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#boston bruins one shots
behoright · 11 months
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alive for you l j. studnicka
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I drive fast / wind in my hair / push it to the limits
summary: Jack just cannot wait to get you out of this club. He also can’t seem to wait until you get home.
wordcount: 3k
song: burning desire - lana del rey
warnings: minors dni! Surprise surprise: cursing and smut! Also, semi public sex. Oh and proofreading was uhhh…fast. So bear with me.
a/n: I actually don’t super love this one but I have a huge cr*sh on him and there isn’t enough talk about this man so here you go. Inbox is always open for you. Love u love uuuuuu
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“I missed you so much.”
“I missed you, baby.”
The vibrations of the music ran through your body as you found yourself in the corner of the Canuck’s most cherished and frequented club in the city, your arms securely wrapped around your boyfriend.
That's what he had become, officially, a couple weeks ago.
Much to your surprise, Jack blew your expectations when he took you out to dinner to ask you properly.
You had gotten to see how romantically cheesy he was behind closed doors, but taking the step to officially call you his girlfriend made you swoon to no end.
“It drives me insane when you call me that.” He muttered, moving his lips across the shell of your ear.
As you looked at him, his skin reflecting colorful lights amongst the crowd, all you could do was place your lips on his again.
It felt like you had spent the whole night attached to each other.
You truly hadn’t been able to stop kissing and making out since you met at the doors of the club. The first kiss in two weeks was spectacular, but something kept you pulling each other together.
Magnetized.
The feeling of being together felt addicting; it felt like peace, like placing the last piece in a puzzle.
The slight problem was that as much as you had craved each other for a while now, you hadn’t actually gotten to spend private time together yet.
Right after making it official, Jack had to leave for a ten day roadie, leaving you equally high and dry.
So right after you became official, you were separated. It was okay, part of his life that now involved yours, but it had come at the worst time.
The last kiss before he left leaving a sopping puddle in your underwear.
So tonight, finally reunited, you stuck to each other like glue.
There was absolutely no way he was going to leave your side, just like you only went to meet up with him.
Mostly self contained people, you could care less about the club or the drinks. The earlier you could both politely sneak away from the team, the better.
The tension was there, palpable, and obvious to everyone, even though you didn’t care, both in each other’s worlds.
Jack's favorite spot tonight had been behind you; whether at the bar, reaching over your head with his lanky arms to grab drinks, or on the dance floor.
He had always been shy, the more reserved guy in every group he was part of.
It all went out of the window with you.
He didn’t know if it had been the shots, he doubted it was the environment, but he felt alone with you as he bravely took you to the middle of the dance floor before immediately slipping his tongue past your lips for the millionth time.
You couldn’t hear the scoffs and chirps from his nearby teammates as you collided, craving to be on top of each other already.
His muscular thigh boldly splitting your legs apart, he was all around you.
Wild and intoxicating, he ondulanted himself against you harder and harder, practically rubbing your small frame on top of him as he kept kissing you. The fabric of his dark washed jeans reverberated against your clit, creating waves of pleasure under your thin panties.
His cock began swelling fast, having you in such a vulnerable position, both mentally and physically, all while in a public place.
He couldn’t help himself.
He had to have you close to him; he had to grab you and run his fingers through the roots of your hair, up and down your silhouette as you grinded together to the beat of the music.
He knew you were moaning, your whimpers and sweet meowings vibrating against his lips as he moved his mouth in unison with you, pushing his tongue against yours deeply.
He wanted more, and it was hard to hold back as your hip would bump into his hard and evident boner every time he pushed your back closer to him again, literally moving your body up and down his perched leg.
It was only when he realized his hands were gripping the flesh of your ass underneath your bodycon dress that he pulled away from you, breathlessly, his eyes panicking with lust as he took your features in.
“I’m about a second away from bending you over this bar and fucking you right here.¨
He muttered against your ear, causing eyes to widen as you felt your underwear drench at his explicit words.
He watched you smile sweetly in response, the hint of nervousness as you bit the inside of your cheek being the last straw for him tonight.
“C’mon.” He said, reaching out to grab your hand.
He wouldn’t bother with goodbyes or formalities.
Not tonight.
Jack had fallen hard.
After his last breakup, he was sure he’d never love again, or at least not anytime soon.
With the undoing of his long, tumultuous relationship with Boston as the backdrop, the only thing that kept him going was hockey.
But it was all in the past now.
You came into his life at the perfect moment, in all of your splendor, and took the poor boy by storm.
He had no clue how enthralled he would become with you, falling fast and hard, and yet, so securely.
You had brought such a sense of normalcy and tenderness back in his life, acclimating him to his new city in the most simple and still significant way.
He knew you had to be his.
He was over the moon when you accepted, regardless of the looming trip that was upcoming.
Now that you were his, he could have you whenever he wanted.
He basically hauled you to his car, your platforms dragging through the asphalt as your tiny steps attempted to keep up with his strides.
He knew that the next 20 minutes were going to be difficult.
He didn’t mind the roadie, even if he thought about flying you out while in the midst of it. The anticipation that had built up between you two excited him; but he knew that his patience had worn thin.
He couldn’t keep up the civilized act in the club, around the whole organization and teammates, let alone in this empty parking lot.
He knew that if he slowed down, or picked you up, or even glanced at you, that he was going to rip that tiny dress right off your body and take you right then and there.
So he kept his gaze stuck to his shoes as he hurried you through the night, opening the car door. with an excited giggle that he couldn’t contain as he peeked at you slipping in the seat.
“Jack, you’re so-“
“Shut up.” he interrupted you, his face changing shades as he shut the door swiftly.
It was bad enough that you heard him giggling like an idiot schoolboy; he didn’t need your chirping.
You got on the road quickly, Jack pushing down on the gas pedal harder than he should have as his speakers began playing, coincidentally, the sultriest playlist he had.
He inhaled sharply as the engine of his vehicle roared, giving his impatience away.
“You okay, babe?”you asked, peeking over at him with a smile.
It was almost adorable how hard he was trying to keep himself tamed.
“I can’t wait to get you in my sheets, Y/N.” He uttered, running his clammy hand through his thick locks.
You instinctively bit your lip in excitement, your body betraying you as you let a whimper out.
He tried to hide it, but you could see him smirk when he turned his head slightly towards his window.
“I, um, I can’t wait either.” You uttered.
As you looked around the slick interior of his sports car, the dark and empty road moving fast around you, you let your mind wander for a little too long.
Perhaps it was the drinks, or just him, but you turned yourself towards him, ending up with your knees on the seat and your elbows on the console.
The initial cheek kiss that you gave him made the both of you blush, his bashful eyes battering over at you slightly. But the more kisses you planted, the louder your humming against his chiseled jaw became, the thicker the air felt around you.
“Wh-, what are you doing?” He gulped.
“Am I distracting you, Jack?” You asked, unconsciously seductive.
“I don’t mind that it’s you distracting me…”
“Can you stay focused?” You continued, placing more kisses on his face, by his cheekbones and sideburns.
“…Yeah.” He responded after a couple of beats.
“You can?” you whispered into his skin, now lowering your lips against the back of his ear, his neck and collarbones.
“Mm, yes. I can.” he said, his low voice quivering.
“Right.” you said, your free hand slithering over onto his throbbing bulge, his cock pressing painfully against his fly.
Your skin absorbed the pulsations of his cock as you undid his pants, silky fingertips feeling the ridges of his member through his boxers.
“God, baby, you’re such a tease.” He quivered as you circled your nail around the wet spot that he was leaving on the fabric.
“I don’t have to be.”
Hastily, you moved your head down, letting his cock hit your face as you pulled the boxers away from him and his length into your throat immediately.
The car swerved slightly as a moan violently left Jack.
“Baby…?” you asked, batting your eyelashes up at him.
“I can do it, I can do it” he reiterated, not brave enough to face you. “Just took me by surprise, that’s all.”
You chuckled as you closed your mouth around him once again, swirling your tongue and mixing your spit with his salty precum, making out with the head of his cock, now bright red and palpitating.
“You’re a dream, you’re a fucking dream.” he moaned, the leather of the steering wheel creaking under his tightening grip, knuckles fading into a creamy white of frustration.
You took him deep again, choking on his girth as he hit the back of your throat. His hand flew into your hair as he praised you through gritted teeth, the way you were hollowing out your cheeks as you bobbed up and down had his muscles clenching involuntary.
“Fuck yeah, baby.” he groaned, still responsibly keeping his eyes on the street signs as began to unravel under you.
Muffled and choked moans were the only thing coming out of you, spit dripping down from your throat and seeping into his pubic hair, his balls, his clothes.
“Wait, wait, wait.” he said, pushing you off him a little too harshly. “Uh, you’re going to make me cum, baby.”
Jack made sure to wipe your bottom lip as you came up, the rough texture of his fingertips recoiling against your plump mouth. He did everything to stop his thumb from sneaking inside you, the vision of you sucking on his digits too much to take.
“We’re almost there, baby. Just a little more.” You whispered against his hand, rubbing his clenched arm. He couldn’t stay away from you, and you could see it was truly taking a toll on him.
All Jack could think about was touching you.
Evidently, he had more self control than you, but not by much. His eyes kept darting over to your legs, your skin tight dress having raised up just enough to have him twitching in anticipation.
It was becoming more unbearable to focus on the running pavement in front of him, the sounds of your heavy, exasperated breathing muffling the music.
“Fuck it.” he muttered. “Spread your legs, angel.”
You did as commanded, no reluctance, and watched his hand lower onto your heat right away.
“Holy fuck.”
He pulled your panties to the side, still as focused as he could be driving, and wasted no time in dipping his fingers inside your dripping pussy.
“God, baby.” He groaned, moving uncomfortably in his seat.
Jack’s eyes struggled to stay on the road, his light brown irises moving back and forth in pleasure. The more he played with you, the more he could feel you get wetter around his digits, his skin wrinkling as you soaked your desire within his touch.
All he wanted was to see you.
He didn’t want to be around anyone else.
He for sure didn’t want to be driving.
He had spent weeks away from you, dreaming about lowering his head in between your thighs so you could finally reveal the heaven he had fantasized about so much.
And now, he found himself painfully stuck feeling you only, piecing you together by touch only.
Running his fingertip up and down your folds, Jack felt every single inch and crevice of your cunt.
The warmth of you transpiring onto him as he rubbed your clit with his thumb, reaching his long fingers around to feel more of you.
He was able to mostly keep it together, puzzling you inside his mind as the sounds of your moaning made his skin raise into delicious goosebumps.
That’s what ultimately drove him mad.
He couldn’t bear to listen to you like this and not see it, not be closer to you and present.
“You’re making it so fucking hard to hold back.” He said, his jaw clenched. “Look how hard you’re making me.”
Your eyes darted over to him, his cock sitting up, dripping and making a mess over him. The sight made you twitch onto his fingers, calling for a moan out of you both.
Jack thought about it for two seconds, but seeing your hips grind on his fingers when he peeked over at you solidified it.
“Fuck this.” he said. “I’m pulling over.”
Thankfully, he was able to find a secluded spot quickly, his bicep visibly clenching through his dress shirt as he pulled on the parking break.
“I’m going to fuck your brains out.” he said, immediately turning to you and wrapping his hands around your cheeks, holding your face.
You both laughed as you ran to the backseat. It took no time for him to get settled, spreading his thighs in the middle seat as you straddled him at the same time.
Your hands ripped his button up open, revealing his flushed chest as he let your breasts trickle out of your dress, directly burying his face in them while you began to rub yourself up and down his shaft, circling your pelvis instinctively.
“You ready?” He asked as he came up for air, his grip tight on your hips, angling you above his leaking cock.
“I’ve been ready since I saw you hours ago.”
Jack threw his head back with a smile, the warm, golden light of love rushing through him at your words. He could see your illuminating smile fade into a gasp with him as you sunk down onto his cock.
The moment you two had been waiting so long for, yearning for weeks, and…
… it wasn’t enough.
As tight and overwhelmingly good it felt, Jack just felt the need for you increase.
He wanted, needed to move inside you.
He craved the waves of pleasure to thunder through your bodies, electricity jumping through his nervous system with arching hedonism.
Jack’s hands began to roam as you started to bounce on top of him, tearing your dress off in as many ways as he desperately could.
His extremities started tingling in pleasure as you kept moving, bouncing and grinding, letting your body seek out gratification and ecstasy on its own and driving him further and closer to his peak.
He was grabbing you perilously, as if he had never felt skin before, reaching for indulgence in every possible way.
“Jack, oh my god.”
The look of delirious pleasure, the way he was reaching for you, groaning and growling loudly, squeezing you a little too hard and even accidentally scratching at times, made you move faster. He was completely unhinged and primal, running his tongue up your neck, you tits as your nails trembled from gripping onto his thick shoulders so hard.
“Fuck, baby, I’m so close already.” He said against your arm, planting sloppy kisses in between words.
You were covered in each other, all around, making the windows fog.
The wheels of the car began to move just by the slight force of you riding him as he gave into his instincts and stated fucking back up into you, his cock reaching even deeper than before.
He could feel how gushy you were inside, your temperature heating him up and covering his twitching member in your desire. The louder he groaned and let go, the harsher he thrashed into your cunt, hitting the perfect spot to make you see stars.
“Jack, I’m, I’m-“ you warned him.
Jack felt your heels shake against his shin, as you started to lose control of your muscles at the edge of your orgasm.
“Don’t hold back, baby.” He coaxed, making sure he could see your clearly by holding your hair back.
“Cum all over me, fucking cover me in it, baby.” He said breathlessly. “Mark my car, my seats, I don’t give a fuck.”
His words made the floodgates open, a gush of syrupy cum ripping out of you with enough force to make you convulse in his lap, moaning as no one in the world would be able to hear you.
“Holy fucking-, you’re going to make me cum. Oh, baby.” He gulped in response, his eyes following your every expression.
The passion had built enough to release, becoming to powerful for either of you to take, as you came over each other. You gripped him hard, his hands clenching on your ruched up dress as he emptied his load inside you, audibly hyperventilating and growling deeply into your chest as you clutched his soft hair, coming down, shaking.
You both trembled for a while, quivering and wavering in each other’s arms as you let the chemicals run through your veins; only pulling back after a while, Jack staring up at you, dumbfounded.
“You’re an angel, I think.” He said, bringing you down to kiss him as you wiped the sweat beads off his forehead gently.
Hours could have passed before you decided to leave; keeping each other breathless as you sat together, his cock soaking the mixture of cum as you kept kissing, ending the night just how it had began, before you headed home to do it all over again.
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time-for-a-lullaby · 2 years
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the boston brute series: surprise epilogue extension
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The Boston Brute Series: Surprise Epilogue Extension
Pairing: NHL!Chris Evans x Athletic Trainer!Reader (female character)
Summary: When you graduated from Northeastern University, you had your sights set on the West Coast. And then you were offered a position with the Boston Bruins Athletic Training Department. And then you met Chris. A 6′3″, ruggedly handsome hockey player dead set on making your life a living hell by pushing every button and getting on every nerve. Despite your obvious disdain for each other and the ‘No Fraternization’ clause in your employee contract, you’re drawn together in a passionate, fiery love affair that seems to burn everything in its wake.
Warnings: Language, fluff, happy tears
W/C: 1.3k
A/N: this was inspired by a little tweet i saw of a mom refusing to punish her son because he stood up for his female teammate. thought it was fitting so i had to write it! THANK YOU FOR 9K!!! Here’s your gift hahaha
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All players and scenarios are made up completely. This story does not reflect things that actually happen in the NHL or with its players. Additionally, I talk about Chris’s family in this fic. Again, work of fiction and is no reflection of his parents or grandparents in real life.
I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated ❤
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“We have to talk to him,” you crossed your arms, leaning against the wall in the hallway outside your 17-year-olds room. It was late and you really didn’t want to have to lecture him at 11 pm on a school night, but it needed to be done. 
Chris shrugged, “It’s just a part of the game, princess. You know that.” 
You rolled your eyes, “Yeah, I do. But it’s the 5th game in a row. He plays for his high school, not the NHL. If he keeps this up, he’s gonna get kicked out of the league.” 
He knew you were right. This was the 5th consecutive game that your son was kicked out for fighting. And not just a little tussle, either. Like a full-on brawl, on the ground, bloodied and broken noses to whoever fell victim to his anger. Henry was currently sporting a split lip and a black eye, but like his father, most of the punches were thrown by him. 
The two of you were ecstatic when he expressed interest in hockey at such a young age, hoping he would grow to be an amazing player like Chris. It hadn’t dawned on you that he might take after Chris in more than one way. 
Chris scrubbed a hand down his greying beard, the worry lines on his forehead deepening. “It’s a little hypocritical of me to tell him to lay off the fighting.” 
“It’s not. He’s 17.” You could kind of see where Chris was coming from, but Henry’s a child. Whether he likes it or not. If he wants any chance of going pro like his father, he’s going to have lay off the fighting and focus on the actual game. College and pro scouts don’t look at how easily he can pick and win a fight. 
“Alright. Okay,” he nodded towards his door, “Let’s talk to him.” 
You rapped against the door lightly, waiting for him to answer before pushing it open. Your son sat on the edge of his bed, his nose buried in his phone screen. “Hey, buddy. Can we talk?” 
Chris cleared his throat when he didn’t respond, raising his eyebrows expectantly, “Hen.” 
God, he really was Chris’s kid. The resemblance made you want to roll your eyes. 
He begrudgingly placed his phone on the bed next to him, looking up at the two of you as you stood in his doorway. “Yeah?” 
“Listen, hon. We gotta talk about the fighting, okay?” You crossed his room, stepping over at least 10 articles of clothing before sitting next to him on his bed. His hair was damp, a few strands sticking together and curling down the middle of his forehead. “You just– You gotta be careful. You know the district is strict about it, after 8 fights you’re out. And you’re cutting it a little close. Is there something going on?” 
His shoulders sank, but not out of annoyance like you predicted. He looked defeated. 
“What’s wrong? Is that what you want? Are you done playing?” You asked softly, “You don’t have to keep playing if you don’t want to. You know that.” The last thing you wanted was for him to feel any sort of pressure from you or Chris. Yes, you loved that he played, but you wanted him to happy. If hockey didn’t bring him the same happiness anymore, it was fine for him to be done.
“No, I know that. It’s not that… I wanna play,” he paused, exchanging a look with you and Chris. “It’s Sadie.”
“Ah,” you relaxed a little, nodding your head. 
Sadie Peterson. The girl that Henry has had a crush on for the last year. And the only girl on the team. 
“What’s this have to do with Sadie?” Chris asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. 
Your son looked from Chris to you, then back down at his hands. “Everyone…” he let out a deep sigh, “Everyone insults her.” 
You look at Henry, your brows furrowed and your head tilted in confusion. “What do you mean?” 
“She’s the only girl. Almost every game, someone on the other team calls her a whore or a skank. She always pretends that she doesn’t hear it or that it doesn’t bother her. But I caught her crying the other day outside the rink and she needs to know that someone is in her corner. They can’t talk about her like that, I won’t let them. If you guys wanna ground me, then ground me. But I won’t stop standing up for her.” 
Oh, your sweet little boy. 
You and Chris exchanged a subtle smile, not that you wanted to encourage the violence, but you understood it. Of course, he would want to stand up for her. Sadie was a sweet girl and she was a tough player, but she refused to acknowledge anyone that treated her any differently and wouldn’t reciprocate any violence or insults thrown her way. If she wasn’t going to knock those asshole kids on their asses, you were glad Henry had decided to. 
It reminded you of the way Chris stood up for Marnie all those years ago. 
“You’re not grounded,” Chris said, “I’m proud of you, Hen. We both are,” he walked over, ruffling his hair, “but your mom‘s right. You’re cutting it close and if you want to be scouted, you gotta play. Not fight.” 
Henry rolled his eyes playfully, “How many times have I heard stories about you being patched up by mom? I’m pretty sure you’re in the hall of fame for the most amount of fights started in a season, Boston Brute.” He said Chris’s nickname in a mocking manner, making you laugh. 
“Yeah, well, he was in the pros. Once you start playing for the NHL, you can punch whoever you want,” you stood from his bed, turning to face your teenager, “but in the meantime, we’ll talk to coach, the sports director if we need to. It has to stop and we’ll do what we need to to make sure it happens, ‘Kay?” 
Henry stood up with you, clearly getting his height from his dad and towering over you. He wrapped his arms around your shoulders, squeezing you in a tight hug. “Thanks, Mom. Thanks for always… being in my corner.” 
Oh.
You hadn’t expected that. 
You blinked as your eyes filled with tears, emotion clogging your throat. You wanted to say that it was obvious, that you would do anything for him. It was your job to be in his corner. 
But so many kids, like Chris, don’t have anyone in their corners. 
And you refuse to let your kids feel the way Chris did. They will know that they live in a loving household where they have the freedom to choose what they want to do and how they want to spend their time.
They live in a home where their mother and father are soulmates and completely in love with each other. Do they get grossed out by it? Of course. What teenager doesn’t get grossed out by their parents being affectionate?
But they know what it feels like and what it looks like to be loved and respected and that’s all you really wanted. 
You hugged him back, savoring the moment. “I’ll always be in your corner, Henry. Always.” 
He pulled away, rolling his eyes. “Alright, get out of here you sap.” 
Chris chuckled as he made his way to the door.
You wiped your cheeks, following him out. “Put your phone away and go to sleep,” you laughed, knowing he rolled his eyes as you left the room. 
You pulled his door shut and walked with Chris to your bedroom, your 15-year-old daughter, Amelia, already sleeping in her room. 
Chris pulled you to his chest, his lips pressing against the top of your head. “We’ve got some amazing kids, Y/N.” 
You sniffed, nuzzling your face into his chest. “We do.”
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eleutherafairy · 2 months
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LIVE NOW, THINK LATER — quinn hughes
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SUMMARY! the reader goes out to the bar with her friends to celebrate the reader’s commencement from law school as the top of her class and meets quinn hughes who is out celebrating a win against the Boston Bruins 
INVOLVED! quinn hughes x fem reader! 
WARNINGS! none, just a bad bitch reader  
BEFORE YOU START! i don’t know how the hughes act irl! this is just an imagination!
extra! could be a part 1..... lmk if you want a part 2
find → fairy poet masterlist!
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live now think later, i do it so well
Shooting a flirty smile and her ID to the bouncer at the front of the club, y/n smiled as the bouncer gave her a nod and opened the door into the club. Her friends were already inside, waiting for her. 
The music in the club was thunderous and she could feel her excitement pumping. She had been working hard every day, no breaks, for the past 3 years to finally get her JD degree which mean she had no time to party.
But it was like her mom always said, “Work hard, play harder.”
Well she worked her ass off. She graduated top of her class, had a job lined up as an associate attorney at a reputable firm with ranks to climb, and pulled multiple all nighters at the library, sacrificing personal time to be the best.
It was now time to party and celebrate with her best friends who had been begging for her to live out their old college ways. Now that she had graduated, she finally had time to give it last one hurrah. Being in her early-twenties, single, and in law school, she never had time to pursue a relationship, only hookups, and that was rare. 
Y/n could feel the crowd looking at her as she traversed her way to the bar. Y/n was dressed– a perfect dime, if you could say. Her friends spotting her, gave her the biggest smile and waved her over.
“Babe, you look absolutely stunning!” Y/bf/n said, giving her a hug. 
“Thanks,” y/n said, giving her a smile. “I’m not used to not wearing sweatpants and a hoodie all day.”
Y/n followed that by shooting a smile to the bartender. 
“Can I do a whiskey ginger please?”
“Anything for a lady as pretty as yourself,” he replied, shooting me a drink.
“I’ll just close the tab,” y/n responded, handing him $10. 
The girls chatted, catching up on life, talking about y/n’s commencement speech earlier that day.
“You literally made me tear up,” y/bf/n said. 
Y/n kept sipping her drink, her eyes gravitating to the table hidden in the back of the club, sectioned away from the public area. She looked over at the boys, her eyes landing on a certain blue-eyed boy, smiling with a few guys. Like if the boy had felt her staring at him, he looked up, and directly made eye contact with y/n, shooting her a smile. 
Oh man he is cute y/n thought. 
She gave him a smirk in reply. 
“Hey could I buy a drink for that guy over there?” Y/n asked the bartender. 
“Yeah, what drink?”
“Can I just buy one of those beers he’s drinking? Oh and could I maybe write a message on the bottle?”
“Shoot your shot, girl,” The bartender said, handing her the unopened beer and a marker. 
The outside of the beer bottle was wet due to condensation, yet, y/n managed to write a little something. 
Meet me on the dancefloor.
She handed the bartender the beer back, giving him a tip, before making eye contact with the boy as a server walked the beer over to him.
The server and the boy exchanged words before the server walked away, the boy reading what was written on the beer bottle, his eyes squinting due to the dim light in the bar.
Y/n watched as his buddies leaned in to read the message before they laughed and tapped him on the back. The boy looked up and met her eyes, his buddies following his line of sight before giving the girl a wave. 
Y/n chugged the remainder of her drink and told the girls she wanted to dance and they could see she had a trick up her sleeve so they nodded, keeping a watchful eye on y/n. 
She headed to the dancefloor, the alcohol in her body giving her a sense of serenity and confidence. She closed her eyes, getting lost to the beat of the music, moving her hips, before she felt a presence next to her.
Her eyes immediately opened, a smile enveloping her face as she saw it was the guy she had sent the beer to.
met you in a night out in Boston put your hand on my thigh in the Commons
“You look even cuter up close,” Y/n said, giving the guy a small smirk. “I’m y/n,” She said, giving out her hand to him to shake.
“I’m Quinn. I must say, I’ve never received one of those beer tricks ever,” he said, shaking my hand. 
“Hmm, have girls hit on you all the time?”
He looked surprised.
“Yeah, most of the time when I’m out with my team,” he said.
“Team?” Y/n asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion.
“I’m a hockey player,” Quinn said, watching the confusion turn to realization.
“Sick. Sorry to tell you though,” y/n said, “I’m big Bruins fan,” she said, shrugging.
“Yeah, we won against them tonight, actually,” Quinn said, giving her a smile.
Y/n’s face dropped. “Damn, tough loss for me, I guess,” she said, letting out a small laugh.
The song turned into a much slower one.
“C’mon dance with me,” y/n said, taking the boy’s hands before dropping them.
“Wait, sorry, can I touch you?” she asked, waiting for his consent.
He nodded before reaching out for her hands again.
Y/n took them and placed them on her waist and pulled him closer to her, her hands looping into his suit pants. 
dance with ya, hand in my back pocket
“So how long are you in the city for?” Y/n asked the shy boy.
“We’re here until tomorrow afternoon before we fly back to Vancouver.”
“Hmm, the Canucks, I’m guessing,” Y/n said, getting a good look at his face, seeing a faint scar running across his lip.
He gave me a nod.
The pair kept dancing on the floor, talking to each other, before y/n started to get thirsty again.
She took the boy’s hand and led him to the bar.
Y/n could feel the connection between her and Quinn and wondered if he could feel it too. Call it intuition. Y/n has had her fair share of relationships through college, yet nothing had felt like what she had with Quinn, a guy she barely even knew.
“One rum and coke andd–”
“Just a coke for me,” Quinn finished. 
Y/n gave the bartender a $20 before Quinn could even take out his card.
The girl gave him a triumphant smile before sitting down at one of the stools, the boy situating himself between her legs.
“Acting like a boyfriend, aren’t you?” Y/n joked, making fun of how the boy had a protective hand on her thigh.
Quinn laughed, keeping his hand on her thigh. “How could I not, gotta show the other guys that you’re not available for tonight.”
She gave him an indecipherable look. 
Maybe he did feel the connection she did. 
She sipped her drink, almost finishing the cocktail in one sip.
“Can I kiss you?” He asked, leaning in closer.
Y/n nodded before setting her finished drink aside.
She leaned in and kissed him, feeling the butterflies in her stomach.
“What do you say about getting out of here,” Y/n asked, finally breaking the kiss, her swollen lips flushed red. 
She usually was good with getting guys into bed with her. Her beautiful looks gave her a massive advantage with the guys. But this one was different. She wanted him. She never offered her own apartment, always hooking up at the guy’s place.
“My apartment is only a few blocks away.”
The boy’s eyes had that lustfilled look. 
“Let’s go,” he said, taking her hand and leading her out the club.
it's not a good night if you don't take it too far
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WC: 1330
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sc0tters · 1 month
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Long Time Coming | Jeremy Swayman
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summary: you’ve been in love with each other for years, so surely you guys have picked up on it by now
request: yes/no
warnings: mild swearing?
word count: 2.21k
authors note: this is my first time writing for any of the bruins players and I have to say that this is really one of my favourites that I have written in a while. This is the softness we all deserved before I get to something a little more fiery tomorrow for valentines day!
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It was a friendship that was never meant to work. 
Jeremy was a popular hockey player and you were a journalism major who preferred spending her time in the library as opposed to the dorms. You swore that the hockey team on campus was bound to all be irritating but when you ended up in a class with Jeremy. Surprised to say that you were paired up with a hockey player for your pottery course was an understatement. 
But three weeks in to your first semester and you found your random elective quickly becoming your favorite class. The goalie made you feel alive as he brought this spark to your life. His teammates started seeing less of him at parties and they were confused until they finally met you. 
Jeremy spent weeks convincing you to finally come to his game. Of course the tale went that when you showed up it was his first shut out game of his college career. Even as the crowd chanted his name, all he wanted was to look for you. It was like clockwork when the boys saw Jeremy lock eyes with you. 
That was the first time that the boys realized Jeremy was in love. The way he spun you around, gushing about how you were his lucky charm. It was also the night that seemed to be the turning point in your relationship with Jeremy. He was no longer your classmate, he was your friend and soon to be your best friend. 
Years had gone by, Jeremy had made his way to the NHL and you had finally graduated. It was funny how you had grown attached to each other, like the moment you left college you were in Boston. Jeremy had you in the guest bedroom of his apartment which made life tougher than ever. 
It was Valentine’s Day and you ended up in his dorm after he revealed that his girlfriend was cheating on him. 
Jeremy swore you had never shown up as fast as you did there. The boy didn’t even time to fully open his door before you were in his arms  “hey Jer.” You sighed as his body clung to yours “she left me.” Jeremy sobbed as tears streamed down his cheeks. 
You rubbed his back desperate to ease his pain “you are better without her.” You mumbled kissing his shoulder as you raked your fingers through his hair “you know I’m not.” Jeremy had spoken to you of how he loved her like she was his world. 
The boy huffed into your neck “I brought everything we need tonight.” Your words made him furrow his eyebrows as he pulled away from you “for what?” Jeremy saw the plastic bag in your hand that had a mixed bunch of goods. 
You took the opportunity to walk into his room as you shut the door behind you “because we are going to eat our feelings away tonight.” You smiled pulling out two tubs of ice cream knowing that neither one of you were about to share. 
Jeremy couldn’t help but smile as he ran his fingers over his jaw “I can’t ask you to stay with me on Valentine’s Day.” He shook his head as it made your lips curl upright “then it’s a good thing that I’m insisting.” You shot back as you held the pint out in his direction. 
It was your kindness that Jeremy first fell in love with. The way you would think about giving someone the shirt off of your back if it could help them. Jeremy felt his heart grow full at the way you were always in the TD Garden with young fans helping them get his attention during warm ups and at the end of games. 
He had grown so comfortable with you and maybe that was his fault. Everyone treated you like you were his girlfriend because you were his partner. You might not have been his romantically but in life you were clearly his. 
That’s why it was so surprising to see you in your room getting ready for a date “you look nice.” Jeremy let his bag drop to the floor as he had come home from practice “thank you.” You smiled plumping your lips together as it coated your lipstick around your lips. 
The hockey player had to admit that he was confused as he leaned against the wall “do you think that he will like it?” You asked as you did a little spin letting him see your outfit in full. It was a blue dress that looked perfect on your skin as the springtime came in “you look perfect.” Jeremy nodded as he felt his chest pang “he?” The boy repeated your words as he froze. 
Watching you grab your phone from your table you rolled your eyes “remember when I told you I was going out with Taylor for lunch.” You motioned to the calendar that had the date and time that you were meant to see him “I didn’t know that Taylor was a dude!” Jeremy’s words brought a scoff to your lips as you crossed your arms. 
He was quick to mentally curse himself as he saw you furrow your eyebrows “why does the gender of my date matter to you?” You cocked your head pressing your finger against his chest “because.” It seemed that in that moment all Jeremy wanted was to tell you that he loved you yet he had all but forgotten how to talk. 
Your foot tapped against the wooden flooring as you awaited an answer “you want to give me an answer?” You watched him practically crawl back into himself as he sighed “have a nice night Jeremy.” He gasped at the feeling of your shoulder hitting his as you walked straight to the front door not giving him a chance to talk.
Jeremy was left wallowing in his emotions as he stared at the different pictures of you two that lived in his phone. The time he surprised you by making it to your graduation, the time you were there for his NHL debut. Even the picture of you two at one of his teammates weddings when Jeremy was caught staring at you. 
That was the day when his current teammates realised that Jeremy was in love with you “you will not believe it!” You groaned as you slammed the door behind you “you’re home early.” The boy mumbled going quiet as he was met with a glare.
Jeremy frowned as he watched you collapse onto the couch next to him “think he wanted to go on a date with you before me.” You complained resting your head on his shoulder “I’m sorry you had a bad date.” The hockey player was quick to wrap his arm around you.
Like always you melted into his touch “no you’re not.” You mumbled feeing him kiss your head “just like that I was right.” Jeremy could have lied but you knew him far too well for the chance to go unnoticed. 
You couldn’t help but laugh “you’re such an ass.” A giggle left your lips as Jeremy turned to look at you “sorry you let this outfit go to waste on him.” His hand ran along your cheek “you like my outfit.” You batted your eyelashes as you smiled. 
Jeremy nodded enjoying the feeling of your soft skin against his thumb “like anything you wear.” He mumbled beginning to turn his head to yours. Like clockwork his eyes shut and just as yours did your phone began to ring “shoot.” You groaned seeing your mom’s contact appear on the screen. 
It hit the boy like a cold shower as he watched you get up grabbing your phone “hey mom.” You tan your fingers through your hair as you sent Jeremy a sorry look “yeah I can talk.” You nodded along walking back into your room as you began catching her up on the events of your day. 
As the evening turned into night and the hours went on, Jeremy didn’t see you again as he had gone to bed. Whilst the lights in the apartment were off both of your minds were active. Truthfully neither one of you remembered what it was like to have your minds this full. 
Jeremy stared at the pictures on his phone of you two and he couldn’t help but curse your mom for calling. Especially after you called your mom this cool woman who was your best friend, that was a far cry from what he would have described as a cock block. 
What he didn’t know was that you were pacing outside of his door. You hadn’t even noticed but halfway through your phone call with your mom you were bringing up how you wanted kiss your roommate. Because of course you had been in love with him since your college days too. Yet yours came from your time in class together. 
You had been in the lecture hall for five minutes as you set yourself up in the middle of the rows. Whilst students came flooding into the cramped room, you were too focused on your phone to notice how Jeremy walked right to you “this seat taken?” The question was innocently asked with a voice barely above a whisper that you didn’t even care to look up as you instead opted to nod. 
It gave Jeremy the chance to settle in next to you “I’m Jeremy.” Even as you two had been in classes together, he had never gotten the chance to see you, especially not like this “Y/n.” You took his hand that he held out for you to shake. 
A smile formed on his lips as he couldn’t help but study your facial features that stood before him in all their glory as you woke up late with little to no time for make up that morning “I know.” Jeremy grinned seeing your lips curve upward “you know?” Your words were playful as you didn’t believe him.
The boy laughed as he nodded “think you’re real pretty y/n.” Your name sounded like honey as it rolled off of his tongue “think that’s enough flirting from you for one day Swayman.” You tucked your hair behind your ear avoiding how wide your smile had grown as you avoided his stare when your cheeks turned red. 
The memories of that day made you smile as you never thought you would fall in love with him. But you couldn’t help but come back to your dorm to gush to your mom about how different your expectations of him were. Yet all of those thoughts were pushed to the back of your mind as the boys door opened letting you be met by his chest. 
You almost fell back as Jeremy’s quick reaction time pulled you closer to him as he steadied your feet “what are you doing awake?” His voice was low as he watched you gulp “couldn’t sleep.” Your fingers ran over his bare chest as you looked up at him. 
If eyes were the key to the soul then the two of you were currently open books “you?” Your lips pursed together as the tension between you both could have been cut by a knife “couldn’t sleep.” He shrugged as he reached behind your head tucking your hair behind your ear.
Jeremy loved how you smiled up at him “what’s on your mind?” He asked noting how your eyebrow arched like something was on your mind “you.” The word came from your lips like it word vomit. 
But as his expression turned surprised it made you go quiet “me?” You nodded letting out a sigh “I try to ignore it but god I’m in love with you.” You ran your fingers through your hair as Jeremy just stared at you.
Maybe it was the shock of hearing you say that but he swore he was dreaming “and I don’t want to lose you but I can’t.” Your chest heaved “I can’t keep on going on these dates hoping it might get you to say something to me.” Tears formed in your waterline as you chewed at the inside of your cheek. 
Jeremy finally opted to put you out of your misery when he smiled “you love me?” His voice was shaky as he squeezed your hips “you’re being mean Jer.” You nodded feeling like you were on the edge of your seat waiting to hear what he would say.
A laugh left his lips “think you can answer my question f’me pretty girl?” Jeremy taunted as he smirked “I’m in love with you.” Your voice was barely a whisper as he shut the gap between you both.
The air was palpable as your heart pounded “I love you too.” Your hair wrapped around his finger as he smiled “can I kiss you?” Jeremy let his lips hover over yours “please.” You nodded letting your eyes shut when he kissed you. 
The kiss made you melt as his lips swiped across yours. Jeremy let his hands travel through your hair settling at the nape of your neck refusing to let you go. Only when you both needed air did you pull apart “wow.” Jeremy groaned running his thumb over your lower lip. 
It made you laugh “yeah.” You nodded sending him a smile “think we should do that more often.” Your words had the boy pulling you into his room “why wait?” The hockey player asked picking you up as your legs wrapped around his waist as he picked you up.
Whilst the city might have been colder as the rain came in that night with a spring storm but what nobody would know was how hot the activities were in his room. You were left twisted in his sheets as your hearts intertwined and life began to show that the only way possible for you both was together. 
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annieqattheperipheral · 4 months
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you have to read this in full!!
i gotchu from behind the $wall:
The day Luke Prokop shook the hockey world by coming out, he needed to get away.
And stop looking at his constantly buzzing phone.
It was July 21, 2021, and the right-shot defenseman had just become the first openly gay hockey player under an NHL contract. The Nashville Predators’ No. 73 pick in the 2020 draft was just 19 years old and hadn’t even turned pro yet. He didn’t know how it would impact his future. His nerves were fried.
But one text message was impossible to ignore. He didn’t recognize the number but certainly knew the name.
“Hey, it’s Auston Matthews. I wanted to congratulate you. I look forward to sharing the ice with you someday.”
Prokop was blown away. The Toronto Maple Leafs superstar wasn’t the most famous person to reach out — that honor goes to Elton John — but the fact that so many NHLers, including one of the league’s best and most powerful players, were offering support meant a lot.
Now 21, Prokop still hasn’t taken the NHL ice, but on Wednesday he took a step forward, being recalled by the Predators’ AHL affiliate in Milwaukee. He could become the first openly gay player to appear in an AHL game Friday night for the Admirals in Rockford.
As difficult as the decision to come out was, Prokop told The Athletic in an extended conversation recently that he’s been mentally and physically freed by it. He doesn’t have to hide. He can be himself, on and off the ice. Heck, he can even date.
“It’s been massive,” he said.
Teammates and fans have welcomed him in his journey toward the NHL so far, from Calgary, Edmonton and Seattle of the junior WHL to, most recently, Atlanta of the ECHL. They treated him like he was any other player.
Not that there’s not room to grow. Prokop figured more players would come out after he did. They haven’t, not that he would rush anyone’s decision on that. He’s also been disappointed by the developments over the past few years with the NHL’s inclusion efforts, including the Pride tape “debacle.”
He can only control his own actions, though, and doesn’t regret his decision.
“I’d like to think I’m a realistic person,” Prokop said. “I know hockey is not going to be forever. As much as (when I came out) I would have loved to keep playing, I was OK with not playing any more if it didn’t work out — just being able to live my life the way I wanted, to be myself.
“But now, I don’t want to stop playing. It was definitely nerve-wracking. You never know what the reaction is going to be inside hockey, outside hockey, because no one has done it before. We kind of went out on a limb and hoped for the best. It’s been way more positive than we thought it’d be. You’re going to have some keyboard warriors, which there were a few, but I was expecting more.
“I did not expect the amount of support I got from NHL players. That was really cool.”
- - - - - - -
The Matthews text and Elton John phone call the morning after were memorable, with the gay rock legend welcoming him to the community and offering his email address if Prokop ever needed anything.
Prokop found even more comfort in a moment that came a few days later — the first time he played hockey since his announcement. It was a four-on-four league in Edmonton at Meadows Rec Center, a place where pros and NHLers competed and kept in shape during the offseason.
Prokop was on a team with Colton and Kirby Dach. The other team had Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart and the Boston Bruins’ Jake DeBrusk. During warmups, Prokop found himself near mid-ice. The first guy to approach him was DeBrusk. The two had met previously through mutual friends. DeBrusk tapped Prokop’s shin pads with his stick.
“Congrats,” he told him. “I’m really happy for you. If you need anything, let me know.”
“I didn’t know what the reaction would be,” Prokop said. “So that meant a lot.”
Prokop was returning that year to the Calgary Hitmen (WHL), the junior team he had played for the previous four seasons. But there had been a lot of turnover on the roster and, of course, a lot had changed for Prokop. So he decided to address the team in its first meeting in training camp.
“Everyone knows what I did last summer,” he told his team. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. There might be a lot of media asking you for an interview. If you don’t feel comfortable, you don’t have to do them. If you have any questions for me, come ask me. I’m an open book. I just don’t want you guys to feel uncomfortable.”
In that dressing room, Prokop had heard plenty of the uncomfortable language that’s not uncommon for any locker room. He even admitted using it. He didn’t want to out himself. He wanted to act straight, be “one of the guys.”
“I heard it, but it wasn’t all the time,” he said. “I also took it from the perspective that these guys don’t know any better. It’s hockey language. It’s how guys talk. They don’t mean it in a harmful way. They use the word ‘gay’ as a filler at the end of a sentence to make something stupid. ‘Well, that’s so gay.’ I wasn’t comfortable with it, but I used it myself. I didn’t want to seem like I was out of the mix.
“Some guys texted me (after I came out), ‘F—, sorry if I said anything to offend you when we played.’ I’d just say, ‘Guys, you had no idea.’ The lesson is you don’t know what everyone is going through. The words you say do matter. Make sure you think before you speak. It’s a silly rule you learn in kindergarten. It applies to life when you’re 22 or 35 and never goes away.
“The way hockey is going with the language, guys are naturally changing their language. I’ve heard a change in language on every team I’ve been on.”
Prokop said that season was the best of his career, both from a production standpoint and a personal one. He was traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings early in the season and had 10 goals and 33 points in 55 games for them, helping them win the WHL’s Ed Chynoweth Cup and advance to the Memorial Cup.
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Luke Prokop won the WHL’s Ed Chynoweth Cup with the Oil Kings in 2022. (Courtesy of Oilers Entertainment Group)
Luke Pierce, then an assistant coach for Edmonton and now the head coach, said the staff and management had discussions with the leadership group before acquiring Prokop — making sure they were comfortable with it, feeling out whether their room could handle the attention. Pierce said he asked one of the captains, Blues prospect Jake Neighbours, for his perspective. Neighbours had known Prokop since they were 10 or 11, growing up playing in spring tournaments together. He told Pierce and the staff there would be “zero issue” and he’d be a great addition.
Neighbours said nothing really changed, that Prokop “fit right in” to the team. Pierce at first wondered if players would have any issue with rooming assignments on the road, but nobody blinked. Pierce noted that Prokop would joke about situations and even opened up about his boyfriend coming to visit.
“He put everybody at ease,” Pierce said. “I often tell people, if the outside world could see how the group of men interacted, it would be just a tremendous inspiration on how we should treat everybody.”
Pierce and Prokop pointed out how this generation is more comfortable and equipped to handle LGBTQ+ inclusion issues. Everyone seems to know someone, be friends with someone, or be related to someone in the community.
“I just don’t think guys really care anymore,” Prokop said. “They might be nervous as they have this stereotype version of what a gay guy might look like, sound like, act like. Like me, coming to a team, they think I’ll act a certain way, look a certain way, but they’ll realize three minutes into talking to me that I’m not that.
“Hockey is part of me. It’s who I am. Guys totally forget (about me being gay) when I’m at the rink. They’re not afraid to ask questions. But other than that, it never really comes up. That’s how I wanted it to be. I wanted them to know, but we can all go out and play. I never wanted to be a distraction.”
- - - - - - -
The NHL’s decisions around Pride jerseys and stick tape weren’t a distraction, Prokop said, but he has gotten frustrated about it.
He understood the issue over wearing sweaters during warmups — “jerseys weren’t really their choice” — but lamented that the fact the focus was on the handful of players who refused to wear them and not all the others who did. The NHL’s initial banning of Pride stick tape, then its reversal, was a whole other topic.
“To take away choices from players was really confusing,” Prokop said. “Some of them don’t really care. For some, it was near and dear to their heart. To take it away was mind-boggling. From the players’ side, the support was there. Zach Hyman talked about it, Travis Dermott. I like what they did. They didn’t make a big deal about it before — they just did it. Let fans see the rest, and it’ll take care of itself. There’s a massive amount of support from players in the NHL.”
What do the Pride tape and sweaters mean for someone in the LGBTQ+ community?
Prokop didn’t recall noticing them growing up going to Oilers games. He never got to see someone who was gay using Pride tape on the TV screen. He had to deal with it himself — “jump over those barriers without any help.” But Prokop continued pursuing his hockey career whereas “a lot of people don’t feel comfortable pursuing their career without that exposure, without feeling like they’re being seen.”
“I think with the Pride tape stuff, they were trying to show support for their older fans,” Prokop said of the NHL. “The fans that have been watching hockey for 40-50 years. That’s not how you grow the game. You want to get the younger generation, put these guys in the best situation to promote the game. Sometimes I don’t think the NHL does that the correct way. The Pride tape is one example.”
Prokop has been part of two Pride nights since he came out, one with the Edmonton Oil Kings and another with Seattle. The Oil Kings staff approached him after not having that event on their promotional calendar. They planned it in two weeks and it was a big hit, with around 8,000 fans in attendance.
“Some guys told me it was the most impactful game they’d been in during their career,” Prokop said. “They said they didn’t realize how many Queer fans they had. I don’t think they realize how much my community watches hockey, plays hockey and cares about hockey.
The Seattle Pride night was fan-driven, which made it unique. Thunderbirds fans noticed that other rival teams had a special night for Pride and made a push for their own, making bracelets and T-shirts. Prokop told teammates they didn’t have to wear the stick tape — he knows how superstitious hockey players are. They all wore some, for him.
“I always look at the perspective, the other side of Pride nights — why do you have them if no one on the team is gay?” Prokop said. “The point is that it’s for the fans. For me, it means a lot to play in them to show my community and be a representative on the ice.”
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While education is important, Prokop said any real change in the NHL when it comes to inclusion will start with other players coming out. He’s not putting any timeline or pressure on that. He didn’t have one. But that’s when players in the league will see a different perspective, get more comfortable with it.
“Otherwise, it’s always going to be a story,” Prokop said. “I also can see why guys don’t want to come out. Especially in the NHL. They’ve been very successful, so why change? I kind of saw that from the perspective when the whole Pride jersey story came out. My phone was blowing up. I don’t think guys want to have to deal with that. There was a responsibility for me to talk about these topics. I don’t think guys want to do that. I can see it from that side, why they don’t want to come out.
“I don’t think anything is going to change unless someone else does. Someone else will step up. It’s only a matter of time. I thought there’d maybe be two, three of us by now. But it hasn’t happened. But I know there’s going to be someone else soon. It’s math. There’s what, 700 players in the league? There’s definitely a few more.”
- - - - - - -
While there have been some derogatory comments coming from the stands on a few occasions, Prokop has been encouraged there have been none from opposing players.
“Zero,” he said.
Most of the feedback he’s received, even on social media, has been positive. And it’s not just the comments like Matthews’ that stick with him. Two high schoolers in Seattle, Kaitlin and Jo, reached out to him over Instagram. They are part of the LGBTQ+ community and were struggling.
“Like everyone, they just wanted someone to talk to,” Prokop said.
Part of Prokop’s pregame routine is usually to hang by the bench and listen to music. On many occasions, Kaitlin and Jo would come by and the three of them would just chat for 10, 12 minutes. They’re the fans that Prokop saw every game above the tunnel on his way to the dressing room. They’ve stayed in touch. Prokop even did a Zoom meeting with their high school class last month. “They have a special place in my heart,” he said.
When, and if, Prokop makes his NHL debut, he says he’ll have a special secret plan for them.
Whether Prokop lives his NHL dream remains to be seen. He’s praised the Predators for their support from the first time he did a group video call with the staff. Former NHLer Mark Borowiecki, now a development coach, has been someone Prokop has leaned on often, not only for on-ice advice but for help getting through things mentally.
Scott Nichol, the Predators’ assistant GM, likes Prokop’s potential.
“Big right-shot defensemen that can skate, move the puck. They don’t grow on trees,” he said. “He just needs to polish up his game in some areas in the defensive zone. He’s got the tools. He’s got the skating ability. It’s just patience and embrace the process.”
Prokop is grateful for his support group, from his parents, Al and Nicole, to his brother, Josh, and sister, Alanna. He’s kept in touch with Heather Lefebvre, who is a specialist in hockey engagement and alumni relations with the Oilers Entertainment Group. They talk almost every day. What sticks out to Lefebvre is how young Prokop was when he came out (19), and while he wears this “trailblazer” cap, he’s still standing alone.
“I think this generation is more ready for it than past generations, for sure,” Lefebvre said. “It says a lot to me that nobody else has come out in the year and a half since he has. He’s the only openly gay player under NHL contract, but he’s not the only gay player under NHL contract.
“That’s where I think we have work to do. Is it great that he’s been accepted and can do his thing? Yes. But he looks at the positives, which makes me really happy for him. But that doesn’t mean there’s no negative.”
Prokop takes the positives in his off-ice life, too. He lives with Alanna in the offseason back home in Edmonton. He’s found teammates to share in his hobbies, like golf (he plays 40 to 50 rounds a year). He loves to read, from biographies to sci-fi. He watches basketball more than hockey and has more than 25 jerseys. He cooks. He got into puzzles during the pandemic and is bullish about doing them on his own.
Prokop also feels comfortable getting out there on the dating scene and not having to hide it from teammates.
“Obviously, the lifestyle of a hockey player is tough for some people,” he said. “I’m trying to find the right person to connect with. I’m a softie, a romantic guy. I love love. I’m always on the lookout for that right person to spend the rest of my life with.”
Prokop doesn’t see the label of being the first openly gay player under NHL contract as a weight. It’s more of a responsibility. He has a platform and wants to use it. He’s realistic, “dreaming about winning the community service award more than the Norris Trophy.”
Making the AHL jump or someday the NHL jump won’t define him.
“One of my main goals when I came out is that if I could have an impact on one person outside of my family and friends in my lifetime, I’ve done my job,” he said. “I think I’ve done that and more. And I want to continue to do that.”
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cellythefloshie · 3 months
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;; Mama Bear Dedicated to myself. Because this has been my passion project.
Summary: With her son Parker set to skate in his first NHL game with the Boston Bruins, Katherine Stacy travels to Boston. When her plans are derailed by her ex-husband, Katherine is forced to spend a night on the town alone where she meets Jeremy who is more than willing to show her a good time. Kinks & Tropes: Age Gap (22 v. 40). Divorcee. Alcohol Consumption. One Night Stand. Oral Sex - Fem Receiving. Mirror Reflection. Protected Sex. - If I missed something, yell at me. ABOUT THE OC’s: Katherine: AKA Katie. Face Claim: Bryce Dallas Howard. 40's. Mother of Parker Waylon-Stacy. Parker: Face Claim: N/A. Boston Bruin's Rookie. Dorthey: AKA Dottie. Face Claim: Kate Hudson. Best friend of Katherine. Word Count: 12k+
A/N: Would you believe me if I said that this fic was 4 months in the making? @hagelpoint-3821 and @hockeyboysimagines -- I do not know how you have put up with me teasing this fic for so long. This fic is one that ignited a fire of excitement in me, and to be able to share that excitement with the two of you is something I will always appreciate. You both know that this fic could have easily become a full length novel - and I did have to cut back on this things to assure I could get this out before the new year. I won't have to but you guys with persistent updates about the progress anymore! Thank you so much for your ongoing support and encouragement. With that said, this fic is not going to appeal to everyone. It is unlike anything I have written before, and is unlike anything I have seen in this community before. So please consider liking and relogging if you enjoy, and if doesn't end up being your cup of tea - thank you for giving it a shot. And please note that I did not do a full edit of this fic. I will be editing any mistakes I see upon rereads. I hope you all enjoy reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it.
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As a woman traveling alone, there was one thing Katherine Stacy made sure to do: she created a detailed itinerary. Everything from her flights to hotel check-in times and the sights she was planning to see in the great city of Boston were listed in detail on two neatly organized pages. And she made sure to print 3 copies. One for herself, that she carried in her black Kate Spade purse. One for her ex-husband, Ronnie, who was meant to join her on her trip. And the last, for her best friend, Dottie, who remained back home in Toronto - but was the one person she knew she could count on if something did not go according to plan. 
Which was why, as Katie called her from her dimly lit hotel room in the middle of the day - when she was supposed to be touring the Museum of Fine Arts - Dottie answered with such urgency you would have thought her home was on fire. Her mass of blonde curls was the first thing you could see when she answered the video call. They fell into her face that was too close to the screen, her words rushed so close together they slurred into one. “What’sgoingon?Whyisitsodark?Thisisnottheartmuseum.”
Katie propped her phone up against her suitcase, the camera obstructed by the bag’s handle as she rushed to get one of the lights, a string of apologies leaving her lips. When she returned to the end of her bed, she fixed the camera just right before her hands dipped into her bag and she continued to unpack her belongings and store them away in the hotel room’s dresser. It was only then, with her hands busy and a heavy breath rocking her shoulders, that Katie told Dottie why she was calling. 
“He brought her.”
That was all Dottie needed to hear for her eyes to be sent wide in disbelief, “He. Did. Not.” Dottie was always nothing short of eccentric and supportive, but that support only had grown stronger since Katie’s divorce. And since Ronnie started dating again. 
Not even a year into their separation before their divorce was finalized, he had started dating Monica. A beautiful, blonde, twenty-something, esthetician from Etoboike who had weaseled her way into the Waylon family before Katie could even realize what was happening. Which included joining Ronnie on their trip to Boston. Which was supposed to be just the two of them. One where they were coming together as parents to celebrate the success of their son, Parker Waylon-Stacy, who was set to play his first game in the NHL the next evening.  
Worst of all, he hadn’t told her she was coming. Monica had been a nasty surprise when she met him at The Westland for lunch. Katie knew the young woman could see the shock all over her face when she spotted her, and while her attendance was an unpleasant surprise, she had tried to be civil. Yet, Katie could only tolerate so much. 
So she canceled their dinner reservations at the Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar and did not make her planned trip to the art museum. Instead, she had taken a taxi back to the Courtyard by Marriott where she was staying for her short visit in Boston. What she was going to do now, she didn’t know, but Katie knew she needed to call Dottie.
“I knew you should have just come with me Dot-”
Dottie cut in, her words strained by her frustration. “I would have ripped his testicles off with my bare hands-”
“Dot!”
“What?” Dottie was taken back, her brows furrowed. 
“He’s allowed to be dating, we aren’t married.” She and Ronnie hadn’t been together since their son had turned sixteen. That was almost two years ago now, and Katie didn’t miss a single minute of being married to him. She never would. 
“But this trip was supposed to be a family trip,” Dottie reminded, her hand coming up to run over her face with a sigh, “for Parker.”
“Well,” Katie chewed at the inside of her cheek, her hand coming up to push her long red hair back out of her face, “he’s marrying her.”
All Katie could hear was a long, low growl of a no, the video call going dark as Dottie either dropped the phone face down onto a surface or accidentally turned her camera off at the shock of the news. When the sight of her returned, her hand was over her mouth, and her eyes were wide. 
“You should have seen her ring,” Katie told her, her hands wringing the fabric of one of her blouses in her hands like a wet rag, “it was, wow.”
The band was gold, and the diamond was big. Bigger than what she had on her engagement ring and wedding band combined. It was so big it was almost gaudy and hard to miss. It was eye-catching with every single one of Monica’s movements, and all Katie could think of at the sight of it was: Does Parker know? 
It was a question that haunted her as she put down her blouse, pulled her pajamas from the bottom of her bag, and began to undress with little care that Dottie was still on the other end of the call. They had been friends since middle school. There was little Dottie hadn’t seen or didn’t know. 
“Whoa, whoa,” Dottie spoke, the shock fading at the sight of Katie stripping out of her jeans, “what are you doing?”
Katie stepped out of her jeans, leaving them in a heap on the floor as she held her satin bottoms in her hand, “Turning in?”
“NO, you aren’t going to let that selfish prick ruin this trip for you,” Dottie spoke in a firm tone, her finger pointing right into the lens of her camera. 
“What am I supposed to do, Dottie?” Katie sighed, throwing up her hands in defeat and accidentally throwing her pajamas across the room, “I’m just going to order room service and watch some paper view-”
“No, no. You’re going to go out and enjoy yourself.”
A sigh rocked through Katie’s entire body, her hand falling into her hands as she fought back a frustrated sob. She’s a divorced mother in a city she doesn’t know. Her son was off with his teammates doing god knows what on a team-building outing. Her ex-husband was off celebrating his engagement. And she was alone. 
Hot tears pricked at green eyes in the shadow of her hands, but Katie didn’t let them fall. Deep, heavy breaths from years of hiding her frustrations with her husband kept them at bay, but Dottie noticed. She always noticed. 
Which was why her voice had softened when she spoke again, “Show me what’s in your suitcase?”
“My suitcase?” Katie croaked out, her hands coming down to rest against the pale freckles skin of her thighs. 
“Yes, your suitcase.”
Stepping forward, Katie took her phone in her hold and flipped her camera around for Dottie to see. The suitcase was mostly empty now, save for the jacket she had packed at the bottom. The rest of her clothes she had tucked away in the dresser drawers. She had packed just enough clothes to last the three-day trip. Her main outfit was a pair of jeans, boots, and a t-shirt she planned to wear under a jersey to the hockey game the following night. Everything else was meant to be worn during sightseeing, or on the flight home. And every bit of it was practical. 
“No, no, love. Why do you do this to yourself?” Dottie sighed, her shoulder slouching forward. Dottie, herself, was a bit of a fashionista. She always wore the latest trends and was always seen in the brightest colors. Because, well, Dottie liked to be seen. “Where is the sext shit we bought last time we went out?”
“Back home?” Katie spoke in more of a question, her brow raising as if where it was wasn’t already obvious. “I wasn’t coming out here intending to seduce my ex-husband, Dot.”
“You’re in Boston, Katie! A city full of eligible bachelors you can forget about the moment you fly home.”
“Dot-”
“When was the last time you got laid, Katie?”
Her stomach sunk, her mouth going dry at the question. Dottie already knew the answer to that question, but she was trying to use it to motivate her now, even if Katie hated it when she did that. 
“You would have heard about it if it happened.”
“You’ve been divorced for over a year, Katie - separated for two. It’s time to ditch the vibrator.”
Katie let out a long, frustrated huff, fighting the urge to toss her phone onto the pillow. She knew exactly where this was going. “I’m not using that stupid dating app-” 
Tinder. Bumble. Plenty of Fish. Hinge. If it was a dating app, she was on it, and failing miserably at it. Dottie’s daughter, Megan, had set her up with the accounts. Helped her pick every flattering picture and even wrote her biography to cater to the current dating scene. And it had only led her to two types of people, men just like her husband who were divorced and looking for their next way to mother them, or were young men - too young for her to comfortably consider - with mommy issues. And both had gifted her far too many unsolicited pictures of their cocks. 
Just the thought of opening the app made her want to gag. 
“Then don’t,” Dottie spoke, her tone assuring and not forceful. “Just do this one thing for yourself. Go buy a nice dress and a pair of underwear that haven’t seen postpartum. Something sexy. Something to make you feel confident, and go out to dinner. Take yourself out. Hell, even if it’s just the hotel bar. Get a drink and try to have a little fun. For me.”
Dottie dipped her chin down and pouted her lips. Growing up, it was always how Dottie had gotten her way, and sometimes it still worked. Just like it had then. 
“Fine.”
“Good, now, I gotta go,” she spoke, and her screen was suddenly a rush of color as she was on the move, “The twins have a game tonight.”
Dottie was a mother of three. Megan, 18, the same as Parker, was off at university, but the twins were only 12. And had a very extensive hockey schedule to maintain, which kept Dottie’s schedule busy and her hands full. 
“Alright, alright, I won’t keep you,” Katie waved her hand at the phone casually, “Tell Brandon and Brayden Auntie Katie is cheering for them-”
“Don’t think this gets you off the hook,” Dottie added quickly, “I want a selfie of you looking sexy at the bar. Love you. Kisses!” 
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Shopping alone was something Katie loathed. Nothing ever fit her proportions right, especially after the rollercoaster that was going from a size 2 to pregnant to struggling with her weight postpartum, to a grueling weight loss journey that brought her to a weight that she could be both healthy and happy with. But Katie wasn’t skin and bones. She was soft and curvy with an ass that was maybe a little bigger than she would like, and breasts that didn’t match the fashion industries’ standards of what her body was supposed to look like. It was that fact that left her rotating out of each boutique's change room, trying on one dress and then the next before she found one dress that fit her body just enough for her to confidently make the purchase. 
It was a little black dress that stopped just below the knee. It was sleeveless, and the deep vee neckline showed off her cleavage with a little help from some strategically placed fashion tape. The dress hugged her curves without restricting her stride and left her feeling sexy as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror and took her time to do her hair and makeup for her night on the town. 
Aka. Her night at the hotel bar. 
It was only a short walk from the elevator to the bar's entrance. The dark bar filled with the warm amber glow of the lights that hung above each table, and along the high traffic points of the bar. Normally, she wouldn’t consider going to a place like this. Katie liked to be able to see what she was eating and drinking. But tonight she was desperate. Desperate and alone with no thought in her mind that the latter would change. Besides, she just needed to be there long enough to take a few pictures and leave without an empty stomach. With those two facts in mind, Katie walked into the bar with the confidence only a mother could have and seated herself down the bar.
It’s the most lit area of the establishment, her seat was right beside one of the beautiful bronze light fixtures. It set her face aglow, her bright red lipstick and dark mascara framed eyes illuminated so fully she feared she might look like a clown, but she tried not to focus on the insecurities of dining out alone. Instead, Katie pulled out her phone and texted a quick picture of herself to Dottie. She looked a little more anxious than sexy, but it proved she was out. Then, she took a picture of the light fixture before placing her phone screen down on the bar top and welcomed a menu as it was placed in front of her.
The barkeep was nice, and if she was younger she might have mistaken his kindness for flirtation. But Katie knew better. It was his job to be friendly. Good service meant better tips, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t need the confidence boost. It, at the very least, left her smiling as she looked over her menu and ordered a drink to start: a Negroni Sbagliato. 
It would be the first of two during her meal. The first left her more comfortable being out in Boston alone. The second gave her the confidence to lift her phone from the bartop. Her fingers hovered over the darkened screen before she awakened its brightness with the single click of the home button. Her eyes had to squint at the harshness of its light, her eyes having adjusted to the bar’s moody atmosphere before she could be greeted with the series of notifications from Dottie. 
She was at her son’s hockey game, but she had taken the time to respond to the photo with a series of flame emojis. Quick, but effective support that had Katie’s finger leaning towards the Tinder app that she had tucked on her last page of applications. 
The screen came to life with an even harsher light, leaving Katie to flinch in her seat as she tried to hide her screen beneath her arm. At her age, there was nothing more embarrassing, in her mind, than being on a dating app. She looked down at the first profile carefully as she brought her phone down to her lap, her thumb swiping left on the first eligible bachelor who didn’t look all that eligible when she was sure the woman in the picture was his wife, and not his sister or a friend. Then the second, third, and fourth men in her radius were all at the bottom of her age range and looked all too young. 
In her position, Katie knew she shouldn’t be so picky. She was in Boston for only a few days. Alone for one night. If anyone wanted to meet her for a drink, or at the very least provided a pleasant series of text messages before ghosting her when she found out she was a mother, she would be able to label the night as a success. 
With each passing profile, Katie fell further into defeat and accepted that she would be enjoying her night alone. And she accepted that as she sipped at what was her second drink, only for it to gently choke at her throat at a soft, unfamiliar voice spoken at her side. 
“I’d swipe right on you.”  
The words sent a blossom of heat through Katie from her heart to her cheeks and the tips of her toes. Unsolicited, they should have flooded her with dread. But they were flirtatious and left her giddy before she could even offer the man more than a glance. It had been a long time since someone hit on her at a bar, and it left her sitting taller in her seat. Confident. 
That was until she looked right, and to the man who had greeted her with his flirtatious words. Her stomach was left unsettled. He wasn’t ugly. Far from it with his tall, lean stature, chestnut brown hair, and eyes a warm brown hue that could so easily tempt her into comfort if she let them. But he was young. Younger than anything in her age range on any of the dating apps on her phone. He looked older than her son, but she may have mistaken them for the same age if it wasn’t for the beginnings of a beard along the angles of his jawline. 
As quickly as her stomach fluttered with butterflies, she was flooded with disappointment. She wouldn’t even entertain a man as young as he was. But Katie was too polite. 
“That’s very flattering,” there was a hint of a smile in her voice as she looked down at the bartop to hide the blush that still threatened to creep up on her cheeks. “But I’m pretty sure I’m old enough to be your mother.”
The statement seemed to amuse him, his smile growing as he stepped up to sit on the barstool next to her. He, whoever he was, was getting too comfortable. It left Katie shifting in her seat, suddenly all too aware of how her heels hooked on her stool and how her thighs pressed together uncomfortably as her ass was cradled by her seat. 
“I don’t believe it,” he wore a boyish grin as he turned his body just enough to give her all of his attention, “You here, looking like that…”
Katie could feel his eyes drag up and down the length of his body, admiring her figure and how it looked in her little black dress. 
“Being anyone’s mother would be a shock to me,” he finished his train of thought, his words still on the verge of flirtation. 
Katie wanted to accept it. To feel flattered by his interest however great or mild it may be. But there was an anxiety that bubbled deep in her stomach. One that left her paranoid that this could be a joke. Shifting in her seat, Katie did a glance around the bar. Looking from table to table she looked for anyone that the man beside her could be associated with. But the bar was quiet. There was a table with what looked like a bridal party that would be pregaming before hitting the town. Then, there was a table of old-timers who may have been regulars or retirees visiting the city. Neither were crowds he would be a part of. That was unless he was homosexual. But, if he were, he wouldn’t be seated beside her at the bar, hitting on her. 
“You’re too kind,” she spoke slowly, trying to be polite. 
“What can I say, my mama raised me right,” he smiled a boyish grin, “which is why I’d like to buy you a drink.”
Katie’s heart fluttered in her chest at the offer, her head cocking to the side as she spoke; “You don’t have to.”
“I insist.”
Katie had to give him one thing, he was confident. She could see it in how his dark eyes didn’t tear away from her, and how his shoulders remained strong instead of slouching with each of her flattered but deflective responses. He could have taken her brief remarks as being disinterested - which in a way she was disinterested if only because of his apparent age - yet, he persisted.  
Reaching up with his hand, the mystery Bostonian flagged down the bartender and met him with a smile. He ordered himself a drink, before nodding towards Katie and requesting another for her as well. Then, he offered him his credit card. Katie’s eyes lingered on the piece of plastic as it was passed from one man to the other. It was just a typical credit card. Nothing fancy that would indicate that he was a man with exceptionally deep pockets, and her stomach filled with dread as she realized that she had probably let some poor college student pay for her drink. 
It left her mouth tasting sour as her third drink of the evening was placed in front of her. So sour, that she almost rejected it. But it was already paid for, so she accepted it and decided that if he ordered a second for himself, she would pay for it. 
“Thanks,” she spoke across the short distance between them, her body turning to be a little more open to a conversation. 
Talking to him was the least that she could do. 
“What brings you to Boston…” he started, his words trailing off. He wasn’t done with his question, yet, he was asking her for something already. 
Blankly, Katie stared at him, unsure of what exactly he was fishing for until it hit her. He wanted to know her name. She could feel her face go red with the realization, and redder when she hesitated when she almost said her full name, Katherine. 
Katherine felt old. Stale. Everything she was trying to avoid being, so she gave him her nickname instead, “Katie.”
“What brings you to Boston, Katie?”
“Visiting family,” she kept her answer brief without the messy details. And without the mention of having a son that she was sure was only a few years younger than him. “What about you…”
“Jeremy,” he was quicker to answer, his hand reaching out halfway. She smiled at the gesture, reaching out and meeting his hand with hers in a simple handshake before she withdrew to wrap her fist around her glass. 
“What brings you to Boston, Jeremy?”
“Nothing too exciting, just work.”
Just work. Such a simple answer. Straightforward. No details. And she could have asked for more, but he met her level of secrecy - of mystery - all the while making his intentions known. He didn’t need to disclose his life to her, or her to him, because he couldn’t care less if he was just looking for a woman to take back to his room. But before she could confirm her theory to be true, he pressed her for more. 
“If you’re here to visit with family, why are you alone?”
Katie wasn’t sure what she heard in Jeremy’s voice when he asked that question. If it was merely curiosity or pity, she hadn’t known him long enough to know. But it left her smile wavering as she answered him, “Busy schedules,” she shrugged her shoulders to give off a feeling of carelessness even though it was still bothering her, “I’ll see them all in the morning.”
“How early?”
 If she had been taking a sip of her drink, Katie would have choked again. “You aren’t very discreet.” 
“I can’t afford to be. A beautiful woman like yourself, you could fly off tomorrow and I’d never see you again. At least I can know I took my shot.”
Katie cocked her hair to the side, her bright auburn hair cascading down between her shoulders as her eyes looked at Jeremy in disbelief. He was the very definition of a golden retriever. Happy, waiting with the greatest anticipation that if he was a dog, his tail would be wagging. And he was waiting for her to throw her a bone. 
Biting her lip, Katie placed her drink down on the bartop and her gaze followed after. She shouldn’t have been considering it. Yet there she was, her hands came to rest around her phone and gripped it tight as one thought was clear in her mind. She needed to call Dottie. 
“Can you excuse me for just a moment?” she asked slowly. 
Jeremy answered with a curt nod, his smile unwavering as he watched her with his wide brown eyes. 
With his permission, Katie couldn’t get out of her chair fast enough. She slid from the stool, and her heels slipping on the hardwood. It left her unsteady for a moment, her hand reaching out to catch herself on the bar, but before she could reach the polished wood a pair of large, warm hands had wrapped around her waist.  
The heat of his touch blossomed through Katie’s belly, sending her breath to hitch in the depths of her throat. She wanted nothing more but to hide her surely reddened face in her hands with embarrassment. She wanted to curse herself for her clumsiness, but she was frozen in his hold as he breathed out a whisper she could barely hear but could feel against her cheek; “Don’t worry. I got you.”
His touch. 
His words. 
It was almost enough to make her shudder. But with one shallow, forced breath Katie found her composure  and gave his arm a careful squeeze and a thank you that he might not have been able to hear. Then, she was drying back, her steps quick as she moved for the privacy of the woman’s washroom. It was there she was able to pull out her phone and call Dottie. But Jeremy’s touch was not forgotten, it’s warmth remained deep in her belly, lingering. 
“Where’s the fire?” There was an alertness in Dottie’s voice, nothing but the peaks of her face visible on the screen as she lay in the dark. Katie could only see more of her tired features as Dottie squinted and brought the phone closer to her face. “Wait,” her tone was one of disbelief, “are you still out?”
“Yeah,” Katie’s voice was uneven as she reached a hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear, “and I think I have a problem.”
“If it’s your card, I told you so. I knew you should have called the bank before you went-”
Shaking her head, Katie cut her off, “No, no, there’s a guy?”
Dottie perked up, any sign of sleepiness void from her face in an instant. “A guy? What are you calling me for? Take him to bed!”
Her excitement was contagious, not even the complaints from Dottie’s tired husband who lay beside her in bed could spoil the mood. Katie wanted to be able to revert back to her younger self. To squeal with excitement over a man. A man who thought she was sexy - who wanted to sleep with her with no strings attached. But it wasn’t that simple. 
“It’s just that,” Katie chewed her lip, a heavy sigh rocking her shoulders, “he’s young.”
“How young is young?” Dottie asked slowly, and cautiously as they waded into dangerous territories together. 
“I don’t know,” she sighed, “they didn’t card him. Maybe, twenty-five. No more than thirty.”
“Shit,” Dottie cursed, the single word drawn out and earning another grunt of disapproval from her husband, “he cute?”
“Very.”
“Well, I mean… Thirty isn’t too bad.”
“That’s IF he’s thirty, Dot,” she emphasized, her eyes wide as she dropped her voice lower at the sound of someone entering the washroom. 
“What’s the worst-case scenario?” Dottie asked. 
Katie thought for a moment, her teeth chewing her lip as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. As a woman, there were many horrible scenarios a woman could end up in when dating. Ending up dead was the worst of the worst, but she didn’t take it to that extreme. “Worst case? He’s a twenty-one-year-old fuckboy like the ones we warned Megan about before she went off to college. And I end up with the clap.”
Dottie’s laugh was lost on the flush of the toilet in the stall next to Katie, and the rush of the sink as the stranger in the bathroom washed their hands. It was a mess of noise, but Katie could still make out Dottie’s next question, “Best case?”
Katie hesitated as she threw her head back to rest against the stall. She was embarrassed by the answer. 
Dottie answered for her, “Best case you get laid for the first time in what is it? Two years?”
Hearing it outloud sent her stomach sinking? Had it really been that long? 
Katie cursed under her breath, her head hanging low. When had she let her life get so pathetic? For years, her life had one priority, raising her son. And she had done a good job, he was successful, about to play in his first NHL game after starting his season with the Bruins’ AHL affiliate.  But she never really moved on from her divorce, and from being a mom. Her ex-husband was engaged, and ready to start a new family. But she hadn’t even fucked someone anyone since her divorce. Even then, she and her husband hadn’t even shared a bed before their divorce. She couldn’t even recall the last time they slept together, even if she wanted to. 
From her throat erupted a long, unsatisfied groan. Her mind quickly fell on a decision that she may come to regret. 
“Dot,” she sighed, “is it fucked up if I take him back to my room?”
Silence hung between the two of them for a moment. Dottie processed the decision, and Katie waited anxiously for her friend to tell her if she was making the wrong decision.
“Teach the kid a thing or two,” Dottie spoke, the playful nature of her words lifting a weight of insecurity from her shoulders. 
“Dottie, thank you,” she spoke quickly, one hand going to the lock on the door while the other ended the call. 
With the decision made, with a little help from her friend, all Katie could do now was hope that Jeremy had waited for her at the bar. If he hadn’t she couldn’t blame him for leaving. Maybe she was older than she looked from a distance. Or he had just come to the bar to kill time before a night out in Boston, and she was merely the entertainment. She couldn’t let herself get too hung up on him if he were gone, but thankfully, she didn’t have too. Jeremy remained at the bar. Standing instead of propped up on his stool, his hand slipping something into his back pocket on her approach. 
And Katie, she didn’t waste any time being coy. “I don’t have reservations until 11.”
The smile that was beginning to feel like a welcome constant on Jeremy’s features grew at her words. Katie wasn’t sure if it was the question he was expecting, but it was clear that it was the one that he was hoping for and it flooded her stomach with butterflies. 
She was going to do it. 
She was going to take this attractive young man back to her room. 
“Let me just pay my tab,” Katie told him, her hands already on her purse to dig out her credit card. She merely pressed her jump against the thin, cold plastic card when the bartender threw his towel over his shoulder and raised his hand to reject her payment. He didn’t want it. Katie’s brow furrowed, then it hit her. It had already been paid for. 
“You didn’t have to do that,” she was quick to quip. Katie knew she should have been thanking him, but she couldn’t help but feel a little insulted. She was a grown woman. Successful in her own right. She was more than capable of paying for her own meal. 
“It’s nothing, really,” Jeremy shrugged it off, his arm sliding behind her to rest on her back so effortlessly it was as if they had come to the bar together. 
“Let me pay you back,” Katie insisted, earning the gentle pressure of his hand against the small of her back as he began to lead her out to the lobby. She almost scoffed. As if he knew where her room was - because she wasn’t going back to his. If this was going to happen, it needed to happen on her terms. That also meant, shoving her hand into her wallet and shoving a fist full of American money in his direction. 
Jeremy continued to refuse, his one hand reaching out to guide her hand back towards her open wallet. “And why would I do that?”
“Because I’m more than capable of paying for my own dinner-” She voiced, ready to fight him on it further, but his answer stopped her in place. 
“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
Katie stood in the middle of the hotel lobby, her head slightly cocked to the side as she slid out of Jeremy’s reach. He only took a few strides before looking back at her with such warmth in her eyes she thought she might melt. Jeremy was sweet. Too sweet. Acting in every way he had wanted her husband to when they were married, and he was just a young man. It was a cruel thing in a way. For the universe to taunt her with him, but she would let herself enjoy him, if only for the night. 
“Come on, I’m up on the fourth floor,” as she spoke, Katie’s words softened. She wouldn’t be fighting him about her bill again. If he wanted to be a gentleman, she was going to let him. 
They boarded the elevator together, Katie drawing her key card and moving to the right, and Jeremy boarding and leaning against the far left wall. Scanning her card, the elevator doors shut, the two of them alone together for the first time as the elevator began its slow ascent.
The movement made it feel as if her heart was sinking to the depths of her stomach, her anxiety building, as she leaned back against the right side of the elevator directly across from Jeremy. He was smiling still, watching her, admiring her. And she couldn’t help but smile too. It was contagious. 
Her smile had him smiling wider. 
Then, he pushed off the wall of the elevator and closed the short distance between them. He moved so quickly her anxieties didn’t have enough time to worsen, nor did they ease. Her heart raced in the depth of her chest as his hands found her waist, drawing her in from the cold support of the elevator wall and into the strength of his body. He was lean, maybe even a little too lean for her liking, but she could feel how strong he was as her body was pulled flush with his. Katie could feel it first in his grasp, as Jeremy’s fingertips pressed into the curves of her waist. Then again, as her hands braced against his chest, her own careful touch sliding up - feeling his pectorals flex in the process - and around before linking behind his neck. Her tough welcomed Jeremy in, and with him came his kiss. 
Katie had to press up onto her toes to meet it, even in her heels. Teetering on the toes of her heels as Jeremy leaned in and pressed a slow kiss to her lips. She had expected it to be a desperate kiss. One that was sloppy, and would leave her face wet and her eyes rolling, but she was wrong. Jeremy kissed her slowly, both hands on her hips for one moment, the next one had risen to stroke over the soft skin of her cheek. His thumb dragged over the smooth flesh, and down to catch on her chin, drawing her mouth open. Katie had to choke back a moan at the feeling of his tongue slipping in between parted lips. The warm stroke of his tongue infiltrated her mouth, the depth of the kiss leaving her legs weak as the elevator door chimed. 
They had reached her floor. 
red
She licked her lips as she drew back, her hands falling to her clutch to fumble with its contents for her room key. If she was fumbling with her purse, she wouldn’t have to look up and risk anyone else seeing the red lipstick that quickly became a mess on her face. She could feel how it was smudged off her lips, and she was sure that if she looked to Jeremy who now followed behind her like a shadow, that it would be smeared over his lips as well. 
But she didn’t look up. Not until she got to the door of her room and she took a deep breath. Once she crossed the threshold, there would be no going back. The thought left her on the verge of vomiting as she heard the lock click, and her hand reached for the door handle. She was nervous, more than that. Anxious. She was anxious. But there was an excitement that left her shivering as she led Jeremy into her hotel room. 
If he was going to kiss her like that, she couldn’t wait to see what else he intended to do with her. But first-
“Do you want another drink?” Katie asked him quickly as she came to stand in front of the small console table in the entryway. She placed her clutch there, and her key and had intended to peel away from it to move to the small bar in her room, but she found herself trapped between it and Jeremy’s body as the door shut behind her. 
Hands splaying out over the table, Katie braced herself there as Jeremy’s hands returned to her body. One snake around her waist, easing her to lean back into him while the other carefully pushed her loose auburn curls away from the pale skin from her neck. Her eyes went wide, fixated on the horrible piece of art that hung on the wall as his hot breath encroached on her neck. It washed over her in heated waves. The hot moisture was almost enough to make her sweat, but instead Jeremy left her melting. His kiss was slow against her neck. Peppering at first before his lips were dragging down her skin, leaving hot trails down to her collarbone and back up again. 
Her heart fluttered. Then it pounded. So loudly, all Katie could hear was her heartbeat in her ears. It left her eyes fluttering shut, her mind focused on nothing but the kiss of his lips and the touch of his hands on her body. He caressed her curves, gripped at her flesh and kissed every bit of exposed skin on her neck, throat and shoulders. And it all left her melting, her mind fuzzy, and any bit of inhibition was ready to leave her and let him do as he pleased with her body. That was until she left his hand encroached on the hem of her dress. The warm touch of his hand on the sensitive skin of her thigh sent her head into a panic. 
This was the beginning of foreplay. 
Katie should have expected it, she should have been looking forward to it. But it left her nerves raw. In all the years she had been married to Ronnie, foreplay had been forgotten. Sex was an obligation and it was quick. A mere tool used to please her husband while she was left to finish herself off in the shower or beside him after he had fallen asleep in bed. Back then, it didn’t matter if she was dressed in lingerie or pajamas. If she had a fresh shave, or hadn’t shaved for weeks. Ronnie didn’t care - or atleast, he always said he didn’t. But now, as a stranger’s hands were so eager to explore every inch of her body, it left her self conscious. 
“I’ve got whiskey at the bar,” Katie breathed out quickly, her knees weak as she stepped away from him and quickly moved for the bar. 
She was met by Jeremy’s low chuckle,“I’m not that bad looking, am I?”
“No - no, it’s not that - I’m sorry,” Katie apologized, her hand grasping at one of the little bottles of rum from the bar, “I haven’t done anything like this in a long time. I’m just a little nervous.” 
“How long’s it been?” His words were casual, his confidence unwavering even as she found her so close to plummeting. 
“Since when?” She asked slowly, seeking clarification if only to bide herself more time. Katie didn’t want to have to tell him the truth, but she wasn’t a liar. 
“Since you’ve had casual sex?”
“You really don’t want to know,” she countered. 
Omission was not the same as lying. 
Looking up from the bar top, and the bottle of whiskey in her hand that she had yet to uncork her eyes rose to look at Jeremy who had found his way to the end of her bed. He had seated himself down, his shoes kicked off his feet, and he leaned back on his elbows, lounging casually in the bed that had yet to be slept in. 
While he laid back, so casually, that he could have let his head lul back and let himself stare at the ceiling. But even as he relaxed there, waiting for her nerves to be put at ease by a little liquid courage, his soft brown eyes were fixated on her. Her grip tightened around the neck of the bottle, a quivering breath coursing through her body as she held his stare. It was soft, alluring in a way that left her ready to answer anything he may ask of her and it left her curing under her breath. It was a dangerous thing, just how easy to trust he was. 
Pouring her drink, straight whiskey into her glass, she sipped the room temperature alcohol back and let it burn. Then, under the blaze of it consuming her, Katie answered, “Twenty years.”
“Bullshit.”
Katie’s lips pressed together in a small smile, the shock on his ace coaxing an innocent shrug from her shoulders. 
“You don’t look a day over thirty.”
“Now that is bullshit,” she pointed at him, her lips spreading into a wider grin now. 
“You look incredible. That dress, your body. What can I say? You caught my attention. But I bet that dress looks even better on the floor.”
Katie swallowed back the lump that quickly formed in her throat as his words. She was very self conscious about her body. It changed drastically over the years. Once she was skinny, flat and narrow in no way the healthiest version of herself. But it was also the one that had carried her child, and left her with curves she didn’t want and scars only her ex-husband had seen. And now she was going to share it with Jeremy, a man who she was sure still had so much to learn about a woman’s body. It was a terrifying thought. One that hung in the back of her mind as she abandoned her drink on the bar and stepped out of her heels. 
Barefoot, she took careful strides towards the bed, her demeanor caught somewhere between confident and terrified, but it caught his attention all the same. Katie knew she had caught his eye when his smile tested the limits of how far it could spread over his cheeks as Jeremy sat up from where he leaned. He moved slowly to the edge of the bed, his legs spreading just enough for Katie to stand between them. 
With a careful, final step, Katie stood between his legs and looked down at him. Her heart pounded deep in her chest, so hard and so rapidly she thought her ribs were about to rattle. And in her chest, she could feel her very last inhale struggling to creep its way back up her throat in the calm of an exhale. It burned in her lungs, the nerves of undressing in front of him smothering her. That was, until she felt the warms of Jeremy’s hands find her body, and in an instant she calmed. 
She exhaled slowly through slightly parted lips as her eyes fell shut. In the darkness it brought, Katie fixated on the warmth of Jeremy’s touch. It dragged over her curves, tracing each rise and fall with his fingers and palms before each of his hands settled on her broad hips. There, he gripped her gently and guided her steps in a small circle so she stood with her back to him. 
Katie raised up her arms slowly, her hands dragging up her own neck and tangled into her auburn strands as she drew them away from the zipper of her dress. Her breath hitched again, but only for a moment,  in the back of her throat as she felt his fingers pinch at the zipper and drag it down. He inched it down slowly, and Katie could feel the black fabric begin to fall away from her skin. And as the warm fabric fell away, the cold air of the room kissed her skin. It sent a shiver coursing up her spine, her entire body shuttering as the fabric hit the ground, leaving her in nothing but a pair of black lace pair of panties. 
They were brand new. The tag was in the trash bin in the bathroom. And Katie would be forever thankful that she had bought them when she bought the dress instead of wearing something she had packed. If she had been wearing anything else, she may have recoiled from his touch, but instead, as she turned in place to face him, Katie radiated confidence. 
He could see almost all of her, from her stretch marks to the freckles on her skin. Yet, Jeremy’s touch didn’t recoil, his hands continued to explore the expanse of her body and his dark eyes didn’t look away. Instead, they traced her every curve on the way back up to her face that was left blank from the nerves that came from waiting for his reaction. Katie was sure that Jeremy hadn’t seen a body like hers before. So old, so flawed, so-
Her thoughts were broken by Jeremy’s slow, soft spoken words. “Yeah, looks much better on the floor,” Jeremy punctuated his words with the slow swipe of his tongue over his lip as his warm gaze dragged up and down the length of her body. His complement dissolved any feeling of nervousness, of insecurity, that had consumed Katie. Her joints had been weak, and her heart racing, but he brought her calm. 
In that calm, Katie found her confidence. Her teeth bit down on her lower lip, her mind racing as she tried to determine what exactly her first move would be – and then she took it. 
One step, and then another, Katie brought her legs up to kneel on the bed, the mattress shifting beneath her weight as she straddled Jeremy’s lap. The denim on his dark jeans was rough against the inside of her thighs as his hands helped guide her down into his lap. Jeremy’s arms constricted around her, drawing her nearly naked body flush to his. Katie could feel his hot breath against her cheek, her inhale drawing in the sweet scent of alcohol before she stole a kiss from his lips. 
Katie wasted no time with sweetness or caution. Instead she kissed him with such an insatiable hunger, she knew tasting him on her tongue wouldn’t be enough. But it was a start. Each deep kiss and stroke of her tongue against his left his stubble to drag over the sensitive skin of her jaw and cheeks. It was rough, scratching against her skin and contrasting the tender movements of his hands as his warm touch moved up over the curves of her body. Jeremy’s touch settled on the broad curve of her hips, his fingers digging into the soft and supple flesh. And it was the only encouragement she needed to coax the subtle roll of her hips over the roughness of her jeans. 
Quickly, Katie became intoxicated by his kiss, by his touch and the very feeling of him between her legs. It began with the friction of his fly against the crotch of her panties, the subtle friction sparking the beginnings of her arousal. And then she felt him. His cock stiffened in the confines of his jeans, growing and becoming a thick outline that pressed up into the thick denim that divided them. Katie dragged her core up and down his clothed length, a shudder taking her body as a soft moan was coaxed from her lips. And it left Jeremy smiling as he pulled back just enough to tug off his t-shirt. 
Her eyes looked him up and down in a quick glance. Jeremy was fit. With his chest muscles flexing, the outline of his abs clear and his biceps building as he tossed his t-shirt aside, Katie almost tucked her tail and ran. He wasn’t an Adonis of a man, but he was intimidating in every way. Especially, while she was no idyllic beauty herself. 
“That’s just,” she exhaled a long, desperate breath, “not even fair.”
Jeremy’s grin grew wider, his hands gripping her hips a little tighter, as he picked her up and flipped her to lay back against the comfort of the bed. The action left her breathless, her hands scrambling against the bed to ease herself upright until she felt Jeremy’s hand flat against her stomach to keep her in place as she lay just beneath the comfort of the hotel room pillows. She lay there panting for a moment, her hair a mess against the bed and her eyes fixated on the ceiling as she felt the bed shift, and Jeremy settle between her legs. 
“Just take a second, relax,” Jeremy’s hot words washed over the inside of her thighs, and her core clenched. 
The room around her seemed to spin as she lay there, her lips parted in disbelief as she felt his fingers hook on the black lace of her panties and dragged them down the length of her legs. She could feel the warm, wet puddle of her arousal as it dragged down against her inner thigh, and her stomach knotted as she felt the warmth of his breath encroach on her needy core. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had been between her legs - if one had been at all, because she knew her husband never had been. But Jeremy didn’t hesitate. 
He lay on the bed on his stomach between her legs, his one hand sliding down from her hip, over the red curls of hair that trailed down over her pelvis and down to the slick folds between her thighs. He stroked her slowly, with two fingers barely brushing her slit before parting her with his fingers and tracing the sweet arousal at her core. Jeremy teashed her there, her heart racing as she tried so desperately to be calm. Her heart pounded, and her teeth care down on her lower lip in a firm bite, the pain a little distraction from the insecurities that threatened to consume her. She in no way felt prepared for this of all things. It was supposed to be a quick fuck, but then she felt him. The warmth of his tongue stroked over the entrance of her cunt and she moaned. 
It ripped up her throat before she could stop it, the heat and wetness of his long tongue a stark contrast to the colder temperature of the hotel room. And the sound only seemed to fuel him. He delved into her as if he was dehydrated and she was all he had to drink. His tongue parted her folds, and delved into her core leaving her cunt dripping with his saliva. His hands wound around her waist, one moving over the thick red curls of her hair as he blindingly fumbled for her clit as his face was buried between her thighs. 
Reaching down, her hand took hold of his carefully. Her fingers slid along his, gripping them carefully as she guided him to just the right spot. But once she guided him there, Katie’s touch didn’t leave him. Her hand remained resting over his. It kept his pressure even, and his motion just right as he rubbed her in slow circles. The action wound her up, the pleasure building like a wind up toy. Each stroke of his tongue, and every rotation of his fingers left her burning pleasure to coil in her stomach and soon she was seeing stars. She was so close to the brink of her pleasure, that her toes were curling against the sheets and her thighs threatened to close in on his ears. But that was where he left her, on the verge of her climax, as he trailed sloppy kisses down the inside of her thighs before he could push up and pull as his belt. 
Pushing up onto her elbows, she watched as she pulled his belt free, and worked his jeans and his boxer briefs down his legs together. It was hard not to stare, to admire the muscles of his body as she fished through his pocket or his wallet, and then the condom that was tucked in its folds. 
The wrapper became discarded on the bed beside her, and he worked the latex onto his cock, ready to take his place between her legs again, but she didn’t let him. Katie felt too guilty, selfish even, for having his face buried between her legs, and it had her pushing up from her place with a sudden surge of confidence. Her hands found the strength of Jeremy’s chest, a playful shove knocking him back to lay against the bed so she could climb into his lap once more. She took in a steady breath, her nose wrinkling for a moment as it crossed her mind that she may be too old for what she had in mind, but it didn’t stop her. 
With a single hand, Katie reached down between their bodies and took hold of his cock in her hand. She stoke it slowly, once and then again before she brought it to the entrance of her core. The mere pressure of the tip of her cock threatened to send her legs trembling before she could take him. If it were anyone else, Katie might have given up and let him take her plainly on her back knowing full well it would get the job done for her. But Katie persevered. She eased herself down onto him slowly, her eager core accommodating him so effortlessly it left her moaning. And once she felt his warmth against her ass, and had consumed him into the depths of her core, Katie began to ride him. 
Her hands braced herself against the slender strength of her chest as her hips rolled. She moved in a slow and steady rhythm, the friction sending pleasure boiling through her entire body. Katie became lost in the feeling of hip hips rising to meet her body in a gentle pound. It was all she could fixate on, even as her legs began to tremble and the muscles in her legs began to burn. She could hear each subtle impact, the meeting of skin, and it became a symphony of sounds that mixed with her desperate breath and the soft sounds that she coaxed from Jeremy’s lips. He reeled on the bed beneath her, his warm eyes admiring her body as his hands gripped her hips and fingers sunk into the flesh of her ass. He encouraged her every move, guiding her up and down his cock, but she couldn’t hide how her legs trembled. 
Jeremy grinned wide, his head leaning back against the pillow as he let out a trembling breath of words, “Look so pretty taking my cock, you wanna see?”
Katie found herself at a loss for words as she slid down the length of his cock and froze with him deep inside her. Her breaths quaked under each uneven breath, and her mind was left fuzzy by the mere feeling of being so full of him. And all she could do was nod. 
Carefully, Jeremy eased her from his cock, and guided her to rest on all fours on the bed. In front of her at the end of the bed was the dresser, her empty bag still resting on top of it, but it wasn’t enough to block the view of the mirror that hung on the wall above it. She could see her reflection there, her auburn hair left mused and her face was almost just as red as it was flushed and smeared with her red lipstick. She could see her body too. Her skin was fair and freckled and so exposed. Her breast hung in two small swells, and from behind her shoulders she could see the swell of her hips and Jeremy positioning himself behind her. His eyes were fixated on her ass, as were his hands that kneaded at the soft flesh. 
Katie could see his lips move in a silent curse that was lost on her as he pulled he positioned her just right. And when he had her just where he wanted her, the careful glide of the tip of his cock found her entrance again, and her thrust deep inside. The first thrust left her mewling, and the second left her fingers to grip at the bedding below. She met every single one of Jeremy’s thrusts, the mass of her ass quaking from each impact. But she didn’t watch herself, Katie’s eyes did not leave Jeremy. She watched as his face softened, and his muscles flexed. His eyes even closed from the time as he became lost in the feeling – but when they opened his stare met his gaze in the mirror. 
Jeremy tutted her gently, a single hand leaving the soft flesh of her hip to travel up the length of her back. As he moved, she could feel more and more of his body against her. Then, his hand found her throat. He held it carefully, without pressure, and guided her up to kneel. There she could feel his entire body against hers, all the while his cock was buried deep in her core. His thumb rested along her chin, and his forefinger stretched out along her jaw, and Jeremey held her gaze there, on her own feeble expression as he fucked her until her throat was raw, and her core clenched desperately around her cock. It was under the pressure of her core’s embrace that she felt his breathing quicken,the rush of air hot against the back of her neck as he reached the very peak of his climax. 
His hands fell away from her lip ribbon, and Katie fell back onto her hands and knees. Her entire body trembled as she lowered herself down to the mattress. The soft twitches involuntary as she was left panting and void of Jeremy as he eased his cock from her. She was seeing stars, her head or the room spinning as the rush of being fucked began to fade. Katie was left exhausted, ready for sleep, but satisfied - feeling euphoria for the first time in years. But before she could sleep, she needed to take care of Jeremy. 
“You’re welcome to shower before you go,” she offered as she lay sprawled out on the mattress. It was the least she could do. 
“I’m going to take you up on that,” Jeremy carded a hand through his sweaty curls as he nodded towards what he thought was the bathroom door. 
Katie nodded in confirmation, and watched as he disappeared through the bathroom door. She did not move until she could hear the water tattooing against the shower floor. But she didn’t go far. She reached out to the dresser, and she pulled open the dresser drawer. She had left her pajamas on the very top, the same ones she was going to wear before Dottie had convinced her to go out, and she dressed slowly. Her body ached in the best way as she stepped into them. Then, she joined Jeremy in the bathroom. 
The room was full of steam, the mirror fogged over as she moved to stand in front of it. A single hand cut through the fog, revealing her tired reflection, but best of all she could see the silhouette of Jeremy in the shower behind her. She stood there, brushing her teeth, her eyes admiring his body as it was obscured by the steamy glass. 
Leaning forward, Katie spat a mouthful of toothpaste into the sink. 
“I’m going to turn in, you can let yourself out when you’re done. Use all the hot water if you want, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t steal my wallet while I slept.”
Jeremy’s laughter filled the air as effortlessly as the plumes of steam from his shower. It drew Katie's eyes to his blurred silhouette, a small smile curling up on her own lips. She could get used to that sound, and the warm fuzzy feeling that came with it. The joy and amusement it embodied was one she needed to embrace herself–
“You’ve got nothing to worry about. Goodnight, Katie.”
–And for a moment she frowned as she moved for the doorway, her eyes fixated on the ground, as she realized it was a laugh she wouldn't hear again.
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Sweaty palms threatened the integrity of a single slip of paper as Katie held it firm in a single fist. It was a pale yellow posted note, one that she had found stuck to her bathroom mirror when she had woken up in the morning. It was left there to be found by tired eyes, the message:  For if you ever find yourself alone in Boston. Paired with Jeremy’s phone number,  it had made her smile as she tucked it into her purse before she had gone out for brunch with her son, Parker, her ex-husband and his new fiance. But it had also left her panicked when it had fallen out of her purse when she pulled out her wallet as she insisted on paying at least half of the bill. It rested on the table face door for a moment, Katie had frozen completely and Parker was quick to try and retrieve it for her, but she had acted quickly. She had grabbed it before he could, and then she had conceded. Parker paid for their meal, and the paper had remained secured in her hand as they left and parted ways. 
Even as she walked alone in a park she couldn’t remember the name of, the slip of paper remained secure in her hand. In the other she held her cell phone against her ear as it rang. She needed to call Dottie. She needed to know everything. 
“He left me his number.”
“That’s my girl. Rocked that boy’s world.” Dottie encouraged her with a holler. 
Katie looked down to her feet, her face flushed with color. She couldn’t remember the last time she had done anything like she had with Jeremy, and if it had been anyone else Katie would have bit her tongue. But she could trust Dottie more than anyone. They were best friends, practically sisters, Katie could tell her anything. 
“I think he had to be older than I thought. He was actually really good in bed,” Katie smiled a little too wide as she spoke. It had been too long since she had a real girl talk. “Like really good. And his body, Dot, I couldn't have pulled a guy like that when I was twenty.” 
“What did he say he did for work?”
“I don’t know, I didn’t ask-”
“Maybe he’s a porn star,” Dottie joked but Katie didn’t laugh.
She could only shrug. “I mean, it would explain a lot.” 
“You used a condom, right?”
“Yes mom, of course I did,” Katie rolled her eyes. 
“Good girl, are you going to text him?”
The question hung in the air for a moment. Katie looked away out over the park as if Katie could see her on what was merely a voice call. The prospect of reaching out to Jeremy was a pleasant thought in her mind. He was attractive, kind, and so good in bed. He treated her the way that she wanted to be treated. She should want to call him, but he was young. Too young to be anything more than a one night stand. 
She could never see Jeremy again. 
“Fuck, no,” she assured Dottie, “number went into the trash,” her words were rushed as she lied, and rushed further to assure Dottie wouldn’t question her on it. “I gotta go, I’ll call you after the game tonight. Kisses!”
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TD Garden was unlike any arena Katie had ever been in. The fans were loud, so loud she swore her bones rattled in her body with every intense cheer. And the atmosphere left her sitting on the edge of the seat since before the game could even start. Or maybe that was just the nerves as she sat beside her ex-husband as they watched their son Parker Waylon-Stacy erupt from the tunnel to take his rookie lap. 
Her hands came together over her heart, her eyes fixated on him, and then the jumbotron above as the camera followed his path along the side. The threat of tears burned at her eyes, her lips parted in a breath that fought back of heartfelt sob that erupted when his name was plastered across the screen with his stats from the AHL. Parker Stacy.
Stacy. 
Her last name on her back, not her husband’s last name or the hyphenation of the two. It left ehr on the verge of tears throughout the night, and they did spill as it came down to the third period when she shot up from her seat as her son assisted on what would be the game winning goal. Katie cried into her hands, her husband’s arm patting her back as the crowd erupted around them. There was no greater pride than celebrating her son’s success in that moment with her husband, and the strangers around her that even offered her some napkins as her mascara began to run. 
“That’s my son,” she sobbed with pride, and the crowd of college kids around her celebrated with her. Some jumped, others spilled their beer, Katie even received a hug, but they all cheered, “Stacy's Mom!”
Katie remained in her seat after the game, reveling in the silence as the seats around her and her family cleared. And she only moved from her palace when she received a text message from Parker. He wanted them to come down to the locker room. It sent her through what felt like a maze of the arena, but with the help of a member of the security team, she found her boy. 
Katie ran to him, her arms enveloping her only son in her arms and pressing a kiss into his sweat drench hair. There the tears began to fall in hot streams down her cheeks, “I am so proud of you,” she told him as she drew back, her hand cradling his cheeks. Parker’s face was red, surely embarrassed by his mother’s affections, but he didn’t stop her. He had always been a mama’s boy, and that wouldn’t change even if his teammates gave him a hard time about that later. 
Parker wore a boyish grin, his hand raising to push through his wet hair. He was already showered and dressed, even if some of the other players around him were still half-dressed in their equipment. Parker was ready to leave, but first he wanted to make the introductions he felt he may never be able to make again. “Mom this is Patrice Bergeron-”
Katie turned in place, a smile blossoming over her face as she reached out to shake the Captain’s hand. She had every intention of being polite. She wanted to introduce herself, to make the small talk as she was prompted to. But her words were lost as hoots and hollers of the nickname Bulldog filled the room. The players were welcoming their rookie goaltender back into the room after completing his post game interview. Confidence embodied his every stride, and it drew Katie’s curious eye. 
The player was still dressed in his equipment, his back to her as he stood in front of his stall. SWAYMAN was sprawled across the back of his shoulders, framed by his shoulders. A single large hand reached back, peeling it from his body before it was tossed into a pile with the others. Katie’s eyes moved back to the Captain, a small awkward smile on her lips as she listened to him talk about the pleasure of mentoring her son. But his words were lost on her ears as they perked up at the sound of all too familiar laughter. 
Katie’s blood ran cold, her eyes searching for the sources of the laughter. Her heart pounded in her chest, her stomach jumping up into her throat as she was left on the verge of vomiting. There, standing in his stall, laughing along with his teammates was Swayman, who no longer stood with his back to her. He was completely shirtless now, and his face was all too clear to see. She knew those warm brown eyes, and that soft confident smile. The sight of them was one that would be etched into her memories for the rest of her days. 
Swayman was Jeremy. 
She stood there, petrified, her eyes unmoving from his as he leaned back and flexed his chest muscles. It was there, with his back leaned against his stall, his warm gaze rose and his face softened with recognition. If he was panicked he didn’t show it. And while she froze, Jeremy acted. He stood up slowly, Katie had to fight not to let her eyes wander, and he approached with a casual stride. 
“I didn’t realize we had guests,” Jeremy smiled as he came up to stand beside his Captain, but Katie could barely hear him over the pounding of her heart in her ears. 
The room around her seemed to move in slow motion, her head suddenly feeling light as Patrice introduced her as Stacy’s Mom. It was then she thought she might actually vomit, the bile burning at the back of her throat as Jeremy looked to her with slightly parted lips and a slight glimmer in his eyes. Her palms began to sweat, so much so that she had to wipe her hands along the seam of her jeans before she could reach out to shake Jeremy’s hand as he offered it to her. 
“Stacy’s Mom?” Jeremy spoke with such disbelief that Katie almost believed her, “You don’t look a day over thirty.”
White she had heard that same flattery before it made her heart race all the same. But this time, she couldn’t show it. 
“You’re too kind,” Katie forced a smile, struggling to remain composed as the feeling of her hand encased by his left her heart racing just as his touch had the night before. It was enough to bring her to her knees. 
Jeremy made her weak, and he would for the rest of her days. She would crave him, in every sense of the word. Katie wanted to hear his sweet laughter. She wanted to feel his hands on her body, and enjoy every piece of his that he could offer her. It was a hunger that would rage and burn in the depths of her, but it was one that she could never fulfill. Not now, not that she knew who he was. 
Standing there, the chaos of the room became an echo in her ears as her hand fell away from Jeremy’s hold. She watched as he met her ex-husband, his smile consistently pleasant and was the only thing keeping her from spiraling right there in the locker room. 
Katie would be seeing Jeremy Swayman again. At games, during breaks. Often. So often it would pain her. And she could only pray that she would have the strength to refuse him, or that Parker would find himself on a new team before her will could break. 
Katherine Stacey could not fuck Jeremy Swayman. 
She wouldn’t. 
Not again. 
Surely, she wouldn’t be able to get away with it. Not without complications. 
Could she? 
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Taglist: @mp0625 @starshine-hockey-girl
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mico-evelyn1 · 2 months
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Everything you need to know so far about the NHL all-star weekend ↴
[article: NHL All-Star, this is just a summary]
📍Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, CANADA
🗓️ February 1-3
FAN VOTE IS BACK: you will get to vote for 12 players, 8 skaters and 4 goalies. You can submit a ballout 10 times.
FEBRUARY 1: PLAYERS DRAFT
A player (the captain) will be paired with a celebrity. They will pick 11 players (9 skaters and 2 goalies)
Entertainment
Man of the Year will be announced
PWHL (Professional Women's Hockey League) will have a 3-on-3 (more information below)
FEBRUARY 2: SKILLS COMPETITION
12 Players will compete in 8 events. The player with most points takes home $1 million (USD) (or $1,329,136 in CAD). Each player will compete in 4 of 6 events. THE EVENTS:
Fastest Skater
Hardest Shot
Stick-Handling
One-Timers
Passing
Accuracy Shot
Top 8 point-earners will advance to the 7th event: the SHOOTOUT-> each player will choose a goalie to shoot against.
The top six point-earners will advance to the 8th and final round: the OBSTACLE COURSE-> points doubled.
FEBRUARY 3: ALL-STAR GAME
3-on-3 tournament between 4 teams, winning team receives $1 million (USD)
There has already been a player chosen from each team (here are the players): [Name, team, position]
Frank Vatrano, ANA, F
Clayton Keller, ARI, F
David Pastrnak, BOS, F
Rasmus Dahlin, Buff, D
Elias Lindholm, CGY, F
Sebastian Aho, CAR, F
Connor Bedard, CHI, F (injured)
Nathan Mackinnon, COL, F
Boone Jenner, CBJ, F
Jake Oettinger, DAL, G
Alex DeBrincet, DET, F
Connor McDavid, EDM, F
Sam Reinhart, FLA, F
Cam Talbot, LAK, G
Kirill Kaprizov, MIN, F
Nick Suzuki, MTL, F
Filip Forsberg, NSH, F
Jack Hughes, NJD, F
Mathew Barzel, NYI, F
Igor Shesterkin, NYR, G
Brady Tkachuk, OTT, F
Travis Konecny, PHI, F
Sidney Crosby, PIT, F
Tomas Hertl, SJS, F
Oliver Bjorkstrand, SEA, F
Robert Thomas, STL, F
Nikita Kucherov, TBL, F
Auston Matthews, TOR, F
Quinn Hughes, VAN, D
Jack Eichel, VGK, F (injured)
Tom Wilson, WSH, F
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG, G
Vincent Trochek (New York Rangers) and Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets), to replace Connor Bedard (Chicago Blackhawks) and Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights).
FEBRUARY 1st ENTERTAINMENT
PWHL 3-on-3 showcase
There will be 2 teams 12 players on each, 10 skaters and 2 goalies.
Team King (Cassie Campbell-Pascall): named after Billie Jean King
Team Kloss (Meghan Duggan): named after Ilana Kloss
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MASCOT SHOWDOWN
Thursday 1st, 6:00-7:00 p.m: Dodgeball
Friday 2nd, 5:00-6:00 p.m: Skills Competition
Saturday 3rd, 12:00-1:00 p.m: Street Hockey Game 
Sunday 4th, 1:00-2:00 p.m: Musical Chairs
2:00 PM: Championship Trophy and "Most Valuable Mascot" Belt Presentations
THE FAN VOTE RESULTS: [name, team, position, votes]
Thatcher Demko, VAN, G: 1,398,699
William Nylander, TOR, F: 1,393,578
Cale Makar, COL, D: 1,065,367
Elias Pettersson, VAN, F: 976,716
Leon Draisaitl, EDM, F: 967,975
Mitchell Marner, TOR, F: 946,154
J.T. Miller, VAN, F: 839,215
Morgan Rielly, TOR, D: 830,480
Brock Boeser, VAN, F: 762,378
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA, G: 712,100
Alexandar Georgiev, COL, G: 584,071
Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins, G: 578,739
10 players have been selected and you can vote for 2 more skaters:
Auston Matthews
William Nylander
Nathan MacKinnon
Cale Makar
Connor McDavid
Leon Draisaitl
Nikita Kucherov
Jack Hughes
David Pastranak
Elias Pettersson
Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller were voted in to participate in the All-Star skills competition.
NHL All Star Jerseys:
🔴Pacific Division
🔵Atlantic Division
⚪Metropolitan Division
🟡Central Division
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THE CAPTAINS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED!
Team Matthews: Auston Matthews, Justin Bieber. Assistant Captains: Morgan Rielly.
Team McDavid: Connor McDavid, Will Arnett. Assistant Captain: Leon Draisaitl.
Team Mackinnon: Nathan MacKinnon, Tate McRae. Assistant Captain: Cale Makar.
Team Hughes: Quinn & Jack Hughes, Michael Bublé.
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tkachuktkaching · 4 months
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Tkachuk brothers set for ‘healthy competition’ when Senators host Panthers
Brady of Ottawa, Matthew of Florida to play against one another for 19th time in NHL
The mutual admiration society that is the Tkachuk family will be on display once again Monday.
Matthew Tkachuk and his Florida Panthers visit Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Center with each Tkachuk brother and each team hungry for a victory.
The Panthers (12-7-1) have lost two in a row and are six points behind the Boston Bruins for first place in the Atlantic Division. The Senators (8-8-0) are eighth in the Atlantic and trying to keep pace in the race for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
At this point, though, they are used to high stakes when they face each other in the NHL.
“We are each other’s biggest fan,” older brother Matthew said. “When we play against each other now, especially [being] in the same division, we have to beat each other, our teams have to win. It creates that healthy competition. It’s a very good relationship the two of us have.”
Now in their sixth season of going head-to-head in the best hockey league in the world, the brothers have learned to compartmentalize when they play each other.
They go hard against each other on the ice and it often gets heated. It is also mostly even.
They have played against one another 18 times in the NHL and each has won nine games. Each forward has scored six goals, including one on the power play. Brady has 25 penalty minutes, Matthew 23. Brady 62 shots on goal, one more than Matthew. Brady has a decided advantage in hits (64-31), but Matthew has 20 points to Brady’s 11 (statistics provided by NHL Stats).
Yet, it never spills over off the ice. There, they are staunch supporters of one another, displaying a bond that seems to intensify each season.
“I think he is the smartest player in the NHL,” Brady says. “How he sees the game, I don’t think anybody is up there with how he sees it. I think he is one of the best players in the NHL. I think everybody is finally starting to believe what I believed from Day 1, that he has such an impact and is so good at what he does.”
Matthew, 25, is coming off a run to the Stanley Cup Final last season. He was injured in the Final against the Vegas Golden Knights and the Panthers lost in five games, but Matthew was the unquestioned star for his team in the postseason after an MVP-worthy regular season when he had an NHL career-high 109 points (40 goals, 69 assists).
Brady, 24, was around for some of that playoff run. He showed up for the bigger games and even helped his brother get to the rink for Game 4 after Matthew sustained a broken sternum in Game 3. Matthew played in Game 4 but couldn’t go in Game 5.
“Going into [Game 4], I was a little nervous. What he did in that game, trying to work around it, the pain, not many people can do that,” Brady said. “I was super proud of him sacrificing himself to get the job for his team and the city. “Seeing how happy he made my family and how proud everyone was with what he did with that opportunity, I want that for me too. It created such a motivation. It’s an honor for him to be my brother and to learn from him.”
This season, after spending the offseason recovering from injury, Matthew has 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 20 games.
Brady has 15 points (10 goals, five assists) in 16 games and is giving his older sibling a run for personal bragging rights.
“On the ice, I’m probably more powerful, little better skater,” Brady says when asked for a comparison between he and his brother. “I don’t know, everything I do, I want to emulate him and emulate his game. I feel I’m starting to get there, but there’s a long way to go. He’s the perfect person to look up to on the ice.”
Matthew says that Brady already has “a way better” shot than him.
Brady is also the more physical player, each agrees.
“I don’t know if I’m much better than him at on-ice stuff anymore,” Matthew says.
They compete off the ice too, but Matthew is ready to abdicate the crown there on almost every front except one.
“He’s probably like an overall genuinely better person than me, I’m more of a [jokester] than he is, more of an instigator,” Matthew says. “He’s probably overall just a genuinely nicer human being. I will work on that.”
Brady, meanwhile, says he can’t hold a candle to his older brother on the golf course.
“I still kick his [butt] every time we play,” Matthew said, laughing.
Says Brady, “I got to figure that out.”
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fannyyann · 2 months
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Aleksander Barkov's impact on the Panthers, and how he's taken the mantle as best two-way player in the NHL Dimitri Filipovic
Patrice Bergeron’s departure from the NHL this past summer obviously left a massive opening atop the Boston Bruins depth chart down the middle that would be difficult to fill, which they’ve remarkably done one heck of a job of patching together thus far. 
But it also created a void every bit as glaring atop the Selke Trophy conversation as well. He’d won the award in each of the past two seasons quite decisively, totalling 187 out of 196 possible first-place votes last season. Even as he crept into his late 30s, he truly cemented himself as the gold standard of two-way excellence, consistently operating at a level that was simply unmatched by his peers. 
His retirement created an opportunity for someone from the current crop to step up and take that mantle though, and if the first 30 games or so this year are any indication, that role appears to have been filled rather admirably by Aleksander Barkov.
It’s certainly fitting that it would be him, considering that he’s the last active player to have won the award, but the heights he’s taken his game to in doing so are still awfully impressive.
What he’s doing right now would make even Bergeron blush, distancing himself from pretty much everyone else at his position much like his predecessor had made a habit of doing. The on-ice numbers Barkov boasts right now are downright staggering. In his 323 5-on-5 minutes, here’s how the Florida Panthers have fared:
Goals: 23-5 differential
High Danger Chances: 74-46 differential
Shots: 60.5 percent share
Expected Goals: 61.0 percent share
To put his dominance into even further context, he’s already scored six times himself, which means that he’s currently scored more goals than he’s allowed all of his opponents to muster combined. It’s also worth noting that without him out there, the Panthers are getting outscored 38-29. How they play with him on the ice and without him are two entirely different things, which speaks to his impact. He does it with the degree of difficulty ratcheted all the way up, chewing up heavy minutes against the other team’s top players while shouldering an immense amount of responsibility. 
And despite all of that, he’s still taken just three penalties (while drawing six of his own), finding a way to artfully poke and prod constantly with that pole vaulting apparatus he calls a hockey stick without ever crossing the line. It’s legitimately impressive that he can legally challenge puck carriers with the sheer volume of stick checks that he does, considering how much the league has mandated cracking down on anything even remotely near the hands. It allows him to craftily execute takeaways, while still staying on the ice, which is doubly important for a Panthers team that takes a bunch of penalties otherwise. That seems like a small perk in the grand scheme of things, but it actually ranks as one of my favourites about his game.  
He’s spent the majority of the season with Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues on his flanks, and that trio has been the best line in hockey. In just under 200 minutes together, they’re up 19-3. Rodrigues has been underrated for years, and it’s great to see him finally find a long-term fit this season in Florida. Reinhart is tied with Kyle Connor for fourth in goals, currently on pace to score 50 times. The timing of his spike in shooting percentage couldn’t be better in a contract year, but he’s been so good for so long now, that he deserves to be rewarded for it. Plus, he’s such a smart player that I could see him aging quite gracefully into his 30s, the way that someone like Joe Pavelski has.
I love both players, so don’t take it as diminishing their contributions when I say that the reason all of it is possible for Florida is because of Barkov. His skill set is so unique, and such an enabler for everyone in his orbit. 
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The two things that the Panthers have become synonymous with as an organization during this run of success have been a) their supremely aggressive forechecking, and b) their uncanny ability to keep bringing in castoffs from other teams and immediately juicing their production beyond what we had any reason to believe they were capable of at this point.
What they’ve been able to pull off to start the season almost surely hasn’t received nearly enough nationally. The team started the year without having Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour available for the first 15 games, who are clearly two of their three best defenders (you’ll see them referred to as their two best, but that’s Gustav Forsling erasure and we don’t stand for that here). Yet they’re currently 17-9-2 on the season, sitting in a tie with the Colorado Avalanche for eighth in the league in points percentage, with the sixth best goal differential. And despite those early absences, much of that success can be directly attributed to the team’s defensive performance. 
Only the Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets, and Vancouver Canucks are giving up fewer goals than them at 5-on-5, and they’re sixth in fewest goals against surrendered on a per-minute basis overall. According to Sportlogiq, here’s how they grade out in all of the key categories we care about:
Expected Goals Against: 3rd
Slot Shots: 2nd
Inner Slot Shots: 5th
Offensive Zone Possession Time Allowed: 2nd
By any important marker, they’ve graded out as one of the best defensive teams in the league. Which almost seems impossible based on the aforementioned injuries, and the personnel they’ve largely leaned on along the way. Their top four players in total 5-on-5 ice time so far are Forsling, Niko Mikkola, Oliver Ekman Larsson, and Dmitri Kulikov. The three latter names were free agent signings, who they were able to bring in this past summer for a combined $5.75 million. So how exactly are the Panthers able to keep churning out these types of results then?
Every possible explanation keeps circling back to Barkov, because he represents the throughline that ties everything together for them. The reason why everyone they bring in thrives is because they get to play such a simple, fun brand of hockey. All they’re required to do is to keep unapologetically plowing ahead aggressively, and relentlessly, over and over again. 
The wingers are asked to forecheck as hard as they can, closing off walls and forcing the other team to try to make plays up the middle. That plays right into Barkov’s waiting hands, where his range allows him to cover ground like a ball-hawking safety in football. The defencemen get to pinch down the wall and try to extend plays in the offensive zone, knowing that Barkov will be there to cover them with support because he religiously stays above the puck. 
Barkov's 10 goals and 28 points in 25 games are obviously fantastic, and 99 percent of players in the league would kill to have that stat line. That said, it feels like he's capable of so much more offensively because of how much raw puck skill he possesses. And he honestly probably is, if he were wired differently. But whereas some of his peers may cheat for offence and stay deep in the zone until the last possible second to see possible scoring plays through to their conclusion, he instead circles back to get into the right position defensively proactively.
It's a calculated sacrifice on his part, and it's because of those choices he routinely makes that the scales get tilted in his teammates' favour. Regardless of who you are, because of his habits you now get to freely move forward and attack. With such a simplified decision-making process, everyone that comes to Florida gets to tap into the physical tools that helped get them to the NHL in the first place, without having to worry about some of the other complexities that might’ve inhibited them in their previous stops on other teams. 
The result of creating that sort of infrastructure is a massive competitive advantage for the Panthers. They’re able to routinely shop in the bargain bin, and squeeze value out of sources that might not be as readily available for the competition. That’s turned into quite the luxury for a franchise that hasn’t exactly had a lot of financial flexibility of late, having to turn over the roster and find a way to make the cap figures work creatively. 
Everyone involved deserves their fair share of the credit for creating an environment where that’s possible, but none moreso than Aleksander Barkov. Great players make those around them better, and that’s exactly what he’s done in Florida. By doing so, he's cemented himself as the preeminent two-way center in today's game.
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ofduskanddreams · 5 months
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Know Better Than This — formerly titled Heated Rivals
Chapter 5: There's No "I" in "Team," But There Is in "Win"
CH Summary: It's the morning after Azriel's first game and first loss with the Boston Bruins following his trade. Let's just say things aren't going well.
Read it on ao3 | Enjoy the snippet below:
“Bruins Blown Away in the Windy City”
ESPN - Feb. 26th, 2022 - By Varian Summers
Last night, Chicago’s struggling NHL team pulled off a surprising win against the Boston Bruins. The final score was 2-4, with one of the Bruins’ points being a penalty shot. Hockey fans around the world were watching the Bruins play their first game with newly acquired player Azriel Cantor (Age 23, RW,) traded three days ago from the Montreal Canadiens. 
As the 2020-2021 Rookie of the Year, all eyes are on Cantor to see how he performs as a Bruin. Boston fans have high hopes for the young right-winger after they saw how Cantor and Bruins’ Captain Eris Vanserra played together during this year’s NHL All-Stars Weekend, displaying the kind of chemistry that sparks once in a generation between players. Everyone who watched the All-Stars tournament knows they were witnessing something special. 
The real question is: Where did that chemistry go? Because it certainly wasn’t on the ice at United Center last night.
It’s normal for a team to need some time to adjust to new dynamics when players are traded. I think I speak for all Bruins fans when I say that we understand expecting the team’s best performance mere days after acquiring a new player is unreasonable. Let’s hope Cantor and Vanserra can get back into that rhythm we all witnessed a few weeks ago with a little more time together on the ice.
Because if what happened in Vegas truly stays in Vegas, the Bruins may find themselves looking to make another trade sooner rather than later.
🏒 🏒 🏒 continue reading here.
A/N: Aaaand we're back! (I hope you read that in a sports announcer's voice) I know it's been a while, but don't think for a second that hockey rivals Azris was ever far from my mind. I was never in love with the fic's original title so I decided to change it now that I'm returning to finish it. All it took was going to one NHL game for this fic to start sparking joy again, I hope you're ready for more soon!
tagging: @iftheshoef1tz @ablogofsapphicpanic @panicatthenightcourt @damedechance @moonpatroclus @octobers-veryown @separatist-apologist @krem-does-stuff @melonsfantasyworld @born-to-riot @lady-riel @queercontrarian @asnowfern @catboyjamesbond @brokeneveningstars @xtaketwox @itsthedoodle @wilde-knight @areyoudreaminof @acourtofladydeath @foundress0fnothing @witch-and-her-witcher @melphss @fieldofdaisiies @thelovelymadone @nestas-workwife @bubybubsters
if you want to be added to or removed from my azris tags/tags for this fic specifically just let me know :)
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Angsty one shot ideas? ✨
Hi guys! It’s been forever since I’ve last written something.
BUT
I’m in the mood to write something angsty/sad. If someone has any ideas/requests then please my inbox is open 💖
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wyattjohnston · 1 year
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all fic | universe | gifs | exchanges
(alphabetical order by team, then by player)
updated: 27 Jan '24
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* = contains smut
boston bruins
charlie mcavoy
kiss it better now
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buffalo sabres
erik johnson
only all the time (series of one shots)
jeff skinner
your eyes look like coming home
tyson jost
it’s me & you
out of ten
this is getting good now (series of one shots)
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calgary flames
noah hanifin
the one who needs saving
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carolina hurricanes
andrei svechnikov
kinda hope they catch us
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colorado avalanche
gabriel landeskog
‘til you give me all your love
nathan mackinnon
the second time
you always did feel just like home
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columbus blue jackets
nick blankenburg
need a little company
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dallas stars
jake oettinger
the saddest thing i know
roope hintz
no sound worse than silence
tyler seguin
ain’t no sunshine (#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, playlist)
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edmonton oilers
leon draisaitl
lock in your love
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florida panthers
matthew tkachuk
don't want to miss you like this
you gotta kiss somebody (sometimes)
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los angeles kings
pierre luc dubois
never said a thing
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montreal canadiens
josh anderson
what am i to you?
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nashville predators
anthony beauvillier
into moonlight (series of one shots)
taylor hall
better at leaving* & i just keep coming back to you*
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new jersey devils
dougie hamilton
i’ll bet you didn’t even know
jack hughes
make it weird
we all have our secrets
we don't have no time to waste (series of one shots)
nico hischier
late nights in the middle of june (series of one shots)
not perfect (but we were)
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new york islanders
mat barzal
all eyes, they're on you (series of one shots)
uh oh
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new york rangers
chris kreider
toward a feminine sea
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philadelphia flyers
joel farabee
fell in love with you in stages
travis konecny
take me as i am (series of one shots)
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pittsburgh penguins
ryan graves
never saw you coming
to hold your hand (would be the bravest thing)
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seattle kraken
andre burakovsky
dreamer (just like you)
we look good together*
jamie oleksiak
my picket fence penguins
your eyes look like coming home
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st louis blues
colton parayko
open your heart to me
kasperi kapanen
let's get these wheels in motion*
kevin hayes
got a hold on me* (series of one shots)
how those rumours fly
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toronto maple leafs
mitch marner
give the stars something to watch
morgan rielly
sache que je serai la tienne (series of one shots)
william nylander
let's get these wheels in motion*
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vancouver canucks
brock boeser
and i had silly dreams
take you one day at a time (series of one shots)
elias pettersson
been a long time coming
quinn hughes
let's finish what we started
until the light shines through
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vegas golden knights
nolan patrick
found the cure for a broken heart
say that we'll be together (series of one shots)
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washington capitals
nicklas backstrom
give up the game
tom wilson
in the shadows & still want more
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winnipeg jets
adam lowry
breaking all the rules
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mattatouile · 5 months
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Leon on the Bruins?? 👀 Somehow I’ve never considered it, and now I won’t be able to *stop* thinking about it. Is there anything you’d be willing to share?
The basics of the trade idea are that the Oilers aren't improving and the goaltending stays abysmal. In my, obviously, professional opinion, Jeremy Swayman legit deserves at least a shot at a starting position, and that'll never happen in Boston. And it would free up a little bit of the McDavid-Draisaitl-Nurse cap hit so they could maybe also get some decent actual defensemen.
Also, I'm fairly certain Boston has a good enough shot at a Cup in the next few years that it's one of the few places Draisaitl MIGHT consider waiving his NMC for (other teams with great goalies are iffy on that aspect).
AND Boston lost their 1 and 2C over the off season, so it's reasonable they might be interested in someone if Drat's caliber to fill those spots, even at his current cap hit. Like Drat is a top 3 center in this league, don't play.
So that's the logic behind the trade. And the set-up for the entire idea.
The rest of it is more of the general cliche of 1929 having an enemies to fuck buddies deal when MT was in Calgary, that stopped after he went to Florida, obviously both of them had 0 emotions about this. Of course. Never an emotion. LD gets traded to Boston near the All Star break. You get them back on the same All Star team. And thennnnnn the actual bulk of the idea starts up when they meet up in the ECF. Rivalries. Playoffs. Reawakened emotions from the ASG. LD and MT competing together against CMD. Me rubbing my hands together evilly at the angst.
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there-goes-thefighter · 6 months
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Private Eyes - bm63
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This is my fic. Please do not repost this (reblogs are good). Do not copy my writing. Do not steal my writing. All rights are reserved for my writing and my original character(s).
NHL Masterlist
Brad Marchand Masterlist
(warnings: swearing)
(pairing: brad marchand x debrusk!f!reader)
(word count: 1.5k)
Everything had just worked in the beginning. Jake DeBrusk had always talked about his sister, (y/n), but finally introduced her to the rest of the team on the annual Wives and Girlfriends trip. The team had thought bringing her on the trip was a little weird at first, but Jake was convinced (y/n) would fit in well with the WAGs. Luckily, he was right. The trip had gone great, especially since the Bruins won 5 out of the 6 games. 
But things changed between (y/n) and the team’s captain, Brad Marchand. They’d known each other for a while, Brad being one of Jake’s closest teammates. They texted often, (y/n) sometimes going to him for advice rather than her brother. 
The team was in Vegas when Brad realized he was screwed. Most of the team had left the hotel already to go to the casinos and explore the Vegas Strip. Brad offered to stay behind and wait for anyone that hadn't come down yet. He was waiting for just a few minutes when his phone vibrated. He saw a message from (y/n), saying she was on her way down. He was typing out a response when the elevator dinged. He looked up from his phone, seeing (y/n) standing there in a black cocktail dress. 
“Holy shit,” he said as he tucked his phone in his pocket. 
“What?”
“You–you look gorgeous.”
She looked down at her dress, then back at Brad. She blushed a little under his gaze. “Thank you.”
“I don’t think I can concentrate, you look stunning,” he complimented.
(y/n) chuckled, “Are you going to be okay, or should we get you some water first?”
Brad shook his head, “No, I’m good. I just can’t believe I’m going to walk out that door with the hottest girl I’ve ever seen.”
(y/n) smiled, “Let’s go, hot shot.”
The two headed out of the hotel, ending up not meeting up with the rest of the team, but spending the evening alone together. They started with dinner before visiting the shops and even catching the water fountain show. As the night rolled in, they ended up by the iconic Eiffel Tower. It was lit up, a perfect setting for what Brad wanted to do. 
“Hey,” he said, stopping by the tower.
(y/n) stopped and turned to him, “What?”
“Your brother’s probably going to kill me for this.”
She tilted her head in confusion, “For what?”
“For this,” he replied before stepping closer to her, resting a hand on her neck and kissing her. (y/n) had been waiting for it to happen since she and Brad started talking. She liked him for a while and was glad they ended up being left alone. She didn’t care about what her brother would think, and if he had something to say about it, she would deal with it. 
Brad and (y/n) snuck around for the rest of the trip. Both acted as friends around the team and saved kisses and touching for when they were alone. They hoped the lingering eye contact between them wasn’t making it obvious. 
For the next month, Brad and (y/n) kept everything between them to themselves. The only places they found the most peace was at each other’s homes. 
One night, as they laid together in Brad's bed, he seemed to have something on his mind. (y/n) reached for the remote and paused the movie they were watching.
“Everything alright, babe?”
He sighed and leaned back against the pillows, “I don't know.”
“What's on your mind?”
“Do you ever wish for something else?”
“No, this is perfect,” she moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder and a hand on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and placed a kiss on the top of her head. 
And it was perfect.
Their cover was blown during a charity dinner the team was required to attend in Boston. (y/n) was sitting next to Brad, Jake opposite them but further down the table. Jake had seen how close his sister and his captain had gotten, but he didn’t want to say anything and create any awkward tension if there wasn't anything there.
He was fully convinced there was, in fact, something there when Brad leaned toward (y/n) to say something that left her blushing. Across from him, Charlie McAvoy noticed there was something off about his teammate.
“You okay, bud?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied, glancing (y/n)’s way.
Charlie caught on almost immediately. “Dude, don’t–”
“Worry? No, I’m gonna,” Jake interrupted. 
Charlie swallowed and sat back, preparing for the worst.
“(y/n).”
The whole table went silent at Jake’s stern tone. (y/n) glanced at Brad, who looked slightly scared. 
(y/n) matched her brother’s tone, “Jake.”
“What the hell is this?”
She sighed, “Jake, not now. We’ll talk about this later–”
“No, we’re doing this now,” Jake quickly stood up. Brad reached over (y/n), shielding her with his arm.
“She doesn’t have to do anything. If you want to talk about it, let’s talk about it.”
Brad put Jake on the spot, making his teammate feel smaller. However, Jake wasn’t the type to go down without a fight.
Jake was starting to get angry. Through gritted teeth, he said, “This ends now.”
Brad was taken aback, “What? No. Look, dude, I love her. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. You want to act like a jackass before you know anything, fine. But don’t you dare tell her what she can and can’t do.”
Jake was stunned at Brad’s words, as was everyone else at the table. (y/n) had her eyes on Brad the whole time. She shook herself out of her shocked state and took Brad’s hand as he led her out of the building. 
Brad was still going off about how ridiculous Jake was being when (y/n) stopped. 
“Wait, wait, wait. Just stop for a second.”
He turned to her, “What?”
“You said you love me.”
Brad recalled how he had started his speech to Jake. “That wasn’t exactly how I wanted to tell you.”
Her voice was hopeful, “So you do?”
Brad nodded, “Yes, yes, I do. I’ve loved you since that moment in Vegas when you met me in the lobby. I knew I started loving you that whole night.”
“Good, because I love you, too.”
Brad’s eyes lit up and his face relaxed. He stepped closer to (y/n), leaning in and kissing her. She let her purse fall to the ground as she pulled him closer. 
Thunder rolled and the sky opened up, rain rushing down. (y/n) shrieked as the cold water hit her skin. Brad laughed as he took off his suit jacket, draping it over (y/n)’s shoulders. He started guiding her to his car, but she stopped to take off her heels and get her purse.
“You are insane, you know that?”
“Better than breaking a heel!”
“Wait, let me help.”
Brad picked up (y/n) in his arms like a bride and carried her to his car. She laughed as he scooped her up and took a much needed breath when he set her down to unlock his car. 
“I think you’re the crazy one, here, babe.”
“Just crazy about you.”
(y/n) smiled and blushed before standing on her tiptoes to kiss Brad.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, babygirl.”
Jake watched the couple until it started to rain outside. He knew there wasn’t anything he could do about it, but it still stung. He loved his sister and his teammate dearly, but right now he felt like an outsider. He thought he was the one his sister told everything to. 
A few days after the charity event, Jake knocked on (y/n)’s door. (y/n) answered it, wearing a Bruins hoodie with Brad’s number on it and a pair of pajama shorts.
“Hi Jake.”
“Hey.”
“What brings you by?”
“I wanted to apologize for how I acted the other night. I was really out of line. I just felt like I was left out. I don’t want to cause any issues between us, though.”
“Jake, talking to me about how you feel about something isn’t causing issues.”
“I’m really sorry for lashing out like that.”
“It’s okay. I forgive you. Don’t forget to talk to your captain, too.”
Jake chuckled, “You sound just like Mom.”
“Get out of here, DeBrusk.”
He laughed, “Now you sound like Dad!”
Jake turned to see Brad standing a few feet away from him.
“Oh. Hi.”
“Hey, man.”
“I, um, I came to apologize for the other night.”
“Don’t worry about it–”
“No, because clearly this is important. I was a jerk. And you were right. I shouldn’t have said anything without knowing what was going on. You guys have my blessing. I just don’t want to see it every day.”
“Thank you,” Brad replied, “That means a lot.”
Jake nodded and made his way toward the elevator. He looked down the hallway to see Brad and (y/n) kissing.
“At least wait until I leave!”
Brad and (y/n) laughed as Jake shook his head and disappeared onto the elevator.
“I’m glad we don’t have to hide anymore.”
“Did you tell him how long we’ve been together?”
“No.”
“Let’s save that for later, then.”
(y/n) laughed as Brad followed her into her apartment.
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sergeifyodorov · 17 days
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favorite current player from every team?
>:]
BOS - pasta (love hate relationship) (only bruin i can fully embrace when leafs arent playing them tbh)
BUF - i have few strong feelings towards most sabres but i think ras dahlin. because he sucks <3
DET - moris.... alex lyon close second tbh
FLA - sergei bobrovsky. see boston
MTL - slaykovsky (or arber maybe?)
OTT - claude.
TBL - this is a difficult one but my beautiful eyebrowless mother steven stamkos probably numero uno
TOR - auston (virgo)
CAR - seth jarvis, who is great because unlike the deep jock bro attitude that permeates seemingly every other hockey boy, or even the slight self-importance of the various and sundry catholic school types, he possesses the good-natured self-deprecation instincts of a right proper Normal Bitchass Gen Z
CBJ - i am a patrik laine shooter forever and always
NJD - nico. he's hot
NYR - igor because that man is both an elite goaltender AND a man with some of the most beautiful eyes on the planet. sympathies to my fellow only child of divorce artemi panarin also
NYI - barzy...?
PHI - if i didn't say teekay id be rounded up in the streets and shot. good thing it's teekay though
WSH - class of 15 instincts say dylan first overall pick disease and my dick say ovi
ARI - SOOOO hard to choose because i need firmly for alex kerfoot to know that i want him to come back to leafland but also clayton keller is out there... clay. picking clay
CHI - bedsy obviously. eyebrow twins <3
COL - good stick lehky the universe may be committed to making ppl forget about you constantly by making you get injured all the time. but EYE have not forgotten
DAL - wyatt johnston my english classmate <- before you ask. no i have never actually met this man it's a joke about him being my age and torontonian
MIN - flower
NSH - difficult choice... ror and evangelista both delights but juuse saros... juuse saros my beloved
STL - vladik tarasenko. he's still a blue in my HEART ok actual real answer is brayden schenn but i wish the blues tanked for and successfully got celebrini or bedard or something because like. their current Narrative Relevance is being "jordan binnington's team" and that's not a fate any hockey team deserves
WPG - i think we should ask hockey players who the most underrated player in the league is again but we should tell them beforehand if they pick sasha barkov they get pepper sprayed. anyway if im a hockey player in that situation im answering nik ehlers
ANA - that adorable child with the stutter leo carlson
CGY - naz
EDM - connie
LAK - kopi
SJS - it USED to be duke but now we can't have nice things (loving happy family etc) so purely because of various sharks and sharks-adjacent mutuals i have, im taking a hard turn into creaturehood and picking ekky
SEA - who is on this team
VAN - quinnifer always forever no doubt about it
VGK - the spiritual and transgender bond i share with jack eichel cannot be broken
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circle--of--confusion · 3 months
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Trying to be a fan of the PWHL but having the knowledge of the PHF or CWHL feels like I'm being gaslit.
"Its the first women's league to do this!" Oh and did we all collectively have hallucinations about the PHF? Did I make up the partnership the Boston Bruins had with the Boston Pride? Have the Minnesota Whitecaps not been one of the oldest womens's teams? Was it not a massive deal when the CWHL folded so suddenly before the women's worlds happened in Finland in 2019?
These league owners of the PWHL shot the body of the PHF and is wearing it as a fur coat trying to call it a cardigan. Give me a fucking break
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