need dad natemack to get through that awful game
bittersweet homecoming dad!nathan mackinnon x mom!reader wc: 2.2k warnings: mention of the vgk goalie, nate being sad about the sweep (me too), mostly cute dad!nate note: that game hurt, but it's ok! i love my team to death, and even though that was a disappointing series, we're going to come back next year stronger and better than ever. this fic is to make myself and everyone else feel better 🥲
The plane lands in Colorado around ten on Thursday morning. The entire team is dead silent as they gather their luggage, everyone feeling the weigth of the loss from last night like fifty pound weights on their shoulders. They should probably talk about it, meet with Jared about everything that went wrong, all the mistakes that were made.
Nobody has the energy for it.
All Nate can think about is getting home to you and Milo. You’d called him last night, and he’d answered the phone laying flat on his back on the hotel bed, listening to the TV play something random in an attempt to get his mind off of it. You told him about your day, that you went to Target and got Milo a few new swim trunks for the summer, and that they’re all really cute. And what you made for lunch. And dinner.
That’s always been one of Nate’s favorite things about you, your ability to talk about anything and everything, in an attempt to get his mind away from everything that transpired last night.
Right before you hung up, the sound of Milo crying over the baby monitor filled Nate’s ears, and he had to hold back a groan. Milo turned one a few weeks ago, and he’s been pretty clingy, specifically with Nate. For some reason it wasn’t as bad during the regular season, but as soon as the playoffs started, Milo got especially sticky with his dad. He asks to call Nate fifty times a day, wants to wear his jersey with Daddy on the back, and fights sleep as much as possible because he wants to be put down by Nate.
That’s the only bright side in this whole clusterfuck. Milo’s getting his dad back for teh next few months.
The forty five minute drive from DIA back home is undoubtedly the longest forty five minutes of Nate’s entire life. All he wants is to hug you, hug his son, and have a lazy day at home. Maybe he’ll take Milo and Maggie out for a walk around the neighborhood, go to Milo’s favorite playground for a bit.
He sent you a quick text when he was five minutes away, and felt all the tension leave his body when he pulled into the driveway exactly five minutes later to find you and Milo standing in the front yard, waiting for him.
“DADA!” Milo squealed as Nate opened the car door, smiling wide at the sight of his son bouncing excitedly in your arms. He was already reaching for his dad, making grabby hands. Nate didn’t hesitate to grap him from you, immediately wrapping Milo up in a big, tight hug. Milo laid his head on Nate’s shoulder, his little arms falling around his dad’s neck. “Dada, Dada, hi!”
Nate melts at his son’s sweet voice, at how excited he is to see him. He’s spent the last few weeks feeling so incredibly guilty for not being here as much as Milo needs him, but he’s here right now. He’s going to be here until October. Obviously, Nate needs to train and practice, and keep in shape in the offseason, but he’s going to spend as much time as possible with his baby boy.
“Why don’t you take Milo inside, and I’ll get your stuff,” you suggest, laying a hand on Nate’s shoulder as you stand up on your tiptoes to kiss him. Milo’s entire face is lit up with a smile, excitedly hitting Nate’s shoulders gently. “I don’t think he would like it very much if you put him down,” you say with a smile.
Milo cried in your arms for hours last night, begging for his Dada, and now that he finally has him, the last thing you want to do is separate your son and his father.
Nate looks baffled at the suggestion. “No, baby, what? I’ll just get my stuff later, it’s okay.”
You shake your head. “Go inside with Milo. Spend a little bit of time together, just the two of you. I’ll get your stuff,” you insist.
Nate’s still hesitant, but he nods, kissing you once more before taking Milo inside. Milo’s babbling nonsense excitedly, placing his little hands on Nate’s cheeks, leaning forward to give his Dada a messy kiss. Nate smiles and kisses is son’s chubby cheek, making his way to the recliner in the living room, sitting down and settling Milo on his lap. Milo can’t stop smiling, snuggling into Nate’s chest, sighing contentedly.
“I missed you, bubba,” Nate murmurs, softly kissing the top of Milo’s head. The smell of his baby shampoo combined with the feeling of his soft hair nearly brings tears to Nate’s eyes. After being apart from his son for so long, and how horrible he felt during that entire series with VGK, being reunited with him feels like being able to breathe again. You once described being a parent as having your heart living outside your body, and that’s exactly what it is. Holding Milo again, seeing him smile and be excited to see him… absolutely nothing compares. “I love you so much, Milo Graham. Don’t ever forget that.”
Milo just giggles and uses his dad’s shoulders to pull himself to a a standing position on Nate’s lap, looking at his dad like he hung the moon and the stars.
Nathan MacKinnon has won a Stanley Cup, and nothing has ever felt more fulfilling than being a father. Milo is the light of his life, his favorite person in the whole entire world. You’re a close second, a very very close second, but still. You feel the same way. The connection you both have with your son is special, and you wouldn’t give it up for anything.
After a few minutes of cuddling, Milo gets bored, and starts babbling about Bluey, so Nate reaches for the remote. As soon as Bluey is turned on, both Nate and Milo go silent, locked in to the epsiode. Nate likes to tell you that he doesn’t really care about Bluey, but you know that’s not true. And when you walk into the living room ten minutes later, after getting everything from the car and putting all the bags in the right places so Nate can unpack later, you smirk as your suspicions of him loving Bluey just as much as his son are confirmed when you walk into the living room and find both your boys staring at the TV.
It doesn’t take long for Nate and Milo to fall asleep. Milo’s tired from how badly he fought sleep last night, insisting on staying awake until Nate came home. Nate’s exhausted from the game last night, and the fact that he was unable to sleep due to not being able to stop thinking about it, despite your greatest attempts to take his mind off of it from your phone call.
They’re cuddled together on the recliner, comforted by each other, and the safety of being at home together. You throw a blanket over them, leaving Bluey playing as white noise, and then start going about your day.
The rest of the day is calm, peaceful. When Nate and Milo wake up from their nap, Milo’s energy is renewed. They go into the backyard and play with Maggie for a while. You sit on the porch with your laptop, working on the things you’ve been pushing off the last few days in favor of making sure Milo was happy and comfortable.
Watching Nate and Milo together always warms your heart, brings a smile to your face. You giggle as Milo tackles Nate, both of them laughing, Maggie barking excitedly near them.
Getting swept in the Western Conference Finals was tough, and it’s something that Nate is going to be beating himself up over for the next few months, probably longer. You try your best to have him give himself some grace, but you know that it’s not that easy.
You can see though, that when he’s with Milo, all of that is gone from his mind. That when Milo is in Nate’s arms, the only thing he’s thinking about is being a good present father.
Nate insists that the two of you take Milo to his favorite park in the neighborhood, so you do that after dinner. Milo sat on Nate’s lap during the entire meal, wanting to be as close to his dad as possible. You tried to put him in his high chair, but he started screaming and crying, so you allowed him to sit with Nate. Nate definitely wasn’t complaining, smiling wide and feeding his son without complaint. He didn’t even look upset in the slightest when Milo accidentally smacked Nate’s mashed potatoes, sending them splashing around the table. He just laughed and grabbed a napkin, wiping the potatoes off Milo’s face.
Milo has the time of his life at the park. You sit on a bench and play fetch with Maggie while Nate plays on the jungle gym with Milo. You usually play with them, but you know that the only person Milo wants right now is Nate, so you let them have their time together. Sometimes, when Nate gets like this, you think about how intimidating he is on the ice, and wonder what fans would think of seeing him like this, soft and sweet and at the complete and utter mercy of a one year old.
By the time bedtime comes around, Milo’s absolutely tuckered out. Nate gives him his bath and gets him ready for bed, which gives you some time to yourself. You do a face mask and cuddle into bed with your kindle, a trashy reality television show playing on the TV. You make your way into Milo’s room after his two stories, give him a kiss on the cheek and say goodnight, before Nate puts him down.
Unlike last night, Milo falls asleep in seconds, and is out like a light. You smile, heart feeling full, and say to Nate: “He just missed his daddy.”
Back in you and Nate’s bedroom, after his shower he comes and lays his head down on your chest. Your hand immediately finds its way to his hair, combing your fingers through it and scratching his scalp in the way you know always calms him down. He’s freshly shaven, all evidence of the playoffs gone, humming humming contentedly as he burrows into the plushness of your chest.
“I’m glad I’m home,” he murmurs, voice muffled slightly. “I’m… upset, of course. That was probably the worst playoffs series of my career. But I’m home now, with you and Milo. And that’s all that matters right now.”
You kiss his forehead softly. “We’re glad you’re home too, my love. I know you think you’re defined by how well you play, but Milo and I don’t care. We’re proud of you no matter what.”
“That’s sweet,” Nate grumbles, “but that was embarrassing. Getting swept by Vegas? It’s not just that it’s Vegas, it’s… I wanted to kill that fucking goalie. I wanted to punch him so fucking bad.”
“I know,” you say, trying to soothe him with your tone and continuing to massage his head. His hands have formed fists at your sides, and all you want is for him to release that stress again. “Don’t beat yourself up over it. You tried your best, and that’s what matters.”
Nate huffs, eyes drifting closed. You know that nothing you say right now can make it better, can make him forget everything that happened, every move he made, every mistake.
From the very beginning of this series, Nate has made it his personal goal to make number 79 wish he was never born. You’d been so devastated when he was signed to VGK, horrified at the doors this could open, the implication that the things he did don’t matter because he’s “a good goalie.” Nate was heartbroken too, at what that meant for the league, and for the women that are hockey fans. He couldn’t even begin to fathom what it felt like for you, and other women who had to witness a man who did such a horrible thing, still being allowed to play professional hockey.
So the fact that Nate failed to take VGK out of the playoffs? You know it hurts, that he won’t let himself forget it until next year.
For right now though, he’s home. You and Milo have him back for the summer, and that’s all you’re going to think about. The first few days will be tough for Nate, but he’ll forget pretty quick. At least, he won’t dwell on it while he’s at home. Nate makes it a priority to be present when he’s with his family, which is something you appreciate more than words can express.
Nate falls asleep cuddled into you, arms wrapped around your waist, legs tangled together under the sheets. He looks so soft like this, so pretty and calm and relaxed.
You fall asleep to the sound of Bob’s Burgers playing on the TV, and Nate’s steady snoring. The next few months are going to be fun, both calm and chaotic, and you can’t wait. The summer is your favorite season for lots of reasons, but the biggest is that Nate is home with you.
It was a bittersweet homecoming, but you’re glad that he’s back. And even though Nate’s bummed about the outcome of the playoffs too, you know he’s glad to be home, too.
a/n: i really liked writing this fic! it felt very therapeutic (: especially the part where i literally just ranted abt c*rter h*rt! if we wanted more dad!natemack fics i'd totally be into them, i love milo! i hope this brings a little smile to everyone's face and helps you forget about the absolute dumpster fire of a series we just got swept in 🥲
