#they’ll always be my first nhl love

[skyphloxx]

only thing i’ve been able to think about hearing fucking ‘utah hockey club’

[goldielia]

what if (all i need is you)?

a part of: call it what you want au

will’s in the locker room after practice when he thinks about it for the first time. they’re talking about cutter, how he’ll probably be signed after the championship game. where all the other boys will go, that they think they’ll be signed by the end of the next season or the one after that.

ally breezes through the hallway by the open door (they promise her to not keep it open while anyone is indecent and usually it’s closed until after they’ve been showered and are shirtless at most) and it spikes a thought. one he hadn’t even considered, used to being a couple steps ahead on the ice but keeping his mind in the present off of it.

he’ll leave boston. for san jose. probably before his college time would be over if he simply got his degree. he’s a fourth overall pick, there’s people waiting to see him on the ice for the sharks, people that would rather him score for their nhl team then have him finish college.

but leaving boston would mean leaving home. leaving ally. he doesn’t know if he simply pushed that thought to the back of his mind or if it hadn’t crossed his mind at all. the worst thing about it is that he doesn’t know when. maybe they had meetings about it, have decided to give him a call after the championship game if he wins, that they won’t if he doesn’t. or they still might, win or lose.

maybe he’ll be back in boston, snuggled up in their corner of the library with ally. maybe he’ll be in minnesota still, barely back in the hotel room after a devastating loss or raging celebrations. he has to look up the time zones, actually, maybe that wouldn’t even be possible. his mind is going there regardless, though.

in fact, his thoughts are running a mile an hour. what if-questions are kind of always on his mind, inevitable with hockey really. what if i’d realized his play a second earlier? what if i passed to my right instead of my left? what if i shot a fraction of a millisecond earlier, would the goalie still have saved it?

what if ally leaves him when he has to go to san jose? what if she dumps him the second he tells her? what if she doesn’t, tortures both of them with long distance for a few weeks before she breaks up with him over text? what if she agrees to it, loves him over miles and time zones and then falls in love with some other blond, blue-eyed hockey player in boston and forgets about will?

the what-ifs torture him, constantly and for days. he can’t quite bear talking to anyone about them, feeling stupid one second and like they’ll confirm his fears right after. gabe and ryan try to get through to him multiple times, cutter tries to talk to him as well. even eamon starts an attempt of a conversation. he blows all of them off.

the only person he might want to talk to is the one who doesn’t pressure him. there were multiple instances over the months they’ve been together when will got into his own head, about hockey, about school, pretty much anything. ally doesn’t urge him to talk, doesn’t try to solve problems for him unless he comes to her with them. she takes care of him, quietly, and just like she normally would, and waits him out until he’s ready to talk.

she’s making sure he eats, hydrates, secures his sleep by scratching his back or caressing his skin or burying her hand in his curls. massaging the sore spots after games and applying balms on bruises, kissing him when he plays well and holding him when he doesn’t and she knows he beats himself up for it.

ally just knows he wants to talk to her when she settles into his passenger seat one monday, somehow she feels it in her bones. his right hand may find its place on her thigh, like it always does, but he’s tapping his fingers down on it like he does when he’s nervous. it only stops when she slips her own hand into his, entangles their fingers and slowly drags her thumb over his knuckles.

after she presses a soft peck to his lips and another to his cheek she keeps her eyes trained on their hands, painting shapes and letters onto his skin and playing with the bracelets on his wrist. it’s become a habit, a thing, if you will. love letters and secret messages traced into skin, trails of conversations and silent reassurances traded wordlessly and blindly.

she uses just this to hopefully make will feel less anxious as they’re in the car, tells him i love yous and little hearts through her touch until they’re at his chosen destination. he parks the car at the rink on campus and she goes with him without protest, lets him lead her center ice and follows him when he lays down on it.

they stay there unmoving except for ally slipping her hand back into wills, breath leaving their mouths in small clouds as they’re staring up to the ceiling. ally’s glad to have chosen a hoodie when she left the house in the morning, thinks she might be able to better fight off the cold for as long as will needs. he squeezes her hand once before he starts speaking, a shaky breath before his voice sounds through the empty rink.

“i was drafted to san jose.” ally briefly closed her eyes, having feared this talk would come at some point. after taking a deep breath she squeezes wills hand, silently telling him to continue. “i don’t know when they’ll want me to sign with them but, like- i guess i just want you to know i won’t say no to them. if they do want me.” her green eyes shoot open, head turning to her left to find wills face. “what?” she sounds breathless, scrambling to sit up and turn his head towards her with the hand that’s not in his.

“you think i’d want you to stay here? instead of playing in the nhl?” before will can even nod or talk or do anything, really, she continues. “will, i wouldn’t hold you back. not from achieving your dreams.” her voice breaks slightly somewhere between hold and back and his body acts before his brain catches up when he sits up and wraps her up into his free arm. “that’s not what i’m saying, gorgeous.” he whispers, lips brushing her ear. “i just-, i might, probably, not be around for graduation. or maybe a year before that.”

ally pulls back slightly, leaning her forehead on his and squeezing his hand once more. “i know.” will keeps quiet for a second, the only thing there is to hear is their synchronised breathing. ally thinks they must be a poetic picture, really. center ice in an empty rink, barely enough lights on to find the way to the ice and back. two teenagers all tangled up, foreheads touching, a hand intertwined and wrapped up in the other, breathing in sync and thoughts racing.

“i just need to know how this- how we’ll work. if you’d be up to trying long distance or like, what your plans are.” will continues, his words somewhere between a whisper and a breath. “hey” she murmures gently. “ever thought about what happens if all i need is you?” his eyes shoot open in surprise, clearly having waited for rejection, to be let down gently.

“san jose has a school for criminology, they have a pretty good grad school program for criminal psychology.” she smiles softly at the way his eyes widen. “plus, i only have two more years here” her warm hand squeezes his once more before she breathes deeply, hiding her face into his shoulder after a moment, not only to mask her expression but also the tears forming in her eyes. after she feels a kiss pressed into her hair she lifts her head again.

“i thought you were going to tell me you had to break up with me because they signed you and you didn’t want me to hold you back” her voice is shaky like he’s never heard it and her words make him pull her into his arms fully, fingers detangling and wrapping around her waist instead. with her face pressed into the crook of his neck, he nuzzles his nose into her hair and kisses the top of her head before speaking hoarsely.

“i thought you were going to break up with me because you didn’t want to do long distance” he’s concerned when her shoulders start shaking, thinks she has to be crying but after a second he realizes she’s in fact giggling into his skin. will hesitates for a few more breaths before he, too, can’t hold back the laugh building in his chest, breathing all his anxieties out with it. “i love you, you know” she mumbles into his lips when she’s lifted her head before pressing a lingering kiss to them. “i do know, you looked up schools in san jose for me” he grins.

[marnerparty]

austin with an ‘o’ pt. 2

Auston Matthews x reader

part 1 here!

ynmatthews

Liked by breyana_matthews, user1 and 41,449 others

ynmatthews the 2nd best day of my life

View all 271 comments

austonmatthews what’s the first?

ynmatthews the birth of our sons .. ?

austonmatthews and where does our WEDDING DAY land!?

ynmatthews 3rd!

marner_93 you finally met him

trevorzegras didn’t just meet him, SKATED with him

ynmatthews & it was everything I could’ve dreamed of and more

penguins we’ll have you back any time

ynmatthews say the word!

user1 I wouldn’t put up with this if I were Auston

ynmatthews lol good thing you’re not!

williamnylander & you left Auston with the twins!?

ynmatthews our roles were reversed

jackhughes was he low key flirting

ynmatthews him? no. me? …

user2 you are perfect

Liked by ynmatthews

jamie.drysdale I didn’t know you could skate

ynmatthews I learned for Sidney

austonmatthews false, she knew

trevorzegras was he impressed with your skills?

ynmatthews doubtful, but I did make him laugh. a lot.

trevorzegras did he know you are not available?

ynmatthews unfortunately 😔

austonmatthews thanks babe

user3 Sidney needs Instagram so he can see this

austonmatthews

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austonmatthews Baby Matthews #3 is a girl :)

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mapleleafs half of a team 👀

trevorzegras IT’S A GIRL YES!

ynmatthews excited?

trevorzegras you have no idea

user1 awe

marner_93 she’s gonna be treated like a princess

ynmatthews I think uncle Mitch will be her favorite 🫶🏻

ynmatthews we’re having a baby girl :)

austonmatthews I hope she looks like you

breyana_matthews omg he’s such a sap for you yn.

austonmatthews 🙄

_quinnhughes congrats you guys!

ynmatthews love you quinner!

alexandriajmatthews I’m gonna have a niece 🥹

austonmatthews it’s surreal

user2 i don’t think they’ll last

williamnylander you’re gonna have to learn to braid

austonmatthews I’ll leave that to yn 🫣

ynmatthews and what’ll you do when I’m skating with Sidney and you’re alone?

jamie.drysdale guys … I have a confession to make. I can braid

austonmatthews 😮

ynmatthews are you serious!?

jamie.drysdale dead.

austonmatthews I always knew Jamie was the best man for this job

ynmatthews Jamie, you’re hired

ynmatthews

Liked by austonmatthews, nhl, and 76,559 others

ynmatthews Taylour Ema Matthews 🤍

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williamnylander Taylor w/ a ‘u’?

ynmatthews blame Austin w/ an ‘o’

austonmatthews I didn’t spell my names, blame my mother

user1 is it even Auston’s?

ynmatthews not sure! should I get a paternity test?

user2 I live for yn responding to haters

Liked by ynmatthews

marner_93 finally needed a kid named after him eh

ynmatthews he wouldn’t stop whining

austonmatthews not true

ynmatthews oh yeah? are you saying I’m wrong?

austonmatthews no I wouldn’t stop whining

breyana_matthews she’s perfect 🥰

ynmatthews beautiful like her auntie Bre :)

_quinnhughes she’s perfect you guys

ynmatthews love you quinny!

bunting27 congrats you guys!

austonmatthews thanks Bunts!

ynmatthews thank you Mikey!!

jamie.drysdale I’M COMING OVER IMMEDIATELY

ynmatthews WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING

jamie.drysdale BECAUSE I ALREADY LOVE HER

trevorzegras okay that was really cute

austonmatthews she’s actually crying now

ynmatthews I am 😭 Jamie is so perfect

user3 facts

nhl now you have half of a team!

williamnylander im really rooting for 6

ynmatthews I think 4 is the max

austonmatthews I’d have 10 if yn would

ynmatthews 10 is a lot bud

jackhughes I think I’ll call her Rowdy

ynhughes Rowdy?

jackhughes after me ofc

ynhughes not following

_quinnhughes his middle name is Rowden. occasionally he’s called Rowdy.

ynhughes okay I really love that tho

austonmatthews she’s really perfect. I love you mama

ynmatthews I love you more my love🤍

ynmatthews

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ynmatthews Mitch Marner, the favorite uncle :)

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marner_93 my Tay❤️

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user1 yn and Auston make the cutest kids

mapleleafs our favorite jr. leaf!

jackhughes who allowed her to grow up so fast?

ynmatthews you’re telling me. I’m planning the twins’ 4th birthday 😭

jackhughes what are you talking about?? they can’t be four

ynmatthews yep. wait til you become a parent and it’ll go even faster

jamie.drysdale she’s adorable. heartbreaker for sure

austonmatthews better be that way

trevorzegras what a cute outfit I wonder who bought that

user2 Trevor picking out cute clothes for children??

ynmatthews he’s quite good at it! half of the time he shops for me 😂

alexandriajmatthews that hair 😍

ynmatthews right!? I’m so jealous

_eliaspettersson little salty she hasn’t met uncle Eli but whatever

ynmatthews 🫣 my bad

_eliaspettersson it’s okay, I’ll let Mitch have the favorite uncle title for a little while longer

marner_93 good luck bud

_eliaspettersson oh I’ll fight for Taylour’s love on or off the ice

jamie.drysdale not what I meant when I said she’ll be a heartbreaker

user3 someone give Mitch his own baby please

williamnylander the kid who’s named after him doesn’t like him the most?

ynmatthews no actually. Hudson’s favorite is for some reason Jack

jackhughes that was mean

ynmatthews sorry jacky poo

jackhughes that was extra mean

_quinnhughes I’m coming over soon

ynmatthews our door is always open for you Quinn :)

austonmatthews

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austonmatthews our last picture before becoming a family of 7 ❤️

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marner_93 but you’re a family of 5 rn

austonmatthews yeah …

marner_93 YOU’RE ADDING 2 BABIES!?

_quinnhughes AGAIN!?

lhughes_06 holy shit

user1 congratulations!

williamnylander almost at a full team! 1 more!

ynmatthews we’re definitely done now

austonmatthews never say never

_eliaspettersson maybe I’ll finally become the favorite uncle

ynmatthews it’s your time, Elias. I feel it

jamie.drysdale who will these ones be named after?

ynmatthews Sidney Crosby

austonmatthews no fucking way. uh uh

ynmatthews please 🥺

austonmatthews don’t use that emoji on me you know it makes me fold

ynmatthews so you’ll think about it?

austonmatthews 😐 yeah. yeah I will

trevorzegras can I make a sperm joke?

tterry19 Trevor are you 12!?

jackhughes damn can’t Auston keep it in his pants?

ynmatthews literally no

austonmatthews babe wtf! there’s children here!

ynmatthews where?

austonmatthews Jamie 🤫

ynmatthews wow you really love him

austonmatthews cannot confirm nor deny

breyana_matthews IM BECOMING AN AUNT AGAIN OMG

jackhughes what happened to the 4 kid limit??

trevorzegras Auston’s sperm

ynmatthews Jesus Christ

nhl can’t wait for the new additions!

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ynmatthews

Liked by austonmatthews, trevorzegras and 71,509 others

ynmatthews and just like that girls have taken the lead! Sidney Elise & Grace Jamie Matthews. Our hearts are so full ❤️

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jamie.drysdale are you kidding me right now?

ynmatthews we love you so much jamie! It only felt right ❤️

austonmatthews it was an easy decision kid

jamie.drysdale 🥹

trevorzegras more girls! can’t wait to meet them! congrats guys

ynmatthews love you Trev!

user1 I still think this relationship is doomed

kerfy14 they literally have 5 kids

williamnylander congratulations! but you gotta have another one still

ynmatthews oh will

nhl the Matthews clan keeps growing! congratulations!

Liked by austonmatthews

_quinnhughes should we talk about the name …

austonmatthews I caved, I know

ynmatthews Quinn, tell me it’s not perfect

_quinnhughes I can’t because it really is

austonmatthews there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just the fact that you’re in love with him

ynmatthews babe, I took YOUR last name and had 5 of YOUR children

austonmatthews I don’t care I’m still gonna pout

mapleleafs welcome to the family Sidney and Grace!

Liked by ynmatthews

user2 they’re the best family

austonmatthews I wish there were more ways for me to tell you how much I love you

ynmatthews will you marry me 🥹

austonmatthews I would marry you 100 times over again

trevorzegras barf but cute barf

jarnkrokofficial congrats yn & AM!

ynmatthews love you Calle! our kids will have to have a playdate soon!

jarkrokofficial drop them off when you need some alone time! they’re always welcome :)

austonmatthews thanks man!

elblue6 2 more gorgeous (kinda) grandbabies!! bring them all to the lake this summer 🤍

ynmatthews we do anything for you Ellen!

_quinnhughes somehow yn is the favorite Hughes

elblue6 damn right

lhughes_06 they’re gonna need some devils merch!

jackhughes they all already have my jerseys 🤪

lhughes_06 all five!?

ynmatthews I’m sorry moose, but yes, it’s true

lhughes_06 damn I’m behind. I’ll make up for it don’t worry

breyana_matthews Alex and I gotta get to work 😂 love you yn! thanks for giving me two beautiful new nieces

ynmatthews Bre 🥹 I love you! thanks for accepting me into your amazing family 🫶🏻

austonmatthews

Liked by breyana_matthews, marner_93 and 100,529 others

austonmatthews life lately: one, yes, we seriously ran into Sid at the store and had a Sidney squared moment (yes, Grace was in a separate cart) two, Taylour absolutely adores her older brothers, and three, I have the hottest baby mama (who, by the way, is pregnant again 😳 my bad).

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ynmatthews

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ynmatthews Mason Brian Matthews, the 6th and final Matthews ❤️

tagged austonmatthews

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williamnylander THE FULL TEAM

ynmatthews I did this for you

williamnylander no the hell you didn’t, this was an accident

ynmatthews 😳

mapleleafs the future of the NHL 🫡

nhl how many times have we said it!? congrats Matthews’!

Liked by ynmatthews

marner_93 another MM! congrats!

austonmatthews alright, 6 is a great amount

ynmatthews the perfect amount

elblue06 congratulations my yn ❤️

ynmatthews love you always mama E!!

_quinnhughes another one!? these babies have the best mom & dad. congrats yn 🤍

ynmatthews you’ve always been there for me Quinn, and for that I can’t thank you enough. love you!

user1 too many kids

breyana_matthews IM FREAKING OUT HOLY SHIT

ynmatthews trust me we were just as shocked 😂

breyana_matthews you are so strong yn! congrats you two!

_eliaspettersson last call?

ynmatthews for babies? yes 😂

[socialfakes]

in perfect harmony -quinn hughes-

chapter 1: toddler era

nhl players x platonic abigail jackson

quinn hughes x abigail jackson

series masterlist

Liked by lhughes06, _quinnhughes, trevorzegras and 9,412 others

abbyjackson | been matching every halloween since we were born 🥛🍪 and this was only the beginning tagged: _quinnhughes

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jackhughes wow you guys were always lame huh | abbyjackson shut up jack | _quinnhughes our parents chose this, not us you idiot 😂

trevorzegras this is adorable 😊 | abbyjackson thanks trev ❤️

colecaufield besties since birth | abbyjackson you know it 😉

lhughes_06 dorks | abbyjackson love you too lukey 🙄❤️

user01 milk and cookies. my favorite | _quinnhughes 😊😊

user02 quinn as the milk is just too precious 😭😍

user03 why is this the most adorable thing i’ve ever seen? 😍

bboeser abby being the cookie makes sense | _quinnhughes and what makes that statement true brock? | abbyjackson i too am curious 🤔 | bboeser because you’re sweet and everyone’s favorite | abbyjackson 🤗❤️

tdemko30 okay this is cute | abbyjackson i say the same thing about you everyday ❤️😉

user04 you guys, quinn’s girlfriend is feeding us with the cutest pics 😊 | _quinnhughes she’s not my girlfriend | abbyjackson but he wishes i was 😉 | _quinnhughes um excuse me ma’am, but who was it that proposed to ME in 5th grade? 🤨 | abbyjackson bro that’s not what happened | lhughes_06 but “bro”, that is exactly how it happened 😂 | abbyjackson nobody asked you luke 🙄

conor.garland8 the cutest cookie i’ve ever seen 😊 | abbyjackson ❤️❤️ | _quinnhughes why does everyone compliment the cookie but not the milk? 😏 | abbyjackson simple. be cute and they’ll compliment you too 😂 | _quinnhughes okay 😔💔 | abbyjackson wait i didn’t mean it quinner. don’t be sad 💔

Liked by abbyjackson, lhughes_06, jackhughes and 32,148 others

_quinnhughes | always thought abby was the perfect garth to my wayne and i couldn’t ask for a better halloween partner than this girl ❤️ tagged: abbyjackson

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abbyjackson awe we were just babies 😍😊

abbyjackson thank you for being the best wayne to my garth ❤️

lhughes_06 okay i like this one

jackhughes definitely dorks but this year was a little better than your first halloween 😂

trevorzegras even in a blonde wig and glasses, she’s still adorable 😊 | _quinnhughes simmer down there trev | jackhughes yeah or he might get jealous you’re hitting on her | _quinnhughes no because she has a boyfriend and i don’t think he would appreciate it 😏 | abbyjackson stop you’re making me blush trev 😊❤️

johnnymorris the best looking garth i’ve ever seen 😉 | abbyjackson 😃

conor.garland8 okay this is my new favorite photo 😊 | abbyjackson i can’t decide if i should hate you, love you or a little bit of both | conor.garland8 you love me | abbyjackson unfortunately i do 😏 | conor.garland8 UNFORTUNATELY?!?!

colecaufield ha. classic

user05 this is cute quinn

user06 such cuties. omg 😊

user07 new favorite picture. you’re so cute as wayne and abby is the cutest garth 😍

Liked by conor.garland8, bboeser, jackhughes and 6,128 others

abbyjackson | 💁🏻‍♀️👑💂🏻‍♂️ tagged: _quinnhughes

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_quinnhughes always been a queen 👸🏻

jackhughes please tell me how quinn got so much taller than you so quickly | abbyjackson i’m not sure how it happened but this might be when he stopped growing 😏 | _quinnhughes what? not it wasn’t

lhughes_06 abby could easily pass as a member of the royal family 😊 | abbyjackson will you be my prince? 🤴🏻 | lhughes_06 absolutely ❤️ | _quinnhughes 🙄🙄 | trevorzegras uh oh quinn is getting upset 😂

user08 the most beautiful queen

user03 you guys were babies

johnnymorris 👸🏻❤️

bboeser my favorite queen 👸🏻❤️ | abbyjackson i’ll be your queen if you’ll be my king 😉 | lhughes_06 why can’t i be your king? 😔 | abbyjackson because pookie, you’re my sweet prince 😊 | bboeser i’m prince charming actually 😉❤️ | lhughes_06 so can i be king then? | abbyjackson i love you, but no. i’ve got the king lined up. sorry pookie 😘

conor.garland8 so cute. hope you got lots of candy 😊 | abbyjackson i did but couldn’t eat it all | conor.garland8 oh no 😔

rosscolton ❤️❤️

taglist: @worldlxvlys

[callsign-rogueone]

Het beautiful! ♡ how have you been doing? I hope ur doing well.

I saw your working on liam and spark? I really liked chapter one. The grumpy girl and our lovely liam, I instantly loved them so I can't wait to see what you have in store for them. (Knowing that our beloved doesn't make through his first year. I feel like its gonna end sad🥺) but keep going, your making amazing stories.

School is gonna start again for me tomorrow so we're back on the stress train 😅 but that means that during my breaks at least I can read your story's. (Really, I swear, that's how I spend my breaks usually. Rereading your amazing story's ♡) so that's a plus!

I was wondering if you maybe (if you want to) give a sneak peak about something Bren fluff? (can be someone else if u want to) but then I have something fluff that I can kind of hold on to. It sounds lame, but it really helps.

Also I saw your post about a last game of hockey season? Do u play yourself? Cuz that's pretty cool ♡ I hope you have an amazing day and week. I'm proud of you. You're creating amazing stories! ♡♡♡

hihi!! I’m doing well 🥰 still sick (it’s been a whole month now lol)

Liam and his girl will only have a short time together, and it’s going to be very hard for after he passes, but they’ll love each other deeply while they can, and he’s going to help her work through some things before he has to go 🥺❤️‍🩹

my writing helps me a lot with the stress from work + being sick all the time, and I’m glad that reading it helps you with the stress of school 💕

here’s a little snip of something I’m working on for Bren and his wifey:

He wraps an arm around you, pulling you closer. “I’m so glad my dad made me learn Tyrrish as a kid.”

You laugh, your ribs shaking under his palm. “That’s really what you’re thinking about right now?”

And I don’t play hockey myself, I just follow my closest NHL/AHL teams and I like to make the drive to see them once a month or so. They’re not the best but I still love them and it’s always a good time 💗

I hope the week is kind to you. and good luck with school 🥰 📚 I believe in you!!

[libertyreads]

May TBR--

Thanks to my newly minted library card, this is not all of my TBR for the month of May. Just the books I currently physically own. I’m so excited for the reads for the month of May. I get to start my Murderbot Diaries reread and I get to check out some books that have caught my eye but not held enough interest for me to actually go out and purchase them for myself.

1. Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney (Library)-- This is a Murder Mystery set on an isolated island. Daisy Darker’s family has never been what one would call functional. After years of avoiding each other, the family is assembling for Nana’s 80th birthday at the crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. When the tide comes in, they’ll be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours. Each family member arrives while harboring secrets and then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later the next family member follows. This is a retelling of sorts of the Agatha Christie story ‘And Then There Were None.’

2. Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen (Library)-- Leo Trevi has spent the last six years trying to do two things: get over the girl who broke his heart and succeed in the NHL. But, on the first day he’s called up to the show, Leo gets checked on both sides. First, by the team’s coach who has a grudge; second, by the team’s sexy, icy publicist--his former girlfriend Georgia Worthington.

3. Greenglass House by Kate Milford (Library)-- This one seems to be a Middle Grade Mystery/Fantasy novel about a place called Greenglass House. It’s a creaky smuggler’s inn that’s always quiet during the wintertime. While Milo, the innkeepers’ adopted son, planned on relaxing during his holidays, things get thrown off course by the ring of the guest bell. It rings again and again. Soon, Milo’s home is bursting with odd and secretive guests who each bring a strange story that’s connected to the old house.

4. Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo (Library)-- This one seems to be a graphic novel version of the Darkling’s history and backstory. I think it’s the only Grishaverse thing I have yet to read. I was never interested in buying it so I’m glad I finally have my library card and can read it for free.

5. Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl (Kindle)-- This is a YA Mystery following a group of friends a year after the death of their friend Jim. His girlfriend Beatrice has questions she wants answered and their meeting again gives her that chance. And then a mysterious man knocks on the door and announces the impossible: time for them has become stuck, snagged on a splinter that can only be removed if the former friends make the harshest of decisions.

6. A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid (NetGalley)-- A Fantastical Dark Academia novel that looks like it will be everything fans of Dark Academia could ever want. Since childhood, Effy Sayre has been haunted by visions of the Fairy King. She’s found solace only in the pages of Angharad--author Emrys Myrddin’s beloved epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King and then destroys him. Effy’s tattered copy is all that keeps her afloat through her stifling first term at Llyr’s prestigious architecture college. So when Myddin’s family announces a contest to design the late author’s house, Effy feels certain this is her destiny. 

7. The Marriage Act by John Marrs (New Release)-- From the author who brought us the insanity that was The One, comes a new Mystery/Thriller. What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey? In near-future Britain, a right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills--the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage and punishes those who choose to remain single. But four couples are about to discover just how impossible relationships can be when the government is monitoring every aspect of our personal lives and will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honor, and obey.

8. All Systems Red by Martha Wells-- I’m finally starting my reread of The Murderbot Diaries! I cannot explain my excitement. I’ll just quote the GR synopsis since there’s so much I could just burst forth with already. “In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conduction surface tests, shadowed by their Company supplied ‘droid--a self-away SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself as ‘Murderbot.’ Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.”

9. The Beauty and the Beast (Minalima edition) by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve-- I’m so excited to read this interactive, illustrated version of the original story. The epic love story follows a beautiful young girl imprisoned in the magical castle of a monstrous beast.

10. The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas-- This is a standalone romance novel that is set after The Spanish Love Deception. But I’ve been reassured that I don’t need to read that one first. In this novel, we follow aspiring romance author Rosie Graham whose life is a little up in the air following her quitting her well paying job. But through a misunderstanding Rosie and Lucas both end up staying at her friend Lina’s apartment. They end up trying to break Rosie’s writer’s block in some unexpected ways.

[atlanticcanada]

Willie O'Ree portrait unveiled at Beaverbrook Art Gallery on 65th anniversary of first NHL game

To mark the 65th anniversary of Willie O'Ree’s first NHL game, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery is honouring the famous Frederictonian by unveiling a new portrait, which will be part of its permanent collection.

"It was just recently given to us, and we're so excited,” said John LeRoux, Beaverbrook Art Gallery manager of collections and exhibitions.

Canadian artist Tim Okamura, who now lives in New York City, N.Y., created the mural and is in Fredericton to unveil his work at the gallery Wednesday night.

O’Ree, who grew up in Fredericton, became the first Black person to play in the NHL in 1958, breaking the league’s colour barrier during his debut with the Boston Bruins.

Measuring five feet by five feet, the painting shows an older O’Ree wearing his Boston Bruins jersey while holding a hockey stick and sporting his Hockey Hall of Fame ring.

“It's a wonderful contemporary portrait of this person that's meant so much to the world of hockey and even just the world of Canada and North America,” said LeRoux.

“I find the spirit of Willie really comes through in this painting,” the curator said.

"It means a lot for us to have it in our collection because it's as if Willie is always here in Fredericton. He lives in southern California now, so he doesn’t get home as much as he'd like, but he's here really in a sense.”

Artist Tim Okamura says the painting is a culmination of two passions of his.

“One being representation and of people that don't show up enough or as much as they should in museums I think, and also a huge passion for hockey growing up in Canada,” said Okamura.

“I'm Japanese-Canadian and grew up in Edmonton which is a hockey-mad city,” he said. “At one point, [I] realized I could combine the two passions and came up with the idea to do portraits of players of colour.

“That really, I think, helped to define huge contributions to hockey but also help to educate folks as to the diversity in hockey,” he said.

Okamura’s work has been recognized by President Joe Biden.

When Biden was Vice-President under Obama, he commended Okamura’s work for featuring Black, Indigenous and People of Colour prominently.

"[I was] very fortunate to have been included with a small group of artists that were honoured at the White House for artwork dealing with social justice issues,” Okamura said.

“It was just a really exciting experience to be at the White House as a Canadian artist, and then later to get the letter of commendation from Joe Biden, it's one of my treasured items. I had no idea at that time he'd eventually become president so it's even more astounding."

The gallery hopes the painting resonates with a wide audience.

"It will bring people, and we welcome this, that normally wouldn't come to the gallery,” LeRoux said.

“People who think that they maybe aren't interested in art, who maybe just love hockey or Willie O'Ree, but we hope what will happen -- and I know this will happen -- is that they'll come, see this work, go through the gallery and realize there are things that connect with them,” he said.

The portrait is featured on the cover image of O’Ree’s recent autobiography “Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL’s First Black Player,” as well as the poster image of his recent film documentary.

"It just feels like the absolute right sort of fit for the final place for this painting to permanently reside,” Okamura said.

The portrait will sit in the main lobby of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery for a few days after its unveiling. Following that, it will move to its permanent home in the international collection.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/rqW18TI

[spine-buster]

the money mystery.

gif credit @/couturierre 

A/N: This is the end of the little story that was never meant to be; the little story that could; the little story that started as a plot bunny one-shot I couldn’t get out of my head and is now 90k.  Thank you all for coming along this unexpected journey with me, Rasmus, and Lusine!  I will not be able to get to your messages until Friday as I will be away -- please be patient!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: I will be revealing the subject for my new series next Monday.  However, I will be taking a posting hiatus in order to write, with the series aiming to be posted in September!  As always, any canon questions or DMs that come my way will be answered; I will just not be posting new chapters of anything.

Lusine had an appointment with the bank next Friday to see if she would be able to get a student loan.  It was looming in the back of her mind, even as she sat with Lisa, Erik Källgren’s girlfriend, in the stands at the game against Dallas.  She was a nervous wreck, with Erik being called up on an emergency basis.   And with the trade deadline looming, it meant that a lot of the girls were on edge.  Bee explained to her that except for a few core guys like John, William, Morgan, Auston, and Mitch, anybody could be on the cards to be traded.  When Lusine spoke to Rasmus about it one night as they cuddled, he was confident that Kyle Dubas wouldn’t trade him, especially because he wanted to stay in Toronto.

“Oh God oh God oh God, I hope he does well tonight,” Lisa stressed as she gripped onto the armrests of her seat.

“How was he when he left your place today?” Lusine asked.

“He smiled for me, but he had to have been nervous,” she said.  “This is a dream come true for him, but it’s still a lot, you know?  I don’t know, maybe it’s just all in my head.”

Lusine had hung out with Erik and Lisa a few times before – he and Lisa were so nice and lovely, and she knew Erik was a quiet guy (unless Rasmus turned on the Swedish).  This was a huge moment for him, for sure, and he had to be at least a little bit nervous about it.  “The boys will play well for him tonight, don’t worry,” Aberdeen assured her from the other side.  “They’ll show up.  They will.  I mean they’re facing Dallas.”

Lusine couldn’t help but giggle slightly.  She guessed by that comment that Dallas wasn’t doing particularly well this year.  Regardless, the Leafs still needed to show up for their new goalie.  She knew Rasmus would.  

***

The girls were screaming at the top of their lungs as the clock ticked down, only ten seconds away from the end of the game.  Erik was going to record a shutout in his first ever NHL game.  

Lusine hugged Lisa as Lisa raised her arms in the air, and they jumped up and down with each other as the final buzzer sounded and the game was called.  They both watched Erik do a little dance in the crease before the rest of the team crowded around him to congratulate him on the shutout.  The camera stayed on the entire line as they made their way to headbutt and hug Erik.  “I told you!  I told you!” Aberdeen screamed, hugging Lisa from the other side.  “Look at your guy!  Look at him!  A shutout in his first NHL game!”

Lusine watched as tears began to pool in Lisa’s eyes.  She tried to wipe them away, but it was no use – she was beet red.  As they announced the stars of the game, and Erik was named first star, he came back out to salute the crowd.  The girls watched as he patted the crest on his chest.  The fans were cheering – loudly – as they had been deprived of a good goaltending performance for a while now.  It all became too much for Lisa, and the tears spilled out of her eyes.  Even Rasmus opening the scoring and – because it was a shutout – scoring the game-winning goal was overshadowed by this moment for Erik and Lisa.

“Come with me, sweetie,” Aberdeen urged, grabbing Lisa’s hand.  “I’ll bring you to where we all wait for the boys to come out.  I’m telling you right now that Erik’s gonna be late thanks to media, though.”

As they were waiting the girls saw the video of Erik heading back into the dressing room and the boys showering him with water.  It was as if Lisa had ants in her pants as she waited for him – especially as all the other guys came out, though they hadn’t left, because most of the girls wanted to express their own congratulations to Erik.  When he finally did come out – Rasmus and William trailing right behind him like his hunky Swedish bodyguards – Lisa ran up to him at full force and hugged him.  Everyone else gathered around him, giving him their congratulations and telling him what a good job he did.  After Lusine hugged him, she felt Rasmus’s hand slip over hers.  “What a game, eh?” he smiled.

“You played amazing,” she popped up on her toes to kiss him.  “Couldn’t have done that when I was freezing my ass off outside on Sunday?”

Rasmus scrunched his face up at her.  “You’re such a pain in the ass.”

“You still love me.”

After a chat with Erik and congratulating him one last time, Rasmus and Lusine made their way to his car.  In the relative silence of the parking garage, Lusine was sobered and remembered the one thing that she didn’t want to remember – at least for the length of the game: her upcoming bill for the summer abroad program.  She had been preparing everything she would need for her meeting next Friday.  It was going to be a lot, and she knew she had to make a good impression.

“I have an appointment next Friday, by the way,” she told Rasmus once they were out of the parking garage and driving through the streets to get back to her apartment.

“For what?”

“At the bank.  To see if I can get a loan for the summer abroad program.”

Rasmus nodded his head, but was silent.  Lusine watched as he gripped the steering wheel tighter, slightly, before biting his bottom lip as if he was stopping himself from saying something.  “Are you su—I mean, are you sure that you don’t want me to loan you the money—”

“—Rasmus, no,” she shook her head.

“Because I’d just pay for it, lilla fågel.  It wouldn’t even be a loan.  I—”

“—Ras,” Lusine reached over across the centre console to lay her hand on his thigh.  “Ras, I know you would.  I know.  But I have to do this myself.  The loan is the responsible thing to do.  I put myself into this situation and I’m going to make smart decisions that will allow me to do it.”

“I know you will,” he nodded.  He reached down and held her hand that was on his thigh.  “I have all the faith in the world in you.  But I just want you to know that I’m here to help, too.”

Lusine rubbed her thumb against the back of his hand.  “You mean you’re not just a hot piece of ass with a big dick?”

Rasmus couldn’t help but snort at her comment, but he didn’t want any laughing to take away from the seriousness of the situation.  “I mean it, lilla fågel.  You know I’d do anything for you.  Anything to make you happy.”

Lusine felt her heart swell five sizes big at his words.  “You meeting me there and then bringing me to Sweden is already, like, above and beyond generous,” she said.  “I’m going to have the best summer ever and half of it is going to be because of you.  The first half is going to be because of me.”

Rasmus smiled.  There was no convincing her, no changing her mind on the matter.  She was going to go to the bank, get a loan, and go to Germany.  He couldn’t stop her, and at this point, he didn’t want to.  She was set.  She had a plan.  It included him.  That was all he could ask for.

***

William watched one of his best friends wince every time the trainer had to move his knee and grimaced.  Rasmus was clearly in pain – exactly how much pain needed to be determined – but he was trying to battle through it.  As William tried to remember what went wrong on the ice for Rasmus, he couldn’t come up with anything.  But that didn’t matter.  It didn’t change the fact that Rasmus’s knee had swelled up the second he took off all his equipment.

“I’ll call Lu—”

“No no no, don’t,” Rasmus cut him off quickly, shaking his head.  “Don’t call her.  Please.”

“Why not?”

“Will, I mean it.”

“Why not?”

“I know for a fact she’s got a big essay due at midnight and she’s putting the finishing touches on it before she submits it,” Rasmus said.  “She’s not watching the game.  She’s got too much to think about right now with school.”

“Oh Jesus,” William was exasperated.  He knew Lusine cared a lot about school, but from being around her so often, he also knew that she’d want to know if something happened to Rasmus the second she could.  She was the one who called over twenty times after their game in Winnipeg just months ago.  Aberdeen was the same way.  “I think your girlfriend would like to know if you’re injured.”

“I mean it, William,” Rasmus stressed.  “Do not call her.”

***

Lusine was trying to keep it together as she sat beside Rasmus at the hospital.  Again.  But every time he shifted in his seat and winced at the pain in his knee, it took all the strength in her not to cry.  Again.  

They’d been here in December, after an awful play and blatant hit from a Winnipeg Jets player, and now they found themselves back at the hospital – same knee, same swelling, similar pain.  Lusine had a death grip on Rasmus’s hand, waiting for the results from the tests the doctors ran to tell them what was wrong.  Lusine prayed that Rasmus didn’t miss any more time.  He was upset he missed the time he did in December – though he didn’t let it on that much – and to have to do that again would be torture for him, especially near the lead up to the playoffs.  

When the doctor came back into the room, she braced for the worst.

“Shall I start with the good news?” the doctor asked.  Neither Rasmus or Lusine responded – both were way too wound up.  The doctor took the hint.  “The good news is that it’s not an ACL tear.  There’s no surgery needed.”

Lusine could literally feel Rasmus soften.  “But?” he urged the doctor to go on, knowing there was always a but.  He wouldn’t be here if there wasn’t a but.  

“But…there is a bad sprain.  There’ll be a lot of physio for you for a while,” the doctor informed him.

Rasmus bit his bottom lip harshly.  He squeezed Lusine’s hand in his as he let out a long sigh.  “So what’s the timeline then?” he asked.

The doctor looked him in the eye, pained to even say the words, knowing the timeline of the season and how it was going to affect Rasmus.  “Four to six weeks, Rasmus.”

***

It was Lusine’s turn to hold Rasmus as he cried.  

This time, there wasn’t any William and Aberdeen bringing him home.  There was no Aberdeen offering to help or William wheeling his suitcase to his bedroom.  There was no Rasmus downplaying the pain or the injury and wanting Aberdeen and William to leave so he and Lusine could cuddle.  Instead, it was just Lusine and Rasmus, alone in his apartment, with Lusine hugging him.  She held on tightly, even running her fingers through his hair to calm him.  But there were still tears, still tough emotions to deal with.  Still demons to fight knowing he wasn’t going to be able to be there for his teammates on the ice, or to contribute meaningfully to their success on the ice and in the playoffs.

“It’s going to be okay,” Lusine whispered.  “I know it’s hard to see that now, but it will be.”

Rasmus shook his head.  “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” he whispered, his voice overcome with sadness.  “I don’t—I don’t want this.  I don’t need this.  The team—the team doesn’t need this.”

“Ras—”

“—I want to be there for the team.  For all of them.  We’re going deep in the playoffs this year and I need to be there with them.  Helping them.”

“You can still be there for them, Ras.  It’s just gotta be in a…different way,” she tried to encourage him.  “You’re still as much a member of the team as everyone else, despite having to sit out.”

“I want to be the guy that helps us win the Cup this year.  I want to be—I want to show everyone I can do it.  But I can’t do that from the fucking press box,” the disappointment was evident in his voice.

“You can be.  And you will be,” Lusine encouraged him.  “I know you can, Rasmus.  This is just a hiccup on your way there.  But it’ll happen for you and the team.  I know it.”

Rasmus let out a heavy sigh.  He stayed quiet, having let out everything he had in him before.  He had nothing left to say.  That was the end of it.  He hated being in this position – not playing hockey, not contributing, not being able to do what he wanted to do – and knew he was capable of doing – on the ice.  He felt like screaming and crying at once.  But instead of doing that, he looked deep into Lusine’s eyes.  They were so soft, so tender, so full of worry about him.  “Thank you for being here with me,” he whispered.

“I’m always going to be here for you,” she said.  She hoped it was obvious.  As much as he’d move mountains for her, she’d move mountains for him too.  “I love you.  I’ll still be cheering for you in the press box.  And when you get back out onto the ice, you’ll be able to hear me screaming and cheering from the family room, too.”

Rasmus couldn’t help but crack a smile.  “I love you lilla fågel.”

***

The email was unexpected to say the least.  Very unexpected.

From: University of Toronto Summer Abroad Program [summerabroad@utoronto.ca] To: Lusine Forrester [forresterl@utoronto.ca]

Dear Ms. Lusine Forrester,

Thank you!  We have received your payment in full for the Summer Abroad Program 2022 to Berlin, Germany.  As your fees have now been paid, please see the attached documents.  They include the invoice, receipt for textbooks, and other information relating to your fees.  

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let us know.  

Sincerely, Wendy Shern University of Toronto Summer Abroad Program

Lusine’s heart stopped beating momentarily when she read the words.  Payment in full.  It didn’t make sense at all.  She hadn’t paid anything besides the deposit.  She hadn’t bought any textbooks.  She hadn’t even been to the bank for her appointment yet to secure her loan – that was happening in a few days, still.  The email had to have been a mistake.  Perhaps another student paid in full and they accidentally sent the email to her.  But when she opened the documents – the invoice, the textbook list, and everything else – her name was listed on all of them.  

She immediately picked up her phone and called Rasmus.  She knew he was at physio for his knee, but Lusine needed to get to the bottom of this immediately.  If Rasmus went behind her back and did this, he was gonna hear it from her, regardless of how injured or in pain he was.  “Hello my beautiful lilla fågel,” he answered the phone on the fourth ring.  Lusine felt like she had ants in her pants as she waited.

“I need you to be 100% honest with me,” her tone was serious.

“Uh, okay?  What is it?”

“Did you go behind my back and pay my summer abroad fee without telling me?”

“No.  No.  Absolutely not.”

“Ras—”

“Lusine—I—no, I didn’t,” his voice was strong, serious, absolutely no hint of a lie.  “No.  I wouldn’t do that.  You told me no, so I stayed out of it.”

Of course this was true.  They’d spoken about it and Lusine was adamant that unless she was truly desperate for the money, he would be the absolute last resort.  She believed him when she heard his tone.  “Well…then who did?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I just got an email from the registrar saying that my fees have been paid in full,” Lusine revealed.  “I…it has to be a mistake, right?”

“It’s gotta be.  I didn’t do anything, and you haven’t even had your meeting at the bank yet,” Rasmus said.  “You can always go to their offices to check, right?”

“Looks like I’ll have to,” Lusine bit her bottom lip.  “Ras, you’re sure you didn’t do it?”

“I didn’t do it lilla fågel.  You told me how much you wanted to do this your way so I was going to let you,” he said.  “Go to the registrar today, before the game, and see if there’s a mix-up.”

“Lusine?  There’s a package in the mail for you!” Bianca’s voice called out from the kitchen.

She felt like she was being pulled in three directions.  “Yeah.  I’ll go before the game.  I’ll see you later,” she ended her call with Rasmus.  She walked out of her room and into the kitchen where she knew Bianca was.  

“The package is right there,” Bianca nodded over to it on the dining table.

Lusine picked it up.  It had her name and address written on it, but the first thing she noticed was that there was zero postage.  No stamp, no customs sticker – nothing.  Just blank with her name.  She furrowed her brows.  “I…what?”

“What’s wrong?”

“This has no postage on it,” Lusine handed it to Bianca.  “Look.”

Bianca examined, seeing what Lusine was talking about.  “Someone must have dropped it off, then.”

“But who?  I’m not expecting anything from anyone.  I haven’t even ordered anything because I need to be saving all my money.”

“Well open it and find out,” Bianca urged.

Lusine ripped open the flap of the envelope and slipped her hand inside slowly, grabbing on to the one thing in it that she could feel.  Pulling it out, she and Bianca came face-to-face with a wad of cash.  “What the—”

“What the fuck?!” Bianca exclaimed, her eyes bulging out of their sockets as Lusine dropped it on the table in shock.  “Lusine!”

“What the fuck?!” Lusine exclaimed in the exact same shocked tone as Bianca.  Looking down at the stack of money, she saw the band around it holding it together proclaiming it to be $10,000.  Ten thousand dollars in cash was on her dining table right now.  “Bianca, what the fuck!!!”

“Did you do a drug deal or something?!”

“NO!  I—what in the—what the fuck!”

“Lusine that’s ten thousand dollars!”

This had to be a mistake.  There was no way ten thousand dollars cash was stuffed into an envelope meant for her.  No way.  She looked back into the envelope dramatically, trying to see if there was anything else – any clues whatsoever to let her know what the fuck was going on.  She noticed a slip of paper, so she took it out.

Lusine almost fell to the floor.  She was in complete shock as she let it drop to the table, only for Bianca to pick it up and read what it said.  “So it’s definitely someone you know,” Bianca said.  

“I can’t—ohmyGo—I c—I can’t,” Lusine stuttered out, trying to come to her senses and back down to earth.  She felt like her soul left her body momentarily.  “I need to go.  I need to get ready and I need to go,” she rushed out of the kitchen and down the hall to the bathroom.

“Go where?!” Bianca called out after he, confused as ever.

***

Lusine probably looked like a crazy person.  Not probably – she did look like a crazy person.  She was sure her hair was a mess, her jeans had dog hair all below the knees thanks to Piper – she definitely looked like a disheveled mess.  She tried to calm herself before she climbed the stairs up to the old house that housed the registrar for the Summer Abroad program, but there was no use.  Her heart was beating out of her chest.  

As she opened the door, she turned a corner and followed the appropriate arrows that would lead her to the registrar’s desk.  She saw a peaceful middle-aged woman behind the desk, typing away at her computer.  Lusine approached her gingerly, knowing full well she looked a mess.  “Um, hello, this the registrar for the summer abroad program, right?”

“Yes it is!  How many I help you?” the woman was overly chipper.

“Um, yes, I…” Lusine began awkwardly, remembering she now had to make up a story on the spot in order to get the information that she needed.  “I’m hoping you can help me.  I’ve found myself in a bit of a pickle.”

“What’s that?”

“Um, so I’m one of the participants in the Berlin program, for history, and I received an email that I’ve paid in full.  I’m—I’m sure my dad has paid the fee in full, but he can’t remember which credit card he put it on, and he really needs to know for, like…for like business purposes.  I was just wondering if you can confirm the name on the card,” she said.  It was a long shot, but it was her only hope into figuring out who the hell put almost ten thousand dollars on their credit card for her.

“I’m going to need your name and registration number,” the lady said, which Lusine gave promptly.  “And you said it’s the Berlin history program, correct?”

“Yes ma’am.”

After some more typing, the woman furrowed her brows.  “You said it was your father that paid?”

“Y—Yes.”

“Hmmm.  That’s odd.  The name on the card is a woman’s name.”

“It is?”

The woman moved her screen so Lusine could see a little more of it.  “Right here.  The name on the credit card is Aleida Casillas-Andersen.”

Lusine stopped breathing, and her heart dropped.  So did her jaw.  It was only a few seconds later that Lusine remembered her fake story and the need to play along.  “Th—that’s—silly dad, that’s my step-mom’s card,” she tried to cover quickly, probably failing miserably.

“She’s quite nice,” the registrar smiled.  “I remember her phone call.  She was so excited for you to go and couldn’t stop telling me how great an opportunity this is for you.”

“Th—thank you,” Lusine barely got out.  “I—um, thank you, that’s all I needed.”

“Flight information should be out within the week, Ms…Forrester,” she advised.  “I’d book as soon as possible using the code you’re emailed.  It’s better to get one of the seats we’ve blocked out for the group since it saves you money.”

Lusine nodded her head, but her mind wasn’t at the registrar’s office anymore.

***

Lusine had been late getting to the arena, which meant she wasn’t able to see Rasmus before the game like usual.  He didn’t mind much, considering he wasn’t playing and was unfortunately sitting in the press box anyway (Justin Bieber was even around, somewhere, and Rasmus knew he was allowed to bring Lusine to meet him after the game).  However, he wanted to speak with her more so to see what she found out.  She said she’d tell him in person.  She needed to solve some things first.

Lusine’s leg was bobbing up and down violently as she waited for Aleida to walk through the door of the family lounge.  Bee had already been an angel without even knowing it, mentioning how Aleida was running late because she was making sure Helena was all set up with the nanny before leaving.  

When Lusine finally did see the beautiful, stunning, gorgeous Aleida Casillas-Andersen walk through the door of the family lounge, she bolted up from her seat.  She moved so quickly that Aleida had barely even walked into the lounge before she noticed Lusine marching towards her.  “Oh, hello Lusine,” she smiled almost mischievously.

“You,” Lusine stressed.  She couldn’t believe she was even addressing Aleida in such a tone.  “I need to talk to you now,” she said as she grabbed Aleida’s elbow and dragged her towards the family lounge bathroom – the same bathroom Aleida found her sobbing in just weeks ago.

“Looks like they sent the email,” Aleida was still smiling.  “Or was it the envelope full of cash?”

Lusine turned around and locked the bathroom door behind her before facing Aleida.  “You.  It was you.”

“How’d you find out?”

Aleida was so nonchalant about dropping nearly $20,000 on her that Lusine, even just momentarily, thought she’d gone insane.  “I went to the registrar,” she answered simply.  “I—you—Aleida, why?”

“What do you mean why?” Aleida furrowed her brows.  “Lusine, this is the best thing you can do for yourself.  I’m not about hear that you can’t go because you can’t afford it.”

It was Lusine’s turn to furrow her brows.  “How did you know that?  How did you—I was going to go to the bank on Friday to try and get a loan.  How—did—did Rasmus tell you?”

Aleida shook her head.  “Rasmus didn’t tell me anything.  The day of the Heritage Classic you mentioned having to book more concerts to make more money and Bee picked up on it – she always picks up on that sort of stuff.  I made my decision on what I was going to do by the end of mine and Bee’s conversation.”

Tears welled up in Lusine’s eyes.  She couldn’t believe Aleida’s generosity.  “That’s—that’s twenty grand, Aleida.  Ten of it in cold hard cash.”

Aleida smiled.  “I think you forget sometimes who you associate with and what hockey contracts look like.  And besides, even if I wasn’t married to Fred, I have my own family money.  It’s a lot of money, sure, but it’s not as big a deal as you may think it is.  It’s okay.”

“I can pay you ba—”

“—Absolutely not,” Aleida shook her head, interrupting Lusine quickly.  “Don’t even think about it.  Like, at all.  Please.  This is my gift to you.  The only way you should even think of paying me back is by getting an A in your history course and having the time of your life.  Post pictures and stories all day, every day on Instagram.  I mean it.  That’s how you can pay me back.”

Lusine was crying by now.  Not sobbing, but definitely crying – a thankful cry, that was for sure.  “I won’t let you down, Aleida,” Lusine sniffled.   “I promise.”

“Good,” she smiled, giving Lusine a long, loving hug before pulling away.  “Let’s go watch the game now, hmm?”

***

“Aleida?”

Lusine nodded her head.  The shock in Rasmus’s voice was evident.  “Aleida,” she repeated.    “She doesn’t—she doesn’t even expect me to pay her back.  She told me the way I can repay her is by posting about everything I’m doing to Instagram.”

Rasmus couldn’t help but smile and chuckle slightly.  Aleida was quite the character – he’d known that for a while – but this was new.  He knew she was generous, and this just proved it.  Anybody who said otherwise didn’t truly know her.  “If you think she’s joking, she’s not – she’s serious about that sort of stuff,” he told his girlfriend.

“I know she is,” Lusine said.  “I can’t believe it, but I know she is.”

“It’s all settled now, lilla fågel,” Rasmus said, leaning in to give her a kiss.  “You’re going to Berlin, and you don’t have to worry about anything.”

In all the hustle and bustle of the day and the mental gymnastics of trying to find out where the money came from and the shock of holding $10,000 in cash in her hands, Lusine forgot that simple fact.  Due to a friend’s extreme generosity, she was able to afford to go to Berlin.  She wasn’t going to go into debt to go.  A 10,000-pound weight had been lifted off her shoulders upon the realization, and a wide smile spread across her face.  “I’m going to Berlin,” her emotions bubbled to the surface, an excited jolt of energy crawling up her spine.  “I’m going to Berlin.  And—” she stopped herself, taking a deep breath and covering her mouth partially with her hand.

“And what?” Rasmus urged.

“Do you—I mean—d—would you still want me to—y—you know, come to Sweden?  Or should I just forget abo—”

Rasmus didn’t mean to cut her off with a kiss – he really didn’t – but at the mention of her coming to Sweden, he couldn’t help the wave of emotion that came over him at the prospect of them being in Sweden together.  It hadn’t even happened yet but Rasmus knew it was going to be his favourite thing in the world; the best thing to happen to him after winning a Stanley Cup with the Leafs.  He could feel his heart rate increasing just thinking about Lusine being in the country and meeting his parents and being at his family’s cottage on the water and walking the streets of Uppsala and Stockholm and wherever else he brought her.  “Yes!  God, yes!” he mumbled against her lips, causing her to giggle slightly.  “Are you kidding?  Of course you’re coming to Sweden.”

“Alright – I just wanted to—”

“—I’ll bring you to Stockholm and Uppsala and my family’s cottage and – do you like going on boats?”

“I did when I was a kid.  I haven’t been on one since the accident.”

“I’m gonna bring you out on a boat,” Rasmus immediately resolved.  “Boat and dinner as the sun is setting and—”

Lusine kissed him, hard, knowing that even if she stopped him from speaking, the ideas would still run through his mind a mile a minute.  Her hands near his waist and the tugging at his tucked dress shirt indicated she wanted, need more, and – despite Rasmus thinking of all the things he could do with Lusine to make her fall in love with Sweden – he was happy to oblige.  After unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it off his shoulders, he worked to do the same to her.  Soon, Rasmus rolled on to his back and watched as Lusine, on her knees on the bed beside him, looked at his growing cock through his underwear.  Ever since he had to be careful about his knee, they’d had to become more creative with what they could and couldn’t do.

He felt her hands glide along the waistband of his pants.  “Can I take these off?” she asked.

“Be my guest.”

She smirked at him, unbuttoning them easily and sliding them down his legs.  She palmed his semi-hard cock through his underwear.  She watched as he brought his hands forward to cup her face just as she snuck her fingers underneath the elastic of his underwear.  “I love you, lilla fågel,” he whispered tenderly.

“I love you too,” she smiled, placing a quick kiss below his belly button.  She finished pulling his underwear down, letting his cock free, and took it gently into her hand.  “I love you so much.”

The mood was different—much different.  Unlike other times, which were more frantic or hot, with an intent of fucking (they were young, energetic, and in love, so who could really blame them) – this mood was much softer, more tender.  That wasn’t to say that they’d never had this sort of sex before (they did, quite a bit – first time included); it was that some situations called for fucking, and some called for making love.  Rasmus and Lusine both knew they were about to make love.  

When Lusine pumped him a few times before sucking his head into her mouth, Rasmus stopped her.  “I don’t want to come in your mouth,” he said.

She nodded slightly.  “I know.  Don’t worry,” she whispered before taking him in her mouth again.  Her head bobbed up and down along his shaft slow and steady, taking her time to get him hard.  There was no tugging of her hair, no help from Rasmus to take him deeper.  Just her, her tongue and mouth, and the eye contact they would make with each other.  Rasmus still groaned and swore under his breath, still told her how good she was being.  And when he was hard, he watched with baited breath as Lusine took off the rest of her clothes and climbed on top of him.  He helped guide his member to her entrance, and she lowered herself on top of him, shuddering at the feeling of him filling her up.

“Ras?”

“Hmm?”

“What am I gonna do without your cock in Berlin?”

Rasmus giggled out loud, pushing himself up so he was face to face with her now.  “You’re gonna be having so much fun you’re not even gonna be thinking about my dick,” he said with a cheeky smile.  

“I don’t know about that,” Lusine giggled as she began to grind on his cock.

“Believe it, lilla fågel,” he gave her a kiss.  “Plus it’s nothing a little phone sex won’t cure.”

Lusine smiled at the prospect.  She couldn’t wait to try it out and see what it was like.  Her grinding was making her feel so good so quickly that it sent shivers up her spine.  “Can’t wait,” she said.  There was no-one else out there for her but Rasmus – she was sure of that.  She was so sure of that.  Despite being so young, so inexperienced (especially when she met him), she knew one thing: he was the only one for her, and she was the only one for him.  And no matter how far away they were from each other – if he was in Los Angeles for a game or Sweden visiting home; if she was in Toronto for school or Berlin to study abroad – they were always going to be connected.  Always on each other’s mind.  Bodies always aching for the other.

She wrapped her arms around him, grinding on his cock in his lap, the noises escaping her mouth getting louder, especially as Rasmus continued to whisper sweet nothings in her ear and groan himself at the pleasure he was feeling.  When she was close, she let him know, and he made sure they were kissing as he released himself inside of her, moaning loudly.  He felt her body shake with pleasure as she cried out, digging her fingernails into his skin as her orgasm washed through her entire body, the feeling of Rasmus filling her up the only drug she needed in her life.  

As they came down from their highs, Lusine couldn’t help but cup Rasmus’s face and look him in the eye.  “Can I tell you something?”

“Always.”

She gave him a long kiss before she spoke again.  “I love you, but I also love us,” she said.  “I love us together.  Does that make sense?”

Rasmus nodded his head.  “Makes complete sense.  I love us too.”

“I love everything about us together and who we are as a couple.”

“Me too.  Because I’m meant for you, remember?  There was never gonna be anybody else for you but me,” Rasmus affirmed.

“And I’m meant just for you.  There’s nobody else for you but me, either.”

“That’s the only way I want it to be.  Forever.”

“Forever.”

[cricketnationrise]

san jose summer

“Chowder. Come on.”

“What?”

“You’re a literal millionaire, the starting goalie for the Sharks, you flew us both all the way out here in first class, and you’re seriously going to feed us Kraft Mac and Cheese right now?” Dex asks.

“Chill, Dex, KD is great.”

“Plus, and I cannot stress this enough, it’s like the only thing I know how to make,” Chowder admits.

“Respect,” Nursey says, bumping Chowder’s fist.

“Don’t they make you learn how to feed yourself in the NHL, like at least simple meals?”

“Meal kits are a real thing, Dex, and they are god’s gift to me personally,” says Chowder. “Just don’t tell Bitty.”

“You’re lucky I love you, Chowder,” Dex says, shaking his head, “Well, mostly I don’t need to hear about how he failed ‘his son’ so badly every time I see him if I did tell him.”

“Bet,” Nursey says.

“And like, I agree Nursey, KD is delicious, but you could have just gotten  take out.” Dex says as he crosses to the fridge and then the pantry, assessing what’s inside. 

“You just got off a really long flight! I wanted you to have something that was made with love!” Chowder protests.

“If we want something made with love, but also protein, you’ve got enough stuff for lasagna.” Dex goes to the sink to wash his hands.

“You can make lasagna?” the other two chorus.

“Please make us lasagna,” Chowder adds.

“Dude we live together, how come you’ve never made me lasagna?” Nursey asks.

“Mostly because it’s a lot of food for two people, and it never tastes right if you have to freeze and reheat it, and I like variety too much to eat the same thing for a week,” says Dex, gathering ingredients and a casserole dish.

He gets cooking, with some help from Chowder, and some play by play commentary from Nursey. (They all know better than to let Nursey actually help cook - it’s safer for all of them.) It’s actually pretty great being all in one place again. Ever since Chowder got traded from the Bruins to the Sharks two years after they graduated, they’ve been making do with quick visits when Chowder plays local teams and lots of Skype. But nothing beats the real thing.

He and Nursey are visiting Chowder for a whole month this summer. Perks of a renegotiated contract include being able to fly your two best friends out and feed three hungry Frogs for a month without breaking a sweat.

He gets the lasagna in the oven and talk turns to catching up on the last couple months since their last video chat. Chowder tells them more in depth about Farmer’s master’s program. He misses her, but she’ll eventually be moving out here, into Chowder’s ridiculously large house even - they just have to get through one more year. Nursey tells Chowder about how editing his latest poetry collection is going - it’s not. 

And Dex fumes about how his boss expects people to always be available on weekends and to be checking their email even after they clock out for the day. He’s been looking at other jobs pretty seriously lately. It’s only here in Chowder’s kitchen that he finally admits he’s been looking at starting his own company with a few of the people from his current job. It would be a fuck ton of work, but being able to create the atmosphere he wants would be more than worth it. 

It’s not until they’ve caught up on each other’s lives and have devolved into insulting each other with love and the wine bottle is almost empty that Dex thinks to ask:

“All that time in the Haus with Bitty, and you really didn’t learn anything? I spent about the same amount of time with him and learned plenty.”

“Well...I wasn’t super interested in actually learning? So I have some vocabulary and I like, know how to make scrambled eggs and grilled cheese and stuff like that, but mostly I just nodded in the right places and got to lick the spoon and Bitty always kept some back for me special if I wasn’t around.”

“Delightfully devious, my friend,” says Nursey.

The oven beeps, drawing their attention, and Dex checks the lasagna. It’s perfect. They’ll have to wait a bit for it to cool enough to eat, but their suitcases never made it past the entryway. By the time they finish unpacking the basics, the food will be ready. The next month is going to fly by, Dex knows, but right now he’s content to bask in the presence of his best friends.

[nugnthopkns]

don’t say you miss me

word count: 5.5k

warnings: explicit!fem reader, references to sex but nothing explicit, cursing, recreational drug use (marijuana), alcohol consumption, there is no happy ending

recommended listening: overnight | maggie rogers

series masterpost: here

a/n: second installment of hiiapl! little overnight inspired ditty that i’m actually pretty proud of. i’m having so much fun with this it’s insane

You had never meant to get attached.

It was a lot easier said than done – especially with Kevin. He was loud and obnoxious, sure, but it was part of his charm. When you first met him, outside a club in downtown Winnipeg, you were blown away by his duality. He had been so loud with his group but quietly brought you a bottle of water after you puked on the sidewalk. After insisting you take his number so you could let him know you got home safely, Kevin convinced you to go to dinner with him. One meal turned into several and before you knew it you were engaged in a casual fling with the Winnipeg Jets’ newest centre. It was mostly sex, with the ocasional interaction outside of the bedroom, but something about Kevin made it feel like more than just a hookup. Over the few months you slept together your feelings shifted, and you began to harbour a rather large crush.

Just when you were going to take the leap and talk to Kevin about getting serious fate reared its ugly head. After only being in Winnipeg for six months, electing to not return to Massechusettes right away after the Jets playoff run finished, Kevin was traded out of the city. The news split your heart in two – there was no way the two of you could become a couple. Though long distance could have been an option, you weren’t going to ask him to commit to that. Being a professional athlete is tough as is, and having a girlfriend a six hour flight away was extra stress you refused to put on Kevin. 

The last night you spent with Kevin was emotional. Lots of tears were shed, mostly from you. You knew he was compartmentalizing it all and trying to not let you know how much the trade was affecting him. Whenever the two of you had talked about hockey, Kevin was always quick to mention how much he loved Winnipeg and how much he wanted to stay. Neither of you talked much, too focussed on wallowing in sadness and committing each other’s bodies to memory. He left the next morning, and there was a silent agreement that whatever the two of you had was over. It was fun while it lasted but now you both have to be adults and get on with life. 

☼☼☼☼

Nearly six months later you consider yourself to be getting on with life just fine. You’ve got a better paying job, a new apartment, and enthusiastically throw yourself into any project that’s presented. To others, however, you’re barely hanging on. Any time you get a text notification, you hold your breath until a name flashes that isn’t Kevin’s. A notification from Instagram saying he viewed your story makes your heart beat three times as fast. You constantly check for updates on how he’s playing, and watch as many Flyers games media blackouts will allow just to catch a glimpse of his face. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t shake Kevin Hayes. 

“They’ll be in town this weekend,” your best friend Rachel says. “Are you gonna reach out to him?”

You nearly drop the carton of chinese food you’re eating on the floor. “I didn’t know that,” you stammer, trying to make your surprise believable. Kevin will be back in Winnipeg for the first time since being traded. You knew this already, of course, because you have the Flyers scheduled imprinted in your memory.

She narrows her eyes at you. “Don’t fucking lie to me. You knew they were coming to town. The NHL app stays open on your phone at all times.”

Caught in your lie, you can do nothing but duck your head. You’ve thought a lot about what you’re going to do. Should you send him a text, let him know you’re available after the game? Or should you ignore him completely and make it seem as though you’re doing much better than you are?

“I don’t know Rach. I’ve never had a sort of ex come back to the city he left me in.”

“He didn’t necessarily want to leave you,” Rachel points out. “He got traded. If you want my two cents, I don’t think you should give him a call. You need to move on, not stay stuck in the past.”

Your friend is right, and you know that’s what you should do. Moving on from Kevin would be easier if you didn’t try to contact him. He hasn’t reached out to you so you assume you’re the only one in the relationship still struggling to come to terms with his departure. You struggle with the decision until puck drop, but ultimately decide against texting him. It simply wouldn’t be beneficial for your fragile heart. 

A small group of friends has gathered at Rachel’s to watch the game. You’re lucky, or unlucky, to run with a crowd of die-hard Jets fans who get together any time they play, whether it’s at someone’s house or a sports bar around the corner from the arena. Though you tried your best to get out of it tonight, making up any excuse you can think of to stay at home and sob quietly into a pillow, Rachel knows better than to let you be alone and forces you to be in attendance. 

It’s a pretty quiet game with the Jets dominating the first two periods. The Flyers are sluggish, not connecting passes and taking far too many penalties. You’re pretty sure Winnipeg has it in the bag when the puck drops for the final twenty minutes of play, so you turn your attention away from the television, picking up a conversation with Christina, the girl your friend Tyler brought along. 

Some choice words must have been said to the Flyers in the intermission because they come out swinging. Before you can comprehend what’s happening, they’ve tied the game. The period is full of contact, with multiple players from each team spending time in the penalty box. Your attention is once again returned to the large screen for the final few minutes, and your jaw drops as you watch Kevin dangle through the Jets defence to sink the puck into the back of the net. It turns out to be the game winning goal, and you sit in silence as your friends pay up the money they lost in bets and check their updated fantasy pool standings. Maybe you should text him. 

“Don’t fucking do it,” you hear Rachel whisper in your ear. Your other friends know of your past with Kevin, they were around and spent some time with him, but they don’t know how much you were still holding on. Everyone besides Rachel assumes you’re alright – that Kevin is just a blip in your past. 

You roll your eyes and sigh, but tuck your phone back into the pocket of your jeans. It stays there – out of sight, out of mind – until it buzzes some time later. Expecting it to be your mother hounding you for not calling in a while, you pull it out. A message from Kevin flashes and you go whiter than a ghost. 

Taking the boys out celebrating the big win. You in? 

The words, so casual, feel like a punch to the stomach. Why the months of radio silence just to ask to see him like you’re friends? Making sure that no one is paying attention to you, you quickly type out a reply. 

That’s not a good idea and you know it Kevin. 

You send the message and immediately turn off your phone. This way you won’t have to deal with the aftermath until much later. You allow other things to hold your attention and don’t head home until you’re so tired that it will be impossible for you to think about Kevin’s text. 

When you power your phone back up in the morning, you’re shocked to find that Kevin never responded. He obviously didn’t care too much about your absence, and part of you wonders if he was just being polite. It doesn’t make sense, but instead of letting your brain overthink the lack of response you throw yourself headfirst into cleaning your apartment. Hours later it’s spotless, and you slump onto the couch in a pile of exhaustion. You check your social media notifications, a few mentions from your friends about the shenanigans you all got up to the night before and your sister tagging you in a post letting you know she’d like to visit a specific beach the next time she comes to visit. Kevin’s profile photo sits at the top of your instagram feed, and before you can stop yourself you click to view his story. 

It’s a snapshot of his teammates with bright smiles on their faces. Each of them is holding a can of beer, and a few look as though they shared a joint before entering the establishment. The photo is captioned ‘glad to be back in winterpeg’ and is accompanied by a couple of snowflake emojis. Your heart clenches inside your chest – it hurts more than you thought it would to see him enjoying himself as though he has no bittersweet feelings about being back. It would be beneficial to unfollow Kevin, but you can’t force yourself to pull the metaphorical trigger and completely cut him from your life. 

Kevin leaves the next day for Vancouver. You know this because you watch his story yet again, and curse yourself for grasping at straws. Why must he have such a strong hold on you after so long? A call to Rachel has her driving to your place in minutes, ready to hold you while you cry and distract you from the pain that still lingers from his first departure.

☼☼☼☼

It’s easier to forget Kevin without him being in the city – you do your best, and eventually it sort of sticks.

He no longer crosses your mind every few days. You go weeks, sometimes a month or two, without thinking about him. It’s nice to no longer get sad when you enter a bar you frequented with him or wince when someone mentions how he’s playing. It also helps that he never returns to Winnipeg. 

There’s no reason for him to. The Flyers don’t play another away game against the Jets the rest of season, and as far as you know he doesn’t frequently talk to his old teammates. Your life fades into a quiet routine you come to love dearly. The world feels balanced for the first time since Kevin left and you’re nothing but thankful. 

Life moves on, and you find yourself succeeding in your career – so much so that you’re quickly offered a promotion. The change increases your workload and doesn’t leave you much of a life outside of work, but it doesn’t matter much to you. It’s a welcome distraction and keeps thoughts of Kevin out of your mind. No one comments on your genuine improvement, but you know they can see it. Rachel is proud, and she’s told you exactly once. It’s all you’ll get out of her so you take it and roll with it. The rest of the regular season passes without you so much as knowing, or caring, and before you know it there’s a notification for an article saying the Flyers were eliminated in the second round. For the first time you find it really hard to care.

☼☼☼☼

Summers in Winnipeg are your favourite. The city is warm for the first time all year and the flowers look beautiful in full bloom. With the promotion you’re afforded more vacation time, which you plan to take full advantage. There’s nothing you love more than hanging with friends in the sun, soaking up the rays, and casually drinking. 

The days bleed into one another in the way that all good summers should, and before you realize it it’s your last day at work for a week. It will be nice to be free from workplace constraints for a while, and your friends have the time off as well. The group of you are heading to a cabin on Falcon Lake where you’re sure lots of partying will take place. You suggested getting farther away, but settled on the area in case Tyler’s sister goes into labour. He’s a very family oriented person and offered to watch his nephew when the time comes. 

Four o’clock comes faster than you ever could have imagined, and you cheerfully wave goodbye to your co-workers. Some complain of your ability to leave during the busiest season of the year, but most of them wish you well. You put an immense amount of work into your job regardless of the quarter and know you deserve the break. If you don’t stop at the grocery store on your way you’ll be in trouble since you’re in charge of all the breakfasts and you currently only have a half-eaten loaf of bread that could go stale any day. 

You’re in the cereal aisle, deciding whether or not you really need Honey Nut Cheerios for the trip, when you hear his unforgettable voice. It’s loud and booming and brings back so many feelings that you’ve learned to repress that you turn on your heel and head to the nearest self checkout despite only gathering half the items on your list.

Back in your car, you dial Rachel’s number and try to regulate your breathing. 

“Hello?”

You don’t bother with any formalities. “Kevin is here.”

“In Winnipeg?” she asks, more than a tad confused. “Why would he be in Winnipeg?”

The interior of the Ford Escape you drive feels too small, so you crack a window and peel out of the parking space. Rachel’s voice reverberates throughout the car thanks to the bluetooth system. “I don’t fucking know, but he’s here.”

“I don’t think that’s possible Y/N,” Rachel says, always the realist. “He lives in Boston. What would he be doing in Winnipeg in the middle of July?”

You aren’t sure, and make sure to tell her so. “But it was him,” you swear. “He was in the grocery store.” You stop at a red light, placing your blinker on and checking both ways before turning right. A few more minutes and you’d be safely tucked away in your apartment, away from the world and the possibility of running into Kevin.

“There’s like a hundred tall gingers in the city babe, you didn’t see him.”

“You’re right, I didn’t see him,” you agree. “I heard him. How many tall gingers are there in Winnipeg with Boston accents?”

“Oh fuck. I’m coming over.” With that, Rachel hangs up, and you pull into the parking garage. You sit in silence for a minute or two before deciding your shaking legs can hold you upright. Perhaps you weren’t as over Kevin as you thought. 

Rachel spends the rest of the afternoon and evening with you, ensuring you don’t do anything stupid and letting you spew all your feelings, both good and bad. More than one bottle of wine is consumed, but you have more than enough time to nurse a hangover. If you play your cards right through the week this won’t be the only time you do it either. 

You wake up on top of your pristine sheets, Rachel grumbling beside you – she’s never been as good at holding her alcohol.

“What time is it?”

The alarm clock on your bedside table flashes a few numbers and you have to stare at them for a minute before you comprehend them. “Just after eight,” you say, sitting up. Surprisingly, you feel fine. Maybe the crippling weight of your feelings for Kevin cancels out the hangover you most definitely should be feeling. 

“We need to get going. Gotta pack the car and hit the road. I’m the one who needs to get the keys so we have to be there before everyone else,” she sighs, grumbling something else under her breath as her feet hit the floor. 

You just laugh at her and head into the kitchen. While Rachel showers you make coffee and pack the food into the ancient cooler your father gave you when you moved out many moons ago. It has served its purpose on several trips like this – you’ll be sad to see it go eventually. You switch places with Rachel, and once you’re feeling refreshed the two of you stuff your trunk and hit the road. 

The drive is rather uneventful, with the both of you sitting in silence, and it doesn’t take you long to approach your destination. Rachel is a poor navigator so you’re tasked with figuring out where you’re going and making sure you get there, but it could be worse. You have a general sense of where you’re going. Getting the keys is painless and you get to work unpacking your overloaded SUV.

“Do you think there will be other people around we can party with?” Rachel asks as you close the trunk for the last time. 

You shrug. “Don’t know Rach. It doesn’t look like it.”

She drops it, agreeing with you, and you separate to unpack your personal belongings. The cabin is large enough that no one has to share a room, which you’re grateful for. Though you love your friends dearly, they don’t always know what personal space is. At some point in the afternoon the rest of the group trickles in, and by dinner you’ve all settled and are ready to party. 

Tyler figures out how to use the ancient barbeque and sets to work cooking the burgers. Everyone else gets side dishes ready or sets the table, with Christine starting a bonfire. You don’t know her well, only having met her a few times, but your friend seems to be infatuated with her. She fits in great with the group so you aren’t worried about any awkward tension. Dinner passes in a fit of giggles and shouts, and once the dishes are done you can relax fully. 

The beer you grab from the fridge on your way out the door makes your insides fuzzy in the best way possible. By the fire, surrounded by those who care about you the most, you feel at peace. You’re yet to think about the sudden reappearance of Kevin in Winnipeg, and you’d like to keep it that way. Someone grabs the beat up acoustic guitar you found in the living room and thrusts it in your direction. You’d taught yourself to play in college, and it comes in handy for times like this. 

“I refuse to play Wonderwall,” you laugh, shooting pointed looks at each and every person sitting around you. 

“Come on Y/N,” Rachel groans. “Just once?”

“Fuck off.”

You don’t mean it, of course, and strum the opening chords with a grimace on your face. Tyler counts everyone in and they sing for you, which is appreciated. You might be decent at playing, but your singing voice is one that shouldn’t see the light of day if it can be helped. It’s more fun than you imagined it could be so one song turns into three, and before you know it your makeshift jamboree attracts the attention of the neighbours you didn’t know existed. 

Applause erupts from behind you, and you flush enough that your cheeks warm significantly. “You guys are so good I hate to disrupt the rhythm,” a deep voice says, “But do you mind if a buddy and I join you? We’re a little lonely by ourselves next door.”

Tyler’s out of his seat in a heartbeat, jumping up to pat the man on the back. “Of course man, come on over! I’m Tyler, and that’s Rachel, Christine, Marshall, and Y/N.”

You all wave politely, and the mystery guest introduces himself. “Nice you meet you guys. I’m Nolan.”

It’s then you get a good look at who you’re speaking to. He seems to be a few years younger than you, maybe early twenties, and he has a face you just can’t place. Maybe you’ve seen him around Winnipeg – the city is small enough that you can often spot the same faces in a crowd. “I’ll just yell at him to come over and we can get the party started,” Nolan explains, “Kev, bud, come on over! And bring a couple beers.”

All the blood rushes from your fingers at the name. You shake them intensely, willing your circulatory system to function properly again. If you had to hazard a guess there’s probably a million people in Manitoba named Kevin. There’s no reason for it to be Kevin Hayes. You’re most certainly still spooked from your near encounter with him yesterday. 

“Fuck Patty, you couldn’t come back and grab your own?” the emerging figure grumbles in the vocal stylings you’ll have imprinted on your heart until your dying day. Kevin is here, and if you don’t leave in the next few seconds you’ll be face to face with him for the first time in over a year. 

You stand abruptly, not stopping to explain your hasty exit to anyone, and practically run into the house. The door slams behind you and you do your best to make your heart rate return to normal. Tyler shouts something you can’t quite comprehend, but you know it’s probably some sort of reconnection greeting. He’d met Kevin a couple of times while the two of you were together and had gotten along with him well. 

“Hey,” Rachel whispers, “You good?”

You hadn’t heard her come in. “Not really,” you admit. “I mean like I knew he was in town but never in a million years did I think he’d crash my fucking vacation.”

She nods in agreement. “What do you want to do?”

“Stay in here forever?” An eye roll is sent your way but you choose to ignore it. “I’m serious Rach, I can’t go back out there, at least not tonight. Every time I think I’m over him he finds a way to make me realize I’m just faking.”

“I know,” Rachel says simply. She really does – as your best friend she’s privy to your every thought on the matter. After making sure that you'll be okay she heads back outside, armed with an excuse for your early departure. 

You spend the rest of the night tucked under the covers, listening to the laughter of your friends outside, no doubt in your mind that Kevin is the source for most of it. He’s always been good at commanding an audience. Thoughts swim freely in your brain, most of them occupied by Kevin in some capacity. Was tonight just a one off? Will you have to eventually face him? What will you say? Eventually sleep comes, though it’s fitful and fleeting. 

☼☼☼☼

You do your best to avoid Kevin, and it works for a day or two. Tyler has stricken up a friendship with the athlete, and spends more time with him and Nolan than your group. You don’t mind all that much because they typically are out on Nolan’s boat or lounging in their cabin, but every night the group reconvenes at your firepit. The excuses are starting to run out – there’s only so many times you can say you have heat exhaustion before someone stops believing you.

“Y/N, Kevin hasn’t even mentioned you,” Tyler whines one night after dinner. “It won’t be awkward. We only have a few days left, please spend time with us?”

“I’m spending plenty of time with you,” you grumble. “You promise he won’t say anything?”

Tyler shoots you a smile that lets you know he knows that he’s broken down your resolve. “Why would he? If he was going to do it he would have already.”

You aren’t sure if that makes you feel better or worse. You’re glad he’s faring better than you, but on the other hand you wish he’d at least make an effort to inquire into your well-being. Maybe it was simply proof that you were still holding onto something that didn’t mean much of anything. Eventually you’d have to face the music, whether it be with Kevin or someone in the future, so you make the decision to try and at least get used to seeing former flames in social settings. 

“You’re rolling my joints tonight asshole,” you grumble, shoving your sock clad feet into a pair of worn out sandals. 

There’s a small commotion, mostly in excitement at your begrudging agreement, and you roll your eyes as you grab what is destined to be your first of many beers from the fridge. Rachel slides up beside you on the way out the door and squeezes your hand, letting you know she’s ready to support you no matter what happens. It’s comforting, and the nerves in your stomach settle a small amount. 

Marshall is already outside, helping Nolan start the fire. They seem to be extremely similar and you’re glad they can seek each other out when the rest of the group gets too rambunctious. The rest of your party filters out of the house and takes up residence in the adirondack chairs. Kevin doesn’t appear to be around, so you allow yourself to speak freely, loud and unabashed. 

“No I’m telling you,” you insist, trying to convince Nolan your stance on Jack Antonoff is correct. “Jack is literally responsible for reinventing pop production.”

He laughs at how into the conversation you are. “Why the fuck should I care?”

“Because you fucking listen to Lorde!” 

Someone else is laughing along with you and it nearly stops you in your tracks. At some point Kevin had joined the party, but you hadn’t noticed. Knowing that he was listening makes you suddenly self conscious, and you wrap your sweater tighter around your shoulders. Nolan can tell you’re uncomfortable and does his best to relieve the tension. 

“Kev, do you wanna run back and grab the weed?” he asks. 

The auburn haired man pulls a baggie out of his hoodie pocket. “Got it right here baby cat,” he grins. “And it’s ready to go. You got a light?”

Nolan tosses him the lighter and Kevin expertly puts the joint between his parted lips. He lets the smoke fill his lungs before exhaling, and you watch him more intently than you should. You’re thrown back to the memories of Kevin’s apartment downtown, where you’d smoke in content silence after a night of passionate sex. The scenes flash in your mind and you’re overcome with melancholia. You had been so happy in the moment, and now you’re in a similar situation but feel nothing. Other than sharing in your laughter, Kevin is yet to say anything to you. 

You must have been lost in your thoughts, because Kevin is staring at you with a quizzical expression. “Y/N? Do you want a hit?”

It takes you a second to snap out of your daze, but to cautiously take the lit joint from his hand. “Thank you Kevin,” you say, voice timid. It’s the first time you’ve spoken to him since he left Winnipeg for the first time. 

He shoots you a dazzling smile and your insides threaten to turn to mush. No matter how hard you’ve tried to convince yourself you over him, that you’ve moved on from Kevin, you know you’re wrong. Kevin Hayes will have some sort of hold on you until you die. To distract yourself from the overwhelming amount of emotion you inhale deeply, hoping that the buzz smoking will bring can clear your mind. You really don’t want to think about what you lost when he’s right in front of you. 

The three of you sit in silence, passing the joint in a circle, and listen to the conversation your friends are engaged in. Marshall ropes Nolan into a game of cornhole and he goes begrudgingly. As he stands he sends you a sympathetic look, and you know that he’s familiar with your history with Kevin. It doesn’t surprise you – Kevin isn’t exactly one to keep secrets. 

“So,” Kevin says once it’s just the two of you, “How have you been?”

You do your best to swallow the lump in your throat. “I’ve been good. Work has been crazy lately, so this break has been really nice.”

He presses, and you indulge him in a conversation about your new job, though it can barely be considered that now. Everything is surface level – you’re afraid of letting Kevin in too much. Though your fling may have been brief, it didn’t make his departure or the lack of contact any easier. He tells you about his life in Philadelphia and how much he loves it there. Before you can stop yourself, you ask him a loaded question. 

“Do you like it more than Winnipeg?”

Kevin falters. It takes both of you a moment to process what you said. Not one to lie, he answers truthfully. “Yeah.” It comes out in a sort of deflated sigh. “But I miss –”

“Don’t say it,” you rush, trying hard to keep your voice down. “You don’t mean it.”

An embittered huff comes from him, and you watch carefully as he peels the worn ball cap off his head and tugs on his curls. “I do,” he insists. “I absolutely miss you.”

You no longer care who can hear you. “If you missed me, you would have texted. Called. Anything,” you say cooly. Everyone else has clued in to the fact that something is going on between you and Kevin, and have migrated inside in an attempt to give you privacy.

“I did. You’re the one who said it wasn’t a good idea to see each other again.”

“Because it had been over half a year!” you shriek. “And it had been radio silence before then. You left Kevin, and I’m not blaming you. I know it’s your job. But you left and it was so fucking hard, and it stung because you didn’t even try. So when you hit me up after that game I knew I had to say no. Because no matter how much I try to convince myself otherwise, I’m still so in love with you that if you asked I’d uproot my life and follow you to Philly. I don’t want to be that girl.”

The outburst leaves you gasping for breath. Never before had you spilled heartache so fast – with a sort of reckless abandon. Anytime you’ve had these types of conversations you’ve been calm and collected. You’re currently the farthest thing from it. 

Kevin’s expression softens, and a sadness fills his eyes. “I was scared,” he begins, “Because for the first time in my life I was with someone I could see spending the rest of my life with. Sure, we weren’t serious, but I was going to take it there. Then I got traded and the plans I had went to shit and I was too scared to do anything about it. So I let you slip away.”

Silence fills the space between you. You don’t know what to say, so you focus on unraveling the loose thread from the hem of your cardigan. Kevin shuffles in his seat awkwardly. “Where do we, uh, go from here?”

The question shocks you. To the best of your understanding, you had made it perfectly clear where your relationship was headed. “Nowhere,” you breathe. “You head back to Philly, meet another girl, and fall in love. I stay here, do my job, and learn to be content with myself.”

“There’s no room for us in your little plan?”

“We’ve run our course Kev. As much as I still love you, will always love you, we’re too fundamentally different for us both to really be happy in a relationship. You have to know that.”

He nods. “I do.” With that, Kevin rises from the chair, gives you a sad smile, and leaves. You assume he’s calling it a night, and you wish to do the same. Finally having that conversation was exhausting and all you want to do is sleep for the next twelve hours. 

☼☼☼☼

The rest of the trip passes without you seeing Kevin again. He and Nolan left early the morning after your conversation, and you do your best to enjoy yourself. Part of your brain makes you believe you’re the reason they left, though Tyler tells you otherwise. No one asks about what happened between you two, not even Rachel, and you return to the city determined to start anew. Eventually you break the cycle of obsessing over Kevin’s stats, and take it upon yourself to unfollow him on social media. Life goes on. 

Things never really get easier. You still find yourself grieving the loss of Kevin, late at night when you can’t sleep, but are confident in your decision to say goodbye for good. Time heals everything, and eventually you’ll be okay. 

☼☼☼☼

taglist: @jamiedrysdales​ @kiedhara​ @tortito​ @boqvistsbabe​ @iwantahockeyhimbo​ if you want to be added just shoot me an ask :)

[heyitssmiller]

Chop It Like It’s Hot

A Worst Cooks in America O’Knutzy AU

The Sweater Weather Discord group helped me come up with this idea like two months ago, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. All credit goes to @lumosinlove for her amazing characters!

Chop It Like It’s Hot Masterlist

Chapter 1: Don’t Go Bacon My Heart

The Day Before the Competition

Interviewer (off camera): Finn O’Hara and Logan Tremblay for their introductions.

Logan: * taps on microphone* Is this mic working?

Finn: How do you still not know how to work a mic? You deal with them all time.

Logan: I signed up to compete in a cooking show, not to deal with your chirps.

Finn: You love ‘em. *winks*

Interviewer: So basically all we want from you guys is a brief introduction for the viewers. I’ll ask some questions, but most of this should be you guys just talking. We can edit things out later, so don’t worry about anything like that. Why don’t you guys start with your names and careers and we’ll go from there.

Finn: Yo, I’m Finn O’Hara, and I’m a terrible cook. *finger guns* Although I guess that’s a given, seeing that I’m on this show.

Logan: *mumbles in French, head in hands*

Finn: This asshole – shit, no – fuck! Sorry, I probably shouldn’t be cussing. This is a family-friendly show.

Logan: Dear God, please stop talking. I’m Logan Tremblay, the unfortunate boyfriend.

*Finn pouts*

Interviewer: And you guys play hockey?

Logan: Yeah, we play in the NHL. Gryffindor Lions.

Finn: That’s how we met, actually. Through hockey. We played together at Harvard, then got drafted to the Lions about a year apart. We’ve known each other for eight years and have been together for three of them. Can’t seem to get rid of this one.

Interviewer: And you’re not worried about being rivals on this show?

Finn: Rivals is a strong word… I mean yes we’ll be competing against each other instead of being teammates, but we know going in that it’s not personal. Just a little healthy competition.

Interviewer: So what made the two of you sign up for this show?

Logan: We didn’t. Our teammate Dumo and his wife Celeste did. They thought it would be funny. *pause* They’re probably right.

Interviewer: Out of the two of you, who is the worst cook?

*Finn and Logan point to each other*

Logan: You can’t be serious.

Finn: You once cooked pasta so much that it turned into literal paste!

Logan: You tried to cook pizza rolls in a toaster.

Finn: That’s what it said in the instructions!

Logan: It said toaster oven, you - *more French*

Finn: English, Tremz. How many times do I have to tell you that? I guess we’ll find out once and for all who the better cook is by the end of the next eight weeks, right? *mouths “it’s me” to the camera*

Logan: Whatever, Fish.

Interviewer: I think we’ve got all we need guys, thanks. Start time for tomorrow is 10:00 am, but plan on being here forty-five minutes to an hour early to get ready. We’ll see you then.

Competition Day

“Are you nervous? I’m nervous.” Finn stated, running a hand through his hair and looking around at the studio they’d be in and out of for the foreseeable future. There were cooking stations everywhere and he could already see tools and machines that he had no clue how to use. There were twelve other contestants that he didn’t know and the crew scattered everywhere, running back and forth trying to get everything ready. “God, how am I sweaty already? Is this normal?”

Logan rolled his eyes but still reached over to grab Finn’s hand, squeezing it lightly. “Relax. It’s not so bad.” Finn smiled down at him, glad that they were at least here together. How in the hell did he get so lucky?

“Besides, you’ll be sent home soon enough. So don’t stress too much.”

Finn laughed. “Wow, I hate you so much right now.” He betrayed his words with a quick kiss. “You’re going down.”

Those green eyes flashed at the challenge, but right as he opened his mouth to respond-

“Good morning, recruits!”

All heads turned towards the voice. Three figures stood towards the front of the room: one they both recognized as the producer, who was flanked by who Finn assumed to be the chefs, seeing that they were wearing chef’s outfits. Chef’s uniforms? Did their uniforms have a technical name? Finn made a mental note to google that later.

Anyways, one was a short woman with dark ringlets tied back in a ponytail and an undiscernible expression on her face. The other was tall, blond, and had legs for days Jesus Christ-

“Welcome to your first day of boot camp! This is chef Dorcas Meadowes and chef Leo Knut; they’ll be your team leaders. We’re going to start with some footage of you all walking into the kitchen, so if you all would wait out there until you’re allowed to come back in. Cameras will be rolling, so be ready! After that, our chefs will explain the first challenge and then you’ll start cooking.” He clapped his hands together. “Alright, let’s get this show started!”

“Why did they make us come in here just to send us back out?” Logan grumbled, following the other shuffling contestants out into the hall.

“Probably easier to give directions to the main studio instead of saying ‘hey, just wait out in the hall.’”

Logan hummed noncommittally. “I guess.” He wasn’t overly excited to be here; most of this (besides the initial push by Dumo and Celeste) was Finn’s idea. And god knows he could never say no to Finn. One look at that pout and brown puppy-dog eyes and he was done for. Logan didn’t like cooking, but he did like Finn. And they’d probably remember this for years to come. It didn’t matter what he was doing, as long as he was with Finn and making memories with him he’d do just about anything.

“Wonder what the first challenge is.” Finn mused, his eyes locked on the doors.

Logan laughed. “Always so impatient.”

“I’m a New Yorker,” Finn grinned, leaning into his accent. “It’s in my blood.”

The doors opened and contestants began filing back into the kitchen. Finn made sure to wave enthusiastically at the chefs with a wide smile. Logan noticed the tall one (god, he’d already forgotten the guy’s name) give a little wave in return as the other chef commanded the attention of everyone else in the room.

“Good morning, recruits, and welcome to boot camp! I’m chef Dorcas Meadowes, and this is chef Leo Knut. He’s the rookie of our crew, but don’t worry – he’s still qualified to teach all of you. Even though that’s not saying much.”

There was a smattering of laughter and chef Leo smiled, revealing dimples Logan could see from where he stood. “Hey, y’all. I’m very excited to see what makes all of you qualified to be put on this show. Who knows? Maybe you’ll give me more gray hair.” Dorcas laughed and ran her fingers through the tuft of gray hair at his temple.

“When did you get this? I don’t remember seeing it when we were in culinary school. Is it from Iron Chef?”

“Nah, this is from having Gordon Ramsay come to my restaurant.”

“Truly a terrifying man.” She shuddered. “Anyways, you guys be nice to this giant ball of sunshine. Even if he’s new, he’s still able to eliminate you from this competition.”

“In order to pick our teams, we need to see what kind of skills you have.” Leo winced. “Or don’t have. So today, we want you to make your favorite dish. Easy enough, right?”

“Oh god,” Finn murmured into Logan’s ear. “What’s my favorite dish? Do I even have one?”

“Finn.”

“You all have an hour to complete this task.” Dorcas said, glancing down at her watch. “And your time starts… now!”

“Fuck.” Finn stated emphatically, dashing off to the pantry.

Fuck was right. God, what was Logan going to make? He was wracking his brain for something while he grabbed two aprons from the back. He tossed one to Finn and took the station beside him before hurrying to the pantry. Chicken was always a safe bet, right? Celeste made a barbeque chicken recipe that was to die for. That couldn’t be too hard. It was just chicken and barbeque sauce. And maybe green beans on the side? He could get those canned ones and they’d taste fine if he rinsed them. This was fine.

He guessed on the temperature for the oven. 350 seemed good. Then he dumped two chicken breasts into a pan, poured the barbeque sauce over them, and put them into the oven.

“What are you making?” Logan startled at the soft voice, turning to see chef Leo at his station.

Blue eyes.

Logan blinked, Leo’s question forgotten. “Quoi?”

“You speak French?”

Why was his brain refusing to work all of a sudden? Get it together, Tremblay. “Uh, yeah.”

“What are you making?” Leo asked for the second time, but now it was in French. Weirdly worded French.

“Barbeque chicken.” Logan responded in French, then switched back to English. “What in the world was that?”

Leo flashed him a grin. “New Orleans, born and raised. We speak French there, too. Now tell me how you’re making that chicken.”

“Uh.” He had never said the word ‘uh’ so much in one sitting. Merde. “I put it in a pan, spread barbeque sauce over it, and I’m cooking it at 350.”

“How do you know when it’s done?”

Was this a trick question? It felt like a trick question. “Uh.” Fuck. “It has to get to a specific internal temperature, right?”

The chef nodded. “And what’s that?”

“145?"

Something in Leo’s expression flickered, but Logan couldn’t figure out what it meant. “Well, good luck. Logan, right?”

“Yeah.”

“See you at the judging table.” He said with a dimpled smile before moving to Finn’s station, which was already a mess. “Oh my. How are you doing over here?”

Finn laughed a bit hysterically. “Not good. Not good at all.”

“Ok. What’s going on?”

“Well I’m trying to make carbo’hara, and –“

“Really, Fish?” Logan called from his station. “That’s what you’re making?”

“What’s carbo’hara?” Leo asked as he watched Finn put bacon in a pan.

“Oh,” Finn waved a hand carelessly. “It’s just carbonara, but a pun on my name, O’Hara. Get it?”

Leo laughed, crossing long arms over his chest. “That’s terrible.”

“Yeah, but it makes me happy. My parents used to make it every night before my brother or I had hockey games.”

“Oh, that’s right. You guys are hockey players.”

“Go Lions!” Finn cheered, taking a spoonful of butter and throwing it into the pan with the bacon.

“Are you putting butter on bacon?” Leo asked with a raised eyebrow.

Finn responded with full confidence, “I didn’t want it to stick to the pan.”

“Ok. Got it. I… I look forward to seeing what you make.” Finn watched as Leo bit his lip and tried his hardest not to laugh.

Cute.

Finn felt his cheeks flush and blamed it on the steam from the pasta.

The last thirty minutes of the task were absolute chaos, but both boys got it done. Finn’s looked messy, which accurately summed up his cooking style. Logan was pretty proud of how his looked; he just hoped it tasted good. He gave Finn a smile and a fist bump. “Ready to be judged?”

Finn laughed, looking down at his plate. He grimaced. “Not really.”

“We’re all bad cooks. Chances are someone else’s dish is worse than yours.”

“That… actually helped. Thanks.”

***

 Finn was chosen to be judged before Logan. He brought up his plate with a sheepish smile and placed it on the table in front of the chefs. Dorcas raised an eyebrow while Leo prodded the pasta with his fork.

“It’s carbo’hara.” Finn stated with pride.

“Well, Finn…” Dorcas met his eyes. “This looks like a mess, but let’s see how it tastes.”

Finn cringed as they both took a bite of his food. Dorcas frowned as she chewed and Leo tilted his head, a confused expression on his face.

“I don’t know how you did it, but this solidifies in my mouth like glue.”

“Oh god, please don’t eat any more.”

“You definitely put a lot of effort in and you have a lot of potential,” Leo said with a small smile. “I think you were just a little too ambitious for this first round and it got away from you.”

“That’s fair. Thanks for the input.” Finn grabbed his plate and made his way back to his station. He wasn’t too upset by those reviews – he already knew he was a bad cook. But he had potential, so at least he had that going for him.

Logan grinned at him back at his station. “I can’t believe you served the judges glue pasta.”

“At least I’m not serving them canned green beans.”

“They taste just fine, thank you very much.”

“Lo, they’re professionals. You’re not getting away with something lazy like that.”

He definitely got in trouble for using the canned green beans. Dorcas looked down at them like they were worms. Leo gave him the ‘I’m not mad, I’m disappointed’ look, which was even worse, please don’t look at me like that.

“Canned food is a no-go, huh?”

“Definitely.”

“And this chicken isn’t cooked all the way.” Leo said, showing him the pink meat. “You said earlier that you’d cook it until it reached 145 degrees, but chicken needs to reach 165 at a minimum.”

“I’m sure it tasted fine, though.” Dorcas added. “You can’t really go wrong with pre-made barbeque sauce and chicken.”

Ouch. Logan grabbed his plate. “Right. Thanks.”

Finn was predictably cackling at his station. “Tremz, they couldn’t even eat yours. Celeste is going to be so disappointed in you.”

“Shut up.”

 ***

As soon as they were back into their hotel room, Finn kicked his shoes off and faceplanted into the couch. “I can’t believe that took so long.”

“Yeah,” Logan sat down and grabbed his take-out. “Who knew cooking all day would make us so hungry?”

Finn made grabby hands at the other food container. Logan laughed and handed it to him. “I haven’t been this hungry since playoffs, fuck.”

They ate in silence and were finished in record-setting time. Finn collected their trash and stood up to throw it away. “So blue team, huh? I’m kind of surprised they put us on the same team.”

“Me too. But Leo seems like a good teacher, so I’m glad we’re on his team.”

“Yeah, he seems so young, too.” Which sounded ridiculous to say; Leo couldn’t be that much younger than them. “If he’s already winning competitions and starring in cooking shows at that age, he must be pretty good.”

“Winner of Iron Chef America, Chopped, Guy’s Grocery Games…” Logan read off his phone with a low whistle. “He graduated culinary school early and opened his own restaurant a year later.”

“Damn.”

“There’s a video of one of his competitions on here.”

“Play it!” Finn said excitedly, flopping back down on the couch and peering over his boyfriend’s shoulder. Logan gave him a strange look. “What? Maybe we’ll learn something useful.”

“I think this is going to be way too complicated for us, but ok.”

So they sat on the couch watching cooking competitions for hours, learning skills and techniques that went way over their heads. Logan wordlessly switched to Leo’s cooking show Cajun Cooking, watching episode after episode of the blue-eyed chef teaching traditional New Orleans recipes.

Little did they know that halfway across the city in his own apartment, Leo Knut was watching Youtube highlights of the Gryffindor Lions, keeping a sharp eye out for number seventeen and number ten.

[prettyboyjackhughes]

-Maybe it wasn't meant to be-

|J. Hughes|

[Part 1]

Jack knew things were over when Charlie wasn’t waiting for him in the lobby of their apartment building as soon as he got there. After the disaster of a phone call midway through the road trip, he hadn’t expected her to be there when he got home. But when he unlocked the door to their apartment and was met with their dog, Luca whining and jumping up on him, he knew. Everything of her’s was gone. It was almost like she hadn’t even been there. Jack swallowed hard, set down his bags, and walked towards the bedroom they had shared. A piece of paper lay on his pillow; the only pillow now on the bed. Jack picks it up, sitting down on her side of the bed. He started to read, his eyes welling up as he glanced at the bottom and saw her name.

To the next girl Jack loves,

He’ll get cuddly when he’s tired. He always has to be touching you. He makes sure you know you never have to worry about knowing how much he loves you. He hates getting out of bed in the morning so you’re going to have to drag him out of bed, every morning, without fail. He never isn’t eating something. No matter how many times you warn him about getting his teeth knocked out, he never keeps his mouth guard in his mouth on the ice. He’ll fight with Quinn and Luke over the stupidest things but you’ll never doubt that they love each other more than anything. He’ll let Quinn and Luke pick on you but never lets it go too far. You’ll become one of the hockey girlfriends. Jack will show you off to everybody, beyond proud that you’re his girlfriend. His teammates are his best friends and his brothers. But you’ll never be second to them. They’ll become your friends too. Get used to them being around. You’ll grow to love them and they’ll love you. They’ll tease you and Jack but Jack will just smile and brush it off, kissing your forehead as he smirks. It’s just one of his many ways of showing that you’re his girl. He’ll love you no matter what and never take that for granted. But then things get bad. He shuts you out. He doesn’t talk about what’s wrong or why he’s upset. He doesn’t want to burden other people with his problems but will drop everything to take care of everyone else’s. He’ll start to cancel plans, even if he doesn’t really have other plans. Nobody can tell you what to do to fix things because nobody else can understand what’s wrong. He’ll tell you not to worry, tell you everything is fine. You’ll beg and plead for Jack to come back, the Jack that you fell in love with. But he can’t. Things won’t go back to normal. Then you’ll start to fight. Every little thing will be a fight. You’ll want to let go. And maybe you do. But I promise, you’ll regret it. Jack is worth it. What you have is worth it. Don’t make the same mistake I did and give up on him. It’ll kill you to let go. I mean, you’re not just losing Jack. You’re losing Quinn, Luke, his parents, the hockey boys. Nothing seems like it’ll be okay. Everything falls apart and your world spins out of control. But, if you decide Jack is worth it and things can work between you two, then get him back. Do everything in your power to get him back. Because once you lose him, you’ll regret everything. I already do. I hate that it ended the way it did. But it’s for the best. Jack and I weren’t meant to be and I get that now. It’s your turn. You get to love him. Just don’t make the same mistake I did.

Charlie

The tears that slipped out of Jack’s eyes fell on the white blanket covering their bed, making little dots. He flipped the paper over, seeing more writing. This time, it was a letter addressed to him.

Jack, Don’t come after me. Let me go. You and I weren’t everything we thought we were. You need to go out and find someone new. Someone who doesn’t hold you back. I’m not the one and I’m okay with that. I’ll always love you because you were my first love. My first kiss, my first everything. Every memory I have is with you. I want you to be happy and I can’t give you that. So please, I’m begging you, let me disappear. You are strong, caring, loving and everything a girl could want. But how can I just forget everything? How can I just forget that me and you ever happened? All the things you ever said, all the music we ever shared? All the phone calls? The messages? They had to mean something at one point and it hurts too much to let it all go. I can’t pretend it all never happened. All those years full of memories. It’s not right. This all isn’t right. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. People tell me to just let it all go, that I don’t need you. But I do need you. I don’t want anyone else. I want you. I don’t want to make memories with someone else. I want to keep making memories with you and now I can’t. I wanted you to be a good man. I wanted it to be you. Why isn’t it you? Why did you do this to me? Why? Here’s the truth. I’ve been broken for so long. And I get attached way too fast. I’m lost and I’m scared. I’m scared of everything. The littlest things scare the hell out of me. I’m scared of being happy. Or smiling. Or putting myself out there again. Because every time I do, I end up getting hurt. I have no one. I feel so alone. I push people away because that’s what I think I need. I try so hard to be enough and somehow I never am. I was never enough for you. I always let people in and open my heart just for them to break it. Just like you did. You said you would never leave and you would never hurt me. But here we are. I’m sitting here, writing you a letter, absolutely terrified. I’m sorry Jack. I never wanted things to end like this. Goodbye. Charlie Jack’s body shook with sobs. All he wanted to do was go after her. But she had told him, if he really loved her, not to come after him. He knew he loved her more than anyone else in the entire world. So he didn’t. He let her go, just like she had asked. And to this day, he regretted it more than anything. Here he was, 3 years later, the playboy of the NHL. All over the news and magazines, hooking up with this girl, drinking and partying with this person; the exact opposite of who he had been with her. And the Devils put up with it. Because what team would trade their leading scorer and the man who had led them to back to back Stanley Cups, also making them a contender again this year. But it was all because of her. All because he had made a stupid decision to let her go when he should have fought for her. Every move he made on the ice was because of her and what he hadn’t done. And now he had to live with himself and the mistake he had made. Charlie was happy, or at least she pretended to be. Every so often, her thoughts would wander to a brown haired, blue eyed boy who had captured her heart when she was 14. Back before she knew what love was. But she had pushed him away, just like she always did. Before he could hurt her, she took him out of her life and told him to forget her. To not come after her. She had always secretly hoped he would come looking for her but that day never came. So instead, she had tried to move on, ending up in Denver, Colorado and working for the Colorado Avalanche. She had managed to avoid Jack every time the Avs had played the Devils. But ever since she had left him, she had stayed alone. Never had another boyfriend because she couldn’t.

She still loved him. But of course, as fate would have it, one of the hockey boys came back into her life. Alex Turcotte, one of Jack’s oldest friends and teammates, got traded to the Avs. Charlie, who was the director of communications and team services, was one of the first people Alex had to meet with when he got to Denver. He had walked down the hall, stopped at the door of her office, read her name on the plate by the door and leaned against the doorframe, a smirk on his face.

“Charlotte Henry, director of communications and team services.” Charlie had looked up, surprise and excitement covering her face.

“Alex! I couldn’t believe it when I was given the notice you were traded! I missed you so much!” Charlie said, getting up and rushing to hug him. In order to keep from all the memories of Jack flooding back in and making her sad all the time, she had completely cut off everyone that reminded her of Jack. Of course, she would check his social media every once in a while, maybe even googling his name and reading what all the news websites and hockey commentators had to say about him. The last she had seen, he was “rumored” to be linked to some model hotshot.

“I missed you too, Char! So, what have you been up to? Besides getting this big fancy job and getting to boss people around, something you do very well, if I remember right.” Charlie laughs as he sits down in the chair across from her desk.

“Oh you know, same old, same old. Lots of hockey.” Alex smiles and nods. Charlie gets up and walks over, closing the door to her office so she and Alex could talk in private.

“Char, what happened? We used to be so close. Then you just dropped off the face of the earth. Jack fell off the deep end and you’re 1,800 miles away from him.” Charlie pushes her hair back out of her face and watches Alex, who is sitting forward in his chair, eyes on her.

“Jack and I broke up. I guess you knew that. But things didn’t end the way I wanted them to. So I decided to leave and came here. I shut out everyone who reminded me of Jack, which included you guys.” Alex watches her, the look on his face hard to read.

“Oh. So that’s why you’ve been hiding out here and haven’t come back to Plymouth at all for Christmas or anything?” Charlie nods, messing with paperwork on her desk.

“Huh. Well I guess that’s all there is to it, huh?” Charlie glances at Alex as he just completely drops the topic. She had expected him to keep questioning, digging into why they had split and whether or not she was still in love with Jack. She knew Alex could read her well but she didn’t think he would have picked up on her not wanting to talk about Jack.

“You’re not going to question me about it? About why we broke up? Why I decided to leave?” Alex shakes his head and reaches for the pile of paperwork with a sticky note with his name on it, sitting on her desk. She snatches it away from him and forces him to look at her.

“Alex, this is the first time I’ve even tried to talk to anyone about this. You’re just gonna brush it off?” Alex watches her, seeing the impending breakdown and stands up, walking around the desk and kneeling down in front of her.

“Charlie, I could tell that you didn’t want to talk about it but you needed to. So I decided it would be best not to push it. But if you want to talk about it, how about I come over to your apartment for dinner and you can talk and cry through everything.” Charlie nods, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to reel her emotions back in.

“Okay. I’ll text you my address. Let’s get started on this paperwork.” Alex nods, still watching Charlie and already planning out a text to Jack.

[backwardscapsmh]

i ran out of parswoops content to read so now i made some. i admit it! i caved! i wrote fanfic about quiet possibly one of my least favorite characters in canon (like i love his characterization but he’s a dick). also hello, people who requested prompts...i swear i’m working on them...pinky promise. anyways, enjoy some more angsty pining because that’s apparently all i can write! comments and constructive criticism are appreciated! 🥰

look into his angel eyes // one look and you're hypnotized // he'll take your heart and you must pay the price

- angeleyes by abba

Jeff’s always known that Kent’s eyes were pretty. Even when they first met. Kent looked him right in the eyes and said “Welcome to the Aces man.” And Swoops, being an absolute gay disaster was only thinking about how beautiful this blond man’s eyes were. 

They’re a gray color, almost resembling a clouded sky. And they even change color depending on how you look at them. They’ll turn blue-ish shade when he’s on the ice. In the locker room light, they almost look like a green-ish hazel. When’s he’s upset, they’ll turn a stormy gray. When he’s happy, they’ll get lighter. Sometimes, despite their harsh and stony color, Jeff swears he’s seen the softest expressions reflected in them.

The problem is that he’s never on the receiving end of them. 

At this point, he wouldn’t be surprised if only two people have been on the receiving end of Kent’s trademarked soft looks: Kitt Purrson (who’s not even a person), and Jack Zimmermann. The two loves of Kent’s life. And besides the obvious reason that Kit is an adorable cat, Swoops isn’t sure why. 

Kit’s not even a person and can’t talk. Jack has clearly stated, for whatever reason, that he doesn’t want Kent in his life anymore. Jeff suspects it has something to do with Jack’s overdose, and honestly doesn’t blame him. If he overdosed, he wouldn’t want someone who reminded him of it around anymore either. 

But Kent is one stubborn bastard, and won’t let go. He wants to hold on because letting go means accepting that it’s over, whatever their relationship was. Kent’s abandonment issues run deep, and this situation isn’t helping them. 

So every time Kent decides to try and bring Jack back (and inevitably fails), Swoops is there to try and comfort him. He’s there if Kent needs to cry. He’s ready with Mean Girls and Legally Blonde. And he’s there if Kent just wants to sit in silence. 

But every time it happens, Jeff is forced to look at Kent’s eyes. He’s forced to witness the stony gray crack and splinter into cracks. He’s forced to watch them get glassy and wet with tears. He’s forced to watch Kent break down, lower the rock-hard walls he keeps up, left with this cracked part of himself. It’s honestly heartbreaking to witness.

Kent’s always been this strong figure on the Aces. He’s the captain. He’s the one everyone went to when they need support. He’s the one they can depend on to bring up morale when they’re losing. He always knows what to say to kick them into gear at practice. He’s Kent fucking Parson. The first draft pick all those years ago. He’s Las Vegas’s golden boy. He’s one of the best players in the league. And Swoops has to watch him curl into himself and go silent. 

Maybe it’d hurt less if Jeff wasn’t halfway to being in love with him. 

Yeah, it definitely wouldn’t hurt him as much if Kent didn’t make his stomach jump with butterflies every time he gave him a side hug as they walked back to the locker room. Or when he smiles so wide, eyes squeezed shut, at Jeff, who would give up his place in the NHL if Kent would keep doing it. Or when Kent invites him over and they watch tape together on the couch, Kitt (who took a liking to Jeff, much to Kent’s amusement) curled up next to them. 

But Jeff’s a masochist on a bad day, and an idiot at his best, so he’s stuck being in love with his best friend, and captain. The captain that’s hung up on his ex. The best friend who looks to Jeff for comfort when he’s heartbroken because he’s in love with someone else. So he just swallows down the pain he feels when Kent whimpers “Why doesn’t he love me?” into his chest, and wraps his arms around Kent even tighter. 

Maybe if he hadn’t looked into Kent’s eyes on his first day on the Aces, Kent wouldn’t have decided to steal his heart. And maybe, Jeff wouldn’t have let him.

[futurebicon]

Family Skate Through The Years

2021

“Heads” Sirius called like always. Dumo called tails.

“Heads” Finn announced as he turned over the coin in his hand. “Siri-”

“Remus” Sirius chose before Finn could finish talking.

“No!” Dumo shouted.

“Sorry Pascal, but he’s my boyfriend” Sirius smirked, kissing Remus when he skated over.

“Kasey” Dumo chose.

“Good, Loops can beat him again”

“I’m not letting him score this year” Kasey demanded.

“James” Sirius picked.

Remus got 2 goals. Each time pissing Kasey off more and more. He was skating down the ice beside Sirius, waiting for a pass. 

Sirius passed it to him, letting him score with ease for the third time. Sirius skated over and pulled their helmets off, kissing him hard as Kasey continued to yell that it wasn’t fair.

2022

“Heads”

“Tails”

“Tails”

“No” Sirius stomped his skate against the ice.

“Sorry Cap. I’m stealing your fiancé” Dumo patted him on the shoulder.

“Se dévisser“ Sirius shrugged him off. 

“Sorry baby” Remus kissed the pout off his face before going over to Dumos side.

Dumos team won. Sirius had chosen Kasey, Dumo had let him. His anger had become a new tradition. 

“Good job baby” Remus kissed him.

“You too, l’amour”

“You got the venue yet?” Lily asked them as they ate.

“No” They both answered.

“Why not” she whined.

“Because it’s stupid.” Sirius said as he shoved cake into his mouth. Remus nodded in agreement.

“What’s stupid?” James asked as the rest of the team came over.

“These two think it’s stupid to pick a place to get married at”

“What?” Everyone let out sounds of confusion.

“We didn’t say that” Remus rolled his eyes. “We just think it’s stupid to make a big deal out of it.”

“Lily, you and I are taking over wedding planning. Nat and Dumo you’re helping too” Celeste announced. Those named nodded in agreement.

“But it’s where you’ll get married. That’s a big deal” Finn pointed his fork at them.

“Fine, we’ll pick a place.” Sirius said. “Kasey pick a place.”

“The Zoo”

“Perfect, our weddings at the zoo. See, settled.” Remus nodded. 

“No” Dumo told them.

“Olli pick a place” Remus called down the table.

“Here” 

“Great idea” Sirius clapped his hands together. 

“That’s actually a pretty good idea. You’ve already picked your best mans. And your ring bearer and flower girls.” Nat nodded.

“See, done” Remus took a bite of cake.

“Oh my god” Dumo put his head in his hands and shook his head.

“Wait so it’s not at the zoo?” Kasey asked.

“No babe”

“Aww man”

2023

“Heads” Dumo called out before Sirius could call it.

“No” Sirius scowled. 

“Tails” Finn told them.

“Haha, thank you Dumo” Sirius smirked. “Re” 

Remus skated over and kissed his husband before standing behind him and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Picking all of the newly engaged Cubs. 

Remus got 4 goals under Kasey this year. 

“C'est quoi ce bordel“ He shouted after the fourth one went in the net. “No, no, no” He groaned. 

“4 goals? Damn” Sirius smiled.

“Think it’s newly weds luck?” Remus smirked. 

“Hmm, probably” Sirius kissed him. 

The wedding had been 2 weeks ago, they wanted to get married quickly and would go on their honeymoon in the offseason.

2024

“Fizzy” Sirius called over to the bench. “Heads or tails?” He asked his 2 year old daughter, Felicity.

“Tails” she shouted with a giggle.

“Tails” Finn turned over the quarter.

“Thank you Fizzy” Sirius smiled at her. “Re”

“You’ve gotten him for 2 years in a row.” Dumo whined. “Let me have him”

“He’s my husband, Dumo. Too bad”

Dumo rolled his eyes.

Remus got 2 goals in. Dumos team got 1.

“Good job, baby” Remus kissed him with a smile, keeping up with tradition.”

“Good job Daddy ‘n Papa” Felicity clapped as she skated a little wobbly over to them. Even though they had only adopted her at the beginning of the year she fell in love with skating and made Sher parents teach her every night for months.

“Thank you Fizzy” Remus scooped her up. Kissing her cheek as he tickled her stomach, causing her to shriek with laughter.

Sirius smiled at his little family and pecked Remus’s lips.

“Fizzy, no.” Sirius pulled her hand away as she tried to reach for her cake. “I know it’s good but you have to eat your lunch first.”

She whined but ate the bite of ham Sirius held in front of her as she sat in his lap.

“You guys any closer to have one of these soon?” Remus asked the newly wedded Cubs as he ruffled his daughters brown hair.

“Trying too. But, you know it’s pretty hard when you’re gay and being poly doesn’t help at all. Plus with our schedule with games and practices...” Logan trailed off sadly.

Leo kissed his temple as Finn squeezed his hand. Logan loves kids and the team knew how much he wanted a few of his own.

The team hated that they had told them they actually started the adoption process while they were engaged so that they could adopt a kid very soon after they got married but haven’t gotten anywhere with it.

“If any agency’s reject you they’ll be attacked by the best team in the NHL and their fans” Sirius told them. It had happened when they were going through the adoption process and were rejected for ‘being sinners’ as the rejection paper told them.

“You’ll have a kid of your own soon enough” Remus promised.

“New friend?” Fizzy gasped with a wide smile as she picked on bits and peices of the conversation.

“Yeah, Fiz. You’ll have a new friend soon” Finn told her. All of them smiling at her innocence as she cheered and took a final bite of mac-and-cheese.

“Cake now?” She asked Sirius with puppy eyes.

“Yes you can have cake now” Sirius smiled as he kissed her cheek.

2025

“Heads” Sirius called out.

“Tails” Finn smirked.

“Haha, Remus” Dumo chose.

Remus kissed him. “Should of stuck with Fizzy’s answer” he smirked, earning an eye roll from his husband.

“Kasey” Sirius picked.

“I’m not letting him score this year.”

“You’ve been saying that for the last 5 years babe” Nat kissed his cheek.

“Well I mean it this year.”

He didn’t mean it, Remus got 2 goals in.

“Yay” Fizzy cheered as her and her basically cousins skated out onto the ice to congratulate or comfort their parents.

4 year old Harry was scooped up by Lily and laughed at James who was pouting at his lose.

Jay, the Cubs 2 year old son was scooped up by Logan and kissed on the cheek by Finn and Leo. Jay clapped at their win.

“It’s so sad” Dumo sighed at lunch.

“What is?” Remus asked as he took a bite of salad.

“Sirius was that closed off stern faced 18 year old skating God that feels like my son. You were that PT that came out of nowhere that we really didn’t know much about but then the team all just kind of accepted as one of our own. Logan was a loud, obnoxious rookie that we all still loved, living in my basement and who is also like a son to me. Finn was the red haired semi nerdy boy who screamed and punched the air when Logan was drafted to the Lions. Leo was the tallest rookie I’d ever seen, a little shy but still fun to be a round. And James was- still is the loud, insane, mind of a 5 year old player.” He said.

“And now I look around and all of you have kids and are married to the loves of your lives” Everyone was crying at the words.

“And it just makes me feel really fucking old” he sighed.

“Oh my god Dumo.” Logan laughed as he wiped his tears away.

“You give this tear jerking long speech about us just to end it by saying it only makes you sad because it makes you feel old? Wow glad to see you have your priorities straight, Pascal” Sirius shook his head.

“I does” he laughed.

“It is crazy though” Finn sighed.

“Did you two think 8 years ago that this would be your life?” Lily asked Sirius and Remus. “Best player in the NHL with a team that’s your family. First openly gay couple in the NHL. Married to the teams PT and teams Captain. And have an adorable daughter?”

“God no, never in a million years.” Sirius’s smiled at his husband and daughter. Kissing Remus and then their daughters head.

“And you three” She looked at the Cubs. “Ever think that you’d be playing for one of the best teams in the NHL. “Married to 2 people. One of them the man that you loved for 8 years but never said anything. And have an adorable son.”

“Never” Finn smiled kissing both his husbands and son like Sirius had done.

“Okay. Enough of the sappy stuff.” Celeste said a few seconds later, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Who wants cake?”

This is longer then I planned but I like how it turned out.

@lumosinlove

[bowensbyrams]

Could you do a HC of Dylan Cozens meeting you’re 3 older brothers that are very overprotective?🥺

Yes, yes I can. Can I turn it into a blurb? Cause I have an idea for this...

It’s not proofread cause I’m too lazy to do so 🥴 sorry i advance!

Blurb under the cut ✨

To say Dylan is nervous to meet your older brothers is an understatement. He’s the older of three boys and knows how having siblings is but he doesn’t have a sister. The fact that you’ve warned him that they’re extremely overprotective? Only made things worse.

“Babe it’s not that bad. They’ll love you” you say, trying to calm him down as he runs his hands through his hair for the 10th time.

He’s concentrated on the road in front of him but you can tell by the way his taping his feet incessantly.

“They’re all much older than me and you’ve told me how protective they can get. What if they hate me at first sight just because I’m dating their little sister?”

“Not possible” you squeeze his hand trying to give your boyfriend a little comfort.

If you only knew how nervous he’d get with this meeting you’d never told him about your brothers.

“I’m really nervous, babe” Dylan sighs.

“I know but they’ll love you because I love you” your answer brings a shy smile to his lips “Just be you and it’ll be just fine”

~

“So, Dylan. You’re a hockey player right?” the older of your three brothers asks and Dylan nods “Y/N has been with a few of those and they’re never good news”

“Brother!” you reprehend and your other brother agrees.

“He’s right. You remember that Tyler guy from high school? You cried for three days after he dumped you”

“Let’s not talk about my exes, please” you murmur and Dylan squeezes your hand under the table.

He knows that’s not your favorite subject, your exes were the reason why you were so insecure about him in the first place. The moment you learned he played for the NHL, he became a big no for you but he managed to find his way into your heart.

“I know you guys worry about Y/N and I do too. She’s told me everything about her past relationships. I could never do anything to harm her” Dylan says and all the eyes are on him but he doesn’t hesitate “I love your sister and I’ll take care of her with my heart. I get that hockey players usually suck but I promise you guys I’m not like them”

“Do you have a little sister?” your dad asks him and Dylan smiles.

“No but I have brothers and I would kill anyone who breaks their hearts or tries to hurt them” he answers and your brothers look at each other for a few seconds.

“Well, you are the first one she brings home so I guess that’s a sign that you’re not an asshole” the younger of the trio says and your mom scoffs.

“Language, honey! Dylan’s a guest” she says and he gives her a smirk.

“If he wants to be a part of our family then he better get used to our bad manners, mom” with this sentence, you let your breath out. They accept him.

“And I’m used to it, Mrs. Y/L/N. Hockey players are not known for their politeness” your boyfriend says making your dad laugh out loud. Dylan gives you the biggest smile and you feel your heart get warmer.

“You’re totally right, kid. Tell us some locker room stories” your dad asks and and that’s the moment you know they’ve all accepted him.

If you needed any confirmation, the loud laughs and shared stories between your family and your boyfriend throughout the night is a big green and shiny sign that everything Dylan said and did was right. You already knew he’d be fine but your bothers are not always easy to deal with so you were a little nervous.

“See? It wasn’t bad at all!” you say as you two walk into his apartment.

“Are you kidding me? Every question they shot at me I was dying inside” your boyfriend answers as he takes his jacket off.

“But you did just fine. Mom said they loved you” the shy smile is back and you pull him in for a kiss “You’re amazing”

“I try to be as I have the most perfect girlfriend in the world” he smiles and kisses you again “You’re it for me, Y/N. That’s why I was so nervous today. I wanted to impress your family ‘cause I want them to be my family too”

“Are you proposing?” you ask laughing and he denies.

“Not yet. But I’ll be making you my wife before you know it”

In this moment, you know that this is the man you’re gonna marry someday. And you couldn’t be happier for it.

[marnie-mouse]

Hey this is random and I don't want to bother you but I'm kinda new to the nhl fandom and I really like your blog! I was hoping to get some pointers on how to get more into the fandom, learn the basics/history, etc and you seem to know a lot :)

Hello, absolutely no problem, and thank you!

Welcome to the NHL and NHL Tumblr! It's kind of hectic around here, especially during the playoffs, expansion drafts, and trade season, but I'm so glad that you're here!

So when I started liking hockey and getting into the NHL fandom, it was really important for me to find like-minded blogs because there can be discourse that feels a bit discouraging if you don't have places that you can find comfort in. If you've found a few blogs of your team(s) that you like, I would for sure go into their search and make sure that they don't have anything from previous posts that feel off to you. It's never fun to get the surprise of liking a blog and suddenly having vitriol on your feed that you weren't prepared for.

The first thing I did when joining the fandom was to learn everything I could about hockey, if you already have that under your belt, great! It's super helpful when talking to other fans to be accurate because a lot of people who are into sports are very particular about sports knowledge. For the most part, and I'm generalizing, it really doesn't matter, and they won't gatekeep you from having an enjoyable time because we all just really want to talk about how much we love our favs, but sometimes it sucks because people ask you to prove yourself. I usually just ignore those people, because like I said the vast majority don't care, but it's also good to have confidence in your opinions and knowing what you're talking about so no misinformation is happening. If you don't know a lot about hockey, I would look up the rules and watch a few games to immerse yourself, and it also helps to follow the hockey journalist and team accounts on Twitter for updates on players, trades, and anything happening in the NHL world.

Depending on which team or teams or individual players that you like, there are literally endless blogs that you can find on Tumblr to cater to you. I'm mainly a Hawks blog, so my favs, and the least dramatic blogs that I follow are @kikiskeysgame who has info about players and does breakdowns before and after games and @allthebros who has a lot of Toews/Kane posts and awesome GIFS from games and events. Every team has some incredible people like this who are really fun to follow, so just check out the team and player tags and you should be able to find some people to watch. A lot of blogs also do live blogging for games, so watch out for those too!

Like I said before, it might feel like a ton of people are gatekeeping if you are new to the blog scene, but it's really just a small percentage that are really loud. So if you like multiple teams/players on different teams, please do not be afraid to post about anything and everything that you love! I guarantee there are other blogs on here that share your passion.

As for the history of the fandom, I would say it doesn't really matter if you know what has gone on because, as you probably know, the rivalries on the teams usually carry over. So Philly/Pitts has beef, Van/Chi has beef, Pitts/Wash has beef, etc. and usually so do their fans. Sometimes that's not true, and that should totally not stop you from liking both sides. You're allowed to like what and whoever you like, and screw anyone who says you can't. Also if there's a reference to anything from a blog that doesn't make any sense, don't be afraid to ask, we are all more than happy to have asks to answer!

What else... Um, drama is usually over pretty quick, if someone says that a player is problematic do your own research because people can be bias, if your team is out of the playoffs or doesn't make it in that year people will post sad things that make it seem like they'll never get in again, but that isn't true, and even though players move teams, especially if they move to teams that your mutuals don't like, that doesn't mean you have to stop liking them, they're just being dramatic. The All Star games don't matter, but everyone seems to have fun. Everyone 'boos' Gary Bettmen at the draft, the cup presentation, and pretty much anytime we see him. You can usually find someone on here that has a link to stream the games if you don't have access. And truly, off-season on Tumblr is just a bunch of players looking dumb and having fun, and everyone goes crazy for summer pics, stories, babies, and weddings.

Also, it costs nothing to be nice, and I feel like that's something a lot of people forget when they're in a blog space, but it's important to remember that.

I think my final and most important piece of advice is love the time that you have, the teams that you love, and the players that you can because they don't stay there forever. The players leave consistently, the teams change all the time, and time seems to speed up without you noticing because truly it is incredibly fun, and that always seems to make time go faster.

If I didn't answer any of the questions that you have, in this novel-esque answer, or you would like to chat or know more, please do not hesitate to ask, I am always available, and I love to talk about hockey!

Thank you again, and welcome home!