#false confidence // sdd

[goldenseresinretriever]

False Confidence: Prologue

Pairing: Javy “Coyote” Machado x Reader

Part of the San Diego Dogfighters universe

Summary: The Athletic named Javy Machado the fifth sluttiest player in the NHL last year. He’s a known playboy who leaves every game with a different girl. As far as he’s concerned he’s living the dream, playing his dream job with the dream lifestyle. Unfortunately his friends and bosses don’t agree. At 33, they think it’s time for him to settle down. You’re a kindergarten teacher at an esteemed private school. You don't expect much when you finally accept your colleague’s invitation to attend her husband’s hockey game but when you accidentally get separated in the post-game rush, you find yourself in a compromising situation with the last person you’d ever expected to meet. When his PR rep suggests a mutually beneficial agreement, your hands are tied. How long will you have to keep up the act? And how long will you be able to?

Series CW: 18+ ONLY, swearing, sports violence, blood probably, angst, fluff, fake relationship, suggestive language, school system inaccuracies, hockey inaccuracies etc. There will be individual chapter warnings. No use of Y/N.

Word Count: 2.1k

A/N: Y’all I’m so excited for this series it’s not even funny!!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I am!

Series Masterlist // Next Chapter

You stare at the event on your calendar, willing it to disappear into the void. The words “staff meeting” glare back at you as you glance at the clock. Five more minutes. Maybe they’ll cancel. Maybe the sun will fall out of the sky. You nibble your lower lip before you can catch yourself. Your fingers worry the hem of your sweater, keeping time with the thundering of your heart. It’s fine. You’re okay. It’s just a staff meeting. After three years working at Acacia Academy, you’re more comfortable here than you’ve been in any job before, the product of time invested and the aid of a stable schedule, but sometimes you have days like this. Days when the pounding in your heart reaches your ears, echoing like the drum of an executioner signaling your imminent demise.

“Roadie?” Three minutes left and a familiar voice calls out your nickname. You force your lips to curl into a smile as you turn to the door of your currently empty classroom. Your colleague and perhaps your only work friend, Josie Fitch is leaning against the doorframe. She’s wearing the patient, sweet smile she’s always using on her rowdy fourth-grade class. “You ready to go? We have that staff meeting today, remember?” You nod, finding it harder to keep the smile on your face at the reminder of the meeting. Nevertheless, you force yourself to stand, smoothing a hand over your slacks before crossing the room to where Josie’s waiting. She slides her hand into yours, pulling you along after her to the teacher’s lounge and staff conference room.

When you reach the room, it’s already at least half full. Thankfully, Josie takes pity on you and slides into the last pair of chairs in the back of the room, leaving the seats at the front for the stragglers. Dan Jackson, the principal, is standing at the front of the room, hands clasped in front of him and a firm look on his face that makes you struggle not to fidget. Principal Jackson’s gaze drags over the room as the clock strikes three thirty and heaves a heavy sigh before clearing his throat.

“Regardless of attendance, let’s get started. After thoughtful consideration, the school will be implementing a new soft policy. In the face of our upcoming contract renewals and an effort to combat employee fraternization, we’ll be looking at relationship status as a qualification when deciding which contracts get renewed. While a stable relationship is not a hard requirement, as that’s not enforceable under the law, it will greatly help your case for re-employment. Your heart is beating so loudly in your ears that you can barely hear Principal Jackson as he continues. Josie seems to notice your distress and squeezes your hand gently. She doesn’t have anything to worry about since she’s been happily married for twelve years and she’s the mother of two beautiful children who are currently students at Acadia. Not for the first time, you wonder why you didn’t just take a job at a public school. You wouldn’t have to deal with these borderline illegal policies and all the politics that come with working for a private school that’s unregulated by a school board. Unfortunately, public schools are a nightmare for you. Hundreds of students, dozens of teachers, and large buildings make any kind of familiarity almost impossible. During your student teaching years, you worked in a public school and you were constantly on edge leading to your pivot into private schools. Sure the administration is almost always corrupt and the parents are entitled, but at least you know every one of your students and colleagues by name, and as long as you keep your head down, you stay out of trouble. And you’ve done exactly that. Despite the issues Principal Jackson’s speaking about regarding employee fraternization, you’ve been removed from that. No one pays you much attention. Well aside from Jeremy Dickinson.

Jeremy came to Acacia Academy the same year that you did and while you tend towards the fringes of social circles, he’s magnetic and constantly the center of attention. You have a sneaking suspicion that this meeting and new policy is actually a direct response to the negative side effects of said magnetism. Jeremy’s the one that gave you your nickname, Roadrunner or Roadie for short. You’re always dashing from place to place, trying to stay out of people’s way and he joked that you resembled the speedy cartoon character. Now more teachers refer to you by the nickname than by your real name and while it used to annoy you, you’ve taken to appreciating the kind of anonymity that the nickname gives you. If people want to see you as a caricature rather than a person, you’re alright with that as long as their eyes slide over you instead of lingering.

While you’ve been lost in your thoughts, the meeting has come to a close and you slump into your seat as the reality of your situation comes crashing down onto you. Josie’s giving you a concerned look that you do your best to ignore as you stand and head into the mass of people squeezing through the doorway, eager to head home for the day. Josie follows you but doesn’t speak up until you’re back in your classroom. “So, Roadie, what are your plans for the evening?” She’s deflecting, giving you the option to bring up the meeting yourself. You sigh heavily as you start to pack your belongings.

“Looking for a new job, apparently.” You answer with a hollow laugh. She frowns at that.

“You know that policy isn’t about you, right? That’s for people like Jeremy who can’t keep it in their pants. You’ve never dated anyone at school.” You’ve never dated anyone but that’s beside the point. Andrew St. James doesn’t count or so your high school therapist had assured you.

You shrug as you slide your laptop into your tote bag. “You heard Principal Jackson. He wants people in relationships working here. I’m not in a relationship, so I’m at a disadvantage.”

“So maybe you should get a boyfriend,” Josie suggests like it’s the easiest thing in the world and you feel a twinge of bitter jealousy in your chest. As if it’s that simple.

“That’s not going to happen.” You say with a tired shake of your head as you slide the bag onto your shoulder. Josie shrugs but lets the conversation drop.

“If you’re free tonight, you should come with us to the game.” Josie’s been trying to invite you to one of her husband’s games all season. Reuben Fitch is a winger for the newly formed San Diego Dogfighters hockey team here in San Diego. You don’t know the first thing about hockey and sports games are the last place you’d rather be so you’ve casually dodged the invitations over and over but today you’re simply too tired to keep shutting Josie down.

“Sure, why not.” You relent and Josie’s face lights up with excitement.

“Really?! Oh, that’s great, Roadie, the kids will be so excited that you’re coming! They keep begging me to bring you!” The Fitch kids, Jamie and Skylar attend Acacia Academy and thanks to your friendship with Josie and the fact that you’re Skylar’s teacher, you’re all thick as thieves. You’ve babysat for Reuben and Josie plenty of times, giving them some well-deserved time to themselves. As a hockey player, Reuben’s traveling for work almost as much as he’s home, and between that and wanting to be as present of a parent as possible he doesn’t have a lot of time to spend with his wife. Thankfully, Josie takes it in stride, leading her family with a poise you’re constantly impressed by while her husband is away and you’re more than willing to help where you can. While you’ve never been comfortable with your peers, you’ve always been comfortable with children. You think maybe it’s because they don’t expect you to be anything more than yourself. The younger the better in that respect and that’s why you teach kindergarten. Josie gives you the details for this evening, offering to drive you to the arena with them so you don’t have to bother with parking and you swallow hard as you make your way to your car trying to convince yourself that you haven’t just made a huge mistake.

***

You’re starting to wish you hadn’t taken up Josie on her offer. You’re sitting next to Skylar at the end of the row in case you need to make a quick escape. You’re up by the glass and the people in the next section are banging on it as the players zip around on the ice. The kids are caught up in the infectious energy buzzing through the Hard Deck arena. It’s got you dizzy with nerves. One of the Dogfighters slams one of the opposing team against the glass in front of you and you jump, stomach queasy. How anyone could enjoy watching let alone playing this sport is beyond you. You fiddle with the hem of your new sweatshirt that Josie insisted on getting you after the slightly chilly air in the arena was adding to your shivers. The Dogfighters logo is emblazoned on the olive green fabric and it’s ridiculously soft but that’s to be expected given its hefty price tag. You protested but Josie pointed out that she could probably get it discounted and maybe even reimbursed afterward due to her husband’s role on the team. The score is in the Dogfighters’ favor as the other team can’t seem to get on the board. Another player slams into the glass and you jump all over again, realizing this time it’s one of the opposing team shoving a Dogfighter. Despite the fact that he’s most likely going to wake up with an array of bruises you notice that he’s got a fierce grin on his face, dark eyes dancing dangerously as he pushes off the wall and giving chase to his assailant. You suppose you have to love the sport to play it for a living but you’re still struck by his expression long after the game has moved on.

***

The game ends with the Dogfighters shutting out Los Vegas 5-0 and the crowd is in good spirits pushing and shoving as they all try to exit the arena at once. You feel your body get shoved and jostled by a stray elbow and you stumble, righting yourself and realizing you’ve lost track of Josie and the kids. Panic climbs up your throat as you’re carried forward by the crowd as you whip your head from side to side, trying to find your group. You make it through the door and people jostle you every which way as you try and escape the crowd and find somewhere quiet to call Josie. You try to dull the panic as you fight against the stream of people, ducking down hallways, anything to get away from the crowds that are causing your heartbeat to echo in your ears yet again. Finally, you find yourself in some abandoned hallway and fish out your phone, cursing as you realize you don’t have service. You’re about to head back the way you came, anxiety pulsing through your veins when a voice startles you.

“Well, well, you’re definitely not supposed to be here.” You whip around, fear clenching your chest as you spot the man leaning against the wall. His posture is casual but his gaze is electric, curiosity dancing in dark brown eyes. You recognize him as the player you noticed earlier, the one who’d been thrown into the glass. He’s still in his equipment but he’s ditched the helmet, and now you have an unrestricted view of his face. He’s handsome, with a strong jaw and full lips that are currently pulled into a playful smirk. You stammer as you try to find your voice to explain what you’re doing here but he just chuckles, pushing off the wall and stalking towards you like a wolf approaching its prey. You’re pinned to the spot as he comes up, invading your personal space and you can smell the sweat on his skin and something else, a heady, spicier scent that tickles your nose. You’re sure you’re shaking like a leaf as he takes your chin in his hand, frozen from his brazen actions and unable to step away. His eyes search yours before his smirk widens.

“Lucky for you, beautiful, I like a girl who knows what she wants.” His eyes darken and you barely catch the glint in them before his mouth is on yours.

A/N: AAAAAAAAND WE’RE ON OUR WAY!! BUCKLE UP!!! If you’re not on the taglist and want to be, let me know!!!

[goldenseresinretriever]

False Confidence: Chapter 3

Pairing: Javy “Coyote” Machado x Reader

Part of the San Diego Dogfighters universe

Summary: The Athletic named Javy Machado the fifth sluttiest player in the NHL last year. He’s a known playboy who leaves every game with a different girl. As far as he’s concerned he’s living the dream, playing his dream job with the dream lifestyle. Unfortunately his friends and bosses don’t agree. At 33, they think it’s time for him to settle down. You’re a kindergarten teacher at an esteemed private school. You don't expect much when you finally accept your colleague’s invitation to attend her husband’s hockey game but when you accidentally get separated in the post-game rush, you find yourself in a compromising situation with the last person you’d ever expected to meet. When his PR rep suggests a mutually beneficial agreement, your hands are tied. How long will you have to keep up the act? And how long will you be able to?

Series CW: 18+ ONLY, swearing, angst, fluff, fake relationship, suggestive language, school system inaccuracies, hockey inaccuracies etc. There will be individual chapter warnings. No use of Y/N.

Word Count: 3.6k

A/N: Welcome back, y’all! Sorry it’s been so long, I’ve been busy 😭

Previous Chapter // Series Masterlist // Next Chapter

You feel the butterflies that have finally settled in your stomach flutter to life again, a jumbled mess as your breath catches. You know it makes sense. His simple request. You’re the one who said you were out of practice. And he’s right, the media caught you with his tongue down your throat. They’re not going to be fooled by chaste kisses on the cheek and pecks on the lips. You need to get comfortable around Javy, and while you hadn’t come here with the intention of kissing him tonight, the sooner you rip off the bandaid, the better. “Okay,” you say and you hate how small your voice sounds. Javy gives you a mysterious smile as he leans in. Your heart beats quicker the closer he gets, and your eyes flick down to those full lips of his and you’re so fixated on them that you don’t realize that he’s stopped. When you realize that his lips haven’t moved in quite a while your eyes flick up to his deep brown ones and your cheeks heat at the intensity of his gaze. “What?” You sputter as you do your best not to pull away from his closeness. Your hands are trembling and you can feel discomfort settling in your bones. He leans in closer suddenly, lips barely a breath from yours and his nose brushes yours and you let out an indignant squeak, jumping slightly.

“Relax, Meep.” His voice takes on a lower timbre and you feel a shiver run down your back.

“Meep?” You squeak and he chuckles. You feel the vibration of the air on your lips. He reaches a hand up then, making sure to hold it in front of your gaze for a solid five seconds so you process it before he runs a knuckle across your cheek.

“My overexcited little roadrunner,” he muses. “Always squeaking.” Your brow furrows as you realize what he’s referring to.

“You’d be squeaking if you were surprised too.” You stutter out, irritation seeping into your tone even as anxiety continues to claw at your heart from his closeness.

“Oh, would I?” He asks, quirking an eyebrow playfully and then just as you’re choosing your next words carefully, he closes the gap and presses his lips to yours.

The first time you’d ever been kissed you were in the bed of Andrew St. James’s truck. You’d felt completely alone even with dozens of cars and trucks parked around you. The movie playing up on the giant screen was background noise as Andrew’s lips pressed against yours. Your lips were slightly parted in surprised pleasure. It had all felt so surreal, being curled against him as you experienced a first that you’d awaited giddily your entire life. Even your wildest dreams you’d never imagined that it could be like this. Even when Andrew had invited you to the movie, butterflies fluttered in your stomach at the idea. Even when you’d nervously picked out the soft yellow sundress that you knew you’d get chilly in with the cool spring evening air, dancing through your bedroom full of whimsy and hope.

Javy tastes like blueberries. The tart taste of the berries scattered through the loaf that the two of you had just indulged in making your lips tingle as he eased you into the kiss. This kiss was different from yesterday. While yesterday’s kiss had been hungry and desperate, this one was soft, delicate, and simple. A press of lips against lips and you can almost smell the rust and grass from your first kiss. It’s sweet, and you almost convince yourself that it’s real but the tart taste keeps you grounded in bittersweet reality. When he pulls away, he studies your face curiously and you struggle not to squirm under the intensity of his gaze. He leans in before you can react and kisses you again. You start, surprised and he’s pulling away before you can adjust to the feeling. You scowl at him and he chuckles.

“What was that for?”

“You need to not tense up so much when I kiss you. Right now you’re practically jumping out of your skin, Meep.” You feel your lips pout even as you know that he’s right but you can’t focus on that when he dips his head to kiss the pout on your lips. You’re expecting this time and you barely tense under the quick touch. “Good girl,” Javy praises you as he pulls away again, pressing a quick peck to your cheek and you jolt, surprised by the change in direction. He gives you a look of faux disappointment. “Come on Roadie, loosen up for me.” You feel your cheeks heating rapidly under his constant attention and the anticipation of the next kiss. You’re not expecting when he reaches a hand up and cups your cheek and then your cheeks are heating even more in embarrassment at the realization that he can probably feel their heat. He stokes the apple of your cheek with a calloused thumb and you shiver involuntarily. “I told you Roadie, I’m not gonna hurt you, sweetheart.”

“Prove it.” You’re as surprised as he is by the bite in your words, but the proximity and flurry of kisses have your brain in a tizzy. You’re overstimulated and exhausted and you don’t have the energy for Javy’s antics right now. His eyes widen before he sits back, his hand falling away from your face and you take a shaky breath as your heart rate tries its best to settle. His expression is unreadable as he nods.

“You’re right.” His gaze is steely as it meets yours. “I will.” Like it’s that simple. You’re too tired to push him so you just nod back.

“We need rules,” you hate how tired your voice sounds and you reach for your glass of water, sipping and hoping the cool liquid will give you the energy that you need. “If this is going to work, we need to be on the same page about what’s okay and what’s not.” Javy nods again, eyes calm and earnest.

“That’s good with me, what did you have in mind?” He asks and you fiddle with the hem of your shirt as you think.

“No sex.” You say after a moment, words form so he knows you’re serious.

“No sex, got it, Roadie.” You nod absently as you think harder.

“I need at least a week’s notice if you need me to come to an event, whether that’s a game or something else. That and my job will always come first. I’m not missing school for this, I’m not leaving my kids out to dry.” He nods again.

“That’s only fair. I’ll talk to Zam and work out a schedule of some kind and get that to you as soon as possible.

“Next, if I’m going to be coming to your events, I need you to come to some of mine.” You’re nervous about asking this but Josie’s voice in your head reminds you that this is supposed to be mutually beneficial.

“It’s only fair,” he says casually. “As long as I’m in town, I’ll be there. You can get me a schedule too, but just give me a basic idea now if you can.”

You think for a long moment before you answer. “You need to make a few appearances at the school to really sell it to the administration. There’s a faculty banquet in April. If you’re here, you’d probably be expected to attend.”

“Consider it done.” He says easily. Something else is itching at the back of your mind so you steel yourself and ask before you lose your nerve.

“Career day,” you sputter and Javy arches an eyebrow at you and you clear your throat. “It’s not a requirement per se but I think the kids would really enjoy meeting a real hockey player.” His eyes soften and you give him a shy smile.

“Yeah, Roadie, I’d love to come to Career Day.” He smiles back as you relax in relief. He waits for you to continue but you’re drawing a blank as to what comes next so he speaks up. “You need to figure out how to relax around me. If there’s something I can do to help, I will, but it’s going to come down to you.” You nod, embarrassment sending heat to your cheeks.

“I know it’s not always going to be possible, but if you could ask or give me a heads up when you’re going to kiss me, that might help?” You say after a long moment. He considers your words thoughtfully.

“What if we had a signal?” He asks and your brow furrows.

“What kind of signal?” You ask warily. He reaches out a hand for yours and you tentatively surrender one. He takes it in his absurdly warm palm, and then he brushes two fingers over the inside of your wrist before tapping three times.

“How’s that?” He asks. You glance down at your linked hands. It’s subtle enough. It could work. You nod, slowly and Javy smiles.

“Yeah, that could work.” You whisper and he releases your hand. You study your hand when it comes back to your lap like you’ll see some kind of mark of his touch. Like a piece of him will linger.

“One last thing,” he says and you look up from your lap and he waggles his eyebrows playfully. “You’re not allowed to fall in love with me.” You barely suppress a derisive snort as you scowl at him. It just makes him laugh and the sound takes your breath away. If his smile is the sun, his laugh is its rays. You feel your nerves melt away as the sound fills your ears and spreads warmth throughout your body from head to toe. He pauses his laughing to fix you with a firm look even as his eyes dance with mirth. “I mean it, Roadie, no falling in love with me.” You roll your eyes.

“You don’t have to worry about that.” You won’t be the fool twice. You know better this time.

***

The next morning as you’re walking into school when your phone buzzes and you open it to see a message from Big Sexy ;), “I know you’ll probably be teaching so you can’t watch, but just so you know, the press conference is at 8 this morning. Speak now or forever hold your peace.” He’s giving you an out. While you appreciate it, you didn’t let him kiss you in his kitchen to lose your nerve now and you type back a quick negative response before steeling yourself and making a beeline for your classroom. You don’t feel like fielding Jeremy’s questions before the press conference. You’ll let someone else control the narrative. You’ve settled in and you’re going over your lesson plan when Josie knocks on the edge of your doorway and you look up, waving her in. She perches on the edge of her desk, studying your expression carefully.

“Reuben said they're holding the press conference this morning. How are you feeling?” You shrug.

“He’s not my real boyfriend. I don’t really feel anything.” Josie gives you a skeptical look.

“You know Jeremy and the others are going to start hounding you the second they find out, don’t you?” You sigh, then, taking a moment to take a long sip from your coffee mug.

“If they hound me that means they buy the story and that’s what we want, right? Sure, I’m not exactly looking forward to it, but there’s not much you can do to disprove an official statement from one of the parties, especially the one with everything to lose.” Josie regards you skeptically and you know she doesn’t buy your cool as she leaves the classroom and while you’re more nervous than ever you can’t focus on that right now. Any minute your students will be arriving and you need to be ready for them. They need you right now.

***

By the time lunch rolls around you’ve forgotten all about the press conference so when you step into the teacher’s lounge and Jeremy automatically calls out to you, you’re taken by surprise.

“Damn Roadie, you’re just full of surprises aren’t you?” You turn to see a smirk pulling at his lips as he regards you. “How on earth did you manage to land yourself a big bad NHL player boyfriend?” You ignore the subtle dig in his words as you struggle to clear your mind. You’d gone over your cover story with Javy last night until you were almost convinced it was true yourself. You take a breath to center yourself before you answer Jeremy.

“We met at Thanksgiving, I went with Josie to the Dogfighters’ Thanksgiving dinner.”

“That right, Josie?” You turn to see Josie standing just inside the doorway, a cool look on her face.

“Yeah, friends and family were invited so I invited Roadie since she didn’t have anywhere else to go.” You wince at her words. That part of the story is true. Josie had invited you except you’d turned her down and had spent the holiday curled up on your couch watching old movies and eating spaghetti and turkey meatballs followed by ice cream straight from the carton. In hindsight, you’re glad you hadn’t gone since Josie had arrived back at school on Monday recounting the chaos that had ensued at the event. None of your colleagues knew that, however. “Oh hey, this is a pleasant surprise.” You’re jerked out of your thoughts and you turn back to Josie as Javy appears in the doorway, carrying a bouquet of flowers and a takeout bag. You do your best to school your expression of surprise at the unexpected visit. You’re sure some of it seems believable enough, though as you unglue your feet from the floor and cross over to where Josie’s ushering Javy into the teacher’s lounge as the other teachers gape. You shuffle over to him, a nervous smile plastered on your face. You will your voice not to shake as you greet him.

“Javy! I didn’t know you were coming by today?” You hide your wince at the light accusation in your tone and try to compensate by carefully pushing up slightly on your toes to press a kiss to his cheek. The gesture feels strange and his skin is warm under your lips. The skin pulls under your touch as Javy smiles and when you pull away you see the mirth dancing in his eyes as leans down to reciprocate the action, smooth lips pressing to your heated cheeks.

“Hey beautiful, thought I’d come by and surprise you.” You try to ignore the way your stomach flutters at the term of endearment as it falls easily from his tongue. “I thought we could have lunch together?” He holds up the paper bag in his hand and you nod, trying to make your earnestness to escape the prying eyes of your colleagues seem lovestruck in nature.

“Sure, baby.” The word feels strange and foreign in your tongue and you have to hold back from grimacing in discomfort. “We can eat in my classroom,” you nod towards the hallway and Javy takes your lead. Once you’re in the empty hallway, the kids all herded into the lunchroom for the next hour, you glance at him to see him grinning at you. You roll your eyes and lead him to your classroom. You hold the door for him as he enters before leading him to your desk. You realize quickly that yours is the only adult-sized chair in the room but Javy seems unfazed as he sets the flowers and bag on your desk and snags one of the tiny chairs from the nearest cluster of desks. You don’t manage to stifle your giggle as he folds his giant body into the tiny chair and his eyebrows raise, the corners of his mouth crinkling at your reaction. You feel your cheeks heat as you take your seat across the desk from him. He’s tall enough that he manages to reach the height of your desk well enough and he starts to unpack the paper bag, the smell of Thai food hitting your nostrils.

“So…” he says as he passes you a foil-wrapped packet that smells simply heavenly, “how’s your morning been, baby?” He smirks and your cheeks heat even more as you duck your head to escape the humor dancing in his eyes.

“I panicked, okay.” You sputter as you focus on keeping the noodles in the foil from spilling across your desk as you break the chopsticks that Javy passes to you. He chuckles.

“Well practice makes perfect, I guess.” He digs into his food and the two of you eat in silence for a moment before you can’t hold your question in, anymore.

“What are you doing here?” You ask and hate how blunt it sounds.

Javy raises an eyebrow at you as he finishes chewing. “I figured after this morning’s announcement, there would be damage control to do, so I figured I’d get ahead of it. What better way to sell a fake relationship than to bring my girlfriend lunch?” He shrugs. “Plus I figured you could use the backup. People are bound to have questions and actions speak louder than words.” You nod, taking another bite of your food.

“Well, thanks,” you say, trying to fight off the awkwardness as he waves you off.

“This is much better than eating in the conference room with dozens of sweaty guys, believe me.” He looks around your room, taking in the bright decorations and your students’ art hung on the wall. “So, do you teach art too?” He asks.

You shrug. “It’s kindergarten, I teach everything.”

“Damn, Roadie,” Javy looks genuinely impressed. “Even math?”

“I mean, math for Kindergartners usually just consists of counting, shapes, and basic addition and subtraction but yeah,” you giggle a little as he laughs.

“Right, I almost forgot. But that’s still important, though, they need that to be able to do the rest.” He says, giving you a pointed look and you smile shyly.

“That’s why I love it so much,” you admit. “You get to make such a big impact on these kids’ lives.”

“It’s a big responsibility,” he points out.

“It’s a privilege.” You say, a soft smile on your lips and he gives you a look that you can almost convince yourself is pride.

The two of you fall back into silence as you eat until Javy speaks up again. “Do you still make octopus stew in kindergarten?” You can’t help the laugh that jumps out of your throat. Javy regards you curiously as you nod through your laughter.

“Yeah… yeah we still make octopus stew. We’re actually doing that next week.” His eyes brighten and you hesitate before you offer. “You could come if you wanted to? I mean just for the octopus stew part? We usually ask a couple of parents to come help out since there’s cooking involved, we could use the extra hands.” You can’t help the nerves that blossom in your stomach but Javy’s wide grin makes them worth it.

“I’d love to,” he beams before his brow furrows. “What day is it? We’re leaving on a road trip next Wednesday.” His face falls slightly and you can’t help the pang of sympathy that laces through you. You’ve seen it on Reuben’s face before. The realization that his job is stealing yet another special moment from him. He’s missed class plays, dance recitals, and more and it doesn’t get easier.

“Octopus Stew is on Tuesday,” you say with a soft smile, mentally running through the emails you’re going to need to send to the parents volunteering to successfully move around your lesson plans. The grin on Javy’s face is like the sun and you can’t help but feel relief, knowing that your slightly selfish plan is going to be worth it.

“Perfect, I’ll be there!” He announces and you can’t help the smile that his excitement brings to your lips. “By the way, are you doing anything after work today? The rest of the guys really want to meet you, and I thought maybe you could swing by the arena?” You hesitate and his gaze softens. “They’re not all assholes, I promise, you just got stuck with me.” You feel your cheeks heat at that.

“S-sure I can be there,” you murmur and he reaches a hand over, brushing your fingers with his. Somehow you don’t flinch away from his touch. “I’ll be there.” You say with more conviction and he squeezes your fingers gently.

You hear the bell go off in the hallway and glance at the clock, surprised. The moment is broken and you hurry to clear up your lunch trash. Javy stands, taking your lead, and carefully returns his chair to its desk. He holds out a hand to take the lunch trash and you pass it to him, appreciatively. Your eyes fall on the flowers, they’re a simple but bright bouquet of seasonals. “Thanks for the flowers, by the way,” you say and Javy turns to look at them from where he’s almost at the doorway.

“Oh, you don’t have to thank me. You’re my girlfriend, after all, flowers are a given. Do you have a vase?” He glances around the room, looking for one. You shake your head.

“Not here, no. I have some at home but I’ll probably get something plastic for the classroom in case of accidents.” Javy nods, his eyes thoughtful.

“Noted, I’ll bring a vase next time. I’ll see you this evening, Roadie.” He’s gone before you can comprehend his words and a soft smile graces your lips as you gather your lesson plans for the afternoon before heading down the empty hallway to pick up your students from the lunchroom, Javy long gone.

A/N: Sooo Day 1 of the ruse is going well so far! How do we think the rest of the guys are going to react to Roadie?

[goldenseresinretriever]

False Confidence: Chapter 1

Pairing: Javy “Coyote” Machado x Reader

Part of the San Diego Dogfighters universe

Summary: The Athletic named Javy Machado the fifth sluttiest player in the NHL last year. He’s a known playboy who leaves every game with a different girl. As far as he’s concerned he’s living the dream, playing his dream job with the dream lifestyle. Unfortunately his friends and bosses don’t agree. At 33, they think it’s time for him to settle down. You’re a kindergarten teacher at an esteemed private school. You don't expect much when you finally accept your colleague’s invitation to attend her husband’s hockey game but when you accidentally get separated in the post-game rush, you find yourself in a compromising situation with the last person you’d ever expected to meet. When his PR rep suggests a mutually beneficial agreement, your hands are tied. How long will you have to keep up the act? And how long will you be able to?

Series CW: 18+ ONLY, swearing, discussion of sexual harassment, angst, fluff, fake relationship, suggestive language, school system inaccuracies, hockey inaccuracies etc. There will be individual chapter warnings. No use of Y/N.

Word Count: 4k

A/N: It’s been a hot minute but we’re back!!!

Previous Chapter // Series Masterlist // Next Chapter

Your brain short circuits. He’s kissing you. This complete stranger is kissing you. It’s been years since someone kissed you. You let out a squeak of surprise and he takes advantage of your open mouth to slide his tongue in. You’re dumbfounded now. You’ve definitely never been kissed like this. You’ve seen it before, of course, in movies, and on TV. You even walked in on Jeremy and one of the first-grade teachers in the copy room by accident once. But you never imagined that you’d ever get kissed like this. It’s all hunger and you feel like you’re being devoured, every rational thought fleeing your head as you’re overwhelmed by the new sensations. You’re not kissing him back, but frankly, that’s because you have no idea how. You barely know how to kiss normally but this? This is completely new territory. You’re stiff as a board as his hands go to your waist, squeezing and kneading the flesh there. You’re dizzy from all the new sensations and you think you might combust.

“JAVY MACHADO, GET AWAY FROM HER!” Josie’s voice breaks through the haze and the man pulls away. You watch a string of saliva connect your mouths before snapping like the tension between you. Your senses flood back and you stumble away from the man, Javy, shoving at his shoulders in the process, a mortified squeak escaping your lips. He doesn’t move an inch and you’re acutely aware of how much pure muscle he’s made of.

You hear the crack before you register that Josie’s crossed the short distance between you and slapped Javy across the face. Your eyes widen in horror at the brazen act of violence as you take in the fierce protectiveness in Josie’s eyes. To his credit, Javy looks surprised too, raising a hand to touch the warming skin of his cheek.

“Jo, what’s going on!” Reuben is jogging down the hallway behind her, shock on his face as he takes in the scene unfolding before him.

“This pig just assaulted Roadie!” She exclaims and you’re still frozen where you stand but you can feel the strange feeling of your kiss-swollen lips. Reuben turns to you and takes in your mortified expression before rounding on Javy.

“Javy, what the fuck man? What’s going on?” You’ve never seen Reuben genuinely angry. Usually, he’s pretty easygoing and you’re surprised by the thunderous expression on his face. Javy looks equally surprised as the older man glares down at him.

“I didn’t know who she was!” Javy protests, but Josie just levels a glare at him as she moves to place a protective arm around your trembling shoulders.

“What’s going on?” A hard voice interrupts Javy’s pleas and you all turn to see a blonde man striding down the hall. He’s classically handsome but right now his eyebrows are pinched together as he surveys the scene in front of him. He crosses his muscular arms across his chest as he levels a hard stare at Javy who meets it with one of his own. The two are locked in a silent battle until the click of high heels on the concrete floor sounds and a woman dressed in a suit rounds the corner, her lips pinched in a thin line. She walks up to the blonde and regards the two men locked in silent conversation before turning to Reuben, Josie, and you.

“Alright, someone needs to tell me what’s going on right now.”

Javy takes a deep breath but doesn’t break eye contact with the blonde as he answers, “I kissed her.” The woman’s eyebrows furrow as she scans the crowd and lights on you at last. You see her eyes widen slightly with surprise, moving to Josie’s arm around your shoulder before tearing her gaze back to Javy.

“You kissed her?”

“Kissed her, my ass. Your tongue was halfway down her throat when I found you.” Josie scoffs from beside you and you flinch instinctively in embarrassment as you’re reminded of the way Javy kissed you. The woman’s eyes snap to you at the movement and you watch her eyebrows furrow in concern.

“Consensually?” She asks, directed at you but you can’t find your voice. There are too many people here. You know Josie and Reuben but there are three complete strangers all fixing their attention on you and you feel your throat dry out. Swallowing doesn’t help and your heartbeat quickens at the realization that they're waiting for you. Your whole body is still in fight-or-flight and your brain is screaming at you to just answer while the rest of you refuses to comply. Josie catches onto the change in your breathing as you start to hyperventilate shallowly. The hand on your shoulder squeezes gently, trying to ground you but you’re losing control quickly. You faintly hear Reuben call your name but the sound is far away as you retreat into yourself. You’re shutting down even as you’re trying to fight it, to keep yourself together until you have some privacy. There are voices speaking but you’re not paying attention, trying your best to focus on the sound of your breathing as you struggle to get it under control. You’re losing the battle with your mind when there’s a comforting hand on your arm, gently leading you away and while you don’t catch the accompanying words, you follow willingly, happy to escape the nightmare.

***

The next morning you’re feeling better. You’ve pushed the memory of last night into a dark corner of your mind, eager to get back to your regular life. You never have to see him again. You have an out from future hockey games and events involving the players. For now, you’re just trying to move forward, putting last night’s events in your past, out of sight and out of mind. You’re only thinking of the future when you arrive at work this morning. You decide to duck into the teacher’s lounge in search of coffee before your students start arriving and while you had planned for your detour to be quick and unnoticeable like they usually are, your entrance is heralded by a wolf whistle from Jeremy who’s leaning against the counter by the coffee maker. You freeze on the spot, just barely through the doorway, pinned by a pair of hazel eyes that dance with dangerous amusement.

“Damn, Roadie, I honestly didn’t think you had it in you.” His thin lips curl into a smirk that sends shivers running down your spine as confusion clouds your face. “After Dan’s little announcement yesterday, I’ll admit, I was worried about you, but you managed to surprise even me.” Your brow furrows in confusion and he examines your expression, cocking his head to the side. H you’re not sure what he finds in your expression but his smirk widens and then he turns to his phone, swiping at the screen a few times before he spins it around so you can see its contents and your stomach drops to the floor.

You can’t breathe. You’re pretty sure your heart has stopped breathing as you take in the image on his screen. You’re looking at yourself and dread fills your veins like ice as you take in the image of you and Javy from last night. In your panic, you hadn’t realized the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the San Diego night and you’d definitely not spotted the sneaky photographer that had managed to capture the intimate moment between you and Javy. His hands are squeezing your hips in the photo and you feel the ghost of their pressure on them now as the memory you’d struggled to bury in the back of your mind shoots back to the front. From the angle, it’s not possible to tell that you’re ramrod straight and not kissing him back. It’s the perfect picture of a clandestine tryst and you feel your stomach lurch, threatening to empty its meager contents onto the floor of the teacher’s lounge.

Jeremy’s smirk widens at the blatant look of horror on your face. You’re speechless but saved from responding when a firm hand snatches up Jeremy’s phone. “Where’d you get this, Jeremy?” Josie’s voice is surprisingly calm as she examines the trans wreck on his screen while you struggle to find a way to make the world stop crumbling around you. Josie’s voice sounds like it’s underwater as she tears into Jeremy, demanding the details but you’re drowning in the loudness of your mind. It’s all white noise that’s getting louder and louder.

You don’t register when Josie grabs your arm, steering you out of the teacher’s lounge, only coming back to the present when her hands are on your cheeks. You blink as her brown eyes bore into yours. “I said, are you okay, Roadie?” You start to nod until she gives you a disbelieving look and then switch to shaking your head. She nods, keeping her hands on your face, grounding you. “Can you teach? Because you’re going to have twenty-four kids that need you to be present in about fifteen minutes.” You swallow, then. The reminder of your kids grounding you better than anything else.

“Yes.” You say firmly and she nods, releasing your face. Determination fills your body and chases away the blind panic and anxiety. No matter what’s going on in your personal life, for the next seven hours your kids need you so you’ll be there. It’s one thing you refuse to give ground on. As a teacher, you’re responsible for your twenty-four students and you’re fiercely protective of them. School is a place that should be safe and nurturing for them, and they deserve to have as much stability as possible here. That means that you bring the best version of yourself every day, rain or shine. You glance back at the teacher’s lounge mournfully. “So much for grabbing coffee,” you mutter and Josie squeezes your shoulder gently.

“You go get set up, I’ll get you the coffee.” You give her a tired smile as she shoos you back towards your classroom.

“Thank you, Josie.” You call back to her as she heads back towards the lion’s den that is the teachers’ lounge. No doubt, Jeremy’s not the only one to have seen the photo and even if he was, he’s definitely busy showing it to anyone with eyes.

“That’s what friends are for, Roadie.” She reminds you with a kind smile.

***

“What the FUCK did you think you were doing?” Javy winces at the harsh tone of Zam, his PR rep who looks ready to dive over the desk separating them to strangle him. It’s been a long morning. Ever since the paparazzi photos from last night came out, Zam has been doing everything within her power to play damage control. Of course, he feels guilty. She’s one of his best friends. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t think she’s overreacting. It’s not the first time a photo of him and a woman has gotten out. They're a dime a dozen at this point. If it’s not the paparazzi leaking them, it’s the girls themselves, proud of their one-night-stand with an NHL player. It’s not like he tries to hide from the cameras, he doesn’t really mind them. Why else would his meet-up spot with puck bunnies be a hallway with floor-to-ceiling windows?

“I told you already, I didn’t know who she was! I thought she was a puck bunny! Look, I said I was sorry, why are you making such a big deal about this?!” Zam lets out an astounded laugh at that and he gets an unexpected smack to the back of the head. Yelping in surprise, he turns to glare at his best friend, and captain of the Dogfighters, Jake Seresin where he’s leaning against the wall behind Javy. Jake’s face is stormy as he glares at Javy. “What the fuck, man!” Javy snaps and Jake’s hands clench into fists.

“What the fuck? What the fuck is that you’re not taking this even remotely seriously.” He snaps, anger lacing his words.

“Why should I! It’s just some pictures! That happens almost every night, why is it suddenly intervention-worthy? I didn’t even sleep with her, it’s just a kiss.” Zam scoffs behind him and he turns to face her again and her face is a mask of quiet rage.

“I’d love to see how that holds up in court if she sues for sexual assault.” Javy’s blood runs cold.

“What? She wouldn’t.” Suddenly not even he believes the shaky words.

“You kissed her, initiated physical contact, and groped her non-consensually. Not to mention there’s photographic evidence.” Zam’s voice is cold and bitter as she glares at him. “And if you say ‘it’s just a kiss’ one more fucking time I’m going to bring Bugs in here so you can say it to her face.”

Javy feels like he’s had a bucket of ice water dumped on him as shame spreads through his body. He looks down at his hands, unable to meet Zam’s eyes. Bugs, the team physician and Jake’s girlfriend, had been forcibly kissed by one of her superiors at her previous job and the ramifications of that assault had almost ruined her career. He loves Bugs, she’s his friend, his best friend’s girl, and one hell of a doctor. The reminder of the pain she’s been through is like a knife to his heart and the fact that he’d just hurt another girl the way she’d been hurt is a harsh wake-up call.

“I-I didn’t mean to hurt her.” He murmurs, knowing the words don’t even begin to right the wrong he’s caused but he can’t stay silent.

“Well, you can explain that to her when she gets here,” Zam says and he can hear the exhaustion in her voice as his head shoots back up. You’re coming here? Zam must see the question in his eyes since she offers up the answer without him having to ask. “I asked her to come here so we can try to settle this without getting lawyers involved and blowing this up any bigger than it already is. She pauses before adding, “Josie called this morning and said she’s not doing great.” Zam grimaces in solidarity with the girl that Javy realizes he doesn’t even know the name of. Guilt twists the knife even tighter in his chest.

“They’re just in here,” a familiar voice says on the other side of the door to Zam’s office, and after knocking, Nat walks in followed by you and Josie Fitch. Natasha is one of the equipment managers for the Dogfighters and she and Javy have been friends since high school. They played for the boys and girls hockey teams respectively but became close when they took junior English together. She’s one of his oldest friends and the tired look she gives him makes him want to sink through his chair and the floor. Josie directs you to sit in the chair next to Javy and he shifts to give you space, wanting you to feel comfortable. One glance at your posture, however, tells him that’s not happening anytime soon. Your shoulders are tense and your hands are trembling as you clasp them in your lap. In that moment, staring at you as just a girl, not a puck bunny, he sees how terrified you are, and protectiveness battles with guilt in his heart. He’s sickly reminded of his youngest sister as he watches you pick at the bright blue fabric of your dress where it falls over your knees.

***

You’re nervous. It’s to be expected. You didn’t expect to come back to Hard Deck arena ever again, and definitely not so soon. Even then, you never expected to see Javy Machado again, at least not without glass separating you from the hockey rink. He’s dressed in simple athletic wear and doesn’t seem so scary without all the extra hockey padding. He has his hands casually resting on the desk of the woman you recognize from last night. She has a worried look on her face as she offers you a gentle smile.

“Hi there,” she addresses you by your name, introducing herself as Zam, the Dogfighters’s PR rep, before clasping her hands on the table and you catch sight of her perfectly manicured nails. “I want to apologize profusely for last night and all the ensuing chaos. I called you here today so that we can make sure we’re on the same page. I also wanted to see if we could settle any potential legal concerns amidst ourselves before getting any lawyers involved.” Your eyes widen in surprise.

“Legal concerns?” Your stomach is a mess of nerves at the idea of getting sued.

“You’re well within your rights to sue for sexual assault, Roadie,” Josie speaks up and you turn to look at her, surprise on your face. Her expression is hard and you look back to Zam. She looks tired but you see the understanding and solidarity in her eyes even as she tries to do her job, even if it goes against her personal feelings onthe matter.

“What? No, I wouldn’t even consider that!” You burst out, still taken by surprise at the mere suggestion. Zam’s eyes widen in surprise as she takes in your words.

“Why not?” Josie pipes up and you shake your head.

“Plenty of reasons, starting with the fact that I can’t afford a lawyer.” You wince at the idea of how much legal representation would begin to cost compared to your meager teaching salary.

“Bullshit, we’ll pay for the lawyer if that’s what you want,” Josie says, protectiveness flaring up in her eyes.

“It’s not.” You say, voice still trembling slightly even as you force the hard edge into it. You turn back to face Zam. “I’m not suing, so you don’t have to worry about that.” You feel eyes burning into the side of your head and you turn to see Javy watching you with equal parts curiosity and apprehension.

“Hi,” he offers when he realizes he has your attention. “I’m Javy,” he extends a hand for you to shake before thinking twice about it and pulls it back. “I just wanted to say how sorry I am about what happened last night.” You think you see actual guilt flit through his eyes and you can tell he’s having trouble not averting his gaze. “I thought you were someone else and while that doesn’t make up for it, I really am sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“It better not,” the brunette woman who led you to Zam’s office, Nat you think her name was, speaks up from where she’s leaning against the wall next to the blonde man. She glares at Javy and you almost feel bad for him as he grimaces.

“So, Roadie?” The blonde man from last night leaving against the wall says, eyebrow quirking curiously. You turn to him, surprised that he’s addressing you. “What’s that about?” Your face heats at the change in topic but you clear your throat to answer him.

“It’s a nickname from work,” you explain. “It’s short for Roadrunner like the Looney Tunes character because apparently I dash around a lot.”

“You do,” Josie says and you suppress the urge to roll your eyes.

“Well Roadie, I wish we’d met under better circumstances and I’m sorry about all this but it’s good to meet you, I’m Jake, Captain of the Dogfighters.” He holds out a hand that you take and shake, tentatively. His genial smile puts you at ease and you relax a little in your chair.

“Well, with that out of the way, let’s talk about how we’re going to move forward,” Zam says, taking back command of the room. “I’ve taken steps to protect your identity as much as possible, Roadie. If you still feel unsafe we can talk about a security detail or something more casual like having someone watch you from afar. I’ve also spoken to the principal of Acacia Academy about keeping things under wraps in case the press do find out where you work.” You nod cautiously, trying to process the influx of information. “Unfortunately I can’t make the photos go away but the paparazzi are fickle, they’ll move onto the next story as soon as they realize we’re not giving them anything.”

“But what if we did?” Josie speaks up then and all the attention turns to her. She’s got her thinking face on and you feel premature dread in your stomach as a thoughtful smile crosses her face.

“What do you mean?” Zam looks confused and it’s clear she’s as in the dark as everyone else.

“Well, you said it yourself, they’ll lose interest if we don’t give them anything. So why don’t we give them something? We have a golden opportunity that could be mutually beneficial.” Josie says, tilting her head in Javy’s direction. “Reuben tells me you’ve been trying to get this guy to settle down for months now. And Roadie,” she turns to you and you give her a confused look. “You need a solution to Dan’s new rule.” Your eyes widen in shock and horror as it dawns on you exactly what Josie’s suggesting.

“Wait, what rule?” Zam speaks up, her brow furrowed in confusion even as you can see the gears in her brain turning. “Who’s Dan?”

“Dan Jackson, the principal of Acacia. He’s trying to crack down on inter-departmental hookups so he said he’ll be looking at relationship status as one of the criteria for contract renewals for next year.”

“He can’t do that, that’s illegal,” Javy speaks up and you turn to him even as you grimace.

“It’s a private school and it’s not an official rule, just a ‘friendly suggestion,’” you sigh, defeatedly.

“You said you’re worried about the rule, Roadie? Now you have a golden opportunity to circumvent it.”

“What exactly are you suggesting?” Zam asks but even you can tell she understands exactly what Josie’s leading to.

“Break the story that Roadie and Javy are dating,” Josie says with a shrug like she’s just talking about the weather. “The playboy of the Dogfighters gets to settle down. The hermit crab gets a boyfriend.” You glare at her even as she winks at you. “Both parties benefit and it’s easier than the alternative.”

“This is ridiculous,” Javy scoffs with a laugh of incredulity. “Right, Zam?” He turns to her but she’s lost in thought.

“It could work.” She says finally and his jaw drops.

“You’re not serious.” He demands, eyes widening. She glares at him before turning to look at you, tentatively.

“Roadie is that something you would want?” You’re still in shock that this is up for debate at all.

“What about Javy? Doesn’t he get a say?” You stammer, trying to buy yourself some time. Zam rolls her eyes before giving Javy a firm look.

“He’s lucky he’s not getting sued right now, I think that’s enough of a say, don’t you?” You swallow, hard, looking to Javy who looks gobsmacked.

“Zam you can’t be serious,” he says, finally finding his voice again. He turns to Jake. “Tell her she’s crazy.”

Jake shrugs. “I think as long as Roadie is comfortable with it and it’s something she wants, it’s a pretty good plan. Zam’s been hounding you to clean up your act for months and you keep ignoring her. And I think you’ll keep ignoring her unless we do something and this is as good a something as anything. Plus,” he adds with a playful smirk, “waiting for a girl to fall out of the sky who’d actually be willing to date you could take years.” Josie and Nat both snort at that. You swallow hard at that. “Who knows, maybe a fake girlfriend will teach you how to be a real one.” A fake girlfriend. You feel your chest squeeze at that. A bitter voice in the back of your mind wonders how you’ve managed to find yourself in this situation yet again. At least this time you’re in on the joke. You shake off the pain that squeezes your heart and realize all eyes are on you.

“What? Sorry,” you stammer as you look from expectant face to expectant face.

Zam grins at you conspiratorially, you can see the curious excitement in her eyes. “What do you think, Roadie? Are you in?”

A/N: Should she take the offer? What do we think??

[goldenseresinretriever]

False Confidence: Chapter 2

Pairing: Javy “Coyote” Machado x Reader

Part of the San Diego Dogfighters universe

Summary: The Athletic named Javy Machado the fifth sluttiest player in the NHL last year. He’s a known playboy who leaves every game with a different girl. As far as he’s concerned he’s living the dream, playing his dream job with the dream lifestyle. Unfortunately his friends and bosses don’t agree. At 33, they think it’s time for him to settle down. You’re a kindergarten teacher at an esteemed private school. You don't expect much when you finally accept your colleague’s invitation to attend her husband’s hockey game but when you accidentally get separated in the post-game rush, you find yourself in a compromising situation with the last person you’d ever expected to meet. When his PR rep suggests a mutually beneficial agreement, your hands are tied. How long will you have to keep up the act? And how long will you be able to?

Series CW: 18+ ONLY, swearing, discussion of sexual harassment, angst, fluff, fake relationship, suggestive language, school system inaccuracies, hockey inaccuracies etc. There will be individual chapter warnings. No use of Y/N.

Word Count: 4.7k

A/N: What if instead of a teaser, I posted the chapter, hmmmm?

Previous Chapter // Series Masterlist // Next Chapter

Everyone’s waiting for your answer but your head is spinning. The silence stretches for just shy of too long before you finally clear your throat. “Can I have a minute?” You stand, shakily, pushing your chair back and making for the door. You curl your fingers around Josie’s wrist as you pass her, tugging her after you. No one tries to stop you and when you exit into the hallway, it’s empty. You glance in both directions, find them unfamiliar and then just pick one, dragging Josie behind you. Once you think you’re out of earshot of the office, you round on Josie who’s regarding you calmly. Your hands are still trembling but you can’t hide your anger anymore and you snap. “What were you thinking!” You snap and Josie’s eyes widen in surprise. Your voice trembles but the bite is still there. “First you tell me to sue him for sexual assault and now you want me to date him?!” Josie sighs, rolling her eyes.

“You really think that little of me, Roadie? Look, what he did was fucked up, and I knew you wouldn’t want to press charges because you’re well, you, but I want to support you if that’s something you really want. Either way he deserves to pay for what he did. If you don’t want to take this to court that’s fine, but why not benefit from this? You said it yourself, you’re worried about Dan’s rule, so play the system. Also, I didn’t say you should date him because I wouldn’t wish that fate on my worst enemy, I said to fake date him. It’s just a game, like playing pretend. It’s January, Dan makes his decisions on renewals by April at the latest and then maybe you stick with it until the end of the year and then you can say you broke up over summer break and it’s over. Plus it’s perfect, just have him show up to a few school events. It doesn’t have to be everyone since he has a career that has him traveling most of the year, so you have a good reason when you don’t bring him to something. And since he’ll be gone most of the time anyway, you don’t have to put much effort into the ruse.”

“Plus,” she gives you a rueful smile. “As much as it pains me to say it, Javy’s not such a bad guy. I don’t approve of his choices but I know from seeing him with the guys and Zam especially, he’s got a good heart. When he says he’s sorry and that he didn’t mean to hurt you, I think he means it. The guy has three sisters for heaven’s sake. I wouldn’t even think of suggesting this if I didn’t trust him in some capacity. And like I said, it’s not like you’re actually dating him.” She shrugs again.

“I couldn’t do something like that. Using someone that way? It’s not right.” Your heart squeezes as you force the words out and you try your best to ignore the way your voice shakes. Josie gives you a pointed look.

“He’s using you too, remember? Zam needs him to fix his reputation. A steady girlfriend is exactly what he needs, or at least the illusion of one.”

“Does he need it, or does the team?” Your words have more bite than you intended and Josie regards you curiously.

“He is the team. It’s his job, the way your teaching position is yours.” She says coolly. “I’m not going to force you one way or another, but I’m just saying, an opportunity like this isn’t going to come around again.” Your stomach is a tangle of nerves as Josie goes back inside and you consider her words. It would be mutually beneficial for both of your jobs, and he clearly wasn’t attracted to you, so perhaps some kind of agreement wouldn’t hurt. You can’t believe you’re actually considering this but you think about your kids, your classroom, and your job that you really do love. If this was what you had to do to guarantee that you kept it, you could play the game. Your kids are everything and you take great pride in your work. As a kindergarten teacher, you’re the kids’ first impression of the school and you take that job very seriously. The idea of having to hand that over to someone else makes your heart twist painfully in your chest. You can do this for them.

“Hey,” a voice breaks through your train of thought and you jump in surprise. Javy holds his hands up in front of him, backing up a step to give you space. “Easy, I didn’t mean to scare you, I’m not going to hurt you.” He says, brown eyes widening at your terrified expression. You feel your body curl into itself instinctively and see a flicker in his eyes that you can’t read. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” He says slowly, eyes running over your figure but not in a scrutinizing way. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was checking you over. “So,” he says, posture relaxing as he leans a shoulder against the wall as he regards you. “How are you feeling about this agreement?”

You pick at the fabric of the skirt of the dress, averting your eyes so you don’t have to look at him. After it’s been a little too long without you answering you give a slight shrug before you force the words out, your voice quiet. “I really love my job. I don’t want to lose it.” It’s not an answer, not really but he nods slowly as you chance a peek at his face to see his reaction. He catches your gaze and gives you a small smile. It feels like the first peek of the sun through an overcast sky after a storm. It sends an unexpected droplet of warmth plummeting straight into your stomach. You find that you don’t want to escape his gaze nearly as much after seeing that soft quirk of his lips. Cautiously, you turn to face him fully and watch as the corners of his mouth slowly tick up in tandem. The clouds move apart and as you’re bathed in his warmth, you wonder what it would feel like to experience the full force of his smile. You think it might destroy you.

“What about you?” You don’t recognize your voice when you find it. You clear your throat and try again. “How are you feeling about the agreement?” He shrugs his broad shoulders.

“There are worse things.” You suppress the urge to flinch at his casual words that send a slice of cold down your spine. “Zam’s been on my ass for months about settling down, that’s true.”

He pauses so you ask, “And you wouldn’t rather have an actual girlfriend? A real one, I mean.” He gives you a curious look.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he points out and you feel your cheeks heat as you avert your gaze from the intensity of his.

“No,” you answer softly. “I wouldn’t.” You don’t offer any additional explanation so he just nods.

“Well, I wouldn’t either.” He says and you realize you’ve unintentionally placed the two of you at a stalemate. “So, that’s it then?” He asks, finally breaking the silence. “We’re doing this?” You swallow hard before nodding firmly.

“We’re doing this.” He nods back before extending a hand into the buffer of space he’d left between the two of you. You stare at it for a long moment before extending one of your own. He holds his hand still, leaving it to you to wrap your digits around his larger ones. He curls his around yours then and you’re reminded of how they felt on your hips, pressing into the flesh like a potter molding clay. When he shakes your hand you watch the muscles flex in his arm and wonder if you’ve unknowingly thrown yourself into the deep end, condemned to a death by drowning.

“Hi, I’m Javy, nice to meet you.” Even though he’s told you his name once before, this feels different. You introduce yourself as well. It feels odd. You’ve known him before ever being introduced. This feels different, almost like the air between the two you had shifted. He lets go of your hand as quickly as he grips it and holds out his hand back towards Zam’s office.

“Shall we?” He asks and you nod, turning to go ahead of him. You feel the ghost of fingertips against the small of your back and you stiffen instinctively at the unexpected contact. “Shit, sorry, I didn’t mean to,” he apologizes instantly, pulling his fingers away. “I’m a naturally touchy guy. It’s a bad habit, I’ll try to be more aware of it if it makes you uncomfortable.” He sounds genuinely apologetic and maybe a tiny bit embarrassed. He holds the door to the office open for you as you both enter and you square your shoulders, willing them not to shake as you approach Zam’s desk.

“I’ll do it.” Zam looks surprised but nods before turning to Javy.

“Javy?” You don’t turn to look at him but the pause before his answer tells you he’s nodding.

“I’ll do it.”

“Good,” Zam says, not sounding very convincing before she tries again. “Good. I’ll draw up something official that the two of you can sign. In the meantime, the two of you should get to know each other. Javy, I’ll arrange a press conference at which you’re going to address the photos and ask the press as well as your fans to respect your girlfriend’s privacy. After that you’ll need to start appearing together in public: dates, Roadie you’ll need to start attending home games and maybe even an away game or two where your schedule permits.” Your brain starts getting hazy as the weight of what you’ve just signed up for settles onto your shoulders. Zam’s still speaking but your brain is louder as it gets heavier and then Zam’s dismissing everyone.

You feel Josie’s hand on your shoulder, steering you towards the door. You file out of the office with everyone else and follow behind Josie, your mind still so busy that you don’t hear the calling of your name until a hand curls around your wrist and you jump, letting out a squeak of surprise. The hand retreats instantly and Javy gives you a guilty look. “Sorry, but you weren’t answering.” He scratches the back of his neck. You give him a shy nod, twisting your hands in front of you. “I don’t have your phone number. I figured that’s probably important.” You fumble to extricate your phone from your purse, tapping at the screen with trembling fingers before handing it to him. He inputs the digits with ease before handing the phone back. “Cool, well I’ll be in touch.” He says before giving you one last smile before turning to jog down the hallway in the opposite direction.

Once he’s gone you look down at your phone, and your eyes widen as you see what he’s done. Your texts are open to a new conversation with a contact named “Big Sexy ;)” with a single bubble from your side of the chain reading “How’s dinner sound?” Your phone chimes and a message pops up from the opposite side of the screen.

“It would be my pleasure.” Followed by an unfamiliar address. Your breath catches in your throat. Not for the first time today you wonder if you’re in over your head.

***

Your kitchen looks like a hurricane’s gone through it. The result of the storm perches on the corner of the counter, prompt seated in a frilly baking dish. The lemon-blueberry loaf fills the space with a delicious aroma as you frown at your reflection. You’d finally invested in a full-length mirror at Josie’s behest and you’re still getting used to using it. You smooth your hands down the surface of your light-wash jeans, resisting the urge to tug at the sweater you’re wearing as you regard your reflection. Your eyes shift to the sliver of the kitchen that you can catch in the mirror and frown at the mess. You’re a stress baker and so far today you have the loaf you’re taking to Javy’s along with muffins for your class tomorrow and another tray for the teachers. You glance at the clock on the wall and grimace. If you don’t leave now you’ll be late and you don’t need that extra stress on top of everything else on your mind tonight. You begrudgingly grab your purse and the loaf pan, heading out as the sun starts to paint the sky with the warm pallet of sunset.

***

You googled the apartment complex before you left but that doesn’t stop you from craning your neck up at the impressive reflective surface of the luxury apartment building. It’s smack in the middle of downtown San Diego and you’d passed a packed highway of commuters heading in the opposite direction on your way here. As you step into the opulent lobby, you feel severely underdressed, especially as you approach the front desk. You’ve never seen an apartment with a front desk but then again you’ve never had reason to interact with the extremely wealthy aside from teaching their children. The woman at the front desk doesn’t look much younger than you but she could be older. It would make sense that a job like this would age you less than corralling elementary schoolers all day.

“Can I help you?” She asks with a nasal voice that has everything to do with her pinched expression of thinly veiled disgust as she gives you a once-over that’s definitely not in her job description. You give her a tight-lipped smile in response.

“I’m here to see Javy Machado.” You consider calling him Mr. Machado but if he’s supposed to be your boyfriend you need to sound comfortable around him. Especially since this probably won’t be the last time you have to interact with… Emma. You find her name tag as she finishes her silent assessment of you, a pitying smile on her lips.

“Oh honey, you’re not going to need that.” She nods at the loaf pan in your hands. “It’s not the kind of cake he invited you over for.” She smirks like she’s won some sort of game and you wonder exactly how many girls she’s seen come through here. You plaster your polite smile on even harder, imagining her as one of your students’ mothers. You’re not sure where your confidence comes from but maybe Roadie, fake girlfriend to superstar hockey player Javy Machado is braver than Ms. Roadie, kindergarten teacher, because you respond coolly.

“I’d appreciate it if you let my boyfriend know I’m here, please, Emma. We have dinner plans.” She looks like she’s about to snort but then her expression changes completely and you don’t understand until she addresses someone who must be behind you.

“Mr. Machado! Good evening!” She chirps cheerfully and she reminds you of a baby bird. Desperate. You steel yourself and turn to face Javy, keeping your brave face in place as best as you can.

“Perfect timing, sweetheart.” The words sound clunky and unfamiliar in your mouth and you see Javy’s eyes widen almost imperceptibly before understanding fills them.

“Hey beautiful, ready for dinner?” He leans in then, eyes watching you carefully as if trying to convey his intentions before his warm lips meet your cheek in a chaste kiss that sets your skin ablaze in its wake. You give him a simple nod, words failing you as you turn over the casual term of endearment in your mind.

Emma’s watching your exchange with barely contained shock. Javy doesn’t even pay her a moment of attention, nodding to the left in silent instruction and you follow him to an elevator bay. You register then that his hands are full of takeout bags and you immediately wrestle one from his grasp as he juggles them to free a hand for the keypad to the elevator. “Thanks," he says and you arrange the bag in your arms. “I hope you like Cajun.” The smell escaping the bags hits your nose then and your nostrils fill with the rich, spicy scent and you feel a little of the tension slip out of your shoulders even though the smell is entirely foreign to you.

“I’ve never had it.” You admit as the elevator arrives and the two of you board it.

“Never?!” He looks surprised before it melts into a grin that knocks the air out of your lungs. “Well, then this is the perfect place to try it for the first time. Well, other than New Orleans.” He amends and you nod along. The two of you fall into silence as the elevator climbs. You notice then what he’s wearing as you stand on opposite sides of the elevator. You’d felt underdressed in the lobby but he’s dressed in a faded ASU shirt and athletic shoes over socks and slide sandals. He notices you looking and gives you a rueful look. “I was banking on having time to change before you got here.” He explains and you shake your head, dismissing his half-apology.

“It’s fine. It’s your house after all.” He smiles again and the silence is back before the door slides open onto an entryway. You’ve arrived straight into his apartment and you let your eyes explore the beginning of his home. The entryway is sparse and undecorated. It looks stiff, devoid of personality. There’s a hallway that turns out of sight to your left and a closed door to the right.

“That’s the spare bedroom.” He explains as he slips off his shoes and you follow suit. “It’s a weird layout but it suits my needs.” You’re not entirely sure what he means until you follow him down the hallway. Once it opens onto the living room you think you understand Javy Machado just a little bit more.

The living room is a complete 180 from the entryway. The furniture looks expensive and the floor-to-ceiling windows overlook a breathtaking view of the city but the end tables are littered with picture frames and the space has a distinct lived-in feel. You get the feeling that his overnight guests don’t make it this far into the apartment. He makes a beeline for the kitchen and you hurry to catch up with him. You manage to catch sight of at least one of the frames’ contents and a soft smile quirks at your lips. A younger Javy and Jake grin back at you. Their arms are slung over each other’s shoulders, faces sweaty, wearing red and gold hockey jerseys that you assume are from ASU given Javy’s shirt of the same color. You make your way into the kitchen where Javy’s opening the bags and accounting for all the food. He looks up when you come in, depositing the extra bag next to him and the loaf pan beside it. He snatches it up, groaning as he takes a deep sniff of the contents.

“Roadie, this smells delicious.” He remarks before excusing himself to his bedroom to change leaving you in the kitchen. Once you’re alone, you feel the nerves start to creep back in. You worry the hem of your sweater as you wait until a faint jingling reaches your ears and you turn just in time to see a wary black snout make its way around the corner into the kitchen. Of all the things you’ve seen so far in Javy’s apartment, this is the biggest surprise. The tiny dachshund regards you curiously and you do your best to manage your nerves, knowing the dog can definitely sense them and squat down.

“Hi there,” you whisper cautiously and the dog approaches carefully. You reach a hand out and she sniffs it suspiciously before licking at your fingers and you can’t help the giggle that escapes your lips. You catch sight of her collar as you scratch her head gently. “Roxie” it reads and you smile wider. “Hi there, Roxie, it's nice to meet you.” Roxie seems equally pleased and rolls over onto her belly to encourage further scratches and rubs. You’re so consumed with her that you don’t notice Javy return until Roxie squirms into your grasp to face her owner, giving a playful yip. He’s gaping at the two of you and you’re instantly nervous again. You stand quickly, dusting your hands off on your jeans.

“S-sorry I didn’t mean to intrude I just- She came in here so I just- I’m sorry.” You sputter but he’s still staring at Roxie before he slowly moves his gaze to you. Something unreadable passes through his eyes and then he shakes his head.

“No, it's fine I just, she was supposed to be in the laundry room. And I…” he trails off before continuing. “She doesn’t usually like other people, especially strangers.”

“Oh,”

“Yeah,” he says, looking back down at where Roxie’s sitting, regarding him with a cocked head on the floor. He looks back at you, expression unreadable. “Should we eat?” You nod and follow him to sit at the countertop. He pulls two bowls out of the cabinets and opens up some take-out soup containers. “How do you feel about seafood?” Your stomach drops as nerves twist your gut. He looks up and must see your expression because he just nods and grabs one of the containers, dishing the hearty-looking stew into a bowl before passing it to you. “That one’s just sausage. I didn’t know where you stood on seafood, so I got both.” Your heart aches slightly as you thank him and take the bowl. He fills his bowl from a different container before taking a seat next to you. “So, Roadie,” he says after taking a few bites in silence, “tell me about yourself.”

You squirm slightly in your seat. You’ve never been one to talk much about yourself so you decide to stick to the basics, and treat this like a job interview. It kind of is a job interview, except you’re interviewing for a position after taking it instead of before. “I’m almost thirty. I’m a kindergarten teacher at Acacia Academy. That’s how I know Josie and Reuben. Josie and I are colleagues and their daughter Skylar is in my class.” Javy nods, before asking.

“Do you like it? Teaching?” You nod vigorously and you think you see a ghost of a smile on his lips.

“My kids mean everything to me. I can’t imagine doing something else.” You admit and he nods again.

“What do you do other than work?” You give him a confused look so he clarifies. “What are your hobbies?”

“I’m an artist,” you answer easily. “It’s not in any way professional by any means, but I like doing it.” You shrug.

“What kind of art?” He asks and you shrug again.

“I work with lots of mediums, I don’t like being limited to just one.”

“What’s your favorite?”

“Painting,” you answer easily.

“Why?” He rests his chin on his hand and you feel pinned under his casual gaze. It feels odd, and unfamiliar, being the sole focus of his attention. It’s like walking to your car on a cloudless day and feeling every inch of your cool skin prickling under the unyielding warmth of the sun.

“It’s so versatile,” you explain, dropping your gaze to where your fingers pick at the napkin pinned under your bowl. There are so many styles and techniques and nothing is clear-cut. You’re not limited by the colors you have in front of you, everything can blend. Anything’s possible. The only limitation you have is your creativity.” An unreadable look passes through his eyes but then he’s back to normal. You don’t get long to dwell on it, though, before he’s back to asking you questions.

***

“So, you said your principal doesn’t care about making illegal rules because it’s a private school, so why not teach at a public school?” You fidget with your spoon, looking away from him before answering.

“Public schools aren’t really a good fit for me. I can’t get comfortable.” He doesn’t push and you’re thankful.

“Speaking of comfort, we should talk about how we’re going to do this.” At your confused expression, he elaborates. “Pretend to be in a relationship, I mean. For starters, if we’re really going to sell this, you can’t be jumping out of your skin every time I touch you. People are going to expect at least a little PDA.” He must see the wide-eyed dread on your face because he holds up a placating hand. “I’m not saying we have to make out every time there are cameras around, but holding hands, hugs, and the occasional kiss here and there are going to have to be something you’re comfortable with.” You nod, weakly. “That being said, if there’s anything specific you don’t want me doing, tell me. I don’t want you to be scared of me. We’re on the same team here. This doesn’t work if we’re not working together.” You nod, nervously. It wasn’t like this last time, this is all new territory for you. “If it’ll help you loosen up, we could just have sex. No strings attached, obviously, but if it’ll make you more comfortable-“

“NO.” Your voice comes out with more force than you intended it to, laced with terror as your heart hammers in your chest. What are you doing here? What were you thinking, agreeing to this? Of course, he’d expect you to have sex with him. He’s used to having a new girl every night. You’re losing the battle with your thoughts when Javy breaks right through them.

“Hey, HEY, easy Roadie, it was just a suggestion, we don’t have to.” He looks like he’s fighting the urge to grab your hands in his.

“Please,” you hate the way the word sounds. You want something to feel real. One first to be yours, truly yours. Clearly, he hates the way it sounds too because his face contorts into something unfamiliar before he nods.

“No sex, done.” He hesitates for a moment before he opens his mouth again, choosing his words carefully and you see a flash of rage in his eyes and you bristle in fear. “Roadie… I know I’m probably the last person you want to talk about this with, but I just,” he shakes his head, pushing forward. “Did, did someone hurt you?” You realize what the rage in his eyes is now. Not anger at you, for turning him down, but protectiveness. Because he’s taken your vehement refusal as something else. You faintly remember Josie mentioning that he has three sisters. Of course, that would be his first instinct. You shake your head quickly.

“No, no, it’s not that.” You can tell he doesn’t believe you and thinks you just don’t trust him as the fire in his eyes doesn’t dim.

“If you ever need someone to talk to, all the girls on the team are really sweet and would be willing to-“

“It’s not that.” You insist and you can tell he’s still unconvinced.

“Not that you have to talk to someone but I’m sure it might help-“

“JAVY, I’m a virgin.” You squeeze your eyes shut before blurting out the words, hiding from the shame that coats your throat in their wake. The silence between the two of you stretches long enough that eventually you crack open an eye to see his reaction, but there isn’t one. He’s just sitting there, waiting for you. You wrench your other eye, struggling to get comfortable in the silence. Your fingers twist together in your lap as you wait for him to say something.

“That wasn’t your first kiss, was it?” He says, finally and you can see the gears turning in his mind as he follows his new line of thinking but you shake your head.

“No, I, I’ve been kissed before. It’s just… it’s been a while. I’m a little out of practice.” He nods, contemplating something unspoken before he nods again and looks you straight in the eye.

“Roadie, can I kiss you?”

A/N: Aaaaaaaaa can he?????

[goldenseresinretriever]

False Confidence Masterlist

Pairing: Javy “Coyote” Machado x Reader

Part of the San Diego Dogfighters universe

Summary: The Athletic named Javy Machado the fifth sluttiest player in the NHL last year. He’s a known playboy who leaves every game with a different girl. As far as he’s concerned he’s living the dream, playing his dream job with the dream lifestyle. Unfortunately his friends and bosses don’t agree. At 33, they think it’s time for him to settle down. You’re a kindergarten teacher at an esteemed private school. You don't expect much when you finally accept your colleague’s invitation to attend her husband’s hockey game but when you accidentally get separated in the post-game rush, you find yourself in a compromising situation with the last person you’d ever expected to meet. When his PR rep suggests a mutually beneficial agreement, your hands are tied. How long will you have to keep up the act? And how long will you be able to?

Series CW: 18+ ONLY, swearing, sports violence, blood probably, angst, fluff, fake relationship, suggestive language, hockey inaccuracies etc. There will be individual chapter warnings. No use of Y/N.

A/N: The series won’t be out for a while but I’ve been wanting to share the summary and stuff for a while now so here y’all go 👀

Main Series: ONGOING

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Blurbs

Coming soon

[goldenseresinretriever]

This feels so surreal to say but it’s been SIX MONTHS since the start of the SDDU????? Okay yes the official concept turned six months old on the 7th, BUT Snitches Get Stitches is officially six months old TODAY, and we wouldn’t have the SDDU as we know it if I hadn’t decided to start writing SGS, so here we are!!!

These past six months have been so so surreal and I am so thankful to every single person that’s ever read anything I’ve written. For those who were there from the beginning, you know that there wasn’t originally going to be an SDDU, it was literally just going to be moodboards and some fun concepts and then people actually latched onto the concept and wanted more and to those people, just know that you’re the reason that these fics exist. The fact that I can say not just fic but FICS PLURAL??? We’re on the third installment of the series and still going strong??? I’m so proud of the world and characters I’ve created and the stories I’ve been able to tell.

As someone who grew up writing and loving it, this has been such a surreal experience. I always hoped but never truly dreamed that people would want to engage with my stories. When I first starting writing fanfiction years ago, I was writing for an audience of one. Now the fact that HUNDREDS of people have read and are reading my writing my work every day is insane and I can’t believe that this is my life. The fact that I’ve completed two fics that are the equivalent of two novels is something I never thought I’d be able to do.

I’m going through it irl right now and I wish I could say I have a more comprehensive list of exciting things to announce today but instead I’m going to say that I have some really fun stuff cooked up for the anniversary that I’m excited to share and while I’m disappointed that I can’t share them as soon as I want to, they are coming soon! I’ll add them to this lovely post as they do! But for now, I’ll just list them out:

SDD Press Conference, 6-month anniversary edition: ONGOING! Let’s celebrate the anniversary in traditional Dogfighter fashion of a good ole press conference! Send in your questions for the characters (and me if you want to) and they’ll answer them! Serious or silly, all questions are welcome! Runs from now until next Tuesday so feel free to go ahead and start sending stuff in!!!

SDD Jerseys First Group Order: PRE-ORDERS ARE OPEN UNTIL MAY 1!!

Want to rep the Dogfighters in real life? You’ll have the opportunity to order your own San Diego Dogfighter’s jersey! These will be available for a limited time through a group order system! All six guys will be available! (If there’s an interest, I could absolutely look into making jerseys for the girls as well!)

Muscle Memory Masterlist Announced and Posted: As usual the fic won’t be starting yet since I write one at a time but some of you have been asking about this fic for a while and I think it’s time to share the title and the summary

ALSO!!! I just hit 500 followers????? If you read this far, stick around for a separate post detailing some exciting celebratory events for that!

As always, I love you all!!!! And thank you all so much for getting onboard for this crazy journey!!!

- Ruthie 🩵

[goldenseresinretriever]

MERRY CHRISTMAS, DOGFIGHTERS FANS!!

I want to take a minute to be thankful this Christmas because I mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say that y’all have changed my life for the better. I never expected to be writing again this year and I really never expected anyone to read my writing when I did. The SDDU was something I created for fun because I was excited for hockey season and I truly never expected them to go beyond some moodboards and blurbs but then y’all asked if they would be fics so I decided why not. One fic, turned into two fics, and now I have a whole universe planned out! So thank you so much for giving me that push and reading everything I write! It’s surreal to me that Snitches Get Stitches is finished and I’m on to You Catch More Bees With Honey and you guys are still reading.

I’m so thankful to both hockey and Top Gun Maverick for giving me this unique opportunity to share my love for the sport with y’all in this way. I LOVE hearing that you guys are finding a love for the sport through my series and I love it when y’all tell me that you’re going to games whether you’re new or old fans!

As a special little Christmas gift to all of y’all (but honestly being able to share this is a gift for ME) I have a big announcement to make! We’re making official jerseys???!!!!

I’ve been sitting on this idea for months and slowly but surely working to bring them to life so FINALLY being able to share these mockups feels surreal. I giggle and kick my feet every time I see them tbh. I always knew I wanted real jerseys even if I was the only one who’d have one but I’d like to open them up to anyone who’s interested! ALL SIX BOYS WILL BE AVAILABLE!!

Of course I know that they’re not going to be something that everyone wants or can afford because (yikes) they’re pricey. Definitely cheaper than official NHL jerseys but still more expensive than I would have liked 🥲 For now they’re fluctuating between $55-60 per person before shipping depending on how many people are interested because I have to cover the cost of shipping them to me. I won’t bore you with the details here because they’re all laid out extensively in THIS INTEREST FORM! This form is not binding but it’s more to get a head count of how many people would be interested in ordering a jersey. An official buying form will be sent out some time in the new year, probably within the first week of December! The jerseys will be a limited run kind of thing because of the way I have to order them but I will be opening orders again based on demand in the future for a round two for those who can’t afford them rn (it’s Christmas I totally get it) or just decide they want them in the future! Again this all depends on how well this first round goes!

Full transparency, I don’t foresee making any money from these jerseys, I’m just trying to charge people the minimum to cover the jersey and shipping, so at best only a dollar or two goes into my pocket at most and that’s just what slips through the cracks. I want these to be as affordable as possible so please know that despite the high price, it’s not by any means due to me trying to put money in my own pocket. The fact that anyone would even want to wear my team’s logo is honestly ridiculous to me 😅

That being said, I have some other merch opportunities lined up coming in the new year that will be more affordable and will actually profit me so keep an eye out for those, this is just a passion project at its core, but that’s what the SDD has always been for me so thank you again for all your support and for loving the Dogfighters! Merry Christmas, y’all!!! 💚🩶💛

[goldenseresinretriever]

Roadrunner “Roadie”/Meep

Part of the San Diego Dogfighters universe

Position: Kindergarten Teacher at Acacia Academy

You’re happy with your life. You’re finally comfortable at work, and get along with most of your coworkers. However, you’re always happiest when you’re interacting with your students or home with your paints. Life is calm, tranquil, peaceful even. Your arguably-debilitating shyness doesn’t seem to be holding you back as much lately. You have a routine.

Your best friend, Josie Fitch, has been inviting you to one of her husband’s hockey games and since things are almost perfect, you finally decided to take her up on the offer. You never expected that it would change everything, turning your life on its head.

Javy Machado is everything you don’t trust wrapped up in a man. He’s a celebrity, a notorious womanizer and the last thing you’d want in a partner. Unfortunately you’re going to have to play the part of devoted girlfriend. You have no idea how to be a girlfriend and he has no idea how to be a boyfriend. Is it a match made in heaven or hell?

~~~~~

A/N: I’m so excited for y’all to meet Roadie 🥺 She’s high key one of my favorite MCs

Catch Javy’s and Roadie’s story in False Confidence

[goldenseresinretriever]

San Diego Dogfighter fans I’m so excited to announced that I’ve officially hit 300 followers! 😭💚🩶💛

Y’all have truly changed my life for the better with all your support for “Snitches Get Stitches” and now “You Catch More Bees With Honey.” I love sharing my love of hockey with you guys in such a special way and I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again that even just having one person read my fics would be enough, and the fact that there are literally hundreds of people enjoying my writing blows my mind. I’m so excited to see what the new year will bring for all of us and the SDDU. I have so many stories that I’m so excited to share with y’all!

I want to give special shoutouts to @sailor-aviator and @fanficfandomlove who are my biggest cheerleaders on here and have been such a joy to have as friends and collaborators. They help me bring you the stories you love by doing everything from listening to me ramble to helping me hammer out sections of the plot. I couldn’t do this without them 🥺❤️

Alongside my stories I’m excited to share some SDDU-related projects that I’ve been cooking up since the beginning with one of my dear irl friends. Today I have the absolute honor of sharing the first of them, which is the OFFICIAL SAN DIEGO DOGFIGHTERS LOGO!!!!

This original logo was designed by one of my dearest irl friends who’s been one of my biggest cheerleaders as a former writer themself. I’m so excited by how they were able to bring my vision to life and even more excited to share it with you! There’s some related surprises coming soon (one of which I’ll be announcing on Christmas 👀)

Lastly thank you again from the bottom of my heart for engaging with my stories and the community we’ve built here around the San Diego Dogfighters! 💚🩶💛

[goldenseresinretriever]

Sooooo guess who got a bead spinner 👀 💚🩶💛

[goldenseresinretriever]

The Friendships of the SDD Universe

jake seresin and javy machado: the teammates

mickey garcia and zam: the soulmates

mickey garcia and bob floyd: the roommates

javy machado and natasha trace: the classmates

reuben fitch and mickey garcia: the found family

pete mitchell and nick bradshaw: the best friends

carole bradshaw and dare mitchell: the support system

javy machado and zam: the unlikely duo

josie fitch and roadie: the coworkers

A/N: This was made for my Pal-entine’s challenge!!! Happy Pal-entine’s Day to all my friends and every single one of you! Tell your friends that you love them today 🥺🩵

[goldenseresinretriever]

Josie “Jo” Fitch

Part of the San Diego Dogfighters universe

Position: Fourth-Grade Teacher at Acacia Academy, Reuben Fitch’s Wife, and Skylar’s and Jamie’s Mother

Josie Fitch quite literally does it all. She’s been assimilating to life in San Diego quickly, teaching at Acacia Academy. After 12 years of marriage, she’s used to the constant relocation that comes with being a hockey wife. It’s not easy when your husband spends half the year jetting around North America every other week, but she’s been juggling it for years. She loves her husband and her two children, Skylar and Jamie.

She’s the unofficial leader of the Dogfighters’s WAGs (wives and girlfriends) and is super excited about all the new members, especially her friend, Roadie. While she has her doubts about Javy Machado, she trusts her husband when he says that Javy’s a good guy even if she has yet to see it for herself.

~~~~~

A/N: God, I love Josie so much, now that she’s been introduced, I can’t wait to include her in the fics!

[goldenseresinretriever]

Ruthie’s 400 Follower Celebration!!!!

This week I hit 400 followers and my arms are sore from the number of times I’ve had to pinch myself 😳 I definitely want to do a sappy post thanking each and every one of you so hang tight for that, it’s definitely coming. But those who’ve been around a while know that with milestones, there come celebrations! And especially PRESS CONFERENCES!!!

Those who’ve done this before know how it works but you wonderful people get to submit questions (via asks) to the SDD characters and they’ll respond! (Barring outright spoilers of course) The press conference will run for ONE WEEK, starting Monday, February 12!!! This way the folks that voted for weekdays get a chance to submit as well as those that voted for the weekend! If you want examples of things you can send in or to see what’s been asked in the past, you can check out the handy dandy tag: #sdd press conference

I’ve got one more surprise cooking for the celebration that I think some people are going to be very excited for even if it’s just a small thing 👀

And last but not least, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 400 FOLLOWERS!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!! 🩵

[goldenseresinretriever]

The Sun and the Moon, Javy and Roadie from False Confidence

[goldenseresinretriever]

To everyone waiting patiently for Chapter 1 of False Confidence I’m sorry for the wait but I’ve been taking some time to relax after wrapping YCMBWH and also your girl is applying to grad school so my plate is kind of full rn mentally and emotionally. I’m also slowly but surely cooking up something completely different and new that I had an idea for last month and I’m hoping to get y’all more information about that this week.

ALSO!!! The SDDU is six months old next month???? So I’m trying to think of something appropriate to celebrate!!! (If you have any ideas, my ask box is open)

Lots of love and thanks for your patience,

- Ruthie 🩵

[goldenseresinretriever]

Is Javy annoyed that he's only the fifth sluttiest player? Was he striving for a higher spot on the list?

Javy: I mean, some titles you work for, and others are simply bestowed upon you

Zam: *facepalms*

Javy: That one, was simply bestowed upon me. I wouldn’t say it’s a contest I’m trying to win but, well you know

Jake: What I know is that your mom’s definitely watching this

Javy: No further comments.