matsmarts - Tumblr blog

[matsmarts]

no thoughts. just trent frederic.

[matsmarts]

intoxication | quinn hughes

a/n: hi! i hope you enjoy <3

summary: in which y/n takes care of a less than sober, inebriated quinn hughes after he goes out bar hopping with teammates elias and brock, to welcome the beginning of off-season.

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

the time 3:02am glows red in thin lines on your alarm, the numbers being smudged in sleep as you blink awake from what was meant to be a short rest for your eyes. your peaceful slumber had been abruptly disrupted by the loud ringtone of your phone which was sat beside you on your bedside table. 

tiredness quickly overwhelms your body and you let out a small groan before placing one of your hands over your phone in an attempt to silence it, however, the piercing noise remains insistent, your eyes naturally squinting against the sudden brightness of your phone screen. you find yourself sitting up when you recognise elias’s contact name spread across your phone screen in bold white letters.

“hello?” you greet tiredly, rolling your shoulders in an attempt to loosen them up a bit as your weariness begins to pass. you had accidentally fallen asleep, shit

“ah and the sleeping beauty is finally awake,” elias’s voice comes through from the other end of the line, rough and laced with a hint of amusement in it, before he continues, “i’ve got something for you.”

your eyebrows furrow in confusion, “what?” you question. god it was too early in the morning for this.

“a grumpy old man”, he responds, a hint of humour laced clearly in his tone of voice

“which one?” you question, attempting to stifle back your own laugh before you hear an amused crackle from the other end of the line, confirming that your joke had in fact been comical. “what happened to twelve? i tried to wait up” you question.

“someone had a little too much to drink.” he responds back, before you can hear commotion from the other side of the line, a joyous yell, followed by elias groaning loudly.

“well being completely sober during the season and then going bar hopping on a night out with you two tends to stir something within quinn, understandably” you mumble, scooting to the edge of your bed to put on your shoes.

“you have no idea” elias mutters. quinn’s voice suddenly appears, however it's distant and way too distorted for you to make out the specifics of what he's saying, only being able to hear him speak a quick “who are you on the phone to, drink up.”

"oh my god elias, is he still drinking?", you question, as you begin to search for your keys that you had sworn you left on your bedside table by your phone.

before he gets the chance to respond to you another voice sounds, "hey, what the hell was that noise” quinn questions, before he’s abruptly cut off. “hey quinn-”, you begin to speak, however you're cut off almost instantly.

“honey?” quinn's voice is loud enough that you wince and pull your phone away from your ear, “is that you?"

“yes q, it's me,” you softly murmur, before dropping to the floor, continuing the search for your keys. eventually finding them you hook a finger through the key ring, before the sound of quinn's voice grabs your attention once more.

“i miss you,” he mumbles softly, his words were slurred and heartfelt, to the point where he couldn't get them out fast enough with a heavy tongue. “will you come get me please baby?" he questions, your heart bursts with how vulnerable he sounded. god he was adorable in this state

“i’m on my way quinn, please don’t get into too much trouble,” you command gently.

he makes a disgruntled noise. “of course not, i would never my love”

“and please don’t drink any more, you’re going to have a killer hangover tomorrow as it is", you speak softly, before you find yourself stepping out of your shared apartment and making your way to the elevator, pressing the button for the ground floor.

“that's not true, my tolerance is-” he hiccups and bursts into a laugh, “high. way higher than elias’s”

“is that true?” you respond, stifling a laugh before stepping out of the elevator once the doors have opened. 

“yeah,” quinn affirms

“interesting. can’t wait to see how golden boy is doing then.”

“not great, but at least he’s having fun” elias cuts in, “he’s going to regret- quinn, give me a second. he’s gonna regret ever touching the-- hughes, damn it--the gin. you asshole, quinn you have your own phone for a reason”

there’s a click and then silence, leaving you staring amusedly at a dimming screen with one foot ready to climb into your car. “well then, i guess that's my sign to get going” you mumble to yourself, turning off your phone before setting it neatly in the cupholder. once the engine is turned on you scan the clean interior of your car, hoping desperately that it would stay that way, although you weren't so sure

you’re only a few minutes from the bar when your phone begins to ring, abruptly breaking the silence which had consumed you for the past ten minutes or so. it was quinn, shocker

his voice is stretched out and mournful when you answer, your name replaced with a rare "baby?"

“hey honey. you found your phone yeah?”

he ignores you, breathing out a long sigh. “i miss you.”

“quinn love, we just talked on the phone,” you laugh. “i haven’t even given you a chance to miss me yet.”

he seems to think it over for a short moment, caught in his own intoxicated mind before speaking up once more, “are you on your way?”

“i’m almost there", you reply back simply, your attention focused heavily on the road as people scramble by. it was clear that the mad rush for uber's had begun

“that’s good y/n, because i miss you.”

“do you now?” you hum, amused at the amount of times quinn had repeated himself unknowingly in the past few minutes when speaking with you.

“elias knows how much i do,” quinn mumbles softly 

“i bet he does,” you laugh, while quinn hums in confirmation. “how much have you had to drink? you sound a little different” you ask. 

“i missed this, i missed the off-season” quinn muses, “i love gin.. and vodka, and ah also malibu too, i think” he rambles, listing off all of the spirits he must've consumed on his night out

you sigh in defeat, acknowledging that it was going to be a long night, for the both of you. “you’re going to take that back tomorrow”, you mutter shortly in response, before turning on to the street of the bar, “but it’s okay because i’ll take care of you.”

you're met with silence, before you hear quinn breathe out loud, almost sounding sorrowful

you frown in response, your eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “huggy? is something wrong?”, you question, worry laced clearly in the tone of your voice.

“no,” he sulks in response, however you knew it was a complete lie.

you don’t bother pushing him however, knowing that he would be more stubborn than usual due to his intoxicated state, responding back with a brief, "if you say so. i’m almost there, okay? i’m going to hang up now.”

“don’t hang up. i want to hear your voice,” quinn pleads, trying to reason with you.

“i’ll make you a deal,” you speak softly, before your gaze lands on the bar. "if i hang up, you’ll get a lot more than my voice in a minute. how does that sound hm?”

there’s a sigh on his end, before you hear him mutter to himself,  "so much for technology in bringing you closer to the people you love". despite clearly meaning to speak to himself, quinn had mistakenly spoken loud enough for you to hear.

a smirk grows across your facial features, you didn't get to see this side of him very often, you loved it. quinn was finally able to let loose, free from the constraints that the hockey season had placed on him, he wasn't so uptight, it was refreshing. “what happened to ‘we did just fine back in the day’?” mocking quinn and the line he would always use against you when he believed you had been on the phone too much, even if it was work related. 

"y/n", he calls out, dragging out the last letter of your name, pleading with you.

"god and you say i'm clingy when intoxicated, you're a whole other level love, not to mention you get very dramatic too, you know that? i’ll be with you before you know it.”

“no y/n. no… c’mon, please, baby”

“i’m pulling in!” you exclaim, cutting him off.

he's quick to respond, “i don’t see you”

you roll your eyes in response, "that’s not surprising q, seeing through walls isn’t a normal human ability, as far as i know,” you tease, shutting off the engine and unbuckling yourself before jumping out of the car.

“i’m coming in love, keep an eye out for me yeah?” you state softly, before coming to a stop in front of the familiar bar. you begin to make your way through the entrace, a billowy, pungent scent of liquor lingers. it reeked

before you even have enough time to collect yourself and gather your senses, elias comes bounding up to you, a little too enthusiastically as he accidentally bumps his shoulder into yours. a slight smirk covers his features before he raises his voice, “please tell me you're taking quinn home and putting him straight to bed”

“yes, have you seen him anywhere?" you muster, letting elias usher you further inside, hoping that he's leading you in the direction of quinn's whereabouts.  

quinn's muffled voice sounds from your phone, muttering your name once more, a reminder that he’s still on the line, but you don’t need to answer once you notice him in a seat next to brock, slumped next to him.

pure confusion is laced in quinn's features, his eyebrows furrowed as he stares down at his phone, attempting to figure out why you had suddenly stopped talking to him, despite still being on call with him. once you’re a few steps behind him, you hang up and slip your phone into your pocket.

quinn grunts in response, pulling a face as he stares at his phone, fingers already moving to your contact just when you position yourself close enough to him. it’s only a moment of confusion to his inebriation before he turns, furrowed brows softening when his eyes meet yours. his phone falls to the table, forgotten

he murmurs your name softly, revelling in the fact that you had just been speaking to him on the phone, and now you were here, standing right in front of him. he reaches out immediately, lacing his fingers with yours, providing him with a sense of reassurance that you were in fact standing in front of him, and that it wasn't just his inebriated state and mind playing tricks on him.

“hey you,” you whisper 

“you found me,” he mutters softly, pulling you closer towards him out of instinct

your free index finger reaches up to brush a stray strand of brown hair from his face, grazing the warm skin of his forehead, and he leans into it, his other hand going up to grab it too.

you can’t help your smile that manages to escape, dipping down to softly place kisses along his hairline. “ready to go home?”

he hums in agreeance, watching you with a loving gaze. quinn begins to move closer to you, causing brock's elbow to slide down the table. noticing what would happen if you didn't intervene, you swiftly remove one of your hands from quinn's to hold brock's head before it slams down on to the surface. you turn to elias in shock however he simply shrugs in response. they really took their night out's seriously.

you carefully set him down, his head laying on the table, before awkwardly patting his hair, attempting to comfort him. "looks like golden boy's had his time too" you state, however you're only met with a loud groan from brock in response.

quinn pulls on the hand of yours that he had still been holding, bringing your attention back to him.

“what’s wrong?” you ask, crouching down to his seated level, an attempt to be able to see him better.

he grins at you giddily, "you look very pretty.”

you roll your eyes at him however can’t help your heart from bursting of love for him. "you look pretty too, you know that?” you respond back.

“he knows,” elias cuts in, near accusing towards you.

“shut up pettersson,” quinn mumbles.

elias scowls in response, before moving closer towards brock, draping his body over himself, "i’ll see you tomorrow, gotta lug this idiot out and get him home"

“okay,” you laugh, “thank you elias, get home safe yeah?”

he nods his head in response, muttering a brief "thank you, you too" before leaving you and quinn alone. quinn's gaze is already focused on you when you turn to face him again

“do you need help getting up?” you ask. he shakes his head but you throw his arm over your shoulder anyway, pulling him to his feet. quinn's heavy but at least somewhat steady with your help. “god, quinn”

“s all muscle” he mumbles

“i know,” you assure amusedly

the walk towards the exit of the bar only lasts a couple of seconds before he begins to sway. you try your best to hold him up, but are forced to fall back onto a couch with him when the top of your left knee bumps into one. you begin to stand up, however quinn is quick to react, clamping his fingers around your wrists when you move to get up, his gaze landing on you once more.

"quinn?” you question, confused by his actions, hoping that it wasn't his stomach disagreeing with the alcohol he had just consumed prior to your arrival.

“you came to pick me up,” he says, as if just realising it. “all the way here.” he finishes

“of course. i've got to get you home safe, baby.”

he grasps your hands a little bit tighter than before. “baby,” he repeats favourably.

you don’t usually call him that, and even in his drunken state, quinn realises it.

“what’s the time?” he questions suddenly

“three i think, maybe coming closer to four now?” you assume. quinn is distracted enough to sit by as you stand, your knees accidentally bumping into his. “very late. or, early, i suppose you could say”

he inhales deeply, staring up at you lovingly

“what’s wrong?” you question immediately, your voice dropping to a much softer pitch

“you came for me,” he echoes.

“i did,” you agree patiently, “do you want to stand up so we can get home?”

“i love you.” it’s the most sober he’s sounded.

“i love you too,” you assure, dipping down to hold his chin between your fingers. your thumb softly swiping across his cheek. “you know that.”

“i do,” he whispers.

you smile in response, squeezing him lovingly between your palms, before murmuring a brief “up", pulling on him until he’s just above hovering over the couch.

“marry me,” he blurts, as if it’s been on the tip of his tongue this whole night

you smile at him, focused on bringing and keeping him on his feet. once he appears to be stable, you take small steps toward the exit, “maybe later q”

“you promise y/n?” your focus has shifted entirely from your task at hand on to quinn, his hazy eyes gleaming back at you. despite his intoxicated state he notices you're about to bump your hip on the sharp point of a chair, immediately moving to cup it with his hands before you get the chance to bump into it. quinn then continues, clumsily pulling the door of the bar open, wanting to wait until you’re out first but you don’t let him.

“i do,” you respond as you move in front of him, continuing to guide him to your car, before helping him crawl in and looping an index around his seatbelt. his fingers interrupt you before the buckle has moved further than his chest. “quinn?”

he extends his pinky and stares at you pointedly

complying, you curve your pinky around his. once satisfied, he lets you buckle him in and watches as you round the car to your seat.

“jack and i should really go out, and luke too, if we can manage to sneak him in.”

“we’ll see,” you laugh, starting the engine.

he pulls at the arm nearest to him before you can begin driving, extending his fingers out expectantly, and lacing one of your hands with his.

“i'm hungry,” he declares, settling in as you drive. “can we get food?”

“of course.” you state softly

[matsmarts]

a collection of quinn hughes (& tz) pictures to express my mood:

(my face has actually been in this permanent expression for 30 minutes)

[matsmarts]

i need sad and angsty umich sh!t now. i want to die inside because i am so sad.

[matsmarts]

All I can think about is duker breaking down to you about luke leaving and losing his best friend 😭

And the battle was long, it’s the fight of our lives, but we’ll stand up champions tonight | Dylan Duke

theres one person she think dylan might love more than her, and it's luke warren hughes

for the last 48 hours dylan has been loud. winning a national championship will do that to you. but suddenly, he's gone quiet. to quiet.

she frowns as he sits on the hockey house couch hunched over himself,

"dyl," she says softly as she puts a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump, "babe," he looks up at her eyes wide,

"sorry hi. do you need something? we can dance i know-" but she squeezes his shoulder effectively cutting him off,

"you're quiet," dylan frowns,

"what?" she bites her lip examining his face. she reaches down and cups his cheek gently, immediately the forward leans into it eyes fluttering shut,

"lets go home," she says softly. dylan looks around frantically,

"no i- im ok," she shakes her head,

"home dylan," he lets out a breath relaxing,

"ok," she smiles, leaning down to kiss his forehead then pressing hers to his,

"i love you," dylans face flushes,

"love you too," she then helps him up and the couple escapes the house unnoticed.

dylan doesn't let go of her hand until he has to unlock his front door, and immediately he grabs back on as they make their way to his room.

once the bedroom door has clicked shut behind them, dylan collapses into her, causing her to stumble,

"shit dyl," she mumbles, wrapping her arms around him as he sobs, "shhh baby its ok," she rubs his back soothingly as he heaves,

"cant- cant-" she manhandles him until he's sitting in his desk chair and cups his face in her hands,

"breath dylan in and out come on," she starts to exaggerate her breaths and blow air on his face on her exhales.

it takes several minutes, but soon dylans breath has returned and his tears have slowed,

"there we go," she mutters, rubbing his cheekbones gently, "whats going on baby doll?" dylans eyes fill with tears once again,

"i miss luke," he confesses voice quiet as a mouse. she frowns tilting her head,

"he's only been gone two days dyl," dylan looks down,

"you don't get it," she sighs lifting his chin,

"then help me get it," dylan lets out a breath,

"luke is my best friend y/n/n. has been since we were 14, and I don't know anything without him. i don't know michigan hockey without him. we committed together, i was there when he signed his commitment letter, he was there when i signed mine. we've done it all. me and him. hughesy and dukey," she smiles down at her boyfriend knowingly,

"dyl luke might not be here anymore but that boy loves michigan more than anything," dylan chuckles, "he's not going to disappear from your life," she smiles, "i actually think you're both so dependant on each other that he'll call you literally any chance he gets. actually i already know that considering last night you guys talked for three hours," dylan bites his lip,

"well uh yah," she smiles leaning down to kiss him,

"hes not going anywhere dyl i promise,"

[matsmarts]

𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 - 𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒂 𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊

summary: you and luca are best friends but are always acting like a married couple. could it mean something more? pairing: luca fantilli x reader requested: yes a/n: here i am shaking as i post this one. i really hope you like it and please remember you can request blurbs!! not proofread warnings: cursing word count: 2,4k lowercase intended.

“i once believed love would be burning red

but it's golden

like daylight”

daylight, taylor swift.

lulu 🧚🏻‍♀️

i don’t care if it’s 2am, i’m lonely, come watch a movie

you looked at luca’s text as if you were hallucinating or still dreaming. looking at the clock, you could see it was literally 2am. he’s lost all his senses, you thought.

sitting down and drinking some water from the cup on your nightstand, you finally felt awake enough to understand the world around you. your best friend had sent at least 30 “hey” before sending the last message and you couldn’t believe he woke you up for that.

dude are you crazy?

lulu 🧚🏻‍♀️

wtf

no

why

it’s 2am and i was SLEEPING

lulu 🧚🏻‍♀️

i don’t care, come watch a movie

where’s adam?

lulu 🧚🏻‍♀️

no idea dude

dont you have practice in the morning?

lulu 🧚🏻‍♀️

day off

i fucking hate you

lulu 🧚🏻‍♀️

no you don’t

attachment

it was a picture of him laying down and blowing you a kiss. he was lucky you loved him. you got up and threw on a hoodie over your pajamas, but of course the hoodie was luca’s. silently, you snuck out the apartment you shared with your friends and closed the door behind you.

yawning, you quickly made your way out of the building and got into your car, starting the engine and heading to luca’s. it didn’t take long for you to arrive and soon you were knocking on his door.

“it’s open,” was the muffled sound that came behind the door.

opening the door and closing it behind you, you could see his content smile to see you there.

“hey bubba,” you said, taking off your shoes and laying by his side.

luca immediately snuggled you close, smelling the scent of your hair and humming.

“stop it, you look like a child.”

“i can’t help it, your hair smells so good.”

“whatever,” you uttered. “what are we watching?”

“oh, about this,” luca started and you looked at his face. “i lied, there’s no movie, just cuddles.”

“i’m gonna kill you right here, i can’t believe you made me come here at 2am for cuddles, luca giulio.”

“damn not this again,” he whispered. “i just miss my best friend, that’s not a crime.”

“it wouldn’t be if we haven’t seen each other in a while but we were together the whole afternoon!”

“okay i’m guilty.”

“i don’t know why we’re still friends.”

despite saying that, you got closer to him and intertwined your legs together like you always do. luca kissed your forehead and you started running your fingers through his hair. soon, you drifted off to sleep and only woke up the next morning hearing giggles.

groaning, you snuggled even closer to luca, that immediately and unconsciously brought you closer to him and the giggles were higher.

“look how they look like a couple,” someone said.

more giggles. “at this point they can’t even hide anymore.”

“hide what, you bunch of idiots?” your voice was muffled and sleepy.

“shit, we woke her up,” you could recognize rutger’s voice.

carefully turning around, you saw him, adam and johnny sitting on adam’s bed staring at you and luca. “you’re all very weird.”

“and you and luca are dating.”

“no we’re not.”

“keep lying and we’ll keep pretending to believe.”

“listen here, you little shit-“ you started but stopped as soon as you felt luca’s face on the crook of your neck.

“what’s going on?” he asked, voice hoarse. you felt shivers on your whole body but tried to hide it.

“these idiots were staring at us while we slept.”

luca opened his eyes and made a disgusted noise. “get out of here, all of you.”

“that’s my room too,” adam protested.

“i don’t care,” luca retorted.

“get out,” you said.

johnny giggled and said “the lovey doveys want to spend more time alone.”

“shut your mouth druskinis.”

while they said something, you were completely static at what luca just whispered “it wouldn’t be too bad if we were dating.”

you pretend he didn’t say anything and kept acting normal.

until a week passed and you were once again cuddling with luca. after a huge win, everyone was out celebrating but you and your best friend decided to stay at his dorm to start watching daisy jones and the six.

halfway through the second episode, you couldn’t stop thinking and hit pause on the remote. looking up, you could see luca’s questioning face.

“what happened?”

you sighed, sat down and just spilled the thought that was consuming you. “do you ever think what would be like if we just kissed?”

he just stared at you for a whole minute and you could feel your face burning with shame. “you know what, never mind.”

“no, wait,” he held your chin and grinned. “do you wanna kiss me?”

you rolled your eyes but mumbled “yeah.”

the smile he opened was one of the biggest you’ve seen yet and he just whispered “c’mere.”

you bent down, focusing only on his face and when your noses were touching, you stopped. both of you smiled and you could feel luca’s hand going straight to your hair, while the other caressed your cheek.

he angled your head so your lips could finally touch. the chemistry was absurd from the first second of it, your movements simply fitting together like you’ve been doing that forever. you felt luca’s smile before he deepened the kiss and you adjusted yourself so it could be more comfortable, and that meant on top of your best friend.

you kissed and kissed and it was like time stopped for both of you, it was your moment. it just felt right, like every cliche book you’ve ever read and dreamed about.

when the air felt needed and you had to break the kiss, it was like bursting a bubble. you came back to the real world and realized you were straddling luca, your best friend, and his hands were on your hips.

“wow that was-“ you started laughing.

“i know,” he smiled. “we should do that again some time.”

and so you did. after practices and games, at parties, during study sessions, watching movies. everything was an excuse to make out and you weren’t complaining. of course no one knew about that, it was your little secret, but the boys were already betting, not knowing what was happening, when you two would reveal the relationship. 

after relaxing weeks, you started getting a lot of work to do and could barely see luca and the boys and even attended their games. one day, luca was missing you so bad he decided to go to your apartment just to scroll through his phone while you did your things. 

opening the door with his spare key, he saw daisy, one of your friends and she just waved, already used to him being around. 

“hey where’s y/n/n?” 

“on her bedroom,” daisy replied. “it would be good if you could make her eat something, she's been there since she came back from class in the morning.” 

luca nodded and went to your bedroom. before he opened the door, he could already tell something was wrong. he heard you sniffling and was hit with a wave of worry. 

when you noticed him inside your bedroom, you tried to wipe your tears and force a smile. 

“hi lulu, what are you doing here?” 

“what’s wrong, princess?” he cooed and closed the door behind him, going to sit by your side on the floor.

with that, you started violently crying and luca wrapped his arms around you. all the time he was whispering sweet nothings in your ear, trying to calm you down and he did that until you stopped shaking and crying.

“do you wanna talk about this?” he asked.

you sighed and held him closer. “i- i just have so much work from school, i’m not dealing very well and think i need help.”

“lemme see,” he mumbled, reaching for one of your books and reading its content. “i’m pretty sure steve can help you, your major is the same and he’s almost done.” 

“but i don’t wanna disturb him.”

“i promise you won’t, he loves helping everyone study and he already said you’re like his younger sister.” 

you felt your heart warming. “really?” 

he just hummed against your hair and kissed your head. “feeling better now?” 

“yeah, thanks lulu.” 

he softly laughed and held your head between his hands. “you look so cute with this red nose,” he said, kissing said nose. 

“stop, i must be terrible right now,” you laughed too. 

“nah you look just fine,” he kissed both of your cheeks before giving you a quick kiss. “do you wanna eat something?”

“i’m not hungry but i suppose i should.” 

“yes ma’am,” he responded. “what about you pack all your books and put something on your laptop so we can watch?” 

“even gravity falls?”

“especially gravity falls.”

“you’re the best,” you said.

“i know i am,” he gave you a smug smile and a quick peck before getting up and heading to the kitchen. 

you did as he said and waited on your bed, even though he was taking longer than you had expected. when you were almost napping, he opened the door and laid down with you. 

“where’s my food?” you pouted. 

“what do you think about sushi?”

“the answer is always yes, lulu,” you responded. “but what were you doing that took you so long?”

“i was just doing the dishes, i know it was your day so i wanted to help.” 

“i love you so much, fantilli,” you said before you could think. it wasn’t like you haven’t said that before, it just felt… different this time. 

meanwhile, luca felt his heart beating faster than ever but couldn’t understand why. 

“damn thanks buddy,” he replied and you just pulled his hair playfully. 

you laughed and he unlocked his phone to order your food. it was a great night and he was beside you the whole time, helping you to feel better. he even texted stevie while you weren’t looking to ask for his help, to which he promptly responded he could give you as much help as he could. 

it was on a random afternoon that you realized you had fallen in love with your best friend. you were on your daily run, listening to taylor swift, when you paid attention to daylight’s lyrics. the realization made you suddenly stop in the middle of the sidewalk while you stared at the sunset with shades of golden. 

of course you had dated other boys before, but never really loved them, just heard about this feeling. in the books you’ve read, love was always something that burned, consuming the characters, until they were full of it. but what you felt was really different. 

your love for luca started small, like a seed, and it’s been growing every single day with his actions; he earned it. you realized that love was now a full grown sunflower, golden as the daylight shone through its petals. perhaps taylor wasn’t wrong when she said love was golden like daylight. 

you followed your way home and started getting ready for luca’s game. with his jersey on, you and your friends headed to yost and sat close to the boards. 

during warmups, you saw luca looking around the arena until he saw you. he opened a big smile and skated towards you, playing with a puck. luca grimaced, making you laugh and then threw you the puck. before he skated to where the rest of the boys were, he blew you a kiss and you blushed very hard, sending a kiss back. 

your friends just laughed. “so when’s the marriage?” lucy asked. 

“oh shut up lucy,” you blushed harder and started distracting yourself on the phone. 

it was working until some girls started whispering behind you and you could only hear “yeah, she’s luca’s girlfriend” followed by “shut up, she’s literally in front of us!” 

you smiled and decided to tell him about your feelings after the game. of course they won, with a luca goal, and you went to the tunnel to wait for him while talking to the other girls that were waiting for their boyfriends. it didn’t take long for him to show up and you ran towards him. he lifted you, spinning and you could only giggle. 

when he put you down, you smiled looking at his face and controlled your urge to kiss his pretty lips. 

“i’m so proud of you, lulu.”

“that means a lot to me, princess,” he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss on your forehead. 

you laughed and just said “did you know some girls behind us thought i was your girlfriend?” 

“oh they did? maybe they’re not so wrong.” 

you just looked at him in disbelief and continued “i need to talk to you, do you have a minute?” 

“of course, come,” he guided you to the parking lot. 

it was cold, so he hugged you to keep both of you warm. 

“lu, i realized something this afternoon and i need to share it with you,” you started. “it’s alright if you don’t feel the same, i just thought you should know because it's a good thing, i think.” 

he gave you an encouraging nod. “i’m in love with you, and i’ve probably been for a while now but just realized today. you just light up my life since day one and i couldn’t imagine myself without you-“

luca didn’t leave you to finish, because without seeing it coming, his lips were on yours, the kiss more passionate than ever. he quickly broke it just to confess “i’ve been in love with you since the day we first kissed but just realized like last week and it’s very good to know you feel the same.” 

“yours is the brightest soul i’ve ever seen,” you smiled and he connected your lips again. 

he was pressing you against a car when you started hearing loud cheers and whistles. of course the boys had to transform that into some kind of mess but you didn’t mind, just laughed, hiding your face on luca’s coat. 

you could hear very loud rutger, johnny and adam telling the other boys to pay for the bet. and you couldn’t help but giggle and mutter “idiots” under your breath, but affectionately. 

luca hugged you and put his head on the crook of your neck. “now we need to go to your home to make up for the lost time, huh?”

taglist: @woodruff-edwards @matsmarts

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🕴️

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me every time the word trade is whispered:

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and i wonder why i have no storage

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updated nhl rankings 😘

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Along For The Ride: Blueprint

Word Count: 5.5k

A/N: finallyyyyy here’s the blueprint blurb that is way too long to be an actual blurb

Keep reading

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i posted a sad edit of jack and ty on my sc story and someone asked me what book they were from

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love freshman

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What We Had

T.J. Oshie / F! OC

Summery: Thank you to @antoineroussel for hosting the 2023 Winter Fic Exchange! This is my story for the Exchange, and this is for @cellythefloshie. This story had originally started out in my head as a cute flowy idea, but my hands had a different idea and it really took a deep and powerful turn. It's still a happy ending I promise, so bare with me as my mind just really ran with this and made something even I wasn't expecting. But I'm really proud of this one, it was a bit different then my typical storyline but it's definitely one that will take you on a journey. I hope you enjoy it love! ❤️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emerson or Emmy as she went by, never expected to be a single mother living on her own in Nova Scotia working as a social media detector. But for the last 6 years that's what she did, raising her daughter Ivory on her own. But when her dad tells her that his best friend who works for the Washington Capitals is in need of an assistant manager of Social Media and Networking for the team, it gives her a chance to move back home and work in a bigger and more exciting Field and to work around the sport she always loved.

The catch?

Her ex boyfriend and the father of her daughter is one of their star players: TJ Oshie.

Is Emmy ready to face the past and tell TJ about their daughter? Will TJ be about to handle the truth, knowing he missed out on 6 years of his daughters life or will the past and the truth be the things that keep them from being a family once more?

Warnings: swearing, angst (more then I had originally planned so bare with me), some mild flashbacks if you look hard enough, fluff at the end. I think that's it, let me know if I missed something.

Word count: 6,303

Songs:

The last time she had stepped foot in Washington DC was almost 6 years and 10 months ago. The day she left was the day she found out she was pregnant, and the day she saw her boyfriend at the time with another woman. Somehow she found herself on a plane to Nova Scotia and never looked back. So why was Emerson Cooper, or Emmy as she went by, back in DC after all this time? Because of the job opportunity of a lifetime. A way for her to give her daughter a better life and to finally be closer to her family. Emmy never thought she'd find herself at 26 moving to Canada while pregnant to start working for a new company, but that's what she did after a devastating breakup with her boyfriend at the time. She wanted a new start and it seemed like the right move at the moment. Now at 33 years old she was making the move back home.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door to the Capital One Arena. Her brown hair was pulled up into a sleek ponytail, soft natural makeup framed her cocoa eyes, making her cheekbone and jawline standout a bit more. Her father was best friends with the head Media detractor for the Capitals and was in need of a new assistant. When her father told her this she jumped on it right away. Don't get Emmy wrong, she loves the life she built for her and Ivory in Nova Scotia, she loved her job at the illustration house, but it felt small. She missed her family. Ivory was growing up only seeing her family a few times a year and she hated that part. So to take the chance to move closer to her parents and siblings, take on a better paying job and be around the sport she always loved, it was a no brainer at that point.

Stepping foot into the Arena brought back so many memories for Emmy. Since she could remember she had spent so many evenings and nights in these very halls, watching so many games, eating so much food, and spending so much time with friends and family in these halls. This place became a second home to her throughout the years, she knew every hallway, every nook and cranny, the best spots to sit. She knew this rink like the back of her hand. Walking into the lobby was like coming home.

"Emmy Cooper! Long time no see darling!" Said a strong masculine voice to her left. Emmy turned around and smiled at the sight of Brandon Gregg, her dad's best friend and the Media Manager for the Washington Capitals, and now her boss.

"Brandon, it's so good to see you again." Emmy said as the taller man pulled her into a hug. When they pulled back she smiled and fixed her jacket slightly. "Thank you so much for this opportunity. To be able to move back home is such a nice change of pace."

Brandon was 6'1, black curly hair with salt sprinkled in it and green eyes. For someone in his mid 50s he was still built. He was a retired hockey player and had played with her dad in juniors before her dad retired to help her mother raise their family. They had stayed close friends and their kids were raised together on the ice. That's how Emmy got her love for hockey.

"Well I know how happy your parents are to have you and Ivory back home. And I'm excited to work alongside you. I've heard really good things." He said, patting her shoulder. Emmy smiled and thanked Brandon before they started to walk down the halls. He told her more about the job, what her role would be, and how it all worked. Her mind was swimming with all the information, her blood racing at the thought of being so up close and personal with hockey once again. "For the most part I'll have you doing those small interview reels for Instagram and Twitter, making graphics so you can post online, and taking over half of the content posting as well. When it comes to big news things, or special things that needs posted, we'll handle them together to make sure the information is shared correctly."

Emmy nodded her head along as Brandon talked, taking his words to memory. This was huge. She was going to be taking part in making sure the fans always knew what was going on and keeping the fan base strong when the team needed it most. It was a dream come true.

As they kept walking she looked around the halls, looking at the pictures, banners, plaques and trophies that lined them. This team had done so much over the years, so many victories along with the losses that built the very foundation they stood on. Emmy stopped and looked at a huge banner, one that filled a large wall that had the Caps on it lifting Lord Stanley high into the air. In the center was Ovi was holding the cup, Backstrom standing beside him with his hand right above Ovi's, Tom behind Ovi with his hands in the air and then on Ovi's other side, was the smile that still haunted her dreams. T.J Oshie had his hand on Ovi's shoulder, looking up at the Cup.

Of course Emmy still saw pictures, videos and watched games. Of course she still knew what he looked and sounded like. But for some reason standing in this hall, looking up at the banner, looking at the memory she hadn't been there for, it did something to her insides. It was like a punch to the gut she had hoped wouldn't happen. She knew she was staring too long at the banner, so she pulled her gaze away and gave a half smile to Brandon. He patted her shoulder, but didn't say a word about it as they continued on down the halls. Once they reached Brandon's office he opened the door for them and Emmy walked inside. It was warm and welcoming, lots of natural light filled the space from the two big theater windows that lined the one wall behind the desk. To the right was another door that went into a similar office space, with two windows as well.

"That will be your office, Emmy." Brandon said, pushing her towards the glass door that separates the two rooms. She smiled and grabbed the handle, pulling the door towards her and letting herself into the space. Her smile grew as she already saw her name plaque on the desk "Emerson L Cooper, Assistant Media Manager". It was like waking up on Christmas day for her. This was everything she had dreamed of. This is what she worked so hard for. And now she was back in the place that meant everything to her. Turning around she smiled brightly at Brandon and let out a happy sigh.

"You have no idea how much this means to me. I won't let you down, Brandon." She told the taller man before looking around the office space once more.

"Oh I know Emmy. I know."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Playing hockey meant it filled your mind 24/7. Everyday you lived and breathed hockey. Sometimes it got in the way of normal life, and made you lose things that were important. But it was a risk you had to take to live out your lifelong dream. At least that's what T.J told himself when something or someone disappeared because of his career. Spending so much time at the rink, team dinners, traveling, late nights and early mornings, it was hard to keep a relationship working. At least that's what the last girl told him last night. T.J had been dating Brittany for just about a year now when she decided it was better to end things and find other people. She wasn't cut out to be a hockey girlfriend. To not have her man available to her like she deserved. He got what she meant but it didn't mean it didn't hurt some. Then again the past few years he really hadn't put 100% of himself into a relationship, too afraid to get burned, like he has been before. Got too attached, only to watch her walk away after years of doing everything together. Not a pain he wanted to go through again.

Pushing himself up out of bed, T.J walked to his bathroom to get ready for the day. After doing his bathroom routine he went downstairs to make some breakfast and coffee before heading to the rink for a workout. Having just come off injury he wanted to get back into shape, or even better shape then before if possible. There was always something that needed tweaking, or something that needed to be worked on more. Opening his fridge he realized he needed to go grocery shopping soon. Grabbing the last of the eggs he had, a tomato and some shredded cheese, he set to work making an omelette. The coffee pot was brewing in the background, the sound of the light rain tapping against the windows by the stink, a comforting noise to fill the stillness of the large house. Once the omelette began to cook he flipped it over and made sure it was cooked through before turning off the stove. Sitting the plate down on the table he walked back to the island to grab a mug for his coffee. Pouring the black liquid into the mug he added some sugar and some creamer and let the aroma of the coffee wake him up a bit as he walked back to the table and began to eat.

An hour later T.J was at the rink, slinging his bag over his shoulder and began the long walk down the halls to the locker room. It felt good to be back. To know that he could lace up his skates once more and practice with the boys. One step closer to getting into the game. Taking the turn that led to the locker room he pushed open the door and stepped inside. Alex, Evgeny, and Darcy were already inside, changed into workout clothes instead of their gear.

"What's going on boys?" T.J said, dropping his bag at the base of his cubby. He was already in athletic shorts and a muscle shirt, but he wasn't planning on it being gym day. Turning to face his captain he waited for a response.

"Gym, then skate." Was all Alex said before standing up and grabbing his sports bottle and towel.

With a groan, T.J grabbed his towel from his bag and followed the Captain out of the locker room and down the halls to the gym. He wanted to get into the ice, not spend hours sweating in the gym. But he knew better than to argue with Ovi. As they walked down to the gym their assistant coach, Kevin, stopped them before going inside the gym door.

"Hey boys, the new Assistant Media Manager is coming in today for their first day. Be nice, okay? They'll be taking pictures and doing videos and stuff." He said. T.J and Ovi looked at each other before nodding their heads.

"What's this kid's name?" Ovi asked.

"Emerson. I don't remember the last name." Kevin answered before giving the boys a nod and walking back down the hall. T.J watched him go before seeing Ovi open the door to the gym and step inside. The name rolled around in his brain like a dice. It wasn't a common name, but it was one he had heard before. Over 6 years ago.

But it had to be a coincidence.

With a shake of his head, he pushed the thought down and got to work warming up before starting weights. Ovi went to the treadmill, and a few others started to filter into the room, stretching and bending, working up their muscles before going to the weights or running on the treadmill or going into more intense stretches.

This went on for well over two hours before each player was sweating, hot and tired. T.J whipped the sweat from his forehead with his towel and took a long drink of water. His core and legs felt like jello, his arms heavy and tired. But it felt good to work hard again. Sitting down near Tom, he took another sip of water.

"Feels good to be back, huh Pal?" Tom panted as he rubbed the towel in his hand over his sweaty hair and down his neck. T.J smiled and nodded his head, taking another sip of water before answering.

"You know it man."

Tom smiled and patted his knee before throwing his towel at the hamper by the wall. He cheered when it went right into the hamper. T.J high fived him before both men stood up and grabbed their water bottles and extra towels and followed the rest of the team back down to the locker room to dress for a practice skate.

Nick Backstrom was telling a story as they were walking down the halls towards the locker room, something from back home that made the guys around him laugh. T.J joined in, laughing as Nick said about his one friend falling as they came off an icy lake, when he saw a person standing near the locker room door. The woman was talking to Ovi, a notepad in her hand.

"Must be an interviewer." He thought to himself. Looking up to take a better look at the woman, who was laughing at something Ovi said, he saw a person he never thought he'd see again. His breath was knocked out of his lungs, his mind racing and his heart pounding. Six years later and the same pair of eyes that still haunted his dreams looked back at him.

"Emmy?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emmy was happy to see Ovi. Even though she didn't see him much since the break up and she left the country, they still kept in touch. He knew why she left. He knew she had been pregnant with Ivory. He knew that T.J had no idea about any of it. Alex knew everything.

But he remained loyal to her, acting as an older brother after her own brother had died when T.J and her had been dating. She knew him keeping Ivory a secret wasn't easy on Alex, and she knew that him having to be divided between friends was hard. But she appreciated him for being there.

So now getting to see Alex almost every day, getting to build back that friendship and grow it more in person was something she was excited for. Now The only step left was to face T.J once again. She just hoped that she would still get a bit more time to settle in before that bridge needed to be crossed.

"Ovi, it's so good to see you." Emmy said, reaching out to the tall older Russian, pulling him into a hug. The white haired man smiled brightly as he reached for her.

"How are you, Младшая сестра?"

Emmy smiled at the pet name. He always called her his little sister, but always in Russian. Since Daniel had passed away, Alex stepped up and filled a void in her life, he was a rock in her life through that and the break up with T.J.

"I'm doing good. So is Ivory. It feels good to be back in DC."

Same of the players filed past the two, into the locker room. Emmy paid them little mind, knowing once they hit the ice she would go into work mood, for now she enjoyed the comfort of being in person with her friend once more. As they talked another group of players approached the doorway. Not really looking to see who was approaching, she laughed at something Ovi said.

"Emmy?"

She froze.

Of course she heard his voice on TV for years. She still heard it in her dreams. But hearing the voice of T.J Oshie's in person almost 7 years later sent a shiver down her spine, and made her heart race. Emmy's eyes went wide and Alex gave her a sympathetic look before patting her shoulder. He turned to walk into the locker room, to give them two of them space.

"Alex. Alex!" She whispered yelled at him as walked away much to her dismay. She watched as the rest of the players filed past, her back still to the man who called her name. Taking a deep breath she turned to face T.J. but before she could even utter a word to him another voice called out to her.

"Mommy!"

Closing her eyes and letting out a deflated sigh as she looked up to the heavens, wondering what she did to deserve this, she turned back around to see Ivory and her father coming towards her.

"Hey baby!" Emmy singsonged, as she reached down to pick up her daughter. She had her mother's dark brown hair that was straight and full, but she had a pair of soft dark blue eyes, unlike Emmy's cocoa brown ones.

No, she had Her father's eyes.

Mike, her father caught up to them and gave her an apologetic look as he saw T.J standing a few feet away. "I'm sorry Em, but I have to run to work and your mother isn't home yet. I called Brandon and he said just to bring Ivory over, that some of the wives and kids were here today to help watch her."

Emmy wasn't upset that her father had to drop off Ivory. No, she was fine with that. It was the fact that now on top of facing T.J, she was going to have to explain everything sooner than she hoped. Mike turned his gaze to T.J and gave him a small nod. T.J returned the gesture, before Emmy saw him turn his gaze to Ivory in her arms.

"Thanks Dad, for dropping her off. I'll see if Ovi's wife will watch her."

"Can I go see Uncle Alex?" Ivory asked as she wiggled in her mother's arms. Emmy nodded her head and put down her daughter as her father leaned in to kiss her cheek, before walking down the halls.

"He's in there. Go on in."

The young girl giggled and took off running into the locker room, her high pitched voice calling out to her adopted Uncle, who Emmy could hear laughing as the child found him. Taking a deep breath, she turned and faced T.J, his blue eyes, so much like their daughter's, filled with confusion and hurt.

"Hi T.J." She whispered.

"7 years. Almost 7 years later and you show back up." He said, finding his voice after a moment of silence "And you have a child."

Taking a step closer to him, Emmy let out a shaken sigh and tried to find her words. "T.J, I'm sorry. There is so much to explain. So much to say…." Her voice broke and trailed off and she looked back up into his eyes. She saw him glance towards the locker room as the sound of laughter drifted out into the halls. The childlike wonder in the sound, so pure and innocent. His eyes met hers once more, but this time filled with sadness.

"When did you get married then?" He asked, his voice cracking. Emmy looked up at him, not catching his meaning right away, but then realizing he thought Ivory was from a marriage.

"No T.J. I'm not married."

"Is her father still with you then?"

Emmy shook her head and tried to figure out how to go about this. This wasn't how she pictured this to happen. To tell him everything, to tell him about his daughter.

"T.J…" but her voice was lost to her, her mind racing.

"Did he make you happy? Happy enough to stay away for almost seven years Em?" The heartbreak in his voice was enough to break her. A few tears slipped down her face that she quickly brushed away.

"There never was anyone else T.J."

Her words seem to hit something deep within him. She could see his mind turning, his eyes darting back to the locker room and then back to her before going wide. "Ivory is yours." Was all she said, confirming what he just figured out in his mind. He glanced down at the floor, placing his hand on the wall to support himself. His legs felt weak, his heart racing. Emmy watched all the emotions race across his face. Pain, wonder, joy, sadness, maybe even some anger. She knew he had a right to everything he felt.

"Who knows?"

Emmy realized he was asking who knew that Ivory was his. Who knew this whole time. "Just my parents and Ovi." She folded her arms across her chest, suddenly feeling so exposed. Standing here in front of the man she once loved with all her heart, hell even still loved to this day, watching him look broken and angry and confused, it was a lot to handle. She wanted to hug him, comfort him, yet at the same time she felt the same pain in her heart she felt the day she left. He hurt her and didn't even know it. There were so many emotions spilling into the hallway, even though no words were spoken for a short amount of time.

"T.J, there is so much to explain. So much to be said. Come over tonight, let's talk and if you would like, have a chance to meet your daughter." Said Emerson in a quiet voice. She waited as he still looked at the floor, her heart pounding in her ears. She chewed on her bottom lip waiting to see what his answer would be. She took on his features as she waited. His hair was just as fluffy and full as it always had been, laugh lines now framed his lips and eyes in a soft way, his lips were still as full as she remembered, he had put on more muscle over the years. He looked older, more grown up, but still handsome as ever.

"I'll get your address from Brandon. I'll see you at 7." Was all he said before he stormed into the locker room. Emmy let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her hands began to shake as she ran a hand over her chin and down her neck, going to the back of her neck. Ovi walked out with Ivory in tow, the two talking happily. She smiled with a shaky smile at the pair, who was walking off to meet up with Ovi's wife and kids so she could watch Ivory for the rest of the work day. With a shaky breath she grabbed her stuff and walked down to the rink, setting up her gear to take pictures and some small interview stuff with the players as they practiced. Her mind was barely working, she could hardly remember anything from the practice. If you had asked her what the guys did or what pictures she took, Emmy wouldn't have been able to answer you. Her mind was already ahead to 7pm that night. Wondering how in the world this was going to go down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thankfully Ivory was a good child and didn't question her mother when she was told something. So when she was told to stay in her room until she was told it was okay to come out, because her mother had an important meeting to handle, Emmy knew her daughter would listen.

But when the knock at her door sounded at three minutes to 7, her heart started to race. She smoothed down her hair and took a deep breath as her hands shook as she made her way to the door. Grabbing the doorknob, she closed her eyes for a second and sent up a prayer, before opening up the door. There standing on her porch was T.J in a t-shirt and loose track pants, a baseball cap sitting backwards on his hair.

"Hi Emmy."

His voice was soft, yet still and a slight edge to it, like he was afraid to fully use his voice.

"Hey T.J. Please come in." Emmy said pushing the door open wider to allow the hockey player to enter her home. Taking a step back as he walked through the door, she shut it behind him once he was inside. She saw him looking around the living room, taking in the few pictures she had gotten hung up since they moved in 2 weeks ago. All the furniture had been put in place, but pictures and other decorations she was still putting in place.

"Can I get you anything?"

T.J turned to face her and shook his head. "No, I'm good, thanks." Emmy waved a hand towards the sofa, and walked with him over to sit down. She ran her hands over her knees and down her legs, her nervous kicking in as she sat only inches from the man who she once spent everyday with. The tension was thick between them, the silence deafening. Emmy was sure that he could hear her heart pounding like a drum in her chest. She was unsure where to start. How to explain the pain she felt those years ago.

"Why did you leave Me?"

It was an honest question. One that should have been simple to answer. But the way his voice sounded as he asked it, the look in his eyes as he turned his gaze to hers. The way it broke her. It made that question far more loaded then it should have been.

Turning to face him a bit more, Emmy told him the truth of why she left. "You had told me that day you had a practice at the rink. It was almost lunch time when I got to the rink and walked through the doors and went to the cafeteria…. I saw you with her." Her voice broke a bit as she mentioned the women she had seen T.J with all those years ago. The heartbreak she felt then was still there. "You were sitting next to her, that pretty blonde. I saw the box sitting next to her hand, the hand that was in yours. Before she leaned in and kissed your cheek as you hugged her. Seeing you with another woman, seeing you give her that ring that I know was in that box…. T.J that broke me. It broke all of me to see you happy with someone else." By now tears were sliding down Emmy's face. They dripped off her chin, onto her folded hands on her lap.

T.J watched her for a moment, the pain in his eyes clear. "You thought I cheated on you?"

But the silence from Emmy answered his question, far better than her words could have.

"Em, that was Sharon. She's an old teammate's wife. They had flown to surprise me. Her husband Henry was someone I played with in the youth league, I was the best man at their wedding 3 years before we met."

"So what was the ring box then?"

She watched him sigh a heavy breath as he looked to the floor before back at her. "I was gonna propose Emmy, and I was showing them the ring. Henry had gotten up to use the bathroom after I showed them the ring and asked them to help me plan how to pop the question to you."

Now she felt like the world's biggest idiot. How could she have been so stupid back then to not realize that T.J wouldn't ever do something like that to her.

"Why did you come to the rink that day anyways?"

Oh.

There was the real loaded question. One where he was going to realize the people closest to him had been keeping secrets from him all these years.

"T.J, before you get mad at him, realize I made him keep this from you." Emmy began as she felt the panic set in. "I found out I was pregnant with Ivory a few days before that day. Ovi was-"

"Alex has known about my daughter this whole time?!" He cut her off as he jumped up from the sofa. He looked mad. Maybe more than mad but she knew that he had a right to his emotions. He began to pace in front of the sofa, biting at his thumbnail to keep from yelling more.

"T.J let me explain. Please." Grabbing his hand to try and get him to sit back down but he shook her off. So she just started to open up and let it spill out. "I found out a few days before that day I was pregnant. I told my mom and then I told Alex. They were going to help me plan a surprise way to tell you at the rink. I was meeting them there to set up something to tell you I was pregnant. And then I saw what I saw and I felt so hurt I just ran. I made Alex keep her from you."

"Why? Why Em? Huh? You owe me that. Because the man that is supposed to be my best friend is now I found out, is someone keeping something very important from me. For years! So please, tell me why." He had taken off his hat and was angrily running his hand through his hair, his blue eyes full of tears but they didn't yet spill down his face.

"Because when I thought I saw you cheating, I thought you wanted nothing to do with me. With us. So I packed up and ran. I told him not to tell you because I didn't think you would care, and I didn't want to have someone tell me what you would have said." Emmy stood up and ran a hand through her hair. By now she didn't try to stop the tears that ran freely down her face onto the carpet beneath her feet.

"I fucked up T.J. I ran off to Nova Scotia to spend a few weeks with a friend from college but ended up getting a job there. I stayed there till I got the job offer here. I realize keeping her from you was wrong, and there were so many times I wanted to reach out and tell you. But… I was scared. I'm sorry T.J." Her voice wasn't really even above a whisper by the time she was done explaining, so full of the pain and sadness she pushed down 7 years ago now was back at the surface once again. Burning a hole in her heart.

Sitting back down and putting her head in her hands she slightly cried after pouring out her heart. Letting it all out onto the table. She heard him take some shaking breaths, the shuffling of his feet as he paced for a few minutes before sitting back down beside her. They didn't speak for a while, just sitting there in silence as they processed everything.

Then the sound of a child's laughter floated down the stairs to the living room. The faint sound of music, from the movie Tangled accompanied the beautiful sound. T.J looked up towards the stairs, towards the sound. Emmy watched him, his eyes filled with wonder as he listened to Ivory singing along to the music. She watched as his eyes were wide, his breath slow and quiet, as though he was slowing his own heartbeat just to hear the sound better.

Placing a hand on his shoulder she pulled him from the trance he was in. "I'm sorry T.J. I'm sorry I kept her from you. But I want you to know, she grew up knowing who you were. I never kept you from her, I showed her pictures, we watched games. She just believed you lived too far away to visit. I lied and I hurt you both, keeping you apart."

She saw him glance back towards the stairs before turning towards her again. She saw something new in his eyes, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. He put his head down, running a hand through his hair and taking a deep breath.

"I saw your dad a few weeks or so after you left. I had been trying to find you, call you. Do everything I could to figure out why you left. When I saw him he told me you left, went away to start a new life… and your new family. I thought he meant you found someone else. I didn't realize he meant her."

Emmy watched him for a moment before standing up and walking towards the staircase. "Where are you going?" He asked curiously. She turned her head and gave him a soft smile before stopping at the bottom of the stairs.

"Ivory, come here please." She yelled up to her daughter. She heard the bedroom door open and the small footfalls of Ivory walking down the hallway. The young child rounded the corner and made her way down the stairs to her mother who was waiting at the bottom.

"Ivory, there is someone here who wants to meet you."

Ivory looked up at her mother and cocked her head to the side. "Who Mommy?" Emmy stepped to the side and pointed to T.J who was still sitting on the sofa, tears in his eyes as he looked at his daughter. Ivory's eyes grew wide as she stared at the man sitting only a few feet away. She had seen pictures, watched videos, she had heard the stories. But now he was sitting right there.

"Daddy?"

That one word. One word that made both Emmy and T.J cry tears of happiness. The child looked to her mother, making sure it was okay before running into the arms of her father. T.J gasped in surprise. He nuzzles his nose into her soft hair, tears slipping down his face. Her small arms were wrapped around his neck, her face tucked into his shoulder.

"I knew you'd find me Daddy." Her words so pure. Emmy wiped away the tears on her cheeks and smiled at the sight before her. The man she always loved and their daughter in his arms.

"Daddy is never going to stay away that long ever again. I promise." Emmy told Ivory as she walked over to the pair. Ivory squealed with joy before tugging on her mother's hand to pull her into the hug. T.J placed his arm around her and for the first time in almost 7 years everything felt perfect.

As the weeks went by Ivory got to learn more about her father, the team got to meet her and welcome Emmy back into the hockey family, not only as a worker, but as one of their own again. Almost every day the 3 of them were off doing something, or at T.J's place making a room for Ivory for when she spent the night. Most times though Emmy would end up staying the night as well, falling back into the normal rhythm of being around a hockey player's schedule. It was one night when there were at his house, Ivory playing in the living room with the TV on low as Emmy and T.J did the dishes that he said something that surprised Emmy.

"Let's move in together."

Emmy about dropped the plate she had been drying. She looked up wide eyed at him and put the plate down on the counter. "What brought this on T.J?" She asked softly so that Ivory didn't hear them talking. T.J looked out towards the living room to their daughter and then back to Emmy. "I lost you both once before. I don't want to lose you again. These past few weeks, having you guys around everyday, getting to see her." He smiled fondly "getting you back into my life. Made me realize I don't want to be in this big house alone anymore. I want my family here with me."

Emmy felt her heart flutter as he spoke, the same puppy love that she had the first time he asked her to live with him all those years ago still filled her soul. She wanted nothing more than to have that again. "But can we have what we had back then? It won't be the same as before." She said softly. T.J looked back out at Ivory who was dancing along to the movie that was playing and he smiled, a truly beautiful smile.

"What we had was great. But what we have now, with her in our lives…. It makes it perfect. Say yes Emmy. Say yes to being my girl, my everything once more." He looked down at her with love in his eyes, the same love she missed seeing over the past 7 years. With a nod of her head, a smile as bright as the sun, she told him yes. Yes to everything he could ask. Yes to a life together. Yes to finding their love once more. He put his arms around her and pulled her close, cupping her chin with his hand, he kissed her like he was making up for the last 7 years. And she melted against him. Because what they had now, was better then what they had before.

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EVERY SINGLE POST ABOUT BEAU MAKES ME SADDER AND SADDER

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would just like to share this…

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