#Alskling

[woso-dreamzzz]

Alexia with the Barca kids (not mapi and Ingrid’s as you’ve done them so the rest)?❤️💙

When Alexia tore her acl, she got lots of friendship bracelets sent to her house with a little note from Conejita (written by Marta but dictated by Conejita) hoping that she gets better soon.

Alexia thinks Estrella is so sweet. She loves it when Aitana brings her onto the pitch after matches and Alexia loves to play peak-a-boo with her.

Not a current Barça baby but a former one: Alexia is always so sweet on Osita. She's always sending things over to Mexico for Osita's birthday and Christmas. She also made a promise to look out for Osita's Roja while Osita is away.

Nena and her Tia Alexia having a sleepover and they eat lots of snacks and snuggle while watching disney movies and Alexia doesn't even set an alarm for the next day.

Alexia thinks Älskling is such a little sweetheart. She doesn't interact with her a lot because she's in Sweden most of the time but she loves when Frido shows off little Älskling because it means Alexia gets a turn holding her.

Alexia has the most secret sweet spot for Peanut. She pretends to be annoyed with her antics but she'll very quickly offer herself up for looking after Peanut when she's getting sleepy.

Alexia thinks Bear is so soft and shy and sometimes she's worried about scaring her. She always talks so softly to Bear and brings her new toys and clothes to win her affections.

Alexia thinks that Pup is so funny. Pup is so wiggly and silly like a real puppy and sometimes Alexia will purposely kick a ball far in training just to see Pup taking off running after it

[agniologyy]

the human brain can’t always distinguish between emotional pain and physical pain.

how many different ways can someone grieve

how can i carry this grief inside of me

the grief of losing a friendship, the loss of someone who has always been there and who knows parts of me that i don’t even remember, the loss of someone who has carried me through so much. i’m sorry, abbie.

the grief of losing a patient. a kid whose only mistake was falling and hitting their head, which led to being failed over and over and over and over again. a kid who was failed by me. the loss of someone i don’t know and will never know, but whose life will forever impact mine. whose death will sit on my shoulders and remind me of how we are all one second from death. i’m so, so sorry jay. you will never know how sorry i am.

the grief of losing a grandparent. i’ve watched him die slowly over the course of years, so shouldn’t it be easier? shouldn’t i be prepared? shouldn’t i be ready to lose the person who raised me? who taught me how to read and tie my shoes and ride a bike? how could i ever be ready to lose a parent that i’m not even allowed to grieve as a parent? poppa, i’m sorry i never told you how much you mean to me. i’m sorry that i still have the chance to because i know that i can’t and i won’t tell you.

the grief of losing someone who was never mine in the first place. someone who told me that this would end sadly. someone who told me that he could never give me what i wanted, and to that someone i said “okay.” was it worth it? was it worth being held for the first time in years, being touched with love and kindness, being treated like someone important and special, just to lose it? i wish i could burn the memory of his touch from my brain. i wish i never let anyone get that close to me. no one will ever touch me again. it wasn’t worth it. it wasn’t worth the happiness. none of this has been worth it. ian, i’m sorry i ever met you at all. i’m sorry to put the weight of my mistakes on you. you didn’t do anything wrong. you told me how this would end and i told you that i understood, and now i sit here covered in the bruises you made when you told me that you were territorial and i told you to stake your claim. if i could erase one thing from my brain, it would be the way it felt to be held.

i don’t know how to carry the weight of this grief. i don’t know how to feel when one hurts more than another, or when they all shuffle around because i can’t get used to the pain when it’s constantly changing.

everyone is lost or gone or leaving and there are no words in the english language to describe how i feel.

i’ve put so much work in to myself. i’ve spent years building up my sense of self and my identity. i’ve spent years discovering what it felt like to not want to die. i wish i could force myself back into suicidality so i wouldn’t have to live with this pain.

it’s the grief of knowing i would leave this all behind if i really wanted to, and knowing that i don’t really want to. the grief of being strong enough to know that i will make it through, but not strong enough to make it through with any peace or dignity intact. the grief of wanting the world to stop turning and the pain of knowing that it never will.

i’m sorry to everyone i’ve ever loved. i couldn’t save any of them.

[jennay]

HoneyBee

Master list

You were the only one who could do it. Did you want to? No, of course not. Did you beg Noah to come with you? Yes, but Noah was adamant that if he was there, you wouldn't confess your feelings to Jolly, not that you had the courage to do that with or without him by your side.

You would wait until the next time you saw Jolly; this wasn't a permanent goodbye.

This was just a temporary separation, and you could tell him how you felt when you met again.

Nobody could blame you for being highly emotional; you dropped off one of your closest friends at an airport without knowing when they would return.

You park the car in the airport parking lot and turn off the engine. You look at Jolly in the passenger seat, struggling to hold back your emotions as you say farewell. "I hate this." You tell him. "I hate this so much." You try to blink back the tears; you didn't want to be this emotional. You tried to act like it was just another tour, but this time, you'd have Noah to keep you company.

"Aw, it's going to be okay, kitten." His hand cups your cheek as you let out a small whimper. You feel his thumb wipe away the tear, and instead of feeling comforted, it makes you want to cry more. "Come on," He says, getting out of the car, "Walk with me."

You nod, leave the car, and take a deep breath. You feel the cold air hit your face, making your tear-stained cheeks sting instantly. You walk over to his side of the car, avoiding his gaze. He hoists his bag over his shoulder, and with his free arm, he wraps it around your shoulders, pulling you closer to him as the two of you walk towards the terminal.

"What's got you so upset? You know this isn't forever. It never is." You shake your head, wondering if you should spill the beans now.

"It doesn't make it any easier. We don't know when you'll come back… it's always like this." You stop before the security gate, knowing it's time to part ways with one of your dearest friends.

Jolly gently drops his bag to the floor, enveloping you in a hug, almost lifting your feet. "C'mon honey bee. I'll be back soon enough." He softly kisses your temple and gently sets you down, "Plus, you have Noah." He smiles like he knows something, but he doesn't know anything at all. "Maybe with me out of the picture, the two of you can see where things go, and when I get back, you'll be living happily ever after."

You roll your eyes. "It's not like that with Noah. I've told you that so many times." You remind him.

"Denial." He says, hugging you one last time. You wrap your arms around his waist tightly, not wanting him to leave.

"Stop it." You say, pressing your face closer to his chest. "It's Noah, he's gross… I've known him half my life, and I'm not into him. I don't know how he's ever gotten a girlfriend, honestly." You tease, knowing that you are exaggerating. Noah wasn't gross, but he was like a brother to you.

Joakim pulls away, looking down at you with a smirk, "Alskling…" He trails off, "You'll see."

You sigh, pulling out of his embrace, "You should get going, or I'll keep you here, and we'll both be in trouble." You smile, but you want to cry. "Call me when you get home?" You sadly speak.

He smiles, "You'll be the first to know I'm safe and sound."

Knocking on your front door snaps you from your thoughts. You look up, wondering who it could be. You didn't have any missed calls or text messages.

The knocking persists, growing more impatient by the second. You hear Noah's voice through the door. "Come on, open up! I have something important to tell you!"

You sigh and roll your eyes at Noah's urgency. He always acts like everything is a matter of life and death, which drives you insane.

You get up from the couch, close your laptop, and walk to the door. "Hold on, I'm coming!" You shout while unlocking the door and swinging it open. "What the hell, do you know what time it is?"

You step aside as Noah barges in, looking excited and restless. He walks over to the couch and sits on the armrest, his smile wide and mischievous. He has a secret that he wants to share. You recognize that face from many times before.

He looks like he hasn't slept, wearing the same sweats and sweater as yesterday. His hair is messy and falls over his forehead. His stubble is growing longer and darker. His eyes dart around you, eager for you to join him on the couch.

"Are you okay?" You ask, furrowing your brows. "What's up?"

He grabs an envelope from his pocket and flings it on your lap. "Open it."

You tear into the envelope, grabbing the paper inside. "Is this!?" You squeal reading it. "When did you? How did? How do you have all my info?" You say, reading your name on the ticket that Noah got you. You stand up, wrapping your arms tightly around Noah's shoulders. "You know what? I don't even care. Thank you!"

He laughs, trying to regain his balance. "You're welcome." He pauses as he adjusts himself from falling off the armrest. "It's really for me. I'm getting tired of you moping around."

You shrug, "Sorry, I miss my friend."

"Boyfriend." He laughs. "He's my friend, and you don't see me acting this way." He stands up, walking to the door, "I just wanted to give that to you. Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday for the year." He opens the door and pauses before leaving, looking over his shoulder at you before exiting. "He thinks it's me visiting; figured you'd want it to be a surprise."

You smile while clasping your hands together. "You're amazing, Noah."

Sarcastically, he says, "Until your next mood swing!" and closes the door behind him, exiting before you can say anything back.

"Fuck you!" You scream at him, laughing like a bit of a psychopath.

You walk across the room and snatch your cell phone from the coffee table. You glance at the clock and see that it's midnight. You smile, knowing that Jolly would be awake now in his time zone.

You flop down on your bed, fluffing your pillows and pulling the covers over you. You dial his number and wait eagerly for his voice to fill your ears.

"Hello, Sweet Pea." you hear his voice speak. "What are you doing up still?"

You giggle, "I was working on some new designs, and Noah rudely showed up at my house to brag about how he gets to see you!"

"Ah, yes. Two days till the dummy is here." He teases. "You should hop in his backpack and come with him."

"What will I do with my two favorite people out of the country?" You lightly laugh, wishing you could tell him the truth. You knew he would be happy to see you, but it didn't stop you from overthinking every situation. Would you finally confess your feelings? Would he reciprocate the feelings? Would he still try to convince you it was supposed to be you and Noah? Maybe he would deny having any form of attraction due to him still thinking you secretly had feelings for Noah.

"I'm telling you…get in his suitcase." He laughs, but inside, he somewhat wants you to do just that.

"I wish I could, but you know… work, my life, everything. I wish he would have told me sooner. I could've made the time." You try your best to sound upset. "I really do miss you."

"I miss you too, honey bee." You hear a tinge of sadness in his voice, and the line goes quiet before he adds. "I don't want to cut this short, but I know if I don't, you'll stay up all night. You need to get some sleep, and work unfortunately awaits you."

You lightly frown. "But I work from a computer… it's not that big of a deal."

"In an office." He reminds you, "Where your bosses bother you at any moment they desire."

You turn off your side lamp, making it dark in your room, and you snuggle close to your pillows and try to hide the yawn that escapes your lips. "I guess you're right." You didn't mean to sound upset, but you were tired, and being away from someone who had your heart completely without even knowing it was enough to make you feel miserable. You knew you were able to take the trip. You had so much PTO saved, and honestly, at this point, you were willing to lose the job if it meant taking this trip. It wasn't the most responsible thought, but you knew you were good enough at your job to find another one.

"I'll try to come soon." You quietly say.

"I know. Get some sleep. You can text me when you get to the office. I'm going to a parade this afternoon with my mum. I'll send you pictures." You can hear the smile in his voice. "Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Jolly."

You were feeling uneasy being in such a vast airport all by yourself, waiting for someone unaware of your arrival.

As you were heading down the stairs, you caught sight of Jolly walking through the door. You smiled widely as he sat down on one of the chairs.

You received a text from Noah, and your heart skipped a beat as you read it. Jolly had arrived. You smiled like an idiot as you texted, "I see him." You shoved your phone into your pocket and tried to act casual as you quickly walked over to him. He didn't even look up from his phone. It wasn't until you were standing right in front of him that he realized what was going on. He looked stunned as his brown eyes wandered your face, and finally, he smiled, quickly standing up and wrapping you in his arms. "What's this?" He rocked you side to side, squeezing you. "Where's Noah?" He asked, not letting go of you.

"It's just me. Are you disappointed?" You said with a laugh.

"No, never." He gently pulled away from you, looking you in the eyes, pure joy showing through as he smiled. "If I let go, will you still be here?" He pulled you back to his body, nearly knocking your beanie off in the process.

"Yes, unless you squeeze me to death."

He loosens his arms from around you but doesn't completely let go as you make your way to the baggage claim.

"I can't believe you kept this a secret…" He nearly giggles, still amazed you're there with him.

"It was so hard. You have no idea." You walk up to the conveyor belt, grab your bag, and Jolly instantly grabs it from your hands. "Got it." He says, heaving it over his shoulder.

"Such a gentleman." You say, smiling.

You follow Jolly out of the airport, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. He smirks at you and opens the trunk of his car. He tosses your luggage inside and slams it shut. You shiver as the cold air hits you, making you regret not wearing a jacket. You hurry to the passenger side and get in, hoping to warm up soon. "Why is it so fucking cold here?" You ask him as he joins you in the driver's seat. "This is awful."

He laughs and starts the car. He turns on the heater and drives away from the airport. "It will heat up in a moment. I'm happy you're here." He says, looking at you with a big grin.

You smile back and say, "Me too. Sorry, Noah picked such a late flight. I didn't have any say in that. He just handed me the tickets and told me to go."

He reaches for your hand and squeezes it gently. "I bet you're sleepy," he says, still smiling. "I'll get you nice and tucked in on the couch." He chuckles, "It was made pretty carelessly. But I'll find something better for you."

You chat with him as he drives, trying to stay awake. You're curious about his life here, but you also feel tired from the long flight. You wonder how long it will take to get to his place.

After a while, he pulls into the driveway of a small house. You sigh in relief, glad to be finally there. He turns off the car and gets out. He opens the trunk and takes out your bags. He tells you to follow him inside.

You walk through the door and see a cozy living room with a couch, a TV, and some books on a shelf. On the sofa, there is a bed made with pillows and blankets. You smile, appreciating his effort. You look around the rest of the house, noticing how neat it is.

"You can get comfortable." He politely says

You take off your shoes and lie down on the couch. You pull the blanket over yourself and close your eyes. You feel exhausted but also happy to be with him.

He returns from his bedroom after changing and sees you on the couch. He smiles softly, knowing how tired you must be. He kneels next to you. He gently cups your cheek and strokes it with his thumb. You open your eyes slightly and see him looking at you with affection.

"I'm so tired," you whisper.

"I know," he whispers back. "Get some sleep. I wanted to tell you if you needed me for anything, you can come wake me up."

You nod your head and close your eyes again.

"Goodnight, Alskling." He says, using his nickname for you.

"Goodnight, Jolly."

He stands up and walks to his bedroom. He closes the door behind him and lies down on his bed. He thinks about you and smiles, happy and content you're there with him, and he'd wake up to your presence in the morning.

But unfortunately you wake up in the middle of the night, feeling fear in your stomach. You had a nightmare, probably because you were too exhausted. You wish you could fall asleep again, but you keep tossing and turning on the couch.

You cover your head with a pillow, hoping to calm your nerves, but the more you think about your dream, the more anxious you become.

You decide to change into something more comfortable, hoping that would help you relax. You throw off the blankets and reach for your bag. You find your pajamas and put them on, remembering how you fell asleep in your jeans.

You curl up on the couch again, holding your phone. You start watching funny videos, trying to distract yourself from your fear. You feel your eyelids getting heavy, but as soon as you drift off, you jerk awake.

You try again, but the nightmare comes back. "Great." You groan and get up.

You don't want to disturb Jolly, but you are too scared to stay alone in a strange place. You don't know what else to do.

You push away the blankets and put your feet on the cold wooden floor. You stand up and use your phone as a flashlight. You walk down the hall, looking for Jolly's room.

You slowly walk in and stop at his bed, attempting to be quiet.

You see him lying on his side, turned toward you. You gently place your hand on his shoulder, "Jolly…" you quietly say, but he hardly moves. You say his name once again, "Jolly."

His eyes flutter open, and through the light on your phone, you see his tired eyes observe you.

You apologize, telling him that you had a nightmare and you can't sleep.

He nods, understanding, and reaches out to you with his warm hands. "C'mere honeybee." He says softly, opening his arms, inviting you to lay in his cozy bed. You're eyes wander over his bare chest, admiring his tattooed body. His muscles in his arms flex as he holds his arms out to you, and butterflies float in your stomach.

You feel hesitation, knowing that this could be crossing a friendship boundary that you've never crossed before. You wonder what would happen if things didn't play out how you wanted them to. Would you be able to handle the pain of having been in his arms and knowing what it felt like, only to lose it all?

Jolly peeks his eye again, noticing your reluctance, and waves you in with a gentle smile. "It's cold, hurry up." He says in a sleepy voice, making you chuckle.

You decide to take the risk and join him on the bed, sitting down on the side and turning on your side to face him.

He pulls you closer, wrapping his arms around you loosely, making you feel safe and warm. "Don't be scared. It's just me." He whispers in your ear, snuggling you closer to his chest. "I've got you." He assures you.

And that was the moment you realized you were absolutely fucked by your feelings.

Part Two

[s3rena-gal]

Hi Nestlings,

How are you today? 🩷 past week has been a roller coaster but things are starting to calm down, it looks like.

₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊

Today, I’m taking a break from mood boards, and instead gonna talk about me. More specifically, my autism and how it affects the gal lifestyle for me, as April has begun (aka, autism month). With this in mind, I would like to share some of my experiences as an autistic gal, and what the community can do better for us ❤️♾️

₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊

Ableism

I have dealt with my fair share of this as an autistic gal. Most of the time people come from a well meaning place, while others are just ignorant.

In this section of this post, I will provide some autism/ND alternatives to ableist things i have experienced in the gaijin gal community. (Wrong will be red, correct will be green)

“You are not a real gyaru if you don’t wear lashes, wigs, lots of makeup or many accessories.” VS. “Not everyone can handle wearing false lashes, a wig, accessories, or lots of makeup, as it can be overstimulating. While gyaru does have some rules, it is a lifestyle at the end of the day. People can adapt it to their own personal needs if they so choose.”

The organizers of a gal meet don’t have a backup plan for when something in the original plan falls thru, so they just hang around, leaving you anxious and overwhelmed. VS. if you know the organizers well enough, (i did not lol) you could let them know next time to have a plan B. Try to go with someone you know and trust, so you can endure the uncertainty together. (I tried my best w this one, I’m sorry if it sucks alskls)

Your accessories are bothering you; they’re so overstimulating! VS. I keep a lil baggie in my purse for my accessories so I can take them off throughout the day as I get overstimulated! It really helps a lot!

“In person gal meets are just way too loud and so exhausting!” VS. Look for a virtual meet! Join a gyaru discord server and ask to host one there! Or make your own! My galsa will be hosting virtual meets, keeping the former in mind! (Also it’s international lol)

₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊

I hoped this helped you! If not, I hoped you learned something. Being autistic and adjusting to your needs does not make you any less of a gyaru 🩷🩷

Our brains our wired differently, and I think that’s pretty neat!!

Stay sexy, every-gal!!

Xxx,

-Serena

[butterflyintochains]

Bubble Playoff Boredom

In which Elias is in Edmonton for the 2020 Bubble playoffs, and his girlfriend is bored out of her mind.

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

Elias left yesterday for the return to play in Edmonton. He's been so bored over lockdown without being able to skate or play hockey, so she's glad he can get back to what he does best. Joanna, however, always had something to do. Studying, student union zoom meetings, the odd online chess tournament. They both have just moved into their first home together, a lovely condo roughly in between Rogers Arena and UBC, so have been constantly working on getting the place ship shape for their needs. Now, she's the one left at loose ends. Potentially two months without him, and unable to just hop in the car to visit her friends and family are going to fucking suck. Ever an early bird, Joanna is up at eight, and gets ready for her day. She eats her breakfast, and looks around the condo for anything that needs to be done. She hones in on the bookcase, and decides to rearrange it. Putting her university and non-fiction books on the bottom shelves, all arranged by author, and their novels closer to the top. She keeps the middle shelf for trinkets and pictures, as well as Elias' various hockey mementos. ''Much better.''

That takes her until just before lunch, she didn't know quite how many books she had until now. Next, she makes herself some lunch, and watches something on Netflix. Elias said he'd call her every night, so she has a bunch of time to kill. ''Right, what next?'' She says to herself. Eyeing up her knitting baskets, Joanna sorts through her projects, and places the finished ones in a separate basket. Her needles and crochet hooks are in a box in her desk drawer upstairs. Her unfinished projects are put in another basket, and she sorts her wools out, arranging them neatly into colours and types. She spends the rest of the day getting some of her projects finished, Elias' gloves for winter don't take long, neither do hers. A hat for her friend Jonathan is a quick finish as well, and goes in a special gift bag for him with Chelsea's scarf. Those take her until dinner. She eats, watches some tv, and goes to get ready for bed.

Finally, she gets her facetime with her boyfriend. She almost wants to cry at seeing him again. ''Hi, sweetheart, how are you?'' She asks, relaxing into her pillows. ''Bored senseless, alskling, you?'' Joanna sips her water. ''About the same, what did you do today? Surely there's something you guys can do, right?''

Elias says. ''Well; Brock, Thatch, Quinn, and I got a Mario Kart event going between ourselves. Finished that book you told me to read.'' She gave him her Dark Tower books by Stephen King for the bubble. ''Really? Did you like it?''

Elias nods, earnest as always. ''Yeah, I did. I'll crack open the next one tomorrow after training.'' He asks her, blue eyes sleepy. ''Now, what did you get up to today?''

Joanna says. ''Well, I sorted our bookcase out finally, and got my knitting stuff in order. My desk is a disaster, so that's tomorrow sorted.'' She pauses and sighs. ''I miss having you here, Lias, this place just doesn't feel like home without you.''

Elias sighs as well, running his free hand through his silver blond hair. ''I know, Anna, I know. Believe me, I'm no happier about this than you are. Just, try and sleep for me, okay?''

Joanna nods, swallowing past a tightening in her throat. ''Yeah, you too. I love you.''

Elias says. ''I love you too.'' They hang up, Joanna lies down, and almost forces herself to get some sleep.

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

A couple of days pass, and the Canucks have begun their qualifying campaign against Minnesota with a 3-0 loss. Joanna notices the day after that they need some groceries. So, she makes herself a list on her phone. Essential stores are open now, so she'll be fine. Her first time out of the condo since Elias left for Alberta. She grabs her purse, and jumps in her car. She drives down to the store, and heads inside, it is unfairly hot today. The store is all but empty, only staff and a few other shoppers milling about. She swings by the produce section for more fruits and veggies, then grabs some chicken breast and smoked salmon. Next, the dairy aisle for more milk and yoghurt. In the hygiene section, she bumps into her best friend. ''Tessa, oh my God, you are a sight for sore eyes.''

Theresa laughs behind her tiger print mask. ''Bored at home alone, Anna?'' They chat while six feet apart, the two little girls who lived in each other's pockets for two decades. ''God, yeah, with Elias out of town, I'm just counting the days until he's home. Cup or no Cup.''

Theresa says, eyes crinkling with a hidden smile. ''Nate and I had a little wager on, twenty bucks to me if you got bored before qualifying, twenty bucks to him if it happened after. Looks like I won.'' Joanna adds some pads and moisturizer to her cart, along with some of her favourite lip balm. ''Looks like you did.''

Theresa says. ''Anyway, I should get going, I love you, bestie.'' Joanna says, being a touchy person during a pandemic isn't fun. ''Love you too, Tessa.''

Joanna swings by the bakery section for some bread and some of their favourite cookies. Then, she grabs some ice cream. She picks up some cleaning products, and goes to a self checkout.

Once home, she chucks her mask in the laundry, and washes her hands before putting everything away. Then, she finds a knitting pattern for a cute teddy bear, and begins working on it.

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

The team go into August 6th having tied the series, and shutout the Wild 3-0, with Elias getting his first ever playoff goal! Joanna watches from home, having to dry her eyes all night. Her boyfriend's first playoff goal, and it was beautiful, and she couldn't see it in person. She quickly readies herself for bed, putting laundry on her to-do list for tomorrow, and jumps on facetime with Elias, who looks radiant. To add to the unfairness, his beard is coming in! Fuck you, Covid. Joanna groans. ''Hey, beautiful, did you see it?'' Elias asks, sounding justly proud of himself.

Joanna laughs, and says. ''Oh, I saw it, darling. I continue to be so proud of you, you know? Here's to many more.'' Elias chuckles, the same way he does when she tells him a joke. ''Your lips to God's ear, alskling.'' He takes a minute to scan her face, he knows her too well by now, when the calm sea hides a tsunami. ''Anna, are you okay? You look like you've been crying.''

Joanna purses her lips. ''Yeah, I'm just happy for you, love, that's all.'' He cocks an eyebrow. ''Anna, please, just tell me. It's okay, Quinn's asleep, it's just us.''

Joanna confesses, because he always knows how to unravel her. ''I'm just... pissed off. You scored, and it was amazing. But, here I am, stuck watching you from home. I pictured you finding me in the stands and blowing me a kiss after your first playoff goal.'' She pauses to collect herself. ''I know it's for safety, and people are dying, but, that's what I pictured.''

Elias sighs, and looks emotional himself. ''I know you did, so did I. Tell you what? That's my celly for my next goal, I'll find a camera, and kiss your rose pendant you gave me.''

Joanna beams at him, what stars aligned to give him to her? ''Sounds good to me.'' They say their goodnights, and hang up.

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

That gameday would come against the defending champions - St Louis. Game one of the best of seven. Joanna finishes a deep clean of the house brought about my nerves, but she doesn't miss the start of the game. Bo and Perron score in the first to hold things level at one goal apiece. Early in the second period, however, Elias hammers it to the back of the net, beating out Binnington with grace. He finds a camera close to the net, fishes the rose pendant out from his jersey, and presses a kiss to it for her. Elias mouths to the camera. ''I love you.''

Joanna, barely fighting tears, says. ''I love you too.'' Her phone rings, her dad. ''Hi, daddy, what's up?'' She sniffles.

Her dad asks. ''Was that for you, princess? That celly? Your mom thinks it was.'' Her parents got her the rose necklace for her fifteenth birthday, and she's only ever removed it to give it to Elias before he left for Alberta.

Joanna gleefully says. ''Yeah, dad, it was. I know we're still so young, dad, but he's it for me.'' She watches as Schwartz levels it up again. Her dad chuckles down the line. ''I think so too, princess.'' They talk for a bit, and hang up.

Troy, Bo, and JT lead the team to the win. As Joanna is readying for bed, she gets a text from Elias.

Beloved: Grab your laptop, I have an idea.

She smirks to herself, and replies.

Joanna Rose: Okay. 💓

They facetime each other to sleep that night. Talking about the game, his goal celebration, and the series to come.

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

The series trundles along nicely, it's tied by the 18th. Joanna decides to go for an early morning run that day, and showers once she's home. Things are a bit more bearable now that they have the routines down, but coming home to an empty condo is still depressing. Her younger siblings are locked down with her parents at the manor, her older siblings have their partners. Her friends are all living with their partners by now too. She finishes eating breakfast, and works on her teddy bear again. All it needs now is the finishing touches. She sews on some buttons for eyes and a nose, and knits a little bowtie from soft pink wool. Her niece's knitted duck plushie was a hit, Rose never sleeps without it according to Edward and Cassandra. But, this one will be staying here. She may be 21, but she is terribly touch starved.

After lunch, she plays some chess online against some other players, her elo is up to 1200 now, it was a bit higher when she was competing as a teenager. She was even competing against the boys, and winning most of her matches. None of her boys have ever beaten her, and only Elias came close, mostly because he kissed her mid-move to confuse her. And, there it is again, that ache in her heart. That ache that feels so good but so bad all at once. She breathes it in, and lets it go on the exhale, he'll be home soon enough, Cup or no Cup.

After dinner, she fills up the bird feeders she's hung on their balcony. Loading them with seeds, nuts, and dried berries for the little songbirds that come around here. She also fills the hummingbird feeder with fructose water. Joanna heads inside to fetch her book, and reads the evening away.

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

The Canucks take a 5-2 series lead over the Blues with a beautiful 4-3 win on the 19th. And, win the series two days later in a beatdown 6-2 game, knocking the defending champions out. Now, they face Vegas. The day before that series begins, Joanna comes onto her period. Always later in the month, so she runs to the store to stock up. Something she could usually ask Elias to do, but he's not here. Her back is killing her by the time she gets home. So, after washing up and binning her mask, she crashes on the couch with some cookies, tea, and Downton Abbey - always a comfort show for her. Life must have been similar for her family back then, an old money family needing to adapt to an evolving world. She's always wondered what her great-grandparents and their parents must have been experiencing. But, she'd say they've adapted pretty well.

She has her laptop facetime in bed with Elias that night. He looks so excited to have won the St Louis series, and a bit tired from training today as well. ''How are you guys holding up?'' She asks him.

Elias yawns. ''I think we're okay, Rouss has been getting extra physio, so has Motter. but, We're doing good, so far. How are you? It'll be that time of the month, won't it?''

Joanna smiles, placing a hand on her lower abdomen to calm a cramp down. ''Yeah, it started literally today.''

Elias tells her. ''The boys miss you too, Quinn and Brock especially.'' Joanna sniffles, hoping it's just her hormones acting up. ''I miss them too, it's so weird not having the gang together.''

Elias hums. ''I know, and we won't be able to have them over until at least next year too, with the way things are looking.'' Joanna gives her boyfriend a tired smile. ''At least we'll be back together.'' Elias nods, and yawns again. ''At least there's that, yeah. I love you, I'll see you soon.''

Joanna says, resting her head. ''I love you too, see you soon.'' They fall asleep on facetime again.

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

UBC sends Joanna some materials for junior year of her degree the day after the Canucks get shutout 5-0 by Vegas. The files get saved to her laptop, and the books go on the lower shelves of their bookcase. Still no real news on how semester is going to work yet, the dean and the board are working closely with the provincial government to evaluate things, and should be issuing an email to the student body in a couple of days. She's just fine to study from home, it's union meetings she's worried about. Online meetings sometimes give people excuses not to attend. The orcas right the ship the following day, winning 5-2 with yet another goal from Elias. The next day, Joanna is up early for some yoga before breakfast, and heads out to the store quickly. She spends the afternoon reading over her course materials, classes will be online until after christmas it appears.

Joanna watches some tennis highlights while she makes herself some spaghetti for dinner. Tennis is also back behind closed doors, and the sound of it is amazing, the ball is so much louder with the empty stadium. She's played to very few people on various ocassions, mostly in high school, and the sound is so familiar. She eats while watching tennis, and goes to bed at ten like she always does. She and Elias fall asleep together over zoom again, not knowing when they'll be back in the same bed together.

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

Vegas win two in a row to take the series lead over the coming days, Marc-Andre Fleury standing on his head in game four. Joanna spends the day of the 31st of August baking, muffins and cookies are in the oven, and she tidies up after setting a timer. There should be enough there for at least a week. She also goes over some notes for a Student Union meeting for the 9th of September, their first of the new year.

While she's cleaning up the living room, the timer dings, and she takes her muffins and cookies out of the oven to cool off. Everything is baked all the way through. She gets a call from her friend Genevieve. ''Hi, Genna, how are you?''

Genevieve says. ''Hi, Anna. I'm good, Natalia is bored out of her mind, we both are. She misses her soccer, and I miss my lacrosse. How are you, it's been what? Three weeks since Elias left?'' Joanna smiles sadly, her heart aching at hearing about her friends having each other through this. Genna and Nat are a sports couple UBC relies on for results. ''Yeah, it's been rough. This condo just doesn't feel like home without him, can I confess something to you?''

Genevieve says. ''Always, go ahead.''

Joanna fiddles with he hem of her dress. ''I don't care about that Cup, I just want my boyfriend home however he gets here.'' Genevieve says, an athlete herself. ''I know, I've felt that for you, girlie, his place is with you, Cup or no Cup.''

Her boys fight like orcas should the following day. Beating Vegas 2-1 with goals from both Brock and Elias. Then, do it all over again to level the series a dominant 4-0 shutout from Thatcher with the offense firing on all cylinders.

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

It's the following day, while she's cracking on with the first load of coursework for junior year, that the news reaches her that the boys will need to isolate for ten days upon return home whenever that is. She rolls her eyes, and accepts the news, it's for the best. At least Elias will be back in BC. They'll also need to return two negative Covid tests. She'll need to return one for Elias to return home. She takes her deep breath again, and gets back on with her work. She'd love to see her boyfriend lift that cup, she knows better than anyone does how much that weighs on this city. How 1994 and 2011 plague this team. But, the selfish part of her just wants him home now. Road trips are bearable, but this has been uniquely painful.

Joanna stops for a lunch hour, which she takes on the balcony, and goes to get back on with her work until four pm. She makes herself a small fish curry, something her friend on the union, Rajeev, turned her on to ages ago. It's since become one of her favourite dinners, she's tweaked his recipe to add salmon instead of haddock.

That night, in bed, she jumps on zoom as usual, and gets cozy. Elias looks just exhausted from it all, she's pretty tired herself right now. ''Hi, sweetheart, how are you holding up?'' She asks him.

Elias slowly blinks a few times, like a cat would, if only to keep himself awake. ''Hanging in there, how are you doing, beautiful?'' Joanna yawns, twirling the end of her braid around her finger. ''Getting back to university work, but looking forward to having you home.''

Elias also yawns, running a hand through his hair. ''I'm looking forward to being home, Quinn's a great room-mate, wouldn't trade him for anyone. But, that is our bed you're sleeping alone in, know what I mean?'' Joanna nods, putting her head down, she knows exactly what he means. ''Yeah, I do.'' The conversation trails off from there, until both fall into sleep together.

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

Game seven is a washout, the Canucks are eliminated 3-0 in a shutout from Robin Lehner. Ending their run in the second round, a good showing all things considered, and no one in the bubble got sick, which is nothing short of a miracle. So, the Canucks must clear out the following day, and fly home to BC. Then, the ten day isolation begins. Joanna receives a text from Elias on day five of BC isolation while she's working.

Beloved: Took my test today, all clear!

She smiles, clicking her pen a few times, and replies.

Joanna Rose: Great! Do you know when I should take my test?

He must be texting management, because his answer takes a few moments to come through.

Beloved: Day nine, same as us.

She nods, and makes a note on a pink post-it.

Joanna Rose: Cool, I guess I'll see you soon! 🌹

He replies quickly.

Beloved: See you soon! 💙

Five more days! Five! And, she can have her boyfriend back from hockey for a while. Still no news on next season, by rights it should start in october, next month, but she can't see that happening.

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

Day nine comes, and she takes her Covid test after dinner. The sting in her nose and throat is the most uncomfortable thing she's probably ever felt. This must be what taking a pregnancy test feels like, she thinks as she washes her hands. The test is done, and thankfully negative. She bins it, and texts Elias.

Joanna Rose: Took my test, negative!

Elias texts her back.

Beloved: Also negative!

She's so excited to hear that news, one more day then.

Joanna Rose: When are you being released?

Elias takes a moment to answer her this time, probably just checking with Benning.

Beloved: Tomorrow evening, just after dinner.

That's gonna be an agonizingly long day. She replies.

Joanna Rose: Cool, I'll be up. See you tomorrow!

He replies, seeming excited too.

Beloved: See you tomorrow!

Finally, she's getting him back, these past few weeks have sucked being here in their home without him.

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

She's up early to tidy the condo the next day, there isn't much to do, but she wants the place to look neat for Elias returning home. Once that's done, which takes her through a lunch break, she gets on with some homework while listening to some music. That takes her until dinner, the hours feeling like years all of a sudden. She eats a quick bowl of pasta with some fruit juice, then, she waits. Half-watching something on Netflix until she hears the familiar sound of a car outside, and footsteps on the stairs. The door clicks open and closed, Joanna springs up, and bolts through to the foyer to greet him. Elias laughs behind his team mask, and says. ''Hang on, I just need to wash up.''

He washes his hands, and chucks his mask in the laundry. Then, at long last, he can sweep her into his arms for real. He holds her close, and breathes her in, he's home, at long last, he's home. Joanna also inhales his scent, savouring the feel of him in her arms again. Her friends can never understand how this feels, her family can't either. This feeling is all theirs. ''I've missed you so fucking much, alskling.'' Elias says.

Joanna sniffles, overcome by it all. ''I've missed you too, darling.'' Finally, they kiss, brought back together after far too long apart. This is the best feeling on earth, it must be.

Joanna gets the kettle on, and makes them tea with her cookies. And, finally back together in their home, they talk late into the night like they always do.

[bitchinbarzal]

i can imagine astrid finally falling asleep after a day at disney after fighting sleep all day and elias and mom are just watching her sleep as elias sings softly in swedish

She’s battling sleep as Elias carry’s her in to their Airbnb from the car.

You’re trailing not far behind as Elias mumbles a Swedish lullaby to her.

He puts her on the bed and you take off her shoes and she’s mumbling in Swedish to her dad

He kissed her head and said “Go to sleep my little love”

“Goodnight Alskling” you whispered and shut off the lights.

[haunted-house-heart]

Whats your ultimate otp/ot+? (Like the first one you think of when seeing otp prompts)

oh god um. wow that's hard aldksls

the first ones that come to mind are from the raven cycle - i'm a big fan of The Gangsey all together as a ship (ot5/6 if you count henry (i do))

i also love cecil and carlos from wtnv, taako and kravitz or taako and magnus from taz balance, wylan and jesper from six of crows

there's so many alskls

[t-lostinworlds]

finally listened to All Too Well (10 Minute Version) and my heart is on the floor, it’s getting stepped on, i’m sobbing, and i might be okay, but i’m not fine at all—

[leesangy]

why do my hyunjae gifs always look so pretty 😭

[claudemblems]

Someone: *casually mentions Yuki from Fruits Basket*

Me: MY LOVE, THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE, THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTIONS, MY DARLING, MY ONE AND ONLY

PLEASE STEP ON ME KING

[hallidavs]

* 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑  ╱ @halstonfm​

         𝐇𝐄'𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐖𝐎 squirt guns, one filled with water, the other filled with neon green paint as he aims blindly into the crowd. bottom lip falling captive of white canines, he looks more boyish than usual as his eyes crinkle, a laugh threatening to escape as he hears the cries of shock when it hits them - garnering mixed reactions. he spots cal and aims him as his next victim, but his target swivels as someone bumps into kieran from behind, and he pulls the trigger, water flying and landing on the last person he wants to kill his buzz tonight. he can’t help the way his features lift in amusement, can’t help the words that flit out of his mouth before he can stop them  ,  “  my BAD  , hals  .  ”  though he doesn’t sound sorry, not in the slightest  .  “   i was TRYING to aim for someone who would ACTUALLY win a wet t-shirt contest  .  SOMEONE fucked up my aim  . ”

[nikosarc]

@rooster teeth let jaune lift ruby up when they hug you cowards

[butterflyintochains]

Adventures In Toronto

Wednesday - Arrival

The Canucks' private plane has touched down in Toronto for the All Star Game. Each Canuck have brought their partners, and Millsy and Thatcher have even brought their kids. Tocchet leads them to their cars after going through security. Joanna has never been to Toronto before. This is her sixth NHL city. Born and raised in Vancouver, where she still lives. She's been to San Jose, St Louis, and Miami with Elias for previous All Star Games. And Vegas with him when he won the Calder. She doesn't count her brief stop in Detroit when she flew out to see Elias and Quinn that summer, all she saw was the airport. ''God, this city is massive, isn't it?'' Olivia says.

Joanna nods, taking some pictures out the window. ''Yeah, hope this weekend is happier than the last game.'' She'll never forget saying goodbye to Bo, Holly, and the kids in Miami last year. She hates that Bo had to find out they handfasted while visiting. Elias holds her hand in his, and promises her. ''We arrive together, we leave together this time, alskling, promise.''

At the hotel, they meet up with Jack and the rest, and head in for some dinner. Then, on Tocchet's orders, it's bed time.

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

Thursday - Draft

Draft Day has come, the boys are all up early, but the ladies are given some extra sleep. Joanna is up at nine, the bed too cold without Elias next to her. She showers, and brushes her teeth, and gets her hair done into a nice half updo. She's doing her makeup, when a knock comes at the door. ''Come in.'' Bella and Olivia come in, dressed for the day already. ''Hey, girls, what's up?'' Joanna slides some tights on, and belts her favourite turtleneck dress up. Bella sits on the bed. ''We just wanted some advice about today, we've never done this before. You have.''

Joanna chuckles, and fiddles with her handfast ring. ''Oh, okay, well, what do you wanna ask me?''

Olivia takes a seat. ''How do we y'know... conduct ourselves? Like, there's so many important people here, how do we not look stupid in front of them?''

Joanna packs her purse, and zips her boots up. ''Just like you'd approach the boys, or coach. If Etiquette Classes taught me anything it was: be comfortable in yourself, and you're seventy percent there.'' Bella nods, turning pink slightly. ''It sounds so dumb to ask, but we're so new to all this, and you've been to four of these now, and...''

Joanna takes her friend's hands, assuring her. ''It's not dumb, Bells, it isn't. I lost count of how many times I turned to Holly and Amanda for advice back then. Wanna know a secret about San Jose?''

Olivia looks interested. ''Go on.'' Joanna laughs, smoothing down her skirt. ''I was terrified, stuck to Elias like glue all weekend, I was nineteen and absolutely petrified. Didn't help that my childhood crush was there. I was down bad for Kris Letang as a kid.''

The ladies all sit together for the draft. Joanna wrinkles her nose at the red jerseys their team are wearing, red has never been her favourite colour on Elias. The garish yellow stars don't help. Scarlett Miller wants up on her lap. ''Hi, sweetie, come on. What team do you want daddy going to, Scarly?''

Scarlett thinks for a minute. ''Uhm, Huggy's team.'' Olivia laughs, agreeing with the little girl. ''Me too.''

Sure enough Scarlett is a prophet, the pod sticks together, except for the new guy. Elias Lindholm going to a different team. The girls also stick around for the PWHL showcase.

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

Friday - Skills Competition

The Canucks, Devils duo, and Tkachuks are sitting down to breakfast together before the skills comp. The girls all dressed nice, the boys suited up. Joanna goes to grab some more tea from the buffet, half milk and two sugars as she likes, a distinct feeling of anticipation at their table. She gets back, the boys talking animatedly among themselves. ''Did I miss something while grabbing my drink?'' She asks Emma.

Emma nods, beaming, but not giving anything away. ''Yeah, you kinda did.''

Elias turns to her, blue eyes sparkling, and takes her hand in his. He goes into his pocket, producing a blue velvet box, it's happening, it's actually happening! ''Joanna, last summer, we made some promises to each other. I asked you in Sweden to handfast with me. Now, I ask you in Canada: Joanna, my love, will you marry me?'' He opens the box, producing a gorgeous ring, rose gold adorned with a diamond flanked by two rubies. Joanna, heart racing, says. ''Yes!'' He slides the ring onto her finger, and pulls her in for a kiss. ''Congrats, guys, it's the best feeling ever.'' Thatcher says.

Elias nods, his fiancee now on his lap. ''Thanks, Demmer, been waiting to do it for ages, figured this was a great time.'' He looks to his other half. ''Anna, are you okay?''

Joanna nods, green eyes glossy. ''Yeah, I just love you so much.'' Elias kisses her again. ''I love you too.''

Joanna makes the texts after Elias is called to the bus. Their people must know before the press find out later on today, she'd hate it if Theresa, her best friend, found out on TV in particular.

At the arena, the girls watch as McDavid wins fastest skater, Olivia says. ''Quinn came third, so that's good at least.'' She's always been Quinn's number one supporter, even before they got together. ''Yeah, can't wait for hardest shot.'' Lexie says, bouncing little Dawson on her lap. ''Neither can I, Elias basically owns that.'' Joanna says.

Elias manages 2 points in the one-timers event, Kate Peterson comes to the ladies during the passing challenge. ''Good afternoon to our Canuck ladies, enjoying the skills comp so far?''

Bella laughs, Brock isn't in it, so she's just there to support the others. ''Yeah, kinda didn't know what to expect, but this is so cool.'' Joanna nods in agreement. ''Been here before, but this one feels so different. We're not saying goodbye to anyone, and we're all together this year.'' Kate notices the ring, shimmering in the arena lights. ''I take it a Hockey wedding is on the horizon?''

Joanna nods, beaming again. ''Yeah, Elias proposed this morning.'' Elias also goes on to win the passing challenge.

Cale Makar wins hardest shot, McDavid wins stick handling and accuracy shooting. Georgiev wins the one-on-one challenge. ''Well, who would've guessed? Connor helps design the comp, and wins the thing!'' Olivia remarks, sounding a touch bitter.

They catch up with the boys backstage, Joanna slings her arms around her fiance's waist, and kisses him. ''Another skills comp done, darling, we've not missed one yet.''

Elias lets his hands clasp at the small of her back, and kisses her gently. ''Who are you supporting at Four Nations next year?'' Joanna says, matter of factly as always. ''The team my husband plays for.'' Elias, aquamarine eyes focused deeply into her emerald ones, like they have been since 2018, says. ''Good to know.''

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

Saturday - Game Day

Joanna and the girls take their seats for the Team Hughes vs Team Matthews game. Despite his awful showing in the skills comp yesterday, Kucherov buries one to open scoring for Team Hughes. DeBrincat answers with a goal of his own just over a minute later. ''Come on, Jon, wake up, honey.'' Natalie urges her husband. Joanna turns her engagement ring on her finger, already used to the weight on her left hand. Anaheim star Frank Vatrano fires one past Oettinger for 2-1. ''I wish Brock could get one, he wasn't in the skills comp yesterday.'' Bella says.

DeBrincat adds another to the boards to tie it 2-2 going into the second half. Mitch Marner pads the lead as the second half begins, Elias gets the puck on his stick, and ties it, pointing to Joanna with his stick. Joanna, for her part, winks at him. ''That never gets old, huh?'' Olivia asks.

Joanna laughs, and says. ''Not even a little bit, Liv, no.''

Filip Forsberg puts Team Matthews ahead, but Brady Tkachuk responds just as his dad would've. ''That's my man, Brady!'' Emma cheers him on. Vatrano adds another goal for Team Hughes. Only for Forsberg to tie it with two minutes to go. ''Shootout time, buckle up, girls.'' Lexie says, sounding confident in her husband, so she should.

The shootout goes to the wire, with Alex DeBrincat scoring the game winner for Team Matthews.

Team Hughes and Team MacKinnon head back to the hotel for a late lunch after the games. Elias Lindholm finally getting to sit with his new team mates. ''Anything I should know before we head back to Vancouver?'' Lindholm asks.

Quinn, stepping into captain mode for a brief moment, says. ''Just that we're excited to have you on board, that's all.'' Thatcher adds to the primer. ''And, Garly, Blue, and JoDak are insane. But, in a good way.''

Elias adds. ''And, you're invited to a Canucks wedding this summer too.''

Lindholm smiles, weddings are always good news, no matter who it is. ''Thank you very much, congrats on that by the way.'' Joanna finishes her meal, and says. ''Thanks, we handfasted in Agne over summer too.''

Of all people, Sidney Crosby pipes up. ''Oh, did you? That's so cool! My grandparents did that too. Good luck on the wedding and marriage.''

Elias speaks for them, his fiancee too starstruck to speak. ''Thank you, Sid.''

That night, Joanna is just done getting ready for bed. Her face and hands moisturized, hair put in a braid, and case packed for their flight home tomorrow afternoon. She exits the bathroom, Elias is already fast asleep, big events like this have always tired him out, and the rush of the proposal is probably catching up to him. Joanna joins him in bed, and kisses his temple. ''Jag älskar dag, käresta.'' She whispers, and curls up with him, out in minutes.

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

Sunday - Home

It's all over and done with until 2027 now, bags are packed, and cars are loaded up for flights back to the other 31 cities. Joanna gets back from a shop with a box of chocolates and a card thanking the staff for housing them for the weekend. Farewells are said, and the Canucks family get into their cars, having not said any goodbyes, instead, they're heading back to Vancouver with someone. ''Nice weekend, love?'' Elias asks Joanna while she reads on the flight home.

Joanna nods, and marks her page. ''Yeah, feels odd that I've been with you for all four of these, but this is it until 2027. Four Nations next year, and then the Olympics.''

Elias chuckles, kissing her head. ''Yeah, it does in a way, doesn't it? We'll be married and starting our family by then. Excited for that?'' Joanna can't help the smile that comes to her face. ''Elias, I've been excited for that since we got together. That's never changed.'' Elias says, linking their pinkies together. ''Good, because so am I.''

Elias gets back to his movie, Joanna gets back to her book, and they return to their city with their family. A hectic weekend behind them, a busy work schedule ahead, and a wedding in summer. But, they're ready, they're together, and that's all that will ever matter.

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

A/N: OMG, this is finally done!! Had this in the pipeline since asg, but college and stuff got in the way. But, she's finally done! Happy with how this turned out.

[candypoogle]

i ended up starting over my olafur/pelle playlist bc i tend to just look at the lyrics of a song and then i end up with a lot of songs that are thematically similar but sound completely different and are from completely different genres lol

[bisexualstokes-archive]

Honestly BIG N/G HC: both taking pictures of eachother when the other isn't looking because they are super focused in whatever they are doing (looking for evidence, taking prints, taking swabs..)

a;sldkja;dsl greg’s insta just full of pictures of nick and nick is completely unaware cause he doesn’t do social media all that often (maybe checks it like once a week or something idk nick just doesn’t strike me as all that interested in stuff like that since he’s such a private person)

nick jokingly taking pictures of greg at his first scene in the field together with nick, teasing him that he’s “documenting it for the scrapbook” but then he just doesn’t stop taking pictures and as he’s printing out pictures for a case one day he accidentally prints one of greg and turns beet red as he and greg are laying them out in the layout room for their meeting with grissom

[vicariousphotographer]

"I'm scared of being used again..."

Deep Ass Starters.

{ @paraphiliapet }

     “...But you haven’t thus far, right?” Before he could even finish that sentence, Henry slightly winced at how patronizing that sounded. He didn’t mean it like that -- he remedied any  awkwardness  by reaching over to hold Cole’s hand, smiling at him. “You know I won’t let anyone do that to you again... I promised, didn’t I?”