Spending Christmas at the other’s childhood home with their family (3) - with Freddie Andersen 🎄
from m’s winter prompt list 2021
a/n: yay, my first-ever Fred fic! 🤗 three more holiday blurbs to come after this.
word count: 1,800ish
warnings: mention of a parent leaving a child, divorce, alcohol
_____
You’d seen Freddie nervous for games, sure. Particularly when he was coming back from injury or in the thick of the playoffs. But never had you seen him this nervous – and what had him in such a tizzy was meeting his significant other’s family at the holidays.
The two of you were set to spend the short NHL holiday break with your dad and stepmom at your childhood home in Asheville, North Carolina. Your mom hadn’t been in the picture since you were a toddler, and you shared a close relationship with your dad, being his only child – you, for one, were excited for the two most important men in your life to meet. The prospect of which had Fred absolutely terrified.
Of all things this big, strong NHL player had to be concerned about, like pucks flying a hundred miles an hour at his face on a nightly basis, you were shocked that this was one of them.
The past couple of days, he’d been quiet – too quiet. He wasn’t the most talkative guy, of course. But it just wasn’t Freddie to be so sullen, lost in his own head, where he tortured himself with the idea of your family not believing he was good enough for you. Not trusting his lifestyle. Not being accepting of the traveling and training he had to do, taking him away from you. If Fred had said it once, he had said it a thousand times – he couldn’t imagine having to accept his own child putting up with such a life (hell, he hated that he had to put you through it at all). He was certain your family would feel the same.
Finally, after a few tension-laden days of silence, Fred had voiced all of this to you when you pressed him once more about what was on his mind and how you could help.
And after he did, near panting as he rushed out his every anxious thought, you cocked your head a bit, frowning. You hated seeing him so unsure of himself, especially when he had no reason to be.
“Baby…” you cooed, perching yourself on his knee and slinging your arms around his neck. “I don’t want you to be worried about what my family thinks of you, okay?” you said, smoothing a hand over his cheek before settling your thumb against his perfectly dimpled chin. “They’re going to love you. Besides… if anything, they’re gonna be on my case more than yours, what with my recently becoming a hockey player-chasing gold-digger and all,” you joked with a wink.
But Fred barely cracked a smile, totally unusual for how he normally always laughed at your jokes, at the very least beaming at you with an amused expression as you tried to make him laugh.
“Promise me you’ll try to stop worrying? Please?” you begged, mouthing softly at the hinge of his jaw as you made your way to his ear lobe. “For me?” you added tenderly, sending a shiver down Fred’s spine.
He shifted your hips so that you had to look at him again and he gave a solemn nod before cupping your cheek in his hand and capturing your lips in the sort of kiss that completely stole your breath away and made him forget what he was so worried about in the first place.
But in the blink of an eye, it was 24 hours later – Christmas Eve – and as he pulled up in front of your childhood home, your dad already waiting outside, Freddie most definitely remembered what he was so worried about in the first place.
Fred didn’t come literally face-to-face with many people, due to his tall frame. But your dad… of course, your dad not only met him at eye level, but even appeared to be just an inch or so taller, a state champion high school basketball player back in his day. Fred couldn’t help but gulp as he toted the bags and followed you up the driveway, feeling his palms begin to sweat simply by being in the man’s presence.
And then, you nearly knocked the formidable figure over, arms thrown around his waist, your cheek pressed as close against his sweater as possible, your eyes drawn shut and a contented smile on your face. And with your simple, syrupy sweet, “hi, Dad,” the commanding, authoritative man melted before Fred’s eyes, folding his arms around you and pressing a reverent kiss atop the crown of your head, his eyes sparkling before closing in joy, and as he watched, Fred could clearly see that your father was holding his entire world in his grasp.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he spoke, his voice booming. “Merry Christmas,” he said as he smiled down at you. Then, he met Fred’s gaze.
“Hi, son,” he greeted, extending a hand which Fred accepted, making a mental note to shake firmly. “Nice to finally meet you.”
Fred nodded as you smiled encouragingly at him, though he could still hear his nervous heartbeat pounding within his chest. “It’s nice to meet you, too, sir,” he commented. “Thanks for having us here for the holiday. You have a beautiful home,” he added, vaguely gesturing to the exterior of the stately old house.
“We like it alright,” your dad replied. “Surprised this one here still wants to be seen here considering the mansion she has access to now, thanks to you,” he said sarcastically, nudging your shoulder.
You rolled your eyes. “Dad,” you protested through gritted teeth.
Freddie shook his head humbly. “No, no, it’s alright,” he said with a nervous laugh. “I’ve been lucky, no doubt, but I didn’t grow up with much, so I certainly haven’t forgotten where I came from. Big house or not.” He stopped himself before he came off too defensive, aiming to put on an air that told your dad he was ready for anything he threw Fred’s way.
Your dad nodded slowly, eyeing Freddie carefully. “Well, I’m glad, and I hear you’re a hard worker, so I’m sure you deserve all you have,” he noted, tying a bow on the topic, to your relief. He nodded his head toward the door, motioning for the two of you to enter the house. “Now, come on in and get settled,” he encouraged, Fred following behind with the bags as you curled your hands around his bicep, pushing yourself up to kiss his cheek. He took comfort in the gesture, hopeful that the rest of your stay would entail only a few further shots at his character.
And it did – over the next three days, your dad kept the jabs relatively innocuous and certainly manageable from Fred’s perspective. Once again, he put himself in your dad’s shoes and reminded himself that he, too, would probably be giving his only child’s suitor a difficult time upon their first meeting. You were pleased and proud that he took it in stride, as you knew he would – offering to help your dad and stepmom with meal prep and cleanup without coming off as a kissass, always having you within his protective arm’s reach while respectfully limiting your PDA, and alternating between politely listening to your family stories and inside jokes and asking questions to better understand the dynamic among you.
On your last night with your family, you and your stepmom had cleared the table and then lingered in the kitchen, having a lengthy conversation over glasses of wine, and your dad, left in the dining room with Freddie and their glasses of whiskey, saw his opportunity to conduct his final test of the visit.
“Fred, I appreciate the way you’ve handled yourself throughout this trip,” your dad spoke, rolling his knuckles along the table. “I know I’m maybe not the most easygoing person, but I love my daughter more than anything, and so I hope you understand where I’m coming from.”
Fred nodded, twisting his glass against his palm.
“I do, sir,” he said. “I’d like to think I’d be somewhat similar to you, when put in the same situation. You want what’s best for your daughter, and I want nothing more than to be that for her. And to give that to her.”
Your dad attempted to keep his pleasure at Fred’s response from showing on his face, but Fred noticed the way the corners of his mouth turned upward as he shifted in his seat.
“Speaking of which,” he began, “since you came here with her, I assume things are serious. So… what do you think your future holds?”
It was Freddie’s turn to attempt to hide his smile, at which he failed miserably. He cleared his throat, holding his chin high.
“Well, to be perfectly honest, I can see myself spending the rest of my life with your daughter,” he leveled, meeting your dad’s eyes. “If she’ll have me,” he added, making both men chuckle.
“Well, that’ll be up to her, but, uh…” your dad ran a hand along his jaw in thought. “But if that’s what she wants, then I for one would be thrilled to have you as part of this family.”
Fred’s heart fluttered in his chest as he broke into a full-fledged grin.
“Thank you,” he said soberly. “That means more to me than I can say.”
Your dad offered a wink and a nod before patting Fred’s shoulder.
“Now, come on, let’s make sure those girls aren’t talking about us out there,” he joked as Fred laughed.
_____
That night after your parents had retired for the evening, you lay on Fred’s chest, settled on the couch between his legs, basking in the glow of the lighted tree as you listened to piano Christmas music over the sound system.
“Are you awake?” Freddie whispered, his hands giving just the slightest squeeze for where his arms were looped around you, resting on your stomach.
“Mmm, yeah,” you half-lied, blinking your bleary eyes to glance up at your boyfriend. “What’s wrong?”
Freddie shook his head. “Nothing,” he soothed, smoothing his hand over the side of your head. “I just wanted to say you were right.”
A sleepy smile spread across your face, and you moved your head just slightly to look into Fred’s eyes.
“Was I now?” you asked, nuzzling your head against the soft fleece of his sweatshirt.
“Mmhm,” Fred’s voice rumbled in his chest. “You told me I have nothing to worry about, meeting your family. And you were right. I loved it. I love them.”
You beamed, reaching up to cup Freddie’s neck gently, pressing a kiss to his stubbly jaw.
“I love you,” you whispered, knowing this was the perfect opportunity for such an admission – one you had been certain of long ago. “And they love you. It was the best Christmas, baby. Thank you.”
Warnings: Some very slight language, tooth-rotting fluff and babies if you’re not into that.
Summary: It’s your fifth Christmas with your husband Freddie, but your first with your baby girl.
a/n: Here’s some fun christmas fluff with human fridge Freddie Andersen that no one asked for! It’s VERY fluffy but was so much fun for me to write so I hope you all love it. BIG thank you to @woah-were-halfway-there for all her encouragement and for screaming at me to finish it (and there’s a little tie in to her AFTR series in there) you’re the best, friend. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate and happy reading!
This had always been your favorite time of year, the air in Herning crisp and biting but the fresh snow crunching under your boots putting a smile on your face. You had nothing but fond memories of Christmas. Most of your childhood you’d spent them with your mother’s extended family in Toronto, eating your grandmother’s homemade cinnamon rolls and opening presents with your cousins as the sun rose behind the house. Though you were in Denmark this Christmas, you still had the fuzzy warmth in your chest as you walked slowly beside your husband and the little girl perched in his arms. It was your fifth holiday with Freddie but your first with your daughter, whose wide eyes darted around the backyard with the unbridled curiosity of a child who was finally aware enough to take in her first snow.
Your first Christmas with Freddie had been very early on in your relationship. You’d met him only a few months before, at a team barbecue hosted by the Hymans. Alannah had become one of your closest friends as the two of you navigated law school together, and you and Zach developed a friendly relationship as a result. As much time as you spent with the two of them, the first time you met his teammates didn’t come until about a year later. Alannah invited you one night over drinks and though you were a bit nervous going into a situation where you knew no one but her, you accepted the invitation and found yourself in their backyard nursing a red solo cup and being introduced to a whole mob of Maple Leafs and their significant others. After making the rounds you’d gone inside to fix another drink and found a large redhead in their kitchen. The moment his soft smile was directed back at you, you knew you were a goner. The two of you had spent almost the entirety of the barbecue chatting in that kitchen, and you left with his phone number and the promise of a date. You hadn’t looked back since.
The second Christmas the two of you spent together, you decided to host both of your families at your shared home in Toronto. Your newly received engagement ring sparkled under the tree lights as the two sides finally met for the first time, excitement building for your future to come. Christmas number three you were in Herning, three months married and finding the time to travel overseas as Freddie recovered from shoulder surgery, indefinitely placed on injured reserve. You spent Christmas number four alone back in Ontario with Freddie’s hand constantly rubbing soft circles on your swollen belly as you watch holiday classics on TV. Your baby girl made her entrance two months later, wailing loudly but still managing to immediately capture both your heart and your husbands.
You silently cursed yourself for not changing into something warmer as the thin leggings tucked into your boots weren’t really helping the shivers running through your body, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to go back inside. Not when your daughter stuck her tiny hand out and giggled at the feeling of the wet snow. You’d been excited to experience this with her since she was still an idea in your head. Of course you’d had snow back in Ontario, but this was the first time she really seemed to be understanding what she was seeing and feeling. The white blanket on the ground and the small flurries fascinated her as she gazed around the backyard in complete wonder.
You quietly pulled your phone from your pocket as you continued through the cold further into your yard. The time read 4:04 PM, and though you knew it was only around ten in the morning in Scottsdale, you pulled up the familiar contact and hit the FaceTime button, the ringing filling your ears but not capturing the attention of Freddie or your girl. You rolled your eyes as it connected and what your husband called the world’s most terrible mustache filled your screen, but you couldn’t help the grin that spread across your own face as one of your favorite people appeared. “Hey y/n, how’s Scandinavia treating you?” he greeted, lounging on his sofa still in pajamas with a cup of coffee sat on the side table in the background. “Hi friend, always a good time in Denmark. ‘S it hot over there in good old AZ?” The two of you made small talk for the next few minutes before you heard your husband’s loud footsteps in the snow, looking up to find them walking back toward you, Fred’s smile soft in contrast to the giggles still coming from the infant he carried.
Auston noticed your gaze lift from him to above the camera and he spoke again “Is that my girl? Where’s my girl, huh?” You didn’t think your daughter’s face could light up any further than it already had but sure enough it did as she heard his voice. “Look baby, say hi to Uncle Aus!” You handed the phone to Fred and he held it for a few minutes as he allowed the two of them to talk, Auston asking your daughter what she’d gotten for Christmas and telling her about his own family’s morning as she babbled back to him. You lost focus on the conversation in favor of watching the snow as it began to fall harder onto the ground below you. It had been steadily picking up speed since you’d started watching it from the bedroom window that morning, and you knew with the chill you’d have to take her inside soon.
You tuned back in as you heard the conversation coming to an end, Freddie and Auston saying their goodbyes. “Bye Aus, say hi to Cars and the kids for me! Tell them we love them!” “Bye y/n, we love you too!” The call clicked off and when Fred handed the phone back you flipped over to your camera, moving to video mode to capture the moment of your daughter’s first real experience with snow. Fred gasped and directed her to look at the camera, waving and encouraging her to do the same. “Say hi mumma! Hi mumma!” “Hi baby!” you cooed at her as she flailed her arm in her best attempt at a wave, giggling as she batted more of the snow falling against her little fist. “Are you having fun baby girl? Do you love the snow? Daddy’s having so much fun too, look!” He smiled down at his girl, nodding enthusiastically along as she babbled aimlessly, gesturing to the environment around her. You stopped the video and made sure it saved to the camera roll, knowing it was a memory you’d cherish for years to come.
“Okay family, I think it’s time to go inside, it’s getting a little chilly for us out here.” Your baby’s face dropped a bit but she remained silent and continued to mumble unintelligibly to herself as the three of you made your way back toward the house. You sighed at the warmth of your home as you made your way from the backdoor into the kitchen, shedding your coat before turning to help Fred pull the many layers off of your daughter. Her hat came first, then coat, then boots and sweater until she was down to just her Christmas pajamas. You’d thought they were adorable when you picked them out but even more so when you’d put them on her and so you and Fred had decided to just keep her in them for the day, knowing you weren’t planning to leave your home.
The rest of the night passed rather uneventfully, the three of you spending the evening parked right where you’d expected, on the couch with hot chocolate watching Miracle on 34th Street and White Christmas before putting the baby to bed at the usual time. It had been a bit harder than usual to get her down but finally, after the excitement of the day, she fell into a fairly deep sleep in her crib. Once she had finally fallen asleep you made your way back to your husband in the living room, flopping ungracefully down next to him on the sofa, sighing deeply and resting against his very large frame.
He chuckled to himself as you settled yourselves into a comfortable position, enjoying the silence of the moment together, his breathing quiet and the TV on low in the background. The Christmas tree in the corner provided the only source of light aside from whatever movie was playing, each of the ornaments telling its own story of a memory special to your little family. “Do you remember our second Christmas together, right after we got engaged? When our families met for the first time and our brothers spent the entire day chirping us for how ‘sickeningly in love’ we were?” you broke the quiet of the room and Fred laughed in reply. “Yeah and my mom insisting she help yours in the kitchen, which ended up in the two of them getting drunk together and accidentally burning the rolls.” You both laughed then, remembering your fathers waving dish towels and opening windows to try to stop the beeping of the smoke detector.
“Yeah, that one. I think that was the first time I realized how much I was looking forward to having a family of our own. I remember thinking about sitting on the couch with our little girl, giggling with her while we watched you chase our little boy around the room. I wanted that so badly. And now we have it and I don’t think I could be any happier.” It was the truth. From the time you’d begun dating to now, through five years, a marriage and then a baby, your relationship had only strengthened. It wasn’t perfect, no relationship ever was, but it was perfect for you two. You’d grown together through the hard times and laughed together through the good ones and all the while you felt more and more loved by him every day. There wasn’t a sight in the world that filled your heart more than watching Fred with your baby. You had a family, one you’d hoped for since you were a little girl playing house with your sister, and you had created that family with a man who loved you the way you’d always wanted and deserved to be loved. It wasn’t ever lost on you how lucky you were to have him by your side.
He let you lose yourself in your thoughts for a minute before a warm hand on your cheek turned your face toward him and you met the eyes you’d fallen madly in love with. “Ik hou van je, schat. I do, I love you. You are the love of my life, and an incredible mother. I wouldn’t ever want to do this, to have a family with anyone else.” He kissed the top of your head and left you with that. Freddie had always been a man of fewer words but you didn’t need them, you felt it in everything he did. It wasn’t about how he told you, but how he showed you. You both sat curled together watching the fire for another moment before you stood, making your way to the tree and pulling a small envelope from behind it.
Freddie’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you made your way back over to the couch. “Schat, what’s that? I thought we’d finished exchanging all our gifts this morning?” He’d presented you with a beautiful set of diamond earrings to replace the pair you had lost in your move to the new house in Toronto last year, and you had gifted him with a pair of tickets and a room confirmation for a trip to Greece in the coming summer, a destination that had been at the top of both of your bucket lists. This present, though, you’d hidden behind the tree to give to him after your daughter went to sleep, when the time felt right. You handed it to him and shrugged slightly, answering vaguely with a “just another little something, go on, open it.” He opened the envelope and pulled out the card, regarding it carefully until you encouraged him to read the writing on the inside out loud.
The card was simple, white with a few red hearts adorning the front, empty on the inside. You’d written the message before you left town last week, working through tears as you did. The tears welled up again as he began to read and you tried willing them away, but it proved to be nearly impossible as you heard them build in his voice as well.
“You’ll watch mommy’s belly each day as I grow, and then you’ll count my ten fingers and ten little toes. You’ll hold me when I cry and rock me to sleep, but stay with me until I’m not making a peep. With mommy and sister we’ll laugh and we’ll play, and you’ll get to watch me grow every day. I’ll be there cheering at all of your games, until it’s time for me to hit the ice just the same. I can’t wait to meet you so very soon, so I’ll see you and mommy this coming June.”
You were both quietly crying by the time he was done reading the card and he clutched it tightly in his hand, closing his eyes to collect his thoughts before he finally addressed you again. “Really? You’re pregnant?” You only had the chance to nod before he was up off the couch, bringing you in tightly to his body as you both tried to rein in your emotions. “I found out about a week before we left. We have the first ultrasound as soon as we get back to Toronto.” You pulled back slightly, making eye contact before you continued, “I’m so fucking happy, Fred. I’m so excited to have another baby with you. Are you happy?” “Happy? Schat, I’m elated. I can’t wait to watch you be a mother again, to bring another life into this world with me. I love you. I’m so happy.”
You embraced for a few minutes longer before retiring to your bedroom, and the soft, gentle sex had you falling asleep with a small smile on your face. You slept for only a few hours before you were awoken by the giggles of your first baby from the living room, the bed empty next to you and the clock on the nightstand reading 1:47 AM. You made your way toward the sound where you found Freddie bouncing your daughter on his lap, both of them apparently unable to sleep and watching cartoons on the television set. Standing in the doorway watching them with your hand placed over your still mostly flat stomach, the excitement of giving her a baby brother or sister grew in you once more, the same visions of Freddie chasing another little one around the room that you’d had three years ago now popping back into your head. You knew that he would love this baby in the same way that he loved the one currently perched on his knee, so deeply that you saw it in every moment he spent with her. Next Christmas would be just as special as the last five with him had been, and just as special as all of those still yet to come.
He has a gf -Annalise Bonesho - she is Brady Skjei's wife's sister. It's fairly new (less than a year) but he posted her in a photo dump from the outdoor game. She was also in the WAGs group photo - front row without a number on her hat.
I met him, he's nice but quiet. Got the impression he is quiet/ shy until he gets to know you.
freddie andersen from the canes also seems to like woc. i remember a blog here that belongs to a black women sharing her experiences with him. idk if that's his type but to me seems like he's pretty open to more than white girls. but yeah his wag is white but brunette
super image-based and conformist culture, very few players will seriously date someone who doesn't fit the mold. hopefully it changes in the future idk i think it's very culty and bizarre like just date who u want to date my goodness
i’m new to the canes, but who was the first cheating scandal for the canes?
abby labar with ian cole, svech, and others were rumored too like freddie andersen
i do want to say that the latest rumors w mackenzie (their social media manager) & kk are allegedly false, others in the org went on twitter to dispel the rumors
