#sidney crosby fan fic

[spine-buster]

To Sail Beyond the Sunset ft. Sidney Crosby | Prologue

A/N: Aaaaaand here we go again!  Thank you so much for the positive feedback on my Nate story; I hope you enjoy this one just as much!  Let me know what you think!

TW: slight mentions of body issues/unrealistic body expectations; unhealthy eating habits.

Everyone always said that ballet came as naturally to June Brooks as hockey did to Sidney Crosby, but both knew people were wrong.  Sure, a natural gift was part of it, as was talent, but Sidney and June knew it took a lot more than that.  It took ambition.  Perseverance.  Knowing when to push yourself.  Using your strengths and challenging your weaknesses so they weren’t weaknesses anymore.

Most of all, it took each other.

Sidney Crosby never forgot the day that June Brooks moved into a basement apartment down the street from his house.  He was four at the time, and it was probably one of his earliest memories.  He remembered riding his bike on the sidewalk as his mom walked behind him, and having to stop because a girl was drawing on the sidewalk with a big box of chalk.  She looked up at him as he came to a screeching halt.

1991.

“Who are you?” June asked the boy staring down at her from his bike.  He had similar colour hair and gaps in between his teeth just like her.

“I’m Sidney,” he answered, looking between the chalk flower and the girl.  “What’s your name?”

“I’m Juniper, but you can call me June.”

Sidney looked at the raised bungalow – one that looked similar to his house – and back at the girl again.  “Is this your house?”

“No.  Me and my mommy live in the basement,” she said.

“I shoot hockey pucks in my basement,” Sidney said, confused.  “You live in the basement?”

June nodded her head.  “What are pucks?”

“Siiiidneeeyyy!” he heard his mom call out from behind them.  He looked behind him to see her waving him down.  From the shadows on the sidewalk, he could see June waving back at her.  “Sid, who’s your friend?”

From that point onwards, Sidney and June became inseparable.  Inseparable.  Wherever one went, the other wasn’t too far behind.  They were in the same kindergarten class.  They were in the same lunch group.  They played together at recess.  They’d be at the same activity stations in their kindergarten room – painting, reading, toys – and always sat beside each other during circle time.  Sidney would glare at other kids who took June’s spot until they moved.  Sid helped June navigate how to use scissors.  June helped Sidney learn how to hold a pencil properly.  June taught Sid how to print forward-facing Ss when spelling his name.  Sid taught June how to print lower-case Es.

Their teachers noticed.  Their parents noticed.  Well, every parent noticed.  “There go Sid and June,” they’d say to each other as Sidney and June would hold hands for safety (at the behest of their teacher – every kindergartener had the buddy system, and of course June and Sid were buddies) as they exited the school doors until they saw Trina waiting to pick them up.

One day, Sidney thought it would be a great idea to invite June over on the weekend so they could play hockey.  He thought she’d love it.  She could shoot pucks into his dryer, just like he did.  He could teach her how to hold a stick and everything.  They could do it for hours.

1991.

“My mom will even make us grilled cheese sandwiches!” Sidney offered, trying to entice her to say yes.

“I can’t,” June was sad she had to say no.  She loved grilled cheese sandwiches.  “I have ballet.”

Sidney had to clue what ballet was.  His entire life was hockey, and he couldn’t fathom anybody doing anything else.  “What’s that?”

“It’s dancing,” June explained.  “We wear pink and put our hair in a bun and we dance to music!  One day we’ll be able to dance on our tippy-toes.”

It sounded a lot less fun than hockey, but if June liked it, Sidney knew there must be something to it.  But it still wasn’t hockey.

The pair got older and moved on to senior kindergarten.  They were still inseparable.  Trina would still come pick them up after school and they’d still eat grilled cheese sandwiches together.  Sidney saw more of Miss Hockley, June’s mom.  She scared him a little bit.  She wasn’t as nice as his mom.  She didn’t give a lot of hugs, not like his mom.  Miss Hockley’s eyes looked a lot meaner than his mom’s.  And she was always telling June what she couldn’t do because of ballet.  You can’t play hockey with Sidney.  You can’t go skating with Sidney.  You can’t go watch hockey at Sidney’s house because you have to practice your dance. You can’t keep eating all those grilled cheese sandwiches.  Nobody wants a fat ballerina.

***

Sidney Crosby touched down at Halifax International Airport after his latest playoff loss to the New York Islanders.  He was pissed off.  It was the New York fucking Islanders, for heaven’s sake.  Besides, it didn’t matter that he had three Stanley Cups; he was still hungry, still wanted to win at every opportunity.  When he didn’t accomplish that, it upset him.  Most people would say that he’d won everything there was to win, and they were right – but that didn’t matter.  He wanted to win more, to do it all over again, win three more Cups, a Conn Smythe, and two more Olympic golds.  Hell, he probably still had another Golden Goal in him.

Right?

Regardless of how he felt internally about being ousted in the playoffs much earlier than he liked, being back in Halifax brought him a type of solace only Halifax could bring.  The city, the people – he loved everything about it.  And regardless of how long he’d lived abroad for, Halifax was, and would always be considered, home.  

He checked through customs, with the officer spending a bit too long looking over his passport when he realized yes, this is the real Sidney Patrick Crosby standing there trying to get back into his home country.  The firearms question at least cracked him up this time: “Do you have any firearms with you, Mr. Crosby, besides that backhand?”  It was good to be home.  

Sidney drove straight to his house on Shubenacadie Grand Lake first, mostly to drop off his suitcases.  But then, he got right back in his car and drove back into the city, purposely missing the highway exit for Cole Harbour so he could go right into Halifax.  He took out the fob he knew was in his glove compartment and pressed the button to open the garage door.  He parked in his usual spot.  He used the fob again to gain access to the building, and rode the elevator all the way to the top floor.  

He knocked the only pattern he ever used.  He didn’t have to wait long for the door to open.

When he saw June on the other side, she had a shocked look on her face, like she wasn’t expecting him home so early.  She was wearing a black hoodie and her trusted Lululemon leggings, her big, obnoxiously furry slippers on her feet.  “Sid!” she screamed out.

“Hey Junebug,” he smiled, the sound of her voice so happy and surprised like music to his ears.

“You’re home early,” she commented as she reached around his shoulders for a hug.  He wrapped his arms around her tightly, not wanting to let go anytime soon.  She’d only been able to make it out to see him twice this year, when she usually came so much more.  But her work had gotten busier – many more promising students.  She’d had to stay back.  

“You know me.  I can’t stay out of Halifax for too long,” he said.

Sidney didn’t even need to ask to come in.  June had stepped back a few steps while they were hugging to bring him into the apartment, and he’d closed the door with his foot.  When they finally released their hug, he noticed that June was still smiling ear to ear.  “When did you get back?”

“Just now, actually.  I just dropped off my suitcases at the house and then came over here.”

“You want some hot chocolate?”

“It’s May, Junebug.”

“Has that ever stopped you before?” she quipped, making her way towards her kitchen.  “I’ll even make it with milk.  Or how about grilled cheese?”

Sidney couldn’t help but smile.  “I’d rather have grilled cheese than hot chocolate.”

June didn’t say another word.  She opened her fridge and grabbed the bread, butter, and cheese before putting everything on the counter and getting a frying pan out of a drawer.  Sidney walked towards the giant windows that looked out over Peace and Friendship Park, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, and the Halifax harbourfront.  He noticed that an old episode of Hell’s Kitchen was playing on TV.  Soon, he heard the sizzle of butter to hot pan, and the unmistakable smell of grilled cheese filling the room.  

He walked over to the kitchen, standing beside June.  “Smells delicious, as always.”

June smiled too.  “Still not as good as Trina’s, though,” she winked playfully.

Sidney smiled his infamous smile, feeling overwhelmed with warmth.  

He was home.

#sidney crosby #sidney crosby imagine #sidney crosby fic #sidney crosby fan fic #pittsburgh penguins #pittsburgh penguins imagine #pittsburgh penguins fic #pittsburgh penguins fan fic #sidney crosby blurb #pittsburgh penguins blurb #nhl #nhl imagine #nhl fic #nhl fan fic #nhl blurb #hockey #hockey imagine #hockey fic #hockey fan fic #hockey blurb #to sail beyond the sunset series

[sequestering]

fic rec friday: wait until my clothes cling to my frame by anonymous

Sid isn’t built to be a hockey wife. She’s built to play hockey.

(4k | mature | female sid | angst | pining | unhappy ending)

this is an acquired taste - watch the warnings! - but it's one of my absolute favourite angst fics, featuring an all-time girl!sid. the mystery author does a fantastic job of creating a sid who is dealing with the brutal reality of being a woman in the public eye of the late noughties/early 2010s (truly crushing body image issues) while still feeling very true to our sid (devoted above all else to hockey). she's achingly plausible as a character, and the sidgeno core of the story breaks my heart. if you have the occasional yearning for angst and unhappy endings, then i cannot recommend this highly enough.

#so many of my fave fics come from those angst fests #as an angst fan i feel incredibly lucky they were run #sidney crosby #sidgeno #fic rec

[chanelfunnell]

anon, no, Ashley aka a fangirl woman behind Crosby/Toews Kane Interesting and Nemesis Cray blog with Toews fan IN aka Ashley Toews Girl plus more personalities or accounts, possibly Traci Crosby, Anna, Marti Snow writes her erotic fan fic about her and Tazer. On Wattpad.

You can find her steamy fictional scenes with Tazer in the shower etc in previous posts or on Wattpad. You see the title She was ardent Crosby's fan girl, sliding to Oilers now so my joke about a hot tube and McDavid. She claims different sort of ramblings, theories and projection if her issues is her typical work. She goes often after Kathy Leutner, visibly why, Marketa BLW, once Crosby's little helper according her and her rambling about those two is ,supermodel, because they have been models. She only copied M's book structure regarding changing two storylines from story of French and English Queen's Margaret of Valois and Elizabeth I to her erotic description of Tazer's undressing to si called Tazer's PE on her. Different like a day and a night, one is published historical fiction from 2015, another one is recent fan fiction by not quite right n the head aggressive fan girl changing her NHL crushes over a span of 10+ years. There are fan fics about Tazer and Kaner with erotic stuff but the author's bloggers are normal. Ash bashes any wag of her NHL targets and so women around.

She called Elina as a dingbat and she has had no interest in Hammer and the list goes on. Read her fan fic. Quite good except too graphical and if course about Tazer pounding this chick multiple times after meeting at the ice rink during Face off where she was throwing a puck. Then throwing out because she gets preggo as Tazer from multiple chances at least scored in her fan fic. If she is not so Cray and aggressive I'd say it was good read for 2 hours than a historical book even that Chuck is apparently King Charles III and Prince Harry with Meghan has had his first try before buy in the washroom.

I am Crosby Interesting has read her book because she uses the similar structure. Only difference of topic and , depth, lol. It has been around 2015, her smitten status with Crosby where she claims it is his cousin, not Kathy L in Sochi. Marketa has been at other Xmas party yesterday in a body tight glossy bottle green slinky maxi dress and silver strappy heels laughing and dancing. Looking on certain parties, wags, celebs, their houses and so is quite interesting until it is over the top

If you are Tazer's fan I recommend Ash's fan fic on Wattpad . Tazer is coached by her, he scores, he does not tell and he loses his face off crashing his peanuts in the ice seeing Ash for the first time...perfect for Christmas time.

#chicago blackhawks #jonathan toews #kathyleutner #sidney crosby #fan fic author #Fan fic #Nhl #Crosbyinteresting #Chicago blackhawks

[sc0tters]

Home | Nathan Mackinnon

summary: a lot has happened in your life but your favourite moments are with nate, so why did things go so badly?

request: yes/no

warnings: angst, swearing, mentions of drinking.

word count: 4.12k

authors note: this was some purely self indulgent angst icl because after the all star break I'm obsessed with this man so that is why it is my first time writing for him. This took me two days though so I feel like we can justify the addiction of this fic to the completed works!

Life as Sidney Crosby’s younger sister was indescribable.

Nathan had been in your life for as long as you could remember. He came in and out of it given that his friendship had always been with your older brother Sidney. The boys went from role model and fan to best friends and you grew so used to seeing Nate that you couldn’t remember what life was like before him even if it was only a few years ago. 

Sid was a great older brother, probably the best your could have asked for. But as he would send these unnecessary glares in any guys direction the moment the dared to look at you. It was clear that if it wasn’t your last name stopping you from getting a date, it would be your brother instead. 

Cole Harbour was a place you fell in love with. It was always connected with the warmth that came with summer. Those days that left you tanning on the porch or laughing on the boat as the ten year age gap between you and Sid turned to nothing. Every memory that was connected to the lake house only ever had joy with it. You even found yourself attaching to the moments you had with Nate. 

He was the only man, the only person who treated you like you. To Nate you were only ever y/n, never Sidney’s younger sister. So it was no surprise that during your time getting to know Nate you did end up falling for him. 

It was what you thought your best kept secret was. Your love for him was something that you couldn’t explain. He had you feeling dizzy from the mere way he looked at you. If Nate knew how crazy you were about him as your heart would skip a beat whenever you’d hear him talk about another girl. He never seemed to show that he took note about how you acted when Sidney was nowhere to be seen. 

All of that seemed to change one night when it was only the three of you at the house “where did Sid go?” Nate asked as he popped the cap of his beer bottle before he sat in the camp chair next to her. 

You let your bottle clink against his “up to bed.”  Your words were met with a laugh “that old man.” The hockey player rolled his eyes as he shook his head “you think you can survive without your boyfriend?” You teased biting your lip in amusement as he scoffed. 

Nate didn’t hesitate to throw his beer cap at you “hey!” It was your turn to laugh as it hit you square in the face “have to say your brother is not my type.” Nate’s tone was serious as he pressed his lips into a fine line. 

Your fingers ran through your hair as you turned to him “the male party not get you going?” You joked as you turned your chair to face his letting the crackle of the burning wood echo in your ears “believe it or not they don’t.” Nate smiled as he placed his hand on your knee “y’know I’m actually really happy you’re coming to Denver.” You had gotten a job in the city and you took it. Now you were going to be living under his roof until you found your own place. 

It made you match his facial expressions “you are?” Your cheeks grew warm as you tucked your hair behind your ear “yeah I do tinker.” The nickname was something he began calling you after he came over one day to see you struggling to turn on your electric drill. As you struggled to put the screw into it Nate was able to figure out that you were using a star drill bit for a straight screw. When he laughed about it seeing your cheeks turn red your nickname was set, you were his tinker from that moment forth. 

Nate squeezed your knee as the gesture filled you with warmth as it made you feel weak “as Sids friend-” your words were cut off as he raised his hand to stop you in your sentence “I’m your friend too.” Nate pointed out as he had grown to build relationships with all of the Crosby siblings “you know you don’t have to act like you like him when he’s gone.” You had grown so used to the fact that people befriended you because of who you knew that it wouldn’t have surprised you if Nate turned out to be the same. 

In fact you had prepared yourself for the possibility of that reality “is it so hard to believe that I do indeed like you?” Nate scoffed as he watched you get up “if you’re gonna leave then the least you could do is answer me.” The hockey player grumbled as he wrapped his hand around your wrist. 

You hadn’t been this close to him before. Your lips pressed together as you got the chance look at him “look it really isn’t going to change anything.” You pointed out trying to keep your mouth shut “try me tinker cause I’ve got all damn night.” Nate stepped closer to you as he forced your head to look up at him with how close you two now were. 

There was a back and forth in your mind as you groaned “I can’t believe it because I’m in love with you okay!” The words left your mouth quicker than you could process just how dangerous of a game that you were playing “you better mean that tinker.” His voice dropped to barely a whisper as you nodded watching his facial expression soften. 

It took him seconds to bring his hand to the nape of your neck as he dropped his head to now be millimetres from yours. His lips were painfully close as he watched you lick your lips “if you’re not gonna kiss me then let go of me.” Your warning was enough for Nate to throw caution to the wind. His chapped lips were rough against your soft ones. 

Nate wasn’t interested in trying to fight you for power. No, instead he wanted to show you just how much he desired to have you and was finally in a position to have you. His other hand gripped at your waist whilst you let your hands trail up his chest under his shirt “wait tink.” Nate groaned as you let your teeth tug at his lower lip when he pulled away. 

Your lips were tingling as you swore you could still feel his “I need to stop myself cause if I don’t then I am really going to get us both in trouble.” His warning made you grin as you watched him look to where Sids bedroom was “who said I wanted you to stop?” You swore you had never seen Nate snap his head back so fast. 

Because he scanned your face to see for any chance of you lying to him, he came up with nothing “you’re playing with fire tinker.” The hockey player mumbled running his fingers over your lips “and I’m ready to burn.” You mumbled kissing his neck making the boy grunt. 

The hockey player didn’t hesitate to use his strength as he picked you up and threw you over his shoulder “Nathan!” You squealed quickly being shushed off as you laughed “your short little legs wouldn’t move nearly as fast as I would need them to.” It was like clockwork, his legs carried you both into his house before he shut the door. 

As your body hit his bed you quickly realised that he was your new comfort and it was only going to grow stronger as the summer continued on. 

The relationship you had with Nate only seemed to grow stronger as you settled into life in Denver. For the first month you guys agreed to just let things stay casual. The main rule was that you were both allowed to have fun but if you both just so happened to land up in the same bed, it was okay. 

By December as the cold trapped the city, you guys equally found comfort in each other’s arms. So right before the Christmas break Nate gathered the confidence to ask you out. Now it wasn’t some big ceremonial type of thing like most would have expected someone to do coming from the NHL. 

Snow fell on the ground as it made you remember the soft parts of winter that you adored so much were left as evidenced by your long walk with Coco that morning. 

Your hair and coat had sprinkles of white coating your skin. The chocolate Labrador matched your amused expression as you made it back into the apartment “good morning.” Nate smirked as he sipped the coffee that he had freshly made. 

Silence caught you both as you stared at his shirtless body “good morning indeed.” You nodded sending him a wink “go get some water baby.” You mumbled disconnecting the leash as you stroked the dog’s fur before she excitedly ran off. 

Nate opened his arms as he embraced your scent “love how good you are with her.”  He spoke into your hair as he kissed your temple “she’s a good dog.” You smiled as you melted at his touch. 

His hand rubbed your back as you both stood there for a few more moments “when are you meant to go home?” The word now felt so foreign to you, sure your parents were there but you swore the man in front of you was where your home was. 

You grew up being taught that home was a place, walls holding up a roof that a family, your family could live in. But as Nate smiled as he scanned your face “what’s going on behind those eyes tinker?” Nate asked as he tucked your hair behind your ear “I know we agreed to keep things casual.” As your voice was hesitant the boy tensed. 

He was quick to begin preparing himself for the inevitable rejection that part of him knew would have made life easier. This way the hiding and inevitable lies that would be told to Sidney could have been avoided “but?” Nate trailed off waiting to see where you were going with it.

You pursed your lips together “I want more.” Time felt like it froze as the hockey player stared at you before his mouth broke out into a smile and a laugh blew past his lips “that’s not funny!” You complaint furrowing your eyebrows. 

Nate squeezed your body against his as he kissed your head once more “you love me don’t ya tinker?” He teased as he began to pepper kisses along your jaw “Nathan I will kill you.” You’d only ever use his full name to get him thinking that you were mad at him.

A gasp echoed in his ears as it finally made him stop “fucking love you t.” Nate confessed as he pinched his fingers on your chin as he tilted your jaw up to see him as he took the chance to kiss your lips. That was a day that he loved, because that was the day that he asked you to be his girlfriend, even if you would always swear that you asked him first. 

You had always been fond of rollercoasters. There was something about the adrenaline that you found yourself obsessed with. Constantly chasing that height of pure bliss. Yet the last three years were forced to teach you something, what goes up must always come down. 

For you, this was the worst part of your relationship with Nate. And that was all down to the fact that you swore it was the end. 

It surprised you and Nate both that your fighting had gone on this long now. Three whole weeks without a conversation going by positively. It seemed that everything you did pissed him off and vice versa. He drowned himself in his hockey as he avoided the house at all costs. 

He found it easier to ignore the hurt and pain you clearly felt as you were practically forgotten. Because he too was hurt. Nate hated the fact that you couldn’t seem to tell Sid about your relationship. Each time you would sit your brother down citing that you had something important to tell him, you’d end up forgetting how to speak as you would panic and chicken out of it. 

Nate wanted to be able to show you off to the world as he shouted from the rooftops that you were his. Yet you denied him of that right because until you told Sid the most he was getting from you beyond the privacy of his home was a lingering glance of a muffled whisper in his ear. Everyone thought you were together but he had to deny it every single time because it was what you had asked of him. 

Before he was able to bite his tongue about it but now you seemed to bear the brunt of his frustrations. As the team went seven games without a win it left Nate questioning everything, mostly why he was still with you if you weren’t ready to tell Sid. And he hated himself for that, you were his world so it killed him to doubt you. 

What was going to make it all worse was that you had been waiting for two and a half hours for Nate. Sure you guys hadn’t been at your best but this reservation had been set since July. Yes you knew you were stupid but it was your three year anniversary with Nate and you guys had a table at the best restaurant in Colorado. 

Or at least you did until an hour ago when the reservation came and went and there was still no sign of Nate as you cracked open your bottle of red wine “tinker!” Nate called out dropping his gym bag to the ground. 

The soft sounds of your sniffling made him furrow his eyebrows “tink?” He reached the remote for the speaker before he turned it off. Even if the hockey player used to joke about your height, he hated how easily you hid “hey baby.” Nate sighed as he walked into the bedroom that you two began to share two years ago. 

You were in the closet making a mess as you pulled things from your shelves shoving things into your suitcase. But that’s not what caught his attention, no it was empty bottle of wine that sat on its side pointing at your laptop. The screen had a one way flight to Canada “what is this?” Nate felt his head throb as he turned back to see you zipping up your suitcase. 

Pieces of the puzzle finally began to start clicking in his head “you know what day it was today?” You began bringing your hands to wipe your tear stained cheeks “it’s the nineteenth.” A penny could have dropped that moment as his eyes went wide “I’m so sorry.” The hockey player reached out for your hand but you raised it to stop him. 

You had gotten dressed up for the night, Nate’s favourite red dress that always ended up on the floor at the end of the night. Your hair was curled and your makeup was beautiful even if your mascara ran down your cheeks “where were you?” You chewed at the inside of your cheek assuming the worse “prac-” Nate couldn’t even get his words out as you slammed your hand against the wall. 

Those words made you wonder if he truly ever did tel you the truth “Cale fucking told me he left three hours ago!” You yelled lashing your hands around as you swore you were seeing red “I was at the rink okay?” Nate was telling the truth, he had been sat in his car staring out the front window as he wondered how much longer he could do this for. 

You wanted to believe him, truly you did. But as you stared into his eyes you couldn’t find it “I have a flight to catch.” You announced as you heard your alarm go off as you needed to get your Uber “what about our anniversary?” Nate’s words had you laughing “tell me you love me.” Your hand gripped the handle of your suitcase as you stared up at him. 

Nate sighed as his facial expressions softened “you know I do.” He nodded as it only made you frown “need to hear you say it.” It was unclear if you were asking or telling him but as you were met with silence you knew you weren’t going to beg. 

Colorado was a place you began to love but now it had all seemed to turn so awful so quickly that you were left in this toxic environment. The love you felt for Nate could only keep you there for so long but it seemed that tonight was your final straw. No it didn’t leave your love to dissipate but you began to lose yourself in his city. Your head grew heavy but you knew you needed to leave “when will you be back?” His voice was barely a whisper as he stepped to the side to let you go “I don’t know.” All you knew was that you needed to get out of there. 

That’s how you landed back up in Cole Harbour. You knew it would be quiet as it wasn’t peak season. The most interaction you had with people was when you went out to the grocery store or to get more logs for your evening fire as the sun came down over the frozen lake. 

Even as you felt all of this hurt in you, you still couldn’t bring yourself to hate that town. You could see where you and Nate once were like you had the front row seat to rewatch. Part of you contemplated reaching out to Nate but he was now playing the best hockey of his life and you began to wonder if that was because you were no longer there.

That was why you thought you were dreaming when you hit a month of being there when you heard the front door open “I have a weapon!” You called out with wide eyes as you stuck your head down the stairs “with your aim I’m not worried!” Sidney shot back making you instantly grow calm as you dropped his old hockey stick letting it hit the oak flooring. Your brother smiled as he locked eyes with you “Sid.” You gasped opening your arms to him as you were in need of a hug. 

Seeing him there made you realise that you had been lying to yourself, you weren’t okay. You missed Nate, you missed everyone. Parts of you even missed the irritating interactions that you held with your brother as he’d pester you 24/7. No matter how much booze or food that you surround yourself in, it was never going to change the back that you grew to need those people in your life. 

It killed Sid to see the hurt that was painted on your face “how’d you find me?” You had slowly started pulling away as your messages grew infrequent “Nate told me you left and I knew you were here.” Your brother kissed your head as he wrapped his arms around you. 

Everything seemed to stop in that moment as you tensed under his touch “did something happen between you two?” Sid ran his hands over your cheeks as he could sense that something was off. 

After all this time trying you still couldn’t lie to him, sure you could avoid telling him things, but you could never outright lie. On top of that you wanted to tell someone that you loved Nate, maybe that way you could keep your love for him alive in more than just your heart.

You frowned as you looked at your brother “I know I shouldn’t have.” Tears pooled in your eyes as you shook your head “Nate finally made a move huh?” Sidney smiled as he brought his hand to your cheek.

It made you freeze “finally?” You did your best to control your tears “he was in love with you.” The hockey player nodded as he laughed “god that boy thought I didn’t notice the way he looked at you either.” Sidney was so caught up in recounting how obvious Nate was about how he felt about you that Sidney didn’t notice how you smiled. 

That afternoon you told him everything, well everything Sid would want to hear - your sex life wasn’t a topic worth sharing - but part of you just felt guilty seeing how supportive Sidney seemed to be “why don’t you call him?” The offer seemed so easy, in fact it was too easy. 

And that’s why you laughed as you shook your head “I think we’re done.” Your lips pushed together as you raked your fingers through your hair “think he’s still in love with you.” The penguins player didn’t think that this was going to be how he spent his few days that he convinced the team to let him take. 

You let out a sigh as you leaned against him “really?” Sid did this thing where he would twirl your hair through his finger and as you’d fall asleep it seemed to always calm your mind “he called me thinking you were with me.” As he told you that he couldn’t help but notice how you had fallen asleep finally looking at peace for the first time in the entire trip. 

Sidney swore his days of meddling in your life were done until he decided that on his final day in Cole Harbour that you simply deserved better. He knew you weren’t perfect but you couldn’t spend your life hiding out in the lake house. Which is why Nate got the call after a Tuesday night game and he was only meant to be back on the ice on Thursday, it was perfect. 

Your brother had left that morning as he told you to think about going home, not to your parents but to Nate. Whilst you hadn’t made the jump to booking your flight you knew you wanted to go back. So as you grew ready to turn in for the night you enjoyed watching the rain pelt against the windows. Amidst all of the chaos you found within your life it always seemed that rain reacted the same way as when you were happy to when you were at your lowest. 

That was why you were so surprised when you heard a knock at the side door. You hadn’t seen a car pull in and you certainly hadn’t heard anyone walk up. The nerves you felt were low as only people you guys knew seemed to come through the side when they knew you guys were home.

Thunder clapped over the dark skies when you finally opened the door “Nathan.” You gasped seeing his clothing stick to his body as it was all soaked with rainwater “tinker.” Nate didn’t hesitate to pull you into a hug as he swore you were some figment of a dream in his distorted reality. 

To say you were surprised when he kissed your head it was an understatement “I came to bring you home.” You didn’t need to go to Denver to be home “you’re my home.” You mumbled kissing his lips as that was all you ever needed.

You guys were able to look at that moment and say it was the worst moment within your relationship. Being able to bounce off of Nate you guys learned that it was a 50/50 partnership, nothing more and nothing less would end up working out for you. Everyday you grew more in love with him even in those times you thought it wasn’t going to be possible. 

So years on as you looked at your three boys playing with their uncle you couldn’t help but smile as you thought about how far you both came “what?” You asked feeling Nate stare at you whilst your eyes stayed on Sidney who was teaching them to drive the boat “just thinking about how much I love you.” Nate shrugged hooking his fingers under your chin so he could kiss you. 

The moment was sweet until you heard the scoff “lovebirds if I’m free child care then whatever this is, is off the menu tonight!” Sid’s complaint made you both laugh as you rested your head on Nate’s shoulder, you were home.

#nate mackinnon imagines #nathan mackinnon imagines #imagines #oneshots #hockey imagines #nhl oneshot #nhl imagine #hockey oneshots #amber writes fics

[jackhues]

3 + 1 - sidney crosby

notes: i hope you guys like this, first fic for 'it's the most wonderful time of the year', had lots of fun making this!!

likes are good, reblogs are better <3

part of naqia's end of the year celly!

gif not mine

i. (1994)

you'd known sidney your entire life. one of the first memories you had with him was fighting him for the last hockey stick in the store.

well, it wasn't the last hockey stick. but it was the last one of all the types you used to play. it just so happened to be the only one sidney used.

after a game of rock, paper, scissors (you won), sidney got mad and demanded a best of three. maybe it was the defiant look in his eyes at only seven years old, but you decided he could have the stick.

"are you sure?" he asked, now looking hesitant about taking the stick.

you nodded, "i'm sure. they'll get one of the sticks i use in a few days. you can have this one. i'll just steal my brother's stick until then."

sidney grinned, "thanks, y/n."

you smiled back at him, feeling the start of a friendship. you'd lived near him your entire life, but you'd only begun talking to him because of hockey.

"just don't forget to send me a card when you go to one of your tourneys," you told him.

you and sidney laughed over that, before heading back home with your parents. it was after this day that you began to say hi to each other in the halls of school, that you decided to pair up for projects, that you became friends.

over the two months it took until christmas morning, you forgot about what you'd told him. but sidney didn't forget his promise.

and it was on december twenty fifth, that you received a post card in the mail from some place in quebec. a seven year old sidney had tried his best to make the letters look pretty, writing on the side, 'merry christmas, and thanks for the hockey stick, y/n. it helped me win!'

you peered in the envelope, finding a picture of sidney hoisting his giant hockey trophy. you smiled at that.

even though he was so far away, it felt like you were celebrating christmas together.

--

ii. (2004)

'sidney patrick crosby, you have got to be kidding me! you have a huge hotel, you're in finland, and you've got some of the best people with you. and yet, you're saying you wished you were here playing pond with the rest of us? you're crazy. anyways, make sure you score a goal or something, and have lots of fun! honestly, not scoring is fine if you have fun. good luck at the world juniors! i'll be cheering you on from back home :))'

you signed off the letter, sealing it and placing it to the side to deliver later.

at seventeen years old, sidney had become the only under-18 player at this year's world junior tournament for team canada. it was a thing to celebrate, but sidney was upset he would be missing the town's annual christmas pond hockey game.

you and him had played together on the same team for the last nine years, winning every time. this was the first time he wouldn't be here to help your team defend the title.

but that was okay, you thought as you packed up your christmas gear and made your way to the pond.

because sidney was going to play on your t.v. tomorrow, at the national level. it was his first time playing for canada, and you knew he was excited for that.

he just wasn't a fan of missing the small things.

it was why he'd began sending you letters and post cards as he moved around for tournaments and hockey games. they were cute souvenirs, and you didn't mind sending him a letter back.

you just wished he could've been here to celebrate christmas with the rest of you.

--

iii. (2009 - pretend ft was invented a year earlier)

"merry christmas, love."

you smiled, "merry christmas sid."

sidney adjusted his phone, fixing the facetime so you could see him better. you laughed as he struggled for a minute, finally getting a proper angle.

"don't move!" you said. "there, perfect. now your entire face is on my screen."

he laughed as he shook his head to himself.

the two of you had been friends for thirteen years before he worked up the courage to ask you out. and for the last two years of your relationship had been amazing. there were ups, like seeing him win the stanley cup, and there were downs, like seeing him take some uncalled for hits.

but you were happy. and so was sid.

the two of you had planned to celebrate christmas together in pittsburgh, until a family emergency had you coming back to nova scotia last minute.

everything turned out fine, but it was just too late to get a ticket back to pittsburgh.

even so, you and sid had found a way to work around that.

the two of you spent most of the day on the phone with each other, talking and laughing together. it wasn't what either of you had planned, but you made it enjoyable.

it was a great christmas.

--

iv. (2012)

"sidney, will you get down here already?"

"i'm coming, i'm coming," he called from upstairs.

you sighed, waiting for your husband to get up and get downstairs. christmas morning was the one morning you were happy to get out of bed, but it was also the one morning sid wanted to sleep in.

sam, sidney's dog, came down the stairs, curling around by the christmas tree as he waited for sid with you.

a few minutes passed before sidney made his way downstairs, eyes half closed but a sleepy smile plastered on his face to greet you.

"good morning, love," he pressed a kiss to your forehead. "merry christmas."

"merry christmas," you smiled, pressed a kiss to his jaw. "we eating breakfast first or presents first?"

"mmm, breakfast," sid decided.

"i knew you were going to say that," you laughed, pulling him along to the kitchen.

you'd already prepared breakfast before he came down. some eggs, sausage and bread. it was a good way to pass the time as you waited for sid to get downstairs.

the two of you took your seats, laughing as you ate breakfast and discussed how far you'd gone in life together.

"you almost tripped on the ice," he reminded you.

"no one told me i had to go out on the ice after you guys won," you argued. "i was so excited over you guys winning the stanley cup, i didn't even notice i was being ushered to the ice until i took my first step."

sid laughed as the two of you slowly made your way to the living room.

"here, open my present first," he said, rummaging under the tree to pull out a long, rectangular box.

the two of you had started the tradition of opening all of your sentimental gifts before the other cute ones. and even though you wanted to go first this year, you supposed it was alright if sid got this one.

you unwrapped the box, pulling out a familiar hockey stick. one that you'd given sidney eighteen years ago.

"oh my god," you muttered, tears building up in your eyes.

"i found it in my parent's garage last summer," he shrugged a little. "i remembered how badly you wanted it. and even though it's too small now, i thought you'd like the memory."

"i love it," you grinned, wiping the corners of your eyes. "it's absolutely perfect. i'm putting this up next to that picture of you holding up the trophy."

sid laughed at your response, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

"you can do whatever you like with it."

you put the stick to the side, your hands slightly shaky as you grabbed another, much smaller, box. "here. now open my present."

sid took the box from your hands, unwrapping it and opening it. he stared at the contents of the box, unable to form a sentence as he looked between the box and you.

"you -- this -- seriously?" his eyes shined as he stared at you.

you nodded, feeling the tears build up yourself. "we're having a baby."

sid laughed, pulling you in for a hug. "oh my god, this is amazing. a baby, you and me."

the two of you held each other that day, celebrating christmas together.

#naqia's end of the year celly! #naqia writes! #sidney crosby #sidney crosby blurb #sidney crosby imagine #sidney crosby fic #sidney crosby imagines #sidney crosby blurbs #sidney crosby fics #sidney crosby x reader #pittsburgh penguins #pittsburgh penguins imagines #pittsburgh penguins x reader #hockey one shot #hockey fic #hockey #nhl one shot #nhl hockey #nhl imagine #nhl fic

[jackhghes]

NHL Recommendations

Fic recommendations that you guys should definitely check out.

(series) Road Wife - by @cellythefloshie 18+ (series) Unresistable ;; jack hughes - by @luvmmarner (one-shot) Fan Girl ;; michael bunting - by @luvmmarner (one shot) you were right ;; jack hughes - by @luvzegras (one shot) baby, baby ;; quinn hughes - by @luvhughes43 (one-shot) keep your glasses on ;; owen power - by @powermakar

(one-shot) roughed up ;; sidney crosby - by @drewsbuzzcut 18+

(one-shot) illicit affairs ;; sidney crosby - by @blueskrugs

(one-shot) Along for The Ride ;; auston matthews - by @woah-were-halfway-there

(series) Impact ;; mitch marner - by @callsign-denmark

(one-shot) Take Five ;; mitch marner - by @mattybenierss

(one-shot) I miss you like the very first night ;; cale makar - by @mattyanonwrites

(one-shot) you always did feel just like home - nathan mackinnon - by @wyattjohnston

#fic rec #nhl hockey #hockey #hockey imagine #jack hughes #nhl imagine #mitch marner #mitch marner imagine #series #cale makar #nathan mackinnon #quinn hughes #nj devils #tampa bay lightning #ross colton #anthony cirelli #steven stamkos #sidney crosby #owen power #michael bunting #nhl smut #smut #18+ #auston matthews

[feelmyskinonyourskin]

Always a Rangers Fan to Me - Frank Castle x Reader

@hellskitchenswhore asked for a Frank fic based on She's Always A Woman by Billy Joel and I wanted to write an eloquent fic weaving love and passion between reader and Frank. Instead, it came out as this dumpster fire. Based very much in my own personal love of hockey and how the only thing wrong with Frank Castle is that he's a Rangers fan. It's really dumb, please look away...

Reader's pronouns aren't mentioned.

Warnings: Some arguing, pet names like sweetheart, swearing because it's Frank, reader is a Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Did not really proof read this.

WC: 650

*I never give permission for my fics, manips, or any other original creation I post on this site to be copied, posted elsewhere, translated, or fed into any AI program. The only platform I currently post anything on is Tumblr. Thanks!*

“You’re a real fucking piece of work Frank, you know that? Going through my things and then getting mad about what you find?!” you shout

“Jesus Christ sweetheart, what do you want me to say? I was looking for that hoodie you stole from me and I found it. It was an accident that I found it, but you have some serious fucking explaining to do.”

“I don’t have to explain anything to you.”

He throws the object that started the whole argument on the floor at your feet.

“Yes you goddamn do.”

The crumpled up Sidney Crosby Pittsburgh Penguins jersey lays like a weight between the two of you. It's your most prized possession, something you kept hidden from him. But now the cat was out of the bag.

“No.” you reply, firmly

“What?”

“I said no.” you repeat

“You are so goddamn stubborn sometimes.”

“Oh like you’re one to talk.”

“At least I don’t fucking lie to the people I love.” Frank responds

“It wasn’t a lie… it was a half truth. To impress you. When we first met.”

“You told me you were a Rangers fan.”

“Nooo. I said that I was a hockey fan and had been to some Rangers games since moving to New York.”

He just stares you down with those signature brown eyes, nostrils flaring, waiting for a response.

“I’m sorry. For not telling you.” you say, looking like a little kid who got caught stealing cookies before dinner.

“S’okay baby” he says, his face softening as he stretches out a hand to invite you closer to him

“Pfft that I don’t believe.” you say with an eye roll

“Goddamnit. Here.” He kicks the jersey towards you and turns to stomp away “You and your goddamn flightless bird team…”

His heavy boots hit the hardwood with every step, reverberating through the apartment as he goes to open the window and sit on the fire escape.

“Frankie…” your pitiful voice stops him in his tracks “Can I have a kiss please. Before you go?”

He sighs. He can’t say no to you.

“Course sweetheart.”

He turns back to you, your soft smile practically melting his heart. But he’s known you long enough to not be fooled, the devilish glint in your eyes telling another story. He steps towards you cautiously. He’s just a few steps from you when your expression shifts, looking at the precious item of yours he so unceremoniously threw on the floor.

“Mmm nevermind, I’m still a little mad at you.”

“Jesus… Wait why the hell are you mad at me? You’re the one who lied.” he asks

“Yeah but you went through my stuff and yelled at me over nothing really…”

He sighs. “You’re right it’s kinda nothing. It’s just some dumb sports teams.”

“Yeah and I mean your team sucks, so you really don’t have any ground to stand on.”

There’s the twist of the knife he knows you can’t resist.

He wants to make a snide remark back about how the Rangers made the playoffs this year and the Penguins didn’t, but he refrains, the sad look in your eyes stopping him from saying something else dumb. He opts to close the gap between you instead, picking up the jersey just before wrapping his arms around you and pressing a kiss to your temple.

“I love you sweetheart. And I always will. Even when the playoffs come around and the Rangers beat your dumb bird team again.”

“Oh wow how are the Rangers gonna win? Is Trouba gonna cheap shot all my good players again so they win against basically a minor league team because they aren’t good enough to win for real?” you retort

“Oh I’ll show you cheap shot.” he says with a smirk

And with that statement he picks you up in one motion to carry you to bed, to settle the argument there.

Sorry this was so self indulgent and dumb.

#frank castle #frank castle x reader #the punisher #pittsburgh penguins #new york rangers #marvel fic #x reader #lol i might delete this because it's so dumb

[rimouskis]

I feel like I've gotten a lot of new people 'round these parts lately so 👋 hi everyone, I'm bec — I am first and foremost a sidney crosby enthusiast but I am secondarily a music fan and frequent concert-goer. I write fic over at @beggingwolf and when I can get my co-hosts online at the same time (a task of epic proportions) I co-host @goodwoodpod. but, most importantly: I like giving out pgh restraurant recs ahaha

[losersroom]

ooh how do u feel about unknown second identity type shit ? person A in love with person C who is really person B who is conveniently person A’s best friend/rival/fill-in-the-blank-etc.

i feel like these scenarios are often way too convoluted for my little mind to follow HOWEVER there's real potential in some kind of comedy of errors situation where the person you want to be closest to is under your nose the whole time... effervescent

also one time i read a really good sidgeno fic where malkin was a camboy and big fan of sidney crosby who was, unbeknownst to him, his best customer. shout out to that fic author whoever you are, you're a real one

anyway, B+

#do NOT ask me to find this fic again it's buried like 12 pages deep in my ao3 bookmarks by now

[bigassbowlingballhead]

OKAY WIP WEDNESDAY 1/3/24

tags from @nocoastposts @getmehighonmagic @firenati0n

I was going to wait a little longer today to post, BUT I just hit 6k in the Shane fic and I'm excited about it.

So a snippet!

“Alright, where to begin,” Henry starts. “Yes, you heard me correctly earlier, that painting came from the palace. My former home, you may know me as Prince Henry.” He tells Shane, whose eyes are about the size of the dinner plates in front of them.  “So that’s why the guys kept calling you Prince after we saw you at the cafe…” Shane trails “and Claremont, your shirt earlier,” pointing to Alex. “Former first son, Alex Claremont-Diaz, at your service,” Alex holds out his hand to Shane, who just blankly stares at it. Alex withdraws his hand “I was invited to his brother’s wedding, political obligations and all that.” They tell Shane about the wedding. When Henry tells Shane how they destroyed a 75,000 pound cake Shane responds with “75,000 pounds? Wasn’t that heavy to fall over on you? Didn’t you guys get hurt?” “Pounds like British money, not pounds like weight,” Alex clarifies, placing his hand on Shane’s knee. Shane’s cheeks flush as Alex’s hand lingers. “It caused a huge international incident, my mom was not happy.”

Tags and a surprise under the cut

I'm going to keep tags light since we just did a little first line thing last night

@tal-vez-o-quizas @anincompletelist @eusuntgratie @lostcol @onward--upward @housewifebuck @heybuddy-drabbles (tagging you for the update) and an open tag for anyone who feel like they want to!

and a little snippet of a little buddie brainworm I just started yesterday

“Buck?” Eddie asks “Are you good? Do you need another beer?”  Buck’s eyes have been transfixed on the TV and he’s seemingly not breathing. On the screen is seasoned hockey veteran and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sidney Crosby. His face has been cut open during the game after taking a stick to the face from one of the players on the opposing team, the camera is fixed on him as the blood trickles slowly down his cheek.

the damn coma dream. His dad says they're watching pens. Buck was dreaming about sidney crosby. This is canon. Buck's a pens fan. This is so important to me. I'm still not over this.

#jon writes now? #two is better than one #wip wednesday #rwrb fic

[moregraceful]

hockeyblr ask game

tagged by the illustrious @kitnita thank you my friend ✨

1. The thing that got you hooked on hockey

I have told this story many times and I will tell it again because I think it is so funny and perfectly demonstrates how I can be convinced of literally anything if I have a good time. when there was the great bandom collapse and all my bandom friends turned to hockey I said fuck hockey I will never be a fan of hockey what the fuck is an edmonton oiler. and joined Twin Peaks fandom like any normal 20 year old college student in the year 2009 would. EIGHT YEARS LATER, my dear friend got into the pens and said pls pls pls get into pens hockey rpf with me the fic is so good. and I said NO. FUCK sidney crosby (did not know who sidney crosby is). 1 year later this same dear friend said pls pls pls come to this Sharks-Pens game with me, no one else will go with me bc tickets are $90 and i gotta see my man evgeni malkin, pleaseeee. and I said you want me to pay 90 american dollars for HOCKEY???? and she said yes and I will buy you a beer. I said okay FINE.

went. experienced several emotions I had never felt before. experienced several old emotions I had not felt in a long time. experience a few emotions that didn't exist. experienced emotions only shrimp feel. Pens lost but this was in 2018 so the Sharks were still pretty good and it was a genuinely skilled game of hockey in a packed arena. I was enthralled. the game was so exciting and so fun to watch. Evgeni Malkin's legs were so long. Tomáš Hertl's ass was so big. I don't even think I finished my beer I was so into it.

"haha heyyyy," I said as we walked out of SAP center. "you uh got any recs for these pens guys?" "oh boy DO I EVER!!" she said. and it was all over.

(hilariously I swore I would never be a fan of the Sharks but my terminal Bay Area brain disease took over and I fell eventually bc I always fall for the home team in the end. also bc for a long time my schedule was 9-6 or 12-9 in a library with an open plan office with an hour commute on both ends and I really cared about how people perceived my work ethic for a while, so I would just never watch or listen to games at work. by the time I quit I would watch full Avalanche games on my night shifts though dw lol.)

2. Your first ever fandom friend

trying to think of who I was friends with on hockeyblr first that wasn't someone I knew from livejournal or someone I met through someone I knew on livejournal lmfao. it took me like 10 years to figure out how to make friends with people on tumblr lol. I have no idea

3. The jersey you would most like to own

historically I have never denied myself the pleasure of owning anything however I did get in a bidding war for a Jared McCann HIFE jersey when he was on the Pens -- had to stop bidding when the jackass I was up against went over $1k bc I just could not justify spending $1k on a jersey. on the bright side this means someone paid one thousand american dollars for a jared mccann pens pride jersey lol

I wanted a Matt Murray HIFE jersey another year too but the bidding went from $500 to $1.5k in like two hours and I was like oh ok. and gave up on ever owning a pens HIFE jersey

I assume if the Cuda have a pride jersey this year I do something reckless this year lol. fingers crossed no one fucken sits so I have options

4. YOUR player (you only get ONE so choose wisely)

Cale Makar..... (didn't he try to kill jared mccann a man you just said you were willing to pay nearly $1000 for his jersey - yes and he felt bad about it. it's a violent sport who cares). I hope I am able to watch an Avs game again someday :')

5. A pairing that deserves more fic

ROOPE/ROBO HIVE RISE. also jason robertson/nick suzuki. i mean Jason Robertson in general, supremely underutilized considering how bananas hot he is

6. Your favourite on-ice moment

god have I ever actually seen anything good happen on ice, ever. oh!! When Garnet Hathaway scored a goal against the Sharks and fell over and he was just punching the air and Nic Dowd started pummeling him bc he was so excited for Garny

also Pat Sieloff pride night gwg. he said I won't do pride tape but I'll end an ot on Pride night with my only goal of the season. He did that for me.

link someone else's art/fic/etc that you love & think everyone should check out

pls read @kitnita's robotter primer it is literally a masterclass in ship primers. we need more ship primers like zoe's primers. i dream every day of writing a primer as masterful as zoe's robotter primer. (also her robotterpetey primer was SOOOO good and then my stupid ass gm stole petey and now he has to pay income tax. sorry to the state of texas for my gm's crimes.)

@tofumilanesa's strauss mann eating disorder fic featuring jasper weatherby that i think about every week, then i sit on the floor and yell and yell and yell

and bc i was hooting and hollering about it earlier today, the original dick trick by mcspot is one of my all time favorite fics - joe thornton/patrick marleau where patty is aspec. i read it like every six months and experience shrimp emotions. it is by no means an unknown fic but it does star the sharks so obvi not getting as much attention as it SHOULD

link something you made & are proud of & want people to see

😐

I started writing this post in the grocery store check out line and then the check out guy was like if you donate money to Second Harvest food bank I'll do a voice impression. I was like what??? and he was like yeah for real :) and pointed a piece of paper with several character voices. so I donated $10 and got Charmander and Jar-Jar Binks and it was very impressive voice acting but it's been two hours and I'm at home now and I'm still so harrowed that I donated $10 just to hear Jar Jar Binks comment on the amount of kombucha I was buying

Listen to Get A Read On Me while doing the dishes and tell Beryl what a great job they did!!!!

#fresno oilers.txt

[spine-buster]

To Sail Beyond the Sunset ft. Sidney Crosby | Chapter 5

gif credit @/rinkrats

A/N: 6000 words of...well...

Every time June put on a pair of pointe shoes, she felt like she was putting on a piece of second skin. They were as much a part of her as her nose, eyes, and hands. Every ballerina had a very specific way of moulding their pointe shoes to fit their feet, and June was no different; she could do it with her eyes closed, one arm tied behind her back – all the old adages were true for her. From the satin, the elastic, the ribbon, the toe pads and Second Skin, to knowing exactly where to sew the elastic to support her ankle, how long to cut the ribbon, where to bend and pop the shank, and how many times she needed to band the toe box against the wall or floor or even with her own heel so it softened and wouldn’t make noise on stage. She was perfectionist with it, but it was like second nature to her. She’d prepared thousands upon thousands of pointe shoes during her career. She didn’t think she’d ever forget how to do it. She could be a hundred years old suffering from dementia, and if someone handed her a pair of pointe shoes, she’d know exactly how to make them fit her feet.

When she was one of the principal dancers at the National Ballet of Canada, she’d been filmed for a video on their YouTube channel for this exact routine and it went viral, tallying something like 20 million views to date. Everybody apparently wanted to know how the best ballet dancer in Canada – and one of the best in the entire world – prepared her pointe shoes. Ballet already fascinated people, she thought, and pointe shoes were about 90% of that fascination. How could someone balance their entire weight on their toes? And not just balance – how could someone dance on their toes? Spin on their toes? Jump and land on their toes? For three hours? June made it look easy. She made it look effortless, like she was floating on stage at any given moment. “Magical” was often the adjective used.

Going back up en pointe again, after years of not doing so, was something June never thought she’d experience. She thought she’d be dancing well into her thirties. But the best laid plans… The first time she went back up en pointe, it was rougher than she wanted it to be. It was harder than she wanted it to be. With all the dancing and practice she’d done since she could walk, she thought it would be much easier. But no. Her body had betrayed her in a way she never thought she’d be betrayed. It failed her on one thing she’d gotten so much recognition for in the past; it failed her on the one thing that had made her famous. She knew she had to have patience with herself, but it was still frustrating. For years her body had been contorted and hyperextended and abused to look a certain way on stage and now it couldn’t even do the thing she wanted. She’d had more blisters than the entire popular of Halifax, more shin splints than she could shake a stick at, muscle strains, dancer’s heel, Achilles tendonitis, snapping hip syndrome, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and even osteoarthritis. She found a lot of anger in herself before she realized that she’d already given so much to ballet that she didn’t need to give anymore.

For all that her mom did when she was growing up, June really did love ballet. It brought her a solace not much else could bring. When she danced, she felt free, like she could do anything and be anything. And when she was performing on stage, she could become someone else. She didn’t always have to be Juniper Brooks, who grew up working class in a basement apartment in a suburb of Halifax with a pseudo-psychopath of a stage mom. She could become Odile, or Odette, or Sleeping Beauty, or Giselle – she could be anybody else but herself, and that helped her, in its own way, realize who she was a person with and without ballet. Ballet was truly one of the things she loved most in life which was why, when she couldn’t dance anymore, she decided to teach. It had given her so much, so she wanted to give back.

Ballet for June was hockey for Sidney. They’d both had their fair share of joys and pains associated with hockey and ballet while in Cole Harbour. For June it was her mother and jealous girls in her classes; for Sidney it was other boys (especially the older boys) with intent to injure him, and parents. Imagine. Grown-ass adults being jealous of a kid. If June could have, she would have told off every single one of them to their face. Because she knew she couldn’t do that without developing a reputation, sometimes, she’d scream and cheer for Sid so loud in the stands to drown out the parents’ jeers. They’d look at her like she was crazy, but she knew she was doing the right thing. Some of them would even look disappointed, as if they were sad Sidney wouldn’t be able to hear them call him names or tell their kids to get him. The funniest thing about the situation was that when Sidney won his Stanley Cups and brought them back to Cole Harbour, she’d see them waiting in the parade route or autograph line with their grandchildren.

Such was life.

***

Katja Simmons was one of June’s best friends, the person she was closest with besides Sidney, of course. They met at boarding school, having been roommates for their last two years, making the company together straight out of school. While June was promoted to principal dancer, Katja became a first soloist, and was still dancing with the company. Their positions meant that they usually got to dance together on stage – which is how June liked it. She liked having someone on stage with her that she could trust.

“Have you proposed to Sidney yet?” Katja suddenly asked over the phone. Their pair had been talking for over an hour and a half at this point, and the question really came out of nowhere.

“What?!” June shrieked. “Katja, what the hell?”

“Oh come ooooonnnnn, June,” Katja pressed. “He’s been back home for a while now. Have you proposed marriage?”

“Katja—”

“—Be his wife—”

“—Katja—”

“—Because you know you want to.”

“Katja!” June shrieked again. “Where is this coming from?”

“You know how much I love love,” Katja said as if that explained everything, and honestly, it kind of did. Katja had gotten married last summer to her long-time boyfriend, Niko, after almost ten years together. June was her maid of honour. She brought Sidney as her date. “And I’ll just never forget how he looked at you when he saw you for the first time after Swan Lake. Or how you two would write letters to each other literally every single day throughout high school. We can all see how in love you guys are. I just—I can’t believe you can’t see it, June! Or don’t.”

“Katja, I’ve told you – it’s so much more complicated than that,” June said. “He’s my best friend.”

“But that’s the way it’s supposed to be! Look at me and Niko. You wouldn’t want to marry someone you’re not friends with, right?”

“Of course not,” June agreed. “But it’s different. It’s…it’s…”

“It’s what?”

June took a deep breath. “Sidney is the most important relationship in my life – that I’ve ever had in my life. Between my mom being the way she was and Sidney just always being there for me – being this constant presence in my life even when we moved so far away from home and each other – Katja, I wouldn’t want to ruin anything. I can’t ruin anything. If I don’t have Sidney, I have nothing. Ballet can be taken away from me, but Sid can't.”

Katja was quiet momentarily, taking in June’s words. “Do you want my honest opinion?”

“Of course.”

“You’re not going to ruin anything because you can’t ruin what you and Sid have. It’s beyond that point. I don’t think your worry should be if you’re going to ruin anything – you shouldn’t have any worries at all. I think that you and Sid should have a talk about your future together, because you guys have been in love with one another your whole lives. You’re it for each other. It’s like When Harry Met Sally – remember what Harry says at the end? When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. You two need to realize it. Once you do, the rest of your life is going to start.”

***

“Have a good night, Chloe,” June smiled as she propped open her studio door to let out her remaining student. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Sid’s SUV inconspicuously parked in the corner of the lot. She was expecting him, so it wasn’t much of a surprise, but she wondered if anybody else in the parking lot coming to pick up their kids did.

“Goodnight, Miss June! See you tomorrow!” Chloe waved off as she rushed to her parents’ car, throwing her bag into her brother’s face in the backseat before getting in herself.

June waved at the entire family as they drove off and watched them turn onto the street. It was only then that Sidney turned off his car. She watched as he got out and made his way towards her, a smile on his face. “Hey Junebug.”

“Hey. Come in,” she said, keeping the door open until he walked through, locking it behind him so nobody could pop in. They walked through the small lobby and into the dance studio – the only space they really felt any privacy, despite the door being locked.

They sat down in a corner of the room, knees touching since they were sitting so close. Personal space was a thing of the very, very distant past for them. “You’ve got a big smile on your face,” Sid commented.

“I’m happy to see you,” she said, trying not to hear Katja’s words from their phone conversation lull around in her mind. “Plus, some of the girls got their acceptances.”

“Really?”

“Claire, Malika, and Isabella are going to NBC,” she informed him. “And Zoë was accepted to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.”

“Wow!” Sidney exclaimed, genuinely shocked at the news. “That’s incredible!”

“I know. They’re over the moon. I’m over the moon for them,” June couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “Big difference from how I found out. And much different reactions, too.”

“God, yeah. I still remember that day,” Sidney said. “It’s still so clear to me – that look on your face as we met on the sidewalk. And you telling me everything afterwards. You were so upset, Junebug.”

“Could you blame me?” she asked.

Sidney shook his head. “Not at all.”

2002

“Do it again.”

June inhaled deeply. Her feet were killing her. Her knees were killing her. Her arms were killing her. The second she had gotten home from practice, her mom had demanded they practice everything in class again, since June fell out of one of her landings once. “Mom—”

“—Don’t mom me—”

“—Please, I’m exhausted,” she tried.

“Exhausted? You were the one who chose to fall out of your landing during the routine. Now do it again.”

The routine in question was Odette’s variation from Act 2 of Swan Lake. Most girls in her class still had trouble with staying en pointe during specific turns or for more than a minute of choreography. June was perfecting two-and-a-half minute character role variations. She and the other girls weren’t even on the same planet. But it still wasn’t good enough for her mom. “Mom, I’m beg—”

“Do it again, Juniper!” she snapped.

June held in the tears, the fatigue, the outright exhaustion, the everything, and assumed position. Her mother hit the play button on the boombox and the classical music began. If she was going to get out of this and satisfy her mother, she needed to execute every move with absolute perfection – her mother wouldn’t settle for anything less. So she did – every arm motion, every turn, every movement of her body was done with such precision that June almost shocked herself, considering the time of day and the fact that she’d already been in a four-hour class. She hit the last pose perfectly, and the music stopped. She waited for her mom’s reaction, scared of the outcome.

“Much better,” she said. “It should be like that all the time. Now go shower and get ready to eat.”

June didn’t have to be told twice. She left abruptly and ran into her room to take off her pointe shoes and leotard. She didn’t allow herself to cry until she got into the shower, and even then, wiped her tears away furiously. Her entire body ached at how much pressure and stress it had been under that day, and she felt she could barely raise her arms anymore to wash her hair. After she dried herself off, brushed her wet hair, and changed into some new clothes, she went back out into the main living area. Her mom had already put out her plate to eat: a small filet of salmon, steamed broccoli, and some cherry tomatoes. To anyone else, like Sidney, the portion size would probably be a snack; for her, it was dinner. Even a glass of lemon water was already made for her. When June sat down, she noticed her mom eating the same thing, but double the portion. They ate in silence.

June retreated to her bedroom after dinner to finish homework from the weekend and prepare what she needed for the upcoming school week at Astral Drive Junior High. It would have been the time that she called Sidney, too, but he was at a hockey tournament this week and June knew he and his family were probably driving home right now (and that he was probably doing his homework in the car). She’d have to wait until tomorrow to talk to him.

June wasn’t expecting a knock at her door from her mom. Usually, after dinner, her mom left her alone. After today especially, she didn’t think her mom would bother her. But alas, she was wrong. June wished she didn’t have to see her face until tomorrow morning. She took a deep breath. “Come in.”

Her mom opened the door and stood in the doorway, watching June at her desk with a binder open. “That last performance you did – it should be like that every time, Juniper.”

June stayed silent for a few moments. “I know. My arms were hurting rea—”

“—That’s the lazy girl’s excuse,” her mom dismissed her. “I push and I push and I push because you’re lazy and you can do better. If you’re not pushed, you fall behind. And then what good are you, hmm?”

By this point in June’s life, she’d heard those words a million times. But it didn’t sting any less. She fought to hold back her tears. “I out-danced everybody in cla—”

“—You danced like a lazy, selfish, stupid girl,” her mom interrupted again, not letting her get a word in. “I was embarrassed for you. Every penny I make goes to your dancing and you weren’t even fucking trying. You better start acting and dancing like a ballerina or else some other girl is going to steal it from right under you before you go.”

June furrowed her brows. “Before I go where?”

All of a sudden, her mom’s face had switched from agitation and anger to one of almost pride and smugness. “The Dying Swan,” she began, referring to a piece June had practiced meticulously and had performed at a local recital a few weeks ago. “A trainer from the National Ballet School was in the audience that day. Yulia called her.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means the National Ballet School has recruited you. You’re going to boarding school in Toronto.”

June’s heart stopped beating before it fell into the pit of her stomach. While she should have been happy about the opportunity to go to the best ballet training and high school in Canada, she couldn’t feel happy. At all. Instead, she felt blind-sided. The thought of leaving home, of leaving everything she knew, was scary. And the thought of leaving one person in particular – Sidney – made her sick to her stomach. There was no way she would go through with it. She couldn’t – not while Sidney was still in Cole Harbour and she was being shipped off to boarding school in a city she’d never even been to. She didn’t think she was mentally strong enough, and she wished her mom could see that – that it would probably do more harm than good. “No,” June shook her head.

“What did you just say?”

“No. I’m not going.”

Her mom’s eyebrows raised. “Who the fuck do you think you are, Juniper Brooks?”

“I’m not going and you can’t make me,” June tried to remain strong. “I’ll stay in classes with Yulia.”

“To hell you will,” her mom was harsh. “You’re going to Toronto and that’s final. All the paperwork is done. Your dorm room’s even been assigned. You don’t have a choice in this, Juniper.”

“No!!!” she screamed, and every emotion, every tear that she was bottling up inside came out with it. She shot up from her chair, and that’s when her mother turned her back and began walking away from her. “I’m not going! I’m not!” she followed her out.

“This was all done for you!” her mother screamed back. “All for you! And look how ungrateful you are!”

“Mom, please,” June pleaded with her. “Please don’t make me go. I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll train more. I’ll put in more hours. But please don’t make me go there all alone.”

“Empty promises from a lazy girl,” her mom shot back. “Hopefully the school teaches you hard work. And dignity. God knows you need it as you stand there begging.”

“Mom,” her voice was full with tears now as they streamed down her face. She didn’t know what she could say to make her mom change her mind. She knew the tears wouldn’t help – if anything, it would make it worse. “Mom, please. Please. I can’t go.”

“You will go, Juniper.”

“Mommy—mommy p-please,” she wailed. June thought of only one thing: she got down on her knees, even though they hurt more than anything, right up against her mom. Her mom whipped around to see June putting her hands in prayer position, looking up at her with red eyes. “P-P-Please mom. You can’t separate me and S-Sid. I can’t g-go to T-T-Toronto. I c-c-can’t leave him. I can’t leave him. He’s my b-best friend. I can’t be that far away from him. I’ll do whatever you want. Whatever you want. But I can’t leave Sidney. I can’t—I can’t be alone without him s-s-so far away—”

All of a sudden, there was another smug look on her mother’s face, but this time, it was mixed with amusement. Sick, twisted amusement. “Well well well,” she said, concealing her smile, crossing her arms against her chest. “I guess Sidney hasn’t told you yet?”

June froze in position. “Told me what?”

“Sidney’s leaving too. He’s going to a hockey boarding school,” her mom revealed. “In Minnesota.”

The words were like a nuclear bomb to June. She kept frozen in her position as the words sunk in. Sidney’s leaving to a hockey boarding school in Minnesota. Of course June knew about the possibility because Sid told her, but it seemed like such a long shot because it was a private school, and neither of their families had that kind of money. If there had been a change, Sidney would have told her about it. Right? She understood she wasn’t a Crosby, but she may as well have been one, and she would be the first person to know…right? Right? “You’re lying,” she found herself saying, tears still streaming down her face. “You’re lying and you know it.”

“I’m not a liar like you,” her mom spat back.

“I—you—that’s a lie. That’s a lie. You’re j-j-just saying that so you can ship me off to b-boarding school and never see me again,” June cried. “You’re lying b-because you hate me.”

“I’m not lying. You can ask Sidney tomorrow.”

“Sidney would never do that to me.”

“He already has.”

June felt like she was going to throw up. Both outcomes were horrible. If her mom was lying, then she was just a nasty liar; but if she was telling the truth…well, the truth was worse. The truth was much worse. “I hate you!” June wailed. “I hate you I hate you I hate you!!!” she wailed over and over again.

“I’ll live,” her mom dismissed her. “You’re going to that school if I have to drag you there kicking and screaming, Juniper Brooks.”

June got up from her knees. With all the emotion she had left in her, she screamed one more time. “I hate you!!!” With that, June ran back into her room sobbing, collapsing onto her bed as she cried and cried and cried.

Her mom didn’t come knock on her door for the rest of the night. Even when June’s sobs were so loud, they could be heard through the walls.

***

The next day, as Sidney waited for June on the sidewalk so they could walk to school together, he saw her approaching from the distance. He’d missed talking to her last night. Their usual Sunday night phone call usually had June reminding him of all their homework they did and that he had to bring to class for their teachers. But as she got closer, Sidney could see she wasn’t happy, and when she got even closer, he noticed her eyes were red. That could only mean one thing. “Were you cr—”

“—Are you going to boarding school in Minnesota?” she demanded.

Sid’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t find the words. “I—I—”

“No bullshit,” she swore. They hardly ever swore, even alone together. “Are you going to a hockey boarding school in Minnesota or not?”

“It…it literally just happened, Junebug,” he said, admitting it. “How—how did you know?”

“When did it happen?”

“We got the call Saturday at the tournament. They called my coach because he has a cell phone. How did you know?” he asked again.

“My mom told me.”

“How’d she find out? God, word must travel fast. One of the guys must have told someone back here and—”

“So you’re going?” she asked, her voice shaky.

Sidney paused. “Junebug, I—my parents and I had a really long talk about it. Like, really long. And we all think it’s best that I go, at least for a year, and see what it’s all about, and so I can get away from all the…noise over here. I was going to tell you, Junebug, I swear.”

June broke out into a fit of tears. They were streaming down her face like Niagara Falls. At least in Sidney’s situation, he and his parents talked about it. They thought about the pros and cons and made the decision as a family. As opposed to her situation, of course, of just being told of being shipped off somewhere with no choice. “My mom told me last night,” she managed to say through tears. “She told me because—because I was crying about…about…”

“About what?”

June tried to wipe away some of her tears. “My mom is sending me to boarding school in Toronto. For ballet,” she revealed. “She told me last night. I told her that I couldn’t—I couldn’t leave you. That’s when she told me about Minnesota.”

Sidney couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You’re going to Toronto? For ballet?”

“Against my will,” she said. More tears rushed down her face. “I want to be with you, Sid. I can’t leave you. I can’t go there on my own without you. I can’t—I can’t…” she couldn’t speak anymore, the sobs overcoming her.

Sidney hated seeing her cry, even though it happened every so often. It was one of the worst things in the world to him. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly as she cried on his shoulder. The sound of her sobs shook him to his core, because instead of annoyance or just general sadness, there was fear in them. “It’s going to be okay, Junebug,” he said, rubbing her back.

“No it’s not.”

“I’ll make sure it is.”

When June thought about it, when she really thought about it, it was the moment she fell in love with Sidney. She remembered clinging on to him for dear life, as if he was about to float away to Minnesota if she let go. She wasn’t ready for anything that was coming her way that late spring or summer, but she knew she would have been a lot worse off if Sidney didn’t help her through it. She remembered being so scared. She remembered hardly being able to sleep the week before they both left. She remembered them saying goodbye to each other and her bawling her eyes out in the taxi, crying so hard she threw up. Sidney had promised her that everything was going to be okay, and she believed him, but the fear kept creeping up.

“Hey Sid?” she asked after a few moments of silence, her voice soft.

“Hmm?”

“Remember when you told me it was going to be okay?” she asked. “It all was okay in the end, wasn’t it?”

“Of course it was,” he nodded. “I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you.”

June couldn’t help but smile slightly. “As if you had the power to do anything. We were teenagers.”

Sidney shrugged. “I would have found a way,” he said. “I still wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

They looked each other in the eyes just then, letting the words hang in the air for an immeasurable amount of time. Sidney meant the words he said, and June knew it; he wouldn’t say them if he didn’t. Over thirty years of friendship, and he still felt that way. Through all the tears he had to hug away, the classes and competitions where she was worked to the bone, the cruel gossip from others, the unfair rules, the tiny meal portions, the feelings of loneliness – he would use all the power and influence he had in the world to make sure nothing would happen to her. Over thirty years of friendship, and she felt the same way about him. Through all the bullying he encountered, the taunts and jeers and slashes and hits, the news articles written about him as a kid proclaiming him to be everything from a local hero to a pissy show-off, the girls in their class who would grab his hands and twirl around and yell “I’m going to marry Sidney Crosby! He’s going to be a millionaire!” when they were twelve, thirteen, fourteen years old – she would never let anything happen to him.

June got up suddenly, all in one go. Sidney stayed firmly planted on the ground, looking up at her. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to get my pointe shoes.”

Sidney tried to remain calm, but he felt a nervous tightening in his chest. He nodded his head and watched her walk out of the room. While she was gone, he moved so he was sitting up against the wall of mirrors, underneath the barre. When June came back in, she was wearing ballet tights with a low back camisole leotard and a black pancake tutu. She had a new pair of pointe shoes in one hand, and her pointe shoe kit in the other. She sat back down across from him, without a word, leaving some space between them to have everything in front of her.

Sidney watched. He watched as June meticulously prepared her pointe shoes, as she’d done thousands upon thousands of times before, as he’d watched her do when they were teens. She was like a surgeon performing a quadruple bypass; the precision in everything that she did to prepare them was so detailed and thorough, it was probably only rivalled by his own pre-game rituals and superstitions. Hearing the familiar pop of the shank or watching as the needle and thread broke through the delicate satin – it was all part of a process he was so familiar with, and respected so very much, because it meant that June could do what she loved.

Only when she was done did either of them speak. “I’m going to stretch and warm up,” June informed him, pushing her phone that she left on the floor towards him with the pointe of her shoe. “When I’m done, I’ll tell you what song to play. My phone is connected to the speakers.”

“You got it, Junebug,” he said, watching again as she went over to a space at the barre and began stretching, hoisting her leg up and rising and falling, just as she’d learned so many years ago. She even went to get a roller. When she was done, Sidney was attentive to her every desire.

“There’s a mash-up song in my music – it’s not in my Spotify – it’s called Odette/Odile variations,” she said. “And turn the volume all the way up.” Sidney didn’t recognize the name, but scrolled through anyway, until he found it. He made sure the volume was on the highest setting before tapping on the song and putting her phone down beside him.

The second that the music began, Sidney knew exactly what kind of dance he would be seeing. June had performed every principal role in every major ballet in her day, but Swan Lake was her favourite, and being Odile/Odette was her favourite role, more than Giselle, or Sleeping Beauty, or Juliet, or any of the others. He thought she would choose an easier piece – he didn’t know why he thought that – but no. June was going for the big guns: the two solo variations where the ballerina really got to shine, showing off her immaculate technical skill and sophisticated character work.

Sidney watched in awe. It was like she hadn’t even stopped dancing. Her arms were fluid, her legs were straight, and she went up en pointe as if it was the easiest thing in the world. She executed every move flawlessly. Even her facial expressions were just as he remembered them when he would visit her in Toronto and buy tickets front row, centre stage to see her perform. The muscles in her legs, arms, and back were still strong and definite, carrying her gracefully around the room as she performed every pirouette, every attitude, grand jeté, sissonne, arabesque, double cabriole, brisé, and entrechat six with grace, elegance, strength, and determination. When the music for Odette’s variation ended, and she transitioned into Odile’s, Sidney knew exactly what he was going to get. Though she transitioned to embody Odile instead of Odette, her movements were just as precise, and there was something different about the way her body moved to take on the character. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen in anybody else, and June executed it so flawlessly. She did every time, and just because this was an audience of one, it didn’t matter.

Then the French horn and trumpets began. The symbols clashed. The infamous song blared through the speakers. June took a few moments to herself, when the danseur would traditionally dance, and then it was on. Back in the centre, arms extended, aaaaand…

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen…

Sidney could feel the tears well in his eyes as he watched her.

Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-one. Twenty-two. Twenty-three. Twenty-four. Twenty-five. Twenty-six. Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine. Thirty…

Sidney’s heart stopped beating as he watched her complete the set. She did it. She fucking did it.

Thirty-one. Thirty-two.

She landed her ending pose perfectly – and she wasn’t even done. She had to end the pas de deux, and she did so in a flurry of piqués and chaînés that saw her whip herself around the room like a tornado. After more pirouettes, entrechat six, looking down and extending her hand to an invincible danseur, the music hit its last note and June flapped her arm out like a wing.

Then, silence.

Sidney and June let everything June had just done speak for itself and stand on its own. The first time Sidney had seen June do this, he had cried – and he wasn’t afraid to admit it. The crowd had erupted in a raucous applause at her completion of the 32 fouettés and at the end of the pas de deux, and he had gotten swept up in the moment. Now, alone in a ballet studio in Halifax where she’d just done the same thing, there was silence. It wasn’t until June forced her body out of the pose, and made eye contact with Sidney, was any other noise heard.

A sob.

June let out a sob she didn’t know she was holding in and practically collapsed into Sidney, who quickly outstretched his arms to catch her. He held her as they sat on the floor and she cried in his arms. They didn’t say a word to each other. Everything was being said in what they were doing – holding on to each other for dear life. It was only until June stopped crying that she pulled away to look into Sidney’s eyes.

And when she did, she knew that look. She knew that look because it was the same one she gave him, that she never gave to anyone else. Not even to her ex-fianc��. “You love me,” she said. She didn’t ask, because by the look in his eyes, she knew.

Sidney nodded. “And you love me,” he said, a statement and not a question, too.

June nodded. “All this time.”

“I think we’ve been in love with each other for thirty-one years and didn’t realize it sooner,” he said.

In movies, there is usually a grand declaration of love; running through an airport, or flash mobs, or a long speech with exquisite words. This wasn’t that. Sidney and June’s declaration of love was not grand, and it was not ostentatious. They weren’t chasing the other through an airport or organizing a flash mob atop the Halifax Citadel. This, instead, was simple: two people, after thirty years, sitting on a floor in a ballet studio in Halifax, finally admitting they loved one another.

#sidney crosby #sidney crosby imagine #sidney crosby fic #sidney crosby fan fic #pittsburgh penguins #pittsburgh penguins imagine #pittsburgh penguins fic #pittsburgh penguins fan fic #sidney crosby blurb #pittsburgh penguins blurb #pens imagine #pens fic #pens fan fic #pens blurb #nhl #nhl imagine #nhl fic #nhl fan fic #nhl blurb #hockey #hockey imagine #hockey fic #hockey fan fic #hockey blurb #to sail beyond the sunset series

[rocohen20]

For those of you who follow ColeyDoes Things on youtube may have seen her latest update "The BIGGEST fandoms on AO3". Getting the pleasant surprise of seeing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the tumbnail got me so excited.

I always pictured the fandom of Hockey RPF as a niche on AO3. This fandom got me into tumblr, AO3 along with reading fan fiction all together. I've been part of this fandom for the last 8 years. Hockey in general is a big part of my life. I had so many thoughts, so much knowledge and for years it was the only fandom I read fanfiction for.

I am so excited to see it part of the 20 top fandom on a site like AO3. I didn't expect seeing this fandom so high up, and I'm honestly so excited seeing the video beacuse right now I'm 28 minutes in the video and she's going through place #15 and she still didn't get to HOCKEY RPF and I'm astounded and so excited. I can't wait to find out their placement on the top 20 fandoms. And all through the video I can't wait to see her reaction to the top ships and tags.

Seein in #12 SPORTS RPF and knowing that technically HOCKEY RPF should be under this umbrealla but in actuality HOCKEY RPF usually tagged only under HOCKEY RPF I'm shocked. I know how technically in the last year or so there was a booming in the romance genre of Hockey Romance Books, but I'm not quite sure what it did to the popularity of Hockey on AO3. Plus, hockey is well known as the least popular sport out of the major legues of North America so I am so surprised to see how popular it actually is.

Now after RAVING about the superiority of HOCKEY RPF VS. SPORTS RPF, apparently I was fundementally wrong and got dissapointed.

I was sure that AO3 seperated each and every "sport's field" RPF as a seperated entoty and not logged them together. Through the whole video I was waiting for the moment of the fandom I was so excited about being talked about. With each fandom she would look at the top ships and characters. Through watching the video I was debating with myself about the top 10 pairings. It's been a while since I looked up the exact list. So I was under no impression that Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin would be the number one pair. But as for the others I debated with myself. Just for the fun of it the list I had in my mind who is based on my personal experience and on various post about the top main paieings of Hockey are:

Sidney Croaby/Evgeni Malkin

Patrick Kane/Jonathan Toews

Jamie Benn/Tyler Seguin (I know fhat it used to be their place, and I am well aware how they are barely any new fics about them, but I still want to believe they are on the top 10 pairs).

Danny Briere/Claude Giroux

Alexander Ovechkin/Nicklas Backstrom

Nolan Patrick/Travis Konecny

Leon Driasytel/Matthew Ktchuk.

Connor McDavid/Leon Driasytel

Sidney Crosby/Claude Giroux

Jeff Carter/Mike Richards (a girl can dream).

After getting it out of the way. What happened in the video was- she read a bunch of pairing from different sports. Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin was in fact the number on pairings. Which was extra impressive when you take into account the different feilds of sports. But in fairness it seemed like Hockey RPF was one of the OG Sports RPF with continued audience. And as for those two they had the benefit of playing with each other close to 20 years.

Patrick Kane/Jonathan Toews also made the list, at around number 5. It made me so happy. As someone who was a big reader for 1988 it made me so happy. Also Coley didn't know how to read Toews so she read it as TOE-EZ, and through my mind I thought "Patrick Sharp would be so proud". Also it rather fitting to accidently hit a major theme in many of the 1988 fics, especially the older ones.

She also had a big surprise to see Omegaverse as one of the main tags. As someone who adores omegaverse and specifically reading it with the context of sports RPF it didn't surprise me in the slightest.

It also made me really happy to see the second most kudoed fic being a Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin wedding day fic. Especially because I know I put it in my marked for later list and there is a podfic version of it with 5 hours lengh.

Even though it wasn't to the extent that I wanted to, I still enjoyed the video and seeing even the mention of some major pairings who I read many fics about, gave me joy.

#the nhl #youtube #fan fiction #ao3 #nhl #sidney crosby #evgeni malkin #patrick kane #jonathan toews #patrick sharp

[simmyfrobby]

I am in my Kyle Dubas era!!!!!!! 😩🥵💦🔥 who has written about him on ao3?? Who is he with? Who do I need to start obsessing over to be with him?! 😭 are the pens worthy? I do not want him to go there and fail!! (I’m a baby hockey fan just finding my feet)

Hi hockey baby!

You probably know about as much about Kyle Dubas as I do. I follow hockey from Europe, and there is very little interest for anything but the Scandinavian players over here.

(We don't care about the OG 6 teams at all, but we like the Swedes and of course Mats Zuccarello makes the national news every time he gets even a single point in an NHL game. It's kinda cute. We're proud of our boy.)

If you want any Actual Information you might be better off asking a Maple Leaf blog, but I can try to answer a few of your questions based on what I've learned trough hockeyblr osmosis and by watching the Maple Leafs docuseries like.. 5 different times..

So who should you obsess over him to be with?

AO3 says William Nylander, and based entirely on that one clip in the Maple Leafs All or Nothing documentary series where Dubas says Nylander is "SO FRUSTRATING" I'm inclined to agree with that.

There's also.. um.. this..

Which: hot.

(asked @sidcrosbrainworms and they said Nylander and maybe Matthews so.. peer reviewed)

Dubas is close friends with Jason Spezza and there's some speculation about Spezza potentially joining him in Pittsburgh. Could be cute. I'm also linking this post by himbeaux-on-ice about the relationship between Dubas and coach Keefe because I found it interesting.

RE: Dubas and the Pens

Josh Yohe seems to have decided that it's Fanfic o'clock:

And not to slutshame or anything, but Sidney Crosby is the easiest person in the world to write fic about, so I have 0 doubt that there will be Crosby/Dubas content published within the next few weeks, it just might take the fanfic girlies a few days to catch up on the news.

Here's Pens twitter making a case for a Dubas sandwich on pens bread:

I personally would love for Sullivan/Dubas/Crosby to become A Thing on pensblr at the very least.

Now:

Are the Pens worthy? Sigh. I mean, I love them, they're my little guys. The core 3 are still playing very well and I think there's definitely potential for this to be a good season if Dubas can scrape together some support for them. Goaltending has been an issue though, and Dubas has already spoken about the need to address it:

(check out this website if you're curious about our cap situation & feel free to just message me if you have any questions about how all of that works or drop another anon ask & I'll get back to you)

I obviously don't want Dubas to fail either, but even if the Pens aren't immediately in contention for the cup, even if Dubas makes a million mistakes, our previous GM was fairly awful so like.. the bar is literally on the floor.

Things Can Only Get Better

I think Kylie Dubes will be fine 💛

I hope you enjoy your hockey-watching-experience, and if no ones told you yet: welcome to hockeyblr!

EDIT: check the replies for Sheldon/Kyle notes provided by @pptiny

#if anyone follows me & feels like adding to this #please do #fic recs obvs always welcome

[goodwoodpod]

SLAPSHOT #2: AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE TRENCH

SLAPSHOTS are part mailbag, part whatever else happens to be rattling around in our brains that week. In these semi-regular mini-episodes, we'll discuss hockey current events, answer listener questions, and tackle short-form fandom topics using a looser, less structured approach than the main episodes.

This week, your hosts say ENOUGH of this "real" hockey nonsense—let's talk about TROPES, baby! In the absence of our beloved Kit, Jes and Bec answer a slew of listener questions about tropes and trends in hockey fic. Join us for a fun romp through topics like D/S AUs, tinhatting and fanservice in hockey vs. boy band fandoms, the significance of ~alternative domestic spaces~ in hockey fic, and whether sports columnists are really just writing (paid) RPF. And if you want access to Bec's secret knowledge about Sidney Crosby, well—you'll just have to meet us down at the casino.

Runtime: 58 minutes || Recorded 2.20.23

0:00-18:40 dom/sub AUs vs. A/B/O

18:40-31:28 fan service & fandom dynamics in boy band vs. hockey fandoms

31:30-39:30 public and private spaces in real person fiction (or: what happens in the hotel stays in the hotel)

40:00-48:45 whither all the trope fics?

48:45-58:00 entertainment journalism & hockey RPF

#good wood pod #good wood #hockey podcast #hockey fandom podcast #slapshots #also note that we have some more asks rattling around waiting for future episodes #so if yours isn't here don't worry we'll get to it!

[naanima]

Secure Pious Contentment

Categorie: Gen, M/M

Fandom: Men's Hockey RPF

Relationship: Sidney Crosby/Nathan MacKinnon

Characters: Sidney CrosbyNathan MacKinnon

Additional Tags: Pittsburgh Penguins NHL Team, Retirement, Social Media, Twitter, Sidney Crosby vs retirement, Epistolary, POV Outsider

Summary: Sidney Crosby retires, plays more hockey than he expected, figures out his life with the aid of an emotional support puck, and gets his man. The world witness bits and pieces of it through social media.

(A journey of figuring out life after retirement the only way he knows how - playing more hockey).

Thank you @mikathemad for editing this fic. Without you this fic would have been so much worse off.

Thank you @kingcameacallin for creating the accompanying fanmix/fan album that went with this fic. It was so fun discussing the songs with you.

#fanfiction #naan fics #sidney crosby/nathan MacKinnon #hockey rpf