#leon draisaitl stories

[nhl-stories]

You Stupid Bitch – Leon Draisaitl

Summary: Leon is stupidly, hopelessly in love. Too bad the object of his affection has terrible taste.

Author’s Note: Just some good old unrequited love getting requited

Word Count: 7k​

Album Series Mastlerlist

You stupid bitch, can't you see? The perfect one for you is me

Leon hears the yelling before he gets to the front door. Screaming is probably a more accurate word. He stops and ponders whether he should ring the doorbell or not when the door opens and a woman almost runs him over.

“Good luck with that psycho bitch,” she half-addresses Leon and half screams it over her shoulder into the house before she storms off to her car.

“Nice to see you too, Dawn,” he mumbles before he lets himself into the house.

The house is almost a mirror version of his next door and he moves through the open floor plan until he finds Chloe.

“Fuck,” Leon stops in his tracks when he sees her lip bleeding, “did she do that?”

She touches her lip to see the blood while Leon goes to the freezer to grab an ice pack.

 “Dammit, and technically yes.”

Leon whips around at that comment, “calm down, it was during sex. The sex was foreplay for the fight.”

Leon gives her disgusted look while handing her the ice.

“Aren’t Germans supposed to be into really kinky shit? Cause I’m real sick of this resting judgmental face you have.”

Leon just continues to stare.

“What are you doing here?”

“You have my dog.”

As if on cue, Bowie comes running through the dog door followed by Chloe’s fluffy orange cat, Baron. He picks up his dog and snuggles him close, Baron jumps up on the counter feeling left out.

“So, you and Dawn are done?”

Leon tries to be casual, not seem too interested, but he’s dying to know. Despite seeming like a grumpy annoyed neighbor, which yes, he’s that too, he’s hopelessly in love with Chloe.  

“Yes, and don’t say I told you so.”

“I won’t, but she did string you along for months and then treated you horribly while you dated, if you can even call what you two did dating.”

Chloe ignores the fact that without actually using the words ‘I told you so,’ he basically did.

“Ohhh, but the sex was so good.”

“Other people are good at sex,” he’s glad his scruff is thick enough to hide the blush he can feel creeping up his face.

“You want to stay for dinner?” She moves the ice pack and touches her lip again, the bleeding’s stopped.

“I have food that I need to cook before it goes bad,” he starts to turn to leave and pauses, “want to come over?”

“Do I have to put on pants?”

Leon turns and peers around the kitchen island to see Chloe is only wearing a long sleeve t-shirt that only barely covers the good bits. Leon second guesses his invite.

“It’s fucking cold out.”

“You’re right next door, I’ll run.”

“And I was going to leisurely walk over.”

“Fine, I’ll put on pants.”

“And bring some wine.”

///

After her latest breakup, Leon resolves to tell Chloe how he feels; or at the very least make his feelings more obvious. He says he’ll do this every time and he never follows through, which is extra frustrating because Leon follows through on every other thing in his life.

He swears this time will be different.

It isn’t.

A parade of suitors, or at least that’s the respectable way to call them, parades through Chloe’s door until one sticks. His name is Michael or Matthew or something.

Leon doesn’t care to remember, but is polite enough when he meets him the first time. He gives off a weird vibe that Leon is suspect of, partly because of his own feelings and partly because Chloe infamously has bad taste in partners.

Leon gives them a month. If he was a betting man, he would have cashed out big.

30 days into their relationship Chloe is passed out on Leon’s couch, her black cocktail dress riding up precariously high, one heel still on.

She had barged in last night while he had some teammates over. She was completely plastered and complaining about something but was too incoherent to be entirely understandable, just enough that Leon knew the problem was whatshisface.

Bowie jumps onto the couch before Leon can stop him and starts licking her face.

She groans, but indulges the dog with a pet.

“Fuck, Bowie don’t let me drink that much ever again,” the dog just snuggles into her more, “and don’t let me spend the night in this brutalism hell your dad calls a home.”

She squeezes her eyes shut as if it will block out Leon’s neutral, modern décor.

“Sorry, I don’t live in the clown house you’re accustomed to,” he laughs but doesn’t get a snarky response, “how are you feeling?”

“Like drilling a hole into my head will make me feel better.”

“So, you either had a really fun or a really bad night.”

“Very bad, first Mitchell stands me up because apparently he’s not ready to be a public couple or some shit and then I got too deep into the open bar and probably did something to embarrass my brother, so that’s another thing I’ll have deal with later.”

She squeezes at her temples, like that will help the hangover, “and I clearly remember at least Connor being here last night, so I can only imagine I further embarrassed myself.”

Leon picks up a pair of neon orange, lacey underwear and tosses it towards her, “you insisted on showing us your tattoo,” Leon grins remembering her showing off the colorful ‘Pow’ tattooed on her butt cheek.

“Jesus, and you did nothing to stop me? Protect my modesty or whatever?”

“I enjoyed the show,” he gives a crooked smile.

She lets out a heavy sigh then opens her arms wide, “Can you carry me home?”

“What? No!” He fights but he knows if she asks again, he’ll do it, he can’t say no to her.

“This wouldn’t be a big deal if you let me build the skybridge between our places,” she sulks, “then Bowie could see his boyfriend any time he wants.”

Leon rolls his eyes and moves to pick her up, hoping it will shut her up.

“My dog is not your cat’s boyfriend.”

She wraps her arms around his shoulders to hold on and Leon feels warm all over. Is hyper-aware of where his hand is gripping her bare thigh, how soft her skin is against his calloused fingers.

“They’re totally obsessed with each other and they don’t have reproductive organs so it’s not like they can commit a crime against nature or anything.”

He just gives a neutral hum in response, trying to enjoy the moment of Chloe in his arms and not let the warmth migrate south.  He stops by the door and piles her purse and coat on top of her, covering up the neon underwear she never put back on.

He walks out into the cold and hopes none of their neighbors choose to look outside now. The last thing he needs is a picture of him carrying  a commando Chloe back to her house, his brain hurts just thinking about the fallout something like that would cause.

They get into her house, which despite the similar layout looks so different from his own home; all bright colors and loud patterns, nothing matches, yet it all goes together. He would never tell her to her face but he loves it, it feels like a lived-in and well-loved house.

Baron comes to rub up against his legs and he has to gently nudge him away as he carries Chloe up the stairs. He’s only been in her room once before, when painters had come on the wrong day and the fumes made it impossible to take a pre-game nap, he remembers never wanting to leave.

Leon drops her unceremoniously on the bed, his arms shaking a little from carrying her so long.  She mumbles something into the blankets as she moves to curl up like a cat in the middle of the bed.

It’s a giant circular bed with a deep blue velvet bedframe and headboard, something you��d imagine seeing in an old Hollywood movie.

Marlene Dietrich.

He remembers Chloe mentioning her during one their first meetings.

Alone in an elevator she just blurted it out, “I love Marlene Dietrich, my dad and I used to watch all her movies.”

“What?” He wasn’t sure he had heard her correctly.

“Marlene Dietrich, she’s German. You’re German,” she scrunched up her eyes and groaned in embarrassment, “never mind just ignore me, I just did that stupid annoying thing where you say the one thing you know about where someone is from as if that means anything to them.”

“Like if I said you’re from Canada and told you I’m a huge fan of Wayne Gretzky or maple syrup.”

“Yeah, though that doesn’t work as well because I actually know Wayne Gretzky and everyone loves maple syrup” she flashed him a smile before exiting the elevator.

Leon shakes himself out of the memory, realizing he’s been zoning out and staring at Chloe for too long, like some kind of creep. She doesn’t seem to acknowledge his presence.

“I always picture your room as more of a sex dungeon.”

“Sex dungeon is down the hall,” she doesn’t skip a beat even through a pounding headache and the comfort of her bed.

“Feel better, I’ll uh- see you later.”

“Wait, when do you head out on the road?”

“Tomorrow.”

She holds out her arms and makes a grabbing motion, “hug for good luck.”

She doesn’t make it easy for him, he has to crawl to the middle of the bed and it’s an awkward hug where his arms can’t quite get around her. But she squeezes him tightly and he wants to just collapse onto the bed and hold her until the rest of the world melts away.

Instead, he presses a kiss to her temple. Maybe lingering a second too long, taking the time to imagine a world where Chloe is waiting for him in her bed, waiting for his kisses and his touch and his love. He pulls away before he gets too deep into his fantasy.

///

Before Chloe was his neighbor or de facto dog sitter or even his unrequited love, she was a face in the crowd he couldn’t escape.

If Edmonton bigwigs stopped by practice or the locker room after a game she was there, with varying levels of enthusiasm. If there was a charity event at a hospital or a school or anywhere, there she was directing people on where to go or hands on a craft. If there was a gala he was forced to go to as a face of the Oilers, there she was dressed to the nines and rubbing elbows.

From what he gathered she worked for a foundation or something, Leon didn’t pay her much mind, though he was curious. She was young, within a year or two of his age, but she could run a room of rich, white men.

She simultaneously fit in and stood out in every crowd and that fascinated Leon, who often felt out of place in the off-ice world hockey had forced him into.

Then at one gala, she was talking to Connor and he found his in. Instead of having an enlightened conversation he was met with a spill of red wine when she turned around quickly as he was walking up. She apologized profusely as Leon could feel the wine drip down his chest.

She insisted on taking care of the dry cleaning, giving Leon the address of her place. When he went to pick up the suit he was greeted with his now-clean suit, a new custom-made suit, and a note:

Thought you could use a spare gala suit in case you run into a drunk socialite who’s ruder than me. I probably owe you dinner too

xo, Chloe Cohn

Suddenly it was clear, she wasn’t just someone who worked for the foundation, she was the name behind it. It was a pretty ubiquitous surname around the city.

All of this to say, it’s why Leon is willingly at a gala event mid-season, any excuse to be in the same room as Chloe.

It’s also come at an especially crucial moment in time because Chloe said she’s taking a break from dating. A first for her, or at least a first since Leon has known her. Making it a perfect time for Leon to double-down on his resolution, without competition from anyone else.

For once, he actually starts to follow through. It’s nothing big: wrapping an arm around her shoulder for casual contact, bringing her flowers to thank her for watching Bowie, sitting closer than normal when they have an evening glass of wine.

It’s pathetically small if he thinks about it, but it’s forward motion so it feels like a breakthrough.

Chloe is across the room wearing gown so deeply purple it’s almost black. While she has a fairly boyish figure, there’s nothing boyish about how she looks in that dress, somehow finding a floor-length dress that can show off too much skin on display to be appropriate for this event. Leon can feel his throat getting dry as he watches her chat up a group.

“If you keep staring like that, all of Edmonton will know you’re in love with her before she does,” Connor laughs as he and Lauren sidle up next to him.

“You’re leering,” Lauren adds, “not that I can blame you, but tone it down in public.”

Leon takes a large swig of his drink in response.

“Hey guys, thanks for coming. Oilers always help donations go up,” Chloe’s brother Peter, the head of whatever enterprises the Cohn family owns, comes up and shakes their hands.

“Of course, happy to help while enjoying an open bar,” Leon jokes and Peter laughs along with him.

“And I assume you’re keeping an eye on my sister,” Lauren chokes on her drink next to them, “lord knows she needs someone to keep the riff raff away.”

“Well- uh,” Leon stutters.

Peter always makes him nervous, he’s almost a decade older than Chloe, making him have a paternal air about him. Leon always has a hard time reading whether he’s being a stern father figure or a joking older brother, his relationship with his own sister is so drastically different.

Peter claps his shoulder, “I’m kidding, many have tried but she’s the only one who can keep herself out of trouble.”

“Stop harassing my neighbor, Petey,” Chloe teases her brother and before cuddling up to Leon, like she’s protecting him from her own sibling.

He looks his sister up and down, “You’re not planning on embarrassing yourself tonight, are you?”

“I apologized about my behavior at your birthday,” she says like a petulant child.

Leon sees Connor and Lauren get pulled away into another conversation and now he’s trapped in this passive aggressive sibling moment.

Her brother just gives her a l look that screams, ‘I’m not mad just disappointed.’

“Besides I have to cause a scandal here and there if I seem too similar to the golden child people might start putting me in charge of more things.”

“And god forbid that happens.”

Leon knows this is a weird gray area between the siblings. Equal parts a long running gag and a major point of contention. Chloe more than happy being in charge of the of the Cohn Foundation and nothing else, while her brother believes she’s smart enough to take on a bigger role in the business-side of the operation.

“And you have to admit, it’s been a while since I caused an ‘incident’, that’s personal growth.”

“The last incident was you bringing a prostitute to dad’s funeral, so no one has forgotten about that one.”

“They were a stripper, not prostitute and I was dating them, Dad had met them and was a fan. And at least in my mourning I didn’t try to marry someone without getting a prenup.”

“Okay truce, Clo,” he holds his hands up in surrender, “But cool it on the champagne, you have a speech to give later. Draisaitl maybe keep an eye on her,” he smirks.

“Leave Leon out of this,” she subtly flips him off before shooing him away to go mingle.

She’s still pressed up against Leon’s side and then looks up and smiles at him like they’re the only ones in the room. He gingerly moves his hand to her waist.

“But actually, maybe keep an eye on me, I do have to talk.”

The warmth connecting them is severed when a voice calls out to Chloe and an older woman goes in for a hug. He hates the feeling of her skin slipping away under his fingers.

“I should have known I’d find you by the dashing Mr. Draisaitl.”

Chloe does a quick intro, stopping Leon from slipping away to another conversation. Though another conversation with a random Edmontonian might be worse than this, the more VIP the person the more likely they seem to give advice on his on-ice performance.

“I just wanted to grab you and let you know Caleb is moving back to Edmonton.”

“Oh.”

Her face loses its emotion and Leon thinks maybe another conversation would be better than this.

“And I was thinking if you were free, you’d help get him reacquainted with the city.”

“Um- I – I could probably find the time,” she stammers, “He’s really moving back? He always said he’d rather die than come back here.”

“People thought you’d never come home, but things change,” there’s something under the woman’s tone that Leon doesn’t like, “I’ll give Caleb your number.”

“Great,” Chloe has a stiff smile as the woman walks off.

As soon as the woman is clearly out of earshot she turns to Leon, “I’m gonna give my little speech now, but do want to share a car home afterwards?”

“Yeah,” he gives a soft smile, hoping it will help relieve some of the tension crossing her face.

Later, they’re waiting for a car to pull around; Chloe leaning into his side trying to combat the cold in her thin dress. She puts more weight on him, like all her exhaustion caught up with her in the distance from the door to the curb. His nerves are singing at the contact.

When they climb into the back of the car Chloe scoots right up next to him, even though she has the whole back seat to spread out in. Leaning her head on his shoulder. He wraps an arm around her and pulls her tight.

He wants to ask her about this Caleb guy, but he doesn’t want to pop this bubble they’re in. He needs to enjoy this moment.

If he was braver, he’d seize this moment and confess his love.

///

Turns out Caleb is an ex-boyfriend or the one who got away or something along those lines. Chloe is never completely clear about it.

All Leon knows is he really hates him.

Leon can already feel all his forward progress slipping away and he’s worried with the upcoming road trip that when he comes home Chloe will have a new boyfriend. He’s even more worried that this one might actually last. Caleb has some history and connections Leon doesn’t know he can compete with.

He feels more certain about it when he happens to look up at the jumbotron during their final game of their homestand and sees Chloe squeezing Caleb into her side as she cheers into the camera. They look natural together. Leon takes his anger out on his mouth guard, tensing his jaw.

“She’s wearing your jersey.”

Connor doesn’t normally do small talk on the bench, but he can tell this is not the kind of anger that lights a fire under his teammate and makes him perform better. It’s the kind of frustration that makes Leon unbalanced and erratic.

“I can have Lauren try and get some intel while we’re away.”

It’s not a good solution, but it’s enough for him to loosen his jaw up a little; it gets him back on solid ground.

“So, what’s up with you and that new guy,” Lauren casually asks while on a walk with Lenny and Bowie.

“I don’t know,” Chloe shrugs, getting a little uncomfortable.

“Connor just said you guys were looking cozy on the jumbotron, I thought I’d ask,”

She’s working her best nonchalant tone to make Chloe comfortable enough to spill, it works.

“I’ve been in love with him like my whole life,” she groans like there’s never been anything more embarrassing in the world.

“So, something’s going on then?”

“Yes? No? I don’t know, it’s weird.”

Lauren just nods, encouraging her to go on.

“Little rich girls are supposed to grow up and marry little rich boys and he was so cute and smart that I was always fine with those expectations if it meant I got Caleb in the end. But for him I was never well-behaved or pretty or womanly enough but I just kept coming back and trying again.”

The dogs seem to sense the shift in the mood and whine and look at the women.

“By the end of uni I moved back home and he moved to Toronto and I thought I got passed all of it. But he’s back and it’s been years, we’re full adults, so maybe it’s different this time around.”

“Maybe,” Lauren has worry pooled between her brows, “but maybe it isn’t.”

To say the news puts a damper on Leon’s outlook is an understatement. He has a reputation for being grumpy or brooding, but this is a new level and it’s not going unnoticed. The only consolation is he’s excelling on the ice, it might not be the best coping mechanism but it’s working for him.

However, when he’s off the ice, he’s wallowing in his depression. Currently, it’s taking form in lying face down on his couch for the past 3 hours, not sleeping, not thinking, just in a fugue state.

The doorbell rings.

He’s not expecting anyone so he doesn’t make the effort to move. It rings again and he’s tempted for a second to go check. It’s when he hears a key in the door that he knows it’s Chloe. He still doesn’t move, worried that if he looks at her, he might cry or something.

She sets something down on the coffee table and sits down on the floor in front of him.

“I wanted to check on you, since you’ve been ignoring my texts and then came and took Bowie in the cover of the night.”

“You weren’t home when I got back,” he mutters into the couch.

“Okay, but it’s weird for me not to see you for so long after you come home, just wanted to see if you’re feeling alright,” she gently rubs a hand up and down his shoulder and back.

He finally turns his head to look and can’t help smiling back at her sweet, coy smile.

“Yeah, just the season catching up with me,” the lie feels heavy on his tongue.

“You can’t tell on the ice; you’re playing really well.”

“Thanks,” he sees the bouquet of orange and yellow flowers on the table, “Those for me?”

“Thought it could brighten the place up,” her smile is infectious, “boys deserve pretty things too.”

She’s the only pretty thing he wants, needs.

Leon finally sits up; he hates how much lighter he feels in Chloe’s presence. Ignoring her wasn’t helping him get over anything, just making it worse.

“Wanna hang out and order some food in?” He might as well go all in.

Her smile fades for a second, but she recovers quickly, “I would but–“

“You have plans that’s fine,” a chill runs through his chest.

“Yeah, but I can cancel if you need someone.”

She places a hand on his knee, her touch lights him on fire; he can’t tell if the burn is good or bad.

“No, don’t worry about it.”

“Are you sure? It’s really not a problem.”

“Really, it’s fine.”

“Okay, another time then,” she uses his knees to help herself up and gives him a quick peck on the cheek, “soon.”

“Yeah, soon.”

///

He doesn’t really mean soon with any gumption, but he comes when she calls like a puppy.

Not that he could really turn this down: it’s for a kid.

He comes into the Cohn wing of the children’s hospital, he’s not wearing any Oiler gear he doesn’t want to be too noticeable, when he sees Chloe making faces against the glass of a kid’s room.

He can’t help the warm feeling that grows in his chest, or the husky laugh he lets out.

“Oh hey, you made it!” she makes one more face, and the child on the other side of the glass kisses her nose.

It’s the last thing he needs to see while he’s trying to “get over” her, not that he’ll ever actually get over her. But it’s hard not to feel something stir in his chest when he sees how much she cares about people.  She could just live her life as a rich heiress and instead she’s here.

She walks over and gives him a big hug, “I know that this isn’t the ideal way to spend an off day, but it really means a lot to me.”

“Happy to help.”

“She’s down this way,” she grabs his hand to pull him along and it takes all his concentration to stop from flinching at the electric current between them.

She stops him just outside of the door and peers around the corner, “Hey May… I have a surprise for you.”

“A kidney?” The little voice responds.

Leon’s heart breaks a little.

“Okay sorry, I might have come on a little strong, but I promise it’s a really good surprise,” she walks further into the and waves Leon to follow him.

When he rounds the corner the little girl’s eyes bug out of her head. Leon can’t help but grin.

“Hi May, good to see you again.”

She stares in awe for a few seconds longer before running up and giving him a hug. Leon feels his back strain when he bends down so he picks her up to squeeze her tight.

Leon had met her a few times at Oilers visits, she’s obsessed with Bowie and therefore a little obsessed with his owner. When Chloe had learned this information, she got the young girl a stuffed dog that look remarkably like Bowie, forcing Leon to sign a little note in a locket the dog wore around its collar.

He sets the girl down and she starts talking a mile a minute.

“Did Chloe give you the picture of us?”

“Yeah, I have it on my fridge so I see it almost every morning.”

May had autographed the photo of the pair coloring around Christmas. It was stuck to his fridge under a Köln magnet; partly because it was cute and partly because Chloe thought it was ‘so fucking cute, this little girl is melting your icy heart.’

Leon shows May about 1,000 pictures of Bowie, he doesn’t want admit he loves when he can show off the dog, most people would get bored after a couple.

“Maybe when I get out of the hospital I can meet him,” May has a pair of eyes that could put Bowie’s to shame.

“You have yourself a deal,” Leon shakes her hand, exaggeratingly shaking her arm until she dissolves into giggles.

The soft, loving smile on Chloe’s face is a bit of a bonus, too.

The trio plays a few card games, he can’t help but notice the stupid grin Chloe gets every once in a while, reading a text, he tries to power through without getting too angry.

“Chloe are you sure you can’t give me a kidney?”

Leon has half a mind to forfeit the rest of his season to give her one of his.

“If I had a spare kidney to give I would,” she gives a sad smile, “but you know nurse Jordy?”

The little girl nods, squeezing stuffed Bowie closer to her.

“I gave him one of my kidneys when he was 12, and look at him now! He’s healthy and he’s helping you guys out and that’s gonna be you next.”

“I don’t want to be a nurse,” she pouts, picking up on a specific detail like only a child can.

“You don’t have to be, but a new kidney is heading your way and you’re gonna get healthy and strong like him.”

That seems to appease her, until it’s time to say good bye. She gets a bit teary and it makes Leon never want to leave.

“Thanks again for doing that,” Chloe says as she walks to the parking garage with Leon.

“Of course, she’s a sweet kid.”

Chloe’s phone buzzes and she’s quick to open the notification, that goofy grin spreading across her face.

Since he’s a glutton for punishment he asks, “who’s got you smiling like that?

“Just Caleb, he’s so stupid,” her tone has too much adoration in it.

“Say hi to your boyfriend for me.”

He doesn’t mean for it to sound so brusque; he just can’t help it. He hates how his blood boils thinking about it, how he wants to be the one that makes her smile like that to herself, like the joy is bursting out of her.

She pinches her lips together and narrows her eyes at Leon, “it’s not–“

 She pauses to like she’s needs to rethink her phrasing, instead she just rolls her eyes and gives him a little shove.

Leon gets in his car and drives home angry.

///

He doesn’t consistently pick up on the road, but he does on this trip. Two nights in a row.

The first night it’s a woman who looks too much like Chloe. He thought it would be therapeutic, despite the looks Connor gave him as he left the bar with her. It’s not. That’s what he gets for not following Connor’s advice, even non-verbal advice.

Her eyes are the same shade of light brown as Chloe’s, he has to turn her over to avoid any eye contact. But her hair still reminds him of Chloe’s and he fucks her fast and rough, just to feel angry, to feel anything.

The next night he picks up a woman who looks nothing like Chloe. She’s all tits and ass and that fake shyness that comes with trying too hard to be pliant and agreeable. Leon lets her spend the night, to give himself the illusion of intimacy.

They have an off day the next day, so he fucks her again then takes a nap after she leaves.

He’s debating whether to be social and go out to dinner with the guys or stay in and order room service so he doesn’t have to sulk in front of anyone.

There’s a knock on the door and he’s a little grateful that the decision seems to be made for him.

What he’s not expecting is for Chloe to be on the other side, wide Cheshire grin. She’s wearing a long white winter coat and a dress that’s far too short for the weather, a pair of thigh high boots leaving a sliver of bare skin visible.

“You gonna let me in or what?”

He wants to ask how she knew his room number, but he can guess: Connor. So, he skips to the next question.

“What are you doing here?”

“I had business in town”

Leon steps aside, she breezes past, the smell of stale wine wafts past him.

“And that involves getting drunk?”

“Yeah, it’s called a business lunch,” she says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world

She picks up the pair of underwear the girl apparently left behind and twirls it around her finger, “you apparently had some business too, good for you.”

He feels his ears turn red and watches her sit on the edge of the bed, he leans against the hotel dresser to keep his distance.

“Seriously, Clo, why are you here?” he points to the ground to make it clear that he means this place, right now.

“I wanted to take you to dinner.”

“I was just gonna order in…”

“C’mon let me take you to a fancy schmancy dinner, my treat.”

“I can pay for my own dinner.”

“We get it, you’re rich too, whatever. it’s been a while since we hung out, just the two of us. So please let me take you to dinner,” she sticks out her bottom lip and bats her eyelashes.

He groans in defeat, though he wishes he had more will power to make her beg a little longer.

“Great, wear this sweater I bought you,” she holds out the shopping bag she brought.

He furrows his brows and pulls out the sweater, it’s a deep teal color and maybe the softest thing he’s ever felt.

“You don’t own enough colors, and this will bring out your eyes.”

“Thanks, for the gift and the insult.”

“Shut up and get dressed,” she rolls her eyes.

When he comes back out of the bathroom, Chloe is laying back on the bed texting. Her legs dangle off the edge and her dress rising dangerously high. It takes everything in him to stop himself from pushing between her leg and taking her apart until she’s saying his name and forgetting that there’s anyone else in the world.

She notices him borderline lurking and sits up on her elbows, “looking good Draisaitl, ready to go?”

He shrugs eating in still seems like the better option.

They end up at a restaurant that is probably still too fancy for what either of them are wearing, but the hostess knows who Chloe is before she even gives a name, so he guesses it’s okay.

“Miss Cohn, we’ll bring your dad’s vintage out to you.”

“Sounds great, thank you,” she smiles and waits for the hostess to be out of ear shot, “my dad like bought up a bunch of wine he liked at a bunch of different restaurants, I don’t know what it is but they’re usually good.”

Leon shrugs, just going with flow.

“He obviously thought he would leave much longer than he did, cause they still give me bottles like 5 years after he’s died, and he drank heavily and smoked cigars so he had no business thinking he’d live into his late 90s.”

Leon loves when she talks about her dad, loves the soft face she gets when she talks about him.

He died before Leon was even in the picture, but it feels like he’s getting a peek behind the curtain when she opens up about him, their bittersweet relationship that came with the 70-year age gap, yet didn’t change the love between them.

A waiter comes by and pours them each a glass of red wine.

“I guess cheers to your dad then,” Leon smiles.

“Yeah, cheers,” they clink glasses.

“Chloe, what are the odds,” Leon stiffens at the sight of Caleb coming by with a glass of dark liquor.

“Caleb hey,” she stands up to hug him, “what are you doing here?”

“Tying up some loose business ends in Toronto, why am I surprised you got a table here on short notice,” he doesn’t even turn to acknowledge Leon, and Leon drains his glass of assumably insanely expensive wine in one gulp.

He pulls out an unoccupied chair at the table, “Yeah, um do you want to join us?”

“Sure Chloe, thanks,” he says as if he didn’t force himself onto their dinner

Finally, he turns to the other man, “nice to finally meet you Leon, she never shuts up about you.”

Leon can’t help but smirk at that and tries to give his firmest handshake in response.

Leon only hated the idea of Caleb before, but after spending five minutes with him, he just hates the guy. He went out of his way to talk about things Leon didn’t know about like childhood friends and would talk over Chloe when she tried to include him.

Thankfully the waitress came by to take their orders, because Leon is about five seconds from texting Connor to pull the emergency call card for him.

“I’ll have the gnocchi,” Chloe says closing her menu

“That’s a lot of carbs,” Caleb hums, not even looking up from his menu.

Chloe twists her lips to the side, for a second Leon thinks she’s finally going to tell him off.

“Yeah, change that to the branzino.”

Leon had seen Chloe do a lot of things for a relationship, but shrinking herself was always the worst.

“I’ll have the gnocchi and the chef’s salad,” Leon hands his own menu off and winks at Chloe, “you can have some of my gnocchi.”

The rest of the dinner is equally tortuous, and as if he could read his mind Connor calls just as they’re debating another bottle of wine after dinner.

“Sorry to run out but Davo wants to talk,” Leon is out of his seat before he finishes the excuse, and is rushing out of the restaurant before Chloe can get out of her chair to hug him.

///

Chloe comes by his house a few days after the road trip ends, she’s wearing an Oilers sweatshirt he’s pretty sure is his. She looks better in it anyway.

“Have you seen Baron? Caleb doesn’t like cats so I kicked the little guy out last night and he hasn’t come home and I’m getting a little worried,” the panic rises in her voice.

Leon knows where Baron is, he’s cuddle up with Bowie on his dog bed; he let the cat in when he started crying outside his back door. But he doesn’t tell Chloe that, because Caleb hating Baron is somehow the last straw.

“The guy hates your cat, too?”

Chloe taken aback by the comment, with her ‘missing’ cat and all.

“He walks all over you, he tells you what you should eat, and he basically hates your child. Why the fuck are you doing this to yourself, he’s a shitty person.”

“We’re not really together it's–“

“Chloe it doesn’t matter if you’re not actually something, he’s a waste of your time. They’ve all been a waste of your time, you can never pick someone who actually cares about you and I’m sick of watching it!”

“Where is this coming from?”

“You stupid bitch, I love you!”

In his wildest dreams, or nightmares, Leon never thought this is how he’d confess his love: with name-calling. But the words are out there and there’s a weight lifted from his chest.

Chloe blinks too many times, like she’s trying to make a hallucination disappear. She opens her mouth and a strangled sound comes out before she closes it again.

“What?” She finally squeaks out.

“I’m sick of seeing you throw yourself at people who don’t care about treating you right and then breaking your heart because I’m in love with you and I would never do that to you.”

“Wow, and what was that first part? I’m a stupid bitch?” The ghost of a smile graces her lips.

Leon takes a step forward, still not wanting to overstep by touching her, “yeah everyone else thought I was really obvious so I had to say something to get through your thick skull.”

Then his hands are full of Chloe, her arms around his neck, her lips on his, her tongue in his mouth.

It’s everything he’s been wanting for so long he doesn’t know where to start or focus, he wants his lips everywhere, his hands everywhere. His brain malfunctions before he can even figure out where to start, so he just tries to follow Chloe’s lead.

She pulls away and Leon feels his face following, hoping to reconnect. He nearly whimpers at the loss of contact.

When he finally looks at Chloe, she looks a bit frazzled; she’s running a hand through her hair and her eyes look wild.

“I don’t– I don’t love you, because that would be insane,” she’s gesticulating wildly, “since I haven’t thought about us that way.”

Leon feels his heart sink into his stomach.

“But this is something,” she starts to kick off her shoes, “I’d very much like to explore.”

She whips her jacket in the direction of the door and grabs Leon’s face and pulls his lips to hers again. His mind is back online and he pulls her by the hips against him.

Something nags at him before he can get in too deep, “and this isn’t just sex? Cause I can’t do that Clo.”

“No, I mean not that I’ve never thought about it” she attaches her lips to his jaw, “I have eyes and a vibrator, of course I’ve thought a little about it,” she feverishly moves closer to his mouth.

She finally comes up for air and is breathing heavily, she holds Leon’s face and looks him dead in the eye, “But you want what’s best for me and that sounds really good, because I’ve never had that before. And I want what’s best for you too, and maybe I can give that to you.”

Leon feels like his heart might burst out of his chest.

“Really?”

She nods, desperation in the little movements, “And I’d love to talk more about that but that love confession really turned me on and I want to have sex, like right now.”

Leon let’s out a husky laugh, but isn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He lifts her up and almost falls up the stairs in excitement. He’s waited for all of this for so long.

///

Chloe falls back onto the pillow, sweaty and flushed.

“Holy shit,” she turns to look at Leon, running her hand through his sex-rumpled hair, “all those times you said other people are good at sex, you meant yourself?”

“I mean–“ he laughs and turns on his side, wanting to memorize her blissed out face, “I don’t want to brag.”

“No, you should brag. I’ve had sex with a lot of people and that–“

Leon rolls on top of her and covers her mouth, “let’s not talk about your past lovers right now.”

She gives him a quick peck before pushing him off and heading to the bathroom, giving him a bit of a show on the way.

On her way back she hears some scratching at the door, she opens it up and Baron and Bowie come bounding in, jumping up onto the bed.

“Oh my god Baron, you were hiding out here?” she crawls under the covers and pulls the fluffy cat close to kiss.

“Christ, Chloe, we’re still naked.”

She chuckles, “I’m so sorry to scar the children, but Baron has probably seen much worse; he’s a bit of voyeuristic perv.”

“Yeah, well Bowie is innocent,” he laughs while Bowie tries to crawl up to lick his face.

“Look Baron, both our boyfriends live in the same house now, double dates all the time.”

“Boyfriend?” He feels a little woozy hearing Chloe talk like that.

“On a trial basis of course.”

“Of course,” he smirks.

“Cause I’m notoriously bad at this stuff so you might want to rescind the offer after the novelty wears off.”

Leon pulls her into another kiss, because he can and he doesn’t think that will ever get old.

[sunshine-gumdrop]

Love them to death!

Their wags ship it, too!

[rattkachuk]

ah wedding season

[dvhaime]

something about matthew and leon’s teammates hitting 50 goals on the same night

[fannyyann]

leon did this for me and all the other 1D to hockey pipeliners

[bbpuckdrop]

:)

[ghostwnby]

'FMRN' by lilyisthatyou is so MattDrai coded its actually making me sick.

[readingbythestreetlights]

can we talk about how large an impact mattdrai fics and mattdrai in general have had on the hockey rpf landscape?? like the amount of mattdrai classics i could list right now… true works of art.

[annieqattheperipheral]

leno the poet

wow look how big beautiful the world is

its unbelievable

-leon draisaitl

[linskywords]

Hiii Linsky! Have you considered adding Connor McDavid to the wolfverse 👀

Have I!!!!

...yes. Yes is the short answer. 😄 The slightly longer answer is that I have...maybe half???...of a draft of a Connor/Leon/Matthew wolfverse saga already written. It's been put on hold for a few months for some life stuff that's come up, but I'm hoping to get back to it soon!

[wyattjohnston]

with the posting of the masterlist, the summer fic exchange 2k24 has come to an end! 33 fics written by 31 people. i am eternally grateful that these exchanges are still going strong and that people are having fun with it!

please read all the fics below, even if it's a player you don't normally read for. a lot of work has gone into these fics and they all deserve your time. make sure to reblog and leave comments when you've read it!

please respect all warnings at the beginning of fics. if a fic has been marked as smut or 18+ and you are younger than, do the right thing and do not read it.

i'm still unsure if i'm running a winter exchange or if i'm going to maybe reconsider the timing, but please come back and feel free to ask questions around november/december if i haven't said anything!

the summer fic exchange 2k24 masterlist

Boston Bruins

Jeremy Swayman

Indoor Cat by @nhl-stories for @ bqstqnbruin

Carolina Hurricanes

Andrei Svechnikov

i’ve been yours since you stepped through the door tonight by @writingonleaves for @ callsign-denmark

Third Time's the Charm by @typical-simplelove for @ kurlyteuvo

Frederik Andersen

But Baby, It Feels Like Love by @callsign-denmark for @ mp0625

Chicago Hawks

Teuvo Teravainen

I Think I Dreamed You Into Life by @kurlyteuvo for @ lila-rose

Colorado Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnon

hide the sun by @ohmyeyesmyeyes for @ wyattjohnston

Edmonton Oilers

Connor McDavid

i'm half-doomed and you're semi-sweet by @offside-the-lines for @ hiding-from-reality-56

Leon Draisaitl

… but you're going to by @senditcolton for @ thewintersoldierdisaster

Blue Hair and Pronouns by @hiding-from-reality-56 for @ nhl-stories

Florida Panthers

Matthew Tkachuk

always attract by @dunnerlars for @ sc0tters

truth or dare by @boqvistsbabe for @ ohmyeyesmyeyes

Montreal Canadiens

Cole Caufield

four weddings and a funeral by @thewintersoldierdisaster for @ prettytoxicrevolver

Juraj Slafkovsky

Summer Vacation by @prettytoxicrevolver for @ lam-ila

New Jersey Devils

Dawson Mercer

Baseball and Love by @lam-ila for @ hischier-papaya

Jack Hughes

CHASING YES by @puckology101 for @ tonsypep

Nico Hischier

home is just another word for you by @fallinallincurls for @ puckology101

felt like magic by @laurenairay for @ selfindulgentpoorlywritten

good luck, babe by @nol-pat for @ fallinallincurls

turbulent by @wyattjohnston for @ dunnerlars

walked in and dream came trued it for ya by @gravestrain for @ nol-pat

New York Islanders

Mat Barzal

First Time Feeling by @huuuuughes for @ ahockeywrites

truth or dare by @dunnerlars for @ writingonleaves

Matt Martin

I can't help it if I like it by @laurenairay for @ comphy-and-cozy

New York Rangers

Alexis Lafreniere

Romance in The Hamptons by @lifeofpriya for @ wildrangers

Matt Rempe

MEDICINE by @lila-rose for @ 2 manytabsopen

Pittsburgh Penguins

Anthony Beauvillier

one night standards by @comphy-and-cozy for @ offsidethelines

Tattoos of You by @bqstqnbruin for @ senditcolton

Ryan Graves

The First Time by @selfindulgentpoorlywritten for @ gravestrain

Seattle Kraken

Philipp Grubauer

Pfirsich by @mp0625 for @ huuuuughes

Toronto Maple Leafs

Joseph Woll

sunset by @hischier-papaya for @ lifeofpriya

William Nylander

I Wish You Would by @wildrangers for @ typical-simplelove

Vancouver Canucks

Quinn Hughes

somehow still stuck on you by @matthewtkachuk for @ boqvistsbabe

walkin' with his head down, i'm the one he's walking to by @tonyspep for @ laurenairay

if the person you wrote for hasn’t read and reblogged your fic, please tell me.

i only tag the person who wrote the fic as there are limited tags.

[cheddaryouthanme]

My MattDrai Fic Recs, in honor of the upcoming MattDrai SCF

One-Shots:

what does daylight look like 

By notthequiettype

" "Matthew," Draisaitl says, and shifts on to his elbow so he can look up at Matthew. "Don't-- please don't say this was nothing to you."

There's an expression on Draisaitl's face that Matthew's never seen before, a carved wrinkle between his brows, the corners of his mouth turned down. He looks sad, worried, and Matthew's struck by how much he doesn't look like a stranger, a guy across the ice, a target for Matthew's agitation. Matthew feels an almost tilting sense of vertigo for a second. "It wasn't nothing." "

As close to fluff as I can stomach, but that extra bit of sweetness makes this one so enjoyable to read and re-read. This is a "people in the NHL are gay and the world is fine with it" fic where the biggest obstacle to their relationship is playing for divisional rivals in the same Province. However, this suspension of disbelief is rarely taken too far, or done at the expense of having Matthew and Leon feel like real, layered people. Because of this, the story's earnestness feels earned, rather than saccharine.

(come on, come on, come on) get through it

By anonymous

"Matthew really doesn’t know where Leon’s head is at, on the rare occasion that he pulls stuff like that. He wants Matthew to himself; he doesn’t care if Matthew fucks other people. He wants Matthew to fuck other people so he can want Matthew to himself."

This story does not get the love it deserves. Who are you, anonymous, so I can give you the flowers that you so deeply deserve? This fic only receiving 208 kudos on AO3 is one of the greatest injustices of our time. If I had to guess, I'd say it has something to do with the angsty nature and (spoiler!) ambiguous-but-seemingly-not-optimistic ending. But the angst is worth it, friends! It's so incredibly well-written that by the end, you're left with so many lingering emotions that you just have to re-read it to process it further. The prose - particularly in the sex scenes, which carry hefty emotional weight because of the fuck-buddies-with-baggage nature of Matthew and Leon's relationship - is phenomenal, and would put most published hockey Booktok writers to shame. More people need to read this fic.

Edmonton 10

By Helenish

" “Well?” Leon said coolly. Leon wasn’t just an Edmonton 10, Matthew reminded himself, which was really a 6 but it was dark and you were horny, but an actual anywhere in the world smokeshow. All he had to do was shut up and play along.

“Okay,” he said. Leon’s smile turned smug. Great dick, Matthew chanted to himself in his head, world-class dick, really, big and uncut, a little curved to the left, from a guy who was freshly showered and smelled like pine trees, who’d like it too much and get up in his head about it after—

“Thought so,” Leon said, sounding almost bored. Matthew dutifully pictured his entire body filling up with cool, purple liquid, because the shrink had said they could pick any color they wanted, but it didn’t stop him from leaning forward and looping one hand around the back of Leon’s neck to draw him closer. Leon let him, his smile starting to falter, and Matthew slipped his hand up to cradle the back of Leon’s head and kissed him, an easy, tender brush of his lips. He pulled back enough to look into Leon’s eyes, holding his gaze. Leon blinked. Matthew smiled."

If I had to recommend one MattDrai fic to a new reader, it would be this one. It's just perfect. It's funny, it's sexy, it's grounded, it's surprisingly emotional, but above all else it's so, so, so well-written. All of the things that, in my mind, exemplify what makes MattDrai fanfiction so great.

(mild spoiler!) Without giving too much away, the 💔 part at the end made me gasp the first time I read it because of how well it hit the bulls-eye for me as a character beat and emotional climax. Impeccable storytelling.

Multi-Chapter:

let me look at you by isozyme

"Leon feels awkward and unsettled until they get home and he has Matthew naked in his bed, where he’s able to put his hand around Matthew’s ankle and let out the air that’s been stuck in the bottom of his lungs. Matthew looks awful — pale, battered, and end-of-season skinny. He’s scruffy and still has acne in his beard at almost thirty years old and Leon has no idea why he wants to fuck this guy so bad. And worse — wants to kiss him and protect him from the shitty parts of his family and show off to Connor how hot it is when they're in bed together."

This one is McMattDrai (Tkachuk/Draisaitl/McDavid) in case that's a dealbreaker for anyone. It shouldn't be, though! Because this story is incredible, and I waited eagerly for each new chapter to be published when it was put on AO3 last summer. Funny, blunt, unexpected, raunchy, tender at times, and a bit kinky. This story never failed to surprise me by going exactly where I hoped it would go one moment then veering hard right in another direction the next. You're not going to find a lot of 10 chapter fics this rich, descriptive, committed, and unique throughout.

head above water by yourblues

"He gives Matthew a cocky little smirk about it, like it’s supposed to be impressive that he didn’t need instructions to find them. Awful, Matthew thinks. He’s awful, and yet all Matthew wants is to get his hands or his mouth or literally anything on him. There’s been something hooked behind his breastbone all week, pulling him toward this with a single-mindedness that Matthew usually only feels with hockey. He doesn’t think he’ll be able to think straight until they’re done here."

This whole work is great, but for me the story reaches untouchable heights in the 5th chapter that very few other fics have ever been able to reach for me. I find myself re-reading it as soon as I'm done every time. Take my word for it, even if you only read the 5th chapter (read the whole thing though, because the build-up is worth the payoff, trust me).

[twobites]

RAW | Leon Draisaitl 05.06.24

I'm sure this series will write its own story ... Every shift for however many games is gonna be important. The first one isn't gonna be any more or less important than the next five hundred that everyone's gonna have.

[msmargaretmurry]

shy slightly older baby "cried the first time he tried skating cause the gear was too heavy" Leon being protective of sweet loud hellion baby "PLAY HOCKEYYYYYY" Matthew oh NO 😭😭😭 I want this so much, where is it...

anon i know you sent this days ago but i want you to know that i have been holding this image in my mind like a precious baby bird to bring me comfort and joy in these troubled times (the last few weeks of my semester, beset by final papers and projects). truly where IS the fic where peter draisaitl wound up playing/working in pro hockey in north america and so the boys got to interact as kids. the juxtaposition of shy baby leon and hellion baby matthew is just so good. at first i was like urgh their real origin story is so good though what is the point if you take that away, but honestly i think there are rich possibilities here. cathedrals everywhere once again

[bropunzeling]

Hey, I just reread “only fools rush in”, and I was wondering how in your mind Leon showing up at Matthew’s place after the ASG went. Was his family still there or did they leave before his arrival? Anyway, love it, it’s a comfort read, if I could I would have given it a dozen kudos.

"So," Mom says. Technically, she's supposed to be sweeping the guest room for anything she or Dad have forgotten to pack, doing one last check for medications and phone chargers and lone socks. Technically, Matthew is supposed to be helping her.

In actuality, she's dragged Matthew down the hall, leaving Leon and Dad alone in the living room, which is exactly the fate Matthew wanted to avoid.

He should've known Leon would be too punctual.

"I didn't know you and Leon Draisaitl were friends," Mom continues, her tone of voice implying that she didn't miss the way Leon had touched him in the foyer, the hand that had lingered on the back of Matthew’s neck before he blurted out his parents hadn't left yet.

"Um," Matthew says. He can feel his ears and throat turning red. Can hear noise from the living room too -- Dad's booming laugh; the quieter, unintelligible sound of Leon speaking. His knee is jiggling from adrenaline. "We're -- uh." He swallows. Shouldn't the Uber to the airport be here by now? When he pictured this conversation happening, it was in a month or two, after he laid some groundwork, and with his -- boyfriend -- husband -- Leon not being stuck with his dad unsupervised.

Mom watches him, searching his face for something. Matthew doesn’t know what. Then her expression softens. "Is it something you want to tell me about?"

Matthew swallows again, running his fingers through the hair behind his ears. "Not -- not yet," he says, keeping his voice low. Now feels way too immediate, much too risky. If he makes one wrong move, he can’t trust that everything he and Leon agreed to two nights ago won't shatter. "But -- soon, maybe?"

Mom nods. "Okay," she says. "I can take soon." Then, quieter, she adds, "Can I -- are you happy?"

Matthew nods back. His throat is very tight. Happy seems like such a small word for how he felt sprawled out in Leon’s hotel bed, Leon's fingers laced through his own, but he can’t think of better.

"Oh," Mom says, and then she's pulling him into a hug, kissing him on the cheek and holding him tightly. "Good," she whispers. "That's all I need to know."

Matthew nods, pressing his nose into his Mom’s hair.

They stand like that for a few seconds before Mom pulls back, eyes suspiciously shiny. "Alright," she says. "You can go stage a rescue now."

"Thanks," Matthew replies, glad his voice isn't horribly wobbly. "Don’t let Dad forget his airpods."

Mom snorts and swats him on the shoulder. Matthew dodges and heads back down the hall, listening to Dad's voice booming as he tells some story he's told twenty times ans Leon's soft, almost stifled laughter. Not something he expected from this weekend, but. He isn't complaining.

[readingbythestreetlights]

mattdrai fic recs - masterlist

always check the warnings and tags for yourself before reading!! i will probably update this whenever i find a new mattdrai fic i really really enjoy, so be on the lookout if you’re interested!!

by request of @keyshui @whirlpool-blogs & @capsvsducks

medium-to-long fics (in no particular order):

1. slip under the tongue into translation by lighthousetowers ~ 32.2k words ~ mature: the quintessential mattdrai fic, at least in my mind. the vibes are wonderful, the chemistry is palpable, matthew learns german.

2. gather your broken lessons and move by rumandwhine ~ 30.4k words ~ explicit: cathartic, set in the 2028-2029 season, mattdrai figures some stuff out, davo does some best-friending.

3. comment for engagement by RippingOffZeppelin ~ 27.9k words ~ mature: matthew makes a youtube channel for PR purposes. a fic i had so so much fun reading. pretty lighthearted.

4. head above water by yourblues ~ 91.1k words ~ explicit: as far as i’m concerned, this is canon. this fic will make you feel every emotion. the slow burn and enemies to lovers hits hard. by far one of my favorites on this list. it’s a necessary read for any mattdrai fan, and i’ve personally reread it countless times. iconic quotes, iconic story, iconic scenes. i want this story to be engraved on my headstone when i die. also make sure to check out the author’s playlist on spotify after— it’s wonderful.

5. Growing Into Someone by blaahaj ~ 46.4k words ~ explicit: matthew goes to germany during the lockout… leon’s already there. these two figuring out their stuff in a foreign country *chef’s kiss*— a truly fantastic fic that i adore. the slow burn slow burns for sure.

6. Muscle Memory by blaahaj ~ 21.9k words ~ mature: i don’t even like most amnesia fics, but i love this one. memory loss on matthew’s side. this view of mattdrai is so cool while they learn to love each other again.

7. but please (don’t) bite by orphan_account ~ 52.7k words ~ mature: an alternate reality where leon and matthew were unprotected and thus drafted by the kraken. the slow burn sure slow burns (if i remember correctly). also features some cool cameos by one of the lomls: the wonderful braden holtby.

8. Nothing Good Happens After 2 A.M. by irrelevanttous ~ 11.9k words ~ mature: leon slips up and tells matthew he loves him. matthew does some thinking. cool take on how they got together.

9. The Day Leon Draisaitl Swore Never To Buy Another Apple Product Again by irrelevanttous ~ 9.3k words ~ explicit: mattdrai figuring their crap out kinda, lotsa spice. smexy with a plot??

10. the kids are alright by lighthousetowers ~ 55.8k words ~ mature: matthew is a preschool teacher, leon’s still an oiler, a meet-cute and adorable romance ensue! the characterization is so cool, as it dives deeper in than just “matthew’s a nuisance, leon’s serious and slightly moody” and shows the two of them in a relatively new light. an amazing and enjoyable read!! plus, this is one of my favorite authors!!

shorter fics (in no particular order):

1. i got a bad idea by canoodles ~ 5.5k words ~ explicit: from the 2020 all-star game onwards. as the author put it: leon accidentally fucks himself into a relationship with the enemy. those early mattdrai vibes when they were both still in alberta.

2. A Reunion, a Beginning, and the Thief of Awkward Silences by puckedup ~ 3.3k words ~ mature: leon misses matthew being in alberta. they play each other in florida and things happen. some chirping (flirting???) (it’s hard to tell with these two) and overall a fun story.

3. sweet like honey by indydriver ~ 3.6k words ~ teen and up: chirping, flirting, and the gray area that exists between those two things. fun and lighthearted.

4. retrograde by ohtempora ~ 1.5k words ~ mature: leon’s first time in matthew’s florida house. matthew is learning to adjust sorta kinda. the author describes it perfectly in their author’s note, about how florida’s weird vibes transferred to the fic itself. it’s so wonderfully written with a super consistent tone and a really interesting view into matthew transitioning from calgary to florida.

5. found arms to fall right into by orphan_account ~ 6.3k words ~ mature: just super fun, matthew and leon are sort of fake maybe-dating??? this fic also has perfect amounts of brady and davo. a really enjoyable story that i really really recommend.

6. Hourglass Theory by puckedup ~ 1.3k words ~ not rated: fluffy, soft, soft boys. aftermath of mitchy and chucky’s lil brawl and pietrangelo’s slash on leon.

7. Emergency Contact by blaahaj ~ 1.8k words ~ teen and up: funnyyyy, quick chick flick, just a fun little mattdrai moment, established mattdrai.

8. Privileged Information by blaahaj ~ 3k words ~ teen and up: sequel to Growing Into Someone. fun fluff and an enjoyable little snippet/add-on to the series.

9. what my heart just yearns to say by puckthisshift ~ 6.3k words ~ mature: as the author aptly puts it: idiots to lovers. matthew understands some german dirty talk, shenanigans ensue. a super fun, quick read.

10. cut by daisysusan ~ 2k words ~ teen and up: established relationship, the writing style is SO GOOD, matthew and leon’s chemistry is tangible, alternate 2023 playoffs, the two are just adorable with each other.

11. In Which Leon Recognizes Tkachuk in a Dick Pic and Has Some Explaining to Do (But Only to Himself) by irrelevanttous ~ 8.1k words ~ mature: oilers shenanigans, jealous drat, realizations, davo being the best bff, a fun fic.

12. Should’ve Given You a Reason to Stay by scruffylou ~ 1k words ~ not rated: super short, a bit emotional, aftermath of matthew signing with the cats.

13. portions for foxes by wheelsnipecellysboys ~ 5.2k words ~ explicit: the chemistry is so well-written— i love the two of them in this story. sexy times and also emotions. matthew in florida and the 2023 asg.

14. break the news (you’re walking out) by kiwilies ~ 1.5k words ~ teen and up: such a captivating writing style. perfectly showcases the tension of moving from a location you’ve known for years to somewhere brand new. such an interesting dynamic between leon and matthew, while at a bit more than 1k words, doesn’t dive extremely deep into their relationship. very enjoyable fic that has a lot of artistry implemented by the author. so so cool.