september 1st is nate’s day so a fic was due!! happy birthday to one of my favorite hockeys ever. this whole idea actually sparked from the tags in a post that @sorryjustafangirl put up! and now, here it is all finished in a little adorable blurb. die a happy man by thomas rhett screams nate to me so that was also used as inspo for this concept.
hope you enjoy!! feedback is always appreciated! xx
word count: 940
~~~~~
“Gabe, look.” EJ elbows his best friend who is standing next to him on the back deck. It doesn’t matter that Gabe is currently in another conversation, EJ needs his attention before the moment passes.
“What?” He asks, turning around to face Erik but confused as to what the interruption is for. Without another word, EJ tilts his head towards the dock just across the large yard. Most of the team and their families are occupying the green grass for the team barbecue that Nate graciously hosted at his lake house to celebrate the team’s Stanley Cup win.
But there’s only two people on the dock. You and Nate. No one seems to notice the two of you besides Erik and Gabe, of course, and the scene that’s unfolding is a shock to say the least.
“Holy shit.” Gabe mumbles, the biggest grin blossoming across his face. “Is that Nate? Like our Nate? Dancing in a public space? I don’t believe it.”
“Somehow, it is our Nathan. You know that must mean he’s totally in love with her. He never does that, ever.” EJ chuckles, a teasing tone evident in his words, but Gabe knows it’s the truth. Over the many years the three men have been teammates, it’s been obvious that it takes a very special person to get Nate out of his shell.
And up until now, they’ve never seen him dance with a girl before let alone in front of everyone.
“He must be.” Gabe agrees without hesitation.
The conversation doesn’t go any further because the longtime friends get roped into a game of cornhole against the rookies and neither you or Nate are aware of what his teammates just discussed.
Instead, your giggles are mixing with Nate’s sweet chuckles as you dance around the dock together. When you posed the simple question of “will you dance with me?” when the Thomas Rhett song came on, you didn’t think Nate would say yes. In almost the full year that you’ve been dating, you haven’t seen him do anything remotely close to dancing so you figured him agreeing to do so in a backyard that’s full of everyone he knows would be a long shot.
You were wrong.
After an eager nod from him as a response and kicking your shoes off, Nate pulled you onto the dock and wasted no time wrapping his arms around your waist. You’re still pressed close against his body, both of you swaying together to the music without a care in the world. Occasionally, Nate will spin you outwards only for you to twirl back into his arms or he surprises you with perfect dips that make you shriek in happy surprise.
The moment couldn’t have been more perfect.
Nothing but happiness and love flowed between the two of you. In your boyfriend’s arms, everything else fades away. But you swear there has never been anything better than right now, dancing under the warm summer sun with the man who makes you the happiest. Nate’s soft smile warms your heart and he doesn’t hesitate to kiss you almost every other second while you keep dancing. Seeing the joy on his face and how relaxed he is because of the Cup win and being here with you is something you are incredibly grateful for.
And because you’re both entirely lost in each other, the knowing looks and excited whispers coming from Nate’s teammates and families in the yard go unnoticed. EJ’s smirking, trying to plan out how to ambush his friend with the big question that includes the L word. But everyone else watches on in either awe or disbelief.
“You know,” Nate speaks up for the first time since the song started, his beautiful blue eyes full of adoration as he looks at you. His voice interrupts your thoughts, but neither of your movements falter. He kisses you one, two, three times before continuing. “If I never win another cup or get to travel the world or play for as long as I possibly can in the NHL, I’d still would be the happiest man alive.”
“Why’s that, bubs?” You ask, heart melting at his sweet confession. Your fingers tangle in the short hair at back of his neck and he hums in contentment.
“Because I have you and your love. That’s all I ever need.”
“You can’t mean that. Never winning another cup? Not playing as long as you can? Those are your lifelong dreams.” You argue, brows furrowed at your boyfriend’s confession even as your heart soars with each passing second.
“Yeah, maybe. They were my lifelong dreams. Until I met you. If I never get any of those things and still have you, I’m the happiest man alive. I would die a happy man.”
You can’t stop the swell of adoration in your chest at his words. Nothing you can say will properly show how much he means to you so instead, you pull him in for a tender kiss. Nate responds within a split second, hands keeping you close and kissing you back like nothing else in the world matters.
Because right now, it doesn’t.
The Cup surrounded by his teammates on his deck isn’t a thought. How warm his skin is underneath the summer sun doesn’t even register. And certainly, the hoots and hollers from EJ aren’t heard as Nate depends the kiss.
This is what he’s always wanted. And now that you’re here, he won’t ever let you go. Because if everything else fails and life doesn’t turn out the way it should, he has your love and that alone means his life is complete.
up on the roof you wreck all my plans -- nathan mackinnon
a/n: so it’s been a while :( but i figured what better way to make my debut back than with a nate fic in honor of the dogg’s birthday. hope y’all enjoy! p.s. i wrote this on my phone so good luck
word count: +3.0k
warnings: teasing, sex in dangerous places, oral (female), face riding, implied oral (male), mentions of sex related injuries, unprotected sex (be safe!) if there’s anything i missed let me know
feedback is appreciated! my dms and anons are always open :)
—
“what are you doing?” nate asked as you pulled him through the banquet hall door.
the music of the party was fading behind you as you wandered the empty hallway.
loudly, you hushed nathan.
he looked at you incredulously but pressed his lips together tightly.
every few steps you turned back to look at him, he was fighting the urge to smile.
you flashed him a grin before turning abruptly.
nate stumbled over his feet after you.
you laughed.
“this is not funny. what’s going on?” nate demanded, but there was a lightness to his tone.
“where’s your sense of adventure, nathan?”
“back in the party,” nate answered honestly.
“shut up.”
“i’m serious. i was in the middle of talking with connor—“
you stopped walking. nathan bumped into you, too busy complaining to release your pace had slowed down.
“you don’t even like him.”
“that’s not true.” nathan blanched.
you raised an eyebrow. “so you’re telling me, you would rather be talking to connor mc-what’s-his-face than be with me?” you ran your hands down your dress, smoothing out the fabric as it clung to your hips.
nate’s eyes followed your hands before he grumbled, “no.”
“that’s what i thought.”
“i hate surprises.”
“you’re such a baby.”
“am not!” his voice was like a child.
“are too!” you snapped back playfully.
nate wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you into his body. you squirmed.
“say it again.” nate said as you laughed.
“no.”
“come on,”
“no.” you laughed louder and nate was laughing now too.
the hallway was empty. the rest of the hotel was asleep.
you couldn’t hear the music anymore, just the sound of nate’s laughter mixing with yours.
it was your favorite sound.
nate was holding on to you, lifting you up off the ground as he chuckled.
“tell me what’s going on.”
“why must you ruin everything?”
“i don’t do that.” nate’s laughter died. a serious expression over taking his face.
you hummed as he put you back on the ground, the skirt of the dress you were wearing falling back into place.
he kept his arms tangled around you.
you braced your hands on his chest, smoothing out the crinkles of his shirt as you did so.
nate was staring at you with that intense look he always got when he wanted something.
his eyes bright in the dim hallway. if people asked you to name your favorite things about nathan, you knew where you would start.
his eyes. you’d never seen that color blue before the night ej introduced you to him.
now you spent your nights hoping for just a glance. stealing them at every look.
looking in that endless blue, you could tell exactly what he was thinking.
it was the opposite for him. he could never tell what was going on in your head.
nate joked yours had a hint of the devil in them and that’s why he could never say no to you. one look and he was falling to his knees.
“all will be revealed soon, nathan,” you whispered with your lips close to his.
nate leaned forward, seeking a kiss, but you pulled back.
“we’re running out of time,” you said.
“why are you always so cryptic?“ nate dropped his arms from your waist and slid his hand back into yours.
“it’s what you love about me.” you winked.
“unfortunately,” nate mumbled.
“what was that?” you asked knowingly. nate didn’t answer but flashed you an overbearing grin.
as you resumed your walk, nate didn’t say anything. he followed behind you silently, but his hand was still clasped with yours.
you stopped the both of you in front of a door at the end of the hallway.
the words: roof access employees only were written on it in thick black letters.
“what are you doing?” nate asked suspiciously.
nate gawked as you pulled a key card out of nowhere and swiped it.
the lock clicked and the door swung open. you held it open for him.
“we’re gonna get in trouble, aren’t we?” nate chuckled with a shake of his head.
“don’t be such a rule follower, nate.”
“you’re trouble, y/n.”
“it’s what you love about me, baby,” you said soothingly.
nate shook his head again, but let you lead him up the stairs.
the hallway was dark. nate’s nerves were through the roof.
you propped the door open before leading him out onto the roof above the city.
the sky was dark. he couldn’t see any stars, he never could with the lights from the city shining late.
“you’re not planning to push me off the roof are you? you know it’s my birthday tomorrow.”
“yes, that’s exactly why i brought you up here. dang, you caught me.” you pouted.
“why are you such an ass?”
“take a look in the mirror.” you quipped and walked across the rooftop.
nate followed behind you.
“tada!” you beamed.
“what’s this?” nate looked down at the picnic laid out in front of him.
“what’s it look like?” you asked.
you glanced at your phone, showing the time to nathan.
11:59
august 31st.
he watched as the numbers turned.
12:00
september 1st.
“happy birthday, nate.”
“you dragged me all the way up here to wish me happy birthday?” nate asked.
“no, i dragged you all the way up here so i could wish you a happy birthday.”
nate’s eyebrows furrowed.
you walked closer to him. fingers going to the buttons on his shirt.
“so,” you undid one button.
“i could wish you a happy birthday,” you said accentuating every word with another button falling undone.
nate gulped, the lump in his throat growing as you slid your cold hands across his warm bare chest and pushed the clothing from his shoulders.
nate shook his arms, letting the fabric trapping him fall free to the ground.
you leaned forward, hand wrapping around his neck. your fingernails curled into his skin ever so slightly as you lowered his lips to yours.
his lips were warm. his breath heavy.
nate’s fingers begged to touch you, to pull at the dress clinging to your body. he wanted to be clinging to it, to wrap himself around you and never let go.
his hands hovered over your hips.
“come on, nate…” you whispered into his mouth, your eyes meeting his in a lustful gaze.
“where’s your sense of adventure?” you asked for the second time that night.
slipping away from his grasp, you walked back towards the picnic blanket.
you moved your hair to one side, exposing the top of your back. the zipper on your dress parting slowly.
looking back at him, you paused your movements, “still interested in the party?”
“hell no,” nate said and strode forward. in two steps, he was at your back. his hands pushing yours out of the way to take over the job of undressing you.
you had been teasing him, now it was his turn. being with nate was like experiencing every emotion, but dialed up to ten. when he was angry, you could feel it radiating off of him.
on the other side of it, nate was frustratingly patient. he learned it through the years of discipline, waiting for his time to come. he worked hard and pushed for everything he got, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t acquired some semblance of patience through it all.
it seemed like the only time he used it was to get at you. because he knew it drove you crazy.
your dress fell to the floor of the roof. there was a slight chill in the air, the wind blowing your hair, but your skin felt like it was on fire as nate’s eyes drank you in.
you yelped when he smacked your ass, the sting unexpected before he spun you to face him completely.
nate wrapped his hand around your jaw, dragging your mouth to his. his thumb running across your chin.
you leaned into the touch.
his other hand tangled in your hair, tugging at it. you groaned, your mouth opening. he took the opportunity to slide his tongue into your mouth. nate backed you closer to the edge, his body on autopilot as he sought out something to push you up against.
that was nate’s favorite thing to do during moments like this, crowd you into a wall or a table, and do whatever he wants as long as you let him.
you felt your back hit the ledge, the concrete scraping against your back as he deepened the kiss.
it was devouring.
he pushed his leg in between yours, his thigh rocking against your clothed core.
nate didn’t release his hand that was tangled in your hair. his long fingers had fallen from your jaw to undo your bra. nate discarded it with no thought.
he pulled his lips from yours abruptly. the sudden lack of contact disappointed you.
nate was smirking at you, his eyes cloudy as he lowered his lips to your neck. he placed wet open kisses down your chest till he reached your breasts.
he scraped his teeth across the sensitive skin and ran his thumb over one of your nipples.
you moaned.
nate could barely hear it over the sound of his heartbeat and the wind. so he did it again, his thigh rocking against your core, pushing your legs further apart.
you moaned again. but this time louder.
nate smiled against your chest.
he loved bringing whatever sounds he could out of you. it was like a game, the give and take of it all, trying to push you over the edge. the same adrenaline pumped through his veins.
nate trailed his kisses lower, hovering over your stomach. eventually, he stopped tugging on your hair, this time he moved it to grab at your chest as his fingers slipped into the lace of your underwear.
his index finger sliding over your clit in one motion, your body shuttering at the touch.
you gasped. nate rubbed his finger faster.
his hands yanked your underwear down roughly and he gripped your hips tightly as he dropped to his knees.
his shoulders flexing as he pushed your legs apart.
you felt unsteady on your feet, the thumping of your heart alerting you to the ledge of the roof you were leaning against.
“you okay?” nate asked, his hot breath fanning across your skin.
shivers shot through you as he breathed so close to your core.
you nodded, words caught in your throat.
“come here.” nate said, his hips dragging you forward. your body falling forward. your back stung from the concrete, you were sure you had cuts along it.
nate leaned on the picnic blanket you had laid out. his fingers still digging into your skin.
“come here,” nate said again. his voice firm as he looked up at you.
“what are you talking about?” you asked.
nate chuckled. in one swift motion, he had pulled you down on top of him.
nate writhed beneath you.
“come here,” nate said again, dragging your body across his chest.
he yanked you into place, body hovering over his face.
he squeezed your hip before sliding his hand down to your thigh. his finger danced across your skin. you were breathless as he ran his finger through your wetness.
your nerves tingled watching him wrap his lips around his finger covered in your juices. he hummed contently and released his finger with a loud pop. you moaned above him, head tilting back in response to the feeling.
nate gripped your thigh again before pushing his head between your legs and licking a stripe.
his lips attached to your teeth. he groaned into you as he sucked on the bundle of nerves there.
you braced yourself as he continued to suck gently.
his fingers were rough against your skin, and the callouses felt like sandpaper as he dragged your body against his face, rocking you in place.
with every movement, you were moaning. head falling back.
nate tapped your thighs, a signal that he wanted you to move for him. his hands roamed your body freely, touching every exposed inch of skin that they could as he licked.
his hand found its way to your neck, fingertips wrapping around it slowly, and he squeezed gently. it was just the feel of his presence there that sent you over the edge.
body rocking over him, you groaned as your legs shook, clamping against his head.
nate didn’t let up, he kept going, working you through it. finally, he released you when you whined above him. you looked down at him, face wet and hair a mess. he was wearing a grin.
“i like you like this,” you said.
“of course you do.” nate grinned. he flipped you onto your back then, pinning your hands above your head.
“but i like you like this,” nate said sultrily.
his voice was husky as he kissed you, his body rutting against yours. you were wantoning for more friction. you could feel his cock straining against his pants, begging for some attention.
you reached for it. cupping his dick in your hand, nate groaned into your mouth.
nate yanked your hand away then and pinned it back above your head.
pouting you said, “you’re supposed to let me wish you a happy birthday.”
“you are,” nate assured you with a devious smirk.
you huffed.
“come on, y/n…where’s your sense of adventure?” nate mocked as he hovered over you. you propped yourself up on your elbows, craning to get a better look at him.
he pulled at his zipper agonizingly slow. if it had been you doing it, he would already be out of his boxers and you, but nate had all the patience in the world for this.
you hated him for it.
nate pulled his pants down just enough to expose his boxers and aching cock.
you wanted to reach out, but you kept your hands above your head like he wanted. after all it was his birthday.
you just thought the best way to celebrate was a blow job, but nate had other ideas. he was always ruining your plans.
and you loved him for it.
you watched with wide eyes as nate finally freed his cock from his boxers. it slapped against his stomach. his hand pumped it as he moved forward.
you whined.
“are you gonna be a good girl?” nate asked.
“i’m the one who planned this whole thing.” you rolled your eyes.
“that’s not answering the question, y/n.”
you huffed again, and kicked him lightly. “depends.”
you were defiant.
nate laughed, his body hovering over yours again.
“you know, it’s my birthday.”
“for like twenty minutes…such an asshole.”
“am not,” nate grumbled.
“are too–” nate muffled the sound of your words with his lips. when you brought your hands to tangle in his hair, he didn’t pull them away this time.
he was too busy pulling at your leg, draping one over his shoulder.
nate ran his tip through your wetness. you squirmed in response. you both groaned into each other as he pushed into you.
his movements were calculated and slow. he dragged out each thrust as he rocked his hips. his lips still kissing yours as he moved in rhythm with your body.
nate pulled out slowly and then pushed back in again. with every movement, he was increasing his pace a little. he rested his body weight on his forearms as he rocked into you again and again.
nate’s groans were low and guttural as he filled you over and over again.
the next time he pulled out, nate harshly flipped you onto your stomach. he moved your hair away from your shoulder, exposing the back of your neck to him.
he connected his lips to it and pushed back into you.
you gripped the blanket and let the pillow swallow your moans as he thrust, faster and faster.
with every stroke, nate was brushing against that spot inside of you that had you screaming. and every time, he went slowly over it, dragging out the moans from you. it’s all he wanted for his birthday.
in fact, this is how he always wanted to spend his birthday. with you and no one else.
it was long before he was forcing another orgasm out of you. pleasure shooting all over your body.
walls tightening, you clenched around him. nate shuddered at the feel of it and he growled above you.
his thrusts were sloppy as he came.
nate was breathing heavily over you, his body stilling as he jerked inside of you. his cum coating your walls.
he pushed you into the blankets more as he collapsed on you. just for a moment, he lay there. then he was shying away from you, pulling out slowly as you winced with aftershocks of pleasure.
nate kissed your shoulder as he looked around at the things you had brought up.
you shivered in the cold, your body suddenly aware again of the dropping temperature with the wind.
nate cleaned the both of you up before climbing underneath the blanket with you and kissing you softly.
his face hovered close to yours, noses touching and lips brushing.
with a whisper, you wished him a happy birthday. he smiled dopily at you.
“best birthday ever.”
“it’s just begun.” you giggled.
“doesn’t matter. tops all the other birthdays i have ever had.”
“oh really?” you asked.
“yep.” nate declared. he was stubborn and you could tell by the tint in those blue eyes of his that he was going to hold on to this. you didn’t mind it, because so were you.
“think the party is still going on?” you asked.
“why? bored of me now?” nate chuckled.
“never.” you pressed a quick kiss to his lips.
“think we can sneak back to our room?”
“i don’t care who sees us.”
you rolled your eyes.
“it’s nice up here. let’s not go down yet,” nate said laying the both of you down and tangling his legs with yours.
he tucked a piece of your hair behind your ear.
“okay…” you agreed begrudgingly.
nate eyed you suspiciously.
“i told you it’s just the beginning, nathan.” your tone was seductive.
“on second thought, let’s go back to the room.” nate agreed eagerly this time.
“nope, it’s nice up here.” you smiled and looked up at the black sky admiring the smallest hints of gleaming stars.
“it’s my birthday,” nate whined, and you hummed.
you settled yourself between his legs and looked up at him with innocent eyes.
Summary: a reunion with JT at a summer wedding brings you more than you could have ever expected.
Word Count: 4.4k
Warnings: fluff, mild pining, summer wedding.
A/N: this is my entry for @antoineroussel’s summer fic exchange, and I have written this JT Compher fic for @fallinallincurls! I really hope I captured everything you asked for Bre, and I hope even more than you love reading it as much as I loved writing it!
Fic title from Watermelon Sugar, by Harry Styles.
Series masterlist
*
“In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine.” – Maya Angelou
Weddings were a complex thing. Fundamentally, they should be easy, simple, celebrations of love. But often they were so much more than that; the stress of organising the ‘perfect day’, choosing who to invite and who not to invite, things going wrong, items not arriving, last minute cancellations, bad weather and so many more things that can effectively ruin what should be the happiest day of two people’s lives, starting them off on that new chapter together.
Over the past few years, you’d watched more and more friends getting married, helping out with all the planning and preparations, so when it came to helping out with your brother’s upcoming wedding, you were at least prepared for all the things that could go wrong. Your brother’s fiancé was (thankfully) fairly laidback compared to some brides you’d been around before, but even then there were some tears when there were complications with the flower orders and arguments over the seating plans. There were more than a few stressful moments that you’d had to deal with personally, as the only sister of the groom and the only non-related bridesmaid of the bride, but when the morning came on the big day, all you could see was how happy excited your brother was to marry her.
And that’s what mattered. Seeing him so in love, so happy, so excited for his future with her was all you cared about.
Waking up at the crack of dawn to head over to where the bride’s party were getting ready wasn’t your favourite idea, but you arrived with a tired smile and two trays of coffees, earning tired smiles in return. The bride’s father was a member of the local country club, which had its own venue area and private rooms (as well as its own mini hotel), so this was where your brother’s bride had chosen to get ready before the cars picked you all up for the church (your brother and his groomsmen were getting ready in your family home). All of the other bridesmaids were sisters or cousins of the bride, so you were mostly left to your own devices – which suited you fine – giving you a chance to wake up slowly while your hair and make-up were done, sitting to the side of the room while the closer bridesmaids rushed around squawking.
If your only job today was to take candid sweet photos to send to your soon-to-be sister-in-law later, then that was fine. The less stress the better.
But eventually it was time. Your whole troupe of bridesmaids were primped and polished and perfect, and the bride…well, she was radiant. And it was her happy-nervous-excited smile that topped everything off, only making her look more beautiful. Your brother was a lucky man indeed.
“Ready to officially join our family?” you asked softly, smiling at the bride.
She huffed out a laugh, a little watery, a lot emotional, but nodded and smiled at you in return. “Yeah, I am.”
You just grinned at her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before stepping back to let the procession to the cars take place.
If you were being honest, the ceremony sped by in a blur – all you could remember was your brother’s happy smile and happy tears. Thank god for the photographer. It wasn’t until your car was pulling back into the country club and the bridesmaids were all piling back into the rooms you’d gotten ready in this morning that you even took a moment to just breathe. The serious part of the day was over – now it was time to relax, have a drink or two, and party. That was your new sister-in-law’s intentions anyway, and you were determined to follow her wishes. Especially her idea to change into white sneakers for the reception; that was an idea of hers you were more than happy to do.
But it was as you walked through the reception hall, smiling and greeting old family friends on your brother’s side of the party, that you saw someone you weren’t expecting.
“Mom, I didn’t know JT was coming,” you murmured, trying to be subtle as you glanced at him out the corner of your eye.
“Oh you know how it is, honey – your brother invited all the neighbours we’re close friends with, especially those with the boys he grew up with, and the Comphers are on that list. We just weren’t sure if JT would be able to make it with his hockey season and the cup win, and, well, that’s not something you can ever truly plan for this time of year, is it?” she explained with a smile.
She had a point, sure – but maybe if you’d had a little heads up, you would’ve been able to prepare yourself for how good he looks with that beard. Like, damn. Hockey championship wins looked good on him. No, focus, don’t be a creeper.
“Do make sure to go and say hello to them later, yes? I know you and JT always got along when you were younger too,” she added, before wandering off.
More like you were the awkward younger sister and JT was always super nice to you, but close enough. You bit your bottom lip briefly, trying to think of what you’d even say to him (‘congrats on the cup, bud, how’s your life been for the past eight years?’), when he turned his head and caught eyes with you. And immediately started walking over to you, big smile on his face, sending your stomach erupting in butterflies. How had you forgotten how handsome he was? From 18 to 27, he’d only gotten more attractive, especially with how he’d obviously grown in confidence, that ease in his walk and his body language, and it was all you could do not to melt as he stopped in front of you.
“I can’t believe how long it’s been since I last saw you,” he said with a soft smile.
“Hello to you too,” you laughed, fighting the heat that wanted to rise to your cheeks.
A light flush rose to JT’s cheeks, making you smile even more, even as your traitorous heart started beating a little faster. You’d thought that you would’ve been able to get over your childhood crush on him by now – it had been so many years, after all – but apparently not. Who could blame you though, when he smiled at you like that?
“You look amazing, by the way,” JT said, smile turning a little shy.
“Oh thanks! The bridesmaids’ dresses were a great choice, right?” you grinned.
“Great for you, definitely,” he nodded.
The butterflies in your stomach swarmed with a vengeance, but you tried to ignore them. A little light flirting meant nothing. Right?
The two of you ended up sitting nearby, just talking, catching up about everything and anything that had changed since he left to play ice hockey, which turned out to be a lot. Everything from you going through college, starting a career, moving out into your own apartment, to JT going through the AHL and making it into the NHL, the highs and lows of professional hockey, and of course his Stanley Cup win. He only knew his family and your immediate family here tonight, and while you knew a few more than that you still knew less than half, so you didn’t feel bad about monopolising his time – JT certainly seemed happy enough to stay by your side. Time had flown by, both over the last eight years and tonight, and before you realised it, the two of you had been talking for a few hours, and were only broken out of your little bubble by the DJ announcing the last slow dance of the night.
“Would you, uh, maybe want to dance with me?” he asked hesitantly.
The hope in his eyes gave you hope of your own, stupid ridiculous hope, and you found yourself nodding, JT just smiling as he took your hand and led you onto the outskirts of the dancefloor.
At last,
My love has come along,
My lonely days are over,
And life is like a song.
What a song. As the two of you swayed in time with the music, in time with everyone else paired up on the dancefloor, you found yourself staring up into his pretty brown eyes, him watching you back with the softest smile on his face. And even though you’d spent the last few hours talking, not a single word was spoken as you danced, one of his hands on your hip and the other clasping one of yours, while your free hand rested on his chest. It was sweet, and it was intimate, and it was soft, none of the things you ever thought you’d experience with JT. All those childhood fantasies and hopes came bubbling back to the surface, and just this once you allowed yourself to live in them, floating like you were on a cloud.
As much as you didn’t want the moment to end, you knew it had to, even though it made your heart ache to step away from him. Thankfully, you knew that the reception would be ending soon, and you would be able to go and bask in the sweetness of the evening in your own room, savouring each moment you’d shared with him in secret, in private. The two of you stayed silent as JT walked you over to the bar, getting you a bottle of water each, and it wasn’t until he took his first sip that he started talking again, murmuring a joke about a man walking past that had you almost spitting your own water back out. And just like that, your conversation started up all over again, people drifting in and out of your bubble, but for you everything was focused on JT. How could it not be?
“Are you staying here tonight? Or are you in the group of taxis back into town?” you asked, smiling up at him as you noticed a small set of people gathering by the doors.
“Ah, thankfully my mom booked us all a room before playoffs even started, so I’m staying here,” JT grinned, “I’m guessing you’re staying here too?”
“Yeah that’s right. Third floor,” you nodded.
“No way, us too! Good to know that I can walk you back tonight,” he said softly.
Walk you back? Oh, walk you back to your room? The very thought of him escorting you upstairs made your cheeks heat up, and although he raised an eyebrow as he noticed, JT didn’t comment on your reaction, which you could only be grateful for.
The two of you stayed by the bar, the few last family members who were staying in the country club hotel suites chatting with you too, until your mom wandered over, looking a little glassy-eyed but happy.
“We’re heading up to the rooms now – are you coming?”
You shook your head with a smile, holding up your half-full glass. “I’ll just finish my drink before heading up.”
She nodded, smiling at both you and JT, before walking away again. It was strange that she hadn’t said anything or even implied anything about JT being by your side all night, but you weren’t going to complain. It was probably a perk of him being a long-time family friend – it wasn’t like JT was a stranger who was going to take advantage of you. Just an insanely attractive guy that had been more than happy to spend a whole evening with you.
That wasn’t something you wanted to think about while he was standing next to you, so close that you could feel his body heat through his jacket.
Eventually though, it was time to head to the hotel suites, when both of you had finished your drinks. There weren’t many people left to say goodbye to, but you waved cheerfully and kissed cheeks as you passed people you knew, JT staying silent by your side until the two of you reached the elevators.
“Thank you for letting me stick to your side all night,” he mused, loosening his tie a little around his neck.
“Are you kidding? That’s the most fun I’ve had at a wedding in ages,” you grinned.
“Yeah?” he said, blushing again, offering you a sweet smile.
Oh he really was so cute.
“Yeah, JT. It was great spending some actual time with you after all these years,” you nodded, smiling back at him.
The last thing you wanted was for this sweetheart to think he’d been a burden or annoying, because that was so far from the truth. It wasn’t like you were lying – it really was the most fun you’d had at a wedding, and it was all because of him.
When the elevator stopped at your shared floor, JT gestured for you to head out first like the gentleman he was, quickly joining you to walk along the corridor. But as you got closer to your room, unmissable noises got louder and louder, until you realised that your next door neighbour for the night had a partner with her…and they were clearly having incredibly athletic sex. Damn it.
“What’s the likelihood they will finish in the next 5 minutes?” you winced.
JT just grimaced at a particularly loud moan. “Like, 0.1%?” he offered.
You just groaned, the groan echoed unintentionally by occupied room, making you both laugh despite the frustrating situation.
“If you want, and I’m not trying to be skeevy here, but I have two beds in my room? I’m at the other end of the corridor so you won’t hear them, and you’re more than welcome to have the other bed if you want to actually get some sleep?” he said.
His eyes were wide and earnest, although they narrowed in annoyance as the banging of a headboard started in the silence. If he thought there was any chance of you not agreeing to that, he had another thing coming. Sharing a room with JT? Hell yes. Even if it was totally innocent, he had no idea what that offer was doing to you. Sure, you’d been looking forward to basking in the fairytale that the reception had been, but this was way better.
“I will absolutely take you up on that. Let me just get changed into pyjamas?” you said, smiling.
“Oh, yeah, of course. Uh, I’m in room 310. I’ll see you soon?”
You just nodded, sending him a thankful smile, before you opened your hotel door. Somehow the sex noises were even louder in here, and you grimaced, turning your head to see JT already grimacing too, before he laughed a little sheepishly.
“Yeah don’t subject yourself to that for long. I’ll see you in a few minutes,” he mused.
Wasting no time, you stripped out of your beautiful bridesmaid’s dress and hung it up in the wardrobe, and quickly pulled on your pyjamas. After brushing your teeth, scrubbing your make-up off and letting down your fancy up-do, all you needed to do was grab your phone charger and phone before heading back out of the room. The noises hadn’t lessened in the slightest while you were getting ready for bed, and to be honest, if JT hadn’t offered you his spare bed, you don’t know what you would’ve done.
The blessings for this guy just kept on coming.
Especially as JT answered the door shirtless. You found yourself freezing slightly, eyes planted on his sculpted chest, before heat rushed to your cheeks as you broke out of your stupor, only to find JT blinking as if he’d done the same. Was he…was he as affected as you were? Well, that was something to think about, you know, when you were eventually alone again.
“Thanks for letting me stay in here,” you murmured, as you plugged your phone in to charge.
There were plenty of photos to put on Instagram, but that was a job for tomorrow. Definitely tomorrow. In this moment, you just wanted to enjoy this extra time you had with JT – you didn’t want to waste any of the time that he was looking at you and smiling at you staring at your phone instead. Not a chance.
“Oh you don’t have to thank me. There’s literally no way I would’ve been happy with you trying to sleep with all of that going on next door,” he laughed, shaking his head.
“Well I’m still going to thank you,” you mused, rolling your eyes fondly, “it’s been a long day and I definitely need my beauty sleep.”
JT bit his bottom lip, as if he was trying to think whether to say something or not, before he exhaled, not saying a word. What was he holding back? You frowned slightly but didn’t push him – you sure as hell didn’t want him to pry into your own thoughts after all.
“Good night, JT,” you said softly, snuggling down under the covers.
“Good night,” he murmured, smiling over at you, “See you in the morning.”
Waking up in an unfamiliar bed was disorientating to say the least. Luckily you didn’t have much of a headache from all the drinks you’d had last night, silently thanking JT for all the water he kept ordering for the two of you. Oh damn, JT. You quickly lifted your head, easily spotting his fluffy red hair in the neighbouring bed, and bit your bottom lip as you cheeks heated up. Last night wasn’t a dream. You really had stayed in JT’s room overnight, after a whole evening spent by his side. And you weren’t dreaming, not a chance.
All of a sudden, your phone started ringing, loud and obnoxious, earning you a groan from the guy next to you as he woke up. Mom. What did she want? And why so early?
“Where are you? Why aren’t you answering your door?”
Oh damn, that was the last thing you’d expected.
“Brittany-Louise had a very loud bed partner as I headed back to my room last night, so JT offered the second bed in his hotel room,” you explained, wincing.
“He offered…in his room… you didn’t sleep wi-”
“No, it was very kind of him to offer the spare separate bed in his room,” you interrupted, willing away the heat rising on your face.
It was blatantly obvious that JT was listening to the conversation, but you desperately tried to keep your cool. The last thing you wanted was for him to think that your mom thought you’d slept with him. Definitely not after how sweet he’d been last night.
“Well that boy always was a gentleman. Is he staying for breakfast in the club restaurant?”
“I don’t know, let me ask,” you replied.
You pulled the phone away from your ear, pressing it to your chest as you smiled at JT sheepishly. “So, um, my mom wants to know If you’re having breakfast downstairs too?”
JT’s eyes went wide in realisation at who were talking to, but he just nodded. “Yeah I was planning on it. I think my parents and Jesse are too.”
Oh good. You smiled at him, before putting the phone back up to your ear. “Yes he will be.”
“Okay good, both of you can meet us down there when you’re ready. I will be having a word with Brittany-Louise’s mom in the meantime.”
You end the call with a wince at your mom’s abrupt tone, laughing softly at JT’s confused face. “Well Brittany-Louise is going to get an earful, and we’ve been summoned for breakfast,” you explained.
“To be fair, she gave you an earful last night,” JT grinned, making you groan, “and breakfast sounds good to me. We can head down together if you want?”
You bit your bottom lip as JT sat upright in bed, the bedsheets slipping away to reveal his thickly-muscled chest all over again, and it took all your concentration not to blush. Somehow he looked even better than you remembered last night. “Yeah, I’d like that. I’m literally just going to having a quick wash and brush my teeth before throwing on a dress so I won’t take long?”
“Perfect, see you soon,” he said, smiling softly.
You sped through a quick body wash in your own shower, throwing on a simple blue dress and a little mascara, and you were just slipping into your shoes when there was a knock on the door. Opening it with a smile, you saw JT standing there in a plain tshirt and jeans, looking unfairly fresh and awake. He did also look a little stunned though, making your smile slide into a light frown, before he seemed to break out of his thoughts by shaking his head.
“Wow you look amazing,” he murmured.
“I’m not wearing anything special,” you said confused. It was just a simple old dress?
“Doesn’t mean it isn’t true,” he said, shrugging, although a fierce blush spread across his cheeks - which he clearly felt burning, so he turned away. “We should probably head down.”
“Oh jeez yeah, definitely don’t want my mom sending up a search party,” you laughed.
The look of fear on JT’s face made you laugh, and that seemed to break the awkward tension between the two of you.
When the two of you reached the club’s restaurant, JT’s family weren’t down there yet, so he sat next to you on the tables that your mom and aunt had pulled together. You grinned to yourself when you noticed how mortified Brittany-Louise looked, JT snickering when you told him. The two of you ordered your food with little fanfare, and although you were mostly in conversation with other people while you waited for your breakfast, every time you glanced over at him, he was already looking at you.
That had to mean something, right?
By the time you’d finished eating (JT’s family finally having joined the big group), there were a few people ready to head back to their rooms too, so you and JT headed back with them, even though you wished you could’ve spent just that little bit more time alone with him. Just that little bit more, before you were separated to see him again who knows when. Eventually though, you reached your room, the rest of your group continuing on down the corridor.
“I guess this is where I leave you,” he murmured, as the two of you remained the last people in the corridor.
You knew he had to pack his bags. You knew you had to pack your bags. But that didn’t mean you want this time with him to end. So you took a deep breath, hoping your smile wasn’t shaky.
“Kinda wish we had more time,” you said softly.
The moment the words left your lips, your breath hitched in your throat, and you tried not to wince. What if you were reading everything wrong? What if the fantasy really had all been in your head?
But then JT smiled, ever so lightly, and the tension melted from your body. That soft smile wasn’t one he gave out often, you knew that much. So maybe you weren’t the only one who felt this way, that there was something worth exploring between the two of you.
“Then maybe we should do this again some time. Dinner, drinks, breakfast the next morning,” JT said smoothly, “Just maybe without all your family around.”
Definitely without your family. But oh wow, he wanted to take you out on a date? JT wanted to take you out on a date?
“I’d really like that,” you said, smiling shyly.
JT’s soft smile shifted into a confident grin, sending a sharp jolt through your body and heat rushing to your cheeks, both of which you ignored as he handed his phone over to you to put your phone number in. He stayed silent as you typed, just keeping that intense stare in you, not helping the rush in your body at all. And the moment you handed his phone back, he started typing himself, until you felt your own phone buzz in your handbag. Ah, smart. Very smart.
“I’ve got some pr team things to do the next couple of days, but I’ll call you? Are you free on Friday?” he asked hopefully.
For him, for this? You’d make sure you were. But he didn’t have know that. Not yet.
“I’m sure I can work something out,” you said simply, smiling innocently.
JT’s eyes flashed with something a little more heated in response, sending a shiver down your spine. Damn, how was that possible? How did he have such an effect on you like this?
He must have seen something in your eyes, must have felt that same flash of heat because the next thing you knew his hand cupped your cheek, and he took two seconds to search your face for a reaction before he leant down and took your lips in a kiss. You made a soft noise of surprise before you could stop yourself, but you wasted no time in clutching at his T-shirt, kissing him back just as intently, JT making his own soft noise in return. You lost yourself in his kisses, desperately glad in the back of your mind that no one else was in the corridor, but far too consumed by the feeling of his lips on yours, how soft his beard was against your skin, the way his tongue lightly brushed your tongue, how this was all so much yet not nearly enough. Then he pressed you lightly into the door, tearing a quiet noise from your throat, making the embrace all that more intense before suddenly breaking the kiss and stepping away, breathing just as heavily as you were.
“I’ll see you Friday,” he said, his voice a little rough, his eyes a little wild.
You just nodded, head still spinning slightly as you watched him walk down the corridor to his own hotel room. Did that really just happen? Were you still dreaming? No, there was no way that you could’ve dreamt the way his beard felt against your skin, the way his lips perfectly fitted with your lips. No way. The moment that you stepped into your own room and closed the door behind you, your fingers drifted up to your mouth, lightly brushing over the slightly swollen lips in a daze.
a/n: wow. emmie writes again? it's a miracle! anyways, here's a short blurb i wrote to ease myself back to writing. i've been listening to hamilton all day and after bugging @comphyjost and @audslovesavs i have produced this. and yes, it's based off of dear theodosia from hamilton <3
warnings: this is a baby fic. mentions of pregnancy and babies. fluff. lots of fluff.
The room was dark and quiet, and the only noises to be heard were soft humming of machines, and the steady beep of a heart monitor. A soft glow flooded the room, leading directly to where Tyson stood. He was hunched over, his hand reaching inside the small bassinet.
In that bassinet, laid a tiny baby girl. His daughter.
Violet Laura Jost came into the world only hours ago. And since she did, Tyson’s world has never been, and never will be the same.
The etch of a small smile was present on her face as she slept soundly, small groans coming from her as she breathed.
He thought back to before as he held her for the first time, eyes identical to his own looking back up at him and a smile worth fighting for, too.
As he stood above her, (Y/N) asleep in the bed across the room, his eyes welled with tears. He reached out to touch her cheek, gently so that he didn't wake her up. As he did, he let out a watery laugh and began to whisper.
“Hey, pretty girl.” He paused, as if he was afraid to wake either (Y/N) or the baby up. When neither stirred, he began again.
“My dear Violet. What do I even say to you. I’ve waited for this moment for so long. Long before you came, and even long before I met your mom.”
Tyson glanced up at (Y/N), who was fast asleep after what had probably been the longest day of her life.
“You’ve got the best mama in the world, little one. And you’re gonna grow up to be just as strong and beautiful as she is.”
Violet stirred in her sleep, letting out a soft hum as her tiny hands moved to stretch, the soft smile falling back to her face. Tyson couldn’t help but smile himself.
“Gosh, when you smile I come undone, you know. You’re gonna be a happy baby, eh?” He questioned, even though he knew there would be no response.
“There’s gonna be so much happiness in your life. You’ve got an amazing grandma and auntie who can’t wait to meet you, V. So many strong women in your life.” He paused for a moment, the fears he’d been aware of before Violet arrived coming for the first time that day.
“I’m gonna be the best dad I can be to you, V. My daddy wasn’t around. But I swear I’ll be around for you, ok? I’m gonna do my best. Whatever it takes.”
He felt a tear fall down his cheek. Tyson and (Y/N) were both aware of the misses that might come because of his career. But they were both sure that no matter what, nothing would ever vanquish the love Violet would receive. Tyson knew he was going to make mistakes. Every parent does. But that was not going to stop him from making the world safe and sound for his baby girl.
“I’m gonna give the world to you, Violet. I promise. And I know that everything you do is gonna be amazing. You’re gonna blow us all away, baby Jost.”
Addy checked her reflection in the mirror and adjusted her top as she listened to her friend, Gina, go over the details for the evening. She was half-listening, as usual, when Gina mentioned that Tom may have a friend drop by the bar. "Wait, what?" she whined, "Gina, this isn't a set-up, right?"
"No, Addy, I swear-I don't even know the guy's name," Gina responded. "Show me what you're going to wear."
Addy sent the snap.
"No, absolutely not," Gina chided, "Let go of the athleisure wear. Wear a skirt at least."
Addy rolled her eyes, "I will compromise on a nice pair of shorts and crop top. It’s hotter than hell."
LATER THAT EVENING- INWOOD TAVERN-DALLAS
Addy walked up to the bar and leaned up against it. "Hey," she called to the seasoned blonde bartender, "Can I get a drink?" She was casually dressed in a matching black gingham crop top and shorts. A diamond pendant adorned her neck. Her curly brown hair had been tossed in a loosely styled up-do to keep it off her neck. The August Texas heat was still oppressive at night and Addy’s focus was remaining as cool as possible.
The muscular man standing next to her laughed, "Good luck with that. I've been trying to get a beer for ten minutes."
Addy glanced at him before turning back to the bartender, "It's the watch. She hates flashy watches."
Tyler looked down at his watch then back at the petite brunette by his side. "Isn't that some sort of watch discrimination. What did my watch ever do to her?"
Addy turned to face him. She took note of the fitted t-shirt and casual shorts he wore. His brown hair was slicked back and his arms were covered in tattoos. The neatly trimmed beard completed the frat boy look. "It's not the watch, but the wearer. Usually those watches come attached to annoying frat boys who demand immediate service and leave shitty tips."
Tyler's eyebrows raised, "Definitely not a frat boy."
"Well, if you look like a frat boy, dress like a frat boy, you can't be shocked if she treats you well- like a frat boy." she teased. "Let me guess," she continued, "you also flashed a black AMEX to start a tab."
His eyes narrowed slightly, "And?"
She smiled, "It completed the 'I am going to be asshole' vibe thing you got going on. What are you drinking 'Mr. I am not a frat boy'?"
"At this point I will take any cold beer," he said in confusion.
Addy yelled again, "Tess, give me my usual and the poor man a beer. Put it on my tab."
Tess nodded and poured the drinks. When she sat down the drinks, she eyed Tyler suspiciously, "You vouching for him?"
Addy turned and gave Tyler the full body scan, "Yes, at least temporarily. Don't fuck it up, okay?"
"Tyler, by the way," he said casually.
"Oh and the asshole trifecta is complete," she winked as she took her drink.
They sat in an amenable silence before Tyler cleared his throat, "So are you meeting friends here or do you just like drinking alone in dive bars?"
"Meeting friends for drinks. You?" She turned to him.
"Same," he craned his head toward the door which just opened.
"Addy!" Gina called as she walked into the dimly lit bar, "Why do you always pick the grungiest bar in town to meet?"
Addy turned with a smile, "Don't knock the bar. You'll piss off Tess."
Tyler interjected, "Yeah, you don’t want to don't piss her off."
Gina raised an eyebrow towards Addy. She was greeted with a shoulder shrug.The duo greeted each other with a hug. Gina looked around the bar that looked like not a thing had been changed in at least forty years.
"So making friends already?" Regina asked jovially.
"Gina, this is “not a frat boy” Tyler. Tyler, this is Gina," Addy answered.
Tyler stretched his hand out, "Pleasure."
"Seggy," Tom called from the door.
Tyler turned, "Monty!"
The two embraced in a bro hug. "I see that you have met my fiance, Gina, and this is her friend, Addy," Tom declared.
Tyler touched Addy on the arm, "You ready for another round?"
"Sure, tell Tess to add it to my tab," she called as they moved over to the well-worn couch. He gave her body an appreciative glance as he returned with the drinks, "I tried to open my own tab, but she wouldn't do it. Strangest bartender ever."
She scooted over to make room for him. Quickly they were engrossed in conversation about Addy's job as an event planner. She casually asked Tyler about his job and he blinked slowly. "You're kidding, right?" he laughed.
"Kidding about what?" she smiled.
"I play hockey- for the Dallas Stars…" he stammered.
"Oh, I don't follow hockey too closely. I mean- I am aware of them as a team, but not the individual players," she explained.
There was an awkward pause as Tyler contemplated her words. It wasn't the fact that she was unaware of who he was, it was that she seemed thoroughly unaffected by the knowledge. Tyler came to the realization that he was staring at her face. It wasn't a particularly gorgeous face, but was naturally pretty. Her presence felt comfortable and oddly familiar. She snapped her fingers to get him out of his trance. "Hey, Not-Frat-Boy, we are going to play pool. Do you want co-ed or men against women?"
Tyler thought quickly, "Co-ed,"
Addy poked him playfully in the chest, "Try to keep up with me, okay?
Tom and Tyler played a quick game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" to determine who would break. Addy gave Tyler a wink and a smile when he won.
He made a grand gesture of bending over and bowing and indicating she should take the first shot. He walked to the opposite end of the table as she took her stick, leaned over and took the break shot. He licked his lips unconsciously as he was given a clear view of her cleavage. As the balls spread across the table, she blew him a flirtatious kiss as two balls sank. Tyler smiled when she did not sink another ball with her second shot. He stood behind her as she waited for Tom to take his shot. He whispered in her ear, "He's a great attorney, but a horrible shot." Addy felt the hairs on her arm stand up as his breath hit her neck. She shifted her weight back and forth and turned to look at him. She stared momentarily. Her gaze went to his lips. She blinked and willed her heart to stop racing. She thought of what his beard would feel like if he kissed her.
"Seggy, you're up" Tom laughed as Tyler stood, leaning on his stick, staring at Addy's neck. He imagined his mouth on the where the smooth skin of her neck met her shoulder, sucking softly.
"Snap out of it," he murmured to himself before leaning up his shot. When Addy walked away to the jukebox, the movement of her hips distracted him and the shot fizzled.
He walked up behind her and leaned over her shoulder as she made her selections. "Going old school, huh?" he joked as she made her selections.
"Can't go wrong with some Miley, " she said, laughing as the song began. "This brings back some memories." Tyler watched as she danced around the pool table between her shots, sinking a ball with each stroke as she mouthed the words.
Tyler had a memory emerge from the depths of his brain. It was fuzzy but he could feel his body respond- pulse quickened, heart rate elevated and breath slightly shallow. He was kissing a girl. She smelled like flowers and wore what he assumed was a cubic zirconia pendant around her necklace. It fell delicately on her clavicle . When they paused for breath, she smiled at him.
"Tyler," he thought he heard as he struggled to place the memory "Tyler, it's your shot."
"Huh?" He said- momentarily confused as Tom directed him to the pool table. “Oh, yeah,” he blushed.
Gina and Tom giggled as they watched Addy and Tyler get sucked into their own heads as they stared at each other, tanking their pool game. Tyler snapped out of his thoughts. He took another bad shot and promptly sunk the cue ball.
"Who wants another round?" they called as they left Addy and Tyler in the pool room, without waiting for a response.
Tyler walked up to Addy and took the stick from her hand, “Sorry about that. Normally I am much better at pool. Guess I got a little distracted.”
Addy felt her face flush and started to fan herself with her hand,"Did it get hot in here? I need some air." She turned and walked to the exit to the small patio. She pushed the door open and took a deep breath. She paced the length of the patio and ran her fingers through her hair. The desire to take Tyler's face between her hands and kiss him overwhelmed her. She was then struck by the sense of deja vu. When he emerged from the bar carrying drinks, he stopped short when she turned to face him. She stood with one hip popped up and both hands on her hips. He crossed the patio to where she stood. Her expression was almost defiant. "Are you going to kiss me or what?" she declared. When he hesitated, she took a step toward him, took his face in her hands and kissed him hard.
Tyler felt the memory come back into complete focus and the realization hit him. He stopped the kiss and asked breathlessly, "Is Addy a nickname or something?"
"Short for Addison," she replied.
His eyes opened wider, "Have you ever been to Toronto?"
"Yeah, when I was 15." she stammered.
He pressed, "Maybe to an amusement park named Canada's Wonderland?
She stepped back, "Yeah"
He stepped forward "Spend time with a hockey team there?"
She looked at him, "Yeah, with a boy named….."
Her hand went to her mouth, "Nooooo"
He nodded his head up and down.
She gasped, "You're Tyler from Toronto? No fucking way!"
He smiled, "Yep-all grown up"
She squatted low and looked up at him before crossing to him, "Kiss me again."
He did and the memory came flooding back to her. Their bodies crashed together as they kissed, the muscle memory of their first make out session came back and he pushed her against the wall. “Addison from Dallas," he moaned, "I finally found you."
SUMMER 2007
Addison stood next to her friend, Juliana, in line to the Drop Tower. Juliana eyed the ride nervously as the line inched toward the loading zone. In front of them a group of ten players from a hockey team stood and joked loudly. They were enjoying a celebratory trip to the amusement park in honor of their recent championship victory. Juliana and Addison were at the front of the group from the Prestonwood Christian Academy choir. The two girls had become fast friends during Juliana’s year of study abroad in Dallas. They bonded over boys, hockey and mocking the popular girls in their class.
Juliana poked Addison in the ribs and nodded towards the tall blonde with a goofy grin on her face. Addison looked up at him and shook her head softly. Of course Juliana set her eyes on the tallest person she could find. The girl definitely had a type-tall, blonde and cute. The line inched forward and Addison locked eyes with the lanky brunette standing next to the blonde. He gave a shy smile before turning away. The blonde noticed and gave him a shove back into Addison. “Make a move Shy Ty,” the Big Rig joked.
"I'm…I'm sorry," Tyler stammered softly before he turned and slammed the blonde on the arm.
Addison gave him a smile and mouthed, “It’s okay,” before turning to Juliana.
The group landed at the loading zone together. The ride attendant shouted at the group of teens, "You four- stand here." Juliana and Addison stood in their assigned circle with Jamie and Tyler. Juliana looked up at the ride, "Addison, if I die in Canada, my mom is going to kill you."
The blonde looked down at the diminutive girl with jet black hair and laughed, "Where are you from?"
Julia smiled broadly, "Originally from Brazil, but we’re from Dallas. I'm Juliana and this is Addison. Are you from Toronto?"
"I'm Jamie and this is Seggy," the blonde elbowed Tyler in the ribs, "We're from Brampton, outside of Toronto."
"It's actually Tyler," he corrected. He looked Addison in the face and she smiled at him. He felt his stomach flip flop.
"Tell me Tyler- are you a wimp? she teased.
He looked confused, "Uhhhhh, what do you mean?"
"I mean can you handle these rides?" she laughed, "I am stuck with Wimpy McGee."
"Yeah, I can handle these rides," he grinned.
"Good," she exclaimed as the attendant directed them to the car. "Sit next to me so I don't have to hear her scream."
Tyler's eyebrows raised, "Okay." He watched her hop into her seat and start swinging her legs back and forth playfully.
After they were harnessed in, she gave him a big grin right before the ride took off, “Here we go, Tyler.” Addison laughed as the car ascended two hundred feet in the air and nervousness spread across Tyler's face, "I thought you said you weren't a wimp?"
"I'm not- I swear," he whined.
"Need to hold my hand?" she said softly and held out her hand to him.
"Yeah," he grabbed it right before the car dropped twenty one stories in a free fall.
Addison reluctantly let go of his hand when the ride attendant came to unharness them. She jumped off the ride and waited for Tyler. When he walked up with a sheepish grin, "I swear I am not a wimp on the other rides. The height on this one gets me."
Addison leaned in and whispered, "Your secret is safe with me." She looked over to Julia who was engrossed in conversation with Jamie. "I guess we are officially ride-buddies now,” she joked as she tilted her head toward Jamie and Juliana who were shamelessly flirting with each other. Addison rolled her eyes as Jamie directed the group towards the Klockwerks ride. “That’s not that scary, dude,” Addison stated once they arrived. Both Tyler and Jamie positioned themselves to be in the inside car position. As the ride began to spin, the force of the ride pulled Juliana and Addison into their sides. Jamie artfully put his arm around Juliana and pulled her tighter. Tyler sat stiffly beside Addison as the speed increased. Eventually she put her hand on his thigh and pushed to create some separation. Tyler’s eyes flashed down to Addison’s hand and then shut tightly. He thought to himself, “For the love of God, stay down, stay down,” as he willed himself not to feel any effects of Addison’s physical proximity. He said a silent prayer of thanksgiving as they exited the ride without an erection popping up.
The group flip-flopped between Team Scaredy-Cat and Team Dare-Devil deciding on which rides to ride. With each one, Addison and Tyler stood closer and closer together in line. He passionately argued that Texas didn't have actual hockey. She questioned "Oh yeah, when is the last time the Leafs have won a cup? The Stars?" Tyler objected and Addison hit him with, "Did the Leafs even make the playoffs this year? The Stars made it.” Tyler rolled his eyes and Addison playfully poked his chest. "Admit defeat," she chided as he smiled down at her, “I’m going to make you a Stars fan if it’s the last thing I do.
He bent down and laughed, “It will be a cold day in hell before I root for the Dallas Stars.” Addison blinked as his face was inches from hers. Thankfully the ride attendant ushered them to the ride.
Somewhere between the Go-Kart Racing ride and Behemoth roller coaster, Tyler made his move and went for the hand grab. Addison simply looked down at their joined hands and back up at Tyler and smiled. Tyler’s inner dialogue of “Stay Cool, be calm- it’s just a girl. Holy shit- it’s a girl and she is letting me hold her hand” simmered under the surface.
When the foursome turned the corner and Juliana saw the tall roller coaster, she simply said, “Nope, nope, nope- I am not riding that, Miss Addison.” Jamie saw his opportunity and took it, “We can go do the swings again. You liked those.” The swings were on the other side of the park and would give him a solid hour of alone time with Juliana. Tyler also did the mental math and glanced at Addison to gauge her reaction.
Addison shrugged her shoulders and pulled Tyler towards the roller coaster. “Y’all have fun. We’ll meet you at the food court in an hour,” she called back to her friend, Juliana, who stood in a bundle of excitement and nerves. Addison turned abruptly and yelled to Juliana, “Don’t forget your PCA character!” When Juliana’s mouth dropped open, Addison laughed, “Bye!” She pulled Tyler with such force that he could barely keep up. “Come on Tyler, there’s barely any line!” she screamed as she ran in front of him. She dropped his hand as they raced up the steps. Tyler slowed his pace slightly when he realized letting her pass allowed him to watch her ass as she climbed.
When they reached the top of the stairs, they were greeted by a ride attendant. “The ride’s not quite open yet,” the young man said, “How did you get up here?” In their excitement, Tyler and Addison had missed the sign that the ride was temporarily closed. Todd, the attendant looked around, “I should send you back down to wait, but we’ll open it up in about fifteen minutes. If you promise to not bother anything, I’ll let you stay up here.”
They looked at each other and smiled, then looked at Todd, “We won’t touch anything.”
Addison squealed once Todd left. She looked at Tyler who nodded. They both spoke at once
Addison- “We get dibs on the front seat.”
Tyler- “We get to be alone for fifteen minutes”
Addison laughed while Tyler blushed, “Well, there’s that too- added bonus” They looked around the ride loading area before Addison pulled out her iTouch. Tyler watched in silence as she pushed buttons. “You like to dance, Tyler?” she asked as music started playing. Miley Cyrus - See you again - With Lyrics The music started and she started to dance. A wide grin spread across his face as she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards him. “What? Hockey boys don’t dance?” she teased. “You know there isn’t anyone here. You can risk looking stupid and dance.” She dropped his hand and started dancing and singing. “I've got a way of knowin' when somethin' is right. I feel like I must have known you in another life. 'Cause I felt this deep connection when you looked in my eyes. Now I can't wait to see you again” Addison reached for his hand again and he readily took it. He sang with her, “The last time I freaked out, I just kept lookin' down. I st-st-stuttered when you asked me what I'm thinkin' 'bout. Felt like I couldn't breathe, you asked what's wrong with me. My best friend Lesley said, "Oh she's just being Miley" Tyler twirled her around the loading area with ease. When the song stopped he pulled her back and she crashed into his chest. Their faces were inches from each other. Their combined heart rates were off the charts and their chests heaved to settle their breathing.
Addison looked into Tyler’s eyes and willed his lips to move closer. They didn’t budge. He pushed a strand of hair that had crossed over into her eyes back. Internally, the lyrics of “Kiss the Girl” raced into his thoughts, “Yes, you want her. Look at her, you know you do. Possible she wants you too. There is one way to ask her. It don't take a word. Not a single word. Go on and kiss the girl” The mental image of the small, red crab singing and dancing raced front and center of his mind. Tyler laughed at the absurdity of it. Addison flinched ever so slightly and pulled back. Tyler knew immediately that he had blown his shot.
Addison dropped his hands and walked over the far wall where the loading zone to the front car was located. She placed her back against the wall and slowly slid down to sit. She didn’t look up when she felt Tyler approach and sit next to her. They didn’t speak for a long time. Tyler checked his watch, “They should be opening it up soon.” Addison nodded in affirmation. He moved his hand to the outside of his thigh and she felt it graze her skin. She glanced down and then back at his face. She smiled and grabbed his hand. Their fingers intertwined together. Addison moved slightly to her left and rested her head on his shoulder.
She fumbled for words, “Fun fact- we are both named after cities in Texas.” He laughed and said, “What?”
“Yep, there is a Tyler, Texas and an Addison, Texas too,” she said quietly, “They are not very close together.”
“That’s too bad,” he replied. She squeezed his hand and he swore that he felt butterflies in stomach. “So tell me about Dallas.”
He looked at her as her face lit up and she started chattering away. The sound of the slow drawl of her voice hypnotized him. Suddenly the idea of Dallas, Texas, was the most fascinating subject on earth. She rambled until they noticed that the loading area had filled with other riders. Tyler frowned as she stopped talking and stood up to climb into the front roller coaster car. She held out her hand and he took it. The smile returned to his face. “Maybe I’ll go to Dallas one day,”
She turned to laugh, “Maybe you’ll play for the Stars one day. I mean you should dream big,Tyler.”
Once they were both securely harnessed for the ride, Tyler grabbed her hand again. She looked at him through her eyelashes and then looked away. Addison was unsure if it was the thrill of the ride that made her heart race or the thrill of the boy next to her. As the clickety-clack of the roller coaster filled the air, she summoned her courage while the car moved higher and higher on top of the hill. She turned to Tyler right before the car went over the summit, “Are you going to kiss me or what?” Tyler turned to her with a surprised look before they fell into the freefall.
When the car came to a complete stop, both of them scrambled to get out of the car, for very different reasons. Addison ran past the crowd that made it to the exit before her. Tyler followed behind her. They raced down the steps and Tyler called her name, “Addison- wait up!” She had no intention of waiting for him. The look of shock when she asked him about kissing her had said everything she needed to know. She thought to herself, “It’s almost four now. I just have to find a place to hang out until we leave at nine. No biggie.”
Addison was completely lost in thoughts when she felt his hand on her arm, pulling her to a stop. He grabbed her hand and held it as he guided her past the ride exit. Tyler pulled her into a corner by the restroom. “Why are you running away from me?” he said breathlessly, “Is this about your question?”
Her eyes flashed up and then down and she nodded her head yes.
Tyler groaned loudly and bent over, putting his hands on his knees, “Girls are weird.”
He stood and crossed to her, “I do want to kiss you. It’s just that….. that” He hesitated before he sputtered, “I’ve never kissed a girl. I don’t know how.” He blushed as she smiled and laughed, “Don’t laugh at me, Addison.” She walked to him, put her hand on his neck and pulled his head so she could reach his face. She smiled and kissed him.
Her lips pressed against his and she sensed his tenson and hesitation. After a beat, she felt them relax and return the kiss. Their lips separated and then came back together. There was an awkward dance of head tilts, noses that collided and teeth clashing together. Each kiss became more intentional, more passionate and more intense. They found their rhythm of a series of kisses followed by a pause for two breaths and another series of kisses.
“Get it Seggy,” a loud voice called out. One of Tyler’s teammates stood at a distance, holding the hand of Reagan, a girl from Addison's choir. It seemed like international romance had blossomed for multiple couples.
Tyler broke the kiss and looked up. He smiled at his teammate before he looked at Addison. He searched her face for a sign of how to proceed. She grinned and rested her forehead against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her as she whispered, “Tell me when they leave.”
He whispered, “They’re gone.” as the duo turned the corner. She looked up at him with a goofy grin that he returned. “Ummm, we should probably go find Big Rig and Juliana,” he pushed her hair away from her face, “It’s time to meet up with them and I am starving.”
“Big Rig?” she questioned.
“Jamie,” he smiled, “We call him Big Rig because well, he is big and built like a Mack truck.”
“So you don’t want to talk about what just happened?” she asked.
“Do we need to talk about it?” he asked in return.
“Did you like it?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he replied breathlessly.
“Me too,” she blushed.
“Let’s walk there. Maybe we’ll beat them to the poutine shop and we can do it again,” he spoke as he took her hand to guide her. He laughed when she questioned what the hell poutine was. Given the unspoken enticement of potential kisses, Tyler and Addison made it to the meeting place early. They were taking a post-kiss breath when Jamie and Juliana walked up, holding hands. The two sets of friends exchanged knowing looks before joining the line. Tyler stood behind Addison as she looked at the menu. He leaned over her shoulder, “You don’t have poutine in Dallas? That might be a dealbreaker.”
She turned to look at him, “No poutine, but we have nachos and tacos al pastor which makes up for it.” She ordered her food and dug in her pocket for her money. She picked up each coin and bill and examined it closely in confusion. Tyler resisted the temptation to laugh and quickly ordered his poutine while she searched for the right denomination. He handed his debit card to the cashier to pay. Her head swiveled around, “You didn’t have to pay for my food. I have money.”
“Clearly, you do. You don’t know which is which, but you have money,” he mocked.
“It’s not my fault y’all have funny colored money,” she pouted
“You’re cute when you pout,” he laughed as he guided her to the waiting area. Addison smiled and blushed as he snuck a kiss on the cheek while they waited. Tyler took her reaction as a sign and went in for a full kiss.
The foursome found a table. Juliana began talking animatedly about the swings and the attractions they saw on their walk. Jamie rolled his eyes when she described him being scrunched up in the swing before they were lifted into the air. “So how was the roller coaster?” the brown eyed girl asked. Addison and Tyler shared a shy glance before answering, “Fine. It was fine.” Juliana looked at both of them before exclaiming, “Fine, keep your secrets.”
Addison threw a french fry at her friend. “The ride was closed for repair, then it opened. We rode it. It went fast. We walked here. Exciting times!” She also gave her a look that said that she would give a better explanation later. Tyler and Jamie looked at each other and shrugged. "Are we doing more rides or what?" Addison asked as she picked at her poutine.
"There's always the theater show," Jamie suggested coolly.
Tyler looked confused, "Why would we do that? It's lame." Jamie stared at him in disbelief until he added, "Wait, there is a new show this year. Gotta check it out. It will be good to get out of the heat."
On the short walk to the theater, Juliana grabbed Addison's arm and whispered in her ear, "So what happened?"
Addison looked back at Tyler who was not so subtly staring at her ass. "So we kissed- a lot, which was good. Reagan saw us though," she said quietly.
"Oh shit," Juliana muttered. Reagan was a known gossip who played fast and loose with facts.
"How bad can it be?" She smiled, "It was just kisses. There wasn't even a tongue involved."
"Oh, I got tongue- lots and lots of tongue," the Brazilian beauty giggled. The two spoke in hushed whispers as they continued to walk.
Tyler walked behind them and strained to hear what was being said. He was certain that he was at least partially the subject of conversation and wanted to hear Addison’s opinion of their stunted make-out sessions. Jamie tapped him lightly on the arm and raised his eyebrows, "So…." Tyler nodded yes and smiled. "Me too," the blonde replied with the goofiest of grins, "Me too."
Tyler sped up and grabbed Addison's hand casually, "Hey, my ears were burning. Were you discussing my future NHL career or were you discussing my other skills?"
Addison gave him the side eye, "Tap the brakes there, dude. You don’t go from 'I don't know how to kiss a girl' to bragging about your skills in less than an hour, mmkay?" Tyler looked dejected. She continued, "I will admit that you do seem to have a certain natural skill set in that area. Since that was literally my first real kiss, I would offer that maybe we are both bad at it but don't know any better."
"Wait, that was your first kiss?" Tyler whispered, "but you kissed me like you had kissed a ton of guys. You kissed well for a first timer."
"Well, I wanted to kiss you and you weren't taking your shot so I took matters in my own hands,” Addison shrugged her shoulders. “You were pretty good yourself."
"Do you want to do it again," he nudged her as they walked.
"Yes, which is why I am letting you take me to this lame show in a darkened theater," she teased. His jaw dropped slightly. "You're cute, but the two of you weren't subtle. If you want to kiss me, just ask."
They walked the rest of the way in silence, holding hands. As the group walked into the dimly lit theater, they split up and went to opposite sides of the back row. The row was essentially a carpeted bench attached to a carpeted wall. Addison grabbed the spot nearest the right wall.
Tyler sat next to her and tapped his leg nervously while they waited for the show to begin. She placed her hand on his thigh. He stared at her hand resting casually on his leg, oblivious to the effect it was having on him. "Do you always get this nervous around girls or is it just me?" she joked. He looked down and didn't respond. "I am normally nervous around boys, but not you," she started to ramble, "Maybe I am a little nervous. They have a place like this at Six Flags. It's called the Southern Palace. Now I know why my brother also sat in the back with his girlfriend. I never understood before, but it makes sense now."
Tyler pulled her to his body and kissed her. She was mid-word as his lips met hers. When his tongue slid into her mouth, there was a moment of mutual confusion before instinct kicked into gear. Addison wasn't sure if this was reality or a dream, but she decided to savor the moment. She knew that this was one of those life moments that would be forever etched in her memory.
Tyler's eyes remained partly open as they kissed. He glanced at her in amazement every time they came up for air. They were both twisted towards each other at an awkward angle. Addison moved so that her back leaned against the far wall and swung her legs over Tyler’s legs. Both fumbled with where to put their hands. One of Tyler’s hands landed on her right hip while the other cradled her head. He murmured in her ear, “Is it okay to touch you like this?” He felt her head nod yes. Addison’s hands traveled up his arms and back down again. Each pause for air was marked by a smile or giggle. Tyler had long given up trying to control the raging erection that pressed against his shorts. He gasped when her hands slid under his shirt which added to the ever growing bulge in his lap.
“You can touch them if you want,” she whispered.
“Them?” he asked, knowing what he hoped she meant, but waited for confirmation.
“My boobs- you can touch my boobs,” she whispered as her hands roamed his chest.
His hand tentatively touched her right breast then he chuckled in her ear, “I’m touching your boob. I’m actually touching a boob.” It was a flurry of gropes and touches with a steady stream of hard and soft kisses. His hips twisted slightly and his hard-on pressed into her left thigh. Addison looked at the source and her eyes widened. “Is that a…..,” she gasped. He froze in place, unsure of what to do. “Did I do that? What does it feel like? Does it hurt?” she rambled on until he shut her up with a kiss
“You have to stop talking about it,” he moaned, “You are making it worse.”
Her face scrunched up, “Do we need to stop? Did I do something wrong?”
“We should stop- sorry,” he sat up and sighed deeply. “Fuck,” he groaned softly. He moved away from Addison and leaned forward in an effort to conceal the evidence. She inched towards him and put her head on his shoulder.
“What do you normally do when this happens?” she asked softly.
“Depends,” he answered bashfully, looking around at the rest of the crowd that was absorbed in the show. “If I am in a crowd, I try to think about stinky hockey gear or skating drills. If I am alone, I …..take care of it”
“Oh, you jack off?” she answered, “Do you think that the stinky hockey gear thing will work?”
“Not with you sitting there- smelling like flowers and your lips looking like that,” he whispered.
“Okay then, I guess we go with plan B then,” she stated matter-of-factly. “Can I touch it?” she asked as her hand moved towards it.
“Addison!” he hissed. Her hand landed firmly on his crotch. “Holy shit…. Holy shit,” he panted, “You’re touching it.” She started rubbing her palm up and down. He watched in amazement and then looked back at her face. His hips rocked softly, “That’s good. Yeah like that” Her eyes were wide with wonder and a smile spread across her face.
“Can I see it?” she asked, “Really touch it?”
Tyler’s head swiveled around. Again nobody was paying attention to them. He was pretty sure that he was about to be woken up by the sound of his mom screaming his name to get his ass out of bed for hockey practice. There was no way this was actually happening. He nodded yes and unbuttoned his shorts and freed the erection from the confines of his boxers. The tip glistened with precum. Her eyes went to it and then looked at Tyler’s face. “Okay,” she said, “Tell me what to do.”
Her fingers went to the top and played with the slickness. Her fingers rubbed in a circular motion. He grabbed her hand and placed it on the shaft. “Rub it up and down,” he grunted softly. Her hand touched the tip. Her fingers toying it while she stared at it. “Addison,” he moaned, “rub it-please.” She snapped out of her daze and started rubbing. She wrapped her hand around the shaft and moved it up and down, using the precum as a lube. “Oh God, oh God” his hips bucked quickly, “A little faster, a little harder.” She followed his instructions. His head tilted back and his eyes closed, “Oh, oh, oh.” Addison watched as he came into her hand. She continued to pump slowly until he told her to stop. She looked at her hand and then rubbed it on the carpeted bench. He adjusted himself back into his shorts quickly. Neither of them spoke for a minute and Tyler stared ahead.
“So, is it usually over that quick?” she asked.
“No,” he blushed, “You're the first non-male hand to touch it. Usually it takes me longer.”
“But you liked it?” she asked.
“Oh yeah,” he grinned.
“Can I make a suggestion?” she poked his ribs.
“Sure,” his eyebrows raised.
“When you give the explanation to anyone about why things earlier ended so quickly, just say it was the first hand that wasn’t yours. When you said the first non-male hand to touch it, it sort implied that there have been all sorts of male hands touching it. I mean not my business, but it does invoke images of locker room circle jerks.”
Tyler laughed out loud- loud enough to gather the attention of Jamie and Juliana
“Okay, MY hand. The first person other than ME to touch it,” he smirked. “You’re a brat, you know that? A very pretty brat, but a brat.”
“Can we kiss again?” she deflected.
“I think that we should skip that,” he grinned, “It might pop up again.”
“Can I put my head on your shoulder until the show is over?” she questioned.
“Yeah, I would like that,” he answered and he grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. They sat in silence for the reminder of the show.
When the show ended, Tyler stood up slowly and held out his hand to Addison. They walked out into the night air. Tyler’s phone rang as they walked out of the theater. He answered, “Hi Mom. I thought you said you were coming at nine. It’s only seven thirty now. I know.” Addison pretended to study the show poster on the wall outside the theater. She listened intently as the conversation continued. “I will be at the gate in fifteen minutes. Wait, just a second.” Tyler called to Jamie, “Hey Big Rig, do you need a ride home?” Jamie shook his head not and tossed Juliana’s hair. “Okay, I will see you in fifteen minutes. Bye Mom,” he said finally. He lowered his voice, “Love you too.”
Addison looked at Tyler and then back at Juliana and Jamie. “So you have to leave now? Your mom is picking you up?” she asked. He nodded yes. “Oh,” she replied quietly. She silently cursed herself for not thinking about the outcome of the day. Of course, it would come to an end and she was a fool for not having thought about it. “We don’t meet for the bus back to the hotel until nine PM, but I could walk with you to the front gate. I mean if you wanted,” she looked up and saw him staring at her face. He held out his hand and she took it with a smile. She called out to Juliana, “I will call you after Tyler leaves so I can find you.”
“How much longer are you in Canada?” he asked as they walked through the park.
“We leave tomorrow afternoon,” she sighed.
“I have practice tomorrow morning,” he stated as if there were any real opportunity for them to meet again before Addison left. Today would be their first and last day together. Addison felt numb about the prospect of never seeing Tyler again.
Internally Tyler was having a similar, yet far less nuanced thought process. Part of him was still in disbelief at how the day unfolded. He would never fantasize about meeting a girl like Addison and her finding him interesting enough to kiss.
As they approached the gate, reality set in for both of them. Addison spied a photo booth set among carts selling souvenirs. “Should we take pictures?” she asked. We can use up the rest of my Canadian cash.” Tyler helped her figure out the right coins and hopped into the photo booth. Addison sat on his lap and they smiled into the camera.
“Okay, silly face for pose two,” she instructed
“Kisses,” Tyler requested for pose three.
“Smile again,” she suggested for pose four. Addison looked at the camera while Tyler stared at Addison’s face. When the pictures came out of the machine, they each took a set.
“So,” he said quietly, “Should I give you my phone number or something?”
Addison studied his face, “No, I don’t think so.”
His head snapped upward, “No? Why not?”
They stopped just short of the exit gate. She looked around at the people milling about. Addison took a deep breath, “Have you seen that movie, Serendipity? It’s a chick flick.” He shook his head no. “I figured. In the movie, a girl meets a guy and they have a fantastic day together. At the end of the day, he asks for her phone number and she says no. She writes it in a book and leaves it on a bench.She tells him that if it’s fate that they meet again, it will happen.”
Tyler listened for her to continue. “I would rather leave it like that than give you my number. You’ll probably text or call a few times, but life will get in the way- hockey practices for you and choir stuff for me. I would rather have a perfect day to remember. If we are meant to meet again, we will.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. She nodded her head yes.
“Tyler,” a young blonde called from just outside the gate, “Mom’s waiting for you.”
“Okay Candace, I’m coming,” he called to her. “So this is it then I guess,” he said as he held Addison’s hands.
“Hold on,” She ran to the exit, got her hand stamped and ran back to Tyler. “I will walk you all the way out,” she proclaimed.
Together they walked through the exit hand in hand. Jackie Seguin stood waiting by the car. Her eyes widened at the sight of Tyler walking towards holding a girl’s hand. “Mom, this is Addison. She’s from Dallas,” he said calmly. “Addison, this is my mom.” He turned and gave her a hug. He whispered, “So I guess this bye, huh?”
“Yeah, this is bye,” Addison agreed. As he walked to the car, she called, “Tyler- don’t forget to find me when you come play for Dallas. You’ll look good in green.” He flashed a smile, “Will do.”
Addison waved and walked to the bench outside of the park. Tyler started to get in the car before he turned around and looked at her sitting on the bench. He sprinted towards her and she stood up. He grabbed her face and kissed her. For a moment time stopped as they stood next to the bench, glued together. No one else existed. His mom and sisters were watching from the curb, their jaws dropped in shock. For a moment, there was no risk of their hearts breaking. And for Tyler, it was if he had been a ladies man all along.
“Okay,” he breathed finally, “I have to go or my mom is going to kill me. You’re right. Let’s just leave it as the perfect day and I will find you when I come to Dallas. Deal?”
“Deal,” she smiled.
2022
Addy felt Tyler's weight pressed against her body as she pulled him tighter to it. Her body pulsated as his mouth grazed over her bare shoulders. Her mind, however, raced with thoughts. Her Tyler from Toronto had turned into Tyler-Fucking-Seguin, noted himbo and hockey whore. She had lied to him earlier. As a single woman in Dallas, you didn't have to follow hockey to know what a playboy Tyler had turned into so she knew exactly who he was when he introduced himself. She gathered her thoughts to assess the situation. She was currently making out with the NHL superstar and about to cross the line into dry humping.
"We need to stop or we'll have a repeat of last time," he moaned. "We could stop or we could relocate to some place more private," he added eagerly. “We aren't far from my house. We can order some food and hangout."
"Tyler, we’re thirty. Let's not pretend. We are not going to ‘hang out,’" she responded. "You get an Uber. I will pay the tab."
When they went back into the tavern, Gina and Tom were playing darts. Tyler focused on his phone, ordered the Uber and looked up to see they were staring at them with bemused grins on their faces. Addy didn't make eye contact as she walked to the bar. "Tess, I need to close out my tab" she said as Tyler reached for his wallet. "Put it away, Tyler. I still owe you for my poutine." She swatted his hand away.
Tess looked up and smiled, "That'll be eight bucks, Adorable Addy."
Tyler interjected, "Eight dollars for all of it? I am coming here all the time."
Tess turned and pressed her lips together, "It's eight dollars for her. You get the Addy discount because she vouched for you. Otherwise, you would be sliding over that C-note you carry for emergencies."
Tyler pretended to be offended, "Why do you hate me?"
"You rich white boys get on my last nerves," she laughed, "but if she vouches for you, you must be good people."
Addy slapped down twenty dollars and turned to Tyler. "Let me go say my goodbyes and I'll wait for you outside," she said softly.
He pulled her to his body, "We're thirty. We don't need to pretend to leave separately."
"Says you- you won't have any consequences if people know," she pushed away and walked to her friend, "I'm heading out. Y'all have a good night." When Gina stood up, Addy whispered, "I'll text in the morning." Gina's eyebrows raised at the deviation from their standard routine. Addy shrugged her shoulders, "Not going straight home. Might be late." Gina simply nodded her head.
Tyler simply nodded his head at Tom, "Tuesday at 1? Text me the course." He placed his hand on Addy's back and followed her out of the tavern. When they arrived at the Uber, he opened the door and motioned for her to slide in first. Her leg bounced nervously as they drove off. He placed his hand on her thigh and smiled at her, "Are you always this nervous around men or is it just me?"
"It's just you," she grinned, "What about you?"
"Too early to tell," he explained, "I thought I would be less nervous this time."
"You thought about me? About meeting me again?" she asked softly.
"All the time- especially when I got traded to Dallas," he replied, suddenly serious. Both of them got quiet, not sure what to say.
When they arrived at Tyler's house, he tried to study her face. Two thoughts emerged in his brain. First, why was he so eager to bring her to his house? It wasn't his usual MO. He usually went to other women's homes which allowed for quick exits. However, that felt unnecessary with Addison. Second, why did he feel the need to impress her? Tyler had become extremely confident. Maybe too confident, he considered, but suddenly he felt unsure and shy.
Addy tried to keep her face neutral as they walked into his large home. It was everything you would expect from a professional athlete, yet somehow felt cozy and warm. He went to check on the dogs and let them out of their crates. Marshall, Cash and Gerry sniffed Addy with mild curiosity as Tyler introduced her to them. "Boys, this is Addison," he said brightly, “Dad knew her a long time ago.”
'It's actually Addy now," she said as patted Gerry's head, "I haven't been Addison in fifteen years."
Tyler turned his head, "Why?"
She stood back up and walked away from him. He watched her intently.
"Why are you no longer Addison?" he asked. He did the mental math in his head, "What happened fifteen years ago?"
"You" she whispered to herself and turned around, "It's been a long time, Tyler. It doesn't matter now."
"I think it does matter, Addison," he stepped towards her, "Tell me."
"Just drop it," she pleaded and looked down.
"No," he answered, "Does it have anything to do with why you don't follow the Stars? Or why the name Tyler completed the asshole trifecta? What happened? I thought we were good when we said bye." He crossed to her and lifted her chin to look into her eyes.
"Addison became Easy A," she yelled.
Tyler took a step back, “Easy A? What does that mean?”
Addy crossed her arms, “What? You didn’t hear? I mean our exploits were legendary at PCA. LE-GEND-ARY.”
“Addison, what are you talking about?” he asked with the confusion showing on his face.
“I’m talking about the fact that you didn’t keep your damn mouth shut about what we did in the back of the theater, more specifically what I did.” she put her hands and pushed him away from her.
“Addison, WHAT-IN-THE-FUCK are you talking about?” he bellowed.
“My name is Addy now, dammit.” she hissed as walked past him. “Thanks to your big mouth I was labeled a slut. Addison is the easy A and the easy lay. There was also 'If you want to have some fun, be sure to call Addison.' You on the other hand? I bet you were hailed as a stud with your conquest. I became a social pariah after my behavior was found to be unladylike and unbecoming. I lost my spot in choir and most of my friends."
"You think I told someone about it?" he protested. "I never told anyone what happened in the theater. Big Rig knew that we made out, but I never told anyone else."
"How did people in Dallas find out?" he added. "The guys teased me in the locker room, but it wasn't that big of a deal."
"It wasn’t a big deal FOR YOU. What did they say in the locker room,Tyler?" she challenged, "What did they say?"
"Seggy shot and he scored," he said quietly, "I didn't think it was a big deal. I mean you were in a different country."
"And you didn't correct them? You didn't think to question why they said that? I mean if you didn't say anything to anyone, how did they get that impression that we fucked? I mean, as long as you looked good it didn't matter, right?" she peppered him with questions.
"I didn't think it went beyond the locker room. If I had known it was spread around Dallas, I would have said something. I didn't know. I SWEAR I didn't know.," Tyler argued. "Addison, you have to believe me. I would have never done anything to fuck up that day." There was a sincerity and tenderness in his voice that she paused and looked at him. She walked around the living room as he watched. She stopped when a framed picture caught her attention. There in a simple black frame was the photo strip they took in the photo booth.
"You kept them? After all this time?" She turned to him with a questioning look. "Why?"
Tyler looked down and didn't answer at first. He took a slow lap around the living room and stood in front of her. "Because you were the first and probably only girl/woman who liked me for me. You believed in me and you trusted me. It was the only tangible thing I had that you were real," he declared.
"You really didn't tell anyone" she whispered.
"I didn't tell anyone- I swear," Tyler inched closer to her.
"Swear on your dick," she held her hand out against his chest.
"Swear on your dick." she smiled, "if you are lying, may you never get another erection again."
"I swear on my dick I told no one," he stepped forward.
She stepped to him and he asked "They called you a slut?" She nodded her head yes. "I'm sorry, Addison. I didn't know. Fuck, I didn't know." He grabbed and pulled her to his chest. "It was the perfect day for me. One of the top five days of my life. I feel awful it got fucked up for you."
He held her tight and swayed slowly as she rested her head against his chest. "It really was a great day, wasn't it?" she looked up and smiled. "I can't believe it's really you-Tyler from Toronto."
"Technically, Brampton- but close enough," he sassed.
She covered his mouth with a kiss. Tyler responded and started to walk her back towards the couch. He gently guided her until they were both on the couch. The weight of his body rested on her as they kissed.
"One day you'll actually let me make the first move" he murmured in her ear.
"No one is stopping you now," she remarked, "Aren't you some sort of hockey sex god? Surely, you have some moves you’ve developed."
"Oh, I have moves now," he said as he slid his hand under her shirt.
"Then show me," she purred.
"Sit up," he ordered.
She raised an eyebrow.
"Please?"
She sat up and he removed her shirt. His hands went to her bra and tugged it down. His mouth went to her nipple and teased it with his teeth before drawing a circle with this tongue. Their eyes met as his tongue flicked softly. His mouth moved down her stomach. Addison placed her hand on his head as it inched lower. "Tyler," she moaned. He smiled against her skin as his finger gripped her shorts and panties. He tugged at them and she lifted her hips to allow him to pull them down. He tossed them to the side. His lips went to her hips and began to trail down. His tongue glided along the curve of her thigh. She sat up on her elbows, "Wait, wait, wait." His head shot up. "Take your clothes off. I want to see you," she implored.
He sat up and peeled off his shirt. Addison gasped as she studied his chest. His arms and chest were covered with tattoos and she felt the urge to touch them. He stood up and removed his shorts and boxers. He smiled shyly as he moved back to her. "You're bigger than I remembered," she commented.
He looked down and grinned up at her. Addison rolled her eyes, "Not your damn cock- the rest of you. You're more muscular-larger. You look different than the picture I had in my mind all these years.”
“Is that good or bad?” he asked in a moment of doubt.
“Not either good or bad. I liked fifteen year old Tyler’s body and I like thirty year old Tyler’s body. They are just different, both hotter than hell in their own ways.” she answered
“You look the same, Addison. I can't believe I didn't know it was you right away. I guess I had given up hope of finding you.” Tyler said as he moved back to her. “You have the same gorgeous eyes and the same smile that makes my heart skip a beat. You look more amazing naked than I dreamed.” He began to kiss her neck and make his way down her torso, kissing her softly as she writhed. “You’re here and you’re naked,” he said with wonder, “I can’t believe it.” When his mouth made contact with her waiting sex, Addison’s back arched off the couch. “TYLER!!!” she panted as his tongue explored.
He looked up and smirked, “Told you that I have moves.”
She sat up on her elbows, “It’s a decent start, but let’s see how you finish.”
“Still a brat, I see,” he shook his head. He began fucking her with his mouth again. It was a flurry of licks, sucks, and soft bites. Addison felt the thrill from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Each movement elicited a moan or whimper. He had dreamed of this moment for almost half of his life. He wanted to bring her to peak and he was entirely focused. When she was able to speak, Addison would call his name. It was music to Tyler’s ears. She wove her fingers through his hair and tugged to pull him closer as her hips rocked against his face. “So close, so close,” she yelped as she felt herself submit to the pleasure. Her orgasm was loud, intense and long. She rode the wave of little aftershocks and Tyler licked her juices that flowed freely.
He slowly and gently kissed his way up her body. She trembled ever-so-slightly with each touch. There was a tenderness to his touch which was not present with the other women he had been with. She continued to run her fingers through his curls.
“Your hair is different, right? It wasn’t curly last time?” she spoke softly. Her heart raced still and a thousand thoughts raced through her mind.
“Yeah, it turned curly sometime in my early twenties- not sure why,” he grinned. When he made his way to her neck, “Are you good? You liked it?”
“Oh yeah, that move was ummmmm, impressive,” she sighed.
“I have another move if you want to see it,” he nibbled her ear.
“Does it involve my long time friend?” she joked as her hand went to his cock. She stroked it casually and Tyler groaned. “It feels the same. I am glad it didn’t change.”
Tyler sat up before leaning off the couch. He grabbed his wallet out of shorts. He opened it deftly and retrieved the condom. Addison bit her lip and closed her eyes. It was a reminder that this was no longer Shy Ty, but a man who was seasoned with hook-ups. She wasn’t sure how that reality made her feel and she tried to push the thought from her mind. He looked at her as he ripped the package. “Hey,” he said softly, “Do you want to stop? We don’t have to…….” She opened her eyes and stared at him. She sat up and straddled his thighs wordlessly. Her hand went to his cheek and she caressed it. He returned the gesture. “Seriously, we can stop. I understand.” She searched his eyes, lost in her thoughts. He smiled sweetly and she saw him staring back at her. Not the NHL superstar, but the sweet boy from Toronto who she fell in love with. It might have been short-lived, but she was sure that it was love. She was also sure that it was returned.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Hi,” he whispered in return.
“I missed you. I missed you so much,” she said as she kissed him gently.
“Me too-more than you know,” he kissed in return.
“I’m ready now,” she leaned and pulled him with her.
“Really? No pressure,” he said as he rolled on the condom.
“Yes, I’m sure,” she responded.
They both gasped as he slid into her warmth. It was a new and exciting sensation, yet somehow felt entirely familiar. The pace was slow and methodical at first as they explored to find the best angle and pressure for their mutual pleasure. There was muted conversation about hand placement on top of her clit- “A little to the left- yeah, right there” Tyler’s mind exploded with a hundred different thoughts, but the most pressing was that he was determined not to cum until she had again. The speed and the intensity of thrusting increased. Their mouths devoured each other as they fucked. Her legs wrapped around him and she used her muscles to clench down around his rock hard cock. “I’m going to cum, I’m going to cum,” they panted in unison. Addison exploded first with Tyler finishing just afterwards.
Tyler rested his body on top of hers in exhaustion. He was far more spent than his actions required. “Addison, that was…..” his voice trailed off. “Shit, can I still call you Addison?” he asked. She nodded yes as he showered her neck and face with kisses. “I don’t want to move. Stay here all night?” he moaned.
“You want me to stay all night with you?” she asked. She was pretty sure that was a deviation from his standard operating method.
“Let’s start with one night,” he said as he looked into her eyes.
“Okay, but I’m too old to sleep on the couch when I know that there has to be a bed somewhere in this house,” she teased. They sat up slowly and gathered their clothes from the floor. She followed him up the stairs and into the main bedroom. The bed was large and fitted with luxurious sheets. She put her things on the bench at the end of the bed. She glanced at her phone and smiled. Gina had sent a funny meme. Juliana had responded to her text. When she put her phone down, she looked up to him staring at her.
“Why are you smiling?” he asked.
“Just a text from Juliana,” she answered, “Remember her? I told her that I was with you tonight.”
“Of course, I remember her. Is she in Brazil or Dallas these days?” he inquired.
“Neither- she moved to Dallas after college, but just got a job in Seattle,” Addison answered.
“Huh, I’ll have to let Big Rig know,” he smiled.
“Where is he these days?” she quizzed.
“You really haven’t been paying attention. He was drafted by Dallas, but now he is in Seattle now.”
“You’re kidding me,” she laughed.
“Nope and he’s single,” Tyler smiled, “Not that I would try to set him up with any one.”
“Of course,” she giggled, “It would break bro code or something. Do you have a shirt I can throw on to sleep?” she asked. He threw the shirt in his hand to her. She caught it in her hands and brought it to her nose to smell. “I’m pretty sure that you’re never getting this shirt back,” she smiled as she inhaled.
“Oh really? Why is that?” he laughed.
She blushed as she put it over her head, “No reason.”
“No- tell me,” he pleaded as they climbed onto the bed.
“I want a memento from tonight,” she sighed.
He rolled over into his side and looked at her, “Why would you need a memento? What do you think is going to happen tomorrow morning?
She rolled to face him and shrugged.
He inched forward and kissed her, “If you think I am going to let you get away from me again, you are sadly mistaken, Addison from Dallas.
She smiled, “Is that so Tyler from Toronto?”
“Yes,” he pulled her close to rest on his chest, “I have big plans for us tomorrow.”
“You do?” she questioned as fingers traced his tattoos.
“A full day at Six Flags to relive our first day together,” he laughed, “Complete with a show at the Southern Palace.”
“Don’t think I am a girl who gives handjobs in darkened theaters these days,” she retorted.
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I am classy. I only give blowjobs now.” she laughed.
sad that this may be the last thing I get to write for a while because I have to be at school full time and put all my focus into that but i finally got to write a piece with Matthew
pairing: matthew tkachuk x gn reader
# of words: 1,322
warnings: mentions of drinking (everyone is of age), mention of sleeping together (nothing explicit + of age)
requested: yes
matthew tkachuk masterlist
masterlist
Matthew was the type of guy that anyone could’ve asked for. He did everything in his power to make sure that you were always happy and that there was never a dull moment in your life. The two of you had known each other for a bit when you were younger but then you both started to part ways as Matthew wanted to focus on his hockey career and you wanted to focus on school and finish getting your degree.
Even though the two of you weren’t as close as you were when you were children, it didn’t mean that your friendship was over. You both kept in touch and if either one of you were nearby, you’d always try to make plans on days off. You also kept in touch with each other's families seeing how close the two of you were growing up and had pretty much joined each other's families.
It wasn’t until the summer after the most recent Calgary Flames playoff run where they had lost in the conference finals and had been eliminated. You knew it would take him a few days before he went back to being his old self again seeing how well he did in the regular season up until the post season and in playoffs.
Summer in St. Louis with you was something that Matthew was looking forward to as he wanted to forget about everything that happened. He still remembers how the team couldn’t tie the game up before the third period had expired after a silly penalty cost them and the other team ended up tying it on their power play. You had left Calgary a week before him so he and the rest of the team could do their last interviews of the playoffs and finish getting ready for the off season.
“Hey, how are you doing?” you asked him as he walked up to you to give you a hug. He didn’t say anything besides hide his face in his neck before pulling away and taking a deep sigh
“Part of me is relieved that my body can rest” he started
“But…” you asked knowing he had more to say
“If I hadn’t have taken that stupid penalty and try to fight then we’d be in the finals, one step closer to the cup.” he mumbled, trying his hardest not to cry thinking it was his fault
“Hey, it wasn’t your fault. They were trying to get under your skin and you did what you had to do to defend yourself. You played your ass off every game and you helped your team reach the semifinals. This isn’t just on you.” you had to tell him the two of you walked over to the luggage claim and grabbed his stuff before heading back out to your car.
The trip to his house was quiet. You knew that he didn’t want to talk about anything for a while until he settled down. As much as he loved them, he told his family he didn’t want to talk about the game until later in the offseason or when he’s getting ready for training again. The one thing he did want to talk about with his mom was you. He’s loved you for as long as he can remember and he finally thought that this summer was going to finally be the summer where he confesses his love seeing that you aren’t dating anyone after your last breakup nearly a year and a half ago. He knew you wanted to take a break from dating and during the season and he respected that. you would always talk to him about the dates you had gone on but could never stick with anyone or they didn’t seem like the person that they first were. The two of you were open about who you were dating and would often help each other when it came to asking the person out. He remembers the one time where he liked someone so much that you had suggested making them a cake to ask them out to the dance but you had to make it because you didn’t trust his baking skills and knew chantal didn’t want to see her oldest child ruin the kitchen. He didn’t realize he was daydreaming until you put the car into park and had to shake his shoulder.
-----
Matthew, Brady, and you had decided to go out later that night after spending some time with their family to see some friends that they haven’t seen in a while during the season.
“So matty boy, anyone new in your life?” jason had asked matthew seeing he’s been quiet all night and wanted his friend to speak up
“No, no one seems to find me interesting enough to keep up with me” matthew answered and taking a sip out of his beer
“But what about-” jason had tried to ask, confused before he got cut off by matthew himself
“Like I said. There’s currently no one”
You didn’t know what he was talking about and was a little confused as to why he didn’t want to talk about what Jason wanted to talk about. You looked over to Brady for some help but he just shrugged not knowing about the situation. The night was packed and loud, especially when the news got out that Matthew and Brady Tkachuk were back in town. After a while people realized that they wanted to be alone and hang out with their old friends and later left.
Matthew had drank several beers by the time that you were starting your third drink. The two of you started to feel the effects of alcohol before Matthew and Brady had heard the opening to Mr. Brightside and you knew what was about to happen as soon the look of shock and excitement got written all over their faces. Brady went to the dancefloor with his girlfriend as Matthew looked over to you and held his hand out signaling that he wants to dance with you. Taking his hand, he smiled and led you out to where everyone else was and started to sing, more screaming the lyrics before you joined in laughing at him and his love for the song.
It was near the end of the song before the two of you stopped dancing and stared at each other, deeply in the eyes. His green eyes, now dilated due the amount of alcohol he had consumed throughout the night, were staring right into your eyes, emotions filled and running through his body before his eyes glanced down to your lips. Slowly leaning in, his lips captured yours, you started to run your hands through his hair as he brought you in closer. Pulling away, foreheads still touching as the two of you tried to catch your breaths, suddenly capturing each other's lips again.
-----
The next morning you woke up and you instantly recognized the room. It was Matthew's room in the apartment that Brady and Matthew shared during the off season. You looked around to find yours and Matthew's clothes on the floor. Everything started to run through your mind as to what happened and why it happened. Everyone had known you liked Matthew, and everyone knew Matthew liked you, but neither one of you made a move to further your relationship. Slowly moving his arms away from your waist, you had tried to slip out as quietly as you could but Matthew had felt your movement and woke up.
“Where are you going?” he asked, his voice groggy with a hint of curiosity
“Home. I’m sorry”
“Wha-What? Why?”
“I’m sorry Matthew” you started as you gathered your clothes to put them back on
“This is a one time thing” you whispered stopping at the door but loud enough for Matthew to hear before opening his bedroom door and leaving the apartment, leaving Matthew there shocked and hurt
coming in at the last minute, but this fic is finally here!! thank you to @antoineroussel for hosting the summer fic exchange once again, it’s always so much fun to be a part of. this is for @hockeylvr59! the entire idea was amazing to bring to life and i hope you love it! the title comes from taylor swift’s “everything has changed” which also fits the vibe of this fic perfectly
warnings: brief mentions of childbirth and blood, side character death. if i missed anything else, please let me know!
hope you enjoy!! feedback is always appreciated! xx
word count: 7.4k
~~~~~
Out of all the titles and accomplishments that can be attached to Cale Makar’s name, being a father is the one he is most proud of. But it’s days like today that he’s unfortunately reminded of how life doesn’t always go to plan no matter who you are.
His daughter is starting preschool today. Cale’s little baby girl has grown so much over the years, but this big moment in their lives is proof that time is moving too quickly. And on top of those emotions, she’s starting school without her mom here. A reminder that Cale wishes he could change with every single passing day.
He’s currently standing at the stove making Maisy’s favorite breakfast, chocolate chip and sprinkle pancakes, when all the memories rush back unwelcome on what’s meant to be a happy morning for the father and daughter.
Cale never expected this to be his life at 23. But after being asked to join the Avalanche in the middle of their 2019 playoff run, he left behind his college years and became a professional athlete in the blink of an eye. It just so happened the Avs were playing the Flames which meant Cale was heading home in an odd way. And somehow, in all the craziness of that time in his life, he reconnected with Beatrice.
Beatrice who he went to high school with and remained one of his best friends when hockey started taking over his life. Beatrice who was so happy to see him back in Calgary even if only for a short period of time. Beatrice who made the first move when the Avs got eliminated and made the two of them official.
Everything had been a whirlwind to Cale, but reconnecting with Bea was incredible. For the entirety of the offseason, their relationship was happy and full of love. It was all he could ever ask for. But as the next season approached and Cale received word that he would be returning to the team permanently, things began to shift.
The time for training, meetings, moving from one country to another permanently, and all the other requirements of playing in the NHL started to take a toll on them. Cale couldn’t stop the inevitable, so before he flew to Denver for training camp, he gently suggested that they break up and remain friends. Because after all this time, he didn’t want her to disappear from his life.
And life went on. The season started and Cale was off to a phenomenal start as a rookie which continued to stun anyone watching him play. Bea reached out frequently enough whether with a simple text or phone call. Life was good.
Then, Beatrice called that November.
The words she said all made perfect sense, but Cale couldn’t comprehend anything. Pregnant, it’s his, what are they going to do, unexpected. The world came to a screeching halt all at once. And from that moment on, his life was changed forever.
He was going to be a dad.
Despite the fact that he and Beatrice broke up, Cale insisted on being there for her during the entire pregnancy because that’s what good friends do when they’re expecting together. He wanted to help with anything he possibly could so he did. Doctor appointments, shopping for the necessities, taking care of Bea when he wasn’t on the road. It wasn’t easy to balance both his rookie season and the preparation of having a baby, but Cale found himself getting more and more excited with each passing day.
The day his little girl arrived in the world was full of more emotions than Cale thought possible. Bea’s labor was seemingly going well, not too long and not that painful, and he was there for every step of the way. Cale was in awe more than anything of Bea and the fact that their baby girl was finally here, but before either of them could soak in the moment, chaos broke out.
The next thing Cale remembers is the nurse telling him she has to push through the afterbirth. They were both terrified, but his heart dropped the second the machines started beeping and Bea began to lose consciousness. He was immediately rushed out of the room so the doctors could help, but when the nurse approached him again with a look of despair, all he heard were the words complications with delivery and severe blood loss. Bea unfortunately didn’t make it. She was gone. There was hardly any time to process the devastating news before the nurse asked if he would finally like to meet his baby. His little girl.
With tears in his eyes, Cale nodded and followed the nurse back to the nursery. The moment she was placed in Cale’s arms, he felt his heart burst and tears roll down his cheeks. Everything he will ever do will be for her, he swears right then and there.
“Do you have a name for her?” The nurse asked quietly, not following the question with a further explanation. It dawns on him then that this decision, and everything else going forward, will be completely up to him. He’s on his own.
“Maisy. Maisy Beatrice Makar.” Cale replied, trying to keep his emotions in check. The baby girl, Maisy, wrapped one of her tiny hands around Cale’s pointer finger as if in approval of her carefully selected name. Maisy was the one both Cale and Bea had picked out in advance, but there was no doubt about making his daughter’s middle name the one that belonged to her mom. It had to be.
From then on, it’s been Cale and Maisy against the world. Of course, they both miss Bea in different ways that almost no one understands, but Cale couldn’t be anymore grateful for the help he’s received over the last four years from friends, family and teammates. They say it takes a village and Cale is the first to second that statement.
Now, he’s just won the Stanley Cup, his lifelong dream, along with the Norris and Conn Smythe. Celebrating and making the most of riding out the high this huge victory provided has been nothing short of incredible. The happiness he’s felt since the Avs became champs is like nothing else in the entire world. And through the entire season, from start to finish, Maisy has been there. The win meant just as much to her as it did for him.
Except Cale thinks that her first day at preschool might be even more exciting considering how she hasn’t stopped talking about it practically all summer.
“Daddy! I lost my shoes!” Maisy’s voice breaks Cale out of his trance where he’s reliving the good and painful memories. No matter how badly he wishes that Beatrice was here to see Maisy on such an important day, she isn’t, and he’s going to make sure his little girl knows her mom would be insanely proud of her like always.
With a glance over his shoulder, he spots Maisy’s favorite pair of sparkly Converse by the door. “By the door, sweetie!” He calls back, plating the pancakes before turning around towards the kitchen island. His eyes find the flash of blonde hair passing through the room in mere seconds as Maisy runs to get her shoes.
Before he knows it, Maisy is crawling up onto a stool at the counter and giving Cale her biggest smile. Even after all this time, Cale’s overwhelmed with emotions looking at his daughter. She’s beautiful. Identical clear blue eyes like his which shine beneath her pink framed glasses, curly blonde hair that just reaches her shoulders now, a sweet smile that reminds him so much of Beatrice’s. He adores her and can’t believe how much she’s already grown.
“Chocolate chip and sprinkle pancakes! My favorite!” Maisy exclaims when she sees the full plate at her seat. “Will you help me put my shoes on and do my hair after we eat?” She asks adorably, attention never faltering from her father.
“Absolutely I can do that. Are you sure you want to wear your jersey to the first day of preschool though?” Cale smiles as he sits next to her and they start eating breakfast together. He couldn’t miss the signature burgundy and blue that adorned the top half of her body when she came down the stairs moments ago. Maisy cherishes her Stanley Cup playoffs Makar jersey over all her others now and it seems to be her outfit choice to start school.
“Mhm! I love my jersey and it’ll be like having you at school with me in a funny way.” Maisy replies with a definitive nod. Cale can’t argue with her and as long as she’s happy, he’s happy so he just smiles while love rushes through him.
Maisy pushes her breakfast plate away from her only a few minutes later, stating that she’s full and needs help with finishing getting ready. Cale kneels down to tie her shoes before getting to work on her hair. Of course, she picked out a matching bow to go with her jersey and Cale can’t help but chuckle as he tries to wrangle in her unruly curls.
It’s only when Maisy is distractedly humming to herself while her dad puts the bow in her hair that Cale spills the big surprise.
“Maisy?” He asks, earning a soft response from the little girl. “I know you’re really excited for your first day of preschool and so am I. And even though Mommy isn’t here today, she left me something a long time ago to give you. Is that okay?”
“From Mommy?” Maisy’s voice is so quiet that Cale’s heart almost breaks. It’s not like they don’t talk about Beatrice, it’s just hard for both of them for different reasons. Maisy never got the chance to know her. She doesn’t have any memories, only the stories that Cale has told her while he feels the direct pain of the loss for both him and their daughter. Cale nods, tying her bow in place before facing her. “Can we open it together before we go to school?”
“That sounds like a great plan. Stay right here, okay?”
When Cale returns only a few minutes later with a small box in hand, Maisy’s head tilts in curiosity, but she waits until her father speaks again.
“When you were in Mommy’s tummy, she decided to write you a letter for the first day of school for each year. Because today is the first day of preschool, we can open the first letter.” Cale explains softly, kissing the top of her head as he picks up a pink envelope in the front of the box and lets Maisy open it.
“Dear Maisy,” She starts reading with a smile until her brows furrow in confusion and she looks back up at Cale. “Read for me, please?”
“Dear Maisy, it’s your first day of preschool! I’m so proud of you. I hope you have your favorite outfit picked out and all the best snacks in your lunchbox. This is a really big moment! I can’t believe you’ve grown so much and I just know you’re the most resilient, funny and bright little girl in the entire world. Daddy and I are so lucky to have you. Go make some friends, have fun and I’m wishing you the best first day ever! Love, Mommy.” Cale reads Beatrice’s handwritten words from the small card.
He doesn’t notice the tears in his own eyes until he’s wiping away Maisy’s and pulling her in for a hug. A comfortable silence settles around them for a moment, but it isn’t long before Maisy’s voice fills the air once more.
“Don’t worry, Daddy. I know Mommy is with me right here,” She puts a little hand over her heart, “and that makes today even more special. I think I’m ready to go to school now.” Maisy tucks the paper in the envelope again before tugging on Cale’s hand. She puts the letter in the safest place within her backpack to have with her throughout the day and the two of them finish up their morning routine. The heavy emotions subside only to be replaced with happiness that Cale feels with each passing second.
It is Maisy’s first day of school after all.
~~~~~
That cannot be her.
The last time Cale saw Maia, they were sitting next to each other in their sophomore statistics class at UMass the day before he left for Colorado. He hasn’t seen her since. Through Instagram, he knows that she graduated summa cum laude last year and got her dream teaching job for the following fall. But other than that, she has been someone stuck in his past that he wishes he had more time with before his college career got cut short because of hockey.
Except at this very moment, she’s standing right in front of him and his daughter at her new preschool welcoming each of the children that will presumably be her students.
Ohmygod.
Gabe, ever observant, notices the longing and surprised look on his teammate’s face and elbows Cale just enough to grab his attention again. Maisy’s arms are wrapped around one of Cale’s legs as she takes in the scene around her. It’s easy to tell that she’s nervous, scared and shy all at once, her earlier excitement seemingly having disappeared for the moment. Linnea, on the other hand, is happily bouncing next to Gabe and Cale feels grateful for the millionth time that Maisy won’t be alone today because she has such a good friend in his captain’s daughter.
“Who is she?” Gabe asks, not dancing around the subject at all. Cale tries to suppress the urge to roll his eyes as he drops a hand to Maisy’s head knowing the simple touch will keep her calm until he can talk to her.
“Who?” Cale decides to play dumb, hoping to get Gabe off the topic but it doesn’t work. He gets a level stare instead. “Maia. We went to UMass together and I had the biggest crush on her. We shared a lot of classes and hung out a lot because of that, but I never acted on anything since I wasn’t sure if she felt the same way. I haven’t seen her since I left to join the team.” He admits, awaiting some kind of reaction to the shortened story he just recounted.
“Well, judging by the look on your face you wish you did something about it then. Universe works in funny ways, Cale. Give it some time. You know she’s here now and considering she’s your daughter’s preschool teacher, I’m sure there won’t be a shortage of opportunities to talk to her.”
“I don’t even know if she remembers me, Gabe.”
With one glance back towards the woman standing near the school’s entrance, Gabe catches her eyes flickering over to where the two hockey players are standing. It’s almost impossible to miss the split second change of emotions on display across her facial features when she looks at Cale.
“I highly doubt that.” Gabe responds, patting Cale on the shoulder and offering a genuine smile before kneeling down to talk to Linnea.
“Daddy?” Maisy speaks up softly, tugging at his hand and looking up at him with her big blue eyes. Cale’s heart just about melts at the sight.
“How are you feeling, Maise?” Cale asks, putting himself on the little girl’s level. She offers him a shy smile and then hugs her father tightly for a moment. He holds her close, letting her revel in the comfort of the embrace until she’s ready to say anything more.
“I’m scared. There’s a lot of kids and I only know Lala.” Maisy admits with a small waver in her voice giving away her emotions.
“There are a lot of kids here, but you’ll have Linnea to play with and I know you’ll make so many new friends. I saw a girl with an Avalanche keychain on her backpack over there and a boy who had the same coloring book you love at home.”
“Really?” Maisy says with that familiar gleam of hope. Cale only nods in response, kissing her forehead which earns him a tiny giggle. A sound he’ll never get tired of hearing.
“Really. You’ll have so much fun today and I can’t wait to hear all about it.” That seems to ease some of Maisy’s anxiety about such a big change, but he knows another question is going to follow behind so he patiently waits.
“Will we have snacktime? You packed my Teddy Grahams right?” Before Cale can answer that, yes there will be snacktime and of course he packed her Teddy Grahams, a soft female voice cuts in surprising both of the Makars.
“Snacktime is right after coloring so you’ll be able to eat your Teddy Grahams. What kind is your favorite?”
“The honey ones!” Maisy perks right up, turning right back into the happy and adorable girl that Cale knows so well. She leans right into Cale who keeps her close, but everything seems to disappear the moment he looks up at who is currently talking to his daughter.
Maia.
“Me too! Those are the best.” Maisy giggles at that, filling the air with joy just from the simple sound. And if Cale wasn’t so focused on the woman crouching down in front of them, he would’ve chuckled along too. Instead his heart is racing and he can’t form one coherent thought because after all this time, she’s right here again. The one who got away.
Her wavy hair is a little longer and darker than it was in college and her eyes are still so bright. Cale can’t help but notice how her curves have filled out since the last time he saw her and the pretty clementine print dress she’s wearing highlights that, taking his breath away. He’s in awe of how beautiful she is like he always has been.
“I’m Ms. Webber, your preschool teacher. What’s your name?”
“Maisy!”
“It’s so nice to meet you, Maisy. I love your name.” Maia responds, smiling fondly at the little girl who is already melting her heart.
“Thank you. It was picked out special for me.” She says, voice quiet with shyness but Cale can tell she’s slowly warming up to the idea of school once again. “This is Daddy! He plays hockey here. Did you know that?” Maisy continues, squeezing Cale’s arm and that’s when Maia’s gaze falls to the little girl’s father.
It is him.
Cale Makar.
When Maia received her class list at the beginning of the summer, she picked out the last name within seconds. Makar is pretty much a household name in Denver now so it wasn’t easy to overlook, but more importantly, it still belonged to the man who has held her heart since the day they first met. She tried to not get her hopes up because how could he have a daughter entering preschool at this very moment in time? Yet, here he is with that exact little girl who’s name was on her roster and looks just like her father. Not to mention, she’s full of sunshine.
“I had no idea. That’s so cool! This must be his jersey then, huh?” Maia asks, keeping the conversation going with Maisy but her eyes drift to Cale and it feels as if her heart stops right then and there. He looks almost exactly as she remembers him, maybe a little more muscular and older, but other than that he looks like the Cale she knew in college. Glasses and all. She can’t believe it.
“Well, that’s his name and number, but this is my jersey.” Maisy exclaims with a laugh and the way Cale looks at his daughter is the purest form of love that Maia has ever seen. Before anything else could be said, the school bell rings and the kids begin departing from their parents. Maia politely excuses herself to join her colleagues for the day as Maisy collapses into Cale’s arms for one last hug.
“Have a great first day, Maise. You’ll have lots of fun. I love you so much.” Cale murmurs into her blonde hair, trying to hold back the surge of emotions that have arisen in the moment.
“I love you too. I’ll have lots of fun so I can tell you about it later. Bye, Daddy!” Maisy leans up to kiss his cheek and Cale can’t help but hold onto her for just a moment longer.
There’s an unfamiliar pressure evident in Maia’s chest as she watches the father and daughter hold each other in the tightest hug before Maisy falls into step with a girl she must be friends with and together they walk backwards, Maisy waving to Cale the whole way to the door.
It’s going to be an interesting school year.
~~~~~
“Alright, Maisy. Are you getting your usual pizza today or something different?” Cale asks, looking down at his daughter who is holding his hand and bouncing with excitement. The father daughter pizza dates on Friday nights have become a staple in the Makar household and even if Cale’s on the road, they make time for this exact tradition no matter what.
“Mmm, my usual!” Maisy pipes up in response with a bright smile.
“Okay, go get your favorite seat and I’ll order.” Maisy nods quickly and skips off to the table they always sit at whenever they come to Proto’s Pizza. This particular pizza place is not only Maisy’s favorite, but it was also Beatrice’s whenever she used to come see Cale in Denver. It’s one way that her mom’s memory is kept alive through a simple act even if the cute restaurant has a new meaning to both of them now too.
Cale watches to make sure Maisy settles at the table with her coloring book before stepping up to the counter to order. Two Hawaiian slices for him and two plain for Maisy. The exchange with the cashier is almost exactly the same since he’s a regular here now, but as he moves towards the pick up area, Cale’s eyes spot the familiar brunette waves of not only his daughter’s preschool teacher but the girl he still carries an immense amount of love for.
Maia.
He hasn’t really seen her since Maisy’s first day of school almost two months ago. Of course she’s there at drop off and pick up, but it’s nothing more than about five minutes and Cale doesn’t know how to start a conversation that isn’t awkward because of all the time they’ve missed. But he wants her back in his life and so far, just Maisy’s teacher isn’t enough.
She’s reading something on her phone when Cale sidles up next to her. With one glance back to make sure Maisy is okay, which she is, he takes a moment to admire how pretty Maia looks in jeans that hug her curves and how she looks more relaxed than she is at school everyday.
And then he takes that leap of faith.
“Are you still ordering your half veggie half meat lovers pizza?” The question leaves Cale’s lips, a teasing tone evident in every word he says. Maia’s head snaps up at the sound of his voice, a look of utter disbelief on display across her face.
“Still a better choice than your beloved Hawaiian, Makar.” Maia fires back with that playfulness she always had around him. In that split second, their eyes lock, every memory from college comes rushing back and she suddenly finds herself nervous more than anything. Maia’s heart is racing with anticipation and she knows things have changed since the two of them were themselves, but she can’t stop the sense of familiarity that surrounds her as the conversation unfolds. They’ve had the same argument a million times so it’s easy to slip back into even if their lives are not the same. “Sorry, I mean, it’s still a great choice, but-”
“Not your favorite, I know.” Cale finishes, offering a kind smile to help ease the obvious tension she’s feeling. “It wasn’t then and I can’t imagine that’s changed over the years.” He teases, feeling a tug on his heart when thinking about what they shared at UMass.
“I’m more surprised you remember my go-to order honestly.”
“How could I forget? Every study date, late night snack and pizza craving you ever had was always half veggie half meat lovers. I’ll remember that order forever.” Cale admits with a chuckle, warming Maia’s heart in mere seconds. It almost feels as if no time has passed at all and they’re still those two kids just trying to get their degrees while figuring out life along the way.
Except, they aren’t and time has passed. A reminder that strikes Maia as the comfortable silence settles between them.
“Where’s your little one?”
“Oh,” Cale starts, momentarily forgetting that they’re currently in Proto's, not the dining hall on campus. “Maisy’s at our usual table coloring until our order is ready.” Maia looks towards where he tilts his head, spotting the curly blonde hair that belongs to one of her favorite students.
“She’s just like you. You know that?” Maia asks, surprising even herself at letting the observation slip past her lips. But it’s the truth. Everyday at preschool, she sees more and more of her father in Maisy and the emotions she thought were long gone have risen to the surface over the last two months.
“That’s what people tell me.” Cale replies, cheeks flushing pink as he scratches the back of his neck. He looks absolutely adorable and Maia can’t help but grin at the sight of him.
“She’s really lucky to have you. And we have plenty to catch up on already, but I would love to hear the story about how she got here.” Maia says softly, gaze flickering back to Maisy who is lost in her own world while coloring away.
Before Cale can do anything else but nod in response, both of their orders are ready. Maia steps forward to grab her pizza box, sparks flying when she brushes past Cale. Almost repeating her actions, he finally finds his voice again.
“Keep that catching up date in mind. There’s more to cover than you think.”
“Okay, Makar. We’ll do that soon. Until then, I’ll see you at school with Maisy. Enjoy your Hawaiian pizza, weirdo.”
“Make sure you eat the veggie slices first, Webber.” And just like that, with a small wave and a smile that could rival the sun, Maia heads toward the door. Cale snaps out of his little trance in seconds, bringing the pizza back to the table where his too curious daughter is waiting with lots of questions.
“You and Ms. Webber are friends?” Maisy says immediately as Cale sits down across from her and she forgets about the coloring book she was just working on. Her voice is full of what sounds like hope mixed with peaked interest.
“She’s actually an old friend of mine from college. We used to do almost everything together before I left to play hockey here.” Cale explains with a grin, his heart swelling like it always does at the thought or mention of Maia. The girl he loved then and never thought he’d have another chance with. “And then we went to your first day of preschool and I found out she’s your teacher!”
“Oh!” The little girl exclaims as she digs into her pizza. Cale chuckles at her reaction, but it isn’t long before Maisy keeps up her questioning. “Were you best friends? What did you do together?”
The innocent words hang in the hang for a moment. Despite their time being cut short due to Cale’s call up to the NHL, there are countless memories to recall of everything he did with Maia. So without any hesitation, Cale tells his daughter almost everything. About how they met, the way they became instant friends, how when they hung out time felt as if it didn’t exist, the late nights after his games, studying together in the back of the library. There’s so much history and although none of the almost’s slip through his story, the almost kiss, the almost confession of feelings, the almost being something more, Cale longs to change that now.
“I’m going to tell Ms. Webber tomorrow that she knows a famous hockey player. And my daddy!” Maisy exclaims after listening intently. Her blue eyes are alight with joy, a sight that makes her father smile like nothing else.
“You do that, Maise.” As the two go back to chatting about much simpler things, Cale’s mind wanders through every possibility. He would be stupid to not give them another shot, but he has no idea if those lingering feelings still exist for Maia or if they even existed in the first place.
That, Cale decides, is step one.
And he knows just the person to ask for advice on how to win a woman’s heart.
~~~~~
Gabe, unfortunately, beats him to the punch.
It’s a chilly November morning and as Linnea and Maisy reach for each other’s hands to walk into the preschool building together after saying goodbye to their fathers, Gabe voices the question that makes Cale freeze.
“So when are you gonna make a move, Caler?” Gabe teases, lightly elbowing his teammate and Cale’s cheeks become rosier by the second.
“I-uh, was actually going to ask you about that.”
“Me? Not EJ or even Devon? It’s an honor.”
“Shut up. EJ would make the whole thing a spectacle and Devon would probably be shocked that I even know how to talk to girls. You’re my best bet. And it’s not a big deal.” Cale replies, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets and tries to ignore how embarrassing this is. He’s 23 years old and is asking for advice on how to get the girl.
He’s won the Stanley Cup and is one of the most distinguished hockey players in the league this early in his career. But talking to one person who’s held his heart for years? That’s impossible.
“Okay, well what are you thinking?” Gabe prompts, eyes remaining on the girls as they say hi to their teacher before disappearing into the building.
“I don’t even know if she was into me back in college, Gabe. Like I can’t make a move thinking she feels the same way when it’s been years since we last saw each other and I wasn’t sure of her feelings then.”
“You have to figure out where you stand then.” Cale’s brows furrow in confusion, but his captain continues speaking. “By the way things seem between the two of you, she definitely feels the same way. But I think she’s unsure more than ever. You do have a kid in her preschool class and she might think someone else is in your life.”
“There isn’t.”
“Maia doesn’t know that. Does she?” Cale shook his head, the realization dawning on him right then. Since Maisy’s first day of school, there’s been that distance between them. The flirting and comfortableness has returned in their brief exchanges, but not like it used to be. And maybe it’s because Maia thinks Cale’s committed to Maisy’s mom since she doesn’t know the whole story.
“I have to fill her in.”
“Exactly. And I’m sure once everything is clear, you’ll both be able to admit how you feel to each other. Finally.” Gabe says with a reassuring nod, a smile creeping back onto his face. “You’re growing up so fast. Cale Makar is going to get the girl!”
“Shush! Don’t jinx anything. Nothing’s guaranteed so don’t get your hopes up. I just have to find a moment where I can tell her everything.” Cale settes, brain already racing to find a solution to that problem.
The answer comes not even days later when Maisy hands him a paper about parent teacher conferences. The meeting is used to discuss the progress of each child in class with their parents or guardians. Cale selects a time and date for the following week before making sure to tuck the paper into Maisy’s backpack so she can hand it in the next day.
And even as Maisy rambles on excitedly that night about how she met a friend who loves horses just like Uncle EJ, Cale is stuck on the fact that he’s going to have a designated time alone with just Maia. This is what he needs to finally move their relationship out of the friendzone after all this time.
But this is Maisy’s teacher he’s talking about. Maia isn’t just someone he knows and loves anymore. She’s important to his daughter too now for other reasons. He can’t overlook or forget that. And that means if this doesn’t go as planned, the hurt and awkwardness will be felt by more than just the two of them.
By time the day of the meeting rolls around, Cale is trying to desperately focus on how this is supposed to be about Maisy. The little girl who already owns his heart. It’s constant reminders of how although this is the perfect opportunity, he won’t get distracted by what’s actually at hand: his daughter’s wellbeing.
After dropping Maisy off to spend the afternoon with Nate, who was more than happy to spend time with the much cuter Makar as he says, Cale drove over to the school. The trip seems quicker than usual because before he knows it, Maia is welcoming him into the little classroom that’s colorfully decorated.
“Hi Cale.” Maia greets, her soft smile lighting up her face and Cale feels his heart swell with adoration. “Thank you so much for coming in today.”
“Hi,” Cale murmurs with a nod of acknowledgement, suddenly becoming the shy person he usually is when meeting others for the first time. “Your classroom is really cute. Decorate it yourself?”
“I did! It’s my second year teaching so I figured out what worked best last year and made this little space my dream classroom.” Cale’s gaze moves around the room, taking in every little detail about where his little girl spends part of her days now. He sees Maia’s desk in one corner, neatly organized, hand paintings from the class taped up on one wall, different signs hanging around with numbers, colors and letters on them and the small library of books nestled in the reading corner. A slow smile blossoms across his lips, making butterflies erupt in Maia’s stomach.
“I love it.” Cale says simply. And he does. The whole classroom is exactly as he imagined it would’ve looked when she talked about in college.
“Thank you.” Maia replies, tucking a piece of hair behind her hair. “Let’s sit and get started.” Cale follows her to a little table on the other side of the room and takes a seat in a tiny chair made for preschoolers. He hardly fits in it, knees bending at an awkward angle, and Maia can’t help but giggle at him. Despite everything they’ve missed over the last few years, he’s still the boy she’s in love with.
“So first off, everything I have to say about Maisy today is good. She’s a wonderful student and an even more amazing little girl to her classmates in every situation. It’s clear you’ve done an excellent job raising her.” Maia begins, her warm smile and kind words melting Cale’s heart in an instant. He still isn’t used to accepting compliments about how good of a father he is even if it’s true. He just wants to be enough for Maisy. As long as she’s happy, he did his job right.
“Thank you so much.”
“Oh, of course! There’s plenty more praise for Maisy coming throughout this meeting.” She laughs, the beautiful sound bringing a sense of happiness to Cale that he hasn’t experienced in quite some time. And he can tell Maia feels it too. “Maisy is also ahead of her classmates in several areas of her education. She’s got her ABC’s down and can write her name, her basic math skills are off the charts and she has a pretty good grasp on recognizing words which is great for how young she is.”
“Oh, really? That’s good to hear. I was worried we hadn’t done enough at home to prepare her.” Cale admits with relief, fumbling with his fingers under the table as a small distraction.
“Absolutely no worries there. Maisy is right on track for kindergarten and doing so well with things like reading and writing already at her age. We love seeing her here everyday. You and your partner should be so proud. You’ve raised a beautiful and incredible daughter.”
This is his chance. Tell her the truth.
“I- uh, it’s actually just me and Maisy. But I appreciate that. It means a lot.”
“Oh, I apologize-”
“You can stop me if this is an inappropriate time to tell you this, but-”
Both of them stop speaking, not wanting to talk over the other. Blush spreads across Cale’s cheeks as Maia’s beautiful eyes drop down in that way which quietly shows she’s nervous.
“Go ahead.” She almost whispers. “I know we’re here to talk about Maisy and we pretty much covered everything I had planned, but there seems to be a lot of other things we both have to say.”
With one deep breath and a racing heart, Cale jumps into his well thought out explanation. He tells Maia about everything that’s happened since he left UMass. Meeting Bea, the tragedy of losing her but gaining his daughter at the same time, taking care of Maisy since then while still playing for the Avs. Every word comes out in a rush, but she listens to every single bit and her gaze begins to fill with hope.
“I just wanted to make it clear that there isn’t anyone else in my life. You’ve been in the dark this whole time and that didn’t feel right.” Cale concludes, feeling the weight of his confession in the air. But the reaction he gets erases every worry present in his mind.
“Cale,” Maia chuckles, her expression soft with joy. “I was honestly so shocked to see you on the first day of school even if Maisy’s name on my classlist gave it away a little bit. But I can’t help and think that us being right here, together, means something more. We never gave ourselves a real chance back in college, but now might be the time. My feelings haven’t changed,”
“Mine either.” Cale interrupts politely, voice quiet but full of emotions.
“So do you want to give this thing another go? For real this time?” The question falls off of Maia’s pink lips, but he can see she’s still unsure if this is real. He’s wondering the same thing. They’ve waited so long for each other and now here’s the opportunity they’ve been waiting for.
“For real this time.”
~~~~~
“Family, friends and community members, I welcome you to this year’s preschool graduation.” Principal Andrews announces with a bright smile while standing at the podium that’s in front of the small crowd. “These children are on their way to kindergarten in the fall and this ceremony is to recognize the achievement they have all reached during their time in preschool.”
“Crazy you’re going to have a kindergartener soon, huh?” Maia teases, bumping her knee against Cale’s. Her fingers are intertwined with his, their hands resting in his lap.
“Don’t remind me.” He rolls his blue eyes and laughs in response.
It’s been six months since the two of them admitted their feelings to each other and started dating. Despite the fact that the Avs didn’t win the Cup this season, much to Cale and his teammates’ dismay, their relationship has only grown stronger and more incredible. Maisy couldn’t have been more thrilled even if she tried when they told her, the joy of her father finally having someone and that someone being the teacher she adores was the best news. Maia fits right into their lives like she’s always belonged there, something that makes Cale’s heart all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it.
Now, it’s graduation day for the preschoolers and Cale couldn’t be happier sitting with the girl he’s always loved waiting for his daughter’s name to be announced. He presses a quick kiss to Maia’s temple before they both turn their attention back to the ceremony.
“These fifteen young, bright children have grown in so many ways over the course of this past school year. And now, many would say, they’re ready for the big leagues also known as kindergarten.” The crowd laughs along to the joke, hundreds of emotions being felt at the same time. “The teachers and myself have all cherished the time we had together with these little ones so this is just as special for us as it is for you. Without a further ado, we’ll now be presenting the students with their preschool diploma.”
All the little kids stood up in front of their chairs, the biggest smiles plastered onto each of their faces. Cale spots Maisy easily. Her curly blonde hair is pinned back on the sides and her pink glasses aren’t hard to find in a small group. She picked out her favorite dress, a sparkly blue one, just for today’s event. Watching her shuffle forward on the stage, beautiful and happy, makes Cale think about how much she’s grown up. Time has passed too quickly for his liking and seeing his little girl up there now, moving onto another monumental time in her life, strikes his heart like never before.
The sadness doesn’t stick around for long though as Maisy steps up and Principal Andrews says her name out loud.
“Maisy Beatrice Makar.”
Tears spring into Cale’s eyes while he and Maia stand to clap and cheer. Maisy walks with joy in her step across the stage, accepting a tiny diploma and waving out to Cale right afterwards. With a watery smile and his usual rosy cheeks, he waves back to her. And when Maia leans into his side as silent support, the whole moment couldn’t be any more perfect than it is.
“She did it.” Cale whispers in awe and Maia giggles softly next to him.
“She did. But it’s only preschool. You have at least three more graduations to get through.”
It’s then that the entire class stands in front of the crowd with their diplomas and the principal declares them all preschool graduates. Everyone erupts in cheers, pictures being taken from all angles and Cale is pretty sure the grin on his face will be stuck there for days.
“Before we conclude our ceremony, it’s part of our school’s tradition to invite parents or guardians on stage for pictures and to represent who will be offering support to the students as they continue on with their education. So, those special individuals, please make your way to the front.”
“Ready?” The question is a mumble, but Maia hears it. She nods, grabbing Cale’s hand again. Both of their hearts are beating so fast that it’s a surprise no one around hears. Together, they walk towards the stage to join Maisy who is clueless to the moment that’s about to unfold.
“Daddy!” Maisy calls when she sees Cale come up the stairs. Her excitement is incredibly infectious, something that Maia adores about her too. “And Maia? You both came up?” She asks, obvious confusion crossing over her facial features.
“Of course. Maia is part of our family, isn’t she? We always say so.”
“She is! Principal Andrews said parents so I only thought you would come up, Daddy, but it’s way better with Maia here too. We’re a family.” Maisy says gently, warmth in each word as she processes what this means.
“We’re a family, Maise.” Maia repeats back before kissing the top of the little girl’s head and earning a giggle. Cale watches on as pure love makes his heart swell. This is all he’s wanted for so long. The girl of his dreams and his daughter. Life couldn’t be any better.
And later, when they’re settled at their usual table at Proto’s for Maisy’s celebratory dinner and Maia hands over her gift which of course is a copy of “Maisy Goes To School”, her personal favorite of all the Maisy Mouse books and fitting for the occasion, Cale is hit with a realization.
No matter what happens in his life going forward, he knows something now that he didn’t before. As long as he has these two, Maia and Maisy, everything will always be okay. And that is all he will ever need.
