#nhl goaltender story

[knightsofsliverandgoldstory]

Marc-André Fleury/ F! OC

Summery: A story where a world famous goaltender with a heart and soul of gold becomes a knight in shining silver for a female hockey player in the NHL who is trying to balance being a single mother and athlete after just being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. Can Marc-André Fleury show Barlow Kane he can be the father her daughter never had, help her make a home and a life in Nevada and be the love of her life she never thought she would find?

Warnings: swearing, hockey related lingo. I think that's it

Word count: just over 2.6k (sorry this is more of a filler chapter that had some writers block problems. 5 will be better I promise)

Game day.

First game of the pre-season and the city was buzzing. Hockey was back in the desert and the fans couldn't wait to see the same faces back on the ice, along with the new ones that would be joining them. Barlow could feel the static in the air, the buzz of the excitement. The game was at seven that night, and it was noon when she looked at the clock. She knew she needed to get her pregame nap in and something to eat before she left for the rink. Katie Had already taken Harper for the day, so Barlow could get ready in peace without having to wrangle a toddler on her first day. Going through her pre game rituals, Barlow made a pot of spaghetti, fruit salad and some butter bread. After eating the hearty meal she cleaned everything up and went upstairs to her room to take her pre game nap. Setting her alarm on her phone to make sure she gets up on time, she shut her black out blinds and turned off the lights, laying down for her hour and half nap. Once her head hit the pillow she was out like a light.

Beep!

Beep!

Beep!

Beep!

The sound of her alarm screaming in her ear sent Barlow flying out of bed. She ran a hand through her hair and down her face. She knew she had to get dressed for the game. Going to the bathroom she did her business before washing her hands and grabbing her makeup bag. She pulled out her waterproof and smudge proof black mascara and eyeliner and did a simple makeup, just enough to make her eyes pop, but not enough to make it nasty while playing. Once she did that she French braided her hair down her back, making it tight so it didn't fall out. Once she tied it off she went to get dressed. Putting on a dark cherry pants suit with an off white shirt with a small v neck to it under the jacket. Black ankle heeled boots graced her feet. She tied the black satin belt around the jacket to keep it shut and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked sharp and clean, perfect for her walk into the arena and later for interviews. The suit made her look skinnier than she was and it made her legs go on for miles. She smiled before grabbing her Ray-Ban sunglasses and throwing them on her head before making her way downstairs. She grabbed her car keys and made her way down to her car. She slipped into the driver's seat and started up her SUV, pulling out of the driveway. She pulled down her sunglasses and threw on some music from her pre game music playlist. Some songs from Imagine Dragons and The Score started to blare through her speakers, getting her in the game mood. She stopped at the Starbucks along the way and got a coffee to help her keep going late into the night before getting back on the road.

Pulling into the players parking lot at the rink she shut off her car and grabbed her bag, coffee and keys as she got out of the car. Her boot heels clocked on the pavement, her head held high as she walked down the sidewalk to the arena doors. Fans could be heard cheering and chanting. She lived for moments like this. Taking a deep breath she walked into the rink, a few cameras flashing as she made her walk down the tunnels to the locker room. Keeping a straight face she let the media team get their pregame pictures of her, along with the others who entered the rink. Once she got to the locker room Barlow took a deep breath and let her nervousness sink to her feet. She flashed the boys a smile as she made her way over to her cubby. Running her fingers over the smooth gold colored silk jersey, staring at her name on the back with a smile. She had loved her old team, the memories she had made there, but this was a fresh start for her and Harper. This was the beginning of something new. Now she was going to throw herself wholeheartedly into it.

Grabbing her Under Armor leggings and shirt that she wore under her padding she walked off to the dressing room / shower they had installed just for her. Shutting the door behind her she slipped off her pantsuit and folded it up neatly to put back on after the game. Slipping on her leggings she tied off the built in drawstrings at the top to make them extra secure. She then pulled on her skintight long sleeve that went under her padding to keep it from rubbing her skin raw. Once that was on she went back out to the main locker room to put on her padding and equipment. Slipping on her leg paddings first she strapped them down before grabbing her chest paddings. Slipping the heavy padding over her head she snapped the buckles in place. It had a bit more padding than normal on the front, but other than that it looked like any normal hockey padding. Then she grabbed her arm padding and slipped them on as well. Pulling her socks on next she tapped them down around her knees and calves, making sure they were nice and tight. Then slipping on her hockey pants she tied them off at the waist. Next she grabbed her skates and pulled them on, lacing them up tight before pulling her socks down over the tongues and backs. Once all this was done Barlow turned around and took the silky gold jersey off its hanger and held it in her hands for a moment. Looking down at her name and number one last time before slipping it over her head, letting it fall smoothly over her padding. Barlow knew it was different, and it was always pointed out to her, but she never warmed up before she got dressed. She wanted to be in full or almost full gear before warming with stretches to get the stiffness out of her gear and feel for any discomforts that could hinder her play.

She got onto the floor and went into the splits, grabbing her covered skate blade with her hands and leaning forward to stretch out her back and hamstrings. She held this for about a minute before switching to the other side. Barlow was half way through her stretch when she felt a pair of eyes on her. Looking up, Barlow saw the brown watchful eyes of Marc-André staring at her as he started to lay out his gear.

"Can I help you, Flower? She asked in French to the goalie. She watched as a smile crept across his face and he pulled off his baseball hat to run a hand through his hair.

"Not at all." He simply answered. Barlow gave him a small side eye with a smile before going back to her stretches. After warming up a bit she stood up and did a few jumps, then turned at the hips to loosen up a bit more. After making sure she felt warmed up and her gear felt good she grabbed her sticks and made sure they were taped up right and the right length. As Barlow went about getting ready she turned to face Flower while fixing the tap on one of her sticks.

"Are we still on for tomorrow's lunch?" She continued speaking in French. For the past 2 Tuesdays Barlow, Harper and Marc-André had gone back to the small restaurant to have a meal together to just relax. It had been super nice and each time they hung out outside of the rink, Barlow felt her heart opening up a bit more each time. Flower's soft laugh, his smile, the way he held her hand softly in his during the drive, or how he would kiss her cheek when he dropped them off. Watching him with Harper, how gentle and sweet he was with the toddler made her heart soar.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it. I love my time with my girls." Marc-André answered as he started to strap on his padding. He wasn't looking at Barlow when he spoke but if he had he would have seen the deer in the headlights look on her face. Her stick slipped from her hand and landed on Max's arm with a thud. The forward yelped as the stick hit him and Barlow jumped at the sound.

"Oh Max, I'm so sorry!" She squeaked as she picked up her stick. Max shook his head with a smile before going back to his gear. Barlow grabbed her stick and slowly looked back up at Marc-André, who now had the same look on his face she did after realizing what he had said. His mouth opened and closed a few times before his face turned bright red and he ducked his head. Barlow quickly grabbed the rest of her gear and walked out of the locker room and went to the tunnels. Her heart was racing and her mind felt like jello. Did he really just call her and Harper his girls? Taking a deep breath she shook her head and tried to clear her mind. She couldn't let it keep her focus off the game tonight. She had to remain calm and collected.

Meanwhile Flower was sitting in the locker room still red faced and wide eyed. He couldn't believe he said that. Sure he felt it but he hadn't planned on saying something like that yet to her. He didn't want to scare Barlow off. Max watched as the blonde had raced out of the room and the star goalie sat there in shellshock.

"What happened? What did I miss?" Max asked. He looked over at Marc-André after Bralow raced out of the locker room door. Flower waved his hand, trying to dismiss the whole thing but Max wasn't about to let it drop. "Come on Flower. What was said between you two that made her look like a doe in the headlights?" With a heavy sigh Flower looked up at the forward.

"I called Harper and her 'My Girls.'" Flower told him softly. He blushed, the dark red spreading across his cheeks as he looked back down at his skate laces. Max smiled softly and shook his head, before getting up and walking over to the goaltender. Placing a hand on his shoulder Max spoke up.

"Marc, just tell her how you feel. She was just taken but surprised and embarrassed about dropping her stuff. After the game, talk to her. Tell her. You both deserve to be happy."

"But what if she doesn't feel the same?"

"Trust me. That girl is as gone as you are. I promise she feels the same." Max said, "Trust me on this." With a final pat on the shoulder he went back to his cubby to finish getting ready. Flower thought over what Max said and realized he was right. If he didn't take the chance he may never get them to truly be his girls. Pulling the rest of his gear with a smile on his face, he finished getting ready. Barlow was still out in the tunnel warming up when he led the rest of the team out to head down to the ice to warm up. Walking up to her, Marc-André tapped her leg pad with his stick to get her attention.

Barlow looked up at Marc-André after he tapped her leg and felt a blush creep across her face. His words still rang through her mind.

"Can we talk after the game? There is something I need to tell you." He whispered as he leaned closer to her, so only she could hear his question. Barlow nodded her head. After Flower called them his girls, she knew they needed to lay it out on the table, and she needed to open her heart up again. The goaltender smiled and tapped her leg again before going to the front of the line to lead out the team. Barlow stayed back a bit, going to the middle of the line as they filed their way out down the tunnel to the ice. The roar of the crowd grew louder and louder the closer they walked to the ice, the pounding of the music over the speakers filling her body. She felt her body and mind come alive at the sounds and her instincts took over.

Stepping into the ice she pushed off and gilded behind Erik as she did a few warm up laps. Once her legs felt good she started doing some stick work with a puck, doing all kinds of crazy and weird things to get her mind going. Barlows visor was tinted a slight blue to where you could still see her eyes, but it was darker and the blue kept the glare off the ice. After having a concussion a few years back she switched to the tinted visor to help reduce the glare so she could focus better. She continued to warm up, passing the puck around with Mark and Max. They talked and joked around lighty, taking turns making shots at the net now and again, though Flower would stop them with ease. Barlow didn't like to show off before the game started, so that younger players couldn't pick up on her play style off the bat, and she could surprise them.

"Are you ready for Desert Hockey?" Asked Max as he skated up next to her well she pushed around the puck lightly. She smiled up at the forward and nodded her head. She was happy to be back on the ice, with the roar of the crowd. Tonight they played against the Arizona Coyotes for the start of the preseason. She loved the shine of the gold and glitter that seemed to be everywhere. She always admired it when she used to play against Vegas, but now to be a part of the shine was something special.

Looking up and behind Flower's net, she saw Katie with Harper in an alternate Vegas Jersey, her number on the sleeves and back with "Mommy" over the number. A huge smile broke out across her face as she began to skate over to the glass. She tapped Flower on the pads with her stick as she skated by, nodding her head towards the glass. She bummed into the glass, making Harper laugh as she waved to her mother.

"HI BABY!" Barlow yelled over the noise and through the glass to her daughter. Placing a gloved hand on the glass she waited for Harper to place hers on the glass on the other side. She loved watching her daughter smile and laugh, her eyes wide as she watched all the lights and skaters on the ice. She felt someone skate up beside her and saw Marc out of the corner of her eye. He tapped on the glass with his stick, making Harper laugh. He laughed as well, a happy sound filling the space between them. He had a puck in his glove, and he tossed it over the glass for Harper to catch. She squealed with joy as she held the puck in her hands. Barlow smiled at Marc before waving to Harper one last time before going back to warmups.

"Thank you, she really loved that." She told Flower as they skated back away from the glass. He smiled brightly, his cheeks a rosey color from the cold air.

"Anytime for her."

Those three words were all that were needed to make the smile on Barlow's face brighter. The horn sounded, telling the players warmups were over. Taking her time to get to the line, making sure she fell back into the middle of the lineup, she went down the tunnel with the guys to the locker room to await the start of lineup. Hockey season started now.

[misshoneyimhome]

So here’s my post for @callsign-denmark's Birthday Bingo 🤗 Naturally, I had to choose my beloved Frederik Andersen ❤️

I know this is also part of my 500 FOLLOWERS FESTIVAL, but I thought, why not combine the two celebrations ✨🥂 I really hope you like it, love! And, of course, HAPPY BIRTHDAY for the 13th 🥳🥳

[In short, this is basically 'just' a series of events that I imagine it could be like dating Freddie - but I still hope it's an enjoyable read]

➼｡ﾟ

Summary: The journey of Frederik and Olive wasn’t as straightforward as Olive had hoped—however, on her wedding day, reflecting on it all, she can’t help but smile as she tells their story 🤍

Bingo; Wedding, “Please stay”, comfort, learning to skate, Free space: heartache

Tropes & warnings; strangers to lovers, soulmates, heartache, fluff, angsty romance, happy ending; some smut 18+ (mildly described), penetrative sex (p in v)

Word count; 8K

➼｡ﾟ

“I am done. I'm done waiting for you." I Freddie Andersen

Present 2025 - The Wedding

Olive rose from her seat, her heart fluttering like a trapped bird in her chest. The soft, elegant fabric of her wedding dress whispered around her ankles as she glanced nervously at the sea of expectant faces before her. This was her moment, her wedding day, yet the spotlight felt uncomfortably bright.

In her hand, the delicate crystal glass held a few sips of champagne, a lifeline amidst her nerves; and beside her, a neatly handwritten speech, its words a testament to the journey she and her new husband had travelled together.

Just as she was about to speak, a reassuring warmth enveloped her; Frederik's hand, familiar and steady, rested gently on her lower back. His touch sent a wave of calm through her, grounding her in the present moment.

"You've got this, min skat," his voice, a soft murmur meant only for her ears, whispered encouragement.

Drawing strength from his presence, Olive closed her eyes briefly, allowing herself a moment to collect her thoughts. Then, with a deep breath, she opened her eyes again, her gaze steady and determined.

“Most of you here have probably already heard the story - or versions of the story - of how Freddie and I met," she began, her voice clear and steady, carrying across the room. "But what many of you don’t know is that, though it was definitely love at first sight, the journey of our love wasn’t exactly a straight path.”

_

Flashback to September 2021

Frederik Andersen had just settled into Raleigh, North Carolina, having joined the Carolina Hurricanes for the upcoming season. The city, with its Southern charm and vibrant hockey culture, presented a new adventure waiting to unfold. And while adjusting to a new place and team was both exciting and daunting, he relished the challenge ahead on the ice. The welcoming nature of the Hurricanes' fans and the supportive atmosphere of the organisation made the transition smoother, yet there was still an underlying pressure to prove himself.

Frederik was a formidable goaltender, and he knew it. With several years in the NHL on his CV, he had earned a reputation for his sharp reflexes, keen game sense, and unwavering composure under pressure. He occasionally allowed himself a pat on the back, reminding himself of his achievements, which included crucial saves in high-stakes games, accolades from his peers, and the respect of coaches and teammates across the league.

However, Frederik was also aware of his veteran status in the sport. At 32 years old, he was no longer among the young talents but counted among the experienced players. The whispers of time's relentless march were growing louder, and he often reflected on his journey: the countless hours of training, the injuries overcome, the sacrifices made. Each scar and accolade told the story of his perseverance and passion for the game.

The physical demands of hockey were always present. Frederik maintained a rigorous training regime, balancing on-ice drills with off-ice conditioning to keep his body in peak form. He worked closely with the team's trainers to ensure he could withstand the gruelling schedule of an NHL season. Despite the toll on his body, his love for the game remained undiminished.

And mentally, Frederik embraced his role as a leader and mentor to younger players. He took pride in guiding rookies, sharing insights from his years of experience, and helping them navigate the challenges of professional hockey. His wisdom and steady presence in the locker room were invaluable, fostering a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect among the team.

Yet, Frederik also found himself contemplating life beyond hockey, recognising the importance of a balanced life.

_

One evening, during a team dinner at one of Raleigh's top restaurants, Frederik found himself momentarily drawn to the bar. The atmosphere buzzed with the chatter of teammates and the clinking of glasses. The restaurant boasted an upscale ambiance and exquisite cuisine, with subdued lighting and elegant decor creating an intimate setting for conversations and laughter.

Approaching the bar, Frederik caught sight of a young woman who immediately captivated him. She moved gracefully, her dark hair flowing over her shoulders as she expertly mixed drinks. There was something mesmerising about her—a quiet confidence that caught his attention.

So, leaning casually against the bar counter, the goaltender offered a soft smile and requested, "A Whiskey Sour, please," speaking gently while subtly admiring the bartender's skilled movements. She responded with a professional smile and nodded, focusing on preparing his drink with practised ease.

And as she worked, Frederik couldn’t help but watch her every move. What started as simply observing a skilled bartender at work felt like watching an entertaining ballet performance, captivated by her beauty.

"Here you go, sir," she said in her gentle, sweet voice, interrupting Freddie’s train of thought as she slid the drink across the bar with a warm smile. "Please, enjoy."

"Thank you," Frederik replied simply, returning her smile before taking a sip of his drink. It was perfect, the balance of flavours just right. He savoured the taste, appreciating the craftsmanship, and allowed himself another moment to enjoy the woman’s captivating grace before returning to his table.

And throughout the evening, the usually composed hockey veteran couldn’t help himself, occasionally stealing glances at the bartender. He was so intrigued by her poise and how effortlessly she handled the bustling crowd. She exuded a calm demeanour, much like himself, as she attended to customers with a friendly manner.

Later that night, as Frederik made his way through the bustling restaurant towards the men's room, he overheard fragments of conversations—a blend of laughter, casual banter, and occasional complaints about the noise. And near the end of the bar, he noticed a waitress and the beautiful bartender fully engaged in a quiet discussion, their voices carrying over the background clamour.

"Ugh, I can't wait until this shift is over. These hockey jerks are so loud," sighed the waitress, deftly balancing a stack of empty glasses, her frustration evident.

The bartender chuckled softly, her voice tinged with amusement despite sharing the waitress's sentiment. "Yeah, seriously. They act like they own the place."

Frederik couldn't help but smile to himself at their candid remarks. It was refreshing to hear such honest commentary amidst the usual polite chatter and flattery he encountered; their authenticity was a stark contrast to the sometimes superficial interactions that came with his status as a professional athlete.

After inadvertently eavesdropping, Frederik continued on his way, the conversation between the waitress and bartender lingering in his mind. Then rejoining his teammates, he engaged in their lively discussions and good-natured teasing throughout the evening.

Yet, as the night progressed and the players prepared to leave, Frederik found himself unable to shake the thoughts of the bartender. Her directness, grace, and quiet confidence had made a profound impact on him. Despite not even knowing her name, he felt an inexplicable urge to discover more about her.

As he was about to leave the restaurant, though, he realised with disappointment that she had already left her post. And as he made his way home, he felt a twinge of regret for not taking action sooner.

_

Flashback continued

About a week later, Frederik found himself at an ice skating rink with some of his new teammates and their family members for an open event before the hockey season started. The rink resounded with laughter, the sharp cuts of skates on ice, and the occasional thud of someone falling. Children wobbled around with their parents' careful guidance, while teenagers zipped across, showing off their skating prowess. The atmosphere was vibrant with infectious joy.

And gliding gracefully across the ice, enjoying the freedom and the cool breeze against his face, Frederik then spotted the bartender again. This time, though, she seemed a bit unsure on the ice, cautiously navigating with a few friends. They held onto each other for support, their faces lit up with both delight and mild apprehension as they tried to maintain balance.

Frederik couldn’t help but feel his heart skip a beat as he recognised her. He watched her for a moment, admiring the sparkle in her eyes and the clarity of her laughter amidst the rink's commotion. He could see her determination as she concentrated on staying upright, a mix of focus and joy that only enhanced her charm.

However, interrupted by Jarvy, Frederik shook his head and refocused on his teammates and friends. But a little while later, after signing several autographs, his mind was elsewhere as he made a few more rounds. Suddenly, he gently collided with someone, his larger frame absorbing most of the impact. Quickly reaching out to steady the person, Frederik's hands were firm yet gentle on their arms.

"I'm so sorry," he apologised reflexively, genuine concern evident in his eyes as he looked down, only to notice it was none other than the bartender he’d been so keen on watching earlier that day.

The bartender smiled sheepishly, her cheeks flushed from the unexpected encounter. "No, it's my fault. I'm just not that great at skating," she admitted, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.

Gracefully helping her steady herself, Frederik reminded himself not to let the moment pass. "I'm Freddie, by the way," he quickly introduced himself with a warm smile—perhaps a little too rushed, but he hoped to ease any awkwardness.

The bartender let out a soft laugh. "Yeah, I know," she replied with a hint of playfulness in her voice. "You’re the goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes."

"Right," Frederik sighed softly, slightly disappointed that this was the only reason she recognised him. Yet, just as he was about to say something else, she spoke again with a smile.

"And you were at the restaurant last week. I remember serving you a drink."

That made Frederik let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, with the rest of the hockey jerks," he said, recalling her remark, teasing gently and causing her to blush slightly.

"Oh right - gosh, I’m so sorry about that… It's not that we don't like you guys... it’s just… We were just really tired during that shift," she explained, feeling a bit embarrassed as she looked up at him, her eyes sincere.

But Frederik just shook his head. "No need to apologise. I get it," he reassured her, his smile comforting as he admired her honesty and the way she didn't shy away from the truth.

"Anyway, I won’t take up more of your time, Freddie. You’re busy with your hockey stuff—but I am sorry about the collision—and the comment last week," she offered him a smile.

But as she then began to carefully skate away, Frederik couldn't resist calling out, "Wait, what's your name?"

Turning her head, she replied with a smile, "Olive, but my friends call me Liv.”

He watched her rejoin her friends, her laughter and presence still standing out in the crowd. And from that moment on, Frederik found himself thinking about Olive's smile, her easy laughter, and the genuine warmth he felt in her presence.

Similarly, Olive couldn't shake off the impression Frederik had left on her. She had expected him to be like the rest—cocky and self-assured—but instead, she found him surprisingly humble and kind. His gentle demeanour and the way he had treated her with respect and kindness had caught her off guard in the best possible way.

And surprisingly, the universe seemed to conspire to bring them together, causing their paths to casually cross over the next few weeks.

Olive attended her first Hurricanes home game with her hockey enthusiast friends, who had also managed to arrange a meet-and-greet with some of the players for an autograph session before the match. The excitement of the crowd was palpable, and Olive quickly found herself swept up in the fans’ energy.

And naturally, among the players, Frederik was there, who immediately spotted Olive in the crowd. His heart raced as he instinctively made his way over to her, nerves bubbling up unexpectedly as he focused solely on her, ignoring everyone else around him.

"Hey, Olive," he greeted, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

"Oh hi, Freddie," she replied, her eyes sparkling with recognition.

The noise of the crowd softly faded into the background as they connected in a gaze. And completely captivated by Olive's charm, Frederik momentarily forgot his surroundings. She had a way of making him feel at ease, her laughter contagious and her insights thoughtful.

But then her friends approached, their jaws almost dropping as they realised Olive was actually on a first-name - well, nickname - basis with Frederik Andersen.

And Frederik couldn’t help but chuckle at their reaction. Yet, ever the professional, he quickly offered them autographs, followed by Olive taking photos of them. 

“Hey, what about you, Liv?” one of her friends suggested.

“Oh no, that’s okay,” she timidly replied.

Frederik offered her a soft smile, trying his best to hide any hints of disappointment. However, her other friend pressed on and encouraged Olive to stand close to Frederik, prompting him to gently wrap his arm around her. “Come on, Liv! You know you want to.”

Olive felt slightly awkward standing next to the towering goaltender, yet she couldn’t deny how comfortable his presence felt. His body was warm against hers, his hand gently resting on her waist as they both smiled at the camera.

But their moment was fleeting as Frederik was then quickly called away to continue his obligations. Yet, just before parting ways, he gathered his courage and asked Olive out for coffee.

And naturally, she quickly accepted with a smile that lit up the room. They exchanged numbers, and as Frederik then walked away, he felt a sense of excitement he hadn't felt in a long time. The anticipation of their upcoming coffee date filled him with a warmth that stayed with him long after he had left the arena.

_

Flashback to October 2021

Frederik and Olive's first coffee date was nothing short of blissful. They sat across from each other in a cosy café, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the warmth of their conversation. The café itself was charming, with exposed brick walls adorned with local artwork and soft jazz music playing in the background. And from the moment they started talking, time seemed to slip away unnoticed.

Frederik was genuinely fascinated by Olive's travels and her passion for writing. He listened intently as she animatedly described her favourite destinations and the stories she hoped to tell through her works. Olive's eyes lit up as she recounted her adventures in Paris, her quiet retreat in a small village in Tuscany, and the bustling markets of Marrakech. She shared stories of the characters she had met along the way, the inspiration they provided for her writing, and her dream of publishing a novel one day.

In return, Olive found herself captivated by Frederik's hockey experiences, his dedication to his craft, and the unwavering support of his family in his success. He shared tales from his childhood in Denmark, where his father first introduced him to the sport, and the journey that led him from local rinks to the NHL. Frederik spoke passionately about the thrill of his first professional game, the camaraderie among his teammates, and the sacrifices he had made to pursue his passion.

And as the evening drew to a close, neither of them wanted the night to end. They lingered outside the café, reluctant to part ways, with the city lights casting a soft glow around them, creating a magical atmosphere. Then with a shy smile, Frederik asked Olive if she would like to meet again.

"Definitely," she replied quickly, her heart fluttering with excitement.

And about a week later, they met for dinner at a quaint restaurant tucked away in a quiet corner of Raleigh. The atmosphere was intimate, with flickering candlelight casting a soft glow over their faces as they continued to talk and laugh effortlessly.

The restaurant's rustic charm, featuring wooden beams and vintage décor, added to the sense of intimacy as they discovered common interests and a shared sense of humour that strengthened their connection. They laughed over their mutual love for different cuisines, shared their favourite books and music, and debated quirky action films.

“No way,” Olive insisted. “Die Hard is NOT a Christmas movie.”

Frederik chuckled. “Well, it does take place during a Christmas party, and it’s listed under the category of Christmas classics on Disney+, so… that settles it.”

Olive shook her head. “Well, they seriously need to do some proper research then.”

From the moment they met, Frederik was charmed by Olive's wit and intelligence, while Olive admired Frederik's humility and genuine kindness. Their connection was undeniable, and neither felt any awkwardness or doubt as they spent hour after hour together.

However, as weeks turned into months, the demands of Frederik's hockey season took precedence. His schedule was filled with training sessions, games, and team commitments, leaving little time for leisurely dates and quiet moments with Olive. Days became a whirlwind of practices, strategy meetings, and travel for away games, and Frederik found himself constantly on the move, with little opportunity to catch his breath.

Despite his best intentions, maintaining regular contact with Olive became a challenge. Text messages went unanswered for hours, and plans for meet-ups were often postponed. Frederik knew he was letting her slip through his fingers, but the relentless pace of the season left him torn between his passion for hockey and his growing feelings for her.

Meanwhile, Olive began to feel uncertainty creeping in. While she cherished the moments they had shared and the connection they had formed, she couldn't shake the feeling of being sidelined as the hockey season intensified. She tried to understand Frederik's commitments, but deep down, she couldn't help feeling neglected and unimportant.

Many evenings were spent alone, reminiscing about their time together, and Olive found herself drafting texts to him, only to delete them out of fear of appearing needy and clingy. The growing silence between them became deafening, amplifying her doubts and insecurities.

So, as weeks turned into months, Olive reluctantly started to distance herself emotionally. She convinced herself that their relationship was merely a fleeting romance—a beautiful chapter in her life, but not meant to last. She buried her feelings, telling herself that perhaps Frederik had never felt as strongly for her as she had hoped. Then turning to her writing, Olive used her emotions as fuel for her stories, seeking solace in her creative expression.

Their once vibrant connection began to fade, replaced by a bittersweet ache of what could have been. Despite sensing the shift in Olive's demeanour, Frederik felt powerless to bridge the growing gap between them amidst the demands of his career and the pressures of the season. He missed her laughter, her stories, and the way she grounded him, but changing the situation seemed beyond his control.

And as the hockey season reached its peak, Frederik and Olive found themselves drifting further apart, their love story seemingly slipping away into memories and what-ifs. The initial spark that had brought them together dimmed under the weight of unspoken words and missed opportunities, leaving both with a lingering sense of loss.

_

Flashback to December 2021

As Frederik had finally settled into his role within the team and achieved a better balance between his career and personal life, thoughts of Olive quickly returned to occupy his mind. It had been two months since their paths had diverged, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he had let something special slip away. Determined to make amends, he gathered his courage and reached out to her, hoping for an opportunity to reconnect.

To his surprise and relief, Olive agreed to meet him again. She approached this reunion cautiously, wary of opening herself up to potential hurt once more. Despite her reservations, she found herself unable to resist Frederik's gentle persistence and the lingering memories of their time together.

So, for their next outing, Frederik suggested ice skating, eager to make up for their awkward first encounter on the ice. Arriving at the rink with a mix of excitement and nerves, Olive felt a flutter of anticipation as she laced up her skates beside Frederik. He flashed her a reassuring smile, his warm honey-brown eyes filled with determination to make this experience memorable for both of them.

And sensing her slight struggles, Frederik then knelt before her, gently taking over to tie her skates properly. It felt almost like a Cinderella moment for Olive as she gazed down at Frederik, who effortlessly secured the laces. And she couldn't help but feel a rush of affectionate emotions within her.

"There you go," he interrupted her thoughts, looking up with a smile. "All sorted?"

Olive nodded eagerly, "Absolutely."

Then stepping onto the ice, Frederik took Olive's hand in his, his touch tender and supportive as he guided her patiently, explaining the basics of balance and movement. His voice became a comforting backdrop to the sounds of blades slicing through the ice.

Olive chuckled at her initial wobbles, finding reassurance in his encouraging words and steady grip. And as they glided across the rink together, Frederik led with the grace born of years spent on the ice, and Olive followed his lead, gaining confidence with each lap they completed. Their laughter mingled as they shared in the delight of their newfound rhythm, the awkwardness of their first attempt melting away in the warmth of their shared smiles.

After a few laps around the ice, they paused to catch their breath, leaning against the rink's railings. Frederik's eyes sparkled with admiration as he looked at Olive, proud of her progress and the passion she displayed for something he cherished deeply. They exchanged stories and laughter, savouring the simple pleasure of being together again in this moment of shared joy.

And by the end of their date, Olive felt a sense of achievement she hadn't anticipated. Not only had she improved her skating skills under Frederik's patient guidance, but she also felt closer to him than ever before. The spark of their connection had reignited amidst the playful banter and shared triumphs on the ice, leaving them both with a renewed sense of closeness and affection.

As they left the rink, hand in hand, she just couldn’t help but marvel at how Frederik had transformed what could have been a daunting experience into a cherished memory. Once again, she found herself drawn to his easy charm and genuine kindness. Yet, she guarded her heart, reminding herself that they were embarking on a fresh start—a new beginning without expectations of where it might lead.

Frederik felt a deep sense of contentment. The day had surpassed his expectations, not just in reigniting their connection but in reaffirming the bond they shared. So, as they strolled away from the rink, the night air crisp and filled with promise, he suddenly halted and spoke with confidence.

"Hey Liv."

"Yes, Freddie?"

But Frederik didn’t really need to say anything. Instead, with gallantry and genuine care, he simply stole a tender kiss from her—a gesture he had contemplated all day but hadn’t dared to attempt until he was sure she desired him as much as he desired her.

Needless to say, Olive eagerly returned the kiss with equal longing.

Fortunately, their next meeting came less than a week later, and this time it was at a Hurricanes home game in the PNC Arena. The atmosphere was tense as the team faced off against the New York Islanders, but despite their best efforts, the Canes suffered a disappointing loss. The crowd, which had been electric with anticipation all night, now buzzed with the sting of defeat as everyone gradually dispersed from their seats.

Frederik's emotions were raw after the game. He didn’t want Olive to witness his vulnerability so soon after reconnecting, to see him like that. But as she approached him in the corridor with a comforting smile, he couldn't resist the pull of her empathy and genuine care. So, instinctively, he pulled her into a tight hug, seeking comfort in her presence.

"Hey, you did amazing, Freddie," Olive said, looking up at him as he released his arms from around her smaller frame.

"I know," he sighed deeply. "But a loss is still a loss."

Olive tried her best to muster a smile in the face of disappointment. "Well, the good thing about hitting rock bottom is that at least it can't get any worse."

Frederik couldn’t help but let a smile appear on his lips, her words both comforting and amusing. And as they made their way out of the arena, Frederik insisted on driving Olive home, to which she happily accepted. However, neither of them wanted the night to end on a sombre note, so Olive invited him inside her apartment.

The small space was cosy and filled with personal touches—framed photos, shelves lined with books, and soft, ambient lighting that created an inviting atmosphere. And in the quiet intimacy of Olive's living room, they swiftly engaged in heartfelt conversations that ranged from hockey to their deepest aspirations and fears. 

Olive shared her recent writing submission to the local paper, expressing her dreams of building a career beyond bartending and the fears that sometimes held her back. Frederik, in turn, opened up about the pressures of his career, the constant demand to perform, and the uncertainty of what lay ahead after his time in the NHL. 

It was a tender evening marked by sensitive topics, and as their emotions lay bare, their connection only deepened, culminating in a tender kiss.

Surprising even herself, Olive let go of her reservations, allowing their kiss to deepen into something more passionate and consuming. In that moment, their physical desire mirrored the emotional intensity they had both been denying themselves for so long. Each touch and caress spoke volumes of their longing and the bond they shared.

Then with unspoken understanding and mutual consent, they moved to Olive's bedroom, where their bodies eagerly intertwined in an expression that transcended mere physical attraction. Frederik took his time undressing her, studying every curve of her body as his fingers gently explored her smooth skin, gradually exposing more of her.

Meanwhile, Olive found herself unable to suppress her desire for him. Each touch and caress ignited a deeper longing, and as she helped him discard his clothing as well, she savoured the feel of his muscles beneath her palms. 

No words were necessary as their eyes locked in a tender gaze, a profound connection as Frederik positioned himself above her on the mattress. Then without hesitation, he lined himself up with her entrance and eased himself into her, causing moans to escape them both as their bodies joined together. With every movement, every thrust and kiss, the heat between them intensified. Their lovemaking was tender yet passionate, a culmination of deep, raw lust and heartfelt emotions for one another.

As they moved together in sync, quickening the pace and getting closer to the brim of ecstacy, their moans grew deeper and louder, names slipping off their tongues. Then with a few more final pounds, they managed to reach an intense climax together, a rush filling their minds as they breathed heavily and allowed euphoria to take over. 

And in the serene aftermath, nestled in each other's embrace, Frederik and Olive found solace in the warmth of their connection, the steady rhythm of their breathing echoing softly in the room. As they drifted into sleep, intertwined and content, they realised they were no longer merely skirting around their emotions—they were diving headfirst into the depths of a love that had patiently been waiting.

_

Flashback to February 2022

Olive experienced every moment with Frederik Andersen as a whirlwind of emotions and passion. Their dates were filled with laughter, deep conversations, and an increasing sense of closeness that left her breathless. Day by day, she found herself falling deeper in love with him, his presence becoming both comforting and exhilarating in her life.

Their physical connection was undeniable, each touch igniting a fire within her unlike anything she had felt before, as Frederik's tender caresses and passionate embraces brought her to heights of pleasure she had only dreamed of. It was in those intimate moments, she felt a connection that went beyond the physical—a deep bond that whispered promises of forever.

Olive simply found herself completely in love and believed she had found her soulmate in Frederik. She cherished their time together, treasuring every stolen kiss and shared glance as precious moments. In his arms, she felt safe, cherished, and truly alive.

However, Frederik was struggling with his own internal battle. While he cared deeply for Olive, and possibly even loved her, he couldn't ignore the demands of his hockey career. And as their relationship grew, he felt torn between being a devoted boyfriend to her and giving his all to his training and team responsibilities.

So, after navigating this delicate balance for several months, which included sharing meaningful moments during the Christmas season, Frederik came to a painful realisation. He knew that continuing their relationship would mean sacrificing valuable time and focus on his career—a sacrifice he wasn't prepared to make.

And caught in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, Frederik wrestled with how to best handle the situation. Part of him considered reducing their time together, hoping Olive would understand his need to prioritise hockey. Yet, after agonising over the decision, he ultimately concluded that ending their relationship was the kindest option, sparing Olive from further heartache and disappointment.

With a heavy heart, Frederik then explained to her that he needed to focus on his career and couldn't give her the time and commitment she deserved. 

Olive was completely blindsided by his decision. She had believed their love was deep and meaningful, capable of overcoming ayn challenges including his demanding career. So, naturally, the sudden breakup left her reeling with a mix of anger, betrayal, and heartbreak.

She struggled to understand how their seemingly profound connection could be discarded so easily. In her anguish, she felt deceived and used, convinced that Frederik had viewed her as a temporary distraction—a fleeting amusement with no lasting significance.

Beneath her hurt, anger simmered not only towards Frederik but also towards herself for believing so blindly in a love that seemed one-sided. Rejection wounded her deeply, shaking her self-worth and trust in her own judgement.

Despite the ache in her heart, Olive sought solace in the memories they had created—the laughter, passion, and genuine moments of connection. So, as she navigated the aftermath of their breakup, she made a solemn vow to protect herself from further heartache. She resolved to focus on healing, rebuilding her confidence, and learning to trust again—knowing that with time, the pain would ease and she would emerge stronger.

For now, however, the wound remained raw, and the weight of lost love hung heavily on her soul.

_

Flashback to April 2022

Months passed, and Olive gradually began to mend her broken heart. She tried to distract herself with casual flings and meaningless encounters in an effort to fill the void left by Frederik's abrupt departure. Yet, no matter how hard she tried to move forward, reminders of him persisted in her life.

As the goaltender for the city's beloved hockey team, Frederik Andersen was omnipresent in the media and among her friends, many of whom were avid fans. Olive couldn't escape reminders of him—the sight of his face on billboards, mentions of his name in conversations, and the ache in her heart whenever she watched him play.

Her mornings started with glimpses of him on TV highlights, a reminder of their shared passion for life. During lunches with friends, his name inevitably came up, forcing her to mask her discomfort with forced smiles and polite nods. Evenings brought photos of him on social media, where friends shared moments of his public life that she felt painfully excluded from.

Olive had never fully confided in her friends about the depth of her heartbreak, brushing off their gentle inquiries with a simple explanation that their relationship had ended due to his demanding schedule—partially true. However, her friends could see through her façade, sensing the pain that flickered in her eyes whenever Frederik's name arose. And their supportive embraces and silent understanding provided some solace amid the tumultuous emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

One evening, her friends managed to convince her to join them for another Hurricanes home game. By then, Olive had grown somewhat numb to the sharp sting of seeing Frederik on the ice, resigned to the ache in her heart that seemed to have taken up permanent residence.

And as the game progressed, Frederik focused on his performance and the team's objectives. Yet, during a break, as he came to scan the crowd, his gaze suddenly locked onto Olive's familiar face in one of the  front rows. In that instant, the weight of remorse and regret crashed over him like a tidal wave.

When the final buzzer sounded, Frederik's resolve solidified. He knew he needed to speak to Olive, to apologise for the pain he had caused her. So, approaching her cautiously, his heart racing with nerves and determination, he messaged her asking if she could meet him in the locker room after the game.

But Olive couldn't face him so soon. The wounds were still fresh, the emotions raw. So, with a gentle yet firm refusal, she declined his invitation, unsure if she could maintain her composure in his presence.

Despite her reluctance, fate intervened yet again a few days later when Frederik found himself dining at the restaurant where Olive worked. And this time, their paths couldn't avoid crossing. Accompanied by friends, managers, and his agent, Frederik's presence made it impossible for Olive to avoid the unexpected - and perhaps awkward, encounter.

Hours passed as she watched him from the bar, her heart still aching. So ,seeking solace, Olive slipped out behind the restaurant for fresh air, but only to find Frederik following her.

"You shouldn’t be out here," she said firmly, crossing her arms as he approached gently.

"I needed to see you," he said softly, taking a small step forward. 

"Freddie, please, I can’t do this..."

Despite her protest, Frederik moved closer to her. His expression was earnest, his eyes filled with regret and longing. And before she could object further, he pulled her into his arms with force, his lips meeting hers in a kiss that reignited a fire she thought had died.

Passionate and fueled by desire, the kiss brought forth unresolved emotions. Olive struggled against conflicting feelings, torn between past hurt and their undeniable chemistry. Yet, instinctively, her arms found Frederik’s neck, deepening the kiss.

And as the night unfolded, they found themselves back at Olive's apartment, their bodies entwined in a frenzy of longing and need. Their lovemaking was intense, a physical manifestation of the longing and desire that had simmered beneath the surface for months. 

Just like many times before, it felt so effortlessly easy to allow their bodies to melt together. With Olive straddling Frederik, she moved with determination and deep breaths, their moans harmonising while approaching their climaxes. 

Yet, in need for more closeness, Frederik swiftly turned them over into missionary, where he held his face close to hers, thrusting with force and vigorous motions till they both reached the peak in a symphony. 

And in the aftermath of their passionate reunion, Olive found herself whispering those two words that held both vulnerability and hope: "Please, stay."

Frederik knew he shouldn't have stayed. He owed her honesty about where they stood. But in that moment, holding her close, feeling the warmth of her against him, he couldn't leave. She was the love he craved, the one person he couldn’t let go of.

So, they fell asleep together, wrapped in each other's arms, finding solace in shared intimacy.

However, when Olive woke the next morning, she found herself alone in bed. Frederik had left quietly, only leaving behind a simple message: "I'm sorry."

The words echoed in Olive's mind as she lay there, her heart aching with a familiar pain. She had allowed herself to hope for a second chance at love. Yet, Frederik's departure left her grappling once more with uncertainty and heartbreak, questioning if their love story was destined to be fleeting rather than enduring.

_

Flashback to May 2021

For seven turbulent months, Olive experienced the unpredictable highs and lows of love and heartbreak, all because of Frederik Andersen. She had tasted the bliss of their intense connection and endured the pain of his repeated departures. Despite the hurt he caused, she couldn't ignore the enduring love she still felt.

So, to heal her broken heart and move forward, Olive found solace in Colin—a dependable man who offered her security and the attention she craved. Their relationship blossomed, giving her the comfort and stability she had lacked during her tumultuous time with Frederik.

And immersed in this new relationship, Olive gradually regained her confidence and found moments of happiness. Colin was attentive, always ready to listen to her thoughts and dreams, in stark contrast to Frederik's unpredictable presence.

However, despite her growing affection for Colin, she couldn't completely erase Frederik from her heart. Memories of their passionate connection and emotional bond lingered, casting a shadow over her newfound stability. She wrestled with guilt, questioning the fairness of her lingering feelings for Frederik towards Colin.

So, navigating this emotional maze, Olive struggled with conflicting desires, torn between her past and present, unsure of where her true feelings lay.

But as always fate intervened one evening as Frederik unexpectedly saw Olive at a bar during a rare free night in Raleigh. Her laughter and smiles quickly caught his attention, stirring jealousy as he watched her with Colin, making him torn between bantering with his teammates and the painful realisation of what he had lost.

Every laugh, every touch between Olive and Colin felt like a dagger twisting in Frederik's chest, a reminder of the love he had let slip away. His heart ached with longing and regret, unable to bear seeing Olive move on without him.

And so, driven by desperation and needing to confront his feelings, Frederik sought a private moment with her. He found her in a quiet corner of the pub, softly lit by a nearby lamp, and reached out to gently grasp her wrist.

“Liv!” 

"Freddie, please don’t!" Olive exclaimed firmly, trying to pull away, but he held on.

"I’m sorry, but I just can't bear to see you with someone else, please talk to me,” his voice cracked with emotion.

Olive's heart wrenched at the sight of Frederik, vulnerable and exposed. Tears welled in her eyes as she struggled against the surge of desire threatening to engulf her once more. But she knew she had to be strong, to protect herself from the pain he had unintentionally caused.

"No, Freddie," she protested, her voice trembling as she withdrew her hand. "I can't do this anymore."

Her words echoed through the corridor, a painful declaration of finality amidst the noise of the crowded bar. With tears streaming down her face, Olive turned away from Frederik, but he grabbed her arm again, preventing her from leaving.

"Just listen to me..." he pleaded softly, filled with anguish.

Frederik's heart shattered at her rejection. He tried to explain, to beg for another chance, to convey the depth of his feelings and the turmoil within him. But Olive had reached her limit. She could no longer wait for Frederik to prioritise their relationship over his career and uncertainties.

"I'm done, Freddie. I'm done waiting for you," she declared, her voice a mix of grief and determination.

And as she walked away, leaving Frederik alone in the corridor, he was consumed by profound loss and regret. For the first time, he truly felt the weight of his actions—the pain he had caused her, the love he had lost.

In that moment of clarity, Frederik understood the enormity of Olive's love and the depth of his mistakes. He had sacrificed the one relationship that had made him feel alive, and haunted by her words and his own regrets, he vowed to learn from his mistakes. 

But for now, all he could do was stand there, grappling with the ache in his heart, knowing he had shattered the heart of the woman he loved the most.

_

Flashback Continued

The hockey season was reaching its peak, with the Carolina Hurricanes deeply entrenched in a pivotal playoff battle. Frederik Andersen, their dependable goalie, felt the pressure and nerves building as he prepared for the game that could define their postseason fate, as tonight wasn't just about a simple win or loss; it was about advancing to the next round or facing an early end to their season.

Frederik's mind buzzed with strategy and anticipation as he stepped onto the ice, the thunderous cheers of the home crowd echoing through the arena. Each save he made brought a rush of adrenaline, a mix of relief and determination to keep the Hurricanes competitive. Yet beneath his focused exterior, thoughts of Olive lingered—a poignant distraction that fuelled his drive to succeed while stirring up unresolved emotions.

Meanwhile, in the stands, Olive sat at the edge of her seat beside Colin, her gaze fixed on Frederik as he moved swiftly and decisively in goal. Her initial casual interest in hockey had evolved into genuine passion over the past many months, ignited by Frederik's skill and the intensity of playoff hockey. Despite her efforts to conceal it, Colin couldn't ignore the subtle changes in Olive's demeanour whenever the goalie made a crucial save or endured the disappointment of a goal against.

And as the game intensified and emotions ran high, Olive found herself torn between the thrill of the Hurricanes' offensive surges and the ache in her heart whenever Frederik faced relentless shots. She stole brief glances at Colin, aware of the unspoken tension between them—a delicate balance disrupted by Frederik's undeniable hold on her.

The Hurricanes fought fiercely, but midway through the third period, disaster struck as Frederik was substituted—a crushing blow for any goalie. His frustration was palpable as he slammed his stick on the rink railing on his way to the locker room, burdened by the weight of the team's playoff hopes.

And watching Frederik's despondent demeanour from the stands stirred a familiar ache in Olive's chest—a mix of empathy for his disappointment and a desire to comfort him. She felt torn, caught between her loyalty to Colin and the lingering emotions she still harboured for Frederik.

But then when the opposing team scored yet another goal, dashing any hope of a comeback, Olive's resolve wavered. Deciding on excusing herself from her seat, she made her way towards the locker room, driven by an irresistible urge to find Frederik amidst the playoff game chaos.

And navigating the familiar maze-like corridors of the arena, she finally reached the locker room area, where Frederik would be reflecting on his performance. The sound of subdued voices and equipment filled the air as she cautiously approached the doorway to the team's inner sanctum.

There he sat, alone in his stall, still clad in his gear, head bowed in contemplation. Yet, as he glanced up and saw Olive standing in the doorway, tears welling in her eyes, Frederik's heart skipped a beat.

"Liv," he murmured softly, his voice tinged with fragile hope.

Solid tears streamed down Olive's cheeks as she struggled to compose herself. She had come intending to offer comfort, but now as she was so close to him once more, she was overwhelmed by a rush of emotions—the months of shared memories, the lingering warmth of their connection, and the ache of their tumultuous past.

Frederik then swiftly rose from the seat and cautiously approached her. And with no words spoken, Olive instinctively rushed to close the distance between them, drawn to the familiarity and solace Frederik offered in his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up in a close, desperate union that spoke of longing, regret, and unspoken love.

Their lips met in a passionate kiss, her hands finding their way into Frederik's hair as she held him tightly, unwilling to let go.

Then breaking away from the heated kiss, they stood breathless. Olive knew she couldn't stay, couldn't betray Colin's trust, yet a part of her yearned to linger in Frederik's embrace forever.

"Please, stay..." Frederik pleaded, his voice filled with desperation and vulnerability. "Liv, I want you. I need you… I can’t be without you…"

Tears continued to stream down Olive's cheeks as she struggled with the torment of her conflicted emotions. "Freddie... I can't," she whispered hoarsely. "You'll just hurt me again..."

But Frederik held her tightly, his eyes pleading for her understanding. "No, not this time, Olive. I love you..."

"I love you too, Freddie," she simply confessed, her voice barely audible amidst the storm of emotions within her.

They sealed their renewed bond with another heartfelt kiss, but Olive knew she couldn't continue deceiving Colin. Despite the pain it would cause, she had to be honest with him about her feelings for Frederik. It wasn't fair to him, nor to herself, to deny the depth of her love for the man who had captured her heart months ago.

And as the Hurricanes faced an early playoff exit, Frederik and Olive sought solace in each other's arms that night, rekindling their passion amidst the echoes of disappointment.

Together, they embraced the uncertainty of their future, knowing that their love story was far from over—it was just beginning.

_

Present 2025 - The Wedding

Three years had passed swiftly, filled with love, challenges, and unwavering commitment.

As Olive concluded her heartfelt speech, basking in the applause from their friends and family, she couldn't suppress the radiant smile that spread across her face. While Frederik, her anchor and soulmate, sat beside her, his eyes filled with admiration and love.

The venue, adorned in soft hues of ivory and gold, resonated with the tender emotions of the occasion. And Olive's voice carried with a blend of sincerity and gratitude as she thanked their loved ones for their steadfast support and recounted cherished memories of their journey together. Her words were interspersed with laughter and tears, each moment affirming the depth of their bond.

Frederik knew he couldn't match Olive's speech with words alone. Despite help from loved ones in composing his own speech, he grappled with expressing the simplicity and sincerity that defined his feelings. So, rising from his seat, he briefly glanced at his notes, the inked words reflecting his devotion and the path they had walked together.

"I've never been one for lengthy speeches…" Frederik began, his voice steady with emotion. "And I'm sure many of you here know that. But that's okay, because..." He paused, taking a deep breath. "The only thing that truly matters, the only thing I need to say, is that... I love you, Liv. I have loved you from the moment I first saw you, even when I didn't trust myself to love." His gaze locked onto Olive's, their eyes meeting in a shared moment.

A reassuring smile spread across her face as she listened intently, her heart swelling with the weight of his words. Frederik’s voice grew stronger with each heartfelt sentence, resonating with the depth of their shared experiences. "I've never quite understood why you chose me," he continued, his tone filled with humility and adoration. "But I've stopped questioning it. What matters is that we chose each other. And I promise, with all my heart, to be the best husband I can be for you, for the rest of our lives."

Their love story wasn't a simple fairy tale romance devoid of challenges or imperfections. It was real, raw, and deeply meaningful—a journey marked by growth, forgiveness, and unwavering commitment. It was a testament to their resilience, having weathered every storm together, emerging stronger and more deeply in love each time.

The End

[stereax]

is there a reason why Carolina is losing all their affiliates???

Other than being assholes to Erik Haula?

Okay, but in all seriousness, there's a short answer and a long one.

The short answer is two words long: Pyotr Kochetkov.

The long answer? Meet me under the cut.

Alright, hi there. So to answer this question fully, we need to talk about the AHL in depth. The AHL, or American Hockey League, is the second-highest league of North American pro hockey, under the NHL. Most people tend to believe it's just "where prospects play before they hit the NHL". This is... only a part of the story.

There are 32 teams in the AHL to match 32 NHL teams. The idea there is that every NHL team would have an AHL affiliate - the most recent expansion, for example, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, is the AHL affiliate for the newest NHL team, the Seattle Kraken. Many of these teams are owned by the same group as owns the NHL team - Harris Blitzer, for example, owns both the New Jersey Devils and the Utica Comets. Others don't - the AHL's Charlotte Checkers, for instance, are owned by Michael Kahn, whereas their NHL affiliate, the Florida Panthers, is owned by Sunrise Sports (aka Vincent Viola).

Why is this important? Well, if you're an NHL team that owns your AHL team, you can let that AHL team leak money. You're turning a good profit on the NHL team, so you don't have to make your AHL team economically viable on its own - you just put it in as a massive tax write-off and go on with your day. Thus, you can put all of your AHL team's resources into developing your AHL players to get ready to play at the NHL level. Of course you sign some vets and such of your own, maybe get a few undrafted guys for the AHL team too, but generally, an NHL-owned AHL team's sole purpose is to develop NHL players. Winning the Calder Cup (the AHL equivalent to the Stanley Cup, not to be confused with the Calder Memorial Trophy given to the best NHL rookie) is just gravy on top.

Contrast this to independently-owned AHL teams, where this is not the case. For these teams, making money is paramount. How do you make money? When you win. Fun fact - the Chicago Wolves, incidentally, used to be televised on main channels partially as a fuck you to Bill Wirtz, who didn't let the Chicago Blackhawks' home games be televised, presumably to drive ticket sales. The Wolves saw that and pounced on the opportunity to make some cash. So if nothing else, love them for sticking it to the Hawks. You can still watch Wolves games on My50, it seems, if you've got that channel, as well as AHL streaming options.

But back to independently-owned AHL teams before I go on my daily anti-Hawks crusade. You want to make money. You do that when you win. When you make the postseason. When you win in the postseason. Independently-owned AHL teams want to win, not necessarily develop for the NHL. So when your NHL team keeps taking your best player away for weeks and then giving him back... you get annoyed.

Now let's play Chicago Wolves Simulator. You are Don Levin and Buddy Meyers, the Wolves' owners. Your goal is to win the Calder Cup or at least come pretty damn close so you can pay the bills. You have a good team - hell, you won the Calder last year! - but your best asset is this star goaltender named Pyotr Kochetkov. When Koochie's in net, you usually win because he bails out your team. When he isn't there to help you win, you kind of don't. Now, Carolina's going through its own issues in net, so they keep calling Koochie up and down. And, as previously mentioned, you kind of suck without Koochie. To be fair, you're not all that great with him, but you suck without him. And you have no control over when he goes up to Carolina, even just to sit on the bench.

You miss the playoffs by one point. One. And your three-year contract with the Canes is up. What do you do?

Waddell Young, GM of the Wolves, says their philosophy and the Canes' fundamentally differed. The Wolves develop and win. Winning develops, to them. The Canes wanted the Wolves to focus solely on development. Not winning. So, when their deal with the Canes was up, the Wolves said "no thanks, we're not going to continue this, we're going independent". This decision makes them the first non-NHL affiliated team in almost 30 years. Now, this isn't to say all independently-owned AHL teams are doomed to fail in partnerships because of divergent philosophies. Look at the Hershey Bears and the Washington Capitals for a prime example of that - the Bears are one of the best teams in the AHL and have won four Calder Cups with the Caps as their affiliates since their affiliation began in 2005. But the Wolves were quite unhappy with the Canes, and so the two split. Also notable is that the Canes have also poisoned the waters with who should be their local AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, to the point where the Checkers affiliated with the Panthers instead. So... there's that.

So what can the Canes now do with non-roster players? They can affiliate with another AHL team (co-affiliation); one instance of this was when the Seattle Kraken affiliated with the Charlotte Checkers in 21-22 because the Coachella Valley Firebirds weren't yet ready. Supposedly the plan is to get an affiliate for 24-25. But what do they do this year? Especially if they can't find an affiliate to share, which seems more and more likely as the summer drags on? Well, you can't sign players to two-way deals with the Wolves anymore, so you can't really keep veterans around in the AHL to call up if needed. So you... sign nine defensemen to NHL contracts and carry them on the roster at all times. Yep. Don Waddell, Canes GM, has basically stated outright that his roster is probably going to have to carry 22 or 23 players at all times to be sure to have replacements in case of injury. And your prospects? They either go to Europe, where they're basically inaccessible for the whole year, or you loan them to other AHL clubs. Waddell has said plans are in place with several teams to send 2 or 3 players each to several different AHL clubs. For your youngest, they go back to major junior in the CHL and related leagues. Same for your veterans - if you want to keep them, you'll have to sign them one-way (I believe) and then loan them down to scattered AHL teams across the league. Prospects who you could have signed to play in the AHL and develop? You're probably going to have to let them go to free agency (see: Kevin Wall, leading player for Penn State and Carolina draft pick, who just inked a deal with the Milwaukee Admirals, AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators). And then you can send your worse prospects to your ECHL tea- wait. Oops. They just lost that too. Can't do that either. Well, shit.

And remember, one of the Canes' biggest assets is their system of play (with strong defense) that they execute well. The Wolves needed to teach their players the Canes' system and prepare them so the jump from AHL to NHL wouldn't be that tough. The Canes put their coaches on the Wolves for that purpose (the Wolves have since cleaned house and instated their own). Loaning your players to another AHL team? Why would that team be incentivized to teach your player(s) the system? So now even when you're calling up someone to play for the Canes, you have no idea how well they know the system and no idea how well they can play in it.

This now begs the other question - how will the Wolves fill their roster? Well, they've got options. Generally, an AHL team takes the prospects of its NHL affiliate and then fills the rest of the roster with AHL veteran free agents that the AHL team signs to AHL-only deals. But without an NHL team, it's a smidge more complicated, or perhaps easier. Firstly, other NHL teams can loan their prospects to the Wolves instead of their own AHL teams if they consider the Wolves better at developing them, for instance. The Wolves can now also sign whatever free agent players they find roaming around that could be a good fit for their team - undrafted college players, good ECHL players that can't seem to get called up enough, AHL veterans, players on European teams (especially Russians who might want the chance to get the fuck out of Russia) and so on. These free agent players could see the Wolves as a stable AHL team that can pay solid money (the AHL doesn't have a cap) with a strong chance at contending for the Calder as well as a possible stepping stone to an NHL contract. The Wolves also don't have to worry about these free agents taking ice time away from the Canes' prospects, who would need to be prioritized under an affiliation, which would also be a strong incentive for AHL free agent veterans to sign with them - they'd be able to get a truly fair chance, unlike under an affiliate system where prospects are the priority and free agents are generally playing fewer (and worse) minutes.

And remember - Chicago just drafted Bedard. The city's getting back into hockey and Hawks tickets are expensive. Want to watch some quality hockey on the cheap? Why not come to Wolves games! They're only 18 miles away from the Hawks, too!

Let's now talk about the ECHL and the Norfolk Admirals. Thankfully, this is going to be a lot simpler. The ECHL, unlike the AHL, has only 28 teams. This means 4 NHL teams don't have an ECHL team. In addition, very few, if any, ECHL teams are owned by their NHL affiliates. This further incentivizes them to play for profit (winning the Kelly Cup, the ECHL version of the Stanley Cup) instead of development. On top of this, relatively few ECHL players actually make it to the NHL. ECHL affiliates change fairly frequently, especially due to many of the teams folding because of financial issues (most recently the Brampton Beast, Manchester Monarchs, and Quad City Mallards). So if an ECHL team decides to drop its NHL affiliate, or vice versa, there are four other suitors, all of whom would probably want to pay the ECHL team decent money to be their associate. For the Admirals, it's easy - they see the Canes lose their AHL affiliate and decide they'd rather take the Jets' offer instead, whether it be for the money (Carolina's supposedly notoriously stingy) or for the security. It's just really fucking funny that it happens at the same time Carolina loses their AHL team. Get fucked lol.

TL;DR stan the Wolves for rejecting the system. Canes Suck.

[cellythefloshie]

;; All I Want Dedicated to @callsign-denmark for her birthday bingo

Summary: This year, to make it easy on her family, Claire is celebrating her birthday in Raleigh. She would prefer a more private event, something just for family, but when your brother was the Captain of an NHL team: family extended to a roster of 21 she barely knew - including goaltender Frederick Andersen. M's Bingo Card Tropes: Whirl-wind romance, Captain’s sister, FreeSpace - children/babies (Claire's nieces and nephews), “Let’s celebrate tonight”, “please stay”, Summer Birthday Kinks & TW: age gap, love at first sight, soulmates, in public (briefly), thigh riding, alcohol consumption (no mentions of intoxication), sundress season, virginity/first time, size kink/height difference (5'2 & 6'4), vaginal fingering, praise kink, unprotected sex (are we even going to pretend to be surprised by this?), implied heels kink, pet name: flower. Original Character: Claire is the baby sister of the Staal family. Face Claim: Dove Cameron. Word Count: 8.6k+ A/N: Happy birthday girlie! I hope that this little (ha) story I've put together for you fulfils your birthday bingo dreams and more! Also, damn you! The sinful things I thought about this man while writing this. There is no going back after this one. And full disclosure this was based solely on like 1 interview I watched and a handful of pictures on the internet because I know next to nothing about Freddie BUT I like to think I did a pretty damn good job with him. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to celebrate your day with you! 🎉

Playlist.

Claire didn’t like big birthday parties, but when you were a Staal you didn’t get much of a choice in the matter. Her parents were always in attendance, then came her four older brothers, and with them their wives, and their children. You would think that it would have stopped there, but when your brothers all played in the NHL - and when one happened to be the Captain of the team in the very city she was holding her little get-together - players or two were bound to show up as family. Claire didn’t mind all that much, she liked the guys Jordan played with and it always made for an entertaining night - even if that meant feeling like a bystander at her own birthday party. 

Without knowing for sure just how many people would show up, her parents had taken the opportunity to reserve a private patio as her restaurant of choice - and it made Claire all the more sound with her choice to wear the light and flowy blue sundress patterned with daisies. It had been a dress she had been looking for an excuse to wear. The skirt of the dress stopped just above her knees, and the bodice was fitted to show her figure without being too heavy on her skin. The Carolina heat would weigh on her enough throughout the evening, she didn’t need an uncomfortable outfit to ruin her night. Instead, she would leave that to her shoes. 

Claire was small. Standing merely 5’2, she had been dwarfed by every single one of her brothers who stood at 6’4. The moment she had stopped growing, she had committed to a lifetime of being someone who had to wear heels. She wore them wherever she needed them, no matter how uncomfortable or impractical they may be, and had mastered the art of walking and running in them. Which was already coming in handy as the night was young as she was chasing around her all too energetic nieces and nephews. 

For the most part, the 12 children, varying in ages, could entertain themselves - or were glued to the hips of their mothers as they were too young or too shy to venture out onto the open patio space around the table. But Claire, she had a reputation to uphold. As the youngest child, who was proudly single, she was the embodiment of the Fun Aunt. She spoiled them with gifts and wasn’t one to shy away from being a little too rambunctious - even if that meant drawing a little too much attention as everyone arrived. 

“Look who we have here,” the voice had Claire perking up from where her nieces and nephews came at her in an onslaught of affection, demanding to be picked up and swung around or carried on her back, “an overgrown child.”

The playful jab had her beaming, a smile bright as a ray of sunshine as her eyes fell on the culprit, “Brady!”

Skjei had only been on Carolina for a few seasons, but with his history playing with the Rangers alongside her brother Marc, he was a familiar face at family gatherings. “You made it,” she lowered one of the children back to the ground, giving the others a quick apology as she excused herself to greet the Carolina Hurricanes defenceman to her party. 

“Of course,” he smiled, his arms opening wide to welcome Claire into his embrace, “biggest bash of the off-season, when have I ever missed it?”

For a moment, she pondered in his arms. Lips pursed her head tilted from side to side. She couldn’t quite remember the last time she had a birthday without him being there. Marc had invited him all the way back in Skjei’s rookie season when it had been her sweet sixteen. She had a schoolgirl crush on him back then, but now she couldn’t look at him without seeing more than another brother. 

“Never, ever,” she decided after a moment and stepped back from his hold, “so what did you get me?”

Brady scoffed as if she had offended him, “You mean I’m not enough?” Claire shook her head slowly, bouncing her feet with anticipation as she held her hands behind her back. She looked misleadingly sweet, and innocent when in reality she was far from it. “Alright, alright, you got me. Mom took it from me when I got in. You’ll know it’s from me when you open it.” 

“Oh, so it’s a good one,” Claire laughed.

“They always are, aren’t they?”

“Of course,” she pushed his chest playfully before leaning off to the side to look around him, “didn’t drag the team along with you this time?”

“Not many of the guys back in town yet,” he hummed, looked back over his shoulder to where the brothers had gathered, “just Derek and Freddie-”

Claire perked up, “who?”

She knew who, well kind of. Frederick Andersen had been the team’s primary goaltender - except when his injuries had plagued the season - since was signed back in 2021. And while it had been years since that initial contract, she had yet to meet him. Which was a damn shame, because from what she could tell he was gorgeous. 

“You haven’t met Freddie?” Brady raised a brow, his arm around to cradle your back as you both turned in place to try to find him in the crowd. Which wasn’t all that difficult when he towered as tall as her brothers. Her eyes settled on him as he stood by the table with her brother Jordan, and glass in his hand as the two of them shared conversation. Just the sight of the towering Danish goaltender left her stomach aflutter with butterflies. He really was gorgeous with his strawberry blonde hair that was slicked back like James Dean and a smile that left her weak in the knees. 

“Com’on then, let’s go meet him,” Brady’s words were a mere echo in her mind as he pressed against her lower back to ease her into her stride.

She followed his guidance carefully, her every stride bringing her closer to Freddie, and giving her eyes something more to admire. First, she noticed the stubble that framed those lips that she was sure could talk her into anything. Then, was how his t-shirt hung off the strength of his shoulders peaked at his chest before hanging loose around his west. Her eyes travelled down over his hips and she had half the mind to stop there but then she saw her thighs. Claire was left near salivating that how they tested the elasticity of his denim jeans. She had no doubt that they were thick - strong and it only left her wishing he had been wearing shorts just so she could indulge in the sight of them. To see how they flexed when he walked, or how they would spread over his seat as he sat-

“Earth to Claire!” Her mind had been lost, her gaze up on the watercolour skies as her mind wondered only for Jordan’s humoured tone to cut through and end any sinful thought that threatened to overtake her. “You alright there kiddo?”

Claire wrinkled her nose, at the nickname. She was very much a grown woman now, and it was still a nickname she could shake thanks to being the baby of the family. Yet, she didn’t fight him on it and instead spoke out in a soft, apologetic hum, “I’m sorry, I must have just gotten distracted. The sky is just beautiful right now, isn’t it.”

“She is,” the unfamiliar voice left her head snapping in its direction. The two, simple words had slipped from Freddie’s lips, and she couldn’t help but wonder if she had heard them right. Surely, her mind was playing tricks on her and he had said it and not she. Right?

“What was that?” she cocked her head at him, her bright blue eyes raising to meet the sweet chocolate hue of his stare for the first time. Claire had only meant to indulge herself in a quick glance, but the moment her eyes found his her stare was locked for his gaze was down on her as well. The air around her seemed to be lost, her lungs suffocating on the mere presence of him as she waited for even a single word to leave his perfect lips. 

Claire watched as his smile waivered on his lips, curling from a small smirk to a wider grin before settling back into that smug smirk again. She knew in an instant that he wasn’t going to get the answer she was looking for. Instead, she was met by the reach of his large hand, and let his lips part in a simple introduction, “Freddie.”

Her brows were drawn together at the offer - a handshake, really? What was this? A business meeting? Yet, she humoured him, her hand left feeling dainty as it was consumed by his touch. It engulfed her like the overwhelming embrace of an ocean wave. Lungs struggled to take even a single breath as the warmth of his touch consumed every inch of her body. Then, she was lost in his gaze, drawing in every bit of his attention and drowning in it.  Claire held his hand for too long, she knew it and she was sure her brother had noticed too, and yet her touch on his hand remained as she finally manages a slow and steady breath before saying nothing more than her own name.  

“The birthday girl,” Freddie hummed out, and her stomach fluttered. 

Something told Claire that he could call her anything and she would be left swooning. 

“That’s right,” Claire hummed her fingers still lingering on his, failing to let go of his hand, “and I think that means you have to get me a drink.”

Claire hadn’t meant to be so flirtatious with her words, especially not with her brother and Brady standing right there. Yet it left her lips so shamelessly, and her boldness hasn’t failed her. 

Gripping her fingers between his own, Freddie drew her in just close enough to wrap her arm around his so that she held onto the breadth of his forearm so he could guide her off to the bar - leaving Jordan and Brady behind them before either could interject. Her delicate fingers gripped gently at his strength, her heart both dreading having to let go of him and racing at just how he felt between her touch. Touching him felt like the first sip of water after days of needing to drink. It was unlike anything Claire had ever felt from something so simple and it left her breathless as she came to the bar. 

His words were an echo in her mind as he ordered his drink, and then his gaze came down on her again, patiently waiting for her to tell him just what she liked to drink. 

“Paloma, please,” she muttered sweetly, her hand still on his arm as she looked only to him with little acknowledgement to the bartender. 

And when their order was made, and they were left to stand and wait patiently at the bar, Freddie turned so that he was facing her fully and his towering frame leaned up against the bar. The casual tilt brought him a little closer to her level, giving her a good look at the smirk on his lips and the glimmer in her eyes. For a moment, neither of them spoke and just stared. Claire with undoubtedly smitten with him - and maybe if she believed in love at first sight, this would be it. Because the way he stared at her with those sweet brown eyes of his had her convinced that he was feeling it all too. 

“So, birthday girl,” Freddie finally hummed as his frosted glass of amber liquor was placed down in front of him and alongside it the grapefruit garnish contrasted it with its femininity, “what are we drinking to?”

Her hand reached out, tracking hold of the glass before raising it between them, “To my brother for having such generous teammates.”

Freddie chuckled lowly, his large hand wrapping around his glass before he raised it between them. Together they took a shallow sip, their eyes locked. It was almost enough to make her choke, but she managed a slow breath and maintained her composure. 

“Now, hard question,” Claire hummed, taking a small step in, “How’d I get so lucky to have you as a guest at my party?”

She watched as his smile grew as he stole another sip of his drink, “contract negotiations,” he answered simply. 

“I think that means we will have to toast to Don as well.”

“We can save that one for when I sign.”

“Which means I’ll need your phone number,” she bit her tongue as she realized what she had just so blatantly done. She could feel her cheeks flush with colour, her heart thundering with regret. Claire knew better than to hit on her brother’s teammates. For their sanity and her own - and the safety of the poor player who even wanted to take the risk of toying with her heart. Yet, she persisted, “You know, so we can celebrate.”

Placing his glass down, Freddie dipped his hand into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his cell phone before it joined his drink in the bar. His silent question asked Claire to put her number in his phone. 

Claire glanced to the side, across the patio to where her brothers were talking with Derek and Brady. What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. Placing her drink down, she took his phone in both hands and typed in her name and number before hanging it back to him. Claire had expected him to tuck the phone away but took the time to text her quickly. Sending her phone into a dreamy chime with the notification. It was a sound she had come to hate, but now it excited her. 

“You think I gave you a fake number?” She teased him gently. 

“No, no,” Freddie chuckled, his head shaking slowly, “not at all, I-”

His words were broken by the clamour of children’s footsteps as her nieces and nephews stormed the table for dinner. “I think that our queue,” Claire’s words were a half sigh as she drew her hand back from his forearm. The moment she released him from her gentle touch it was as if she were a battery that had been charged but her current was beginning to fade. It was a feeling unlike any other she had felt before, and her gaze on him lingered for a moment as she wondered if he felt it too. 

Managing a smile she stepped back and fell into stride towards the table, leaving Freddie at the bar behind her. Her lips moved in a silent What the fuck? as her mind couldn’t quite comprehend what had just happened, and what she had just let herself do. She carried her Paloma in one hand, while the other reached up to push her blonde hair from her face. It stayed there, her fingers knotted in her hair at the crown of her head as she moved to sit at the head of the table. 

Seat by seat the table was filled until a single seat was left to be taken at her side, and one person remained standing. Claire held her breath as the patio chair was dragged against the ground and filled by Freddie who had come to the table with a fresh drink for them both. He placed it down in front of her without a thought or a look in her direction, leaving her jaw slacked in disbelief - but she was quick to press her lips firm together when she noticed her nephew mimicking her as he sat opposite to Freddie. 

Claire’s lips curled up into a smile as her nephew grinned at the realization that he had been caught. “You gotta be on your best behaviour mister,” she told her nephew, leaning in to smile at him, but it only made him laugh. While it was her birthday she got stuck sitting at the kid’s end of the table. If the kid was old enough to eat without the help of their parents they were exiled to her end of the table, which often featured at least one of her brother’s wives, but tonight the Carolina goaltender had filled their place. 

“I’m not joking,” Claire claimed, and it only had her nephew grinning a troublemaker’s grin, “we got a guest with us, Mr. Andersen. You don’t want to scare him away do you?”

Holy fuck. She thought. Mr. Andersen. It felt so weird, yet so good on her tongue and it left her head spiralling as she helped her nephew with his menu. Freddie Andersen. Frederick Andersen. Mrs. Frederick Andersen. The thought left her feeling giddy as the name echoed in her mind as if she were a schoolgirl scrawling his name across her notebook. That’s what this had to be, a schoolgirl crush of an infatuation. It was the only explanation for it all. 

With that thought, she tried to put all she had felt for him that evening behind her. To forget the anomaly that was her intense pull to him - but there was no ignoring him as he sat right beside her with the spread of his legs just enough to graze against her leg beneath the table. There was no ignoring how easy the casual conversation came between them, or just how good he was with her nieces and nephews when their antics carried out throughout the dinner service. Freddie fit in so effortlessly, so flawlessly that it was as if he had been there the whole time. That fact left Claire dreading having to say goodbye. 

It was a heavy weight in her stomach as she stood at the door of the restaurant, thanking her family and friends for coming. Her nieces and nephews were the first to accept their hugs, sad that they had to say goodbye to their Auntie Claire, but they were tired and didn’t put up much of a fight when they were told to get in the car. The crowd thinned and soon she was left with her parents, and with Freddie who lingered back by the door. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as she told her parents she wanted to take a walk before heading back to the hotel. To go on without her, and when they left her she stood alone with a single gift bag in her hand. Then, she looked straight at Freddie. 

“Did you think I was going to let you run off before I got to say goodbye?” Claire called out to him, her casual stride carrying him toward him. 

He met her halfway, a smile on his lips, “quite the opposite, actually.”

Claire beamed. He had been waiting to catch her alone. 

“Let's celebrate tonight, just the two of us?” Claire asked him slowly, her hand dipping into the bag to brandish a bottle of Canadian whiskey that Brady had given her for her birthday. 

His eyes seemed to flicker with the light of a flame as his hand dinner into the pocket of his trousers. Drawing out his keys he held them up for her to see, “Where do you want to go?”

“I have a room at the Residence Inn,” Claire told him, with a smile and let him lead the way to his car. 

Upon arriving at the hotel, and with his car taken care of by the valet, Claire lead him through the hotel but did not go up to her room. The night was too beautiful to waste it in bed, and it would have been much too forward - though she wouldn’t have complained if that was all Freddie had wanted from her - instead, she lead him out to the darkened patio. It was closed, but she slipped beneath the half-assed barricade and crawled up onto one of the loungers in the corner just out of sight of the security camera she was sure hadn’t worked in the first place. 

Chuckling, Freddie followed her lead - much more gracefully than she had expected - and sprawled out on the lounger across from her. The seat was too short for him, his foot handing off the end even as he was seated up at an angle. Claire could help but stare as he sat there, his auburn hair hanging down over his forehead and his clothes so relaxed on his frame. So effortlessly handsome, she admired him as she reached into her gift bag and grew out the bottle. Manicured fingers picked at the plastic that sealed the bottle, and she let it fall to the ground before twisting the cap free. She took the first, long sip and let the whiskey burn its way through her body before holding it out for Freddie to take. 

His large hand wrapped around the neck of the body, his fingers grazing over the skin of her hand for a moment before she could pull back. Claire could still feel the ghost of his touch as she lay back and stared up at the sky. Just beyond an awning, and around the sun umbrella they had forgotten to close when their service had come to an eye, the night sky was filled with the glimmer of stars. They were faint, drowned out by the city light, but she could see them there. She watched as they sparkled, her eyes trying to planets from stars from satellites as the two of them passed the bottle back a forth. Sipping it from occasion before it was forgotten on the ground between them and conversation prevailed. 

They spoke of their careers. They spoke of home, of family and friends. They talked about their hobbies, their similarities and their differences slowly becoming clear - and not once did her magnetic draw to him waiver. The more they talked, the more she knew, the more it grew. Claire wanted to be near him, to feel him, to know him for more than his mind and his soul but his body too. It was a craving, one that consumed her so fully it was almost debilitating as she pushed up from where she lay on the lounger. 

Reaching down, Claire pushed her heels from her feet with a single hand before her feet met the cold concrete. She stepped around the open bottle of whiskey and took two tip-toeing steps to reach where Freddie sat no more than an arm’s reach away. And he must have been watching her, waiting for her, as she was greeted with the slow embrace of his hands around her waist as she climbed onto the seat with him. 

His fingers wrinkled her dress, causing the flimsy fabric to rise around her thighs as he guided her up into his lap. Claire’s knees rested on each side of a single thigh, the soft fabric of his trousers brushing over the sensitive skin of her inner thigh as she seated herself down. She near shuddered as she felt his muscle flex between her legs, the thick quadricep pressing up against the thin fabric of her panties and the apex between her thighs. There she sat, her full lips parted in a breathy part as she reached out to trace her fingers over the thin cotton of his t-shirt. Claire craved to lean in, to steal that breath of air between them but she hesitated as her bright eyes were heavy and gazed over every angle of his face right down to the swell of his lip as he took the lower lobe between his teeth in restraint. 

“Freddie I,” she gasped out gently, “I don’t normally do anything like this…”

Claire wanted that to be clear. She wasn’t some temptress that made it her mission to sleep with her brother’s teammates nor was she someone who let a man steal more than a kiss on the first date. But with what she was feeling, she wanted to chase the highs of being in his company even if that meant breaking the unwritten rules of being the Captain’s baby sister. 

His head shook slowly, a small smile creeping up onto his lips as one of his hands left her waist to reach up. Freddie’s warm palm met her cheek carefully, his thumb stroking over her lips and feeling her every nervous breath.

“You and me both,” he finally said as his thumb dropped to her chin, “this is the exact opposite of what I should be doing if I want to be staying on the roster, but-”

“But?”

“I just can’t shake this feeling,” Freddie hummed, pushing up from the recliner to straighten up just enough that the tips of their nose graze. He didn’t have to say any more than that. She knew exactly what he was speaking to because she was feeling it too. “I would very much like to kiss you, Claire.”

“If you kiss me I might not be able to stop,” Claire cautioned, her gaze shifting down to the golden cross that hung from her neck. 

The Staal family was strong in their faith, and she had yet to truly give herself to any man. With all that she was feeling, her skin already ablaze with just the overwhelming thought of it all, Claire knew the risk that would come from just a single kiss from his lips. She needed him to know what this would mean to her if she left it spiral. She needed to know that he was willing to carry the heavy weight of being her first with him. 

His perfect lips parted in a breath of a curse as his thick fingers dragged down the angles of her neck. Freddie’s touch was featherlight, but it left a burning path in its wake as he reached her collarbone and the dainty necklace that hung from her neck. Two fingers stroked over the chain before taking hold of the small cross that was no bigger than the pad of his thumb. 

“Claire,” her name was almost a groan on his lips as he studied the cross with eyes that seemed to darken in the night, “you’ve never-”

She couldn’t answer, the embarrassment of it all in her throat. She had always thought she would have waited until marriage, but she had never wanted anyone more than she wanted him in that moment and she hadn’t even kissed him yet. Instead, all she could do was shake her head. 

“Fuck,” he cursed again, but it sounded more like a hymn now, “You’re going to get me into so much trouble, you know that?”

His hand splayed out, holding her gently around her throat after dropping the cross to rest just above her cleaved. With that hold, he drew Claire in, his mouth meeting hers in the kiss she had been craving from him all evening. Any suffocating feeling that had lingered after being void of his touch at dinner had been eliminated the moment his lips met hers. Freddie’s kiss breathed life into her unlike any kiss had before, and Claire felt whole. 

It had started out in a chaste drag of his lips over her own, firm and curious, but it ignited a spark that neither of them could ignore. It drew her in further, her lips parting to welcome the intensity of his kiss, and Claire was melting into him. The world around them was lost as Claire gripped his t-shirt in her fists, and with a single hand, Freddie was pulling her in so that she was flush against him. Freddie’s warmth radiated against her, consuming her as she let one leg fall over the edge of the lounger to ground himself. With one leg anchoring him, Claire could feel his hands travelling down over the subtle curves of her body. His palms stroked over the dip of her waist and down further still as he gripped at her hips. Fingers wrinkled her pale dress, inching its skirt up a little higher as he shifted her position on his thigh just right. And with the careful guidance of his hands, Freddie dragged her clothed cunt over the thick expanse of his thigh. 

The friction left Claire gasping against his lips as she kissed him. Her hands released his shirt, dropping the now wrinkled fabric, before reaching to gasp at the strength of his shoulders. With that hold, Claire anchored herself to him, and let her hips roll in his steady guidance. She could feel each flex of his thigh, and each tug of her panties as they caught on the fabric of his trousers. It pushed the fabric back and forth, forcing the structured hem one way or the other leaving it to tease the most sensitive parts of her and expose her delicate skin to the pleasure of his thigh. Each desperate roll of her hips was almost enough to leave her reeling, her legs threatening to tremble as her arousal seeped into his trousers and undoubtedly could be felt against his skin. 

“Freddie,” she mewled against his lips, his kiss dragging down across her jaw and coaxing a feeble moan before he pulled back just enough to look at her, “My room’s on the third floor.”

“Are you sure?” Freddie asked slowly, his large hand raising from her hip carefully and reaching out to stroke over her swollen lips. 

“I’m sure they won’t want us doing it out here on the patio,” when she spoke, her lips dragged against his fingertips - the mere touch of him sent a smile to blossom over her lips. 

“Yeah,” Freddie breathed out, “Yeah, you’re right.”

Standing up slowly, Claire ran her hands down over the skirt of her dress to smooth out each wrinkle before reaching down to collect the bottle. She cradled it in her hold and watched out of the corner of her eye as Freddie stood - towering - and awkwardly shifted his trouser with the hope to hide the stiffness of his cock as it tested the confined of his trousers. In the dark, it wasn’t all that noticeable, but in the light of the hotel room lobby, she was sure someone was bound to notice. 

“Here, take this,” Claire thought quickly as she reached for the gift bag and placed the bottle inside before handing it to him. It wasn’t a big bag, but maybe it would be enough of a distraction. 

Looking up from his half-untucked shirt and the leather belt buckle around his waist Freddie offered her a smile and a quick thanks before the two of them snuck off the patio and into the hotel lobby. It was so late in the night that not even the front desk clerk greeted them, making it a quick and easy walk to the elevator that would take them up. 

Claire stood on one side of the elevator, her thighs pressed firm together as her panties were still askew, and Freddie stood across from her with the gift bag strategically held in front of him and his eyes locked on her. Leaning her head back to rest against the wall of the elevator, Claire watched him in return, her mind racing faster than she could register a single clear thought - and before she could even try to fathom one, the elevator chimed as they reached the third floor. 

Quick strides carried her out into the hallway and only grew quicker as she left her own arousal dripping down the inside of her leg. Her strides stuttered as she came to the door, her fingers fumbling with the key card for a moment before she was pushing her way in through the door. 

Freddie was quick to come in right behind her, the warmth of his body against her back as he dropped the gift bag - and the bottle of whiskey - to the floor with a hollow thud leaving his hands free to take to her body. Hands splayed over the curves of her waist, drawing her back into him so she could feel the stiffness of his cock against her back. Her eyes fluttered shut at the feeling, her head almost feeling dizzy as she felt him lean in just enough to mutter against her ear. 

“I’m only going to ask this one more time,” Freddie hummed, the rush of his words hot against the shell of her ear, “are you sure? Do you want me to be the first to fuck you, Claire?”

Claire could only nod, her lips slightly parted as she took a steady breath, her mind confused fully by how big he felt pressed up against him. Even while wearing her two-inch heels, Freddie towered a foot taller than her and was so big, so strong. He made her feel small, that at any moment he could pick her up and take her as he pleased and yet, he was taking his time with her. His touch was so cautious, so careful and tender. This wasn’t just going to be a quick fuck. She knew it, and with the way he was touching her - and the way they had been acting all night - he knew it too but neither of them could call it what it was. 

“I need you to say it, Claire,” Freddie prompted her again, his long arm reaching down the length of her body to tug up the skirt of her dress. He drew it up by the hand full, revealing every inch of skin along her thigh and bearing her panties to him. She could feel the vibration of his hum against her back, his two thick fingers dragging over the white lace hem that rested inches below her belly button. 

“Yes,” came the ghost of the word, “Yes, I’m sure.”

His two fingers dipped into the thin fabric, his fingertips dragging over her smooth flesh and did not stop until they came to rest over her clit. It seemed to sting with desperation, screaming for the pleasure that would come from the pleasure of his touch. Yet, all she could feel was the subtle accidental graze that came with the angling of her own hips. 

“Freddie,” his name was a gentle whine on her lips, her head turning to glance back at him. 

“Has a man ever touched you here?” he hummed into her hair as his finger pressed into her clit, a gentle pressure that almost left her teetering uneasily in her heels. 

“No,” she gasped simply, her petite body leaning back against his as her eyes shut. 

Freddie’s fingers stroked in slow, agonizing circles as he spoke again, “Have you ever touched yourself here, Flower?”

Her cheeks flushed red hot at the question, and her knees weak as the nickname was assigned to her by his tongue. Claire nodded slowly, her blonde hair becoming a mess between her head and his chest, and she held her breath as he dipped her fingers lower into the crotch of her panties. Blindly he fixed them just right, trapping his touch between the thin lace and the wet warmth of her cunt - then as his fingertips traced the slick entrance of her core, Claire took in a sharp inhale. 

“What about here, Flower?” Freddie breathed into her hair, each word hot as it was spoken. 

“No,” Claire’s lips quivered, “never.”

“You’ve been such a good girl,” he praised her gently, “waiting so patiently for me.” The cockiness in his tone left the corner of her lips curling as she leaned back into his strength. His free arm welcome her, wrapping so effortlessly around her waist to keep her firm to him as she gazed up at him through her thick lashes. “I’m going to take my time with you, Flower. Spoil you on your birthday, would you like that?”

Claire nodded. 

“Good, girl,” Freddie hummed as he slipped his hands from her panties and let the skirt of her sundress fall back down her legs, “lay down on the bed. Leave everything on for me.” 

She took careful strides as she moved for the bed, her legs left feeling weak from the mere absence of him and only found relief when she was crawling up into the comfort of the bed. Settling among the pillows, Claire bent one leg and she reached for the thin strap that fastened her heels around her ankle. 

“Ah, Ah,” Freddie tutted, “leave everything on for me, Flower.” 

Her fingers froze and eased back against the pillow as her eyes fell on him. Freddie still stood by the door, the glow of the hallway light streaming in and illuminating his silhouette in a halo of light. He had watched her crawl up to the bed without moving from his place, admiring her. It was only as she sat frozen by his words that he took casual, long strides, that carried him to the foot of the bed and tugged his t-shirt off his back and up over his head. Claire couldn’t stop herself from letting her eyes wander. Trailing up from the belt of his trousers where the waist of his boxers played peek-a-boo, and up and over the strength of his body. Her gaze didn’t stop until they had settled on his softened features, and how they were framed by what was now a mess of his hair. 

Her bright eyes fixated on the contrast of his darker as Freddie settled himself at the foot of the bed. It shifted under his weight as he crawled up just a bit high so that he knelt just between her feet. All the while holding her gaze, Freddie took hold of her gently by one of her ankles. He guided it up carefully, placing it on the strength of his shoulder, before turning his head just enough to kiss the inside of her ankle. The action, so sweet and tender, left Claire melting back into the pillows - and her arousal only continued to puddle as he kissed his way up. Up along the length of her calf, his hand guiding her leg up and over to rest along the stench of her back leaving the heel of her pump to drag over his flesh. Up around the curve of her knee was his large hand began to push up the skirt of her daisy sundress. Up over the delicate flesh of her inner thigh where his every breath left her core aching in the anticipation of feeling him.  

As he reached the apex of her thigh, she could feel Freddie hesitate, his hot breath flooding over the damp fabric of her panties. His every hot breath only primed her for the feeling of a single, thick finger dipping into her panties. Hooking it around the soaking fabric and drawing it down her legs so that she was rid of them fully and her glistening cunt was left bare for him. 

Claire could hear Freddie as he let out a steady hum, his hands leaving her dress to pool around her waist to explore the flesh that was exposed to him. A single palm rested over her pelvis, his warmth radiating over her as his thumb reached down to stroke slowly over her clit. It unearthed a desperate whine from her lips, one that was choked back into silence as she felt his fingers glide down over her lower lips and stroked around the entrance of her core. 

“Such a beautiful flower,” he spoke into the soft skin of her thigh, “so wet and ready to be fucked - but first, I’m going to make sure you can handle me. Get you nice and ready for me, so we’re going to start with just one finger, alright, Flower?”

“Yes, Freddie, please,” she pleaded with him, her hips wiggling with anticipation but his one hand kept her pinned firmly to the bed. 

“Patience, Flower,” he reminded her gently with another kiss to her thigh, “you’ll have all of me before the night is over.” His words were a promise as he stroked over her slick entrance one last time before easing the tip of his middle finger inside of her. 

Claire’s lips parted in a quiet gasp as she looked down over the curves of her own body to watch as Freddie worked between her legs. He watched looking up at her instead his eyes were focused on her cunt, at how well her core took his finger and left his skin glistening with her desire for him. The friction of his fingers alone was enough to send her head back to the pillows, her heart racing from every agonizing stroke. 

“So good, Flower,” Freddie praised her, “I’m going to use a second finger now.”

The pressure of the second finger left her biting down on her lower lip as her core stretched out to accommodate him. It was a burning pleasure, her legs weak as one remained draped over his shoulder with her heel digging into the muscle of his back. The pleasure sent her hands to the sheets, her hands gripping at the fabric until her knuckles were white - then came his praise and it only sent her head spinning further into her pleasure. 

“That’s it” he hummed, “you’re taking my fingers so well, Flower, and so pretty while you’re doing it too.” He kissed the inside of her thigh again, the pressure of the pleasure building like the raging storm inside her until he withdrew his fingers one final time and left her void before she would reach the peak of her pleasure. “Taking my fingers so well, I think you’re ready for my cock, Flower.” 

Claire's chest was weak with nerves as she pushed up onto her elbows to watch as Freddie eased her leg from his shoulder and moved to stand at the foot of the bed. She watched as he kicked off his shoes - his fingers that were once inside her now in his mouth as he did so - before his hands dropped to his pants where his erection had tented in his pants. There was nothing discrete about it now, and there would have been no hiding it behind a gift bag if they needed to now. She watched as his hands worked his belt free, and pushed his trousers down until he was left in nothing but his boxers. But not even those stayed on as he hooked his thumbs around the waistband and pushed them down to join his pants on the floor. He stood there bare to her, her eyes left to wander. 

From floor to ceiling and back down again, Claire’s lips were left agape at the sight of him. Freddie was big. From his height to his hands to his cock, there was nothing that failed to impress her about his size. Everything about him made her feel small, especially as he crawled back up the length of the bed until he was hovering over her with a single knee between her legs. 

“Let’s get that dress off of you,” Freddie hummed as he hovered over her, his hand coming down to her shoulder to push one of the straps down over her shoulder carefully. The gentle touch has her sitting up just enough for her hands to work on her dress. She couldn’t get it off her body fast enough, the zipper just out of her reach and left to Freddie’s gentle touch before Claire could discard the fabric on the floor and was left in nothing but her heels as she lay out on the bed beneath him. 

Her chest rose and fell in nervous breaths as she felt her eyes skirt over her body as it was now fully exposed to him. Claire held her breath at the touch of his hands as they explored the newly exposed skin, his hands caressing each exposed breast and his thumb teasing each pert nipple with a teasing smile. “Every inch of you is just so fucking perfect,” he muttered, his neck craning as to put a sweet kiss against her shoulder and when he pulled back his expression was soft as he gazed down at her, “Eyes on me, I want to see the look on your face as you take my cock.”

Biting her lip, Claire nodded desperately as Freddie pushed up onto his knees. He settled himself between her thighs, his careful touch spreading her legs just enough for him before they reached down for his cock. Her eyes were fixated on his face, and his slack-jawed expression as he dragged the tip of his cock over her slick cunt. His eyes almost shut at the feeling, his body shuddering with a heavy breath as the head of his cock kissed her entrance. 

The pressure of the mere tip of his cock left Claire wincing. It was much thicker than the breadth of his two fingers, the girth of him stretching her core out with the mere first inch of him that tore through the final piece of her that marked her virginity. “Stay nice and relaxed for me, Flower,” Freddie breathed out, his one hand reaching out to stroke over the swell of her hip, “it’s going to feel tight, might even hurt just a little, but it’s going to feel so good. I promise you.” 

Claire gave off a desperate nod, her breath hitching as she felt him ease in just a little more of him. She could feel the slick of her core on the inside of her thighs, his cock coaxing more from her with each careful plunge. Any discomfort that came from accommodating his cock soon dissolved into pleasure, leaving Claire arching her back to angle her hips, finding just where she liked having them angled and digging her heels into the mattress. 

“That’s it,” Freddie cooed, his hand gliding down the back of her thigh to grasp her behind her knee. He lifted her leg up to rest against his hip, her calf coming to rest along the back of his thigh as he eased himself in so close to his limit. “So close to taking all of me,” he added as he leaned in, kissing his way over the angle of her jaw and to her lips that were so desperate to be kissed. 

Her lips welcomed his with a breathy, open-mouthed kiss as her bright eyes fell shut - and while she couldn’t see him she could feel all of him. The sweet embrace of his lips as they swallowed each of her feeble moans. The flex of his arms as they drew her petite body flush to his. His legs and how they were tangled with her. And finally, his cock as it delved deep and deeper still inside her until she burned with a throbbing pleasure, unlike anything she had ever felt. 

“Freddie,” Claire mumbled desperately against his lips, her arms reaching around his to grip his back. 

“That’s it,” he cooed, drawing back just enough to rest his forehead against hers and to bring a hand up to stroke over her cheek, his own lips parting in a ghost of a moan, “you feel how good it feels to - ah - fuck,” his words were broken by his own groan the waves of her pleasure all so consuming that he could feel it too. 

Together, they were a symphony of heavy breaths and lingering touches. Their kisses were messy and desperate, mixed with soft moans and low, guttural groans that were punctuated by one final trust that flooded her core and left her feeling full - as if the piece of her she didn’t know she was missing had finally found her. 

The feeling left Claire panting as she lay out on the bed, her eyes training on Freddie’s features until he had drawn back to leave her nothing more than the darkened ceiling. She could have sworn she was seeing stars, or even colours, as she was consumed by the euphoria that Freddie had brought her two. Her gaze was almost tired as she felt him moving down the bed and to where his clothes rested on the floor. Head lulling to the side, Claire’s heart thundered in her chest, her stomach weak at the thoughts that were all too consuming now, was he leaving? 

Biting her lip she was as he jumped into his boxer, her eyes burning with the threat of tears as any emotion now was almost too much, and then she said it, her words quick - almost fearful - as she sat up and clutch a nearby pillow to her chest, “please say.”

“Hey,” Freddie sighed, his tone instantly reassuring as he braced himself against the bed so that he was at eye level with her, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m just going to go grab a warm cloth, and help you get cleaned up, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Claire nodded, her words a breath, “I’m sorry. Okay.” 

Settling back into the bed, Clare’s hands came up to cover her face as the weight of it all hit her. She wasn’t a virgin anymore - that thought made her smile. She had lost her virginity to her brother’s teammate - that was what made her nervous. If Jordan or any of her brother’s found out, there was no telling how they would react - and her poor father would probably have a stroke if he learned she had done anything out of wedlock. 

The thoughts left her stomach uneasy as Freddie returned to the bedroom with a warm, damp cloth. He ran it carefully over the inside of her legs, before dropping the rag to rest over her knees as she pulled her heel-clad feet into his lap to finally remove them. It was then she spoke, her throat weak from moaning, “Are you scared of my brother?”

Freddie shook his head, his smile returning to his lips, “no, are you?”

A chuckle rocked Claire’s shoulders as she reached her hand up to push her hair from her face, “I’m scared of what he will do to you if he ever finds out.”

“We don’t have to tell him at this happened,” he told her gently, his hand dropping one show to the floor, and then the other before he lay beside her. 

Large hands tugged the blanket around them before he reached out to draw her in close to him. Even now that she had him, all of him, there was nothing like being touched by him. She craved it, thrived under it and now that she had it, she didn’t want to know what it was like to be without it. “But, I can’t pretend nothing happened tonight, Claire. I don’t know what’s happened tonight, but I don’t want it to stop. It’s like-” “Like you’ve found something you didn’t know you were missing?” Claire cut in, earning a gentle nod from him as he leaned in to place a firm kiss on her lips one last time before letting his eyes flutter shut. 

Laying content in his arms, with sleep sure to take them both soon, Claire didn’t know what was to come of them come morning. But what she did know was that she would have to thank the team’s general manager, for she would have never met Freddie if it weren’t for him - and that was the best gift she could have asked for on her birthday. 

[cellysbookshelf]

A03 | @knightsofsliverandgoldstory | @the-slapshot-series

Knights of Silver and Gold Marc-Andre Fleury x OC

A story where a world famous goaltender with a heart and soul of gold becomes a knight in shining silver for a female hockey player in the NHL who is trying to balance being a single mother and athlete after just being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Can Marc-André Fleury show Barlow Kane he can be the father her daughter never had, help her make a home and a life in Nevada and be the love of her life she never thought she would find?

Archive of Our Own Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Somebody's Today Mordan Reilly x F!Reader Summer Fic Exchange

Y/N and Morgan had grown up next door neighbors from the time they were babies. Best of friends until they both went off as teenagers to find their path, swearing they would find each other again someday as adults. Y/N's path lead her to to America, to study art and photography. Morgan's took him to Toronto to play NHL Hockey. But one day in Toronto they run into each other after years of not seeing each other, and soon see just how much they missed one another.... Someday just became today.

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Impact Mitch Marner x OC

Kodiak "Kody" Andersen is the younger half sister to Freddie Andersen of the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Team. She is a pro snowboarder for Canada and has been to the Olympics twice for her country. Her older brother basically raised her since she was 13 and she is forever greatful for the things he has done to let her life the life of her dreams. One night she is at the rink practicing some Hockey stuff with Freddie to make him happy when she takes a shot for the goal... and ends up hitting none other the Mitch Marner with her puck.

Mitch as no idea what kind of impact he is going to have on Kody's life, and Kody has no idea how she will impact his. Two kids, trying to prove they deserve to be where they are, trying to make a team and country proud, will impact each other in ways they never dreamed possible.

Archive of Our Own Tumblr Chapters: 1

Garding her Heart Jake Gardiner x OC

Bailey Slavin had it all, an All Star Softball Pro career with the USSSA Pride, a wonderful family to support her, a college degree, 3 world series titles, 3 college titles, she felt like nothing could stop her.... Till it did. A freak accident durning a softball game put Bailey in the hospital and out of the 2020 World Championships. To help her recovery along she goes to spend time with her brother Jaccob Slavin in North Carolina and get her mind off the tragedy. With the possibility of never playing again, Bailey is left cold and bitter. But when she meets Jake Gardiner, one of her brothers teammates, he helps her slowly tear down her walls and find joy in her life again. Jake and Bailey soon find themselves falling in love, but Bailey will soon have to decide on if she stays in North Carolina with Jake and the chance to start a new life, or move back to Florida to remain in the Softball world. Only time will tell how long this defenseman can guard this broken softball players heart.

Archive of Our Own Tumblr Chapter: 1

What We Had TJ Oshie x OC Winter Fic Exchange

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

The catch?

Her ex boyfriend and the father of her daughter is one of their star players: TJ Oshie. Is Emmy ready to face the past and tell TJ about their daughter? Will TJ be about to handle the truth, knowing he missed out on 6 years of his daughters life or will the past and the truth be the things that keep them from being a family once more?

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A Wish Upon Confetti Stars Erik Jonson x OC

"In the 2011 Entry Draft, the Los Angeles King are proud to select with our 3rd round pick, from the Seattle Thunderbirds, goaltender Avalon Redmoon."

She had it all, Two Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy, a team that supported her as only the 2nd female goalie in NHL history. Everything was perfect.... Until it wasn't. The summer of 2020 Avalon got the news that she had been traded in a bombshell deal between LA and Colorado. Now she is moving back to her hometown, and has to face the fact that not even a superstar goalie is safe from a trade. Filled with anger and hurt that her old team would just pass her aside for the next hotshot to hit the ice, Avalon isn't quick to make new friends on her new team. That is till Erik Johnson or EJ as he goes by, decides to take the new star goalie under his wing, and show her how life can be just as good in Colorado as it was in LA. Avalon and EJ never planned on anything more then friendship over the next few years, but when the thoughts of retirement cross minds, risky plays put players on the line and the Stanley cup right within their reach, they need to hold on to each other more then ever to make it to the end goal.

"Sometimes the best wishes come from nothing more A Wish Upon Confetti Stars."

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Triple Axel Celly Sidney Crosby x OC Summer Fic Exchange

Sidney is tried of loosing year after year. After watching his close friend Nate lift the cup a year before and then missing the playoffs all together this season, he goes to Nate asking him to give him the name of his skating coach to try and help him oit next playoffs. Only Nate didn't tell him that Hunter Queen wasn't a Mr. Hunter and Sid bash heads like to bulls for weeks before they finally Nate finally tells Sid to make things right. So Sid goes to Hunter in hopes to finally make peace, but instead they end up in his bed for a wild night.

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Slapshot Series

That's Why God Made Airplanes Tyler Seguin x OC

Tyler Seguin thought he found the woman of his dreams. A perfect girl, a perfect engagement and the soon to be perfect wedding, he had everything down to a T.

Or so he thought.

Just a few short weeks before what was supposed to be the most perfect day of his life, turned into him booking a one way flight to Pittsburgh to spend the summer with his Best Friend and forget about his cheating ex fiancee. Wanting to shut out the world, his parents and most of his friends for the time being, Tyler find refuge with the only person who really seems to know the real him, Arabella Kerfoot, who plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins. While spending his summer hiding away, his best friend not so sneakily plays match maker with her childhood best friend, Quinn Canton.

Sparks soon begin to fly, and a whirlwind summer romance takes hold of these two burnt out hearts. But when hockey starts back up, and old partners come back to burn them to ashes, can they withstand the distance between them, or will it be to much for them to handle?

*** Loosely based around the song "God Made Airplanes" by Jason Aldean ***

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Hockey-Ella Morgan Rielly x OC

Arabella Kerfoot is the younger sister of Alex Kerfoot and she one of the only female hockey player in the league. Ella as she likes to go by is the wild child of the family and also of the Pittsburgh Penguins. With a reputation of the "Wild Cinderella" Ella is the media's #1 target. Her best friend is Tyler Seguin, who had a bad reputation in Boston before going to Texas, so he understands her better then her own family and is trying to help work through her rebellious reputation. After a wild and not so pretty night out on the town Ella is quickly not the favorite anymore in Pitt and is soon traded to Toronto who is looking for a power forward with the speed and risky skill set she brings to the table. The catch: they need to fix her tarnished reputation before the Toronto media tears her apart. The solution: have her fake a relationship with Morgan Rielly to show she is determined to settle down and leave her wild Cinderella life behind, and make a fairytale lifestyle in Toronto instead. Only Ella wasn't planning on falling for the red haired man who offered the solution to her problems. With the media and her brother breathing down her neck to fix her past, her best friend telling her that a fake relationship will only hurt her and the man she never new she needed in front of her, she is about to ether live out a Hockey-Ella fairytale or an ultimate disaster.

Coming Soon.

Coming Soon

These Roots Lead Home - Mitch Marner x OC

The Goaltenders Ice Dance - Freddie Andersen x OC

Ruin Me Right - Martin Necas x OC

Sparks Fly - Marc- Andre Fleury x OC

Eye of the Storm - Teuvo Teräväinen x OC

From Oceans and Mountain and Anywhere Inbetween - Ross Colton x OC ** This masterlist was created for the lovely @callsign-denmark who is having some trouble with creating links from her blog.

[mmm-crackling]

[What if the Leafs/Sharks game in Epic was covered by TSN? Spoilers Him/Us/Epic (Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy)]

NHL | TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS | SAN JOSE SHARKS

“He was f***ing incredible”: Maple Leafs’ Wesley on playing against husband

TSN.ca Staff

SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks victory last night will be one to remember for their unlikely hero, emergency back-up goalie Jamie Canning – husband of star Maple Leafs forward Ryan Wesley. The game made history, being the first time a married couple has played in an NHL game, and facing each other across the ice on opposing teams, at that.

“I was sitting there in the opponents jersey thinking, ‘Wes is going to kill me’,” said Canning. “I hoped that I would just have to sit there and open the bench door for the line changes. And I’d never had better seats for one of Wes’s games.”

It was a few minutes into the third period that 25-year-old Canning, a Toronto major junior hockey coach, was called into action for San Jose, tasked with facing a Leafs team where his husband started as a rookie almost three years ago. Canning, originally from California’s Marin County, came away with a 4-3 victory for the Sharks in his NHL debut, shutting Toronto out for the duration of his shift in net.

“He was f***ing incredible”, said Wesley. “We didn’t know who the back-up’s back-up was going to be until he was announced and skated onto the ice. At first I didn’t know what was happening. Watching my teammates playing against my own husband was so f***ing trippy.”

Once a prospect for the Detroit Red Wings, Jamie Canning was a formidable college goaltender in his senior year at Rainier when they clinched a spot in the Frozen Four. His Tigers were eliminated in the semifinals, but Wesley’s own Northern Mass went on to win the NCAA championship that year. Despite playing in the same tournament, the two never faced off against each other.

Until now. Injuries meant that Canning, who was already at the arena to cheer the Leafs on with his family, was asked to dress as a last-resort back-up for the now-starting goaltender Tim Pitti. A pile-up on the 101 meant that a back up goalie from AHL-affiliate San Jose Barracuda would not make the arena in time for the puck drop.

“I am on the emergency back-up list for the league, but nobody ever gets called,” said Canning, who wore number 33 for the game. “Every now and then you hear stories about an accountant who gets called up to play one period for the Rangers or the Kings, but those are practically fables, rare situations that allow an everyday Joe to live out his professional athlete dreams. I couldn’t say no.”

After the second intermission, Sharks netminder Tim Pitti was levelled following a punishing hit by two Maple Leafs’ forwards, and Canning answered the bell. Toronto had led 3-1 after the first two periods, but Canning made saves on every shot the Leafs fired on him, allowing the Sharks to come back with three more goals of their own.

“Look at J-Bomb go!”, forward Blake Riley was heard to shout from the Maple Leafs’ bench. Riley is close to the pair, who he has dubbed ‘Wesmie’, and is romantically involved with Canning’s sister Jessica.

The moment when the husbands came face-to-face arrived with five minutes left on the clock. Wesley found himself on a breakaway, charging towards where his other half stood guard. Some say that they had seen Canning stick his tongue out at Wesley when his glove closed around the puck, denying him the goal.

Toronto was not able to tie up the game.

“Of course I’m disappointed that we didn’t win”, said Wesley. “But I can’t deny that I’m happy for Jamie. He deserves it.”

After the defeat, Wesley’s teammates are understood to not hold any ill feelings towards Canning, who has proudly been called a member of the Maple Leafs’ family ever since their relationship was revealed two years ago.

Said Toronto forward Matt Eriksson, “When I heard that Canning was headed into the Shark’s net, I thought ‘s***, this is going to be epic’, and he was.”

Wesley and a few Leafs were seen graciously celebrating with Canning and his new teammates at a local San Jose bar after the game. Wesley had been told, “you can have your goalie back after we buy him a drink.”

“He saved our butts tonight,” said Nik Sokolav, San Jose’s star forward. “It was a big surprise to us in our locker room when we figured out who he was. I thought, ‘no f***ing way is this guy going to be our back-up goalie, he’s just going to hand the game to Ryan Wesley’. But he said nothing would make him happier than to kick his hubby’s a**, and I guess he did.”

A correspondent for TSN reports that Tim Pitti, seen at the bar with his arm in a sling, bought a round of drinks for both teams. Said Wesley, “we lent you Toronto’s best goalie coach. It’s time to pay up.”

Canning will return to Toronto this weekend where his major junior team will play their game against Niagara. In spite of his dedication to his coaching career, Canning is rumored to be a target for the Ottawa Senators, who are looking to bolster their goaltender ranks.

Jamie Canning married Ryan Wesley after Wesley’s rookie year with the Maple Leafs, in which he came out as the first openly gay player in the NHL. The two had been childhood friends, having attended hockey camp together at Lake Placid, New York, every summer since they were both 13 years-old.

[sockaliens]

With the Exception of You, I Dislike Everyone in the Room

Chapter 3 of this fic is up!

A labour of love, featuring John as a tendy (...goaltender if you're not in on the hockey slang, LOL) and Sherlock as a referee.

In which all of the referees in the NHL are terrible at their jobs, except one.

This chapter has me finally getting into the plot and case fic aspects of this story, as well as some general introspection on John's part. And hockey. Obviously, hockey.

Enjoy! <3

[thenhlteaissuperhot]

What are your thoughts about Pavel Francouz leaving for Czechia because of his injury?

I have to be rational here and say that this is most definitely the end of his NHL career.

He doesn't have a contract for the next season, and no one in the league with a sane mind will sign a goalie, who is now notorious for lower-body injuries that are reappearing one after another. They will rather sign a healthy goaltender who is even less than mediocre but healthy than someone like Pavel.

Him being given the permission to leave the States to go heal his injury at home to his family and friends most likely means that Colorado is being empathetic and giving him the chance to settle back here and get over the reality of his career in the NHL very likely ending mentally already now, not at the end of this season when they would have broke it to him anyway.

Colorado has Annunen there to step up and take Francouz's place, they aren't really in desperate need of keeping Pavel around, which genuinely hurts to say because Francouz is such an amazing human being with such an inspirational story as a goaltender.

Pains to see the Stanley Cup-winning team Colorado had slowly fall apart player after player just like it happened to Washington and a ton of others - the nostalgia just gets to you.

[zozo-01]

wip wednesday (midnight hockey edition 💞)

I was tagged by the lovely @autisticempathydaemon, but unfortunately, I don't have anything new to share in terms of fics. [sad face] SO!!! I shall share a lil reflection I did that I'm still really proud of!!!!

--

As a brown girl, I've watched my favourite player, Nazem Kadri (an Arab, Muslim man) be continually harassed for his race and religion. But the discrimination he faced was the implied kind.  The kind that many white people can excuse because, "it's not a violent action so therefore it's ok," while I and many brown kids feel hurt from the microaggressions around us within a sport we love. 

Racism being present in hockey is something I’ve known my whole life. Though I have never played the sport, I’ve been hearing horror stories of what happens to players who aren’t white. (Who look more like me than they do their teammates.) Growing up in Toronto, one of the biggest hockey markets, you hear these stories everyday on the news.

Nazem Kadri’s stories were the ones that hit me the hardest. As a Pakistani, Muslim girl, many of the racist comments he receives are similar to the ones I have heard. I remember at age 10, reading about both the racist and Islamaphobic messages he got during a game at the same age as I was. Sam Kadri, Nazem’s father said himself, “Somehow, people with these comments about 9/11 and bin Laden seemed to keep coming up somewhere. I would get furious. But what can you do? I would definitely confront people who talked like that if I knew who it was, but I couldn't put myself in a compromising position.”

 I remembered feeling… dirty in a way? The best way I can describe it was my brain rejecting my body. Maybe because it didn’t want to think of the horrifying implications? That the same things said about him could be said about me.

I remember feeling the exact same way when I had learned that St. Louis fans had sent racist threats to him following game 3 of the Colorado/St. Louis second round series.

What had happened in game 3 was that Kadri was pushed into Jordan Binnington (the Blues goaltender) by an opposing player. This caused Binnington to sustain a knee injury and led to him leaving the game early. Many Blues players and fans were furious at the incident as this was a significant blow to the Blues roster. To play the number one seed and Stanley Cup favourites without your starting goaltender is a death sentence. What added fuel to the fire was when the league decided not to suspend Kadri. While Kadri’s innocence can be debated, this isn’t the first time he laid a serious hit on an opposing player, Blues’ fans needed someone to blame and they decided for it to be Kadri.

Ashley Kadri, Nazem Kadri’s wife, posted some of racist and death threats that were sent her way after game 3. To sum them all up, they all had the sentiment of  “you’re different, and you deserve pain for that.”

And again that dissociative feeling came rushing back to me.

But I think the thing that hurt me the most was when his comments after his heroic game four performance didn't go in depth about his experiences. The line that stood out to me was "For those who hate, that ones for them." As if it wasn’t basically everyone. But honestly, who can blame him?

Players, coaches and referees of all races have been kicked out from hockey from all levels for reporting and standing up to racism. And even if he did go on a similar rant that Steve Kerr had after what happened in Uvalde, he’d be called the ‘angry brown man.’

Over the course of this project, I didn’t learn anything new. It just reaffirmed something that I’ve known my whole life.

I (and many POC kids like me) fell in love with a sport that didn’t love me back.

It's easy to call out racism when it's obvious, and the NHL commends players for speaking out about their experiences... until it's a coach calling a player the 'n-word,' or a player on the ice calling the opponent a slur, or when it's time to punish a whole fanbase yelling out hateful speech, suddenly the NHL goes silent. We've seen what happens when a player goes against the 'Boy's Club' in hockey. Both Kyle Beach and Akim Aliu faced the consequences. And like always, everyone plays innocent when these allegations come out.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are a number of Black, Brown and Indigenous kids in junior leagues right now that are preparing to be stars in the league. Quinton Byfield was taken with the number two overall pick in the 2020 Draft. K’Andre Miller has emerged as an amazing player this year for the New York Rangers. The league is diversifying. Slowly, but it is. It would be nice if these kids, who are all around the same age as me, weren’t subjected to numerous racist attacks for every mistake they make. 

With this project, I want the white fans in the league to know that racism is in hockey. There is no denying it and continuing to deny would do no one good. I also want these fans to (and excuse my language) shut the fuck up when a player talks about an experience of racism and other forms of bigotry years later. We have established that hockey culture prevents players and coaches from talking about their negative experiences. So I do not want to hear none of this “why didn’t come out back then” shit.

The information provided can help the league let go of the toxic nature of hockey culture, so that people can finally talk about their experiences without facing repercussions, accountability can be taken to make sure that racist people are removed, regardless of their power, and that BIPOC parents can feel safe to put their children in hockey. And that those children grow up and inspire a new generation of BIPOC hockey players and fans, the same way Nazem Kadri did for me.

My whole life, everyone has preached to me that "Hockey is for all." My goal and hope are that within my lifetime, that hockey will be for all.

[knightsofsliverandgoldstory]

Marc-André Fleury/ F!OC

Cover by @newlibrary

Summery: A story where a world famous goaltender with a heart and soul of gold becomes a knight in shining silver for a female hockey player in the NHL who is trying to balance being a single mother and athlete after just being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. Can Marc-André Fleury show Barlow Kane he can be the father her daughter never had, help her make a home and a life in Nevada and be the love of her life she never thought she would find?

Warnings: swearing, very very mild flash backs if you really look hard.

Word count: 7,568

As always follow my main account @callsign-denmark or main masterlist and my A03

Barlow and Harper were starting to settle into their new life in Vegas. Barlow went to practice each morning, training hard next to her new team before grabbing a quick lunch with a few of the guys. Then she would spend the rest of her day with her daughter, taking her around town to see all the new shops and even the playground. Barlow was getting ready for the preseason start, being a center she was going to run on the 1st line to test out the waters. She was nervous to say the least, like a rookie on their first game in the NHL. Changing teams was never easy, but going to a team that made it to the Cup finals in their first year…. She had a lot to prove. She got Harper dressed and ready for breakfast before she had to go to practice. Barlow threw on a pair of black leggings, a blue and purple sports bra, a white muscle shirt and a pair of runners. She threw her hair up into a messy bun and went down to see if Harper was ready to eat. She sat the toddler down in her chair and grabbed her cereal bowl, sitting it down in front of her.

"Mommy, can I come to pwactice with you?" Harper asked. She couldn't really say her R's that well so they normally sounded like W's. It was really adorable. Barlow sat down and looked at her redhead daughter.

"You want to come and watch Mommy's practice?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Harper had come to a few practices over the years but got bored quickly just sitting there for a few hours. She watched the little girl take a bite of her food and nod her head. Barlow smiled softly and shook her head before replying "Well Kate is going to take you to get a new pair of shoes today, but how about I have her bring you to the rink earlier so you can see the last bit of practice and then we'll get lunch."

She smiled at daughter who hummed happily as she ate. She finished getting ready for practice, making sure everything was in her bag before kissing Harper goodbye when Kate showed up to watch her. She walked out the door, going to her Honda CR-V and throwing her bag into the trunk. She started her car and pulled out of her driveway, heading to the rink. She watched as the Nevada desert scenery went by her window, the city in all its glory flashing by. She thumped her fingers against the steering wheel in beat to the music she was listening to. Her phone started ringing as she was at a stoplight. She looked down to see her brother, Patrick was calling. With a smile she answered.

"Hey Patty."

"Hey Barlow. How are you and my favorite niece settling in?" Her brother's voice filled her car speakers. Barlow smiled and shook her head.

"Harper is your only niece dork." She chuckled. "But we have moved in and Harper seems to have adjusted well. I'm still trying to get my bearings with the team and all." She turned left to keep going to the rink. She heard her brother sigh on the phone.

"Have you tried making friends?" He asked.

"God, you sound like mom Patty."

His laugh filled her car as she chuckled.

"Seriously Bar, I know you don't try when it comes to making friends. Is there no one on the team you can… I don't know, hang out with for lunch and stuff?" He continued.

Barlow rolled her eyes and turned into the parking lot for team members and parked her car. "Does it count if Harper ate lunch with a teammate and I joined them?" She questioned.

"Wait…. Harper went with one of the guys to get food? Without you? She never does that."

"I know. But she really took to him. She calls him pretty a lot."

"Who is this lucky man?" Patrick asked.

"Fleury" was all she said as she grabbed her water bottle, phone and keys. She held the phone up to her ear so she could finish her conversation with her brother.

"Like the Goaltender Fleury?"

"Yes Patty, the very one. The only Fleury on my team dumb dumb." She sarcastically answered.

"Well damn Sis…. He is single and your daughter likes him. You better pay close attention to that man. It's about time you found someone to make you happy again." He said, trying to reason with her.

"I love you and all, but I'll worry about my own love life, thank you. Now I have to go. I'll text you later. Love ya." Barlow smiled as she got out of her car. She walked around to the back to grab her bags of gear.

"Yeah yeah, it's what older brothers are for. Love you too. Give Harper a kiss for me." Patrick said before hanging up the phone. Barlow sighed and shook her head, throwing her phone into her bag. She brushed some stray hairs off her face and made her way into the T-Mobile Arena. She took the long hallways down to the locker rooms, the gold, white and black walls leading the way. The gold knights and Shields, the team logo lining the vibrant walls. She made her way to the locker room door and pushed it open, going over to her cubby. She dropped her duffle bag and sat on her bench, taking out gear to start gearing up for practice. The first preseason game was in a week and she wanted to be as fit and ready as possible. She was told they were playing her on the first line to see how she does with the team and to see where she fit. She had been here three weeks now and was starting to feel more at ease in the locker room, finding her way around and learning how things were run around there.

Pulling the dark gray jersey with the shiny number 42 on its back over her head, the silky jersey sliding down over her pads. She laced up her skates and then stood up, grabbing her helmet and sticks before walking down the tunnel to the rink. Only three guys were out on the ice, Marc-André, Cody and DeBoer, who was having Cody work on his slap shots and shorthands against Flower. The young rookie was good, but needed a few tune ups here and there, and there was no one better to practice against than Flower for a slapshot or backhand. He was good at stopping those shots, so getting one past him was not something that happened often. Barlow slipped in her helmet, letting her sticks lean against the wall near the bench as she before stepping into the ice and doing some simple stretches to warm up her legs and core before really getting into harder and faster warm-ups. She put her left leg up on the wall at the bench and leaned over it, letting her muscles stretch out before doing it on her right leg. Then she did some twists, going into a toe touch and then bending side to side. Once she felt a bit warmed up and went out into the ice to do some drills to warm up more. She went down into the splits on the ice, bending over her legs, touching her hand to her toes before bending the other way and repeating that. Then she got up and started to skate around, letting her body get used to the ice before she took a puck on her stick blade and started to do patterns with it between her legs, letting the speed build up before she snapped it at the empty net. She did this a few more times before DeBoer called her name.

"Kane!"

She snapped her head up upon hearing her name and skated over to the head coach.

"Hey I want you to show Cody what a real slapshot on Flower looks like. Playoff style." He said, giving her a wink. Barlow laughed and nodded her head, taking the puck near her skates and started moving it. She went down to the far end away from Marc-André and acted like she was just playing around. She saw Flower standing in the net, relaxed and not really ready for an attack. She smacked her stick down against the ice, earning Marc's attention. He snapped his helmet down, and smacked his stick against the bars of the net. She smiled and took off for him. She knew he was expecting what she did 3 weeks ago, to snow him out and then go bar down on the net, like she did in the playoffs. But she had other ideas. She raced for the blue line, pushing herself faster and faster. Flower got ready to block the shot, thinking she was going to pull the same trick as last time. But once Barlow hit the blue line she snapped her stick back like a golfer and hit the puck with all her strength. When her blade hit the puck it made a loud crack, the puck going flying through the air and right between Marc-André's right arm and right leg pad, smacking the back of the net with a loud snap.

Marc-André pushed his helmet up, staring at her wide-eyed before a smile took over his face. DeBoer and Cody were clapping as she skated over to Flower. She slid to a stop, spraying his pads with some snow with a chuckle.

"Well that was unexpected." He said, as he tapped her legs with his stick, making her laugh.

"That's the point!" Barlow answered back. DeBoar skated over to the netminder and the forward and patted Barlow's back with a smile. Cody gave her a fist bump and she smiled.

"And that is how teams make it to the playoffs… and win." DeBoer said to Cody. Barlow blushed and looked down at her skates. She hadn't won a cup yet, but she knew one day she would. It would just take time. "I've never seen someone hit from the blue line and go between the leg and bad before! That's Incredible!" Cody said. He was a bright young rookie who had a good future in the NHL, he just needed some training is all. Barlow smiled before leaning on the net, looking over at Marc-André only to find him already looking at her, a soft smile on his lips, and something in the back of his eyes she couldn't really pinpoint. She smiled lightly at him before ducking her head down a bit.

"I'm glad you are on this team and not playing against me anymore. You're a goalies nightmare with shots like that." Flower said with a chuckle, making Barlow tap his pads with her stick, a smile on her lips.

"Thanks Marc. Every girl wants to hear she is a nightmare, hahaha."

He shook his head before giving her a light shove, then taking off his mask and laying it on the crossbar. "Don't twist my words around BK." He joked. He leaned back against the net and looked between Barlow, Cody and DeBoar. Barlow started asking Cody about draft day, what he thought of Vegas, the team and then his family. The rookie seemed calm around her, his nerves seeming to melt away as he spoke to Barlow about draft night. Other members of the team slowly started to filter in, filling the rink with their soft chatter and laughing. Rookies and veterans alike warmed up, talked and joked as they skated around the ice, just happy to have hockey back up. Soon Barlow was back out on the ice, with Max and Mark as her wingers. They were facing off against Johnathan, Erik and Alex for practice. Barlow skated up to the dot where DeBoar had the puck waiting for a faceoff. She lined up against Johnathan, never looking at her opponent, her eyes never leaving the puck. She watched as it was tossed to the ice, and her stick snapped out to get it. She won the face off and snapped the puck back to Shea. The tall defensemen took off with the puck, before snapping it to Max. Barlow watched as Max took off with the puck towards Robin Lehner, the goalie in the other net. She took off after Max, protecting him from the side as he played the puck. She saw Erik coming from the side, so she quickly moved into position to keep him away from the puck, slowing her speed a bit to be able to get behind Max just a bit. Erik must not have seen that she moved slightly to defend Max and couldn't stop before it was too late. He slammed right into her from the side, his shoulder hitting her high on her shoulder/ neck sending her flying sideways as he went down to the ice. Her body smacked against the ice then slid into the boards, the wind knocked from her body. She laid there staring at the rafters. She knew she was still awake, so she started to do a body check, seeing what hurt and what didn't in her mind before even trying to move. Her left shoulder and her neck has some pain, her back felt fine, her arm kinda felt numb but that could be from the cold of the ice. She heard voices all around her but couldn't make them out. "Shit do I have a concussion?" She thought to herself. She groaned as she tried to push herself up, a strong pair of hands grabbing her arms, helping her sit up. She shook her head and blinked a few times before looking up to see everyone, literally everyone staring at her. Mark was holding her still, Erik, Max, Johnathan, and Alex kneeling close to her as the rest of the team looked on. The head trainer came running out, trying hard not to slip on the ice.

"I'm so sorry Kane." Erik said as he moved aside for the trainer to get to her. She shook her head at him, brushing it off.

"It happens in this sport. Don't worry about it." Barlow tried to reassure him. The trainer bent down and started to feel around her neck where the padding was not covering. He then lifted her arm and felt around seeing if anything was broken. She sat there, trying to sit still and keep a level head. She felt a bit dizzy but a fall like that would definitely make someone dizzy.

"Barlow, can you stand up? I want to take you back and do a concussion protocol on you to be sure all is fine." The trainer said after he checked on it her arms and shoulder around her padding.

"Alright doc." She simply replied, taking Max and Erik's hands to help pull her up. She leaned a bit on Max, feeling slightly dizzy upon standing up. She let her head hang a bit as Max and the trainer helped her off the ice, the boys tapping their sticks for her as she left. They took Barlow to the locker room where Max helped her down onto her cubby bunch before patting her helmet and going back out to the ice. The trainer, Dave as she learned his name was, was not the normal on ice trainer they had but he was covering today. He got to work helping her take off her upper body padding so he could better look at her shoulder. Once the top part of her jersey was gone she sat there, trying to block out the light. She knew she probably had a light concussion, she had some in the past and knew the signs. She waited till Dave checked her eyes, neck and head, making sure no bumps, bleeding or slow eyes were found before moving to her shoulder and arm. She winced a bit when he poked around her shoulder but kept it together. 15 minutes later she was leaning back against her cubby in a t-shirt with an ice pack strapped to her shoulder.

"Well good news is nothing is broken or dislocated and you don't have a concussion." Dave said after returning with some pain pills. "Bad news is you have some whiplash and a nice size bruise at the base of your collarbone. That will take about 3 or 4 days to feel good enough to play again. Nothing major, but you should rest it for a few days so you can play during preseason." He explained as he handed her the ibuprofen and some water. Nodding her thanks she took the pills and swallowed them with water before sitting the cup down.

"Thanks Doc. I appreciate it." Dave patted her shoulder before leaving the room. Barlow groaned softly as she pushed herself upright, leaning her good arm on her leg. She hated having injuries no matter how big or small. Not only did it impact her life at the rink but her home life as well. It meant she couldn't be as involved with Harper like she normally was and had to depend on Katie more to help out. With a sigh she started to pull off the rest of her gear, going slowly so she didn't get dizzy or pull anything. She stacked it all on her cubby bench to be put away once she stood up. She didn't realize time had gone by, or that she zoned out with her eyes closed, head back against the wall till she heard voices talking in the hallway. The high pitched child voice made it clear Harper had entered the hallways to the locker room, and knew her mother would more than likely be there or the rink and she was ready to find her. Around the corner came the little ball of energy, happily bubbling away as she walked with Katie and the assistant head coach.

"Hey baby!" Barlow said as she pushed herself up slowly from her bench. Her shoulder was sore and her head was kinda dizzy but nothing would stop her from holding her daughter. The toddler ran over to her mother, pure joy in her face. She picked Harper up on her good side, grunting lightly as she did so. Katie walked into the locker room and saw the look of discomfort on her friend's face.

"What happened to you?" She asked as she sat down Harper's bag in Barlow's cubby bunch.

"Took a bad hit during practice. Got a little whiplash but I'll be fine in a few days Doc says." Right after she spoke she heard the noise of skates mats and knew the boys were coming off the ice. She smiled at Katie who looked a bit uncomfortable. While Katie was her friend pretty much from the start of her career. They met through her brother who was at the time dating her sister but then broke up soon after that. They stayed best friends and after her fiance died Katie moved in with Barlow to make things easier on her while she played hockey. The move to Vegas was big, but Katie has gone through a bad relationship and wanted out of the city and a fresh start as well. So she came with Barlow and Harper to Vegas to remain as her nanny. Katie had been around hockey men for years but still felt weird about being in the locker room when they were in there. She only would come in when she knew Barlow was there because it meant they were at least covered where it counted. Barlow smiled at her friend before nodding towards the door, letting her know she was free to leave if she wanted to. Katie gave her a grateful smile before walking out of the room, just as the boys began to file in.

"Hey BK, you alright?" Erik asked as soon as he saw the forward. "Hi Harper." He waved at the small child who waved back shyly. Harper sat Harper down on her cubby seat before turning to face Erik. He still had a look of worries and guilt in his eyes and she felt bad, knowing he didn't mean it at all.

"I'm fine. I promise. Just some light whiplash and a sore shoulder. In a few days I'll be right as rain." She could see he still was worried but he didn't say anything, just nodded his head and patted her arm before going to undress from his gear. Barlow turned back to face her cubby and started to pull off her hockey pants when Harper began to squeal and darted off the bunch. Barlow looked up to see Marc with his arms opened wide as he sat on his knees, the little red headed toddler jumping into his arms.

"Bonjour ma petite fleur!" He said as he held Harper close, kissing her cheek. She giggled and grabbed his face, kissing his cheek before grabbing a fistful of his jersey.

"Bonjour Flower." She answered back. Her French had been getting much better with time and she was able to speak a small amount now with no problems. Harper could understand a lot more now then she could speak. Marc smiled at her before standing up, and walking to his cubby. Barlow smiled at the pair as she continued to take off the rest of her gear. Her shoulder was stiff and bending to take off her skates made her dizzy but she pulled through and got it done.

"How come you guys are done already?" She asked Marc as she stood back up. She felt slightly dizzy upon doing so but hoped she hid it enough. Marc looked up at her, after handing Harper his helmet to hold onto and look at.

"He said it was just a light skate today and he also had an appointment he needed to go to so we all just called it quits."

Barlow nodded her head as she looked into his deep brown eyes. The same eyes that seemed to make her lose her mind every time she saw them the last few weeks. She wasn't sure why or what power he suddenly had over her after she basically shut out all ideas of men from her life for years, and suddenly Marc-André had her feeling butterflies. Gigging pulled her from her thoughts and she looked pasted him to find Harper wearing his goalie helmet. It bobbled and slid around as she moved, being far too big for her tiny head, but she laughed and smiled nevertheless, making the others in the room smile as well. Barlow grinned at her daughter as she looked up at her, holding onto the helmet the best she could to stop it from sliding around.

"Look Mommy, I'm just like Flower!" The toddler laughed. Marc laughed and patted the helmet lightly, making the child laugh more. Max walked over with his helmet on and bent down to be eye level with Harper. "Put your head against my helmet Harper. We'll helmet hug each other like Flower does with the players on the ice." Harper leaned forward and bent her head slightly, letting Max tap his helmet against hers, making them both giggle as the helmet bobbled on her head. "Good job!" He said before standing up.

"Again! Again!" She laughed, clapping her hands. The guys all laughed before grabbing their helmets and putting them back on. Marc picked up Harper and helped her stand on the bunch seat so she was taller, holding onto her arms so she didn't fall. "Look Mommy! I do goalie hugs!"

Barlow smiled and grabbed her phone, clocking on the camera to take a video of all the players giving her daughter a helmet hug as the very attractive star goalie held her steady on the bench. All the players lightly tapped their helmets to hers, making her giggle with each one. Marc wore a big smile, helping her stay steady on the bench. He smiled up at Barlow and she felt her heart flutter, and her mind froze. It was like something out of a dream. She had always  wondered what a father would look like with Harper, doing something just like this, holding up their daughter as she giggled and laughed as their friends did something to make her happy, his smile lighting up the room as well. It was a dream that someone turned into reality, only Marc wasn't Adam, he wasn't her husband or Harper's father. It was like her heart begged for her to let it fall in love again, yet her mind was scared of being hurt once more. Her mind and heart warred with themselves over the scene in front of her eyes and she didn't know who to listen to.

After the last player tapped their helmet to hers, Marc pulled the helmet off Harper's head and sat it on his shelf, before picking up the child and nuzzling his nose into her soft curls. Harper wrapped her small arms around his neck, holding him close as she looked over at her mother. Barlow put her phone down on the bench and pulled the rest of her gear off. Down to just a sports bra and some athletic compression shorts she grabbed a Tshirt and slipped it on gingerly and then a pair of track shorts. Pulling on a pair of slip-on Docs, she let her hair fall loose down her back. Turning back to her daughter, she walked over to the pair and smiled. Poking Harper's cheek, making her giggle softly, Barlow gave Marc a soft smile to which he returned.

"Hey Little Bird, why don't we go get food?"

"I'll take you guys for lunch. My treat."

Barlow looked up into his cocoa eyes with wide eyes. Did he just say he wanted to treat them to lunch? "Oh no you don't have to Flower." She tried to keep her voice even, trying not to show that her heart was now racing. He just smiled and shook his head, shifting Harper in his arms to hold her better.

"Harper, tell your Mommy to stop being stubborn and let me take the two of you to lunch." He said in a singsong voice. "You want to go have lunch with me don't you Harper?" He then turned to look at Barlow with a mischievous smile.

"Mommy lunch with Flower!! Lunch with Flower, please Mommy!" Harper said, bouncing in his arms, clapping her hands. Marc gave her a bright smile, knowing full well she wouldn't say no to her daughter. Barlow shook her head, letting out a sigh and put her hands on her hips.

"So who's leaving their car here?" She asked with a defeated sigh. Marc grinned and kissed Harper's hair before answering her.

"I took an Uber today. My car is in the shop. I'll drive since you got hurt and then I'll drive you home, and Uber from there."

Barlow cocked her head to the side and gave him a knowing look. "I can drive my own ca-"

"Nope. You got whiplash and need to rest. Therefore I'm driving." Flower said, cutting Barlow off before she could finish what she was saying. With one last snuggle he passed off the toddler to her mother and grabbed his clothes. "I'll be right back. I'm leaving my gear here for the day." He said walking to the shower to change. Harper smiled up at her mother and Barlow shook her head.

"What did you get us into Little Bird?" She sighed before kissing her daughter's head. Harper giggled and played with her mother's hair, snuggling her face into the crook of her neck. Barlow rocked her gently, ignoring the chatter of the guys around her as she went to sit on her cubby bunch, feeling slightly dizzy again. She closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh scent of Harper's shampoo as she held her daughter. After a few minutes she felt a tap on her shoulder and she looked up to find Marc smiling down at her and Harper with soft eyes.

"Come on, let's get you and this little flower some food." He said gently. He picked up Harper's backpack and Barlow's bag, following them out of the locker room, unaware of the pairs of eyes from the team watching them leave, all with knowing looks to each other. Barlow found Katie talking to Shea Theodore outside the locker room. Katie seemed deep into the conversation with the young defenseman and he seemed totally smitten with her. Barlow walked up to the pair and smiled at Katie.

"Marc is taking Harper and I out for lunch. So you can do whatever for the rest of the day." She told her. The blonde smiled softly at Barlow, giving her friend a knowing look before nodding her head.

"Shea asked me to lunch so this works perfectly." Katie said shyly as she smiled at the young player. Shea gave her a grin before Katie turned back to Barlow. "Have a good time."

Barlow followed Marc down the halls and out the players entrance to the parking lot. He walked to her SUV and waited for her to fish out her keys from her bag. Once she unlocked the doors he put their bags into the trunk of her car while she put Harper in her car seat. Once Harper was buckled up she shut the door and handed the keys to Flower.

"Don't wreck my car please." Said Barlow in a joking tone. Marc stuck his tongue out at her before leaning down and kissing her cheek without thought. Barlow was shocked, but didn't pull back as his warm lips brushed the skin of her cheek bone.

"Very funny you are. Now come on, off to feed you and the child!" He said once he pulled back, seeming unfazed by what happened. Barlow shook her head, a warm blush heating up her face as she rounded the car and got into the passenger side. Marc waited till she was buckled up before turning on the car and pulling out of the parking lot. "So pretty ladies, what are we hungry for?" He asked as he looked in the rear view mirror at Harper.

"Nuggets!" The toddler cried out with a clap of her hands. Marc smiled at her before nodding his head, giving her his best smile.

"Nuggets it is!"

Barlow softly chuckled at the two of them. Harper was so at ease with him, it made her heart happy to see her so close to someone that was like her father in ways. Marc spoke the same way, and had the same joy and laughter in his heart the way Adam once had. The way he spoke French or how his accent rolled off his lips made her heart race, and yet at the same time made her feel so calm. It was like finding home again, and it scared her. Here was this man next to her, someone that was so gentle and good hearted, and her mind was so scared to fall again, even though she knew her heart was ready. The way he smiled at her wasn't like most men, it was like how Adam had before they started dating. The same smile of a man who had already fallen hard, but was patient and willing to let it fall into place. Barlow was so lost in her thoughts, she never realized Marc had been talking to her till he placed his hand on top of hers, making her eyes dart up to meet his. He was looking at her with a little bit of concern.

"I'm sorry, I got lost in my one head, what did you say?" She looked down to see his hand still holding hers, so she gave it a light squeeze. Marc waited a few seconds before squeezing back, and turning back to look at the road.

"Is everything okay Barlow?"

"Yes I'm fine. Really. Just got lost in thought. What did you say to me?".

Marc side glanced her before answering "I asked how you like the team so far, and if you felt like you were setting into the city well?"

Barlow was till thrown off by the warm feeling of his hand covering hers but she didn't shake it off. She liked it a lot. She smiled and looked out the window of the car at the city around them.

"I like it here. This town is cool, and always something to see. The fans are already amazing and the pride for this team is great." She explained. "As for the team I feel like I'm starting to find my way. I have always gotten along with my team but being the only female in the league I still stand on the outside a bit, and that's okay really. I got used to it over the years."

Marc waited till he stopped at a red light and turned to look at her. "This team is lucky to have you and the guys talk highly of you. Plus we all love Harper. So don't worry about fitting in. You already do." He said before driving on when the light turned green. His works meant something to Barlow more than she realized they would. When she had been with the Oilers she had Adam and after she had Harper and lost Adam, the team helped her out when family couldn't be there, but she was still on the outside. Some of the older players didn't like the idea of a female player and didn't accept her like some of the younger guys did within the league and the team. She knew it would always be this way but to know she had this team's support meant something. It would make playing here easier on her and Harper in the long run. Soon Marc turned into a small little restaurant parking lot and shut off the car.

"This place has the best food and it will give Harper the nuggets she so much wants haha." He said before getting out of the car. The warmth of his hand was suddenly gone and it felt like an empty spot filled her soul all the sudden. Shaking her head, Barlow opened the car door and got out. Walking around the car she found Flower getting Harper out of her car seat. The toddler placed her small arms around his neck, and smiled at her mother once she saw her. Barlow tucked some of her red curls behind her ear before Marc led them into the restaurant. When they walked inside the restaurant crew all smiled and greeted them.

"Hello Marc! Good to see you again." A tall, Middle aged woman who was wearing black dress pants and the restaurant logoed T-Shirt said. She looked at the toddler in his arms and Barlow standing next to him and smiled brightly. "You didn't tell us you were married! Hello my name is Faith, my husband and I own this place." She said sticking out her hand to Barlow.

Barlow took her hand and shook it while saying. "Oh, we're not married. I'm his teammate Barlow Kane. This is my daughter Harper. We just moved here from Canada, where I played for the Oilers."

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you anyway Mrs. Kane."

"Ms Kane. I um… well… My fiance passed away a few years ago. Never married." Barlow said in a softer voice. "Kane is my maiden name. I'm Patrick Kane's younger sister."

Faith gave her a soft smile and placed her hand on Barlow's arm. The older woman felt for the young mother, but could see the look in Marc's eyes, how he cared for her and the girl already. "I'm sorry for your loss dear." She then pulled her hand away and grabbed some menus. "Let's get you guys some food!"

Barlow followed the group to a small booth in the back, tucked into a corner and away from most of the public eyes. She began to realize Marc was a regular here, and they kept him tucked away from the public eye so he could eat in peace. She thought it was nice of the store owners to do this for him. Sitting Harper down in the seat Marc then went to the other side of the booth so Barlow could be next to her daughter. Faith handed them some menus and pulled out a pen and table.

"I'm guessing you still want your regular coffee Marc?" She asked, hand ready above the table. He smiled up at her with a bright child-like smile, making the older woman laugh.

"You're too good to me Faith."

She turned to Barlow and Harper after writing down Marc's coffee order. "I'll have a raspberry lemonade please, and I'll get her an apple juice please." Faith nodded, writing it down and then telling them she'd be back in a bit to take their food orders before going off to grab their drinks. She was looking around the restaurant, looking at all the decor and out the windows, taking it all in. When her eyes met his it was like all the air from her lungs vanished. The soft look in Marc-André's dark chocolate eyes looked into her soul, like he knew every thought, every worry, every dream that ever came to her mind and heart. She blushed and ducked her head down, looking at Harper who was playing with the stuffed bunny Barlow had brought inside with them. When she looked back up he was still looking at her, a stupid, soft smile on his lips.

"What?" She asked shyly. He smiled a bit more and shook his head, leaning back against his seat a bit.

"Nothing." He said with a blush, rubbing the back of his neck. By this point Faith came back with their drinks and asked if they were ready to order their lunch. Barlow got Harper chicken nuggets and some apple sauce, and then got herself baked Mac and cheese with a small salad on the side. Marc went with the grilled salmon and some mashed potatoes. When Faith went to take the menu from Barlow she saw her right ring finger and smiled. "What a beautiful tattoo! I like that a lot." She told her before walking off to place their order. Marc raised an eyebrow at Barlow and reached across the table to take her hand. Turning so he could see the inside of her ring finger on the right hand he found a small tattoo there of the word "love" written in cursive handwriting and a small blue butterfly sitting on the letter E.

Barlow looked at their joined hands before looking up at him. "It's my late fiance's handwriting." She spoke softly. Marc moved his eyes up to meet hers, and he gave her a small smile.

"It's beautiful."

He let go of her hand and she rubbed the ink on her skin. She looked down at it, and sighed, before looking back up at him. "Adam was Canadian, but he spoke French like you. Actually, I believe you two might have been from the same area. Anyways he grew up in an old fashioned European house where they wear their rings on the right hand and not the left. But since I'm American, he wanted to use the left hands. So we agreed that to keep his family tradition, we would get matching tattoos on the right hand so when I couldn't wear my ring during games, I still had a ring of sorts on the right hand." Barlow explained to him. It was the first time she ever really spoke about Adam, and for once it didn't hurt. "I decided to still get something done, so I did the word love in his handwriting."

"And the butterfly?" Marc asked in such a soft tone. Barlow looked down at the small blue butterfly on her skin and smiled, a true smile as the memory came back to her.

"On our first date we went to the park. A small blue butterfly landed on his head and then flew and landed on my nose. He said it was the universe's way of telling him that he should kiss me. And then he did. It's one of my favorite memories." She said looking up at the men across from her. "Honestly it used to hurt to even think about him. But everyone said that coming here is a new start for me. That Adam wouldn't want me to be alone, for Harper to not have a father." She felt her cheeks heat up slightly as she looked up at him through her eyelashes. "Maybe they're all not wrong. Maybe it's time I find a new happiness."

Marc smiled at her and reached across the table to take her hand that was laying by her plate. His hands engulfed hers, but she loved the feel of his warm skin against hers. The look in his eyes was enough to drive her crazy, a look of wonder and… what seemed like love, shined in his eyes. "It's a beautiful memory, Barlow. Thank you for sharing it with me." His accent was thick and deep, making her stomach flutter. At this point Faith brought their food back and they began to eat, Harper chatting quietly to her Bunny as she ate, and a comfortable silence filled the air. It felt normal. It felt right.

After they finished eating and paid for their food, Faith handed Barlow a small take home box with 3 pieces of chocolate cake with a smile, telling her it was on the house. Barlow smiled and thanked the older woman for her kindness and followed Marc-André and Harper out the door. Once they got settled into the car Barlow punched in her address to the GPS and Flower started for home. Their drive was peaceful, Harper's light bubbling to her toys filling the air around them as they drove. A few minutes into the drive Marc reached across the center console and placed his hand on Barlow's knee. It took her by surprise, but she soon melted into the warm touch in her bare skin. His thumb slowly moved up and down over the skin of her knee as he drove.

"Thank you, for lunch." Barlow broke the silence after a short while. Marc smiled and glanced her way before his eyes found the road again. His hand gave her knee a slight squeeze.

"Of course. I love spending time with you and Harper. I'm glad you let me in, Barlow."

She smiled softly and placed her hand overtop of his. It felt right, and it felt safe. But before she knew it they were pulling into her driveway and he shut off the car. Barlow got out and walked to the back door to grab Harper from her car seat as Marc got their bags from the trunk, but left her hockey gear in there. Once they walked up to the front door it was being a teen again. Standing by the door after she unlocked it she turned to face him, unsure what the next step was. Marc seemed to sense her hesitation and placed the bags just inside the door. Barlow let Harper down and she took off running into the house, and into the living room to play with her toys. Turning to face him, he beat her to the chase.

"I already ordered an Uber, they'll be here in about five minutes."

"You don't want to stay a bit?" She asked.

He smiled and stepped a bit closer to her. Pushing a lock of her hair off her face and behind her ear he licked his lips before speaking. "I would, but I have to go pick up my car, and I promised my mother I'd call before supper. Otherwise I'd stay." His fingers still tickled the skin of her cheek, making her lean into his touch a bit more.

"I had a nice time Marc." Her voice was a bit more gravely as she spoke.

"Me too Barlow."

He leaned down and softly pressed his lips to her cheek, lingering there for a few beats before pulling back upon hearing a car pull up. He turned and saw his Uber had arrived and he turned back to face her with a smile. Her cheeks were red with blush, but a smile graced her lips. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. His arms snaked around her waist, and his face nuzzled into the crook of her neck. When Barlow pulled back she placed a quick kiss to his cheek, before stepping back and opening the door to her house.

"See you soon Flower." She said softly before stepping inside and shutting the door behind her. Marc smiled to himself before walking down to his Uber. He knew right then and there one day, he was going to make her his wife, and he was going to show her what it meant to find love all over again.

[misshoneyimhome]

Better In Time I Frederik Andersen

[Prologue] [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6]

Summary: You and Frederik spend another day together with Henry, and the deep connection between you both is undeniable. Frederik feels a strong desire to be a part of his son’s life, even though he knows it’s a long shot. Still, hope lingers as he introduces Henry to his family in Herning.

Tropes & warnings: Frederik Andersen x reader, friendship, best friend!Freddie, dad!Freddie

Word count: 3K

➼｡ﾟ

July 2023

Two days later, you felt a tightening in your stomach as the car approached the familiar house that had once been like a second home. The streets of Herning blurred past, but your focus was solely on the growing heaviness in your chest. Your palms grew clammy, and the cool leather of the car seat did little to ease your discomfort as you glanced at Henry in the backseat, his innocent curiosity completely unaware of the emotional turmoil within you.

Facing Charlotte and Ernst with Henry by your side was a strange mix of anticipation and apprehension. They had been like a second family to you, welcoming you into their home countless times and offering warmth and care when you needed it most. But now, bringing Henry to meet them felt like opening a door to a past you had long kept shut. It felt as though you had been deceiving them for years, keeping them in the dark. Well, you had. But technically, you hadn’t lied—you had just kept the truth from them.

Frederik, sitting beside you in the driver’s seat, gave you a reassuring look, sensing your discomfort. He knew how much his parents had always loved you, viewing you as a second daughter. But he also understood that secrets like these were not something they would easily accept.

Frederik had taken the news of having a son much better than you’d feared. Although he was disappointed to realise what he’d missed out on, after many long discussions where you explained your reasons, he eventually came around. He understood your choices, even if he didn’t entirely agree with them.

So, all you could do was hope that his parents would react in a similar way.

_

The following night, after you’d shared the news with Frederik, you had decided it was time to tell Henry the truth as well, with Frederik’s approval, of course, following another afternoon spent together all three of you.

You weren’t entirely sure if Henry would fully grasp the situation, but after seeing how happy your son was around your childhood best friend and his biological father, you couldn’t ignore the bond that was slowly developing between them. So, it felt like Henry deserved to know the truth.

Your father had even pointed out the similarities—not just Henry’s strawberry-blond hair and freckles, clearly inherited from Frederik, but their personalities as well. Mostly, that is. Frederik had always been more calm and reserved, while Henry was eager to chat and share every detail he could think of. Yet, Henry seemed to bring out a cheerful and genuinely excited side of Frederik—a laughter and a smile you had missed for so many years.

Henry was completely enthralled by the NHL goaltender, eagerly sharing his own hockey dreams. And Frederik was nothing but sweet and kind, sharing his stories with the child. So, you hoped that revealing Frederik as his father would ease Henry’s curiosity and bring him comfort.

“Darling,” you said gently as you tucked Henry in for the night, “there’s something I need to tell you.” The young boy looked up at you with curiosity. “You know Freddie, my best friend from when we were very young? Well, he’s also your dad.”

Henry’s initial silence was followed by a soft question. “But… then why did he leave us? Doesn’t he like me?”

The question nearly broke your heart. “Oh no, sweetheart, of course he likes you. You see, Freddie didn’t really have a choice about staying with us. When I first found out I was having you, I… I didn’t give him a choice,” you explained, your voice trembling. “I’m sure that if he had known about you, about us, he would have stayed. He cares about you very much. But… he had a different life elsewhere.”

You knew Henry had many more questions swirling in his young mind, trying to process the news. However, the excitement of the day had left him weary, and soon he fell into a deep sleep.

_

And now, here you were, about to introduce Henry to the family who could have known him from the start.

After you and Frederik had discussed everything, he was eager for his parents to meet their grandchild. He wanted Henry to feel like a true part of the Andersen family, just as you had been. It was clear that Frederik already saw Henry as a treasure, and if the universe allowed, he hoped to be an active part of his life—perhaps even one day openly calling him his son.

But Frederik also knew that it would take more than just hope, as the reality of your situation was undeniable: you and Henry lived in Denmark, with Henry about to start school after the summer. You had a life, a job, and a home there. Meanwhile, Frederik’s career was firmly anchored in the NHL in Raleigh, with a few seasons left to play. And the significant distance between your lives was a gap that couldn’t be easily bridged.

He hadn’t said it outright, but you understood what he was contemplating. For Henry to be part of his everyday life, Frederik would need to move closer, or you would have to relocate. One of you would need to make a significant sacrifice, perhaps even the ultimate one for an athlete of his calibre. And you weren’t sure you could agree to that.

So, as the car finally pulled into the driveway, you took a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves. The house looked exactly as you remembered—warm, welcoming, and full of memories. But now, it also felt like the stage for a life-changing moment.

Frederik turned off the engine and reached for your hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Are you ready?" he asked, his voice soft but tinged with underlying tension.

You nodded, though your heart was racing. "As ready as I’ll ever be."

_

Frederik had visited his parents the day before to break the news privately. He wanted to gauge their genuine reactions first, in case they weren’t as positive as he had hoped.

And to Frederik’s immense relief, his parents were overjoyed with the news.

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Charlotte had exclaimed the moment Frederik reached the part of his long-winded story where he revealed how the two of you met at the local grocery store. “I can’t believe we have a grandson! Your son—and with y/n? Oh, how amazing!”

“Really?” Frederik asked, intrigued. “You’re not disappointed at all? I mean, you seem a bit too pleased about the fact that y/n has secretly had my child for six years without telling me or you.”

“Oh, can you blame her?” Charlotte laughed. “Of course, we would have loved to have been a part of it all, to help out and see your son grow up! But… we all know how demanding and tough your hockey career has been. And trying to figure out how to raise a child with all that? I have to admit she might have made the right choice. Besides, this isn’t just some girl you met in a bar and… had a fling with. This is y/n.”

Frederik chuckled softly. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Maybe it’s for the best,” Ernst added. “She’s allowed you to focus on your career, Freddie. Being happy and free—that’s a kind of love too.”

Frederik nodded in agreement.

There was a brief pause as they all absorbed the news before Charlotte broke the silence with a chuckle.

“So, when can we meet them? Oh, let’s invite them over for dinner! If they’re up for it, I’d love to see y/n again and meet Henry!”

Frederik chuckled, having anticipated his parents’ enthusiastic response. “I’ll ask her in a moment.”

Meanwhile, you had been a bundle of nerves all day, pacing back and forth in your father’s living room, anxiously awaiting Frederik’s return. When he finally walked in, his calm demeanor provided you with a sense of relief.

“They’re thrilled,” he said, his eyes alight with relief. “They can’t wait to meet him.”

_

Standing at their front door, you felt a surge of apprehension. This was the moment you had both dreaded and anticipated.

Frederik knocked, and almost immediately, the door swung open to reveal Charlotte, her face lightening up the moment she saw you.

“Oh, y/n!” she exclaimed, stepping forward to give you a warm hug. “It’s so wonderful to see you!”

You embraced her, the warmth of her hug bringing tears to your eyes. “It’s good to see you too, Charlotte,” you whispered, overwhelmed by a mix of emotions as you held her close.

When Charlotte finally pulled back, her gaze fell on Henry, who was standing beside you, holding your hand. “And this must be Henry,” she said, her voice filled with awe and affection.

Henry looked up at you, seeking reassurance, and you gave him a gentle nod. “Say hello, sweetie,” you encouraged softly.

“Hi,” Henry said shyly, offering a small wave.

Charlotte’s eyes welled up with tears as she crouched down to Henry’s level. “Hi there, sweetheart,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion. “I’m Charlotte. It’s so wonderful to finally meet you.”

Ernst appeared behind Charlotte, his face reflecting pride and warmth as he took in the scene. “Welcome,” he said, his voice deep and kind. “It’s good to have you here, y/n. And it’s an honour to meet you, Henry.”

Frederik placed a comforting hand on your back as he then guided everyone inside the house. The air was charged with emotion, but there was also a sense of relief, as if the burden of the secret had been lifted. And as you stepped into the familiar living room, memories came rushing back—laughter, holidays spent here, and the warmth this house had always provided.

Charlotte and Ernst quickly made Henry feel at home, their initial nervousness melting away as they showed the natural affection of grandparents meeting their grandchild for the first time. Charlotte pulled out some toys she had saved from when Frederik and his brothers were children, and Henry’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he eagerly explored them.

Meanwhile, you and Frederik sat together on the couch, watching the heartwarming scene unfold. It felt surreal to see your son being welcomed by the family you had once been so close to.

Then, in a moment of tenderness, Frederik’s hand found yours, his fingers intertwining with yours as he leaned in closer. “Thank you for this,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “For letting them be a part of his life.”

You gave him a tender smile, your heart swelling with warmth. “Of course, Freddie. It was time.”

The evening turned out to be absolutely delightful. The warmth of the summer night enveloped you like a comforting embrace as Frederik’s family gathered in the house filled with cherished memories. Even his younger brother, Sebastian, and his girlfriend, Amalie, made a special effort to join, greeting you with the same open arms that had welcomed you into the family years ago.

When Sebastian and Amalie learned about Henry, their faces lit up with surprise and joy. They quickly engaged with him, their natural warmth helping to ease your son’s initial shyness. Frederik’s younger sister and second brother also joined in, and soon the house was alive with the sounds of laughter, clinking dishes, and the easy flow of conversation, just as it had been so many times before. Even your father joined the dinner as well.

And as the evening progressed, your heart swelled with a bittersweet joy. It was a moment you had secretly longed for but never truly believed possible. Henry, your bright and curious son, was running around the garden with his father and uncles, lost in a world of playful competition.

Inside the house, Charlotte and Ernst were bustling around, clearing the dinner table and tidying up the kitchen along with your dad like the old friends they were. Their faces were radiant with happiness, and occasionally, Charlotte would glance out the window with a look of pure adoration as she watched Henry. It was evident that she was already smitten with her grandson.

Meanwhile, on the patio, Sebastian’s girlfriend, Amalie, sat beside you, her hand resting protectively on her growing belly. As she and Frederik’s sister chatted about preparations for the baby, there was a palpable excitement in the air. Amalie was due in early December, and the anticipation of the new arrival only added to the evening’s joyful atmosphere.

Your heart felt overwhelmingly full as you took in the scene before you. It was everything you had dreamed of but never truly believed would happen. Yet, despite the profound sense of happiness, there was a familiar knot in your stomach—a tight, uneasy feeling you couldn’t quite shake.

You knew this moment wouldn’t last forever. Once you left Herning, reality would set in. You’d return to your daily life, and so would Frederik. The miles and responsibilities that had kept you apart for so long would still be there, waiting to remind you of the distance between your worlds.

“Hey, are you okay?” Amalie asked gently, her concern evident as she noticed your distant expression.

You blinked, pulling yourself from your thoughts, and offered her a small, reassuring smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just… overwhelming, I suppose,” you admitted softly. “I never thought this day would actually come.”

A tear formed in the corner of your eye, a blend of joy and bittersweetness. You had introduced Henry to something so wonderful, a family that was embracing him with open arms. Yet, you knew it was fleeting. The time you had together here was precious, but it couldn’t last.

Amalie gave you a sympathetic look, gently squeezing your hand. “I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to keep this to yourself for so long,” she said with kindness. Though you hadn’t had many chances to get to know her due to the distance between you and the Andersens, you already felt a connection. Perhaps it was the shared bond of impending motherhood or simply her compassionate and understanding nature. “But no matter what happens next, I’m sure Freddie is living for this moment.”

Your gaze drifted back to the garden, where Frederik was lifting Henry onto his shoulders. The boy’s laughter filled the air as he reached for the last rays of sunlight. The bond between them was unmistakable, a connection that had been waiting to emerge for years. Seeing Frederik with his son warmed your heart, even as the reality of your separate lives cast a shadow.

There was no doubt that on the grass, Frederik fully embraced the role of a father—a role he had longed for but had only now fully realised. He had always supported his younger brother’s journey into fatherhood, but sharing this experience with Henry added a new depth to their relationship. It was as if a missing puzzle piece had finally fallen into place.

Frederik had always channelled his energy and focus into his career as an NHL goaltender, leaving little room for anything else. In contrast, Sebastian’s path had been different, never reaching the same heights in his own career. 

But nothing could compare to the joy Frederik felt in this moment. As Henry darted back and forth across the grass, a football bouncing between their legs, Frederik realised how much he had missed out on—and how deeply he wanted to be a part of Henry’s life moving forward.

As they paused to catch their breath, Sebastian chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you and y/n actually slept together,” he said, a teasing glint in his eyes. “I mean, we all knew there was something between you two, but this?”

Frederik laughed, “Yeah, I guess no one ever thought it would actually happen.”

“No way,” Sebastian replied with a grin. “But at least it’s y/n. Mum loves her, always has.”

Frederik smiled, finding comfort in his brother’s words. “I know,” he said softly, just as he heard your voice calling for Henry.

“But I’m not tired!” Henry protested, trotting over to you on the patio, his steps slowing as his energy began to wane.

“And we both know that when you say it like that, it means you’re definitely tired,” you chuckled, wrapping your arms around Henry. He leaned into you, his small body relaxing as you gently ran your fingers through his hair, offering the comfort he needed.

“But I’m having so much fun! Freddie’s going to teach me to be a hockey goalie…” Henry’s voice trailed off, his words slurring with the weariness he was struggling to deny. His eyes fluttered, heavy with sleep, and it wasn’t long before your father gently lifted him, carrying him inside to the sofa where he could rest.

You remained seated on the patio, the warm night air wrapping around you like a soothing embrace. The Andersens stayed nearby, their expressions soft with affection. The evening had brought everyone closer, and the unspoken bond that had always existed between you and this family had only deepened.

“He seems like a good kid, y/n,” Ernst said, his voice radiating warmth that made your heart swell. Hearing those words from him meant more than you could express. Ernst had always been a significant figure in your life—your father’s best friend and the father of your best friend. His approval, especially regarding your son, felt like a seal of acceptance, a validation that you had done well.

“Thank you,” you replied, your voice thick with emotion. “That means a lot, Ernst.”

He gave you a knowing smile, his eyes twinkling with the wisdom of someone who has witnessed many moments like this over the years.

As the night went on, conversation flowed effortlessly among the Andersens,and the stars began to twinkle above, painting the sky with a deep blue canvas that stretched over the peaceful scene.

Frederik’s hand found yours once more, a silent gesture of support. You turned to him, your eyes meeting in a moment of understanding. No words were needed; the love and respect between you spoke volumes.

The evening might not last forever, and the challenges of your separate lives still loomed ahead, but in this moment, surrounded by family and the quiet joys of a summer night, everything felt right.

[seedlessmuffins]

Weird nhl questions? Count me in!

This has no logic, so please do these: thanks 🤗

🔔

⚔️

🪽

🔔 omg again 😭 how many white boys do you guys want me to fight 😭 probably quinn hughes sorry quinn he is too tired to fight might be a different story if he has a nap tho

⚔️ goaltender interference is when a goalie plays matchmaker with their best friends and interferes in their love lives. the refs know and they punish accordingly

🪽 sacrifice to the gods: kuzmenko (if i do it with love) and jhughes (if i do it to get rid of a player)

do hard crimes: evgeni malkin i feel like he'd know how to get out of it i trust him

save the world with: idk if any of them could save the world but i think boeser would be the best based solely on last year's hype video from the canucks where he was thor

hockey-ish ask games!

[mitchbeck]

HARTFORD WOLF PACK REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Hartford Wolf Pack news is starting to trickle out as New York Rangers training camp has officially opened, with a few tidbits still to come. The Rangers dropped their first pre-season game in Boston 3-0 to the Bruins as young netminder Brandon Bussi put up a 29-save shutout. Likely Pac-bound forward Will Cullye had a strong game for the Rangers. Adam Sýkora rang one off the crossbar late in the second for NY. The game featured several Wolf Pack players, including goalie Louie Domingue. Domingue played the second half of the game and lost a skateblade on one save. After the game, the Rangers assigned six players to the Wolf Pack. They include goaltender Olof Lindbom, defensemen Seth Barton, Zach Berzolla, and Ryan McCleary, the son of former New Haven Senator Trent McCleary, who is signed for an overage year with his hometown Swift Current Broncos (WHL). He was traded to them by the Portland Winterhawks about a month ago. Forwards, Maxim Barbashev, the younger brother of Las Vegas Golden Knight Ivan Barbashev, was moved in a QMJHL trade last month from Moncton Wildcats to the Shawnigan Cataractes. Barbshev, at 19, will be headed there as per the NHL-CHL agreement once the Wolf Pack training camp ends or whenever the organization ends his PTO deal. Barbashev turns 20 on December 18th. Sahil Panwar is a summer free agent signee by the Wolf Pack. Ex-Pack/Ranger bust, despite five points in five games, Vitali Kravtsov was injured early in his KHL season with Traktor Chelyabinsk. He is out four to six weeks with an upper-body injury and is out a week to ten days into it. Kenny Agostino, a former Yale Bulldog, following his deal being scuttled in Sweden after being in Russia the last two years, signs in Germany with Düsseldorfer EG (DEL). MATT GILROY Ex-CT Whale/Ranger Matt Gilroy is now an assistant coach with the USNDTP U-18 team (USHL), replacing current Ranger assistant coach and former Yale/Sacred Heart assistant coach Dan Muse. A great Gilroy story. The Wolf Pack once put up a game-time trivia question on the scoreboard asking what college Gilroy attended. On the scoreboard, they put up Boston College. Except Gilroy spent four years at BC's rival Boston University. A staff member had to go to the locker room between periods to grab him for a radio interview. Gilroy was NOT pleased. "How stupid are you people? I spent four (expletive) years at BU!" In the post-game, Howlings jokingly asked Glroy at the end of the interview what school he attended. He responded bitterly, then ripped the organization for screwing it up. Matt Barnaby Jr. (Avon Old Farms-AOF), the son of the former Ranger, stays in the Sunshine State and heads over from the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) to the Florida Everblades (ECHL). Nicolas Sykora, the son of NHL'er Petr Sykora, commits to Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) in 2026-27. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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Determining the "best" Montreal Canadiens team is subjective and can vary depending on personal preferences and criteria. However, there are a few notable Canadiens teams that stand out in the franchise's storied history:

1976-1977 Montreal Canadiens: This team is often regarded as one of the greatest in NHL history. Coached by Scotty Bowman, the Canadiens finished the regular season with a record of 60 wins, setting a new NHL record at the time. Led by goaltender Ken Dryden and a star-studded lineup that included Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Serge Savard, Bob Gainey, and Jacques Lemaire, the Canadiens dominated the playoffs, losing only two games en route to winning the Stanley Cup.

1955-1956 Montreal Canadiens: This team is known for its incredible depth and talent. Coached by Toe Blake, the Canadiens finished the regular season with a record of 45-15-10. Led by Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Jean Beliveau, Doug Harvey, Jacques Plante, and Bernie Geoffrion, the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup, losing only one game in the playoffs.

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Unbelievable Luck or Master Strategy? The Story Behind the Golden Knights' Incredible Run to the Stanley Cup Finals

Unbelievable Luck or Master Strategy? The Story Behind the Golden Knights' Incredible Run to the Stanley Cup Finals Unbelievable Luck or Master Strategy? The Story Behind the Golden Knights' Incredible Run to the Stanley Cup Finals The Las Vegas Golden Knights had a historic run to the Stanley Cup Finals during their inaugural season in 2017-2018, becoming the first expansion team in NHL history to reach the championship series. Many were left wondering if their success was due to sheer luck or a master strategy. In this article, we explore the journey of the Golden Knights and dissect the factors that led to their unprecedented success. The Birth of the Golden Knights The NHL's announcement of a new expansion team in Las Vegas was met with skepticism in 2017. Many believed that a city known for its hot desert climate and not hockey was not a suitable location for a new team. However, the Golden Knights defied all odds and quickly became a fan favorite in the city. The Expansion Draft One factor that contributed to the Golden Knights' success was the expansion draft. Each NHL team was allowed to protect only a limited number of players from the draft, leaving a pool of quality players for the Golden Knights to choose from. General Manager George McPhee and Head Coach Gerard Gallant made bold selections, picking up players that other teams had undervalued. The Impact of Marc-Andre Fleury One of the key players selected by the Golden Knights was veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Despite being left unprotected by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Fleury was still considered one of the top goalies in the league. He proved his worth by posting incredible numbers throughout the playoffs and was a major factor in the team's success. The Impact of Coaching Another factor that contributed to the success of the Golden Knights was the coaching staff. Head Coach Gerard Gallant led the team with a hands-on approach and instilled a winning mentality within the team from the outset. His strategy of focusing on team chemistry and camaraderie paid dividends, leading the team to record-breaking success. The Commitment to Excellence One of the things that set the Golden Knights apart was their commitment to excellence. From management to players, everyone was dedicated to achieving the highest level of success possible. This dedication was reflected in the team's impressive work ethic, attention to detail, and relentless pursuit of victory. The Fierce Competitive Spirit While the Golden Knights were largely seen as underdogs, they never let this perception hinder their competitive spirit. Every game was approached with the same level of intensity and determination, and this attitude paid off in a big way. The Community Connection The Golden Knights quickly became a source of pride for the Las Vegas community. The team's commitment to giving back to the city that welcomed them with open arms was evident in their active involvement in the community, both on and off the ice. This connection helped to foster a sense of unity and loyalty among fans, who rallied behind the team throughout its incredible journey. The Legacy of the Golden Knights The impact of the Golden Knights' success will be felt for years to come. The team's incredible journey has become an inspiration to sports fans worldwide, shining a light on the power of determination, commitment, and teamwork. Whether their run was due to luck or master strategy, the Golden Knights have carved out a place in NHL history that cannot be denied. The Future is Bright Despite falling just short of the ultimate prize in the 2017-2018 season, the Golden Knights have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the NHL. With a solid foundation of dedicated players and a winning mentality, the team is poised for continued success in the future. FAQs 1. Was the Golden Knights' success a fluke? - While luck may have played a role in the team's run, the Golden Knights' success was primarily due to a combination of skill, strategy, and dedication. 2. How did the expansion draft impact the Golden Knights' success? - The expansion draft provided the Golden Knights with a pool of quality players to choose from, which helped to fill gaps in the team's roster and create a winning team chemistry. 3. What was the coaching philosophy behind the Golden Knights' success? - Head Coach Gerard Gallant focused on building team chemistry and instilling a winning mentality within the team. His hands-on approach and commitment to excellence were instrumental in the team's success. 4. How did the Golden Knights connect with the Las Vegas community? - The team's commitment to giving back to the community helped to foster a sense of unity and pride among fans. Their active involvement in the community both on and off the ice played a crucial role in the team's popularity and success. 5. What does the future hold for the Golden Knights? - With a solid foundation of dedicated players and a winning mentality, the Golden Knights are poised for continued success in the future. The team's impressive run in their inaugural season has set the stage for even greater achievements in the years to come. #NEWS Read the full article