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[hockeywriterrowan]

Maple Syrup || Matthew Knies

author's note: I'm back kinda??? This is based on the song "Maple Syrup" by The Back Seat Lovers. My friend introduced this song to me this week, and I had to write something with it.

summary: Maple Syrup by The Backseat Lovers

pairing: Matthew Knies x reader

word count: 1.2k

warnings: drinking, breakup, idk what else

---------

“I still have your picture on the wall; I still have the nightmares where I would have to call you to calm down.”

Your bedroom walls echoed with the mosaic of memories, each photograph a point in the outline of your love story with Matthew. The snapshots were once a collection of shared moments, you and Matt both wanting to remember the small moments, but now hung as silent witnesses to the love that had encapsulated the first two years of your college experience. The pictures had been a gift from Matthew before he left for his first full season in the NHL.

In the top left corner, a photo showed your second interaction with Matthew while at Mariucci, an argument that marked the early days of your connection. While the two of you had met once before, this was the first time you truly talked. The argument was simple: Matthew was confused about his Captain’s skate time and thought the ice was his at the wrong time. The humor of the two of you arguing—just once—so early on became a cherished joke between the men’s and women’s hockey teams. The spark ignited the flame, leading to Matthew asking for your number. The humor of the photo echoed through the years, turning into the prologue of a love story told through hundreds and hundreds of photographs.

At the bottom right, a Facetime screenshot held the weight of the first goodbye. Matthew’s beginnings in Toronto marked the first time in two years that your worlds existed apart. The photo captured your smiling face with slightly reddened eyes, containing the concealed vulnerability that Matthew had comforted after a grueling physical therapy session. A session that stemmed from a knee injury, a scar from a season-ending fall into the boards that seemed to write the turning point in your and Matthew’s lives.

“I still think about you all the time. When I step out of the shower, I’m reminded of the night when we slept in the back of your car, and you left me with a pretty cool scar.” 

Exiting the shower, droplets of water traced the contours of your body; the refreshing cleanse momentarily erased your thoughts of your ex-boyfriend. Yet, as you stared at the misty mirror, your mind wandered, drawing back to the night of intimacy shared after winning the conference tournament. The details of that night during your freshman years played in your mind like a melody, lingering long after the water had evaporated.

Taylor knocked on the bathroom door when she heard your harsh breaths. Taylor had become a pillar of support in the aftermath of your breakup. When you became the overly confident freshman that everyone on the team chirped, she immediately took you under her wing, both on and off the ice, as you became linemates for the next two years of your friendship. 

You were probably somewhere with Taylor when you weren’t with Matthew for the past two years. When she stayed in Minnesota after getting drafted, the two of you made sure to have nearby apartments. She mainly stayed at your and your teammate’s apartment for two weeks, ensuring you stayed alive through the breakup. 

After discovering the breakup, your teammates blamed Matthew, something you didn’t want to happen. You and Matthew broke up because of separation. They still blamed him.

After Taylor pushed you into your bathroom to shower, you hadn’t expected it to be so refreshing. During the shower, you hadn’t thought of Matthew even once. 

“Your purple sweater’s sitting in my room. I tried to wear it, but I knew that it would smell like you.”

“Let’s burn it,” your teammate Emily said. The purple sweater was a silent witness to your struggle. The garment, once a reminder for Matt of his Tri-City team, now held the scent of bittersweet nostalgia, a sure reminder of Matthew.

Everything else was given to Jimmy. You wanted to return the sweatshirt, but your teammate Emily wanted you to seek revenge. You stood up, grabbed it, and threw it back into your closet. 

“I saw you dancing at the show tonight. I stood in the back, and I think that we both know why.”

Entering the lively party at the men’s hockey house, the air was charged with excitement and familiar faces. Jimmy’s gaze from across the room hinted at the hockey game on the T.V., bringing Toronto Maple Leaf’s shutout into focus. The T.V. was quickly turned off, probably by one of the boys you were closer to. 

“We both know Kniesy wouldn’t want you being stuck up in the relationship,” Jimmy’s whispered advice floated to your ear, offering the perspective of a close friend of Matthew’s.

“But…” you started, “He’s Matt. He’s unforgettable.”

“I’m not saying you need to forget him,” Jimmy grabbed your wrist, bringing you to the kitchen, “But you still need to live your life.”

You stared at your feet, knowing he was probably right. As you turned to grab a drink, Jimmy typed on his phone, the phone lighting up his face. You could only guess who he was talking to. But as you approached and he quickly threw his phone back in his pocket, you knew exactly who.

You returned to the central part of the party, smiling with your friends. You hadn’t checked your phone, but you felt it vibrating. 

You walked outside, under the moon's glow, and put your phone to your ear without checking the contact name, “Hello?”

“Hiiiii,” he slurred.

“Matthew,” you sat on the stairs, “Is something wrong? Are you with JT or Joe?”

“No… They’re inside,” you heard shuffling, “But there is a problem… You aren’t here.”

“Oh, Matt,” you breathed, “I’m not there because we broke up.”

“Did it hurt? When we broke up,” he sniffled, “Now I’m all alone; I guess I’ll never learn.”

“It wouldn’t work. I couldn’t date you when I worried you were interested in her. And I voiced my concern. And all you said was I shouldn’t be worried. No reassurance. And you have people; you have your teammates.”

The pause was deafening. You still heard Matt’s shuffling.

“And I lied, when I took you on a drive,” he admitted, “And I said I’d never speak to her. I wish I would have kept my word."

You sighed. You had already known he kept talking to who he claimed was a friend, but hearing him admit to lying about simply talking to her—even after you broke up—hurt so much more than you expected.

“I need to apologize to you in person. You know we never did anything, and you can ask JT, or Mints, or Joe. But I still regret lying,” Matthew slurred.

Amidst the haze of intoxication, confusion clouding your senses, you chuckled at his desperate plea, a symphony of emotions playing, “And how would you do that now that you’re gone?”

“I would fly you out here for a weekend when you don’t have practice.”

You laughed. He was obviously drunker than you, and it seemed he was going insane.

“I need you out here. So bad. Please just let me apologize to you in person."

[hockeywriterrowan]

oh isn’t he pretty guys

the things i would do for lukas

[hockeywriterrowan]

THIS IS SO CUTE ARGHHHHH

overly affectionate devon levi when he hasn’t seen his gf in a while and he comes back home from a super long roadie and his gf loves it 🥰🥰🥰

aww this is so cute!! and i absolutely LOVE devon!! (not my gif)

likes are good, reblogs are better

like it very much - devon levi

"hey, some of us are heading to the pizza place downtown," owen nudged his teammate. "wanna come?"

devon looked up at his teammate, his answer clear in his impatient expression.

"i was just asking," owen laughed, putting his hands in the air.

"thanks for asking," devon tried again, smiling lightly. "but i'm good. tired. i just wanna go home and sleep."

owen smiled to himself, knowing the real reason devon was excited to get back home.

"whatever you say, bud," he patted his shoulder. "if you change you'll mind, we'll probably be there for a few hours."

"uh huh, okay," devon nodded, grabbing his bag and barely paying attention to what owen was saying. his bags were here, and he was ready to leave.

the second owen waved him off, devon was rushing away to load his bags and catch a taxi. the only thing that was on his mind was getting home to you.

--

"welcome home," you smiled, opening the door to usher devon in.

he stepped through the door, dropping his bags to the floor and melting in your arms. you laughed to yourself, catching yourself before you could fall.

"i missed you," devon mumbled into your hair, refusing to leave your arms.

"i can see that," you smiled to yourself, running your fingers through his hair.

devon pulled away, only to grab your waist and lift you up into his arms. you gasped, but devon simple carried you to the couch, laying on top of you.

he peppered kisses across your face, holding you close.

"devon, devon," you laughed, trying to escape. "stop, you're so heavy."

"no thank you," he answered simply, flopping back down onto you. "i like this very much."

you hummed, running your fingers through his hair as he held you close to him.

you liked it very much too.

---

tags : @woodruff-edwards , @austinbutlerscaresme ,  @svechnikovvv ,  @hockeyboysarehot , @emptyflowerpots ,  @mysticaldonkey , @lam-ila ,  @babydollmarauders , @starjoyyy  ,  @kjohnson-91 , @gavinbrindley, @hischierdevils , @jackhughesily  , @panarin10 ,  @equallyshaw ,   @power2myheart  ,  @lynnismypseudonym , @beccaiscold , @akengii , @nowandkei , @cinnamonpancakes , @mitchymainer , @lifeofpriya ,  @marshmallow-babe, @hughesx3 ,  @emsully2002  ,  @starsandhughes , @huggy-hischier73 ,  @doglady5678 , @thatoneblog , @exonct07 @hughesmedicine , @qwanelledingele , @mindless-rock , @ireadthensuetheauthors , @huggy-hischier94, @slaythehousedownboots , @diary-of-jj

join my main taglist!

[hockeywriterrowan]

Delicate Pt. 3 || Andrei Svechnikov

author's note: this is just such a short part but I love it and I just don't really know where I'm going so I might just be done with this fic for now idk (unless y'all have any ideas for what to do with it from this point)

summary: Elise practices at the Canes rink.

pairing: Andrei Svechnikov x hockey player!oc

word count: 590

warnings: N/A

pt 1, pt 2

Elise arrived at the Canes’ practice rink for the fourteenth consecutive morning, her heart brimming with anticipation and the thrill of stepping onto the ice. Practice rinks had always held a special place in her heart, but now, with her unwavering commitment to reclaiming a position in competitive hockey, the Canes’ facility held an even more profound significance.

As she placed each skate onto the ice, she felt a familiar shiver of excitement race down her spine. The ice was her home, and its cool, unforgiving surface beneath her edges sent a surge of energy coursing through her veins. The ghostly echoes of her past whispered through her ears, the sound of the skates across the ice all too familiar from a constant two weeks spent on the ice and a whole lifetime of practices. Each stride brought the memories of countless hours spent perfecting her skills.

As always, Andrei Svechnikov had arrived early for practice. Today, however, his attention was captivated by the sight of Elise. He couldn’t help but be drawn in, never having witnessed her skating in person, let alone after her injury with this level of intensity. He leaned forward against the boards.

Elise began with a set of basic skating warmups, each movement with grace and precision, but also a newfound determination. Each stride was fluid, her control over her body was a testament to her relentless dedication.

Andrei stood mesmerized, his eyes locked onto Elise’s every move. Andrei had met thousands of skilled players, but there was something exceptional about watching Elise in action. Her passion bled into every stride, every calculated maneuver, making her practice “performance” truly extraordinary.

As the drills became increasingly advanced, Elise’s speed and agility became increasingly evident. She glided through the drills with a fluidity that spoke to her hours spent on the ice, rekindling her talent.

When she finally made her way to the bench to grab a sip of water, Andrei couldn’t contain his smile. He joined her at the bench, his voice laced with admiration, “Elise, you’re such a good skater. I didn’t know you were going this hard this soon.”

Elise paused and looked to him, her cheeks flushed with a mixture of exertion and pride, a small smile forming, “Thanks, Svech. It’s been a while, but I wanna get back in the game.”

Andrei nodded in genuine admiration and leaned slightly forward, “It’s amazing. We should definitely skate together sometime.”

A spark of excitement lit up Elise’s eyes, “I’d love that. I’m sure Marney would be cool with adding another. Lemme talk to you once I finish.”

Elise hopped back onto the ice to complete a few shooting drills as a cool-down.

When she finally stepped off the ice, Andrei was still standing by the bench, patiently waiting. Elise removed one of her gloves and approached him with a warm smile, “So, Marney says he’ll adjust our practice for tomorrow. Let me put my number in your phone just in case.”

She took his phone and began typing her number. As their hands briefly touched in the exchange, her red face grew even warmer. Andrei smiled down at his phone, looking at the new contact in his phone. His dimples only made Elise grin widen.

With a playful twinkle in her eye, Elise put her glove back on, ready for static stretching after practicing for so long. She and Andrei exited the bench area, Elise heading to her own locker room, quickly turning to see Andrei walking to his dressing room with a grin.

[hockeywriterrowan]

i’m so obsessed

Entering my first nico hischier era….I understand the appeal now 😭😭🙈

[hockeywriterrowan]

can we please talk about how good vlasic has looked in this game. like he is always in the right spot on defense.

I take back all the things I’ve said about Corey Perry in my life…hawk for life baby

[hockeywriterrowan]

him.

you guys know who’s hot?

[hockeywriterrowan]

UGH I LOVE THIS SO MUCH

𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄. | jack hughes

"well you're up early." you mutter, your sudden voice interrupting the quiet atmosphere of jack’s apartment, and you can see him almost jolt in reaction as he gets slightly startled by your voice breaking through the silence. he turns to look over his shoulder, attention being torn away from the energy drink he was currently pouring into his biosteel bottle, to find you in your serene morning state.

hair poorly brought up into a messy bun atop your head, missed strands still sticking out of every side. voice groggy and hoarse from just awakening. eyes drowsy and glossed over with tiredness that still filled your entire body. one of jack’s large hoodies engulfing your smaller frame, almost dropping down to your knees and covering anything you might have had underneath.

you slowly made your way to him, bringing your arms up to wrap around his waist from behind and your cheek landing to rest on his back.

you can feel his body easing into your soft touch, the light of dusk starting to shine through the floor-to-ceiling windows of his apartment. a sigh of content leaves his lips feeling the soft butterfly kisses you start to press against the back of his shoulder all the way up to the back of his neck.

he lightly leans back against your chest, and gently asks, "did i wake you, love?"

your nod against his clothed back, obvious sleepiness is still very evident in your movements as they are slow and relaxed.

"i have an early practice this morning, lovie" he softly tells you, explaining the reason why he was already awake, out of bed and dressed for the day with his hockey bag already placed down by the entrance.

you groan, burying your head deeper into the cotton of his t-shirt. he can honestly say he feels lucky that his ears are even good enough to make out the small words and noises that emit from you. "it's too early for you to leave." you whine smally, tightening your grip on his torso.

he lightly chuckles, hands coming up to rest over yours after tightening the lid back onto his bottle, "it's only seven in the morning."

you release your hold on his waist, yawning as you make your small movements, and he turns his body so his back is now leaning against the kitchen counter.

his low chuckles mix within the air of his apartment as he turns you to face you, and the soft smile he gives you is all enough to give you a sweet ‘good morning' right before he brings you close for a gentle morning kiss.

you sheepishly grin up at him and bring your head to his chest, "that’s still too early. come back to bed, jacky.”

his gives a small peck to your hair before speaking, "i need to get to practice baby."

you roll your eyes, still grinning, and just by the way your body slumps into him he can almost feel just how desperate you are to go back to sleep. however, right before he can tell you to, you lift your head up and bring your lips close to his for another kiss, followed by another, and another, and another.

you pull away, almost out of breath due to your dazed state, your face still close to his. you seem to be absolutely love drunk from the consecutive kisses you have given him, and the way you look at him.

he tries to console you, "i promise i'll come to bed with you when i come back."

you hum, lightly indulging in his words, "really?"

he nods to you, but with your left arm still loosely hanging by his waist, and your right hand now gripping his wrist, you pull him with all your might as you walk with slow, careful steps. he knows your trying to lead him back to the bed, but to be honest, he’s really not starting to mind.

you stop in your tracks in realisation, remembering how every other early morning practice ended when he came home, "wait, you never sleep after practice. are you tricking me?”

"i don't mind taking a nap after practice if it’s with you." he says it so easily, as if it’s just simple words rolling off of his tongue without any second thought.

"i’ll even tell you how the practice goes and cuddle you the entire time until we fall asleep." jack continues, chuckling at his own words, and his lips curve even more when you start to giggle along with him too.

he really wanted to get to practice, and you could easily tell that by the way he was insisting and telling you all the things he would do when he was back with you. but all you could think about was getting him back to the comforting confinements of his soft sheets as soon as possible.

the two of you are only a few steps away from his room, and you have stopped guiding him behind you, your smile lazy and warm and your arms hang around his waist as you pull him into a loose embrace.

you kiss him once again, not as deep as before, but just much softer this time.

“please just come back to bed with me this once.” you pleaded to him through tired eyes, your sight becoming more and more blurry as your eyelids started to droop.

and so he finally caves into your sweet pleads with a nod, and he can feel his heart blooming when your smile widens by the second. this time, your sweet smile doesn't seem to only be telling him 'good morning' but also a gentle 'i love you' as well.

with that, he takes back your hand and walks ahead to lead you back into his room, "you know i could never say no to you."

you giggle, and in your head you really hope he means that. unknowingly to you, he hopes you feel the same way, because there’s velvet box tucked deep within his bedside drawer, carrying a lovely ring that definitely needs you to say yes to.

[hockeywriterrowan]

school is no fun. would never recommend lmao

how have you been recently? i hope your week is going well!

hi!! thank you for checking in with me! my week is actually going pretty well! i'm just super tired at the end of the day so i haven't been working on anything :(

how're you doing?

[hockeywriterrowan]

so good but so tired college kills :/

how have you been recently? i hope your week is going well!

hi!! thank you for checking in with me! my week is actually going pretty well! i'm just super tired at the end of the day so i haven't been working on anything :(

how're you doing?

[hockeywriterrowan]

this is so incredibly important to me

quinn hughes is honoured as the canucks' 15th captain | oilers @ van | 10.11.23

[hockeywriterrowan]

Road Trip || Cole Caufield x Reader

author's note: first stand alone fic in a while.

summary: Cole and reader head to her brother's lake house for the season, making a couple stops on the way.

pairing: Cole Caufield x hughes!reader

word count: 1.4

warnings: none

The wind flowed through your hair, creating a sense of freedom and adventure, as Cole sped up his car to merge onto the Michigan highway. You had been looking forward to this road trip with Cole for weeks, and the excitement in the air radiated between Cole and you. 

“Slow down there, speed racer,” you teased as Cole playfully swayed to the music. His laughter was infectious, and his smile shone brighter than the sun. You couldn’t help but to join in. It was moments like these that made your friendship special, the joy of sharing simple pleasures and the bond you shared with each passing smile.

As the miles rolled on, you took turn selecting songs, mostly consisting of Taylor Swift and cheesy pop songs from your childhood. Cole would frequently check on you, taking his eyes off the road for a moment until you noticed his looks. 

After a few hours on the road, you pointed out a scenic overlook to stop at to take a break and stretch your legs. 

Cole parked the car, and you both stepped out, the warm sun kissing your tan skin. As you stood at the guardrail, Cole walked up beside you, his arm lightly brushing against yours. You felt a slight tingle in your stomach, suddenly becoming aware of any small movements you made. 

While you started noticing these feelings when you visited Cole in Montreal when he played your twin brother, Jack. Since Cole played with Jack for the USNTDP, the two of you had become friends. A lot of his friends were seemingly too similar to Jack, while Cole brought a new sense of excitement for teenage you. Until this year, you had never felt nervous around Cole. 

Cole shifted and walked back to the car. He was going to grab the sandwiches you packed for the two of you to share. 

“Thank you so much for the sandwich, kind sir,” you joked as the two of you sat on one of the benches. The outlook was fairly stranded, so it was the best spot to view the beautiful outlook.

“Anything for m’lady,” Cole responded, making a small blush rise onto your face as you both shared a laugh.

As you enjoyed your meal, the conversation flowed effortlessly. You talked about everything from all the clients at your job to Cole’s recent failure on the golf course. The more you talked, the more you and Cole grew comfortable together after being apart for several months.

At one point, he leaned in slightly closer, his voice soft, “You know, I’ve been really looking forward to this trip.”

You nodded your head smiling.

“But it isn’t so much about the places I’ll be seeing or that I’ll get to be on the lake once we’re done, it’s about the person I’m riding with,” he admitted.

Your heart skipped a beat, and you felt a rush of warmth. “I feel the same way,” you replied sincerely, your eyes meeting his.

For a moment, time stood still as you gazed at each other, many unspoken words hanging in the air. It was a moment of realization for both you and Cole, marking a subtle shift in your relationship.

As the midday sun started its descent, you packed up the garbage from the sandwiches and headed back to Cole’s car. 

The open road stretched out before the two of you, and the two of you continued on your journey. You and Cole sometimes making eye contact before breaking it awkwardly as you looked at the scenery and he looked back ahead.

As you arrived at a hotel that you both deemed safe enough to stop at, the sky was dark, but happiness still radiated off of both of you. Cole and you came to the front desk of the hotel, asking for a free room.

“We only have rooms with one bed left,” the receptionist stated. 

Cole shrugged, looking back at you, and you did the same.

The two of you went back out to the car and grabbed your bags. You came back into the hotel, and you pulled out the key, unlocking the door and opening the door for Cole who insisted on carrying your extra bag. 

It was then that you realized that it wasn’t a king sized bed but a single queen bed. It wouldn’t be that big of a deal. The two of you had cuddled plenty of times before. But not after you realized your feelings for Cole. He immediately set down the bags and jumped onto the bed as you gently set your bag down on the desk and pulled out your phone charger. 

Then you grabbed clothes to change into after your shower and immediately hopped in.

When you came out of the bathroom, Cole was opening his laptop, preparing to watch a movie. You joined him on the bed, and he clicked on a horror movie. You rolled your eyes, knowing that you guys would just laugh at the stupid characters the whole time. 

As the movie began, the pair shuffled so that the laptop was sat on a pillow draped across their legs as they sat with their backs against the headboard. 

You felt you eyes closing but wanted to stay up to laugh with Cole. Every so often, after your head would fall slightly, you would jerk awake. Cole felt this and the next time that your head fell, he pull you even closer to him and pushed your head onto his shoulder. You felt your heart flutter, and you smiled.

As you closed your eyes, Cole closed the laptop. You matched your breathing to him and he pulled the two down so that you were no longer sitting up. 

-----------

The next morning, your legs were tangled with Cole’s. You smiled and went onto your phone for a couple of minutes until he started to stir. He pulled away slightly but kept his eyes closed. He grinned, and you shook your hand in his brown hair, smiling back.

As he opened his eyes, adjusting to the light, his morning voice shined through, “Hey, early bird.”

You blushed. As long as you guys had been friends, you had never heard his morning voice. He got out of bed to take a shower, and you opened a book to try and at least get some reading time in.

When the two of you were ready, you guys went back to your usual spots in the car for the last leg of your trip to Jack and Quinn’s lake house.

“You know,” Cole leaned in closer while driving, “I can’t stop thinking about that moment at the overlook.”

You turned to him, your eyes meeting his, a playful smirk forming on your lips, “Oh, really? What about it?”

He smirked back, glancing at your, his gaze lingering on your lips for a millisecond, “I don’t know. When you looked at me… it just felt like time stood still. I can’t forget it.”

Your heart raced and you softened, “Yeah. I felt it too.”

The tension grew as you shared stolen glances and smiles. Cole’s hand occasionally brushed against yours, sending shivers down your spine.

As you came into town and stopped at a gas station, he playfully mentioned, “You know, we have always made a pretty good team on the road. Maybe we should go on more adventures together.”

You leaned in closer, feeling brave, your faces inches apart.

“I’d like that,” you replied, your breath mingling with his.

The rest of the journey was filled with similar banter. Each moment brought you slowly closer to the house, anticipation to see your brothers and the other boys electric. 

As you and Cole arrived at your brothers’ lake house, the undeniable chemistry between you two reached a boiling point. The sun was setting, casting a warm, golden glow over the quiet early evening lake.

As you both stepped out of the car and stood in the driveway, Cole felt a magnetic pull towards you. With a sudden burst of courage, he leaned in and gently pressed his lips to yours. You were surprised, and the kiss was so quick you couldn’t even find the time to return the kiss. You felt all the growing emotions that had built up during the road trip and giggled with him, leaning in and hugging Cole to show your regret for the lack of response for the kiss. 

The road trip was only the beginning, but the two of you were ready to continue to develop your friendship into something more as the summer went on.

[hockeywriterrowan]

oh he’s beautiful

Jack Hughes Can Remember Every Goal He's Scored In The NHL | 32 Thoughts

[hockeywriterrowan]

GUYS THIS IS SO GOOD PLEASE READ IT

TOURNIQUET - q.h

A/n: First fic!!! I've never written ANYTHING not for school before, so if this is ass, lie and tell me it's amazing im fragile.

tws: uh, extensive time in airport? light alcohol consumption(Literally its only mentioned), reader has not the best history with relationships. if i missed any let me know!

There’s delays on the planes out of Eastern Montana where you told me you were leavin’ from.

You’d lost track of how long you’d been sitting against the wall on the grimy airport floor, but it was long enough for your legs to go numb and your back to go from sore to dully throbbing.  Your headphones had died a long time ago, and so you found yourself sitting there, listening to the unfamiliar melody of the airport PR system mixed with the wails of unhappy children, and a businessman or two loudly taking work calls while walking up and down the terminal hallway.

You found your eyes wandering, unable to stop themselves from examining every other living soul within eyesight.  Funnily enough, everyone looked the same.  Same exhaustion written over their faces, seeping into their bones.  Same unkempt appearance, likely a result of being stuck in a small airport for six hours longer than originally planned.  You were in your own little world, so needless to say you were caught slightly off guard when you made eye contact with a brunette sitting farther down the wall from you.  He shot you a small smile, raising his hand as a makeshift greeting.  Despite your exhaustion, you were unable to keep yourself from smiling back. Something about this slightly disheveled mystery man giving you the time of day gave you a warm feeling in your gut. 

You thought that was it.  That mystery man would go back to being in his own little world, and you’d go back to yours, and that’d be the end of that.  You were proven wrong, however, when motion to the left of you caught your eye.  You felt your lips tugging upwards as you saw the motion was mystery man himself, moving to sit next to you.  He offered you no greeting, instead opting to dig through his battered, navy blue backpack, until he pulled out a bag of chocolate m&m’s.  He opened the pouch, shaking it a little, before looking over you and offering you a small smile. 

“Want some? My mom always told me that chocolate is the best solution to delayed flights.”

You laughed, pressing your lips together in an attempt to muffle the noise.

“That’s funny, my mom always told me to never take candy from a stranger.”

A chuckle slipped past mystery man’s lips, before he nodded thoughtfully. 

“I’m Quinn.  Less of a stranger if you know my name, right?”

You've been stabbed in the back and the rest of your body, won't you tell me where you’re bleedin' from?

In the weeks following the m&m exchange in the Vancouver airport, Quinn became less and less of a stranger every day.  Sharing the sweet treat turned into sharing numbers, which turned into sharing things about yourselves you two had never told anyone else.  But like it always did, reality snuck its way in, dragging doubts and fears in with it.  Things were going well, too well, if you were to be honest.  You had been in situations like this before.  A sweet and caring pretty boy weasels his way into your life, right when you’ve become perfectly content with being alone, loves you up, makes you think he loves you, and then leaves.  It felt like a sick loop you were constantly stuck in.

Unintentionally, you found yourself pulling away from Quinn gradually.  You thought that maybe you got away with it, that he didn’t notice how more time would pass each time he texted before you replied, or that he didn’t notice you were consistently getting busier and busier, almost always having something going on on his off days.  You were proven wrong, however, when late one night, after a Canucks win at home, there was a knock at your door.  

Confused, you went to the door, carefully checking the peep hole to make sure you weren’t about to be murdered.  What you found on the other side of the door felt worse, if possible.  Because there, in all his post-game glory, was Quinn.  In his left hand, he held what appeared to be a fairly nice bottle of wine, and in his right, a bouquet of light pink Peonies, your favorite flower.  Slowly, with more hesitation than was likely necessary, you opened the door.  

“Hi.” Taking a deep breath as you met Quinn’s eyes, your voice sounding far quieter than it usually did when you spoke to the brunette. 

“Hey.” 

The two of you stood there for a moment, eyes locked, before Quinn finally spoke up again,

“Can I, uh, come in? I think we need to talk.”

You nodded quickly, stepping back and to the side in order to let the boy into your apartment.  Usually, when Quinn came over, you had a routine.  You would go into the kitchen, get glasses for whatever wine Quinn had inevitably brought with him, and he would go into the living room to figure out what the two of you would watch that evening.  

Tonight was different, though.  This time, you grabbed the glasses and bottle opener together before moving to the couch, side by side but never touching.  Your eyes traced the room, examining the wall decor you had picked out far more than necessary.  After what felt like forever, but in reality was only a few moments, you felt a familiar warm, calloused hand grab yours. 

“Tell me what’s going on, pretty girl.”

If you need a tourniquet or if you wanna turn and quit know that I'll be by your side.

If there was one thing you could count on, it was Quinn.  He was there, always, throughout your semi-frequent bouts of depression, or when the unrealistic doubts came creeping in once again.  Quinn never needed to ask what you needed, or what he could do. He always knew, somehow.  He was always your number one supporter, especially when you randomly decided to go to Graduate school halfway through your senior year at University of BC.  Through every up and down, Quinn stuck by you, putting you back together whenever you crumbled.

I bandage up your body and your bones and your bad days too, take care of the blood that your love runs through.

W.C : 1040.

[hockeywriterrowan]

Jack's Best Friend | L. Hughes

pairing: Luke Hughes x fem!reader

warnings: none?

word count: 1.4k

summary: You and Luke have always liked each other and Jack has always known, so he helps get you together

not my gif!

“You can sit on Luke’s lap!” Jack's words rang silence through my ears at the thought, a blush covering my face at the realization. Looking over to Luke to see him shake his head, patting his leg for me to sit. 

It’s like Jack could see that no matter how hard I tried I’d get flustered around Luke, it’s like the minute Jack had read those five words in my diary before I caught and yelled at him, he’s been doing everything to force me with his brother. 

Not that I was complaining, maybe I was. 

Growing up with the Hughes was truly something, Jack became my best friend instantly. The little brunette running over to befriend me within five minutes of my family moving beside them. When they moved it was harder, yet Jack and I stayed the same. He was always the boy I was closest with, despite being younger than him. 

It was after I’d moved out, moving to New Jersey for university, getting a job there quickly, it was perfect. And I was close to my best friend, who randomly showed up once while I was in the shower and began reading my diary. 

“Jack! Drop the book!” The yelling scared him, dropping it and immediately hopping off the bed he was laying on. 

I had hoped he hadn’t read anything, but the following days when he made various remarks about Luke and how cute he was, it was clear what he had read.

I think I like Luke. 

I slowly walked over to luke, his arms open for me to sit, it was like the world was in slow motion as i got closer to luke, opting to sit on the arm of the couch when i got there. 

“Y/n/n, just sit on Luke's lap, I know that isn’t comfortable.”  Jack groaned when I sat down, sending a look to Luke so he’d pull me onto his lap. 

“Hey! It wasn’t umcomfy!” I groaned, lifting slightly from Luke’s lap to be immediately pulled back down. 

“You say that as if it isn’t my couch, that I’ve sat over there many times, I know it’s not comfy.” Jack argued back.

“Would the both of you shut up?” Quinn groaned from the other side of the couch, his head leaned over the armrest. 

“Sorry, most of us didn’t go out last night so we aren’t hung over!” Jack played back, earning a smack from quinn before he groaned again. 

“Quinn went out?” I asked, curiosity dripping from my voice, Luke’s grip tightening as i leaned forwards. Quinn was never the party-er, I would’ve expected Jack to be out last night, not quinn. 

“Oh yeah, he found a cute girl when we went out for drinks last night,” Jack started a grin on his face, “Me and Luke went home at 10, he stayed out til 2am doing shots with her!” Jack cheered, finding amusement in Quinn’s hungover state. 

“I’m going to my room before I throw up on you.” Quinn glared, getting up slowly, kicking jack in the groin, making him bend over with a groan. 

Laughter erupted from Luke and I, his grip tightening as we laughed, keeping me set on his lap as Jack glared at us. 

“I’m sorry,” I managed to get out in between laughs, “it’s funny though!” 

“Sure, sure, laugh it up.” Jack glared again, staring down me and luke, a smile growing on his face at the scene.

 Luke's arms tight around my waist, both laughing while he holds me, smiles on both our faces as he sits beside us and grins at the scene. 

Luke caught Jacks grin, sending a look his way, ensuring I’d catch on after getting us to both send a confused look towards Jack. 

He just wiggled his eyebrows at us, earning a smack from Luke, making him groan again, and me to turn away with a blush covering my cheeks. 

“Don’t hit me! You’re the one who-” Jacks cry was cut off with another hit, harder this time, to his arm. “Ow.” He complained, holding his arm.

“Jack?” Luke’s voice was soft, scared of his brother's reaction to telling him. 

“What’s up?” He looked at his little brother, pausing his game to look at him. 

“I think I have a crush.” Jack’s eyes widened at the confession, fighting not to play with him but instead try to help his brother. 

“Why’re you telling me this?” It seemed a fitting question, Luke usually talked to Quinn about everything, so why was he telling Jack now?

“Because you know her.” Then it hit Jack, his little brother liked his best friend. 

“You like her.” 

That was when Luke was 14, Jack was 16. Luke had never outgrown the crush on his brother’s best friend, no matter how many times he lied and said he had. It was clear to Jack that he’d always like her, if not love her. 

Luke’s arms wrapped around my waist again, holding me against his chest while he leaned back. Jack’s glare on Luke again, letting out a quiet laugh at the sight. 

“What are you laughing at? You’re not innocent here either, you also li-” Jacks words cut off again by me hitting him, hitting his arm as hard as I could, earning a muffled sob from him before he cradled his arm.

“Ow.” His winced, Luke laughing beside him as I sat back on Luke’s lap. Letting Lukes arms hold me in place again, listening to Jack’s whines beside us. 

“Shut up and you won’t get hit, crazy idea, huh?” The sarcasm dripped from my voice, turning on Luke’s lap to face Jack, earning Luke's hands to tighten their grip on my waist. 

I could see the gears turning in Jack’s head, a smile returning to his face. Luke could see the plan forming, panic covering his face. 

“I’m going to say something, and run, okay?” Jack said, his hands on the couch bracing himself to get up and run quickly. 

“No, you’re not.” Luke countered, making you nod in agreement. 

“Nope, saying it.”

“Jack-” Luke’s plea was cut off by Jack.

“Luke, you like her. Princess, you like him.” The words came out rushed as he got up to run, darting into the kitchen to cut through the house to his room. The use of the nickname stunned be for a second before realizing what he had said. 

“JACK!” The yell of his name was full of panic, getting off Luke quickly to run to Jack’s room, opening the door quickly. The window was open, Jack not inside, instead his silhouette could be seen running to the boat where apparently Quinn was passed out. 

Luke came rushing in shortly after, pushing his way into the room to see me standing in front of the window.

“Where’d he go?” 

“Jumped out the window, running to the boat.” The clear tone of un-amusement in my voice, turning to look at Luke. 

His hand in his pockets, leaning on the heels of his feet, his hair messy from running through the house. He looked perfect. 

“I’m sorry.” Both of our apologies spilling out at the same time, leaving a confused look on both of our faces. 

“What are you sorry for?” He asked.

“Jack just told you I um,” the words tapered off, not wanting to admit what was shared again. 

“And Jack just told you I love you.” His words confident, the opposite of mine. 

“You love me?” 

“I think I’ve loved you since I was 14.” He admitted, stepping closer, taking his hands out of his pocket.

“That long?” I didn’t honestly know how to reply, saying the only thing that came to mind. 

“I think honestly, I’ve always loved you.” 

The words were enough to encourage stepping forward, wrapping my arms around his shoulders while he leaned down. Pressing a kiss to my lips, his arms wrapping around my waist to pull me flush against him. My hands tangled through his hair, gently tugging on the strands, making him softly groan. 

“Don’t do that” He mumbled against my lips, making me giggle before he pressed his lips back into mine. 

“Ew! In my room!” Jack’s high pitched squeal interrupting the moment.

“Your fault, you're the one who jumped out the window, we just went to follow you.” I answered, leaning my head against Lukes chest, his head tilting down to press a kiss to the top of my head.

[hockeywriterrowan]

make it weird - jack hughes

summary: kat's vacation gets gatecrashed by the one guy she cannot stand.

word count: 2,140

note: this is for @torontoflames as part of the summer fic exchange 2k23. i've tried my hand at enemies-to-lovers and i hope you enjoy! @laurenairay and @matthewtkachuk are gems and helped me with this a lot <3

There were few sounds in the world Kat found more infuriating than Jack’s laugh. Intellectually she knew that it was a perfectly fine laugh, nothing unusual or grating about it; that didn’t stop her eyes from rolling back into her skull when it filled the room.

Had he ever done anything specific to warrant such a visceral reaction? Kat honestly couldn’t remember. She was sure there was something at some point that had laid the groundwork for her ever-simmering hatred even if she could no longer recall.

More pressing than his laugh at that exact moment, though, was his presence on the once-in-a-lifetime Greek Island Vacation that Kat had been dreaming about since she was fifteen. It had all been going to plan with no setbacks and no surprises until two weeks out when she heard Jack had purchased flights on a whim.

Still, Kat tried to smile across at Sarah, who was furiously trying to butter her toast before it got too cold and was completely unaware that Kat’s grip on her spoon was leaving indentations in her hand.

“About time you two woke up,” Sarah joked, tilting her head up to meet Nico’s lips before he sat down, leaving Jack to take the empty seat beside Kat.

Sarah knew all about Kat’s dislike of Jack—in fact, she’d forced Nico to be the one to break the news—and it was an open secret at the table, so Kat continued to glare holes in Sarah’s head, getting more intense every time Jack opened his mouth.

When the vacation was organised, Kat hadn’t been bothered by Nico coming along. She liked Nico, she liked that Sarah was dating him, she liked that he’d suggested a very nice resort over their original plans and offered to pay the difference, and even though she knew it would mean she would be spending quite a lot of time on her own it was okay. Going on a day tour organised by the resort was perfect, swimming in the cove by the resort was fantastic and, truthfully, even when Jack was the only one around to play tennis against it was fine.

Because he was on the other side of the court and she could unleash any hatred she had in the form of an overhand shot that landed rapidly and directly at his feet or on the other side of the court and make him dive. Jack took it all in stride, as he so often did, and rolled through each dive like the pro-athlete he was.

His diving got more theatrical when a few young women appeared on the next court.

“Are you for fucking real?” Kat grumbled under her breath as Jack missed the easiest shot she’d sent him all afternoon because he was distracted by one of the women waving at him.

Kat couldn’t shake the annoyance she felt with the flirting because there was no way she and Jack didn’t look like a couple and it was just plain rude for them to be flirting so blatantly.

“Do you want to keep going or are we done?”

“Serve it up, let’s go,” Jack responded, unfazed and seemingly unaware that Kat was being more curt with him than normal.

Kat served it directly at his feet and delighted in the panicked jump he took to get out of the way; she was less delighted by the giggles from his new posse        . Really, as much as she didn’t want Jack to be ruining her holiday, the least he could do is pay attention if he was spending time with her.

He held it together long enough to serve it back to Kat in the exact right spot for Kat to lob it back to him rather viciously. The humph that left him as it connected with his stomach was music to her ears and exactly what she needed to be able to leave feeling satisfied.

If Jack noticed that she was leaving the court, he didn’t say a thing.

Kat spent the next day wandering the resort and the island by herself—well, on a resort organised tour. She left before anyone else was awake and arrived back home in time for dinner as a group where nobody questioned her decision to be alone.

It was better than being stuck watching Jack flirt with the gaggle of young women who seemingly followed him everywhere. Including to dinner. He was aware enough, thankfully, to read the looks on her, Sarah and Nico’s faces and understand that his new friend was not welcome.

“If you go on another day trip, can I come?” Jack asked.

“I guess,” Kat said, less reluctant than at the start of dinner. As annoying as she found him and his laugh, he did have a way of wearing her down over every meal; it just never lasted long enough to dissipate completely. “Probably not tomorrow. I’m getting drunk by the pool tonight.”

Jack’s smile was so wide it must have hurt his cheeks when he said, “I could get drunk by the pool.”

They were able to cajole Sarah and Nico into joining them and Kat was grateful for the evening with her best friend and for the distraction from Jack. There wasn’t much swimming done, just some wading into the shallow end between drinks because the staff on duty were sticklers for the no glass in the pool rule.

Sarah talked about the day trips out of the resort, and they agreed that they’d check out the scooter tour through Rhodes both as something different from what they’d both been up to and because they knew that Nico and Jack would undoubtedly do something together that was worth laughing at.

“I’m yours for the rest of the vacation,” Sarah promised. “I know I’ve been the worst friend ever leaving you with Jack.”

“I knew what I was getting into.” Kat was sure that her words were just a little hollow and her smile not entirely convincing because Sarah frowned and then said she was disappearing back to her room for a few minutes but would be right back with a present.

Kat was left with nothing to do but kick her feet under the barstool.

Across the bar she noticed a man sitting by himself and she made a decision—she wasn’t going to be the only person on the trip not getting laid, so she stood up, tried to subtly make her bikini top do something for her tits and walked towards the man with her shoulders back.

She tapped on his shoulder when she reached him, put on her most flirty smile when he turned around, and said, “Hi, I’m Kat. What are you drinking?”

The man’s face went through multiple different facial expressions, none particularly clear but none at all good, and Kat’s confidence shattered into pieces when he laughed so abruptly and so harshly that he immediately started choking.

“Nothing you can afford to buy me, sweetheart, and nothing I’d buy for a girl who got into her mommy’s make up.”

Kat wasn’t entirely sure how she got away, she had no memory of leaving because all she could see in front of her was his face, yet she ended up at the open door of a cubby and hid away in it without hesitation and kicked the door shut behind her.

If she wasn’t willing away the tears in her eyes, she may have been able to appreciate it for the secluded, cozy space that it was and not the stark reminder that she was going to be the only person on her vacation who didn’t have any fun.

The scraping of the door had Kat glaring at the ceiling; none of the details of that were clear either through the tears.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“With you?” she asked, nothing but bite in her voice. “No.”

Footsteps drew closer to her and it was the final straw for a tear to escape—she tried to swiftly wipe it off her cheek before Jack saw. The movement was more than enough to give her away.

“I can go find Sarah but I don’t know if you want to explain and relive that.”

“Explain that I tried to put myself out there and he literally laughed in my face? Probably not.” She inhaled sharply. “Wow, I’m reliving it anyway.”

“I know you don’t like me very much—and don’t lie about it,” he interjected when she opened her mouth to deny. “It’s fine. You don’t have to like me. I just don’t think you should let one guy ruin your trip.”

Kat laughed, so hard that she snorted, at the irony of the one guy who had ruined her trip saying that. Jack preened, thinking he had accomplished something by making her laugh.

“I can handle being rejected,” she said firmly before admitting meekly, “He hit every insecurity I have in like two sentences.”

“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Look, you aren’t exactly my favourite person in the world either but you’re hot and he’s an idiot, so.”

Kat’s mouth opened, and then shut when she couldn’t get any words out. She didn’t even know what words she wanted to say. All she could do was stare up at Jack and try to make sense of what he’d said.

“Don’t make it weird,” he joked as he nudged her thigh with his knee.

Knowing that if she kept looking at him she was certainly going to make it weird, Kat looked out one of the cubby’s windows and briefly caught sight of Sarah returning to poolside with Nico.

“Why did you crash my vacation?” she asked, finally getting to the question she’d been wanting to ask since she heard he’d bought flights.

“Your vacation?” Jack asked incredulously as if it was the first he was hearing about him inviting himself along at all.

“This is a vacation Sarah and I have been thinking about since freshman year,” Kat explained, exasperation growing inside her again as it so often did when Jack was involved. “I barely got over Nico being invited.”

Jack was sure and certain, far less incredulous, and told her, as if he’d had his explanation planned for quite some time, “I crashed your vacation because I knew someone was going to end up being the third wheel. I really kinda thought it’d be Neeks but I was prepared to make you like me if I had to.”

Unable to keep looking away, Kat was taken aback by the soft smile on Jack’s face. She’d never seen him look less than smug and was utterly disarmed by the change. And by the way it made her feel.

“Thank you. For being here. On my vacation and right now.”

“Don’t make it weird,” he said with the same nudge of her thigh as earlier.

He extended his hand to her, saying that they should rejoin Nico and Sarah before they started to worry or ask questions. Kat pretended she didn’t feel the fluttering in her stomach when their hands touched. She also ignored the disappointment she felt when he let go when she was standing.

Instead of walking with her to Sarah and Nico, Jack turned in the direction of the bar. If he were anybody else, Kat might be worried that he was going to find the guy who had rejected her. As little as she actually knew him, it didn’t take much leap in logic to realise he was just going to get them drinks.

Sarah and Nico were sitting at a table closer to the pool than Sarah and Kat had been, a little brown bag on the table in front of them.

“This my present?” Kat asked, reaching out to open the bag slightly. “Oh, yum, baklava.”

She took one of the empty seats and wasted no time tearing open the bag and indulging. Sarah and Nico watched her for a moment, before their eyes shifted back towards the bar, and Kat knew that they’d seen her and Jack leave the cozy cubby together.

“Something you want to share?” Sarah asked, one eyebrow slightly raised.

“Nope,” came Jack’s voice from above Kat’s head, shortly followed by his arm and the drink he was placing in front of Kat.

As the moon rose and the sun disappeared completely from the sky, Kat reluctantly admitted to herself that Jack wasn’t all that bad—even his laugh was contagious more than grating in the aftermath of his comforting moment.

Kat took the opportunity when Sarah and Nico went to get another round of drinks to ask Jack, “Did you mean it? That you think I’m hot?”

A familiar smirk formed on Jack’s face, his hand moving to her bare thigh.

“Don’t make it weird, Kat.”

Please consider leaving feedback—reblog and write in the tags or send an ask, I’m not fussed. I just want to know what you’re thinking!

[hockeywriterrowan]

wow. this is amazing it’s like so good i have no words

"A tale of dancing and romancing" - Jack Hughes x Tkachuk!Reader

Summary: In which your feelings for your best friend, Jack, have always been one-sided. Or so you think. A/N: Not really sure how much I like the ending of this, but anywho, enjoy this best friends to lovers fic (it's my favourite trope, okay?) Also, I promise next time there's crying at a wedding, it's happy tears.

------------------------------------

"You're still in love with him, aren't you?" Quinn mummers as he pulls a chair up beside yours, turning it around so he can rest his arms on the backrest. You're fiddling with a napkin, ripping the white paper to tiny shreds to keep your fingers occupied. Without a word, he pulls it from your grip, trying to make the clean-up team's job a little easier.

The ceremony, reception, dinner and dessert are over, and not long ago most of the wedding-goers abandoned their tables in favour of the dance floor. 

Brady and Emma are in the centre of it, surrounded by their friends and family and singing along, horribly, to some British pop song.

They look happy and in love, which does nothing to help your sulking. 

Up until now, Quinn had been letting loose with them, but then he must have caught you sitting alone at the table you shared with him, his brothers and a few others doing dinner and decided to come to bother you. Or cheer you up, you guess.

"Sounds so pathetic when you say it like that," you mumble, eyeing the ground like it's the most interesting thing you've ever seen. But then again, counting all the marks and creaks in the linoleum floor of the wedding tent sounds infinitely better than looking at him.

"Nothing pathetic about being in love." 

A scoff leaves your lips at Quinn's poetic words, all the hurting you've been keeping down bubbling to the surface. 

"There is when it's your best friend and it's unrequited and he's over there chatting up some girl he met two seconds ago."

You're lashing out at Quinn, it's irrational, mainly because none of this is Quinn's fault, but if anyone can handle your outbursts, it's the man you consider a third older brother. 

This also isn't the first time the two of you have had this conversation. 

It's probably the conversation you have had the most over the years with the oldest Hughes brother, to be honest.

Quinn sighs and pinches his nose, shaking his head in exasperation. 

"I don't understand why you won't just tell him."

He makes it sound so simple. Like you could just rock up to Jack and say 'Hey, by the way, I've been in love with you since Brady and Quinn introduced us when we were 15!' and then continue to act indifferently around him. 

Because that's what you would have to do. 

At no point in the history of Jack and your friendship has he ever so much as hinted that he feels a sliver of the feelings you do for him.

So, you pretend like your heart isn't about to beat out of your chest whenever he smiles at you and his dimples show, or like being cuddled up next to him during your weekly movie nights doesn't mean anything to you, or like living with him all summer and occasionally sharing a bed doesn't make you wonder what it would be like to do so the whole year.

"You know why, Quinn." 

You try to take back the napkin from him, hands growing antsier by the second, but he moves it out of reach, so you settle for pushing dropped salt left on the tablecloth around instead.

"I don't think I do. You always just say that and then never give me an explanation." Quinn says, then chuckle a bit when you line the salt up in straight lines.

"Because he's not interested in me!" your hand twitches at your outburst, the salt lines going wonky. At the same time, you're all too aware of the people close enough to you who might have heard you raising your voice and in turn, the topic of conversation.

"He's never been and he never will be and I don't want to screw it up and lose him as a friend too," you continue, voice lower and with a hint of defeat this time.

Quinn hands you the napkin back, this time for the tears he can tell are threatening to spill and you accept it gratefully. His arm wraps around you and tugs you into him, your head coming to rest on his shoulder. 

Careful of your makeup, you dab the napkin under your eyes, hoping it's not too obvious.

"Heads up," Quinn whispers into your hair, quickly removing his arm, momentarily leaving you confused. 

"Why are you making my best friend cry?" Jack says, obviously trying to be funny, but his voice lacks humour. Instead, it comes out accusing, like he thinks his big brother did make you cry and is about to take revenge. Quinn just rolls his eyes, but gets up from his chair nonetheless and leaves the two of you, a meaningful glance in your direction and a pat on Jack's shoulder as goodbye. 

Taking a deep breath, you force yourself to look at your best friend. And what a sight.

The top three buttons on his dress shirt are undone, revealing his toned and tan chest, his sleeves rolled up to reveal his forearms and hair messy from dancing and running his hands through it. Jack smiles at you, then extends his hand.

"Dance with me?"

"What about the blonde?"

"Kate?" A puzzled look clouds his features at the mention of your cousin. Your very married cousin. He had been talking to her, not trying to get some random bridesmaid in his bed like you had assumed. Blood rushes to your cheeks, embarrassed at how stupid and possessive you sounded just then, hoping he didn't pick up on it. 

Luckily, he doesn't seem to notice, or he decides to ignore it, instead urging you to take his still outstretched hand with a little shake of it.

You yield, of course, you do, and slip your hand into his warm one. 

You let him pull you up and onto the dance floor, let him wrap his arms around your waist and rest your own behind his neck, your fingers finding his grown-out hair, which you've been begging him to cut. 

Jack's eyes bore into yours, almost like he's trying to tell you something with them, but the intimacy of it gets too much, so you flicker your eyes to a spot over his shoulder. Just in time to see Quinn nudging Luke, pointing to where you and Jack are stood, not having started as much as swaying yet. The youngest Hughes grins when he spots you and wiggles his eyebrows. As retaliation, you stick your tongue out at him, then realise Jack notices your antics when he starts laughing. 

The song changes and he starts to move you softly, smoothly turning you so your back is to his brothers.

"This DJ is shit." You comment once you clock in exactly what song is playing. 

Whistle by Flo Rida blares through the speakers, earning almost no positive reactions from the people around you. It's also not a song that makes sense to slow dance to, but Jack seems adamant about continuing your chosen form of dancing, keeping the slow pace each time you try to speed up. 

"Yeah..." he trails off, an almost embarrassed look on his face as his cheeks turn pink and he's the one now refusing to make eye contact. 

Before you can question him on it, Brady bumps into the two of you, clearly way past tipsy, and throws one arm around Jack and the other around you. He's heavy, resting all his weight on you and his voice is way too loud, considering he's standing right there. 

"Jack I'm never trusting you with music requests again, that song is horrible!"

Your brothers' words make your head snap back to Jack, your mouth falling open. He says a few words to your brother, something along the lines of 'sorry man' and 'you can change it' and when Brady leaves, you're sure he's about to do just that. Then, Jack finally looks at you.

"You requested that?"

Pink hues change to deep reds on his cheeks, a shy smile replacing the sly grin he was wearing before, fingers fiddling with the back of your dress and a nod so quick you almost don't catch it.

"Why?"

"This is the song that played when we - uh - danced at prom."

Ah, yes. Prom. 

The night Jack Hughes stole your heart and made it impossible for you to ever get it back. You had known each other for about two years at that point, the label of best friends in place for a year and six months, and then came senior year prom. 

Some guy you can't recall the name of now had asked you to go with him and you convinced Jack wasn't going to ask you, had said yes.

That turned out a mistake, considering the guy left you twenty minutes after you arrived to make out with his ex-girlfriend. 

He had only asked you to make her jealous.

So there you had been sitting, with your back against the wall and sipping from a flask Trevor had snuck in and slipped you, when Jack had joined you, not caring about the sticky gym floor ruining his favourite game-day suit. And after he'd gotten you to stop crying and mumbling about losing the chance to slow dance, he'd practically dragged you with him to the dance floor. Just as he had you in a slow dancing position, though, that song had started playing, and while a lesser man would have made you wait for another song, he didn't, instead choosing to look like an idiot for you. He still ended up being crowned prom king with his original date, though.

How you hadn't thought of that exact memory the second the opening tunes had started now, was a mystery to you. Maybe it was because the proximity of him was clouding your senses, his cologne filling your nose and his heart beating in tune with yours. Or maybe you had repressed the memory, convincing yourself the night meant nothing. Which it hadn't, not to Jack, at least.

Which is why you couldn't seem to figure out why he had requested that specific song. 

So, you decide to ask him about it, just as the music stops and quickly resumes, this time with the original wedding playlist Emma no doubt spent hours making. 

Jack doesn't answer immediately, instead choosing to grab your hand in his, push you a few inches away, and then spin you under his arm before you're back chest to chest. He moves your hands behind his neck again, his own finding your waist once more and pulling you closer in an almost hug, 

"Feels like you've been a little distant with me lately and I wanted you to remember something nice."

At his words, you suck in a quick breath, not having expected him to pick up on that. Since the beginning of summer, you've been trying to protect your heart more than normally, knowing spending the entire break with him would be hard otherwise. 

There was also that one small blip right before the off-season started, when the Devils had won their series against the Rangers, and you had all been out celebrating. 

Jack and you had both been a little too tipsy, a little too handsy and somehow your lips had ended up on his soft ones. 

Neither of you had acknowledged it since, though. 

You're not about to start now, either.

"You thought the prom dancing was nice?"

Jack huffs out a strangled laugh, making it hard for you to decide whether he's relieved that's what you're asking or more disappointed that's where you decide to take it.

"I think everything with you is nice," he says, looking you square in the eyes.

"I think everything with you is more than nice, actually. It's great, amazing. Perfect, even."

Your fingers stop curling his hair around them, your body stops swaying and your mind goes blank. Jack's expression gives you nothing, his eyes searching yours for signs of what you think of his words, but otherwise, you can't tell the meaning behind them.

"Well, I would hope so. That's what hanging out with your best friend should be, no?" You laugh, trying to diffuse the sudden tension and seriousness between you. 

It wasn't the right thing to say, though, because Jack's face falls, arms loosening around you.

"Don't do that," He whispers, looking so, so hurt you want to wrap him in a hug and say all the right things to make his smile come back. Except, you have no idea what the right thing is right now, not even sure what this conversation is about.

At your confused expression, Jack just sighs and runs his hand through his hair, messing it up even more. He opens his mouth, and looks like he's about to say something, but then thinks better of it and closes it again. He spins around and then back to you, clutching his shirt collar.

"Don't act like my tie isn't matching your dress!" He bursts out, taking you by surprise. Then, the confusion continues. 

"You're not wearing a tie, Jacky." You eye his bare chest, the tie he arrived with long forgotten over the back of a chair somewhere in the venue.

"I- that's not- I was. I was wearing a tie, and it was the same exact blue as your dress. And I wore it so people would look at us and think we're together."

"Jack," you say, his name on your lips breathless and barely there, and reach forward to lay your hand on his arm. He's not done, though, and the words keep spilling from his lips, seemingly unable to stop the river from flowing.

"Just like I wear your hair tie on my wrist, or beg you to wear my jersey or introduce you to people as my Y/n. So please stop acting like we're just best friends because each time you do, it feels like you're reaching into my chest and ripping my heart out!" 

His chest is heaving from speaking so quickly, and while you're sure the guests around you have noticed your discussion or argument or confession or whatever this is, you can't bring yourself to care.

"But you've never-"

"Given you any signs? Of course, I have! I love you, but you're the most oblivious person on the planet, Y/n/n. I've tried giving you signs for years." His tongue darts out to wet his lips, a wild look in his eye, only egging you more on, not even registering his words. Who is he to be angry when you're the one who suffered for years?

"I think I would have noticed if you- wait. You love me?"

"Do I love you?" He scoffs, taking a second to catch his breath before continuing, "I'm in love with you, you're my other half, I can't live without you, and don't want to either, whatever you want to call it, yes I'm that."

Taking a shaky breath and a small step towards him, you reach out for him.

"I love you too. And, um, all those other things too."

"You better," he grumbles, then, grabs both sides of your face and pulls your lips to his. Your hands find his waist and you grab onto the stiff material of his white shirt, bunching it up and undoubtedly crinkling it.

The kiss is different than the one you shared a few months ago. 

Where that was sloppy and rushed, mostly because of your intoxication, this one is slow, filled with all the yeaning and love you've been keeping at bay for the better part of seven years. 

One of Jack's hands moves to your waist and he pulls you closer so you're flush against his chest, a small gasp leaving your lips when he squeezes. He takes the opportunity to slide his tongue into your mouth, meeting yours and you try not to dwell too long on how skilled he is with it. Suddenly, a hand lands on your arm and your lips are ripped from Jack's.

Both of you quickly open your eyes, only to be met with your oldest brother.

"You know, I'm so happy, thrilled, even, that you two idiots have finally decided to come clean about your feelings. However, I would greatly appreciate it if you weren't trying to suck my baby sister's face off right in front of me." Matthew says as he shakes Jack and you out of your daze, a grin on his face showing you he truly is happy. 

Still, you don't miss the silent warning he shoots Jack, who immediately nods solemnly. Satisfied, Matty decides to leave you alone again, and you turn to your best friend.

You're both sporting cheesy smiles, the effects of your kiss not having worn off completely, despite the rude way it was broken up. Jack links his fingers with yours and you lean back a little, grinning, before you're drawn back to his chest again, forcing him to tip his chin downwards to look at you.

Love is swimming in his baby blues, and maybe it's always been there and maybe he was right about you being oblivious, but right this second, you only care about it still being there. 

"Does this mean there will finally be a room available for some of my friends in the lake house?" Luke interrupts, all of your brothers apparently having decided that that's the move tonight.

Jack groans, shoving his brother away from where he's standing beside you.

"Shut up," He says, refocusing his attention on you. 

"I'm just saying, now that Y/n doesn't need her room- yuck, okay whatever." You grin into the quick kisses Jack is placing on your lips, his attempt at getting Luke to go away obviously working.

"I love you," He mumbles, hugging you more than he's kissing you now.

"I love you too," you confirm, content filling your body for the first time in years.