summary: he loves you, and he'll do anything to keep you.
warnings: brief smut, dark!quinn, athletes being emotionally stunted, baby trapping, tampering with birth control
word count: 652
authors note: first post in the hockey fandom, potential more to come? kept this short and sweet sour, please let me know if you like this kinda thing. enjoy!
-
Flighty.
Thatâs how Quinn would describe you. Always one foot out of the door.Â
You had been friends with the guys for a while now. You werenât childhood friends or anything, but you worked in the same industry so you were bound to cross paths frequently. Plus, you were a super cool chick. So it didnât take long for you to become a welcome part of the group.
It also didnât take long for you and Quinn to start hooking up. You were hot. He was hot. You guys were good friends. So what if two consenting adults sleep together every now and then?
For Quinn that arrangement had initially been fine. Hell, it was practically every NHL player's dream to meet a girl who ALSO wanted to keep sex casual. But you were pretty special. Quinn wouldnât necessarily describe himself as a yearner, but that all changed when he started falling for you.
A witty crack youâd make during one of the late night bonfire circles. The way youâd rip into Jack when he did something dumb. That cute little knowing smile you gave Quinn when you two passed each other while dishing out the takeout. He had it bad.
But-
âI donât do relationships.â
Is what youâd said that first time many nights ago. And he wasnât so happy with this arrangement anymore. He didnât want you sneaking back to your own bed in the mornings. He didnât want his teammates trying to hook him up with random girls anymore. He didnât want the world believing he was single.
He wanted to have you. To hold you. To tell you how much he loved you because if there was one thing that Quinn Hughes was sure of; itâs that he loved you.Â
The problem about being thrust into stardom at such a young age was that you never really had the time to grow up. Playing in the biggest stadiums in the country, beautiful women at your feet, thousands chanting your name, and millions of dollars in your back pocket? It got to Quinnâs head. Of course it did. It wasnât necessarily that he believed he was above consequences, he just didnât think that what he was doing was all that wrong. How could he be so bad when he had all these people enabling him?
So what if he was currently sitting in the hotel bathroom, poking holes into the condom packet while you waited for him in the bed, blissfully unaware? He could give you everything. Youâd never want for something out of reach. Youâd have a beautiful home, a beautiful family, a loving husband. That was every girl's dream.
While you had nothing against abortion, Quinn knew that you were not the type who would be able to abort. Youâd wanna keep the baby.
So, no. He felt no guilt as he pushed into your tight heat, the damaged rubber wrapped around his hard cock.
You gasped in his ear, your hands scratching sweet little lines down his strong back.Â
Shudders of pleasure wracked through you as his dick brushed against your sweet spot.
âThatâs it, beautiful,â Quinn breathed. He stared down at you, eyes hooded and mouth parted.Â
You were everything. You were perfect. You were so, so tight.
Quinn loved you. He never wanted to lose you. And after tonight? You would be his. Forever.
So, no. He felt no guilt as his hot cum erupted from his tip and coated your quivering walls. Not even when he pushed his fingers in after pulling out, clogging you up as you laid shivering and panting, completely ignorant.Â
When he curled up behind you, your soft body wrapped in his arms as you drifted off to sleep, he smiled. He pressed a delicate kiss against your hairline and rested a palm over your tummy. For the first time in a while, he felt completely at peace.
His.
Mike mic'd up. He's so smiling for someone being picked on so much. "You're supposed to have fun. You are a mega beauty" "Dick has bottles of beauty pills and he takes one every morning, or he's just grumpy"
AND CAT DIDN'T KNOW THE JOKE. The realization on her face kills me I can't help but point it out every fucking time. She doesn't know it's a chirp until Misa says "or he's just grumpy" inferring that beauty doesn't literally mean pretty or something. Dude. How many times has she heard them, or the other guys, call each other beauty and nodded along like the #ally she is.
"Do not call Michael Misa." Sam pretending to complain again about being forced to goof off with his boybestfriend. Sure bro. Someone's gotta keep Mike relaxed when he's grumpy in the morning and that massive weight falls solely on him. What a burden
summary: dating one of the members of the new jersey devils roster was frowned upon, and breaching that rule could result in the loss of your jobâhowever, when johnathan kovacevic comes into the picture, the rules seem to fade away
[word count] 15.5k
warnings: NSFW! workplace romance | forbidden relationship | coach!reader | suggestive dialogue throughout entirety of the fic | shameless flirting and teasing | fluff | lil bit of angst | kissing | alcohol | smut | phone sex | (f + m) masturbation | oral (f receiving) | protected p in v | suggestive themes | read at your own discretion
pairing: johnathan kovacevic x reader
a/n: based off this lovely request! this is a player iâve never written before, and before this request I wasnât too familiar with (just his name and the team he plays for) so iâm so happy to have learned and now share! but iâm actually really happy with this, so I hope you love.
đ” love looks pretty on you by nessa barrett, glitch by taylor swift, cry your heart out by adele, stuttering by jack & jack, fantasy by mariah carey, back for you by one direction, + heavenly by cigarettes after sex
you toy with the long stick of liquid eyeliner, biting the most sensitive part of your inner lip as you contemplate your next move. your eyes dart back to your own reflection, examining your usual makeup look that you'd just finished. is winged liner too much?
today is the first day of your newâdreamâjob. a job which before jessica campbell paved the way to woman leading jobs in the nhl, you never imagined you'd achieve...but here you areâin your bathroom, minus 1 hour until you needed to show your face at prudential center and contemplating if you wanted to add a small black wing on your eyelid.
you want to come off sophisticated and put together, and you can't decide if liner is the perfect way to showcase that...or the complete opposite. you look down to the drugstore branded stick, and with a rough sigh, you slot it back in your drawerânestled between other coloured pencils you're always hesitant in using and a stack of blotting sheets you always forget to grab before heading out.
you leave your warm bathroom without another glance at the mess of makeup left on your bathroom counter, hastily making your way through the hallway and towards the kitchenâyou still need to get your coffee ready. the sound of your feet padding along the hardwood has you cat, hazelnut, chirping sweetly, jumping off the back of the couch in favour of weaving through your legs.
you almost trip, and you curse gently. "hazy, baby, pleaseâi'm nervous enough already? the last thing I need is to fall and break my nose beforehand."
she blinks her wide green eyes at you, and obviously that's as much as an answer you're going to get out of your sweet kitty. you sigh, carefully walking around her and to the previously brewed coffee pot. to keep with the professional vibe you're hoping to give off, you opt for a sleek black travel tumbler, filling it dangerously high with decafâalthough the chances of you leaving it in your cup holder is so high, you could've chose a rangers branded tumbler and it wouldn't of really mattered.
you fasten the lid, turning and meeting the eyes of hazelnutâwho's now sitting comfortably on your kitchen island, her striped tail wagging happily. you give your cat a nervous, closed lip smile. "wish me luck!"
and in some twisted way like your cat can understand you, she meows once, a slow blink of her eyes following. it has the nerves bubbling in your stomach settling down ever so slightly, and you finally feel like you can drag yourself out the house.
just before you open the door, you double back and speed walk back into your mess of a bathroom, pulling the top drawer back open and grabbing not only your blotting sheets, but the eyeliner as wellâthrowing them both into your purse.
the drive to the arena was filled with your own personal ferris wheel of nervous anticipation and self deprecationâaccompanied by your cheesy pop playlist full of tate mcrae, the wicked broadway soundtrack, and everything in between. you're so focused on not only the road ahead, but with the thoughts of how you'll make the best impression on the men that you'll be helping coach.
the professional hockey players that you'll be coaching. it's so surreal, and just as excitingâso much so that you're not even positive it's completely sunk in, despite the butterflies in your stomach reminding you every single minute.
by the time you pull into the parking lot, you're only just realizing you left too earlyâthe practically empty parking lot and time on your dashboard undeniable evidence as such. you turn off your engine, unbuckling your seatbelt with a deep breath. you fall back into your seat, attempting to get a grip on your sweaty limbs and racing heart.
"fuck it." you chime, digging through your purse while simultaneously flipping your visior downâthe mirror lights shining in your face. you grab the eyeliner, and with another sigh, you begin lining your lashes, creating the smallest wing. you pull back, and surprisingly enough it looks really goodâgood choice, you think to yourself.
"okay," you smile, "now just the other side." talking to yourself has always been your favourite pass time, as clinically insane as that may seem. there's no friendâor critiqueâlike yourself, and sometimes you needed you to tell yourself thingsâlike the choice to bring your eyeliner for example...smart.
you drop the felt tip to the middle of your lid, and slowly begin dragging it outwards. you're pretty sure your tongue is poking out as a concentration method, and you can only hope none of your new team members are around to see the way your face is contorted.
a soccer ball smacks against your window, making you jump. the tip of your eyeliner follows the line of your face, a thick black line going all the way back to your hairline. "shit!"
shocked, and still flustered from the sudden scare you whip around to look through the driver's window in an attempt to see what the fuck just occurred. a battered soccer ball rolls away from your tires, back in the direction it came from. your eyes follow the pattern, slowly trailing the line until you're landing upon...oh it's a man.
a man who is jogging towards your car with a sheepish expression on his face. you open your door and quickly get out of the car just as the man stops in front of youâhis guilty expression not yet letting up.
he's actually quite handsome, you think. beautiful tawny skin with a hint of dark stubble lining his sharp jaw and chin. he's also tall, like intimidatingly soâit has you feeling tiny in comparison.
"i'm so sorry," he starts, voice gravelly in a way that has your stomach swooping. "soccer has never been my sport of choice...for obvious reasons." the man gestures between the now still soccer ball and your open car door, a small, but hesitant grin taking over his face.
if you were angry before, you're not anymoreâany remarks dying on your tongue at the sight of the attractive man in front of you. you clear your throat twice, blinking to regain focusâthis is the last thing you needed to be thinking about on a day as big as this one. you're not sure exactly what to say, but you know the words that leave your mouth next aren't the right ones. "yeah, soccer sucks."
his eyes twinkle with amusement, his grin growing slightly. behind you, a small brunette with killer curves and a phone in her hands calls for him. "johnny, can you at least throw the ball back! i'm missing prime contentâwait, luke come back!" the girl in question attempts getting luke hughes, an nhl player you're well familiar with, to participate in whatever video she's filmingâclearly one that involves the soccer ball between you and johnny.
he picks up the ball before tossing it back in her direction, which another player who looks like dougie hamilton catches. johnny turns back to you, eyes following the black line on your face. "you've got makeup..." he trails off, gesturing to the area on his own face.
you gasp slightly, memories of only moments ago when you'd totally not only messed up your eyeliner, but your face makeup. "fuck," you curse hurriedly, darting back into your car and pulling the mirror as close to yourself as it can go. you're in an awkward position, half in your car while your ass juts out.
johnny clears his throat, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he attempt to draw his eyes away from your backsideâyour ass and thighs that are perfectly hugged by the heather gray slacks you're wearing.
you lick your thumb, swiping the linerâbut it only makes more of a mess. "double fuck." you pull yourself out of your car, turning back to the 6"5 god behind you. he's blushing now, eyes not quite meeting yours as he attempts to calm himself downâjohnathan doesn't think he's ever been this turned on from dress pants in his life.
"do you have a napkin? or maybe some tissue?" you ask him, seemingly unaware of the tension in his shoulders and flickering gaze.
slowly, he shakes his head. "no, I don't, i'm sorry." his face falls as yours does. he hates the way your clear disappointment makes him feel...fuzzy. johnathan steps closer, his mouth opening as he tries to finds his wording. "but, I can help...If you want. ill just use the sleeve of my sweater, I can wet it and clean you up..." his eyes twinkle, an awkward chuckle leaving him. "you can even lick the sweater if you prefer."
you look up at him with what you can only describe as a combination of amusement and disbelief. johnny has already pulled his black sweatshirt over his fist, closing the distance between you with one large step. "you can lick it, I don't mind."
he's kind of relived that you don't want to lube up his sweater with your spit, because then johnathan would be really turned on. he nods, wetting the edge of his sweater before bringing it up to the side of your face, gently wiping away the mess of eyeliner smudged along there.
despite how odd this whole interaction is, you can't help but feel rather enamoured with the mystery manâa man who obviously plays for the new jersey devils, or at least works for them. but based on his stature and the size of his quads peeking out from his athletic shortsâyou're thinking it's the former.
his eyes are filled with nothing but concentration as he wipes away the makeup off your skin, his sweater soft against the side of your face as he works. you watch as his tongue pokes out the corner of his lips as he focuses, and that has a smile blossoming on your face.
"okay," he begins quietly, using the other side of his sleeve to dry your skin. "you might want to double check that, but I got it all offâwell, my sweater did." johnathan laughs that awkward rumble again, and you can't help the way it makes your heart leap.
so much for being professional.
"thanks." you hum, smile growing. "i'm y/n."
he breathes in something that feels like relief, shoulders dropping slightly as the tension he'd been feeling earlier begins dispersing. "johnathan."
your brows pull in confusion, but your grin stays. "that girl called you johnny, is that what you prefer I call you?"
"you can call me anything you want." the words slip from his tongue before he can think them through, and johnathan hates the way his cheeks flush at his own wordsâbut he loves the way your cheeks do.
"okay," you hum, turning to grab your purse from the passenger seat of the car. you take a glance in your visior mirror, and surprisingly he did a really good job at fixing your makeupâthe wing is a little wonky but all the men you'll soon be surrounded with won't notice...you hope. you stand up straight, shutting the car door with an echoing thump.
the parking lot has begun filling up, various hockey players and team members making their way insideâmost participating in the game the admin girl had set up by the entrance.
"i'll call you johnny then." you hum lowly, adjusting your purse on your shoulder as you begin making your way towards the entrance doorsâheels clicking the pavement as you do. considering you're actively meeting and speaking to one of the guys you'll be coaching, slapping on the faux confident personality came as second nature.
it's not that you weren't confident in your job ability to coach these professional athletesâyou were more than prepared and qualified for such. but, you've never been super confident in your personal life, especially when it has to do with attractive men who you really shouldn't be forming an attraction for.
regardless, you glance over you shoulderâeyeing his frozen stature and slightly agape mouth accompanied with an amused, flushed expression. "you coming, johnny?"
your question seems to snap him out of whatever daze he'd been trapped in, blinking three times quick as he begins moving, catching up to you with two stridesâhonestly, screw tall men with their long limbs! or maybe you just want to actually screw them...you can't decipher that right now.
much to johnathan's dismay, as soon as you enter the building, you are swept away by a member of staff, leaving him to stand awkwardly by himself for a fleeting moment until he realizes what the fuck he's doing. before the devils on ice practice today, they'd all been called in early for what keefe and fitzgerald described as an 'introductory meeting'âwhatever that means.
it's not long until he's walking through the threshold of the large room, finding most of his teammates and various members of staff already in there. some sitting and chatting, while others haven't yet taken a seat, but instead stand beside the long rectangle tables as they discuss whatever they might be discussing.
johnathan takes his seat beside brett pesce and curtis lazar, greeting his teammates with a closed lipped smile and quick nod, stretching his long legs out underneath the table. they make small talk as the rest of the team filters into the room, following suit and finding various spots throughout the room to take their seats.
it's not 10 minutes later that the head coach and general manager of the team join themâsmiling politely as they come to a stop at the front of the meeting room. fitzgerald clears his throat, and although the room has begun quieting down at the authority figures presence, it completely silenced as he begins to speak. "thank you all for coming so early, we appreciate your time for such a special meeting."
special? johnathan thinks, frown tugging at his lips. what's so special about this meeting?
the GM continues, an easy expression on his sunkissed face. "as you know, we've been looking for a new fit for our open assistant coaching position behind the bench. sheldon and I wanted to make sure that this person was not only qualified, but was fun, exciting and above all knowledgeable...." he trails off, smile growing. "with that being said, id like to introduce you to our newest member of staff: assistant coach, y/n y/l/n."
it's then that johnathan notices youâyou and your ridiculously faltering pants and sexy eyeliner. he swallows nervously, eyes darting around the room like he's done something wrong. he hasn't, so he's not sure by it feels that way. he should've known that you and your new, pretty face had something to do with the introduction meeting sprung on the team.
beside him, brett snickers. "how are we supposed to focus with that talking to us?" his words are hushed and slow, brett's eyes never once leaving your figure as you begin introducing yourself to the room.
that comment makes johnathan feel the upmost angry, and suddenly he feels very inclined to punch his defensive teammate in the jaw. but, he thankfully doesn't. what he does do though is narrow his gaze, shrugging his shoulders roughly. "learn."
johnathan doesn't wait for brett's reply before turning his attention towards you, catching the tail end of your introduction. he kind of feels like a sleaze anytime his eyes wander over your body, studying the curve of your hips and the round, full display of your breasts under your high necked cotton top. it also doesn't help that he knows what your ass looks like bent over, or how he knows that you smell like peaches doused in brown sugarâthat he knows how your skin feels underneath his spit covered hoodie.
a low groan rumbles in johnathanâs chestâthankfully itâs not loud enough to draw the attention of any close teammates, because he really doesnât want to explain that. subtly, he adjusts in his seat, palming his semi-hard bulge as if he's trying to tell his dick to cut it out. you're acting like such a douche, he thinks.
you stand on the other side of sheldon keefe, half listening as he goes over some minor details before the start of ice practice. you can't help the way your eyes wonder, analyzing the new faces of various players you'll soon be coaching. jack hughes, who looks tired and like he'd rather be anywhere else this morning. then there's curtis lazar, who is the complete opposite of the middle hughes brotherâeyes wide and alert as he nods along to his head coach.
then like a magnetic pull, your eyes find johnathan'sâor rather, johnny. he's not looking at sheldon like his table partners, but instead his gaze lingers on you. immediately you feel warm, interlocking eyes and not wanting to look away. the faintest smile pulls at the corners of his mouth, so faint that you're not sure if it's happening or if you're imagining it.
he's stupid hot. like so hot your entire body is on fire. it's dangerous and wrongâit's tempting. not only is he easy on the eyes, but he seems sweet and slightly awkward. which is the perfect combination to have you falling. subtly, you raise an eyebrow at him in silent question.
johnathan blinks, looking away from you. just before you can feel embarrassed about the situation or feel like you read him wrong, a more prominent smile pulls at his lips, eyes flickering back to yours in a fleeting moment.
you're in trouble.
for the entire time you're on the ice, even when you're going through drills and giving words of encouragement as well as discipline, you can't help but find johnathan through the sea of various faces staring at you.
it's truly like a magnetic force, and your body feels drawn to hisâeven though you've barley talked to the guy. you know interpersonal relationships with the athletes is frowned upon, especially when you're in a coaching position. the hiring staff made sure you were well aware of that before you were hired.
to which you told them it wouldn't be a problemâbut now here you are, watching the sweat trickle down johnathan kovacevic's neck as he catches his breath with some other players next to you. and you're almost annoyed at yourself, because you really like this job, and the guys are all so welcoming and kindâwell, to your face at least, and that's honestly all you can ask for.
you don't want to risk your dream job for some silly little heat of the moment crushâyou can't. but as you get home a few hours and a tour of the arena later, snuggled on the couch with hazelnut beside you and a slice of cold leftover pizza in your handâyou're googling him. you dive into articles and video interviews that when he speaks in them, your belly twirls around in excitement.
but you know you're fucked when you start scrolling through his google pictures, mentally taking note of which ones are your favourites. your cat keeps giving you looks, like she knows you're doing something you shouldn't be.
but you just can't help itâstupid magnetic pull.
the next day comes with a little less stress, and a lot more excitement. you go through your morning routine with steady hands, and a content smile. todays schedule looks a little different than yesterdays, as today you'll actually be put to the testâcoaching alongside keefe, colliton, and mcgill during a game.
you head to your local gym before lunch to get in a workoutâhopefully burning all lingering nervous thoughts and energy out of your system. after a few hours out of the house, you make your way back home, feeding hazelnut some blueberry salmon treats before hopping into the shower.
as you dress yourself for the game, you don't contemplate anythingâyou know the exact outfit and makeup style you want and unlike yesterday you're leaving the black eyeliner behind. you're taking the mess up yesterday as a sign, and that you're better off looking professional without the black wing lining your eye. but then again, it's the reason you met johnathanâwhich, yeah you can't stop thinking about him.
but you can't start thinking about how you can't stop thinking about him or you'll spiral into a panicâwhich isn't idealâso you're avoiding that itch in your brain for now. you make sure hazelnut has an appropriate portion of biscuits and water before heading out, driving to the arena.
it goes by in a bit of a blur, with various interviews and introductions that you needed to complete as the new assistant coach of the new jersey devilsâwhich is still so surreal, and the cameras, athletes and smell of the ice rink is even more. soon enough the lights are dimming, and the beginning chords of the national anthem begin.
you try your best to stay straight faced and forward, but keeping your eyes from wandering is something you have no control over. the stands are packed, which is an electric feelingâbut even with the buzz of the crowd and the various athletes in front of you, there's only one face you're seeking out.
your gaze lands on him, trailing over the number 8 on the side of his jersey and the tail end of his last name on the back. johnathan looks really good in red, you thinkâit complements his tan skin and dark hair almost perfectly. speaking of his hair, the curly locks are in a disarray, wet from the water he'd poured on his head during warmups, and frizzy from the towel he ran over his head afterwards.
he takes a deep breath, his cheeks puffing out as he exhales. johnathan shakes his limbs out before resting his chin on the end of his hockey stick. like he can feel your stare, his eyes flicker towards you, and your heart almost stops as your eyes lock.
he squints almost playfully, the smallest grin on his face as the anthem comes to a close. you blush, the overhead lights flickering back to life as the first period begins. johnathan fully turns in your direction, but his eyes find one of the trainersâcalling for a fresh set of gloves.
the sleeves of his jersey are rolled up just enough for you to ogle his armsâveins under damp skin that look so temptingâŠyou want to run your tongue along them. your breath hitches just as he catches the new gloves, eyes landing on you once more.
johnathan was well aware of your wandering eyes, not matter how subtle they were. it has him feeling giddy in the best way, and just before he takes his seat, he winks at youâso fast and soft that he's not even sure you've seen it.
but you did, and you force yourself to look away before you get caught. fuck the risk, you need him.
part2: wandering eyes and fluttering hearts
it's seems that the universe has plans for you and johnathan kovacevicâyou can't tell if theyâre positive or negative yet...but you know it's got something up its sleeve.
not only do you have to fight your urges to pounce on johnathan during work hoursâlike meetings, practices and gamesâbut it also seems like you're running into him everywhere, and your desires for him are growing stronger every time you spot him out and about. whether he's letting his hand brush against your lower back as a playful greeting in the frozen isle of the grocery store, or seeing you in the lineup of a cafe and tapping his card before you have the chance to pay for yourselfânone of it is helping.
johnathan is ridiculously kind, and an even better listenerâyou've learned such in the now two months you've been with the devils. where as some of the players aren't always friendly, and snap in frustration at you (even if they're not mad at you specifically), johnny was different. it's safe to say you've developed an embarrassing crush on a man who is technically below you on the professional scale. you know it's wrong, and you know you're his superior, but you can't help the way you feelâdespite the ethics of it all.
and johnathan doesn't care eitherâhe's been nonstop thinking about you since your wild, makeup smudged eyes met his through your cars window. everything about you is tempting and exhilarating, and he's not sure how much longer he'll be able to keep his hands to himself. the way you seem to look at him with a certain twinkle in your eye, and blush anytime he comes in close to ask you a question, isn't doing him any favoursâit seems like most days end now with his large hand wrapped around his throbbing cock, stroking himself to relive the tension you bring him.
the best tension imaginable.
he's not sure what the rules are when it comes to interpersonal relationships within the nhl, but johnathan doesn't care because he'd be willing to never even look at a hockey puck again if it meant he got to kiss your lips even onceâhe's down bad.
just before your third month of employment with the devils, johnathan cracks. it's late at night, too late for him to still be awake when an early morning practice awaits himâbut he can't find himself to sleep yet, not with thoughts of you running through his head.
the bottom of his phone rests against his bare chest as he thumbs through his list of contacts like he's on autopilot. johnathan pauses as he reaches your name, thumb halting on the gray contact icon. just the thought of your pretty lips framing your smile has his dick twitching in his pyjamas pants. johnathan sighs.
all the players had the coaching staffs numbers, so it's not like it was only johnathan who obtained your contact âso reaching out would be that crazy, right? he groans to himself, running his free hand through his tousled dark hair. johnathan only contemplates for a moment longer before opening a text thread. "fuck it."
he readjusts the cellphone in his hands, typing out a message. 'are you awake?'
johnathan clicks his tongue, deleting it before he can hit send. he shouldn't be giving into his temptation like this, especially as an athlete who practices control. it's too late, and probably too risky. he drops his phone to his chest, letting his eyes flicker shutâtrying to calm his instincts.
his phone buzzes.
'hey' it's your number staring back at himâand he knows that because he's been memorizing the seven digits for the 25 minutes he's been contemplating texting you. but here you are, lighting up his lock screen with your simple greeting.
across the city, you lay in your own bedâtoo hot and too awake to focus on anything other than your phone. you gnaw your lip as you await for a replyâif johnathan is even awake to see it. you know there's a morning practice, and the chances of him even noticing your message tonight is slim. just as you plan on turning off your phone, it vibrates with an incoming message.
'is this a you up text?' you can practically hear his rumbly voice through his text, a smirk pulling at his tempting mouth.
you breathe a laughâone that is tinged with nerves. you were risking a lot by sending that that message, and you're well aware of how much shit you could get inâbut what's so wrong about a hello? your skin has been on fire for weeks at the mere thought of johnathan, and you're finally willing to do something about it. no matter what.
you quickly send a reply. 'is that what you're hoping for?'
johnathan re-reads your message three times, and each time his blush deepens, travelling down his taunt chest. 'not telling' he sends back, and before you have a chance to reply, he types another message. 'I was about to text you.'
you gulp gently, a million questions plaguing your mind. 'oh yeah? about what?'
at this point, johnathan knows he's in too deep to start acting coy and secretive nowâthere's no point of pretending he doesn't want you, no scratch that, need you. 'about having dinner thursday night. my place.' it was the perfect opportunity to spend time with youâthursday night had no games and no weird evening practice or meetings. it was free. for both of you.
you and johnathan both know having dinner somewhere out in jersey was too risky, because anybody could see you and put two and two together. the chances of getting caught by fans or teammates is too high. so him suggesting dinner at his place was making your belly spinâeven though it was seemingly the bare minimum (but let's face it ladies, what man even gives the bare minimum anymore).
'if I say yes, can we order in ramen?' you tag a playful emoji on the end to showcase some playfulness. your eyes don't leave the bubbles that move along the bottom of your screen, a soft grin on your face as you wait.
'i'll order anything you want, y/n.'
it's two antagonizing days of anticipation, both you and johnathan doing your absolute best at acting as nonchalant as possibleâpretending like you haven't been sending flirty texts and borderline risky snapchats to one another (an app that you both had to download because you're both acting like horny teenagers) for the last two days.
when thursday comes, you're practically buzzing with excitement. after a meeting in the late morning, you get home and take an extra hot and long showerâdouble washing your hair with an expensive shampoo, exfoliating and shaving every inch of your body.
you lounge around in your housecoat until you have to start getting readyâtwo hours before you're supposed to head to johnathanâs apartment. you opt for your usual makeup and natural hair, and you decide on your favourite jeans and black long sleeveâkeeping it casual, but still cute.
hazelnut blinks at you from her spot on your closed toilet seat, a tiny purr leaving her stripped body. you pause the last flick of your mascara wand, eyeing your cat. "what? should I change?" she blinks again, and you smile like a crazy person. "you're right, I think it's perfect."
your cat chirps like she agrees, and it makes you laugh, coating your lashes in the final coat of your favourite mascara. "okay hazel baby," you start, eyeing your small collection of fragrances. "which perfume gives off iâm sophisticated but also I want to have sex vibes?"
her head cocks to the side, and you sigh. "sometimes I forgot you're not human," you reach out and give her a few affectionate pats. "johnny is going to be so surprised when he finds out I talk to my cat." you mutter to yourself, eyeing the perfumes once more. before you can overthink the decision and ultimately be late for your date, you spray yourself with your usual perfumeâpraying that it's a scent that johnathan loves.
the drive to his apartment only takes about 15 minutes, the traffic not too much considering it was an uneventful thursday evening. the security guard lets you through the gates after you told him you're a visitorâthe sweet old man must've got a heads up from johnathan about your arrival.
you park in the first available spot, unbuckle your seatbelt and send him a message, 'i'm here, should I just come up?'
not even 10 seconds pass before he answers. 'i'm on my way down to get you' you smile as you read johnathanâs text, opening your car door and stepping out into the clean but stuffy parking garage. it's not a minute later you hear him call your name, the sound of his voice sending a pleasurable shiver down your spine. you grin as he approaches, "hey."
his smile mimics yours. "hey yourself." before he can decide against it, he pulls you into a quick, but sweet hug, squeezing your waist affectionatelyâand you go easily, your grin growing ever larger as your engulfed in his chest. he pulls back, "you look really nice...wow."
you watch as johnathanâs gaze wanders over your body, like he can't decide if he wants to undress you with his eyes or simply just admire you clothed. it has your belly swooping, anticipation tingling your body. "thanks, johnny." you hum lowly, taking the time to let your own gaze wander him.
johnathan looks so handsomeâa crisp black shirt, and light wash jeans wrapping around his large thighs so deliciously. much to your embarrassment (or maybe your liking), he catches your stare, and a deep smile settles on his face at you clearly checking him out. "let's go upstairs."
you nod, slightly dazed and already turned on, letting him slide his fingers between yours and pull you in the direction of the elevator. the tension between you is undeniable, and the flirtatious glances you keep giving each other on the ride up to his floor are almost embarrassing. you're both so infatuated with one another, and you haven't even been close to kissing yet.
johnathan opens his apartment door, and the smell of soy sauce and steamed vegetables hit youâyour stomach lowly rumbles and your mouth begins watering at the thought of food. he gestures for you to enter first, and he follows behind, shutting the door with a soft click. "the food was early, i've been keeping it warm in the ovenâhope that's okay."
his apartment is really nice, with dark furniture and exposed brick. it's definitely a man cave, but not in a single, frat boy kind of wayâbut a sophisticated, busy manly way. you run your fingers over a dark green throw hanging over the back of the leather couch, a small playful grin pulling at your lips as you shoot him a look over your shoulder. "you know johnny, you're not supposed to leave the oven unattended."
he's in the kitchen, and because the apartment is mostly open conceptâminus the bedroomâyou can see him perfectly. johnathan opens the oven door, a breathy laugh leaving him as he takes out the various takeout containers. it's definitely not healthy for a professional athlete to be eating salty, delicious japanese cuisine, and if you were a meal specialist, you'd be frowning. but you're not! so you're not complaining.
"guess im just a risk taker." he hums, placing some of the ramen broth next to the cooked broccoli containerâpopping the lids off both.
you walk towards the island, leaning against the counter top to watch him work. you practically ogle his body as it movesâmuscles shifting and contracting under his shirt so temptingly. you remove the lid off the spring bean take out container, a small grin on your face. "i'm hoping so ."
all the food is on the counter now, and that leaves johnathan to grab some dishes for the both of youâopening the cupboard beside the microwave and grabbing two sloped bowls and match plates. "are you always so confident?" he questions, placing them on the counter in front of you. he pulls open one of the drawers on his side of the island, pulling out two of each utensil. "like I don't know, you always seem to know exactly what to say...it's hot."
you blush, his compliment laying heavy on your heart. you take one of the bowls, loading some of the vegetable mix into it. "no actually, my confidence is mostly fake." he hums in surprise, spooning some beans into his bowl. you continue, "like i'm confident in my job, but when it comes to things like thisâlike youâI gotta fake it."
johnathanâs brows furrow while he contemplates which meat he wants in his ramen. "what?! like me? what does that mean?" he shoots you an amused look, before inevitably choosing beef and adding it into his bowl.
you laugh once, rounding the island to better reach the small styrofoam container of green onion. "yeah, I don't know you make me...feel things."
"what kind of things?" he questions lowly, the sound making your head spin. johnathan knows damn well what you're insinuating, and as soon as you say the words out loud, he may pounce.
you put some liquid into your bowl, completing the ramen bowl. you break apart one of the many pairs of chopsticksâthere's enough food on the island to feed the entire team and some, so the twenty odd pairs of chopsticks don't come as a surprise. you twirl the utensils through the coil noodles, "i'll tell you later."
johnny barks a laugh, a nod following suit. "okay, fine." he watches as you bring the noodles to your mouth immediately, and he stops adding broth to his bowl. "just be careful cause it'll be really hot-"
his warning is cut short as you jump, your mouth hung open as you attempt to fan the hot food inâso hot that the steam is pouring from you like a dragon. "fuck, oh my god." you curse through the mouthful of burning noodles. you can't believe you didn't think to give it a minute before shoving the food in your mouth, and now it's so hot that you can't even chew the food without pain. you're left to only fan yourself and wait.
johnathan abandonâs his bowl on the counter, walking towards you in two quick strides. a curse falls from his mouth, "okay, hold still." he instructs you firmly, but yet softlyâlarge hands enveloping your head as he holds your face. slowly, as if to not startle you, johnathan begins blowing into your mouth, his breath coming in fast bursts that help cool the food in your mouth.
he's so close to you and his touch is so gentle that you can't do anything but blink at him dreamily, watching as he cools the food in your mouth like it's nothing. a moment passes, and his blowing stops. "better?" johnathan questions, pulling back just enough to gauge your reaction.
you nod, slowly starting to chew the significantly less boiling hot noodles in your mouth. he smiles gently, and drops his hands from your face almost reluctantlyâalready he misses the warmth of your skin under his touch.
thankfully the rest of dinner goes smoothly, and you blow on every single bite loudly before attempting to put it past your lipsâwhich has johnathan laughing in amusement, sometimes even joining in on cooling your food, which should not be so hot, but it is. you're almost tempted to burn your mouth again just so he will hold you and blow into your mouth once more.
you're not even surprised at how well you and johnathan vibe and communicateâsomehow it just all makes sense, and that really doesn't help the crush you have for him. after finishing your two bowls of ramen and johnathanâs three, you both clean up, easy chatter flowing between you. it's refreshing, and feels so rightâyou almost forget that it's wrong.Â
soon enough you find yourselves in his living space, sitting on the shaggy rug you claimed you needed to feelâyour backs resting on the worn leather couch. you've got your knees bent towards your chest, balancing a wine glass between your two fingers and the top of your knee capâlooking over at johnathan as he laughs at the tail end of your story.
"okay wait," he smiles, eyes twinkling with the upmost amusement. "so your best friend just threw them on his lawn?" he questions, searching for confirmation that, yes, he did hear you correctly. he shifts, turning himself even further in your directionâso close that you can feel the heat of him against your side.
you nod, your own smile softly gracing your face. "yup, 20 boxes of instant mashed potatoes that turned into mush during the rainfall." he laughs once more, finding the story about your best friend and her revenge plan against her ex amusing.
"oh wow, remind me to never mess with her." johnathan teases, taking a sip of his mulberry wine. you follow suit, bringing the thin rim up to your lips and taking a gulpâthe flavours spicing your tongue just the way you like. you've always had a hard time turning down wine, especially when a guy who looks like johnathan kovacevic is the one offering it. worse case, you'll just stay the night.
his eyes flicker with something you can't decipher, swallowing his sip of alcohol as he eyes you. "so what about you?"
you swallow, brows pulling in question. "what about me?"
"ever instant mash potato a guys lawn?" he asks with a tempting, playful smirk.
you laugh, placing your now empty wine glass on the rustic, chest style coffee tableâthe sound a gentle clink in the otherwise quiet apartment. you shake your head, "no, i'd be too scared of getting caught."
he purses his lips softly, brows coming together to create a small indent above his nose. johnathan hums quietlyâthe sound so charming you almost pass out. "I think you're braver than you think, y/n."
oh, you thinkâbreath catching in your throat. johnathanâs eyes on you are too much, but somehow not enough. you can't decide where to look, your eyes darting all over his face to try and drink in as much of him as possible.
johnathan's breathing changes, his lungs working overtime like he can't quite catch his breathâthe way you're looking at him having him feel nothing but breathless. his tongue swipes along his bottom lip, gaze finding your plump, wine stained lips.
he blinks, turning away to place his wineglass next to yoursâthere's a sip left in his, but he doesn't care to finish it. "you should probably go," johnathan mumbles, eyes finding your lips once more. "otherwise i'll end up doing something stupid like kissing you or..." he slowly trails off, taking a deep breath before he meets your wide, glossy eyes.
"or what?" you prompt, tone all hopeful and quiet.
johnathan hums deeply, the sound shooting signals straight down to your coreâyou clench your legs together to soothe the ache you've been feeling since you got here. he licks his lip again, slow and deliberate. "...or undressing you."
you almost whineâit's pathetic and johnathan finds it so unbelievably hot. you flush even deeper than the shade the wine has left you, and you slowly bring your lip into your mouth, nibbling on the edge. "maybe I want you to kiss me...and undress me."
he practically moans. "y/n...you can't say that unless you mean it." his words are almost like a warningâan out of the tension building between you. johnathan is giving you the opportunity to walk away, and not break the rules because of himâno matter how bad he wants you to. johnathan's fingers twitch as he desperately tries to keep to himself, watching you through half lidded eyes as he waits your response.
but you don't want an outâyou want him. slowly, you shake your head, legs sliding down and away from your torso. the stretch is nice, but it does no favours for your throbbing core. "I wouldn't unless I did." you whisper, pushing up and onto your knees. gently, but confidently, you swing your leg over his lap and sit on him. johnathan's jaw goes slack, watching through his lustful gaze as you move.
he can't take it anymoreâhe needs to get his hands on you. johnathan's palms slide up the sides of your thighs, squeezing the flesh through your jeans. subconsciously you begin moving your hips, leisurely grinding your clothed core over his. your breath hitches, forehead resting against his. "I need you, johnny."
that's all it takes for johnathan to attach your lips together, kissing you like he's been wanting to since he first saw you. it's like your mouths are made for one another, perfectly moving and caressing and sliding around one another's like you've been doing it for years.
his hands slide to cup your ass, giving you a firm squeeze before he helps grind you over his clothed coreânot once stopping the bruising, messy kiss you're engaged in. his lips feel so good it hurts, and if you were to die in that moment you wouldn't be upset. your hands card through his thick strands of hair, scratching his scalp in a way that his him sighing into your kiss.
suddenly, johnathan pulls away, leaving you to whine in disappointment. his glazed over eyes flicker open at the same time yours doâeyes locking. "i've been dreaming about thisâabout you." he says through heavy breathing, fingers flexing against your lower back.
"you have?" you ask through a moan, your covered clit perfectly sliding over his hardening length.
he nods, leaning in and pressing a hot kiss against your jawline. just when you think he'll stop, he moves farther down, littering kisses against the line of your jaw until he reaches your ear. "I want to please you." johnathan whispers before nipping at your lobe.
you sigh, pawing at the hem on his shirt. "please." you lift the item of clothing completely off, exposing the expanse of tan, defined muscles that you've only ever had glimpses of before this moment. you jaw goes slack, fingers absentmindedly racking down his pecks and abs. "oh my god, you're so hot."
he laughs once before kissing your lips firmlyâa wordless thank you. johnathan's hands slip underneath your shirt, dragging it up and off your body like its second natureâleaving you in your polka dot bra. "shit, been dreaming of these too." he mutters, palming your tits. "you've been driving me crazy for weeks with these tits, baby."
all you can manage is a moan, hips moving on their own accord as you chase the tension building in your core. a whispered plea leaves you once again, and it has johnathan gripping your backside tightly and sifting you onto your back, skin melting into the soft, shaggy rug.
you exhale shakily, fingers fisting the carpet right next to your head as johnathan begins trailing kisses down your sternum, and further towards your belly button. "that feels good." you say, hips twitching under torso.
johnathan lifts his head, eyes twinkling with playfulness as he locks his gaze on your face. "can I taste you?" you nod eagerly, and his smirk shows once againâone of his hands fiddling with your button until it pops open. johnathan sits back on his heels, and you shiver at the lack of his body heat on top of youâbut as he begins sliding your jeans down, exposing your damp paintes, you quickly forget about anything but that.
he shutters, licking along his lips as he locks in on your skimpy underwear. you bite onto your bottom lip, but your smirk isn't even hidden by that. "I need you so bad, johnny." the sight of your almost shy grin has him faltering, fingers itching to get you nakedâand he does, hooking his fingers through your underwear and pulling them away from your wet core.
johnathan can't wait any longer, laying flat so his face is mere inches away from your throbbing pussyâlicking his lips at the sight of your arousal pooling and slowly dripping onto his rug. "fuck, you're soaking wet for me, baby."
your hips jump upwards, desperate for some friction. you don't think you've ever been this turned on in your entire life, and for god sakes all you've done is a little amateur dry humping. johnathan's words further rile you up, and you can't help but whine out like a cat in heat.
"that noise," he breathes, spreading your legs even further apart with his large hands. "keep making it." johnathan doesn't give you a chance to answer before he's licking a firm strip up your folds, spreading your arousal with his tongue.
"oh...fuck." you curse, eyes fluttering with bliss and pleasure, johnathan repeating his movements in a lapid, expert manner. his long fingers flex on your thighs, digging into your flesh to continue holding you openâgiving him the most range on pleasing you.
he sucks your clit into his mouth before swirling his tongue around the sensitive budâa movement that has you approaching your peak quicker than expected. you breath hitches, nails digging into the rug. "oh, fuck i'm close."
johnathan moans against your clit before dipping back to your entrance, thrusting his tongue into your sopping holeâa squelching noise echoing through the room. he doesn't let up, and it has you reaching your peak, a frantic 'i'm cumming' leaving you in a hurry as your walls spasm on his tongue.
your ride our your orgasm while johnathan licks against your clit lazily, sending jitters through your body. it's ethereal, and so fucking goodâyou can't decide if you want to scream or sob. your eyes blink open, finding him hovering over you once more. "you okay?"
you hum blissfully, hands running over johnathan's arms and unapologetically squeezing and feeling his biceps. "better than okay." you watch him smirk briefly, his fingers tilting your chin up in an affectionate way before sliding back and caressing your jaw. and like the sex god he apparently is, his thumb parts your lips, rubbing along the surface before leaning in and kissing you.
you could be kissing for only 2 minutes, or it could be 20âtime has completely slipped away from both you and johnathan as your lips move along one another. you can feel his hard length through his jeans, pressing against your thigh like a rockâyou can also feel your own arousal building back up, dripping down your ass like you're some pornstar.
you disconnect your lips, pulling back just enough to talk. "I want you to fuck me." reaching towards his belt, you begin fiddling with the buckle, the metal clinking together as you unfasten it.
he kisses the corner of your mouth. "I must be dreaming."
you smile, tugging his zipper down. "you're not." johnathan assists you the rest of the way, briefly standing so he's able to completely rid of his jeans. just before he tugs his boxers down, he curses lightlyâsmile never wavering. "hold on, baby. need a condom."
you get the pleasure of watching him jog into his bathroom in the retrieval of protectionâhis ass looking mouthwatering under his fitted black briefs. without even thinking logically, your hands slide down your body until you're finding your wet folds, gathering your arousal and bringing it to your clitâcircling the bundle slowly.
johnathan finds you like that, condom wrapper half torn in his hands. "you can't do that baby," he groans, "i'm already dying here."
you giggle, the sound broken by a moan at a powerful circle around yourself. your breath hitches, eyeing his almost completely naked body like you're an animal. "take your underwear off, johnny."
he's already in the process of removing the last article of clothing on himself as you ask, releasing his angry, heavy cock from the restraints of his briefs. the sight of himâthe sheer size of himâhas you gasping. johnathan drops back down between your legs, pulling the condom over his aching length.
you help guide him to your entrance, breathless as his tip brushes your slick folds. johnathan's eyes find yours, "you sure?"
too pent up to speak, you nodâeyes filled with nothing but need and aching, desperate to finally feel all of johnathan. and with that, he eases his entire length into you, stretching you perfectlyâyour walls molding around him like you're made for him. you let out a choked whine, watching his cock disappear into you. "oh fuck."
he bottoms out, balls resting against your assâtwitching as your gummy walls flutter over him. you can feel him in your stomach he's so deep and longâit feels like he's everywhere. "god, you feel so fucking good." johnathan babbles, already drunk on your pussy. he can't wait a moment longer, and begins thrusting, sliding in and out of your pussy easily due to your leaking arousal.
you're both so horny and worked up and only a few minutes of deep, passionate thrusts, messy kisses and hushed affirmations, that you're both growing close to your respective releases. you're whining like it's the only thing you know how to do, wrapping your thighs around johnathan's torso and he ruts into your holeâstabilizing yourself as best you can. it's a bit difficult when you feel like jello, but it's so good that you're not even caring.
"I canâoh fuckâcan feel you fluttering baby, you gunna cum?" he breathes, the rhythm of his thrusts begin to falter as he nears his first orgasm of the evening. but he holds on, focusing on your spasming hole and pleasure pulled face.
you nod, jaw slack. "so close."
johnathan pushes even deeper into your pussy, which you didnât think was possible, but he does itâtip kissing your cervix with every delicious rut into you. his hand finds yours, and he interlocks your fingers togetherâgrounding not only himself but you to the moment.
"please donât stop," you mewl desperately, grip tightening around his warm hand as you find the tipping point of your orgasm. "i'm cumming." and you do, walls clamping down on his cock as your reach another toe curling release.
johnathan's brows furrow in concentration as he focuses on your orgasming pussy, groaning as he thrusts into you three unrhythmic times. "holy shit, me too, fuck." his seed shoot into the latex, hot spurts of cum filling the condom wrapped around him.
you smile at the feeling, pressing a firm kiss against the front of johnathan's strong shoulderânipping his skin with your teeth playfully.
he grins, still nestled in your warmth. "stay with me tonight."
you don't need to be asked twice, and soon enough you're being ushered into the spacious shower of johathan's apartmentâthe two of you washing one another in the most intimate, soft way. you're completely ruined for anyone else, and now you'll never be able to stay away from johnathan. the way he looks at you, dressing you in his clothes for bed while you're hair is still wet and face flushedâit's something you'll never forget.
you fuck again in bed, riding him slowly as breathy moans leave you both. you're not even fully naked this time, johnathan's college shirt pulled up and over your hips as he holds onto your love handles, helping you slide up and down his length. you both fall asleep in a breathless, tangled embraceâsoft conversation and adorning smiles shared before you both let your eyes flutter closed.
part3: kiss it better
from that moment on you're pretty positive you're falling for johnathan kovacevic. the morning after your date, you both wake up frantically, afternoon practice sneaking up on you. just before you left, all tangled mess of hair and mascara stained eyes, johnathan grabbed your wrist gently, tugging you close to him. "can we do this again? I don't just mean the sex..I mean the dating and talking and everything in between."
to which you responded with, "yes please."
for the next few months you and johnathan find yourselves in a very secret relationship. you're going on dates late after games, lounging in his apartment or your apartment until you both fall asleep. hazelnut approves, and you think she likes your boyfriend more than she likes you. johnathan is always sending you flowers, and ordering you food when you're crankyâwhich obviously makes you emotional and clingy. you watch each other's favourite movies, and you're the queen of stealing his clothes. and oh my god the sex.
johnathan is like ridiculously good when it comes to pleasing youâkissing, sucking, licking and pounding all the right spots until you're on the verge of tears. sex with him is addicting, you don't think you had as much intercourse since like...everânot even when you were a horny driven teenager.
johnathan will never get tired of your flushed skin and pulled faceâjaw fallen slack while you whisper johnny over and over like a prayer. he is as obsessed with you as you are with himâif not more so. he's only had two serious girlfriends between meaningless hookups in his lifetime, and neither of them felt like this.
it has the both of you getting a little...risky, to say the least. your gazes linger on one another for just a second too long while you're at work, johnathan stands close while in huddles, and his fingers brush the back of your hand in passing almost every timeâit's dangerous but neither of you can help it.
2 months into your forbidden romance, you're both dressing (in separate homes, unfortunately) for the new jersey devils charity galaâan event where everyone dressed in beautiful gowns and/or sharp suits to mingle, participate in raffles and raise money for charities.
johnathan was expecting you to look phenomenal based on the mere fact that you always do, but when you walked into the decorated rink, covered in a soft cream silk dress that dipped low down your backâleaving little to the imaginationâhe just about ripped it off you right in the middle of the bustling room.
you knew you were in trouble by the way your boyfriends gaze followed you throughout the first hour of the evening, tongue swiping his bottom lip or biting it in an attempt to not run over to you and destroy you. it also doesn't help that you want him to, god damn you feel like you're in heat looking at johnathanâstanding with staff and teammates in a perfectly tailored suit, sipping some champagne like a slut.
so from across the room when he gestures for you to follow him, you listen easily. it's only a few antagonizing minutes later when your boyfriend is pulling you into a coat closet, lips finding yours instantly in a heated exchange.
"you look fucking edible." johnathan groans against your mouth, hands running over your body and squeezing your flesh through the silky dress. he nips at your jaw, igniting breathless laughter from your heaving chest.
you drag his face back to yours, pressing your lips to his once again. the kiss isn't only hot, but it's risky, especially in the closet that holds all the jackets and personable teams of team and staff members. but as johnathan drags your dress up one leg, slipping his hand underneath the cream silkâyour mind goes blank. two long, strong fingers brush your exposed core, spreading the sticky wetness that's pooling between your folds.
he curses lowly, the tip of his middle finger prodding your entranceâbut then, the door handle rattles, curtis lazar's voice growing louder as he begins opening the door. you and johnathan pull apart, jumping to opposite sides of the room and pretending to look busyâstifling through various coats and jackets.
thankfully, curtis saw nothing and is to aloof to the tension lingering between his teammate and assistant coach. from that moment, you and johnathan both know you need to get a grip, and if you're not careful, your reputation and relationship will be destroyed.
so with that in mind, you both make sure while you're at work, you're strangers. johnathan doesn't look at you, and you don't let your gaze linger on his. and this crisp tuesday evening, surrounded by thousands of fans packed into the prudential center, it'll be no different. you're his coach, and johnathan is strictly a player to you. period.
everything is normalâhow it should be, really. well, everything expect the lingering turning in your stomach and heat warming your skin uncomfortably. you've not been feeling the best today, and there's been a constant queasy feeling in your belly since you got out of bed.
you've done your best to try and ignore it, brush it under the rug until it goes awayâbut it's proving to be persistent, and as the hours tick by your symptoms are getting worse. you know you probably should've called in, but you didn'tâand now your feeling dizzy watching the players skate past the bench.
a deep exhale leaves your lungs, eyes darting to the foam covered floor beneath your feet. the crowd has your head pounding and ears ringingâthis isnât good. your stomach feels like a shaky roller coaster on the verge of turning upside down and ruining your day.
the lights are impossibly bright as you look back up, and that's when you know something is wrong. weakly and with dwindling vision, you shuffle closer to sheldon, subtly nudging his side. "I think i'm going to be sick."
his brows raise, turning his full attention to youâkeeping his face neutral as to not raise suspicion. "you've been pale since you walked in hereâplease, go get checked out. i'm getting worried, and I don't need us to be distracted."
you attempt to laugh, but it comes across as a painfully hushed groan. sheldon gently guides you in the direction of the hallway, and into the arms of a medical staff member. after you tell ronald, said staff, what's going on he's shuffling you down the hall and to the direction of the medical room.
you don't make it inside before your knees give out, falling to the floor as you go unconscious.
johnathan skates back to his bench after a 1:30 shift, chest heaving as he desperately fights for air. he throws one gangly leg over the boards, followed by the otherâbut he freezes as he notices you're no longer present.
his brows furrow in a mixture of confusion and worry. you were there when he left the bench, and you seemed fineâa little pale and quiet but still ordering the team around like the confident, sexy woman you are. but now you're missing. johnathan tries not to show emotion on his face, but he can't help but to look over his shoulder every few minutes to see if you've returned.
by the time first intermission begins, you're still nowhere in sight. johnathan is glad nico brings attention to your sudden absence after keefe's speech, because johnathan is dying and anxious about not knowing your whereabouts.
"coach y/l/n left to get checked out by medical because she wasn't feeling good. i'm not sure of her condition but I understand she will not be coming back tonight."
sheldon's words have johnathan's stomach dropping down to his ass. before he has to head back out to the ice, he shoots you a quick textâletting you know that he'll be at yours after the game.
the rest of the game goes by in a flurry of anxious waves and painfully slow minutes. he can't get out of his gear quick enough, speeding through a shower so he's able to quicker get on the roadâget home to his girl.
johnathan definitely breaks a few laws on the way to your place, but he can't help itâhe knows nothing about your state, only the brief text of acknowledgment you sent him in response, and heâs started to get really fucking worried.
the doors unlocked, and johnathan kicks his dress shoes off beside one of hazelnuts feathery toys, walking into your silent apartment. he finds you on the couch, still in your work clothes. the door shutting had your eyes blinking open, vision slowly focusing just as your boyfriend kneels in front of you.
"hey baby," he mumbles, running his hands over your sweaty forehead. "what's wrong my girl?" his eyes flicker over your dewy, pale skin, a frown pulling on his face at the sight of your obvious discomfort and exhaustion.
your cat perks up at the sound of his voice, and immediately jumps off the back of the couch to run against johnathan's legs. you pout, "i've been feeling sick all day, and it just got worse. I didn't even make it to the medical room before passing out, johnny." tears begin gathering in your eyes, making clear vision even more impossibleâyou feel awful. "it was really scary."
instantly he's leaning down to kiss your head. "i'm sorry baby. did they give you some meds?" he asks against your hair.
you humâthe sound strained. "yeah. they're making me tired."
he fusses over you for a few moments longer, pressing comforting kisses to your damp faceâbut he doesn't want you to be in uncomfortable clothes for any longer. johnathan strips you of your clothes and quickly changes you into your favourite sweats before slipping behind you on the couchâpulling you into his chest.
you're kind of out of it and all you can really register is your boyfriends dark button up under your cheek, his hand rubbing your back and the sound of sex and the city playing from your tv. it's so numbing and relaxing that it quickly has you falling back to sleep, soft snores passing through your dry lips.
you wake up the next morning in your bed, eyes slowly focusing as you catch the sight of johnathan pulling his suit pants back on in your bedroomâthe morning sun streaming the the cracks of your curtains.
"hey," you start, voice croaky. "what's going on?"
your boyfriend whips around in your direction, shoving one arm through his dress shirt. "hey, sorry I didn't want to wake you up." he rounds the mess of blankets half off the bed, kissing your head. "how was your sleep?"
"I don't even remember you getting here yesterday." you admit sheepishly, rubbing the sleep out of your eye. "I was so fucked up, god."
"it's okay," johnathan reassures you sweetly, buttoning up his shirt. "you really had me worriedâyou looked so sick."
you cough, a sickly dry sound that is a rough reminder of the illness lingering your body. but as you eye your boyfriend, seemingly getting ready for morning practice, has all thoughts of sickness leaving youâreplaced with panic. "oh my god, i'm going to be late for practice."
you try and get out of bed, but johnathan is quickerâgently pushing you back to the pillows. "you're not goingâI dealt with it all through your phone, okay. and I must say, keefe was rather relieved that you're taking the day."
"oh," you hum with a small grin, body naturally melting into your bed. "okay. you going now?"
johnathan nods. "yeah. gotta stop at home and change quick, but i'll be back later." he tosses last nights suit jacket over his shoulder, "need anything brought back?"
you smile, "just you."
he smirks all slow and syrupy down at you, cupping your cheek with his warm palm. "okay babyâcan I have a kiss?"
you slap your hand over your lipsâwhich are rather crusty and has you cringing. "I don't want to get you sick." you say, words muffled against your palm.
johnathan brows pull tightly, his smirk not letting up. "I don't care baby." his words have you faltering, dropping your hand and puckering your mouth for a kissâwhich he happily obliges in giving you.
later while he's getting changed, pulling his shin pads on, he hears jack asks about your whereabouts beside him. johnathan isn't sure if he's just speaking out loud, or asking him directlyâbut he turns his full attention to the middle hughes brother. "she called in sick today."
jack kind of makes a curious face, one that says and how would you know that?
and the following day when johnathan doesn't come to the rink because he's sick...jack has the smallest inkling that he may know why the defence man knew about you're whereabouts.
part4: youâre made for me
you think your least favourite part about being on the road is the lonely feeling you get lying in an empty hotel roomâleft with only your thoughts and the hum of the heating unit.
it doesn't help that johnathan is in the same hotelâŠon the floor below you, and you can't even see him. you're not long back from the game, a win nonetheless, and the vegas night life is still buzzing in the street below. you knew some of the guys would be heading out for a few hours to enjoy the casinosâbut you heard your boyfriend decline curtis' invitation.
so you know he's in his roomâbut wether his roommate is with him is unbeknownst to you. you miss him, and are in desperate need of hearing his voice. you hum, grabbing your phone off the charger beside youâthumbing your screen until his contact comes up.
you've got him saved under the soccer ball emojiâever since you two started getting serious, you knew that having johnathan saved as his name was risky, especially when he had a habit of sending you toe-curling texts. and the same goes for your name on his phone, and instead of the previous use of your full name, he's replaced it with the name of your favourite tv show character.
hey, you send. are you alone?
a beat passes and then your phone begins to ring, the soccer ball emoji filling your screen as johnathan calls you. your grin, biting your lip as you slide over the answer button.
you lift your phone to your ear, excitement bubbling and settling deep in your belly.
"i'm alone." johnathan answers lowly, the slow smirk evident through his voice.
you sigh softly. "didn't want to go out tonight? celebrate the win? mr. two point night." your voice is playful, and kind of sexyâit has him already palming himself through his sweatpants.
a low groan leaves him, the sound leaving you flushed in the other line. you already can tell the turn this conversation is going to take, and you're not opposed to it one bit. he laughs, the sound doing a million things to you and your needy clit. "got those points for you, baby."
"whatever," you grin, hand slipping under your loose pyjamas shirt, resting on your lower bellyâabsentmindedly tickling just below your belly button.
"you okay?" this question is more serious, because above all else, johnathan cares for you, and if you're texting him, he wants to make sure nothing is wrong before he asks to see your boobs like a schoolboy.
you nod, and then remember he can't see you. "yeah, just miss you." you admit shamelessly, fingers dipping below the band of your sleep shorts. your breath hitches as the pads of your fingers brush over your folds, slipping through the wet mess that's been building since you picked up the phone.
the sound has johnathan groaning again, his own hand slipping under his sweatpants and finding his now rock hard and aching cock. heâs been thinking about this moment since he say your game day skirtâhugging your ass delightfully. he squeezes the base, igniting another strangled moan from his chest. "yeah?"
you hum lowly, teasing your entrance with your middle finger before trailing back to your bundle of nerves, circling yourself slowly. "I wish you were here."
a small curse leaves his lips. "what would you want me to do...if I was in your room right now?" johnathan questions, his large hand sliding up the entirety of his length, fisting the tip three times before coming back down to the base.
you inhale sharply, but you're breathless regardless. your thighs tighten around your slow moving hand, trapping yourselfâyour body reacting to your boyfriends words instinctively and leaving you overwhelmed already.
"don't be shy," he grins, squeezing himself. "i'm so fucking hard, babyâyour voice is so sexy."
you whine helplessly, johnathanâs words pushing you into a flaming pit of lavaâigniting your body in molten flames. "I'd want you to tease me, run your fingers over my soaked shorts until i'm begging you for more." you admit, cheeks flushing even deeper at your dirty words.
there's something so weird about phone sex, but with johnathan's breathing against your ear, and the throbbing between your legs, you're starting to feel very different about the idea. itâs exciting and so fucking hotâmostly because of your sexy boyfriend on the other line, prompting you.
he curses, pulling himself out of his sweatpants so that his cock is standing fully erect. he hisses at the air touching his sensitive skin, running the pad of his thumb over his leaking slit. "holyâfuck meâand then what baby?
"and then..." your breath hitches as you slip your middle finger into your wet entrance, your throbbing pussy sucking you in, down to your knuckle. "then i'd take you out of your pants, and lick up your shaftâslowlyâbefore sucking the head of your cock just the way you like."
"i'm gunna facetime you, okay?"
your stomach drops in excitement. "okay." you slip out of yourself before completely removing your shorts, just as the incoming facetime lights up your phone. you answer it giddy, gnawing on your lip as johnathan's face fills your screen.
he smirks, eyeing your plump pink lips and rosy cheeksâthe lust clear in your gaze. "you look so fucking pretty."
your smile grows, and even the way your teeth enclose around your bottom lip can't hide the fact. "johnny," you hum slowly, legs falling open to reveal your core to the empty hotel room. "I need to cum so bad."
he licks along his bottom lip. "set the phone up so I can see."
your vagina throbs pathetically, grabbing a pillow before leaning forward and resting your phone against itâthe angle giving johnathan the perfect view of your glistening pussy, the outline of your perky nipples under your shirt and flushed face. he groans, stroking himself as he gets off the bed and moves towards the desk.
johnathan props his phone against the lamp, angling the camera so you're able to see his cock. "slip your pretty fingers in that pussy, baby. wanna see you fuck yourself like I would."
he watches your chest heave as you attempt to catch your breath, hand slipping down your covered stomach and back down through your soaking folds. with a moan, you ease your middle finger and ring finger in your entrance.
"fuck." you whine, head falling back as you begin moving your fingers shallowly, not quite thrusting into yourself, but not staying still either. the perfect amount of stimulation that has your toes curling.
johnathan's jaw goes slack at the sight of you and your handâa ring of creamy arousal pooling at the base of your knuckles before dripping onto the bed. it's embarrassing how close he is to cumming, fucking his hand while he pretends it's your gooey walls enveloping him instead. "that feel good?" he asks, voice husky. "you're so sexy."
you lift your head, lips parted as breathless sighs leave you. "feels goodâwish it was your fingers." a high-pitched whine bubbles from your throat, the palm of your hand rubbing against your clit perfectly. through lidded eyes, you watch johnathan. his abs clench as he fists himself, the smallest drop of pre-cum trialing down the underside of his delicious cock.
you gasp, orgasm hitting you in a white hot surprise, leaving you fluttering around your hand as your release drips off your fingers.
the sight has johnathan following suit, ropes of hot cum shooting from his head as his eyes train on your fluttering pussy and blissed out face.
a beat passes, both of your still working on coming down from your high and catching your breath. johnathan smirks all lazily at you through the screen. "I'm gonna fuck you so good once we get home, yeah?"
his promise has your core jumping all over again, and if johnathan has to fist his hand once more in the shower before bedâthat's nobodies business expect yours (because obviously he sends you videos on snapchat).
thankfully the road trip is only two more days, and you get your hands on your boyfriend as soon as you're back in the enclosed walls of his apartment.
a few weeks pass since then, a whirlwind of games and practices that leave you holding your breath and clenching your thighsâyou'll never get over how handsome johnathan looks all sweaty and damp, and it never fails in sending butterflies straight down to your pussy.
it seems like weeks until you get a free evening, but eventually it comes, and you take the opportunity for an at home date nightârealistically the only ones you can have. johnathan cooks you mouthwatering pasta, and you get to watch him work over the stove from the kitchen islandâchecking out his back muscles over the rim of your wine glass.
anytime he catches you doing so, he pauses to lean over the island and give you a heart stopping kiss. it's romantic, and you think you may love him.
you eat your food next to one another on the couch, your feet tucked under his thigh while you watch she's all that. johnathan is the kind of boyfriend you dreamed of having since you were littleâkind, compassionate, sexy, funny and a little awkward (plus a sex god, but 6 year old didn't know about that).
soon enough your empty bowls are abandoned, and youâre on his lap while your mouths move together. just before anything starts to escalateâjohnathan's hands fiddling with your braâa knock on the door pulls you apart.
"kovy?" an all too familiar voice calls on the other side of the door. "we know you're home. saw your car." we? as in plural? as in there's multiple of his teammates on the other side of the door?
you go stiff on johnathan's lap. "is that curtis?" you question wildly, words barley above a whisper.
he squeezes the flesh of your hips, nodding once. "and brett and erik." johnathan admits through his teeth. "i forgot they wanted me to come out tonightâsomeone's birthday."
one of them knocks again. "open up you little shit." the voice who sounds like brett laughs, sounding already a few drinks in.
"oh my god," you hiss, getting off johnathan's lap, pulling your discarded hoodie over your head. "oh my fucking god."
johnathan moves quickly, taking your empty bowls to the sink. "one second!" he calls in their direction, running a hand through his messy hair after wetting the dishes.
"are you fucking naked or something?" erik questions, leaning against the wall with an amused expression.
you hear curtis snicker. "he's probably jerking off."
your boyfriend looks at you, eyes full of guilt. "i'm so sorry baby, I totally forgot." he grabs your arms firmly, keeping your attention on him. "i'll get rid of them, okay? I promise."
you look almost scaredâblinking up at him like everything is falling apart before your eyes. after all, you're a door away from being caught. "okay."
he nods, kissing the side of your pouting lips before guiding you to his bedroom. "just stay in here, okay? and if you hear me say watermelon, jump into the closet."
if you weren't so anxious you'd probably laugh. but obviously you don't laugh, sitting on the soft mattress as johnathan gives you one more hurried look, shutting his bedroom door with a soft click.
he quickly makes his way to the front door, pulling it open to reveal his three teammatesâall of them with splitting grins on their faces. "we've been texting you, man! you forget about us?" brett grins, slapping johnathan's shoulder as the three of them walk into his apartment.
he chuckles awkwardly. "yeah, sorryâmeant to text you but i'm not feeling up to going out tonight."
"boooooo," curtis drags out loudly, spinning on one of the bar stools like it's a carnival ride. "boring."
erik picks up the wine glass you left on the coffee table, a visible print of lipgloss on the rim. "you got a girl here, johnny?"
"no." he says all too quickly, face pale and red all at once. "I mean, not anymore. she left."
brett smirks, grabbing the glass out of erik's grip. he inspects the mark closer, that shit eating grin never leaving his face. "you know who wears lipgloss like this? coach y/l/n."
on the other side of the bedroom door, you feel like you're going to faint. you press your ear further against the wood, listening in.
the barstool squeaks under curtis' weight, a mixture of a disgruntled groan and laugh leaving him. "why do you know what kind of lipstick our coach wears? fucking weirdo." much to johnathan's delight, curtis' response has all three boys moving on from the marking on the wine glass. which, thank god because he had no clue how to respond to that observation.
erik eyes the ending scene of she's all that, a knowing grin on his face. "so if she's gone, you're gunna come out with us, right?"
"not really feeling it." johnathan reiterates with a shrug, subtly grabbing your keys off the counter and tucking them into his pocket.
brett groans like a naughty kid, sluggishly making his way back to the door. "fineâwe'll let you beat off in peace." the other two follow suit, sending johnathan snarky little grins as they leave.
he rolls his eyes, a tiny grin pulling at his lips. "whateverâhave fun." as soon as johnathan can't hear his teammates loud voices anymore, he's shutting the door and flicking the lock. he bounds back to the bedroom, and you pull open the threshold before he has the chanceâyour eyes wide with unshed emotion and stress.
it has johnathan feeling nothing but guilt, and he wastes no time wrapping you in his arms. "are you okay?"
you nod, but then stop. "no. I thought we were fuckedâespecially with the lipgloss, oh my god johnny."
he kisses your head three times, each one longer than the last. you sigh into him, letting johnathan hold you like the delicate flower you feel you are in that moment.
you hate this feelingâbecause secretive behaviour makes you feel dirty. and with the secret you're keeping, you're much more than just dirty. you're breaking the rules, and risking not only your job, but johnathan's. the last thing you want to do is ruin his reputationâyou fucking love him for fucks sake.
itâs not even about you anymore. because for him, youâd leave everything if it meant being with him. but you know johnathan, and he would never let you give up your job for himâever. but you canât keep going around like this, itâs running you.
you pull back, swallowing roughly as you drop your arms from around his waist. âwe canât do this anymore.â
he freezes. âwhat do you mean? canât do what?â
you blink. âjohnnyâŠâ your voice is laced with a knowing edge, because you know johnathan knows exactly what you meanâyou can see it on his face. you look away, as you canât bare to look at him any longer, it may kill you otherwise. âif we keep sneaking around, itâs going to end badlyâit almost blew up in our face tonight.â
his brows furrow, cupping your face firmly so that you have no choice but to look into those eyes you love so much. âbut I didnât-It wonât if we do this right.â a rough swallow makes his adamâs apple jump, looking over your face like he canât decide where to go. âtell me what I can do to change your mind.â
a tear falls down the round of your cheek, and the sight stabs him right in the chest. you shake your head, licking the salty water off your cupids bow. âI justâŠI think we need to stop.â
his hands fall from your face, and he runs them through his hairâpulling at his root until it hurts. johnathan respects you, and he loves youâeven if he thinks you donât love him in this moment. he will fulfill any wish you ask of him, and heâd do it with a smile, because youâre the most important thing in the world. so he nods firmly. âokay. if you want to stop, weâll stop. I donât care whatâs happening. all I care about is you.â
you nodâtoo many emotions lodged in your throat to speak. johnathan reluctantly hands you your keys, your fluffy keychain tickling his skin for the last time. you pluck your purse thatâs wedged between the pillow and side of the couch, slinging it over your shoulder before making your way to the door, leaving without another look in johnathan kovacevicâs direction.
part5: love looks pretty on you
as soon as you get back to your place you break down in embarrassing sobsâfalling onto the couch while hazelnut licks your chin. although you think she just likes the taste of your tears, rather than it being a comforting thing, but you pretend itâs the latter.
as much as it hurts you and you regret it, you know breaking things off with johnathan was the right choice. you donât want to burden him, or hold him backâyou canât be that girl. so as much as you want to call him and tell him youâve changed your mind, you donât. itâs for the better, even if you have a hard time believing it right now.
the next week is nothing short of painful. you can feel johnathanâs eyes on you constantly, but youâre strong in ignoring himâgoing about your drills like heâs just another face in the crowd. if keefe notices something is up with you, he doesnât say anything. which honestly seems worse than if he was to ask.
johnathan is no better. heâs slacking on the ice, and itâs showing even during practiceâslow and uncertain and clearly distracted. he canât stop thinking about you, or looking at you. johnathan cant help but think about all the things he wish he said to you, before you ended it.
how heâll always care for you. how heâd quit hockey for you if thatâs what you wanted. how heâs never felt about someone the way he feels for you. that he loves you.
itâs lonely without you. he misses your laugh and your smile and the way you kiss his peck every morning when you wake up. johnathan even misses hazelnut and her persistent chirping.
he so desperately wants to get you back. show up on your doorstep with flowers and a speech that would probably make you cry. but he doesnât do thatâbecause it would go against your wishes, and break whatever trust you put in him. itâs killing him, and he can only hope youâre happy.
â
youâre lingering with the uneasy feelings that come with a loss, tossing your purse on the counter before kicking off your heels. although the loss was a team issue, you canât help but remember how johnathan was -5 tonight, and how exhausted and defeated he looked the entire game.
you canât help but speculateâscratch that, thereâs no speculation. you know itâs because of your breakup, and that makes you feel really shitty. if itâs still affecting him this much, hell if its still affecting you this much, you canât help but think it was the wrong choice to make.
months of a healthy relationship down the drain forâŠwhat? because you were scared? thatâs not you. johnathan brought out the best in you, he listened and cared for you like nobody before. in jersey, youâre alone. no friends or family close by to talk to or spend time with, only hazelnut. but with johnathan you had family. and you fucking threw it away.
your eyes flicker to the clock on the microwave. itâs almost midnight. you take your bottom lip between your teeth, contemplating your next actions. are you really about to do this? show up to your exs door and what? apologize? beg for him back?
you donât know. but you know you love him, and you think letting him go forever will be the worse decision of your life.
coaching is a dream job. working with athletes in such an authoritative manner is a dreamâit was your dream. but you have a new dream, and his name is johnathan. and if thereâs one thing youâve always lived by, itâs that to never give up on your dreams, especially for someone else. but thatâs not what youâre doingâyour dream has shifted, and youâre following its path in hopes of fulfillment.
before you can talk yourself out of it, youâre slipping on the first pair of shoes you seeâa pair of heart print sandals that arenât appropriate for the spring chill. you grab your keys and nothing else, getting into your car and following the familiar route to johnathanâs apartment.
the doorman recognizes you by now, and he lets you in with a smile. youâre anxious on the way up the elevator, a million things to say running through your mindâbut as the doors open on johnathanâs floor, your head goes blank.
you force yourself to knock, a quiet sound that is barley heard from the bedroom at the back of the apartmentâŠbut johnathan hears it. he trudges over to the front door, nothing but a black hoodie and his boxers on.
as soon as the door is pulled open, revealing you in summer shoes and your game day pant suit from the game, johnathan is exhaling lowly. his eyes dart around your face, analyzing you. âyou okay?â
your stomach clenches. heâs so fucking caring. âyouâre my dream, johnny.â you blurt out, definitely too loud for this time of night.
his brows furrow, like heâs not sure what you mean. and fair enough, you think, because what does that mean? you continue shakily, âI love you. so much that it actually hurts. I would give up everything if it meant being with you foreverâand I know youâd never let me, because you care about me and my dream. thatâs why I ended things, as stupid as that sounds, because I didnât want to put you in that situation. I didnât want you doing something crazy like requesting a trade or fucking retiring early so that I could work for the teamâbecause I knew you would do it.â
you swallow, but your mouth is so dry it almost hurts. âbut youâre not going to let me forget about my dream, johnnyâbecause you are my new dream. and if you love me, youâll let me live with my new dream. being with you is all I need.â
johnathan shakes his head in amused disbelief, the faintest grin tugging at his mouth. âcâmere.â he mumbles, fingers wrapping around your wrist and pulling you into his apartmentâonly lit up by the lamp next to the tv. âyou love me?â he asks, fingers leaving your wrist in favour of tucking some loose hair behind your earâthe strands that have escaped your once tight braid.
you nod all too quickly, âso much. iâm sorry.â
johnathanâs smile deepens, cupping your face like heâs done hundreds of times. âitâs okay, baby. I donât care that you ended things with meâwell, yes I care because I love you tooâbut if thatâs what you needed in that moment, I would give it to you over and over again. even if it killed me.â he wets his bottom lip, looking deep into your watery eyes. âare you sure?â
thereâs not hesitation in your wordsâthere never has been with johnathan. âpositive.â you nuzzle into his palm, âI love you so much.â
he leans in close, lips brushing yours. âI love you.â
and as he leans in and kisses you, you know that everything will work itself out. youâre not worried about the outcome, or what the future holds for your position with the team, but as long as you have johnny to come home toâit doesnât matter.
Put all the Koldy clips I have from that evil bar night together lol. I posted one of them already but this is like iconic Koldy moments of all time. They were all over each other. I wasnt Koldy down when this came out I shouldâve locked in đthe tipsier they got the handsier they were like okay.
!!!THIS IS PART 2 OF 2!!! Find part 1 here -> Part 1
I split this into two posts but both are up now!! I know I said no angst for the foreseeable future buuuuutttt I'm a goddamn liar! I was reading an angsty fic and this was trapped in my brain afterwards sooo sorry for the goddamn train ride you're about to go on!
Word Count: 5113
Warnings: Use of (Y/N), AFAB! Reader, serious injury, car accident, mentions of death but no actual character death, drunk driving, critical injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), medically induced coma, hospital setting, graphic injury descriptions, emotional distress, panic, anxiety, grief, life-threatening injuries, themes of mortality.
Summary: Doctors begin waking Y/N after her brain swelling improves, and after hours of waiting, she squeezes Luke's hand and opens her eyes. Neurological testing shows encouraging signs, and she recognizes Luke immediately. Over the next two weeks, Y/N continues recovering in the ICU.
-----------
Four days after the accident, the ICU felt different. The panic that had consumed everyone during those first forty-eight hours had settled into a quiet routine.
Everything revolved around waiting. Waiting for scans. Waiting for labs. Waiting for doctors. Waiting for answers.
The good news kept coming in tiny pieces.
Your lung was improving so the chest tube had finally been removed. The swelling around your brain had steadily decreased with treatment. Your intracranial pressure readings had remained stable, and had even gotten better.
The repeat scans they took looked better, and after the nightmare of those first few days, everyone was clinging to every bit of progress they could get.
Luke practically lived in your room. The nurses had long since stopped asking him if he planned on going home because the answer was always no. Jack and Quinn weren't much better.Â
The three Hughes brothers had somehow taken over the ICU room. The nurses knew all their names. The doctors knew all their names. Half the staff had probably knew their coffee orders by now.
That morning a nurse had practically threatened them. "You all smell terrible."
Jack looked offended, Quinn laughed, but Luke barely reacted.
The nurse pointed toward the door. "Go shower."
"No."
"Luke."
"No."
"You haven't left this room in four days."
Luke looked at you, then at the nurse, then back at you. "I'm not leaving."
The nurse sighed. "You will be gone for two hours."
"No."
"Luke."
"No."
Jack finally grabbed his shoulder. "Dude."
Luke glared.
Jack glared back.
"We are all going to go shower."
"I'm fine."
"You look homeless."
Quinn nodded. "You know sheâd hate seeing you like this when she wakes up."
Luke looked betrayed. "I hate both of you."
Twenty minutes later he was being practically dragged toward the parking garage. The entire drive home he felt like he was abandoning you.
Jack finally spoke. "She's not gonna disappear."
Luke stared out the window. "I know."
The apartment felt strange after not being there for days. Your shoes were still by the door, your jacket still hung where you'd left it, your favorite mug was still sitting beside the coffee machine.
Luke froze.
Jack noticed. "Luke."
He didn't answer, instead he walked over and picked up your mug. His throat tightened. The stupid thing still had chapstick on it. He nearly lost it right there, but instead he carefully set it back down exactly where he'd found it, and disappeared into the shower.
Forty-five minutes later they were heading back to the hospital, and when they got back, you were exactly where they'd left you.
Luke sat down beside your bed. His hand sliding back into yours.
The next hour crawled by.
Then the neurologist arrived. Luke recognized him as Dr. Patel, the neurologist who had been overseeing your brain injury since day one he was carrying a tablet.
His expression was calm, but there was something different today.
Jack noticed it too. "So?"
The doctor smiled slightly. "We reviewed this morning's scans."
All three brothers sat up.
"The cerebral edema has improved significantly."
Luke felt his heart jump.
The doctor continued. "The swelling has almost completely resolved." Dr. Patel looked at all three of them. "This is very encouraging."
Luke immediately asked the question. "So she can wake up?"
The neurologist took a breath. "Maybe."
Jack frowned. "What does that mean?"
The doctor pulled up the scans. "The swelling was our immediate concern because excessive cerebral edema can cause additional injury."
Luke nodded. He'd learned more neurology in four days than he'd ever wanted to know.
Dr. Patel continued. "Now we need to evaluate her neurologic function."
Luke swallowed hard. "What are you saying?"
The neurologist sat down. "The sedation medications we've been using are keeping her unconscious, and we would like to begin reducing those medications."
Luke's stomach dropped. The room suddenly felt too small. Jack and Quinn looked nervous.
Luke finally whispered it. "What if she doesn't wake up?"
The neurologist didn't answer right away. "Then we investigate why."
Luke's chest tightened painfully.
The doctor continued, "But right now we have reason to be optimistic."
Optimistic. Luke hated that word because it wasn't enough.
He wanted certainty.
Dr. Patel looked directly at him. "The true test comes when we lighten the sedation, we need to see if she follows commands. If she opens her eyes. If she responds appropriately to stimulation."
Luke's grip tightened around your hand.
The doctor finished quietly. "That's how we'll determine whether she has suffered significant neurological impairment."
Luke felt sick, his stomach twisting and chest tightening because it wasn't about swelling anymore. It was about whether you were still you.
Dr. Patel stood. "We'll start reducing the sedation shortly. The nurse will come in shortly to do so."
Luke couldn't speak, and neither could Jack or Quinn.
The doctor headed toward the door then paused. "The fact that she's made it this far is already remarkable."
Luke looked at you. "When?" His voice barely worked.
Dr. Patel glanced at his watch. "We'll begin within the hour."
----
The hour felt impossible, the minutes dragged on the longer he stared at the hands on the clock with his hand locked into your own limp one.
Jack occupied the chair on the other side where your broken hand rested while Quinn paced back and forth making Luke dizzy.
Eventually the ICU nurse returned with another nurse and a respiratory therapist.
Luke sat up. "So we're doing it?"
The nurse smiled gently. "We're going to start."
His heart began hammering while the nurse walked over to the IV pumps hanging beside your bed. There were so many medications keeping your body stable.
She pointed toward the pumps. "She's currently receiving propofol and midazolam."
Luke nodded even though he barely understood.
The nurse adjusted settings on the machine. "We're reducing her sedation significantly." The nurse continued explaining as she worked. "The goal isn't to wake her up immediately."
Luke frowned. "What do you mean?"
She looked over. "These medications have been running continuously for several days." She lowered another infusion. "It takes time for them to clear." The nurse continued, "Even after we stop most of the sedation, it may be several hours before we see meaningful responses."
Luke's stomach dropped. Several hours. Of course nothing about this process was simple.
The respiratory therapist stepped closer to the bed checking your ventilator settings, adjusting tubing, looking at the monitors.
Luke's eyes went to the breathing tube.
The nurse noticed. "We're keeping the endotracheal tube in place."
Luke nodded. "Okay."
The nurse smiled softly. "You don't care?"
Luke looked at her like she'd asked the dumbest question imaginable. "As long as she wakes up?" His voice cracked. "I don't care if she has fifty tubes."
The nurse's expression softened and she rested a hand briefly on his shoulder. "If she wakes up, she won't be able to talk."
Luke looked back at you. The bruises had faded slightly over the last few days and the swelling in your face had improved, you looked more like yourself now.
"I don't care," His voice was quiet. "As long as she opens her eyes, that's enough."
The nurse nodded. "She may become agitated when she starts waking up."
Luke immediately shook his head. "That's fine."
"She may not understand what's happening right away."
"That's fine."
"She may not remember the accident."
Luke swallowed. "That's fine too."
The nurse smiled sadly. She'd heard families say those words before the desperation, bargaining, willingness to accept anything as long as their loved one comes back to them.
The nurse finally finished her adjustments. "Okay."
Luke looked at her. "So now what?"
She laughed softly. "Now we wait."
He hated that answer. "How long?"
The nurse glanced toward your monitors. "It's different for everyone, it could be one hour, it could be six, or even longer."
The room became quiet again.
Luke looked down at your hand still resting in his.
The nurse checked your pupils one last time before stepping toward the door. "One thing." The nurse smiled. "When she does start waking up...it won't happen all at once."
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
"People expect movie scenes." The nurse explained. "They expect immediate eye opening. Conversations. Recognition." She shook her head. "Most patients don't wake up that way."
Luke listened carefully.
"Usually it's gradual." She pointed toward you. "A finger movement, opening her eyes briefly, or sometimes following a simple command."
Luke nodded.
The nurse smiled. "Don't panic if it isn't immediate." Then she left, the door clicked shut behind her.
Luke brought your hand to his lips and kissed your knuckles carefully. The same way he always did, the same way he had a thousand times before.
"Come on, baby." His voice was barely above a whisper. His thumb brushed gently across your skin. "You've slept enough."
Jack looked away, and Quinn stared at the floor because hearing Luke sound so hopeful after everything nearly broke them.
Luke rested his forehead against your hand. A small smile appeared despite the fear. "Whenever you're ready."
Five hours. Five agonizing hours of staring at monitors, watching your chest rise and fall with the ventilator, jumping every time your heart rate changed by a single beat.
Five hours of absolutely nothing happening.
By hour three, Quinn had fallen asleep in a chair. By hour four, Jack was nursing his third coffee. By hour five, Luke was convinced he was losing his mind.
The room was dimly lit and evening had started creeping in through the small ICU window.
Luke sat exactly where he'd been all day with one hand wrapped around yours, his thumb brushing absent circles across your skin.
"You're missing a lot, you know." His voice was tired. "I had to listen to Jack complain about hospital coffee for an hour before he finally doordashed Starbucks."
Jack rolled his eyes from across the room. "It was terrible coffee."
Luke ignored him. "Quinn nearly got kicked out of the waiting room because he fell asleep and started snoring."
"I did not."
"You did."
Quinn didn't even bother arguing.
Luke smiled faintly. "Come on, baby." His voice softened. "You've gotta give me something."
Nothing. Just the monitor beeping quietly in the silence.
Luke sighed looking down at your hand. His fingers tightened slightly around yours.
Then something moved. Luke froze. His eyes snapped downward.
Nothing. He stared. Had he imagined that?
Probably. Definitely.
He hadn't slept, barely eaten, he was exhausted. Hallucinating was probably next.
Slowly he shook his head.
Then he felt a tiny pressure against his hand.
Luke stopped breathing. His eyes widened. "Jack."
Jack looked up. "What?"
Luke stared at your hand. His voice barely worked. "I thinkâ" The pressure disappeared. Luke's heart dropped, maybe he did imagine it.
No. Wait. Luke sat forward so fast his chair nearly tipped over.
His eyes never left your hand. "Baby?"
Nothing.
Jack stood. "What?"
Luke swallowed hard looking at your face. "Baby." His voice shook. "If that was you and Iâm not losing it..." Tears immediately started filling his eyes. "Do it again."
The room was completely silent. Nobody moved. Nobody breathed.
Luke's heart was pounding so hard it hurt. Seconds passed and nothing happened. His stomach sank.
Your fingers squeezed. It was weak, tiny, but you squeezed his hand.
Luke's entire body locked up. "Oh my God."
Your fingers squeezed again. The smallest movement imaginable, but you were doing it.
"Oh my God!" Luke practically jumped out of his chair.
Jack stared, then looked at your hand, then at Luke, then back again. "No way."
Tears immediately spilled down Luke's face. "She did it!" His voice cracked. "She did it!"
"She did?" Jack moved beside the bed instantly. "Bug?"
Luke was crying now, laughing and crying at the same time.
"Baby." His hand shook around yours. "Can you hear me?"
Another squeeze.
Jack's face completely crumbled. "Oh my God."
Quinn practically launched out of his chair. "What happened?!"
Luke looked at him with tears running down his face. "She squeezed my hand."
Quinn stared. "What?"
"She squeezed my hand!"
Quinn's eyes widened. "Oh shit." Then he bolted out the door. "GET THE NURSE!" The shout echoed down the hallway.
Luke barely heard it because all his attention was on you. You were there.
Luke leaned forward, both hands wrapped around yours now, his tears landing on the blanket.
"Baby." His voice broke completely. "You scared the hell out of me."
Your fingers twitched again.
Luke laughed through his tears he was a complete mess.
Jack was crying too now. "That's my girl."
Luke nodded. "Yeah." His forehead rested against your hand.
The door burst open.
A nurse rushed in with Quinn right behind her. "What happened?"
Luke looked up, unable to stop smiling through the tears. "She squeezed my hand."
The nurse moved toward the bed, checking monitors, checking her pupils, assessing everything.
Then she looked at Luke. "Ask her again."
Luke nodded.
His voice shook. "Baby." His thumb brushed over your knuckles. "If you can hear me..." He swallowed hard. "Squeeze my hand."
A few seconds passed then your fingers curled weakly around his.
The nurse smiled as she finished documenting your response. "That's excellent."
She checked your pupils again with a penlight, she checked your blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation. Everything looked good, much better than it had in days.
Luke noticed your heart rate was climbing slightly.
The nurse noticed too. "She's definitely waking up."
Luke felt his stomach flip. "Really?"
The nurse nodded. "Her body is responding."
Jack moved closer to the bed. Quinn looked like he didn't know whether to cry or throw up. Probably both.
Luke laughed shakily his entire body felt wired, like he was running purely on adrenaline.
The nurse made one final note on her tablet, then she looked at Luke. "Keep talking to her."
Luke didn't need to be told twice. The second she stepped back he squeezed your hand again.
"Hey, baby." His voice was softer now. "You've got everybody freaking out over here."
Jack let out a wet laugh. "That's true."
Your eyelashes fluttered.
Luke's breath caught. "Jack."
Jack looked. "Oh my God."
Luke was already halfway out of his chair. "Baby?"
The nurse stepped closer again. "That's good."
Luke couldn't breathe. His entire world narrowed to your face.
You might actually look at him. Your brow furrowed slightly, like something hurt, or something was confusing.
Which made sense. You'd been unconscious for days, your body was full of injuries, and there was a tube down your throat. Nothing about waking up was going to be pleasant.
The nurse leaned over slightly. "Y/N?"
Your eyelashes fluttered again.
Luke felt tears immediately filling his eyes. "Come on, baby."
Your eyes opened just barely. They could only see a sliver of the chocolate brown of your eyes before they closed again.
Luke looked like he might collapse. "Oh my God." The whisper escaped him before he could stop it.
The nurse smiled. "That's exactly what we want."
Jack wiped both eyes. Quinn looked like he'd just witnessed a miracle.
A few seconds later your eyes opened again and the bright ICU lights made you squint.
Everything looked blurry, nothing made sense. The ventilator tube was uncomfortable. The room was unfamiliar. Your head hurts. Everything hurts. The confusion was obvious.
Luke saw it instantly. The panic. The disorientation.
"Hey." His voice softened. "It's okay."
Your eyes moved slowly. Trying to understand. Then they landed on him. The second your gaze found his face his composure completely shattered.
A sob escaped him. "Hi." His voice cracked tears spilling down his face. "Hi, baby."
Your eyes stayed on him still confused, exhausted, and struggling to focus, but they were on him and that was enough.
Luke grabbed your hand carefully. "You scared me." Another sob escaped him. "You scared me so bad."
The nurse quickly checked your neurological responses. "Can you look at me?"
Your eyes shifted toward her.
The nurse smiled. "Perfect."Â
She held up two fingers. Your gaze followed them. The nurse looked visibly pleased. Then she turned to the brothers. "These are very good signs."
Luke barely heard her, you were looking at him now with heavy lidded eyes. A tear slid down his cheek.
He leaned forward carefully pressing a trembling kiss to your forehead. "I love you."
That simple look felt like the greatest gift Luke Hughes had ever received. A few hours later, you were noticeably more awake.
You could track movement around the room. You squeezed Luke's hand when he spoke trying to respond as best you could. You'd even rolled your eyes when Jack made a terrible joke, and Jack had started celebrating like heâd won the Stanley Cup.
Luke hadn't stopped smiling since.
The breathing tube was still in place.
The ventilator continued helping support your breathing while your body recovered.
Every now and then you reached weakly toward it looking annoyed. Which made everyone feel better because being irritated was very you.
The neurologist arrived shortly after lunch. Dr. Patel entered carrying a tablet and several pages of notes with two residents followed behind him.
Luke sat up. Jack stopped scrolling through his phone. Quinn moved away from the window.
The doctor smiled when he saw you awake. "Well." He looked genuinely pleased. "There's our patient."
Your eyes shifted toward him following his voice.
Dr. Patel nodded approvingly. "Very good." He glanced toward Luke. "I'd like to do a complete neurological assessment."
Luke stood going to leave. "Of course." He carefully started to pull his hand away from yours.
The second he did, your fingers tightened far harder than you'd managed before.
Luke froze.
Your eyes snapped toward him, a panicked strangled sound escaped around the breathing tube; it was like you thought he was disappearing.
Luke's entire face softened. "Oh."
The noise escaping you got louder. Your brows furrowed, and the heart monitor began climbing.
Dr. Patel looked amused.
Jack immediately started laughing. "Oh my God."
Quinn covered his face. "No way."
Luke turned back toward you. "Hey." His voice dropped into that gentle tone he'd been using since you'd woken up. The one reserved only for you. "Baby."
You refused to let go, your grip actually tightened.
Luke melted. "Okay." A laugh escaped him. "I'm not going anywhere."
Your eyes narrowed but remained locked on him like you didn't believe him.
Luke leaned down carefully. "I'm serious." His thumb brushed your knuckles. "I'm right here."
Dr. Patel looked like he was trying not to smile.
Jack was openly grinning now. "This is unbelievable."
Luke shot him a look.
Jack ignored it. "She definitely feels better. She's already back to clinging on to him."
Quinn laughed. "Good. Iâll take disgusting if it means sheâs still here"
Dr. Patel finally spoke. "I can work around that."
Luke looked relieved. "Really?"
Dr. Patel nodded. "Absolutely." Then he smiled slightly. "Though it's good information."
Luke frowned. "What do you mean?"
Dr. Patel glanced toward his residents, then back to Luke. "Attachment." The doctor nodded toward you. "Recognition."
Luke's expression softened.
The neurologist continued, "She's identifying familiar people."
You were still staring directly at Luke refusing to look anywhere else for more than a few seconds.
Dr. Patel smiled. "Clearly."
Even Luke laughed at that. Then he leaned closer to you again, his forehead almost touching yours.
"See?" His voice was soft. "I'm not leaving."
The girl lying in that hospital bed was apparently still just as clingy as she'd always been and honestly Luke had never been happier to be trapped by your death grip.
The neurologist finally began the examination. "Okay, Y/N."
You looked toward him reluctantly.
"I'm going to ask you a few questions."
Your eyes shifted back toward Luke.
Dr. Patel laughed softly. "That's fine."
The residents were trying desperately to remain professional and failing miserably because watching an ICU patient essentially refuse to let her boyfriend leave her side was not something they saw every day.
The exam continued. You followed lights with your eyes. Tracked movement. Squeezed hands on command. Wiggled the toes on your uninjured foot. Moved your right arm. Answered yes-or-no questions with short nods.
Every successful response made Luke's chest feel lighter. Every command you followed chipped away at the terror he'd been carrying since the accident.
Finally Dr. Patel stepped back, looked down at his notes and smiled. "The exam looks very encouraging."
Luke felt his heart stop. "What does that mean?"
Dr. Patel looked directly at him. "It means she's showing no obvious signs of severe cognitive impairment." The doctor continued, "We still have a long recovery ahead."
Luke nodded.
Of course. Broken bones. The lung injury. Rehabilitation. Everything.
"Neurologically?" His voice cracked.
Dr. Patel smiled again. "Neurologically, she's doing far better than I expected her to be a week ago."
Luke looked down at you tears filling his eyes again.
You looked exhausted, but he truly believed you were going to come home.
----
Two weeks after the accident, the ICU room felt different. The constant terror that had consumed everyone during those first few days had slowly been replaced by cautious optimism.
You were awake. The chest tube was gone. Your oxygen levels looked good, and after discussions with the trauma team and respiratory specialists, the doctors had replaced the breathing tube with a tracheostomy.
The trach made things easier. More comfortable. At least according to the doctors.
You personally thought it was annoying mostly because you still couldn't talk.Â
Which meant every opinion you had now lived on a whiteboard, unfortunately for everyone around you, you had a lot of opinions.
Luke was sitting beside your bed scrolling through his phone while absentmindedly rubbing circles on your arm.
Jack was stealing snacks from the family waiting room. Quinn was attempting to read. Attempting being the key word.
You were currently writing something on your whiteboard very intensely.
Luke noticed. "Why are you smiling?"
You ignored him and continued writing.
Luke groaned. "That's never good."
Before you could reveal your latest masterpiece, there was a knock at the door.
The second you looked up, your entire face lit up.
It was Nico.
You started frantically cleaning your whiteboard.
The Devils captain barely made it two steps into the room before you were scribbling.
Luke saw the look on your face and narrowed his eyes.
Nico laughed. "What?"
You held up the board dramatically. âOH CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN NICO HISCHIER.â
Nico burst out laughing. The loudest laugh anyone had heard all week. "Oh my God."
Jack walked back into the room just in time to read it. He pointed. "That's his fault."
Nico grinned. "It's absolutely my fault."
You pointed enthusiastically at him. Then at the board. Then back at him.
Nico nodded solemnly. "Thank you."
Luke looked deeply offended. "Why are you happier to see him than me?"
You grabbed the marker again. Luke already knew he wasn't going to like the answer.
A few seconds later you flipped the board around. âBECAUSE YOU WON'T STOP STARING AT ME LIKE I'M GOING TO EXPLODE.â
Jack folded in half laughing. Quinn nearly dropped his book.
Nico looked over at Luke. "She's got a point."
Luke stared at all of them. "You people are unbelievable."
You gave Nico a thumbs up. Nico returned it then carefully pulled a chair beside your bed.
His smile slipped slightly. "Hey."
Your expression softened. You wrote something slower this time. âHEY CAPTAIN.â
Nico's eyes immediately got suspiciously shiny. Nico leaned back slightly. "You scared the absolute hell out of us."
You looked down and hesitated. Then you wrote: âSORRY.â
Immediately Nico shook his head. "No. No apologies."
You looked up.
Nico pointed at the board. "You didn't do anything wrong."
Your eyes dropped again.
Nico continued. "You got hit by an idiot."
Luke's jaw clenched dangerously.
Nico noticed and changed the subject. "The boys ask about you every day."
Your eyebrows lifted. âTHE TEAM?â
"Yep." He nodded. "Every day."
You smiled. âTHEY BETTER MISS ME.â
Nico laughed. "Oh they do. Dawson keeps asking if you've bullied Luke lately."
You started writing. Luke sighed.
âYES.â
Luke just buried his face in his hands. "This is abuse."
You immediately erased the board. âGOOD THING YOU'RE STUCK WITH ME.â
Luke looked up, read it, and leaned over carefully and kissed the top of your head.
"Yeah." His voice was suspiciously thick. "Good thing."
Nico had been there for nearly an hour. Long enough that Luke had started pretending not to be jealous of how much you seemed to enjoy tormenting him in front of company.
Nico was halfway through telling a story about practice when you suddenly grabbed your whiteboard.
Luke looked over your shoulder. Then smiled because for once it wasn't about making fun of him.
You turned the board around. âHOW'S GRITSY DOING?â
Nico's face softened. "Aww."
You pointed at the board impatiently.
Nico laughed. "He's good."
You relaxed because after Nico, Gritsy was probably the teammate you talked to most. The two of you had become friends almost immediately after you met. Mostly because neither of you seemed capable of taking anything seriously for longer than five minutes, and because Arseny Gritsyuk somehow matched your energy in ways that concerned everyone else.
You quickly started writing again. âIS HE STILL EATING LIKE A STARVING RACCOON?â
Nico sighed dramatically. "He ate six protein bars before practice yesterday."
You started laughing silently. Shoulders shaking.
Luke watched you fondly because that was probably the hardest he'd seen you laugh since waking up.
Nico continued. "Then he complained he wasn't hungry for lunch."
You scribbled furiously. âTHAT'S BECAUSE HE ALREADY ATE LUNCH. THE DUMMYâ
Nico nodded. "He absolutely is."
You erased it again, writing âDOES HE KNOW I WOKE UP?â
The room quieted slightly.
Nico smiled. "Oh yeah." Nico leaned back in his chair. "I texted him the second Luke told me."
Luke nodded. "He did."
Nico laughed. "I think he answered in four seconds."
You smiled. âWHAT DID HE SAY?â
Nico pulled out his phone and started scrolling. "'Tell her if she dies after all this I'm gonna be really pissed off.'"
The room exploded. You silently laughed so hard tears immediately formed in your eyes. Jack nearly fell out of his chair. Quinn covered his face. Luke was crying and laughing at the same time.
Nico kept reading. "'Also tell her I miss her and the room is too quiet without her being annoying.'"
You immediately grabbed the whiteboard. âHE LOVES ME.â
Nico pointed. "That's exactly what I said."
The two of you shared matching grins.
Then your expression softened slightly. You looked down, writing again, this time your handwriting was slower. âTELL HIM I MISS HIM TOO.â
Nico smiled. "I will."
----
The day they removed the trach tube felt bigger than anyone expected. It wasn't a dramatic milestone like waking up from the coma, but somehow everyone treated it like a holiday.
Luke had been pacing since six in the morning. Jack was pretending he wasn't nervous. Quinn had shown up with coffee for everyone.
Even the nurses seemed excited because they'd watched this entire thing happen.
The respiratory therapist smiled as she entered the room. "You ready?"
You immediately grabbed your whiteboard. âYES.â Then after a second: âGET THIS THING OUT OF MY NECK.â
The therapist laughed. "Fair enough."
Luke squeezed your hand. "You've been waiting for this."
You nodded too aggressively, and figured it out the hard way because your ribs still hurt. The grimace that followed made everyone laugh.
"Maybe don't do that."
You rolled your eyes.
The procedure itself didn't take long. The therapist explained everything beforehand. What she'd be doing. What it would feel like. What to expect afterward.
Luke listened more carefully than you did. You just wanted it gone.
A few minutes later it was over. The dressing was secured. The tube was gone.
The respiratory therapist smiled. "Okay." The therapist laughed. "You can talk."
Nothing happened.
You blinked, then looked around at everyone before your eyes settled on Luke. Then you pointed at yourself.
The therapist nodded. "Go ahead."
You swallowed, your throat felt strange, dry, kinda like sand paper which made sense because your vocal cords hadn't been used properly in weeks.
The first sound that came out was barely audible.
A rough whisper. "...Luke."
Luke's eyes filled with tears. "Baby." His voice cracked because it was the first time he'd heard your voice in almost three weeks.
You looked horrified. The sound had been awful. Your voice sounded like you'd swallowed sandpaper.
You tried again. "...why..." You stopped. Coughed. Winced. "...why are you crying?" The sentence came out scratchy, broken, and barely louder than a whisper.
Luke immediately started laughing through his tears. Luke pointed at you. "You nearly died."
Your eyebrows lifted. "...dramatic. Iâm obviously fine."
Jack doubled over. The nurse left the room because she was laughing too hard. Quinn looked like he was choking.
Luke stared at you in disbelief. "You've been talking for six seconds."
You grinned. "...and?"
The hoarseness somehow made it funnier because you sounded like a chain-smoking seventy-year-old truck driver.
Jack was crying laughing now. "You sound terrible."
You immediately turned toward him. "...ugly."
Jack gasped. "Excuse me?"
You pointed. "...you. Should get Tate for me⊠I need my girl bestie."
Luke nearly fell out of his chair.
The therapist shook her head. "I see recovery hasn't changed her personality."
"Unfortunately not," Quinn said.
You looked offended. "...rude."
Everything hurt, your ribs, your leg, your hand, your throat, but you were laughing. Even if it sounded awful. Luke couldn't stop staring at you because for weeks he'd wondered if he'd ever hear your voice again.
Now here you were insulting people exactly as God intended.
Eventually everyone calmed down.
The nurses and therapist left. Jack stepped out to call their parents and yours, and Quinn went to find coffee.
Leaving you and Luke alone.
"Luke."
His eyes immediately filled again.
You smiled. "...hi."
Luke laughed shakily. "Hi."
Your fingers squeezed his. The same hand that had squeezed his five days earlier and nearly given him a heart attack.
"...you look tired."
Luke stared. "I haven't slept."
You nodded slowly. "...noticed⊠sorry."
Luke immediately shook his head. "No." His voice cracked. "No more apologizing."
The room went quiet again.
You looked at him, and your smile softened. "...love you."
Luke completely lost whatever composure he'd been holding together. A tear slid down his cheek, then another because that was the first time he'd heard those words since the morning of the accident.
He leaned forward, carefully pressing his forehead against yours. "I love you too."
đ⚟đąÖŽà» in which your agent forces you into a relationship for PR, but when you find yourself developping feelings for the boy, everything goes to shit
đ⚟đąÖŽà» disclaimer: english is not my first language and this is not proofread so please excuse any errors and if any words are missing add them in your head :) also this is a work of fiction, this doesnât reflect how these boys act in real life, and it isnât how i imagine them actingÂ
đ⚟đąÖŽà» warnings: angst angst angst, no happy ending cause bitch does the song sound like a happy ending đ, mention of sex but no nsfw content, swearing
đ⚟đąÖŽà» pairing: luke hughes x reader
đ⚟đąÖŽà» wc: 8.7k (including lyrics)
đ⚟đąÖŽà» guts masterlist
Want it, so i got it, did it, so itâs done
Another thing i ruined i used to do for fun
Another piece of plastic i could just throw away
Another conversation with nothing good to say
You were currently sitting in your managerâs, Chris, office alone, two other chairs next to you as you waited for him to return with his âspecial guestsâ. You truly had no idea what this was about, you never had meeting with guests, or whatever he meant. Your confusion only grew as you heard your managerâs laugh as he walked back into his office, another man in a suit next to him as he too laughed out loud, and a boy who looked about your age walking in behind them.Â
âY/N, this is my friend, Mike, and his client, Luke, he plays for the New Jersey Devils.âÂ
âHi.â You answer looking briefly at the two before looking back in front of you. The last thing you wanted to do at the moment was have a social party with two strangers.Â
âExcuse her behaviour, sheâs been a little one edge lately. You two make yourselves comfortable.â Chris said as he walked to his desk chair, pulling out some papers from one of his drawers. Meanwhile, Luke took a seat next to you, sending you a small smile, which you didnât bother to return, and Mike sat on the last chair. âAh, donât you just love a freshly printed contract!â Chris added, looking at his friend before the two shared a small laugh.Â
âContract?â You and Luke both ask at the same, looking at your respective managers. The two stayed silent for a couple of seconds, before Chris cleared his throat.Â
âMike and I have been talking for a bit, and weâve both come to the conclusion that this is an excellent step for to the two of you to take to help your careers.â
âCareer? Iâm doing just fine, thank you very much.â You sassed as Luke shifted awkwardly in his seat. He knew who you are, how could he not. Your first big time movie had released only a couple of weeks ago, it was all he would see whenever he watched TV. But the movie had not been doing has good has your manager had hoped, no brands or magazine really reaching out to work with you.Â
âLukeâs an uprising star in the NHL, Y/N, big prospect here, lots of attention on him. It wouldnât hurt for you to get some of it.âÂ
âWell if heâs so beloved, whatâs he need me for?â You asked, pretty much ignoring the two other men present in the room. At that, Mike stepped him, coughing slightly to bring the attention to him.Â
âLukeâs been involved in some⊠worrying headlines lately. Being seen with you, seemingly in a committed relationship would do him some good.â
âRelationship?â
âCommited?â The two of you exclaimed once again. The last thing on your mind at the moment was being in a relationship, you had to focus on your career.Â
âIâm not dating a stranger!â You said, drifting your gaze from Mike over to Chris, who was already looking at you with a pleading smile.Â
âYou two donât need to actually date, as long as the media believes you do, what you do in your private time is none of our business.â He explained, his words almost sending you off of yout chair.Â
âThis is the dumbest thing Iâve ever head!âÂ
It took almost an hour for Chris to convince you to sign the contract, which somehow had crazier terms than the idea itself. Your ârelationshipâ would last for 8 months, meaning during the length of Lukeâs season. To make it even worse, no one outside of this room could know about the contract, meaning you would have to pretend to both your families and friends. Thankfully, the boy who would be your fake boyfriend was not as ugly as other men youâve seen, sure he was far from your usual type, but he had some positive traits as well. His height being the first thing to catch your eye when he first walked in. Plus, he was an athlete, and it was hard to ignore his muscles showing throught his thigh polo shirt. He didnât seem like an asshole either, so maybe there was a chance the two of you could somewhat get along.Â
âSo, whatâs your favourite colour?â Luke asked as both of your managers left the small room for a couple of minutes, insisting the two of you got to know each other a bit. You looked over at him as his words hit, was this really the first thing he was going to ask you? You just rolled your eyes as you looked down at your lap. âLook, Iâm just as happy as you are about this. And if Iâm being honest, Iâm not really interested in knowing more than needed about you.â He added, shifting slightly in his seat to have a better look at you.Â
âGreen.â
âGreen?â He scoffed, making you send him a look, almost challenging him.Â
âYeah, green.â You sassed, making the boy smirk slightly.
âLike a- like a bright green or-â
âAre you mocking me right now?â You questioned, not finding the smile on his face amusing.
âNo, no, just⊠interested, you know. Thereâs lots of greens out there.â
âForest green.â You answered, keeping it short in simple before looking away and back down at your lap.Â
âNot gonna ask mine?â
âNot interested.â
âDark red, for sure. Although, you can never go wrong with maize and blue.âÂ
âMaize and blue?â You quipped. It was now Lukeâs turn to give you a look.Â
âMaize and blue. Michigan, baby!â He said with enthusiasm, earning himself a look once again. You took a second to look at him, really look at him. He looked like a baby.Â
âMichigan?â
âMichigan.â He repeated with a grin.Â
âYou from there?â
âSorta.â He responded. You raised your brows at him, clearly indicated for him to expanded his answer. âBorn in New Hampshire, moved to Toronto for like 10 years, then we moved to Detroit, been living there ever since.â
âAnd maize and blue, thatâsâŠ?â You trailed off.
âUniversity of Michigan! Maize and blue, wolverines.â
âAnd Iâm guess you went there.â
âSure, did. My eldest brother too.â
âCute.â You said, your voice filled with sarcasm. âWhen youâd graduate?â This was your way of finding out how old he was, without directly asking.Â
âDidnât.â Great, a college dropout.Â
âYou dropped out?â
âYeah, to come here. If it makes you feel any better, I did attend all my classes, got good grades. Iâm not some idiot.â He explained, you could tell he was feeling a little annoyed by your question.Â
âOkay, well when would you of had graduated?â
â2025.â If you had a drink in your mouth, you wouldâve spat it right out. This guy, this college dropout guy, was 2 years away from his graduation. You were right, he looked like a kid because he is one.Â
âGosh, how old are you?â
âTurned 20 last month. Why?â His words made you stand up, ready to storm out of the room and hunt down Chris. âWhatâs wrong?â
âIâm not doing this. Gosh, youâre a kid. I canât pretend to be in a relationship with a kid!â You exclaimed as you went to push the door open, only to realize it was locked. Great. âYou have got to be kidding me.â
âWell, how old are you?â
âDonât asked a women her age!â You snapped as you still tried to push the door open. â24.â You whispered as you realized there was no way this door was going to open, at least not thanks to you. â25 in January.âÂ
âYouâre like⊠the same age as my brother.â Luke whispered to himself, his face turning into a grimace at the thought.Â
âSee, even you find it weird! Letâs just tell them it makes us uncomfortable. Youâre too young for me, and Iâm too old for you.â
âNever said you were too old for me. What if I like older?â He smirked as he made himself more comfortable in his chair. There was no denying his attraction towards you. Your instagram had popped up tons of times on his explorer page, and he never shied away from liking your posts.Â
âYou just said I am your brotherâs age. Do you not find that weird?â
âWell, if weâre getting technical, heâs born in 1999, and from what I understand, youâre born in 2000. So youâre not his age, youâre just like 3 months younger than him.â He explained, his smirk still plastered on his face as you dropped down on your chair with a sigh. This was going to be the longest 8 months of your life.
I thought it, so i said it, took it âcause i can
Another day pretending im older than i am
Another perfect moment that doesnât feel like mine
Another thing i forced to be a sign
âSo, what do I do exactly?â Luke asked from besides you. The two of you were currently on your way to some award show, meaning you would have to walk a red carpet. A red carpet with Luke.Â
It had been about three weeks since you had sign the contracts, you and Luke had spent some time trying to get to know each other. He tried to put in some effort, ask you question as simple as your favourite food, and some more complexe, like what made you move from North Carolina to New York. You barely put in any efforts to answer his questions, simply because you werenât interested in him getting to know you, and vice-versa. The two of you had been spotted a couple of times by fans, but you never held hands, or displayed affection towards each other in public, not like you did in private, but no one really knew what to take away from the pictures.Â
âJust, stand there and smile. Thereâs gonna be like a thousand cameras, so just keep your eyes moving, ignore their questions and yells. When the workers tell you to move, you move.â You explained, your eyes looking outside the window. The red thigh dress hugging your skin perfectly, your heels the same colour, you looked gorgeous. Luke was wearing a black suit with a red tie matching your dress.Â
âYou gonna pretend like you at least enjoy being within 5 feets of me.â
âAha. Youâre so funny, Iâm dying of laughter.â You responded, you voice in the same monotone voice you always used with him. âYou make a fool of yourself, or me, and I will rip your eyes out with my own hands.âÂ
âKinky.â Luke smirked as the car came a stop. The boy looked over at you, your eyes were closed as you took a deep breath. You hated this things, you hated walking down that carpet, papparazies with cameras in your face like wild animals. You hated it. Your eyes snapped open, and a giant smile appeared on your face.
âLetâs go.âÂ
Luke stepped out of the car first, everyone around holding their breathes as they waited to see who else was going to come out of the car. The boy stretched his hand towards you, a small nod of his head as you slowly made your way out of the car. The cameras were flashing around you everywhere, and you could tell Luke was getting a little overwhelmed.Â
âIgnore them, just walk with a smile on your face, nod a bit.â You whispered to him as you leaned in close. Then, the two of you made your way to the door, you fingers intertwining with Lukeâs without you even noticing. As you crossed the door, Luke let out a small âwoahâ, his eyes rooming around the entrance. He had been to his fair share of events for the NHL, but none of them were like this. Everything look expensive, everyone looked expensive. He was completely starstruck. So much he didnât even noticed a worker coming over to the two of you and giving you instructions.Â
âLuke?â You asked, making the boy snap out of hi trance. âWe gotta go, come on.â You whispered before guiding the boy to where the worker had gone. âYou okay?â Your voice was so low the boy wasnât even sure if it was real of his imagination playing a trick on him.Â
âYeah, itâs justâŠâ
âA lot.âÂ
âYeah.â He answered as you looked over at him. The boy couldâve sworn he had seen the corner of your mouth lifts slightly, before your head snapped back to the worker.Â
âAlright, you too, once sheâs done, you two can go. Remember to smile, you both look perfect, enjoy the night!â She said with excitement as the girl in front of you moved to the next area of photographers. Luke heard you take another deep breath before slowly making your way onto the carpet.Â
âPut your hand on my waist.â You whispered, a smile on your face, as you let go of his hands, that you hadnât even realized you were still holding. Your hand landed near the top of his shoulder as you put one of your foot out and bent your leg. The slit of your dress riding up you thigh as flashed surrounded you. You felt Lukeâs hand glide across your lower back before settling on your waist and pulling you a little closer to him. You instinctively leaned your head on his shoulder as you plastered your best smile. Maybe this wouldnât be so bad.
ËËË â ËËË
âThis is exhausting.â The boy sighed as the two of you finally sat down at your table.Â
âWelcome to my world.â Thankfully, the two of you were able to avoid any interviews, and once you were done with the carpet, you were free for the rest of the night.Â
âYou nominated for anything?â Luke asked as he reached down to the menu on the table. You had warned him that he wouldnât be able to pick was he ate, everyone was getting the same thing, besides of course people with allergies and such. Chicken. Not his favourite, but not the worse.Â
âMe, no. The movie is, but I doubt weâre gonna win.â You answered, only two of your co-stars could attend, the other one being busy with a new project. Sadly, you were seated a couple of tables away from them.Â
âWhy not?â
âBecause when you go up against movies like Avatar, itâs hard to win.â Luke didnât asked any other question about the awards after that.Â
âFor what itâs worth, I think you shouldâve won.â Luke whispered to you as the cast of Avatar made their way onto the stage. You looked over at him, the two of you hadnât spoken since before the show started.Â
âReally?â
âYeah, I mean Avatarâs good you know, classic. Youâre movie was great.âÂ
âYou watched it?â
âBefore the whole⊠you know. My brother, Jack, we were looking for something to do and he made us go. You look hot in black.â He mentioned, clearly referreing to the long black silky dress you had worn in the movie.Â
âAre you flirting with me?âÂ
âIs it working?â He asked with a smirk, only making you roll your eyes.Â
âNo.â Silence. One minute, two minutes. âYou didnât mention you knew who I was.â This was probably the first time you had been the one who made the effort to keep a conversation going. Luke smiled as he shifted in his seat slightly.Â
âTo be fair, you donât really like when I talk, and when I do, I doubt you listen.â He answered. You couldnât tell if he was taking a jab at you or not. He probably was.Â
âJust because I am not interested in what you have to say, doesnât mean I donât listen.â You said, almost like you were defending yourself.Â
âOh, yeah?â
âYeah.â You sassed. âWeâre at every different points in our lives, we have different interest, our brains donât think the same way. I mean youâre pretty much a college frat boy, and I am about to be 25. You play hockey, which I know nothing about, and I act and model. Totally different.â
âI modeled for American Eagle once.â He stated, and you couldnât tell if he was joking or not. But as you looked over at him, the deep shade of red on his cheek answered your question.Â
âYou modeled for American Eagle.â You repeated softly, trying your best to hold in a laugh.Â
âJust⊠laugh. You wouldnât be the first one.â He mumbled with a small smile on his face. You let out a small giggle.
âThatâs interesting. See, we could talk about that.âÂ
âIt was⊠like two years ago. It was like with the school or whatever. My buddies were, like ruthless. It was horrible.â He explained, making you giggle even more.Â
âThey at least pay you well?â
âYeah, yeah, it was good.âÂ
âGood on you.â The rest of the night, you and Luke surprisingly talked a lot. You hated to admit it, but you were warming up to him. He was sweet, there was no denying that, and you did feel bad for how you had acted before.Â
âY/N!â Chris exclaimed as you answered his phone call. You and Luke were now back in the car, on your way to your apartment.Â
âHi.âÂ
âHow was your night?â You looked over at Luke, his eyes focused on his phone as he texted his brothers, who were apparently freaking out about his outing with you.
âBetter than I expected.â You answered honestly.Â
âGood, good. Have you been looking online? They love the two of you together, youâre all the media is talking about right nowâŠâ The man kept going but you paid no attention to his words. You eyes fixated on Luke. He had a soft smile on his face as he typed away on his phone, chuckling every now and then. You hated to admit it, but this night had gone far better than you had imagined. Luke was⊠well he was something. Maybe these next couple of months wouldnât be so bad after all.Â
Well, sometimes i feel like i donât wanna be where i am
Gettinâ drunk at a club wuth fair-weather friends
Push away all the people who know me the best
But itâs me whoâs been making the bed
âI mean, itâs been great! Just, so proud of her, and excited for her. Sheâs been working really hard for years, and I mean, yeah, just, she deserves this.â Luke answered the reporter, the lie slipping so easily from his mouth. You were now two months into this fake relationship, and your friendship with Luke had grown. You two actually spent time together now, enjoying the otherâs company. You had been quite present in public with him, and fans were quickly growing for your relationship.Â
The lies came out so easily about your relationship. How you had met, how long the two of you had been together, all of it. It almost worried you how good he was at it, of course for you, it was just acting, but this was totally new to him. Gosh, he was so good at it that sometimes it almost felt real. Like right now, his hand on your waist, holding you close to his side as he spoke with a large grin.Â
âThink they like me more than you, now.â The boy joked as the two of you sat down. You were now at a movie premiere, your movie premiere. This project had been completed long before you ever met Luke, yet it was still so easy for him to lie about how proud he was, and how hard you worked. He didnât know. He didnât know how much effort and passion you put into this job because he wasnât there, yet the lie sounded so natural.Â
âYeah might have to let you come alone next time.â You joked with a fake smile on your face, one that Luke knew too well by now.Â
âWhatâs wrong?â
âYou do it so easily.â
âWhat?â
âThe lying. Just, I donât kno- nevermind, itâs stupid.â
âNo, no, hey, talk to me.â Luke whispered, his hand reaching for yours. His touch felt so natural, so right, that you had to remind yourself why he was doing it in the first place. You were surrounded by people.Â
âI just, youâre a really nice guy, Luke, and this industry it can⊠can do stuff do stuff to you, bad stuff. Stuff that changes a person, and Iâd hate for that to happen to you, and for me to be the reason.â You admitted, looking down at your lap. You almost felt pathetic.Â
âI am not gonna lose myself. Trust me, Iâve got 2 older brothers and a bunch of guys that keep me very humble on a daily bases. They keep my grounded, my whole family does. Even with hockey. And I am tougher than I look, you know.â He joked at the end, elbowing you slightly. You smiled softly at him, nodding your head slightly.Â
âYou promise?â
âI promise.â He whispered back, his pinky connecting with yours. âMy parents are always asking about you, you know. Jack and Quinn, too. Well, pretty much everyone in my life.â The boy added after a couple of seconds of silence. His words made your body stiffen.Â
âOh.â
âDo you, uhm, wanna meet them? That way you can see for yourself how humble Iâm being kept.â The boy added.Â
âSure, yeah.â You answered, your voice shaky as you looked around the room.Â
âWe can just start with Jack, heâs the worse one though, but heâs the only on that lives here, so. But we do play Quinn in like 3 weeks, so my parents are gonna be in townâŠâÂ
âJack first works.âÂ
ËËË â ËËËÂ
âCanât believe my brother actually convinced you to date him. I mean little Lukey, with you.â Jack said with a teasing smile on his face. By the ton in his voice, you understand he meant the âwith youâ part as a compliment, almost saying you were too good to be with his brother.Â
âJack-â
âI mean, I shouldnât be surprised. I taught you well, Lukey.â The older boy added with a proud smile. You looked over at Luke, who smile at you apologically. You had spent your evening at the brotherâs apartment, Jack had tried his best to cook a meal for the two of you, but you ended ordering instead.Â
âItâs getting late, I should get going.â You stated, peaking quickly at the time at your phone.Â
âIâll walk you to your car.â Luke said, standing up quickly from the couch and you were fast to follow his move.
âYou can stay over if you want. Its getting pretty late.â Jack said nonchalantly, making you look over at Luke. The two of you had never spent the night over at the otherâs place. Well, actually, Luke did sleep over most of the times after events, but he always slept in your spare room. You knew they didnât have a spare room, and sleeping on the couch was too risky as it could be seen form the kitchen.Â
You and Luke shared a quick conversation with your eyes, refusing to stay over would probably wave form red flag.Â
âIâll leave the two of you alone, donât worry. Just, please remember that I do sleep in the room next to yours, Luke.â Jack said with a smirked as he stood up from the couch, joining the two of you. He ruffled Lukeâs hair slightly, before giving you a smile.Â
âGood night.â He said before turning around and making his way to his room. After his doors closed, silence took over the whole apartment with you and Luke standing in the middle of the living room.Â
âSoâŠâÂ
âYou really donât have to if you donât want.â
âNo, no, itâs okay, Iâll stay. He seems really happy about it, so.â
âRight, yeah. Uhm, Iâll get you some clothes.â Luke said before guiding the two of you over to his room. Ten minutes later, you were laying next to him on his bed, wearing a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie of his.Â
âHeâs not as bad as you said, you know.âÂ
âThatâs âcause he just met you. Heâs an ass, really. Once you get to know, like really know him, heâs gonna be the most annoying person youâve ever met.â Luke said with a scoff, making you smile slightly. Lukeâs bed wasnât exactly the biggest, meaning the two of you were laying shoulder to shoulder.Â
You looked over at him, only to find him already looking at you. And then before you knew it, he was pulling you on top of him, your lips connected as his hands roamed your body.Â
There was no denying the the two of you felt quite attracted to the other, and as you got to know him more and more, you attraction only grew and grew until you felt like you didnât even have to pretend anymore. This was turning into something real for you, and you could only hope that the boy felt the same.Â
The next morning, you woke up alone in the bed, wearing nothing but Lukeâs hoodie. The first notification on your phone being from him. Hey, had to leave for practice, didnât wanna wake you. Left a key on the counter, iâll call you tn :).
Only he didnât call, didnât text either. And when he showed up at your place the day after, it was like nothing had happened. You wanted to talk about it, you needed to talk about it, but he had quickly made it very clear that he had no interest in that conversation. So, you stayed quiet and pretended it didnât happen, that nothing happened.Â
Iâm so tired of beinâ the girl that i am
Every good thing had turned into something i dread
And iâm playinâ the victim so well in my head
But itâs me whoâs been making the bed
âIt was so nice to meet you, sweetheart. You should come visit this summer.â Ellen gushed as she hugged you tightly.Â
âI will.â You lied with a smile. Your 8 months would end right when summer would start, and you honestly had no clue what would happen after that.Â
âMaybe weâll see Luke a little more if you do.â Jim joked as he and Ellen waved at you as they left the apartment. Jack had offered to drive them to the airport, meaning it was only you and Luke in the apartment. His apartment. You hadnât been over since that night, a night that almost felt like a secret. Like if you were to talk about it, or mention it, the world would explose. Like you were walking on breaking glass, and bringing it up would be that extra pressure that would make it snap for good.Â
âYou stayinâ?â Luke asked as the two of you stood by door.Â
âI donât wanna be a bother.âÂ
âYou wonât.â Luke said softly, his hand reaching for yours. âI want you to stay.âÂ
Those words, those 5 small innocent words, somehow lead to you once again waking up in nothing but his hoodie. You were alone once again, but you could head the two brothers arguing about something stupid in the living room. You quickly found your underwear and a pair of sweatpants before making youâre way to the two boys.Â
âY/N!â Jack exclaimed as he saw you slowly walking down the hallway. The older boy was sitting on the couch, while Luke stood behind him. But the younger boy quickly made his way over to you, wrapping his arms around.Â
âMorning, baby.â The boy said softly, making your eyes grow wide. Baby. Luke had just called you baby. You never used nickname, never had and never even talked about it.Â
âHi.â You mumbled against his chest.Â
âY/N, tell your boyfriend that you always brush your teeth before you eat, not after!â
âGosh, Jack, leave her alone.â
âWhy would you brush your teeth before you eat? Youâre just making them dirty again.â You answered Jack, making the boyâs smile drop, while Luke just let out a chuckle.Â
âI made pancakes.â The boy mumbled, guiding towards the kitchen and away from Jack.Â
âYou trying to poisson me?â
âNot yet.â Luke chuckled as he placed a cup of coffee in front of you. The boy leaned against the counter as he watched you slowly started eating the pancakes in front of you.Â
âAre we gonna talk about it?â
âTalk about what?â The boy mumbled as he walked past you, pressing a small kiss to your head before heading towards the bathroom. His reaction and action to your questions made his answer quite clear.Â
ËËË â ËËË
âWhatâs up with you?âÂ
âMm?â
âWhatâs up with you?â Luke repeated, making you look up from your phone. The two of you were currently sitting on your couch, a hockey game playing on your tv.Â
âNothingâs wrong with me.â
âThatâs bullshit. Youâve been on your phone the whole night.â
âIâm busy, Luke.â You mumbled. It was a lie, you werenât busy, you were just not interested in having a conversation with him after what had happened last week. Thankfully, he had left for a roadtrip with the team that same night, meaning you had one full week where you could just not think about him. The two of you texted a bit, but nothing more than seeing how the other was doing. The second the teamâs plane had landed, the boy was quick to make his way over to your apartment, catching you completely off guard.Â
âYeah? Busy doing what? Scrolling on Tiktok?â The boy mumbled as he stood up from the couch. His action made you look up at him. âIf you didnât want me here, you shouldâve just said so.â He added before walking away towards the front door.Â
âYou couldâve just texted, ask if you could come, not just show up at my door with no warnings!â You said as you followed him, making him scoff as he finished putting his two shoes on.
âThatâs what this is about? I didnât ask if I could come see you? We havenât seen each other in a week, Y/N, sue me for thinking youâd want to hangout. For thinking youâd want to talk, catch up, see how I am doing-â
âTalk? You want to talk? Where was that attitude last week Luke?â
âWhat are you talking about?â The boy asked, making you scoff at him. He couldnât be serious right now.Â
âWhy do you refuse to acknowledge the fact that weâve had sex, twice now. Every time I even try to bring it up, you shut me out. So, I am sorry if I am not in the mood to talk to you when you please, Luke.â You snapped back, your voice filled with annoyance. Luke rolled his eyes at your words, making you bit your lip out of anger.Â
âI canât deal with this right now.â He said as he threw on his jacket.Â
âSee, youâre doing it again!â
âWhat is there to talk about, Y/N? We had sex, so what? Donât be making a big deal out of this. Donât act like this is something real, okay? Weâre friends.â Luke said harshly, making your body freeze. The boy was gone before you even realized he was moving. Was this not real? Was all those nights spent doing nothing but talking about life nothing? Or how easily his lies would slip out of his mouth, were they really lies?Â
Gosh, you felt like an idiot. Lukeâs sole problem with this whole fake relationship thing was the commitment, he didnât want that. He was a 20 year old just starting off his life, he didnât want to be tied down right now. He didnât have the time to be truly committed to someone right now, and you felt stupid for thinking he did. Stupid for thinking that those sweet comments he would make in front of camera were anything but sweet comment for the camera. Stupid for thinking some stupid contract would actually change Lukeâs playboy attitude. I mean, that was the reason his manager wanted this relationship; clean up his image. Thatâs all you were, someone to clean up his image, to let other people know that Luke Hughes wasnât just some guy going around fucking every girl he met. Thatâs all you were.Â
You stood in front of you door for what felt like hour, praying and hoping that the boy would walk back in and tell you it was just a joke. That he didnât mean those things and you meant more to him than he let on. That you werenât just his friend, or his fake girlfriend. But he never came back. Never said the words you wanted to hear the most. Never.Â
The next morning, you texted him asking if the two of you could talk. Nothing. No answer, no reaction, just silence. He had seen your message, and you couldnât help but tear up at the sight of your message thread. Seen. 1 hour. 2 hours. 3 hours. The sun was starting to set and the word seen was still plastered on your screen. You felt even more stupid than you did the previous night. Laying awake in your bed, waiting for something, anything. Any sign of life that let you know that he was out there thinking about you.Â
And a sign of life you were given. Of course, it wasnât the one you wanted, if anything it was the opposite. You cursed yourself as the first tear fell down your cheek, and then even more as the tears kept falling. No way. There was no way this was real. He wouldnât⊠he wouldnât do that to you, right?Â
But he did. On your phone screen, staring back at your tear stained face, were photos of Luke in a bar, his hands all over a girl as his lips danced with hers. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Of course he did, the contract didnât mean anything to him, it was just to keep his manager happy.Â
You knew he knew this would get out. That people would see and it would reach you in only minutes, but he didnât care. You were the last thing on his mind as he walked into that bar, his eyes roaming the room to find someone, anyone, who could help take his mind off of you and the stupid contract. People knew who he was now, he gained followers like crazy as the public became more and more in love with your relationship. And here he was, blatantly cheating on his fake girlfriend simply because he could and he wanted.Â
There was no way Chris would make you keep your promise of 8 months. No way he would make you look like the stupid girl who went back to her cheating boyfriend. Right? No, no, Chris wouldnât do that you. Although you werenât so sure anymore, you thought Luke wouldnât do something like this, and he did.Â
And every night, i wake up from this one recurrinâ dream
Where iâm drivinâ through the city and the brakes go out on me
I canât stop at the red light, i canât swerve off the road
I read somewhere itâs âcause my life feels so out of control
The next morning you woke up with your phone blowing up, which made you quite confused since you had made sure to put it on do not disturb last night, meaning the only one who could be reaching you right now was Chris. You had fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning. You hated this. You hated that you let your guard down with the boy, hated that you let him, gave him the power, put him in a position to hurt you. You hated what you actually felt for him. You wouldnât call it love, but your heart was his and only his. It was stupid, I mean you had only known him for barely 3 months.Â
âWhat the hell happened?â Chris asked as soon as you answered his call. You tried your hardest not to let the tears fall again. Sitting up in your bed as you looked over at your clock, 10 a.m.Â
âI donât wanna talk about it.â You whispered, your voice breaking slightly.Â
âIâm outside your door.â The man said before hanging out the call. You slowly made your way out of bed, walking to your door and letting the older man in. Chris tried his best to hold in a gasp as his eyes met you. Your hair was a mess, but thatâs not what caught his attention, you face did. It was red, really red, so were your eyes. Left over mascare from the previous day lingering around your eyes.Â
âY/N/NâŠâ He said softly as he followed you to the couch, where you threw your body down before wrapping yourself in a blanket. âAre you okay?â
âPlease⊠please tell me the contractâs done.â You begged, your eyes tearing up as you watched Chris looked down at the floor.Â
âHe wonât⊠he wonât let us. I asked, I mean this looks bad for him, but Mark heâs⊠heâs not letting up.â Chris explained, his voice low and soft as tears started falling out of your eyes. âTalk to me.â
âWe argued. We did⊠we hooked up, twice. And it meant more to me than it did to him. He got mad, stormed out, and I havenât heard for him in almost two days, so.â You explained, trying your best to keep your voice stable. Chris let out a deep sigh at your words, his fingers rubbing the bridge of his nose.Â
âIâll talk to Mark, again. See if we can find a middle ground.â
There was no middle ground. You had signed the contract. Luke had sign the contract. And although Mark was not happy with his client, you had signed the papers. Which led to you sitting in Chrisâ office, Mark next to you and Luke on the other side, later that day. The last time the four of you had been in the same room, you never wouldâve guess what the next couple of months were going to be like for you. Never in a million years did you think you would grow to actually enjoy the younger boyâs presence, and you certainly never believed you would actually have feelings for him.Â
âAll right, so, papers were sign-â
âCanât we just sign other papers to say we agree to end it or whatever.â You quickly cut Mark off, making the three men look over at.Â
âY/NâŠâ
âNo. I am not gonna be painted as the dumb girl who goes back to a cheater! This was supposed to be good for my image!â You said looking at Chris. He knew you were right, so did Mark and Luke. This was supposed to be a good thing.Â
âY/N-â
âNo! I am turning 25 in a week, Chris, I am too old for this stupid high school drama. I donât care about the stupid contract! I am done with this.â You said sternly before standing out and leaving the room. Of course, Luke was quick to follow you.Â
âY/N!â
âFuck off, Luke.â You called out, not even bothering to turn back around. Of course, just to your luck, the elevator took forever to come up, giving Luke the chance to catch up to you.Â
âPlease, just hear me out.â The boy begged as he stood besides you. His words made you scoff, crossing your arms over your chest. Thankfully, the doors opened and you were quick to enter and press the button to close to door. Unfortunately, Luke was quick to place in hand in the way, joining you inside.Â
âHear you out? What is there to hear out, Luke? Youâve made yourself very clear, so, please, just leave me alone.â
âNo.â
âYes.â
âNo!â The boy said before pushing the emergency button, making the elevator stop.Â
âWhat are you doing?â
âLet me talk.âÂ
âI donât want to hear what you have to say, Luke. I get it, okay? Youâre young, and you wanna enjoy your life. You donât want to be tied down, I get it. I canât give you what you want, and you sure as hell canât give me what I want, so just back off.â You whispered before pushing the button. Thankfully, you werenât far away from the first floor, meaning about 3 seconds later Luke was standing in the elevator all alone. His eyes fixated on you as he watched you made your way out of the building.Â
He was such an idiot.Â
ËËË â ËËË
Every year was the same. Youâd go to sleep the night before your birthday, expecting to feel completely different the next morning. But then youâd wake up and feel the exact same.Â
25 was no different. If anything, you felt even more pathetic this year. You were 25 crying over a 20 year old who only thinks with his dick. Everyone always looked like they had their lives figured out by that age, relationships with someone they were convinced they were going to marry, or kids on the way, a stable work income, dreams they wanted to fufill. You had none of those. Well, since your fake relationship with Luke, producers were a lot more interested in what you could bring to their movie. But that attraction only came once you were by a manâs side.Â
This 20 year old little boy had brought more success to your career than you ever did before. Pathetic. Even more pathetic that the same 20 year old could not give two shits about you. Pitiful. Yeah, that works better.Â
You had no plans for the day, ever since the whole âcheatingâ drama went down, you had stayed inside. You didnât go on social media, there hadnât been a single sign of life from you, and honestly you didnât have the energy to give you. You couldnât be bothered to give you because you were too busy mourning the lost of a relationship that didnât even exist.Â
You spent your morning on the couch watching some stupid reality dramas, trying to make yourself feel better. Hoping that maybe there were some bigger idiots out there. And as you watched the same girl cry over the same guy for cheating on her for about the tenth time, you realized maybe you werenât so pathetic. You had made it clear to everyone you wanted to be alone today, you didnât have the energy to socialize right now. The only people you were planing on seeing were your food deliveries guys.Â
So, when the sound of your doorbell echoed through your apartment, your brows furred. It couldnât be food, no you were currently eating it. You were left even more confused as you opened the door to see no one. Looking down, your eyes met with a large basket filled with flowers, treats, stuffed animals and much more. A larged card with your name written on it with a handwriting that you could recognized all too well. You could see him out of the corner of your eyes. Granted all you could see was the top of his head as he had stopped halfway down the staircase as he heard your door open. But he was there. You werenât sure what you should do. Do you look at him? Keep pretending you donât? Do you even take his gift?Â
Your head was telling you to go back in, take the gift, throw the card away and just fill yourself with sweets. But your heart had the better of you. You missed him. You hated that you missed him, but you did. Luke almost let out a yelp as your eyes met his. He didnât know you could see him. The two of you stared at each other before you softly nodded towards your door.Â
The next thing you knew, the two of you were sitting on your couch, Lukeâs gift basket on your coffee table as you stared at the wall. Lukeâs gaze was fixed on you, you knew it was. You could feel it.Â
âI miss you.â He whispered so lowly you could barely hear it, but you did. You didnât know if you should believe him or not. You let out a small scoff at his words. You werenât falling for it. âIâm being serious, Y/N.â
âYou donât miss me, Luke. You miss the attention I gave you.â
âThatâs not true.â
âYes, it is. Because the second that attention was gone, you went to someone else to give it to you.â
âI want to be with you, Y/N, and I am so fucking sorry for what I did. And I know sorry is never going to make it to you, but please-â
âYou want to be with me? You want to really be with me?â
âYes! The only reason I never mentioned the fact that we had sex was because I was afraid you wouldnât feel the same way I did about it.â
âBut I did! And when I finally told you, you pretty much told me to go fuck myself and that it meant nothing to you! And now you really wanna sit here and tell me it meant more to you than a quick fuck? Please, Luke, I wasnât born yesterday.â You snapped, looking over at him. âYou embarrassed me. You made me feel stupid for thinking you would ever want something more than a quick fuck. And that wasnât enought, that you had to go and hookup with some random chick in a public place, knowing people would find out, that I would find out about it. Now I look like the idiot who got cheated on by some kid.âÂ
âLook, I messed up, I know I did. I freaked out and ran away, when I shouldâve just been honest with you. But, please, let me even try to make it up to you. I want to be your boyfriend, Y/N, I really do.âÂ
âI turned 25 today, and when you turn 25 it makes you realize that you have no clue whatâs going on in your life. I mean Iâve got about 15 to 20 years until I canât have babies anymore. I want to get married and have kids soon, Luke. And youâre no where near wanting that in your life. Maybe you are being honest, maybe you do really want to be with me. But I mean what I said in the elevator, you canât give me what I want. I donât want to wait another 5-6 years for you to be ready to settle down. I need someone whoâs ready right now.â You explained. Luke knew you were right, his older brother had gone throught the same realization last summer.Â
âWeâre at different points in our lives.â Luke mumbled the same words you had told him during your first real outing in public together. Gosh, you wish you could go back and do so many different things that night. You wished you hadnât let your guard down, maybe this whole thing wouldâve never happened and youâd be out celebrating your birthday with your friends and fake boyfriend. Maybe.Â
âYeah⊠and if Iâm being honest, I donât think I could ever forgive you. You made me look like a fool to everyone, Luke. And maybe I was just being stupid with my feelings or whatever but I atleast thought we were friends, and youâd never humiliate me publicly like that.â You said harshly, making the boy look down at his lap. âI deserve better.âÂ
âIâm sorry I canât be better.â
âYou should leave.â
And i tell someone i love them just as a distraction
They tell me that they love me like iâm so tourist attraction
Theyâre changinâ my machinery and i just let it happen
I got the things i wanted itâs just not what i imagined
Iâm so tired of beinâ the girl that i am
Every good thing has turned into something i dread
And iâm playinâ the victim so well in my head
But itâs me whoâs been making the bed
The next day, you were freed. The whole contract thing was done. Chris had told you the reason it hadnât been before was because Luke didnât want it to be done. But that something in him had changed last night and he had agreed to end it. It felt odd really, you never guessed you could miss something that never really existed so much, but you did. You cut all public ties with Luke and his world, making it quite obvious to the public that your relationship was over.Â
You went back to your old life, pretending none of it had happened. Pretending that Luke Hughes hadnât walked into your life three months ago and flipped your wold upside down. You didnât talk about it, you refused to talk about it because you werenât sure youâd be able to answer any questions without crying. You felt even more pathetic about that. You and Luke had never officially been together, neither of you ever flat out say you liked the other. So why were you so hung up on him? Maybe it was the way he always knew how to boost your confidence before a red carpet. Or maybe how attention he paid to details. You didnât know, and you didnât like it one bit.Â
What made it even harder was that Luke was went back to how his life was before. A different girl in his bed almost every night, and now since he was linked to you, even more attention was brought to it. It was hard, seeing the boy you were so hungup on kissing all these girls. But all the negative attention that came with it almost made you feel better. This whole situation was supposed to do some good for both your images.Â
Now a month later after your âbreak upâ, you were the girl who go cheated on, but was thriving in the industry, while Luke was a cheating whore. It made you feel good. Good to see that people on the internet stil hadnât lost their minds and sense of logic completely. Good that maybe you did come out of this stronger and more liked than before. Good that you were about to start working on the biggest project of your career so far, and Luke would be stuck being reminded of his actions every time he opened his phone.Â
But you still felt pathetic. You werenât sure youâd ever stop feeling pathetic. Pathetic for lying to all your friends and family, lying to his family. Pathetic for not answering any of Jack, or Quinn or even his parentâs messages. But you couldnât. What were you supposed to say? Oh, I am actually not that sad because we never really dated, it was just a contract. I mean, that would be a lie, but part of it would also be the truth. It was just a contract. You both messed up, and you needed to stop acting like this was all Lukeâs fault.Â
You shouldnât have slept with him, you shouldnât of had let him ignore the fact that you slept together for so long. You did this to yourself in a way. You knew going in about Lukeâs behaviour, you knew the second the contract was over, heâd go back to his old ways. You knew. But you still let yourself fall for it. You could even say you were to blame for it. You kissed him first. You kissed him. Both times, you iniciated it. So, who was really to blame here?Â
Somethings i feel like i donât wanna be where i am Countinâ all of the beautiful things i regret But itâs me whoâs been making the bedMe whoâs been making the bedPull the sheets over my headMaking a bed, oh-oh
not a very upbeat quinnterview breakdown, sorry to sayâŠ
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1. the smile right before he answers is what REALLY gets me. like, objectively, yes there is no denying minnesota is the better team. but to just say that so bluntly, while SMILING, is⊠donât pmo quinn. for a guy who is usually very professional and thoughtful with his words, this is not a good look for u!!!!!!!! watch your tone when youâre speaking on van!!!!!!!!
2. i see people getting mad at the second part of his answer but also fully misquoting him. he did not say ânot where i wanted to beâ, he said ânot where i wanted IT to beâ. as in, the team was not performing the way he, and the other guys, would like. i donât take issue with that part of his answer. like yea iâm sure the other guys wish the team was in a better place too. as a fan, i know i do!
warnings: begging, oral (f!receiving), overstimulation, hair pulling, luke is a nightmare
luke hughes is a certified eater; a fact that he kept well hidden until the day you asked â very shyly, you might add â to sit on his face. in his defence, he didnât want to scare you off. sure, most women like their men to be enthusiastic about eating them out, but luke couldnât help but wonder if he was maybe too enthusiastic. like a starving man desperate for a taste of the elixir between your thighs.
but then you made the mistake of letting him in and opened a whole can of worms. he rewrites the dictionary definition of pathetic, begging and pouting with his face leant against one of your thighs. his nose will nuzzle at the seam of your pants, knowing exactly how to angle his face to make your breath hitch.
âplease, baby,â he pouts up at you from between your legs, âjust for a little while.â his big puppy eyes stare at you as he shifts a hand to rest on the button of your jeans. luke knows better than to jump straight in, so he just sits and plays with it for a while, twiddling it between his finger and thumb as he begs.
âlukey,â you hum, âiâm tiredâŠâ
âyou donât have to do anything,â he says as he hits his bottom lip out. âjust sit there and look pretty for me⊠like always.â
you roll your eyes into the back of your head, letting out a small huff of laughter. itâs that which assures him that youâre close to saying yes. that all this posturing is nothing more than you delaying the inevitable. with a grin, he pops your button.
âlukeâŠâ itâs supposed to sound like a warning, but thereâs no heat behind it. ultimately, it does very little to stop him unzipping your fly and exposing the very top of your underwear.
thereâs a shit eating grin on his face as he trails a finger back and forth over the lace. his movements are gentle, but the look in his eye is anything but. long gone is the pleading glint, replaced by something more predatory. he has you where he wants you, now, on the verge of saying yes to his selfish whims.
âiâll be quick,â luke promises, although you know itâs a lie, âjust one taste and then iâll let you rest. we can go up to bed; iâll run you a bath. anything, baby! iâll do anything you want. just give me one little taste.â
and maybe itâs pity that makes you give in; the pure desperation that drips from every single word. somehow he manages to convince you that he needs this more than you need your peace and quiet right now, and so you nod and luke moves like a man possessed.
his hands are on your hips, lifting them just enough to slip both your jeans and your panties over your hips. he pulls them all the way down your legs before abandoning them at your ankles and diving straight in.
lukeâs hands feel huge in your thighs as he spreads them, licking his lips at the treasure pot before him. youâre awfully wet for someone who did such a good job at playing hard to get, but luke doesnât hold it against you. youâve been good enough to let him get what he wants; the little games you like to play mean nothing to him now.
âfucking look at you,â he purrs, blowing softly at your clit just so he can watch you twitch. your thighs tense beneath his hands and he grins, lips parting to give you a glimpse of his teeth. he never looks happier than when heâs here, sitting between your thighs with your wet pussy staring him down. maybe itâs insane, but youâd let him eat you whenever he wanted if it meant you could see him smile like that. âyouâre beautifulâŠâ
you let out a scoff as he leans in, nuzzling his nose up the crease of your thigh.
âare you saying that to me, or my pussâ oh my god!â your words are cut off with a gasp as he connects his lips to your clit, sucking harshly at the little bundle of nerves. he knows what to do with his mouth, youâll give him that; at least his addiction is beneficial to the both of you.
âyou, dingus,â he grumbles against your centre. the vibrations make a shiver run up your spine and you let out a soft whine. the fact that he calls you dingus flies straight over your head, getting lost somewhere deep in the pleasure. âprettiest thing iâve ever seen, arenât you?â
lukeâs eyes shut as he delves further in. his tongue flattens against your clenching core, lapping up the juices that have pooled at your enterance. a groan falls from his lips as if youâre the best think heâs ever tasted in his life. heâd probably agree with that sentiment, and given the groan that falls from his lips, you think youâd be an idiot to deny it.
your hands fly to his hair as he swipes his tongue between your folds, fingers laces through his curls, nails scraping at his scalp. youâve pinned him to your core â as if heâd ever move before he was ready â chasing your pleasure like nothing else matters. itâs close, you can feel it in the way your stomach ties itself in knots, and as luke laps at you, you it only gets closer and closer.
âlukey,â you whine as he flicks at your clit with his tongue, âplease, baby. please, iâm close.â
he hums in acknowledgement, but makes no move to change his pace. his tongue still works against you, alternating between licking and sucking at your sensitive bud before shifting down to drink up your juices. when he angles his face right, his nose sits just right between your folds, sliding back and forth in a way that has you gasping. itâs easy to lose yourself in the pleasure, and soon enough, it hits you like a bus.
your jaw hangs open as your legs spasm around his head, but still he doesnât let up. his hands grip your thighs tighter as his mouth works you through it, carrying on even as your hips begin to buck in overstimulation. it isnât until every breath slips through your lips as a ragged gasp that he pulls away, shaking his head free of your grip and looking up at you with lidded eyes. his tongue swipes over his slick lips with an exaggerated moan, and he sighs.
âthank you, baby,â luke says with mischief in his voice, ânow you wonât mind if i take another, right?â