#jamie oleksiak fluff

[barkbarkbeauvillier]

i won't say (i'm in love)

pairing: jamie oleksiak x reader

genre: fluff

warnings: sickness, swearing, vince dunn is an asshole,

summary: 4+1. the four times everyone else knew you and jamie liked each other and the one time you both figured it out yourselves

word count: 2.8k

a/n: 1. shoutout to my bestfriend for the title (i was shook). 2. this was written for @antoineroussel winter fic exchange. My giftee is @jxmieoleksiaks it was an honor to get to write for you! I hope you enjoy the fic!

[1.]

Your best friend pointed it out first. 

Jamie was going home for Christmas. You were bummed when he first told you he’d be back in Canada for the break, but you knew not all of your friends could stick around for the holidays. Not everyone in your life was born and raised in Seattle, unfortunately. 

“You’ll be at the game on the 22nd right?” he asked. 

“Don’t I come to all the home games?” You teased. You were a season ticket holder after all.

When Seattle got a hockey team, you were quick to snatch up season tickets thankful to finally have a professional team in your hometown. You never thought you’d end up friends with one of the players–actually multiple players thanks to Jamie dragging you to just about every Kraken function in the last three years. At the beginning of this season, Jamie insisted he give you one of his free tickets to the home games so that you wouldn’t have to pay for tickets, but you declined. 

“Do you think you could take me to the airport after?”

A frown tugged at the corners of your lips. Because, no you really didn’t want to take him to the airport. You wanted your best friend to stay in Seattle with you for the holidays.

“Sure Jame,” you answered. 

“You’re the best,” Jamie sighed. “Do you wanna hang out tomorrow?”

The team had just gotten back from a roadie. You were settling into bed when Jamie called, him doing the same. You hadn’t seen him for a week. You did text every day, and you facetimed once after a rough game. He also called you twice, once because he was bored on his day off and the other one because you got off work late and wanted to be on the phone with someone while you walked from your office to your car. 

“Yes! I work in the morning, but my evening is free.”

“We’ve got optional morning practice so I’ll probably go to that tomorrow. Come over after work?”

Not that anyone could see, but you had the biggest grin on your face. “Sounds like a plan.”

Almost immediately after hanging up with Jamie, one of your girlfriends called. You’d been promising to hang out with her for the last two weeks but neither of your schedules had lined up.

“Ok we need to do something before Christmas. Give me the days you’re free.”

“Tonight and the 23rd,” you answered her.

“Dammit!” She swore. “I’m free tomorrow and the 22nd.” 

“Jamie and I just planned to hang out tomorrow. And by just planned I mean literally I got off the phone with him not even a minute before you called.”

“Ugh,” she grunted. “Fuck him. Oh wait… you’re trying to right?”

You giggled nervously. “Shut up.”

“You’re probably hanging out with him on the 22nd too huh?”

“There’s a game that night and then I’m taking him to the airport after.”

“Oooh taking him to the airport… that’s a big step Y/N.”

Even though she couldn’t see you, you rolled your eyes at her. “I’ve taken him to the airport multiple times.”

“Yeah you suckered yourself into being his ride. It starts with just one quick offer and then pretty soon it’s just a given that you’ll be taking them.” 

“And then they leave you two years later for their intern?” It was a low blow but you didn’t mean it in a hurtful manner, nor did she take it that way. She’d gone through the grieving process of her last boyfriend dumping her and immediately getting with his intern and now you were able to joke about what an asshole he was.

“Exactly!”

“Good thing me and Jamie aren’t dating then,” you added.

“You could be though. It’s pretty obvious you two like each other as more than just friends.”

You decided to change the subject. “What are you doing on the 24th?”

[2.]

Penny pointed it out next.

Jamie’s family was at the game. You recognized Penny almost instantly, it’s not every day a multiple Olympic medalist goes to a Seattle Kraken game– that and you’d been with Jamie on a few occasions when he’d FaceTimed her. It took you a minute to recognize his parents, but you’d seen photos of them at Jamie’s place and on his phone and figured the two people walking with Penny had to be them.

You didn’t hesitate to introduce yourself when Penny joined you at the glass, likely waiting for the team to come out for warmups.

“You’re Jamie’s sister right?” You asked. You held your hand out, giving her a big smile. “I’m Y/N. Jamie’s best friend.”

“I thought you looked familiar,” she said and shook your hand. “Nice jersey. I’m sure it gives Jame an ego boost to see you in it,” she teased.

“He won’t let me wear anyone else’s number. Says it goes against the best friend code.”

Penny rolled her eyes with a laugh.

“So, what are you doing here? Jamie said he was going home for Christmas.”

“We wanted to surprise him. He comes home every year. It’s about time we go to him.”

“Hey Pen.” Jamie’s mom had met you both at the glass, smiling at you the whole time. 

“Hey mom. This is Y/N,” Penny introduced for you.

You swore his mom’s smile got bigger. “We’ve heard a lot about you. Jamie’s so grateful for your friendship. I’m Allison.” She stuck her hand out and you shook it.

“Jamie’s gonna be so excited to see you guys.”

And he was. When Jamie saw the four of you at the glass during warmups, his smile grew ten times its original size.

“Hey, come find us after the game, ok? We’re gonna hang out and wait for Jame and you should stay and hang out too.” Penny asked, just as they were all about to make their way back to their seats as the game was about to start.

“I will. I’m technically his ride anyway,” You laughed. “I was supposed to take him to the airport tonight.” 

When you’d met up with everyone after the game, Jamie insisted you come back to his place with him and hang out even longer. And you couldn’t tell him no when he practically begged you to come over. 

After their parents went to bed, Jamie suggested a movie night with you and Penny. Except thirty minutes into the movie he laid his head down on you like he did during most movie nights and it wasn’t long before he had fallen asleep.

“You can’t tell him I told you this but he totally has a thing for you,” Penny spilled suddenly.

You couldn’t help but smile. “You think so?” you asked, glancing down at the man in question asleep with his head on your lap.

“I don’t just think, I know so. You should give it a shot.”

Your cheeks felt warm at her words. Jamie was your best friend, but of course you always wondered if there was something more there. There was for you, but you never wanted to put your friendship in jeopardy by admitting it. 

“I know you like him too,” Penny added. 

And maybe she was right.

[3.]

Schultzy nagged Jamie about it for weeks. 

“Come on man,” Schultz groaned, eyeing you across the room. “You mean to tell me you haven’t hit that once?”

They were all at the new years team party. You were busy chatting with a few of the girlfriends that had come tonight. Jamie figured you must’ve just been complimented on your outfit tonight as you had glanced down at yourself and turned side to side just slightly, showing off more of the attire.

Jamie shook his head. “And don’t say it like that. Have some respect, man,” Jamie scolded.

Justin put his hands up. “Sorry.”

“So can I hit that?” Vince teased.

Jamie glared at him. “No. And not because I like her, but because she deserves better than some horny hockey guy.”

“It was a joke,” he defended.

“It wasn’t funny.”

Vince nodded his head. “Sorry. You’re right.”

“And you’re positive you don’t like her?” Justin asked. 

“We’re just friends,” Jamie swore. He couldn’t take his eyes off of you though, and the guys he was sitting with caught on.

— —

It was the same during warmups when Jamie had caught your eye. You hardly ever missed warmies during home games and it had now become part of Jamie’s routine to skate by you and place his hand on the glass, you doing the same. It started as a high five, but your hands began lingering longer and longer each time.

“If you don’t like her, why do you always look at her with those lovey dovey eyes?” Schultz chirped, giving Jamie a slight check when he had skated away from you.

“I don’t,” Jamie defended.

Schultz rolled his eyes.

“I don’t!” Jamie yelled after Justin as he skated off.

— —

“Hey, drinks at my place tonight.” Brandon caught Jamie just as he was leaving the rink. 

“Sorry man. I can’t tonight. Y/N’s got car troubles.”

Jamie was on his way to pick you up. You’d had a bad day at work, but the icing on the cake was that your car wouldn’t start so you were stranded there. You called him in a fit just shortly after he’d gotten to the locker room.

“Ditching us for Y/N again?” Schultz asked, throwing his arm around Jamie’s shoulder. “You’re sure you don’t like her?” 

Jamie rolled his eyes. “Let it go.”

“Dude, you’re ditching out on guys night for her. It’s pretty obvious you like her as more than just a friend.”

“She had a bad day, man. I’d do the same for you if you had a bad day. If you were having car troubles, I’d come jump ya, or pick you up.”

Schultz snorted. “Yeah ok. Even if that was true, you gotta admit that it’s different with her.”

And Jamie didn’t want to admit it, but he knew that was true.

[4.]

It was Jamie’s mom who actually got him thinking about it though. Of course it had crossed his mind multiple times and he always felt some pang of guilt when he told his friends he didn’t like you like that. He felt jealous when guys would flirt with you, extra jealous if it was guys on his team. 

Whenever you two were alone, he sometimes wondered if there was something more there than just friends. He tried not to let the thought overwhelm him though.

“So, why do you want my soup recipe again?” Allison asked.

“Y/N is sick. I was gonna make it for her and bring it over.”

“Are you two dating yet?”

“No,” Jamie laughed. “No, Ma. Just friends.”

“Your dad says you look at her the way he looks at me.”

Jamie smiled to himself. “She’s my best friend though. What if I go for it and it doesn’t work out? I don’t want to risk our friendship.”

“What if you go for it, and it works out better than you ever expected?” she countered.

“So that soup recipe?” Jamie changed the subject.

Allison wouldn’t let him. “How many of your friends would make you homemade chicken soup when you’re not feeling well?”

“Y/N would,” Jamie answered quickly. “Oh.” He realized then what his mom was hinting at. Maybe there was something there. Something more.

“It’s obvious to everyone else, but oblivious to you two,” Allison laughed. “Alright. You got a pen ready to write this down?”

When his mom has finished repeating the recipe, Jamie brought up something he never thought he’d ask, or at least didn’t think he’d ask so soon. “Hey Ma… when did you know that you were falling for dad?” 

— —

[+1.]

The knock startled you. Even though you weren’t expecting anyone, you knew who it was before you even opened the door.

“Hey,” you rasped.

“Hey,” Jamie greeted with a smile. “Brought ya somethin’” he said, holding out the large container. “Made it this afternoon. It’s my mom’s recipe.”

You tried to get out a thank you, but started coughing before you could. You turned away from Jamie, coughing into your elbow. Your chest hurt, your head ached, being sick was absolutely the worst.

“You don’t have to stay,” you said when Jamie closed the door behind him and toed his shoes off. 

“I want to.”

“I don’t want to get you sick.”

“I’m not worried about that.”

You laid down on the couch, pulling your blanket over you. You’d spent most of your day in the same position you were currently in, that was after you had slept until almost 2pm. 

“Are you hungry? I can warm up some soup for you,” Jamie asked. He frowned at you in your miserable state. His heart ached.

“Ok,” you said. “But only if you eat some too.” 

“Deal,” Jamie chuckled. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

“I’ll be here.” You tried to smile at him, but couldn’t muster up much. Damn flu. 

Five minutes later he was back with two bowls of warmed soup. 

You groaned as you sat up. Your whole body ached and from nothing in particular, just the flu bug you’d caught that had run rampant through you. You wrapped the blanket around your shoulders, but still shivered. You’d had a hard time staying warm all day, although the fever would beg to differ.

Jamie placed both bowls on the coffee table and then sat down beside you.

“Seriously, Jame. As much as I want you here, the team will kill me if you get sick.”

Jamie chuckled. “Nah. They’ll kill me for being careless and irresponsible.”

“Exactly! And I like you alive. I don’t know how I’d function with you dead.”

“I’m not gonna get sick. Eat your soup.”

“You’re so demanding,” you teased, rolling your eyes at him.

Jamie handed you the bowl when you were all situated. You hummed around the first bite; the hot broth soothed your sore throat and warmed you right up. And the taste was delicious. You could tell it was his mom’s recipe as it felt like home with every bite you took.

“Wanna watch a movie?” You suggested. Jamie wasn’t going to leave—you didn’t exactly want him to anyway— so you might as well make the most of him being there. 

“Sure. Is it still my turn to pick or do you get to this time since you’re sick?” You could never come to an agreement on who picked the movie whenever you’d hung out so you made a deal to just switch off every time. It worked a lot better than anything else you’d tried—which included everything from rock paper scissors to whoever’s house you were at.

“Rules are rules. You pick.”

You grabbed another blanket from your bedroom as Jamie found a movie to watch. You laid down with your head on the armrest and Jamie sat roughly in the middle, letting you rest your legs across his lap. You had one blanket to yourself but shared the second one you’d brought out and you both settled in for the show.

You were nearly asleep when Jamie cleared his throat. You turned to look at him just as he asked, “Hey, do you ever think of us as more than just friends?” 

He hoped you couldn’t feel the way he was physically shaking as he asked the question. Little did you know that he’d tried to ask it about a million times since coming over. He’d played it over and over in his head, what words he was going to use, how to phrase it, when the perfect moment to ask it would be, how you would respond, if you felt the same way, and if this would change everything for you both. So yeah, he was shaking and terrified.

But to his surprise, you seemed totally calm as you responded. “Often, yeah. Do you?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “You know other people think of us that way too? Like they think we should be a couple ya know.”

You laughed softly. “Yeah, I know.”

“How come you’ve never brought it up?”

You sat up from the couch, your legs still thrown across Jamie’s lap. “Truthfully, I didn’t think you liked me as more than a friend. Well, until Penny brought it up when she was here for Christmas, that you did like me more than that. Since then I’ve wanted to ask but just been too nervous to I guess,” you shrugged.

Jamie nodded, taking a few seconds to process your words. “So do you like me more than just a friend?” 

He was suddenly so shy. You couldn’t help but smile.

“Yes, Jame. I have for a while.”

Jamie smiled too. “Y/N, when you’re feeling better, will you go on a date with me?” 

“I would love to.”

His smile only got bigger. “You have no idea how bad I wanna kiss you right now. But I’m not going to because I know you won’t let me, because you’re sick.” 

You laughed. “You’re exactly right. That too is just going to have to wait until I’m feeling better.”

[hockeyboysimagines]

Happy New Year!

You all have been so amazing. You were so patient with my long hiatus, supportive of my return, and did so much to grow this blog this year. Pat yourselves on the back. Without you, I wouldn’t be writing like I am today, so for that thank you🤍 from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know.

All that being said, what are some things you wanna see in 2024? Send me in some asks that include-

New additions to my Who I write for.( Please check list, and completed projects before requesting to make sure I haven’t already done it)

New projects to add to existing storylines.

New prompts for blurbs.

A 1K followers celebration? I’m at 990.

Anything else!

Please let me know! So excited for what this year holds with all of you🤍

Just a reminder, blurbs are open for today only to celebrate the new year, so make sure you send some in. I’ve already received a few. They’ll be completed throughout the week. Can’t wait to see what you all send in!

[luvmmarner]

SEATTLE KRAKEN

This is the list of ONLY Seattle Kraken player's imagines/fics.

✶ = smut

♡ = fluff

✰ = angst

JARED MCCANN ➮ The Good and The Bad ♡ ✰ JAMIE OLEKSIAK (coming soon) JOHN HAYDEN ➮ Fiancee ♡ ✰

[v6quewrlds]

⁎⠀┉⠀welcome to my masterlist!

disclaimers: some fics are tagged as mature containing sexual content. please do not read/interact with these works if you are under 18. i am not responsible for your media consumption, so please be sure to proceed with caution. i am a black woman and write for black women. all are welcome to read & interact but please mind yourself. this blog is primarily a jb9 blog. when requests are open, feel free to send in your ideas but please be patient with me. please do not send in requests involving non-con/dub-con & death. trinity = angst, fluff, & smut.

‎ ‎ ‎ ゛the national football league. ⸻ ❝ joe burrow, andrei iosivas, tee higgins. ❞

pretty little thing, joe burrow x wife!reader. [smut, 6.7k]

my little love, joe burrow x wife!reader. [fluff, 4.5k]

birthday boy, andrei iosivas x reader. [smut, 1.9k]

say my name, joe burrow x reader. [angst/smut, 6.8k]

sky full of stars, joe burrow x nasa engineer!reader. [fluff, 1k]

all that matters, joe burrow x curry!reader. [fluff, 3k]

infinity, joe burrow x reader. [trinity, 6.9k]

bad liar (i), princeton!andrei iosivas x reader. [fluff, 6.4k]

slim shady, joe burrow x reader. [smut, 2.1k]

love language, joe burrow x reader. [smut/fluff, 8k]

‎ ‎ ‎ ゛formula one. ⸻ ❝ lewis hamilton, carlos sainz, lando norris. ❞

‎ ‎ ‎ ゛football. ⸻ ❝ jude bellingham, trent alexander-arnold, mason mount. ❞

‎ ‎ ‎ ゛the national basketball association. ⸻ ❝ devin booker. ❞

‎ ‎ ‎ ゛the national hockey league. ⸻ ❝ mat barzal, jamie oleksiak, andrei svechnikov. ❞

guilty conscience, mat barzal x reader. [angst, 3.6k]

fever, mat barzal x reader. [smut, 2k]

‎ ‎ ‎ ゛no nut november masterlist. ⸻ ❝ view here. ❞

[starshine-hockey-girl]

Cold As Ice - The Interview

Here my fic for the May AU event for the HRPF fandom. As usual I am late getting it done. Apparently, I am physically incapable of writing a short blurb.

This a mafia AU. @pattiemac1 and I have created this AU together over the last two/three years. We add to it then take things away constantly. She graciously allowed me to insert my characters of Lex and Teddy (from Journey to the Emerald City) into the world.

This is a little glimpse into the world of a Sidney Crosby led mafia family and Teddy/Lex became a part of it. I don't think it needs much warning other than language and some implied violence. As usual fluff abounds between my two little cupcakes.

I will put a link at the bottom for anyone interested about Teddy/Lex in their world.

Word count - 7.1K words

@hrpffandomeventblog @cellythefloshie @fallinallincurls @penstxgal1968

SUMMER 2021 - DALLAS, TEXAS

Jamie “Lex” Oleksiak yawned as drove down the expressway toward home. It had been a rough night at the club. Three guys had called off and so he was forced to work at the front door. Between the oppressive heat and steady wave of SMU sorority girls shooting their shot with him, he was more than ready to get home. He mentally pictured the refrigerator and recalled at least two bottles of cold beer that he would be drinking soon. 

His cell phone rang and he glanced at the notification on his console screen. “Of course Seggy would call at 3 AM,” he thought to himself. He answered the call at the last moment. “Hey Seggy,” he said, “What’s up?”

Tyler Seguin held his cell phone to his ear and unbuttoned his shirt. “You are a tough guy to track down, Big Rig,” the brunette laughed, “I had to call three different guys to get your number. It’s like you dropped off the face of the planet.You still in Dallas?” 

“Yeah, still in here in Big D,” he muttered, feeling stung by the word still. It was not his plan to still be in Dallas. No, he had planned to return to Toronto with this tail tucked between his legs years ago. But life got in the way and his career began in security. He had almost saved enough to make the move back with a little dignity when he was struck by a thunderbolt. A thunderbolt named Theodora “Teddy” Baxter. 

Ironically, they met the last time that he had been forced to work the front door at the club. The moment she looked up with those bright blue eyes and megawatt smile as she handed over her ID, he was hooked. For reasons still unknown to him, she had agreed later that night to go on date with him. They had been inseparable ever since and any plans to move back to Toronto went out the window. His heart was firmly planted in Dallas. Well, anywhere she was. 

“What’s keeping you there?” Seggy questioned, “I thought you would have moved onto greener pastures by now. I know I did.” 

“It’s complicated,” Lex answered vaguely.

Seggy got quiet for  a moment and debated whether to push the issue. Big Rig was not known to be an open book and he needed him to have an open mind. “I got ya. Life’s like that sometimes,” he commented casually, “Listen, you still doing security work? That’s the word on the street.”

“Depends on who is asking,” Lex answered coolly. Other than his parents, he had not admitted to any of his Toronto friends that his professional hockey career had been a bust. 

“It’s me asking - it’s me,” Seggy answered. He had picked up on the tone in Big Rig’s voice. They shared in a desire to not let word of their career failure reach Canada. They had that much in common. 

“And why are you asking?” Lex asked warily. 

“Because I have a lead on a job and I think that you would be a good fit.” he said bluntly. Tyler tried to mask the desperation in his voice. 

The last guy that was brought into the crew turned out to be an utter disaster. Claude Giroux had been recommended to the crew by Flower and didn’t take long to discover that he wasn’t going to last long. His gruff demeanor ruffled the sensitive egos of the rag tag crew. The last straw was when he openly defied The Boss. It was so bad that HE delivered the permanent pink slip to the back of Giroux’s head himself. 

“Tell me more,” Lex asked. 

Tyler explained that the job would be head of security for the CEO for Maritime Industries. When Lex didn't respond immediately, Tyler read from his phone. “Planning and implementing comprehensive security strategies, controlling the security operations budget, monitoring expenses,” he rattled on.

“Seggy, are you reading that off your phone?” Lex interrupted.

“Ummmm, no” Seggy stammered.

“Don't bullshit me. What's the job?” Lex asked.

“It’s a crew in Pittsburgh- mainly strip clubs and a few night clubs,” Seggy sighed, “and a few extracurricular activities.” Tyler tried to downplay the extent of the organization until he got a sense of how comfortable Lex would be with the ethically gray area. 

“Seggy…..we are not 21 any more,” Lex asserted, “I’m too old to go back to that petty ass shit.” 

“Big Rig, would you believe me if I told you that Sid is planning on going legit?” Tyler pleaded, “We really need a guy like you.” 

“Sid?” Lex questioned, “Like Sid Crosby? That guy runs all of Pennsylvania and half of NYC. Holy shit - Seggy how did you end up on that crew.”

“Long story, but let’s just say that my hockey skills finally paid off,” Tyler smiled, “Seriously, he is going legit soon. The pay is good and there are bennys.” 

“How good is the pay?” Lex quizzed.

“Let’s just say that my family isn’t questioning my “hockey” career anymore,” he replied. 

“Shit - that good?” Lex muttered as he pulled into the parking lot of his apartment building. He looked up and saw the light on his living room. Teddy was waiting for him. Teddy who had never gotten so much as a parking ticket, much less arrested. “No,” he thought to himself, “I can’t bring her into that life.” He sighed, “Sorry, Seggy. I can’t.”

“Why?” Tyler whined. Sid wasn’t too happy that he was having to handle the day to day security operations and you know what they say, that shit ran down hill to Tyler. He needed to get someone to replace Giroux. He needed that someone right now. 

“Sorry, Segs - I gotta girl now. I don’t want to mess it up,” Lex said softly. 

“You’re turning down this dream job over a girl? Are you crazy?” Tyler scoffed.

“Yeah, I am crazy,” Lex sighed, “I just can’t risk losing her.” 

“I gotta meet this girl,” Tyler pushed before he decided that a softer touch was required, “I get it. Not really, but I get it. Why don’t you take a night and think about it. I can hold off Sid for that long.”

“I doubt I will change my mind, Seggy,” Lex countered, “She is the real deal.”

Lex hung up the phone and walked up to his apartment. He set his things down as he walked past the cramped kitchen. It was really just a glorified studio, but Teddy had done her best to make it homey. She had even started a new series on her YouTube channel - DIY Dollar Tree home decor. 

As if by unknown force, Teddy began to rouse when she felt Lex’s presence in the room. She had fallen asleep with her laptop open while editing videos. “Lex?” she yawned as she stirred, “Is it that time?” 

He walked over to her and moved her laptop to the table before scooping her into his lap. “Yeah,” he kissed her cheek as she curled her body into his chest. “How was work?” he questioned. 

Since the “Great Escape”, Teddy had taken two jobs to replace the income from her father’s real estate firm. Even with that, the duo struggled to make ends meet.  She had grown up with every luxury known to man and gave it all up two months ago to be with him after her father had issued the ultimatum. She had to pick between her family and her love. She made the choice in an instant and never looked back. Now she was waitressing at the best steakhouse in town at night and nannying for Stars goalie Ben Bishop during the day. She operated on fumes but never once complained. 

“Work was good. I had a private party so the tip was great, even the company was horrible,” she smiled. Lex furrowed his brow while she continued  “Paige came in and was well, you know, Paige,” she sighed, “Thank God for automatic gratuity. She might have stiffed me otherwise.” Lex studied her face and could see her desperately trying to keep the facade up but he could see the pain behind her eyes. Paige had been her childhood best friend but had turned her back on Teddy when she chose him after her family’s ultimatum. 

“Foz,” he said gently as he caressed her face. She smiled at the nickname he had given on their first date. It had started out as “Fozzy Wozzy Bear had red hair”, but had shortened over time to just Foz.

She shook her head to protest and shake the negative thoughts that were beginning to swirl in her brain. “No, Lex - it’s fine,” she lied, “She’s not important and I am glad that I could see her true colors finally.” She had seen the true colors of most of her childhood friends as one by one they dropped her. “It’s funny,” she thought to herself, “None of them had anything to say as they ignored the obvious signs that Chaz was beating me. But let me fall in love with a good, decent man who works hard and all of a sudden they are all concerned about my well-being.” The bitterness rose up inside of her. 

Her mind raced for a distraction. “I have a surprise for you!’ she jumped up and his eyes followed her. She came back with a to-go bag from the restaurant. He pulled out the box and opened it. Inside was a huge tomahawk steak with all the trimmings. He looked up to see her beaming smile, “They said it was overcooked because they wanted it super rare, but it’s cooked just like you like it, so I snagged it.” 

She moved to the side of him as he ate off of his lap. They enjoyed the moment in quiet contentment as Lex’s mind raced. “How long?” he asked himself, “How long can I ask her to make these sacrifices? How long before she runs back to the easy life. The life I can’t give her.”

His thoughts were interrupted with her voice, “Spill it, Jamieson.” She only used his full name when she was completely serious. 

“An old friend called with a job offer,” he started. Her face lit up immediately. “But it’s in Pittsburgh,” he interjected, expecting her face to drop. It did not. “And it’s not necessarily completely above board.” Again, he expected her expression to change, but it was bright and hopeful. “I told them no,” he said finally. “Why?” she questioned.

“I can’t leave you,” he answered. 

“Then take me,” she replied as if it was the obvious answer. 

“You would go? You would go to Pittsburgh? But Dallas is your home,” he said in disbelief.

“My home is with you, Love,” she kissed his cheek.

“And it doesn't bother you that there may be some shady shit?” he prodded.

“There is shady shit going on everywhere, even the corporate world. There is a reason my father has a security detail. You don’t become a billionaire without doing some shady shit and making a few enemies along the way. What's the difference? The real question is would you take the job if I weren’t a factor?”

“I would at least go have the conversation,” he answered,

“Then go have the conversation,” she kissed his cheek.

Lex picked up the phone and dialed Seguin. He only spoke three words when Tyler answered, “Set it up.” Then he hung and focused on Teddy, “Tell me about Paige. What did she do this time? Do I need to go pay her a visit”  He tickled her sides and nipped at her neck. “I can be your enforcer, Foz. Just say the word.” 

TWO DAYS LATER 

“Foz” Lex asked as she adjusted his tie on the private plane Crosby had sent for them, “Where did you find this suit? I am not buying the Goodwill story.” The odds have her randomly finding a tailored suit that fit his almost six eight frame was slim to none.

“I acquired it. That's all you need to know,” she grinned. 

Lex opened the suit jacket and saw the label with the words “Custom made for RTB”. He looked up at her in surprise. “Is this your dad's suit? Did you steal a suit from your dad?” Their height was about the only thing he had in common with the stubborn, prideful man. 

“Steal is such a harsh word,” she answered as she brushed imaginary lint off of his chest. He looked at her with one eyebrow raised,”it's an old suit. It was languishing in the back of his closet. I am pretty sure he wore it to my confirmation. We are giving it new life.”

“You stole it, Foz,” he teased.

“Well, think of me as modern day Robin Hood,” she teased as she pulled on his tie to kiss him, “And you can be me Maid Marian.”

His eyebrows furrowed in sign of disapproval. “What? You would look good as Maid Marian,” she protested before continuing, “I simply tested the supposedly top notch security system at my parent's house. I was doing them a service actually. They should be thanking me that I only took a suit as payment. It could have been worse.”

“Put it back once we get home,” he chided. 

“Fine, but Lex, I don’t think you are going to be up for the level of shady shit working for Sid Crosby is going to require if you can’t accept one re-acquisitioned suit from my father,” she playfully pouted. 

“I am the only criminal in this relationship. You are the virtuous one with the heart of gold, got it?” he said. He cracked a smile, but the message was clear - leave the shady shit to him. 

“Got it,” as she adjusted his tie, “Now let’s go knock him dead.”

Maritime Manor - Sidney Crosby Compound - Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania

Lex stood at the large picture window for a moment. He examined what he could see of the extensive  grounds. The lawn was well manicured with each of the smaller cottages on the compound sharing a large common area. Just beyond the cottages was a wooded area that extended to what looked like a river or creek bed. He mentally checked for sight lines and frowned at the results.

He turned around and examined the large office that had been created from two small guest rooms. At the far end, a large conference table sat covered with stacks of money. From what he could quickly estimate, it was easily $20K in stacks with a pile left to be sorted. He walked closer to the table. The pile was probably another 50K left to be sorted from collected protection money from the weekend. 

Outside the office, he heard the jovial sounds of the crew chirping each other. Suddenly they got quiet. He turned to face the door. The chatter had turned seriously and he heard the sound of the front door open. He then heard the sound of Sid’s distinct Nova Scotian accent, “Who is she?”

Then he heard the accented voice of Andre Burakovsky, “She’s with the big guy. He’s waiting for you in the office.” Lex’s body tensed up and he faced the door. 

Seggy piped in, “You left him in the office? Alone?”

“That’s not good?” the Swede questioned Seggy as they walked past him. Sid’s silence sent the resounding message that it was indeed, no good. Lex heard footsteps that approached the door. He resumed his position by the picture window, but turned when Sid and Seggy walked in the room. 

Sid did a quick visual assessment as he walked in. His lips pursed when he saw the stacks of money in the open. When his eyes landed on the gun left out in the open, he shook his head, “Burky, Burky, Burky.”

After a quick one shoulder hug and pat on the back, Tyler moved to make the introductions. “Sid, this is Jamie Oleksiak aka Big Rig,” he began, “We go back a long way. Big Rig, this is Sid Crosby. He runs this crew.”

“I am sure that he knows who I am, Seggy,” Sid interjected as he shook hands with Lex, “You can leave us alone now.” Tyler’s head went back and forth as the two stood in an extended handshake. 

“Sure, Sid,” Tyler said through the tension that radiated off of the two men sizing each other up. “I’m just going to go head over to the clubs and deal with that bouncer issue.” 

Lex noted the hand strength in the shorter man as Tyler left. He also noted the slight flair in his nostrils and tense jaw. On the surface, Sid appeared calm and neutral.  He crossed in front of Lex to walk to his desk. He made a quick turn while pulling out his gun. He was met by a gun pointed between his temple as Lex quickly removed his gun from his hand. Time stood still as the two men stared each other down. The beating of each other’s heart pounded in their ears. It was then that Sid noticed the gun pointed at his head was one of his own. His eyes shifted and he saw the hidden gun safe ajar. 

Sid said neutrally, “So what’s your plan of action here, Big Rig?”

“Well, I would say my plan of action is to find out if you are as big of an idiot as your crew,” Lex said equally as cool, “Also I would say that we are in the process of sizing each other up. I think I have the upper hand literally and figuratively.” 

“I think that you have proven your point,” Sid took a step back without breaking eye contact, “You have found some vulnerabilities that need to be addressed. Care to sit down and discuss the job now like professionals?”  Lex nodded and Sid carefully walked behind his desk. 

“Hands on the desk,” Lex ordered as he kept the gun pointed at Sid. 

“Come on, Big Rig,” Sid smiled, “I said like professionals. Besides, do you think I am going to kill you with your girl sitting in the next room?” 

Lex’s eyes squinted slightly but his expression did not change. He shrugged and said, “It’s a possibility, but that’s assuming that you get me before I get you, which is not going to happen.” 

“Fair enough,” Sid conceded, “You got the job by the way if you want it. Want to hear the details?” Lex nodded his head yes. Impressed with Sid’s direct approach. “Then put the damn gun down,” Sid instructed. Lex lowered his weapon, but kept the gun in his hand. “First, tell me the other vulnerabilities you saw.”

“I don’t work for free,” Lex replied, “Tell me about the job and compensation. I will discuss it with Teddy. Then I will give you a breakdown of your slip-shod security.” 

Sid sat back and smiled, “You don’t bullshit. I like that.”

“I find that it makes life simpler,” Lex responded. 

“Alright, here is a breakdown of the job. You are head of security for all business locations as well as the compound. You have complete discretion in terms of staffing and resources that you need. My only non-negotiables are Seggy and Burky. They may need some fine tuning, but I trust them,” Sid explained, “Compensation includes salary, housing and benefits.” 

“What’s the salary?” Lex quizzed.

“Name your price,” Sid answered without hesitation. Lex balked and Sid continued, “Look, I have a good gut instinct about you. You have already proven that you will stand your ground and you are not a yes man. That’s what I need.”

“I gotta talk it over with my lady,” Lex answered slowly, “Tell me about the crew.”

Outside in the great room, Teddy’s legs bounced up and down on the gray leather sofa as she  played with the bracelet on her wrist. She moved her fingers from stone to stone. Burky watched from the side of the room and ran his fingers through his hair before bringing his thumb to his mouth. He slowly chewed his fingernail while contemplating his next move. He knew had screwed up letting the Big Bird or whatever his name was into the office. He had been distracted by the red head when she entered the room wearing a navy blue sheath dress that hugged her curves. Women had always been his weakness.

Sid would come down hard on his stupidity if he didnt come with a plan to make up for it. “What were you thinking, dumbass?” he chastised himself. Suddenly he saw a glint that caught his eye. He focused on the origin of it and smiled widely. He knew what he needed to do. 

“Excuse me” he asked brightly and exaggerated his Swedish accent slightly,  “What did you say your name was?

Teddy looked over at him warily, “Teddy.” She wasn’t in the mood to make small talk. She was a bundle of nerves as the reality of the situation sank in. This could be her future - a future outside of Texas. It was a move that would hammer the final nail in the coffin of her relationship with her parents.

“Ahhh, Teddy is a man's name, correct?” he questioned “Your parents wanted a boy and not a girl?”

“Wow,” she said as her eyebrow raised slightly, “You get right to the point…..”

“Andre,” he grinned, “They call me Burky.” He studied her body language as he decided on his approach. “You look thirsty. We can go get a drink in the kitchen.” he said sweetly.

She studied his face for a moment. He seemed friendly enough, much friendlier than she thought a part of Sid Crosby’s crew should be. It couldn’t hurt to make conversation and learn a little bit more about the job from his perspective, she told herself. 

“Do you have coffee?” she smiled back, “I would love some.” She willingly followed along as he led them  into the spacious kitchen. They made small talk as they made their coffees. They reached over each other as they put their cream and sweeteners in their mugs. He spoke of his move from Sweden to the states to pursue a hockey career. Like Lex and Seggy, his professional career had been a bust. In his case, multiple injuries stymied his playing time and eventually earned him the label of “fragile”. Teddy remained tight lipped when Burky pressed her information about Lex and his history.

It was only after they returned to the living room that Teddy felt like something was off. She dismissed the feeling as she looked at the closed door. “So Sid?” Teddy asked casually, “He's a good boss?”

Burky's head popped up, “Oh, he's great. He took me in off the street.” 

Suddenly, Teddy realized what was wrong. Her right wrist was bare. The wrist that normally held  a diamond tennis bracelet. It had been a sweet sixteen gift from her dead sister, Frankie. She looked down in the chair to see if it had slipped off there. It was nowhere to be seen. She distinctly remembered touching it earlier. She retraced her steps mentally and then kicked herself figuratively.

“So Andy?” she asked pointedly.

“Andre,” he corrected.

“Andre,” she smiled, “What do you do for Sid? I assume that you have some sort of specific role.”

Burky blinked slowly, unsure where the conversation was leading. He didn't want to bring any attention to his skill set. “Oh, I do all kinds of things.” he answered casually.

“Things like stealing bracelets from house guests?” Teddy leveled her gaze at the Swede.

“Bracelet?” he smiled, “What bracelet?”

“The one you took,” she answered calmly. 

“I didn't take a bracelet,” he replied in the same manner.

“We're going this route?” Teddy got up and walked toward him with a sense of purpose, “Give me the bracelet- no harm, no foul.”

“There is no harm, no foul because I don't have the bracelet. I don’t know what you are talking about,” he stood his ground.”

“Come on Burky, this could get really ugly or you can simply hand it back to me,” Teddy attempted to speak as sweetly as possible. When he didn’t respond, she felt the anger rise up in her. “Look, you have three seconds before I scream,” her voice rose slightly, “What do you think HE is going to do when he hears it? Do you think he is going to stop to ask you questions? If you are lucky, I will be able to explain the situation before he assumes something far worse. No, when I tell him that you took the bracelet, he will just turn you upside down and shake you down. Have you ever been shaken down by a Big Rig?  I would just give it back to me and save yourself the pain, but you do you booboo”.

In the office, Sid was mid-story when Lex held up his hand. Sid stopped talking and they listened.

“Let's be reasonable,” Burky cajoled.

She stepped closer and yelled, “Give it back.”

“or you will tell your giant, badass big bird of a boyfriend,” he scoffed, “For the last time, I didn’t take your damn….”

He was interrupted as Teddy grabbed his hand and twisted his arm behind his back. Then she pushed her foot to the back of his knee, bringing him down to his knees. “Give it back to me,” she screamed as she twisted his arm tighter. 

“Foz, everything okay out there,” Lex called  as he rose to his feet. 

“Yeah sure,” Teddy answered breezily as she pressed harder.

Burky heard the movement and assessed the situation. “It seemed like a good idea at the time,” he thought to himself as the pain began to shoot up his arm. He began to realize that his initial plan of stealing the bracelet to get back in Sid’s good graces had not been thought through to completion. One, he thought she wouldn’t notice, or at least until they left. Two, he forgot about the big guy. Three, it was a stupid ass plan altogether. 

“Alright, alright, alright,” he whined, “You have to get off of me.” She stood up slowly and adjusted her dress. Burky placed his forehead on the floor and took a deep breath in an effort to compose himself. Then he jumped up and smiled brightly. “Congratulations, Teddy,” he said with false bravado. He reached into his pocket and withdrew the five carat tennis bracelet. He placed it into his palm and presented it to her with great flourish. 

It was that moment that the door opened and duo walked into the room. 

“What’s going on?” Lex asked bruskly. 

Teddy tilted her head, “What do you mean?”

“We heard a ruckus,” Sid answered. 

Teddy and Burky exchanged a look. Teddy studied his face. His eyes implored her silently. She considered his misdeed. He tried to pull a fast one on her and failed. It was unlikely he would try it again. She tried to summon anger but he bat his puppy dog eyes at her and she smiled.

“A ruckus?” Burky repeated, “I didn’t hear a ruckus. Did you hear a ruckus, Teddy?”

“No, I didn’t hear anything, Andy,” she responded. She turned to the duo. “Can you describe the ruckus?” she added. 

Sid stifled his laughter. He wasn’t sure what exactly was happening, but he knew two things - Burky had screwed up again and Teddy was covering up for him. The Swede was the equivalent of a labrador puppy on his crew. He was simultaneously entertaining and endearing with his antics. However, he frequently left messes all over that required someone to clean it up.

 Lex pressed the issue slightly, “I am pretty sure I heard your voice, Teddy.“

Teddy smiled, “Oh that! My bracelet fell off. Andy here helped me find it. Didn’t you Andy?” 

Andre bit his tongue. He wanted to correct her but she was doing him a solid so he let it slide. “Yes, that must have been what you heard. Poor Teddy was quite flummoxed. You should really get that clasp checked. It’s very weak in my opinion.

Lex looked back and forth between the two. He was sure of one thing- something happened and Teddy would not tell him in front of Sid. Since she seemed to have the “situation” under control, he let it slide. 

“Are you almost done with your chat?” Teddy asked, desperate to end the stand-off. 

Sid smiled, “We’re just about done. Burky, take Teddy down to see the River cottage.” She tilted her head in confusion and he continued, “The job does come with either a housing allowance and/or use of one of the cottages on the compound. Why don’t you go take a look at it and see it will fit your needs?”

“Oh, that sounds like a fabulous idea,” she smiled. 

She held out her arm to signal Burky to lead the way. They were about ten yards outside the house before he spoke. “Why did you cover for me?” he asked. 

“Snitches get stitches,” she answered quickly.

“Not here,” he retorted immediately. She gave him a side eye. “Sid has very few rules, but rule number one is that there is no violence towards women or children. They're off limits.”

Teddy nodded her head in understanding, “So why did you steal my bracelet then?”

“Temporary insanity?” he laughed. When she did not return the laugh, he added, “I wanted to remind Sid that he needs me around for my special set of skills.” 

“Didn’t think that one one through, huh?” Teddy paused 

“Yeah,”  he sighed, “I am not the brains of the crew obviously..”

Teddy elbowed him, “Don’t worry Big Rig is smart enough for the both of you.” They stepped inside of the cozy three bedroom cottage. Teddy walked around from room to room and tried to keep her composure. It was a far cry from their cramped studio apartment. Mentally she started decorating it with their existing furniture. When she found the back door that led to a deck overlooking the Alleghany river, she was sold. 

Outside the cottage, Sid approached Burky with Lex. “Where’s Teddy?” Lex asked. Burky nodded his head to indicate that she was inside. They walked in and found her peacefully enjoying the view. She turned as she sensed their presence even though her eyes were closed. Sid’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. 

“Are you all done?” she asked brightly. 

Sid smiled, “I think that I may have him convinced to join the crew. I think that my only obstacle is you. Will the cottage work?” He was smart enough to know who the real decision maker would be.

Teddy glanced at her boyfriend then back to the river. She folded her arms across her chest. Then she replied with a smile, “The cottage is more than adequate.” Then she turned to Lex and asked, “Can you give Mr. Crosby and me a moment? I do have some questions for him.” 

His eyebrows shot up and he tilted his head, “Teddy, are you sure you want me to leave?”

‘Yes, it won’t take long. You should check out the shower to make sure that you fit,” she suggested. When he left, Sid and Teddy stood in silence for a moment. 

“Mr. Crosby,” she began, “Are there any of the other guys on the crew that have a wife or girlfriend?”

“No, you are the first,” he answered, “Truthfully, I thought you were going to be a dealbreaker for me when I saw you in the living room. Turns out that I was wrong.”

“How so?” she inquired. 

“You are much tougher than you appear,” he answered, “How hard did you take down Burky?”

Teddy’s mouth dropped before she smiled, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Come on, you can tell me,” he encouraged, “What did he do?”

“Promise me that he won’t be punished?” she asked point blank. Sid held up his fingers in a “Scouts Honor” gesture. She nodded in understanding. 

“Apparently in a fit of desperation, he lifted my bracelet from my wrist,” she answered. Sid immediately frowned and his jaw tensed. “Hey, he is part of your crew. You can’t be surprised.” Teddy walked towards the edge of the deck before turning back to face him. “Seriously, he didn’t think it through but there was no harm and no foul,” she said as she held out her bracelet. 

“Back to my question,” he quizzed.

“I took him down hard enough to get my message through,” she stared at him defiantly, “he won’t try it again - at least not with me.” 

Sid smiled, “You way tougher than I thought you were.”

“I used to not be tough, but Lex taught me,” she said out loud, “He turned me from a sheltered rich girl into someone with street smarts.”

“I’d love to hear how that happened,” he replied. 

“Story for another time,” she sighed. She steeled herself. Then she blurted out, “Mr. Crosby, what kind of business is this? I am not naive enough to believe that this is a completely legitimate operation, but I need to know just how far across the line will this job take Jamie?” She was careful to use his proper name. 

“Wow, you've got nerves of steel to ask me that,” Sid balked. 

For a moment, Teddy doubted herself but she pushed through it, “Lex,” she stopped herself, “I mean Jamie is more than capable to do whatever this job requires. I know that he has had to make ethically gray choices in the past.” She paused and considered shutting up but her protective nature spurred her on. “But he is a man of honor. He is not mean or malicious. I don’t want him to be  in a position where he would have to compromise his principles and character.” She took a deep breath, “I don't want to lose the man I love to a world of darkness.” 

Sid studied her for a moment. If there had been any doubt left about Oleksiak, she had removed it. Anyone who could inspire such gumption and loyalty was a person he wanted on his crew. Finally Sid spoke, “I won’t ask him to do that. I will not lie. We break the law on occasion.” She gave him a side eye. “Okay, we break the law a lot, but we do have a code that we follow.”

“Will he have to hurt people?” she asked brazenly.

“Yes, but nobody gets hurt that doesn’t deserve to be hurt,” he countered. 

“And women and children are off limits?” she asked to get confirmation of Burky’s remark.

“They are off limits and anyone who breaks that rule gets hurt,” Sid answered. 

“Well, then I think you have answered my questions,” she stated. 

“Good,” he smiled, “I’ll send Big Rig in so you can make your decision.”

Once Sid and Burky had left the cottage, Lex came back out to the deck. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and bent down to place his chin on her shoulder. “What are you thinking, Foz?” he asked quietly. 

“I am thinking that I want to know how the interview went. Do you like him? Does he like you? What does the job entail?” she leaned her body weight back and turned her head to face him. He took her hand and led her to the chaise lounge. He removed his jacket and got comfortable. Then he pulled her on top of his massive body. 

“Well, after the guns were put away, it went well,” he started. 

“Guns? What the hell, Lex!” she shouted. 

He smiled, “We sized each other up so to speak”

“And?” she asked. 

“And there is a reason that he is Sidney Fucking Crosby and runs all of Pennsylvania and half of NYC. He’s smart, shrewd and has balls of steel,” he answered. She rested her head on his chest as he went on to explain the job. She could hear the excitement in his voice. She could also hear how he was trying to tamper it down. He knew that she would allow his excitement to cloud her judgment and she knew that he knew it. 

“So did he offer you the job?” she asked. 

“Yeah,” he tried to answer casually. 

“What’s the hold up then?” she joked. 

“The money,” he answered. He continued when she squinted in confusion, “He said that I can name my price. Foz, I have no idea on what to ask for. This job is so far out of my league. I just don’t know.” His voice trailed off. 

“Hey,” she interjected, “This is not out of your league. He basically offered you a job on the spot for a reason. Don’t doubt yourself, Jamieson.” 

“Okay boss,” he tickled her side. 

Suddenly an idea hit and she dug out her phone. She started texting Steve, the former Secret Service agent, who headed her father’s security team. 

Teddy gulped when she read the last line. 

“What?” Lex asked as his eyes filled with tears. 

She handed the phone to Lex who read over the messages. “Daddio never changed the code,” she whispered, “so I could go back if I needed to.” 

“Foz,” he whispered, “If you want to stay in Dallas, we can stay in Dallas. I’ll find a way to make more money.” 

Her eyes flashed up at him, “You know I don’t give a shit about the money. It’s never been about the money.” He closed his eyes and rubbed his face. “Listen to me Jamieson Oleksiak. I chose you. I chose you and I will choose you over and over again,” she spoke urgently. “This is a fresh start for us and we’re not going to throw it away for a possibility,” she said firmly, “They made their choice and nothing in those texts changes that.” 

“But Foz, they’re your family,” he countered.

“No, you are my family. They threw me away when they couldn’t control me” she protested, “Would you throw me away?

He recoiled in horror, “Never.

 “It’s you and me forever.” she began reciting the familiar words. 

“No matter what” he joined in reciting their motto.

“Whatever it takes,” she finished. 

“So we have a decision made?” he smiled.

“Let’s move to Pittsburgh,” she answered. 

“Foz, I didn’t even ask about the cottage,” he realized, “Do you like it?”

“It needs a little TLC, but I like it,” she assured him, “Factor in redecorating in your salary request.” 

They spent a few more minutes in silence before he nudged them up. After a few minutes to take measurements, they strolled hand in hand back to the main house. Teddy started to find a seat in the living room as Lex went to find Sid. However, he kept a firm grip on her hand. Together they knocked on the door and entered the office together. 

“So what’s the verdict?” Sid asked.

“We’re in for the right price,” Lex answered. He took a deep breath, “500K should do it.”

“Okay,” the Canadian crime boss answered without pausing, “When can you start?”

“Wait,” Teddy interjected. Sid turned to her, “And a reno budget for the cottage.”

Sid blinked and then smiled, “Welcome to the family. Let’s go celebrate.” 

The crew sat in the private dining of Ciliegia, Sid’s preferred Italian restaurant. The usually all male crew felt invigorated by the presence of a woman. There was a sly game of one-up manship as they vied for Teddy’s attention. It had not taken them long to realize that the key to getting into the new boss’s good graces was getting into HER good graces. 

After much prodding from Sid, Teddy finally spilled the beans on Burky’s failed attempt to steal her bracelet. 

“I lifted it without you noticing,” Burky protested as he blushed, “At least give me credit for that.” 

“Yes, Andy,” she teased, “You did do that. Now what you were going to do with it once you had it, I have no idea.” 

“Andre… if you are not going to call me Burky, call me Andre,” he begged. 

“Why would I do that, Andy?” Teddy answered, “I think you should be glad that this is the only punishment I am going to dole out.” Lex watched with a bemused smile as the two bantered. 

Later, Sid asked the server to send his compliments to the chef for the delicious meal. They were surprised when the fiery redhead walked into the room. She wiped her hands on her apron as she approached Sid at the head of the table.  He stared at her, suddenly unable to speak. Startled glances were exchanged among the group before Lex spoke up to pass along the praise. The chef, Lizzie, nodded her head as she listened but her eyes were transfixed on the brunette Canadian. When she stumbled out of the room as she kept her gaze in his direction, Teddy and Lex shared a look.

As they walked out to go their separate ways, Sid nudged Lex, “I am pretty sure I just met my future wife.”

Lex stopped suddenly, “Don’t you think that you should know her name first?”

“I know her name,” Sid corrected, “It’s Mrs. Crosby.”

Lex laughed out loud, “Those redheads, I’ll tell you.” He glanced over at Teddy who was busy exchanging phone numbers, instagrams and snapchats with Seggy and Burky. “They’ll snatch your soul out of your body in an instant and never give it back,” he said with a smile. She turned to him and flashed a smile that melted his heart.

Lex pulled Teddy in a tight hug. “I lied earlier today, Foz” he whispered as he kissed the top of her head. 

“You did?” she looked up into his eyes, “about what?”

“I said that I am the only criminal in this relationship,” he smiled as he spoke, “That’s not true.”

“I’m a criminal now?” she playfully pouted, “Fine - I’ll get the suit cleaned and returned to Daddio’s closet. No harm, no foul.”

“I’m not talking about that, Foz,” he kissed her forehead. 

“Then how am I a criminal?” she poked his rock hard abs. 

“You stole my heart, just like a seasoned professional,” he bent down to kiss her gently, “Much better than the Swede.”

“Oh,” she returned his kiss, “In my defense, you stole mine first.” 

“Well, I am not giving it back,” he lifted her up to kiss her more deeply.

“Me either,” she wrapped her arms around his neck, “I am yours forever. No takeback and no exchanges.”

“I wouldn’t think of it,” he grinned as he carried her out to their waiting car, “I wouldn’t think of it.”

Chapter One-Trouble with a capital T-https://starshine-hockey-girl.tumblr.com/post/653360134099288064/trouble-with-a-capital-t-magical-mystery

[ilyasorokinn]

taylor 2.5k celly!

ahhh!! i love you all so much!! thank you so much for all your love and all your support. i definitely wouldn't be here without any of you, so i want to say thank you to all of you.

i hit 2.5k on like monday january 9, but i was on a break, so this celly is a little late, but better late than never right?

okay, my celly is just going to be writing stuff because i love to write. please read the follow the rules below.

again, thank you all so much. i love you all more than i can express. *muah* taylor <3

rules:

please only request people from the three lists i'm about to link. this one (hockey), this one (football & baseball) and this one (tv shows and movies like top gun and gilmore girls and ted lasso)

you don't have to do this, but i want to suggest sending in something for someone you wouldn't normally send something in for. like, if you usually send in something for cale makar, send in something for jamie oleksiak.

i'm gonna link a couple prompt lists at the bottom, but feel free to send in stuff not from prompt lists, like a fun little scenario or something.

if you do request something from a prompt list, please specify which prompt list you want and please write out the entire prompt. because not all of them have numbers, i will get confused, so it's just easier if you write out the entire prompt. thank you.

please be kind. i do still have other stuff going on, so i'll try my best not to fall behind.

general fluff dialogue | dialogue prompt list | gentle prompts

tagging some friends: @2manytabsopen @kolsmikaelson @typical-simplelove @boqvistsbabe @islesnucks @fallinallincurls @iwantahockeyhimbo @jostystyles @rosesvioletshardy @broadstflyers @sydnikov @alextturcotte @youngbeezer @lam-ila @fiveminutesforfarabee @cinnamoncowboy @harlowhockeystick @sorryjustafangirl @laurenairay @bitchinbarzal @comphyjost

okay, i know i def forgot people, and to whoever i forgot, know that i love you, and my brain is just so scrambled that i can't remember most things.

again, i love you all, and thank you for everything. have fun :)

i will be accepting requests from today, february 16 through next thursday, february 23.

[ksascriptt]

Master list to be made, this is so people can send in requests and stuff :) and feel free to send in characters that aren’t on here, if I can’t write them I will definitely let you know! But this makes me very happy because I am starting to take my writing seriously (kinda) for the record tho, it might just be a bunch of jumbled up thoughts on these characters.

MDNI w this blog, this is for adults ^^ just for everyone’s safety lol

What I write - romance, fluff, angst, smut, friends, love tropes, drama, etc.

Who I write it for (or rather, fandoms)

TOP GUN + TGM

Bradley Bradshaw ‘Rooster’

Nick Bradshaw ‘Goose’

Beau Simpson ‘Cyclone’

Natasha Trace ‘Phoenix’

Robert Floyd ‘Bob’

Mickey Garcia ‘Fanboy’

Jake Seresin ‘Hangman’

Ron Kerner ‘Slider’

Tom Kazansky ‘Iceman’

Pete Mitchell ‘Maverick’

THE WALKING DEAD

Rick Grimes

Negan Smith

Abraham Ford

Maggie Greene-Rhee

Glenn Rhee

Rosita Espinosa

Paul Monroe-Rovia ‘Jesus’

Tara Chambler

Aaron

Siddiq

Carl Grimes

Enid

THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

Not pictured as real people, just characters and nothing that passes their boundaries that I can help.

Carson Soucy - Seattle Kraken #28

Matty Beniers - Seattle Kraken #10

Jordan Eberle - Seattle Kraken #7

Jamie Oleksiak - Seattle Kraken #24

Yanni Gourde - Seattle Kraken #37

Philipp Grubauer - Seattle Kraken #31

Brandon Tanev - Seattle Kraken #13

John Hayden - Seattle Kraken #15

Jared McCann - Seattle Kraken #19

Oliver Bjorkstrand - Seattle Kraken #22

Mitch Marner - Toronto Maple Leafs #16

Jack Hughes - New Jersey Devis #86

Haydn Fleury - Tampa Bay Lighting #7

MARVEL

Tony Stark ‘Ironman’

Natasha Romanoff ‘Black Widow’

Thor Odinson

Any Peter Parker ‘Spider-Man’

Stephen Strange ‘Doctor Strange’

Clint Barton ‘Hawkeye’

Pietro Maximoff ‘Quicksilver’

T’Challa ‘Black Panther’

Logan Howlett ‘Wolverine’

ER

Doug Ross

Mark Greene

Luka Kovač

John Carter

Carole Hathaway

John Taglieri

VARIOUS

Henry Emily (FNaF)

Robert Phillip (Enchanted)

Prince Edward (Enchanted)

Joel Miller (TLoU)

Tommy Miller (TLoU)

Derek Shepherd (Greys Anatomy)

Mark Sloan (Greys Anatomy)

Arizona Robbins (Greys Anatomy)

Brant ‘Goody’ Goodleaf (Shoresy)

Ted ‘Hitch’ Hitchcock (Shoresy)

[v1naco]

MasterList of MasterLists

*Will update when I have motivation, otherwise everything on my page is stuff that is supposed to be in these masterlists* Because I’m too lazy to put each individual one down, plus it take up a lot of space. Folder in Folders. These all credited to respected authors, not my work unless said otherwise. All characters and stories are my favorite, this is really only a masterlist for me bc I like my organization, though feel free to use it. These are the stories that I loved/ liked, my opinion. 

Can contain gore, graphic descriptions, smut, colorful vocabulary, angst, fluff, blah blah blah you get it. 

Everything I need to finish reading: Master List

Cod-Modern Warfare (I believe, idk though)

Simon “Ghost” Riley

Konig

Soap

Alejandro

Rudy

Wednesday (Netflix)

Tyler Galpin

Marvel

Peter Parker (Spiderman) 

Dr. Strange

Bucky (Winter Soldier)

Pietro Maxiboy (Quick Silver)

Stranger Things 

Eddie Munson

Billy Hargrove

OBX (Outer Banks)

Rafe

JJ Maybanks

John B

Sports

F1: Charles Leclerc

F1: Max Verstappen

Hockey: Mat Barzal

Hockey: Jamie Oleksiak

Soccer/fútbol: Gavi

Soccer/fútbol: Pedri

Soccer/fútbol: 

Soccer/fútbol: 

Soccer/fútbol: 

Soccer/fútbol:   

9-1-1

Eddie Diaz

Buckley

Star Wars

Kylo Ren

Knights of Ren

Din Djarian (Mandalorian)

Anakin Skywalker

Top Gun (Both Movies)

Maverick

Rooster

Hangman

Teen Wolf

Stiles Stilinski

Titans 

Jason Todd

Dick Grayson 

Winx

Saul Silva

Riven

[jxmieoleksiaks]

Hi hello this is your summer fic exchange writer! I have a few questions for you~

Do you have a preference between reader insert or OC? If you prefer an OC, do let me know if there are particular characteristics you’d want her to have. 

I’m not too comfy writing smut and AU (I hope that’s okay!), so would you prefer fluff or angst with a happy ending? What are your favorite tropes to read? 

Who do you prefer I write for—Jamie Oleksiak, Tyler Seguin, Jake Oettinger, Brady Skjei, or Dylan Larkin? (I know Jamie’s your username but I don’t want to assume…)

Lastly and for funsies, I scrolled a bit and saw you’re most excited to hear Better Than Revenge on Speak Now TV !! What’s your favorite Taylor song (and album/era) of all time?  

Thanks and so excited to be writing for you! 

Hi anon!

1: I really don’t mind if you do either, only thing I ask if you do an oc, is if she’s a lil bigger, im not skinny so she cant be either haha

2: Jamie is good, i like all of them but jamie would be ideal, and if nothing comes to you for him, than tyler

3: OOH hard question, I think 1989 and reputation are my favorites, though i like midnights too. Basically im not a folklore girly so..

if you need anything else just let me know! I promise to get to it :)

[ao3feed-hockey]

The Welcome Weight of Belonging

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/qdOkC9I

by Not_Speed (Faster_Than_the_Speed_of_Sound)

Matty's only been playing in the NHL for a short time, but he knows about goalie nesting. When the Kraken's goalie, Grubauer, goes into his nesting phase, Matty isn't expecting to be chosen as one of the goalie's nesting partners. After all, he's just a rookie, and kind of a dumbass one at that. Surely Gru doesn't want anything to do with an inexperienced guy like him...?

Little does he know, Gru chooses him to show him precisely how wrong he is. Oh, and Gourde's in there too.

Words: 4828, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Men's Hockey RPF

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Matty Beniers, Yanni Gourde, Philipp Grubauer, Jordan Eberle, Jamie Oleksiak

Relationships: Philipp Grubauer & Matty Beniers, Philipp Grubauer & Yanni Gourde, Yanni Gourde & Matty Beniers

Additional Tags: NHL RPF, Seattle Kraken NHL Team, Goalie Nesting (Hockey RPF), Hurt/Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Insecure Matty Beniers, taking care of rookies, Rated teen for mild swearing, No Sex, Fluff

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/qdOkC9I

[senditcolton]

Somebody Like You

summary: it was the day of your wedding, filled love and celebration. and with your new husband Jamie by your side, nothing could ruin this perfect fairy tale. 

songs: X X X  word count: 2k warnings: traditional wedding (feminine reader)

It was a thought you had multiple times throughout the day. But as you sat back and took in the scene around you, there was no doubt within your mind; you had never been happier than you were in this moment. Sure, your feet had started to ache, your cheeks hurt, you had probably cried at least three times, and you were beyond exhausted but none of that seemed important to you. Because your heart had never been lighter. Throughout the entire day, you had been floating.

You sat back in your chair and let your eyes wander, over the floral arrangements, the lights hanging above the dance floor, your friends and family, the bright and cloudy sky, until your eyes finally landed on your fiancé. No, your husband.

Jamie was over by the bar, talking to Miro and Esa, a wide smile on his face that you were sure hadn’t faltered the entire day. Your eyes danced across his shoulder in his beautiful suit, down his arm, and finally landed on the hand gently clasping a glass of whiskey. The small flash of the metal band resting on his ring finger made your lips quirk up into a soft smile. You look back down at the rings gracing your left hand, the two of them perfectly nestled together. Your other hand comes up to trace over the jewels, your brain replaying the moment they were joined together, the moment that you and Jamie were joined together, a symbol of your commitment to each other.

Mrs. Oleksiak. It still didn’t seem real to you. 

You were so caught up in your memories that you didn’t notice someone sneak behind you until a strong pair of arms were wrapped around you.

“They look good together,” Jamie whispers in your ear, his hand coming to cover yours, your fingers intertwining, his ring now right below yours. You turn your head towards him, the smile still on your lips.

“We look good together,” you reply. His eye light up, the true love behind them reflecting back onto you. He doesn’t say anything else as he presses his lips against your temple and you sigh into him. This day was everything that you could have asked for. But you knew that you would be perfectly happy if you and Jamie decided to take a couple of witnesses and a few bottles of beer to your lake house and get married that way. Just as long as he was by your side. Jamie continued to press kisses into your skin, and you can feel his lips quirk in a smile as he does so. You can’t help it when your lips mirror his and you two pull away giggling.

He presses a quick kiss to your lips before he stands, his hand falling from yours as he lifts his body to his full height. He immediately reaches out for you once again and you gladly place your hand in his as he tugs you from your chair and out onto the wooden dance floor.

Your friends part to let the two of you through, into the middle of the floor, and your heart soars at all their smiling faces. The amount of love you had felt on this day, not only from your husband but everyone around you two, left you feeling dizzy.

You two reach the center and Jamie lifts your arm and guide you in a gentle spin, the fabric of your dress flowing out around you. His hands find your waist and yours dance across the top of his shoulders and you two pull each other close. In an instant, your eyes connect and a grin appears on both of your faces.

“You look beautiful,” Jamie says, his eyes just drinking you in.

“You’ve said that a thousand times today,” you lightly tease, grinning up at him.

“And I’ll say it every single day after this, even if you don’t feel that way. Because you are.”

You feel the heat rise to your cheeks and you lean in, resting your head on his chest. Beneath you ear, you can hear his heartbeat, strong and steady. Much like he was; your rock and your safety. The two of you stay wrapped up in each other, gently swaying to the music. You feel Jamie’s lips press against the crown of your head, his arms pulling you impossibly closer. Part of you wished you could stay like this forever.

Your raise your head from its spot to look up at Jamie once more. His eyes have never left you, the pure adoration within them almost overwhelming you. Your hand sneaks across his shoulder to the nape of his next, your fingertips gently playing with the curls there. A soft tug pulls his lips to yours for what seems like the hundredth time that day. And like every kiss before, it leaves you just as breathless. He leans down and dips you back, his hands keeping a firm hold on your waist as you laugh into the kiss. The slow romantic music fades out, the two of you still pressed together. You finally break apart, Jamie lifting you upright, your laughter still falling as your friends and family clap and whistle around you.

The beginning chords of the next song open, the sound of the lively banjo immediately raising the spirit of everyone around you. As soon as they recognize the song, your guests begin to jump and cheer, clapping along to the rhythm of the drums, their happiness and laughter directly correlating with yours. It’s a whirl of bodies around you and you join them. Before you know it, your bridesmaids have found you and are dancing with you, their excited energy contagious. You pull away from Jamie, letting your friends tug you forward as they bounce with you. You found yourself singing the lyrics at the top of your lungs, the words echoing through the air, as happy as they were true. Turning, you find Jamie’s eyes on you and you blow him a quick kiss. He laughs, pretending to catch it out of the air and placing it on his heart.

A few moments later, you can feel Jamie’s come up from behind you as his arms slip around your waist once again, pulling you back into his chest. You can’t help but sigh as you lean your body back into his as you two gently rock to the music. You look back up at him, eyes bright. He smiles down at you, quietly mouthing the lyrics and you can’t help but smile. You slightly raise your chin, lifting your face closer to his. Understanding your silent request, Jamie leans down to connect your lips to his, pulling into yet another kiss, one that is so deep and passionate that you don’t even register the sound of thunder coming from above you.

The next sensation you feel is water hitting your bare skin. You break away from Jamie, untangling yourself from his arms, walking forward to look up at the sky, as the clouds above you let go. You hear the laughter and shrieks of your guests as they register what is happening. It is a commotion around you as they run for cover, the men shedding their jackets in order to shield themselves and their significant others from the rain.

Jamie’s hand closes around yours and you feel him start to tug you off the dance floor. You stop him, firmly planting your feet onto the wood, your eyes closed and face still upturned to the sky. The droplets fall onto you, breathing in the fresh scent of the rain as the water clings to your skin and hair. But you don’t care. You stay there, letting the sky fall down on you.

You don’t realize Jamie still standing out there, a few steps away from you, taking you in. You looked like something out of a fairy tale, the mist from the rain creating a gentle haze around you. It was in that instant did he realize how much he truly loved you. This was the you he fell in love with, wild and free. You had blown into his life and crashed through every wall, every hesitation he had. Everyone before you always left, good for a few months but never forever. They always told him that there was too much distance, too little time, or not enough love. He had started to accept the idea that his lifestyle might mean he would never settle down. But then you showed up and showed him what love truly was. It was about finding a way to make the distance not matter and finding the joy in the moments that you did have together. It was about choosing to stay when things got tough instead of running away. You were with him through every hardship and he was there for you. It wasn’t always perfect. You weren’t always perfect, but then again, neither was he. But somehow, your jagged pieces and his fit together, a completed puzzle, almost as if the two of you were meant to be together.

He didn’t plan for this to happen; didn’t imagine he’d fall this hard for someone. But there you were, as astonishing and unexpected as the storm the two of you were caught in, your smile warming him like the sunshine. And he realized there was nothing else he wanted to do than stand out in the rain with you.

The water danced down your body, your hair and dress soaked from the downpour. You had always loved the rain, loved how it washed away the darkness and when it stopped, the world seemed brighter, more alive than it had been before. Another laugh escapes you as you let yourself spin on the dance floor; arms outstretched. Your eyes flutter open and they instantly land on Jamie, standing out there in the storm with you, his curls plastered to his head and his suit darkened by the water. The soft smile on his lips makes your knees feel weak and before you can think, you reach your hand out to him. He takes it, drawing you closer to him, his other hand coming to rest on the small of your back.

“I love you,” you blurt out, the rain slightly muffling the words. “I love you so much Jamie. All your scars and all your flaws. Every single part of you. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.” The smile never leaves his lip at your spontaneous confession.

“For better or worse,” he states, echoing your vows from earlier that day.

“In joy or in sorrow,” you continue.

“Rain or shine.” You giggle at his words and turn your head to the downpour around you. Facing him again, you let a joyous grin dance across your lips.

“I think we took that part a little too seriously,” you joke and Jamie laughs, his face lifting towards the sky. You are struck by the realization that the man in front of you was everything you could’ve hoped to find. Your hands reach up, fingers intertwining behind his neck and you pull his to your lips again.

“I love you, Mrs. Oleksiak,” Jamie murmurs, forehead pressed to your, the rain never ceasing.

“And I love you, Mr. Oleksiak,” you reply, brushing your lips against his once more. You squeal as he lifts you up, his arm hooking underneath your legs, the other holding your body to his chest. He spins the two of you, your arm reaching out into the torrent and letting the droplets fall through your fingers, your laughter once again overtaking you.

Most people would call this a disaster, a thunderstorm ruining an otherwise perfect day. But as your husband carried you off the dance floor, towards shelter from the rain, you understood that this day went exactly how it was supposed to. Because you were with the man of your dreams, the one who was willing to stand out in a storm for you just to see you happy. And what more could someone ask for?

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[twinklelilstarkey]

Warmth - Jamie Oleksiak

Words: 1.8k+

Type: Fluff

Summary: Jamie seeks the comfort of his pregnant girlfriend after a bad game.

Warnings: Female!Reader. Pregnant!Reader and not so good things about pregnancy (morning sickness, not being able to sleep/eat, aching feet and legs...). Very soft Jamie.

Dallas Stars lost. 

They lost another game of the season and while everybody on the opposite team celebrated, the men who wear green have their heads hanging low, disappointed with their defeat.

You weren’t able to watch the game in the actual arena, but you did watch it on the TV. You saw everything go down, from the endless goals of the opposite team to the frustrated plays of the Stars.

You’re pregnant, already on your 8th month, belly big as heck. And you have been having not a not so good time since this 3rd trimester started. Morning sickness returned, feet swell and ache from standing, sleeping is hard in any position. 

You have just been struggling. Another day another struggle.

Your boyfriend, and baby daddy, Jamie Oleksiak had to almost hold you down when he was about to leave for the game. He wanted you to rest while you just wanted to go out and support him at the game. 

You didn’t sleep at all the night before since every position seemed too uncomfortable, and you also couldn’t keep much food down. You honestly didn’t have all that many arguments that could’ve helped you go. So, yes, you stayed home. 

You wore his jersey, as your own superstition since you started dating, and sat comfortably on the couch with a water bottle by your side. Whenever in intermissions you would get up and walk around a bit to fight your aching legs over not moving, and, of course, your ass that had been falling asleep throughout the game.

You were sad over them losing, but you weren’t disappointed. You know they have the strength to come back from this.

When the game was over, you still watched a bit more of TV and some of the press, but after so many adjustments to your pillows throughout the 3 hours, you lose your fight over your exhaustion while laying back on the pillows.

Not too long after, Jamie is able to get home. His head is still hanging low, eyes on the ground as he drags his feet out of the car and inside his home.

Ever since you had started showing the slightest bump, Jamie has been attached to you. When at home, he is the clingiest human possible, always seeking comfort and warmth from you and your pregnant self. And now, after such a bad loss, he just wants to be by your side.

As he steps inside the house, he’s not surprised over seeing that the lights are still on. You tend to walk around the house when you can’t sleep, so it has been a habit to turn every light off once getting home.

What did surprise him was the slight murmur of a debate on a sports channel coming from the living room. And his heart squeezes as he lays his eyes on you.

You’re sleeping on your side, half seated, blanked over your legs as the green jersey covers most of your body, even with the bump, and you just look so peaceful.

You have been having a hard time sleeping, but he can’t let you sleep on the couch. It is not only for your benefit, but also because he won’t hear the end of it when you can’t stop complaining about back pain tomorrow morning.

He takes a seat right beside you on the couch easily over it being wide enough for you two, and his hand rests over your belly. He caresses it for a bit over the jersey and looks up.

“Babe” He whispers, bringing his hand to your shoulder just to give you a slight shake.

Your eyes blink open and you stare for a few seconds in confusion at what’s in front of you. Your eyes, slowly, end up finding Jamie, who is still wearing his grey suit, the exact same one that he left the house in.

“Got to go to bed, you can’t sleep here” He whispers at you.

You breathe in deeply as the slightest bit of rest sets in your body and once you relax back onto to the couch, Jamie leans over, laying a kiss over your cheek.

“Come on” He encourages.

He stands slowly, and, right after, he extends his hand towards you, offering his help to make you sit and get up from the very comfortable couch.

You grab it gently and slowly rise to sit, taking a few seconds for self reassurance that it won’t be that long of a walk to the bed. Jamie pulls you up and as you stand, you lean onto his chest.

“I saw the game.” You whisper into his shirt.

His hands lay over your shoulders and he sighs while giving them a slight squeeze.

“Unfortunately.” He comments in a half joking tone.

You poke his side and a small grin grows over his face. Without any other exchange of words, Jamie pushes you to the side and you follow his movements, finally making your way to the bedroom.

The walk down the hallway wasn’t all that bad, the stairs was the worst part, but you got there.

You sit back on the bed defeated by exhaustion and Jamie starts taking his blazer off. He quickly enters the walk in closet to change into more comfortable clothes and your eyes follow him in. You still have to change shirts, but your body definitely has other ideas. Sleeping being one of them.

Jamie comes back in just a pair of his softest sweatpants and with a shirt on his hand. He walks back to you and lays the shirt on the bed, beside you.

You grin at his soft look as he motions at you to hold your arms up and he’s quick to help you out of the jersey and into the oversized t-shirt. As he goes to discard it at the laundry bin, you start adjusting your pillows, trying to do the exact same concoction that you figured out while downstairs.

Jamie is probably still going to be awake for a few more hours since it’s still 10pm but you are a fallen soldier, there’s no way you’re still going to do anything else but sleep. You lay/sit against your crazy amount of pillows and grab your phone from the nightstand.

Jamie comes back from the bathroom and practically throws himself on the bed. His arms find you soon enough and while you’re distracted by your phone, he lays his head on your chest, super gentle, minding every little bit of soreness you could have in your body.

You discard your phone right after that, your hands go to his head and your fingers soon start playing with his hair, something he has grown obsessed with  ever since you two started dating.

His large hand rests over your belly, caressing every inch of it as his own eyes follow his movements. The silence of the room is comforting, the only audible sound being your breathing and the ticking of the alarm clock on his side of the bed.

You press a kiss at the crown on his head as your arms wrap around him and pull him impossibly closer to you. He closes his eyes as you squeeze him comfortingly and just lays still, accepting your hold with all his being.

As you lay another kiss over his head and loosen your hold on him, you feel him completely relax beside you. It is almost as you took all the weight from his shoulders and threw it all away.

“I love you” He whispers against your shirt, voice muffled by your chest.

“I love you too” You whisper back.

Jamie lays still for a second and all of a sudden, right after his hand starts moving against your belly again, he lifts his head from your chest and brings it over your stomach.

You smile as soft kisses start being laid over your shirt on your skin and you stare at the back of your boyfriend’s head lovingly.  Your fingers play with his hair slowly and Jamie continues to show his affection towards you and the bump silently.

Even though you feel exhausted, you really can’t bring yourself to push him away or try to close your eyes. You just can’t miss this.

You grab the TV remote and turn it on. The volume already extremely low over Jamie lowering it last night as you slept for your first and final hour and he zapped away through channels.

His eyes lift up to the screen and he rests his head just a tiny bit on your belly. Your warmth can be felt over your shirt and that is insanely comforting to him. 

All his worries seem to have evaporated and all he can think of is how he can’t wait for his little boy to be born.

It’s still weird to imagine that there’s a baby under his head and hand, but he can’t express how excited he is to just... have him and to hold him.

Everything seems so surreal to him and you’re already on your 8th month.

He looks up at you, turning his head to the opposite side of the TV screen, and he finds you fighting off sleep as your hand keeps on caressing his head.

“I’ll let you go to sleep now” He says in a whisper.

You nod and he lifts his head from your stomach, even though it was practically just hovering over it. You adjust yourself on the bed to your preferred position, on your side. Jamie throws and tucks the covers over you, making you smile at him.

He kisses your cheek quickly and you’re quick to cup his face with your hands before he could pull away, beard slightly harsh over your soft palms. You lean in and lay a soft peck on his lips.

As you pull away, he follows you and starts peppering your lips with kisses. You smile against his lips and he starts kissing your cheeks and jaw.

“If you need anything, you already know” He tells you as he pulls away to look you in the eyes.

You nod, still smiling, and he pulls you in another kiss. Your eyes close at the softness of the kiss and you caress his cheeks with your thumbs.

He pulls away a final time and lays back on the bed beside you. His hand rests over your belly on top of the covers and you finally close your eyes.

In the space of a few minutes, you fall asleep and Jamie is left staring lovingly at you and your sleeping form. His hand caresses unconsciously your belly once more and he decides to turn off the TV.

He stares at you for a little bit and right on the same second, he turns on his side and scoots over to you. His arms wrap around you and he snuggles close to your stomach, welcoming your warmth under the covers.

And soon enough, with just a few peaceful and warm minutes, he falls asleep right next to you with no worries on his mind.

Like I said before, this was written in between classes today. I hope it’s good, I never wrote for him so... *fingers crossed* 🥰

[plasticfilth]

I can’t explain why I just feel like Big Rig is the type of to guy to call you sweet girl/pretty girl instead of always calling you baby or honey

yes ! but hear me out, soft jamie would be too nervous to say it around his teammates, so he saves those pet names for home and when you’re alone, which makes them even more special. another phrase he would use often is ‘my girl’, which he has no problem in using when introducing you to someone, or when you’re being really intimate. those moments when he’s tracing the features of your face softly and you giggle at his touch, laying directly on his body, pressed together and he’s just savouring the time he gets to look at you.

[starshine-hockey-girl]

When you get this, reply with your favourite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love. <3

See you Again- Tyler Seguin stand alone https://starshine-hockey-girl.tumblr.com/post/681971102590877696/summary-when-addy-meets-tyler-through-mutual

Hello Sunshine-Jamie Oleksiak-reader insert https://starshine-hockey-girl.tumblr.com/post/674747797495529472/hello-sunshine-winter-fic-exchange

Journey to the Emerald City - spin-off fo Magical Mystery Ride- Jamie Oleksiak and OC Teddy-read the first 15 chapters of Magical Mystery Ride first

Chapter One-Return of Lex-https://starshine-hockey-girl.tumblr.com/post/658814587986116608/chapter-one-journey-to-the-emerald-city

Never Ever Have I Series- Sidney Crosby xOC(Evie)

Chapter One- Never Have I- https://starshine-hockey-girl.tumblr.com/post/658986447888695296/never-ever-have-

Crosby Crew- Sidney Crosby Dad Fluff https://starshine-hockey-girl.tumblr.com/post/661790024969420801/authors-note-it-originally-started-as-a-little

[princessphilly]

One Night in Seattle: The Meet Cute

Tag list: @hockeynshit, @newlibrary , @hockeywocs,  @2kidcrew , @iangiemae ,  @stars-canucks ,  @huggybearmylove34, @himbos-on-ice ,  @littlebabyboybarzal,  @t0xickisses2,  @habsfan​

Join the tag list here!

CW: fluff, a touch of angst, a child with autism (I tried very hard to be respectful but if you feel like I did this wrong, PLEASE let me know), meddling friends

Word count: 1964

Don’t stare, don’t stare, Desiree chanted in her head. It was just one of those meet and greets teams have for corporate supporters. Desiree went to plenty of them with the Mariners. But she just wanted to stare at the blond, blue-eyed giant holding court with a couple of managers from the marketing division.

 “It’s okay to stare, everyone has done it tonight, Desiree,” Tanya stated, poking her in the side. “I mean, people stare at you too so you should know, Ms. Campbell.”

Desiree gritted her teeth at that. She knew she was model height but Desiree didn’t have a model body, to her mother’s despair. She liked French fries too much; Desiree worked out mainly to productively release tension at the end of the workday. 

Rolling her eyes, Desiree said, “More reason not to stare. It’s awkward.”

But then she glanced to her left and she locked eyes with the man. It was brief before he looked away. Then, as Desiree made her way to the refreshments table, she felt his eyes on her again. Desiree winked at him, laughing to herself when she saw him flush a bit. 

“Look at you, flirting with Big Rig. I guess we’ll find you at a game this season?”

Desiree looked at Rob, one of her colleagues in the R&D team. “Never. Hockey isn’t my sport, football is.”

“Are you sure?”

Desiree gasped as the giant stood in front of her, a shy yet cocky smile on his face. “When people see the game on the ice, they become converts.”

“Nah. Maybe if someone creates a good reason for me to go to a game.”

The shy smile turned into a slow grin. “Then maybe you should let me invite you to a game.”

“Hmm, I don’t know, I got to think about it,” Desiree remarked. Before the giant could reply, someone pulled him away.

Rob hissed, “That was Big Rig, Jamie Oleksiak, Desiree. He’s a major part of this team!”

“Okay?”

Desiree shrugged as they moved on to a different group. Athletes were athletes in her opinion. He was just really, really tall. But Desiree could feel his eyes on her throughout the night. Once, she raised an eyebrow and he raised his glass to her.

Desiree knew she was playing with fire but she couldn’t resist. And with the slow smile on his face, she thought that maybe for once, she bit off a bit more than she could chew. However, she didn’t interact with Jamie Oleksiak at all for the rest of the night. He made Desiree so nervous, like she was going to trip over her feet. So it was a relief to drive home.

Quietly unlocking the door, Desiree grinned as she saw her daughter, Astrid, lying on the couch. 

“I tried to get her to go to bed in her room but she refused, Desie,” Siobhan called from the kitchen. “Astrid had dinner and she worked on her homework.”

“Good,” Desiree replied as she slipped off her shoes. Running her hand over her daughter’s face, Desiree smiled. Astrid was everything to her. “Gonna tell you again how happy I am that you decided to move out here, Sio.”

There was a mock-groan and Desiree giggled. Astrid opened her eyes and her little girl gave her a soft smile even though her eyes didn’t meet hers. But Astrid never made eye contact with anyone. Her bundle of joy had been diagnosed with autism when she was three years old. Now, Astrid was five years old but mentally, she was considered to be three years old. She loved blue, unicorns, music, playing on her piano, and her routine. 

Ever since her birth, Astrid was the center of Desiree’s universe. Outside of work, everything revolved around making sure Astrid had everything she needed. However, her family was based in Pittsburgh and Desiree had been shouldering the load on her own. Now, with Siobhan living out here with her, Desiree was able to trust someone else with the care of her daughter. It also helped that Astrid had started to mellow out after she left the toddler years. 

“Ma ma home,” Astrid said. 

“Yes, I’m home. Now it’s time for you to go to bed.”

Desiree picked her daughter up with an oomph and carried her to her room. Carefully depositing Astrid in her bed, Desiree kissed the top of her head. “Good night, Plum.”

“Night.”

Rolling over to her side, Astrid put her thumb in her mouth. Content that she would be asleep quickly, Desiree turned on the sleep machine and closed the door. 

Padding to the kitchen of her condo, Desiree said, “I’m glad I went. I needed to be around adults tonight and it was a good networking experience.”

“Now, aren’t ya glad I forced you to go?”

Desiree rolled her eyes as Siobhan quietly chuckled. As they both shared an end of the day cup of tea, Desiree kept meeting a hockey player to herself. Nothing would happen of it so why talk about it, she said to herself. However, that night, Desiree’s dreams were full of a super tall, blonde, blue-eyed player with a dry sense of humor. 

**

A month later, Desiree couldn’t get Big Rig out of her mind. Astrid’s new fixation was watching hockey and Siobhan indulged her goddaughter. And Desiree was very happy she had rechargeable toys because Jamie Oleksiak was starring in her nightly dreams. 

Aunt Siobhan made sure Astrid had  Kraken everything. There were Kraken hoodies, t-shirts, a replica jersey, a plush puck with Astrid’s name on it. Desiree shook her head; only reason Astrid still played with her plush Boom was because the Kraken didn’t have a mascot yet. 

“Smile, Desie,” Siobhan said, poking her in her side. 

“I will. I don’t even know why I’m here since you are sharing this hockey thing with her,” Desiree muttered. 

Today was Autism Awareness day at the Kraken game against Edmonton. The sights and sounds around the game were geared towards people with autism so there were less flashing lights, more moderated noise level, as well as hands-on activities in the concourses. After the game, the kids would get a chance to meet players. 

Desiree continued, “It’s been a long morning and I had to deal with a client from Singapore who didn’t understand that today is a Saturday.”

“Well, Astrid has been having fun. She got a puck tossed to her by Ebs and she’s been selected to meet the players post game.”

“Shhh!”

Astrid made a shh-ing motion as she rocked in her seat. “2 period starting Mama.”

Desiree shrugged as Astrid adjusted her headphones. Usually Astrid had a pair of pink headphones but she insisted on a pair of blue headphones for the game. 

The game itself was rather boring to Desiree as Edmonton scored three goals to take a 3-1 lead. Then Jordan Eberle scored, cutting the deficit to 3-2. But the Kraken lost the game, 4-2 as Darnell Nurse scored an empty-net goal at the end of the game to seal it. 

Astrid sighed. “Bad.”

“It’s okay, they play the Coyotes next,” Siobhan said as Desiree rubbed her daughter’s back. 

Picking up their belongings, Desiree rolled her shoulders. “You can take Astrid to meet the players by yourself, Sio-“

“No, Mama, come please,” Astrid asked, pleading with her eyes. Desiree wanted to say no, she wanted to say no but Astrid didn’t ask for much and she was usually very well behaved. 

“Okay,” Desiree finally said. Astrid squealed in joy as Siobhan replied, “Finally, you’re letting yourself have fun.”

**

Jamie rolled his shoulders after pulling off his jersey and pads. He was feeling sore, his left shoulder was hurting him again. But adrenaline was running through his body as he remembered seeing her.

Ever since that night, Jamie regretted not getting her name and number. He hadn’t even wanted to go; it was one of those meet and greets for a corporate sponsor. She wasn’t even his type to be totally honest. But she caught his eye and her sassy remarks to him made Jamie wish he had been able to get closer to her. Of course, she came to a game and they lost. 

“Riggy, get a smile on your face, we’re about to meet kids,” Ebs quipped.

Jamie laughed as he pulled on a shirt. “I’m ready.”

Turning towards his locker, Jamie pulled off his skates and slid on his favorite sandals. The sound of children filled the air and Jamie grinned to himself. Meeting kids was the best part of the job. And there she was, holding the hand of a little girl who looked just like her. Taking his time to give all of the children he met quality time, Jamie kept an eye on her as the little girl pulled her around the locker room. Finally, they were in front of him. The little girl said, “This is Big Rig, Mama.”

“Yes, he is, Astrid,” Desiree replied as Astrid held out a white Kraken shirt and a sharpie. Jamie signed it as Desiree remarked, “You’ve pointed out every player to me.”

“Because we are fans,” Astrid happily replied. 

Not willing to lose his chance, Jamie said, “I told you that if you come to a game, you’d become a fan.”

Looking at her mother, Astrid’s eyes were wide before she looked at Jamie. He swore he saw hearts and rainbows in the little girl’s eyes as she said, “You met Mama?”

“It’s nothing, Astrid, Mama meets a lot of people through work,” Desiree replied. Looking out of the corner of her eye, she looked for Siobhan but Sio was busy talking to Brandon Tanev with the hockey stick she had bought for her nephew. 

Then Jamie crouched down to where he was closer to eye level with Astrid and Desiree despaired. Visions of cash going towards more game tickets filled her eyes as Jamie asked, “Do you skate, Astrid?”

Astrid nodded, flapping her hands together in excitement before folding them together. In a conspiratorial tone, Jamie suggested, “Maybe we can get your mama to let you sign up for the Lil Kraken program.”

“Already did,” Desiree snapped. “There are other families waiting to meet you, Mr. Oleksiak.”

“Oh, we’re fine,” her friend Celeste called out, holding the hand of Astrid’s friend Coner. “Take your time, Desiree!”

“You heard them, Desiree,” Jamie drawled but Astrid was already making her way towards her other favorite player, Jordan Eberle.

“My daughter is ready to move on.”

Desiree waved towards Jamie as she hurried after her daughter. Astrid kept it together as Eberle signed her shirt but Desiree could tell that Astrid was getting tired. Wanting to avoid a meltdown, Desiree texted Siobhan gonna take A home, shes exhausted. “Let’s go home for dinner, Plum.”

**

It had been two weeks since the game but Astrid was even more obsessed with hockey. Her girl wanted to watch more and more games and not just Kraken games. The Kraken had just finished an East Coast road trip so their games came on at 4:30pm. It was nice because games were over early on school nights. But Astrid was always asking when they would go to their next game. 

Yawning, Desiree turned off her monitor. She was exhausted after a meeting with colleagues in Sydney, Australia. The time difference could be a bitch at times. Then her phone dinged with a message, hi desiree.

Then Desiree noticed she had a voicemail from Siobhan. “Hey Desie, um, I went out on a date with Brandon and um, I gave your number to Jamie. He’s going to text you. Don’t worry, I grilled him and so did Nina on FaceTime. He passed her man’s test too. Give him a chance, ok.”

[hockeyboysimagines]

The second time you fall in Love

Chapter 4

warnings: Alcohol, parties, language, talks of self esteem and abusive relationships and cheating.

It feels so good to update! I hope you enjoy this and thank you to all who were so patient-💕

Much to Ava’s dismay Tyler turned out to not be so bad. It would have been so much easier to put distance between them if he hadn’t been so damn likeable but he was.

He made her laugh, and while her guard was still up, he had made a dent in her life. She was comfortable now with his flirting but she never returned it. It almost made him a little sad because he knew deep down there was a whole side of her he might never see. She was so closed off from him and he started to notice little things about her the more he spent time with her.

She hardly wore any makeup, and while she didn’t need it he suspected that that was not the reason she didn’t wear it. She wore a lot of loose clothing, and very rarely showed much skin unless she was wearing shorts. She never did much with her hair, and he couldn’t figure out why. It’s was thick and long but it hung there, straight every day or in a ponytail. She wasn’t overly social, she didn’t make eye contact, and the only time she ever lit up was when you was talking about her students or when she was with the dogs.

It was sad, heartbreaking even to see this girl, not only beautiful outside but beautiful inside, which he could see even from the small glimpses he got.

“ I just don’t get it. I’ve tried everything.” Tyler said to Jamie during golfing one day. While the other guys ragged on him about girls, Jamie took a more philosophical approach. He’s had his own share of relationship struggles and was able to give him an unbiased view point.

“Maybe your going about it the wrong way Seggs.”

“What other way is there?”

“Well.” He leaned on his club “It sounds like she was burned pretty badly. I don’t know her, but that messes people up. Maybe she needs you to show her that your not going to do it. Reassurance, affirmation, and words can show that more than flirting.”

“I’m better at flirting.”

Jamie pulled a face at him “Have you asked her about it? The guy?”

“I’m almost afraid to, but she just said he ruined her life. She didn’t say how.”

“Maybe it’s time you find out. The worst she can do is not tell you, right?”

“No the worst she can do is tell me to fuck off.”

Jamie pursed his lips and shrugged “True. Only one way to find out.”

“I was thinking of having a get together. Asking her to come.”

“If she’s okay with hanging out with you alone I don’t see why not, but if she says no you have to respect that.”

“I will, just hoping she says yes.”

“You must be pretty hung up on the girl.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Yeah. I’m kicking your ass in golf and that never happens.”

“Shut up.”

*************

“A party?”

“A get together.” He corrected her, lobbing the hall for Molly. Molly was in way better shape than all three of his put together and since they’d been hanging out all of his dogs had dropped some weight. They never gave up though, and huffed and puffed as they chased after her. When he turned back to her, Ava’s face was solid as steel.

“Tyler-“

“Before you say no. Just think about it.”

“I don’t do the party thing.”

“Bring a friend, if you don’t wanna come you don’t have to. Either way, I’m coming to your school tomorrow. So think about it and give me an answer then.No pressure.”

No pressure from Tyler really meant that he wanted her to come really bad, but he would act like it was fine if she didn’t. She watched as Molly rolled around on the grass with Cash, and bit her lip.

She enjoyed hanging out with Tyler one on one, more than she ever thought she would have, but a party was so.

Public

She thought back to what Mila and Pierre said.

Deep down, they were right. Pierre, who barely knew her, was telling her from an unbiased 3rd party that she was being down right ridiculous for hiding from a guy she hadn’t seen or spoken to in years, and that was controlling her life from wherever he was. It wasn’t fair to her or anyone, and it wasn’t fair to Tyler. Brandon was holding her back from so much, but even as she realized it she could feel his invisible grip tighten on her subconscious.

She felt a tear come to her eye and she wiped at it, sniffling and drawing in a shuddering breath. Molly laid her head on her knee and whined softly.

“Oh Moll. What am I gonna do.” A tear ran down her cheek and dripped on to her arm followed by several more. She tilted her head towards the ceiling, blinking but she just couldn’t stop it. She had been on this path of self destruction for a while, holding everything in and burying it so deep, it had kindled and caught fire and had been smoldering for so long it was raging and she just couldn’t stop it. Waves of heat crept up her chest and neck as she heaved in a breath and choked out more sobs.

She was crying so hard she didn’t even hear her phone buzzing. It buzzed for a while as she sobbed, and shuddered and cried so hard she felt like she was going to throw up. A knock on her front door startled her and she stood quickly and hurried forward forgetting that she probably looked like a drowned rat.

She was more than surprised to come face to face with Tyler who looked alarmed when he saw her.

“What are you doing here?” She rasped at him, quickly wiping her cheeks.

“I called you like 10 times, and when you didn’t answer I got worried. Are you okay.” He reached an arm out, and though it normally would have made her recoil she let him rest a hand on her shoulder.

“No. I’m not.”

“Okay. Well we don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but I’m not leaving you here alone.”

He brushed past her and closed the door, before steering her to her sofa, giving Molly a pat on the head and raiding her cabinets till he found some alcohol. After a few moments of being seated across from her, he finally spoke.

“Ava.” He said gently “What happened to you? You don’t have to tell me, but it might help me understand if you did.”

Her lower lip trembled a little and she sniffed loudly.

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“No probably not. But I do understand that whatever it is has a pretty strong grip on you, and that your my friend and I’m worried about you.”

“Why? You barely know me Tyler.”

“I’m trying to. But you just never put down this wall and I don’t get why. I don’t understand, but maybe you can help me.”

She looked like a caged animal, shrunken down as far in her seat as she could, eyes red and cheeks tear stained. It broke Tyler’s heart.

“Do you-“ she started shakily “Do you remember when you asked me what guy ruined my life? The first time at the airport?” He nodded and she continued “He didn’t just ruin my life. He killed my brother.”

Tyler felt his blood run cold and the blood drain from his face. Ava was looking at her knees as a fresh trail of tears fell down, soaking into her jeans.

“Brandon was my first boyfriend, and also the last I ever had. He was what I thought love was supposed to be. But he was a fucking cancer and he poisoned every aspect of my life. The cheating, the drugs, the alcohol. And then he started hitting me. We got in this fight one night and I said I was done with him for good after I caught him with another girl. He got pissed off at me and he left me in a parking lot at 2 am.” She closed her eyes and swallowed hard, letting out a breath through her nose “I called my brother to come get me. Brandon was mad and not paying attention and hit my brother head on. He died a week later. And it’s all my fault.”

“Ava. You can’t blame yourself for that.”

“Why not?” She asked, voice cracking “If I hadn’t been so stupid he might still be alive. If I had just listened-“ she choked, losing it before she could finish the sentence. Tyler couldn’t take it anymore.

He scooted forward and pulled her into a hug, her face coming to rest against his shoulder. She cried silently, until the tears dissolved into hiccups and then he felt her stiffen.

“Thanks.” She said leaning up and moving away from him “Sorry for acting like a crazy person. Just lost it there.”

“Ava don’t-don’t do this.”

“Do what?”

“The ice queen act. You just opened up to me for the first time and just like that, you slammed the door again. Don’t.”

She looked dumbfounded, but he stood his ground and didn’t apologize. The only way to get through to her was to he honest.

“I’m trying really fucking hard here okay? And you just never let me all the way in, but I think you want to? I get that he messed you up, but Ava.” He very slowly reached for her hand “I would never do that to you.”

She was staring at his hand holding her own. Her cheeks were still red and her eyes were puffy but she wasn’t shuddering and heaving anymore. She just looked tired and moderately confused.

“I-I know. I know you wouldn’t. I’m just all over the place.” She let out a small chuckle and tucked her hair behind her ears “I’ll be okay.”

“Are you sure? I can stay for a while…but if not I’ll see you tomorrow yeah? At school?”

“I’m alright. Thanks for coming over, and yes I will see you tomorrow.”

Ava wasn’t a big hugger, but when Tyler reached for her she didn’t get stiff, or awkward or even pull away. She didn’t exactly grip him back the way he wanted her to but she did melt against him for the smallest fraction of a second but he felt it.

As he drove home he felt triumphant. He had worked hard, harder than he ever had and he had made a very small hole in the wall she had spent so many years building. It was minuscule, but it was definitely there. He smiled softly as he went about the rest of his night.

He wasn’t going to stop. He had seen a glimpse of the real Ava for the first time. A raw look at her, and it cemented his feelings even further. He would prove to her that one way or another she was worth it. And he was too.

**********

Ava was a bouncing ball of stress and vomit the next morning. She had fallen asleep thinking about Tyler and woken up thinking about Tyler and she was walking into school now…thinking about Tyler.

Brandon was vaguely in there somewhere, but her feelings were twisted and tangled and forming a very tight knot that was giving her a headache. She smiled absently at other teachers as she made her way into school and to her classroom.

The Dallas Stars would be at school in a little less than an hour. Her kids would be filing into her classroom in about 30 minutes, after which she would take attendance and they would bring the kids to the gym. The stars would not only be doing activities with the kids in the gym, but would be coming into the classroom also to do a project with the students and answer all their burning questions.

Ava hadn’t spoken to anyone besides Mila and Pierre about her encounter, and new found friendship with Tyler and she just knew that she would be bombarded by questions from her fellow staff members when they found out. She had always been friendly and polite, but she never indulged in gossip or talk about her personal life with anyone but Marcy. But not even she knew about Tyler.

Her kids filed in the room chattering excitedly, more than one of them dressed in victory green or sporting stars jerseys. There would be no point in trying to wrangle them so she busied herself with checking her emails and organizing her papers to grade while they hung out and waited for the principals morning announcements.

“Are you excited Miss A?”

Ava smiled tightly and nodded “Me? Are you guys excited?”

“So excited. So many cute guys!” The girls in her room dissolved into giggles and started whispering about the guys on the team. She could hear them say “Tyler Seguin” loud and clear more than once. She sighed and swallowed thickly.

It was going to be a very long day.

************

“So where’s this hot teacher-“

Tyler sent a flying elbow into Roope’s side causing him to yelp.

“We are in a school! And shut up. Your being so obvious.”

Jamie was giggling away from his other side as they watched the PR team talking with several of the school administrators. It looked like a pretty fun event. The gym was huge, and had different activities set up in different sections for the kids to try. While Tyler liked kids and enjoyed these types of trips he really just wanted to see Ava.

Teachers we’re beginning to bring groups into the gym, but so far he didn’t see anyone he recognized until he felt a presence at his shoulder.

“Who are you looking for?”

He turned to find Ava herself, standing slightly awkwardly next to him, but smiling all the same. He grinned and felt his ears get hot.

“Hey! I was looking for you. Figured you might have taken a sick day cuz you knew I was coming.”

She shrugged “I thought about it, but hanging out with you isn’t so bad, so I figured I’d suffer through it.” He rolled his eyes and gave her a nudge. “Which kids are yours?”

She held up a finger and pointed “Group 8.”

Fuck

He had group 6, but he was definitely switching with whoever had group 8. He chatted with her for another moment before they parted ways and she went to join her students.

“Who has group 8!” He whispered hurriedly. Esa held up his paper and had began to speak when Tyler ripped it from his hand and shoved his own Group 6 paper at him. He looked around seeing that Jamie, thank god, had the other group 8 paper.

“You weren’t kidding. She’s a fox.��

“Yeah Yeah I know.” He grumbled. He’d only ever seen her in gym clothing or leggings but seeing her dressed for school was like seeing a whole new Ava. She wore a long sleeve burgundy shirt, dark jeans, and a pair of boots. She still had her long hair pulled straight and very little makeup on, but she carried herself different today. Maybe it was the influence of work, but he also wondered if maybe she felt better. She had opened up to him a little about her past and he knew that if he was her, it would have made him feel better. He was jarred from his thoughts when he heard a microphone squeal and the principle clear his throat.

He welcomed the team and explained how the day was going to go, the schedule and who would be assigned to which groups.

Ava felt a small pang in her stomach when she heard ‘Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin will be assigned to Group 8 today.’ And wondered if he planned that. Tyler wandered over with a very tall, pleasantly handsome dark haired teammate, who smiled and extended a hand.

“You must be Ava. I’m Jamie.” Normally Ava would have politely smiled back and stiffly shook his hand, but something about his big eyes and warm smile didn’t set off sirens in her head, but rather made her give a genuine smile back.

“It’s nice to meet you Jamie.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you.” He gave Tyler a small glance and then smiled wider when Tyler glared at him.

“Oh yeah?”

Tyler smiled nervously and cleared his throat “Anyways. Where are we heading first?” he moved past her to introduce himself and Jamie to the kids and then led them to the first activity of the day, leaving her at the back of the group with Jamie.

“He likes you, you know.” Jamie said quietly. His voice was soft, like his eyes and he sounded genuine.

“He thinks he likes me. But I’m not his type.”

Jamie rolled his eyes and chuckled “No your not, and believe me when I tell you that’s a good thing.”

“How so?”

“Seggs is my best buddy, and I know when he’s being serious about something. These other girls that throw themselves at him don’t really catch his attention anymore. But you have.”

“But I didn’t do anything.”

“On the contrary, you have done more by not doing anything than you ever could have if you did something.” He furrowed his eyebrows “Did that make sense?”

“Not at all.”

He smiled and chuckled and she did too before he spoke “Really though, he’s a good guy. Just give him a chance to prove it to you.”

“I’ll-I’ll keep it in mind.”

He smiled and walked forward to help Tyler hand the kids their stuff. Tyler sent him a look and gave her a tight smile before he turned to Jamie.

“What was that about?”

“We we’re talking about you. Don’t worry.” He said when Tyler opened his mouth to speak “I said all good things. And I only lied a little.”

“Great.”

**********

Ava smiled in spite of herself as she watched the kids goof around across the gym.

“Tyler Seguin is staring at you.”

She turned to find Marcy at her elbow and followed her gaze to find that Tyler was in fact looking.

“Uh yeah I know. I know him.”

“You what?” She hissed “How?”

“We had the same flight on the way back here. He’s from Brampton.” She explained the encounter and the flight and then the park a few days later.

“Don’t we have some kind of communication system for ‘I met a hot guy who’s a superstar’ and other important events?”

“Stop. He’s a hockey player not Jesus. We’re friends.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Positive. Now go away.”

Marcy gave her a nudge and went back to her group. Tyler had now appeared on her other side and smiled.

“Having fun?” She asked.

“Tons. I love this kind of stuff, and kids. This is a great group.”

“They are. This is really good for them.”

“Plus I get to see you again….”

“That reminds me…I wanted to say thanks. For not thinking I’m a total basket case after yesterday. I lost my mind for a little while there.”

He frowned and his eyes softened. He reached one hand forward and gripped her wrist softly “Your not a basket case, and you don’t have to thank me. I should be thanking you.”

“For what?”

“For telling me all that. Your so closed off. It felt good to know you trusted me enough to tell me. Did it make you fee better?”

She thought for a moment “It did actually.”

“Good. Then that’s what’s important.”

The rest of the morning passed by and then the kids had lunch with the players before they sat down for the Q&A part of the day. Ava was standing at the back of the room listening as different kids asked different players questions, until Rachel one of her boy crazy girls raised her hand.

“My question is for Tyler? Do you have a girlfriend?” The group of girls she was sitting with giggled at her question and for the briefest of seconds Tyler and Ava made eye contact. Her breath hitched in her throat and she stiffened as he began to answer.

“Not right now.”

He continued to stare at her for a minute until another student asked him a question. Her heart was beating entirely too loud and she was sure everyone in the room could hear it. She didn’t hear anything past that, but she couldn’t stop the deep blush that had spread across her cheeks.

“Are you okay?” She jumped and turned to find Principle Phillips staring at her “Your very flushed.”

“Oh I’m okay. Just a bit warm is all.”

The Stars left shortly after, and Ava took her kids back to the room. There was an hour of school left, and she gave them a free period. She was exhausted and she needed time to think. Tyler was waiting on an answer about the party he wanted her to come to. She let her fingers hover over the keyboard for a minute before she typed out a message.

Okay. I’ll come to this party. What time ?

T: really? Hell yeah you can come whenever, Just as long as your coming.

A:I’ll be there.

************

“She’s coming don’t worry.” Jamie said chuckling into his drink. Jamie O was chuckling “Seggs are you nervous?”

“What?” He scoffed “I don’t get nervous okay.”

“Well if you aren’t nervous then trust me when I say she’s coming.”

“How do you know? Maybe she changed her mind.”

“She didn’t.”

“How do you know that though?”

“Because she’s right there.”

Tyler followed Jamie’s pointed finger and sucked in a deep breath. Ava was walking apprehensively towards them in a dark grey tank top that showed an inch or so, of flat stomach and blue jeans with holes in the knees. Her hair fell down in sleek strands to her elbows and her smile was nervous as she looked around.

“ Hey Ty?”

“Hmmmmmm?”

“Could you close your mouth? Your drool is getting my feet wet.” Jamie O laughed loudly and soon Jamie joined in and then even Tyler smiled in spite of himself as she finally reached him.

“Hi.” She said giving him a big smile

“Hi.” He reached for her awkwardly and gave her a hug that made her want to melt into his big chest but she restrained herself and let go after a few moments.

“ Wow I’m really underdressed.” She said looking around at the other partygoers and then down at herself.

“Nah. Trust me you don’t want to look like them.”Jamie said waving a hand “You look hot. Right Ty?”

Jamie and Jamie wore identical evil grins “Yeah you do. I didn’t mean that. I mean I did but I mean-your beautiful-I just- I need to stop talking.”

“I’ve never seen him this way. Who is this guy?” Jamie O whispered.

“Our boy is in love.” While Ava didn’t hear them Tyler did and he aimed a backhanded punch at whoever was closest before he spoke again “Can I get you a drink? The bar is in here.” He glared at them before he set off across the yard leading her inside.

He introduced her to his friends, and stayed close through the night.

“I thought you were gonna stand me up.” He admitted as they stood talking by the pool.

“Why?”

“Just had a feeling. But I’m really glad you came.”

“Me too. I’m having a good time.”

He smiled and she felt her resolve cracking underneath it. The alcohol mixed with his presence was absolutely intoxicating. She just wanted to kiss the socks off the guy. But while her brain was screaming “run for the hills” her heart was still insisting there would be kissing.

The alcohol was pounding in her ears as people began to filter out of Tyler’s yard, and her inner body parts continued to fight with one another. He yawned and turned to find her standing there. She smiled uncertainly.

“Do you-do you need help cleaning up?”

He smiled and shook his head “No. I usually hire like a crew to clean, but if you wanna hang out for a while that’d be cool.”

“Uh. Sure.”

She followed Tyler to the back porch when she felt woozy and stumbled.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine I just don’t drink very often oh-“ her flip flop caught on the pavement and she fell forward. He caught her, his big hands coming to grip her waist. She looked up in surprise and realized their faces were less than 6 inches apart. The air around them froze, and she felt a tightness in her chest as he looked at her eyes and then her mouth. She wanted to kiss him so damn bad but she was so petrified she couldn’t move, only watch as he leaned forward slightly and stopped as if asking for permission. She felt her heart rate pick up and she stiffened. This was too real and too scary. Her brain was screaming at the top of its lungs to stop and it was drowning out the words in her heart.

“Tyler.” She said softly. Everything about her eyes was saying kiss me but she was stiff in his arms and he could hear her heart beating. He had gotten to this point with her and as much as it pained him to do it, he slowly moved his hands from her arms and took a small step back.

“I’m sorry.” She said looking at her feet “I’m just-sorry.”

“Why won’t you let me in?” Tyler looked hurt and confused and it broke her heart to know it was because of her. He deserved so much, and she could never give that to him. She sputtered for a moment and then her eyes got glassy.

“I’m sorry I have to go.” He watched as she turned on her heel and disappeared from his sight as she called for an Uber. He sighed frustratedly and sat down on his back steps, head in his hands. Ava climbed into the backseat of the Uber and held it in until it dropped her off and she made it inside her house. And then she slid to the floor.

And cried.