#more so Jim Nill

[texanstarslove]

Me @ the Dallas Stars

[deedeedeedeedeedeedee]

The Death of Cringe and the Need to Create

When it comes to your passions, all external factors are nill, everything building inside of you is what matters. What you want to create, what you want to put out. Who are are. What matters to you. What people matter to you, why they matter to you and why they push what you do but not in a self conscious sense. I think to be ourselves we need to eliminate all shame, I sure haven't. But I think trying is the first part of success.

I was thinking about people like Jim Henson but also a voice actor in an anime in watching. And at first I thought, how could I even compare them, but then I thought? Why does it matter?

If the movement of our centers is motivated by the passions of our core, does what we participate in have more of an impact or what we create have more of an impact if it drives us so deeply?

Without feeling self consciousness or shame from the outside world. Just the need to create, to participate, to be a part of something.

We've created this term "cringe" which at its base is a degradation to most things, an insult to intellect, to ones own hobbies and talent. The word in it of itself should never have been created. What does it mean? It's a cork in a bottle for a driving force of the inate need to create and be a part of the world that people have. If simply "being" is cringe then why do we exist? Why can we not have so many different parts of ourselves, the parts that are considered "cringe" by society and the parts that are considered "cool" or socially acceptable? It's ludicrous. 

We always try to separate things from being too "online" or being "grounded" to reality. I think we can be all of those things. I think you can learn a few languages, dip your toes in it during one hour of the day while drawing fanart of your favorite characters the next. You can start to learn an instrument for a few hours and write fanfiction that the world would deem 'cringey' by today's terms. You can make music and songs based on your favorite ship, you can learn to sew, you can make an edit, you can make a webcomic. You can write a screenplay, you can act, you can film. You can do all these things at once. It doesn't matter and the notion that you must choose to be "cool" or to suppress other parts of yourself is ridiculous. Why are we so obsessed with separating ourselves between the two worlds because we think something is more "wholesome" or we think it makes us more intellectual or "grounded"? The enjoyment of things seems to only be accepted when certain people show it to a larger audience. I think enjoyment of your passions deep in body and soul is what matters and if you are fulfilling your mind with original characters and the nuances of fandoms online while also studying the intricacies of languages then you have accomplished life! We are people! 

You can make puppets! Make skits! Make the puppets say whatever they want! And that doesn't even have to be it! That doesn't have to be all you do because life is that rich, you can do everything! We do have time! We have love and care and passion and intelligence and beauty, and we have the eccentric and the bold and the loud and the tall and the quiet and the brave and I think that's everything Jim Henson created. He was never a fixed object. He created and he moved and he MADE something. He touched the barrier between reality and the soul right in your ribcage.

you can do everything! We do have time! We have love and care and passion and intelligence and beauty, and we have the eccentric and the bold and the loud and the tall and the quiet and the brave and I think that's everything Jim Henson created. He was never a fixed object. He created and he moved and he MADE something. He touched the barrier between reality and the soul right in your ribcage.

But we can move and we have this ability in us to shoot the stars from our fingertips. To make people in corporate buildings at their 9 to 5s turn their heads when they hear a song they like, to make old men smile when they see a mural down the street, to make some child look up at you when your dancing and say "this, this is what life's about." To have a child who has nothing at home, but connects to the characters they see online, in their favorite animated media or comics, to be able to see the charcater drawn several times by several artists sharing the same love for a character over and over so they can be inspired to do it as well. That's enough. It's golden honey dripping from our hands. It's an electrifying understanding that rips through us from head to toe yet we do nothing. Be something, do something, yet don't feel bad for doing nothing. Be love. Be a change. Be yourself.

If you have a means. Do it.

[puckingdisaster]

For the flower prompt perhaps basil = what i wished for and what i got?

You unfortunately didn't include a pairing so I just decided to use bennguin, but I hope that's fine as well anon!

.

When he came into the NHL, naive and starry-eyed, hoping to make it all the way with the Boston Bruins, Tyler didn’t dare to think about what the future might have in store for him. When he got to Boston, his teammates were nice and welcomed him into the group enthusiastically. After a few months the fear of getting sent down receded and he started to enjoy playing more and more. At the same time, he started to enjoy celebrating after a win. After a while, it got too much. He was Deadspin’s favorite cover boy and the fans most frowned upon player. As the months passed, his teammates started to distance themselves from him and it broke his heart. Every avoided look, every half assed excuse made it a little worse. Eventually, he didn’t try anymore. Sat by himself in the locker room, didn’t go out with his teammates anymore. Instead, he found new friends and drank more and more. Drugs were involved as well, but usually, he couldn’t even remember what he took during the occasions where he wasn’t so high or drunk that he forgot his own name. Sometimes, it felt good. He enjoyed going out, enjoyed having fun with his friends. Didn’t listen to his teammates, who wanted to pressure him into toning it down, at least when the public could see. Of course, he didn’t listen. They avoided him for months, what made them think he’d just jump when they said something? Everyone started to hate him and as much talent and skill as he had, he just wasn’t useful for the Bruins anymore. So they shipped him off to Dallas. At first he thought it would just be the same, that no one would care what he did until it was too late and that his teammates would hate him. 

But as soon as he arrived, he was greeted by Jim Nill, the Star’s general manager, and Jamie Benn. He didn’t really expect any of them, much rather a taxi driver to pick him up or something equally as impersonal. So when he saw the two men standing just outside of the gate, he almost dropped his luggage. His limbs felt numb, but he forced himself to continue walking. His first impression probably didn’t really play in his favor. His hair was greasy, he probably stank, he was skinny and pale, except for the dark shadows under his eyes. He still didn’t understand why they’d even signed him in the first place. Or why they were picking him up now, in broad daylight, where everyone could see it. He tried to ignore the nervous coil in his stomach, but the closer he got, the more his fear reared its ugly head. After Nill greeted him and introduced him and Jamie, he didn’t beat around the bush and straight up told him that, instead of going to a hotel or something, his first stop would be a rehab center. It probably wasn’t as much of a surprise as it should have been, which said enough about his life right now. He just tried to focus on the conversation, nodded at the right times and followed when they walked out to the car. 

The tips of his fingers were still numb, the rest of his arms tingly, his head heavy and hot, but he could find solace in the chill of the car window. There were now four people, including him. Nill, Jamie Benn and a driver who was polite enough to at least try to pretend he didn’t listen to every word as Nill talked about the rehab and what would happen afterwards. He tried to listen, he really did, but he must’ve spaced out at one point or another because the next thing he knew was Jamie Benn gently nudging his shoulder, big cow eyes trained on his face. 

“We’re there, man.”

Tyler slowly straightened up in his seat, embarrassed that he clearly zoned out during a conversation with the guy who basically saved his face and his future captain. He nodded, avoiding their faces when he stumbled out of the car, dragging his bag with him. He didn’t bring much, just clothes and a few essentials, because he still wasn’t sure if this was something permanent. He just quietly listened as Nill handled all the stuff at the front desk, trying not to pick at the scabs on his wrists. He started to scratch at them a lot during stressful situations, so the tears in his skin never really had a chance to heal before he ripped them open again. He didn’t exactly mind though, the sting gave him something to focus on. He mindlessly scratched at his wrist until the scab caught under his fingernail, until another hand gently took his own away. Startled, he looked up into Jamie’s concerned face. 

“You shouldn’t do that. You’ll hurt yourself.”

It took everything in him not to let out a bitter laugh. Hurt himself? Basically the only thing he did for the last few months. Or, for the time he could remember. 

Jamie must have seen something in his eyes, because his frown deepened even more and he gently steered Tyler away from the main lobby, to a corner where they had some resemblance of privacy. Oh yeah, here it came. Tyler took a deep breath, trying to brace himself for the “when you get out here, don’t you dare start shit in my locker room, don’t try to drag other guys into whatever you’re doing in your off time, don’t expect to make friends on this team. But the talk never came. He stood there, baffled, as Jamie told him that yeah, he might’ve fucked up, but Jamie and the whole team was behind him and wanted to help as much as possible after he got out of rehab. Because they believed in him. They thought he could be a good addition to their team. He nodded dumbly, mumbling out something he hoped was “I won’t try to fuck this up as bad as I did in Boston”, which was apparently enough because Jamie just smiled and nodded before they walked back to the front desk together, where a nurse was waiting for him. Nill said his goodbyes and walked ahead, while Jamie hastily searched for a pen in his jacket. He took Tyler’s wrist again, the one that wasn’t injured, and scribbled a phone number on it. The sensation of the cool ink on his overheated skin nearly made him shiver.

“I don’t know how much access to a phone you’re gonna have, but this is my number. Please text me if you want to, or if you need anything. You’re team now.”

Before he could comprehend what just happened, Jamie said goodbye and left through the main entrance. He didn’t want to give the friendly nurse an even bigger hassle to deal with, so he quickly followed her as she led him to his room. 

And as the door closed behind her and Tyler sat alone on a foreign bed in a foreign city, with no one he really knew or could contact, the phone number on the skin of his forearm felt like a lifeline. Like someone could bother enough to keep up with him if he just tried enough to get better. And somehow, even though this was not how he thought his NHL career would go, it didn’t feel like his life was wasted anymore. Of course, it would be a long, painful way towards a point where he could say that he was proud of himself again. But for the first time in a long time, he felt like the attempt to at least try to get better was not impossible. And maybe that was enough for now. He might not have won the cup yet, or even played a significant part on his team, but for now he was happy to be on a team where people could maybe become his friends again.

[paletalegear]

Congrats To Jim Nill Winner Jim Gregory General Manager Of The Year Award 2024 Unisex T Shirt

Congrats To Jim Nill Winner Jim Gregory General Manager Of The Year Award 2024 Unisex T Shirt

These nations I put in this category because, historically, they frequently interacted with Czechs, but aside for the Congrats To Jim Nill Winner Jim Gregory General Manager Of The Year Award 2024 Unisex T Shirt protectorate for the Germans did not rule over Czechs and were a little more distant. Germans from Bavaria or Saxony seem somewhat similar to Czechs, but I do not see much similarity between Germans from Hamburg, Berlin, Stuttgart and other parts of the country at all. For Poles the region of Silesia, and even the southern Poland around Krakow have a similar feel to Czech Republic, but eastern Poland around Warsaw feels more eastern-European, and western Poland feels more German. Hungary: Hungary is similar to Czechs culturally, but also kind of has its own distinct vibe. I’m not sure why, maybe it’s because of the nation’s unique language and the fact the cuisine is spicier. A little close: Croatians, Western-Ukranians, Romanians from Transylvania These nations and regions share commonality with Czechs because they are part of the Central – European cultural sphere despite being further away. Historically and today, there has been immigration of these people to Czech Republic. During the 16th & 17th centuries many Romanians (Vlachs) immigrated to the mountains in eastern Czechia, and southeastern Czechia had a community of Croatians. Today many Ukrainians immigrate to Czechia. Today thousands of Czechs go to Croatia in the summer, so it is not too exotic.

[starscelly]

in saad’s article abt the trade deadline he talks abt a more or less one for one trade where we lose guri for a finn so mentally i’m already mourning him. jim nill will not be able to resist that. and he’s so tall. guri you will be missed.

[puckinginsane]

Just a little thing l did this season (2021). Wrote down all of the quotes from Bones (and a few others) about Jamie's leadership.

Under The Cut

Bones 4.26.2021 : I think he loves these situations where he can put the team on his back and say ‘Let’s go,’ And he’s been doing that for a long time this season. It’s great to see. He’s giving us great leadership on the bench, in the room. It’s nice to see him be rewarded. He’s just not going to be denied.

Jake Oettinger : 4.26.2021 : Everyone loves that guy. He’s the best captain I’ve ever played for and he’s a guy that you want out there when the game’s on the line. He wants to win more than anyone and he wants to lead this team into the playoffs. Just really happy for him. A lot of people don’t see what type of person he is off the ice or to the guys or the type of leadership that he brings on a daily basis.

NBCSN Broadcast (Joe Micheletti) : 4.19.2021 : On the weekend I talked to Stars GM Jim Nill and  I also talked to Stars head coach Rick Bowness separately and we talked about all the issues that they’ve had this season and what they’ve had to go through and we’ve mentioned the injuries and then COVID and they miss the start of the season then the terrible storm that Texas put up with and more postponements. And I said well how've you been able to stay in it? And both of them said, unprovoked, separate conversations, Jamie Benn has been unbelievable on and off the ice for us. His leadership and what he’s provided has kept everybody in the moment and kept everybody thinking the same way. That’s how good he’s been for them. Jamie Benn means an awful lot to this organization.

Bones : 4.15.2021 : Jamie’s been playing fantastic at center. He’s been playing his heart out. So it all starts to me with Jamie and he drives the bus here, and when he’s playing as hard as he has at center then everyone else has to feed off of that.

Bones : 4.10.2021 : He’s been skating really well and you can see it. He’s had a lot of jump in his legs and I also think he’s relishing the role he has with the team that’s fighting for its life for a playoff spot. He’s relishing the leadership that comes...and the responsibility that comes with the role or the position we’re in so I really like the way he’s skating. He’s doing a lot of good things behind the scenes that you don’t see, but he’s also doing great things on the ice and leading by example so that’s what we need from him and he’s delivering.

Bones : 4.8.2021 : (Asked about Jamie’s overall game that night.) Great. He played very well. Big faceoff guy. He’s been playing really, really well. He hasn’t had the support on his line that I would like to see and that’s why I put him at center. To…’cause he’s been skating really well. He’s been a physical force. He’s been a dominant player but he still needs to get some more help from his line mates so we’re working on that. We all have full faith in Jamie. Ok we need you to play center tonight. And he was good on the faceoffs. He liked that tonight. I know he’d probably prefer left wing but he’s such a great leader on this team. We need you to play center tonight. There’s no talk, no conversation. Just ok. Whatever you need, coach. I gotta love that.

John Stevens : 4.5.2021 : The leadership in the group is really strong, starting with Jamie Benn.

Bones : 4.3.2021 : I’ll tell you who did an incredible job tonight was Jamie Benn. That’s two games in a row. He got a huge goal for us at the right time of the game. I’ve been complaining about that all year. Where’s that timely goal? He did it in Nashville early in that third period. He did it tonight. We’re down 2-1, get a power play, and came up huge for us. He was great on the bench, competed hard, he’s done a great job leading. Those third and fourth line guys, when that happens they want to contribute, they want to chip in because they see their leader out there busting his butt doing all of the things we need to do to win.

Bones : 4.2.2021 : Jamie had a great game tonight. That’s one of his better games, regardless, I know that he got that power play goal, he needed it. But he did a great job tonight on the bench, in the room, and on the ice he played very very well. Very hard.

Bones : 3.17.2021 : (asked about Jamie’s game that night) He got the big goal for us. He battles hard. He’s great on the bench and when things aren’t going good you see him trying his best out there to get things going.

Bones : 1.31.2021 : (First game back from injury) When he found his legs he was a dominant force out there. You know, that penalty he takes, it’s right in front of our bench and those are the ones that you absolutely have to kill. He did that to get the team going, to light a fire under us and that’s just the type of leader he is. And then it’s up to the penalty killers to go out and do the job and they did a fantastic job on that penalty. So, when your leader’s out there doing that and throwing the body around and laying it on the line then takes a penalty, we’ll kill those. We have to kill those and our guys did a great job. But when Jamie got his legs he was a dominant force out there.

[miracleonice87]

Thousand

a Tyler Seguin one shot

a/n: I’m back! Last week was busy for me and this one is, too, but I have three other WIPs coming up after this one within the next little bit, so stay tuned. also idk if anyone else watches One Tree Hill (I know Tyler does 😉) but his family gives me major Nathan, Haley, Jamie, and Lydia Scott vibes in this one.

summary: still playing for the Stars, Tyler is recognized for his 1,000th career game and celebrates with his wife (the reader), family and team.

warnings: husband and dad Tyler being cute with his family and becoming a slightly silver fox (I think that def deserves a warning); hint of a daddy kink lollll

_____

February 22, 2025

Dallas

“Mama! Can I wear my new jersey from Uncle Jamie? Please?”

You pursed your lips, fastening the back onto your emerald earring as you looked at your five-year-old son’s reflection behind you in the mirror. You turned away from your vanity to meet him at eye level.

“Baby, you should wear Daddy’s jersey tonight,” you told him gently, rubbing his back. “We’re celebrating a really big milestone for him, so he’s gonna be recognized out on the ice, and we’re gonna be there with him, remember? I know it would mean a lot to him if you wore his jersey.”

Luca pushed his bottom lip out just a smidge, pouting just like Tyler was famous for doing. You bit your own bottom lip to hold back a laugh.

“Okay. Well, can I wear Uncle Jamie’s next game?” Luca bargained.  

You smiled at his tenacity and smoothed your hand over his crisp white dress shirt that you’d laid out for him. You put your forehead to his and assured, “Absolutely.”

Luca perked up and stood a little straighter at your promise.

“Thanks, Mama,” he said. You kissed his cheek and said, “You’re welcome, baby. Thank you for understanding.” He nodded and turned to leave the room, presumably to pull a 91 jersey from the ever-growing collection in his closet. He stopped short and turned back to look at you.

“Hey, Mama?” he began. “Hmmm?” you prompted, trying to fasten your necklace and suddenly wishing you’d had Tyler put it on you before leaving — not only was he much more capable, but the way he always kissed the nape of your neck after securing the clasp made you melt each time.

Luca paused, smiling down at his sock feet before lifting his gaze to you again.

“I’m really happy for Daddy,” Luca said with a smile so sincere it made you melt. You were such a sap for these Seguin boys.

You nodded, choking back tears. “That’s sweet, baby,” you said. “I’m really happy for him, too.”

_____

An hour later, after dressing yourself, your son, and your two-year-old daughter, you pulled into the private parking area within the gates, Luca bopping up and down in his car seat, ever anxious to get inside the arena. The moment you unloaded both kids, they took off for the door to the arena.

“Luca Paul Seguin, slow down, please!” you instructed in your best mom voice, fumbling to throw both your purse and the diaper bag over your shoulders. “Hold onto your sister’s hand, bub,” you requested.

Luca smiled brightly and turned toward Harper, extending his hand toward his toddling little sister, who took it with a giggle. You finally caught up to the two of them and scooped up your daughter as you stepped onto the elevator, headed to the front office floor. When the doors opened, you were greeted by Tom Holy, the Stars’ VP of communications who had become a close friend over the years.

“Here are the real stars of tonight’s show!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands once, making you laugh. Luca ran to him for a hug and Tom playfully dusted off Luca’s little shoulders that now donned his favorite black Seguin jersey.

“Nice jersey, Luc! Hey, I gotta tell you, though, we have something else for you and your sister to wear tonight — if you want to,” he said.

You shot Tom a warning look as he produced a black tote bag from the reception desk, telling him, “You did not.”

He gave you a wink and said, “Do you know us at all by now? Of course we did.”

Much to Luca’s delight, Tom pulled two home green jerseys from the bag, with white 91’s printed on the back and sleeves and the “A” adorning each chest. But the nameplate didn’t hold your last name — instead, it read “DADDY,” with “1,000” printed below the jersey number. Luca jumped up and down with the jersey in his hands, while Tom handed the smaller jersey for you to dress Harper in.

“And we got a little something for you, too,” he added, reaching his hand into the tote bag once more. Your eyebrows shot up, caught off guard.

“Why me?” you questioned, feeling completely undeserving.

“Because, he says it himself all the time — he wouldn’t be the person he is without you,” Tom told you earnestly. “Tonight we’re celebrating all of you.”

He handed you a small black box and you froze for a moment before he extended it further, insisting that you accept it. You slowly grasped the box and pulled it open. Inside lay a pin nearly mirroring the style of lettering on the back of the kids’ jerseys, but instead it read “Seguin - 91 - 1,000,” encrusted in diamonds and emeralds.

You covered your mouth with curled fingers, attempting to steel yourself so that the waterworks wouldn’t commence just yet. You warmed inside at the incredible kindness of the gesture, giving Tom a hug.

“Thank you, Tom,” you said softly. “You guys are always first class.” He waved you off as you retrieved the pin from its box and fastened it on the lapel of your long black blazer, paired with a lacy camisole, jeans and black heels. You propped Harper on the desk to switch out her jersey for the new one, Luca having already made his own outfit change.

_____

In the tunnel, you had Harper on your hip and held tightly to Luca’s hand to prevent him from running to the ice and interrupting warm-ups. Your kids were used to standing at the boards where they could watch the guys drill and give their dad knuckles on the glass — where he could tap his blade in front of them each time he skated past. But not tonight. They might not realize it for years to come, but tonight would be even more special than watching their dad skate in front of them.

After a few minutes, you felt a hand come to rest on your shoulder — Jim Nill’s. You smiled at him and leaned in for a hug as he greeted you warmly and gave Luca a fist bump.

“And this little one…” he added, tapping Harper’s nose lightly as she grinned up at him. “She’s gotten so big. She’s too cute — you sure she really belongs to Segs?”

You laughed and remarked, “Pretty certain, yeah. If you saw her dramatic side, or how she is with the dogs, you’d see the resemblance.” It was Jim’s turn to chuckle.

Tom sidled up next to the two of you and advised you on how the presentation would go.

“So, we’ll roll out the carpet, and you guys will head all the way down to the end. Jim and Bones will follow. Tyler will come and stand next to you guys on the ice and then we’ll do the presentations,” he instructed. “That sound okay?”

You nodded and smiled at Tom. “Yeah, it sounds great. Honestly, I’m just a little nervous about holding onto these two so none of us fall on our asses,” you half-joked.

“Well, Gramma can help with that.”

At the sound of the familiar voice behind you, you spun around and gasped, while Luca exclaimed, “You’re here!”

There stood not only Jackie, but also Paul — the two were always willing to come together for momentous occasions in their children’s lives, especially now that you and Tyler had given them the gift of grandchildren, and you were grateful. You had had no idea that they were coming, even having spoken to Jackie the day before, asking her once more if she was sure she didn’t want you to book her a flight to Dallas.

Tears welled in your eyes as you shook your head, completely at a loss for word as they flanked you. You squeezed each of them tightly and whimpered, “Does Ty know?”

Paul shook his head. “He has no clue,” he responded. Jackie added, “And the girls are up in the suite already. They wanted to watch it all up there.”

You could only shake your head repeatedly, barely having time to recover before hearing the PA announcer ask the fans to turn their attention to the ice. You dabbed the corners of your eyes with your knuckle and passed Luca duty off to Jackie, keeping a hold on Harper yourself, as Tom smiled and winked at the five of you.

“Not even a warning, Tom?” you teased, sniffling. He chuckled and squeezed your shoulder.

“No way,” he remarked. “Your reaction was priceless.” You shared another smile before you saw Rick stepping onto the green carpet near the boards.

“Here we go,” you breathed, leading your in-laws out to the ice past Rick as directed, not without him stopping you to give you a kiss on the cheek, squeeze Harper’s hand, and pat Luca on the back.

You stepped carefully along the fabric-covered frozen surface, concentrating on a beaming Tyler before you, Harper already reaching her arms out for him as he waved at her. You knew immediately that there was no point in fighting her on wanting to be held by her daddy, so as soon as you reached the end of the carpet and gave Tyler a peck, you handed her off to him, Tyler kissing her rosy cheeks.

The crowd “awww’d,” but you could only concentrate on the dumbfounded expression Tyler wore upon looking up from Harper’s “Daddy 91” jersey to smile at you before noticing his parents only a few feet behind. Rarely, if ever, left speechless, Tyler was completely in shock.

Jackie came forward to reach for Tyler, singing, “Surprise!” as she threw her arms around his neck.

“Oh, my god. I can’t believe you guys are here,” Tyler finally said, his voice shaky. Jackie kissed his cheek and pulled away to wipe tears from her eyes.

“We wouldn’t have missed this for the world, son,” Paul assured as the two men embraced.

After thanking his parents, Tyler crouched down to greet his boy — practically his own self, in miniature.

“Cool jersey, bubba,” Tyler said, glowing with pride as he nudged Luca’s chest and squeezed his hand.

“It says ‘Daddy 91’ on it!” Luca pointed out. Tyler giggled boyishly and kissed Luca’s forehead. “It sure does, doesn’t it,” he said, Luca nodding.

Tyler stood upright once more, snaking an arm around your waist as you held onto Luca’s shoulders in front of you, smoothing his hair affectionately. Tyler then noticed your new pin, running the back of his index finger over it and commenting, “Wow. This is unbelievable.” You could only nod.

“You look beautiful, baby. But what, no ‘Daddy’ jersey for you?” he asked softly with an ornery grin, making your cheeks warm as you pushed your shoulder into his chest. You shared a quiet laugh and he kissed your temple, then the PA announcer turned over the floor to Jim.

“Stars fans, you all know better than most just how much this night means to our number 91,” Jim began. “We as an organization have watched him grow, both as a person and as a player, since his fourth year in the league. We have witnessed the way he has blossomed, from an outstanding young player into a seasoned veteran. Tyler Seguin has become one of the most prominent leaders of this franchise, and I know I can speak for all of us when I say that we could not be more proud to call him a member of our family.”

The crowd cheered, so loudly that Jim had to pause, Tyler blinking back tears as he squeezed your hand tightly and nodded to the fans appreciatively. Even Harper began to clap, making Tyler laugh and kiss her sweetly, sniffling when he looked back to the crowd.

“Tyler, we thank you for the role that you have played thus far during your time as a Dallas Star, we look forward to many years and celebrations to come, and we recognize you tonight for reaching another milestone in your career in the National Hockey League — 1,000 games. We are thrilled to have your lovely wife and your beautiful family here with us tonight to celebrate you. Now I invite our captain, your dear friend, Jamie Benn, to join us and present you with gifts from your teammates, then Rick and I will proudly present you with gifts on behalf of the organization.”

You had held your emotions together decently thus far, but when Jamie glided over to you with a huge bouquet of white roses in one arm and a small gift box in the other hand, you felt tears trickle down your cheek. Jamie stopped in front of your family, greeting you first. He gently grasped your shoulder and kissed your cheek as he placed the bouquet in your arms.

“For you,” he spoke. “Love you. Thank you for everything you’ve done for him — for all of us.” You nodded, reaching up on your tiptoes to wrap your arm around his neck and whisper a thank you of your own into his ear, Jamie smiling at you tenderly when he pulled away.

“And for this guy…” Jamie began, extending the black box, which you now could see was marked with the Rolex logo, Tyler’s way as Tyler wrapped his arm around Jamie, hugging him tightly, the two of them exchanging private words of gratitude. You swiped at your tears as you watched Jamie pull back to kiss Harper’s cheek, making her squeal with delight at the attention her favorite uncle was showing her.

You all laughed, and Jamie turned his attention next to his godson. He bent at the waist to look Luca in the face, his wide grin growing even bigger. Jamie held out his fist and the two engaged in their special shake and bake handshake, Jamie ruffling Luca’s chestnut brown curls atop his head as he stood straight again.

“Love you, buddy,” Jamie told Luca, extending his hand for a low-five. Luca slapped his palm and beamed up at his beloved uncle. “Love you, too,” he confirmed, Jamie winking at him.

Next, Rick approached and presented Tyler with a gorgeous crystal award, engraved with Tyler’s name, the Stars logo, and the date and statistics from his 1,000th game against St. Louis a few nights before. Jim gifted Tyler a silver hockey stick from the Stars organization to commemorate the occasion, and Tyler thanked them both profusely, hugging them as the PA announcer asked the crowd to now look to the scoreboard for a video tribute.

This was one part of the evening you had known was coming — Tom had arranged for you and the kids to be filmed congratulating Tyler on the actual night of his 1,000th game, in the wives and girlfriends suite. You had inquired about who else was being asked to be part of the video, and Tom rattled off the names of some of Tyler’s closest friends, current and former teammates, and most respected fellow athletes — his sisters, Freddy, Derrek, Marchy, Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Jordan Spieth, Dak Prescott, and many of the Stars he had played with for multiple seasons all made appearances, including Jamie, who smiled at you as he skated behind you to watch.

“1,000 games. Did you ever think we’d all be here?” Jamie asked you softly as the video started, glancing Tyler’s way.

You, too, looked toward your husband, his face lifted to the Jumbotron, and you noticed the way his handsome features had only become more distinguished with age and the few grey hairs sprinkled near his ears and in his beard. He always groaned when you jokingly pointed them out, but you loved them — in your eyes, they told the story of his life as a man, his life as a hockey player, his life as a dad, his life with you. This occasion was just another chapter of Tyler’s dream come true — your dream come true.

You glanced back at Jamie and nodded, smiling. “Actually... yeah,” you answered, a hint of surprise in your tone. “I think I did.”

_____

Late that night, long after you’d put the kids to bed — with Luca having insisted on sleeping in his new jersey — you and Tyler lay cuddled up on the couch, wine glasses now empty on the end table, feet entangled on the ottoman. The gifts Tyler had received were propped on the mantle across from you, out of reach of children’s hands and dogs’ paws. Tyler kissed the top of your head, inhaling your scent deeply as you absentmindedly fiddled with the button on his loosened dress shirt collar.

“Are you happy?” you asked softly. Tyler breathed a chuckle. “I don’t think happy even begins to cover it,” he told you, smoothing his hands up and down your bare arms. “It’s more like… amazed. But it’s not even because of the 1,000th game.”

You rolled your head toward his to look up at him, meeting his gaze. “What do you mean, baby?” you asked.

He glanced at the new additions to his memorabilia collection and then back at you, the corners of his mouth twitching into a thoughtful smile.

“The ceremony was great. The best. I’ll remember that for the rest of my life,” he told you. “But what I’ll remember most is the way you looked, carrying the baby and just smiling at me walking onto the ice. And the moment I saw my parents with Luca between them.” Tyler’s voice quivered as he spoke, and you tightened your grip around his waist, laying your stomach against his to lean up and kiss his jaw. Tears shone in his eyes as he gave you a grateful look, pulling your hand to his lips to kiss your fingers.

“My career has been far better than I deserve,” Tyler added. “But what makes me the happiest is just getting to do life every day with you, and the babies. And my parents and sisters, too. I’m just really feeling blessed.”

As he sniffed, you pressed a kiss firmly to his lips and said, “Life with you is more than I could’ve ever wished for, Ty. Every day is like a celebration of the love you and I share. Everything else, like tonight — it’s just icing on the cake.” Tyler nodded, giving you one more kiss as he whispered his gratitude for you.

[ice-ice-lizzie]

Roope

Roope is from Tampere, Finland. He’s 27. His parents played basketball (his mom is Very Tall) and he was a multi sport athlete growing up.

He spent some time in Florida working on his speed & learning English when he was 15. He played for Ilves in Liiga, going through their juniors program and then playing with their pro team as a teenager. He started to get attention at this point from the national team and NHL scouts. Everyone was like 'where did this kid come from?'

The Stars drafted him in 2015 (the McDavid draft). He was their second round pick, 49th overall- an absolute steal for Dallas.

At that point he switched to playing for HIFK (a different Liiga team), where he was eventually joined by future Stars teammate Miro Heiskanen.

In 2016 he won gold at world juniors with an absolutely stacked team Finland. We're talking Sebastian Aho, Mikko Rantanen, Patrik Laine and also Kasperi Kapanen and Jesse Puljujärvi and of course Roope. Click through for a Finnish article with baby pictures of all of them.

For the 2018-2017 season Roope came over to the US and played in the AHL. The next year he was playing in the NHL (same rookie season as Miro). The year after that he became Dallas's top line center and he has been ever since. His line (with Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski) has been solid for the Stars.

As far as personality goes- He likes fashion and Finnish rap. He freely admits that he wasn't the best in school. He mostly hangs out with the other Finns on the stars- particularly Miro. The fans call them the Finnish Mafia (and they actually went as the Finnish Mafia for Halloween 2022). Back in 2016, he and Jesse Puljujärvi were dating a pair of twin sisters. He was very fun on instagram before he was famous- and even though most of the posts from that time period are deleted, his insta is still pretty good. Tyler Seguin compared him to Mitch Marner on a podcast (source for this incoming- gotta re listen to a bunch of podcasts to find the right one).

The other Finns call him hinee, non Finnish teammates call him Roop.

Wyatt

Wyatt Johnston is from Toronto. The stars drafted him 23rd over all in 2021. He stayed in the OHL (with the Spitfires) for one more year then made the team right out of training camp in 2022. Coach Pete DeBoer said he wanted to hide Wyatt in the trunk of his car so GM Jim Nill could not send him back down to juniors. Luckily it did not come to that- Wyatt was here to stay.

The coaching staff asked if the then 19 year old could live with veteran teammate Joe Pavelski (then 38) and his family. Joe thought they were asking him about rehoming a dog (also called Wyatt) but the confusion was soon cleared up and human Wyatt was welcomed with open arms. He continues to live with the Pavelskis his sophomore season.

Wyatt plays center (just like Roope). His entire rookie year and most of his sophomore season (as of time of writing) he's centered the third line with Captain Jamie Benn as a regular winger (and a rotating cast as their third). Lately (and only for a few games) Wyatt converted to wing to replace Joe Pavelski on the top line (Roope's line). Previous to that Roope and Wyatt were never really on the ice at the same time.

Last year- when the player of the game award was allegedly shot gunning a beer (can't find a source for this) - they gave him a personal pizza instead. His teammates seem to love him (and chirp him in equal measure). He's continued to excel over his sophomore season and it's been exciting to watch.

Hi I’m reading ‘But the punchline goes’ and it’s lovely and funny. I’m wondering tho if you have a primer about these guys? Bc I’ve never heard of them before. Or maybe just your thoughts about why you chose them to write a fic?

Ooh I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Roope's voice has been so much fun to write. Truly the most confident of disaster humans 😂

I don't know of a primer for them, I'm afraid! (I wish I did; primers are so useful, and I miss the days of their abundance.) I decided to write about them for the simple reason that the lovely @coffeehound91 commissioned me when I had commissions open in December (not something AO3 allows you to mention on their site due to their terms of service). I didn't know anything about the pairing myself when they suggested it, but I was excited to get to know some of the newer Stars, and I'm so glad I did! I mostly just read what was on AO3 for them and did a bit of googling. Possibly someone reading this has a suggestion for a good intro?

[reavenedges-lies]

Dallas News Article Under The Cut

Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop’s NHL career is over, GM Jim Nill says

Bishop, who had surgery last year to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, spent the last 14 months rehabilitating his knee 

By Matthew DeFranks

2:49 PM on Dec 11, 2021 CST

SAN JOSE, Calif. — After more than a year trying to return from knee surgery, Stars goaltender Ben Bishop’s career is over, general manager Jim Nill said Saturday morning.

Bishop, who had surgery last year to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, spent the last 14 months rehabilitating his knee. He joined the Stars at the beginning of training camp and practiced with the team almost every day since the beginning of the season.

Most recently, Bishop played for AHL affiliate Texas on Thursday night in his first game since the 2020 postseason. He allowed eight goals on 34 shots.

When he was healthy, Bishop was one of the league’s best goaltenders. His .921 career save percentage is fifth-best in league history among goalies with at least 300 games played. Only Hall of Famers Dominik Hasek, Johnny Bower and Ken Dryden, and Tuukka Rask are ahead of him.

“It’s no secret, he has a degenerative knee injury, and he went down there, he wanted to be a big part of this,” Nill said. “He wanted to do everything he could to get back. In the end, by going through the process, going down there and playing, he found out that it’s the end of his career.”

Bishop is scheduled to speak with reporters on Tuesday morning.

Bishop, 35, was recalled from his conditioning loan on Saturday morning and placed on long-term injured reserve. He will remain there through the end of his contract in the summer of 2023.

Bishop finishes his career with 413 games played across five different franchises. He was a Vezina Trophy finalist three times, including second-place finishes in 2015-16 with Tampa Bay and 2018-19 with Dallas.

He played 143 games for the Stars across three seasons, going 74-48-11 with a .923 save percentage and 1.98 goals against average. He was part of the league’s best goaltending tandem with Anton Khudobin, and set a career high by making 52 saves against the Blues in Game 7 in 2019.

Bishop came two wins shy of winning the Stanley Cup in 2015 with the Lightning. Stars coach Rick Bowness was an assistant in Tampa Bay for that run.

“It hurts,” Bowness said. “I feel terrible for him because he’s such a great person and as I’ve always said, when he’s on, he’s a top three goalie in the league. He took us to the Finals in Tampa. When you go that far, you have a special bond.

“I’ve always felt very close with Bish. I’m devastated for him and his family, I know he wants to play. It’s just a very, very unfortunate thing that’s happened.”

The recovery process was long for Bishop.

He was limited to three games in the 2020 postseason due the knee injury, and his last game in a Stars jersey came in Game 5 of the second round against Colorado. On Oct. 21, 2020, Bishop underwent surgery to repair his meniscus.

The initial timeline for Bishop put him on track to return for the team’s playoff push, but shortly after the trade deadline, the Stars ruled him out for the rest of the season. Over the summer, Bishop waived his no-movement clause for the expansion draft with uncertainty surrounding his return.

“He wanted to get back to the level he could, he’s been working at that,” Nill said. “He took all year last year to work on it, came back to training camp this year and we finally decided, he thought he was at the point where it was the best he was ever going to feel for his game and his knee, so that’s why he went down.

Nill signed Braden Holtby in the offseason in case Bishop was unable to return. Then, this week, Bishop went to the AHL to test his knee.

“By going down there, he gave everything he could and it was the best case scenario for him, that’s why he wanted to try it then. He rehabbed, set everything up so it gave him the best opportunity. In the end, he found out he can’t do it.”

Bishop could have played three games in the AHL as part of his conditioning loan, and the Stars could have asked the league for two more games. But his stay was cut short after one game with Texas.

“He’s the one that said ‘No, that’s it,’” Nill said. “In the end, he’s the one that had to make that decision. I don’t know how he feels. All I know is I watched the performance. He’s the one that knows.”

Bishop finished his career ranked in the top 15 with the Stars in games played (11th), wins (ninth), save percentage (first) and GAA (third).

“We’ve been talking about this for a year and a half,” Nill said. “When he got injured in the bubble, we knew what the injury was but we’re hoping ‘Could he get the pain out of it? Can you rehab it enough? Will it get back so he can play goal, feel normal?’

“He did everything he could. He’s been a great teammate. He’s done his job."

[myhockeyworld87]

Ruined - Jamie Benn - Part 4

Word Count: 8,133

POV: Jamie and then switches to reader

Warnings: Language, small amount of smut so we will say NSFW

Notes: This is hell long, I’m sorry. I don’t normally write chapter/parts this long, so don’t get used to it, because I’m sure it won’t last...haha! At any rate here we go with Part 4. As always I love your feedback, both good and bad, so hit me with it. Happy Reading! Also (Y/NN) = Your Nickname (Y/LN) = Your Last Name

Ruined Masterlist

 JAMIE POV

 Five days, that's how long it was until you saw (Y/N) again. Well, it was four days, sixteen hours, twenty-two minutes, and forty-two seconds, give or take a second or two. And why did you know the exact time, only because you'd been counting the hours since she left Jordie and Jessi's house. The dinner party had gone great, at least you thought it had, but then you hadn't seen her since then; not even a glimpse of her outside in the backyard or pulling into the driveway. It was maddening or maybe it was just you slowly going insane as every little noise outside had you wandering over to the window to check and see if it was her. It hadn't taken much to convince your brother to throw a dinner party on short notice, in an excuse so you could see (Y/N), but now that you had, there was just this overwhelming need to see more and more of her.

 Now, here you were, just four days, sixteen hours, twenty-four minutes, and sixteen seconds from seeing her again. She was to be at the practice center at four-thirty today, so that someone, that someone being you, of course, could show her around the facility. You stood back a bit, staring at the entrance doors just waiting for her to walk in. And then she did. She looked radiant. Dressed in a simple navy pantsuit with a pair of high heels that clicked across the floor, she made her way to the front desk. Instead of rushing out to greet her, you headed back to the locker room, where you knew the receptionist would usher her back to you.

 Your palms were sweating and suddenly you felt unsure of yourself. What if she was only playing nice at Jordie's and really didn't want to be around you? But that didn't explain how she'd laughed and reminisced with you about different things. That laugh, you knew it was a genuine one, for you heard it so many times in your dreams you had it memorized. God, you hoped you could make her laugh like that again today.

 You could hear her heels on the floor, so you busied yourself with one of your sticks retaping the blade, even though it didn't need it. "The team captain is in there, Miss. If you need anything just let me know." You heard the door open and then turned around.

 "Jamie?"

 "Oh hey (Y/NN)," you tried to sound casual as if her simply being in the same room as you didn't send your heart beating into overdrive.

 "I guess I didn't realize you were the team's captain."

 "Yeah, have been for a few years now." Your heart sank a bit in the knowledge that she hadn't really followed your career except to know where you were, so she could avoid you.

 "Well that's…," she stumbled on her words which was unusual for her and you wondered if she was as affected by you as you were by her, or if it was just her disdain for you, and that she hated to give you any amount of praise. "That's really amazing. Your coaches and team must really hold you in high regard."

 "I'd like to think so." You finally abandoned the stick that didn't need taping, leaning it against the wall before turning your attention back to (Y/N). "Anyhow, I guess I'm your tour guide today." She gave a weak smile and a simple head nod, which was not encouraging to say the least. "So, how about we get started? If you want you can leave your stuff in here, no one will bother it." She'd been carrying her medical bag and a few other things, but she handed them over to you and you set them in your stall. "Well, as you can see this is our practice locker room, pretty basic. I thought we'd start with a tour of the entire place before I show you the training room."

 The two of you headed down the hallway and back out to the lobby. "Obviously, you came in this way, but I'll show you the entrance you can use in the future. We're pretty much contained to this side of the building as you can see, but when practices are open, people can come and watch." You showed her the rink, from seat level, then headed back out. "This is the club lounge, if there's ever an event here where we aren't skating we use one of the boxes up there. You're more than welcome to as well."

 "I have to say this is kind of elaborate for a practice rink."

 "A bit."

 "I was expecting metal bleachers and…well, I don't know. I feel like this is more like the arena and then a practice rink."

 You chuckled, for you kind of thought the same thing, the first time you came here. Now you barely even noticed it. "Well, the boards are the same as the AAC, but other than that it's very different."

 "AAC?"

 "American Airlines Center," you hadn't realized you shortened the name. "Sorry about that. I think we're scheduled to tour that on Wednesday." It gave you another opportunity to be with her.

 "Yes, I have that on my calendar, but was going to see if we could change that." You supposed there was your answer about her wanting to be in the same room as you. "Dr. Ellis has a patient that needs a knee arthroplasty and he asked if I'd show him the technique I've been using. Less evasive and I'm having great success with cutting the healing time by half." Oh, so it was a medical thing, whatever an arthroplasty was. "If we could push it back a bit that would be great, if not maybe we could look at another time."

 "I'll work around your schedule, it's not a problem." If it meant spending more time with her you'd go to any lengths that you had to.

 "Thanks, if we could maybe make for like three in the afternoon instead of noon that will give me plenty of time because I have a feeling, he'll want me to sit in on his other two surgeries he has scheduled that day."

 "Not a problem." You took out your phone and made the change in your calendar. Thankfully, you didn't really have anything after practice that day but giving her the tour. "Shall we continue then?" She smiled, and it made your heart feel light. You took her to the offices next. "Down this hallway is pretty much everyone that works for the Stars; PR, accounting, our GM, our owner. You'll pretty much find them here." You stopped in front of a door and then opened it up. "This office is for you." It had a great view, well as much of a view as any of them had, but it really was a nice place for her to work.

 "Umm…this won't do."

 You blinked at her a couple times, there was really nothing wrong with the room. Everything in there was modern with state-of-the-art equipment. "What's wrong with it?" The words came out a little harsher than you intended but you really couldn't see her problem.

 "Well for starters, we're on the what, the third floor? And I believe the locker room and training room are on the first." You gave a confused look as this was Dr. Lundin's old office and he never been concerned about it being where it was. "It's just if I'm going to be working on you…well not you, but any of you. I need to be near you. I can be at ice level during practices, but if I'm treating you, my office should be closer to the ice." Well, you couldn't really argue with that. "Also, there's no exam table in here. I get that I'll be doing most things in your training room, but there may be times when I'll need you to stop in to look over something, or what if one of you need to see me about something private."

 She had a point, though none of you had ever really gone to Dr. Lundin like that. Come to think of it, he wasn't really around that much. He more or less made recommendations on where you should go if you had a problem. He wasn't necessarily the doctor to fix you. Seems like (Y/N) planned on being more hands-on, and you were ok with that. "You make a good point. Give me a second." You stepped out of the room and called the Jim Nill, the general manager. You weren't sure he was the man to go to, but you knew he'd be there in the building at least and could possibly offer a solution. It was a short phone call, as you expressed (Y/N)'s concerns. Jim was happy to help and said that he'd get someone on moving her downstairs to one of the spare rooms that housed equipment at the moment. "All set. They're going to move you down next to the training room. It might take a few days to get in the stuff you want, but if you make a list, we'll leave it at the front desk and make sure it gets taken care of."

 "Thank you, Jamie. I really appreciate you doing that."

 Her praise was like music to your ears, you could remember the days when you'd have a good game and she would go on and on about how well you played and you'd literally soak up every word that came out of her mouth. "No problem, guess we should head down there then." You showed her the room, which she seemed pleased with, then took her over to the training room. A couple of the trainers were still in there from practice, so you introduced her to them.

 "I hate to be a pain in the ass but would any of you mind if I changed the set up here. I don't want to step on anyone's toes. I just see a few things that could make this more efficient."

 "Sure, go ahead," Dave, the head trainer told her.

 "So, see these units right here. They would work so much better if you had them in between the training tables. That way two guys can be on the machine at the same time."

 "Oh, I see what you're saying." They went to move the equipment, it looked heavy so you helped as well. (Y/N) was opening up cabinets and taking things out, then moving them to other ones.

 "Is the AAC," she looked over as you to confirm she'd said that right. "Setup like this as well."

 "Pretty much," Dave told her.

 "Could we make these changes there as well?" They seemed to be a bit annoyed, but she wasn't deterred. "Bear with me for a moment. Say Jamie has a cut to his eye that needs to be stitched." She looked at you to play the part.

 "Ow my eye," your acting was horrible and they all laughed.

 "When he comes into the room, we take him right to the nearest table, which is here." You sat down where she gestured. "It's obvious, he needs stitches, but the medical cabinet is all the way over on the other side of the room, and by the time we get there, look for what we need then come back we've waist two minutes of playing time and we don't even have a single stitch that we need in." She was making a lot of sense. "If we had our sterile supplies here, and then individually marked and put in like this." She rearranged the cabinet as she talked. "Then when Jame comes in with the cut. We can assess it and stitch him up in no time."

 "Makes sense," Dave agreed. "I'll get to work on changing the AAC as well." He and the other trainer were done for the day and said their goodbyes before heading out.

 "Hey Jame," you noticed she'd started using your nickname and you weren't upset about it. "Could you move this table over to here?"

 "No problem."

 "Is something wrong?"

 Quite the opposite actually, you thought today was going pretty well. "Um, no why?"

 "You're favoring your right shoulder. I saw you do it earlier."

 "Oh, I think I just slept wrong on it or something." Well tossed and turned on it was more like it, as thoughts of her pervaded your mind.

 "Sit." It was a command and one that you were not to argue with. She came up behind you then, her hands going on your shoulders, kneading and massaging your shoulders and for a moment it felt like heaven, just having her hands on you again. Then she pushed down hard on a particular spot and you winced. "Tender?"

 "A bit."

 She came around in front of you and stepped in between your legs. "This might hurt a little." Hurt? God, she was killing you at the moment, as her body was almost pressed intimately up against yours. You willed your growing erection to calmed down, but apparently, it had a mind of its own. She moved your arm in a weird position, then pressed down almost under your armpit but not quite. (Y/N) was right, it did hurt a tiny bit, and you grunted at the pain. "Sorry." She went back to kneading your muscles, while you caught the scent of her perfume, or maybe it was just her, either way, it intoxicated you. You closed your eyes inhaling deeply, willing your body under control. You'd give anything at that moment to just wrap her in your arms and press her lips to yours. Would her lips be as sweet as they once were? Would she kiss you back with the same abandonment as she had that first time so long ago? There were so many questions swirling in your head, and you wanted to know the answers, but it was too soon. If you attempted any of this now, you'd take the chance of losing her for good and it was not a risk you were willing to make. All too soon for your liking, she stepped back. "Does that feel any better?"

 You rotated your shoulder and neck a few times. "Yeah, it actually feels amazing."

 "Excellent," a huge satisfied grin on her face, which only made you smile back. You felt it then, a shift in the air, almost as if her heart was giving way to you in some small manner. Maybe it was just you, but there was something in the way that her eyes held yours, the way they softened as she gazed at you. You remembered that look, had only dreamt of seeing it in her eyes again but now here you were, afraid to blink for if you did it would break the spell. Her watch chimed then, like the clock striking midnight in a fairytale. "I really should be going," she told you, and just like Cinderella, she was running away only this time you knew she wouldn't get far. "So, Wednesday, then right?"

 "Yeah, three o'clock."

 "Ok, I'll see you then."

 "Hey (Y/NN)," she turned back around. "Since we're heading downtown, why don't I just drive us both down. I'll show you the shortcut." She seemed to mull that over a bit.

 "Sounds good." She made a move to leave again, only this time, she stopped herself. "Thank you for today Jame. I really appreciate you showing me around."

 She called you Jame again, another step in the right direction. "Anytime, (Y/NN)." You sighed happily as she walked out of the training room. You were one step closer to winning the girl of your dreams back.

  READER'S POV

 What was wrong with you? You seriously needed to get ahold of yourself. That moment in the training room could not happen again. For god's sake, your watch had to chime to tell you to breathe, because you were pretty sure you'd stopped. There had been something in Jamie's eyes. Those big beautiful brown ones of his, that you could spend hours looking into. People always said the eyes were like windows into your soul, and if that were true you saw your own reflected in Jamie's. The shocking thing was, it didn't frighten you like it should. There was this small part of you that wanted to fall headfirst straight into him, but you couldn't. This time it wasn't just your reputation as being easy riding on the line. It would be your reputation as a doctor and a professional as well, and that was something you would not let him ruin.

 You turned over yet again in what felt like the most enormous bed at the moment. You couldn't seem to get comfortable and sleep was evading you, as thoughts of Jamie filled your head. Every time you closed your eyes there he was, smiling as he took another bite of cake in his mouth, laughing when you least expected it. It was all quite maddening and thrilling at the same time. This time you sat up in bed. Grabbing your iPad, you opened your one guilty pleasure and started reading the romance novel you'd started on the plane here. You hadn't picked it up, since the day you saw Jamie. It would provide the perfect distraction from him.

 You were about three chapters in when things started to turn a bit steamy, and as you read each line you found your hands wandering over your body. Your hands snuck up your shirt, wishing that it was our hero's gliding over your breasts the way he caressed the main characters. As the dialogue went on, you got more and more turned on, until you abandon the book for your own pleasure. Closing your eyes, you pictured the protagonist with his dark locks, kissing his way down your body. Your hands would thread into his hair, as he kissed above your panty line, before slowly shimming them down your legs. It was almost as if you could feel his warm breath against your thigh making you shiver. You let your fingers mimic his, as they slid between your folds, your pussy already wet with desire for him. He softly kisses you there then, his beard somewhat scratchy against your sensitive skin, but it was a feeling you yearned for. His long fingers would slip inside, moving in and out of you slowly at first driving you mad. Your hips flexed up, as you gave over to the fantasy, craving the faceless man's touch. You could see the muscles of his back stretch across his skin and you longed to rake your nailed down them as he thrust his cock inside you, though it was his torturous fingers driving you wild at the moment. You were close now, just teetering on the edge with the need to cum.  Rubbing your clit with your other hand, you thrust your fingers in out of you in a motion that you knew would take you to the heights you sought. Only your mind told you it was his fingers, his tattooed arm, his wicked tongue that was taking you there. Eyes closing tighter, as you fully emersed yourself in the fantasy, you felt the orgasm begin to build. Your legs started to tremble and your breathing was erratic, and then it hit and you were screaming out his name. "YES…JAMIE…YES!" Your eyes flew open, at the sound of his name echoing off the bedroom walls. It was Jamie you were picturing the entire time. He was the man giving you such exquisite pleasure. The realization had you spinning and throwing the covers over your head, too bad you couldn't hide from yourself. How were you ever going to face him in a couple days?

 Sleep was something that evaded you that night and the next, well not entirely you did get a few hours here and there. The only problem was Jamie seemed to creep into your dreams as well. There were ones where the two of you were laughing and joking and having the most amazing time, and ones that had you calling out his name in pleasure again as well. But the ones that got to you the most, were where he was with Caitlyn. They would be holding hands or kissing right in front of you. You'd wake up so angry that you wanted to punch something or someone, namely Caitlyn. It had you questioning why though. If you didn't have feelings for Jamie, then why were you so angry at some college girl who threw herself at him. The deeper you dug into that, the more you didn't like the answer, for it meant there was still something there between you.

 Thankfully, Wednesday came and so did your teaching surgeries, which meant you had something else to think about other than Jamie Benn. It was an early morning as most days in the operating room were, so at five, you grabbed a coffee and headed to the hospital. As you suspected, Dr. Ellis had you tag along on his other three knee arthroplasties, which meant you were walking out of the OR just before noon. If you timed it right, you could grab a quick bite to eat before going over charts and then be at Jamie's before three to tour the AAC.

 "I've got to say your method in that replacement was impeccable," Dr. Ellis told you as you headed down the hallway to the doctor's lounge.

 "Thanks, it took a little time for me to get things right, but as I said when you take that ligament…"

 "Dr. Ellis, you're needed in the ER for a consult; car versus pedestrian," the nurse told him, and immediately your heart sank. You always hated seeing these kinds of accidents come through the hospital. "It's a twelve-year-old, his leg is in bad shape. I'm not sure it can be saved."

 "Dr. (Y/LN), would you join me?"

 "Of course." The two of you quickened your pace as you rushed to the wounded child. "I thought you said this wasn't a trauma hospital?"

 "It's not. I'm not sure how this case got here."

 The moment you got to the ER, you didn't have to be directed as to where to go. Doctors and nurses rushed in and out of the room at a frenzied pace. It had honestly been a good year since you'd done any extensive trauma work, but the adrenaline came rushing back through your veins with a force of a good slap shot. When you entered the room, it was worse than you expected, you'd only seen one other case that was this bad. You rattled off a flurry of questions, to those around you, trying to assess the damage. "I think we're going to have to amputate," the chief emergency physician said.

 "Only as a last resort." You looked at Dr. Ellis. "If you're willing, I'd like to try and save this child's leg, but we need to get him in the OR now."

 Not even a second ticked by, before he said, "You heard her people, let's move." Everyone started rushing to get him prepped for surgery.

 "I'll need your assistance," you told him as the two of you made your way back, nurses following close behind.

 "Of course, anything you need."

 "Oh, I need someone to call Jamie Benn." Dr. Ellis gave you a funny expression. "He was to show me around the arena today in a couple hours. I need to push that back." He nodded to the nurse who jotted down the information before the two of you went to scrub up.

 The surgery was grueling, your feet hurt and your back ached from standing in the OR for over twelve hours, but it was worth it. You were able to save young Noah's leg. And while most of those that had joined you in the operating room were headed out for drinks, which they wanted you to join, you were putting back on the dress that you'd chosen this morning to wear for your tour with Jamie. Admittedly, you may have decided on it because it showed a little more cleavage than usual and that it was Jamie's favorite color, but right now you'd give anything to not have to wear it for another couple of hours as you walked around an arena trying to remember where the entrance and exit were. Though still you, glided it over your body and headed out the door.

 You thought about pulling into your driveway, but decide to go straight to Jamie's instead. Your feet already hurt from standing all day, and the heels that you'd brought earlier now felt like they were twenty inches high instead of the three that they were. No point in walking extra steps from your place to his. You rang the doorbell and almost immediately Jamie answered. "You look…"

 "Like hell." You finished for him as he stepped aside you let you inside his house and even through your exhaustion you realized this was the first time you were seeing the inside of his home.

 "I wasn't going to say that."

 "Oh, well I feel like it," you added. "But anyhow, are you ready to go?" You were standing in the entranceway taking everything in, the vaulted ceilings, the winding staircase, even the glass doors were things that you'd talked about with him when you were younger. It was almost a carbon copy of your dream home that you two talked about.

 "Um…well, I kind of didn't think you'd be up for it tonight."

 "Oh, thank god."

 He chuckled as you sagged in relief of knowing that you wouldn't have to put another ten thousand steps in. "I have an alternative if that's alright." You had no idea what he could be thinking, but anything other than a thirty to forty-minute drive downtown would be better. Just then your stomach growled, the sound seemed to fill the room and Jamie's eyebrow shot up.

 "Sorry, I haven't eaten since six this morning."

 "Well, then I think you're going to like my idea. Follow me." He headed into the open concept, kitchen, and living room, which was decorated all in white. "I kind of figured you'd be hungry, so I cooked us dinner. You still like salmon, right?"

 "Love it." You couldn't believe that he went to all this trouble. You could see the table set perfectly, and that he had a couple pots on the stove, which smelled divine. "This is so much better than the drive-thru I was going to beg you to go to."

 "Fast food, really? Come on (Y/NN) I would've sworn you'd go for pizza at least."

 "I mean well, obviously, but when you're crunched on time."

 "So, does this mean you're staying for dinner?" It wasn't in your original plans, but he'd gone to all this trouble, and well, you did have to eat.

 "I'd love to."

 "Great, I just need to get the grill going. How about a glass of wine while we wait?" You nodded, after the day you had, wine sounded perfect. "Red or white."

 "A dry white since we're having fish." His walk-in wine cellar was to die for and filled from head to toe, you couldn't help sneaking a peek behind him. "I didn't realize you were a wine drinker."

 He shrugged, the movement careless and carefree. "From time to time, I enjoy a glass. It's always better to share it with someone though." God, you'd said the exact words almost a hundred times. You loved your wine, but it was almost self-indulgent to just open a bottle and drink it yourself, so you rarely did it. He chose one, then came back out to the kitchen to uncork it. "I almost hate to ask, but how did the surgery go?"

 "It was long, but we ended up saving Noah's leg."

 "Oh my god, that's amazing."

 "Well, I don't know…"

 He didn't let you finish, just scooped you up in a hug. One that literally lifted you off the ground. It took your breath away not only from the shock of it but because of the way it made you feel. There were so many times you'd completed something successful in the OR only to come home to an empty house and no one to share it with, sure you had your family to call, who were always thrilled, but this, this was different. It was someone sharing in your joy and happiness, and you could feel it in the way that he held you that he was just as excited as you were. All too soon he put you down as if he realized he'd overstepped his bounds. "Sorry," Jamie told you taking a step back, yet still wearing a huge grin. "But you freaking saved a kid's leg. Like who does that." Again, he didn't give you time to answer. "You're truly amazing, (Y/N)."

 A blush rose to your cheeks at his compliments or maybe it was from the way he held you and you longed to feel his arms back around you. Either way, the room suddenly got a bit warm. "Thank you."

 He poured you both a glass of wine, then lifted his. "To the most amazing doctor. Dallas is lucky to have you." You clinked your glass with his then took a sip of the crisp chardonnay.

 "This is good," you sighed as you took another drink. "Would it be terribly rude of me, if I took these shoes off? My feet are killing me."

 "God no, make yourself at home," he chuckled.

 "What I should really do is run home and change into some sweats. If only my feet didn't hurt so bad."

 "You can wear mine."

 "Oh no, I couldn't." Because really, you couldn't wear his sweats, that would just be going too far.

 "Please, you used to do it all the time." Ok well, he had you there. "I think you had more of my sweatshirts than I did at one point."

 "Hey, I couldn't help it, they were just so….cozy." He laughed again and you found yourself joining in.

 "Well, you're more than welcome to steal some. It's not like I don't have a ton from the organization. Which reminds me, I'll make sure they send you over some stuff."

 "Oh, that would be nice."

 "Until then just go put mine on. You know you'll be more comfortable." He was right, but it felt a little awkward and you hoped he wouldn't read into it.

 "You're sure?" He gave you that look, the one that told you if you didn't get your ass into his sweats, he might kick it, and you had to laugh. "Ok, ok." It kind of felt like old times, only without all the bad stuff that happened, and god help you; you liked it.

 "Upstairs go to the left. They are in my closet on the right-hand side. Bottoms are in the third drawer and the sweatshirts are hanging up. I'm going to go throw the salmon on."

 He headed out to the grill, and you made your way upstairs. The bedroom had pristine white walls, like the majority of the house. A massive four-poster king-size bed was done in shades of gray; it reminded of you the bed you shared long ago once. You shook yourself, as memories of that first time with Jamie came flooding back. There was no point in dwelling on that; you told yourself as you made your way into the huge walk-in closet. It was neatly arranged and you had to wonder if it was Jamie being meticulous or if he had a housekeeper that did all this for him. A shelf on the left side caught your eye. There were photos there nestled with his colognes. A picture of when he was drafted sat there, along with one from when he won his gold medal playing for Team Canada. At that moment, you realized you'd missed so much of his life. All these major life-changing events, that had things gone differently, you would've been part of, or at least you told yourself you would've. You sighed, feeling a heaviness in your chest that you didn't want to explore at the moment.

 Turning to the right, you went to grab the sweats like you were supposed to instead of digging around in Jamie's closet. You found them easily then moved down to grab a sweatshirt off the rack. You didn't really pay too much attention, just grabbed a Stars hoodie then started to head toward the bathroom to change. Again, photos caught your eye. These more personal. There was one of him with his mom and dad, that brought a smile to your face. You'd always loved his parents. Another was him with Jordie and Jenny, and still another with just him and Jenny's daughter. It was the one next to that, that made your breath hitch and your heart beat faster. It was a picture of the two of you, one of your favorites from Canada Day. You'd been out at the lake house with his family, and someone had candidly captured the two of you just staring happily into each other's eyes, a smile playing across both your faces. You remembered the moment like it was yesterday. That he would still have this picture was just….well, it was a lot to digest. You'd burned yours in a moment of anger weeks after what had happened, but Jamie, well apparently he kept his and still had it on display. What did this mean? Did he still have feelings for you? Did he still love you? Moreover, how did you feel about him now, after all this time? There were so many questions in your head, it was making you dizzy.

 You rushed into the bathroom and splashed some cold water on your face. Part of you wanted to run the two houses down to your home and lock the door behind you, but that would solve nothing. So instead, you inhaled deeply, getting control of your emotions just as you would before you entered the operating room. There was nothing between you and Jamie anymore, the two of you were just…well, you were trying to be friends, that's all this was. You quickly changed into his clothes, throwing your dress across the huge soaking tub, then you plopped your hair on top of your head in a messy bun. It was only then that you looked at yourself in the mirror. It was a reflection of your teenage self, the one that loved Jamie with her whole heart, but you weren't that girl. You were older and wiser, and you were not about to let your heart get trampled on by one Jamie Benn again. Squaring your shoulders, you headed back downstairs, where you'd pretend as if you hadn't seen the picture of the two of you that set your heart aflutter.

 When you entered the kitchen, Jamie's jaw dropped and you knew he was seeing that same version of your teenage self that you saw moments ago, though he recovered quickly. "You look more…comfortable."

 "I am. Thanks again for letting me borrow these." You decided to not mention, how they made you look, or feel for that matter. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

 "I've got it pretty much under control. Just prop up your feet, it'll be ready in a few."

 "It smells delicious."

 "Thanks."

 "When did you learn how to cook? Because from what I remember, you could barely boil water." It was true, he was never that great in the kitchen, but from the aroma, his skills had definitely improved.

 "Well, when you're on your own as long as I've been, you learn quick." He finished mixing, what looked like some sort of sauce before drizzling it over the asparagus that he'd broiled. "Besides, I can't burn off a large pizza the way I used. If I indulged in that every night, I'd have even more of a dad bod than I do now."

 "Oh stop, you do not have a dad bod. Trust me I've seen plenty of those and you're not it." With his toned arms and legs, he seemed more in shape than when he was sixteen years old. Well at least more defined. In fact, just looking at his thighs brought all sorts of wild fantasies to your mind. Oh my god, you needed to stop thinking of Jamie like this or there was going to be another sleepless night in your future.

 "Thanks," he answered back to your compliment. "Though I will never live down the nickname Chubbs."

 You laughed, like full-on belly laugh. "Oh my god, tell me that did not follow you around."

 "With Jordie on the same team," he said while rolling his eyes and joining in your laughter. "Of course, it did. It's fine though, actually, it'd be weird if people didn't call me that."

 "I'll have to remember that, Chubbs." He raised his eyebrow at you before stepping out to grab the salmon. This really was nice, the two of you just laughing and joking, maybe you could be friends after all.

 "Your dinner, madam," he said as he placed what looked like something out of a five-star restaurant in front of you, before sitting down in the chair beside you.

 "Wow, this looks amazing."

 "Well, it's not the celebration dinner you deserve for saving a kid's leg, but it will have to do." He raised his glass again towards you. "To an amazing doctor." He needed to stop making these toasts to you, as they made you blush every time.

 The conversation at dinner flowed easily, like two old friends who hadn't seen each other in ages, instead of two exes. You reminisced about old times and caught up on gossip from back home. It was all really refreshing, and you realized that you'd worried about moving to Dallas for no reason at all. You helped him clean up the dishes, then you both moved into the living room to finish up the bottle of wine. "I was thinking," Jamie told you. "I drew out the AAC a bit, that way if you're schedule gets too packed, you'd have somewhat of a map to get you around."

 There he went again, being all kind and sweet. A complete contrast to the man that you'd hated for the past fourteen years. "That's really nice of you. Let's have a look." He laid it out on the table and started to explain what parking garage to use and where that entrance would put you once you were inside. He was about midway through when the knot in your neck from surgery today, decided to stiffen a bit. You tilted your head to the right, then to the left; in an attempt to work it out.

 "Little stiff?"

 "Yeah, sometimes long hours in the OR, make my neck not want to hold my head up anymore."

 He chuckled then moved back against the side of the couch so that he could rub your shoulders. "Here let me."

 "You know, I'm supposed to be the one helping you out, not the other way around."

 "Yeah, well humor me." You turned, giving him your back. His hands were gentle as they kneaded the muscles there and you had to admit it felt really good. You could feel yourself relaxing back against him. "Scoot up for a second." You did as he asked and then he swung his one leg up so that you were now seated in between his legs, then he went back to working on your muscles. "Better?"

 "Mmm," you sighed out and let your eyes drift shut. It had been a long time since anyone had taken care of you the way that Jamie had tonight; cooking you dinner first and now this. He gently nudged you back against him, as your body grew heavy. Slowly, you drifted off to sleep. What you didn't know, was how Jamie settled you fully against his body, then grabbed the blanket that was strewn across the back of the couch to cover you up. Nor did you know how he pressed a kiss to your head, as his arms slid around your waist. He knew that he should probably wake you up, but he couldn't resist the opportunity to hold you in his arms even if it was for just a little bit. Jamie told himself that he'd just lay with you here for a little bit, let you rest for just a few minutes, but what he didn't plan on was falling asleep with you.

 You weren't sure what woke you, maybe it was the light snoring in your ear, but you found it hard to rouse yourself out of slumber. You were just too comfortable, too cozy, too content, to want to wake up. There was just this safe and secure feeling that you had that just kept lulling you back to sleep. But slowly, you came alive. You blinked a few times, trying to figure out where you were. This wasn't anything new, when you were an intern, you'd wake up all over the hospital depending upon where you fell asleep, and moving to Dallas you still weren't used to your new home, but nothing here looked at all familiar. It was then that you noticed, someone's arms around your midsection, and that you were sleeping on said person's chest. A light bulb went off in your head, and you realized that person was Jamie. Obviously, you'd fallen asleep at some point, you just didn't know why Jamie hadn't woken you up. Instead, he chose to fall asleep as well.

 You should be in a panic, but for some reason, your not. It just all feels so…right. Only it shouldn't feel that way at all. You shouldn't want his arms wrapped around you like they are, and you shouldn't like the gentle rise and fall of his chest as you lay against him, and you definitely shouldn't have your fingers interlaced with his, but you do. You actually could stay like this…well if you're being honest…forever, and that scares the living hell out of you. It's then you decide you have to get out there and you start to untangle your limbs from him. The movement waking Jamie. "Mmhmm," he hums sleepily and for some reason, your heart flutters at the sound. His hands tighten around your waist and you don't cringe like you should, but if you stay here any longer, you don't know what will happen.

 "Jamie," you whisper. "Jame."

 His eyes peek open as you turn and look at him. There's a slow smile that comes to his lips, that just sends heat to your core. Fuck, you need to get out of here. Then realization dawns on him, "Oh shit, I must have fallen asleep." He's scrambling now and so are you. "I'm sorry….I only meant to let you sleep for a bit." Oh, so he didn't mean to hold you all night and make you feel cherished? Why does your heart sink at that knowledge?

 "It's ok, but I should really be going." You're a little stiff as you get up off the couch and look around the kitchen for your purse, noticing that it's five in the morning. "I need to get ready for rounds at the hospital."

 His hands go to the back of his neck, then comes around the rake down the front of his face. "I'm really sorry…"

 "Jamie, it's fine. I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have fallen asleep on you like that." You slip back into your heels then head towards the front door. "Thank you again for dinner."

 "Anytime," he mumbles and there's this look of confusion on his face. You can't decide if it's about waking up with you in his arms or if he's still not fully awake yet, but you're not going to ask, as you open the door and slip out. "Hey (Y/NN)." You turn back around the minute you hear his voice. "I'll call you," he tells you, and damnit if your heart isn't beating faster again, like your fifteen and the prospect of this hot hockey player calling you is just doing weird things to your insides that medical science can't explain. "About rescheduling the tour."

 "Right, the tour," you muttered and suddenly, it's not as romantic as it all seemed a moment ago. "Yeah, we definitely need to do that. Thanks again." You shut the car door so fast and drive the two houses down, which looks completely stupid, as Jamie stands on his front porch watching you, making sure you get inside ok.

 What the hell just happened? It's the only question you can think of as you drag yourself up to the ensuite in your bedroom, so you can wash your face. You grab a cloth and turn the water on, your mind trying to digest the last ten minutes. You just spent the night with Jamie Benn, and you're not mad about it. You're not mad about it at all and that's frightening. A week ago, you didn't want to be in the same room with him for five minutes. Now, you were laughing over dinner and falling asleep in his arms. Jesus, what were you thinking? You look up at yourself in the mirror and all you can see is his damn hoodie and sweats on you. You take a deep breath, trying to calm yourself, but instead, all you can do is smell him. He's on your clothes, well of course he is, they're his, you idiot. You swear when you pull your hair all the way down from its even messier bun that your hair smells of him too. And when you close your eyes you can feel him; his arms wrapped around you holding you close, and damn if you don't want that again.

 "NO," you yell out to yourself in the mirror. "No, no, no." He's not good for you. He'll break your heart. Your mind knows all these things and still, your heart is trying to open the door and let him in. This can't happen, you need a plan. No, what you need is someone to remind you how he broke your heart.

 You pick up your phone and dial your best friend, Emma. She'd been with you through the whole breakup with Jamie and remained by your side through every dumb mistake you made afterward. Emma had even moved to the east coast, when you went to John Hopkins, though she'd met the love of her life there and was now engaged. You knew it was early, but you also knew that your best friend would answer the phone if it was you who was calling. "Hello, sunshine," she answered all cheerful and it only put you in a fouler mood.

 "Really? How are you this happy in the morning?"

 "You know I've always been a morning person. Now, please tell me what happened with Jamie."

 "How do you know something happened with him?" It was truly baffling how she could just read you like an open book.

 "Why else would you call me at six-thirty in the morning? Tell me he's not breaking your heart already?"

 "It's worse." You pause trying to figure out the best way to tell her. "I think I'm falling for him again."

 "Get out!" She shouted at you through the telephone. "It's been like what ten days?"

 "God, when you put it like that, it sounds insane."

 "It's not insane (Y/N)." At least Emma didn't think you were crazy for possibly falling back in love with Jamie. "You two have history, like big-time history, and that just doesn't go away overnight. The question is what do you want to do about it?"

 "I don't know, Em." It was true, you were so conflicted about whether you should just shut Jamie out completely, or open your heart just one more time. You were hoping your best friend could shed some light on the situation.

 "Well, then I think I have your solution." You waited patiently for her to tell you what it was. "You know what they say, in order to get over someone, you need to get under someone." Had you heard her right, did she really just tell you to go out and have sex with someone random?  

.

[imaginingsoftly]

Wedding Date pt. 6 - Tyler Seguin

Type: strangers-enemies-lovers, series

Requested: no

Warnings: swearing, mentions of emotional manipulation and shitty exes, minor assault

A/N: one more part after this one!

Melissa had never been more thankful for facetime than she was on Saturday, listening to Kirsten gossip about work and John while she tried to stop her hands from shaking long enough to apply mascara. “Lissy, breathe.” Like always, her best friend picked up on her moods. “You look hot as hell, and Tyler is gonna lose his shit.” Melissa looked over to where her dress for the evening hung from a door frame. “And your dress is perfect, so stop freaking.” Kirsten glared at Melissa from her side of the video call, and Melissa choked out a laugh.

“I know it’s all irrational, I just,” Melissa sighed. She didn’t know how to put how she was feeling into words.

“He’s not Liam, sweetheart. Tyler isn’t gonna know how to act when he sees you in that dress.” Kirsten’s smile turned sympathetic. “I promise he’s a good guy, Lissy. I wouldn’t have pushed him in your direction otherwise.” Kirsten’s eyes widened as she realized what she’d said. 

Melissa laughed out loud, all at once feeling the fist in her chest loosening. “So you admit you were setting us up?” Kirsten shrugged noncommittally, but Melissa could hear John yelling something about his “meddling lover” in the background. “Even John agrees, babe, you can’t deny it anymore.” 

The pair hung up with promises to get together for a virtual wine night soon, and then Melissa was alone with her thoughts. Her ten minute warning alarm went off, and she slipped off the ratty t-shirt she’d been wearing to put her dress on. Dress shopping had been an unexpected novelty. In the time that she’d attended events with Liam, he’d bought the dresses for her. Melissa had told herself it was just because he liked spoiling her with dresses she couldn’t really afford, fancy designer labels she could only dream of wearing, but really it was about control. The dresses were usually accompanied by comments about being “flattering for her body” or bought a size too small to go alongside comments that she was gaining weight. 

In hindsight it was so obvious what he had been doing, but in the moment it hadn’t seemed like much. She found herself second-guessing all of their conversations, everything he’d ever done. Now she was just doing her best not to transfer that doubt into her other relationships. 

Curls brushed the small of Melissa’s back as she slid the dress on. The thick straps settled gently right off her shoulders, and the emerald silk settled snugly around her chest and middle before flowing gently to just below her knees. Melissa smoothed her hands over the fabric as she looked into the mirror. Kirsten was right, it really was the perfect dress for her. 

A knock sounded at the front door of Melissa’s townhouse. She found herself smiling as she slid down the stairs, and her smile widened when she saw Tyler on the other side of the door. “Come on in, I’ve just gotta put my shoes on.” Tyler didn’t move. In fact he didn’t react at all; he stood in the doorway staring at Melissa expressionlessly. “Ty?” Melissa smoothed her hands over the dress again. Maybe her and Kirsten had been wrong, maybe it wasn’t good enough. “Are you,” she stopped to swallow. “Do you want me to change?” 

Tyler’s eyes jerked to Melissa’s face. “Change?” He scoffed. “Sweetheart I thought perfect was you in that bridesmaid dress but this is blowing that outfit out of the water.“ He took two giant steps forward and settled his hands on Melissa’s hips. She looked straight ahead, memorizing the threads of gold in Tyler’s tie rather than meeting his eyes. “Baby,” Tyler said gently, “look at me.” He moved one hand from Melissa’s hip to her chin, lifting it gently so their eyes met. “You look beautiful.” She bit her lip, not quite believing him, and Tyler frowned. “He made you feel bad about how you looked.” Not a question, but Melissa nodded anyway. Tyler’s jaw tightened. “Show me your room.” 

He didn’t leave any room for negotiating, and Melissa turned to walk up the stairs. She was hoping for some space, maybe a chance to catch her breath, but Tyler had other ideas. He gently gripped Melissa’s hand as she led him up the stairs and into her room. “Stand in front of the mirror.” Melissa’s stomach flipped. Tyler crowded her back, leaning his head down to whisper in her ear. “Trust me, baby.” Tyler looked dangerous standing behind her when she finally looked in the mirror, clearly angry if the set of his jaw and shoulders were any indication. 

“You. Are. So. Fucking. Beautiful.” Tyler slipped his hands onto Melissa’s hips as he spoke, emphasizing each word with a kiss where Melissa’s neck met her shoulder. “That first time I saw you, in that giant shirt and no pants, I felt like someone had slapped me in the face. You were so fucking hot, with not a care in the world, and you’ve only gotten more and more beautiful the more I get to know you.” Melissa looked down. The heat in Tyler’s gaze was too much. He gently spun her around and lifted her chin again. It was becoming something of a signature move for him at this point. “I will fight anyone who tries to make you feel less incredible than you are. Baby, you deserve the world.”

Tears welled up in Melissa’s eyes, and she leaned forward to rest her head against Tyler’s chest. “I’m trying to remember that. I just can’t help but hear his voice in my head sometimes.” She just kept telling Tyler things that even Kirsten didn’t really know. It was like he had a shortcut to her brain and she couldn’t help but tell him the truth. 

Tyler kissed the top of Melissa’s head and she sank even further into his touch. “I’ll remind you every day how beautiful you are if you need me to, sweetheart.” She believed him. Liam’s voice in the back of her mind grew smaller every day, and it was becoming easier to block him out.

A small splotch of foundation showed on Tyler’s dress shirt when Melissa finally lifted her head several minutes later. Tyler didn’t seem to care, even as Melissa dabbed a makeup wipe on the spot to get rid of it. He waved off her muttered apologies and pulled on her hips until their lower halves were pressed together. “Ty, you’re making this very difficult.” He released one hip, gripping both of Melissa’s hands in one of his own.

“Sweetheart, I don’t care about the makeup. Do you still want to go with me?” If she hadn’t already started to fall for the guy, those words alone would have been enough to do her in. He genuinely cared. She nodded slightly, and Tyler ducked his head down to meet her eyes. “I need a verbal yes or no here, Liss. You say the word and we take all this shit off and order a pizza.” 

Melissa giggled and reached down for one of Tyler’s hands. “I didn’t spend over an hour on hair and makeup just to take it all off.” She began tugging Tyler in the direction of the door, and he obliged. “This shit is meant to be seen, Ty.” His laugh rang in her ears all the way out the door and gave her the extra boost of confidence to push Liam and his taught insecurities out of her mind for the time being.

_____________________________________________

Being Tyler’s date to events was quickly becoming Melissa’s favorite activity. They made quite a duo, and Tyler’s teammates were doing a fantastic job of boosting her self-confidence. It was all in jest, but she’s heard from no less than half the team that Tyler was lucky to have snagged someone as pretty as her. Every comment by his teammates was met by affirmation from Tyler, along with another whispered compliment in her ear. It almost seemed like he was trying to replace every negative comment from Liam with a positive one of his own. 

Everything was going well until it came time to acknowledge the donors. Each donor was invited onto the stage to accept a signed plaque from the team, a bunch of bureaucratic bullshit that had everyone yawning and reaching for another glass of their drink of choice. Melissa was focused on Tyler’s hand slowly creeping up her thigh and the shininess of the bald spot on the top of their tablemate’s head. As a result, she was only halfway paying attention to the names of donors until his name was called. 

Tyler noticed immediately the way Melissa’s head jerked up at the sound of Jim Nill calling out the last name “Baldrich”, and his hand tightened on her thigh. “No,” she whispered to herself. Tightening began in her chest as her heart literally skipped a beat. The feel of Tyler’s hand on her thigh disappeared as blonde hair and a slim form stepped onto the stage. Liam. She blindly reached in the direction she knew Tyler’s leg was and gripped his knee as hard as she could. Grounding. She needed to ground herself. 

Liam’s eyes met hers through the crowd and she knew he had done this on purpose. He smirked, winked in her direction, and looked back at the front as a cameraman caught his picture. Slowly, or at least slowly in Melissa’s mind, Liam made his way off the stage. She lost him in the crowd. “Lissa.” Tyler’s voice sounded like it was coming at her from a tunnel. “Melissa.” She turned her head in his direction, and warm brown eyes roiling with concern filled her field of view. “Baby, what happened?” She tried to catch her breath, and Tyler finally figured out she was really losing it. He pulled Melissa to her feet and somehow she stood on wobbly legs to head outside with him. They didn’t stop moving until Tyler had pulled her into a family bathroom off the hallway.

“Baby, I know you’re having a panic attack right now, but I can’t help you unless you can tell me what triggered you.” Shit, he knew so much. Half the time she didn’t even realize she was having a panic attack. “Try and mimic my breathing.” Tyler squeezed both of Melissa’s hands until she met his eyes again, and he began taking exaggerated deep breaths. She followed as best she could, and some small part of her brain that wasn’t panicking recognized he knew exactly what to do.

He kept up the breathing until Melissa’s heart rate slowed and she could breath without narrowing her focus down to the rise and fall of Tyler’s chest. She leaned forward until her forehead rested at the base of Tyler’s throat, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly. It should have felt restrictive after the imaginary band that had wrapped around her chest only minutes ago, but Tyler’s arms felt different. Relaxing. “He’s here,” Melissa mumbled into Tyler’s chest. “Baldrich. That was Liam.” 

Tyler’s arms tightened slightly before he released Melissa. “He’s here?” His jaw clenched when she nodded. “He followed you here.” Not a question, but she nodded again.

“I can’t think of any other reason he’d be here. They don’t have any corporate or family business down here.” Her stomach clenched at the implication. If that was true, he’d officially crossed over into stalker-ish territory. God, how had she gotten his personality so wrong?

As if he could sense she was about to lose it again, Tyler reached down to grip Melissa’s hands. “We’re gonna handle this together. We’ll go work on getting a restraining order tomorrow, and you’re getting a new phone number.” He gently gripped Melissa’s chin until she looked into his eyes. “I’m with you all the way, baby, but if you need me to step back you just say the word. You’re in charge here, okay?” Her heart swelled at his consideration, and Tyler held her chin until she nodded in response. “Good.” He kissed her forehead and stepped back. “We’re going to go back out there and say goodbye to everybody, and then I’ll take you home.” 

Melissa leaned into Tyler’s touch as he guided her out of the bathroom with a hand on the small of her back. His hand was warm and reassuring, and his thumb swept a soothing pattern along her spine. The noise of the gala began to reach them again as they entered the main hallway outside the room, and Melissa stopped short when she almost ran headlong into Liam. “I thought you knew better than that, Melissa.” His voice grated along her spine, and she felt a cold sweat break out along her hairline. Just the sound of his voice was enough to make her freeze. “You can’t wear silk. It highlights the extra fat you have on your stomach.” One sentence, and he shredded through the fragile self-confidence Melissa had begun to build. She worked her throat in an attempt to clear the lump away. “Come on now, Melissa. It’s time to come home. Enough of this nonsense.” 

A low noise came from Melissa’s left, and she glanced over to see Tyler nearly shaking with anger. It struck her then how different the two men were. One of them could make her feel beautiful and strong regardless of what she was wearing, and the other never really thought she was good enough. Melissa didn’t move, slowly reaching out a hand to touch Tyler’s. Liam clenched his jaw. “Enough. You’re acting childish.” Liam reached out and grabbed Melissa’s arm in a bruising grip when she didn’t move, and Tyler snapped. She blinked instinctively when Tyler’s arm came in front of her, and when her eyes opened again Liam was on the ground with a bloody nose and Tyler was standing in front of her protectively. 

Melissa had a second to appreciate the look of Liam finally being taken down a notch before the Benn brothers and a couple more of Tyler’s teammates swept in from a few feet away. Jordie gently guided Melissa away, soft hands tugging her to the side while Jamie hauled Tyler back. Tyler was muttering under his breath, and Jamie finally pulled him close enough to Melissa that she could hear him muttering “he fucking touched her” over and over again. 

Large hands settled on her shoulders, and she looked up to see Jordie’s gentle eyes staring down at her face. “You okay, sweetheart?” She nodded, and he cupped her cheek gently. “He’s lucky all he did was grab you. I don’t think coach would have appreciated having to bail Tyler and half the team out of jail tonight.” Melissa barked out a laugh, and Jordie looked pleased. Clearly he’d been attempting to make her smile, but she still sensed a bit of truth in his words. It was startling to realize she’d stumbled upon friends that would fight for her safety without a second thought. It was like Jordie could read her mind when he tapped her cheek gently. “You’re family now, whether you stay with Tyler or not. Nobody touches family.” The middle Benn stared down at her sternly, and Melissa nodded. She was getting that now.

Tyler and Jamie appeared on either side of Jordie, and he stepped back with a grin. Melissa had barely a second to reconcile everything Jordie had said to her before Tyler was sweeping in, hands on her face. “Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you?” She shook her head, and then Tyler’s arms were around her again. “You ready to go home?” Melissa mumbled a yes into his neck, more than ready to be away from the crowds and into more comfortable clothing. They said a hasty goodbye to the Benns and the rest of Tyler’s team and then they were gone, silent until Tyler had steered his car back onto the highway. 

“I know you want to take all of this slow, but can I stay the night?” Tyler glanced over at her nervously and continued. “I don’t mean for any sexual stuff or anything, unless you want to obviously, I just don’t want to leave you alone tonight.” Melissa smiled at the sight of an expert player looking nervous over the idea of being rejected. He fidgeted, hands not sitting in one place on the wheel or various locations within reach.

One of Tyler’s hands came down to rest on the gearshift as he changed lanes, and Melissa reached over to grip it. Tyler peeked over at her from the corner of his eyes, and she brought his hand to her lips. “I’d really appreciate the company tonight, actually.” He visibly relaxed at her words, and Melissa held in a laugh. “Any chance you’d be down for a few beers and one of the late baseball games?” 

It was Tyler’s turn to bring her hand to his lips, and she tried not to melt. “Baby I can’t think of anything better than you, beer, and baseball.”

[raysofcrosby]

LITTLE DO YOU KNOW – T. SEGUIN

"𝘏𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 '𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺'."  ─ 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐔𝐒

gif credit (x)

series masterlist

requested: yes | no

warnings: just some swearing nbd

word count: 4,113 [ oof yikes ]

authors note: originally i was gonna turn this idea into a fic, but like...i have no energy for that. so if anyone wants it to, it can be a multi part series for seggy boy :)  anyway, stop by and request something or let me know what you think about this–– ok bye and enjoy!!

"Baby Benn, I need your assistance." You looked up from your Physiology book to see Big Rig, otherwise known as Jamie Oleksiak, or as you like to call him– a big teddy bear– make his way over to you.

"She's studying Jamie, what do you need?" Dave said, never taking his eyes off of Klingberg's ankle as he continued to tape it.

"What's more important? My deathly aching shin or this..." He picked the book up from your hands and lazily flipped through the pages, crinkling his nose in disgust. "This migraine-inducing book."

"Give that back," You said, standing up and reaching across the desk, taking your book from his hands. "This migraine-inducing book is what will get me my degree, which will hopefully lead to a job you teddy bear."

"Still didn't answer my question."

You sighed and marked the page before closing your book and standing up from the small desk. "Is it the same one?"

"Yup!" He smiled and hopped up onto one of the stretching tables, holding out his right leg. "So tell me doc, does it need to be amputated? Am I going to die of this killing pain?"

Before you could answer, he was getting smacked in the back of the head by a green resistance band. You looked over and saw Jamie, your older brother, rolling his eyes just as he tossed the band at you. "If you don't do your stretches it won't be the shin splints that kills you, it'll be me."

"Damn Chubbs, I was just playing," Big Rig groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "You didn't need to almost decapitate me."

"Oh, so I can go back to studying?" You asked, holding out the resistance bands as your brother, Dave and a few of the other players getting serviced laughed. "Unless you want to write this paper for me after your game tonight?"

Big Rig rolled his eyes and grabbed the band, looping his foot through it and starting to stretch his shin. "You just lost your spot as my favorite trainer in training."

"I'm the only trainer in training, J." You reached out for the resistance band and made him take more into his grip. "Keep it tight and stretch slow. You'll get the most out of it that way."

Soft snickering behind you soon turned into a burst of laughter and you watched as Big Rig's attempt to hide a smirk, ultimately failed. You sighed and rolled your eyes, not needing to know who the laughter belonged to. "27-years-old and still acting like a pre-pubescent boy with an underdeveloped frontal lobe? Could only be you, Segs."

Tyler fake scoffed, bringing a hand to his chest and looking at you with hurt eyes. "I'm flattered you've managed to keep my age tucked away in that big brain of yours, but pre-pubescent? I figured baby Benn would have a much better insult than that."

"Oh, I have tons of better insults," sitting down in your chair, you picked up your book and smiled at him. "Just none that your baby brain would be able to even begin to comprehend."

His hurt look faded and he licked his top teeth, shaking his head and laughing. "You'd be very surprised at what this baby brain can understand."

You gasped, this time holding your hand to your chest and looking at him in wonder. "You mean that you're capable of having knowledge in anything besides Hockey and breasts?"

You heard the snap of Big Rig's resistance band echo as it flew off of his foot. The other guys stared at you in awe before laughing at Tyler. You raised a single eyebrow at your brother's best friend, daring him to snipe back at you. But when he opened his mouth, Jamie stepped in your vision, picking up Big Rig's resistance band. "Okay you two, stop bickering like some stupid lovesick teenagers." He tossed the resistance band at Big Rig and turned to you. "And please, I never want to hear the word breasts come out of your mouth again."

"I'm almost 22 Jamie, it's perfectly normal for–"

He held up a hand and shook his head. "For the sake of my ears, just...please, no bodily mentions. I'd just rather not have that in my head."

You sunk back down into your chair, as he went to grab a foam roller. Before looking back at your book, you peeked over the top of it to see Tyler stuffing a heating pad into his shirt, holding it firmly on his left shoulder. As if he could feel you staring, he looked up, resting his back against the wall and smirked, raising a single eyebrow before tapping his temple and mouthing "big brain."

You rolled your eyes and subtly cleared your throat and turned the page, using your middle finger that you made sure was perfectly within his line of vision. He laughed and covered it up with a cough before shaking his head and leaving the training room completely.

It was normal, dealing with the chirps of your brothers' teammates. You'd been around them for the last three years of your college education, only this time during your last year, you were working alongside them. It was a weird adjustment, going from seeing them in the corridors post-game, relaxing on the weekends at a bar to shadowing their athletic training staff during practices and games. When you mentioned your internship, Jamie didn't even bother to ask you if you wanted to shadow the Dallas Stars Athletic Trainers. Mainly because he knew you were too afraid to ask. So he just went up to Jim Nill and asked if you could do your internship there for the season and that was it.

That's how you got your internship.

You were grateful for the fact that your brother was able to help you get your foot in the door with this internship, which is why you did anything and everything that your 'bosses' asked. Whether it was replacing heating pads, washing the covers for them, changing the water in the heater– any grunt work, you did with no hesitation. And they appreciated seeing you so willing to learn what their day-to-day lives were like when they were on the job. Eventually, you went from doing grunt work to being able to tape up ankles, help with stretches, almost anything except for stitching. That, you weren't allowed to do.

The boys took you in as one of their own the moment most of them met you, your freshman year at SMU. It was easy to 'adopt' Chubb's little sister, as they so liked to put it. And the moment that you stepped foot into the training room with your official Dallas Stars polo, that's when the real fun began. Their jokes about you being 'Baby Benn' never seemed to end. You were often victim to their playful chirping and of course, they didn't bother to keep the language clean of innuendos are curse words. They knew that they didn't have to though, especially since you grew up with Jordie and Jamie Benn as your two older brothers. Not only had you'd grown up knowing what the Hockey atmosphere was like, but you could also give it right back to them.

And man, they loved it. Tyler, however, seemed to love it the most. Whether it was because he was Jamie's best friend or he just took a special interest in picking on you, you never figured it out. Besides Big Rig and Bishop, you were close to Tyler. Mainly, since he was Jamie's best friend, but also because of all of the ways he's helped you out in the last four years. He and Jamie moved you into your dorm room every year since freshman year. When they were on long roadies, Tyler paid you to come over and take care of the dogs, though you never took the money because playing with his three boys was like free therapy and his house was only a few minutes down the road. And if inclement weather forced you to evacuate campus and you didn't feel like staying on Jamie's fancy leather couch, Tyler offered you one of his many guest rooms. Though most of the time, you just took the couch at Jamie's.

Tyler may be your big brother's best friend so you've got to know him a little bit over the last few years...but if there was one thing you knew most about him, it was his womanizing reputation about Dallas. Hell, around anyplace he steps foot in. He knows he's a damn good hockey player, he knows that he's not exactly ugly and he's damn well aware of all of the women who'd love to say that they spent the night with Stanley Cup Champion, Tyler Seguin. And he doesn't care because like any 20-something male, he's getting laid and that's all that matters.

Which, you guess is why the two of you tend to butt heads and chirp at each other the most. You can't stand guys who bounce from girl to girl and he's just an ass. Especially since he always joins in whenever Jamie rags on your boyfriend of two years, Cole. For as long as you've been dating, Jamie and Tyler have refused to let up on the jokes involving his red-shirt senior status on the baseball team or his involvement in Beta Upsilon Chi. They'd always sneak in stupid frat jokes whenever they were around him, knowing that he'd probably never catch on. You couldn't rebuke them though, because well...Cole kind of was your stereotypical Frat bro. But you got enough of the negative comments from your dad and oldest brother whenever you were at home, you didn't want them to follow you down at school too.

Your ringtone blaring from your backpack that was hanging on the back of your chair tore you away from your textbook. When you put it down, you noticed that the training room was empty and their warm-up music was echoing softly from outside of the room. It happens sometimes, you getting so lost in your schoolwork that you just tend to zone out all noise. And you weren't needed out on the bench until game time anyway, so it was no wonder why Dave didn't bother to interrupt your reading.

You reached into your backpack and grabbed your phone, looking at the screen to see that Cole was calling. Pressing the green button, you brought the phone up to your ear and picked your book back up. "Hey, what's up?"

"Hey babe where are you?" His voice was being muffled by the loud music coming from his end of the call.

You laughed, turning another page. "I think the better question, is where are you?"

You could hear him talking to people in the background as the music overtook his side of the call. Ignoring it, you took a deep breath and sighed, re-reading over a paragraph. "What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything besides asking where you were."

The music and sounds of people mingling muffled on his side of the call, making it a little easier to hear him. "Oh I'm at the house, where are you? Are you almost ready to head over?"

Flipping another page, your focus starts to dwindle from Cole and more into your textbook. "Um, no? I'm at the arena for work."

"What do you mean? Why are you at the arena?" The muffled sound of music doesn't last much longer as it practically erupts through the speaker on your phone. He must have gone back into the pre-game.

You pull the phone away from your ear and check the time. Warm-ups shouldn't be ending for another five minutes, meaning nobody should be coming into the training room or the corridor anytime soon. You pressed the speaker and placed your phone onto the desk. "I'm working tonight, remember?"

"Uh, no? You never told me you were working tonight!" He yelled over the music, saying hi to more people as he traveled through the house no doubt. "You're supposed to be here in like, thirty minutes, Y/N. It's Beta Ball! You said you'd be here."

"Actually, no I didn't," you could feel yourself begin to get annoyed as you heard one of his friends offer him two shots. "I told you that I had to work. I even printed out a schedule and gave it to you, remember?"

The sound of him gulping down two shots echoed over your phone as he sighed in relief. "You didn't give me a damn schedule, Y/N."

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you were telling yourself to cut him some slack since he was obviously in the midst of pre-gaming. But another part of yourself just wanted to tell him you were busy and hang up the phone. Cole could care less about his schoolwork, only frat parties, preparing for his upcoming season and then getting drafted.

"I did give you a schedule, Cole. I gave it to you on Monday," you flipped another page, "which was four days ago."

The music started to muffle again, soon followed by the sound of a door shutting– muffling the music completely. "This party is a huge deal, Y/N. It's one of the biggest parties of the semester and if you're not here I'll look like a total fucking loser. It's the damn formal!"

You couldn't help but snort as his statement. "It's not the biggest party of the year, Cole. You're just drunk."

He must be stumbling around whatever room he's in because you can hear him bumping into things and stuff being thrown on the floor. It was surprising how bad his tolerance was, especially for being in a frat. "You're not even a real fucking trainer, why are you there?"

"It's my internship for my degree, Cole. Some of us care about getting a college education instead of worrying about what to wear to the next sleazy frat party," you chuckled to yourself, shaking your head. "So calm down the roid-rage and enjoy your party of the year."

"Are you fucking coming or are you too busy being a bitch errand-girl for your brother's shitty team?"

"Jesus Christ, Cole it's not even a real ball!" You yell, just as the sound of a door opening and closing echoes around you. "It's literally that stupid party where girls have to wear lingerie and the boys just spend their time ogling over them."

A wave of green rushed into the room, coming to a stop at the table closest to me. They pulled their warm-up jersey over their head before you could even make out who it was. But the moment you saw the fancy script of one familiar Stanley Cup tattoo, you knew who it was. You picked up the phone, taking it off of speaker bringing it back to your ear as he continued to dress down from his gear. "What? Have you contracted an itch from all of the girls you've been seeing?"

Tyler looked over at you and smiled, shaking his head as he kept undressing. "Don't enjoy the show too much."

"Seriously Y/N, it's super fucked up that you're not coming tonight! You owe it to me, I'm your fucking boyfriend!" His slurred voice must have been heard from your phone since Tyler looked over at you again with a raised eyebrow. "If you don't show up, we're done! You can take your shit a-and get lost."

"I need service, please," Tyler said, taking your attention away from the phone call and hopping up onto the table in nothing but his pants and his pads. He was sitting up straight and had his hands in his lap like he was a kindergartner waiting for storytime.

"Sorry Seguin, I don't provide the kind of service you're used to."

He rolled his eyes and kicked up both of his legs, taking off his sicks and shin pads. "Not that kind, the athletic training kind." His eyes moved over to the phone against your ear and then back at you. "Or are you too busy?"

"Is that a guy?" Cole slurred, his loud slurping from his new drink grossing you out. "Y/N, who the fuck are you with?"

The annoyance from the entire phone call was bubbling up until you couldn't take it anymore. "Listen, Cole, I need to go," you looked over at Tyler, setting down and closing your book. "I'm busy."

"Are you at least going to fucking try and come to the party instead of wasting away like an old maid?" You raised your eyebrows at his comment, your inner voice telling you to refrain from snapping at him.

And yet, it was hard not to feel guilty since you knew how important these frat parties were to Cole. You sighed and stood up from the chair. "Maybe after the game, I don't know."

He didn't even bother to reply to your response and instead, just hung up on you. You pulled the phone away from your ear and stared at it to see that he had, in fact, hung up on you. "Rejection hurts, huh?"

You rolled your eyes at Tyler's comment and placed the phone back down onto the desk, then making your way over to him. "Is there any reason why you just performed a half-assed strip show in the training room?"

"Oh no, that's not my strip show," Tyler laughed, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. "You'd know my strip show if you saw it. It leaves the ladies dripping."

"Why? Because they pissed themselves from laughing so hard?"

In true Tyler fashion, he rolled his eyes and stuck his feet up at you. "I need my ankles taped and don't worry, Dave said you could do it."

"A little late there, don't you think?" You asked, walking over to the cupboards that held every material you'd need. "Or is the Tyler Seguins' supposed big brain, not able to support memory?"

"Yeah, well I got distracted by your brother and his fawning over Katie...again."

You laughed, taking the basket with everything that you'd need back over to the table he was sitting on. "Ah, so you've been caught up on the drama?" You grabbed a stool and brought it to the end of the table, resting a knee on it as you nodded for him to scoot back and extend out his leg.

He leaned back on his hands, watching as you began to tape his ankle. "At this point, I think their relationship history could give lifetime at least three new movies."

"Lifetime movies, huh? Didn't take you to be the kind of guy to tune in to those." You focused on going through the appropriate steps, keeping your eyes on his ankle. "Maybe Hallmark, but definitely not Lifetime."

"Wow, you know so little about me, I'm hurt. Besides, their 'sucks to be sixteen' marathons are great." He brought his right knee up as you tapped the finished ankle before moving onto his left. "Let me guess, you love the Hallmark Christmas movies and you've never missed a single one?"

You looked up at him for a few seconds before looking back down and continuing to work on his ankle, not answering his question. He wiggled his foot, causing you to look back up at him. "Seguin, I swear to–"

"Ha! I knew it! You're a total sucker for those cheesy, romance Christmas movies."

"For your information," You meticulously started to wrap his ankle with the pre-wrap. "It's a family tradition, at least between my mom, my sister and me. Dad and the boys wouldn't be caught dead watching those." You paused, smiling for a second. "Unless it's the Candace Cameron-Bure ones. Jamie's a sucker for those."

A comfortable silence settled over as you finished up his ankle. When you tapped it, he sat up and pointed down at the floor. "Can you pick up my socks? I don't want to have to bend down to get them."

"Why, is Mr. 3% body-fat getting, dare I say..." you faked a gasp as you bent down to pick up his socks. "lazy?"

"No," he swung a sock out at you, missing you by a few inches before bending over to put it back on as you walked over and placed some tape down for him to use. "So Cole..."

"Ugh, can we please not talk about him?" You groaned, putting the basket back into the cupboard. "I swear our that phone call gave me a migraine, so I don't need to hear your jokes."

"No, not that." he put on both shin guards before moving on to fixing his socks. "I just...does he always talk to you like that?"

"Like what?"

"Oh I don't know, let me think," He put the tape down next to him before, getting off of the table. "Does, ‘are you fucking coming or are you too busy being a bitch errand-girl for your brother's shitty team?’ sound familiar?"

You stopped in front of the desk, looking at him and feeling your embarrassment start to take over. "Y-You heard that?"

He nodded his head towards the door and reached down for his skates, putting them back on. "So does he? Talk to you like that?"

You realized how cliche it would seem if you told Tyler that it was only when Cole was drunk, that he talked to you that way. But the last six months of your relationship had been a little hostile. Senior year was a pressure on both of you, but Cole seemed to be wearing it far worse than you. "He was drunk, what does it matter?"

"It matters because I have two younger sisters and I know for a fact that if one of their shitty boyfriends talked to them that way, he'd end up in an ER bed." He stood up off of the table and turned to pick up his warm-up jersey.

"Well good thing you're not my brother then, huh?" You joked, expecting him to make a comment back at you.

Instead, he looked a little lost in thought before he shook himself out of it, smiling at you. "Doesn't mean I still wouldn't put frat boy Cole in an ER bed."

You walked around the desk, plopping down into your chair as the murmuring of voices from down the hall echoed from the hallway. "Better get going, don't want to be late for the meeting."

"Yeah, I guess," Tyler tossed his jersey over his shoulder and headed towards the door, stopping in front of it. "Are you going tonight? To that party...with Cole?"

You looked up from your book, caught off guard by his question and the way he said it. For a moment, if you weren't convincing yourself that you were delusional. You'd think that Tyler looked...concerned or maybe even a bit genuinely curious about your nighttime plans.

You shrugged your shoulders, picking the book back up. "I don't know, maybe. There's usually some lingerie contest at this thing and the winner gets a $100 tab to some bar downtown, so maybe if I leave here in time."

You made sure to pay attention to the way he reacted to your response. His features darkened a little bit before he turned away from you walking out of the training room. You returned back to your book, only to be interrupted by someone clearing their throat. When you looked up, you saw Tyler leaning back in, a smile on his face. "Any chance I can get some pics?"

You threw the empty roll of tape on your desk in his direction and he ducked out of the way, laughing all the way down the hallway. "BYE Tyler!" You called out, returning back to your textbook.

As your eyes skimmed the words that your brain failed to absorb, a smile crept onto your face as you looked back up into the empty doorway. "No," you said, shaking your head and closing your eyes, following it with a deep breath. "No, absolutely not. Do not go there."

When you opened your eyes, a small sinking gut feeling took over when you looked into the empty hallway. Part of you wanted Tyler to reappear in the doorway with his goofy grin. But he wasn't there, and neither was his stupid request for lingerie pictures or his...amazingly stupid abs. What bothered you the most though, wasn't the fact that he wasn't standing there...but what he meant by his request.

Did he want lingerie pictures of the other contestants...or of you?

[nylcnders]

if Jeff Skinner gets taken by Seattle, I'd be surprised. I get needing to hit the cap floor but there are way more sensible ways to do it. plus he went to Buffalo to be closer to family, idk if he'd actually be okay with moving across the country. I get he has no say in it, but I think that would not make him happy.

the Ben Bishop thing surprised me bc I recall Jim Nill saying he anticipated that he would be ready for training camp. he's one of the best in the league when healthy, so exposing him just feels a tad risky bc how many goalies of his caliber will be available? I know that Otter is the future, I just expected Dallas to expose Dobby and if you didn't, you might be the only person on earth who didn't.

idk I haven't been on tumblr much in weeks so I have no idea what the vibe is around here beyond I'm assuming a lot of panicking over every little thing. I'm going to avoid being here for sure next week and am going to enjoy the mayhem elsewhere.

honestly i just expect jeff to go somewhere else or try for a fresh start but who knows. i don’t know if seattle would exact take him on or his big contract but stranger things have happened.

also the dobby/ben thing i don’t know why i just couldn’t see them exposing dobby like?? i don’t know maybe i’m dumb for thinking they wouldn’t and would keep him and jake. wherever ben ends up they’re lucky because he’s a great guy and talented goalie. i probably was the only one who thought they’d expose him 🥲

[tysonbaerrie]

thank you for the last one it was perfect here’s another: jamie and tyler get interviewed after being the first active nhl players to come out (i’ll let you decide whether or not they’re together/whether or not they announce it)(i’ll also let you decide who’s more nervous and who’s more comforting bc honestly i can see it either way) thank uuuuu - ssbn (super specific bennguin bonnie)

Well, SSBN, after 84 years, here you go! It’s different from my usual style, but I hope you like it!

Tyler finds Jamie at the kitchen island, omelet in front of him as he scrolls through his social media. His hair is rumpled and unkempt, and Tyler wants to rub up against the well-worn Stars shirt Jamie put on when he came downstairs.

“None for me?” He asks instead, gesturing at his boyfriend’s breakfast.

“In the microwave.” Jamie replies around a bite. Tyler heats it up before settling into the stool next to Jamie’s.

“Thanks babe.” He tells Jamie, who shrugs but leans over to accept a kiss on his cheek from Tyler without taking his eyes off his phone.

Once breakfast is finished, Tyler cleans up the mess that Jamie made. He’s just put the last plate in the dishwasher when he feels Jamie spread himself across Tyler’s back, hooking his chin over Tyler’s shoulder.

“The article is out.” He tells him, and Tyler turns his head enough that he can see Jamie out of the corner of his eye.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Jamie confirms, pushing his phone into Tyler’s hand, where the article with Outsports is already open.

After coming out, hockey superstars find support from team – and each other

“Did I know Jamie was the one when we met? Absolutely not.” Tyler Seguin laughs on the couch in the home he now shares with his teammate and boyfriend. A dog is resting at his feet, and he looks comfortable in a well-worn Dallas Stars hoodie – the number fourteen on the chest instead of Seguin’s own ninety-one. His nerves show, however, as he pulls at the frayed edges of the sleeves. “We were friends for years before we were anything more. I thought he was straight the first couple years we knew each other.”

“I thought I was straight.” Benn tells me later, looking decidedly uncomfortable at the prospect of talking about something so personal to a stranger. “I mean, I’d always dated women. I didn’t, uh…until Tyler.”

While there have been a few hockey players to come out in recent years, the Dallas Stars’ Captain Jamie Benn and his Alternate, Tyler Seguin, are the first players in the NHL to come out. The fact that they came out together allowed them to lean on each other in the media onslaught in the days that followed.

“It made it easier, to have someone there who was going through the same thing.” Benn admits. “I wasn’t alone in what was happening, and neither was Segs.”

In the days following their mutual Instagram posts, the internet exploded with comments, questions, and judgment. There were questions about Benn’s suitability to lead the Stars, so-called fans demanding that one or both be traded, signs at games that read Dallas Homos and the like. When I mention this, however, Seguin is quick to point out the undeniable support they’ve also seen. He shows me a picture he has saved on his phone of a young male fan at a recent game, a huge smile on his face as he held up a sign covered in rainbows that declared Bennguin Are My Heroes.

“I didn’t really have that, growing up.” Seguin admits. “There weren’t a lot of out athletes, and none who played hockey. I grew up thinking I couldn’t be gay and play hockey, that I had to choose. If some kid out there realizes that they can play hockey and be who they are, then it’s worth it.”

They’ve also received overwhelming support from their teammates, evidenced by the pride tape most of the team sported at the Stars’ first game after Benn and Seguin went public with their relationship.

“It doesn’t matter to anyone on the team.” John Klingberg admitted when questioned in a post-game interview. “Chubbs is still our Captain, Segs is still a leader on this team. If anything, it makes them stronger as leaders.”

Stars management has stood behind the players as well, General Manager Jim Nill expressing support for the faces of the Dallas franchise.

“Jamie and Tyler are important to this team, but they’re also good men and this organization supports them 100%, no question.”

“The team was behind us from day one.” Benn says, admitting that their teammates knew about their relationship for nearly a year before it became public. “You spend all your time with the same people, it’s impossible to keep a secret. But they’ve always had my back on the ice and they have it off as well.”

When asked what made them decide to come out, Benn shrugs, but Seguin reaching over and wrapping a hand around his wrist calms the Captain.

“I’m a pretty private person, but I didn’t want to hide anymore.” Benn admits. “I didn’t want to have to lie to people about the person I love.”

Seguin blushes at that, leaning into his boyfriend’s space.

“Same.” Seguin agrees, his smile blinding. “We didn’t want to have to only be ourselves behind closed doors, or wait until we retire to really live our lives.”

It’s a rare thing, being an out active player in professional sports, but when asked about being trailblazers, both are intent to shrug it off.

“Obviously, we both want to be known more for our hockey than our sexualities. But we knew that this would get a lot of attention. I guess we’re just hoping that it will help someone else be comfortable enough to come out when they’re ready.” Seguin says, looking to Benn. They’re comfortable with each other in a way that only comes with living in another person’s pocket for years. They’re partners, on and off the ice, clearly confident and settled with each other.

The photographer takes a couple of pictures before we leave their home, and while he’s packing up I watch as Benn leans into Seguin, resting his head on his shoulder as Seguin runs his fingers through Benn’s hair. The move is almost unconscious, and I suddenly feel as if I’m intruding on a private moment. Benn disappears shortly after that, and Seguin walks us to the door. It’s close to the end of the season, and I wish them luck in the playoffs as we say our goodbyes.

When the Stars lift the cup just a few months later to the roar of a hometown crowd, it’s Benn and Seguin lifting it together.

[niallhoranhasthat1thing]

January 14 2019 the Dallas Stars make a trade to send 24 year old Devin Shore to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for 31 year old Andrew Cogliano. In the 2018-2019 season Shore has a total of 17 points, yes he could be producing more but his coach and management could also be giving him solid line mates to help with that. Cogliano this season has a total of 11 points. This trade struck me as odd because the NHL is getting younger and younger so getting rid of a younger player for a much older one is a bit bizarre. Also important to note that Cogliano has another 2 years left on his contract with a cap hit of $3,250,000. Not.A.Good.Trade.

Another odd thing to point out is that when Jim Lites decided to speak through his asshole him and the rest of management and coaching spoke about how they need more scoring, I don’t think 11 point Cogliano is going to help with that. 

Here are some interesting quotes regarding the trade from the man who made it, Jim Nill

“We thought it was a opportunity for us to get better” they traded for a player with 11 points

“We want to play a faster paced game” Cogliano is 31

“He’s played a lot of hockey” yeah no shit he’s 31

“You can put him up against the other teams top line” So obviously I wanted to look at what line he was on with the Ducks, turns out he was on the 3rd line. Yo mr Nill we got plenty of those players so how about we get some second line guys??

“We need to get better” seems to be Nill’s go to line

“Coach is demanding he wants consistency” How about he starts with not changing the lines every game? just a idea

Nill states the reason for the trade is that the team needs veteran presence so I decided to calculate the average age of the Dallas Stars before the trade. Dallas Stars Average age pre trade = 27, the majority of the players on the roster are already pre established players, most of which are in their 30′s. Stars average age after trade = 28 (after rounding).

What exactly have you added? you got another third line player, who is 31, who isn’t producing, who adds to a already existing veteran presence. This trade was just flat out stupid and proves once again that the upper management at the Dallas Stars are not willing to admit that they are to blame for the teams struggles.

[jakeoettinger]

Me again! So how do you/we feel about the Zuccarello trade? :p

I mean... I guess we’ll see when he plays. I don’t hate it unless we sign him. I just don’t understand Jim Nill’s need to trade for older players to fit the positions. like.. it doesn’t work out and yet, he continues to do it. If we just use him for the push and don’t actually go far/sign him then our conditional picks stay 2 & 3.. but if we sign him we have to give a 1st rounder for him... which makes sense for the rangers but i don’t see us doing that from a logical standpoint. like.. a 1st rounder for a guy in his 30s.. i just.. That’s not it. ya know. i’m more intrigued by the lovejoy trade tbh. i think zucc will be fine and do well. lovejoy.. not so sure.