Can u please do something how Jack Hughes proposes to his long term girlfriend at the Olympics
warning: bit chaotic but mostly fluff
the arena is still roaring.
it’s the kind of noise that doesn’t feel real like the whole world is vibrating. flags everywhere. cameras flashing. teammates shouting over each other as they pile onto the ice.
and right in the middle of it all is Jack Hughes.
number 86. helmet off. hair damp with sweat and melted ice. a gold medal hanging around his neck that keeps catching the arena lights.
you’re standing at the edge of the rink with the other families, hands shaking around the railing.
not because you didn’t believe he could do it.
you’ve believed in jack hughes since you were twelve years old and he was skating circles around every kid at the local rink.
but seeing it happen is different.
someone beside you nudges your arm.
through the crowd of players and staff and cameras, jack’s eyes land on you immediately.
his whole face softens when he spots you, like the win didn’t fully land until he saw you there.
he skates over, breathless and smiling.
“did you see that?” he laughs.
you wipe under your eye quickly.
“no actually. missed the whole thing.”
he grins, the same boyish grin he’s had since you were kids.
“damn. guess i’ll have to win another one.”
a gate opens and families start stepping onto the ice.
jack skates back toward you again slower this time.
and you notice it instantly.
“you okay?” you ask when he stops in front of you.
he nods, rubbing the back of his neck.
“yeah. yeah, i just… hold on.”
some of his teammates are starting to gather behind him, whispering and nudging each other.
he suddenly takes the microphone someone hands him.
the arena quiets a little when people realise something’s happening.
jack glances at the crowd, then back at you.
his voice is a little shaky at first.
a few laughs ripple through the stands.
“this probably wasn’t part of the broadcast plan,” he says, glancing up toward the cameras, “but i figured… if i was ever gonna do something terrifying in front of millions of people, tonight seemed like a good night.”
you’re already suspicious now.
jack looks at you again, and his voice softens.
“i’ve been dreaming about playing in the olympics my whole life. i mean that literally — i used to talk about it so much when we were kids that she would tell me to shut up about it.”
you laugh through your tears.
“you absolutely did,” he grins. “you said if you had to hear the phrase ‘team usa’ one more time you were gonna lose it.”
he shifts the gold medal in his hands.
“but the thing is… she was there before any of this.”
his gaze doesn’t leave yours.
“before the draft. before the nhl. before any of the noise. she was there when i was just a kid at the rink who thought the olympics were the coolest thing in the world.”
“she’s the reason i kept believing i could actually get here. every bad game, every injury, every moment where i thought maybe i wasn’t good enough… she was the one telling me i was.”
the arena has gone quiet now.
“she also told me when i was being an idiot. which happened a lot.”
“still does!” someone yells from behind him.
jack points back without looking.
then he looks back at you.
“i got to live one of my biggest dreams tonight.”
“but the best thing that’s ever happened to me isn’t hockey.”
jack takes a step closer.
the crowd makes a collective awww sound.
“you’ve been my best friend since we were kids, my girlfriend since we were sixteen, and the only person who’s ever made this whole crazy life make sense.”
“and i figured… if i’m already having the best night of my life, i might as well try to make it the best night of yours too.”
the arena erupts instantly.
cheering, yelling, sticks banging against the ice.
jack opens the ring box, looking up at you with the most nervous smile you’ve ever seen.
“so,” he says, voice a little breathless now.
he laughs, relief flooding his face as he stands and pulls you into a hug.
his teammates are losing their minds behind him.
jack slides the ring onto your finger, then presses his forehead against yours.
“gold medal,” he murmurs.
“and you didn’t even fall during the speech.”
“hey. that was the part i was most worried about
