would you care to write about sam dickinson? if you don’t mind could you write about how you are friends with like some of the girlfriends or families! and you get invited to a game and sam catches your eye!
+number ( sam dickinson x reader)
word count: 1,800+ words
a/n: post number thirteen! 🩵 why is there no single gifs of him? that man is gloriously gorgeous, n ways first ever dickie oneshot au. enjoy reading anon!
i'm perfectly fine, i live on my own / i made up my mind, i'm better off being alone...
you had your routine down to a science, and it didn't include hockey players.
being best friends with will smith's girlfriend meant you were adjacent to the lifestyle without ever being consumed by it. you knew the schedules, you knew the flight times, and you knew exactly how the media could turn a twenty-minute conversation into a lifetime sentence. you were smart, you had your own career moving in a beautiful upward trajectory, and you were genuinely, deeply content in your own skin. you didn't need a savior, and you certainly didn't need the chaotic, high-stakes whirlwind of a professional athlete's life. you were better off alone, protective of your peace, keeping your heart safely tucked away behind a lock nobody had the combination to.
but when the girls invited you to a late-season home game, offering a spot in the family suite with the promise of good food and better company, you couldn't say no.
the suite was exactly what you expected—a blur of expensive perfume, the familiar, warm chatter of the players' families who had welcomed you into their circle months ago. you sat near the glass, laughing with the wives, holding a glass of white wine, perfectly comfortable being the observer in a world built on bright lights and heavy expectations.
then the team took the ice for warmups.
you weren't really paying attention until number six skated out of the tunnel. sam dickinson moved across the ice with a kind of effortless, sweeping grace that immediately made the rest of the rink fade into a blur. he was young, carrying the massive weight of a high draft pick on his shoulders, but there was a peaceful, grounded maturity to the way he carried himself.
as he circled past your section, he lifted his head, eyes scanning the family box to catch a glimpse of someone he knew.
instead, his gaze landed directly on you.
it wasn't a fleeting, polite look. sam's pace slowed just a fraction, his eyes locked onto yours through the double-paned glass. there was a split second where the roar of the arena, the music thumping through the subwoofers, and the chatter behind you completely ceased to exist. you didn't look away; you couldn't. you just watched him, your breath catching in your throat as a strange, warm pull settled deep in your chest.
"oh," your best friend murmured from the seat next to you, a knowing, dangerous smirk growing on her face as she followed sam's line of sight. "so you do have a type."
"shut up," you whispered, your cheeks instantly flushing a soft, pretty pink as sam finally turned his head to join the line, though a tiny, unmistakable trace of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
the game ended in a hard-fought win, and the energy in the post-game family lounge was electric. the room was a private oasis of low lighting, plush leather couches, and the low murmur of players winding down from the adrenaline.
you stood near the back beverage station, waiting for your friend to finish talking to her will's parents, feeling entirely detached from the celebrations. you were already planning your quiet drive home, thinking about the book on your nightstand, reminding yourself that tonight was just a fun distraction.
"hey."
the voice was deep, quiet, and carried a soft, polite tone that completely derailed your thoughts.
you turned around to find sam standing just two feet away. he had changed into a black gym long sleeves, his hair still slightly damp from the post-game shower. up close, he was taller than you realized, his broad shoulders easily commanding the space around him, but his expression was entirely gentle. there was no ego in his eyes, no rookie swagger—just a genuine, quiet curiosity.
"hey," you replied, your voice soft, offering him a small, kind smile.
"i'm sam," he said, extending a hand. his knuckles were slightly scraped from the game, his palm warm and steady as his fingers wrapped around yours. the contact sent a sudden, electric jolt straight up your arm. "i noticed you during warmups. i don't think i've seen you around the lounge before."
"i'm a friend of the family, will's girlfriend's best friend, or whatever you call it" you explained, tilting your head up slightly to meet his gaze. "just a guest for the night. i'm usually pretty good at blending into the background."
sam let out a quiet, throat-deep laugh, the sound incredibly human and grounding in a room full of artificial noise. "yeah, well, you didn't blend in tonight. not to me, anyway."
the honesty of his words hit you right in the ribs. you were used to guys playing games, offering rehearsed lines or trying too hard to impress you, but sam just stood there, completely transparent, looking at you like you were the only person in the room who mattered.
"you played well tonight," you murmured, wanting to shift the focus away from the sudden, frantic beating of your heart. "the defense looked tight in the third."
"thanks," he smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners in a way that made something melt inside you. "it's easier to play when you know exactly who's watching from the glass."
you ended up talking for forty minutes.
you stood in that dim corner of the lounge, completely oblivious to the families leaving around you. sam didn't talk about hockey. he asked about your work, listening with an intensity that made you feel entirely seen. he wanted to know what kind of music you listened to on drives, what made you laugh, how you managed to keep such a beautiful, steady peace about yourself in a city that never stopped moving.
but just as the tension between you was getting thick, a shadow loomed over the corner.
"alright, you two, wrap it up," your best friend’s voice broke through the bubble, a massive, unbothered grin on her face as she slid up right next to you, her will trailing behind her with an amused smirk. she leaned her shoulder heavily against yours, looking at sam with pure mischief in her eyes. "dickie, stop trying to be suave. you've been staring at her since the first period."
your jaw practically dropped, your face completely exploding into a bright crimson. "oh my god, stop," you choked out, swatting at her arm.
sam, however, didn't look annoyed at all. instead, his ears turned a faint pink, a helpless, boyish laugh bubbling out of his chest as he rubbed the back of his neck. "i mean... she caught me. i can't even deny it."
"exactly. and since she's too polite to do it, and you're too busy staring into her soul," your best friend pulled her phone out, unlocking it with lightning speed and flashing a contact screen directly in front of sam's face. "type your number in. right now. because i'm dragging her home before she passes out from blushing."
"you are the worst person i know," you whispered, hiding your face in your hands, but your shoulders were shaking with an involuntary giggle.
sam’s smile was absolutely blinding. he didn't hesitate for a single second, snatching the phone from your best friend's hand and quickly typing in his digits before handing it back like it was a prize trophy. "there. done. you better actually text me."
"oh, she will," your best friend smirked, grabbing the phone, hooking her arm firmly through yours, and physically turning you around toward the exit. "bye, sam! great game!"
"bye, sam," you managed to call out over your shoulder, completely breathless.
sam stood there his eyes locked onto you with a heavy, magnetic warmth until you hit the double doors. the second you stepped out into the chilly arena corridor, your best friend let out a loud squeal, pulling you along the concrete hallway as you both fell into a fit of breathless, chaotic giggling.
you had spent your whole life being perfectly fine on your own, alone but contended, you moved whether you like and eat wherever, but as you looked down at your phone and saw the new contact name waiting for you, you knew the board had been completely reset. for the first time in your life, you were completely ready for the storm to bash and maybe—kiss you?
(dickie my very personal handsome gorgeous close friend)
