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starry-hughes · 7 months

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nothing but love

quinn hughes x reader

warnings: pining for one another, mention of alcohol (i think?), and alludes to sex (literally for one line)

summary: the four times quinn wanted to kiss you and the one time he did.

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1 - The Bar, May 3, 2022

Quinn’s first time wanting to kiss you came early in your friendship. He had been forcing himself out of his shell, making himself attend events and go to bars with his teammates, longing for that sense of normality in Vancouver that he had back home. You weren’t exactly looking for anyone, although all your friends who had boyfriends and girlfriends just assumed you were looking for someone. They’d make comments that the relationship didn’t need to be serious, it could be a hookup or even a friends-with-benefits type of situation. You didn’t need any of that, hell you didn’t even want a relationship.

Someone nudged Quinn as you approached the bar next to them. Brock Boeser who was determined to be Quinn’s wingman. “Dude no,” Quinn hissed quietly to Brock but it was too late. Your head had been turned, Quinn had only seen the backside of you until this moment. Brock leaned over in front of Quinn, tapping your arm that rested on the bar.

Quinn didn’t believe in love at first sight until this moment.

Your head turned and you saw the two hockey players sitting there. “Hi, I’m Brock,” he flashed a smile at you that typically made all the girls swoon, “My buddy Quinn here wanted to talk to you.” Brock patted Quinn on his back harder than you would ever realize. “Hi,” you smiled at Quinn, trying not to be hurt by the uninterest from Quinn. Brock was suddenly excusing himself and you absorbed his seat.

“Did you really want to talk to me, or was that your friend trying to set you up?” You blurted aloud. Quinn chuckled, “Are you that good at guessing these types of things?”

“I overheard him whispering to you. For a bar, the music is not loud at all.”

Quinn let out another chuckle. “I’m (Y/N).” For the shortest second, Quinn’s eyes flicked down to your lips and he wanted to kiss you right then and there. “Can I buy you a drink (Y/N)?”

You nodded, “On one condition. I need you to know I’m not really looking for anything right now, I don’t know what I want in life. So, agree to just being friends?”

“Agree.” He still wanted to kiss you.

2 - The Pizzeria, December 16, 2022

Quinn was in between games and you were feeling the loneliness of being single during the holidays. You tried to remind yourself that you weren’t looking for a relationship at this time. You had grown close to Quinn over the months you had known him. It was hard to keep up with him sometimes, he was traveling everywhere and sometimes you wouldn’t know where he was until you saw the game on TV. Not to mention, he disappeared over the off-season.

He was home for a couple of home games when you texted him, asking if he was in town and if he wanted to get pizza. He was exhausted and knew he was playing against the Jets in less than twenty-four hours. Nonetheless, he was meeting you downtown.

Quinn and you probably sat there for hours. Talking about random things and eating pizza was nice. Since he was gone over the summer and dealing with the Canucks, he didn’t really have a chance to see and hang out with you.

You were there, sitting across with him, pizza in your hands and Quinn was just looking at you. He wanted to kiss you again. “What?” you laughed nervously, unsure as to why Quinn was looking at you. He shook his head, snapping himself out of the small trance he was stuck in. “Nothing, just thinking.”

You shrugged and went back to eating your slice of pizza. Quinn needed to stop thinking about you in this way. You had made it clear back when you first met that this was strictly a friendship. You weren’t looking for something at this time and he wanted to respect that but that didn’t stop him from wanting to kiss you.

3 - New Year's Eve/New Year's Day - December 31, 2022, & January 1, 2023

Brock Boeser threw an impressive New Year’s Eve party. The team had returned from Calgary hours ago and now his house was decorated in cheap gold and silver decorations to ring in the new year. You weren’t sure when you got the random headband that read “Happy New Year!” but Brock was wearing the matching 2023 paper glasses.

Elias had a party blower in his mouth, being obnoxious as the team was no longer focused on the loss to Calgary a little bit ago. Quinn wasn’t a huge drinker but he had a beer in his hand. You were talking Thatcher when Brock loudly exclaimed that there were two minutes to midnight.

Most of the house emptied but you glanced around for Quinn. “Hi,” you smiled as you approached him. He was already taking off his jacket, draping it over your shoulder as you wore a gold dress to the party. “It’s cold outside,” he explained himself.

The two of you were left alone in the house for a brief second before someone shouted to come outside. “Sorry that you guys lost,” you said. Quinn shrugged, “We can leave that in 2022.” Quinn let you walk outside first, following behind you. Brock’s backyard was full of people as everyone was suddenly chilly in the brisk air but vibrating with excitement for the new year.

“One minute!” Someone shouted.

“You look good tonight,” Quinn mumbled but you couldn’t hear him over everyone counting loudly. “What was that?” you asked. “Oh, never mind," Quinn's face flushed red.

You were there, standing next to him as everyone began counting down from ten. He wanted to kiss you. Fulfill the tradition of a New Year's kiss when the clock struck midnight. Five seconds but Quinn was still debating. He wanted to kiss you so bad. Three seconds and someone was getting ready to light the fireworks.

“Happy New Year!” Everyone shouted. Fireworks were set off for everyone but you and Quinn. No kiss to set off fireworks between you two. “Happy New Year Quinn,” you leaned up and kissed his cheek. It would have to do for now.

4 - Rogers Arena, January 27, 2023

Your phone had Quinn’s directions on it as you walked through the arena. He told you what signs to follow, who to talk to, and exactly how to get to him without looking like a fan. You didn’t have a jersey of his until right before the game. You were there to support him, you had to wear a jersey with his name on it.

The paint on the wall was suddenly interesting as you waited for Quinn. Trainers and other staff members gave you odd looks as you waited. He had scored a goal in the first and assisted with another in the third. The Blue Jackets had been defeated. You heard Quinn before you saw him. He was talking to Elias and you became aware of the families of the players standing around you that hadn’t been there a second ago.

He was showered, hair still wet, pleased with himself for the night. You had been pretty excited to see him, it was a thrilling game and the crowd was enthusiastic. The two of you made eye contact and he smiled, striding toward you. You met him halfway with a hug so strong you surprised him.

“Hi,” Quinn laughed. “Nice game,” you commented, still hugging him. Quinn pulled away slightly and looked at you. It was taking all his strength not to kiss you right then and there. He didn’t care who was around him. He didn’t care about anything else besides finally getting to know what it felt like to kiss you.

The air around the two of you seemed to freeze and you almost looked like you were going to kiss him. Time felt frozen. The sound of his teammates talking had faded away in a second and then all came flooding back.

A hand on Quinn’s shoulder knocked him out of this point and time. You broke eye contact with Quinn and looked at Elias who had walked over. Elias was oblivious to what he had just broken up. “You coming out with us tonight?” Elias questioned you. “Yeah,” you swallowed hard, “of course.”

+ 1 - He finally does it.

Quinn was returning from the summer. He had spend his summer in Michiagan with his family but for some reason, he spent hours during the summer texting you. He was itching to see you and he wasn’t even dating you.

He texted you and asked if you wanted to catch dinner the day he got back. He had a short time period between him coming back to Vancouver and the NHL Media Day in Vegas. He was here to drop off his suitcases and to have a meeting with the Canucks.

You were ready for dinner and in the middle of getting your jacket on when Quinn called you. “Hello?” you answered. “I have to cancel I’m so sorry.” You frowned, feeling your heart drop. “I have this meeting with management and everyone I can’t miss.”

You tried not to feel bad and tried to be understanding. “Okay.”

Quinn sighed. He felt horrible. He wanted to see you, catch up with you, and finally act on the feelings he had been keeping to himself. “I’m really sorry.” Quinn went back to the meeting and even though it was an important meeting, he couldn’t get his mind off you. “Quinn? You ready to be the next captain?” someone asked as he was snapped back to the conversation.

It was later that night. You had changed out of the cute outfit you had picked out for dinner. You hated to admit it, over a year ago you told Quinn Hughes that you weren’t looking for a relationship. And now, you were deeply in love with him. Not seeing him over the summer, only talking through text and short phone calls just made you lust more.

Wearing pajamas, you walked to the front door after someone knocked loudly. You had left your tub of cookie dough on the counter to answer the door. You had thrown yourself a mini pity party after Quinn canceled dinner. You opened the door and Quinn was standing there, huffing and out of breath. “I had to take the stairs, someone let me in so I didn’t have to buzz you,” he huffed out. “Quinn what are you doing here?”

He took a deep breath. “I think I fell in love with you when you sat next to me at the bar. I tried so hard to make myself not love you because that isn’t what you were looking for. I can’t do that anymore. I’m in love with you. I have nothing but love to give you.”

You were speechless. You wanted to cry, jump into his arms, kiss him, all at the same time. “Kiss me Quinn.”

“Thank god.” Quinn closed the gap between the two of you, hands cupping your face as he kissed you deeply. Every time he wanted to kiss you in the past were no longer on his mind, this was the only thing he wanted to cherish forever. You let him walk you backwards into your apartment and shut the door behind him.

Quinn’s arm was wrapped around your body and your head resting on his chest. He didn’t want this day to end. He was on cloud nine. He would never get tired of you. The button up he was wearing when he arrived was on the floor along with his other clothes and your pajamas. “Why did you have to cancel dinner?” You finally asked.

“Oh, they named me captain.”

#quinn hughes #quinn hughes imagine #quinn hughes x reader #quinn hughes fic #hockey imagine #canucks imagine #nhl imagine #nhl fic #quinn hughes x you

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samanthasgone · 2 months

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Breaking the ice with a twist! NHL teams transformed into Barbie dolls - From modern Cowgirl Barbie to vintage Malibu Barbie, see which one you got! 💖🏒 #NHL #Hockey #WomenInSports @barbie

( I got the 2022 holiday Barbie, Tim Hortons Barbie and cowgirl Barbie )

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timefight · 2 months

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LOVER OF MINE (00)

Y/N Y/L/N (born August 7, 2004) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She first gained recognition as an actress for her role in Train to Busan (2016), and later as Silk in Marvel’s Silk (2020) and reprising her role as Tiffany Yang in Scream 5 (2022) and Scream 6 (2023), as well as her role as Lucy Kim in Cobra Kai (2018). She released her first single, ‘lowkey’ on March 7, 2020 where it then went viral on TikTok.

Born August 7, 2004 (age 19) Los Angeles, California. U.S.

Occupations Singer • songwriter • actress • dancer

Years active 2014–present

Works Discography • songs • films • performances • Television series

Awards Full list

Musical Career

Genres Pop • teen pop • R&B • alternate • alternative-pop • EDM • electro pop • more

Instruments Vocals • guitar • piano

Labels Geffen

Website ynyln.com

PROFILE

NICKNAME honey

BIRTHDAY august 7, 2004 ‘19’

BIRTHPLACE los angeles, california

HEIGHT 5’4”

DISCOGRAPHY Full list

FILMOGRAPHY law & order (2014), train to busan (2016), cobra kai (2018–present), silk (2020), scream 5 (2022), scream 6 (2023)

FACECLAIM ulzzangs

BODY MARKINGS ear lobes (upper+lower) pierced 2x, belly button pierced, ouroboros snake tattoo around her left bicep, a red string tattoo tied around her left pinky

FAMILY dad is a therapist, mom is a makeup artist and nail technician, they were never married and she’s an only child. has a husky dog named lucky.

FACTS

She is enrolled in university at UCLA part-time and is majoring in dance with a minor in communication.

She’s a hockey fan as her uncle used to be in the NHL before a knee injury ended his career.

She has a networth of $20million.

She’s been a huge fan of the Percy Jackson series since she was nine. Her favorite characters were Percy and Leo.

She’s fluent in Korean and English, having been taught both by her father as a first language. She also knows ASL and Spanish, having learned them in school.

She visits her grandparents in South Korea on holidays and has ever since she was a baby. She’s even considered becoming an idol when she was younger until her father convinced her not to.

Ever since she became more famous, her closest friends have always been other celebrities as she would slowly be distanced from her friends from school due to different schedules and always being busy. She tries, but it’s hard when you’re in different worlds.

Her parents were never married and her mother willingly gave her father full custody after her birth. It wasn’t until she was ten did she finally meet her mother. Her mother is more like an older sister while her father tries to be both roles of mom and dad.

She plans on getting more tattoos, despite her family’s disapproval.

She likes to widen her music taste but mainly keeps to whatever she hears on TikTok or the radio, like Taylor Swift, Megan Thee Stallion, etc. And of course, K-Pop.

Funnily enough, she has a hard time opening up about her feelings to people’s faces but will write a song about it to share with the rest of the world.

series masterlist.

#luke castellan imagines #luke castellan x reader #percy jackson and the olympians imagines #percy jackson imagines #luke castellan #percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson #percy series #charlie bushnell #percy jackson smau #luke castellan pjo #charlie bushnell imagines #charlie bushnell x reader #percy jackson au #luke castellan fanfic

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offside-the-lines · 4 months

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Am I Ready (To Be Loved) | Nathan MacKinnon

Summary: Nate is not known to be impulsive, especially when it comes to love. So what happens when he gets a crazy idea while hungover the day after the Avalanche Stanley Cup parade. a/n: Happy Holidays folks! My first fic back (on this new blog) is a reworking of a fic I wrote for my Winter Prompt request last year (for @fallinallincurls). Thought I needed to start somewhere. This is obviously set in 2022 because I can't stand the idea of the avs squad being different. It also features some of our fave tropes. Pairing: Nathan McKinnon x Female!OC Words: 8K Warnings: alcohol Requests: Open | Masterlist

Charlotte hated these fancy functions. The schmoozing and the small talk were things that made her feel like she was going to crawl out of her skin. No matter how much she would normally enjoy conversation, this just felt fake. And she knew how ridiculous it was. She worked in media. She was always in front of cameras. She took this job knowing this was a requirement. It doesn’t change the truth that, at her core, she would rather be on the couch watching some TV show on Netflix.

Although this wasn’t the first formal event she’d ever been to, this was the first Colorado Avalanche donors’ function. It didn’t help that she had only been working as a correspondent for Altitude TV for a few months; so many knew her name and her face, but no one really knew her personally. So, it was just smile, small talk, comment on the Avs, rinse and repeat.

After an hour or so of this, she was feeling done. Heading to the bar for a drink and found a cocktail table in the corner of the room, tucked near the obscenely large Christmas Tree, where she could just stand and watch. Charlotte looked around the room and wondered how long she had to stay before it was not inappropriate to leave.

“Hate these parties too, eh?” a familiar voice rang beside her.

Despite her shattered solitude, the voice brought out a smile on her face. “What do you mean? I don’t hate this?” she replied, not putting in much effort to hide the sarcasm in her voice. She turned to face the voice and the sight almost startled her a little as she felt her face warm. There stood Nathan Mackinnon in his perfectly tailored navy suit, eyes shining in the dim lighting. She takes a drink quickly to distract herself, reminding herself to be a professional.

“Sure,” he chuckled, “hiding in a dark corner isn’t avoiding the party, Charlotte.”

She shrugs as she turns her eyes back to the party.

“Don’t worry,” he whispers in her ear, making her neck tingle a little, “I really don’t like these parties either. I would rather be at home on the couch with my dog watching TV.”

As he leaned back to sip his drink, she turned to him in surprise. “Oh yeah? Like what? More hockey tape?”

After a bit of light banter, they find that they have the same favorite show, much to Charlotte’s surprise. In the dim corner of a fancy event, they are quoting their favorite lines to each other, trying their hardest not to burst out laughing, hiding themselves behind their drinks so as to not draw too much attention at such a fancy event. Charlotte’s laughing so hard she snorts a little, causing Nate to look at her in surprise before continuing to laugh even harder, drawing some looks from the donors and teammates closest to them. After a while, when they both finally calm down, she feels herself relax a little.

They stood in a comfortable silence for a few more moments before Nate spoke up again. “You know, Charlotte. You ask me questions all the time, but I don’t think I really know anything about you other than your name and your job title.”

“I mean, I only really ever ask you questions about the game or the team,” she responds.

“Yeah, but I’m sure you already know everything there is to know about me,” he said pointedly, but softly. He had a point; it was her job to know as much about the players as possible.

“Okay, I know about NHL Hockey Player, Avs’ Center, Forward Extraordinaire Nathan “Nate the Dogg” Mackinnon,” she says, flashing her hands in front as if to signal an imaginary banner, “I don’t know Nate “a dude who sits on his couch with his dog watching dumb shows” Mackinnon.”

“Alright, that’s fair,” he responds deep in thought. “Fine, how about we play 20 questions? You ask me a question; I ask you a question.”

“How very high school, Nathan,” she pauses to think about it. She wasn’t really sure how to feel about this new friendship. On the one hand, it is her job to get to know the players. Although, she was pretty sure that the fraternizing was only supposed to be in professional contexts. On the other hand, her heart was beating so hard that she could hear the blood rushing in her ears. And at the end of the day, it was Nathan Mackinnon, and he wanted to get to know her. Besides, she knew that he didn’t really date anyway, so she felt safe that there was one of them keeping their feelings in check. Eventually, she responds with a nod, “Sure.”

“Okay!” He said excitedly, his blue eyes lighting up, “Where are you from? Where did you grow up and go to college and stuff?”

“Nathan, that’s two questions. Should I deduct points from you?”

“There are points now?”

“I’m just kidding.”

And so, they went back and forth getting to know each other, talking animatedly, and laughing heartily, until they got through the 20 questions each. At one point, they had migrated to a table to continue sitting down because Nate noticed she was shifting on her feet from the heels. Charlotte was pretty certain that Nate now knew her better than anyone else in Denver.

Eventually, EJ came over and tapped Nate on the shoulder at which point she looked up and realized that most of his teammates and donors had left and they were a few of the last people remaining in the event space.

“Hey,” EJ smiled at you in his signature toothless way, “good to see you’re having fun, Charlotte.”

“Thanks, EJ,” she smiled back.

“Mac Daddy, you’re kind of my ride home, so… are you ready to leave?” EJ said laughing and looked at Charlotte, “I don’t think I’ve ever had to pull Nathan here away from a party before. He is usually begging me to leave.”

Nate bumped his elbow into EJ, not drawing much of a response, as he quickly looked away from her. She could have sworn his cheeks were turning a little pink, but that could also be the lighting.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s late and I want to be up for morning skate tomorrow, unlike you lazy idiots,” Nathan grumbled standing up.

She stood up too, only now realizing how tired you were. “Yeah, damn, it’s late. Well, I had a great time talking to you Nathan,” sending him a warm smile and a nod, “EJ. See you two later.”

As she started walking away, she heard some whispers behind her before Nate called out, “Hey, Charlotte, you good to get home? I mean, do you need a ride?”

“Oh, um… Actually… Sure. That would be nice. Thanks!”

She saw EJ whisper something in Nate’s ear before he was quickly shoved away. Suddenly feeling awkward, she trailed behind them quietly to Nate’s car. As soon as it was in sight, EJ called shotgun and started making a run for it, slipping a little on the ice, making Charlotte and Nate snort with laughter.

Nate offered a hand to guide her across the slippery ground and opened the car door for her, keeping his hand on her as she climbed in. She directed Nate to her apartment, thanking him and EJ quickly as she left. Once she got into her apartment, Charlotte leaned against the door and just smiled for a bit.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the car, EJ was basically yelling at Nate.

“Dude, you dog, what was that?”

“EJ, stop.”

“No, I’m serious. I’ve never seen you talk to someone for that long. Not even Barrie or Sid.”

“She was easy to talk to. And it was a good way to get through the event.”

“Nate, don’t give me that bullshit.” EJ’s voice is rarely serious, but it is now.

“I don’t know what to tell you, dude.” Nate shrugged.

The rest of the ride to EJ’s house is quiet and as Nate pulled into the driveway, EJ finally spoke up again, “Tell me you at least got her number.”

“Shit,” Nate let out under his breath before he could stop himself.

“Oh my god, you idiot. You didn’t get her number.”

Nate let out a groan and tapped his forehead firmly on his steering wheel in frustration. As EJ shook his head, and said his goodbyes, Nate’s head was whirring with thoughts. There was no smooth way to ask for her number now. It’s like he missed an exit on the freeway and there was no way off now. The alcohol and the adrenaline meant he didn’t sleep much that night and, for the first time in a very long time, he didn’t make it to the optional morning skate, much to the surprise of everyone.

The rest of the season flew by as the team soared through the playoffs. Nate kept thinking about ways to ask Charlotte for her number but just couldn’t stop overthinking it and psyching himself out; eventually deciding to table the topic until after the season was over to focus on the Cup. But he reveled in every intermission or postgame interview where they got to talk, or the little conversations they would get to have in the arena or on the plane. Occasionally, he’d even slip in a hug, taking in her perfume, under the guise of celebration.

The gossip had now spread through the group — not surprising since EJ has never once kept a secret — and had been an ongoing chirp for Nate. It didn’t help that at the two galas since, Nate was the first one there excitedly scanning the room, but Charlotte wasn’t at either. He’d learn she was covering the Nuggets or the Rapids those nights and would then leave as early as possible.

It got even harder to not think about her as he neared the end of the season, where every phone call with his mom would eventually turn to his cousin’s wedding in the summer and whether he was going to bring a date. Family weddings were the one time he felt he couldn’t leave early, forcing himself to endure the suffering that was being single in your late twenties and watching people be in love. Not to mention all the comments and questions: wanting gossip, wanting a date, feeling sorry for him.

* * *

Charlotte was happy with the casual platonic friendship that she had found with Nate. She always looked forward to talking with him at games because he was always more relaxed with her than the other boys, even occasionally giving her a sweaty hug after a good, exciting win. Her co-workers had made some comments about how unusual it was, but she just chalked it up to them knowing each other better now.

The job kept her busy, busier than anticipated. And it felt like the year had flown by before she found herself at the celebration gala for the newly crowned Stanley Cup Champions. The atmosphere was different from the last event she had been to. That one was for schmoozing. This was only for celebrating. The energy in the room was intoxicating and she had a big smile plastered to her face as soon as she walked in.

Charlotte made her way through the crowd and congratulated everyone she saw and recognized. Eventually, she stumbled into Gabe.

“Congratulations, Gabe!” you yelled.

“Lotteee! Thank you!” he yelled back, pulling her in for a tight hug before spinning her around. He was so drunk, but he did look unbelievably happy. When he finally put her down, he grabbed her by the arm and very dramatically whispered in her ear while pointing, “Nate’s that way.”

She looked at him confused and surprised, but he didn’t let her say anything before not so gently pushing her towards Nate. And she didn’t protest, because when she finally saw him, she felt her heart speed up again. He looked jubilant, swaying slightly with EJ, face pink and hair messy. She had learned over the last month or so that she really liked the way he looked with the playoff beard.

Charlotte wasn’t sure whether to disturb whatever EJ and Nate were doing, but once EJ saw her, he let out a screech so loud she had no choice but to turn toward them. “Charlotte! Lotte! Lott Ness Monster! Come here!” But once you got here, he immediately left, vanishing to leave her standing in front of the very flushed Nathan Mackinnon.

“Hi Nathan, congratulations! Well deserved. It’s been an absolute privilege watching you this season,” she said, unsure what to do as her heart kept racing faster at the way drunk Nate was looking at her.

“Oh, stop with that professional speech and give me a hug,” he slurred, pulling her in tightly.

She chuckled and let herself enjoy the warmth and the firm contours of his body against her before forcing herself to pull away. He only let her get so far, leaving one arm still wrapped around her shoulders.

“It’s nice to see you enjoying yourself at an event like this,” she said softly.

“Well, I had to! You weren’t at the last two of these, so I had to find a way to entertain myself with EJ,” he said, pouting. She had certainly never seen him pout, but she was even more surprised that he noticed and cared.

“Oh! Yeah, I had work. Sorry.”

“I know. Who even cares about the Nuggets.” he mumbled under his breath before throwing his head back and yelling a quick “GO AVS!” that was followed by a loud round of cheers. After a few seconds, he piped up excited again, “Are you enjoying yourself today?”

“Um… I think so! It’s nice to see everyone so happy and energetic.” Her eyes scanned the crowd, smiling until she caught Gabe and EJ staring and pointing at them. Before she had the chance to ask Nate what that was about, he was pulling her towards Mikko on the other side of the room.

The rest of the night passed in a blur of drinks, laughs, and the warm firm feeling of Nate’s arm around her shoulders. With each passing drink, she found herself leaning into it more. She was sure her face was so red that it rivaled JT’s hair. But if the boys noticed, which they were too drunk to notice, they didn’t mention it. And even if they did, she doesn’t remember.

* * *

The next morning Nate woke up with the worst hangover of his life. He had collapsed on top of all his sheets fully naked, and so he also woke up with a slight feeling of shame and dread at what he might have done the night before. When he finally reached over to check his phone, it was blowing up with messages.

gabe the babe (INCOMING): dude did nate finally hook up with the lott ness monster

JT (INCOMING): omg nate, you have to tell us if you did

mooseman (INCOMING): he definitely did, did you not see how he literally didn’t stop touching her the whole night

Nate buried his head in his sheets and groaned, trying to rack his brain for memories of himself being an idiot around Charlotte last night. But he was drawing a blank. After minutes, he finally lifted his head again and opened a private text to EJ.

Nate Dogg (OUTGOING): ej, please tell me you remember if I did something stupid last night

EJ (INCOMING): yeah. you did.

Nate Dogg (OUTGOING): FUCK what did I do

EJ (INCOMING): you didn’t take lotte home with you you fucking idiot

Nate Dogg (OUTGOING): what

EJ (INCOMING): you just fucking disappeared in an uber without even saying goodbye. and EYE had to make sure she got home okay

Nate Dogg (OUTGOING): oh, well it could’ve been worse

EJ (INCOMING): HOW

EJ (INCOMING): HOW COULD IT HAVE BEEN WORSE

Nate Dogg (OUTGOING): idk if I did something stupid or said something bad

EJ (INCOMING): dude, you have got to ask her out, you two clearly like each other

Nate Dogg (OUTGOING): i have no idea what you’re talking about. we're just friends. we just work together. like you and me

EJ (INCOMING): YEAH RIGHT DOGG if you were touching me all night like that, we would be having a very different conversation ;)

EJ (INCOMING): please tell me you at least have her number now

Nate paused and thought back to the night before, but it was such a blur he didn’t know. But when he looked in his contacts, her number wasn’t there.

Nate Dogg (OUTGOING): nope

EJ (INCOMING): you are so fucking hopeless. i hope you find a pair at home this summer so you will finally do something about this crush

EJ (INCOMING): or maybe when we come back in the fall, she won’t be so single anymore and it won’t matter

Nate felt his stomach turn and he groaned. The hangover finally hit him but he was typing a sarcastic response when another message interrupted his thought.

Sarah (INCOMING): congrats again bro! are you bringing someone to the wedding?

Nate (OUTGOING): wow, really cutting to the chase this morning.

Nate (OUTGOING): and no.

Sarah (INCOMING): what you’re telling me a stanley cup winner can’t find a date

Nate groaned again and muffled a scream in his pillow. He knew that his sister and mom would not drop this subject from the moment he got home. He knew that they would probably try to set him on dates, or worse introduce him to every single woman at the wedding. He lay there, head on his pillow, for a long time, until finally, he had an absolutely insane idea. An idea that can only come to someone after the happiest day of their life followed by the biggest hangover of their life.

Nate (OUTGOING): fine, I’ll bring someone

Sarah (INCOMING): OH MY GOD WHAT WHO

Sarah (INCOMING): NATHAN RAYMOND MACKINNON IF YOU’VE BEEN DATING SOMEONE THIS WHOLE TIME AND HIDING IT FROM ME, I’LL KILL YOU. I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU’VE WON.

Nate (OUTGOING): nope, not telling

Sarah (INCOMING): you are a child and i hate you

Nate (OUTGOING): I love you. See you soon.

Sarah (INCOMING): URGH

Sarah (INCOMING): Love you too. I’m calling mom.

* * *

Charlotte woke up with a splitting headache and the room spinning at 6 am. And despite how horribly she felt, she couldn’t get back to sleep. She could still feel Nate’s arm on her shoulder, and his lips against her ear as he whispered something unintelligible, and the scent of his cologne lingering on her hair would waft into her memory every few seconds making her heart skip. She was absolutely certain that he was more drunk than she was, and that he was a touchy drunk. She felt even a little guilty for taking advantage of his touchiness, getting as much as she could last night.

After a few hours of being unable to get back to sleep, she peeled herself up and drew herself a bath with a cup of tea. She still wasn’t able to stomach food yet, but she felt her body relaxing in the warm water, finally letting Nate slip from her mind. Eventually, she got up and padded around the house thinking about the long summer ahead. It was her first summer with not a lot of work to do, and since it was her first year in Denver, she also didn’t really know many people or have any concrete plans.

She had just sat down at her computer to research ideas when she heard a buzz on her apartment intercom. She looked down at her phone confused, but there were no texts there from the few friends she had made so far.

“Hello?” she stutters cautiously into the intercom.

“Oh my god, thank fuck,” a familiar voice rang back, “it’s you. I’ve been buzzing every apartment and I swear your neighbors think I’m a crazy person.”

“What?”

“Um. Oh. Sorry, Charlotte. It’s Nate.”

She was stunned silent. Stunned and confused.

“Um… Nathan Mackinnon…” He filled the silence nervously, “You know… From the Avalanche.”

That snapped her out of her trance as a laugh bubbled out of her. “Oh my god Nathan, I know who you are. Sorry. I was just confused. How do you know where I live?”

“Um, well when we first met, I dropped you off here. So, I made the gamble that you still lived here and just buzzed every apartment to see.”

“Oh. Wow,” she says, stunned, confused and flattered, “Um, is everything okay?”

“Ah, yeah.” He paused. “You know, I just realized how dumb this was. I’m really sorry to disturb you—”

“No!” she says louder than she intended, “No, Nathan, wait. Let me buzz you up.”

“Oh, okay, yeah! Thanks!”

She paced around her entryway, thoughts racing. The door knocks still startled her, and as she walked over, she looked down at her sweatpants and realized there definitely was no time to change and prayed she looked okay.

“Hi, Nathan,” she smiled, opening the door, “Um, do you want to come in?”

“Oh, sure,” he hesitates and makes a gesture to hug her before chickening out, pulling away and stepping past her.

“So, what brings you to my humble abode today?”

“Your apartment is cute.”

“Thanks. It’s not NHL superstar level, but it’s pretty good to me.”

He chuckles and leans a hip on the kitchen island, stuffing his hands into his pockets. His eyes were firmly trained on the ground. She wasn’t really sure what to say, so she moved behind him to start making them both some tea. He studies her as she moves around and wonders how it’s possible she looks so good in your sweatpants and messy bun when he feels like his entire guts might just drop out of his body.

Eventually, he spoke up, “Um, so I realized I didn’t have your number.”

This made her laugh, a proper belly laugh. “What,” she manages to get out, “you came all the way here because you don’t have my number.”

“Well…” he hesitates, “Yeah. I mean, I never asked for it I guess.”

“Okay, do you want it now?” she was still laughing.

“Um, yes?” He was shifting on his feet, rubbing his neck with his hand, leaning awkwardly on the countertop.

“Okay,” she reached a hand out.

He looks at her confused and gives it a slap.

“That was for your phone, silly. Not for a five,” she was laughing even harder now. And his cheeks turned bright red as he handed her his phone, not meeting her eyes. She passes the phone back to him along with a cup of tea, “There you go. So… What was the huge rush? You could’ve emailed me or something for it.”

He paused and laughed, “Honestly, I didn’t even think of that. I guess my brain doesn’t work very well when I’m hungover.”

Charlotte took a seat next to him on the kitchen island as they sipped their teas.

After a few minutes, he clears his throat. “Actually, that’s not why I came over. I mean it, but it isn’t the main reason.”

“Okay?” she encouraged.

“I had a really stupid idea and it was stupid at the time, but now I’m here it’s even dumber. So, I’ll just settle for the number.”

“Okay, Nathan, you can’t just say something that cryptic and not tell me.”

His face went bright red again and he shuffled in place. “No, it’s okay.”

“Okay, no. You don’t get to interrupt my hangover recovery and not tell me why.”

He sighed and looked away. After a while, he mumbled under his breath very quickly, “Fine. Icameheretoaskyouifyou’dcometomycousin’swedding.”

“What?” she said, not sure if she misinterpreted the mumbles or if she was dreaming.

“Um… Well, my cousin, back in Nova Scotia, is getting married in a few weeks. And my mom and sister keep bothering me to bring someone. And I just had this stupid idea. Because you’re the only person I’ve had fun with at those big events. So, this morning, in my post-Stanley Cup alcohol delirium I thought Hey, I should ask Charlotte if she wants to help me survive a social event and get my parents off my ass about not having a date? So here I am. But obviously, that was insane. So don’t worry about it.”

Charlotte looked at him, mouth open, in shock for longer than acceptable, and felt her own cheeks redden. A little lightheaded, before she could really stop to think, she responded, “Sure! I mean why not? What’s the harm in me going? I don’t have any plans.”

His head snapped up to meet her eyes for the first time in a few minutes and Charlotte is captivated by the way his sharp blues light up in response. It was when she saw the smile take over his face and her heart sped up that she knew this was probably a huge mistake. But a mistake she didn’t want to take back.

* * *

“So, how long have you two cuties been dating?” the fifth person in a row asked. Charlotte wasn’t sure if this was an aunt or a family friend, but she forced the smile back on her face as she responded.

“Oh, we’re not dating. We work together, kind of.”

The lady looked between the two of them, and Charlotte could feel the hairs on the back of her neck prickle again as she was acutely aware of Nate’s hand resting on her lower back.

“She’s here as my date, yes, but we aren’t dating. We’re just good friends,” he replies gently but firmly, the same way he had been doing all weekend, before changing the subject.

But she was lost in thought. She had been here for a few days, and she had to admit that Nova Scotia was beautiful, and Nate’s family and friends were wonderful. Despite not knowing Nate super well, she had never felt out of place. He had always made sure she was included in conversations, explaining anything that felt like an inside joke. She thought back to all the times she had met a boyfriend’s family — there hadn’t been that many, but enough to know that this was far better than any of them did.

Nate had been awkward and hesitant at first, jumping away every time he touched her by accident on the plane ride over and flinching when their knuckles brushed when he went to help her grab her luggage. But he slowly allowed himself to loosen up a little, reading her lack of discomfort as a good sign. He always prided himself on acting like a gentleman; even though women complained that he was stiff and unromantic, he tried. He found himself putting in an extra effort to hold open the door for her, to pull out a chair for her, to offer an elbow as she walked on the uneven pavement.

If Nate was in his head about every move he made, Charlotte was ten times more in her head. They had only really spent time together at work and work functions. And she wasn’t sure if that’s why something felt different here, more intimate, or if she was just imagining it. She was starting to feel like he was going out of his way to touch her; laying a hand on her knee when they were sitting next to each other, tapping her elbow to show her something, keeping a hand on her back when they were standing.

She had tried her hardest not to lean into his touch every time, but she couldn’t deny the comfort his large hand on her back felt—god, was his hand always this large. It was never too low as to be intrusive; just resting chastely on her mid back to remind her that he was there and was ready to take a break from the socializing at any point.

Whether she was imagining it or not, it was starting to drive her insane. Her skin constantly felt buzzing and hot, tingling in the places he touched, electrified in the places closest to him that craved his touch.

Nate’s low voice in her ear startled her out of her thoughts.

“Hmm?” she responded as she felt her neck and ear flush with the brush of his lips on her ear.

“Oh, I was just asking if you want to go for a walk,” he murmured, “you’re looking a little overwhelmed.”

“Yeah, sure,” she breathed, her voice coming out a little shaky with how close his tall frame was to her.

And so, she reached out and took his extended elbow as they slipped out of the rehearsal dinner and wandered down to the waterfront in silence.

“I can totally see why you love it here,” she finally said.

“Hmm?” he hummed.

“It’s beautiful. The water. With the lights reflecting. And all the beautiful trees. And the fresh air. I can understand why you love coming here in the summer.”

“Yeah, it’s truly something,” he looked over at her with an unreadable expression on his face, but his eyes were warm and soft. It looked like he wanted to say something for a second before he shook his head and looked away. “I’m glad you came with me. You make these big events bearable.”

“Just bearable, Nathan?” she laughed, trying to break the tension in the air she couldn’t really explain. And his chuckles were quick to join hers in the warm summer air.

And just like that, they fell into a comfortable rhythm again, laughing and chatting. Eventually, he walked her back to the hotel and their adjoining rooms.

“Well, here you go, m’lady,” he joked, letting his arm fall from her for the first time in a while. He began to turn towards his room but hesitated for a second before turning back and pulling her into a tight hug. She let herself melt into the hug, embracing the warm buzzing feeling in her chest as she felt his larger frame engulf her. He didn’t let go when she thought he was going to, instead whispering in her ear, “Thank you.”

“Thank me for what, Nathan?”

“For coming with me. For being so good with my family, even though they keep asking intrusive questions. For just being you,” he said, pulling back. They were standing so close together that she could see every shade of blue in his eyes as they looked at her intently. She swore she saw his eyes flicker to her lips briefly before the smallest sharp intake of breath he tried to hide as he untangled from her. She could feel her body ache a little as her cheeks burned.

She didn’t know if it was the glasses of wine or the dizzying tension, but before she could stop herself, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Of course, Nathan,” she murmured, “good night.” She smiled as she turned away and opened her hotel room door as quickly as possible.

She didn’t dare to take a peek back at him, but if she had, she would have seen his eyes wide, and cheeks flushed in shock. Instead, she quickly ducked into the room, shutting the door behind her, leaning back against the cold wood, and closing her eyes. What the fuck am I doing, she said to herself, Nate is a sweet guy, who I work with. I’m just doing him a favor. And he clearly thinks I’m just a good friend, as he keeps saying to everyone. Get it together.

She walked away and started getting ready for bed. It took her a long time to fall asleep that night, tossing and turning as her mind raced through the moments of the day, all the little touches and glances and the sparkle in Nate’s blue eyes.

* * *

The following day was the wedding, and the morning passed comfortably despite neither of them acknowledging the moment they both wanted to talk about so badly. Soon, she found herself sitting beside him in the church, watching the beautiful bride stand next to her adoring groom.

While the ceremony went on, Nate was having a hard time staying out of his thoughts as the celebrant talked about love and marriage and as the happy couple exchanged adoring words with each other. It was not that he hated weddings, not at all; in fact, he loved them. He loved the celebration and the emotion. But as the years went on, it became a stunning reminder of what he did not have. With every wedding and every failed relationship in between, he felt more alone, like maybe something was wrong with him.

Charlotte noticed that Nate seemed emotional, lost in his thoughts. She had no idea what was going through his mind, but she could sense that he was troubled. At some point during the ceremony, when Nate found himself particularly emotional, he had reached his hand over and grasped hers. She had to try hard to hold back the small gasp that threatened to escape her lips. But seeing his troubled expression, she squeezed his hand. And, inexplicably to her, his hand never left hers, not during the rest of the ceremony, or the walk over to the cocktail hour space. He only reluctantly let go to help her to her seat once they got to the reception.

Although they both enjoyed the reception food, they had both been so deep in their own thoughts that their conversation with the table was stilted and almost awkward. Eventually, as the night wore on, and the gentle fuzz of liquor started to take over, they both started to relax. Nate, after starting and stopping for almost 15 minutes, finally asked her to dance; his heart rate racing as she excitedly nodded yes.

Which is how they found themselves on the dancefloor for over an hour. At first, it was awkward. They were standing a foot apart, dancing independently; she, laughing at Nate’s horrible dance moves, and Nate, feeling electrified by the way her body moved. Eventually, they got closer and closer together until they were swaying in each other’s arms to some horrible Mariah Carey song, making snide remarks in each other’s ears and not caring how obnoxiously loud they were laughing at the jokes.

A few drinks later, their inhibitions were lowered enough that she found herself with her back against him. His arms wrapped firmly around her waist as she leaned into his warm, towering figure. Both of them were no longer sure if they were intoxicated by each other or the drinks, but they did not really care. After they were grinding to a Doja Cat song, she swore she felt something press against her back, but she was not sure as Nate swiftly excused himself to use the bathroom.

And that’s how she found herself at the bar by herself.

“Nate really likes you, you know?” she heard a voice say beside her. When she looked over, she saw his mom giving her a knowing glance.

“Oh, Mrs. Mackinnon, we’re just friends,” Charlotte managed to choke out, despite feeling her throat tighten.

“I know, sweetie, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be more there,” she smiled, laying a soft hand on her forearm. She had never felt herself sober up faster.

“I appreciate that, but we do work together,” she strained.

“Please, call me Kathy,” she continued, not acknowledging Charlotte’s weak protest. And when she did not respond, Kathy added, “You know, I’ve met a number of his girlfriends, and he had never looked at them the way he looks at you. Or even treated them the same way. He’s barely left your side since you got here.”

“Kathy, I’m sure that’s not true. You have raised an amazing son. I’m sure he is just as kind to anyone.” She could feel her cheeks feel heat as she started scanning the room, desperate for Nate’s return.

“Sweetheart,” Kathy spoke softly, “I have been married for many years. There is only one reason a person looks at someone the way he looks at you, and that’s love. If you feel the same way, you should tell him. Don’t stand in the way of your own happiness, dear. Life is too short.”

She smiled as her husband came to stand next to her; and before Charlotte could protest again, she gave her a gentle hug before walking away, leaving her standing there with her head spinning at her words.

Charlotte gripped the edge of the bar and downed her drink in one go once the bartender handed it to her, earning an eyebrow raise. She jumped and let out a little squeak when she felt a warm hand press into her back.

“Woah, it’s just me,” Nate joked before he met her eyes and his brows furrowed, “are you okay?”

“Um, yeah,” she croaked out stiffly.

“Are you sure?” he stepped in closer which only made her stiffen more, “You seem… I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable?”

“What?” she tried to say calmly, although it came out an octave too high, “What makes you say that? Nope. I’m fine.”

He furrowed his brow more and leaned back, confused, before removing his hand from her back and stuffing them in his pockets. There was a twinge of sadness in his eye as he looked around, unsure what to do. “Okay, then. Do you want to go back on the dance floor? Or I guess not. We could sit back at our table?”

“Yeah,” she said awkwardly, finding a normal tone again, “Table sounds good.”

They sat in silence for a bit, just watching the other guests dancing, both deep in thought. She was stuck thinking about what Nate’s mom had said. If she thought about it, she could totally understand why an outside observer would see their relationship as something more than friends. But if Nate had feelings for her, why did he so insistently refer to her as his “good friend”? And even if he did like her, she wasn’t sure about the implications for her job. Was she going to get fired? Probably not, if she was upfront with HR. But she was new to the city and relatively new to the field. What if people started to see her as the girl who ‘goes for the stars’ or the girl who’s ‘just here to get in some rich athlete’s pants’. She had worked too hard not to be taken seriously now. And maybe if things worked out, it would eventually blow over. But if it didn’t work out… If it didn’t work out, she wasn’t sure what would happen, but she felt it would be bad.

Meanwhile, Nate was panicking; combing through every moment of the evening, trying to find where things went wrong. He was finally feeling like he had an idea of how she felt. Like maybe if he told her his feelings, she would reciprocate. Did he go too far with the dancing? Was Drunk Nate too caught up in the moment and did something inappropriate and unwanted? Nate was never much of a verbal processor — he preferred to stew on things first, — and maybe it was the remnants of the alcohol lingering in his system but he felt the words trying to bubble up in his chest. He didn’t even know what the words would be; maybe words to explain how he felt about her, to make sure he didn’t do something wrong, to make sure she was okay.

When she finally felt the grip on her chest loosen and the thoughts begin to slow a little, she snuck a quick glance at Nate. His jaw was set firm, and brows furrowed. He was staring into the crowd on the dancefloor, but he was clearly not watching them. He looked tense, and she could see the panic she felt reflected on his face. She found herself reaching out and taking his hand in hers, giving it a squeeze; a move that clearly surprised him as he jumped a little before smiling and relaxing into it.

“Nate, I’m actually getting kind of tired. I’m thinking of heading back to the room. Did you want to stay longer?” she said gently.

He squeezed her hand back and gave her a small smile, although the worry hadn’t left the contours of his face yet, “No, I’m actually ready to head back too. Come on.” He pulled her onto her feet.

They took the ten-minute walk back to the hotel in relative silence, tethered together by their interlocked hands. Nate spent the whole walk back planning his speech; he was going to tell her how he felt because he couldn’t hold it in anymore. Holding hands with her just felt so right. But for her, despite how nice it felt, it caused an overwhelming sense of panic to rush back through her. It was nice. It was too nice. It was going to ruin everything.

Stepping out of the elevator, the words escaped her lips before she had the chance to hold them back. “Nate, I think this was a mistake,” her voice was barely above a whisper. He froze beside her and managed to choke out a “What?”

“Nate,” she said, pulling her hand away from him and backing towards her door, “This is giving me a taste of what I can’t have. And this friendship… I don’t think I can do this.”

“What are you talking about?” he replied, still stuck in the spot where she left him, his voice louder than he had intended.

“The touching, the holding hands, the being sweet… It’s too much,” she said, unlocking the door, not meeting his eyes.

“What—” he repeated, his voice cracking at the end. Her mind didn’t process that the pain she felt was echoed in his voice.

She sighed, stepping into the doorway, “I can’t do this, Nate. Because if we keep doing this, I’m going to fall in love with you. And I can’t do that while being your ‘good friend from work’. So, I’m going to bed. Good night.” She finally met his eye as she stepped back to shut the door, barely registering the way his face flickered from hurt to confusion to shock to hope.

Charlotte rested her forehead against the door and let out a shaky breath. She could feel the tears form and slide down her face. She tried to convince herself that it was the right move, but the only thing she could hear in her head was the sound of Nate’s mother’s voice saying ‘Don’t stand in the way of your own happiness, dear. Life is too short.’ What if Kathy was right? What if protecting herself from pain was causing more pain itself? What if it would work out? As she stood there, she listened for movement on the other side of the door, but she heard none. Was that hope she saw in his face there? If it was, what did it mean?

Before she could finish the thought, she heard shuffles and a rapid knock on the door that startled her. She didn’t know why, but she opened it without hesitation.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I did something earlier that made you uncomfortable. I'm sorry if I'm crossing a boundary now but I would never forgive myself if I didn't say this," he said, looking at her with concern. When she nodded, he continued speaking.

He confessed to her that he had never been this person before, love-struck and irrational. He had always been calm, detached, and calculated, but with her, he couldn't help it. He couldn't help being rash, like inviting her to the wedding or reaching out to touch her and be close to her.

She had told him that she couldn't do this because she was scared of falling in love with him, but he revealed that he might already be in love with her. He had been saying that she was just a friend and a colleague because he was scared, but he had never felt this way before and was afraid he would mess it up.

During the wedding ceremony, he looked around at everyone and realized that he had won the Stanley Cup this year, but he still felt off. He kept thinking about her - how her laughter made him want to make her laugh again, how her smile warmed his chest, and how he could still feel the tingle where their skin had touched even after she left.

He admitted that he had never been sure if he had truly been in love before, and maybe this was it. He thought they owed it to themselves to find out because he believed she might feel the same way. He knew it might not be the most rational decision, but it was everything he had to say.

Feeling a shaky breath escape her lips, she heard the voice in her mind, "Don't stand in the way of your own happiness, dear. Life is too short." For the first time on this trip, she felt her mind still and smiled as she closed the distance between them. With her chest pressed to him, she looked up at him, admiring his soft and nervous blue eyes. She reached up to cup his neck and met him in a kiss.

The kiss was gentle and soft at first, as she chastely felt their bodies slot together; his hands finding her waist, and hers fisting his suit jacket to bring him closer. After not long, she felt Nate run his tongue along her lip and she allowed herself to deepen the kiss, conveying the emotion that was hard to put into words. The feeling of his firm hands against her waist and his muscular body against hers again made her feel as though she were on fire. And she had to admit, she liked this quite a lot. Eventually, they disconnected and rested their foreheads together as they took in the moment.

“So, are you going to say something?” Nate whispered.

“Yeah, uh, ditto,” she whispered back, giggling slightly.

“That’s it?!” he leaned back in mock horror, “After I poured my heart out, that’s all you have to say?” She could see a smile tugging at his lips.

“Well, I think for the first time in your life, you have spoken enough words for both of us, Nathan,” she laughed as she gave his chin a little pinch, drawing a laugh from him as well. She leaned back in to place another firm kiss on his lips before saying, “I like you a lot too. Like a lot a lot. It scares me. But, as the kids say, you only live once, and I need to stop being scared and just see where this goes because I think I might be in love with you, Nathan, and I need to find out if I am.”

He smiled broadly; it’s the smile she loves, the one where his nose scrunches a little and she can see the genuine happiness on his face. And as their lips rejoined, she slowly started to pull him back into her hotel room.

“Hey, can I ask you a question?” he says, disconnecting their lips briefly.

“Uh, right now? Sure, I guess,” she raised her eyebrow.

“Why do you always call me Nathan? Everyone always calls me Nate.” The question catches her off-guard and she laughed as she continued dragging him into your room.

“I was trying to remind myself to stay professional and not fall for you,” she laughed as she felt the back of her legs hit the edge of the bed.

“Right…That worked so well, I’ll have to remember that one for the future, Miss Charlotte,” he laughed back before kissing her again so deeply and passionately that she forgot whatever retort was on the tip of her tongue.

#Nathan mackinnon #colorado avalanche #Nathan mackinnon imagine #Colorado Avalanche imagine #nhl imagine #hockey imagine #avs #Nathan mackinnon fic #Colorado Avalanche fic #avs imagine #avs fic #hockey imagines #rox writes

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alwayschoppedtaco · 1 year

Text

christmas in michigan ll t.z.

pairing: trevor zegras x hughes!reader

warning: none

summary: figure skating competitions, hockey games, gingerbread house making contests, and christmas in michigan

instagram edit

faceclaim: Alina Zagitova

masterlist

12 days of christmas masterlist

y/n_hughes

📍 turin, italy

liked by elblue6, trevorzegras, yourbesties, and others

y/n_hughes 2022 grand prix of figure skating was a success ✅ thank you to everyone who made it such a great time

tagged: @yourcoach

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trevorzegras best hughes on and off the ice

y/n_hughes ❤️

_quinnhughes ⛸

lhughes_06 bring home some of those chocolates like last time

y/n_hughes those were from the airport in atlanta because i forgot to get you something

lhughes_06 but you got jack and quinn hats

y/n_hughes i got those in atlanta too

jackhughes you said they were from tokyo

y/n_hughes i lied 🤷‍♀️

y/nfannumberone such an amazing performance ❤️

hughesfan skatings just in the hughes familys blood

trevorzegras

liked by y/n_hughes, jamie.drysdale, anaheimducks, and others

trevorzegras 😵‍💫😵‍💫

tagged: @anaheimducks

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y/n_hughes wise words in the caption

trevorzegras im a wise man

jamie.drysdale so serious in the second pic

anaheimducks 🔥🔥🔥

trevorfan game face on

trevandy/n y/n in the comments 😍

useroninsta go ducks

y/n_hughes

📍 michigan

liked by trevorzegras, elblue6, jackhughes, and others

y/n_hughes back home for the holidays

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trevorzegras ✌✌

y/n_hughes ✌😚

lhughes_06 “jack just take the picture and stop being annoying”

jackhughes and she doesn't even give me photo creds

yourbestie so pretty 😍😍😍

y/n_hughes no you 🤩

stunningy/n shes so perfect

y/n_hughes

liked by elblue6, lhughes_06, _quinnhughes, and others

y/n_hughes the annual gingerbread competition is upon us. real question is who won? jack and trevs on the left, luke, quinn, and dads on the right, or mine and moms in the middle?

tagged: @jackhughes @_quinnhughes @lhughes_06 @trevorzegras @elblue6

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trevorzegras jack 🤝me winning gingerbread competitions

y/n_hughes sorry but no ❤️

_quinnhughes there might not be a clear winner, but there is a clear loser

y/n_hughes sorry @jackhughes and @trevorzegras

lhughes_06 not even a competition

jackhughes 🥇

dylanduke25 luke’s teams got this in the bag

lhughes_06 easy win 😤

hughesfamfan definitely not jack and trev 😂

y/nlove definitely queen el and y/n

trevorzegras

liked by y/n_hughes, elblue6, jamie.drysdale, and others

trevorzegras best hockey player in the hughes fam

tagged: @y/n_hughes

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y/n_hughes love you trev

trevorzegras love you more y/n/n

lhughes_06 🤮🤢

y/n_hughes shut it moosey

_quinnhughes we all know the captions a lie

lhughes_06 its me of course

jackhughes keep dreamin bud

jackhughes watch it zegras, that my little sister

trevorzegras watching it👍

_alexturcotte i thought we really had something

y/n_hughes

liked by trevorzegras, thombordeleau_, jackhughes, and others

y/n_hughes merry christmas from the hughes siblings + trev

tagged: @trevorzegras @_quinnhughes @jackhughes @lhughes_06

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trevorzegras 🎄❄⛸

_alexturcotte trev the honorary hughes

thombordeleau_ 🎄

jackhughes constantly acting as your photographer and never getting the cred

y/n_hughes photo creds to jack for the second pic 🙄

jackhughes see that wasn't so hard 😃

yourbestie what is the temp, because everyone is dressed for a different climate

y/n_hughes its absolutely freezing here, quinn and luke are just crazy

trevorzegras

liked by y/n_hughes, jamie.drysdale, jackhughes, and others

trevorzegras christmas with my favorite hughes

tagged: @y/n_hughes

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y/n_hughes 😘

jackhughes betrayal

trevorzegras sorry bro

lhughes_06 dude that my sister

_quinnhughes thought i was the favorite 🤔

colecaufield my eyes

mattboldy merry christmas man

dylanduke25 don't worry @lhughes_06 you’re still my favorite

lhughes_06 thanks duker

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ycmalholidayexchange · 8 months

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❄️🎁❄️You Could Make a Life Holiday Fanwork Exchange 2023❄️🎁❄️

Hello!

Tell your friends, your family, your coworkers: Hockey is coming back (soon-ish), and so is the greatest of fandom traditions. Whether you're old or new here, welcome to You Could Make a Life Holiday Fanwork Exchange.

Once again, Ana and Pyry are working together to organise the event. We hope to see you all participate!

The format will be the same as years prior:

❄️What is this?

Just a pretty normal and chill fandom exchange to celebrate the holidays. In short, you create something for another fan and get something in return!

Anyone in the You Could Make a Life fandom can participate. You can check the wrap-up posts for 2019, 2020, and 2022, or check this blog's latest posts in 2021 if you want to have an idea of what people have previously created.

❄️What can I make/get?

The idea is to:

write fic of at least 1000 words; or

make 1 piece of fanart; or

make 1 playlist of at least 11 songs with a cover; or

make 1 gifset; or

create a short video edit (minimum 30 seconds); or

one complete and edited podfic of a text that is originally at least 1000 words;

one complete and edited podfic of at least 10 minutes.

You can specify whether you prefer fic and/or art when you sign up!

❄️ Why did you add videos and podfic as fanworks?

We have noticed a resurgence of the fanvid as a form of fanwork in recent years (due to fandom's shift to platforms such as Twitter, Instagram or Tiktok). We want this event to be open to as many people as possible, so we thought maybe there are some ycmal fans who are also great video editors! We still haven't received any video submissions, but this may be the year!

Podfic was a request last year and we think it worked pretty well, so it's coming back.

❄️What am I allowed to create/request?

Any pairing, theme and rating are allowed. However, since this universe is huge, please be flexible and include as many things you like as possible in the request and the offer. If you are only willing to receive an Owen/Jake time-travelling farmers AU, we may not be able to find you a suitable match! We may contact you if, for any reason, it’s impossible for us to find a match for you and we need you to think of more options.

❄️I don't understand podfic, tell me more.

It means somebody will record an audio version of a fic. If you are interested in receiving a podfic, you will be able to add links to works you'd like to have in that format (please make sure the author allows for this type of transformative work), or you could request any of your own fics.

❄️Timeline

Sign-ups are open now and end on October 4th 3pm EST.

After that, we will start matching people and you will be notified as soon as possible of the person you have been assigned.

By November 30th, we will be emailing you to confirm that you are still participating. If for some reason you cannot participate any more, please notify us as soon as possible, so that we can make sure we find a pinch-hitter.

The works will be posted between December 15th and 31st, in whatever platform best suits your work. Please make sure you inform us (tagging this blog, for instance, or via ask box/email) and the recipient. Everything will be shared in this blog.

❄️Ok this sounds cool, how do I sign up?

Just fill in this form! Please read the sections carefully since we have changed some wording/formatting things. And don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions or comments :)

Thanks!

-Pyry & Ana

#ycmal #youcouldmakealife #ycmal verse #ycmal holiday exchange #ycmal fandom

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carriagelamp · 1 year

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Coming in just under the wire... my top (...or well, in some cases the most distinctive) books I read in 2022!

You know, I was startled to realize that while I did read a rather nice collection of queer lit this year, I didn't read a single Canadian novel. This is the first year in a few I haven't been able to put at least one on my list... I'll have to remedy that next year.

I'll do a brief description of the books, for those who are curious, but my more robust summaries/reviews are in the monthly reviews.

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson -- a story about an orphan who receives a birthday gift of sand from his presumably long dead parents and gets drawn into a strange, magical adventure by his mysterious grandfather

Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales -- a crime noir adventure comic featuring beautiful art and stunning scenery

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy -- a gentle collection of affirmations forming a loose, beautifully drawn narrative

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell -- a story about the chosen one attending a magical school and his rival - rather obviously a parody but it successfully creates characters, narrative, and romance that fully stands on its own

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming -- a story about a family who buy a very special car, one which seems to have a life of its own as it reveals a startling range of abilities and cunning that guide them through adventure

Dead Voices by Katherine Arden -- the sequel to Small Spaces, the children have survived their meeting with the Smiling Man and hope that life can return to normal... however when they get snowed in to a ski lodge it becomes quickly evident their holiday will be anything but that

Failed Princesses by Ajiichi -- a classic shoujo premise, in which a popular student and a nerd have a tumultuous first meeting but gradually find themselves warming to each other and slowly a romance begins to bloom... but now with lesbians!

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman -- the quirky explanation a father offers to his children, to justify why he was so late getting back from the shop with the milk...

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xui -- the powerful and feared Yiling Patriarch has been killed and the world is better for it... except years later he has found himself summoned back to the land of the living, his soul stuffed inside a body, and mysterious crimes of the past bubbling back up

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman -- a cute comic showing the developing friendships, relationships, identities, and mental health between Charlie Spring, Nick Nelson, and their collection of friends

Holes by Louis Sachar -- classic novel of Stanley Yelnats, a boy suffering under the curse of his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather, who has found himself wrongly accused of theft and now struggling to find his place and survive at the detention center Camp Green Lake

Icebreaker by A. L. Graziadei -- a story about hockey protege Mickey James III who has a heavy family legacy to live up to and is fighting desperately for the NHL top draft spot... except his top rival is attending the same college as him and isn't going to make things easy

In Deeper Waters by F. T. Luckens -- I'll be honest, I don't remember what this book is about besides pirates, magic, and queer characters... it was a fun enough read but obviously not overly memorable

The Iron Giant // The Iron Woman by Ted Hughes -- originally published as The Iron Man, this is a classic romp about a young boy who overcomes his community's fear and befriends a massive robot which appeared one day from the sea. I also read its sequel, The Iron Woman, which may be even better, and is about another massive robot who has bears the agonies of aquatic life being slowly poisoned and has now appeared to reap vengeance on those responsible for polluting the water

Kase-san and the Morning Glories by Hiromi Takashima -- an adorable series about shy, clumsy Yamada who becomes entranced by the beautiful, outgoing track star, Kase.

Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono -- the novel that inspired the Ghibli film; this book is about a young witch who has set off to spend a year on her own, developing her craft and earning her own way

Minecraft: The Mountain by Max Brooks -- I found the first book very intriguing, though this sequel was only middling. The character from the first book has left his island and has found a whole new world with whole new challenges, everything from new animals, a new friend, and a whole new deadly world to explore

Modelland by Tyra Banks -- my girlfriend read this together mostly as a joke, but my god what a wild ride I don't know if I've ever laughed so much at a book. This is Harry Potter but for a deranged magical modelling based society with the most insane strings of words you have ever seen in one place

Orphaned by Eliot Schrefer -- a book about a young gorilla who finds herself separated from her family and forced to take care of her little brother, all while being stalked by a strange new sort of creature in their jungle home...

Outbursts of Everett True by A. D. Condo and J. W. Raped -- an old newspaper comic about the Everett True, a man who goes about his life giving rude, nasty, and generally unpleasant jerks the walloping we all secretly wish we could unleash

Prince of Song and Sea by Linsey Miller -- a Little Mermaid story, told through the eyes of Prince Eric, with a whole new cast of characters, lore, curses, and exciting worldbuilding

Queer Ducks by Eliot Schrefer -- a well-researched and very readable nonfiction popsci book that explores the complexity of sex and gender in the animal world

Touching Spirit Bear // Ghost of Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen -- a childhood classic about Cole Matthew who, after beating a child badly enough to cause permanent injury, has to come to terms with his anger through a form of restorative justice that sees him on a lonely island and in the path of a majestic and dangerous white bear

Witch Week // Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones -- two different novels by Diana Wynne Jokes, first a reread, second a new one for me. Witch Week is a favourite, about witch orphans living at a bording school in which a note warns that someone in the class is a witch. The second is about orphan Earwig and her battle against the witch who adopted her with the intention to use her as a slave.

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hockeyholidays2023 · 2 years

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IT’S TIME!

Hockey Holidays 2022 schedule:

Nominations open: NOW. Nominations close: October 24. Sign-ups open: October 25. Sign-ups close: November 5. Assignments sent out by: November 7. Author check-in: December 10. Assignments due: December 24. Fics go live: January 1. Author reveals: January 8.

#hockey holidays 2022 #nominations #schedule

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cellythefloshie · 1 year

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;; 12 Days of Kinkmas 2022 Day 8 - The Road Wife Holiday Special - The Holiday Party

Summary: You and the team celebrate the Holiday season with their annual holiday party that focuses on family fun! You struggle under the presence of the wives and families, but you can always count on some of the guys to assure you’re having a good time even when the times are tough. Featured Players: Steven Stamkos, Zach Bogosian, Anthony Cirelli, Alex Killorn Kinks & Triggers: implied breeding kink, lingering touches, adultery, sex work, fingering, getting caught in the act. Word Count: 5191

TAGLIST : @wingedwheelprxncess @mitchymainer @equallyshaw @starshine-hockey-girl @beccaiscold @samanthasgone

The room was loud, louder than you could have anticipated even after well over a year of working for the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. You had been in the arena after outstanding goals, and hard-fought victories that sent the fans wild, and somehow even the arena seemed to pale in comparison to the holiday party hosted by the organization for the team, its staff, and their families. It was not long after the noon hour, and Santa had already made an appearance, leaving behind presents they had brought for them, presents that had left children squealing with joy. A joy that was so loud that it left your ears ringing as you knelt down beside one of the many tables set up with children’s activities. With no kids, or family, of your own to bring to the party, you have volunteered your time to help it move a little more smoothly for those who did. For now, that meant cleaning up the tables that were decorated with paper stripped from broken crayons and writing the names of children on the back of forgotten pieces of art so you could give them to their parents later.

It wasn’t too demanding of a job for you, the children bringing a smile to your face - even if it felt a bit odd to be working with the families of the guys you served as their road wife for so closely. It made your stomach uneasy as it felt like two separate worlds were colliding - and your head was left spinning when you looked up from the scribbled-on table to come face to face with Stamkos and his wife who was carrying their second-born son in her arms - and their first born trailed close behind them his wide blue eyes looking around the room as he insisted that they go see the zamboni.

His wife opened up one arm as she greeted you with your name spoken so sweetly from her lips. Your stomach did a somersault in your gut. You shouldn’t be so nervous to be around her - she was one of the ones that hired you after all, and she had always been kind to you, but that somehow made her all the more intimidating to you. You welcomed her single-armed hug with a smile, hugging her in return - careful not to disrupt the sleeping baby in her arm. When you pulled back, Stamkos was stepping forward, both his arms open and welcoming you. You almost hesitated, feeling as if it would be the right thing to do to reject his embrace but you were falling into it so quickly.

It was such a normal thing to be touched by him. To feel the warmth of the touch of his hands against your back, and the strength of his arms as he held you. Your arms wrapped around him in return carefully, your fingers a ghost of a touch on his back as he held you. You wanted to make it brief, to pull back with a laugh and a smile towards his wife that you knew he loved and respected more than anyone, but his hold lingered and his words hot against your ear ask he muttered out to you; “you’ve been doing great with the kids.”

To anyone else, it would have sounded like a simple compliment, but to your ears, his words were almost goddamn sinful. You could practically feel the gruffness of his tone in your bones. The implication behind his words was much stronger than their face value. No. Stamkos wasn’t telling you that you were good with the kids. He was telling you oh so subtly with the tone of his voice just how fun it would be to breed you.

Pulling back, you brought a hand up to push your hair back from your face, hoping that it enough would be enough to hide the blush that threatened to creep up on your cheeks. “Thank you,” was all you could manage at first, your tongue almost feeling swollen in your mouth as your body struggled to combat the thoughts that came with the captain’s implications.

“-I mean, the kids make it so easy. They’re all so well-behaved.” You stressed your last word, an extra emphasis on the syllables be·have, as you looked up at Stamkos and hoped that he could take the hint. “Were you guys coming back for hiss drawing?” you asked, taking a step back to the table as you pointed towards the stacks of paper you had collected. You had enough to fill up a small museum.

“No, no,” his wife shook her head slowly, her curls slipping to fall down the length of her back, “we have more than enough of those at home. We actually wanted to give you something,” she smiled at you her hand waving towards her purse that hung off her shoulder - digging through it would be too much of an effort and risk waking the sleeping child in her arms - “Steven, honey, in my purse-”

Stamkos smiled, his large hand slipping into the purse that was more of a diaper bag with ease. He rummaged through it carefully, drawing out a small box wrapped in a ribbon. There was only one thing that came in a box that was that small, jewelry, and you were less than eager to accept it.

“You guys didn’t have to do that,” you held up both hands in front of you in a silent protest, “I shouldn’t really. I can’t accept-”

She shook her eat, her smile growing as she continued to insist, “as a thank you for all that you do for us and the team.”

Your lips fell apart with a sigh, a single hand reaching out to take the small box with hesitancy - you could always try to get him to take back the gift on the next road trip. You forced a smile, trying to hide the guilt and shame if felt to be taking a gift from the man his wife paid you to sleep with on a regular basis. It was light in your hand, and that eased your guilt, but only a little.

Careful fingers pulled the ribbon free, letting it fall to the ground before you lifted the top of the box free. You almost swore at the sight of what was inside as you looked up at Stamkos, your tongue ready to protest again but his gaze rendered you silent. His blue eyes were firmly locked on you, almost icy cold, silently telling you: don’t you dare try to refuse again, or you’re going to pay for it later.

“It’s beautiful,” you managed, your fingertips reaching into the shallow box and stroking over the necklace that rested neatly inside. It wasn’t just a simple chain, no, its charm was a single paper airplane that would hang down over your heart. You loved it and hated it all at once, knowing all too well what it symbolized what you were to them.

“Thank you-” you spoke as you tried to close up the lid but his wife was quick to cut in.

“You’ve got to put it on,” she smiled, “Steven, help her.”

“No really it’s fine,” you assured, but he was already taking the box from your hands and taking the necklace from the box. His thick fingers struggled with the fastener for a moment before he waved his hand to have you spin around. You took two careful steps so that you stood with your back to Stamkos and stood there with your breath held. Your hands reached up, holding your hair out of the way as Stamkos reached around you, the touch of his fingertips blazing hot against your skin as it dragged over the exposed skin of your chest and collarbone as he fixed the necklace just right. That same feather-light touch grazed around the angles of your neck and to your back where he fastened the necklace and let it hang down, the charm resting at the peak of your cleavage.

“Thank you,” you muttered again, your hand raising to rest over the charm as you looked to his wife who wore a wide grin.

“It’s perfect,” she enthused, her own hand reaching out to touch the chain, the metal complimenting your skin perfectly, “I know it’s not much but when I saw it I knew we had to get it for you.”

You looked up at her through thick lashes, a little surprised that she had been the one to pick it out - the last time you checked, your husband’s slut wasn’t often on the list of people who you bought gifts for during the holidays.

“Thank you really, you two didn’t have to get me anything,” you assured them both one more time, and his wife reached out to one of yours with her free hand.

She gave it a gentle squeeze, her eyes meeting yours with a knowing gaze. “The work you do here is very important to us,” and the way she said your name next left your stomach in knots. Did she not know of all the chaos the existence of your role had caused or did she simply know and not care? “And we wanted to make sure you felt that appreciation.”

Oh, you felt it, you thought to yourself as you sighed to yourself, in more ways than one.

The two of you exchanged smiles one last time before Stamkos knelt down to hoist his eldest son up into his arms. He rested him on his hip, the child offering you a shy wave as she didn’t quite know who you were beyond Daddy’s work friend, or in his mind: The nice lady with the crayons. You offered him a soft smile in return before you let your gaze fall back to the table where his scribbles still waited to be cleaned. You reached for a wet rag, the glistening of your new necklace catching your eye as you overheard the Stamkos family’s next destination: the zamboni.

The zamboni moved along the ice, polishing it with its gentle glide and leaving the surface smooth - almost glass-like - and beckoning to the skates that threatened to cut it. The rink was overcome by the clamour of children and their skates once the zamboni was clear from the surface. Players and their children took to the ice’s surface for their holiday skate. A smile split over your face at the sight. The young children stepped onto the ice and stumbled before they could find their balance. Some sought out the hand of their mother or father, others had the help of skate training aids and others were so small they were carried in the arms of their parents or older siblings. It was a precious sight, one that you felt like you were intruding on as you sat on the bench, your skates tied up tight and ready. The office staff had already taken to the ice during the morning, leaving the rink for the players in the afternoon. You regretted not skating sooner - this was a time for the families, not you.

The tight feeling in your stomach had you reaching down to loosen your laces, but you were stopped by a hand so large it made your own hand look almost childlike. You look up through your hair that’s fallen down into your face and up to the familiar one that smiles down at you. It was defenceman Zach Bogosian smiling down at you, his long hair pulled up into a bun and his beard trimmed and tamed for the occasion. You didn’t know him well, or at least not as well as the others on the team, but he knew your role well. He had been part of the team that started the Road Wife program and had experienced the first wife and the Bolts first successful cup win before moving to Toronto in the off-season. He spent the entirety of the shortened season there while you took on the mantle of road wife with Tampa Bay, only to come back this season as the Bolts were determined to chase the possibility of a third consecutive cup. While he had been back no more than four months, he always made you feel comfortable around him - even now as you were ready to head back to the activities in the main hall.

“Don’t tell me you’re done before we could even get started,” he smiled, his voice instantly easing the uneasiness in your stomach.

“I um-” you stuttered slowly, the laces of your skate slipping through your fingers like ribbon, “I was going to wait until the families wrapped up…” Yes, that answer should suffice.

Zach looked out over the ice, watching as his son moved around the rink with short strides effortlessly, and the small clusters of families that skated with him as mere obstacles to the boy, “I think there’s room for one more,” he assured, his hand leaving your for a moment to tighten the lace on the skate you were keen to take off moments ago. Zach even reached over to the second skate, letting his hand move over the laces with a smirk, “this isn’t your first time, huh?”

“They didn’t just hire me because I’ve got a pretty face,” you countered, your words unintentionally flirty as he reached out to take your hand. He held your hand carefully, casually, as he helped your out onto the ice and he didn’t let go even as you both were taking your first, effortless, strides. You were not an expert skater, but you weren’t new to it either and could keep up with the older kids at the very least. Together, you and Zach, fell into the flow of the rink, skating casually in a circle and following the pace set by those in front of you. You both made no effort to pass them, not even as Zach’s son came buzzing by.

“They did pick a good one,” Zach smirked and you know he wasn’t referring to the position you officially held with the social media team - which had ultimately become more of a cover than a job these days. “I will say, I was a little disappointed to hear that she left, but you, you have yet to disappoint me.”

The words catch you off guard, your skate blade catching a rut and it nearly sent you tumbling, but Zach was quick to wrap a strong arm around you. “Easy there,” he hummed in your ear. You could feel the warmth of his body radiating through your own clothes and the strength of his touch around your waist. You looked up at him, lips slightly parted as you let out a heavy breath. It was there, as he held you upright on your skates and close to his frame that he muttered in your ear, “I know we don’t know each other well, but I very much look forward to getting to know you as well as the last wife.”

Drawing back you spun around, pulling yourself from his touch as you began to skate backwards. You weren’t the greatest at it, but it impressed him all the same. The distance gave you a moment to compose yourself though, you could practically feel his hot words against your cheek still. You glanced back over your shoulder for a moment, making sure you weren’t going to run into anyone, but also gauging just how close you were to everyone else before you spoke your careful words, “I look forward to working with you, Zach.”

He grinned wide at your professionalism, holding back a laugh as you spun around and fell back into stride with him. The both of you slowed when you heard a shrill “Daddy!” shriek came from behind you, it was his daughter who was quick on her skates, only stopping when she had collided and grasped her small arms around his leg. Zach hoisted her up with ease, welcoming his wife and his youngest in her arms.

“You’ve met my wife?” Zach asked you, his grin even wider now that he was surrounded by family.

“I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure,” you managed a smile, trying to push the conversation you had just had with Zach to the back of your mind, “It’s great to finally put a face to the name.” You assured his wife, who looked you over intently - her eyes lingering on your new necklace. She knew exactly who you were, and you had never felt more judged by another person. Her eyes moved over you from face to skate and back up again, almost as intrusively as a man’s stare when they were undressing you with their eyes. It left your skin crawling and heart hammering until a smile blossomed over her lips as if to silently say: Yes, she is pretty enough to sleep with my husband.

Her smile shouldn’t have brought you as much relief as it did, but it felt like it had lifted a weight off your shoulders as she made her own sweet introduction before reaching into her pocket for her cell phone. “Do you think you can take a photo of all of us together?”

“Of course!” You assure skating forward to take it from her carefully as Zach shouted a loud “Hey buddy!” so his son who had more energy than you could comprehend. How the boy had not tired yet was beyond you. Their son skated over with a smile, and little shyness towards you as he came in to pose for the photo - and once the picture was taken, and one more just for good measure, he was off like a rocket again. You’re letting out a chuckle as you hand the phone back off to Zach’s wife, your eyes focusing on the time at the last moment.

“Dammit,” you muttered to yourself, taking a quick stride towards the bench.

“You’re not going to skate with us?” his wife called sweetly and you let out a half sigh.

“Was supposed to be helping with the photo booth,” you smiled, your thumb pointing back towards the main hall, “you guys will have to pop by, I’ve heard they have some great props this year-”

And you weren’t wrong. The photo booth props were even better than the ones they had during the Halloween party earlier that year. They had a full table dedicated to holding them. Everything was available, from cheesy slogans, to present boxes and holiday hats, and no one was left unsatisfied - not even the children who got to walk away with a minty or chocolaty treat of their choosing. The booth was busy at first, with families cycling through with joyous laughter, but as dinner was rapidly approaching and the kids became calm and tired, you were left with not much else to do but to keep the props organized and wait for the stragglers to make your way through - but there is only so much organization you can do, and you soon find yourself people watching. Your gaze is lost on your coworkers, the players and their families as they enjoyed the festivities for the holiday season. Your head was leaning up against the wall, your arms crossed casually over your chest as you were lost in your content gaze. So lost that you didn’t hear someone speak out to you playfully as they approached; “so this is where you’ve been hiding.”

It was only the figure's careful touch as it grazed against the exposed flesh of your arm that pulled you from your daydreams. You almost lurched away, taken by surprise by the unexpected touch, but the wall kept you in place. “Jesus,” you breathed out, your arms uncrossing so you could bring a single hand up to the rest of your heart, “Tony, you startled me!”

Your bright eyes quickly found Tony, who was standing beside you bashfully. “Sorry,” you nudged your foot playfully with the toe of his shoe, “you’re working pretty hard over here, huh?”

“Oh, you shut it,” you laughed, finding your calm as you reached a hand out to push against his chest playfully. Your touch that wrinkled the fabric of his plain white t-shirt was the simple spark that would ignite the trouble the two of you always got into when you were together. Tony stumbled back, just enough to keep you laughing before he was recoiling back into place - maybe even a little closer to you now.

You turned slowly, so that your back was leaning against the wall instead of your shoulder, your head leaning back against the wall to look up at Tony as he gazed back down at you. You mirrored his smile, your hands hanging down at your sides casually so that your palms could press back against the cold wall that propped you up. You let the chill ground you before you could let yourself get too caught up in Tony. You couldn’t afford to, not while you were technically working, albeit not that hard, and not while so many of the wives, girlfriends, and children were present. Yet, Tony always found a way.

You hadn’t seen the prop in his hand at first, Tony kept it down low at his side before he brought it up between you both playfully. Leaning in, you raised a brow as you took a good look at the prop. It was a cutout that was glued to the end of the narrow handle. The mistletoe prop. His smile only seemed to grow as he wiggled the prop between you, raising it up a little higher so that it hung down over your head. Your eyes left his face, your smile wavering as you looked out through the busy room. Your stomach knotted and your palms grew sweaty against the wall. If the wrong person saw you kiss him, you could get into all kinds of trouble.

“Tony,” you spoke his name slowly, your eyes shifting back to his face that continued to wear that sweet smile of his, “there are so many people…”

As if he had been thinking a step ahead, Tony reached down for your hand, taking hold of it carefully as he nodded back towards the entry to the hall. “Com’on, I got an idea.”

Your steps stuttered behind him, your glance cast back at the photo booth as if to silently apologize to the people that may or may not come in your absence. While you did feel guilty for being stolen away from your post, there was no fighting the smile that crept up onto your features as you towed behind Tony who guided you away from the noise of the holiday party. It faded behind you as Tony lead you off into parts of the arena no one had wandered into since their arrival earlier that afternoon. The corridors were quiet, not a single footstep heard outside your own heels as you snuck off into the coat room.

Before you were over the threshold, Tony was spinning on the heels of his feet, his hands seeking out the curves of your waist expertly - he knew your body better than anyone. He held you in his arms, drawing you in close as he leaned in to close the gap between you. His lips came down on yours playfully, placing peppered kisses along your mouth and jaw. The warmth of his kisses coaxed a laugh up your throat, his name a quiet squeal on your lips as your arms reached up so your hands could link behind his neck. Fingers toyed with his dark, wispy, curls at the nape of his neck as you pushed up onto your toes and pressed and firm kiss to his lips in return. While you loved how playful Tony could be, after your long day you just want to feel him. To feel his lips against your own, to taste his tongue in your mouth and to feel his arms envelop you in their warmth. Tony didn’t deprive you of what you desired, his hands resting on your waist - but it wasn’t enough to just hold you. Soon his hands were sliding over the expanse of your back until he held you firm to his chest. The strength of his body pressed to your own was overwhelming, sending a shiver through your body and a soft moan that was lost on his lips. Tony breathed in your moan and your kiss, his fingers digging into your back as if it would offer an ounce of restraint but neither of you could find your resolve.

The two of you were left stumbling back, his mouth and body so consumed by yours he wouldn’t dare pull back. Your tongue stroked along the length of his slowly, your body humming with contentment at his familiar taste. You stumbled back until you felt the sharp edge of a surface against your back, your lips drawing back just enough from Tony to let out a low whimper.

“Sorry,” his word was a rushed whisper that washed over your face with the heat of his breath, “I’ll make it feel better.”

His promise made you melt as his hands dragged down the curve of your back, hoisting you up into the surface that he had backed you up into. You welcomed its support, your legs spreading so that Tony could find his place between them. Your name became a whisper against your own lips, and all your caution was thrown to the wind as his hands found the button of your trousers. Thick fingers worked the button loose but Tony made no effort to draw them down your legs. Instead, his large hand slid down inside the loosened fabric. It was a tight fit, his hand so warm and large as it slid down the lower plain of your stomach and dipped into the thin fabric of your panties with no hesitation.

Tony knew exactly what you liked.

You cursed under your breath as two of his thick fingers found your clit with such ease. You had no shame in saying that he knew your body better than anyone. Your hands left his shoulders, reaching out for anything to brace yourself against and finding the edge of the counter, as he circled your clit. His kiss alone had been enough to flood your panties, but his touch made you weak in all the best ways. Hips bucked shamelessly into Tony’s touch as he circled your clit effortlessly with just enough force to leave your skin ablaze. His simple, yet pensive, strokes left reeling on the countertop, your teeth coming down on your lower lip as Tony dipped his fingers deeper. He found your eager cunt and your tilted your hips just enough to let them slide into you with ease. You grasped out in pleasure but you were quick to strangle the sound deep in your own throat. You couldn’t risk letting yourself grow too loud. Instead, your lips parted just enough to let out a heavy breath as your core welcomed the steady pump of Tony’s fingers. You wiggled on the countertop, your hips meeting his every thrust. You could feel your own wetness, trapped between your cunt and your panties - it was surely dripping down Tony’s fingers and hand as he fucked you with them - and the thought only drove your need for him further. Groaning, your hands left the countertop and moved to Tony’s belt buckle in one swift movement.

“Tony, take your-” your words were rushed, but broken as soft, feminine laughter infiltrated the air. Then, you heard the footsteps, a pair or more moving in your direction.

Tony cursed as he drew his fingers from your cunt. They were dripping with your glistening arousal and he was quick to slide them into his mouth - licking them clean as effortlessly as sucking on a candy cane as he turned in place, coming face to face with those who had found their way into your impromptu hiding space. Your hands were quick to fasten the button of your pants before you slid down the counter and peered around Tony’s shoulder - but it was already too late.

Killorn and his girlfriend had already seen enough, they knew exactly what kind of trouble the two of you were getting into and it brought him to chuckle out; “What is that, two for two?”

Your cheeks were blazing hot as you hid your face in the strength of Tony’s shoulder. While you were overcome with embarrassment, Tony was laughing. His fingers popped from his mouth like a lollipop, and he shook his head slowly - his dark curls falling down into his eyes as he looked to Killer, “that you know of.” His words painted a smile across your own lips. The two of you did have a horrible habit of finding the most inopportune moments to want each other. Worst of all, it seemed like you had developed a habit of getting caught - at least it wasn’t Cooper this time.

“I think this spot is already taken...” Killorn hummed to his girlfriend, just loud enough for the two of you to hear. It was his way of assuring you both that he would not speak a word of what he just walked into, as long as you and Tony didn’t go ruining his fun wherever he found the place to do it.

Humbled, and with your cheeks red with blush you looked up at Tony with a smile, “I guess we should be getting back to the party…”

“Yeah, before anyone else comes looking around for a place to sneak away,” Tony sighed, bringing his hand up to stroke over your cheek slowly, “You still coming over tonight?”

You nodded slowly, pressing up to place a kiss on the corner of his mouth slowly, “I’ll come by when we’re all wrapped up here. I can grab snacks on the way over, you pick out the movie?”

“I’ll pick one out, but I can’t promise we will watch any of it,” Tony laughed and it earned a playful shove from you as you moved towards the door and back towards the noise.

“Behave, Tony,” you cautioned him and it only coaxed one more kiss from him as you stood in the foyer.

“I will,” he promised, “and you, don’t work too hard.”

“I won’t,” you promised in return, moving back towards the party that had begun to wind down now. You helped anywhere you could as the families began to leave. Cleaning up some of the messes left behind, and offering sweet smiles and “happy holidays” from time to time as you finally felt at ease in a room of not only your peers but a team. A team with that you shared a unique and strong relationship. A relationship that no one may ever understand and it only had you cherishing it more during the holiday season as you had spent so many of them alone - but this year, the Bolts, made you feel loved.

#anthony cirelli #steven stamkos #zach bogosian #alex killorn #hockey rpf #hockey smut #hockey imagines #;;kinkmas2022 #;; the road wife - holiday special

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