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#crosby fic
cheddaryouthanme · 9 months
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Hockey RPF writers being known across fandoms as literary masters
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When I first started reading MattDrai fics on AO3 I remember thinking “wait what the HELL is going on why is this the most consistently well-written fanfiction I’ve read in any fandom? Is this a thing? Do people know??” And apparently it is and they do.
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thatsrightice · 2 months
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But [Rosie] was not very good at maneuvering a spindly British bicycle. As "airplane commander," Rosenthal was issued along with a good deal of other matériel, a bicycle for getting around the wide vistas of Thorpe Abbotts. He found himself heavily burdened by all this issue but somehow managed to get himself upon the cycle. He carried a load of gear in one arm, had draped his life preserver around his neck, and set off in the general direction of his quarters.
Rosenthal managed to do pretty well, for he got some distance away from the supply hut and was pedaling his uncertain way along a little dirt road. A shift in the load contributed to a series of unusual course changes which came to a sudden, damp conclusion as Rosenthal, newly issued supplies and bicycle plunged down an embankment into one of those charming little ditches that run along the picturesque rural English roads.
Lying in the water (which was not deep), Lieutenant Rosenthal felt there was only one thing to do in this emergency as he lay there, face up in the ditch: he inflated his Mae West. This was probably the only time during all of the Second World War that a member of the 8th Air Force was thus saved from British waters.
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— an except from Edward Jablonski’s Flying Fortress : the illustrated biography of the B-17s and the men who flew them
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sagesolsticewrites · 2 months
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Yes, Major
Dom!Croz. “Yes, Major.” That is all <3
Warnings: mature content (dom/sub dynamics, fingering, oral (f receiving), PinV penetration, praise kink), swearing
Word count: 2k
Masterlist
(oof tumblr absolutely destroyed the quality of this moodboard I’m sorry y’all 😭)
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You suppress a shiver at the feeling of your husband’s hand trailing up your thigh, his other hand on the steering wheel as you head home.
The two of you had been making eyes at each other and leaving lingering touches all night, so when you finally arrive home, it comes as no surprise that Harry wastes no time in leading you up to your bedroom.
He presses you up against the bedroom door, his lips just barely out of reach, a teasing, predatory glint in his eye.
“Harry…” you whine softly, aching to have his mouth on yours, your gaze locked on his pretty lips.
Two fingers lift your chin, forcing your gaze up to meet his.
“Major.”
Oh, Christ. Just when you thought you couldn’t get any wetter…
“Not Harry or Bing tonight, sweet girl.” he murmurs, thumb dragging lightly over your bottom lip as his brown eyes darken, “Major.”
You feel like you’re on fire, every part of you melting as you gulp and whisper “Yes, Major.”
He hums approvingly.
“Good girl.”
Forget melting, you’re evaporating under the heat of his gaze as his fingertips trail teasingly up your side before he steps away, pulling you with him.
He toys with the side snaps of your dress as he perches on the edge of your bed, leaving you standing between his spread legs.
“Take this off, honey,” he murmurs, his voice soft but the words clearly an order.
“Yes, Major,” you breathe, suppressing a shiver as your hands fumble with the snaps, undoing each one until your dress falls to the floor, leaving you in your slip.
His eyes drink you in, fingers barely skimming over the white satin of your slip, and you think you might actually die if he doesn’t touch you properly soon.
Harry notes this — of course he does, with those navigator eyes.
“Tell me what you want.”
You do, even though you know he won’t do it right away. Bing isn’t quite a tease, per se, but he tends to draw things out. Make you wait for what you want.
Still, you manage to let out a soft whine.
“Want you to touch me, please.”
“I will, honey, I will.” He assures you softly, though the pressure of his fingertips remains infuriatingly light, mouth twitching up into the smallest of smiles as he adds, “In a minute.”
You bite back a despairing moan as his hands leave you entirely.
“Lay down, sweetheart,” he nods to the bed as he stands, moving to undo his tie and unbutton his shirt.
Enraptured by the view before you, you simply nod as you climb onto the mattress, keeping your eyes on the increasing patch of chest hair being revealed to you, dog tags dangling in the middle of his chest.
“Words, honey,” Harry reminds you in a gentle-sharp tone that has delicious shivers racing up your spine— ones that definitely have nothing to do with the way his hands are currently moving to his belt.
“I— Yes, Major,” you whine, gripping the sheets none too delicately as you settle on your back onto the pillows.
“Good girl,” he says softly, his slacks joining the growing pile of clothes on the floor.
Finally he touches you again: a featherlight drag of his fingers along your calf, prompting you to lift it.
You let out a shaky exhale as Harry bends to brush light, barely-there kisses along your calf, up your knee, towards where the hem of your slip brushes your thigh.
Praying that he’ll have mercy on you and give you what you want, you sigh a soft “Please, Major.”
“I will, sweetheart. I promise I will.” He mumbles against your skin, his lips moving… not underneath your slip, as you had hoped, but pressing light kisses to your body through the thin satin covering it.
“Fuck, you’re so pretty, darling,” he murmurs, his lips dragging over your still-covered chest and up along your neck as he moves to hover over you.
You let out a soft whimper when his pretty brown eyes lock on yours, his hand trailing back down along the curves of your body to slide just underneath the hem of your slip, fingertips trailing up the inside of your thigh.
He inhales sharply as he brushes against the damp fabric covering your core.
“Oh, honey,” he breathes, “All that for me?”
“Yes, yes, I—” you ramble, “All for you, Major, please—”
“Shhh, I gotcha, sweetheart,” he murmurs, watching rapt as he slips a finger under your panties to drag through your damp folds.
You let out a high, keening whine, throwing your head back as he slowly pushes one finger into you, pumping in and out before adding a second.
Soft whines escape as he fingers you, mumbles of “feels good” and “more, want more, please” tumbling from your lips as he remains infuriatingly steady in his rhythm. His thumb darts out from where his other hand is resting on the pillows next to your head to stroke along your cheek, his way of getting your attention.
As your eyes meet his once more, he asks in a low tone, still maintaining that slow, steady rhythm in and out of you, “You want more?”
At your furious nodding, a gasp of “yes, please” escaping you, he hums.
“Please what?”
You can hardly think, your need for more speed, more something taking up a majority of your brain, but you manage to dredge up a plea of “Please, Major,” and suddenly more is happening.
Harry slips a third finger inside you, an act that has you moaning loudly at the stretch, and that combined with his thumb on your clit and the pace that suddenly feels faster than a B-17 has you tumbling over the edge with a cry.
You come back to yourself, legs shaking, in time to feel him gently remove his fingers. You let out a soft whine at the sudden emptiness, letting your eyes open to a sight that has heat rushing to your core all over again.
Your husband has his fingers in his mouth, cleaning them of your release, and when he meets your eyes you see something utterly molten in his gaze.
“Christ, honey…” he groans, moving to hover over you properly once more, “You stay right here, yeah? Something I wanna do…”
With that, he moves down your body, pressing kisses over your slip to your chest, your stomach, until he’s settled between your legs, pressing soft kisses to the inside of your thighs.
You crane your neck to watch as he slowly lifts the hem of your slip, revealing your underwear. You watch, holding your breath as he maintains eye contact and brushes a kiss to your core over the fabric covering you as his fingers toy with the waistband.
“‘M gonna take these off now, alright, sweetheart?”
You suppress a gasp at the words mumbled so close to your most sensitive parts.
“Yes, Major.” You nod, and can’t help adding a soft “please.”
You feel him grinning as he presses a kiss to your thigh.
“Good girl.”
He gently peels off your underwear, adding it to the pile of clothes on your bedroom floor.
“Oh, sweetheart,” he sighs, lips a hairsbreadth away from your core, “do you have any idea how pretty you look from down here?”
Before you can even think of replying, his mouth is on you and your hands are flying to grip his hair with a gasp.
You cry out his name before you can correct yourself, hips arcing off the bed, and as soon as it was there, his mouth is gone.
“What was that, sweetheart?” He asks lowly.
“I—”
It takes your mind a moment to catch up, but when you do…
“You said you were gonna be good for me, honey,” he warns, his mouth still far too close to your core for you to truly think clearly, “So let’s try again. What’s my name?”
He licks a fat stripe up through your folds, and you throw your head back onto the pillows with a cry of his rank.
“Major!”
“Much better,” he praises in mumbles against you, “good girl.”
The room fills with your whines and gasps and moans as you lose the ability to form words entirely when Harry’s thumb comes up to gently circle your clit, the combination of his tongue inside you and his thumb on the bundle of nerves enough to have you quickly approaching your second orgasm of the night.
“M-Major…” you stammer out between whines, your fingers raking roughly through his curls.
“Already, darling?” He murmurs against you, sounding almost amused, “Go on then, honey. Let go, it’s okay.”
You reach your second climax with your husband's rank on your tongue and his tongue on your core as he greedily laps up your release.
“Fuck, you taste absolutely perfect, sweetheart,” he sighs as he returns to hover over you, capturing your lips in a heated kiss before rolling off of you briefly to wriggle out of his boxers.
“Think you can give me one more, honey?” He asks softly, grinding his length slowly against you.
You can’t help it: you moan out loud at the feeling of him against you before confirming with a pleading “Yes, Major, yes please, I want to—”
“Christ, sweetheart, okay, okay,” he murmurs, breath hitching as the tip of his cock snags on your entrance. He rocks forward, letting out a groan as he sinks into you.
“Oh- shit, honey, you’re perfect,” he sighs against your lips, your breaths mingling as you gasp into his mouth.
His eyes remain locked on your own as he slowly pulls out and thrusts back into you, hips snapping determinedly against yours. You give in to the urge to squeeze your eyes shut, clamping down on your bottom lip to bite back a moan as he hits deep inside you.
Your eyes fly open once more as he gives a sharp nip to your neck, his nose dragging along your jaw as he murmurs, “Wanna hear you, darling, lemme hear you, come on…”
Your mouth falls open to let out a wanton moan, words tumbling out as tension builds within you with every thrust.
“Major— Major, don’t stop, please, feels so good—”
“Just like that, sweetheart,” he pants against you, feeling you clench around him, “Come on, give me one more, just one more, honey.”
You shatter as you reach your third climax of the night, your body nearly going limp as you cry out. He buries his face in your neck as, with two more erratic thrusts, he follows suit with a shuddering cry before slumping against you, utterly spent.
He presses sloppy kisses up your neck as the two of you attempt to catch your breath, murmuring gentle praise as he pulls out of you — “you’re perfect, angel, did so good for me, such a good girl” — huffing out a laugh as you whine at the sudden emptiness.
“You alright, sweetheart?” He asks softly as he settles in next to you, pulling you into his chest, “It wasn’t too much, was it?”
You hum contentedly, toying with the tags dangling in the middle of his chest.
“Not at all, Major,” you assure him, a teasing sparkle in your eyes on the last word. He laughs, and you continue, “It was perfect, Harry.”
His eyes go soft hearing his name, and he leans down to capture your lips in a sweet kiss. 
“I love you,” he murmurs against your lips, thumb stroking gently along your cheek.
“I love you too, Bing,” you say softly, raking your fingers through his mussed curls.
He pulls you closer, resting your head on his chest as you finally allow sleep to overtake you both.
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holy-puckslibrary · 2 months
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just a lil firefighter!sid fluff for y'all :)
gif from @ehghtysevenarchive + per this ask and others
Surely, the chief of Canada's oldest fire department has more important things to do on a crisp morning, the last one preceding a fresh week, than this. He most definitely does. And, yes, Chief Crosby is known for his pragmatic approach to, well, everything.
But neither carries weight here—not when she calls.
Leaky faucet, dead car battery, unreachable spider... It doesn't matter. One ring, and he's rushing home. He can't pin-point when the pattern began, likely sometime shortly between the day you moved into town and his first off-day, but it's a routine he's come to enjoy despite the extra strain on both his schedule and his body; Sidney never thought sharing a property line could be so tedious or time-consuming.
He knows he shouldn't enjoy the distraction as much as he does. You aren't together, Sidney doesn't ever allow his imagination wander that far, but he can't help it. He can't help but help. He rarely turns down anyone in need, which has done wonders for his reputation within the community, but with you... With you, it's different, and embarrassingly so.
He doesn't have the words to explain it. Not that he needs to, it's written plainly across his face.
There's a reason you're regular fixtures in the town's gossip column.
When he arrives on scene—not ten minutes after his F-Series crawled down the gravel drive—Sidney shakes his head and laughs. Collecting his cell and his radio, he slips out of the truck, watching as you fret like a mother hen.
Still in your slippers, you're stood at the base of a decently-sized red spruce wedged between his yard and yours, your crumpled face angled up into the yellow-green needles. You're the very picture of worry, wringing your trembling hands and muttering to yourself.
A stray kitten caught in a tree, that's what's got you in a such a state.
"Well, this is a new one," he bellows in lieu of a greeting, slamming the door shut as his boots hit the ground.
Briefly, your glassy eyes dart in his direction. You're midway through your customary apology when he arrives at your side and quiets you, just as he always does.
"They're more than capable of holding down the fort for however long it takes to rescue our new friend, okay?"
"I know, but what if—"
"But nothing," Sidney huffs, and he dares to take you by the shoulders. And, externally, he ignores the way you shiver under his palms. "If I didn't think it was safe for me to step out for a couple of minutes, I wouldn't. You believe me, right?"
You nod, bottom lip pinched between your teeth.
"Good. Now, how 'bout you keep an ear on this," Sidney sets the clunky satellite radio in your hand, "—and I'll grab the ladder from the shed?"
He doesn't really need your help monitoring the channel, but he knows you'll feel better if you feel like you're doing something. Like him, you find comfort in your utility.
In less than a minute, Sidney re-emerges, rounding the corner with a ladder in hand. You're in the same spot, now fidgeting with the radio, anxiously dumping it from one palm to the other and back again. He follows your gaze to line up the simple equipment necessary for the rescue operation.
Sidney's heart swells as you quietly step forward to spot him.
Lucky for everyone, the ball of orange fur is on the branch nearest to the ground. Sidney needs only to step up onto the first wrung to safetly coax the frightened creature into his waiting hands, he's back on the ground not long after.
He gives the kitten a gentle parting scratch under the chin, then transfers the purring fluff to you. The soft bundle takes to you immediately, nuzzling into your chest like that's where it wanted to be all along.
"I think he likes you," Sidney observes with a cheek-numbing grin.
Your lips are tipped up at the end and there's fan of happiness rooting itself around your eyes. Your mouth opens to reply, but before the words come—
"Well, would you look at this?"
Across the quiet street and a few houses to the left sits an audience of two. Both of which are now cooing as loudly as two ladies in their sixties can manage. Coffee cups in one hand and their cellphones propped up in the other, they fawn over the two of you as if it's live theater.
Sidney curses their sons, who he'd completed the explorer program with as teens, for enabling this technological torture.
"Smile, you two! Oh, Denise is just going to eat this up," one of them, a spitfire in a 4'11 frame by the name of Mrs. Bouchard, exclaims to her co-conspirator, Ms. Johnston.
Then, to no one's surprise and Sid's chagrin, they giddily type out their respective messages to the local paper's equally-nosy editor-in-chief.
"Looks like we're front-page news again," you hum bashfully.
The tabby mewls in your arms. You curl into the little bundle of fur, lips landing between its delicate ears.
Sid studies you in his periphery as he slips in and out of heady contemplation, ultimately deciding he doesn't mind as much as he once did. "That we are..."
eek! wait, why do i luv them already 🥹
as always, i would really appreciate if you reblogged my work, left a comment or dropped by my inbox w some feedback :) fandom runs on engagement, and so do writers!! thx a mil in advance!
READ MORE OF THEM HERE!
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bloodynereid · 2 months
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Navy Blue Ink
part 2
pairing: major john 'bucky' egan x fem! reader
tw: some angst, mentions of death, war, swearing, mentions of alcohol, the usual stuff idk it's sort of fluffy but also not really, both think it's unrequited love/platonic love (they're dumbasses (affectionate)), dogs??
description: when john actually sets it up right.
a/n: yeah idk something possessed me to write this, i was lying in my bathtub this morning and was like yup need to write this ASAP. apologies if john is sort of ooc, i haven't written for him before and i haven't written in a while so yeah! also i have so many requests atm but i decided to ignore all of those to write this so enjoy me procrastinating things i actually have to do. OH and obv this is about the show's characters not the real people. enjoy <3
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You sat at your little desk at the edge of your flat, contemplating how to start the letter… again. Pieces of balled up paper lay littered around you. It was almost comedic how much time you had spent trying to write a simple little letter. But it wasn’t that simple was it?
You were writing to your childhood best friend, someone you had basically been in love with your entire life. Major John Egan, Bucky, went off to fight and you were left with a large gaping hole in your life.
Sure, it was horrible when you saw him kissing, dancing and singing to other girls… probably doing more than that. But he always came back to you.
One guarantee that war had was that men don’t always come back.
So you had put off writing letters to him ever since he swung by your house to drop off the address for his next station all that time ago. You were a different person now, you had a job, a flat and a husky you had decided to name Ghost. You were also sadder, war had a way of taking a toll on everyone it touched.
But this morning you had decided not to put it off any longer. The decision came to fruition as you were lying in the bathtub, trying to soak away your sorrows. That was the moment when you said fuck it, got out of the bathtub, grabbed a robe and sat down at your desk.
You took a deep breath and dipped your pen into the navy blue ink pot. Your hand shook slightly as the pen met paper and words started to flow.
A few hours later, you woke up suddenly from a nap and instantly ran over to your desk and quickly scribbled a short note, putting a picture into an envelope and running to post the second letter before it was too late.
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John felt a wave of sadness and defeat wash over him when nothing came for him in the mail call. It was stupid. He urged the emotion away and ran a hand through his hair. Be a man. You don’t need a fucking letter.
He watched as Buck leaned against one of the chests of drawers with a stupid smile on his face. Envy seeped through his pores. He wanted that. Whatever Bucky was feeling when he read his letter from Marge. 
Fuck this. John needed a glass of strong whiskey right the fuck now. His throat almost ached for that sweet burn.
“Major! I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize these two were for you Bucky.” John’s mouth fell open as he stood up and quickly ambled over to see that there were in fact two letters addressed to him.
“Thanks.”
“Of course, Major.” John delicately took the papers and ignored Buck’s look of confusion as he gingerly cradled the letters to his chest and sat back down on the uncomfortable wooden chair.
There was no mistake that these were for him. Major John Egan was written in careful and delicate cursive, although on one of the letters the name looked more rushed than on the other.
He carefully tore open the first letter, the smell of woodsy perfume suddenly permeated his senses. A perfume he knew well. Y/N. 
John could hardly believe it. She actually wrote to him. Nothing for months and then this. He pulled out the cream paper and carefully unfolded it.
Dear Bucky,
Twentieth time is the charm I guess. How are you? I have no idea how you’re supposed to write these things, maybe that’s why it took me so long to write to you.
God, I miss you John. I know that’s so stupid to say but I miss my best friend. I am truly sorry that I didn’t send you a letter sooner. I’m sure you’re missing me terribly as well and I have just been a cruel human being by not sending you letters.
I guess I didn’t send anything because I didn’t know what to say. I finally decided to just write a letter this morning while in the bathtub. No, don’t you dare smirk John it wasn’t like that. My ma might just murder me for being so unladylike but I can’t bring myself to start writing yet another letter that will just end up crumpled on my floor so you are getting the truth and nothing but the truth, Major. So yes I concede I was thinking about you in the bathtub.
Anyways, how's Buck? I remember you telling me about him during your visit so I thought I might mention it. You two seemed to be getting close and I’m glad you have someone out there to support you when I can’t. He can’t take the title of best friend though, that’s reserved for me!
What else? Well… I got a job and a dog! And I moved out. I now live in this tiny little flat (it’s very charming so don’t start scrunching your face up like you always do) and drink endless amounts of coffee. You got me hooked. What can I say?
I don’t know what else to say other than stay safe. I don’t think I could bear it if you died, Bucky. Maybe you already have and I just don’t know, so I’m hoping beyond hope that this letter reaches you. Remember that I love you always, you idiotic man. 
Your best friend obviously,
Y/N L/N
John felt his eyes starting to sting. He had been so preoccupied with the war that he had also forgotten to write to her. The girl who had stolen his heart at age six when she threw mud at him when they were playing in the creek. His little angel who had just brought some light back into his life. 
A smile twitched on his face, she was still his girl. And she said she loved him! Probably not the way he loved her but still, he would take anything she was willing to give him.
“Bucky?” The rasp of Buck’s voice shook him out of his reverie and he looked up to see his friend looking at him with a question in his eyes.
“Yeah?”
“Who’s the letter from?”
“None of your business, Buck.” John says with an easy smirk falling on his face, a little spark in his soul seemed to reignite, he missed you and now at least he knew you missed him too.
“Jesus, come on. Who the hell is writing to you?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“John…”
“It’s from Y/N.” Buck’s eyebrows raised in response and John outright laughed at how surprised he looked. “She asked how you are.”
“Y/N? Is she the one-”
“Yes, now shut up. I still have another letter to read.” Buck laughed and raised his arms in defense before turning back to his own letter. He was glad his best friend had that sparkle back in his eyes, it had been missing for too damn long.
John placed the letter back into the envelope and grabbed the hastily addressed one. He was surprised to see that there were two things in this one. Pulling out the letter he quickly read the words before his jaw dropped.
Dear Bucky,
I completely forgot to attach a picture to the last letter, since I’m assuming you want to know what I look like now.
Anyways here is a picture of me and Ghost, the love of my life.
- Y/N
John carefully tipped the letter to the side and out fell a picture into his outstretched hand. And it was you, but also not you. You looked so much older and there was a hint of melancholy in your eyes but there was still that distinct bright smile on your face. Your arms were encased around a large husky with eyes that were almost as blue as Buck’s.
It was wrong but he felt a pang of jealousy. God he wished he was in that dog’s place.
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yeah... i'm obsessed with all the men in mota. i think i have a problem
part 2
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samgirard · 3 months
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└ team mackinnon drafts "sidney crosby" for their first pick | asg 2024: 2.1.24
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ilyasorokinn · 6 months
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i just saw your last call post, so not sure if this is late or not- which it’s totally fine if it is!
but if it’s not, can i please request, from the touching prompt list, 3+15 with sidney crosby?
Y/N Y/L/N'S HOCKEY BOYFRIEND
after this blurb, only two more to go for my tumblr-versary! also, i have no idea where this idea came from. i'm just thinking about ross macdonald a lot (24/7), so introducing famous singer!reader x sidney crosby lol
3. "hiding face in neck" 15. "hugging each other" (from this prompt list)
your eyes danced around the crowd of people as you strummed your guitar before closing your eyes with a smile and singing the rest of the song. you could feel the electricity in the atmosphere, even with your eyes closed.
when you strummed the final note, it felt like the floor was vibrating with all the screaming and cheering from the crowd. you didn't think the smile on your face could get any bigger.
"thank you, pittsburgh." you spoke into the microphone, "you've been amazing. you always are." you took a breath, "now, pittsburgh will always be a special place for me. it's where i moved into my first big girl apartment, where i got my first dog. where i met sid." you smiled, "it's home."
"sid is here tonight." you added and had to stop talking due to the amount of yelling and cheering, "i don't know where he is, he didn't tell me. so, if you see him, turn on your flashlight or something. "you joked, covering your eyes to block out the big spotlight in favor of looking into the crowd.
you scanned the pit, but you knew he probably wouldn't be there, so you moved up higher towards the seats until you finally spotted him, "there he is." you pointed, waving to him, "he didn't tell me where he was sitting, but he did request a song tonight. he requested 'eyes like yours'." you, once again, had to pause before speaking because the crowd was screaming so loud.
"i know there's a lot of speculation on this song and who it's about. well, i'm here to set the record straight." you beamed, "this song is about sid and i wrote it in 20 minutes after i got home from our first date. so, would it be okay if i performed it for you?" the crowd screamed in response, "all right." you looked back to your band and gave them a nod.
you performed the song, looking over in the direction where sidney was standing, a smile on your face the entire time. you strummed the last note, and you felt the walls shake. the crowd screamed even louder, their attention on something on the other side of the stage.
you looked over and saw sidney walking on stage with a bouquet of flowers. you smiled, taking off your guitar and setting it down, making your way over to him and hugging him, shoving your face into his neck. you had seen him a few hours ago, but he had apparently forgotten to mention his surprise appearance on stage.
"sidney crosby, you never fail to surprise me," you laughed, kissing his cheek and taking the bouquet he was holding out for you. you pulled away and made your way back over to the microphone.
"pittsburgh, i love you forever and always." you blew a kiss to the crowd and waved, "thank you, good night." you turned back to sidney, who was smiling.
he held his hand out for you, and you grabbed it. he waved to the crowd as you made your way off the stage. your band said their goodbyes, tossing picks and guitar sticks to the crowd, before following you off.
"i love you, you crazy man." you smiled as you looked up at sidney.
"i love you right back, crazy lady." he kissed your head, pulling away with the biggest smile on his face you'd ever seen.
taylor's tumblr-versary!
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simmyfrobby · 6 months
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Battle Cries – The Amazing Devil
(x, x, x, x)
for @rimouskis based on this fic 💙
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jackhues · 5 months
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one last one
❄️ firmly holding their hand in public with sidney
because as reserved as he would totally be about pda, you bet your ass he never lets go of your hand
oh definitely! hope you like this!!
you laughed at sidney's tie, stepping forward to fix it.
"you've been doing this for eighteen years," you laughed. "how the hell are you still so bad?"
sidney grinned, "maybe i pretended to do it badly so you'd fix it for me."
you rolled your eyes, "i can believe that."
sidney laughed at your reaction, reaching out to take your hand. your slipped your fingers into his, allowing him to lead you out of the hotel.
it was the day before the winter classic, and the teams were allowing a family skate. media was going to present like always, but there were no interviews or anyone besides family allowed on the ice.
you followed him down to the stadium, which thankfully wasn't far. it'd snowed a little before, which was the ideal weather for any outdoor skating.
sidney picked up both of your skates, tying his own and then yours.
you could tie them yourself, but you let him do it. it was one thing he enjoyed doing.
you noticed some of the media clicking pictures of you and sidney. it was rare that the two of you made such public appearances like this one, so the media liked to take advantage of it.
"it's you and me," sidney brought your attention back to him as he helped you to your feet. "ignore them. it's just us."
he gripped your hand firmly, leading you to the rink.
it was just the two of you.
---
send a ❄️, player + prompt (CLOSED NOW)
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cyarskj52 · 3 months
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aged like fine wine
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theywantedplayer · 1 year
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Masterslist
NEW MASTERLIST
Smut
All Categories 
who i write for 
Jamie Draysale 
“shit I didn't mean to say that”
Loved so dearly
“Its midnight where the hell were you
obsessed
Doing nothing with you
“my friends are really annoyed about how much I talk about you” “you’re staring”
Sparks fly-Taylor Swift
Thin walls NSFW
Good morning NSFW
Happy Birthday NSFW
"please kiss me" "stay quiet" NSFW
“ it’s okay just breathe” “look at me, please?” 
“I’m not leaving”
Trevor zegras
jealousy
“... " " "Wanna make out?" "Sure" “ the second I saw you I couldn't get over how beautiful you were”
“You're kinda cute in this” “only kinda.”"Did you see that?" "You saw that right?"
“someone’s happy to see me” “you bought me flowers?”
Picking fights 
he didnt say it 
obsessed
“don’t fucking touch what is not yours”  “Shh.. I’m here”
“oh hun, i wish you wouldn’t work yourself so hard” “you look exhausted”
“first one to make noises loses” NSFW
Just one more NSFW
Moth to a flame NSFW
Long Day  NSFW
Auston Matthews
“No, no, please don’t look sad. I can’t handle that.” 
“don’t fucking touch what is not yours” NSFW
I only want you 
obsessed
I think Your enough 
I wouldn’t do that to you” “i’m going to fuck your so hard you’re going to forget that guys name”
“You take me so well.” “Spread your legs wider.” NSFW
You comfort Austin after they get eliminated in the second round
paparazzi NSFW
“I’ve been in love you for years”
Jack Hughes 
This is how you celebrate a win NSFW
“Shh im here”
obsessed
All stars
First time NSFW
Jersey NSFW
Shower sex NSFW
Luke Hughes
“ i love you the way you are, okay? you don’t need to change. ”
High and dry NSFW part 2
Bruises
My boyfriends Brother NSFW
Finally alone NSFW
Drunk
“No, no, please don’t look sad. I can’t handle that.”
Quinn Hughes 
“im just trying to help you” “Please, talk to me’’
soft spot
“Baby can you please shut the fuck up”
“do you think I dropped my walls like this for anybody?”
"i’m going to fuck your so hard you’re going to forget that guys name”NSFW
you’re so fucking hot when you’re mad”“ you’re blushing” “am not” 
Submissive quinn NSFW
Flight NSFW
Brock Boeser
andrei kuzmenko
Nico hischier
Captain NSFW
“I wish you wouldn’t work yourself so hard”
Golden gold
“come and sit on my face and i’ll show you how much i missed you” NSFW
obsessed
Fair amount 
The purse 
Dirty talk NSFW
Little things
HandCuff’s+Blindfold NSFW
Arber Xhekaj 
I wanted to see you
Kirby dach
Freezing 
Cole caulfield
Feeling lost
“Why isn't he getting up?”
“I’ll never be good enough”“I wish you could see yourself how I see you”
Talking to yourself
“No panties?” NSFW
In every room NSFW
Sidney Crosby 
“Will you dance with me? Please, pretty please!” 
“I missed you so much” & “ you bought me flowers?”
“i love you the way you are, okay? you don’t need to change. 
obsessed
“Don't listen to them” “Because I know you” 
“Hey…..be safe”  “ you’re not even listening” 
Juraj Slafkovsky 
“I just wanted to be held for a while”
"everything about you amazes me"
“don’t yell at me in a language i don’t understand!” “please don’t cry, i’m sorry” 
Mitch marner  
“you’re crying” and “i missed you so much” 
“you were crying.” “you’re warm.”
obsessed
Second Chance 
“I get so hard when i’m around you“ 
Needy Mitch  NSFW
Carter Hart
Mat Barzal
“You smiled! I saw it, so no denying it.” and “You’re definitely the only person I would do this for.”
andrei svechnikov
Fastest Skater goes to?
“i’m going to fuck your so hard you’re going to forget that guys name” NSFW
leon draisaitl
“first one to make noises loses”
“come and sit on my face and i’ll show you how much i missed you” NSFW
"so, how much longer do you plan on using me as your personal space heater?"“Please kiss me.”
Jeremy Swayma
“no panties?”“Do you want my fingers?" NSFW
Morning kisses 
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doc-pickles · 5 months
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give it to me | sidney crosby
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summary: Sidney is angry after a tough loss, so who better to take that frustration out on but you?
warnings: smut (oral m receiving, p in v unprotected, mild impact play, degradation, use of the word slut)
a/n: self indulgent crosby smut for smutmas! definitely didn’t decide to post this bc of the last two games… anyways enjoy!
xoxo
nina
“Fuck!”
The front door slams and you’re startled from your place on the couch. Setting your book down you listen to the sounds of bags being carelessly tossed onto the floor, shoes hitting the back of the hall closet, little grunts of frustration. 
You’d watched the game, you knew why Sid was pissed. But in truth, you’d never seen him this upset, never heard the frustration he emitted with one word, never had him slamming his bags down in anger. 
“Sid?” you stand from the couch just as he rounds the corner into the living room. He’s ditched his shoes and suit jacket but his posture is stiff, his shoulders tense as he stands before you. “Oh baby-“ 
Your words are cut off as Sidney takes a step forward, chest pressing to yours as his dark eyes scan your face. He’s pissed. Not with you, never with you, but you know in an instant that tonight you’ll be the one bearing the burden of his anger and the thought excites you. 
“What can I do to make it better,” you ask quietly, eyes still locked with Sid’s. 
“Strip.”
Silently you comply, your ratty sleep shirt and cotton shorts being tossed aside easily. You watch Sidney take a seat in the leather armchair in front of you as you tug your panties down, stepping out of them with his icy gaze locked on you. 
“On your knees for me, princess,” Sid’s voice is barely more than a growl as he unabashedly runs his eyes up and down your body. “C’mon show me how much of a slut you are for me.”
You kneel in front of Sid’s chair, wide eyes staring up at him. His fingers curl into your hair softly then pull. You gasp, Sidney using the opportunity to dip two fingers into your mouth. He doesn’t have to tell you what to do as you close your lips around his fingers and suck harshly. Satisfaction pulses through you as you swirl your tongue around and take his fingers deeper, his eyes going dark at the sensation. 
“Just like that,” Sid groans as you blink up at him. “Give it all to me, such a good girl on your knees for me.” 
With a tug on your hair, your chin is tilted up, Sidney’s fingers popping out of your mouth. He watches you for a moment before letting you go, hands going to his belt as he unbuckles it and unzips his pants. 
“C’mere, want to fuck your face,” Sid groans. “Want to see those pretty lips wrapped around my cock.”
Not wanting to waste any time your hands fly to Sid’s pants, pushing them down just enough to free his already dripping dick. You wrap your hands around him, preening as his head drops back in a moan. With a smirk you lean forward, bringing him into your wet and waiting mouth. His hips thrust up and you moan around him at the feeling of his dick hitting the back of your throat.  
“Aren’t you a good little slut for me,” Sid pants out, eyes never leaving you as you work him with your mouth. “You’re taking me so well, so fucking good.”
You hollow your cheeks just as Sid thrusts his hips up again, taking him deep as he keeps up a fast pace. His hands grip your hair tightly as he fucks your face, tears streaming down your cheeks, “Choking on my dick, princess? You love it don’t you, bet you’re soaking wet right now.” 
Dipping your hand down you run two fingers through your dripping pussy then hold them out to Sid. He groans as he pulls your fingers into his mouth, sucking hard on the flesh as he tasted your juices. 
A gasp leaves you as Sidney moves his hands down to your hips and hauls you off his dick, placing you on his lap. 
“Ride me, princess.”
You don’t need to be told twice. You only give him a few tugs before lining yourself up with Sid’s cock, slowly taking him all in. Moans escape both of you as you take a moment to feel Sid inside of you. 
“So big… Fuck baby you stretch me so well,” you gasp out. “Holy fuck…”
Sid’s hand comes to deliver a harsh smack to your ass, another gasp coming from you at the painful and pleasurable feeling, “Stop fucking talking and ride my dick. Show me how much of a slut you are.”
You nod but Sidney shakes his head and grabs your face, pulling you closer to him, “I need words, baby.”
“Yes, sir,” you breathe out just as he thrusts up into you. “Ohhh-“
Another slap hits your ass and you whimper, taking Sidney’s punishing thrusts in stride. You keep up with his thrusts, grinding your hips down into his as you move as one. One of his hands comes to your waist while the other pulls your hair back, exposing your neck to him. His lips find purchase there, biting harshly before he soothes the spot with his tongue. 
“Need to show everyone how much of a slut you are,” Sidney whispers against your sweat-slicked skin. “Show them who you belong to. Who do you belong to baby?”
Sid snakes his hand on your waist down to where he’s thrusting into you and slowly rubs your clit. The sensation has you near tears as he watches you on his lap. 
“Answer me,” he growls. “Who does this pussy belong to?”
“You! Fuck only you, Sidney,” you cry out as he leans forward and sucks your nipple into his mouth. “Baby… So close…”
“You don’t come till I say you can,” he says in your ear, voice low and dangerous. “Okay?”
You nod and give an affirmative sound as Sid continues to thrust into you. Your fingers are digging into his shoulders, grinding into his hips to get that last bit of friction you need to trigger your orgasm. 
“So hungry for my dick, aren’t you baby? Fuck you’re so tight, riding me so well,” Sid’s words make a lewd moan fall from your lips as your hips meet his again. “C’mon princess, give it to me. Come with me.”
“Sid-“
“That’s it, baby, let me feel you clench around me,” he groans, pressing his face into your neck. “Milk my cock, it’s all for you princess.”
With a moan, you throw your head back as your orgasm rocks through you. Sid gives you a few more sloppy thrusts before he stills, teeth brushing against your pulse point as he holds you close to him. You both take a few minutes to catch your breath, clinging tightly to each other.
“Thank you, baby,” SId murmurs into your hair as his fingers dance along your back. “I’ll draw a bath?”
“I’ll pour the wine.”
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ohmyeyesmyeyes · 1 year
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secret double life
sidney crosby x f!actress!reader
fc: dianna agron
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liked by vogue, kaitlyndever and 764,982 others
ynofficial: i apologise on behalf of makeup artists across the world. i have failed you and learnt nothing since i was 17, and for that i am deeply sorry. anyway, this has been a dream come true of mine - thank you for the opportunity vogue! (i apologise for the lateness, but the video is up on YT rn!)
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user12: you can do no wrong in my eyes, even if the foundation was the wrong shade
user13: she fr worked with it and said 'trust the process'
user14: i can feel the mascara wand in my eye
user15: HER RINGS FUCK WHAT IF THAT TWITTER THREAD WAS RIGHT
user16: the twitter thread was right what are you talking about??????
user17: was it all common knowledge or something?
user18: forgetting they're married is like never remembering that ryan reynolds was married to scarlett johansson
user19: was it just me or did anyone else hear a child laugh in the background?
user20: ME!!!!
user21: babe you're looking so good
user22: thank you for feeding us with this content
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liked by user23 and 14,914 others
gossip: after the news has begun recirculating, pittsburgh penguins legend, sidney crosby, has been seen attending a charity gala with his wife, actress y/n l/n. it is unknown as to how long the couple have been married, but rumours suggest 10+ years.
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user24: WHAT!!!!! THEY BOTH LOOK SO GOOD!!!!
user25: idk which one i want to bite first
user26: i'm praying for confirmation 🙏🙏
user27: it has only just occurred to me that people don't know about these two and it upsets me sm 😭
user28: parents
user29: they actually might be though
user30: I'VE BEEN THINKING THIS!!
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liked by user31 and 20,008 others
unofficialnhlnews: a reporter asked crosby if he had any family in the stands for today's 1000th game for the pens, he said yes and when asked (for the first time, nearly ever), who, he replied with "well, i flew out some of my family from home, but my wife's watching today."
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user32: CONFIRMATION WTF
user33: he was so open with it what
user34: BRO STARTED BLUSHING
user35: i don't think i've ever seen crosby smile like that
user36: if this is true, i'm thinking about the baby laugh in the background of her vogue grwm
user37: tbh if they've been together for that long they literally could have a kid fr
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liked by annabellewallis, monicabarbaro and 791,372 others
ynofficial: apparently i lead a secret double life?
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user38: IS THAT CHILD YOURS? IS IT SIDNEY CROSBY'S KID?
user39: it'd be so funny if it is hers and sid's with the ovi jersey
user40: the armpit scribbler is definitely sid
ynofficial: he's one of the three 👍
user41: does that count as a hard launch??????????
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liked by nhl, aleksandrovechkinofficial and 962,822 others
ynofficial: sid by me ❤ it's been an honour to experience life with you so far - i really fucking love you.
to the rest of you: i give you sid, and introduce you to mason and india!
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user45: *sharp inhale* AAAAAAAAAAAA
user46: he was so baby 😭
user47: SIDNEY CROSBY IS A DILF ⚠️ I REPEAT SIDNEY CROSBY IS A DILF ⚠️
user46: the baby in the #87 jersey i'm sobbing
user47: we said confirm pls and y/n and sid heard change lives
user48: oh 😭 my 😭 god 😭
user49: india and mason are so fucking cute
user50: the first picture is breaking hearts
user51: what about that kid that was wearing the ovi jersey?
ynofficial: mini ovi and mini crosby swapped jerseys after the all star game this year!! both dads cried
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liked by alexachung, kaitlyndever and 918,926 others
ynofficial: y/n by me (sid) ❤ i really fucking love you, too
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user52: simple but romantic
user53: i'm crying
user54: THE ONES WHEN HE'S CUDDLING HER AHKSJGF
user55: the wedding photo lmao
user56: baby and bump
user57: i'm definitely dying alone
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liked by user58 and 19 others
ynofficial: 😋
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bloodynereid · 2 months
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Navy Blue Ink Part 2
part 1
pairing: major john 'bucky' egan x fem! reader
tw: swearing, kissing, fluff, mentions of war and death, historical/military inaccuracies, yh not much else it's pretty sweet
description: john makes it back home to his angel.
a/n: first off, i wanted to say thank you for how nice and incredible this fandom has been and the response to the first part just made me heart burst. i hope this still does john justice and that you enjoy this little reunion fic. once again this is solely based on the show's characters and not the real people!
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You stood anxiously at the side of the airfield. A letter clutched in your left hand and a leash in your right. Ghost nudged his head against your pant covered leg, making you look down at your companion.
“I’m alright, boy. Just a bit nervous.” He barked in response and an easy smile fell on your face. After the announcement that war had ended a heavy weight that had been placed on your shoulders seemed to disappear. You had beat those German bastards and now your best friend was coming home.
It was a few weeks before the end of the war that a letter arrived for you. Its date was a few days old but a feeling of euphoria washed through your body when you noticed John’s spiky handwriting.
He was alive.
Dear Y/N,
I don’t think you understand how happy I was to hear from you. I do not know if this letter will reach you or if you will ever read it but I needed to write this. I’m also sorry for not writing for so long and for not getting back to you.
I am alive, somehow. I made it out of a POW camp and I’m back at base. I can’t write about the specifics yet but I needed you to know that I miss you terribly. You were the one light while I was there. You gave me hope when everything was starting to dull to gray, and I don’t know if I can ever repay you.
I don’t know when I’ll be back but you should know that I will be back. God I miss you. I wrote that already didn’t I?
Buck’s fine. A little scraped up, but we all are. He can’t wait to meet you, says I talk too much about you that he basically knows you already. I hope to see you soon again, angel. You better introduce me to the love of your life too, I might need to officiate the wedding… or maybe Ghost needs a best man huh?
Yours,
John Egan
That letter restored a feeling of hope that encompassed your entire body. He was alive. John Egan was alive.
You held onto that feeling for a long while. Keeping the letter tucked into the pocket of your jacket so you could carress the paper when everything was feeling like too much. Until that fateful day when a short telegram was handed to you at work. It was filled with a few words that made your heart beat even faster than you thought it could.
Coming soon. Meet. Airfield. 16.00
So there you stood, at the airfield waiting for your best friend to come back, for the love of your life to come back (sorry Ghost).
You scratched behind Ghost’s ear when a distant noise made you perk up. An airplane. Squinting in the late afternoon soon a distinct shape appeared in the sky. He surely had to be on that plane.
Checking your watch confirmed it, it was 16:05 and he was right on time. Albeit a little late but that was John alright.
You watched with nervous excitement as the plane touched down and stopped near the tower. A group of families were all standing beside you, anxiously awaiting a glimpse of the people they had missed beyond belief.
Standing and waiting as everyone got to hug their loved ones was a special kind of torture. That was until you saw a glimpse of those beautiful brown curls and the face that you had missed so dearly.
“John? John!” The face turned towards you and a delighted grin overtook your face as you started to run towards him, with Ghost right on your heels.
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John was beyond tired. The past few weeks had been a time for recovery and yet he didn’t feel like himself quite yet. Who knew if he would ever feel like that again? The plane ride back made him feel like a whole other set of nerves had taken control of his body.
He was about to see his girl, his angel and he had no idea what he would do, or rather if he could control his reaction to her. The photograph she first sent to him in those precious letters was carefully tucked into his jacket pocket and he was itching to get it out and just look at her once again.
Maybe she wasn’t even waiting for him. Maybe she hadn’t gotten his telegram. The one he quickly had someone send out for him after he had said his goodbyes to Buck in Florida. God what if she was busy and he didn’t have her address to find her and-
His barrage of thoughts was cut off when he felt the plane hit the runway. Fuck, it’s time. Once he was given the all clear, he quickly gathered his full belongings and started to set out of the plane.
John felt the familiar smell of Wisconsin fill his nose. Home. It smelt like home. The airfield was lit in the glow of the sun and John felt alright for the first time in a while. He was safe.
“John? John!” The sweet sound of a voice so familiar was calling to him. Just as he turned John felt arms encase him and you were suddenly all around him.
He let himself just feel for a few moments before he dropped his bags and hugged you right back just as strongly. What he wouldn’t do to stay in your arms for the rest of his life. To feel your warmth surrounding him and never letting him go.
“Angel? God, I think I might be in heaven.” John whispered into your ear, making a tearful laugh come from your mouth as you let your arms drop from around him. Finally getting a proper look at your Bucky.
“Heaven? Nah, you’re in good old Wisconsin, Bucky.”
“I think that’s my version of heaven right now, darling.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“I missed you John.” You whispered as you looked at him. You noticed how he had changed, how he had hardened but he was still the man you fell in love with, even if he didn’t know it.
“I guarantee that I missed you more.”
“Oh really?” John hummed back in agreement as he also took his time to take you in. Take in the little changes in your face, the way your eyes shined as you looked at him and the smile on your face. The most beautiful smile he had ever seen.
“I really love you.” John whispered, pouring his entire being, his entire soul into those words. Your eyes widened, this felt different from all those times when he had uttered it drunk into your ears as kids. This felt like something more. Something you had waited to hear for far too long.
John felt something in him shatter as he watched different emotions flash over your face. He made a mistake. He should have stayed quiet and just hugged you. Just been there for you.
“I love you too, John Egan. I love you more than you can imagine.” 
That thing that shattered within John seemed to remake itself. Like a wound stitching itself back together. He stepped impossibly closer to you and brushed his lips hesitantly over yours, warmth blooming in both of your chests as the hesitant pressure became more stronger and more assured.
What you both didn’t account for was the loud bark that came from behind you. The two of you broke apart and John looked over to Ghost with a chuckle. The damn dog he wished to be all those months ago was standing before him looking mighty pleased with himself.
“So the famous love of your life?”
“Shut up, John. You know there is only one man worthy of that title.”
“And who would that be?”
“You, you stupid, beautiful man.”
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and... that's the end wow. i'll probably write some more stuff for mota so look out for that <3
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laurenairay · 6 months
Text
I'm still haunted by the memories - S. Crosby
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Summary: Maeva thought five years was long enough to get over Sidney breaking her heart. Apparently not.
Words: 5.5k
This is my fic for @senditcolton​’s birthday bingo! I chose the bingo squares ‘wedding season’, ‘It was always you’, ‘free space – argument scene’, ‘second chance romance’, and ‘interrupted kiss’. I haven’t written a full fic for Sid in ages, so I really hope you like this!
Warnings: angst, past break up scene, exes to (potential) lovers
Title: Little do you know, by Alex & Sierra
~
“What am I to you?”
“What?” Sidney asked, confused.
“What am I to you? What do I mean to you?”
“What’s going on, Maeva?” he asked, frowning.
“Can you just answer my question please?”
Sidney frowned even more at the sharpness of her voice. “You’re my girlfriend. I love you. What’s going on?”
“You love me?”
“Yes! Mae, seriously…”
She could tell he was getting frustrated now, but that didn’t settle the gnawing feeling in her stomach.
“We’ve been together five years now. I love you more than I thought could’ve ever loved anyone. Five years of cheering you on no matter what. Five years of supporting you and the team and all the better halves as they’ve come and gone. Five years of always coming second but putting on a smile because I know hockey is your whole world. But I thought I would’ve at least had a part of it?”
“I don’t understand what you mean. Of course you’re part of my world,” Sidney said, confused.
Was he really going to be that cruel, to pretend he didn’t know what she meant?
“At the team get together this weekend, when we celebrated the latest Pens rookie getting engaged, someone joked to you about when you were going to put a ring on my finger too. But you just snorted and changed the subject…”
She trailed off, watching Sidney’s face pale a little bit, his reaction sinking like a stone in her stomach.
“I don’t…where did you hear that?”
“I was right behind you, Sid. I was right there and Kris & Cath saw me but you didn’t. They sent me pitying smiles and I hated it, Sid. Why don’t you want a life with me?” Maeva asked, her voice finally cracking as tears threatened to spill.
“We already have a life together. Why do we need to complicate it?”
“Complicate it? You think marriage is just a complication?” she shot back.
“I just don’t see why we need to put a label on things. We’ve got a good thing going,” Sidney huffed.
“Labels? Are you kidding me? I’m nearly 30, Sid, and all I have to show for the thing I’ve poured my heart into for five years is a couple of photos on your cup days? You won’t take me out in public, you don’t talk about me to anyone outside of your team and your immediate family, you can clearly drop me at any moment…are you ashamed of our relationship? Have I been wasting my time?”
“Damn it Mae, I’m not ashamed! I thought you understood that I like my privacy!”
That’s all he took out of it?
“I know you value it, Sid, but I didn’t think it would get to this point. I didn’t think you would go this far. I’m tired of being an afterthought to you!”
“And I’m tired of you being so insecure!”
Her breath hitched in her throat as a pang of hurt rang through her chest, and she could see a flash of regret immediately pass over Sidney’s face.
“Maeva…”
“I’m done. I can’t do this anymore, Sid. There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel appreciated and there is nothing wrong with wanting to know that I have a future to look forward to. Because apparently I don’t. Who knew that Sidney Crosby was such a commitment-phobe?”
~
Maeva glanced out of the airplane window, hazy memories passing through her mind as the plane started its decent into Halifax airport. It didn’t seem like it had been five years since her life with Sidney had fallen apart, almost as long as their just-over-five-years relationship. But the memories of that awful night still burned her heart like a hot poker. She may have left him that night, may have returned to Canada, but she hadn’t been able to move back to Nova Scotia. She’d tried, sure, but she’d only lasted a few months before the memories of their time there together was too much to bear too. It had felt right to flee to the other side of Canada, all the way to Vancouver where she was able to secure an apartment and a job where no-one knew who she was. Maeva had only visited her parents a few times in the five years since – and only when she knew he absolutely wouldn’t be there.
Everything had just hurt too much. It still did.
But now, for the first time in as long as she could remember, she was heading back to Cole Harbour in the summer. Her cousin Natasha was getting married, and her aunt had begged Maeva to come home to join her parents in attending. If it wasn’t for the fact that she and Natasha had grown up as close as sisters, Maeva would’ve found an excuse somehow – but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. All she had to do was survive the long weekend. It was late Thursday evening that she’d flown over, leaving Friday for wedding errands, Saturday for the pre-wedding celebrations, and Sunday for the wedding day itself - both ceremony and reception. She’d managed to book a flight home at midday on Monday, but she knew that this weekend was going to be a test of her strength.
Maeva had done so well to protect her heart for so long, and she didn’t want a few days back in Cole Harbour to ruin it.
It didn’t take long for her to pick up her suitcase and head to the arrivals area, a small smile crossing her lips at the sight of her dad waiting for her. Maeva could happily admit that she was a daddy’s girl, through and through, the two of them having the only blonde hair in the family, his quiet calm aura always making her feel happy and secure. That was one of the only things she regretted about not toughing it out in Cole Harbour – she didn’t get to spend the time with her dad that he deserved.
She made a mental note not to take that for granted this weekend.
“My little Maeva,” he said gruffly, warmth seeping into every word as he hugged her tightly.
“It’s good to see you. I’m…I’m sorry it’s been so long,” she murmured when they eventually separated.
“Oh don’t you worry about that. I’m just glad you’re home for the wedding. Lord knows I need a little more sanity in the house.”
Maeva just snickered, looping her arm through her dad’s as they started to walk out to the parking lot. “Mom’s succumbed to wedding fever then?”
“Happily skipped into crazy town, more like it,” he grinned, “I don’t think I can survive another day of folding bits of paper into little birds to decorate the tables.”
Maeva just grimaced, making her dad laugh. That sounded like her idea of nightmare chaos. “Any chance we can avoid most of the wedding prep tomorrow?”
Her dad just smiled indulgently. “Oh I’m sure I can figure something out.”
She really had missed him.
~
Just as her dad had promised, he managed to get the two of them out of the intense wedding preparations that the family were taking part in on Friday. The two of them went out for a long breakfast in the morning, before her mom could bundle her into the car and over to her aunt’s, and after a slow walk by the waterside, telling him all about her life in Vancouver and her small circle of friends and her low-key retail managerial career, they eventually made their way back to the house. Her mom was annoyed with them both, Maeva knew that much, but she couldn’t stay mad at Maeva for long, not really when she knew exactly why her only daughter never came home – and Maeva made up for it by ironing her dad’s shirt for the wedding and steaming his suit, her mom’s dress, and her own dress, while her father shined his shoes to her mom’s satisfaction.
There would be enough time to apologise to her cousin on Saturday during the welcome lunch up at Hatfield Farm, where 30 close family and friends would be staying overnight ahead of the wedding on Sunday (with the same 30 staying on the Sunday night). Thankfully the venue was only a 40 minute drive from her family home in Cole Harbour, so she would have plenty of time to make her flight back to Vancouver on the Monday.
She just had to get through the weekend first. One step at a time.
Saturday morning was as chaotic as Maeva thought it would be. Her mom had the three of them loading up her dad’s car like a military operation, checklist on clipboard included, to make sure that nothing was left behind, especially as their part of the family was in charge of the table centrepieces and fairy lights for decorating the reception hall. Once all of that, and their wedding outfits (and shoes and accessories) were ready, along with their overnight bags, it was coming close to midday, and with a picnic basket full of snacks and drinks for the little cabin that the three of them would be staying in, they hit the road.
Despite everything, it made Maeva smile as she recognised the other cars on their journey, all of them making their way to Hatfield Farm like a miniature invasion. The curse of a small town.
It didn’t take long to sort out the accommodation keys, and once Maeva had hung up her dress for the wedding (at her mom’s request to reduce wrinkles), she sprayed a little perfume and fluffed up her blonde hair before rejoining her parents.
“Ready to face the circus?” her dad grinned.
“Honestly,” her mom tutted, elbowing him.
But even she gave Maeva a worried glance.
“I’ll be fine. Cole Harbour may be a small town, but it’s not like Sidney can pop up everywhere,” Maeva said, trying to convince herself as much as them. “It’ll be good to celebrate Natasha’s happy day.”
“Atta girl,” her dad said gruffly.
Her mom just nodded, threading her fingers through her dad’s to silently lead them across the grounds to the main reception hall, where the welcome lunch was being held. They weren’t the last people there, not by any means, but they definitely weren’t the first. Maeva could see her cousin walking towards them with a big smile on her face, dressed in a gorgeous peach dress and looking radiant with happiness, and that joy was infectious.
Until Maeva glanced across the other side of the room, that is.
The sound of her breath catching in her throat was enough to make her parents look in the same direction, and her unflappable dad scowled in a way she’d never seen before.
“What is he doing here?” her dad asked lowly, lips pursing as he turned back to look at her cousin.
Natasha glanced over and cursed under her breath. “Sid wasn’t meant to be arriving until later. I was meant to have enough time to give you a warning, Maeva. Carl invited him but wasn’t sure if he could make it – they’ve been friends since they were kids.”
“Curse of a small town,” she murmured, her smile shaky.
She glanced back at him, thankful that he hadn’t noticed her looking yet, her heart racing in a way that made her feel sick as she took him in. Sidney looked good, of course he did. Broad shoulders, giant ass, and thick thighs filling out his suit so perfectly, hair dusted with grey in a way that only made him look distinguished. He was standing sideways, talking with Nate (of course Nate was here too) and a couple of other guys from their hometown, and as he laughed, head thrown back, the sound of his ridiculous honking giggle made her want to cry.
She wasn’t ready. How could she think she was ready?
Her mom subtly took her hand in hers, squeezing gently to reassure her, only making her dad curse under his breath again.
“Hey, you’re my cousin. If him being here is going to ruin your weekend, I can kick him out. I don’t care if his name is on the town sign – you are family,” Natasha said firmly, voice still quiet.
Tears stung at her eyes slightly at her cousin’s care, but she shook her head. No, no she had to face being in Cole Harbour at the same time as him at some point. She wasn’t going to let him ruin things, not this time. “It’s been five years. I’ll survive.”
Natasha just frowned, taking Maeva’s free hand in her own.
“You just say the word and he’s gone, okay? I haven’t had a chance to be bridezilla yet,” she said, grinning sharply.
Maeva laughed a little wetly, shaking her head again, squeezing Natasha’s hand and her mom’s to say thank you silently.
“Everything will be fine. There will be enough people here that you can just avoid him!” her mom said, smiling.
Maeva didn’t need to look at her dad as he huffed to know that just wouldn’t happen. But still, she had to believe it was possible or she wasn’t even going to make it through today. She could avoid him as much as possible – there was only so much her heart could handle.
“Drinks?” Natasha suggested.
“Hell yes,” Maeva sighed.
Drinks, then setting up the reception hall with the fairy lights, and bringing in all of the table centrepieces ready for the venue staff to set up in the morning. Then maybe some more drinks. She could handle that.
When she eventually went to sleep close to midnight, her heart was aching in the worst way – Maeva hadn’t expected to actually be able to avoid Sidney, but she also hadn’t expected to feel his eyes trailing her around the room for the entire day.
And she was dreading tomorrow even more, now that she knew he would be there.
~
Breakfast in the morning was a communal affair. The wedding ceremony wasn’t until 2pm, and the staff at Hatfield Farm were putting on a breakfast spread for all the guests from 7-9am, so Maeva was making good use of it, knowing she wouldn’t eat for hours after this. Her dress was a flowy one thankfully, so she didn’t have to worry about carb bloating – it was one of the reasons she’d chosen it, along with the fact at it was light and airy enough for the warm weather and a gorgeous shimmery gold colour that complimented her wonderfully. And it didn’t conflict with the beautiful lilac and cream wedding colours either, which was a bonus.
Her parents had already eaten and headed back to the accommodation, leaving Maeva to finish her orange juice in peace. Still, being back in Cole Harbour after all this time, surrounded by people that she’d left behind in her efforts to leave him behind…it was almost too much, and she found herself stepping outside for some air to clear her head.
One more day.
She could make it one more day.
But the moment that she heard footsteps walking over to her, she knew her luck had run out.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get you alone.”
Hello to you too, Sidney.
“Why would you even want to?” Maeva said, voice cold and polite as she turned to face him.
Sidney just winced. “Mae, come on, you know why.”
Oh screw him. Shortening her name like he used to, playing with her emotions like that? No.
“No, Sidney, I don’t know why,” she said shortly, “We broke up five years ago, almost as long ago as the whole length of our relationship was – so what could you possibly have to say to me?”
“Please don’t be like this. I’m trying to apologise,” he said, frowning.
“Apologise for what, exactly?” she asked, folding her arms over her chest.
Sidney just huffed out a frustrated breath, putting his coffee mug down on a nearby table.
“Maeva, I’m serious. I’m trying to be the bigger person here and-”
“Are you kidding me? The bigger person? Our relationship ended because you couldn’t commit, Sidney, and you’re talking about being the bigger person like I’ve done something wrong?” she said angrily,
The nerve. What the hell.
“If you would just listen to me…”
“Listen to what? What could you possibly have to say to me?” she spat, cutting him off again.
“If you’d stop interrupting me then I could actually say it!” he shot back, shades away from shouting.
“Uh, guys?”
Maeva looked sharply to the left, seeing Nate standing there awkwardly looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.
“What, Nate?” Sidney said shortly, cheeks flushed.
“Uh, your mom is looking for you, Maeva,” he explained, grimacing.
“Thanks. We were done here anyway,” Maeva said coldly.
“No we…”
But she just stormed away, not letting Sidney finish, ignoring the hissed conversation between the two men, trying desperately to keep her composure until she was alone. Just as Nate said, her mom was glancing around, and the moment that she spotted her, her face fell.
“Let’s get back to the rooms to get ready, yes?” her mom said, pasting a smile on her face.
It was all Maeva could do to nod, letting her mom usher her along, the fire in her chest from their building argument fizzling away into an all-consuming black hole of sadness. Why would he confront her like that? Why would he want to unsettle her like that after all these years? She would never have thought of him as cruel, but this…this was the last thing she needed. Those few minutes were everything she’d been trying to avoid, and the wedding hadn’t even officially start yet – how was she going to make it through the rest of the day?
The moment that their cabin door was shut behind them, her mom whirled around to face her.
“Maeva, sweetie, what happened?”
She opened her mouth to explain, but all that she managed to do was start crying, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her mom let out an uncharacteristic curse, cradling her in her arms, only making Maeva sob harder. This is why she never came home. This is exactly why.
She didn’t know how long it took for her to calm down, for her sobbing and tears to fade to sniffles, and she was just glad that her mom hadn’t changed into her wedding outfit yet.
“Give me the word and I will get laxatives put in his drinks. I know people,” her mom said seriously.
Maeva choked out a laugh, smiling shakily at her mom’s attempt to cheer her up, but shook her head.
“It was stupid. Just stupid. I wish he wasn’t here but I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of leaving,” Maeva said sadly.
“You’re a braver woman than I am,” her mom said, huffing out a laugh.
“Nah, I get it from you, eh?”
Her mom just smiled shakily, giving her another quick hug before pulling back to rest her hands on her shoulders.
“Let’s get ready for this wedding. Have a shower and then I’ll help you with your hair,” her mom said firmly.
Maeva just smiled, nodding her head, heading towards her room as she heard the shower stopping. By the time she’d gathered her towels and underwear, her dad was back in the room he shared with her mom, leaving her to shower quickly. Leaving her with her swirling thoughts.
Even though minutes ago her blood was boiling with his audacity, her heart still ached for him. Up close the grey in his hair looked even better than she’d thought, the slight laughter lines around his eyes only adding to his appeal. His voice was a smooth as she remembered, his figure just as broad and overwhelming compared to her slight frame as it always had been. Even his intensity, his emotion, was exactly as she remembered, sending shivers down her spine.
She missed him.
And she hated it as much as she loved it.
She loved him. Even as much as she wished she didn’t.
It didn’t take her long to do her make up and put on her dress, and she blow-dried her hair to the point where it was manageable by the time her mom knocked on her bedroom door.
“Oh sweetie, you look beautiful,” her mom said, voice earnest and sweet.
Maeva just grinned back at her, twirling on the spot to watch her golden dress flare in the mirror.
Her mom laughed, rolling her eyes fondly as she guided Maeva to sit down on the end of the bed. She expertly twisted half of her hair up into an elegant bun, fixing it in place with a couple of bobby pins and a ribbon that matched the gold of her dress, leaving the rest of her hair to flow down her back in blonde waves. It was simple but refined, and she felt pretty the moment she looked in the mirror.
“Thanks mom. Let’s do this thing.”
“That’s my girl.”
~
The wedding was beautiful. Maeva didn’t know what else she expected though, if she was being honest. Natasha looked ethereal as she glided down the aisle, her fiancé crying a little when he saw her, and the two of them didn’t stop smiling at each other the whole ceremony. Maeva kept her eyes on them the whole time, even though she could feel eyes on her throughout the hour – she knew exactly who they belonged to, but she just couldn’t. She couldn’t, not at a wedding she knew she would never have.
All the guests moved into the reception hall, sitting at their assigned tables, Maeva sitting between her parents with each of them holding one of her hands like they didn’t want her to disappear. She could only imagine what her mom her told her dad about her breakdown this morning, but that was the last thing she wanted to think about right now. All through the wedding speeches Maeva sipped on her champagne, laughing at the appropriate moments, tearing up at her uncle’s heartfelt words, cheering the toasts to the new bride and groom. She could barely remember what she ate when the food came and went, but she dutifully ate under the watchful eye of her mom, making small talk with the other members of their table, answering politely to questions about her life in Vancouver, 6000km feeling even further away than ever before.
By the time the additional guests joined them all for the evening reception, Maeva was well on her way to being overwhelmed, but she joined the circle of people on the dancefloor to watch Natasha and her new husband in their first dance.
Just as the music started, a familiar figure stepped up next to her. Maeva froze, desperately trying to think of how to make a subtle exit, but Sidney gently pressed a flute of champagne into her hand.
“This is an apology drink,” he murmured. “I should never have lost my temper with you this morning.”
Not here. Not now.
She didn’t know what her face was showing as she glanced up at him but Sidney’s face just looked sad.
“Can we talk after their first dance finishes? Please?” he begged softly.
There was something in his voice that made her façade crack.
“Fine.”
She didn’t dare take her eyes off of Natasha and her husband for the rest of the dance, sipping the champagne flute, waiting until people started joining them on the dancefloor to slip away, Sidney subtly following her. Just off the side of the venue was a small courtyard, separated from the rest of the outside space by a trellis of flowers, just enough to give them a semblance of privacy.
Maeva put down the glass as Sidney joined her, wrapping her arms around herself partly as a guard, partly as comfort, her ex-boyfriend standing in front of her looking just as overwhelming as he always had.
“Thank you for agreeing to talk to me,” he started, smiling a little.
“What did you want to talk about, Sid?” she sighed.
“I messed up all those years ago,” he murmured.
No, no she couldn’t do this.
“Sidney I can’t,” she interrupted, shaking her head.
“Please, please just let me finish,” he begged.
She just bit her bottom lip, glancing away from him briefly to steel herself, before nodding.
“I have spent five years trying to think about what I would say if I ever got the chance to see you again. Five years playing the conversation over and over again in my head, going through every scenario, and right now in this moment, none of it is coming to my head,” he said softly.
That was so typically Sid.
“Forget what’s in your head. What’s in your heart?” she found herself saying.
He huffed out a laugh, nodding his head.
“I love you, Maeva,” he said, tears glistening in his eyes.
Oh.
Oh.
Oh god this was the last thing she’d been expecting.
He still loved her?
“Do you love me too? Is there any chance that you still love me?” he asked desperately.
He still loved her?
Running on pure instinct, Maeva choked out a sob as she leaned up and kissed him, hands clutching at his shirt.
Of course she still loved him.
Sidney didn’t hesitate as he kissed her slowly back, cradling her face with both hands, pouring everything into the embrace. Maeva’s head swirled as her blood surged and her heart raced…and then a couple of wedding guests stumbled outside too, clearly drunk. They were mostly giggling and falling into themselves, so they didn’t notice Sidney and Maeva springing apart, and as they stumbled around the corner Sidney quickly took one of Maeva’s hands in his, breaking her out of her frozen state of shock.
“You still love me?” Sidney asked hopefully.
“That was so stupid. I shouldn’t have…we shouldn’t have…”
His face fell.
“Please don’t run away. Please don’t leave me, not again,” Sidney begged, interrupting her rambling words.
She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t do this.
“We can’t just go back to how things were, Sid,” Maeva said sadly, “We’re different people now, we’ve both changed.”
“Then let me get to know you again. And you can get to know me,” Sidney said desperately, “We still love each other – isn’t that enough?”
Maeva’s face must’ve looked as incredulous as she felt, because he squeezed her hand a little tighter, eyes burning with intensity. She remembered that look. It still had the same effect on her, knowing that Sidney was leading up to something heart achingly earnest.
“You are right, I’ve changed – I’m not the same man I was before. I made the biggest mistake of my life taking you for granted, letting you go when I should’ve fought for us, and I regretted it the moment I realised you’d truly left. My stupid pride kept me from reaching out to you in the first few weeks, and when I got over myself, it was too late.”
“Sidney…” she murmured.
“No-one would tell me where you went. Your parents wouldn’t talk to me, or to my mom. Your friends blocked my number. All Taylor could find out was that you were in Cole Harbor for a few months before you left for good and that you’ve barely been back since. I searched for you, for any sign of you, wherever I went and it still wasn’t enough. I wasn’t enough.”
“Sidney,” she repeated, tears stinging her eyes.
“I am so sorry, Mae. I love you. I always have – it was always you. It was always going to be you, and I’ve spent five years regretting every single moment of that stupid fight and everything I did leading up to it. As selfish as it is, I can only hope that no-one else has your heart. Can you ever forgive me?”
Maeva swallowed heavily, letting go of his hand to run shaky fingers through her hair in an effort to compose herself. This was everything she’d ever dreamed of hearing from him and it was also everything she’d dreaded. She’d spent so long in therapy building up her walls, repairing her heart, learning how to heal herself and protect herself from falling into this kind of heartbreak again.
But she loved him.
She loved him so deeply that she didn’t know how she could ever stop. Sidney Crosby was so intrinsically part of her that she knew that, being honest with herself, she didn’t know what a life without him looked like. It was one of the main things she still talked about with her therapist, her inability to accept anyone new into her heart, and she knew deep down that no-one would ever replace him, not truly.
But was she ready to just fall back into his arms.
“I don’t know if I can,” she said softly, and wow wasn’t the devastated look on his face heartbreaking? “I want to, Sid, but I have spent years trying to move on from you and I don’t think I can handle going through what we did again.”
Sidney let out a shaky breath, smiling sadly as his eyes shined with tears. “The last thing I want is to hurt you. I just…I want to show you that I’ve changed. I want to show you all of the love that I should’ve shown you five years ago. You deserve that much. You should have someone love you in every single way that you absolutely deserve.”
“Sidney…” was all she could murmur again.
Maybe it was her lack of refusal, or the softness in her voice, but Sidney took one of her hands again, squeezing it gently.
“I know that we have separate lives now. I know that you have created something wonderful for yourself without me. But all I’m asking for is a chance to start over,” he said softly.
“But how would that work with you in Pittsburgh and me in Vancouver?”
“You’re a Canucks fan now?” he grimaced.
Of course that was his priority. Still, she found herself choking out a laugh, shaking her head as Sidney flushed a little with shame. “I haven’t watched hockey since I left Pittsburgh. Vancouver was just the furthest I could get away and still be in Canada.”
The look that passed over his face was a curious mix of sadness, regret, and frustration, before it settled into the determination she’d known for years.
“Can I call you?”
“What?” she asked, frowning.
“Can I call you?” he repeated. “I’m still not on social media, other than whatever the team makes us do. I’m getting better at texting. Emails are so-so. But I would love to talk to you, to hear your voice. I miss you, so much.”
How did he know exactly what to say to make her heart cry out?
“Sidney, come on,” she pleaded, trying to ignore the lump rising in her throat.
But he didn’t back down.
“Tell me no, Maeva. Tell me no, and I will walk away. You know I’m not that guy – no means no, and if you mean it then I will never bother you again,” he said seriously.
“You know I can’t,” she murmured.
Sidney just let out a shaky breath, squeezing her hand again as a smile hopeful smile crept across his lips.
“So let me call you. We can start with baby steps. I know you have a life in Vancouver now…but I just want to be part of it. I wasted five years of my life without you because I was an idiot who didn’t appreciate the incredible woman I had – all I want is another chance. Do you love me?”
He really was devastating, wasn’t he?
“Do you love me?” he repeated, running his thumb over her knuckles.
“I do love you. I don’t think I know how to stop,” she said, feeling like an idiot but smiling anyway.
Sidney just smiled like he couldn’t believe his luck, and slowly lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently, keeping his gaze locked on hers.
“I love you, Maeva,” he murmured.
He kissed her hand again before gently lowering it back down to their sides, so much emotion in his face that Maeva didn’t know what else she could possibly do.
“You can call me. I’m making no promises, but you can call me,” she said softly.
The smile that spread across his face made her heart soar for the first time in years.
~
Little do you know how I'm breaking while you fall asleep? Little do you know I'm still haunted by the memories? Little do you know I'm trying to pick myself up piece by piece? Little do you know I need a little more time?
Oh wait, just wait, I love you like I've never felt the pain, Just wait, I love you like I've never been afraid, Just wait, our love is here, is here to stay, So lay your head on me.
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xxanaduwrites · 1 month
Text
much ado about nothing, major
i. bubbles & battle scars
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gif creds @sakuragifs !
pairing: john “bucky” egan x (ofc) maude “blue” bluell
warnings: this story will contain mature themes, descriptions of injury, blood, sexual content, swearing, as well as, physical and mental illness. proceed with caution.
— i: mentions of injury, death, & puking. (pretty much just maude, bubbles, & croz being a dynamic trio, total bestie vibes — & then there’s john. he’s just there haha)
word count: 3.4k
there must be something or nothing at all
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July 24, 1943 was the date — a date marked in the history books as the start of the Hamburg attacks, and in the journal of Nurse Maude Bluell, an inclusion of her very first introduction to one Major John Egan.
It was just past 0900 hours when the doors swung open to the infirmary rather unexpectedly. Bluell was organizing a new shipment of supplies, placing gauze, bandages, and wraps alike in their respective places, Lottie wa re-evaluating the health passes for the men who were flying today — confirming that they has passed inspection so to speak, and Q — well Q was reading newspaper cutouts of her favorite gossip columns, courtesy of her girlfriends back home. A red cherry sucker laid limply in her mouth as she took in the recent excepades of the Hollywood starlets she fawned over.
For Q, it was better for her to dive her nose into the latest gossip than worry about a certain Lieutenant she had tethered a liking too. A certain Lieutenant Curtis Biddick — "Curt" for short — who was scheduled to fly today. Q would deny the prospect of liking the New Yorker with the heavy accent, but it wasn't deniable to Lottie and Maude who had seen the Lieutenant saunter in every morning just to talk to her at the nurse's station. He used the need for a sucker to subside his "apparent" drops in blood sugar as his excuse of choice.
Lottie reprimanded her every time, claiming that they were only for the patients, not for the healthy airmen — hiding the sugary sweet lollipops from her colleague.
But, Lottie's attempts proved to be fruitless as Q would find them at every turn in every single hiding spot, opening a sucker of her own just to push Lottie's buttons.
And, she was doing that just now — not just to bother the blonde, but to also hold some sort of reminder of Biddick, that he was here with her as much as she was there with him — the cherry red sucker that mirrored the very same shade of her hair — tucked safely in the pocket of his flight uniform for a victory treat.
Alas — in other words — there wasn't much to do until their men came flooding back in waves.
Until there was.
The sound of a door swinging open broke the dead silence that pervaded the medical unit. The three women immediately dropped everything they were doing once they saw the sight of Colonel Harding sauntering in with Lieutenant Payne following suit — under the haven of a thick blanket, accompanied by the the arm of one of his fellow airmen.
Or well — Maude and Lottie did.
Susan was trying to consume the last line of the article in front of her as fast as she could. She didn't want to be left wondering what Bettie Davis was doing nowadays in the middle of assessing what was to come.
Lottie, being under the wing of Doctor Stover longer than the two nurses beside her, did not hesitate to meet Harding half way. "Good morning, Colonel'' she greeted, pressing her clip board of names close to her chest as a means of suppressing the shock of it all. It was rather unusual to see any of the airmen, let alone the Colonel until the conclusion of a mission, especially when every health pass had been confirmed and processed.
"Morning. Ladies," Harding replied to the three nurses present respectfully as he always did, curt, and to the point. "Lieutenant Payne is coming down with something and will no longer be navigating today's mission," he explained. "You ladies mind checking up on him?"
"Oh not at all, sir!" Lottie chirped, setting her clipboard down and immediately swinging into action. She nodded over at her colleagues, urging them to take the clearly pale and ill Lieutenant from the hold of the corporal present.
It didn't take long for Bluell and Q to get the Lieutenant situated and comfortable in a bed with brand new sheets — pressed and floral scented. Maude felt lucky and rather grateful that they had completed that task in time for such a situation to occur. Q was still quite busy with her cherry sucker while simultaneously taking the man's blood pressure, so Bluell decided to do the evaluating — not that she minded anyways. It was refreshing to see a man in front of her who wasn't bleeding out and barely coherent. She could already tell without really knowing that Payne would be just fine. That she wouldn't be losing another one of their men just yet, and that made the weight in her chest subside with the sweetest relief.
"Lieutenant Payne," Maude enunciated carefully, smiling fondly at the poor man in front of her. It was obvious from the sight in front of her that illness had racked his bones. The color was draining from his skin, a dull gray taking over, a line of sweat was creasing his brow, and his eyes drooped heavily doused with a glossy sheen. "Please, if you could tell me what seems to be going on. How are you feeling?"
"Well, quite shitty," he laughed dryly, yet a smile still managed to grace his features and prove to be rather contagious to Maude's expression  in seconds flat. "I was fine. I mean, I thought I was. 'Twas until I was propped up ready to fly, feeling like I could hurl if I even moved a muscle. Major Egan shut that down real quick though. Got me a sub with Croz."
And there it was, a title attached to the name of a man Maude Bluell would have scorched into the back of her mind soon enough. Yet, now – now in that very moment, her unfamiliarity with that very same man would simply fly over her head. Instead, she would find a tying point to her patient in the traces of his explanation, one that made her eyes light up in genuine interest. "Lieutenant Crosby?" She asked while dropping the back of her hand to Payne's forehead, inspecting the extent of his temperature."
"Yuh-huh," he nodded
At the same time as Q announced "one-nineteen over seventy," but it really sounded like, "nun-eye-dee ova even-yee," with that sucker still tucked dedicatedly in her mouth.
Maude's hand dropped from Payne's forehead then, seeming pleased to know that he wasn't burning up as bad as she expected – definitely warm but more mildly speaking – and his blood pressure was relatively normal. The wheels were already turning in her head, coming to the conclusion that he merely had some sort of bug. But, she couldn't really come to one until Doctor Stover came to access the man himself.
"Lemme guess," Payne began, getting Maude's attention after she instructed Q to get the Lieutenant a glass of water. If she got his prognosis right, he would need to remain hydrated to subside the urge to vomit. "He's here quite often ain't –" Payne's words seemed to lodge in his throat then, his features twisting just the same.
The clear indication of his illness brought Nurse Bluell to flight mode and she picked up the bucket adjacent to his bed in mere seconds. "Let it out, Lieutenant," she urged as she situated it on his lap just in time for him to spill out the contents into the bin instead of his bed. He did just that, and Bluell did not hesitate to keep the bucket steady and rub his back in a soothing motion, hoping to ease the strain in his back from achy muscles.
Once he was done, he slumped back against the headboard – his eyes appearing glossier than they had before. He was spent, but that did not stop him from mumbling out his appreciation. "Thank you Nurse – Nurse?" He trailed off, a crease forming on his sweaty forehead with a curious sort of confusion.
"Bluell. Nurse Bluell," she introduced herself, moving the bucket off the bed, tying up the old one, and replacing it with a brand new one. "But you can just call me Maude."
"Maude. The powerful battler," a droopy smile spanned across his face, recalling the meaning behind the name of the nurse in front of him.
"Yes, but –" her cheeks dusted pink, and she looked away from him as she got rid of the previous trash close by. "Not me. All you – All you boys."
"Doubt that." Q brought over the water then and he thanked her kindly before taking a gentle sip. "Call me Bubbles."
"Pardon, Lieutenant?" Bluell stood straight then, completely taken aback by his sudden admission. She took a deep breath and sucked back the urge to laugh.
It wasn't uncommon by any means for nicknames to be a staple pass of courtesy and comradely around base. It served as an attempt to distinguish the tension of a deeply set reality and also comouflague identity to foreign forces. Like Charolette and Susan who replied to Lottie and Susie Q or just plain old Q. It was common knowledge. And she had found herself giving into such knowledge as she adjusted to the shortened form of her surname — replying to Blue more often than not. But, Bubbles. Bubbles? She hadn't heard something quite like that before.
"Bubbles. That's what they call me. Ain't heroic by any means. You can ask Croz the next time he's here, 'M sure he'll tell yuh," he elaborated.
A chuckle escaped her then, a genuine smile enveloping in her cheeks in a way that almost felt foreign. She couldn't remember the last time she smiled – really smiled since she'd arrived on base. "Quite heroic to me,." She flattened her hands across the edges of the mattress, making sure he was tucked into the sheets comfortably and then she fluffed up the back of his pillow for me good measure. "Should rest up now, Lieutenant. I'll be here if you need anything. Please don't hesitate to call us over," She affirmed, and in a sudden newfound sense of confidence or maybe it was simply just the comradery, she found herself adding, "that's an order, Bubbles."
Bubbles – still poorly, shivering, and pale as a ghost – managed a light laugh from his strained throat as Maude left the man be. "You got it, Maude"
Maude's spirits appeared to be more pleasant than usual as she busied herself in the next coming hours. Her conversation with Lieutenant Payne – or Bubbles if you will – subsided the nerves that usually rattled her in deep anticipation of what was to come. However, knowing that Lieutenant Crosby was navigating today still kept her worried.
Would his stomach be okay?
Would the natural herbs she recommended to brew in his tea ease him?
Those thoughts did not fail to plague her mind throughout the day, but she was grateful to have some distraction in the task of caring for Bubbles. She made sure to keep an eye on him as much as she could, so much so, that it started to concern Nurse Charlotte Reign and Susan Quinn who felt as if previous patterns from the young nurse were resurfacing. Patterns that were brought into light the very same day an airmen died in her arms for the very first time.
Yet, Maude felt fine – well, as fine as one could be in the circumstances placed upon her. She felt like she could breathe again the moment the boys returned from the Trondheim mission in the later afternoon. It had proved to be successful – and even more so in the hands of one Lieutenant Crosby who was currently at Bubble's bedside. With a chair situated over, he not only came to check on his best friend, but also report on the mission.
Maude was finishing up wrapping a flier's burn wounds adjacent to Lieutenant Payne when she unintentionally overheard the conversation at hand. "I mean the flak, it came in so hot. I didn't even think about it when I put it on. It – It must of froze, but then these chunks, they start rolling down my forehead, I think 'holy mackerel crosby, holy mackerel, you've been hit!"
"Of course you would narrate your own death." Bubbles laughed lightly at his friend's retelling.
She secured the wrap tightly and comfortably and practically repeated the earlier lines she had said to Bubbles. She was starting to become more and more accustomed to her script, finding it more and more natural as she annunciated each word within passing days.
"Well, I mean I could make overthinking into an Olympic sport." Lieutenant Crosby joked just as Maude appeared at Bubbles bedside. She smiled at the two men, acknowledging them as she refilled Payne's water cup without interrupting their conversation.
"I've been puking so much today, I'm starting to catch up to you. Ask Maude." He nodded to the nurse next to them.
"Evening Maude." Crosby greeted the nurse. "Hope Bubbles here ain't giving you too much flak.”
"No more than you have." She just about pulled the man's chain with that one, making Bubbles erupt in laughter.
"Hey, 'snot my fault, Nurse." Crosby held a hand to his chest as if she had wounded him with his words, but the knowing smirk on his face proved otherwise.
"Did you try the tea?" She asked Croz, handing the cup of water over to Bubbles. His color was starting to come back. He looked better than this morning but he still needed to stay hydrated if he was gonna get back in the skies anytime soon.
"Nah. Next time when I actually know I'm flying I will," he sent a look over to Bubbles, only pushing his friend's buttons for fun. "Thanks Bubbles."
"Anytime." He said laughing against the rim of his cup. He took one last sip before Maude placed it back on the side table for him.
It seemed like Croz wasn't gonna let that one slide so easily. "You know I washed my hair twice, I still can't get the smell out." He leaned over his friend, practically shoving his hair in the fellow Lieutenant's face."You wanna smell? Yeah, jump in."
"No. No!" Bubbles tensed up then.
"Yeah, Come on." Croz pushed on.
Maude couldn't help but laugh at the playful side of these men. Men who still managed to let their inner kid shine through all the horror and terror they had ensued in the skies.
"Get – get away. I will puke on you! Yuh gonna have to wash it out." Bubbles threatened, trying to push Croz away.
And then like a burst of unexpected flax, everything shifted.
For not only Croz who immediately stiffened back in his seat – putting on a serious and professional front, but for Maude who – for lack of her own sense of understanding – found herself freezing just the same, but for a whole other reason.
"There he is," a deep, firm, yet some-what carefree voice broke the ice within her. And there he was, one Major Egan looking and sounding like one of those Hollywood starlets in Q's paper clipping — just stepping out of a film in the cinema. And if he hadn't had a small cut just under his right eye, he could have passed as a man who hadn't just returned from an intense mission across the skies. Clean cut, pressed in his uniform, curls styled and gelled back to perfection, with his flight jacket wrapped around his arms. Arms that held a strong hand planted against the edge of the foot of Bubbles bed. "How you doing Bubbles?" He asked.
Maude hadn't realized she was staring at the six foot two bulk of a man in front of her until Bubbles spoke up. "Never better, sir."
"That's good." And then his eyes landed on her, so intense, she suddenly wondered if he had become even taller than he was a minute ago. Feeling caught, she looked away and busied herself with the water cup on Bubbles nightstand to give herself something to do. Would the Major report back to Doctor Stover that she was incompetent and unfit to take care of his men? Lucky for Maude, his gaze broke away from hers the moment she turned around. "And I was looking for you," He said to Croz.
The chair beneath Croz creaked in protest as he stood up to be at the Major's level. "I'm sorry, Major."
"What for?" Major Egan inquired loosely.
"I – I didn't give PRs the whole flight back, I messed up the rendezvous – "
"I know. I know. The radio silence really threw off those Jerries. It's that and hitting the deck." Egan affirmed. With the conversation becoming more detailed, Maude felt out of place and rather rude for overhearing. Yet, the next words that came out of the Major's mouth not only took Croz and Bubbles by surprise, but Maude too. Any previous contemplations seemed to dissipate the moment Egan said, “Now, Harding, he couldn't be more impressed by you so, I'm transferring you to Blakely's crew full time," and then, " Bubbles, you get better, we'll find you a new fort. And Croz, we gotta give you an actual nickname."
"They call him Bing back home." Bubbles added into the conversation just as Maude urged him to take another sip. "More?" He asked, and she simply nodded as she turned back into her previous position– her view of all three men near her resurfacing.
"Bing Crosby? That's just lazy, unless you can sing." Major Egan put in his two cents, and his eyes gleamed when he asked, "Can you sing?"
"I–I ca –" Croz tethered.
"Like a donkey." Bubbles confirmed with zero ounces of hesitation, truly on a roll at deflating Croz's ego today without letting an ounce of illness ruin the fun.
"No, no – not a note, sir."
"Ah, I'm no good either, but I'm loud and hell if you can commit with enough enthusiasm, it really don't matter." And this was when Maude would come to learn of the singing shenanigans that came with one Major Egan. If only she knew then that those shenanigans would very well start up something alright.
The shorter Lieutenant and the taller Major clapped hands then in parting – a shake of sealed establishments and confirmations, proving that they were on the same page. "I'll see you at the Club Croz. I'm buying," the one with height told him, referring to the same exact club Lottie and Q would be dragging Bluell against her will in just a few short hours. "Goodnight Bubbles."
"Sir."He croaked between sips and finally handed the cup back to Maude for good.
"Goodnight, sir." Croz bid farewell. When the Major was out of earshot could Maude breathe, and Croz seemed to be too because he was back to bantering as he commented, "He thinks my nickname is lazy."
Another patient called her over then, stealing her away from the two men she had found herself laughing along with, yet a part of her felt grateful for the sudden diversion – especially now, after the Major's interruption. She couldn't explain it – couldn't even compartmentalize it exactly, but something had shifted inside her the moment he had stepped foot into the infirmary. An instinctive feeling of sorts — awfully hard to pinpoint. It hurt her head too much trying to think about it, so much so, she momentarily wondered if she was coming down with the same exact virus as Bubbles.
She wasn't.
But, she knew it was something, but what was it?
That — she didn't know.
Yet, something deep inside her – against her better judgment – told her that she needed to know. So as Croz passed by and bid her a farewell of his own, she knew what she had to do. And when the girls pitched going out to the Club again tonight, practically begging her in their shared quarters — Lottie using Q's obvious need for a distraction with Curt's lack of a return — did she give into their demise.
Was there really much ado about one night on the town?
Lottie and Q wouldn't think so, and Major Egan – well he wouldn't think so either.
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the way in which she is already whipped without "knowing" is so real.
+ Q — curt and susie got me giggling & kicking my feeties !!!
also, for important context purposes, the gifs in the beginning is how i imagine bucky diverting his gaze from eyeing miss. maude ;) sir, we all know you were LOOKING — respectfully!
p.s.: i love bubbles & croz so bad, ugh my HEART <3
ANYWAYS.....
more to come sooner than you think. lemme know what ya think so far? feedback is much appreciated as this is BRAND NEW. this is also my very FIRST historical-esce fic so my apologies if there is any inaccuracies, but it do be my own fiction twist anyways haha.
love ya'll a mil, smoochies!
— xanadu
tag list:
@rubberpsyche
@precious-little-scoundrel
@major-mads
@luminouslywriting
@justheretoreadthxxs
@karmasloverrr
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