfect as he can't seem to stay in the same area and he only makes it around four full times before beginning to slip out. "that's crazy." he laughs in disbelief. "show me again."
"just-" you sigh with a smile, getting back into position to twizzle around once again. "like that."
matt tries again, and although his second attempt was more more successful, he was still a bit unstable with his movements. the tall athlete comes to a wobbly stop, brown eyes closing in discomfort. you know that face all too well and immediately you know he hasn't spotted - which is your own fault for not teaching him. "i'm dizzy,"matt puts his hands on his knees, leaning over to try and ground himself. "I don't even know how you do that."
once he's no longer feeling nauseous, you quickly teach him the importance of knowing how to spot.
-
matt's hands are heavy in yours, his grip tightening to mimick your hold as you both attempt another jump - granted it's a bit difficult considering his height. regardless, it's successful and he lands pretty much perfectly.
you encourage him further as you both skate, praises happily spilling from your mouth as you him skate gracefully - well, as graceful as somebody that tall can. you slow ever so slightly, tightening your grip again to signal for another jump.
matt's tongue pokes out and his brows furrow with concentration. he pushes off the ice like you showed him, jumping into the air. he lands again, a warm laugh leaving him. "oh my god!"
"great!," you beam, bringing you both to a slow stop. then you tell matt that he has to attempt jumping on his own and his once smile is quickly flipped.
-
"okay matt we gotta dip," you hum knowingly, already sensing his disappointment - matt's earlier distain towards low level figure skating moves ringing in your head. "dig real low."
like suspected, matt groans - it's not that he doesn't want to try and do the move because he knows that's why he's here and he wants to make your experience pleasant. he's groaning because he knows how him trying will end.
matt's first dip down to the ice is successful, and you gleam, gliding along beside him. "look at how low you are!"
matt continues to slide along the ice, one of his long legs extended in front of him. he's practically holding his breath, concentrating on making another successful dip down. it isn't much longer before he slips, landing roughly on his back.
matt groans in displeasure, his arms falling dramatically as he rolls on the ice. the sight of the tall man laying on the ice like a child has you laughing into your palm, eyeing him gently.
he pushes back onto his knees before standing to his full height, brows furrowed. "are you laughing at me?" matt questions you, his own laugh slipping out between his uncomfortable groans - the wind just about knocked out of him from the fall.
your hands fall from your face, raising in surrender. "i'm not even laughing cause it's funny. it's just like-"
"I was digging for you." matt claims cheekily - referring to your earlier comment about matt needing to dig deeper into figure skating. "I wanted to go low for you." he's gently rubbing his elbow, a grimace still on his face.
"I know. you were actually very low I was impressed."
-
you expertly lean into your spin, bending your back to complete the movement.
matt squints unsure. "i'm having a hard time committing to that right now."
-
you move forwards, quickly stopping your skates as you swing your body from side to side - skate blades tearing into the ice in a jerk like motion.
matt watches you closely from where he takes a momentary break against the boards. "oh so we are doing slow mo now?"
"yup." you chirp, rounding back towards him.
"fuck me," he huffs out, pushing off the wall. they'll definitely have to bleep that out.
-
your back is practically pressed into matt's chest, breathing gently as you push your bodies together. "give me your other hand," you remind him gently. "goes on the hip."
like told, matt's large hand rounds in to the dip of your hip, securely holding onto your body in preparation for a glide. against your other hand, his fingers flex slightly, fixing his grasp.
"okay and you're going to push off the ice."
"okay," he mumbles from above the top of your head. he goes to push off the ice, but from pure instinct he kicks off too strongly and too quickly - his legs wobbling as he practically launches you both. matt curses, toe picking to a stop.
"woah," he breaths a laugh. "not smooth, eh? let's redo that."
you laugh gently, and you pull him back into proper position. "you got it, just focus on the journey rather than the destination."
"I can't concentrate when you're looking at me like that." matt says, a small teasing smirk following as you both get ready to glide again.
"oh my god." you mumble.
-
matt's breathless, hands on his hips as he collects himself after trying to do more practice on his solo jumps. he looks dead at you, lips tugging up into a smirk, panting as he tries to collect himself. "we don't need to do any triples axels today."
you giggle through your own breathlessness, sympathetically patting his padded shoulder. "you've worked hard enough."
"i'll do a triple axel probably next session." he jokes, shrugging nonchalantly. you scoff, pushing against his shoulder teasingly.
-
"i'm sweating," matt huffs.
-
"why are you standing like that?" you laugh, pausing your demonstration to skate over towards matt.
"what do you mean? that's just how I stand." it's definitely not how he stands - and he's looking rather uncomfortable as he attempts to balance on his toes, his knees bent.
you can only laugh in disbelief. in an attempt to fix his awkward posture, you push against his chest with one hand, trying to angle him backwards while your other hand attempts to keep his lower back in proper position. "you're ridiculous - you look like jason kelce ready to catch a football."
-
"I think my hips are too far forward," matt hums thoughtfully, teetering uncomfortably.
"yeah?" you question.
"yeah," he nods with confirmation, swishing his hips around in a circular motion - trying to loosen his muscles. "they're too tight - everything's too tight." he sends an exaggerated wink in your direction, trying to further us attempt at a dirty innuendo.
you splutter, heat rising to your face. "stop it."
-
finally after a tiring and eventful couple hours, you and matt are done skating and filming for the day. it's only a couple minutes of an interview like questionare on the other end of the ice - away from jamie drysdale as his figure skater begins to go over turns before you get to get changed.
you're exhausted by the time you're walking out of the change room - swapping your athletic zip up for an oversized hoodie and figure skates for your slip ons. you let your ponytail down, fluffing the kinks from your hair as you begin to make your way down the hallway towards the parking garage entrance.
thankfully, yesterday when you arrived you had an email from the nhl informing you that your rental car, courtesy of the nhl, had arrived to your hotel and the keys were with reception. you're very thankful, because spending all your money on taxis wouldn't be ideal.
you’re right at the car, your finger already placed against the unlock button on the rented key fob when someone calls your name, the familiar voice echoing through the concrete parking garage.
matt comes up beside you just as you turn around - a friendly grin on his lively face.
you smile politely. "hey."
he breaths a greeting, "hi." matt doesn't say anything else - only continuing to look down at you gently, an unknown expression along side his gaze.
your brows come together with amused confusion, your lips changing into a slight smirk. "everything okay?" you ask, leaning back against your car door.
he blinks out of his stare, shaking his head slightly. "yeah, sorry. just wanted to thank you for today - you're really patient and like super chill. i'm looking forward to tomorrow and working with you further - god knows I didn't make it the easiest task."
"oh," you breathe, "thanks, matt that's really kind of you to say. you're great at this, don't worry."
he laughs softly, "thanks - still not sure about those spins though."
you giggle gently, the thought of matt's green complexion and woozy eyes still fresh in your mind. you tug your tongue, poking at his bicep "spotting," you remind him.
"right, spotting," he kisses his teeth, nodding with thought. his mouth opens briefly, nothing but silence coming out - but then he sighs, "you're ridiculously good, y/n, i've been blown away by you."
you swallow thickly, completely shocked at his kind words and warmhearted complexion. he smiles sheepishly, like he might be embarrassed by his straightforward compliment. you muster up a grin, fiddling with the edge of your sweatshirt. "that means a lot to me - thank you."
"you're welcome," he says sheepishly, rubbing one of his large palms over the back of his neck. matt steps backwards, eyes meeting yours. "i'll see you tomorrow, y/n."
"i'll see you tomorrow, matt."
— Day Two
like yesterday, you and matt ended up being one of the first skating partners to be filmed. which was kind of nice, because after the hour or so of teaching him, you got to have a break. granted today both you and matt had to stay for some extra interview style filming and then proceed to begin to practice the 40 second - 1 minute routine needed for a few days time.
you had already finished your question session for the day, so you were sat comfortably on one of the benches. the sounds of shay's skates gliding across the ice as she taught john some more complex spins was a soothing noise - giving you a moment to reflect.
last night after your long day spent with matt, you had gotten back to your hotel exhausted once again - eyes practically fluttering closed on the elevator ride up. you had briefly checked social media before heading to bed in search for some brain distraction before sleep - only to be met with your exes instagram story with another girl: the two looking very cozy together.
that sent you into a depressive spiral, which included lots of self doubt and crying. it's not even the fact that he had moved on from your relationship quickly, but the thought of him having no regards for how you may feel had you feeling sick - your self doubt and insecurities in full force.
your eyes had still hurt from your night of crying when you woke up - definitely still puffy as you showed up at the rink. you definitely hadn't been as layed back today, and most of your responses were short and quick - your movements not as precise or clean. your heartbreak was beginning to affect you on the rink...all because of a stupid instagram story. you honestly felt bad for matt having to deal with you and you can only hope you're not ruining his experience.
the sound of somebody stepping up onto the padded area of the benches has you snapping out of your daydreaming, looking up at the source to see matt hobbling towards you - the padding affecting his skate blades.
matt was coming from filming some interview content with david like you had previously done - now taking a seat beside you on the bench before you'd both have to practice the routine. matt sits close enough to you that his arm bumps yours, but he doesn't seem to mind the closeness - making no effort to move away from you, keeping your limbs pressed together.
"good job today." you smile gently towards him, but it doesn't meet your eyes. quickly, you turn your attention back towards the rink - john beecher's laugh a nice distraction.
matt smiles politely even though you're not looking at him, "thanks - you too."
you shoot him a questioning glance, but there's a ghost of a smile on your face - his little quip getting to you. it makes matt beam, eyes trained on you even as david zooms over to take some behind the scenes pictures of you both - he's gone before you even have a chance to pose.
you find the ice, instinctively thinking about your ex once again. you're almost angry at yourself for doing so - you took this opportunity to try and heal and get over the heartbreak back in boston. and matt was so nice yesterday, already providing you with a comfortable distraction in your healing journey.
matt nudges his skate covered foot against yours, pulling you out from another moment of daydreaming. "you trying to steal some teaching techniques from shay or something?"
"what?"
"you keep zoning out over there." he laughs gently, his elbow nudging into you in one last attempt to get you to crack.
you laugh, but it's definitely forced - shaking your head as you try and clear your summersault of thoughts.
matt sighs, eyes dancing over your dull expression. "sorry if this comes across weird, but...are you okay?"
you shoot him a glance. "what do you mean?"
he shrugs, "I don't know you just look off - sorry if that's too harsh. it's just…yesterday you looked much more, I don't know, happier? or maybe more hyper? sorry if i'm overstepping, just thought I'd be a decent human being and ask." matt seems to nervously run a hand over his flowing hair, awkwardly tugging his jersey away from his neck as he rambles. "i've noticed something all day and I just thought...I don't know."
you frown gently. you've never been one who could easily control your emotions and they are always easily depicted on your face. today was no exception, and matt has clearly caught it. although you weren't planning on getting into your lingering heartache, you owed it to your partner to at least give him something. besides, matt noticing something was up with you based solely on your body language and waiting until you weren't in front of cameras to ask about it....was rather sweet and considerate of him.
matt continues to apologize to you, his eyes frantically searching your face for any notable signs of discomfort.
you press further into his side to gather his attention, doing your best at sending him a playful smirk. "hey if i'm not allowed to excessively apologize without a reason - neither are you."
your teasing has matt breathing a sigh of relief, but his brows still are drawn together in question. "so i'm not overstepping?"
you shake your head. "you being perspective and asking me if i'm okay is not overstepping."
his brows change, shooting up in suprise. "so you're not okay is what you're telling me?"
you sigh gently, "just...having a hard time recently. nothing that deep, truly. stupid stuff."
on cue, your cell phone resting in your lap lights up with a notification, and like clockwork both you and matt look down at the glowing device. the notification isn't even the problem - just some stupid twitter notification about sydney sweeney and her new movie.
"is that your boyfriend?" matt asks you gently.
he's referring to your lockscreen picture - one that contains you and your ex laying together on the beach. matt had seen the lockscreen photo that you still hadn't had the heart to change - too attached to the memories of what once was. that was the problem.
"no, sorry - he's," you pause, debating if you're really about to tell matt - a guy you're just really getting to know - about your sad excuse of an ex. "he's my ex-boyfriend."
you can practically see the gears turning in his head, his eyes darting around your face to further take in your expression. matt puts all the clues together, humming gently. "is that why you're upset?"
for a brief moment you continue to debate about what to say. telling an nhl player about your ex wasn't exactly what you were expecting to do today, but you also don't really have any sort of outlet for your feelings. back home you sort of don't have any friends - your best friend ashley had moved to ohio for school a year ago and you had your family, but even they could be dismissive and non understanding about your heartbreak. you think matt may just be the next best thing.
"yeah," you finally sigh, "he broke up with me only a couple weeks ago."
"i'm sorry," matt says immediately, eyeing you softly. "what happened - if that's okay to ask?"
"well," you laugh breathily, your disbelief clear in your tone. "he decided that after two years he didn't love me anymore - and based on his story last night…he's already moved on. i'm not even upset that he's moving on, it just hurts to see you know?" you're weren't really expecting to spew all that, but matt doesn't seem to mind as he nods thoughtfully.
"yeah," he agrees, "similar thing happened with my ex, so in some capacity I can understand how you're feeling." he pauses, eyeing the ice once again. you find yourself following suit, watching as shay shows john how to properly do his spread eagles. "you're pretty badass for dealing with my gangly limbs and whining all while being heartbroken- if I was in your spot I probably wouldn't of come."
"that's why i'm here, actually," you laugh thoughtfully, "I thought it would be a nice distraction from all that bullshit going on at home. teaching you how to skate and making new memories. plus, you don't whine as much as I thought you would've." glancing back towards him, you see that he's already looking down at you - a smile tugging at his lips at your teasing.
"really? glad to hear i'm a good student then."
you squint at him, "well I didn't say you are good."
the sound of your further teasing has matt cackling, his head tilting back as he takes in your comment. you giggle gently, already feeling the slightest bit lighter.
"oh okay, I see how it is!" he smirks, "well, my dearest teacher is there anything I can do to improve my grade?"
you're glad that matt has taken well to your teasing, and has even continued to further your lighthearted back and forth - a pleasant conversation to help distract you from your rather tiring day. the combination of a rough night without much sleep and practically exercising all day has you left feeling exhausted.
you tap your chin in a faux thought, lips pursing outwards as you hum, "maybe if you can teach me how to throw a left hook i'll bump your mark up."
"oh so you're only here to brush up on your fighting techniques," he pauses with a hearty laugh, "I see how it is!"
you shrug unapologetically, crossing your skate covered feet over.
"do you watch hockey?" matt hums after a moment. you frown at his rather unprompted question, and you watch him quizzically - his large body bent as he re-ties his skates. you don't say anything at first, so he looks back at you over his shoulder, his eyebrows raised. "I'm only asking because you seem like you knew that I fight - I won't like...banish you if you're not a rangers fan."
you laugh. "sort of," you pause, taking a thoughtful breath. "my brother and my dad - who I live with back in boston, well, they're big bruins fans -" matt makes a disgruntled face out of habit, which has you stifling a giggle. you continue, "i've heard your name before because you fight - my brother likes you."
matt nods understandably. "what's your brothers name?"
"gavin - he just turned 10." a pang of homesickness hits you, and you really wish that your family was in new york with you, exploring the city and watching you teach.
matt smiles gently, "I'll have to meet him one day."
"he'd like that." you say instantly - not even thinking about what that would mean. how that would include matt rempe being with you in boston, or how it would be you and gavin visiting him in new york. "what about you, any siblings?"
"sisters," his face lights up, "steph and alley. they stay in calgary with my mom."
"they must be really proud of you." you hum truthfully, resting your chin on your shoulder as you smile up at him.
his smile widens, clearly very close with his mom and sisters. "they are - but i've honestly never seen them more excited about me skating, than they've been knowing you're teaching me figure skating." he laughs.
"are you telling your family about me?" you squawk with joy, eyes glimmering with playfulness.
before he has a chance to respond, the sound of demi's high pitched voice is interrupting - and it has you looking away from matt's face and back towards the rink. demi is looking at dawson with impatience, her tone coming across very short and irritated. poor dawson, you think, he must be dying inside. although you're not sure if you were any better than that today, remembering your rough start.
thankfully the devils forward just smiles and nods understandably- and you can only hope demi's temper comes across as a staged dynamic between the two of them: bossy and forgiving.
beside you, matt leans in closer, his breath warm against the shell of your ear as he whispers. "looks like I definitely ended up with the best skater." you meet his eyes curiously, and that has matt subtly gesturing towards demi, brows raised in disbelief as her impatience has now turned into obvious flirtation. you're glad matt thinks you're more tolerable than demi.
you snap your hand up towards your mouth in an attempt to cover and stifle your giggle. both of you watch as dawson tries to attempt a cantilever after demi's poor demonstration, and you can't help the roll of your eyes as demi immediately begins reprimanding him.
although her teaching skills were anything but good, you can tell that dawson also wasn't really trying and wasn't as loose with his movements - in fact, it kind of looks like dawson doesn't want to be there at all.
you turn your head into the side of matt's arm, directing your whispers into him so your voice has no chance of carrying throughout the arena. "seems like I got the best nhl player."
matt smirks once you pull away, and he bumps his shoulder with yours. "obviously."
you scrunch your nose, "even if he is a goon."
matt's head snaps towards you, a look of shock combined with amusement on his face. "hey!" he scolds with a laugh.
matt doesn't have an opportunity to tease you further, words interrupted when shay and john make their way towards the bench, both of them looking tired after their skating session and interviews. regardless, they are both smiling and chatting cheerily as they sit down beside you.
shay is instantly bringing a ray of sunshine with her, happily greeting you and instantly chatting and giggling to you about some crazy thing she heard demi tell another one of the skaters regarding something matt doesn't quite pick up on.
he's too busy noticing how shay's presence seems to be one of the last puzzles pieces in helping you feel better and look more relaxed. your eyes continue to widen and sparkle as you laugh, and how you don't seem to venture off into daydream land while listening to john and shay animatedly go over how john almost ate shit during a glide. it's all very sweet. matt barley knows you and already he doesn't want to see you feel anything but happiness.
without any deliberation, matt grabs your phone from your lap quickly, a smirk on his face once he sees your shocked face. he opens the camera icon, bringing your phone upwards so it is capturing all four of you on the bench. you don't get a chance to scold him before matt gets their attention. "hey guys, let's get a picture."
"oh yeah," beecher smirks, bumping into shay - which sends her body sliding into yours, and like a butterfly affect sends you into matt's side, tightly tucked into him. "everyone try to look happy and not exhausted." beecher playfully adds.
shay playfully rolls her dark eyes - clearly used to johns personality already. to further his point, john holds two fingers up behind shay's head, giving her faux bunny ears for the camera. shay leans into further your side, her head on your shoulder as she blows a kiss - while you choose to wrap your hands around matt's building forearm, practically hugging his limb as he snaps the picture.
later when you're back in your hotel room - there are three things that take you by somewhat of a surprise. the first being two instagram follows from john beecher and matt rempe - you follow both back immediately.
the second is your brother linking you a tiktok.
it's a clip of you and matt from a distance, clearly filmed by david - the two of you were whispering to one another and giggling, and it was captioned 'plotting'. your brother had texted his excitement about you getting partnered with matt rempe - which had you smiling.
the surprising part wasn't even the tiktok, it was how at ease you looked in his presence. you almost can't fathom it, because it's not just about looking at ease but you were at ease around matt. you want to try and deny it, but you can't - whatever you're beginning to feel in his presence is undeniable.
you knaw at your lip, going into your camera roll to find the photo matt had taken of you all a few hours ago - four smiling faces starring back at you. you all look happy and like you want to be with one another - unlike the picture of you and your ex on your lockscreen. you sigh gently, but there's a gentle, content smile on your face. you make the new picture your wallpaper, replacing your ex for good.
— Day Three
you knock three times against the large wooden door of the quick home, softly to not seem too eager but loud enough so you'd be heard.
you sigh gently, adjusting the bag against your shoulder so it sits comfortably. you can't believe you're actually here - waiting for matt rempe to let you inside jonathan quick's home. this morning when you woke up, you had an instagram message from matt - some corny text that pretty much asked for your number. which, obviously had your stomach swooping and as you gave it to him.
spending the past few days with matt has been really...pleasant. although you've literally known him for only three days- the amount of time spent together makes that feel like it's been years. you're pleasantly surprised with how nice, funny and adaptable matt has been with you. thinking back to before you met matt, you can't even fathom how silly you had felt leading up to everything- the nerves you had been battling regarding the week now seem ridiculous. and you hate to sound like demi, but matt's face is certainly a bonus to everything else - you also hate how that thought is beginning to make you feel.
you had spent a good amount of time today choreographing the mini routine with matt during your lesson. you wanted to make sure matt had a say in what was happening so that way you could ensure he was capable and comfortable with the routine. it all seemed to be going very well, and matt had seemed to really have a grasp of the routine.
so tonight when he texted you asking for some more help and practice - going as far to invite you to the quick's house where he'd be living for the upcoming season - you had been slightly confused. it wasn't like today was your only day for practicing the routine as all the skaters and respective nhlers had two hours tomorrow morning before needing to preform - that way it was fresh in their mind. so you'd been a bit unsure of why he wanted to have you come over tonight when tomorrow you could provide any clarity and help he was seeking.
regardless of those thoughts, you drive over to the house...ready to help matt practice your figure skating routine in a nhl superstars living room - yeah, what is your life right now. through all the disbelief and curiosity of the situation though, you did want to succeed in your partnership and win the kids votes with your routine, so you're happy matt was serious about it all.
the door clicks open, and the butterflies in your stomach flutter quickly. the idea of spending extra time with matt have the little bugs increasing in speed, sending your skin through joyful vibrations. matt smirks, leaning against the doorframe. "hey."
"hi," you breathe, adjusting your hoodie as you do so. matt looks so comfortable, clad in a black henley top and team branded athletic shorts- showing of the muscles he's put on during the offseason. suddenly you feel a bit sloppy - not even bothering to take your hair down from its scraggly bun before coming over. you chuckle awkwardly, "you called for me?"
your poor attempt at a posh accent lands, and matt's laughter is warm, filling your chest with its own hot feelings as he chuckles about your joke. "I did - wanna come in?"
you nod. matt opens the door wider, gesturing for you to make your way into the large foyer. immediately you feel out of place, the grand entryway practically the size of your living room and kitchen combined back home. it's almost completely silent inside, saved from the youtube playing quietly in another room. "this is really nice." you breathe out, kicking off your shoes beside the welcome rug.
matt huffs in laughter - a sound that's become way too familiar. from behind you, matt grabs the strap of your bag, his long fingers brushing your shoulder as he slips it off your arm. "I know right - i'm very lucky."
brushing off matt's touch on your shoulder, you laugh once, blindly following matt as he moves through the large space - presumably leading you towards one of what you assume is many living spaces.
"and who would've thought i'd also be getting lucky" you attempted joke quickly turns your face hot, the realization of what just come from your mouth has you feeling embarrassed. you slow in your steps, covering your burning cheeks with your hands. "wait, that came out wrong."
matt laughs over his shoulder, shooting you a playful glance. "you little freak." he teases, "I never would've thought the sweet, innocent looking girl who I first saw across the room in the meeting room would be such a little perv."
his obvious teasing and taunting smirk had you groaning with further embarrassment, dragging your feet as you make your way in his direction. "matt i'm literally dying here - throw me a bone at least."
matt's brows raise with surprise, and his laughter increases - like he's in disbelief. then, it hits you, another accidental sexual innuendo burning your face to an impossible shade of red. your mouth parts at a loss for words, and your eyes close to further your shocked state. "i'm just going to leave."
matt reaches out to you and he grabs your wrist gently, dragging you through the last bit of remaining space between you. the feeling of his touch has your eyes snapping open, you once parted lips snapping closed quickly. you stare up at him with softness and a little bit of shock- now closer than you ever could have imagined.
his bottom lips juts out - all wet and pouty as he slowly blinks down at you. "don't leave - I need you here."
you swallow nervously and automatically your breathing quickens in space. matt's words are sitting heavy in your ears and millions of thoughts about his soft confession swirl around your head. softly, you question his words. "you need me here?"
matt's pout transforms into a gentle smirk and his eyes squint at you questionably. you can see the teasing comment brewing from a mile away. "yeah because I want to go over our routine - get your mind out of the gutter, y/n."
"oh my god." you sigh, your eyes rolling playfully as matt begins to giggle to himself like a school boy. you shake your head in admirable disbelief, "you're such a-"
matt interrupts, "an amazing and perfect guy?"
"little shit." you correct, quirking a brow upwards in his direction.
"whatever you say ma'am," matt sing songs, his grip on your wrist tightening ever so slightly, guiding you in the direction of the living room - babbling how if you keep making unnecessary sexual comments he'll never get to learning the routine properly.
all you can do is hide your growing smile and blush while his back is turned.
matt knows the routine like the back of his hand. you show him solo once before you make him join in - and he almost perfectly execute his moves. it slightly furthers your confusion about him asking for extra help from earlier, but you brush those thoughts away. you get about 30 minutes of practice in and although neither of you are on ice skates, it's still a successful practice - matt is moving as if there was a set of blades beneath him.
it isn't long before matt is sighing dramatically, taking a break from twizzling - he just about had carpet burn on the soles of his feet from the friction. he takes a messy gulp of water, the sound of plastic crinkling echoing through the empty house. he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, "okay i'm beat - I gotta save the rest of my energy for tomorrow."
you laugh softly, quirking your head as you eye him. "I think you've got enough energy built up to last for the rest of your life."
"yeah yeah," he dismisses your teasing remark with a smile, hand waving you off. "wanna watch a movie or something?"
you eye him, "a movie?"
he nods, completely unfazed by your doubtful tone. "yeah - ever heard of one?"
you ignore his blatant teasing, your eyes flickering towards the large rustic clock hanging above the kitchen nook - directly across from the large family room. "are you sure?" you question, wide eyes darting between the time and matt's awaiting face, "it's almost 8...I don't want to intrude."
matt scoffs gently, like he was disgusted that you'd even think that. his lips tug upwards in a soft smile, spinning his water bottle between two fingers like a basketball would. the sight of him toying with the plastic bottle is a momentary distraction, and you find yourself watching his long fingers like a weirdo. "I like spending time with you - so yes im sure."
matt's words have you looking away from his hands, and you find his soft stare even more distraction than his fingers.
oh.
"you do?" you question meekly, gently fiddling with your hoodie once again. your nerves are growing once again, but this time they're purely because of matt and his borderline romantic confessions. that combined with his eye contact, and constant teasing smile have you feeling rather giddy.
he nods like it should be obvious to you and then he just starts to just walk away - gesturing for you to follow him with a simple nod of the head over his large shoulder.
you're not sure what you were expecting from matt's bedroom, but you don't think it was what you were seeing. it was just so...homey. it's in the basement of the quick house - which was obviously a ridiculously nice and expensive looking spare room.
the room has clearly had a woman's touch, with elegant decor and furniture, but matt had definitely made his mark around the space. his laundry is spread out on the floor near the hamper - not in it and there are a couple miscellaneous knickknacks on top of his bedside table and the tall dresser in the corner.
he's got a pair of wireless beat headphone's hanging off the corner of a picture frame - an image of him and his mom staring back at you. his bed is made, but it's still messy with a throw blanket pulled astray near the top of the bed and pillows squished together - looking like that's where he'd been lounging before you got here.
there's a few hockey sticks sitting up against the closet door and -
"are you going to come join me over here or am I just going to pick the movie all by myself?" matt's annoying teasing question has your eyes falling in his direction. you blush at how entranced you had been by his bedroom - reminding yourself of a 13 year old girl who is in her crushes space for the first time.
to further his point, matt pats the empty side of the bed, beckoning you over with the hand that wasn't holding his remote. in your snooping daze, you'd completely disregarded matt getting comfortable in his bed and turning on the tv -further illuminating the room.
"i'm not a dog," you giggle, making your way over to him despite your attempt at sounding annoyed. you climb into his rather large collection of blankets, burritoing yourself between them. your limbs immediately thank you as they finally have a chance for relief. "and if you think i'm letting you pick a movie you're certainly wrong."
matt gets himself into a more comfortable position, resting his head on his arm as he scrolls through the options on netflix. he turns his head towards you leisurely, and the pillows puff at the movement. "and why's that?"
you shrug gently, eyes meeting his. "you'd probably pick like...slapshot or something that I don't want to watch."
he laughs softly. "and your pick would be better?"
immediately, you hum with confidence. "absolutely it would."
his brows raise and he silently challenges your claim. "okay and what movie would that be?"
naturally, your eyes flat back towards the tv screen - the small collection of movies matt had stopped on mid scrolling staring back at you. there's nothing that initially catches your eye, but right at the end of the list there's one film that nobody could resist.
"pitch perfect," you state, looking back towards matt. his eyes are still on you and his face expression is soft. you clear your throat gently, and your eyes flicker. "not only is it actually funny, but it's a unique story with friendship and romance - there is truly nothing better. it's probably my favourite." you weren't lying, it was one of your favourite movies. something about the film had always held such a special place in your heart, and you couldn't never ignore it when you saw it.
matt could tell you were passionate about the movie franchise based solely on the way your eyes flickered as you talked. he's seen that look on you before - anytime you laughed at his jokes or when you were skating it made an appearance. matt shrugs nonchalantly and clicks the play button. "i've never seen it."
your eyes widen with surprise, "really? matt oh my god." the lighting from the movie's opening scene is shining on you, illuminating both of your flushed faces in the dim bedroom. "well thank god I saw it on there."
"thank god," matt mimics you teasingly. "now quiet down i'm trying to watch the movie."
you laugh into the pillow you'd stolen earlier, trying your best to focus on the movie playing and not matt's side profile - but it proves to be rather difficult.
unfortunately, it's not long before your eyes start fluttering, the long day catching up to you. soon enough, you feel them properly close and you're not strong enough to fight off the much needed sleep.
matt feels a gentle pressure on his shoulder, and he finds that your head has gravitated towards him in your sleep. the sight of your rosy cheeks and puffy lips have him smiling fondly, doing his best at staying still to ensure you would be well rested for tomorrow - he'd make sure to wake you in the morning with plenty of time for you to get ready.
slowly, his eyes flicker back towards the movie that he's obviously seen many times before - he grew up with three woman in the house for gods sake. he just couldn't disappoint that sparkle in your eyes.
— Day 4
you wake up groggily at first, eyes squinting through the unfamiliar bedroom. you focus on the hockey sticks against the wall and feel the warmth of a body next to yours and soon you come to - finally recalling your whereabouts.
you sit up quickly. "oh my god I fell asleep." you sigh, hands panic searching through the blankets in a desperate search to find your phone. in your peripheral, matt hold's out your phone - and you don't miss the teasing look he gives you with it.
"I was just about to wake you up - wasn't going to let you be late." matt mumbles sleepily. he shoves your phone into your hoodie pocket before you have a chance to take it from his hand.
you jump out of bed hurriedly, fixing your disheveled messy bun as you do. his comforting words fall on deaf ears, and you feel panicked. you can feel your heart reaching and the adrenaline pumping through your body. "i've got to shower and then I have to make sure i've got my preforming clothes ready - oh gosh, I also was supposed to text shay and help her go over a move for her routine and-"
"hey," matt says gently, gently taking ahold of your biceps - grounding you. you didn't even notice him get out of bed, as you were too busy going over the endless notes app you had curated in your head. his thumbs stroke against your skin soothingly, distracting you from your moment of anxiety. "I made sure you'd have enough time for anything like that, okay? and look I don't even need to wake you up, so you've got a few extra minutes to spare. you're okay."
you nod at his reassuring voice and for the first time since waking up in a state of confusion and panic, you feel like you can breathe properly. "okay," you smile gently, allowing a much needed exhale to escape from your heavy lungs. "i've gotta go now."
matt releases his comforting hold on your arms, shuffling backwards a few steps to give you some space. although you definitely weren't opposed to his presence so close, you now didn't have to crank your neck upwards to look at him properly. "okay," matt responds, running a hand through his sleep disheveled hair.
"thank you!" the relief you feel in that moment is like nothing else, and you finally let yourself smile properly. although, you still feel rushed thinking about everything you needed to do in the next two hours. you're just thankful matt was planning on waking you with enough time to spare. you're overcome with gratitude for matt's kind gestures spanning over the last 24 hours and you can't help yourself from showing it. quickly, you dart up on the tips of your toes, placing your hands on matt's thick chest for balance as you reach up to plant a kiss on his cheek.
matt's eyes widen with surprise, and an amused smile tugging at his mouth at your action. he looks down at you softly, but you don't catch it, too rushed in gathering yourself and heading out. "i'll see you later!"
you're out of the quick's house faster than your feet can handle, and you make it to your rental car parked in the long oval driveway in record time.
it's not until your driving away, gracie abrams voice soothing you over the radio as you turn onto the road does your brain catch up to your own actions. your mouth falls in shock.
you had kissed matt. on the cheek granted, but still. you curse yourself, holding a hand to your forehead to try and calm your rapid heart and burning skin.
-
nervously, you knaw on your thumb - nibbling on the skin around your nail bed until it becomes uncomfortable. the metallic taste on your lips is a momentary distraction from your own frantic brain. you can't stop thinking about matt - more specifically, the kiss you had smacked onto his cheek as the sun was rising.
your mind is reeling thinking about what he is making of your random burst of affection. is he weird out or uncomfortable by the kiss? did he care? did he not want to preform with you anymore? does he regret inviting you over last night?
it doesn't help that you're at the practice arena and matt hasn't shown up yet. all the other partners had been on time, and all of the skaters and respective nhl stars were already going over their routines. not you though - you waited nervously in the musky scented hallway, still tearing away at your thumb as you watched the doors.
you think that matt must be upset with you. he was late because the kiss had put him off and he was procrastinating spending time with you. your lips release your thumb and immediately you run the hand over your freshly styled hair, feeling yourself become somewhat emotional as you begin to pace the hall.
just as think to call it quits, pack up your stuff and just go home, the door swings open. matt walks in looking slightly breathless, eyes heavy as he searches the area. he spots you rather quickly and begins to make his way over, an unreadable look on his soft features.
immediately, you start to apologize. "i'm so sorry matt! I shouldn't have kissed you - it was so rude and unprofessional of me! I can understand if you're mad at me or want a new partner." you ring your hands out nervously, eyes not once straying from his face - desperately trying to get an insight on his expression.
matt's eyebrows pull tightly towards the centre of his face, and he shakes his head confused. "what? i'm not mad at you."
you swallow, "you're not?" matt shakes his head no, and a small smile begins tugging at the one corner of his mouth.
still feeling confused and worried, you find yourself frowning, "then how come you were late?"
"am I late?" he questions curiosity, not intending to receive an answer. matt doesn't make an effort to actually check the time or anything, and he only shrugs with nonchalance- his always playful smirk growing. "I stopped at a coffee shop - do want decaf or regular?"
you blink. "what?"
he laughs once. matt puts the takeout tray down on one of the benches lining the hallway corridors, slipping the two drinks out from their respective holes. you hadn't even noticed matt had been carrying coffees until just now - when he walked in, you were too damn anxious to focus on anything. he lifts the two cups closer to you, "decaf coffee or regular coffee? I don't have a preference so i'm fine with either."
"decaf," you finally mumble. matt smiles, passing you the local cafes branded paper cup. you eye the lid, fiddling with the opening flap as you try and and attempt to collect your own scrambled thoughts. "so you're not weirded out?"
matt swallows his mouthful of coffee, "by what?"
you laugh once, tone full of disbelief. "I kissed you."
his brows raise, "yeah you did."
"i'm sorry I don't understand what's happening right now." you sort of laugh out - the confusion of the whole situation coming to a head. you press your hand to your forehead, looking towards matt through your lashes as you try and gauge his unreadable facial expression. you're not so much worried about him being angry with you now, because clearly that's not the case. he seems really casual about the whole thing, which has your stomach flipping.
"right now," matt takes a step towards you, practically pressing himself against you with his frame. his tongue slips out, wetting his bottom lip as he stares down at you. "we are having some coffee before heading out to practice our figure skating. we are also briefly discussing how you jumped me this morning and attacked me with a kiss."
his teasing and exaggerated explanation immediately has you feeling much lighter about the situation- your earlier panic dissolving. you gently scoff at him, and you can't think of anything else besides flicking him in the chest - a small punch of retaliation. "matt seriously I was panicked thinking I fucked this up."
he laughs gently, a shake of his head following suit. "no," his words are like a whisper, a gentle tone that kisses the skin of your face as he speaks. there's a twinkle in his eye, one that comes anytime he wants to push your buttons. "i'm used to your pervy antics by now." with his free hand, matt reaches towards you and fluffs your hair around, covering your face as he does.
you screech, the sound quickly forming into a giggle as you try and swat him away. it proves to be a difficult task without your vision and the use of both hands - your decaf cup still clutched tightly, liquid sloshing around as you squirm.
matt's laughter subsides and he slows to a pause - his free hand gently brushing any strayed curled hair back into its proper place. your vision is back, no longer impaired by the strands of your hair.
he swallows gently and you can feel his fingers tickling along your hairline. matt tucks some final strands comfortably behind your ear, fingers grazing the shell. your previous smile slowly fades as you watch him and his eyes that are solely focused on you. matt's hand doesn't leave the side of your face, fingers cradling your over cheek and against your ear.
you have never been so entranced by anybody like the way you are with matt. for god sakes, you've only known the guy less than a week, but there was something about him that felt so much like home - a safe space for you and your heart. it was almost scary how quickly you find yourself beginning to heal because of a man you barley know. but that's just it, you think, it feels like you've known him a lifetime.
"let's get to practicing," matt says reluctantly, pulling away from your body after stroking your cheekbone with the pad of his thumb. the cool air of the arena replaced his warm embrace and you shiver gently. he places down his coffee cup beside the tray he'd earlier left on the bench, "I can see duclair's routine and it looks too good - we gotta beat him."
you breathe out with laughter, placing your cup beside matt's almost full one. "let's not forget the reason we are just starting practice is because you were late." you begin to walk with matt towards the rink, the icy scent filling your nostrils.
matt scoffs, "yeah because I got you a coffee." he steps onto the ice, immediately twirling so he's facing you. wordlessly, he helps you step out onto the ice, grabbing your hand.
"bribery will get you nowhere."
he snorts, "okay you better remember that when you try and plant another kiss on me-"
you yelp, hand coming up to cover matt's mouth before he can continue.
-
matt had absolutely blown you away. he nailed the mini figure skating routine, which not only made you feel good about your teaching abilities but also had you feeling proud of matt - his hard work and commitment to learning something new was admirable.
the feeling of finishing the routine was amazing in itself - but when matt had smiled brightly down at you before wrapping his thick arms around your waist in a hug, spinning you around (the perfect twizzle may you add) was just even more incredible. you don't even find yourself caring how the affection might look in the eyes of the camera or the thousands of fans who will be watching. you’re too happy with everything to worry.
once all the routines have been preformed, the little league team had decided that demi and dawson were the winners. although you were slightly disappointed with loosing, you heard some of the boys giggling about how 'hot' demi was and how cool it was that dawson knew jack hughes - so you weren't too concerned about your routine being lacklustre: the win wasn't decided on skill.
so although the kids didn’t declare you and matt the champions - matt's lingering touches and sweet grin had you feeling like a winner.
— Day 5
"we are not naming him rempire state building."
you pout at matt's statement and your arms tighten further around the gigantic duck plushie. "please - I love that name."
"it's not even a name." matt challenges, his laughter like a sweet melody over the rambunctious sounds of bells and coasters. he continues, "it's just my last name added onto a famous skyscraper."
you tut your tongue, "and that's just it - your last name." cradling the duck closer to your face, you rub the fluffy fur along your soft jawline. matt gives you an unimpressed look, but the smirk pulling at his lips contradicts his stare.
the wind picks up slightly, and a cool breeze comes - slipping between carnival booths and rides and sending a chill over your exposed skin. shivering, you hug the duck plushie closer, attempting to warm yourself up.
the goosebumps on your skin have you wishing you’d brought some kind of jacket. that has you thinking back to only a few hours ago, when matt texted you.
matt rempe
hey, beecher and drysdale wanted to take you, shay and emilia out to the carnival tonight for your last night in new york!
matt rempe
also as like a huge thank you for putting up with our annoying asses for the past week
matt rempe
please say yes to me or ill cry
y/n y/l/n
big baby
y/n y/l/n
i'd love to go to the carnival with you
matt rempe
i'll pick you up in 30
matt rempe
and bring a jacket, it's supposed to get cold
obviously, you forgot a jacket. the wind continues its gnarly sweep, and the summer night temperature drop has you thinking of fall weather. you subconsciously seak human warmth and you shuffle in close, tucking yourself into matt's side.
matt chuckles knowingly at your shivering. he picks out some of the fluffy cotton candy he'd be keeping in his hoodie pocket - letting the sticky desert melt on his tongue. "I told you to bring a jacket."
"I forgot." you're pouting again, tucking your face into the duck.
matt swallows the treat in his mouth, and his steps decrease in speed as he comes to a slow stop. wordlessly, he pulls off his black sweatshirt, and he holds it out to you. "here."
"I don't want you to be cold." you say timidly, your eyes darting between the article of clothing and matt’s expectant eyes.
"I don't want you to be cold," he laughs softly, furthering his gesture. "give me perv so you can put the hoodie on."
you eye him. the real reason matt didn't want to name your beloved stuffed duck that he'd won at one of the balloon popping games rempire state building was because he wanted to name it perv. immediately you expressed your disagreement- you were not naming the cute stuffed duck perv.
regardless, you hand him the duck in exchange for the article of clothing. the cool summer air has you further feeling chilled and you don't waste anymore time. you pull on the sweatshirt, and immediately your enveloped by the lingering body heat and smell of matt. "thanks."
he smiles, passing back the stuffed animal which you immediately begin hugging tightly once again. matt reaches into the pocket of now your hoodie, pulling out the bag of cotton candy so he can further snack as you begin to start walk along again.
"I think you should rethink the name perv," he pitches between chewing, his arm brushes against your shoulder as you both leisurely stroll the fairgrounds. "it's cute."
"it's not cute," you squawk, "it's quite literally perverted." reaching towards him, you reach into the plastic bag and rip off some of the blue cotton candy. plopping it on your tongue, your fingers become sticky as it melts, and you suck the crystallized candy clean off.
matt watches hazily and he swallowing thickly. clearing his throat, his eyes find the crowd infront of him once again, distracting himself with the busy grounds. "you're no fun." he says after a pause, and he side eyes you playfully with a smirk on his face. "just wanted to name it after you."
you laugh loudly and steal some more cotton candy from the mixed bag. "that makes it worse! why you insist on calling me perv is way beyond me."
suddenly, beecher throws his arm around your shoulders, coming up behind you with shay hot on his heels. it scares you momentarily, but you have no chance to scold him as john starts steering you towards the other side of the carnival grounds. "we're all doing that."
to accentuate his words, he points towards the neon lights of the laser tag sign. it lights up the dusk fallen fair - hues of green, blue, and red covering your body as john guides you towards the pop-up.
"oh god," shay all but whines from behind you, her feet dragging. "I suck at laser tag." she states once you’re all standing at the end of the lineup, her dark lips forming into a pout.
john's arm leaves your shoulders so he can turn towards shay - presumably to pester her about her lack of enthusiasm.
matt pulls on the pocket of your (his) sweatshirt, tugging you towards him and eliminating the little bit of space that was between you. you hold your breath with anticipation, letting matt practically manhandle you as he tucks you into his torso. he looks down at you with a playful expression, "you've played laser tag before?"
matt’s possessive handling from just moments ago has your adrenaline running and you’re not sure if you can form a coherent sentence. you shake your head no, glancing up towards matt through your dark lashes. clearing your throat, you ask, "is it hard?"
he smirks, "you'll be fine."
you're definitely not fine. you’ve since discovered that laser tag is not your forte, and to make it worse, matt got put on the opposite team with shay, emilia and jamie. you had beecher on your team, but he was no help. you haven't seen him since the beginning of the game when he started to run away from you - shouting about he had the perfect snipping spot.
the laser tag gun is heavier than you expected, and you keep having to dodge acne prone teenagers who have their sights set on targeting you.
the light up vest you have to wear is hurting your shoulders, the rough material rubbing against your skin uncomfortably with every move you take. the neon signs are providing the only light source in the space, and you keep have to squint to get a proper look at your surroundings.
for what feels like the hundredth time, you peek around the corner you've been hiding behind, trying to look through the shadows to make sure the coast is clear. you want to at least make it to the other side of the course before the game ended. a shadow dashes by, quick on their feet. you hold your breath, trying to stay still to not get caught. just when you think you're in the clear, the silhouette turns to you and darts behind your corner.
the lighting above adjusts, flashing a dark blue. you continue to hold your breath with anticipation and prepare for the stranger to shoot your target and eliminate you. the light moves over their face, and you can finally see them properly. instantly, you breathe out with relief.
matt's smirk makes your stomach feel warm as he looks down at you, his laser gun hanging loosely at his side. "how's it going?" he asks playfully. matt reaches towards your vest, teasingly tugging on the arm opening.
you huff with exhaustion and let the gun you’d be dripping for dear life fall to your side. "I haven't gotten a single target because i've been too scared to move - I don't think i've left this corner in 10 minutes. and these kids from your team, by the way, keep trying to find me."
matt chuckles lowly, his teeth igniting underneath the blacklight above. "I know - they keep talking about trying to get out the 'hottie'" he air quotes with his fingers, mimicking their words.
you pull an uncomfortable face, and a strangled whine passes through your lips, your eyes closing with a combination of embarrassment and annoyance. "i'm toast."
the sounds of running shoes stomping on the ground and children's laughter grows louder, signalling that they were getting closer to your hiding spot. your eyes widen.
quickly, matt wraps an arm around the dip of your waist and he pulls you against his chest. he spins you both around so that you're pressed further against the wall, deeper in the corner. you're both completely enveloped in darkness, and you can only make out the silhouette of matt’s features.
your mouth opens, but your words immediately dir on your tongue. quietly, matt shushes you with a playful quirk to an eyebrow, the top of his index finger brushing along your bottom lip to further his point.
all you can muster is a slow nod in response, as you’re too overwhelmed by the feeling of matt all over you to form any words. the way his strong chest flush was against your breasts, and his hips pushing against the pudgy part of your stomach. matt's arm is still tightly nestled around your waist, and he makes no move to change that.
you can only hope that he can't feel your rapid heartbeat or staggered breathing - the nerves you was currently experiencing were just downright embarrassing.
"this may be a bad time," matt's voice is barley audible over the sound of the post malone song playing over the speakers and the distant sounds of people laughing and talking. "but you smell really good."
you tilt your head farther back to and properly look at him. your chin practically presses to his chest as you do, reminding you of just how tall he is. "what?" you whisper meekly in question.
"all I can smell is your shampoo," a faint smirk appears at the corner of matt's mouth. "I can't help it, your head is right under my nose."
you were adorably struck, a little smile beginning to grow on your lips. "so what you're trying to say is you've been sniffing me?"
he huffs out a laugh, "no - it's just a strong scent."
you swallow gently, blinking slowly. between you bodies, your hand begins to tingle with numbness, and you slowly maneuver it out- pressing your palm flat shading matt’s stomach. you fight the urge to clutch the material of his soft shirt in your hands - wanting to grasp as much of him as you could.
matt jerks slightly, and his eyes meet yours through the dark. his adam apple moves as he swallows thickly, and you can feel his fingers flex around the softness of your waist.
you breath quickens, and you drop the laser gun to the ground. matt doesn’t flinch at the sounds, his eyes never leaving your face. now with your hand free, you let it slide along the side of matt’s torso, slowly tickling him with your nails. you need him in every way possible. you need his laughter, and his teasing smiles, and his touch, and you desperately need his kiss.
you lick your lips slowly, your tongue making sure all creases are moistened. “matt,” you whisper with vulnerability. this time, you don’t fight your own urges, and you let your fingers take whole of his shirt, keeping him pressed to you. “being with you is healing my heart.”
a genuine smile takes over matt’s face - not one of his slay playful or teasing smiles, but a real one. his eyes hold admiration, darting between your face as if he can’t decide which feature of yours to look at. at some point, he must have also abandoned his gun - the hand he was using to hold it now reaching towards your face. matt holds your cheek tenderly, thumb pushing some hair off your face and holding it to your ear.
“I see her!” the shrill voice of a pre-teen yells out from behind some faux rock structure.
matt pulls away quickly and bends down to grab his laser gun. it has you blinking hard, shaking your head to try and clear the fog that had clouded there within the last few minutes. your skin is on fire, and your aching all over. thoughts of matt now feel impossible to not have.
you lean down to grab your own abandoned gun. as you stand back up, you’re met with the familiar teasing eyes of matt, and he’s borderline laughing to himself. he’s got his laser gun pointed at you, the stream of red light directly hitting your target.
"matt," you warn, "don't even think about it." although you’re pleading, you can help the giggling that falls from your mouth along with your words. you can’t even form the thought of shooting him first, too wrapped up in the attention of right now.
matt cocks his head playfully, "think about what?" he questions you brightly, gun still aiming directly at your glowing vest.
you take off, running back out into the main area of the course. you can feel matt hot on your heels, and the adrenaline of it all has you shrieking in laughter as you try and escape him.
usually after such an intense moment with somebody, you were unable to shake off the shaking feelings and tension that came with it. but with matt, you’re immediately moving forward. the comfortability you’re experiencing with him is something you’d never believed in. honestly, you never really though friendship could exist in romantic interests.
if their was anything you learned from you ex, it was that relationships were meant for sex, lying, and deception. now you know that’s not what a relationship means and having trust, fun, and friendship is the only kind of relationship foundation you deserved.
— Three Weeks Later
opening your email to find a thank you from the nhl social admin team a week after arriving home was a nice surprise. the mass email was inviting you and the other figure skaters to an all expenses paid trip to new york, where you'd get to watch the rangers home opener.
the way your stomach flipped at the thought of seeing matt again was so sensational. you weren't aware that it was possible for you to miss somebody as much as you did him.
the morning after the arcade, matt has insisted on driving you to the train station after he helped you return the rental car. he didn’t want you to pay for an uber, and frankly you didn’t feel like it either. the goodbye hurt you, and you remember your throat feeling scratchy with emotions while he hugged you. matt had pulled back, momentarily eyeing your soft lips….and then the train started to board and you had to leave matt and new york behind.
your chest clenches at the thought, but instead of pain that had been tugging at your heart- it was beating for a whole knew reason.
you accepted the trip offer immediately and you were already planning on what you’d wear to your first ever hockey game - nothing to do with wanting to look your best for your crush…totally not.
briefly, you think about texting matt to tell him about the trip you’d be making, but you ultimately hesitate. you don't want to affect his play or focus in the rangers home opener. if all he can think about is you watching in the crowd, it could negatively impact his game. long story short, you’d hate to be the reason he feels overwhelmed.
you had texted shay soon after responding to the email invite, and she had excitedly told you she’d be making the way down from pittsburgh to be there. thankfully, shay was up to date on your ongoing feelings for matt, so the together the two of you brainstormed over text, ways to suprise matt.
your stomach was spinning with excitement for the remainder of weeks before you’d be with matt again.
—
hockey games were turning out to be more fun than you initially expected. the fans around you were all so enthusiastic and cheerful that you couldn’t help but join in. shay and you had been chanting and jumping for three whole periods. anytime the rangers scored the building became electric, and you understood why the players would thrive off that feeling.
like planned, with only 5 minutes remaining in the third and final period of the game, rangers leading 6-2, you opened the camera on your cell phone. first, you and shay smiled brightly for a picture, both of you wearing your blue and red rangers memorabilia. the second picture was the ice, capturing the players zipping around from 15 rows up the stands.
y/n y/l/n
*attached: two images
hey I think shay and I got lost? can you
help us identify this arena ??
the period ends soon after, and you and shay wait a few minutes for the majority of the crowd to disperse. then, using your passes gifted from the nhl social administration team, you both make your way towards the players tunnels.
your phone buzzes.
matt rempe
what?
matt rempe
are you seriously here?
instantly, you’re smiling and the butterflies fluttering around your belly increase by thousands. you lean back against the cool wall to keep yourself from buckling forward - knees going weak with anticipation.
y/n y/l/n
come out of the locker room and find out
a couple of long, antagonizing minutes pass before you see matt. he walks out of the locker room, appearing from behind the grand new york rangers branded doors. his eyes dart through the cluster of his teammates, their families and staff collected in the waiting area - eyes frantically searching for you.
like gravity, your eyes finally lock. instantly, your mouth morphs into a smile, and you push off the stone wall so that you're once again standing upright. you pocket your cellphone in your jeans back pocket, and your cheeks burn with warmth.
matt pushes his way through the crowd, apologies tumbling off his lips quickly as he rushes through the room to try and get to you.
shay mentions something about seeing you back at the hotel room, but you can’t even fathom her words. as matt gets closer to you, you can feel your body spin with excitement - it's all so different from anything you've felt before. it’s refreshing and feels just so right.
finally, matt gets through everyone and he finally reaches you. instantly, he grabs ahold of your flushed cheeks with his large hands. the smell of arena shower soap fills your senses, and your grin triples in size. the scent is so familiar- so matt.
he doesn't say anything to you, but he does lean down and connects your lips together. it feels so right. it feels like he’s the puzzle piece you’d been missing, or the feeling you’d get when you’d find your airpods after months of looking everywhere - kissing matt feels like decaf coffee and the rush of figure skating and the most beautiful song lyrics.
you didn't know kissing could be so pleasant. the way matt's lips caress yours and skillfully slip along yours have you melting into a sticky puddle.
you sigh into his mouth, and your own hands reach out to touch him. they slip into the opening of his his suit jacket, resting on the sides of his strong torso.
matt’s back is bent forward in a way that's borderline uncomfortable, and soon his upper back will start to burn from the strain - but matt didn't care. he had missed you so much…more than he's ever missed anybody in his entire life. the feeling was so unbelievably foreign to him, but he never wanted it to go away - never wanted you to go away.
your lips separate for a second, and you take the opportunity to catch your breath. you chest is heaving along with matt’s but that doesn’t stop him for almost immediately leaning back in - pressing two more much softer kisses to your glistening lips.
one of his teammates whistle teasingly in the room, but you can't even hear it - the only sounds in your ears is the pumping of your own blood, and matt’s breathy groans against you.
he pulls away and a slow, flirtatious smirk crawls its way across matt's flushed face. his thumbs gently run along the indent of your cheekbones, a soothing feeling contrasting your frantic heart. "I should've done that the moment I met you." he breathes the confession.
your laughter was a familiar and welcoming melody, dancing through the crowded room and filling matt's chest with joy. "that would've been ridiculous, matt." you tell him honestly, hugging his torso and resting your chin on his chest.
"yeah," he agrees with a playful gleam, "but that's how long i've been meaning to do it. I haven't stopped thinking about since the moment I saw you in the meeting room last month. when you left on that train, I thought I was going to fall to my knees in agony.”
his dramatics have you rolling your eyes, but you’re grinning nonetheless. “you’re such a-“
“little shit?” matt interrupts knowingly.
you shake your head, “charmer.”
the air between you turns thick once again. matt leans back down towards you, and he captures your mouth in another breath stealing kiss.
he pulls back an inch, eyes still closed as he rests his forehead against yours. “can I confess something really charming?”
you giggle. “oh god, what is it?”
“I don’t even like coffee - only bought two that day so you’d have options.” he smirks playfully.
“little shit.”
matt blows a raspberry to the space between your neck and shoulder, erupting a shriek from you as you try to escape his tickling lips.
you'd make the long distance work - you'd both work together to make your new connection work from different cities. although, you think it can't be too difficult. if you can manage to fall for a stranger with a broken heart, just imagine how much you can accomplish with a healed one.
───────── ౨ৎ ─────────
#🤍⊹˚₊ cute and hughesy fic#matt rempe#matt rempe imagine#matt rempe x reader#matt rempe fic#matt rempe fanfic#new york rangers#new york rangers imagine#nhl x reader#nhl imagine#nhl fic#nhl fanfiction#nhl#nhl hockey#hockey imagine#hockey fic#hockey
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call it what you want | jack hughes
pairings: social media au jack hughes x singer!reader
summary: after being bullied to the point where you stop making music and posting online, you finally come back
yourusername posted!
liked by jackhughes, _quinnhughes, lhughes_06 and others
yourusername new single “call it what you want” out tonight 😉
view comments!
user1 STOP WHAT THIS IS SO RANDOM
user8 SHES FINALLY POSTING AND MAKING NEW MUSIC AGAIN OMG
hater1 go disappear again no one cares
user1 no one asked for your opinion
jackhughes 😝
user6 ARIANA WHAT R U DOING HEREE
user7 STOPP
user2 NOT JACK COMMENTING
user3 AND JACK AND HIS BROTHERS LIKING??
user4 “nobody’s heard from me in months i’m doing better than I ever was” LIKE WHATT user8 i'm so happy shes finally back
user5 no cause her and jack r defo dating
yourbsf IM SO EXCITEDDD (I’ve already heard it 10 times)
yourusername ily 🫶🫶
yourusername posted!
liked by jackhughes, _quinnhughes, lhughes_06 and others
yourusername ‘cause he really knows me
view comments!
jackhughes ❤️
user1 NOT THE SOFT LAUNCH
user2 THIS LITERALLY CONFIRMS IT
hater1 she doesn't deserve jack
hater2 yeah he needs to realise he was better off with his ex yourbsf no one asked for you guys to comment if your only going to say things that aren't true xx
lhughes_06 gagging
yourusername literally get off my page
_quinnhughes no but he’s not wrong
jackhughes you guys r such haters
yourusername ^^
user3 AHH STOP I CANT THEY ARE LITERALLY MY ROMAN EMPIRE
7 months later
yourusername posted!
liked by jackhughes, yourbsf and others
yourusername new jersey! thanks for having me 🫶
view comments!
user1 JACK WAS SPOTTED IN THE VIP TENT OML
user2 why can’t they just announce it already 😭😭
yourbsf who’s in that second picture I wonder
user2 jackhughes
user3 u did not tag him 😭😭
jackhughes why am I being tagged
yourusername idk
user2 THEY BOTH REPLIED OML
hater1 she's so ugly
yourusername posted!
liked by jackhughes, _quinnhughes, lhughes_06, yourbsf and others
yourusername just going to leave this here
view comments!
yourbsf finally
lhughes_06 only took them like 2 years
user1 OMG WHAT 2 YEARS??
user2 "I recall late november" IT'S ABOUT HIM THEY HAVE BEEN DATING SINCE THEN LIKE THE TIMELINE MATCHES
jackhughes i love you ❤️❤️
yourusername love you too 🫶🫶
user3 THEY R SO CUTE
lhughes_06 ew
yourusername why are you in my comments luke
lhughes_06 do you think I want to be here
yourusername your literally sitting across from me
lhughes_06 🙄
other links!
nav, masterlist, nhl masterlist.
#jack hughes x reader#nhl hockey#nhl#jack hughes#jack hughes imagine#social media fic#fic#fanfic#fanfiction#luke hughes x platonic reader#new jersey devils#social media au#jack hughes social media au
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GRACE X MACKLIN 🌟🏒☁️
macklin celebrini x hughes!sister au!
meet gracelyn hughes 🐈⬛🎸🫐 fc: claire cottrill
✮ age: 18
✮ nicknames: grace, g, & 'the coolest hughes' by trevor obvi
✮ education/hobbies: grace studies psychology at the university of michigan while being a singer/guitarist for her small indie band, red summer.
✮ family: her older brothers, luke (20), jack (22), quinn (24), all play hockey in the nhl! her parents, jim and ellen hughes, also play/played hockey. she's super close with all of them; they spend every single summer together at the lake house in michigan!
✮ g's quirks: she's never had a bf! she simply hasn't had a care for being in a relationship & her brothers are super protective (mainly jack!!); she loves lorde (she is the physical embodiment of pure heroine) + lunar vacation; her parents tried to get her into hockey when she was younger but she always ended up talking to the goalie when everyone else was actually playing the game; she has some tattoos + a nose piercing; her favorite movies are lady bird, booksmart, and the edge of seventeen! she's literally kat stratford.
meet macklin celebrini 🏒⭐️🌊
✮ age: 17
✮ nicknames: mack & celly
✮ education/sports: macklin is currently playing hockey for boston university.
✮ family: his older brother, aiden (19) plays on the same team as him at bu! they have two younger siblings.
✮ mack's quirks: he's had the biggest crush on grace ever since he learned about the hughes family. to be honest, that's probably the biggest reason why he hasn't been in a relationship in college yet. he's been holding out for her.
about the fic! -> a little backstory & some stuff to know 😇
✮ grace is macklin's celeb crush! if you want to read about how they met, here's the link !
✮ i had her as an olympic figure skater in the fic linked above because i wrote it before creating this au! now she's a guitarist/singer for a band!! 🎸🎸🎸 (i also just love rockstar gf + biggest fan bf vibes)
✮ she first started texting him on february 14, 2024 -> everything will take place after that date!
moodboard!
playlist!
fics ->
✮ "who is your celebrity crush?"
✮ first date
✮ he's a stranger!
blurbs ->
work in progress...
thoughts ->
✮ they're in between coded!
✮ complicated start
✮ pda
✮ cuddliest pair
insta edits ->
work in progress...
#macklin celebrini x hughes!sister 🌟#macklin celebrini#macklin celebrini x reader#macklin celebrini imagines#macklin celebrini imagine#boston university hockey#boston university#Spotify
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just best friends - jack hughes
a/n: this is an ig edit for my a summer thing au. you can find the details on the navigation (which is linked below) but basically reader and jack are best friends because the hughes's lake house is right beside yours but you don't talk at all during the time you aren't at the lake house. eventually the summer before jack goes to the nhl and you go to uni the two of you start catching feelings. this is that summer. this is the second ig edit for that summer and you don't have to read the other one but i recommend. hope you like it :)
jack hughes x fem!reader
a summer thing au with jack hughes
yourusername
Liked by @/ jackhughes, _quinnhughes, yourbestfriend and 103 942 others
yourusername - but i knew you, playing hide and seek and giving me your weekends
Tagged: @/ jackhughes
View Top Comments
yourbestfriend - stunning as always but i'm still pissed you abandoned me to spend your summer with jack
↳ yourusername - i would never abandon you
↳ yourbestfriend - you would for jack
↳ jackhughes - who wouldn't honestly
lhughes_06 - could the caption have a double meaning...
↳ yourusername - you're too much of a swiftie luke
↳ lhughes_06 - are you gonna confirm or deny though
↳ yourusernmae - luke it literally is just a way of saying i've known you since we were kids
↳ lhughes_06 - suuuuure
alexturcotte - did he for real take you fishing??
↳ yourusername - yes and it was the most boring day of my life
↳ jackhughes - you literally read for fun y/n, what could be more boring than that
↳ yourusername - fishing is
jackhughes
Liked by @/ lhughes_06, yourusername, colecaufield and 604 403 others
jackhughes - summatime
View Top Comments
colecaufield - there's an awful lot of y/n pictures in there
↳ yourusername - i am the star of the show
↳ jackhughes - shut up i don't wanna hear it
nicohischier - you and y/n look cozy, jack
↳ jackhuges - is there no such thing as being just friends?
_quinnhughes - summer love is so cute
↳ jackhughes - all of you get out of my comments
↳ _quinnhughes - no
alexturcotte - i mean can't even blame jack y/n is beautiful
↳ yourusername - awww thanks alex
↳ jackhughes - ........
trevorzegras - well aren't you two just the prettiest couple
↳ jackhughes - we aren't even a couple
↳ yourusername - we don't even like each other like that
↳ trevorzegras - whatever you need to hear sure
thanks for reading🫶requests are always open for fics, blurbs, ig edits and just thoughts!!
taglist: @woodruff-edwards @nicohischierz @makarhughes @cobrakaisb @huggy-hischier94 @boldysswld@cole-mcward48@kashee-h@kjohnson-91 @jackhues @corneliaskates @imma-mirrorball @hvghes @emptyflowerpots @h0e4fictionalme-n @ivy-34 @jayisamirrorball @diary-of-jj @estapa94
join my taglist
#jack hughes#jack hughes x reader#jack hughes imagine#nhl imagine#fake ig edit#social media au#hockey#nhl#x reader#trevor zegras#cole caufield#alex turcotte#luke hughes#quinn hughes#claire tries writing <3
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7 rings (insta edit) | jack hughes x popstar!reader
summary: after your public break up with famous nhl player jack hughes, you start honing in on you icon status and spending all your energy on your friends.
note: i will be using ariana as a face claim for this edit because this era was just too powerful ! also?? Pinterest ruined the quality of all of the tweets so ignore that
8 months ago jackhughes posted...
jackhughes
liked by ynoffical, trevorzegras, colecaufield and others
jackhughes my girl❤️
tagged: ynoffical
load more comments
edwards.73 lhughes_06 your brothers dating THEE yn ln?
lhughes_06 No because I didn't believe it either until they facetimed me
dylanduke25 YOU'VE FACETIMED???
ynoffical hi baby👼
jackhughes hi my love
fan1 NOOO HE WAS MINE FIRST WTF!???
fan2 baby i hate to break it to u but he was never yours
fan1 she's literally the other woman jacks mine‼️
_quinnhughes does mom know?
jackhughes we've called she knows
_quinnhughes ??? hold on you called mom AND luke?? wtf what about me?
lhughes_06 im his fav brother deal with it😎
7 months ago ynoffical posted...
ynoffical
liked by jackhughes, _quinnhughes, and 4.3M others
ynoffical my forever boy⚡️🖤
tagged: jackhughes
load more comments
jackhughes in love with you
ynoffical love u forever
fan3 the cutest couple ever wtf
fan4 least expected couple
fan5 okay.... now release the album we dont care !
6 months ago ynoffical posted...
ynoffical
liked by jackhughes, victoriamonet, and 7.3M others
ynoffical 🥺🥺🤍💍 i'm so in love that its crazy... love u forever
tagged: jackhughes
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victoriamonet congratulations ily🤎
ynoffical ily more🤍🤍
fan0 SHES ENGAGED??? WTF
fan0 yn in her wife era
tysmith_6 congrats you guys🔥
fan0 get your ass back in the studio we want yl5 !
jackhughes love you!❤️❤️
ynoffical love you more.. so excited to get married🤍
6 months ago jackhughes posted...
jackhughes
liked by lhughes_06, _quinnhughes, and 2.3M others
jackhughes were engaged😎🥂
tagged: ynoffical
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ynoffical THE SECOND PICTURE??😭😭🤍
jackhughes we look so cool🔥
trevorzegras i call being best man
colecaufield no me
trevorzegras im literally his best friend?
_alexturcotte its gonna be me sorry boys🥱
_quinnhughes congratulations💙
liked by jackhughes
edwards.73 lhughes_06 BRO WTF NOW THEY'RE ENGAGED??
lhughes_06 yeah i know they called me
_quinnhughes lhughes_06 THEY CALLED YOU?? I ONLY GOT A TEXT WTF?
njdevils congrats ynoffical and jackhughes!❤️🔥
liked by ynoffical and jackhughes
ynoffical just posted !
ynoffical
liked by sabrinacarpenter, victoriamonet, and 9.8M others
ynoffical wearing a ring, but ain't gon' be no mrs
load more comments
fan oh i just know she's MAD MAD
fan BUT AIN'T GON BE NO MRS?? OH WOW jackhughes U SEEING THIS??
normani ❤️🔥❤️🔥
ynoffical
liked by lizgillz, trevorzegras, and 1.1M others
ynoffical bought matching diamonds for 6 of my bitches💍💍💍💍💍💍💍
tagged: victoriamonet, lizgillz, yourbff, and others
load more comments
fan now why is trevorzegras liking this post? he knows damn well..😭😭
trevorzegras i mean i love and support my gf jack but ... i mean the slayage is too much ! her music is just too good😞🙏
colecaufield i agree jacks on his own for this one ! he fumbled so badly😭
fan yn baby those are 7 rings in the caption not 6❤️
ynoffical i bought one for myself too...<3
ynoffical posted on her story !
caption:
if i like it then thats what i get
yuh🖤
ynoffical
liked by trevorzegras, hallebailey, and 6.4M others
ynoffical i want it, i got it yuh ... 7 rings out everywhere tomorrow at 12am EST !
ynoffical
liked by victoriamonet, trevorzegras, and 5.2M others
ynoffical 7 rings is out now... link in bio💍🖤💋
#jack hughes x reader#jack hughes blurb#jack hughes one shot#jack hughes fic#jack hughes imagine#jack hughes insta edit#nhl fanfiction#nhl imagine#nhl blurb#nhl fic
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hi! first off, just wanted to say i love love love your fics especially ‘this is how you fall in love’ and i think i’ve read them all more than what might be normal 💗 i like how you wrote certain scenes and how you managed to balance the fluffy and angsty scenes.
also just wanted to ask, do you have some fic recs for mat? or any other nhl players? i think i’ve read them all already 😭
hi! here's my list of recs!! (it's much easier than searching my blog for the fic rec tag truth be told)
i'm going to split this into a section of my all time favorites (regardless of player)! and then ones i love organized by player.
somethings you need to know BEFORE going on:
mat is my number one baby, so most of these recs are mat fics
i am a happily ever after girly, so most of these recs end happily unless otherwise noted
please support these authors! send them encouraging messages! reblog their works! hype. them. up!
there are a lot of fics that are older (bc i have no chill and will keep checking the tags until i hit the bottom)
here it is:
screaming, crying, throwing up (aka my all time favs)
questions -- anthony beauvillier by @col-islander43
the ENTIRE friends series with auston matthews by @leafs-lover
literally anything by @mendeshoney but here's a list of some of my fav things:
"I've been waiting for you to come to your senses." -- mat barzal
“I love you. But that’s a secret. So I won’t tell you about it.” & 11.) “You’re drunk.” “Yes. And hopelessly in love with you.” -- mat barzal
"I can't wait for the room to stop spinning, so I can focus on your face again." -- mat barzal
"You're so perfect. How can anyone be so perfect? Maybe you're just a dream." -- mat barzal
don't tell me you're my heartbreaker -- mat barzal
girl at home -- mat barzal by @midnightsnyx
this series is still updating!
a tale of dancing and romancing -- jack hughes by @thatintrovertedwriter
tkachuk!reader
paul revere -- mat barzal by @starry-hughes
angst city baby
this entire series see it with the lights out -- mat barzal by @barzysunflower
THIS ENTIRE SERIES IS SO GOOD
and let's just be so forreal, read ANYTHING by her. check out her masterlist! this series just happened to be a fav of mine.
lover of mine -- nico hischier
literally my all time fav nico fic.
graduation blurb -- mat barzal by @ladylooch
"i got you don't worry" -- mat barzal by @bitchinbarzal
second chances -- mat barzal by @bedsyandco
winter magic -- mat barzal by @matbarzyy
show me the places where the others gave you scars -- mat barzal by @miracleonice87
ours -- mat barzal by @puckinghell
cuddles -- mat barzal by @twinklelilstarkey
set it up -- anthony beauvillier by @troubatrain
slip of the tongue -- mat barzal by @jonesinghardy
caught in the middle -- mat barzal by @hockeywhy
this is literally my ALL TIME FAVORITE MAT SERIES (even if it's one part shy of being complete). i love it so much, i go back and read it all the fucking time.
defender -- mat barzal by @sorryjustafangirl
five times everyone knew mat loved you & the one time he realized it for himself -- mat barzal by @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69
general fic recs! (sorted by player)
jack hughes
a little funky by @bagopucks
mat barzal
bad reaction by @jackhues
there's a part one to this linked in the blurb itself
anthony beauvillier
communication skills by @ohmyeyesmyeyes
i'll do my best to keep this list updated at time goes on!
again, go show these authors some love!! send them a message/an ask/reblog!!!!!
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bennguin fic rec list (pt 1?)
in honour of the steers and queers anniversary im making a bennguin fic rec list!! it has 14 fics cuz jamie number :))
i wrangled the fuck out of my bookmarks for this, so enjoy :))
Kelowna: Become Human by LadyJanelly
rating: T words: 8.9k summary: What better way is there for a professional hockey team to make sure their prospects can focus on getting NHL ready, than buying them their very own android?
if you know me, you know i am a GIANTTT fan of detroit become human, so this fic is a dream come true for me. it is literally great too like i love it. tyler prioritizing jamie's orders over his programming... oughh....
Custom, Discreet by inlovewithnight
rating: E words: 12k summary: Tyler accidentally discovers Jamie's kink. He is so very on-board.
LINGERIE FIC!! we love.... we love that its JAMIE in the lingerie.... oughhhh
Must Love Dogs by SpiritsFlame
rating: G words: 12k summary: It doesn't occur to Jamie until he's standing on Tyler's front porch at 3am, barefoot, that maybe he should have called first In which Jamie Benn steals a dog, gets his best friend back, and combats toxic masculinity. In more or less that order.
i love this fic so much. cute ass fucking dog. PHENOMENAL use of the premise.
Featuring Marshall by wutheringjane
rating: G words: 4.1k summary: Tyler's latest video was called "GUESS WHO'S GOING TO DALLAS"
YOUTUBER AUUUUUU!!!!!! oh my god i am OBSESSED w youtube aus. and this ones so fucking cute too. theyre fans of each other your honour
the old brag of my heart (I am, I am, I am) by Mayhem10
rating: G words: 9.9k summary: Sometimes people forget that Jamie Benn exists.
this is part of the condition of existence series, and it's the second one in the series, but the whole series is phenomenal. i replay tyler's discovery moment in my brain over and over (OH YEAH, READ THE FIRST ONE DIRECTLY FROM THIS LINK)
Pitches Love Velocity by bohnem990
rating: T words: 12k summary: There’s no use in talking about money to Tyler, Brownie knows. It’s the reason that Brownie was the one to major in business in college, while Tyler majored in drinking with a minor in marketing. “If you want to drop a grand on one night at a sports event can’t you at least spend it on a real sport?” Several people, Tyler included, gape at him. “Like hockey,” Brownie barrels on, “We could totally go to a hockey game. We’re Canadian, Segs! We’re supposed to eat, sleep, and breathe hockey!” -- Alternately : “Dude,” Brownie laughs, “I think Jamie Benn’s agent just asked you to fuck him.”
THIS FIC. tyler at the restaurant lives rent free. FRAT BOY ASS. i love them so much.
Something Wild by Linsky
pairing: tyler seguin/jamie benn
rating: E words: 3k summary: The girl on Tinder is typing again. why don’t you show me how good you are with a cock Tyler coughs and drops his phone. That’s—wow. He did not expect her to go there.
oh my god. oh my god. tyler is such a dumbass here and i love it. im OBSESSED. 10/10 misunderstanding fic.
something over nothing any day by clawsandsympathy
rating: G words: 1.5k summary: “About this time on Hawkeye in the Morning, we run a little segment called Second Date Update. When someone has a great first date but never make it to the second date, they call us and we try to help them out. Tyler, can you tell us how you met Jamie?”
i think this fic is adorable. the concept is so fuckin cute and i think its executed well w some tropes i really like :))
I Know a Little Chapel by Linsky
rating: M words: 4.5k summary: Tyler Seguin is a very good wedding planner. Which is why he’s not freaking out that Jamie Benn of the Dallas fucking Stars is sitting in his office.
wedding plannerrrrrr auuu!!!!!!!!! tyler planning jordies wedding isnt something i knew i needed but by god did i
sneeze by Anonymous
rating: T words: 5.3k summary: Tyler had never actually heard Jamie purr. It was the strangest goddamn thing.
THIS FIC IS ADORABLE i love the story around why jamie's purrs are Like That. and tyler misunderstanding. ough ITS PERF
let's give them something to talk about by Anonymous
rating: T words: 2.6k summary: ashlee @/messysegsy - Sep 15 why does it feel like everyone got #OneTImerTour tickets except for me??????? @/tylerseguin please explain (5 replies 3 retweets 20 likes)
first part of the rheotaxis series!! i am a big sucker for social media aus, and aus in general, and musician/hockey is a trope i LOVE (shout out to that mceichel fic) so this is the perfect fic for me. unironically perfect.
scar tissue by eternalvariegation
rating: T words: 12k summary: Jamie still remembers when they were practically living out of each other’s pockets, the memory twinging like a muscle he hasn’t used in a long time but that his body hasn’t forgotten. It was probably inevitable that they’d see less of each other once Jamie formally requested that they no longer go into the field together but it still hits him sometimes. The tangible feeling of loss despite it having been his own decision in the end. Tyler didn’t speak to him for a month after he found out.
SPY AU oh my gosh. "partner doing what he thinks is best for other partner. it is not best" is such an insane trope and i love it so much in this fic. done incredibly well. please read this.
Arms of the Sea by LadyJanelly
rating: T words: 3.7k summary: Jamie gives her back to the sea when she dies, three years into their marriage, their baby still inside her. He sews her up in sailcloth with the porridge pot she brought from her mother’s house, a stone from their shared hearth, scaling knife, thimble and needle. He sails out to the deep water and lowers her into the water, weeps as she sinks into the ocean’s embrace. He sails back to land and gives his boat to his brother. He will not return to the ocean. It is a graveyard to him now. He finds a job in a logging camp, and for a year his feet are dry, his lips do not taste of salt.
incredibly emotional and beautiful fic. op wonders whether their execution of the concept is dull and pretentious in the opening notes and i think that is the worst part of this fic, only because it does such a disservice to it. RAHH i love it
wandering bee seeks the rose by clachnaben
rating: E words: 8.7k summary: Jamie Benn coaches a youth hockey team and Tyler is a determined Hockey Mom. Meet cutes and queer women and youth hockey
yk i had to shout out the lesbians to round it out. sexy hockey mom tyler lives in my head rent free and i dont even like women.
#fic recs#bennguin#tyler seguin#jamie benn#a bit late but ignore that#hope you like this list cuz i have a potential second one
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Just a PSA to say that for anyone looking to worship Sophia - you do not have to be a Christian (Esoteric, Gnostic or otherwise) to have Her as your goddess.
Sophia is not the "wife of God" or "bride of Christ". Sophia is great Goddess in Her own right. As Barbelo She is the Forethought of the All and the Mother of the Pleroma. She is the Creatrix of the cosmos, flaws and all. She birthed a Daughter, Zoe, without a male consort. Zoe is Life, She is the breath of holy wisdom in all living things. Sophia's supposed flaw in the Gnostic myth is that her desire to reproduce without a male resulted in the Demiurge, but I firstly don't believe in the Demiurge, and secondly reject the idea that Sophia's supposed lesson is Her conforming to joining with a male to be whole. As mentioned, She births Zoe on Her own, who is benevolent. And so the idea that She must be placed beside a male divinity feels wrong to me. The Gnostic texts were not supposed to be literal and were written in an extremely sexist and heteronormative time. There is no need to stick to that.
Sophia is Mother, Daughter and Absolute Mystery. Sophia can be worshipped as God (or Goddess) in Her own right and not as a consort or counterbalance to the masculine Christian deity.
Those who do worship Her that way, that's perfectly valid, I'm not knocking that at all.
I just wanted to state this because I struggled for years as a Sophian devotee but not wanting to involve Yeshua or the Christian Father God in my faith. But my heart still yearned for a masculine deity. I thought that could only work with someone linked to any of Sophia's mythos' but I just felt nothing for them. The Sophia I follow has many stories and poetry surrounding Her, some of that is Christian, some of it is Jewish, some is Plato, some is Filianist. She transcends any single religion or location.
My Lord, the Horned One, has no ties to Sophia. At a stretch, in his form as Lucifer he can be seen as a parallel to her. I also headcanon that Lucifer is the archon Sabaoth mentioned in the NHL texts. Sabaoth witnesses the glory of Zoe and, enamored by Her, disowns his false father and is risen up to sit at Her side. But there's mention of a romantic union between them. He is Her chosen steward but not Her equal, He is Her loving subordinate.
But I rarely interact with my Lord as Lucifer, He mostly comes to me as Pan or Cernonnus. His station is much the same, He is not this "great Father God" who sits on High - I believe Sophia needed none to help Her birth creation. He is however a fatherly god, his energies replenish the land and he helps it to thrive, He is also brother and friend.
Again no disrespect to anyone who does worship Sophia as the consort to the Christian Father God or Jesus. This is just for anyone like myself who fell in love with Sophia but didn't want to feel they had to then be a Christian of any sort.
#divine sophia#filianism#goddess sophia#barbelo#zoe sophia#the nag hammadi library#eclectic pagan#goddessian#déanism
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the motherpucking tea
surprise, another gossip blog!
but this one will be a little different from most. our gossip isn't exclusive to your favorite players on your favorite teams, ladies, no. the options are endless.
submit information about hockey fans behaving badly, being gross, or being creepy (say... a certain reselling creep from a certain team in the garden state🌿) - it's important for everyone to be aware of their surroundings, especially on social media or at a brand new arena they're visiting
fan section - (in the works) answer questions from other fans about your team's arena, and what it's like to go to games there or how to obtain special experiences, the best food to try, etc!
submit your damn gossip. give it to me. however, unlike most, if it’s something intense that needs to be said, i'd prefer your reliable sources. of course, you will be kept 100% anonymous, but i'm not going to just go along with an outlandish rumor or something that could be HUGE or really bad just because an anonymous person on the internet told me it was true. that's insanity.
expose badly behaving creators (bloggers, twitter accounts, tik tok, etc.) if there is someone out there posting harmful content about a player, a team, or anything bad, we'll call it out here!
debunk submitted gossip (under #debunked)
recommend gossip blogs when i don’t have information! i know a lot, but not everything, and there are blogs who cover MANY more teams and players than me, and know more than i do! if you have a recommendation for someone who knows a lot about umich, or the kraken, or the canucks, etc., etc., send them in with the link to the original question i couldn’t answer! (plus, you guys, imagine what we could get done if all of us blogs formed a whole network. literally nhl gossip girl, webs everywhere, it’d be amazing imo) 💋
NOTE #1: your misogyny towards any girlfriend, wife, whatever woman is associated with your fav, will not be tolerated. if you have genuine criticism of their behavior with tangible proof, not just an "i heard from someone i know who's friends with" statement, so be it, but insults of appearance, intelligence, etc. do not have a place here
NOTE #2: any racism, homophobia, xenophobia, transphobia, etc. ALSO do not have a place here. hockey is for everyone, and so is my blog. if you have a problem with that, please go fuck yourself. 😌
NOTE #3: this blog is BRAND new and constantly being updated. bear with me, and let's have some damn fun 😤
NOTE #4: please bear with me on tags and organization! i will get there, i'll try and make it run as smoothly as possible asap!
NOTE #5: want your fav’s astrology analyzed or their tarot read? send in a submission! astrology analyses will be under the tag #puckstrology and tarot will be under #puckingtarot 🔮
#hockey gossip#jack hughes#trevor zegras#cole caufield#philadelphia flyers#boston bruins#team information#arena maps#sammy marcus#luke hughes#prudential center
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So with the forever falls apart au, I have a few questions. First off, what was the fight about, what was so bad that she asked for a break?Secondly, do Idris and Jack ever get back together at some point? I’m just curious
oh my gosh hi nonnie, you just made my day. I love when people ask about my lil' AU. I put a 'keep reading' on this because it ended up being a lot longer than I expected.
I'm going to go ahead and link the timeline I have for them posted on here. (now some information is retracted because some of it will be revealed in the chapters). But to answer your question, it's not necessarily one thing that happens for Iddy to be like 'I'm done peace out homeboy.'; It's a lot of little things over a very long period of time, the first being that they weren't dating until Idris was already pregnant and two semesters away from graduating college. So it's not like they had a relationship to fall back on like a 'us pre-kids' history. Which is fine but it is a small background factor to them breaking up. Although, they had known each other and been in a sort of messy friends with benefits situation for quite some time. In fact, when Idris told Jack she was pregnant, she made it very very clear to him that she was ready to raise the baby by herself if needed and didn't need him if he didn't want to be involved. Especially, since he was 20 when she got pregnant and he was really just starting to get settle into the NHL. (I can write a lil one-shot on this because it's a lot more detailed in my head than I am making it seem). But basically, Jack admits his feelings and that he wants her and the baby in his life.
They were the perfect little family till Zander was about 2 months old and Jack's hockey preseason was starting up again. Idris was by herself with a young baby, sleep deprived, a dog that Jack insisted on but was never around to help take care of, and the pressure of kick starting her own career since she graduated that past May. It's just a lot of emotions and hormones and then she immediately gets pregnant again. But it does get better even though she is literally running on fumes from basically October till May when the devils season ends. Thankfully Zola is born in May, so Jack is very much around and hands on and gets to experience a lot of things he had to miss with Zander. But the more he helps, the more it's obvious that something is wrong with Idris and she is really really struggling with postpartum depression and not feeling like she's a good mother especially to Zola who seems to only ever want Jack. Which as you can imagine makes roadies impossible and now Idris is home alone for days at a time with 2 babies and a dog and a cat. She doesn't really want to accept that something is wrong and Jack really does try at first to help her. But, the way that Idris went about fixing problem was throwing herself into her career which was taking off. So when they started fighting about how nothing is ever done. Plus Jack is stressed with not having the best season in 2024 starts with how she needs to be home. Idris was raised by a single mother for reference and the way Jack says it (well it isn't kind).
All that is sort of the beginning of the end for them. It only gets worse when last season Jack wasn't having the best season due to playing through an injury. By March 2024, they're sleeping in separate beds. But when it comes out that Jack can't finish his season and needs surgery. She is there for all of it, all the tears of frustration, all the PT, everything all while still being a mom and working remotely. Although, at the time they still aren't sleeping in the same room since no one is in the Michigan house with them. They do 'decide' for lack of a better term, that they will pretend to be a happy couple to Jack's family (basically his parents - because Luke lives with them and Quinn is her bestie so..). Plus they think if they pretend maybe they can make Quinn and Luke believe everything is okay. Let's just say, in July my sweet baby Zander 2nd birthday was not how it was suppose to go and shit very much hits in the fan. It't the first time Idris starts having serious doubts and immediately feels guilty for it but never voices any of them aloud. They are never really the same after that, and ultimately Idris asks for an out two months later in September.
So that in a nutshell is what makes them spilt. To answer your second question I was against answering if they ever got back together, because I felt like it spoiled the story. But I also was never planning on summarizing what happened to them splitting and wanted to originally write it. But fuck it I guess, they do eventually, it's not soon and it probably won't happen they way you guys think it will.
timeline
#till forever falls apart#clare speaks ☕️#please keep sending asks I love talking about this little AU I created#or even just random concepts it really does make my day
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ok sure zellweger is cute but is he any good?
IS HE ANY GOOD! oh you are definitely going to regret asking that question anon.
sit down i have to educate you and this WILL be lengthy and WILL include way too much information because i can't like something normally. many sources will be sited. so buckle up, buttercup.
(disclaimer, i realise this is all junior hockey stats and "that's not the nhl!" i don't care, we can have this conversation again in a couple years.) ANYWAY
olen zellweger! olen freaking zellweger!
start with the basics: 5'9", 180 pound left shooting defenseman currently playing for the kamloops blazers in the WHL. he was chosen 34th overall by the anaheim ducks in 2021 and he compares his game to samuel girard.
another one of those "hm if he was bigger he would have been drafted higher" defensemen.
"okay but why do you keep calling him the saviour of the anaheim ducks?"
1) it's a joke
2) is it really?
3) click below and find out!
hello to everyone that clicked, this is going to be lengthy!
real quick, his card from last year, for those who like stats:
he's no longer playing for everett and this is last year's, as stated, but i am ALWAYS ready to talk about zelly's playing.
first:
not necessary but this answer is nothing if it's not self indulgent.
also, when reading these, remember he missed a month for world juniors.
fun WHL stats to note for the stats folks:
zelly has the second highest shots on goal total this year, out of any player regardless of position. oh, you may ask, who is he second to? well, happy to answer! he's second only to connor bedard.
he has the most shots on goal on the power play out of all players in the whl, though, regardless of position.
he has the highest points per game % of any dman in the WHL (last time i checked...it's about 1.5?) and among all players with 15+ games he's still top ten.
in 13 games with the blazers he has 23 points.
"that's just the WHL" well, he also just won back to back gold at world juniors, so there's that! while getting named a top dman and player and being one of the top scoring dmen in world juniors history.
but say you aren't a stats folk. say you want analysis of his skating and shooting and various other aspects of his actual play. i can give you that! oh, also, some video, just for the heck of it.
he is literally always in motion. if he's on the ice, he's skating and making plays. i've never watched a kamloops game and been unable to tell if olen was on the ice, because if he is, you'll know.
his zone entries are as good as any forwards - he's often called a 'one man zone entry machine', which is well earned. his ability to transition through the zones with ease is insane. (i'm nothing if not a provider of video links few will click on)(this goal is good though, so i would rec clicking this)
his compete level is insane as well and he just - never stops. he's always involved, in every zone. he's extremely talented defensively and he's so solid and strong.
his passing is fantastic (with video proof, of course)(one in team canada colours, sure, why not) and his stick handling is disgusting. like his hands? filthy. (as always, video proof ) he has a great shot (here) (here) (here) and, like i mentioned, he has a lot of those.
and his skating oh my god. do you want poetry, anon? his crossovers and edgework...well here's a video or two if you want to truly appreciate his skating. maybe another for fun.
some fun videos to really hammer home my point.
so, anon, yes he is cute, but most definitely he is good at hockey.
also his body looks like this
so that's fun. not the point and if u want my feelings about him as a person you'll have to ask that separately.
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Gentle. (Ryan Graves)
After meeting in the airport, Ryan and you meet again and it's perfect.
Note: this was requested, I will find the request and link it. One day.
Warnings: +18. Penetrative s*x. Oral s*x (f receiving). I'm new to the NHL and this is my first proper fic/ one shot.
"Oh fuck" You groaned "I wasn't looking, sorry" You said in automatic mode.
Two big hands were grabbing your shoulders steadying you.
"Are you okay?" the person made you turn around.
It was a man. A really tall and attractive man. You literally gasped when you saw him and blush crept up to your cheeks.
"I'm so sorry. I'm in a hurry and I wasn't looking" You repeated yourself.
He was tall, huge. He had long hair, pulled back in a bun. His big eyes were light and he had a soft and gentle smile on his lips. He was dressed on a suit and he looked so handsome.
"It's fine. Did I hurt you? I hit you pretty hard."
You shook your head.
"I'm fine." You smiled.
"Yeah?"
You nodded. "Thank you"
"It's okay. It was nothing."
You heard your flight being called again and sighed.
"Um... Nice to meet you. But I have to leave."
"Yeah, of course. Have a nice flight. And don't crash into people"
You giggled and he dropped his big hands from your shoulders.
"Have a nice flight to. And I will try"
He said goodbye with his hand just as you started to walk backwards.
"Look where you are going!" He said laughing.
"Yes!"
He laughed and watched you walk away.
"Nice to meet you too!"
You both were left with some funny feeling on your bellies and blush on your cheeks.
.
.
"So you met a man at the airport and fell in love with him and you didn't even ask his name." Rachel, your friend asked as she sat on the table.
You nodded ashamed.
"I'm an idiot. I was... I was shocked, girls. I really was like, what? He was beautiful"
You drank the last sip of your drink and left the glass on the table.
"I can't believe I'm this stupid. But I simply can't take him out of my mind"
"How long has it been?"
"8 days"
Ally sighed dramatically.
"I'm sure there is a way to find him"
"How!?"
"Well, what do we know?"
"We know he is really tall. Like really tall. He has long hair but I don't know how long because he was wearing a bun. And he has light eyes and skin. And his hair is black and his hands are really big. He was dressed so nicely. His suit... It fitted him so well"
Rachel laughed.
"Big hands. Cool. I will start filtering guys with small hands"
"Yeah, I will continue with people with light eyes and skin" Ally laughed too. "YN honey. You should start with guys in suits"
"You know what? I hate you"
You got up and walked to the bar, where you asked for your favorite drink and waited for it. Once you had it, you turned around but...
"Wow, hey. Careful there" Two big hands in your shoulders and that familiar voice made your head dizzy.
You looked up and gasped. Second time you gasp when you see him. You told yourself.
"You" He said and a smile appeared on his lips.
"You" You said mimicking him. "You are here"
You were feeling such a relief. You had literally been dreaming with him for 8 days. You hadn't taken him out of your mind for 8 days. This time he wasn't wearing a suit and his hair was down, but his trousers and sweater made him look insanely perfect. Plus, the long hair was such a look.
"So are you" He said with a bigger smile.
You laughed. You wanted to hug him, you were so happy. But you didn't because you didn't know him.
"How are you here? I-I thought you were traveling"
"Yeah. So did you"
You had really met in an airport in another state and had found each other back in a bar in New Jersey.
"I was traveling here. I was coming to New Jersey"
"Well, I wasn't. But I'm back here now"
"You live here?"
He nodded.
"Same!"
He chuckled.
"I can't believe this" He said.
The unknown airport man seemed genuinely happy.
"I don't even know your name"
It hit him fully then. You really didn't recognize him. He had thought about it during the flight. But now? He was sure. You didn't know who he was. You just saw him and not Ryan Graves the defender for the Devils. He thought about giving you a false name but instantly threw that into the bin. Better hide the truth than tell a lie. He could just tell you later if he felt comfortable.
"I'm Ryan"
You smiled satisfied with yourself.
"I'm YN" You bit your lip. "Um... Can I get you a drink?"
"I should be the one..."
"Oh, c'mon." You rolled your eyes. "It's 2022. We have evolved as a society"
He laughed and lifted his hand in surrender.
"Go ahead, then."
You payed for his drink and felt his hand on your waist just as he picked it from the bar.
"Do you want to go and sit somewhere?" He said on you ear.
You could feel him towering over your back and you were feeling weak, well knowing where you wanted this night to end.
You nodded.
Ryan guided you through the crowd to a table on a corner. Some people had said hi and others looked at him. He was praying for no one to ask for a picture or something. Meanwhile, you just thought he came here often.
"Do you come often?" You sat on the stool in front of him.
He nodded.
"Yeah. Quite often. My t- mates. My mates from work and I come here."
"Are you here with them? Am I interrupting?" You worriedly asked.
It made him smile.
"No, don't worry. They will be fine. You aren't here alone, either. I suppose"
You shook your head. "I'm with my friends"
"And... I'm not interrupting"
If they knew you had found your mystery man... You laughed and he looked at you with a weird face.
"Sorry, it's just... I have talked to them about you"
"About me?" You saw how his cheeks turned slightly pink.
You blushed too, even deeper. You felt your neck and chest warm.
"I-I... Told them about the airport."
"Oh... And... Why is that?" He was curious.
"Fuck, Ryan. Are you really going to make me say it"
He nodded with a little smile. He wanted to ear it from you.
"Well... You... Impressed me"
"Impressed you?"
You laughed nervously and ran a hand through your hair.
"Yeah, well. I-I thought you were really... Handsome"
He almost couldn't hear the last part.
"Did you?"
Someone watching you two from afar would laugh because you were awkwardly sharing looks and blushing like two kids.
"I did. Sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable"
"I thought you were really pretty too"
You bit your lip.
"I was looking like shit."
"I already know you look great at your worst then"
"Oh, c'mon." You hid your blush under your palms and looked down. "Don't say things like that"
Ryan smiled and reached to touch your hand gently.
"It's true"
"Well, in that case, you also look great tonight."
He laughed.
"Is that revenge? Are you trying to get me all shy?"
You nodded while laughing.
"Is it working?"
"A bit"
You smiled.
"So... You work in business or something?" You asked. It had been moving around your head.
"No. No. Why?" He asked nervously.
"Well, you looked pretty serious with that suit the other day"
He bit his lip.
"Yeah. Sometimes... We have like this dress code for traveling and more serious stuff"
"Oh."
You wanted to know more of him, but he didn't seem like wanting to tell more so you just stopped.
Silence fell and you felt a bit awkward. But then someone pushed you and Ryan had to trap you on his arms.
"Oh fuck" You were grabbing into his white wool sweater and he had one of his hands on your lower back.
"Hey man, be careful" He told the guy that had pushed you.
He was slightly surprised, looking at Ryan with big eyes and quite tense.
"I'm sorry, man" He muttered. "It wasn't my intention"
"Yeah, just be careful next time"
The man went away but you didn't move. Was that slightly hot? Yeah.
"Hey, are you okay?"
You nodded.
"That guy seemed kind of scared"
Ryan nodded. Who would want to fight a big ass hockey player?
You didn't move from there, you found yourself standing between Ryan's legs while he kept you close with a hand on his legs. Him being sat in the stool was also better because you were both at the same height now, more or less.
"I suppose" He said. "He should be more careful"
"It's fine. I'm fine. It's a crowded bar" You said and cupped his cheek.
It was then when you notice on his chin a scar.
"Ow. What happened here?"
By instinct, he brushed the scar with his thumb.
"It was at work" He muttered.
You gasped.
"OH shit, Ryan. Where do you work at?" You said frowning.
He chuckled.
"I really thought you were a business man and now you have a big scar here you got at work"
"It was an accident." He shrugged it off.
"You better be safe" You told him looking into his eyes.
"Why is that?"
"Well... I was hopping to have a date with you. I can't if you keep having accidents."
Ryan smiled and brought you closer.
"I'll be careful."
"What was that for?" He said with big eyes and quite stunned.
It made so much sense. You and him. It made sense even when you barely knew him. So you leaned and gently kissed his lips. He parted his lips instantly, inviting you in and pulling you closer. You slid your tongue into his mouth and he hummed softly. Your hands slowly made it to the nape of his neck, twirling around strands of hair and pulling him closer to kiss him deeper. Ryan made a pleased noise and pulled back slowly.
"I-I don't know."
He cupped your cheek and pulled you back for another kiss. You felt your cheeks warming and your whole body asking for more.
"Can we... Can we go somewhere else?"
He nodded and stole another kiss.
"Are you sure?"
You nodded slowly.
"Okay. Let me grab my things. I'll see you outside."
So you two parted ways.
"Who the fuck was that?" Ally told you while you picked your things.
"The airport guy"
They both gasped.
"That one?"
You nodded. "I'm going home with him"
They both gasped.
"With him?"
By their faces, you knew he was behind you. So you turned slowly.
"Hey..."
Ryan gave your friends a tight smile.
"Hi." He said and looked down at you. "Let's go?"
"Yeah"
You said goodbye to your friends and pushed Ryan quickly before they could embarrass you in front of him. Ryan was glad because he knew that at least one of them had recognized him.
"Sorry if they were weird"
Ryan smiled a bit and let the bar door close behind you after letting you pass.
"It's okay"
"Yeah?"
He nodded.
You admired under the street lights how perfect this man looked. His hair flowed easily over his shoulders due to the soft breeze and his coat made him look even bigger. He took a step closer to you and you had to lift your chin to look at him.
"Do you live close?" He softly asked. If he had to take you to his flat, it would be obvious who he was.
"I do."
So gently, he grabbed your hand and a smile crept to your lips. Ryan leaned forward and kissed you again.
"I don't do this often" You whispered with your fingers on his chin.
"Neither do I" He was a long relationship guy. But the idea of having you like this...
"Okay..." You chuckled softly. "Let's go slow then"
He kissed you again.
"We have the whole night, right?"
You nodded. The wall to your house took longer than usual because any of you seemed to care about time. He easily had his arm around your shoulders and you yours around his waist.
"Favorite color"
"Blue" You answered with a smile. "Where are you from? And don't say Canada because it's huge"
"Nova Scotia"
"OH wow. And... How did you end up here?"
"Well, a job offer. I suppose it's the same for everyone. Leave home for a good opportunity"
You nodded.
"And are you happy?"
He nodded with a smile.
"It's what I've ever wanted"
"That's truly amazing"
Ryan looked down at you. He almost told you, but then you started talking about what had brought you to the city and he closed his mouth. But he was happy, he found really cute the way you spoke and the way you smiled while telling him.
"And... I found this apartment by accident when I crassed on the poor owner"
"No" He was trying to not laugh.
"Yes"
"You really go around crashing with random people, huh?"
"Yeah and finding amazing things"
After realizing what you had said, you deeply blushed and avoided his eyes. You turned to open the door and Ryan smiled.
You could feel his presence close to you and his whole figure over you.
You walked together to the elevator and made the whole way to the fifth floor sharing looks and smiles, one standing in front of the other.
Then you welcomed him in and Ryan walked pass you, brushing his knuckles with yours.
"It's cozy"
"Small. And expensive" You smiled. "But I like it."
He turned to you.
"It looks like you. It suits you."
"Well, thank you. I worked a lot to make it a home"
You walked closer to Ryan just at the same time he took his coat off. He looked down at you with those grey eyes and took a deep breath. Soon, his big hand was cupping your cheek and a second later his lips were on yours. The kiss tasted better than any other. It was slow and deep, highly passionate and it made you feel warmer on the cheeks instantly.
Ryan was quick to pull you up on the table, making it easier for both of you. And just when his tongue slid between your lip, you let your hands slide under his sweater. He sighed and pulled your hair so you would show him your throat. There was something about the way he moved and he treated you, about how gentle he was. He was really careful although his fingers were tightly wrapped around your hair as his lips devoured down your neck. He bit your throat enough to make you gasp but not to cause pain.
You lowered your hands to the edge of his trousers, following it to the front and hooking your fingers on the belt. He pulled back and his green eyes fell on yours.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. And you?"
"Yes"
You unbuckled the belt without tearing your eyes from his and Ryan smiled.
"Where is your bedroom?"
"I'll guide you" You whispered.
Ryan carried you to your bedroom and dropped you softly on the bed, pressing you down to the matters with his own weight and making you moan when you felt him between your legs. He broke the kiss to look at you, checking if he had heard right or wrong. Then he saw your big pupils unsteady breath and he moved again, brushing over your centre and making you squirm in pleasure.
Ryan was kissing down your face and following the neck of your shirt. You wanted to help, so you opened each button slow, leading the way for him. He kissed your neck, the valley of your chest, your abdomen, right under your belly button... And then he pulled down your trousers and looked up at you. You nodded to tell him to go on. Ryan kissed your thigh, sucking softly the skin as he left his hands travel over your now bare legs. He hummed when you ran your hands over his silky hair.
Ryan took your panties off and leaned back. He gave himself a moment to observe your almost bare figure. The shirt open and falling on your sides, the bra covering your breasts perfectly, your legs open for him to fit between them...
"You are really beautiful"
You blushed and nervously grabbed the sheets on your sides. "Thank you"
He smiled and kissed your knee. He made his way slowly down to your centre. When his mouth made contact with you, you gasped. It was as if all the air had left your body. Your eyes closed and you head fell back. Ryan closed his eyes and hummed in you, sending vibrations up to your core. His hands were holding you hard on your hips, keeping you closer to his face and devouring you like a mad man.
You were moaning his name, panting and trying to breath and crying for more. You just wanted to move, to ride his face and get all of it. But Ryan was holding you down and he was strong. It only made you more desperate and whiny.
"Please... Ryan... Oh fuck..."
"What do you want?"
"Your fingers..."
He gave you that and it made you moan higher. You pulled his hair and he moaned too. And fuck, it was so hot. His big body barely fit between your legs, who were pulled over his shoulders and caging him. He was perfectly shaped and you were dying for runing your hands down his back.
The pleasure was intense and you knew you were close. He seemed to know too. "Fuck, Ryan... Oh... You are so good at this"
You came hard, clenching your thighs around his head and not letting him go. He didn't want to do it either, he helped you ride your high and only let go when you begged him to stop.
He pushed himself back and sat on his heels, admiring you. "You are beautiful"
Out of breath, you caressed his abdomen slowly.
"Can... Can you take your clothes off?"
He smirked and did as you wanted. He got naked in front of you and you didn't miss a single thing of it. Again, you wondered how you had gotten to this point with a man like this.
He climbed slowly over you and you let a happy sigh out.
"Have someone ever told you you are a really beautiful human being?"
He chucked a bit and shortly kissed your lips.
You cupped his cheeks and observed his face, pushing his hair back and taking your sweet time kissing over his cheeks, lips and jaw.
It happened slow. He pushed himself in you and you both gasped. The pleasure was... It was great. You felt great. You felt full and his body on your felt like the missing piece. His weight and size made you dizzy. You fingers dragging up and down his back, leaving mark and grabbing whereever they could made him groan. And with each trust, you became more desperate. You were on the verge of crying, but it was all the pleasure. He had you pinned down against the mattress, his mouth was kissing and biting your necks and shoulders, devouring your lips and swallowing your moans, his hands were keeping yours in place right above your head on the pillow (he could grab yours with only one of his), and he was encouraging you. He was so sweet and gentle but was fucking you so deep. It was simply perfect. He was making you crazy.
"Yeah, baby..." He whispered in your mouth when you cried his name.
"Please..."
He pushed your legs even more open with his own.
And soon you came undone. You were still sensitive from before, so it wasn't too difficult for him to fuck you into oblivion. You barely registered when he finished. You barely noticed how he wiped his cum brim your belly with a towel he found in the toilet.
"Hey" He touched your lips with his thumb and you looked at him. "Are you okay?"
You smiled and nodded. Then, you reached to touch his face, to brush the side of his jaw and his chin, were the big scar laid.
"I was serious. You are really beautiful"
He kissed you and laid closer to you. You wrapped yourself around the big man and kissed his chest.
"Stay for the night, please".
"I wasn't planning on leaving"
Sleep dragged you soon. You felt happy. Your misterious airport man was actually a sweetheart that had fucked you like no one had in a while. A big gentle and sweet man.
.
.
.
You woke up and the first thing you saw was Ryan's hair. You were hugging his back and he was keeping your hand on his abdomen and you could feel his slow breathing. But you needed to pee, so you scraped his embrace. When you came out of the bathroom, he was laying face down. He is so perfect, it's unreal.
You decided to let him sleep for a bit more while you got the breakfast ready. On the kitchen you found your phone, you had forgotten about it. You picked it and saw the avalanche of texts. They were all from the group chat.
Rachel: is this your airport man?
A picture of Ryan dressed in white and red hockey gear apeared on the screen.
Ally: fuck YN
Ally: that's Ryan graves honey
Rachel: I can't believe you are currently fucking a NHL player
Rachel: has he taken you home?
Rachel: has he told you he is an NHL player?
Ally: how the fuck did you not recognize him?
Ally: maybe he can give you some friend's number
You were shaking. Why were you shaking? Ryan hadn't told you what his job was. He had hidden it. Why? Had he hidden something else? Maybe he had a family. He seemed to be a family guy. He sure had a wife or a fiancée. What if he had kids? Why hadn't he told you? Maybe that's why he asked to come to your apartment. What was so wrong about it that he had to lie?
You found yourself walking back to the bedroom and pushing the door open. The loud sound startled Ryan, who abruptly sat in the bed. He was confused. What was going on?
"Ryan Graves. You are Ryan Graves" You pushed your phone on his face and he froze. "You are famous. You play on the fucking NHL"
Why were you so angry if you barely knew a couple of things about the sport?
"Why didn't you tell me? What are you hiding? W-What else?"
"YN..."
He got up from the bed and your crossed your arms on your chest. You were angry, yes. But he was standing on his underwear with his messy hair and well, he was pretty and you were weak.
You grabbed his sweater and threw it at him, but he smoothly threw it to the bed.
"First of all, I need you to calm down."
"Don't tell me to calm down"
"Okay. Don't calm down, YN." He took a deep breath. This wasn't hie he wanted things to go. "Second. I'm not hiding anything"
"I don't believe you"
"Well, don't"
You groaned.
"Stop being like that"
"No"
You groaned again.
"Why?"
"I have a good reason. I promise. But I need you to relax for a minute."
You sighed and reasoned. "I think I can do that"
He nodded and pulled your hand. You both sat in the bed, one in front of the other.
"You didn't recognize me"
You shook your head.
"And I liked that."
You frowned. "Why?"
He sighed. "Lately I've got some people coming to me only because I'm an NHL player."
Shame washed over you and you covered your face with both hands and breathed deep.
"I'm so sorry" You whispered looking at him through your fingers. He smiled a bit and pulled your hands. "I panicked"
Ryan sat a bit closer. "It's fine. I didn't have bad intentions, I promise. There is nothing else."
You nodded. "So... You liked me because I didn't know you?"
"No. That was a plus. There are many things I liked about you first."
You blushed and smiled. "I'm really sorry"
He chuckled.
"It was... Intense."
Your face was burning. "Please, forget about it"
He smiled and cupped your cheeks. He gave you the sweetest kiss ever.
"I know nothing about hockey and I almost throw you out of the window, are you sure?" You whispered on his lips.
"Well, I'm used to getting my ass kicked. But you better cook a good breakfast"
You smiled. "Yeah, I can do that"
You did. He sat in your kitchen only wearing his boxers and explained the basics of hockey. Everything seemed so easy, the conversation flowed, the little jokes came with no effort, the sweet kisses every once in a while...
"This is for starters" He had told you.
"Can you teach me how to skate?"
"Sounds like a date"
You smiled and nodded because you wanted nothing more.
"Just tell me when and I'll be there"
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Top 10 Alex Ovechkin Highlight Reel Goals via NHL
thank you to this post for linking this video. literally just downloading and re-uploading because the nhl loves deleting content forever, and i want to save this for my future self.
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I'm legit ANNOYED at the ESPN top 100 players. I REFUSE to fucking click on their link for traffic. But also, having BEDARD on the list at #88?!? WHEN THE FUCKING KID HAS PLAYED LIKE 3 FUCKING NHL GAMES?
Yeah, you know what, I went from RAGE to cackling. This list is literally useless.
You CAN'T even say they created the list to cater to the general public bcos 1) the general public does NOT give a shit about hockey, 2) Bedard is honestly the only one that's an obvious catering attempt, 3) the complete weird ranking of players the general public would have NEVER heard of!
Instead the list appears to be pissing off many fanbases. So I'm really confused about it except to think that it is a list created by ppl who have watched maybe 2 whole hockey games, and went with name vibes & basic recognition?
Who the fuck even knows. Just DON'T click on the article link. Let it get death ratioed on twitter/x-porn name site.
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hi! before reading your fic I’d only ever watched one hockey match at my local mall (there’s an ice rink) and it shook me for real. after reading your fic my interest in hockey has resurfaced, but I have no idea where to start. any suggestions?
HELLO!!! i'm sorry this response is so damn late; it's been hectic af around here (here being...my life).
i am genuinely so excited that you're interested in getting into hockey. it is such a fun sport to be a fan of.
*warning*: this is a super long post, because i wanted to answer you thoroughly and make a list of useful resources in case anyone else reading wsc also wanted to get into watching hockey and wasn't sure where to start.
generally speaking, my recommendation is to familiarize yourself with the basic rules of the game, and then maybe pick a team to start following. being a fan is most fun once you start getting invested in the players on the team and know their stories, their connection to the community, etc.
—basic rules of the game—
there are some more (and less) useful guides online to getting into watching hockey. i'll link you a few; peruse at your leisure (and note that some of these posts are pretty old; they're still overall solid though).
(1) i think this short guide is might be the best place to start. it's just some guy on his own personal blog, i think, but that (weirdly) is what makes it a better take than more "official" sports journalism outlets.
(2) this is a really helpful (and fairly short) guide to the different zones of the ice and what they're called, and some other basic concepts of the game. i think it's directed at parents of kids who are starting to play hockey, but still super useful!
(3) this guide doesn't give a ton of detail but it's solid re: concrete basic steps to take to get into hockey.
(4) parts of this guide are outdated (e.g. brendan shanahan no longer runs the department of player safety and is instead the president of the toronto maple leafs) and it's a little pretentious in the way hockey fans can sometimes be, but it gives a sense of the flavor of being a fan of this sport i think.
(5) more on this below, but 2024 began with a bang, as the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) began it's inaugural (!) season. there are some differences between the NHL and the PWHL, some of which are covered here and here. if you're interested in watching women's hockey, that'll be useful!
—picking a team and how to watch—
[note: i am assuming you live in north america. if you do not, some of this might not apply, e.g. picking a favorite team based on geographic proximity]
if you're starting at a baseline of 0 hockey knowledge, you should probably know the names of three hockey leagues: the National Hockey League (NHL, the best men's league in the world), the American Hockey League (AHL, the NHL's minor league where their young prospects usually play for a few years before transitioning to the majors), and the aforementioned Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL, literally brand new as of a month ago).
NHL Recommendations
—the NHL is a great place to start for watching hockey, largely because it has the best players in the world so the level of play is extremely high and entertaining, and it has some really great personalities in the game right now. i watch the NHL regularly. —if you live in an area that already has an NHL team (or at least one within 2 hours of driving), i'd recommend starting out as a fan of that team. this is bc part of sports culture is to support your home/local team, but also because that gives you more opportunities to see your favorite team play in person. here's a list of all the NHL teams. —watching the NHL on TV or your computer is actually kind of annoying, because the league is run by a bunch of idiots in its bureaucracy. you can watch most games (but for some reason not all of them) if you have ESPN+. here's the nhl's official guide for how/where to watch. —i am a poor grad student so i use other...completely...legal...means to stream NHL games online. they are, as i just said, completely legal (...). but um. nonetheless, if you want to know how to find and use these means...maybe just...shoot me a private message. —if you don't have geographic proximity to any of the NHL teams, there are a few ways to pick a team to follow. some classics:
1. as you learn about hockey and watch some games, you might find yourself starting to have a favorite player. you can start with their team! [message me or send another ask if you want some recs for players to look into!]
2. pick the jersey you think is coolest. it's how kids pick their favorite teams half the time, so why not us? here's a link to an article that that ranks the current home jerseys of teams. i STRONGLY disagree with these rankings, but the photos of the jerseys are high quality so you can see them well. you can also see each team's away jersey and third/alternate jersey designs here.
3. pick a fun, up and coming team to follow. some notes on this: —for example, if i were you and could pick any team, i would probably not pick my very own favs the washington capitals. they were one of the dominant teams of the last 15 or so years because our captain is the greatest goalscorer of all time. however, he is now 38 (ancient by athlete standards) and the team is on its decline. —by contrast, a team like the edmonton oilers is super exciting to watch; they're considered current championship contenders because they have by far the best player in the world, connor mcdavid (aka "McJesus"). they're kind of a heart attack to watch because they have insane offense but not amazing defense, so they score a lot and get scored on a lot. they're a team with amazing history (wayne gretzky's dynasty oilers in the 80s), but were TERRIBLE for decades until mcdavid came around. he's trying to bring the franchise back to glory from the pathetic ashes it turned into. —then there's teams like the montreal canadiens or buffalo sabres, who have been really bad the last while but drafted a ton of great young players who are on the verge of becoming superstars. they'll probably not make the playoffs this year (and maybe not next year) but they'll be on the cusp soon and getting into a journey like that with a young team early on is super fun. —in general, teams i'd stay away from being a fan of, if you have a choice:
-washington capitals/pittsburgh penguins/st. louis blues (formerly top teams in the league, now on the decline) -toronto maple leafs (the most tortured fans (and also somehow the most annoying and entitled), don't join their ranks) -arizona coyotes/columbus blue jackets (disaster franchises (sorry fans of those teams! it's true!!) traditionally have been poorly run) -chicago blackhawks (they do have the next great superstar in connor bedard, but they've had some really messed up scandals in their organization and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth) -new york rangers/islanders (unless you're from nyc...don't)
—recs for current good teams if you want to come in when they're already hot, they're all pretty fun teams tbh: -carolina hurricanes -colorado avalanche (recent champions) -new jersey devils -florida panthers -seattle kraken -vancouver canucks -vegas golden knights (recent champions) -edmonton oilers
—recs for up and coming young teams that will break out in the next 1-4 seasons, i think: -anaheim ducks -buffalo sabres -detroit red wings -montreal canadiens (would be my pick, i low key love them) -ottawa senators
AHL Recommendations
it can be super fun to follow an AHL team if you happen to live near one. tickets to AHL games are SUPER cheap, and the arenas are smaller and more intimate. you get to see some really talented players early in their career before they become superstars, and this can also help you pick a favorite player to follow (and thereby, later, a favorite nhl team) for their career! i love going to AHL games, and did that a lot in high school.
here's the list of AHL teams.
PWHL Recommendations
tragically, i have been so busy in 2024 so far that i haven't been able to get into the PWHL yet. however, i'd really like to, once i have a bit more time.
because the league is in its infancy, there are only six teams: -boston -minnesota -montreal -new york -ottawa -toronto
they don't currently have team names outside of the cities, but i think those are coming next season. for myself, i already know i'm going to be a montreal fan (i lived there for 5 years, and montreal's hockey culture is in my opinion the best in the world).
the pwhl is great for many reasons. -first of all, women athletes. let's fucking go!!! -second of all, we get things like two fiancees playing on the same team (on the same line!!) and celebrating together when they score a goal. -third of all, women's hockey has traditionally had a different ruleset from men's hockey to discourage the more...violent aspects of the sport. but the PWHL...has been honestly violent af so far, at least from the highlights i've seen. could be that hitting is still against the rules, but seems like the refs don't really give a shit, so the games are bloodthirsty lol -fourth, and perhaps most importantly, it is super easy and convenient to watch the PWHL. they stream every (!) game on their youtube channel for free!
for more info on the season schedule and how to watch, look here.
also, speaking generally, i'll probably be reblogging some pwhl content on tumblr so you can peep some of the people i'm reblogging and poke around until you find a team or player you like! :)
OK THAT'S IT SORRY FOR THIS LONG ASS POST I JUST WANTED TO ACTUALLY DO YOUR QUESTION JUSTICE, HOPEFULLY I DID AN OKAY JOB!! PLEASE ENJOY YOUR HOCKEY JOURNEY!!!!!!!!!! <3
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