Pairing - Will Smith x F!reader
Warnings! - Real person fiction, mild language, alcohol mention (drinks at a bar), light PDA (non-explicit), loud environments / mild overstimulation
Summary - Itâs Willâs birthday â a win on the ice, a night out with the team, and somehow, you end up being his favorite part of it all.
A/N - Writing birthday fics will always have my heart so I really hope you enjoy this one!! đ feel free to send in some requests because Iâm down to write them :)
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It was Willâs birthday.
And not just any birthday â the kind his teammates had been talking about for a week straight, dropping hints, planning things loudly and badly like they wanted him to find out but somehow hadnât yet.
You rolled over in bed, staring at your phone before opening his message last.
Will: u better be at the game tonight btw
You snorted, typing back without thinking.
The typing bubble popped up instantly.
Will: this is how u treat me???
You smiled despite yourself.
Will: only if u wear my jersey
You rolled your eyes, but your cheeks warmed.
By the time you got to the arena that evening, it was already buzzing â fans pouring in, jerseys everywhere, the sharp cold of the rink air hitting your skin the second you stepped inside.
And yes â you were wearing his jersey.
You told yourself it was because it was easier than picking an outfit.
From your seat, you could see the players warming up. Skates cutting across the ice, pucks snapping against sticks, the low echo of the arena filling up around you.
And then you spotted him.
He was laughing at something one of his teammates said, helmet off, hair slightly damp already, cheeks flushed from the cold. There was something different about him tonight â lighter, brighter, like the day actually meant something.
Your chest did something annoying.
As if he could sense you, he glanced up.
And immediately found you.
That grin â the one that was just for you â spread slowly, like heâd been waiting for this exact moment. He tapped his stick lightly against the ice, subtle but not really.
You shook your head, smiling.
He skated closer to the glass, pretending to adjust his gloves before looking up again.
âNice jersey,â he mouthed.
The game itself was fast â loud and electric, the kind where every shift felt like it mattered. You werenât always the biggest hockey expert, but when Will played like this, it was impossible not to get pulled in.
And when he scored in the second periodâ
You were on your feet before you even realized it, shouting with everyone else as he celebrated, teammates piling onto him.
But then â just for a second â he broke away.
Like he needed you to see it.
You shook your head at him, trying to play it off, but you couldnât stop smiling.
Later, when he got an assist too, one of the guys pointed at him on the bench, clearly yelling something about it being his birthday.
You buried your face in your hands.
Which somehow made everything ten times worse.
Because now there was even more energy, more noise, more reason to celebrate.
And more reason for his teammates to be completely insufferable.
You waited near the playersâ exit, leaning against the wall, scrolling your phone like you werenât waiting for anyone in particular.
You definitely werenât nervous.
Voices spilled out first â loud, overlapping, chaotic â and then the players followed.
Someone spotted you immediately.
âWell, look who it is,â one of them grinned.
âCame for the birthday boy, huh?â
âNo,â you deadpanned. âI just love standing in hallways.â
You heard him before you saw him.
There was a shuffle, a few exaggerated complaints, and then Will appeared â still half in his gear, hair a mess, cheeks flushed, eyes immediately locking onto you like nothing else existed.
For a second, everything else faded.
Then someone behind him wolf-whistled.
âBRO, at least pretend weâre here!â
Will didnât even look back. âYou are. I just donât care.â
âNot trying to be,â he shot back.
He stepped closer, stopping just in front of you, close enough that you could still feel the cold from the rink clinging to him.
âYeah, but you actually listened.â
You rolled your eyes. âDonât get used to it.â
He grinned. âToo late.â
âDid you see the goal?â
âI saw it,â you said. âYou were⌠decent.â
He gasped. âDecent?? On my birthday??â
He leaned in slightly. âYou liked it.â
The locker room after was chaos.
Music blasting, people shouting, someone definitely spraying something they shouldnât be spraying. You hovered near the entrance, already questioning your life choices.
âCâmon,â Will said, grabbing your wrist gently.
âI donât want to be in there.â
âYou donât have to talk to anyone.â
âTheyâll talk to me.â
âIâll deal with it.â
Then let him pull you in.
It was loud. Too loud. Your shoulders tensed immediately, senses overwhelmed by the mix of noise and movement.
Willâs hand slid into yours.
âStay by me,â he said quietly.
âI was planning on it.â
Someone shoved a bottle into Willâs hand.
Another arm slung around his shoulders.
âYouâre buying tonight!â
âYeah, yeah,â he laughed.
Then someone noticed you.
âGuys, be normal,â Will warned.
âWE ARE NORMAL,â someone yelled.
You leaned toward him. âTheyâre not normal.â
âWhy are you friends with them?â
âBecause they make me look better.â
Eventually, you all left â piling into cars, heading toward a bar the team clearly frequented.
You sat in the passenger seat while Will drove, the quiet a sharp contrast to everything before.
You nodded. âJust⌠a lot.â
He reached over, squeezing your hand. âYouâre doing good.â
âWhy do you care so much?â
âBecause itâs you.â
You looked away. âItâs your birthday. You should be focused on yourself.â
âThat doesnât make sense.â
He smiled a little. âYouâre part of that.â
The bar was dim, warm, loud in a different way â music low, conversations blending together. The team took over a section almost immediately, dragging tables together.
You slipped into a seat at the edge.
Drinks were ordered, laughter picked up again, stories from the game getting more exaggerated by the second.
You mostly stayed quiet, listening, occasionally rolling your eyes.
At some point, someone raised a glass.
âTo Will â for being old now!â
âIâm not old,â he protested.
You leaned in slightly. âYou are kind of old.â
He looked at you, betrayed. âYou too??â
He shook his head, laughing.
A little later, the group split into smaller conversations. The noise softened into something manageable.
âYouâve been quiet.â
âIâm always quiet.â
âYeah, but this is like⌠extra quiet.â
He studied you for a second.
You frowned. âWhere?â
âOutside. Itâs loud.â
The air outside was cool, fresh, a relief after everything inside. The city hummed around you, but it was distant â manageable.
You leaned against the wall, exhaling.
He stood beside you, close but not crowding.
For a moment, neither of you spoke.
âBest birthday Iâve had in a while,â he said.
You glanced at him. âBecause you won?â
He shook his head. âBecause you came.â
You rolled your eyes, but softer this time. âYouâre being dramatic.â
âIâm being honest.â
âYou had your team, your friendsââ
âI always have them.â
âAnd thatâs not enough?â
âIt is. But youâre different.â
âYou donât⌠need anything from me,â he said. âYouâre just there. And I donât have to be anything other than what I am.â
Your voice came out quieter. âYou donât have to do that with me either.â
âThatâs why I like you.â
âThatâs a weird reason.â
He smiled slightly. âItâs a real one.â
You looked down at your hands.
âYouâre⌠a lot, you know.â
âYouâre loud. And annoying.â
âAnd you donât stop talking.â
âOkay, that oneâs a little harshââ
âBut,â you interrupted, âI donât mind it.â
âEven when Iâm being annoying?â
âYouâre always being annoying.â
You nudged him lightly. âBut I like it.â
There was a moment â soft, fragile â where everything felt like it could tip into something else.
âWAITâare you two having a moment??â
One of his teammates had stuck his head out the door, grinning like an idiot.
Will groaned. âGo away.â
âNot until I know if Iâm interrupting something important.â
You buried your face in your hands.
âI hate them,â you muttered.
âI know,â Will said. âIâm so sorry.â
Back inside, the energy had shifted â people more relaxed now, laughter easier, conversations slower.
You sat closer to Will this time.
At some point, your knee brushed his.
Later, his hand found yours under the table.
By the time the night started winding down, you were tired â the good kind, not the overwhelmed kind.
Will walked you back to the car.
âYouâre staying?â you asked.
âThank you for today.â
âYou already said that.â
âIâm saying it again.â
You rolled your eyes. âYouâre welcome.â
âCan I ask you something?â
âDo you⌠only like me?â
âThatâs a weird question.â
You sighed. âI donât like people much.â
âI like you,â you finished.
His smile was softer this time. Not teasing. Not cocky.
âDonât make it weird.â
You shook your head, but you were smiling.
As you got into the car, he leaned down slightly.
âBest part of my birthday?â
You raised a brow. âYour goal?â
Your heart did that annoying thing again.
âDrive safe,â he added.
You closed the door before he could see your face properly.
But as you pulled away, you caught him in the mirror â still standing there, still watching.
Maybe you didnât like people.
Maybe you avoided crowds and noise and everything that came with it.
Youâd show up every time.
Especially on his birthday.