Hey guys. As you may be able to tell, I am a HUGE Minnesota Wild fan. A huge hockey fan in general. I decided to write a fanfic about the Wild and Kaprizov (the love of my life). I’m writing this for my own entertainment but I also hope you guys like it. Even if you aren’t a NHL fan, I think this will be a cute love story. You don’t need to know the players.
Thanks guys.
Also the title will probably change... Haha.
Taglist
Also I'd love some feedback or to interact with y'all some more! My Ask/Request box is always open!
Sooooo, I haven't titled this, but I really wanted to post the prologue. I'll title it soon. I'm working on this, my Kirill fanfic, and some NHL Imagines rn!
Would love some feedback! Also, I might have surgery so if anyone wants to keep me company, I would appreciate it.
______________________________________
Prologue
If there is one thing that Connor taught me growing up, it was how to put up with hockey players. Even though we didn’t live together most of our lives, we were still close, as twins usually are. We texted each other all the time and I would often go to his games when our dad could drive the four hours down to Dauphin. Those games were some of my fondest memories as a kid, but Connor’s dreams didn’t stop there.
I would be lying if I said that I’ve never resented him for leaving us. However, I would’ve done the same had I been in his position. He had a dream that he could accomplish and I felt stuck.
I had never wanted anything the way Connor wanted to go pro for hockey. My dreams were small and seemed so insignificant compared to his. Maybe because I lived in the shadow of him.
Now that I’m older, I realized that I was scared. I was scared of not being supported in the way Connor was. I was scared that I would be wasting everyone’s time with something unattainable…
It wasn’t until I was an adult that I really found my calling. I wanted to help children who had found their calling young. I wanted to help the dreamers succeed. Maybe that is what led me to major in nonprofit management and minor in business.
After graduating from the University of Minnesota, I stayed in the Twin Cities. I found myself a small apartment with one of my best friends and began working with the Wild, managing their community outreach programs. With my hockey knowledge, it was a great starting point for me. However, I knew that eventually I would leave to start up my own non profit organization.
But until then, I would watch the snow fall down outside the conference room window. I sighed as my team argued about things that weren’t on our agenda. I stood up, planting my hands loudly on the table.
“Well, since we can’t agree on anything, let’s table it and circle back to it tomorrow,” I said. It was getting late and I didn’t want Connor trashing my apartment before I got home.
Since he was playing with the Wild, he was staying at my place until he heard if he was sticking around or going back down to Iowa. It was either that or a hotel room, and I couldn’t make my twin brother stay in a hotel room for months.
“I’ll be leaving first,” I muttered. I grabbed my bag and waited for anyone to protest, but I was met with silence. “Good meeting everyone.”
I don’t know why I felt so defeated walking out of that room. I was in charge of an amazing board of brilliant minds and still, I felt like a kid. I was a kid compared to a lot of them. I just didn’t feel like this was the right job for me.
I pushed my bad thoughts from my head as I walked into my apartment, yelling that I was home as I entered. I took my shoes off and slammed the door shut. I set my bag down on the couch and was greeted by Brandon, snooping through the fridge.
“Hey Clara,” he said. “Catch.”
He tossed me a yogurt drink and I chuckled. I muttered a thanks before walking straight into my room. I needed to get into more comfortable clothing and switch out of work mode. I stripped out of my office clothing and slipped into a pair of leggings and a baggy hoodie.
“Clara! Did you drink all the milk?” I heard a yell from the kitchen. I shook my head before walking back out. Connor stood there searching for the inexistent gallon like it would magically appear in front of his face if he continued to look.
“Yeah, with my cereal this morning,” I said. “That’s why I texted you to get milk this morning.”
He pulled out his phone and sighed, clearly seeing the message. I took a seat on the stool by our counter and cracked the lid on my drink. I resealed it and shook it for a little while before actually taking a sip.
“So what’s for dinner?” Connor asked, looking me right in the eyes. I laughed right into his face as Brandon smacked him.
“I’ll order in,” Brandon said. He looked at me, right in the eyes. “Whatcha want?”
Brandon didn’t smile that often on camera, which is why I loved the small moments that I got to enjoy it. He would flash a charming smile every once in a while, but it was always gone as quickly as it appeared. And as much as I loved it when he smiled, it ached in my heart a little bit.
I don’t know when my little crush on him developed, but I knew it would never be reciprocated. He was hopelessly in love with his girlfriend and even though I hated to admit it, they were really cute together.
“I’ll find something wherever you guys order from, so pick a place and let me know,” I said. After some debating back and forth between the boys, they decided on a place and I gave them my order. “How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing, I got it,” Brandon said. My head snapped up from my phone. He saw my expression and knew that this was about to be a battle. I reached for my purse, never breaking eye contact. “Clara, don’t you dare.”
Then in one fluent motion, I lunged for the bag. Predicting my movement, Brandon grabbed my waist and slung me over his shoulder. I flailed my limbs around, but I already knew that I wasn’t winning this one. He was bigger, taller, and stronger than me in every way. He spun around as I playfully hit his back and told him to put me down.
“Haha, put me down!” I said right as my roommate walked in. We both stopped and stared at her, busted. I knew I would be hearing about this later since Lacey was the biggest advocate against my crush on Brandon Duhaime. She knew I was setting myself up for disappointment. “Hey Lace!”
I felt Brandon put me down as she greeted us. She gave me a look before collapsing on the couch. I plopped down next to her and felt her punch my arm. It was a silent reminder that Brandon had a girlfriend and it wasn’t me.
“Work sucks,” she groaned. “I should just quit.”
She worked a crappy retail job while she finished up her last year of undergrad. Lacey was incredibly smart and ambitious, but it took her a little longer to pick a major.
“You got this,” I said. It was a lame encouragement, but I didn’t have much hope for my job at the moment. Between the accusations of nepotism and the fact that everyone thinks I am too young, I began dreading the idea of going into work everyday.
“Hey, Clara,” Connor tried to get my attention. “Have you thought about a summer camp idea for community kids yet?”
I groaned in response. I wanted to come up with something amazing. However, finding a team member to lead the camp was proving to be more difficult than I had anticipated. My first idea was Matt Boldy. He was a good friend of ours and a rising star on the team. However, his offseason plans were looking complicated and I needed to lock in dates as soon as possible.
Brandon and Connor would be more than happy to, but it was definitely an easy out. Honestly, anyone my age on the team was an easy out. I don’t know why it made me feel so bad. I was just using my connections and resources and for anyone else, that would be rewarding. However, because I was Connor’s sister, it was too easy and I didn’t work hard enough for it.
Lacey was right, work sucks.
Still, I got up the next morning and put a smile on my face as I walked into the building. I had a bagel in one hand and a hot chocolate in the other. I was going to find one positive thing at work today even if it killed me.
I walked up to the conference room and heard the muttering inside. I knew they were talking about the plans without me as if I wasn’t the head of this project. I shook the negative thoughts away and braced myself for
“G’morning everyone,” I said in a cheery voice. I put my stuff down at the table as their attention turned to me. “We can start the meeting in 15 minutes like planned! I’ll be back in a little bit.”
I slipped out of the room, needing to run to my office before we started. Outside the room, a boy probably around my age looked around with a lost gaze. His chocolate brown eyes met mine and he smiled awkwardly.
“Hey, can you tell me how to get to Bill Guerin’s offith?” he asked. I tilted my head as the last word of his sentence ended in a small lisp.
“Yeah, I can show you,” I said, gesturing to him to come with me.
“Thorry, I juth don’t know where to go…” he rubbed his neck sheepishly as he nervously spoke. “Altho, I don’t uthally have thith lipth, but I broke my jaw not too long ago.”
I chuckled and looked over at him. His curly brown hair bounced with each step and he avoided eye contact with me.
“It’s all okay, I’m not judging,” I said. His nervousness took me by surprise. My guess was that he was a new player since was going to Guerin’s office, but he didn’t give off the over confident, larger than life personality of most of the players that I have met.
“Oh, I didn't think you were, it’s just kinda embarathing,” he muttered.
“It’s not embarrassing,” I said. I could tell he wasn’t buying it though. “It’s kinda cute actually.”
I saw his face flush bright red as the word cute fell out of my mouth. I smiled to myself and stopped outside of the room he needed to be in. I almost wished the walk was a little longer so I could tease him a little bit more. He thanked me for showing him the way and then we parted, not even sharing names. However, he was the one positive thing that I had set out to find at work.
I left work feeling unaccomplished again. Nothing was working out for me, but at least I could look back at my walk with the curly haired boy and smile. I was thinking about him while I walked into my apartment.
“You’re home late today,” Lacey said as she heard me enter. I told her there was a lot to get done. I collapsed onto the couch and felt her pat my back. “On the plus side, I ordered pizza for us.”
I thanked her and flipped over onto my back. The popcorn ceiling above me was all too familiar as well as the overwhelming desire I had to just scream. However, my thoughts would soon be interrupted but the sound of the boys roughhousing in the other room.
“They’re gonna break something one of these days,” I muttered. I heard Lacey agree with me. “Who’s all here?”
“Connor, Brandon, and Matt,” Lacey said. “They invited some other guy that I’ve never heard of though.”
“I met a guy today,” I said, not even thinking that they could be the same person. “He had curly brown hair and brown eyes. Oh, and this adorable lisp.”
“A lisp? How is that cute?” Lacey asked with a laugh. She listened while I explained the situation in more detail than I should’ve remembered. The way his hair bounced. The boyish smile he had when I teased him. The way his face gave away his emotions. “So he was cute? Like more than Brandon? Or less?”
She muttered the last part, knowing she couldn’t let the boys hear her. I thought about it for a second. He was cute, but he was different from Brandon. He was boyish and goofy. He made me want to smile. Brandon was the opposite. I wanted to make him smile. It was all so different.
Then before I could respond to Lacey’s question, there was a knock on the door. I told her I would grab it, thinking it was the pizza. I jumped up from the couch and opened the door, only to be speechless. The curly-haired boy stood right in front of me.
“Hey…” he said, looking very confused. My jaw dropped open to say something, but no words came out. Before I could find my words, Brandon bolted out into the living room. He sped around the corner and stopped right at my side.
“JOSTY!” he yelled, pulling the new guy into a hug. I still couldn’t process all of the things happening in front of me. “Clara, this is Tyson Jost! Josty, this is Clara.”
He smiled at me, shock wearing off for the both of us. He was clearly our new trade acquirer and he clearly knew Brandon from earlier in life.
Hey y'all, so I'm sick! This is a little late and I'm not happy with it... You guys need to let me know if this is something worth working on or not because I don't know if I am in love with it or not...
I'm a huge Kaprizov fan and I know I could make a great fanfic, but I don't know this is any good or not...
If you want me to keep writing it, the next chapter will be better. I'm blaming the sick brain...
Masterlist
Taglist
Also I'd love some feedback or to interact with y'all some more! My Ask/Request box is always open!
Chapter Four
Soon days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. I began to find my rhythm with the Wild, while keeping myself an arms length away. The only time I interacted with the team was at practice, except for Kirill.
Once a week, Kirill and I go shopping together. We grab the essentials, while I scold him about unnecessary purchases, and then we go back to his apartment for a cooking lesson. I kept our extracurriculars short and sweet, making sure that neither of us became too comfortable with each other. However, after a few weeks of hanging out, I could no longer say that we weren’t friends.
He found comfort in someone he could communicate freely with and I found comfort in him. He was very different from my other friends and it didn’t take effort for me to spend time with him. That was the scary thing about spending time with him.
Still, I kept the boundaries that I had set for myself. I didn’t want him to become a distraction for me at work. I had finally become acquainted with my new work environment and I wasn’t failing the job yet, I’d prefer to keep it that way. Even though everything would be changing again in a few days…
The snow fell from the sky and landed lightly in my dark hair. I always loved the way it looked like a tiara of crystals. I looked up and watched it fall all around me. It made me feel like a little kid again, running around in the powdery snow.
“What are you still doing here?” Kirill asked, causing me to jump a little. I opened my mouth to reply, but I could see the nervousness in him. His NHL debut was approaching quickly and he seemed a lot more on edge these days. I would’ve expected him to be cool as a cucumber, but that just wasn’t the case.
“Are you excited for Thursday?” I asked. He stared silently at me for a second before letting out a sigh.
“I am, trust me,” he said. I could sense the word ‘but’ coming next. “But, I don’t want to mess up. Everyone was so excited when I got here and I don’t want to disappoint them.”
I laughed. I didn’t mean to, but I couldn’t help it. Sometimes I forgot that he was my age and had insecurities. He’s still human despite the whole professional athlete thing he has going on. It was cute that he was nervous, but he had nothing to worry about.
“Kirill, have you seen yourself during practice? Your goalies have a love-hate relationship with you. They’re the luckiest goalies in the division because neither of them have to protect the goal from you, Talbot’s words not mine,” I said, smiling proudly at him.
The goofy smile that he wore so well flashed across his face as he nodded. He knew deep down that I was right, he just had to hear it from someone that wasn’t himself. I chuckled as he processed it, but ultimately I knew that I had to be on my way. I said my goodbyes and was on my way, thinking back to the smile on his face as I walked away.
As I walked into my apartment, I was still thinking about his smile. Lately, I’ve been having a hard time getting him out of my head. Maybe it was all the time we had spent together… or maybe it was because we were becoming closer. Either way, having him live rent free inside my head was not a good thing.
The lights were off and no one was home at the apartment, which wasn’t unusual these days. Eliza spent a lot of time at Josh’s place, which meant I had the apartment to myself. It was a little lonely at times.
As I made myself a bowl of cereal for dinner, I debated going over and bothering Nate. I knew that he would be secretly happy to see me since we’ve had conflicting schedules lately, but I couldn’t bring myself to walk across the hall. There were weird boundaries and imaginary lines that I wasn’t ready to cross.
I heard my phone vibrate and picked it up, taking both my bowl of cereal and my phone to the couch. I turned on the tv and shoved a spoonful of cheerios into my mouth before looking at the text.
From Kirill Kaprizov: Thanks for today.
I stared at it for a moment, my eyebrows furrowed together. It wasn’t unusual for him to shoot me a text every once and a while, but it was always about practice, cooking, or translating something the guys said. It was never just because he felt like it.
To Kirill Kaprizov: No problem! Don’t be nervous, you got it!
I thought that would be the end of the conversation, but another text came through less than a minute later.
From Kirill Kaprizov: Got home safely?
It was cute that he asked. Cute. I silently cursed myself for thinking that. He wasn’t cute, I was just overexposed to him. That’s all. Except it was all, he was cute. I think many girls would agree with me, but I didn’t want to be a girl who agreed with them. I work with him. He was completely unobtainable. On top of that, I swore to be done dating hockey boys.
To Kirill Kaprizov: Yup! Hbu?
I sighed as I took a few more bites of cereal. I ignored the next notification from my phone and just focused on finishing my food. I set the now empty bowl down on the coffee table as my phone vibrated a couple more times, but I was too distracted by picking out a show to watch to care. Finally, I checked it to see 3 more texts from him.
From Kirill Kaprizov: I did. Made some dinner too. I still owe you dinner sometime for all the help.
From Kirill Kaprizov: Did you eat yet?
From Kirill Kaprizov: I have some leftovers from tonight if you want to come over
I smiled at the messages and debated going since I was feeling lonely at home, but I knew it would be bad for my heart.
To Kirill Kaprizov: I did eat, sorry! Thanks for the offer though! And you don’t owe me anything, it’s okay. :)
I smiled, satisfied with my reply. I wanted to keep our conversation professional without sounding like a robot. Going over to his apartment, at night, on a Tuesday seemed out of the boundaries that I had set for myself.
I left my phone on the couch as I got up to do my dishes. There wasn’t much there, but it was enough to make me forget all about my text conversation with the Russian rookie. I took a shower and got ready for bed before going back out to grab my phone and turn off the tv.
As I laid down in bed, I plugged my phone into the charger and turned on my alarms for the morning. I swiped down to see the notifications and was met with two more small texts.
From Kirill Kaprizov: All good, just thought I would extend the offer.
From Kirill Kaprizov: Goodnight.
For some reason, his goodnight text made my heart flutter a little bit. It was such a small action with no ulterior motive behind it, yet it felt special. I felt my shoulders slouch as I rolled onto my side and put my phone on the bedside table.
He was just a boy who I barely knew, so why was I overthinking everything this much?
Hey guys. As you may be able to tell, I am a HUGE Minnesota Wild fan. A huge hockey fan in general. I decided to write a fanfic about the Wild and Kaprizov (the love of my life). I’m writing this for my own entertainment but I also hope you guys like it. Even if you aren’t a NHL fan, I think this will be a cute love story. You don’t need to know the players.
Thanks guys.
Also the title will probably change... Haha.
Taglist
Also I'd love some feedback or to interact with y'all some more! My Ask/Request box is always open!
Chapter Three
We walked through the aisles in an uncomfortable silence as he grabbed items from the shelf and put them into the cart I was pushing. Every once in a while we would stop so he could really ponder the items he was grabbing. Then when he wasn’t looking, I would sneak some necessities into the mix. If I was going to teach him how to cook, I would be doing it the right way.
He grabbed some snacks off the shelf and threw them into the cart before making his way over to the premade items. I grabbed his arm to stop him.
“You’re not putting that processed stuff into your body!” I said. He was an athlete and that food has probably been in the packaging for months.
“I don’t always have time to cook,” he said, reaching for them again. Once again I grabbed him.
“That’s not food for a NHL player! I’ll make leftovers and teach you quick meals!” I said impulsively. He turned to look at me, his head tilted as he processed my words. I realized that I might have been out of line, but this is who I was at my core. “Put that stuff down and let's check out.”
I turned around with the cart and scrunched my face up in embarrassment. I just yelled at him like we were old friends while in public. I shook it off and walked up to the counter, placing items by the register.
“You and your boyfriend are very cute together,” the older woman at the counter said. My eyes went wide as I waved my arms in front of me. I tried to exclaim that we weren’t like that, but she just smiled at me. I scratched the back of my neck sheepishly as she continued to ring up the items.
Kirill walked up and placed a few last minute items on the table. He looked at me for approval as he set them down and I could feel the blood rush to my face. I was in no position to tell him not to eat what he wanted, but I also had no objection to his picks.
I grabbed the bags from the counter, trying to help out. However, Kirill was the one to stop me this time. He grabbed my arm and took the bags from my hands.
“I got it,” he muttered. I blinked a couple times before smiling and nodding. I opened the door for him and we made our way back to the car. This felt natural unlike every other interaction with him today.
I asked him to guide me to where he lived, which was a mistake. However, with a little help from the GPS, we made it there in no time. I helped him carry everything into his apartment and was stunned when I got inside. It was beautiful. He had this gorgeous view of the U.S. Bank stadium and a million city lights. I wished my apartment had a view like this.
I turned back around to see him putting things into his fridge. I wondered if he wanted me to make him something or if he wanted me to leave, but I was too nervous to ask.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, reading my mind. I chuckled a little bit and smiled.
“Mhm… What sounds good?” I asked. “I could make borscht or blini?”
I could see him deep in thought as he continued to put items into the fridge. He nodded and turned to face me. He rubbed his neck awkwardly and made a face.
“I feel bad making you cook after all the help today,” he said. I could see how I put him in an uncomfortable position. I bet he’s felt like that a lot since coming to Minnesota… I put a kind smile on my face and offered up a solution.
“How about we make blini together? I’ll teach you and you can make it for me next time?” I suggested. Breakfast for dinner sounded good to me and it was a nice compromise for the both of us. That small smile that I had seen on his face a couple of times reappeared and he nodded.
“Thank you,” he muttered.
We didn’t talk about much while making the food, but my curiosity kept growing. The more time I spent with him the more I wanted to know. I didn’t want to pry though. Instead of talking, I observed.
He was a pretty quiet guy and his expression didn’t give a whole lot away during situations like this. He was fairly stoic. He had small emotional tells though. The corner of his mouth flipped up into the tiniest smile when he made a perfect blini. His forehead scrunched up a little bit when he made a mistake. The small things told me how he felt.
“Were you raised in Minnesota?” he asked while plating some food for the both of us.
“Yeah, but I was born in Kemerovo.” I said. “We moved here when I was four. My parents followed my uncle here and I don’t remember Russia that well.”
“That’s not far from where I grew up,” he said.
We sat down at the table and I watched him take his first bite. I hoped that it was good. It was my mom’s recipe and it had a special place in my heart. I watched as his eyes lit up and he took another bite. I smiled to myself and took a bite. It tasted just like childhood.
“This is really good,” he said with his mouth full. I smiled and thanked him, chuckling a bit. Sharing a meal with someone was something that I had taken for granted. I usually make something quick and just sit on the couch to eat.
I finished up my plate and walked it over to the sink. I grabbed the other dishes that we had used to make the meal and turned the water on.
“No,” he said and grabbed my arm. I had been reaching for a rag to start cleaning up. “I’ll clean up, you sit back down.”
I decided not to argue and plopped back down, watching as he picked up. My mind raced as I tried to figure out what question to ask him. I didn’t know if this made us friends or not.
“How do you like Minnesota so far?” I asked. I watched him shrug.
“I really like the team, but it’s weird being away from home,” he said. There was a pause as I tried to find the right thing to say. “It’s nice having someone I can talk to though.”
I smiled to myself. I couldn’t imagine moving to Minnesota alone. I had my parents and people to talk to, but he had no one. The language barrier was the most frustrating part and I knew what it felt like when no one understood what you wanted to say.
After the cleaning was done, I knew I had to head out. I had a meeting early in the morning and I was already out late enough. He walked me out to my car and we exchanged an awkward goodbye before I drove home. It was nice to know someone who understood me a little bit more than who I was in Minnesota.
Hey guys. As you may be able to tell, I am a HUGE Minnesota Wild fan. A huge hockey fan in general. I decided to write a fanfic about the Wild and Kaprizov (the love of my life). I’m writing this for my own entertainment but I also hope you guys like it. Even if you aren’t a NHL fan, I think this will be a cute love story. You don’t need to know the players.
Thanks guys.
Also the title will probably change… Haha.
(Also Chapter 2 is done... lmk if you guys want it posted right away!)
_______________________________________________
Chapter One
His dark brown eyes stared at me with a puzzled expression. I could tell that he wasn’t someone who could conceal their emotions well. He wore his heart on his sleeve and there was nothing wrong with that. I lowered my camera to really get a good look at him. He had this baby face and an energy about him that radiated success.
“Yeah, I can understand you,” I said. I watched as his face lit up as the words left my mouth. I chuckled a little bit as emotions spilled out of him. In my mind, he resembled a yellow lab or golden retriever. There was an innocence to him that was hard to match.
“Can you help me?” He asked. It was a rhetorical question though. I watched as he turned and waved the guys over. Suddenly my nerves came rushing to the surface. I’ve watched some of these players for years and now they were right in front of me. “Can you tell them that I’m trying, but I don’t quite understand?”
I nodded at him before staring at the men in front of me. My words caught in my mouth, but I knew I had to push through. I placed a smile on my face and conveyed what Kirill had said to me in Russian back to the others in English. They looked at me with a confused look, even though they understood me perfectly.
“What else should I tell them?” I asked Kirill since they all stared in silence. Then something clicked.
“You speak Russian…” Mats Zuccarello said hesitantly. I looked at him and smiled. I gave a small nod and listened as all of them began to talk at once. Everyone had something they wanted to say to the rookie.
It was a back-and-forth conversation, none of which actually involved me. However, I didn’t mind. I just smiled and did my part, trying my hardest to make myself useful. I wanted to leave a good first impression since I would be doing this for the upcoming year. They didn’t know me yet, but maybe they would. I wondered if any of them would even remember me tomorrow.
After saying everything that needed to be said, the guys went back to their drill. I saw how hard they were trying to get Kirill accustomed to how things worked in Minnesota, and it was slightly wholesome. Even though I smiled at the exchange, something felt empty inside of me. I lowered my camera all the way down to my side and let out a sigh. This wasn’t what I expected. This wasn’t what I wanted. Still, I was going to try my best.
As their mini practice came to an end, I didn’t expect anyone to come talk to me. I just packed up my things and sat down on the bench for a second. I knew when their training camp started, I would be overwhelmed with everything going on. I should be enjoying the days leading up to that level of stress.
“Hey, wait!” a voice called from behind me as I grabbed my things to leave the rink. I turned to find those brown eyes staring at me from across the boards. “Thank you for today. Will you be back?”
I could sense his anxiety. I felt for him, I truly did. The language barrier was scary and the man in front of me reminded me of my younger self. I remember being frustrated that I couldn’t communicate how I felt with anyone around me after coming here. I’ve been through what he was dealing with.
I nodded to ease his nerves. I could feel him relax and grow just a little more comfortable with my presence. With how anxious the boy in front of me was, I could tell why they wanted someone he could communicate with freely.
That’s when everything began to click in my head. I was around his age and a speaker in his native language. Me being here really never had anything to do with my photography and knowing that stung, but I couldn’t resent Kirill for that. It wasn’t his fault that I happened to fit the right profile and it wasn’t his fault that my boss couldn’t be honest with me about why I was here. I just had to make the best of the situation.
“I’m Katerina, but everyone calls me Kat,” I said, extending my hand. He smiled and shook my hand carefully.
“Kirill,” he said. I released his hand and stared at him for a second. He wasn’t what I was expecting at all. I told him that I should get going, but it was nice to meet him. I grabbed my bag and turned my back to him. “Katerina.”
My name sounded beautiful coming from his voice. It’s been a while since I had heard it the way it was supposed to be pronounced. I glanced at him over my shoulder, wondering what he needed. He just looked at me for a second.
“I’m in group two tomorrow, just so you know,” he said. Then he was gone.
I walked to the front of the building before realizing that this was a moment I didn’t want to forget. My first day working in the Wild franchise was a big deal. I pulled out my film camera and looked around at the lobby. The logo was stamped onto the wall next to the doors. I snapped a quick photo and smiled to myself. Day one was over.
I dragged my feet a little as I walked up to my door. As much as I wanted too, I couldn’t bring myself to hold my chest up high. It was one thing to be positive at the job, but it was another to stay positive after leaving. I fumbled with my keys a bit before finally getting the door unlocked.
The room was filled with energy as I entered it. Eliza and her boyfriend Josh were in the kitchen and our good friend Nathan was plopped on our couch with a handful of chips. He greeted me with a mouth full of food as I walked in. I smiled at him and said hello.
“How was your first day K?” Eliza called from the kitchen as I put my camera bag down in my room. I took a deep breath before walking out.
“It was nice!” I said excitedly. I walked back out and sat on our barstools in the kitchen. I snagged a carrot off of Eliza’s plate and watched her give me the look. I knew she didn’t believe me and was waiting for me to spill the tea. “No seriously! It was nice. I get to shoot practice from their bench every day and I met some of the players.”
“You mean you met Kirill Kaprizov?” she said. I gave her a joking eye roll.
“I met Mats Zuccarello, Matt Dumba, Kevin Fiala, Jared Spurgeon,” I rattled off. Her eyes didn’t leave me once though. “...and Kirill Kaprizov…”
“Knew it,” she said. I looked at her and shook my head.
“Kaprisun?” Nate asked from the couch. I chuckled at his joke as I spun the stool around to look at him. He was peering back at me over the top of the couch. I could see his brow furrowing cutely as he stared back at me.
“Kaprizov,” I corrected him. “He’s the new rookie on the team. Barely speaks English so I’m probably going to help him grow accustomed to Minnesota and his team.”
Everyone saw right through my carefully picked words. I didn’t want it to seem like I wasn’t happy with my job after one day, but I know they could all feel my disappointment. Still, I held the smile on my face and tried to seem bright.
“So… was he cute?” Eliza asked in a hushed voice. I rolled my eyes at her and glanced at Nathan.
Nate and I had a complicated relationship. He went to college with us, but college wasn’t for him. Instead of sticking around, he moved back to the cities to live his own life. I’m convinced we wouldn’t be just friends had he stuck around.
“Eh,” I said with a shrug, knowing that I was lying. He was cute, but if I told them that it would give them something to bother me about. I didn’t want to only talk about him, because my job was so much more than that. I was so much more than that or at least I hoped I was…
Hey guys. As you may be able to tell, I am a HUGE Minnesota Wild fan. A huge hockey fan in general. I decided to write a fanfic about the Wild and Kaprizov (the love of my life). I’m writing this for my own entertainment but I also hope you guys like it. Even if you aren’t a NHL fan, I think this will be a cute love story. You don’t need to know the players.
The cold always felt like home to me. Winter always made me happier than the summer ever could. With winter came skating and hot chocolate. It also brought blizzards and freezing temperatures, things that often reminded me of myself…
I woke up with the air feeling extra heavy within my room. The humidity would not let up, especially during a Minnesota summer. On top of that, my air conditioner sat broken in the window, mocking me.
I could hear the sounds of rush hour beginning. I pulled my curtains open to see the city bustling around me. I smiled down at the busy street below me. Whenever I looked out the window at the traffic below, I felt on top of the world. Something about the busy city made me feel at home. After spending my time at college up in the northland, I was happy to be back in the cities.
I let out a yawn and made my way down the hallway. I could see my college best friend and current roommate pouring a bowl of cereal out of the corner of my eye as I slipped into the bathroom.
“Kat! You aren’t really going to spend the rest of your summer in an ice rink, right?” Eliza yelled across the apartment at me when she heard the faucet running. I chuckled as I splashed the cool water on my face.
“You know I love hockey,” I retorted, grabbing my toothbrush. I heard her snicker and told me to come eat breakfast before I left. I shook my head though. My stomach was filled with butterflies at the idea of starting my new job.
I pulled my long brown hair out of my face and up into a high ponytail. I couldn’t have it getting in the way today. I applied a small amount of makeup before really looking at myself in the mirror. I smiled, trying my hardest not to look too tired.
“Come at least sit with me while I eat breakfast!” Eliza whined. I chuckled and walked out to the kitchen. I filled a glass of water and sat down next to her. She rolled her eyes when she saw the excitement in me. “You know they only want you because of the new Russian kid they’re bringing in. You’re basically going to be a translator, Katerina.”
Sadly, she was right. They hired me as a photographer, but they asked me to help their newest rookie out. I had a feeling that pictures would be lower on my task list then I had initially expected.
They hired me because I had hockey photography experience from college. I took photos for my university’s hockey team. Not to mention that they were one of the best college teams in the US. However, they also hired me because I was Russian.
Katerina Petrov, first generation immigrant. My parents immigrated to the US when I was four. My mother didn’t speak a word of English and my dad had a limited vocabulary. He basically got a factory job by saying, “I fix that for you,” and pointing at a machine. Russian was my first language and English was my second.
“I know…” I muttered. “But on top of that, they’re paying me to shoot their games. That’s my dream. Plus who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by the hottest team in the NHL.”
She laughed at my joke, knowing damn well that I was right. The Minnesota Wild has some of the best looking hockey players across North America. Still, Eliza looked at me and told me not to get my hopes up. She was right, this job might not be what I think it would be.
After she had finished eating, we both went back to our rooms to get ready for the day. She was off to her engineering job and I was heading to the TRIA Rink where the Minnesota Wild held practice. We lived very different lives.
My jaw hung open as I walked up to the building. I couldn’t believe that I was actually here. I secured my camerabag on my back and took a deep breath. I slipped my face mask on and pulled the door open.
Inside the lobby, Bruce Kluckhohn waited for me. He smiled at me as I walked in. I walked up confidently and offered him a handshake. I greeted him nicely with a huge smile on my face.
“Katerina, right?” he asked me. I smiled and held back my chuckle. Hearing my full name in an American accent always caught me off guard.
“You can call me Kat,” I said. He nodded in response and took me around the practice arena.
It was cold and empty when we got there. There was no sign of players anywhere. My head swiveled around to see everything about the room. I took mental notes on where the lights were and where the best spots to stand would be. I glanced at the plexiglass around the rink and smiled at how clear they were still.
“You won’t have to worry about that,” Bruce said as he motioned for me to follow him. I tilted my head in confusion and walked slowly behind him. We made our way around the rink and onto the bench. I could feel the chilled air radiating off of the ice. Bruce turned to me with a smile. “You will shoot from here.”
I stared at him in silence for a moment as my mind tried to process what he was saying. Why would I get such an awesome spot to shoot from? I opened my mouth to ask questions but I was interrupted by someone behind me. I turned around at the call of my name and saw someone I would recognize a mile away. Dean Evanson, the Wild’s head coach, stood right in front of me.
“Katerina, it’s wonderful to meet you,” he said with a smile. He shook my hand.
“Hi,” I said, freezing up a little bit. “You can call me Kat.”
I could tell he was surprised by my voice. I sounded very American and he was not expecting it. Even though I was Russian first, I lost my accent at a young age. I spoke English everywhere except for at home and having an accent made things harder for me growing up.
“Okay Kat,” he said, a smile on his face. “C,mon. I can show you the rest and explain things a little bit more.”
I nodded and followed him through the rest of the training facilities. It was a huge building and I could see myself getting lost before I got used to it. I listened carefully as he explained the situation to me. As I listened, I felt myself getting more and more discouraged. The reason I was here was to provide Bruce a hand. There was no guarantee that they would use my photos anyways. The main reason I was here was to help with communication between the coaches and their newest team member, Kirill Kaprizov. That’s why I would shoot their practices from the bench. It was so I could provide clarification at practice whenever he needed it.
“We really appreciate having you here and we look forward to seeing the talent you bring to our team,” Dean said as we made it back to the rink. I forced a smile on my face and nodded, telling him I would do my hardest before he walked away.
After he left, I looked out at the rink and noticed a few of the players skating on the ice. Bruce was over on the side opposite of me taking a few photos of the guys. There were no coaches around, but they looked like they were working on some drills. I walked over to the bench and pulled my camera out. I attached my 70-200 mm lens and adjusted my settings carefully. I snapped a couple of photos, observing the players on the ice. I immediately recognized a couple of them. Jared Spurgeon. Mats Zuccarello. Kevin Fiala. Matt Dumba. I could name them all. Well, all but one.
He looked young. He had to be around my age. His dirty blonde hair stuck out the back of his helmet. However, the thing I noticed the most was that he looked frustrated. He skated over to the bench, muttering to himself.
“I’m trying to understand, but I keep messing it up,” he said under his breath. However, he didn’t say it in English. This was him. This was Kirill Kaprizov.
“You’re working hard. Don’t worry, it will get easier,” I said to him.
His head shot in my direction. He had this dumbfounded look on his face as he stared at me.
