#jeff skinner imagine

[leafsbabe]

Jeff Skinner - desperate times (SMUT)

just a quickie at 1.6k

It always sucked when Jeff and the team had to leave for a longer road trip but this time the experience had been downright tortuous. The Sabres had only been gone for two days out of an eight day trip when your only salvation, your beloved vibrator, broke. A tragedy. When you told Jeff you had thought that he would offer his condolences, maybe even hoped that he would offer for you to buy a new one on his card, but what you got instead was him telling you to wait until he got home and that you could pick out a new one together.

So when Jeff walked through the door of your shared house a week later —a week filled with failed masturbation attempts— it was no surprise that you skipped the welcome home and went straight to jumping him. 

The bags he was holding fell onto the ground as he wrapped his arms around you, securing you as you kissed him hard enough for your lips to sting a little when you pulled back.

“Hello?” He looked so adorably confused with his toque pulled over the ears, the deep blush on his face, and the scruffy beard. It looked like Jeff had skipped shaving for a few days and you couldn’t wait to feel it between your legs.

“Hi.” You smiled at him before connecting your lips again.

It was pretty easy to corral Jeff into the bedroom after he caught onto your intentions. Watching him struggle to get naked while you laid back on the bed even almost made up for the time spent apart. When you finally had all of him to yourself again you didn’t waste any time, pulling him onto the bed in a stubborn single mindedness. He went willingly, his hands automatically coming up to your hips to help steady you as you straddled him. Jeff wasn’t fully hard yet, but you could feel him starting to thicken against the back of your thigh. God, you needed him to hurry up.

You were too impatient to wait for him to fuck you, too impatient to wait for him to get you off. So instead you started to move. Small but rough grinds against his strong thigh between yours. He didn’t say anything in response, only bit his lip as he laid back, obviously enjoying the show.

“You don’t know how bad this week has been.” With one hand braced against Jeff’s chest you reached behind yourself to take his dick in your other. “The damn toy died and I haven’t been able to get off. When I touch myself the angle hurts my wrist and the water pressure in the shower is a joke. Do you know how hard it is to be horny for a week straight? Without being able to get off, Jeffrey?”

Jeff swallowed hard and you could feel his dick twitch against your palm. You gave him a couple strokes until you thought he was hard enough, before rising up and guiding him into you as you sank back down.

There was nothing gentle about the way you were riding Jeff, shamelessly and selfishly. There simply wasn’t any time to wait until you adjusted to his size or to spend thinking about his pleasure. You had waited a week to get off and you wouldn’t be made to wait any longer.

Jeff for his part didn’t seem to mind. He seemed perfectly content to just lay there and let you take what you needed. You set a fast pace, fully knowing that you couldn't manage to keep it up for long, but you didn’t need to. This was about a quick orgasm, not endurance. Below you Jeff shifted his hips, changing the angle of himself inside you and drawing a moan from your lips. He was hitting all the right spots inside but even though the muscles in your thighs started to burn, release still felt so far away. Your rhythm started to falter and you were so close to giving up when Jeff brought his hand to where you were joined and circled his thumb around your clit, pushing you over the edge.

The sudden release did more than just making your thighs shake. It caught you off guard, knocking the air out of your lungs and the thoughts out of your head as you fell apart above him. Once you calmed down enough for your brain to start working again you noticed only two things.

you were still sitting on his lap, albeit a little more slumped forward 

Jeff continued to be hard inside you, filling you up completely even after you had come... meaning he didn’t

“I'm sorry.” Embarrassment washed over you and for a moment you wondered if post-nut clarity was a thing for women as well. Did you really just jump your boyfriend and used him as a glorified sex toy?

“Don’t be.” He looked up at you, breathing heavily, with a big smile on his face. “That was hot.”

It took a few more moments before you had the energy to move off him, letting yourself fall onto the sheets beside him. You didn’t want to make the first move but thankfully Jeff noticed and brought an arm around you to pull you against his chest.

“It’s been a long week.” You started, feeling the sudden need to explain yourself. Pressed against him so tightly you could feel your lips graze his skin with every word. “I just couldn’t concentrate or focus and you were gone so I wasn’t able to take care of it.”

Jeff stroked your bed softly, calming you down while you laid there. The afterglow was slowly fading away when he motioned for you to move a little so that he could get up. “I’ll just…” he gestured towards the en suite. It took you a second to get it but between his sheepish expression and his still rather prominent erection it was clear to you that he was excusing himself to take care of things in the bathroom.

Oh that sweet man.

“Don’t.” You held your hand out and when he took it you drew him back onto the bed beside you. “Let me take care of you.”

Jeff was wonderfully hard when you took him in your hand, moaning deeply when you gave him a few strokes. One of the things you loved the most about your boyfriend was how vocal he was in bed, even if he tried his hardest to silence himself. You took one last look at him, sprawled across the bed —curls messed up and his chest flushed all the way down to the trail of hair below his navel— before bending down and taking him in your mouth as far as you could.

You didn’t try to draw things out, to tease him or to make him wait for it. You just wanted to make him come. The need flowing through you felt different than the one before that had you chasing your release relentlessly but not any less intense.

He writhed on the bed as you worked him over, thighs trembling under your hands where you held them open. Jeff tried not to buck up, tried not to choke you on his dick even though you wanted him to. Swallowing around him nearly made him sob but you didn’t stop.  

You ran your tongue up his entire length, from the base to the top before circling his tip. Jeff groaned and you repeated the motion. When you looked up through your lashes you were greeted by a beautiful sight. Jeff was a mess, biting his lips in an attempt to silence his moans and gripping the sheets hard enough for his knuckles to turn white. It didn’t take much more to set him off. You moaned around him and dug your fingers into the thick flesh of his thighs as he fell apart below you.

You swallowed without letting the taste of him linger but continued to hold him in your mouth while he softened.

“Maybe.” He spoke after both of you had calmed down, cuddled up under the blanket. “Maybe we should do that again. You’re really hot when you’re desperate.”

That earned him a slap against the chest. “Don’t even think about it.”

You woke up the next morning with your face pressed firmly against your boyfriend’s hip. It took a moment for you to blink awake, but when you did you could see that Jeff was sitting up with his back against the headboard, laptop balanced on his lap. He had his bottom lip drawn between his teeth, gaze locked intently on the screen in front of him as he scrolled.

For a moment you debated sitting up to lean beside him but the lingering idleness of sleep paired with the sting of the beard burn Jeff had given you during the second (or was it the third?) round last night made you feel just lazy enough to stay horizontal. 

It took Jeff a while before he noticed that you were awake but when he did, his face lit up. “Good morning.” He mumbled, brushing your hair back from your forehead.

You lifted your head slightly, just until you could rest your head against his lap properly, pillowing it on his thigh. “Morning.” 

It was only when Jeff shifted his laptop to let you see the screen that you noticed what he had been looking at.

 “I know we wanted to look together, but I think I found a few toys you would enjoy.”

[holy-puckslibrary]

━ 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦

˗ˏˋ 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ˎˊ˗

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 — teacher!jeff skinner x teacher!reader 𝐰𝐜 — 2.4k 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 — their students decide to play matchmaker before a school dance; will their scheming pay off?

𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 — written to fill a short n sweet request last year for my patreon fic-mas <3 and if you catch the lil nod to two of our favs, you're a real one

“I know we’ve been having a hard time concentrating this week, which is understandable with all the excitement surrounding the Snowball Dance, but you do have one more day of work before you can totally kick back and check out,” Jeff Skinner, a high school social studies teacher, says after the tardy bell chimes.

The students are settling into their seats but listen intently.

He continues, “That being said, I will still be collecting your annotations for chapters eighteen through twenty that we started during Monday’s class. While I’m doing that, a sign-up sheet for the Unit 5 case study presentations will be floating around the room. If I were you, I’d grab the earliest slot available to get it over with and be done for the semester. But, hey, that’s just me!”

His twelfth-grade AP Government class meets this with a chorus of groans. A subset of students lightheartedly boo him from the back row. Oddly, though, the ruckus pleases him.

Mr. Skinner strives to create a classroom environment where the teens feel comfortable sharing their honest feelings and have the space to do so if they choose. Their vocal push-back signifies their trust in him. He also appreciates their mutinous spirit because it arose after their deep dive into the Declaration of Independence and its twenty-seven grievances; they were combative but in the name of freedom for the cohort and the individual. Jeff saw that as a Teacher Win.

“I know, I know. I’m a tyrant, and you hate me. But unlike this country, this classroom is a monarchy, not a democracy,” he returns the teasing. “And if you looked at our agenda when you walked in this morning, you would’ve seen that—because I am obviously the nicest person ever—I have allocated today’s class period to independent work time. So, you can complete whatever you may need. That means putting any final touches on this week’s chapters, polishing up your Supreme Court case PowerPoints with your partner or group, or finishing any outstanding assignments.

And if you recall, I give full credit for late work, so long as it's on my desk before the cut-off tomorrow at noon. You’re welcome." Sarcasm is his favorite—and most effective—bonding strategy. "If you're squared away, you know where the board games and art supplies are. Just no more explicit drawings. I don’t care, but Mrs. Benson next door does.”

The class laughs, fondly recalling the fiasco the day before Homecoming.

A couple of students decided to use their free time to create a few political illustrations. While they were historically accurate and objectively hilarious, they were not “school appropriate,” according to the 9th-grade Geography teacher who glimpsed the comic strips as she passed the open door.

She demanded Jeff punish the perpetrators for their vulgarity, but instead, he had the drawings laminated and bound into a resource book. Said book has since found a home on a bookshelf, wedged comfortably between Howard Zinn’s A Power Governments Cannot Suppress and The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution by Linda Monk.

In his peripheral vision, Jeff sees a student waiting by the door and invites them in. He segues, “Before I leave you to your own devices, it looks like we have a visitor from ASB. So, please be nice, give them your full attention, and don’t embarrass me. Capiche?”

The class agrees to comply, and the boy, an underclassman if he had to guess, hesitantly walks to the front of the room.

Jeff remembers how intimidating seniors felt when he was that age, so he gives his students a pointed warning over the kid’s shoulder. A few of them perk up, noticeably straightening in their seats.

“Good morning, everyone. I’m Leo, and I will be filling in for Gabby today.” He looks down at the printout of the day’s announcements and clears his throat. Then, Leo begins reading them aloud:

“Feeling stressed this finals season? Stop by the quad next week during both A and B lunch blocks to decompress with some therapy dogs. If you need further or individualized support, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson will be opening up their schedules for one-on-one sessions. Appointments can be made using the yellow slips in the main office.

Work permits are available in the career counseling hub. If you plan on getting a job or need to renew, please submit an application as soon as possible. No permits will be issued during Winter Break.

Remember that your final exam period is not the same as your regular meeting time or day, so be sure to check your portals this weekend for the updated schedule.

Still need a ticket for the Snowball Dance tomorrow night? Please stop by the ASB room or contact Owen Power, the senior class president, before sixth period today. They’re $15 with an ASB card and $20 without one. Trust me; you don’t want to miss out!"

The audience of seniors cheers, hooting and hollering out their delight. The underclassman beams, confidence swelling, and tucks the script away. His smile grows. “And now…drum roll, please!”

As the students bang their desks with open palms, textbooks, and stray pencils, the ASB student angles a pair of jazz hands towards the open door.

“Santa Claus!”

Peyton, the current school mascot—in an ill-fitting costume that's certainly older than he is—materializes in the empty space. He hauls a lumpy velvet bag over his shoulder as he saunters across the room. The tiny gold bells affixed to the sack twinkle with every step.

“Ho, ho, ho! Candy Cane Gram delivery!” Peyton bellows.

His impression is unexpectedly convincing, in Jeff's humble opinion.

“Santa” roots around in the bag and pulls the first set out. They’re paper-clipped together, indicating both were for the same person. “Taylor Zimmerman? Two for you!”

He passes the slips of paper back to the student who raised her hand.

The distribution of festive notes, an annual fundraiser put on by the junior and senior class councils to bankroll the dance itself, fades into background noise as Mr. Skinner begins looking over the pile of essays he collected last period from his squirrelly 10th-grade World History class.

The prompt had been to explore the impact of globalization in the post-Cold War era, and they’re off to a great start. The first essay's author touches on “transnational actors” and their impact on overall global wealth—in the introductory paragraph. Pride blooms in his chest. Maybe someone had been paying attention after all.

Jeff gets through three and a half papers—all 95% and above, but who’s counting?—before he feels someone standing over him.

“Uh, Mr. Skinner?” Peyton whispers in his civilian voice.

“Yes?” Jeff replies.

To mark his spot, Mr. Skinner sets his pen below a particularly eloquent paragraph highlighting how American consumer culture polluted local ecosystems abroad.

The sophomore nervously looks around the room. After deciding his peers were too engrossed in the social politics of sending and receiving Candy Cane Grams and Ice Court nomination speculation to hear, Peyton pulls a slip of paper out from inside the thick, red coat and sets it on Jeff’s desk. It’s crumpled, and the miniature candy cane is barely hanging on.

“This last one’s for you.”

“Oh, thank you very much,” Jeff smiles. The polite expression is meant to relieve the student from his classroom, but Peyton remains glued to his spot. Gently, he asks, “Is there something else I can do for you, Mr. Krebs?”

“Aren’t you going to see who sent it?” the boy asks, all toothy grin and twinkling eyes.

Well, that’s not at all suspicious, Mr. Skinner thinks as he slides the slip closer.

He scans the generic template, reading his name and room number scrawled beside washed-out festive clipart, but doesn’t understand the fuss... until his eyes drift down to the section for an optional message.

Mr. Skinner,

Just like a snowflake, you’re one of a kind. Be my date to the dance tomorrow night? It would make me SNOW happy!

Jeff almost believes it’s from you. Had he not been familiar with your handwriting, it would have been an excellent forgery. But, he knew your penmanship. Maybe a little too well.

His anchor charts were all in your hand; he could see at least three from where he was sitting. Jeff can’t recall the last time he attempted one on his own.

In exchange for mercifully sparing him from teenage ridicule due to his poor penmanship, he handled the construction and refurbishment of the props and sets necessary for the Winter Showcase and spring musical every year. Whatever you, the brilliant and beloved drama teacher, dreamed up, Jeff dutifully built.

Including, but not limited to, an impressive Audrey II, the iconic Venus flytrap from “Little Shop of Horrors,” a life-size bubble for their Glinda to float around in during performances of “Wicked,”  and the massive tire that anchors the dilapidated junkyard set for “Cats.”

He was ambivalent about musical theater when he bartered the informal contractor role, but Jeff grew to love it after a few years. Due in large part to your infectious passion.

He gives the mastermind—or masterminds, props for trying, though.

“Oh, wow!” Jeff exclaims, deciding to play along. Peyton's face brightens; there’s no way he’s not involved. “Out of respect, let’s keep this between you and me for now, okay?”

“O-of course, Mr. Skinner,” Peyton sputters, as though he’s shocked Jeff didn’t notice anything amiss or ask any follow-up questions. “That’s why I waited to give it to you. It felt too personal to announce in front of your entire class. Especially after the whole Homecoming thing.”

“Thing” wasn’t what he’d call it, but this kind of dramatic exaggeration was one of the many reasons he loved working with teenagers.

During a pep rally in October, the student body president crowned the two of you the faculty Homecoming King and Queen. Jeff wasn't even aware that was a thing he could win, and neither had you, but you bashfully accepted the titles and accompanying crowns in front of a thousand rowdy high schoolers anyway.

Later that night, you slow-danced to Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” under a sky of twinkling stars—clear fairy lights repurposed from the previous year’s "Camelot" canopy—black glitter tulle, and a plywood crescent moon.

The students lost their minds then and were yet to get over it. Obviously.

“I appreciate that,” Jeff says, biting back his amusement.

Peyton salutes him and hoists the sack over his shoulder again. He and Leo say their goodbyes and move on to the next classroom on their route.

The remainder of the school day was agonizingly hectic. So much so that it meddled with his plan to swing by the auditorium where you held classes.

His projector kicked the bucket in the middle of his lecture on the two-way exchanges collectively known as the Columbian Exchange; Jeff couldn’t get it back into commission until his prep period, so he would have to explain how the triangular trade route emerged from colonial mercantilism policies in the new year. His 9th-grade World Geography class refused to participate in the activity he organized to mimic the Arctic landscape and harsh climate, so, somewhat reluctantly, he cut his losses and threw on an episode of Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? And right before his sixth period, some bored senior pulled the fire alarm, forcing the entire school to spend the glacial afternoon lined up in the parking lot.

All that said, it was safe to say Mr. Skinner had never been happier to see his driveway and his dog than he was this evening. The border collie shepherd mix, Chips—affectionately named as a tribute to the trained sentry dog who became the most decorated canine in the Second World War—is waiting on the porch. Joyously, he howls when Jeff gets out of his car.

“Hey, buddy,” he says as he reaches down to scratch between the pup’s ears. Chips jumps up, his muddy paws landing on Jeff’s coat. He begins licking his owner’s cheeks with reckless abandon. “Okay, come on, crazy dog. Let’s get you back inside.”

Immediately after Jeff opens the front door, Chips darts down the hallway. He chuckles, shaking his head as he sheds his coat and tosses his keys into the bowl by the door.

Jeff rescued his dog as he was wrapping up his undergraduate degree at NC State, and the two were as thick as thieves up until a few years ago.

That’s not to say anything happened or there’s bad blood; Chips simply found a new favorite person.

Jeff trails after Chips, following the furry tail and the delicious scent wafting from the kitchen. He makes a pit stop at the fridge to grab a beer before turning to address his successor to the rescue's heart, standing at the stove stirring a giant pot of soup.  

“You won’t believe what happened in my second period today, babe. Every day, I’m surprised by how bold teenagers are. Hell, when I was their age, I was petrified to sharpen a pencil without asking. Their latest scheme wouldn’t have even crossed my mind. Seriously, I don’t think you could guess what shenanigans they got up to if you tried.”

He's met with melodic laughter, a sparkly sound that still makes his heart skip a beat.

“Maybe not, but I don’t need to.”

Jeff’s brows knit together, confused. Then his eyes zero in on the slip of paper identical to the one in his back pocket.

If it were possible, his jaw could sweep the tile floor.

“Guess we aren’t as sly as we think,” you smirk, waving a counterfeit Candy Cane Gram of your own in the air like a white flag.

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[laurenairay]

Jeff Skinner for “stop talking” kiss pls??

Stop Talking Kiss – Jeff Skinner

Words: 1.2k

Thank you for this one anon! I love Jeff so much and he needs much more appreciation on here.

~

The team party was in full swing, you having shown up about an hour ago with your friend, having swung an invite from her boyfriend. It wasn’t unusual though, tagging along with her. Whenever there was a party, you were an automatic plus one to the plus one, and it had been that way for over a year now. You couldn’t deny that these gatherings were one of the exciting highlights of your avid social life, and you were grateful that your friend had wanted to include you from the start. As far as she was concerned, the two of you were a package, and her boyfriend was more than happy to go along with that. Where she went, you went, and the team knew to expect you along with her whenever there was something going on.

Speaking of the team…

“Hi Jeff.”

Jeff Skinner, one of the other highlights of your new social life. There was just something about the cute curly-haired boy, from his wide smile to adorable dimples to his unabashed laugh. Your friend teased you relentlessly ever since the first time she’d seen you around him, teasing you about your crush, but you knew that unless Jeff said something, there was no way you were going to act on it. You couldn’t face the humiliation of a rejection – and to be honest, Jeff really had never given you any indication that he was interested in you too.

You had enough pride to hold out, at least.

“Hey! I didn’t know you were here,” he said happily.

Jeff rooted around in the fridge, pulling out a beer for himself and handing you a black cherry white claw. Your favourite. He remembered?

“I’ve been here for an hour already,” you mused, watching him blush in glee as you opened the can, “Nice to know you noticed.”

He blushed even harder, shaking his head.

“I always notice you. It’s kinda hard not to,” he murmured, taking a deep gulp of his own drink.

“I can’t tell if that’s a good thing or not?” you said, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course it’s a good thing. It’s always good when you’re here.”

“Oh?” you prompted, only teasing a little bit.

Jeff huffed out a breath, almost seeming to squirm a little with the attention solely on him, only making you smile more. What was it about this guy?

“You’re like, so pretty? And you’re funny, always making everybody laugh with your hilarious stories. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone command a room like you do, and it’s mesmerising. Whenever you’re around, I can’t take my eyes off you and it’s driving me crazy. You’re beautiful, and funny, and so smart, and…”

As he continued rambling, it felt like something inside of you snapped. That was it. You couldn’t take anymore. Almost a year you’d suffered through not knowing how he felt for you, and this was the closest he’d ever come to saying anything that gave you a hint that he liked you too. If you didn’t take this chance now, you didn’t know if you’d ever get it again.

“Oh my god Jeff, stop talking,” you groaned.

Jeff barely had a moment to look confused before you placed your drink on the side and cupped his face, pulling him down into a kiss. He froze for a second, long enough to make you hesitate, before that freeze broke and he slammed his own drink down, kissing you eagerly, clutching at your waist with both hands. Fuck, yes, finally. Jeff kissed you over and over again, sending electricity through your body, letting out occasional whimpering noises himself. You didn’t know how long the two of you stood in the kitchen kissing for, hands clutching and lips colliding desperately, but you found that you didn’t care the moment that Jeff’s tongue slipped into your mouth, swirling with yours in a way that made your head spin.

“Goddamn, get a room.”

You broke the kiss with a jolt, Jeff not looking away from you as he flipped Dylan off, resting his forehead on yours as he tried to catch his breath. Dylan just snickered, grabbing a beer from the fridge before leaving again.

“So that was something,” Jeff murmured.

The nervousness from before made you purse your lips, moving your hands from cupping his face to resting on his chest.

“How could you not know that I like you?” you asked, frowning.

“What?”

“I’ve been so obvious! You think I flirt with everyone like I flirt with you?” you asked, a little incredulously.

“You like me like me?” Jeff asked, lips parted in surprise.

You groaned and stepped out of his arms in frustration. How could he be that blind? You knew the stereotype of hockey players not being the brightest crayons in the drawer, but this was crazy.

“Hey, no, don’t go please?”

Jeff hand lightly rested on your shoulder, still clearly nervous, but you turned back to face him properly anyway. There was very little you wouldn’t do for this guy, you knew that much.

“I’m sorry I’ve been such an oblivious idiot. You deserve better than that. Better than me. I just honestly didn’t think a girl as pretty as you would be interested in me?” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

His self-deprecating words made you soften, and you smiled sadly.

“We have got to work on your self esteem bud,” you said, pursing your lips.

“Yeah, I know. Not my finest attribute.”

You huffed out a laugh, shaking your head as you leaned against the kitchen counter.

“I like you, Jeff. I thought you knew that and were just shy, but apparently not. I had no idea you were this nervous around me, but you really don’t have to be nervous, okay?” you said firmly.

“Still trying to get my head around the fact that you like me, let alone trying to stop being nervous,” he said, smiling wryly.

Bless his heart. His humble nature was one of the things that had drawn you to him, if you were being honest. That, and how cute he is.

“Are you going to ask me out for real or am I going to have to do that too?” you teased.

Jeff blushed but shook his head, walking up to you properly to take a hand in his.

“Would you like to go on a date with me? Because I would love to take you out to dinner,” he asked, raising your hand to his lips and kissing the knuckles.

Okay, smooth.

“I would love to go out with you, Jeff. About time,” you said, smiling up at him.

Jeff just blushed a little deeper, running his thumb over the back of your hand.

“Now kiss me again, we were interrupted,” you demanded playfully, hopping up to sit on the counter.

“I suppose it isn’t a team party until the rookies are traumatised,” Jeff grinned, stepping forward to stand between your thighs.

That was more like it.

[barzysunflower]

Summer Vacation Request:

Jeff Skinner in Paris… Because he loves Emily in Paris so much, lol. Long romantic dinners at cozy restaurants and so many Eiffel Tower makeout sessions. 😚

tysm for the request!! two requests for paris came in at the same time but I still wanted to something for you!!

come along the rest of the trip (only a few left!!)

📍paris, france with jeff skinner

[hockeylvr59]

Skate To Your Heart || Jeff Skinner

Authors Note: This is my entry for @antoineroussel​‘s summer fic exchange. I wrote for @callsign-denmark​ who requests included fluff and strangers to lovers. This is basically a five times you “skated” with Jeff Skinner concept. I hope you enjoy it. (*Also a slight word play in the title with ‘skate’ instead of ‘straight’ to your heart*)

Warnings: minor injury  // Word Count: 2,535

~~~~

There were few things in life you loved more than this. The smell of ice in the air, the sound and feeling of sharp blades cutting through a fresh sheet, the sharp sting of cold air across your cheeks and on your fingertips, the exhilaration of launching yourself into the air before landing back down. Ever since you were little, this was where and when you felt the most at home. No matter what else was happening in your life, this was where you were at peace. 

And that was why you had refused to compete. 

You were good. You had been told that you could be one of the best in the world all your life if you just dedicated yourself to training. But that wasn’t what you had wanted. You didn’t want the pressure, you didn’t want to travel, and you didn’t want to lose what you loved so much about skating.

And so you kept your talents to yourself and skated for yourself. And there was nothing better than spending a hot late summer day in the chill of a rink doing what you loved most. Throwing yourself into one of your favorite routines, you had no idea that there was a pair of eyes watching you from near the benches. That was…until your blade caught weird in the ice upon landing a triple axel and you went tumbling down, a curse spilling from your lips and pain radiating up your ankle. 

Before you could try and pull yourself back onto your blades, a pair of sneakered feet entered your field of vision. Trying to catch your breath from having the wind knocked out of you, you looked up to see a handsome dimpled face looking at you with concern. 

“Are you okay?” A gentle but masculine voice asked as the man attached to it squatted down to check on you. Sitting up on the ice, it took a minute to find your voice before you could finally respond. 

“Yeah. I’ll be alright.” You finally murmured. “Not the worst tumble I’ve taken.” 

“You’re really good.” He commented while offering a steady hand to help you to your feet. Hesitating for a moment you took it before wincing as you put pressure on your left ankle. “Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked, seeing the grimace on your face. 

“Thanks.” You whispered shyly in response to the compliment. “Yeah, nothing ice and rest won’t fix.” 

“This might sound crazy but I feel like I should know you.” The man whispered softly as he guided you on one skate back to the bench area and off the ice. 

“Yeah that sounds just a little bit crazy.” You murmured, your sarcasm rising to new heights because of the throbbing in your ankle. A bashful smile flickered across his face and he shrugged not taking offense from your words. “Do you compete?” He inquired, his hands dropping into the pockets of his joggers as you sat on the bench to take your skates off. “Because you really are that good.” 

“Nope.” You mumbled before hissing softly as you dropped your skate to the ground, your ankle slightly red already and likely to swell later. You’d had ankle sprains before that had been far worse than this so you weren’t too worried even if you knew that you were about to be catching up on some movies over the next few days and not moving around too much. 

Sliding off your other skate, you worked to change into sandals before reaching into your bag for a bottle of water and two pain killers. 

“Well…thanks for the help off the ice.” You declared, moving to stand up, most of your weight on your good ankle. “But I should probably get home and take care of this.” 

As you turned to leave, hefting your bag onto your shoulder you heard him call out for you to wait. 

Pausing, you looked back and saw him shifting to lean closer, his hand held out in greeting. 

“I’m Jeff.” He introduced himself. Returning the introduction, you again shifted slightly to leave. 

“Maybe I’ll see you around.” He called and you knew instantly that if that was in fact true then you were about to be in a lot of trouble. 

*****

You had in fact seen Jeff around. You ran into him almost every time you went to the rink once your ankle had healed and you’d even run into him once at the park when you were babysitting your nephew and playing in the first snowfall.

And that was how you found out that Jeff was Jeff Skinner, winger for the Buffalo Sabres. Your nephew hadn’t been able to contain his excitement and had tugged on your winter jacket drawing your attention to Jeff who had been waving at you as he jogged by. Seeing that you were finally looking his way, Jeff stopped and jogged over to you, pulling his headphones from his ears. 

After chatting with your nephew for a few minutes he looked up at you, eyes all soft. 

“What do you think?” He’d asked. 

“Huh?” You’d replied, having not been fully paying attention to their conversation. 

“A suggestion was made that I take you on a date sometime. What do you think?” He repeated, clarifying the line of conversation as his warm breath swirled around you fogging up the air slightly. 

You’d agreed and that was how you were here. Here being a small private outdoor rink with string lights overhead. With light snow coming down it was almost magical. Jeff had insisted on helping you lace up your skates and once you were both ready to go he helped you to your feet before leading you to the rink. 

A contented sigh spilled from your lips as your blades cut through the ice and you smiled up at him glad that he had chosen something you both loved to do for your first date. 

For the next hour you lazily skated around the rink, shock crossing your face when you learned that Jeff too had started out figure skating. Demanding that he prove it, at least as best he could in hockey skates, you moved to prop yourself up on the small half boards. And prove it he did. While it was clear that the skates didn’t lend themselves to that kind of movement and that he was a bit rusty, you could definitely see the foundations of figure skating in the way he moved across the ice. 

Watching him, you found yourself growing extremely fond of him and when he approached, sliding into you smoothly, you allowed his body to slide between your parted knees. 

“What do you say we get some hot chocolate before I take you home?” Jeff murmured, causing you to smile in response. 

“Sounds perfect.” You agreed, reaching out to keep him there as he attempted to skate backward far enough to pull you down from the boards. “First though…” You murmured before leaning forward just a little when he looked back at you to cup his cheek before pressing a soft kiss to his lips. He hesitated a moment out of surprise before responding, his mouth slotting against yours in a gentle but firm exploratory kiss. 

Yeah, this was definitely up there as far as first dates go. 

*****

It had been about three months since your first date with Jeff and so far things had been going really well. Of course it was hard dating someone who traveled for a living but those hardships were definitely worth it. 

You’d met a few of his teammates just by chance but Jeff had yet to introduce you to the team and their significant others as a whole or his family, the two of you taking things relatively slow to start out.

But now you were on your way to Hamilton, Ontario for the Sabres outdoor game. Specifically, you were headed up for the family skate the day before the game itself. Though you’d told yourself that everything was going to be fine, you couldn’t help but be nervous knowing that you were going to meet not only the team but also Jeff’s family. 

Finding and parking in the lot you had a pass for, you made your way to the stadium with just a small bag containing your skates over your shoulder. After showing your credentials, you were directed on how to get down to the ice and you made your way there, pausing to take it all in. There was already a significant amount of people on the ice, laughter filling the air. 

Quickly you pulled on your skates before stepping onto the ice. A breeze whipped through but you were dressed warmly even if you weren’t nearly as bundled up as some people were. Carefully skating around, you looked for Jeff, but instead of finding him, he found you. 

“You made it!” He exclaimed, quickly pulling your body into his and kissing you softly in front of all these people. A few whistles and a ‘get it Jeff’ sounded from around you but otherwise no one really seemed to notice. 

Though you were nervous, you let Jeff lead you around, both of you skating with ease, as he introduced you to some of his teammates and then finally his siblings who had made the trip. You couldn’t help but let out a bit of a relieved laugh as his sisters pulled you into hugs murmuring that Jeff had told them so much about you and you smiled watching his nephew toddling around still a little shaky on his skates. 

When one of his sisters needed to use the bathroom, you took Jeff’s baby niece into your arms and smiled at her chubby face while skating lazy circles. After a moment you could hear someone whispering to Jeff but you just ignored it, turning after a few minutes to see a soft look on Jeff’s face. 

“A baby looks good on you.” He mumbled once you had handed her off and he had pulled you back against his body. 

“Hmm, is that right?” You teased just enjoying how welcomed you felt despite your initial worries. You shouldn’t have worried though because being on the ice with Jeff had always extended that feeling that this was where you were supposed to be. 

*****

Though you knew you probably shouldn’t be, you couldn’t help but be a little annoyed with Jeff. This was date night and he knew that and yet you’d gotten the text from him twenty minutes ago that he had gotten caught up in a practice session and asking if you could meet him at the rink to head to dinner from there. 

Walking into the rink you let the cold air swirl around your legs under your knee length dress and you made your way around looking for where Jeff could possibly be located now. Running into him in the hallway with the locker rooms you sighed seeing him still in skates and workout clothes, not the nicer clothes you were expecting he would wear to dinner. 

“I’m so sorry, we ran late. I know you’re probably pissed but can you do me a huge favor and clean up the pucks on the ice while I change?” He requested, bending slightly to peck your lips. 

Glaring at him for a moment, you let your shoulders slump and sighed, turning to head to the ice and telling him that he better hurry his ass up. You loved him, lord did you love him but sometimes he was just too much. Gathering a bag to collect the pucks from the bench, you opened the gate and stepped onto the ice, not used to being out here in street shoes. 

It took you a minute to find your footing but once you did you headed over to the black spots near center ice. Taking only a few steps, you blinked quickly before letting the bag fall out of your hands. You had expected to find just a random collection of pucks sprawled across the ice. What was before you however was something very different. 

‘MARRY ME?’

Hockey pucks spelled out the words and when you turned, Jeff was there in slacks and a dress shirt, bending down onto one knee. His cheeks were slightly flushed and as he spoke your name softly you watched him reach for the puck serving as the dot on the question mark, picking it up and sliding a rotating lid open to reveal your dream engagement ring. 

“Will you?” His soft voice questioned. “This past year of knowing you…I can’t imagine ever spending another year without you by my side. You are my best friend, you are my rock, and you are my favorite skating partner. All I want in life is to skate forever with you by my side. So will you make me the happiest man and be my wife?” 

Though you didn’t realize it at first, you must have been nodding your head because Jeff’s smile grew brilliant and he reached up with a shaky hand to slide the ring onto your left hand before standing up and pulling you against his chest. 

You may be late for your dinner reservation but at the moment you couldn’t honestly care less. 

*****

Scritch, scritch, thump.

You paused waiting for a cry that never came. Instead your brown eyed, curly haired little boy grunted softly as he attempted to push himself back onto his tiny skate covered feet. Jeff stood behind him, there to help if necessary though you both knew your two year old was likely going to be too stubborn to accept it. 

Scritch, scritch, scritch, thump. 

That there had been one more unsteady step this time made you smile and you skated backward just a bit before encouraging your little one to get up and try again. You weren’t sure who had been waiting for this day longer, you or Jeff. 

After a year long engagement and three years of marriage you had finally gotten pregnant with your little boy and you knew that you had both dreamed of the day he would get onto skates for the first time all by himself. 

He’d been on the ice plenty, the two of you often taking him for skates when he was merely an infant all the way through the early toddler years. 

But this morning, your baby boy had woken up and proclaimed that he wanted to skate by himself. 

Scritch, scritch, scritch, scritch, thump. 

Scritch, scritch, scritch, scritch, scritch, thump. 

Slowly but surely he was getting it and when he finally reached your arms you cheered loudly as his squeal echoed through the rink. 

Looking over at Jeff, the pride you were certain was on your own face was on his as well. Growing up, skating had always been an emotional journey for you. But you’d never imagined the journey it would take you on as an adult. It had brought the love of your life to you and now, now you would get to experience the journey it brought to your son. 

This truly was peace. And you wouldn’t change a single thing. 

[typical-simplelove]

for the song blurbs 164 and jeff skinner thank you!

This is my first time writing for jeff Skinner, so hopefully, I did okay!

164. History by One Direction Claudia's Debut Season of Heartfirst Writing

Growing up across the street from each other meant that you and Jeff's childhoods were heavily intertwined. If someone would count the memories you had—ones that you could remember and ones that slipped away with time—they'd see that twice a week for almost eighteen years, you and Jeff were always doing something together.

You and Jeff had a whole lot of history because, at the end of the day, you were meant for each other.

One

One of six-year-old Jeff's favorite things was playing mini-sticks or soccer with you after school. Almost three times a week, after dinner, around 7pm each night, and before he showered, Jeff would ask his mother to call your mother to ask if you could play with him that night. The times that your mother would say yes, Jeff would run across the street (making sure no cars were coming) and would stand at your driveway, waiting for you to come out the front door with your runners on. It, for the most part, took you and Jeff five minutes to figure out what to do. The two of you normally alternated between the two sports mentioned previously, but this time, you wanted to do something different.

"Can we draw chalk on the driveway?" you ask. "I got some for my birthday a few months ago and because it's going to rain tomorrow, my mom said that we can use it if we want."

At first, Jeff was a bit upset because he liked playing soccer or mini-sticks with you. He always tried to let you win, but it seemed like you also let him win because how is it possible that someone is so bad at soccer or mini-sticks? But his mind didn't settle on that disappointment. You wanted to play with chalk, so that's what you'd be doing. Nodding, Jeff says yes, so you run back into your house to grab the chalk. It must have been sitting right by the door because you were out within a few seconds.

"I call the blue stick first," you say, pulling out the blue stick of chalk. You place the box on the driveway and start to draw your picture. You've been waiting for months for your mom to let you draw on the driveway, and now that you're able to, you can't wait.

As you're drawing, Jeff picks the yellow stick and starts to draw a sword, like the ones that make constant appearances in the fairytale books you bring to school and show Jeff.

You and Jeff spent the next hour drawing on the driveway and don't notice that it's getting dark. Soon, your mother calls out saying that she was going to walk Jeff back home in five minutes, so you two had to finish up your drawings.

"Let's write our names next to each other before you have to go back home," you suggest, so you and Jeff write your names. After you're done, you put the chalk back in the box and walk with your mother and Jeff back to his house.

It didn't end up raining the next day. The chalk on the driveway stayed for another three days before the rain washed it away.

Two

"Isn't it pretty?" you ask Jeff, holding up a blue key chain.

"I guess," Jeff says, his voice laced with the typical pre-teen angst.

You got back from visiting some family in North Carolina for spring break. You got back earlier that day and were showing Jeff a few of the things you brought back.

"I got you this shirt," you say, holding up a red and white t-shirt. "I didn't know your size, so I figured a medium would be good, and if not, then you'll grow into it."

Blushing, Jeff takes the shirt from you and examines it. "Let me try it on." He proceeds to take off his shirt and put the one you got for him on. "I think it fits. Thank you so much!"

You smile. "I'm glad you like it."

Jeff still has that shirt sitting in his drawer.

Three

"Don't you think they're all kind of cheesy?" Jeff asks, taking a bite of a cookie. "Like, it's the same thing over and over again. Two people meet, fall in love, have some kind of miscommunication, and then realize they both love each other and kiss."

You roll your eyes as you wipe off the rest of your makeup. It was a few hours after your birthday celebration ended. For your sixteenth birthday, your parents threw a small get-together with some close family and friends. Really, though it was Jeff, his family, your parents, your grandparents, your cousins, your aunts and uncles, and maybe two other people from school. If it were just a small thing with your family and the Skinners, you wouldn't have minded that either.

"That's why I love them so much," you explain. "The whole purpose of a rom-com is to fill your heart with joy and love regardless of the ridiculousness of the situation."

"So you do think they're ridiculous," Jeff teases.

"A good ridiculous," you counter. "Whatever just pick one, or I will."

"I'm not picking a rom-com," Jeff whines.

"I think you should be grateful that you have a choice, and I'm not pulling the birthday card to get my choice."

"How about, as my second gift to you, I let you pick a movie to watch after I got home."

"I vote the Notebook," you say, getting up and putting the DVD in the machine. Jeff rolls his eyes.

"There's no such thing as soulmates or the perfect person for you," he adds, and at that, you roll your eyes.

Fifty-year-old Jeff wishes he could smack sixteen-year-old Jeff for that comment, especially saying that comment to his future spouse.

One

"Is it just me or did this block get smaller?" you question as you pull up to your childhood home's driveway. It was the All-Star break, and you and Jeff made the trip back home to visit your families. The one good thing about you and Jeff growing up across the street from each other was that there was no argument about where to spend long weekends and holidays because it was the same place.

"I mean, we are in our thirties now," Jeff points out, and you pretend to gag. He laughs at you as he turns off the car and makes his way out. "Don't forget to hide your left hand. Let's see how long it takes for them to realize the ring."

Glancing down at your hand, you smirk at the little plan the two of you have. Jeff proposed two months ago, but neither of you has told anyone about the engagement. You were waiting to see your families in person, but when neither was able to make it to Buffalo, you decided just to wait a bit longer. Now, you and Jeff are playing a game of how obvious but also inconspicuous you could be with your engagement ring.

"Who's mother do you think will faint?" you ask, a laugh on the cusp of your throat.

"Oh, mine most definitely," Jeff says. "She's been hounding to get married to you for the past twelve years."

"Well, I guess she's finally getting her wish."

If someone told six-year-old you that you'd be marrying your childhood best friend, you'd laugh in their face, but now, you have something else to add to your history with Jeff.

Claudia's Debut Season of Heartfirst Writing (requests are open!)

[honeyeyesworld]

Snow day|| Jack Quinn

(None of the pictures are mine!!! Credits to the original owners 🫶)

Yourusername

Liked by: kennedyclairewalsh, tommer97 and more

Yourusername: And the snow day begins ❄️

(Ofc featuring my boyfriends boyfriends 🙄)

Tagged: jackquinn19

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dlevi_33: Still can’t believe you pushed Owen 🤣

↪️ Yourusername: he deserved it 🤝

User1: the snowmen 😂

jackquinn19: I love you snow much 💙☃️

↪️ owenpower_: 🤢

User4: the last slide Jack carried her 😭

↪️ user3: right 😭

User5: I just want to know what’s going on in the third slide 😭😭

jackquinn19: want to come over and make more snow angels…in bed 😏

↪️Yourusername: JACK (I’m on my way) 🫣

↪️ owenpower_: MY EYES

↪️: jj.peterka: 🤢🤢🤢

alextuch89: had a great time babysitting you guys!

dylan.cozens: let’s do it again next week 🤝

↪️ Yourusername: I hope the snow reminded you of home 🎅🎄🦌

↪️ dylan.cozens: I am NOT from the North Pole 😐

jackquinn19

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jackquinn19: when life gives you snow make snow angels 😏

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jj.peterka: I can’t look at you the same 🤢

User9: this is so cute 😭

Yourusername: Are you a snowball?? Because I bet you’ll melt in my hands…or mouth 🤭

↪️ dylan.cozens: please stop 🛑

↪️ jackquinn19: 😏😏

User10: ❤️

buffalosabers: ❄️☃️

[fearfam69691]

First of me and Jeff skinner have the same taste in classic music! This is amazing!

[sergeifyodorov]

jeff skinner jack eichel toxic yaoi question mark ?

question mark indeed... because like in truth i know they were sabres teammates together. i can go on hockeyreference and see that jeff signed with the sabres in the summer of 2019 and that jeichel was traded to the golden knights in november of 2021 which means that they spent two full years as teammates (19-20, 20-21). and yet i genuinely could not imagine them in the same room.

[laurenairay]

gotta trust how you feel inside - J. Skinner

Summary: Jeff Skinner had never met anyone like Cameron Marlow before. Turns out, he had a lot to learn.

A story of accepting someone for who they are, as well as accepting yourself.

This is my entry for @wyattjohnston​’s summer fic exchange 2k23, for @nhl-stories​! I decided to do something a little different than I’ve ever done before, based off of your prompts and answers to my questions, so I really hope you like this. I researched so many articles and blog posts and videos on coming out and acceptance and all the different ways people have felt and reacted in their own journeys, so I really hope I did Cam’s story justice. Also heavily inspired by Mae Martin and their wonderful self!

Warnings: angst, slow burn, friends to lovers, fear of coming out as non-binary, change of pronouns part-way through.

Words: 4.8k

Title from Green Eyes by Arlo Parks.

Thank you to @tippedbykreider​ for being a wonderful beta reader!

Some of these folks wanna make you cry, But you gotta trust how you feel inside, And shine, and shi-ine, yeah, yeah, yeah.

~

“Jeff! Pizza or tacos?”

“Tacos please!”

“On it!”

Jeff smiled to himself as his neighbour Cameron disappeared from her balcony, back into the apartment below his. Their Friday night tradition of take-out and movies – whenever he was in town, that was – was something he treasured. Most of his teammates over 30 years old had a wife and kids at home for their Friday nights, but not Jeff. Maybe it was something that bothered him a lot when he was younger, not having someone to come back home to like everyone else seemed to, but since he’d been traded to Buffalo, it was something he was learning to let go of. There were plenty of other things in his life, plenty of other people, to fill what society deemed him missing, and he appreciated all of them. Loved all of them.

Cameron Marlow included.

She had been a breath of fresh air when he’d first moved into their shared apartment building back in summer 2018. Single, like he was, and only a year younger, so at least he didn’t feel completely out of place. And she was an introvert much like he was slowly growing into, meaning he didn’t have to put on a fake extroverted energy all the time, didn’t have to be ‘on’ 100%. The two of them bonded over just wanting someone to hang out with sometimes, someone who wouldn’t judge a depleted social battery. He knew that her work was intense, that she was damn good at her job too, and that the hyper-focus she had to have on all the time during her workdays left her pretty drained by the time she got home, much like hockey sometimes left him socially inept, so he appreciated having her as a friend he could just be himself with.

It didn’t hurt that she was blonde, blue-eyed, and completely & utterly beautiful. But that wasn’t something he wanted to think about right now. Cameron was so out of his league it wasn’t funny. Her intense corporate work aside, she was so interesting as a person that he barely felt like he could keep up. She was part of a book club, reading fiction about all kinds of different topics that he barely understood, leaving him feeling like more of a dumbass every time he attempted to follow along. She always volunteered during Pride month at the parade, making sure teenagers felt safe and secure and hopeful. She introduced him to plays and movies and poetry readings that he never would’ve thought of going to. He tried to keep up with her, loving the time they spent together too much not to, and it always seemed like she appreciated it anyway.

At least her dating life was as much of a disaster as his was. That was always something he could console himself with. Her type seemed to be tall blonde beefcakes, typical douchey gym bros, and every time a series of dates ended with the two of them eating ice-cream on one of their sofas, Jeff felt their friendship bond grow just that little bit more. He knew that his friendship with her was one of the best and closest and most genuine friendships he’d ever had, and over the past five years he’d grown to cherish it over anything else.

Cameron Marlow was in his life to stay, and there was nothing he ever wanted to change about that.

“Alright, tacos should be here in 30 minutes. Do you have beer?”

“Of course, I’m not a heathen,” Jeff scoffed.

Cameron just laughed, blonde waves swinging over her shoulder as she shut his apartment door behind her. She was dressed similar to him, tank top and sweatpants with fluffy socks, and she wasted no time in pulling her hair back in a messy bun after passing him a beer and sitting down next to him on his oversized sofa.

By the time their tacos arrived – Jeff went down to the lobby to pick them up, of course – Cameron had all but sunk into the sofa, all tension disappearing from her body. It was a good look for her, to be honest, peaceful and relaxed and content. And the fact that it was in his apartment that she was able to feel this way? Well, that meant everything to him.

However, by the time they’d finished eating, Cameron had flicked through her phone a few times, and a frown had grown on her face, her body a line of stiff tension again. He didn’t think it was because of him – he knew he hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary to her – but it still concerned him all the same.

“You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind,” Jeff said, “Want to talk about it?”

“I don’t know if you’d want to hear it?”

Jeff found himself frowning as he shook his head. Why would he not want to hear what she had to say?

“I always want to hear what you have to say? Why would I not?”

Cameron seemed to hesitate for a moment, eyes filled with something that he couldn’t read. Despite their five years of friendship, there was still so much he didn’t know about her, he knew that much. But why would she think he wouldn’t want to know what was bothering her?

“It’s just…okay, so you know I’m part of a book club, right?” Cameron blurted.

“Yes.”

He didn’t have a clue where this was going, but he was just going to roll with it. The book club met every other Sunday, he knew that much.

“Well we’re reading I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver, and naturally the conversation turned political,” Cameron started.

“As it would, sure,” Jeff nodded.

He didn’t know if it would be rude to pull out his phone to google what the book was about while she was talking, so he just decided to wait to see if she would explain.

“And like, a few of the group can relate to the main character Ben’s struggle, right? Coming out as non-binary to his parents only to be immediately kicked out of the house, so the topic was pretty personal for some of my friends…”

So that was what the book was about. Huh. He could only imagine how difficult that kind of situation would be. And Cameron said it had also happened to some of her friends? Damn.

“…and with the political climate right now, things just got so heated. As it would.”

“As it would,” Jeff agreed.

Well, not that he actually knew much about the political climate around gender. It was gender she was talking about, right?

“Gender is always an emotionally difficult topic,” he said, hedging his bet.

“Exactly!” she nodded.

Oh good, he’d gotten it right.

“The discussion is still bothering you though?” he prompted, eyes flicking to the phone she’d put down on the coffee table.

“Well, yeah, because New York still has so far to go in terms of making things equal for non-binary people. Like, shit, it took until late 2021 for driving licenses to get non-binary options on, and even now official government departments might not have options for all forms until 2024!”

“That seems unfairly restrictive?” Jeff said, frowning.

“It is! And of course, it’s started so many debates and discussions from hate groups and just generally horrible people about whether any of it should even be allowed. Like, what the fuck? All these absolute fuck-up debates about non-binary recognition, how non-binary people are basically invisible, it makes me so mad! How is it okay that a tiny group of people decide that I don’t exist?”

As she wound herself up angrier and angrier, Jeff froze slightly at Cameron’s words. That I don’t exist.

I.

Not they.

Cameron was talking about herself.

No, if Cameron was talking about herself then that would mean she was non-binary…

Whatever was showing on his face made Cameron stop in confusion, before absolute horror flooded her expression.

“I mean, I, heh-”

Cameron cut herself off with a whimper, eyes desperately darting around like she was looking around for an exit from his apartment, and in that moment, Jeff’s heart broke a little. Cameron was trying to get away from him, because she was scared of his reaction. Scared of him. That was the last thing he ever wanted.

Jeff swallowed heavily, before smiling lightly. “I can’t imagine you ever being invisible. No-one should ever make you feel that way.”

The tears that filled Cameron’s eyes caused Jeff to panic slightly. Had he said the wrong thing? Had he ruined their friendship? Had he ruined…everything else?

“Fuck. Fuck, that wasn’t how I ever wanted it to come out,” Cameron murmured, “You don’t hate me?”

The last few whispered words broke his heart all over again. Jeff quickly shook his head as he put his beer down, taking Cameron’s hands in his.

“I could never hate you. I may not understand much about what you’re going through. Like, as a non-binary person. But I could never hate you, okay? You’re still Cameron to me,” Jeff said firmly.

Because it was true.

He might not know much about what it meant to be non-binary, or understand Cameron’s struggles, but the fact that she was scared he would hate her said all that he needed to know. Cameron was still his friend, still the same person he’d always known – he just knew a little more now, that was all, right?

Cameron bit her bottom lip for a moment, seeming to hesitate about something, so Jeff just squeezed her hands reassuringly.

“Actually, I prefer just Cam,” Cameron said.

“Okay. Okay, Cam it is,” Jeff nodded.

“And they/them pronouns,” Cameron added.

Cam.

They/Them.

Cam. They/Them.

He could absolutely do that.

“Cam. They/Them. Got it,” Jeff said firmly, still smiling.

Cam seemed to hesitate for a moment again, looking confused now.

“Just like that? You have no questions or reluctance or anything?” Cam asked, frowning.

“Well, no? Not really? I mean, you know yourself better than I do, right? So if you tell me that you won’t be using she/her any more then that’s not my choice? It’s you and how you are in yourself. It’s only right that I follow what you need,” Jeff said, frowning in response, “Is that not okay? I know I’ve probably been getting things wrong for years now, but I’ll do better?”

Cam laughed softly in disbelief, shaking their head.

“Of course it’s okay. And it’s only been a couple of years really but that’s because I purposely didn’t tell you. Haven’t really told many people, if I’m being honest. I just…I wasn’t expecting you to just accept it straight away? Like, you’re a hockey player right, and…”

“And hockey players have a reputation of being homophobic assholes? There’s a few prominent names popping out lately, yeah. But that’s not me. My older sisters played hockey on women’s teams while we were growing up and there were a few lesbians out and proud with their friends, so it’s not like I haven’t been around the LGBTQ+ community? And I know that non-binary is your gender, not anything with your sexuality, but what I mean is that I’m not that kind of asshole?” Jeff explained, “I might be a dumbass hockey player most the time but I’m not that full stereotype.”

“No, you’re right. I shouldn’t have painted you with that brush. I’m sorry,” Cam said, wincing.

“It’s okay. No, really it is. I get that you have to expect the worst from people and I hate that you have to, but you don’t have to with me, okay? I’ve got a lot to learn, I know that. So much. But you don’t have to be scared or nervous around me. I promise,” Jeff said, smiling.

Cam smiled shakily, nodding their head, finally losing a bit of tension in their shoulders.

“Thank you. I just…thank you,”

“I accept you for who you are, Cam Marlow. Exactly how you are,” Jeff said firmly.

Cam choked out a sob, hand flying up to cover their mouth, and it was all Jeff could do to let go of their hands and open his arms wide. Cam wasted no time in flinging themselves forward into his body, letting Jeff hug them as they cried into the crook of his neck. Jeff felt tears sting at his own eyes, but he just held them tight, rubbing their back to reassure them.

Everything would change from here, he knew that. But he wasn’t going anywhere.

*

Skinner Siblings

Jeff: A friend of mine recently came out to me as non-binary. Obviously I support them and I'm so proud of them but I haven't got a clue where to start to understand it all better? I just want to be a good friend.

Andrea: Firstly, congrats to your friend. I won't ask who because that's none of my business. Secondly, do you want some resources?

Jeff: Yeah I won't say their name because they haven't said I could. But yes please to resources!

Erica: Good start on using their correct pronouns Jeffy.

Jeff: I'm trying. It's literally the least I can do.

Erica: More than a lot of people would! Just as a tip, more than anything else, follow whatever your friend says is right for them. And if you mess up, correct yourself and move on. You are a good friend, even just by wanting to learn.

Jillian: Love you Jeffy. Proud of you!

Andrea: I’m proud of you too. I found a bunch of resources for definitions and reading material and even blog posts. Let me email you.

*

“Sex is what you’re assigned at birth, based on bodily characteristics. Gender can be completely separate from the sex you’ve been assigned at birth. That’s the best thing about gender: it’s free, flexible and completely yours to decide.”

“A recent Stonewall study found that 31% of nonbinary people have experienced hate crime as a result of their gender identity.”

“60% of Americans have at least heard about gender-neutral pronouns, many people may still be kind of unsure of what to say or do. According to the survey results, 52% of Americans report that they would be somewhat or very comfortable using gender-neutral pronouns with someone they know. But 47% said that they would be somewhat or very uncomfortable doing so.”

“A common misconception is that all non-binary identities sit somewhere in the middle of male and female, and that if you’re non-binary you’ll fit neatly into a box labelled ‘androgynous’. But this really isn’t the case – and one of the most liberating things about being non-binary is that there are no set rules around how you express or experience your gender.”

Jeff’s head spun as he read through all the resources that his sister Andrea sent over to him. There was so much new information to digest, and yet still not enough somehow. Sure, GLAAD was a great place to start for definitions, but he knew there was still so much further for him to go.

Baby steps though, right?

If Cam could take things step by step, so could he.

One of the first things that Jeff did was to add his pronouns to his twitter and Instagram bios. A simple he/him. It wasn’t much, but it was a start – and at least hopefully, if anyone asked him (not that he expected they would), then he could start a positive conversation about pronouns and representation. It was, quite literally, the least he could do. It was also likely that Cam would never notice either, but if they did then he wanted them to know that this was another way he could support them – it was important that everyone and anyone could use the pronouns they knew were correct for themselves, he knew that now. So if he could show people that with his level of publicity then he absolutely would.

He had to use his privilege for something good, right?

In the weeks following Cam’s accidental non-binary announcement, aside from his own research journey, it seemed like a new side of Cam’s life opened that he’d never been privy to before. Sure, he’d liked and treasured the time that the two of them spent alone over the past five years, but now it seemed like they were comfortable enough to let him into a whole new level. He wasn’t entitled to it in the slightest, he knew that, so he made that they knew exactly how much he appreciated these new steps they were taking.

Cam also opened up more to him about their discovery journey. About how they had felt just ever-so-slightly wrong in their body for so long, not understanding why until they stumbled across an LGBTQ+ poetry slam one night not long after he had moved into their apartment building, not knowing what to do about how they felt until a few years ago. Cam had insisted that they hadn’t kept things separate from him maliciously – it was more of a case that they had still been figuring it out for themselves while they were getting to know him too, and part of their process had been compartmentalising. He wasn’t mad. He literally had no right to be, but he genuinely wasn’t mad. The fact that they finally felt comfortable enough with him and within themselves to take down those barriers? That was all that he cared about.

They had even introduced him openly to a few of their friends. Jeff hadn’t understood the side-eyes and the smirks or even the money exchanged between a couple of the group, but he finally in on the jokes about Cam being a social disaster, finally able to have them smiling at him like he was in on the secret. He was part of a whole new world – one that confused him heavily sometimes, but one that he appreciated being able to be within – and he loved that his friendship with Cam had only grown from strength to strength with each new thing he learned about them.

None of that changed how their smile still gave him butterflies.

*

“You cut your hair.”

That was the first thing that came out of his mouth when Cam opened the front door of their apartment. It had been only a little over a month since their unintentional coming out, but it seemed like each day Cam was a little more settled in their skin, and it made Jeff feel so happy that he got to be part of that. Their hair though – that was a big change.

“I…did. Is it bad?” Cam asked, a little nervous.

Cam’s hair had previously been down to their waist, naturally tousled and dirty blonde. But now…now it was short. Super short. A pixie cut, maybe? At least that’s what he remembered from one of his sister’s magazines. A white-blonde pixie cut. Huh.

“Not bad. Like, at all. It really suits you,” Jeff said firmly, as he walked past them into their apartment.

“You’re not just saying that?” Cam asked hopefully.

“I’m a really bad liar, you know that,” Jeff shrugged, smiling a little sheepishly as Cam laughed, “And I wouldn’t lie to you about this. It’s different, sure. But it feels like you.”

Cam exhaled shakily, shoulders losing a little tension as they nodded. “That’s what I thought. That it feels like me, more than anything else ever has.”

Jeff hesitated slightly as some of the reading he’d done came back to him, before he took a deep breath to steel himself.

“Was this a gender dysphoria thing? Is there still anything else you want to do to feel more comfortable in your body?” he asked.

Cam’s eyes widened slightly before they smiled fondly at him. “You really have done your reading, haven’t you?”

“I just…wanted to be a good friend,” Jeff said, feeling a little awkward.

Was he not meant to have tried to learn more? Did Cam not want that?

“Oh Jeff, you are one of the best friends a person could ever ask for,” Cam said, shaking their head as they smiled, letting Jeff breathe a little sigh of relief.

“You deserve it,” Jeff shrugged.

Interestingly, Cam blushed a little, before they laughed softly, moving to pull some coffee mugs out of the kitchen cupboard.

“Right, to answer your questions. The hair was kind of a gender dysphoria thing? My long hair just felt so feminine, and that obviously isn’t me anymore. Or maybe was never me? I don’t know, I’m still figuring out how I feel about it. In terms of anything else…I’m not trans. I don’t want to transition from female to male, because I genuinely don’t feel like either of them. That isn’t my journey. I’ve been dressing pretty androgynously for a few years so that covers most of what I feel like I need? And it’s not like my boobs are particularly big anyway so I can just wear a tighter tank top if I have days where they are a trigger,” Cam explained.

Jeff’s eyes dropped to their chest before he could even stop himself, and he felt his cheeks flare in horror at his reaction as he quickly looked back up to their face. What was wrong with him? Why would he…bleurgh.

Cam politely ignored his reaction, their mouth quirking in a slight smile.

“Periods might be an issue I’ll have to face at some point, but that’s something I’ll deal with as I get to it,” they shrugged.

He’d heard all the horrors of periods over the years from his sisters, so while he wasn’t quite desensitised, he didn’t grimace.

“There’s birth control you can go on to stop them for a few years though, right? Like, the implant or the coil?” Jeff said, tilting his head, “That’s always an option.”

Cam’s eyes widened slightly again, before they shook their head. “You are a gem, Jeff Skinner. Don’t let anyone ever tell you differently.”

Jeff found his cheeks heating up again, but he just smiled, shrugging. It’s not like he was looking for a gold star for being a half-decent human being after all.

Cam finally finished making their coffees, sliding Jeff’s over the counter to him while they sat down on the stool opposite.

“Oh, here, I got you something,” Jeff said, reaching into his bag, “It’s a little lame now that I think about it, but I already bought it so here we go.”

“This is…a cupcake?”

“A coming out cupcake. In your colours,” Jeff nodded, smiling.

White, yellow, purple and black swirled icing on a vanilla cupcake, the colours of the non-binary flag, from a tiny LGBTQ+ friendly bakery that he’d found in the city. The day he’d ordered it, he remembered the tiny smile that cracked on the terrifying butch woman’s face behind the counter, probably because he’d been rambling about wanting to celebrate and support Cam. He’d tried to find a date in the last month that felt right, but with Cam still settling into themselves publicly combined with his travelling schedule, it had taken longer than he wanted. But when he’d picked it up this morning he felt good about it. It might only be a silly little thing, but Cam loved cupcakes, right? So it felt good just to show Cam a little appreciation.

“This might be the sweetest thing ever. My god, Jeff. Why?”

“You deserve something nice? To mark this new chapter? The world is full of terrifying things that happen to people when they come out as non-binary. I’ve read some really awful blog posts about people whose lives were turned upside down just for being brave enough to be themselves. And I know you’re going to have to keep coming out over and over and over again even in just the tiniest of ways, so this is just me saying that I see you and I appreciate you.”

“Damn it Jeff, you’re going to make me cry again,” Cam

“Sorry?” he offered.

Cam just laughed, shaking their head as tears sprung to their eyes.

“I just hope that coming out to my parents will be as smooth as coming out to you was,” Cam said softly.

“You aren’t out to your parents?”

“No,” Cam murmured, shaking their head, “I’m so nervous.”

“Hey, no, don’t be, okay? Your parents love you,” Jeff said, frowning.

“You know just as well as I do how badly parents can react. It’s such an unknown reaction. And it’s not like they would’ve had any kind of idea that this is how I felt about myself over the past few years, right? No build up or lead in that they would have to prepare themselves,” Cam sighed.

They were right. Jeff had read the blog posts, the articles, the statistics. He hated that Cam had to go through this, but it wasn’t his place to pretend that everything was going to be a-okay.

“All you can do is be honest with them. That’s literally it,” Jeff said softly.

“I’m 30 years old, I shouldn’t be this scared to tell my parents who I really am,” they said, laughing a little dryly.

“It’s a natural reaction, Cam. From what I understand anyway. You love them – they’re your parents. You don’t want to lose them, it makes sense. But you also wouldn’t be doing yourself justice in not living your truth,” Jeff said, smiling sadly, “I’m here for you, no matter what happens, okay?”

They nodded, sniffing slightly. “I don’t deserve you.”

“You deserve everything and more. Never let anyone tell you differently,” Jeff said fiercely.

Cam choked out a laugh, blinking away their tears as they nodded again.

“Alright, if Jeff Skinner says it, then it must be true,” they said, wry smile on their face.

Jeff just grinned, making them laugh properly this time. He couldn’t bear the thought of them feeling like they didn’t deserve the whole world. Even if it wasn’t him that was able to give it to them, he still wanted them to be happy. That was all that mattered, right?

Then Cam’s smile slid into something a little more serious. A little more earnest. Jeff finished his coffee, sliding the cup to the side as he waited for them to collect their thoughts, knowing they would speak when they were ready.

“You make me want to be brave,” Cam said softly.

Well that was the last thing he expected. Those sweet simple words made his whole chest warm with happiness. He made them want to be brave? They were already so brave all on their own.

“Me?” Jeff asked, surprised.

But Cam just nodded, glancing over at him with their big blue eyes as they bit their bottom lip, and the look in their eyes made his heart start beating a little faster. Oh. Oh. Him?

“Me? Really?” he asked, a little breathless.

“Yeah, Jeff. Who else?” Cam said, cheeks flushing lightly.

Jeff inhaled sharply, reaching his hand across the kitchen counter to rest on theirs, his heart pounding so hard in his chest that he felt like it would fly out. Was this what his sisters meant when they’d described how it felt when they fell in love? Was he finally getting his chance to love someone too? When Cam clutched his hand back, smiling back at him so sweetly and shyly, he knew he had his answer. This was Cam – his heart had fallen for them a long time ago.

“You make me want to be brave too.”

He knew that this wasn’t going to be easy. He knew that the two of them would face so many questions, so much scrutiny, and most likely so much hatred. But what Jeff knew most of all was that he wanted to try. Cam was worth that. Cam was worth everything.

*

“Hey Cap, do you mind if I bring my partner Cam to the end of season barbecue?”

“Cameron? Your neighbour? Of course bud, glad the two of you finally got your shit together. How is she?”

“They.”

“What?”

“They. Not she. And it’s Cam, not Cameron.”

“Huh. Okay, good to know. Do you want me to say anything to the guys?”

“No, I’m just going to introduce them as they are. If anyone is shitty, I’ll deal with it.”

“Alright bud, but let me know if you want any help. You’re not alone, okay? Either of you. I look forward to meeting Cam. And Jeff? I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks. And, uh, thanks.”

“Any time.”

Baby steps.

[imperatorrrrr]

girl , can i ask WHY you chose your players for that dream blunt rotation ? 😭

in case anyone is confused, this ask is in reference to this one where I picked a hockey from each division for my dream blunt rotation: Geno, Skinner, Georgie, and Ekky.

Okay here's my reasoning...

Evgeni Malkin - He's just so unserious at all times. Like he's class clown through and through. He's so funny. I think he'd be making me laugh nonstop. Like we'd be two bitches in a corner saying "exaaaaaaaactly" at each other. I bet Geno loves to gossip. And I love to gossip, so lets go.

Jeff Skinner - I respect a person who commits to the bit. And he committed to "Between 2 Stalls" so wholeheartedly and I need to commend that, so thats literally the only reason he's there. Plus, like he, on main, said yeah I listen to High School Musical and watch Emily in Paris. Like, he's just himself! I bet he'd be a great time.

Alexandar Georgiev - That man is a scholar. I bet he gets real deep when he gets high. Also, he deserves a god damn break. He's been carrying the goaltending load for the Avs all season long. And he's coming up big again in the 'yoffs. Plus, he gets so much fucking hate from all these dudebros about his underlying numbers and stats and stuff. Also, I want to reward him for punching TDA in the face. So like. He deserves to chill, so smoke up with me, boy-o!

William Eklund - Just seems like a smiley good natured guy ya know? Like always up for a good time. Need those vibes. Cultivating a good presence around me so I have a good high.

Also, I get super sleepy when I get high, so if I knock out, I know these four can keep themselves entertained in their respective corners.

But also, also, imagine the hilarity of seeing Jeff Skinner and Evgeni Malkin interact with each other while William Eklund eats some popcorn and Alexandar Georgiev is like in a corner just reading a book.

[croszukis]

talk hockey to me, tagged by @39oa ty!

1. The thing that got you hooked on hockey

in a really convoluted way that is a story for a different time i started listening to a sort of fandom leaning hockey podcast. i googled jeff skinner's name and went "oh", then saw gifs of burky and my himbo of the moment was selected.

i had to move back home (a place that's as not-hockey market in the us as you can think of..) for family reasons and my younger sister and i were spending a lot of time at home. i basically bullied her into watching nhl weird videos with me on tv and then we started watching games together. we followed the avs for the 19-20 season heavily!

covid season + other reasons made me stop paying attention for a while, but now i'm back. i'm very bad at being loyal (sorry) to any specific team and have my players i collect instead & am currently paying attention to my failsons (pens, habs and sabres)

2. Your first ever fandom friend

i was mostly on twitter for my hockey fandom activities, so shout out to my crop of friends from very far away on my phone from there! but i guess it was my sister, actually~

3. The jersey you would most like to own

a stars blackout jersey (aka the reason my layout is robo at all lol) i saw that hideous neon green and said "that's for me". OH and if i had exorberant amounts of money, a lunar new years speciality jersey. otherwise, i am not a jersey/merch purchaser no.

4. YOUR player (you only get ONE so choose wisely)

at the moment? i'll say johnathan kovacevic lol

otherwise, sidcrosby isn't mine he's OURS

5. A pairing that deserves more fic

hmmm i'm either a rarepair (making these pairs up with one offhand mention and the power of imagination) or a certain powerhouse ship person, but i'll say the sabres and stars deserve more transformative fandom attention!

6. Your favourite on-ice moment

oh gosh i have a really bad memory when it comes to things like this (ask me to recall hockey off ice drama from three years ago tho? i got you) the first thing that came to mind was logan couture's girls just wanna have fun goal song reveal though. i love it.

THEN

link someone else's art/fic/etc that you love & think everyone should check out

oh gosh, there's so many fics i've read again again that i'm sure are fandom favorites that i really admire & i'm just a shy newbie

AND

link something you made & are proud of & want people to see

I have a project in the editing stage I'm hopefully going to share soon which will be my humble foray into the sidgeno fandom, but I like this sid/nick suzuki one shot that started my thinking about them and I'm enjoying writing/figuring out their dynamic more!

[annieqattheperipheral]

Player that made me fall in love with hockey?

Paul Kariya as a kid (mighty ducks 4eva✨)

then returned to it as an adult to investigate how much larger Sidney Crosby's beautiful huge ass had inflated (findings: astronomically)

Favourite player?

Nathan MacKinnon (fuck/marry/kill?? honey that'd be my entire life story with him (affectionate) no but fr tho I'm endeared and appreciate this weirdo so hard)

Comfort player?

William Nylander (imagining his thighs and breakaways inspires me at the gym🤷‍♀️)

Cale Makar (my youtube watches are so much of analyzing his play and edgework ...and imagining his costco shopping lists & how he stores surplus deodorant and body wash and trail mix in his condo)

Jeff Skinner (former figure skater and writer, producer, actor of between 2 stalls. need i say more)

Player I go nuts over?

Leon hot bitch Draisaitl

Player I miss the most?

Cole Caufield, damn fun to watch, been sad w him out since shoulder surgery over asg weekend

Player I will always root for?

kadri, mitchy, bunts, gio, jt, knies, lehky, landy, ej, frankie, jimothy timothy compher, owen power, brady and his clown car of senators, davo, hyman, stuart skinner, quinny, burky, tanev, grubi, robo, otter, seggy, tbear, ror, parayko, suzuki, guhle, xhekaj, zadorov, hellebuyck, morrissey, marchy--the good one--essault, skjei, antti raanta (say his full name), larkin, bergeron, wilson, kuemper...

Management/Coaches: spezzy, dubas, bedsy, sully, marty, keefer, mark fraser, sakic, yzerman

and oh yea this pesky lil rat I'm currently rooting against lmao. Matthew Tkachuk u love it, I've rooted for you enough times u can handle it bb

survey found here thx @kaleforcale888 💕

All the q's for you to copy, if u so wish to partake:

Player that made me fall in love with hockey? Favourite player? Comfort player? Player I go nuts over? Player I miss the most? Player I will always root for?

[honeyeyesworld]

Let’s do that hockey|| Jack Quinn

(None of the pictures are mine, I found them on Pinterest credits to the original owners)

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Yourusername

Liked by jeffskinner, buffalosabers, and others

Yourusername: ✨I am a photographer and I took these pictures ✨

Good luck tonight boys!! Score goals and stuff. As they say in hockey, let’s do that hockey 🤪

Also should I be worried about Owen taking my boyfriend 🤨

Load to view comments

User1: LMAO NOT THE PICTURE OF OWEN AND PEYTON 💀

jeffskinner: Thank you for capturing all of my good sides 🤝

User2: The best photographer in the nhl 🤩

peytonkrebs: Y/N??

Yourusername: Peyton??

peytonkrebs: what did I do to deserve that picture 😭

User3: idk if I want to be Owen or Jack 😏

jackquinn19: I would never leave you for Owen baby

owenpower_: that’s not you said last night 😏

jackquinn19: shhh 🤫

Yourusername: ???

User5: thank you for blessing us with these pictures 😫

Yourusername

Liked by jackquinn19, dylan.cozens, and more

Yourusername: MY BOYFRIEND SCORED!! 🥳🥳

Good job on the win boys 👏👏 beyond proud of how you guys played today, and congrats to the love of my life for scoring a goal 🥰🥰

Load to view comments

jackquinn19: All thanks to you angel I love you so much ❤️

User7: y’all I was at the game tonight and Jack pointed at her after he scored it was so cute 😭

owenpower_: OUR boyfriend scored thank you very much

jackquinn19: all for you Owen 😘

Yourusername: 🤨🤨🤨

buffalosabers: Thanks to our good luck charm 😉

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( @lvkehvghes )

[linskywords]

Taylor Swift Meets Hockey RPF: Advent Calendar Day 17

The 9th ficciest Taylor Swift song of all time is…

Song: Untouchable Album: Fearless Year: 2008/2021 Lyrics: https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-untouchable-taylors-version-lyrics Ficciness Rank: #9

Ah, now we’re really in the pining. Is there anything pining-er than the title of this song? The person is right there, and you want them, but you CAN’T TOUCH THEM. Or maybe you can, but you don’t know that yet, and you can’t tell if they’re suffering too or if they’re just going along carelessly without any idea what’s happening, happy to have a good friend while you’re dying inside.

To prove the piningness of the song, I’m just going to paste an excerpt of the chorus:

“Untouchable, burning brighter than the sun And when you're close, I feel like coming undone In the middle of the night, when I'm in this dream It's like a million little stars spelling out your name You got to come on, come on, say that we'll be together Come on, come on, little taste of heaven”

(Honestly, this is most of the lyrics to the song. It’s pretty repetitive–but then, pining is too. No matter what you do and how you try to distract yourself, you keep running up against the same longing and the same impossibility.)

It will probably surprise no one to hear that we have a few more pining-themed songs coming up. This one ended up lower ranked than some of the others, in large part because it just doesn’t have as much content. It does, though, have one very fun extra element: “A million little stars spelling out your name” = soulmate ’verse??

Pairing I’d assign to this song: There’s a sense of distance and awe in this song that feels to  me like an age difference. So I’m giving this one to Jeff Skinner and Eric Staal in Jeff’s first year on the Hurricanes. Let’s throw in the soulmate element, too. Jeff joins the team and is totally star-struck by Eric. A few weeks into the season, a soulmate mark shows up on his ribs: a constellation of stars. He’s so excited, thinking this has to mean that Eric is his soulmate. Who else has he met recently who’s affected his life this strongly? But Eric is getting out of a long-term relationship, and Jeff is such a baby, only eighteen years old. Eric would feel like such a creeper hitting on him. So even though he has a matching mark and has his guilty suspicions about who it’s for, he keeps it covered in the locker room and denies it when Jeff asks him. Jeff is devastated: he was so sure it was Eric, but he must have been wrong. He knows he has to move on. But no matter what he tries, he can’t get Eric out of his head. Eric even starts popping up in his dreams, shirtless with a constellation of stars on his ribs. Jeff knows it’s his crush giving him an overactive imagination–Eric wouldn’t have lied to him about his mark, right?–but he can’t stop wanting.

Lyrics to title this story: Caught Up In You

Masterpost Playlist

<Prev | Next>

[hockeylvr59]

What Ifs, Part 4 || Jeff Skinner

Requested: [ ] yes [x] no

Authors Note: How about another year of Christmas in April (how has it been a year since I last updated this series???). More sexual tension and angst in this one. Set Dec. 15-18. This is basically set two years ago so we’re just ignoring any roster moves made since then rofl. 

Warnings: more sexual tension, alcohol consumption, high sticking. 

Word Count: 4,647

~~~~~~

Despite your best efforts to keep some distance, Jeff had been pressed against your back when you woke up Sunday morning. Worse yet, his body had clearly had a response to sleeping so close. Carefully, without waking him, you slipped out of bed and moved into the guest bathroom needing to splash some cool water on your cheeks to cool them. 

You were just friends. That’s what you repeated to yourself over and over again. Yes, he had kissed you but that was just a highly emotional response. Yes, he had admitted to wanting to fuck you, but he was a man and it wouldn’t be the first time a man had wanted to fuck you but not have any further involvement. You were just friends because he hadn’t given you any indication that this was anything more. 

That reminder stung because you couldn’t deny that the thought of more had crossed your mind. Jeff was...well he was sweet and funny. He listened to you and understood you better than anyone else ever had. He made you feel like the best version of yourself. And on top of all of those things he was incredibly generous and well...you couldn’t deny that you were insanely attracted to him and had been from the first time you met. 

Needing a few minutes of privacy, you stepped into the shower and just let the hot water pour over your body, trying vainly not to cry. This was supposed to be a good trip, this was going to be a good trip, you just needed to manage your expectations better. 

By the time you finished your shower, Jeff was gone, having rolled out of bed to go to practice. On the kitchen counter was another note from him with the time he expected to be home and some suggestions of touristy things for you to do today while he was out. 

Pulling on your coat and other warm winter gear after getting dressed, you snapped a picture of the note and headed downstairs, trying to figure out whether it would be easier to walk or drive. Walking was thrown out the window when you stepped outside and realized just how cold it was. Instead, you moved to climb into your car and drive to the sites. 

By early afternoon, you had stopped for a muffin at a quaint local patisserie, visited the Roosevelt Historic Site, and explored Buffalo’s Naval Park and Canalside. Finding another local restaurant to grab some lunch you headed back to Jeff’s apartment to wait for him to come home and figure out what dinner plans were going to be. 

Tired and cold from being so close to Lake Erie most of the morning and the lake effect winds, as soon as you made it back to Jeff’s place you curled up on the couch with some hot chocolate, the throw blanket, and switched the gas fireplace on. Yet no matter how hard you tried, it was hard to get warm. You must have still been visibly shivering when Jeff walked through the door because almost immediately he had sunk onto the couch beside you and lifted you onto his lap, wrapping his arms around you. 

“Where did you go that you’re so cold?” He murmured softly into your ear as his hands rubbed over your back and arms. Despite just coming in from outside himself, Jeff’s body radiated warmth onto your cold skin. 

“Canalside.” You whispered back quietly, teeth chattering a bit as you spoke. Sighing softly, Jeff just continued to hold you in his lap, trying his best to warm you up. 

“Weren’t supposed to freeze on me.” He teased softly when your body finally relaxed as warmth filled you. 

“Not my fault I’m not Canadian and it’s December in Buffalo.” You mumbled back causing Jeff’s laughter to vibrate through you. He nosed at your head but didn’t say anything more, instead just reaching for the remote for the tv as his arm continued to hold you close. 

It wasn’t long before you dozed off and when you awoke it was because Jeff was tracing patterns along your fingers as they rested against his chest. 

“Hey sleeping beauty.” He whispered softly when he realized that you were awake. “Time to start waking up to get ready for dinner.” 

Groaning softly, you shifted to stretch your curled up legs before attempting to stand, all the while rubbing at your eyes.

“How fancy is dinner?” You murmured not sure that you had brought anything super nice for going out. Jeff’s eyes were soft as he looked at you before clearing his throat to speak. 

“Casual. We’re just going to a steakhouse we frequent.” He assured you. Nodding you ran a hand through your hair which was mussed from sleeping on him before retreating to the bedroom to pick out clothes to wear.  Within the hour you were dressed with your hair tamed and makeup done. 

“Wow.” Jeff commented when you came out to slide shoes on, ready to go. Shooting him a smile, you commented that he cleaned up nice too. 

“So who all is coming?” You questioned softly needing to mentally prepare for meeting Jeff’s teammates. 

“Jack of course, Shears and his wife Jordan, Sam, and Linus too I think.” Jeff answered. That wasn’t too big of a group and at least you wouldn’t be the only woman there so that took an element of awkwardness out of it. Still, at the same time, you couldn’t help but be nervous and your expression must have shown it because Jeff stepped close to you tipping your head up to look at him while brushing his thumb across your cheek. 

“They’re going to love you.” He assured you softly. “There’s no need to be nervous. It’s just dinner.” He continued, sliding his hand back down to your waist to pull you into a hug. He didn’t pull back until your body relaxed and only then did he ask if you were ready to head out. 

Ultimately, dinner hadn’t gone nearly as badly as you had worried it would. Though it did leave you feeling like you were missing something. Of course, there were the inside jokes which you expected to be out of the loop on, but more than once one of the guys looked at Jeff a certain way or something they said made his cheeks pinken when there was no real reason for it and you couldn’t figure out why it all made your stomach feel unsteady. 

Jordan was a doll, her and Conor chatting with you about the penguins since her Uncle was their head coach and Conor had previously played for the Pens. She insisted that you meet up with her before the game tomorrow and that she would introduce you to all the other significant others and you could tell that she genuinely didn’t mind making that offer. Given that it was an unfamiliar arena and everything else, that invitation was welcomed and you exchanged numbers to solidify plans tomorrow. You knew that Jeff had gotten you a ticket in the family section and while you weren’t quite sure you fit in there, you were grateful that you would have someone there to guide you through the routine of a Sabres game. 

By the time you piled back into Jeff’s car, you were exhausted from the social interaction and nerves of meeting new people. 

“Told you they’d love you.” Jeff commented as he settled into the driver’s seat. “Did you have fun?” Replying that it had been nice, you leaned against the window looking out at the city lights. 

“Hey...are you okay?” Jeff questioned as he finally pulled into his parking garage, his eyebrows furrowed. 

“Just tired.” You assured him, sending him the best reassuring smile you could muster. “The wine didn’t help.” You teased, because it had been really really good wine Jeff had ordered for you to have with dinner. You felt his eyes on you for a moment before he nodded and shut the car off moving around to help you out before you could even reach for the door handle yourself. 

Things were quiet as you made your way inside and moved to change out of dinner clothes into something more comfortable. Your stomach still swirled but it seemed like Jeff was completely unaware of the tension you felt in the air. Though it was still early, you hugged him goodnight and moved to crawl into bed hoping that if you fell asleep before he joined you, you could keep some distance tonight. 

*****

When you woke up the following morning, Jeff was already gone having left for morning skate before his game that evening. Rolling over in bed, you laid there for a few minutes, the scent of Jeff wafting from his pillow as you pulled it close. 

Chastising yourself as you woke up further, you climbed out of bed and moved to throw on some comfy clothes before settling onto Jeff’s couch to pick out a show to binge for the day. 

That was where Jeff found you when he came home to eat and take his pregame nap. 

“Hey. What’cha watching?” He questioned appearing behind you and ruffling your hair. Shooting back an answer you turned to look at him only to have a gift bag enter your vision instead. 

The bag was dropped into your lap and you just stared at it for a minute before looking back at Jeff. 

“What’s this?” You questioned softly, confusion lacing your voice. 

“Just open it.” Jeff insisted, dimples appearing on his cheeks as he smiled brightly. 

Lifting the tissue paper aside revealed white fabric detailed with blue and shimmers of gold. As you lifted it out you realized that it was one of the sabres 50th anniversary jerseys, Jeff’s name and number emblazoned on the sleeves and back. Though it shouldn’t be a big deal of a gift it felt like one and you swallowed hard. 

“Pretty.” You finally whispered, remembering your conversation with Jeff when they had announced these jerseys and how you’d commented on how nice they were. He had remembered. 

Jeff just beamed and though he continued to speak, none of his words reached your ears over the thrumming of your own heartbeat. When you were six hours or more apart, it had been easy to ignore the confusion of whatever it was that was between the two of you but now...now it’s not so easy and the not knowing was slowly getting under your skin making it hard to breathe. 

“You do like it right?” Jeff asked, drawing you back from inside your head. The expression on his face showed concern and you quickly masked your expression before looking up at him. 

“Of course I do.” You whispered, fingering the soft fabric. “Thank you.” You continued putting all of your sincerity into those two words. Jeff’s grin grew in response and he moved to the kitchen, asking if this or that sounded good for lunch because he was starving. 

Pushing back any uncertainty to the back of your mind, you moved to help Jeff with lunch, asking about morning skate and other idle chatter. After lunch, Jeff retreated for his nap, commenting that you could join him if you wanted. Assuring him that you weren’t really tired right now, you settled back in to watch some more tv and sighed, reminding yourself that Jeff was your best friend and that you didn’t need to make things awkward or complicated because of some mixed signals. 

Being just his best friend was really hard though when he came out of his room after his nap looking sexy in his suit which fit in all the right places. Your mind flashed back to the only other time you’d seen him in a suit in person and how his lips had felt against yours for that brief moment. Shortly after, Jeff headed out, dropping a kiss to your temple as he murmured that he would see you after the game. 

The heat of his lips burned against your skin and you sighed because once again, he was making things hard to read. You should just ask him, but you were scared. You’d never had someone understand you the way Jeff did and you didn’t want to risk losing that based on some assumption that maybe you were just imagining or reading too much into. 

Fixing yourself something to eat, you sent Jordan a message about what time and where she wanted to meet up. By the time you had finished eating she had responded that she would just swing by Jeff’s building to get you since you were close to the arena anyway and that she’d be there around 6pm. Shooting her a thumbs up, you moved to change into some jeans and a long sleeve shirt, pulling the jersey Jeff had given you earlier that day over top of it. Spending just a few minutes fixing up your hair and makeup, you moved to throw on some shoes before flopping onto the couch to wait for Jordan to arrive. 

____

The Keybank Center wasn’t all that different from other arenas you’d been to previously. It wasn’t necessarily filled with the crowds that Pittsburgh brought in night in and night out but in a way that made it a little easier to handle.

When you arrived, Jordan guided you straight to the seating section containing all of the friends and families of the players. It wasn’t overly full yet, but Jordan introduced you to the few people that were there already. Checking to make sure that you were okay, she disappeared for a few minutes before returning, two cans in hand, one of which she handed to you with a smile. 

“You look a little like you need this.” She declared softly, no judgment in her glance. Thanking her softly you popped the can open and took a sip before relaxing as the teams came out onto the ice for pregame skate. After skating a few laps, Jeff looked up in your direction and a beaming smile lit up his face causing you to let out a shaky breath. 

Trying to hide the turmoil you were feeling you pulled your phone out to take a few pictures. 

As more people flooded into your section, Jordan made sure to introduce you to all of them and you did your best to keep on a warm, friendly expression. As people chattered around you, it was easier to relax and so you were a little caught off guard when someone called your name. 

“Is this your first game seeing Jeff in person?” They asked. 

Shaking your head you replied. “No, I surprised him when they were down in Pittsburgh.” Various comments about how sweet that was and the like filled your ears and you sunk further into your chair trying to play down the attention that had been placed on you. Thankfully the subject changed and as you listened to the guy’s significant others talk, you felt even more out of place. You were just a student that Jeff had befriended, this wasn’t someplace you belonged. 

Passing your drink off to Jordan, you murmured that you were going to use the restroom before the game started and if you purposely lingered in the concourse until after the anthem no one had to know. 

Once the game started, it was easy to focus on the action on the ice and not the people around you. The game was chippy and you couldn’t help but bite your nails. 

Midway through the second Jeff took a stick up near the corner of his eye under the visor and you winced when you realized that there was definitely blood. Jordan sent you a soft look as he disappeared down the tunnel for repairs and passed you another can that someone had gone for during the first intermission. 

Thankfully he was back by the start of the third and you watched as he continued to battle. The team came up short and you sighed softly following everyone down toward the locker rooms as the arena cleared out. 

Conor exited the locker room first and he gave you a nod as Jordan asked if you were going to go to Toronto with them the following day. Telling her that you’d get back to her she nodded telling you if not then she’d see you at the team Christmas festivities. Swallowing back a lump at her seeming understanding of everything you wished her and Conor a goodnight. 

Slowly the hallway grew quieter and eventually, Jeff stepped through the door, his smile tired and a bit pained and his temple littered with at least half a dozen stitches. Immediately his arms wrapped around you and he held you tight, neither of you speaking at first. 

“Ready to go home?” He asked quietly, his breath ghosting over your ear. Nodding, you let him lead you to the car and you dozed against the window for the few minutes it took him to get back to his apartment. 

Once inside, you quietly moved to get ready for bed and settled in beside Jeff under the covers. Within minutes he was asleep and you cursed how easily sleep had settled over him. It wasn’t fair. You weren’t sure if he was typically this quiet after a loss or if he was also picking up on the mood you were trying so hard - and likely failing - to hide. If he had picked up on it, he again hadn’t said anything and you bit your lip starting to wonder if this trip had been the biggest mistake. 

As Jeff turned toward you in his sleep, you could see the stitches along his eye looking painful even in the dark. Carefully, you brushed your fingertips over the wound before turning away from Jeff as uncontrollable tears rolled down your face. 

****

Thankfully, Jeff had once again already left before you woke up. This time the note was beside the bed stating for you to let him know if you decided to join the girls in Toronto but again that there was no pressure. Knowing that there was no way you could make it through not just another game but hours in a car with some of the halves without your mask completely falling apart, you texted Jordan and Jeff that you were just going to watch this game from home. 

For a few minutes, you debated whether to try and distract yourself by finding something touristy to do, however, the snow that was starting to fall outside won that debate and you decided just to stay in for the day and catch up on a tv show or something. 

As the clock approached seven, you almost decided not to turn the game on but for some reason, you couldn’t pull yourself to do that. 

You were only half paying attention to the broadcast when a mention of the entire Skinner family being in the building reached your ears. You knew Jeff was from the Toronto area so it was entirely possible, but he hadn’t said anything about it. 

Assuming you had misheard, you pushed those thoughts to the back of your mind just trying to enjoy the game. 

But when you were laying on the couch, the game long over, just playing on your phone you were confronted with the reality that you definitely hadn’t misheard. Because there on Jeff’s Instagram was a photo of him with his entire family. 

Holy. Shit. 

Jeff’s family was at the game. The same game that Jeff had made clear you were also invited to. He had to have known…there was no way he didn’t know that over a dozen members of his family were going to be there. 

Had he thought about you meeting his family? Had that crossed his mind? If so, why the hell hadn’t he said anything? Was he just going to drop that on you? And if he was then what did it mean? That you really were just friends because friends meeting a friend’s family isn’t a big deal? 

There were so many questions you wanted to ask him. So many thoughts that were going to keep you awake tonight. 

Yet you knew that you’d never have the nerve to actually ask. Jeff would get home, you’d hug if you were still up, and then the two of you would go to bed neither acknowledging the things that you both knew. Because now that you’d viewed his story, Jeff had to know that you knew his family had been there. But you doubted that he would say a word about it. 

Swirling snow outside mirrored the swirling emotions in your body and you sighed once again starting to wish that you’d never come to Buffalo. Because you were starting to think you were only going to leave with your heart broken. 

********

Jeff had come home and sent you a tired smile before asking if you were coming to bed. And that was the end of that conversation before it even began. 

The team family skate was this morning and though Jeff had said he didn’t have to go, you knew that he’d regret not doing so. So you’d bundled up in layers and lightly teased that you’d see about him getting you on the ice. 

At the arena, there were kids of all the players and support staff running around and it was chaotic but joyous. You murmured for Jeff to go skate with the kids and though he hesitated for a moment, he headed to do so as you settled into bleachers. Jordan waved at you from the ice, gesturing for you to come out but you shook your head not sure you were ready for the embarrassment of not being able to skate on top of everything else you were struggling to contain. 

The kids were having a good time though and you knew that they enjoyed skating with Jeff, some of the girls goading him into attempting a few figure skating moves. 

The rink was the primary source of entertainment until Santa arrived and then slowly the kids all filtered out to see Santa and tell him any last-minute Christmas requests. Being nearby, you assisted in taking some pictures and helping to pass out some of the small presents the organization had for the kids. 

That was where Jeff had found you and with his cheeks slightly pink he asked if you’d told Santa what you wanted for Christmas yet. Your declaration that you were a little too old for that was met with a pout and an ‘are not’ as Jeff promptly went to go “sit” on Santa’s lap as the kids lingering around laughed and cheered. Playing it up, Jeff whispered in Santa’s ear for a moment before Santa whispered something back. When Jeff stood up, his cheeks were a little pinker and he moved over to you announcing proudly that see you’re never too old to tell Santa what you want for Christmas. Patting his chest, you assured him that you were good and going to get another cup of hot chocolate. 

Jeff did convince you to come out on the ice for just a few minutes after most people had left and you couldn’t help but cling to him, unable to find steady footing. 

By the time you left the rink, you were in desperate need of a nap and so Jeff dropped you off at his place murmuring that he had a couple of errands to run before heading to Jack’s later. 

You slept until Jeff woke you, murmuring a question about whether you were still okay going tonight. You still weren’t sure you belonged at a team party for the guys and their partners but you’d already told Jeff that you would go so you weren’t going to back out on him now. 

Throwing on jeans and a red sweater, you moved to fix your hair and makeup before deciding that you were as ready as you were ever going to be. 

Jack’s place was already full of people by the time Jeff led you in through the door and you were immediately directed to get some food and something to drink. For the next hour, you let Jeff pull through the house to mingle letting him lead the conversation and just adding a few words when it was expected of you. 

Feeling as though you were losing control of those nagging thoughts in your mind again, you excused yourself and stepped outside, not caring that it was freezing and just needing some air. 

It hadn’t even been five minutes when you heard the door open and a blanket was draped over your shoulders as Jeff moved to stand beside you. You could hear him shuffling a little as you looked out at the sky and then suddenly a small wrapped box was sitting on the railing in front of you. 

“What’s this?” You asked softly, glancing between the box and Jeff. “We weren’t doing presents.” 

“Just open it.” Jeff urged quietly, his hand open to take the paper as you tore it off of the box. 

Lifting the lid off the box revealed a small silver heart necklace and your face crinkled with more confusion. 

“It’s pretty but I don’t understand.”  You breathed. 

“It’s my heart,” Jeff said. “I told Santa what I wanted for Christmas and he told me that I could only have it if I offered my heart up first.” His hand rubbed at the back of his neck for a moment before he continued. “I thought I already had…but uh…based on the past few days I guess I hadn’t been clear enough.” 

You weren’t sure if it was the pounding of your heart or his that resounded in your ears loudly. 

“I want to be able to kiss you whenever I want. I want to make love to you whenever you’re ready for that. I want to share my bed with you because I’ve never slept better than when you’re beside me. I want you to wear my name on your back not because you’re just like all the other fans, but because you’re mine. I want you to meet all of my friends and eventually my family too. I want to cuddle you and laugh with you. I want you to be my best friend, but I also want you to be more than that. So I’m giving you my heart so maybe someday you’ll give me yours. You’re all I want for Christmas and I really hope I’m not misreading things.” 

“You want to be more than friends?” The voice that spoke didn’t sound at all like yours even though you were the one moving your mouth. Hockey-honed hands wrapped around your hip holding you in place as Jeff’s body crowded closer. 

“I’m going to kiss you now.” He murmured as his lips crashed onto yours. 

It was nothing at all like the kiss in the tunnels of PPG Paints Arena. That had been short and sudden, barely a tease. This was…deep, consuming, lingering. The way Jeff’s lips covered yours as his body kept you close was far more than you ever knew a kiss could be. And yet you couldn’t get enough. You kissed until both of you were out of breath and then you kissed again, so many emotions ebbing and flowing between you washing the tension away in waves. 

When Jeff pulled back it was only to tug you inside, staying only long enough to grab your coats before he was guiding you out the front door. 

The night was far from over and you still had so many questions but one thing couldn’t be clearer, you were now more than just friends.