Tumgik
#nolan patrick fic
lukevangelista · 8 months
Text
wear your silver linings close to your skin | nolan patrick
masterlist
summary: when at falcon lake, there was no nolan patrick without amelia gauthier—at least, that was the case until life took them on separate paths. but when amelia returns to falcon lake for the first time in years, she realizes things aren't all that different
word count: 4.6k
warnings: drinking, really bad worldbuilding because i wanted to keep this short, and tk actually having brain cells
a/n: i know this isn't my typical quinn content, but i'm trying to get over a writer's block, so bear with me; also, if you wanna know what amelia's listening to, check out #amelia's song recs
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Amelia Gauthier's backyard looked as it always did once summer rolled around: familiar crowds congregating in their little groups, catching up on what they'd missed since they saw each other last year while music tangled with the whispering breeze and chirping insects. In the distance, they could see the sun lowering toward the horizon, its reflection rippling against the buoyant waves of the lake.
This was summer.
Not the running through the bustling crowds to get into some overrated club in Toronto with friends who weren't really her friends that she'd been doing for the past few years. That was never summer to her.
But the thought of that was washed from her brain as she took a swig of her chilled beer. She laughed at something an old friend said, her crinkled eyes never leaving the image of the fire against the backdrop of the lake. It was all so calming, even with the music blasting from who knew where, that she questioned why she'd chosen to leave this all behind in the first place.
"You know, I hear Nolan should be here soon," Scarlett said when she and Amelia broke off into their own conversation. Her eyes held a teasing gleam that painted the smirk on her lips as nothing but trouble.
Amelia shook her head, finally tearing her gaze from the landscape to stare at the bottle in her hand. "Isn't he always? It's that time of year again."
"First time since you've moved back."
Amelia had foregone a response in favour of downing the rest of her beer when, even over the music, her ears perked up at the sound of familiar footsteps crunching over the grass. She averted her attention to her left.
"Speak of the Devil," Scarlett mumbled, bringing her beer bottle to her lips.
With Travis Konecny in tow, Nolan Patrick was walking into her backyard. To this day, Amelia never knew where the line between her family's property started and his ended. It didn't really matter when they were children running wild.
A smile stretched over her face as she waved her arm at him, and she could see the softest tug of his lips. She stood up once he was close enough, her arms wrapping around his neck while his came around her waist. Their bodies swayed as they allowed themselves to indulge in their first hug in years.
"I can't believe you're here," he mumbled.
"It's good to be back." Amelia reluctantly pulled away, letting her eyes track his face—the scruff, the striking blues of his eyes, the long hair kept under his cap. He looked a lot more mature. "I've missed you."
"So, who's this pretty lady?" Travis asked, letting his presence be known.
Amelia slipped past Nolan, whose hand settled on her waist as she extended hers out for Travis. "Amelia. Nolan's friend. I, uh, know who you are, Travis. TK? Teeks?"
"It's whatever you want, Amelia." He smirked—more of a shit-eating grin than anything.
She glanced at Nolan when his hand squeezed her hip. He didn't say anything. Amelia swallowed the lump in her throat before gesturing to the two open seats beside each other, one of which had just been hers, marked by the worn-in cushion she'd placed there. "Have a seat. You guys want anything to drink?"
A few moments later, Amelia was heading into her house with Nolan trailing behind. She browsed through the fridge for some beer as Nolan's footsteps padded into the kitchen.
"What're you doing back?" he asked in his deep and mumbled voice. "S'been years since anyone's seen you."
Amelia grabbed a bottle opener and moved toward the island counter. She kept her gaze down, pretending to be focused on removing the caps as though she hadn't been a bartender for most of her adult life. "I live here again. Have been for the past few months."
Nolan's eyebrows furrowed as his head tilted. "What happened?"
Silence brewed between them as Amelia played with the bottle opener. The boisterous voices outside seeped into the house, urging her to speak everything into existence before another person walked in and was subjected to hearing the same story she'd uttered one too many times since moving back to Falcon Lake. Besides, this was Nolan she was talking to: He used to know every soul-consuming thought of hers.
Amelia mustered up the courage to meet his soft and inquisitive gaze. "I couldn't say yes, Nolan."
"Say yes? Say yes to what?"
"My ex—he proposed, and I couldn't say yes," she elucidated with the ghost of a cry in her throat. The fact Nolan had no idea she had even been dating someone had been indicative enough of how long it'd been since they'd seen or talked to each other. "He didn't want to wait, so I left, and now I'm back."
Nolan's gaze shifted with the all too familiar sympathy she'd frequently been on the receiving end of. "I'm sorry."
Amelia shook her head dismissively. "It's done. It's in the past, and I'm moving on."
Nolan let his frown deepen when she handed him his drink with a smile that made it seem like the rather depressing topic of a failed relationship hadn't just happened. Or the realization that it'd been so long since they talked that he was heedless to what she'd been going through.
She grabbed his face, her grasp delicate and gentle, and scrunched her nose at him. "Smile, Pat."
Amelia had walked away with her and Travis's drinks before he could protest, though he couldn't help the slight curving of his lips as he chased after her.
That was the Amelia he knew.
Nolan's long strides had allowed him to reach the fire shortly after Amelia, despite her head start. As she handed Travis his drink, Nolan mumbled a warning before holding her hips and slipping past her, oblivious to the quick glance over her shoulder she'd sent him or the way the layers of clothing between them did nothing to keep his skin from burning hers. Nolan sat down in what used to be Amelia's seat, sending Scarlett an acknowledging nod.
Amelia settled on the armrest of Nolan's Adirondack, slipping her feet out of her Birkenstocks to tuck them under his thighs for some stability. She started talking to Travis like the good host she was, keeping the conversation light and never faltering, even when Nolan grabbed onto her calf like it was one last security measure that would prevent her from losing balance and tumbling onto the ground.
His thumb rubbed soft circles against her skin the way he'd always done every summer growing up—a soothing gesture that comforted her when the thunder boomed loudly. It'd eventually grown to something he did whenever he could.
Travis's gaze shot to where Nolan's hand was placed on Amelia's leg, how instinctive the move was. He couldn't hide his smirk, though he surprisingly kept his mouth shut. He could pester Nolan about it later that night.
The sun continued its descent, pulling hazy indigo across the sky until all that illuminated the backyard was the crackling fire and the warm, cozy lights strung between the boughs of trees far older than anyone on that property.
Amelia tapped Nolan's shoulder, and he looked away from Travis with his eyebrows raised, focused entirely on her and not the long-winded story his former teammate was telling. She leaned down, whispering, "Can't feel my butt anymore. Think you can scooch over a bit?"
"Just sit on my lap," he mumbled, and her gaze fell to where his shorts had ridden up, revealing the tattoos decorating the skin of his muscular thighs. Those were new. Though Amelia supposed, nearly everything about him was new to her.
"I seriously doubt sitting on pure muscle is gonna be any comfier than this armrest," she said dryly.
Nolan sighed before lifting his hips, pulling the cushion out from under him. He placed it on his thighs, and Amelia rolled her eyes, though she slid off the armrest and curled up on his lap, draping one arm around his neck. His arm wound around her body, ensuring she wouldn't slip off onto the ground.
Something about this made her feel like they were seventeen again.
"Comfortable, dear Amelia?" he asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.
She scrunched her nose, pulling the sleeves of her oversized hoodie over her hands as the breeze picked up. All signs of feigned annoyance were replaced with zeal in a split second when one of their friends shouted that they were leaving, and Amelia waved at them eagerly.
Travis noted how no one seemed to bat an eyelash at Nolan and Amelia, and he wondered just how much he actually knew about his friend's life back home. Better yet, how much he didn't know about how friend's "friend."
————
"Rise and shine, Amelia!" Nolan shouted in the direction of her house on his way to the dock.
A few minutes later, she kicked open the door to the backyard with a cooler and fishing rod in hand, eyes struggling to stay open. She tripped over an empty can of beer left behind from the various kickbacks she'd hosted in the past few weeks, and Nolan's snicker was as clear as day. He received a half-hearted middle finger in response.
"Mornin', Travis," Amelia mumbled when she reached the dock at the same time as him. He uttered one back, biting back a laugh at her dishevelled appearance. She handed Nolan her things, and he placed them to the side before helping her onto the rocking boat.
It didn't take long for them to make it out into the water, fishing rods hanging off the edge of the boat with hopes of biting fish. The sun pelted down on them, and Amelia's skin glistened with sweat and sunscreen. The only thing cooling her down was the chilled drinks in the cooler.
Amelia used the time they spent waiting for the fish to catch on their hooks to talk to the two men on the boat with her. She didn't think she was the talkative type, but compared to Nolan, holding a conversation with her didn't seem like talking to a brick wall. Compared to Travis, however, she quickly relented the title of 'Most Outgoing.'
It was good, though. Amelia enjoyed herself, enjoyed the simplicity of life that came with talking to friends while on a boat.
And suddenly, the years apart from Nolan didn't seem like so many, and Travis didn't feel like someone she'd met just a few days ago.
Nolan grumbled as he recast the fishing rod. Amelia paid no mind to his growing grumpiness as she was happily sprawled out across the seats. She'd gone fishing with him enough times to know that this was typical Nolan behaviour, and she wasn't going to let it stop her from soaking up the sun's rays, knowing she'd come back to shore with the wonkiest tan lines.
"Lighten up, Pat." Travis smacked Nolan's arm.
All Nolan did was grunt.
Amelia let her eyes adjust to the brightness of the sun as she tossed a glance at the two men. "It's just one of those days, eh, Nolan?"
Another grunt.
A laugh left her lips, and Nolan couldn't help the smile creeping on his face. His gaze found Travis, who teasingly wiggled his eyebrows. His expression immediately dropped, but the moment he looked away, he was trying to fight off his ever-growing smile. All his efforts to stave it off couldn't hide the deeper flush of his naturally rosy cheeks, however.
The three of them stayed out there for hours, snacking on the sandwiches Amelia had made and washing them down with more beer. The sun had relented its strength by then, and the wind whipped past until goosebumps riddled Amelia's skin. Despite the biting chill, the lulling effects of alcohol were enough to make her feel sleepy.
She didn't know how long she'd been nodding off before Nolan tossed over his sweater and went to grab a blanket he'd stored under one of the seats. She thanked him, voice laced heavily with sleep, when he draped the blanket over her body, almost tucking her in.
"Wake me up when you catch something," she told him, snuggling into his sweater.
Nolan merely smiled before returning to where he'd been perched with Travis.
It was a few minutes later, after Amelia's quiet snores echoed into the air when Travis spoke up. "So...you and Amelia?"
Nolan spared her sleeping figure a glance. "What about me and Amelia?"
"Really?" Travis stared at him blankly. "You and Amelia! Any history?"
A dark red spilled across Nolan's complexion. "Just friends. Always have been."
"Not even a kiss?"
Nolan shook his head.
Travis had skepticism written all over his face. "So, if I flirted with her, you'd be fine with it?"
"No."
Travis smirked all too smugly at how quickly Nolan responded.
"You have a wife and kid back home."
"I know that, but are you more upset at the fact I'd be unfaithful to my wife or the fact I'd be flirting with Amelia?"
Nolan clenched his jaw.
"Definitely the second option."
"Seriously, Teeks," Nolan sighed. "She and I have always been like this. We grew up together."
"So, you two have always had feelings for each other, is what I'm hearing?" Travis grinned when Nolan rolled his eyes. "Is that why you never really got with anyone in Philly?"
"I'm not exactly the talking type," Nolan reminded with a scoff. "Not in Philly anyway."
Travis waved him off. "Chicks dig hockey players. You wouldn't even need to do much talking anyway."
Another roll of his eyes.
"Pat, I've never seen you act the way you do with Amelia."
"You also know me when I'm in Philly," Nolan pointed out, leaning into his seat and scanning the landscape of trees in the distant shoreline and the soft waves lapping against the anchored boat. "It's different out here."
"I've come out here with you before, Pat. I know enough about your life here," said Travis as he reeled in the fishing line after yet another unsuccessful attempt at catching a fish. "But you never mentioned her. Buddy, I know you: You're the type of person who keeps what he loves close to him because you don't want anyone to take them away from you."
The muscles in Nolan's jaw ticked as his knuckles went white around the fishing rod. He glanced at Amelia, and his expression softened involuntarily.
"Man, if only you could see the look you're giving her," Travis goaded.
Nolan scoffed, turning back to his teammate. "I never said anything because she left with no intention of coming back here, okay? She had her whole life sorted out in Toronto, and she's only back because she couldn't say yes to her ex. I don't know what his name is. I didn't even know she was dating someone."
Travis took in Nolan's expression and tone. Frustration at the fact Travis wouldn't drop the subject. More frustration that he'd been so out of the loop on Amelia's life when they used to be two peas in a pod. Guilt that he had lost contact with her, despite how her parents had lived in Falcon Lake year-round up until recently, though she hadn't done the best job at keeping up with him either. Maybe even a hint of anger that she'd left in the first place: Falcon Lake was supposed to be their place, and while he had kept returning, she'd run off and stayed away.
But above it all, Travis spotted the ghost of a young teenager who had been so infatuated with his neighbour.
"Did you ever ask why she didn't say yes?" Travis questioned.
Nolan shook his head. The thought of even hearing her talk about another guy made his heart clench.
"Have you ever thought that maybe it's because of you?"
Nolan averted his attention to Amelia. He could admit he'd thought about what she had told him that first night—how her ex didn't want to wait for her to be ready. No one could blame him, but Nolan wondered why he wouldn't make an exception for a girl like Amelia. Because he would've waited. He would've waited his whole life for her.
A few minutes later, something clung onto the hook of Nolan's rod. His face lit up with excitement as he scrambled to reel it in, and Travis let out a cheer when the bass breached the surface of the water, flailing in the air helplessly.
Amelia stirred around, a sleepy whine clawing out of her throat. Her eyes fluttered open, and she took in her surroundings, from how the sky had turned into a pretty pink colour that reminded her of peonies to how the boys were focused on the fish they'd just caught. She stretched her arms above her head, letting the blanket fall to the floor as she sat up.
"Are the fish biting?" she asked, eyes barely open.
Nolan turned his head. "I'm sorry. Did we wake you?"
Amelia waved him off, grabbing the blanket to wrap around her shoulders as she made her way over to him and Travis, who was holding the fish by the mouth. "Oh, she's a beauty, eh?"
Travis laughed. "Oh, yeah."
"How many did you guys catch while I was asleep?"
"Just this one."
"So the fish were not biting," Amelia concluded.
Nolan shook his head, draping his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into his side, oblivious to the suggestive look Travis was sending him.
————
A few weeks later, Travis had gone home, and since Amelia had piled on the closing shifts at the bar in town, Nolan had been left to keep busy while she caught up on sleep during the day.
Not that it was particularly difficult for him to do: He was usually out on the water, fishing, enjoying a cold one with some friends, or trekking the familiar nearby trails since it wasn't quite hunting season yet.
Nolan pounded his fist against Amelia's door before heading over to his house, the bass he'd just caught still in his grasp. He set up the grill on his back porch, turning his head with a smile when he heard Amelia's soft greeting.
She poked her head over his shoulder, making a passing comment about the fish before making her way to the picnic table. She sat down, bringing her feet up and hugging her knees close to her chest. Neither of them said anything as Nolan grilled the fish, and Amelia started some music from her phone, yet they were perfectly content with that.
Amelia let herself stare at Nolan. His shirt stretched across the expanse of his back, his long hair poked out from under his hat, and he didn't seem to care as he quietly sang along to the Ziggy Alberts song playing in the background. A part of her hated how she didn't mind the greasiness of his appearance, the way the putrid scent of fish had clung to his clothes.
But that was the Nolan she knew: the calm, easy-going, folk-and-indie-rock-loving man who didn't care about the superficial. Not the reserved, tense former top NHL prospect Nolan Patrick that had been called a bust one too many times.
And frankly, she loved her version of Nolan much more.
Nolan brought dinner to the picnic table, and they started eating in no time, sharing old stories that made them laugh until their stomachs hurt and their cheeks were sore. The smiles tattooed on their faces were relaxed and genuine in a way it hadn't been in the past few years for either of them. If they could, they'd sit there with each other for the rest of their lives.
"Remember how I used to call you Nolie?" Amelia asked, stuffing her mouth with some food.
Nolan rolled his eyes. "And you stopped. Let's keep it that way."
Amelia laughed. "Hey, all of your hockey friends had a nickname for you. I needed one for you, too, Nolie."
"Don't push it." He narrowed his eyes.
She merely grinned. "I'm surprised you never gave me a nickname. Travis started calling me GoGo within, like, the first few hours of meeting me."
Nolan lowered his gaze with a soft smile, playing around with his food. "I like your name the way it is. No point in shortening it or anything."
"You're a sap."
They continued eating and sitting out in the backyard as the sky darkened with night's comings. Amelia ran to her house to plug in the lights in her backyard, letting the warm rays dimly seep onto Nolan's property. When she returned, the music had loudened, and her body danced along to the rhythm.
Amelia came up to Nolan with a bounce in her step, coaxing a smile from him as she extended an enticing hand out. He grabbed on, letting her walk him a few feet away as Mt. Joy's Silver Lining started playing.
They moved together, uncaring and free-spirited. Amelia laughed as Nolan spun her around, the lyrics belting from their throats into the balmy summer evening. Her heart raced as she found herself in his arms again, languidly swaying to one song, then another, and another until they weren't sure how long they'd been dancing under the shimmering moonlight.
"Remember, after you were drafted, how we drove all the way to Toronto to watch Mt. Joy when they were first starting out?" asked Amelia, fondly looking into the bright blues of his eyes.
Nolan hummed in confirmation.
"You know, if we'd waited a few days, we could've done a much shorter drive to Chicago."
"I had my fair share of Chicago by then," he replied with the slightest smile when she chuckled.
Amelia's fingers played with the ends of his hair. "You miss playing?"
"You still keep up?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Her eyebrows pinched together at the centre. "You're still Nolan, my seasonal neighbour and the boy who used to pick wildflowers with me because your sisters were too busy to play with me. Just 'cause I never came back doesn't change that."
Nolan let his gaze trace her expression, watching panic slowly infiltrate her eyes as time ticked on, and he still lacked a response. His thumb rubbed circles on her hip over her fleece quarter zip that was a few sizes too big on her. "Why'd you say no, Amelia?"
Her chest tightened at the seriousness of the question that juxtaposed the upbeat music in the background. She lowered her gaze, but Nolan, brushing her hair out of her face, forced her to look at him again. "I didn't feel ready. Not with him, at least, which kinda feels like I let the past few years go to waste, you know?" Nolan squeezed her hip, and she offered the slightest smile. "And at first, I wasn't sure what was keeping me back, but I think I might have an idea now."
The conversation with Travis rang through Nolan's head. It'd be stupid to get his hopes up: They'd been friends since they were babies, and she had always confided her deepest thoughts with him. Just as she'd said, all the years they'd spent apart from each other wouldn't change that. They were still Nolan and Amelia: the two kids always joined at the hip once summer rolled around.
But the way she was staring at him—nervous yet still full of the softness she'd always stared at him with—had him wondering if maybe Travis was right.
"And what's that?" he asked.
Amelia's breath trembled. "He's not you."
Not a moment later, she pulled away completely and walked away, unwilling to see Nolan's reaction to the words that would change over twenty years of their friendship. And despite the weight of that on her shoulders, she felt lighter than ever, knowing she could admit that out loud for what might've been the first time in her life.
Amelia could admit that she had been in love with Nolan Patrick for longer than she could recall, and even if their friendship might never be the same, she could live knowing that he knew.
So, her heart wasn't completely shattered to pieces when his footsteps didn't follow her.
————
Amelia was yanked out of her slumbered state by the annoying pounding on the door. She rolled out of bed, barely catching herself before dragging her feet toward the front door through half-lidded eyes.
She opened the door, taking a moment to adjust to the blinding sunlight that breached the canopy of leaves courtesy of the towering coniferous trees. She finally pieced together the fact Nolan Patrick was standing in front of her with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
Before she could make a sound, however, Nolan had already started talking.
"I didn't mean to let you walk away last night," he said, "but it's kinda hard to think when the girl I've loved for so long tells me she didn't want to marry the guy she was in a long-term relationship with because he wasn't m—"
Amelia sluggishly held her hand up, eyes squinting as though she was pushing through a hangover, effectively interrupting Nolan. She pointed her thumb into the house. "Do you want some coffee?"
Nolan tilted his head with furrowed eyebrows. "Uh, sure."
"Great," she mumbled before walking away from the door, leaving it wide open for Nolan to follow her. She started the coffeemaker before going to the bathroom to brush her teeth, returning shortly after.
The air in the kitchen was stilted as Amelia poured themselves some coffee. This was new: the tense, awkward silence that lingered between them.
Amelia settled on the barstool by the island counter and took a sip of her coffee, avoiding Nolan's watchful eyes. "Did you mean it?" she asked quietly. "What you said at the door about loving me for so long."
Nolan fiddled with the twine bow wrapped around the bouquet he was still holding. "Have I ever given you a reason to think otherwise?"
"I s'pose not." She lifted her gaze. "Are you—" She paused, face pinching together as she tried to form a coherent thought in her sleepy mind. "Would you be willing to wait? I said no to him, but I still loved him, and I think I still need time to get over everything, and I don't want you to think you're a rebound because that's the last thing you are to me."
Nolan smiled softly. "We can go as slow as you want, Amelia. I'll be here when you're ready."
She placed her coffee mug on the counter before taking slow steps toward him, her heart hammering in her chest. His eyes jumped around her face as she stood before him, never settling on one spot. He was always so observant, always watching.
He gently lowered the bouquet onto the counter beside him, and Amelia brought her lips to his. Nolan sighed into the kiss as one of his hands cradled her face while the other grabbed onto her waist, pulling her hips flush against his. Amelia tangled her fingers into his hair, bringing him closer if that was possible.
It seemed far too short before Nolan reluctantly pulled away, his chest heaving as he took in the gentle blush that coloured her cheeks and the blown-out pupils that hid the particular shade of her irises he loved so much. "Go on a date with me."
Amelia smiled, tucking his hair behind his ear and revelling in the way his cheeks grew rosier. She slowly inched her lips closer. "Don't have to tell me twice, Nolie."
"We were having a moment, and you just had to ruin it," he mumbled, though if the smile playing on his lips was anything to go by, he didn't mind it at all.
"You love it."
"I love you," he corrected. "I don't love the nickname."
Amelia shook her head with a half-smirk as she pulled him in for another kiss.
140 notes · View notes
comphy-and-cozy · 1 year
Note
yay finally caught you when your requests are open!! I still have so much to backread (🙈) but how about cheek kisses with nolan patrick? 🖤
anything for you sweet pea xo
I changed up the format for this a little bit, with a series of snippets instead of a full blurb! hope you enjoy 🤍
Tumblr media
Prompt: Cheek kisses
Pairing: Nolan Patrick x Reader (f)
Word Count: 833
Warnings: Just absolutely disgusting fluff.
On a first date
The pink tinge of his cheeks as he drives through the snow is sweet, and you aren’t sure how much of it is from the cold or from nerves.
You were surprised when Nolan asked you out on a date, never thinking that the soft-spoken curmudgeon could ever have that kind of softness in his heart. What surprised you even more was the thoughtfulness he showed, planning a date that was surely out of his comfort zone — an arcade and mini-golf.
He wasn’t perfect, but truthfully, you found his quiet demeanor incredibly charming, and the more time that passed, the more he loosened up, cracking dry jokes and even poking fun at you when you sent your ball flying into the pond.
“I’ll walk you in,” he mumbles, and you have to hide your smile as you hop out of his car, the warmth from his body shielding you from the breeze.
The tell-tale anticipation sets in as you approach your front door, digging for your keys in your purse. This is it.
“I had a really nice time, Nolan,” you say, looking up at him through your lashes. The flush in his cheeks darkens as he shifts nervously on his feet.
“Me too,” is his quiet reply. Then, as if he’s mustering his courage, he leans forward to press a kiss against your cheek. It’s warm, though you can’t tell if it’s more from his lips or the heat in your own cheeks.
When you finally get inside, your cheek is still tingling from his kiss, and you can’t stop smiling. Maybe, you think, it’s just Nolan.
Holding the door open
“You look incredible,” he murmurs, heat radiating from his eyes as they scan over your body. It’s been two months since your first date, and though you’ve been on several since then, he seems to be just as captivated by you now as he was then.
“Thanks, Nol,” you smile. “You do too. As always.”
With a blush, Nolan helps you shrug your coat on before leading you out the door. Once you approach his car, he shuffles forward to open the door for you, and you smile at him, offering a kiss to his cheek as thanks.
Your heart floods with butterflies when you see the dopey smile on his face as he jogs around to the driver’s side, wings beating even more rapidly when his hand reaches over the center console to grab yours. For a quiet grumpy gills, he sure does love affection, always wanting to have some part of you touching some part of him.
When he presses his lips against the back of your hand, you think to yourself that you don’t mind it one bit.
Before bed
The warmth of your blanket is comforting, your boyfriend’s arm slipped over your shoulders even more so as he gently strokes circles onto your arm. The volume on the TV is turned down low, the play-by-play announcers talking softly as the camera pans over the players on the bench.
“Babe, go to bed,” Nolan says with a chuckle. “You’ve yawned like, three times in the last five minutes.”
“But I wanna see the end of the game,” you say sleepily. It’s not often he is home at night for you to fall asleep in his arms on the couch, so you don’t want to take the moment for granted, even if it’s something as simple as watching a hockey game.
“I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow,” he promises. “Now, go.”
It’s with another nudge that you finally heave yourself up out of the warmth of his arms, leaning over to press a kiss to his cheek. “Goodnight, Nols.”
“Night, baby.”
Playing video games
You’re on the couch, snuggled up in your blanket with Charlie in your lap when your phone buzzes on the table beside you. Sacrificing the warmth of your cocoon, you stick your arm out to grab it, surprised to see a text from Nolan.
[Nolan 💖:] can u refill my water bottle please
[Nolan 💖:] im in the middle of a game and I can’t leave or I’ll die
Rolling your eyes, you chuckle to yourself as you gently slip out from underneath Charlie’s head, doing your best to avoid disturbing him, though he looks up at you with curious eyes.
“Sorry, buddy, your dad is too busy gaming to get his own water,” you say apologetically.
Padding into the office where Nolan’s game system is set up, you sneak behind him to grab his Hydroflask off of his desk. He doesn’t even notice you, eyes focused on shooting his target, his headphones blocking out all sound.
When you return a few moments later with fresh water and fresh ice, you press a kiss to his cheek to let him know his water is waiting for him once he’s done. With the split second he has, he turns his head to peck your lips, murmuring a “Thank you.”
201 notes · View notes
laurenairay · 6 months
Note
slamming down my girlfriend nolpats for first kiss thank YOU (congratulations btw i love u sm)
First Kiss – Nolan Patrick
Words: 1.5k
Thank you for kicking us off with nolpats, Cam! (ily too!) – I really hope you like this one!
~
“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”
You looked up from your book to see a very welcome body filling the doorway to your backyard.
“Nolan!” you squealed happily.
You quickly shoved a bookmark in to make your page before leaping to your feet, throwing your arms around your friend. Your two families had always lived on the same street, and while you were a year younger than Nolan, the two of you had grown up together as close as any of your other friends. Sure, his hockey had taken him away from the familiar neighbourhood, as had your college years, but the two of you always made time for each other in the summers.
“Nice to see you too,” Nolan mused, kissing the top of your head as you finally dropped your arms.
You just grinned, sitting back down on the bench your father had built for the back porch, inviting Nolan to join you with a sweep of your hand, which he happily did.
“When did you get home?”
“Yesterday afternoon, actually,” he admitted.
“Oh?” you said, surprised.
He huffed out a laugh. “I was going to text you straight away, but I ran into Josh and he invited me to his party last night, and I kinda thought you’d be there?”
“Since when have I ever gone to hang out with Josh or any of your friends without you?”
He tilted his head in acceptance, before he seemed to hesitate.
“Actually, about last night…”
He trailed off, looking a little awkward, making you frown.
“What? What happened?” you asked.
He winced a little before smiling, although it was more like a grimace, only confusing you more.
“It was just something that the guys said. They were chatting shit, you know what they’re like, most of them bragging about girls and stuff. And then they mentioned you.”
What?
You sure as hell had never fooled around with any of them. You hadn’t even…
“Have you really never been kissed?”
Oh those assholes. Really? That was one of the things discussed at the party last night? Brilliant. It was only the fact that his voice was full of concern, rather than taunting, that you steeled yourself to reply.
“Have you seen the greaseballs that live around here?” you said dryly.
“Hey, I’m a greaseball that lives around here,” he shot back, although the grin on his face let you know he wasn’t mad.
“True, true, but you’re a greaseball that only lives here in the summer – totally different,” you teased.
Nolan shrugged as if to say ‘fair enough’, making you laugh and nudge him with your shoulder. Nolan nudged you back, before turning to face you properly, bending his knee up between the two of you as he shifted. You waited patiently as you saw him visibly think over his words, knowing him well enough that he wouldn’t speak until he was ready.
“Does it bother you?” he finally asked.
Okay, not what you were expecting.
“Bother me?”
“That you haven’t kissed anyone,” he added, his cheeks flushing a little with his words, “That people know you haven’t.”
You huffed out a laugh, shifting to face him properly too.
“It used to? When I was at college it did for sure – on the rare occasion that I would go to a party, and I saw all these beautiful girls making out with guys at the end of the night, I used to think there was something wrong with me, that I just wasn’t pretty enough to be wanted.”
“That’s bullshit,” Nolan said sharply.
An ugly knot squeezed in your chest. “What?”
“There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re beautiful, and if those stupid college boys couldn’t see that, then that’s their loss.”
Oh.
Oh.
Your lips parted in shock, cheeks heating softly while Nolan blushed fiercely, but he didn’t take back his words. He really was that sweet, sweet boy still, wasn’t he?
“That’s sweet of you to say, Nolan. I got over it eventually? Only a handful of friends there knew and they never brought it up, so no-one ever made a big deal of it? By the time senior year came around I was too busy with classes and assignments anyway, and the novelty of it all wore off. When I graduated two years ago, I came straight back home for work and you already know my opinion of the boys round here.”
You rolled your eyes with your last words, making Nolan laugh, which only settled you even further.
“I guess…I guess I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t know what I’m missing out on, so it’s not really something I think about?” you shrugged.
“I still can’t believe that no guy has swept you off your feet,” Nolan said, frowning, “beauty, brains, and you’re actually a nice person? I don’t get it.”
“Believe it,” you mused, “But I accept your compliments all the same.”
Nolan chewed his bottom lip for a moment, seeming to think heavily again, before he caught your eyes with an expression you couldn’t read.
“Can I kiss you?”
Your breath hitched in your throat, your heartbeat racing. What?
“I don’t want a pity kiss,” you managed to choke out.
He’d never been cruel before, not like this.
Nolan’s face froze for a moment, before he rapidly shook his head.
“Holy shit, no, that’s not why…you really think I’d kiss you out of pity?” he spluttered.
“What other conclusion was I meant to reach after this ridiculous conversation?” you shot back, heart still racing.
But his frown persisted, even as he reached forward to take one of your hands.
“I think you’re beautiful, I’ve already told you that. I think every guy who hasn’t kissed you is a fucking idiot. Obviously if you don’t want to kiss me then I won’t push it because I’m not that kind of asshole. But the offer is open if you want to,” Nolan explained, “You’re my friend, and there are literally no stakes here, no pressure, and you deserve to have a first kiss with someone that isn’t going to be a dick about it.”
That was quite possibly the most you’d ever heard him speak in one go, and every single one of his words sent your head swirling. Could it really be that easy? Kissing Nolan just to say you’d kissed someone?
“I do mean it, no pressure. If you want me to leave, I will. If you don’t want to kiss me, then just let me know and it changes nothing about our friendship. If you…”
“You can kiss me,” you said suddenly, interrupting him before you could even process the words leaving your mouth, “I trust you. I know you won’t make fun of me for not knowing what I’m doing.”
“I would never,” he said seriously.
He cheeks were a little pink again though. That was a good thing, right?
“Do you want to, um, how should we…?”
You trailed off, your own cheeks flooding with heat as Nolan huffed out a laugh.
“Just like this,” he said softly.
You caught a flash of his rare soft smile as he cupped your face with his hand, barely remembering to take a breath before his lips were pressed to yours. You knew enough to close your eyes, leaning forward enough to rest your hand on his thigh for balance, but every other thought was consumed with the feeling of Nolan’s lips on yours. You’d expected him to pull away immediately, but Nolan didn’t – instead, he moved his lips slowly against your own and it was all you could do to mimic his motions, your blood surging through your veins like liquid fire as your heart raced.
You really had been missing out all these years.
Or maybe it was just Nolan.
At that thought, you broke the kiss, closing your eyes as you rested your forehead against his, not having the functioning thought processes to move any further.
“Wow.”
Nolan’s murmur cut through the cloud in your mind, and it was all you could do to laugh as you finally sat upright, opening your eyes to look at his flushed face.
“Was that okay?” you found yourself asking, wincing as the words left your mouth.
“Okay? Babe you’re a fucking natural,” Nolan laughed.
Really?
You didn’t know what your face looked like – you could only hope it wasn’t ridiculous – but Nolan’s face softened, and he took your hand in his again. “I mean it, okay? You’re an amazing kisser.”
You let out a shaky breath, nodding even as you felt stupid for needing that reassurance. At least you knew Nolan wouldn’t lie to you.
“We can always practice some more if you want to be sure yourself though.”
His smooth offer was almost successful, if it wasn’t for the red on his cheeks giving him away. He…liked kissing you?
“I’m sure more practice couldn’t hurt. Only if it’s not going to be a burden on your time, of course,” you said, smiling innocently.
Nolan just grinned. “Oh I think we can work something out.”
45 notes · View notes
buttercupjosh · 7 months
Text
nineteen
Tumblr media
(Gif credit to @fivehole)
word count: 5,152
warnings: none
genres: strangers to lovers to ex’s, a bit sad, somewhat happy ending
A/N: To start, I know that Nolan’s not as popular anymore and his future in the NHL is looking a bit bleak but despite that, this story exists. This story is based off of the songs, the Hayley Williams cover of Nineteen by Tegan and Sara, (which is where the title comes from), You All Over Me by Taylor Swift feat Maren Morris and Last Kiss by Taylor Swift (I highly recommend listening to those songs before reading. I’m taking vibes, elements and references from them and putting them in the story and listening will also help with understanding the plot). I’ve wanted to write a fic based off of those songs for a while and my vision for the story works best with Nolan. It’s set in a timeline format by the hockey season. It’s written with a female reader in mind because I’m a female of color but the reader doesn’t specifically have to be a POC or a woman and there’s no dialogue. As always, I’m open to any and all feedback, comments or questions; just put them in my inbox or dm me. Thank you so much in advance for reading, I appreciate it😌
(P.S. I have other stories (linked here) that I have written for other players as well if you want to check it out)
“You were mine, always but now you’re gone. Look what we’ve become, just another sad song of a love gone wrong.” -Pictures by Judah and the Lion feat. Kacey Musgraves
2017-18
Nolan could feel you in his limbs before he ever met you and he could feel you in his life before he ever thought to. How can you feel someone that you don’t even know yet? On the day you met, Nolan felt an unexplained tingle in his body. He was dreading having to go to the DMV but he misplaced his license so on a rare weekday off, he went to get a replacement license. Nolan really needed his license; he legally couldn’t drive without it. He could only imagine the chaos that would ensue if the recently 2nd overall NHL draft pick was pulled over and caught driving without his license so he couldn’t put off getting it done. To top it off, Nolan felt this weird tingling sensation in his body so he mentally made a note to talk about it with the team doctor. Travis (TK) kindly dropped Nolan off at the DMV and continued with his other plans for the off day. For you, you had some time after your classes to pop into the DMV to renew your license, which was going to expire soon because your birthday was coming up.
That tingling feeling that Nolan was experiencing went away when you first interacted with each other in that crowded waiting room back in 2018, in the middle of his first season with the Flyers. The softness in your voice asking if the seat next to him was taken directly contrasted with the deepness of Nolan’s voice. It was going to be a long wait so to pass the time, you and Nolan started talking to each other. Nolan usually was against unnecessary small talk and preferred to keep to himself but chatting with you felt different. Throughout these conversations, you learned little details about each other; details that would be held onto throughout the course of your relationship. You learned that Nolan was actually a funny guy behind his intimidating demeanor and he learned that you deeply valued family. The connection that you had made in the hours of waiting felt special to Nolan. You didn’t even know each other for that long and that well but it was almost like you could feel each other in your hearts as you talked. Since Nolan had arrived before you did, his number was called sooner so he left first. Before leaving, he quickly wrote his number down on the back of the waiting room ticket.
Later that same day, you sent Nolan a text to check in on him and that started a long text chain between the two of you. In the beginning of your friendship, Nolan definitely had his walls up but as you got to know more about each other, the walls came down. Nolan enjoyed talking to you because you made him feel like a regular person, not some superstar; the pressure of being a high NHL draft pick disappeared in the chats that you shared. Over time, he became more comfortable and trusting with you, even inviting you to his games and team events and telling his teammates about you. You began falling for each other and your relationship grew from texting buddies to friends to lovers. Your relationship with Nolan was quiet but it worked well that way. There was a slow introduction to the most important people in your lives; you’ll never forget how your father complimented Nolan’s handshake and how that handshake indicated to him that Nolan was a strong man and your mother admired how Nolan treated you so well. Nolan didn’t want outsiders to judge and ridicule his relationship with you so there were no direct social media posts of your presence in each other’s lives –only small snippets of his face or hands in your Instagram story posts, listening to songs that you liked or that reminded him of you on his story posts and location tags of being at the same place– but the right people knew you were together. There were also fun things, like surprise flowers and other gifts at your door, inside jokes, and secret road trips down to the beaches on the Jersey Shore. You were down so bad for Nolan and he could make you melt like ice cream on a hot June day with just one look. Nolan was down badly too; he tried to be all cool and push it aside but as soon as you walked into the room or opened his car door, the heat in his cheeks would rise and it was game over. The first year of your relationship together was so amazing until things changed.
————————————————————
2018-19
Due to your summer internship commitments, you only got to spend 2 weeks in Winnipeg with Nolan before school started back up at the end of August. Nolan was anxious about you coming to his safe space of his hometown; it rained the day you arrived and the smell of rain brought comfort to him. As both a test and a joke, you ran towards your boyfriend in the airport to see how he would respond. Nolan saw you running at him and his first reaction was to open his arms to catch you; having you in his arms meant everything to him.
Nolan isn’t a man of many words but being with you made him want to sing. On your first night in Winnipeg, Nolan took you to a bonfire party to meet some of his friends. At the party, you mixed and mingled with the people who Nolan trusted the most. Nolan even pulled you in for a dance, which surprised you because he knew that you weren’t much of a dancer and also that he would bust out a move in front of so many people. After the party flamed out, you and Nolan drove back to his house and by the time you arrived, it was almost 2 am. Before going inside, Nolan had looked at you with those blue eyes of his that you adored and you could sense that he was nervous; something was up. Nolan took a deep breath and told you that he loved you for the first time in that same deep voice that captivated you when you first met and you repeated it back to him. You always knew in your heart that you loved Nolan but hearing him say it meant so much more.
Summer Nolan was much more laid back and chill than Hockey Season Nolan. During your time in his hometown, Nolan showed you around the place that shaped him into who he was and let you meet the people who impacted him along the way; he even drove you all the way out to Brandon to see his old stomping grounds before he was drafted. It wouldn’t be summer unless he also took you fishing, hunting, and out for a day on the golf course as well. You got along well with Nolan’s family and meshed great with them. By the time you left to return to Philly, Nolan was already looking forward to bringing you back home to Winnipeg for many summers to come.
After you had left, Nolan was doing some summer training and unexpectedly started experiencing some migraines; he had experienced injuries and concussions before but this wasn’t like that. Due to Nolan’s career choice as a hockey player, he had access to the best doctors and specialists in the country so that helped relieve some of the stress that came with having a chronic illness. His migraines came with good and bad days and one of those bad days came as a test when you were together.
The first time you had ever spent the night at Nolan’s place in Philadelphia, he had a random migraine. Thankfully, it wasn’t so bad that he would miss time from playing; Nolan was still trying to navigate his newfound diagnosis but he handled it the best way that he could. At the time, he was living with Kevin (you were taking things slow and hadn’t talked about moving in together yet) so you weren’t originally planning on staying overnight but Nolan really needed you there. You weren’t trained like a doctor or nurse to take care of him but you did everything in your power to make him feel as comfortable as possible and to help to alleviate his pain. The only thing that helped Nolan was laying down in the dark with no light and you cautiously lay beside him in the darkness of his bedroom. Whenever you were sick as a child, one of your parents would come into your room to make sure you were breathing okay on your own and you did the same for Nolan. You watched him as he slept and could feel him breathe. That evening was a bit rough but Nolan was so grateful that you sacrificed your time to be with him during an unexpected, difficult situation. Like anything else in life, there would always be ups and downs but you would always be there to take care of him, no matter what.
————————————————————
2019-20 and 2020-21
Nolan continued to miss time away from the team and he did his best to try to get healthy enough to return to play but it took more time than expected. Patience would end up becoming an important, key virtue throughout your relationship. During this time, you graduated early from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor’s in Public Health and Nolan was super proud of you, beaming with joy from watching his lover achieve such a great accomplishment. You decided to take a year off from school before going back to get your Master’s degree in Epidemiology but then in early 2020, a pandemic hit; suddenly, you were hunkering down in Canada with Nolan and his family, your hope-to-someday-be in-laws. The world that you all knew was changing dramatically. The NHL season paused for a bit and started back up in a bubble-style tournament but due to his extended absence and health concerns, the Flyers and Nolan’s doctors felt like it was best for him to continue his recovery instead of having him come down to play in Toronto and Edmonton. You could sense the hurt from Nolan having to watch his team play in the playoffs without him and you felt that same pain, both sharing the hope for things to get better.
After the Flyers season concluded in late 2020, Nolan’s health had stabilized by then and he felt confident about returning to play so the Flyers gave him a contract for the shortened 2020-21 season. That condensed season was a bit brutal on Nolan since he hadn’t played professionally in over a year and the team wasn’t in the best condition at the time but he tried his best to persevere through it. He had a minor setback when Phillippe Myers accidentally hit him with a puck mid-game but thankfully, Nolan only missed 2 games and finished out the season without another injury. You saw a light in Nolan’s eyes when he played; a light that both shined and dimmed as time would go on.
The Flyers missed the 2021 playoffs and Nolan was so appreciative for the time off to recover but he also felt fearful for what was to come for the future. Nolan wanted to escape the criticism and pressure from being in Philly so during the 2021 off-season, he talked to you about his plans for leaving. He thought your input was super important and you were supportive of whatever he chose to do and were open to moving wherever he ended up.
The trade to Vegas was a bit surprising because there was no solid guarantee of where he was going to play but you were both grateful for the chance that the team took on Nolan and to open to this new chapter. It wasn’t easy leaving everything you knew behind in Philly but there was something exciting waiting for the both of you in the desert. You originally wanted to finish grad school in Philly but took a pause on your studies to move with Nolan to Vegas; this was also going to be the first time you had lived together. Living in Vegas had its expected highs and lows but you both made the best of the new city. You still kept in contact with some of the Flyers WAGs and made new friends with Golden Knights ladies, discovered new things to love about each other and the new place you lived. Yes, there still were some setbacks with Nolan’s health and his play needed some adjusting but it was okay because he was glad to be back on the ice and starting over somewhere new. Things were looking fine for both of you until February 16, 2022.
————————————————————
2021-22
You had a rare weekday off so you trekked down to T-Mobile Arena to go watch Nolan play. That game happened to be against the Colorado Avalanche; conference rivalry games always had some sort of chaos and drama but this time, that drama and chaos hit too close to home. As you sat in the stands, chatting away with the other WAGs, something devastating happened. Early in the first period, Nolan got hit. The hit was brutal to watch and you angrily cursed Nathan MacKinnon’s name for what he did to your man. You had always known that hockey was aggressive and physical but this hit ignited both a rage and sadness within you. During the game, you left to meet with the team doctor to discuss Nolan’s prognosis; it was a head injury so you knew what was coming ahead and you had to drive him home. You always liked when Nolan let you drive his car but this time it was different. The car ride back home was very quiet, the only noise was the sound of the other cars around you and the clicks of the turn signal. Every time you saw Nolan hurting, it made your heart break a little. You loved him so much that seeing him in pain made you feel pain and you wished that you could just erase the pain that Nolan dealt with and make him 100% better.
Nolan eventually did return to play before getting hurt again and playing his last game on March 24. After his final game, there was a shift in Nolan and the light in his eyes disappeared. His migraines continued to be on and off but the time away allowed them to stabilize for a bit. During his hiatus from hockey, Nolan became more distant and less affectionate with you. You tried to let his actions not bother you but it silently hurt you. You knew Nolan was upset with the way how his hockey season ended and you tried to comfort him and distract him from his pain but it wasn’t enough for him; it was terrifying to watch him fade away like that. Nolan was hurting a lot, not only physically but emotionally. He couldn’t quite fully escape the injuries and the lingering pressure of returning to hockey was always there. Everything in his life was centered around hockey; his identity, his goals, and the conversations people had about and with him. It was almost like he resented the sport that he was the most grateful for; hockey was the only thing people seemed to know him for and that was gone. The loss of Nolan’s hockey career would be a very challenging loss that he would grieve over but you were right there by his side to support him during this difficult time.
Throughout his recovery time, Nolan began to get rid of anything and everything that reminded him of the life that he once had but didn’t have anymore. First, it was removing the social media posts. Then, it was unfollowing his old teammates and so-called friends who never checked in on him. Finally, it was hurting you. At the end of the 2022 season, Nolan requested that you have a deep serious talk together. In the back of your mind, you knew that something big was coming; Nolan was already distant with you so maybe he needed some more time and space from you. He dropped the already expected and painful news but it didn’t make it hurt any less. Nolan expressed that you deserved better than him and being around you, unfortunately, reminded him both of his past and of a future life that he couldn’t give to you. You didn’t care about those things and it didn’t matter what he could or couldn’t do because all you wanted was him but Nolan already made up his mind to end the relationship.
You couldn’t believe that he would just give up on what you had but he did. Nolan told you he loved you so frequently but now, the feelings of love were going away. You already knew Nolan was devastated with the way his hockey career and life derailed but you never would have imagined him hurting you because of that. You were already there with him through some of the toughest moments for him and were willing to continue to stay through them; if you didn’t love Nolan as much as you did, you would have left sooner. Naturally, you tried to reason with him but everything was pointing towards the end of your relationship. It frustrated you that Nolan wanted to break up for good instead of just taking time apart from each other; you were willing to give him the time and space he desired and the hope of you possibly come back together lingered around throughout the air. You had Nolan but he ended up burning you; you thought your relationship was so solid and strong, that these setbacks and other things wouldn’t break it down but it shattered everything you built together.
Nolan blamed being young in love and wanting to meet new people as a reason for wanting to separate. Deep down, he wanted to be with someone who didn’t know or had any connection to his hockey days so that he could leave that part of himself behind; Nolan just wanted a blank slate to start over from it all but that came at the expense of the beautiful relationship you spent years in. Breaking up with you was like watching a part of himself die; you and Nolan were always separate individuals but your relationship interconnected you together in such a profound way. Nolan’s honest confession to end the relationship hurt so deeply; you could feel the pain in your chest and Nolan could feel the pain of what he did rattling in his bones. It was almost like that tingling feeling Nolan felt the day when you first met returned back.
This breakup was 100% one of those “it’s not you, it’s me” moments. Nolan felt bad about breaking your heart but he felt like the only way for him to get peace from his past wasn’t to carry things from it into his future. He wanted out because of himself, not because you were a bad person or something you did; Nolan truly did have a catch on his hands being with you but he couldn’t hold on much longer so he let you go. You held out and held on to your relationship with Nolan for so long; you sacrificed so much to be and stay with him but Nolan just didn’t want to continue. At the time, it was hard to understand why he didn’t fight for your relationship harder but maybe it was a sign that Nolan wasn’t the one for you and you were never really meant to be.
At least once every day since the first time it was shared, you would tell each other “I love you.” Now, all you could say to each other was goodbye. You could see in Nolan’s eyes that he was trying his hardest to not cry but he did anyway. For one last time, Nolan held you in his arms in a tender embrace as the both of you lost tears. Normally, a couple that just broke up wouldn’t do this but Nolan tilted your head up towards him and sealed the end of your storied relationship with a final tear-soaked kiss.
Over the course of the next few days, you packed up your respective things and began the separation, silently removing things from your shared space. Throughout your packing, you both found little mementos from your relationship; things like the paper ticket Nolan wrote his number on when he first met you, the gold N necklace Nolan gave you on your first anniversary, the birthday card you gave Nolan when he turned 23 last year, a bottle of your perfume that was Nolan’s favorite. You had also found some of Nolan’s clothes that he had given you over the years you were together. The world that you had known together had turned around and it was a lot to process; you really were beginning to enjoy your new home but now, you both had to return back to your old one. Thankfully, one of your local friends let you stay at her place in the meantime until everything was in place for you to return back to Philadelphia and Nolan stayed at the apartment. You were all his and Nolan was all yours but that was all gone. Leaving you behind wasn’t easy but he did it anyway. It was wild how you moved to Vegas at the start of the 2021-22 season and by the time the season ended in April 2022, the relationship was over.
The 2022 off-season was supposed to be different this time. At the start of the year, you and Nolan had made plans to explore Europe for an off-season couple’s trip but before the start of the summer, that trip never happened. Flights and hotels were refunded; the diamond ring Nolan had planned on proposing to you with on the trip was returned to the jewelry store. Nolan went back to his happy place at home with his family but returning to Winnipeg without you this time did hurt him a bit. As expected with returning back, Nolan had to deal with the whispers and rumors that came from people who had no idea what he was going through.
The only bright side of the otherwise sad off-season was that Nolan’s quality of life improved a lot as his migraines continued to get better with the time off; he eventually found a good regime to help him cope and he was able to do some of the things he loved, like golfing and listening to loud music. While he was home, Nolan cooked up a good plan to fly back to Philadelphia to convince you to take him back but that was all in his head; he hadn’t been to Philly since you both moved to Vegas for the trade and he never did return to play a game there. Nolan couldn’t bring himself to go back to the city that was home at one point but isn’t anymore so he let the plan go and let time pass by.
————————————————————
2022-23
The 2022 off-season turned into Nolan not returning to the NHL at all. The Vegas Golden Knights ended up winning the Stanley Cup in 2023 without him; it hurt the both of you to see Nolan’s old team succeed at achieving one of his goals. Despite the progress made in Nolan’s recovery, playing hockey full-time unfortunately never really made its way back into the picture for him.
Nolan still quietly kept tabs on you, watching you from the sidelines. You finished up your Master’s degree program and he was proud of you again, just like he was when you graduated with your Bachelor’s degree. It had been over a year since you last talked to Nolan. You tried to keep tabs on Nolan but he wasn’t really close with anyone from his old teams anymore and you only saw brief glimpses of him through his Winnipeg friends. You romantically moved on with someone new, someone who fulfilled the “if he wanted to, he would” that Nolan chose not to meet. Nolan moved on too, he met a girl in an online support group for athletes whose careers were derailed by injuries. His new girlfriend met the requirement of no hockey connections and she was great; he deeply loved and cared for her, just like he did for you.
Despite the amount of freedom you had from each other since the break up, you weren’t fully clean and still had pieces of each other left lingering all over you. You would never look at a vehicle with muddy tires the same way –they reminded you of when you and Nolan went to Hawaii for All-Star Break, rented a Jeep, and explored the island–, you would never look at anything related to ham and cheese without thinking of Nolan’s pre-game meal and how you missed going to watch him play, the migraine medication commercials made you think about the treatments that didn’t work and wondered what was helping him now. Nolan was notoriously known for his privacy and for being a lurker so you had no idea if he had truly missed you.
Sometimes, Nolan did miss you but he wasn’t going to let you know that. When the Italian restaurant that you had gone to on your first date closed down, Nolan wanted to talk to you to reminisce on those good times but he didn’t reach out, he couldn’t see orange juice without thinking about how he always kept a bottle in the fridge for you, plaid always reminded him of the flannels you wore in the fall, hearing certain songs on the radio made him wonder if you would like this song. One day, while figuring out what to listen to, Nolan came across the playlist. During your relationship, Nolan made a secret playlist called “y/n-core” and it contained all of the songs you liked and songs that reminded him of you. He listened to it whenever he missed you; when you found out about it, you made a similar playlist for him. Music was something important to both of you so deleting the playlist was hard so you both kept it; Nolan would secretly listen to it whenever he missed you and look back at old photos from when you were together and when you missed him, you would put on one of his old shirts and play it as a coping mechanism.
Looking back at the relationship, some questions began to arise. Were there any warning signs that you missed beforehand that could have indicated that the relationship was doomed? Could you blame Nolan for wanting a change? Could you blame Nolan for not changing his mind and not wanting to reconcile what you had? Could Nolan blame you for moving on when he didn’t want to stay together? Neither of you would have ever thought your relationship would have ended the way it did. It started off like a beautiful love song but it crumbled like a piece of paper when it ended. Neither of you would say that you wasted your time being together because you lived and learned throughout your relationship; you both carried those things into your new relationships. Even though you’re not sure if you’ll ever see or hear from him again, you had hoped that Nolan was doing okay and he had the same hope for you. Over time, you forgave Nolan for what he did and Nolan forgave himself for his actions. You understood why Nolan broke your heart the way that he did; he did it because he loved you so much that he willingly walked away from you so that someone better could come into the picture. Nolan’s capacity for love was enough for you but he saw it differently so you had to fully accept his decision.
Even though you’ve both moved on to new partners, your name and Nolan’s name still lingered on each other’s lips whenever either of you kissed your new lover. Sometimes, you missed the moments when Nolan would randomly interrupt you with a kiss (your new partner wouldn’t attempt such a thing) and Nolan actually missed doing it to you and couldn’t bring himself to continue that with his new girlfriend. Every now and then, the feelings of missing each other would occasionally sink in and you both would miss and think about the other. You both hated missing each other because you both had new lovers, but that didn’t prevent those feelings coming up. Sometimes, you both wished that the other would call but those calls would never come and you had to let each other go. If you somehow did end up back together, it would cause more pain than love; how do you fully trust someone who hurt you so much? You both still carried a little of the love you shared together but things would never go back to being the same. After being out of touch for so long, there was no point in trying to revitalize the relationship you had together or to even try attempting to be friends because you were both on different roads and chapters in life. The last drop of rain from the storm of your relationship dried off the pavement and there were no physical stains left behind.
————————————————————
20xx-xx (Epilogue)
Many years later, when you were chilling with your new partner at your apartment, they accidentally spilled water on their shirt so you gave them one of Nolan’s old practice shirts to wear. Seeing your new lover wear something from your old lover made you short-circuit for a minute. How can someone that you love now look so good in something that belonged to someone you loved before? Your new lover also asked you to marry them underneath a pillow fort while wearing Nolan’s old shirt with your dream ring and the date this occurred was the 19th. On a warm sandy beach somewhere, Nolan proposed to his new girlfriend on the exact same day with the same ring you wanted (his now fiancee’s dream ring). Throughout your relationship with Nolan, the number 19 started appearing more in your life and started holding more importance to you because of him. It was Nolan’s jersey number in Philadelphia (changed to 41 in Vegas), his birthday was on the 19th of September, it was part of the address of the first place you lived together, and it was the age that you fell in love with each other. The number nineteen meant something significant to the both of you and neither of you would ever forget it.
40 notes · View notes
hockeyboysimagines · 9 months
Note
Hey friend! So excited for these blurbs! Could you do number 9 with my all time favourite couple, Nolan and Sawyer? ♥️🥰
Hi friend!! Thanks for this. It was so fun to write. I hope you like it!!
“This is beautiful.” Sawyer remarked as Nolan set down their bags.
She was right. It was.
The hotel room was large and spacious, wall to wall windows, cathedral ceilings, and a large four poster canopy bed in the center of the room. Nolan looked out the window across the beach which was right outside their balcony.
This was a much needed vacation after the stress of his last season in Philly, and before the start of their new life in Las Vegas. It was one of the last fun things they would have time to do before they made the trip to Vegas and got settled in.
“Yeah it’s nice. So what do you wanna do first? The beach?”
She turned and frowned “Sure. I figured you’d be tired and wanna lay down though.”
He shook his head “My head is fine Sawyer. I don’t wanna waste vacation being bedridden.”
He was tired, but there was more important things to do than take a nap.
When she had suggested a beach trip, he immediately said yes.
Nolan HATED the beach. The sun was too sunny. The sand was too sandy, and there was always people acting a fool. But the thought of getting to spend that much time seeing Sawyer in a bikini outweighed all of those things, so he would put up with sun, sand and dumbasses for the week.
“So…..” he smiled at her and nodded out the window “The beach?”
She grinned and opened her suitcase pulling out a pink bathing suit, and changed. Nolan was salivating as he watched her get dressed and made their way down to the beach.
And that’s what he did the next three days. Anytime they were hanging out in their room.
“Hey let’s go to the beach.”
“Beach?”
“Nah just leave your suit on, we can go to the beach.”
“Okay what gives?” She said on the fourth day. She was wearing a bathing suit, hands on her hips after Nolan had suggested another beach outing.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes you do. You hate the beach.” She laughed “You’ve always hated the beach and now all of a sudden you wanna spend every spare minute on it.”
“I just-since you like the beach you’d wanna spend some time on it that’s all. I wanna make sure you get the full beach experience.”
“Uh huh.” She was frowning at him with her eyebrows raised. He knew she wasn’t buying it, and he was a terrible liar especially to her “You just wanna make sure I get the full beach experience?”
“Yes.”
“Your a bad liar you know.”
He sighed and nodded looking at his legs “Yeah I know.”
“If I find out you wanted to come here just to get me in swimwear for a week, I’ll never let you forget it.”
“I wouldn’t-I mean I just-“ but she was laughing and then he did too.
“Oh Nolan.” She said with a small smile.
“I like seeing you in a bikini. Sue me.” He said throwing his hands up.
She turned and smiled, reaching a hand up and tugged at the string of her top, pulling it loose “Oh yeah? How about out of my bikini? Do you like that too?”
Nolan smiled as the top fell very slowly to the floor.
Maybe the beach wasn’t so bad after all.
20 notes · View notes
anonymouspinkturtle · 5 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
In From The Cold by @makeit-takeit Travis Konecny/Nolan Patrick, 70K, Rated E Part of the Journeymen series
Nolan’s learned more in the last few months than he ever really thought he’d care to know about the petroleum industry and the habits of the guys who live in the camps and work the rigs on the oil patch up north, but here he is – caring or whatever.
At least insofar as it relates to Travis, and by extension, to himself.
He’s not sure exactly what it is about Travis that’s got him down so fucking bad, like, other than the obvious. And while a cute face and nice shoulders, ripped abs and a fat dick are maybe not easy to find, necessarily, they’re not really enough to explain why Nolan spent two full months trying to coax some fully repressed, extremely skittish 30-year-old closet case to actually meet him in person – not to mention pretty much all his free time, ever since the first time Travis actually came through, obsessively trying to lure him back again.
Outside of hockey, this whole cat and mouse game he’s got going with Travis has basically become Nolan’s one and only hobby.
135 notes · View notes
2-fast-2-curious · 10 months
Note
i like your blog so much! i’d like to ask you for a nolan patrick audio 🥺 that would be really really cool
Tumblr media
I'm always a sucker for the soft stuff so of course I chose the praise audio
Tumblr media
[M4F] Frat boy PRAISES you over his project at a party
[MDOM] [Two audios] [Praise] [Degradation] [Pussy Eating] [Listener orgasm] [Speaker orgasm] [Cunnilingus] [REALLY NICE] [Embarrassment] lots of [kisses] [moaning] [slaps]
Creator Reddit: u/UrSwitchyBf
206 notes · View notes
lovefoolthatsme · 7 months
Text
Tumblr media
It seems hard to believe but I promise it’s just about possible to survive an orville peck and nolan patrick convergence…
Art for Centrifugal Motion by honeydripping (@andfasterthings)
76 notes · View notes
greazyfloz · 11 months
Note
Hi. Could you write number 2 off the fluff list for Nolan Patrick? Thank you and have a good day.
Fluff: 2. “Stop looking at me like that” “I can’t help it, you’re just so beautiful” w/ Nolan Patrick
Tumblr media
Honeymoon
It's our second day of our honeymoon and we are currently in Amalfi, Italy. I woke up before Nolan and quickly but quickly, making sure I didn't wake up Nolan made my way to the sitting room which was attached to our room. I grabbed the book off the coffee table and then headed out to the deck.
I didn't even hear Nolan creep his way quietly onto the deck until the lounge chair beside me made the floor boards of the resorts deck creek as he sat down. I look over and Nolan stops himself from fully sitting down, seeing he disturbed me from my book not meaning to, to make his way over to plant a kiss on my forehead but I lean my head backwards so he can connect his lips with mine instead.
"Mornin' beautiful" he says as he pulls away and plops down on the lounger beside me.
"Hi" I smile back closing my book and setting it on the table beside me
"Keep reading, we don't have to go just yet" he assures me.
Today we had plans to hike the coast then afterwards go down to the beach and relax but I really only felt like doing the relaxing part, even though the hike was my idea.
"Can we just go down to the beach and relax instead?"
"No hike?"
"Nah" i say as I stand from my spot, "I'm going to get changed, then we can head down to the restaurant for breakfast" I tell him leaving him out on the deck.
I quickly get changed into a simply white bikini then slide on some light wash jean overalls before grabbing my crochet purse and sliding on some flip flops before heading back out to the deck.
"Ready?" Nolan asks me with a smile and I nod smiling back at him then grab his hand before we leave our villa. We walk hand in hand to the resorts little restaurant to grab a quick bite to eat before heading down to the beach.
The hill was steep and my flip flops were becoming uncomfortable between my toes so I slide them off and began walking barefoot down the rocky road
"What are you doing?" Nolan laughs watching me cautiously walk on the rocky ground
"My feet hurt"
"Well get on my back then" he laughs
"I'm fine" I say being stubborn
"Alright then" he says laughing slightly. As we continue walking down the hill I look over and catch Nolan staring at me grinning as he watches me struggle down the hill.
"Stop looking at me like that" I say to him smiling as I shake my head
"Like what?"
"You're staring at me with a huge grin on your face"
"I can't help it, you're just so beautiful" he says making my cheeks burn red, even married to the man he can still manage to make me blush
"Stop" I say covering my face slightly
"Are you blushing?" Nolan asks me teasingly
"Don't you dare tease me for blushing, rosey cheek boy"
"Hey!" he laughs out
We make it down to the beach and dress down into our bathing suits before I decide to put my feet in the water to heal them from the walk. Nolan races behind me as I made my way picking me up and running me down into the water.
When he drops me I hang on tightly to his shoulders so I don't fall, but instead I lower my self into the water. "You're lucky" I say to him splashing him as I let out a slight giggle
"You're right" he smiles down at me bringing me in close and kissing my lips.
133 notes · View notes
puckingfabulous · 6 months
Text
Tumblr media
Just dropped chapter twenty of HOCKEY BOYS ARE SHAMELESS. This baby is almost done. Two chapters to go, although they’re not short, so there’s definitely some to go. LINK HERE
I’m using this pic of Quinn because can I tell you how much I can’t believe they did a photo shoot where it literally looks like he’s working at The Flying Biscuit?!
Here’s the story blurb. It’s part of a series but will totally stand on its own.
When Quinn’s favorite Flyer, one Joel Farabee, takes an unexpected interest in him at a holiday party, he’s floored and enticed. After all, he’s even got a secret Pinterest board for Farabee. Still, Quinn knows firsthand that two alphas have no business in a romantic relationship, no matter how smoking hot his favorite winger might be.
Joel, of course, has other plans—and he didn’t become a first round draft pick by laying back when he sees exactly what he wants.
45 notes · View notes
mrszegras · 9 months
Text
Tumblr media
restricting my sad nolpat edits time to 1 hour a day
82 notes · View notes
unluckyhoneybee · 9 months
Text
You are so mean (Nolan Patrick)
You were mean, but he loved that. Angst+fluff
Note: Mean!Reader. the friends are oc. It's long, it wasn't on my plans but I got carried away.
Warnings: I don't know if there is any, just tell me if you find something.
Tumblr media
Nolan opened the door and was greeted by a loud and already drunk Mark. He hugged him and patted his back repeatedly.
"Happy birthday, dude" He told his friend.
"Thank you, man. Where is my gift?"
Nolan rolled his eyes and lifted the beers he had bought. "Only for you. Homemade by some old man"
"You know me"
Nolan walked in and said hi to the others or at least the people he knew. He then walked to the kitchen to grab something to drink. That's the first time he saw you. You were talking so Elsa and Marie. He frowned because he had never seen you around. Or had he? You looked so familiar.
"YN" Georgie simply said. "She was with us in school, then left. She is back in the town now"
It clicked. "She? YN? Didn't she punch you once?"
"Twice"
Nolan laughed and George elbowed him.
"And how has she been? Like, what has she done?"
"Good luck with that"
"What do you mean?"
"To talk to her is harder than to talk to you"
Nolan rolled his eyes but turned to look at her. She was laughing. She seemed nice.
"She is hot" Nolan muttered.
"Her personality takes all the hotness. I don't even think she is interested in anyone at all" Georgie looked up at Nolan once, the twice. "What are you thinking of?"
"She is pretty." Nolan mumbled. He could say way more stuff, but it wasn't George's business. Nolan liked how your hair looked, the clothes you wore and how your hand moved when you spoke.
"50 bucks if you get her to smile"
"She is laughing, dude"
"I mean. She laughs and smile and all. But not at us. Only at them. She only likes Elisa and Marie, she hates everyone else."
Nolan looked at you. "She is not wrong"
"You are an idiot" Georgie said. "50 bucks."
"I don't want your money, George"
"Then what do you want?"
"Her" He said it so confidently that he surprised himself.
George chuckled. "Good luck"
Nolan rolled his eyes. You couldn't be that bad. He was sure he could be worse.
"Don't need it"
He started walking in your direction and Elisa caught him halfway. She lifted her arm and loudly called his name.
"This people know me, no need to shout, Eli" He chuckled.
"Come here, I haven't seen you in ages"
Elisa hugged tight and effusively. She planted a big kiss on his cheek and he groaned. "Enough, Grandma"
You were watching the scene. What was all the fuss about him? You didn't understand.
"Hey, give me some" Marie teased. "How have you been, Patty?"
"Good"
"Only good? You spent like two months away and that's all you have to say" Marie scolded him.
"It was a pleasant experience, Marie" He ironically said with a smirk on his lips.
You were carefully analizing him. You remembered him well, the weirdo with dry sense of humor too obsessed with hockey from your class. You had left quite early but he was already like that. You remember he pulled your braid once. You had watched a couple of his games and heard from him here and there, tragic story for a great younger player. Only thinking of it made you roll your eyes. He probably was so full on himself. As if his story deserved to be told on a movie.
"Anything to tell? Georgie said you were seeing someone"
Nolan rolled his eyes. "He said that, didn't he? Just a hook up. It's over"
You rolled your eyes and Nolan, that had been checking on your reaction, noticed.
"Do I know you?" He was asking on purpose.
You looked at him. "Maybe"
"Well, anything to say?"
"No, nothing. Why? Do you want me to congratulate you on having a hook up?"
Elisa and Marie shared a look. They saw this coming. Both of you would be a bomb together. Everyone on the friend group knew.
"Well, you seem thrilled"
"Oh sure, I am. Very interested on where you put your dick" You said and leaned forward with a big smile. "Tell me more about your passionate sex life. Have you ever made a girl come?"
Nolan tried to not look affected. Not like it really affected him. It was more of a surprise. He didn't imagine you being like that.
"I could teach you" He said. "Do you need lessons?"
"Oh no, don't worry. I'm very satisfied right now"
"You face doesn't tell the same"
Marie gasped. Wrong way, Patty.
"Are you saying that my mood is related to how satisfied I'm with my sex life? Hmhm? Do women moods depend only on sex? We have to be nice to men if they satisfy us? Because sweetheart, let me tell you that half of the nice and friendly women in this room would actually be lying"
Loss of words. That's how he would define himself.
"I wasn't implying anything"
"Oh you were. That's what you meant. Why would you say something like that then? Hmm? You are just like the others, Patty" You said his name on a mock tone.
"Yeah? And how could you know that if you barely know me?"
"Don't need to. I know how you guys are"
"How?"
"Big ego. Full on yourselves. Probably with a too big image of yourself too. Not much empathy and..."
Elise grabbed your hand. Nolan was barely breathing and he was giving you the eyes. He was pissed, so pissed.
"What?"
"We get it"
"Do you? Does he?"
"I get it yeah." He muttered. "You should get your ass out of your head, tho"
You chuckled.
"I'll start getting my head out of my ass"
Nolan blushed violently. He hadn't even noticed he said it wrong. He rolled his eyes.
"Cute rossy cheeks" You had obviously said that video and remember making fun of them when you were a kid.
He said nothing else. He just pinched Marie's cheek and ruffled Eloise's hair, purposely not paying more attention to you. Then, he left.
"That was..." Marie started.
You crossed your arms on your chest.
"I don't like him" You defended yourself.
"You don't know him"
"I don't need to"
"YN..."
"Elise..."
"Just be peaceful. Please."
You rolled your eyes.
"Please"
With a loud sigh, you nodded.
"He can be really nice. He is just... Nolan"
"I'm not going to buy it just because he is a hock-"
"Shit YN. He is more than that. I promise. He is a good guy."
"I don't need a guy"
"We are not asking you to marry him. Just be nice." Marie scolded you.
You looked at the girls and nodded.
Nolan had found a place with the guys and had opened a beer can. But his eyes were looking at you. You were a bitch, yeah. But he actually liked it. Was his ego hurt? A bit, yeah. He was used to the roughness in the ice, but this? You didn't even blink while talking to him. You had gotten him so nervous he even forgot how to speak. It had been arousing but not in a weird way. More like you were interesting, you had that wall around you, you were on defensive mode and had no fear of calling him out (even if some stuff you said was unfounded). He liked that. He liked that you didn't back up. Masochist? Probably.
"Pats" Georgie tapped his shoulder. "The bet is still up. 50 bucks"
Nolan looked st his friend and then at you. "Nah. I said I don't want your money" He took a big sip of his beer. If he was doing this, it wouldn't be because of money or some stupid bet.
"Only want her?"
"A bit more now"
"Now when she has just humiliated you and your rossy cheeks?"
"Don't make me throw you out of the window, Georgie"
"Oh... You liked the mean girl"
Your eyes crossed and Nolan gave you a small smirk, he was ready for more. You rolled your eyes and turned around. Another one. You thought. The one. He thought.
.
.
.
It was supposed to be a nice activity to connect with nature and have a good time, right? Gardering in the front garden, replanting some dead plants, cleaning the bird feeders... No. It was so fucking hot and the flies had decided to go all against you.
Nolan was tired. The past days had consisted on visiting people, meeting friends and having everyone around to see him. He hated to come back only for that. Why couldn't he just say hi and mind his own business? He had a bike and his fishing stuff on the back of the truck and he wanted to go and stay alone for the whole afternoon.
He was driving down the street, the windows were down and the music playing. His eyes were on the road, but he saw a figure having a quite comical fight with a tree. Then, as he got close, he recognized you and had to pull over. Maybe he could tease a bit and have fun. It would be the biggest lie if he said he hadn't thought about you one single time on the past days.
You had seen each other three or four times. Once on the supermarket where Nolan stole the bread you wanted with his tall boy privilege. Another one at Marie's on a pool afternoon. You had made fun of his sunburnt chest and he had flipped you off. But somehow a quick compliment disguised as an insult had made you nervously look around and clear your throat on a hurried search for a remark. For someone so dry, you look cute. It had left you speechless because why the hell would he think you are cute. You gave the complete opposite vibes. You weren't cute. No. Then, when you had all met for dinner and everyone had plotted so you were sitting next to each other. It seemed to be amusing how two people with those personalities did together. You had kept the composure then, but Nolan had tried so hard. He had teased you during the whole night, not a single smile directed to you but still. You didn't want to think of the rush you felt with every comment he made. You didn't want to think about how exciting it was tk have someone matching your energy, someone to challenge you.
At first you didn't hear the engine but then, when you stopped moving, you realized that there was another noise in the background fucking up with what should have been a nice afternoon. You turned around and saw the truck in there. The roll of your eyes was automatic. But so it was the quickening heartbeat. Stupid Patty and his rosy cheeks.
He had his glasses and cap as always and was looking at you with a smile. A smile. A fucking smile. He was smiling at you. It was so exhausting to fight Nolan Patrick.
"Hey" He said.
"Hey" You answered quite annoyed.
"Wow, as nice as always. A pleasure to see you again"
Nolan thought that even when you were all messy, you looked really pretty. It was real, the real YN on big worn-out clothes and dirty hands.
"What do you want? I'm busy."
"Doing what?"
"Sailing a boat" You ironically said.
He snorted a laugh and scratched his chin. Would you kill him if he asked what he was thinking?
"What are you looking at?"
"You." He shrugged. "Looking good"
"Fuck you"
"Come with me"
You laughed. Loudly. You were laughing so much.
"Me? No"
"Well, I'm going to the lake. Maybe fish. Ride the bike around..."
You frowned. And he wanted you to go with him?
"Come" He said.
"No" You shook your head. "We have met for dinner with the others"
"Well, okay"
Nolan was going to test you. You were stubborn as hell but he had seen you were interested. Even if it was only a bit. So he pressed the gas and your breath hitched for a second. He truly was going to leave.
It was a stupid move, you took a step forward and he smirked. Blush crept to your face when you realized that the car hadn't moved. Prick.
"Do you have a bike?" He asked.
You rolled your eyes. "I do"
"Then go and grab it."
Nolan watched you stomping around, washing your hands and grabbing the bike, which was hilarious because you ended up with your bike on the back of his truck and sitting next to him. You pretend to be upset for a bit, but in the end, the only thing he did was help you with the bike. It has all been you choosing to get in the car with him, making him strangely happy.
"Will you be here for long?"
You turned to look at him. He had stayed quiet during the whole time.
"Do you care?"
"Maybe" He smirked and rolled the windows down. The air hit your face and messed with your hair. Nolan chuckled when you scrunched your nose. "Cute"
"Stop. I'm not"
"Okay, you are not"
You stayed silent for a bit and the music filled the car.
"I'm staying for the summer"
He turned with a little smile. He was proud of himself.
"And then?"
"I'm figuring it out. Just as you" You seriously said.
Nolan felt it sink slow. You had paid attention to those conversations. You looked at him.
"Why did you pick me?"
"Because you looked annoyed" He said. "You seemed like you needed a break."
"I'm annoyed now, can I have a break?"
"You are not annoyed. You are the most relaxed I've seen you in ages."
You rolled your eyes. But it was true. You hated it. "It doesn't mean that I lik-"
"Never said that. But here you are"
"Still" You crossed your arms. You knew it was childish. But it was the only way you knew.
You arrived to a parking lot and put the bikes down.
"We are not fishing"
He turned slowly.
"We are"
"I'll ride down to the city again. I'm not letting you kill innocent animals for fun"
"I eat them"
"No need to"
"I need food"
"You can eat other stuff"
"YN"
"Patrick"
"Why do you call me by my surname?"
"Eveyone does"
"No, they call me Patty, Pats, Nols..."
"Patty wants me to call him cute nicknames?"
"You are insufferable, do you know that?"
"Why did you pick me then? You could have left me do my thing alone." Like that, you regained the control.
"I didn't pick you, you got by yourself in my car" And just as quick you lost it.
Nolan was close, he smelled good and looked so handsome today. But that was not the topic.
"You stopped in front of my house and ask me to go"
"But didn't make you"
"But-"
"You came here because you wanted" He winked at you.
"Asshole"
"That's me, mhm" He had stopped caring about what you said about him days ago. He could already see over it.
You scoffed and moved to pull your bike down the truck.
Nolan couldn't believe he was actually biking with you. It was the first time you weren't looking at him with a frown. You were relaxed and the air made your clothes flow around you. You looked really pretty today.
"Hey"
"Won't shut up, will you?"
He found amusing how it was him now on that side. How he was now the talkative one.
"If I can't fish what are we doing?"
"Riding in silence"
Nolan smiled and watch you biking faster to get in front of him. He simply let you go on with it. You seemed happy to be there with him and that was actually pretty good.
The silent lasted for a bit. You had been thinking and enjoying the peace he was giving you. Why were you here? It was better than your garden, you didn't even want to clean the damn garden. Why were you here with Nolan? There wasn't anyone better out there. Actually because you like the thrill it gives you.
"Have you dated hockey players?"
You turned to look at him. Maybe it seemed a bit out of nowhere, but Nolan had been thinking of it.
"No, why?"
"The party. You said you knew us or whatever."
You felt your chest grow tight. You kind of regretted saying those things.
"I was talking about men. In general, you know? I've dated men. Not a hockey player. Baseball, though"
Nolan was serious but he caught up with you and was now biking next to you. You discretely looked at him. He had his eyes on the trail, the hair peaking out of the cap moved with the wind and the shade framed his face. He always wore his sunglasses, but the times you had seen his eyes you had been pretty mesmerized.
"You are staring"
"No"
"Sure" He chuckled.
You looked down at the trail and tried to stay calm. You couldn't feel like this. You couldn't let the feelings grow.
"Hook ups."
"What?"
"You got pissed at me when I mentioned hook up"
"You won't leave it alone"
"No"
"You weren't nice to me either"
"I know that"
"And?"
"What about hook ups?"
"I'm not going to hook up with you"
"I'm not asking you"
"Nolan..."
"YN. You are so mean. You can be so mean. But"
"You don't talk this much on a daily basis, what's gotten into you?"
"Why do you pretend you hate me?"
You gasped and stopped the bike. Which made him groan and stop too.
"I don't pretend I hate you"
"So it's real"
"No"
"No?" He smirked.
You clenched your hand around the handle and your knuckles turned white. He made you feel like no one else. You loved this so much.
"Yet"
Then he smiled. When somone was usually so serious, watching then smile felt like a special thing, it was a moment to treasure. It was something that made you feel proud of yourself. But still, you couldn't stop wondering why he was always like this with you. Why so much teasing? What with those looks and discreet smiles? You were putting to much effort into it, you had been avoiding stuff like this for ages.
"What do you want to know? Spit it, Patrick"
"I want to know what is so horrible about me" Because he was clearly into you and wanted to fix that problem.
"About you? You are just a man"
He wasn't just a man. He had that weird and cryptic aura around him. He was quiet but his voice was deep, he seemed dry and boring but sometimes dropped the best jokes, his sarcasm was actually impressive and made you feel seen, he had the most beautiful eyes and didn't care about being like everyone else. He was just Nolan but Nolan was actually a lot. He was complex and made you want to tear all the layers slowly until you met him whole.
He was staring blankly at you.
"Just a man"
"Mhm" You said. "And all men are the same. I don't care about that not all men shit. I don't care if not all men in the earth are the same because..." You stopped yourself abruptly. Don't open the box. But you wanted to tell him to rant on him and finally let those thoughts run free. "If I tell you, you won't tell anyone because if you do it will be the end of your days"
"My lips are sealed" He said nervously. He didn't want to admit it, but now he wasn't so sure about wanting to know. He knew you could hurt and he already liked you too much.
Then you ran your hands over your hair and took a deep breath.
"Men had played with me. All men in my life have been horrible. Every single man I've been interested in has. They have played with me, they had make me believe things." It was difficult to say those words. Even more if front of him. "I'm not letting that happen again. I'm not going to let anyone treat me like that again, like an object. I'm not being used again. I'm not a toy to play with, to cheat, to fool. No. I built walls, I created an armour to protect myself. And to do that I have to keep everyone away"
Nolan regretted asking. He should have stayed quiet. He should have left you in your garden and not bring this up. You were having a good afternoon and he felt he had fucked it up. He knew there was a reason for your attitude, but he felt like a total asshole now.
"But you..."
"Me?" He looked at you and you swore his eyes sparkled.
"For some reason you are so damn insistent"
He chuckled a bit.
"I'm just a man. But I'm good company. For real, I don't have bad intentions with you"
"Yeah, sure. Great company. You light the room when you walk in" You ironically said. You were thankful he didn't make it huge. You were so happy he didn't got angry at you. But you ignored the bad intentions part because well, how could you answer to that.
"You are so mean" He smiled.
Nolan was a big bundle of feelings and confusion. He was angry at people he didn't even know because of what they did to you. He was angry because it was all their fault. You had those big walls around you.
You rolled your eyes but unexpectedly a smile grew on your lips.
"You are smiling" He mumbled.
"No" You put the biggest fake frown in your face.
That made you two broke down in big laughs, so much that you ended up with tears in your eyes and him grabbing his belly.
Your laugh died first and you were left looking at him. He had taken his cap off and was brushing his hair back. He looked so beautiful.
"Here" You passed him your scrunchie and he looked confused for a second, but soon he had his hair on a half bun. "The turquoise brings up your eyes" You teased him, who blushed furiously. "Okay, rosy cheeks. Let's go"
He followed you quickly and even passed you.
"Asshole, I don't have hockey thighs"
"Your problem"
To say that it was a great ride wasn't enough. You hadn't gone to the place in ages but you remembered exploring those trails as a kid. It was beautiful and so peaceful, there was barely people in there which was the main reason Nolan had to go there.
"I like my alone time" He said.
"Yeah, me too."
He smiled to himself. You had to be for him. Even if you hated his guts (which he didn't believe).
"But having friends it's fine." You muttered. "I don't always want to go out for dinner but when I do I have fun"
"Sure thing" He chuckled.
"What does it mean?"
"That you look like a grumpy old man the whole time!"
Like that, you spent the next hour or so until you reached the parking again. It had been great, you had felt so good, so safe for once. You had talked nonstop and laughed like a kid. You had learnt about him, about these past couple of years and how they affected him. You had opened more about your past and told him a couple of things. It had been all trauma dumping and jokes, what you would do with a really close friend. With someone you wanted in your like for good. It allade you realize that Nolan wasn't that bad. He was a good guy with another wall around him and he wouldn't be him without his dry sense of humor and annoyed looks. Nolan Patrick wasn't that bad and he made you feel things. But it was still scary. You didn't want to get hurt.
"That's the wrong way" You said when he turned left instead of right. With the bikes on the back and tired legs, you were in the car.
"It's still early for dinner. I'm showing you something."
"What?"
"The best spot in the lake"
"You take all the girls there?" You joked, but now that he knew, Nolan could see the insecurity behind your eyes.
"Only my friends the ones who want to fish with me"
You rolled your eyes.
"Jokes apart. I like to take my people there."
Soon, he had arrived to another parking lot. It was just a few meters away from the deck. He told you he liked fishing there because it was really peaceful. But today he was just going to sit there and enjoy.
You both sat on the edge, close but not enough to touch. You could hear birds and insects, the wind making the branches crack and the water splashing softly against the wood. There was no one around.
You leaned back on your hands and moved your feet over the water, barely touching it.
"You know what?" You said after considering it for a bit. It wasn't that bad.
"What?" Nolan turned to look at you. You looked so damn pretty today. The forest air made wonders in you.
"If the end of the world started now, I wouldn't mind having you as a partner" You confessed shyly. Was it something weird to say? Probably. But after all the teasing and hurtful insults you felt the need to tell him. You didn't hate him.
Nolan chuckled but couldn't avoid blushing. Fucking rosy cheeks.
"Is that your way of saying you like me?"
You laughed throwing your head back and he had to keep himself from pulling you for a kiss. He wanted you so much.
"It's my way of saying I don't despise you." You pointed out while turning to look at him. You wouldn't tell him that yes, you liked him a lot. "Of all the annoying people I know, you are the less annoying. One of the less" You bit your lip.
"I'm not annoying."
"You kind of are. You have been following me since we met. You are always looking at me. You always sit close to me... You followed me on Instagram... "
He cleared his throat and looked away. He wouldn't tell you he liked you a lot. But you kind of had already caught him, hadn't you?
"You are interesting" He tried to play it casual.
"Is that your way of saying you are in love with me?" You teased back.
Maybe.
"It's my way of saying I tolerate you"
You fought a smile but he caught the twitch in the corner of your mouth.
"So we are on toleration terms"
You nodded and finally smiled. You looked at the lake, the sun was already going down. You were so comfortable with Nolan that you dropped the walls without even noticing. It felt so strange to let go like this. He had asked you to go with him and you had simply gone, with no second thoughts, no insecurities. You took the bike and went with him. It had been such a nice afternoon that you felt sad only thinking it would end. You didn't want to.
"What are you doing?" Nolan looked up at you with his mouth agape, barely blinking when you had started taking your clothes off. You were getting naked in front of his eyes.
"I'm hot and sweaty"
Your shorts and shirt fell next to him and a second later, you dive into the lake only wearing your panties. Nolan blinked slowly as he watched your figure swimming away under the surface. He swallowed hard and got up too. You were there only in your underwear. And fuck, he had been too stunned to even get a look.
When you came out and turned around, he was shirtless. You smiled to yourself and moved the water around you. He was really pretty. Nolan Patrick had that something.
He looked at you and smirked, then, took his trousers off. Holy hockey body.
"Don't look, perv"
You giggled and turned around. "Better?"
You heard the splash of water that came with his body sinking and only a second later, a hand pulled your foot. You sank with a loud laugh stuck in your throat and bubbles around you.
Under the water, you felt Nolan's fingers on your skin and although the lake was cold, it made you feel warm. They moved up your thigh and then your waist and finally, you both broke into on the surface. You gasped for air and pushed your hair out of your face, same as him, who was laughing. You were incredulously looking at him.
"You did not do that" You said and splashed water on his face.
"I did"
His blue eyes were full of joy and you felt something in your chest knowing it was because of you.
"You are a prick"
"Some people say that, yeah"
His now messy bun was almost falling and your scrunchie was too soft. You reached and Nolan for a second pulled back. But when your fingers threaded on his wet hair and he blushed. It felt good, really good.
"Better" You muttered when his hair fell.
He sank for a second and pushed it back when he came out again. There were drops on his face and he looked perfect under the sun.
"No headache today?" Your voice was soft now. This wasn't the sharp YN he had met. He had done it. He had torn your walls now. After what you had told him, he knew that this one was the real you.
"No. I'm good. It has been a good week."
"That's nice."
"It is"
"W-we should do this more if you feel good"
Well, that is actually a lot more than I expected.
"I thought you didn't want to come" He teased with a smirk.
You shook your head. You were floating and swimming slowly, simply moving around and following each other.
"I had a part to play" You said and your eyes fell a bit. It was the truth and he already knew it.
"No need to do it with me, you know that" He sincerely said.
You nodded. "I know. Same to you"
"I don't..."
"You do. You are a big softie." He smiled. "See? You actually smile a lot"
"I wish I could say the same" He joked. You splashed water. "What's that?!"
"Stop being so sarcastic"
"I can't!"
"See! It starts as a self-defence mechanism and suddenly it's a part of your personality"
You both laughed.
Nolan watched you move around him. "You are really pretty." He mumbled.
You stopped and looked at him. "Don't say that"
"Why? You are" He shrugged.
"I don't like compliments"
"Why?"
"You don't like them either, Nolan"
"I don't mind them. Why don't you like them?"
You looked at him with cold eyes that in the end were also a facade.
"They are never real"
Nolan looked at you for long seconds, trying to decide if it was actually a good idea or not. Yes. It was.
His big hand found your waist and you panted when he moved close. He was so close, he was big, he looked perfect and wow... You were feeling so many scary things.
"They are real now. I'm not one to waste words in bullshit" He said deadpan. "You are beautiful and I think that since I saw you for the first time"
"When we were 5?" You asked weakly trying to be sarcastic and protect yourself from the butterflies in your stomach.
"Actually no. On the party. Left me stunned."
"I treated you like shit."
"You were so mean. But it's kind of your magnetism" He got even closer.
"It's not working then. I was only trying to push you away" You whispered now that his nose was almost touching yours. He was going to kiss you and you were more than happy with it. "I have been doing it with every man I've met recently and it always worked"
He smirked. "Well, it's not working with me"
Nolan's lips captured yours in a heated kiss and your hands automatically flew to his hair. Your fingers threaded through his hair and he groaned.
Before you could notice, Nolan and you were fully wrapped around each other, his hands keeping you close and grabbing your waist, yours on his hair and tilting his head back, your legs around his hips, your chests pressed together,...
It had been ages since you had kissed someone, and by ages you meant years. Your whole armour had also consisted of keeping everyone away. Not even a simple kiss at a party. Nothing. Still, you didn't want to stop kissing him now. It was driving you insane, he was kissing you so good, so deep and passionate. It had your head spiralling down with the pleasure of being kissed. But then Nolan left your lips and travelled to your neck and reality hit. Even when you wanted him so bad and his lips nipping on your skin made you want to moan. Even when all you wanted was him to take you right then.
His eyes opened the moment he felt your hand on his face. Then, your breath hitched and you gently pushed him back. He didn't let go of your body tho, you were still wrapped around him. One of your hands was playing with the hair on the nape of his neck and the other on his jaw made him look up at you.
You said no with your head and he pressed his lips together. You are not doing this to fuck her. You are doing this because you truly like her. Gain her trust, then the rest. He told himself. It's important, Nolan. This is important for you, remember. Not a silly crush. It's big.
"I can't" You whispered.
"It's fine" He muttered in his usual low voice. His nose slowly brushed yours.
For the first time, he saw you fully bare. Your eyes filled with tears and you moved away from him. He simply let you go and watched you swim away. You could hear him sighing. You climbed out of the lake and hugged your chest. Maybe you had fucked up. It had been a nice day and you had fucked up.
If you let him in, you could get hurt again. You were so happy and comfortable around him, which meant that the fall would be even harder. And you couldn't let that happen. But suddenly you wanted it so bad. You wanted more days like this, more kisses, more biking in the forest and swimming half naked in the lake.
Nolan swam slowly and also climbed out. He eyed you quickly, half naked and hugging yourself while sitting on the edge of the deck. There were goosebumps on your skin and he heard you softly sniffing. So he walked to the car and grabbed a flannel he had on the back of it. Then he came back and surprised you by wrapping the soft and dry cloth around your shoulders.
You looked up and Nolan couldn't say if those were tears or just water. But he quietly sat next to you. You hugged the flannel and brought it close to you.
"YN"
"Mhm"
"It's fine."
You looked at him. In the end, he wasn't the big egotistical dick you thought at first.
"Is it?"
He nodded. "I don't want sex"
You frowned. "Don't you?"
"I mean. It would be fine, you know? But this is also really okay" Nolan said pointing around with his finger. He meant you, the lake, the bikes, the forest, the truck with its windows down. He meant the perfect afternoon you had spent together.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course"
You nodded and let your body go. Slowly, you leaned against his side and your head rested on his shoulder. You felt him turn his face and his chin resting on your head. It was enough. It was sweet and gentle. It was so different from the Nolan you thought you knew, the Nolan from the party firing back at you, the Nolan from the TV. Maybe this was the right time and he was the right person.
"We'll get cold" He muttered.
"I don't care"
He smiled to himself.
"Don't tell them about today" You whispered. "Please"
"I won't" He hooked his pinky with yours. "I promise"
You smiled and moved even closer and Nolan understood it as a sign of wanting to be hugged, so that's what he did. He lifted his arm and you tucked yourself under it.
"I'm so scared" You finally said.
"I know" He swallowed hard. He was scared too, he just never said it out loud. You made him a nervous mess, you had kept him awake for too long a couple of nights.
"I don't want it to hurt"
Nolan gulped. He couldn't promise that it wouldn't hurt because he couldn't predict the future. But he could try his best.
"I don't want to hurt you. It's not on my plans."
You really swore you hated when he spoke this low, you could barely understand him. But those words came soft and clear and you felt them sinking slowly. But still...
"And how do I know I can trust you?"
Nolan tried to be patient. You had already talked about this. He knew it wasn't your fault.
"I suppose you only can believe me."
Your face turned to him and he looked down at you. It was all so confusing and terrifying. But you wanted to believe him. You liked Nolan. You liked him a lot. Even if you had only realized today.
You leaned a bit and softly pecked his lips. It was a surprise for both of you. But Nolan accepted it and didn't move further.
"We will be late for that stupid dinner" You muttered.
"Do you want me to drop you home and get changed?"
You checked your watch. "I don't think we have time. Plus, if I step at home I'll stay"
Nolan smiled to himself.
You got up and Nolan watched you walk away. He had to be careful. He had to be so careful.
"Nolan"
You muttered when you were putting your t-shirt on.
"Mhm"
"I'm sorry I called you a dick." You said. "And all the other stuff"
He chuckled and turned around.
"Don't worry. You were not the first"
"And how I behaved on the party."
"YN. It's fine"
He got up and a shaky breath left your chest when his big and strong body towered over you.
"Is it?"
"It's part of your magnetism" He smirked and reached to grab the shirt.
You rolled your eyes with a smile. He reached and pinched your cheek and you slapped his arm playfully.
"Don't try me"
The trip back to the city was silent but different. You had kissed. You had hugged. You had confessed traumas and deep thoughts. So many things had changed in the hours you spent around the lake. You were scared and anxious. But at the same time there was this happiness blooming in your chest.
"Should I wait for a bit before coming in?" He asked when he stopped the car in the parking.
You looked at him. "Why?"
"I thought you wouldn't want them to ask questions and they will definitely ask them if we show up together and wet"
You shrugged. "I'll tell them to fuck off"
Nolan smirked. "You are hot"
You rolled your eyes and flipped him off before leaving the car with a smile.
At first no one payed attention to the fact that you two had arrived at the same time, with wet hair and Nolan's hair back on that bun tied with a turquoise scrunchie. But then they started sharing looks. You had sat together by choice, you were relaxed and your comments weren't so aggressive. But at some point, Nolan leaned back and dropped his arm over the back of your seat and unconsciously you leaned back. The girls exchanged looks and Mark cleared his throat. But it was George, who noticed last, the one that made the biggest deal of it. For the others, it was just their two grumpy friends they had put so much effort on getting together finally leaning on their feelings. For George it was some really fun shit to joke about.
"Oh, well well well. What do we have there?"
You tensed instantly and realized what it looked like. You had been so comfortable that you didn't realized you were tucked under his arm. Nolan, on the other hand, knew everything was going to get messy. He knew he had to stop it, but George was quicker.
"Georg-"
"Man, I bet on a smile, not on getting the whole pack"
Nolan breathed through his nose and closed his eyes for a second.
You slowly turned to look up at him. You were confused. What did that mean?
"George, shut up" Marie seemed to notice something was wrong and she knew George well enough to know he wasn't the best help.
"Man, if I knew you would get the whole pack I would have bet a bit more"
"Shut up" Nolan groaned. The whole pack? What the fuck did George think you were?
"What the fuck are you talking about?" You asked harshly.
"I bet 50 bucks on Nolan. I was like, 50 bucks if you make her smile. And he was like, no man I don't want your money, I only want her"
Your whole world seemed to be falling apart now. All the happiness that had bloomed through the day exploded over you and suddenly you felt like you couldn't breathe. Your ears were ringing and your knees felt too weak. You abruptly got up.
"I need to get out of here" You whispered out of breath.
"YN" Nolan felt terrified out of nowhere. Could he have avoided this? He hadn't even thought about what George said. He had denied it, why should it be important?
You felt trapped. The fucking place had those bench seats and you could leave if Nolan didn't let you. But for your surprise, his big hands grbed your waist and he helped you stepping over his legs.
"F-fuck you... F-uck you, George" You panted. "And you..." Your teary eyes fell on Nolan and his heart broke.
"YN..."
"I knew it"
Like that, you walked away and left the dinner. But Nolan was quick to react. He got up and first, he looked at George.
"You heard her, right? Fuck you, George. Fuck you and your stupid 50 bucks." He groaned. "I hope you apologize soon"
"Nolan, man..."
But Nolan was already walking away and following you to the parking lot. Where were you even going?
"YN" He didn't need much to catch up, his longer legs were good help.
You cleaned your tears and walked faster, almost running. How had you been so stupid?
"YN, wait" He insisted.
"No"
"YN" He grabbed your arm and pulled you to stop. You crashed against his chest and gasped.
"Don't touch me, Patrick"
He let go of you but stayed stoic.
"It's not what you think"
That made you laugh through your tears. "Right" You had heard that before. "Of course you would say that. I just... I was so stupid" You said and harshly pushed your hair out of you face. "F-for a second I believed you-you were different and... Then you go and do this to me and..."
"George told me that if I'd made you smile he would give me 50 bucks and..."
"And you fooled me"
Nolan had enough of it. He wouldn't let you talk shit about him as if he had killed your pet and get away with it. This time he had done good. He would admit that he had been a jerk sometimes, but not now. This time he had done no wrong.
"Stop this fucking bullshit because you are the one doing this to yourself" He said and grabbed your arms to make sure you were looking at him. "I'm not the bad one here. You perfectly heard what he said. Just like everyone else in the table. So don't pretend I'm some kind of jerk playing with your feelings here because I'm not" Nolan didn't want to get like this with you, but shit, were you stubborn. "Stop behaving like this because I'm doing nothing wrong, you are hurting yourself" His words sounded like an eco in your head, over and over again. "I'm trying to explain you, you listened to him. If you don't want to believe me, it's on you, not on me"
Finally, he let go of your arms and you felt dizzy and lost. You couldn't speak, you couldn't move. Your breath was fast and your clothes felt too tight. You wanted to scream. No one ever had confronted you like this. No one had opened your eyes in this way.
"Look at me" Nolan cupped your face and you panted. "Look at me, YN" He repeated more gently this time. You did. "I didnt accept the money because it's bullshit. There was no bet. No agreement. Nothing. He offered it and I declined it. You heard him"
You were shaking. You needed to belive him so bad.
"You can go back there and ask him. I don't care. But don't pretend I'm a villain."
"I can't let you hurt me"
He groaned and let go of your face. "You know what? I want this. I want you and me together. But I can't if you don't trust me"
"Y-you want this?"
"YN. Have you forgotten about today?"
You shook your head.
"I really want you, Nolan" You whispered.
"It's up to you then" He said putting his hands in your pocket. "But I'm not doing it if you don't even let me speak" He muttered almost incomprehensively and turned around.
Don't let him go. Don't make this to yourself. You were happy with him, you were ready for it. Don't lose him. Don't push Nolan away.
Nolan was feeling something tight on his chest. He wanted to rip his t-shirt away from his body. It felt too much. A heartbreak? No. No way.
You watched him walk to his car. He was leaving. No. He couldn't leave. If he left, you knew it was probably over. Whatever it was. It was over.
"I'm sorry"
Nolan almost didn't hear you. "What?" He stopped walking and looked back.
You swallowed your pride. He was right. You couldn't keep doing this. Whatever you were doing, it was worse. It was hurting you. You had heard George. I bet 50 bucks on Nolan. I was like, 50 bucks if you make her smile. And he was like, no man I don't want your money, I only want her. Only want her. He wanted you. He wanted you and even when you already knew it, it felt different now.
"I'm sorry, Nolan"
He looked at you for long seconds. He hated seeing you cry. He hated George for making you cry.
"Come here" He mumbled.
You walked fast to him and he embraced you on a strong hug.
"I didn't need his money to want to make you smile"
"You are so cheesy" You sniffed and nuzzled your nose on his chest. It vibrated with a laugh and then he brought you closer with a hand in your hair.
"It's true. I knew I wanted you the second you opened your mouth"
"I treated you like shit"
He shrugged. "Need someone to keep me humble"
"Is that you way of saying you need me?"
Nolan looked down at you and pressed a kiss on your head. "Mhm" He hummed. "I'm not the best with feelings, but I want this"
You looked at him.
"Me too"
"I need you to trust me"
You nodded.
"I know" You whispered a bit ashamed. "It's hard"
Nolan caressed your hair, still a bit wet from the lake and kissed your temple. "I told you its not on my plans hurting you"
You nodded and looked at him.
"Should we start with a date?"
"Is that what you want?"
"Yes"
"Good for me, then"
You got in your tip toes and kissed his lips slowly. You made him so cheesy, the meanest girl he had crossed paths with was making him want to melt.
"Okay" He pulled back. "Do you belive what I said, right?"
You nodded. "Sorry"
"All good" He muttered with his hands cupping your face. "Sorry too"
"All good" You mimicked him.
He pulled you for another hug and you sighed. "Did he really offer 50 bucks? Couldn't he Google what you've earned with hockey?"
"I know, right? He is so stupid"
"Thank you for not... Accepting"
"It's nothing. I was whipped already"
You pulled back and Nolan felt so happy for that smile on your lips. "So soon?"
"Okay, shut up"
Do I like it? I'm not sure.
64 notes · View notes
comphy-and-cozy · 2 years
Note
hi congrats on 500!! 💗 if you’re up for it maybe prompt 65 or 120 with nolan patrick? :) thank youuu
thank you so much sweetness! always love a little soft nols 🤍
celebrate 500 with me!
Tumblr media
Prompts: #65 “There is no way this much stupid can fit inside one person.” / #120 “Take my jacket, it’s cold”
Pairing: Nolan Patrick x reader (written for f but could be gender neutral)
Word Count: 760
Warnings: just some sweet lil mutual pining Nolan. Brief alcohol use/mention.
You’re friends with Nolan. Not friends friends — more like a step between whatever is in between friends and acquaintances. You’ve shared the same circle of friends, spending endless Manitoba summers together since you were teenagers, though you’ve never really spent too much time alone with him.
Then he got drafted to the NHL and kind of became a huge fucking deal in Winnipeg, which you knew he absolutely hated. People meant well, congratulating him and offering kind words — or unsolicited advice — about the upcoming season, but ultimately he just really hated the attention.
Which is why he was always trying to be out at the lake, away from the crowds and the fans and somewhere private that he could just be… himself.
Somehow, you manage to receive an invite, every year, whenever he has a boat day or bonfire or any other sort of laketime activity. You go, after ensuring that your other friends who are a bit closer with him are going before you accept. And every time, you leave smiling and happy, and maybe a little fried from the sun.
But this summer, it’s been different.
You’ve found yourself looking at him more, laughing a little harder at his dry jokes, thinking about him long after you’ve left his place. You get a little flutter of butterflies in your chest when you see a text or a Snap from him, and you almost choked on your beer when his thigh brushed yours on the boat the other day.
Today in particular, you woke up with a feeling in your gut, like something was different. Like something was going to happen. It puts a strange sense of confident in your chest, fueling you for another day on the lake with Nolan and company.
Like usual, the day is spent largely on the water, only a few clouds in the Manitoba sky. You boat, swim, drink, soaking up as much of the summer freedom that you can. Once the sun hangs a little lower in the sky, your posse heads back to the cabin for a few pizzas and a bonfire before retiring for the night, sunkissed and maybe a little drunk.
You’re sitting in the porch swing, rocking slowly as you watch a few of your friends play a rousing game of spike ball. The door creaks as Nolan steps out, fresh beer held loosely in hand, snorting when he sees your friend, James, do a dramatic spin as he hits the ball.
“There is no way this much stupid can fit inside one person,” he comments, chuckling. You can feel the shift of the cushion as he drops down beside you, arm moving to rest on the back of the chair.
You hum an agreement, shaking your head with a laugh. “Pretty sure Joey should be in the Olympics for a spin like that.”
“Oh, absolutely,” Nolan agrees. “Team Canada gold medalist, for sure.”
A cool summer breeze blows then, a little too chilly against your bare arm, and you shiver.
“Here, take my jacket. It’s cold,” he mumbles, shrugging his flannel off and thrusting it in your direction.
You accept the jacket, still warm from his body heat as you slip it over your shoulders. It’s too large for you, of course, but you kind of like it that way. “Thanks, Nol.”
He hums in reply, a wordless you’re welcome as you settle back in. When the breeze blows again, he scoots closer to tuck his arm over your shoulder and tug you into his body.
“M’glad you came today,” he murmurs after a beat of peaceful silence, and for a moment you aren’t sure you even heard him correctly.
You can feel your heartbeat quicken against the cotton of your t-shirt as you process what he said. Wanting to play it cool, match his casual indifference, you say, “Oh yeah?”
Nolan hums again. “Yeah.”
That same confidence from earlier washes through you, and before you can stop yourself, you’re twisting in your seat to kiss him, planting your lips solidly against his. He’s caught a bit off guard but recovers quickly, his hand caressing the side of your face as he kisses back. His tongue is subtle when it darts out to taste your lips, heating up the kiss ever so slightly before he pulls away, the usual rouge on his cheeks flushed a little bit deeper.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for years,” is his low mumble, and you smile in response.
“Well, what do you say we make up for some lost time?”
210 notes · View notes
laurenairay · 2 years
Note
Congrats! Could you maybe do the 10th prompt with someone like Nolan Patrick or Big Rig (jamie Oleksiak)? Thanks!!!
Thanks for this one anon! I chose Nolan as I haven’t written for him in ages – I hope you enjoy it!
“It’s locked!”  “You mean we’re stuck in here?”
Words: 1.3k
*
Katia and Max sure knew how to throw a party. It was early in the season, just a team and friends get-together, and the house was absolutely full of people. Music filled the air, drinks were flowing, and the caterers had put together an incredible spread of food. It was the perfect way to spend an evening.
“Shit, how can we be running low already?”
You turned your head where you standing talking to some of the rookies in the kitchen, frowning as you saw Katia standing on the back porch, hands on hips.
“What’s wrong?” you asked, walking over to her.
The last thing she needed as hostess was to be stressing out.
“The beers are running low. Already. I swear every year I forget just how much these guys can pour away,” she huffed, rolling her eyes fondly.
“Shit, that’s not good,” you grimaced. Already?
“Well, I did put a few more cases down the basement. I’ll have to ask Max to order a delivery of some more while those chill,” she shrugged, “might as well put the rookies to good use.”
“Aww no those boys are too nervous to do anything but drop the cases. I’ll grab them,” you snickered.
First big team party for a lot of those young boys, bless their hearts.
“Are you sure? I mean, I’d happily ask some of the guys to do it,” she frowned.
“It’s fine, I don’t go to the gym just for the sauna,” you grinned.
She laughed but nodded, so you wasted no time in heading back inside the house and walking out into the hallway to where the basement door was. You’d never actually gone down here before, but it couldn’t be that bad, right? Admittedly, the door was a little stiff, but you wrenched it open and headed down the stairs, flicking on the light as you went. Cases, cases, cases…ah, there they were. But as you strolled across the basement floor, the door at the top of the stairs opened again, and a large body blocked the light briefly, before heading down the stairs too, the door closing behind him.
Oh, great. Of all the people to come down here, it just had to be Nolan Patrick.
The two of you had an interesting relationship, to say the least. Ever since he was traded to the team, the two of you had always found yourselves snipping at each other, little cutting comments, rolling eyes, glares…it was stupid. You couldn’t even remember how it started, but you knew that even being alone in the same room as him made you grit your teeth.
“What are you doing down here?” he frowned.
“Katia needed more beers – I offered to bring some cases up,” you said simply, “So why are you down here?”
“Patches said he needed to order more beer and asked me to bring up what they had down here,” he said shortly, “So you can leave this to me.”
Asshole.
“Fine, they don’t need both of us to bring up the drinks,” you muttered, turning back around.
But as you walked back up the stairs and tried the door handle, it wouldn’t budge. Like, not even a little bit. Just your fucking luck.
“It’s locked!” you groaned, stomping back down the stairs to stand in front of him again.
“You mean we’re stuck in here?” he said, almost as if he was in disbelief.
“Charming,” you said dryly, “It’s not like I’d want to be stuck down here with you anyway.”
Nolan’s face transformed into a truly spectacular scowl, making you roll your eyes. Drama queen.
“Look, just text Eichs or Howdy, they can open it up from the other side. Or at least bust the door down,” you shrugged.
“Fine,” Nolan muttered.
You pursed your lips at his attitude, staring him down as he pulled out his phone, typing away for a few seconds before he shoved it back in his pocket, sullen look on his face not shifting.
“What’s your problem, man?” you eventually said, folding your arms over your chest.
“My problem?” Nolan scoffed.
“Yeah your problem. With me. Whenever you’re near me, it’s like you can’t help but make sarcastic comments or scowl or just be a plain old asshole. What the fuck did I do to deserve that, huh?”
His cheeks flushed as your words hit home, eyes narrowing in a glare.
“Maybe you’re just irritating as shit, huh? Did you ever think about that?” Nolan shot back.
You inhaled sharply at his nasty words, trying to school your face not to reflect how much that hurt, but Nolan’s eyes widened slightly as he saw your reaction anyway. You just forced your face into something neutral, and gave him the most unimpressed look you could, hoping he would buy it.
“I guess if I’m that irritating, then we just shouldn’t talk while we’re down here, hm?” you said coldly.
“Fine by me,” Nolan muttered.
You pressed your lips flat, trying not to snap back at him again, even if he deserved it. Maybe you’re just irritating as shit. That…that hurt far more than you’d ever admit, especially to him. Who was he to talk to you like that? The minutes ticked by slowly, the annoyance swirling around your blood like electricity, and you could see he was just as restless, picking at his nails and not even looking in your direction. Fuck him. Fuck him. Just as you opened your mouth to say something, anything, three thumps sounded on the door.
“Are you alright down there?”
Jack. Thank fuck for that.
“Well I haven’t strangled him yet, so there’s still hope!” you called back.
The door was wrenched open, Jack’s laughter spilling down the stairs, and you wasted no time barging past Nolan to walk up the stairs and into the hallway. Freedom.
“You know, when Patty said he was locked down in the basement and could I pretty please come rescue him, he didn’t mention that he was stuck down here with you,” Jack mused.
Nolan’s cheeks flushed dark, and he glared at his teammate who only smirked back at him. Brilliant.
“Always the charmer, Patty,” you said with a fake smile, “Like a dozen guys right now wouldn’t give up their left foot to be stuck in a basement with me.”
Nolan’s glare turned into a full-on scowl and Jack just hooted with laughter, looping his arm through yours.
“Claws away, ouch,” Jack snickered.
At least someone valued your sharp side. “You don’t mind carrying through the cases that Katia asked for by yourself, right?”
It was the reason the two of you had even gone in the basement, after all. And if Nolan was going to be a bitch, then he could damn well deal with it himself. Nolan pressed his lips together in annoyance but turned on his heel, walking back down into the basement.
“One day, he’s going to learn that pulling pigtails is not an effective way to flirt,” Jack smirked, guiding you into the kitchen.
Wait, what?
“Pulling pigtails? You can’t be serious,” you said incredulously.
Maybe you’re just irritating as shit. Yeah, he had a funny way of flirting – absolutely not.
“I’m just saying. I see the way he looks at you, before you notice him and he turns that look into a scowl,” Jack shrugged, eyes sparkling with laughter.
“You’re full of shit, Jack Eichel. Get me a drink,” you said, unamused.
Jack threw his head back with laughter, making you smile without being able to help yourself, but did as you asked, stepping forward to open the kitchen fridge. As he rooted around, you found your eyes drifting back across the room, to the doorway that Nolan was stepping through, holding two cases of beers. His eyes caught with yours, before flicking down to your smile, and he quickly looked away, making you hum in thought.
Maybe. Just maybe.
76 notes · View notes
sundriedmilano · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
he’s so ugh!!!!!!
77 notes · View notes
hockeyboysimagines · 4 months
Text
A very Merry NHL Christmas
Warnings: Mild cursing, some sexual humor, talks of Christmas, Jesus and the holidays.
This was originally planned for last Christmas but ya girl had writers block. So enjoy this now. Let me know what you think!
Note: this is a small group of blurbs about all the couples currently in process on my Masterlist. This won’t include anyone who’s not currently being written about. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate, and happy holidays to the rest🤍
Tumblr media
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, the kids were asleep, and Matthew and Brady were trying to get Keith into a Santa costume without laughing too loud.
Chantal had one hand over her mouth as she watched them struggle with the zipper before finally closing the suit, and adjusting Keith’s beard. Brady was red faced, and coughing to cover his laughter as Keith whipped around and glared at him, while Matthew had one hand braced on his knee, the other holding his side laughing openly.
“I’m never doing this again.” He grumbled as he stepped into the boots and straightened up looking for the sack of presents. The kids had set up a hidden camera earlier in hopes of catching a picture of Santa putting presents under the tree. Taryn was outside picking up the reindeer food they had left in the front yard and making hoof marks on the front walkway, the milk and cookies had been disposed of and Emma, who would be spending her first Christmas with them since they got married, was sprinkling sand by the front door because south Florida Santa had no snow to work with. Noticeably pregnant Hallie rubbed her hands together and smiled excitedly. Keith placed the presents under the tree, keeping his back to the camera.
“They’re going to love this.” Chantal said giving her hand a squeeze.
Matthew was smiling at her from the doorway as he watched his dad carefully set out gifts and made his way over. He glanced down at her baby bump and rested a hand on it.
“Merry Christmas in there.” He said softly rubbing it “Can’t wait to celebrate with you next year. And by that time someone else will be taking up your space.”
“Uh I don’t think so.” Hallie said shaking her head “This mama is done….for a little while.”
“How many fucking-freaking kids are you guys gonna have Jesus.” Brady said around a mouth full of Christmas cookie. They were all looking at them mildly interested and Hallie wasn’t really sure how to answer.
Matthew shrugged “I guess until I don’t get it done on the first try.”
Her face burned in embarrassment, and she couldn’t believe she had let him answer, but the others were laughing. He threw an arm around her shoulders “But who am I kidding, that won’t happen. I’m 3 for 3. A triple champ.”
“Yeah kind of like an ugly, skinny, Conor McGregor.” Brady said elbowing him.
That started a scuffle and Hallie crossed her arms shaking her head, eyes moving over their house. Over the pictures on the walls they’d amassed over their years together. The ones that started with just them, and then their family, and then their children. Over the decorations, and lights, and ornaments the kids made for them at school that hung on the tree. Her life was so full, so wonderful.
Taryn bumped her shoulder and smiled, eyes moving around before coming back to meet hers “So? Is it everything you hoped for?” She looped an arm around her waist.
She nodded, reaching an arm around her “It’s more than I hoped for.” And then she laughed when Matthew and Brady’s scuffle dissolved and he came over and grinned at her.
“If you don’t stop fighting with Brady you’ll end up on the naughty list, and you won’t get any presents.” She said, reaching forward to wrap her arms around him, as much as possible, with the baby bump in between them.
“The naughty list is more fun anyways. It’s how I became 3 for 3.”
*************
Music played softly in the background of Pierre’s apartment as snow fell outside. It was warm and cozy, the house smelled of cinnamon, and Mila and Pierre were snuggled on the sofa watching the snow fall.
“It’s so pretty.” Mila said off handedly, eyes following the flakes as they blanketed the ground below them, creating a fluffy white blanket on the ground.
“Not as pretty as you.”
She rolled her eyes and tilted her head up to look at him “Your so cheesy.”
“It’s all part of my appeal babe…which speaking of. I have something for you.” He nudged her so he could stand and disappeared around the corner and came back with a box.
“Here.” Pierre said handing it to her. It was long and rectangular shaped and she took it before looking at him.
“Didn’t I tell-“
“Oh shutup.” He said waving her off “Stop trying to police my spending habits on Christmas.”
She giggled and rolled her eyes “Okay Jesus.”
He held a hand up to his chest “Did you just take the lords name in vain…on his birthday?”
“Okay now you shutup.”
“Open it.” He said nudging his chin impatiently at her.
She pulled off the paper, which was no easy feet as it was wrapped like a car ran over it, and pulled out a long blue velvet box. Inside of it was a shining, glittery diamond bracelet.
“Pierre!” She said mouth falling open “This is-“
“Nope!” He held up a hand “It’s not too much. You are worth every single dollar I spent on that, which is none of your business before you ask.”
Mila bit her lip. It was gorgeous, platinum with what looked like a hundred tiny diamonds, held together by a small clasp with her initials on it.
“Well?” He was smiling widely “Do you like it?”
“Of course I like it.” she held it out to him so he could put it on. She turned her wrist so the light caught the diamonds and smiled a little before looking at him.
“Merry Christmas Mila.”
*************
“Wake up! It’s Christmas Eve!”
Vince felt a weight bounce across his bed, rip the covers off of him, and a body wriggle under the blankets, kicking him out of his warm spot.
Josie had come barreling in the room, smiling so wide it could light up a city’s worth of Christmas lights.
“Noooooo.” He groaned eyes closing again. He reached down and pulled the blankets up over his head, and then pulled her closer, leaning down to kiss her deeply but she pushed away from him and tapped him on the lips.
“Uh uh. Santa says no funny business on Christmas Eve until we do something fun!”
“Well Santa can-“
“Ah! None of that or you won’t get any presents!”
She jumped out of bed and pulled the covers off of him, pointing at a neatly folded pile of clothing, “Get dressed. We’re going somewhere.”
He sighed and rolled over with a groan, but when he saw the look on her face he sat up. She looked so excited, hands clasped under her chin as she stood in the doorway of his bedroom.
“Okay, okay I’m awake.”
She squeaked excitedly and bounced from the room, leaving him to get dressed and brush his teeth. She was bundled by the front door as he came around the corner.
“So where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
10 minutes later, he was chuckling as they stood in front of an outdoor ice rink, and he knelt down to tie her skates. He finally got them tied, even though her legs were shaking in excitement and looked up at her.
“Do you even know how to skate?” He asked as he adjusted her leg warmer over the top of her skate and then did the same on the other one.
“Nope!” She said brightly, tapping him on the nose and standing, hands resting on her hips “That’s why you’re going to teach me.”
He helped her out on to the ice and stood facing her, gripping both of her hands in his. He skated backwards pulling her along. It was slow going and he was laughing as she went split legged a few times.
“Hang on. I have a better idea.” He skated around her and pressed himself against her back, arms coming to rest around her waist.
“Hang on.” He said lowly in her ear.
Josie smiled with excitement as he started moving, allowing her to just let her skates sit on the ice without having to do anything else. She closed her eyes and breathed in, the winter air stinging her skin.
“Having a good time?” he asked from behind her.
“Always when I’m with you. Are you having a good time?”
“Of course.” He slowed down a little and walked over her shoulder to kiss her cold cheek “Even though I’m doing all the work. Santa had better reward me with a great gift.”
Josie giggled to herself thankful for Christmas with Vince.
And thankful that he didn’t know, she really did know how to ice skate.
************
“Smile!”
Mat snapped the picture of Leighton and Lucy in front of the tree and smiled.
“Beautiful.”
His first Christmas with his girls had been perfect. The entire month of December had been like something from a dream. Lucy had been to every possible Christmas event they could find on Long Island, often accompanied by her godparents, who were across town celebrating their first Christmas together. Snow angels, Christmas decorating, and even the first time she’d been in an ice rink had all happened in the part month and Mat’s heart felt so full it might burst.
“Let me see.” She squinted at the picture and smiled down at Lucy, who was looking more and more like her as she got older.
“Who’s that beautiful girl?”
He smiled down at them and stood up, setting his phone on the couch and picked up a box and went to hand it to Leighton.
“From Santa. I guess I’m not the only one who thinks you’re beautiful.”
She rolled her eyes and blushed, but pulled out a box and handed it to him. “Here open this first. I think you’re gonna love it.”
He sat on the sofa and pulled at the paper. It was small, enough to fit in his hand. The box was flat, with a cardboard lid and when he pulled it off he saw a blank sheet of paper that said “Pick me up.”
He glanced at her, to find her smiling brightly and she nodded “Go ahead.”
He gripped the paper and pulled, and from it another long sheet of paper fell like an accordion. He pulled it up to look at it and saw that it was t a sheet of paper.
It was a sonogram.
He whipped up his head to find that Leighton was now crying, cheeks red.
“Are you-Oh my god.” He reached forward to hug her, chin resting on her head.
“Are you happy?”
“More happy than I’ve ever been.”
She closed her eyes and breathed him in as he spoke again “This is the best Christmas gift I’ve ever gotten, and I love you.”
************
“Is this dress to short?” Ginny asked turning in front of the mirror. Beau leaned out of the bathroom and grinned in a way that was not appropriate on any level, but especially not on Christmas.
“Yes. You should definitely wear it. Can’t wait to take it off later.” He leaned back in the bathroom.
She smiled and looked at her closet for shoes. The Islanders Christmas party was in a half and hour and they were running a little behind.
She’d been on time until he came into the bathroom and cracked a joke about opening a present, which turned out to be his jeans and the rest of it was a Christmas story for another time. But not the kind you read before bed.
He walked out of the bathroom looking better than he needed to in a pair of grey pants and a black button up. Ginny paused while she slipped a shoe on, eyes moving from his face to his feet and then back up. He winked and smiled at her.
“Not bad huh? But you’ve got me beat. WOW.” He said as he took in her red dress, and heels. It had been a little over six months and she continued to surprise him by outdoing herself. This was the first big holiday they were spending together and tomorrow she’d be meeting his parents.
He stood staring at her “You look beautiful.”
She smiled and blushed a little. Though she was used to a slew of compliments from him, and she knew he was always being genuine when he said them. But it still made her blush.
“Thank you.” She said softly, slipping into her shoes and turning back to the mirror.
“Are Mat and Leighton coming?”
She nodded and sat at her vanity to find earrings “Yes. She said she has something for me.”
“Like a gift?”
Ginny shrugged “I’m not sure. She just said it was something I would love.” She smiled a little as she poked an earring in her ear.
“You know what I love? That dress. Gosh.”
She rolled her eyes and shook her hair over her shoulder to put in her other earring “Why are you being so nice to me? Keep being too good and I won’t let you unwrap my present later on.”
His mouth fell open “I think it’s supposed to be the other way around. Only people on the nice list get to unwrap presents.”
Ginny smiled at him over her shoulder “I much prefer my present openers to be on the naughty side.”
Beau leaned on the doorway, smile as wide as it could possibly get “Best Christmas ever.”
***********
“Stop laughing.”
“I’m not!” Nash giggled from the ground.
Travis was up on a ladder hanging lights from the archway inside the living room of their new house. She’d insisted for weeks that she didn’t want any there, until she announced she was throwing a Christmas party, and then decided the house wasn’t festive enough, which meant she’d shoved a bunch of lights into his hands and told him to hang them.
“Oh come on!” He yelled as he turned the bulb on one of the strings and the rest went out. He’d been fighting with them for 10 minutes “One goes out, they all stay on. One goes on they all go out!”
“Well at least we know that if hockey doesn’t work out, you won’t have a career as an electrician.” She said from the bottom of the ladder with a shrug.
He glanced over his shoulder “Ha Ha. I’m glad you’re having fun down there.”
“Of course I am. The view is fantastic.” She said with a wink.
Travis chuckled and went back to hanging lights, finally getting them all lit “Finally.” He turned to find her smiling at the bottom of the ladder, hands on her waist “How does that look?”
She nodded and pursed her lips “Perfect. Thank you.”
He shrugged “Don’t thank me. It’s the least I could do. And it makes you happy so it’s a win in my book.”
He made his way down the ladder and pulled her into his arms “Besides. A good deed on Christmas always gets rewarded and I-“
But he was cut short when there was an electrical pop and every light in the house went dark.
“It’s not funny.”
“I’m not laughing. You can’t even see me.”
He grinned “I don’t need to.”
She sighed and he felt her arms slide around his waist “We could just stay here…in the dark I guess.”
“But then how would Santa find our house?” As he said that the lights all lit up at once just in time for him to see her smiled widely at him.
“Who cares? Nothing he could bring me would ever be a better gift that the one I have right here.”
***********
“Merry Christmas!” Sawyer yelled as she pulled open the door to find Nolan’s parents on the other side. She pulled them inside and out of the cold Winnipeg winter and into their cozy house that was full of friends and family.
Nolan was parked on a barstool at the counter watching Sawyer. She was having the absolute time of her life and just looking at her made him want to smile.
It had been a hard year. A hard few years actually but this one in particular had been rough. They’d had so much hope for Vegas and it had only been more of the same, and no one was sure that he’d ever be able to play hockey again. It was sad and scary and she held his hand every minute, but he’d come to terms with it now.
But he didn’t have time to think about it because Sawyer herself came bounding over, hanging mistletoe over his head and kissing him on the cheek with a loud “smack”
“Come on you Grinch! At least smile a little.”
He smiled and she made a face “I mean a real one. Santa is watching.” She pointed upwards.
“I thought that was Jesus who lived up there.”
“Yeah well then he’s watching too. So you won’t get any presents and you might get struck by lightning and that will ruin the whole holiday.” She grinned “And I’ll have to take all these decorations down by myself.”
He chuckled and reached forward, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
“Thank you.” She said against his chest, quietly enough that only he could hear.
“For?”
“This.” She pulled back and gestured around “I know this isn’t your thing, but it means a lot to me that you let me throw this party.”
“It’s not that bad. I’d do anything to make you happy, you know that. My Christmas gift to you.”
She looked up at him and smiled the most beautiful smile “Your the gift that keeps on giving Nolan Patrick, and no gift could ever be better than spending my life with you.”
Nolan rested his chin on her head “Merry Christmas Sawyer.”
“Merry Christmas Nols.”
************
“Cash will you sit still!” Tyler grumbled as he tried for the third time to stick reindeer antlers on his head. Marshall, Molly and even Gerry were all sitting obediently, but Cash had shaken them off twice. Even though he was as uncooperative as possible, Ava was having so much fun. There was a magic in the air that only lasted one month out of the year that you couldn’t find any other time. The feeling of Christmas was unlike any other and it was the first one she was spending with Tyler, and the first one she could remember being excited for.
She was knelt down, phone in one hand, tennis ball in the other which had the attention of the other three dogs, waiting for Tyler to quit wrestling with their most unruly child.
“Freakin dog.” He said with a huff as he finally got them fastened and made him sit.
“Just like his dad.” She said smiling at him “Okay ready, hey guys!” She waved the ball so they all looked and quickly snapped several pictures before they all started moving with excitement.
“Got it!” she said tossing the ball.
All four took off running after it, skidding through the house and falling over each other like Bambi on ice, and Ava and Tyler both yelled “No!” as Gerry went flying right into the tree.
It swayed for a second before it fell in slow motion as Tyler raced forward to catch it, which he did, but not before it rained ornaments that hit the floor and rolled in all directions.
Ava covered her mouth the keep from laughing and hurried forward as Tyler tipped the tree back up on to its stand, and made a loud noise of annoyance.
“What’s so funny?” He asked when he saw her laughing.
“What’s funny is now you have to help me redecorate it. Since you conveniently seemed to be missing last time.”
“I was at practice.” He said eyeing her with a small smile.
“Sure. That’s why Jamie called looking for you.”
“That douche. Busted I guess. Okay I wasn’t at practice I was out-“ he reached into his pocket and pulled out a box “Buying this.”
She smiled and glanced up as she took it “That’s funny cuz I wasn’t here waiting for you, I was out picking up this.” She pulled a bigger rectangular box from under the sofa.
As they opened their respective gifts she heard Tyler make a noise like a gasp and an exclamation and she smiled. She’d had blown up and framed the first picture they’d ever taken together, them and all four of the dogs. It had been the first time Ava had let anyone take a photo of her in years, and Tyler was so proud of her for it. But she’d kept it hidden, telling him it didn’t take for months. This was the first time he’d seen it, and his eyes softened as he looked at it and then at her.
“I love this. Thank you it’s amazing. We gotta hang this.” He glanced around and picked a spot right by the front door “There. So people see it right when they get here.”
He turned as she pulled her own gift out, a silver locket with a tiny photo of the dogs on one side, and them on the other, and a date a time inscribed on the back.
“This is beautiful, but what’s this?” She asked pointing at the date and time that was engraved at the bottom.
“The day and time I saw you for the first time.”
“Oh my gosh.” She was blushing but he continued “That day and time changed my life. The only thing that could would have made it better was if you wanted to join the mile high club or something.”
She laughed and swatted his arm “Tyler!” She turned holding up her hair so he could put it on and then smiled “Thank you for this and for making every other day better than the one before.” She placed a hand on his heart.
“Thank you.” He said placing his hand over hers “For letting me.”
He squeezed her hand and then pulled her into a hug. He was warm, and she could feel his heart beating through his chest. Tyler smiled and squeezed her tighter. “Best Christmas ever. Don’t you think?” He asked glancing down. She nodded with a small smile.
“Better than all your others?”
“Everything with you in my life is better, Christmas included.” She closed her eyes and squeezed him tightly.
There really was something magical about Christmas.
************
“Ho Ho Ho!” Joel rumbled as he made his way inside of the Connolly’s house. He and Libby had gone home for Christmas and though they wouldn’t be able to stay long, there was no way they were missing her parent’s Christmas party.
“AH!” Heather screamed rushing forward to pull them both into a hug, as she had also voyaged home just for the holidays “Happy kissaversary lovebirds.”
Th house was packed with guests and family and friends, and Libby couldn’t stop smiling. It felt so good to be here in her parents house, on Christmas Eve, with Joel where their story had started. She’d kissed him for the first time right upstairs in her room, and at that moment their lives together began.
“What are you thinking about?” He asked from beside her, arm around her shoulders.
“Oh just about that Christmas Eve when I kissed you upstairs.”
“Uhm no.” He scoffed “It was me who kissed you actually.”
“Im thinking about-“ they turned to find Heather, standing with her sweater half open to conceal a bottle of wine under it. Discreetly they all made their way up to Libby’s room and out on to the roof, bundled in jackets as they each took sips from the bottle.
“Last time we did this we were teenagers.” Joel said from his spot next to Libby.
“The last time your mom had a party was when I was in Florida and you guys were in there making out, thinking we all had no idea.”
“Well you might, but my parents didn’t.”
Heather rolled her eyes “Yes they did Libby. They just didn’t think Joel had it in him so they didn’t care.”
Joel gave her a dirty look and an eye roll, and stared off into space for a second before he asked them “Do you guys ever think about what things would be like if you hadn’t moved here in 8th grade?”
“I don’t like to.” Heather said rubbing her arms “You moving here was the best thing that could have happened to us.” She said smiling at Libby “Because I gained a best friend and Joel finally found someone who would go out with him.”
Libby started laughing, breath turning into fog and Joel’s mouth fell open “On Christmas? Really Heather? Aren’t you already pretty low on the naughty list?”
“I live on the naughty list. Alright I’m not 15 anymore. It’s too cold for this, you guys coming?” She said as she climbed back in.
“In a minute.” She disappeared out Libby’s bedroom door leaving her with Joel on the roof. She reached forward grabbing his hand to hold it in her mittened one.
“If I hadn’t moved here in 8th grade, we still would have found each other some way.”
“You think?”
She nodded and looked out across town, at the black sky, white snow and twinkling stars above their heads “I do. Just would have needed some magic. Some Christmas magic.” She pointed at a star that streaked across the sky and disappeared before she rested her head on his shoulder.
“Can you think of a better way to spend Christmas Eve?” He asked.
She shook her head “No. I want to spend every Christmas Eve here, and every other day of the year with you until we’re old and grey. Promise me that?” She looked up at him, eyes wide under her glasses.
“Promise. Merry Christmas Libby.”
“Merry Christmas Joel.”
46 notes · View notes