#nhl x reader

[junipersarrow]

The one where he reads your mind.

MC71 x reader

content warnings:kissing?, swearing???, it’s literally just fluff.

The sun peeks through the blinds as you start to stir awake, eyes fluttering open as you try to move the arm around your stomach, which tightens as you hear a groan. “Stop moving.” Macklin’s voice comes out as a whisper, muffled against your shoulder, a yawn coming through his words.

 Your eyes roll softly, trying to get out of his grip, though it seems to be getting firmer. Reaching over him, softly pushing him onto his back to reach the nightstand, squinting as you search for your phone for the time, you abruptly sit up, Macklin’s arm staying around your stomach, slowly sliding off. “Shit, Macklin, move!” You say, looking over at him. He sleepily blinks at you. “What's wrong?” his voice deepened with sleep. “It’s ten forty! I have work.”

 Scrambling to climb over him, cursing past you for deciding the bed looks best up against the wall, you almost make it over before your foot gets caught on the duvet, causing you to fall off the bed. A loud bang rings out, alerting Macklin, who had just closed his eyes for a second, causing him to sit up to see what just happened. You both stare at each other in silence for ten seconds. “...Are you okay?” The question catches you off guard as you scramble to stand up and run to the bathroom.

 You’re in the bathroom for 2 minutes before running out, toothpaste and toothbrush buzzing in your mouth, grunting a muffled, "I ’ gon’ bruise.” Frowning, running through the bedroom trying to pack your work bag, going back and forth between the bathroom and the rest of the apartment. By the time you're half-dressed, Macklin's already getting ready for the day, shorts and a T-shirt on, putting his socks on as you rush back in to kiss him goodbye.

 Feeling accomplished as you slip on your work shoes, bag, lunch bag, water bottle and keys in hand, you text your boss a white lie about car trouble, remembering more than days when you get up on time. A smirk on your face as you say your goodbyes. “Mack! I’ll be back at 6! I love you!” as you open the front door, walk to the elevator, get all the way to your car, key in the ignition, bags on the passenger seat. It hits you. “Fuck!” hands hitting the steering wheel as you grab the keys, at this point already an hour and a half late to work. Getting out of the car, running to the elevator, slamming your key fob to the sensor, hitting your floor number repeatedly.

 As the doors close, the elevator light dings, showing the lobby. You groan, foot tapping the floor as you check your watch obsessively. Around 3 people get on, one with a large suitcase, cramping the space even more. It takes 5 minutes before you even get to your floor, running through your apartment hallway like you're being chased. As you reach your door, hand hovering over the handle, it opens to reveal Mack standing there with what you've been chasing.

  “You forgot your keycard” Your jaw cocks. “Really? Hadn’t noticed.” Macklin’s eyebrows raise. “Really?” The confused tone stops you for a second “What? Of course I noticed! I didn't run up here for fun!” He softly pouts as you snatch the lanyard with your ID on it.

Before you can make it down the hallway, you hear him clearing his throat.

 Your eyes roll before leaning in, softly pressing your lips against his cheek, then to his waiting lips. your hand holds onto his sleeve, pulling away after a second. “Have a good day. I love you,” he mutters, starting to slowly close the door “I love you. I need to go. Goodbye,” you yell, speeding off down the hall.

oh my goodness 🥹 first post, do you like it? give it a like and a comment!

do not steal or put any of my works in to ai.

i would love if you came and talked to me!🩷

[angelicbrini]

Hi! Love your writing💗 Can you please write a one night stand with Will where the reading slips out before Will wakes. Time passes since that night but Will knows one night wasn’t enough for him so he tries to find you. Add whatever you want to it, but make the one night stand fucking hot!

only you | ws²

pairing: will smith x fem!reader

in which: it was supposed to be a forgettable one night stand, which is was (to you). but will’s not satisfied with that, because he has this undeniable desire to make it something more.

wc: 3.7k

includes: NSFW. oral f!receiving, protected sex, praise kink, hair pulling, detailed makeout, smallest bit of angst, macklin featured, fluff, happy ending, title is only you, porthead.

You didn’t go out with the intent of ending up at some random guy’s house. That wasn’t your goal, nor was it something you specifically anticipated, but the opportunity kind of landed in your lap. You were sat at the bar, chewing on the plastic straw between your lips as you patiently waited for another drink.

Then a guy approached you out of nowhere, and normally you’d try to brush a stranger off or ignore him, but he was significantly attractive. He was pretty with blond hair that covered his forehead, red cheeks, and an unfortunately endearing smile that’s burned into your mind.

He told you his name—Will—then you told him yours, to which he complimented and mentioned that it suited you. Multiple drinks were bought, conversations were had, and now here you are—back pressed against the wall in his bedroom with your arms wrapped around his neck to steady yourself. His hand is on your thigh, holding you still while his other stays on your hip. You’ve been like this for a few minutes because he could barely get you through the front door without having his lips on yours.

Will needs to pull away and stop kissing you when he’s all pent-up. He’s just trying to restrain himself, and hold back because he’s fully aware that he’ll fuck you against this wall without hesitation.

He turns you around, brushing your hair away to have easier access to your neck. He leans in closer, dragging his lips against your skin. “I was watching you all night, you know?” He says, breathless, while his trembling fingers fumble around with the back zipper of your dress.

You laugh, hands splayed against the wall to keep yourself up. “I’m here now.”

His nose is tucked into the crook of your neck, sucking and biting while he tugs your dress down. You’re left in nothing but a matching underwear set—it’s black, lacy, and adorned with these pretty little flowers. It’s driving Will insane. You might kill him before he gets the chance to make you come.

You turn around, kissing him harder than before. His mouth is moving against yourself in perfect synchrony, tongue dragging across your bottom lip to open your mouth wider for him. He can taste the faint hint of alcohol. It’s sweet.

“Off— Will, take it…” you mumble against his lips. You’re eagerly fumbling with the hem of his shirt, trying to tell him to take it off without explicitly saying it.

Will pulls away reluctantly, mostly because he can’t seem to live without having your lips on his. He reaches for the back of his collar, tugging it off in one swift motion. You drag your hands over his bare chest, feeling his muscles flex beneath your skin. It’s summer, so he’s got this pretty tan on his skin. His body is toned, to say the least, thick and muscular like an athlete should be.

He looks down at you, his hands still on your hips. “You’re impressed?” he questions.

You chew on your bottom lip, trying to hide the growing grin. “It’s not bad,” you say. You’re lying, obviously.

You settle at the head of his bed, Will chasing after you without thinking twive. He’s on top of you with his soft lips on your neck, sucking your sweet spot. “I’ve got you, baby,” he mumbles against your skin, breath hot. He pulls back until his face is flush against yours, blue eyes piercing through you.

You don’t have to beg for him to do anything. Will places a quick kiss on your lips, before he shifts down the bed, palming and kissing your body until he’s on his stomach with his head between your legs. He looks up at you, something between awe and disbelief plastered across his face. You just look so pretty, anticipating having his mouth on you. You just met him a couple hours ago, but it’s a sight he’s not sure he’ll be able to forget.

Will pulls on the waistband of your panties, snapping it back against your skin. “You look so pretty like this,” he compliments, staring up at you while his chin rests on your thigh. You flush while avoiding eye contact with him. His gaze is too strong.

You rake your fingers through his hair, watching his every move as he tugs your underwear down at a painfully slow pace. He wants to test the waters, see if you beg for him to speed up. You lift your hips, to which he takes as a sign to hurry until you’re left bare for him.

Will swipes his tongue across his bottom lip, hands hot on your skin as he parts your legs wider for him. He leans in closer to your heat, spitting on your folds before he uses his fingers to combine his saliva with your arousal. You don’t even want to think about what’s going on in Will’s mind, having a stranger be this wet and needy for him. He doesn’t seem to care. His eyes are dark, there’s barely any blue left.

“So fucking beautiful,” Will mumbles against your heat. He keeps his tongue flat on your clit before he latches his mouth around you, sucking harshly on your bundle of nerves.

You exhale, your grip on his hair tightening. It’s curly and soft between your fingers. “Holy shit, Will,” you gasp out. You try to close your legs instinctively around his head, but he’s quick to grab your thighs and force you to stay open for him.

His hands are on your hips to pin you against the bed, keeping you still for him so he can keep going without disruptions. He’s just met you, but he could probably do this for hours.

Will’s tongue is lapping at your wetness, these disgusting, slurping sounds filling the room and mixing with your quiet moans. He’s practically fucking you with his tongue, groaning into your heat when you pull on his blond waves.

You’re thrusting into his face, begging for more stimulation. “Will— I need…” You can’t form a full sentence, not when his tongue is pressed against your sensitive spot.

He pulls away slowly, revealing his flushed face and chin coated with your juices. His pink are stained with your slick. It’s disgustingly hot. “Need what? Tell me.”

You chew on your bottom lip, brushing his messy hair out of his face. “I need to feel you,” you tell him, partially shy.

Will knows exactly what you’re asking for. He scrambles around until he’s above you again, kissing you harder than before. You can taste yourself on his tongue. You’ve never let a man kiss you after anything like this; he’s just an exception.

Your mouth is still on Will’s as you fumble with the zipper of his jeans, while he’s fishing in his wallet for a condom. He knows he’s safe, and you’re on the pill. But it’s always better to take precaution, just in case.

You can see the outline of his cock through his boxers when you shuck his pants down slightly, the sight making your breath catch. You don’t want to fuel his ego, but you should’ve known what to expect with the way he’s been talking to you all night.

Not many words are exchanged when Will frees his cock, ripping open the condom wrapper with his teeth. He slides it on, occasionally looking up at your and the stunned expression plastered across his face.

He returns to his original position, kissing you again, because he’ll allegedly die if he doesn’t. “Please, Will,” you beg against his lips, not saying anything else. You flush, embarrassed with how desperate you are to feel him.

“I know, I know,” Will whispers, one arm braced beside your head while his other hand holds his cock. He teases you at first, rubbing the tip against your folds, up and down, to collect your slick. He wants to hear you beg. It turns him off more than he’d like to admit.

You wrap your legs around his waist, heels digging into his sculpted back as your way of telling him to hurry. He inches himself inside, little by little, until his pelvis is pressed against yours. Your loud sounds of pleasure fills the room as Will buries his face in the crook of his neck, mumbling words of praise while his other hand needs your breast through your bra.

“You’re perfect,” he mutters, his words only fueling the arousal pooling between you. “So good for me— fuck, perfect.” His words are all jumbled and messed up as he slams his hips against yours, completely ignoring the mess you’re both making.

It’s gross; his pre-cum mixing with your slick. You can feel every inch of him and it’s all you can focus on—his length, how he’s throbbing inside of you, and how amazing the stretch is. You’re clawing at his back, hard enough that you’ll leave marks and you’re scared you’ll draw blood. But it feels so good.

“Keep— Will, fuck. Keep going,” you manage, eyes squeezed shut and mouth hanging open as his pace picks up. He’s consistent with his thrusts, hips slamming against yours. You’ve never been this much of a mess before. You’re drooling while crying out for him to continue.

Will’s whimpering your name repeatedly into your neck, hard to hear over the sound of skin slapping and pornographic moans. You’re insane. He won’t be able to stop thinking about this no matter how hard he tries. It doesn’t feel real at all, like a once in a lifetime experience.

Your back arches, chest pressing against his. “Let go for me, c’mon,” Will mumbles when he realizes you’re close. He can’t believe it. He approached a pretty girl at a bar, and now he’s about to make her come.

It’s when he sucks on your neck and pushes his cock into you as deep as he can, when you clench around him, climaxing while broken sounds slip from your lips. Will fucks you through it, kissing your soft skin until he finishes, filling the condom with his cum. He doesn’t pull out immediately. He just stills, the both of you catching your breaths.

“Holy shit,” Will mumbles before sliding out of you reluctantly. He winces at the loss, only because he wishes he could’ve kept going for longer. He lands beside you while quiet breaths leave his lips.

You can feel the mess below you. “I’m— shit, sorry for that,” you apologize. You feel sore inside, while missing the full feeling you had moments ago. You didn’t expect your night to end like this, but you’re not complaining.

Will laughs, wiping the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. He leans in, just to press a kiss on your cheek despite all the drool, which is oddly domestic for a one-night stand. “Never say sorry for something like that.”

You wake up with a redundant pounding in your head, and sunlight pouring through the window that makes you clamp your eyes closed immediately. It’s really bright and there’s a faint ringing in your ears. You already know this is a result of far too many drinks last night. You glance over at your phone, realizing the time. It’s ten AM. You’ve got work in a few hours, and you clearly need a lot of time to get ready with how frazzled your mind is.

When you try to force your exhausted body up, you can’t. There’s someone holding you down—a firm, warm arm wrapped around your torso with someone’s face tucked in the crook of your neck.

Right, you’re at Will’s apartment. You almost forgot, though the hockey equipment and jerseys littering the room would’ve been a big enough hint.

Your legs are tangled with each other’s, labored breaths filling your ears. You don’t want to wake Will up, because that comes with questions and this was just supposed to be a simple hook-up that you can both brush off.

You eventually get out of his hold, glancing over at Will. He’s pretty when he sleeps—his hair is all curly and frizzy, while he snores quietly with an open mouth. You’re looking at him, and a small part of you is telling you to wake him up, possibly for his number, and make this a consistent thing. But you don’t. You’re mature enough to know that this is just a one-night stand, that’ll eventually be a foggy memory in your mind.

You just pull his oversized shirt off of yourself, substituting it for your underwear and wrinkled dress sitting in the corner of the room. You know you look like a mess right now, but you’re not too bothered. As long as you can slip out unnoticed, you don’t care. You’ve got your own clothes on now. You do need to find your shoes though.

You shamelessly look around, a satisfied sound leaving your lips when you realize they’ve somehow ended up beneath the bed. You pick them up, holding your heels in one hand with your phone in the other.

Unfortunately, the sex was good, amazing even. Will had somehow managed to hold you like you were something fragile, while also fucking you relentlessly. It’s kind of frustrating to you that you know this is the first and last time hooking up with him. You give him one final look before you slip out of his room, hoping you’ll never run into him again.

When Will finally stirs awake after the events of last night, he’s confused at first. His arm isn’t wrapped around someone, the space next to him is empty, and the bane of his existence—also known as his best hook-up ever—is missing. At first, he can’t believe it. He blinks repeatedly; surely he’s dreaming and you haven’t actually left without saying anything to him.

He sits up, glancing around the room. Your clothes and shoes from last night aren’t on his floor anymore. His shirt that he gave you is discarded in the corner. He feels kind of nauseous as realization settles inside, because there’s no way you snuck out of his house.

Will shifts off the bed, a small pout on his lips. A part of him is extremely delusional and telling him that you’re in the kitchen, waiting for him to wake up. And it doesn’t help that it’s still early. Will hates getting up early when he has no training.

The pout is still on his lips when he walks out his bedroom and to the kitchen, pausing when he doesn’t see you. It’s just Macklin eating breakfast while sat at the island. He seems to spend more time at Will’s apartment than at the Thorntons.

“Did you see a girl leave?” Will’s quick to ask, looking around as if you’ll randomly appear. It’s early. He’s still exhausted and trying to adjust to the sunlight while multiple questions are floating around his head.

Mack looks up, his eyebrows pulling together while droplets of milk collect in the corner of his lips. He always eats his food in the messiest way possible. “Good morning to you too.” He scoffs, folding his arms over his chest. “And, no— wait, did you have a girl over?”

“You didn’t see anyone leave?” Will ignores his stupid question. He can’t even think straight.

“Dude, I just got here. Is this about that girl from the bar?”

Will buries his face in his hands. “Yes, Mack, and she’s fucking gone.” His words come out muffled. He feels like an idiot.

It’s been a week since Will last saw you, and it’s affecting him more than he’d like to admit. Now, he’s a hockey player and he adheres to the stereotype that they sleep with a lot of women. It’s not his proudest achievement, but he’s being honest. And Will’s had one-night stands with plenty of women, whom he was able to forget about right after.

However, now? It’s like the image of you and your words of praise are embedded into his mind, like he can’t get you out of his head no matter how hard he’s been trying. It’s frustrating; he’s supposed to be busy with training and bulking up for the upcoming season, not thinking about a woman he barely knows.

But alas, his attempts aren’t working. You’re all he can think about. He wants to shoot himself in the head with a nail gun repeatedly, do anything that’ll make him forget.

You slipped out of his apartment before he woke up, leaving him with questions he’ll probably never get the answer to. That’s most likely the main reason why you’re still a thought floating around his head. You just left, left him wanting more.

“Are you still going crazy over that girl?” Macklin asks him the next time they’re at the rink in San Jose. His voice is low. They’re training with a few other players—including Sam and Misa—which means they can’t talk too loud or they’ll be swarmed with questions.

Will nods his head as he holds his bottle to his mouth. spraying water into it. “Hard not to if you knew how amazing our— uhm, you know…”

Mack looks visibly disgusted; it’s evident even through his helmet. “I actually don’t want to know. Keep that to yourself, Smitty,” he tells him. “Fucking gross, dude.”

Will laughs, but in reality, not being able to see you again is slowly eating him alive. He never lets women affect him like this, never allows them to throw him off his game when he steps onto the ice. But you have; it’s like he’s become fixated.

“I think I remember where she works,” Will suddenly states, catching Macklin off-guard. “Like— at the bar we were talking, right? And she said she works at this place downtown.”

The two of you were involved in a conversation—before you ended up at his apartment—that lasted pretty long. You exchanged personal information that Will’s been struggling to remember because of the semi-drunk state you were both in. It’s taken him around a week to somewhat recite things that could’ve helped him find you earlier.

Mack frowns. “So, you’re planning on looking for a random girl you barely know? That’s real dedication, dude.”

It is dedication, and it’s making Will seem extremely desperate. But he’s not sure he’ll be able to function for the rest of his life if he doesn’t see you again. Yes, it’s that serious.

It’s a quiet day at work, thankfully. You’re in the back of the bookstore, tying your apron and fixing your hair before your shift. So far, your life has been fine, decent. You haven’t been thinking about a random blond man in San Jose, or a one-night stand with the guy in question. Maybe it would’ve been nice to say something before leaving, but that’s in the past now. You don’t care anymore.

Your friend peeks her head into the staff room. “Hey. there’s some guy asking for you,” she says.

Your eyebrows knit together. “Me?” You’re confused. Throughout the entire time you’ve worked here, no customer has ever asked to see you specifically. You walk out, still puzzled. However, your internal questions are cut short when you see a familiar face standing in between the shelves.

It’s Will. He’s got a baseball cap on his head, except it’s worn backwards—with his wings peeking out—which is probably the worst thing he could’ve done. He’s one of San Jose’s biggest stars. It’s not smart for him to be here, flaunting around without at least attempting to hide his identity. But you know him, at least a little bit. He doesn’t care.

“Fuck, Will. Are you serious?” You’re mad that he decided to show up here as if you didn’t purposely leave without saying goodbye. You take him by the wrist, leading him to a quieter part of the store where you hope your coworkers won’t be able to hear you.

You look so pretty and professional in your work attire. Your hair’s up today, secured with small pins, and nothing like what Will saw the last time you were together. You look nothing like the same girl who was moaning his name between ragged breaths while digging your nails into his back. His mind goes blank immediately.

“I needed to see you again,” Will murmurs, tilting his head as he looks down on you. “You forgot your manners and left without saying goodbye.”

You narrow your eyes at him and his audacity. It’s unfair that he looks extremely attractive right now—rosy cheeks, pink lips, and that annoyingly charming smile on his face. It’s sickening, truly.

“So you show up to my job? I’m going now.”

“Please.” He moves to the side so you can’t storm off. He’s looking at you with these puppy dog eyes, all big and desperate. There’s that familiar crease between his eyebrows and pout on his lips, because he thinks that’ll work on you again. It’s the exact same move he pulled up the night you met.

But you give in, to be expected. “What do you want?” you ask. You really don’t know why he’s here, though you do have the smallest idea.

“You,” Will says, simple. “I want you, and I want to take you out.”

You shake your head. It’s too much, too soon. You just wanted to fuck a stranger, and leave it at that. It’s not supposed to become this big thing. “No, Will…” you trail off. “It was supposed to be a one-night stand. You get that, right?”

“I know, but that’s not why I’m here. I just want to take you on a date. Seriously. I’ll pick you up, I’ll pay, I’ll drive you anywhere—” He’s just rambling now. Will’s never had a girl make him nervous before. He doesn’t know how to feel about it.

“Stop, Will,” you cut him off. “If I say yes, will you stop begging?” He makes a quiet, satisfied sound at that with a frantic head nod. “Fine, then. I’ll give you my number.”

He doesn’t even hesitate to ask, “And I’ll pick you up later, yeah?”

You roll your eyes, trying not to seem too happy by that. He was so devoted to seeing you again, which is something you’re not used to. You shove him in the chest lightly. “Mhm, and if you’re lucky…you might get a repeat of the other night.”

The bunny-toothed grin on his face is so big and stupid.

🐰 thank you anon <3 i love specific reqs so bad

[sweetestsideofhell]

Second Hand Love

Mat Barzal x Reader

WC: 5.5k

Summary: Before you started dating Mat, he had confessed to you that he was still hung up on his previous partner. You were understanding and promised him to give him time. But at what point in your relationship is your patience allowed to wear thin and you can expect him to finally love you?

Notes: angst, strong language, lots of self doubts and insecurities, mentions of throwing up, female reader

If you ever read a football imagine with the same title and similar content, yes this was mine, I plagirised the idea from myself (lol) and somehow it is still not as good as the original.

“Hey Mat, are you listening?”

You stare at him with a questioning glance, which is only reciprocated after the sound of your voice in the calm restaurant setting has stopped. Slightly taken back, Mat blinks a few times until he notices your doe-eyed expression that still awaits an answer from him calls him out.

“I’m sorry, can you repeat that again?”

Mat does not notice the shadow that passes over your face as you quickly cover it with a thin smile and start talking about something completely unrelated to what you have previously said. 

Another date, another occurrence of Mat spacing out while you ranted about your day at work and just wanted him to listen and cheer you up a bit. This evening alone you had to remind him three times that you were here and almost beg him to show interest in you. This is supposed to be the highlight of your day - something that is supposed to leave you with a warm feeling and butterflies in your stomach, but right now, you can barely block out the feeling of disappointment as you once again spot the emptiness in his eyes.

You realise that there is no use in trying to hold a proper conversation and continue to swallow down your meal in silence, just like you did with the bitterness that lies on your tongue.

—

The awkwardness still lingers in the air after Mat drives you home and you have no interest in trying to solve it at all, too upset and tired about the whole day. At the same time, you hope that your silence gives Mat a sign that he may have done something that had bothered you, but you can even see in the way he is operating the car that he is completely lost in thought and has not acknowledged you once.

Eventually, the car stops in front of your car and you immediately unbuckle your seat belt and lean into him, pressing a fleeting kiss on his lips.

“See you someday,” you tell him in a neutral tone, almost as if you would say goodbye to your co-workers and not your boyfriend. Without waiting for an answer, you storm out of the vehicle, not turning around once.

However, you do deliberately walk a bit slower, with the small hope that he might go after you, but ultimately, you hear the engine roar again, leaving you with a hollowness that makes your heart feel heavy.

Usually, you would have invited him upstairs and offered him to stay because you did not want the evening to end, but at that moment, you just wanted to roll yourself in a blanket and never leave the house again.

It is not like you to run out of dates like this because after all, Mat’s schedule is tight and his free time is limited, but if a date with him makes you feel sick in your stomach and unappreciated, you see no purpose to waste your time like this.

It is also not the first time this has happened. In fact, being in a relationship with Mat feels like being in a constant spectrum of hot and cold. One day, everything goes well and you see the Mat that you have been falling in love with and you are sure that you will overcome everything and then another day comes by and you ask yourself if your love is enough to continuously deal with this feeling of never being enough.

The evening is still young and you know that dealing with your spiraling thoughts alone is not a healthy habit to have so you pick up your phone and quickly shoot Sydney a text.

Can I come over?

—

Sydney always knows that something is up with Mat whenever you ask to come over at hers and never ever did she say no to that. Nonetheless, you always feel guilty to barge into her family routine, but she just remarks how excited her kids always are to spend some extra time with their ‘aunt’.

So when you arrive at the Martins, you immediately get attacked by Winnie to whom you crouch down to give her a soft hug while Sydney greets you with Alice in her arms.

It is only Matt who seems surprised to see you here.

“I did not expect you to see you here. Didn’t Mat take you out to that Chinese place?” 

You nod in bewilderment. “Yes, how did you know?”

“He asked me for recommendations and I reminded him that you really wanted to try that one out.”

Once again, a small jab to your heart hits you. You recall feeling relieved and overjoyed when he invited you to go there as you believed that he had remembered your conversation about it.

Now it just feels even more humiliating that another man knew something better about you than your own boyfriend. “At least Sydney’s one lucky woman,” you thought to yourself.

Instead of bursting out in tears as you would like to do as this truly feels like the last straw that breaks the camel’s back, you coat your frustration with another forced smile, something you seem to have perfected over the course of this relationship.

“Yes, we went there,” you answer while concentrating on braiding Winnie’s hair. “It was great, he was just a bit tired so we called it a day.” The lie tastes bitter on your tongue, but you know if you say what you are truly feeling right now, you would just start crying and as much as you like Matt, he doesn’t need to know that his friend is making you feel unloved. In addition to that, you don’t want to destroy the children’s illusion that Mat may not only be the cool uncle they think he is.

Sydney just sideeyes you, suddenly very into the storybook that she is looking at with Alice. Obviously, you could never fool her, but even Matt does not totally look convinced. Luckily, he does not probe further and just asks Sydney if he should bring the kids to bed without her.

This however is immediately protested by Alice who wants you to read her a good night story, which makes everyone laugh and eases the tensed air in the room straight away. For the first time this day, you let out a genuine and heartfelt laugh and your heart immediately feels a bit lighter.

After you helped the Martins with the bedroom routine and read Alice the promised bedtime story, Matt bids farewell to you, leaving you and Sydney alone in the living room.

“Now tell me what really happened.” Sydney pours you a glass of wine while you rub your sleep out of your eyes.

You tell her about your failed date and the way it made you feel, which somehow leads to you ranting about your whole day - something that Mat was supposed to comfort you with cuddles and delicious food about.

Instead, you are sobbing on Sydney’s couch and wondering if you are doing something wrong and doubting if you really mean something to him.

She, of course, is giving you a bone crushing hug and telling you that everything is going to be okay even though she is not sure about that either.

“You know, I’m a bit biased,” Sydney tells you while handing you another tissue. “I know Mat very well and I do believe he loves you. It’s just that he loved his ex-girlfriend so much and she messed him up so badly that it took him so long to get over her.”

She looks you in the eyes and gives you a sad smile. “Before her, he used to be a no strings attached kind of guy. But when he was with her, he was just so different. When he loves, he really loves hard.”

There it is again. His ex-girlfriend. A topic that came up a lot and in the beginning, you respected. After all, you know how hard it is to let go of someone you pictured the rest of your life with. And you truly appreciated how honest Mat had been with you about her when you started dating. That he thought that she would be his forever and that he was still somewhat hung up on her and therefore, wanted to take things slowly. You had promised him to give him time.

It has been half a year since that and now the mere mention of her makes your whole body shiver because how long can slowly be? How long until your patience is allowed to wear thin and you can stop excusing that he still brings you her coffee order or sometimes just makes you feel like a cheap replacement of her?

“I’m sorry he is doing all that. But I know he cares. When he is with you, I can see how much you mean to him.” Sydney continues to hold you tight and you just nod wordlessly into her shoulder.

Normally, these words would have cheered you up and eased your mind a bit, but this time, your doubts remain with you. You truly appreciate Sydney as a friend, but somehow you believe that her judgment might be flawed since she is also close to Mat. After all, it was her who introduced you two and naturally, she wants nothing more than both of her friends to work out.

For now, you decide to cling on to these words because right now, you are not sure if your heart is ready to handle anything else.

—

A few days later you are on your way to see a game after the group chat spent hours convincing you. After your last date with Mat, you have ignored every attempt of contacting you from him that mostly consisted of asking you what is wrong, if he can get a chance to make it right and that he would love to see you at his game.

Personally, you did not want to cave in because after everything, you feel completely justified to expect more than a half-hearted apology, especially when he is not even aware why you are ignoring him. In addition to that, your confidence has been on the low ever since and you just did not feel ready to face the public and the added attention yet.

However, the girls really put in a lot of work to slowly rebuild you and eventually, you gave in since Holly Horvat and Kelsey Mayfield even came for a surprise visit at your apartment to get ready together and would not take a no as an answer.

So you find yourself in the family area, wearing a Barzal jersey and staring at the text you have sent to him.

Hi, I’m coming to the game. If you still want me to, of course.

Mat: Of course, I want you there. I miss you so much and I can’t wait to see you afterwards.

It was just a small interaction, but it still makes your heart feel a bit lighter and suddenly, you are glad that you decided to change your mind. Because you would be lying if you said that you have not missed him this whole time and maybe Sydney was right and everything will work out somehow.

The game goes well as the Islanders win against the Devils, with Mat scoring one and assisting another. During the celebrations, he searches for your face in the crowd and the bright expression with his wide smile makes your heart jump in excitement and cheer even louder while you receive several embraces from the girls.

Feeling elevated by this intense rush of joy, you go down the tunnel to wait for the players to come out. You barely notice the other WAGs greeting their partners as your eyes are fixated on the locker entrance, desperately looking out for Mat whose touch you suddenly crave so much.

When you finally spot his tall figure with his damp hair that you could make out in any crowd, the intensity of your emotions run even higher and suddenly the past few days catch up to you, filling your eyes with tears before he even has the chance to reach you.

Mat immediately takes you in his arms while you try to hide your tear-stained face by sniffing into his broad shoulder. 

“Heeey,” he coos into your ear while tightening his grip around you. “Why are you crying?”

“I don’t know,” you whimper between sobs. “I just hate when we don’t talk and I just felt so unwanted and all these doubts just came up and now I’m here and-.”

Mat interrupts your incoherent babbling by gently taking your face in his hands and silencing you with a soft kiss on your lips. A kiss that still conveys uncertainty - that barely brushes your lips and yet expresses so much emotion that could never be communicated in words.

“I’m sorry for causing all of this. It wasn’t my intention to make you feel insecure and I missed you so much when you weren’t there,” he whispers and caresses your face.

Overwhelmed by everything that is going on, you just stare into his warm gaze full of love while he tenderly rubs the tears from your cheeks away.

This time, it is you who initiates the kiss - first, a small peck to make sure he is real and then one that takes claim over his lips fully and reveals the desperation you have felt over the last few days. Never in your life have you been so sure about a kiss and for a moment, you forget everything around you.

Mat returns the kiss with the same force and you only break it because you feel a gentle nudge on your shoulder and followingly, catch a grinning Holly in your eye sight that brings you back to the real world.

“Everything okay again?,” Mat asks you with a soft voice and slowly puts his arm around your shoulder, making you immediately relax into it.

Still unable to speak, you just nod and put on an honest smile that he answers with one of his own and a soothing shoulder rub that makes your heart race. 

“Then let’s go home, hm?” Without letting you go, he directs you in the direction of the car park and you follow him with the sentiment that maybe everything will turn out okay.

—

To your surprise, he does not immediately bring you home, but instead, stops the vehicle in another place and tells you he wants to show you something. Confused by his secrecy, you just grab his hand and follow him like a lost puppy.

“Mat, where the hell are we going?” You recognise your surroundings as one of the many parks that Long Island offers and yet have no idea where this stroll is supposed to take you. “If you wanted to take a walk, you could have just said so.”

“You will see,” he just answers and as much as you try to get more out of him, his lips remain sealed, keeping you quite literally in the dark.

At one point, you leave the main path and turn into a less visible path. You barely believe your own eyes as you finally understand what Mat tried to imply.

Far away from the tourist spots, there is a small patch of land that almost feels untouched with a gorgeous view on the water. Only a wooden bank indicates that this place is occasionally visited by people, but overall, the nature just seems to be at full peace here. With the sunset in full display, it makes the place even more magical and your eyes widen in awe at the calmness and peacefulness of this spot.

“Mat, it’s so beautiful.” You put your hands in front of your mouth as you are still stunned by the beauty of this place. 

Finally, you look back at Mat whose mouth just curves into a warm smile, looking even more gorgeous with his dark strands of hair waving in the wind and the last rays of sun highlighting his facial features. “I told you it was going to be worth it.”

Together you take a seat on the bank and watch the sunset going down together. Barely any words are spoken, but unlike your last date, this silence feels comfortable and there is no other place where you would rather be right now. For a while, you are curled up in his arms while you can feel his large palm stroke your own in a slow manner, just enjoying each other's company.

You look up to him with sparkled eyes. “Thank you for showing me this.”

He just presses another soft kiss on your temple as an answer and for the first time in a long time, you can feel yourself relax in his presence.

—

For some reason, you just had a gut feeling that perhaps things may have been too good to be true.

After you have watched the sunset together, which you have immediately texted Holly about and sent pictures of, the tiredness of the long day takes over and after eating a quick dinner, you get yourself ready for bed in Mat’s apartment. You let Mat use the bathroom first and find him already fast asleep on his side of the bed.

Still feeling the tingling sensation of the whole day, you quietly scroll through your socials and just look at the countless photos in your gallery as you try to decide which one of these you want to post on your Instagram story.

Obviously, you have taken a few gorgeous ones from the sunset that you definitely consider, but when you see the few shots of Mat that you have secretly taken since the light just accentuated his facial features even more, you just feel tempted to share your happiness with the public.

However, the more you look through your picture folder, the more you get the feeling that you have seen a similar motive somewhere before. Sure, posting pictures of sunsets is basically the norm on social media, but something about the placement of the trees and the layout of the water rings a bell in you. And if your gut feeling is right, it is not a good sign.

Anxiously, you bite your lip as you open the Instagram app and type in a name that you should not know so well.

It is almost embarrassing how her profile immediately pops up after typing three letters, but inevitably, you just have to compare yourself to Mat’s ex-girlfriend. Mostly, it happens during one of many nights when you feel unloved or feel like he is so far away from your heart, which triggers your self-doubts and feelings of never being good enough to him.

The countless posts of her feel all too familiar. You just recognise all of them - the more recent ones, which mostly consist of mirror selfies or photo dumps of her holidays, but also the older ones from a time when she still called Mat hers. The pictures of her at UBS Arena, the group pictures together with other Islanders WAGs or selfies of her wearing Mat’s hoodies and were taken at his apartment - you have seen them more than once.

Ultimately, you find the post you were looking for, published around a year ago and you can feel your stomach turn as the realisation hits you. Pictures of a sunset. Same location, same time, same person. Captioned with beautiful sunsets with an even more beautiful person 🤍.

Another slide reveals a wider shot, which includes the bank and shows the back of a male person that you unmistakably can identify as Mat. Without a doubt, it was the same location you have visited today.

All the bliss that you have just felt until now is immediately gone and suddenly you have the urgency to throw up as your body does not know how to react to this extreme shift of emotions or what to feel at all.

Because is it the fact that nothing about your experience was original? The fact that he brought her there first and made memories with him that you don’t know about? Or the fact that he might have thought of her while you were cuddled up in his arms and feeling like the luckiest person in the world?

In a world of being with a famous athlete, it is impossible to not compare yourself to others or their previous significant others and right now, you cannot help and wonder what she has that you don’t have.

When will it stop feeling like you are battling her lingering shadow?

Beside you, Mat is still deep asleep, not aware of your breakdown that has caused another set of fresh tears burning in your eyes. You are careful to not let out a sound as you weep into your pillow while you position yourself as far away from him as you can.

Maybe it will magically fix itself tomorrow.

Sleeping felt impossible for the whole night as your spiraling thoughts kept you awake for a long time. At some point, you had stopped trying, but also could not cry anymore as your whole energy was drained from everything that happened, leaving you in a vulnerable state that you do not even know how to recover from.

When you eventually hear the birds singing and the daylight coming through the window, you decide to quietly get up in order to not wake Mat. After everything that went down yesterday, you are not ready to face him yet. Your body just screams to run as far away from him as possible.

After quickly putting your undershirt on, completely leaving out his hoodie, you just blindly grab your belongings and run out of his apartment. You do not even know where to go or how to get home - you just know that you cannot bear his presence right now.

—

Weeks go by and you have yet to tell someone what had happened that night. Too humiliated and hurt by everything, you have decided to do what you usually do best: distancing and pretending you are fine.

In front of your friends, you pretend to be busy, telling them that you are just really stressed with work right now and therefore could not meet up with them or attend a game, but surely will see them soon. Because suddenly, you do not crave Sydney’s approval or justification anymore - suddenly, you are on your way to stop believing in anything he or his friends say.

After storming out of Mat’s apartment, you sent him a text that you had to leave early because you forgot about a meeting with your friend, totally ignoring that you had been adamant to spend his free day with him because after that he was going on a road trip. But he does not even question it which proves to you that he is completely oblivious about what happened that night. Either he truly does not know or is just good at pretending that everything is fine.

Eventually, he comes back from the road trip and surprises you with Olivia Dean tickets, which at first, causes your heart to jump because you once used to bond over a similar music taste. It immediately dies down when he casually tells you that Sydney suggested buying tickets because she saw her on your Spotify profile that she was one of your top artists.

It seems like such a small and unnecessary detail, but after six months, all you want is your boyfriend to come up with something for you on his own and not something his friends know about you or he has already created memories with another person.

But once again, you bite your tongue and tell Mat you are excited to go because what else are you supposed to do? Because at least he wants your company at all and you can hold on to the last bit of that relationship you still believe in.

The date starts seemingly normal. Before the main act comes on, you talk about ordinary stuff, do things that couples do and try to find the spark that you have been missing for a long time.

And initially, it truly works as for a short time, you see the side of him that made you fall in love with him. Right now, being with him feels uncomplicated and you fall into an easy rhythm of conversations.

Then the concert starts and during all of it, you feel the high come down again.

It happens in the beginning when Olivia Dean starts singing “So Easy (To Fall In Love)” and you observe all the couples automatically nestling closer to their partners and enjoying the soulful melodies of this song, which just captures the feeling of being in love so well.

You of course do the same, leaning into Mat’s broad body and reaching for his arms, which he accepts without hesitation and together, you slowly move along to the rhythm of the music.

It is supposed to be a magical moment - something where you both think how much you love each other - but for some reason, his touch makes you feel numb. The warmth of his hands on your skin does nothing to you. There is no sentiment of belonging or safety that accompanies you. The touch that you once craved so much now clings onto you like a foreign body.

You are not sure if he feels the same as you do not even dare to look up to him, too scared to face the reality, but you are certain that he notices the stiffness in your moves and the way you reduce your touch towards him.

It continues with the songs that reminisce breakups and you find yourself relating to lines that you never thought you would, but when you notice tears welling up, you realise that they may hit closer to home than you would like to.

But of course you hastily wipe them away and do not let your true feelings show by dancing along to the other songs for the rest of the evening because pretending to be fine seems to become a regular thing in your life.

After the concert ends, you wait a bit until the majority of the crowd dissolves to avoid getting lost in it. Obviously, you managed to enjoy most of the concert after all, but the realisation that something has shifted in your feelings for Mat still stings.

“Great concert, huh?” Mat asks you while you observe all the people slowly walk out of the arena.

“Yeah,” you reply in a curt manner.

He does not push the conversation further and you catch yourself feeling glad about it.

“Hey Mat?” Another voice suddenly turns up.

Usually, it does not faze you when other people come up to your boyfriend because after all he is decently known. But when you spot the figure that has just addressed your boyfriend in such an intimate manner, you freeze up.

Because you have stalked her countless times on the internet, but nothing could have prepared you for the moment to see his ex-girlfriend right in front of you.

“Uh hey?” Mat sounds almost confused as if he is not sure how to react either. He constantly switches his eye contact between you and her, almost as if he is asking you for permission to talk to her.

You just shrug with your shoulders because what else are you supposed to do? You only know of her from hearsay and random Instagram posts and yet she has been living in your head since forever.

They exchange a few words, which you barely notice as you try your hardest to fixate your view on anything but them. But of course you observe the gracious way she carries herself and if you were a total stranger, you would never believe that these two are broken up or that she has ruined him.

He even gives her a small smile occasionally, and you have known him long enough that it is not one of the awkward, polite ones, but rather a genuine one that shows that he is listening to what she is telling him.

Eventually, they bid farewell to each other and he comes back to you. Finally, the majority of the crowd is now gone and you leave together to the parking place. But even though he is walking right beside you and holding your hand, he suddenly just feels far away from you.

—

“You seem quiet.” Mat throws the car keys on the counter as you enter his apartment.

“I don’t know. Long day, just tired.” You avoid any eye contact with him as you go to the kitchen to get yourself a glass of water. Right now, you are not sure if you could hold yourself together anymore so naturally, you just avoid any possibility of a conflict.

Before you could even reach the cupboard, Mat abruptly grabs your wrist, forcing you to directly face him. You shriek out of surprise as you did not predict his move at all. His grab is firm, but not menacing at all.

“Don’t lie to me.” Mat emphasises every word in a way that makes you shiver. “Is it because of her? You know we are broken up, right?”

Your eyes darken at her mention, making something in you switch. Suddenly, all the feelings you have been bottling up, just flow.

“Then fucking act like it!” You scream in a screeching tone that makes him freeze up, instantly dropping his grip on you.

You immediately see the change in expression. The shock that can be seen in his eyes, as if you caught him doing something forbidden. It just encourages your fury as you finally feel validated in your doubts.

“Why can’t you just love me the way you did her? When will I ever be enough for you?!”

Mat just shakes his head. “You are always enough. I choose you and will always do so.”

“Don’t say these things unless you really mean them!” Now it is your turn to accuse him of lying as you form your hands into a wrist. “I know you go to places with me to which you have been with her first. I know you still watch everything she does. I know you still think about her frequently. And I’m sorry that I can’t pretend to be okay with acting as her replacement anymore.”

“I swear it is not like that and…”

“You will never love me as much as you do her,” you immediately interrupt him, not giving him a chance to elaborate. “Maybe you want to, but you just can’t. You’re not over her. All this time I waited for you to.” Your voice shakes. “I gave you time, I was understanding and yet after six months, I still feel like I am competing with her shadow.”

You finally allow yourself to be honest and let your tears fall openly. Too enraged and upset by your emotions, you blindly press him against the kitchen counter, forcing him to watch your tearstained face.

You want to give him one last chance. One last chance to prove to you that you did not imagine all of the previous six months.

“I’m just asking for one thing. Tell me that you love me. Please just say it once,” you beg him. “You never said it once and I was once okay with that because I thought you needed time. But now I need to hear it at least once. Please. Because I fucking do even though you gave me a million reasons not to.”

The immediate silence that follows after is almost too painful for you to bear. Mat just stares at you rigidly, not moving at all or reacting to what you said as if you had just not laid out your feelings bare.

You are waiting in vain as he takes a deep breath and you just hear a whisper of words that you had desperately hoped not to hear until the very end.

“I’m sorry.”

As if someone just popped all the air out of a balloon, you remove yourself from him. There is no anger or despair left in you anymore, just sadness and resentment.

“Yeah, me too. Sorry for wasting my time with you.”

With that, you just turn around and leave without thinking twice. Like at the time when you had left his vehicle after a terrible date, you calmly put your shoes on and grab your jacket because a small part of you just cannot believe that all of this is happening. Because everything always felt real to you.

But he never follows you. Never did. Not even when it matters.

At this moment, you know it is time to let him go. 

[minimouse02]

Hi! Can we pleeeeease see some soft dom Luke talking you through it? Everything about him read subtle dominance to me 😫

Listen to me

pairing: Luke Hughes x female reader

description: Luke loves to take control in the bedroom

CW: Smut, mdni, soft dom Luke, unprotected sex, praise kink

Luke's fingers trace the line of your jaw, his touch feather-light but sending sparks through your entire body.

"Look at me," he murmurs, his voice low and smooth like honey. Your eyes flutter open to meet his, dark with want but softened with something else. "There you are. I want you right here with me, okay? Just focus on my voice."

You nod, your breath catching as his thumb brushes over your bottom lip.

"Words, sweetheart. I need to hear you."

"Yes," you whisper, the sound barely audible.

A small smile plays at the corners of his mouth. "Good girl." His hands move to your hips, gripping gently but firmly as he positions you beneath him. "That's it, just like that. So perfect for me."

Luke's lips find yours, kissing you slow and deep, taking his time as if memorizing the taste of you. His tongue slides against yours and you arch up to meet him, wanting more, no needing more.

"Easy," he chuckles against your mouth. "We'll get there. Just let me lead, yeah?"

You nod again, more eagerly this time. "Yes."

"Better." His hands slide down your sides, mapping every curve, every dip of your body. "You feel so good. So soft. I've been thinking about this all day."

His fingers find the hem of your shirt, pushing it up slowly, exposing your stomach to the cool air. "Lift up for me, baby. Let me see you."

You obey without hesitation, raising your arms so he can pull the shirt over your head. His eyes darken as he takes in the sight of you, bare from the waist up.

"Fuck," he breathes, his hands immediately coming up to cup your breasts. "Look at you. So beautiful." His thumbs circle your nipples and you gasp at the sensation. "Sensitive here, aren't you? I like that. I like knowing exactly how to make you feel good."

He leans down, taking one nipple into his mouth, sucking gently before swirling his tongue around the hardened peak. Your back arches off the bed, a moan escaping your lips.

"That's it," he murmurs against your skin. "Let me hear you. Don't hold back from me." His hand slides down your stomach, fingers dipping beneath the waistband of your shorts. "So wet already. All this for me?"

"Luke," you gasp as his fingers find your clit, circling slowly.

"I know, baby. I know." He kisses his way down your body, nipping at your hip bones as he removes your shorts and panties in one smooth motion. "Spread your legs for me. That's it, just like that. Wider."

You do as he says, your body trembling with anticipation as he settles between your thighs. His breath is warm against your core and you squirm, needing more.

"Patience," he chuckles, his hands pressing your hips down to hold you still. "I'm going to take care of you. Like I always do." He leans in, his tongue flicking against your clit and you cry out, your hands fisting in the sheets.

"Right there, isn't it?" he looks up at you, his eyes dark with desire.

"Yes," you gasp. "Right there."

"Good." He returns to his task, licking and sucking with expert precision, bringing you closer and closer to the edge without quite letting you fall. "Not yet, baby. I want you to come with me inside you. Can you do that for me? Can you wait?"

You nod frantically, your body trembling with the effort of holding back.

"Words," he reminds you, his voice firm but gentle.

"Yes," you manage. "I can wait."

"Such a good girl for me." He moves up your body, positioning himself at your entrance. "Look at me while I enter you. I want to see your face."

Your eyes lock as he pushes into you slowly, stretching you, filling you completely. "That's it," he groans. "Taking me so well. Fuck, you feel incredible."

He starts to move, his thrusts slow and deep at first, building a rhythm that has you seeing stars. "Wrap your legs around me," he directs.

You obey, and the new angle has him hitting that spot inside you that makes your toes curl. "Luke," you gasp. "Please."

"I know, baby. I know." His pace quickens slightly, his hips snapping against yours. "Touch yourself for me. Rub your clit while I fuck you."

Your hand moves between your legs, fingers finding the sensitive bundle of nerves. "That's it," he encourages. "Just like that. Make yourself come on my cock. I want to feel it."

The combination of his voice in your ear, his cock hitting just right and your own fingers working your clit is too much. "Luke," you cry out. "I'm..."

"Let go," he commands. "Come for me, baby."

Your orgasm crashes over you, wave after wave of pleasure that leaves you shaking and breathless. Luke follows right behind you, his release hot inside you as he buries his face in your neck.

"Fuck," he breathes against your skin. "So good. Always so good for me."

He collapses beside you, pulling you into his arms and kissing your forehead. "You okay?" he asks, his voice soft now, the dominance replaced with tenderness.

You nod, snuggling closer. "Better than okay."

"Good." He holds you tight, his fingers tracing patterns on your back. "Because you're mine tonight. All night."

[puckpoet]

Learn to Love Part 1

[Will Smith #2 Fanfic]

When Will started court you, you immediately pushed yourself further and further away. It’s not that he wasn’t respectable or anything like that. Your last relationship was a eight year long turmoil one. You were eighteen years old when you started going out with your ex-boyfriend Jake. He was twenty years old. Now you’re twenty six years old with a traumatized past when it comes to love. Jake cheated, lied, and was the ultimate manipulator. Countless of times you two broke up over the years. You kept forgiving him until he got someone else pregnant with his kid. You found out he got someone else pregnant when he called from the hospital the day the kid was born.

Talk about trauma.

You moved to San Jose, California to start a whole new life. Leaving behind your family and friends to pursue your dreams in sunny California wasn’t easy but you needed to leave to get away from everything and everybody. Your dream is to be a voice actor. Ever since you could remember, you talked in different character voices especially when you played with your dolls as a little girl. People always told you to audition for the big screens so now you are. Since moving to California, one place that kept catching your eye is the Farmers Market. It’s just down the street where you live so you decided to see what’s is like. Humming to yourself, you roamed the market. Suddenly, you felt yourself bump into a person that was built like a damn wall.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! Excuse me.” You said quickly noticing the stranger was a six foot tall male. Being intimidated by men, you kept your head down as you rushed past the guy too embarrassed to look at him. Will was about to speak but you were gone before he even blinked. His eyes scanned the busy crowd desperately trying to find you but you blended in with everybody else. His disappointment was present on his face as Macklin finished checking out at the cashier counter of a sauce vendor.

“Dude, this one looks like death in a bottle!” Macklin laughed as he put the bottle of homemade hot sauce in the paper bag with the other items he purchased. “Dude, what’s wrong?” He asked seeing Will scan the scene.

“Some girl bumped into me and before I could ask what her name was, she was gone.” Will sighed heavily as he gave up, walking with Macklin to the next row of vendors.

“Was she pretty?” Macklin asked Will with a chuckle and a big goofy grin on his face. He’s never seen Will this bothered by not getting a girls name before.

“Yeah, and now I won’t see her again.” Will said frowning deeply as he accepted defeat. Mack pat his friends shoulder trying to reassure him if it’s fate, she’ll be around again.

Ever since that day, all Will can think about is you. Hell, you only spoke a few words to him and he’s already mesmerized by you. He just wished he’d gotten your name. His mind raced with different female names that your mother possibly named you. Was your name Brittany? Possibly Aliyah, maybe Megan? Could it be Lauren or Rachel? Will noticed your body language when you apologized to him for the mistake of walking into him. Did somebody hurt you? Why did you avoid eye contact? The idea of you getting hurt by someone made his blood boil. Sighing heavily to himself, Will finished lacing his skates before making his way to the ice for warm ups. Time to get his head into the game.

You finally landed a job. It wasn’t a big paying one but it was worth it and you were so excited. Now, to celebrate, you figured you’d go shopping for a new outfit. Hitting the mall in hopes of finding the appropriate outfit, you found a store that didn’t sell things at an astronomical price. Living in California was nothing like back home. Going through the racks of clothes, you felt a pair of eyes on you. You tried to shake off the eerie feeling and continued looking around the store.

“Dude! That’s her! That’s the girl from the farmer’s market!” Will whispered to Macklin who was shopping for a new belt for tonight’s press conference. The men’s department was across the aisle from the women’s.

Mack looked across the aisle where the women’s clothing was and made eye contact with you. He flashed a big gummy grin and waved to you. You narrowed your eyebrows together, turning your attention back to looking through the racks of clearance clothes. No smile. No wave. No friendliness to you whatsoever. Will and Macklin both looked at each other confused.

“She thinks we’re creeps.” Will muttered with a defeated sigh. He rummaged through the Men’s dress slacks as his eyes looked over the rack to you. You were so insanely gorgeous as you tried focusing on the sizes of a dress that caught your eye.

“Quit doing that. She’s going to mace us.” Macklin stated hitting Will’s arm before he moved to the other side of the men’s department with Will following. Will tried taking his eyes off of you, but he just couldn’t. You looked up for a split second and your eyes connected. Your face twisted with puzzled confusion, a hint of panic in your eyes. Man, this dude was a total creep. His friend wasn’t any different either. Feeling uncomfortable, you made your way to the cashier with a couple of dresses you hope will fit when you get home.

Will watched you walk by him wanting to introduce himself so bad. Man, he wanted to approach you but Mack’s words kept replaying in his head. She’s going to mace us. It’s best if he didn’t approach you. Will can see how that would blow up on the internet for everybody to see and he wouldn’t event know where to begin to explain the situation. Seeing you for the second time got him thinking they’ll be another time he can formally introduce himself without looking like a total stalker.

Days pass and things are finally looking up. The job was a total success! It landed you four more jobs with the same company. You couldn’t be happier. You picked up a hobby. Running. Yes, you knew it wasn’t the best for your knees but you needed to get out in nature more. Tying your brand new HOKA running shoes, you found a trail that was close by. You carried mace along with a little 9 mm gun for safety. You’ve been running for a little while before finding a place to sit to catch your breath. Hearing footsteps, you looked up. It was the guy from the department store.

“Are you stalking me?” You asked feeling your heart rate raising with awareness. Yes he was cute but he could be bat shit crazy.

“I can ask you the same thing. I’m Will. Nice to meet you.” He said with a confident smile showing his handsome smile on his sweaty flushed face. Will’s compression shirt showed signs of sweat. His shorts riding up his thick muscular thighs.

You simply nodded your head not wanting to give him your name just yet. “Do you run here a lot?” You asked genuinely curious before sipping your water.

“I actually do. I love to come here to get my mind off of things or a specific person.” Will told you with a small smile. There was a gleam in his ocean blue eyes that were highlighted by the golden hour sun. Will turned his head to admire the sunset of the gorgeous evening. The rays of the sun shined on his tan skin and blonde curls.

The silence was loud between you two. Will didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable and uneasy yet you didn’t know what to say. You stood up and dusted off your leggings from the dessert debris that’s on the bench.

“Hey wait,” Will said noticing you getting ready to get back on the trailhead a few feet away. “Can I get your number?” He asked you with a hopeful look in his eyes.

You shook your head and turned back to the direction of the continued trail to run. You weren’t stupid. You knew somebody as attractive as Will, he’s used that like hundreds of times before and has multiple girls on his roster in his contacts. You didn’t want to be another one.

Will stood where he was and watched you disappear down the trail. He wanted to get to know you better. You were different than other girls. Will loved that you didn’t know him or his profession. He also liked the fact you didn’t try to grab his attention or try to impress him. Will mentally cursed himself out as he turned around to walk back to his vehicle to leave. Will he ever see you again? Did he ruin his chance? Driving home, he was moody and a little pissed off with himself.

********Time Skip********

Months passed you by fast. You were so busy with life. Work has taken off and you were in talks with Disney for their upcoming kids movie. So when an opportunity to move in with a co-worker came up, you took it. You met Gary at work and safe to say, he played for the other team if you know what I mean. Life was treating you very well these last 7 months. Gary walked into the kitchen where you were at making you two Mediterranean quinoa salds.

“Y/N, I just won tickets to see the sharks play the ducks!” He exclaimed excitedly as ever. Gary was a huge sports fan. Mostly because of the hot players. It didn’t matter what team or sport, if there were hot guys on the team, he’s interested.

You smirked to yourself as your back was to him. “Yeah? That’s cool. How many tickets did you win?” You asked as you chopped the cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and cilantro on the chopping block.

“Only two. Do you want to join me? It’s this Friday night.” Gary suggested as he stole a tomato popping it into his mouth.

“No I don’t even watch hockey.” You stated with a shake of your head. Adding the ingredients to the mixing bowl, you used utensils to mix the quinoa with the additives.

“Oh come on Y/N! All you do is stay in and read a book every night. You’re all alone in this house! You’re 26 years old for Christ sake. Go have some fun, live a little.” Gary told you practically begging you to go with him to this stupid hockey game.

You knew he wouldn’t give up until you say yes. “Oh my god, fine! I’ll go but just this once mister.” You told Gary poking his chest with the end of your fork. Gary’s cocky smile was pretty evident as he savored the feeling of you caving in.

You didn’t know what colors were the hockey teams that were playing tonight so you just kept it safe regarding outfit wise. You sat on Pinterest looking at cute hairstyles and finally picked one out. After finishing your hair, you put on light makeup before meeting Gary in the living room. He had a Sharks jersey on.

“Representing the bay?” You asked him with a smile grabbing your transparent purse to put your items in.

“Oh absolutely. The sharks are ruthless. Wait, why aren’t you in teal?” He asked crossing his arms raising an eyebrow. Gary’s favorite team is the Sharks when it comes to the NHL. You on the other hand have never watched a hockey game.

“Because I don’t watch hockey Gary. I don’t even know if the sharks are a good team in the league.” You stated opening the front door with him following you out. Gary bitched about your lack of team spirit as he drove to the arena.

Once you two took your seats, you looked around the arena. 99% of people were in teal and white attire. You were one of maybe 50 who weren’t. Gary knew what you were thinking and smirked a little.

“I told you. You should’ve bought a jersey. Now you’re the oddball.” Gary stated before he began to eat his hot dog. Your fingers held onto your cold beer taking in everything. The loudness. The energetic crowd. The fans. Pretty soon, the game began. You watched as the players for both teams played on the ice. Narrowing your eyes, you caught a glimpse of number 71 and 2 on the sharks team. Holy shit! It was the guy from the mall along with the guy from the hike, Will. They must be best friends seeing them work together like magic on the ice.

Will’s eyes scanned the crowd when he sat on the bench. He found you in the crowd of faces and smirked to himself. Telling by the way you were watching the game and not wearing anything from either team told him you didn’t watch hockey or knew anything about the sport. The guy next to you kept talking to you whenever something happened trying to teach you hockey slang. You nodded your head following along as you sipped your beer and ate your food. Will turned his attention back to the game and purposely made a hat trick to impress you. He hoped you remembered him. You looked around seeing a lot of young females around 18-22 wearing Smith jerseys and holding signs trying to grab his attention. Your eyes looked back to the ice and your breath hitched. Will was already looking at you. He chuckled to himself and smirked up at you with a cocky wink.

“Meet me after.” Will mouthed to you. That caught most of the crowds attention to you. The females who were wanting Will’s attention gave you dirty looks as they watched the interaction between you and their celebrity crush. You ignored their nasty demeanors.

Gary looked at you when Will turned his attention back to his team. “So, you know Will Smith?” He asked you with a smirk.

“No. We’ve met a couple of times and that’s it. He doesn’t even know my name. Clearly he has a line of girls waiting for him to pick. I’m

no one special.” You stated with a roll of your eyes. You weren’t going to stay to see Will after the game. He’s just like the other guys. He’s younger than you. Will doesn’t want a girl who’s 5 years older than him. He’s just now finding out about life and what is has to offer. You have a mortgage, a car payment, and other adult responsibilities that you have brought on with adulthood. As you walked beside Gary to the doors that led to the parking lot, you thought of Will and his efforts. You were called out of your thoughts.

“Ma’am, can you follow me please?” A tall broad man walked up to you and Gary, who’s badge read ‘San Jose Sharks Security’.

You looked at Gary and he had a knowing smirk on his face. “Somebody is waiting for you.” He cooed teasingly watching you follow the security guard to the doors that lead to the locker room area. There stood Will who was freshly showered. His blonde curly hair was more of a brown color and clung to his forehead. He had on a Sharks hoodie with sweatpants.

“Hey.” He said with a smile thanking the guard for his help. Will looked at you wide eyed. Mostly because of the big win of the night but he was excited to see you again after seven months when you two met on the trailhead.

“Hi.” You said quietly noticing people’s stares. Crossing your arms over your chest as a silent way of protection and safety. “Why did you want to talk to me?” You asked Will avoiding eye contact.

“Why do you do that? Avoid eye contact with me? Do I make you uncomfortable? Did I say something wrong? I swear I’m a nice guy.” Will said with a convincing grin that made the corners of his blue ocean eyes crinkle trying to ease up the hostile mood.

“Eh, sometimes he’s not so nice.” Macklin teased as he walked by the two of you just getting off the ice making Will glare at his best friend.

“I just don’t understand how we keep running into each other.” You mumbled under your breath looking at your shoes before your eyes met his “You have a lot of girls to choose from so why am I special? Why are you trying to hard?” You asked genuinely curious.

“Because you’re different.” Will stated with no hesitation “God, I do sound like a player.” He muttered shaking his head sighing heavily as he pulled off his hat to brush his fingers through his hair.

“What I mean is you’ve been on my mind since that day you bumped into me at the Farmers Market on Cactus Avenue. I tried to get your attention but you were gone in a blink of an eye then I ran into you at the mall. I wasn’t a creep. I seen you before. Mack was the creep that time.” He said earning a little laugh from you. Man, it made his heart skip a beat. Your laugh was just as beautiful as you.

“I want to know your name. I want to take you out on a date. I’m really a nice guy. You can even ask my teammates. Well excluding that guy,” Will said pointing to Mack who pouted with slumped shoulders making you giggle again, Macklin smiled at you before going back to whatever he was doing “Please just give me a chance. I’m not like the other guys my age. Don’t you think it’s a sign that we keep running into each other in this big city? Can I please take you out?” Will asked you with begging eyes as he stood with his hands in his pockets nervously fidgeting with the lint inside of them.

“First of all, my name is Y/N and secondly, yes I’ll go out with you. Pick me up Sunday afternoon at one and don’t be late.” You told Will with a genuine smile before giving him your contact information and address. You kissed his cheek before leaving the hallway to find Gary waiting in his car parked on the curb.

“So? What’s with that huh? Will Smith got ahold of your attention?” Gary asked you with a smirk as he began to drive back to the apartment you two shared.

Buckling up, you blushed with a small smile biting your bottom lip. “I’m going to make him work for it.” You said looking out the window admiring the big San Jose Sharks logo on the side of the building. Maybe tonight was the start of something special.

[allthingsflavorful]

𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑: 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚂𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚑

You two meet at a Top Golf your friends dragged you to. You’ve never been one for golf, and it was evident in the way you played, drawing Will’s attention to your admittedly poor performance. He usually stayed at actual courses, though his friends had also managed to drag him to the Top Golf.

When you had gone to sit down after your turn, his group was next to yours, and he’d made his move, offering to give you some pointers and cracking a few jokes, sure of himself but not so cocky that he pushed you away. 

You took him up on his offer, the two of you abandoning your respective groups to pay for your own range, spending more time talking and laughing than actually playing. Whenever it was your turn, Will found himself behind you, adjusting your grip and guiding you through the motions, the air between the two of you becoming quiet yet comfortable.

The night ended with you rushing off as your friends got ready to leave, leaving Will with your Instagram in his phone and a promise that the two of you would come back soon. For a proper date this time.

[cattyb2]

So uh, realistically, if I wrote a 7,000 word part 3 of safe & sound… is that something you guys want?

[macksangel]

wet dream wednesday!!!! send any nasty thoughts you have :P

just a reminder who i write for: adam gaudette, aiden celebrini, alex wennberg, beckett sennecke, cale makar, colin graf, connor bedard, fraser minten, igor chernyshov, juraj slavkovsky, leon draisaitl, macklin celebrini, mitch marner, sam dickinson, sidney crosby, victor eklund, will smith, william eklund and zack ostapchuk ♡