whether it was his own apartment, a friendโs 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 didnโt know him well took his sacred little spot, he didnโt 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.
thatโs why during summer, when you were over at his parentsโ house with nearly the whole family present and everyone mingling, people exchanged looks when you took fraserโs 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.
โyou know, i was wondering,โ you said one night, looking at fraser in the mirror as you brushed your teeth and got ready for bed.
โhmm?โ his blue eyes met yours in the reflection, the corners of his mouth still messy with toothpaste.
โwhy 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.โ
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.
โi guessโฆ i guess itโs comforting, in a sense,โ he said. โthat sounds so stupid.โ
you wrapped your arm around his waist, and with your mouth still full of toothpaste, you mumbled, โnot at all, baby.โ
fraser cracked a smile and shook his head slightly. โitโs 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 iโm truly at home.โ
๐๐๐๐๐๐
connor means business when it comes to food โ you do not touch whatโs his. heโs 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 heโs 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 โ but what doesnโt is how anyone else is met with a threat of murder for taking one of connorโs 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. โso did youโย ouch,โ he exclaimed, looking at the red patch forming on his skin where your boyfriend had just slapped his hand away. โwhat now?โ humour laced his voice as he noticed connorโs unamused stare. โitโs just a piece of chicken, man. you just drank half my coke.โ
โyeah, but thatโs different,โ connor muttered, glancing between the nuggets and his friend, ready to defend them if fraser tried to steal another one.
โoh yeah? how so?โ
your boyfriend rolled his eyes, and you could help the giggle to escape your lips.ย
โoh my god, why do you always have to ask so many questions?โ he groaned, throwing his head back. โi donโt know. it just is,โ he said, but reluctantly put one of the nuggets on fraserโs plate. โjust eat it before i change my mind.โ
โyour boyfriend is a child.โย
โtell me about it,โ you replied, nudging connor with your elbow and reached for his fries, dipping them in ketchup. โhave to live with it almost 24/7.โ
โhere, just have them all,โ connor said, letting the teasing go over his head as he slid the plate toward you, a small, content smile settling on his face.
โyouโre impossible,โ fraser breathed, shaking his head. โyou nearly decapitated me over one nugget, and she gets a whole plate?โ
connor simply shrugged. in his mind, it made perfect sense โ and that was the end of the discussion.
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sidney has always been a bitโฆ particular about his personal belongings. it wasnโt that he got angry or frustrated when people moved his sticks, spilled coffee on that one navy suit jacket heโd 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 โ that quiet, uneasy shift inside him, like something had been slightly knocked out of place and his thoughts couldnโt 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 couldnโt easily ignore.
that was why everyone around him had learned to be careful with sidโs 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 wouldnโt have the right words at first. eventually, heโd 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 โ they didnโt 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 couldnโt. instead, they would just exchange quiet, knowing smiles in your direction โ the kind that didnโt need words. it wasnโt something they questioned. it justโฆ 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.
๐๐๐๐
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. heโd 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).ย
and while will doesnโt 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, itโs his andย onlyย his. there is no point in trying to steal it evenย afterย he falls asleep โ heโll wake up just enough to yank it backย and, in the process, probably leave you with a bruise from blindly searching for the edge.
so imagine his cousinsโ outrage when, during one of your trips back to his home, they found you asleep on the couch, actuallyย covered. and he was right there next to you, the blanket barely draped over him.ย
โiโm going to strangle him.โย
โthis little fucker.โย
โare we sure itโs him.โย
they truly couldnโt 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 couldnโt deny how adorable you two looked, especially with how pathetically in love will looked, even while napping.ย
it was one of the first things you noticed when you started dating him โ how gentle he became in small, quiet ways. the way heโd tuck you in before leaving for practice in the morning, careful not to wake you. how heโd drape a blanket over you when you fell asleep on his shoulder during movie nights. how, even half-asleep, heโd adjust it around you, making sure you were warm.
when he sleeps beside you, heโs still a blanket hogger. just not for himself.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
mack is ratherโฆ strict about the music he listens to in the car. especially in the morning. after games. after losing games. before dinner. when heโs stuck in traffic. ideally, he wouldnโt listen to music at all โ but since heโs usually getting rides from other people, he has no choice but to submit to the torture that is someoneโs shitty taste in music. and most of the time, itโs not even about the music itself. mack just gets overstimulated by the sound. heโs 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, whoโs been permanently banned from touching the AUX, is the most unhappy about this arrangement. youโd think heโd 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 doesnโt work either.
youโre the only one who can play whatever you want without him getting irritated. rock, taylor swift, EDM, k-pop, jazz โ whatever your heart desires. heโll just nod along, drumming his fingers against the wheel from time to time.
โdude, weโve been listening to this girly shit for like an hour now,โ will groaned from the backseat, throwing his head against the headrest. too bad he lost rock-paper-scissors for the passenger seat, though mack wouldโve made him sit in the back anyway. maybe then he wouldโve had a chance to put something else on.
โoh my god, stop whining.โ
your boyfriend looked like he was five seconds away from murdering his best friend, who just wouldnโt shut up. both of their hair was still messy from the shower, their suits wrinkled by now, but mack looked like heโd just come out of the trenches.
โthen let me put something else on.โ
โno.โ
mack didnโt even glance at him as he turned the volume up, earning a quiet giggle from you, and another dramatic groan from will.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
wille is sunshine personified โ a smile never leaves his face. heโs kind and patient, and you swear his laugh could make even the biggest grump crack. heโs great, although a little shy with new people, always making polite small talk and going out of his way to compliment them. heโs 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 doesย notย 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 didnโt find that funny. because, again โ 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 boyfriendโs miserable expression. still, asking is one thing, at least heโs 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, youโre the exception. even better โ he always gets extra smiley when he sees you eating it. thereโs just something about watching you enjoy something thatโs so dear to him. like youโre indulging in the real him โ 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 thereโs one person who can get away with stealing his precious candy, itโs you โ and only you.
That thing where you stomp towards the toddler to hug it but the toddler gets frightened bc you look like youโre about to attack it like a shark. Eky, you will be missed.
