#puckinghell

[barzal-mat]

emotional support nhl fic recs:

mat barzal:

to all the girls you loved before 2. 3. 4. by: @youunravelme

Five Times Everyone Knew Mat Loved You & The One Time Mat Realized Himself by @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69

caught in the middle by: @hockeywhy

matthew tkachuk:

four times you sat in Matthew’s chair + the one time they called him out by: @extratragic

All For You (4 times you tried to tell Brady you loved him, and the one time Matty did it for you) by: @comphersjost

More Than Morning Sickness by: @hockeylvr59 ​

Whatever Life Throws At You by: @raysofcrosby

on the line by: @tkachuckycheese

making love in hotel rooms by: @hookingminor

consequences by: @midnightsnyx

Patience Is A Virtue by: @spine-buster

Falling From Grace by: @mbarzals

sidney crosby:

call me crosby by: @barzzal

To Sail Beyond The Sunset by: @spine-buster

william nylander:

Ten Day War by: @whockeywhore

The President Wears Prada by: @spine-buster

Told You So by: @puckinghell

morgan rielly:

Alone, Together by: @spine-buster

What Keeps You Up At Night by: @puckinghell

Just Another Girl by: @laurenairay

[genevievefangirl]

Niko's Valentine Extravaganza! Fic Rec 3 -

My theme for Day 3 is Hurt/Comfort (aka one of my favorite genres EVER). It was SO HARD to pick one for this day. Ultimately, I picked this one because as someone who also wrote a fic about Edwin’s abandonment issues, this one struck a chord for me.

Nothing More Romantic (Than Dying With Your Friends)

By: puckinghell Rating: G Words: 7,867 Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Misunderstandings, Feelings Realization, Abandonment Issues, First Kiss

Summary: Edwin had known, from the very beginning, that this day would come. Maybe Charles would decide being a detective was not that fun after all, maybe he’d get curious about what afterlife had in store for him. Maybe he’d get bored of Edwin. But it’d always been a sure thing, in Edwin’s mind, that this could not last forever. He’s still not ready for it when the day finally arrives. Or; the Case of the Petrified Poltergeist Or; Edwin has a bit of breakdown.

[youunravelme]

hi! first off, just wanted to say i love love love your fics especially ‘this is how you fall in love’ and i think i’ve read them all more than what might be normal 💗 i like how you wrote certain scenes and how you managed to balance the fluffy and angsty scenes.

also just wanted to ask, do you have some fic recs for mat? or any other nhl players? i think i’ve read them all already 😭

hi! here's my list of recs!! (it's much easier than searching my blog for the fic rec tag truth be told)

i'm going to split this into a section of my all time favorites (regardless of player)! and then ones i love organized by player.

somethings you need to know BEFORE going on:

mat is my number one baby, so most of these recs are mat fics

i am a happily ever after girly, so most of these recs end happily unless otherwise noted

please support these authors! send them encouraging messages! reblog their works! hype. them. up!

there are a lot of fics that are older (bc i have no chill and will keep checking the tags until i hit the bottom)

here it is:

screaming, crying, throwing up (aka my all time favs)

questions -- anthony beauvillier by @col-islander43

the ENTIRE friends series with auston matthews by @leafs-lover

literally anything by @mendeshoney but here's a list of some of my fav things:

"I've been waiting for you to come to your senses." -- mat barzal

“I love you. But that’s a secret. So I won’t tell you about it.” & 11.) ���You’re drunk.” “Yes. And hopelessly in love with you.” -- mat barzal

"I can't wait for the room to stop spinning, so I can focus on your face again." -- mat barzal

"You're so perfect. How can anyone be so perfect? Maybe you're just a dream." -- mat barzal

don't tell me you're my heartbreaker -- mat barzal

girl at home -- mat barzal by @midnightsnyx

this series is still updating!

a tale of dancing and romancing -- jack hughes by @thatintrovertedwriter

tkachuk!reader

paul revere -- mat barzal by @starry-hughes

angst city baby

this entire series see it with the lights out -- mat barzal by @barzysunflower

THIS ENTIRE SERIES IS SO GOOD

and let's just be so forreal, read ANYTHING by her. check out her masterlist! this series just happened to be a fav of mine.

lover of mine -- nico hischier

literally my all time fav nico fic.

graduation blurb -- mat barzal by @ladylooch

"i got you don't worry" -- mat barzal by @bitchinbarzal

second chances -- mat barzal by @bedsyandco

winter magic -- mat barzal by @matbarzyy

show me the places where the others gave you scars -- mat barzal by @miracleonice87

ours -- mat barzal by @puckinghell

cuddles -- mat barzal by @twinklelilstarkey

set it up -- anthony beauvillier by @troubatrain

slip of the tongue -- mat barzal by @jonesinghardy

caught in the middle -- mat barzal by @hockeywhy

this is literally my ALL TIME FAVORITE MAT SERIES (even if it's one part shy of being complete). i love it so much, i go back and read it all the fucking time.

defender -- mat barzal by @sorryjustafangirl

five times everyone knew mat loved you & the one time he realized it for himself -- mat barzal by @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69

general fic recs! (sorted by player)

jack hughes

a little funky by @bagopucks

mat barzal

bad reaction by @jackhues

there's a part one to this linked in the blurb itself

anthony beauvillier

communication skills by @ohmyeyesmyeyes

i'll do my best to keep this list updated at time goes on!

again, go show these authors some love!! send them a message/an ask/reblog!!!!!

[onlygenxhere]

This week’s featured fic Friday is Room 415 by puckinghell (if they’re on here someone please tag them) This is one of the first stories I bookmarked when I came into this fandom. It’s such a fun read, just the right length.

The guy who lives above Julie in room 415 might as well be a ghost: she never sees him in the hallways, never asked her for sugar, never drunkenly rung the wrong doorbell. He’s a shadow, a phantom. But a phantom who plays very loud music at very inconvenient times.

[swissboyhisch]

MORGAN RIELLY REC LIST

FICS

What Keeps You Up At Night By @puckinghell Sleeping seems impossible but what is keeping you up at night?

AUTHORS INCLUDED ALL DESERVE A FOLLOW:

@puckinghell

UPDATED: 19/6/23

[comphersjost]

i’ve really been through it and that flash forward made me burst into tears bye

Mittens | Tyson Jost

Summary Requests: you never wear mittens so i knit you a pair and leave them for you to find as a gift from an anonymous person because i’m shy

and

your family ditches you for the holiday so i take you home with me, except my family thinks we’re dating now, and i don’t know how to tell them that we’re not Word Count: 3.8k Note: this is dedicated to @thesmutpeasant‘s knitting behaviour

—

When you finished your PR degree, you wouldn’t have said that working for a hockey team was your ultimate dream. You didn’t even know hockey. But working for the Avs has pretty much been the best time of your life, so far.

Where else could you spend an hour of your work day talking about Christmas gifts? 

So far, the boys have decided that for Christmas, Gabe needs to get some hairspray, Z needs a new wardrobe, and Mikko needs a girlfriend.

“What about Tyson?” you ask JT. “Have you gotten him a present yet?”

Keep reading

[grittyreadsfic]

hello my pals, back again with a tasty rec for y’all!

pick up the patterns by puckinghell

pairing: leon draisaitl/connor mcdavid

summary: “I really wish you would love you as much as I love you.”

Leon freezes, at that, his eyes widening slightly, but Connor is already being pulled into sleep, not even fully realizing the weight of what he just said.

Instead, he adds it to the note; Leon doesn’t like being told that he’s loved.

He thinks he’s finally found the pattern.

--

Alternatively, In which Connor McDavid sets out to figure out Leon Draisaitl, and accidentally finds out something about himself.

why i love it: aside from loving mcdrai (because let’s be real, connor/happiness is my favorite ship and i just think the narrative for them is neat AND underappreciated) this is just such a wonderful characterization of them both.  the whole concept is a little heart wrenching-not being able to take a compliment, or just not seeing themselves clearly-and i feel like this trope would have usually been done with connor as the sad one, and i love that it’s been flipped here. honestly such a lovely read!

[fallinallincurls]

hi bestie do u have any natemac fic recs

okay buckle up because i’ve got A LOT. these are in no particular order but all must reads/favorites of mine!!

slipping through my fingers series by @aereres

if home is where the heart is, then i’m homesick for you by @tonyspep

teacher appreciation 4+1 by @ghstandpucks

again someday by @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69

in colorado by @beauvibaby

some people do part one AND part two by @blueskrugs

santa, tell me by @shelbsatans

lessons in romance by @prettyboybarzal

big, big plans by @holy-pucks

surprises by @brockadoodles

almost by @puckinghell

also any and all blurbs by @miracleonice87 @bqstqnbruin @ilyasorokinn @matsbarzals and @danglesnipecelly !!! there’s too many good ones from each of them to choose just one

and i have a few fics already written (with more on the way) for nate so here’s a link to my masterlist in case you want to check those out!

i’m sure i missed some great ones, so anyone who sees this, feel free to add on! but happy reading anon!

[heysimps]

Hockey fic recs🤍

Mat Barzal

Pretend by @matbaerzal

More then a Vancouver sunset by @zuucc

Not a perfect proposal by @myhockeyworld87

4 times Mat was caught simping by his friends and 1 time you caught him. by @puckbuddies

Velvet Elvis by @honeybearbarzal

Ours by @puckinghell

Opportunities by @generallybarzy

Temptation by @iamtheblondestblonde

Kissing my bestfriend challenge by @hocktent

My love By @tkachukslut

Mortel @jkeeso

Good morning by @barzypatty

How not to fall in love by @pucksnsticksnhockeyboys

Wedding season by @ohpuckit

Series

Between halls and thin walls by @barzzal

One night stand by @matbaerzal

Me or my company by @tkachukme

Matthew Tkachuk

Does he know? by @hockey-fics

Bad behavior by @troubatrain

Fireworks by @blueskrugs

Take by @tkafuckit

It’s not that bad by @sorryjustafangirl

Since when? by @nhlandotherimagines

Tolerate it by @brockadoodles

If everything could ever feel this real forever by @konecny-s

Present tense by @broadstbroskis

Sunflowers by @hockeyboysiguess

4 times he almost proposed + 1 time he really did by @hockeywhy

Series

10 things i hate about you by @bqstqnbruin

Nolan Patrick

Miscommunications by @jamiedrysdales

Mine by @museinmind

Red Roses by @heybarzy

Bad day by @twinklelilstarkey

Everything has changed by @texanstarslove

Take me higher by @danglesnipecelly

Three times to fall by @captain-mcdavid

Tis the damn season by @numba99

Fool for you by @davidpastrsnack

Take a chance or three on me by @shelbsatans

Secrets / part 2 by @comphersjost

Anthony Beauvillier

Private Reservations by @hookingminor

Mine by @softbarzal

She’s not you by @denis-scorianov

White lace by @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69

Tyler Seguinn

Shot your shot by @baevillier

Engraved by @pucking-insane

Single man by @holy-pucks

Friends don’t by @dunndunner

Home gym by @mathewbarzxl

Series

Little do you know by @raysofcrosby

[buttercupjosh]

Elias Pettersson Fic and Blurbs Recs:

I originally placed all of my Elias Pettersson stories on my “Other Players Fic and Blurb Recs list but because I started to read a lot more fics for him, I decided to give him his own list.

Thank you to everyone on this list for sharing your talent on here, you’re doing amazing :)

(P.S. If you happen to make any changes to your information, please let me know so I can be consistent and update the list. Thank you in advance😌)

(Also, feel free to send me your fics, I would love to read them)

In no particular order, these are some of my favorite Petey fics and blurbs:

Fics from Other Players Fics and Blurbs list:

Acts of Service by @puckinghell

Four times you said I love you and the one time he said it to you by @danglesnipecelly

Not a Typical Christmas Story by @puckinghell

Night Changes by @tessisawriter

Treacherous by @brockadoodles

Take care of you by @denis-scorianov

Heartbreak Weather by @denis-scorianov

Alone Together by @pucksnsticksnhockeyboys

Not a Typical Christmas Story by @puckinghell

New Additions:

I Hate Love Songs by @tysonjost-taylorsversion

[barzal-mat]

fic rec’s:

This is a collection of nhl fics/authors that I love. I do have another rec list, HERE, but I figured a fresh start could be beneficial. Enjoy!

Updated: Jul. 25th, 2021

Matthew Tkachuk:

four times you sat in Matthew’s chair +  the one time they called him out by: @extratragic​

Think Twice by: @dempuckboys​

More Than Morning Sickness by: @hockeylvr59​

Does He Know by: @hockey-fics​

This is How You Know by: @danglesnipecelly​

Bad Behavior by: @troubatrain​

Tolerate It by: @brockadoodles​

Consequences (masterlist) by: @letstalkabouthockey​

Patience is a Virtue by: @spine-buster

  1   2  3  4  5  6  7  8

All For You (ft Brady Tkachuk) by: @comphersjost

1  2  3  4  5

Falling From Grace by: @mbarzals

1   2   3   4   5   6

Mat Barzal:

Bruises by @hockeylvr59 (tw: domestic violence)

     + Bruises Pt. 2

Ours by @puckinghell​

Five Times Everyone Knew Mat Loved You & The One Time Mat Realized Himself  by: @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69​

up all night by: @softbarzal​

William Nylander:

Ten Day War by: @whockeywhore + masterlist

 1  2  3  3.5  4  5  5.5  6  7  7.5  8  9  10  11  11.5  12  13  14  15  15.5  16  17  18  19  20

The President Wears Prada by: @spine-buster + masterlist  

Told You So by: @puckinghell​

A Million Different Ways by: @puckinghell​

Morgan Rielly:

Alone, Together by: @spine-buster + masterlist

Prologue  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  *9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  *21  22  *23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  *31  32  33  34  *35  *36  37  *38  39  *40  (epilogues, one-shots and instagram/visuals are in the masterlist linked above)

What Keeps You Up At Night by: @puckinghell​

why couldn’t it be me by: @mrsmorielly​

Baby Weight by: @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69​

Talk To Me by: @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69​

Sidney Crosby:

Call Me Crosby by: @barzzal​

Other:

Tyler Seguin: 

Won’t Go Slowly by: @psychospeak-blog 

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  31  32  33  34  35  36  37  38  39  40  41  42  43  44  45  46  47  48  49  50  51  52  53  54

Travis Konecny:

Playing With Fire by: @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69

Nolan Patrrick:

it’s crazy what you’ll do for a friend by: @davidpastrsnack

[wyattjohnston]

fav “old fics”:

@/danglesnipecelly ‘s “Rest of My Life” with Sidney Crosby (forever a comfort fic but all of their writing was amazing)

@/puckinghell ‘s “Acts of Service” with Elias Pettersson (it’s the love language one and i love it)

@/ pucksnsticksnhockeyboys “3:42am” with Anthony Beauvillier

also by @/ pucksnsticksnhockeyboys “reputations” and “never isn’t an option” both with matthew tkachuk

and your “only all the time” with EJ

i love all of them so dearly

ahhhh excellent choices and excellent writers

what are you fave 'old' fics?

[brockadoodles]

The CN Tower and Chocolate Chip Pancakes - w. nylander

AN: I swear before whipping this out I was complaining about no writing motivation and how I was going to finish my Christmas wips when this like came to me. So here’s a quick little story about one of our favorite blondies for @puckinghell​ and all of you. There is mention of losing a parent, which is something I closely relate to from losing one of mine recently, if that’s a trigger, I wouldn’t read this. It’s not an angst piece at all, I just think that warning is necessary. This also may or may not be self indulgent and based on an actual experience I had two years ago with a boy in NYC, but like, you didn’t hear that from me. Anyways, I hope you enjoy. 

Word Count: 3,337 

Warnings: Mentions of death of a parent 

Christmas was usually your favorite time of the year. You loved how the city lit up during December, the white lights twinkling from the streetlights and trees, the fresh snow that usually littered the city of Toronto, and the constant smell of gingerbread and spices whenever you entered a building were all things that brought you comfort. This year, however, was different. It was the first year without your mom, without a lot of the traditions that the two of you would do together as you grew up. 

You tried though. You went through all of the motions of the holiday. You decorated a tree, blue and silver just like she always loved. You went skating, an experience that was far less fun without your mom to laugh with you when you fell. You went to the Christmas Market, buying a new small knick-knack, like every other year you had done since you were five years old. All of it felt forced, but you were hopeful. You were hopeful that one last Christmas tradition would bring you the sense of comfort you had been searching for during the entire month of December. 

The fleeting feeling of comfort and your mom were how you found yourself spending nearly $60 to go up CN Tower on Christmas Eve. A tradition that was usually entirely reserved for tourists visiting the city, a romantic setting with the tower lit up for the holiday and the nighttime skyline view of the entire city providing a cinematic backdrop for people’s perfect holiday moments. You weren’t a tourist, you had grown up in Toronto for your entire life, but your mom had always believed in the idea that it wasn’t a bad thing to be a tourist in your own city, so every year on Christmas even she would bring you up here and the two of you would sit on the observation deck and make a Christmas wish. No matter how lost you felt, it was the one tradition that you didn’t think you could ever give up. 

You wandered around the observation deck, the dark beanie on your head keeping your ears warm and your hands were securely tucked in your wool coat pockets as you watched the various people scattered around. It was getting late, the families with children were long gone, probably at home tucked into their beds, and most people that were left were younger couples. You glanced to your right, spotting a boy on one knee holding a ring out for the girl standing in front of him with tears in her eyes. You watched them for a moment, finding yourself wrapped up slightly in how happy they both looked. It gave you an idea for your Christmas wish, and you found yourself smiling softly as you closed your eyes and wished. 

“I love you, mom, Merry Christmas.” You whispered as you opened your eyes, the feeling of comfort not quite sinking into your chest yet. As you walked the familiar route to the elevators, you decided that once last stop before heading home for pancakes certainly couldn’t hurt. 

You walked down the street with your eyes focussed on your phone as the snow was falling a bit harder than it had been previously. You were searching for anything that was open on Christmas Eve, your stomach growling a bit as you scanned through the search results. 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Someone exclaimed, grabbing your arm slightly to prevent you from falling into their chest. You looked up, seeing a boy that must have been around your age looking down at you with a concerned look in his blue eyes. You must have ran into him, too focussed on your phone to watch where you were walking properly enough. You studied his face for a minute, wondering if you had somehow met him before from the feeling of familiarity you were getting in your stomach. 

“Do I know you?” You blurted out, adverting your eyes a bit when you realized how rude you must have sounded to this boy immediately after quite literally bumping into him. It didn’t seem to phase him though, and he just smiled. 

“I think so? I’m William. You know Steph right? Steph LaChance?” And that’s when it hit you, you did know this boy, well sort of. You had met him maybe once before, at a mutual friend’s birthday party at least two years ago. 

“Ah, I do remember you. Wow, you look different, I mean, good.” You stumbled out. It was true, he did look a lot different than he did when you met him. His hair was longer, his face a bit rounder, and a short beard that definitely wasn’t there before. You felt your cheeks heat up in embarrassment a bit as he laughed softly at your statement.

“So do you. Hey, this may seem a bit forward but, are you busy right now?” He asked. Part of you wanted to tell him yes, that you were busy. That way you could just get on the train back to your apartment, curl up with a warm cup of tea and your slippers, and fall asleep to the snow falling outside of your winder. But the other part of you was dreading going home, the sinking feeling of your first Christmas without your mom settling into your stomach and making you not want to go home. Because if you went home to your empty apartment, you’d have to fully confront your reality. So instead, you nodded up at William, taking a chance on the stranger in front of you that wasn’t quite a stranger. 

“What did you have in mind?” You asked softly.

“Come on.” He smiled at you and held his hand out for you to take, your question going unanswered as you hesitantly wrapped your hand in his, letting him lead you in the opposite direction you had come from. 

The walk was short and quiet, and your stomach grumbled once more when you stopped in front of what appeared to be the destination he was leading you to. You glanced up at the neon pink sign, the diner clearly out of date and straight from the 1980’s. You smiled to yourself, appreciating that somehow this stranger that wasn’t quite a stranger had instinctively known exactly what you needed at the moment. 

“I hope you like pancakes,” He smiled as he opened the door for you, gesturing you ahead with his hand. The diner was relatively empty, just a few other patrons sitting in the various worn-out leather booths. There were decorations everywhere, garlands wrapped around the posts holding up the ceiling and a small Christmas tree lit up in the corner of the diner, multicolored lights strung throughout but no ornaments. 

You followed William to a booth in the corner and watched carefully as he smiled at the waitress, her saying hello to him by name. You wondered if this was a place he went to frequently enough to be on a first-name basis with the people that worked here, or if perhaps they were just Toronto Maple Leafs fans who happened to recognize him.

“I come here all the time, usually after bad games. I just really like the people here, and something about diner food is comforting after a loss.” He explained before you had the chance to ask. You nodded at him while you shrugged off your jacket and pulled off your beanie, fixing your hair slightly as William handed you a menu from the side of the table. You grabbed the menu and let your fingers brush lightly against his, causing you to pull your hand back quickly. 

“Why did you want to come here tonight?” You asked softly, hoping that your question wasn’t taken out of context or as too intrusive for him to answer. William didn’t seem phased by any of it, instead offering you what would have been the fourth or fifth reassuring smile so far that night, if you were keeping count. 

“Just didn’t want to be alone on Christmas Eve, I guess.” He admitted. You were almost taken aback by his honesty with you, finding yourself wondering if he had asked you the very same question that you asked him if you’d answer as bluntly as he did. You felt oddly settled with him though, there in that shitty diner looking at a worn-out menu that probably hadn’t been updated in fifteen years and you found yourself wanting to give him the same openness that he gave you. 

“Me neither, I guess.” You commented, holding back and giving him just enough that hopefully he understood that on some level you felt how he felt, even if you couldn’t entirely admit to him why. 

The two of you sat in comfortable silence for a few moments as you both scanned over the menu. The waitress came over, sliding two pale brown mugs filled with coffee in both of your directions and noting that she would be back in a minute to check if either of you wanted any food. You scanned over the pancakes and peeked over at William, his eyes also scanning the page with concentration and you found your mind wondering about him once more. You watched as he bit his lip softly and wondered if he was the type who liked pancakes with fruit on them, or chocolate, an inconsequential fact that most people wouldn’t be phased by but to you said everything you needed to know about a person. 

“You said you hoped I liked pancakes, right, William?” You asked, breaking the silence between you as you closed your menu in front of you. He looked over the menu in his own hands at you, raising an eyebrow quickly and smiling softly before looking back down at the pages. 

“You can call me Willy if you want, and yeah. I like most kinds, but if you try to tell me fruit on pancakes is better than chocolate, I might have to leave.” He teased as he closed his menu, now looking fully at you with a smirk on his face. For a moment you went wide-eyed, wondering if he somehow crept into your mind and heard exactly what you were thinking. You recovered quickly though, and folded your hands quickly on the table, sending your own smirk back to him. 

“I’m not going to argue with that, it’s obviously the correct answer.” Willy didn’t say anything, instead, he nodded at you before taking a sip of the diner coffee, seemingly not phased by its lack of strength or flavor. You grabbed your own mug and the two of you settled into a much more relaxed conversation as you waited for the waitress to come back. Nearly two hours of conversation passing through you without either of you realizing just how personal you were being with each other. 

“Usually this place is faster than this, I’m sorry.” The boy in front of you commented, his head tilting toward the large analog clock on the wall that had shown it was nearing midnight, nearing Christmas. You weren’t worried though, glancing around the small diner as the snow fell harshly outside. You smiled softly at William, 

“We haven’t even ordered yet, and I’ve got nothing but time tonight.” Willy just smiled back at you, nodding a bit and catching the eye of the waitress. 

“Sorry guys, been a long day. What can I get you?” She smiled apologetically. You nodded at Willy to go first. 

“No problem, Grace.” He started, referring to the older woman by her first name. He glanced at you quickly, taking a leap of his own as he spoke,

“Can we just grab two orders of chocolate chip pancakes and more coffee?” he asked. 

“Confident, what if I wanted strawberry?” You teased, raising an eyebrow quickly. Willy laughed, a genuine laugh that somehow hit you in your chest as comfort settled into your system, a soft smile lingering on your lips as he started leaning into his hand that was resting on the table. He looked at you at that moment like you were more than just a stranger who wasn’t really a stranger to him, and you would be lying to yourself if you tried to ignore the butterflies that it was giving you. Willy felt familiar in an unfamiliar yet exciting way. It didn’t feel like you had only met him once, instead, it felt like you had known him in passing forever, your comfort level and trust quickly rising in him in just a few short hours of really knowing him. 

“No chance, you said I was right about chocolate, and I pay attention.” He threw back at you. 

“Okay, tell me the real reason you’re alone on Christmas Eve.” Willy pressed as he set his fork down, scooting the nearly empty plate away from his body and toward the center of the table. It was nearly 2 am at this point, and you weren’t sure if it was the few hours you had spent with him giving or the tiredness weighing you down that gave you the false sense of closeness with him, but you found yourself giving in anyway, wanting to tell him everything about yourself in hopes that he would for some reason be taking notes to remember you by. 

“It’s my first Christmas without my mom, she uhm, passed away earlier this year and I spent the whole day doing things by myself that we used to do together. So, when you asked if I was busy, I said no, because going somewhere with you felt better than going home to my empty apartment and my thoughts.” It felt good to get it out and Willy’s reaction confirmed what you had already assumed about him, that he wouldn’t judge you for not wanting to spend Christmas Eve alone. After all, before you ran into him, he was set on being alone. 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He frowned. You just shrugged, you were used to the apologies, no one really knew what it was like when a parent passed away unless they had dealt with it themselves. The apology was an expression of sympathy, and you didn’t mind it coming from Willy. 

“What about you? Have a sad story to tell me?” You inquired. Willy sighed and for a moment you wondered if you had pushed too hard if you had overstepped some boundary that he had put up between you that you missed. But the sigh came with a nod as he continued, opening his mouth to speak quietly as you looked at him with eyes that you hoped indicated your willingness to take in whatever he had to say without any judgment. 

“I guess I’ve just been having a rough year, I’m not sure how closely you follow hockey, but, a lot of people are doubting if I belong here. I guess with not being able to go home and see my family, it was getting to me. Didn’t even really have any plans until you ran into me and I just felt comfortable asking you to do something.” His voice wavered as he spoke and his eyes dodged your own a few times as he went through what you could only gather were insecurities he didn’t like to talk about. You reached out and put your hand on his wrist, running your thumb slowly across his skin and smiling softly at him. 

“You belong here, Willy. I’m not sure how much that means coming from a stranger, but you belong here.” He lit up at your words, turning his hand to grab yours. Your heart pounded in your chest as he laced your fingers together and gave your hand a soft squeeze before letting go, a silent thank you that didn’t need words. You knew what he was trying to say, you didn’t need him to verbally thank you for it. 

The two of you started putting your coats back on, the night coming to a close that you weren’t sure you were ready for. You hadn’t expected to have a good Christmas, and while it certainly couldn’t compare to the ones of your past, as you sat in that diner with Willy for hours you felt like you were soaking in the comfort you had spent the entire month trying to find. Each time he laughed at something you said you melted further into the old booth. 

Willy set some cash on the table, ignoring your protests as he paid for the meal, and grabbed your hand, once again lacing your fingers together as he tugged you out of the restaurant, this time not letting go once you stepped outside. 

“I’ll drive you home, I’m just parked a bit far. Is that okay?” He asked. You smiled and nodded in response, too focussed on the warmth of the feeling of his hand in yours and how it sent waves of feeling straight to your heart and butterflies to your stomach. 

The two of you walked in silence for about a block, his hand never wavering from yours until you were standing at a crosswalk. He stopped and looked around a bit. You were near the Christmas market, some of the lights were still on despite how late it was. The decorations were visible from where you were standing on the street, and the only light was coming from the reflection of the twinkling lights reflecting off of the snow. He turned to face you, squeezing your hand gently as he stumbled through his next few words,

“I know this is so abrupt and we just sort of met, and maybe it’s the over romanization of Christmas getting to my head but I really want to kiss you right now.” 

You looked up at him, his eyes were warm and the snow was settling into the hair sticking from his beanie. It might have been exactly what he said, the romanization of meeting someone outside of a shitty diner on Christmas Eve and somehow spending the whole night with them sharing things that you hadn’t even entirely shared with your closest friends. 

The more you thought about it the more you felt like it was a bad Christmas movie. But bad Christmas movies always ended in a kiss, and you weren’t about to stop the tradition now. So you grabbed him by the collar of his stupidly overpriced pea coat and crashed your lips to his before you could stop yourself. Willy settled into the kiss quickly, wrapping his hand around your waist and tugging your body into his chest. When you pulled apart, the puffs of cloudy air from your breath filled the space around you, and he smiled at you like you were the best thing he could have hoped for this Christmas, a feeling that was unspoken yet mutual. 

You buried your face into his chest, stomach in knots as you overthought exactly what had just happened and what it all meant. Willy took his hand and tilted your chin up so that your eyes were looking at his, smiling at you before leaning in to kiss you again, his lips brushing yours softly. 

“You never told me what you wished for.” He commented when you pulled apart. 

“You somehow gave it to me, Willy.” You smiled and kissed him again, tangling your hand with his once again. You didn’t need to elaborate, because Willy understood what you meant. He had given you comfort, a feeling of not being alone on the one holiday where no one should have to be alone. He didn’t know what the future held, or what this would mean to you by the time the enchantment of the holidays wore off, but he knew that right now you were what he wanted, and he could only hope that you felt the same as you kissed him for the third time that night in the snow.  

[boqvistsbabe]

🔁

I have so many but a few I reread on like a weekly basis are

Acts of Service - by @puckinghell

On Your Right - by well you lol

Hockey Players are bad news - by @hockey-fics

Five times Elias Pettersson was being teased for being whipped and one time he wasn’t - by @oleksiak-pettersson

Last Name - by @hockeylvr59

Fic asks

[hockeylvr59]

some of my favourites:

- the rest of my life (sidney crosby) by @danglesnipecelly

- stay stay stay (cale makar) by @blueskrugs

- there’s too much risk in never loving at all (tyson jost) by @shelbsatans

- its not that bad (matthew tkachuk) by @sorryjustafangirl

- wanna bet (travis konecny) by @puckinghell

- hell bent/heaven sent (matthew tkachuk) by @nazkadris

i know that’s a lot but hopefully something here will strike an interest for you!! happy reading!! :)

Thanks for all of these. I already had a couple in my fic recs but now there are a couple more. Love all these writers.