Lovers
Imagine
Mat Barzal x Latina!reader
Synop: y/n locks eyes with a stranger one night and it leads to uncertain 'relationship' between the two; a one night stand leads to too many nights.
a/n: no smut but very suggestive, y/n is emotionaly unavaliable 😪, in a way i replace the smut with humor bc i think im funny 😔 angst + fluff, black cat reader x sunshine Matt in a sense ? Im indifferent w this work >:/
cw: mentions of drinking, cussing, suggestiveness
+
That stupid little red dress. The one you kept pulling down as it hiked up every step you took. That's what the oversized black leather jacket was for; to save the hassle but it didn't do much besides keeping you warm.
That same little red dress is on your bedroom floor, alongside with your black boots and his jeans with the belt still looped in them.
You locked eyes with him that same night in that crowded bar. You would never take him home but they way your makeup held that night and how the dress fitted you, it gave you confidence to do so.
It was difficult to fall asleep right after, the adrenaline had warm your body, too hot to sleep. But after some cooling down and examining his sharp facial features, you fell into a slumber.
+
With a well rested sleep, especially after that night, you woke up early. Fortunately so, you had plans with some friends late morning. You showered and thought of how to remove the man in your bed.
After getting dressed and putting your dress in the hamper, you picked up his discarded clothes from last night and messily folded them and chucked them at his bare back.
"Wakey wakey, no bakey." you sarcastically said in a loud enough voice to wake the nameless stranger. You were sure he had told you his name but had forgotten.
The nameless stranger stirred and moaned as he flipped over under the sheets. He rubbed his eyes trying to focus on your dressed self at the foot of the bed. You could see a smirk creep on his face as he realized what happened last night.
"Get dressed." you demand in a softer voice this time. You made your way to your side of the bed and started to make the bed, prompting him to actually move and get dressed.
"Jeez, no good morning or-" he finally sat up and started to put on his boxers,
"No. I have plans and can't have a stranger in my house." You walked around to start to make his side of your bed.
He stood up towering over you, "you did last night." he said with another smirk of his, his chest was bare and he messed with his belt buckle.
"Not alone in my house." you tilted up to look at him, moving him out of the way with your hips, folding the sheets back over.
You grabbed his shirt and pushed him with it towards the front door,
"I would like to see you again." he said as he quickly slid his shirt over his head,
You laughed, "I'm sure you would, bye bye." you closed and locked the door after him and continued to get ready.
+
The next weeknight you were relaxing after work, eating dinner on the couch watching some tv. As soon as you placed your bowl down, you heard soft knocks at your door.
You looked through the peephole and your eyes widened as you saw the same face of the guy who was in your sheets a few days ago.
You opened the door ajar, "What the hell are you doing here?" your eyebrows furrowed together.
"I wasn't joking when I said I wouldn't mind seeing you again." He stood with his hands in the pocket of his sweatshirt.
"Maybe you don't understand the concept of a one night stand but it usually happens only one night."
He laughed at your explanation, "I know what we did. I'm just saying if you don't mind, we can hang out again."
"I don't want to be in a relationship or even date for that matter." you opened the door more as to where the conversation was going.
"Neither do I." he stated to your surprise.
"Are you implying to be fuck buddies?" you whispered the term as you two were having the conversation in a public hallway.
He struggled to hold back a laugh, "In a few words, yes."
"Okay." you relaxed against the door,
"Okay?" he questioned not understanding your answer,
"Yeah, sure." you agreed to the relation.
"Cool, we should share numbers then." he pulled out his phone and passed it to you. The new contact page had your name typed out in the right box.
"You remember my name?" you looked up at him after typing your number in.
"Yeah, what you don't remember mine?" he joked expecting a laugh but you still couldn't remember his name. He saw the slight worry in your eyes and smiled,
"It's Mat." you passed his phone back and he saved the contact,
"Sorry," you said sheepishly.
"No worries." he said as if he had been embarrassed too. But he kept standing there.
"Do you want to- tonight?" you asked indifferent of his intentions when coming over to your place.
"I mean I wasn't expecting it on my drive over here but I'm down..." he leaned forward onto the doorway.
With his face inches way from yours, you leaned forward, caressing his loose hair strands,
"I'm not. I'm on my period, so goodnight Mat." you pulled away from the tension and slightly pushed his chest away.
“Wait. We could still hang, watch a movie or something.” he tried to negotiate but failed,
"Yeah, no. Text me in a week and I should be free, goodnight." you quickly closed the door before he could speak anymore.
+
Mat had given you a full week to meet up again and it was awkward at first on your behalf. The first night with him after the bar really only happened with the help of alcohol but to plan accordingly sober was very different.
He called you, not texted, and gave you the option to see him at his place or yours. You told him yours to lessen the anxiety.
It was silly you thought. Panicking over sleeping with a guy who had already seen you naked. It was probably the fact that he wanted to see you again in that state that made you overthink so much.
But at the end of the night he came, he also came to your place.
And it became a system. He called to see you. You texted to see him. It went on for months of pure sex. Nothing else as you pledged the second time you saw him. But there were moments were he broke his pledge. Moments where he was becoming more of a friend than a fuck buddy.
I.
When he had time the mornings after he was generous to cook you breakfast,
"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey" he mocked you from the first morning. He brought you a plate of a simple but nutritional breakfast and a glass of orange juice to his bed.
You groaned to be woken up but loved the smell of food in the morning, "Is this all for me?" you asked half asleep, reaching for the fork but he pulled the plate away,
"No, actually it's just for me. Your plate is in the kitchen." he deadpanned. Still half asleep you slowly blinked at what he said.
"I'm just kidding," he passed you the fork, "Just a joke because of your lack of hospitality from the first night." you noted he wasn't going to let that go for a while.
"I said I was sorry but that night was different from what we have now." you said before taking a bite of your food.
"I know. It's just fun teasing you." he said softly as he watched you eating his food.
This was from the first weeks. You had kept some walls up because from your standpoint it was all and only sex. But something about Mat forced you to open with him. With a smooth transition, the two of you became friends with benefits from fuck buddies.
II.
Mat found it easy to let your walls down by making you laugh but in other words he teased you, so he laughed at you but it all good and fun when you teased him back.
From the very beginning Mat favored talking over the phone rather than text. For your relationship, texting seemed easier and more practical because you didn't mind him just sending 'are you free?' and that be a sign that he wanted to come over. But no, for him he always wanted to have a long conversation about whatever and end the call with, "okay I'll be on my way soon."
And you always obliged, when you texted first he wouldn't text back but immediately call. So one night you decided to ignore his calls and just text him. You knew it would annoy him so even better for a small joke to play.
y/n
hey are you free after practice?
mat
Missed call
y/n
i can't talk right now
mat
Missed call
y/n
so are you free or not?
mat
Missed call
y/n
i guess not
mat
Why are you not answering my calls??
y/n
I just told you.
mat
Incoming call
After you laughed at your own entertainment you finally answered his call, contradicting what you had said.
"I thought you couldn't talk right now." he said through a grin, knowing you were lying.
"I didn't want to talk but you always want to." you admitted
"That's because I like hearing your voice. Although I can hear the sas in your texts just as fine."
"So are you free or not?" you had to get to business before he asked you more questions-
"How was your day?" he asked like always.
You rolled your eyes, "It was fine. Are you free?"
"Mine was pretty good too. Practice went great actually, thanks for asking." he said very sarcastically.
"Mat.'
"Yes?" he said too cheerful
"Are you free?"
"Like right now? Or in a couple of hours. I'm still kind of sweaty. Unless you like that type of stuff-"
Without hesitation you ended the call. Not that you were mad, just a bit annoyed but you knew it would make Mat desperate leaving him high and dry.
mat
Missed call
You kept declining his incoming calls and didn't bother to text because if he did want to see you tonight he would eventually text.
mat
I'll be there in an hour
y/n
:)
+
III.
A different morning you felt him twirling your hair in his hands,
"What are you doing?" you muttered into his cold sheets
"Trying to braid your hair." he whispered back, fully focused on trying to figure out a pattern.
"Don't. You'll just knot it even more." He didn't give up until a minute later because he was in fact knotting your hair.
You turned around after you felt his hands drop,
"Can you teach me?" he asked
"Youtube it." you whispered with your eyes closed
"I'll learn quicker from you." you felt his hands lightly touch your cheek making you lock eyes with him.
You quickly maneuvered to pull him in by the back of his neck. He smirked awaiting for a kiss, but you pulled his shaggy hair causing him to squeal,
"Ow?! that hurt." his eyes turned sad with his pouted lips,
"I just wanted to see how long your hair is. Not long enough to braid." you massaged the back of his head to soothe the pain.
You sat up straight and pulled your hair forward to slowly teach him a three strand braid. After a what felt like forever he kind of got it.
IV.
Overtime Mat broke your walls completely and you enjoyed every second talking and being with him but there were moments that brought you back to reality. The reality of what the relationship was.
It was Valentines day and you hadn't thought anything major about it. Mat would be busy that night like he mentioned before so you would spend it alone.
If he was free he would spend the night like always but you thought it would be weird to buy him something because you're only friends as you reminded yourself many times. You didn't expect anything from him either.
But he took you by surprise by showing up at your door with a huge bouquet of roses and your favorite chocolate.
"What are those?" you asked baffled from your door
"Rosses and chocolate obviously." he said with a smile
"I thought you said you were busy tonight." you still couldn't believe he actually got you something.
"I lied. I wanted to surprise you."
"Well I'm surprised!" you finally moved to let him in, taking the abnormally large bouquet of flowers to place them on your table,
"I didn't get you anything." you admitted waiting to see his disappointment,
"That's fine. I assumed you expected nothing but I still wanted to get you something. Being with you tonight is enough." he walked towards you and kissed you. It was a different kind of kiss than all the ones you shared before. This one felt genuine and not of lust. It was slow and as he deepened the kiss he was careful to not be so rough.
You felt your heart twang and your stomach fill with anxiety like from the very first nights. Even though you reciprocated with every motion in your body, you pushed him away. You stared up at him questioning everything that had happened to lead up to this moment,
"I'll make it up to you," you tried to change your train of thought.
"How?" he had that smirk on his face again
"Don't act dumb." you began to push him towards your bedroom,
"Wait, what about your chocolate?" as if he cared about the damn chocoalte.
"We can eat it after."
You had to change the scenery quickly to avoid those thoughts. You tried to excuse his behavior as him being nice but you knew too well it was more than that.
"Here's your chocolate, my sweets," he bowed to you in your bed. He had never used an endearing nickname before but you let it slide like all the other things.
"Thanks," he climbed back into your bed taking a piece for himself,
"So I was thinking," he said while chewing,
"Oh that's not good." you joked,
"Ha ha" he sarcastically laughed, "You should come to one of my games. I can get you a good view and maybe you'll like it."
You swiftly gasped almost choking on your chocolate, "Me at your game?"
"That is what I said, yes." he cleaned some chocolate off your lips with his thumb, catching you off guard.
"Okay, sounds fun I guess." you said with very clear uncertainty.
"Doesn't sound like fun,” he laughed at your nerves but reassured you, "I want you to see me play in person, it's only one game. And if you don't like it or we lose miserably I'll make it up to you."
"How will you make it up to me?" you smirked to yourself,
"Don't act dumb." he whispered into your ear, kissing your cheek and neck making you squirm.
Moments like these, filled with bliss made you forget all your worries. But the hours before the actual game, your nerves sank back in.
You dressed accordingly and sat in the stands trying to follow the game. Seeing Mat distinguished by his number felt surreal almost. It was a side of Mat you didn’t indulge in often or at all.
He talked about hockey every now and then but it was very brief. To see him skate as fast as he could was shocking. To see him get slammed into the boards was more than shocking but concerning.
You were alone in your seat. Trying to follow the quick pace game. Looking around at the fans with his jersey number. You felt like an outsider even though the player himself had invited you to be there.
When the game ended and the Islanders had won you weren’t bored. You were glad you saw Mat play in person and see the team win. Mat gave you instructions where to meet him after the game.
After some wrong turns and almost giving up trying to find the locker room, you found a sweaty Matt walking in the halls,
“Hey you made it!” he jogged up to you for a quick hug and a quick kiss. Another action of Matt that surprised you. The two of you never kissed in public.
“I want you to meet some of my teammates.” His body radiated of excitement and giddiness.
“Sure,” you agreed with fake excitement. You were definitely not expecting such socialization with Matt’s close friends.
He introduced you to his teammates as a ‘good friend’ with an arm wrapped around you the whole time. The whole situation was nauseating. His teammates were kind but the whole thing was very confusing; as to what this introduction was or what you and Matt were.
You were able to end the introductions early when you told Matt you didn’t feel good, which wasn’t that far off from the truth,
“Are you okay to drive home?” he asked
“Yeah I’m just have a bad headache.”
“Okay I’ll see you tonight then?” Matt had planned to be with you after the game but you felt it would be better to have some time alone,
“Actually I think I’ll go asleep alone tonight. I’m just worn out.” you tried your best to lie and it barely worked.
“Okay I’ll call tomorrow.” You hum in agreement before almost running out of that arena.
On the drive home you felt your heart beat faster than you ever felt before. Things were getting too real you said to yourself in the car.
You and Matt had promised since the very beginning that this wouldn’t be anything more. But that promise had long been broken. You knew things had to slow down or stop completely, but only one of those options were possible.
+
You thought it would be best to see him at his place rather than your own. So you called him,
“Y/n calling me? It can’t be.” He joked
“Mat can I see you later tonight?” You asked in all seriousness ignoring his joke,
“You know you can y/n.”
“Great I’ll see you later.” You kept the call short, ignoring his calls right after.
When he opened his door for you, he cradled your face and smothered you with kisses. Something he sometimes did when he was in a happy mood.
You hated yourself for what you were about to do,
“Matt we need to talk,” you pushed him away only to see him lean in again, “What? Is it about the game? I thought I had pretty good night. What did you think?”
You despised how your eyes started to tear up but you kept a straight voice,
“We need to end this.”
“What?” He laughed as if he didn’t hear you correctly.
“Whatever this is. Things are getting too personal. They have been for weeks now and I should’ve been more persistent but I am now.”
“What are you talking about?” His hands dropped from your arms to his sides,
“Whatever this was is over.”
“This is over? Just like that?” He scoffed starting to become agitated, he didn’t understand where this was coming from,
“Yeah how else would you end a fuck buddy relationship?” You retaliated in attitude and nerves.
“But this isn’t a fuck buddy relationship! Not when I’m love with you!”
Mat never failed to surprise you but you should have seen this coming.
“You don’t mean that.” you unconsciously replied.
“The fuck I don’t!” His frustration was making things difficult so you had lied next,
“There’s someone else.” You tried to hold eye contact to make things believable but Mat knew better,
“Who?”
“You don’t know him.”
“So you see commitment in this ‘guy’ but not with me? The man you’ve been fucking with the past months.”
“That’s all it was Mat, it was just sex.”
“Thats bullshit! You’re telling me that you don’t feel anything more for me than just a fuck buddy?” His eyes looked dark with sadness and tears welling up,
“I told you from the beginning that I wanted nothing more. You promised too.” You lowered your voice to lessen the awful tension.
“Well I guess I broke that promise.” He stood there waiting for you say something but you didn’t know what else to say. So he broke the silence,
“Y/n, I’m in love with you.” his voice wavered,
“Mat.”
“I love you and you’re scared of being with me fully but I can wait because I don’t believe there is another guy.”
“Mat stop.”
“I’ve been in love with you probably since the very beginning and I’ll still love you for a long time.” He rambled trying to reach for your touch but you had to conclude things.
“Mat, I don’t love you.” You said harshly to get your point across.
You moved his arms from reaching yours, “There is another guy and I need to keep my options open while I’m young. You should too.”
“I’m sorry.” You whispered leaving his apartment.
+
It had been weeks when you broke his heart. He didn’t give up even after that horrible fight. He continued to call and text. He even showed up to your place but kept silent.
You tried to not cry for him or the ended relationship. It wasn’t fair or right but it had to be done. That’s at least what you told yourself every night before going to asleep.
Mat would find someone better and move on. It would be like nothing ever happened between you two. Just lost in history.
He eventually stop calling and showing up at your door. It was the first steps to finally moving on you told yourself.
“Who’s ‘M’?” Your friend had pulled you from your thoughts.
“Huh?” You were making dinner for your guest as it was rare to have her over.
“This.” She showed you the polaroid. It was the polaroid Mat had toke of you one of your mornings.
~~~
“Stop snooping.” You watched him walking around your room, observing your shelves and tables.
“I’m not snooping. Just looking.” He grabbed the white polaroid you had gotten as a gift from your shelve.
“Now you’re touching.” You said from the comfort of your bed,
“Say cheese.” He climbed over you to take a picture,
“It’s too early for a photoshoot.” You held your hands up blocking the lens,
“C’mon just one photo,” be begged trying to move your hands,
“I don’t feel pretty.” You pulled your comforter above your face,
He leaned down to slowly pull down the comforter, “You always look pretty,” he whispered as he softly kissed you.
Catching you off guard he took a quick shot of you smiling. He wrote the date and his initial in sharpie after snooping in your desk.
~~~
“He’s just some guy.” You say nonchalantly avoiding the possible topic.
“Did he take this picture?” Of course she asks,
“Yeah he did.” You replied,
“This isn’t the same guy from that bar right?” You didn’t tell her much about Mat. Just that you were seeing someone very casually.
“He is actually, or was.” You tried to focus on the chopped vegetables rather than the sad eyes Mat looked at you with.
“What do you mean was?” She persisted and you gave in explaining everything.
“Hold up. This guy obviously cares about you, even told you that he loves you and you turned him down?”
“This is why I didn’t tell you everything.”
“Because you don’t want to hear the truth that this guy loves you. Love. The things everybody wants. And you just give it up like that.”
“He wasn’t supposed to fall in love with me!”
“Why the hell not!? He had every reason to. Do you love him?” You hated how she asked the most difficult yet important questions.
“I don’t know.” You said half heartedly.
“You don’t know.” Her eyes pierced yours as you kept lying to yourself and others over and over again.
“It would never work me and him! He has a busy schedule and-“ you start the excuses,
“Oh but not busy enough to fuck each other!”
“Y/n be real. Let’s put the lies and excuses away. Why can’t you let yourself be happy for once while you have the chance?”
“You don’t understand. I broke his heart. I saw it in his face when I told him I didn’t love him. I don’t deserve to see him again or to ask for another chance.“
“Well I think everyone deserves a second chance. And if he truly loves you, he can understand your point of view.”
She forced you to see him again. You still couldn’t see why you should let yourself be happy even after breaking his heart. But you were on your way to his place with the same pit of anxiety in your stomach.
You didn’t call or text before to see if he was home. You didn’t want him to decline your request before seeing him in person, so you knocked on his door.
The moment he opened the door your heart ached. His face was visibly sad and his eyes red. You wanted to run away again but you couldn’t feel anything but pity and guilt.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure” His voice was deep and raspy. His face lacked emotion except when he saw you, he didn’t think he would see you again.
The silence of the apartment was deafening and uncomfortable, but you took a seat on his couch, signaling him to do the same.
“Mat, I am so sorry for the things that I said and did throughout everything. I didn’t mean any of it.”
You paused to collect your shaky breath and thoughts,
“You’re right. I am scared to be with you fully because you’re the most important and life changing thing that has happened to me and it terrifies me. From the beginning I only wanted something simple with no strings attached but then everything started to become so real without us even discussing it! I can’t blame you for treating me like how any girl dreams to be treated, I just wish we had slowed down and talked about things first and then maybe I wouldn’t have lied about there being someone else. Because there isn’t, I mean how could there be when you’ve been always by my side? What im trying to say is that if somehow you don’t hate me, hopefully we can start again?”
You could hear your pulse banging in your ears when he didn’t say anything. He just looked at you indifferently but still with those red eyes.
“You’re right too. I was in the wrong to continue things like we were official and not talk about it. I should I have said something earlier before I asked you to meet the guys. Maybe before Valentine’s Day too, that was probably a surprise.” He laughs at his lighthearted joke to soothe the tension, making you laugh too with tears falling down your face.
“You brought me a bouquet the size of a tire, so I was a little bit surprised.”
Both you laughed at how ridiculously huge those flowers were but of how sweet the gesture was. Mat broke the sweet silence with a question that had been left unanswered,
“Y/n, do you love me?”
You sympathized for him, the look of sincerity and incandescent love he had for you. You nod your head with a tearful smile.
He breaked into glossy eyed smile as he reached over to embrace and kiss you. A replica, but somehow better, kiss of the Valentine’s Day one. A slow but passionate kiss of pure adoration and love. He pulled away after what felt enough for now,
“I have to hear you say it though,” he states
“Say what?” You licked your lips eyeing his before meeting his eyes,
He slightly cocked his head to the side, “Don’t act dumb.”
“I love you, Mathew Barzal.”
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