burrows&co

[capybaraaaava]

so i have this future mcdrai fic idea where they don't get together for years until connor mcdavid LEAVES edmonton after his 2yr contract ends and... yes, i know, but bear with me -

they still grew up together, and felt so drawn to each other, and yes, there was a point when they were vacationing together, somewhere near the ocean, where the air was warm and frizzy and they were far far away from hockey and media and the world of responsibility, and close to each other's hearts. they did stupid things like throwing rocks into the water, and they got drunk, and kissed, maybe made out a little, and the next morning leon woke up and made two cups of coffee like nothing happened the night before.

connor thought leon wasn't interested enough; it was probably a lapse of judgement. leon thought he cared too much to fuck it up.

nobody acted on it bc they weren't sure, so they waited, and waited, and waited, for the right moment. nobody brought up that night again.

after we win the cup together, connor thought;

i need tell my family and my sister first, leon thought, and till i could steal him away for a private vacation again... because no, he was not gonna confess his love to connor fucking mcdavid while being drunk, again. he couldn't stand to lose his captain, his training partner, his summer and winter neighbor, and his best friend.

too many "if"s and too many "but"s, they lost the cup twice, and another two seasons of the hard grind. the truth is that the stakes just got too high; they were no longer connor and leon, they were art ross and hart winners, EDM's best duo and the only hope to championship, the eye of the storm. gravity pulled them into an endless pit.

so when connor's contract was up and he left, it didn't hit leon as a surprise. he knew they were on borrowed time. so he watched as connor packed up his life, the last decade of memories, everything neatly into a dozen home depot boxes. connor paid movers, but leon came to help him pack anyway, chirped him about the hasty sale, how he never got the money back on the heated driveway, on the various shades of grey in his wardrobe, and stared a long time at a picture of them, together, on his nightstand.

it was connor's rookie year, they were visiting the rogers arena for the first time. connor joked that leon's irrational fear of getting hit by a flying rock before his career took off. leon chirped him on how his head was never the right shape for that damn hat. they'd met for three days and were wearing friendship bracelets. they were both so, so young back then.

next to the photo, leo saw, because he couldn't stop looking, that connor had kept a rock from the white sand beach on that vacation, it was the beginning of everything, all that they could be, all that they never were. and leon hugged him so hard it made his own chest ache.

[i'll skip a thousand words of connor at this amorphously shaped team bc it fucking hurts to think about it lol] connor was still playing his best game because yeah, that's just what he does. and maybe made it to the final again, and the whole time leon kept texting him.

they never texted all that much in edmonton, because they were always together and around each other, even during the off season. everything felt like a part of the routine, a code that they could not break. but now it felt different. they weren't doing it for the city, the team team, not because there is a front to keep up, a story for the media to write about. they were doing it because they wanted to.

connor said, perhaps after a beer or two, on an off day, i missed you, leo.

leon had almost drifted off to sleep then, and when he woke up, he remembered to text back, i miss you too.

then they were reunited at an all-star game. connor seemed happier, and lighter. leon asked him to get dinner, just the two of them, and connor said yes. it was not like a date date, but something shifted in the air.

ok this is what i have so far. oh, and leon becomes captain of edmonton after connor. connor becomes captain somewhere else. they faceoff, have chirp e/o about it when they meet. on open mics ;)

[capybaraaaava]

that davo choking holding small dog & sweettalking video has done irreversible damage to me im afraid.....

like howwww?? i watched hundreds of his interview clips (media scrums and other more casual, completely non-hockey related interviews) even at boots & hearts he talked more or less in the same voice. i've never seen him talk with such inflection in his tone and cuteness aggression. and completely natural and in his element too.

ugh!! this video now lives rent free in my head & is responsible for the state of my mental health this weekendddd

[capybaraaaava]

PAUSE WORKKK i saw mcHatty on his hatty day. the 2nd goal was sensational !

[capybaraaaava]

a genuine question as i contemplate mcdrai - how comfortable is connor w/ physical touch in general? i feel like leon is definitely a physical touch guy, in a very gregarious, european kinda way (holding guy best friend's head when they hug, always putting a hand on connors neck/shoulder etc).

there was there one awkward interview where the interviewer was inching towards connor and you saw him visibly flinch away (warning: very cringe. not funny at all ) but with leo he's quite comfortable with the touch. with dylan he's also like that, but that was a decade ago and some guys grew out of the puppy stage where they were essentially nursing each other.

i lack samples otherwise...

[notthequiettype]

playoff pass 24, round two, game two

[capybaraaaava]

soft hugs and sad eyes. ugh i can't

[capybaraaaava]

inspried by the weathered professor! connor tweet on X. this would absolutely fucking work in a college prof AU, where drai is like the confidence bisexual finance professor who could've easily gone into banking if he weren't so anit-capitalist (or if he could stop rolling his eyes at some of the finance bro talks

..and connor is the weird bio professor who'd doodle cells on his lecture notes and give each of them a nick name and tell jokes that are definitively NOT funny

connor has been there for a while and leon is a new hire and he just charms his way through with everyone. they get assigned to the same house / dorm (idk. be creative)

oh, they volunteer to assistant coach their poor div3 hockey team in their part time and bonded over it super quickly. gossip about the kids. get pointers on who's like what. leon learns to predict connor's mental state by the color of his tie, bc man has a routine and is fucking predictable.

connor memorizes leon's schedule and can always show up in front of the econ/finance building with his morning coffee .

leon grabs dinner with all the faculty but especially with connor. connor doesn't realize these are called dates until MONTHs later when leon wants connor to take him to the organic farm on the brink of the campus and mumble his way through various plantation in a monotonic voice until leon kisses him under the stars ⭐️⭐️

drai is the visiting prof and he's not supposed to stay long and connor is worried that he'd find the life on a remote campus boring (or him, boring) when really drai has been drifting between places all his life and just want to settle.

uhhh i'd die for this.

[scoringeffects]

SJS@EDM, 15th apr ‘24 — connor mcdavid becomes the fourth player in nhl history to reach 100 assists in a single season

NSH@EDM, 14th nov ‘24 — connor mcdavid becomes the fourth fastest player to reach 1000 career points

[distant-screaming]

this is what happens when I'm asked to elaborate on 'the guys you're always talking about bruh who exactly are they'

so. mcdrai

aka: connor mcdavid & leon draisaitl 

for reference - 

left: Connor McDavid, right: Leon Draisaitl 

okay so

this will be different from the tzjd primer

bc there’s less Narratives 

and more Soulmateism. 

the appeal of these two 

is that they’re both individually crazy good 

and together they’re Crazy Good

so it’s less about the Dynamic

(though there’s. a lot going on there)

and more like 

individually they’re both soooooo fascinating 

and they’re also freaks.

as of right now 

mcdavid is number 1 in the league this season in points (110 points)

and draisaitl is number 4 (95 points) 

they're both top five. 

and gay about each other. 

amazing.

so. let’s start with

connor mcdavid

aka

mcjesus

aka

davo

aka  

(depending on who you ask)

the third coming of hockey christ.

we must start at the beginning

the junior leagues for hockey in canada start at 16

and if you are very, very, very special

you can apply for exceptional status

to join when you're younger 

and because connor mcdavid is very, very, very special

he applies for exceptional status

and gets it

of course

(this is a Huge Deal)

(like

there have been

as of march 2026

only 9 exceptional statuses granted

ever.

so)

at fifteen years old

connor mcdavid plays for the ontario hockey league

more specifically 

the erie otters

(note 

that there are friendships that start percolating here

in the ohl

that are deeply interesting

such as

Mitch Marner

of divorcebowl fame

who kind of haunts the davo narrative

but in a casper the friendly ghost way

and

Dylan Strome

and he haunts the davo narrative too

but in a more tragic and insane way

that is sooo good

but this ain’t about him

so we won’t discuss him at length.

but just know the stromer narratives are

insane)

anyway

connor mcdavid, age fifteen

he’s Fucking Awesome.

his hockey, of course:

he’s won many trophies and awards already

he’s won sportsmanlike behavior awards

he scores. a lot. an insane amount. often a point per game amount

but what is very fun about him

is not just that he’s insanely good

but also that he’s Just Some Guy

like 

he is very canadian

in that he is polite and sweet and awkward

and generally quiet

and we will ponder this more later

but for now we have

connor mcdavid, age fifteen, plays insanely well

breaks a whole ass hand

and 

STILL 

gets drafted first 

which just goes to show

how insanely good he is

and he gets drafted 

to the edmonton oilers

and the rest of the 2015 draft is also stacked

with tons of very good players

but we’re not discussing that today

so I won’t belabor it

but just think about it this way:

in a year where so many of the draft picks are 

like

Really Good,

connor mcdavid 

is first.

so 

we move on 

to the oilers! 

now. to get a first pick in the draft

means your team is like

ass.

and, in 2015, oilers are, admittedly

ass.

they’re getting somewhere

(they have some Really Good players

and some vague strategies)

but they’re still currently ass.

no worries!

connor mcdavid is here

:) 

at the age of 19

he is named the youngest nhl captain 

ever

and he plays Really, Really Well

he gets injured a bunch

but it’s fine 

because he just keeps getting better

mcjesus is an earned nickname.

all of this

makes you think

(probably)

oh! good for him!

surely he is doing great!

the thing about connor mcdavid

is that he plays hockey

and hockey is a very superstitious sport

and I am not saying anything 

but I will say

first draft picks are kind of cursed

and mcjesus is no exception.

a (very short) list of Some of his accomplishments in the nhl:

x5 art ross trophy

x3 hart memorial trophy

x1 conn smythe trophy

x1 rocket richard trophy 

x4 ted lindsay award

(I cannot emphasize enough

how crazy good he is.)

a list of accomplishments connor mcdavid has not yet achieved:

The Stanley Cup.

aka the one thing every nhl player is playing for 

aka the ultimate proof of being a Good Hockey Player

aka the fruit in connor mcdavid’s version of tantalus 

this guy is in a greek tragedy.

get him OUTTA there.

like

the last two stanley cup playoffs

the oilers have lost in the FINAL GAME.

both times against fucking

florida.

it’s 

evil shit.

let me lay this out for you

let’s do a day in the life:

imagine you are connor mcdavid

playing in the olympics for team canada

next to like 

sidney crosby and nathan mackinnon etc etc etc

and in your olympic debut

you score 13 points

(setting a freaking record)

you win winter olympics best forward

you win winter olympics mvp

and you do not get the fucking gold medal.

you get second place.

right.

welcome to being connor mcdavid.

see

the thing is

a tragic hero not anyone can be

they must have the specific disposition

of being capable enough to keep pushing through the tragedy

but also nice enough that the tragedy keeps a hold of them

and connor mcdavid is very, very capable

and very, very nice. 

he has become media trained since his youth

and is more comfortable in front of cameras

but he still has that edge of like

deeply uncomfortable everywhere except the ice

he always looks like he’s just waiting to be called up and executed 

and he gives general, vaguely positive responses to most media questions

with practiced phrases 

but

(there is always a but

and this is hockey

so there is Always a butt)

but

there’s exceptions

of course

there’s always exceptions.

and one of these exceptions

(perhaps some might argue the biggest exception)

is leon draisaitl.

Who Is Leon Draisaitl, Dee?

well! 

so

remember when I said 

in 2015 oilers are ass but they have some things going on that look encouraging

one of them being some players that are Really Good?

well

let me introduce you to one of those players. 

leon draisaitl! 

(everyone cheer and clap.)

drai is german

and plays in germany for his youth

(where at one point he’s named player of the year)

he proceeds to get selected second overall in the 2012 CHL import draft

(which is not really important to understand

but the point of discussing it is to realize leon is now in canada)

and in 2015 wins the stafford smythe trophy

as well as memorial cup mvp.

all this is to show you that while drai is not the reincarnation of whatever god the edmonton oilers favor 

he is still Ridiculously Good. 

in 2014

leon draisaitl is drafted third overall to the edmonton oilers

making him the highest-drafted german player in nhl ever.

and

as we know

davo is drafted in 2015

so he is there one year after leon

and by the end of the year

they’re Really, Really Good together 

both in terms of hockey

and off the ice.

now. I’ve told you about leon draisaitl, the hockey player

but what about the guy himself?

well first and foremost he is considered one of the hottest nhl players

so jot that down.

and secondly, well. 

connor mcdavid is a nice polite vague responses guy

leon draisaitl is a little bit of a bitch.

and we love him for it.

for example

sometimes reporters ask questions that are

a. rude, b. invasive, c. nonsensical or d. all of the above

a lot of players will default to media trained answers

and blank expressions

because they’re like. I can’t call this reporter a dumbass. 

not drai!

he often diffuses these questions with a pointed joke

or is like. outright snarky

and it’s really fucking funny.

here's a really fun youtube compilation

he’s just

very entertaining we love him.

so. now you know leon! 

as well as connor

and that they’re individually both genuinely great players 

but remember how I said they’re Even Better Together?

it’s like 

power of friendship ass behavior.

the thing is.

mcdrai have playstyles that work really well with each other:

davo plays fast (he is one of if not The fastest player rn)

and agile

and smooth.

and he is five steps ahead of everyone else.

on the other hand 

drai is not fast. 

he is, in fact, pretty big, and he uses that long reach and those bigass muscles to his full advantage

but he is not fast

and you would think 

this would be a disadvantage 

because he wouldn’t be able to keep up with mcdavid

but that’s where you’re wrong

because what drai doesn’t have in physical speed

he has in mental speed.

in hockey there’s a term called ‘playmaker’

for someone who

“[...] possesses exceptional vision, passing ability, and creativity. They have the ability to see the ice in a unique way, anticipating where their teammates will be and setting them up with scoring opportunities.”

that’s leon draisaitl. 

(connor is a playmaker too, but this ain’t about him rn.)

leon and mcdavid play on the same line

and their on ice chemistry is insane. 

davo’s speed is insane and leon keeps up by using his brain

and davo lures defensemen away using that speed to set leon up for beautiful goal opportunities

and leon takes the physical plays where davo dodges

and davo creates gaps where leon is being blocked. 

one of leon’s things is he kind of. slows down the play

and this in tandem with davo’s speed… 

like. 

(this is a lot of hockey for a gay rpf thing, you might be saying

to which I will reply

this is my post and I do what I want

but also so much of hockey rpf is about the hockey)

the thing is

I keep repeating this

because it’s insanely cool

and also like

often, Very Very Good players are not always able to mesh

because to be Very Very Good 

there is a certain level of individual play you start to develop

that is unique to you

but like.

mcdrai’s natural play styles fit together really well

and more importantly

they develop their play bouncing off of each other

it’s. 

GAH.

anyway. homosexuality.

so we’ve established:

they’re impressed by each other 

and they have good on ice chemistry.

but what about off the ice?

how are they there?

well. 

deep breath in everybody. 

a little bit earlier I said draisaitl was the exception to davo’s Dog Being Yelled At demeanour

and this is what I mean:

connor mcdavid and leon draisaitl are patently in love.

publicly.

in front of every single reporter.

now. rpf says this love is romantic. but even without rpf

they’re just. so so fond of each other

that davo literally Turns Off Canned Responses when he’s talking about drai

and he says more than the minimum required word count of four and a half words

example: here, here and here. also bonus (via @nuge and @leondraisaitlsglove)    

and drai like. 

visibly melts. 

just

examples: here, here and here. and bonus (via @beauvilliers, @jeynearrynofthevale and @nuge)

:) 

okay. 

god. 

the thing is

what really elevates this whole thing for me

is that they definitely think the other is an awesome guy off the ice

but also

when you watch any of their interviews 

they just like

they genuinely think the other is the greatest thing to happen to the world of hockey 

“He’s the bestest player ever ohhhhh he’s so good” this is what they sound like

literally in questions about like, world’s best

a lot of people will say like

crosby or whatever

and these guys will go

‘oh yeah mhm crosby for sure

but also my good pal leon/connor’

like. the favoritism is crazy

anyway. 

no one wants this to be seven hours long so I’m just going to list out some quotes

that they have said 

in real life

in front of everyone:

from connor: “[...] he’s so modest where I don’t think he understands how good he is and how big of an impact he has on the game. I think the more he understands it the better and better he’s gonna be. So I just try to remind him that he’s definitely… in my mind, a top 3 player in the world. And some nights he can be more assertive. ”

“He’s just, you know, he’s my ride or die, so.”

(asked about what superpower he’d want to have on the ice) “Uh, probably be invisible. [...] Leo would find [me], so.”

“He and I can communicate with just a look.”

from leon: “It’s just amazing to have someone that understands you, that understands what you’re feeling, what you’re going through. And ultimately understands me, as a person better than me as a player, right? He knows me as a player but I think our relationship is so special because I see when he’s struggling, he knows exactly what I need when I'm struggling and I think that’s something very special and that we’re very proud of.”

“[Connor] is obviously our heartbeat. So, we go as he goes.”

“[I’ve run out of words to describe him and the only way to do it is in German] Unglaublich. Unbelievable.”

“[Even if we didn’t play on the same team] Connor would be a character I’d gravitate toward.”

“Obviously, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want him [by my side] forever.”

I just.

yeah. kay 

whatever. whateverrrrrrr.

so clearly they both think the other has the sun shining out of his ass

(heh)

but 

they also act insane about each other 

like

(okay

there’s a lot of insane behavior 

but I’m sleepy.

if you’re interested 

I will definitely elaborate

some other time

but anyway)

an example is

we’ve established fights are just like

a thing

that happen. 

now

davo doesn’t really get into fights

he has kind of really only gotten into a fight twice

and both times

it has been for leon

which. you know.

whatever. sure.

(what even)

they also. 

spend time offseason together a lot!

some of the most homoerotic of rpf duos don’t do that.

but

and this is really, really important,

so listen closely,

they’re both married.

cough. 

okay, you say, so what.

well, think about this.

they’re both married. and they both spend offseason together.

so surely 

the wives have something to say about this?

well. yes. 

and 

here 

I reveal to you

MY SECRET DASTARDLY PLAN 

because all along 

this has not been a mcdrai primer 

I have lied to you.

this is an edmonton oilers mcdrai POLYCULE primer

(I. don’t know the four way ship name. sorry.)

because mcdrai are insane

but the polycule 

(connor + leon + their wives)

is Outright Deranged

so 

let’s meet the rest of the gang

lauren kyle:

interior designer. very pretty. 

married to connor.

celeste desjardins:

actress. very pretty.

married to leon.

the most vital piece of this puzzle:

lauren and celeste are High School Best Friends.

see.

see this whole thing ain’t even about mcdrai

no.

this is actually about lauren + celeste figuring out how to intertwine their lives.

some wonderful facts to introduce you to the concept of Them:

lauren (interior designer) designed a light fixture and named it ‘celeste’

their instagram posts are so incredibly #girlbestfriend it’s insane. who up posting ‘till death do us part’ when talking about their bff

celeste apparently.

they’ve done couples photoshoots.

they’ve done multiple vacays together. just them 

they have matching tattoos.

god. 

so. 

there’s. 

they all go on double dates/hanging out together all the time

and do like

halloween group costumes.

the drais bought a house next to the mcdavids’. 

like a whole ass house.

they’re all always doing shit #together

both the weddings are so. 

lauren + connor’s wedding: photos

at lauren’s bridal shower

celeste posts the two of them with song lyrics that are like

‘never quite what it seems’ wink

right.

just. please just observe the above

I have nothing to add to be honest.

celeste + leon wedding also rife with Moments.

a wonderful summary (@jeynearrynofthevale)

friendship rings. what the fuck do you mean friendship rings bruh

meanwhile

mcdrai just ramping up the freak behavior 

on ice 

(ducking other players so they can. hug each other. privately.)

and off ice 

(the goddamn quotes never stop 

and they like

go on outings and shit

‘outings’

it's LAME AND CRINGE

I HATE THEM.) 

they. 

so. okay. 

connor and lauren got married a year before leon and celeste

and. um. after the second wedding

they all go on a joint honeymoon

(?) 

together.?

man whatever. 

what the fuck ever. 

they’re so annoying. 

a little fun addendum: 

okay

so we all know by now the nhl as an organization is ass

homophobic, for one

which is why

they banned pride tape

(it’s a whole thing)

and connor mcdavid

at this point still a rookie

personally called up the people who like

made the pride tape

and was like 

‘hey. what can I do to help’

and he uses pride tape during pride nights constantly

(as does leon)

and that’s just.

whatever. I like them a lot. idc. 

bonus image because it makes me giggle: 

me too davo. 

anyway. 

thank you. I need them to escape the wretched cycle they are trapped in

and also continue being weird about each other. 

for me.

(this was mostly written for my sister who got sick of listening to me make vague allusions to guys she didn't know so there might be like. incorrect or missing things in here. forgive me in the spirit of rpf please and thank you <3)

[capybaraaaava]

ok soooo in my warped fic-canon head mattmcdrai has such a compelling love triangle storyline...

where in alberta leon and matthew met and fucked around and what started on ice turned into a passionate eat-play-love kind of thing.

leon was physically attracted to matthew and found him fascinating. he loved beating matthew on the ice and f*cking him off the ice. leon was young but very confident & comfortable with his identity, being european and all, which made him even more attractive

matthew was so in love with leon bc he's so cool and composed and handsome and don't give a fuck. he was more talented and objectively a better hockey player and better human in every sense of the word

they messed around for a couple of seasons, until matthew dropped the DTR bomb after plenty of drinks and asked if they were dating

he thought leon would say no and that'd be it. end of his endless self tortune

but leon said, "if you say so"

and then ... enters connor mcdavid aka youngest captain in the history of the oilers. he is a generational talent, the best player the league has even seen, quiet, polite and soft-spoken, and above all, a very, very, nice person. he was everything that matthew was not.

but unlike his precociousness in hockey connor is perpetually one step too late to everything else in life, like buying his own apartment, fashion, sex, and gay awakening

matthew always knew mcdrai was a thing and that davo and leo hang out a lot but never thought of it as anything other than on-ice partnership until they got closer and closer in real life. it wasn't like he was fighting for leon with connor, but in the back of his mind he'd wondered why leon wouldn't be jealous of connor, and why connor's pure talent in hockey has not doomed their friendship like it had with all his other childhood friends. they seem unbreakable.

in a wave of uncertainty and self doubt, matthew would lose a bet, buy a ring, propose to leon in a drunken post-win haze

he expected leon to say no again, but leon said "why not"

bc he liked matthew enough to envision some sort of life with him, where matthew would eat all the junk food and be the stupid loud american on their clandestine european trips and make fun of leo for his taste in music and never able to learn german but could probably charme his way through with leon's family anyway (once he's ready to tell them about him. one day he will.)

so mattdrai were like engaged, but they fought constantly, and would say the worst thing to each other, not talk for weeks, but somehow one person would manage to reach out and they'd make up (with lots of sex) and that person is usually leon. it was toxic af yet intoxicating

the entire time matthew was kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop, because he knew he wasn't it for leon, because how could leon, talented and confident and charming and LOVED, possibly be in love with matthew

after a particular bad fight & getting eliminated by the oilers in the playoffs, matthew was sick of losing in calgary and sick of watching leon drift further and further away, matthew broke up with leon

leon tried to call him, but he learned that matthew had traded himself to florida and that was it for them.

leon thought matthew didn’t love him or alberta anymore.

matthew thought he loved leon too much to survive another day.

leon mailed back the ring. it was a cool black opal bc it's leon's birthstone and matthew knew leon would make fun of him for believing in the astrology sh*t but did it anyway

and ofc the ring won't fit bc he didn't know leo's ringsize 

leo said he'd get it resized but never did. just like about everything else in their relationship. he was never enough for leon not only in the hockey but any other sense of the word, really

what he needed now, is winning. prove to himself that he’s worth every bit the name he was born with

then life presented its greatest irony after matthew got traded to panthers he played hard and won lots, played through injuries. they beat the oilers in the cup final and got himself a ring, a ring he was proud of, a ring he earned

leon got together with connor during the summer. after the mattdrai breakup leon had much time to sit back and reflect. he's so much better this time. connor is not the most communicative person but leon would always find him and see right through him. connor also knew about leon and matthew and strangely didn't feel any which way about it. he's not the jealous type. there's a very quiet confidence in him that leon finds so, so charming and irresistible. in his plays, sure, but in their love life too.

like hugging leon and showing him that he cared about him, doing all the cute and dumb things for him, with him.

oh, and being the first one to say i love you.

it's like he's never seen the worst side of love and couldn't even believe it if he did.

so leon says it back.

leon would do with connor all the wholesome things he never had time for with matthew, like bundling up in front of the bonfire, going on ski trips in secret, watching the same film three damn times bc connor likes it…

and connor learns german on plane rides and calls leo on facetime to force him to practice with him till he's conversationally fluent.

the most important thing is that, they never, ever, ever take whats on the ice off the ice. relationship is a safe space for them.

and leon told his family about connor. they were supportive. they love him.

matthew and leon never met up after the cup final. leon didn’t it’d be weird and thought connor probably would have minded

and matthew didn’t because he wouldn’t not stop himeself from looking at leon. couldn't even look at him in the eyes when they shook hands.

the post-win summer washed away all the feelings and for a second life was good, he was winning, and having the best time of his life.

then he heard the news that johnny passed away.

he got a call from a number, not saved into his contacts but the number he'd never forget.

it's leon (connor actually made him call matthew, because no- it wouldn't be weird, he said).

they exchanged niceties. leon said i'm sorry, for the first time. matthew said it was fine, johnny would be proud of him. he cracked a few jokes about his playing times with johnny in alberta. just some good fun memories.

then he hung up before leon and cried and cried.

he beat leon again in the SCF the next year. and at the olympics. matthew thought winning would magically fix everything well guess what, it didn’t. it never will.

okay....... i think it’s so very compelling that for whatever reason leon always left his worst side to matthew, the snarky comments, the uncharacteristic rage, the punch on the face, and always left his best side to connor - the mutual compliments and respect, the quiet assurance and confidence in each other.

it pains me as much as rejoices me to think that in this fictional storyline leon had probably unknowingly took away all the lessons from his relationship with matthew so he could be better next time for connor. and he was.

and all matthew could do was to stand by and watch himself destroy just about the only good thing he had in life.

[capybaraaaava]

hmmm has anyone written a mcdrai abo fake relationship fic?

where like for some weird dynamics reason one of them is outta control (prob connor, cuz he's younger & newer to oilers org) and they need an alpha (leon) to temporarily pair up w/ him to help with the transition

they scent each other (great), play well together (even better), and fall in love with each other (helpless)

bc they strike me as a very natural pair that'd slide right into each other's orbits (on-ice partnership and dynamics-wise) but they are particularly slow to the self discovery and introspection process perhaps, especially if they were young

... and catastrophically bad at *communications*

they'd see everything and feel everything and think it's bc of dynamics not bc of who they are

connor thinks leon is just doing a job, albeit a great one

leon thinks that connor will do whatever to keep playing hockey and the whole omeganess of it is just a huge inconvenience for him. when he scents him or cooks for him or touches him and hugs him cuddle him he asks connor how he feels and connor will just be like "yeah that's good" like a post-game presser

and they are in wayyyyy too deep before either realizes

and throw on top of in heat and heat sex and everything

oohhh yum yummm