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[cuttergauthier]

How It All Began | Quinn Hughes

Summary: Quinns family finally finds out that Him and y/n are together. Featuring our local B.c. boy, the one and only Mat Barzal. Based loosely off of this.

Parings: Quinn Hughes x Teacher!Fem!Reader

Warnings: None I think. Maybe some anxious feelings. Part of this universe but can be read as a stand alone.

Wc: 5.7k

-

The door clicks shut, breaking your focus and signifying that Quinn is home from practice. As he passes by the couch, he drops a kiss to your head, ruffling your hair as he goes. "Hi baby," he murmurs quietly, not wanting to disturb you while you mark math tests. 

"Hi Q," you say off-handedly, grimacing as you circle another question in red and write down the correct answer. This poor kid is going to need some extra help. You quickly scan your attendance list and put a star beside his name. 

Quinn busies himself by taking a quick shower and cutting up some fruit as a snack before he flops on the couch and pillows his head on your thigh. Your fingers automatically delve into his hair, rubbing at his scalp soothingly. He lets out a contented sigh as he snatches the TV remote and navigates to YouTube to play some sort of educational video that will make his brain work. 

Occasionally, he holds a piece of fruit up for you, and you take it without hesitation, often catching his fingers between your teeth playfully. Halfway through a video about Moser's circle problem, he pauses it and takes the pen and paper from your hand, setting them on the coffee table neatly. 

"Sorry to disrupt your marking, babe," he says softly, holding up a strawberry for you in a sort of apology, "I have a question for you." His tongue darts against his lip in a nervous habit as he awaits your response.

"All good, baby; I could use a break anyway." You smile, happily taking the slice of strawberry into your mouth. You lean down and kiss the corner of his mouth sweetly, hoping to alleviate some of his nerves, "What's your question?"

"Will you come to Michigan with me this summer? I know you usually say no, but now you're my girlfriend, and I don't wanna spend the summer without you. I mean, I understand if you don't wanna, and I won't push, but it'd really mean a lot to me to have you there and-" 

Your smile grows as he rambles, and you cut him off with a kiss. "Yes, Quinn, I'll come to Michigan with you this summer and for every summer after that, as long as you'll have me,"

The smile Quinn gives you is dazzling and filled with love, "for the rest of our lives?"

"For the rest of our lives," you confirm, sealing your lips over his in another sweet kiss. You pull away for air, smoothing his hair down with a smile. "Now make yourself useful and help me mark these tests," you say nudging him into a sitting position.

"Tyrant," he mutters, though he can barely keep the smile off his face. He splits the remainder of the stack of tests in half and slides a pile over to you. You give him the answer key, already having memorized most of the answers and the two of you work comfortably side by side. After the stack of tests is marked you hand Quinn your trusty sticker book, and he lights up as he takes it from you, he places a sticker on each test with such care it makes your heart melt.

The remainder of the evening passes by in the blissful peace of each other's company, and soon the two of you are curled around each other, fast asleep on the couch.

-

The months fly by as the weather grows warmer, and the canucks are in the playoffs. It's a bit of an adjustment, dealing with the chaos of the end of the school year while Quinn captains a playoff team, but if the pair of you are good at anything, it's adapting to what life throws at you. 

Soon, hockey season is over, and it's the last day of the school year. Honestly, you are just as happy as the kids. The day flies by in a whirlwind of fun, and soon enough, you're hugging your students goodbye and promising you'll visit them in their class next year. You'll never admit it, but it makes you feel a little emotional every time.

Quinn picks you up from school with a bouquet of flowers and two slices of pie from the shop downtown that the two of you reserve exclusively for special occasions. Quinn leans over the center console and plants a sweet kiss on your lips, turning you to putty in his arms. 

"Happy last day of school, Ms. Y/l/n," he smirked, punctuating his sentence with a kiss to your cheek. 

You can't help the giggle that falls from your lips, and you lace your fingers with his as he drives to Prospect Point. You pick a place on the sea wall for the two of you to sit and prepare to feast on the pie. 

"To the best summer of our lives," Quinn grins, tapping his pie against yours. You smile, your heart full, and you dig in.  

"How do you know it'll be the best summer of our lives?" You tease, watching the boats on the water. 

"Because for the first time," Quinn murmurs with a grin, taking your chin between his pointer finger and thumb to make you look at him, "we'll be spending it together," he places a gentle kiss on your lips and you wrap your arms around his neck, keeping him close. 

"I love you, Quintin," you hum with a smile. 

"I love you too, Y/n," he leans against you, and you thread your fingers through his hair as you watch boats drift along the waterline, lit by the glow of the setting sun. And at that moment, everything was right in the world. 

The sun disappears over the horizon, and Quinn wraps his arm over your shoulders as you walk back to the car, "we gotta get you packed," he mumbles against your hair. 

"Ugh, don't remind me," you groan. "I hate packing,"

"Well, I already told you you could bring a small bag and I'll take you shopping when we get to Mich, but somebody didn't like that idea," he sasses, nipping at your ear. 

You flick him in the nose, scowling, "Shut up,"

"Yes, ma'am," he smirks. 

As soon as you get home, Quinn wastes no time, pulling out a suitcase for you as you go through the list of what you need to pack. Quinn leaves you to it, knowing that there's a method to your madness, and the only thing he can do to help is sit there and look pretty.

He's lounging on the bed while piles of clothing surround you. As you start neatly packing things into the suitcase you go through the pile of swimsuits once more, "Are you sure I need this many swimsuits?" You ask skeptically, for what is probably the third time. 

"Yes, babe. We are on the water almost every day," he says again. His answer still the same as the last time you asked.

"Oh!" You spring up with a smile on your face and saunter to the closet, "I just remembered..."

"Remembered what, babe?" Quinn asks curiously, rolling over on the bed so he's no longer looking at you upside down as you emerge from the closet with a blue plastic card. You present it to him with a big smile.

He squints his eyes, snatching the card from your hands. "Is this real?"

You scoff. "Of course, it's real."

"No fucking way," Quinn says, wide-eyed, flipping it over and inspecting the back of it, "We have known each other for so long, and you never mentioned you had a boat license." 

You roll your eyes and plant yourself in the middle of your piles of clothing again while Quinn inspects your very real boating license. "I basically grew up on the Okanagan, of course, I have a boat license." 

"Oh baby, Jack just got demoted from first mate," he chuckles, grin spreading wide. 

You giggle as you pack everything into the suitcase, "I'm excited to see everyone. It's been way too long." 

"Speaking of seeing everyone..." he trails off, nervously fiddling with his fingers, "I didn't tell them about us yet. Or that you're coming."

Confusion is written on your features as you look at him. Your heart stutters a little. He notices the look on your face and is quick to tamper your worries. "I just- I wanted to tell them in person. You're so important to me and to my family as well, and it didn't feel right to tell them over the phone, you know?" 

"I'm nervous." You say quietly, zipping up your suitcase after you've packed everything into it. Quinn stands, pulling you into his arms, you melt into the warmth of his body and loop your arms around his back. 

"They already love you, baby, don't even worry," he says, planting a sweet kiss on your hair. You sigh against his chest and let the beat of his heart calm your nerves. His hands stroke your back in soothing circles, and he starts to sway the two of you back and forth. 

"Alexa, play Heaven by Bryan Adams," Quinn says just loud enough for the device to pick up his voice. You smile into his chest as soft music fills the room, and all of a sudden, tears well at the corners of your eyes because this is everything you have ever dreamed of and more. 

"I love you so much, Quinn," you murmur against his shirt, "more than I have words for."

Quinn pulls away, cupping your face and kissing the tears from your cheeks, "don't cry, baby," he says earnestly, not knowing the reason for your tears.

"Happy tears," you choke out with a smile, nuzzling your cheek against his hand with a happy sigh. He pulls you back into his chest and sways to the music until the song is over. You stand on your tip toes and press a sweet kiss to his lips. He smiles against your mouth "Gotta finish packing sweets," he mutters, squeezing your waist. You nip at his lip playfully, and he pulls away with an overdramatic hiss. 

"Why'd you have to remind me?" You pout, crossing your arms against your chest.

Quinn chuckles, smoothing his tongue along his bottom lip, "Come on, babe, I know you won't be able to relax until you get it done. Plus, now it's just your airplane bag, and then you're free." 

You sigh, knowing he's correct, as you gather the things that need to go in your backpack. Your iPad, current book, AirPods, chargers, wallet, passport, and all the other important stuff that need to go in your backpack. Quinn rolls your suitcase by the door, and you place your backpack on top of it, finally done packing for the night.

"How are we getting to the airport?" You ask, mouth full of toothpaste as you and Quinn prepare for bed side by side. Quinn's hair is held back by one of those silly skincare headbands.

You can't help but snap a photo of the two of you. Quinn patted his face dry with a towel, brown curls were pushed back by a lavender headband, you had your toothbrush hanging half out of your mouth, and your hair was pushed back with a matching blue headband. 

Quinn rolls his eyes fondly and presses a kiss to your cheek and you snap another photo with a giggle. Domestic Quinn is your favourite Quinn because he's all yours. No one else gets to see him like this.

Quinn finishes drying his face, "Hmm, I think Barzy said he would take us, I'll text him and double-check."

It takes a minute for the nickname to place, but as soon as it does, you whip around to face him, a piece of floss stuck between your teeth, "Barzy? As in Barzal? Like Matthew Barzal of the New York Islanders?"

Quinn looks at you strangely, "What other Barzal's do you know?"

"Since when are you buddies with Mat Barzal?" You ask, crossing your arms over your chest.

Quinn furrows his brows, trying to recall when he became friends with Mat, "Since I moved to Vancouver? I swear you knew this?" 

"No, I didn't," you shake your head, throwing your floss in the garbage. 

"His family lives in Coquitlam. I usually pick him up from the airport when he flies in if I'm still in Vancouver," he shrugs. He swore you knew all of this. Then again, this is the first time he's been around this far into the off-season. He unusually catches the first possible flight out to Michigan, but this time, he stuck around until you were finished teaching.

Your eyes light up in recognition. "Is that the 'Matty' you pick up from the airport every year?" You ask as all the pieces click into place. 

Quinn nods, flipping off the bathroom light and texting mat while you curl up on your respective side of the bed, holding the quilt up for him to slip underneath. "Mat says he'll drop us off," Quinn says, ensuring his alarm is set before he plugs his phone in and slips under the covers beside you. 

As always, you curl into his side, and he wraps his arm around you, bringing you as close to his chest as possible, stroking patterns along your arm. You toss your leg over his hip, and his other hand finds its home on your leg.

"Night baby, I love you," you whisper against his chest.

"I love you too," he says, pressing a kiss to your hair. 

- 

The morning brings a whirlwind of chaos. Making sure neither of you forgot anything important, triple checking to be sure there's nothing left in the fridge that will go bad, amongst other things. There's a knock on the door while Quinn ensures everything is unplugged around the apartment. 

"Ready to go?" Quinn asks as he's locking the apartment door. It's a rhetorical question; it's time to go whether you are ready or not, but the fact that he still cares enough to ask makes your chest warm. 

"Yeah," you sigh, locking your fingers with his. He squeezes your hand and gives you a reassuring smile as the two of you walk to the awaiting car of Mat Barzal. He pops the trunk, and Quinn hoists your suitcase into the back. 

You slip into the back seat, leaving the passenger side for Quinn. Mat whips towards you with a grin, tilting his head so he can see you over the rims of his sunglasses. "You must be the missus," he sticks his hand out for you to shake, "it's good to finally meet you. Huggy never shuts up about you."

You smile, shaking his hand, "Good to meet you too, Mat. I can't believe Quinn has never introduced us before now," 

Quinn slips into the passenger seat, rolling his eyes. "Cause I knew you two would get along like a house on fire, and frankly, that's something out of my nightmares."

"Oh hush, Huggy," Mat produces a tray from seemingly out of nowhere carrying three takeout cups, "drink your green juice before you pop a vein," he says, handing Quinn the cup with some healthy-looking green juice in it. Quinn takes the cup with a grumble. 

"And for the lady," Mat produces a cup of coffee, "I hope you like hazelnut lattes. Quinn didn't text me back fast enough about your coffee order, so this is what I got." 

"This is perfect, thank you." You say, taking the cup from him, incredibly happy now that you have your hands on some caffeine.

"Thanks for feeding my girlfriend's addiction you ass," Quinn grumbles. His tone is teasing, and his words are light-hearted, but it's funny how Mat sticks out his bottom lip in an offended pout. 

"It's not an addiction!" You protest with a gasp, keeping your coffee close to your chest as if Quinn might try to steal it. 

The rest of the ride to the airport is filled with friendly banter and you and Mat exchange numbers. Quinn pretends it's the worst thing to happen, but secretly, he's happy that you and Mat are getting along.

Mat steps out to do the bro hug thing with Quinn and then grabs your suitcase from the car. Mat pulls you into a side hug, "It was good to meet you, Missus. I know you probably know this, but Quinn loves you a lot. He wears his love for you on his face, which is surprising considering that he's... well, he's Quinn." Mat says with an awkward chuckle. 

It's surprising to hear from someone else. You'd never really thought about how Quinn looks at you in public. To you, he's sassy, and he talks a lot. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, and he isn't afraid to make his feelings known. To the public, he's quiet and respectful and knows exactly what to say and when to say it. 

So to hear that he wears his love for you in his face, publicly, in the open, for the world to see, well, it makes your heart flutter warmly in your chest.

Quinn rejoins the two of you, leaning casually against your suitcase. You take that as your cue to leave and turn to hug Mat for real.

"Thanks for saying that, Mat. It means a lot." You whisper to him. 

Mat chuckles, patting you on the back, "Of course, it was good to meet you, Y/n. I'm gonna let you go now because Quinn looks like he might try to kill me, but send me lots of photos of the two of you this summer, ok?"

It's an odd request, mainly because you just met, but you like him, and you know you're going to become good friends, so you smile and promise you'll send him lots of photos. 

"Thanks for driving us to the airport, Barzy," Quinn smiles, dabbing him up one last time before the two of you head into the airport.

Quinn offers his hand for you, leading the two of you through the airport. You take it gratefully, happy not to have to use your brain. Soon enough, you're seated side by side on the plane, ready to take off. Quinn hands you water while you pop your drugs, ready to pass out. Flying has never been a favourite activity of yours, so you usually take a couple of nighttime advils and knock out for the duration of the flight.

It's like magic, really; You go to sleep in one place and wake up in another. You pillow your head on Quinn's shoulder, and before you know it, you are out cold.

- 

Approximately six hours later, Quinn is shaking you awake ever so gently, "We're here, babe, planes landed," he says softly, pressing a kiss to your head. 

You blink the sleep from your eyes, your brain feeling a little groggy. "Times' it?" You mumble, flopping your head back onto Quinn's shoulder. 

"4:27 pm," 

You hum in acknowledgement, rubbing your eyes with a sigh. The flight attendants announced that it was time to start deboarding. Quinn nudges you up while he grabs both of your backpacks from the overhead compartment. He gives you yours and grabs your hand, leading you off the plane to collect your baggage. 

As the two of you wait by the baggage carousel, you lean against the sturdiness of Quinn's body, still groggy from the meds. Quinn rubs his hands up and down your arms in soothing motions. His phone buzzes incessantly in his pocket, and he pulls it out with a huff. His eyes light up instantly when he sees that it's Jack and Luke in their group chat.

“Jack and Luke are here,” he whispers with a smile. Suddenly, you are wide awake; you haven't seen either of them since December, and holy fuck, you miss them. “I told them to park and come in,”

“They still don't know I'm here, right?” you question excitedly. Quinn nods, his eyes sparkling with amusement at how excited you are. “You face that way, and tell me when they’re coming,” you say, stepping away from Quinn so you aren't standing suspiciously close to him. Quinn chuckles at your request and does it anyway, facing the entrance to the airport so he can see when his brothers enter. You are practically vibrating with excitement as you wait for them to arrive. 

You and Quinn can hear them before you see them, “-well, he probably told us to come in because he has a suitcase or something,” Jack says, exasperated.

“But why does he have a suitcase? He never brings a suitcase?” Luke asks confused

They round the corner as Jack sighs. He points to Quinn and slaps Luke upside the head, “Go ask him yourself,”

You are covering your mouth with a hand to keep your laughter quiet, and Quinn is peaking at you out of the corner of his eye with a very amused look. 

“What’r you smiling about Quinner?” Luke asks, looping his arm around his brother. Quinn pats his back as Jack joins the hug, throwing himself at Quinn’s free side. Quinn loops his free arm around him with a grunt. “Just happy to see you dumbasses,”

“So why’d you have luggage?” Luke asks, brows raised. 

You choose that moment to face them, “It’s mine, actually,” you grin. 

Both of their jaws drop to the floor, and they scramble to untangle themselves from Quinn and throw themselves at you instead. Jack gets to you first, wrapping his arms around your shoulders. Luke hugs you around your back. It's awkward because of your backpack, but he is too impatient to wait for Jack to let go, “Y/n, are you really here?” Jack says quietly. 

“No, she’s a figment of your imagination,” Luke says with an eye roll, squeezing you just a little tighter “Yes, she’s here, dumbass,”

Quinn chuckles at the interaction, grabbing your suitcase off the conveyor belt as it passes. He leans on it, watching as his brothers practically squeeze the life out of you. 

“No one asked you,” Jack huffs. You smile against Jack's neck and tap his arm for him to let go of you. Jack whirls on Quinn, pointing an accusatory finger at him, “How come you didn't tell us she was coming?”

“It was a surprise.” he shrugs with a smirk. 

Luke loops an arm around your shoulder, and you wrap one around his waist. You have known the kid since he was a fourteen-year-old who barely came up to your shoulder. At this point, he is basically your little brother. Hopefully, one day, he will be. 

“Does this mean you finally pulled your head out of your ass and confessed that you’ve been head over heels for her since you’ve met?” Jack asks bluntly, he pulls on the strap of your backpack to take it from you, and you let him gladly..

Luke cackles, and you laugh behind your hand while Quinn goes red in the face. “Technically, I’m the one who confessed.” you grin, walking towards the door.

“So tell us the story,” Jack nudges with a grin. 

“Oh god, can we not?” Quinn groans, scrubbing a hand down his face.

“Quinn, please tell me you did not embarrass the family name,” Luke says all too seriously. 

“Shut up, Luke. At least I have a girlfriend.”

“So he did embarrass the family name then,” Jack says teasingly.

You just smile, and Jack breaks out into a cackle. Quinn grumbles unintelligibly as he places your suitcase into the trunk. He holds his hand out for the keys, and Luke pouts but hands them over without argument as the older sibling, Quinn, is quite literally incapable of allowing his younger siblings to drive while he is in the car. Quinn opens the passenger door for you, and you slide in with a smile, kissing him on the cheek. 

“UGH, THAT WAS SO GROSS,” Luke yells dramatically, covering his eyes. “Keep your grimy lips off  her, you heathen!”

“She literally kissed me, you dumbass,” Quinn says, rolling his eyes as he adjusts the seat to his comfort, he laces your fingers together, and you keep your intertwined hands perched in your lap. The drive to the lake house is filled with friendly chatter. Jack and Luke ask about your work, how the kids are, and when they can come to visit next year. You ask them about their last season, how their summer is going, if they are excited for the next season, and everything else that comes to mind. 

It’s almost sad that the drive is over as the car pulls up to Lake House. Until you remember you’re about to see Ellen and Jim for the first time in a while. The excitement returns tenfold, and you don't even care about surprising them. As the car rolls to a stoop and you burst out before Quinn has had the chance to put it in park, you can’t remember why you were nervous about coming to Michigan. 

“Hi Quinn, we’re in the kitchen!” Ellen's voice calls as she hears the front door open. Following the sound of Ellen's voice you find the kitchen easily.

“Hi El, Hi Jim,” you say with a sheepish smile. They look up, startled by a voice that is most definitely not Quinn. 

Jim comes over with a smile, pulling you into a side hug. “Hey Kiddo, long time, its good to see you.”

“Oh my goodness! Y/n!” Ellen drops what she is doing and practically runs to hug you, “Welcome to Michigan, Honey! How come no one told us you were coming? Where are the boys?” 

As if on cue, the boys appear in a wave of chaos, Luke dragging your suitcase, Quinn and Jack carrying the backpacks. “Hey, mom, hey, dad,” Quinn says, dropping his bag and hugging them respectively.

Ellen nudges him in the stomach with an elbow, and he doubles over dramatically. “How come you didn't tell us you were bringing Y/n?” she says, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at her son. 

“She’s finally his girlfriend!” Luke yells as he drags your bags upstairs to Quinn's room.

Ellen's head whips between you two, “surprise,” Quinn says sheepishly, making jazz hands at his mom. Jim snorts and resumes setting the table. Ellen’s face settles into a soft, knowing smile. And she pulls you in for another hug along with Quinn. 

“I thought he was never gonna confess at this rate.” Ellen teases. 

“Well, actually,” you start with a grin, and Quinn is already groaning, “I was the one who confessed,”

“Well, we would love to hear the whole story at dinner, Quinn. Why don’t you give her a quick mini-tour and then freshen up? Dinner will be ready in less than ten.” 

“Sure, Mom,” he drops a kiss to her hair and grabs you by the hand, leading you out of the kitchen, back into the living room and up the stairs where Luke had disappeared with your luggage, pointing out things along as you go. He promises a more in-depth tour after dinner as he drags you to his bedroom so the two of you can freshen up.

Jack and Luke had brought all of your luggage up, thank god. You grab your toothbrush out of your bag, and Quinn points you in the direction of the bathroom. “Do you want something to change into?” he asks as he shuffles through his closet. 

“I wouldn't be opposed to a t-shirt,” you answer, undoing your hair and rubbing your fingers into your scalp to release the tension from having your hair up since this morning. You brush your teeth quickly and strip off your hoodie, tossing it on top of your suitcase, as Quinn hands you a t-shirt. As you pull it over your head, the comforting smell of Quinn engulfs you, and you sigh happily. 

Suddenly, Quinn is in front of you, wrapping his arms around you loosely, and you practically fall into him. “How are you feeling?” he asks gently, his hands finding your bare skin under your shirt. 

“So happy I came with you, Q,” you smile against his chest. 

“Me too, baby, me too,” he sighs.

Ellen's voice echos up the stairs, saying that dinner is ready, and Quinn places a kiss on your cheek before loosely tangling your fingers together and leading you back down the stairs. Quinn sits on your left, your thing comfortable resting on top of his. Luke is on your right, and Jim, Ellen and Jack are across from you. 

“So tell us the story of how you finally got together,” Ellen prompts, handing you the potatoes.

“Oh god, must we?” Quinn groans,

“Quinn did something embarrassing apparently,” Jack grins, piling his plate high with food.

Their parents don't comment, but the sly smiles that adorn their faces tell you they expected nothing less from their son. “Please spare no expense. We've only waited half a decade for this,” Luke says seriously. 

“It was nothing special, really,” you smile, “we were just having dinner, and then it slipped out.” you shrug. 

Jack pokes you with his foot under the table, and you glare at him playfully. “Come on, you are holding out on us. What happened after that?”

“Nothing,” you smile. 

“Nothing?” Luke questions, and you know he’s caught on as you nod in confirmation.

“As in…” Ellen eyes Quinn with an intensity that only a mother can manage, “Quinn did nothing,” 

Quinn hides his face, absolutely mortified, “he didn't do anything, didn't say anything, he just kind of stood there with a blank stare,” you say, smiling fondly as you recall how the night went. It was funny looking back on it now, but at that time, it was the most horrifying moment of your life.

“Quinn, seriously!” Luke scolds, “The girl you love confesses her undying feelings, and you do nothing! That's so embarrassing. We’re renouncing you as a Hughes.”

“Pretty sure I'm the only one who has that power, kiddo,” Jim chimes in with a teasing smile. 

“So what happened after that?” Jack encourages with a wave of his hand.

“Well, naturally, after you confess your feelings for your best friend and he just kind of stands there frozen like a baby deer in headlights, you feel pretty mortified,” you shrug, “so naturally, I ran away.”

“Oh my god! You didn't!” Luke gasps dramatically. 

“Mhmm,” you nod, “I did,” you nudge Quinn gently so he can continue the story. 

“Forgot her phone, keys, wallet, everything,” Quinn says, shaking his head, “I was freaking out, so I kinda just ran out of the apartment after her. I’m sprinting down the streets of downtown Vancouver after dark, and it starts raining. Eventually, like, ten minutes later, I found her crying on a park bench, soaked to the bone and shivering like there was no tomorrow.” 

“And just as I was about to take off again, he grabbed me by the wrist and told me he loves me too,” you say, smiling softly. 

“Dude, that's straight out of The Notebook,” Jack laughs, 

“Well, that will make a fun wedding story.” Ellen smiles, 

“That's what Quinn said,” You say, grinning. 

“Good job, Quinner. I honestly expected much more embarrassment on your part.” Luke says much too happily. 

“Gee, thanks for having so much faith in me, Moose.” Quinn rolls his eyes.

“I’m sure the real version is much less PG,” Jack mutters with a smirk, earning himself a jab from his mother. Your cheeks warm, and your gaze drops to your plate while the tips of Quinn’s ears go pink.

Jack’s smirk grows wider at your reactions, and he's cackling as he takes his next bite of food.

“After that, I moved into his place, and that's basically it, and now we're here.” 

“And we're glad to have you,” Ellen smiles.

The remainder of dinner passes quickly, the conversation flowing between the five of you easily. You help clean the kitchen. “Wanna do a sunset boat ride?” Quinn asks as he dries his hands on the dish towel, “I'm itching to get on the water.”

“I'm down,” Luke and Jack say simultaneously, while Jim and Ellen nod in agreement.

“Everyone get a hoodie, you know how cold it gets on the boat as soon as the sun starts to set,” Ellen instructs while she heads up the stairs to grab hoodies for her and Jim. 

“I’ll go get two for us,” Quinn murmurs, disappearing up the stairs behind his mom.

He comes back down, not a minute later, with two hoodies in hand. He hands you the blue Canucks hockey one and takes the grey one for himself. 

“Oh, by the way, Jack,” Quinn starts as you all make your way to the dock, “you've been demoted as first mate and secondary driver,”

“What?” Jack practically screeches, “What did I do to deserve this?”  he whines. 

Quinn simply whips your boat license out of his pocket and shows it to Jack with a shit-eating grin. 

Jack's mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. “Don’t worry, Jack,” you laugh, “I would never usurp your position like that.” you pat him on the head reassuringly, and he can't help but smile at you. 

Quinn hops over the side of the boat, and ever the gentleman offers you a hand. You take it with a smile and go to choose a seat, but before you can do so, Quinn is pulling you onto his lap in the driver's seat. You feel the blood rush to your cheeks. You are, after all, in front of his family. No one comments. They all simply smile knowingly as Quinn wraps one arm around your waist and hooks his chin over your shoulder.

With the comforting strength of Quinn’s body beneath you, the sunset on the lake and the soft chatter of the Hughes melding with the wind rushing in your ears, you decide that this will, in fact, be the best summer of your life. 

-

Ya'll I am so so sorry this took so long. It was supposed to be out Friday, then Saturday, then Sunday, then Monday morning. And here we are. Monday night. Finally.

Some crazy shit happened 😭

Anyways, last final is on Thursday and then I have all the free time in the world to write!

Hope yall are having a wonderful day/night/evening/time etc.

As always, comments are much appreciated.

[cuttergauthier]

it's been a long time coming / nico hischier

please save all your questions for the end, and maybe I'll be brave enough by then.

/ or, the one where nico and lucie pretend to be in love.

word count: 28K pairing: nico hischier x OFC; teammate's sister warnings: 18+ smut below the cut; MDNI; oral (fem receiving); language, alcohol, a brief mention of blood, angst & lots of miscommunication; this trope is nothing new, but i got this idea stuck in my head and couldn't write anything else until it was done. it's a little angsty because i don't know how not to include that in my writing, but still lots of feet-kicking fluff, too. this one is a novel that i probably should have released in multiple parts, but i wanted you to have it all at once. i'd love your feedback on this one. have fun falling in love with dreamboat nico to forget about that awful devils' season. xoxo

it's been a long time coming

❄️ Day Zero: THURSDAY Jersey City, New Jersey

"Everything about you stresses me out, Stella."

Lucie Meier took a moment of reprieve to wander back into the kitchen of her brother's luxury condo and retrieve the bottle of wine that she had left on the counter. She needed the space from this conversation for a moment before she completely lost her cool, using this as an excuse to refill her best friends' wine glasses.

As she topped up their three glasses, Stella Muller gave a displeased huff, letting her best friend know she was unhappy and their conversation was not done.

Lucie was a type A personality. Everything in her life was organized and always had been. Nothing brought her more joy than labels, color coordination, and no clutter. She was the type of person who emptied the crumb tray in the toaster before and after every single use. This hyper-organization and affinity for stress-cleaning when she needed to clear her head was what made her so good at her job as an event planner. Clients needed organization and guidance in the chaos of a big event—especially a wedding.

Stella was the complete opposite of everything Lucie was. She was impulsive and chaotic and never needed to make a plan. But opposites attract, and that was part of what made their friendship work. Growing up in Switzerland, the pair had been best friends since they had met on the first day of kindergarten. Everything after that was history.

Lucie was happy to let Stella be, never one to be overly critical of her life's general lack of rules. Except for when she received that phone call in the middle of the night last year. Stella was screaming that she was engaged to the cute American boy she had met on holiday in Ibiza a few months ago, and Lucie had to help plan the wedding.

The two girls had been planning for this moment since they had known each other, but Stella had always assumed it would be the other way around and they would be planning Lucie's wedding first.

Honestly, everyone who knew Lucie and Stella thought that way.

But now here they were, huddled around the coffee table on the floor in Lucie's brother's apartment with Stella's older sister, Sophie, trying to put together a seating chart for the reception only three weeks out from the wedding.

Stella had received the final RSVP numbers nearly a month ago but had been procrastinating. Now, the caterer needed the final arrangement yesterday, so Lucie and Sophie had forced Stella to sit down and work on the seating chart, or they knew it would never get done.

"It's almost like we should have done this a month ago," Sophie mumbled as she sipped from her freshly poured wine glass.

Only two years older than Stella and Lucie, Sophie was the pair's confidant and unofficial third musketeer. When it came to organization and impulsiveness, she sat somewhere on the scale between Stella and Lucie.

She helped keep the trio balanced.

"Sorry, I've been a little busy," snapped Stella.

"Okay, enough," Lucie interrupted. "It's fine. We're going to figure this out."

Lucie placed her wine glass back onto the coffee table, resuming her spot between the two sisters on the floor. She pretended to ignore Stella's sour face as she stuck her tongue out to taunt Sophie. Sophie rolled her eyes, directing her attention to the giant paper seating plan covering nearly the entire coffee table.

Lucie had cut out small place cards for every confirmed attendee and placed them throughout the map to help visualize the beachside reception.

"How many brothers does Connor have again?" Lucie asked as she placed cards down to begin filling the head table, which had been the issue of the night so far.

"Two," Stella answered. "His older brother Noah is bringing his wife Liz, and his younger brother, Matt, is bringing his latest Tinder fling."

"And you're okay with having someone you've never met before sit at your head table?" Sophie asked cautiously, watching Lucie rearrange the markers.

Stella merely shrugged in response. "I mean, that's Matt. And I can't demote his date from the table unless I move everyone's dates to their own miscellaneous seats."

"I would love that," Lucie laughed. "Imagine Timo having to make small talk with the wives and Matt's Tinder date all night? He'd hate it."

"I like that idea," Sophie chimed in with a giggle. "I'll relegate Timo to the plus one's table."

Sophie was always a pseudo-big sister when Lucie was a teenager, but now Sophie was actually her sister, too. Lucie and Stella had schemed hard to set Sophie up with Lucie's older brother, Timo. But he had consistently turned her down because he didn't want to date one of his younger sister's best friends. He claimed it would make the group dynamic weird, especially if they broke up.

Anyone who spent more than two minutes with Sophie and Timo instantly knew they were in love with each other; they were just in denial. It wasn't until hockey took Timo to Halifax for a season that he noticed the distance and how much he missed Sophie for the first time.

It took him a couple more years to finally come to his senses and ask her out officially, but the pair had been together for nearly eight years and were now happily settled in New Jersey.

Stella was now also in New York, having moved in with Connor on the Upper East Side of Manhattan last year right before their engagement.

"No, I'm not making a table just for the plus ones." Stella swiped all the place cards Lucie had moved off the table and began rearranging them at the head table. "It's not a big group, and I want everyone together."

Stella paused as she stared at the table, face-to-face with the exact issue causing her procrastination. The numbers didn't work. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and looked over the seating chart again, hand hovering over the empty spot at the head table.

"What are we doing about Lucie's plus one?" Sophie spoke up, addressing the elephant in the room everyone was so desperately avoiding.

The numbers didn't work because Lucie had originally RSVPed as bringing a date—her long-term boyfriend, Alexander. But now that Alexander was no longer in the picture, every seating combination had an odd number, making everything much more complicated than it needed to be.

Not only did Lucie feel self-conscious about the inconvenience her blindside break-up was causing the wedding planning, but she would also have to spend the week in Mexico alone at every wedding event—way to rub salt into a wound.

"You can move me to an open seat at another table," Lucie insisted. She moved her placeholder on the chart to the remaining open table, located in the far back corner for the friends of a friend who were only on the invite list out of courtesy.

"No!" Stella was firm in her objection. "I'm not letting my oldest friend be banished to the sad singles table."

The sad singles. Lucie had to bite down on the inside of her cheek to hold back the self-deprecating comment threatening to spill out. Instead, she tried to fight Stella with the one thing she hated most—reason.

"If you don't, the numbers will be off," Lucie gently reminded her. "It's going to make every wedding photo look lopsided, and I know that's going to drive even you insane."

Stella tapped her fingers on the tabletop, silently agreeing with Lucie's argument. She didn't want to admit she was right but didn't know if other options existed.

The sound of the key in the front door offered another moment of reprieve. The three girls looked up at the welcome distraction as Timo came through the front door, two of his teammates trailing in behind him. Timo dropped his bag by the entryway table, something Lucie knew she would be tripping over and putting away later, and came into the living room to greet the girls.

Nico Hischier and Jonas Siegenthaler followed after him, making their way to the open-concept kitchen with a polite wave to the girls. The Swiss men regularly hung out together, often coming over to Timo's place after practices or having dinner parties hosted by Jonas and his girlfriend. Nico lived a few floors above Timo, usually carpooling together to and from games and practices. Since Lucie had moved in, it felt like Nico spent more time at Timo's apartment than Timo did.

With how often they were over and how many games and team events Lucie had tagged along to in the last six months she had been living here with Timo and Sophie, she was pretty familiar with the two hockey players. She didn't bat an eye as they made themselves at home in the kitchen, grabbing water bottles and protein shakes from the fridge.

Not to mention Lucie's tiny and totally not serious crush on Nico.

She'd had a crush on him forever. The first time she really remembered noticing him, he was a shy teenager playing with Timo on the Swiss national team. But she was so far off his radar—completely off-limits, as most teammates sisters were. And she had been in a relationship for so long, it wasn't like she was actually looking. She simply liked to admire from afar, something Stella and Sophie were all too aware of.

Timo made his way into the living room, bending down to greet his girlfriend and younger sister, each with a kiss to the top of their heads. "Are you girls good?" he asked as he surveyed the situation before him on the table.

"Yeah, just sorting out wedding stuff," Sophie answered as she leaned backward against his legs from where he stood behind her. His hands instinctually rested in her hair, gently brushing it back as he listened to her speak.

"And why are you banishing poor Lucie to a different time zone?" he joked, noticing where Lucie had moved her placeholder to the table in the far corner.

"We have an uneven number for the head table," Lucie said, rolling her eyes. "Someone had to be cut, so I moved myself."

"Or," Stella said with a wide grin, "you could just bring a date."

It was no secret that Stella and Sophie were eager to see Lucie get back out there and meet someone new. They had been anything less than subtle since Lucie and Alexander had broken up last summer.

"I can't bring a date," Lucie dismissed, rolling her eyes. She took a large gulp from her glass of wine, hoping someone else would fill the moment of silence and the topic of conversation would move on.

Instead, Sophie was the one to speak up, her eyebrows knit together as she gave Lucie a puzzled look. "Why not?"

"I don't have a boyfriend?" came Lucie's obvious response, as if she couldn't believe that Sophie had forgotten. "I don't even think I have any single friends I could ask for a favor. And I am not showing up with a random stranger so your numbers can be even."

"It wouldn't just be for the numbers," Stella tried to reason. "Having a date would also help shut down all of those 'Is she doing okay?' questions you've been so anxious about."

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder," Lucie grumbled, suddenly embarrassed of the audience watching along from the kitchen.

She was acutely aware that Nico and Jonas' conversation had trailed off, and they were well within earshot of Stella and Lucie's current exchange. It wasn't that Lucie was necessarily embarrassed about being single. Still, she didn't like the idea of others bearing witness to the vulnerability of navigating her first major event post-breakup.

She knew people would ask the same questions she had been dodging from friends and family for the last six months since it happened. Everyone wanted to see if she was okay, if she was moving on, and most of all, what happened. It was a natural reaction when you heard that 'the perfect couple' had suddenly broken up after ten years with no warning. She could already feel her skin crawling, imagining the looks of pity from Stella and Sophie's family, who all assumed Lucie and Alexander would be the ones tying the knot.

Lucie wasn't sure how much Timo had shared with his teammates about why his younger sister was suddenly moving across the ocean into the spare bedroom in his apartment in Jersey City. Nico and Jonas had met Lucie's ex-boyfriend many times before back in Switzerland, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that he was suddenly no longer in the picture. She had overheard Timo mumbling something to a coach at a charity fundraiser about offering Lucie a fresh start but not giving up any more details.

They didn't really talk about Alexander anymore, though.

Timo and Sophie had been there to listen, offered a shoulder to cry on when Lucie needed it, and did all they could to make her feel at home in New Jersey. They had expected it would be a slow rebound, that it would take some time for her to get back on her feet and start feeling like herself again. But Lucie was back to her usual self and doing fine, much sooner than everyone expected. When Timo saw the spark return in his little sister, who had always been the most important person in his life, he didn't want to rock the boat and even risk mentioning Alexander's name again.

But the reality was, after ten years with her teenage sweetheart, Lucie only felt relieved when it was over.

Lucie and Alexander had been together since they were 14, if you could even consider a relationship at that age real. His family had moved to their small village in the Northeast of Switzerland, and they sat beside each other in class. Lucie had a crush on him right away, and it snowballed from there.

It was one of those relationships in which they had been together for so long that she didn't know what life would be like without him. He wasn't mean or evil but had never been particularly nice to Lucie. They kind of just tolerated each other. But as they graduated from university, everyone started to whisper to them about getting married and starting a family—the logical next step in a long-term relationship. Friends and family talked openly about it, especially as Lucie began working as an assistant to a local wedding planner.

Lucie tried to ignore the sense of dread in the pit of her stomach every time the topic was brought up. She was constantly trying to figure out why, though. Lucie assumed it resulted from working in the industry and witnessing so many weddings. She had met too many awful brides and rude husbands—couples that very obviously should not have been getting married. But all their guests would smile and toast to them, ignoring that they were a dreadful match.

Everything about weddings seemed to be for show rather than to celebrate genuine love. So she chalked up her hesitations to wanting to avoid getting married in general, not to Alexander specifically.

She loved him—she had to to have stayed with him that long, right? This was just what real love felt like. It was comfortable, not the over-the-top sparks and butterflies that movies and TV shows tried to portray. They went through all the usual motions, moving to a beautiful apartment in Zurich together, celebrating holidays with their merged families, and building a life intertwined together.

Until one morning last summer when something didn't feel right.

Lucie had gone through Alexander's phone several times over their ten years together, thanks to a voice in her head telling her something was going on. But she never found anything and was overwhelmed with guilt about not trusting her partner, someone she had built a life with. So she would push that voice to the back of her mind and try not to read too far into Alexander's withdrawn behavior, putting on a happy show whenever they were with friends or family.

That morning, she woke up early to go for a run, desperate to clear her head and get some of this anxious energy out in a healthy outlet. She had been doing that a lot lately, but living so far away from friends and family, no one was around to comment on how much weight Lucie appeared to be rapidly losing. Alexander was still in bed when she left, having the morning off from work after spending the last few days traveling on a business trip to Bern. 

As organized as Lucie was, her fatal flaw was that she never remembered to charge her phone or any electronic device. She was notorious for always having a dead phone. Once again, having forgotten to charge her phone or watch, she had grabbed Alexander's Apple Watch off the bathroom counter to track her running distance that morning since hers was dead.

Not long into the run, her wrist buzzed with notifications synched from Alexander's phone. She paused momentarily to silence the watch but was met with a flurry of notifications on the home screen. Tinder, Hinge, Bumble—every dating app Lucie could name was pinging with notifications of new messages. She clicked into the iMessage app, scanning over the unread texts, all explicit in nature, from unsaved numbers.

Alexander was clearly using his time home alone to catch up on his roster of other girls.

But as Lucie swiped on the watch's screen, the texts and responses were being deleted in real time. He was responding and then removing any evidence, so Lucie would have nothing left to find. He obviously didn't know Lucie had taken his watch.

When Lucie returned home to confront him, Alexander tried to blame her. He talked about how distant she was and how she never supported or loved him the way he needed. As if Lucie was the reason he had to turn to other women, forcing him to be unfaithful to his girlfriend of ten years.

As relieved as Lucie felt to walk away and rid herself of the overwhelming dread her relationship with Alexander had recently filled her with, so much of their lives were intertwined after a decade together that she didn't have anywhere to go. Her entire life had been moved to Zurich with him, but all of the friends she had made in the city were technically his friends, so it wasn't like she could reach out to crash on their couch.

So, at 24, Lucie had the opportunity to start over.

She spent a few weeks at her parents' house before Timo stepped in and offered her a fresh start. Sophie and Timo had a spare room in his condo in New Jersey, and Sophie would appreciate the company while Timo's busy hockey schedule kept him away for most of the season. So she packed up what little belongings she had to her name, re-downloaded Duolingo to try and brush up on the English she hadn't used in years, and settled in New Jersey.

Lucie was eternally grateful for Timo and Sophie's generosity and even more thankful that Stella had also ended up in New York. It had been a while since the trio of girls had lived in the same space and could spend so much time together like they were teenagers all over again.

Whatever lesson Lucie's relationship with Alexander was supposed to have taught her, she was glad it was over. Now, she was hoping there would be sparks and butterflies whenever she met the right person, like the excitement and nerves of a new crush that never seemed to wear off. She loved how Timo and Sophie still looked at each other with such adoration, even after knowing each other their entire lives.

She wasn't quite sure how to convey that in a concise answer when Stella's entire family inevitably cornered her about why her fairytale romance was so suddenly over.

Sophie glanced over her shoulder to exchange a look with Timo, who only smirked at his girlfriend in response. They had a knack for having entire conversations with just silent looks. It was all part of what made them such a dreamy couple.

Lucie didn't know what this particular look was meant to convey, but she already knew she didn't like it.

"What about Nico?" Timo asked, still staring down at Sophie, who now donned a similar smirk.

"What?!" Nico and Lucie managed to sputter out at the same time.

"Yeah," Timo shrugged, finally looking up at his sister. "It checks off all the boxes you listed. You know him already-"

"And he's single!" Sophie added in.

"And he doesn't have any plans for the All-Star break yet," Jonas said with a matching grin.

"Oh my God," Lucie trailed off as she sank further into her seat, hoping the floor would swallow her up if she tried hard enough. Instead, she groaned, refusing to look over where Nico was still standing in the kitchen.

At the same time, Lucie buried her face in her hands, trying to hide the embarrassed flush of her cheeks, Nico spoke up with a small "Okay."

"What?" Lucie repeated, dropping her hands to look over at him.

Nico shrugged his shoulders, suddenly uncomfortable with the weight of everyone's eyes on him. "I'll do it."

"Really?" Lucie asked. She was about to ask him why and start some long-winded tangent about how he didn't need to do this and that she'd be fine going to the destination wedding solo when she felt Stella's watchful eyes on her. She didn't even have to look over at her best friend to know she was shooting daggers, silently warning her that she knew Lucie would try and talk her way out of this.

"Yeah, I mean, they're right," Nico shrugged again. He scratched awkwardly at the back of his neck as he spoke—a contrast to the usually confident and composed NHL captain. "Plus, I love weddings, so, yeah."

"I love weddings," Jonas repeated under his breath with a mocking laugh. Nico roughly elbowed him in the side to shut him up. Lucie had to bite her lip to stop herself from giggling at the action, not missing the pink blush creeping up Nico's neck as she watched him.

"Okay, perfect!" Stella cheered as she reached for Lucie's placeholder on the seating chart. She slid it back to the head table before grabbing a blank one and placing it next to Lucie's. "We'll add Nico to the seating chart here, and we're all sorted!"

⛅ Day One: MONDAY Tulum, Mexico

Stella and Connor's wedding was going to be an elaborate affair.

Everything about Stella was fancy and over the top, and Connor would do anything to make his future bride happy. This brought the group to a luxury villa in Tulum, which was rented for the entire bridal party for the week. The schedule was full of wedding festivities in the tropical paradise leading up to Friday's main event.

The villa would be the group's home base for the next seven days until the rest of their guests began arriving for the wedding later in the week.

Stella kept referring to it as a pre-wedding honeymoon, insisting she wanted a fun vacation with their closest friends before everything got too hectic. All conveniently scheduled for the week of the NHL All-Star break, so Sophie and Timo could attend, of course.

Lucie had helped make this happen, spending countless hours booking vendors, planning travel times, and fussing over the small details. She had spent so much time and energy over the last year planning the destination wedding that it didn't quite feel real, even as she boarded the plane to Mexico.

Maybe part of what felt surreal about the whole experience was having Nico in the seat next to her on the flight—the unexpected variable in this week's equation.

Lucie, Nico, Timo, and Sophie had all flown in from New Jersey together. When Nico arrived at the airport to meet the travel group, it was the first time Lucie had seen him since he had blindly agreed to be her date to the wedding a few weeks beforehand. Stella had sent him home that night with the entire week's itinerary, including the list Lucie had made of outfit suggestions for the theme of each day's event. He hadn't asked any questions or objected and had arrived at the airport excited and ready to go.

He had put his headphones on during takeoff, dozing off for a nap almost instantly. Lucie had opted for a book instead. The time seemed to fly by as she kept her mind occupied until the flight attendants came around to offer complimentary drinks and snacks about halfway through the four-hour flight.

"So am I just a friendly wedding date, or is this a relationship?" Nico had asked as he slipped his headphones off. Now wide awake, he accepted a bottle of water from a flight attendant as they came by.

"What do you mean?" Lucie nervously asked. Was her teenage crush on Nico so obvious that he had already picked up on it? Or maybe Timo had said something when Nico confronted him privately about why he had volunteered him for this stupid trip.

"Like, what have you told people I'm here with you for?" Nico handed her a bottle of water from the flight attendant as he took a moment to find the right words. "Are you bringing a friend to keep you company, or am I a boyfriend this week so no one will ask you why you're here without your ex?"

"Ah," Lucie muttered, sinking further into her seat. She kept her eyes straight ahead, focusing on the small TV screen mounted to the headrest before her. "I haven't really told anyone anything. Timo kind of suggested this as a last-minute thing."

She could see Nico nodding out of the corner of her vision but made no motion to look at him. She was so embarrassed about this whole thing, and admitting all of this out loud made her cringe.

"There's no right or wrong answer here," Nico spoke softly. "I'm only asking so I don't say the wrong thing and mess this up."

"Oh." Lucie felt her stomach drop at his quiet admission. They must have hit a pocket of turbulence or something—that was the only rational explanation for why her stomach felt like she was on a roller coaster. She reluctantly looked over at Nico, only to be met with a dimpled smile that made her stomach flutter even more.

"We could play it by ear. Is that okay?" she hesitantly asked.

"Whatever works for you, Lucie," he instantly agreed.

Unsure if Nico was playing the role of her brother's teammate or her fake boyfriend, he was ever the gentleman when their flight finally landed in Tulum. He collected Lucie's bags, helped carry her things, and opened every door. In the single afternoon that Nico had been directly in Lucie's orbit, he had been more of a boyfriend than Alexander had been to her in the ten years they had been together.

She was still acutely aware that Timo was also in their orbit. Despite being the one who had volunteered Nico for this trip, Lucie could feel her older brother's watchful gaze on the pair from the moment they landed in Mexico. If Nico felt his linemate's stern glares, he did a great job pretending he was unaffected.

Even as the four climbed into the shuttle bus to take them from the airport to Stella and Connor's villa, he calmly ignored Timo staring him down as he took his spot next to Lucie. They were pressed so close together in the small car that their knees would bump together at every turn in the road.

Arriving at the villa, they were greeted by what felt like the entire welcoming committee. Stella, Connor, and their families had all been on an earlier flight that morning and were now a few bottles of champagne deep. They went through a quick line of hellos, Lucie having already met everyone last year at the engagement party—or parties, as they had celebrated in both New York and Switzerland.

Connor's two brothers were also staying at the villa with them. Noah, the older brother, had left his young kids at home for the week to enjoy a stress-free vacation with his wife, Liz.

Matt, the youngest of the Thompson sons, introduced everyone to Brandy, his Tinder date he had matched with a few weeks beforehand. Lucie suddenly didn't feel so bad about bringing a surprise wedding date as she listened to Matt and Brandy retell their lackluster online dating romance.

Last to greet the group were Stella and Sophie's parents, Therese and Walt. Walt, always a man of few words, greeted Lucie and Nico each with a quick hug before passing them a fresh champagne flute and letting his wife take over. Therese shrieked loudly as she noticed Lucie and pulled her in for a dramatic hug.

Therese had been a second mother to Lucie her entire life. Lucie gave her a tight squeeze back, equally excited to see the woman. Lucie had yet to see Therese since she had left Switzerland last summer. She would occasionally say hi in the background if she caught Sophie on a FaceTime call with her parents, but it didn't compare to an in-person reunion like this.

"Oh, Mausi," Therese cooed, referring to the old childhood nickname she had called all three girls. "We were so sorry to hear about you and Alexander."

Lucie braced herself for what she knew was coming next. In Therese's defense, this was the first time she had seen Lucie since everything happened last summer. And Therese surely had heard all of the painful details Stella and Sophie had witnessed during the previous six months. Lucie knew she meant well, but it didn't make her feel any less embarrassed.

"We've all been so worried!"

Lucie tuned out as Therese continued, plastering a polite smile on her face. She nodded at what she assumed were the correct times, and Therese continued to ramble.

Her words seemed to blend together until Lucie felt a hand sneak into her own. She didn't have to look back to know that it was Nico's fingers intertwining with her own; she could already feel his presence as he came to stand behind her.

"I was relieved when the girls said you'd be here." Therese continued.

Lucie returned to reality, leaning backward slightly to rest her back against Nico's broad chest from where he stood behind her. As Therese continued on her tangent, she had yet to notice Nico's arrival.

"I know this can't be easy, being at a wedding and all. I mean, Stella's planned a whole week of romance! But I know she's so grateful that you'll power through for her. You two have always had such an incredible friendship."

Lucie wanted to bite back that she was single, not dead, but it wouldn't do any good. Therese was definitely where Stella had inherited her flare for the dramatics. From experience, Lucie knew it was best to let her get it out of her system.

Or give her something new to focus on.

At her words, Nico gave Lucie's hand a light squeeze, silently letting Lucie know he was right there.

"Oh, Therese," Lucie said, cutting the older woman off mid-sentence. "Have you had a chance to meet my boyfriend, Nico?"

That was one way to decide how they would play it this week. But as Lucie looked up to gauge Nico's reaction to the revelation, he looked unshaken. He gave Therese a warm smile, deep dimples on full display despite the dark stubble he had grown. He stuck his hand out to greet her, but Therese waved it off and pulled the tall hockey player into her usual bone-crushing hug.

"Ah, Nico!" she cheered. "So lovely to meet you."

Loosening her grip, she held Nico out at arm's length, looking him over with a bright grin. As she stepped back, Nico retook his spot next to Lucie, his arm snaking around her waist to pull her closer to his side. Lucie didn't miss Therese's impossibly large smile, which grew even further at the subtle action.

"I'm so happy to see you're doing well." Therese eyed Nico's firm grip around Lucie's waist as she spoke. "I had coffee with your mom a few weeks ago, and she was so worried about you, as mothers are."

Lucie did her best to smile as she felt Nico's grip instinctively tighten on her waist. "No need to worry," he said. "She's in good hands."

That seemed to satisfy Therese as she leaned forward to affectionately pinch Lucie's cheek—another action she had been doing to the three girls for as long as Lucie could remember.

"Now, where is that sweet brother of yours?" she asked, eyes lighting up as she spotted her son-in-law deep in conversation with Connor. She bid Lucie and Nico a quick goodbye before moving on to Timo, her next target.

Letting out the breath Lucie hadn't realized she was holding, she turned slightly in Nico's arms to face him. She hadn't quite expected to be bombarded with the pity party and Alexander interrogation this early in the week. She naively figured they would at least get to the actual wedding before it really became a topic of conversation.

"Thank you," Lucie mumbled into Nico's shoulder as she relaxed into his arms.

Nico didn't respond with words; instead, he dipped his head to place a soft kiss on the crown of her head. Lucie had no idea he was so physically affectionate, always reaching out to make sure he was touching her in some way. But his touch still felt timid and reserved, like Nico wanted to stay within what Lucie was comfortable with. He let her take the lead, silently observing her boundaries.

"Sorry," came Stella's soft voice, interrupting the moment between Lucie and Nico. But as Lucie stepped back, separating herself from Nico, the smirk on Stella's face looked anything but apologetic. "Before things get too hectic, I wanted to discuss room assignments. It's been a bit of a free-for-all, so I started assigning rooms to keep us Lucie-level organized."

Lucie rolled her eyes at the subtle jab but couldn't fight the smile on her face. She loved organization and she loved that her strict planning was finally rubbing off on Sophie.

"You guys are in the last guest suite—down the hall on the left, and the door is at the very end of the hallway. That room is a bit far from everyone else's, but it has a beautiful beach view, so you're welcome." Stella smiled, shooting Lucie a not-so-subtle wink as she spoke.

Lucie suddenly felt nervous. She hadn't quite considered all that bringing Nico as a date to this wedding would entail. At no point had Lucie even thought of having to share a room with him. But Lucie knew the villa was limited with the exact number of bedrooms the group had needed—she had been the one to help Stella book it for that exact reason. They couldn't magically add an extra bedroom. And how would she explain why her wedding date/boyfriend was staying by himself at a nearby hotel?

Was this crossing a line? What was Nico thinking right now?

Stella lowered her voice to a whisper for a moment. "I made sure that room was set aside just for you two—to help with this situation."

"Thanks, Stella," Nico smiled, speaking up on their behalf.

Almost as quickly as Stella appeared, she picked up another glass of champagne and wandered off to find her fiance.

Exhausted from the day of travel, the entire group called it a night relatively early. Lucie followed Nico down the long hallway as they all exchanged goodnights and see you in the mornings. He easily pushed their suitcases towards the final door, a pit growing in Lucie's stomach with each step toward the room.

Nico held open the door, stepping aside to let Lucie enter first. And she breathed a sigh of relief at the sight before her.

The room wasn't huge, but it offered floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the villa's private stretch of beach. A pool was on the other side of the villa, closer to Sophie and Timo's room, but Stella knew Lucie would appreciate the ocean view. She also knew Lucie would appreciate the main selling feature of this room—its two twin beds.

There was no bedside table between them, and the one furthest from the door was a bit crooked, so Lucie assumed Stella had enlisted Connor to help her separate the two beds before their arrival. It was a small gesture but did wonders to calm Lucie's mounting nerves.

After unpacking some of their suitcases into the small closet in the room and washing off the day's sunscreen and travel grime in the ensuite bathroom, Lucie found herself slipping under the cool cotton sheets as Nico reached to turn off the light.

"Thank you," Lucie mumbled, blinking a few times as her eyes adjusted to the low light. The quiet darkness of the bedroom offered Lucie a bit of armor from Nico's unwavering gaze, and she felt a bit bolder. She let out a soft sigh before speaking up again. "I'm sorry for putting you through this."

It was true. Lucie felt immense guilt that Nico had been pulled into this trip and, even worse, that she had lied and told Stella's mom that he was her boyfriend. She had no doubt Therese would be on the phone with her parents this week to ask about Nico, and Lucie's phone would be blowing up with questions about her new relationship status.

Or worse, they'd call Timo, demanding to know when and why their youngest daughter was now dating his captain. Her parents knew Nico, which was only bound to worsen this situation.

She also knew the team didn't get any time off during the season. The week-long All-Star break was Nico's only opportunity to travel. Some guys would head home for the break, and others took it as an opportunity to go on vacation.

Jonas had said Nico had no plans, so it wasn't like she was stopping him from returning to see his family in Switzerland. Still, she knew that whatever his plans would have been, they probably involved a lot more female attention if he was going on vacation this week as a single NHL player. Instead, he was sleeping alone in a twin bed, getting dirty looks from Timo anytime he stepped too close to Lucie. This had to be the last thing on Nico's list of ways he wanted to spend his break.

"It's okay." Nico's laughter interrupted Lucie's spiraling thoughts. "I don't mind at all."

"So, what dirt does Timo have on you?" Lucie asked as she let herself sink further into the pillow-top mattress. She didn't think she had ever been in a bed this comfortable, her eyes already feeling heavy as she fought to stay awake.

"What does that mean?" Nico asked. She heard him shuffle, glancing over to see that he had rolled onto his side, staring at Lucie with his brows furrowed. Even in the dark, only able to make out his silhouette, she could sense the concern and curiosity on his face as he propped himself up on an elbow to stare over at her.

Lucie sat up slightly, mirroring his position as she stared at him across the gap between the two beds. "He's got to be holding something over your head to get you to agree to all this so easily," she said.

Nico hesitated for a moment, and Lucie could feel the weight of his silence. Maybe she had pushed too far. Lucie probably didn't want to know what happened between Nico and Timo behind the scenes. She opened her mouth to take back the question, but Nico beat her to it.

"Nah," he answered after a short pause. "I'm just here to help a friend."

"Right," Lucie nodded, settling back down onto the bed. "It's all part of the captain's duties, I assume."

"I mean you, Lucie," he answered with a soft laugh.

"Oh, sure," Lucie mumbled, staring blankly at the ceiling as she tried to comprehend what Nico was implying.

She didn't think they were friends; she assumed they were probably more like acquaintances. Not that she didn't want to be—she had been drooling over him for years, and now that Lucie was finally single, she realistically wanted to be more than friends. But she was also his teammate's sister and knew there must be a million rules against that situation. It was merely another reminder of the awkward position she had put Nico in.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again. She wasn't quite sure what she was apologizing for—maybe a little bit of everything.

"Stop apologizing," he replied instantly, his voice firm as he collapsed back onto his pillow. "If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be here."

"You're right." Lucie nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Sorry."

"Lucie."

🏖️ Day Two: TUESDAY Tulum, Mexico

Lucie wasn't usually an early riser, but with turquoise blue waves waiting outside her bedroom door, her internal alarm clock had her jumping out of bed as soon as the sun was up.

Tuesday was the only day on the schedule without a pre-planned group event. Stella had insisted everyone might be tired from traveling and wanted a day of rest and relaxation before the chaos kicked off. That would likely mean lots of poolside drinks, but Lucie had her own agenda for the day.

Nico was still asleep when Lucie got up. She changed and did her skincare routine as quietly as possible in the ensuite so as not to disturb him. As she returned to the room, backtracking to grab her sunscreen and beach bag, he was awake and sitting up against the headboard.

"You're up early," he greeted her, his voice gravelly with sleep.

Lucie focused on packing her bag with the essentials to try and ignore how tight her chest felt at the deep sound of his morning voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," she mumbled over her shoulder.

"Please, stop apologizing," he shook his head, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed to stand up. He took a moment to stretch as Lucie turned back around, her bag now packed and ready to go. "What's the plan for today?"

"Nothing on Stella's official agenda," Lucie answered. She took a moment to steal a look at the impressive muscles in his back flexing as he dug around in his suitcase. "I want to get some sun today, so I was going to head down to the beach."

"Works for me," Nico shrugged, grabbing a pair of swim trunks to change into.

"If you're bored, I think Timo was going to go to some-"

"Lucie." His voice was gruff as he cut her off, but his brown eyes still held a playful spark as he looked down at Lucie. "I'm here with you, not Timo."

"I know," she tried to spit out. "But I just thought you might like-"

"I see enough of him every day at home," he laughed, shaking his head slightly for emphasis.

"Okay," Lucie smiled. "The beach it is."

Nico was ready to go not long after, following Lucie down the small trail from the villa to their private stretch of white sandy beach. Lucie made herself at home, sunbathing on a towel on the hot sand, head propped up on an extra towel she had rolled up as a makeshift pillow.

She was determined to soak up as much sun as possible as she read her book. True to his promise that he would do whatever Lucie wanted, Nico alternated between lying on a matching towel beside her and dipping into the ocean when he got too hot.

Lucie took his swim breaks as her signal to roll over, ensuring she was tanning evenly. Wanting to avoid tan lines since Stella had her wearing a strapless dress for the ceremony in a few days, Lucie undid the ties of her bikini top as she rolled over onto her stomach. She was so enthralled in her book, some mystery thriller Sophie had recommended from the Devils WAG Book Club, that she had no idea how much time had passed.

She didn't notice Nico returning from his latest ocean reprieve until her book went dark. She looked up from the page to find Nico standing over her, blocking the sun's rays with a coy smile. Maybe it was the backlit sunlight illuminating his silhouette as he smiled down at her, but Lucie's entire mind blanked. He was too gorgeous to form a coherent thought around when he looked like this. It wasn't fair that Nico just existed, looking like this every day.

The crinkles by his eyes as he smiled had Lucie mesmerized. It was like his joy lit him up from the inside out. This little crush was now anything but little. She should have known this would happen when she spent a week together with Nico, but Lucie was practically head over heels, and they weren't even 24 hours in.

Everything about Nico felt so different to Alexander. There were no eggshells to walk on. There was no fear of upsetting or angering him. Instead, there were only playful nerves and butterflies in her stomach, all while Nico was unapologetically himself.

Everything about him was dreamy. He looked incredible, his touseled brown hair pushed back by the sunglasses resting on his head. Dressed only in a pair of red swim trunks dripping salty ocean water onto Lucie's towel, all she could focus on was the impressive muscles of his chest.

Lucie had to remind herself to blink as she watched him reach a hand up to fuss with his wet hair. The tattoo on his inner bicep was on full display as his muscles flexed under the movement. She wouldn't have been surprised if someone told her she was drooling.

But then she noticed Nico's eyebrows knit together, his head cocked to the side as he looked at her expectantly. He had asked her something, but her brain was too busy burning this half-naked image of Nico into her memory to hear it.

"Sorry, what?" Lucie asked, reaching for her pair of sunglasses to try and hide her staring.

"I was just checking in," Nico laughed, retaking his spot on the towel beside Lucie. He had obviously clocked her not-so-subtle gawking. "Making sure you're not getting heat stroke on day one."

"No, no heat stroke," Lucie lamented, playfully rolling her eyes.

"Good," he smiled, leaning backward on his palms as he stretched his legs out in front of him. "Timo would kill me if I wasn't taking care of you."

Lucie's eyes bugged out of her head at his response. She was thankful to now be wearing sunglasses so Nico couldn't see the reaction his words were drawing out of her. He couldn't possibly be flirting with her. Whether he meant it that way or not, Lucie would add that comment to the list of innocent sentences that had her temperature climbing.

"What have you been doing to keep yourself busy?" Lucie asked as she gently shut her book. She strained her neck to look up at Nico from where he sat next to her, but he simply shrugged in response.

Mostly watching you, he wanted to say but wasn't sure there was a way to say that without sounding insane. "Just happy to be here," he answered instead.

Lucie clutched her untied top to her chest as she rolled over to sit up. She carefully retied the strings around her neck as she sat up straight, feeling Nico's eyes follow her fingers' movements closely.

She felt oddly guilty for taking up so much of Nico's time today doing nothing. Despite his insistence that he was fine doing whatever Lucie wanted, she figured he was merely being polite. Timo had mentioned a golf course nearby that he wanted to check out, and that surely sounded like something more enticing to Nico than sitting on the beach watching Lucie read a book all day. She was about to apologize again, something Nico would no doubt scold her for again when he spoke up to break the silence first.

"Do you want to, uh, go for a walk with me down the beach?" Nico asked.

"I'd love to," Lucie answered with no hesitation.

He hoisted himself up as Lucie finished adjusting her top, grabbing Nico's outstretched hand to help her up. He kept their hands intertwined as he guided her down the warm sand to the water's edge. The rest of their group had lounged around the pool today, offering them an entirely private beach. While Lucie had been reading earlier, he had scouted out the best lookout spot to watch the sunset down the shoreline. 

As they made their way down the beach, Lucie wandered further into the water. She dropped Nico's hand so she could wade into the salt water, turning to face the sun as it sat lower in the sky. Lucie pushed her sunglasses up to rest on the top of her head again, enjoying the feeling of the sun on her face as the waves lapped at her ankles. Nico gave her her space, quietly admiring how at peace she looked here from where he stood on the sand.

"I'm pretty sure I could stay here forever," she said, eyes closed, enjoying the warm sun on her face.

"Me too," Nico agreed, words whispered under his breath. He didn't know if he meant he could stay forever here on this beach—or anywhere with Lucie. Both of those options felt like bliss at the moment.

He was playing a dangerous game, teetering on giving in to the temptations of his long-standing crush on Lucie. Everyone knew that Nico liked her—it was the reason Timo and Sophie had volunteered him to come on the trip in the first place. But he also knew having a bit of fun embarrassing your teammate in front of his crush was very different from actually being okay with him making a move on your little sister.

When Lucie opened her eyes, Nico was a few steps ahead, having turned around to face her. His brown eyes sparkled in the sun and looked so at ease. She had never seen him like this before.

Sure, Lucie had always had this silly crush on Nico, but something about seeing him in this light felt different. He looked so calm and relaxed, like he was utterly at peace with everything.

For a moment, she thought about what it would be like to travel the world with him, to be his partner in crime as they explored more postcard-perfect beaches. She wanted to exist in this moment forever, without messy exes or overbearing brothers.

Lucie felt her entire body buzz with warmth—not from the golden hour sun setting lower in the sky but from the heat radiating in her skin under Nico's unwavering gaze. He wasn't even hers, and she was spiraling like this already.

But she could at least enjoy playing pretend for a couple of days. She could dive in and experience what it would be like to be Nico's. It would be harmless for a couple of days, and then she would return to reality and pretend this never happened.

Suddenly unhappy with the space between them, she took a few quick strides to catch up with him, wanting to intertwine their hands again and sheepishly brush shoulders as they continued their sunset stroll. Picking up her pace to catch up, Lucie felt a sharp pain shoot up from the bottom of her foot when she placed it down, stumbling as she almost lost her balance.

"Fuck!"

Nico was at her side in an instant, hands reaching out to grab her waist to steady her as she stumbled forward. "Are you okay?" he asked, eyes wide with concern as he gave her a once-over to try to assess what had happened.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she brushed him off. "I think I stepped on a sea shell or something."

"Let me see," he urged. He took a small step backward to kneel in front of her.

"No, it's fine," Lucie insisted, wincing as she took another step forward. But as she put her weight on it, her foot began to sting again.

"Lucie," Nico spoke firmly. "Let me see."

She gingerly lifted her foot up, glancing down to see a small bit of blood on the sole of her foot. It was a tiny cut that would undoubtedly be healed by the morning, but the salty ocean water made it feel extra sensitive. "It's basically nothing," Lucie tried to brush it off, but Nico wasn't having any of it.

"Come on, hop on." Nico stood up, turning his back towards Lucie. He motioned for her to jump up so he could carry her. "Let's go get you cleaned up."

Lucie hesitated before gently placing her hands on his bare shoulders. She jumped up, Nico easily catching her as she wrapped her legs around him. Turning back toward the direction they had come from, Nico gave her a piggyback all the way back to the villa. He had even stopped to pick up Lucie's towel and beach bag on their way back, seemingly unphased by the weight as he carried everything.

"Nico, I can walk," Lucie whined as he crossed the threshold into the villa's kitchen. He was being too dramatic about such a small cut, but Lucie couldn't deny the butterflies in her stomach as he fussed over her. 

He dropped her bag and towel by the door before carrying her to the kitchen island. He gently placed her onto the cool marble of the island countertop. He ignored her protests as he dug through the cabinets for a moment until he returned with a small first aid kit.

"Okay, let's see the damage," he quipped, sinking to his knees before her to get a better view. She extended her leg, holding her foot up for him to grab hold of.

"How bad is it?" she asked, fingers gripping the edge of the countertop to keep herself grounded.

His grasp on her ankle was so delicate, but she felt like her entire body was on fire. Maybe she had spent too much time in the sun.

"Do I need surgery?" she tried to joke, desperate to relieve some of the tension as Nico looked up at her from where he was kneeling between her legs. She'd had quite a few dreams that looked similar to this situation.

"I think we can save it, Schatz," he beamed at her.

Lucie gave him a weak smile as her stomach flipped at the sweet pet name. Suddenly tongue-tied, she could only focus on his brown doe eyes sparkling in the golden hour sun streaming into the kitchen. She sucked in a sharp breath as he cleaned the small cut with an alcohol wipe.

"You okay?" he asked, hands freezing at her reaction.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," she nodded, tightening her grip on the counter's lip.

He rubbed his thumb in soothing circles against her ankle to calm her, then placed a fresh bandaid over the cut with his other hand.

"Almost done, Schatz," he mumbled, gently pressing the bandage to ensure it was securely stuck on. "And you're good as new." He softly kissed her shin before sitting back on his heels to look up at Lucie.

She smiled down at him, completely entranced with how tender he was with her. "Thank you," she whispered, leaning forward to stare at Nico.

"Of course," he whispered back. But he made no motion to break eye contact. His hand, resting lightly on her ankle, slid further up her leg to give her bare thigh a reassuring squeeze.

She was sure he meant it as a friendly gesture, but Lucie's brain was now very aware of where Nico's hands were—how close he was to her. She was also suddenly aware of the little clothing they were actually wearing. Heat pooled between her legs as his thumb continued to rub against the soft skin of her bare thigh. If she leaned forward a bit further, she would be close enough to close the distance and kiss him.

"Nico."

Timo's voice tore them apart, Lucie visibly jumping as her brother's loud voice burst their bubble. She pressed a hand to her chest to catch her breath, looking over her shoulder to where Timo and Sophie stood. They had just returned from the pool, dressed in their matching couple swimsuits Sophie had insisted on getting for the trip. Looking authoritative in a flamingo-print outfit was hard, but Timo was making his best attempt.

"What's going on here?" Timo's voice was cold, an obvious warning to Nico. Lucie glanced back at Nico, his brown eyes filled with panic.

This did look like quite a compromising situation to find your sister and best friend in—a shirtless Nico kneeling between Lucie's bikini-clad legs.

"He's just bandaging my foot," Lucie scoffed.

"I told you not to hurt my sister."

Sophie jabbed an elbow into Timo's ribs, muttering a quick "Relax" to shut him up. But Nico had already jumped away, trying to put as much space between him and Lucie as possible.

⛵ Day Three: WEDNESDAY Tulum, Mexico

"Okay, I need the full story," Liz giggled, pausing to take another sip from her champagne flute.

As the oldest in the group, and having been married to Connor's older brother for almost a decade, she had been going down the dinner table and asking everyone's fairytale romance stories to vicariously relive the honeymoon stage.

Liz focused her attention on Lucie. "Tell me how you fall in love with your brother's best friend."

Lucie forced out a laugh, trying to buy some more time by reaching for her wine glass.

Officially kicking off the wedding festivities, Stella and Connor had chartered a boat for the small wedding party to take them for a sunset dinner. Floating somewhere in the crystal blue waters, there wasn't another boat in sight. They had spent the afternoon on the boat, jumping off the deck for a quick swim before they sat down for their meal.

Lucie should have known the conversation would eventually land on her and Nico. The group had been going around the table, making light conversation and catching up on everything new since they had all last seen each other. And Lucie's something new was a 6'1 Swiss hockey player seated next to her, arm casually draped over her shoulders as she rested against his chest.

"Oh, Lucie had a crush on Nico forever," Stella answered first.

"That's so cute," Liz squealed, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table as her husband topped up her champagne.

Lucie shot Stella a warning look, not liking the loose lips an afternoon of day drinking had created on her best friend. Stella knew too much embarrassing information that Lucie did not want to be brought up in front of the group. Or, more realistically, in front of Nico.

"She even stayed up all night and watched his draft when they were 18." Stella laughed as she spoke, ignoring the daggers Lucie was throwing at her with her eyes.

Lucie's eyebrows shot up, hoping she wasn't hearing Stella correctly. There was no way she was telling this story right now. Before Lucie could cut her off and save face, Stella giggled again.

"She pretended she was excited to see a Swiss player get drafted first overall," Stella snickered, sharing a knowing look with Sophie, who sat beside her. "But we all knew she was only watching it for the eye candy."

Lucie's entire body went hot with embarrassment as she heard Nico laugh beside her. His arm, resting around her shoulders, dropped down to her waist. He gently pulled her in even closer to him, her back pressing flush against his chest.

She refused to turn around and look at him as she felt him shake with laughter. All she could focus on was the cool metallic sensation of his gold chain pressing into the skin of her shoulder, which was left exposed by her tank top.

"As if Nico wasn't just as bad," Sophie scoffed. That comment shut up Nico's smug laugh real quick. "Every time we saw him, he'd ask, where's Lucie? How's Lucie? And then she moved to Jersey and was single—he was like a lovesick puppy coming up with every possible excuse to come over."

Lucie felt Nico stiffen up and could picture him rolling his eyes based on the wicked grin on Sophie's face as she spoke. Stella and Sophie were definitely sisters. They loved pushing people's buttons and seeing just how far they could take a joke.

But Nico made no attempt to separate himself from Lucie. Instead, she could have sworn his grip around her waist tightened. He gave her a light squeeze, fingertips slipping under the hem of her thin tank top to ghost over her warm skin.

"They just needed some help taking that next step," Stella smiled. She looked over at Lucie with a playful wink.

Why did this feel so calculated?

"And you're okay with your teammate dating your sister?" Noah, Connor's oldest brother, asked skeptically.

Timo shrugged. "I'm keeping an eye on it."

Lucie dramatically rolled her eyes at his answer. As if Timo wasn't a hypocrite, dating the sister of her oldest friend. Whatever he was claiming to keep an eye on this week was unnecessary.

After dinner, Connor and Matt insisted on getting the entire group to jump off the boat's bow. As the sun started to set behind the horizon, they had enough time for a quick dip in the ocean before the boat had to return them to the shore.

Stella hesitated, leaning over the railing as she looked down at the distance to the water. "It's kind of high up," she whined.

"You'll be fine," Connor called from the water below. "I'm right here to catch you, baby."

"I don't know," Stella stuttered out. "I'm not ready."

"Nico, Timo," Connor yelled, turning his attention to the two Swiss men. "You're up next. Let's go!"

Upon hearing their names called, Nico and Timo both stepped up to the railing, peeling off the t-shirts that they had worn for dinner.

"And you're just going to jump?" Stella shrieked, eyes wide with panic as she watched Timo grab the railing, preparing to hoist himself up. "No hesitation or anything?"

"I've dived off higher," Nico shrugged as he followed Timo's lead.

"What?!" Stella gawked. "How? Why?!"

"I used to be a diver as a kid," Nico downplayed, suddenly embarrassed.

"You can't say that and then not show off," Lucie laughed, giving Nico a light shove towards the railing.

"I mean, it's been a while," he tried to reason. He tentatively hoisted himself up onto the railing to prepare to jump.

"Can you do a backflip?" Sophie asked, ignoring Timo's eye roll at his girlfriend's question.

"Yeah, but-"

"Please," Lucie pleaded, puppy dog eyes on full display.

Nico shook his head, letting out a small laugh. As if he could possibly say no to Lucie when she looked at him like that. He balanced himself on the top of the railing before jumping, pulling off a perfect backflip before breaking the water's surface.

"He's perfect," Lucie gushed to Sophie beside her. "Is there anything he can't do?"

She momentarily forgot about her older brother's presence until she heard him scoff. "Yeah, he can't match his shoes to his suit on a game day to save his life."

Lucie was about to snap back at him, but before she could make her comeback, Timo followed Nico's lead and jumped into the water below.

After much convincing, they managed to get Stella to jump off the boat, too. While all the guys opted to jump in again, quickly turning into an unofficial competition, Lucie sat on the swim platform at the stern of the boat. Her feet dangled over the edge, resting in the crystal blue water. Surrounded by the laughs and screams of her friends, she had never felt so calm before.

She looked up right as Nico swam around the side of the boat, making his way towards the ladder next to Lucie.

"Nico Hischier, the Olympic diver," she teased as he hoisted himself out of the water to sit beside her. He rolled his eyes, but a crimson blush was still creeping across his cheeks.

She watched the expanse of muscles in his shoulders and back flex as he lifted himself up, unabashedly drooling over how incredible he looked with beads of salt water dripping off of him onto the teak swim platform below.

He casually pushed his wet hair out of his face, ignoring Lucie's comment.

"Do you always do that?" she asked. "Downplay your accomplishments," she clarified when Nico looked at her with his thick eyebrows raised curiously.

But he just gave a slight shrug. Instead of answering Lucie's original question, he looked directly at her. "Was that true?" he challenged, holding the intense eye contact.

"What?"

"Stella's story," he clarified. "Was it true?"

"Uh-" Lucie looked away, scared she'd been caught. He'd never been so blunt before. Was this what Nico was like when he was upset? Could he feel cheated that he had been lured into this under false pretense?

"I think they're trying to make our story sound more interesting to the group," she tried to reason.

"Ah," Nico nodded, turning his attention away from Lucie to look out over the water. She couldn't quite decipher the look on his face. He almost looked disappointed, and she felt immense guilt about being the cause of that.

"I mean, I was excited to see a Swiss player go first overall," she tried to joke to lighten the mood. It wasn't a total lie, but she thought it was enough of an excuse to downplay the situation and plant a seed of doubt in Nico's mind about her obvious crush.

Nico laughed, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. They didn't have that playful sparkle they usually held when he laughed at one of Lucie's jokes. She instantly missed that warmth.

An apology sat on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to reach out, grab onto him, and apologize. Instead, she slid her hands under her thighs, sitting on them to physically stop herself from reaching out. She figured there was no audience right now, so he didn't feel the need to put on a show. 

"Was Sophie's story true?" she found herself whispering. "That you've been making excuses to come over and check in on me?"

She didn't know why she was asking. She already felt sick thinking about Nico's potential answer. It was like she wanted to torture herself on purpose.

She watched Nico open and close his mouth a few times as if the words he wanted to say weren't ready to come out. The longer he took to respond, the more Lucie wanted to squirm. She could feel her eyes stinging as she looked away, unable to watch him stay silent.

She blinked rapidly to try to quell the stinging, which must have been from the salty ocean water they had just jumped into. There was absolutely no reason for her to cry over Nico, especially not over a fake story that Sophie had made up about a fake boyfriend.

It was supposed to be made up. That was the entire point of this week, but Lucie's mind seemed to keep conveniently forgetting that.

"Lucie," Nico finally spoke up. "I've-"

A big splash, followed by a blood-curdling scream, cut them off before Nico could manage to spit out an actual response.

"Timo!" Sophie's shriek was so loud it echoed across the water.

Seconds later, a scowling Sophie and a grinning Timo were swimming around the side of the boat towards Lucie and Nico. Lucie shuffled away from Nico to leave more space on the small swim platform ladder so her brother and his girlfriend could climb up.

"Asshole," Sophie grumbled as she pulled herself up the ladder onto the boat.

"My bad," Timo laughed, climbing up after her.

Sophie made no motion to wait for her boyfriend, grabbing a fresh towel and stalking up the steps to the main deck where the rest of the group was gathering.

Timo grabbed a towel to dry off, wiping the salt water from his eyes. He momentarily paused on the swim platform, reaching down to squeeze his sister's shoulder. "Are you having fun, Lu?" he asked.

"Yeah," Lucie answered lamely.

Timo glanced at Nico and then back to Lucie. The tension between them was evident. He wasn't sure what had happened in the moments before, but he knew when his little sister was upset. She may have done a good job hiding her hurt from everyone else, but he liked to think he was pretty good at cluing in when his little sister was hurting.

He had also known Nico long enough to recognize when his captain was sulking. Nico always wore his emotions on his sleeve—it was part of what made him such an incredible leader.

But off the ice, Timo would always pick his sister in a battle between Nico and Lucie.

"Want to help me throw Sophie off the boat again?" Timo asked. He knew it would put him in the doghouse with his girlfriend, but he was relieved to see his sister's face light up at his offer.

"I would love to," Lucie laughed, scrambling to get up and follow Timo to the boat's bow.

Standing, she finally looked back at Nico, who watched her every move. Knowing he was caught and there was no use denying the obvious staring, he flashed her a dimpled smile and a wink. Just as quickly as it had disappeared, that happy and carefree facade was back.

☀️ Day Four: THURSDAY Tulum, Mexico

When Lucie and Timo were in America, they usually tried to only speak English with each other. It was the easiest way to keep their skills sharp rather than switching back to the comfort of Swiss German—especially if there were others around who weren't fluent in their native tongue.

So when Lucie woke up on Thursday morning and made her way into the kitchen, it took her a little while to register the voices carrying on a hushed conversation in Swiss German. She rounded the corner to find Nico and Timo deep in conversation, oblivious to her presence.

Their voices were too low for Lucie to make out the exact words they were saying until she got closer.

"You knew that before we got here." Nico's voice was the first one Lucie recognized, but she lacked context about what exactly Timo must have known.

"I'm aware," came Timo's annoyed response.

Whatever they were discussing, Lucie immediately knew they didn't want others overhearing or understanding if they were speaking in Swiss German. She also knew Timo's sour look very well. The pair were arguing, and Timo was evidently not winning. 

"And you were the one that asked me," Nico harshly whispered.

"I know that," Timo snapped in response. "But I didn't-"

As Timo looked up and noticed his sister, he immediately shut up, causing Nico to look over at what had forced Timo's sudden silence.

"Everything good?" Lucie asked, eyebrows raised as she stared her brother down.

"Yeah," Nico smiled and answered on behalf of her brother. Timo nodded in agreement, wordlessly refilling his cup of coffee, but that sour look was still on his face.

She knew her older brother well enough to know he was irritated but didn't want to press the issue.

"Stella and Connor need us all ready by 4 for the rehearsal dinner today," she told them. "So you two should kiss and make up before then."

"Very funny," Timo grumbled, giving his sister a light shove with his shoulder as he brushed past her toward his bedroom.

Lucie didn't see much of Timo or Nico for the rest of the day, preoccupied with running last-minute errands and helping a stressed-out Stella ensure everything was perfect and ready to go for tomorrow's wedding. These were the kinds of environments Lucie thrived in, though. They were a welcome distraction from the constant conflict waging on between her head and heart this week.

By the time she was settled into her seat at the lavish beach club venue, listening to Stella and Connor's families give their speeches to toast the couple with best wishes, Lucie was exhausted.

She blamed her tired state for the tears on her waterline as she listened to Sophie give her maid of honor speech. Lucie had never been one to get so emotional at the weddings she planned, but perhaps it was different when it was your best friend. This was making her contemplate everything she had ever felt about weddings and marriage.

Maybe she did want this.

Connor's brothers had playfully roasted him, something she imagined Timo would be all too eager to do if it were her wedding day. Sophie was giving a tearful speech about how wonderful it had been to watch how fiercely Connor loved her little sister.

As Sophie sniffled, trying to compose herself as she recalled a story about the phone call she received from Stella after her first date with Connor, Lucie was a goner. She loved love. She wanted to experience all of this, too.

The more she thought about it, the heavier Lucie's heart felt. She was mad at Alexander, and herself, for wasting so much of her life in a relationship that was doing nothing but sucking the joy out of her life. She deserved more than that.

Lucie deserved a love story like this.

But she had already wasted so much time on partners who dulled her spirit. It felt like she had missed her chance.

As Sophie's speech ended, Lucie felt Nico's hand slip into hers under the table to grab her attention. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

She was noticeably distracted, and Nico sounded concerned.

"Of course," she smiled at him, but he didn't seem convinced. "These heels are killing my feet," she offered with a small laugh.

Nico seemed to buy the excuse, shaking his head slightly. "Then take them off?"

"And risk cutting my foot open again?" she mocked. He rolled his eyes at her response, but a smile still tugged at the corner of his mouth. "No, they complete the outfit."

"Schatz." He blinked at her a few times, not understanding her argument. "You're sitting down. They're not even part of the outfit right now," he whispered.

"You're a guy, you don't get it." Lucie playfully rolled her eyes as she spoke, satisfied with herself for diverting his questions.

"Maybe," he shrugged, ignoring her attempt at a joke. "But I know you look beautiful tonight—with or without the shoes."

He moved his arm to rest atop the back of her chair, pulling her closer to his side until their thighs were pressed against each other under the table. She felt her body temperature skyrocket at the seemingly innocent contact.

Lucie's eyes shot up to Timo and Sophie, sitting only a few seats down from them. Timo seemed oblivious, smiling at Sophie as she retook her seat after her speech. They were so caught up in each other that he was paying no attention to Lucie or Nico a few feet away.

She wasn't sure why she was suddenly worried about Timo witnessing Nico's blatant flirting. He had been doing this all week, with or without Timo around, if you could even count this as actual flirting. He was playing a part, doing Lucie a favor by pretending to be into her. She was sure that the flirting getting under Timo's skin was just a fun perk for him.

"Thank you," she managed to squeak out, returning her attention to Nico.

"I'm serious." His hand on the back of her chair came forward a bit to allow his fingers to ghost over the thin strap of her dress. He didn't comment at the goosebumps that covered her skin everywhere he touched. "I love this color on you," he kept his voice low, fingers running over the yellow silk fabric.

Lucie's brain felt like it was short-circuiting.

She could barely choke out a thank you before Stella and Sophie's dad lightly tapped his knife against his wine glass to get the group's attention again. Lucie was thankful for the distraction as Walt and Therese made their way to the head of the table for their speech. 

But Nico made no motion to move his hand away. His thumb absentmindedly traced the freckles on the skin of her exposed shoulder throughout the rest of the dinner.

After dinner and speeches turned into drinks and dancing, Lucie held up the hem of her full-length dress as she chatted with Liz. Last call had come and gone, and the pair were on the sand just outside the beach club, waiting for the rest of the group to trickle out before returning to the villa. The sun had long since set, the beach now illuminated by the warm glow of tiki lights that had lined the makeshift dance floor.

It had been a beautiful night, but exhaustion was setting in, and Lucie was ready to call it a night and get some rest before they did this whole thing again tomorrow, for real.

"So who's next?" Liz asked as they waited for the rest of their group to join them. "I love weddings, so I'm looking for any excuse to do this again."

"I mean, it has to be Sophie and Timo," Lucie laughed, lightly fanning herself to try and cool down in the sticky, humid air. "That's kind of the only option."

"What do you mean only option?" Liz's brows knit together as she stared at Lucie.

Liz and Noah were already married and had a trio of young kids at home. Matt would never settle down, especially not with his wedding Tinder date. Lucie was hopelessly single—but Liz didn't know that.

Lucie's stomach dropped as she realized what she had said, desperate to backtrack and not blow her cover. "Oh, I just-"

"I think it might be you and Nico." Liz gave Lucie a mischievous grin.

"What makes you think that?" Lucie asked, trying to fight back a laugh. If Liz only knew the reality of Lucie and Nico's situation. She'd no doubt get a kick out of Lucie secretly pining over one of her brother's best friends and now being stuck at a wedding pretending to be a couple with him.

They were either putting on a great show, or Liz had to have been blackout drunk. Lucie didn't recall seeing her have more than a glass or two of wine at dinner tonight, muttering something about not wanting to be hungover in the wedding photos tomorrow.

"I mean, the way he looks at you? Come on." As she spoke, Liz rolled her eyes for emphasis, but her bright grin remained. "Falling in love with your brother's best friend after being just friends for years—you two are straight out of a movie or something."

Lucie wanted to tell Liz it was all an act, that Nico merely had a knack for making everyone feel warm and comfortable. Instead, she laughed politely, gently dismissing Liz's suggestion.

"But Timo and Sophie have been together forever," Lucie insisted, trying to steer the conversation away from herself again. "I'm sure there will be a wedding sometime soon."

"Time means nothing," Liz dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Six days or six years—when you know, you know."

Lucie's stomach turned at the mention of six days. Did Liz know this was that new—a relationship forged just for this week? Her seemingly random example felt too close to home.

Liz smiled at something over Lucie's shoulder. She glanced behind her to see what had captured Liz's attention, only to find Nico coming her way. As Lucie's eyes found him, Nico's face lit up with a matching grin.

He looked ethereal, the top buttons of his white dress shirt undone to expose that gold chain hanging delicately around his neck. His sleeves were loosely rolled up, accentuating his muscular forearms as he pushed his long hair back. But that one strand that seemed to have a mind of its own fell right back, resting perfectly across his forehead.

Liz's voice pulled Lucie back from her daze.

"And I think that's a man that knows, Luce."

When they returned to their room that night, Lucie was uncharacteristically reserved. She took extra time in the bathroom, removing her makeup and brushing her hair until her shoulder ached from the repetitive motion. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt apprehensive about being completely alone with Nico, so she tried to hide in the bathroom until he was asleep and didn't have to risk talking to him.

He had been tired on the walk back, fighting a yawn as he held open the door to their bedroom and let her in. She assumed he was going to pass out quickly rather than wait up for her like he had been doing every night.

She tiptoed out of the bathroom, returning tonight's yellow dress to her suitcase as silently as possible. Nico was already in bed, curled up under the sheets with his back to her bed. The only light in the room came from the soft glow of the lamp on the bedside table next to Lucie's bed. Nico must have turned it on so she wouldn't have to stumble through the dark.

Assuming he was already asleep, she wordlessly slipped under the covers before reaching to turn the light off. She settled into the soft sheets, her exhausted muscles turning to jello as she sunk into the mattress.

But Lucie's brain would not shut off, no matter how drained she felt.

She couldn't shake Liz's comments from her mind. It was such a simple thing, a casual comment that Liz probably hadn't thought too hard about when she said it. But it was all Lucie could focus on.

When you know, you know.

And then there was Sophie's story on the boat the other night about Nico having a crush on her. She made it sound like a long-standing crush, going so far as to describe him as lovesick. He hadn't denied the story but also hadn't confirmed it.

What Stella had said about Lucie was true, going so far as exposing her for watching Nico's draft when they were teenagers. If Stella's story was honest, did that mean there was truth in Sophie's rebuttal about Nico? What did Timo mean by saying that he was keeping an eye on it? Was that what they were talking about in the kitchen that morning?

I think that's a man that knows.

Lucie could feel the tension headache beginning to form behind her eyes as her thoughts teetered dangerously close to the point of no return. She was standing on the edge of a cliff, the ground beginning to crumble beneath her with every racing thought. 

"Lucie." Nico's voice cut through the silence, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah?" she asked, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"You okay?"

"Of course," she answered immediately. It felt like Nico had already asked her that a million times this week. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because I can hear you thinking from here, Schatz," he laughed softly. She heard him shuffle in his bed, sheets rustling as he rolled over to face Lucie in the dark. "You know you can talk to me. Whatever it is."

Lucie closed her eyes while she tried to process what to do next.

Did she blurt out that she was pretty sure she was in love with him and risk making him uncomfortable? She'd be ruining everything the day before her best friend's wedding if he didn't feel the same. Stella and Lucie had been meticulously planning this day for the last year; she couldn't throw that away because Nico had been nice to her for a couple of days, and someone said he belonged in a rom-com.

She recalled Timo's sour face that morning. He would kill her.

He would probably kill Nico, too.

"I don't think I can," she admitted, honestly.

Nico settled back into bed, mirroring Lucie's position as he blinked at the ceiling while her words hung heavy in the air. He had an idea of what could possibly be on Lucie's mind. Selfishly, he prayed that she was thinking the same thing—that she was equally as crazy about him as he was about her.

The confession weighed heavily on his tongue. He wanted to tell Lucie, to let her know it was okay and that he was struggling to navigate the same emotions, but the words failed him.

He didn't want to overstep. This week was supposed to be about Lucie and her best friend; he couldn't overshadow that. Making a move now and pushing one step past too far could ruin the week for Lucie.

And then, anytime she looked back in the future to remember Stella's wedding, all she would remember was Nico wrecking everything.

💍 Day Five: FRIDAY Tulum, Mexico

For someone who had spent their entire life relishing being the center of attention, Stella was uncharacteristically nervous on the morning of her wedding. And she was channeling her wedding day jitters into stress-eating.

As the three girls got ready in the villa's primary bedroom, Stella cradled a bowl of fresh strawberries in her lap. She popped an additional slice into her mouth as the hair stylist she had hired for the day curled another section of her hair.

Sophie and Lucie, having already finished their hair and makeup, were dressed in the expensive dresses Stella had picked out for them. They were now focused on finishing off the bottles of champagne they had delivered for the morning. Lucie topped up their glasses before settling back into her seat beside Sophie on the chaise lounge at the end of the suite's king-sized bed.

"So," Sophie smiled at Stella in the reflection of the vanity mirror she was sitting in front of. "Nico's been a lot of fun this week."

"Uh, yeah," Lucie nodded weakly.

"He's pretty dreamy," Stella giggled, biting another strawberry. "Dare I say, the perfect gentleman."

Lucie rolled her eyes, staying quiet as she took a large sip from her champagne flute.

"How's that little crush holding up?" Stella egged her on.

"Nothing's going on," Lucie answered. If she said it out loud enough, maybe she would start to believe it. "I mean, Timo would kill me. Timo would kill him," she repeated the same mantra that had kept her up most of last night.

"Timo's the one who set you two up," Sophie reminded her.

Lucie finished off her glass of champagne, her skin already starting to feel hot and flushed as the alcohol began to set in. "I'd hardly call this wedding a setup," she tried to dismiss.

"Oh, come on," Stella groaned. She leaned forward to place her bowl of fruit on the vanity so she could cross her arms over her chest for emphasis. Lucie could feel her skin crawl under her best friend's disapproving glare.

"This was absolutely planned," Sophie added with an eye roll.

Lucie narrowed her eyes, brows furrowed together as she eyed her older brother's girlfriend. "What do you know that I don't?"

"I know that Timo is all talk," Sophie shrugged. "He loves you, and he loves Nico. And I know he would love the two of you together."

"If he would love the two of us together, why has he been glaring at Nico anytime he's come near me this week?" Lucie countered. It was her turn to cross her arms over her chest, eyeing down the older girl. "Not to mention, I found the two of them arguing over breakfast yesterday."

"Yeah, Timo told me," Sophie laughed. "He was giving Nico the big if you hurt my little sister speech. Everyone knows Nico likes you. He's just giving him a hard time until he knows you're actually in it."

Lucie was confused, unsure she was hearing Sophie correctly. "Everyone knows?" she repeated.

"Everyone knows," Stella laughed. "Do you think Timo and Jonas randomly volunteered Nico for this?"

"So," Sophie tried again. "How do you really feel about Nico?"

Both girls stared at Lucie expectantly. She knew she couldn't lie to them and didn't see the point in trying to downplay how she was feeling. She needed to get these thoughts off her chest, if only just to say them out loud and get them out of her system. And it was safer to confide in her best friends than ever try to say these things to Nico.

"I think I'm falling-" Lucie paused, letting out a shaky breath. How did she even put these feelings into words? "Oh God, I can't even say it out loud."

Sophie and Stella both let out an excited shriek. Lucie didn't need to finish that sentence; they already knew.

"Have you told him?" Stella asked, an ear-to-ear grin on her face. After watching her best friend crush on Nico from afar for years, she was over the moon that Lucie was finally coming to her senses and recognizing the love she deserved.

"No, I can't!" Lucie whined. "I can't say anything! What if this is all in my head and I ruin-"

"Lucie." Sophie's stern voice cut her off. "Come on. He's crazy about you."

"Did you not hear Sophie's story about him checking in on you, making excuses to come by the apartment to see you?" Stella reminded her. "This is a man who could quite literally be anywhere in the world right now, and he dropped everything at a moment's notice to be your date to a wedding. Not to mention, he's been so sweet and protective all week. Everyone can see that."

"That doesn't mean much," Lucie tried to shrug. "That's just Nico being Nico. He's like that with everyone."

"No, he really isn't," Sophie objected. "He's a nice guy, but if I stubbed my toe, he'd probably hand me a bandaid rather than carry me up the beach and perform some tantric first aid half-naked in the kitchen in front of everyone."

"Shut up," Lucie shrieked, face flushing with embarrassment as she watched the hair stylist try to hide a giggle while pinning another curl on Stella's head. "It was not like that."

Sophie innocently threw her hands up in surrender. "All I'm saying is that's a man that will catch you when you're ready to fall."

"Oh, that's a good line," Stella said, picking up her phone, which was resting in her lap. She typed away on the screen for a moment. "I'm working that into my vows for today."

Lucie couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head in disbelief at her best friend. But true to her word, Stella had slipped the line into her vows, albeit shakily, as she was a blubbering mess through the entire ceremony.

Not that Lucie and Sophie were much better. 

Lucie thought her face would crack in half with how hard she smiled through their vows, a grin that didn't leave her face for the rest of the evening. Even after dinner, as the reception dwindled down and she found herself tangled up on the dancefloor with Nico, she couldn't shake the smile.

His hands rested dangerously low on her hips as they swayed together to a slow song, offering a brief moment of calm. His palm slid around to find a home on the small of her back, pressing her as close as possible to him.

He smelled incredible—an odd thing to pick up on, but pressed this close to him, her senses were saturated with all things Nico. She couldn't put a finger on it, but she knew it was something sandalwood and vanilla that had to be expensive. It was the perfect luxurious combination of sweet yet musky. She'd probably never smell another cologne again without thinking of him and how it paled in comparison.

He tended to have that effect on things. He was overwhelming in the best way possible. Nothing could compare to Nico's presence when he walked into a room.

She let her arms wind loosely around his neck, her hands absentmindedly playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. She could have sworn she heard Nico sigh as he leaned into her touch.

"Do you ever think of this?" he asked, cocking his head to the side as he stared down at Lucie. That one unruly strand of hair came untucked from behind his ear, and Lucie instinctively brushed it back out of his face.

"Of what?" she asked.

"A wedding," Nico whispered, his voice just loud enough for only her to hear it over the music. "I know you plan them all the time, obviously, but..." He trailed off with a slight shrug.

"Honestly," she contemplated, attention focused on twirling a few strands of his perfectly touseled hair in her fingers, "before this week, not really."

Nico frowned at her response. "How come?"

"I don't know," Lucie shrugged. "I was in a relationship I never saw leading to a wedding. I guess I assumed that meant there wasn't supposed to be one in my future."

"A wedding planner who doesn't believe in marriage," he muttered. He repeated the phrase as if deep in thought, contemplating the idea. "I'm pretty sure my sister made me watch a shitty movie about that once."

Lucie let out a genuine laugh, resting her temple against Nico's chest as she thought. "It's not that I don't believe in it; I just didn't think I deserved it," she clarified.

She kept her voice low, unsure if Nico had heard her or if she even wanted him to. Part of her enjoyed the relief of getting these thoughts out of her head. The same way she had confessed her true feelings about Nico to Sophie and Stella that morning.

But Nico's grip around her waist tightened, holding her flush against his chest. He ducked his head to speak directly into her ear, lips ghosting against the shell of her ear as he spoke. "Anyone who would ever make you feel like that is a fucking idiot."

Lucie let out a sigh, melting further into his arms. "Sometimes, you're with someone for so long that you don't even realize that you're changing until one day, you don't recognize each other."

"Yeah," Nico agreed. She felt his chest rise and fall as he took a deep breath. "I get that."

"And then I stayed for three more years after that," Lucie mumbled, unable to resist the self-deprecating laugh as she spoke.

She didn't know why she was being so honest with Nico. She was saying things out loud she had never admitted before. These thoughts exclusively lived in her head, not even trusting Sophie or Timo with these confessions. Yet Nico could effortlessly pull them out of her. She felt safe with him.

Nico pressed a kiss to the top of Lucie's head. "It's not always like that, you know?" His hands rubbed soothingly up and down her back as he spoke, fingers tracing along the outline of her spine. "It can be difficult, but being in love is also incredible. The nerves, the butterflies, the whole thing."

Those were all the things she was convinced weren't real with Alexander. And now they were all the things she was feeling with Nico. She wondered if he was feeling it too—like Sophie and Stella insisted he was—or if he was thinking of another girl, speaking with a past girlfriend in mind.

"Liz thinks we're getting married next," Lucie mentioned with a light laugh. She was desperate to try to change the subject and steer the conversation away from how obviously in love with Nico she was and how unrequited her feelings were. 

She felt his chest rumble with laughter. "Oh yeah?"

The simple response had her temperature spiking, heat pooling in her stomach and between her legs. Lucie hoped Nico didn't notice how wobbly she felt as she nodded, pulling back just enough so she could crane her neck to look up at him.

"Yeah, so if you're enjoying the fake girlfriend experience, there's interest from critics in a sequel." Lucie watched the smile on his face grow, biting down on the inside of her cheek to suppress the urge to lean up and kiss him. "The fake wife," she offered.

"Are you proposing to me?" The tension between them was unbearable as he laughed at her joke. His smirk made his deep dimples even more prominent, and Lucie couldn't focus on anything else.

She loved how effortlessly scruffy he had left his beard all week. His dark stubble was trimmed as if he had just woken up looking this breathtaking every day—and he did. Lucie had witnessed it firsthand all week, and it was unfair.

After dinner, he had loosened his tie and shed the suit jacket, but he left the top buttons of his white dress shirt undone to show off the thin gold chain around his neck. He was the perfect combination of disheveled and breathtaking. The dark blue color of Nico's tie perfectly complimented the royal blue fabric of her own dress.

When Stella sent Nico the packing list Lucie had created, she had included a note that Lucie was wearing blue to the wedding. It wasn't meant to be mandatory, but it was a friendly fact shared on the off chance he'd have something already in his closet that would match enough to make it seem like they had intentionally coordinated their outfits, as couples usually did.

And then he showed up to the ceremony in a perfectly tailored navy blue suit, one she had never seen in the game day walkout photos or when she would catch a glimpse of him in the friends and family suite after a game. She couldn't believe he would go out of his way to get a new custom suit tailored just for the occasion, but little things like that were what made Nico, Nico. 

Without thinking, Lucie's hand traced along the gold chain, fingers ghosting over the tiny crucifix that rested against his chest. But Nico remained stoic, not commenting on the intimate gesture.

Instead, he smiled at her playfully, continuing their conversation as if nothing else was happening. "Isn't it against the rules to propose at someone else's wedding?" he asked.

"I'm not proposing," Lucie giggled. "I'm just letting you know."

Nico shook his head, pulling her back into his chest. His hand stayed where it rested, intertwined in her hair as he cradled her against him.

"I'll take you on a real date when we're back in Jersey," he whispered into her hair. Lucie's breath caught in her throat at his words. She silently hoped he didn't notice her momentarily stop breathing. "And then you can propose."

Ah, it was all the setup for a joke.

Lucie nodded weakly, mumbling to Nico that he had a deal.

Of course, Nico wasn't taking her out on an actual date. They were playing pretend. And he was so good at it, he had everyone here fooled—including Lucie.

So Lucie did what any rational girl would do in this scenario. She drank until her mind was too blurry to remember all of the sweet things Nico had been whispering to her all night. An easy feat at your best friend's wedding with an open bar.

Stumbling down the hallway of the villa after about six glasses of champagne too many, Nico kept his hand pressed firmly to Lucie's lower back as he tried to guide her. He was just as unsteady on his feet as he opened the door to their room, letting Lucie step through before gently shutting it behind them.

Lucie was focused on kicking off her strappy heels, feet aching from wearing them all day. But Nico made no motion to move, leaning his back against the closed door as he watched her.

With her feet now flat on the cold tile floor, Lucie looked up at Nico. His brown eyes were hooded, staring down at her with an emotion her buzzed brain couldn't place. His brown eyes almost seemed darker, if possible, in their bedroom's dim light. The only light creeping through was from the moonlight outside the large windows.

Lucie wasn't sure how long they stood there in silence, but she couldn't speak up or walk away. Something felt different. Like the butterflies in her chest were expanding, putting pressure on her ribs. Her chest ached when he looked at her like this, making it difficult to breathe.

No matter how much alcohol she had consumed tonight, nothing could overpower the effect Nico had on her whenever he walked into a room. So Lucie remained frozen, enjoying the moment. Unsure of what was going to come next or when this was going to end. But she'd stay in this afterglow as long as he'd let her, heart rate hammering in her ears as Nico's gaze drifted down to her lips.

"It was true," Nico whispered out.

"What was true?" Lucie asked. Her feet remained firmly planted on the ground, unable to move to close the small gap between them or retreat to the comfort of her own bed.

"You asked me the other day if Sophie's story was true, and I didn't answer you," he clarified. "About making excuses to come over in hopes I'd get to see you."

Lucie's heart was in her throat. "And it was true?" she quietly asked, scared that if she spoke too loudly, she'd pop this bubble and bring them back to reality too quickly. Or if she asked too many questions, Nico would close back up, and then this conversation would be over before she got the answers she was looking for.

Nico nodded. Alcohol always made him more honest. After a couple of drinks, he tended to drop his guard and lose that captain filter. Maybe he'd regret this in the morning, but he couldn't bear it any longer. Lucie had to know.

He couldn't play pretend anymore and continue to ignore his feelings for Lucie. It had been brewing all week, something he should have known would happen when he agreed to come on this trip. He had been head over heels for the girl before they boarded that plane, and he was naive to think it wouldn't get stronger spending an entire week by her side at romantic events. He had been doing a terrible job at keeping his distance anyway—something Timo had reminded him of over breakfast the day before.

Timo's protective big brother side came out when he ran into Nico in the kitchen as he got coffee for Lucie. He had given Nico a firm warning that he may have been invited here as part of some complicated fake boyfriend ruse, but his little sister was a real person with very real feelings. He didn't want to see Lucie hurt if Nico wasn't serious about this, so he needed to be careful.

Nico got it. He couldn't fault Timo for being a bit overbearing and keeping a watchful eye over Nico's every move around Lucie. Nico would have been doing the same thing if his friends were interested in his sister.

Nico tried to assure Timo of that, reminding him how he had felt about Lucie long before he had invited him on the trip. Instead, Timo warned him that Nico needed to wait for Lucie to make the first move and figure out her genuine feelings.

It was sure to be an emotional week, caught up in the wedding festivities. Timo didn't want his little sister to get swept up with Nico and get her feelings hurt because she wasn't actually ready. It had been enough to plant that seed of doubt in Nico's head. If she felt the same way he did, there had been numerous opportunities to speak up this week.

It was that stern warning that replayed in Nico's head last night when he was pretty sure Lucie was on the brink of confessing exactly what he needed her to say.

The same stern warning that he was about to ignore.

"Timo's known forever that I've liked you," he confessed. "But you were always... taken or whatever. So he'd just chirp me about it because we knew nothing would come of it. Like some stupid inside joke."

"I'm not taken anymore," Lucie managed to whisper out.

"I know." Nico closed his eyes for a second, leaning his head back against the closed door he was still pressed against as he let out a shaky breath at the revelation.

He thought admitting that out loud would get it out of his system or calm his nerves. But all it did was make him want Lucie even more. His hands itched with anticipation, wanting nothing more than to reach out and grab Lucie, finally closing the little distance between them.

But Timo had a point. He needed to wait for Lucie to make up her mind. She had to come to her own conclusions, not just get swept up in Nico because he was here and available.

"Nico," she called his name gently, prompting him to open his eyes.

All Lucie could focus on was the bob of his Adam's apple as he swallowed another shaky breath. The pronounced veins on the side of his throat as he tried to even out his breathing made Lucie's heart race and skin burn.

"Y-yeah?"

Lucie wasn't sure where the sudden surge of bravery was coming from. Maybe it was the shots Timo had insisted everyone do with him because he was on vacation. Or perhaps it was brought on by the frustrating realization that she had let so much of her life pass her by because she was okay with settling for good enough rather than what she deserved. She had taken the safe option her entire life, never actually pursuing what she wanted.

Even that morning, when Sophie and Stella fawned over Nico, Lucie tried to downplay it all. If she brushed off the possibility of him feeling the same way enough times, she could create some distance in her mind and get over it.

But Nico wasn't just good enough. He was the embodiment of the sparks you feel in your fingertips the first time you brush hands with your crush, the butterflies fluttering in your chest before a timid first kiss, and the punch to your stomach when you realize you've met the one.

He was all of the best parts of being in love rolled into one sweet but scruffy smile.

Lucie finally willed herself to move, taking a small, timid step toward Nico. He remained still, head leaning back against the closed door of their bedroom as he stared down at her through thick lashes. As she took another step to close the space between them, she reached up to trace her hands over the dark blue fabric of the crooked tie hanging loosely around his neck. His hands hovered above her hips as if he was suddenly scared to touch her after a week of shamelessly stolen touches.

"Can you do something for me?" she asked quietly.

"Anything, Schatz," he answered instantly.

"Please don't tell Timo I'm about to kiss his captain."

Lucie leaned up onto her toes, her hand wrapped firmly around the silk tie as she gave it a gentle tug to pull him down closer. Without hesitation, he ducked his head down to meet Lucie in a heated kiss, finally closing the remaining gap between them.

In an instant, Nico's hands were in her hair, spinning them around so she was now the one pressed into the closed door. She let out a small gasp as her back met the cold wooden door, allowing Nico the opportunity to slip his tongue past her lips. She blindly pulled at his silk tie until it came loose, tossing it behind him as she fumbled with the remaining buttons on his crisp white shirt.

He removed his hands from where they were buried in Lucie's hair, not before giving her roots a gentle tug as she shoved the shirt off his shoulders. He broke their heated kiss for a moment to shrug the dress shirt off the rest of the way before roughly grabbing Lucie by the hips to pull her back into him.

She could already feel his arousal pressing into her abdomen as he reattached his lips to Lucie's jaw, leaving wet kisses along her neck as he brought his hand up to cradle the back of her neck. Lucie couldn't stop herself from moaning out Nico's name as his teeth traced over her pulse point. Her hands came up to rest in his hair, gently pulling at the overgrown brunette tresses as he bit down softly on her neck.

"What do you need, Schatz?" he whispered against her skin.

"You," she barely managed to breathe out. 

"Words, baby." He pushed his leg in between Lucie's, gently coaxing her knees apart. "Tell me what you want," he demanded.

"Anything," she moaned out, grinding her hips down onto Nico's thigh as it pressed up between her legs. She was desperate for any sort of friction to offer her some form of relief. "Touch me. Oh my God, Nico, just do something, please."

Hearing Lucie whimper and having her a begging mess like this was almost too much. Without another word, Nico sank to his knees in front of Lucie. Her legs went wobbly at the sight. She was having deja vu of their first morning together in the villa's kitchen. If it weren't for the door she was propped against, she surely would have collapsed into a puddle by now.

He kept his eye contact strong as he pushed her dress up her legs, bunching the silk fabric around her hips as he leaned forward to kiss up her inner thigh, sucking lightly at the soft skin. Nico gently tapped on her outer thigh, nudging her to lift it easily over his shoulder.

Lucie's head fell back against the door as she felt his fingers hook under the thin lace of her panties. Her eyes were already rolling into the back of her head, breathing labored at his feather-light touch. And then she was met with the distinctive sound of fabric ripping. Her head shot up, staring down at Nico with wide eyes, only to be met with an innocent grin from the Swiss captain.

"What?" he asked, eyes crinkling as he smiled at her.

"I liked those," Lucie whined as she vaguely gestured at the torn lace pooling around her ankle.

Nico shrugged, dismissing her half-hearted protest as he resumed kissing his way up her inner thigh. "They were in my way," he mumbled.

The sassy comeback died on Lucie's tongue as Nico brought a finger up to slide through her folds. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as he collected her wetness before focusing the pads of his fingertips on rubbing circles over her sensitive clit. The moan Lucie let out as Nico pushed his middle finger inside of her felt borderline pornographic.

Watching Lucie whimper and writhe above him had Nico painfully hard already. He kept his pace slow until he felt Lucie grind her hips down onto his hands for more. He groaned as he felt Lucie clench around his finger before gingerly adding his ring finger, too. He buried his smirk into her arousal, lapping his tongue over her swollen clit as he curled his fingers forward.

Lucie was seeing stars, completely slumped against the door as Nico's fingers hit that perfect spot inside her. Lucie would crumble if it weren't for the leg draped over Nico's shoulder holding her steady.

She could feel the burning building in her stomach, that familiar knot tightening as she chased her high. She bucked her hips into Nico again as he continued his movements at an unrelenting pace. The rough scratch of his beard against her sensitive skin was putting her over the edge.

Lucie brought a hand up to cover her mouth as she moaned out Nico's name again. She was vaguely aware that they were still pressed against the door of their bedroom entryway, their voices easily carrying down the hallway. Her other hand came up to tangle in Nico's hair, pulling at the roots as the edges of her vision began to blur. Her back arched off the door as she let out a final cry, riding out her orgasm on Nico's tongue.

As Lucie came down from her high, Nico sat back on his heels for a moment. He smiled up at her, watching her chest rise and fall rapidly. Nico slowly removed his fingers from Lucie, earning a small whimper from her at the loss of contact. He roughly rubbed the back of his hand over his chin to clean up the mess Lucie had left, and she swore she could have came again just from watching him.

Before she was fully back on Earth, he had dropped the fabric of her dress, letting the floor-length silk fall back into place as he stood up. He leaned his forearm on the door above Lucie's head, disheveled hair falling across his forehead as he looked down at her. Whatever product had been in Nico's hair tonight was long gone after Lucie's relentless pulling.

She brought her shaking hands up to cup the sides of his face, pulling him back into a feverish kiss. She could still taste herself on Nico's tongue and it made her feel delirious.

His free hand, which wasn't propped against the door, slid up the side of her rib cage and snuck around her back towards the zipper holding up her strapless dress. She felt his fingers fumble with the small zipper, pulling blindly to try and loosen the fabric.

Lucie placed her hands on Nico's chest, gently pulling away from their kiss. "If you rip this dress, you're dead," she whispered with a firm warning. She tried to keep a straight face, but Nico's sweet smile had her biting back a laugh.

"I have no idea why you'd think I'd rip this dress," he teased.

Lucie rolled her eyes as she felt him unhook the tiny clasp at the top of the zipper. He gave one final tug, letting the light blue fabric fall and pool around her feet. Nico took a small step back, taking his time raking his eyes over Lucie's naked figure.

He had no intention of this being a one-time thing, but he wanted to remember every detail of this moment. Lucie was breathtaking. Everything about her was intoxicating.

He felt like a teenager falling in love for the first time all over again.

⚡️ Day Six: SATURDAY Tulum, Mexico

"Stop looking at me like that."

Lucie had been a bit occupied last night, forgetting to close the linen curtains before she fell asleep to pre-emptively block out the morning sun. Despite only falling asleep a few hours before, Lucie was annoyingly woken by the sun streaming through the windows and directly into her face.

The rest of the house was surely asleep, sleeping off the impending hangovers from Stella and Connor's wedding.

"Like what?" Nico asked, his smile growing wider as he stared down at Lucie. He was lying on his side, propped up on an elbow as his other arm wrapped tightly around Lucie's bare waist.

It was partly to hold her close, desperate for as much contact with her as possible, and partly because this twin bed was only made to fit one person. Nico's athletic frame barely fit in this bed alone, leaving no room for Lucie. He drew her in closer, carefully pulling her away from the edge of the mattress they had nearly tumbled off numerous times throughout the night.

Waking up next to Nico, even in a twin bed much too small for him, felt like heaven. He smelled like heaven, too. Like what she imagined the hero in a romance novel probably smelled like. It was unfair how dreamy he looked first thing in the morning.

Lucie groaned, playfully shoving Nico's face away as he leaned down to pepper kisses across her exposed shoulder and collarbone. She couldn't help the giggle that slipped out as he nipped at the skin at the base of her neck.

Could life get any better than this moment? Waking up in paradise in the arms of the man of her dreams. She didn't want to move or risk getting out of this bed and bursting the bubble they existed in right now. She wasn't sure how things would change when they left this room and the reality of last night's decisions set in.

Nico pressed a soft kiss to soothe the skin he had just bit before peeling his arms away. He hoisted himself up, carefully detangling himself from Lucie before he got out of bed. She watched him grab the first pair of shorts on the top of his open suitcase, slipping them on but foregoing a shirt.

"Where are you going?" she whined, immediately missing his warmth. She clutched the thin sheet closer to her bare chest as she sat up slightly, propping herself up on her elbows.

"I promised I'd get us coffee in the morning," he answered.

His raspy morning voice made her stomach flip. She had seen him like this all week, but this morning felt different. It was like last night had flipped a switch, and everything suddenly felt real.

"I'll be right back, Schatz," he laughed lightly when he noticed Lucie's pout. He shook his head as Lucie exaggerated her frown, a few rogue strands of hair falling across his forehead.

He looked like sex personified.

If the marks on his collarbone didn't give them away, his messy bedhead surely would. If Timo or Sophie saw him like this, there was no denying their extracurricular activities after the wedding. Lucie wasn't sure she cared about that at the moment, watching Nico's muscles flex as he ran a hand roughly through his hair to try and tame the mess. As Lucie's eyes traced over the tattoo's outline on his inner bicep, she decided to cross that bridge whenever she got there. Right now, she'd just enjoy the moment.

Nico returned to his bed, leaning down to capture Lucie's lips in a short kiss. Leaning over her, the cool metal of his necklace tickled against her chest as it brushed across her skin. Before he could stand back up to leave, she raised a hand to cup the side of his face, pulling him back down for another kiss.

This time, Nico's hand cradled the back of her neck as he deepened the kiss. When she finally pulled away, she rested her forehead against his. The tips of their noses pressed together as Lucie tried to bite her lip to smother the ridiculous smile that was pulling at the edges of her mouth.

"Right back?" she asked quietly, not caring how clingy her question might have made her sound.

"Right back," he agreed instantly. He gave Lucie one final quick kiss before she dropped her hand, allowing him to stand back up.

Nico gently shut the door behind him as he headed to the kitchen to fetch Lucie the caffeine he had promised her last night. Lucie slowly sat up as she listened to his footsteps fade down the hallways. She rubbed roughly at her eyes, feeling the leftover mascara from last night's wedding makeup flake off onto her cheeks.

She did her best to try and blink to adjust to the daylight streaming through the window, but her vision still felt blurry. She was unsure if she was hungover or still drunk from the night before.

Still exhausted, Lucie contemplated laying back down and curling up in Nico's pillows. He wouldn't be gone long, but she could still rest her eyes for a few minutes, and maybe that would help soothe the dull pounding she could feel beginning to form in her temples. Just as she was about to curl back up in the soft cotton sheets, a phone chimed from the bedside table next to her.

Surprised that she, the girl who never charged her phone, would still have any battery left this morning, Lucie reached to grab the black iPhone from off the table. She assumed it was probably a text from Sophie, teasing her about Nico's noticeable post-sex glow as she ran into him in the shared kitchen.

She flipped over the phone lying facedown on the table, scanning the flurry of notifications on the lock screen. Her eyes squinted as they tried to adjust to the sudden brightness of the screen.

Instead of being greeted by a text from Sophie, sitting at the top of the wall of alerts was a push notification from the app Raya. Her hungover brain took too long to recognize the app name and logo she hadn't seen before and had no recollection of downloading.

And then it clicked.

Wasn't that the invite-only dating app for celebrities and influencers?

The details of the notification were hidden as the phone was still locked. When the screen failed to unlock with Lucie's FaceID, it took a moment for her hazy brain to register what was happening. As the phone chimed with another new Raya notification, she dropped it like it was on fire.

This was Nico's phone, not hers.

And he was using dating apps—all while she was lying naked in his bed.

She thought about picking it back up for a moment and scrolling through the other notifications on the lock screen to see what she could find. But she shook her head to silence the thoughts she knew would only upset her.

They weren't officially dating. Realistically, they weren't anything.

Yes, they had hooked up—more than a few times last night. But that didn't mean anything serious. She couldn't be upset with him for seeing or looking for other people. But she could protect herself.

Lucie's mind immediately went back to Alexander. She had thought she had healed from that and truly moved on from the turmoil of her past relationship after all this time. But the familiarity of discovering unfaithfulness hidden on someone's phone had her spiraling back to last summer all over again.

It was always going to end like this.

There was no alternate ending for Lucie. She felt stupid for allowing herself to get caught up in the romance of Stella and Connor's wedding and to think there would be anything like that in her future.

She had been an outlet for Nico. Maybe he considered it repayment for pretending to be her boyfriend all week. There wasn't anything sincere there.

Lucie replaced the phone facedown on the nightstand where she had found it before kicking off the covers and jumping out of his bed. Her eyes stung with tears as she dug through her suitcase to get dressed. She was now desperate to get out of this room before he returned.

Everything here reminded her of Nico—mocked her as she reflected on last night's events.

Her expensive silk dress still sat pooled on the floor by the door where Nico had slipped it off of her. The pieces of his suit formed a perfect trail from the door to his bed. The lamp on the bedside table was off-center, and Lucie's book and bottles of water were now on the floor from where they had bumped into the table in their drunken haze and knocked everything over.

This room felt suffocating.

This chaos was the exact opposite of the order and organization that Lucie usually operated under. She had let a boy get into her head and temporarily lost her mind.

She hurriedly put on a bikini, whichever was sitting at the top of her suitcase, slipping a simple sundress over it. She still had last night's smudged makeup on, but it was nothing a pair of oversized sunglasses couldn't hide. She was probably minutes away from crying it all off, anyway.

When Nico returned with two cappuccinos in hand, Lucie was up and dressed, slipping her feet into sandals. He paused in the entryway, his hungover and half-asleep brain trying to play catch-up.

When he had left, Lucie had been naked in his bed, and he had no intention of leaving this room at all today. But it seemed Lucie now had other plans.

"Where are you going?"

Lucie jumped as he spoke but kept her gaze focused on anywhere but Nico. "Oh, uh, just down to the beach," she answered shortly. She looked and sounded like she had been caught, as if she was hoping to sneak out of the room before Nico returned.

That stung a bit—to think she was running away from him so soon. He didn't know what had changed so quickly. Maybe she wasn't as into last night as he had been? But the way she had kissed him before he left that morning said otherwise. Had he crossed a line too soon and messed everything up? Was she running to tell Timo everything?

He had promised his teammate he would take care of Lucie. Even the other day, when the two were heatedly discussing how Nico had fallen in too deep over morning coffee, Timo would only focus on Nico taking care of his little sister. And yet here she was, clearly not okay.

Lucie grabbed her book from the floor by the bedside table, unsure if her mind would be quiet enough to read this morning or if it would just be a futile attempt. She shoved it into her beach bag, hoisting the fabric straps over her shoulder as she scrambled to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"Okay," Nico nodded, unsure he was following what was happening. "I-"

"I'll take this to go," she abruptly cut him off. "Thanks, Nico."

Her short answer confirmed that he wasn't included in her beach day plans. She was running, and he didn't know if he was supposed to chase her.

His head was spinning, and he wasn't quite sure what to do. Maybe this was precisely what Timo had been warning him about. He had unknowingly pressured Lucie into his arms because she craved the romance of a wedding after a long-term relationship. It was why Timo had been so adamant that Nico needed to wait and let Lucie make the first move.

Which he had—physically. Lucie had been the one to kiss him.

After her told her, he liked her.

Nico could feel last night's drinks begin to burn at the back of his throat as he recalled the unmistakable sinking feeling that he had told her he liked her and Lucie had never said it back.

Lucie took the cup from his hand, quickly brushing past him to head down to the water before he could process what had happened.

✈️ Day Seven: SUNDAY Tulum, Mexico

Everything was fine.

Lucie was only a short four-hour flight away from being able to go home and forget this entire week had ever happened. Okay, maybe not the whole week. Looking at the bigger picture, Lucie had fun. She got to escape the freezing temperatures of New Jersey for a few days and watch her best friend in the entire world marry the love of her life.

If she focused on that and blocked out all of the other distractions that had taken place outside of that, this would remain one of the best weeks of her life.

It was going to be fine.

Last night's final goodbye dinner had gone well. Lucie hadn't been rude to Nico; she found no reason to punish him, but she was noticeably keeping her distance. And Nico didn't seem to question it, giving Lucie her space after she had run from their room that morning.

After dinner, Lucie had spent more time than usual locked away in their ensuite bathroom until she saw the light dim that was seeping through from the crack under the door, and she was sure Nico had gone to bed. And then she had been up and out of their room this morning before he woke.

Nico had spent more time than he'd care to admit lying in bed that morning, staring up at the ceiling as he tried to figure out where he had gone wrong. Internally, he was a bit panicked. Nico might have crossed a line, and now Lucie regretted it. He wanted to confront her, ask what had changed and how they could have soured so soon.

But he swore he had heard her sniffling back tears this morning while she quietly packed her suitcase for the airport. The thought of her crying, potentially because of him, made his chest ache. So he kept his back turned toward her, pretending to still be asleep. He didn't want to push and make things worse. He felt stuck.

Lucie was taking her distance to a new level at the airport. Using the excuse of charging her phone, which was uncharacteristically already at 100%, Lucie leaned back against the wall across from their gate's designated waiting area. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor a few feet away from the row of seats Nico, Timo, and Sophie had been sitting and waiting in.

No one batted an eye as she left the group, as it wasn't out of character for Lucie to have a phone that wasn't clinging to life with a single-digit battery percentage. But then again, she had done a lot of things that seemed to be out of character this week.

Even with the physical distance between them, Lucie couldn't help but stare at Nico. He was slumped in the uncomfortable airport seat, typing away on his phone. She felt her stomach flip as his gaze remained glued to the screen. Who was he texting? How many other girls was he talking to? Every tap of his fingers on the screen felt like a punch to Lucie's stomach.

Sophie dropped to the floor beside her, interrupting Lucie's doom spiral before it could really ramp up.

"You good?" she asked, forcing Lucie to pull her eyes away from Nico.

"Yeah, all good," Lucie responded. But when Sophie didn't continue, she knew she was waiting for a bit more. "Just a little sad to be going back to reality," she added.

Sophie nodded but still didn't seem convinced.

After knowing each other for their entire lives, Sophie actually knew when Lucie was lying. Even when she could fool Stella or Timo, Sophie could see through every front she tried to put up.

"Nico was asking about you this morning," Sophie said. She tried to keep her tone neutral, hoping that Lucie might bite if she was nonchalant with the information.

Lucie just nodded, not adding anything else.

Sophie let out a small sigh, realizing Lucie wasn't going to give her anything more. "He was worried he had upset you."

"Ah," Lucie nodded again. Her sudden silence irked Sophie, but she remained patient. She knew the young girl would open up soon enough; she just had to ask the right questions.

"He was asking if you had said anything to me." Sophie raised her eyebrows as she spoke, waiting for Lucie to say something more.

"Okay?" Lucie mumbled.

"So?" Sophie prodded, crossing her arms over her chest as she gave Lucie a stern look.

"I said everything was fine," Lucie repeated.

"Right, and that's why you're sitting all the way over here," Sophie laughed, shaking her head. "You've got to give me something real here, Luce. Timo's freaking out and about to switch into protective big brother mode."

"About to?" Lucie choked out. She rolled her eyes as Sophie shrugged. "He's been like that all week."

"He's just trying to look out for you," Sophie laughed in agreement. "And now that he's caught wind of Nico worrying about you, he's been asking me all day what might have happened."

"So you're over here fishing for information from him?" Lucie asked.

Sophie shrugged again, giving Lucie's arm a gentle nudge with her shoulder. "I figured you'd rather confide in me than be interrogated by Timo."

Sophie wasn't wrong—if Lucie was going to confide in anyone, it was going to be Sophie. But she wasn't ready to open up to anyone about this. If she told Sophie, she knew it would eventually get back to Timo, and Timo couldn't keep a secret to save his life.

Not to mention how Timo would react to finding out what happened between his little sister and his teammate.

"Right, like I'm going to tell Timo I slept with his captain." The sarcastic response was out before Lucie even realized it. She clamped a hand over her mouth to physically stop herself from talking.

"Oh my God," Sophie squeaked. She took a moment to shake her head and collect herself. "Secret's safe with me, but oh my God."

Lucie groaned, feeling the scarlet blush of embarrassment creeping up her neck.

"So, like, was it bad, or..?" Sophie's voice trailed off as she looked at Lucie expectantly.

"No," Lucie whined. She leaned her head back against the wall, squeezing her eyes shut as she groaned. "It was incredible—as expected."

Sophie laughed at the younger girl's response. "So what's the problem then?"

Lucie let out a deep breath as she opened her eyes. She quietly picked at the edges of her manicured nails as she thought. At this point, the secret was out. She didn't really have anything else to lose by being honest here.

Sophie had always been her confidant. She was the safe person everyone could go to for advice or commiseration. Her warm, inviting personality made everyone feel safe the moment they met her.

"Yesterday, after we had already hooked up or whatever, I accidentally saw some notifications on his phone from a dating app," Lucie admitted.

"Ah," Sophie nodded.

She was well aware of how Lucie and Alexander had ended, an eerily similar fate of discovering dating apps hidden on his phone. She knew this had to be bringing up some unresolved feelings for Lucie. But with everything she knew about Nico, she didn't picture him as the kind of guy to hide secrets like that, especially not after how he had been talking about Lucie for the last few months.

"I'm assuming you guys had a big fight over it then?" Sophie gently asked.

Lucie shook her head at the question.

She watched Timo rejoin Nico, sitting beside him as he handed him a to-go coffee cup. The two Swiss men started talking, Nico's dimples on full display as he laughed at whatever Timo had said. After a week of watching Timo glare at and hover over Nico, it was refreshing to see them back to their usual dynamic.

Lucie felt a heavy weight pressing on her chest at the reality of all she had done this week. Her selfish actions' ripple effect on the people around her and their relationships went far beyond what her stupid crush was worth.

"No," Lucie finally admitted. "I didn't say anything."

"Lucie, sweetie," Sophie cooed.

"It wasn't real anyway," Lucie dismissed.

It was the same repeated speech she had recited in her head since she had accidentally picked up Nico's phone. If she continued to recite it enough times, she might start to actually believe it. It could finally overwrite the ache in her chest when she remembered Nico's admission to her, revealing how long he had cared for her and how everyone was in on it but her.

"I should have known better than to let real feelings get involved," Lucie added. "This was all fake. We never should have taken it this far."

"This may have started fake, but I don't think it's ending that way." Sophie kept her voice low as she spoke. Timo and Nico were well out of earshot, however, she still wanted Lucie to feel comfortable and private enough to be honest with her. "Not if you don't want it to."

"It's fine," Lucie shrugged again. But the quiver in her voice didn't go unnoticed by Sophie. "It is what it is, Soph."

"But it's not," Sophie argued. "I can talk to him, and-"

"Sophie," Lucie interrupted. "I really appreciate the offer, but it's not necessary. You can just tell Timo I got my period or something, and that's why I was moody."

Sophie bit her lip to try and smother her laugh, reaching over to gently squeeze Lucie's thigh. "Whatever you want, pretty girl."

After an extended pause, where Lucie thought the conversation was over and they were peacefully moving on, Sophie let out another small giggle.

"I can't believe you slept with Nico," she whispered.

"Oh my God," Lucie groaned, leaning her head back against the wall as she shut her eyes. "Do not tell Timo."

🌨️ The Final Day: MONDAY Jersey City, New Jersey

Lucie had always been a patient person. It came with the territory when you were this hyper-organized.

But even the most patient of people had a breaking point. As she jammed the up arrow to call for the elevator to take her from the lobby back up to Timo and Sophie's apartment, she reached her personal breaking point.

She pressed the button a few more times, impatiently chewing on her lip as she watched the numbers above the elevator rise, telling her she had just missed it. She was exhausted at this point. All she wanted was to get back to the quiet sanctuary that Timo's spare bedroom had become for her and curl up under the warm covers of her bed.

She should have known she was going to be exhausted today. Even if the week-long Tulum affair hadn't ended on such a sour note, she had just spent seven days in the heat and humidity, hydrating on champagne rather than water. Lucie should have accounted for a recovery day like Timo and Sophie had done. Practices didn't resume for Timo until Tuesday, so he and Sophie were still asleep when Lucie left that morning.

But Lucie needed the distraction, desperate for something to focus on other than Nico. So, she foolishly agreed to the early morning meeting with a potential client, which quickly spiraled into an all-day conference.

One of Connor's co-workers had just gotten engaged over the Christmas holidays and wanted to throw a lavish wedding ball. After hearing Connor and Stella rave about Lucie and how incredible she had been at making their dream wedding come to life, they begged Stella to set up a meeting. All had gone well that morning, and they were tentatively planning a spring 2025 wedding.

They had even mentioned some other friends who were due to get engaged soon, asking if Lucie could help with bachelorettes and baby showers, too. As tiring as it all was to think of today, it filled Lucie with a surge of confidence that everything would be okay. She was landing on her feet, slowly building up a portfolio of clients and a stable career for herself. She'd be on her own two feet and maybe could even move out of Timo's apartment into a place of her own sooner than she had thought was ever possible.

Mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted, Lucie pressed the elevator button again. If she pressed it enough, maybe it would arrive faster.

But luck was never on her side, so she watched the elevator return to the ground level and bypass the lobby to pick up someone from the underground parking garage first. She grumbled a few curse words in Swiss German as the doors finally opened, her brain always defaulting back to her native tongue when she was this exhausted. Lucie picked up her tote bag from where it was resting on the floor by her feet, scurrying into the empty elevator.

Except the elevator wasn't empty.

Like some final cruel joke from the universe today, Nico was leaning up against the elevator's back wall, scrolling on his phone as Lucie stepped in.

He glanced up at the movement, automatically shuffling over to the side to make room when he realized who had just joined him. He gave Lucie a nervous smile, one that she didn't return as she settled into the opposite corner, placing as much physical distance between them as the small box offered.

Nico had been thinking of Lucie all day, his finger hovering over her contact in his phone as he tried to talk himself into reaching out and calling her. The longer he had been left alone with his thoughts to try and decipher what was going on in Lucie's head, the more restless he had become.

He had even shown up at Timo's apartment earlier that afternoon, hoping Lucie would be more likely to talk to him in person rather than risk her screening his calls. But Sophie had answered the door, letting him know that Lucie wasn't home and didn't know when she'd return. He had stayed for a bit, Sophie trying to give him some advice to help him better understand how Lucie's mind worked after knowing her for so long.

But all it did was frustrate Nico even more, so he settled for heading to the rink to get in an off-ice workout as an outlet for his jittery energy. No one would think anything of it, disguising the workout as the captain trying to get ahead on his post-break conditioning.

As the elevator doors closed and they began climbing toward Lucie's floor, Nico eyed her nervously. Her body language screamed that she was closed off. Leaning her shoulder against the wall opposite where Nico was standing, she remained facing forward, eyes looking everywhere but in Nico's direction. He watched her shove her hands into the pockets of her puffy winter coat, as if she were trying to shrink herself and curl away from the potential of a confrontation.

Lucie had run, and Nico didn't chase her—something that had been eating away at him for the last couple of days. He thought he was doing the right thing at the time by giving her space. Nico quickly realized she wasn't looking for space to clear her head for a moment; she was making a permanent break. But by that point, she was so far gone that he figured he had lost his one real shot and needed to get a grip and get over it.

And then the universe had forced her into this elevator alone with him.

If he didn't chase her now, he was never going to.

"Lucie, can we-"

Nico was interrupted by the elevator doors chiming, stopping on the fifth-floor gym. Two girls, dressed in gym clothes fresh from a workout, got on and pressed the number for the floor between Lucie and Nico's apartments, squashing any potential alone time. Nico uttered a few curse words under his breath in Swiss German as the two girls' bubbly conversation cut him off.

Lucie let out a breath of relief as the two girls came to stand between them. Seemingly oblivious to Nico and Lucie's presence, their conversation drowned out the tense silence between her and Nico. The two girls continued laughing, chatting about the new running track the building had just opened and how it was so much better than the uneven path they had been forced to run on through the park across the street.

"Plus, there's some real eye candy in the building sometimes," the girl standing closest to Nico giggled.

"Oh, we love a good gym crush!"

They laughed, their comment seemingly innocent and casual in nature. Still, it made the hair on the back of Lucie's neck stand up as she watched Nico fidget out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't like they were talking about Nico or directing their comments at him, but she could recognize that ugly green feeling sneaking into her chest—not that he was even hers to be jealous over.

She had lost that right when she ran. Lucie had been the one to walk away and essentially end whatever whirlwind romance had started to bloom in Mexico.

For good reason, though, she tried to remind herself. She was being smart and protecting herself.

That didn't make listening to the two girls giggle over their story of the cute guys who were always at the track on Sunday mornings any easier to stomach.

Lucie took a moment to look over and steal a glance at Nico, his shoulder leaning against the opposite wall as he mirrored Lucie's position. But as she tried to steal a subtle look, she was met with brown eyes already staring back at her. Lucie instantly recoiled as if she had touched a hot stove, snapping her head back forward to continue staring straight ahead.

Nico looked good.

He was wearing a black hoodie with Snoopy embroidered on the front. How could anyone possibly be mad at a man in a Snoopy sweater? His dark hair was pushed back under a backward white cap, making his freshly tanned skin even more golden in contrast.

Maybe Lucie was hypersensitive to everything about Nico, but the elevator smelled like his cologne. It was subtle, but it still sent her brain spiraling back to the morning after in Tulum, remembering how it felt to wake up with her head resting in the crook of his neck. Slowly tickled back to consciousness by the brush of his stubble against her nose, she was enveloped by the smell of his faded cologne and minty body wash still lingering on his skin.

Oh, how vividly a smell could trigger a memory.

And then there was Lucie. Feeling like she had been run over by a bus after a day of running around the city, bundled under so many layers to battle the bitter February cold. She was sure she looked just as disheveled as she felt.

Despite being tied back in a loose braid to prevent it from tangling in the wind, her hair was now full of frizzy knots at the base of her neck where the shorter layers of hair had escaped from the frayed elastic holding the braid in place. What had once been a full face of makeup to put on her best impression of a put-together event planner now felt like an oily mess, her nose pink and raw from the cold winter wind.

Lucie tried to focus on the rising numbers as the elevator continued to climb, silently wishing for it to move faster. She needed out. She needed to escape from Nico before the tension became too much, and she caved in again.

She didn't know how to survive like this, ignoring Nico for the rest of her life when he was so clearly intertwined in Timo's world. A group setting would be manageable, she assured herself. And maybe she'd just take the stairs to climb the sixteen flights up to her apartment for the remaining time she lived here, never having to risk a one-on-one elevator run-in again.

She tried to remind herself that it was fresh now, but it would get easier in time. It wasn't going to feel like her heart was being ripped out of her chest every time she looked into his sad brown eyes, right?

Finally arriving at Lucie's floor, she politely whispered goodbye to Nico before rushing out. She practically sprinted down the hall to put as much distance between them as she could, refusing the temptation to look back.

Once inside, she rested her forehead against the closed door, breathing a shaky exhale. Lucie couldn't run forever. She didn't have it in her to keep doing this. Fighting back tears, teetering on the edge of a complete emotional breakdown, didn't feel like protecting her peace or whatever delusional excuse she had told herself the morning she first ran.

She slowly turned around, dropping her keys into the colorful glass dish on the entryway table. She expected to find a curious Timo lingering around the corner. He had yet to confront her and ask her what was really going on, but she knew it was driving him mad. He had been in Sophie's ear since Saturday night, trying to figure out what had his little sister so upset, but he was too scared to actually ask her.

Surely, seeing her slumped against the front door with fresh tears in her eyes, he would cave and force her to tell him what had her so sad.

And maybe a tiny part of her wanted him to ask because Lucie would always be too scared to start that conversation first. Perhaps all she needed was some big brother advice—the kind of tough love Timo was so good at giving. Even if it was going to be about his captain.

But instead, there was no one there.

The entire apartment was silent, something impossible to achieve if Timo was home. He was loud, not just in his speaking volume but in everything he did. He couldn't shut a door gently or empty the dishwasher without waking the entire apartment building floor. Not to mention, he always had to have the TV or music playing in the background no matter what he was doing, including taking a pre-game nap.

Lucie toed off her slush-stained Ugg boots before making her way into the kitchen. A post-it note was stuck to the middle of the otherwise clear stainless steel fridge door. Lucie's name stared back at her in Sophie's loopy handwriting. She peeled the sticky note off the fridge to read the small note.

The note let her know Timo and Sophie were out for dinner with Sophie's parents, who were in town for a couple of days to break up the trip back to Switzerland after the wedding. They left the restaurant's name in case Lucie wanted to stop by for drinks when she was done.

There was a small PS at the bottom in Timo's unmistakable all-caps handwriting, saying he was waiting on a delivery, so please please sign for it if it came. Lucie rolled her eyes at Timo's addition, especially the poorly drawn heart at the end.

Lucie pulled her phone out of her coat pocket to text Sophie that she was home but wouldn't make it to dinner when she was met with a black screen. Her phone must have died on her trek home; she was too distracted by her frazzled thoughts to have noticed. That would explain why Sophie had left a physical note rather than a text in the first place. Sophie and Timo were unphased by their messages going undelivered at this point, assuming more often than not that Lucie's phone was dead. Old habits really did die hard.

She shrugged off her coat, leaving it hanging over a barstool in the kitchen before paddling down the hall to find the phone charger she knew she must have had somewhere in her room. She found one shoved into the nightstand drawer, plugging her phone in and leaving it on the bedside table. She was in no rush to check her notifications or respond to anyone once it came back to life, so she left it to charge. She made a mental note to come back later and get it, whenever that might be.

All she wanted right now was to take full advantage of the quiet apartment and rot on the couch in the living room uninterrupted. Maybe she'd even order some food and turn on a true crime documentary that was sure to anxiously keep her up all night. After quickly changing into comfier clothes and combing her hair out of its messy braid, she grabbed her favorite pillow off her bed. She headed back toward the living room, pulling a fluffy throw blanket from the basket under the TV on her way. She tossed the pillow onto the couch, beginning to arrange the throw pillows and blankets into her ideal nest for the night.

A knock at the front door interrupted Lucie before she could get comfortable.

With so much of Sophie and Stella's family staying in New York for a few days after the wedding, she assumed someone must be stopping by to see Sophie or Timo. She wanted to keep quiet and pretend she wasn't home, but then she remembered Timo's plea to sign for his delivery. She could also pretend she wasn't there and Timo would never know that they didn't actually miss her.

But realistically, he was letting her live here rent-free and had gone above and beyond to get her anything she needed. The least she could do was not be a bratty little sister and sign for his package so he didn't have to try and track it down at a post office later this week.

Throwing off the blanket, she reluctantly made her way to the door, pulling it open as she tried to muffle a yawn with the sleeve of her sweater. But rather than a delivery driver or some third cousin twice removed, there stood Nico. His hand rested on the door frame as if he was about to knock again as he looked down at Lucie.

"Timo's not here," she greeted him.

She glanced down at his feet for a moment, hoping Timo's package might have been resting there and she could pretend that was what she was really opening the door for and bid him goodbye. But there was nothing there. She reluctantly looked back up, finding Nico's gaze unwavering.

"I know," he responded gruffly. "I'm here for you."

Lucie held her ground, staring blankly up at Nico, refusing to move or open the door wider to invite him in. Hands hidden in the oversized sleeves of her sweater, she balled them into fists and pressed her fingernails into her palms. Lucie squeezed until she could feel the crescent-shaped indents stinging into her hands. She tried to focus on the stinging sensation to keep her grounded and her emotions impartial.

"We need to talk," he pleaded. "Please."

Annoyingly, that was all it took. Lucie let out a small sigh of frustration but let him in any way. Lucie didn't want to cave this quickly, but there was no way Lucie was going to realistically ignore him forever, especially when he looked at her with those sullen puppy dog eyes. She figured she was better off getting this over with and shutting him down for good as soon as possible.

He followed her into the kitchen, watching as she took up residence, leaning back against the counter at the far side of the room. Her arms folded over her chest as she maintained as much distance as possible. Wanting to respect her space, Nico hovered in the entryway.

"The floor is yours," she spoke, fighting to keep her voice and face as neutral as possible. She could be brave. She had survived more difficult conversations and always came out better on the other side. This would be no different.

"Sophie told me why you're avoiding me."

Lucie opened her mouth to object, but Nico raised his hand to stop her.

"Don't be upset with her. I had to practically beg," Nico said, watching Lucie's brows furrow as she scowled. "And even then, she was still vague."

Lucie rolled her eyes, making a mental note to cuss out Sophie when she got home—so much for being a confidant. Timo probably knew, too. She wouldn't be surprised if every person in Switzerland knew at this point.

"But she did tell me you saw something on my phone, and I'm not okay with this approach you've taken of getting upset and walking away." Nico's voice was stern, as if he had rehearsed this a few times or was calling on his past experience of addressing a locker room after a disappointing game. "I want to talk this out."

Lucie couldn't help but cringe as she listened to him. She felt a bit like she was in trouble, being scolded by an authority figure for being dumb and reckless.

"I didn't mean to," she finally stuttered out.

Mentally, she was suddenly back with Alexander again. Always in trouble, never doing enough, never getting it right. It was impressive how well a body could keep score, reverting to how small her ex's words would make her feel, like some form of emotional muscle memory that would forever be stored deep within her bones. She felt the inherent need to spit out an excuse and downplay the situation.

"I wasn't, like, going through your phone," she started. "It just went off, and I thought it was mine, so I picked it up and-"

"I don't care about that." Nico pulled his phone from his pocket and held it out, taking a few tentative steps across the tile floor toward Lucie. "I have nothing to hide."

When she made no motion to grab or even acknowledge the phone, Nico tapped his thumb on the screen. Swiping up to unlock it, he held it back out towards Lucie.

"Nico," she warned with a roll of her eyes. She gently pushed his outstretched hand down. "I'm not going through your phone."

This was an empty gesture as far as Lucie was concerned. He could have already deleted everything; she knew Alexander did exactly that. He knew he was showing up here intending to show off how empty and innocent his phone notifications were—he had plenty of time to delete anything that didn't paint him as the picture-perfect boyfriend.

He wouldn't earn any brownie points with Lucie for this too-little, too-late plea.

Nico placed his phone on the counter beside her, raking a frustrated hand through his hair before adjusting the backward baseball cap back on his head. She hated how good he looked, even in such a casual outfit. He was still dressed in those black track pants, a black hoodie, and a white backward hat—a contrast to the tropical outfits he had worn all week in Tulum. But even with this many layers on, he looked strong. His brawny muscles easily filled out the team-issued pants and sweater.

Lucie gave her head a shake, trying to refocus. She was turning Nico down, setting a boundary that this would never happen. Lucie wasn't going to let another guy cheat on her or string her along just because his quads looked incredible in Lululemon pants. She needed to get a grip if she was going to survive this conversation.

But Nico took her slight head shake as Lucie having dismissed him and writing off his apologetic gesture before he could even explain himself. So, naturally, Nico began to panic. Words started nervously spilling out of his mouth before his brain could catch up.

"I'm not using any of those apps," he started. "I mean, yeah, I have them, but I'm not on them. And I haven't been for a long time."

Lucie folded her arms across her chest, watching as Nico squirmed under the weight of his gaze. She felt oddly powerful at how viscerally he reacted to her expectant stare.

"But you have to, like, pay for Raya—which is so stupid to admit out loud," Nico continued. "So if you pause or cancel your subscription, you lose your account and would have to go through the whole application process again, which takes forever. So I wasn't using it because I didn't really have time for this online dating thing, but everyone told me not to delete it because I'd change my mind in the off-season."

Every time Lucie opened her mouth to speak up or interrupt, Nico continued, even more panicked words tumbling out of his mouth. He was scared that if he stopped before he got the whole story out, Lucie would shut him down.

If, after everything, she still decided to walk away, he would respect her decision and have to learn to live with it all. But he couldn't stomach the thought of her leaving, giving up on him before they ever got a real chance, because she jumped to conclusions, and he never bothered to take the time to reassure her.

"So the subscription still auto-renews, and I'd get notifications about it occasionally, but I hadn't really thought about it. I'd just dismiss the notifications as they came through," Nico continued to ramble. "Like, the notification that came through on Saturday was just a payment alert that the renewal was coming up."

"And that's not an excuse, but I don't want you thinking I was using it or talking to someone else last week when I was with you." Nico paused to take a deep breath, voice wavering as he tried to blurt out all his thoughts.

"It's fine," Lucie shrugged, finally finding a moment to speak up and dismiss Nico's skittish rant. "You don't owe me-"

"No, I do," he asserted. "And I should have deleted the app before but didn't think of it."

Lucie just nodded her head, unsure what else to say at this point.

"I'm not—fuck." Nico took a deep breath. "There's no one else. It's you, Lucie."

As much as Lucie didn't want his words to have an effect on her, her body had a mind of its own as her breath caught in her throat. It was the admission she had always wanted to hear, but it felt different from every time she had heard those words. Because he was fighting for her. He was communicating with her. He wasn't settling for half-truths or gaslighting her for being concerned.

While she remained quiet, mind reeling, Nico took a timid step forward to slowly close the space between them.

"It's you, Lucie—full stop," he repeated.

"Nico," she began, but he shook his head to stop her.

He needed to get his thoughts out of his head and off his chest. He had made it this far; he needed to get it all out. All of the words he had been rehearsing, the ones Timo had warned him to keep to himself until Lucie made the first move, were at the floodgates, ready to come tumbling out.

"I've been trying to work up the courage to ask you out for months," he admitted. "But Timo's been so strict. He's the first one to remind me every day that if I fuck this up, he'll kill me. He'll say it like he's joking, but I have a sister, so I know he's not."

Lucie let a small laugh slip out, biting her lip to smother it. She could perfectly picture Timo trying to appear intimidating, but she also knew her older brother was all talk. He couldn't hurt a fly.

"But that doesn't scare me because I've been in love with you for years and never thought I'd get a chance, so I was prepared to fight for you. I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me to win you over; get myself out of that box labeled your brother's friend so maybe you'd see me as more."

Lucie felt dizzy.

Nico had been in love with her for years.

Stella and Sophie had told her that Nico liked her. He had told her he liked her. But this confession, sober and sincere, felt like it carried more weight.

She could feel her eyes welling up with tears at the weight of his admission. She didn't know how to process his words or let him know that her heart was screaming the same things, but she was just so scared. 

Everything about Nico was so confident and real. Despite probably being in love with him from the moment she met him, she was constantly creating a laundry list of reasons why this wouldn't work and why she wasn't good enough for the love he showed her.

"And then Timo volunteered me for the wedding, and it felt like getting his full approval finally. I mean, he reminded me all fucking week that he was watching, but-" Nico's shoulders slumped as he let out a grim laugh. "I fucked it all up anyways."

"You didn't fuck it all up," Lucie finally whispered.

A heavy silence fell over them as Lucie's lip quivered, trying desperately to find the right words amongst the storm in her head.

"I just..." Lucie sighed, blinking to try and hold back the river of tears threatening to spill over. "I panicked. I don't know."

"Lucie, please don't run from me," he begged. He didn't care how pathetic his groveling sounded. She was so close; he would do everything he could to ensure she didn't slip through his fingers again. "If you're scared or think something's wrong, just talk to me. Please."

"Okay."

"Okay?" he repeated, almost hesitant in his question. It was like he wasn't expecting Lucie to agree or reciprocate these feelings. Or if he offered her the time and space to think it over, she'd come to her senses and say she wanted nothing to do with him.

"Yeah," Lucie nodded. "I'm sorry that I jumped to conclusions. You just..." Lucie shrugged as her voice trailed off, struggling to find what to say. 

Nico stayed quiet, patiently waiting for her to continue.

"You felt too good to be true." Lucie couldn't help the breathy laugh that slipped out as she said it. Hearing how ridiculous that sounded, she had no choice but to laugh.

She had run away, self-sabotaging all of their potential because she liked him too much; therefore, she needed to find a flaw to protect herself. A flaw she could use as an excuse to blame everything falling apart on rather than hearing him out or believing that something good could actually work out for once in her life.

"After years of Sopie and Timo nagging me about my embarrassingly obvious crus on his World Juniors teammate," Lucie covered her face with her hands as she spoke, mortified by the words she was admitting. But Nico gently grabbed her wrists, peeling her hands away from her face so he could look at her as she spoke.

Nothing could stop Nico's face-splitting grin as he listened to her words. He couldn't believe it.

2016.

This was the only year he and Timo had played at the World Juniors together. The same tournament where he had spotted Lucie in the crowd during their first game. Nico had done a double take before a face-off at the beautiful girl in a white Switzerland jersey in the middle of Finland.

He had lost that face-off, unable to focus on anything else for a moment. He was smitten from the get-go and knew he was doomed when that girl appeared in the family suite at the end of the tournament. Timo brought her around, arm slung around her shoulder as he proudly introduced everyone to his little sister.

"After all that time, you couldn't possibly like me in the way that I liked you," Lucie explained. As she spoke, Nico slipped his hands from her wrists to intertwine their fingers, giving her hands a gentle squeeze of encouragement. "I was waiting for reality to set in or the bubble to burst—whatever you want to call it. And I think I just found what I wanted to find."

"I get that," Nico nodded as he closed the final distance between them. He briefly dropped her hands to delicately tuck her hair behind her ears as she stared up at him. His hands cradled either side of her face, thumbs rubbing soothingly along her cheekbones.

This was it. Everything was out in the open. There was no going back now.

There were no more secret crushes or need for stolen looks across a room. All of the subtle actions of want that everyone but them seemed to pick up on. Now, they could be honest with each other. They could take the leap together.

"But you're it for me, Schatz," Nico whispered. Lucie's arms timidly wrapped around his neck, foreheads resting against each other as he kept his voice low. "You're all I'll ever want, if you'll have me."

Lucie couldn't bear to be apart from him for a second longer. She leaned up onto her tiptoes to brush her lips against his. She could feel Nico smile into the kiss as she wound her arms tighter around him.

Coming up for air, Lucie's lips brushed against his as she spoke.

"There's nothing I've ever wanted more."

[cuttergauthier]

Just Friends

Jack Hughes x Best Friend!Reader

summary: You’ve been best friends with Jack for ages. He’s also been in love with you for ages, but he’s got that completely under control. Really, he does. Right? 5.2k words

warnings: alcohol/intoxication, non graphic mentions of surgery/blood/stitches, hospital stay, reference to Jack’s shoulder surgery :(

Jack finds you in his apartment kitchen, a black tie in his hand. He’s already dressed in his suit pants and shirt, and for once, he feels like hair looks almost presentable. You take the tie from him without a word, and you loop it around his neck, underneath the collar of his shirt. Meanwhile, he grabs your necklace off the counter and fiddles with the clasp.

You hum to yourself as you start to tie the tie. “Ready for the game today?”

He shrugs. “I’m always ready.”

Luke is there, too, shoveling cereal into his mouth and watching the two of you warily. As you loop the tie around your fingers, Jack slips the necklace around your neck, your skin soft under his fingers. He latches it, blindly, with expert precision, muscle memory. He’s done it a million times now.

You tug the tie into place and then smooth it out on his chest. He hasn’t put his jacket on yet, but you’ll fix the lapels of it, too. You take a half a step back and give him a once over. He stands, waiting for your approval with his breath held in his chest. It shouldn’t mean this much, you making sure he looks good, but it does. You reach up and tuck a lock of hair back into place atop his head, and he smiles happily.

“All good,” you say, dusting your hands together as if you’ve just finished a hard day’s work.

Jack squints at your face, spotting something, and he brings a finger up to brush against your cheekbone. “Eyelash,” he explains, and you hum, closing your eyes as he brushes it away. “Got it.”

“Thanks,” you murmur. “Come on, don’t wanna be late. And no cereal in the car, Luke.”

Jack rushes off to grab his jacket. When he comes back, Luke is dumping the last of his cereal into the sink, and Jack grimaces. You’re in the hallway, stepping into a pair of shoes. Luke turns to him with a smirk, and Jack shakes his head before his brother can even open his mouth.

“Don’t,” he whispers.

Luke rolls his eyes. “I just think you guys are-“

“You thinking is dangerous,” Jack says. “Save all that energy for the game.”

He walks away, down the hallway to find you. You reach up to fix his jacket for him, and then you reach for the car keys and hand them off to him. He grins and nudges his elbow against your side.

“You’re such a passenger princess,” he teases.

You shrug. “I’m very good at it!”

He’s not complaining, really. There’s nobody he’d rather see in his passenger seat than you. Your jersey hangs proudly from your shoulders, his name and number on the back, and it makes his chest feel warm. You’re his good luck charm. He just hasn’t told you that yet.

…..

Jack’s spent so much time convincing his brothers and his teammates and his parents that he’s not in love with you, that he can’t pinpoint when it actually happened. He’s not sure there was some big moment, some realization, some day where he looked at you and everything changed. You’ve just been so present in his life that maybe it was a sort of gradual thing. Maybe it’s always been there, and he’s been in denial since he was eleven and Quinn was teasing him on the playground near their house.

Now you’re in New York, closer than you have been in years, both distance wise and friendship wise. You have season tickets, because he’s playing in the NHL and he wants you at every game possible. You spend half your nights at his place when he’s home, and he ignores the funny looks Luke gives him about it. Honestly, he’s a bit tired of denying it all. He thinks maybe if someone just asked point blank he’d let it all spill out.

He reads the text from you and smiles- you’re on your way to the Rock, one of your friends in tow. He’d gotten you two seats for the season, so you wouldn’t have to sit alone. He sort of dreads the day you decide to bring a date, but then he wonders what guy would be stupid enough to go along with that. Jack’s cocky, he’ll admit it. He knows he’s good at hockey. He laughs at the thought of you dragging a date along to see him play.

Someone announces they’re ordering food before the game, from the deli down the street. Jack listens as his teammates put in their orders. Luke goes with his usual. Timo changes things up. When the assistant gets to him, he grins. He orders his go to, and then another, and asks for a can of Coke, too, for good measure. Luke gives a knowing roll of his eyes.

When the guy brings the food in, Jack takes his bag, fishes his sandwich out of it, and hands the other sandwich and the can of Coke back. “Can you get this to seat B322?” He asks, grinning widely. He knows your seat number by heart.

Luke sighs heavily next to him. The guy agrees, of course. Nico, who’s standing nearby, cocks his head in confusion.

“She’s coming straight from work,” Jack defends. The ribbing he gets from the guys will be worth it when he sees you after the game. “She’s gonna be hungry.”

“It’s a hockey arena,” Luke says drily. “There’s so much food here.”

“But she loves Krauszer’s,” Jack says, and Nico rolls his eyes. “What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t order her some?”

“Friend,” Nico says, drawing out the word. “Sure.”

Jack ignores him. He ignores Luke’s smirk, too. He eats his sandwich and finishes getting ready, and then he heads out onto the ice, knowing you’re there somewhere, probably sipping on a can of Coke.

…..

The issue, Jack finds, is that it’s getting harder to ignore the fact that he’s in love with you.

It was easier, before, when you were younger and he was more dumb and less aware of… everything. He could convince himself it was just puppy love, just absence making the heart grow fonder, when post high school saw the two of you split apart. But now you’re here, close, and yet not close enough. Jack wants more, and he can’t really ignore that feeling these days.

He’s out at a bar, team bonding, as Nico put it. Except that half the team is drunk, including Nico, and the only bonding Jack’s doing is the brotherly kind, trying to keep Luke from sneaking drinks, or worse, getting caught sneaking drinks. Sometimes he hates being an older brother. He’d wanted to come out, maybe talk to a girl, maybe take said girl home, or get her to take him back to her place so he wouldn’t have to worry about Luke overhearing. But it’s not really working, not with Nico hanging off his shoulder like a leech and Luke sneaking another shot, and god, Jack’s going to kill him. If you were here, you’d be keeping an eye on Luke, too. He wishes you were here.

He has a shot to take the edge of the annoyance off. Then he has another, and another, and then there’s a girl across the bar, smiling at him, and- she sort of looks like you, is the thing, but not quite. The sort of uncanny valley of it all is freaking him out. For a moment he wonders if hooking up with her would make it better- would get it out of his system, would scratch the itch. The sane, more sober part of him thinks it might just make it all worse. To have some girl under him and hear a voice that isn’t yours. Jack used to do this all the time. The thought of it makes him feel sick now. That’s new.

He downs another shot and passes his leech of a captain off on his problem of a brother, hoping the two of them will keep each other in line. Then he pulls his phone from his pocket and gets an Uber.

It’s only when he’s standing at your apartment door that he realizes he probably should’ve called first. You might already be asleep. You might be out. Maybe you have a guy over. His stomach does a somersault at the thought. He raises his hand to knock anyways- he’s come all this way.

You open the door with a smile on your face. “Nico called to ask if I knew where you went. Thought you might be headed here.”

Jack lets his shoulders drop. “They were annoying me.”

That’s not the real reason he left, but he can’t exactly tell you he saw the uncanny valley version of you and decided to leave. That would be… a lot. You seem to take his answer as the truth, because Luke is annoying on a night out, and Nico can be, too. Jack still probably should’ve told them he was leaving. He’ll get an earful about it. Oh well. The way you step aside to let him into your apartment makes it worth it.

He heads for the couch, and you laugh when he flops onto it, facedown. He likes your laugh. It sounds so much like you. He remembers the years when you were in college and he was far, far away from you, when he’d crack jokes on the phone calls just to hear you giggle. He presses his face into a pillow and hopes you don’t see the blush on his cheeks, or that you’ll attribute it to his drunkenness.

“Want food?” You call out, from the kitchen, he thinks. He groans loudly in response. “I have mozz sticks.”

He turns his head to the side and says, “fuck, I love you.”

He can say it here, in the comfort and privacy of your living room, in the relative safeness of the fact that he’s been drinking. You won’t think anything of it. You won’t realize how much he really means it.

The sound of your laugh is music to his ears. “Love you too, Rowdy.”

You don’t mean it the way he wants you to. That’s okay. He came to terms with that a while ago, listening to you say it over staticky phone calls. But you’ll make him mozzarella sticks, and you’re not upset that he’s here, so he’ll take it. He’ll take anything, really.

You come into the living room a few minutes later, plate full of food in hand, and make him roll over. He sits up slightly, leaning against the arm of the couch, and you lift his legs to sit under them. He doesn’t complain when you turn on some stupid reality tv show he hates- there are mozzarella sticks for him to eat, and the warmth of you under him, the weight of your arm where it’s draped across his calves. He can put up with the host’s annoying voice for this.

He falls asleep on your couch, half a mozz stick in his hand. When he wakes up, he’s tucked in with the quilt you’ve had for years now, a pillow under his head, and water waiting for him on the coffee table. You’re probably at work by now. He’ll send you a text to say thank you, later, unless he decides to just wait here until you come home. That doesn’t sound like such a bad idea, really.

…..

It’s a Saturday, and Luke is out for lunch with some of the other younger players, so Jack’s fending for himself. Trevor, knowing this due to what he would call their cosmic connection, has seen it as an opportunity to talk Jack’s ear off over FaceTime. Jack has his phone propped on the kitchen counter, half listening as he cooks.

He loves Trevor- really, he does, but the guy could talk for hours upon hours and never run out of things to say. Jack lets him, because he knows Trevor likes talking, so he’s not going to be mean. He just chimes in with noises of agreement or disagreement at the right times. Then Trevor says your name, and he zones back in.

“I fucking knew you weren’t listening!” Trevor cackles, wide grin taking up most of the phone screen. “But the second I mention-“

“Shut up,” Jack groans, rolling his eyes. “I’m listening. I’m just also making lunch.”

“Right, right,” Trevor snarks. “Just for you?”

Jack knows what he’s insinuating. Honestly, as much as he hates to admit it, it’s not a bad idea. You’re not working today, and he could probably convince you to come hang out with him in exchange for free food. He’s bored enough to listen to Trevor go on and on. You could save him from it.

“Yeah,” he says, and immediately contradicts himself by picking up his phone and sending you a text.

He tries to listen this time, he really does. He cares about Trevor, he wants to hear what he has to say. He finishes cooking lunch, and then Trevor has to go, shouting something to someone in the background, and he hangs up. Jack sighs at the empty, quiet room. He thinks about texting Luke to see when he’ll be back, but that feels pathetic. Maybe Nico’s not busy.

His heart leaps when his phone buzzes with a text from you.

Lunch sounds good. I’ll be over soon.

He can’t wipe the grin off his face the whole rest of the day. You come over, and eat the rest of the food happily, sitting at the kitchen counter. He watches fondly and tells you all the drama Trevor just told him- screw you, Zegras, he was listening. You smile brightly up at him.

“Got plans for the rest of the day?” He asks, hoping desperately that you don’t.

You shrug. “Nope. I’m all yours.”

God, he wishes.

…..

Jack thinks that maybe, just maybe, he can’t really be blamed when it all comes crashing down on a Wednesday afternoon in April. It’s been coming for a while. He’s had time to prepare. It shouldn’t take him out the way it does, because he’s seen it coming from miles away. It shouldn’t, but it does anyways.

They pull him from the games and finally, finally, ship him off to Colorado to have surgery. He gets an email with the flight information, another with a hotel to stay in the night before, and instructions on how to book his flight back to Jersey after he’s released. They don’t want to book it now, for fear of something going wrong in surgery. Hockey teams are superstitious like that, even their travel management.

There’s another set of emails, too- ones from the surgeon, about his prep and things he needs to do and bring and what to expect from the healing process. He hasn’t bothered to open it. That’ll make it real. He just packs up some of his clothes, shuts himself in his room, and waits. He ignores Luke, then he ignores Nico, who he’s sure Luke has brought over. He ignores Quinn’s phone calls, too, and everyone else’s.

When you show up, though, knocking on his bedroom door and calling out his name, he can’t ignore it. He makes a noise that isn’t a go away, and you take it as an invitation in, which he supposes it was. You make a soft noise of disapproval when you see him, curled up in his bed, hood pulled up around his head to block out the world.

“Hey, J,” you murmur, padding your way across his bedroom. “What’s going on?”

He sniffles and presses his face into the mattress. “The surgery.”

You sigh and sit down on the edge of his bed. “Yeah.”

Jack’s not afraid of having surgery, really. He’s never been very squeamish, never one to shy away from blood draws or stitches or IVs. You know this. Everyone knows it, which is probably why they’re all so worried about his reaction to this. He doesn’t want to admit it really, but it’s you, so he finds the words slipping past his lips.

“Mom can’t come,” he says, voice raw and scraping. “Or dad. Too short notice. And- and Luke and Nico and Quinn are gonna be busy, obviously, and I just… all this talk about surgery all this time and I didn’t think I’d have to do it alone, you know? It couldn’t wait till after the season so I could-“

He breaks off into an embarrassing, breath stealing sob. You make a soothing little noise and lean down next to him, scooping him up into your arms. It sort of helps and sort of makes it worse. The tears flow freely now. It’s just you. All his walls are down.

“You won’t be by yourself, Jack,” you murmur, and he waits for the reassuring words, that you’ll all be with him in spirit, that he’ll be home in no time, that he’s never alone. Instead, you say, “I took some time off. I’m gonna fly out with you, be there for the surgery.”

He pries one eye open, waiting for the punch line. There isn’t one. Just you, watching him carefully, holding him close. He knows how hard it is for you to get time off right now. It’s your busy season at work. And yet, here you are. Tears start running again. The whole world goes blurry. You just brush them away, one by one.

“Oh, honey,” you soothe, voice low and soft. “You didn’t think I’d let you do it alone, did you?”

God, he loves you. And he thinks this might be the final straw, the last puzzle piece. There’s no denying it now. You brush stray hairs from his face and press warm kisses to his forehead while he admits that he’s scared, not of the surgery but of what comes after, of the healing and the rehab and everything involved in it. You draw soothing patterns on his skin and just listen, because you know him well enough to know he needs to get it off his chest. He thinks about telling you how much he loves you as he starts to drift off, but he thinks better of it. There’ll be a better time than this, tear stained and curled up in his bed like a little kid. For now, it’s enough to know you love him, in any way, shape, or form.

…..

Jack wakes up in a hospital bed in Vail, Colorado, utterly disoriented and freezing cold. The ceiling is this ugly grey color, just like the rest of the ceilings in the building have been. He’s spent a lot of time staring at them in the last 24 hours. He blinks, and the tiles blur and swirl, and he hears his name in your voice. He tries to hold on, but he’s so, so sleepy, so he closes his eyes.

He wakes up again with no idea how long he’s been out. He’s warmer now. There’s an extra blanket laid over him, and a hand holding his. Hm. It feels nice. He squeezes his fingers experimentally. He hears movement to his left. A plastic cup appears in his field of vision, and he suddenly realizes how thirsty he is. He turns, slightly, and finds you.

“You’re here,” he says, quietly.

Your face is a little out of focus, but he thinks you smile. “Yeah, of course I am. Told you I would be.”

He knows that. He knows you flew out here with him, eating snacks on the plane before he hit the 12 hours before surgery mark and he had to stop. You checked into the hotel with him, got all the supplies ready for after the surgery, got him here, promised you’d be waiting when he woke up. But now he’s here, post surgery, and you’re holding his hand, and his chest hurts in the best way.

“Hey, hey, don’t cry,” you murmur, lifting the cup to his lips. He takes a sip. “Does it hurt?”

He shakes his head gingerly. He’s a little achy, but nothing that would make him cry normally. He can’t help it, it’s probably the meds. He remembers crying when he got his wisdom teeth out, too. He tries to tell you as much, but it comes out garbled and teary and raw. You shush him, smoothing your hand over his forehead and pushing his hair out of his face. That feels nice. You’re warm.

“Okay. It’s okay,” you soothe. “Take a breath. It’s alright.”

He does his best. You help him take little sips of water, and eventually the tears dry up. He’s left sitting there, your hand running through his hair, and he suddenly feels so, so sleepy. He turns his head and blinks at you. You’re clear in his vision now, beautiful as ever.

“You’re pretty,” he mumbles.

He thinks it all the time, he may as well say it. Nothing’s holding him back now. You laugh, and your face gets blurry again. He sighs.

“You’re pretty,” you say back.

He rolls his eyes, but he smiles anyways. “Hmm.”

“Are you sleepy?” You ask, thumb brushing against his temple. He nods. “You can go to sleep, okay?”

“You’ll be here when I wake up?” He asks, feeling a little vulnerable, suddenly.

“Yeah, Jacky,” you murmur, and when he closes his eyes, he thinks he feels your lips against his temple. “I’m not going anywhere.”

The third time he wakes up, you’re sitting next to him, eating ice cream out of a little plastic cup with one of the tiny wooden spoons. The tv in the room is playing that same stupid reality show. The host’s voice would piss him off if he wasn’t so focused on how adorable you look. He inches the fingers of his good hand towards you, towards where your knee is pressed against his bed. When he makes contact, you jump nearly a foot in the air. He can’t help but giggle.

“Jesus,” you mutter, shaking your head at him.

“Nah, just Jack,” he teases.

You roll your eyes. “Someone’s feeling better.”

If he’s being honest, he still feels a little loopy. Your face is in focus, but everything feels a little softer around the edges. His fingers scramble against your knee, and you laugh, leaning close. You set down the ice cream and reach to tangle your hand up in his. That’s nice. He doesn’t get to do that a lot- hold your hand. Maybe he should have surgery more often. You smooth his hair out of his face again. It’s such a caring motion that it sends his heart stuttering.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he says, quietly.

You shrug. “What kind of best friend would I be if I wasn’t?”

And. That’s nice, but it’s not really what he wants to hear. He wants you to be here because you love him. He probably wouldn’t spend hours in a hospital waiting room for Nico, probably wouldn’t sit and wait for him to wake up. He’d bring him food after, when he got home, would help him however he needed. But to fly halfway across the country just to be here? He’d do that for you in a heartbeat, but he’s not sure there are many others he’d do the same for.

You seem to notice the way he’s staring, and you wave the wooden spoon at him. “You want some ice cream? The nurse said to call when you actually woke up. I’m sure she’ll give you one if you turn on the charm.”

He blinks slowly. “I love you, you know that?”

It’s past his lips before he can take it back. It should be terrifying. He should feel sick to his stomach. Maybe it’s the hospital drugs, or maybe it’s just that he’s been holding it in for so long, but it doesn’t feel scary. He sort of just feels relieved.

You smile brightly. “Yeah, I love you, too, Jack.”

He huffs. “No, you don’t get it-“

Before he can get another word out, the nurse comes in. He wonders if you pressed the button when he wasn’t paying attention, or if hospital staff just have comically bad timing. He lets out a groan. You give him an amused smile.

“Welcome back, Jack,” the nurse says. He reads her nametag- Nancy. “I’m just going to do a little checkup, alright?” She turns to you. “If you want, you can step out into the hall.”

By the time he’s squeezing your hand to keep you there, you’re holding onto him tightly, too. Huh. That’s interesting.

“She can stay,” Jack says.

You nod. So does Nancy, a knowing smile on her lips. Jack wonders if she sees this a lot. Guys with friends who sit by their bed, oblivious to the fact that said guy is hopelessly in love with them. Maybe it’s a common thing in hospitals. Maybe it’s not just Jack. That’s a nice thought.

He gets his blood pressure taken, and his pulse, and he gets asked to take a few deep breaths for what seems to be just the fun of it. She asks his pain level- a 3, at which point you break in and tell the nurse that his three is more like a five. She smiles at the two of you. When she goes to leave, Jack speaks up.

“Could I have some ice cream?” He asks, hoping the way his voice cracks on the words makes her sympathetic.

Ice cream does sound good. His throat feels raw, and his mouth is dry. And he’s starving.

Nurse Nancy smiles and looks at you. “What do you think? Has he been well behaved enough?”

Normally, Jack would take a little offense to it. But he turns to you, and you’re smiling bright, lighting up the whole room. His stomach does a somersault. He wonders if the way he feels about you is visible on the heart monitor, if his pulse picks up every time he looks at you.

“He’s the best,” you answer, and he melts. “Give him all the ice cream you’ve got.”

Ten minutes later, you sit there, holding a container of chocolate vanilla swirl. He’d been ready to eat it on his own until he remembered his arm, the surgery, the whole reason he’s here. He’d had to settle for letting you feed it to him. Maybe settle is the wrong word, really. It’s nice to be taken care of, even nicer when you’re the one who’s doing it for him.

He thinks maybe he’s still loopy, because in between bites, he pauses, looks at you, opens his mouth, and puts his foot directly in it. “I meant it, you know. I love you.”

You nod. “I know.”

He’s too far into this to stop now. “No, I-“

You interrupt, dropping the spoon in the cup to place your hand over his. “Jack, honey. Tell me later, when you’re not high off anesthesia, okay?”

Oh. He cocks his head, slightly. His mouth tastes like chocolate and vanilla. You smell like flowers. Like the lilacs in the backyard of his childhood home. There’s a light and warmth in your eyes that makes everything feel a little bit better.

“And if I tell you later,” he says, feeling braver than he ever has before, “are you gonna tell me something back?”

You laugh. It’s still music to his ears. You pick up the spoon again, scooping up a bit of ice cream. His gaze stays locked on you.

“Yeah,” you say with a nod. “That I mean it the same way you mean it.”

That’s enough for Jack, for now.

He tells you again the next day, waits a full 24 hours because a part of him is worried it was all some sort of drug induced dream. But you’re packing up the suitcases, that same stupid show on the TV, and he turns to you where he sits on the edge of the bed and says it.

“I love you. Like, really love you. As more than a friend.” His heart is in his throat.

You drop the hoodie you’d been holding into the bag, walk across the room to him, and come to stand between his legs. He’s holding his breath. You hook your finger under his chin and pull his face to yours. He thinks he recognizes the look on your face, from the kitchen when you helped him tie his tie, from the living room with a plate of mozzarella sticks in your hand, from every moment he was feeling all his feelings for you.

“Yeah,” you say, kissing his cheek. “I really love you too.”

When you kiss him on the lips, soft and sweet and everything he’s wanted for ages now, he thinks that maybe the whole mess has been worth it.

…..

He sits in a wooden chair on the back deck of the lake house. It’s mid summer, the week of the 4th of July. The heat is nearly unbearable, heavy and sticky and inescapable. Trevor and Luke are on the grass, throwing a football back and forth. Jack’s trying not to check the time obsessively.

Quinn, who’s sitting next to him, gives him a look when he picks up his phone again. “She’ll get here when she gets here.”

Jack rolls his eyes and sinks further into his seat. “You’re a dick.”

“Jesus, I know she’s your friend but…” Quinn is shaking his head. “You’re being obsessive.”

He hasn’t told any of them. Not about the hospital bed confession, or the kiss, or anything that came after it. The flight back to Jersey, his head on your shoulder. The way you took care of him before he flew to Michigan for the off season. The late night calls the two of you have shared since then. He’s itching to see you. It’s been far too long. He’s been scared to tell them because he’s scared you’ll get here and it won’t be real. He’s being ridiculous, he knows it, but he can’t help it. It’s you.

He hears it when your car pulls up in the driveway. He stands up, ignoring the look Quinn gives him. He’s not quick enough- you must’ve parked and ran inside immediately. You come racing out onto the back porch, eyes wide, smile even wider, and he could melt into a puddle right there in the hot summer sun. You’re brighter than all of it.

He pulls you into a kiss right there, in front of everyone, earning a series of surprised yelps and gasps and cheers. He doesn’t care about anything else. You’re here, and you’re kissing him back, and that’s more than enough.

“Fucking called it!” Trevor yells, and Jack laughs.

“We all did,” Quinn says. “Glad you two finally figured it out.”

You won’t be here forever. You have work, and a life in the city. But for now, for this little slice of time, he gets to have everything he’s always wanted. That’ll hold him over for the rest of the off season. Or, more likely, until he caves in and gets an early flight back to Jersey to spend more time with you. From the way you smile when you stare up at him, he thinks it probably won’t be long.

a/n: thanks for reading! have been wanting to write about Jack for a bit & he’s just so best friends to lovers coded. so here we go!

[cuttergauthier]

Mascara Runs

HI, this is my first NHL fic! Please let me know what yall think! This is based on my roommates lmao and don't judge the order on how I put on my make up okay??? ALSO this isn't edited and I just spit out my thoughts. Sorry lmao

Requests are open!

Sitting in your bed, you grasp your phone in your shaky hands as you try to text your boyfriend, Quinn. 

“My roommates are being terrible again,” is all you managed to text him through a wall of tears. You tossed your phone onto your bed and rubbed your eyes as tears kept falling, waiting for the familiar ding of Quinn’s reply. 

After a few minutes, that ding sounded in your quiet room. Wiping your eyes one last time before unlocking your phone to see Quinn’s reply, “Oh baby, what happened?”

You typed as fast as you could, “They’re just putting me down about the things that I enjoy. And they are being very passive aggressive about me being here.”

“What did they do this time?” He responded.

“They invited me to dinner and then left without me, changing restaurants without telling me. I only know because of Life360. It’s so stupid. It’s like I’m being stood up. I hate this,” you sent Quinn with a large sigh.

“Let me take you out,” he quickly texted back.

“I have to redo my make up,” you groaned as you hit send.

You stared at the screen, waiting for him to reply. A beat later, he sent, “Baby, take your time. I’m going to change and then I’ll pick you up.”

A tear fell as you sent, “You’re the best. I love you.”

“I love you too. See you soon,” Quinn sent.

Wiping your eyes one last time, you got up and looked in the mirror. You groaned as black streaks flowed down your cheeks. Grabbing a make up wipe, you rubbed your eyes and cheeks to rid your face of the runny mascara. 

“I really should invest in waterproof mascara,” you mumbled to yourself. After wiping your face, you grabbed your make up bag and opened it revealing the plethora of make up products that you possessed. You snatched the primer from your bag and rubbed it all over your face followed by your foundation. After that, you put on a powder and blush. Then, finding an eyeshadow palette that matches your dress, you started to brush the powder into your eyelids, swiping colors across your eyes. When you we satisfied with the eyeshadow, you, again, put on mascara. After letting it dry for a bit, you put the eyelash curler up to your eyelashes to get that volume.

When you were finished, you heard the familiar ding of your phone. Smiling, you grabbed your phone to see the “here” message from Quinn. Quickly plucking up your purse, you slid on your shoes and ran out the door.

Quinn was outside his car, leaning on the passenger side door waiting for you to come outside. You bounded down the apartment stairs and right into his waiting arms. The smell of his cologne filled your nose as you breathed him in. Letting it be a source of comfort for you.

After a second, he whispered, “Let me look at you.” You pulled back as he held your hand making you twirl your dress around. “Absolutely beautiful.”

“Oh stop it. You’ll make me cry,” you muttered shyly as you looked at your feet. Quinn raised your hand and gave it a kiss before opening the passenger door for you. 

On the way to the restaurant, you went into detail about your roommates. About how they do little things to purposely irritate you or say things that make you feel bad about yourself. Quinn listened intently to you. He pulled up to the restaurant and opened the door to let you out. 

You both got sat in the back corner of the restaurant. It was quiet and secluded, just how you guys liked it. You were able to talk to each other and he wasn’t easily recognized. 

After eating a bit, you kept thinking of your home situation with your roommates and how shitty it is. Tears started to bubble up into your eyes. 

Looking up, Quinn asked, “What’s wrong?” 

You looked into his eyes at his question. The tears fell like a floodgate being opened. “I don’t want to go home. They don’t even want me there, that’s clear. It’s like I’m slowly deteriorating on the inside from how they treat me. I’m miserable,” you confessed.

“Oh honey. I’m so so sorry that’s how you feel,” he cooed at you, “I’ve been meaning to ask this for awhile.”

“Ask what?” you hiccupped. 

Quinn smiled, “Ask you to move in with me. I think it would be good. Good for me to be closer to you and good for you to be out of that living situation. What do you think?”

You sniffled and dabbed your cheeks, “Really? You want me to? You would be okay with me invading your space?”

He reached for your hand with both of his, “Yes, really. I would absolutely love for you to move in. You in my space would be the best. Please? I need you in my space.”

You heart fluttered at his words. You wanted nothing but to be included and wanted. “Okay, of course I want to move in!” you exclaimed.

Quinn’s heart jumped, he loved you with all his heart, and couldn’t wait for this next step with you. He leaned over the table to give you a kiss. You met him halfway, pouring all your happy emotions into that kiss.

[cuttergauthier]

BAD DAY - M. REMPE

paring: Matt Rempe x fem! reader

word count: 0.8k

requested? yes - Hi! Hope you have a good week! I really love your work! My request; what about Quinn, Bedard, Rempe, Bordeleau, Matthews (& anyone else you fancy) with reader (either dating, friends, or siblings) who is having a bad day or something along those lines (reader is in needs of hugs & cuddles)?

warnings: use of y/n.

*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨*

In the bustling realm of professional ice hockey, where adrenaline meets the cold bite of competition, few stories captivate fans more than that of a rookie rising to prominence. Matt Rempe, a fresh face on the roster of the legendary New York Rangers, embodies this tale of determination, skill, and heart. But beyond the rinks and cheering crowds lies a quieter narrative, one of love, support, and comfort shared between Matt and his girlfriend Y/N.

As Matt's career soared, Y/N remained his steadfast anchor through the highs and lows. Yet, even the most resilient souls face days heavy with burdens, and one particular evening found Y/N battling the weight of a particularly trying day. The stress of work, combined with personal struggles, cast a shadow over her usual effervescent spirit.

It was amidst this backdrop of emotional turbulence that Matt returned home from practice, his mind still buzzing with the intensity of the ice. Stepping into their shared apartment, he sensed the heaviness in the air, the subtle shift in Y/N's demeanor. Without a word, he closed the door behind him and crossed the room to where she sat, a silent sentinel amidst a sea of thoughts.

"Matty..." Y/N's voice wavered, laden with the weight of unspoken troubles.

Matt knelt before her, his eyes gentle yet probing. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked softly, his hand reaching out to brush away a stray lock of hair from her face.

Y/N sighed, the dam of her emotions threatening to break. "It's just been... one of those days, you know? Everything feels like it's going wrong," she confessed, her gaze seeking solace in his steady presence.

Matt's heart clenched at the sight of her vulnerability, his protective instincts kicking into overdrive. Rising to his feet, he extended a hand to her. "Come here," he murmured, his voice a soothing balm against the turmoil of her mind.

With a hesitant nod, Y/N accepted his offer, allowing him to draw her into his embrace. In the shelter of his arms, she found refuge from the storm raging within, the warmth of his touch chasing away the chill of uncertainty.

As Y/N leaned into Matt's embrace, she could feel the tension slowly melting away, replaced by a sense of peace and security that only he could provide. His arms enveloped her with a strength that was both comforting and reassuring, anchoring her to the present moment amidst the chaos of her thoughts.

With her head nestled against his chest, Y/N could hear the steady rhythm of Matt's heartbeat, a steady cadence that echoed the promise of his unwavering support. Each beat seemed to whisper words of solace, soothing her troubled mind with its gentle melody.

Matt's fingers traced soothing circles along her back, his touch a gentle caress that seemed to chase away the shadows lurking in the corners of her consciousness. In that moment, there was no need for words—his presence alone was enough to dispel the lingering doubts and fears that had plagued her throughout the day.

As they stood there, wrapped in each other's embrace, time seemed to stand still, cocooning them in a bubble of tranquility amidst the chaos of the world outside. For in that fleeting moment, all that mattered was the love they shared, a bond forged in the crucible of life's trials and tribulations.

With a soft sigh, Y/N felt the last remnants of tension slip away, replaced by a sense of serenity that washed over her like a gentle tide. In Matt's arms, she found the strength to face whatever challenges lay ahead, secure in the knowledge that she was not alone.

"You don't have to carry this alone," he whispered, his words a gentle reminder of their shared journey. "I'm here for you, always."

Matt's voice was a soft murmur, his words a gentle reassurance that washed over Y/N like a soothing balm. She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his with a mixture of gratitude and vulnerability.

"I know," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. "And I'm so grateful for you."

Matt's expression softened, his gaze filled with an understanding that went beyond mere words. He brushed a tender kiss against her forehead, a silent affirmation of his love and support.

"Whenever you're ready to talk about it, I'm here," he said, his voice a steady anchor in the storm of her emotions.

Y/N nodded, the weight of her troubles still heavy upon her shoulders, but somehow lighter now, knowing that she didn't have to face them alone. With Matt by her side, she felt a renewed sense of strength and courage, ready to confront whatever challenges lay ahead.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

Matt simply smiled, his eyes reflecting the depth of his love for her. And in that moment, as they stood together in the quiet sanctuary of their love, Y/N knew that no matter what life threw their way, as long as they had each other, they could overcome anything.

[cuttergauthier]

and, what about you? ⎜q.hughes

pairings: quinn hughes x reader genre: angst warnings: stressed quinn ⎜over-thinker quinn ⎜ synopsis: everyone knows the captain takes care of everyone, of everything - but who takes care of them? word count: 2.1 k authors note: Quinn was the clear winner of the poll, and this is essentially just filling my need for words of affirmation and how I hope someone takes care of our dear captain, it's a little shorter than normal but i hope you all still enjoy. (UNEDITED)

+

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The crowd roars as the Canucks win the game - the group of boys flooding the ice to congratulate each other, tapping on helmets as they make their way to the locker room. 

“I’m gonna head down to the locker room, meet you there?” Natalie shouts over the sounds of the blaring alarms and music - you nod quickly, your eyes locked on the captain skating over to his goalie, patting him firmly on the helmet hovering for a few seconds clearly praising Thatcher's game. The two teammates make their way over to the bench, the coach pulling Quinn to the side.

You watch Quinn’s shoulders slump a little and he nods his head, his coach patting him on the shoulder as he lets him walk down the tunnel into the locker room. You say quick goodbyes to the other partners in the area, slinging your bag over your shoulder. 

Your phone dings in your hand, the screen lighting up with a text message. 

quintin 😍: I’m gonna be a little longer than expected, I have to cover Brock's interview. 

pookie ♥️ ️ : Okay, take your time. 

You find a spot beside the entrance to the locker room, pulling out the AirPods tucked into your bag. Knowing Quinn him saying he was going to take longer then expected meant it was going to be over an hour before you would be seeing him. You scroll through your tiktok, making small conversation with the passing players as they join with their families making their own way home. 

Eventually you spot the reporters leaving, a few more team members filing out behind them, the crowds slowly dwindling in the main lobby, though Quinn was nowhere in sight. 

pookie ♥ ️ : everything alright? reporters left twenty minutes ago. 

Your message is seen quickly, the ellipsis popping up into your text thread before disappearing, the cycle repeating a few times before the bubble disappears, no response from Quinn. 

“Hey what are you still doing out here?” A familiar voice says as a body stops in front of you, you glance up at Brock giving him a soft smile as you take out an AirPod. 

“Oh, just waiting for Quinn.” You respond quickly, “He said he was covering interviews, but they left a while ago.” You note softly, Brock tilting his head in confusion. 

“Quinn wasn’t doing interviews tonight.” Brock eyebrows drop in a frown, his eyes darting back to the locker room before back down to you. “No one else is in there, if you wanna head in?” He suggests quietly, patting your shoulder before jogging over to his waiting girlfriend, her arms wrapping around his shoulders as she greets him excitedly. 

You watch them for a few more moments, the happy couple leaving hand in hand before you turn towards the entrance, glancing around as you walk into the large room, it’s easy to spot the captain, his arms resting on his knees, his hockey jersey in the basket in the middle of the room, the rest of his gear still strapped to his body. 

“Babe?” You call softly, taking slow steps towards the deep in thought man, his hand raking through his hair a few more times before you call out for him again, “Quinn?” 

His head snaps up at your voice, his eyes darting around the empty room before focusing on you. “Oh shit.” He curses under his breath, his hand moving to undo the velcro straps of his chest pads. 

“Quinn, are you okay?” You question as you drop on the bench next to him, watching as he rushes to take off his remaining gear. 

“Yeah, of course.” He says quickly, shooting you an apologetic grin as he pulls the pads over his head. “Just got lost in thought.” 

You glance over to Quinn every now and then as he makes quick work of his uniform, pulling on a large hoodie and sweatpants, grabbing his phone and wallet from the shelf of his locker before turning towards you. 

“I’ll shower when I get home.” He promises as he leans down to press a soft kiss to your cheek, his fingers twining with yours as he grips your hand tightly. You wrap your other hand tightly around your joined hands, lifting them to press a kiss against the back of his hand. 

“You played amazing today, Quinn.” You praise, letting your hands drop to swing between the two of you as Quinn leads you both to the garage, pulling his car keys out of his pocket. “I’m so proud of you, you’ve done so much for this team.” You continue, Quinn shaking his head, his hand releasing yours as you both climb into the car. 

“We still have play offs to get through.” Quinn says with a long sigh, his eyes focusing in front of him as he pulls out the parking space, making his way out of the garage. Quinn’s body stays tense as his eyes remain forwards, his focus anywhere but on the way you watch him, your eyes looking over all his signs of discomfort. 

Quinn stays silent for the fifteen minute drive back to your apartment - game nights usually meant your boyfriend stayed at your place, Elias and Quinn enjoying the time apart to wind down. 

You follow behind Quinn as he makes his way to the elevator, his hand not reaching for yours like he normally would, his body pushing him to make it into your cozy apartment. He unlocks your front door with his spare key, dropping the bag from his trunk besides the front door, kicking off his sneakers. 

You sneak in behind him, softly closing the door as he runs his fingers through his hair, his hands rubbing at his face. “Quinn, I want you to answer me honestly.” You begin softly, leaning against the back of your couch, your hand clasped in front of you. “Are you okay?” 

“Huh?” He asks, his hands dropping from his face, “of course I am.” He answers quickly, he tries to smile, to erase your concern, but his smile falters as you remain silent, your brows furrowed in concern. 

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” He says, “I mean I’m living the dream right, playing my favourite sport for a living, captain of the team I’ve played on for six years, we’re going to the playoffs and I’ve got a beautiful girlfriend to top it all off.” He continues his voice carrying a sharp edge to it. 

You continue the silence, hoping that maybe making him face the discomfort will give you a look into his mind. 

“What do you want me to say?” He finally asks, throwing his hands in a shrug. 

“I don’t know… I just want to know what’s going on inside your head.” You respond, “I want to be able to help relieve some of your stress. I wanna be able to take care of you if you’re not feeling great.” You add, watching as Quinn’s mouth drops in a frown. 

“I don’t need you to take care of me.” He snaps, his tone more hostile than expected, your body pushing off the couch as you move to step forwards, your boyfriend taking a step away from you. “I’m supposed to take care of you” He says, pointing towards you for emphasis, “That’s my job. I’m supposed to take care of things at home and at work, that’s what a good leader does.” 

“And, what about you?” You question softly, your arms crossing over your chest, a feeble attempt at trying to keep yourself together. “What about you, Quinn… Who takes care of you?” 

You watch the emotions flash over Quinn’s face whatever facade he had kept going for the past twenty four hours faltering. 

“Babe, you have so much on your plate right now, so much responsibility… let me take some of it, even just for a little while.” 

“Why?” He asks, his voice barely a whisper. 

“Because that’s my job.” You answer, “Because if you’re not going to take care of you, then I will. Because relationships are about lifting each other up but sometimes we just have to catch each other when we fall.” Your words are gentle as you step towards him. 

“Quinn, it’s okay to fall sometimes.” Your heart sinks as you watch his face crumble, a heavy sob escaping his chest as you close the distance, pulling his body to yours. Quinn remains stiff as you wrap your arms around his neck, his face dropping against your shoulder as his body shakes. 

“I’m just so tired.” His voice cracks as he speaks, finally his arms moving to constrict around your waist, your body the only thing grounding him. “I feel like I can’t breathe.” Another round of choked sobs rip from him, one of your hands gently soothing over his back, the other smoothing the back of his head. 

“You’re going to be okay.” You coo, your throat constricting as you swallow down your own tears, your heart cracking in two at the state of your boyfriend, the hurt in his voice. 

The two of you remain in the lounge room, your arms wrapped around each other, stuck in a standstill as Quinn lets out everything that had been weighing him down, his sobs slowly turning into sniffles, his arms squeezing around you when you move to step back. 

“No.” He grumbles. 

“Come with me.” You whisper, finally detaching him from you, your hands grabbing his as you pull him towards the couch, you take your spot lying down on the cushions before motioning for him to follow. Quinn seems hesitant at first, his breathing shallow before he nods joining you on the couch, his body thrown over yours, his head pressed against your chest as you resume your ministrations on his back, drawing soft shapes against his jumper. 

“Share something with me.” You say, “Give me something to hold onto for you for a little while.” 

“Like what?” He speaks against your shirt, the words muffled slightly by the fabric. 

“Anything.” He takes a deep breath at your words. 

“Rick said something to me today.” He starts, you nod slowly recounting the coach pulling the young captain aside, your hand raises to the collar of Quinn’s hoodie softly slipping under the fabric to continue your soothing on his skin. “He said he was proud of me.” 

Your movements pause, waiting for Quinn to elaborate. 

“He said that he couldn’t think of a better leader for the team, and that he knew that I was going to take us further than anyone imagined.” Quinn lets out a long sigh, “I just can’t find it in me to believe him.” Your eyebrows raise at his comment, your head tilting as you consider what to say. 

“You’re not proud of yourself?” 

“I don’t know.” He mumbles back. “I know I should be, but a part of me just feels like I haven’t done enough, like I haven’t achieved enough to feel pride.” 

“Well, that’s okay.” You start, “I can be proud of you for both of us.” Quinn raises his head, resting his chin against your sternum as he glances up at you. 

“Really?” 

“I’ll just hold onto it until you're ready, no matter how long it takes.” You smile as you watch Quinn’s face relax a little, his own smile light on his face, as he leans forwards pressing a soft kiss to your cheek. 

“You have no idea how special you are, Quinn.” You remind him as you raise your hand to push his floppy brown locks out of his face. “But I hope one day you let yourself feel it.” 

“And, what about you?” Quinn asks, throwing your own question back in your face. “Do you know how special you are?” 

“Probably not, but I’m trying my best to figure it out.” You smile once more, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead before reaching to the coffee table for the remote. 

“I should go shower.” Quinn says as he drops his head back to your chest, his body making no moves to walk down your hallway to the bathroom. 

“You probably should.” You agree with a laugh as Quinn grabs one of your hands placing it back in his hair, a soft sigh of content escaping him as you scrape your nails against his scalp.  

“Thank you.” He whispers, his eyes squeezed shut as you press one more kiss to his head. 

“You don’t have to thank me, it's my job.” He lets out a soft chuckle, his body relaxing further as he falls asleep to the sound of mindless reality TV, your chest swelling with the pride of two people as you glance down at your boyfriend finally resting. 

[cuttergauthier]

into you | ryan leonard

word count: 1.43k

summary: all you want to know is if ryan's into you.

warnings: drinking, cursing, touching? nothing explicit though, kissing

notes: based on 'into you' by ariana grande. okay so i wrote this mostly in a single evening and it seemed to get me out of a writing slump so i hope you guys enjoy!

I'm so into you, I can barely breathe And all I wanna do is to fall in deep But close ain't close enough 'til we cross the line, So name a game to play, and I'll roll the dice.

You adjusted the bottom of your dress, pulling it down a little more so that you didn’t accidentally expose yourself. You step into the bustling environment, scanning the room for your friends. You come up empty, only spotting two different couples dry-humping each other and a very intense game of pong happening in the middle of the room. You’d rather be anywhere but here right now if not for the fact that Ryan specifically asked you to come. And it’s hard to say no to Ryan…

“Oh, there’s a party at Michaels frat tonight. Come with?” Ryan asked, throwing an arm around the back of your chair.

“Gross, I hate frats.” You groan.

“Yeah but you like to party with me so…” Ryan says, giving you a cheeky grin.

God, it was hard to say no to Ryan. His boyish grin and the twinkle in his eyes that accompanied it had you weak in the knees. When his eyes lock with yours, you feel your breath leave your lungs. His presence alone had the power to render you speechless. You’re so into him to the point it almost hurts. A sweet dull ache.

“Fine.” You cave. Ryan responds by leaning over to you and pressing a sloppy kiss on your cheek.

An arm snakes around your waist, pulling you out of your brief daydream and into a strong frame. “Hi.” He says softly into your ear.

You instantly recognize the voice as Ryan’s, stopping you from elbowing what you thought was a handsy frat brother in the stomach. When you turn to face him, Ryan nearly groans out loud when he sees your outfit. Your legs looked endless in your black mini-skirt, and Ryan knew he’d have to force himself to keep his eyes off your chest behind a tight black t-shirt. God, you looked good. So good. Your cheeks burn as his eyes trace your figure.

“You look great.” Ryan says, a lazy grin on his lips.

You fight off a wide grin that threatens your own. “Thank you.”

You consistently found yourselves close to crossing the line, teetering on the edge of friendship. But never had either of you worked up the courage to cross said line. Your connection was a dance, a delicate balance of shared jokes, shared moments, and the lingering touches that left them both wondering. You yearned to cross the line, waiting for the moment that Ryan would make a move.

Oh, baby, look what you started, the temperature's rising in here Is this gonna happen? Been waiting and waiting for you to make a move Before I make a move.

“C’mon, the boys are back here.” Ryan says, taking your hand in his and pulling you towards the back of the house.

You arrive in a living area, spotting Ryan’s teammates scattered on two couches. The pair of you sit down in empty spots, squeezing next to each other so that your legs are pressed up against one another.

Ryan seamlessly joined the boys’ conversation as they discussed hockey. You found yourself half listening in on their argument, which consisted of whether or not the President's Trophy curse is real. Mid-sentence, Ryan’s hand finds its way onto your knee, sending a jolt of electricity down your spine. Your heart raced as you glanced down at his calloused fingers resting lightly on your skin, the contrast between their rough texture and the softness of your knee sending a shiver down your spine. Despite the ongoing conversation around you, your mind was solely focused on the physical contact. He began to trace gentle, rhythmic circles on the inside of your knee, your mind turning to mush. His hand lingered there for a moment before his touch ventured higher. With each inch slowly gained, your mind raced with questions, a manic but silent dialogue echoing in your thoughts.

Was this the moment you had been waiting for? Was this the culmination of all the unspoken pining the pair of you had shamelessly done? Or was this just a continuation of the dance the two of you had been doing?

Every fiber of your being yearned for clarity, for resolution, for an end to the game of push and pull that had consumed your relationship. You wanted nothing more than to be done with the tiptoeing and the skirting around the edges of what could be.

So, baby, come light me up, and, baby, I'll let you on it A little bit dangerous, but, baby, that's how I want it A little less conversation and a little more touch my body 'Cause I'm so into you, into you, into you.

Ryan’s hand squeezing your knee pulls you out of your thoughts, and back to the present moment. Your eyes flicked to his face, meeting his expecting gaze.

“Did I miss something?” You ask, your voice tinged with embarrassment. “I kind of spaced out for a second.”

Ryan’s chuckle washes over you, his boyish smile appearing on his lips and melting away the lingering unease. “It’s okay,” Ryan reassures you. “I just asked if you wanted something to drink.”

“Oh, sorry,” You reply, a blush creeping on your cheeks. “Uh, sure. I’ll come with you though.”

Standing up, Ryan extends a hand, helping you up from the couch. He tells his friends the two of you will be right back, leading you to the kitchen with a delicate hand on your back. His hand sits dangerously low on your back, his touch sending a shiver down your spine despite the oppressive heat in the house due to the amount of people.

Stepping into the kitchen, you find yourself alone with Ryan for the first time this evening. The atmosphere shifts, the ambient noise of the party fading into the background.

“What are you feeling?” He asks, motioning to the supply of alcohol on the counter.

“Are you playing bartender?” You ask, teasingly.

“Yeah, sit back. I’m great at this.” He says, supplying a wink. You chuckle softly, hopping up onto the counter.

“Alright, since you’re so great at this… I’ll let you pick my drink.” You say.

You watch as Ryan grabs two cups, pouring tequila and orange juice into both of them, before handing you one of them. “That’s it?” You ask.

“Babe, it’s a frat house, what did you expect a frozen margarita?” Ryan teases, slotting himself between your legs. The use of a pet name as well as the feeling of his hand back on your knee make your heart skip a beat.

You fall into conversation, telling each other random stories from throughout the week. You find yourselves talking seamlessly, punctuated by shared laughter. With each refill of your drink, you feel the inhibition that had been weighing on you slip away and be replaced by liquid courage.

Emboldened by the alcohol, you reach out, running a hand through Ryan’s dark locks. The conversation comes to a standstill as he eyes your face, locking in on the playful grin on your lips.

“Why haven’t you made a move?” You ask. Your words hang in the air between you two like a dare.

It isn’t until Ryan suddenly straightens up and your hand falls from his hair, that you realize how close he’d gotten. His brow furrows, Ryan’s expression briefly clouding with uncertainty. He stays silent so you continue, wanting answers.

“I’ve been waiting and waiting for you to make a move.” You say, a little chuckle slipping off your tongue. “And I can’t wait anymore. I need to know. I need to know if you’re into me.”

Without a word, he closes the distance between the two of you, capturing your lips in a kiss. His mouth is warm, lips firm as they kiss yours. You don’t hesitate to melt into him, tasting the tequila and orange juice on his lips. His hands land on your thighs, gripping them tightly. A soft whimper leaves your lips when his tongue brushes against your bottom lip, and then slides inside your mouth.

For a heartbeat, everything else ceases to exist and it’s just you and Ryan stranded in a moment in time. Every sense of yours feels heightened. The heat of his body pressing against yours, the rhythm of his heartbeat echoing in your ears.

The kiss finally breaks, the both of you out of breath from the shared moment of passion. Ryan’s soft eyes stay locked on yours as he brings a hand up to your face, cupping your cheek.

“I’m so fucking into you.” He says softly.

[cuttergauthier]

baby loves | blake hughes au

[blake hughes au]

summary: blake and nico find out they're expecting their first baby + the announcement.

word count: 1.2k

the bitter wind nips at blakes neck and hands as she trudges back home from the corner store a few blocks away. walking it seems - is the only she was going to be getting her workouts in as she was too tired to do anything after work. she could feel that familiar fatigue now, the droop of her eyes as strangers whip past her in their cars. she had thought that she was just bored and the business of her schedule had been exhausting her, but naps became more frequent and the excuses less plausible. 

when she opens the door to hers and nico’s new place her animals quickly find her - another recent development. charlie, her doberman dog of the past 6 years, was anxious when it came to leaving blake unattended. goldie, the black cat, seemed to pick up on charlies traits and also loved to follow blake around the house. 

blakes phone rings and she answers easily, “yes i’m home now. completely safe,” 

“you shouldn't be out walking so late... it makes me nervous,” her husband replied in a thick swiss accident. she texted him where she was going out of habit, loving to narrate her day to him through brief texts. it made her feel like she was less alone when he was gone. 

“i’ll take the car next time. i was just hungry,” she supplies, setting her two heavy grocery bags onto the counter. “how was the game? i meant to watch but i fell asleep,” 

nico sighs, “you didn’t miss much” 

blake pauses from unloading her food, “i’m sorry. you guys will find your groove soon,” 

there was a brief silence on nico’s end and she could imagine the hurt and upset etched across his face from the teams losing streak. 

“yeah… uh, …” nico stumbles on his words. 

“i love you” blake speaks softly. 

nico sighs, “i love you. I’m sorry for being quiet tonight. i’m just tired of this…” the this in question being losing. 

before blake could manage a reply, the phone was snatched from nico’s hand and a surprisingly energetic jack spoke loudly into the speaker. 

“hey blakey, nico said you weren’t feeling well this week?”

“i’ve just been tired. nothing serious,” blake remarks, continuing her effort in putting her groceries away. she went a little too crazy in the small store and now she had three different salsas and a variety of chips all calling her name… 

“tired… i’m kind of tired too,” jack announces before entering his own conversation with his seatmate. 

the line went quiet again and for a second blake thought jack had hung up on her before nico’s voice sounded through her speaker. “alright well, i’ll let you eat. we’re just driving back to the hotel now so i’ll call before bed,” 

blake hums as she cracks open a jar of salsa labelled scorching, “alright love you, bye”. nico echoes her sentiments before hanging up the call. 

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

three boxes of pregnancy tests sit stacked under the cabinet in the master bedroom. since the teams baby shower last week, blake has had this overwhelming feeling that she was pregnant. it would explain the fatigue, the sickness, all the food, and the animals being so protective over her… she just had to wait for nico to come back home from a roadie so that she could test. 

she was anxiously sitting on the couch with charlie resting across her lap when the front door opens loudly. “blake?” nico calls out, setting his suitcase in the entryway before walking into the living room. 

“hi,” blake breathes out nervously as she wrings her hands in her lap. 

“whats going on? are you okay?” nico’s eyes melt as he tries to study blakes face. 

“i think i’m pregnant,” blake gets off the couch slowly, and nicos eyes follow her every movement. “i just have this feeling and i-”

“have you taken a test?” he asks and the corners of his mouth twitch as his excitement grows. they had been talking about starting to try for a baby a lot recently and nico couldn't wait for them to have a family of their own.

“no but i have some upstairs,” blake explains as nico grabs a hold of her hand. “i wanted to wait for you before taking any” 

five minutes later, nico and blake sit on the edge of their tub as the timer on nico’s phone counted down from 3 minutes. the newlyweds hold onto each other tightly as they eagerly await their results.

soon enough nico’s timer echoes throughout the bathroom and the two are enveloped in nervous tension as they each grab hold of two tests. with shaky hands they flip over all of the tests. 

pregnant

+

| |

pregnant 3+

“oh my gosh,” blake gasps as she turns to face nico with tears in her eyes. “we’re having a baby!”

nico’s slow to look away from all the positive tests but when he finally catches blake’s eye he starts softly crying. “we’re having a baby,” he echoes, pulling blake into a comforting hug. 

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

blake.hischier posted 4 months ago

liked by nicohischier, jackhughes, madisonbeer, and 37 919 others

blake.hischier late summer post🫂

tagged: nicohischier

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nicohischier Love you❤️

trevorzegras i miss the cat

user08 anyone notice how she hasn’t posted any full body / ootd pics recently? i miss them so much ive got no style inso now

user12 there’s a thread going around on twitter right now speculating that she’s pregnant and tbh i think she is!

user57 pretty girl!!💘

user94 baby hischier soon?👀

user36 i’m missing the podcast but i’m so happy that you’re moving onto new things! love you so much <3

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

a few months later...

blake.hischier

liked by nicohischier, jackhughes, _quinnhughes, and 57 129 others

blake.hischier surprise !! rudi hischier was born in november 🧸🤍

tagged: nicohischier

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nicohischier Our boy🧸❤️

blake.hischier im crying again 🥹🤍

jackhughes 😭😭😭😭😭

jackhughes Now tell everyone that im his fav uncle

blake.hischier well….

trevorzegras middle name: trevor ✅

blake.hischier ?

_quinnhughes You guys are already the best parents. Rudi is so lucky that you’re his mom, i’m so proud of you blakey!

blake.hischier thank you so much quinny😭

lhughes_06 whens he getting in skates ?

user01 OH MY GOD?????

user24 i remember becoming a fan of yours when u were skating and now youre a mom… im crying

user16 they had a baby😭😭🫶

user87 your “N” necklace🫠 congrats u guys!!

nicohischier

liked by blake.hischier, curtislazar95, jesperbratt, and 43 012 others

nicohischier Rudi Hischier ❤️

tagged: blake.hischier

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blake.hischier my boys🥹🤍

tmeier96 congratulations to you two!

holtz_10 baby hisch in the house⚡️

lhughes_06 Cutest kid

dawson1417 Congrats guys!❤️

trevorzegras about the kids middle name .. 

_quinnhughes Love you guys, congrats!❤️

jackhughes nephew looking fresh💯

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[cuttergauthier]

happy 22nd | lila drysdale au

[au masterlist💐]

yndrysdale

liked by jamie.drysdale, trevorzegras, cam.york, and 3 981 others

yndrysdale happy 22nd birthday to our jamie boy! i remember when we were just teenagers in love... it hasn't been that long but wow, life has changed. the kids and i love you always💘

tagged: jamie.drysdale

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jamie.drysdale I love you! I had the best birthday❤️

trevorzegras i'd kill for a slice of cake im ngl

cam.york i can confirm that it was good

user01 ohh to be jamies teenage sweetheart...

user02 ahh happy birthday jamie!!

jamie.drysdale

liked by yndrysdale, cam.york, masonmctavish23, and 13 514 others

jamie.drysdale Spent my birthday with my favourite people!❤️

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yndrysdale selfless even on your special day

yndrysdale i love you, happy birthday baby💘

cam.york happy birthday bud!🧡

trevorzegras HBD jimmy😘🦆 tell lila and noah that i miss them

masonmctavish23 the big 22

user03 lila's gotten so big omg🥹🫶

user04 jamie posting about his family instead of himself on his birthday is my fav thing tbh

user05 the cutest family!! happy birthday jamie! <3

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[cuttergauthier]

moments on the ring

hughes!sister x will smith au (samy + will)

going backwards in time from a year in the future to the summer before samy's senior year, the ring camera captures all of the special moments between samy and will.

2.6k words

i was inspired by the tiktoks of couples having cute moments on their ring cameras, so i wrote this. i thought it was so cutie and it's all just scattered moments of samy and will caught on the lakehouse ring camera

au masterlist

ONE (the summer before will moves to california)

the faster july bled into august, the harder it became for samy to ever sleep. the poor girl's mind raced with a hundred thoughts about starting her next chapter: the last half of college. junior year rode in fast and so did her new captaincy for the women's soccer team.

a dream that the girl's had since she stepped onto campus was now becoming a reality in just short of a few weeks. she couldn't be more grateful, but at the same, she was now leading an entire group of girls in hopes of taking home another national title.

if they lost, it was all on her and terrified the girl.

she curled up on the front porch steps, eyes on the sky trying to find her favorite constellations. whenever she couldn't sleep, the little hughes wandered outside and stared at the stars until someone came and found her.

usually, it'd be her mom. occasionally jack or luke. recently, though, the one person who's never left her side became the one finding the girl by herself in the late hours of the night. mostly because he'd sense her presence missing and sleepily ventured out to find her.

the front door quietly slid open giving samy the indication that someone found her. she waited for them to approach before acknowledging them. gentle hands slipped something across her shoulders making the goosebumps along her arms quickly disappear.

"found you," will's sleepy voice echoed through the stillness.

"hi, baby," samy smiled up at the blonde as he sat down beside her. the pet name earned a small flush across his cheeks while his hand immediately found a place on her knee.

"hi. can't sleep?" the boy wondered trying to wake himself up more despite everything in him wanting to crawl back under the warm covers.

"yeah. thinking too much i think," she curled herself into her boyfriend's side. his body was like a heater as his warmth spread into her, replacing the cool air swirling around her.

"wanna talk about it?"

a bit of hesitation stopped the girl from immediately opening her mouth. she knew will wouldn't ever judge her, but she almost felt..selfish for admitting being nervous for the upcoming season. he sensed her pause, so he ducked his head down to find her gaze.

"talk to me, hughesy," the blonde gave a loving squeeze so she knew he was all ears. her nickname painted a brief smile on her lips.

"i'm gonna be captain this season," samy mumbled like she didn't believe it herself and she almost didn't.

a smile grew across her boyfriend's lips, "i know. i'm so proud of you."

"what if i let everyone down?" the worries finally flew out of her mouth which almost knocked the breath out of her for admitting it aloud.

"what makes you think that?"

"i dunno. i'm scared i can't lead them to a national title again. then what? i let everyone down," samy explained what troubled her—her doubts and fears about everything going wrong under her guidance.

"even if you don't, no one's gonna hate you. this is gonna be a real good season, yeah? you're gonna take them to the finals again, i know it," will encouraged and his words surprisingly made the youngest hughes feel a lot better. he always knew how to do that somehow and samy never knew how he did it.

"it's just such a big deal. i'm scared i'm gonna fuck it all up," the girl laughed in hopes of keeping herself from crying.

"you won't. you're the best soccer player i know. not many people can rebuild the soccer program in their freshman year," will's sappy words made the brunette blush to the tips of her ears. she hid her face in his chest so he didn't see.

"you're so cheesy."

all will did was kiss her forehead in response. he ran soothing circles across her shoulder which definitely helped settle samy's anxiety. he always knew how to lift her spirits, even if it was just his presence alone.

"you leave for california in two weeks, right?" she changed the subject for now wanting to direct the attention off of her.

"yup. 13.5 days," will's voice almost sounded sad saying that. samy quickly picked up on the shift in his tone, so she shifted herself so she was looking at him.

"your official rookie year. god, i cant believe it's already here," those two years unknowingly flew by for everyone.

"is it weird i'm scared to start a new life all the way across the country from my best friends," the blonde softly wondered. samy cupped his cheek, running her thumb over his soft skin as he leaned into her touch.

"i think you're gonna do really well in san jose. they picked a good one," it was now samy's turn to be all sappy and cheesy. plus, it was only fair that she was because will did it moments ago.

"promise to come visit me?" the boy searched her gaze, one filled with love and lust. the grip on her knee tightened a bit like she'd disappear if he let go.

"i can't promise it will be during the season, but i'll really try after," they knew samy couldn't leave as freely as she did to boston. with her captaincy, she was needed and expected at every practice. not to mention, flying to california was a lot different than flying an hour to boston for a weekend.

"right. just expect a lot of facetime calls then."

their foreheads connected briefly. samy closed her eyes, letting will's sent fill her body and slowly calm her down to the point where she finally became tired. the blonde hooked his arm around her shoulders, a gentle kiss landing on her soft skin.

"wanna go back inside?" he wondered.

samy just nodded, letting will pull her up and lead them into the house. the hockey player smiled at the ring camera that he almost forgot was there knowing it just picked up every single second of that soft moment.

TWO (the summer after samy and will's first year of college)

jack sure knew how to throw a party. people packed themselves in and out of the house, wall to wall, room to room. the summer house probably hasn't ever been so full before, but jack was determined to celebrate luke making it through his rookie year and with nearly everyone in michigan, it was bound to be a good one.

samy stumbled out onto the front porch with will close behind her as they finally escaped the chaos for a few seconds. their hands were intertwined, fearing they'd lose one another in the crowd if they didn't hold onto each other. the brunette fell against the porch railing, some of her drink dripping onto the wood, a lazy smile on her lips.

"jack so would've made a great frat boy if he went to college," will chuckled, leaning himself against the railing as well.

"trust me, i know. we've told him," samy was extra giggly tonight, especially after having a few shots in her system.

the alcohol her brothers bought for the lakehouse didn't and wouldn't compare to the cheap vodka her and hannah found or begged ethan to get them (he refused most of the time anyway). whatever stuff her brother's liked buzzed through the girl's system like a race car and she became a lot more drunk a lot quicker.

the music was so loud, they could hear it from the porch. jack had old pop songs playing and time of our lives by pitbul started blaring through the speakers. samy gasped, forgetting her cup as she pulled will up to start dancing.

"i know my rent was gonna be late about a week ago," the brunette sang—or more like screamed—while swinging her boyfriend's hands around who just laughed.

"i worked my ass off, but i still can't pay it though," will joined in.

they didn't even care that they were the only ones drunk and dancing on the porch. the moment couldn't have been anymore perfect. the oldie songs brought them back to their childhood where they'd similarly scream along to the lyrics without really knowing what any of it meant.

"ooh, i want the time of my life. oh baby, oohhh," once the chorus hit, will spun samy around. she giggled nonstop while the blonde enjoyed seeing her so happy.

the best part of the song came on a few moments later. will wrapped samy up in his arms, snaking them around her waist.

"this is for everybody going through tough times. believe me, been there, done that. but everyday above ground is a great day, remember that," the two sang the verse together before the blonde pushed his lips to samy's when the chorus began again.

something about the moment was so perfect—just two teenagers enjoying themselves as they celebrated getting through their first year of college and long distance while the entire thing was captured on the oh so infamous ring camera right above the door handle.

THREE (the summer after samy and will's first year of college)

samy's heels clicked against the hardwood as she stepped onto the porch. will followed close behind, lazy and lustful smiles on each of their lips as the girl spun around to face her boyfriend. he immediately snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her into his chest. 

"thanks for driving me back. you didn't have to, you know," the brunette hummed, reaching her hand up to fix some of his misplaced curls. 

"i know, but it wasn't any problem," the blonde shrugged. 

"it is like 30 minutes out of your way. you have to be up in exactly.." her eyes gazed down at her watch, "five hours." 

will didn't even seem bothered by the fact, "i'll just sleep on the plane. whatever." 

his nonchalantness never failed to amaze the girl. will was due in san jose for a two week summer development camp with a plane to catch in seven hours, yet he was standing on samy's porch past midnight after spending a long night out with her family and then insisted to drive her back to the house before he went to his hotel closer to the airport. 

"you're crazy, you know that?" samy shook her head in amusement. 

"i am for you," will grinned, his cheesy words earning a playful eye roll. 

"god, you're so insufferable sometimes," she cupped the boy's cheeks to pull his face closer to hers, an indication that she wanted a kiss. 

"gonna miss you, pretty girl. two weeks is so long," the blonde hummed. 

"it will fly by. we did four months." 

"the worst four months of my life," being so caught up in hockey and soccer, time to see one another was pretty limited during the school year. 

summer would always be will and samy's favorite months. 

"promise to call you every night," samy beamed making the hockey player smile too. 

"you better. you're sure you can't come with me?" will always did this when one of them were leaving for long periods of time. he was desperate to get samy to follow him everywhere. 

"i wish, but you need to have your moment. one more year before you join the sharks," the girl squeezed his chin. 

"don't remind me." 

with that, samy placed her lips to her boyfriend's. his hands gripped her waist, deepening the kiss as his tongue slipped into her mouth. she tasted like strawberries—a taste the boy would never get tired of. it just made him want her even more. 

"you looked so beautiful tonight by the way," will mumbled when they broke apart for some air. 

samy's cheeks reddened, "thanks pretty boy." 

that was will's favorite pet name. he ducked his head back down to reconnect their lips. samy's hands started wandering towards will's curls, pulling gently near the nape of his neck which emitted a small sound from the back of his throat. 

"wanna kiss you forever," his hands started wandering lower until his one hand slipped over her ass in a tight squeeze. 

samy tugged harder at his curls looking for more. their need poured into each other's lips with will tugging the girl closer despite there not being anymore space left between them. 

"you two better get a room," jack's voice instantly broke them apart. 

samy spun around, her gaze zeroing in on the ring where jack just talked from. 

"oh fuck off, jack," the younger girl rolled her eyes. 

"you better be glad i was the one who looked and not dad or some shit. wrap it up before they do see anything. y'all are so gross," jack was most definitely rolling his eyes. 

"fucking idiot," samy mumbled. she turned back to will, her smile quickly returning. 

"see you in two weeks?" 

"i'll see you so soon," will planted one more kiss to her lips before heading back down the porch. he waved to the camera incase jack was still secretly watching. 

once he was back in his car, samy spun on her heel. bending down so she was eye level with the camera, "you're so annoying. i can't wait until i can annoy you and your girlfriend." 

FOUR (samy gets her acceptance to umich)

the adrenaline buzzed through the young girl as she impatiently waited for her brothers and will to come back from their fishing excursion. their last eta update was 10 minutes ago being 15 minutes away meaning they were close to home.

samy texted them saying she had big news. the piece of paper was gripped firmly in her hands, the anticipation nearly killing the poor girl. she paced diligently across the porch with almost a hundred thoughts running through her brain.

distant voices started filling her ears, head whipping towards the dock down the yard. the four of them tumbled out of the boat. "mom! they're here!" samy yelled into the screen door.

she began waving her arms above her head, wanting to catch their attention. ellen was on the porch a moment later, phone in hand to record everyone's reactions.

"guys! guys! hurry!" the brunette yelled to will and her brothers.

"what's up little hughesy?" jack wondered as he picked his pace up and samy rolled her eyes at the nickname.

she'd never escape being little hughesy since her brothers would always be hughes or hughesy. she glanced back at her mom who beamed, nodding some encouragement.

"now what's up?" luke snickered while quinn and will looked at the girl expectantly while also confused when they saw ellen recording.

samy revealed the paper from behind her back, a large smile creeping onto her lips.

"i got into the university of michigan!!" samy exclaimed, immediately jumping up and down.

the shock hit all of their faces at the same time with luke being the first one to scoop his little sister into his arms.

"holy shit!! that's awesome! is it full ride for soccer??" the middle hughes exclaimed as well.

"full ride!" the girl echoed.

jack and quinn took their turns embracing their sister as well, leaving will as the last one. he scooped his best friend into his arms, a large smile plastered across his entire face.

"jesus, you're so awesome. so proud of you, hughesy," will gushed earning a small flush across the girl's cheeks.

she giggled as he spun her around a little.

"now you gotta come to michigan with me," samy poked his chest.

"or you can come to boston," the boy proposed with his little shit eating grin.

her eyes found everyone else's before landing on the tiny camera taking in the entire moment. she ran to it, showing off her acceptance letter with the word congratulations written in big letters across the top. someone wrapped their arms around her waist and samy immediately knew it was will just based on his hold. 

the quick kiss on her cheek most definitely went unknown by everyone except the camera. samy sported a small blush before turning back to her brothers where they all continued celebrating their little sister's acceptance. 

[cuttergauthier]

wedding dates & unwelcome surprises ⎜j.hughes

pairings: jack hughes x reader genre: fluff warnings: mentions of shitty exes and family ⎜mild fighting?⎜sassy jack⎜ synopsis: it's the first time you're bringing your boyfriend home to meet your family, as a date to your sisters wedding - you didn't know your ex was going to be a plus one. word count: 3.3k authors note: this was requested...kinda. Anyway enjoy and requests are open. (unedited)

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“Do you think they’ll like me?” Jacks question breaks the almost silence of the car, one hand sitting on the steering wheel, the other latched with yours on your lap. 

“Hmm?” You question, turning your eyes away from the passing trees to the man sitting besides you, his knuckles white as he grips the leather wheel. 

“Your family.” He explains, “Do you think they’ll like me?” He questions again, his words making you sputter as your mouth falls open. 

“Jack Hughes darling of the hockey world, every teenage fans wet dream, is worried that my family won’t like him?” You exclaim in confusion, a light smile on your face as he shakes his head, moving to pull his hand from yours. “No, I’m kidding.” You yelp, tightening your grip on his, settling your joined hand back in your lap, your other hand coming to cup over his.

“Jack, you’re letting them use your lake house for a rehearsal dinner and you paid for my sister's honeymoon - even if they didn’t like you they’re not gonna bite the hand that feeds them.” You begin, reaching one hand to sweep a loose strand of hair behind his ear, smiling at him softly when he glances your way. 

“They will love you, I’ve never seen my family so excited to meet someone before.” You can see some of the tension released from his shoulders as he nods, the car pulling into the ridiculously long driveway of the lake house, more than twenty cars already parked around the house. 

“I hope you’re ready for chaos, cause this is going to be like pulling teeth.” You mumble as he stops the car besides your mothers recognizable three door. You finally release his hand before unbuckling your seat belt, sliding out of the car with a long sigh, smoothing out the baby blue fabric of your sundress. 

Your sister had insisted on pastel attire to be worn over the weekend, her wedding had to give ‘spring fairy vibes’ is exactly what she had put into the email she sent out. Jack made his way around the front of the car, his hand immediately stretching out towards yours, making grabby motions towards you. 

You obliged him, reaching your hand forwards into his, your palms slipping against each other as your hands squeezed together. “Do I look okay?” He asks and you nod, Jack had been adamant about matching as much as possible this weekend, knowing it was something you enjoyed, a light blue linen shirt was tucked into his cream colour slacks, both of you in a pair of brand new white tennis shoes. 

“You look great, and they’re going to adore you.” You reassure him, taking in a big breath as you push open the front door to the lake house, the familiar interior putting the two of you a little more at ease. 

The two of you stroll into the large house keeping your eyes peeled for the bride and groom, hoping to say quick congratulations to them before being swept into conversation with the rest of your family. 

“Well look what the cat dragged in.” A voice says from the kitchen as the two of you enter the room, your sister standing at one of the charcuterie boards, her fiancee close by her side as they both send you large smiles. “You’re only thirty minutes late.” She grumbles, placing her plate on the bench before rushing forwards, her arms embracing you quickly. 

Jack releases your hand as you return your sister's embrace, “It’s good to see you.” You hum, hugging her tightly, the two of you releasing as you move over to hug your soon to be brother-in-law. 

“And you must be Jack.” You sister coos, standing back with one hand propped on her hip as she glances over your boyfriend. His eyes shoot to yours quickly before returning to your sister, his hands clenched by his side as he waits for her to say something. 

“Gracie, leave the poor boy alone.” Your brother in law says quickly, patting you on the shoulder as he shoots you an approving grin. 

“Oh who am I kidding, you are a savior, Jack.” You sister steps forwards wrapping her arms around Jack in a friendly hug, squeezing him once more before releasing him and returning to her partner's side. 

“I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for the two of us.” Jack tries to wave off the thanks with a shake of his hand. 

“Please don’t thank me- it was your sister's idea, I just coughed up the money.” Jack jokes, before quickly adding, “It’s really not a big deal, I hope the two of you enjoy the trip.” Your sister glances between you and Jack with a smile before a gasp escapes her, your eyes catching on a familiar face in the backyard of your boyfriend's lake house, a short blonde attached to his side. 

“So there was a bit of a hiccup with the invitations.” Your sister begins and you feel your stomach drop. “We sent Jess an invitation and forgot to remove the plus one option. We were honestly hoping she just wouldn’t respond and we could avoid the whole thing.” Your sister twirls her engagement ring nervously around her finger as she follows your gaze.  

“We didn’t even know they were still together.” You brother in law adds quickly, his gaze dropping to the ground quickly as you glare over at him.  Jack watches the encounter in confusion, his gaze following yours as he glances over at the man standing talking with who he recognises to be your mother. “I’m really sorry.” Your sister adds, your head shaking quickly. 

“Don’t worry about it, it’s not like they almost ruined my life or anything.” Your sister grimaces at your words, her mouth opening to say something, falling closed as Jack shakes his head quickly

“Why don’t we meet the two of you guys outside, I’m really digging the spread you’ve got out.” He says quickly, giving your sister an easy out, the soon to be married couple rushing out of the kitchen as Jack pulls you over to the fruit platter. He silently grabs you a plate placing your favourite on the light pink plastic.

“I’m waiting for you to explain what was going on inside of your pretty little head.” He says with a clearing of his throat, turning to lean against the counter as you lean against the marble, glaring at the fridge in front of you. 

“Jess is my cousin.” You begin, jack nodding intently, popping a grape into his mouth, “She fucked my boyfriend three years ago, right before we met actually. Josh and I lived together at the time, apparently they had been having an affair for months before he broke it off with me.” You take in a deep breath as you add, “I only found out when I got home to all my shit packed in bags and her shoving their engagement ring in my face.” Jack chokes at you’re bland delivery of the biggest betrayal he had ever heard in his life. 

He smacks against his chest a few times, trying to swallow down the remainders of the fruit stuck in his throat. “What the fuck.” He exclaims as soon as his throat is cleared. 

“Trust me that’s not even the worst part.” You laugh humourlessly, dropping your gaze to the floor. “After he had put all my belongings into garbage bags and as he was evicting me from my own apartment he shared some hard truths with me.” Jack nodded slowly, his heart dropping as he waits for you to finish. “He said he could only ever be with me when he had a few.” 

Jack paused before asking, “you’re fucking with me, right?” 

You shake your head, a bitter laugh bubbling from your chest, quickly adding “he even said he loved Jess more than me because she was smaller because she made him feel more masculine.” Jack watches you cautiously as you let out a shaky breath, turning your face up towards him with a sad smile. 

“I had to live with a friend for weeks cause I had nowhere else to go, she helped me find my apartment in the city, and then I met you so it wasn’t all bad.” You say taking a big bite of a strawberry Jack hands you. 

“I understand why you’re so upset.” Jack responds and you shake your head, placing the scrap of your strawberry on the plastic plate. 

“It’s not like I have feelings for him or anything and I couldn’t care less about her but sometimes it’s nice to have a little warning before you go face to face with two assholes who hurt you.” You explain and Jack nods, reaching out to smooth two hands up and down your arms. 

“You really dated a guy called Josh?” He questions, a shit eating grin spreading across his face, “That’s like the douche-ist name out there.” He adds and you let out a sarcastic chuckle, grabbing a grape off his plate and lobbing it at his face. 

“That’s a lot coming from a dude called Jack.” You roll your eyes as his smile grows, his finger pointing at you in approval. 

“Touché.” He says quickly, his hand lacing with yours again, his lips pressing a soft kiss against your hair as he whispers, “Let’s go pull some teeth out.” 

+

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“So Jack you’re an athlete?” You seventy year old aunty asks as she leans forwards in her seat he hand placed gently on Jack’s arm, her eyes moving over him in a frenzy. Jack had been more than patient throughout the afternoon. 

After another very warm welcome from your mother, the two of you mingled with the rest of your family, many of them curious about Jack’s career choice. “Aunt Shel, we’re just going to go grab some refreshments, would you like anything?” You question as you stand from the table, reaching down to lightly pull Jack’s arm from her grip, her head shaking in answer to your question as she moves her attention to someone else further down the table. 

“Thank you.” Jack groans as he lets you drag him over to the drink table, his arms wrapping around your waist as he hovers behind you, watching as you pour two cups of lemonade. His head resting on your shoulder as you sip from your cup, his gaze shooting to your right as your body tenses, a high whine of a laugh sounding besides the two of you. 

“Oh my, babe look who’s here.” Jack watches as your head turns slowly, a fake bitter grin on your face as you turn the rest of the way to greet the short blonde. 

“Jess… I didn’t know you’d be here.” Your voice is close to a hiss. Jack’s eyebrows raise in surprise as he watches the once over you give the smaller girl, turning to the man that steps up to her side, your name falling out of his mouth as glances over you and the man whose arms are still wrapped around you. 

“Well when we got the invite in the mail I was just so excited, I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.” Jack covers a laugh as he watches your cousin reach out to pat your arm, your body tilting so you remain just out of reach. “And Josh was saying how much he missed spending time with our family.” Jack winces as Jess uses the word ‘our’ his gaze finally flickering over to the man standing besides your cousin. 

Josh was a pretty average looking guy for the most part, he and Jack were around the same height, Josh having a close shaved buzz cut to contrast to Jack's quickly growing hair. Jack listens half heartedly to Jess’s rambling, his gaze settled on Josh, the man shifting from foot to foot under the scrutiny of your boyfriend's glare. 

“Oh, and I don’t think we’ve been introduced yet.” Jess finally turns her attention to the man standing behind you, his gaze shifting slowly from your ex to your flirtatious cousin. 

“Oh, I don’t think introductions are needed.” Jack's voice is sharp as he frowns down at the woman, your gaze turning up at him in surprise, his arms moving from around your waist to stand fully beside you, his hand sliding down your arm, his fingers tangling with yours. “I’ve heard more than my share about you.” He says motioning with your joined hands to Jess before adding, “Both of you.” 

“Oh all good things I hope.” Jess giggles leaning into the man besides her, his face set in a frown as he shakes her off, glancing back at you. 

“Not even close.” Jack responds. 

The silence is thick and Jess’s eyebrows furrow trying to understand what Jack is saying, Josh’s frown deepens as he understands right away. 

“Well on that note, I think we have some more mingling to do, please excuse us.” You interrupt, tugging on Jack's hand as you begin to walk back towards the house. 

“Actually…” You hear Josh call out from behind you, your steps pausing as you wait to hear what he’ll say, “I was hoping we might be able to have a little talk?” 

“Bunny, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” Jack whispers in your ear, lifting your hand to press gentle kisses to your knuckles. 

“I know.” You whisper back softly, before turning back around to face your ex. “What do you need to say?” You ask and he looks between his fiancé and you with wide eyes. 

“Perhaps we can talk in private?” He asks and you shake your head. “At least can we leave the group?” Josh asks and you look around at the large amount of your family, gathered around the incredibly long table in the center of the backyard. 

“Fine.” You agree, pointing to a tree a few meters away from the group. He nods, beginning to mumble something to the blonde besides him who bounces off happily to the rest of the family, you turn to Jack who just nods silently, his face serious as he glances over to your ex. 

“I’ll be right here if you need anything.” He grumbles, pressing a kiss to your hairline before releasing  your hand, watching as you stomp over to the tree where your ex is already waiting. You glance over your shoulder once more at Jack, his reassuring smile giving you a hit of confidence. 

“Let’s get this over with.” You snarl as you lean one shoulder against the tree, looking Josh up and down with disdain. 

“You seem happy with him.” Josh says quietly, your frown deepening as you wait for him to get to the point. “I doubt he knows you like I do though.” Your lips pull tight as you grimace, watching as Josh’s body relaxes a little, joining you in leaning against the tree, a little too close. 

“No he doesn’t” You speak, adding “He knows me better, and frankly the person you think you know isn’t me anymore.” You take in a deep breath as you push off the tree. “Why are you even here, Josh? Jess is a ditz so I can understand why she wouldn’t have considered the possibility of not coming but you are unfortunately smarter than that. So why did you come?” 

“I came to apologise. I feel horrible—” 

“Wrong, try again.” You interrupt, your arms crossing against your chest. “You know what, I actually don’t care.” You laugh, looking over the man once more before taking a step back, “Despite the way you hurt me, I’m happier now then I could’ve imagined and you should be too. I mean you’re getting married to the girl you thought was better then everything I could give you so I’m going to go and be happy with someone who is better then everything you gave me.” 

You turn to make your way back to the party, your eyes locking with Jacks as a large hand grips your wrist pulling you back towards him, Josh’s hands on your shoulders turning you around to face him. “I didn’t say we were done here.” 

“We are definitely done here, get your grubby hand off me.” You hiss back, your body trying to pull from his grip, his hand tightening on your shoulders. 

“I told you I’m not done.” Josh growls again, your hands finally managing to free yourself from his grip, your body stepping back as he reaches for you again. 

“This was done a long time ago, buddy.” Your body jumps as Jack's hands land on your waist, pulling you behind him as he steps up towards your ex. Josh looks over Jack's shoulder trying to gain your attention once more, your boyfriend rolling his eyes, his hands raising to shove against Josh’s chest. 

“Doesn’t feel so good when it’s happening to you, does it?” Jack grumbles as he shoves at Josh again, your hand reaching out to grab hold of his shirt, tugging on it softly. 

“Jack let it go.” You whisper, tugging again to pull him back to you. “Jack, seriously it’s fine.” 

“No, it’s not fine.” Jack says, his voice firm as he turns towards you, “It’s not fine that you have to suffer through looking at his stupid face while he prances around a wedding dinner he wasn’t even directly invited to. It’s not fine that he thinks he can be a dick and get away with it. And it’s definitely not fine that he thinks he can put his hands on someone.” Jack is breathing heavily, his frustrations evident on his face as your family slowly makes their way over to your small group, wondering what the yelling is about. 

“I’m okay.” You whisper, reaching out to touch his cheek lightly, your thumb rubbing against the soft skin, as his breathing settles, his hand coming up to cup over yours. 

“Jack’s right.” Your sister says quickly, “You need to leave.” She directs her comment with a glare at your ex, your family glaring at the man standing on his own besides the tree. 

“No, Gracie you can’t do that, how am I meant to get home?” Jess questions pushing out of the group to stand besides her fiancee, the ring on her finger glinting in the sun. 

“You can both go.” You sister says before adding, “neither of you are welcome at the wedding tomorrow and frankly I’ll be surprised if you get invited to any family events in the future.” You step closer to Jack, his arm bushing yours as you watch your brother in law step up besides your sister, insisting that they leave immediately.

“We’re gonna go too.” You say quietly to your sister as she turns away from the unwelcome couple, the two of them arguing as they trudge back to the house. “I think we both need a little recharge before the party tomorrow.” You continue, giving your sister a tight hug. She nods, making you promise to be at the hotel at seven in the morning on the dot to help her get ready. 

You bid quick farewells to the rest of your family, your mum squeezing Jack extra tight, making him promise to return for every family get together. 

“I felt quite masculine back there if I do say so myself.” Jack teases as you walk to the car, your hands twined together swinging between the two of you. 

“Don’t even start with that.” 

“Are you really okay?” He asks as you both get into the car, his eyes searching your face as you let out a gentle grin. 

“More than okay, my macho man boyfriend stood up for me.” You respond, Jack letting out a groan at your choice in words. “Maybe I should change your name on my phone.” You tease Jack, snatching the device from your hands as you pull it from your bag. 

“Please no.” He whines, tucking the phone under his leg as he starts the car. 

“It was kinda hot seeing you get all macho like that.” 

“Dear god, this is going to be a long drive.”

[cuttergauthier]

Unexpected Summer | J.Hughes

requested - yes; can I request “Wait- we’re having a baby?” with jack? something unexpected like a fourth of july during michigan summers type thing if that makes any sense? thank you so much

note- love this idea! thanks for requesting! :) Masterlist

warnings: mentions of pregnant stuff.

Michigan summers were the type of summers you had dreamt about when you first met Jack and how he told you about how much fun he had at his lake house in Michigan while hanging with his friends that he hasn’t seen all season. Your first Michigan summer with Jack, his family, and friends was amazing. The amount of love that his family and friends showed you during that time was incredible. Everyday mostly consisted of sunny days, boating around, playing tennis and golf, and then having nights around the fire. It was truly everything you dreamed of.

It was now your fifth Michigan summer with Jack. You loved hockey season and getting to spend it watching Jack do what he loves to do, but you were glad to be back in Michigan and spending time with friends and family.

However, this one was beginning to take a unexpected turn. It all started when you woke up feeling not too great. You accounted it for bad seafood, however, you were still throwing up a week later. Plus, you could feel your body changing practically, with your boobs feeling off and more body aches, that you account for your period, but then realized your period was supposed to be here two weeks ago.

You didn’t express your concern to Jack since it could be nothing. However, it made you weary enough to go out and get two pregnancy tests just to be sure. Although, if you had to guess, all the symptoms did add up, but you weren’t going to worry just yet.

It was around 12pm when Jack and the guys decided to go out on the boat. Knowing that the waves would mess up your stomach even worse, you decided to stay back, but mostly to take the tests.

“Babe, are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Jack asked as he put on his swim trucks. “I can hang back if you need me too.” And you knew that he would if you had told him you needed him, but he had already stayed back with you for the past three days.

“No, it’s okay, I’ll be okay. If I need you, I’ll just text you,” you reply as you bundle up under the covers. Jack walks over to you and places a kiss on your forehead.

“Okay, be sure that you do, I mean it! I will turn that boat around to come be with you!” You nod your head as he places a final kiss to your lips.

As soon as he is out the door, and you look at the window to see that they have boated away, you grab the tests from your purse and head to the bathroom. You let out a breathe as you sit the tests on the counter after doing your business. You set the timer and go back into the bedroom to clean up the pile of clothes to take your mind off of it.

The timer going off rattles you out of your thoughts. Since the thought that you could be pregnant first arose in your mind, you had been thinking about how Jack would react and what you guys would do from then on. However, those are just thoughts and it could come out better than what you’re thinking.

You roll your neck and let out a sigh before picking up the test. You turn it over and you’re hit with the results. Pregnant. Two lines. Positive.

Up until this moment, you hadn’t allowed yourself to think too much on if the results would actually be positive. However, now seeing them, it is everything you have ever wanted. You let out a sob as you sit on the side of the bathtub. You have been dreaming of this moment since meeting Jack. He has made you rethink the possibility of having a family. You couldn’t wait to tell him.

-

The boys made it back home around 4. They were all sunburnt but had the biggest smiles on their faces. Finally getting some time to spend with friends. As soon as they got into the house, Jack barreled up the stairs to find you. You were still laying in bed watching Friends like when he left you.

“Hey, baby. You okay?” He asked as he put his shoes away and grabbed a towel.

You look over to him and smile. “Yeah, I’m doing okay. How was boating?”

“It was great! Luke fell off the wakeboard and nearly drowned but he was okay! Sad you had to miss another day out there, though,” he walks over to your side of the bed and sits next to you, moving a strand of hair out of your eyes. “Are up to take a shower with me? It’s okay, if not.”

You smile weakly, you want to but you also don’t want him noticing your body changes yet, because you wanted to tell him perfectly. “I showered a bit earlier,” you lie, “I’m sorry.”

He shakes his head, “No, it’s okay. Also, we’re cooking out later with everyone, so be ready for some good food. You haven’t thrown up today have you?”

“No, I’ve managed to keep it all down today,” you reply as you run your hand over his thigh. “Hurry and shower, you smell. I’m going to head down and see if anyone needs help cooking.”

“I only smell a little!” He laughs. “That’s fine, but good luck, mom and Quinn will probably kick you out, you know how they are.”

“Yeah, but doesn’t hurt to ask!” You laugh as you watch him take off his swim trucks, throw them in the basket, and head to the bathroom.

Well, you couldn’t tell him tonight, since everyone is going to be here you think to yourself.

-

You truly didn’t think your emotional changes would’ve hit you so quickly, but you were wrong. You knew that Quinn and Ellen like to cook, and they don’t want anyone else to bother helping because they have it under control. However, as soon as they said that they didn’t need your help and all was good, you started sobbing.

Ellen noticing this, comes over and wraps her arms around you. “Y/N, honey, it’s okay. You can help if you want, we have it under control.”

Quinn is confused as to what is happening and is trying to stay focused on seasoning the chicken and steak. Just as he decided to speak up, Jack comes down the steps. “Y/N, what’s wrong?”

He replaces his mom in holding you. You sniffly respond, “Nothing, I’m not even sure why I’m crying.” Ellen raises an eyebrow at that. “I just haven’t been able to do anything lately, and I wanted to help.” Jack nods as he looks to his mom for help, she shrugs. Ellen has an idea of what is wrong, but she wasn’t going to bring that up.

Quinn finally speaks up, “You can help chop vegetables, if that’s okay? We didn’t mean anything by it, we just didn’t want to bother you.” He offers a smile before turning back to the steaks.

“Okay, again I don’t why I’m crying. I’ll chop the vegetables.” You say as you turn to look at Jack. He wipes the tear streaks from your face and pats the side of your thighs.

“You go do that, I’m going to find the others and talk to them.” You nod as you go find a knife.

After a while, Ellen comes up to you when Quinn leaves to put the meat on the grill. “Now I don’t want to think I’m calling you anything, I’m just asking, because I care a lot, but is there by a chance that you’re pregnant?”

You swallow and place the knife down and turn to look at her. “Yes, I’m pregnant.” You give her a second, trying to gauge her reaction.

Less than a second goes by, and she’s jumping up and down. “Oh my gosh! My babies are going to have a baby! How long have you known? Is there any problems?”

You shush her before someone walks in because of the commotion. “I just found out this morning, I took a test. I haven’t told Jack yet. So you can’t tell him anything!” She nods as she pulls you into a hug.

She whispers, “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited!”

Just as she says that, Quinn walks back in holding the finished steaks. “So excited about what?” He looks between the both of you, waiting for an answer.

Nervously you blurt out, “We’re just so excited that everyone is here for the cookout!”

He doesn’t fully believe the answer, but he wasn’t go to question it, in fear you’ll break out in tears again. “Okay, awesome,” He places the steak down and turns back around. “Oh, Jack told me to tell you that when you’re done here, he is sitting on the back patio with Alex, Trevor and Cole.”

You nod and reply a thanks. You finish up your vegetables, grab a beer for Jack, and head to the back patio.

-

“Y/N! So good to see you!” You hear Alex say as you make your way out onto the patio. He just arrived last night, but you were passed out asleep by then.

“Alex! Great to see you too!” You give him a hug.

Letting go, you hear Cole say, “Y/N, you bring that beer for me? I needed a new one!”

You laugh as you make your way over to the seat next to Jack. “No, it’s for him,” you answer as you pass the beer to Jack. You can hear Cole pouting as Jack opens the beer.

“Thanks, babe. You aren’t drinking?” Jack asks, looking at you skeptically. He doesn’t care if you don’t drink, it’s your choice, but you usually do in these settings.

You shake your head, “No, I’ve been sick enough, I’m not letting beer destroy me.” Jack nods and places a kiss on your temple.

As you lean back in your chair, you hear the sliding door open again. Trevor yells out, “Y/N! How are you?!”

He sits across the table, you reply back happily, “I’m doing okay, feeling better than I have in the past week!”

Trevor nods, and then blurts out, “For some who has been sick, you can’t even tell!”

As soon as he said that, you can feel the tears coming back. You try to swallow your emotions, not wanting to make a scene, but it’s no use. You start sobbing again in front of everyone. You can feel the eyes suddenly on you. You can feel Jack placing a hand on your back.

You sob out, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Trevor hurriedly speaks out, “I was just saying that you look great!” He’s looking at Jack, begging for help. Jack doesn’t even know why you’re crying.

“Y/N, he was just trying to compliment you, it’s okay,” He’s never been this confused by your sudden emotional outburst, and he’s trying his best to help you. He’s grabs your hand and helps you up, “Come on, let’s go inside and cool down.”

You’re still sobbing into your hands when he pulls you inside and upstairs to your shared room. He walks you over to the bed and helps you sit down. He’s rubbing his hands through your hair, as he knows it calms you down.

Once your sobs lessened, he decides to ask again, “Babe, what happened back there? I get that he can be awful with words, but he was just trying to compliment you.” He tries to reason with you to get an answer.

You know you have to tell him, if not it makes you seem like you’ve lost your mind. “I get that he was trying to compliment me, and I know that earlier that Quinn and Ellen just didn’t want to bother me in helping, but I gotta tell you something, I’m just a bit nervous.”

Jack is rubbing circles on your thigh as he nods, “Baby, you know you can tell me anything, especially if it has you crying all of a sudden.”

You let out a breath and reach over to get the tests out of your nightstand. Holding them, you finally say, “I’m pregnant,” you pass the tests over to him to grab. “I took them this morning. I mean I was throwing up a lot, and my body had some changes. So yeah, I’m pregnant.”

You hold in your breath as you wait for him to respond. He looks at each test before looking up at you. He grabs your chin to get you to look at him before you start crying. “Wait- we’re having a baby?”

You slowly nod your head, scared to speak incase you let out a sob. You finally let out that breath you were holding as soon as Jack gives you the biggest smile.

“We’re having a baby!” He’s instantly pulling you into his arms, not caring that the tests dropped to the ground. “I can’t believe it, we’re going to be parents!” He stands you both up and spins you around.

You grab onto his arms. “Okay, okay! I know we’re excited, but I’m going to puke if we keep spinning!” You laugh as he places you back down with so much concern.

“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry, are you okay? Do you need anything?”

You shake your head and lean in to kiss his lips, smiling you say, “I’m okay, I can’t believe this happening, I’m so happy!”

“Babe, happy doesn’t even begin to describe what I’m feeling, there’s no one else I’d rather do this with,” He leans down to kiss your lips. Pulling apart, he bends down to your stomach.

You ruffle his hair, “I’m not showing yet or anything, but it’s still crazy that it will be growing in there.” Jack leans forward to press a kiss on your stomach.

“I know, so crazy.” He stands back up and pulls you into a hug. You both savor the moment, until you hear knocking on the door.

“Um, guys, I hope all is okay. I just wanted to make sure that Y/N wasn’t going to kill me for what I said, even though I was just complimenting her, but still!” You both laugh as you pull open the door to a scared Trevor. You just pat his arm before walking down the hallway. Trevor looks at Jack to try and decipher if he should be worried, but Jack just shrugs his shoulders and follows in your direction.

When he catches up to you, he puts his arm around your waist, “He’s going to be so confused until we tell him.”

You laugh, “Yeah, he is. That’s what he gets for trying to compliment a pregnant woman!” Jack just shakes his head at your theatrics and kisses your forehead as you make your way back to the patio.

[cuttergauthier]

hate the admit it, but du’s #5 ate that and #17 is totally the one who brings the vibe to the partys

BUT RYAN ATE WAY MORE THAN THE OTHER GUY

cutter and will have some work to do…

[cuttergauthier]

𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆:𝐃𝐀𝐖𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐑 𝐗 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑!𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

We've been adjusting to the move pretty well for the most part. The Devils are playing the Canucks tonight so mom and dad are visiting and Odessa is absolutely loving all of the attention she has been getting.

Poor Quinn has been getting her ipad shoved in his face every five seconds, Luke was forced to play dolls and Jack is honestly the only one that hasn't been tortured with something yet.

"What team are you rooting for tonight, Dee!?" Dad asks, and Quinn smirks at Jack and Luke as she runs into the room with her baby Canucks jersey on.

"Odessa!? Get that garbage off right now." Jack says, shaking his head. "What happened to the Devils being the best team?"

"Not when Quinner is playin'." She tells him, and Quinn holds up his hand for a high-five. "That's right, Dessa. Let them know where they rank."

"I'm telling your buddy that you're a traitor." Jack says.

She shrugs, holding her arms up for Quinn to pick her up. "Owen will forgive me."

During warm ups Owen immediately pointed out that Odessa's jersey was for the other team and after a little bit of explaining he understood why.

The whole game the kids were talking about stuff that was going on with the bench.

"Dawsy has an ipad?" Odessa says, pointing.

"Do you think he's watching coc'melon?" Owen asks.

Reanne and I both laugh.

"That's definitely what he's watching, guys." Reanne answers.

The Canucks end up winning six to four and Odessa is letting Jack and Luke have it.

"You lost." She points at them.

"Yeah, Dessa. We know." Luke says, picking her up.

"Where's Dawsy?" She asks, looking around for him.

"He already left. You'll see him at home." Jack tells her and I look at him confused.

"What?" I ask.

"Mom, Dad and Luke are babysitting. We're going out." He says.

"Don't I have a say so in this?" I question.

"Nope."

Back at the apartment, Odessa is giving Luke attitude about getting ready for bed.

"Your clothes are on your bed. Go get changed." He tells her and she shakes her head no. "I waiting for Daws."

"We won't leave without you getting to ask him about the ipad, Dess. Let's go get changed into your pjs." I say, picking her up and carrying her into her room.

I get her changed and she grabs her blanket from her bed before running back out of the room.

"Dawsy!" She yells, her voice echoing through the apartment.

"Hi, Dess. I heard you got something to ask me." He says, picking her up.

"You lost."

"I did. Was that all you had to tell me?" Dawson laughs.

She shakes her head no. "Were you watching coc'melon?"

They all look over at me confused.

"She seen you on the ipad and Owen and her were taking bets if you were watching cocomelon or not." I tell him.

"Oh. No, I was watching a replay of the previous play." Dawson tells her and she nods.

"Okay, you asked Dawson your question. Now it's bedtime." Mom says, causing Odessa to reach for her.

"Be good for Mimi, Pap and Luke, Okay. Don't give them any trouble about going to bed." I kiss her cheek and she wipes it off. "I won't, Mommy."

"Alright, let's go before she somehow manages to get out of going out." Jack says, practically dragging me out of the apartment.

In the Uber ride to the bar, Jack turns around in the front seat so he's facing us.

"We aren't being sappy emotional drunks tonight, got it y/n." He tells me, and I nod.

I've always been the type to get drunk and let my emotions get the best of me, but I'm determined not to let that happen tonight.

I bought first round because I technically owed them it since they all helped me move in, but after that, the guys wouldn't let me pay.

Jack and Nico went to get us more drinks, leaving Dawson and I at our table. The drinks start to hit, and I start to think about everything and feel like I'm failing Odessa. I start to cry, and Dawson looks over at me.

"What's wrong?" Dawson asks, pulling me into a hug.

"I just… I feel like I'm not doing enough for Odessa. She's been through so much with the move and everything, and I just want her to be happy. But sometimes I feel that I'm not doing a good job as a mom."

Dawson pulls back slightly to look at me. "Y/N, you're an amazing mom. Odessa is so lucky to have you. Moving to a new place is tough, but she's adjusting. You're doing everything you can for her, and that's what matters. Don't be so hard on yourself."

I smile weakly. "Thanks, Dawson. I really needed to hear that."

Jack raises an eyebrow at me as he puts my drink down in front of me. "Everything okay?"

Jack and Nico return to the table, carrying a fresh round of drinks.

"Yeah, just had a moment." I reply.

We drink our drinks and uber back. Deciding to go to Dawson's apartment so we didn't risk waking Odessa up.

"Nico and I will take the couch. Y/n, you're with Dawson." Jack tells me.

"Is that okay with you?" I ask Dawson, and he nods.

I follow Dawson back to his room, and he grabs a pair of sweats and throws them at me.

"The bathroom's right there," he says.

"Thank you," I reply, heading into the bathroom. I change into the sweats and return to the room.

We get into bed, and can hear Jack and Nico yelling at each other in the living room.

"Get your nasty feet out of my face!" Jack's voice rings out.

"Get your face out of my feet, Hughesy," Nico retorts.

Dawson laughs, shaking his head. "Those two are like an old married couple."

I laugh, nodding in agreement. "They really are."

As we drift off to sleep, I feel a sense of contentment wash over me. Tonight may have had its emotional moments, but being surrounded by people who care makes it all worth it.

[cuttergauthier]

𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆:𝐃𝐀𝐖𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐑 𝐗 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑!𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎

I accepted the job in Newark, and the last week had been spent packing up the apartment with the help from mom and dad. I was worried about how Odessa was going to take the move, but once she heard we would only be a couple minutes from Jack and Luke she was all for it. I had all of the major things shipped to Jack and Luke's apartment in case the moving company took longer than expected, but everything got here on time.

I unlocked the door to the new apartment and Odessa let go of my hand and ran in. I watched as she ran through the small walkway in-between boxes and spun around to face me when she reached the window.

"Do you like it?" I asked and she nodded before running back to me.

"I see my room?"

"There's nothing in there yet, but I'll show you."

I picked her up and carried her back the hallway to her room. I pushed the door open, and she wiggled out of my arms and walked around to get a better look at it.

"When's Rowdy and Lukey coming?"

"After they are done at practice. You're going to go play with Owen while we get everything unpacked."

"Owen!? I haven't seen him in forever, mommy."

"I know. We need to get you out of your pjs so you are ready for when Curtis comes to pick you up. They should be getting out of practice right about now."

"I wear my Rowdy jersey?"

"What about the hoodie? I should know where it is."

"Okay, mommy."

I got Odessa ready and was in the middle of tying her shoes when my phone started ringing.

"Rowdy!?"

"Nope, it's Curtis."

I accepted the call and put it on speaker.

"Hey. I'm leaving the rink now. Do I have to buzz in or anything?"

"I can just meet you downstairs to make it easier on you."

"It's up to you. I told Owen before I left this morning and Reanne said he hasn't stopped asking when she's coming."

"Awe, Dess is excited too. Just text or call me when you are here and I'll run her down."

"Sounds good."

Curtis came and got Odessa and I've started unpacking. I opened the one box as the door opened.

"Kind of unsafe to just leave your door unlocked with a toddler running around, you know." Jack says, causing me to look over at him.

"The said toddler isn't here, Curtis already came to get her. Plus I knew you guys were on your way and that's the only reason it's unlocked."

"What he already got her? I didn't even get to see her."

"You'll see her later, Luke. Hi Dawson, Hi Nico."

"Oh yeah, we brought our pest and the stray chihuahua that lives in the building. Hope you don't mind."

"Honestly, I would rather be a pest than get called a chihuahua." Nico says, looking over at Dawson.

"You live in the building, Dawson?"

"Yeah, like two floors up."

"So if you ever need something call him first. He can get here before we can."

"Noted."

The guys and I got everything unpacked. We got all of the furniture built except for Odessa's new bed and Nico and Luke insisted on trying to put it together themselves so we all are just sitting in her room watching them try to figure it out.

"Where's this go?" Nico asks, looking over at Luke.

"It's the headboard, idiot." I tell him, causing him to give me a dirty look.

"Rusty, tell your sister to get out."

"Yeah y/n. Get out if you aren't going to help."

"I've tried to help. You guys won't let me."

"Mommy!" Odessa yells as she runs into the room with Curtis following behind her.

"Hi, baby. Did you have fun?"

"Mhm. Owen and I played hockey!"

"Oh, dumb and dumber building a toddler bed? This has got to be interesting."

"They aren't very good at it. Thanks for taking her for a little bit."

"No problem."

"Well, I give up. Gimme my niece." Luke says and goes to reach for Odessa, but she runs to Jack instead.

"Dessa who is your favorite Uncle?" Curtis asks her and she acts like she is thinking about it.

"Hm…. Quinner."

"What?!" Jack moves her away from him and stands up. "I'm hurt, Odessa."

"You get over it."

"The sass she has."

"She got it from Rowdy."

"Nuh uh! I am not sassy."

"Uh huh! Mimi tells me too."

"Yeah, well Mimi lies."

"I tell her you say that. Where's my ipad, mommy?"

Jacks face changes from amusement to panic in a matter of seconds when Odessa brings up calling mom.

"There's no need to call Mimi. I'm sorry."

"Awe, is little Jacky still afraid of his mommy?" Curtis asks as Odessa walks over and sits beside Dawson.

"Have you seen the woman when she is pissed off? It's like y/n but times a million."

"Yeah that does sound terrifying. I need to get going. I told Owen I wasn't staying and that I would be back to read to him before bed."

"Thanks again, Curtis."

"You're welcome."

"What? It's already almost bedtime?" Nico asks, flipping his phone over. "We spent the whole day unpacking?"

"We've been done unpacking for a solid minute. You guys spent like three hours trying to build the bed." Dawson tells him as Curtis walks out.

"Do you need us for anything else?" Jack asks and I shake my head no.

"No, I think that's everything. Thank you and I owe you all-"

"Drinks." Jack interrupts.

"Sure, if that's what you guys want."

"But you have to come out with us. Luke can babysit."

"What? How is that fair to me?"

Jack and Luke go to start arguing but Nico's laughing makes them stop.

"Is she sleeping?"

I look over and Odessa is using Dawson's arm as a pillow and has one hundred percent fallen asleep.

"Yeah, she's out." I got up and picked her up without waking her. I carried her to my room and laid her down, making a little barrier so she wouldn't roll off of the bed.

I walked out of my room and the guys were all putting their shoes on.

"We're gonna head out."

"Okay. Thanks again, I really appreciate all the help."

"You're welcome. Goodnight."

"Goodnight.'

[cuttergauthier]

𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆:𝐃𝐀𝐖𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐑 𝐗 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑!𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄

"I can't this week, Y/N. I'm sorry. I forgot and made plans with Ryan and Austin."

"You forgot? Bullshit, Erik. You 'forgot' the last three fucking weekends. All the poor girl wants is to spend time with her dad and all you care about is going out and getting wasted."

"I'll make it up to her. I got to go."

He ends the call and I sigh locking my phone. Three weekends. Three weekends in a row 'plans' have somehow came up and he can't get his daughter like he's supposed to. But he doesn't care, he's not the one that has to try and come up with an explanation for his three year old daughter to not know that daddy would rather go and get boozed up then to spend time with her.

I cleaned the house and applied for a few other jobs while waiting for Odessa to wake up. "Mommy!" Odessa yells, running into the kitchen. "Hi Dess. How did you sleep?" I ask as she climbs up onto my lap. "Good. When is daddy coming?" "He isn't, baby. He has work stuff to do." "Again?" I nod and she cuddles into me. "We'll have fun here, I promise."

Odessa 'helped' me make breakfast and we ate before she went to go play in the toy room. I cleaned up the mess from cooking and could hear her laughing but didn't think anything of it until I heard Jack talking.

I made my way back to the toy room and she was sitting in small ball pit with her ipad.

"Hi mommy!"

"Hi. Who called who, hm?"

"I called her. I hope you don't mind."

"No, Rowdy. I don't. I just wanted to make sure she didn't spam call you again."

Odessa looks down at her ipad and smiles.

"Daddy has work stuff again, but mommy said we'll have fun still."

"Seriously?" I could hear Luke in the background and the sound of Jack most likely punching him.

"Is momma still there?"

She nodded and I walked over and sat down beside her.

"Call me when she goes down for her nap. I want to talk to you about something."

"What?" Odessa asks, causing Jack to make a face at her.

"Doesn't concern you, nosy."

"I will. I-"

My phone started ringing and I stopped myself when I realized it was one of the jobs I applied for. "I have to take this. I'll be back."

I got up and walked out of the room, answering the call.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Y/N?"

"Yes, speaking."

"This is Sarah. I'm calling about the remote job you applied for. Are you available to talk?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"We're impressed with your resume and would like to offer you the position. It's a remote role, but there's a catch. We're transitioning to a hybrid model, and eventually, we'd like you to be based in our Newark office. Is that something you'd be open to?"

I paused, processing the information. Moving was not something I had considered, but the opportunity was too good to pass up and we would be close to Jack and Luke. "I… I think so," I stammered. "Can I have some time to think about it?"

"Of course, take your time. We'll send over details via email. Let us know your decision by the end of the week."

"Thank you so much. I'll get back to you soon."

After the call I walked back to the toy room and Odessa was laughing about something Jack or Luke did.

"What are the weirdos doing, Dess?"

"Dookie fell."

"How many times do I have to tell you that it is either Lukey, Pookie, or Lukey Pookie, and that Dookie isn't an option."

Jack and I laughed and she just made a face at Luke in response.

"What was that about, Y/N/N?"

"What the call?"

"Yeah."

"A call back from one of the remote jobs I applied for that is apparently going hybrid."

"Is it close to you?"

"It's actually in Newark."

"What!? Y/N, you have to go for it."

"I know, Luke. I probably am. I just have to talk to Erik about it."

"Erik can go fu-"

"Yeah, understandable." Jack says, cutting Luke off. "Well, we have to go get ready for practice. We'll talk to you guys later. Love you guys."

"Love you too."

"Bye, Rowdy!"

"What? What about me?"

"Hm.."

"I'll remember that next time we are babysitting and you want something but Jack forgot his wallet."

"Don't worry, Dee. I never leave the house without it. Keep the Dookie hatred alive."

Luke groaned and punched Jack as he ended the call.

The rest of the day was spent playing and chasing after Odessa. She's asleep for the night and Jack and I are facetiming.

"Alright. I'll let you go to bed."

"Wait. What did you want to tell me earlier?"

"Right. I think you should take Erik back to court and go for full custody."

"I can't do that."

"Why?"

"I don't want her to grow up without a dad."

"He isn't even driving ten minutes and picking Dee up on his days, Y/N. If Erik isn't making an effort now, what makes you think he'll do so when you move?"

"I know, I know. I just… I don't want to be the reason Dee grows up without her dad. I don't want her to resent me for keeping them apart."

"I understand that," Jack said softly. "But you also can't keep waiting for Erik to change. Odessa is just going to keep getting let down. Maybe going back to court will be the wake-up call he needs to step up."

I stayed quiet thinking about what Jack had just said, and deep down I know he's right.

"Think about it, okay? Talk to Erik, and if nothing changes, maybe it's time to consider your options."

"Okay. Thanks, Jack. I appreciate your advice, as always."

"Anytime. I'm here for you, no matter what. Goodnight."

"Night."

Days pass and Odessa is at daycare since Erik finally agreed to meet up with me so I could talk to him about going back to court.

"So what exactly is so important that you couldn't just tell me over the phone?" He asks, sitting down in front of me.

"Hello to you to. I want to go back to court."

"There's no point. I'll make this whole thing easy on you and sign away my rights right now."

"Are you serious?"

He nods. "I don't want to be a father, Y/N. Not like this. I thought I could handle it, but I can't."

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I blink them away. This is what I wanted, isn't it? To have full custody of Odessa, to not have to rely on Erik for anything. So why does it feel like I've lost something important?

"Fine," I say, my voice steadier now. "I'll have my lawyer draw up the papers."

Erik stands up, his eyes avoiding mine. "I'll sign them whenever you're ready."

As he walks away, I'm left sitting there, feeling a mix of emotions. Relief, sadness, anger… But mostly, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

[cuttergauthier]

❍⌇𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑 — 𝐐𝐇𝟒𝟑 ‧₊˚ ꒱

pairing: fem!celeb!singer x quinn hughes

summary: in which a famous singer from vancouver has a little crush on her home team’s captain. there’s a Jayden mentioned in this (he is reader’s ex bf who is a professional football player. completely fictional!!)

genre: social media fic

fc: sabrina carpenter

note: I had so much fun creating this!! giving quinny the love he deserves!! as always I hope you like it and feedback is always appreciated and adored <3

YOUTUBE | COSMOPOLITAN POSTED !

-> some of the web’s most searched questions with Y/N L/N

1.7 M viewers | 52K likes | 3 dislikes | posted 2 weeks ago!

… (10K comments)

user56: OMG!? YN and hockey?? my two worlds colliding

user89: STOP. the way she’s blushing and giggling?? I mean same girl but-

user17: she’s so beautiful

user33: I NEED new music. like right now

⤷ user54: what do you think the new album is gonna be about?

⤷ user33: definitely Jayden. I can’t wait for the tea

user39: jumping from football to hockey💀

⤷ user61: don’t kid yourself YN has always been a hockey girl. she’s from Canada

user64: a win for the quinn girlies

⤷ user26: actually it’s not 😞

user99: guess I’m gonna have to watch hockey now

user23: she’s so real for being a quinn girl😌

⤷ user19: quinn is the hottest hughes brother confirmed

⤷ user11: he has brothers?? 🤭

nhl

liked by quinnhughes, trevorzegras and others.

nhl: canada’s very own pop star, Y/N L/N is confirmed to be one of the all-star celebrity captains. the singer will also be performing in between games on saturday!

view all comments

user53: do we know what team she’s the celeb captain of??

⤷ user65: if it’s not quinn’s…I will riot

⤷ nhl: Y/N is set to captain team hughes!

trevorzegras: might need to make another appearance at the all star game this year. you need a plus one? @.jackhughes

⤷ user55: trevor💀

⤷ user32: $50 he’s only doing this to piss quinn off😭

yourusername: so so excited! I can’t wait!

⤷ user95: shoot your shot queen

user76: oh I can’t wait for the YN and quinn content

⤷ user53: you think he’s gonna be practicing his smile in the mirror every day so he doesn’t look like a haunted cat when he meets her

⤷ eliaspettersson: 100%