#new appreciation for hockey photographers it's hard when players go fast!!

[squiddieteam]

September 27, 2023 Practice, KCI

[freerebelmentality]

No more room service

Ok this is my very first hockey fic of Mike Condon. Be nice. After reading an article on the NHL website and reading the quotes he gave is when it just tugged my heart. Well whatever I have left of it anyway. Plus MIKE CONDON DESERVES ALL THE LOVE!!! He’s a precious cinnamon roll.

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Word Count: 1,947

"I lived in three different hotels [in 2014-15]," Condon said. "I lived in the hotel when I was up and down between Wheeling and Hamilton. I'm just used to hotel life."

The Penguins claimed Condon from the Canadiens to be Marc-Andre Fleury's backup while Matt Murray is recovering from a broken hand. After falling to No.

3 on the Canadiens depth chart, Condon welcomed the opportunity.

He isn't married and doesn't have children, so moving a family wasn't a concern.

"I'm single as can be," Condon said. "I've been moving in and out of hotels for the past five years. No one's been able to stick with me. No one wants to stick around for the ride. I don't blame them either. It's a tough ride. It takes a toll."

Last season was an anomaly for Condon because he spent all of it with the Canadiens, who gave him the green light to get an apartment on Nov. 1.

"It was weird for me to have my own place, not sharing with roommates or anything like that," Condon said. "I'm not going to get too far ahead of myself, but one day, hopefully, I can get another one. A guy can dream, right?"

You remember the quote to all those years ago and finally looking to today on how everything came to be for Mike.

It was a year ago when you first moved to Ottawa and he recently got picked up by the Senators hockey team. You two met at a charity event the Sens team always had for whatever fundraiser.

You’re a freelance photographer and your friend who worked for the organization that the Sens are fundraising for. She has hired you to take photos throughout the event for the website.

You couldn’t refuse the job because it’s a paying job, free drinks throughout the night and most of all there were going to be hockey players.

Throughout the night you have been taking pictures. Asking the players and their significant others for pictures as well and they happily accepted with wide smiles. Some you noticed were beginning to get quite tipsy, which was completely hilarious and happy you agreed to take the job.

With one quick swing around to walk back to the office your friend has placed you in. You wanted to switch cameras along with getting a new SD card, the one in you camera is getting quite full and fast.

You bumped into someone who was tall, you felt toned muscles as your face met his chest and you fell backwards as your bottom hit the floor. Your camera took a bad fall as well, the lens cracked as you took a better look at it.

Everyone stops what they were doing, gaps throughout the building while the person you bumped into kneels beside you and your friend rushes to your side.

“Y/n are you ok? What happened? Oh no your camera” she says while helping you to your feet

Others ask if you were alright, you nodded as you smiled and looked to your friend.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you. Are you alright?” The man asks looking to you all worried he hurt you.

“I’m fine really. Thank you for asking. Only bad fall was my camera lens” you wave him off and look to your camera.

“I can replace that for you” your friend says while looking between you and the man

“No, please don’t bother. It’s a quick fix and I have extras. Don’t go through the trouble and spending a lot of money on a lens when I have a few at home” you tell her while walking slowly back to the office.

Your friend and the man who wasn’t bad looking. A ginger with adorable blue eyes. Such beautiful blue eyes that you can swim in them forever.

If he looked any deeper into your eyes, you’d allow him to look through your soul and let him have it.

“I’m Mike by the way. I feel bad for your fall and your lens breaking. Let me do something for you” he is basically pleading now.

He looked like a hurt puppy who played too rough and hurt the person he loved so much and trying to make things better by doing anything.

You knew who he was, you followed his playing career since he got signed by the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs are your most favourite team, second is the Sens. You are a third generation Habs fan and knew the rich history behind the team.

“Y/n. Since I’m not going to get rid of you that easily. You can take the rest of the pictures” you tell him as you wave him to follow you.

He followed while your friend remained where she was and continued doing her rounds.

Since then the both of you kept hanging out when he could. When the summer came is when the both of you got more acquainted and had fun.

While it lasted and it was the new hockey season all over again. You were worried he was going to get placed on waivers again and having another team pick him up.

That didn’t happen, the Sens offered Mike an extension on his contract and told him to find an apartment. Which he did and asked you to move in with him right away.

You didn’t want to be apart from him anymore and you graciously accepted. The both of you couldn’t be more happier.

“Hey what are you so deep into thought for?” Mike asks as he enters the office the both of you share

You exit out of the article quickly and making it look like you were working on editing pictures. You pulled up the software you always worked on and luckily a picture is still on there.

A picture you completely forgot to finish but got sidetracked by something else.

“I’m just debating if I should get a Leica Camera or not. Why I’m so deep into thought” you tell him while he sits in the chair that’s in front of the desk and where you are sitting.

“Wow, why don’t you just get it? Plus I think it’s time for you to upgrade anyway. You take amazing pictures and you deserve the very best to work with” Mike says while leaning in closer and in hopes he’s changed your mind and purchase the damn camera.

“You are so sweet you know. Too sweet for me. It makes me puke” you say while you look to him and back to the computer screen

“And you are disgustingly charming” he retorts as he gets up from the chair and walks out of the office

“Wait, I was looking at an old article you were in a few years ago” you finally tell him before he is an ear shot away.

He stops at the doorway and turns around slowly. He leans against the doorframe as he crosses his arms across his chest.

“Which article?” He asks keeping his gaze on you

“The one about constantly living in hotels and how you mentioned no one has ever stuck around because it takes a toll and you as single as can be” you recite the quotes he said a few years ago.

By reciting the very quote causes you such grief because the thought of him being lonely like that is hurtful.

After getting to know Mike, you didn’t like the idea of him being lonely or didn’t like the thought of anything so enduring such as loneliness. You loved Mike way too much for him to go through that. Loved him way too much.

“Ooh that interview. Why would you be deep into that thought?” He asks as he enters back into the office and this time he gets the chair and places it right in front of you.

“Because the very thought of you being incredibly lonely, in between towns/cities, in and out of hotels. It hurts me to even think of the things that you were going through. I mean your mental well being and so forth” you exhale while placing your hands over his and look to him

As you tell him that is when he forms a smile on his face.

“I appreciate you for that. I really do” he replies as he kisses the top of your hand

“It was lonely, especially at night and no one to ask how my day was in general and just talking about it. But I knew what I got myself into and I knew I needed to focus on going into pro hockey. I thought of it more as no distractions to keep me from getting the one thing I really wanted and that got me more motivated to get to where i am” he continues while talking about his journey into the NHL.

You loved how he talked about the hard work he has put into getting that contract. Loved how he talked about the trial and tribulations he endured just to get to where he is at today. Oh you loved this man right in front of you, you loved how he is so devoted to his career, devoted to his family and how much he has devoted himself to you.

“I love how you talk about your trials into getting a pro NHL contract and love how you stuck on being focused on that” you tell him as you get up from your chair and sit in his lap.

You wrap your arms around his neck and begin to kiss him. The way your lips molded together couldn’t be anymore fitting and perfect. It was as if you two are meant for each other. Like what the stories were told in books, how they were brought together by scent or how they imprinted and so forth. It’s how you like to think about it.

“Mmm, what else do you love?” Mike asks as he pulls away from the kiss and looks deep into your eyes

There he goes soul searching once more with his beautiful big blue eyes. You definitely can swim and get lost in them forever.

“You. I love you” you reply while look deep into his eyes as well.

“I love you too. You know, after that interview and just a short couple years. I have found the most incredible, understanding, accepting, loving, beautiful, caring person. Who is willing to join me on whatever path this crazy career of mine will take me” he says with an adoring smile as he closes the gap between the both of you.

“Really? Who is that? I’d like to meet this person” you jokingly reply while he looks to you all surprised and begins to tickle you.

You laugh while trying to move away from his sudden movements as he reaches the ticklish spots you have.

In all seriousness Mike is happy he has found someone like you and at times he felt he didn’t deserve you because of how long he’s gone all the time.

He was happy enough to find you still at the apartment the both of you shared. He thought at times that you have left him because you couldn’t handle things anymore. But no.

You were always right there, patiently waiting for him to come home. You were waiting right there at the airport when he called for pick up. He loved how your face lit up every time he came home. He loved everything about you and didn’t want to lose you over anything. He loved you too much to endure loneliness again. Never again.

No more room service for him.