#nhl imgaine

[fallinallincurls]

all’s well that ends well to end up with you

here is my entry for @wyattjohnston’s summer fic exchange 2k23!! this fic is for @ya-pucking-nerd !! i had so much fun writing this and i hope you love it just as much! writing cale has always been a favorite of mine and this one was no exception. and shutout to @tonyspep as always for brainstorming so much of this idea with me!

i ALSO made a playlist for this fic which you can listen to here! 

hope you enjoy!! feedback is always appreciated! xx

word count: 5.3k

~~~~~

Cale’s offseason has hardly started, yet his phone is already lighting up with a call from you to no doubt make summer plans before he heads back to Calgary to enjoy time with his family and to start his summer training. 

It’s not unusual for his best friend to call him and the soft, giddy smile on his lips at just the sight of your name on his phone display is nothing new either, but when the call connects and words are practically spewing from your lips, he knows something must be wrong.

“Woah, woah, woah. Slow down. I can’t understand a word you’re saying.” Cale cuts you off, trying to figure out what’s going on.

“I said,” You emphasize, taking a deep breath to ensure you speak slower this time, “you got invited to Ryan’s wedding right? The one that’s in a few weeks in Montana?”

“Yeah, I did. What about it?”

“Well, uh, I kinda realized that showing up by myself would be lame right? Like this guy used to be insanely in love with me, but now he’s getting married and I’m, well, not even close to being in a relationship let alone a serious one.” 

“There’s nothing wrong with that. You and Ryan are still friends so it won’t be awkward and I’ll be there so you won’t be bored at any point.” Cale replies, still confused as to what you’re getting at.

“We are still friends, but I have to prove that I’m doing just as well as he is, you know? So I have a plan. Well, more of a question before a plan.” You explain, feeling the nerves creep in as the moment about revealing what you’ve been thinking of asking Cale nears with each passing second.

“Okay…” 

“What do you think about going as a fake couple? Like we’re dating but it’s obviously not real? Just to prove to Ryan that I’ve moved on and am doing better! He already knows we’re friends and I don’t think it’d be that hard for us to come up with a story and act all lovey dovey together for a few days.”

Cale is silent on the other line and you have a sick feeling in your stomach that you’ve really messed up. It was a stupid idea anyway. Why would he agree to it? He might be your best friend, but asking him to fake date you? It wasn’t that smart.

“So what’s our story?” Cale asks after a moment, trying to hide the smile growing on his lips that you can’t see anyway.

“Our story?”

“Yeah, if we’re going to make this convincing we have to be on the same page about how we met, the first time we said ‘I love you,’ some funny moments that have happened since we got together. Stuff like that.”

Before you can even begin to think about everything Cale just mentioned, your heart begins racing and a grin is on full display across your face.

“So you’re in?” The question is full of excitement and Cale can’t help but chuckle in response.

“Of course I’m in. I’d do anything for you Y/N. Plus, I think it would be fun to finally get back at Ryan for what he did to you.” Cale replies, trying desperately to ignore the butterflies erupting in his stomach. You squeal on the other end of the line and jump right into ironing out the details so there isn’t anything missed that can foil the plan.

Cale pays attention because he has to, but he knows he’s in trouble. He just agreed to be your fake boyfriend for a whole weekend. Cale’s already hiding how he really feels about you and he has a feeling getting a taste of what he wants so badly will only make him fall even harder.

“Okay,” You say, clicking your seatbelt back into place as the plane begins its descent and turning your gaze to the blue eyed, rosy cheek boy next to you. “Remember our story?” 

Cale playfully rolls his eyes at the question you’ve asked about a hundred times since you both boarded the short flight to Montana. “Yes, I do. We met in one of the business classes we were both taking together at the University of Denver when I was working towards finishing my degree in my free time. You had no idea I played hockey and after I asked for a pen that day in class, we started hanging out together. The rest is history.” He recites the story of how you actually met with a smile. “Our anniversary is April 29th, we’ve already met each other’s families and we couldn’t be any happier together.”

“Good job!”

“Most of our fake relationship is based off of how we really met so it isn’t that hard to remember, Y/N.” Cale teases, earning a small chuckle from you in response.

“I know and that will only make it more convincing, don’t you think? Being best friends and having history together already gives us an advantage. I just hope it works.”

“It will.” Cale murmurs, intertwining his fingers with yours and giving your hand a squeeze. You give him a sweet smile in return, before you begin talking about how excited you are about all the plans that are in place for the moment you land. He has to try and remember none of what happens between the two of you this weekend will be real, but that won’t stop him from taking it all in as if this was his real life even if just for a short amount of time. 

Best friends, nothing more. Best friends, nothing more.

The words repeat in his head when the plane lands, as you both gather your luggage from baggage claim and throughout the entire cab ride to the resort where the wedding is being held. And just when Cale thinks the reminder is concrete and that nothing will sway him, he opens the door to your assigned hotel room and he stops breathing as he freezes in the threshold. 

“Cale? What’s wrong?” You ask from behind him, unable to see around his broad shoulders into the luxurious room. He doesn’t say anything at first, just shuffles through the door and you’re about to tease him until you see the single king size bed in the middle of the room. “Oh.”

“Uh, there’s only one bed.” Cale states the obvious as if both of you aren’t already staring at the bed. “I swear I booked a room with two separate queens, but there must have been a mixup or something. I can check with the front desk to see if we can be moved and if not, I can just sleep on the floor. You can have the bed. That’s fine. It’ll work if-”

“Cale.” You say his name firmly, holding his wrist in an attempt to get him to look at you. He has flipped into rational thinking mode because of the issue at hand, but you know calming him down is the first step in telling him it’s all okay. “You will not be sleeping on the floor. I won’t allow it. That will kill your back and you know it.” “But-” 

“No buts. We’re only here for two nights. Sleeping in the same bed won’t be the end of the world for us. How many times have we fallen asleep on the couch together? Or taken a pregame nap? This is no different. I promise.” Your words are soft and visibly make Cale relax. He knows you’re right, but a large part of him knows he won’t be able to handle being that close to you in such an intimate setting even if it’s under the guise of a fake relationship.

“You’re right.” Cale sighs, calming himself down and realizing the situation isn’t as bad as he thought it is. “We can do this.” 

You offer him a sweet smile before walking further into the room and dropping your suitcase to the ground. “Do you want to explore the town today since we’re here a day early? I looked up the usual touristy things and places to eat just in case.” Cale looks at his watch and shrugs, feeling happiness surge through him at the thought of wandering through a new place with you.

“That sounds perfect. I’ve never been to Montana before so getting to spend a little time in the town would be really nice.” Cale doesn’t mention how spending all that extra time with you is really what he’s looking forward to most. He would go anywhere in the world if it meant being by your side.

“Then what are we waiting for?” You say excitedly, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the door. And if your heart races a little faster than usual when Cale chuckles and follows behind, no one has to know.

Cale wasn’t kidding when he said he’s never been to Montana before, but he has to admit the little town not far from the resort is the cutest place he’s ever seen. Little storefronts line the streets and both locals and tourists take their time enjoying the cozy town. The scenery is gorgeous too, snow capped mountains extending high into the bright blue sky, but there’s nothing quite like the joy on clear display across your face at every new experience you and Cale do while exploring.

So far, you’ve stopped in various antique shops, a bookstore, two art galleries and took a tour of the local distillery. You haven’t stopped smiling at all and Cale can practically feel his heart swell every time you turn to him with nothing but excitement and adoration. 

You’re walking down the busy street next to Cale, still trying to take in the entire scene when your stomach growls. The lighthearted laugh that you love so much slips past Cale’s lips and you can’t help but smile at the beautiful sound.

“Sorry,” You giggle. “I guess we should find somewhere to go for dinner, huh? I didn’t even realize how late it was.” 

“Want to try that restaurant we passed before that looked good?” Cale suggests and you nod in agreement. As you both turn in the opposite direction to head back to the establishment, Cale takes a subtle leap of faith and intertwines his fingers with yours. He argues it’s just to get used to faking a relationship especially around other people, but when you smile up at him and squeeze his hand in response, he can’t help but think maybe, just maybe, you feel the same way about him. 

That would be crazy though. Cale knows that.

He pushes those thoughts out of his head and focuses on dinner with you. The meal is full of laughter and recounting shared memories which fill both of your hearts to the brim. By the time you’ve both finished eating and had a few glasses of wine, the sun has fully set and the road is calmer than it was earlier. 

When the waiter comes back with the check, you thank him before Cale insists on paying and you don’t object because you know he won’t budge. You try to stifle a yawn as he signs the receipt, but he somehow notices everything so it’s no surprise he asks the obvious question.

“Sleepy?” Cale chuckles, putting all his attention on you again. You feel your cheeks heating under his attentive, but soft gaze.

“A little. It’s been such a good day, just a little long.” You reply with honesty and Cale nods along in agreement.

“Well, we can’t have you falling asleep during the ceremony tomorrow so we should probably head back.” 

“I guess so.” You smile at Cale before following closely behind to exit the restaurant. “Although having you there will already make the whole wedding more bearable. Thank you again for this.”

“It was an easy decision to come along with you. Plus, I can’t wait to see Ryan’s face tomorrow when he sees us together as a couple. Besides getting to spend time with you in this beautiful place, that will make the whole trip worth it.” 

You giggle because the mental image is hilarious. Although the walk back to the resort isn’t long, you lean into Cale, who wraps his arm around you, and take in the serene moment. Any worries or anxieties about spending a whole day tomorrow fake dating your best friend have seemingly disappeared which you couldn’t be more grateful for. You’re determined to just enjoy the day with him and not let your feelings get tangled with whatever may happen to convince everyone at the wedding that you’re actually together.

It can’t be that hard.

But when you return back to the hotel room ready to watch a movie and call it a night, Cale seems nervous and jumpy again. It must still be the one bed situation even though you reassured him earlier that it’s fine.

“Um,” Cale starts, his voice quiet and shy. He meets your gaze for a few seconds before looking away. “Is it okay if I take the bathroom first?” 

“Yeah, of course! Go ahead. I’ll just get changed real quick while you’re in there. My nighttime routine isn’t anything crazy anyway.” You chuckle, hoping to ease some of the obvious tension Cale seems to be experiencing. With a nod and a gentle smile, Cale disappears into the en suite bathroom which leaves you scourging through your suitcase for the pajamas you packed. “Where in the world are they?” You mutter to yourself before finding the set buried all the way at the bottom.

With a silent celebration, you quickly switch out your jeans for the comfy shorts and right as you’re pulling the shirt you’ve been wearing all day off, the bathroom door creaks open. Before he can catch a glimpse of anything, you face away from him and call out, “Cale! Just turn around a minute, please?” 

He does as you ask, he wouldn’t ever overstep like that. But Cale’s breath was already stolen away from those brief, accidental seconds when he got to see the smooth expanse of your back, the gentle curve of your breast and your hair spilling over your shoulders. 

His mind is going a million miles a minute, trying to remind him that that’s his best friend he’s thinking about this way. You’ve always been gorgeous and he’s known that since you met, but something about this moment is striking him in an entirely new way. Maybe it’s the small proximity of the hotel room. Maybe it’s that his feelings for you continue to get stronger and stronger with each passing minute.

Cale has no idea, but he’s in big trouble either way.

“Okay!” Your voice interrupts his thoughts, “I’m all good. You can turn back around.” Cale lets out a sigh when he sees your bright smile and how cozy you look in the matching blue pajama set. “All good?” You double check while trying not to make it obvious that you’re taking in just how adorable Cale looks right now.

“All good. Want me to pick the movie? And do you, uh, prefer a certain side of the bed?” 

“Yes, pick the movie. Whatever you want! And nope, I’m not picky.” With that, you disappear into the bathroom for a few moments as Cale settles in. By the time you reemerge only a few minutes later, you see he picked a movie you’ve both watched a thousand times and claimed the right side of the bed. He looks so soft and cuddly which makes your heart skip a beat just at the sight of him. 

Cale pats your side of the bed and gives you that sweet smile you adore so much. After slipping under the covers and plugging your phone in, he starts the movie. Despite how weird sharing a bed felt hours ago, now there’s nothing but comfort evident in this moment. You don’t know how much of the movie you actually watch before you start drifting off, head resting against Cale’s shoulder. But the last thing you remember before sleep takes over is Cale whispering a quiet “Goodnight, Y/N.” 

The warm sunlight shines through the hotel room curtains, pulling you out of the peaceful dream currently unfolding in your mind. You slowly blink your eyes open and get reacquainted with where you are, in Montana with Cale for the wedding, when you realize that you’re wrapped up in a strong embrace and your head is resting against your best friend’s chest. 

And before you even have time to realize you’re both practically snuggled up together which somehow must’ve happened during the night, you notice Cale’s beautiful blue eyes are focused on you and there’s a lazy, but adorable smiling donning his lips. His hair is messy from sleep and his cheeks are already rosy. He looks like a dream.

A part of you thinks that you could get used to this, but that reality still seems so far away and unlikely to happen. So you might as well enjoy the moment when it’s here. 

You match his grin, lean up a little to get a better view of him and start absentmindedly playing with the loose collar of the old t-shirt he’s wearing. He watches you, waiting with patience for you to say something. 

“You drool in your sleep, Makar.”

“Hm, do I?” Cale laughs softly, rubbing a hand up and down your back while the other brushes some loose hair behind your ear. “Well, I guess I should make it up to you by letting you shower first, huh?”

“That would be the gentlemanly thing to do.” 

“Bathroom’s all yours then. Just let me get in there at some point before we have to leave, please. I can’t show up with my hair looking like this.”

“Your bedhead is so cute though! I don’t think anyone would mind.” You tease him back, the happiest laugh escaping past your lips as you untangle yourself from the blankets to head towards the bathroom. The moment the door closes behind you and the sound of the shower running can be heard, Cale lets out a sigh while scrubbing his hands over his face. 

That felt a little too real for Cale’s liking if he’s going to try and keep all his feelings under the guise of pretending. But he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the banter and soft moment of waking up next to you. 

As he listens to you sing a Taylor Swift song while getting ready, Cale goes through his usual routine before beginning to get dressed in his favorite suit. He happens to know it’s also your favorite suit of his so maybe, just maybe, he picked it for that reason too. He’s just fixing the navy blue tie you told him to wear so he’d match your dress when you step out of the bathroom and Cale has another moment where it feels like he can’t breathe.

You hadn’t told him anything about the dress minus its color prior to this very moment. The beautiful navy blue fabric hugs your body in all the right places and stops mid calf to showcase the pretty heels you picked to match. Cale also can’t help but notice the slit that shows off your left leg too. The straps are tied in bows at your shoulders and the dress is perfect, yet simple and you look absolutely stunning.

But Cale’s gaze catches on the glittering bracelet on your right arm. The one he gifted you as a graduation gift. The one you’ve told him you only wear for special occasions. It almost shocks Cale to his core that you’re wearing it now, but his heart couldn’t be happier.

“Wow. Y/N, you look gorgeous. So pretty.” Cale manages to get out, eyes still taking the sight of you. The bright smile that takes over your face rivals the sun which makes him practically melt on the spot. Cale knows then, more than ever, that he’s hopelessly in love with you.

“Thank you,” You say, voice shy and gentle. “You look really handsome yourself, Cale.” And he does. He’s wearing your favorite suit of his and looks incredible as always. Your heart swells just looking at him. 

“Thanks,” He replies with a sweet smile before you close the space between the two of you to readjust his tie. That same surging emotion from last night rushes through his veins at the close proximity to you and when you pat his chest, signaling your work is done, he meets your gaze and takes a few seconds to remember every detail of this moment. “All ready to go?” Cale asks simply, trying to make sure he looks unaffected by what just happened.

“Mhm. Remember our story for when people ask because you know they will and we both know each other’s boundaries with PDA, so we’ll stick to what’s appropriate there, yeah?” Your best friend nods in response as he slips his fingers between yours again like it’s something that happens all the time.

“Sounds like a plan. We have to leave now so we aren’t late, sweetheart.” Cale ties the pet name out while guiding you towards the door and as your heart is racing, you can’t stop smiling knowing that today is going to be amazing with this incredible man by your side even if he’s only your fake boyfriend for the day.

And you aren’t wrong. The ceremony goes by without any hiccups. Cale keeps his hand in yours the whole time and presses the softest kisses to the side of your head throughout. You introduced Cale to a bunch of your friends as your boyfriend which only earned you more sweet smiles and gentle touches from the boy at your side. It felt like living in a blissful bubble where nothing could disrupt your fantasy even though you knew deep down this was all still pretend. There was no way Cale had real feelings for you.

The real test though is the reception. You can’t avoid Ryan forever and you have a feeling he’s going to make a point to come over and talk, but more importantly, ask about your date. Before the nerves can take over though, Cale puts all your worries away. As you both stand side by side in front of the seating chart in search of your names, he kisses your cheek and pulls you in closer to his side.

“How are you holding up?” 

“Pretty good. There’s this awesome guy who is making the whole night a lot more fun than I thought it could’ve been.” You giggle, watching Cale’s cheeks brighten with the familiar pink color of blush. 

“Really? Because I can’t get enough of the girl I’m here with either. Her smile is making it hard to breathe. And I’m glad she invited me along.” Cale responds with a smile on his lips and blue eyes full of nothing but adoration. His words pierce your heart in the most unexpected way because you know he means them. None of what he says is pretend to fit the show you’re both putting on. 

But what could that possibly mean?

You don’t get a lot of time to think about it because Cale spots your names together under Table 8 and gives your hand a tiny squeeze before guiding you through the decorated ballroom. You take in all the beautiful sights and settle in next to Cale as you greet the other guests seated at your table. One of your college best friends is in the chair on your right which brings you even more comfort. 

“Y/N!” She exclaims, giving you a hug while sporting a huge grin. “Last time we talked you didn’t mention that the handsome, but adorable professional hockey player who you always claimed to be your best friend is your boyfriend now!” 

“Oh,” You chuckle, glancing at Cale who is in a conversation with one of the guests who are also sitting at your table. “We didn’t want to tell everyone just yet. But yeah, we’re together now and he’s the best.”

“I don’t know why you both waited all that time. It was obvious you two had feelings for each other the first time you met! I remember how you bursted into the campus coffeehouse with the happiest look on your face and I knew you met someone incredible.”

“It wasn’t that obvious to us for a while, I guess. But we’re making up for the lost time now.” You say softly, turning to look back at Cale as a million thoughts run through your head. 

Since you met Cale, you’ve had feelings for him and for years, you never said anything because you couldn’t risk losing the best friendship you’ve ever had. But with your friend’s words echoing in your mind, you realize there is no time to waste. He didn’t even object when you asked him to be your fake boyfriend for the wedding. He has been noticeably more sweet and attentive the whole weekend and you’ve even noticed things he’s said or done that seem to be hinting at the fact he might want to be more than friends with you.

Ohmygod.

You’re in love with Cale and he most likely has feelings for you too. 

Suddenly, nothing else matters except confessing the very thing you’ve tried to hide from him for years, but when you turn to ask Cale for a moment outside, the lights dim and the DJ’s voice booms through the speakers around the room. 

“Everyone, please welcome the bride and groom!” Everyone stands and claps as the newlyweds enter the ballroom hand in hand with beaming smiles on their faces. The first dance song is introduced and even though you watch the couple dance together, you’re more focused on the boy next to you. 

Cale’s arm is wrapped around you as a silent reminder he’s there because he probably thinks seeing your ex-boyfriend dance with his now wife at his wedding isn’t the greatest reminder that you’re single and here with a “fake” date. But you don’t even care about that right now. His touch grounds you and it’s what makes your mind up about telling Cale about how you feel. 

Applause erupts again as the song finishes and almost drowns out the DJ’s next words. “The newlyweds would like to invite all couples to join them on the dance floor for this next dance.”

The familiar beginning notes of Taylor Swift’s “Lover” fill the air which makes you let out a little gasp in surprise. You love this song and Cale knows it. He can’t let this opportunity slip away from him, especially not with the plans he has.

“May I have this dance?” Cale asks softly, sporting an adorable smile while holding his hand out for you. A giggle slips past your lips as you nod and put your hand in his. He leads you out to an open spot on the crowded dance floor before pulling you into him. You wrap your arms around his neck as his hands settle on your hips, eliminating any space between your body and Cale’s. 

For a moment, neither of you say anything. The music plays and you sing along under your breath all while never pulling your eyes away from his. How could he be so oblivious to the fact that he’s in love with you? All this time it could’ve been real, but it took a fake relationship for him to realize he can’t wait any longer to tell you how he feels even if it’s terrifying.

Little do either of you know, the same thought is going through both of your minds at the same exact time.

This is it.

“Y/N,” Cale starts when you say “Cale,” at the same time. He chuckles, trying to hide his nerves, and dips his head down before looking at you again as you both keep dancing. “You go first.”

“Okay,” You whisper, fumbling with Cale’s collar and keeping your gaze locked with his. It feels as if the rest of the ballroom falls away. There aren’t any other dancing couples or bright lights shining down. It’s just you and Cale and your favorite Taylor Swift song playing in the background. “I know this may seem like a surprise and if you don’t feel the same way, that’s okay. This is just something I can’t hide anymore.”

Cale’s breath is knocked out of his lungs at just those few sentences. Is this really happening? Is he about to get his girl after all this time?

“I love you, Cale. I love you with my whole entire heart and I’ve known since the day we met in class, but didn’t want to ruin the best friendship I’ve ever had. I realized though that it’s not your friendship that makes my life infinitely better, it’s you. And I know you came to this wedding as my fake boyfriend because I was nervous about seeing my stupid ex, which was beyond kind of you to do, but I want to leave here with you as my real boyfriend. I want to love you like I’ve dreamed of for years now.”

Time stops. Or at least Cale swears it does. He almost thinks this is all a dream except he knows it isn’t because of the tender look on your face. Nothing but love and admiration is on display across your beautiful features and he knows you’re preparing yourself for a potential reaction which is the farthest thing from the truth. 

“I love you too, Y/N. Always have. Everyone around me has seen how insanely in love I am, but I couldn’t risk losing you either. You’re the most amazing person I know and it would make my heart so happy to be with you. I think we’ve proved this weekend that we can definitely make a real relationship work.” Cale replies honestly, his voice shaky. You laugh softly, your eyes filling up with tears for a moment. 

This is real. He loves you too.

As you’re convincing yourself this is all real life, the bridge of the song begins and a beaming smile blossoms across Cale’s lips. He looks beautiful under the shimmery lights of the dance floor and he’s excluding pure happiness. His cheeks are rosy, blue eyes bright and you’ve never been so in love.

“Can I kiss you now?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” 

Cale leans forward to close the small gap between the two of you with a gentle, but passionate kiss that says everything he’s been holding back for years. You melt into him, letting the overwhelming sensation of love wash over you. And as Cale pulls you impossibly closer to deepen the kiss, your heart feels as if it might explode. 

This is all you’ve wanted for so long.

When you both slowly pull away, leaning your forehead against his, the rest of the crowd dissipates as the fast paced music picks up to get the party started. There’s nothing to do but bask in the moment and commit every detail to memory. Cale hasn’t stopped beaming yet and you don’t think you’ve ever been this happy before.

“I know everyone here already thinks we’re a couple, but just wait until the guys find out. I think they’ve been waiting for this just as long as I have been.” 

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” You chuckle, cheeks going pink from blush at the thought of Cale’s teammates hearing the news the two of you are now together. Cale is sure that he’s never seen anyone cuter in his whole entire life and now he gets to call you his. 

But right now, he isn’t thinking about talking to Ryan like you’ve been dreading all day or returning home for the rest of the offseason. Cale is just focused on having the best time dancing the night away with the love of his life because he finally has you. And he won’t be letting you go anytime soon.

tagging some friends/mutuals who might be interested!

@tonyspep @starshine-hockey-girl @kailyn-writes @happer08 @rosesvioletshardy @sorryjustafangirl @laurenairay @miracleonice87 @hockeyunits @stroopwaffle8 @musiclove-12 @eightmakar @ilyasorokinn @barzysreputation @breezymichelle99 @comphyjost @comphy-and-cozy @jostystyles @ya-pucking-nerd @fallen-froots @beauvibaby @barzysunflower @boqvistsbabe @wyattjohnston @tpwkstiles @hockeylvr59​ @2manytabsopen​ @lam-ila​ @nateslehky​

[equallyshaw]

ᴅᴀʏ ᴇʟᴇᴠᴇɴ: ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʜᴏʟɪᴅᴀʏꜱ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴜɢʜᴇꜱ- ʙᴀʀᴢᴀʟ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ - ᴍᴀᴛ ʙᴀʀᴢᴀʟ x ᴏᴄ ʜᴜɢʜᴇꜱ

social media addition

↳ part of holidays with equallyshaw.

↳ the blurb itself

@mirandabarzal: annual hughes-barzal holiday trip did not disappoint

tags: matbarzal, jackhughes, _quinnhughes, lhughes_06, elblue6

211k likes, 98.9k comments.

—

@/matbarzal: love you my beautiful wife

↳ @/lianabarzal: yuck

↳ @/lhughes_06: yuck indeed

↳ @mirandabarzal: ilu hun

@/jackhughes: the gang back together 🤪

↳ @/trevorzegras: just missing me

↳ @mirandabarzal: not a chance lmao

@/_quinnhughes: I just know dad was glaring at jack

↳ @mirandabarzal: no he was, it was when he was talking about his recent driving experience

↳ @/lhughes_06: I thought dad was gonna kill him

↳ @mirandabarzal: me too

@/taryntkachuk: theo and marie getting too big 🥲

↳ @/matbarzal: ik its not fair!

↳ @mirandabarzal: not fair in the slightest

@/titobeauv91: miss my fav nice and nephew ):

↳ @mirandabarzal: maybe I take a trip to chicago ??👀

↳ @/titobeauv91: I vote yes !!!

↳ @/matbarzal: gonna need all the pics in the world

@/elblue6: such a great trip! cant wait to go back (:

↳ @/matbarzal: same here mama hughes!

@fan01: so I guess the rumors arent true...they arent separating lmao

↳ @fan02: they could be who knows, they may just be putting out a united front ?

↳ @fan03: check mat's post lol

@holl.horvat: unfazed queen

↳ @/sydneymartin: I wanna be her when i grow up

↳ @mirandahughes: I could say the same about yall 🤍

_

@ / mat barzal: annual hughes-barzal holiday trip was one for the book

Tags: mirandabarzal, jackhughes, lhughes_6 & _quinnhughes

102k likes, 23.4k comments.

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@/elblue6: the last one 🥺

↳ @mirandabarzal: cuties

@/lhughes_06: we clean up nice

↳ @/jackhughes: no fr

↳ @/matbarzal: gotta dress up for success

↳ @/_quinnhughes: and you still lost the 'hardest shot' at the driving range...

↳ @/matbarzal: If I dont recall..ive won 3 times in 5 years so

↳ @/lhughes_06: tides are turning

↳ @/jackhughes: trust we will beat you again and again

@/lianabarzal: 3rd and 4th 🥺

↳ @mirandabarzal: my favs

@/mattymarts17: I already know theo is gonna be better at golf than you

↳ @mirandabarzal: Unfortunately he has three uncles waiting in the wings to perfect his game

↳ @/jackhughes: you'd be correct

@/tysonjost: mom and dad's night out

↳ @mirandabarzal: 🤫

↳ @/matbarzal: 😈😈

↳ @mirandabarzal: ew gross

tags: @toasttt11 @jayda12 @jackhues @dancerbailey3 @cuttergauthier

[starry-hughes]

holiday disaster (luke hughes)

day 22 of star’s ficmas

luke hughes x reader

Jack walked onto the plane first, getting his ticket scanned and walking through. Before Luke could even have his ticket scanned he was stopped. The two brothers had arrived late to the airport and were last to board the flight. “I’m so sorry sir but this flight was overbooked and there are no more seats.”

“Jacky?” Luke called. The two were supposed to be traveling home for Christmas. “Is there another flight he can take? We are going home for Christmas.”

The attendant searched for a second and Luke was panicking. “There’s a midnight flight, last flight out.” It was noon. “Lukey, you can take my seat and I can wait.”

“No it’s okay, I’ll call mom and tell her.”

Luke made himself comfortable in a corner of the airport as Jack left on the flight. He had to break the news to his mom and call her. “I won’t be making dinner mom, I’m sorry, I’ll be home for Christmas Eve morning.”

You had been staring at the screen when the flight came up as canceled. You almost burst into tears when the flight attendant told you the only flight out was a midnight flight. You were convinced you might miss Christmas. All you wanted was to go spend the holiday with your family and now you were being delayed. Neither Luke and you wanted to leave the airport, the long security lines made you just want to stay, and Luke thought the same.

“Are you using the outlet?” you asked him. Luke looked up. “No, you can use it.” Luke watched as you hurriedly took out your phone charger. “Hi mom,” you called, “I’m sorry I’ll be late, yeah… eleven pm. I hope that flight isn’t canceled.”

Luke’s ears perked up as you said that. He listened to you end the phone call. The two of you sat in silence, doing your own things before Luke cleared his throat. “Can you watch my bag? I don’t really want to take it in the bathroom with me.”

You nodded and smiled as he got up. No one bothered you while he was gone. There were so many people in the airport but it was like the two of you had your own corner of life. When Luke returned, he had two bags of food in his hands. “Thought you deserved some food.”

Luke handed you a bag from one of the fast food places along with a water bottle. “I heard your flight was canceled,” Luke said. “Yeah, flying out to my parents and the one time I want to visit, it’s canceled,” you sighed, “thank you for the food by the way. Let me pay you back.”

He shook his head, “Don’t worry about it. My flight got overbooked. And my brother is currently on the way to our parents without me.” You frowned, “I’m sorry.”

The two of you ate quietly, hoping the hours would go by faster. “I have a laptop, do you want to watch a movie?” you questioned Luke. Shoulder to shoulder, the two of you watched a movie. Luke dozed off on your shoulder. As the day went on, there were less and less people in the airport. As the afternoon passed, both of you would get calls from family members asking how it was going. Luke told you about hockey and his job and his brothers. You told him about your own work and family.

“Hey,” you shook him gently awake, it was six pm. “There’s a restaurant down the terminal, do you want to go get dinner?”

In the airport restaurant, the least likely place to fall in love, you started enjoying time with Luke. You both tried random foods and shared plates. Laughing over dumb stories and joking about being stuck together. At the end of the night, Luke paid the bill and you tipped the waiter well.

You two still had time before your flights. Spending time sitting together and watching another movie or snacking on chips Luke bought. You checked your phone and realized you had to start getting to your gate. “I should get to my gate,” you frowned. “Oh,” Luke said, “I’ll walk you down.”

Luke dragged his suitcase behind him as he followed you. “You should get to your gate too Luke.”

He sighed and nodded. “Can I get your phone number?” You nodded and took his phone which he unlocked for you. You added yourself as a contact and took a picture of yourself for his contact phone. “Have a safe flight (Y/N), Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas Luke.” He turned and walked back to the opposite end of the terminal to his own gate smiling.

[drabblemesilly]

Alex Lyon #1

Requested by Anon: Can you please please write a short one about Alex Lyon of the Red Wings?

*I got you anon! Who's just as happy that he's been getting to see so much action lately? Def one of the most beautiful men in hockey! Enjoy! :)*

Word count: 1,006

Oh, he’s in a mood. You can hear Fireflies by Owl City playing on loud even before you opened the front door to Alex Lyon’s house. Good or bad, not sure yet but there’s a reason you only hear that song after a hard loss or a phenomenal win. Seeing that their last game was two nights ago and the next one is tomorrow, you’re in unknown territory here.

The strong smell of garlic enveloped you as you enter the house.

“In here,” you heard him shout above the music – which was restarting. Oh, so Fireflies is on loop. Interesting.

On one of your very first dates, Alex mentioned that Fireflies helped him calm down, “it helps me get grounded every time I get overwhelmed,” he said. Something about the instruments or lyrics, you really didn’t pay attention to him much then. His eyes were distracting and his pretty, pretty face was overwhelming. Ha! 

You found him in the kitchen, wielding a knife, flour streaks all over his face and neck. Oh gosh, is that a piece of onion stuck in his hair?

“What is this?” you laughed, putting your purse on the counter and peering, “salmon vs Alex Lyon?” you gave him a quick peck on the cheek, “honey, I think you’re gonna lose,” your nose crinkled, “you already smell like fish!”

He giggled, the kind of giggle that only he can do, music to your ears, honestly, “make yourself useful and peel some potatoes, pretty girl!”

“Pretty girl? Oh buttering me up too,” you smiled, getting some potatoes from the sink, “you seem cheerful today. Should I run for the hills?”

His grin even got wider, “I’m starting in the next five games, I got the call this morning.”

Dropping the potatoes, you gasped, “Alex, what did you do?”

He looked up, eyes wide and wild, “what? What?”

“What did you do, Alex?” you feigned seriousness.

“What?” he asked again, all serious and panicky now, “what did I do?”

You grinned, eyes sparkling, “to James Reimer.”

Alex visibly relaxed, finally catching the joke, “you’re mean,” he pouted, “no salmon for you.”

Shrugging, you jumbled over to him and nearly tackled your smelly boyfriend, “I’m kidding, you dork,” jumping up to kiss his flour-covered neck, “wow, Alex, wow. That’s good, right? We’re happy, right?”

He nodded, squeezing lemon into the salmon marinade, “we’re very happy,” he pointed to the fish, “we’re having salmon!”

He stopped chopping or whatever he was doing to the fish for a second and looked at you, “so when are you finally gonna have me teach you to skate?”

Reaching out to bump him a little, you smiled, “now that,” you smirked, washing your hands and pouring some red wine in a discarded glass, “is something for later,” drinking a little wine, you peered over his shoulder at whatever he’s concocting, “there’s a reason you’re a goalie buddy,” you joked.

“I hope you choke,” he laughed, taking your glass and sipping from it, “I’m joking,” he said in the next breath. Alex never figured out how to read your reactions to his jokes so he always felt the need to clarify.

“I know,” you assured him, “I’m still not trusting you to teach me to skate.”

He stomped a foot, “but I’m a professional hockey player. I’m on skates the same amount of time I’m in shoes.”

The foot stomping caused a belligerent curl fall on his forehead, you snickered at that. Sometime he just looks like a lost little puppy. Or a kitten. If he has his way, he’d be a lost secy kitten.

You reached to tug on the curl, “honey, you’re not Sidney Crosby.”

“I have his butt, though,” he offered.

“Still a no,” you laughed, “don’t worry, cutie, you’re more good-looking. And you’re a better goalie.” You gulped, “I think,” you said, “I hope,” you scoffed, “you never know with Sidney Crosby, he’s probably better at it than Linus Ullmark.”

Alex Lyon is one of the best goalies in the NHL and you will die on that hill. Did people think he was overrated when he skipped his last year in the NCCA to turn pro? Yes. Did he get shuffled around from Philly to North Carolina to Florida and now to Detroit? Yes. Did he once question how good he was at hockey because he couldn’t seem to get his footing in the NHL? Yes.

Did those ever diminish the fact that you believe him to be one of the best goalies in the NHL right now? No. You will die on that hill.

“If Sidney Crosby is a better goalie than me, I wouldn’t even be surprised. Linus Ullmark is definitely better than me.”

Your nose automatically scrunched, “what are you talking about?” popping a slice of cheese, you bent over the counter and winked, “I think you’re the best goalie in the NHL right now.”

He snorted, “let’s not go that far,” shifting so he can give you a loose hug.

“Not the best cook,” you pointed at the discarded fish, “but definitely the best goalie. At least for me,” you smiled, hand snaking around his back. 

Resting your chin on his chest, you took a little sniff, “yup, still smelling like fish.”

He looked down and placed a small kiss on the top of your head, “I think I’ll be fine. I like it here.”

You’ve never seen Alex get more excited than when he signed with the Red Wings. That meant you were moving to Michigan and leave so many of your new-found friends in Florida but you’ll probably follow him to the ends of the world if he asked. At this point, you won’t be surprised if the sun actually shone out of his ass.

“You will be fine, Ally,” you whispered, rubbing his back, “one step at a time.”

He sighed, another round of Fireflies starting over, the fourth time since you got here, “it takes a little time but yes,” he agreed, “one step.”

“So,” you clapped, “about that…” you gestured to the fish.

He snickered, “pizza?”

“Pizza it is."

[bqstqnbruin]

Boyfriend

Alright I must have accidentally hit delete the first time I tried to pin this but here's a fic that I wrote in three hours while wine drunk so I'm not sorry about typos or emotional damage

Warnings: just emotional damage maybe

WC: 4.2K

“I could be a better boyfriend than him.”

Sterling heard those words run through her mind every day. Every free minute when she wasn’t occupied, his voice took over, keeping her away from any other thought she could have.

When she first met Matthew, she thought the worst of him. If someone told her years later she would have been with Matthew at any point, she wouldn’t have believed them. His arrogance was supposed to be the thing that turned her off from him the most.

“You don’t even know him,” she tells him, rolling her eyes at him. Sterling had to do everything in her power to get herself away from him, leaving him behind at the bar while she tried to look for Lucas. It wasn’t weird for him to be off talking to his friends while they were all out at the bar together, it was just weird that Matthew had been hanging around with her rather than talking to him like he normally did.

Sterling stood in the middle of the dance floor trying to look through the crowd of people when she felt Matthew come up behind her, gently resting his hand on her shoulder as she felt herself relax at his touch. “I know him better than you know him, Sterl. And I know I could be a better boyfriend than him.”

“What makes you say that?”

She turns around to see Matthew smiling, his hand still on her shoulder as he gave her a gentle squeeze. He takes in a deep breath, looking down at his feet before looking back at her. Shaking his head, he tells her, “he left you alone. Every one of our friends is around us dancing, and I’m the one with you, not him.”

Sterling looks around her, finding Eli, Chloe, Ataliya, Jackson, Annabelle, Chris, Jacob, every friend that they went with and met up with that night was surrounding them, off in their own worlds and having a good time with each other and the other patrons while Lucas was nowhere to be found. She took in a sharp breath, wanting to dance with him. Her boyfriend was nowhere to be found and Matthew was right there. Dancing with him was harmless.

Sterling placed her hand on his shoulder, Matthew’s moving down her arm as the two of them moved together to the beat of the music. She was having a good time, not noticing the space between her and Matthew getting smaller and smaller with every passing song. It felt right, it felt like something she had been missing without even realizing it all this time.

The music slowed down, Sterling’s body pressed against Matthew’s as his hand found the small of her back, holding her close.

“Thanks for keeping her company,” she hears Lucas behind her, standing there with an angry look on his face as she tries to do everything to not look guilty. She wasn’t technically doing anything wrong. She was dancing with her friend. Nothing happened.

At least, that’s what she told herself and what she told Lucas once Matthew slinked away.

“You just looked a little too close there, Sterl,” Lucas said, gently taking her and pulling her into his chest. “He’s not trying to steal you from me, is he?”

Sterling let out a laugh as if she was trying to say that he had nothing to worry about. “He wouldn’t do that.”

But she wanted him to.

Lucas held her close, his hand in the same place that Matthew’s was moments before, feeling him place a kiss on her cheek as the two of them danced. She had lost sight of Matthew, closing her eyes and pretending that he was still the one holding her there on the dance floor. “I love you, Sterling” she hears Lucas murmur against her skin.

She hesitated before responding, telling herself it was just from the alcohol that she was doing this. Lucas was her boyfriend. Matthew couldn’t be better than he was. Could he be?

“I love you, too.”

“Hey, you’re spacing out,” Ataliya said to her, pulling her from those words ringing in her ears. “What are you thinking about?

She swallowed hard, turning to her friend. “Just him,” she tells her, forcing a smile.

Ataliya smiled back at her. “That’s so sweet.”

Lucas moved away, breaking up with Sterling without her putting up much of a fight. The only person she wanted to see was Matthew once Lucas left her apartment that night. She called him up right away, knowing he didn’t have a game and should have been at home that night to ask if she could come over.

He opened the door and pulled her in for a hug as soon as he saw her. “I’m sorry.”

She didn’t know why, but hearing him say that, feeling his body against hers made her break, all of her weight falling onto Matthew as she succumbed to tears while in his arms. He pulled her inside to his couch, trying to calm her down. “Hey, talk to me. What happened?”

Sterling heard herself laugh. “I don’t even know why I’m crying.”

“Because your boyfriend just moved away and broke up with you,” Matthew said to her.

She looked at him, feeling a tear fall down her cheek. He reaches up, wiping it away from the pad of his thumb, a chill going down her spine from the warmth of his touch. “I’m not upset about it, though.”

Matthew shrugs, resting his hand on her thigh. “You probably need time to process?” he asks her, just as confused as she was. This had to mean something, that she would show up to him right after she broke up with Lucas when he knew Sterling was much closer to Ataliya than she was to him. “Let’s go somewhere for a little bit. Get your mind off things,” he suggests, standing up, suddenly worried about being there like that with Sterling in front of him.

She nods, following him out of his place and to his car, Matthew trying to keep a little bit ahead of her while he rushes there. The two of them drove in silence, Sterling staring out the window while Matthew tried to keep his focus on the road, the rain just starting to fall while he drove further and further from his place, stealing glances at Sterling as he did.

Matthew stops in what felt like the middle of nowhere, putting his car in park and turning to her. “When I first signed here, I would drive around a lot if I felt like I needed to get away from the city,” he starts to explain, looking out the window in front of them, the rain falling and seemingly melting onto the windshield as it rolled down the glass. “I found this place was the best to clear my head if I got overwhelmed; it’s far enough away and quiet enough that I felt like I was somewhere completely different, anywhere but where I was told I had to be.

“When I was younger, if my dad was gone and I started to get overwhelmed by anything, my mom would take me out into the backyard and lie down with me in the grass. We would play a game called “close your eyes,” where she would tell me what she saw when she closed her eyes and we would try to see if we could see it in the clouds.”

Sterling giggled, trying to image a younger Matthew telling his mom the most absurd things, Chantal probably telling her son she saw exactly what he saw when his eyes were closed so that he would be happy.

“Close your eyes,” he whispers to her, Sterling barely able to make out what he’s saying over the sound of the rain hitting the car. She does as he says, taking in a deep breath while his voice fills the car. “We’re sitting outside in the sun instead of here in the car, in the rain. It’s warm, the air is fresh, the birds chirping. What do you want to see?”

“I see,” Sterling starts, a stupid smile starting to grow on her face. “A turtle wearing a top hat, pulling a scarf out of his sleeve.” She hears Matthew laugh, his face popping into her mind instead of the clouds she was supposed to be telling him about. “Is your turtle a magician?”

“Yes, stop,” she teases, reaching over in an attempt to swat at his chest. “He’s with a bunny, sitting on a rock with a fishing rod that’s trying to catch a mushroom.”

Matthew laughs again, Sterling’s eyes open to see his head thrown back in laughter. “I don’t think I could even come up with that as a child.”

“I guess you just weren’t creative enough,” Sterling tells him.

Matthew pretends to be hurt, closing his eyes before she could say anything else to him. “I see the Eiffel Tower, a flower coming from the top of it while a giant tries to water it.”

Sterling waited for him to keep going, hoping for more. She rested her head back on the headrest, a lazy smile on her face. “Keep going.”

A smile grows on Matthew’s face as he tries to. “He’s watering the flower, watching it grow. It keeps growing until it’s taller than him, when another giant, taller than the flower comes out and keeps watering it until it keeps growing. The people of Paris notice none of it while the world's largest flower reaches space.”

The two of them keep playing this game until the rain clears, Sterling’s mind completely gone from her thoughts of Lucas. Nothing Matthew could say or had said would remind her of the boy that was now her ex. She could only think of Matthew.

“You probably think about him all the time, right?” Ataliya says, sitting down on the stool beside Sterling. She looked upset, looking Sterling up and down in her dress.

“What?” Sterling says, her mind having wandered back to Matthew before she realized who Ataliya was talking about. “Oh, yeah.” She studies her friend, picking at the hem of her own dress. “Lee, what’s wrong?”

“Seeing you today, in your dress, ready to walk down the aisle, I don’t know,” her voice trails off. “Lee, come on, tell me,” Sterling tries to get it out of her friend.

“No, it’s fine.”

“Ataliya.”

“I’m never going to find anyone.”

Matthew had spent every night he wasn’t playing a game or on the road at Sterling’s place. He was there whenever he needed her, being whatever and whoever she needed him to be. Most nights they just sat on her bed and watched tv, normally in silence with Sterling’s sarcastic comments coming in here and there. If the two of them weren’t at Sterling’s place, they were at Matthew’s, a drawer in his dresser already set aside for her full of clothing that she could borrow. Matthew’s clothes were a little bigger on her, but he loved the way they hung on her body, his shirts being long enough that she didn’t have to wear anything else if she didn’t want to, and damn, he wished she didn’t want to.

Sterling had chosen one of her favorite movies, Midnight in Paris, to watch that night.

Owen Wilson, playing Gil, was sitting on the park bench with a woman after he found something written in the 1920s that he found his name in Adriana’s diary expressing her love for him, her disappointment and heartbreak over finding out that he was set to marry Inez instead.

“I don’t get why he isn’t with Adriana? Why is he with Inez?” Matthew says.

“Besides the fact that Adriana is from 1920s Paris and he’s from 2010s America?”

“Yes.”

“Well, he’s with someone else,” she starts to explain. “He thinks he loves Inez and knows that Adriana is someone he can never really be with.”

“He should just be with the one he wants to be.”

Something about those words coming from Matthew triggered a memory for Sterling, one from a few months ago when they were at the bar. “Hey, Matthew?”

“Yeah?”

“When you told me you could be a better boyfriend than Lucas, why did you say that?”

Matthew knew she had to know what his answer would be. In the few weeks that followed Lucas moving away, Matthew knew he didn’t want to rush things with Sterling. He didn’t want to be her rebound, he wanted to be hers. “Because Lucas wasn’t a good boyfriend for you,” he tells her, unsure how else to put it.

Sterling sits up, unsure how to feel about what he just said. Lucas was supposed to be Matthew’s friend, so why would he say something like that to his ex-girlfriend? “He was a great boyfriend to me,” she tries to convince him, the words coming out more like she was trying to convince herself of what she just told him.

“Please,” Matthew starts, getting off his bed. “He would leave you alone everywhere you went. He never seemed to want to spend time with you unless it was in private where no one knew. He wouldn’t let you take anything from him that a normal boyfriend would like his sweatshirts, food that the two of you made, anything that he left at your place he wanted you to return the next time he saw you. How he wouldn’t want to show you off and show the world that he was probably the luckiest guy in the world is beyond me.”

“Ataliya, whatever person has the pleasure of marrying will be the luckiest person in the world.” Sterling tried to comfort her friend, not sure what to do as it looked like she was starting to cry. She had a feeling telling her that crying would ruin her makeup was the wrong thing to say.

“What if I don’t find them,” she says, starting to panic.

“You will.” Wasn’t Sterling the one who was supposed to be the one panicking on her wedding day, not her maid of honor? Not that she wasn’t, but for other reasons. “I did. And I didn’t think I ever would.”

Sterling hadn’t heard from Matthew in a few weeks, both from his season picking up as their push to make the playoffs was really starting to get to the team and because of the last conversation they had. Matthew tried to convince Sterling that he was the best thing for her and that Lucas was the worst, something Sterling didn’t really want to hear. Matthew was her friend, not her boyfriend. She hadn’t been broken up with Lucas long enough that she was ready for a new relationship, but she didn’t want Matthew to just be a rebound.

“Let’s go out tonight!” Ataliya screamed through the phone. “We can go, get drunk, find the people we’re destined to spend the rest of our lives with.”

Sterling couldn’t help but laugh at her friend's crazy ideas. “You’re putting a lot of weight on this one random night, Lee.”

“Ok, well, can we at least get drunk?”

Sterling agreed, getting dressed and meeting Ataliya at the bar down the street just late enough that she was already contemplating turning back and going to sleep. She made her way in, trying to find anyone she knew, hoping that Ataliya would be the first one she saw.

“Oh, fuck,” she says, bumping into someone and feeling their drink go down her shirt. “I am so,” she starts, making eye contact with the boy who was already frozen in front of her. “Matthew.”

“I was just leaving,” he says before she can do anything, handing his glass off to the nearest person before pushing past her and going out the door.

Without thinking, Sterling turns and follows him, calling his name in hopes that he would stop. Running after him, she finally catches up to him, out of breath. “Where are you going? You see me and leave? What’s your deal?”

“Sterling, not now,” Matthew tells her. “I can’t.”

“You can’t what?”

“I can’t be around you,” he says, refusing to make eye contact with her.

“What?”

He takes in a deep breath, going back and forth between looking at the sky and the ground, anywhere but at the girl in front of him. “Don’t you get how hard it is to be around someone you want to be with when you know they don’t want to be with you?”

Sterling felt her breath hitch at his words, watching Matthew in front of her trying to find what his next thing to say was. “You think I don’t want to be with you?”

Matthew shakes his head, his emotions fluctuating between anger, confusion, sadness, desire, everything he could feel was running through him at that moment. “If you did, don’t you think we would be somewhere other than on the street having this conversation?”

Sterling stands there, unable to find the words to say. Matthew didn’t want to wait any longer, heading back towards his place like he had intended when he first saw Sterling walk into the bar. Before he could, he felt Sterling’s hand on his wrist, grabbing him and turning him back to her, her lips finding his before he could process what was happening.

Matthew was frozen for a second, Sterling doing most of the work in that moment until his hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her as close to him as he could, kissing her like that was everything he had ever wanted.

The only reason they broke apart was for some crude person calling for them to ‘get a room,’ Matthew muttering something under his breath that would have led to Sterling having to bail him out of jail for aggravated assault or some other felony he could probably commit.

“This means something, right?” Matthew asks her, not wanting to let her go.

“Yes.”

Sterling starts to lead him back to the bar, her hand in his as Matthew tried to process what had just happened. “At least you know my clothes will fit,” he jokes, pulling Sterling close to him again for another kiss.

Ataliya fixed her makeup, one of Sterling’s other bridesmaids coming in to tell her they were just about ready to start walking down the aisle. Her future husband was waiting for her at the end of it, Sterling trying to reassure Ataliya that her future partner was somewhere out there, waiting to meet her just like she was waiting for them.

The two friends fix themselves up one last time before Sterling’s wedding started.

“I know you’ve told me, but how did you know he was the one?” Ataliya asks again, down on the ground fixing the skirt of Sterling’s dress.

“Matthew, what are you talking about, leaving?” Sterling asked him, feeling her world crashing down around her. She had already lost one boyfriend because he was moving, she couldn’t lose another.

“If the team trades me, I really don’t get a say on that. Or, what if they don’t want to sign me again during the off season when my contract is up? I’ll have to find somewhere else to play, and there isn’t another team here in this city for me to play in.”

“And what if you do, what am I supposed to do?”

“Come with me,” he tells her as if it were obvious.

Sterling scoffs, Matthew giving her a confused look. “You expect me to just drop everything for you and move somewhere else? Away from my family, my friends, the job that I actually love? Matthew, we’ve been together for a few months. You can’t expect me to do that right now.”

“So, what, if I have to leave, we’re done?” Matthew snaps, a harsh tone in his voice that made Sterling jump.

She bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears that she could feel coming. This was just like with Lucas, only worse. Because with this relationship with Matthew, she could feel her heart breaking at the thought of him not being in her life now that she knew what it was like to have him. Her heart broke over the thought of not being able to call him whenever she needed to hear his voice knowing that it would bring a smile to her face. It broke thinking about the fact that he wouldn’t show up at her apartment anymore if she was upset and hold her in his arms and kiss her on the top of her head. It broke over the thought of Matthew not being hers, being somewhere else, and being someone else's.

“Yes,” she tells him, grabbing her bag and leaving before he could say anything that would make her change her mind. “And while we’re at it, we can just be done right now,” she hears herself say, the tears falling down her face at her worst thoughts and ideas becoming her reality in a matter of seconds.

Sterling didn’t know what to do, aimlessly driving while she tried to collect herself. She trusted that she would somehow just end up back at her place, hoping she would do so before she ran out of gas. By the time she got home, she was exhausted, hungry, physically aching at what had just happened, wanting to do nothing more than crawl into her bed and stay there for as long as she could.

Ataliya was calling her, Matthew was calling her, any friend that they both had was trying to contact her in every way they could in order to try to talk what they thought was sense into her. She turned off her phone, just trying to wallow in the break up that hurt more than the last one. She didn’t care if she was being dramatic in that moment, she just wanted to be dramatic alone, as stupid as that is.

She finally mustered enough energy to get out of bed the next morning, not even sure when she fell asleep or how shitty she probably looked from crying all night. Sterling wandered around her kitchen, trying to find anything she could eat out of necessity when she heard a knock on her door. She ignored it, thinking it was Ataliya who had a key anyway to let herself in if it was an emergency.

“Sterl, let me in,” she heard Matthew’s voice from the other side, his fist banging on the door so hard that she thought it was about to come off its hinge. “Please.”

She opened the door to Matthew throwing his arms around her, his breath shaking as she thought she could feel him crying. “Thank god you’re alright.”

“Why would you think I wouldn’t be alright?” she said sarcastically, peeling him off of her and heading back to her kitchen without giving him anything else.

“You haven’t been answering your phone, I thought something happened to you.”

“Why would you care if something happened to me? You’re the one who doesn’t care that I would have to uproot my entire life for you when I don’t even think you would do the same thing for me?”

“Are you kidding me?” Matthew asks her. “If you left and I was still here, I have no idea what I would do.”

“Why?”

“Because I love you,” he spits out, Sterling caught off guard by his words. “If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t be upset over the idea of having to leave you. It’s why you weren’t upset when Lucas left: you didn’t really love him even though you thought you did. If I didn’t love you, I would be a little bummed about you leaving, or about me having to leave, but if that actually happens, I don’t know what I would do. I wouldn’t be able to function, it would take me months, maybe years, to finally get over you. Fuck, Sterling, I love you.”

“It was the first time he told me he loved me. It was nothing big,” Sterling tells her, thinking back to that day, “we were just sitting on the couch at my place watching some movie and he said he wanted to travel one day. I asked him where and he told me anywhere that I would go with him because he loved me.”

The two of them do one last check in the mirror, Sterling smoothing out her dress and taking a deep breath as Ataliya hands her the bouquet. Sterling was about to walk down the aisle.

“I hope I find my Danny.”

Sterling takes her friend’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “You will.”

Sterling hears the music start playing, signaling that her's and Danny’s closest friends and families were walking down the aisle before her. She was nervous, but that was natural. She had nothing to worry about.

“Hey, Sterl,” Chloe pokes her head as Sterling was about to get ready. “Someone is here to see you.”

She and Ataliya exchange looks, Ataliya heading out before her to see who it was. Ataliya gasps, Sterling’s heart racing at the thought of who it could be. “You shouldn’t be here,” she hears her say to whoever it was.

“I had to see her, I’m sorry,” Sterling hears that familiar voice that sent a chill down her spine. He bursts into the room, panic on his face turning to wonder as he saw her in the wedding dress he thought he would see the first time she was walking towards him on their wedding day.

“Matthew?”

[harlowhockeystick]

hey !! can you do 9 or 10 w seb aho <33

valentines blurb event

"i've never had a valentine before"

contains: fluff, gn!reader, roommate au (i LIVE for this shit), angst

you were on the very edge of throwing up. hurling, tossing your cookies, chucking your soup- whatever the term was that's what you were about to do. the words coming out of his mouth was enough to make you lightheaded, to push your cereal aside and grab an extra bottle of cold brew as you were about to head to work.

sebastian was on the phone with his date for tonight. you didn't really care what he had to say, you were on the verge of screaming with every word he said. as much as you wanted to be happy for him, happy that he has a date for tonight, you wanted to take his phone and throw it off your balcony.

"that was kennedy," he said with a grin on his lips, turning his phone off and sliding it into his pocket. you hummed sarcastically. sebastian had a dumb, lovestruck look on his face that you wanted to wipe off.

and that was when it hit you- you hadn't ever felt this way about valentines day until right now. even though you had never had a date for this day, you were still never spiteful about it. but now, you are.

maybe it's because you're jealous. jealous of this kennedy person who was going out with sebastian for the fifth time this month. maybe you were just fed up of not experiencing what valentines day was like with someone you love, someone you love that wasn't a relative for a pet. or maybe it was because you had been in love with sebastian since the day he moved in, and you haven't even told him.

"are you okay?" he asked, noticing how you had yet to say a word since you walked into the kitchen. you argued that you were fine as you stuffed your laptop into its case and shoved it into your backpack with anger and spite.

"no, you're not. you haven't said a word to me and you already drank two coffees. what's up?" you sighed, closing your eyes and leaning your head back as you tried to gather yourself. what were you supposed to say?

"i'm not angry- at you, at least. i don't even know why i'm angry. i think it's because, i've never had a valentine before in my life, and then the first thing i hear this morning is you talking about your date tonight." you didn't mean for your words to come out as harsh as they did.

sebastian rested back against the kitchen counter, an expressionless face. he didn't know what to say. in a way, he felt bad and he didn't even do anything wrong. he knows not to try and argue back with you, he's learned that lesson too many times. he lets you leave, lets you pack up your backpack and head to work.

that's when he gets an idea. sebastian has a heart that is too big for his body. he goes above and beyond for the people he loves, always making sure they are taken care of before himself. so, he makes a quick call to your favorite mexican restaurant that he knows delivers. he knows your order like the back of his hand. paying for it, plus the tip he has a special note written for you on the box.

when the food is delivered to you, it makes your heart swell and it makes your conscience feel bad for how you snapped at him this morning. opening the bag you saw two boxes, and written on a little note was: you'll always have me on valentines day xo, from fishy

you giggled, opening the box and getting a fresh smell of quesadillas and fajitas. texting him a quick thank you, you enjoy the food in the breakroom, feeling less alone.

[generallybarzy]

our song

5 times you heard “your song” + 1 time he played it for you

summary: There's a song you hear every now and then- a song that makes you think of love, of the love of your life- and you swear this song always seems to come on at just the right time. Lightly based on this song (here’s an acoustic version). Yes, I turned this into a 5+1 because I couldn’t decide on an ending.  @downdonnie​​ because you were super excited to read this and @thirteenisles​​ and @lovebarzy​ thank you for helping me!!!! ♥️ word count: ~5.7k  :)

I. 

You couldn’t believe he could do this to you.

Here you were, an hour into what should have been your 2-month anniversary date, sitting at a table in a restaurant all alone in your prettiest dress with an almost empty glass of wine, and the mother fucker hasn’t even shown up yet. You couldn’t believe you went all out with your outfit and makeup and hair, just to be stood up. You probably should have seen it from the beginning. He seemed nice, he was fun to be around, but when did he really put in an effort to be with you? When did he ever choose you over hanging out with his friends?

“Ma’am?” A waitress approached, looking sympathetic, and speaking to you softly. “If you don’t order soon, we’re going to need this table for other patrons.”

You tried to compose yourself, wiping the tears from your eyes and realizing that you were sitting all alone in the middle of a crowded restaurant of couples, nursing a glass of wine, and looking miserable. You could feel their eyes on you- couples eating, couples dancing, even the people at the bar. This was humiliating. “Sorry. I know, I’ll go now.” You were in the middle of standing up and grabbing your purse, trying to cover up your sadness, when another voice sounded from behind the waitress.

“Sorry I’m late, baby.” 

Looking up, you met eyes with a handsome brunette in a dark blue jacket. He smiled nervously, revealing a pretty, gleaming white smile, as he sat down in the seat across the table with a pleading look in his eyes, asking you silently to play along. No matter how handsome this man was, there was just one thing wrong.

He was a stranger. This guy wasn’t your boyfriend.

The waitress left, giving you two some time to look over the menu, and you raised an eyebrow at the man now sitting in front of you. “Umm, hi?”

“I hope you don’t mind.” He shrugged, looking hopeful. “I saw you sitting alone. I know how it feels to be stood up, it’s embarrassing. Rather have people think I’m the dick boyfriend who was late than have them looking at you with pity, right? Want some company?” 

“I mean...” You were tempted. Your boyfriend- now ex, you suppose- was an hour late, you were really hungry, and this guy did seem good-intentioned. And good looking. “I guess I can’t let the reservation go to waste. I’m (y/n).” He smiled again.

“Mat.” It suited him. “Guess we should order some food then.” 

Turns out he wasn’t just good-looking. He was charming, funny, cool, and a hell of a lot better than your ex. He genuinely listened to you when you talked, he smiled and laughed and commented here and there. He didn’t try to flirt with you, but he was effortlessly charming nonetheless. You couldn’t think of a single conversation with your ex that had gone this well. Maybe it was just hopeful thinking, but you wished that this was really the man you were going out with.

“You said earlier you know how it feels to stood up?” He nodded across the table. “No way.”

“Yep.” He popped the ‘p’, taking a final sip of wine. “It sucks.” 

““Who would stand you up? You’re so…” Could you tell him he was practically the perfect man? Would that be too weird? You just met, after all. “You’re like this.”

“Yeah?” He smirked. “Like what?”

You swallowed your words and shrugged at him with a smile- he already understood what you meant. “This was a good night, Mat.” You were standing up and struggling to face the inevitable end to your amazing night when you heard a feel-good song come on from the dance floor. It was a favorite of yours, romantic but bouncy and upbeat. “Wait, I love this song!” 

“Oh, really? Wanna dance then? The floor’s right there.” Normally you didn’t dance, but there was something about the way he was smiling at you, and the way his hand was in yours, warm and big, his thumb rubbing circles on it, that gave you more confidence than normal.

“Let’s do it.”

So you danced with him, smiley and giggly, and singing along to the lyrics that he was only now learning. His hand was on your waist, both gentle and heavy as you swayed your hips and jumped into the dancing group of people. You hugged him and spun in circles with him, feeling much happier than you’d ever felt in your last relationship, or in any relationship you could think of. “This is a great song!” Mat confessed halfway through. You laced your fingers in his and lifted his arm to spin yourself into his chest, singing the lyrics up at him with soft eyes.

It may have been flirty, but you really, really liked Mat.

“Does this count as our first date?” You asked, cheeks red and heart racing when it was over, walking hand in hand to the door.

Mat hummed, pleased with the outcome of the night, and please with the girl at his side. “The first of many, hopefully.”

II.

Mat was amazing, you learned that the first night you met him, but it was only reinforced after officially starting to date him. Each date with him was only further proof that he might possibly be the best boyfriend in existence. It had only been two weeks now and nothing had happened beyond hugs and hand-holding, but you learned he was a hockey player and jokingly asked for skating lessons, he was over the moon.

And that’s what led you to tonight. 

“You excited?” Mat was smiling like a little kid, practically bouncing on his feet. 

“To fall on my ass? Yeah, sure.” 

He arched his head back and laughed. “I won’t let you fall. Trust me.” 

“I’m gonna hold you to that.” He helped you out onto the ice, already laughing a bit at how you stumbled in your skates. You gripped the wall and refused to move from it as Mat easily looped around in a few circles in front of you. “I am excited, though. This is something you do all the time. I like seeing you in your zone. You’re great at this.”

“Um, excuse you,” he laughed, sliding to the wall next to you and wrapping an arm around your waist. “I was pretty great at mini-golf the other day, too.” 

“Mat, don’t forget I was the winner of that game.”

“Only ‘cause I went easy on you.” You both laughed at that, knowing it wasn’t true. “Alright, fine. But when we play a 1-on-1 hockey game I won’t go easy on you.” 

“Woah, woah. Slow down, maybe I should know how to skate first.”

“We can do that.” He pulled you away from the wall and took your hands in his. “Follow me, I’ll help.” He skated backward, keeping his eyes on you as you struggled to find your balance. The first few minutes were almost humiliating, you had a vice grip on his arms the whole time, but he was patient with you. Eventually, you loosened up, starting to understand the right way to move your feet, and Mat smiled. “Look at you! You’re skating!” You laughed at his enthusiasm and sang along with him to the music playing softly overhead, feeling happy and safe in his hands. In the middle of your burst of confidence, he let go of your hands to see how you would fare on your own, and at his movement, you stumbled and lost your footing. 

“Mat, don’t just let go of me like that!”

“Sorry, babe.” His arm found it’s place fitted perfectly around your waist, and he pulled you against him with a smile. “You think you can do a little bit on your own?”

You really weren’t sure you could, but the confident look in his pretty hazel eyes when he gazed down at you was making you feel brave. “I can try.” 

“Alright.” He let go of you and skated across the width of the ice with ease. It was always amazing seeing how easily and elegantly he skated as if it was second nature by now. “Try to come over here.” You made your way slowly and steadily, cursing Mat for not letting you use the wall for support. Your eyes were focused on your skates, on the way you were moving, and you only looked up when you heard Mat’s voice. “You’re doing great, (y/n)!”

“You think so? I’m kinda slow.”

“You’re still good for the first time. Take your time.” 

You were about to respond to him as you crossed the center of the ice, but you felt yourself loose control of your footing and immediately panicked, arms flailing out to the side. “Shit!” Mat was quick to come to your rescue, but he wasn’t quick enough and arrived next to you the moment your hands and knees hit the ice, already reaching down to help you up. “Shit. You okay, baby?” He helped you to your feet, steadying you and holding you against him safely. 

“Ouch.” You brushed the ice off of your knees and curled your arms around his waist. “I’m okay. Not so great at skating yet.”

“You sure you’re okay?” You nodded and laughed at his worry. “Next time we come out, I’ll have to put you in some safety gear. Don’t want you to get hurt.” You felt warm and safe in his embrace, gazing up into his eyes when the song changed overhead. 

“Oh my god, Mat! Listen, it’s that song!” 

His eyebrows raised as he listened, a small smile curling onto his lips as he realized what it was. “Oh, the song we danced to on our first date?” 

“You know,” she swayed side to side on the ice with her arms around his sides. “Every time I hear this song, it makes me think of you. It makes me happy.” Mat was silent after your confession, a different smile on his face, a new smile. One that was hesitant and nervous.

And then, for the first time, he was kissing you. Right in the center of the ice, his arms wrapped around the small of your back and tucking you securely against him, he was dipping down with pink cheeks to kiss you- soft and gentle and waiting for your move.

And you kissed him back.

III. 

Simple dates turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and the longer your relationship with Mathew lasted, the more you loved him. He easily invited you into his life, although understandably a bit hesitant because of his hockey career. He was quick to invite you to games, and it wasn’t long before he proudly brought you to team events and even to personal hangouts with his friends and their own wives and girlfriends. 

It all seemed to be going so fast, but you weren’t scared like the other times your past relationships had moved fast. No, you were excited. And you couldn’t be happier with how everything was playing out. You were planning on flying out to Vancouver with him to meet his family during the offseason, and he was coming home with you to meet your family. Most exciting, though, was that you had given your landlord the 3-month notice that you were going to be moving out, and you were planning on moving into Mat’s apartment. 

It all felt unreal. 

You were coming up on ten months with him, which you never would have thought would happen considering the circumstances of your first date, when your birthday rolled around. And of course, as he always loved to spoil you, he wanted to give you everything you wanted for your special day.   

After a day of fun out in the city with Mat, he surprised you with the final gift of the day. As much as he loved when you came with him to hang with his friends, he knew he needed to step up and meet all yours as well, and he knew you missed being with them all the time. So, he had invited all your personal friends out to an upscale bar in the city, telling you all to dress nice and get all pretty. 

“You look beautiful tonight.” 

“You say that every night.” 

“It’s true every night.” He had an arm tight around your waist as he held the door open for you. You were glad the restaurant wasn’t too uptight and classy, it had dim lighting and music overhead, a bar, and even a dance floor in the back, and you were sure you’d never be able to afford to eat here if it weren’t for Mat. With his hand on the small of your back, he led you to your booth where all your friends cheered as they saw you. 

“Girl, you gotta kiss your man for me! This place is amazing!” One of your friends says.

“You’ve got the best boyfriend!” 

“I know.” 

The night dragged on in a blur of cheers and eating and drinking, at the rate you were going, you weren’t sure you’d even be able to remember tomorrow, but there were enough videos on your friends Instagram stories that would remind you. Late in the night, Mat kissed your forehead. “I’m gonna go order us some more drinks, okay?” But it didn't seem like you really heard.

Mat was happy you were enjoying the night with your friends, but, as much as he hated admitting it, he was a little selfish, and wanted some time alone with you. He knew just what would get your attention. So, on a mission, he made his way through the atmosphere, through the crowd of dancing people, and all the way up to the DJ. 

"Do you take requests?" Before he could say no, Mat slid some money from his pocket. “It’s my baby’s birthday, and all her friends are here, they’re all dressed up… I want to play our song. Please?”

The man smiled and shook his head at the hopeless romantic in front of him. “Alright, man, give me a minute.”

By the time he got back to your table, the song had started, the first few chords playing overhead and pulling you out of the trance your friends had you in. He watched with a smile on his face as you glanced up in thought, and his heart swelled when he realized that, just like every time you heard this song, you were thinking of him.

“Can I steal the birthday girl away?” You glanced up to where he stood a few feet away and smiled. You smiled because this song always came on at just the right time; because it always made you feel a certain way; and because this song was your little secret. None of your friends understood why the two of you suddenly stopped and found each other’s eyes.

“Anytime, Maty.” You followed him to the dance floor, lacing your fingers together behind his neck and tugging him down into you for a kiss.  “I love you.” 

“I love you.”

Your hands intertwined, your bodies swayed to the beat close together under the colorful lights of the dancefloor. He sang along to the lyrics with you- he had heard it so often now that he knew them by heart- and twirled you around and dipped you low, making you laugh and squeal before dipping your hands under his dark bomber jacket and around his waist. 

“You know, Mat, if you wanted my attention this bad, you could have just asked.” 

“Maybe,” He smiled and kissed your hairline “But this is a lot more romantic.”

IV.

Everyone has bad days, and Mat wasn’t going to try and tell you you weren’t allowed to feel under the weather, but he hated seeing you so upset, and it was your vacation, and he didn’t want you feeling so down over something so small. It was warm, sunny, and summery out, just having hit the best part of summer. On top of that, you looked beautiful, he told you repeatedly this morning, begging you to come out into the ocean-side town with him for a walk to the beach. 

Usually, you loved the summer. But you were tired after your long flight, your feet hurt from walking around town for so long, you had gotten lost multiple times already, and now you had to pee. But Mat was too busy trying to get to a certain small restaurant without asking any of the locals for directions, and it didn’t help that the map of town didn’t make any fucking sense. “Mat, I just wanna go home.” 

“Really? But it’s so nice out?”

“I don’t think so.” 

“Don’t you want to eat first? I promise this restaurant will be worth it.” 

“I doubt it.” You felt bad about how whiny you were being. Mat always just radiated sunshine and cheerfulness, and he didn’t deserve all the bitterness you were giving off. You were bringing him down, and you felt bad, but it was all coming without your control. 

“Alright, baby. Sorry.” He reached down to hold your hand, but you didn’t wrap your fingers through his like you usually do, so he stopped. It made his heart hurt, how bad your day was going. “Okay.” He took the town map from your hands and nudged you over to a small building. “Alright, go to the bathroom first. Then we’ll head back to the hotel.”

Mat felt bad, bad you were having such a shitty day, and guilty that he didn’t try to help, and might have even made it worse. He knew you weren’t intentionally trying to ruin his day, he couldn’t blame you for it. Maybe he shouldn’t have tried to push you to come out in the first place. It was his fault the two of you had gotten lost so much, anyway. 

Maybe he was being a shitty boyfriend today.

He was leaning against the wall of a building, waiting for you to come out and stewing over his thoughts when he heard pretty guitar music float through the air. 

And then he had an idea.

If there was anything that was going to make your day better, even a little bit, this was gonna be it. He made his way over to the street musician, hoping that this would work out for him. “Excuse me?” he caught their attention, halting the music. “Could you help me make my girl’s day better?” He slipped out a few bills and bent down to add them to his jar. At the man’s quick acceptance, he smiled. “Thanks. So there’s this song…”

He was lucky and thankful that this man was more than willing to help, and even more lucky that he already knew how to play this song on guitar. And when he played the first few chords to prove it, Mat let out a sigh of disbelief. “Wow. Oh my god, thank you so, so much.” He was proud of himself, he couldn’t believe he actually pulled this together for you.

He saw you come back out of the bathroom, looking just as tired and stressed as earlier and signaled to the guitar player. “Hey, baby.” 

“Can we go home now?”

“Not quite.” before you even had time to groan some more, he put his hands on your shoulders and focused your attention on the music. “Listen. Recognize it?”

And recognize it you did. The first song you ever danced with him to, the song that played when you first kissed him, the song that continuously reminded you of him. That reminded you of the man that loved you endlessly, even when you complained and whined through what should have been a perfect day. How could you not recognize it? How could you not smile at it? “It’s our song, Mat.”

“Yeah, it is.” 

You wrapped your arms around his waist, finally falling against him and showing him some love and affection for the first time all day, and Mat let out a sigh of relief at the contact. He melted into your touch, holding you and swaying side to side to the soft strums of the guitar, ignoring the gazes of the strangers around you adoring “this lovely young couple”.

“I’m sorry I was such a bitch today.” 

“No, you weren’t. I’m sorry for dragging you out here when you didn’t want to come.” 

“It’s okay.” 

He smiled, so happy to finally have you back in his arms at the end of a bad day. “I’ll make it up to you tonight, yeah? Pour out some wine, have a bubble bath, cuddles, the whole nine yards. Anything to make you feel better.” He leaned down to press his lips to your cheek. “Love you.”

“Love you, Mat.”

V. 

Maybe it was too soon. Maybe he was being too hopeful. Maybe you didn’t feel the same way. Maybe this wasn’t the right time. He couldn’t stop overthinking. Was this enough for you? Or would you want more? 

His fingers flipped the little box in his hands open, closed, open, closed.

Yeah. This is what I want. This is what she wants.

He had changed outfits three times now- he couldn’t decide between casual or dressed up, but seeing as when he was planning on doing, he threw on the same suit he’d been wearing when you met. You had gone out with some friends earlier in the day while he was at practice, and now he was waiting, waiting in agony for you to get back. He had turned out the lights and scattered fairy lights all over the living room, and had the music ready to play with the press of a button. Everything was perfect.

He tossed his head back onto the back of the couch, dragging a hand through his hair. He already had everything set up, he couldn’t take it all down now. This was it. He was doing it.

It was so silent that he could hear your footsteps coming down the hall outside your shared apartment, and he snapped the box shut, jumped to his feet, and stood in the middle of the room so he would be the first thing you saw when you opened the door. He caught one final glimpse of himself in the mirror by the door and ran a hand through his hair again, fluffing it up some, trying to shake off his nerves as he heard the doorknob turn.

“Hey, babe.” 

“Mat…” You stopped, frozen in the doorway, and glanced around at your transformed apartment. The only light in the apartment was the soft glow of candles that were lining the room. Mat, in the blue suit you loved so much, was standing in the middle of the room, a single rose in his hand, and a pile of pillows behind him. “Holy shit, what is this?”

“Do you like it?” 

“Do I like-? Oh my god, Mat, I love this. But why?” 

“I don’t know. I’ve been away a lot recently, so I felt like having a date night.” 

“So you got all dressed up and did all this just for a date night?” You couldn’t help but smile at the fact that he actually did all this just for you, and you knew he was pleased with what he had pulled together. He always tried to one-up himself when it came to date ideas. “We could’ve just had a movie night. Or gone out.” 

“Maybe,” he shrugged, a pleased smile on his face. “But this is more romantic.”  Finally closing the door behind you, you fell into Mat’s waiting arms. He sighed and tucked his arms around your waist. Suddenly, you became hyperaware of how you were dressed compared to Mat’s suit. You’d been out with friends for a casual outing, so you only had on leggings and an oversized t-shirt you stole from Mat.

“Ugh, I gotta change into something nicer.” 

“Nah, you look beautiful.” 

“You say that no matter what I wear.” 

“It’s true no matter what you wear.” He released you from his arms and looked down at you, at his beautiful girlfriend that loved him so, so much. “Remember that one date we had? When we built a pillow fort and hid under it and watched Netflix on my laptop?” Oh, did you remember? Of course, you did- that was the first date where Mat had said: “I love you.” 

“How could I forget?”

“Well…” He extended his arm behind him, motioning to the pile of pillows and blankets. “I was thinking we could, well, have dinner and then recreate that.” 

“Only if you change back into sweats after dinner.”

He laughed. After all the overthinking he did on what to wear, of course, you wanted him comfy. “We can arrange that.”

You cooked dinner together after your suggestion at takeout was knocked down by Mat. He wanted to cook for you, he insisted, and it all actually came together nicely. You ate together at the little table where Mat had lit some candles and poured out glasses of wine. Then, the fun began. Mat changed into sweatpants and a hoodie- which, honestly, you loved more than the suit- and the two of you got to work on your pillow fortress. “Wow, almost as good as the first one.” You laid together, giggly and worn out, cuddled up under the blankets with Netflix opening up on his laptop. 

“Not better?” Mat smiled from beside you, dragging a thumb across your cheek.

“I don’t think anything could be better than that time.” 

“You sure?” Fuck, fuck, if he did this tonight, there was no turning back- by tomorrow he’d either be closer to you than ever before or all alone. “I can think of something that would make it a lot better.” 

“Oh yeah? What?”

He pulled out his phone after a shaky breath and hit one button. Music flooded your ears, playing from speakers that he had set up around the apartment. Of course, those first few chords gave it away- it was your song. Before you could say anything of even lean over to kiss him, Mat was scooting away from you and rolling onto his knees. He struggled a bit to find a good position, the blankets overhead stopping him from sitting up straight. “This isn’t exactly how I thought this would go, but I think it’s pretty good. I overthought a lot about this, but I don’t want to wait any longer.”

“What are you talking about?”

He ran his fingers over the velvet of the box in his pocket, trying to ground his thoughts.

“I love you, (y/n), and I-” He fumbled, his fingers slipped, and before he could even pull out the velvet box, it was tumbling out of his pocket and onto the floor. He scrambled to cover it, but your gasp let him know you saw. 

“Oh my god, Mat!” 

“Shit, no, pretend you didn’t see that.” He would never forget the grin on your face, the happy tears in your eyes, the ways your cheeks got all pink. He stumbled and laughed a bit through his next words. There wasn’t any reason to hesitate now. “I wasn’t expecting to feel this way about anybody, ever, but then you came along... I guess you already know what’s coming so, will you marry me?” He flicked open the little box with a laugh, all previous worries lost as he waited for your move. 

And, of course, you said yes.

+ The time he played it for you

The engagement was a dream, so you couldn’t imagine how great marriage would be. 

Whenever you see engagements and wedding planning in movies or TV shows, the couples seem so stressed and frustrated and nervous leading up to the wedding. But, being engaged to Mat wasn’t stressful, it wasn’t making you nervous leading up to the wedding. In fact, you were more happy and sure of your decision to marry him. You would never be able to understand how people could get cold feet on their wedding day because you felt nothing but excitement. 

Sure, planning was stressful sometimes, but Mat made sure neither of you had to worry about the cost, he wanted everything to be taken care of for you. He made sure to pull you away from the work and remind you that it didn’t matter what the wedding was like, because either way, he was marrying you. 

He was right. In the end, it didn’t matter how big or fancy the wedding was. All you wanted was to be called Mrs. Barzal.

The wedding date couldn’t come fast enough, and when you finally found yourself walking down the aisle towards him you could barely contain your excitement. He looked so handsome, in a fancy, new suit and his hair all fluffy just like you loved. You nearly ran down the aisle, wanting nothing more than to be standing in front of him, calling him your husband. 

“Hi.” Mat giggled the moment you were in front of him.

”Hi.”

“You’re so pretty today.” 

“So are you Maty.” 

Both you and Mat, people commented later, were bouncing on your feet and giggling all the way up until it was time to say your vows. You spoke in quiet, hushed voices, so only you and Mat could hear the words being exchanged, your vows were yours, they were personal, not for anyone else to hear. The people in the audience must have been wondering what you said to him that had him tearing up and laughing.

But that was between you and Mat.

He laughed through the “I do.” no hesitance in his voice at all, as if it was the most obvious decision of all time. He was shaky in excitement when you took each other’s hands to slip on the rings, almost dropping them. “Shit.” He mumbled and squeezed your hands with a smile, and he only heard the words “you may-” before he was swooping down to pull you into a kiss. 

Mat Barzal was your husband. 

He kissed you and kissed you, dipping you low until the cheers had mostly turned into “Ohhh!”s and his friends whooped and cheered “Ooh, Barzy!!” He broke the kiss with a smile. 

“We did it.”

“Yeah, we did.”

You headed inside, hand in hand with your husband, and with all your friends and family following you. The night flew past in a blur of congratulations from friends and family and pictures taken and drinks and food and toasts made. Honestly, you didn’t know what happened the rest of the night, because all you could focus on was the fact that you had married him. It felt like a dream come true, and after the whole night was done and everyone was leaving, you and Mat, with your shoes and his jacket thrown aside in the midst of the party, found your way outside with each other.

“Hey, hubby.”

“Hey, wifey.”

You sat in comfortable silence with each other, just holding and kissing and being alone together for the first time and coming down from the high of the night. You were married. 

“I can’t believe this, Mat.”

“I know…” He rubbed his thumb over the ring on your finger giggling as you did the same to his. Then he stopped and stood up as if he just remembered something. “Hold on, wait right here, please. Just a second. I have something for you.” He rushed off, only to return a minute later with a guitar in his hand. 

“Ooh. Mat. What are you doing?” You knew how he had been learning guitar for a few months, working at it every day. “Are you gonna play something?” 

“Yeah, if I’m any good.” 

“You’re probably amazing.”

“Okay, I meant to do this when I proposed, but I wasn’t any good at it, so it wouldn’t have been very cute or romantic.” He sat down beside you, taking a shaky breath and plucking the strings of the guitar. “Alrighty, here it is I guess.” 

Immediately, you recognized the familiar chords of that song that was always there whenever you needed it, the song that always came on at just the right time, that had been there since your very first moments with Mat. He was shaky, nervous, and smiling shyly at you. One of your favorite things about Mat was how amazing he could be at so many things, and he still had enough humility to hope that he was good enough for you. 

“It’s our song.”

“Always.” 

“You know, we always hear this at just the right time. On our first date, the first time we kissed whenever I felt sad or needed you, when you proposed… It always makes me feel happy and calm… It makes me think of you.” 

“It makes me think of you.” His fingers slipped a bit and hit a sour note. “Shit, oops.” 

“You’re amazing, baby.” 

“I’m trying.” He paused where the lyrics should come in, glancing up at you. “I guess I should sing it too. Will you sing with me, Mrs. Barzal?” Mrs. Barzal. You laughed because it was so strange to be called that, because it made you feel giddy, the idea of spending the rest of your life with You laughed because it was something you did with Mat so often, but this was the first time you were singing together as husband and wife. 

“Any time, Mat.”

 So, in the aftermath of a long, exciting day, newly married to the love of your life, the man of your dreams, you cuddled up with your husband under the stars and sang along to your song.

You knew you loved him for years, but now you had a ring to prove it, you shared his name, you were here to share the rest of your life with him. You were Mrs. Barzal.

And if this wasn’t the best way to start the rest of your life with him, you didn’t know what was. 

♥️

“Play that song The one that makes me go all night long The one that makes me think of you That's all you gotta do.”

[idontgiveaflyinggrayson69]

McNicknames

Author: Nat / @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69

Requested: Yes – Anonymous

Tagging: @aw-hawkeye @caswinchester2000

Fandom: NHL  

Relationship: Established; Connor McDavid x Reader

Summary: Four times the Reader calls Connor a random nickname.

Word Count: 650

Warnings: Spiders

“Hey, babe?” You called as you walked into the living room, running your hands over your pants pockets.

“Yeah?” Connor asked, looking over at you.

“Can you call me phone? I put it down and can’t find it.”

Connor nodded and pulled his phone out. “Sure.”

The phone rang out and you could both hear it vibrating. You and Connor tried to follow it and it didn’t take long for Connor to find your phone.

“Got i—” He called before furrowing his brows.

“What?” You asked as you walked over to him.

“My contact name is “McJesus”?” He asked, looking up from your phone.

You laughed and took your phone from his hand. “It’s McJesus with a heart emoji.”

Connor just stared at you as you walked back to the couch and sat down.

You and Connor were out with the boys. All of you had been drinking, but it was getting late, so you and Connor decided to call it a night. Connor got up to pay the bill, his hand going to his pocket as he looked for his wallet.

“Fuck.” Connor whispered and turned to you. “I left my wallet at the house. Can you get this one?”

The words left your mouth before you could help yourself. “Conman McMoneybags doesn’t have his wallet?”

Besides you, Leon choked on his drink as he started laughing, causing Connor to give him a side glare. Leon only laughed harder.

Connor sighed and shook his head. “McMoneybags? Really?”

You shrugged. “You make an absurd amount of money, so yes. But, yeah, I can get it, don’t worry.”

“No, no. Connor just follow my lead.” You laughed as you tried to teach him how to dance, but he kept stepping on your toes.

“I don’t get the steps. Like, where are you going next so I stop stepping on you.” He replied with a laugh, stepping on your toes once again.

You snickered and shook your head.

“What?” Connor asked because of your reaction.

“McTwinkletoes can’t dance. It’s funny for me.” You laughed and Connor groaned, leaning forwards to rest his head on your shoulder.

“Why do you keep making these jokes?”

You laughed harder at his reaction and ran your hand up and down his back to soothe him. “They’re just so funny, I can’t help it.”

“They’re not that funny.” Connor huffed and you kissed his cheek.

“Okay, you’re right, they’re not that funny, but you’re adorable and your reactions are hilarious.”

“Kill it! Connor fucking kill it!”

“I hate them just as much as you, why do I have to get it?!” Connor screamed back, standing on the couch next to you as you both watched the spider crawl on the wall across from you.

“Because you’re the guy and the guy kills the spiders.”

“Well….” Connor replied, really not wanting to deal with it. Spiders were his least favourite things on the planet.

“Well what?” You asked, not moving.

“I don’t know! I just don’t want to do it!” He yelled.

The spider crawled more rapidly and you screamed, holding onto Connor’s arm. “Connor please. I’m begging you to just kill it. Get a shoe and squish it.”

Connor grumbled and slowly made his way off the couch and grabbed a shoe before inching his way towards the wall.

“Just do it!”

“If you think it’s easy, you come and do it!” He hissed back before taking a deep breath and smacking the wall, getting the spider.

Both of you let out a breath of relief.

“You’re my McSavior.”

“Seriously?!” Connor deadpanned, causing you to laugh.

“I’m very McSerious.”

He groaned and put the shoe back. “I don’t know why I stay with you.”

You laughed and curled into him when he came back to the couch. “Because you looooooove me.”

Connor chuckled and wrapped his arm around you, pulling you closer. “Unfortunately.”

[kaapoincorporated]

Hello! So since I am a new blog I will put out my rules really quickly:

One: I write for NHL hockey players only!

Two: My requests are open so feel free to drop by!

Three: When you request please say if you want a timestamp or imagine, state whether you want it to be ( smut, fluff or angst or a mix), and lastly the player!

Four: Please just be nice! I love the Avalanche, Canes, and Flames with a soft spot for the Rangers but that doesn't mean I will exclude other teams from my writing- or support any meanness towards them.

Five: English isn't my first language (Ukrainian is) so please excuse any mistakes.

[avalancheobsessed]

Special Pt 4 - Tyson Jost

A/N: Ngl I have like no plan for these next parts so they may take a while I’m sorry

Warnings: Swearing

WC: 3602

[Part One] [Part Two] [Part Three]

You watch as your mom pulls out the ingredients for making the cookie dough and flinch as the bowls and pans she pulls out clang and bang. You pull your phone out and open Instagram, going to your story, and start taking a video of the ordeal. It's not that interesting since you're just watching your mom mix and make the dough. It does though catch the attention of Tyson who you were still thinking about after seeing him not too long ago. Your eyes light up when you see his reply to your story.

'Tyson: Christmas cookies? You know Santa already came right?'

'(Y/N): My mom wants more cookies, I want more cookies. We're gonna stuff our faces with them while watching movies til we pass out. You wanna join?'

The second you start questioning yourself about that last part you force yourself to send it. The words 'Just do it' ringing in your head. Tyson takes a little longer than usual to respond, which has you very worried. So worried that your mom reads your message over your shoulder without you knowing. 

"Hey, you gotta shoot your shot. Don't worry, what boy wouldn't want to eat a bunch of cookies while watching movies with a beautiful woman and her daughter," she says, kneading the dough. You start smiling, but end up dying of laughter. She laughs with you before walking towards you and planting a kiss on your forehead as you fight to keep her flour ridden hands off of you. She goes back to working at the dough just as Tyson responds.

'Tyson: Sure! Can I have your address?"

You send him your address and he tells you he'll be there in 10. You set your phone down on the countertop and stroll over to your TV, opening Netflix while trying to calm your nerves. Yeah, you just saw him. Just talking to him gives you this nervous, excited energy. You aren't quite sure how to deal with it.

You help your mom roll out the dough and place cookie cutters into it. You strip away the excess while she carefully picks up the shaped dough and places it into a pan. Before you know it the doorbell rings and the nerves that had finally settled start up again. You run your hands under water quickly before setting off and opening the door.

"Hey!" you great cheerfully, "Long time no see eh?" He smiles at you as you open the door farther and step to the side to let him in.

"Hey! Thanks for the invite," he steps through the doorway and you're suddenly extremely self-conscious about your height.

"Yeah, no problem! Welcome to my humble abode," you say, before closing the door behind him. He slips his shoes off and sets a backpack on the ground. You introduce him to your mom who gives you embarrassing looks the entire time before the two of you get started on decorating the cookies. You offer to play some music and Tyson tells you anything but Christmas songs. Your mom agrees and you roll your eyes at the two of them already ganging up on you for your love for Christmas music. You retrieve your Bluetooth speaker from your room and shuffle your music on Spotify. The first song that comes on is Love Story by T-Swift. You sing your heart out to the song and blush as Tyson watches you, smiling. Your mom is enjoying every moment of this but wants her cookies more.

"Cookies people cookies!" She exclaims, startling the two of you into sprinkling sprinkles on the cookies. You each do half of the pan but Tyson tosses some of whatever sprinkles he has onto one of your cookies. You glare at him before throwing sprinkles on his side. He throws some back and you throw more at him. He laughs as you turn around and run away, not wanting sprinkles down your shirt. He chases you before dumping half a bottle of sprinkles on your head.

"Tyson! Oh my god!" you shriek, shaking your head over the sink and running a hand through your hair. Your mom is dying of laughter, and you're too invested in the mess in your hair to hear her come up behind you and smack a handful of flour in your face. You keep your eyes closed for some time, just listening to the two of them laughing so hard they might die. You blindly reach for a towel and run it under water before wiping your face. You finally open your eyes and spot the flour bag. You march over to it and grab two handfuls, throwing each handful at one of them. Then you all start throwing flour and sprinkles at each other. By the end you're all covered in flour and sprinkles, in places there shouldn't be flour and sprinkles. You open a bottle of redhots and throw one up in the air to try and catch in your mouth. Tyson, being the mischievous being he is, swipes it in the air and plops it in his mouth. You glare at him, before dumping a whole handful into the palm of your hand and start throwing them one by one at him. He catches the majority in his mouth, but some still fall on the ground. Your mom scolds the two of you, saying you're just like kids. You clean up the fallen redhots before returning to decorating.

"Why does your snowman look like he's bleeding?" Tyson chirps, earning the bird from you. He laughs as you look over at the cookies he's decorating.

"Why does your reindeer look like it's suffocating in snow?" His reindeer cookie was completely covered in white sprinkles, which really did look like snow. Whereas your snowman had some faint red on the bottom, then the rest was white with some chocolate chips for buttons. Tyson gasps dramatically and smacks a hand over his heart.

"How dare you say that! It was a very traumatic moment for him..." he trails off, a little smile on his face. You scoff and roll your eyes, before dusting off some sprinkles on the final cookie. Your mom was washing the dishes and wiping down the countertop as you opened the oven and placed all the pans inside.

"You've got a giant oven," Tyson observes. It was pretty big. Normally you'd do one pan at a time but however many there were, they fit perfectly.

"Yeah, I know. It's pretty great," you reply, starting the timer. You both help your mom finish cleaning, who then starts a debate over who should shower first to clean off all the flour and sprinkles. Even though you have multiple showers, your mother was very picky about the temperature, as are you, and if someone else is taking a shower it messes it up.

"I can shower last," you say. Yeah, the flour was everywhere but you'd gotten used to the feeling and didn't mind taking a shower last.

"No no, I'll take one last. I'm the guest after all." Tyson counters.

You wave your hands in the air like a maniac, "Exactly! You're the guest! You should take one first!" Tyson opens his mouth, but your mom pushes away from the counter she was standing on.

"I'll take the first shower. (Y/N) you'll take the second and Tyson you'll take the last one. Good? Good." Your mom states, not allowing for any arguing. You didn't really care.

"But mooooom Tyson is the guest, he shouldn't be going last." She stops in her tracks and turns, hands on her hips.

"Fine. I'm first. Tyson is second and you're third. Now let me get all this shit off my body," she says grumpily. Your mom was normally chill, she just didn't like having stupid arguments like this. Or being covered in the wrong things in the wrong places. You can't really blame her for being grumpy.

As she leaves the room, Tyson looks at you with his eyebrows raised and blows a low whistle. You sigh and give him a smile.

"I have NHL 18 if you wanna play while we wait." You say, nodding to your PS4 and Xbox and every single NHL game ever made. Also your Call of Duty games, The Last of Us, Halo, Overwatch, and about twenty more.

"Damn. Do you play a lot of video games?" He asks as if it weren't obvious.

"Oh yeah. I've built up quite the collection," you reply. You open the NHL 18 disk and insert it into the station. You switch TV inputs and turn on two controllers.

"You down for a game?" You say, holding out a controller to Tyson. He grabs it and takes a seat on your couch. You take a seat next to him and scroll through the main menu and such, before getting the first game going. (A/N: I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE NHL GAMES IVE NEVER PLAYED ONE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE WHICH IS REALLY SAD SO SORRY IF THIS ISNT HOW IT ACTUALLY WORKS) You choose to play as the Avalanche and wait as Tyson picks the Oilers. The game goes back and forth, someone gaining the lead, and the other tying it every time. You go into overtime and you end up winning, funny enough while using Tysons character. The final score is 7-6, and as you prepare to go into another game, your mom gets out of the shower and the cookies ding.

You get up to get the cookies out, while Tyson goes to the nearest bathroom with a shower, taking his backpack. You don't see what room he goes into but assume it's the guest room. Your mom comes out with her wet hair up in a bun, a sweatshirt, and some leggings on. She sits down on the couch and picks up your controller, disconnects Tysons and then starts playing a match on her own. You're in comfortable silence until she wins the game and the water is running.

"He totally likes you," she blurts out. You nearly drop the warm cookie you were eating, and start coughing.

"Sorry. What now?" She turns around in her spot on the couch, resting her head on her elbows.

"He's totally got a thing for you. It's obvious you've got a thing for him. I mean you haven't stopped smiling since you met up with him this morning. Just, I don't know, kiss already. Give me some grandchildren." The cookie crumbles in your hand.

"Mom I'm not even 20!" you exclaim, quickly cleaning up the mess.

"I'm not saying right now. You just can't wait forever, cause the next thing you'll know he'll be gone and you'll be the female version of the song Marry Me by Thomas Rhett."

You scoff, "Mom that is absolutely ridiculous. He does not like me, and I'm pretty sure any feelings I have are just because I am lonely as fuck." Your mom stands and walks over to you, wrapping you in a hug.

"Oh, honey you aren't lonely. You just hadn't found the right guy before, and now you have. Don't you want that? Don't you want Tyson to be more than, well, whatever you two are right now?" You nod on her shoulder, your arms still wrapped around her.

"I do want that mom. I'm just terrified that if I say something, he'll be gone faster than if I don't." She pulls away and looks you right in the eyes.

"Oh honey, you shouldn't worry about that. He's perfect for you he's-" the water stops as does your conversation. You pull away quickly and start making your way to your room. You hear your mom order pizza as you enter your room. Earlier, you assumed Tyson had gone to the guest room. You assumed wrong because Tyson is standing with a towel wrapped around his hips, looking around at your room. You stop in the doorway, jaw dropped. Your heart starts beating out of control, and you feel heat spread over your cheeks.

"Oh....um," you choke on words and walk back out of your room. Your chest feels like a boa constrictor is constricting it and your stomach is moving in twenty directions at once.

"Oh shoot, sorry (Y/N)" he yells. You hear a zipper being used, and a rustle of fabric before Tyson comes out of your room, fully clothed this time. His hair is still really poofy and curly, which you honestly think looks better than the haircut he's been known to get.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were coming in so quickly." He says, looking down at you with his beautiful brown eyes.

"Oh it's fine," your voice is about two octaves higher and you bet your face is redder than the reddest tomato in the world. You need a shower desperately so you turn into your room and close the door, resting against it to gain some composure. As you're readying for the shower you hear your mom talking to Tyson.

"So I just have to ask...do you...like my daughter?" The question is followed by silence and you try to keep your body from freezing up completely. You walk over to the shower and turn it on, still shamelessly eavesdropping. You can faintly hear their voices, but no words. You sigh, stepping into the comfortable stream of water and let yourself relax. Tonight was gonna be a long one.

---------------------------------------

The three of you settle on The Sandlot, Jumanji, Black Panther (a personal favorite), and My Cousin Vinny. You insert The Sandlot DVD into the player and switch the TV modes until the movie menu is on screen. Your mom cooks some bags of popcorn, and Tyson is helping put all the cookies onto one big plate. When everyone finishes, you press play and start skipping through all the previews. You grab a blanket resting on the back of the couch and sit down before draping it over your legs. Tyson places the plate of cookies down and takes a seat next to you, while your mom hands out containers of popcorn and sits on the loveseat. Just before you start, the doorbell rings and your mom gets the pizzas. You stand back up and grab three plates, setting them on the coffee table.

You peel your phone from your back pocket and turn it on Do Not Disturb, watching as Instagram notification after Instagram notification builds up on your lock screen. Tyson glances at your screen and gives you a look. You shake your head, it wasn't something he should worry about.

As the movie starts, you pull the blanket up to your neck and lean against Tyson more and more. He doesn't move away, instead, he leans back into you and wraps his arm around you pulling you even closer. You glance at him out of the corner of your eye, overwhelmed by the sound of your blood rushing and your exhaustion. Maybe this movie night wasn't the right thing to do. At least not tonight.

After finishing the movie, your mom gets up and changes the DVD to start Jumanji. While she messes with the remote to skip the previews, you and Tyson bring your legs up onto the couch, you end up sitting between his legs with your back resting against his abdomen, and your head on his chest. He rests against the arm of the couch, with his left leg dangling off the cushions. You could see your mom smiling out of the corner of your eye and you can tell that she knows something you don't. Jumanji goes by quickly with lots of laughter from the three of you. You remember the laughing the most because every time Tyson laughed, you could feel the vibrations through his body and it would send chills down yours. Not to mention, he has a gorgeous laugh.

Black Panther starts next and your eyes begin to feel heavy. It's a struggle to make it all the way through the movie, but you do. Barely. By the time My Cousin Vinny starts, your eyes are closed and you're drifting off to sleep. As you fall asleep you feel Tysons fingers moving in little circles on your arms, like a silent lullaby.

------------------------------------

You slowly open your eyes, squinting as you catch a glare of sunlight. Groaning, you reach up to rub the dryness from your eyes. A slight chuckle makes your eyes shoot open wider as you realize who you are with.

"Good morning sleepyhead," Tyson speaks with a raspy voice. You groan in response and he chuckles again.

"How long have you been up?" Your voice cracks and your throat feels dry.

"Not too long. Your mom is making breakfast." You sigh at his response and start drifting off to the sound of his heart.

"You still want to sleep?" Tyson asks as if there is nothing better than waking up.

"I always want to sleep. Sleeping is always an option," you scoff back. He laughs again.

You finally open your eyes all the way and raise your head. The two of you had shifted overnight, Tyson was still on his back but you were on your side, tucked between him and the back cushions of the couch. You have an arm wrapped around his torso, and your legs are tangled.

"Hey I hope it's alright but your mom took some pictures while you were sleeping and I put one on Insta," you roll your eyes at the mention of your mom doing exactly what you expected her to do.

"Yeah it's fine," you reply, grabbing your phone. You click on the notification saying Tyson tagged you in a photo and it takes you to a picture of your head on his chest, arms wrapped around him, and him with sleepy eyes and his arm around your back. His other hand is raised in that weird hand thing where your ring and middle finger are down but the rest are up.

"Aw, that's so cute! Ha look at you, bed head and sleepy eyes," you gush.

"I look pretty great eh?"

"Oh yeah," you say laughing. The laughing falls short though when you start reading through the other notifications.

-Clumsy or just stupid?

-She looks easy

-Basic, you can do better Josty

-Shoulda let her fall on her ass. Probs would have cried the whole way home

Your DMs weren't in better shape

-gold digger

-paws off bitch

-he's way outta your league

-you need plastic surgery

You can't help the tears that bud at your eyes. You try to hide them from Tyson but he gently grabs your chin and makes you look up at him.

"Hey...why are you crying?" He asks, wiping the tears off your cheeks with his thumb. You sniffle and pull away from him and give him your phone. Maybe you should change your account to private. As he reads through the comments and DMs his eyes grow wider and wider.

"(Y/N)...I'm so sorry. I had no idea this would happen, I- I can delete or not post more or whatever you want." He says quickly. You shake your head at him and sniffle again.

"No don't delete it, don't stop posting. We're friends, jealous people can't stop that." Your heart stings when you say, friends. Oh how badly you wanted that to change. It was unbearable.

"Well, what do you want to do? This is hurting you (Y/N). You shouldn't have to deal with this," he says softly, and you look him in his eyes. He's so sweet, so kind, you'd like to think you deserve someone like him but that'd be lying. He deserves someone better than you, someone, with less...issues.

"I can deal with it though. I just need to learn to not care. As much as it hurts my stupid ass feels like going private, or not posting pictures with you is just letting them win. I can't let them win. No matter how much it hurts." You take your phone back and click out of Instagram, reeling your emotions in, "I'm sorry to lay this on you. You don't need to worry about it though, I can handle it."

Tyson shakes his head, "If this gets worse please tell me. Maybe I don't need to worry but I will. I always will."

You give him a soft smile, feeling emotional all over again. He's too good for this world. This world doesn't deserve him. He deserves the world.

"Okay, who brought in the depressing mood?" Your mom shouts from the kitchen, "By the way, breakfast is ready."

You and Tyson get off the couch and make way to the kitchen. Breakfast is good, your mom made pancakes with chocolate chips and put cut up strawberries on top of each stack. She's also cooked bacon, and scrambled eggs which you wrinkle your nose at. You hate the texture. Conversation flows easy, talking about your studies, the Avs, and your mom and dads jobs. Your dad is supposed to be coming home this afternoon after staying overnight. Once breakfast is finished Tyson announces that he has to leave to your disappointment, and you walk him out to his car. He gives you a big hug before getting in and driving away.

"He definitely likes you," You hear your mom pipe up from just inside the front entrance. You scoff at her and turn on your heel, coming back inside.

"He shouldn't. He deserves someone better."  You reply, closing the door behind you. Making your way to your room, she speaks to your back.

"You deserve someone like him. He's here, he likes you, you like him. Why are you running away?"

You stop at the door to your room.

"Because mom, it'll save me the pain when he realizes he doesn't."

[tsegss]

6 with Willy Nylander please!?

6. Do I stand a chance?

“Can I just ask you one question?” Will asked, his voice sheepish.

Your eyes rose to meet his.

“Di-Do I stand a chance?”

“Of course.” You said, immediately. “Of course you do. I just didn’t know that you wanted one.”

“Are you serious, I thought you knew how I felt about you?”

“No, never.”

The two of you sat there awkwardly avoiding eye contact, waiting for the other to make the next move. But, here’s the thing, neither of you knew what the next move was. If this was a movie, he would kiss you and the two of you would live happily ever after. But, this wasn’t a movie, and the only thing you could think about right now was jeopardizing a friendship with Will, that meant so much to you. A friendship that you couldn’t ruin.

So, instead of kissing him, you sat there thinking of what to do next and if you should say something. But, thankfully, you didn’t have to as Will broke the awkward silence.

“So, what now?”

[running-on-fanfiction]

Brent Burns - Sad as hell

Hey can you do a Brent Burns imagine? I have yet to come across one on him. 

Author’s note:  I found this prompt from @soprompt. My writng blogs should check it out!  *ALSO SPOILER ALERT* for BOTH the movie and the book the fault in our stars! Don’t read if you haven’t seen or read

Prompt : “Shhhh. Can’t you just let me be miserable in peace?”

Date night was your favorite night! You got to spend the whole night with the man you love. Tonight you two decided to stay in order some pizza and watch movies. Which you had to say was your favorite. You were never one for going out. 

“Okay, so my mom said this movie was good so this is what we are going to be watching. Good?” Brent said holding up The Fault in Our Stars. 

You smiled knowing all to well what the movie was about. You had read the book in high school when you were younger, but you didn’t want to tell Brent that in case he won’t want to watch it know you knew what was going to happen.

“Sounds good!” You said smiling.

Brent popped the movie in the DVD player than crawled back onto the couch with you in his arms. 

You guys had just gotten to the part of the movie were Gus was at the gas station breaking down. God this part broke you. Out of all the part in the movie and book this part hurt your heart the most. 

To you it show that no matter how strong someone can be, sometimes they break. Sometimes they see that and they hate that they can’t fix themselves. Gus went around making people happy, and not caring about the worries they had but when he it came to him he couldn’t deal with it and he didn’t want others to see that part of him. That killed you. 

“Babe...are you crying?” You asked Brent. 

“No! I just have an eye lash in my eye.” He said rubbing his eyeball. 

“Surrrrrre you do.” You laughed. 

“How come your not crying? This movie is sad as hell!” Brent said looking at you. Your face went red and you turned your face to the tv. “OH MY GOD! YOU’VE SEEN THIS BEFORE!” He yelled. 

“NO! I’ve just read the book.” You smiled to yourself. 

“I feel SOOOOOO betrayed right now! He joked. 

You two sat there in each others arms until the end of the movie. Brent got up to turn the movie off and clean up the living room.

“What are you doing?” He asked looking at you face down on the couch.

“Shhhh. Can’t you just let me be miserable in peace?” You mumbled. 

You heard your boyfriend laugh before you felt a heavy weight on your back. 

“What....are....you...doing...? You huffed out.

“Laying on you, duh.” He laughed. 

“Why?” 

“So we can be miserable together, because that movies was sad as hell.” Brent laughed before placing a kiss behind your ear. “I love you.”

“I love you too, but can you get up I can’t breath big butt.” You both giggled.

-Julianne

[starry-hughes]

fake holiday date (luke hughes)

day 16 of star’s ficmas

luke hughes x reader

Luke hadn’t heard from you since he left for Tampa. When he left for Tampa for the Frozen Four, he decided to break up with you. It was a hard decision but he didn’t want it hard on you. But he was coming home to Michigan for the holidays and he got a text from you.

“I need help.”

Luke Hughes was still in love with you. He immediately called upon seeing your text. “Hello?” you answered. Your stomach was a pit of nerves. Even though you texted him, you still felt sick when he called. “Are you okay?” he panicked. “I need a date.”

He should have hung up but you were scrambling words together. “Luke, wait, please hear me out. I kinda never told my family we ended things, and they are expecting you at Christmas. Please, just like two hours.”

Luke was silent. He didn’t know what to say. You were still telling your family he was still your boyfriend? “Two hours. Just two hours,” Luke mumbled.

Luke and you were a good couple. Envied by friends, called mom and dad by his roommates, always together. You loved Luke and he loved you, it was the right person at the wrong time. Luke was your first love, the first boy you brought home.

He sat outside your house, in his car, wearing a red sweater. He told his parents and brothers he was seeing his friends. He texted you a simple “here.”

You exited the house and Luke sucked in a breath. You were still beautiful. Luke walked up, a secret gift folded in his pocket. “Thank you,” you whispered and leaned up and kissed his cheek. You pulled him into the house and he was met with the familiar warmth of your house. Memories of him and you on the couch watching movies or eating dinners with your family.

“Luke!” your mother greeted, wiping her hands on her apron. “Honey it’s been so long, I’m so sad (Y/N) didn’t bring you by the whole summer, she said you were training but was always seeing you.” Luke nodded and smiled. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around, missed you guys,” Luke lied.

You had coached Luke, saying he was so busy with training and that you still saw him over the summer, saying that you even went with the boys to see the game in Detroit. “How’s the season going?” your dad questioned. Your parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and grandparents, and you and Luke eventually sat at the table for dinner.

Luke didn’t need to do it, but he placed his hand on your thigh, the two of you were a perfect couple. Your family all bought the act. After dinner, Luke even helped clean up before you dragged him up to your bedroom.

It was the same as the last time he saw it. Even your pictures of you and him still were hanging, probably to further your lie. Your stuffed animal sat on your bed and he smiled. “Thank you for coming, I didn’t think you’d actually answer my text.”

“I wanted to get away from Jack and Quinn anyway, they were annoying me,” Luke joked. “Why didn’t you ever tell your family?” Luke asked. You sighed, sitting on the edge of your bed. “I didn’t want to tell them, they were disappointed when I changed my major. I didn’t want to tell them I lost my boyfriend too.”

He frowned. “I haven't dated anyone since you. My parents just think I was with you during the summer but I was really just driving around town or window shopping at stores,” you admitted. Luke opened his mouth to say something but shut it when his phone buzzed. He had been gone for three hours, his brothers and parents were wondering where he had gone. “I have to go,” Luke swallowed.

You walked him out, watching with a smile as he bid everyone a goodbye and walked him out to his car. “I hope your family is well and Jersey treats you well,” you whispered. “Have a good Christmas (Y/N).”

If Luke and you were still dating, he would have kissed you. You would have seen his parents for Christmas, messed with Quinn and Jack, it would have been all fine. “Bye Luke.”

You snuck past your family, wanting to go cry in your room. You missed Luke. You entered your childhood bedroom, but there was something on your bed. It was a folded piece of paper, from Luke. You slowly unfolded it. A plane ticket to New Jersey.

[drabblemesilly]

Jason Robertson #1

Requested by Anon: can you please write one about jason robertson seeing his ex and maybe inviting her to a game? something like that? thank you!!!! i am glad you are back!

*Hiiii!! Something quick and all smiles. Hope you enjoy and thank you for welcoming me back! :) For some reason, I think I saw somewhere that he doesn't drink coffee so if he really doesn't, I took some liberties here. Hooray for my favorite half Filo baby.*

Word count: 942

The coffee’s getting cold. Okay fine, it doesn’t really matter because coffee is coffee but you’ve been staring at it for almost ten minutes now. Not that you’re counting or whatever. Because you’re not. Really, you’re not.

And you ordering your ex’s favorite coffee the moment you stepped inside his favorite mom and pop shop was just muscle memory. You don’t miss him. Sometimes yes, you fantasize about him but that’s just because he has a nice butt. And abs, oh the abs, and okay maybe he also has a pretty face. But there’s a reason Jason Robertson is lodged well into the past.

Chapter closed.

Right.

You don’t miss him. He’s just in your mind a lot lately. The season has started back up and he’s on the news, is all. You hate the Dallas Stars. Forget that you’ve been a fan since Jason Spezza got traded to the team, you hate the Stars. Maybe if you repeat it a million times, you’ll finally believe it.

Distantly, you hear the bell above the door ring, signaling the entrance of another person. Another person who would need a table. A table you’re occupying while you’re staring at the coffee you neither like nor hate but already spent almost four dollars for.

Maybe if you paid less attention to the coffee and more to your surroundings, you’d notice the silence that fell over the shop when the person entered. Or how the kid to your left almost leaped from his chair to loudly whisper to his mom. But you were still busy staring at the coffee.

Not until an identical mug was put on your table.

“Oh,” you started, “I’m still occupying this –” you looked up and almost keeled over.

Ladies and gentlemen, SoCal baby and American superstar, Jason Roberston.

“How do you look like a fifteen year old playing dress up?” you groaned, gesturing to his suit-clad body as he sat across from you.

A corner of his lip lifted, “I miss you too.”

“I don’t,” you lied. Or not lie. You don’t miss him, whatever, “you know what?” you pushed your coffee towards him, “I’m actually glad you’re here, I ordered your coffee mistakenly.”

“Milk with a dash of coffee,” he corrected, tapping a finger on the mug, “that’s what you always said. Basically a hot milkshake.”

You scoffed, “don’t you have a game to get to?” you eyed his tie, a navy one with rainbow-colored ducks. Jesus F. this guy will be the death of you. 

“I have time,” he shrugged, “I also have one extra pass if you want to go?” He looked hopeful.

If you faked annoyance enough, maybe he’ll leave. If you’re being honest, you and Jason ended in good terms. Heck, you’d even go as far as call yourselves friends. It’s been four months since you broke up and you haven’t seen him since. People speculated, he’s famous enough now that puck bunnies talk about him, but it really just came down to your busy schedules. It didn’t mean you loved him any less.

“I’m good,” you finally gave him a small smile, the familiarity of game day last minute coffees making you a little uncomfortable, “haven’t seen you in months.”

He nodded, “yeah, what with summer camp and all.”

“Hmm,” you nodded, eyeing his too-long hair, “your stats are looking good.”

He leaned back on his chair, a stupid grin plastered on his face, “thank you very much, stalker.”

You scoffed, “you’re all over hockey news,” you said semi-defensively. Maybe you’ve been stalking him but you’re not gonna tell him that, “get over yourself.”

Hands crossed now and with a playful glint in his eye, he added, “hey, I’m not the one ordering my ex’s coffee,” his eyebrows raised, “but seriously, it’s early in the season so who’s to say.”

“I heard you’re breaking team records left and right.”

“Records schmecords,” he laughed, taking a sip from his mug before setting it back down, “you look good.”

That’s surprising. Judging that you had sweats and, to be frank, old underwear and an unwashed bra underneath the ratty shirt, you’d say you didn’t look anywhere near good.

“Lies,” you laughed, you pointed at his tie, “at least one of us looks like they showered today.”

An eyebrow raised, “can I tell you a secret?”

“What?”

“I didn’t,” Jason whispered, leaning over the table.

“Didn’t?”

“Didn’t shower,” he chuckled, “even after morning skate.”

“Gross,” you laughed, flicking a balled up napkin his way, “you’re gross.”

He laughed at that, settling back on his chair, looking at you. You probably looked like a pair of teenagers on their first date, smiling at each other, and looking like fools: just staring and smiling. It depends on the day, you know. Sometimes you wake up and all is well in the world – clothes are dry, the weather’s warm, everything perfect and then there are some days, days like today, where you just want to order his coffee and remind yourself that he’s real. That he happened to you.

Of all the women in the world, and there definitely are better women out there, once upon a time, Jason Roberston chose you. That’s nice.

He still had the ghost of a smile on his face when he asked again, “game?”

Breaking your thoughts, you can only answer him with a dumb, “huh?”

He repeated, “come watch the game?”

“Looking like this?” 

“You have time,” he smirked, “so what do you say?” he gave your mug another tap, “for old times’ sake?”

How could you say no to that?”

“Okay,” you nodded, feeling another smile coming through, “for old times’ sake.”

[bqstqnbruin]

Yay to a blurb weekend! May I request number 14 with Matthew Tkachuk? Happy New Year!

Happy blurb weekend!

the power goes out in our apartment building, but i’m not prepared for this, and you come to check on me

WC: 895

Warnings: None

The snow was falling harder with every passing second, the winters in Calgary still not something you were really very used to having come from somewhere just a little further south in comparison. You did love looking out your window and watching it fall. You remember when you were little, sitting at the window in your childhood home when it snowed, looking up while the snow came down and feeling like you were going up through it instead. You wished you could recreate that feeling of a child on a snow day.

You were making a cup of tea, Christmas music playing in the background despite it being after Christmas, a book on the coffee table waiting to be read. There was food in the oven heating up, everything you needed for a nice day inside, in the warmth of your apartment.

“Hey, what are you doing right now?” your boyfriend's voice came through on your apartment intercom, the one you regretted having in that moment. He was supposed to be off doing his own thing, not bothering you.

“Matthew, leave me alone,” you groan, having just gotten comfortable in your position on the couch.

“No,” you hear him say, followed by silence. He must have just come in from practice, hitting the buzzer downstairs at the entrance to even see if you would answer, the pest of a man that he was probably doing everything he could to bother you in his free time.

You wait for him to knock on your door, knowing exactly how long it should take him to get from the entrance to your place. When he doesn’t knock, you shrug it off, going back to your book. You were deep in the pages of the novel, knowing that as soon as you were done, Matthew was the first one you were going to see thanks to the little inspiration you had from the two main characters in love.

Before you could process the crash like sound from outside, the lights were out, and you couldn’t see anything. “Fucking hell,” you mutter, your dinner still in the oven that you now had to go turn off without being able to eat.

“Are you still alive?” you hear Matthew screaming from your entry way while you’re trying to get everything situated in the kitchen without any light to help you.

“Yes, I’m fine,” you mutter, already knowing where this was going.

“Did you eat?”

“No.”

“Why not, you knew it was going to be bad out,” he says, starting to sound a little too much like a helicopter parent for your liking.

You turn around, barely able to make out his silhouette in the darkness. “How was I supposed to know that it was going to be bad enough for us to lose power when we’ve literally never lost power before.”

You hear him sigh, pulling out his phone with his flash light on to start to rummage through your cabinets to see if you had anything you could eat while you waited for the power to turn back on. “How have you survived this long?” he asks you.

“Without you by my side for most of it, thank you very much,” you say, trying not to sound too mean.

“And for some reason, I’m dating you when you look like someone who needs to be on a leash because you’ll wander off and get lost in a Target.”

“Coming from the guy who looks like he would get into the shower and then turn the water on,” you counter.”

Matthew scoffs, handing you the box of crackers that he found in your cabinets from god only knows when. “It saves time, why wait for the water to heat up when cold water is still fine?”

Your mouth hangs open, Matthew’s hand finding yours and bringing you back over to your couch. Your vision was finally adjusting to the darkness around you, the two of you sitting with your legs in Matthew’s lap while you waited for the power to come back on. “There’s no way you actually do that.”

He shrugs, popping a cracker in his mouth. “If I want to get in and out fast, I will.”

You sit there with him for what felt like forever, the two of you in silence, his arms now wrapped around you with his fingers dancing up and down your skin. “How long have we been together?” he asked you.

“Two years, I think?” you tell him, trying to remember when your actual anniversary was. You started dating during one of his seasons, so you haven’t really had the chance to celebrate with him since he was away on the road when it happened or just busy with hockey in general.

“How long do we date and stay together before we move in together?” he asks you.

You sit up, caught off guard by his question. You already split your time in each other's apartments since you lived in the same building, the only difference was that you had separate keys for what was essentially the same situation. Before you could answer, the power comes back on, a smile on Matthew’s face while he waits for your answer.

“How long do you want to wait?” you counter, a smile on your face to mirror his.

“Not much longer.”

“Then let’s do it.”

[starry-hughes]

say the word, and i'm there

luke hughes x reader

summary: luke will be there for you, no matter what

requested: yes! i hope you like it!

You love Luke. You really do. But sometimes, he just upsets you a little too much. Balancing hockey, college, and a relationship would prove hard in some situations. Luke had been stressed before the fight. He was tired of answering questions about when he was leaving for New Jersey. He was struggling in his stats class. The last thing he needed was a reminder that he had missed your six-month anniversary. 

Understandably, you tried not to be upset about it. You knew how much stress Luke was under. You would hate to add to that. But it did hurt you a little that he missed it. It all came to a head after a particularly bad practice for Luke. The two of you were in his car, sitting at a stoplight, light talk about dinner. 

Luke’s hair was still dripping water from his quick shower. He was taking you to dinner to apologize for missing your anniversary, but the restaurant was closed. “Luke, we can just pick somewhere else,” you mumbled. “I feel like you’re pissed with me still,” he responded. “I told you it was fine.” 

“I’ve been thinking that maybe we need a break,” he blurted. Your heart hurt as soon as the words left his mouth. “What?” your voice shook. “I can’t give you all my love when I have so much going on. And you deserve much more than what I’m giving you,” he explained. Your chin wobbled, “Lu, it’s fine. I think we’re just both stressed out right now, but it’s okay. We’re okay.”

He shook his head, “Please. Just a break. I still love you all the same, but I have so much going on. We can reevaluate or whatever in like a week.” Luke drove you home in silence. It killed him when he would catch you wiping tears from your cheeks. “I’m not breaking up with you, I just need some space,” he reminded you as you left the car. 

Space was exactly was Luke didn’t need at the moment. He was suffering without you. He didn’t realize how much he would miss you. He missed the smell of your shampoo on his pillow and your nightly texts. The only text you two had exchanged since you left his car that night was you telling him good luck on his upcoming game. 

No one knew what was going on until Mackie walked into the living room and hit the back of Luke’s head. Many of the boys from the team were at the house. “What the hell man?” Luke rubbed the back of his head. “I just ran into (Y/N)’s roommate at Starbucks. She said that (Y/N) is a heartbroken mess after you asked for a break.” Luke wished he could sink into the couch and disappear. “We’re just working through stuff,” Luke grumbled. 

It wasn’t until the weekend that Luke heard from you. The house was empty except for him. The team had won the game that night and was out partying. Luke wasn’t feeling in a party mood, especially after seeing you missing from the game. 

Your roommate barged into your room, barking at you to get ready for a party. “Luke is going to be there,” you whined as she threw some clothes at you. “And? You need to leave this room and get out to have fun!” she defended. The two of you got ready for the party before departing in an Uber. 

It was fun for a while. You had spent a little bit looking for Luke, trying not to be disappointed when you didn’t see him anywhere. Many of the boys came to talk to you and ask how you were doing. “I’ll be back!” Mark shouted over the music to you. The two of you had been standing on the wall talking. You probably should have paced yourself with your drinks. Your roommate had just kept shoving drinks into your hand, and you were finishing them faster than you realized. 

“Hi.” Someone slid into the gap that Mark had left next to you. “Hi,” you greeted. “Here alone?” The guy questioned. “No, my roommate and friends are here,” you stated. You didn’t know who this guy was and you were feeling uncomfortable alone with a stranger. “I think your friends would understand if you disappeared for a little with me. Maybe upstairs?” Red flags were waving in your head. “No thanks.” 

“Oh c’mon, sweetheart, I don’t like failing, don’t say no.” You felt sick suddenly. 

You shoved your drink into the hands of the stranger, “I have to go.” You were stumbling off to the porch of the house, fumbling to get your phone out of your jacket pocket. You weren’t even breathing as you unlocked your phone, hitting his contact. You listened to the phone ring. You were expecting him to ignore your call. 

Luke was watching some random movie, trying to distract himself when his phone started ringing. He stared at your contact photo for a second before he realized he needed to actually answer. “Hello?” He answered. “Luke.” 

He sat up quickly, hearing your strained voice on the verge of tears. “(Y/N)? Baby? What’s wrong?” He asked. “Can you please come and get me?” You choked out. “Yeah, yeah, of course. Where are you?” Luke was finding a random pair of shoes and his keys. “At the party.” Luke heard you talk about having too much to drink and some guy making you uncomfortable. All he saw was red. “Okay baby, I’m on the way. Stay on the phone with me, okay?”

Luke put the call on speaker as he began to furiously text the team group chat. “Dylan is coming to sit with you and bring some water,” Luke informed you as he began driving well over the speed limit. “I got her Luke,” he heard Dylan’s voice. You sat there with Dylan, sipping on the water until Luke got there. Dylan asked you to describe the guy who bothered you and you did the best you could.

The car was barely put into park before Luke jumped out. Luke thanked his friend and helped you into the car. “I’m sorry for calling you,” you sniffled as Luke began driving. “No, no, no. You should never be sorry for calling me, especially if you’re uncomfortable somewhere,” Luke stated. “I missed you this week,” you broke. Tears from the stress of the party situation had finally overflowed. Tears from being away from Luke finally let go. Luke’s heart broke, and he stopped the car to pull over. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologized as he reached a hand over the center console to wipe away your tears. He gave you a soft smile, “We’re going to go home. You’re going to drink some more water, shower, and I’m not going to leave your side.” You nodded. “I don’t want to be on a break anymore Luke.”

Luke nodded, “We’re not.” Luke held you awkwardly across the center console of the car until you spoke up, “I love you.” Luke’s heart skipped a beat. No matter how many times you said those words, it always gave him butterflies. “I love you too. Let's go home.”