whether it was his own apartment, a friendâs place, or his family home, the left corner of the couch belonged to fraser. he told you it was just a reflex, something automatic, to gravitate toward that side when you asked him why that spot specifically. and while that was true, there was more to it. he always sat on the left side in cars, or slept on the left when he and his brother had to share a bed. as silly as it might sound, the left side just reminded him of home and childhood.
of course, when people who didnât know him well took his sacred little spot, he didnât get angry. but the second connor, mason, or one of his cousins even dared to look in that direction, fraser would shoo them away or drag them off the couch by their feet.
thatâs why during summer, when you were over at his parentsâ house with nearly the whole family present and everyone mingling, people exchanged looks when you took fraserâs spot, some silently considering whether they should tell you to move. but then something no one expected happened: fraser simply walked over with the softest smile, the one reserved just for you, so different from all his others. he sat down next to you, kissed your temple, and rested his head on your shoulder.
âyou know, i was wondering,â you said one night, looking at fraser in the mirror as you brushed your teeth and got ready for bed.
âhmm?â his blue eyes met yours in the reflection, the corners of his mouth still messy with toothpaste.
âwhy do you let me sit on your side of the couch? you nearly threw connor over your shoulder the other day, but you never make me move.â
fraser stopped mid-motion, set his toothbrush aside, and rinsed his mouth. you could see the tips of his ears turn red as he patted his face dry with a towel. he reached for his glasses and cleared his throat nervously.
âi guess⊠i guess itâs comforting, in a sense,â he said. âthat sounds so stupid.â
you wrapped your arm around his waist, and with your mouth still full of toothpaste, you mumbled, ânot at all, baby.â
fraser cracked a smile and shook his head slightly. âitâs the same as you wearing my jersey. or when you text me goodnight on road trips. or when you grab my hand in crowds. seeing you sit in my spot just makes me feel like iâm truly at home.â
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connor means business when it comes to food â you do not touch whatâs his. heâs reluctant to share even a bite of his order, always bawling internally when handing over a portion for someone else to taste. when he was younger, connor used to throw tantrums if anyone touched something he had left for later in the fridge, and would give his cousins and friends the silent treatment, stubbornly ignoring them for the rest of the day (until someone bribed him with extra food).
years later, at nearly 21 years old, he still acts like a grumpy little kid whenever someone messes with his food.
enter you, who can get his whole meal without even having to ask. sometimes you joke that heâs acting like a mom of five, but connor just shakes his head and insists you need to eat to stay healthy and strong. that makes perfect sense â but what doesnât is how anyone else is met with a threat of murder for taking one of connorâs fries, while you get a whole burger handed over without a single complaint.
fraser took advantage of connor being distracted by a couple of kids at the table next to yours and reached for a nugget from his plate. âso did youâ ouch,â he exclaimed, looking at the red patch forming on his skin where your boyfriend had just slapped his hand away. âwhat now?â humour laced his voice as he noticed connorâs unamused stare. âitâs just a piece of chicken, man. you just drank half my coke.â
âyeah, but thatâs different,â connor muttered, glancing between the nuggets and his friend, ready to defend them if fraser tried to steal another one.
âoh yeah? how so?â
your boyfriend rolled his eyes, and you could help the giggle to escape your lips.Â
âoh my god, why do you always have to ask so many questions?â he groaned, throwing his head back. âi donât know. it just is,â he said, but reluctantly put one of the nuggets on fraserâs plate. âjust eat it before i change my mind.â
âyour boyfriend is a child.âÂ
âtell me about it,â you replied, nudging connor with your elbow and reached for his fries, dipping them in ketchup. âhave to live with it almost 24/7.â
âhere, just have them all,â connor said, letting the teasing go over his head as he slid the plate toward you, a small, content smile settling on his face.
âyouâre impossible,â fraser breathed, shaking his head. âyou nearly decapitated me over one nugget, and she gets a whole plate?â
connor simply shrugged. in his mind, it made perfect sense â and that was the end of the discussion.
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sidney has always been a bit⊠particular about his personal belongings. it wasnât that he got angry or frustrated when people moved his sticks, spilled coffee on that one navy suit jacket heâd been planning to wear for the game the next night, or commented on his shoulder pads that had somehow survived what felt like the ten plagues of egypt. okay, maybe sometimes he did. but more than anger, what he really felt was discomfort â that quiet, uneasy shift inside him, like something had been slightly knocked out of place and his thoughts couldnât help but circle it.
some days he handled it better. on others, even the smallest change could feel like too much, building into something he couldnât easily ignore.
that was why everyone around him had learned to be careful with sidâs things, careful not to disturb the order that made everything feel just a little more manageable for him.
but if there was one person who could rearrange his ties in the closet, move the vase in the living room to a different spot, or tease him about his ancient gear, it was you.
and if sid ever tried to explain why that tight, anxious feeling softened when it was you, he wouldnât have the right words at first. eventually, heâd probably say it was because you made everything feel safe. familiar. like nothing could truly be wrong if it was you. your trust, your warmth, your understanding â they didnât erase the feeling completely, but they quieted it, like a hand gently smoothing out the edges of his thoughts.
and whenever any of the boys were at your place and you happened to be cleaning or ironing his suits, they never dared to joke about it or tease sid about how you could do it, but they couldnât. instead, they would just exchange quiet, knowing smiles in your direction â the kind that didnât need words. it wasnât something they questioned. it just⊠was. the way you looked after him fit so naturally into the rhythm of his life that it almost felt like it had always been there.
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will is a certified blanket hogger. his cousins hated his ass when he came over for sleepovers, and their mum made them sleep in one bed. heâd leave them cold and shivering, wrapped in a cocoon from head to toe, only his blond curls would stick out (which also happened to be a perfect target for them to pull to wake him up).Â
and while will doesnât consider himself to be a selfish person in the slightest, when it comes to duvets, blankets or whatever else he uses as a cover during sleep, itâs his and only his. there is no point in trying to steal it even after he falls asleep â heâll wake up just enough to yank it back and, in the process, probably leave you with a bruise from blindly searching for the edge.
so imagine his cousinsâ outrage when, during one of your trips back to his home, they found you asleep on the couch, actually covered. and he was right there next to you, the blanket barely draped over him.Â
âiâm going to strangle him.âÂ
âthis little fucker.âÂ
âare we sure itâs him.âÂ
they truly couldnât believe their eyes, because how could this be the same person who had terrorised them just a few years back. at the same time, they couldnât deny how adorable you two looked, especially with how pathetically in love will looked, even while napping.Â
it was one of the first things you noticed when you started dating him â how gentle he became in small, quiet ways. the way heâd tuck you in before leaving for practice in the morning, careful not to wake you. how heâd drape a blanket over you when you fell asleep on his shoulder during movie nights. how, even half-asleep, heâd adjust it around you, making sure you were warm.
when he sleeps beside you, heâs still a blanket hogger. just not for himself.
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mack is rather⊠strict about the music he listens to in the car. especially in the morning. after games. after losing games. before dinner. when heâs stuck in traffic. ideally, he wouldnât listen to music at all â but since heâs usually getting rides from other people, he has no choice but to submit to the torture that is someoneâs shitty taste in music. and most of the time, itâs not even about the music itself. mack just gets overstimulated by the sound. heâs surrounded by noise almost 24/7, rarely getting the chance to just sit in silence, so music, in general, is a sore subject for him.
will, whoâs been permanently banned from touching the AUX, is the most unhappy about this arrangement. youâd think heâd get special treatment, but whenever he even tries to go near it, mack threatens to leave him in the middle of the road. bribing you doesnât work either.
youâre the only one who can play whatever you want without him getting irritated. rock, taylor swift, EDM, k-pop, jazz â whatever your heart desires. heâll just nod along, drumming his fingers against the wheel from time to time.
âdude, weâve been listening to this girly shit for like an hour now,â will groaned from the backseat, throwing his head against the headrest. too bad he lost rock-paper-scissors for the passenger seat, though mack wouldâve made him sit in the back anyway. maybe then he wouldâve had a chance to put something else on.
âoh my god, stop whining.â
your boyfriend looked like he was five seconds away from murdering his best friend, who just wouldnât shut up. both of their hair was still messy from the shower, their suits wrinkled by now, but mack looked like heâd just come out of the trenches.
âthen let me put something else on.â
âno.â
mack didnât even glance at him as he turned the volume up, earning a quiet giggle from you, and another dramatic groan from will.
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wille is sunshine personified â a smile never leaves his face. heâs kind and patient, and you swear his laugh could make even the biggest grump crack. heâs great, although a little shy with new people, always making polite small talk and going out of his way to compliment them. heâs the type of guy your mum and grandma would instantly fall in love with, and your dad would already be figuring out how to get him over for the next barbecue.
however, beware.
your sweet, golden-retriever boyfriend has one very specific trigger: his swedish candy. he does not play about that shit. first of all, he has a special place in his apartment to store it, as if it were the crown jewels. you used to joke that he should install laser beams around the drawer in case anyone tried to steal from it.
wille didnât find that funny. because, again â this is serious business.
whenever you have someone over and he forgets to hide it, and they ask if they can have some, you have to suppress the laughter bubbling up at your boyfriendâs miserable expression. still, asking is one thing, at least heâs prepared. but when mack, will, and misa pulled a prank on him and somehow managed to steal the entire drawer, he almost saw the gates of heaven.
obviously, youâre the exception. even better â he always gets extra smiley when he sees you eating it. thereâs just something about watching you enjoy something thatâs so dear to him. like youâre indulging in the real him â the wille eklund part, not just the san jose hockey player.
the fact that you want to try food and sweets from his country? it makes him melt every time.
so if thereâs one person who can get away with stealing his precious candy, itâs you â and only you.
note: i wrote this super late at night so i barely had time to edit it so please let me know if i have any typos !
itâs been five days since the argument between you and will had taken place and all youâve gotten from his end is radio silence. it wasnât that you didnât try because god, you really did.
you tried so hard.
every text left on read, every call going to voicemail, completely avoiding you at the group hangouts. at first you thought that he may have needed some space, that he was angry and needed some time to cool down but then your mind starts to wonder that maybe he just didnât care enough to come back to you.
and that thought hurt like a bitch.
because on your end, despite how mad or upset youâve ever been with him, if he called youâd still answer his calls or text so quick.
youâve spent most of your days in bed, not even wanting to head down for hangouts with the group anymore knowing that will would be there and completely ignore you the entire night. being in the same room while he acted as if you never existed hurt more than not seeing him at all.
class then back home, work and then back home and that was how your last few days have been looking.
it wasnât until your friend had finally had enough of your depressive state that you finally leave your house by using her birthday as an opportunity.
all you wanted to do was stay in bed and mope around with a tub of ice cream and a romcom movie in the back to give you some comfort of a relationship when yours with will felt like it was hanging by a thread.
âi hate seeing you this way y/n, come out tonight. for me please?â
and with that you knew you had no choice. you will be leaving and staying out late tonight, no exceptions which leaves you standing in a overcrowded bar wishing you were anywhere but here.
the music was blasting, people all around you having such a good time with their people but you on the other hand feeling the most miserable youâve ever felt.
the drink in your hand barely sipped at as your friends around you joked around about who knows what. you couldnât bother to pay attention even if you tried because your mind was currently elsewhere. you glance down at your phone, your last text sent to will stared right back at you.
you: please just talk to me will
read eight hours ago but no response.
you could feel your throat tighten up as you blink back the tears, locking your phone.
you canât cry; not right now especially when youâre here to celebrate your friends birthday. the group spreads around, some of your friends grabbing another drink, some on the dance floor but you stayed in the booth still working on your first drink of the night.
âhey.â
you look up from your drink, your eyes locking on the man in front of you definitely older and standing a bit too close to your liking.
âhi?â
you look back down at your phone, clearly hoping heâd get the clue and walk away but of course not. your luck always terrible in these situations and now all you wished is that you didnât respond in the first place.
âyou here with somebody?â
âyep.â
âgotta boyfriend orrr?â
your heart feels like it could collapse any moment.
âyeah.â
he laughs, shaking his head. âthatâs unfortunate, where is he though?â
you stay quiet, not knowing what else to say but the heaviness in your chest now doubled up more than it was before you came to the bar.
âmust not be around if youâre sitting here alone.â
you stand up, trying to excuse yourself from the situation because staying quiet and dry clearly hasnât worked in your favour so far.
âiâm good, please leave me alone.â
âoh come on now, letâs not be so hasty.â
he follows behind; trying to catch up to you.
âiâm not interested.â
he scoffs, âyou didnât even try and get to know me.â
âi donât want to.â
you turn to leave but before you could take another step his fingers wrap tightly around your wrist hard stopping you in your tracks.
you freeze.
âiâm just trying to talk.â
his grip tightens slightly and you hiss at the pressure around your wrist.
âlet go of me, what the fuck?â
ârelax.â
âi said let go!â
you yank your arm harder, managing you get out of his hold stumbling back. your breathing begins to falter and all you know in the moment is that you need to leave.
you turn around and bolt towards the doors, clutching your wrist tightly to yourself. you can hear your friends calling for you but you donât seem to care, all you need in that moment is to get out of the club.
the second you step outside of the bar, the tears begin streaming down your face. you take a deep breath, trying to regulate your breathing but it wasnât working and it all just hits you at once.
the fight.
the silence.
the guy grabbing you.
you just needed will, you just want your boyfriend.
with shaky hands, you pull out your phone finding wills contact and hitting the call button.
its rings a couple of times before going to voicemail.
your stomach drops as you try ringing him again.
please answer.
straight back to voicemail, you bite back a sob that ripples through your body now. hands shaking you try one last time. straight to voicemail this time.
and that unanswered call hurt the most because that means he was ignoring you. your legs begin to shake underneath you as you take a seat against the curb, wrapping your arms around yourself as you break into sobs.
then another name crosses your mind.
macklin.
you find his contact and hit call not expecting him to answer so quick.
âhey y/n, whatâs up?â
the second you hear his voice, you break down in sobs again.
âmack.â
âheyâ hey woah. whatâs going on?â
you felt like you couldnât breathe, everything just becoming too much for you to handle.
âmack.â
âheyâ iâm here. slow down for me.â
you try your best to calm yourself down, trying to get the words out as quick as you could without sobs tearing through you.
âsome guyâ some guy grabbed me.â
the line goes dead quiet.
âwhat?â
you could hear muffled movement in the back, âwhat do you mean grabbed you?â
âhe wouldnât leave me alone mack, he grabbed my arm and i told him to stop.â
you let out another shaky sob.
âwhere are you?â
âiâm outside.â
âokayâ okay good. stay where you are.â
the calmness in his voice makes you want to cry more and before you could think the words came slipping out.
âi called will.â
âyeah?â
âi called him mack, i called him three times.â
your voice breaks as you continue, choking back a sob. âand he didnât answer.â
what you didnât know is that will is sitting with macklin, listening to every single word over the phone standing up so quickly the second he hears your sobs on the other end. that every word was hitting him like a bus.
âi needed him. i needed him and he didnât answer.â
will felt as if he could throw up. every bit of anger he felt about the argument had completely vanished. all he knew was that you were crying and that you needed him and he didnât fucking answer.
âwhere are you?â macklin asks and you give him the name of the bar you were at.
âdoes he hate me?â
will freezes as he hears those words.
ây/nââ
âbecause i donât know why else he wonât talk to me.â
will felt like his heart has been ripped out of his chest as macklin looks at him with a look he canât exactly read.
âhe doesnât hate you y/n, i promise.â
his voice is firm, like heâs trying to get it through to you.
wills already moving beside him unbeknownst to you, grabbing his keys but he doesnât miss the last part of the phone call.
âmack.. i just want him.â
âi know, i know y/n. just stay where you are.â
-
you stayed sitting on the curb, not trusting your legs one bit to be standing. you wrap your arms around yourself, face buried in your knees that you barely hear your name being called.
âbaby?â
your head snaps up once you hear his voice. the second you see him and how concerned he looked you canât help but sob, getting up as quickly as you could with your shaking legs into his arms.
wills arms wrap around you without a second thought, pulling you tightly against him. âiâve got you.â
âwill.â
you canât make out anything else, sobs taking over your body. you donât even know what youâre crying about more. whether that will finally came or just everything finally catching up to you.
you cling to him tightly, afraid heâs going to disappear if you let go.
âi know, i know. iâm so fucking sorry.â
âi called you will.â
âi know baby.â
âyou didnât answer.â
will can physically hear his heart crack at how broken you sounded because he didnât have an excuse. he was angry and immature when all you needed was him.
âiâm so sorry.â
you buried your face deeper in his chest and for the first time in days will lets himself hold you as tight as he possibly could.
-
the entire drive wills hand never left your leg; every few seconds he glanced over to make sure you were okay.
once you both finally get inside the apartment, youâre out of it. will follows behind you to the bedroom, grabbing one of his team issued shirts standing in front of you.
âarms up.â
you do as he says, too tired to even argue against anything. his hands slowly pull the dress off your body; wills eyes landing on the bruise thatâs littered around your wrist.
âfuck.â his hands gently brush over the bruise, his heart breaking at the sight of you. the bruise on your arm making the whole thing finally sink in.
someone put their hands on you.
you needed him and he wasnât there.
âwill.â
âi was so angry about the stupid fight. so fucking petty and you needed me and i shouldâve answered.â
you blink back tears, looking down at your fingers.
âi thought you didnât love me anymore.â
will kneels in front of you leaning down to eye level, hands resting on your thighs.
âwhat?â
âi thought maybe you were done with me.â
âbaby-â
âyou wouldnât talk to me, you wouldnât answer. i thought you stopped loving me will.â
wills hands come up to cup your cheeks, forcing you to look at him. his eyes teary as they lock with yours.
âdonât ever think that.â
âwillââ
âi was angry, and i acted like an idiot but i never stopped loving you. not for one second, i donât even think im capable enough to ever do that.â
your lips wobble, âreally?â
he lets out a watery laugh, âiâm so in love with you y/n and iâm so sorry that i ever made you doubt that.â
the tears youâve been holding back finally start streaming down your cheeks and this time for a whole different reason. tears of relief after five days of thinking you lost your boyfriend.
will wraps his arms around you, pulling you down into his lap placing kisses against your forehead. âiâm so sorry.â
âiâm sorry too will.â
he shakes his head, pulling you back from his chest locking his eyes with yours.
âhey no, donât apologize for any of this.â
âbut iââ
âno.â
his hands come up to caress your face, resting his forehead against yours as he lets out a shaky breath.
âi love you, i love you so fucking much okay?â
you nod but will shakes his head.
âno baby- i need you to use your words. i love you, do you understand that?â
âyeah, i love you too will.â
he leans closer, his lips pressing against yours. you melt into the kiss immediately, hands coming around his neck to pull him closer to you. he pulls back a bit, resting his forehead against yours.
ânever am i ever giving you a chance to have to call macklin because of me again.â
It all starts with takeout. You, Will, and Mack are sprawled around the living room after a long day, a game humming on the TV more for background noise than anything else. Mack is half paying attention from the floor with his back against the couch, scrolling on his phone as Will is stretched out beside you, one arm behind your shoulders.
Nobody wants to cook, it was a given by the groans each time one of you mentioned going to the grocery store. Which means, Will is ordering food. He has the restaurant on speaker for a second as he pulls up the menu, then switches it off and sits forward, one hand holding the phone to his ear while the other taps lightly against your leg.
âYeah, can I do the chicken parm,â he says easily, glancing at Mack as he points to himself, silently telling Will the same for him. âCan I make that two, actually?â Will says, nodding a bit as his eyes flick down to your finger which is pointing at what you want on your menu. âAnd my wife will have the vodka rigatoni.â
The side of the room you and Mack are sitting on goes dead silent, your head snapping toward him. Next to you, Mackâs eyes go comically wide at the exact same moment yours do. He looks at you, and you look at him. Then, both of you slowly turn back toward Will.
âYeah,â he says to the person on the other end, completely calm. âAnd can you add an order of garlic knots too?â
Mack is staring at him like he has just witnessed something medically concerning, and you are pretty sure you are too. And as Will ends the call, setting his phone on the coffee table, he leans back again, not saying a word to either of you.
âUh, what was that?â Mack asks, and the question causes Will to blink in confusion.
âWhat was what?â
âYou just said âmy wifeâ like it was nothing.â Mack says, sitting up a little straighter now.
âOkay?â Will says, glancing between the two of you, looking genuinely confused by this being a topic.
âOkay?â Mack repeats. âThatâs your response? Okay?â
You can feel heat climbing into your face, because there is something about the total lack of care that gets you. Thereâs no teasing tone, no pause, no look to see your reaction first. He just said it like he didnât even notice.
âYou canât just say that,â you say, your voice feeling small, wobbly almost.
âWhy not?â Will asks, his mouth twitches as he takes in the shocked expressions.
âBecause Iâm not your wife.â
âEngaged is close.â
âNo, it is not, thatâs skipping arguably a very important part.â Mack disagrees, making a noise like he canât believe his best friend doesnât see the problem.
âYou did want the rigatoni, right?â Will questions, and that completely derails you for a minute.
âWell⊠yes.â You start, your face feeling so hot you could probably cook an egg on it. âBut Will, thatâs not the point.â
âItâs what you wanted, I donât see the big deal here.â He says, kicking his feet back up on the coffee table as he watches a bit of the game on the tv.
âYouâre impossible.â Mack aims at his best friend, dropping his head back against the couch with a groan.
You are still staring at Will, still in shock, in awe. Still red in the face and honestly starting to sweat a bit. He catches it, finally giving you one of those lazy smiles that has the power to make you smile even on your worst days.
âWhat?â He questions, and he would never admit it, but seeing you like this is half of the fun.
âYou said it so casually.â
âBecause it felt casual.â He says, his arm finding its way behind you again.
âCan you get all of this mushy stuff out of the way before my dinner gets here? If you guys flirt in front of my chicken Iâm going to chuck it at your head.â Mack says to Will, scoffing slightly as he looks back down to his phone. You could only guess heâs lighting the Sharks group chat up with what just happened.
You try to ignore the way your chest has gone all soft and weird over two words, but it does not work. And the thing that is almost as shocking as being called his wife, is that heâs not flustered or backtracking, hell, he doesnât even seem interested in defending himself.
â
The second time it happens, Grace is in town. She comes down for the weekend, and by Saturday afternoon the three of you are out shopping, carrying too many bags and stopping every few blocks because Grace sees something else she wants to drag you toward. It is fun and loud and easy, full of teasing, slightly too much caffeine, and Will pretending he is not just there to carry things.
Eventually, you duck into a grocery store because Grace wants snacks for later, and Will insists on grabbing stuff for dinner. So you are standing in front of a shelf full of pasta sauces, comparing jars while Grace debates noodles a few feet away. Will grabs a jar of sauce, slipping it into the cart and starting to walk.
âNo, not that one.â You say, grabbing it out of the cart and putting it back on the shelf.
âWhatâs wrong with that one?â He asks, turning his gaze to you as your eyes scan the shelves.
âYou always pick that one.â
âAnd?â
âAnd itâs too chunky, it freaks me out.â you say, reaching past him to take a different jar off the shelf. âThis one is better.â Will looks at the jar in your hand for maybe half a second, debating whether or not he wants to tease you about the smoothness of pasta sauce, but he chooses against it. He just nods, and swaps them without argument.
âYouâre right. Happy wife, happy life.â
Grace stills, you freeze with your hand still hovering between the shelves, and Will just continues on like nothing happened.
âExcuse me?â she says, way too loudly, all thoughts of noodles leaving her head. âNo,â she says, already laughing. âI must have heard that wrong.â
âWhat did I say?â Will asks, his wide grin telling both you and his sister that he knew exactly what he said.
âYou called her your wife, in the pasta aisle.â She dead pans, shock and surprise so evident on her face and in her voice.
Will just stares at his sister like she is the one being weird. âAnd?â He says with a shrug, leaning against the cart.
âCan we maybe lower our voices?â You ask as you feel your face getting hotter by the second, not wanting to make a scene in a grocery store.
âDoes he do this all the time?â Grace asks, pointing between the two of you delighted.
âSometimes.â You supply.
âSometimes?â
âMore than sometimes.â You mutter.
Grace makes the most dramatic noise in the world and grabs your arm. âAnd you let him?â
Will answers again before you can. âShe doesnât stop me.â
âThat is not the same thing,â You say, trying to defend yourself.
âWhy donât you stop him?â Grace asks the question as she narrows her eyes.
You open your mouth, but then close it, no words coming out. You never thought in the pasta aisle you would be having this conversation, but here you are. The siblings wait for you to respond, Grace still floored, and Will still leaning against the cart, waiting for whatever bullshit excuse he knows youâre going to try and supply. He knows how it affects you, he sees it on your face every time the words âaccidentallyâ slip from his lips. But you come up short, no explanation will cover your tracks, because the truth is embarrassingly obvious, and Grace sees it.
âOh my god,â she says, everything falling into place in her mind. âYou like it.â
âNo, I donât.â You hesitate as the lie leaves your mouth.
âYou do,â she says immediately. âThat was way too slow.â
Will is smiling now, small and smug and fond in equal measure.
âDonât.â You say, pointing your manicured finger at him.
âI didnât say anything.â He says, holding his hands up in defense.
Grace starts laughing so hard she has to grab onto the cart for support. âI cannot believe this.â But she is still laughing as you move on to the next aisle, and every time she catches your eye after that she starts grinning all over again.
â
The worst part is that it gets under your skin for the rest of the day. Not in a bad way, but in the kind of way where your skin feels flushed everytime you think of it.
Happy wife, happy life.
By the time the teasing stops, dinner is ate, and the sun has long since set, Grace is in the guest room, and the apartment has gone quiet. You are both in bed, the room dark except for the small lamp on Willâs nightstand. He is lying on his back, one arm tucked behind his head, while you curl on your side facing him, one hand resting on his chest.
For a little while neither of you say anything, but you break first.
âYou really donât care, do you?â
âAbout what?â Will asks, glancing down at you.
âYou know what.â You say, propping yourself up a bit so you can see his face clearly. His hair is messy against the pillow, and it takes everything in you not to run your fingers through it and forget about it all.
âAh, you must mean the pasta sauce.â Will says, and he canât keep the cheeky look off his face as you gasp.
âIâm not talking about the sauce, William.â
âWoah, full name?â He gapes for a second, but then he cocks his head, looking into your eyes. âYou mean calling you my wife?â
You press your lips together, already a little embarrassed that you are bringing it up at all. âYes.â
âWhy would I care?â He asks, looking like he almost doesnât understand why everyone is so shocked by this.
âBecause-â You start, but you honestly arenât too sure what to say. He looks at you for a second, expression softening into something quieter. There is still the amusement there, but underneath it is that steadiness he always gives you when he is being real.
âBecause?â He asks, waiting for you to continue, but you donât. You just look down, at a complete loss for words. âNo baby, I donât care that Iâm saying it because youâre gonna be my wife,â he says simply. âI know youâre not yet,â he confesses as his fingers slide up and down your back. âI just donât feel weird about it.â
âYou donât think people will think itâs strange?â You ask him, your heart speeding up, and your eyes making their way back to his.
He lets out a short laugh. âPeople do think itâs strange. Mack looked like he was about to pass out the other night.â That pulls a laugh from you. âAnd Grace almost yelled in the grocery store.â
âShe did yell in the store.â You correct, your pointer finger tracing small shapes on his bare chest as you smile. But then your voice softens again. âStill. It doesnât⊠I donât know.. embarrass you?â
âWhy would I be embarrassed?â Will ask, his brows drawing together like the question itself does not make sense. You donât know how to answer that, and maybe he can tell that because he answers for you. âI love you,â he says, his fingers going to your chin so your eyes would meet his. âIâm going to marry you. Youâre the person I think about when I think about home and my future and all of it. So why would I be ashamed of calling you what youâre going to be?â
You stare at him, at a complete loss for words. And Will just smiles softly, the teasing gone from him. His hand comes up to tuck a piece of hair behind your ear, his eyes searching your face in the dim light. âDoes it freak you out?â And the level of sincerity in his voice hits you like a blow to the chest.
âNo,â you say softly. âIt doesnât freak me out, itâs just,â you look down at his chest for a second, fingertips smoothing over his peck. âYou say it so easily.â
âBecause it is easy.â
You laugh a little, but it comes out shaky around the edges. âYou know that makes it worse, right?â
âWorse?â
âIn a good way,â you mumble and Willâs face changes, it is subtle, but you see it. He cocks his head, almost like he wants to hear you say it again. You make a small sound and hide your face against his chest. âDonât make me repeat myself.â You say with a whine, as he laughs softly, one hand sliding to the back of your head to hold you there.
âSo you do like it.â He jokes, but then yelps as you pinch his side, shoving you softly as you both laugh. âI hope you know itâs not some joke,â he says quietly. âIâm not saying it to mess with you.â His fingers move, tracing slowly along your back. âSometimes it just comes out.â
The room feels very still all of a sudden, and you glare at him weakly as he just grins and leans up enough to kiss you, soft and slow. When he pulls back, he keeps his forehead against yours.
âI can stop,â he murmurs. âIf you want me to.â
That gets your attention, and because it is late, or because your heart too full of love to lie, you whisper, âI donât want you to stop.â Will goes still for half a second before he smiles, and it is soft and bright at the same time.
âNo?â He questions, and you shake your head. His arms tightening around you, drawing you fully against him until there is no space left between you. âGood,â he says. âBecause I have no intentions of stopping.â
â° Synopsis Youâre used to Will keeping his hands subtle in public, but tonight he has no mind on that; pulling you between his legs at the bar, kissing you sweetly in front of everyone, holding you close the whole time.
tags/contains Will Smith x fem!reader. Fluff, established relationship, touch starved in public, subtle pda, pda, kissing in front of others, obsessed will, requested.
âș from Sera, to youđš. Could you tell I had no idea what to do with this?
masterlist ᄫᥠplease reblog this fic if you enjoyed it!
If you knew one person who hated pda in front of others, it was your boyfriend, Will.
At home it was one story. The second the front door clicked shut behind you, heâd be on you; arms wrapping around your waist from behind, chin hooking over your shoulder while you tried to kick off your shoes, lips brushing the side of your neck like he couldnât wait another second.
Heâd pull you down onto the couch with him, long legs tangling with yours, hands sliding under your hoodie to rest warm against your stomach, fingers tracing lazy circles until you laughed and squirmed.
Heâd kiss you slow and deep like he was making up for every minute youâd spent apart, murmuring against your mouth how much heâd missed you, how pretty you looked even in sweatpants and his hoodie that swallowed you whole.
Heâd cuddle into your side during movie nights, head on your chest, one hand always finding yours to lace your fingers together, thumb rubbing over your knuckles. Sometimes heâd just hold you from behind while you cooked, swaying slightly like it was a slow dance, pressing soft kisses along your shoulder blade whenever you reached for something on the counter.
He hated the thought of having his hands off you.
But the moment you stepped outside; it was a completely different story.
In public, Will kept it subtle. Always touching, but never made it obvious. A hand resting low on your back as you walked through a crowded bar. Fingers brushing yours when he passed you a drink. His knee pressed lightly against yours under the table at dinner with teammates.
Heâd drape an arm across the back of your chair, thumb occasionally grazing your shoulder, but nothing that screamed couple in the way other couples did: sloppy kisses, loud declarations, hands everywhere like they were staking claim in neon.
And you were fine with it. Youâd been together a little over a year now, long enough that youâd learned his rhythm. You werenât big on pda either, you didnât need to prove anything to anyone. The way he looked at you when no one else was watching, the way his eyes softened the second you walked into a room, the things heâd whisper to you when it was just the two of you was enough.
He wasnât embarrassed of you. If anything, he loved showing you off in his own way. Heâd introduce you to new people with his arm casually looped around your shoulders, proud smile tugging at his lips every time someone complimented how good you looked together.
Heâd text you links to articles or tiktoks with captions like âUsâ and half of them were disgustingly couple-y. He just didnât want other people seeing the parts of him that belonged only to you. The greedy way he held you at home, the way heâd bury his face in your neck and breathe you in like you were oxygen.
Tonight you and Will went out with a few of his teammates to the bar a couple blocks from the rink that had become your unofficial spot. It wasnât anything fancy, just something you all learned to enjoy going to. Youâd dressed like you always did for a place like this: nothing too revealing, nothing too casual.
Will included you in every conversation like he always did. Heâd lean in when Macklin was ranting about a bad call from the last game, repeating the punchline so you could laugh too, or heâd nudge you gently and say, âBabe, tell them what you said about that hit exactly.â His voice easy, and his eyes stayed on you longer than usual.
When the bartender came over, Will ordered your usual without asking and then slid it toward you with a small.
A little while later, you moved on the barstool. âIâll be right back,â you murmured, slipping your hand from his.
Will nodded once, but as you stood, he reached over and tugged your glass closer to his spot, fingers brushing the condensation like he was guarding it. His other hand lingered in the air for half a second where yours had been before dropping back to the bar.
Once you came back from the bathroom after quickly fixing your lip combo in the mirror light, touching up the gloss that had faded from sipping your drink, you found Will still perched on his barstool, facing his teammates.
If youâd gone straight back to your own seat next to him, his broad back wouldâve been turned to you the whole time. But the second he caught sight of you weaving through the crowd, his arm reached out without hesitation.
His fingers found yours, locking tight, and he tugged you gently toward him instead of letting you slide back onto your stool. âCâmere,â he murmured.
You let him pull you in, stepping right between his spread thighs until your hips brushed the edge of the stool. Your hands landed on his chest for balance, as he looked up at you.
âWhereâd you go?â he asked, even though he knew.
âBathroom,â you said, smiling despite yourself. âTook longer than I thought, someone was hogging the mirror.â
He hummed, the sound vibrating through his chest, and then he leaned in. The kiss was slow, sweet, nothing rushed or sloppy. Just his lips pressing to yours like it was the most normal thing in the world, his one hand sliding up to cup the back of your neck while the other stayed locked with yours at his side.
Your breath caught. Will almost never kissed you in public, not where anyone could see. For a heartbeat you froze, surprised, but then you melted into it, leaning forward until your forehead brushed his when he finally pulled back.
He didnât say anything about it. Just handed you your unfinished vodka soda with a small, crooked smile.
You turned with him so you were facing the group again, your back settling against his chest. His arm came across your front, forearm resting easy over your collarbone, fingers splayed loose but possessive against your shoulder. His other hand found your waist, every few minutes heâd tug you closer, like he couldnât quite get enough, even though you were already pressed flush against him.
Macklin raised an eyebrow, smirk tugging at his mouth. âYou finally figure out how arms work tonight?â
Will just tightened his hold a little, chin dipping to rest lightly on your shoulder as he shot Macklin a lazy look. âShut up, Mack,â he said a little amused.
You stayed like that for a while, cocooned against him, his heartbeat steady against your back. His fingers kept moving in small, absent strokes along your waist, thumb brushing the underside of your ribs every now and then.
Eventually your heels started screaming. Standing this long in them, even leaning into him, made your calves burn.
You tilted your head back just enough to murmur against his jaw, âMy legs are killing me.â
Willâs arm loosened instantly. âSit,â he said softly, kissing the shell of your ear before letting you go.
For the rest of the night, Will didnât let the space between you grow. He kept one hand on you at all times: resting on your thigh when you were back on your stool, thumb drawing slow, mindless patterns over the denim; sliding up to play with the ends of your hair when you laughed at something one of the guys said; brushing your lower back.
Every few minutes heâd press a quick kiss to your temple, or drop his chin to your shoulder just to murmur something dumb and sweet.
You were happy for it. The warmth of his palm against your skin felt like nice in public. The guys ribbed him lightly but Will just shrugged it off with a smile and never pulled away.
By the time you both said goodbyes and stepped out into the cool night air, your cheeks were flushed from the barâs heat and from the way his hand had stayed tangled with yours the whole walk to the car.
When you got home, the apartment was quiet, you kicked the door shut behind you, already reaching to slip off your heels, but Will beat you to it.
He dropped to one knee right there at the edge of the bed, fingers gentle around your ankle as he lifted your foot and eased the first heel off. Then the second, thumbs pressed into the arch of your foot for a second, massaging away the ache without being asked.
You watched him, heart doing that stupid fluttery thing it always did with him. âWhatâs gotten into you tonight?â you asked quietly.
He glanced up, brows lifting like he had no idea what you meant. âWhat? I always do this.â He asked setting your foot down and standing.
You shook your head, smiling despite yourself. âNo, I mean.. being so touchy in front of everyone, kissing me like that. You never do that.â
He paused, then took your hand in both of his. Slowly he brought it to his lips and pressed a kiss to your knuckles, eyes never leaving yours. âCanât a guy show how much he loves his girlfriend?â
You laughed softly. âYou never do it like that.â
He tilted his head, mock offended. âWhat? I always show everyone how much I love you.â
âYeah,â you said, reaching up to trace the line of his jaw, âbut not in a way that makes Macklin tease you for ten straight minutes.â
Willâs expression softened. You pulled him down to you, as he started crawling over you until his weight settled warm and solid, knees sinking into the comforter on either side of your hips.
He braced himself on his forearms so he wasnât crushing you, but close enough that you could feel every breath he took.
âI love you,â he said simply, as if it was the easiest truth in the world. His forehead rested against yours for a second before he kissed you, the kind of kiss he usually saved for when the door was locked and the lights were off. âI just.. wanted to be close to you tonight. Didnât want to wait until we got home to touch you the way I always want to.â
His hand slid up to cradle the side of your face, thumb brushing your cheekbone. âI like when we keep things private. But sometimes..â He exhaled. âSometimes I look at you laughing with the guys, or just sitting there looking like mine, and I want everyone to know.â
You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him down until his chest pressed to yours. âThatâs sweet,â you whispered against his mouth. âI liked tonight a lot.â
He smiled and kissed you again. âMe too.â
His hands found yours, fingers lacing tight as he settled more of his weight over you, like he was trying to memorize every inch of how you fit together.
synopsis. as a sister of the infamous hughes, they were extremely protective over youâ common brothers! they hated the idea of you dating a hockey player⊠they knew how they worked. luckily for them, you were never interested in them, until will came around. he swept you off your feet and soon you were dating him. you kept it a secret for a while⊠until luke goes snooping.
notes. reader is lukeâs twin! reader also does all star cheerâ idk much ab that so donât mind any incorrect things but itâs not mentioned a lot. fluff, brothers being overprotective like always, mack appears ofc. maybe some angst⊠2 year age gap but they donât meet until wills on the sharks!
Sometimes you wondered how you were ever related to the brothers you were, even as a young child as you sat on the curb after too many games of road hockey and gave up, watching them as they continued playing without breaking a sweat like they were built for itâ which they really were with your parents being into hockey. But they never pressured you into anything hockey, of course you played with your brothers because they always dragged you into the game to even a team between them⊠and you always did because you were tired of watching from the sidelines.
Your mom wanted you to be into sports, so as a child she looked into other things for you to do. Especially when you ran into the house crying your sweet eyes out because the boys were leaving you out, it wasnât on purpose but it still always happened. That was the day she decided you needed something for yourself like the boys had for them.
You tried ballet but cried in the backseat of the car because it was too hard and the teacher was mean. She made you finish out the year saying, âGive it a year and than weâll come back.â
Tears of relief came out of your eyes when you ran into her arms after your last recital. A summer went by of the boys playing hockey and you playing in the yard, watching with a frown wishing to be apart of that. Ellen came to you one day, sweat beading down your forehead in the heat but refusing to leave your brothers, Luke looking at you, with a flyer of a new cheer place opening in the town. She never imagined thatâs what would be your thing, but it was. Cheer stuck with you throughout elementary school, even as you tried soccer with your best friendâ you did that until the last year of middle school. Ultimately giving soccer up so you could focus on cheer in high school, and you were pretty damn good at it.
It was hard for the family though, hockey games between the three boys and practiceâs with you that lasted hours, plus the games you performed at, then the big competitions. And it was really hard on you, when your brothers werenât there in the stands, nor was your mom. It was usually your father when the family couldnât be there, but his cheers were loud enough for them.
Your brother have always been protective, you knew that. In elementary school, Quinn and Jack both got in trouble for punching a boy at lunch because somebody yelled that he was your boyfriend.
âThey punched him, mom! He was bleeding!â You cried in the back seat of the car, Quinn was sitting in the front with a glare as Luke sat between you and Jack with wide eyes after just witnessing you jump over to wack Jack in the head repeatedly.
Ellen sighed loudly from the driver seat, she looked in the mirror to see youâ eyes blood shot red and a permanent frown on your face. She looked at Quinn quickly, his fist were still clenched in his lap as he looked out the window.
âYeah, he deserves it.â Jack grumbled from his seat, Ellen was ready to pull over and yank you off of your brother but instead of throwing punches you yelled.. something that never really left the four of your guys mouth during arguments. The two Hughes parents had seen a lot of fights between the boys and you, arguing though⊠never happened often, just opting to use your fists, legs, and teeth sometimes.
A sob tore through your mouth, Luke was watching your carefully. A hand on your leg, trying to calm you down but nothing seemed to help.
âI hate you!â
Ellen gasped so loudly, she coughed. Quinn unclenched his fist in shock, Lukeâs jaw dropped watching as you sucked in a deep shaky breath as your mom pulled into the driveway, you hiccuped through your sobs and yanked your leg away from Luke, he frowned. Jackâs lip parted and snapped his head towards the back of his momâs seat.
She yelled your name, you sobbed louder trying to unbuckle yourself but couldnât see through the tears, Luke noticed and put his hand between the two of you and pressed his finger down and unbuckled you. Not bothering to grab your book bag, you threw your door open and slid out with another sob and ran into the house.
That was the first time, more followed, especially when you grew older. Your mother worried when you grew into your beauty, how overprotective the boys came when you entered high school⊠then the first boyfriendâ the break up was worse. You didnât show up to school for a week.
They were all protective in their own ways, you loved them for it but sometimes truly hated it. Quinn was protective in a way with words, a threatening sentence towards somebody and they froze⊠wondering if it was true or he was giving out wordless threats. Jack was protective in a physical way, he always had been. Sometimes it scared you: the way he easily got himself into trouble for you.
Luke though was different, being your twin. He was a mix between the both of them but usually it was never with the other personâ it was with you. While Quinn was glaring at the person and speaking lowly to them or Jack was throwing them against a wall or throwing punches, Luke was standing beside you, making sure you were okay, protecting your feelings.
So when hockey came around and more boys came into your life because of them, one night they all came into your room. Well, Jack and Quinn didâ Luke was already lying on your bed, in his pajamas under your comforter as you sat at your desk trying to study. Key word, try. Luke barged into your room an hour before, freaking out about some girl from school.
The trying to study went out the window when the other two barged in and got comfortable by their brother, you tried to focus on the paper you had been staring at for the past ten minutes but their eyes were burning a hole into you.
âWhat?â You spat, slamming your pencil down and turning to look at them, Jack raised his eyebrows at you as Quinn shook his head. Luke was scrolling on his phone, you assumed he stopped being a pussy and was texting the girl.
Jack raised his shoulders, âJust wanted to come hang with our favorite sister, is that such a problem?â
âIâm your only sister⊠and you never wanna hang out with me.â
Quinn frowned for a second, Jackâs eyebrows raised at the sudden bluntness in your words. And Lukeâs fingers paused on his screen, side eyeing you.
You stared at them, noticing their facial expressions. âNot like that! Just you guys are so busy with hockeyââ
âYouâre busy with cheer.â Jack cut you off, sitting up a bit. You saw the panic on his face, god, he was so dramatic sometimes.
âI know.â You gritted out, leaning back into your chair, âIâm just sayingâ it doesnât matterââ
âYes it does.â Quinn jumped in, you glanced at him. âWhy havenât you said anything?â
âOh my god. Because I didnât mean it like that! What do you want?â You sighed out, throwing your arms out in front of you. Quinn looked at his brothers quickly, you bit your inner lip watching as it seemed like they were communicating with their eyesâ right in front of you.
You love them, so much. More than you could ever put into words but sometimes it felt like you were on the outside looking in, Luke always tried to include you but sometimes it was so hard. They spent so much time together, while you were out at practice for hours after they got home from theirs, them sitting on the back porch together. You were too tired to bother saying hi to them, going straight to the shower and then your bed. They had a different bond, as boys and brothers, and playersâ something youâd never be apart of.
They were your brothers but it was different.
Swallowing roughly as Jack nodded sharply to his older brother, you straightened in your seat. They all looked at you, eyes softening just a bit.
âWe just wanted to say⊠you know, us joining teams and all soonâ our hockey friends are⊠yâknowâŠâ
You furrowed your eyebrows, shaking your head with a shrug. âNo, I donât know. Use your words.â
Jack grabbed a pillow from behind him and chucked it at you, grunting quietly as you stopped it from smacking you in the head.
âYou know⊠off limits.â
âEw. I donât want your hockey friends.â
That night, you and your brothers ended up in the kitchen arguing back and forth as your parents watched⊠attempting to soften it.
But you were right, you never batted an eye at them. Not when you walked in from practice and said hey to your brothers, nodding your head politely at their friends sitting in the living room, watching as you went into the kitchen where your mom stood in front of the stove cooking dinner, you grabbed a water and went up to your bathroom. Not when they attempted to flirt with you, ignoring your brotherâs warnings to not do that.
Before you knew it, Quinn and Jack were in the NHLâ something theyâd always dreamed of. Quinn was in Vancouver, something that broke your heart.. him being so far away from home and his family. But nothing beat watching him score his friend goal of his NHL career, nor did it with watching Jackâs.
It was the year Luke got drafted, it was the year you parted away from your home, under the same roof as your twin brother and parents to leave to join California all stars. Of course, you came home for his draft! How could you not?
You could never miss the moment when the announcer said his name, Luke Hughes for the New Jersey Devilsâ the same one as Jack. How Jack practically leaped over you throwing himself around your brother with excitement, tears filled your eyes as you were squeezed between the three of them.
The four of you were all away from home and it was really hard sometimes, you guys were so close but couldnât be more proud of each other. You texted the group chat every morning and night, especially when you knew you day would be busy, just to say something to them. It was harder with Luke, you and him had never been separated since your mom gave birth to the two of you, it took a long time where you or him didnât burst into a tantrum when you were separated for more than a few hours⊠sleepovers rarely happened because by bed time you or him were running to your friends parents crying for each other.
Luke called every day, knowing your schedule after the first week of you and him being separated. You and him tried your best to talk as much as you did before but you werenât used to him being so busy in the NHL and he wasnât so used to you being miles away from him and different time zones. Plus, the training the two of you went through and barely had the energy to pick up your phone once you walked through your front door.
The first year was the hardest.
But eventually, you and your brothers were used to the difference. It didnât make it any harder but it worked. They constantly bugged you about any boys, especially when one time some random boy answered your phone. Sitting in your living room. His face popped up on the group face time where your brothers stared at him in shock for a few moments.. questioning if they accidentally added somebody else but it was the siblings group chat.
It was a friend from cheer.
You honestly hadnât truly dated somebody since high school, before the world only knew you as the Hughes sister. You attempted to go out on a date from somebody you met at the grocery store, seeing it as somewhat of a normal interaction. Not meeting them at an event or on social media. They didnât recognize you as a Hughes or being related to the famous hockey brothers.
And thenâŠ.
âIâm a huge fan of your brothers work.â
You were a bit dramatic about it, sighing loudly but nodded and apparently that gave him a signal to keep talking about themâ he even asked if you could call them! The rest of the date until you cut him off as the waiter began approaching the table, quickly turning around when she heard the sharpness in your voice and stood up, walking away.
He yelled for the whole restaurant to hear about the check!
You rolled your eyes as you pulled open the doors with tears in your eyes, opting to call Luke but knew he would just run into Jackâs room so you kept your phone in your purse as you walked through the streets of California.
After that night, you declined anybody who asked to take you out. Just imagining yourself sitting in the middle of a restaurant of somebody asking something about them.
You never went on a date again after and never told your brothers. They pushed you that night when you never called after the date, you decline the first call as you laid in your bed, curled into yourself watching your comfort movie, tear stained cheeks. They immediately blew up your phone and told you to answer right now.
Sending a quick text and told them you were about to take a shower, which you did so you could look a little less crazy and the crying wasnât noticeable. You made up some lie that all he did was talk about himself, your phone set on the counter of your bathroom as you lazily did your nighttime routine. And for some odd reason, they believed you when you lied to them. You never were a good liar and they always knew your twitch when you did lie, but apparently they couldnât see when your face was in and out of the camera.
It was one night, your roommate who you cheered with wanted to go to a hockey game. She didnât know anything about the game until she met you, sitting with you as you watched your brothers play and answered her questions or explained what was happening. She soon learned most of it and enjoyed for when she would hear your yell from the living room that the game was starting.
âThereâs a game here! Itâs like an hour away, we should go.â
Thatâs how you found yourself at a San Jose Sharks game, your brothers couldnât believe you were going to be cheering another team on but you just rolled your eyes and told them the Canucks and Devils would always be the team you cheered for the most. It was a good game, your friend in her element as she could watch the game and actually understand⊠only a couple times did she lean over and ask you to explain something.
Then⊠you and her were at every Sharks game, as long as you were both free. She literally cancelled a date one night when she learned there was a game, you convinced her to just invite him and you would stay home.
âNo way, girl. This is our thing.â
You ended up buying a third ticket the morning of the game and gave it to her, she kissed your cheek with a bright smile. You kind of regretted it when he arrived at the rink and the two were snuggled into each and you sat by yourself, arms crossed around your chest trying to warm yourselfâ usually, she was snuggled into your side, shivering about the coldness she was not used to. You guessed youâd just gotten used to her warmth.
After the game, you stood behind them as they talked, âI donât wanna go home.â He smiled at her, intertwining their hands, you rolled your eyes as she said that for the hundredth time of the night.
Digging in your purse, you grabbed your car keys and chucked them at her back. She stopped and turned around sharply, squinting her eyes at you, looking down at your keys at her feet, she slowly picked them up with furrowed eyebrows.
âTake my car and go enjoy the rest of the night.â You smiled softly at her, her smile somehow grew larger.
The guy beside her furrowed his eyebrows, âWhat about you?â
âIâll just call an uber.â
Which was the stupidest thing you couldâve offered, they left you quickly after that which was an hour ago. You were still sitting outside of the rink, of course no Ubers were available, they were all picking everybody else up from the arena. A pout formed on your lips when the first one cancelled, then when the second one didâ tears formed in your eyes.
Sitting on the curb, curled into yourself as you leaned your chin against your knees watching as players drove out of the arena! You couldâve cried again but you didnât, just watched as people walked by without blinking at you. You checked your friendâs location, you could tell she was still out with the boy so you kept the messages quiet.
You were watching as people cheered across the street, all dressed in Sharks gear. Smiling softly as somebody jumped onto another personâs back with a loud âwhoop!â
Gravel crunched beside you, you snapped your head up and saw two boys staring down at you, they looked your age. You squinted your eyes at them as they blinked at you, like you were some animal that was standing in the middle of a road.
âYes?â You questioned slowly, one of them straightened their back when you spoke.
âAre you okay?â The other asked, hands shoved into his pockets. Their hair was damp, they were dressed nice. You moved your head so the light wasnât blocking their faces anymore and recognized them as two players on the Sharks.
Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini.
âOh, yeah. Iâm just waiting for the Ubers to start picking people up again.â You shrugged with a tight smile, Macklin nodded softly as Will ran his hand through his damp hair, the light shining on the side of his face, he looked like an angel⊠you clamped your parted lips shut as you stared at him.
Macklin stepped beside the other boy, âDo you need a ride? Ubers usually take a long time to start getting people after a game.â
You sighed and looked down at your phone, you were usually in bed by now and your phone was at ten percent.
âI donât live around here and I canât ask for you to drive an hour after playing a hockey game.â You said softly, looking up at them again. They both shrugged, Will jerked his head and offered his hand.
âWe donât mind, câmon.â You looked at his outstretched hand carefully before taking it with your soft hands, he squeezed yours before pulling you up, you squeezed his back before slowly pulling away. Smiling as you looked between them as they watched you tug your jacket closer to you,
âUh, you guys have a car right?â You asked after a few moments of you three standing there, Macklinâs eyebrows shot up before he nodded.
You thought that would be the first and last time you ever saw the two, besides at the games. But that night, when Will walked you to your door, you did your nighttime routine scrolling through his social media. Something youâd never done. And it was noticeable, when your finger accidentally double tapped a picture from too long ago. You screamed as your tooth brush stopped itâs movement in your mouth as you quickly took the like back and spit your toothpaste out, running int your roommates room, ignoring the guy sitting on her bean bag.
The next morning, as you scrolled through your notifications on your balcony, a smile graced your face. He followed you.
That was just the beginning, soon after a couple dms back and forth⊠Will seeked you out after the game with no Macklin by his side which surprised you.
âWanna go get some celebratory food?â He asked softly, with that boyish grin that made your stomach flip. Your friend squealed from the other side of the car, you and Will laughed at her as she muttered an apology.
You leaned closer to him, tugging on the bottom of his jacket. âIâd love too⊠but I do have a friend that needs a ride home.â
âShe can drive, Iâll take you home.â Will shot back with a smirk, you shook your head biting back a smile and called out your friends name who rounded the car with a wide smile, Will stepped back as you threw you keys at her.
âHave fun!â She sung with a giggle, watching as the two of you walked away, fingers brushing against each other before he flexed his hand and grabbed onto yours, she squealed again before shutting your door and driving off as Will lead you to his car.
It was sudden, the change between you and him. Before, you knew it was never about being just friends but there was also no rush to be anything more. It had been a few months since the first time you and Will went out, now he was coming over and spending the nights accidentally, the two of you falling asleep watching a movie or staying up late trying to finish putting together the legos you and him bought that day when he went shopping with you, sleep was written all over his face and you told him he could stay.
Macklin came over a lot, you and him became really close too. Your roommate got along with both of them, the four of you playing uno after dinner that you and Will made in your kitchen earlier. You soon realized how competitive Mack was, almost as competitive as your friend. You and Will would watch the two of the bicker about the cards they just put down, you just leaned into Willâs touch and waited for them to finishâ sometimes you and him would have to intervene.
You met the rest of the team at a barbecue he invited you to, that was the night he took you to his home and kissed you.
You felt bad. Not telling your family about him but god you loved having him without anyone knowing, but now Mack and your friend knew⊠and the whole Sharks team. Now you just felt like the worst sister ever. But not even did your parents know, until your mom walked into your apartment with your dad shuffling in behind her tiredly, it was supposed to be a surprise, you had a cheer event coming up and they wanted to be there.
Your father jumped when your mother screamed, you jumped up in your bed hearing the yell.
Will stood shirtless, only in his pajama pants, in your kitchen in front of your stove as he attempted to make the two of you breakfast. You threw off the comforter, running out into the living to see your parents standing in the entryway in shock as Will stared back at the.
Your mom turned towards you when you gasped, standing in his t-shirt and your pajama shorts.
âOh my God.â You heard your friend say, assuming she came out because of the murder like scream from your mom.
The breakfast was awkward. You ended up ordering from somewhere so Will didnât have to make more food for everybody, he attempted to leave but your mother forced him to sit at the table. It was halfway through the silent eating, the only sound being your friendâs loud gulps of her drinking. You and her kept glancing at each other every few minutes, your dad was staring at Will as he sat beside you.
âSoâŠâ
Your mom broke the silence, âHowâd you two meet?â
You and Will smiled softly, turning towards each other and thatâs when your parents softened up. Especially, when your whole body softened up when you looked at the boy beside you, of course they already knew who he was before that day but after that morning, they knew him personally and loved him. They were happy it was him.
You made your parents promise not to tell your brothers, they understood but told you to tell them soon⊠You wanted to, but you didnât even know how to bring it up anymoreâ you and Will had been together for a while. Neither of you had posted anything about each other, obsessed with having nobody having their eyes on you as a couple. Nobody had seen you guys together when you went out, luckily. But you knew your luck would run out soon.
Now the hockey season was over and the family immediately made the plans to go to the lake house.
You were standing in the kitchen beside your mom cutting up vegetables for dinner, music was playing softly throughout the house as the boys sat at the table playing a card game. You and your mom would laugh when one of them would groan loudly. It was a perfect day, everyone went out on the boat together, the five of you stayed out there almost all day.. eventually you took your parents back but you and your brothers went back out. Once you came back, your mom was starting to prep for dinner, you and your brothers took showers before joining your parents in the kitchen area.
It was perfect.
Until Luke opened his mouth, âWhoâs pretty boy?â
You stopped your movements, everyone paused for a moment to look at him confused. Glancing over your shoulder, Lukeâs hand was wrapped around your phone, bringing the phone closer to his face.
You slammed the knife down on the cutting board and darted towards him, snatching the phone from his hands. Now everybody was watching, cards down on the table and Ellen stepped to stand behind you.
âYâknow, Luke it was cute when we were 12 and you snooped through my shit but itâs not anymore.â You gritted out, gripping onto your phone by your side.
âLanguage!â Both your parents sighed out, eyes snapping between their twins, Lukeâs jaw dropped at your words and the scowl on your face. Jack and Quinn looked between the two of you with caution, wondering what the hell was going on. They both just assumed it was some twin fight.
Luke looked over your shoulder, your mom shrugged. âLuke, you know itâs not nice to go through your sisters phone.â She said softly, putting her hand on your elbow and pulled you back, closer to her. She practically felt the anger coming off of you, Lukeâs eyebrows furrowed.
âBut whoâs pretty boy? He said âI love youâ!â Luke exclaimed, you felt both of your parents look at you with soft eyes.
This is not how you wanted your brothers to find out.
Jack shot up in his seat, bee lining for your phone in your hand. He reached over your body, not expecting a hand to his face and pushing him into the table. Ellen gasped from behind you, gritting out your name.
âNo, mom. Iâm tired of them thinking they have to know everything!â You cried out, she softly rubbed the back of your arm with a knowing look, the three brothers froze at your words.
Jack grunted as he fell back into his seat, âSo there is something to know?â Quinn kicked him under the table when you rubbed your forehead in annoyance, he was always the one to soften to argument or fight between the four of you.. not always, mostly. Only when the four of you were older, when you were kids it was all of you throwing punches and legs.
âNo.â
âYes.â
You snapped your head to your mom, âMom!â
She gave you a look.
âOh my god.â You muttered and sat down as she ushered you towards the chair at the head of the able, across from your father and between Jack and Luke. She looked back at the kitchen before taking a spot beside her husband who reached out and grabbed her hand.
You put your phone under your thigh, ignoring the buzz against your leg. Your brothers stared at you, Luke had hurt in his eyes knowing there was something hidden between the two of you. You couldnât even act like there ever had been, you kept plenty of secrets between your brothersâ never Luke though.
Quinn waited patiently, watching you carefully as you picked at your nails. Jack wasnât looking at you.
âI have a boyfriendâŠâ
Chaos erupted around the table, you dropped your head into your hands with sigh as their voice overlapped with each other and your parents voiced trying to calm the boys down.
âWho is it?â Jack turned towards you, seemingly remembering what this was about. âWhoâs pretty boy?â He mocked, lowering his voice and you wanted to smack him. You almost did but your mom said you name softly, she warned how no matter what or who.. this would be the outcome of keeping this from them. Now it was time to find out how they would react about who.
You bit your bottom lip, âWill Smith.â
âWill Smith?! Men and black Will Smith?!â Jack yelled, sitting up, almost out of his chair. You slowly looked at him with a confused face. âHeâs like fifty! This is illegal! Oh my god!â
You kicked his leg, âOw!â
âWill Smith? San Jose Sharks?â You spelt it out for him, gesturing with your hands, the room went silent. Deadly silent. You couldnât even bother to look at any of them, the dramatics of them having betrayal written across their face. You stared at the scratch on the table from the first summer at the house.
Then chaos erupted around the table, Quinn and Jack snapped their heads towards each otherâ eyebrows flying up so fast you bit back a chuckle, Lukeâs eyes were on you though.. eyebrows raised and parted lips.
âThis is absurd!â Jack yelled turning towards you finally remembering who this was about. âSince when?â His voice softened a little, eyebrows pinched together like it was all coming to him, why his little brother was much quieter.
You swallowed glancing between all of them, âA while.â
It went oddly quiet. A quiet youâve never been used to, not with them or your home in California. You and your roommate were loud together, and growing up it was always chaos. You heard Luke swallow roughly as he clenched his fist in front of him as he looked away from your face, Quinn just stared blankly at you.
Jack broke the silence with a scoff, âYou know how hockey guys are?â
You laughed bitterly, âWhat? Just because you three hoe around doesnât mean he does.â
Your parents yelled your name, you rolled your eyes as your brothers looked at you with shock.
âHeâs nice to me and we love each other.â You fought even though they had pretty much been silent, âIâm sorry for not telling you but this is exactly why.â
âYou know weâd support you about anything⊠even if it was a hockey playerâ you know that was just a joke.â
âBullshit.â
Ellen gritted your name out, Jim giving up on correcting you a long time ago.
âListen, when we told you that.. yes we were being for real but not actually! Not so for real that you canât come to us for months.â Jack said, leaning forward with a brotherly look but also anger.
Luke stayed silent.
You swallowed, âLuke?â
âI donâtâ I canât believe you kept something from me for this long.â
The room went silent again, everyoneâs eyes on Luke as he looked at you. You swallowed roughly, your throat tightening. âIâm sorry.â
There was nothing else you could say, your brothers said nothing either. What else could they say? The family separated, well more of you leaving the table to go to your room and call Will while your family still sat at the table, as soon as your door shut you heard the hushed voices of your brothers and your parents trying to calm them down.
It was another hour until you appeared from the stairs, your brothers gone onto the back porch while your parents continued the paused dinner. Ellen looked up from the stove at the sound of your soft footsteps, smiling softly she gestured for you to go outside.
Holding back an eye roll you walked towards the back door and opened it gaining the attention of your older brothers, stopping their conversation. You felt small under their gaze, hand still on the handle like you might run back into the house. Quinn noticed and scooted to the side on the small couch on the porch and jerked his head, you smiled softly and sat beside him, the oldest dropped his hand onto your shoulder and squeezed it.
âSo,â Jack quickly said, smacking his hand onto his thigh and looked at you with a look youâve seen one too many times. âWhen do we get to meet him?â He tapped his fingers against the table, they all looked towards you, waiting.
You messed with the strings of your devils hoodie, âI donât know, didnât really plan on seeing him until I went back to California.â
âYou can invite him to the house, Sissy.â
It was a nickname theyâd call you when you were younger, it kind of drifted when you grew up, it lingered with your parents but theyâd call you anything but thatâ unless they were feeling nice.
âI donât know⊠he probably has a bunch of plans.â
âWell, ask him anyway. Just for a weekend or something.â
Two weeks later, Will was flying into Michigan and you had never been more nervous as he texted you he landed, you were sitting in the pick up line, constantly messing with something in your car or looking at yourself in the mirror or camera on your phone. You were currently looking in your console, it was messy and you cringed but couldnât think of that when a soft knock interrupted your thoughts.
You flinched, snapping your head up and Will stood at your window with a large smile on his faceâ you smiled widely back. He glanced down at the handle and your eyebrows raised as you blindly reached for the handle to unlock the door.
Will slid into the seat smoothly, tossing his duffel bag into the back seat while also leaning over the middle console to pull you closer and you melted into his touch, awkwardly pulling him into a hug but it fit. He kissed your hair, than your neck, and pulled away, hand on your neck and pressed his lips against yours.
You made a small noise of relief in the back of your throat, he smiled on your lips. âMissed you so much, baby.â
You kissed him one more time before you fell back into your seat and turned your car back on, he buckled into his seat and immediately reached for your hand, your intertwined hands rested on the console the whole rideâ music playing from your phone connected to the Bluetooth.
Will and you caught up on the past two busy weeks, he was spending time with family and so were you, plus a lot of the boys friends were in town like usualâ luckily only Trevor and Cole were around for the weekend Will would be. You could deal with them.
Youâd known the two as much as you know youâre brothers, they treated you like a sister and they were just more brothers.
âYou nervous?â You asked, pulling into the familiar area of your Michigan home, glancing towards him.
Will shook his head, only humming in response. âYouâre squeezing my hand pretty hard.â
He immediately loosed his grip, you chuckled bringing your joined hands to your lips and kissed them softly, Will responded by rubbing his thumb against the back of your hand, you kept his hand rested against your lips, Will felt his shoulders relax even as you pulled into a neighborhood and he knew it was yours.
âI think Iâm gonna pass out.â
You shook your head, suppressing a smile as you drove down your street seeing the large house your brothers bought together all those years ago.
âItâs gonna be fine, theyâll barely talk to us.â
Will shook his head, leaning back into his seat with tense muscles. âNo, like seriously, why am I doing this?â
âBecause you love me?â
âYes, very much. Butââ
You pulled into the driveway, âListen, they seriouslyââ
âBaby, Iâm not scared of them.â
You stopped, âThen⊠what is it?â
âNo, I am terrified of them actually⊠but like Iâveâ Iâve played against them and looked up to themâ fuck, not likeâ I donât want you to think Iâm dating you for themâ I swearâŠ. Oh my god. Take me back to the airportâ Iââ Will rambled, you covered your mouth trying to hide your smile and he thought you were crying.
âOh my godâ oh my god. Baby, Iâmââ
A laugh cut through his panicking, he stopped. âWill, you have to chill or they will make fun of you and theyâre sitting on the front porch, you assumed theyâd been waiting since you left after they begged to come with.
He actually slid down into the seat, you laughed loudly. âIâm making fun of you. Will, get up.â You grabbed his shoulder, he groaned as he straightened. âCâmon, scaredy cat.â
âDonât call me that.â He grunted as you both opened the door, he reached bag and pulled his bag from the backseat.
Your three brothers just sat on the porch, watching as you and Will walked up the steps, his hand intertwined with yoursâ they didnât feel or sense the death grip he had on you. Smiling softly, you tugged him to your side as he attempted to stand behind you.
You knew it wasnât because he was nervous, thatâs where he always stood with you. Pressed against behind you and arms wrapped around you, sometimes around your waist but usually wrapped around your shoulders and your hands held onto his wrists, every few minutes pressing your lips to his forearms.
âBrothers.â
âSister.â
You chuckled, âYou guys all know each otherâŠ. So I donât need to do introductions.â
They all said their helloâs, you squeezed Willâs hand three times and he quickly mimicked. âSo, Iâm gonna show him the room and then weâll do dinner?â
âOkay, weâre grilling.â Jack said, tipping his beer to the two of you as you stepped back with a wide smile. The three of them couldnât deny the way their chests warmed at the sight.
But Quinn paused as your hand went on the door handle and turned, âWaitâŠâ And you did, hand frozen against the handle and both of you slowly looked at your oldest brother. âWhatâs his room?â
âMine?â You stated but it sounded more like a question, all of their eyebrows shot up and their backs straightened.
âYour room?â Luke choked out.
You rolled your eyes and opened the door, âUgh, yes! Its only for a weekend and he always sleeps in my bed back in Californiaââ
âWe donât need to know that.â Quinn cut you off, eyes squeezed like he was trying to forget that. âJust⊠no foolishness.â
You laughed, âYes, dad.â
After showing Will your room and laying down for a few minutes, body on top of his to calm him down, the two of you stepped out onto the back porch where all the boys were, and your parents sat on the couch together, listening to something Trevor was saying.
But they all stopped when you shut the sliding glass door, Will immediately grabbed onto your hand. âHey.â
Trevor and Cole lit up at the sight of you, Cole reached out and pulled you onto the couch next to him, your hand yanked away from Willâs, he couldâve sworn his heart was about to stop as he made eye contact with all three of your brothers and you fell into a conversation with Cole.
âCâmon.â Jack clapped a hand against the younger boyâs shoulder, Will joined them by the grill, hands in his pockets awkwardly and shy. Will could admit heâd never been shy or this awkward before, not even when he met your pantsâ and that was awkward.
But after they talked for just a few minutes, Willâs hands were out of his pockets and his laughter was his usual one that you loved, a small smile gracing your face even though your back was faced towards himâ Trevor and Cole needing your full attention like usual.
By the time dinner was finished, Will was back by your side at the table, his focus was on something Trevor was saying from across the table, hands thrown around in the air as all the boys pitched stuff into the conversationâ something about hockey, thatâs all you knew before you drew yourself out of the conversation, turning to your parents. But Willâs hand rested on your thigh, your hand on top of his, he occasionally squeezed.
Soon, your mom yawned and your dad took her to bed, leaving you and the boys, you leaned back into your seat and brought your leg up.
âSoâŠâ
Cole said, leaning forward to see you, you rested your head against your hand, just observing their conversation until he did that and now everyone was looking at you.
âWhat?â
âHowâd you two meet?â He asked, a smirk on his face, the question gained a lot of commotion, Trevor giggled. Your brothers leaned back into their seats, eyes on the two of you.
âUhââ
âWellââ
Will smiled, âGo ahead.â
And you simply told them, how he found you on the side of the street, curled into yourself like a homeless person. Trevor laughed as he imagined the sight, you kicked him from beneath the table, and how he found you after every game until one time he finally asked you out.
âStill canât believe you kept it from us for so long.â
You swallowed, Will squeezed your thigh. âYeah, well it was easier being so far away.â
Jack smiled, a breathy laugh leaving his lips.
âWell, we like you, Smith.â
Will chuckled, âThanks.â
The weekend with Will went smooth, a day spent on the water, skin burnt and limbs tired as everyone walked back into the house. You and Will fell asleep on the couch together, his head pressed against your stomach and arm draped across your waist, Quinn found you two when he went to find yâall for dinner, he smiled softly before waking you up. The next day, it was calm, games played throughout the day, movie night before you brought Will up to your room as the boys went out on the lake for a late night swim. You were glad they left, you felt wrong doing anything with them in the houseâ too scared they would walk in.
But Will couldnât leave without feeling himself inside of you.
The next day, you went on the lake for a short time and spent the day in the yard with your brothers and Will, they welcomed him the open arms⊠by the time he leftâ there were inside jokes between the boys and numbers exchanged.
You were glad you had those times they didnât know but you were more than happy they knew now and Will was apart of your family.
Imagine a Will Smith x Hughes!Reader where they are in a secret relationship because her older brothers are very overprotective and then one day one of them finds something suspicious that makes them suspect that something is going on between you and Will
Dirty Little Secret
pairing: Will Smith x Hughes!reader
summary: You and Will navigate a secret relationship, constantly hiding from your overprotective brothers, until one of them finds a clue that threatens to expose everything.
The text message lights up your phone, hidden beneath your pillow. Willy-Wonka: Miss your face. See you after practice?
Your heart does its familiar little flip, a dangerous combination of excitement and anxiety. You type back quickly: Only if you bring coffee.
A moment later: Deal. And maybe a kiss if you're lucky.
You smile, tucking the phone away just as your bedroom door creaks open. Luke peeks his head in, his hair a mess from his post-practice nap.
"Mom's asking if you want to come to the store with us," he says, his eyes scanning the room with that casual-but-not-really surveillance he and your other brothers have perfected since you were fifteen.
"Can't," you lie smoothly. "I've got a massive paper due tomorrow. Need to stay in and work on it."
Luke nods, accepting your excuse without question. "Alright. Don't wait up."
As soon as he's gone, you let out the breath you've been holding. This is your life now, a carefully constructed series of lies, omissions and near-misses, all to protect the one thing that feels real and right.
You and Will have been together for three months, a whirlwind romance that started with a chance meeting at a Boston hockey game Quinn had dragged you to. Will had spotted you and somehow, amidst the chaos of fans and family, you'd found a moment alone. The connection was immediate, electric.
But telling your brothers? That was a non-starter. Quinn had declared when you left for college that no hockey players were allowed near you. Jack, ever the dramatic one, had threatened to "personally vet and eliminate" any potential suitors. And Luke, sweet Lukey, had quietly promised to always have your back, which you knew meant he'd be the first to report any suspicious behavior.
So Will became your secret. Stolen moments in empty hallways at the arena, late-night drives when your brothers thought you were studying with friends, carefully coded text messages that would mean nothing to anyone else.
"Hey," a voice whispers from outside your window. You turn to see Will grinning at you, two coffee cups in hand. "Delivery service."
You rush to let him in, your heart racing. "Coast is clear," you murmur, pulling him inside and into your arms.
His lips find yours, soft and familiar. "I've been thinking about doing that all day," he says against your mouth.
"Me too," you admit, your fingers tangling in his hair. "But we have to be quick. They'll be back from the store in an hour."
Will nods, his expression understanding. He knows the rules as well as you do. No sleepovers. No leaving evidence. No public displays of affection anywhere near your family.
"College visits are the worst," you complain later as you sit on your bed, sipping the coffee he brought. "Quinn's been grilling me about my social life all morning. He thinks I'm spending too much time 'focused on academics' and not enough 'having the full college experience.'"
Will chuckles. "If only he knew."
"If only," you agree with a sigh. "Sometimes I wish we could just tell them."
"We will," he promises, his hand finding yours. "Eventually. When the time is right."
But you both know the time might never be right. Not with three overprotective hockey players as brothers.
The next few weeks pass in a blur of secret meetings and close calls. Once, you and Will had to hide in a supply closet when you heard Jack's distinctive laugh echoing down the hallway. Another time, Luke almost caught Will sneaking out of your room at 3 AM, saved only by the fact that Luke had stopped to pet the neighbor's cat.
You're getting sloppy, you know. The thrill of your secret relationship is making you take risks you wouldn't have dreamed of three months ago.
Like the necklace Will bought you for your one-month anniversary. A delicate chain with a small 'W' charm. You wear it constantly, tucking it beneath your shirts whenever your brothers are around.
"Is that new?" Quinn asks one morning at breakfast, his eyes narrowing as he reaches for the chain.
You pull away instinctively. "Just something I picked up at the mall. Nothing special."
Quinn doesn't look convinced, but he drops the subject. Still, you can feel his eyes on you throughout the meal, his protective instincts clearly triggered.
The real trouble comes a week later. You're rushing to get ready for a "study session" (actually a coffee date with Will) and in your haste, you leave your laptop open on your desk, your chat with Will still up.
You're already halfway to the coffee shop when you realize your mistake. Your heart pounds as you fumble for your phone, ready to call Will and cancel, to rush back home and close your laptop before anyone sees.
But it's too late.
When you return hours later, your laptop is closed, sitting neatly on your desk. Everything looks normal, too normal. You scan your room, trying to detect any sign of disturbance, any clue that someone has been here.
And then you see it. On your bulletin board, where you've pinned various photos and mementos, is a small, folded piece of paper that wasn't there before. Your hands tremble as you reach for it, unfolding it with dread.
It's a printed screenshot of your chat with Will. The "Can't wait to see you tonight. Love you" message is highlighted in yellow. Below it, in Quinn's neat, blocky handwriting, are four words that make your blood run cold:
when the couple behind your table starts fighting.
will smith, macklin celebrini, connor bedard, fraser minten x reader
will smith
oh he is absolutely trained by his older sister. it's shocking how he's noticed before you. while his intuition when something... juicy and gossip-worthy is about to happen is uncanny, the way he still can't control his expression is painfully obvious.
he's mid-bite of the steak he cut up when his eyes dart behind you. he's immediately dialed in, eyes hilariously wide and focused. you glance over your shoulder to find what he's looking at. their table is tilted in such a way that you get a full scope of the scene.
the guy sits with both hands on the table, talking like heâs trying to carry the entire conversation on his own. across from him, the girl looks anywhere but at him, her responses short and barely there.
you think nothing of it at first, opting to focus on the food in front of you but the way will's eyes dart over your shoulder (more often that you'd like) makes you all the more curious about the scene behind you.
their food arrives, and whatever conversation he was trying to keep afloat dissolves. they eat in silence. every now and then, he looks up at her, offering small, hopeful smiles she doesnât return.
finally, you turn to will and he's genuinely locked in, sitting slightly forward just to get a tiny bit of the couple's conversation. "will, are they fighting?" your voice is barely loud enough to hear over the restaurant's ambiance.
he looks at you like he's been waiting for you to say that. "oh my god you noticed too?" you let out a little laugh, "hard not to when you're dialed in on them like that. let's maybe not be too obvious, babe!" your foot nudges his under the table. he let's out his own laugh.
"no but i've been looking over there and that girl's been waiting on that table since we've sat down" he says through gritted teeth, eyes wide and shocked at the situation, your face mirrors his instantly and your hand goes up to cover your mouth. "fuck, seriously? what an ass. who even does that?"
"right?!" will's voice slips out loud enough that the table beside you looks at him, he offers them a short apology and clears his throat. "right?" he tries again, voice appropriately low this time.
you both fall into a quieter kind of watching after that, less obvious but no less invested. the girl finally sets her fork down, says something you canât quite catch. and suddenly, she stands, grabs her bag, and walks out without looking back.
you and will exchange a look at the exact same time. âgood for her,â you murmur.
âgood for her,â he echoes, a little too satisfied, before catching himself and ducking his head with a grin. your foot nudges his again under the table, and this time he nudges back.
macklin celebrini
you notice it before he does. the mood of the table beside you is dark and brooding, distracting you from the shared pizookie you and mack have. you angle your head to hear the conversation between the couple. a lot of quiet back and forths.
he notices your inattentiveness when he doesn't hear you say anything about one of his teammates slipping on the ice in practice earlier. then he notices you're barely eating any of the dessert, your spoon just pushing it around more than anything.
his brows knit as he watches you, following the tilt of your head. clearly, he's bothered that your attention isn't on him. "what is it?" his spoon clinks yours to grab your attention.
you don't answer him just yet, eyes flicking to the table beside you.
âwhat?â he whispers, leaning in. âwhatâs going on?â your tongue clicks, head shaking slightly, like youâre trying not to get caught. âmack,â you murmur, barely moving your lips, trying not to get frustrated at his cluelessness âjustâ just listen.â
he frowns, clearly unsatisfied with that answer. âlisten to what?â
your eyes roll behind your closed eyes, they open just to flick toward the table again âshhââ he exhales quietly through his nose, frustrated himself. but he listens. really listens this time.
mack's brows shoot up and he lets out a sound of realization, a little too loud for your liking. "mackâ" you hiss and hit his spoon this time. you cough, a bit too fake but it's enough that the couple beside you doesn't notice that both of you are now leaning in on their argument.
he mutters a small apology as his lips press together and his eyes are wideâfully invested. the girlâs voice comes through a little clearer now that both of you are silent as a mouse.
the girl is undoubtedly irritated and all the more frustrated at the man in front of her. she says something about him never taking her seriously, about how every time she brings something up, he brushes it off like itâs a joke. the guy says something in response, low and defensive, and she immediately cuts him off.
the pizookie between you goes mostly untouched now, your spoons moving absentmindedly, more habit than hunger. every now and then, one of you takes a bite, but itâs not for the dessert anymoreâitâs something to do while you listen, like buttered popcorn at a movie.
mack leans in closer, voice barely above a whisper. âheâs deflecting,â he says, way too serious about it.
you stifle a laugh. âi know, the audacity of this guyâ you let out a scoff.
you both fall quiet again, listening like itâs the most important thing in the world.
a few minutes passes.
and then another.
you glance at your phone briefly, eyes widening just a little. âoh my god,â you whisper. âweâve been here way longer than we planned.â your realization only deepens when the vanilla ice cream on top has now melted into a puddle of white.
your own boyfriend doesnât even look at you, eyes still fixed past your shoulder. âin a minute,â he murmurs.
you stare at him in disbelief.
âi need to see how this ends.â
connor bedard
you've barely handed back the menu to the waiter before your ears perk at the sound of quiet screaming laced with frustration and disbelief. you look to your left to see a couple at the next table, the woman throwing her hands up in exasperation while the man fumbles to say something.
connor, with nothing else to do, follows your gaze. he understands immediately and he lets out a breath. he hums, dismissive. âcouple fight. happens.â
a breath comes through your nose and you shake your head as you try and make sense of the situation, your hand even comes up so you can rest your chin there. "what the hell could they be fighting about," you mutter, more to yourself than anything.
connor reaches for his water as he leans back on his chair, "probably something stupid." but then the girl's voice is an octave higher and says something about him not having any more time for her, with practices early in the mornings until late at night, and his gear is all over their place.
your own boyfriend perks up, because even if the girl never explicitly said anything about hockey, it's undeniable that the guy across your table is an athlete.
ââŠno way,â he mutters, almost to himself. your eyebrows raise as you glance at him, already knowing.
his posture changes instantlyâno more leaning back, no more letting whatever conversation was happening next to you go in one ear and out the other. he sets his glass down slowly, eyes widening slightly as he looks at you, properly this time.
âhey,â he says quickly, leaning forward, voice low but urgent. âi would never do that to you.â
you blink at him, a little lost on what heâs trying to say. âwhat?â
âi wouldnâtââ he cuts himself off and breathes out heavily, like he's trying to calm himself down. âlike... early practicesâsure i can't control thatâbut I wouldnât just⊠leave my stuff out everywhere and also ignore you. thatâsâno.â he shakes his head, almost offended at the idea. âthatâs bad.. really bad.â
you laugh at his internal panic. âoh my god connor,â you whisper, half amused, âno one said you would.â
he puts his hands up in mock surrender, âiâm just saying,â he continues anyway, âi wouldnât do that.â
before you could provide any more assurance, the guy on the other table speaks up, his expression is annoyed more than anything and says that she should have seen it coming and that she knew what she was signing up for.
"what the fuck?" there's an incredulous look to connor's face and his head shakes in disbelief, you can't help but mirror his own disbelief with a hand over your open mouth.
the next few minutes pass with him barely touching his food. his fork only moves to push the vegetables around his plate.
ââŠheâs deflecting,â he whispers suddenly, leaning forward just a little.
you blink at him but nod in agreement âhe is.â
"which means he's guilty." he adds, finally putting some food in his mouth, like he's sure of what he's saying.
"of what exactly?"
"of being wrong? of being an absolute trash of a boyfriend and manâif he even is one."
you turn back to him, eyebrows raised. âoh so you know them now?â
âi can tell,â he insists, leaning in a little more as his shoulders shrug, voice dropping like heâs breaking down post-game footage. âlook at her, sheâs not even surprised. sheâs just⊠done.â
right on cue, theres an abrupt screeching noise from the table beside you, the girl's chair moves as she stands up.
you watch as his entire posture changes, sitting up straighter now, completely dialed in. his fork is abandoned on the plate as his hands come together, preparing for the worst.
âwaitâwait, this is where it gets good,â he murmurs, eyes narrowing. and you stare at him in pure amusement "you're acting like this is a live game or something."
"because it is." he shoots back quietly, not even bothering to look at you. "incredibly high stakes here."
a string of profanities leaves her mouth as she reaches for her glass and throws the contents of it over her now ex-boyfriend.
"oh my god.." you and connor say at the same time, eyes darting back and forth between the two of them
the entire tableâand restaurant goes still. the guy looks completely stunned, water dripping from his hair and collar, while she stands thereâchest rising and falling, hands shaking just slightly as her hand forms as fist.
connor slowly leans back in his chair, both hands coming up to rest on his head like he just witnessed the craziest play of his life.
âno way,â he breathes out, half in disbelief, half in awe.
âthat was absolute cinema.â
fraser minten
you're halfway through putting a forkful of pasta in your mouth when you notice it. the uncomfortable kind of silence and the intimidating aura radiating from the table behind fraser.
you notice the way the guyâs fork scrapes a little too loudly against his plate. the way the girl hasnât touched her drink. then suddenly, a sharp exhale and a serious, irritated look comes from her.
your eyes widen as you lean in closer, trying to make sense of the situation.
ââŠnot what i'm trying to say,â the guy mutters.
âthen what are you trying to say?â she shoots back, harsh yet quiet.
across from you, your boyfriend is focused on his food. he's getting his last chew of his chicken when he notices your line of sight falls behind him.
"what?" he says a little too loudly as he looks directly at the couple's table.
your feet moves quickly to kick at his shin. "don't make it too obvious!" you say through gritted teeth.
you both overcompensate by looking down at your food and picking at it. thankfully, the couple is too absorbed in their own fight that they paid no mind to both of you.
both of you remain quiet after that, with fraser taking quick glances behind him sometimes craning his head to hear their fight better.
gradually, you see his expression shift from confusion to a slight irritation.
"i have to go." he says with the kind of urgency that's almost worrying.
you don't get a single word in when he's already pushing his chair back as he makes a beeline towards the bathroom, which is coincidentally right past their table.
you watch him go, narrowing your eyes slightly as he just so happens to slow down near them, head tilting the slightest bit.
âunbelievable,â you mutter under your breath.
he's gone longer than necessary.
when he finally comes back, he doesnât even try to act normal, sliding into his seat with a look that says everything.
you donât even bother easing into it "what did you hear?â you lean in close, grabbing his sleeve.
"noâgenuinely you cannot make this shit up babe," your boyfriend laughs to himself, knowing what he's about to say is absurd.
âhe turned his phone off during his game without telling her beforehand,â he explains. âi think she was checking in because she didnât know where he was or if something went wrong. totally reasonable, right?â
you nod along.
âand then, he got annoyed at the messages instead of... i don't knowâunderstanding why she was sending them?!â fraser's voice heightens and the tension in his body is visible as he continues.
âso now heâs saying stuff like sheâs the problem for not âknowing heâd be busy.ââ the last part he air quotes with all the sarcasm in his body, eyes rolling.
you scoff at the audacity of the man, eyes flickering to him. "yeah he seems like the type," your head shakes in disappointment.
"hmm," your boyfriend hums in agreement. "you don't get to disappear on someone like that and then get mad when they react and get worried." he shrugs like it's the most obvious thing in the world, and it is. but it apparently is not for the man in the table next to yours.
suddenly, you start to make sense of the situation, and how silly it is (at least from your perspective)
because how can fraser know all this?
you barely know the couple. you've caught maybe half a dozen of cut-off conversations at most. and yet he manages to get a full narrative before the clock's even had the chance to change the hour.
you eyes narrow a him just a little and he notices, he shifts in his seat like he's the one in trouble now.
"how do you know all this frase?"
he shrugs and looks down, seeming guilty. "i listened when i went to the bathroom."
"right..." you trail off, waiting for him to say anything else. he doesn't.
"you barely passed by their table though?" your head tilts, catching his eyes for a moment.
"i may have... stayed back to listen to the servers gossip." he confesses, muttering the last part like he's admitting to a crime.
you stare at him, deadpan. "fraser,,, babe."
"what?" he replies quickly as he straightens a little and finally makes eye contact with you. "it wasn't my fault they were loud enough for me to hear!'
you shake your head, a laugh slipping out despite yourself. âyouâre unbelievable.â
he shrugs, completely unbothered now and he smiles at himself. "this is peak citizen journalism, babe."
notes: i HAD to get this out today. also.. got suddenly invited to a summit/seminar thing WHEN HALF MY STUFF IS AT HOME SO IM DOING WITH WHAT I HAVE IN MY DORM. which means i wrote this on my ipad and phone. no one gets to judge me if its buns đ„čâïž