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[flameoutfics]

the archer - chapter one

Help me hold onto you.

♦ summary: You never know who you’ll meet at a wedding.

♦ pairing: Matthew Tkachuk X OC

♦ word count: 3K+

♦ warnings: Strong language. Alcohol. Let me know if I miss any.

October 4, 2019

Snagging a seat in the last row, Matthew Tkachuk kept his gaze down as he pretended to study the program he’d just been handed, wondering not for the first time today what exactly he was doing. He’d only played one junior season with Tristan Drake. They won the Memorial Cup together with the Knights, they weren’t terribly close, but he’d been glad to know at least one person in Calgary when he arrived in his new city that fall. He felt a little guilty that they hung out less and less as his season picked up and he got to know his new team. Now they really only spoke at the beginning of the season, when he picked up a new lease from the Audi dealership Tristan worked at. Seeing the invite to Tristan’s wedding tucked in a stack of mail waiting for him post road trip one day last spring surprised Matthew. Though he had a feeling the invite had come more from the bride hoping he’d send his regards and a nice gift than Tristian wanting him to be part of his special day. Not knowing next season’s schedule, he hadn’t been sure he could actually make it when he sent in his RSVP, but they started off with a home stretch and the wedding date fell on a Sunday with no game the day of or after. It gave him just enough time to zip out to Banff, breathe in some fresh mountain air, blow off some steam with a bridesmaid, and make it back to practice Monday ready for the Kings to come to town. He may as well get his moneys worth for the overpriced blender. Perched at the foot for a mountain, just far enough off Banff’s main drag to still be surrounded with a fairytale-esc forest where it didn’t overlook the river, The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel rose above the tree line like a castle. An unseasonably early dream like blanket of snow covered the historic hotel and he was glad it hadn’t warmed enough to melt it. Matthew kept a low profile before the ceremony, checking into his room early and taking his time getting ready until he was certain he’d only just beat the bride out to the terrace overlooking the river. Now he sat here in the back row, praying that if there were any hockey fans in the house that they didn’t cheer for either side of the Battle of Alberta. He just wanted a one night reprieve from being the most hated man in Canada. Suddenly the string quartet struck up with a cover of a pop song he couldn’t quite put his finger on as a basketball teams worth of bridesmaids and groomsmen filed down the aisle. Matthew licked his lips to hide a smirk as he took in the almost shiny dark green suits the groom and groomsmen wore, monochrome with a vest, shirt, and bowtie all in the same almost metallic fabric. He suddenly felt very lucky he hadn’t stayed that close with Tristan. The ladies wore equally shiny rust coloured bridesmaids dresses, clearly picked out to match what would’ve been an ideal autumn setting overlooking the river and the forest beyond it - if it hadn’t been for the snow. Now they looked a roll of pennies, huddled close together at the alter in their strapless dresses like they were conserving body heat. This was already off to a fantastic start. The string quartet changed tunes and Matthew stood with the rest of the guests when the officiant asked them to rise for the bride. Of course, instead of coming out of the same nearby door the rest of the wedding party had just entered from, the bride choose to make a grand entrance from the glass atrium perched at the end of a long walk way that ended in a large stone staircase clear across the terrace. He bit the inside of his cheek a moment later, trying not to smirk as her full dress came into view when she reached the top of the staircase with her father. The puffy bottom of the dress made her look like a pastry and the slinky top made it clear she was about to be a frozen one. The cream puff still had a long walk and she was clearly in no hurry, milking the walk for all it was worth as the rest of the crowd fixed their focus solely on her. This was her moment, so Matthew decided to turn his attention to the groom, curious how his former teammate was reacting to the spectacle. But as his gaze passed over the crowd he stopped short, his stomach dropping as he caught a glimpse of Aphrodite in the third row. Her hair was pulled back away from her face but not up, leaving the length of it to hang in loose waves pulled forward over her shoulders. Something in her long blonde hair - likely the pins holding it in place - glittered, catching the light the same way her long sleeve, long slit, long everything burgundy velvet dress had. She glowed in the golden hour light in a way the bride had no doubt wanted to herself. Her lips were a perfect crimson cupids bow, pressed into a tight, polite smile as she leaned in closer to hear something the shorter, blonder carbon copy beside her was whispering in her ear. For all they looked alike, they were polar opposites today. Where one glowed golden, the other shined with an icy coolness. Her paler blonde hair was pulled up in the sort of severe twisted updo you only see at weddings, her navy blue silk gown so deep it was almost black. They must be sisters, Matthew decided, watching as the younger one grinned at him. Her sister’s eyes had never left the bride, until suddenly they were on him too. They were green. A warm earthy sage, wide with surprise to meet his gaze. Her cheeks flushed as she just as quickly dropped her gaze and Matthew swallowed hard. He couldn’t look away, his heart pulling in his chest in a foreign, desperate way he’d never felt before. He needed her to look up, needed those green eyes back on him. His heart raced in anticipation as she reached up and brushed a rogue, loose strand of golden hair behind her ear. Her polite smile cracked into a shy, embarrassed grin when she finally met his gaze again. God, it was like watching the sun come out. Even some of the hardest hits he’d taken on the ice hadn’t knocked the wind out of him the way one glance from those green eyes had. Hunter Harris’ heart was beating right out of her chest. It was hard to breathe, pinned in place by the unblinking stare of piercing blue eyes. She hadn’t been expecting the absolute jolt of electricity that hit her when she’d met his gaze. She pulled her gaze away quickly, like she’d actually been shocked, but the electricity hung in the air between them. It crackled with anticipation, pulling at her heart, demanding her attention until she finally caved, meeting his eye again. His face was stoic, somehow completely expressionless and she bit her lip as she wondered how amazing it would feel to crack the hard exterior and make him smile. Oh god, he had curls. His hair was short on the sides but long on top and he had goddamn curls. He was tall, broad shouldered, but his navy blue suit was so well tailored she could see the way his torso tapered in from fifteen feet away. Matthew wanted to move, he wanted to walk over there, to kiss her if she’d let him as crazy as it sounded, or at the very least put a name to the greenest eyes he’d ever seen. But just as suddenly as the moment had started, it shattered. The bride who’d been 50 feet away only a second ago, was now walking down the aisle between them, snapping Matthew back to reality. Those green eyes flashed wide, like she was just as surprised to realize they were still standing in a crowd of people as he was. Her playful grin slipped away, disappearing into a forced smile as her gaze returned to the bride. He felt the loss almost instantly, like he’d been stripped of the puck on a breakaway and now had nowhere to go with his built up momentum. She’d already turned back around, her complete attention focused on the alter as the father of the bride gave her hand to the groom. Matthew couldn’t focus. One look. He just needed one more look from her to know he wasn’t loosing his goddamn mind. That he hadn’t completely hallucinated the rush he’d just felt between them. As the minister told the guests to be seated, Matthew could’ve crowed with relief, could have screamed like he’d scored the championship winning goal in OT when she turned, pretending to be carefully gathering her skirt before she sat and looked back at him over her shoulder. That brief glance, the secret smile, that alone was already enough to have been worth the drive. *** The hall they were shuffled into for the reception was liking walking out onto a Shakespearean set. With high stucco walls, exposed beam bowed ceilings, wrought iron chandeliers, and a pair of picturesque Juliette balcony’s cut into the wall from the floor above. He almost wondered if the bride would try to make an appearance on one for the drama of it. Matthew groaned to himself when he spotted the seating chart just inside the door was covered in goofy black and white photos of all the guests that had been edited to look like polaroids and had everyones name and table number written on the bottom. He could only imagine the photo they had of him. He chuckled when he spotted it, a grainy snap of him in his Knights gear, donning a sombrero the night he scored four goals against Sarnia. Could’ve been worse. He glanced down below the photo and smirked, Table Seven, of course. He should be glad they didn’t have a Table Nineteen. Scanning the rest of the chart, he hoped to spot a photo that was obviously the woman in red but frowned when nothing immediately stood out. She had to be one of the dozen or so baby photos spread out across the board. He’d just have to head to the bar for now and hope to spot her again when she came in. “What a bag!” Harper exclaimed and Hunter immediately shhh’d her little sister, glancing at the ground as other guest looked over, “I sent her other much more embarrassing photos of you and she choses that one? Really?” “Calm down, who cares? It’s not like our entire side of the wedding party doesn’t already know.” Hunter bit her lip, glancing back up at the photo. She was standing beside the ocean, in a long flowing dress in shock at the man in front of her on one knee. Her cousin Sophie had scribbled out his face with a Sharpie and her own face was thankfully hidden behind her hair, but it would be glaringly obvious to any of the 8.2 million people who’d witnessed the moment exactly who it was. Hunter swallowed hard as she pulled her gaze away to the table number scrawled beneath her name. Table Seven, thank god. She could spend the rest of the night hiding in the back corner, praying for an uneventful evening to end so she could escape back to her room. “She doesn’t even have us at the same table.” Harper scoffed, pointing to a mirror selfieof herself and her boyfriend Logan. It wasn’t even all that goofy, they were both dressed up for his brothers wedding back in July, leaning in close to get a shot together in the thin stand up mirror. Under both their names was Table Two, clear across the ballroom and Hunter sighed when she glanced around the chart, noticing a pattern. “Looks like you’re at a photogenic couples table at the front of the room and I’m at the sad singles table in the back.” she rolled her eyes, stepping away from the chart so the older couple behind them could find their seats. Harper shook her head, silently seething, “I’ll kill her, I don’t care if it’s her wedding day, I’ll do it.” Hunter chuckled, squeezing her little sisters shoulder, “It’s fine, they’re less likely to notice if I slip out early like the spinster she clearly thinks I am.” “The spinster who thinks you are?” Logan asked, finally returning from the bar with three drinks in hand like the angel of alcohol he always designated himself to be. “The bride.” both of the Harris sisters answered in unison and Logan rolled his eyes too, he’d been to enough family functions in the three years he’d been with Harper to know exactly what Sophie was like. “Well, here’s to her living the rest of her life with the jealousy that her spinster cousin was proposed to first - and on national television - while she doesn’t even have photos of hers.” Hunter smirked and Harper’s jaw dropped as they clinked glasses. “I’m sorry, that sounded borderline villainous.” Harper batted her fake eyelashes for dramatic effect, “I’ve never been prouder.” “Fuck off.” Hunter muttered, shaking her head as she took a long pull of her champagne. She let her gaze sweep the room, taking in the venue and the guest list and not at all searching for a 6’1 mop of curls. “Looking for someone?” Harper smirked from behind the rim of her own glass and Hunter shook her head, controlling her expression. “Wondering what the over/under on Love Story being their first dance song is based on the distinctly Shakespeare vibe I’m getting from the hall.” She mused, kissing her teeth and Logan chuckled. These were the games they always played, making wagers on the mundane details of the events they went to as a trio: first dance songs at weddings, ice sculpture shapes at corporate fundraisers, biggest earners at charity auctions, surprise guests at concerts. You name it, they had a bet on it. “I’m going to go with…one of the Perfect by Ed Sheeran remixes, the more obnoxious the better.” “Oh, I am getting Perfect Symphony vibes.” Hunter grinned as they both turned to Harper who glanced around, nodding as she considered it. “Very likely, but Sophie is nothing if not basic at heart and we’ve been to enough weddings this summer to know what song absolutely every single one of them used.” “Speechless.” all three of them concluded in unison before laughing. “So, you sure Love Story is your final answer?” Harper smirked and Hunter scrunched up her nose. “I’m going to stick with Taylor Swift, but something a little more recent. I’m going to lock in Lover. Final answer.” They agreed the losers would have to run interference so the winner wouldn’t have to speak to Sophie for the rest of the night and Hunter left them to find her seat at Table Seven. The wedding was smaller than Hunter would’ve expected from their attention speaking cousin. The hall was long and narrow, lined on one side with tall arching windows and the other with stone arches that spilled out in a long hallway. There was a rectangular table at one end with what looked like thrones for two set at the head and enough seats for their army of a bridal party. The guests tables lined the room in a U shape, leaving room for a small dance floor in the middle. Table Seven was mercifully tucked into the furtherest corner of the room, right beside the arch closest to the exit. She wouldn’t even have to take the long walk of shame down the open hallway when she inevitably cut out early. Being the first person to the table, Hunter did half a lap, scanning the names scrawled in gold cursive on marble tile coasters that served as place card and party favour both. Matthew, Taylor, Simon, Nina, Hector, Hunter. She sank into her seat with a sigh, setting down her champagne coupe on the coaster as she resisted the urge to dig out her phone. She’d been good about not obsessively checking her email for this long, she could make it a few more hours. Well this is getting good now, Matthew smirked to himself, slowing his stride on the approach to his table as he finally spotted the woman in red. Amazingly - impossibly - she was already sitting there, all alone at their table like the perfect wedding favour. With her chin perched in the palm of her hand, she was glancing up at the balcony, away from the party until suddenly her eyes were on him. Hunter’s stomach rolled, rioting as she realized she recognized the blue eyes she’d felt on her. This…this was going to be trouble.

[flameoutfics]

We’re Only Young and Naive Still Chapter 6

“It’s definitely broken,” the trainer said after Nora had undergone X-rays the next day to assess the extent of her injury.

“No, it’s not,” Nora insisted. 

The trainer looked at her squarely and held up the X-ray to the light in a make-shift short of light box. 

“See here, you have a hairline fracture,” he said as he traced a feint line across the sheet. 

“Fuck,” Nora swore, “How long am I going to be out?” She asked.

“Probably 4-6 weeks if everything heals up normally,” the trainer said, “we won’t need to cast it, but you’ll have to wear a brace and rest it up.”

Nora groaned and headed out to the ice where practice was going on.

“So what’s the verdict?” A few of the guys asked when they slid over to the bench for a water break.

“Hairline fracture, I’ll be out four-six weeks,” Nora reported with a sigh. 

She glanced over to Matthew who had paled at the news.

“I’ll still be able to skate, but…” Nora trailed off. 

“Fuck, that sucks,” Johnny murmured. 

“Yeah,” Nora agreed, “But what can you do?”

“Leave the fighting to the pros,” Milan said and Nora just laughed.

“Once this is healed, I’ll take you on,” Nora promised, adding a little bit of levity to the conversation. 

Milan laughed and headed back on the ice to finish practice. Matthew lingered around, waiting until it was just Nora and him before talking. 

“I’m really sorry,” Matthew said, frowning at the brace that was proof of the injury.

“It’s okay,” Nora said, “Really, besides it will give me some time to explore the city.”

“Yeah,” Matthew said, slightly sullen.

Nora stopped by the convenience store on the way back to her apartment, buying a gallon of ice cream to sulk. Just when she thought she was hitting a rhythm with the team, she was sidelined. She didn’t regret standing up for Matthew, but fuck, if it didn’t suck to be out for over a month. She handed over the money and carried the ice cream home, planning to settle in for a quiet afternoon. 

Just as she made it into her apartment, she heard someone call out to her.

“Do you need help with that?” a friendly guy who Nora didn’t recognize asked as he pointed to the bag she was carrying.

Nora glanced down at the arm with a brace on it. “It’s not as bad as it looks, but thanks for the offer.”

“I’m Tommy,” he introduced himself, “I just moved in a few weeks ago, but I’m still 

“Nora,” she said. 

“Are you a student at the university?” Tommy asked.

“No, I moved here for work,” Nora said, “I graduated from college a few years ago.”

“What did you study?” Tommy asked. 

“English, actually,” Nora said. 

“I’m studying law,” Tommy said. 

“Cool,” Nora said, “Well, this is my place.” 

“Nice to meet you, Nora,” Tommy said. 

“You as well,” Nora said with a smile. It was nice to meet someone who didn’t know who she was. She wasn’t Nora, solid fourth-liner at best, she was just Nora, the girl who had studied English and wanted to be a teacher growing up.

She turned on the TV with a big bowl of ice cream and noticed a new text from an unknown number. Attached was a photo of a small child swimming in a Hallisay jersey. Thought you might want to see this. 

Nora smiled at the image. Sorry, who is this?

It’s Matthew. Tkachuk.

Thanks. You’re right, it kind of made my day. 

[flameoutfics]

oh to be Y/N living in a hockey city but completely unaware of the sport only to bump into an nhl superstar who falls in love with you because you're not like other girls

[flameoutfics]

Hi guys, I was hoping to stick to a weekly schedule, but it doesn’t look like that will be feasible for the foreseeable future. So I’m switching to a biweekly posting schedule with the new update going to be published on 11/1. Thanks for understanding. <3 

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via nhlflames

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We’re Only Young and Naive Still Chapter 5

Before practice, Mikael skated up to Nora and tapped her on her shins with the stick. “Lunch today, right?”

“Sure,” Nora said, “I promised.”

“We’re getting Mexican later.”

“Great, I love it!” Nora said.

“Hallisay, you’re practicing on the fourth line today,” Sutter said as practice was starting.

Nora straightened up but nodded and joined the other fourth liners on the practice squad. She kept up with the team as they faced off against the second team.

“Nora, keep your hands loose,” one of the assistant coaches yelled as they completed a few drills. 

There were a few things that the coaches wanted them to fix: fewer turnovers, better reactions on odd-man rushes, and keeping pace throughout the three periods. It was the first practice that was easy for her when the final whistle blew and they skated off the ice. 

“And Hallisay, you’re dressing for the game tomorrow,” Sutter said as he headed off the ice. 

“I’ll meet you at the restaurant,” Nora said as she grabbed her things.

“We were going to just walk over from the rink,” Mikael explained.

“I was going to go home and shower before meeting up with you,” Nora said. 

“And you can’t do it here?” Mikael asked.

“Look, I promise I’m not going to skip out on you, I just don’t have anywhere to shower here,” Nora said.

“What?” Mikael asked.

“Yeah, where would I go?” Nora asked. 

“I guess…I thought they took care of it for you,” Mikael said. 

Nora shrugged, “I have my own changing area, it’s better than it could be.”

“How about this? Why don’t we wait for you and we’ll make sure that nobody walks in on you?”

“You sure?” Nora asked. 

“Yeah,” Mikael said. 

After the other guys finished showering they waited outside of the locker room for Nora to join them.

“We’ll just wait out here for you,” Mikael said as he, Jacob, Elias, and a few others stood outside the locker room.

“Thanks, I’ll just be a minute,” Nora said. She took a record-fast shower both out of fear that someone would have missed the memo and to not keep everyone waiting on her. 

“You ready?” Elias asked when she rejoined them outside. 

“Yeah,” Nora said. 

“It’ll be good to get to know you a little better,” Mikael said.

Nora shrugged, “I’m pretty much an open book.”

“No you’re not,” Jacob said, though not unkindly.

“You’re right,” Nora said, “But I’m trying to be better.”

“Can I join you guys?” Matthew asked as they were leaving the rink.

“Sure,” Johnny said, “We’re going to the usual place.”

“Cool,” Matthew said, “If you like Mexican food, you’re gonna love it, here.”

They arrived at the restaurant at an off-time, easily able to push two tables together to fit everyone together. From first glance, the menu pushed the boundaries of their diet, but everything looked great. 

Nora pondered the menu as she sat across from Matthew, “What do you usually get here?” She asked.

“The chicken tacos are great, but the enchiladas are worth the cheat day splurge,” Matthew said. 

“Those do look good,” Nora murmured. 

“So, Nora, have you thought about getting a place, yet?” Mikael asked, striking up casual conversation. 

“I actually already got a place since it looks like I’m sticking around for at least a little while,” Nora said.

“Oh yeah, where at?” Elias asked.

“Kensington,” Nora replied.

“Really? That’s kind of far from the rink,” Jacob said.

Nora shrugged, “It was what I was looking for.” She didn’t explain that it was the most affordable place she was able to find on her budget, “Besides I wanted to get my own place and move out of the hotel.” 

“But let’s not talk about me,” Nora said, trying to shift the conversation away from herself, “do you have families?” 

The shift in subject launched many into animated stories about their wives, kids, and girlfriends. 

“What about you?” Elias asked. 

“I’m just trying to get used to the city and being on the team,” Nora said.

“Anyone on the team you’re interested in?” Johnny asked. There was the question she was dreading. She knew that he wasn’t being mean, but she also knew that he had never been put on the spot and asked a question like that. 

Nora laughed uncomfortably and stared at her glass of water, “I’m just here to play hockey.”

“But like, which one of us would most likely be your type?” Johnny pressed. 

Nora hesitated with her answer. It wasn’t like she didn’t recognize that the guys were attractive, but admitting that could open a can of worms with the team.

“Fuck off,” Matthew cut in, “like she’d like any of you.”

Mercifully, that seemed to dissolve the conversation as the others talked about their summers and trying to catch each other up on big life events. When the conversation had turned from her, Nora glanced up at Matthew.

Thank you. She mouthed. 

Matthew just smiled and nodded and when their food came any hint of the conversation turning back to her dating life dissolved as they happily ate their tacos and enchiladas.

The game the next day was uneventful at the beginning. Nora was playing on the fourth line as promised with fourth liner minutes and it was relatively a normal game until the end 

It was the middle of a line change when it happened. Nora was skating on the ice as Elias had come off when something snapped out the corner of her eye. She wasn’t sure exactly what had happened, but a Duck had started to drop gloves with Matthew.  She remembered that game from Toronto, the one where Matthew was fighting against everyone by himself, and she didn’t want to witness it here. It was almost instinctively that Nora skated over to the scrum and grabbed a Duck to pull him away from the pile of players amassing around Matthew. 

Almost on instinct, the Duck took a swing at her. Nora knew that he was just acting out of instinct but still recoiled when his fist made contact with her helmet. She fought back, not well, but she threw a few punches even though her height and weight put her both at a disadvantage. She landed two weak punches before someone - Mikael - pulled her away. 

The Duck must have recognized her as the situation was diffused. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, “I wouldn’t have… if I knew…”

Nora waved off his apologies, even though her hand was throbbing, “It’s part of the game.”

She finished the rest of the game, gingerly avoiding using her hand to the fullest extent and after the final whistle blew she immediately headed back to the training room. 

The trainer scrutinized Nora’s hand, asking her to make a fist and turning it over to look at both sides. “Can you wiggle your fingers?” 

Nora did, wincing slightly at the pain.  

“Well, it doesn’t seem broken, but give it a rest and ice it today and tomorrow, and we’ll take a look at it and assess it later,” the trainer said. 

Nora retreated to her changing area and changed out of her gear awkwardly, trying not to nudge her hand. 

Much to her surprise, Matthew Tkachuk was waiting against the wall, already showered and changed and looking uncomfortable. 

“Can I drive you home?” Matthew asked, “Please?”

Nora paused, but after looking at Matthew’s pleading eyes, she agreed,  “Sure.”

Nora’s phone buzzed on the drive home and she could only imagine the text messages from Liam that would await her when she took the time to look at it. 

“You can turn right here,” Nora said as they approached her apartment building.

Nora fully expected Matthew to just drop her off but instead he got out of the car and followed her up to the floor.

“This is me,” Nora said. Seeing that Matthew wasn’t making any motion to leave, Nora asked, “Would you like to come in?”

“Sure, thanks,” Matthew said.

He headed straight for her refrigerator and looked through the freezer for any ice.

“Here,” he said, as he handed over a few ice cubes wrapped in a paper towel.

“Thanks,” Nora said as she accepted it and iced her hurt hand. 

“Do you want me to call anyone?” Matthew asked.

“It’s a bruised hand,” Nora replied gently, “It’ll heal in a couple of days.”

“Just, can I ask you something?” Matthew asked. 

“Do I need to answer?” Nora asked.

“No,” Matthew said. 

“Okay,” Nora encouraged, settling back into her couch and waiting for Matthew to muster up the courage to ask what he wanted to say. 

“Why did you fight today?” Matthew asked.

Nora paused for a moment which Matthew assumed that she wasn’t going to answer. “Well, let me know if you need anything…” 

“Do you remember that game in Toronto?” Nora asked, stopping Matthew in his tracks.

“Which one?” 

“The one where Muzzin flipped the puck at you?” Nora pressed.

“I remember,” Matthew said.

“Nobody had your back that game, I didn’t want to be one of them,” Nora shrugged. 

“I- Nobody expects you to fight,” Matthew said. 

“I know, I think the other guy was about ready to shit himself when he realized who I was,” Nora laughed, “But yesterday, you had my back, at lunch, I’m going to have your back.”

Matthew looked at the ground and Nora saw his cheeks flush red. 

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those guys that gets weird about having a woman defend them,” Nora said.

“No, no, my sister, Taryn would kill me,” Matthew said, “Just thank you. Especially since you got hurt.”

“It’s a bruised hand, but you’re welcome, we’re a team, we have each other’s backs.”

There was an awkward pause where Matthew seemed unsure if he should leave or if he should linger around. 

Nora said, “Uh, I’m not sure what your plans are for the night, but I was planning on watching Chopped for at least the next hour while I ice my hand, want to stick around?”

“Yeah, I can get into Chopped,” Matthew said as he sat down in the big chair next to Nora. 

“Cool.” 

They sat in silence as they watched the show, Nora noticing that Matthew occasionally glanced over to her and to her hand.

“I’m fine,” she reassured him after catching him looking for the fourth time I promise.

“Would you tell me if you weren’t?”

“No,” Nora said, “But I am fine, I promise.”

“Okay, I guess I’ll head home then,” Matthew said as the credits rolled at the end of an episode.

“Alright,” Nora said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, and thanks, for today,” Matthew said, “It meant a lot.”

“You’re welcome.”

[flameoutfics]

So excited to read chapter 5!!!!

Thank you! t'll be posted before midnight EST

[flameoutfics]

I’m so excited to share Chapter 5 with you all, it’s been my favorite so far. 

[flameoutfics]

Is chapter 5 coming? Sorry, I'm just o excited to read it

Yes! It'll be posted tomorrow or Monday. Sorry, this week was just rough. It may be a little shorter than I intended but there will be something. :) I'm so happy to hear that you are enjoying it.

[flameoutfics]

We’re Only Young and Naive Still Chapter 4

After a few weeks of being put up in the hotel by the Flames, Nora found a small apartment that wouldn’t cost very much if she ended up going back to Stockton for the remainder of the season. It served her needs just fine, even if it was a little bit of a distance from the rink and from the other guys. It was comforting to have her own place to go back, a place where she could customize the decor a little to make it more homey. She’d printed up a few photos of her family and framed them for around the living room and her bedroom. It wasn’t as impersonal as the hotel had been but it still didn’t feel like home. Neither the apartment or Calgary. 

New digs, Nora took a photo of the apartment and sent it to Sam, her brother. She wasn’t sure if he’d respond. He hadn’t spoken to her after the fight since before she’d come to Calgary. Hope you can come to visit me soon.

Nora woke up and there was still no message from Sam and even though she shouldn’t have been sad, she was. 

“Hey,” Matthew said, when she arrived later than usual at the rink.

“Good morning,” Nora replied.

“Are you okay?” Matthew asked.

“I’m great!” Nora lied and she changed as quickly as possible to avoid being late for practice. She was distracted at practice, playing sloppier than usual and missing some passes. “Hallisay,” Sutter growled after she missed a pass during a drill for what seemed like the seventh time. “If you’re going to continue to play like this maybe you’d feel more at home in Bantams.”

Shame and embarrassment caused her checks to flush red and she could only partially blame that on exertion. 

“I’m sorry,” Nora replied. 

“Again,” Sutter yelled as Nora ran the drill again. 

She messed up again and the whistle blew calling  halt to practice, “Fuck!” Nora said.

“You’re done for the day,” Sutter said. 

“What?”

“Get off the ice,” Sutter yelled. 

Nora felt the eyes of her teammates on her as she skated off the ice. She watched from the sidelines as the rest of her teammates ran through drills without a problem and she knew that she was still preoccupied with Sam from that morning. Warm tears threatened her eyes as she rested her chin on her glove. Nothing had worked for her today. No matter how she had wanted to shoot the puck or skate, her body didn’t respond. 

She watched and waited for practice to wrap up to stay after. She had to make up for being kicked out of practice in the most humiliating fashion. 

Jacob gave her a pitying look as he got off the ice and a few others nodded their acknowledgement, but Mikael stopped to chat. 

“Want to grab lunch with us later?” Mikael asked. 

“I’d love to, but I want to practice a little more,” Nora said.

“Tomorrow, then?” Mikael pressed.

“Sure,” Nora said.

“I’ll hold you to it,” Mikael said as he headed to the locker room. 

Nora sighed, not daring to look at Sutter or any other member of the coaching staff as they left practice. 

Nora skated back onto the ice as it was seeming to become routine now to stay after practice. 

“Hey!” Nora heard as a puck slid across the ice right in front of her feet. She looked over to see Matthew coming back onto the ice.  

“Matthew, I really don’t need you to tell me how much I sucked today, I already know,” Nora said. 

“I wasn’t and I resent the fact that that’s why you assumed I’m here,” Matthew said with a small smile on his face.

Nora just stared at him.

“Aren’t you going to ask why I’m here?” Matthew asked pointedly.

“I don’t have time for this …  Okay, Matthew, why are you here?” Nora asked.

“I’m here to be your drill partner,” Matthew said.

“What?” Nora asked.

“You didn’t get to finish practice, so I’m here to run through the drills with you,” Matthew said.

Nora blinked.

“You want to practice with me?” Nora asked. 

“You can’t do the drills by yourself,” Matthew said, “And it was pretty shitty, that stunt that Sutter pulled in practice.” 

“Yeah, it was,” Nora agreed, “But I sucked.”

“Then let’s make you not suck,” Matthew said. 

They went through the drills together; it was easy with the absence of a goalie between the pipes and they found a natural rhythm together. They hadn’t played together before, but rather against each other. 

“Why couldn’t I have done this in practice?” Nora complained after they completed the drill for the sixth time in a row. 

“Maybe you needed a better linemate,” Matthew said.

“Don’t throw him under the bus,” Nora said, “But, uh, thanks for today.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Matthew asked. 

“What? That I sucked at practice, we were all there,” Nora scoffed.

“No, what’s bothering you,” Matthew said, “You don’t have to, but you can.”

Nora paused, “I guess I was just missing my family a little bit.”

“Are they planning on visiting soon?” Matthew asked, and Nora knew he didn’t mean anything by it but it still hurt when she responded.

She shook her head, “No, they’re busy with work and stuff.” 

“Oh, the dad’s trip is in a month, you can see him then,” Matthew said.

“Yeah,” Nora said even though she knew he wouldn’t be making the trip. She knew Matthew was just trying to cheer her up and she appreciated the effort even though he didn’t understand the situation. “It will be nice.”

“Come on, let’s call it a day,” Matthew said. 

“I’m going to stick around a little longer, I think,” Nora said, “But thanks for today, I really appreciate it.”

For a moment, it looked like Matthew was going to say something sarcastic to brush it off, but he paused, “You’re welcome.”

And maybe, that was the first genuine and sincere conversation they actually had. Maybe there was more to Matthew than Nora had thought.

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Do you have a posting scheduel for "We're only young and naive still" or a certain day on which a new chapter is posted? I absolutely love the story and cannot wait to read more!

I'm so happy to hear that you've been enjoying it, there's plenty more on it's way, it's going to be much longer than I thought haha. I try and post weekly on Sunday or Monday, but that can be subject to my real life job schedule lol ,the last two weeks have been a little rough at work. But for the next several weeks the new chapters should be available on Mondays, thanks so much for reading and enjoying.

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HAVE YOU SEEN THIS CUTIE

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We’re Only Young and Naive Still Chapter 3

Chapter 1  Chapter 2

Nora frowned as she checked her phone. There were a few mentions in her Twitter that were explicit, beyond the usual performance critiques that she was expecting. After the road trip, Nora was happy to return to Calgary and have a small break. She was still living in the hotel that the Flames’ front office had recommended. It was small and didn’t feel like home but it was her own space and after the headache of the road trip.  

She and Matthew seemed to have reached a détente. While Nora wouldn’t consider them to be friends, they had reached some degree of understanding. She’d bought a cheap bottle of wine from the convenience store after they’d landed and she poured herself a glass while she reviewed some previous games. 

She planned on watching two games, grateful that most of the core hadn’t changed outside over the years outside of the departure of Mark Giordano. Some of the players had evolved in their styles since the game that she was watching, but there were still some hallmarks of their play that Nora saw at practice. By the end of the second game, Nora was getting a little tired when all of a sudden a brawl broke out between the Flames and the Leafs. Nora hadn’t seen what had precipitated it so she rewound the footage a bit and watched carefully again. A Leafs player had flipped a puck at Matthew just as the game was wrapping up. Matthew had taken his helmet off as a scrum broke out. 

Amidst the confusion, the rest of the Leafs and the Flames watched as Matthew was left to his own devices. Nora knew that Matthew was always in the middle of these scrums. He was the type of player that wormed his way under other teams’ skins and was a loose cannon. But as he stood there, grabbing at the Leaf, Nora couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. 

She turned the game off and headed to bed, the aches of a grueling practice and a long road trip catching up to her. 

Three more weeks, read the text message that she’d received from Liam earlier in the day. She stared at it before replying Can’t wait and putting her phone away. 

Sutter was in a mood during practice and they were all paying a price. By the time they got their second water break, Nora’s lungs felt like they were on fire. “Don’t let him see you’re struggling,” Elias whispered when they headed back on the ice. Nora nodded and tried to compose herself. 

Her legs felt deadened when practice finally ended and everyone just clamored off the ice trying to catch a break. Nora sat on the bench and stared out at the ice for a moment. All she wanted was to go home and sleep, but she also knew that going home and sleeping wouldn’t get her more playing time. 

So she skated back onto the ice and practiced her slapshot. She’d gotten a few decent shots in before she heard a voice call out to her, “Do you need a goalie?” 

She turned around and saw Jacob Markstrom still in his goalie gear watching from the bench.

“Are you offering?” Nora asked with a smile.

Jacob shrugged, “If you want.”

“Come on,” Nora said and waited for him to skate over to the crease, “Need a few warm-up shots?” 

“I’m good,” Jacob said. 

They got into an easy rhythm as Nora kept hammering pucks towards Jacob. He caught most of them, his eyes easily tracking the puck, but a few went in. After one disadvantageously hit Jacob in the chest plate, he called for a break and skated off the ice. 

“You’re okay, right?” Nora asked.

“It’ll just bruise tomorrow,” Jacob waved off her concern and grabbed some Gatorade.

“Good, I wouldn’t want ‘injuring our goalie’ to be another reason everyone hates me,” Nora said. 

Jacob paused, “You think we hate you?” 

“Well not you specifically, or Elias, and even Matthew tolerates me now, but…” Nora trailed off.  

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jacob asked as he pulled off his gloves and settled on the bench, leaving a clear spot for Nora to sit down and talk.

“Do you know why I’m here?” Nora asked. 

Jacob just stared at her to continue.

“I’m here to embarrass you all,” Nora admitted, “That’s why Sutter keeps me around, like saying ‘you guys are bad enough that a girl can play on your team’?”

“Did he say that?” Jacob asked.

“Not in those words,” Nora said, “But I’m not here because he thinks I’m good or talented or anything like that.”

“Fuck him,” Jacob said, “Fuck him and everyone else who thinks that way, you’re really good and you deserve to be here. Show them why you are here.”

“If only it was that simple,” Nora said.

“It can be,” Jacob said, “People are going to say shit no matter what, but numbers don’t lie and for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re here.”

Nora smiled, genuinely, as she bumped shoulders with Jacob, “Thanks, that means a lot.”

Shortly after, they called it a day and went their respective ways out of the arena, neither having noticed the media that had lingered around after practice a while longer. 

With Milan out with a minor injury and lines rearranged for the next game, Nora found herself in the fourth line for the next game. Jacob’s words echoed in her head, “Show them why you’re here.”

She was on a line with a few call ups from the Stockton Heat who she’d crossed paths with during her time in the AHL. They weren’t friends, but they knew each other and each other’s playing styles which gave them an advantage. They didn’t have much time on the ice, but during the third period, they had a line change that left the other team off kilter. 

Her linemate rushed the puck down the ice and Nora and her winger raced to keep up with him. He paused for a moment near the goal and instead of shooting he passed it over to Nora. It was a split second snap as her stick hit the puck, but it slid just to the right of the goalie’s skate and into the back of the net. 

It was surreal how Nora was being pressed against the glass as her teammates congratulated her and the goal horn blared. She looked across the ice and caught Jacob’s attention and nodded. She couldn’t see his face behind the mask, but she was certain he was smiling. 

She skated back to the bench with the relief of having scored her first NHL goal. Someone, she’d have to find out who later, had picked up the puck and given it to the equipment manager for safe keeping. As the clock counted down, the score remained unchanged. Even with her goal, they were still trailing 4-2 and were going to lose. 

“Thank you,” Nora told Jacob, as he skated off the ice and headed towards the locker room. 

“Congratulations,” Jacob said.

“I remembered what you said, so thanks,” Nora smiled.

In the locker room, someone from the front office snapped a photo of her holding the puck that would be posted on social media and almost everyone offered their congratulations on scoring her first career goal.

“Do you know where that’s going to go?” Matthew asked, gesturing to the puck.

Nora stared at it for a moment, “I’ll probably give it to my brother.”

“I didn’t know you had a brother. Does he play?” Matthew asked.

“No,” Nora swallowed, “he doesn’t, but he likes hockey so he probably will appreciate it.”

Before Matthew could say anything else, Nora was pulled aside and told that she’d be doing media again. It shouldn’t have been surprising, but after the way the last media session had gone, she hoped that she would be given more of reprieve. 

After Nora changed, she met up with Rasmus to do some media. Almost immediately after she sat down, she was bombarded by questions. 

“Congratulations on your first goal,” a reporter started off, “What was it like on the ice for you?”

“You know, I kind of blacked out, I had an amazing feed and it just went in,” Nora chuckled slightly, “I’ll probably watch the clip when I get home to be honest.”

“Do you know where the puck is going to go?” a reporter asked. 

Nora shrugged, “I’ll probably keep it on my bookshelf or something, I haven’t really thought about it.”

“There are photos of you and Jacob Markstrom together that are gaining a lot of attention,” a reporter said.

“Is there a question there?” Nora asked. 

“Yeah, are you dating Jacob Markstrom?” the reporter pressed.

Nora rolled her eyes, “No.”

“The photos showed you two looking awfully cozy after practice yesterday.”

“I already answered your question, so I don’t know what you want me to say,” Nora said. 

“Well, are you dating a teammate, let’s start there,” the reporter pressed.

“Okay, I think we’re done,” Tanya mercifully intervened. She followed Nora away from the media to a small private room.

“That’s the type of question they’re asking me?” Nora fumed.

“I’m sorry,” Tanya said.

“Is that the most interesting thing about me, I talk with a teammate after practice and suddenly there are rumors that we’re dating.”

“They’re going to keep asking the question because you are interesting and new and they can’t fathom that you could just be teammates,” Tanya said, “It’ll be easier for you if you have an answer.”

“Are you telling me to get a boyfriend?” Nora asked.

“I’m saying you have options,” Tanya replied, “You could date someone publicly and that should stop their curiosity, you could date someone on the team, or you could not answer any of the questions. Look, I’ll do my best to get them to stop asking questions, but I can only do so much, you can make a choice and we can go from there.”

“Jacob and I aren’t dating,” Nora clarified. 

“Would you tell me if you were?” Tanya asked. 

“Don’t you understand that dating a teammate would be the dumbest thing I could possibly do,” Nora said.

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Tanya admitted, “But there have been cases of teammates dating each other in other leagues.”

Nora rolled her eyes, “I’m here to play hockey, that will be my answer.”

“They might not accept that,” Tanya warned. 

“It’s true,” Nora said, “I’m here to play hockey. I have to play hockey.”

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Chapter 3 of We’re Only Young and Naive Still will probably be delayed a few days, sorry. Work got in the way. 

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Do you like enemies to lovers because it's hot or do you like enemies to lovers because you think of yourself as unlovable & unworthy of love and therefore like the idea of someone seeing all the worst in you right away and still falling in love with you anyways

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bestie please invest in “keep reading.” it’s fucking up my scrolling flow 💔

Sorry, bestie, I'll fix it for you.