#mat barzal x oc
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🍂 ͡ ꒱ JULIETTES RELATIONSHIP WITH HER BROTHERS
au masterlist - everything for the AU is under #🍂 ͡ ꒱ Juliette Leclerc
𐙚 LORENZO!
Lorenzo . . . ‘Enzo’ is the best big brother, he’s such a role model for her, and she’s always looked up to him.
He’s always been her voice of reason and encouragement, helping her calm down her emotions and not do anything rash, to help her understand what she’s feeling and to listen to what she says and, to always be there to cheer her up and help her out of those dark feelings.
Enzo was the first person she told when she realized she also wanted to kart.
Enzo helped teach her how to drive with there father, Arthur and Charles to scared to get in the car, claiming that she’s ‘going to kill them and drive into a store’ Julie did end up threatening to kill them in a more private and painful way because of all there teasing. Neither of them got in a car with her for months.
Julie gets sister privileges !!!
They have there weekly calls, checking in and making sure everything is good.
Enzo is the best advice giver! And she knows she can talk to him about anything
She loves just curling up in his side.
Just the sweetest big brother ever.
Has have had to pick Julie up at parties when she’s gotten too drunk . . . many times.
They both definitely laugh and tease the other two when they are being dramatic
He loves his little sister very much and will do anything for her!
𐙚 CHARLES!
Out of all her siblings, she’s definitely the closest to Charles, ever since they were kids.
Yes they had their fair share of arguments and fights, but they have always stuck up for each other no matter what, they can only mess with each other . . . no one else!
They’re each other’s safe place, they both understand the pressure they are both under, and they really help each other out.
Charles was the first person Julie told when she realized that she liked girls as well. And he was the one who helped her gain the courage to come out.
Charles is always the first person to defend her, from the media, interviewers, from anyone. He will not have his sister disrespected.
They both absolutely love their family, planning outings and get togethers for all of them!
They see each other the most
They had a tree house! And would always tease Arthur about not being cool enough to come up and hang with them.
He’s the most nosey brother, wanting to know everything going on in her life . . . but he means well !
They have had some moments where their career has put some strain on their relationship, but it doesn’t last long. It’s just because Julie hates talking about her feelings, and Charles loves talking about hers . . . aka avoidance from Julie.
He loves having sleepovers at her homes!
Sassy duo fr!
They are always messing with each other! And the media absolutely loves it.
You know that tiktok sound ‘this is bob, bob loves his personal space. This is Larry, Larry also loves bob’s personal space’ that’s them, bob is Julie and Larry is Charles.
Sees Julie’s soft side the most
𐙚 ARTHUR!
That’s her baby . . . no one messes with her baby (yes she’s only a year older . . . but still, he’s her baby)
Julie is Arthur’s favorite sibling and he’s very open about it, Arthur was quite the emotional kid and despite his outburst or over reactions, Julie was always there for him, to help him out, calm him down and, to let him know that he’s not crazy about his feelings
Julie has always been there for Arthur to listen to his worry’s about driving and what his future is in the sport, he trusts her opinion and thoughts more than anyone else.
Arthur hates how every single one of his friends are in love with Julie, and Julie just loves teasing him about it, always giving them a sweet smile and wave.
Arthur is quite clingy towards Julie, physically and emotionally.
Always wanting to sit next to her, get her attention, all of it. I mean, she’s the cool older sister.
He loves practicing his English with her!
He’s also like her biggest fan
He can get a little petty and upset if things don’t go his way with her . . . aka he’s super dramatic.
Arthur loves all of her cooking and baking, like he could eat it all.
First time he got really drunk, he called up Julie and cried, only crying harder when she giggled and tried to reassure him.
He’s always the last one to warm up to Julie’s significant others.
They love watching movies!
Arthur is quite attached to julie, has a fear that she will leave them.
˖ ་ 💭 roro’s notes ( this is pretty short, but I hope it gives you a good idea of Julie’s relationship with her brothers !! She’s a family woman definitely !! Please let me know if you would like to be added to the taglist )
°. — taglist ( @lovings4turn @toasttt11 @cixrosie @ru-kru @alwaysclassyeagle @theopenlocker @lavisenri @callsignwidow )
#🍂 ͡ ꒱ Juliette Leclerc#charles leclerc x sister!reader#leclerc sister fic#arthur leclerc#formula one x oc#f1 female driver#female driver#female f1 driver#formula one x reader#f1 x reader#formula 1 x reader#mathew barzal x oc#mat barzal x oc#quinn hughes x oc#nhl x oc
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𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 || 𝐌𝐀𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐙𝐀𝐋
here is my first fic for my baby Barzy! this fic is a little bit short but cute regardless. also a huge thank you to everyone who voted for the song Dress by Taylor Swift to inspire this fic, hope you enjoy!
oh, and before i forget— the other option was Right Where You Left Me by Taylor Swift anndddd i might make a fic about that as well so keep a look out (trevor maybe?) 👀
𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Mat Barzal x Best Friend!Reader
𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐠: 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 - 𝐓𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭
𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: You have been Mat’s best friend ever since you two were in middle school. What happens when he asks you to come and accompany him to the NHL Awards as his date?— a platonic date of course… right?
𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: cursing, cluelessness, mutual pining, best friends to lovers, mentions of past relationships, confessions, alcohol consumption, rumors, tension, fluff, new relationship, and more fluff.
𝐍𝐇𝐋 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 || 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭
Our secret moments in your crowded room
They got no idea about me and you
There is an indentation in the shape of you
Made your mark on me, a golden tattoo
A light graze touched your skin— snapping you out of your thoughts as you watched the people around you socialize.
Looking down towards your hand that sat on top of your thigh, Mat’s pinky finger was hooked onto yours— something he does to comfort you, ever since you were two were young.
Your best friend Mat invited you as his plus one at this year’s NHL Awards. You have accompanied him before in these types of events as his plus one— his date according to his constant teasing, he claims he would never stopped calling you that cause he loves watching your face go read.
That is simply because you have been pining over Mat for years now and you know in every part of your being that you shouldn’t. He was your best friend— and you didn’t want to risk losing that.
It was a cliche, but everyone either wants you and Mat to get together or they already think that you are already secretly together— both your parents teasing you two for the longest time that you two were gonna get married.
The fans speculating and theorizing that you two have been hiding your relationship for a couple of years now— the cameras following both of your every move, waiting for a confirmation or the rumors going around that you are in an unrequited relationship with the hockey player— and in your mind could be plausible at the moment.
They got no idea about you and Mat’s feelings for each other and neither did you two.
All of this silence and patience, pining in anticipation
My hands are shaking from holding back from you
All of this silence and patience, pining and desperately waiting
My hands are shaking from all this
You and Mat were surrounded by his teammates and their significant others— another reminder that you were nothing but Mat’s best friend as the WAGs continued to gush about your dress.
It was a satin royal blue halter neck dress that came down to your mid thigh, was beautifully paired by your favorite black stilettos that accentuated your legs even more.
The dress immediately reminded you of Mat the second you walked in the store— it was on the more pricey side but you couldn’t help but imagine the look on Mat’s face once he sees you in it which was proven worth it when he remained motionless with his mouth wide open, staring at you with awe when he picked you up.
You weren’t one for parties which is why you remained by Mat’s side during the after party. It was loud and chaotic as everyone celebrated the success of the award show— everyone around you were drinking and socializing with their peers— you on the other hand were on your third glass and you were pretty sure you were starting to see double.
You were a lightweight. You won’t deny it, in fact you really didn’t mind it— you weren’t a big fan of drinking and it gives you a reason to stop drinking and you may or may not love the attention Mat gives you when he takes cares of you.
“Y/N”
Say my name and everything just stops
I don't want you like a best friend
Only bought this dress so you could take it off
Take it off
Carve your name into my bedpost
'Cause I don't want you like a best friend
Only bought this dress so you could take it off
Take it off
Mat calls out, his arms circling around you as he watches you sway, clearly tipsy.
“Y/N, it’s late. We should head out.” Mat gathers you to his side as he helped you out of the establishment— the Canadian saying his goodbyes to his friends in the process as you waved at them enthusiastically.
“Come on, let’s get you home.” He says once you both got in the car.
Luckily you weren’t any sort of crazy once your drunk— very well behaved if you may.
Mat had to drag you in your house, you surprisingly losing all mobility as you put all your wait on the Canadian who did not complain once which was one of the many things you loved about Mat— his willingness to take care of you wholeheartedly.
Inescapable, I'm not even gonna try
And if I get burned, at least we were electrified
I'm spilling wine in the bathtub
You kiss my face and we're both drunk
A soft peck landed on your face making you snap out of your trance— looking around you found yourself in your bathroom, Mat was talking but you couldn’t really hear him or see him properly considering you were shitfaced— you just knew you were gonna hate yourself in the morning.
“Are you alright?” May questioned as he lifted you up on the counter of the sink, his body standing in between your parted legs as you tried your best to read his lips.
“I’m not drunk” you shook your head aggressively pouting at your best friend who was now laughing at you.
“That’s what drunk people say, Y/N.” He stated as a matter of fact as he rummaged through your cabinets— collecting all your skincare products into his massive hands before setting them down next to you on the sink counter.
“Yeah, but they didn’t tell you that, Barzy.”
“You are making no sense right now.” Mat muttered under his breath as he continued to remove your make up off your face, his concentrated face making you bubble up in laughter.
“You’re the cutest, Barzy baby.” You hummed before placing your head into his neck which you thought looked inviting.
“Well, you’re the prettiest, Y/N.” He sighed caressing your back as you remained cuddled up against his warm chest causing you to stifle our a yawn.
“Let’s get you to bed.”
Feeling more sluggish than before you let Mat carry you towards your room— you quietly watched him as he tucked you to bed, feeing your eyelids starting to get heavier each time you blinked.
“I have a secret to tell you but you can’t tell, okay?”
And I woke up just in time
Now I wake up by your side
My one and only, my lifeline
I woke up just in time
Now I wake up by your side
My hands shake, I can't explain this
You continued to speak not even letting Mat reply in return, “I really really really like Mat. Not just like him, I love him— not as a friend though. Well, I do love him as a friend but I love him as more as well— and it really hurts me to know that he doesn’t feel the same way. I’m not just saying this cause I’m drunk— I really do love him, so much.”
Say my name and everything just stops
“Y/N”
Mat remained still on the same spot as he listened to you ramble— he slowly sat on your bed as he watched you pout at him.
“You can’t tell him— he won’t be my friend anymore if he finds out.”
“I bet he doesn’t want to be your best friend anymore.”
This made you pout even more— your eyes were sleepy but started to tear up at the statement.
“Why would you say that?” You say nearly crying over the thought of Mat not being your friend anymore.
I don't want you like a best friend
“What I meant was that if he found out he might not want to be your best friend anymore cause he wants to be more as well— I bet he wants you to, he loves you just as much, you just gotta tell him.” Mat smiles at you as you struggled to stay awake.
“You really think so?”
“I know so— so tell him, okay?” The Canadian pushes as he removed the hair from your face.
“I promise, Barzy.”
dividers: @cafekitsune
𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: @thetortus @groundzerosuki @boobyskeetz @immediatehumor6 @milyswrld @lucyysthings
ೃ⁀➷ comment or message me to be added to the tag list :)
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ SUBMIT A REQUESTS AND ASK ME ANYTHING!
: ̗̀➛ requests are always open ♡
-𝐛𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲ఌ
#mat barzal#mat barzal x reader#mat barzal x oc#matthewbarzal#matthewbarzal x Reader#matthewbarzalxoc#new york isles#new york islanders#nhl blurb#nhl writing#nhl x reader#nhl#nhl fic#nhl imagine#nhl fanfiction#nhl smut#spotify#dress#taylor swift#Spotify
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Helping Hand | Mat Barzal
summary: Mat’s son meets his next door neighbour and quickly befriends her, what happens when Mat falls for her much like she does for him?
trope: single dad
request: yes/no
warnings: none.
word count: 1.64k
authors note: I asked who got the child and you requested Mat so here he is as a dad! We are going to act like Tito was never traded because this piece isn’t dated but I miss him as an Islander. If you want to check out the rest of the celly you can do so here!
It had been the longest day of your life.
All you wanted to do was run yourself a bubble bath as you went to sleep for an early night. That was why when you stood in the elevator your couldn’t help but smile as some kid stared up at you.
Your mother always said that when a child stared at you for just being you it was a compliment because clearly you were pretty “I like your croc,” you pointed to the child’s stuffed animal that he held on to for dear life.
His nanny couldn’t help but smile as you crouched down to talk to him “what’s his name?” You added as you saw that your floor was still another thirty away.
Drew held the crocodile out so that he could place it on your hands “that’s Danny and I’m Drew,” he introduced himself as he sent you a gummy grin that was due to his two front teeth missing.
You pretended to study the teddy as you nodded along with what he was saying “I’m y/n,” your introduction was more so to the lady that was with him “Agatha.” She nodded as she let the two of you get back to your conversation.
By the time the elevator doors opened you knew all of Drew’s favourite facts about himself, his favourite colour was blue, he likes horses. Chicken nuggets and fries are his favourite food but his dad doesn’t let him eat it that often. The part that probably made your heart warm was that the young boy sang his fathers praises as he made it clear that his dad was a cool dude “you promise you’ll come meet my dad soon?” Drew asked as you walked them to their door realising that he was actually your neighbour.
You nodded as you held your pinky out “I promise,” his small finger locked itself around yours and you had to resist the urge to aww at the sight “have a good day you two.” You added as you softly ruffled the boys hair eliciting a laugh from his lips.
The duo watched you make your way down the hall “bye y/n!” Drew called out as he waved before he walked into his apartment.
The young boy played on your mind for the entirety of the next day so when you were back in the hallway walking to your apartment and you came across Danny who seemed to have been dropped on the floor you knew what you had to do.
It wasn’t often that you got yourself involved in other people’s business but after listening to Drew highlight the importance of this stuffed animal you knew he’d appreciate it “you are not the postman.” Mat blurted out as he opened the door to be met with your empty hands.
You sucked at your bottom lip as you furrowed your eyebrows “you’re not Agatha,” your comment made him laugh “she’s got the day off.” He explained as his eyes went down to your hands “thank god you found that stupid animal.” Mat added as he realised that Drew no longer had to rip up his bedroom trying to find that.
Part of you wanted to remind him of the crocodiles name but the other part of you knew it was best to just keep your mouth shut “y/n!” Drew let out a cheer as he saw you stood at the door.
Mat was surprised when he realised that you were actually a real person but that you were also an adult “I believe this is yours,” you smiled as you bent down to hand him Danny.
The young boy wrapped his arms around your neck as he almost knocked you off of your feet “thank you!” Drew repeated those words drawing a laugh from both you and his father “don’t mention bud,” you smiled as you patted his back.
His dads eyes never left yours as he crossed his arms and leaned against the frame of the door “do you want to ask your friend if she wants to come in?” Mat proposed as he rubbed his hand along his chin.
Drew’s eyes lit up at the thought “do you? Do you really?” He asked as he squealed with excitement.
You let out a laugh as you stood back up straight “I don’t even know your name,” you pointed out as you looked at Mat.
The boy groaned “tell her who you are daddy!” Drew pulled at Mats pants as the older Barzal remained quiet.
Mat shook his head as he snapped himself out of it “Mat, Mat Barzal.” The hockey player introduced himself to you as he held his hand out for you to shake.
His tone made you think that you should have known who he was but still you remained oblivious “y/n l/n.” You never that by listening to Drew it would start the most interesting month of your life.
Now you still remained unaware of Mats true profession but that was because you never seemed to ask and besides thinking he was some rich businessman each time he left the apartment in his suit was much more entertaining.
So instead after a busy week where you hadn’t seen a lot of Drew or Mat you knew the perfect way to apologise to the boy for not seeing him all week after Agatha sent you a text saying the boys missed you.
It wasn’t clear to you why Mat would have been involved in that statement but you didn’t look into it “you sure that I can’t meet her?” Tito groaned as he kicked his legs.
Drew had been playing away with his toys on the carpet “I don’t want you guys to scare her.” Mat explained as he shrugged “she wants to meet them.” Drew announced as he didn’t look up from his train set.
That was music to Tito’s ears “see she wants to meet us!” He cheered at the boys phrase.
Mat rolled his eyes “I’ll see when she has time.” The Canadian proposed as there was a knock at the door “so I’ve got four different cupcakes so take your pick but just not-” you walked into his apartment just like how you always did.
Tito locked eyes with you as he smiled “you’re friends with the Tito Beauvillier and you never told me!” You gasped as you sent Mat a glare only causing his teammate to laugh.
It wasn’t often that Mat was jealous but this was one of those few moments “how do you know who he is but not me!” Mat furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at you.
Drew ran over to you “hi y/n!” He giggled as he wrapped his arms around your legs.
You smiled as you looked down at the boy “the guy I sit next to at work has his poster above his computer.” You explained as you crouched down to be eye level with Drew “which one do you want?” You added as you opened the box for the boy to see the different cupcakes in your box.
Over the next two months you learnt all about how Mat was a hockey player and you even went as far as to meet his teammates. Twitter began to think that you were more than just Mats friend as a video came out of you playing rock paper scissors with Drew in the family and friends box.
After an afternoon game Mat convinced you to go for a round a minigolf. You were for the most part unsure of it, you had grown fond of both Drew and Mat but you didn’t want to put your feelings above the young boys.
What you didn’t know was that Mat felt the same way about you. The fights he had gotten into recently on the ice were because of chirps about you, your style, your body, anything about you that they could say to get under his skin about your they said it. After every game though you always landed up back at his place to play nurse “Mat!” You laughed as the boy wrapped his arms around you to stop you from swinging the club “no cheating!” You added as the scruff from his beard rubbed against your neck.
He smiled as he put you back down “I’m just helping my cause,” he explained as you spun around to face him.
The smirk was present on your face “your cause?” You cocked your head as you licked your lips.
Mats hand went to your hair as he smile “got a pretty strong plan.” He confessed as he dropped his club to the ground “want to tell me about them?” You wriggled you eyebrows as your heart rate increased.
Alarm bells should have rung in Mats head as he studied your face “dinner, maybe even a second date?” He proposed grateful that he had booked the course out so they didn’t have anyone watching them “kiss me.” You blurted out as you couldn’t take it anymore.
All of the temptation and the waiting had built up in your bones “you sure?” Whilst it was all Mat wanted to hear he still didn’t want to cross a line you didn’t want him to.
You nodded “so sure it’s painful,” you gasped as the boys hands went to your cheeks before he kissed you.
It sucked the air out of your lungs as you kissed him back when your club hit the ground with a clang as your hands went on top of his.
A muffled giggle came from your lips at his neediness “wait, what do we tell Drew?” You gasped as you remembered that he was sat at home with Agatha.
“I don’t think he’ll mind if his favourite girl is around more.”
#mat barzal imagine#mat barzal oneshot#mat barzal x reader#mat barzal x oc#hockey imagine#hockey imagines#nhl imagine#nhl oneshot#oneshots#imagines#ambers 500 celly#amber writes fics
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love it if we made it - mat barzal
Pairing: Mat Barzal x OC (f)
Summary: Aurora Foster and Mat Barzal are friends. Sometimes with benefits, sometimes with unspoken feelings, but always with a little something extra. When they have the opportunity to close the cross-country gap between them, will they be able to overcome the skinny love and take their relationship to the next level?
Word Count: 9.2K
Author's Note: My first ever Barzal fic written for @thewintersoldierdisaster for @wyattjohnston's Winter Fic Exchange! You are such a talented writer and I really wanted to make this a good one - I hope I managed to get the Garden City details covered correctly. 😉 It was a blast to write for someone new even though I am still reluctantly slowly joining the Barzy train. Enjoy, my dear!
Thank you to @smileysvech, @pyotrkochetkov, @jostystyles, and @Demi for all of your help in brainstorming, editing, sending inspirational Barzy pics, and the usual general insanity. Couldn’t do it without y’all.
Also, just for the record, Mat has hair in this entire fic. No bald Barzy allowed.
Warnings: Mutual pining, angst, alcohol use (characters get drunk), Mat being a bit of a fuckboy. Smut (18+ ONLY); unprotected sex, general sexual tension/sexual themes.
Masterlist
July 2013 - Vancouver, British Columbia
The crackling of the fire melds with the gentle splash of waves on the shoreline, crickets chirping happily amid the cool summer breeze. Smoke billows up, wafting to a deep sky sparkling with stars, not a cloud in sight.
Aurora Foster watches the flames, absorbing the warmth on her legs. There’s a blue koozie on the armrest of her Adirondack chair, holding a Diet Coke. She allows herself to sink into the warm, worn cotton of her Burnaby Winter Club sweatshirt, sighing contentedly.
“Anyone want more pizza? I’ve gotta rock a piss.”
Rolling her eyes, Aurora scoffs as the rest of the group murmurs no’s. “Charming, Fabbs.”
The next voice that rings out is clear. “Anyone wanna go for a late night dip?”
“Yeah, I’ll go.” This time of night is Aurora’s favorite time for a swim, when the lake is all but glass and the water feels like a lukewarm bath; not warm, but certainly not cold after spending a day baking under a bright British Columbia sun.
There are no other takers, so she looks expectantly across the fire. His dark hair is shaggy, unkempt, air-dried after a day in the lake. His brown eyes lock with hers, and he jerks his head toward the dock with a grin. “Race you.”
Mat Barzal.
A name that holds the burden of promise. He’s going to be drafted in a few years, to the Show—and he’s going to be good. Not I’m just saying that because he’s my friend and I’m supposed to say that—no, he’s going to be good, potentially even great.
Here, though, he’s just Mat. He feels weird about the weight his name is starting to hold, not really knowing what to do with the slight level of fame. He’s made a vow to himself that whatever happens, he won’t let it get to him, won’t let it change the fabric of who he is—this guy, right here, feeling the warm breeze through his hair as sprints down the wooden dock, two smaller feet pattering rapidly behind him.
“You first,” he grins, gesturing toward the ladder.
“What if there’s a big monster waiting right there and it eats me?”
“I’ll jump in and save you,” he says, like there’s no hesitation. He glances down to double check that there is no actual sign of danger. Aurora doesn’t notice, her eyes also on the dark water, illuminated only slightly by the brightness of the moon.
“You promise?”
“I promise.” The way he says it is so sure that it actually comforts her for a split second, enough time for her confidence to reach the appropriate level to jump in with a splash.
Her body is immersed in cold for the briefest of seconds before she’s enveloped in warmth. The splash next to her tells her that Mat has joined her beneath the water. He rises to the surface a few moments later, letting out a scoff as he shakes out his hair.
“Shit. You like this?” he asks, swimming out toward the trampoline floating a few meters away.
“It’s nice!” she says, following him. “Refreshing.”
“It’s cold.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be a big macho hockey player?”
He ignores her with a roll of his eyes, rising back out of the water to climb the ladder to the trampoline. Aurora opts to swim around a while longer, feeling the weight of the water gliding over her skin. It’s nice, heavenly even, how the water makes her weightless.
When she approaches the trampoline, the blast of cool air against her wet skin makes her shiver, goosebumps instantly covering her body. Mat glances at her, sees the way her arms have wrapped around herself in an attempt to warm herself. He extends an arm, his own skin almost dry. “C’mere.”
His arm curls around her frame, warmth of him already heating her skin. He’s not sure if it’s his heart or hers that he can feel beating—maybe it’s both, beating in a steady, sure rhythm next to one another.
Aurora’s toes nudge his, the gesture comfortable and affectionate; a silent thank you.
June 2018 – Vancouver, British Columbia
By all accounts, it’s a normal Thursday evening in June; Aurora’s housemates are getting ready to go out to the bar—there are plugged-in curling irons, loose cans of hairspray, scattered makeup brushes all over the counter alongside an assortment of cups in varying stages of empty. A half-full fifth of Smirnoff is there too, the cap misplaced somewhere.
On any other occasion, Aurora would be right there with them, blasting Taylor Swift and chattering about if Brad will finally make a move on Carley. Tonight, though, she’s opted out in favor of spending the night on the couch in her favorite sweatpants. Just not feeling a bar tonight, she’d said.
The silence when the door finally closes behind her friends is almost deafening; she hadn’t realized how loud it was in the chaos of the pre-night-out ritual. With a contented sigh, Aurora plops down on the couch and tugs a blanket over her legs, opening Netflix and starting an episode of New Girl.
She's part way through her second episode and her first glass of wine when she gets the text.
[Mat:] what’s the play tn
Mat. Of course. He’s home for the summer now, back after his first year in Long Island, and recently returned from winning the Calder trophy. Aurora still had a hard time connecting that this Mat, the one that she’s known since they were 12, the one who she grew up hearing make stupid dick jokes with his friends, is the same one that just won Rookie of the Year in the National Hockey League.
Instead of typing out a message, Aurora snaps a photo of the wine glass in her hand and blanket in her lap with the TV in the background. It doesn’t take long for the response bubble to pop back up, and soon enough the whoosh of an incoming text sounds.
[Mat:] want some company?
Aurora’s heart freezes in her chest. She hasn’t spent any time alone with him since that sorority formal her sophomore year, the one she bribed him to attend with her so she wasn’t the only girl without a date. It was platonic—that didn’t even need to be discussed—and it had been nice to have a familiar figure by her side; it didn’t hurt that he was starting to make a name for himself in the hockey world as a top draft pick headed for the NHL.
What started as a simple, friendly night ended with her leg wrapped around his waist, leaning against the bathroom door of the venue, moaning his name. She didn’t know how they ended up there, but what she did know was that it was passionate, mind-boggling, life-altering sex.
At least, to her it was. He’d never mentioned it since.
At first, it lingered on the tip of her tongue every time he was around, waiting to be blurted out when the sinking confusion became too much to bear. But one month, two months, three months passed, with no recognition or acknowledgement that anything happened between them.
For a while, she began to believe that she’d dreamt it; that her mind conjured the hottest, dizziest, most viscerally real dream possible. But then she’d see his eyes flick to hers during the sex scene in a movie and feel the spark of electricity when his hand would brush hers. Just briefly, but enough for her to confirm that no, she didn’t imagine it all.
Needless to say, Aurora can’t help the rising suspicion at the seemingly random text. Surely, he couldn’t be thinking about one night years ago when he had the pick of any girl he wanted at his fingertips.
Before she can stop herself, she's typing ‘bring chocolate’ and soon, she hears her front door open. There’s a shuffle, the sound of shoes being shrugged off, before that handsome face is rounding the corner. His eyes land on her in an instant, a predatory gaze simmering behind an unassuming smile. In his hand is a plastic bag from which he fishes out a pack of peanut M&M’s, tossing them at her.
Aurora squeals, eagerly tearing open the packet and immediately tossing three into her mouth. After an expectant eyebrow raise from him, she heaves herself off the couch with a dramatic sigh and runs the short distance to him before launching into his arms.
“Thank you, Matty,” she says, voice muffled by the black Acme sweatshirt he’s wearing. He’s warm. And big—bigger than he was before he left for New York. “And congratulations.”
He hums a response, following her as she resumes her spot, this time making room for him beside her. “You didn’t want to go out tonight? Celebrate that enormous trophy?”
Mat shrugs, placing her feet in his lap and securing the blanket over both. “Could take it or leave it. Can’t leave you to be home alone and bored.”
She rolls her eyes and nudges his leg with her foot. “Shut up. You didn’t have to come over.”
“Honestly, I need a break after that media circus,” he confesses. “So much press, so many questions, so many pictures. It’s exhausting.”
Aurora nods understandingly, though she can only imagine being put on public display the way he is day in and day out, the attention only heightened now that he’s won the Calder. She’s seen the pictures, the articles, all of the buzz, feeling a slight tinge of jealousy—not of him, but that she has to share him with the rest of the world now.
Mat settles in, and casual conversation filters in amidst the episode, pausing at moments to hear the dialogue before another one of them is adding commentary or snorting at someone’s Instagram story. It’s so casual, so normal, his place beside her on the couch; like finally finding that one pivotal puzzle piece she’s been looking for for hours. He’s calm, relaxed, and once again she begins to wonder if she’s been creating something out of nothing this entire time. If the flood of nerves in her chest is an overreaction.
“You still seeing that frat guy? Tim, or whatever his name is?”
The question comes out of nowhere. Aurora can’t help but wonder if she detects a hint of jealousy.
“Was never really seeing him,” she replies, leaving a heavy pause, enough time for him to fill in the blanks. It’s true, but maybe she chose her words intentionally, curious to see if that lilt in his tone really was jealousy.
He doesn’t react much outside of a nod and an over-engineered nice, but she sees the very slight tick in his jaw. She resists the urge to roll her eyes, instead supplying, “You really gonna give me shit, Mr. Hot-Shot-NHL rookie?”
“Listen,” he grins, “it’s not my fault there’s a million single girls in New York.”
This time, Aurora does roll her eyes, if only to hide the sting she feels deep in her chest. She wouldn’t say she has feelings for Mat Barzal, but—well, it’s complicated. It’s always been there, buried deep beneath the surface, veiled as fond affection for a friend who’s grown by her side since they were 12.
“But none of them are as pretty as you.”
Aurora has to laugh, can’t help but laugh, rather than feel the discomfort that sinks in when she processes what he said. He’s always like this—these seemingly harmless, flirty comments—but those are the ones that keep his hooks latched into her, keeping her coming back for more, dangling by a single thread of hope.
“Don’t be a dick.”
“M’not. You’re so pretty it hurts.”
She moves to kick him—playfully, mostly—but his hand catches her foot in an instant. Before she has a chance to protest, barely processing the evil grin that hatches on his face, he’s tickling her arch. Aurora shrieks, legs flailing in protest, doing her best to scramble out of his grasp. Mat’s laugh is mirthful as his strong arms easily overpower her, hands moving to her hips to pin her to the couch.
“You’re gonna—” he pauses to wrestle her down, “—hurt yourself.”
“Fuck off,” she shouts playfully, hands shoving wildly at his hands in a weak attempt to stop him from tickling at her sides. “I—I hate you!”
In a flash, Aurora finds her arms pinned above her head, large hands pressed into her wrists. She shrieks again, but the laughter dies in her throat when she realizes he’s paused, hovering over her. Her legs stop their thrashing, breath caught in her throat while her heart thumps in her chest. She isn’t sure how long they sit like that, frozen in time, staring at one another; she wonders if he’s thinking the same thing she is, flashing back to the night spent inside the dimly lit bar bathroom.
And then he’s kissing her, desperate, his open mouth pressed against hers. It consumes her, the feeling of his lips, in a way that makes her wonder how she’s survived the last two years without his touch. The thought of stopping is unthinkable, unfathomable, unbearable.
Mat’s hand slides down her arm to cup her jaw, thumb brushing against her cheekbone while his tongue finds hers. With her now free hand, Aurora instinctively moves to run her fingers through his hair, soft and smooth. It’s long, long enough that she can wrap the locks around her knuckles, offering a firm hold that has him exhaling lowly against her mouth.
With just the simplest, subtlest move, Aurora’s flipped the switch inside of Mat that transforms him from doting, passionate lover to desperate and unrestrained. His lips pivot to nip at the base of her jaw, offering a subtle bite on his way down to her neck.
She can hear his heavy breath, feels it hot against her skin. His palm draws warmth up her side, rucking up her t-shirt to expose her bare stomach before his hand dives beneath the hem of the cotton to press flat against her ribcage. It’s shameful how quickly Mat can render her little more than a lolling, whimpering mess, back arched eagerly to chase his touch; she wants to kick herself for giving in so easily.
His hands move in tandem with his mouth, caressing, kneading, aiding her slow descent into madness. When he tugs the cotton over her head, grateful there’s no bra impeding his view, Mat swoops down to her breasts like a starving man getting his first taste of food; with a groan, his tongue swipes over a pebbled nipple.
Aurora’s afraid to say his name, afraid that if she calls attention to the moment, he’ll snap out of it and stop.
And she can’t have that.
Hands roam, chased by hot breath and wet kisses, until she’s all but naked on her living room couch, as if she lives alone and doesn’t have roommates that could come home at any given moment.
He doesn’t even bother to take her panties off, instead ripping them to the side and wetting his tip with her slick, teasing her folds for just a moment.
Mat pauses at her entrance, breath heavy in his chest. His eyes trail up to hers, and Aurora’s heartbeat ticks, afraid he’s going to change his mind right now, when she needs him more than she’s ever needed anything in her life.
And then his eyes slink over her body with a smirk, admiring her breasts, her curves, the way her legs have wrapped around his hips—when did that happen? Mat’s dick twitches when he realizes he has nowhere to go but inside the dripping wet cunt in front of him, perfect and tempting and waiting to be filled up. He lets the low groan rumble in his chest while his lips return to the spot he sucked into her neck.
“Fuck, baby, you’re so pretty like this,” he murmurs against her skin. “Always think of you like this.”
Mat waits for only a moment, so brief that it flits by almost unnoticed, before he’s pushing in with a low groan. Aurora gasps at the sensation, infinitely better than everything her imagination conjures when her fingers slip between her thighs at night. Nothing replicates the feeling of him buried to the hilt inside her wet heat.
“How long you been thinkin’ ‘bout this, sweetheart?” he rasps once he grows accustomed to the way she squeezes him. “Been thinkin’ ‘bout you for a long time.”
Aurora’s fingers settle into the dip of his shoulders, breasts pressed into his chest. She tries to answer, but all that comes out is a moan. How can he expect her to speak when his hips are punching into her like they’re getting paid for it?
He’s smug at the way he’s rendered her speechless, entranced by the way she feels. Sensing he might not make it long, Mat focuses on his rhythm, finding the one that has her nails scratching down his back so he’ll have a perfect reminder of her wrapped around his dick.
When her moans escalate, he brings a hand between their bodies, watching the way her eyes flutter shut when he rubs at her clit. “Bein’ so good and so pretty for me, ‘Ror. Wanna feel you squeezin’ me while you come.”
She likes when he talks, judging by the way her breath hitches and her cunt tightens, so he keeps talking, muttering pretty, filthy somethings in her ear while he circles her clit. Before long, his whispers are covered by the sound of her crying out his name—she sounds the same as she did two years ago, sweeter this time now that he knows what she feels like when she comes.
Later, when he slips out into the night, Aurora presses her fingers against the hickey on her neck, memorizing the feeling of his lips against her skin.
July 2019 - Vancouver, British Columbia
Aurora takes a seat in the chiavari chair beside Gina, offering Dante a wave. A string quartet plays softly, ushering in wedding guests taking their seats before the ceremony. She’s there more out of obligation to the Fabbros, the bride a cousin of theirs that she’d grown up with, too.
Mat sidles in far too close to the start of the ceremony, plopping himself into the seat next to Aurora. He bumps shoulders with her, offering a grin when she mouths “hi” as the precessional begins.
The ceremony is sweet, the food is excellent, and Aurora can’t help but tear up at the best man’s speech during dinner. Afterwards, everyone is on the dance floor, moving and grooving to a Bruno Mars mashup.
Everyone except two people.
Outside of the tent, Mat and Aurora are sitting on a bench, watching the sunset. Not feeling this song, Mat had murmured to her before jerking his head toward the tent opening, and who was she to say no to accompanying her friend to take in a Vancouver sunset?
“You think you’ll do all this?” The question is abrupt but curious, like his mind had been wandering and he blurted it out as soon as it appeared in his head.
“What? A wedding?”
He nods, gesturing around. “Yeah. You know, the flowers, the fuckin’… doilies, and shit.”
Aurora’s eyebrow raises as she hides a smile. “Do you even know what a doily is?”
“No, but it feels like something that would be here,” he says with a shrug. Dante’s loud laughter echoes from inside, piercing the quiet reprieve from the music.
A few moments pass, the silence comfortable. “Yeah, I think I’d like to get married someday. Do the whole thing. No doilies, though.”
Mat snorts, nudging her knee with his. “Wonder what the guy's gonna be like.”
Aurora considers for a moment. In the few minutes they’ve been outside, the sun has slipped beneath the horizon, its dim, fading light still splaying out from behind the trees. Dusk looks good on him, she thinks. “He’s gonna get me flowers. And take care of me when I’m drunk. And he’s gonna be really, really good looking.”
Mat hums, impressed. “Damn. Sounds like a catch.”
“Duh. I’m a catch,” she says, to which Mat nods in agreement. “How about you?”
“She’s gonna have a great rack,” he replies, grinning so wide he almost ruins the delivery of the joke before he’s doubling over. Aurora snorts but joins him in laughter with a playful smack to the shoulder.
Inside the tent, the DJ makes some announcement that Aurora only half hears—something about grabbing a loved one. Mat extends a hand, smiles wide, and she ignores the thump of her chest as she slips her fingers against his palm.
The anticipation pangs in her chest as he leads her to the dance floor. She feels a sliver of apprehension as he turns to face her, placing his hands respectfully on her waist. Instantly, there’s a flash of the night on the couch, of his lips against her skin; if he’s thinking about it, too, he doesn’t show any outward indication.
Any trace of discomfort dissipates once she gives in to his gravitational pull, hands lacing together behind his neck. He’s strong, sturdy, solid—the way he’s always been, ever-present and a constant in her life since she was 12. His eyes are warm, enveloping Aurora in his gaze until she forgets that there’s anyone else around.
They sway through the remainder of the song, and when notes begin to slow, she finds herself wishing it would last longer. Fortunately, almost like the DJ is privy to her thoughts, the beat picks up, slow song melding into something more upbeat. Mat blinks, the bubble surrounding them popping unceremoniously. He can’t bring himself to let Aurora go, not when she feels so right in his arms.
With a dramatic pull, Mat spins her around, hand supporting her back as he dips her backwards. Aurora squeals, hand clutching onto his as her footing almost loses balance. Laughter bubbles out of her throat as Mat pulls her back upright, his eyes glowing with amusement. Suddenly, he’s looking to do anything to keep hearing that sound.
It takes a truly revolting love song for them to finally leave the dance floor, beelining toward the bar in search of liquid refreshment and a break. The rest of the evening is easy, full of elation and conviviality, the kind of night that makes your cup overflow and runneth over.
That night, when Aurora slips into bed tipsy at 2AM with a contented sigh, she falls asleep dreaming of brown eyes and a crooked smile.
December 2022 – New York, New York
When Mat saw the text informing him that Aurora had a job interview for a Software Engineering Lead at TekStack in New York, he offered up his spare bedroom before she could even tell him the date. It would be a waste of money to stay at a hotel when he had an apartment he barely used, he said, and she could make a long weekend out of it and he’d show her around Long Island.
The grin on Mat’s face grows the instant he sees her, a gray coat draped over her arm as she wheels her carry-on behind her. He opens his arms and she falls into them, the way she has a hundred times. “Welcome to New York.”
“—it’s been waiting for you!”
“Set you up for that on purpose,” he says, offering to take her bag. “You hungry?”
“Starving,” she replies. “But I really want to get the airplane off me first. Maybe takeout for tonight?”
Mat smiles. “Say no more. I know exactly the place.”
A few hours later, Aurora is seated at Mat’s counter, a spread of styrofoam across the quartz. Her suit is hanging in a garment bag on the back of the door to the guest bedroom, waiting to be pressed before her interview. It’s so familiar, the fondness, the sense of comfort, the shared laughter over a plate—or several—of food, but it’s no longer Dante’s family’s lakehouse or the Barzal family’s finished basement. This time, it’s Mat’s fancy apartment in Garden City, the rent alone more than what Aurora makes in a month.
But it’s still the same Mat sitting across from her. Same crooked smile, same easy laughter, same silly, unabashed personality. Admittedly, she was anxious wondering about how things would be; they’d hung out plenty over the summer, kept in touch via the group chat, but their one-on-one time had been limited the last few years.
Despite the apprehension, Aurora is surprised at how quickly they shake off the rust, barely needing any recoil time before it feels like old times. Of course, the camaraderie and pleasantries aren’t nearly enough to build up an immunity to his gray Lululemon sweatpants or the peek of his sculpted Adonis belt when he raises his arms in a lazy stretch. She wasn’t sure how she’d feel when she saw him, but she reluctantly accepts the steady beat of her heart in her chest that tells her her crush is, in fact, still holding strong.
They stay up chatting far longer than Mat anticipated, bedtime delayed even further when he offers to help her prepare for her interview, shrugging with a, I’m not tired anyway—anything to spend just a little more time with her. He Googles ‘Top Interview Questions’ and spends over an hour posing them to her, letting her work through how she’d answer each. Admittedly, he had never really had much practice in the way of a job interview outside of the pre-draft conversations he’d had with various NHL GM’s, but he had more than enough experience at preparing for an onslaught of questions—and how to shake off the nerves beforehand.
“The thing I’ve learned most is to be concise,” he says, thinking back to when he first did NHL-mandated media training. “Don’t be afraid to take a few seconds after the question to think through what you want to say. That helps so you don’t ramble.”
“Don’t ramble. Got it.”
“And listen to some boss bitch music that hypes you up on your way in. It makes a difference. I promise.”
Aurora raises an eyebrow. “I’m gonna need to know what type of ‘boss bitch’ music you’re listening to pre-game, Barzal.”
“Megan Thee Stallion is my top preference,” he says with a grin, “but if you tell anyone that, I’ll deny it and say Drake.”
“Any last expert advice for me?”
“Get a good night’s sleep,” he says, then glances at his phone at the mention of the time. “Which means we’re about two hours behind schedule. Let’s get you to bed.”
Mat offers to carry her bag to the guest bedroom—decorated straight out of a West Elm catalog—and Aurora thanks him before bidding him good night. After changing into her pajamas, she quickly shakes off the urge to pad down the hallway and slip into Mat’s bed with him, reminding herself that that isn’t why she’s here.
Instead, she settles into the soft sheets, feeling herself slipping right back into the old, familiar flutter in her chest.
—
Serendipitously, the scheduling worked out perfectly: the interview was Friday at 1PM, and the Islanders hosted the Predators on Friday night at 7PM, which meant Dante would be in New York and around for post-game dinner, drinks, and a little mid-season reunion for the trio of friends. Aurora shook away the feeling that fate was somehow intervening.
Friday morning arrives, and Mat has morning skate, so he wishes her good luck with a tight hug before he shoves a protein bar in his mouth on his way out the door. For good measure, he sends a string of emojis (💪👩🏽💼✅💰) once he arrives at the rink, hoping they’ll give her an extra boost of confidence.
Practice is relatively easy, more of the opportunity to move his body and run through some plays—nothing intense, preserving energy for the actual game. He’s thankful for a pretty painless practice as his mind continually floats to Aurora, wondering how her interview went. Mat isn’t quite sure why he feels so invested in her landing this role until he realizes that if she gets it, she’ll be moving to New York.
“Barzy, you trying to go out after the game?” Oliver asks across the locker room. Mat’s tugging on a pair of sweatpants, fresh from his post-practice shower.
“He can’t,” Matt pipes in with a lopsided grin. “His girl is here.”
Mat groans, pressing a hand to his face as he points a middle finger in Marty’s direction. Next thing he knows, the chirps and wolf whistles fill the room and he feels Pierre aggressively nudge his shoulder.
“A girl?”
“Yeah, the hot brunette. Total smokeshow,” Casey fills in for him.
“Woof woof, Barzy!”
“Get it, Matty B!”
“Fuck off,” Mat huffs, a dismissive hand directed at no one in particular. “She’s not my… girl.”
“She stayin’ at your place?” Dobson asks. “Gonna be at the game tonight?”
Mat nods, earning another chorus of whistles. He rolls his eyes as he tosses his gloves and practice jersey in the bin, ignoring the no pre-game sex jokes (“Can’t play 3 periods if you’ve already played one in the sheets”).
“If she’s not your girl, I’m definitely gonna make a move, then.”
“Fuck off, Dobber.”
—
Aurora arrives home from the interview to find a jersey folded on the bed, along with a handwritten note–thought you might want to have something to rep the home team. She sends back a text to Mat to thank him and respond to his inquiry about the interview before setting off to change and make her way to UBS.
The game is disappointing, if you’re an Islanders fan. But while Aurora is sporting the blue and orange jersey, she’s waiting excitedly for a Nashville Predator to meet her in the designated area Mat directed her to.
When he rounds the corner, hair still wet from his shower, she runs up to him and leaps into his arms. Dante grins as he embraces her in a tight hug. “Feel stupid now for wearing the wrong colors tonight, huh?”
“I have to support my host,” she says with an eye roll.
The host in question appears as if he’s been summoned, moving to hug his old friend, but not before his eyes drag over the 13 on Aurora’s arm. The three of them together just feels right, the dynamic shifted—but complete.
Once they’ve been seated at a high top in a bar in Rockville Centre, Dante turns to Aurora. “‘Ror, how was the interview?”
“It went great,” she grins, accepting the fist bump Dante offers her. “I aced the coding exercise.”
“You’re such a badass. I picture you like one of those hackers in the movies.”
Aurora snorts, shaking her head. She thanks the waiter who places her drink in front of her. “It’s not really like that, but thanks.”
Conversation flows easily amongst the trio–only one comment from Dante razzing Mat for the 4-1 loss–and eventually the food arrives, along with another round of drinks.
“So… you really gonna join us and become a Yank?” Dante probes over his meal.
“To be honest, I don’t even know if I’d accept it,” she says quietly. Mat watches the way her lip disappears between her teeth as she contemplates; he doesn’t envy the gargantuan decision that lies ahead of her. “It’s a big move to make.”
As dense as he knows he can sometimes be, Mat recognizes this as a pivotal opportunity for him to share his own experience moving across the continent. He doesn’t have much in the way of advice, the distance something he just grew accustomed to in time, but he knows what it’s like; feeling the divide between him and the rest of his life like a bruise that won’t quite heal, the precious few-hour window where phone calls and texts make 5,000 kilometers feel like 10.
In so many words, he tells her so, aided by Dante’s supporting murmurs in a rare serious moment. Aurora absorbs it, if nothing else, comforted by the fact that they understand—kind of. It’s a little different moving cross-continent when you’re going to make millions of dollars, but money certainly doesn’t make the distance less of a burden to carry.
“FaceTime is your best friend,” Dante says, and Mat nods in agreement.
“Oh, is that why I get one FaceTime from you every two months?” she sticks her tongue out at Dante. Mat makes a mental note to FaceTime her more often. If she moves to New York, he won’t have to.
“No, that’s ‘cause you’re not my best friend,” Dante jokes, and Aurora scoffs playfully, eyes rolled in annoyance.
Sensing the end of the semi-serious moment, Mat stands up. “Gotta rock a piss.”
“Charming, Barz.”
Dante watches Mat’s retreating figure, eyeing the brown locks until they disappear down the hallway toward the restrooms. His gaze moves to Aurora’s, lowering his head conspiratorially. “Is something happening?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You two. You seem… different.”
Aurora’s eyebrows raise. “Different how?”
“Just… different,” Dante shrugs, then takes another swig of his drink. “It’s not like everyone doesn’t know you’ve been in love with each other forever.”
Jaw dropping in shock, Aurora feels her face suddenly get very hot. “That’s not true!”
“Oh, I didn’t realize we were still in denial,” he says, feigning self-defense and fighting a smile. “My bad. I’ll go back to trying to ignore the way you googly eyes each other.”
“I do not make googly eyes at him!”
“Man, ‘Ror, that acceptance is really buried deep down in there, huh?” Dante grins, dodging the french fry she launches in his direction. Then, he’s back to serious—kind of. “I know it’s a big leap to take when you’ve been friends for so long, but you haven’t been subjected to seeing the way you look at each other. I wish you’d just make out already. It’s disgusting.”
Aurora doesn’t have the heart to tell him they’ve already done far more than make out—multiple times—and part of her is relieved that Mat never divulged that information to his best friend despite every opportunity to. This way, it’s their little secret, something for just the two of them to have.
Mat’s return effectively ends the conversation. They pay their tabs—Aurora ignores Dante’s pointed look when Mat picks hers up without a word—and make their way to the next bar.
Several hours and far too many Palomas later, Mat unlocks the door to his apartment. He struggles slightly under the stumbling weight of Aurora, who’s latched onto him as she drunkenly giggles. He’s not much better off, but the Uber ride sobered him up enough to think to order DoorDash, conveniently arriving a few minutes after they get in the door.
Coaxing her to eat is a bit of a struggle, but he finally manages to get her into a barstool, munching contentedly on chicken tenders.
“C’mon, ‘Ror,” he murmurs once he sees she isn’t going to finish the third tender. He wraps an arm around her waist, helping her out of the seat to stand her up. “Let’s get you to bed, yeah?”
“Carry me!”
Without any additional warning, she’s leaping into his arms. Mat lets out an oof but manages to secure her in his arms as he carries her to the guest bedroom. When he places her on the mattress, her legs don’t untangle from his waist, and Mat feels the near instant pulse in his groin. Aurora’s eyes are closed, but her hips move, subtly, and he allows himself to revel in the feeling of her brushing against him. It doesn’t take long for his dick to become hard as steel, aided massively by the soft, sleepy whimpers that leave Aurora’s throat.
“Matty,” she whispers, hands seeking out the dips in his biceps.
Mat wants nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and devour her like he’s been aching to from the moment he saw a glimpse of her in a towel coming out of the shower this morning. He’s got just enough booze in his system to cloud his judgment, hand trailing up her side and savoring the warmth of her body against his palm. His dick twitches in his pants when he glides a hand over Aurora’s breast, yearning to tug the cups of that stupidly sexy corset down to repeat his fantasy.
But he doesn’t.
Instead, he summons every single ounce of self-restraint left in his body and tears himself away from her tempting frame. Much to his chagrin, Aurora lets out the most devastating, disappointed mewl and Mat swears he can feel his heart (and dick) shatter at the sound.
“‘Ror,” he whispers. “We can’t.”
“Why not? S’not like we’ve never… done it before,” she slurs, reaching to run her hands across his pecs. He indulges in the feeling for just a brief moment, his resolve fleeting with every second.
“Not like this.”
“Y-you—” she hiccups, then frowns when he gently takes her hands off of him, “—you don’t… want me.”
“No,” Mat says quickly. He’s pretty sure she won’t remember in the morning, but if she does, he wants her to remember this. “I do. But I don’t want it to be like this.”
“Only wore this so you’d take it off,” she murmurs, and Mat groans, the devil on his shoulder whispering very strong reasons why he should give into temptation.
Ultimately, the good guy in him wins the battle, ignoring the throbbing of his dick when he helps Aurora to shimmy off her skintight leather pants. He does his best to avoid staring at the flimsy scrap of fabric between her thighs and pretends not to notice how little it covers. Her body is almost entirely dead weight as he tries to figure out how to remove her corset, eventually tugging it over her head; her breasts fall free, and he chokes on his own spit as he desperately looks around for something to cover her with.
Dashing to his room, he grabs a t-shirt—only a little bit intentionally selecting an Islanders tee in order to see her wearing his colors again; on his way back, he pours a glass of water and grabs a bottle of Advil from the bathroom. When he returns, Aurora’s breathing is heavy and she’s lying in the same position he left her in, finally asleep.
Mat places the water on the nightstand, then notices her phone and plugs it into the charger. Gently, he slides the t-shirt over her head and maneuvers her arms through the sleeves, then situates her and tucks her in before pulling the blanket up to her chin. With a kiss on her forehead, Mat quietly steps back to return to his room, ready to palm himself off, the image of her tiny panties and her tits seared into his brain.
Just before he shuts the door, he hears a quiet whisper of his name, a soft Matty in the darkness. He pauses, waiting for her to speak again.
“Stay.”
Something in her voice makes his heart ache. He stands, frozen in place, hesitant to return to her; afraid that he won’t have the willpower to resist her if she makes a move again. Like an unruly stepchild, his dick throbs as he adjusts himself.
“Please?”
Her voice is so sweet, he can’t help himself. His feet move of their own accord, back to the bed before he’s crawling under the covers beside her. Aurora’s arm immediately wraps around his stomach, snuggling into the crook of his shoulder. As he listens to her dozing off, Mat pretends it’s the alcohol that blankets his heart with warmth and not the girl sleeping soundly in his arms.
—
Bright light wakes her first. There’s a few, beautiful seconds of peace before the throbbing begins.
Aurora groans loudly, hand flying to shield her eyes. Timidly, she stretches her legs out slowly, to avoid the wave of searing pain through her skull. She has a memory of Mat’s hands touching her, dragging their way up her body, but she can’t decide if that was real or just a dream. Judging by the empty space next to her in bed, she assumes it was a dream.
She gropes for her phone on the bedside table—thankful that she had the foresight to plug in her phone in her inebriated state—and opens Instagram. Dante’s green Close Friends story bubble is one of the first she sees. The video that lies within makes her groan: it’s Aurora, illuminated by the dim, disco lights of the bar they ended up at in Rockville Centre, making an absolute fool of herself dancing. If you can even call it dancing. It’s more like a series of unhinged, discombobulated movements that barely follow the pulse of the music playing over the speakers.
But Mat Barzal is in the background, watching her like she put the stars in the sky. His eyes are warm, and the smile on his face is soft, relaxed; a look of adoration. Of love.
[Gina:] Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you and Mat?
[Gina:] Dude is looking at you like you just birthed his firstborn on Dante’s story
[Gina:] Wait, he didn’t knock you up, did he?
Aurora snorts at the texts from her pseudo-sister.
[Aurora:] Funny enough, your brother asked me the same thing
[Aurora:] And no, he did not knock me up
[Gina:] Still waiting on the answer to my first question
Aurora is halfway through typing a message (“I’ll call you when I get home”) when she hears the front door open and close. A few seconds later, there’s a gentle knock at the door before a messy-haired Mat pokes his head in. “G’morning, sunshine.”
She groans, throwing the blanket over her head in an attempt to shield herself. “Can you stop yelling?”
He laughs, and though it’s lovely, the sound pierces her brain with a fiery stake. “So you don’t want me to tell you there’s bagels in the kitchen?”
Aurora peeks her head out from under the comforter. “Bagels, you say?”
“Bagel sandwiches,” he corrects. “Best on Long Island.”
Contemplating for a moment, Aurora glances at the glass of water on the nightstand, along with the two Advil sitting by it. He must have put them there this morning. She downs then, throws on a sweatshirt, and trudges into the kitchen behind Mat.
Aurora is convinced the bagel sandwiches have magic in them, reinvigorating her brain and hitting just the right spot. The two of them chew in silence for a while, Mat choosing to give her a few minutes to come back to life.
When he senses the medication might have kicked in, he speaks, slowly. He isn’t sure why he’s feeling so nervous. “Are you sure you have to go back today?”
She laughs and nods. “Sadly, I do have to get back to my actual job that I haven’t quit yet.”
“Just saying, you can come and be my roommate–free of charge. You just gotta do the dishes and help with a little laundry.”
Aurora’s eyebrow raises, taking a long sip of the hot mug of coffee he’d placed in front of her ten minutes ago. “So you want a live-in maid?”
“Well, when you say it like that…” Mat trails off with a laugh. “Really though. When are you supposed to hear back?”
“They just said in a couple weeks,” she shrugs. Only a few more weeks before life could change forever.
Something in their goodbye is different; a little bit timid, maybe even hesitant, but neither call it to attention. Mat gives her a squeeze in the departures lane, wishing her a safe flight, and Aurora promises to keep him updated on the job.
He watches her slip between the sliding doors, watching her figure retreat until he can’t see her anymore.
January 2023 — Vancouver, British Columbia
Aurora huffs, blowing the hair out of her eyes as she concentrates on her phone in her hand. She types, deletes, then re-types her message.
I got the job.
Her finger hovers over the button to send, heart pounding. She doesn’t know why she’s nervous, not exactly, but she knows there’s a lot of weight behind those four words, knows that they have the potential to change everything. For her. For him. Everything.
[Mat:] Congratulations! Told you you’d kill it. 😊
The text is followed by a gif of Buddy the Elf, and Aurora almost snorts at the stupidity of it. She takes a breath, almost… disappointed? If nothing else, she was expecting a bit more excitement, more fanfare.
Aurora presses down on the message and gives it a thumbs up.
Three hours later, she’s on the phone with Gina, gushing over the excitement of her job offer. She hasn’t even accepted it, but she’s still wistfully dreaming of how she might decorate her Manhattan apartment, anticipating the charm—among other things—of being in the greatest city in the world.
Gina senses Aurora’s hesitation before she even says anything. “But…”
“…but if I go, I’m pretty sure I’m going to get my heart broken.” She can hear Gina contemplating on the other line, probably debating how to deliver her latest blow of hard-hitting advice.
Gina’s next sentence is quiet, but confident. “You just need to talk to him, ‘Ror.”
“I know.”
Aurora’s phone buzzes, but it isn’t until she gets off the phone with Gina a few minutes later that she sees the second text appear on her screen.
[Mat:] so, we gonna do this?
[Aurora:] do what?
She watches the text bubbles appear, then disappear. The seconds feel like an eternity before a FaceTime call is popping up, a photo of 17-year-old Mat with upside down sunglasses on. Sliding to answer, she’s greeted by the sight of Mat, arm resting behind his head, silver chain peeking out of the hem of his white t-shirt. His hair is ruffled, and he’s looking at the camera with a knowing smirk.
“You and me,” he says simply. It takes Aurora a few moments to realize he’s responding to her text—and a few more before she realizes what he’s saying.
“You–are you—what?”
“You know, give it the old college try.” He offers a cheeky shrug of his shoulders, a flash of his charming smile.
“Mat, are you asking me out?”
“Were you expecting a grand proposal with roses and champagne?”
She ignores his snigger, too frenzied to acknowledge his sarcastic quip. Instead, she opts to get to the real question she has burning a hole in her chest. “Where is this coming from?”
“I’ve been waiting for a chance with you since we were 15, ‘Rora. Jus’ never had one ‘til right now.”
Aurora’s jaw drops, words completely absent from her brain. This was everything she’d wanted to hear for the better part of a decade, and here he is, as casual as if he was asking her to pass the salt at the dinner table.
Mat’s waiting for a response, so she shakes off the surprise and does her best to gather her composure. She isn’t sure what to feel: elated, irritated, and skeptical, and everything in between. “And you never thought to tell me you felt this way?”
He shrugs. “Jus’ did, didn’t I?”
Aurora resists the laugh at the simplicity of his Boy Brain. “Mathew Michael Paul Barzal, if you are fucking with me and this is some shit idea of a joke—”
“Why would I joke about something like that?” he says, then a glint takes over in his eyes. “I would like to be fucking you, though.”
An exasperated sigh leaves her throat, though she begrudgingly notes the way her stomach flips at his statement. “Can you not do—that—for five minutes, please? This is a lot of information to take in.”
Mat hums an apology, not really sorry. He watches the way she puts her phone down, his view now the slowly spinning ceiling fan in her apartment bedroom. He can hear the sigh, the sound of her feet padding slowly on the hardwood floor–pacing.
“I’m serious, Aurora.” He announces it out, loudly, maybe a little more formally than he expected.
Her forehead peeks over the camera, frizzy, unstyled post-shower waves falling over her face. “Fuck, Mat.”
“You could come live with me in Garden City,” he says. “Take the subway in on the days you go into work. Could set up an office for you in the den.”
“Mat, I’m not fucking moving in with you when I don’t even know what this is,” she says, exasperated, ignoring the thought he’s clearly put into it all. She hears the words he’s saying, but after almost a decade of missed connections, crushed hopes, and mixed messages, she’s hesitant to really take them to heart. It’s a defense mechanism, not willing to trust him even though she’s pretty sure he’s serious. “Do you realize how insane you sound?”
“M’not,” he says, shakes his head for emphasis. “It’s always been you, Ror.”
At that, Aurora has to sit down, the weight of the words smacking her clean in the chest. She can feel the magic, the warmth, the fuzzies enveloping her heart, ready to soar into the clouds at what he’s saying. At the same time, she’s confused, uncertain, maybe a little angry. More frustrated than mad, really, but she knows she deserves an explanation all the same.
“Why haven’t you said anything this entire time? It’s been years, Mat. I’ve loved you since we were fifteen—waiting this whole time to hear you say this, to give me any fucking clue that maybe you felt the same way.”
He looks like a puppy who has been scolded for destroying a roll of toilet paper. Then, “You think I don’t want to be with you?”
“You never gave a sign. You never even acknowledged what happened between us.”
It’s the first sign of any remorse when Mat sighs, his eyes cast down from the camera. “I—I thought it was casual. We’ve lived so far apart I just thought—”
“—thought it wasn’t worth it?”
“No,” he says quickly, looking up to meet her gaze. “I thought you wouldn’t want to do it. The distance.”
“Thought you regretted it,” she admits. Her voice is so quiet Mat barely hears it.
“Regret sleeping with the girl I’ve been in love with since I was in high school? Yeah, okay,” he snorts. “My only regret is that we haven’t been doing it all this time.”
Aurora hums, overwhelmed by his confession—if you can call it that—and the influx of feelings that have inundated her chest. What he’s saying makes sense, in a twisted, boy-math kind of way.
“What does being—” she swallows the word girlfriend like a disgusting cough syrup. “—together look like?”
“Whatever you want it to look like.”
“What do you want it to look like?”
Mat hums. He thinks, envisions what calling Aurora his girl—for real, not just when he’s getting razzed by his teammates–would look like. A picture of waking up with her in his arms, sleepy and smiling. Eating takeout on the couch, her feet in his lap, sporting one of his t-shirts while they catch up on Succession. Seeing her in the stands at UBS, wearing his number on her back. Laughter, comfort, happiness. Home.
In other words, the entire weekend he spent with her.
“Don’t say something stupid like, ‘unlimited sex’,” she adds, the dreamy smile on his face alerting her to the idea that some of his thoughts may, perhaps, be unsavory.
“Wasn’t gonna,” he replies, “but now that you mention it…”
“I’m going to hang up.”
“I’m just joking, ‘Ror. I mean, don’t get me wrong, that would be top of my list. But you gotta know that you’re way more to me than just great tits and a fat ass.”
“Mat!”
“Okay, okay, sorry,” he says, holding a hand up as if to defend himself from her scathing tone. Aurora’s eyes roll and she scoffs, though Mat swears he sees the corner of her lip turn up just slightly. “I’d… want it to look exactly like this.”
Aurora blinks, not expecting such a simple answer—not that she had any idea of what to expect out of his mouth, ever. The concept that they’re already there, minus the labels, is… overwhelming. A little bit unnerving, because everything that flicks through her mind just feels like more and more evidence that he’s right. Dante, Gina, everyone else saw it—she’d just been blind to it the whole time.
“So,” he says slowly, afraid to pop her thought bubble. “What d’you say?”
“Wish you were here and not on FaceTime,” she mumbles, embarrassed at the vulnerability that slips out.
“I’ll get a flight to Vancouver right now, if it helps.”
Aurora smiles melancholy, and it tastes bittersweet. She knows he’s serious, would be by her side as soon as humanly possible, if she asked. But she also knows his influence will only sway her in one direction, and she needs to make sure she’s making an unbiased decision.
“Ror?”
“I–I need some space, okay?”
“I’ll be here when you’re ready.”
—
The next week is a blur, a mess of emotions and running through the same scenarios in her head over and over again. Aurora sits at the countertop on FaceTime with Gina, dissecting the options for what feels like the thousandth time.
“I don’t know what he doesn’t understand about space but this sure isn’t it,” she says, glancing at the bouquet of flowers sitting in a pretty—and expensive—glass vase.
“I think it’s sweet,” Gina insists. “Besides, we all know he isn’t the smartest.”
“It feels like he’s pressuring me, Gin,” Aurora says.
Gina rolls her eyes. “So he wants to show you he cares after years of burying his feelings. Sue the guy, why don’t you?”
Dusting a crumb off of the kitchen counter, scrolling through the relocation document TekStack had sent her along with her offer, Aurora sighs. Gina’s right; other than the flowers, he’d cooled it on everything else, and she missed it—the stupid memes, the goofy texts, the random (and gross) Snapchat series of him peeing in different cities. Missed him.
“Can’t wait to visit you. Keep the sex to a minimum while I’m in the guest bedroom, ‘kay?”
“Shut up!”
February 2023 — New York, New York
Mat fidgets, wiping his hands on his sides before glancing at his watch for the 16th time in five minutes. 3:17pm. Any minute now.
When he sees her coming down the catwalk, he doesn’t think twice; his strides quicken, along with the tick of his heart, and his fingers itch in anticipation. When he reaches her, he ignores the look of surprise on her face, hands cupping her jaw and pulling her mouth to his in a kiss that takes her breath away.
“I love you,” he says breathlessly when she pulls away, an expression of pure shock on her face. “Should’ve been telling you that for years. Please, please, please be mine. For real.”
The corners of Aurora’s lips twitch before they curl into a smile, and Mat has to resist the urge to kiss her again before she can even answer.
“Thought you said you weren’t gonna do an elaborate proposal,” she says with a laugh.
“Would, if that’s what it took,” he mumbles. He knows he’s being a simp, but he’s not missing this chance now that it’s right in front of him, so close he can taste it—literally. Her chapstick lingers on his lips, subtle but enough that he knows it’s all her.
“Lucky for you, Barzy, I think an airport love confession is the perfect amount of elaborate.”
SIMILAR CONTENT
The Mystery of Love*
Third Time’s the Charm*
Adore You
#mat barzal fic#hockey fic#hockey imagine#nhl imagine#nhl fic#mat barzal fanfiction#mat barzal imagine#mat barzal x oc#hockey fanfiction#nhl fanfiction
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bad reaction pt. 2 - mat barzal (au #2)
part one has been dubbed the 'bad reaction mat fic', so here's the second au of part two loll. here's the first au of part two! this kinda sucks, but it's not supposed to be a happy ending so yeah
gif not mine!
it was quiet. too quiet.
you peered an eye open, trying to listen to any sound of noise in the apartment. you couldn't.
suspicious, you got to your feet, making your way down the hall and into your son's room. finding it empty, you suppressed a groan.
if he was awake and not making noise, it meant something was happening. something you wouldn't be happy about.
you silently headed down the hallway and towards the living room, mentally preparing yourself to clean up whatever mess nico had made this time. he was a rowdy kid. always making noise, breaking lamps, or creating messes.
but he had a heart of gold.
"nico," you called out your son's name a little hesitantly.
"in here, mama!" he responded.
you followed his voice to the living room, stopping in your tracks at the sight on the t.v. screen.
it had been years - six years - and that time had seemed to do mat well. he hadn't shaved recently, growing out a bit of scruff, and his brown eyes were just as lovely as you remembered.
he was in the middle of giving an intermission interview, answering the reporter with the standard responses.
"he shoots... he scores!" nico's voice broke your trance.
nico had taken the broom from the kitchen and was holding it as if it was a hockey stick. the tennis ball he was using as a puck slammed into the leg of the coffee table, adding another dent.
you shook your head to yourself, reaching for the remote to turn the t.v. off.
"no, mama wait!" nico called out. "i wanna watch the hockey game."
"it's a repeat, bubba," you told him. "the islanders already won. besides, i thought you didn't like hockey."
"i changed my mind," he shrugged simply. "but leave it, i wanna watch."
despite your heart aching at the sound of mat's voice - no matter how monotone it was - you gave in to your son's wishes, leaving the game on. insisting on turning the t.v. off would only make him suspicious.
the last thing you needed was for anyone to find out who nico's dad was.
--
tags:@woodruff-edwards , @austinbutlerscaresme , @svechnikovvv , @hockeyboysarehot , @emptyflowerpots , @mysticaldonkey , @lam-ila , @babydollmarauders , @starjoyyy , @kjohnson-91 , @gavinbrindley, @hischierdevils , @jackhughesily , @panarin10 , @equallyshaw , @power2myheart , @lynnismypseudonym , @beccaiscold , @akengii , @hischierhaze, @cinnamonpancakes , @mitchymainer , @lifeofpriya , @marshmallow-babe, @hughesx3 , @emsully2002 , @starsandhughes , @huggy-hischier73 , @doglady5678 , @thatoneblog , @exonct07 @hughesmedicine , @qwanelledingele , @mindless-rock , @ireadthensuetheauthors , @huggy-hischier94, @slaythehousedownboots , @diary-of-jj , @youunravelme
#mathew barzal#mathew barzal one shot#mathew barzal x reader#mathew barzal imagines#mathew barzal imagine#mathew barzal#mat barzal x oc#mat barzal#mat barzal imagine#mat barzal imagines#mat barzal oneshot#new york islanders x reader#new york islanders imagines#new york isles#naqia writes!
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family skate
December 7, 2022
Maleah kneeled down in front of her son as she slipped on his shoes, smiling at his adorable outift, cargo sweatpants, white sweater, black puffer jacket and an orange beanie that is covering his beautiful blonde curls.
“Is Uncle JoJo coming?” Malakai looked at his mother in question as he played with his green dinosaur that is his absolute favorite stuff animal ever.
“He is, he will be here any minute and you guys will have a fun time.” Maleah brushed her hand against his cheek pressing a kiss to his forehead before standing up and picking Malakai up and resting him on his hip.
“Are you sure you can’t come Mama?” Malakai softly asked playing with the ends of his mother’s hair.
“You know i wish i could! But you’ll have lots of fun with Uncle Jojo.” She smiled down at her favorite person feeling terrible she couldn’t make the Devils family skate with John and Malakai, especially since Malakai and her have went to all the other family skate when John played at the Penguins but she had a fashion show at the exact time as the family skate and she has to be there.
Maleah had been so busy the fast few months that Malakai and her haven’t had the chance to meet John’s team yet, especially since Malakai doesn’t love a lot of people and going to games gets quite overwhelming and they tend to watch the games at home. Also the last five or so months the two have done a lot more traveling and just haven’t been home often.
Maleah heard the knock on the front door and walked over to the door with her son in her arms, she opened the door and smiled at her best friend, “Jo!” She smiled watching John smile widely at the two and pull them into a hug.
“Hi Mal and Little Mal!” John grinned kissing Malakai’s cheek, Malakai giggled at his godfather.
“Alright you guys better get going,” Maleah reminded John, “I love you Kai, you be good okay.” She looked down at her son pressing a kiss to his forehead.
“I love you too Mama!” Malakai frowned slightly never liking leaving his mother.
“Come on my little buddy.” John brightly grinned taking Malakai into his arm and picking up his little hand waving at Maleah, “Say bye Mama!”
“Bye Bye.” Maleah fondly waved back at the two watching them head down the hallway and into the elevator.
John walked them into the parking garage and heading to his car, he opened the passenger seat and set Malakai into his car seat that is always in John’s car, John buckled the seat belt and handed Malakai his green dinosaur before closing the door and heading into the drivers seat.
John drove to the Devils Arena and parked his car in the parking spot, he hopped out of the car and opened the passenger door and took his godson out of the car seat.
“You wanna walk or be held?” John asked Malakai, Malakai made a thinking face before holding on to John’s hand meaning he wants to walk, “Alright. We do have to leave Mr.Dino in the car, he might be cold at the rink.” Malakai made a sad face but reached up and set his stuff animal in the car.
John made sure to walk slowly with Malakai holding his hand, they walked through the hallway to the locker room seeing a lot of the players with their friends and family.
John having been traded to the Devils the beginning of the season and this would be his first family skate with the Devils, his parents couldn’t make it and Maleah tried but she had to be at her show.
Nico Hischer looked over from where he was talking with his parents and sister and saw John standing with a young boy. Nico smiled and excused himself and walked over to John and he kneeled down in front of the young boy, “Hi, I’m Nico, what’s your name?” Nico held out his hand towards the young kid and smiled comforting at the kid.
Malakai looked up at his godfather for permission, John smiled and nodded. Malakai shyly shook Nico’s hand, “I’m Malakai.”
“That’s a very cool name Malakai!” Nico smiled at the boy.
“Thank you.” Malakai smiled slightly at Nico.
“Who’s this adorable little guy!” Jack Hughes smiled walking over seeing John with a little boy.
“This is Malakai he’s my godson.” John fondly smiled as he looked down at Malakai ruffling his hair.
“I’m Jack!” Jack smiled widely at the young boy and pulled a funny face making Malakai giggle slightly.
John felt himself relax slightly seeing his teammates being so kind to Malakai, He scooped up his godson, “Alright let’s get your skates on.” He spun them around making Malakai laugh.
John walked them over to his stall and set Malakai down on the stall, pulling out the small ice skates he brought the other day that he has for Malakai, he kneeled down in front of his godson and slipped off his shoes and slipped his tiny feet into the skates and started lanching them up. John stood up and sat down next to Malakai quickly putting on his win skates.
“Ready to go?” John held out a hand for Malakai, The boy nodded and hopped up grabbing his godfathers hands, while John grabbed his stick and Malakai’s very tiny stick and small helmet.
John slipped on the helmet onto Malakai’s head and clicked it on, before they started walking out of the locker room and headed down to the rink.
Malakai quickly got onto the ice extremely smoothly having been on the ice since before he could walk.
John was skating right behind Malakai knocking some pucks onto the ice letting Malakai grab on with his hockey stick.
“Oh, you better move!” John teased gently hitting his stick in front of Malakai trying to take the puck away, Malakai giggled but kept the puck to his stick and hit into the goal.
“Ohhhhh and Malakai scoresss!” John cheered putting his arms around his waist and spinning Malakai around.
“Uncle JoJo!” Malakai giggled throwing his little head back as his godfather spun him around like crazy.
“Who is this adorable little dude?” Alex Holtz skated next to John, holding his hand out for fist bump.
“This is Malakai! He’s my godson.” John proudly introduced him to Alex, Malakai hit his fist to Alex’s.
“He’s so cute!” Dawson Mercer smiled as he skated on the other side of John waving at Malakai.
“Thank you.” Malakai shyly whispered.
John and Malakai said bye to Dawson and Alex and they continued skating when one of the Media people asked to take a picture of them.
Malakai rested his head against John’s leg smiling, John rested his head on the back of Malakai’s helmet.
The media person said bye and skated away.
“Can we take a picture for Mama?” Malakai asked excitedly knowing his mother loves getting pictures when he is away.
“Course buddy.” John pulled out his phone and kneeled down next to him and held up his phone as the two smiled at the camera, John quickly sent the photo it Maleah before putting her phone away.
Nico saw the media team asking John to do an interview and saw Malakai with John, Nico skated over and rested a reassuring hand on John’s shoulder, “I can watch him?” Nico asked if John would be comfortable with that.
“Okay thank you.” John smiled, he looked down at Malakai, “Be good?” John not to worried about letting Malakai go with Nico because they are only gonna be on the ice.
“Okay.” Malakai smiled and looked over at Nico, “Do you have your stick?”
“I do it’s by the bench.” Nico smiled and slowly skated with Malakai following him to the bench. Nico grabbed his stick and saw Malakai having a puck against his stick.
Nico smiled seeing Malakai already so comfortable skating around and him being so young and already so impressive with a stick and puck.
“How long have you been skating?” Nico questioned as they passed the puck back and forth.
“Mama says she brought me on the ice since i could stand,” Malakai responded and Nico saw how much the little boys face lite up talking about his mother, “Mama use to play when she younger, Uncle Jojo, Uncle Matty and Uncle Anty all play in the NHL.”
Nico face turned in thought, “What teams do they play on?”
“Uncle Jojo plays with you, Uncle Maty plays at the Islanders and Uncle Anty plays for the Canucks.”
Nico slowly nodded trying to figure out the players real names, “Anty is Anthony Beauvillier?” Malakai hummed and nodded, “And Matty is Matthew Barzal?”
“Yeah he’s my Mama’s brother!” Malakai proudly told Nico.
Nico’s eyes widen realizing exactly who his mother is, Maleah Barzal. Nico having saw her for the first time in 2017 at a game and he was awestruck and he’s never seen her again at any games but he follows her on Instagram and saw her posting her son but she never showed her son’s face so Nico didn’t realize until now.
“Do you go and see them play?” Nico curiously asked as he hit the puck back to him.
“Sometimes, i get um Mama says the world is owhelming.” Malakai stuttered over his word not remembering the word his Mama said.
“Overwhelming?” Nico guessed.
Malakai nodded, “Yeah that one, there’s a lot of people at games so we watch at home alot.”
“It does get a lot sometimes.” Nico sympathized remembering the first time he ever went to a hockey game when he was young and how overwhelmed he was.
“I like going.” Malakai has felt bad when he got so anxious and Maleah and him started going less because he knows his mom misses going.
Nico hummed an idea coming to mind, something he would talk to John about.
Nico and Malakai set the sticks back on the bench choosing to skate around and Malakai slowly reached up and held onto Nico’s hand, Nico looked down and couldn’t help this heart from squeezing in fondness for Malakai.
John ended up taking a little while longer than he thought and when he skated back he saw a sight that he couldn’t help but smile at. Nico looking down softly at Malakai as he held onto his little hand as they skated together.
John skated around to the other side of Malakai and held onto his other hand.
Malakai and John skated with Nico for the rest of the family skate before the got off the ice with the rest of the players and families.
John kneeled down in front of Malakai untying his little skates noticing Malakai’s little yawns and the way his little eyes were starting to drop.
John picked Malakai up and set him on his hip, Malakai rested his head on John’s shoulder and slowly could feel his eyes starting to drop.
John waved to his teammates noticing Malakai fast asleep in his arms and quietly and quickly headed out to his car. John gently set him into his car seat and hoped into the drivers seat heading back to Maleah’s penthouse.
John pulled into the parking garage shutting off the car, he hopped out of his seat and opened the door getting a still sleeping Malakai out of his car seat.
John walked through the apartment building up to the penthouse floor and knocked at the door.
Maleah quickly opened the door and smiled seeing them she gently took Malakai into her arms and sighed in relief holding her baby again.
She moved over letting John walk in and take his shoes off, “Let me put him to bed and you get changed there is dinner on the counter.” Maleah having only just gotten back a few minutes ago and brought dinner home for them.
Maleah turned around and headed into the hallway and down to Malakai’s room, she walked in pulling back his blankets and gently set him down on the bed. She slipped off his jacket, beanie and shoes not even making him stir and left him in his sweatpants and sweater.
Malakai was cuddling his dinosaur tightly between his little arms. “Goodnight i love you.” Maleha leaned down pressing a kiss to his forehead as she covered him up with blankets.
She stood up and walked over to the window closing the blinds all the way and turned on his sound machine before quietly walking out of the room leaving the door cracked open.
Maleha walked into the living room seeing John already poured them wine and was putting the food on his plate.
“This is why you’re my best friend.” Maleah spoke as she sat on the couch next to him picking up her glass of wine.
John laughed as he turned on the TV putting on the show they have been watching.
Maleah and John stayed on the couch for the next few hours watching their show and drinking wine.
#maleahbarzalau#nhl x reader#jack hughes#luke hughes#nico hischier x oc#nico hischier#jesper bratt#dawson mercer#alex holtz x oc#mat barzal x oc#mat barzal#anthony beauvillier#john marino x oc#john marino#new jersey devils#ny islanders#nhl x oc#nhl blurbs#nhl blurb#nhl imagine#nh13
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dreams of someone ✒︎ m.barzal
summary: all lina’s dreams seemingly had come true – and then she met mat in a time where they both needed ... someone
featuring: mat barzal, lina thorne (oc), sydney esiason martin, and the rest of the martin family in mention
word count: 3.8k
warnings: none -- there is a ton of food mention though especially of the baked variety
dedication: this little one shot was written for bre (@fallinallincurls) for demi's winter fic exchange!
the last time ii wrote about mat was two or so years ago so please give me some grace. but writing this was the exact challenge that i needed so i really did enjoy writing it for you and adjusting it to suit your desires. so, i hope it meets your expectations and that you enjoy it!
and a little dedication as per always to demi (@wyattjohnston) for hosting and understanding that life sometimes happens.
It was a typical opening morning for Lina Thorne. She’d woken up at 4:30am, showered and got herself ready for her shift. It was a quick morning stroll to her place when the city that never sleeps was a lot quieter than and the sun was still well below the horizon and wouldn’t be painting the skies until the first batch of cookies was in the oven. The woman couldn’t hide the yawn that left her mouth as her key slid into the lock and the front door to the store opened.
Lina never imagined that she be living the dream in New York City, especially since her dreams of staying out in the big city upon finishing her internship with her mentor never came true. Instead, she found herself dreaming of what life in the big city could be for her, working in a bakery out in Boston honing her skills and surprisingly making herself seemingly at home. She had been referred for the position by her mentor despite his own wants to let the young chef go. Working her way into management and securing respect and acknowledgement in the pastry world. All an up-and-coming pastry chef could ask for. It wasn’t until during a prep day that her boss mentioned a position that she was put into consideration for that would lead her back to the city of her dreams and training not only as a baker but rather the head baker of the newest branch of the bakery she’d happily called home for the last three years.
However, as stood in the commercial kitchen under bright cool lights, being able to say she ran the little bakery on the island, she couldn’t help but pat herself on the back. The nerves had initially consumed her and although her boss and the owner of the bakery had been around for training of staff, prepping for the opening and the grand opening itself. Almost as soon as the store was open and running within the week, she was then solely in charge. It was days like this, however, that she loved the most. Mornings where she was able to get back into the very reason why she got into baking in the first place. It was a time when she could take a moment to herself and just breathe. Especially on a day like today when she had a big order to fill out, for none other than one of her newest friends in the neighbourhood.
Lina’s eyes flitted towards the clock, keenly aware that it was fast approaching time to slip the decorated sign on the door and let customers know that they were open. She had since been joined by two baristas and two of the bakers who were due to take over from her once the store opened up whilst she got her deliveries done before working through paperwork. The shout from one of the aforementioned baristas shook her out of her haze as she iced the cookies in front of her. Calling out for a moment, she finished up the cookie she was decorating before placing the pining bag down and reaching for the dishtowel.
Walking out into the front, she sent a smile to the two college students who were pulling down chairs and wiping tables before her eyes landed on a familiar head of hair tapping their fingers against her counter. Pulling a face of confusion, she moved towards him dropping the dishtowel.
“We’re not open yet.” She spoke before crossing her arms as he turned towards her. A smile that she could only describe as cheeky sat on his lips as he gave her a little shrug before leaning towards her.
“I was told to pick up a cookie deliver. Sydney’s orders,” He spoke with amusement filling his words, “There’s no saying no to that woman.”
“Mat, Syd’s order is set for delivery.” She wasn’t quite sure if she believed in what he was saying but it wasn’t in her nature to be unkind.
Lina had met Mat by chance and obviously all thanks to the woman currently in question. Sydney and a couple of the other wives and girlfriends of the Islanders had dropped by for a coffee date from which Sydney had made it her newest spot and was happily welcomed by the bakery’s staff as a regular. The more time Sydney spent in the establishment, the more opportunities she got to speak with young women and truly it was hard to say no to that woman. Before she knew it, she was being invited to dinners, and girls’ nights – she had even frequented hockey games which was something she hadn’t done since she was in culinary school. The late nights of the games just didn’t align with the early morning that was required of her at the store. It was one of the rare late nights she had free when she was invited by Sydney to a dinner party at the Martin residence and she had run into Mat. The story according to Syd was that Mat was only invited because of a recent break-up and them wanting him to be around people who loved him and wanted nothing but happiness for him. It, and Lina will quote, “is not a matchmaking setup” like other introductions to Sydney’s male friends of the same age as the baker had been.
The two had been seated next to one another and Mat’s glum mood had caught her attention. But not knowing anything of his current situation and maybe having had a little too much fun doing unplanned pres with the hostess with the mostess gifting her looser lips than normal, she had made a remark about his apparent brooding. A thought she assumed was just that but upon hearing the chatter quieten down a little, she realised her words most definitely left her mouth. Slowly lowering her glass to the table, she turned to apologise to the male beside her when the snort that he let out left her sorry and confused. It was all quickly replaced with intrigue when he shot back with a retort of his own, prompting the two adults into a comfortable and playful argument. It was that moment where instead of anticipating the presence of a certain blonde every day, she noticed a certain brunet make a place for himself at the table closest to the counter by the display case.
The baker had been warned against Matt’s teammates but none other than Matt himself. She’d gotten the idea that Matt was keenly aware of his wife’s ability to befriend people and more importantly take them under her wing, if how quickly she was welcomed into the family dynamic of Martins was anything to go by. Regarding dating, who was she to question a man who spent most of his time with said teammates, she doubted she’d ever even meet and if she ever did, so many faces pass through her doors, she wouldn’t even remember them. Which is why the hockey player who had chosen to make himself a fixture had initially garnered a little apprehension from her but without fail, he always came in and grabbed a coffee (and a cake on those days he chose to treat himself), his a seat and left when he was all done, never without a generous tip. He was kind enough to her staff and even kinder to the other regulars who were in at the same time as him, so she let him be. All business is good business, even though she knew for a fact there were coffee shops much closer to his apartment, the arena and even the practice facility. But who was she to complain.
She couldn’t remember when it started but she eventually started joining him when he’d visit in the mornings. Their chats were surprisingly something familiar, and comfortable, like talking to an old friend. They joked and teased but most of the time they just let go. It had been a couple weeks since they first met, and it wasn’t until the second week of them sharing a drink that he’d actually opened up about why he was looking so glum the night they had met and why he was hanging around her café. How he got her store details from Sydney and how he was drawn to the fact that she didn’t handle him as though he was fragile. How all he had wanted when it felt like someone he cared about deeply had uprooted him from his very foundation was normalcy. And that’s what Lina gave him. He was just another friend of a friend to her; he was just Mat to her. Not heartbroken Mat, not healing Mat, not even NHL superstar – Just Mat.
“Well, you’re not all that Mathew.” She had stated to which he could only respond with a soft ‘Exactly’. Ever since that moment, they had shared ample time with one another both in and outside of his coffee trips. And despite the time Mat has been spending within their four brick walls, it was still a surprise to see him at the store before opening.
“Can’t be, she sent me a frantic message at 7 telling me she needed a favour and who am I to fulfil my favourite uncle duties,” He explained before sending a wink her way, “Anything for Winnie.”
“Yeah, she lied to you,” She answered, giving him a double pat on the shoulder and a short cackle before moving over and opening the gate for the man, “One time only, might as well put you to work.”
The two of them made their way to the kitchen and while Mat went to wash his hands (not before Lina pointed a firm finger towards the sink to gently direct him to do so), Lina grabbed him a free apron and tossed it over his shoulder. Moving back to the station where the last of the cookies were waiting to be decorated and then packed away for delivery.
“So, what can I do?” Mat slipped the apron over his head as he leaned over to observe the spread of baked goods before glancing back over at her. His confident smile slowly slipped off his face as she grabbed a piping bag and handed it over to him.
“I line, you flood.”
“Didn’t you train like three years for this?” Giving the bag a gentle squish and frowning when no icing flowed out.
“It’s basically impossible to mess it up, it’s like colour by numbers,” She explained softly as she grabbed a pair of scissors and snipped the end of the piping bag while adjusting his hand to make sure no icing was wasted. Pulling the cookies, she was previously working on in front of him all lined and ready to fill in front of him, before gesturing towards the piping bag and gesturing back to the cookies. “Match the flood colour to the line colour. Winnie does it all the time.”
“While I know that’s not really true, the dig hurts.” His free hand flew up to his chest in mock hurt before laughing and finally putting icing to cookie with an almost amusing amount of concentration.
“Get filling pretty boy, I will not have my little princess disappointed.”
The two of them worked almost like a well-oiled machine. It almost felt like she was back in culinary school, helping out with the younger years. They weren’t always perfect, but their hearts were always in the right place and if there was one thing she had learnt about Mat was that his heart was always in the right place. Almost to a fault. The whole bravado he put on was more like a mask. At least in front of her. He never had any walls up with her, but he definitely had worn the walls she constructed when she moved down. She always knew that those walls had to come down eventually, but she definitely didn’t expect it would come from a chance encounter with a random stranger. The girls and her staff had done their fair share and warming her up and making her feel at home but the first time she ever truly let herself be with no pretences and no fears of being judged and not fitting in was sitting in the store over a cup of coffee with Mat.
Before long, all the cookies, cupcakes, and the grand finale cake of it all were packed into the refrigerated bakery van ready for transportation to the Martins' house, where preparations, if the texts and calls she had received from Sydney were anything to go by, were well underway. Despite Mat’s pleas to drive, Lina kept a firm hold of the keys until they were safely parked in their friends’ driveway. Grabbing her garment bag from its place hanging in the backseat, she walked up to the front door. Mat’s knuckles were knocking against the wooden door as Lina reached him up on the front step. His eyes were drawn to the bag in her hand, and he couldn’t help but bring up his curiosity.
“What’s with the change of attire?”
“As if I’m going to spend the rest of the day in clothing that’s covered in powdered sugar, flour and dried batter and dough. Plus, if I’m going to be around kids with surprisingly sticky hands, I’m going to start with a fresh slate.” Her words were light and humorous and before Mat could even attempt a response, the door opened and a hand was wrapped around Lina’s wrist, pulling her into the house quickly.
“Thank goodness you’re here, I need your help.” The blonde in front of her pulled her to the side before aggressively motioning to Mat who was still pulling his shoes off. He almost comically pointed to himself before looking behind him only to be physically pulled into their little huddle a second later, “There’s so much left to sort out and both Alice and Winnie want pancakes. Help Matty and I out?”
“Don’t think I’m your guy, I’mma just –“
“Of course we can help, go do what you need to do,” Lina responded, grabbing onto Mat’s arm before he walked away. Sydney gave her a smile and with a blown kiss, she was gone. Once her friend was out of view, Lina’s hand swung up to Mat’s shoulder, “Really?”
“What?” He was greeted simply with a shaken head as she slipped her own shoes off along with her jacket before she walked into the kitchen. Pouting at the lack of an answer, he followed her quickly “What?”
Mat watched as she made quick work of pulling out the necessary ingredients and equipment for the pancakes. Pulling up one of the bar stools, he settled into a routine that was very much a typical evening for them. Since he frequented the store so much, Lina had decided that for all the real estate he was taking away from her other customers, he had to give something back and that was how he became her official taste tester. Once, every other month they’d get together and along with a constantly refilled glass of wine (courtesy of Mat), she’d bake all her experimental recipes and flavour pairings on him. It was one of the things that she loved about him. She loved simply baking with no pressure of it being commercially viable and nothing is better than baking for someone who is more than happy to consume. Even if it means she has to put up with the constant whining about how her goods are going to make a certain someone work harder at the gym.
The two worked in a comfortable quiet, Mat had put music on the Alexa quiet enough not to disturb anything happening in the other parts of the house. Mat was picking at the tester pancake before he hopped off the stool and made his way over to the cupboard and pulled out the Nutella and a spoon, before settling himself beside the baker who was humming along to the music.
“What happened to all that ‘I’m a disciplined athlete’ talk?”
“I’m just a man and you’re out here teasing me with all those amazing treats you made me decorate and now you expect me to not have at least one spoonful of chocolatey goodness?” Forcefully scooping up a spoonful of said spread, her pointed it in her direction for a moment before shoving it in his mouth, “You have too much faith in me.”
“Oh, now that is pushing it,” She said flipping one of the pastries onto a plate before turning to face him as she poured more batter on the hot plate, “Would you please just cut some strawberries and stuff?”
Although it wasn’t without complaints, sure enough, they were working side by side. Lina flipping pancakes and Matt cutting strawberries into quarters as they quietly spoke about their weeks, catching each other up on their respective TV shows.
“You know this is what I miss the most.” Lina hummed in question at his statement, only slightly inclining her head in his direction, “I miss just having someone to talk to. To exist with. To be with.”
Silence flooded through the pair as her head turned towards him as he continued chopping the fruit, a bittersweet smile on his face. She took a deep breath as she felt a wave of emotion flood through her as his words processed in her head. Her hand was on the dial, turning the heat off and placing the spatula down. Her words came out as an unsteady breath as she turned fully towards him. “Oh Mat…”
“I know I’ve already talked you to death about … that situation but –“ Mat lowered the knife but still made no effort to look in her direction and shook his head slightly before huffing out a quiet laugh, “It’s not just that you didn’t treat me like I could break but the time we spent together, the conversations we had. It almost felt like having someone again. Except this time, it was in the shape of friend – someone I can’t lose. Until I kept getting to know how wonderful you are.”
The words to comfort the man in front of her were proving difficult to come by so Lina simply stepped towards him and did the only thing she could think of, wrapped her arms around him. With one arm around his back and the other holding onto his arm, she laid her head on his arm and gave him a gentle squeeze.
“I’ve done the whole break up thing before I don’t know why this time it was difficult. I guess I got too comfortable with the wrong person, I don’t know but I know it was wrong now. I knew it was wrong the moment I had coffee with you for the first time because you made me feel more heard and all you were doing was entertaining a customer who wouldn’t leave your store.” She couldn’t help the laugh that left her, giving him a whole-body nudge and shaking her head as it pressed against his bicep muttering a soft ‘not true’.
Lina felt Mat’s head move to look towards her, moving her own to look up at him but keeping him in her soft hug. She would never admit it to him, considering the subconscious promise she made to herself upon finding out he was still working through his breakup. Their eyes met and he couldn’t help the smile that floated onto his lips until a little embarrassment covered his face, “Sydney didn’t tell me to come and collect Win’s treats, I just hoped if I turned up, I wouldn’t have to share your attention with your customers.”
“I’ve told you before Mathew you never have to be jealous of customers taking me away from you. I’ll always be there for you,” She muttered, pulling away before turning him until they were chest to chest, “I know we joke but I truly will always be there for you. Maybe covered in icing but always there.”
“And I you,” At his words, she wrapped her arms around his neck giving him a proper hug.
Inhaling deeply, she felt him do the same as his arms wrapped firmly around her trapping her between them, not that she was complaining. Her mind rushed through the past couple weeks of her life since meeting the man and she couldn’t believe just how close and open she had got with him. There were people she’d met during culinary school and knew for 4 years and worked with in Boston for 3 years who didn’t know as much about who she was outside of the kitchen as Mat did, and she’d barely known him for a couple months.
He had an interest in getting to know her and just wanted to sit and speak with her, whether or not he had his own ulterior motives for appreciating her company, they bonded. They spent a lot of time together doing nothing more than talking in their own little world. Lina would go as far as to say that she knew him and not just superficially but at a much deeper level and she could entirely feel what he was saying about how being with her feels because she felt the exact same way. Releasing him from her hold, she was suspended on her toes as Mat took a little longer to pull his arms away. She laughed softly, keeping her hands perched on his shoulders as she looked up at him with a soft and gentle smile.
“You bring me peace too,” She whispered, letting out a breath as she steeled herself to admit her truth to him, something that she’d become very comfortable with so what did she have to lose this time, “I love being your someone, because you’re my someone.”
If Mat was smiling before, the smile that took over her face at her words was rivalling the sun. A deep sigh left his mouth, and it was almost like all the tension that had filled his body since he started speaking had been loosened instantly. His shoulder dropped as the tension fell away and his hands found hers up on his shoulders, holding them tight between them. He went to speak but a shout of ‘LiLi’ filled both of their ears from the living room. Touching his forehead against hers, they both laughed gently as the shouts got closer and more frequently. Pushing back up on her toes, Lina pressed a firm kiss to his cheek before pulling away. Giving him one last peck on the cheek before she properly pulled away.
“Later?” He simply smiled at her question as the sound of small footfalls got closer.
“Later.”
#mat barzal imagine#mat barzal fanfiction#mat barzal fic#mat barzal x oc#( m writing. )#the winter fic exchange 2k24#( I think I saved my graphic funny because I've been fighting with the quality for like half an hour )#( sorry this is late bre :( but I hope you enjoy it )#( this was both a challenge to write but I've been meaning to write mat again for literally years so thanks for the change bre and demi )#( this was supposed to be posted earlier but my dad just flew back home from attending my nana’s funeral so i spent the day with him oops )
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HOW YOU GET THE GIRL
Mat Barzal x fem!oc
Series Masterlist
ONE
I only like the bookstore during the night, when it’s slow and nobody’s around. The lights are flickering and the town suddenly goes quiet in contrast with the bustle of the busy mornings and heavy traffic of the day.
I only work here on the weekends for the closing shifts or the opening ones. Something to make a little more money to fall back on besides my adult corporate job. My parents are proud, more my father than my mother that I’ve begun my climb up the corporate ladder.
I don’t hate my job, far from it. Simply the long hours and bossy bosses that make me pull at my fingers and tug at my hair. Especially with my youth and admitted naivety, those at my job can be wary about me either in the break room or being hesitant to invite me out for drinks.
I’ve been told by my therapist that I rushed my childhood, skipping grades and taking collage classes while also taking highschool classes at the same time. I want to fight her on it, claim that I did have a childhood and had dreams but I know that I’m defending something I never had.
Two parents who were always fighting; hated eachother but swore to stay together because of their vows, “Hey Bella” I smile at the older lady standing at the counter as I tuck behind into the back room and set my purse onto the table and wrapping my apron around my body, “slow day?” I ask as I switch from heels to converse.
“Yeah, it’s the middle of the school season so all the kidlets are probably studying” she sighs out rubbing her tired eyes, “ok, I’m off. Be safe. Please” she reminds me as she pats my shoulder, “I’ll need you to come in a bit earlier tomorrow for the opening shift, we’re getting a new shipment of books for the month”
“Uhh, yeah yeah I can do that, so 5:30 instead of six?” I clarify, as I clock myself in on the timetable next to the register.
“Yes, thank you Emma. You’re a doll” She smiles and blows me a kiss exiting the building as the cold wind brushes against her; gently pulling at the greying blonde hair that’s always been tucked into a a little bun.
I turn on some music to keep my mind from straying as I walk around the store. Gently brushing my fingers against the creased spines and occasional leather covered book. Those nice collectors editions are always Romeo and Juliet, or Hamlet.
Personally I’ve thought Romeo and Juliet a bit childish and immature, but I’ve always been told I’m looking at it from a modern perspective. I believe that Romeo and Juliet is the way to not fall in love.
But then again, that’s coming from the girl who watched her parents try and fix an already broken marriage by having an abundance of kids and forcing themselves to stay together even though, everyone’s known they’d be better apart. Even their own kids.
I tidy up the reading corner, setting the old book. Princess and the pea back onto the shelf and searching for the one tomorrow.
My my fingers pull and push against the covers of the kids books, looking for something different. I don’t pay attention when the bell jingles and jangles while I hear a heavy step quickly become softer. I hear them physically relax as they walk the isles.
I eventually decide on a book with a unicorn and a blonde girl. Something I fondly remember of my own childhood.
I stretch up a little and let my hair down from its clip, it falls unevenly against my shoulders but I don’t mind or even care that much. This bookstore is my happy place; where I am safe and content within my own body. Here I will never care what I look like.
I view the man searching in the fiction section, something specific I can tell by his body language. If he needs help I’ll allow him to ask; yet I’m wary of going up to a man and guiding him to the book.
When he finally notices me watching him he turns around and asks, “do you know where I can find ‘The road’ it’s uh. Geez by I think by Cormac McCarthy?” He stumbles out; slowly dragging a hand across his face and brushing his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes.
His face is soft but sharp; his eyes evoke a warm bubbly feeling inside me. Eyes that make me feel comfortable being alone with him, “yes, I believe we only have a few left” I tell him, walking off to a different section of the store, “I know, our shop is set up weird” I explain.
“And why’s that?” He inquires, his pace isnt rushed or faster than mine. But relaxed and nonchalant. As if he has all the time in the world.
“The original owners, she has a special section called ‘Meine Leibe’ which I think translates to ‘My loves’ or ‘my life’ once she passed her daughter kept it the same so this little section would always be here for her. I find it endearing” I know I ramble on a bit but I’ve suddenly grown afraid of having a silence against the two of us
“It is, it’s just a little place with all her favorite books?” He keeps asking, as I turn into the cozy little corner. I thumb through the alphabetical order.
“Yeah, her favorite chair, pillows. Shannon was such a kind lady” I reminisce, “here is The Road, is there anything else I can help you with? Or will that be all for today?”
“Uhh, ha unless you have ‘The deal’ by Elle Kennedy then I’ll take that too” I think he’s being sarcastic but I can’t really tell.
“I think we do, are you a hockey fan?” I ask walking to the romance section.
“I guess you could say that, do you watch?” He asks, “do you need a hand?”
“I watch a bit, just the New Jersey Devils with my dad. Yeah it’s just above there” I point, even on my tip toes the store has ceiling high bookshelves. And because it’s night the ladders been locked up. I move to the side as he grabs the book.
“Are you from Jersey?”
“Yeah, I lived there before I came to New York for a work deal”
“I’m going to assume it’s not this job.. right?” As he makes his way to the register and I slink behind the counter
“Yeah, my uh big girl job as my mom likes to address it as” I hear the roll in my eyes as I scan the bar codes and ring him up, “will that be with cash or card?”
“Card” He pulls his wallet out of the front pocket of his jacket, “thank you”, he checks for my name eyes staring just above but also at my chest.
I poke my eyebrows up at him praying to god this man isn’t looking at my tits directly; not even with the slightest bit of discretion.
“I’m uh looking for your name to thank you— I swear I’m not looking at your uh. You know boobs” he almost whispers out the last bit before continuing, “not that they aren’t nice or anything but uh” the tips of his ears turn pink and his cheeks suddenly become flushed, “I will just pay now” he groans out softly; handing me his card and rubbing his eyes with his hands.
I ring him up and he puts his pin in, “thank you again, you never told me your name” he questions for that piece of information
“Emma”
“Thank you Emma, have a good evening” he purses his lips and grabs his books. Hands shaking as he smiles and starts to leave.
“You too, wait” I lean over the bar slightly, “you never told me your name?”
“Mat”
“Alright then, have a good evening Mat. Come back soon”
The door jingles as he leaves and I watch him through the window, I see him sigh and smack his books against his head. Though I don’t exactly hear what he says; noises muffled through the glass and the music.
“Huh. What a strange guy”
#hockey#nhl#mat barzal my beloved#mat barzal#mat barzal x reader#mathew barzal#mat barzal smut#mat barzal x oc#new york#new york islanders#New York hockey#New York islanders hockey#islander hockey#mb13#mathew barzal imagine#mat barzal fic#louiseabilenewrites
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through thick and thin, always | mat barzal
not too sure if i wanna do gif's or pictures like that above..trying something new out (:
warnings: mental health struggles and ed talk.
word count: 2.9k+
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
trigger warning: relapse in an eating disorder, but not to graphic! talks of therapy and past shame/guilt.
della's mental health struggles had been brewing for some time, long before she ever met mat. when she met mat, her mental health improved along with her self-esteem just by the sheer fact that she was dating somebody. however, this year's fall rolled around it seemed as if everyone, every situation, and herself were against her. with having the luxury of working from home 5 days a week, she was alone a lot and in turn, had oh so much time for her thoughts to feast on her self esteem. for the first time in almost 6 years she'd had the urge to restrict. she kept reminding herself that her habit got her nowhere all those years ago, but she had that hopeful optimism that it would be different this time. a few days before christmas, sydney was hosting a holiday party for the last game before christmas and she noticed something very off with her good friend. her friend drowned herself in the alcohol that was provided and not much of the food that sat out. della felt very uncomfortable, she felt like none of her clothes fit right over her bones and curves, she felt like the odd man out seeing everybody wearing the clothes she desperately wished she could, though knew she might never be able to. she thought about how mat looked at her, and what he thought of her physically. she felt like she wasn't good enough for him, even after almost three years together.
sydney watched as the girl sipped on her wine whilst looking out at the backyard as snow fell, and felt her heart fall. she made her way over, and wrapped an a soft arm around the girl's back. "you good, dells?" sydney asked and della nodded. "ofcourse, why wouldn't i be?" she mused putting on a fake smile. "well..you've barely watched the game and i just wanted to make sure you were good. that's all." sydney said and della nodded. "yeah! sorry, been busy with work and just trying to clear my head a bit." della said, the perfect smile enchanting her pale skin. sydney nodded, "well lets go to the kitchen, the girls are snacking away right now." and della frowned. "i-i think im heading out now. i have a deadline tomorrow and i wanna make sure i have it done on time." della said as the two walked towards the kitchen. "oh, okay. no worries, please let me know when you get home." sydney said pulling her into a hug. one that della needed desperately after a 2 week road trip. "ofcourse, syd." della hummed before putting on her coat and walking outside. della quickly made her way to the car, feeling her headache grow as the alcohol was continuously hitting her empty stomach. she sighed, as she got into the car and chewed on her lip. she looked at her lap, and felt the tears finally poured over onto her cheeks. she made her way back to her townhouse a few neighborhoods over and sat in the garage that seemed like an hour.
her mind and thoughts were racing with what she did that evening, how much she drank, and spoke, how many excuses she made and white lies that were said. she thought about how sydney had looked at her, with pity? remorse? concern? della did not have much more time to think before her phone began to ring. mat's name popped up and she let it go to voicemail, most likely wondering where she was. she had said she'd be at syd's for the evening and some of the guys were stopping by there afterward.
for the first time in years, she truly hated herself. hated how she looked to herself and to others. her body dysmorphia crippling her once more. she got out of the car, and headed inside and was greeted by her corgi, 'poppy' and quickly kneeled down to be on her level. she curled up into a ball with poppy and sobbed. realizing how bad it was getting again, and it made her guilty because of how much progress she'd made. "why poppy? why does it always have to come back at the worst times?" della mumbled, as poppy laid on her chest now. her phone began to ring again and a few texts came in, but della did not budge to look. she got up, ripping her coat off feeling suffocated. she threw it on the ground towards the garage door and headed towards the kitchen to grab more alcohol. as she was pouring herself some more wine, she heard a knock on her door. she sighed, walking over towards the front door saw her neighbor and now good friend lea. "saw you pull in, hun. brought some goodies over." and once della saw the dark chocolate peppermint bark, she knew she was a goner. "come on in." della hummed, and poppy quickly greeted the redhead. "whats the most expensive wine you own, doing out?" lea questioned as she walked into the kitchen and della nodded. "cuz the world hates me as much as i hate myself." she murmured and lea frowned. "is it bad again?" she questioned her friend and della nodded, looking down as her lip quivered. "have you told mat?" lea questioned softly and della shook her had. lea quickly wrapped her arms around her friend, allowing her to cry. "if i-i tell him, he'll break up with me. nobody wants to date somebody that is sick. that's so mentally fucked u-up." della sobbed and lea shook her head. "della, that man loves you. just absolutely adores you babe. you dont need to tell him tonight but please at some point.." lea trailed off and della knew she had to. "i just need to prepare myself for the chance he does though, i have too." della said pulling back just a bit and lea nodded softly. "ofcourse babes." and della eyed the bark. but instead, grabbed the wine bottle and glass and headed towards her bedroom with lea following with another glass and poppy.
_
it was the next morning, and della had the absolute worst hungover she'd had in a long while. with no food in her system, her stomach was also in shambles. lea was sound asleep on mat's side of the bed with poppy sleeping at their feet. the wine bottle sat empty next to della's side with a half bottle of tequila wiped clean. della rubbed her temples before feeling her stomach begin to churn. she quickly headed over towards the ensemble washroom and chucked the liquid coming up. she heaved for a few seconds before laying down face first on the cool tile. she growled as her phone begin to ring once more, and as it finished it began to ring once more. "fucking mat, leave us alone." lea said as she woke up, declining the call.
mat grew nervous and a bit frustrated with the call going to voicemail once more, he'd been trying all night and now morning with no luck. sydney had said she left in a hurry to finish up some work and made it seem like she wanted to be alone. mat wouldn't bother her unless she said something to him, not wanting to get in the way of her rapid deadlines. he made his way out of his condo and drove to get some coffee and a breakfast sandwich for the girl before heading over to her place. if she wasn't going to pick up, he'd be going to her.
della walked downstairs with lea, carrying the glasses and alcohol bottles down with them. the bark lay uneaten on the counter, and della had the urge to grab the tin and stuff her mouth with as much as she could. she was fighting the urge to completely binge till her heart could content, and lea noticed. "ill keep this nice and cozy until you say something. ok?" lea said taking the tin and della sighed in content. "thanks." she mumbled, leaning over to feed poppy. "ill call you later, im gonna shower and see how far i last before i need to nap." della said hugging the redhead who nodded. "okay, let me know if you need anything. i mean it, you send the word and ill come running." she hummed and della giggled. "thanks lea." she said walking her to the front door, and as lea opened it she stopped frozen seeing the 6 foot hockey player at the door, his set of keys in his mouth as he tried to open the door. "morning barzal." lea said stepping across the threshold and past the tall dude. della did not say anything but open the door wider for him to enter. he stepped inside the warm house, pressing a kiss to her temple. and in doing so, noticed her under eye circles, her face looking gaunt and her eyes red and puffy. his eyebrows crinkled, as he set down the coffees and sandwiches on the table next to the door, concern flooding his entire body.
"della rae-" he said placing his hands softly on her pale cheeks, inspecting her from top to bottom. she'd lost weight, a good amount since the last time they had spent a substantial amount of time together; which was now almost a month ago. she shut her eyes not wanting to meet his questionable eye and worrying face. it was beginning to click for mat, and in the instant he realized, he pulled her in for a bone-crushing hug. fearing that if he let go, he'd lose her even more. she felt loose tears fall down her cheeks onto his shirt, and she let out a soft whimper. that only made him pull her in tighter. things were now clicking for him, why she was barely responding to his sister's text, why she was also not responding to his texts and phone calls like she once had. and finally, the suspicions that sydney had the previous evening, were correct. "im sorry matty." she whispered against his chest, and he pulled back just a bit to look at her. he shook his head as she looked up with fear written across her face. "im sorry im a mess...and that im sick. im so sorry." she said clenching her eyes shut whilst sniffling, with mat wiping her tears away. "never apologize della, don't apologize for this. it isn't your fault- at all. i promise you that." he said as she reopened her eyes. as guilt and hunger washed over her once more, she looked to the side and saw the coffees and then looked back at mat, "can i take those?" she mumbled and he nodded softly. "you don't ever have to ask, hun." he said as she stepped out of his arms and around him. she took the coffee and sandwich, holding them close to her chest and headed into the small living room that had a small library, fireplace, and a plush couch. mat followed suit with his and followed her into the room, sitting down next to her. but leaving just a bit of room between the two.
she stared at the sandwich bag, as she held the coffee straw near her lips wanting to fight the urge but knew she needed to eat. "i need help mat.." she said defeatedly as she stared at the bag. mat looked over with a worried look and demeanor, and took notice of the staredown she had with her coffee. he set his coffee down, and took her's as well, and placed it on the coffee table in front of them. he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. she took in the familiar warmth that he had. "im sorry I've been distant recently...i just have been so consumed with it all and because of it i've been exhausted." she said softly and mat kissed the top of her head. "i noticed something was off..when we went to thanksgiving with your family. i sensed something was off because every time i tried...tried looking at you you would look away or at the ground. it hurt me. it made me feel like you were embarrassed or guilty of something and i-i should have noticed it. and im sorry, i didn't." he said biting the inside of his cheek, trying to not cry. della's heart broke hearing how much it hurt him that she was very distant at thanksgiving. she was hoping he wouldn't notice and chalk it up to the many conversations she had found herself engrossed in.
"i love you della rae... nothing is going to change that. no matter how complicated this may get." he said feeling her tense up somewhat at his confession. she nodded into his chest, feeling him tighten his arms around her.
_
christmas, new years and valentines had rolled around with anxiety and apprehension as della progressed through therapy. after christmas, mat took the week leading up to new years off to be there for della as well as all star break + by week. della was grateful to have him in the house as she returned to work and basked in his presence before he headed back on the road. when he left, sydney and some of the other girls took turns coming over and bringing her out whenever she could. she accredited a lot to those girls, and added them to her list of why she should strive for recovery.
it was now playoffs time, and for the first time in a long while she was excited to head to a home game. when sydney had let the girls know that the jackets were being ordered, she jumped at the opportunity to get one. mat's heart was all fuzzy and warm when she showed him it right before they headed out. she did a little twirl for him and a few poses, before they shared a kiss. "oh!" he said remembering to grab what he'd been saving for some time, and as della headed out to start the car; mat ran to go get it.
the two made their way down to the arena and as she was about to drop mat at the players entrance, he paused and pulled out a letter of sorts for della. "i uh..I've been keeping this for a while not sure when to give it and whatnot, but seeing you tonight and how excited you were to put on the jacket which i know is something that you've been insecure about in the past.." he trailed off pausing to place the letter in her hands. "im so incredibly proud of how far you've come in these short few months, and i just wanted to write something down. i wasn't even going to give it to you but tonight, i just have this feeling of immense pride della rae. but uh..yeah ill see you later. ok?" he said placing a peck on her cheek. she smiled, watching him open the door and hop out. "good luck hun." she smiled widely and as mat looked at her once more, he saw the genuine smile he'd missed dearly. he nodded before shutting the door and heading towards the entrance. she pulled off into the family and friends parking lot and stared down at the letter. her heart swelled, just thinking about what the contents of the letter were.
she pulled it open softly and carefully, as to not rip the letter. she smiled softly at the handwritten note and read it slowly. words of encouragement, words of pride, and love. words of sadness and words of commitment. she sniffled as she finished it, completely taken back by it. she knew mat had felt all of these things, but seeing it in writing made her heart swell. he loved her deeply and without hesitation. she got out of the car and headed towards the private entrance and once sydney saw her walk through the box's entrance, she jumped up and down. della smiled as the others all made their way over to greet her. "picture time!" one of the girls cheered and sydney pulled her friend with her towards a spot in the back. "lookin good sista." she hummed and della smiled widely. pictures were taken, food was consumed along with alcohol and the up's and down's of playoff hockey was experienced that evening.
as soon as she saw mat walking into the box, she smiled widely before he kissed her quickly. "great game, matty." she said looking up at him and he smiled widely. a hard effort was fought, with a win now accredited towards the islanders. "lets head home." he said and the two walked hand in hand towards the car. mat opened the passenger door for her, and she thanked him before he shut the door.
she saw the letter sticking out of her purse, and she turned towards at who buckled. "thankyou for the letter mat, you have now idea how much i appreciate it." she said leaning over the console, and he met her in the middle. "through thick and thin always, my love will never falter for you della rae." he spoke softly before kissing the girl passionately. she melted into the kiss, before pulling away. "lets get home, we've got a lot to celebrate." she hummed running a soft thumb over his cheek.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
no tags just because its a sensitive topic!
#mat barzal#mat barzal x oc#mat barzal blurb#mat barzal fic#new york islanders#nhl#hockey#nhl blurb#hockey blurb#nhl fic#hockey fic#hockey imagine#nhl imagine#mat Brazil imagine
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So who was gonna tell me that Mat Barzal is a swiftie???
#mat barzal#mat barzal x reader#mat barzal x you#mat barzal x y/n#taylor swift#swifties#mat barzal x oc#hockey
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Poetic Love~ Mat Barzal (pt 1)
TW: none
"Wild nights - Wild nights!
Were I with thee
Wild nights should be
Our luxury!"
Calliope Scarlett Black had never been what someone considered normal. This didn't surprise her--poets, after all, were not normal.
Her tangled half-red, half-brown hair was pulled up into a tight bun as she paced the living room of the house where she lived with her best friend since three years old, hockey player Mat Barzal.
Her green eyes fluttered over the book she'd been holding and her hands tightened on the binding, trying to memorize this latest poem.
"Futile - the winds -
To a Heart in port -
Done with the Compass -
Done with the Chart!"
Her hand waved out to the side as she threw her head backward, half out of frustration and half out of dramatics. Memorizing poems wasn't as easy as people thought. Even if one was only doing it for a youtube channel, like Calliope was.
She paced by the couch once more and sounded out the first stanza of the poem again. Her eyes narrowed in consideration as she let one part of the book slip from her hand. The first stanza had been memorized--good, now for the second stanza.
She closed her eyes and brought the image of the words to her head. Picturing strong wilds and rushing waves and stormy clouds.
She shouted out the second stanza perfectly and then picked up the book to look over the third stanza.
"Rowing in Eden -
Ah - the Sea!
Might I but moor - tonight -
In thee!"
She dropped onto the couch with one arm swung over the back and closed her eyes, panting even though she'd done nothing really tiring. Physically, at least.
"I don't think you've found a poem you haven't memorized yet, starshine."
Calliope's lips twitched in amusement and she opened one eye to see Mat walking in, wearing a green hoodie and black sweatpants. His eyebrows were quirked upward and a smirk tugged at the edge of his lips.
"I've been memorizing poetry since we were 10 years old, Mattie," she answered back, slamming her book shut with something like finality, "I haven't had a poem lick me yet."
Mat patted the top of Calliope's head, chucking at her loud grunt and the hand slapping his own away, and sat next to her, tucking one foot underneath him.
"By the way, that more sounds out of place," he said, then, seeing how her eyes narrowed at him in confusion, he added, "that line about might I moor-tonight-in thee."
Calliope carefully placed the book onto it's spot on the coffee table and shook her head.
"No, not m-o-r-e, Mattie, it's m-o-o-r. It's a British noun meaning "an expanse of open rolling infertile land" but it can also mean that you're anchored. What Emily Dickinson is talking about is anchoring her ship into the sea and staying there."
Mat should have been used to it by now--Calliope had been raised in a literature family and had been studying poetry for years--but, how could one get used to the amazement of a friend knowing so many words and definitions?
"I can't see why anyone would want to do that, starshine," he admitted, draping an arm over the back of the couch, "the sea is so unknown."
Calliope didn't look up from her phone, but her soft laugh could easily be heard by Mat's keen ears.
"That's exactly why she'd want to be anchored there, Mattie," she said, finally catching his eye, "it's the unknown that's exciting! It's the thrill of the wild and the adventure to come that makes a person shiver and wonder!"
Mat sucked in a breath at the look in her eyes but didn't show--outwardly, at least--that he held anything more than amusement for her poetic rant.
#mat barzal fluff#mat barzal x oc#mat barzal angst#mat barzal#mat barzal fanfciton#mat barzal imagines#new york islander imagines#new york islanders fanficiton#new york isles#nhl imagines#nhl fanfiction#nhl#hockey imagines#hockey fanfiction#hockey fandom#calliope scarlett black#poets#poet character#best friends to lovers#friends to lovers#emily dickinson#emily dickinson poetry
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hey loves! i am really bored and I want to write a fic and my baby Barzy has been on my mind the entire day sooo i decided that i will be writing my first Mat Barzal fic!!! and i want it to be Taylor Swift inspired cause, why not? But i need help picking the song cause I’m torn between these two— so please help meeeee.
thank you for participating… expect the fic in a couple of days 🤍 (and maybe if I feel like doing so, i might just make both prompts… but we’ll see ;))
#mat barzal#mat barzal x reader#mat barzal x oc#nhl fanfiction#nhl x reader#nhl#nhl smut#nhl imagine#nhl fic#nhl blurb#new york islanders#new york isles#matthewbarzal#polls#dear bunnyboo🏹#taylor swift
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A Lifeline | Mat Barzal
summary: a fight between you and Mat causes confessions to be made.
song: Electric Touch - Taylor Swift
request: yes/no
warnings: maybe a little swearing?
word count: 1.68k
author note: I’ve been waiting to write out this request for like a week but it’s been marked in my calendar so I’m so glad I got to get it done! Started this piece and got a whole new idea for it afterwards so that’s what ended up being written. If you want to check out the rest of the celly you can do so here!
To say you had been unlucky in love was an understatement.
It wasn’t that you weren’t someone that people wanted to date, it was that you just never seemed to pick the write people.
Your job with the Islanders was actually something you applied for after you ran away from your ex.
That was two years ago and you had settled in, to a happy and single life. But that isn’t to say that you didn’t still have men hitting on you.
Mat bumped into you on the first day and he knocked you off of your feet, literally. Like you were in a rush and when he turned around a sharp corner causing your bodies to collide into each other resulting in you landing on your ass.
He was a total sweetheart though, quickly helping you up and bringing you exactly where you needed to be.
When he eventually got back to the team everyone was curious as to who on earth had Mat smiling like the Cheshire Cat.
The Canadian had been dumped by his girlfriend just days before and your smile as you thanked him for helping you out was officially etched into his mind.
It took the boys four days to meet you, and another two to see that you were the girl that Mat had in his mind.
You had been invited to the bar with the boys and Mat literally watched the door as he waited for you to arrive.
When you eventually got there and the hockey player took you around introducing you to everyone it seemed like there was a collective click in their minds that you were that girl.
Two years later and that didn’t change.
There had been boys that came into your life and girls that came into Mats but none of them ever seemed to stick. Unfortunately though when you were single he was dating someone and when you were seeing someone he was single.
After your last partner though you ended up at Mats apartment in tears, you walked into your home to see your boyfriend with a girl on his lap that clearly wasn’t you.
Mat sat with you on the couch as he gave you a shoulder to cry letting you voice all of your worries.
Your friendship had strengthened after that.
Nothing was ever too big for the two of you, it was almost like your very own therapist.
Sure there were arguments, but none of them ever felt big.
Until this one.
It had been raining the entire day in New York, the weather was standard for October but that didn’t stop your annoyance as you watched the raindrops run down the window of your office.
Mat had been ignoring your messages since you woke up and that was only adding to your poor mood.
There was a fight last night, no it wasn’t even a fight it was more of a disagreement. Maya one of Mats most recent exes wanted to reach out to him, the reason you were upset was because Mat was a wreck when they broke up. You had to go to his place every morning for a month to make sure that he ate breakfast and got out of bed. The Canadian was over the moon though when he realised that the designer wanted him back and couldn’t understand why you weren’t being supportive.
Truthfully there was a part of you that that was jealous, Mat was this great guy that you had began to fall for over the course of your friendship and here he was ready to go back to someone who could leave him as easily as Maya did.
Tito could sense that something was off during practice, when Mat pushed past you almost knocking the camera from your hands. All of the boys saw the way you rolled your eyes, it was like a married couple who were irritated with each other.
The team was meant to head to Boston tomorrow for a game and it was a flight you were meant to take but you really didn’t want to.
So rather than approaching your problems you found it best to ignore them, if Mat wasn’t going to respond to your messages of support then you weren’t going to send anymore of them.
That evening you went back to your condo, it was a rare find in New York but it was on the outskirts of the city and the person who sold it to you was desperate to get rid of the place. You bought it after the end of your relationship with your ex but here you were ready to sell the place once more as you wanted to be back in an apartment.
The air was quiet as you sat scrolling through Twitter when you went down the rabbit hole of learning all about the event that Mat and Maya attended tonight.
It was a fashion show that Mat had begged you to accompany him to. Those shows where on Mats least favourite list of things to attend and he hoped that having you by his side it would make it a little bit more bearable.
Given the fact that you weren’t really talking to him though, you didn’t go to the show deciding that your couch was going to be a much better place to stay.
All of that changed when you heard the sound of a car pulling up to your driveway and as you looked at your phone to see that the time read 8:05 you sighed getting up to see what was going on.
As it was still raining you grabbed the a sneaker on your way to the door, sure it wasn’t going to do a lot but at least you could slow them down if it wasn’t someone you wanted at the door.
The headlights from the car illuminated the glass of your front door causing you to struggle to see who on earth was walking towards you “y/n!” Mat called out as he held his hand above his head trying to keep the pouring rain from hitting his face.
You opened the door as you furrowed your eyebrows “a shoe?” The Canadian asked as he let out a laugh watching as you dropped the sneaker onto the floor.
A scoff fell from your lips “I didn’t know if you were some killer!” You explained as your cheeks turned pink.
Mat found it amusing as he nodded “so you were planning on hitting them with a shoe?” He smiled when he crossed his arms.
The door opened a little bit wider so that you could let him in “what are you doing here?” You sighed as you weren’t exactly his biggest fan in that moment.
His facial expressions softened “you didn’t show up tonight,” he mumbled as he slipped his shoes off not wanting to track the dirt that his shoes had picked up.
You furrowed your eyebrows “thought you wanted to be there with her,” sure it was a little bit petty but you were upset so you didn’t really care about how you were acting.
It didn’t help that many of his teammates thought he was close to asking you out, yes you had heard that conversation and you even knew that the boys had bets about it going on.
Mat stopped as he thought about it “you jealous of her?” The question wasn’t meant to be rude or to attack you, he was simply curious.
Time seemed to stop as you came up with your answer “why would I be jealous of the girls you have in your bed?” You shot back as you tried to keep your calm.
The rebuttal honestly threw Mat off as all he could do was laugh “what’s so funny?” You cocked your head as you watched the boy run his fingers through his wet hair.
A smirk was full on his face “you don’t think I’ve seen the way you look at me?” He asked as he looked at you “the lingering glances,” he added as he took a step closer to you “the way your pretty little thighs clench during media day when you get to see me in my compression shirt.” His voice was guttural as he leaned down to the shell of your ear letting you feeling his warm breath as you were now up against your wall.
It was like you’d forgotten how to breathe “which is fine because I look at you the same,” Mat continued on as he watched your eyes go from his to his lips and back “those pretty little sundresses that you love to wear.” He threw his head back as he let out a groan just thinking about them “sometimes they make me wonder if you know just how much I love them.” You knew that they made you look good, enough to make your ass look curved and your boobs look big.
One question still hung over your head “what about Maya?” You asked as you let your lips form in a pout.
Mat let his hand cup your cheek “she doesn’t matter,” he confessed as he sighed “heard her out for closure not to get back with her.” That was the thing he kept on trying to explain to you. But you were too irritated to hear him out.
Both of you were far too stubborn and that’s why the emotions got the best of you this morning.
A smile formed on your lips “why me?” You tilted your head up to face him “cause you’re a fucking rocket baby,” you had this ability to make Mat feel like the only guy in the world.
As you scrunched your nose at the compliment it gave Mat a boost of confidence “give me a shot?” He asked as you still hadn’t said yes.
You nodded causing the boy to not waste a second before he kissed you. Your hands wrapped around his neck as you pulled him closer.
This felt like love in your life had just been given a revamp.
#mat barzal imagine#mat barzal#mat barzal x reader#mat barzal x oc#hockey imagine#hockey imagines#nhl imagine#nhl oneshot#imagines#oneshots#ambers 150 celly#amber writes fics
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˗ˏˋ𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡'𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ˎˊ˗
❃ ↷ ˊ- welcome to my hockey masterlist! this navigation is where you will find everything about my au’s and all my writings!
❃ ↷ ˊ- so, i’m not going to be writing anything that i don’t fell comfortable writing. with that being said, i will not be writing any smut.
˗ˏˋ𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢'𝐦 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 ˎˊ˗ ↷
Adam Fantilli
Auston Matthews
Connor Bedard
Jack Hughes
Jamie Drysdale
Luke Hughes
Mat Barzal
Trevor Zegras
Quinn Hughes
˗ˏˋ 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐮'𝐬 ˎˊ˗ ↷
Emersyn Campbell
Gracie Zegras
Grayson Kelce
Isabelle Hughes
Janessa Bieber
Kaelyn Burrow
Tyler Hughes
˗ˏˋ𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 ˎˊ˗ ↷
𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 ❪ 𝘘𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘯 𝘏𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘴 ❫
𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ❪ 𝘑𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘦 𝘋𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘦 ❫
𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 ❪ 𝘈���𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘸𝘴 ❫
𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 ❪ 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘏𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘴 ❫
𝐏𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ❪ 𝘓𝘶𝘬𝘦 𝘏𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘴 ❫
𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐬 ❪ 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘳 𝘡𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘴 ❫
𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 ❪ 𝘔𝘢𝘵 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘻𝘢𝘭 ❫
#isabellehughes#tylerhughes#nessabieber#emersyncampbell#graciezegras#kaelynburrow#hughes!reader#nhl fanfiction#nhl blurb#hughes!sister#new jersey devils#anaheim ducks#trevor zegras x platonic reader#philadephia flyers#new york islanders#mat barzal blurb#auston matthews x oc
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bad reaction pt. 2 - mat barzal (au #1)
part one has been dubbed the 'bad reaction mat fic', so here's part two loll, also there's two ways i want this to go, so they're going to be aus of each other. here's the first one!
gif not mine!
mat was having an off-week.
that's what the whispers around him said. he was having a bad few days, and wasn't playing up to his usual standards.
nothing was wrong. it was just an off-time for him.
but mat knew it was deeper than that.
the moment you told him you were pregnant, his brain had shut off. the two of you had a silent, but mutual agreement, of having no kids. at least not until you had your lives figured out — whether you were going to spend it together or what.
when he heard you two were having a baby, he got mad. mad at you because out of all the girlfriends and flings he'd had, you were the last one he expected to baby-trap him.
but when he came home, late that night and for some reason completely sober, you were already gone.
the clothes from the dresser, the hair ties you left lying around despite mat's complaints, the jacket that had been sprawled on the back of mat's chair for a month now — every trace of you was gone.
and that's when he realized you weren't baby-trapping him.
that the pregnancy wasn't something you'd wanted, but something that had just happened.
that's when he realized he'd let you go.
"oh fuck," he muttered, rummaging through the drawers before finding his phone. in a rush, he'd left it at home.
he dialed your number, holding his breath and it reached voicemail. he tried again and again, even requesting your location, but it was radio silence on your end.
he dialed your younger brother, sighing in relief when he picked up the phone. his relief was short-lived as your younger brother didn't sound happy with him.
"the hell do you want?" he growled. "stop calling y/n, she doesn't want to talk to you."
"look, i fucked up, okay?" mat admitted. "i know that. i messed up, and i — i just want to explain to her. please. if she — if she wants nothing to do with me afterwards... i get it. i just want to talk to her. please."
maybe it was the desperation in his voice, but your younger brother sighed. "she's at my house. you have five minutes to speak with her, or until she kicks you out."
mat thanked him, running out the door and to your younger brother's apartment. when he finally reached, he knocked, leg bouncing as he wanted nothing more than to talk to you, to see you.
"she's in the room," your younger brother said, opening the door. "you have five minutes, and don't you dare make her cry."
mat gulped, rushing to the room. the door was open, and you were sitting against the bed, watching the princess diaries on the projector.
he winced. if you were watching the movie on the projector — it was bad.
"y/n?" he called out, voice cracking slightly.
your eyes widened as they met his, a part of you not believing your brother when he was mat wanted to talk to you.
"can i — can i explain myself?" he asked quietly.
you paused the movie, motioning for him to come in. "you can sit there."
he sat on the chair, trying to convey how guilty he was.
"i'm so sorry," he told you. "i — i was scared because this — what we have — it was realest thing i'd had in a long time. and i was scared that you were going to baby-trap me, and i'd fallen for it. i shouldn't have reacted they way i did. i should've listened to you and talked to you, and helped you through this. i want to be there for you. i'm here for you now. as long as you let me."
you were silent, digesting his words.
a part of you wanted to be mad at him, but you understood where his fear came from. he was a professional athlete, of course that would be one of his first thoughts.
you'd had over a week to come to terms with the pregnancy, while mat had barely had a day. you didn't blame him for his reaction, no matter how much you'd hated it.
"come here," you patted the bed next to you, allowing mat to sit. "i don't blame you for your reaction. honestly, i should've spoken with you earlier, and we could've talked it out together. but that's what we're doing now. we're communicating, and we're okay."
hearing that sentence come out of your mouth, mat tried not to cry.
he pulled you close, pressing a kiss to your forehead. whether you kept the baby or not, he was going to be there for you from now on.
he swore it.
-
tags: @woodruff-edwards , @austinbutlerscaresme , @svechnikovvv , @hockeyboysarehot , @emptyflowerpots , @mysticaldonkey , @lam-ila , @babydollmarauders , @starjoyyy , @kjohnson-91 , @gavinbrindley, @hischierdevils , @jackhughesily , @panarin10 , @equallyshaw , @power2myheart , @lynnismypseudonym , @beccaiscold , @akengii , @hischierhaze, @cinnamonpancakes , @mitchymainer , @lifeofpriya , @marshmallow-babe, @hughesx3 , @emsully2002 , @starsandhughes , @huggy-hischier73 , @doglady5678 , @thatoneblog , @exonct07 @hughesmedicine , @qwanelledingele , @mindless-rock , @ireadthensuetheauthors , @huggy-hischier94, @slaythehousedownboots , @diary-of-jj , @youunravelme
#naqia writes!#mathew barzal#mathew barzal x oc#mathew barzal blurb#mathew barzal imagine#mathew barzal imagines#mathew barzal blurbs#mathew barzal one shot#mathew barzal oneshots#mathew barzal oneshot#mat barzal x oc#mat barzal imagine#mat barzal#ny islanders#isles x reader#isles imagines#new york isles
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long distance
March 8, 2023
Lex and Rutger were laying down on her bed cuddled together, Rutger was laying on her chest burying his face and Lex was playing with his hair.
Rutger groaned as he felt his phone vibrate in pocket he leaned up grabbing his phone answering the call, “Hello?”
Rutger’s eyes widen when he relized who was calling him, he got off the bed talking.
Lex watched as he talked through the phone not seeing his face and being able to tell if it was good or bad call.
“Thank you.” Rutger let out a breath as he ended the call, he ran a hand through his hair feeling really excited.
Lex got up off the bed walking over to him, “Rut my love what’s wrong?” Her voice seemed to snap him out of his trance and he spun around with a bright smile and wrapped his arms around her spinning her around.
Lex let out a laugh as he spun them around like crazy before gently setting her back down.
Rutger was beaming as he cupped her face, “No long distance baby.” Rutger vibrated with excitement.
“What?” Lex looked at him confused titling her head to the side.
“I got traded.” Rutger told her watching her face fill with realization, “to the devils.” Rutger was apart of the Tyler Toffoli trade and while he was exicted to be part of the Jets he was even more exicted to be apart of the devils, especially since the devils are near the islanders meaning being close with Lex and three of his best friends are all at the devils or drafted their he doesn’t see a better team.
“Oh my god.” Lex let out a laugh pressing her lips to his desperately as she realized they will only be a few miles away from each other instead of almost 3,000 miles.
“You’re stuck with me.” Rutger lovingly teased her as they pulled away to catch their breaths.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Lex softly smiled cupping his cheek.
#lex zegras au#lz4#alexandriazegrasau#rutger mcgroarty x oc#rutger mcgroarty#trevor zegras x oc#trevor zegras#jack hughes#luke hughes#quinn hughes#jack hughes x oc#nhl x reader#luke hughes x oc#quinn hughes x oc#luca fantilli#gavin brindley#new york islanders#ny islanders#new jersey devils#mat barzal x oc#mat barzal#umich hockey#michigan hockey#frank nazar#jamie drysdale
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