Chances - Matthew Tkachuk

Part One:

I’m sorry Y/N, but if you’re not here in the next 5 minutes I need to keep going.

That text haunted you– it was all you could think about the moment you got off of your flight. The uber your sister had ordered for you was close to canceling– all because there were too many planes taxiing on the airstrip and your stupid flight ended up circling in the air for thirty minutes. If this were any other airport, no doubt you’d be screwed. Luckily though, you knew good ole St. Louis Lambert International like the back of your hand. So getting from point A to point luggage claim would be no problem at all. The only delay would be the luggage getting put out onto the carousel.

Which of course, did prove to be the problem at hand.

You were the first one from your flight at the carousel and hoped to be gone before any disgruntled passengers you managed to bump into, could show up. Unfortunately for you, just as the bags were being loaded onto the carousel, your fellow passengers were arriving too– more than a few giving you a look that would normally result in you rolling your eyes in response. Yet, your focus wasn’t on them, it was glued to the small carousel door, keeping an eye out for your suitcase.

Teal bag with a grey handle. Teal bag with a grey handle. Teal bag with a grey handle. Teal bag with a grey hand–

“Ah-ha!” You smiled, catching eye of your suitcase and rushing to meet it instead of letting it eventually make its way to you. You grabbed the suitcase and extended the handle to drag it away, already walking towards the exit.

One minute.

You had one minute to catch your uber before they left you and you hoped and prayed that luck was on your side and the black Toyota Corolla just happened to be parked near the door you chose to exit from. The warm summer air of the Missouri summer weather practically smacked you in the face and if it wasn’t for the awning covering the pick-up zone, you would have no doubt been blinded by the sun too.

“Oh, thank God,” you sighed, catching sight of a black Toyota Corolla that your sister said to find, parked just six cars down to your left. You sped walked to the uber, coming to a stop at the window and waving at the driver, catching her attention. “I’m so, so sorry I’m late.”

The woman, probably in her early 60’s gave you a friendly smile instead of the scowl you were expecting. “Are you Y/N?”

“Yes ma’am,” you replied, nodding.

“Go ahead and put your suitcase in the trunk, it’s opened for you.”

You walked to the trunk and lifted it open, placing your suitcase inside before closing it and walking to the back passenger door, getting into the backseat. “Again, I’m so sorry for making you wait. We had to circle in the air for 30 minutes because of the traffic on the airstrip and,” you exhaled, relaxing back into your seat. “I’m so sorry.”

She laughed, pulling away from the airport. “It’s no problem sweetheart. I saw your reply. I was going to give you a little extra time. I know how hectic airports could be. Especially this time of the year. Everyone’s traveling for vacation.”

“Yeah, I think I might have accidentally elbowed one too many people trying to get to the luggage claim.”

“Are you visiting or coming home?”

“Coming home…kind of,” you laughed, staring out the window at your hometown. “I actually just graduated from college a few weeks ago, so my roommates and I rented a house on the Jersey Shore to celebrate. But, my sister is getting married tomorrow, so that’s why I’m back.” You looked back towards her, laughing softly to yourself. “But then come September, I’ll actually be moving to Calgary for a new job and to get my Masters.”

“So a lot of traveling, I see.”

You took a deep breath and sighed, nodding. “Yeah, but I’m glad to be able to spend all of this time with my friends and family before I start working. Especially since I’ll be moving so far away.”

“It sounds like a great time,” she smiled, looking at me through the rearview mirror. “I’m a sucker for weddings, why don’t you tell me about it?”

Normally, you weren’t one to talk a lot whenever you and your friends would take Ubers downtown on the weekends– but this driver was sweet and you found yourself talking nonstop as she drove you towards your final destination. After all, she didn’t abandon you at the airport like you thought she would.

+

The car ride to your parents’ place went by a lot faster than you thought it would and it was all thanks to Mrs. Sheila, your lovely uber driver. Whom, you learned, started driving after she lost her husband late last year. Her kids lived out of state and once they went back home after those first few weeks, she wanted to find something to do to keep herself busy and get herself out of the house– so, she became an uber driver.

Walking into your parents’ house, you were greeted with empty echoes of your footsteps. Your parents were still at work and wouldn’t be home until just a little before the rehearsal dinner tonight. Your brother, well, as far as you knew, he had absolutely nothing going on, so you didn’t know why he wasn’t around. If anyone was guaranteed to be home, it was your sister. She was the one who ordered your uber and had them take you here, so she was more than well aware of what time you’d be arriving home.

“Hello?” You called out, leaving your suitcase by the door and making your way to the living room. “Char, are you here?”

“Is that my favorite sister?” You heard her voice call out from upstairs. Looking up, you could see her rounding the hallway corner, carrying a closed laundry basket full of, no doubt, stuff for tonight’s bridal party sleepover.

“I’m your only sister,” you laughed as she made her way down the staircase.

“Unless you count all of the times we got bored and turned Nick into Nikki,” she giggled, reaching the end of the staircase and putting the basket down before stepping forward and hugging you. “How was the flight?”

“It was great up until our 30 minutes of circling in the air,” you laughed, pulling away from the hug. “Where’s my dear brother?”

“Working out with some friends. We probably won’t see him until tonight.”

“Nothing says welcome home like being greeted to an empty house.”

“Excuse you, I was here to greet you.” She laughed, picking the basket back up. “But if you really want to be upset, you should see all of the packed boxes in your room.”

“I leave in three months! Why are they packing me up now?” You gasped, acting dramatically.

“Nick and dad are planning on transforming it into some kind of training room or something.”

“But they–“

“Already took over the garage? Yeah, I know and mom is pissed.”

You rolled your eyes, grabbing the handle of your suitcase again. “He literally told the Blues that he was going back to Michigan in the fall to try and win a championship. Why the hell are they even treating him like he’s already a hall of famer?”

“Perks of being the youngest, not to mention dad’s only son,” she laughed, looking at the door. “Ready to head to the Airbnb?”

“Can we get food first?” You asked, dragging your suitcase along. “I’m starving.”

She laughed as you held the door open for her. “Good, because we’re most definitely getting food before we go and take a nap.”

You laughed, walking out of the house with her and then closing and locking the door behind you. “I knew we were related.”

+

Lunch and a nap turned out to be exactly what you needed. The two of you had stopped at a subway to get some food before driving over to the Airbnb that you, your sister and the rest of the bridesmaids would be staying for the night.

It was a beautiful three-bedroom, modernized cottage that looked like it was stripped directly from the pages of a fairytale book. It was tucked away, just off to the side in the backyard of a beautiful colonial house, whose farm would tomorrow be transformed into a whimsical fairytale wedding location. The men would be getting ready in the house, while the women would be getting ready in the cute cottage. Sort of like a secret getaway paradise before the wedding.

When you got back with your food, your sister took you on a tour of the property while the wedding planners and staff were setting up all of the bigger decorations for tomorrow. You were off at school during the entire planning process, only ever seeing every one of her ideas in pictures. The only things you were able to take part in, were the dress shopping and her bachelorette party since they were both held at a time you were on a fall break from school. Besides being there for those two things, the only other thing you helped with– was the proposal.

Colton has been in your life for as long as you could remember. He and Charlotte have been best friends since Pre-K. It was the cliché friends to lovers kind of story that was told time after time– but in theirs, there were no other people in it. It was just them. There were no other boyfriends or girlfriends, no other crushes– from the very beginning, they were it for each other. They were each other’s first everything– kiss, date, girlfriend/boyfriend, time– in their love story, they had found their one great love…all before they turned five.

Wherever Charlotte was, there was Colton– they were stuck like glue and your parents loved it. It was their friendship that brought both of your families together to the relationship that you all had now. Your families were best friends, all because of their relationship. You often took vacations together, spent holidays together, hell, you and Colton’s middle brother, Mason, even had joint birthday parties– as did your two younger siblings, Nick and Addie. Your families even try to go as far as to dropping hints that all three kids should date.

Colton and Charlotte. You and Mason. Nick and Addie– all the same age and practically family already.

It was perfect.

Until you and Mason tried to date in the tenth-grade and realized that kissing the person you’ve shared every birthday party with, used to take baths with and shared every key moment growing up– wasn’t all that great. In fact, it was weird. So the two of you remained as the almost black sheep of the families, especially since Nick and Addie were headed down the same path as Charlotte and Colton. They started dating in eighth-grade– like Colton and Charlotte– and have maintained a healthy and strong relationship to now, even long-distance, when they’ll both be sophomores in college in the fall, Addie at the University of Missouri and Nick playing hockey at the University of Michigan.

You and Mason were there, always making jokes about how it runs in the family but skipped a generation. Never letting your siblings live it down that the two of you will be the ones to break the cycle. Funny how you two were also the ones who played the biggest roles in Charlotte’s engagement.

Both of your Dads are huge St. Louis Blues fans. So naturally, they tried to rub that off onto their children. And it worked, all except for you. You tolerated the blues, but never really adopted hockey as your favorite sport. You understood it, watched it whenever you never had a choice– but like your mom, you gravitated more towards football and adopted her hometown team as your own– the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Colton and Charlotte, however, were both diehard Blues fans from day one. There were even pictures to prove it. They even went to a game on both their first ‘supervised’ date and ‘unsupervised’ date. So, when the Blues were making a run for the Stanley Cup– it was imminent for your families to attend at least one game. You and Mason did everything in your power to get the Blues attention. You emailed anyone and everyone who worked in their front office, you spammed their social media accounts– anything and everything to get their attention so you could share their story and Colton’s plan.

And at game four it all came to life. Charlotte was ‘randomly’ selected to participate in an intermission event after the first period where she’d been blindfolded and needed to walk along the ice to find Louie after collecting ‘Blues momentos’ along the way. The Blues had played the short slideshow of Colton and Charlotte that you and Mason had sent them, as they introduced her to the crowd. Unbeknownst to her, both of our families were on the ice with her, standing behind her while she was blindfolded. You and the other three siblings were scattered in front of her, each holding a single rose.

The Blues staff member helped her walk along the ice and the moment that she took a flower from someone, they needed to go back to where she started, which was where Colton was standing with the ring in his pocket. The four of you each had a sign that when held up together read–

‘Will you marry me?’

 Once Charlotte neared Louie, he cut the distance to just by center ice where all of you were waiting. And when she found Louie, the entire crowd had erupted into cheers as she took off her blindfold, all smiles until she turned around to see the signs and Colton on one knee.

She said yes. The Blues won. The proposal went viral and your families were given a box to game seven where the Blues won the Stanley Cup.

All in a day’s work between the two middle siblings, and one that led you all to this moment– the wedding tomorrow. Where Colton, who was already like a big brother to you, would officially, pretty much become your big brother.

“Y/N,” your sister said, shaking your arm. “Y/N, get up. We’ve got like 45 minutes to get ready for dinner before we have to leave and no offense, but you need to shower.”

“You're lucky that you’re getting married tomorrow or I’d kill you,” you mumbled into the pillow, taking a deep breath and exhaling before pushing yourself up. “Can you charge my phone for me? I won’t take too long, just need to rinse off and I’ll be back.”

“In your backpack?” She asked as you walked out of the room.

“Mhhm, small front pocket. The charger is with it.”

You walked out of the room and into the connected bathroom, closing the door behind you before walking towards the shower and turning on the water. Your nap was more than enough to help you make it through dinner. You hadn’t thought that you were even that tired, but the moment you laid down to relax after eating your sandwich– you were absolutely knocked out.

To be fair though, you had spent the last two weeks partying it up on the beach with your college roommates, trying to relive every moment from your last four years of partying, downing booze, and making out with any attractive guy who caught your eye. You know what they say, no rest for the wicked– and boy, oh boy, were the wicked actions of shotgunning beers with strangers in the hot summer jersey sun, coming back to haunt you.

At least you got one hell of a tan and more memories to last you a lifetime, out of it all.

You turned off the shower before you stepped out and wrapped a towel around your body, then wrapping your hair up in a second towel. You walked out of the bathroom and back to the bedroom, only to find it empty. “Hey, Char?”

“In the living room…er, kitchen, I guess!”

You walked out of the bedroom and into the living room to see Charlotte sitting at the kitchen counter, a make-up mirror propped up in front of her and hot curling iron in her hand. “Why are you doing your hair in the kitchen?”

“You were in the bathroom and the lighting is lacking in the bedroom.” She let a curl fall from the iron and turned to you. “What’s up?”

“Well, for one, the bathroom is free,” you laughed, looking around. “And two, I was wondering where you put my suitcase? It was in the room and now it’s not.”

“No,” she dragged out her reply, focusing on wrapping another piece of hair around the iron before averting her eyes towards the door. “You left it by the front door. Never brought it in.”

You turned towards the front door and sure enough, right there not even three feet away from the door…was your suitcase. “Awesome, thanks!” You said, walking over and tugging on the handle, extending it out before walking back to the room. “And my phone?”

“Charging in the kitchen. It was dead by the way.”

“Great,” you huffed, walking into the bedroom and over to the bed. You lifted up the suitcase, letting it plop down onto the bed and exhaled a deep breath. It was a lot heavier than you thought it was. But maybe your body was just tired from traveling and last night’s final night out.

You caught a glimpse of the alarm clock that was set up on the bedside table and saw that your getting ready time was vastly starting to dwindle. So, not thinking anything more of the heavy suitcase, you unzipped the zipper and threw the cover back, ready to grab the romper you had placed directly on top, just so it wouldn’t get wrinkled. You stared down at the contents of the suitcase, quickly grabbing the cover and shutting it again.

Okay, maybe you were imagining things.

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling, and then opening your eyes and opening the suitcase again.

No, you definitely weren’t imagining things.

The same spike ball netting was still staring you right in the face. Surrounding it, were three spike balls and a crumbled up bag that was supposed to house the set. Beneath it, a bunch of crumpled up clothes and other things.

“No,” you shut the suitcase again, repeating the same steps: close your eyes, take a breath, hope you’re dreaming, open your eyes and then the suitcase, only to be disappointed. “No, no– oh my God, this can’t be happening. Charlotte!!”

You heard her footsteps echo off of the wooden floor as she made her way to the bedroom, half of her hair curled and set. “What?”

“This isn’t my suitcase.”

“Of course it is,” she scoffed. “Colton and I got you that big traveling set for graduation, and that,” she pointed at the suitcase, “is it.”

“No, it’s not,” You opened the suitcase and reached in, grabbing the first thing you felt and holding it up to show her. “See? Not mine!”

“Y/N,” her eyes widened before she started to laugh. “You might want to put those down.”

“It’s just the spike ball bag, it’s not big–” you turned to see what you were holding and sure enough, it was not the spike ball bag you thought you had picked up. It was a pair of Ant-Man boxers, and it was unknown whether or not they were clean or not. “Ah, ew!” You tossed them back into the suitcase, wiping your hand on your towel. “Ew, ew, ew, I just touched a stranger’s dirty underwear.”

“You don’t know if they were dirty.”

“You don’t know if they were clean!” You argued back, looking around the handle for an identification tag. “This definitely isn’t mine. My travel tag isn’t on the handle.”

“Who uses a travel tag?” She laughed, shaking her head.

“Me,” you turned towards the suitcase, slamming it shut and zipping it. “I use a travel tag, so if my luggage gets lost or switched, they can contact me. It’s common travel knowledge.”

She sighed, walking over towards the suitcase and unzipping the two pockets on top, looking in and shaking her head. “Nothing hidden in those pockets. Did you think to go through the rest of the suitcase? Maybe they have a tag in there.”

“And risk touching another pair of possibly dirty boxers and God knows what else? No thanks,” you zipped up the suitcase and picked it up, placing it back onto the ground. “I’m doomed. That suitcase had all of the clothes that I took to Jersey, in it. It had my outfit and makeup for tonight.”

“I have something you can borrow,” she walked over to the closet, opening it to reveal it was empty besides two dresses hanging up. “And I’ve got make-up and whatever your little heart desires for your hair.”

“Your wedding present was in there too,” you sighed, walking over to the closet. “Which one?”

“This.” She held out the rose-colored dress, handing the hanger to you. “You can get away with no bra and I can give you a pair of underwear from the new pack I bought this morning–”

“Why would you buy new underwear?” You asked, taking the dress.

“In case of emergencies,” she closed the closet and turned back to you, nodding. “Which, this is. Unopened pack in that laundry basket I was carrying, feel free to take a pair and keep them. As for shoes…you’re kind of on your own on that one.”

You sighed, defeated as she walked out of the bedroom, leaving you to get dressed. You unwrapped the towel around your hair, letting it drop onto the floor as the towel wrapped around your body went with it. You took the dress off of the hanger and untied the straps, lifting the dress over your head and tugging it down. Your mind was going over every detail of just how you picked up the wrong suitcase. Fair, it was a dead-ringer for the suitcase you took with you to Jersey, but even you should have known to realize that there was no bright red luggage tag hanging on the side handle. And it was all you could do but hope that whoever picked up your suitcase thinking it was theirs, would at least call or text.

“Oh shit,” you said, holding onto the straps that hung down on the side, trying to tie them in the back. “Charlotte! My phone!”

You ran out into the living room to see her now finishing up her make-up at the counter, turning to you with wide eyes. “Okay one, sit down and let me brush your hair,” she stood up and grabbed your wrist, bringing you over to the counter and sitting you down. “And two, your phone is right there.”

“If they figured out our luggage was switched, they’d call! My luggage tag!” You reached across the counter, grabbing your phone and turning it over to see that the screen was still black. “Oh come on, my phone wasn’t that dead!”

Charlotte tugged you back and started to brush your hair, not bothering to go slow. “I plugged it in the moment you went to take a shower, just give it a few seconds.”

If looks could kill, your phone would be nowhere ready to turn on. You were glaring at the screen as if pure intimidation would turn it on. This could go one of two ways:

1) This person left your suitcase in the dark abyss that is lost luggage at the airport.

or

2) Like you, they didn’t realize that they had grabbed the wrong luggage until they went to open it and they’ll find your luggage tag and call you.

“Ah!” You yelled, jumping out of the chair as your phone lit up. You leaned over the counter, your heart racing as Charlotte tried to keep brushing your hair. “Come on, come on, come on…”

“Right there,” Charlotte said, pointing at your screen as a text message notification popped up on the screen from an unknown number. “That has to be them!”

“Oh thank God,” you sighed, thumb ready to swipe the message open. “Oh…yikes.”

“Uh,” Charlotte laughed as the two of you continued to watch your messages pour in, at least 5 coming in from the unknown number, along with three phone calls. “Yikes indeed, I guess they’re panicking just as much as you are.”

You swiped on the notifications, unlocking your phone, and going to the message.

unknown: hi y/n i think you grabbed the wrong suitcase…

unknown: yeah, uh, you most definitely grabbed the wrong suitcase.

unknown: is there any way we can switch in the next 30 minutes before i reach my house?

unknown: ok, so i’m sorry for the spam texts and calls…but this is kind of urgent.

unknown: like life or death.

“Life or death?” Charlotte asked, looking at you with a raised eyebrow. “What the hell was in that suitcase?”

“Spike ball and dirty clothes,” you replied, shrugging. Your eyes went wide before you turned back to her. “What if they’re a drug smuggler and there are drugs in there?”

She opened her mouth to speak before looking down at your phone, nodding. “Now’s your chance to find out. Look who’s calling.”

You looked back down at your phone to see the unknown number flash on your screen. You looked back at her, shaking your head. “You answer it.”

“Your luggage, you answer it,” she laughed, pulling back segments of your hair to tie back. “But put it on speaker, I’m curious what the drug dealer sounds like.”

You shoved your elbow back, avoiding her as you nervously slid your thumb across the screen, answering the call and pressing the speaker button. “Hello?”

“Oh thank God,” the unknown caller sighed, clearing his throat. “Sorry for the spam calls, I’ve just been panicking.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry…my phone died,” you replied, looking at Charlotte as your voice dwindled off.

“The suitcase,” she mouthed, nodding her head back towards the room.

“Oh, the suitcase!” You said, almost a little too excited. You cleared your throat, calming yourself down. “I most definitely have your suitcase…maybe.”

“Well I have yours,” you could hear rustling in the background. “Y/N L/N, right?”

“Yep, that’s me,” you looked at Charlotte again, shaking your head. “Sorry to kind of do this…but how do I know I have your suitcase? I mean, what if I grabbed someone else’s and you grabbed mine and there’s three of us in this and–”

Charlotte smacked your back lightly with the back of the brush, shaking her head as the voice on the other side of the phone laughed. “Um, shit,” he coughed, smacking his lips. “Uh well, there should be a spike ball set in there. If not, then I left it at Johnny’s. Otherwise, it’s just clothes.”

“Congratulations,” you laughed, leaning back into the chair. “I’ve got your suitcase.”

“Oh thank God, I was really worried there for a second,” they replied. “Is there any chance we can exchange them soon?”

“Okay, so about that,” you sighed, biting the inside of your cheek. “I kind of have a wedding rehearsal and dinner to go to in 20 minutes…and I don’t think that will be over with till about…two hours from now. Is that okay?”

There was silence on the other side and you couldn’t help but feel horrible at the fact that you were keeping this stranger away from his luggage and that he had to keep yours until then. “My family and I are going to dinner in two hours, reservation and all.”

“Where at?” You spoke before your brain could even catch up with what your mouth was doing. “I’m sorry that was creepy.”

He laughed and you felt a little flutter feeling in your stomach. “No, it’s fine. I think we’re going to Maggiano’s in–”

“In the Westfield town center?” Your eyes widened as Charlotte placed the brush down on the counter behind you, looking at you with a smile. “We’re going to Pieology in the Westfield town center!”

“Pieology for a wedding rehearsal dinner? Sounds like my kind of party,” he laughed. “So, do you just want to exchange then? When I get there and you’re leaving?”

“Sounds perfect!”

“Great! So I’ll just text you when I get there and I promise I won’t forget the suitcase.”

“Okay, I’ll see you then.”

“All right, bye, Y/N!”

“Bye!” You hung up the call and Charlotte leaned against the counter with a smile on her face. “What?”

“He sounded cute.” She placed the extra bobby pins she didn’t need, onto the counter. “Maybe he can be your date for my wedding.”

“Not this again,” you groaned, getting out of the chair. “For the last time, I don’t need a date. Besides, this guy is a total stranger– I don’t even know his name!”

“You can learn it later,” she laughed, wiggling her eyebrows. “Either way, do your makeup quickly because we need to leave in ten.”

She walked off towards the bedroom the two of you had claimed and you sighed, sitting back down into your seat, grabbing her mascara, blush, and golden liquid shimmer eyeshadow. It was the best you could do for now, until you got all of your stuff back from this stranger. As you applied the eyeshadow, you couldn’t get Charlotte’s comment out of your head. She was right, he did sound cute. But who’s to say that he’s not a total creep? Or that he’s even your age? He could be in his 40’s or even barely cruising 18. And then stood the real issue, you didn’t even know his name.

Your phone screen lit up once again and you looked away from the mirror, seeing that you had another text from the unknown number. You furrowed your eyebrows and unlocked your phone, opening his text.

unknown: my name is matt, by the way 😊

Part two:

You've been on edge from the moment you and Charlotte left the cottage. You've been trying to convince yourself that it was because your suitcase still wasn't in your possession. That maybe this Matt guy was a total pervert and had gone through your suitcase and touched all your things. You couldn't even let your mind drift further down that road without feeling the slightest bit of nausea creep up on you. And maybe his possible ranking on the creep scale could be the reason– but you knew it wasn't the full one.

It was the stupid butterflies fluttering around in your stomach and all of the YA romance books you read in high school that were putting you on edge. Suddenly, all of the romantic tropes from your Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han books that you'd spent your teenage years hoping for, had a small, small possibility of coming true and you were freaking out. Charlotte, of course, was no help. She spent the entire drive to the restaurant talking about how you should invite this total stranger to her wedding. Why? You had no clue, but as weird as the idea was...you couldn't get it out of your head.

Of course, you had Nick to back you up. The moment the rehearsal had wrapped up and everyone was going to leave for the restaurant, he had called you out for bringing the suitcase along with you. Leave it to Charlotte, of course, to tell everyone in the wedding party about the luggage mixup. Everyone found it humorous, no one showing the tiniest concern that your suitcase was in the hands of a total stranger. They even found her suggestion of inviting the stranger to the wedding humorous as well–

"Oh, it's been so long since we've seen you with a boy!!"

"It's a harmless idea, weddings are fun! I crashed a wedding or two back when I was in college."

"I did too! it was on a first date!"

Nick was the only one who thought it was an insane idea. It was heartwarming to think that your brother wasn't comfortable with the idea of you bringing a total stranger to the wedding. Until he said it was because it would be a lot more entertaining if you went stag and had to avoid being hit on by all of Colton's friends.

Dinner was relaxing and fun, with your family having reserved one of the separate rooms– it was just both of your families and then Colton and Charlotte's two college best friends and their high school best friends. Everyone was sharing pizza and comparing (and chirping) each other's tastes, and not to mention that the alcohol was flowing. It was funny, watching your parents and Colton's parents try to do a toast and talk about how they've seen Charlotte and Colton grow up in front of their very eyes and how sure, they joked about this happening, but now that it really was– they couldn't be happier. Add in the many glasses of wine and endless giggles– it was a happy and wholehearted dinner.

Yet, you couldn't help but check your phone every few minutes from the moment you guys had arrived for your reservation.

The moment that you felt your phone vibrate on the table, you almost dropped the pizza that you were biting into as you looked at the screen.

matt: we're 5 minutes out!

matt: and i definitely didn't forget the suitcase 😊

You almost choked on your bite of pizza with just how fast you were trying to chew it and swallow it down with a gulp of water. Charlotte looked at you with a raised eyebrow and you just grabbed onto your phone. "He's almost here, I need to go."

"By all means," she laughed, waving her hand in the direction of the suitcase you tucked into the corner of your reserved room. "Do you want me to wait for you?"

"It shouldn't take long. It's just a switch and then I'll be back." You stood up, putting your napkin on the table. "I'm thinking of just meeting outside of the Starbucks just down the street."

"Take a picture if you can, I'm curious as to what this mysterious stranger looks like," she joked, wiggling her eyebrows as you got up to move towards the suitcase.

"Y/N, where are you going?" Your dad asked, drawing everyone's attention toward you as you reached the suitcase.

"Oh, uh," you cleared your throat, nodding down at the suitcase. "Matt is here, so I'm just going to go get my suitcase."

"First name basis now, huh?" Nick teased, as Addie gave him a look.

"Yeah, first he went from 'stranger who stole my suitcase' to," Mason cleared his throat, trying not to smile. "Matt." His mimicked voice of you was in a sultry tone, and he was lucky that you were no longer sitting next to him or you would've spilled his beer into his lap.

"Okay, I'm leaving now, goodbye."

"Not so fast," Mr. Johnson said, looking at Mason. "Mason, you go with her. Just so she's not going to meet this...Matt alone."

You felt annoyed, not wanting Mason to tag along since you knew that his only mission in life was to embarrass you. It's not like it should matter to you what Matt thinks of you. You didn't even know the guy. Yet, you couldn't shake the feeling of wanting to make the best impression on him. Maybe it was because you had accidentally touched his underwear and didn't want to seem like a total creep. Or maybe, it was something else.

"I'm down," Mason said with no objections, standing up from his chair and walking towards the opening of the room. "Let's go, Y/N. We've got a hot stranger to meet. Or maybe he's some 60-year-old pedophile with a fantasy of stealing a young woman's suit–"

"Mason Daniel!" Mrs. Johnson scolded, sending him the look all mother's had when they threatened their child with just a simple look.

You wanted nothing more than to get out of there and to get out of there fast, so you grabbed Mason's hand and dragged him along with you, not caring whether or not he was going to trip over the suitcase. When you reached the outside of the restaurant, you dropped his hand and he kept up with you, step by step. "Please Mason, if you ever cared for me at all...don't embarrass. Just sit there and smile."

"Sure," he said, walking along as he put his hands into his pockets. "But I'm not even going to stand there. I only agreed so I could pop into Bass. They've got this new fishing pole that Colton has been going on and on about and I thought I'd buy it for him as a wedding gift."

"You do realize that wedding gifts are gifts for both the Bride and the Groom...right?"

"And you do realize you're freaking out over meeting a total stranger...right?"

You rolled your eyes and shoved him away from you as you neared the Starbucks. "Just...I'll meet you there once I'm done, okay?"

"Don't be scared to send me an SOS text either if the guy is a total creep!" He smiled, waving as he checked both ways before jogging across the road to the Bass Pro Shop across the street.

You took a deep breath and kept walking towards the Starbucks. When you reached the outdoor seating area, you looked around and didn't see a guy waiting around with a suitcase. You walked inside, thinking that maybe he had gone inside to wait since it was a little humid outside. There were one or two people inside, both sitting on opposite sides of the store, neither of them sporting a teal suitcase. You walked up to the counter, ordering yourself a vanilla bean frappe, figuring you might as well get something sweet while you were waiting.

The moment your order was finished, you walked back outside, still the only one in the area. You took your pick of tables and sat at one that was just by the fenced-in opening, sitting down on the chair and putting the suitcase beside you. After you took a sip of your frappe, you placed it onto the table and then pulled out your phone, opening your message with Matt.

you: okay, i'm at the starbucks!

you: i'm the girl with the suitcase 😉

You had to admit, you felt a little bold once you clicked the winky face. Feeling the butterflies in your stomach awaken the moment your thumb hovered over the emoji without a second thought. You had no second thoughts about it until after you sent it. Then, your brain went into overdrive about how he would react to the emoji. But before you could dive too deep into that abyss, your phone vibrated with a new message.

matt: we're pulling into the parking lot of maggianos, i'll be there in a few!

matt: i'll be the guy with the suitcase 😉

You laughed to yourself, sending him a thumbs-up emoji and then opening your instagram, scrolling down your feed just to pass the time as you sipped on your frappe. Every once in a while you would look up in the directions of Maggianos, wondering if you looked up at the right time, you'd be able to catch a glimpse of him walking down the street. But each time that you did, you were greeted with other shoppers, none of whom were tugging along a teal suitcase.

You brought your frappe back up to your lips, chewing on the straw slightly as you started to take a sip of your drink, still scrolling through your instagram feed and seeing the pictures your best friends had posted from your vacation in Jersey.

"Y/N...right?" You looked up and the first thing that caught your eye was his mop of dirty-blonde curls and the faded straight horizontal lines shaved on the sides. The next thing? The dimple on his right cheek as he smiled at you.

You hadn't known how long you'd been staring, taking in his appearance. He was tall, athletically built, and wearing black jeans and a salmon-colored polo. You stood up, extending your right hand out, only realizing that you were still holding your frappe. "Crap, uh," you put it down and wiped your hand dry on Charlotte's dress, before extending your hand out again. "Yeah, Y/N. I'm assuming you’re Matt?"

"Was it the suitcase that gave it away?" He laughed, nodding down at the teal suitcase by his side.

"Only slightly," you smiled, reaching behind you to grab his suitcase. "I believe this belongs to you."

You pushed the suitcase towards him as he did the same, the two of you grabbing the right suitcase before laughing softly. The two of you stood there in short silence. You were sure that this was going to be a quick exchange and then you'd leave...but neither of you were taking that first step to go your separate ways.

"Sorry," he said, clearing his throat and tugging the suitcase into his side. "For whatever mess you had to deal with in this suitcase."

"It's no big deal," you replied, shrugging your shoulders as you start to feel a blush creep on your cheeks. "Though, I will have to admit that I did accidentally pick up a pair of Ant-Man boxers...which funnily, is how I ultimately realized that this suitcase was in fact, not mine."

You could see his eyes widen slightly before he chewed on the inside of his cheek as a faint blush came across his cheeks. "My mom's always said I was a pretty bad packer," he rubbed the back of his neck, and you immediately regretted even bringing it up. "But, if we're being honest, I opened your suitcase and started unpacking without even realizing that I was unpacking little cube things instead of my clothes."

"Oh that's embarrassing," you sighed, shaking your head. "My friends always give me shit about my packing cubes."

"Don't be embarrassed," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "After I figured out I had the wrong suitcase, my mom said that I should 'take notes from whoever's suitcase this was because I could learn a thing or two from their packing skills.' She was quite impressed."

The two of you laughed again and the feeling of embarrassment eventually faded. He looked down and reached into his jean pocket, pulled out his cellphone then brought it up to his ear. "Yeah?"

You looked across the street towards Dicks, wondering if Mason would be wandering out at any moment. You were hoping more than anything that he was still shopping and wouldn't be coming out anytime soon, though you had a feeling that this little meet-up was going to be short lived anyway. "Okay, I'm at Starbucks. So just let me know when it's ready. Yeah, no– can you shut up?" You looked over at Matt to see him glancing at you, smiling before he looked back over his shoulder. "No, if you do that I swear–"

He sighed, pulling the phone away from his ear and shaking his head, turning back towards you. "Let me guess," you smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Sibling?"

"Younger brother," he said, shaking his head. "Just annoying me about the reservation."

"Oh, do you need to go?" You asked, not realizing how your voice hinted with heavy desperation of wanting him to stick around just a little bit longer.

"Actually, no," he looked over his shoulder, nodding behind him. "I guess our reservation won't be ready for another 10 minutes. Something about a larger party and space, I don't know."

"That's always the worst," you replied, taking another glimpse across the street.

"Do you?" He asked, gaining your attention again. "Need to go back to the rehearsal dinner, I mean?"

"Oh, no, it's pretty much done," you replied, shrugging your shoulders. "Now it's just everyone sitting around and drinking telling embarrassing baby stories."

He chuckled, sucking in a breath through his teeth afterward as he shook his head. "Those are the worst."

"Tell me about it," you laughed, a smile lingering. "Especially since most of the stories they're telling, are exactly the same seeing as my sister and her husband have been in love since they were practically four-years-old."

He made the first move, pulling out the chair across from you and sitting down, resting his arms on the table and looking up at you. "Four?"

You tried to hide your smile as you sat down, nodding. "Mhhm, met in Pre-K at Highland and have been inseparable ever since."

"Highland Elementary?" He asked, leaning back into his chair. "Are you local?"

"To Chesterfield? Kind of," you replied. "We moved to Hi-Pointe for a few years when I was five to help my grandma adjust after my Grandpa died. We moved back when I was 12 after she died. Even the 20-minute commute couldn't keep those lovebirds apart." You picked up your drink, tilting your head. "Why? Are you local?"

He laughed, nodding his head. "Yeah...kind of." He bit the inside of his cheek again, shrugging his shoulders. "We lived in Arizona for a few years before settling here in Chesterfield. But I grew up here, so this is my hometown."

"Where did you go to school?" You asked, putting your drink back down. "Maybe we've crossed paths before because quite frankly, I'm not all that good at talking to strangers...but surprisingly, talking to you is pretty easy."

"Not likely," he laughed, shaking his head. "I went to Chaminade. I think I'd remember you if we crossed paths in the hall."

"Ooh, fancy all boys-prep schoolboy," you joked, wiggling your eyebrows. "I went to Central."

"I knew a few people at Central," He nodded, leaning forward in his seat. "I even went to a few Central parties. Maybe we've met there before?"

"Nope," you sighed, shaking your head. "I think I spent more nights having late-night jam sessions to sad Taylor Swift songs than going to parties."

He laughed, his head falling back slightly. You caught yourself smiling, admiring the way that his eyes crinkled closed and feeling a small sense of pride that you were the one who made him laugh. You bit your top lip in an effort to tone down your smile and reeled your brain back from all of the young adult romance novel ideas that were starting to take over.

"Okay, okay," he sat up straight, taking a deep breath as he leaned closer to the table, resting his arms on it. "I'm about to ask you a very important question–"

You picked up your drink, raising an eyebrow. "Life or death kind of question?"

He nodded, keeping a straight face. "Absolutely. Like, this question will determine whether or not we'll be friends after this."

Friends. Your heart skipped a beat at the thought. You almost hated the way that it did that– you barely knew this guy. Why were you getting all excited at the aspect of being friends with him? Better yet, why did you feel a small hint of sadness at the rare idea that maybe, if the Universe allowed, this meeting could turn into something more?

"All right," you said, swallowing the sip of your frappe before placing it down on the table. You leaned your arms on the table, squinting at him. "Hit me."

"Are you or are you not...a Missouri sports fan?"

You couldn't hold back the laugh from escaping your throat. You thought he was kidding, that this wasn't his life or death question, but the straight face wasn't wavering. Yet, the playful look in his eye, told you that he was looking forward to your answer.

"It depends."

"On?"

"The sport." You leaned down and took another sip of your drink. "So go ahead, try me."

"Chiefs?"

"Absolutely not," your face twisted into a disgusted smirk. "Mahomes has talent, but I can't stand that team. I'm a Steelers fan, thanks to my mom."

"If you answer Pittsburgh teams for the rest of these, I might just get up and walk away," he laughed, shaking his head. "Royals or Cards?"

"Cards all the way. We try to catch the series opener every year." You smiled, tilting your head. "Next?"

"Great answer, we might just become best friends." He laughed. He looked up and off to the side as if he was pondering to himself whether or not he wanted to ask the next one. When he looked back at you, the smile on his face was gone, but the curiosity in his eyes was only stronger. "Blues?"

You scrunched your nose, shaking your head. "That's where you lose me. I'm not all that into hockey."

He raised his eyebrows and looked genuinely shocked. "What? Really? They're the biggest team in the area after last year."

"I mean don't get me wrong, my family are big Blues fans– my future in-laws too. My dad grew up watching the Blues. He took us to every game he could. He has season tickets." You grabbed your drink, leaning back into your chair as you brought the straw up to your lips. "My brother even got drafted a few weeks ago."

"Wait, really?" He looked more interested in the conversation, leaning over. "By who?"

"St. Louis in the first round." You took a sip, putting your drink back down. "He went to development camp, but deferred and said that he wanted to mature more in his skills and try to win a championship at Michigan."

"And you still don't like hockey?" He laughed, raising an eyebrow. "Even if your brother got drafted by his hometown team?"

"I mean, I understand hockey, I enjoy watching it– but do I know every stat of every player or do I care to watch multiple teams?" You stuck out your bottom lip, shaking your head. "Not really. The only team I know a little bit about, are the Blues. But it's just not my must-watch sport. Football is."

He stared at you for a few moments as if he was trying to digest exactly what you said and you couldn't help but feel like maybe that was the dealbreaker. And what a stupid dealbreaker it would be. He nodded, smiling slightly. "Okay, I can get with that."

"Who's your favorite hockey team? The Blues?"

He bit his bottom lip and then nodded his head side to side. "I grew up with them, but the Flames have a good chunk of my love too."

"Calgary huh? Now that's interesting." You contemplated asking him if he had ever been, but decided to hold back. "Now, can I ask you something?" You asked, smiling. "Why do you have a teal suitcase? I mean, not like guys can't have it...but the majority normally go with black or red– maybe even that really ugly dark green."

He laughed again, sighing. "That's what I meant when I said you saved my life. It's actually my younger sister's suitcase. I went to visit my friend on a last-minute kind of vacation and left all my big luggage back at my apartment in Calgary so she let me borrow it. It came with a set and she uses that one that most, so she was pissed."

"Wait, you live in Calgary?" You asked.

He hesitated for a moment, his adam's apple bobbing before he nodded. "Yeah, I uh, I come home in the summertime though."

"I'm about to move to Calgary!" You felt excited about the fact that if this meeting went well and the two of you decided to keep in touch, then you wouldn't be totally friendless in Calgary when you moved. Maybe he could even show you around.

"Wait, really?" He looked almost as excited, a new light shining in his eyes.

You nodded, trying to tone down your excitement. "My Professor who was my mentor normally teaches at UCalgary in the summer and she was just offered tenure if she came to teach year-round. I'm going up there as her T.A. and to get my masters in Communications and Media Study."

"I live right by UCalgary!" He almost seemed as excited as you were as the two of you were both leaning on the table. He looked down at the table, seeing that your hands were almost touching and he looked back up, a small smile on his face. "I can show you around sometime...if you want me to, of course."

"I'd actually like that a lot," you smiled, nodding your head. "I've never been up there and I don't want to seem like a total friendless loser."

"Well, you'll have at least one friend when you move up there," he bumped his hand against yours. "So you won't be totally friendless."

"Does this mean I passed your life or death questionnaire?"

He smacked his teeth and crossed his arms, leaning back as he looked at you through squinted eyes and a straight face. He leaned back onto the table and smiled, nodding his head. "Most definitely."

"Maybe you can even convince me to become a Flames fan, who knows," you brought your drink up to your lips and took a sip, shrugging your shoulders.

"I think I can manage a few games," He smiled, raising his arms above his head and leaning back to stretch. You kept telling yourself to advert your eyes anywhere except for the small patch of skin that was showing beneath his shirt. But boy was it hard. "So when are you–"

"Matt!" You both looked over in the direction where Matt had come from earlier to see a boy maybe a little taller than Matt and with the same curly hair and dimpled smile. Only his hair was cut much shorts.

"Brady..." Matt looked at you and then looked back at his brother. "I told you to text me when–"

"Yeah, well you weren't really answering your texts, were you?" The boy quipped back, coming to a stop by your table. He looked at you and then back at Matt, a smile on his face as he looked back at you. "You must be the owner of the suitcase."

"Otherwise known as Y/N," you laughed, extending your hand out. "You must be the younger brother."

He shook your hand, laughing. "And the best brother," he dropped your hand and turned to Matt. "The reservation is ready."

"Okay I'll be there in a minute," Matt replied, turning back to you. Brady stood there looking between the two of you and Matt sighed, turning back to Brady. "Brady I swear to–"

"Okay, okay," he held his hands up in defense. "But you're telling Mom and Dad why you were late, not me."

Matt rolled his eyes as his brother started to walk away. He looked back at you a sad look in his eyes. "I should probably go. It is my sister's celebration dinner after all."

"What are you celebrating?"

"She just received a scholarship to play field hockey in college." He replied as the two of you stood up. "It was nice to meet you."

"You too. I'm glad I could return your sister's suitcase to you, before she could kill you," you laughed, picking up your empty frappe cup and holding onto the handle of your suitcase. "And sorry again for grabbing the wrong suitcase."

"Trust me, you're forgiven," he laughed as the two of you walked out of the seating area. He went to start walking away but turned back, looking at you. "I meant it by the way. If you want someone to show you around once you get to Calgary, you've got my number."

"I'll take you up on that," you smiled, nodding your head. "Bye Matt."

"Bye Y/N," he replied, turning his back to you and walking towards Maggianos.

You checked both ways before crossing the street to Bass Pro Shop, standing outside of the building and grabbing your phone to text Mason. "He looked cute." You looked up to see Mason coming out of the double doors, nodding towards where you were sitting. "Definitely seemed like your type from afar."

You laughed, rolling your eyes. "He was very cute, thank you." You nodded at the fishing pole he was holding over his shoulder. "Did it take you that long to buy a pole?"

"Oh no, I bought the pole like 2 minutes after walking into the store. I stayed for the fish," he smiled. "Now, the dinner is over and everyone went home. Ready to head over to your little cottage paradise?"

You felt your phone vibrate and looked down to see that you had a text from Matt, instantly bringing a smile to your face.

matt: my sister says thanks and wants to know where you got your luggage tag from

matt: oh and it was really nice talking to you, i had fun! we should do it again sometime! 😊

"Oh yeah, you're a goner." Mason laughed, bumping into you as the two of you started to walk towards the Pieology parking lot. "You're blushing."

"I am not! Leave me alone." You groaned, looking down at your phone to hide your face from him as you typed your reply.

you: redbubble! i'll send you the link!

you: and i'd love to 😊

+

When Charlotte said that she wanted to have her Maid-of-Honor and Bridesmaids all spend the night together before the wedding, you figured that maybe the group of you would watch rom-coms and snack on cookies and other sweets.

But instead, you were caught up in doing DIY face masks, sipping on wine coolers, eating cookies and playing probably the most twisted and interesting game of social sabotage you've ever played. You loved all of Charlotte's friends, none of them ever turning down whatever dare they had to do. Charlotte had to send Colton a text asking him to send a picture of his 'pretty ears.' Madison, her Maid-of-Honor had to send Gus, the Best Man, and her ex a seductive Snapchat with the caption being along the lines of whether or not he thought ghosts got boners. Perhaps the one you felt the worst for, was poor Addie. She was already buzzed off of a few wine coolers and had to send Nick a text that said 'Real love is never having to say I love you.' The poor girl was almost in tears after she sent it and you felt even more guilty after giving her the card.

It was almost a huge damper until Nick had sent her a text telling her to tell you to fuck off because he knew you were behind the text. Little did you know that Addie had been texting him about the game they were playing. Nonetheless, you still felt extremely bad for making her cry and told her that on your next turn, she could be the one to pick what you had to do and you'd do it no matter what.

Which is exactly how you ended up in this very predicament. Staring at your cell phone and your messages with Matt, refusing to type out what they had told you to do. "I'm not doing it, no way."

"Come on, Y/N. You made Addie so upset with your card that she cried!" Charlotte said, pointing at Addie. "It's only fair."

"You did say that you would accept her dare no matter what," Trinity, Charlotte's high school best friend, and other bridesmaid said, downing the rest of her wine cooler.

"That's true," Addie nodded, looking at you. "You did say that you would."

You sighed, frowning as you looked down at the screen. "I'll literally do anything but that. Literally, anything in this world you want me to do, I'll do it– but I can't do this."

"What's the big deal, Y/N?" Madison asked, looking at your phone. "You said he was cute, that you guys had a good time talking and both agreed to do it again. You've practically already agreed to go on a date."

"Except it wasn't!" You let your phone drop into your lap, looking at all of them. "Plus, I barely know him and inviting him to my sister's wedding as my plus one isn't really date material."

"You just called it a date," Charlotte smiled, raising an eyebrow. "And a wedding is definitely date material. Now woman up and send the text so we can finish the game and start watching Mamma Mia."

Before you could protest, Addie reached over and grabbed your phone from your lap, then stood up and ran into the kitchen, typing away on your phone. "Addie, stop!"

Before you could manage to put your wine cooler down without spilling it, she came back over and held the phone out to you. "I typed it, but you've gotta send it."

Your eyes skimmed over the message again and again. You wanted to protest sending it, but you also weren't totally against the idea of asking him. It gave you an excuse to see him again and hang out, plus, strangely the idea of seeing him dressed up for a wedding was attractive.

you: so i had a lot of fun today and i know we talked about hanging out again. and i know this is probably super last minute, but would you want to be my plus 1 at my sisters wedding tomorrow? 😊

You sighed and grabbed the phone from her, not letting your thumb hover over the send button for more than a few seconds before pressing it and watching 'delivered' pop up beneath the blue message. "If he says no, I'm not showing up for the wedding."

"If he says no, then I give you full permission to get blackout drunk at my wedding and take over the dance floor," Charlotte smiled. "It'll make good wedding footage. Now come on, let's watch Mamma Mia now please."

You and Addie picked up the card game, putting it back into the box as Madison cleaned up the empty wine coolers and Charlotte and Trinity went to set up the TV for the movie. When you came back from putting the box back onto the counter, Addie had grabbed you both a blanket and a spot on the couch. You sat down next to her, extending your feet out onto the sectional and leaning against her. Just as the opening scene started to play, you felt a vibration on the blanket and saw your phone screen light up next to Addie's. You immediately looked at Addie and she smiled, reaching out and handing it off to you. You bit your bottom lip, closing your eyes and sighing before opening them again and reading the text.

matt: definitely! just tell me when, where, and what to wear and i'll be there

matt: also, fair warning...i'm a killer on the dance floor 😉

"Y/N HAS A DATE! HE SAID YES!" Addie yelled, almost scaring the other three girls in the room.

The three of them cheered and you felt your cheeks grow hot as you shoved Addie. "It's not a big deal, come on."

"Oh it's a big deal," Charlotte smiled, wiggling her eyebrows. "And now I know who I'm throwing the bouquet to."

Everyone immersed into giggles as you buried your face back into your phone, typing a reply.

you: dress code is a casual formal (i honestly have no idea what that means), ceremony starts at 5, reception won't start until 6:30. you don't have to come to the actual wedding if you don't want to. if you just want to show up for the reception, i won't blame you lol. oh and the wedding is at 542 Evermore Ln, Chesterfield, MO 63005

you: fair warning– i can outdo anyone on the soulja boy and cupids shuffle

You watched the message send and then the typing bubbles pop up...go down...pop back up...go back down. You almost locked your phone until you saw his reply appear.

matt: haha i'll just ask my mom for advice 😂 and if this is a dance challenge i'm sensing...then you're so on.

you: it's most definitely a challenge lol

matt: can't wait 😊

+

Hallmark movies were straight-up lies. They always portrayed weddings as these peaceful and beautiful events from start to finish– well, that wasn't the case in the morning. From the moment the beauty team and your moms arrived with breakfast and coffee in hand, you'd all been able to shower and at least try to look presentable. They set up hair and makeup in the living room and kitchen, spreading the five of you out throughout the stations. It was a mix of gossip and trying to keep your eyes open for more than a few minutes.

Charlotte turned up the vibe by playing her wedding playlist, a bunch of songs to get everyone happy and singing and dancing in their chairs. It was definitely a cure for the solemn and tired moods you all were feeling– at least until Charlotte accidentally spilled the beans about Matt coming to the wedding.

You'd never seen your mom and Mrs. Johnson turn around so fast. Their eyes were wide and their smiles were even wider, only for them to bombard you with questions right after.

Who was he?

Was he cute?

How old was he?

When would he be here?

Could they meet him?

It was enough to make you lock yourself in the bedroom for more than a few minutes where you slipped into your dress after getting your hair and make-up done. The last time you and Matt had talked, he'd sent a picture of two suit jacket options, asking which one you thought was better. And you had sent him back a selfie of you in the middle of getting falsies put on, your hair in big curlers, captioning it 'take your pick, you'd definitely look better than me.' He replied saying 'not possible' and you picked the maroon suit jacket.

By the time you had calmed yourself down from the bombarding, the guests had started to file into their seats and the ceremony was minutes away from starting. You guys were all grouped up into the room, Charlotte absolutely stunning in her dress. Matt hadn't texted you whether or not he was there yet, so you figured that he would probably just show up for the ceremony, not that you blamed him. It was a wedding full of people he didn't know, you probably wouldn't show up until the reception if you were in his shoes.

Before you knew it, you guys were being sent to walk down the make-shift aisle, headed towards the beautiful floral archway straight ahead. Instead of having the bridal party walk in together, Charlotte had chosen for everyone to walk in separately and then to leave together. So when it came time for your turn to walk down the aisle, your nerves were taking over and you couldn't help but look down at your flowers as you walked towards the crowd. The moment you neared towards the crowd, you told yourself to look up, at least trying to make eye contact with some of the guests since your families were close.

And then you saw him. Tucked away in the middle of the seating, sitting down at the end of your row that held some of Charlotte and Colton's friends, wearing his maroon suit jacket and a black polo shirt. His curly hair was a little more tamed than it was yesterday, probably being held in place by a little bit of gel– and when he smiled, that dimple was enough to make your stomach do flips.

You wanted to wave at him, but realized that maybe that would bring too much attention. So instead, you smiled at him and gave him a subtle nod, telling him that you spotted him before looking back towards the altar and taking your place next to Addie, occasionally looking in his direction to see that he was watching the rest of the wedding go down. His eyes taking in everyone who walked down the aisle. When it came time to stand for Charlotte, you kept your eyes on him, and when he turned to look at you as everyone else turned to wait for Charlotte, you sent him a small wave. He laughed, waving back, and then the two of you turned your attention to Charlotte.

The wedding was as beautiful, watching your big sister walk down the aisle, almost in tears as she walked towards Colton, who was most definitely in tears– made you cry. You admit it, you weren't going to hide it and you most definitely weren't the only one. Everyone in attendance who was crying knew the history of Charlotte and Colton. They knew the pure love that radiated from them both and the love and care that they held for each other.

Through the tears, you couldn't help but stare at the two of them in admiration. You had joked all the time about them having a cheesy love story that you could find in books and movies. But watching it all come together in front of you, made you realize that more than anything, you wanted what they had. You wanted to marry a man who looked at you with a shine in his eyes the way that Colton looked at Charlotte when she laughed at herself after messing up on her vows. You wanted to marry a man who kissed you like he was suffocating and you were oxygen. A man who cheered and spun you around, showing you off to anyone who was around. One who was proud to be with you and was even more proud to love you.

When the wedding party started to make its way down the aisle, you tried to motion for Matt to meet you by the drinks over in the reception, but Mason had looped his arm through yours and the two of you walked down the aisle before you got the chance. Hugs went around as soon as everyone was grouped up and away from the crowd as they were shuffled towards the awning where the reception would be held at. The photographers and videographers followed you guys over, talking to Charlotte and Colton about what they wanted to do picture-wise and you took that time to send Matt a text.

you: we're doing pictures, but feel free to grab a drink and some food. we shouldn't take long!

matt: you'll probably find me by the food. the mini tacos look really good 🤤

You laughed just as Charlotte tapped you on the shoulder. "We're doing Bride and Bridesmaids first, tell Matt you'll talk to him in a few."

You rolled your eyes, stuffing your phone down your dress and following her over, watching in jealousy as Colton, Nick, Mason and the rest of the groomsmen went over to the reception. Charlotte didn't lie though, your pictures really didn't take all that long. You'd taken the ones earlier in the morning getting ready and Charlotte really wasn't all that picky on what she wanted to be taken. She just told the photographers to shoot whatever they wanted, to make it romantic, and to catch a good time.

When you guys were done and your mom had sent someone over to the DJ to announce that they needed the Groom and groomsmen to come over, your phone vibrated. You brought it out and saw that Nick had texted your family group chat.

lil pest: OK SO WHEN WAS SOMEONE GOING TO TELL ME THAT CHUCKY IS HERE

dad: Nick what are you talking about?

mom: Who is chucky? Isn't that the doll?

lil pest: CHUCKY IS MATTHEW TKACHUK.

lil pest: WHO IS CURRENTLY TALKING TO COLTON ABOUT THE BLUES.

lil pest: HIS DAD IS LIKE...BLUES ROYALTY.

big sis: i'm sorry...what? why is matthew tkachuk at my wedding?

lil pest: I DON'T KNOW BUT LOOK

Attached was a picture of Colton laughing and smiling with a very familiar figure. One who was dressed up in a maroon suit jacket, black pants, and a black polo and had a head of dirty blonde curls. You stared at your phone in shock, zooming in on the picture and though you were positive you knew who it was the moment you saw his suit jacket...you had to make sure.

"All right, did he crash the wedding or what?" Nick said, his dad and Colton following right behind him as they walked over. "This is so cool, how did he even– I can't come up with a logical reason why he's here."

Colton sent you a knowing look, followed by a smile and you tried your best to hide your blush.

Nick couldn't shut up the entire time the rest of the pictures needed to be taken. And all you could focus on was whether or not Matt was being bombarded by the guests, most hockey fans themselves. You would have felt bad if he was, no doubt he probably just wanted to relax at an event for once.

When the pictures were done and the bridal party made their grand entrance, your attention and focus were on finding Matt. Yet, everywhere you looked, he was nowhere to be found. And as time went by and the first dance happened, followed by the speeches, he was still nowhere to be found.

If it was at all possible, the amount of dread and guilt you were feeling, could've sent you sinking into the ground. Dread because maybe Matt had left without even saying hi, yet alone goodbye. And guilt because, maybe he was being bombarded by too many people and maybe, he was feeling just a little uncomfortable.

You were sitting down in your seat at the bridal party table, the clinking of silverware mixing in with the sound of music as some people were dancing and some were eating. Colton and Charlotte were making their way around the room, thanking everyone for coming and mingling in conversation. Nick and Addie had come back from the dance floor, Nick plopping down in the seat behind you as the two of them came back from dancing to a Beyonce song. You took a long sip of your wine as Colton came strolling over with Charlotte hand in hand, a smile on his face.

"You look down in the dumps."

"Yeah, well I kind of am," you took another sip. "No offense."

He laughed, looking back from the direction he came from and nodded. "He's by the mini tacos. Our dads are reliving the 2001 Western Conference finals with him. Poor kid, you might want to go save him."

You perked up, a smile forming on your face as you pushed your chair back. He was still here, he didn't leave.

Your brother looked between you and Colton, jaw dropped as you walked away from them. "Y/N, WAIT! CAN I TALK TO HIM? CAN I–" Addie covered his mouth with her hand, nodding at you to go as Nick looked on, begging with his eyes to come with you.

You were still dumbfounded at the fact that the Matt you had been talking to for the last 24 hours...was none other than a professional hockey player. You almost felt embarrassed, thinking back on your conversation yesterday about hockey. Was he insulted that you didn't recognize him? He has to get recognized every time he walks out of his house, you were sure.

As you made your way through the crowd, sure enough, you saw Mr. Johnson and your dad standing there with their beers in hand, talking to Matt who was holding a plate with a half-eaten mini taco on it. You tried to gauge his reaction, hoping that he wasn't suffering too bad at the hands of the two men. You walked over, Matt seeing you first and a smile taking over his face as he finished up whatever he was talking about.

"Dad, Mr. Johnson," you said, standing next to Matt as you looked at them. "I hope you don't mind that I borrow him for a second."

"Of course, sweetie," your dad smiled, nodding as he looked back at Matt. "We'll finish later. I'd love for you to talk to my son for a few minutes–"

"Dad," you groaned, sending him a pleading look.

Matt laughed, nodding as he extended his hand. "Sure thing, sir."

Your dad and Mr. Johnson walked away side by side, chattering like a bunch of fangirls as they left you there with Matt. "I am so sorry about them, like truly sorry."

He shook his head, smiling. "I didn't mind. You'd be surprised how used to it I am actually."

The two of you stood there, all smiles and unsure of what to say. Surely by now, he knew that you knew who he was. But how exactly were you supposed to just come out and say, 'hey, I know you're a professional hockey player' and then continue on?

Before you could say anything, he threw his plate away in a nearby trashcan and held out his hand, a smile on his face. "Would you like to dance?"

Your eyebrows raised in surprise and you found yourself nodding in reply, taking his hand as he led you out onto the dance floor. You tried not to notice the looks from all of the guests as you and Matt joined the others on the dance floor. He placed his hands on your waist and you rested your arms on his shoulders, your hands clasping together behind his neck. As the two of you swayed to the song, you could feel the eyes on you. And when you looked towards the bridal party table, sure enough, sitting there were your family– Bride and Groom included, all staring at you.

You sent them a look before sighing and looking at Matt. "So, were you ever going to tell me who you were?"

"Eventually," he nodded, the dimple evermore present as he smirked. "I'm not going to lie though, it was nice to be just Matt– even if it was just for a little while."

"Yeah, the moment my brother sent a text to the group chat about who you were...I wouldn't have blamed you for dipping." You shrugged, looking up at him. "For a while, I kind of thought you did."

"I honestly never even considered it. I mean, it was nice that they were bombarding me about my dad for once instead of me or Brady."

"Brady plays too?" You asked, your eyes wide.

Matt laughed, nodding. "Yeah, he's over in Ottawa." His thumb was rubbing against your hip and you tried to internally calm the butterflies in your stomach. "So...now that you know who I am, does that...change anything?"

"Not at all. You're still Matt, the stranger whose suitcase I accidentally stole and the guy who wears Ant-Man boxers and has horrible packing techniques."

He leaned his head back as he laughed, his eyes crinkling and the dimple becoming more prominent. "I ordered packing cubes last night by the way."

"And what may I ask, inspired you to do that?"

"Oh I don't know, just some cute girl who's suitcase got switched with mine, and whose packing techniques impressed my mom." He reached up and grabbed one of your hands, stepping back and nodding at you for you to twirl. He spun you around and you laughed as he pulled you back towards him, keeping one hand resting on your hip and still holding onto the other. "The offer still stands by the way. The one about us going out again."

"And the one about you showing me around Calgary?"

"Absolutely yes," he spun you around again, cautiously dipping you down with a smile. "On one condition, of course."

He stood you back up and you pushed yourself out, only to pull back in. "And what is that?" You asked, smiling.

He pulled you back into him, looking down at you. "You come to at least two of my games."

"Only two?" You laughed, twirling under his arm again. "What? Not every home game? Do you think I'll grow tired of you or something?"

This time he laughed, shaking his head. "No," he held you close to him. "But, I'm hoping that if I make you at least go to two...you'll decide to attend the rest on your own."

"Matthew Tkachuk...are you trying to convert me from a part-time Blues fan to a part-time Flames fan?" You asked, squinting your eyes and smiling.

"Eh," He shrugged, a smile coming onto his face. "I'm thinking full-time Flames fan. "So what do you say? Sound like a deal?"

"You've got yourself a deal." You laughed, as he twirled you around again before pulling you against him. You rested your head on his shoulder, no longer feeling the gaze of the guests on you as the two of you danced. "This might sound strange...but I'm really glad that I grabbed the wrong suitcase."

"Me too." You looked up at him to see him smiling down at you. "Though, my sister will definitely hold this over my head for the rest of my life. I can hear it now, 'if it wasn't for my suitcase, you never would have met her!'"

You looked at him as his laughter faded and he didn't care to hide the fact that his eyes were looking back and forth between your lips and your eyes. It would have been a ballsy move if you decided to take the initiative and just lean up on your toes and kiss him. Your family was around, he was, after all, who he was– and hearing your family roast you about it for the rest of your life, wasn't all that ideal. But when you caught yourself looking at his mouth and looked back up at his eyes to see him doing the same thing, every care you had flew out of the window.

Luckily for you, you didn't have to lean up much, meeting him halfway before your lips came together. You could've melted right into him then and there as you felt his grip on your hips tighten. The song ended and you felt Matt smile into the kiss just as the sound of someone clearing their throat came from right next to you. You and Matt pulled away from each other and turned to see Nick standing there, holding a beer in his hand and a smile on his face. "Hey man, I'm Nick. Y/N's brother," he extended the beer to Matt, completely ignoring you. "Can we talk? Brother to...er...boyfriend?"

You almost choked on air as you glared at him, your cheeks burning red. "Nicholas I'm going to kick your ass."

"It's fine, Y/N." Matt just laughed, taking the beer from him as his hand still rested on the small of your back and looking at you. "You don't mind, do you? I'll find you after and we can have that dance battle we talked about. I'll even request the DJ."

You smiled, nodding before looking at Nick again, giving him a death glare. "I'll be at the table."

Matt squeezed your hip before letting his hand fall and walked off with Nick towards your Dad, Mr. Johnson, Mason, and Colton. You walked over to the table where Addie and Charlotte were, sitting down between the two. "Well, you two sure looked cozy out there." Addie smiled, sipping on her drink.

"But really. The chemistry was just radiating off of you two," Charlotte laughed, taking a bite of a mini taco. "You two look...really good together."

"So what's the verdict? Do we like him? Is anything going to happen?" Addie chimed in.

"I think I do...like him that is." you shrugged, looking at the two of them. "Suddenly, I'm very excited to move to Calgary."

Charlotte laughed, bumping into you. "I bet you are little sister, I bet you are."

You looked over at the group of men laughing, hoping that they weren't embarrassing you in front of Matt anymore or even singling him out. But there he was, standing tall and confident next to your brother and Colton. Matt seemed to fit in so well with the group, meshing in conversation with them as if he had known them his entire life. He looked over at you, his beer in his hand as he winked at you, his dimpled smile causing you to blush.

"Yeah, I'm definitely excited to move to Calgary." You smiled, holding up your wine glass and giving him cheers. He laughed, holding up his beer can slightly before turning back to your dad.

You thought back on the last 24 hours and how it felt like the end of the world the moment that you realized that you had grabbed the wrong suitcase. In the end, you couldn't help but wonder if the Universe had some kind of role in it all. Even if it didn't and the thought was simply coming from every YA romance book you've ever read...it was still nice.

Maybe the books had it right all along.

Part three:

( JULY )

It was strange just how fast everything seemed to move after Charlotte and Colton’s wedding. Matt kept his word, and that same weekend, asked you out on a date. Addie, Nick and Mason were all up in your ear the day you were getting ready, each taking bets on what Matt had planned. Addie said dinner and a movie,  Nick guaranteed it was going to be ice skating because– ‘i’m a hockey player and that’s the easiest way to get your date to hold your hand. Isn’t it Ads?’ And Mason, dear, sweet, Mason– said that it would probably be something fun and easy. He was right on the fun, wrong on the easy. Matt chose Topgolf for your first date– and it was safe to say that becoming a professional golfer was not in your future.

“Okay, so then you swing back, and when you come forward, pivot your shoulders and hips, while also shifting your weight forward.”

You stared at the golf ball, keeping Matt’s tips in the back of your head as you closed your eyes and took a deep breath. You brought the club back, opening your eyes once you felt confident enough to swing forward. “Pivot and shift,” you whispered, using all of your power to swing at the ball. You looked out at the range, trying to see if you could spot the ball flying out towards a target. “Please tell me I got at least a few points.”

“Well…” You turned back around to see Matt smiling sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. “It wasn’t bad.”

You looked at the screen, only to see that your points hadn’t changed. “I didn’t even hit a target!”

Matt laughed, popping a french fry into his mouth and then rubbing his hands off onto a napkin before standing up and coming towards you. “You forgot one thing.”

Your eyebrows furrowed as you turned to him, leaning against the golf club as you turned towards him. “What?”

He stepped over the red line cautiously and came to a stop in front of you, nodding down at the ground. You looked down, only to see your golf ball still sitting on the tee. You felt your face start to heat up and you groaned. “Well…that’s embarrassing.”

Matt laughed, shaking his head. “No, come on, I’ll help you.”

“You helped me last time and look what happened? It’s starting to become very, very clear that golf and I just do not mix.”

“I helped you from over there. Maybe you’re more of a visual learner than an aural one.” He held out his hand and motioned for the golf club.

“I’m actually more of a physical and visual learner,” you said, handing off the golf club. When you saw his eyebrows raise, your eyes widened and you felt as if the blush was going to take over your entire face. “I-I mean, with physical activities I’m a physical learner– no wait, I mean–”

Matt laughed and you took notice of just how pink the tops of his ears had gotten. At least you weren’t the only one blushing. He handed the golf club back and nodded, “All right, then come on, let’s get you to hit the ball.”

You took the club from him as he stepped back slightly, giving you the space to set yourself up in front of the ball. “So, I make sure that my feet, my hips and my shoulders are lined up, right?”

“Mhhm,” he looked around to make sure there wasn’t an employee around to come and yell at him since he was clearly over the red line. When he deemed the coast clear, he walked closer to you and stopped at your side. He bent down and moved your right foot a little forward, probably matching it up with your left. “So then, you’ll want to make sure that your legs are a little relaxed.”

You bent your legs slightly, trying to get yourself to relax. “Like this?” You asked, looking at him.

He chewed on the inside of his cheek as he looked at your legs and his gaze was starting to give you butterflies. He stepped forward and looked at you, “Can I?”

You nodded, trying to hide your blushing cheeks as he squatted down at eye level with your knees. Goosebumps covered your skin when you felt his hand touch the back of your thigh, just above your knee. His other hand rested on the front of your leg, below your knee and he pushed the back of your thigh slightly, holding onto the front of your knee to make sure it wouldn’t bend too far.

“Perfect! Stay right there,” he smiled, standing up and walking to your left side to make sure that it was bent at the same angle. He touched your leg again and then stood back up. “Comfortable?”

“As comfortable as a beginner learning golf, could be,” you joked, staying put as you nodded at the club in your hands. “So I’m lined up, knees bent…now what?”

He smiled, coming up behind you and reaching around to grip the golf club. You bit your lip in an effort to hide your smile as you felt his hands rest on top of yours, adjusting your grip on the club. “So you’ll keep a firm grip on the club, that way it won’t slip. But not too tight of a grip to where you’re straining,” his fingers brushed over yours, tugging at the side of each of your thumbs and loosening your grip slightly. “Good?”

His breath tickled against your ear as you nodded. “Good.”

“Go ahead and practice your backswing, but stop once you have it around you.” he said, stepping back over the red line and out of reach. You swung back, holding it there and he stepped back towards you. “Okay, now see your elbow?” He touched your right elbow. “Try to keep this close to you when you bring the club around.” He returned the club back to the starting position and then pulled it back slowly with you, keeping his hand on your elbow and helping you keep it close to your side. “Perfect! And your downswing looked pretty good, so keep that the same.”

“All right, so just for practice sake. Lined up with bent, relaxed knees,” you returned the club back in front of you, looking at him over your shoulder. “And then–”

“Make sure your grip isn’t too tight.” He came back behind you, his chest pressed against your back as he reached around you again, covering your hands with his own and adjusting your grip. “And then you start your backswing,” his right hand moved to your elbow, helping make sure it stayed close to your side as you brought the club up slowly. “And then you rotate your hips and chest on the downswing,” his hands rested on your hips, turning them slowly as you brought the club back down in a mock swing. “And then boom, at least 8 points on that shot.”

“Please,” you scoffed, smirking at him. “I’m going for the 15.”

“Hole in one?” He smiled, raising an eyebrow as he stepped back from you. “All right, let’s see it.”

“Can I at least get some kind of good luck?” You asked, sticking out your bottom lip.

He smiled and leaned in, kissing your cheek before stepping back over the red line and near your table. “You can get a better one if you hit the ball off the tee.”

You rolled your eyes as the playful smile never left your lips before you turned your full attention back to the ball. You adjusted your feet and took a deep breath, exhaling as you relaxed your knees. Everything felt easier now, lining and adjusting your grip, remembering to keep your elbow in as you started your backswing. You didn’t waste any time going from your backswing to your downswing, hearing the cling of the ball against the club and seeing it soar out onto the range…along with your golf club.

“Oh my God,” you said, immediately turning back and looking at Matt with wide eyes. “I can’t believe I just did that.”

He had his arms crossed and you could tell that he was trying his best to hold back his laughter, but after a few seconds, he just let it fly. “I told you to keep a tight grip!”

“It was tight!” You panicked, looking around to see if anyone had seen that. “This is so embarrassing.”

“You’re definitely not the first person to do that and I’m more than sure you won’t be the last,” he laughed, as you stepped over the red line and over to him, “We’ll just have to let them know that you lost your club.” He struggled to say that last sentence through laughter and while normally you would’ve been embarrassed and a little upset that he was laughing…you found yourself joining him.

“I can’t believe I did that,” you laughed, shaking your head. “I mean, I literally just…threw it.”

He opened his arms and wrapped his arms around your neck, pulling you into a hug. “Maybe you got some points though?”

You pushed yourself out of his grasp and ran over to the screen to see your points.

Matt: 191

Y/N: 2

Your smile fell and you turned away to see him coming over to check. “No, no, stay right there.”

“What? You hit the ball hard! You had to at least get something,” he came up next to you and stared at the screen. You watched as he brushed his tongue along his lips before biting his upper lip in an effort not to smile as he looked at you. “Okay, but listen- it was still a really good swing! And look, you at least got one point!”

You pouted again and he laughed, throwing an arm over your shoulder and pulling you into his side. You looked up at him, a smile on your face. “Do you want to go ice skating?”

He tossed his head back and laughed before leaning down and kissing the top of your head. “As long as I get to hold your hand.”

It was hard to believe that your first date with Matt had only been a little over four weeks ago. Since then, you have met his parents and his sister, Taryn. Brady bragged to all of them about how he was the first one to meet you and as far as little brothers go, he and Nick are two peas in a pod. Meeting Keith and Chantal was almost like meeting your own family. They were warm and welcoming, even greeting you with hugs the first time you met. You had meshed so well with them like Matt had done with your family at Charlotte and Colton’s wedding. Which is why it was so hard to wrap your head around how fast everything had gone. Because here you were, four weeks of knowing Matt and both of your families were at the Tkachuk’s lake house, spending the week together for the Fourth of July. Normally people weren’t meeting the parents until months into a relationship. You and Matt weren’t even officially dating– and yet you’d already hit that stage.

It was a week full of spending the days out on the lake, having sandwiches on the Tkachuk’s boat and going back to the house at night for a grill out and a fire. It amazed you, just how fast your families seemed to bond together. Your dad and Keith were talking about anything and everything, mostly sports of course– Keith giving your dad some advice on helping Nick when the time came for him to decide whether or not he wanted to leave school for the NHL after his sophomore year. Chantal and your mom bonded over how their sons’ lives revolved around hockey and the two similar hobbies they had. Nick brought Addie along, the rest of the Johnson clan out in Washington State visiting family, so she, Taryn and you all got along great. And Nick, Brady and Matt were a terror together– the three of them seemingly spending most of their freetime terrorizing everyone.

The best thing about everyone being together though, was the rooming situation. Both sets of parents got a room and every night it seemed that the three girls and three boys were fighting over who got to sleep in the basement. The basement had everything. It had a bathroom equipped with a shower. It had a big, soft couch set that had footrests that kicked out when you pressed a single button. Not to mention, it held Tkachuk’s big movie collection, xbox setup and a great TV to match. Brady and Nick were the first ones to blame you and Matt for the fact that the parents wouldn’t let all six of you sleep down there together. Nick being the one to say that it was because your parents couldn’t trust you guys not to be total horndogs.

So, the six of you rotated each night– one group would sleep in the basement, the other would sleep in the room with the bunk beds and then switch the next night. And, you got Nick back with that comment by pantsing him while he was waiting to rinse off in the outdoor shower.

In. Front. Of. Everybody.

He would have to wait at least a day to get his retaliation, because today was July 4th– not only a holiday that would be filled with non-stop fun, but it was also your 22nd birthday. And in your family there was an unspoken rule– don’t ruin someone’s birthday. So far so good, he was abiding by that rule. You were the last of the girls to wake up that morning and after brushing your teeth, you had made your way to the kitchen to hear everyone talking amongst themselves. The moment you stepped off of the last step, you were immediately greeted with birthday wishes. Your mom and Chantal had even gone as far as to make what your mom made you for breakfast every birthday since you could remember– chocolate chip pancakes. Before you knew it, everyone was done with breakfast and your dad and Keith were setting up to take the boat out onto the lake.

Yesterday, the boys got to vote one what the activity would be for the day and they strangely chose wakeboarding– even though none of them could wakeboard and make it look good, or wakeboard successfully for that matter. So, it provided some pretty good entertainment for everyone else. But today, the girls got to choose what to do, though it wasn’t all that much of a decision. Everyone wanted to go tubing today and they’d been looking forward to it from the moment you all arrived at the lake house. Much like your family and the Johnsons, you came to learn that the Tkachuk siblings turned almost everything into a competition– which is what led you to this moment.

“All right Matt, take your pick,” Brady said, adjusting his position on the towable tube. He chose the outer left, while Nick chose the inner right.

“Easy,” Matt motioned towards you as he stepped towards the back of the boat, pulling the empty tube in. “Come on, Y/N. We’re knocking them off of their tube.”

“Are you sure you want to pick me?” You asked, picking up your lifevest you had rested behind you, sliding it on  your arms as Matt dove onto the tube, his weight shifting it away from the boat. “I mean, it takes a lot of core control and strength to move the tube against theirs and mine does not compare to hockey players.”

“Yeah, Matt,” Nick smiled, leaning himself up on his elbows. “The whole point is to try to win, not try to lose.”

You buckled up your life vest and glared at Nick as Taryn helped you pull the tube back towards the boat so you could get onto it. “Let me get the inner right corner so I can kick him in the ribs.”

Matt scooted himself over and reached out for your hand as his right hand held onto one of the handles. “By all means,” he laughed, helping you onto the tube as Taryn let go of the pull and the two of you shifted away from the boat.

“Are you guys ready?!” Keith called out, all four of you sending him a thumbs up in reply. The boat started to move and both tubes lifted up in the front before flopping down onto the water, immediately starting your competition.

Brady and Nick were ruthless, wasting no time to shift their tube over to you at a moment where your side had lifted up slightly, putting in effort to try and flip. Matt leaned all of his weight closer to you, you following suit so you could try to get the tube back down. All their effort did was bring them close to you and you took that chance to reach out with your left hand and try to grab Nick’s arm to pull his grip. “Hey!” He said, kicking his leg out and hitting the side of your tube, pushing them away and unfortunately, making them hit the first wave Keith had created.

Keith had no mercy as he drove the four of you around, making you all hit each and every wave he could come across, all while, of course, staying aware of other boaters. You constantly had to duck your head down to avoid getting a face full of water and whenever your tubes were tossed into the air, you felt your grip on the handle tighten like crazy. Your tube flopped back onto the water, giving you guys a little breathing time as Keith was searching for the next wave to try and get you guys on.

“Okay, so hear me out,” Matt said, spitting away the water that had ended up in his mouth. “The next wave we hit, if we lean to the left the moment we gain air, we can try and knock them off. You’d have to try and kick at their tube though before we hit back on the water.” He let go of his handle with his left hand and brushed his wet curls back. “Think you can do it?”

“Embarrassing Nick?” You smiled, nodding. “I was born for this moment.”

He laughed and bumped his shoulder against yours and reached back up for the handle as Keith took a sharp left. “All right, it’s coming up. Remember to kick the tube, not Nick.”

“What if I accidentally hit Nick?”

“Then I didn’t see anything,” he laughed, nodding ahead. “Get ready.”

You tighten your grip as you saw the bigger wave that Keith was having you go towards. Nick and Brady went up first, a little higher than normal but you and Matt were close behind them. “Now!” Matt yelled, leaning to the left. “Be careful not to tug the handle!”

You nodded, shifting to your left and felt your heart race as you could literally feel the wind push against your tube, sending you towards Nick and Brady. You reached your leg out, missing the first kick and getting Nick in the calf. “What the–” he turned towards you, “Y/N!”

“All’s fair little brother,” you smiled, kicking again at their tube and this time making contact with the side, shifting them off onto the left just as they hit the water. Unfortunately, they didn’t flip and neither Brady nor Nick let go of their handles. Instead, they were now skidding sideways, facing you and Matt.

“Shit,” Matt said, shaking the excess water from his hair as your tube kept a straight path behind the boat on the water. “They had better grips than I thought. Okay, new game plan.”

“What’s,” your tube flopped up, a gust of wind almost flipping you and your tube plopped back onto the water hard. “That?”

Matt turned to look at you, his eyes widening. “Hold on.”

“What?”

Keith whipped the boat to the left and Matt reached his left arm out and over you, gripping onto your other handle and scooting himself closer to you, almost as if he was bracing for something. You looked to your left and before your brain could even register a reaction, Brady and Nick were slamming into your tube, Nick kicking the side and shoving your tube towards the direction of a wave. Your tube went airborne and you felt yourself sliding towards the back. You felt your grip slipping, but when you tried to regrip, a gust of wind blew against your tube and you lost your grip completely.

Falling out from underneath Matt’s arm and off of the tube, landing into the water with enough force to knock the wind out of you and with a loud splash. Your lifejacket bobbed you back up to the surface where you took a few deep breaths and brushed the loose strands of hair out of your face. You looked ahead to see that Keith had slowed the boat down waiting for a chance to turn to come back and get you.. Nick and Brady were cheering and high-fiving on their tube, while Matt was sitting up on his knees slightly, still holding onto his handle. You treaded water as you waited for the boat to get closer. Something felt off, but you couldn’t quite put a finger on it. So, you just brushed it off on the fact you just got your shit rocked by the water. Keith waved as the rest of the adults, Addie and Taryn looked over at you, all laughing. He slowed down as they neared you driving by you and then turning back so Matt and your tube would be. They drifted by you before you were able to swim towards and make your way to the tube.

“I tried to keep you on,” Matt called out, lying on his stomach as he shifted in your direction.

“Guess I picked a bad time to readjust my grip,” you replied, coming to a stop just by the float.

“We can get them next time,” he smiled, holding out his hands to you. “Come on, I’ll pull you up.”

You reached for both of his hands and he pushed himself up onto his knees as he started to help you up. You felt a cold draft and before he could even get your waist out of the water, your eyes widened and you ripped your hands out of his. “No!”

“What?” He asked, as you plopped back down into the water. “What is it?”

“I uh,” you cleared your throat, feeling extremely exposed and embarrassed even though the water was shielding your bare bottom from sight.

That’s what felt so off…your bikini bottoms were gone.

You didn’t know what to do, scared that if you had swam your way towards the ladder of the boat, you’d accidentally expose yourself to everyone. But you had to do something, you couldn’t just tread there for the rest of your life. “I um…so, like,” you looked at him, feeling even more embarrassed. “I guess when I fell into the water, uh…my bottoms fell off.”

You watched it register in his brain. His eyebrows furrowed, nose crinkled and eyes squinting in confusion, followed by widened eyes and reddened cheeks as his eyes drifted down towards the water. “Don’t look!” You whined, splashing at him.

“I didn’t see anything, I swear!” He said, shaking his head as he averted his eyes. “Hold on.” He crawled towards the rope that tied the tube to the boat, tugging on it and pulling himself towards it. He leaned up, holding onto the side of the boat as he turned towards his mom and yours. He pointed back in your direction and they both looked over. You waved sheepishly as he crawled back onto the tube, pushing himself out and away from the boat towards you. “Swim towards the ladder and they’ll meet you there with a towel.”

You nodded, slowly doggy paddling your way towards the ladder at the back of the boat. “What is it, Y/N? Too scared to go against us again?” Nick chirped, laughing as him and Brady relaxed on their tube.

“Boys, close your eyes,” Chantal said, as her and your mom stood at the edge of the boat.

“What? Why?” Brady asked, propping himself up onto his elbows.

“Just close your eyes, Brady.” Matt said, covering his eyes with his hands and ducking his head down.

Brady and Nick followed suit and you looked behind you to make sure they really had their eyes closed before you reached for the ladder. “Please make sure they keep their eyes closed,” you said, looking up at the two moms, starting to climb out of the water. “This is already embarrassing.”

“No worries, sweetheart,” Chantal said as your mom held open a towel for you. “Brady lost his swim trunks last summer, only he didn’t realize it until he already climbed back onto the tube.”

“Y/N LOST HER BOTTOMS?” Nick yelled, almost causing you to slip as you stepped onto the boat. “IS THAT A TATTOO? YOU HAVE AN ASS TATT?”

“NICHOLAS!” You yelled, grabbing the towel as your mom rushed to wrap it around you. You whipped around to see Nick turning beet red as he shoved his head down into his tube. You looked over at Matt who was looking over at Nick. When he turned back to you, it was evident by his reddening face and ears, that he had pretty much just seen your bare ass.

“Boys, come up on the boat, we’re heading back to the house,” Keith called out, keeping stalled.

Your shoulders slumped as you held the towel tight around your waist, trying not to die of embarrassment. You sat down in between Addie and Taryn, tucking the towel securely as your mom and Chantal helped reel them in. Brady and Nick were the first ones onto the boat, Nick avoiding all eye contact with you as he and Brady sat down with their towels across from you, their tube resting at the end inside of the boat. Matt climbed up next, pulling the tube in behind him and offering his seat up to your mom and his, sitting down by the tubes to keep them from flying out. He too was avoiding eye contact with you and you groaned, sinking back into your seat.

Nick finally looked at you, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. “So…why a cartoon shark?”

+

Due to the embarrassment of forever losing your bikini bottoms in the lake, it was suggested that you were the one to take the first shower. You wanted to hide the rest of the trip in that shower, never wanting to have to look any of the Tkachuks in the eye again. Yet, when you were done with your shower and joined everyone else in the living room to offer up the next shower, you were surprised that none of them seemed to be as bothered by it as you were. Which was a huge weight relief off of your shoulders.

While everyone was taking their turns in the shower, you were helping set up the fire pit for the bonfire tonight. It was a constant cycle of people coming and going inside, and as time passed, the fire pit was set up, the fireworks you guys were planning to set off were set down by the extended dock and dinner was almost done. Keith had grilled chicken and burgers and your mom and Chantal had made a tone of side dishes from the night before. Everyone was split between two tables on the deck– which coincidentally turned out to be the adults table and kids table.

You were still kind of embarrassed from what had happened at the lake, so you found yourself sitting between Taryn and Brady– Matt having to sit next to Nick and Addie. You guys ate dinner as the sun was setting and before you guys could clean up the table and pack everything up before you went to sit down by the firepit, your mom and Chantal brought out a birthday cake, complete with lit candles. You felt a warm sense of comfort wash over you as your family and the Tkachuks sang you happy birthday, forgetting for a split second about your wardrobe malfunction. When they placed the cake in front of you, you looked up to see Matt sitting across from you, a smile on his face. At the end of their song, you didn’t even need to think twice about a wish before you closed your eyes and blew out the candles.

A decision was made to cut up the cake while your dad and Keith set up the bonfire and the fireworks. As everyone huddled around the table, waiting for a piece, you whispered in your mom’s ear that you claimed a corner and then walked inside to go switch out your shirt since a breeze was starting to pick up. It was the girls night down in the basement, so that was the first place you went to go and try and find a sweatshirt. When you walked down and reached your suitcase, you squatted down and flipped up the top expecting to find your suitcase right on top of your packing cubes where you had put it on the move down to the basement…only it wasn’t there.

“Already calling it a night?” You looked over your shoulder to see Matt walking down the end of the stairs, his hands in his pockets. “I think there’s a corner piece of birthday cake that Brady is eying, but clearly has your name on it. Literally, has your name on it.”

You laughed, closing your suitcase and standing back up. “I just wanted to find a sweatshirt. The breeze is picking up and suddenly this shirt and the rest of my outfit are not cutting it.”

He walked over to the couch, reaching over and grabbing a dark gray hoodie before walking over to you and holding it out. “You can wear this. I’ve got a long sleeve on, so I won’t need it.”

You accepted his offer and took the sweatshirt, tugging it on over your head and sliding your arms through the sleeves. You looked down to see that it was a Calgary Flames hoodie. “Let me guess,” you smiled, trying not to get too mesmerized by the smell of his cologne that was still lingering on the fabric. “It’s got Tkachuk on the back.”

“Naturally,” he laughed, nodding at the sweatshirt. “I’m hoping you’ll get used to wearing Calgary anything, especially if it has my name and number on it.”

“I don’t think my dad would be too pleased to know you’re trying to convert me, Matthew.” You joked, raising an eyebrow.

“Parents love me, I think I can talk my way out of that one,” he shrugged, smiling.

“So did my mom send you down here to come get me?”

“Nope,” he replied, adding emphasis on the ‘p.’ “I came down all on my own because this is probably the one time I’ll be able to get you alone away from the siblings and our parents.”

You prayed that the blush would stay away from your cheeks as he walked closer to you. “Consider my interests piqued,” you laughed, nodding at him.

“Well, I just wanted to give you your birthday present,” he smiled, pulling a small card out of his pocket. “Go on, open it.”

You looked down at the small orange envelope, sliding your finger beneath the seal and breaking it, then pulling out what looked like to be a handwritten card. “This card is good for,” you opened it and laughed. “10 golf lessons from Matthew Tkachuk, free of charge. Tips in the form of kisses accepted.” You looked at him and he smiled. “Strangely, I actually really like this gift and will most definitely take you up on it.”

“Great, because that wasn’t your real gift.” He walked over to the tv, squatting down and opening the tv stand cabinet, pulling out a gift back and walking back over. “Because this is.”

You took the bag from him and grabbed the tissue paper that was hiding whatever was inside. You reached in and pulled out a rolled up black and yellow sweatshirt. “You got me a Steelers sweatshirt?” You smiled, looking at him.

“Trust me, there’s more.”

“Matt…”

“Keep going,” he laughed, waving at the bag. You reached in and pulled out a black tumblr, reading the font. “Nick said that you rely on your coffee every morning and said you wouldn’t buy a traveling mug for some reason…so, ta-da.”

“How did it feel buying the Steelers stuff?” You laughed, putting the cup back into the bag.

He plopped his hand over his heart, groaning. “It pained my heart, I swear. Now come on, one more in there.”

You shook your head, pulling out a rolled up material. You put the Steelers sweatshirt back into the bag with the cup and unrolled the red material. Your eyes were immediately met with TKACHUK spelled down the spine and the number 19 above it. You flipped it around and as expected, it had the Calgary Flames logo on the front. You laughed, looking at him and smiling. “I love it, thank you.”

“Figured I’d get you started on your Calgary collection,” he smiled, shrugging his shoulders.

You rolled the shirt back up and put it into the bag, stuffing the card and envelope in there too. You rested the bag on top of your suitcase and walked over to him, wrapping your arms around his waist. “I loved the gifts, thank you. And I appreciate your sacrifice of having to buy the Steelers merchandise.”

He wrapped his arms around your shoulders, hugging you and smiling. “It was no biggie and who knows, maybe you’ll be able to convert me to a part-time Steelers fan.”

“Really?”

He shook his head, laughing. “Not a chance.”

You rolled your eyes, ready to come back with a chirp when he leaned down and pressed his lips against yours. It was the first time since the two of you had stepped foot into the lake house that you were able to kiss him, your parents or your siblings always around.

You gripped his t-shirt, stepping yourself up onto your toes and wanting to take the kiss further as his left hand came up and cradled your face. “This is exactly why Mom and Dad won’t let us all sleep down here.”

You and Matt pulled apart, turning towards the stairs to see Brady and Nick standing there, mischievous smiles on their faces. “You’re lucky we came up with separate reasons to come inside.”

“We’re extremely grateful, thank you,” you replied, rolling your eyes at your brother. “Now what do you want, Nick?”

“Well we’re getting ready to do fireworks,” Brady said, looking at Nick. “But since we figured we’d find the two of you together, we’ve come up with a proposition.”

“Yeah,” Nick chimed in, crossing his arms. “You say that all you want for your birthday is for everyone to have a movie night down in the basement and we won’t tell them that you two were rounding second when we walked in.”

You choked on air as you stared at Nick before looking at Matt. “We were barely on first!”

“Who will they believe?” Nick asked, shrugging his shoulders. “The girl who’s been down here for about 5 minutes now with her…hook-up, boyfriend guy? Or the sweet, innocent younger brother who just wants to be able to sleep in the basement?”

You rolled your eyes, knowing it wasn’t even worth the argument. “Fine. I’ll ask.” You pointed at them, squinting your eyes. “But if I even hear the words first or second, followed by base, come out of your mouth– you’re both done.”

“Great doing business with you,” Nick said, turning back towards the stairs.

“Oh, and Stranger Things season 3 is out, so we’re watching that first!” Brady called out, as he followed behind. “And after that, we still get the first pick of the movie!”

You turned to Matt, shaking your head. “I’m starting to think that the two of them being friends is a very, very bad idea.”

Matt just laughed, putting an arm over your shoulder. “Come on, we’ve got some fireworks to go watch.”

Everyone was crowded around the firepit, waiting for you and Matt to join them before the fireworks were set to start. Nick and Brady gave the two of you a taunting smile, reminding you both of the promise that you made. The only thing is that you felt extremely nervous asking Chantal and Keith whether or not it was okay for everyone to have a sleepover in the basement. It wasn’t just your parents’ rule, it was theirs too– plus, it was also their lakehouse.

“Mom, Dad,” Matt spoke up, putting you ahead of him as you took a seat down on one of the chairs. “Netflix just dropped season 3 of Stranger Things today, is there anyway we can all stay in the basement tonight to watch it?”

Keith and Chantal looked at each other, then Keith turned to your parents. “We’re okay with it, are you?”

Your mom nodded and your dad pointed at Nick and Addie. “You two don’t sleep near the other,” you felt a smile creep onto your face until he turned to you and Matt. “And the same goes for you.”

“No need to worry about us, Dad,” Nick smiled, throwing an arm over Addie’s shoulder. “We’re saints.”

You held back your snort, but instead just smiled at the parents. “Thanks guys.”

“All right, let’s get these fireworks on the road, huh?” Keith said, standing up and walking over towards the dock, your dad following behind.

Matt moved his chair closer to yours before sitting down. You shifted in your seat, plopping your legs on top of his thighs, his hands immediately grabbing them so they wouldn’t fall off. The two of you shared a smile before turning your attention back to the direction of the fireworks, only to see your Mom’s staring at you. “What?” You asked, bringing your hand to your face. “Is there a bug on me or something?”

“No, it’s not that,” Chantal smiled, shaking her head. “We were just talking about the two of you.”

“Mom,” Matt groaned, leaning his head back.

“No, no, it’s nothing bad, I swear,” your mom chimed in, laughing. “You two are just…really natural together. You mesh well and we were just talking about how we haven’t seen either of you stop smiling from the moment we got here.”

You groaned this time, lolling your head towards Matt and leaning into him. You ignored the armchair digging into your side, wanting to just bury your face into him and disappear. “It’s just really sweet is all,” Chantal laughed, interrupted by the booming of a firework.

You all turned your attention towards the water, looking up just as the blue sparks fizzled out. A few seconds later, a purple and blue firework bursted into the sky and you leaned your head onto Matt’s shoulder. You felt his thumb rub against your shoulder as the two of you watched the show– fireworks from other houses on the lake, soon starting to join yours in the sky.

You felt Matt’s breath against your ear as he pressed a kiss to your temple. “Happy Birthday.”

You looked at him and smiled, pressing a quick, soft kiss to his lips. “Best birthday ever.”

( AUGUST )

When it came to hanging out with Matt, you never thought for a second that you’d befriend his entire family the way that you did. Sometimes, late at night when it took you a little longer to fall asleep, you couldn’t help but draw the comparisons between how your family and the Johnson’s came together and how your family and the Tkachuks came together. Even Mason had joked it was almost a sort of deja vu– the two families coming together and being such great friends due to two of their kids meeting by chance. Matt and Brady would bring Nick along whenever they’d go train with their dad and some of their friends. And on the days their training took longer than normal, you, Addie, Mason and Taryn would hangout– bouncing around from house to house. Whenever Matt wasn’t training, the two of you were hanging out at home or going out into the city, taking advantage of the end of summer.

The Tkachuk boys left St. Louis to go on what Matt explained was their annual ‘guys trip’, two days into August. It was a week trip they took with their dad and both of their grandfather’s, where they spent some quick quality time together before Brady and Matt were off to training camp to prepare for the new season. Before he left, Matt was stressed out because he was still in talks with Calgary about signing his contract– and by the way things were looking, even from a month out, he wouldn’t be arriving to camp on time.

This was a whole new territory for you, so you weren’t sure how to comfort him about it. Were you supposed to agree with him? Just listen and give him a chance to talk it all out? Was your feedback even warranted? You wracked your brain for the words to say every time he would leave the room to talk on the phone with his agent, never able to find the words once he stepped back. But usually, by then, he would just plop back down beside you and close his eyes- so you always had a way out. The morning that the Tkachuk men left for their trip, Matt sent you a text, letting you know that he’d get in contact with you once they landed. You had hoped that by the time he was on the plane, he had found at least some kind of peace of mind about the whole contract negotiations- but when you had woken up to see a snap from him, you knew that he hadn’t. It was a simple selfie of him sitting in his seat, his hoodie tugged over his head, a neck pillow behind him, headphones in his ears, half of his eye mask covering his face, and him giving you a thumbs up with a small smile on his face.. The little glimpse of his expression that the eye-mask didn’t hide, only showed that if anything, he was more stressed about everything on the flight to what should be a relaxing vacation.

That first he was there, he facetimed you to show you the view from their hotel. However, one thing he didn’t take into account was the six hour difference– where his 8 A.M. wake up, was your 2 A.M. mid-sleep. Nonetheless, you answered his call, half away and eyes full of sleep– part of you turned away from how chipper he was that early in the morning, but the other half just happy to see that he was somehow managing to put his stress about the contract behind him and enjoy his vacation. After the time mix-up, he facetimed you again where this time, you were getting ready to go out to your community pool with Taryn, while he was getting ready to go out to dinner, waiting for Brady to finished getting dressed so they could go meet their dad and grandfather’s in the lobby of their hotel. Brady took over the facetime call, occasionally popping into the frame to tell you how Matt wouldn’t stop talking about you and you just watched as the two brothers fought for who got to stay in frame. A hard pillow toss to the head shut Brady up and knocked him out of frame for a few seconds, just long enough for Matt to say goodnight and that he’d call you in the morning.

After you hung up, you had sent him a text. You pushed for Matt to try and stay off of his phone, to try to just spend time with his family on the trip and to take in the scenery, and he agreed almost immediately. But of course, when you woke up that Thursday morning, four days after he had promised not to get too caught up in his phone, you had a ton of drunk texts and snaps from Matt, the gist of them all being that he was still feeling stressed about his contract and no matter how hard he tried to focus on being with his family, all he wanted to do was be back at the lake house with you because that was the last time he felt like he didn’t have this deadline looming over him like deadweight. It was heartbreaking to say the least, because you felt just as helpless with him being all the way in Europe than you did when he would be right beside you. Not even the drunken videos of Matt singing karaoke or trying to brush his teeth and get into bed, all courtesy of a less drunk Brady, could cheer you up. Naturally, you went to your mom for advice, but strangely, she suggested that you talk to Chantal about what to do.

So on Saturday, the day Matt was set to fly home from Scotland, you asked Chantal if you could get her advice on something. She came by to pick you up once Taryn left for her field hockey workout and the two of you drove downtown where the two of you settled down in a Panera booth after ordering. She started off the conversation, asking you how packing was coming along and if you were excited to go to Calgary in less than a month. It was all you could do not to blurt out how you were worried about Matt, but of course, instead, you replied with a polite smile, telling her that you were really excited to live in a place that was outside of St. Louis.

By the time your food came to your table, the worry was just lingering in your mind. You were trying to figure out how to bring it up to her, not wanting it to come across as something she needed to be extremely worried about. He was her son, she knew him best after all– but any mother would be seriously worried if someone were to say that they were worried about one of their children.

“Are you okay, Y/N?” She asked, taking a sip of her green tea. “You seem like you’ve got a lot on your mind.”

“I kind of do,” you replied, letting your spoon clink against the side of your soup bowl. “It’s about Matt.”

“Okay, what is it?” As expected, she did seem a little caught off guard. She tilted her head to the side, putting down the half of her sandwich she was going to take a bite of. “He didn’t do or say anything stupid, did he?”

You laughed quietly, shaking your head. “No, nothing along those lines. It’s just that I’m kind of worried about him and how he’s taking this contract negotiation.” You looked down at your soup shrugging your shoulders. “I don’t know, maybe it’s stupid.”

“Of course it’s not, sweetheart,” she said, giving you a friendly smile. “If you’ve got a feeling something might be up, never brush that off. Always trust your own gut and never brush off your own feelings.”

You nodded, looking back at her. “It’s just, before he left, I could tell that he was pretty stressed about it. And even just talking to him while he’s been over there…it hasn’t changed. I tried to get his mind off of it and have him focus on just being with them– and I thought he had because I’d see the pictures on his snapchat story or the one’s he’d send me.” You took a sip of your green tea, shaking your head. “And then on Thursday I woke up to a bunch of texts where he was just saying that all he could focus on was the deadline and that he wished he was back at the lake house because that was the last time he felt like he didn’t have the deadline looming over him like a deadweight.”

She took a deep breath and exhaled, wiping her hands with her napkin. “Keith’s been keeping tabs on him since they left, so I know exactly what you’re talking about.”

You felt a weight lift off your shoulders, the burden of being the only one knowing of Matt’s stressing, evaporated the moment you knew his parents knew. “I tried to get him to just tell me about Scotland when he did call, but I don’t think it was enough– and I just feel sort of helpless…you know?”

“Of course, and that’s a natural thing to feel when you guys have this relationship that you do.” She took another sip of her drink, putting the cup back onto the table. “Matthew’s a really passionate person. When he’s dedicated to something, he gives his all and then some. With him, it’s 100% or nothing. And from the moment he made the team, he’s worked really hard for them. Everything he does on and off the ice, is so he could help push his team to be better and do better.”

“That makes sense,” you smiled, shaking your head. “When he took me to TopGolf on our first date, he was insistent on teaching me the proper form. Even after I threw the club onto the range, he was still giving me notes in the car and saying how we could go again.”

“That’s Matthew,” she laughed, nodding. “He feels a huge responsibility to be there for his teammates, the team and the fans. He has since the moment he got drafted. So when he found out about Calgary not being one hundred percent onboard with the offer, he got nervous. His mind first went to, ‘okay, if this gets dragged out, will I be letting my team down? Is it selfish of me to ask for this?’ He’s really passionate and caring about the people in his life, and he’s extremely selfless.”

You picked up your spoon again, twirling it around in your soup before bringing it up to your mouth and sipping it. “That’s one of my favorite things about him. Especially with how him and Brady have taken to Nick. I know he was really struggling with his decision about deciding to stay at Michigan another year, but Quinn and Brady steered him away from the doubt. And Matt’s been helping him stay in shape.” You put your spoon down, smiling at her. “You guys raised some pretty great kids.”

“I’m flattered, really,” she laughed, taking a bite of her sandwich and chewing it, swallowing and then taking a sip of her drink. “I could say the same about your parents.”

The two of you sat in a comfortable silence, each taking the opportunity to eat some of your food. You took a break from your soup and bit into your grilled cheese, chewing it and then taking another sip of your green tea. “Do you know when they’ll be getting in tonight?”

“I think Keith said they had two layovers,” she brought out her phone, scrolling through before nodding. “Yep, two layovers. One in Amsterdam and the other in Atlanta. And according to their flight itinerary, they should be back by 10:30 tonight.”

“Good luck with getting them all to wake up in the morning,” you laughed, taking another sip of your soup. “If Brady and Matt were so anti-morning at the lake house, I could only imagine how bad it’ll be after what? 14 hours of traveling?”

“19,” she said, sucking in air through her teeth before putting her phone away. “I don’t plan on seeing them until at least early tomorrow afternoon.”

“Taryn and I have them waking up at 3 P.M,” you laughed, taking a sip of your drink. “Though I wouldn’t be surprised if they woke up around dinner time.”

“Taryn told me that you and Addie were staying the night tonight and the three of you are going to have a One Tree Hill marathon in the basement tonight?”

“That’s the plan. Taryn said she’s only seen some of the episodes and Charlotte made Addie and I absolutely obsessed with it growing up, so we decided just to do a girls night sort of thing before we all start school.”

“I’ve got a big feeling that she’ll miss you once you go to Calgary,” she laughed, taking a bite of her sandwich, eating it. “I mean, she’s got me, but she’s really enjoyed having you and Addie to hang out with, instead of just Matthew and Brady.”

“Nick feels the same way, I’m sure. He’s got Colton and Mason, but they’re not as into playing hockey as they are watching it. So having Matt and Brady to hang out and talk hockey with is like, a dream come true to him. I’m starting to think he might even forget I exist once I go to Calgary.”

“Were you able to find an apartment in Calgary? Or are graduate students allowed to stay in the dorms?”

“I got a full scholarship there, so my dorm is provided,” you smiled, nodding. “It’ll be weird, because I think it’s just a single room and I’ve spent the last four years of undergrad rooming with someone. Last year I roomed with three people.”

“Well, I hope Matthew offered to at least show you around on his free days. I know he said you’d be going for your Master’s while also being a T.A.” She wiped her hands on her napkin again, putting it onto her empty plate. “I’ve been to Calgary a few times since he moved up there and it’s really a nice place to walk around.”

“He has,” you smiled, finishing your soup. “He actually offered to do that the first time that we met, when I said I was moving up there.”

“Good, just making sure he’s being the gentleman I raised him to be,” she laughed. “Has he offered you a place to stay, too?”

You felt your cheeks start to heat up, only because this was his mom and you couldn’t help but feel a tad bit embarrassed at the topic of you and Matt spending the night together, when at the lake house it was pretty much forbidden and the few times you stayed at the Tkachuk home, you stayed in the basement with Taryn or in the guest room. “Oh, um..”

“No need to be embarrassed, Y/N,” she smiled, making you feel a little more at ease. “The two of you are adults and it’d be pretty naive of us to think that with the state of your relationship, you guys wouldn’t be physically involved.”

You almost choked on air, trying to hide the slight panic from creeping on your face. “Mrs. Chantal, we’re not…we haven’t…really…had that talk, yet.” You found yourself playing with your spoon again. “I mean, we’re just getting to know each other, is all.”

She nodded, raising her eyebrows and giving you an all too knowing look. “Of course, your generation does that whole, talking thing. Well, I hope he’s kind enough to offer you a place to stay if you ever need it. He doesn’t have a two bedroom apartment for nothing.”

You laughed as the two of you stood up, taking your trash with you and throwing it away as you walked out of the door. “I’m just happy that I’ll have someone I know there.”

“If my intuition is right, Y/N,” she smiled, walking beside you as you guys made your way back to her car. “I’m more than positive that you’ll have an entire roster of people to know, and their families.”

You couldn’t help but smile at the idea of Matt introducing you to his teammates. You didn’t know much about the lives of a Professional athlete, but it was only safe to assume that they didn’t go around introducing their fling or hook-up to their teammates and their families. So, maybe Chantal was right– maybe there was just a little more between you and Matt then ‘getting to know each other.’

+

A One Tree Hill marathon and girls night, was probably the exact thing you needed the most. You, Taryn and Addie all put your phones away, focused on nothing but the show, the snacks and just the pure relaxation. Chantal had even joined you, bringing down a bunch of face masks she had found in her bathroom. In the time that it took to get them on, you guys tried to catch her up on the episodes that she had missed. The main plan was to stuff yourselves full of enough junk food to keep yourselves up and awake to not only enjoy binge watching the show, but to also be able to greet the four returning Tkachuks before they went into hibernation until tomorrow afternoon.

However, around 9:30, when their flight to St. Louis was supposed to take off, Chantal received a text from Keith saying that they’d be delayed for at least another hour and a half due to a storm in Atlanta– but that the woman at the info desk said it could be longer. At that point, the four of you weren’t all that sure just how long you’d be able to make it to 11 P.M. the sugar high crashing down real quick. You were tempted to reach into the drawer of the coffee table to grab your phone and text Matt, but you knew that you’d see him in a few hours and that girls night and quite frankly, Nathan Scott, was more important right now.  Besides, the long travel day and the jet lag would no doubt be already catching up to Matt, so he was probably slumped over in his chair, sleeping against Brady.

Chantal said goodnight at 10 P.M. leaving the three of you downstairs to your own devices. Once the new episode ended, you guys agreed to go ahead and claim your spots for the night. Addie, like a speed demon, practically launched herself onto the blow up mattress the three of you had started out on, practically star fishing on it. Which left you and Taryn with your own ends of the sectional. You took the free time to go ahead and help Taryn grab the extra pillows and blankets they had stored in a closet, handing them out so you guys could make your beds for the night.

By the time you guys had settled in for the night, everyone had crashed down from the sugar high. Addie was already passed out, still stretched out across the mattress with her phone lighting up in her hand. You picked it up and put it back onto the table on your way back from the bathroom, flipping it upside down so the light wouldn’t be too bright. When you laid down across your end, you stretched your legs out on the chaise– feeling like you’d been hit like a truck with exhaustion.

“Hey, Y/N are you awake?” You heard Taryn whisper from across the sectional.

“Barely,” you laughed, pulling the blanket up. “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to say that I don’t know what’s going on between you and Matt. I don’t know if you’re dating, just talking or what…but I think you’re really good for him.”

You smiled, rolling onto your back and staring at the dark ceiling. “You sound like our mom’s right now like they were back at the lake house,” you turned your head in her direction, laughing. “Do you realize that?”

She laughed. “Well, they’re right…he smiles a lot more than usual now.” A moment of silence passed by and you heard her roll over, moving her blanket with her. “Oh and you’re welcome for letting him borrow my suitcase. I’m taking full props for this.”

“As you most definitely should,” you replied, sighing as the silence took over once again. You stared at the table, contemplating once again, on whether or not you should check your phone and send Matt a text. But when you rolled onto your side, it was like your eyes just couldn’t stay open…and you fell asleep.

You felt the couch and chaise dip behind you, an arm draping across your waist and a chin resting on your shoulder. You took a deep breath, exhaling before looking over your shoulder, your eyes taking a little time to open. You didn’t need to see in the dark to be able to recognize the cologne radiating off of him. “Hi,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to your cheek. “Don’t wake up, go back to sleep.”

You rolled over onto your left side, this position allowing Matt to pull you into him. “Hi,” you whispered, reaching up with your hand to rub your eyes. “What time is it?”

“Almost 1:30. We didn’t leave Atlanta until midnight,” he sighed, his head further sinking into one of the couch pillows. “I’m exhausted.”

“That’s what almost 20 something hours of traveling does to you,” you laughed, reaching out and brushing your fingers through his curls. “You should get some sleep.”

“I was going to just stop by and say goodnight, and then go to my room,” he tightened his grip around your waist, shaking his head. “But now I’m too comfortable to move. I think I’m stuck.”

You laughed again, grabbing onto your blanket and tugging it out from underneath him before draping it over him. “We can cuddle, then.”

“I swear to God, if you two do anything but cuddle I will commit first degree murder,” you heard Addie mumble into her pillow, rolling over across the air mattress.

“Agreed. Just shut up and go to sleep!” Taryn whined, tugging the blanket over her head.

You and Matt laughed softly as you reached for the hood of his sweatshirt that was halfway falling off of his head. You tugged it forward after running your fingers through his hair one more time. “No, keep doing that,” he mumbled, not lifting his head off of the pillow. “Makes me sleepy.”

You slid your fingers under the hood, massaging his scalp with your fingertips as you ran your fingers through his messy curls. “Goodnight,” you whispered, your arm resting against the side of his head as you laid beside him.

He nodded, leaning across and kissing you softly. “Goodnight, I’ll see you in the morning.”

You laid there for a few seconds, continuing to run your fingers through his curls as you listened to his breathing slow down before a soft snore escaped from his slightly parted lips. You kissed his forehead one more time, removing your hand from underneath his hood and draping your arm over his waist. You knew that you and Matt would probably have to answer to Chantal and Keith in the morning about the two of you sleeping down here.

But for right now, all that mattered was how safe and relaxed you felt in his embrace as the sound of his heart beating against his chest, lulled you to a deep slumber.

( SEPTEMBER )

Four weeks.

It’s been four weeks since you left St. Louis for Calgary by yourself. Four weeks of getting yourself settled into your single dorm with the furniture from undergrad that made it feel a little more like home. Four weeks of settling into classes while balancing meetings with Professor Robinson to help her with lesson plans. Four weeks of trying to get out of your dorm and walk around downtown like Chantal had suggested, and thanks to her suggestion, you had found a cute little mom and pop style café, making a mental note that you’d have to settle down there one night to do homework. And of course, four weeks of talking to Matt over facetime, snapchat and texts whenever you were free– which of course, was every night.

When the last week of August came and you flew out to Calgary, Matt was there with your Mom to drop you off at the airport. The time the two of you had spent together from when he got home from Scotland, to your departure, you’d tried your best to keep his mind off of the contract signing. And, you liked to think that it worked, because he was so carefree around you. But his face when the two of you stood in the airport, said otherwise.

“I could totally buy a ticket to Calgary and just go with you,” he mumbled into your neck, hugging your waist as you checked in at the kiosk.

You confirmed your bags and waited for the kiosk to print your boarding pass, turning around and looking at him. “You’ll be there with me in no time, I know it.”

He sighed, looking down at you as the corners of his mouth turned down. “I don’t know. I’ve just got a feeling it’s not going to work out till it’s too late…” He averted his eyes away from you, and you could see that he was starting to go into the endless abyss of ‘what-ifs.’

“Hey,” you reached up, cupping the left side of his face, gaining his attention. “Everything’s going to work out, okay? Calgary is going to realize what a ridiculously skilled forward you are and that they’d be crazy to let slip through their fingers. You’re going to sign your contract and then you’ll be in Calgary with your team.”

He sighed, leaning into your touch before turning and kissing your palm. “See? This is why I need to go with you. You know how to make everything okay.”

You let your thumb brush along his beard before letting it drop back to your side. “Nope, not happening.” You turned back around and saw the kiosk had printed off your boarding pass. You picked it up and grabbed your suitcase, Matt grabbing the other as you got in line to check your bags.

“Okay, so security doesn’t look too long. Customs might be where you hit a bit of traffic though,” your mom said, joining the two of you in line. “Why so much international travel right now? I have no clue.”

“Ma’am, I can help you right here,” the woman behind the counter said, tearing your attention away from your mom.

They walked up to the counter with you, Matt putting one suitcase on the scale. You handed over your boarding pass and drivers license, leaning into his side as the woman searched through the system. “You’re checking two bags and your destination is Calgary?”

“Yes ma’am,” you replied, putting the second suitcase up onto the scale as she took the other off.

Two tags came out of a printer as she slid your boarding pass and drivers license back to you. “All right, you’re all set. Here’s the receipt and on the back is the number for your luggage. Keep that with you and when you get to Calgary, if it’s missing, you’ll just show that to customer service.”

“Thank you,” you smiled, grabbing your boarding pass and license, sliding your backpack onto your side as you put your license back into your wallet, and then the wallet into your backpack. You zipped it and slid it back around, putting your arm through the other strap.

Matt stood behind you, zipping up whatever you had missed and then stood on your right, grabbing your hand and intertwining his fingers with yours. “Are you ready to head to the gate?” Your mom asked, smiling.

You nodded in reply, as she started to walk on your left. The three of you made the short trek from check-in to the security point and with every step you took, you found yourself wishing that it was only a little bit further. Matt feeling the same, since the closer you got, the most often he would squeeze your hand subtly.

When you came to a stop just outside of the roped off lines, Matt let your hand fall from his. “Well, I’ll see you at Thanksgiving?” Your mom smiled, holding her arms open.

“Of course! As if I’d ever let Nick be the one to decide the seating arrangements,” you laughed, walking into her embrace. She hugged you tight, a hand coming up to the back of your head as she brushed down your hair. “I’m proud of you for going off and following your dreams. Next thing you know, you’ll be working for some fancy company doing their social media stuff.” She pulled back, resting her hands on your shoulders as her eyes drifted over your shoulder, a small smile on her face. She looked back at you and winked. “Maybe even a sports team.”

“All right, all right, that’s enough,” you laughed, trying to fight back your blushing cheeks. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Y/N.” She squeezed your shoulders and let her hands drop. “I’ll go ahead and give you guys a moment. Matthew, I’ll be over there by the chairs.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

When your Mom walked away, you turned around to face Matt. He had his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants and he was looking at the security line. He sighed and looked at you, tilting his head to the side with a small smile. “I could always just buy a ticket and stay with you until you go through Customs.”

“No, Matthew,” you smiled, reaching out and grabbing his right wrist. “You’re not paying $300 just to walk me through security.” You tugged on his wrist, bringing his hand out of his pocket as you stepped towards him and placed his hand on your shoulder. “Now give me a hug.”

“It was worth a try.” He laughed, bringing his other hand out of his pocket and wrapping his arms around your neck, leaning down and resting his head on top of yours.

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, letting the scent of his cologne mixed with lavender fabric softener, burn it’s place into your mind. The truth was, you didn’t know how long it would take for him and Calgary to agree on contract terms. Part of you wanted to believe it would happen within the next week and he’d be there with you in Calgary in no time, like you said he would. But overhearing Matt talk with his dad…you weren’t all that sure what to expect. Which is why you took this time to embrace him. You wanted to do nothing more than bury your head into his chest and stay there. The two of you weren’t official by any means, but you’d spend almost every day together this summer. It was hard to think that you were about to spend who knows how long without him. You almost forgot what life was like those 21 years without him– and now that you knew what life was like with him in it…you didn’t want to go back.

“I’m going to miss you,” he whispered into your hair, pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

You felt the lump in your throat grow before you could even the tears burn in your eyes. You shut them tight and wrapped your arms around his waist tighter. “It won’t be long,” you managed to say, hiding your urge to cry. “You’ll be there before you know it.”

He leaned back slightly, looking down at you, but you couldn’t bring yourself to remove your head from his chest– your mind too busy trying to memorize the pattern of his heartbeat. “You’re right. I’ll be there next week, no doubt.”

You looked up at him, not caring if he would notice the tears in your eyes. He had a smile on his face, one that seemed reassuring. “You think so?”

“Oh yeah,” he scoffed, nodding his head. “And when I get there, we’re going out. To dinner, to lunch, to breakfast– I don’t care.” His hands came up to cradle your face, his thumbs brushing away the tears on your cheeks. “All I know is that I’ll be there with you and with my team– the two things that matter most…well, besides my family.”

You laughed, sniffling lightly. “And we’ll facetime…right?”

“As if I could go a single day without seeing your face,” his thumbs stopped brushing your cheeks and his smile fell slightly. “You’ll miss your flight.”

You nodded, sniffling again, not wanting to let go of his sweatshirt you had been holding onto. “I’ll miss you.”

He leaned in and kissed you, his left hand tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. He pulled back and placed a soft kiss on your left cheek, then your right and finally your nose, looking back down at you and smiling. He let his hands drop from your face, his left hand immediately grabbing your right. “Call me when you land?”

You nodded, squeezing his hand. “Get some sleep. God only knows why you decided to wake up at 7:00 A.M. to see me off at the airport.”

He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. “You’re worth a few missed hours of sleep.” He squeezed your hand again and then nodded at security. “Now go.”

You walked towards security, your hand falling from his. Your back was turned to him as you walked up to the TSA Officer working the lines. She checked your boarding pass and then sent you to the general line. You walked through the zig zagged ropes, coming to a stop at the corner where the sight between security and the waiting area would be limited. You turned back to see Matt still standing there, a sad smile on his face as he gave you a gentle wave.

You waved back before walking around the corner, his sad smile imprinted in your mind.

You remembered getting that text from him this morning, the one saying that he had signed his contract and would be on a flight to Calgary in a few hours. You had just woken up and thought you were dreaming– you’d had the dream before– and had to reread it at least ten times before you replied back with a bunch of emojis. The entire day as you shuffled between sitting in class as a student and sitting in class as a T.A.– all you could think about was finally seeing Matt. Even Professor Robinson took notice when the two of you stopped by the school shop to grab a snack between class. You’d known her since your freshman year of undergrad, not only was she your professor but she was also your mentor and you had formed a pretty good relationship with her over the years. So, you were more than comfortable to tell her about the boy you met this summer at home. You were even more surprised when she had said she was excited that he had finally signed his contract. You hadn’t mentioned the fact that he played hockey, and when she saw your face she laughed and said her husband was a very big Flames fan.

When your last class of the day came to an end, you stayed put at the second table at the front of the classroom, finishing up some annotations for your paper that was due in two days. “Aren’t you supposed to be meeting someone special soon?” Professor Robinson asked, carrying her shoulder bag. “Say, a certain boy coming home?”

You laughed, nodding. “I am. He wanted to meet me here so we could just go from campus to grab dinner. I sent him my location, so hopefully he finds his way here. If you see a curly headed blonde boy who looks a little lost, could you send him this way?”

“Count on it,” she smiled, walking towards the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Goodnight Y/N.”

“Goodnight, Professor Robinson.” You replied, turning back to your computer as she walked out of the classroom.

You leaned back into your chair, sighing as you stared out at the empty seats. Today had actually been a pretty laid back day for a Wednesday. Sure, you had a full schedule, but the actual classes just seemed to fly by. And for two of them, all you really did was sit off to the side and work on some homework for your main classes, only stopping if Professor Robinson needed you to do something or if someone came to ask for help. Now, all you wanted to do was get something to eat and see Matt. You sat back up straight, your eyes skimming along the last typed thing on your paper. You saved it and looked down at your planner to the right, crossing the paper off of your to-do list. Now, all you needed to do was print it out sometime tomorrow and wait to turn it in. You closed your computer, arching your back as you pressed your closed fists into the middle of it, stretching it as much as you could.

“Excuse me, Professor?” You were caught off guard, your head immediately turning towards the classroom door, only to see a smirking Matt leaning in the doorway. “I was wondering if there was anything I could do to raise my B to an A?”

You laughed, shaking your head. “You’re such a dork.”

“Oh come on, you’re telling me no one’s come up to you with that proposition, yet?” His smile dropped as he furrowed his eyebrows, shaking his head. “Actually no, don’t answer that.”

You stood up out of your chair and ran over to him, immediately wrapping your arms around his neck, almost knocking him over as you hugged him so tight. He wrapped his arms around your waist, lifting you up off of the ground as he chuckled into your ear. You buried your face into the crook of his neck. “I missed you.”

“I doubt it was more than me though,” he laughed, squeezing you lightly, leaning his head back and looking at you. “You’re prettier than I remember.”

You laughed, hopping down from his grasp and smacking his shoulder. “Your curls are a lot…curlier than I remember.”

He smiled, ruffling his hair. “I’ve been using that shampoo and conditioner you told me to do.”

You reached up, running your fingers carefully through his curls. “Well, it looks like it did wonders.” You looked back at him and he was just staring at you. “What?”

He wrapped his right arm around your waist, closing the distance between you two as his left hand cradled the side of your face and he kissed you softly. He smiled into the kiss only seconds later, pulling back before pressing small kisses all over your face. “Just making up for lost time.”

You giggled as he moved to your jaw, nuding him away. “As much as I would like for this to continue, we’re in a classroom and I’m absolutely starving.”

“Good thing I know a place to get some food,” he smiled, kissing you again, his right hand snaking down to your ass and giving it a playful slap. “Now come on, let’s pack up here, chop chop.”

“Someone’s bossy,” you laughed, walking back to the table to grab your things. You picked up your laptop and slid it into its case as Matt picked your backpack up off of the table, holding it open. “Why thank you, kind sir.”

“What can I say? My mom raised a gentleman.” He zipped the backpack up for you and then tossed a strap over his shoulder, reaching a hand out to you, motioning for you to hold his hand.

You smiled, intertwining your fingers with his and leaning into him as the two of you walked out of the classroom. “Where are we going for dinner? Also, I’m impressed that you didn’t get lost in the building.”

“That’s a secret you’ll find out in a few minutes,” he laughed, swinging your hand back and forth. “Also, I almost did get lost…but a woman kindly directed me the way to go. I think she knew I was looking for you.”

“What gave you that idea?”

“Because just when I was opening your location, she asked if I was looking for you,” he looked down at you, a smile on his face. “Did I meet your boss?”

You laughed, squeezing his hand as you wrapped your other hand around his arm, leaning into him. “Yeah, that was most likely Professor Robinson. I told her if she found a curly headed blonde boy who looked lost, then to tell him where I was.”

“Ugh,” he groaned, rolling his head back. “Now she probably thinks I’m an idiot.”

“Trust me,” you laughed, as he held the hall door open for you, and you walked outside first. “Considering her husband is a huge Flames fan, I think that’s the last thing she thinks about you.”

The two of you walked hand in hand to his car, getting in and driving away from campus. It wasn’t too long of a drive since downtown was just nearby. He pulled up in front of a small pizza restaurant, putting the car into park. He got out of the car and jogged around quickly, holding your door open for you just as you opened it. “I told you,” he smiled, winking as you got out. “Gentleman.”

“I’ll make sure to pass the message on to your mom,” you laughed, as the two of you walked to the door. “I don’t think I’ve heard about this place yet.”

“Well, that’s because it’s my little secret,” he smiled, opening the door for you and nudging you ahead of him inside. “That and how many times have you actually wandered downtown since you’ve been here?”

You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms as the smell of pizza overtook your senses. “I’ve been out a few times.”

“Exactly, a few.” He walked up to the counter, resting his hands on the edge. “Hey Reggie!”

“Matthew!” A tall man with quite the exquisite handlebar mustache looked over his shoulder, walking over from the brick oven with a smile on his face, extending his hand out. “I heard you were coming back! You boys going to win it all this year?”

“Well, we’ll definitely be putting in the work to get there,” he laughed, shaking the man’s hand and then letting it go.

Reggie turned to you, a smile on his face. “And who is this beautiful young lady?”

“This is my…” Matt turned to you with a smile, bringing his left hand to rest on the small of your back. “Really good friend from home, Y/N.. She’s studying to get her masters at UCalgary and I thought I’d stop by to get some of your legendary pizza for my first night back and to give her a taste of the best pizza in all of Alberta.”

You tried to ignore the pang in your chest from Matt referring to you as his ‘really good fried,’ but it was hard. You couldn’t really blame him though– you guys weren’t officially dating, the two of you never really talking about it. If anything, you two were really good friends…really good friends who went on dates, kissed a lot and had to sneak around to manage to get some kind of alone time together while back home in St. Louis– and that alone time really only got as far as some heavy petting before it was interrupted. So instead, you put on a big smile and extended your hand. “It’s really nice to meet you, Reggie.”

“And you as well Miss Y/N.” Reggie smiled, shaking your hand before stepping in front of the register. “So will it be the usual?”

“Normally Johnny, Sam and I split an XL pepperoni and cheese, nothing too special.” Matt said, shrugging his shoulders.

“That’s great with me,” you replied, nodding. “Except maybe we can get a medium or a large. I don’t think you and I could demolish an XL. Maybe if Brady or Nick were here.”

Matt turned back to Reggie. “A large pepperoni and cheese, please.” He brought out his wallet, handing over his credit card to pay.

“For here or to go?” Reggie asked, taking the card. “It’s a little busier right now, so your normal booth the three of you sit as is taken.”

Matt looked over his shoulder, scanning the room for a few seconds before turning back to you. He bit the inside of his cheek as if he was contemplating a choice he had already made before looking back at Reggie. “To-go is fine. I’d like to be in the comfort of my own home once I hit food coma level.”

Reggie laughed, swiping the card and then printing off the receipt, handing them both to Matt. “All right, we’ll have that for you in a few.”

Matt put his credit card back into his wallet and then turned towards you, nodding his head back. “We can sit at a table or there’s a few chairs against the wall behind you.”

“I’ve actually got to go to the bathroom, so why don’t you surprise me.” You smiled, patting his chest and looking around.

He laughed, pointing behind you. “Bathroom’s right down that hall that’s behind that corner.”

You disappeared around the corner, finding the bathroom along the right side of the wall. You walked inside and over to a stall, walking in a locking in behind you. Part of you felt a little bad about leaving him stranded in the restaurant, where you’re more than sure that a good chunk of the paying customers were Flames fans. But you saw him at Charlotte’s wedding, he seemed to navigate crowds and hockey fans pretty well– still, you wouldn’t leave him hanging long. You finished your business and flushed the toilet, walking out towards the sink to wash your hands. With wet hands, you reached for the paper towels, you dried off your hands and then grabbed your phone, sending a text to Charlotte.

you: any chance you’d be up for a big sister pep talk tonight?

big sis: ummm of course!! I miss your face anyways, so make it a facetime and you’ve got a date!

you: 💙💙

You put your phone back into your jacket pocket as you walked out of the bathroom. When you rounded the corner, you fully expected to see Matt either surrounded by people or sitting down somewhere with his hat tugged down over his head. Instead, you found him standing by a table that sat a couple with three young kids, his arms crossed in relaxation and a smile on his face as he was nodding at something the dad was saying. When he looked up, he smiled at you and nodded, looking back down at the dad and saying something. You leaned against the counter, watching as the three kids all practically jumped out of their chairs and swarmed Matt, all of them trying to reach him first and arguing about who got to stand where. Matt just laughed, before moving the sister in front of him, giving her the spotlight of the picture. He squatted down slightly, putting a hand on each of the older brothers backs as the mom and dad each took a picture. After all was said and done, each kid gave him a hug, the girl going last and you felt your heart swell with just how big all of their smiles were after the fact. Matt waved goodbye at them and made his way over to you, just as Reggie came to the counter with a pizza box in his hands.

“All right, Matthew. Good luck this season!”

“Thanks Reggie,” Matt smiled, grabbing the pizza box before putting a $20 bill in the tip jar. He looked at you and nodded his head towards the door. “After you.”

You hugged your jacket around you as you walked towards the door, walking out first and holding it open for Matt. He unlocked his car and opened your door, you quickly ducked down and got in, putting on your seatbelt and then holding out your hands. “Gimme the food, mama’s hungry.”

“Mama, huh?” He laughed, handing the pizza box off to you. “Is that one of your kinks?”

You almost choked on air, but he closed the door, still laughing before you could even reply. You immediately turned towards his door, waiting for him to open it. The moment it cracked open, you were shaking your head. “N-no, it’s not one of my kinks. I’m just…hungry.”

He got into his car, closing the door behind him as he put on his seatbelt and started the car. “Sure…mama.” He burst into laughter, unable to keep a straight face. “Sorry, sorry, okay, let’s just go.”

Matt wasn’t kidding when he said that he lived right by UCalgary. If you thought the drive from campus to the pizza place was short, then the drive from the pizza place to his apartment complex, was even shorter. You were mapping it out in your head, noting that if at any time you were craving pizza and wanted to visit Matt afterwards, then the walk wouldn’t be all that bad. Matt’s apartment complex was really nice, and that didn’t surprise you in the least. Not only did he have the money to afford a nice apartment, but you knew that there was no way Chantal or Keith would ever let him stay in a place that wasn’t safe for him.

Matt opened the door to his apartment, walking in and you followed behind him. You could see the living room straight ahead and it only took you a few steps before you came to the corner where the kitchen was off to your right. Matt placed the pizza down on the counter, his keys down next to it before turning to you with a smile. “Well? What do you think? Home sweet home?”

You laughed, taking off your shoes and placing them close to the wall before walking further out towards the living room. You weren’t really all that sure what to expect out of a 21 year-old guy’s apartment– but he definitely defied whatever expectations those were. He had three black high chairs placed in front of the bar on the other side of the counter, a black wooden kitchen table with chairs to match. He had a similar living room setup that was like his parent’s basement: a polyester sectional, a small table in front of it, sports memorabilia hanging up on the walls and a big tv against the wall, across from the couch, complete with a tv stand with an xbox stashed in one of the open cubbies.

Except, the small table was shoved off to the side, blocking the glass sliding doors to his patio and in front of the couch were a bunch of blankets and pillows.

“It’s very nice,” you waved at the scene. “I assume you took a nap before coming to get me?”

He smiled, walking around the kitchen and grabbing plates for the two of you. “Nope, that’s for right now with dinner.”

You watched as he set up your guys’ plates, each having two slices of pizza on it. He handed you your plate and opened the fridge, reaching in and grabbing two bottles of water. “Water okay?”

“That’s great,” you replied, following behind him as he led the two of you to the living room. He plopped down on top of all of the blankets and you followed suit, leaning your back against his couch. A hall was a little off to the left of the wall the tv was against and you looked at him. “I’m assuming somewhere down that way are the bathrooms, your room, laundry and the guest room your mom offered up to me?”

He almost choked on his bite of pizza, chewing his bite fast before looking at you. “My mom offered up the guest room to you?”

“Mhhm, when we went to lunch the day you guys were flying back home. She said she hoped you were being a gentleman and offered me up a place to stay if I needed one.” You took a bite of pizza, chewing it and swallowing. “And then she stated that we were physically involved and our parents know about it.”

“No thanks to them, we’re not.” Matt snorted, taking another bite of his pizza. “I’ll have to send her a text and be like, ‘thanks for thinking y/n and i are having sex!! but we’re not!!’”

“Oh God, please no,” you took a sip of your water. “I think that’s more embarrassing.”

Matt laughed, picking up a remote and pointing it at the TV. “All right, let’s go ahead and change the subject. Anything you want to watch?”

You smiled, perking up. “Anything?”

Matt had no idea what he had gotten himself into the moment he offered up that you suggest what you guys watched. Because now four hours later, the two of you were lying on the floor, wrapping in a shared blanket and on your fifth straight episode of Dance Moms and Matt was seriously getting into the show…a lot more than you thought he would have.

“I think I might tell Brady that the next time he whines about something,” Matt said, his left hand rubbing your shoulder as his arm rested around you. “‘Save the tears for your pillow, Brady.’ It’s got a nice ring to it.”

You looked up at him, laughing. “I think he would punch you if you said that to him.”

He looked down at you, his forehead wrinkling as he pouted. “Hey, that’s not nice. He’d never punch me.” You raised an eyebrow and he rolled his eyes. “Fine, I’d definitely take a punch in the shoulder for that.”

“My parents would literally kill us whenever Charlotte, Nick and I would playfight.” You pushed yourself up onto your right elbow, smiling at a memory. “One Christmas, Nick got this shooter tutor when he was 9 and Charlotte and I convinced him to get into the goal while we shot at him. We ended up hitting him in the crotch and he cried and ran over at us and tried to hit us with the pucks. Our parents came out and we were all rolling around in a dogpile on the grass, throwing punches and we all ended up getting grounded and our Christmas presents got taken away.”

Matt had a painful look on his face, all while trying to hold back his laughter. “I’m so glad I grew up with a brother and a sister. If I grew up with two sisters, I think I’d probably suffer the same fate.”

“Hey!” You nudged his chest, scoffing. “If anything, growing up with us made him tougher. Now he can put up a fight and actually win.”

“So if he ever got on your nerves, what did you guys do?” He asked, resting his head on his left hand as he rolled over onto his side.

“We tickled the shit out of him.” He looked confused and you laughed, reaching across and down towards his knee, tickling the back. He scooted back and rolled over onto his back, looking at you with wide eyes. “Works every time.”

“Shut up, I am not ticklish.” He scoffed, rolling back over. “It just gave me a chill is all.”

You nodded, side-eyeing him and returning your attention back to the screen, waiting for Matt to do the same. When he did and wasn’t expecting you to make a move, you quickly pounced on him straddling his waist and tickling his sides. “Not ticklish huh?” You said, Matt squirming and trying not to laugh as he kept trying to to grab your hands to stop you.

“I-I’m not,” you felt his knees bend and come to a rest at your back, your hands roaming down to the waistband of his jeans and tickling him. “S-Stop, I’m not ticklish!”

“Say you’re ticklish and I’ll stop,” you laughed, avoiding his hands as they kept trying to grab yours.

“No way,” his eyes were closed as he laughed, trying to get out from beneath you. He rolled over onto his left, his hands sneaking underneath your shirt as he tickled your sides. He squeezed the left side of your waist and when you went to grab his hand, he rolled you over, keeping you beneath him as your head hit the blanket. He kept his hands on your hips, smiling down at you. “I win.”

“Not fair,” you said, trying to catch your breath. “You didn’t even do any tickling! You distracted me.”

He leaned down and kissed you, pulling away with his big smile still on his face. “I’ve got other ways of distraction.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Care to share with the class?”

He licked his lips before coming back down to you, his tongue tracing your lips. You reached your arms around and one hand resting at the nape of his neck while the other ran up into his hair, intertwining your fingers in his curls. He moaned into the kiss when you tugged on his curls lightly, giving you the opportunity to deepen the kiss, grazing your tongue against his.

Chills covered your skin as his hands slid up your sides, bunching your shirt up with them and exposing your skin to the air conditioned apartment. His lips traveled down your jaw and latched onto your neck, nipping and sucking at a spot right by your ear as you raised your hips up into his, trying to get as much friction as you could.

Matt smiled against your neck, nipping at your earlobe. “Well, a good thing about me finally being here, is that our parents aren’t around.” He grinded his hips down into yours, his left hand moving further up your shirt and cupping your breast over your bra. “Which means no interruptions.”

No sooner than the words left his mouth, the loud ringing of his phone shut him down. He groaned, shoving his face into the crook of your neck before kissing the spot he’d just been teasing with his teeth and pushed himself up. He reached up to the couch, grabbing his phone and looking at the screen. “This is comical,” He snorted, turning the phone to you to show that it was Chantal facetiming him. “Even from 1400 plus miles away. It’s like they just…know.” He plopped down onto his butt, leaning his back against the couch as he held the phone out, answering the facetime. “Hi, Mom.”

You laid there, blinking and trying to convince yourself that this wasn’t happening– that yet again, right when you and Matt were finally able to take advantage of some alone time, a parent interrupts. You sat yourself up, staying out of the frame of his call. “Hi Matthew,” Chantal said, clearing her throat. “I assume you got there safe?”

Matt’s eyebrows furrowed as he nodded. “Yeah, I’m in my apartment. Why?”

“Because I got no text or call from you, letting me know that you had landed safely.” There was a sound of pots and pans clinking in the background, followed by running water. “So for all I knew, you were down in a field somewhere on a crashed plane.”

“I’m fine, Mom, I promise,” he sighed, bringing his knees up. “I just was so busy when I got here. Meeting with Geoff and then getting settled in my apartment,” he looked towards you and for the first time you noticed just how ruffled and fluffed his hair was from your fingers and his lips swollen from kissing him. “Plus, I had to go meet someone.”

“Who did you meet?” She asked, turning the water off.

Matt smiled at you as you frantically tried to fix your hair and make sure that it covered whatever mark Matt had left behind. “Matt, no,” you whispered, barely audible as you shook your head.

“Maybe you know her,” Matt replied, turning the camera towards you.

Chantal looked up from the sink and smiled, “Hi, Y/N! How are you honey?”

“Hi Chantal,” you waved shyly, reaching out and shoving Matt with your free hand. “I’m really good! Just getting into the groove of things here.”

“Well I’m glad to see Matt reached out! What are you guys doing?”

You and Matt shared a look and he smirked as he turned the phone back to him. “We were just having dinner and watching tv. It’s getting late and I think we might call it a night.”

“Matthew Tkachuk if you don’t escort that girl home or offer her up the guest room, you might as well get used to the basement being your permanent bedroom. I’ll turn your room into a craft room or something.”

“Relax, Mom,” Matt smiled, looking at you. “She’s in good hands.”

You smirked this time, biting on your upper lip as you remembered the chills covering your body just from Matt’s touch.

Well…he wasn’t lying.

+

Matt coming so late in the pre-season, meant that he was fully throwing himself into training and practices for the remaining week before opening night. You’d spent the night at his place his first night back, and he drove you back to campus before he and the rest of the team flew out to California early in the morning for a game against San Jose. It was a little taste of what life with him was like to come later in the season…and strangely, you were okay with it. Although, you felt bad, unable to go to the arena and watch their last exhibition game of the year in person. You wanted nothing more than to sit in a seat surrounded by fans and watch him play his game.

Unfortunately, you were watching a livestream of their last exhibition game at your newfound fav mom and pop cafe. Your screen was split in half, the right side showing your word document of a paper that was due tomorrow and the left side showing the Flames vs. Oilers game. Across from you, doing the exact same thing– was Brody. He was a senior in Professor Robinson’s class and quickly became one of your friends your first two weeks in Calgary. He had noticed the stickers on your laptop one day in class, a Criminal Minds sticker, and the two of you just talked about your mutual liking for the show. Later that weekend, still feeling a little lonely since Matt had yet to make it to Calgary, Brody invited you out to a bar with him and his fiancé, Chance, who, by chance you already knew because the two of you shared two classes together. From the get go, you and Brody just clicked. You told him all about Matt and St. Louis and your family, and he told you about how him and Chance had actually met by accident– when they both went to get into an uber that they thought was theirs, but turned out to be someone else’s’ altogether.

It was Brody’s idea to get you out of your dorm and go to the cafe to write your paper, whereas you were more than content to write it from the comfort of your dorm room. But that’s what you liked about Brody, he was getting you out of your comfort zone with being in a whole new country. And it turns out that he and Chance were both big hockey fans. Brody being a Vancouver native, was a big Canucks fan. Whereas Chance, being an Edmonton native, was a big Oilers fan. So, naturally, when Chance found out about Matt, he jokingly chirped you about him– but he followed up with a few compliments about your curly headed boy.

“One minute left, how are we feeling?” Brody asked, looking over the top of his laptop at you.

“Feeling great,” you smiled, saving your finished paper and closing it out as the clock on the game wound down. “Now I just need to get home and I’ll be even better.”

“Still planning on surprising your lover boy tonight?” He smirked, wiggling his eyebrows. “A celebration for a great win over their rival?”

“Oh shut up,” you laughed, the game ending and you closed your laptop. “It won’t be that big of a deal.”

“Y/N, girl,” he said, clearing his throat as he packed up his things alongside you. “You bought racy lingerie and are posting up in his apartment as a surprise…it’s going to be a big deal, I promise you.”

“It won’t be. It’s not like he hasn’t seen a naked woman’s body before,” you replied, adjusting your backpack straps as the two of you walked out of the cafe.

“Yeah, but has he seen your body before?” You went to interject and he held up his hand. “And I’m not talking about in a bathing suit or in your underwear. Full blown,” he motioned at your body. “Wha-bam.”

You laughed, feeling a blush come up on your face. “Well…no, not exactly. We’ve just never had the time to be alone.”

“Which is why, when he sees you in your saucy little get up,” he held onto your shoulders, smiling. “Coming off of a big win and then coming home to see his girlfriend in lingerie, knowing damn well he’s about to get laid? Yeah, he’s going to lose his shit.”

Your phone vibrated in your hand and you looked at the screen, seeing a text from Matt.

matt: i’ve got post-game interviews to do, but then i’ll hop in the shower and come home 😊

you: can’t wait 🥰

Brody looked up at you with a smile. “Home? You didn’t tell me that you two were shacking up!”

“That’s cause we’re not,” you said, shrugging his shoulders off. “He just gave me a key.”

“…And?”

You sighed, rolling your eyes. “And I may have slept there every night since he’s come back,” Brody started to walk away, a big smile on his face. “BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN ANYTHING!”

“It means everything, Y/N! You guys are practically dating without the title!” He turned around, winking at you. “Now go get your man and be safe!”

You waved him off before turning around and walking the way to Matt’s apartment complex. There was a slight breeze, which normally you would have been a little annoyed at, but right now you were thankful for it, since it was making you walk a little faster. You knew you’d be home before him, no matter how fast you walked– but you still wanted to give yourself an extra bit of time before he got home, to just get comfortable.

When you reached his apartment, you walked towards his bedroom, resting your backpack on the floor by the door before walking over to the dresser. It was a miracle that you managed to hide the outfit from Matt, though he never really touched the bottom drawers of his dresser. You’d never gone out of your way to buy lingerie before, but the idea just popped into your mind the day after Chantal’s facetime had interrupted you and Matt. You sat in the back of the class the next morning and sent pictures of the selections you had picked out, to Charlotte for an opinion. Charlotte, who had helped you pick out the set you were holding in your hands. Charlotte had insisted that you go with a lacy piece, because ‘lace drives guys wild, ask Colton’ which, ew, you weren’t doing that.

But something in your gut told you to pick this one, so you did.

You felt nervous holding onto it, or insecure, you weren’t quite sure. But the moment you stripped out of your leggings and hoodie and put it on– it was like a flip switched. The material hugged you in all of the right places, and the red material just popped against your complexion. After sliding the stockings up your legs and clipping the garter belt to them, you walked into the bathroom to take a look at your reflection. It was absolutely perfect. You could see the glow of confidence coming off of you as you turned side to side, checking out how the outfit looked on you all around. You ran your fingers through your hair, giving it a natural fluff before walking out of the bathroom. You grabbed your phone and walked out into the living room, checking the time.

matt: on my way 🥰

You raced into the kitchen, about to hop up onto it when you paused. Originally, you thought it would be a super hot idea to prop yourself up onto the kitchen counter as if you were going to be Matt’s next meal. But thinking about it now…it wasn’t exactly sanitary.

you: counter or no counter for when he walks in???

brody (not jenner) 😜: counter bc then you can say that you’re a literal snack 😜

you: ugh, you’re a lifesaver 🧡🧡🧡

brody (not jenner) 😜: have fun getting some!!!

You hopped up onto the kitchen counter, the cold countertop immediately giving you goosebumps. Once you were scooted up, you turned around and tossed your phone over onto the couch and turned back towards the door. You swung your legs up onto the counter, leaning back and lounging yourself out across it. You had your right knee bent and your left leg extended out, both of your elbows propping you up– and you made an immediate note-to-self that you were less than half an inch away from your elbow being able to fall into the sink.

The door opened and you relaxed more into your position, running your fingers through your hair. “Yeah, no that call was fucking bullshit, I know.” You heard Matt’s voice, he was probably talking to his dad on the phone, maybe even Brady. “It was a cheap hit, but what else do you expect from Edmonton?”

You perked up slightly once you saw his mop of curls about to round the corner. You leaned back more, arching your back slightly as the door shut behind him, excitement radiating through you for the moment he saw you. “Well, I for one was very impressed at your lack of pissing Kassian the hell off.”

You didn’t recognize that voice, or the laughter that followed it that joined in with Matt’s. You thought that maybe you had just confused Matt’s laugh with something else, and that the other voice belonged to whoever was on the phone. Still, you couldn’t help but panic. Matt rounded the corner fully, still laughing until he turned to look at you. His eyes dwindled down your body and you could feel the heat coming off of his gaze…until two more people rounded the corner behind him.

“Shit!” You squealed, rushing to get off of the counter, your left elbow falling into the sink and your head falling back, hitting the faucet lightly as you scrambled to get off of the counter.

“Whoa!” One of the boys said, both of their eyes wide.

“Shut up,” Matt said, shoving the two of them around and back behind the corner as you jumped off of the counter and ran back towards his room. “Wait!”

You shut the door behind you, pressing your back against it as your heart raced against your chest. You felt like being swallowed up by the ground right now– that’s how embarrassed you were. You try to be sexy for a guy one time, and you end up pretty much falling off of the counter and flashing two of his friends. You walked towards the bed, grabbing a shirt Matt had left at the end of it and put it on– the material coming to a stop just below your butt. The three voices moved closer towards the bedroom door and you ducked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind you just as the bedroom door opened.

You leaned against the counter, looking into your reflection and wanting to do nothing more than take the make-up from today off of your face and tie your hair up and sleep the embarrassment away. If those guys were two of Matt’s teammates, there was no way that you’d ever be able to face them again without wanting to absolutely die. A soft knock came from the door and you looked at it. “Hey…can I come in?”

“No,” you replied, looking back at the mirror. “I’m too busy dying of embarrassment.”

You had expected him to laugh at your dramatics or even at the situation, but he didn’t…and you felt a little grateful for it. “Do you want to come out with us tonight? The guys are going to celebrate the last pre-season win before everything picks up.”

You turned towards the door and opened it to reveal him leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed. “Are you kidding? I pretty much just flashed two random guys–”

“They’re not random, it’s Sam and Johnny. Come on, they won’t bring it up. I promise.” You gave him a blank stare and he sighed, standing up straight and walking towards you, sticking out his bottom lip in a pout as he placed his hands on your waist. “I really want you to meet my teammates. My two worlds are colliding.”

You sighed, nodding. “Okay, just let me get dressed and I’ll be out in a few.”

“Great! I’ll let them know!” He smiled, kissing the top of your head before walking back out the door.

When you heard the bedroom door shut, you walked out and back towards the dresser to grab some clothes. You took off the garter belt and stockings, folding them back up and placing them on top of the dresser before grabbing the pair of jeans in the top left drawer, and shimmied into them. Just because your plan on seducing Matt failed the moment he walked into the apartment, didn’t mean that you still didn’t feel hot as hell wearing the lingerie– so, you kept it on, tugging on your go-to crop top for the many nights out in undergrad. You focused on taking deep breaths as you made your way towards the bedroom door, stopping in front of it and brushing your fingers through your hair one last time before opening the door and walking out into the hallway.

The boys were listening to music as you walked out, the two strangers sitting on the couch and Matt sitting on one of the bar chairs, spinning himself from side to side. You stepped out into the living room and Matt looked up from his phone, making eye contact with you before he hopped off of the chair and came walking over with a smile on his face. He placed his hand on the small of your back before turning down the music from his phone. “Y/N, meet Sam and Johnny.”

“Hi,” you waved shyly, only able to look them in the eyes for a few seconds before waving your hands in the direction of the counter. “I’m sorry about…yeah, sorry.”

“It’s fine, I’m Sam,” the stranger on the left said, sitting up and shaking your hand before leaning back into the couch and laughing at Matt. “We were just chirping Chucky here about not kicking us out and staying home.”

“I want her to meet the guys, so get over it,” Matt replied, rolling his eyes before looking at you. “Are you ready?”

“Mhhm, I just need my phone,” you replied, looking back at the couch. “I kind of threw it over here…”

The stranger on the left, who you figured must be Johnny, turned to his left and picked up your phone from the side table. “Sam sat on it, so if anything is wrong with it, blame him.” He laughed and handed it to you before standing up and shaking your hand. “I’m Johnny.”

“No shit, I already told her I was Sam,” Sam replied, pushing himself up off of the couch, the two of them laughing.

Matt pressed another kiss to your temple as Sam and Johnny walked by the two of you, still bickering with each other. “It’ll be fun tonight, I promise. Everyone will love you.”

You sighed, intertwining your fingers with his as the two of you turned around and followed the two teammates out of the apartment. You felt relieved that the two boys hadn’t dwelled on what they had walked in on minutes earlier. Maybe Matt was right and tonight would be fun…well, that’s what you hoped for it to be.

+

You didn’t want to sound so old, but being out with Matt and his teammates made it feel like the ‘good old days’ of when you and your roommates would go out to the bars or even a tailgate. You felt carefree and relaxed, enjoying the music and the drink in your hand. It helped a lot that Matt’s teammates were really nice, though you did feel a little awkward when you saw that you were the only girl that had tagged along with them. You thought maybe there would be at least one other WAG there you could talk to, but it seemed that Matt was the only one who didn’t get the memo of this being a guys only thing. Well, him and the single guys on the team who were constantly trying to talk up a girl to choose to take home with him for the night. Besides Sam and Johnny, Rita, or otherwise David Rittich, was the first teammate Matt introduced you to. He barely got in a follow up to ‘hello’ before the rest of the team swarmed around the three of you, asking Matt if you were the girl. It took awhile to make your way around the team to introduce yourself– but Matt was right…you absolutely loved them all. Especially when they’d take turns chirping at Matt and you got to join in.

But now, almost two hours into the night, you were all just lounging around in a booth, talking and laughing– most of the time you just listened to whatever stories of Matt they had to tell you and you’d come to realize that he was definitely more of a troublemaker on the ice than you ever would have thought. You were starting to get antsy now though, the bobbing along to the music in the booth not doing it for you anymore as the alcohol flowed through your body. You’d tried time and time again to try and drag Matt out onto the dance floor with you, just for a song or two, but each time he’d always tuck his head down to hide the blush on his cheeks as he shook his head.

However, with a little more liquid courage, you weren’t taking no for an answer. You grabbed his hand, tugging on it as you went to step down that first step out of the booth. “Come on, dance with me, please.”

“Chucky can’t dance!” Gio laughed, pointing his drink at him. “If anything, you might want to take Johnny or Sam. Those two know how to have fun- or at least make whoever they’re dancing with look like a better dancer.”

“Yeah, Chucky is the worst dancer on the team!” Sam chimed in, his drink sloshing over the rim of the cup.

“No way,” you replied, shaking your head. “He danced with me at my sister’s wedding! He’s a good dancer!”

You saw the group of guys’ eyes go wide as they all stared at Matt. “Wait, wedding?” Sean asked, shaking his head. “How exactly did you guys meet to where you thought he was wedding date material?”

“Long story short, we flew back from Jersey on the same flight. I was in a hurry and grabbed my suitcase, which turned out to be his suitcase, we met up that night and talked and I got dared to ask him to be my wedding date because I made my brothers girlfriend cry on accident, and yeah…that’s pretty much it.”

Johnny looked between the two of you for a few moments before taking a long sip of his drink. “We’ve been trying to get that story out of him for the last few days since he’s just been going on and on about you, but he wouldn’t tell us.”

“Honestly, I thought he didn’t want to tell us because you weren’t real,” Sam added, shrugging his shoulders as a few more guys chimed in with a bunch of ‘yeah’s.’

Matt’s face only got more red as you leaned into him, resting your hand on his back and rubbing it. “Nope, I’m 100% real.”

“Y/N?” You turned around to see Melody, one of the students in Professor Robinson’s class. “Y/N, hey!”

“Melody, hi!” You smiled, stepping down from the steps and giving her a hug. “Did you just get here?”

“I’ve been here for about an hour with my roommate!” She smiled, taking a sip of her drink. “Do you want to come dance with us?”

You turned back to the group of boys, Matt leaning against the ledge of the booth as he listened to whatever his teammates were talking about. You turned back around to her and nodded, “please! I’ve been wanting to get out there!”

She grabbed your hand and smiled, “Come on, then!”

She didn’t take you too far into the crowd, still keeping you in view of the boys and their booth. She introduced you to her roommate, a Biomechanics major, and then the three of you just started to dance together. You took leisurely sips of your drink in between moving your hips to the music. You weren’t one for dancing, but once you got a little alcohol in you, it was all you could do but dance to any song that made you feel like the baddest bitch in the room. You looked over your shoulder to see Matt staring at you over the brim of his glass and you winked in his direction before turning back around and putting more effort into the way you moved. Your hips swaying from side to side had a little more power to them as you lowered yourself down to the floor, Melody and her roommate cheering you on as you slowly came back up, running your free hand through your hair and looking back towards Matt again.

Even from where you were, you could see him grip his glass a little tighter as his Adam’s apple bobbed. And the way he fought to look away once Sam tapped him on the shoulder, trying to get his attention, only made you smile. You continued to enjoy yourself as you danced to the music, always keeping in the front of your mind that you most definitely had an audience to entertain. When the song faded into the next one, you took that as a chance to excuse yourself from Melody and her roommate, telling them to be sure to get home safe and that you’d see Melody in class. You made your way back up to the boys’ booth to see Matt exactly where you left him and Sam right beside him, only Sam was paying attention to a redheaded girl next to Matt.

“I need to unzip,” you sighed, coming up beside him.

“Unzip?” Matt asked, turning you halfway around and looking at you with furrowed brows. “I don’t see a zipper besides the jeans.”

“No, what I have underneath.” You tugged at the band of the bralette beneath your shirt. “The spandex is starting to stick.”

You watched his eyebrows stay furrowed before they shot up in surprise. “Are you still wearing…” His voice faded off as his eyes dwindled down your body slowly and his bright blue eyes seemed to darken once they reached yours again.

You nodded, shrugging your shoulders. “I felt hot and I didn’t want to change. But now I’m literally hot and it might have been a bad idea.” You downed the rest of your drink, ignoring the burn of the alcohol. “I just wanted to surprise you because I didn’t get to make it to your exhibition games and then you won and I can finally get you alone without being interrupted and–”

He took your drink out of your hand and put it down with his on the table, keeping a hand resting on your waist. “Let’s go home,” he whispered, his lips grazing your ear and simultaneously making your heart skip a beat. He moves his hand down from your waist and takes your hand in his, standing up straight from the ledge of the booth and leading you towards the steps down.

“Where are you guys going?” Sean called out, causing everyone to look at them.

You saw Sam and Johnny share a look before smirking back at you and Matt. “I bet I can guess,” Sam chirped, winking dramatically at the two of you.

“At least clean the counter before anyone else comes over!” Johnny added, a smile on his face as Sam bumped into him.

“Get fucked, both of you!” Matt laughed, flipping them off as the two of you walked down the steps and into the crowd. He nudged you ahead of him, walking close behind you as the two of you navigated your way through the crowd, eventually reaching outside of the bar. He stood the two of you off to the side, just outside of the bar as he pulled out his phone. “Uber will be here in a few.”

“Already?”

“I may have ordered it when I saw you dancing,” he smiled, relaxing against the brick wall of the bar and pulling you into him, his hands resting dangerously low on your back. “It was just a little more incentive to leave when you brought up your…predicament.”

“Oh?” You smirked, resting your hands on his chest as he brought you in between his legs, holding you close to him. “And you thought that I’d be ready to leave? Even after you left me hanging out on the dance floor?”

He leaned in closer to you, burying his face into your neck as he placed soft kisses along it, trailing up from your collarbone to your ear. “Well, I was hoping that once I told you what I had planned,” he kissed the spot just below your ear, and you felt him smile against your skin. “Then you’d be more than willing to leave.”

You leaned back, smiling at him as the sound of a car took your attention away. You turned to see a white car pulling up to the sidewalk, no doubt your uber. You looked back at Matt and patted his chest. “Better keep your hands to yourself here.”

He slid his hand in yours and squeezed it, sending you a playful look as he walked up to passenger side to make sure it was your uber. “No promises.”

You stood back, bouncing on the balls of your feet slightly as a way to take your mind off of the chill outside. Matt opened the back passenger door and nodded for you to get in, with him following soon after you. The drive back to his apartment felt longer than the drive from it, and maybe it was because Matt was sliding his hand back and forth along your thigh, squeezing it every once in a while as he kept up a casual conversation with the uber driver. Or maybe it was how he’d get a little daring and slid his hand more into your inner thigh and bring it up within centimeters of where you wanted his touch the most…and just leave it there.

Once you reached his complex, the two of you were practically racing out of the uber and up to his apartment. How the two of you managed to keep your hands off of each other in the elevator was a mystery, but once you got in front of his door, it was hard not to touch him– especially since he had you pinned in front of him. You had your arms draped over his shoulders, fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck as your lips wandered down just below his jaw, teasing him with soft kisses like he had teased you outside of the bar. You went a little further, nipping at the spot just to the right of his adams apple and sucking, running your tongue over the warm area to cool it down as your lips moved up a little higher. Matt was struggling to get the key in the lock, and you tried to hold back a giggle at just how bad your teasing was affecting him.

You brought your knee up, brushing it against his crotch playfully just as he unlocked the door and went to pull the key out. His arm wrapped around your waist, catching you before you could fall back through the open doorway, but once you caught your footing, you gave him a ‘come and get me’ look and left him standing there. He bent down and picked up the key, walking into the apartment and closing the door behind him, in such a hurry to hang the key up by the door that he almost took the command hook off of the wall. He came to a stop in front of you and you walked over to the counter, leaning against it as you raised your eyebrow. “Well? Where would you like me?”

His jaw dropped slightly as he walked closer to you, not bothering to hide the fact his eyes were slowly traveling down your body, taking you in once more. “I want to see what you had planned to do if I hadn’t brought Sam and Johnny home.”

“That can be arranged,” you smirked, nudging yourself away from the counter and closing the distance between the two of you, your lips crashing onto his. He gripped onto your waist, pulling you further into him and ran his fingers underneath the fabric of your shirt, tugging it up while teasing your tongue with his own.

He pulled away, pulling your shirt the rest of the way over your head before tossing it blindly behind you, his lips immediately going to your collarbone as his fingers made their way to the button of your jeans. You had one arm wrapped around his neck and a hand entangled in his curls as he nipped at your skin, his hands working fast to tug your jeans down over your ass. He stepped away, taking in what you were wearing before his eyebrows furrowed. “Something’s missing.”

“Oh, so you were paying attention earlier?” You laughed, raising an eyebrow.

“Are you kidding?” He scoffed, his fingers tracing the band of your panties, sending a chill up your spine. “It was like, almost every wet dream I’ve said since I was twelve, come true.”

“I’ll be right back,” you laughed, leaning in and kissing him again, stepping away before he could get you in his grasp again. You tugged the jeans back up over your butt and turned away from him to walk towards his bedroom.

Once you got inside, you took off your jeans and tossed them by the closet, making your way over to the dresser where you had left the garter and stockings. You kicked off your shoes and your heart started to race as you slid the soft material of the stockings up each leg and then put on the garter belt, attaching the ends to the top of each stocking. You walked out of his bedroom and into the living room, turning to see Matt still standing exactly where you had left him– leaning against the hall opening. You walked over to him, standing in front of him for a short second before turning to the counter and lifting yourself onto it. You turned to the side, bringing your legs onto the counter and leaning back, positioning yourself exactly how you had when you were waiting for him to come home.

You looked to your left, a small smirk on your face. “How do I look?”

“Like Sam was right, and I should’ve kicked them out and stayed in with you.” Matt said, stepping towards you and running an index finger up your calf and letting it travel slowly up your side. His fingers fan out as his hand ran up your waist, coming to a stop at the side of your breast, his thumb brushing over your covered nipple before he continued up, cupping your cheek. “Please tell me you’ll wear this after every win?” He asked, his thumb brushing over your bottom lip.

“Who knows,” you shrugged, acting as if his touch wasn’t making you want to pounce off of the counter and onto him. “I might even wear it under a jersey one day.”

His eyes widened and you could hear a strangled gasp come from between his parted lips. He immediately pressed his lips against yours as his left hand reached for your right hip and turned you to face him, your legs dangling over the counter. You took his bottom lip between your teeth, tugging it lightly and earning a throaty groan from him as his hands pushed your thighs apart and he stepped in between them. You tugged at the bottom of his shirt before starting to slide it up, Matt stepping back and taking the shirt off himself, tossing it somewhere behind you. He dipped his head down to your chest, his right hand nudging you to lean back onto your elbows as his kisses moved down your chest and started to graze softly against your stomach.

You look down at him, laughing as you see nothing but his mop of curls. “Matt what are you doin– oh,” you gasped, falling further back onto your elbows as you felt his tongue trace the outside of the top of your panties. You gulped when you felt him press a kiss on each of your inner thighs, his fingers rubbing the outside of them. You looked back down at him just as he pressed a kiss to the top of your panties. He looked up at you, a mischievous gleam in his eyes and a smirk on his face before he opened his mouth and grasped the zipper between his teeth, and started to tug it down.

You could barely stay still, the anticipation of feeling Matt’s lips on where you wanted him most, almost killing you. Matt chuckled, before resting an arm across your waist, pinning you down to the counter as his head disappeared out of view, the sound of your panties being unzipped, stopping as he tugged them off of your legs. “Fuck,” he kissed each of your inner thighs, two fingers separating your pussy lips. “This is so fucking hot.”

He kissed around where you wanted him most, placing calculated and teasing nips on your skin before tracing his marks with his tongue, sending every one of your nerves into overdrive. You reached down with your hand, entangling your fingers in his curls as you arched your hips up, desperate for his touch. “Matty, come on.”

You took a sharp breath, feeling a single finger slide up your slit in response to your plea. “You’re so wet,” he mumbled, dragging two fingers up and down, collecting your wetness. “Who got you this wet, baby?”

“You, all you,” you sighed, closing your eyes and arching your hips up at him again. “Please Matty, just– do something.”

He chuckled, a finger circling around your core. “Oh, I’ll do something all right.”

Before you could even think of a reply to his horrible comeback, he was sliding a finger into you and pressing his lips to your clit, his tongue probing the bundle of nerves teasingly. “Oh, fuck!” Your grip on his curls tightened as he pumped his finger in and out of you, curling it up to graze your g-spot as he sucked on your clit. He spoke, his words muffled due to his mouth working against you, but the moment you felt him insert a second finger, you knew what he had said.

His arm draped across your waist was struggling to keep you pinned down to the counter, as he sped up the pace of his fingers, twisting and curling them in your heat, curling up at calculated times. He pulled his fingers out and replaced them with his tongue, a whole new shock sent up your spine when you felt it probe your core, the muscle tracing along your inner walls as Matt pressed his face so far into your pussy, you felt his hot breath fanning over your own heat.

“You taste so good, baby,” he said, fresh out of breath as he kissed your clit. His hands resting on the top of your thighs, massaging them as he licked up your slit, chuckling into your core once he saw you squirm. “What do you want, Princess? My fingers?” He traced two fingers around your core, inserting the tips and swirling them around before withdrawing them from you. “My lips, here?” He mumbled against your clit, pressing three soft kisses against the tender nub. “Or my tongue?” He returned back down to your core, licking up your slit and circling around your clit before pressing another kiss to it.

“All of them,” you huffed, unable to focus as he kept pressing light kisses to your clit. “Please, Matty.”

“With pleasure,” he replied, inserting two fingers into you, starting off with a steady pace as his tongue flicked over your clit, causing you to clench around him. “That’s it baby girl, I know you’re almost there.”

“Fuck, Matty,” you moaned, as he wrapped his lips around your clit, sucking harder on the tender nerves as he sped up his fingers, pounding them into you and curling up to hit your g-spot. “S-shit, I’m gonna cum!”

Matt added another finger, never easing up on his pace as he licked around your heat. “Come on, I know you’re there.”

Your legs wrapped around his shoulders as you arched your hips off of the counter, Matt’s fingers pressing up against your g-spot as he sucked on your clit, his teeth nipping it slightly. Your eyes rolled back into your head, your grip on his curls loosening as your legs started to tremble, your orgasm washing over you as you came around his fingers.

Matt slowed down the pace of his fingers before removing them. He licked up your slit, collecting your wetness before pressing a soft kiss to your clit, making you shiver against the counter as you laid there, trying to catch your breath. You opened your eyes, staring up at the ceiling as you brought an arm, resting it across your forehead. You could count the amount of orgasms you’ve had on two hands– the number being under eight. But this one, this one was most mind blowing orgasm you’ve ever had in your life, leaving you to wonder why the hell you ever settled for one and done sex anytime before.

Matt stood up in between your legs and leaned over, pressing a kiss to your nose as you laid there panting against the counter. He tapped his fingers against your hips, his hands sliding up your sides and under your back, helping you sit up. “What else did you have planned?”

You could still feel your legs shaking, your body not over the previous orgasm as your shoulders hunched slightly. “Couch or bed,” you said, tilting your head to the side. “Take your pick.”

He kissed you, his tongue tracing along your bottom lip as you tasted yourself on his lips. His hands slid down to your ass, nodding down at your legs. “Hop on.”

You slowly wrapped your legs around his waist, wrapping your arms around his shoulders as he tugged you off of the counter. You rested your face in the crook of his neck, nipping playfully at his skin as he carried you off into the bedroom. He walked over to the bed, dropping you down onto the bed, his hands moving down to his button of his pants. You rolled over and crawled towards the edge, reaching out and moving his hands away from the already undone button. You could already see the visible tent in his jeans, making it a point to brush your hand against it as you unzipped his jeans.

You leaned forward and kissed his stomach as you tugged down the jeans, Matt stepped out of them and tossed them towards the side of the room. You reached for the band of his boxers, tracing your fingers along his skin lightly before digging them beneath the band and tugging them down, Matt’s hard length springing free from its constraints and resting up against his lower abdomen. “Shit, Y/N, you don’t have to–”

“I want to,” you mumbled, kissing down his stomach and alternating from pressing small kisses against his hips and down towards his thighs.

“Fuck,” he moaned, running a hand through his hair as you kissed the underside of his shaft, his other hand brushing the hair off of your shoulder. “Want to feel your pretty mouth around my cock.”

Your left hand rested on his thigh as you slowly licked up his shaft, teasing him with the base of your tongue, only to deliver sharp flicks to his tip. You could feel his thigh contrast underneath your hand as you repeated the motion, over and over, getting his shaft nice and wet before sitting back, spitting into your hand and grabbing onto him. You start to pump him slowly as you move your mouth to his balls, taking one of them into your mouth and swirling your tongue around, moaning against them.

“Shit, do that again,” he said, his hand resting on top of your head as you repeated the gesture.

You moved back up to his shaft, looking up at him as you licked him slowly, his gaze meeting yours as he brushed the hair back off of your shoulders again. You kept the eye contact when you finally took him into your mouth, cupping his balls with one hand as the other returned back to his thigh, feeling it tense as you relaxed your throat and took him as deep as you could.

“Oh fuck, you’re kidding me,” he moaned, his eyes shut and he tilted his head back as you started to move faster on and off his cock, hallowing your cheeks. “You look so fucking hot like that.”

You could feel him resisting from fucking your throat as your twirled your tongue around his head again, paying more attention to his tip as your hand pumped him fast. You rested both of your hands on his thighs as you pulled off of him completely, looking up at him. “You can do it, you know.” Matt looked down, running his fingers through his hair as you watched his chest rise and fall. “Go ahead, Matty.”

You opened your mouth and stuck out your tongue, looking up at him and raising an eyebrow. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he reached down and took his cock in his hand, pumping it as his other hand rested on the back of your head. “Are you sure?”

He looked down at you, and you nodded in reply.

He pulled your head forward, slapping his cock against your tongue before thrusting slowly into your mouth, you immediately hollowed your cheeks as he pulled out of your mouth, relaxing your jaw as he thrust back in. Both of his hands went to the back of your head, holding you still as he sped up his thrusts, reaching the back of your throat multiple times. The sloppy sounds of your spit and his cock hitting the back of your throat, made Matt thrust faster. Inaudible curses leaving his mouth as you felt the spit travel down your chin and the tears build in your eyes. His thrusts started to falter as you heard his breathing pick up, your fingers digging into the skin of his thighs making him moan.

He thrusted forward hard, hitting the back of your throat and making you gag slightly, his grip on the back of your head relaxing as he pulled out of your mouth, tilting your chin up to him. “Shit, are you okay?”

“M’fine,” you said, taking him back into your mouth, twirling your tongue around his tip as your hand pumped his shaft.

“Y/N, fuck,” he moaned, returning a hand to the back of your head. “Just like that baby girl.”

He thrusted into the back of your throat, three short times before going to pull out again. You held onto the back of his thighs, taking him all the way into your mouth until your nose pressed against his pelvis where you felt him twitch inside your mouth. Matt’s head tilted back, a throaty moan leaving his parted lips as the short warm spurts of cum traveled down your throat. You released him from your mouth with a pop, sitting back on your heels as he stood there, cheeks flushed and eyes shut.

When he opened his eyes, he looked down at you, reaching and running his thumb across your bottom lip. “You’re a literal Goddess, holy fuck that was so hot.”

You laughed, your eyes moving down to see his cock was still hard, despite cumming down your throat seconds before. “Someone’s still excited.”

“Are you kidding?” He scoffed, shaking his head. “I’ve been waiting for this since the lake house.” He cupped your breasts before unzipping your bralette, your nipples hardening once he removed it off of your body. “And I’ve definitely been waiting to see these again.” He cupped them, kissing each nipple before brushing his thumbs over the hardened nubs. “Did you two miss me?”

You laughed, nudging his hand away. “Well, if you’ve been waiting this long…then how do you want me?”

He bent down and kissed you, playfully smacking your outer thighs. “Hands and knees, babe.”

It felt like time had slowed as you readied yourself on his bed, your need of needing to feel Matt inside of you almost as important as breathing as this point. His hands massaged your ass as your knees sank further into the mattress. “I still want the story about this,” he mumbled, squeezing where the tattoo of a cartoon shark after one too many tequila shots, was etched into your ass cheek forever. “God, your ass is perfect.”

He smacked your ass, a gasp escaping from the back of your throat and making you forget what you were about to say, just as he landed another one. You reached ahead of you, grabbing the sheets in your hands as you pushed back against him, feeling his cock brush against you. “Come on, Matty,” you groaned, pushing back again as his hands on your waist, kept you back. “Stop teasing.”

“Just admiring the view,” he laughed, teasing your entrance with the head of his cock as he dragged it through your folds. “Might just keep playing with your ass, honestly.”

“Matty, I swear to–” you gasped and fell forward as he sunk into you all at once, your walls immediately clenching around him as he rutted his hips further into you. “God.”

He chuckled, pulling out and thrusting back into you, his grip on your waist tightening as his hips slapped against your ass, the sound echoing throughout the room. “You’re so fucking tight,” he grunted, his balls smacking against your clit as he delivered a sharp thrust. “Squeezing me from the moment I started fucking you.”

You couldn’t even form the words as he kept up his pace. The stinging of his palms against your ass felt better with every smack. He slowed down, cupping your ass as he delivered small, deep thrusts, each time he came forward, it felt like the air was being knocked out of your lungs. “Feels so good, Matty,” you sputtered out as he picked up his thrusts again.

“You’re taking my cock so well,” he moaned, leaning over and pressing his chest against your back, kissing in between your shoulder blades. “So, so good, baby girl.”

You felt his hand snake around your waist, his nimble fingers traveling down to your clit as he started to rub the sensitive nub. “Y-yes, Matty, please!” You sighed, dropping your head down between your hands as he continued to fuck into you.

“Can feel you squeezing my cock,” he grunted, speeding up his thrusts at a merciless pace. “You going to cum around my cock, Y/N?”

“Y-Yes,” the head of cock dragging against your g-spot with every sharp thrust. “Right there, Matty, right there! I’m gonna cum,” you cried, Matt fucking into you hard as your walls continued to squeeze around him. You could barely bother to lift your forehead from the sheets as you came around him, a moan leaving your lips as your upper body relaxed into the mattress.

“Look at you taking me so good,” he said, a strangled groan leaving his throat as you came around him, tightening around his cock, his shallow thrusts fucking you through your orgasm. He kissed in between your shoulder blades again, his hands rubbing up and down your thighs as you tried to catch the breath that your second orgasm took away.

“Can you take one more?” He whispered, kissing down your spine as he rubbed calming circles on your hips.

You nodded, keeping your head down as you felt yourself still clenching around him. “Yeah, just give me a second.”

He nodded and slowly pulled out of you, a gasp coming from the back of your throat as the sudden emptiness. Matt was by far the biggest guy you had been with, impressive in both size and length– and even with your muscles feeling absolutely exhausted, you were already missing the feeling of him inside of you.

He helped your roll over onto your back, propping up the pillows behind your head as he laid beside you, resting on his side with his hand propping up his head. “Are you good?”

“Yeah,” you huffed, nodding your head as you looked at him. “Just thinking that I won’t be able to feel my lower body tomorrow.”

He laughed, leaning in and kissing you once, twice before looking at you. “My ego thanks you.” He moved his right hand onto your stomach, his fingers tracing your skin as they moved up to your right breast, cupping it. “I missed these.”

You laughed as he massaged your right breast before taking the nipple of your left, into his mouth, twirling his tongue around the nub before letting his teeth graze it, sending chills throughout your entire body as he sucked on it, releasing it from his mouth with a pop. “You know I named them, right?”

“You named my boobs?” You laughed, as he started to hover over you.

“Yep,” he said, kissing your left breast before moving to the right, taking your nipple into his mouth and sucking on it before releasing it and looking at you with a smile. “I like to call them the bodacious boobies.”

You threw your head back in laughter, “Boobies? Are you 12?”

“Nope,” he said, taking them both into his hands as he massaged them, smirking down at you. “I’m a grown man and these two, are mine.” He leaned down and kissed you, deepening the kiss immediately as he started to rest more of his body weight against yours. He moved his lips down to your throat, nipping at the sensitive skin as he started to grind against you. “Are you ready for more?”

You wrapped your hands around his back, looking at him as you bit your bottom lip. “Make me cum again.”

He sat up, resting on his heels as he scooted himself closer to you. He dragged the head of his cock through your folds, inserting it into you before pulling it out, teasing you before moving it up to your clit, tapping the sensitive bud and making you squirm beneath him. Before you could beg him to do something, he filled you in a shallow thrust, bringing one of your legs over his shoulder before leaning over you, resting his forearms on either side of your head and thrusting all the way in.

You were still sensitive from your second orgasm, Matt thrusting into you at a much slower pace than he had before, his eyes shut and bottom lip between his teeth as he pushed through your sensitive walls stretching around him. “I’m good, Matty,” you breathed out, nodding at him. “I just don’t know how long I’ll last.”

“Good,” he said, starting to quicken his thrusts into you. The pace was fast, but each thrust was calculated and in the perfect rhythm to hit your g-spot, making your walls clench against him already. “Shit, do it again.”

His lips pressed against yours, you deepened the kiss as you clenched around his cock again. You entangled your fingers in his curls, taking his bottom lip in between your teeth again before he pulled away, stilling inside of you. He sat back and dropped your leg from his shoulder, looping his arms beneath both of your knees and pressing them into your chest as he kissed you again. You moaned into his mouth as he thrusted into you, the new angle hitting your g-spot more frequently with every thrust.

“There, Matty,” you whined, your head falling back into the pillow as you gripped onto his curls. “Fuck, right there.”

“Touch yourself, baby,” he whispered against your chest, biting your breast as you maneuvered a hand between your bodies. “Want you to touch yourself as I fuck you and make you cum.”

Your hand grazed his clenched abdomen before stopping at your clit. You could feel just how wet you were as you started to press against your swollen clit. “Yes, Matty,” you cried, his deep thrusts hitting your g-spot as you started to rub your clit, your hand shaking as the adrenaline rushed through your body.

He pushed your legs further into your chest, resting his forearms on the bed again as he thrusted deeper into you, his pace enough to make your mind go blank as your head filled back into the pillow. He kissed your neck as his thrusts grew sloppy. “Cum with me, Y/N. I got you baby girl,” he groaned, pounding into you still.

You reached up with your free hand, cupping his cheek and leaning up to kiss him, tongues brushing as he thrusted into you three more times, before stilled and spilled into you, a cry leaving the back of your throat as your body spasmed beneath him, overwhelmed for the third time, soon relaxing into the mattress. You barely had enough energy to open your eyes, your body more than willing to just pass out then and there, even if Matt was still inside of you.

The two of you laid there, entangled together, chests rising and falling opposite of each other and glistening with a layer of sweat. You mustered enough strength to open your eyes and look at him, his head buried into the crook of your neck, pressing soft kisses on the dip of your shoulder. You reached up and brushed back his curls, just as he lifted his head and looked at you. “I think you’re the first guy who’s ever made me cum more than once.”

“Well, we’ve got the next two days to try and break that record.” He laughed, kissing you before pulling his softened cock out of you and rolling back onto his side, tossing an arm over your waist and cuddling into your side. “Think you’ve got five in you?”

Your eyes all but bugged out of your head. Already aware of what three orgasms from him did to your body, barely unable to imagine what five would do. “What? Are you making up for lost time or something?” You laughed, rolling onto your side and playing with his curls.

“Like you said,” he shrugged, a smirk on his face as he leaned in to kiss you. “Any time we’ve ever tried to have even a minute of alone time, we ended up being interrupted. But now, it’s just you and me.”

“You’re insatiable,” you smiled, bumping your nose against his.

“Only for you.”

( OCTOBER )

You never believed it when your dad had told you that hockey in Canada was more intense than hockey in the States. You had even brushed him off with a laugh when he and Nick tried to convince you otherwise. It was hockey– the sport was intense and so were the fans. There was no way that some fans and teams were more intense than others based on what side of the border crossing they sat on.

But boy, were you wrong…so wrong.

After opening night, you swore that every time the world around you got quiet, you could still hear the crowd cheering for the Flames. Like a constant echo that not only shattered your eardrums, but stayed around to remind you of the second official win of the regular season. For the first time since you were a kid, you felt a small sense of adrenaline run through your veins when you were watching Matt play. And you couldn’t help but curse the fact that he was right when he said it would only take you going to two of his games to choose to go to the rest of on your own.

Because four weeks into the season, and you hadn’t missed a single home game. You’d also found yourself added into the WAGS group chat around week 3– which you weren’t all that sure why, because everyone knew that you and Matt weren’t a couple. Just pretty good friends. Still, that didn’t stop them from including you in all of the WAG activities, from official ones to even just casual hang outs– at least the ones you could make it too. You found yourself settling well in the hockey world of Calgary, the happy reality springing up on you as fast as Matt did himself.

Which is how you found yourself standing in the middle of the Giordano’s living room, the rest of the team and their significant others around you. Everyone in attendance all dressed up for what is apparently, their annual team Halloween party. Matt had wanted the two of you to dress up as teletubbies with Sam and Johnny, but Claire, Johnny’s girlfriend and a senior at UCalgary, had shut it down– and you had a gut feeling that Johnny wasn’t all that torn up about it. Funny, it was actually Claire who had suggested costumes for the two of you.

Chucky and Tiffany, the murderous doll couple from the movies that haunted your childhood. Normally, you would’ve refused to dress up as the doll that haunted your dreams every night when you were 5– but the fact that it was a play on Matt’s nickname, was enough to get you to agree. Matt loved the idea, sending selfies of the two of you to his family group chat and bragging about how much better your costumes were than Brady and his girlfriend’s. Chantal thought they were cute, Keith said it was the perfect embodiment of his character on the ice– because everyone has wanted to punch the chucky doll from the movie, at least once in their lives.

It was an even bigger hit with his teammates, who spent more time chirping him over the fact that they didn’t think he could get any scarier, than the creativity of his costume. Though, they didn’t bother to chirp you, only insisting that you made the costume better– which made Matt a little pouty, and him not want to leave your side throughout the entire night because he wanted everyone to think his costume was cool.

Lauren and Claire, however did get you away from him by sending an annoyed, and dressed as the red teletubby, Sam, in his and Johnny’s direction where he’s spent the better half of the last 30 minutes complaining to the two of them about how stupid he looked as a lone teletubby and that as his ‘bros’ they should’ve had his back. But even they couldn’t seem to hold back their laughter.

“So, what’s up with you and Matt?” Claire asked, leaning against the kitchen counter, a halloween cookie in her hand.

“What do you mean?” You asked, holding onto your solo cup as you sat down at a counter chair.

“What she means is, are the two of you officially dating or?” Nikola, Rittich’s wife, had chimed in, a teasing smile on her face as she looked at Claire and Lauren. “We’ve been dying to know.”

And like you always did, you avoided the gazes whenever someone had asked a question. Your cheeks warming up as you shook your head. “No, no. We’re still just friends.”

“Ugh, I figured that he’d do something cute and ask with the whole costume concept.” Claire groaned, taking a bite of her cookie and chewing it. “I mean, he’s the one who told me to suggest it to you.”

“He did what?” You asked.

She nodded, swallowing the cookie. “He was nervous about asking if you wanted to do a couples costume with him, especially chucky the doll. Trust me, if I had suggested one, you’d be dressed up as something cute like, Forrest Gump and Jenny or I don’t know, an astronaut and an alien.”

You laughed, bringing your drink to your lips and taking a sip. “Nope, he didn’t do anything besides send some selfies to his family and him and Brady have been arguing over who has the best costumes.”

“Typical,” Nikola said, rolling her eyes. “Men are clueless. Absolutely clueless.”

“I take offense to that,” Rittich smiled, walking in with Johnny next to him. “Don’t mind us, we’re just coming to grab a refill.”

“Actually no, please mind us,” Johnny said, walking up next to Claire and taking a bite of her cookie. He looked in the direction he came from, almost panicked. “Anything to keep me away from Sam and his rant. What are we talking about? Why are men clueless?”

“We were just talking about how we thought Matt was going to do some cute Halloween theme thing where he’d finally ask Y/N to be his girlfriend–” Lauren said, leaning onto the counter. “But, he was just too scared to suggest chucky as a costume.”

Johnny grabbed a cookie off of the counter turning to you with furrowed brows. “Wait, you two aren’t dating?”

“You aren’t?” Rittich asked, looking just as confused.

“Nope, we’re just,” you took a big breath, sighing and nodding your head as the brim of the cup touched your lips again. “Really good friends.”

“Well, does he know that?” Johnny laughed, chewing the cookie. “I mean, he acts like the two of you have been dating this entire time.”

“Welcome to the point of the conversation,” Nikola laughed, taking a drink.

“Come on, Johnny,” Rittich smiled, his cup refilled. “Now we’ve got something else to chirp Chucky about.”

“Wait, no,” you said, turning in your chair as the goalie dragged Johnny away and back into the living room, out of sight. You sighed and turned back around, downing the rest of your drink. “Now how am I supposed to face him at home?”

“Are you two living together?” Lauren asked, nodding at you to fill up your drink from the punch bowl they had on the counter.

“I mean, no?” You asked, leaning over and refilling your cup.

Claire furrowed her eyebrows. “Do you sleep there?”

“Yeah, but–”

“On away trips too?” She added, raising an eyebrow. You plopped back down into your seat, nodding as you took a sip of your drink.

“Do you have any of your clothes over?” Nikola asked.

“Some,” you chewed your bottom lip, looking into your drink. “But the other day he said that he’d help me move the rest of my clothes over and I could share his closet and dresser.”

“So…you’re living together,” Lauren smiled.

“No–” the three of them gave you confused looks as you felt yourself start to stumble over your wods. “I mean, yes, but no. It’s, I go to my dorm when I have a break in classes and can’t make it back home.”

“Ah! You did it again, you called it home!” Claire smiled, reaching over and squeezing your arm. “The two of you are so on the fast track to coupleville.”

“Just because I stay over a few times a week doesn’t mean we’re dating or going to date.”

“How many nights a week?”

You opened your mouth to reply when you saw your phone light up on the counter– a text from Charlotte as the notification. You’d been waiting to hear from her all day, ever since she sent you an ominous text earlier this morning saying that she had some very important news to tell you. Like everyone else in your family, you expected it to be that her and Colton were pregnant. Even Matt, after you told him, had said they were probably going to tell everyone they were having a baby. So, you didn’t think much as you unlocked your phone, taking a sip of your drink as you opened the message.

You almost choked on your sip as your eyes bugged out of your head, shocked by what you were looking at. It was a picture set of Charlotte and Colton, both wearing St. Louis Blues jerseys and standing in front of the arena. The top one, was the two of them looking down at each other with big smiles on their faces, holding a sonogram. The middle picture was of the two of them kissing in the background, blurred as it was zoomed and focused on the sonogram. And the last one, the one that almost made you choke on Mark Giordano’s vodka, fruit punch contraption– was one of the two of them walking towards the stadium, smiling at each other and hanging in between them were two tiny St. Louis Blues jerseys, being held up along the string of twine that Colton and Charlotte were holding. The inscribing on the back of the jerseys, reading “Johnson” the left jersey sporting the number 1 and the right jersey sporting 2.

“Are you okay?” Nikola asked, looking concerned as she handed you a napkin. “Please don’t tell me Matt sent you a dirty text or something.”

You scooted out the chair, hopping down from it. “Yeah, i mean no,” you looked up from the phone, a smile on your face. “My sister is having twins! I need to go find Matt.”

They laughed as you ran out of the kitchen and into the living room, immediately looking around to spot the ugly and puffy red wig Matt insisted on wearing since he didn’t want to spray his golden curls with wash out red dye. You found him, sitting on the arm of the couch talking to Gio, Sean, Cam Talbot and of course, Rittich, Johnny and Sam. You ran up to him, a smile on your face as you held onto his arm. “We were right!”

He turned to you, a bit confused at your sudden outburst before he saw the smile on your face. “She’s pregnant?”

“With twins!” You squealed, holding your phone out to him and showing him the picture.

He placed his hand on top of yours, holding onto the phone as you zoomed into the picture, showing him the sonograms and then zooming out, showing him the entire picture set. “Twins?” His eyes all but bugged out of his head as he took a sip of his drink. “They’re definitely in for a ride.”

“Twins are a lot of fun,” Cam smiled, no doubt thinking about his boy and girl at home. “They’ll have their hands full, but it’s still a lot of fun.”

You pulled the phone back and stared at the picture, tears almost coming to your eyes. “I need to go call her.” You turned back to him and leaned in, brushing the hanging hairs from the cheap wig out of his face as you moved your hand down to cup his cheek. You pulled away, a smile on your lips. “Freaking twins, Matt!” You kissed him again, pulling back once more just as Matt started to lean into the kiss. “I’m gonna go call her, I’ll be outside!”

You rushed by the group, going towards the Giordano’s sliding glass patio door, opening it and walking out into the cool fall air. You stood there on the back porch for a few seconds, thoughts lingering back to the kiss. It felt…different, not that you could really put a finger on it. Maybe it was because the conversation about you and Matt being official still hung in the back of your mind. You’d never really thought about it before. You were just having a lot of fun being around him, making him laugh. But when you looked at him after this kiss, you could see something in his eyes, and that something made your heart flutter a thousand times harder than it ever had before.

And for the first time, you could feel a small ache in your chest as the thoughts of why Matt hadn’t made it official between the two of you, took over your brain.

+

It’s only been three days since the Halloween party and you still couldn’t shake that aching feeling. You wouldn’t let it show, though. The last thing you wanted to talk about with Matt, was where the two you stood in terms of your relationship– especially since he was preparing for a pretty important game. Well, every game was important, but this one was a game that Matt had been excited about from the moment the season started.

The Heritage Classic– or this year, known as, the Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic.

The rest of the Tkachuk clan, minus Brady, flew into Calgary the night of the 24th, just after you got out of class. You had raced to the airport after the game, saying goodbye to Matt before the team bussed over to Regina to prepare for practice and media in the morning. The two of you were coming off of a high, him after scoring two goals and you, just from being around him and watching him play. He had kissed you goodbye once again, in front of all of his teammates and the wags, and on your trip to pick up his family at the airport, you were forced to swallow down the aching feeling again.

When you picked them up, Chantal and Keith had offered to take you guys all out for dinner if you were hungry, and it made you smile when they actually bought a XL pizza from the very same place Matt had taken you for dinner his first night back in Calgary. It was nice catching up on all things St. Louis and you spent a lot of time talking to Taryn about school and field hockey season. At the end of the night, you had turned into a tomato when Taryn made a suggestive joke about sleeping in Matt’s room without him there. Chantal and Keith laughed before wishing the two of you goodnight and going into the guestroom. You tried to fall asleep in his bed, but it felt cold and empty without him there. So, you grabbed the extra blanket he had hung at the end of the bed and your pillow and walked out into the living room to see Taryn camped out on the couch, watching Impractical Jokesters.

The next morning, the four of you were off on a bus for the families provided by the Flames and bound for Regina. It was a whirlwind of being shuffled to the stadium, catching the tail end of the Winnipeg Jets family skate as the sun started to set before you guys were escorted to seats on the glass, as the boys were set to take the ice to start their practice. You were more than content to sit with Chantal and Keith, but the two of them sent you and Taryn off to go mingle with the other wags and siblings who were in attendance, as they were finding themselves in conversations with other parents.

“Ah, there you are!!” Lauren squealed, waving you and Taryn over quickly as you guys walked behind the bench. “We lost you once we got here.”

“Yeah, we decided to hit up that hot chocolate stand,” Taryn laughed, giving a few of the wags hugs. “Someone didn’t believe me when I told her that Canadian winter was a whole nother kind of cold compared to St. Louis.”

“In my defense,” you said, crossing your arms and trying to prevent your teeth from chattering. “This is my first time ever outside of the states. Especially in winter time.”

“Well hopefully you’ll be getting a lot used to it from now on,” she winked dramatically.

You groaned, lolling your head back. “Not this again, please.”

“Ooh, what is this, this, she’s talking about?” Taryn asked, a smile on her face.

“Oh nothing, just us trying to figure out when your brother is going to ask her out.” Frida, Mikael’s wife teased. “It’s been bugging us for weeks!”

“Especially after the Halloween party,” Claire smiled, shaking her head.

“Wait,” Taryn looked at you, furrowed eyebrows. “You two aren’t dating?”

“EXACTLY!” The group said at the same time, all annoyed.

“But, I think we might be getting our answer soon, Kelly?” Lauren smiled, nodding at her.

Kelly reached into a bag behind her, pulling out a white beanie with a big pom-pom on top, and embroidered on the front, a big red 19. “We asked the guys for how many they wanted and Matt only requested the one and that it be given to you.”

You looked at Taryn, confused. “Why would he request one? He knew you guys were coming.”

“Are you kidding?’ She laughed, stuffing her gloved hands into her jacket sleeves. “We’ve got enough Calgary Tkachuk merch to last us the rest of our lives. Besides, we all said no.”

You looked back at Kelly who held the beanie out to you. You grabbed it, the fabric soft against your fingers as you took it from her. You ran your fingers over the embroidered number, Kelly’s words echoing in your head. ‘Matt only requested the one and that it be given to you.’ All of the wags and the kids had one on, and you were holding one of your very own in your hands. This had to mean something…right?

You put it on your head, carefully fixing the stray hairs that had been pushed into your face, everyone looking at you with big smiles. “Can you guys stop?”

“Just saying,” Lauren sang, turning her attention to the ice as the boys met at the bench to talk.

You laughed, rolling your eyes and turning towards the ice just as Matt started to skate by your location, Sam right behind him. He turned to look at you, his mouthguard hanging out of his mouth in true Matt fashion and he winked, continuing on to the bench.

“I still can’t believe he hasn’t asked you out yet,” Taryn scoffed, resting against the folded seat behind her. “Brady is so losing the bet.”

“Bet?”

“Oh yeah, we’ve had this bet going on since the lake house,” she laughed, nodding towards the ice. “Brady said Matt would make it official after the Scotland trip or when he came back to Calgary. I said Matt would probably do something cheesy and wait for some big occasion like Christmas or something. But..this counts too.”

You laughed, bumping into her as you watched the team disperse on the ice. The night air was still chilly, but the new piece of clothing on your head was warming you up in a few more ways than one.

Could Taryn and the girls be right? Would things between Matt and you change tonight?

Matt had been chirped about it from the moment Sam and Johnny had met you that first night and almost every night after that. Hell, from the moment he had mentioned you to Rittich in a text in August, he was constantly being hounded about you.

Who were you? How did he meet you? Were you just another hook-up?

And after the Halloween party, the most prevalent question coming from his teammates and their significant others, was– were the two of you dating?

Matt didn’t put much thought into it, he didn’t think he needed to. It couldn’t have been that deep to where he ever really needed to confront the topic. As far as he knew, the two of you were exclusive and it was a known thing. It never even occurred to him until the Halloween party after you had rushed outside to call your sister when the guys had just stared at him as if he had three heads.

“What?” He asked, sipping his drink.

“Are the two of you dating or what?” Sam was blunt with his question, the rest of the guys nodding along.

“Great, we’re talking about this!” Claire, Johnny’s girlfriend came strolling over. “Listen here, Tkachuk. If I knew that your little couples costume suggestion wasn’t going to be your sneaky way of asking her to be your girlfriend, I never would’ve done it!”

“Yeah, dude. Imagine how stupid we felt when we thought you guys were dating already.” Rittich chimed in, eating a cookie.

“Especially whatever moment the two of you had just now,” Sam added in, waving his hand at Matt. “It was cute, sickeningly cute. But definitely not a moment that happens between ‘just friends.’

Matt felt bombarded with all of their stares and especially with Claire’s harsh tone. Most of all, he felt confused. He hadn’t even thought about the couple concept of Chucky and Tiffany. He just thought it would be a good idea since his nickname was Chucky and for the first night of the Halloween season, you had braved watching the horror movie– though most of the time you’d spent it with your head buried in his chest. He didn’t mind it though, in fact, he loved it. He figured it would pay homage to your guys’ first Halloween season together– but go figure, it turned out to be a completely oblivious thought.

That night when the two of you went home, he just found himself watching you as you took off your costume make-up and helped him take off his. Had you been wondering the status of your guys’ relationship as long as his teammates have? Was it something that secretly bothered you, but you felt like you couldn’t say anything about it? He barely got a good night of sleep, alternating between staring up at the ceiling and at you sleeping peacefully beside him.

He’s been haunted by that night ever since– no pun intended. He just couldn’t get the thought out of his mind that maybe he’d missed on some cues, if you’d sent any, that you wanted him to come out and ask you to be his girlfriend. Though, to him, you’d been his girlfriend from that very first date. He even went as far as texting Nick, asking if you’d told him anything or dropped any hints. And when Nick sent him Charlotte’s way, Matt was almost too scared to ask. He had a gut feeling that the answer was yes, and he had just been too blind to even notice it. So when Kelly sent Cam to ask the team about beanies for the Heritage Classic, Matt put an order in for you. It wasn’t exactly forward, but maybe it would drop a hint that he was definitely seeing you as more than just a friend.

He’d never felt more happy than he did when he saw you wearing the beanie on your head, laughing and mingling with the rest of the wags and Taryn. And he’d never felt more nervous than he did at this very moment, watching you and Taryn step onto the ice with his parents behind you, ready for the post-practice family skate. He wanted to skate over and meet you halfway, but he couldn’t get himself to move, so he pretended that there was something stuck inside of his glove and he had to get it out. His dad was the first to reach him, giving him a hug and chirping him about his hair no doubt– the fact that he had re-done the shaved lines always brought a few jokes out of Brady and his dad. His mom next, followed by Taryn. He loved his family, they were always going to be the number one things in his life.

But in that moment, he wanted you to be the first person he hugged. He wanted to pick you up and spin you around, hear your laughter in his ear and feel the vibrations against his chest before he would kiss you in front of everyone and then ask you to be his girlfriend. And he almost did it too, the moment he pulled away from Taryn– but he froze, his mouth open slightly, but no words came out. You laughed, skating towards him and hugging him anyway and he felt himself immediately relax.

The five of you skated around the arena, you struggled a little bit on your skates which Matt was thankful for because that meant he got to hold your hand. What he didn’t expect, was after Taryn had asked him to race him one lap around the rink, was for you to ask the same. Most of all, he didn’t expect you to actually beat him in the race, even after he kept trying to grab your waist and hold you back. As the time for family skate dwindled down, his mom had rounded you guys up, ready for pictures. You offered to take all of the pictures for just the Tkachuk’s, even joking that you could edit Brady in later if he wanted– and Matt loved it, he could tell that his parents loved it too. Of course, his parents convinced you to get into some of their pictures, passing the camera off onto Sam before he could skate away with his parents in tow. As the pictures kept coming, Matt was getting antsy of having it just be the two of you. He wanted to ask you to be his girlfriend while the two of you had some kind of space when you were skating hand in hand, but once again, the words died on his lips.

“Okay, now Y/N and Matt,” his mom smiled, looking around for you. “Y/N, sweetie! Come on over here!”

You were taking a picture of the Giordano’s, trying your best to get the two kids to smile. Matt loved it. He loved how easy it was for you to fit in with his teammates and their families– something most people who were thrown into this environment, found terrifying. But not you. You were like a piece of the puzzle.

“Sorry, sorry,” you laughed, skating over and up to him, bumping into him and blushing a bit. “I guess I’m still kind of learning how to stop.”

“Your brother’s played hockey for how long and you never learned to skate?” Matt teased, looking down at you.

“Hey, I learned how to skate…it’s just been awhile, you know?” You replied, sticking your tongue out at him.

“All right you two, look over here and smile!” His mom smiled, holding up her camera as Keith and Taryn did the same beside her.

“Say, ‘Matthew smells!’” Keith laughed.

You giggled, your right arm wrapped around his waist and your left hand resting on his torso, just below the Calgary C. “Matthew smells!”

“No, we’re not saying–” Matt turned to you, a fake hurt look on his face. “Hey!”

“He’s not wrong!” Taryn interjected, shrugging her shoulders. “I can smell you from here.”

He pouted, looking down at you. “I don’t really smell, right?”

“No, we’re kidding,” you laughed, squeezing his waist. “I forgot to tell you though, I’m really loving the eye black look.”

“Thanks, Sam did it,” he smiled, nodding at your beanie. “And I’m really loving the beanie, it really works for you– wearing my number and all.”

“Well, maybe I should do it more often,” you smiled, looking back at the cameras.

Matt let his gaze linger on you for a little while, taking you in as you smiled for pictures. When he finally turned back to see the three Tkachuk’s rotating their phones and holding them to get different angles, it hit him. He was going to do it now. He was going to ask you to be his girlfriend.

Because there was no one else in this world he’d want to see wearing his number on a playoffs wag jacket, more than you. Sleep came harder when it was in a hotel bed on a road trip, alone, compared to sleeping beside you– only a short reach away. The laughs and giggles from playing with snapchat filters or seeing taking stupid buzzfeed quizzes and seeing each other’s results. Bringing you lunch on the day’s you couldn’t make it back to the apartment to eat. Falling asleep on the couch with you resting your head in his lap, or on his shoulder. Sitting out on his balcony porch and exchanging childhood stories, always joking about how the two of you grew up minutes apart, but didn’t meet until decades later.

Every moment the last seven months have only been as good because you were in it.

He turned to you, pressing a kiss to the side of your head. “Matthew, stare at the camera,” you teased, tickling his side.

“Only if you do one thing for me.” He replied, keeping his eyes on you.

“And what is that?” You replied, keeping your head forward.

He pressed his mouth to your ear, smiling as the beanie fabric scratched against his nose. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

You whipped your head around so fast, he thought that he’d have to get James to check you out for whiplash. His heart was beating heavily against his chest, the nerves constricting him until the moment he had built up enough courage to look you in the eyes. There was a sparkle in your eyes that the moment he saw it, he knew he’d do anything to see it every time he looked at you. “Really?” Excitement was radiating off of you as you dropped your arms from around him.

“Yeah,” he nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry it took so long, I just–”

You jumped at him, wrapping your arms around his neck and burying your face into the crook of his neck. He laughed, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you into him. He lifted you off of the ground and spun you around slightly, feeling the vibrations from your giggling in his neck. You pulled your head back, a big smile on your face and the sparkle still in your eyes. “Yes,” you whispered, bumping your nose against his. “Absolutely yes.”

He held you even closer to him, if it were at all possible and he kissed you. Not caring if his parents were there, or his sister, or the teammates and their significant others. Right now, it was you and him– and he wanted to pause this moment for as long as he could.

“I WON THE BET!” Taryn cheered, pumping an arm in the air as the two of you pulled away. were smiling so big. “I’ve got to facetime Brady and tell him that he owes me $50!”

“Taryn!” His mom laughed, a shocked look on her face as Keith high-fived her. “You knew about the bet?”

He shrugged, looking at you and Matt as he put you back onto the ground. “No, but I just find it hilarious that Taryn and Brady had to make a bet to see how long it would take this one to finally make a move.”

Matt felt you bury your head into his chest and he held you close, bending down and pressing a kiss to the top of your head before you skated over to his mom to see the pictures she had taken. He looked out at the empty seats, imagining them being filled to the bring with fans for tomorrow’s game– he could already hear the cheers and the boo’s and the music. But when he looked back at you, standing there with his family, it all went away.

He wanted to win the game tomorrow, absolutely he did. But even if they lose, he’d still consider himself the biggest winner on that ice.

( NOVEMBER )

You didn’t think that it would be that big of a deal. A lot of college students aren’t able to make it home for the holidays. There was a reason why campuses would stay open and even host a dinner in the cafeteria on Thanksgiving. You were never one of them. In undergrad, you were the one who brought friends who couldn’t travel home, home with you to have a nice, filling Thanksgiving meal. There wasn’t a Thanksgiving that you ever missed.

Until this year.

This year, there was no way you could make it home. With undergrad, there was no doubt that you’d be able to hop into your car and drive from the University of Missouri campus all the way home. You didn’t have to stress about making it back on time by the end of the two-day break from classes. But that was when you lived an hour and a half drive away, not 26– or three and a half if you had enough money to muster up for the flight home. Your parents had offered to buy you a ticket home, but you knew how much the ticket would cost– you’d looked it up up to four weeks out, hoping the price would get smaller the closer you got to the date like they normally did. Except this time, they didn’t. And they already had to fly Nick home from Michigan.

Who needed to be at home for Thanksgiving more? Your newly 19-year-old brother, who wouldn’t know what a turkey baster was if it smacked him in the face and had his girlfriend waiting for him back home? Or you, the 22-year-old Grad student, who had quizzes to grade and her own assignments to catch up on? So, you insisted that you would be okay spending Thanksgiving away from home and that was that.

Only it was a lot harder than you thought it would be and even Matt could see that. The night before their four game roadie, you normally helped him pack– but instead, you had been staring at the blinking line on what was supposed to be feedback on someone’s essay. Matt being a family guy, could see that while you said you didn’t mind not going home for Thanksgiving, it was obviously not the case. So, he offered to buy you a ticket. Unfortunately for him, you knew what price they were running at, and turned him down. You couldn’t let him do that. Not only in the aspect of not wanting him to spend that much money on you, but also because, while he had done it before, you didn’t want him to spend Thanksgiving alone. The holiday hadn’t even happened yet, and you were already feeling the sadness deep in your gut. And if you felt that, then what did he feel? So, with that, Matt and the Flames went on their roadie, and you kept yourself busy.

As the days neared closer to Thanksgiving, you threw yourself more into your work rather than dwelling on what would be happening at home leading up to the Holiday. You didn’t want to think about how your dad would start to set up the living room with his wacky decorations, ready for Thanksgiving Day football, three days early. How you and Nick would fight over where to put the hideous name place cards both families had the kids make after the first Thanksgiving you spent together. You wouldn’t be able to teach Addie how to mix the perfect mimosa– a specific ratio of dry sparkling wine, orange juice, a splash of cranberry juice and the teensy bit of vodka your dad’s always told you to put in, that your mom’s never knew about. Charlotte wouldn’t be calling out every single artist that was lip-syncing during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade– surprise, they all were. Listening to everyone’s toasts to what they’re thankful for and trying not to chirp Colton since he always had the cheesiest. When Mason would try and get your food-coma suffering families to go outside for a ‘beautiful nature walk through suburbia’ only to be greeted back with pillows flying at his face. The lack of drunken laughter filling your ears during the annual Cards Against Humanity game, where you were always the winner. And how this year, you’d be missing out on the memories they’d all be making with the newest members of your conjoined families, even though they were still developing inside your sister.

Matt could tell you were struggling, even through your nightly facetime calls while he was out on the road. While he’d only met you five months ago, he knew you well enough to be able to see that through your fake smiles, tired eyes and constant brushing it off as being tired of grading things…you were really missing home. Matt wasn’t really sure how to make it work– a relationship as a professional athlete. The last time he had a girlfriend was his sophomore year of high school and it was a girl back home in Chesterfield, who couldn’t handle the fact he went to school in Michigan and broke up with him a month into the relationship. Back then, he didn’t really care all that much. He had hockey and he had his friends– and once he got older and reached the NHL, he turned more to casual flings than serious relationships. But that was until he met you.

He knew that your relationship would be worth the constant traveling and the frequent facetime calls and texts. He didn’t want what happened with his last girlfriend to happen with you. So he did the only thing he could think of– he called his parents for advice. They were the perfect people to call, because they had once been in your guys’ shoes. Though, unfortunately, they weren’t all that much help. All they said was to just keep up communication and make each other feel like you’re there for the other, even if you’re physically not. When he ended the phone call, he called Brady. Brady was practically engaged at this point, seemingly able to make his relationship work even before his NHL debut. And when Brady said the same thing, Matt just gave him a short thanks and hung up the phone. The two of you were doing exactly what they had said to do– constant facetime calls, phone calls, text messages– and yet, he couldn’t help but feel like it wasn’t enough. That there had to be something he could do to help you feel a little less alone this Holiday.

So when Gio and Cam went around the plane on their flight to Philadelphia asking the boys if any of them were allergic to anything, Matt saw his chance. Apparently, Lauren and Kelly were planning on having a big team dinner at the Talbot’s place– a Thanksgiving sort of party, when the boys got back from their roadie..on, of course, Thanksgiving. Since the team had a packed schedule the week Canadian Thanksgiving took place, they saw an opportunity to just get everyone and their families together, especially since the season was picking up and everyone knew how much the constant traveling and grueling schedule could take its toll on both the players and their significant others. So when Cam sat back down in his seat and Gio was making his way back to his after they put their notes together, Matt had stopped him. He told him about how you were struggling with not going home for the holiday for the first time ever and asked if maybe Lauren could involve you with the planning and the cooking. Cam, a family man himself, was more than happy to ask Lauren and said he’d let him know.

He’d never felt more relieved when two days later, before warm-ups in their game against the Flyers, that he’d gotten a text from you saying that you’d be watching his game at the Talbot’s tonight, helping Kelly and Lauren with some ideas for a team dinner for when they all got back. Even through text, he could tell you were already feeling a little better. Maybe it was your use of happy and heart emojis or maybe it was the selfie you’d sent him, a big smile on your face and a bottle of wine in your hand as you sat in the back of an uber. He replied with a simple kissy face emoji and a heart and put his phone back into the cubby before zoning back in on getting dressed. While he knew that any of the boys’ significant others would be a great support system for you, he was happy that it was Lauren who was taking you under her wing.

For the first time since he hopped onto that plane to head out on the roadie, he stepped out onto the ice, feeling more at ease knowing that you had a little more support around you, than he had left you with. And now all he wanted to do, was win these next three games so he could get back home to you.

You had just hung up on facetime with your mom, holding two index cards with two separate recipes written on them. One, was your moms prize winning recipe for chocolate mousse pie and the other was a stuffing recipe that belonged to your Grandma. Kelly and Lauren were sitting in the living room, their kids relaxing on the couch as the two moms sat down in front of them on the floor. This was your first time really meeting the Giordano and Talbot kids, all four of them balls of energy that, from the moment they met you, were non stop talking and asking you to play with them. It was the perfect distraction needed from the long day of grading papers and quizzes.

But now, the four kids were relaxed on the couch, their eyes which had practically been glued to the T.V. earlier in the evening, were now shut– all of them struggling to stay awake long enough to watch their dad’s play. All four donning Calgary shirts with their respective last names on it.

“Here you go,” you sighed, sitting yourself down on the floor next to Kelly as you held out the two index cards. “Recipes for Mama L/N ‘s county famous chocolate mousse pie and Grandma’s very own stuffing.”

Kelly laughed as she took the cards from you and placed them into the small binder she had for the party. “As a token of payment, here’s the glass of wine you definitely deserve.”

The game was on and it was nearing the last minute of the third period, with the game tied leading 2-2.. Matt had been playing with a little more pep in his step this game than he had been the last game you’d watched on his TV back in his apartment. He had a few hits in the first period, a hit in the second, a hit in the third and multiple shots on goal throughout the game– but even you could see the frustration on his face that he felt like he wasn’t producing at the standard he held himself at. It was even more evident when the period ended and the camera caught him aggressively chewing on his mouth guard and shaking his head slightly before making his way off of the ice and back down the tunnel.

“All right, so I think we’ve pretty much got everything covered,” Kelly said, flipping through the binder. “Brittany said that she’d bring over the extra plates, napkins and utensils they have from Thanksgiving last year, which was the last thing that we needed to cover!” She took a long sip of her wine and sighed. “Now, we all just get together tomorrow and go over who cooks what, who brings what, and how we want to have everyone show up and we’ve got ourselves a dinner.”

“As hectic as this all is, I honestly love it,” you said, leaning back against the loveseat. “And thank you both for involving me. I don’t think you guys know how much this has kept me sane.”

“Oh we know,” Lauren laughed, nodding at Kelly. “We were getting ready to call you to ask when Cam called this one saying Matt was close to parachuting off of the plane and finding his own way back here because he knew how hard not being home was on you.”

You blushed, looking down at the wine in your glass before bringing the cup up to your lips and taking another sip. “Well, that’s kind of embarrassing.”

“No, it’s really sweet, actually,” Kelly smiled. “I mean, you were right at the top of our list of girls to ask if they wanted to help because we both know what it was like to be in your shoes. And the fact that he went an extra step to make sure you were involved…it was sweet.”

“Just so we’re clear…this isn’t a pity invite?” You joked, looking at the two of them.

“Please, you practically saved the entire party with your organization,” Kelly laughed, reaching an arm back and pulling up the blanket that the twins were sharing. “If I manage to get the supplies, will you help the kids walk through the name place cards tomorrow? I absolutely loved that idea when you mentioned it.”

“Of course!” You smiled, nodding. “As long as you’re prepared for the ridiculous amounts of glue they’ll probably get everywhere.”

“Now we just have to hope that the men will actually abide by the name plates instead of seeing them as suggestions.” Kelly laughed, reaching over to the table and grabbing the wine, pouring a little more into her glass.

“Based on the traditions you told us about, your family sounds really great,” Lauren smiled. “I love how the two of you guys just merge your holidays together.”

“Yeah,” you sighed, smiling and bringing the glass up. “Wherever you saw one, the other was either right beside them or right behind. It made family vacations a lot more enjoyable for my little brother. That way he wasn’t stuck having to hang with my sister and I all of the time.”

“So, Y/N,” Kelly sat herself up as she held the bottle out to Lauren, refilling her glass before moving it in your direction. “How exactly did you and Matt meet?”

“I second that question,” Lauren chimed in as you reached your cup out, allowing Lauren to pour a little more wine into it. “All we know is that Matt went home and came back in September and was just going on and on about you to the boys. Then he kept you his little secret from us until what? October? I mean, the boys got to meet you before we did!”

You laughed and leaned back into the couch, accidentally bumping into the foot of Lauren and Mark’s youngest, who was fast asleep behind you. “It’s kind of embarrassing, really.”

“Ooh, even better,” Lauren smiled, nodding at you. “Spill the tea.”

“I mean it wasn’t much. I had just flown back home to St. Louis from spending a week at a beach house in Jersey with my college roommates. My uber was about to cancel on me, so I was literally running through the airport to the luggage claim. Grabbed what I thought was my suitcase and went home.” You took a long sip of your wine, shaking your head. “Only it wasn’t my suitcase because when I opened it to get ready for my sister’s rehearsal dinner, I was greeted with a spike ball net and a pair of Ant-Man boxers.”

The two women burst into laughter before quickly toning down the volume so they wouldn’t wake the kids. They each took a long sip of their wine before looking back at you. “Matt wears Ant-Man boxers? I am never letting him live that down.” Lauren laughed.

“Yeah, but anyway, he ended up texting me from the number on my luggage tag and it turns out we were both going to be in the same shopping area for dinner that night. So we planned to meet up and exchange the suitcases and then call it a night.”

Kelly smiled, raising an eyebrow. “I sense a but coming along?”

“But, his family’s reservation got pushed back and I didn’t have to be back at my dinner…so we just sat down and talked. It turns out we grew up in the same city, but never really crossed paths. I talked about moving to Calgary for school and he told me about how he lived here. He asked me about my favorite sports teams–”

“Of course he did,” Lauren laughed lightly, rolling her eyes. “Men. They’re all the same.”

You laughed. “He liked all of my answers, especially the hockey one.”

“Let me guess, he loved the fact that you boosted his ego?” Lauren joked, sipping her wine.

“Actually,” you looked down at your glass, feeling your cheeks warm up. “I didn’t know who he was until the next night at the wedding.”

“WEDDING?” The two of them gasped, smiles on their faces.

You nodded. “Mhhm. Long story short, Brady came and interrupted our small talk. That night at my sister’s bridal sleepover, I was dared to text him and ask him to come to the wedding because apparently I wouldn’t stop gushing about him. He came and it wasn’t until my little brother sent a bunch of spam texts to our family group chat asking why Chucky was there. We danced, made plans to hang out again, and the rest is…kind of history.”

Lauren took another long sip of her wine before nodding at you, pointing her glass at you. “The two of you could totally sell the rights to Hallmark or something. Because that is about the cutest story I’ve ever heard.”

“So cute that apparently, I made us miss most of overtime,” you laughed, turning your attention back to the TV just as the seconds dwindled down.

The three of you laughed, turning your full attention back to the TV as the announcers spoke about the inactivity during overtime. “I think you’re good for him,” Lauren smiled, resting her glass in her lap. “I mean, he’s a pretty quiet guy when it comes to talking about his social life. And I find it endearing just how much he gushes about you. He’s like a whole ‘nother person when you’re around or when he talks about you. More…genuine, I guess you could say. Like when he laughs or smiles…I think you make him really happy.”

“I second that and I’ve only been around him for almost three months,” Kelly laughed, drinking the rest of her wine. “You two are a really good fit.”

“Come on Sean,” Lauren groaned, as you and Kelly turned your attention back to the TV as you guys watched Sean skate towards the Flyers goalie. He tried to lure the goalie out to his left, setting up for a top shelf shot– only it went right into the goalie’s glove.

“If the Flyers win this game, I think I might never tune in and watch another roadie series ever again,” Kelly groaned, leaning her head back on the couch. “Especially after that 5-0 loss to the Blues? That was ugly.”

“I know,” you replied, shaking your head. “I had to ask my brother what to even say to Matt. I didn’t want to say something wrong and make it worse.” You guys watched as Rittich made the save from the Flyers shot, tossing the puck back down the ice where a linesman picked it up. “Oh thank God.”

“Look who’s up now,” Lauren smiled, wiggling her eyebrows. “It’s your man.”

Your eyes were glued to the screen and your grip tight on the wine glass as the camera focused in on Matt. He skated past the ref, his eyes looking down as he tried to get himself into the zone. When he looked up, he skated back towards the puck, nudging it ahead of him with his stick as he stuck towards the Flyers bench. “Come on Matt, come on…” you whispered, wanting nothing more than to see him score what could be the goal that would have the Flames win as long as Rittich stopped the shot after his.

He swung wide towards his right, keeping good control of the puck as he neared the goalie. Your heart was thumping against your chest and you could feel yourself start to lean forward as if it would help you see the screen better. He slowed the momentum down, the goalie following his every move. Matt setup for a wrist shot and the goalie followed, only for Matt to make it and slide the puck through the goalie’s pads– a five-hole goal.

“YES!” You sat up onto your knees, throwing one arm in the air and careful not to spill your wine with your other hand. The smile on your face grew as they replayed his goal in slow-motion, showing him pull the trick off before the camera focused on him heading back to the bench, a small smile on his face.

Kelly sighed, downing the rest of her wine as she turned to Lauren. “Young love, am I right?”

“Seriously, it’s the cutest thing,” Lauren smiled, the game ending a few seconds later as Rittich saved what could have been a saving grace shot for the Flyers. “Are you prepared for a good mood facetime from him tonight? He’ll probably talk your ear off the entire bus ride over to Pittsburgh.”

“More than,” you laughed, finishing the rest of your wine. “I actually don’t mind the long facetimes with him. It definitely gets kind of lonely in his apartment.”

“Well,” Kelly said, standing up. “You’re more than welcome to stay here tonight if you don’t want to uber back to his place.” She turned to Lauren as she stood up, picking up the wine bottle. “You already know where the guest room is from last time.”

“That’s okay, it’s not too far of a ride,” you replied, standing up.

“Oh honey, this is me going into mom mode,” Lauren said, taking the wine glass from you as the three of you walked into the kitchen. “It’s late, you’re a beautiful young woman and I am nowhere near comfortable sending you home in an uber by yourself.”

“We’ve got a second guest room,” Kelly smiled. “As long as you don’t mind the few boxes of Cam’s hockey memorabilia from his younger days, sitting in the corner.”

“Not at all,” you smiled, looking back towards the couch. “I can even help you guys get the kids to bed if you want.”

“Any chance you babysit on the days you’re not student teaching?” Lauren joked.

“It’d actually be good practice for me, since my sister is having twins next year.”

“Well, make sure you tell her that she’s going to be in for the ride of her life,” Kelly joked, as you and Lauren followed her back into the living room.

You stood by the back of the couch as they gently went about waking the kids to move them to the bedrooms upstairs. While they were occupied, you took the chance to open your texts with Matt, smiling as you typed him a message.

you: proud of you 🥰

In an instant, the three grey dots popped up and disappeared– a message from him coming through.

matt 💞: i’ll call you once we get on the bus 😊😘

you: waiting for it handsome 😚

“Looks like you get this little one,” Kelly whispered, handing a fast asleep Landon to you. “Just follow me and I’ll lead you to his room.”

You nodded, sliding your phone into your back pocket before taking Landon from her. He wrinkled his eyes, never opening them. You waited for Kelly to pick up Sloane, feeling Landon wrap his arms around your neck before letting his headrest down on top of his own arms, his head turned towards you. When Kelly turned around, her face softened. “Oh my goodness, hold on.” She quickly picked her phone up from the arm of the couch, balancing a sleeping Sloane on her hip as she took a picture of you. “He never and I mean never, warms up to people this fast. Matt might have some competition.”

You laughed softly, following her out of the living room and up the stairs, walking slowly and carefully so you wouldn’t wake the sleeping toddler. After you got him into his bed, she had you wait in the hall while she put Sloane to bed. She came back out of the room and led you back downstairs and down a hallway into their other guest bedroom. “The kids normally wake up around 7, and we usually have breakfast at 8. You’re more than welcome to stay around. But if you wake up earlier and want to go back to the apartment for a nice shower and a nap before coming back to this crazy household, I wouldn’t blame you.”’

“Breakfast sounds great,” you laughed, walking into the room. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight Y/N,” she smiled, closing the door behind her.

You fell back onto the bed, closing your eyes and feeling as if you could fall asleep at any moment. Your eyes opened when you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket and you brought it out, unlocking the message as you held the phone above your head. It was from Matt and part of the message had been the candid picture Kelly took moments earlier. A sleeping Landon snuggled into your neck and you looked down at him with a small smile.

matt 💞: tell that little monster that you’re my girlfriend 😤

matt 💞: but also you with kids is so 🥺😍🥵

you: if you don’t facetime me within the next 10 minutes, i’ll be passed out in the talbot’s guest room. 😊

matt 💞: walking to the bus now 😘

+

The last five days had gone by in a blur and your days were filled with helping set up the Talbot’s house for the party, grading students work, helping the kids make the place name place cards for the Calgary players and Coaches and then getting together with the rest of the WAGs to get the food and everything ready so the cooking wouldn’t be what took the longest. And over the course of the last two days, everything had been made except for the mashed potatoes, turkey and stuffing. But today was the day and it was time for all of that hard work to be put to use. You had gotten back to Matt’s apartment a little before 10PM and he had stopped replying to you an hour before, so you could only assume that he was fast asleep on their flight back from Buffalo. It’d been over a week since you last got to see Matt in person, your family getting to see him when he played in St. Louis, before you did. And leave it to Nick to send you a selfie of him and Matt after the game to rub it in. But he was on his way home and all you wanted to do was wait up for him and hug him the moment he came through the door.

However, that didn’t happen. Instead, you found yourself waking up in his bed the next morning and your alarm going off next to your head. Another thing you woke up to? Matt lying on his stomach next to you. He had his left arm draped out towards you as his forearm and hand rested on your stomach, beneath your shirt. You slowly reached over to the nightstand and stopped your alarm, careful not to wake him up. You heard him take a deep breath and when you turned to look at him, he turned his head towards you– his eyes still closed and he was still asleep. When you reached out to brush the loose curls out of his face, you felt his fingers lightly brush against your skin as his hand moved towards your hip, squeezing it lightly. He took another deep breath, exhaling softly as his eyes opened slowly. His long eyelashes rest against his cheeks every few seconds between his blinks, until he was able to keep his eyes open long enough to see you.

“Good morning,” he smiled, his eyes closing for a few seconds before opening again. “You really need a new alarm.”

You laughed, letting your hand drift down from his curls and rest along his cheek. “What? Wake me Up by Avicii isn’t good enough for you?”

“No.” He let his eyes close again as he raised his eyebrows, taking another deep breath and exhaling. “Too cheery. Mornings are the worst, you need something like…” he opened his eyes, exhaling again. “Like the one alarm sound that sounds like wind chimes.”

“But then I’d never wake up,” you laughed, rolling yourself onto your side and pushing yourself up onto your left elbow, your thumb brushing against the scruff on his cheek.

“Sounds good to me,” he said, wrapping his arm fully around you as he tried to tug you closer, but was too tired to do so. “More cuddles, please.”

“I can’t. Lauren said she’d be picking me up by 7:30 to go to the Talbot’s.” He huffed, closing his eyes as his nose crinkled in annoyance. “But, I’ll see you in a few hours, okay?”

“Hmph, no,” he mumbled, keeping his eyes closed. His grip tightened more as he pulled you a little closer. “Stay.”

You laughed, leaning in and kissing him softly. “I can’t, Matt. I promised I’d be there to set up and I need to take a shower and get ready.”

“Fine,” he opened his eyes and you bumped your nose against his. He barely had to move as he closed the distance between the two of you again, letting the kiss linger before he pulled back. “But tell little Talbot to keep his hands to himself.”

You rolled your eyes and kissed him one more time before getting out of bed. You grabbed your phone off of the nightstand and then walked over to his bathroom, walking in and sliding the door closed behind you. Thankfully, you were smart enough to take a shower the night before, because there really wasn’t much time to do anything but your make-up and hair. If today was going to be anything like Thanksgiving at home was, then you were for sure in for a wild ride. You tried to do your best to get ready fast, do your normal morning routine– wash your face, brush your teeth, etc– and while waiting for your curling iron to heat up, you started working on your make-up for the day. Nothing too drastic, just some light powder, a little mascara, touch up your eyebrows and then put on a peachy lip tint. You grabbed your comb, separating your hair in a half up, half down hairstyle. You collected the top section, grabbed some hair ties and styled your hair into a bun. When you went to grab your curling iron, the bathroom door slid open and Matt walked in, rubbing his still closed eyes and mumbling something you couldn’t quite make out.

“What?” You laughed, wrapping a bottom section of your hair around the curling iron.

“I said, I hope you don’t mind, but I really have to pee.” He replied, flipping up the toilet seat as he stood in front of it. “Just a warning.”

You laughed, letting the piece of hair fall while Matt relieved himself. It was pretty domestic, the two of you there in the bathroom. It just went to show just how comfortable the two of you were around each other– though, you’d yet to let him sneak his way into the shower with you. He’s tried once or twice before, but when he would stick his arm under the shower head to test the water before he would strip and get in, he always said it was too hot. As if that was even possible. Besides, you’re more than certain that if the two of you were to shower together, there wouldn’t be much cleaning getting done.

He flushed the toilet and put the seat back down, readjusting his boxers before coming up beside you. You stepped aside, letting another curl drop as you reached over and turned on the water for him. He washed his hands as you continued curling your hair. He turned the water off and reached behind him to dry his hands on a towel. When he turned back around, he wrapped his arms around your waist and moved your fresh curls off of your shoulder, resting his chin in their place. “You look really beautiful,” he whispered, giving you a sleepy smile in the mirror.

“Thank you,” you replied, finishing up the last curl and turning off the iron, unplugging it before turning to look at him. “But no more cuddles this morning.” You bumped your nose against his, kissing him. “No matter how many times you compliment me.”

He sighed, burying his face into your neck before blowing a raspberry against your skin and then running out of the bathroom before you could react. “Ha, should’ve been faster!”

You turned off the bathroom light, grabbed your phone and walked back into the bedroom to see Matt already buried beneath the comforter. You shook your head and walked over to the dresser you had put most of the clothes you’d brought over from your dorm, in. Matt was still working on getting you to at least put some of your clothes into his closet– but you didn’t want to overstay your welcome, which was a ridiculous thought because it was Matt who was always asking you to come over or suggesting you to come over. If anything, he wanted you to be here more than you did. And now that the two of you were “official” and the fact that your parents and his thought that the two of you would be living together the moment you both stepped foot into Calgary– said more than enough about the situation.

Your phone lit up and you saw a text from Lauren saying that she was five minutes out. You quickly shimmied into your jeans and stripped out of one of Matt’s shirts, putting on a bra and a maroon sweater, folding up your pajamas and placing them back onto the dresser. You slid your phone into your pocket and made your way over to Matt to see if he was in fact, faking being asleep to get out of your revenge. But once you got to his side, you were greeted with a soft snore– he had fallen right back asleep. You laughed, leaning down and brushing his curls away from his temple, kissing him. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

You turned towards the door, getting ready to walk out when you heard him rolling around. “Thanks for the show,” he mumbled, and when you turned around, he had rolled over onto his side, facing you with a smirk on his face. “Can I get a repeat?”

“Goodbye, Matthew,” You laughed, shaking your head and walking out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind you. You grabbed your purse and keys, putting it over your shoulder as you walked out of his apartment, locking it behind you. The hallway was pretty quiet and you wrapped it up to the reason being that most people are already at work. Thursdays were the only day of the week that you didn’t have classes to attend and thankfully, Professor Robinson didn’t make it mandatory for you to come in. That didn’t stop you from making sure the students know that you were available whenever they had questions– even if you weren’t in the classroom, but today you were hoping that maybe they’d be okay to fend for themselves.

When the elevator came to a stop at the first floor, you walked out and headed out towards the parking lot where Lauren was waiting. You jogged the rest of the way to her car, smiling as you opened the passenger door and climbed in. “Good morning,” you shut the door, turning around and greeting the two younger Giordano’s, both half asleep. “Are you guys excited?”

Jack nodded, “Mom says we get to watch a parade!”

She laughed, reversing out of the parking spot. “Let’s just hope we catch it on time. I forgot about the time difference. Is Matt still asleep?”

“He’s in and out,” you replied, feeling your phone vibrate as you buckle your seatbelt. “I swear if this is him now.”

You pulled your phone out of your pocket to check his text, only to see a different name on your screen. You unlocked it, opening the message to see a selfie for Nick with everyone else in the background, sitting in the living room and ready for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

lil pest: miss you!! 🥺💙

you: miss you more 😭💛

“Is he okay?” Lauren asked, taking your attention away from your phone.

“Yeah, it wasn’t Matt, it was my little brother,” you turned your phone towards her, showing her the picture. “They’re all at our house watching the parade.”

“That’s a big bunch, you weren’t kidding when you said it’s a family affair,” she laughed, giving you a small smile. “We’ll have to get some pictures of everything so you can send them and show them your work.”

You laughed, putting your phone away. “It was a group effort, but I’m sure they’ll appreciate the pictures and the feedback on the pie and stuffing.”

“Oh trust me, I think the guys will be starving. Ryan and Alan might be pissed because they’re breaking their diets, but I bet you $10 you’ll see them sneaking something too.” She smiled, reaching across and patting your hand, nodding. “It’ll be a day to remember, I promise. Home away from home.”

+

It was almost like being at home. The kids and wags huddled around the TV to watch the parade while the rest of the food that waited to be cooked, sat in the oven. By the time most of the guys started to show up, the aroma from the oven was starting to travel around the house, the kids were setting up the placements and the first football game of the day was getting ready to start. As expected, Matt had come strolling in around the second batch of guys who showed up. He was wearing a Maroon v-neck sweater with a black t-shirt underneath it and some khaki pants. You almost couldn’t believe your eyes when he had walked in, because the sweater he was wearing, was the same exact sweater you had pointed out to him almost two weeks earlier, saying that you had a sweater that matched that one.

And he showed up wearing it.

By the time everyone else showed up, the guys had managed to get all of the kids to sit in the living room with them and watch football, the wags joining soon after once it was determined that the food in the oven needed a little bit longer to cook. Lauren, you and Kelly had chirped Ryan and Alan as they scoped out the food and appetizers, even catching them sneaking a few. When everything was done in the kitchen and all that needed to do was wait for the timer to go off, you found yourself joining the rest of the group in the living room for the Bills vs. Cowboys game.

Matt had a spot on the floor and he waved you over immediately, spreading his legs and patting the carpet so you could sit with him. You weren’t the only wag in the same seating situation, so you definitely didn’t feel all that weird about it. The moment you scooted back into him, he tugged you against him and wrapped his arms around you, resting his chin on your shoulder and kissing your cheek. The sounds of the guys yelling at the tv, the kids laughing and joining in and just the overall family aura it gave off– made it feel like home more than anything.

Dinner came and went and if they weren’t passed out on the living room floor or on the couch, they were near food-coma level. There were a select few who had managed to muster up enough energy to play around with the kids, you and Matt included. You even had to swat a few players hands away from dessert before it was too early. Even Alan and Ryan had complimented all of the wags on the delicious food, and told the boys that they wouldn’t hold it against them. But the time had passed and some people were going for seconds while the kids were all passed out in the Talbot kids downstairs playroom. You were giving some of the other wags the recipe for your Mom’s chocolate mousse pie– Lauren having forgotten the card at her place– when you felt your phone vibrating in your pocket. “Hold on, I’ll be right back.”

You grabbed your phone, looking down to see it was a facetime call from Nick. You slid your thumb across the bottom of the screen, answering the call just as you walked out into the Talbot’s backyard. “HAPPY THANKSGIVING!” The mixed voices sang out, Nick’s head at the bottom of the frame as he tried to fit everyone into it.

“Happy Thanksgiving,” you laughed, sitting down on the grass by the backyard french, looking out towards the man-made lake that acted as a nature view for the Talbot’s and their neighbors. “Has everyone hit food coma level yet? Better yet, has Mason tried to get you to go on the nature walk?”

“Hey! That nature walk gets the blood flowing,” Mason called out. “And yes, that’s where we just came from. Everyone loved it.”

A mixed chorus of replies came from your families and you laughed, bringing your legs up and resting your arms on your knees. “How’s everything going over there?”

“Well, most of the guys hit food coma level,” you laughed. “It’s a lot different seeing a bunch of big professional hockey players passed out in the living room than you guys.”

“Well, we just wanted to say that we miss you and we love you!” Your mom and Mrs. Johnson said, before disappearing from the frame.

“Addie, how did the mimosas go this morning?” You asked, Addie coming up to Nick and taking the phone as she walked away.

“The ratio was spot on,” she smiled, looking off-camera. “Dad approved.”

“Did you watch the parade?” Charlotte asked, popping into view. “I told you–”

“Yes, yes I know,” you smiled. “Everyone was lip-syncing. They do it every year just like Colton does his cheesy I’m thankful for, speech.”

Colton kissed Charlotte, sticking his tongue out at you. “It was great this year, you really missed out.”

“Nick even set up the placements like you did.” Addie smiled, showing Nick. “He didn’t even argue and no one had to tell him it was wrong.”

“Awww, does this mean what I think it means?” You teased. “Did my little brother actually miss me?”

He grabbed the phone away from Addie, rolling his eyes as he brought his face up close. “Don’t let your mind fool you, I just didn’t want to deal with everyone telling me I did it wrong.”

You and your siblings were as close as thieves, so even you knew that he was lying. The seating placement had been the same since your families first conjoined Thanksgiving– it’s never once changed. It was always just something you and Nick did together. He’d move a nameplate to bother you, and you’d tried to switch his seat away from Addie. But in the end, the seats alway stayed the same and he was always to your right.

You felt yourself start to tear up when you noticed everyone’s voices had faded out away from the living room and Nick still had you on facetime. “Is it time for Cards Against Humanity?”

Nick laughed. “Are you kidding? It’s time for the pre-drinks, for Cards Against Humanity.” He didn’t look at the camera, keeping his face out of view, but you weren’t oblivious to the tone in his voice.

“For what it’s worth,” you said, the tears burning a little more. “I miss you.”

He finally looked at the camera and you saw the sad look on his face. “I miss you too.” He sniffled, shaking his head and scoffing. “I mean, I had my first taste of what it’s like to sit next to Mason and um, it was awful.”

“You’re just mad I got the mashed potatoes first!” Mason’s voice yelled out, Nick looking off camera.

“Here, Y/N, someone wants to talk to you,” Nick handed you off the phone facing the ceiling for a few seconds as you heard him and Mason arguing in the background.

Your dad’s face filled the frame, a big smile on his face. “Hi, sweetheart.”

“Hi dad,” you said, looking at him before looking off at the water, hoping that it would help clear the tears from your eyes. “I hope you had a great Thanksgiving.”

“We did, we did,” he replied nodding his head. “And I know you wanted to be here with us, but I’m really glad that you found a great group of people to have up there.”

You looked over your shoulder, seeing the party mingle on through the glass door, laughing before looking back at him. “They’re all pretty great and for a while it did feel like I was back home.” You took a deep breath and shook your head. “But nobody can replace you guys. NHL’ers or not.”

“Well, you were here with us in spirit, I made sure of that.”

You chuckled, resting your chin on your fist. “What? You’re telling me that you guys set out an empty plate for me and everything? Completel with a nameplate?”

“Yeah, we did. It wasn’t even a thought to not set it up,” he yawned, relaxing back into the chair. “But that wasn’t what I was talking about.”

Before you could ask what he had meant, he angled the camera down and there, hanging from his neck was a hideous paper mache turkey necklace you’d made in the third grade. It was missing a couple of it’s feathers from the old age of it, and the picture of 8-year-old you that was missing a front tooth, was still filling the cut out circle that was supposed to be the turkey’s face. Your dad had worn it those first two Thanksgivings after you made it, but then you told him that he didn’t have to wear it and he agreed, fearful that the feathers would fall off too soon.

And he was wearing it.

That was enough to make the tears really brim in your eyes and you turned your head away from the camera, sniffling as quietly as you could and brushing your tears away with your hand. “It’s still as ugly as I remember it,” you laughed, looking back at the phone.

“It’s a little rough around the edges, I agree,” he joined in, picking it up and looking at your picture. “But it’s a little piece of you that’s here with us, since you couldn’t be.”

Your bottom lip trembled as you felt the tears fall down your cheeks. “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.” He replied, yawning and then pretending as if he wasn’t wiping a tear from his eye. “You go back to your party and the pictures look great! We can’t wait for more.”

“Tell everyone I love them.”

“Will do.”

You stared at the screen as he hung up, finally letting out the small sob you’d been holding. This Thanksgiving here in Calgary was great, but you were still missing home. And you guessed that that’s the part of growing up you’d have to get used to. You locked your phone and sniffled, looking back up at the water as you went to wipe your eyes.

“Oh!” You said, caught off guard as a figure stepped in front of you, squatting down and you immediately recognized it was Matt. You sniffled again, shaking your head as you waved a hand at your face. “Hi, sorry, I was just–”

He stepped towards you and wrapped his arms around you, hugging you tightly. You hadn’t expected yourself to break down like you did, but the moment you felt his embrace, it was like the tears wouldn’t stop. “Hey, hey, it’s okay,” he whispered, maneuvering so he could sit down beside you before he pulled you into his chest.

“No, it’s not,” you mumbled into his chest, pulling your head away and waving back at the party. “Everyone’s inside having so much fun at this Thanksgiving party and I’m out here crying like a baby because I miss my family.”

“Do you think any of them would blame you, though?” He asked, keeping you against him. “Lauren and Kelly know how close you are to your family and the guys didn’t believe me when I told them about how your family dynamic works. Says its too perfect,” you laughed and he smiled, squeezing your shoulder. “None of them would blame you for missing your family. They know what it’s like.”

You sniffled, looking out towards the water as you rested your head on his shoulder. “You’re right.”

“You know, my first night alone in Calgary– like, alone, alone,” he sighed, bringing his legs up next to yours. “My Mom had been staying with me and so did my Grandpa, but they both had gone home and it’d at least be a day until my Dad would fly up. So there I am in my apartment and I remember trying to go to bed and just…staring at the ceiling because it was just…so quiet.”

“What did you do?” You asked, looking back at him.

“I ordered pizza and facetimed Brady.” The two of you laughed and he shrugged. “I’m serious. I thought I would be okay because it wasn’t my first time away from home, but I realized that it was my first time away from home…alone. And it sucked, and I forced Brady into talking to me on facetime for about three hours until I fell asleep.”

“Is that why your facetime calls are always so long when you’re on roadies?” You smiled.

He nods. “I still have trouble sleeping sometimes, but now it’s because I’m missing having you next to me. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that your face is the last thing I get to see before I fall asleep.”

You squinted, trying to read his face. “You’re kissing up to me aren’t you?”

He tossed his head back and laughed, pulling you into him and wrapping his other arm around you. “No, it’s true. But also, I wouldn’t mind a little extra curricular activity tonight.”

You laughed, trying to shove yourself away but he had you trapped. “Only on one condition.”

“What?”

“You kiss me.”

“Pfft, easiest condition ever,” he said, leaning in and kissing you. You tried to shove yourself back again, but he held onto you tighter, the push and pull causing the two of you to fall back onto the grass, you on top of him. “Hm, getting an early start are we?”

You laughed, resting your right elbow onto the grass beside his head as your left hand rested on his heart. “Thank you.”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “For what?”

“For having Kelly and Lauren ask if I wanted to help with all of this.” You kissed him softly, pulling back a short second later. “I mean, they said they were already planning on it, but then you asked, but still…thank you.”

He brought a hand up to cup the right side of your face, brushing the curls away. “I know you’ve been missing your family and it’s really all I wanted to do…make you feel at home.”

You leaned down and kissed him again, his thumb caressing your cheek as he went to deepen the kiss. He held you tight against him before he rolled you guys over, hovering over you for only a few seconds before he lowered himself down and kissed you again.

“Y/N! Y/N!”

Matt pulled away and you looked behind you to see Johnny and Sean running over, almost skidding to a stop once they saw you and Matt lying in the grass. “Oh, I’m sorry. Are we interrupting something?” Sean asked, raising an eyebrow.

“And at a family function?” Johnny scoffed, shaking his head. “Tsk Tsk.”

“What is it you jerks?” Matt groaned, pushing himself up before helping you off of the ground, brushing the grass off of the two of you.

“We need the recipe for that chocolate mousse pie.” Sean nodded.

“I need it too!” Sam yelled, running over and waving his phone in the air. “And I need it first because I’ve got my mom on the phone, ready to write it down.” He came to a stop next to them, looking at the two of you. “Why do you have grass in your hair?”

“All of you go inside!” Matt said, waving them off. “She’ll help you when she gets inside, go!”

The three boys mumbled incoherent words as they walked back towards the patio. You turned to Matt, laughing and reaching up to grab a piece of grass from his loose curls. “He wasn’t lying, you did have grass in your hair.”

“Are you ready to go back inside? We can sit out here for as long as you need to.” He said, reaching and grabbing a few spare pieces of grass from your curls.

“No, I’m fine now,” you smiled, holding onto his hand and intertwining your fingers with his.

“Yeah?” He smiled, reaching down and kissing your forehead.

“Yeah,” you replied, nodding at him. “I’m home.”

( DECEMBER )

Finals week in Grad school was almost as stressful as undergrad. The only difference was that not only were you having to study for your own finals, but you were an aid to the students in Professor Robinson’s class who had any questions. Matt was on a roadie at the beginning of finals week, and he understood when his postgame facetime calls went unanswered. He figured that maybe you’d fallen asleep in the living room again, the same way he’d found you in the early morning hours before he left for the roadie and sure enough, when he came back to the apartment once they’d landed back in Calgary after the flight in from Arizona, he found you sprawled out across the couch, your laptop on the table, opened folders for each class scattered around the computer, and an empty Tim Hortons coffee cup next to a half eaten apple fritter. He wanted to carry you back to his room so you would wake up and not have a sore back or neck from sleeping on the couch, but instead, he covered you with a blanket and went back to the room to grab one for himself, plopping down on the opposite side of the couch and falling asleep there with you.

Matt provided a relief from Finals week that you were extremely grateful for. Not only in him convincing you to take a break from writing papers and studying to come watch him play, but on his days off, once finals week was finished, he’d surprise you with breakfast in bed or setting up a ‘movie theatre’ in the living room for you to binge watch your favorite movies and shows. And that first day after you wrapped up your finals and he had the day off, the two of you went out into town and got some Christmas decorations to decorate his apartment– dancing and singing along to Christmas songs. The two of you soaking up the time you had left together before you flew home to St. Louis for Christmas. He dropped you off at the airport Friday morning after his game, the both of you exchanging Christmas gifts last night after his game. It was hard not to think about the last time the two of you were in an airport together– him once again being the one to watch you walk through security. But you weren’t sad this time around. Because you knew you’d see him in a few days’ time and at the end of the month, you’d be back in Calgary with him.

Now it was two days until Christmas, Matt and the Flames were in St. Louis for their last game before they went on a short holiday break and the Tkachuks had invited both your family and the Johnson’s to sit in their box at the game tonight. You were excited to see Matt, even if it was only going to be for a few minutes after the game before he boarded the flight back to Calgary. Since Brady had a game in Ottawa tonight, the Tkachuks were just going to fly up to Ottawa, Matt on a later flight, and they’d spend Christmas together there. Which only made it easier for you to give them all their Christmas presents, designating Chantal to give Brady his since Taryn, Keith and Matt joked they’d hide it from him.

“You know our families are going to freak, right?” Mason laughed, the two of you arriving to the arena late– your moms sending you on a quick errand to grab some last minute things for your Christmas eve tradition tomorrow.

“Eh, they’ll get over it,” you replied, following behind the arena worker who was leading you to the box. “If anything, I just want to see Matt’s reaction.”

“Why? Have you never done this before?” He asked, motioning towards you. “I mean, you’re his girlfriend and you’re telling me you’ve never worn his jersey before?”

You looked down at the jersey Matt had given you after the Heritage Classic, running your hands down the front of it before adjusting the white beanie on your head. “Hey now, I couldn’t let him think he could convert me to become a Flames fan that easy.”

“You haven’t missed a single home game,” the arena worker opened the door for the two of you, Mason walking in first. “I think he’s had you since opening night.”

You rolled your eyes, seeing your families already in their seats, the Tkachuks wearing Calgary jerseys and both your family and the Johnsons wearing Blues jerseys. It was honestly quite the sight. “Hey guys, sorry we’re late.”

“Yeah, we dropped the stuff off at home, but we’re here now.” Mason added, following behind you as the two of you sat between Taryn and Nick.

You immediately saw the reactions of your families once they saw your jersey. All sets of parents were amused, while your siblings and Mason’s were overall shocked. “You’re no longer the Godmother,” Colton said, shaking his head. “It’s been decided.”

“Yeah, who are you and what have you done with my sister?” Nick asked, upper lip curling as he took in the jersey.

“I think it looks good on you,” Addie smiled, sending you a wink.

“And you’re still the Godmother, but you will have no influence over their choice in hockey teams,” Charlotte joked, holding onto her stomach.

“Thanks, guys,” you laughed, looking at Nick. “Care to explain why you’re still staring?”

“He’s got you dickmatized.” Nick replied, shaking his head as Mason almost fell over in the chair with laughter. “That’s gotta be it.”

You reached over and smacked his arm, praying all parents didn’t hear that. “Shut up.”

The lights went down and the speakers boomed, the announcements of both teams following soon after as they took the ice. Even from the booth, you could spot Matt anywhere and you couldn’t wait until after the game to see him.

Nick was still pouting, even after your families stood in the hall post-game. It was another close game, each team one wild shot away during overtime, with a shootout becoming the game decider. Once again, it was Matt’s goal that put the Flames ahead of their opponent, and you were practically falling over Mason, jumping up and down in the box when he scored it. As each of the Flames left the locker room to head down the hallway and towards the bus, they’d stop and say hi, often sending you a confused look since you were mainly surrounded by Blues fans.

When Matt finally came out, his curls still wet from his shower and wearing his suit, you held back and let the Tkachuks greet him first. Before he could see you, you snuck back to behind Charlotte and Colton, wanting him to be surprised when he saw you. He greeted your family like they were his own, hugging your Mom and Mrs. Johnson and shaking your dad and Mr. Johnson’s hand. From the small peaks you took between Charlotte and Colton, you could tell that as he moved from family member to family member, he was looking to see if you were anywhere nearby. After he reached Colton and Charlotte, you’d stepped out from behind them, a big smile on your face.

His eyes immediately went to the jersey, an even bigger smile on his face when you showed him the shoulder where his number was proudly shown. “Eh? You like?” You laughed, doing a spin.

He swept you up in a hug and pulled you close, kissing you. “I love it,” he put you down, adjusting the beanie on your head. “Calgary looks good on you.”

“Yeah, yeah, well St. Louis looked good on her too,” Nick chimed in, poking his head by the two of you. “I don’t appreciate you dickmatizing my sister, Tkachuk– hey!”

Colton tugged Nick away from the two of you, nodding his head. “Don’t mind him, he’s just pretty protective.”

Matt laughed, looking back at you before sighing, reaching down and squeezing your hand. “I need to go get on the bus.”

You leaned up and kissed him before letting go of his hand so he could say goodbye to everyone. He turned back to you and gave you a hug, holding you tight as he kissed the top of your head. “I’ll see you back home, okay?”

“Okay,” you replied, pulling away from him. I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you more.” He smiled, squeezing your hand before walking down the hallway, jogging to catch up to some of his teammates before rounding the corner and disappearing from sight.

+

Christmas Eve with your families was always a blast. It was another Holiday full of traditions between the two of you, the constant laughter and love around you, filling the void of missing Matt. The festivities didn’t begin until after dinner, when the Johnson’s would come over and you’d all gather in the living room. Ever since you were kids, you guys had the tradition that you got to open two presents. The first, was always matching pajamas and a favorite candy and drink. The second, was a legit present and you guys always fought over who had the best present, year after year. Afterwards, you guys would put on a Christmas movie of the selected person’s choice and snack on the five different kinds of baked goods split between your mom and Mrs. Johnson. It cycled year after year between the kids– and this year, it was yours. You’d chosen How the Grinch Stole Christmas, much to Nick’s refusal since he still harbored ill feelings towards Jim Carrey’s adaptation due to the time he got scared during a visit to Universal during Grinchmas, back when he was 6.

Everyone was settled down in their chosen seats and you had just put the movie in before settling back down on the couch in between Addie and Nick. Your dad stood up, standing in front of the tv with his hands clasped together. “Before we start, I believe there’s one more present that needs to be opened.”

“Is it my car?” Nick asked, leaning forward with a big smile.

You scoffed, shaking your head. “Please, if anyone is getting a car, it’s me.”

“Buy your own! You’re 22!” Nick replied, shoving you with his leg.

“Let’s be real here,” Mason replied, shrugging his shoulders and leaning further back into the couch. “It’s probably for our parents’ new pride and joy since they’re having the first grandchildren.”

“For once, I’m not going to argue that,” Colton replied, nodding his head. “Is it ours? Please say yes.”

“No, it’s not yours,” your dad laughed, looking at Nick. “And it’s not a car.”

“Aw, man,” Nick groaned, settling back into the seat.

“But first, we’re going to need cookies.” He pointed at you, nodding his head towards the kitchen. “So, Y/N, go get them.”

“Geez,” you replied, pushing yourself up off of the couch. “What an honor to miss out on the present that isn’t mine.”

“Make sure you bring the brownies too!” Mason called out.

You waved him off as you walked into the kitchen, leaving everyone behind in the living room. All of the baked goods were set on their respective plates on the island counter. You stopped in front of them, taking your phone out of your pocket to check your messages. You had sent Matt a text about two hours ago, just telling him that you hoped he was having fun with his family and that you missed him– but it had gone unanswered. You sighed, picking up the five plates and training to balance them all as you slowly walked back into the living room, only to see Santa Claus standing where your dad had been previously.

“Uh, okay,” you said, handing out plates throughout the living room, keeping the brownies with you as you sat back down in your spot. “Why is Santa in the living room?”

“I guess there’s more than one present to give,” your mom replied, as you rested the plate between you and Addie, Mason and Nick pouting.

Santa was silent as he reached into the gift sack, pulling out unwrapped gifts as he walked around the room. Each gift was tailored towards the person– Colton and Charlotte getting a gift card of $500 for buy buy baby– the store Charlotte had been obsessing over since she revealed her pregnancy. Nick getting a signed Pietrangelo jersey, which he couldn’t put on fast enough. Addie, a plane ticket to Ann Arbor set for spring break. Mason some air pods. Your Mom and Mrs. Johnson both got spa packages for a day, free for them to use at any point in time, and Mr. Johnson got two free rounds of golf at the best Country club nearby– and it was safe to assume your dad had gotten the same. When Santa came back to you after skipping over you, he reached into the bag, only for it to be empty.

“Ah yes, of course there’s no present for me,” you joked, resting the brownie plate in your lap. “Because dad’s going to say, ‘your extra present was the plane ticket home!!! So thanks, dad.” You nodded at Santa, no doubt knowing he was in the suit.

“Well, I did fly you first class during the holiday rush, so it is a gift,” he said, coming from down the hall. “But I’m not in the suit, and thanks for the golf rounds, Santa.”

You looked between him and Santa and then looked around the room, accounting for everyone who had been here when the night started. “But then…who’s in the suit?”

Santa pulled down his beard, revealing a smiling Matt. You jumped off of the couch and into his arms, the brownies flying off of your lap and onto the floor.

“THE BROWNIES!” Mason yelled, as everyone cheered and recorded the reunion.

You kissed him, laughing as you pulled away. “You’re here! Why are you here?”

“I had to come give you your Christmas present.” He laughed, tugging at his fake beard. “What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t bring my girlfriend a Christmas present?”

“No, but your family! They’re all in Ottawa!”

“No, they’re home. I stayed back after the St. Louis game and Brady flew in late last night.”

You hugged him again, not wanting to let go in case it was all a trick. His laughter vibrated in his chest, making you smile. “Best present ever.”

He pulled away and looked around at everyone. “Nice matching pajamas, I like the reindeer theme.”

“Come on and join us Matt, we were just getting ready to watch a movie.” Your mom said, nodding at the couch.

“I wish I could, but I’ve got Brady waiting in the car. I bribed him with Shake Shack if he drove me.” He said, looking down at you. “I just wanted to surprise you.”

“Well, I’ll walk you out then,” you smiled, holding onto his hand and leading him to the front door. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Well, believe it,” he laughed, stepping out onto the front porch into the cool night air. “I also have one more present for you.”

“No, no way,” you replied, shaking your head. “You gave me enough when we were back in Calgary and this…this is just amazing.”

“Eh, I held back one little thing.” He smiled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a black velvet box. Your eyes widened when he opened it, revealing a golden necklace with a circular pendant. Engraved on the front, was an M, next to it your first initial. He flipped it over and you laughed, reading the small cursive engraved on the back.

It all started with a suitcase <3

You looked back at Matt, his cheeks and ears turning pink as he gave you a small smile. “There’s a #19 charm beneath the box…but I figured I’d let you decide if you wanted to add it on or not.”

You nodded, turning around and holding your hair away from your neck. He got the necklace out of the box, adding the #19 charm onto the chain before putting the necklace on, clasping it behind your neck. You looked down at the golden jewelry, smiling as it rested against your chest. “I love it.” You turned around, wrapping your arms around his neck. “It’s perfect and now I’ve got you with me no matter what.”

Matt smiled, leaning in to kiss you when a loud car horn erupted from the street. The two of you turned to see Brady leaning over towards the passenger window which he had rolled down. “Rudolph is hungry and about to abandon Santa to walk his ass back to the North Pole if he doesn’t hurry up!”

Matt rolled his eyes and kissed you before making his way towards the front porch steps. “I’ll see you when you get back home?” You nodded, watching as he jogged down the steps carefully. He turned back around a smile on his face. “Oh, Merry Christmas, Y/N.”

“Merry Christmas, Matt,” you replied, crossing your arms and reaching a hand up to hold onto your necklace as you watched him make his way towards the car, getting in and driving away.

+

You flew back to Calgary the morning of New Years Eve, a secret to Matt since you were wanting to surprise him after the game tonight. Lauren had picked you up and took you to lunch, allowing you to hide out at her place until it was time for the guys to leave for the arena. She drove you to Matt’s apartment, telling you all about what the team was planning on doing for a celebration post-game. They were just going to put out a bunch of carpets for the food and drink tables to rest on and have the countdown up on the scoreboard for everyone to see. They wanted it to have the same feel as the family skate at the Heritage Classic did– and just hearing her talk about what they had prepared, only made you more excited.

And that same excitement was radiating through you, even towards the end of the game. Calgary was trailing Chicago 4-3, which no one was enjoying, but everyone knew it was still a close enough game to where it could go either way. But as time dwindled down into the last minute, Kane had scored an insurance goal– the game ending in a 5-3 loss. You and the rest of the wags stayed in your seats as the crowds dispersed, waiting for a clearing before you’d all head down to meet the boys outside of the locker room. They’d been dying for you to tell them all about Christmas with Matt from the moment Lauren had mentioned how he stayed home in St. Louis, and after you told them all about him showing up in your living room dressed as Santa, they hadn’t been able to stop talking about it.

“He’s so in love with you, I’m honestly not surprised he stayed behind.” Kelly laughed, balancing a sleeping Sloane on her hip.

“What? No, no, he’s not in love with me.” You replied, shaking your head as you held onto Landon. “We’re just…”

You weren’t sure what to say. Your feelings for him were strong, a lot stronger than any feelings you’ve had for a guy before. So strong that you knew that your relationship with Matt couldn’t be just another normal relationship. You’d thought it before, watching him walk back to the car on Christmas Eve…that you did love him– but it all just seemed…so surreal.

“You can see the way he looks at you, girl. It’s the same way Sam looks at pizza and bear,” Nikola joked. “Has he dropped the L-Bomb yet?”

You blushed, standing up with the rest of the wags as you all went to leave your seats and make your way down beneath the arena. “No, no it’s too soon. We only started dating two months ago!

“That’s when you guys made it official.” Claire replied, smiling at you. “But according to Johnny, Matt says he’s had it bad for you since he met you.”

“Yeah, maybe Chucky is in loveeee,” Lauren smiled, bumping your hip. “Any bets on him saying it tonight? It is New Years Eve and all. What’s better than ringing in 2020 by confessing his love for you?”

The girls all giggled as you tried to hide your blushing face. On the ice, once the zamboni cleared it, the staff was working on getting carpets and the catered food tables out. The boys were still huddled back in the locker room, answering media questions and doing their post-game routines. By the time you guys were allowed onto the ice, some of the boys had started to trickle out of the locker room and the countdown was put on the clock, Ne-Yo performing.

You were standing on the ice, keeping your balance as you stared up at the scoreboard, watching the performance when you felt a pair of arms wrap around your waist, almost tackling you down onto the ice. You laughed as the scruff of a beard scratching your neck as you turned around to see Matt. Before you could even get a word out, he kissed you all over your face before landing a final kiss on your lips. “You’re here!”

“Surprise,” you giggled, hugging him. “I wanted to ring in the New Year right.”

“How cool is this?” He asked, waving his hand around. “I mean, it sucks that we lost, but spending New Years Eve and watching the ball drop on the ice?”

“Just don’t fall and you’ll be good,” you joked, leaning up and kissing him again.

“Come on, let’s grab some food. They had some sandwiches I want to demolish.”

It was easy to waste the time away mingling amongst each other on the ice. The performances from the ball drops in New York and Vegas, often rotating on the screen as the music blared through the speakers. Before you knew it, midnight was only a few short minutes away and you were standing closer to center ice, talking to Matt, Rittich, Nikola, Cam and Kelly, the Talbot twins fast asleep in their parents arms, as well as Gio and Lauren, their kids playing in the penalty boxes nearby.

Sam came strolling up to your group, a big smile on his face as he plopped a hand down on you and Matt’s shoulders. “Can you believe it, Y/N? Our young cub Chucky is an All-Star!”

You looked between Matt and Sam, a confused look on your face. “All-Star?”

The guys all took in your reaction before looking at Matt with equally as confused looks. “You haven’t told her?” Sam asked.

Matt groaned, lolling his head to the side before giving Sam a look. “I wanted to surprise her, but thanks Sam. I appreciate it, dude.”

Sam’s eyes widened and he patted your shoulders. “Oops…you didn’t hear it from me!”

You turned to Matt, a proud smile on your face. “You’re in the All-Star game?”

“Found out yesterday,” he nodded.

You wrapped your arms around him, almost taking him down to the ice as you squeezed him tight. “Whoa, Y/N,” Rittich laughed. “You can’t injure him yet!”

“Guys, guys, it’s starting!!” Lauren smiled, pointing at the scoreboard as the countdown entered the last minute.

You pulled away from Matt, brushing his curls back as you smiled. “I’m proud of you.”

He blushed as your compliment, shrugging his shoulders. “Thanks. It’s still sinking in because I remember going to All-Star games as a kid for my Dad…and now I’m going as a player and it’s just…so surreal.”

“I see how hard you work on and off the ice. If there’s anyone who deserves this…it’s you.”

He laughed, wrapping an arm around your waist. “Does this mean I’ve successfully converted you into becoming a Flames fan?”

You bumped into him, a smile on your face. “Maybe.”

The two of you turned your attention to the screen just as a big 10 flashed on the board. You joined in, counting down with all of your friends around you, feeling Matt’s hold around your waist, warm you up as he stood next to you. Once the countdown hit one, then zero, everyone erupted into cheers, all saying ‘Happy New Year’ in unison. Matt spun you towards him, cupping your face and pressing his lips against yours, deepening the kiss as you held onto him.

He pulled back, resting his forehead against yours. “I can’t wait to take on this year with you by my side.”

You opened your mouth, ready to agree with him, but instead, you smiled at him, feeling confident. “I love you.” His eyes widened and you could see his cheeks start to turn red, your sudden confidence washing away. “I uh, I mean, I love you….r…shirt!” You patted his chest, feeling the soft fabric beneath your hands. “Yeah uh, shirt.” You stepped away from him, keeping your head down. “Excuse me.”

You couldn’t even bring yourself to turn back and look at him as you made your way to the drink table. You were practically radiating embarrassment at yourself and Matt’s reaction. You didn’t even know where the overconfidence came from to where you felt that you could say those three words.

But you did, and now there was no going back. Now you just had to wait and see. Did you scare him off or were the girls right and he did feel the same way?

( JANUARY )

January was a busy month for the both of you– Matt spending most of the time on the road and you getting back into the swing of things for the winter semester. Your love confession to Matt was a thing of the past. You hadn’t brought it up and neither had he, and while you didn’t want to dwell on the possible reasons why he hadn’t– you still couldn’t help but let it linger in the back of your mind. Things hadn’t changed between the two of you though. Matt had convinced you to move all of your stuff left over in your dorm, into his place. So now that all that decorated the dorm room was your made up bed, storage bins, your tv and an empty mini-fridge.

Matt had flown back to St. Louis on the 19th, wanting to spend some time with all of his extended family that were flying into town to see him and Brady participate in the All-Star game. He knew from the start that you wouldn’t be able to go with him, which he was a little upset about. Not only because he really wanted you there to share the experience with him, but it was also a great opportunity for him to introduce you to all of his family and friends you’d yet to meet. So, needless to say, while your facetime calls weren’t frequent, the times that he did call, he was often trying to show you off to whoever was around if he wasn’t hiding away and just talking about everything he was doing with Media and explaining the schedule.

Unbeknownst to Matt, however, is that you had managed to buy yourself a flight to St. Louis, Professor Robinson giving you a pass to miss class that afternoon. You had called Chantal, telling her you were flying in to surprise him, asking her to keep it a secret. She, with your permission, had informed Taryn and Brady, the two of them immediately wanting to play a role in surprising Matt. She picked you up from the airport and dropped you off at your house, your family and the Johnson’s both knowing that you were coming. You got to spend the next few hours, answering Matt’s texts as if you weren’t minutes away from his house and spending some time with your parents while you waited for the text from Taryn saying that they were on their way to the towncenter for dinner.

The plan was for you to make your way to the Starbucks where you and Matt had met  seven months earlier. Taryn would ask Matt to go get her a drink from Starbucks, bringing up an instance in which he owed her a favor and Brady would tag along for filming purposes. The two of them would walk from Maggiano’s, where the extended Tkachuk clan had reserved a private room to have their celebratory dinner, and down to get Taryn her drink, only for you to be sitting there waiting.

It wasn’t some extravagant surprise by any means, but it was a sweet and simple way to surprise him and you knew he would appreciate it. Especially when he’d see you standing there with his suitcase instead of yours.

It was a joke, the first time it happened. His first long roadie of the season, you were helping him pack and had jokingly suggested that you teach him how to properly use the packing cubes and he could even take your suitcase with him. Surprising enough to you, he agreed without hesitating and every roadie since, he’s taken your suitcase with him. Even on this one for the All-Star game, something he said Taryn had pointed out the minute he’d arrived in St. Louis and he had to sit there and listen while his family explained the reason behind her chirping, to his extended family.

But they loved the story and told him they couldn’t wait to meet you.

And little did they and he know, that they were only minutes away from being able to do so.

You sat at the same table you’d sat at that day seven months ago and you got such a heavy sense of deja vu, even though you already knew what to expect. Your phone vibrated and you looked down to see a text from Brady.

second best tkachuk aka brady: we’re almost there!! he’s complaining about you not replying back to his text messages, so he might be a little grumpy 🙄

You laughed, sending him a thumbs up before putting your phone down onto the table, tapping your foot against the ground. You’d been here before and things had been good for you ever since, and yet your nerves were out of this world. You looked up from the table, catching sight of two very familiar mops of curly blonde hair. Brady had spotted you instantly, while Matt had his head down, looking at his phone and talking. The closer they got, you stood up from your chair, wanting to just run up and give him a hug, but you knew you had to wait.

“I don’t get why Taryn couldn’t just order a stupid milkshake with dinner. She doesn’t need a frappuccino before we eat,” Matthew complained, his head still down as he walked through the gated seating area, Brady no longer following him as he stood outside of it, his camera focused on the two of you.

You cleared your throat softly, careful so he wouldn’t hear it. “Hi, excuse me,” Matt’s head snapped up and looked at you, his eyes wide. “I think I might have grabbed the wrong suitcase?” You waved your hand down at his suitcase, smiling at him. “This one clearly belongs to an All-Star.”

He blinked, his mouth slightly open as he looked back at a filming and smiling Brady. “What–” he looked back at Brady, shaking his head before looking back at you. “You’re here?”

You nodded, biting on your bottom lip. “I’m here.”

He raced towards you, getting to you in two steps before he swooped you up into his arms. You wrapped your legs around his waist, holding onto him tightly as you buried your head into the crook of his neck. “You’re here!” He said, his voice muffled as he kissed your shoulder. He leaned back, still shocked. “You’re freaking here.”

“Yes, Matt, she’s here!” Brady groaned. “Now use your fancy high school education to form some other kind of sentences.”

Matt placed you down onto the ground, shaking his head lightly as he was still trying to digest the surprise. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world. It’s not every day that your boyfriend is chosen for the All-Star game for the first time.”

He cupped your cheeks, kissing you deeply before pulling away, staring at you. “I love you.” Your eyes went wide and your heart thumped against your chest as you heard the words. “And I’m not just saying that because you said it– I mean it, Y/N. I love you and I’m sorry it took me until now to say it I just–”

“No, it’s okay,” you smiled, shaking your head. “I love you too.”

He kissed you again, wrapping an arm around your waist, the both of you smiling into the kiss as Brady groaned. “Okay, okay, I’m starving, can we go get food now?”

Matt reached behind you and grabbed the suitcase, holding onto your hand as he walked you guys out of the seating area. “This is already the best year ever.”

“And I’ve got a feeling it’s only going to get better,” you smiled, squeezing his hand as the three of you walked back towards Maggianos to join the rest of the Tkachuk family.

( FEBRUARY )

If January was busy, February was only worse. You were not only finding yourself suddenly swamped in schoolwork from your own classes, but that the students in Professor Robinson’s classes were starting to struggle to grasp the material and were constantly sending you emails or texts, asking for help and assistance. Meaning that you’d missed the first two games of the month, opting to stay at home and try to catch up with schoolwork. You didn’t mind, this is what you signed up for when you agreed to be a T.A. and you knew it. Unfortunately, it all just lined up perfectly with Calgary being on a losing streak.

Matt was stressed and you knew it. You could see it every time he came home from games. The way he’d toss his keys on the counter instead of hanging them up. Or how he’d be mumbling to himself as he joined you in the living room while you were doing work– if he joined you at all. It was a stressful time for the both of you, and shockingly, even after the night’s loss to Nashville after another close game, instead of immediately going off to bed, Matt had decided to join you in the living room– offering to help you grade quizzes for Professor Robinson’s classes. You’d even gone as far as offering to share the bottle of wine you’d bought for tonight and then made some popcorn for the two of you to share.

Matt could feel himself start to relax as the two of you sat on the floor, the quizzes and wine on the table in front of you. He couldn’t remember the last time the two of you had just sat down and enjoyed each other’s company, even with the amount of stress on both of your shoulders. He had tomorrow off, after a morning practice and was planning on asking if you’d want to pack up a lunch and just drive out somewhere to get some fresh air. Their next road trip didn’t start till Saturday and they weren’t flying out to Vancouver until that morning. You’d gotten up to refill the popcorn, leaving Matt to finish up correcting the quiz in front of him. He reached over for the answer sheet, when he saw your phone light up. He opened his mouth to let you know that you got a text, until his eyes read the screen.

brody (not jenner) 😜:  when’s he gone again so you can come out with me? still not recovered from the last time btw 🙃

brody (not jenner) 😜: might need to wait another time to ever try that again 😅

His eyes scanned over it again and again, not expecting that second message to pop up. He turned back to look in the kitchen, you were preoccupied with making the popcorn to notice him grab your phone off of the table. He unlocked it, the both of you knowing each other’s passcodes since there was a level of trust there…or so he thought. He felt guilty, reading your texts between you and this Brody not Jenner guy– he knew it was wrong…but he couldn’t help but choose to go against it and read through your texts.

Mostly because he’d heard of Brody before, he’d even met the guy once or twice on a random night out at a club or bar. But he’d first heard about him from you– you talked about him all of the time. Now that Matt thought about it, Brody’s name was coming out of your mouth almost every time Matt asked about school. And when he’d asked who Brody was, you told him that he was one of your students in Professor Robinson’s class. He didn’t want to admit that he was jealous, but he was. Matt didn’t like how you always talked about this Brody guy, he never did– but he also didn’t want to come across as a jealous boyfriend.

But now that he’s reading the messages between the two of you, maybe he should have. With each scroll to earlier conversations, he only found himself getting angrier. The friendly banter seemed more flirty in his mind, especially after reading the two most recent texts. Times going for coffee ‘dates’ or texting to meet up at bars– it took everything in him to not storm into the kitchen and ask what the hell was going on.

Well, almost everything, because he found himself standing up from the floor, his anger evident because the moment he turned around, you were standing there, holding onto a bowl of fresh popcorn and looking confused. Your eyes took in his reaction, one you’d seen shown in replays during fights or while he was sitting in the penalty box and you couldn’t seem to understand.

Until you saw your phone in his hand.

“What are you doing?”

Matt looked up from the messages, scrolling as fast back as a few weeks into January. “What’s with you and Brody?”

You furrowed your eyebrows, more confused. “He’s my friend and my student.”

“Why’s he texting you?” Matt turned the phone to you, showing your messages between you and Brody.

You were in disbelief, blinking a few times in an effort to convince yourself this wasn’t happening. “Are you reading my text messages?”

“Is it really snooping if you practically left it out for me to see? What? Did you want me to see your messages or something?”

You laughed in disbelief, shaking your head. “I don’t know what your issue is, but you need to stop.”

“No, tell me, please,” he stared down at the screen, scrolling through your messages. “January 18th. Oh, so you went out for drinks when I was in Ottawa? You said you stayed home.”

“I went for drinks with the class, Matt. What’s the big deal?”

Matt turned your phone towards you, with furrowed eyebrows. “The big deal is that you’re texting and hanging out with him like I’m not your boyfriend.” He turned the phone back around to him. “And the fact that you were with him, not even 5 days before I told you that I loved you is pretty fucking sick, Y/N.”

You were starting to get angry, confused about what the hell he actually thinks is going on between you and Brody, and anger at him for not even giving you a chance to explain. “It’s called having friends, Matt! Or am I not allowed to socialize if you’re not there?”

“No, you just can’t be around this guy! I don’t trust him!” He stared down at your phone, reading the text exchanges over and over, searching for a more sinister meaning within the innocent words.

“You can’t tell me who I can and can’t hang out with! He’s my friend, my student! He texts me for questions on homework and papers!”

“And parties it seems,” Matt scoffed, shaking his head and finally looking up from the phone. “How would you feel if I answered one of the girls in my DMs on instagram, hm?” He picked his phone up off of the table and started typing on it.

He turned the phone to you, showcasing his DMs on the screen, his finger swiping up as the messages just kept going…and going…and going. “Oh look, I just got a new message!” He brought the phone back to him. “BekahAnders10 is going to be in Calgary next week when Chicago is in town.” He looked up at you. “Maybe I should see if she wants to go out for drinks after the game.”

It was a huge smack in the face. His suggestion, his tone of voice, the look on his face– it all hit you so hard that it felt like you couldn’t breathe for those first initial seconds after the spiteful words left his mouth. Anf what made it worse, aws that that very same Chicago game…would be the day after Valentine's Day. You slammed the popcorn bowl down onto the arm of the couch, not caring if it spilled over as you reached to grab your phone out of Matt’s hand. He stepped back, holding it away from you, the sounds of breaking glass followed soon after. You peeped around him, seeing the rest of his wine spilled all over the quizzes and spreading across the table.

“What the hell, Matt?!” You yelled, shoving him aside and picking up the already damaged quizzes, both fully graded and ungraded. Most of them made it out without horrible damage, but a few that hadn’t been graded yet, got most of the damage. You collected them all up off of the table, shoving them into the grading folder and picking up your backpack. You kept your back to him as you forcefully shoved the folder into your backpack before turning around and snatching your phone out of his hand, shoving by him as you went towards the door.

“Where are you going?” He yelled, tossing a nearby rag from the kitchen table onto the spilled wine.

“Home,” you replied, slipping on your shoes at the door.

He scoffed, waving his arm at you. “Oh yeah, real mature, Y/N! Walk away from this instead of solving it like a fucking grown up!”

You opened the door, practically seething when you turned around, walking back to where he could see you. “He invites me out to social things when everyone else goes because he knows that when you’re on long roadies, I have no one here! All of my friends are back home, my family is back home. The wives have kids to take care of and the girlfriends either went back home for school or have busy jobs! So he invites me out to get me out of this Godforsaken apartment! Not that he can get in my pants!” You turned around, storming back towards the door. “He’s fucking gay, Matthew! He’s gay and engaged!”

You slammed the door behind you, walking as fast away from his apartment as you could. You opted to take the stairs instead of waiting for an elevator, not wanting to go into a round 2 argument with Matt if he was searching for one. You were practically shaking with anger, so much that the cold weather on your walk back to campus barely affected you. All of this came out of left field, and you couldn’t believe it. Not even two weeks ago, were you and Matt in relationship bliss, and now you were here– tears flowing down your face and headed back towards your empty dorm room.

Since Matt had convinced you to move in with him, everything you owned was there with him. When you stepped foot into the room and turned on the light, it could have been easily compared to being as empty as a prison cell in isolation– minus the comfortable bedspread. You closed the door behind you, slipping off your shoes and locking the door before making your way over to your empty desk, where you put your backpack down. It was all you could do to just let the sobs raking through your body finally escape from the back of your throat as you climbed into your bed. Above your pillow, was one of Matt’s many Calgary sweatshirts from the last time you were here. He had come by to bring you lunch since you were busy working on homework in between classes– he ended up staying and you ended up not finishing your paper.

Through puffy and teary eyes, you slid his sweatshirt on, the smell of his cologne covering you entirely– which only made you cry into your pillow harder. This was the first fight the two of you had and right now, it feels like that’s it– the relationship is done.

You weren’t aware that you had fallen asleep until you woke up, catching the tail end of your phone vibrating against the sheet. You took a deep breath and exhaled, tapping the screen to see that you had about 5 missed calls from Matt and 5 voicemails, followed by at least 10 texts. You flipped the phone over, closing your eyes and telling yourself you’d read them in the morning…when you heard a soft knocking on the door. You sat up, your heart immediately racing because you were more than positive that the people in your hall knew this dorm often sat unoccupied. You checked your phone one more time to see that it was 3 A.M.

You rolled out of bed when the knocking continued, more inconsistent with each knock. You walked over to the door and unlocked it, opening it up, only to see that no one was standing there. When you felt something hit your shin, you looked down to see Matt slumped against the wall next to your door, getting ready to knock again. He looked up to see that you answered the door and he stood up fast, almost falling over in the process. He looked like shit, to say the least. He was dressed in sweats and a hoodie, the curls that were peaking out from beneath were frizzy and fluffed– like the way they got when he’d constantly run his fingers through them and his eyes….his eyes were red and puffy around the sides, his face red too– like he’d been crying.

“I’m sorry.” He breathed out heavily, shaking his head as he let his hands drop by his sides. “I’m so fucking sorry. I shouldn’t have gone through your phone and I shouldn’t have made assumptions. I-I’ve just been so stressed and–but that’s not an excuse.” He reached out and held onto one of your hands, noticing that you’d been crying too and that you were wearing one of his sweatshirts. “One of the things we promised to do when we started this, was to talk to each other. And I-I broke that and just assumed and I’m so sorry…I’m so fucking sorry. Just, please…please don’t end this.”

You could see the tears starting to build again in your eyes and your heart hurt hearing the desperation in his voice– but his words from the fight still stung and his threat to message random girls, still hung over your head. And you couldn’t just forget that. You took your hand out of his grasp and crossed your arms.

“You really hurt me, Matthew.” You said, your bottom lip trembling. “That comment about answering girls DMs? You don’t think I realize how many girls would kill to be with you? Or how much prettier most of them are than me? How much richer or smarter?”

“Listen, Y/N, I would never,” he said, stepping towards you and shaking his head. “And I mean, never…do that you you. I don’t even look at my DMs. I’ll delete them all I swear. I just– it was fucked up of me to say that and I-I swear that I’d never–”

You could see his frustration with himself start to show as the tears threatened to spill down his cheeks, which only made you start to cry. “You really hurt me…” you whispered, not caring if the tears were rolling down your cheeks. “I love you so much and you used girls in your DMs as a way to twist the knife. Whether you meant it or not…how am I ever supposed to trust you?”

You could see him practically crumble in front of you as you reached up to wipe the tears from your cheeks with his sweatshirt sleeves. He stepped towards you instead, wiping away your tears with his thumbs. You looked up at him and fell against his chest, crying into his hoodie as he hugged you. He walked the both of you back into your room, closing the door behind him and locking it before focusing back on embracing you.

“I promise you, with every part of my being…that I would never, ever do that to you,” he whispered into your hair, holding you tight. “I was a dick for even saying that and I love you way too much to hurt you. You can make me work to gain your trust again, I’d do anything to prove to you that I’d never cheat on you. I can’t promise that I won’t say something totally dickish if we ever get into another fight…but I can promise that I’d never, ever cheat.”

You just hugged him tighter, in your heart knowing that he meant was he was saying. The two of you stood there, calming down from your crying fest when he pulled away from the hug and walked you towards the bed. “What are you doing?” You asked, watching as he climbed into the bed and scooting himself against the wall, holding up the blanket for you to climb in.

“We’re staying here tonight and we’re going to talk and then we’re going to sleep.”

You took in his frame as he was lying in your bed and when your eyes reached the end of it, you could see his feet hanging off the end, which was enough to make you laugh. You climbed in and let the blanket fall on top of you as you both laid there in the dark, pressed together in silence. “You’d really delete your DMs?” You asked, your voice soft.

“Every single one. No girl could ever compare to you.” You rolled over onto your side, curling into his chest as he hugged you. “So he’s really gay and engaged?”

You laughed softly, nodding. “Yes. The wedding is next summer and he’s already said we’re invited. Chance is a big         Edmonton fan, too.”

Matt chuckled to himself, the two of you embracing the comfortable silence and each other as time continued to pass by. You could tell that he was getting a little bit antsy by the way he kept trying to shift his legs without making too much noise or movement. “Can we go to your apartment, please?”

“Oh, thank God! I was hoping you’d ask that.” He huffed, kicking the blankets off of the two of you as the two of you climbed out of bed. “These beds were not made for my 6’2” frame.”

“6’0” You replied, the two of you putting your shoes back on as you grabbed your backpack.

“Google says 6’2”,” he replied, opening the door as the two of you walked out into the hallway.

“Yeah, well everyone knows male athletes boost their height up by two inches. Looks good on the scouting reports.”

Matt scoffed, holding you close against him as the two of you walked down the dorm hall. “6’2”

“Whatever you say, Matthew,” you laughed, turning more into him and embracing his presence.

The wound from your first fight was still fresh on your heart and in your mind, and while the two of you seemed to have patched it over for now…you couldn’t help but feel like after this, everything between you two had changed.

For better or worse…you didn’t know.

Part four:

( MARCH )

It felt like a movie– life three months into 2020. Countries were going into strict lockdowns, businesses were closed, hospitals were being overflowed and it felt like any control anyone had on their own lives– just disappeared. How a year could slip into chaos that quick, no one knew. But it had and it was terrifying as Doctors, Nurses, Health Experts, and Scientists all around the world scrambled to find a way to even get the tiniest grip on what was surely turning into a worldwide pandemic.

It’s like the flu. It’s severe pneumonia. It’s attacking multiple organ systems. It’s nothing we’ve ever seen before. It was a mystery until they gave it a name.

COVID-19.

It felt like these days, you’d talked more to your parents than you ever had before. Making sure everyone was okay if they had everything that they needed for the quarantine that the U.S. Government was bound to issue any day now. Addie and Nick were both home from school– their colleges choosing to shut the campus down and switch over to online learning, leaving Nick devastated that his season and ultimately his postseason, was canceled. The Johnson’s were already settling into their home, your family in theirs– just trying to keep up with everything and everyone was exhausting…but important. You especially kept in contact with Charlotte, since she was literally ready to pop at any moment and the news was consistently listing off who were the most vulnerable to this disease– pregnant women were near the top of the list.

Matt had been cooped up in the house since March 8th, when Calgary played their last game. It would only be four days later on the 12th that the NHL would postpone the rest of the regular season, meeting daily on whether or not they’d even continue for playoffs since everything was so up in the air. Brady left Calgary the day after the NHL postponed the season, Ottawa telling the players they could go home to their families, but to be open the moment that the season is put back on. Matt was told the same thing and he was ready to book the both of you a plane ticket back to St. Louis, but you couldn’t leave. Not until the University came out with their plan.

Were they going to shut down for the rest of the semester? Were they going to do in-person and just figure out how to? You didn’t know and often you felt completely out of the loop, both as a student and a T.A. It wasn’t Professor Robinson’s fault though, no matter how many times she apologized to you. It was the school. While other schools around both Canada and the United States had quickly chosen to shut down…UCalgary hadn’t, at least not yet. And Matt, no matter how many times you told him to go home and be with his family, said he was going to stay with you until you got word of the University’s decision on how to handle the pandemic.

That was a decision you’d been waiting on for the last six days and have been impatient to hear. But only because the U.S. and Canada had mutually agreed to close their borders in two days.

In the meantime, you were constantly communicating with your Professors, Professor Robinson, your class– keeping them up to date with homework and making sure that they were okay. Matt had set up your laptop and books in the guest room one day when you had fallen asleep on the couch– turning it into your own little office. It was a sweet gesture amongst other sweet gestures he’d done since the two of you had that big fight in February.

He felt even worse after it all happened, especially after the Valentine’s Day fiasco. He had gotten back from a four-game road trip against Vancouver, San Jose, Los Angeles, and Anaheim and stumbled into the apartment half awake. When he hung his keys up, he noticed the layout of dinner you had of his favorite meal, even setting up a mini theatre fort in the living room with his favorite movies all on display on a blanket. The moment he looked at you, you could see it click in his mind– he had forgotten.

“Shit,” he sighed, placing his suitcase to the side and walking over to you. “Shit, shit, shit I had a plan, I swear I had a plan. I-I thought I set up a delivery, but I guess not and now I’m officially the worst boyfriend ever and I’ve ruined Valentine’s Day and–”

You laughed, reaching up and covering his mouth. “Matthew, it’s fine. Just…relax.”

“No, it’s not fine,” he mumbled, taking your hand off of his mouth and holding it. “You had those papers due and you still managed to do all of this! And I couldn’t at least even manage to send some measly flowers on a flight? I had a plan and I’m the worst.” His shoulders slumped as he looked at the decorated table. “I wanted to make it special…ever since, y’know. Plus it’s our first Valentine’s Day…and I ruined it.”

“Did Johnny make fun of your packing cubes again?” You asked, noticing the pout on his face.

He laughed, looking back up at you and nodding. “Nice change of subject…but yeah.” He wrapped his arms around your waist and shrugged. “But jokes on him because Claire’s getting him some for his birthday.”

“Glad to see the organized packing is going to make its way through the roster.” You smiled, standing up on your tiptoes and pressing a kiss to his lips. “Relax, Matty.”

He pulled you into him and rested his chin on the top of your head. “I’m making it up to you, I swear. We have a three-day break, we’ll go somewhere. I don’t know where, but it’s going to be Valentines 2.0.”

“Having you home on Valentine’s Day is good enough for me,” you smiled, rubbing down his back. “And if you want to do a Valentine’s 2.0, then I’ll just save your second present for that.”

He pulled back, raising an eyebrow. “Second present?” He looked around, not seeing anything in the immediate areas, but quickly noticed that there were rose petals on the floor just outside of the bedroom door. “Is it in there?”

“Mhmm, but we can just save it.” You smiled, shrugging. “We’ve got to eat dinner and–”

“Dinner can wait.” Matt grabbed onto your thighs and lifted you before resting his hands on your ass, kissing you. “Wrap ‘em and let me treat you right.”

The two of you never got to do anything on that three-day break, both of you too exhausted to even leave the apartment, and Matt had promised an IOU for the next time that the two of you had the chance to celebrate the day alone. Which, is why you were surprised to see that he had done a cute little setup in the living room when you got home from school. You’d only been gone for 30 minutes at least. Professor Robinson told you to come by and just grab everything that you’d need and left in her office in the event that the school did shutdown. And yet he’d completely pushed the couch set to the wall, the small center table off to the side by the dining table, creating a big space in the living room.

A big space that he had set out a bunch of blankets, an ice bucket with what looked to be your favorite bottle of prosecco in it, some decorative pillows, and an XL pizza resting on top of the blanket. He’d even hung cute little fairy lights all around the living room and had a bunch of tealights lit and lined up on the windowsills. And with the lights in the living room dimmed– it made the whole scene look ethereal.

“Oh, hey,” You turned around to see Matt coming out of the bathroom, holding a lighter and a handful of tealight candles. He looked down at his hands before hiding them behind his back. “You’re back early.”

“I didn’t say I’d be long,” you laughed, looking back at the scene. “What is this?”

“Valentines 2.0.” He replied, walking up next to you. “I would’ve made something…but I just kept thinking about how I could get you a whole bunch of gifts or flowers or make you a super extravagant, straight from a 5-Michelin-star restaurant, meal…but you and I both know that’s not how we do things.”

“Plus, I don’t think either of us are that talented in the cooking department.” You laughed, looking at him.

“So…I just went with something simple.” He placed the tea lights and lighter on the dining room table before walking into the living room, pointing to the fairy lights “You always talk about how much you loved the fairy lights at Charlotte’s wedding, how they reminded you of a fairy tale, so I got those.” He pointed at the pillows. “Those, you said that you loved the silly emoji pillows, so I got a lot of those…and a lot of weird looks.”

“Matt–”

“Hold on, I swear it’s not stupid,” he sighed, running his fingers through his curls as he looked down at the blanket. “Uh, nothing’s special about the blanket, unless you count us using it as a shield on the balcony that one time we were a little wine drunk and,” he looked at you, a smile on his face. “Yeah, I don’t think I need to remind you of that.”

“This is really sweet of you, Matthew,” you smiled, crossing your arms. “I love it.”

“I got your favorite prosecco, especially since you’ve been so stressed. And the pizza…well, it’s an XL, but it’s the pizza we got my first day back in Calgary after being away for so long. Our first date in Calgary where we brought it back here, watched Dance Moms and you spent the night for the first time.”

He sighed and walked over to you, shrugging his shoulders as he grabbed your hands. “I know it’s not super crazy and definitely not what you deserve, because you deserve the world…but I don’t know, it just– it made sense to me.”

You let go of one of his hands and cupped the right side of his face, smiling as you rubbed your thumb across his beard. “I love it, Matt. It’s simple, it’s meaningful…and it came from the heart.” You kissed him and pulled away, looking at the pizza. “Now let’s eat because I am starving.”

+

Somehow, and you truly have no idea how you and Matt had managed to eat the entire pizza, all while watching Dance Moms– now both of your guys’ guilty pleasure. He mentioned that he had even ordered some chocolate covered strawberries that were sitting in the fridge, but the two of you were so full from dinner that you couldn’t move from your lying positions on the floor, only your heads propped up with emoji pillows so you could see the tv.

But when your stomach started to grumble again, Matt was the one who pushed himself up and walked over to the fridge, retrieving the strawberries and bringing them over to you as you poured the both of you another glass of prosecco. You hadn’t even noticed after you ate the first one– the way he was staring at you. Only when you went for the second one, did you notice his gaze.

“What? Is this something on my face?” You asked, reaching for the paper towel you’d been using as a napkin and wiping your mouth. “Matthew, what?”

“You’re beautiful.” He said softly, leaning back against the couch. “And I’m honestly trying to decide whether or not I should get Taryn the best birthday gift or Christmas gift because I literally owe it all to her that I met you.”

You felt your cheeks heat up as you put the strawberry down. “We could always go halfsies since I kind of owe it to her too.”

He held out his arms and you crawled over, straddling over his lap before resting your arms behind his head and on the couch, bringing a hand to play in his curls. “I love you.” He said, looking up at you with a serious face. “I just…I don’t know, that’s literally all I think of when I look at you. I wish I could put into words how much, but I can’t.”

“Then don’t,” you smiled, nudging your nose against his. “Matthew, kiss me.”

He quickly closed the gap between you both and pulled you tightly against him, trying to close any existing space between you two. As the kiss deepened, Matt’s hands found their way to your hips, moving you against him as your body matched pace. You grabbed the back of his shirt, tugging it up as much as you could before Matt sat up, keeping you pressed against him and taking it off. His hands slid up your sides and brought your shirt with them, tossing it behind him onto the couch before kissing you again.

“Remember Valentine’s Day?” You whispered, pulling away from his lips and cupping the side of his face as he nodded. “Dessert? There’s extra in that can, y’know. Be a real shame to let it go to waste.”

His eyes widened and he kissed you, holding onto you before rolling you over onto your back and pulling away. “Don’t move, I’ll be right back.”

You laughed, sitting up and moving aside the empty pizza box, glasses of prosecco, and box of chocolate-covered strawberries when you saw your phone light up at the end of the couch. You picked it up just as Matt came back with the bottle of whipped cream in his hand, practically tackling you onto the floor and pinning you to the blanket, and causing you to drop the phone.

“Matt, I need to answer this.” You laughed, reaching out for the phone.

“This close, Y/N!” He pouted, taking the cap off of the whipped cream and looking at your chest. “I’m this close to turning my bodacious boobies into a snack.”

“Matt–”

“Whoever it is won’t even know I’m here,” he stuck out his bottom lip. “I promise.”

You went to tell him no, only for the ringing to end. You looked back at him and rolled your eyes. “It’s your lucky day.”

“Oh, you have no idea.” He smiled, nodding at you as he shook the can. “Now, off.”

You rolled your eyes again and reached behind you, undoing your bra and tossing it aside before leaning back and resting on your elbows. “Now– oh, hey!” You swatted his hand away, only for him to reach it back before you could hit him. “A warning would be nice!”

“Oops,” he laughed, shrugging his shoulders as he stared at the cream-covered nipple with a smile.  “Sorry, here…warning.”

You laughed as he reached in and sprayed the other before dragging the nosel down your stomach and leaving a cream streak in its wake. “Alright cowboy, don’t get too ahead of yourself there.”

He set the can aside and crawled over you, leaning down and kissing you. “Trust me, Y/N. This is about to be so much fun.”

“Only if I get to do it to you.” You laughed as he hovered back down to your stomach.

“But licking cream off of my nipples isn’t as fun.” He laughed, slowly licking up the cream from your stomach, the slight tickle against your skin making you squirm. “Stop! You’re knocking it off!” He reached up towards your breasts as the cream was sliding off and pushed them back.

“Hurry up, I’m cold!” You laughed, your phone catching your eye again.

“Patience, Y/N, geez.” He mumbled, kissing your stomach.

You had reached your phone and saw that the phone call was from Professor Robinson and that she had left a voicemail. You clicked on the voicemail and brought the phone up to your ear, just as Matt started to lick the rest of the way up your stomach.

“Hi, Y/N! Sorry, I missed you, but I just wanted to let you know before they send out the official email late today that the school has decided to send everyone home for the rest of the semester and move online. You’ve already got everything you need, but for class, if there’s something you don’t, just let me know and I’ll send it over for you. Stay safe out there and have a safe travel home! Tell your family and Matthew I said hello. Bye!”

“Shit!” You sat up quickly, just as Matt went to move and wrap his lips around your left nipple, both piles of whipped cream falling onto your lap.

“Aw come on. We’re literally doing Valentines 2.0 and I didn’t even get to the good part,” he whined, looking at you with a frown before he sat back onto his heels before looking at your phone. “Who called?”

“It was Professor Robinson.” You said. “How soon can you get us plane tickets out of here?

“Good thing you didn’t answer then, huh?” He laughed, then looked at you with a confused look… “Wait, what?”

You rolled your eyes and stood yourself up, Matt plopping down onto his butt. “The school’s closing and moving online for the semester. We can go home.”

He stood up fast and grabbed his phone, typing away on it and chewing on his bottom lip before finally looking up at you. “10 o’clock. Last flight of the day.”

“Book it.” You smiled, walking up to him and wrapping your arms around his neck. “We’re going home.”

He kissed you and pulled away, easily booking the flights. “Okay, so…we’ve got two hours to pack before we need to leave.” He pouted and then looked down at his pants, where an obvious tent was forming beneath his sweats. “Any chance we can slide a quickie in there sometime so I don’t have to fly with a raging boner?”

“We need to shower anyway, come on. Two birds, one stone.” You replied, grabbing his hand and dragging him off.

“Sweet!” He smiled, following eagerly behind you into the bathroom.

“Come on, you dork.”

As he started the shower and made sure you both had towels for after, you picked up your phone and opened your Mom “Okay, I’m in and it’s fucking hot so please join soon. The faster we do this, the quicker you can take your hell shower.”

“Coming,” you said, sending the message before getting undressed.

“Not yet you’re not,” Matt said, peaking his wet mop of curly hair from behind the curtain with a smile. “But you will be.”

You rolled your eyes, ready to get into the shower when you saw a  message pop up from your Mom.

you: finally got word and school is shutting down! Matt and I will be home super late like 4 am!

mom: So excited to see you guys, sweetheart! But I do have some bad news…Charlotte and Colton have moved in…house renovations went haywire. don’t worry though, Chantal said you could stay with them for that two-week mandatory quarantine! Miss you!!

“Hey Matt, guess what?” You said, putting the phone down and climbing into the shower to see him standing beneath the very water he’d been claiming was too hot.

“Hm?” He asked, reaching out and grabbing you, holding you against him.

“We’re going to be roommates for two weeks.” You smiled, wrapping your arms around his waist. “Charlotte and Colton moved in and since she’s extremely pregnant, your Mom offered to house me for my two-week quarantine.”

“Do you know how hard it’s going to be knowing you’re in my house and I can’t sleep with you?” He groaned, kissing your shoulder. “I mean, sex is one thing…but I’ve literally fallen asleep next to you every night since what? September? Guess you better get ready for some long facetime calls.”

You rolled your eyes, kissing him. “It’ll be fine. Now come on, the window for shower sex is closing and I seem to remember you promising me an orgasm or two.”

“Or three.” He smiled, kissing you deeply and walking the two of you away from the water. “Better get it all out now before our two-week dry spell.”

“Less talking, more action.” You mumbled, leaning your head back against the shower tile as he smiled against your skin.

“As you wish.”

( APRIL )

When you were told you’d be quarantining in the Tkachuk home for two weeks, you didn’t know what to expect. You’d been reading people’s experiences all over social media about how miserable they’d been in quarantine and how lonely it felt– and part of you feared that that would be your fate. That Matt would be locked in his room and you probably in a guest room, left alone to watch Netflix, texting and calling your friends and family.  But you also had already experienced a vacation with the Tkachuks back at their lake house, and one thing that you’d come to know– was that things were never boring around them.

So when Chantal and Keith told you and Matt that the two of you would have to spend your two-week quarantine together in the basement, you knew that you were in for one hell of a time.

Matt had been excited from the moment the news left his parents’ mouths, but the two of them and yourself had shut down any idea he had about the two of you being intimate while shut down there together– leading him to pout to himself for the first four days and nights. Eventually, on day five, he got over it and realized he was just happy that the two of you got to sleep in the same room together while being under the same roof as the parents. The days passed by quickly since you were both easily entertained by what was in the Tkachuk basement. Old board games, video games, movies– it was easily the least bored either of you have ever been. And when Matt started to get bored and antsy, missing being on the ice since he should still be in season– he dragged you to the back half of the basement and made you practice with him in their room that had been dedicated to both sports that the Tkachuk siblings played.

Two weeks flew by and before you knew it, it was time for you to go home. The night before the morning you were supposed to go home, you indulged in Matt’s desire and told him that once and only once, would the two of you get intimate under his parents’ roof. He was like a kid in a candy store, practically pouncing on you the first chance he got. But before either of you could take it any further, Brady came jogging down the stairs, putting it all to a halt. He barely saw the pillow coming towards his face until the last second, too busy laughing at Matt’s frustration. Along with the message of an invitation for the two of you to join them at dinner, he made it known he was going to ask Matt for a favor one day, in exchange for not telling their parents what he walked in on.

As much as you had missed seeing your family, you were really mourning the fact that you’d have to leave the Tkachuks. 14 days of living with them felt like you’d spent half of your life around them– even if your time was mostly spent in the basement. You had to hold back any kind of sadness while sitting at dinner with them, not wanting to ruin your last night over there for who knew how long. By the end of dinner, the idea of going back home to see your parents, your siblings, and the two newest additions to your family, made you excited. So when your phone rang while you were helping Brady and Taryn clean the dishes, you were happy to see it was a call from your Mom.

Until you answered it.

She had to go into work almost a week ago, just to grab some key stuff from her office so she would be able to work from home. In the time that she was there with her other co-workers, she had been exposed. Only finding out earlier that day that one of her co-workers’ spouses had tested positive. So, she was going to go get a test done early tomorrow morning and would have to wait a few days before she’d find her results. And in the meantime, she was moved into your room for quarantine from the rest of the family.

It felt like one big joke– the fact that you’d been so close to finally being able to see your family and hug them instead of talking over a screen. But then the Universe said ‘ha, you thought’ and ripped it all away. You felt guilty, talking to Chantal and Keith after you hung up the phone, explaining everything. You’d already been staying in their house for two weeks…and now you were going to have to stay for at least another week, or until your Mom got her test results back. But of course, you were way too into your head because the two of them welcomed you in without a second thought…again.

You weren’t sure who was more excited to have you around for at least another seven days, Matt, Taryn, or Brady– each for their reasons. Taryn missed watching One Tree Hill with you and Addie. Brady knew that having you around meant that you could join him and Taryn in terrorizing and teasing Matt. Matt, well, you being around another seven days meant that he could just be around you more. And now that your two-week quarantine was over, that meant Brady and Taryn could come down into the basement and all of you could hang out and watch movies and just really try and pass the time.

You spent the entire next day just feeling anxious once your Mom’s situation set in. Being quarantined in a different house away from your family was one thing, but you couldn’t imagine being quarantined in your own house away from your family. Especially with your Mom being as hands-on with everyone as she was. Plus, Charlotte and Colton were dealing with the twins, Nick was probably losing his mind, you were minutes down the road, but unable to really be there. It was all going to fall onto your Dad’s shoulders, and while you knew that he was always right there by your Mom’s side, being just as hands-on as her– you were worried that maybe it would get to him.

Especially since Easter was today. Your parents were invested in every holiday, always wanting to make it the best for the three of you. And while you loved your Dad…it wasn’t a secret that your Mom was always the one who was the creative mind behind it all. Your Dad was the one who executed it, but your Mom…your Mom made it magical. So you were nervous to hear the stories from your siblings later in the day, especially since there were two babies involved.

Last night, you and the Tkachuk siblings had hunkered down in the basement and tried to have your own Marvel movie marathon. It started off strong, but as the night got later, you all got tired. Taryn was the first to go up to her room and maybe Brady was second, you weren’t sure. Mainly because shortly after she had left in the middle of Guardians of the Galaxy, you fell asleep. A fact that you hadn’t even been aware of…until you heard giggling.

You rubbed your eyes first, barely opening them but able to see that the lights in the basement were on. Yawning, you opened your eyes and looked around, only to see a big bunny head mask hovering over you. You screamed, jumping up and reaching behind you where Brady and Matt had rested their sticks after messing around in between movies while you and Taryn got snacks, and grabbed one of the sticks, hitting the side of the mask.

More laughing erupted from behind the bunny as it tripped sideways and when you looked behind the bunny, you saw Brady standing there with his phone in his hand, trying not to buckle over from laughing so hard. You sit up, still holding onto the hockey stick, and look over at the bunny mask, watching with a glare as Matt took it off of his head to reveal himself– he too was laughing.

“You guys suck.” You groaned, reaching the stick out as Matt tried to come over to you. “No way, you gave me a heart attack, you pest!”

“Oh come on, it was funny,” he laughed, nudging the stick out of the way and tackling you down onto the couch, wrapping his arms around you and kissing your head. “I did it purely out of love.”

“Yeah, well let’s see the next time you get laid then,” you mumbled into the crook of his neck, patting him on the head. “This pornstache you’re trying to achieve already had me contemplating it and now this? I’m thinking about going celibate.”

Matt widened his eyes and looked at you, shaking his head before pouting. “You’re the one who hit me in the side of the head with my own hockey stick.”

“Serves you right.” You replied, barely being able to roll out from underneath him before standing yourself up. “You two have managed to slide your way down to numbers 4 and 5 on my favorite Tkachuk list.”

“Why me?” Brady asked, already halfway up the stairs.

“There’s no doubt in my mind you egged that idea on, you goof.” You replied, catching up to him. “Now come on, show me why you woke me up this early.”

Sure enough, not only was it almost time for breakfast, but you found out from Chantal that it was Brady who was tasked to wake you up, Keith not trusting Matt to not pull something over. How Matt managed to sneak away and join Brady in the morning prank was beyond you, but he had and the two were still giggling over it once you were all sitting at the table. Once breakfast was over, Chantal ushered everyone into the living room, where on the main couch, were five Easter baskets. Keith left the room and came back, bringing out a basket for Chantal and handing it over to her, which only confused you more until Matt had waved you over to sit next to him.

“Surprise,” he smiled, picking up the basket that was next to his and handing it to you. It was decked out with your favorite candies and even a cute little stuffed bunny. “The bunny is from me, but the rest was Mom.”

“You didn’t have to…” You said, shocked as you turned to Chantal and Keith.

“We always do Easter baskets, Y/N,” she smiled, leaning into Keith. “Not only are you away from your family, but you’re also a part of ours…therefore, you get a basket.”

“Thank you,” you smiled, sitting down next to Matt. “Really, it means a lot.”

“Well just be careful around Matt and Brady. They try to steal from Taryn’s basket all the time.” Keith laughed.

You looked at between Matt and Brady and glared. “Touch my basket and I’ll grab the hockey stick again.” They both rolled their eyes and the six of you eased into a conversation while looking through your baskets.

The morning went on and the boys had decided they wanted to watch the Masters tournament, giving you, Taryn and Chantal the opportunity to go down to the basement and watch One Tree Hill and get away from the boys and their eagerness over golf. It was a relaxing day in all. You were able to facetime with your family and wish them a happy Easter. You got to see the twins enamored with Nick trying to get them to react to him by goofing off with a chocolate bunny. It was the first time you realized that while you had been a little upset at not being able to spend time with your family, you weren’t as sad as you had been on Thanksgiving. Just like spending that time with the Flames and their families, spending time with the Tkachuk’s felt like you were surrounded by family, even if they weren’t biologically yours.

Your last week at the Tkachuk’s sped by faster than your first two weeks. In between filming Tik Tok’s with Taryn or helping her practice field hockey, to board games, movies, convincing Matt to let you take practice shots on him in the basement– it was overall a fun and relaxing week, and tomorrow, you were set to go home. Your Mom’s results had come in and she was negative, so that was a relief and she had been sending you hourly pictures of her and Nick spraying lysol and cleaning your room for you for when you came home.

Your last day was filled with doing your laundry, cleaning up the basement, and helping Chantal do whatever around the house– even if she told you that you didn’t need to– just to show how appreciative you were of their hospitality. That, and you were desperate to get your mind off of the craziness that the day had held.

It all started out normal. Breakfast, you and Taryn decided to take advantage of the nice weather and layout in the backyard, occasionally trying out and filming yourselves fail at doing dances from Tik Tok. The peace didn’t last long before Brady and Matt sabotaged it with a water-gun fight. It was at the end of the water-gun fight when you were all drying off, that Taryn had checked her phone.

“Hey, Matt?” She asked, looking away from it. “Did you post something with you and Y/N on Instagram or something?”

“No, why?” He asked, drying off his hair with a towel before handing it over to you to use.

“Nikki just sent me a text asking when you guys decided to go public,” she said, looking back down at her phone.

“Nikki’s one of your cousins I met, right? At All-Star weekend?” You asked, drying off your hair as Matt walked over to Taryn.

“Yeah, same one.” He replied, looking over Taryn’s shoulder. “I never posted anything.”

“Uh, I think I might know what happened,” Brady chimed in, holding up his phone. “NHL Instagram reposted that prank we did to you on Easter.” He walked over and stood next to me, Taryn and Matt joining. “Check out the back of the video.”

The NHL chose to caption the repost as ‘Guess the mischief doesn’t stop off the ice at the Tkachuk household’. Brady played the video and once it got past the part where Matt had revealed himself as the one under the bunny head, Brady had turned the camera on himself, still laughing. In the back left corner, visible in frame, was Matt tackling you down onto the couch and kissing your head.

“…Okay, that’s it?” Matt asked, looking up from the phone. “I mean, Taryn made it sound like people deep-dived into social media and found out. They can’t even see her face, so it’s no problem.”

“Not exactly,” Taryn replied, putting the phone in the middle of the group for all to see. “Nikki sent the screenshots from Twitter…which is how she found out.”

Sure enough, as Taryn swiped through the screenshots it was clear that Matt was wrong. There were screenshots and recordings of you and Taryn making Tik Tok’s from the last week where she had tagged your account. Fans had connected a sweatshirt of Matt’s you were wearing, to one he had worn in an Instagram post months earlier. Pointed out that in the Easter video, you were wearing one of his team-issued Calgary hoodies. The way they were able to make the connections just from small pieces of bits on social media, blew your mind. Your Instagram wasn’t private, seeing as you’ve never had a reason to make it private, so there were even screenshots of a few posts you’d posted over the months, with Matt. None ever came across as the two of you dating– always seeming friendly in nature and caption. Your friends and family knew the two of you were dating, so you never really felt the need to broadcast your relationship that way on Instagram either.

But now that everyone seemed to know, your posts were being posted along with other connections to Matt– everyone trying to make a timeline of just how long the two of you had been together. You couldn’t even open Tik Tok or Instagram, the notifications from comments, likes, and followers causing it to constantly freeze.

“What the hell, Brady?” Matt asked, turning to his younger brother. “You didn’t watch it before you posted it?”

“How was I supposed to know it’d get reposted?”

“You still have your own following, dude!” Matt was easily stressed, rubbing his hands down his face and sighing before looking at you. “You okay with this?”

“I mean, the apps haven’t stayed open long enough for me to read anything. So, for right now, yeah I guess.” You replied, shrugging your shoulders.

“I’m sorry, Y/N,” Brady said, turning to you. “Even though it’s technically Matt’s fault since he was all over you in the video.”

Matt sent him a glare and you just laughed, shaking your head. “It’s fine. I’ll just turn off my comments or something,” you replied, locking your phone. “Once I can get my phone to stop spazzing out.”

“Well…since Brady killed all the fun, what do you guys want to do now?” Taryn asked, looking at you all.

“Actually, I’m stealing Y/N for the rest of the night since it’s her last day here.” Matt grabbed your hand and you guys headed towards the house. “Basement is off-limits, we’re having a date.”

“Is that what the kids call it nowadays?” Brady joked, crossing his arms. “Whatever, stay safe. People only just found out you’re dating, imagine what’ll happen when there’s a Matthew spawn running around in nine months.”

Matthew led you into the house and up the stairs, dropping you off in his room. “You can take a shower if you want and just wear some of my clothes. But don’t leave my room for…” he drifted off, looking at his phone. “Like, 20 minutes, okay?”

“Matthew, what are you–”

“Nope, not telling.” He kissed you quickly before leaving his room and shutting the door.

You rolled your eyes and walked to the door, stepping out into the hallway and going down the hall to the bathroom. You’d left your phone behind in his room, not wanting to look at it or think about it so you could get some sort of relaxation back into your day and your shower provided just that. When you were done, you used the same towel you’d dried off with and wrapped it around you, making your way back to Matt’s room. You grabbed a pair of his sweatpants and then what looked to be an old hockey hoodie of his from his closet, choosing to wear those before climbing onto his bed and lying down.

Only 10 minutes had gone by and you still had another 10 before you could leave his room. You looked towards the table beside his bed and grabbed your phone, the screen lighting up to show the hundreds of notifications you had. You looked at Instagram first, seeing that you’d gained five thousand followers as opposed to the thousand you had before. You didn’t want to scroll through the pictures of just you, instead choosing the few that you’d posted with Matt. Some were nice, but there were of course some trolling comments. Most were saying that you had to be in it for his money since Matt wasn’t a looker. That maybe you were the reason why he was late for the season, which made no sense to you. Some were calling you pretty, some ugly, most asking if you two were dating. Even if you’d prepared yourself for this moment, you knew that you’d still be as off guard as you felt now.

You moved over to Tik Tok, immediately clicking on your profile. Which, just like Instagram, you’d gained at least three thousand followers– adding onto the 71 you’d had previously. None of your Tik Tok’s had been with Matt or Brady– only Taryn or strictly yourself. And yet the views had climbed and so did the comments. All of which were just like your comments on Instagram– though these mainly seemed to target Matt, the Flames, your looks, calling you a puck bunny, and even questioning why you were dating him.

It was all extremely overwhelming. You weren’t mad about it all, that was for sure. You were just stressed. You’d gone from being able to freely post on your social media without having to worry about comments like these. Who were these people commenting and why did they even feel the need to? You weren’t some famous person. You weren’t an All-Star athlete. You were just a grad-student who was dating a normal guy, who just happened to be a star player for a hockey team. Why were they so invested in it all?

When Matt came to get you, it was obvious that he was harboring a little anger towards the situation. When the two of you first started officially dating, you had the talk. Did you want to go public on social media or keep it lowkey between the two of you, your friends, and your family? Matt had seen first hand all of the things that his teammates’ wives and girlfriends had dealt with on social media and he made that known to you. He said that you could post on your Instagram if you wanted, but that he wouldn’t post on his– just so you guys could keep that part of your life private. Though, he would often post pictures or videos of the two of you on his close friends’ Instagram story.

When you reached the basement, you saw that he had it decked out similar to the way that he had on your guys’ last night in his apartment in Calgary. Mainly just an air mattress on the floor in front of the couch, blankets, a whole bunch of snacks, and a pizza waiting for you guys to munch on. And for entertainment, he thought that you guys could have your own Harry Potter Marathon, something that the two of you had always wanted to do in Calgary, but never had the time to. Lying there with him, eating, and watching the movie while sitting close next to him, finally provided you that last bit of relaxation you’d been searching for since you found out that your relationship was out there for everyone to see and know about.

When Matt got up to take the empty pizza box upstairs, you got up and took out Prisoner of Azkaban, putting in the Goblet of Fire, closing the DVD player and case before walking back over to the air mattress and lying back down onto it. As the move menu started to load, you looked over in the direction of the stairs, waiting to see if Matt was coming down. When you didn’t see his shadow move down the lit stairs, you reached out for your phone ready to ignore the texts that were waiting for you to reply until you saw Mason’s name at the top of the notifications.

mason: saw matt’s instagram. never took your boy for the cheesy type, but you’ve definitely got him wrapped around your finger. 😉

You were confused because you hadn’t once seen Matt pick up his phone since you guys stepped foot into the basement and even before then, he hadn’t posted since Easter after he made you take the picture of him wearing the Bunny mask. You opened Instagram, ready to type his name into the search bar and ignoring the new notifications coming in…when his post popped up first on your feed.

It was a picture sequence of 5 pictures and 5 videos.

The first, was a picture from Charlotte’s wedding, one your Mom had made the two of you take at the reception. You fought it, embarrassed because after all, you had just met Matt. But he was all for it and willing. The two of you were smiling, arms wrapped around each other’s waist as your free hands were holding your beers.

The second, a video, was one he must have taken of you on your first date– that fateful trip to top golf. You hadn’t even noticed that he had his phone in his hand, so you never knew this video existed. You saw your horrible backswing and then…the club fly out of your hands. Video you whipped around to face him, shocked and embarrassed while video Matt was trying to stifle his laughter before the video ended.

The third, another picture, was easily recognizable as your trip to the Tkachuk’s lake house. This had to have been taken by any one of your family members because it was a nice shot of just you and Matt sitting by the firepit. The two of you were making smores. You were balancing separate graham crackers on your knees, preparing them as Matt sat next to you, roasting two marshmallows. You had a focused look on your face, and Matt was looking at you with a smile, not paying attention to the marshmallows he was holding over the fire. You remembered that because they had gotten so hot that they melted and fell into the pit, causing you to double over in laughter as Matt tried to brush it off as the pick sticks issue.

The fourth, a video of you from the first night you stayed over at his place in Calgary– his first night back. You convinced him to take you back to your dorm before it got too late, just so you could get some clothes to wear the next day, but you had also grabbed some stuff to wash your face. You were walking out of his bathroom, turning off the late and when you looked up, your face was covered in the purple clay mask, your hair tied up in a bun. Matt laughed and you just rolled your eyes, waving a hand in front of your face.

The fifth, a picture of the two of you together down in the tunnel outside of the Flames locker room after the first game you had gone to. Due to a lost bet over a baseball game, you were wearing his jersey and you could easily see the delight in his eyes as he smiled. That, and it was a big win and a big game for him. Which, that night had been the first time he called you his good luck charm.

The sixth, a video of the two of you dancing at the early team Halloween party the Giordano’s had hosted. It was like the two of you were in your own little world, laughing and smiling as you even interacted with some of his teammates’ children who were there and dressed up too. Matt had carefully spun you around while you held onto Talbot’s daughter and then leaned in to kiss you, only to be nudged away by the little girl you held in your arms.

The seventh was another video. This time, it was the two of you had taken at the Heritage Classic during the family skate after the teams’ practice. That was the night that your guys’ relationship had taken the ‘official’ step into a title. And this video, you were both switching your gaze from camera to camera, to camera, unsure of where to look. He had leaned into your ear, whispering, and then your head whipped and looked at him– the both of you smiling before you jumped up at him and he hugged you, spinning you around before putting you back onto the ice and kissing you.

The eighth was a video you remember seeing on Johnny’s Snapchat story. It was of you standing in the Talbot’s kitchen, cutting up the chocolate mousse-pies so that they could be put out to serve. Over your shoulder, were Matt and Sam, both of who were taking turns trying to distract you so the other could swoop in and get the first piece before anyone else. You had grabbed a wooden spoon, smacking their hands whenever they went to reach in, the three of you laughing as they never stopped their attempts.

The ninth, a picture of the two of you together and on the ice after the All-Star Game. He was still in his gear and sweaty from playing and you were nestled on his back, him holding onto your thighs as you had your arms wrapped around his neck. It was a stitched picture, with two pictures in one. The first was the two of you smiling, Brady and Taryn popping into the frame from the side and the second, the two siblings were gone and Matt turning his head to the side to kiss you.

And the last, perhaps one of your favorite pictures to exist of the two of you, was from the day after your first quarantine had ended. Brady and Matt had coerced you and Taryn into playing 2v2 with them. Brady won the coin toss and snagged you onto his team, much to Matt’s dismay, both Keith and Chantal laughing as they watched the four of you play in the driveway. The picture was a moment that you and Matt had shared after you scored a goal against him. Brady had just hugged you for giving your team the lead and you were walking back towards your guy’s end when Matt had reached out to grab the end of your stick, preventing you from walking. You turned around and smiled at him once you saw the proud smile on his face. It wasn’t a super done-up picture, either. You were both sweaty and dressed in workout clothes, but the smiles on your faces and the adoration in both of your eyes was enough to make it your favorite.

After taking your time looking through all that he posted, you saw that it had already reached 30, 000 likes and had almost 500 comments. You clicked on the comments since curiosity killed the cat, and for the first time, the comments you immediately saw– weren’t negative. You saw a few from his teammates, all cheering him on for posting. A few of the WAGs doing the same. Then there were those that said the two of you looked cute together or that you were pretty. And in the mix, comments just shitting on Matt’s game and then the obvious trolls. But it didn’t matter to you anymore. Especially once your eyes skimmed to his caption.

Been vibin n’ thrivin with this beautiful girl by my side for the last 8 months. The only person in the world that I’ll share my snacks with and who can chirp me better than anyone on this planet. Thankful for all of these moments and every moment in between, life with you has been the best and I can’t wait to make more memories with you! ❤️

You heard a creak from the stairs and looked up to see Matt coming down the stairs, turning off the light behind him. “Which one is next?” He asked, coming over to you, stopping once he saw you smiling at him. “What?”

“Goblet of Fire,” you replied, turning your phone to him. “When did you post this?”

He brought the blanket over him and scooted closer to you, looking at your phone. “Oh, probably around the time you started snoring during the second movie.”

You scoffed, rolling your eyes. “I don’t snore.”

“Sure you don’t,” he laughed, rolling onto his right side and propping himself up onto his elbow. “You’re okay with it…right?”

“I am,” you smiled, locking your phone and rolling onto your left, leaning up on your elbow and reaching out for him with your right, draping your arm across him. “But I know you were more worried than I was. What made you change your mind?”

He shrugged. “I talked to Brady since he posts about Emma all the time. He just said that doesn’t tag her in things, which he said saves people from finding and going to her page so easily. Plus, her Instagram is private.” He grabbed your hand that was on him and intertwined your fingers. “I just figured that since I love you, I should be able to brad about you without caring what people think.”

You smiled and leaned over, kissing him before pulling back. “Yeah, Emma reached out and gave me a bit of advice too.”

“Really? What was it?” He asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Put your Instagram on private.”

You both started to laugh and he rolled over onto his back, pulling you into his side. You draped your arm over his stomach and a leg over his own before snuggling down into his side. He kissed the top of your head and started the movie. “Yeah, that’ll help.”

( MAY )

While life hadn’t been as hectic as it was during your three-week stay at the Tkachuk household, it was still pretty wild. You spent most of your time helping Charlotte and Colton out with the twins whenever they had to go into the guest bedroom and do work. Nick was doing his classes online, and complaining about it every hour on the hour. Your parents were struggling to adapt to all of the zoom meetings they were having to do for work. And you, well most of the time so you didn’t go crazy, you took your homework and your classes outside into the backyard. Having six people who all relied on using your home internet connection, mostly at the same time, was proving to be very difficult.

Add in the stress of being yoyo’d around on the news when it comes to information about what’s going on health-wise– and it just made you feel like the world was pretty much on its way to ending.

Luckily for you, some days Matt would come by and just talk with you in your driveway. While the two of you knew that you hadn’t come in contact with anyone but your own families, you still chose to stand six feet apart from each other, and if you weren’t then you wore a mask. He and Brady were having an eventual quarantine. The two had found themselves filming a series for Sportsnet once you guys got home from Calgary. Some of the events you’d seen filmed and boy was it an experience.

Today though, Matt had asked if you wanted to come along with them, their Mom, and two of their childhood friends. They were set to film another episode of Stuck with Tkachuk at their old high school and even he could see from your guys’ nightly facetime calls that you were starting to get a little stir crazy being in your house of 8. So, wanting to get out of the house, you said yes without missing a beat. You were pleasantly surprised to see that Taryn, Keith, and Chantal were tagging along as well and you made your excitement to see them again, well known by greeting them all with a hug.

You’d watched every episode of Stuck with Tkachuk that they’ve done, and so far the home run one was closing in as your favorite. You loved the playful chirping between the two brothers as they competed for who could hit the most home runs, and both you and Taryn couldn’t resist chiming in from the outfield when the two of you decided to help the two friends Brady and Matt brought along. Between the horrible front toss, the even uglier swings, and even Keith adding in some playful banter, you found yourself laughing and feeling more relaxed for the first time since all of this began.

“Are we done yet?” Taryn called out, shielding her eyes from the sun. “It’s starting to get embarrassing by how bad the two of you are!”

“Hey, I got 11 in the first round!” Matt called out, holding onto the bat as Brady stood behind the lacrosse net they were using as protection.

“Yeah, but Brady got 12!” You called out, holding your glove on your hip. “Plus he’s got what? 21 now? You only have 19 and he’s got one more swing!”

“It’s clear that I’m the winner, Matthew. Just give it up.” Brady laughed, resting the bat behind his head. “Unless you want me to further embarrass you in front of your girlfriend.”

“Shut up Brady,” Matt replied, turning his back to you and Taryn as the two of you laughed.

Matt picked up the ball and threw it to Brady, Brady taking the best swing of the entire game and sending the ball over the fence behind you. He dropped the bat and raised his arms in the air, running out towards you and Taryn with a smile.

“Winner, winner chicken dinner!” Chantal called out, a smile on her face as she stood out on the baseball diamond’s pitching mound.

“Hear that Matthew?” Brady laughed, looking over his shoulder. “I’m Mom’s favorite!”

“We know that’s a lie,” Matt replied, throwing balls from the pile by his feet out at him.

“Yeah, clearly it’s me.” Taryn laughed as the two of you met Brady halfway. “Good job second older brother.”

“You did great, Brady.” You smiled, the two of you giving him high-fives.

“Did you hear that Matt? Y/N even thinks I’m the better Tkachuk!” Brady smiled, looking over his shoulder.

“Brady get your ass over here so we can film the closing!” Matt replied, standing just a bit in front of the pitching net with Keith holding onto the phone.

You and Taryn helped their friends collect all of the balls, no one thinking to grab the bag they’d been in beforehand, so you were all kicking and holding them in your arms, trying not to trip as you made your way over to the three Tkachuk men. You guys put all of the balls back into the bag before meeting up with Chantal, Keith, Brady, and Matt.

“That was a lot of fun,” you smiled, crossing your arms. “Thanks for inviting me. I enjoyed the entertainment of watching Matt lose.”

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Fine, how about you take a few swings then, hm?”

“Okay,” you replied, shrugging your shoulders and tossing Brady your glove before walking towards the makeshift home plate where he’d left the bat. “Just don’t get upset when I do better than you.”

“God, it’s like the two of you were made for each other.” Brady laughed, jogging out a little further with Taryn and their two friends.

“This won’t make it into the video, but you can bet I’ll be recording this,” Keith laughed, Chantal, standing beside him as he held up the cell-phone. “Who knows, maybe we can convince them to add you in, Y/N. Beat both of my boys.”

“You want me to pitch or Brady?” Matt asked, dragging the bag full of balls over. “Fair warning, I’d go with me.”

“You’re fine,” you held the bat in your hands, looking at him. “Now come on, stop putting it off.”

Matt laughed and picked up three balls, holding the first up to show that he was going to throw it. “Do you want a test pitch or just go into it?”

“Just pitch, I’m good.” You replied, adjusting your grip on the bat as you got into a relaxed batting stance.

Matt just laughed and nodded, regripping the ball before bringing it back and pitching it to you as he’d done for Brady. When the ball neared your strike zone, you swung and watched it fly towards the outfield wall. Matt turned and watched it go before looking back at you, ready to speak but you shook your head with a smile.

“Keep ‘em coming!” You laughed, looking back at him.

He pitched another ball and you swung, sending a line drive out behind him. Pitch after pitch, you managed to make great contact and send the ball flying; multiple had even gone over the fence. Relishing in the cheers of everyone in the outfield, you couldn’t help but laugh as Matt watched every ball you hit, only turning around once it hit the ground. Even Keith was cheering you on. Once you reached 10 swings, you motioned for him to stop and made your way over to him.

“Um excuse you,” Matt said, dropping the four balls he was holding, back into the bag as you made your way over to him. “But where did that come from?”

“My Mom played D1 softball in college and my Dad played triple a for the Phillies way back when. That’s how they met,” you laughed, leaning against the bat. “Her roommate and teammate invited her to Scranton for three weeks, went to a game, and boom– love at first pitch.”

“So you’re just genetically gifted?” He laughed, raising an eyebrow.

“Well…I may have played softball up until college before becoming a full-on narp.” You laughed, resting the bat against the net.

“No, no, no pick that bat back up!” Brady said, rushing in with an arm full of baseballs. “We’ve got to get you guys to go head to head, please!”

“I for one would love to see it!” Taryn called out, raising her hand. “Just so Matt can lose twice in one day.”

“I’m down if you are,” Matt said, shrugging.

“Okay, sure.” You smiled, picking the bat back up and turning to Brady. “You pitch though, this way Matt won’t try and say my pitching is bad and that’s why he lost.”

Matt rolled his eyes and grabbed the bat. “Let me go first since I’m used to Brady’s horrible pitching.” He turned and looked at Brady, glaring. “If you purposely give me shitty pitches, I’ll throw them right back at you.”

“Hey!” Keith laughed, shaking his head at his two boys. “Cut it out and let’s play. Best of 20 swings!”

You and Matt walked back to the makeshift home plate and you stood back, watching as Matt took his stance and Brady picked up some balls to pitch. It was like rewatching their original game against each other, Brady’s pitching was hit or miss and so were Matt’s swings. He popped up and grounded the first five before making solid contact with the last five, turning to you with a smile as he held out the bat.

“Should we make this interesting?” He asked, whispering to where only you could hear as you grabbed the bat from him.

“With what alone time, Matt?” You laughed, nudging him with the bat.

“That’s why cars exist, you know!” He said, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. “Just saying.”

You rolled your eyes and got ready as Brady held up the ball to signal that he was ready to pitch to you. With his first two pitches, you were really understanding Matt’s frustration with his younger brother. The first you almost fouled off into your face and the second was so inside that you moved your body back and left the bat out, bunting it down.

“What was that you said about Brady’s pitching not being the reason why I lost?” Matt chirped, his arms crossed as he smiled.

You sent him a sarcastic smile before looking back at Brady, prepared for whatever was to come. Matt was ahead with 5 of 20 being his best and to keep the lead, all you had to do was make solid contact with the remaining 8 you had. And you did, lining them out to the fence, even making two over. You turned to Matt, a smile on your face as you held out the bat. “Nice try.”

He laughed and took the bat from you, taking his stance again. He was hitting solid this round, easily catching up to your 8 of 20 record within the first three pitches– all solid contact. When it came to his last pitch, he was at 14, hitting an almost perfect round…until he whiffed at the last pitch, the ball tinging off the end of the bat.

“Did you feel that?” You asked, looking out towards Brady. “That was a pretty big breeze, I think a storm is rolling in.”

“Brady, who are you pitching to?” Matt yelled, holding the bat out to his side. “It was all the way over here!”

“No one said you had to swing,” Brady laughed, picking up more balls. “Don’t be mad at me because your girlfriend’s better than you.”

Matt stomped away from the home plate, sending Brady a glare before rolling his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I’m still winning.”

“Not for long,” you smiled, taking the bat from him and kissing his cheek. “Don’t be upset when I win.”

“I won’t since it’s a win-win either way with our bet.” He smiled, kicking his foot out and tapping your butt.

“We’re in a pandemic, Matthew. I’m not sneaking out of my house late at night so we can hook up in your car.”

He pouted kicking at the grass. “Please? Do you know how lonely I am without you living with me? Besides, the bet is the winner gets top.”

You rolled your eyes, laughing and shaking your head as you went to get ready for Brady’s pitching. If you wanted to win, all you had to do was hit at least seven But, your competitiveness with Matt had already started taking over, so you were aiming for a perfect round of 10.

And that’s exactly what you got with the first seven pitches. The Tkachuks’ and their friends all cheering as your go-ahead hit landed behind the outfield fence. You still had three more pitches and were going to use it, already having too much fun with beating Matt. The first two sailed right over Brady’s net, landing at the warning track. As you got ready for Brady to pitch your last one, you saw him hesitate in his throw and then felt a pair of arms wrap around your waist before you were down on the grass.

“Matthew Tkachuk!” Chantal yelled as you and Matt rolled over on the grass. “You help her up right now!”

“It’s fine, Mrs. Chantal!” You laughed, reaching up and tickling Matt’s sides as he squirmed. “He’s just upset he lost.”

“Yeah, yeah I get it you’re ridiculously talented.” He laughed, rolling his eyes before dipping down and pressing a quick kiss to your lips. “I would have just rather lost by four than five.”

“It’s okay, I’d be sad about losing to me too,” you replied as he helped you up. “First your baby brother and now your girlfriend? Talk about a blow to the ego.”

He wrapped his arm around your neck and brought you into your side, nestling a palm on the top of your head. “Nuh-uh, take it back.”

“Matthew!” Chantal yelled again as everyone started to make their way over.

“Relax, Mom,” he laughed, letting you go and fix your hair for you. “We mess around like this all of the time. It’s our thing, right?” He smiled, kissing your temple.

“Of course,” you laughed, feeling your phone vibrate in the band of your running shorts. You pull it out and your eyes widened in shock. You had to re-read the text from Nick over and over at least five times before it would even start to settle in what you’d read.

“Is everything okay, Y/N?” Matt asked, a concerned look on his face.

“Yeah,” you nodded, still in disbelief as you looked up at him. “Great, in fact.”

“What’s up?” Brady asked as everyone joined you and Matt.

“You guys know how there’s been talk about workouts picking back up next month and then training camp before they figure out the return to play?” You said, looking at them.

“Yeah, early June for workouts and then training camp for July, right?” Brady asked, looking at Keith. “That’s what you said you heard.”

“It wasn’t official, but it’s definitely looking to be that way,” Keith replied.

“What? Did you get an update text about it all?” Matt laughed, trying to look at your phone. “You have connections we don’t know about?”

“No, it’s Nick.” You smiled, looking down at your phone. “He got a call from the Blues today.”

“No shit?” Brady smiled, looking at Matt.

Keith nudged Brady and gave him a stern look before turning to you. “Did they invite him to work out with them?”

“Once he finishes up his classes for the semester,” you nodded, looking at them before looking back at your phone. “He said they want to invite him to training camp too.” You looked at Matt with a smile on your face.

“This is awesome!” Matt smiled, hugging you before looking at his parents. “We can do a small social distanced kind of dinner tonight, right Dad, Mom?”

“We’ll see,” Keith laughed, looking at their gear. “But right now we need to pack all of this up and go home before we make any solid plans.”

Brady helped their friends roll the net off of the field as Taryn picked up the ball bag, Chantal and Keith started the walk back to the car, leaving you and Matt to grab the bat.

“I can’t stop staring at his text,” you smiled, holding onto your phone. “I feel like if I look away, it’ll disappear like it never happened.”

Matt laughed, grabbing the bat and then putting his arm over your shoulder. “It’s real, Y/N. So real that he didn’t even send it to your family group chat. He sent it directly to you. And don’t act so surprised. He gave Brady and me a run for our money when he worked out with us.”

You finally got the nerve to put your phone back into the band of your shorts before wrapping an arm around Matt’s waist. “I just can’t believe it. My little brother…in the NHL.”

“Your boyfriend is in the NHL,” he laughed, rolling his eyes. “And his brother and his Dad was, and don’t forget the cousins–”

“You know what I mean,” you replied, smacking his chest lightly as you rolled your eyes. “I mean, being at the draft and watching him get drafted was one thing. Players could go anywhere after that, you know? College, the ECHL, the AHL…and part of me was scared that he’d never get his NHL dream once he chose to stay another year at Michigan.”

“Yeah, but he’s got some good people in his corner, Y/N,” Matt replied. “Your family, the Johnsons,” he pulled you further into his side, smiling. “My family. Plus Brady said Quinn gave him his number, so he can get advice from Quinn on leaving school like that, Brady too.”

You sighed, nodding. “I know.”

Matt stopped walking, turning to you. “Unless that’s not what you’re really worried about?”

You chewed on the inside of your cheek. “He has a really good chance at making the final roster, Matt. Like, he said that the coaches really wanted him to be with them.”

“For the Playoffs…” he sighed, nodding his head.

“Exactly! He could be going to the Playoffs and make his NHL debut…and I won’t get to be there for it.” You looked at him, feeling embarrassed by how upset you were. “He could score his first goal, get his first assist, God forbid get into his first fight and lose…and I’ll miss it.”

“I don’t know how they’re going to do it all with this bubble shit they keep talking about, but in the odds that I’m anywhere near the Blues and I can…do you want me to go to his games and just record his every move?”

You laughed as Matt wiped your cheek. “Just don’t hit stalker level or embarrass him. He’ll call me and yell at me for embarrassing him in front of all of his fancy teammates.”

“Deal.” Matt smiled, leaning down and kissing you. “Now let’s see if we can get this celebration dinner together because I’m starving.”

“When are you not starving?”

“I’m a growing boy, Y/N. I need constant food.” He laughed, the two of you making your way to the parking lot. “For example, if we’re hungry later on in the night, I can always hop in my car and pick you up and we can drive somewhere.”

You rolled your eyes, bumping into him. “I won the bet, don’t sound too excited for that proposition just yet, Matthew.”

“Either way it would’ve been a great view.” He winked, pulling you back into him as the two of you made your way to the parking lot.

( JUNE )

With as many limitations in quarantine, time only seemed to fly by. Nick had wrapped up his final semester as a college student, opting to sign a contract with the Blues and forfeit the rest of his NCAA eligibility. Your parents had moved some stuff around and made their own office space in what used to be a workout room for Nick. Charlotte and Colton’s house was almost done with its renovations, so they and the twins would be moving out by the end of the month. The twins are coming up on three months and it feels surreal to see them grow each month. You were starting to understand why parents always got so upset with each little milestone their children hit, because even if the twins weren’t reaching much at their age, just seeing them get bigger was enough to make you a little emotional.

The only bright side was that you were done with both school and work– leaving your days to be free of any stressors from school. However, going from constantly balancing school, work, and even the social life you’d had back in Calgary, to doing nothing…was almost making you anxious. It even got to the point where your Mom was getting tired of you constantly asking if there was anything you could do.

“Sure, sit down and relax.”

It was hard though. With all of the free time you had, it felt like you could be doing something– should be doing something. It seemed like everyone in the house had their own thing to do. Your parents, working. Nick, working out and figuring out his stuff with the Blues. Charlotte and Colton, being parents and working. You…simply existing. Even the Tkachuk’s and Johnson’s days were filled with more than you.

You tried taking up hobbies, actually getting the much later start on your resolutions by trying to read more and eat healthier– but none ever really panned out. Instead of getting further stressed out about it, you did the one thing that you knew would make everything better– you offered to watch the twins at any moment in time. You could see the stress Charlotte and Colton were experiencing and figured you’d help them out for a win-win. They got to relax every once in a while and you got to play with your niece and nephew.

Babies always made everything better anyway.

Today was one of those days where you were probably going to end up watching the twins for the better half of the afternoon. There had been an error in the renovation of Charlotte and Colton’s house, stressing the both of them out since it would add another week to their stay here. Not to mention the complications they’d been experiencing from working from home and then the lack of sleep twin babies brought and they were seconds from falling off the edge.

Something you figured out once you saw Colton accidentally pour breast milk into his coffee, too sleep-deprived to realize that it, in fact, wasn’t half-n-half.

Matt had invited you to come out to watch them film the final part of Stuck with Tkachuk and then see if you wanted to come over and spend some time together for the afternoon, but you told him you were going to go ahead and watch the twins and that you’d facetime him later, knowing that he was probably a little upset you told him no seeing as it had been almost a month since the two of you had hung out in person.

“Alright, Ella’s been fed,” Charlotte sighed, walking over to you with the newly dressed up baby. “Hopefully they can calm down now.”

“Well, Emmett hasn’t made a sound since you gave him to me,” you laughed, your nephew calmly lying in your arms. “So I think it’s safe to say that they’re milk drunk.”

“We can only hope,” Colton groaned, leaning his head back against the back of the lay-z-boy, closing his eyes. The doorbell rang and he sat back up straight, eyes shot open. “Did they cry? I think I heard a cry.”

“Relax, Dad,” you laughed, giving Emmett your index finger to hold onto. “Char, could you–”

“Already got it!” She said, already by the door as she balanced Ethan in her arm. She opened the door and you heard her sigh in relief. “Oh thank God, come in, please.”

You looked over your shoulder to see Charlotte ushering Matt in through the door. He took his shoes off and stood there, looking at Charlotte. “Aren’t you going to Lysol me?”

“You smell like soap, I trust that you’re clean,” Charlotte said, nudging him to the living room.

“What are you doing here?” You asked, watching as he walked into the living room.

“We wrapped up early so I figured I’d take a shower then come over and help you watch the twin monsters.” He smiled, poking Ella’s belly.

“Just because of that, I think I might be a Calgary fan,” Colton said, pushing himself up off of the lay-z-boy and nudging Matt over to the seat. “Seriously, though.”

“I’m holding you to it, jersey and everything.” Matt laughed, holding out his arms as he sat down into the chair, Ella starting to fuss in Charlotte’s arms. “Alright, hand me the baby.”

Charlotte moved closer and leaned over the arm of the chair, resting Ella into Matt’s arms. “Wow, I didn’t even have to lecture you on how to hold a baby. Nick needed a three-hour lecture.”

“I’ve held a few babies in my day,” Matt laughed, relaxing into the chair as Ella silenced in his arms. “Besides, I think I’m her favorite.”

“Unbelievable,” Colton scoffed, looking at Charlotte. “Look at them, they’re both…silent.”

“Can we keep you?” Charlotte asked, looking between you and Matt. “Both of you, like, forever? Say 18 years at least?”

The two of you laughed as Charlotte and Colton started to back away from the living room. “Go on, guys. We’ll just be down here.”

“Great, let’s go take a nap before they cry again,” Colton said, grabbing her hand.

“If they need anything, you where it is, Y/N!” She whispered loudly, the two of them heading to the stairs.

“You guys better be napping instead of making another kid!” You replied, the two of them laughing as they disappeared up the stairs.

The episode of Law and Order: SVU you’d been watching, was soon changed to On My Block, a show you and Matt had been watching together, before quarantine, thanks to the insistence of Taryn, Brady, and Emma. With the volume down low and subtitles on so you didn’t disturb the calm babies, you and Matt sat there, just watching TV in peace.

You caught yourself more than a few times looking at Matt from the corner of your eye instead of focusing on the episode. He had Ella cradled against his chest and while his eyes were focused on the show, his free hand would often rotate between rubbing soothing circles on her belly, letting her play with his fingers, or even tugging on her covered feet every so often. And Ella just soaked it all in, never looking away from the curly-haired boy, often grabbing onto his hoodie in her tiny little hands.

When the episode ended, he looked down at Ella with a smile on his face as she reached for the strings of his hoodie, tugging them to bring the ends into her mouth. “I don’t think you’ll like the taste of that, trust me.” He laughed, carefully taking it out of her hand and instead of letting her hold onto his index finger.

He looked at the St. Louis Blues onesie she was wearing and scoffed lightly, poking her nose. “You’re going to be my biggest fan, aren’t you?” He smiled, scrunching his own nose. “I can get you a Baby Uncle Matty jersey and you’ll be the cutest fan ever. Well, besides your aunt. But you’re a close second.” He looked up from Ella and over at you with a smile. “What?”

You shrugged your shoulders, smiling. “You’re really good with kids.”

“I like kids, they’re fun to play with.” He smiled, slowly sitting up from his chair and coming over to you, sitting down next to you.

“Do you want kids?” You asked, looking at your sleeping niece in his arms before looking up at him. You half expected to see him with widened eyes, freaked about the question. But instead, he was smiling and calm.

“Yeah, I think at least four,” he replied, softly rocking Ella. “Three was nice growing up, but it was always awkward going to theme parks.”

You let your head fall back as you laughed softly, looking back at him. “That’s what you worry about?”

“It’s a serious problem,” he pouted. “Someone’s always left out, even if they don’t want to hold the bags. With four, there’s an even six, and that way everyone can go.”

You laughed, trying to imagine where the memory stemmed from. Wondering if Matt was the one who always had to stay behind first or if he remembered seeing Brady and Taryn get left behind and not getting to experience a ride with his siblings. Soon enough, Matt joined in with your laughter, both of you trying to keep it quiet so you wouldn’t wake the now, sleeping twins.

“What about you?” He asked, looking up from a sleeping Ella. “Do you want kids?”

“Four at least,” you replied, Ethan’s hand still closed around your index finger as he slept.

“Any gender preference?”

“Two boys and two girls, ideally. But I’d be okay if the ratio were off,” you replied, looking at him. “You and Brady are amazing brothers to Taryn and I like to think Charlotte and I were great to Nick.”

“So if you had three boys and a girl?” He asked, looking at Ethan.

“She’d have some pretty amazing brothers.”

“And three girls and a boy?”

You shrugged, smiling. “Well, at least he’d be pretty grounded.”

The two of you laughed, Ella, stirring in his arms as you quickly stopped, staring at her before deeming it okay to make noise again. “What about you?” You asked, nodding at him, “Any preference?”

Matt looked at Ella, then Emmett. “I want at least one boy, just so it could be like my Dad and me, though no doubt if I had a girl she’d be just as badass.” He smiled, looking up at you, the dimple in his cheek prominent. “But I’m starting to really like the idea of two and two.”

( JULY )

“Can you please pick up your boyfriend’s FaceTime calls? He’s starting to blow up my phone too.” Nick said, slowly stumbling into your room before plopping down onto your bed face down. He had bags of ice wrapped around both hamstrings and one wrapped around his back– a job done by your Dad.

“Nick, shut up for like five seconds,” you said, looking away from your computer and readjusting your headphones before looking back. “Sorry, Professor Robinson. My brother seems to have forgotten the common courtesy of knocking.”

“It’s fine, Y/N, we’re almost done anyway,” she laughed, looking down off-screen.

You’d been on a zoom call with her for the last hour, mainly catching up with her and seeing how she’s been doing in Calgary during all of this. The main reason for the call though was to discuss next school year. You had already agreed to be her T.A. for the remainder of your Master’s program, but she always kept you up to date and in the loop on things the University was doing, even before the students would find out. And as of this morning back in Calgary, the school had apparently had a meeting on what they wanted to do for the next school years’ courses. Some schools were doing full online classes and others were doing 50/50 in-person and online. And before Nick barged in, you were about to find out what UCalgary was going to do.

“So, the schools decided to go with a 50/50 option for the next school year. I think I’m going to do the same, hold some of my classes online over zoom and the other in person. But, you have to decide what you want to do.” She said, looking up from her desk. “You can come back to Calgary next month and do in-person, both for classes and the T.A. position, you can stay home and do both online and we can work in zoom classes together.”

It was something you’d been thinking about ever since Matt had gone back to Calgary for training camp. Not like you were going to wrap up your entire semester around him, especially since the Stanley Cup finals have been pushed back so far and so had the next season. A lot of things came into play for the decision. Your family. Living on Campus alone. Living in a different country during a pandemic where every day it felt like something new was happening. Especially since your room was…well, not your room. It’d been turned into a training room for Nick once you left for Calgary, every reminisce of your childhood bedroom packed away in boxes that were stored in the garage. It was still a training room, only now you’d convinced your Dad and Nick to move your bed and desk back into there. Everything else you moved in, dresser, books, etc…had all been done during quarantine.

The training room parts that were still lingering around, only made it feel like you really weren’t supposed to be there.

“You don’t have to decide now, of course. I understand it’s a pretty big decision, especially since you’ll be leaving your family behind in St. Louis. So, sit on it and get back to me whenever you can…but try to make it at least before August.”

“Thank you, Professor Robinson. I won’t take that long, I promise.” You laughed, leaning back into your chair. “Can I get back to you in two days maybe?”

“That’s perfect. I’ll talk to you then.” She smiled. “Bye, Y/N. Stay safe.”

“You too, Professor.” You replied before hanging up your zoom call.

You shut your laptop and spun your chair around to see that Nick hadn’t moved a muscle since he laid down on your bed. “Call your boyfriend.” He mumbled into your comforter.

Of course, you knew Matt had been trying to call you. His FaceTime calls kept popping up in the middle of your zoom call, but you couldn’t do anything except ignore them. Your meeting wasn’t supposed to take long, so you knew he could wait. But now you were second-guessing not sending him a text, especially if he texted Nick. Maybe something happened and it was important.

“Get off my bed, your ice is going to leak all over it.” You said, scooting your chair over and kicking Nick in the butt.

“Ow, don’t,” he groaned, slowly pushing himself up. “I’m literally broken. They’re trying to kill me.”

Nick had been working out with the Blues for most of June and once training camp was announced, he was invited and had been practicing with them too. It was fun seeing him smile and listening to his stories about playing on that ice. After his first night of training camp, you’d gone downstairs around midnight to get something to drink and saw that the door leading down to the basement was open. Figuring someone left it open, you walked over, only to hear the tv on. You quietly made your way down the steps and peered into the basement as soon as you had the chance…only to see Nick sitting on the couch, watching what you instantly recognized as Game 4 of the Blues Stanley Cup run.

“Going down memory lane much?” You asked, scaring him as you walked the rest of the way downstairs.

“Shit, Y/N,” he huffed, watching you as you walked over to the couch and sat down next to him. “Warn a guy next time.”

“Sorry, I just heard the noise and came down.” You looked back at the tv, the two of you resting against the couch. “So…what’s with the rewatch? Your first day of practice got you wanting to reminisce?”

You had said it jokingly, but Nick’s face was still stoic. He didn’t take his eyes off of the screen as he leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees, bringing his hands together. “I was on that ice today,” his eyes moved across the screen as Teresenko fired a wrist shot, scoring the second goal in the 1st period.

“I was on the ice they played on in the Stanley Cup final. The ice that I spent my entire life watching them play on, only dreaming that one day…I’d be there. Not standing on it as a visitor o-or playing on the Bantam Major team or any other of their U teams.” He squinted slightly, shaking his head. “But as a player on the St. Louis Blues. Almost 20 years I spent dreaming of that day.”

“And it finally happened.” You smiled, filling in his blank.

He turned to you for the first time, tears in his eyes, and laughed in disbelief. “Yeah, it finally happened. And I know I didn’t tell anyone this when I got home and I made it seem like it was some picture-perfect dream come true…and don’t get me wrong, it was. But after practice, I just kind of sat there on the bench, y’know? After Coach’s speech and the other guys got dressed…I just sat there and stared out at the ice.”

“What? You didn’t at least sneak in one last lap?” You joked, nudging him. When his smile turned sheepish and he looked away, you nudged him again. “Knew it.”

“Yeah, I did, I couldn’t help it. And then I got caught by O’Reilly…which was embarrassing.” He looked back at you and sunk back into the couch. “But it wasn’t, because he told me to take it all in. That there was no better feeling than stepping onto professional ice for the first time…well, besides scoring your first goal. And when he left…I cried a little bit.”

“You didn’t tell any of us that at dinner! Dad would’ve freaked out O'Reilly talked to you!”

“I don’t know…I just wanted to keep it to myself I guess. Well, and you.” He shrugged, looking at you. “I don’t want them to think that I’m still their kid son, you know? Who cries after his first NHL team practice and stares at empty ice.”

You laughed, Nick soon joining in. “They won’t care because they’re too proud of you.” You smiled, putting your arm over his shoulder. “I’m proud of you too. I don’t know if I’ve told you that lately or anything…but I really am. This is big and I know it’s your dream and things have been…really uncertain and uncomfortable this year, but you’re taking it into your own hands and going after it. And I’m proud of you for doing it.”

He smiled before rolling his eyes and shoving you off. “Gross, let’s not get too sentimental now, okay?”

“Whatever,” you replied, nudging him. “Now tell me about the guys.”

“Don’t you have a boyfriend?”

“Did I say I want their number and to sleep with them? No, I’m asking because I need to know who to blacklist for messing with you.”

He laughed and shook his head, nodding at the TV. “Well, O'Reilly is great, obviously…”

As he started to go off into his day at practice and meeting his potential new teammates, you felt yourself looking at him in a whole new light, no longer seeing him as the six-year-old who would chase you and Charlotte around with a hockey stick, but as the almost 20-year-old man that he was…and who was making his way to playing in the NHL.

You never told your parents about your guys’ conversation that night, knowing that Nick wanted to keep it hush and that you were already honored that he’d only told you. And every night after dinner and your nightly call with Matt, you’d go down to the basement to hear his stories of practice that day and how he loved being around all of the guys. Some he knew since the few that had stayed local in the summer, were there when he would work out with Brady and Matt. Others, though he wasn’t fond of it, some of them already kind of knew of him based on the fact that you were dating Matt and the posts he’d been in with Brady and Matt on Instagram.

“I think I’d rather die if I became known as the guy whose sister is dating Matthew Tkachuk.”

“Rough practice?” You asked, holding out your hand as he just let the bag of ice on his bag drop to the floor.

“Yeah, but it’s worth it.” He sighed, picking it back up. “I think I’ve got a really good shot at making the final roster, Y/N. Like…no bullshit.”

“Well, here’s to hoping,” you smiled, nodding towards the door. “Now get out so I can call Matt back.”

“Please. I’d like to go take my nap and not be interrupted by his texts.” He groaned, walking towards the door. “Also, I need you guys to like…move in together or something so I can get my workout room back. It’s too hot in the garage.”

“I was born in this world first, I keep my room. It’s bad enough it looks like I’m living in a high school gym.” You threw the plastic wrap he’d given you at him, the balled-up plastic hitting him in the head. “Now leave.”

“Grouchy,” he mumbled, picking up the wrap. “Maybe I should send Matt a good luck text.”

Before you could say anything else, Nick was out of your room and closing the door behind him. You got up off of your chair and walked over to your bed, picking your phone up off of the pillow and lying down. Sure enough, Matt had tried to FaceTime you five times. When you finally got the time to call him, the phone rang only twice before Matt’s face appeared on the screen.

“Finally!” He groaned, his head sinking into the familiar navy blue sheets on his bed in Calgary. “I’ve been trying to call you all day.”

“Sorry, I was talking with Professor Robinson,” you replied, holding your phone above your head. “What’s up? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just miss you and wanted to call before practice.” He sighed, looking off-screen. “Which I need to leave for in like five minutes.”

“I’ll just let you go and you can call me af–”

“No, no, let’s talk now,” he replied, rolling onto his side. “Give me some kind of normalcy before I have to get a swab shoved into my brain for the millionth time. What did you talk to Professor Robinson about?”

“School.” You sighed, copying him and rolling onto your side, holding your phone out. “I guess UCalgary has decided to go 50/50 on in-person classes and online. She said she’ll be doing the 50/50 there, but since I’m all the way over here and a student, she gave me the heads up to decide on what I want to do.”

“What to do? You mean like fly up here and do classes and help teach here?” He asked, furrowing his brows.

“Mhhm. Or if I just want to do both from here at home.” You shrugged your shoulders. “I asked for a couple of days to think about it, cause I’m not sure what I want to do y’know?”

“Okay, easy,” he said, sitting himself up. “You stay home and do it there.”

“Why is that easier?”

“Well, I won’t be up there after the playoffs and I’m sure half of the campus will be deserted. It’ll be just you and you’ll be alone.”

You sat yourself up this time, giving him a confused look. “Okay, so suddenly I need to have you to be there to flourish?”

“Shit, no,” he sighed, rubbing his eyes. “You’re being dramatic, that's not what I meant.”

“But it is, isn’t it?”

He was silent, chewing on his bottom lip as he looked off-screen for a few seconds before looking back at you. “I just think you’d be more comfortable at home. Your family will be there, I’ll hopefully be there after the playoffs end. You have my family there….your support system is there, babe.”

“Yeah, well you’re also not the one who’s sleeping in the ghost of a training room. It’s like I’m a guest in my own home.” The words came off sharper than you intended them to, and you sighed, letting him know that you didn’t mean it that way. You knew he was right in one sense and that he didn’t mean for his statement to come off as it did, but your brain was just fogged, you were tired and you just wanted to go to sleep.

“I need to think about it. You go to practice, I’ll talk to you later.” You gave him a small smile before hanging up and dropping your phone down beside you before rolling over and closing your eyes.

2020 was supposed to be a great year, but all its done is bring nothing but stress and destruction in its wake. But at least a nap could hold it off for an hour or two.

+

When you woke up from your first nap, Nick was opening your door and telling you that dinner was ready. Instead of getting out of bed and going downstairs, you told him that you weren’t hungry and just closed your eyes, falling back asleep. The second time you woke up, it was a little after 8 o’clock and you knew that most of your family were probably getting ready for bed in their rooms. That was another weird thing about quarantine…it made everyone tired and instead of staying up till at least 10, they’d all start heading up at 7:30.

You left your room, careful to not make too much noise as you stepped into the dark hallway, closing the door behind you. The walk down the stairs was just as quiet and sure enough, it was dark throughout the bottom floor of your house, signaling that everyone had gone to bed. You made your way into the basement and closed the door behind you, walking down the steps and over to the small couch before sitting down on it and lying down. Similar to the Tkachuks, you guys had the setup of a tv, a couch, and a place where Nick could practice. But it wasn’t as nicely decorated as the Tkachuk basement, which reminded you of all of the times you, Charlotte, and Nick had spent down here growing up.

The time you and Nick had spied on Charlotte as she tried to sneak Colton in through the backdoor, successfully blackmailing her into taking the two of you to the mall that weekend.

The homecoming party you and Nick had thrown your senior year, when your parents were out of town and how he felt important with him and his sophomore friends, mingling with the seniors.

When Nick, similar to Charlotte, had tried to sneak Addie in through the backdoor one your first Thanksgiving home from College and you’d caught them…while you had the guest you’d brought home that year, Shawn from introduction to communication theory, who you’d introduced to your family and the Johnson’s as a “friend.”

Neither of you ever spoke of that moment ever again.

The memories hanging around you matched with the Timehop notification on your phone, only sending you spiraling down more into the memory lane when you heard the stairs creak. “Ah, so you do live.”

“What do you want?” You asked, hearing Nick make his way towards the couch before plopping down onto your feet.

“Nothing. Heard you leave your room and figured I’d come say hi.” He replied, lifting himself so you could move your feet. “Why are you sitting in the dark?”

“It’s quiet.” You replied, swiping through Timehop slowly. You hadn’t even realized it until today, that one year ago, was your guys’ last day at the Tkachuk’s lake house. A vacation for the books and really the first time you’d gotten to meet Matt’s family and he yours. It was easily one of the best birthday weeks too, though you were lucky Matt was able to stick around here for your birthday before heading back to Calgary.

Nick exhaled heavily and then lunged over and grabbed your phone from your hands. “Hey!” You said, sitting up and reaching for it. “Give it back.”

“I just want to see what you’re looking at all depressed like.” He replied, moving your phone into his right hand as he swiped through the memories at the lake house. “Did you call your boyfriend?”

“Yep.”

“Then what’s up with you? Why are you looking through old pictures and pouting down here like someone ran over your cat?” He replied, tossing his phone back at you.

“I’m fine.” You looked at the picture he left on and sighed. It was one of you and Matt sharing a paddleboard, the two of you smiling at the camera. And you knew that if you were to continue swiping through, you’d see the next few pictures of you both losing your balance, Matt grabbing onto your waist and the both of you falling into the water.

“Okay, sure,” he sang, rolling his eyes before reaching for the remote and turning the tv on. No one must’ve been down there since last night when you and Nick watched the NHL Network, because it was still on that same channel. Only it wasn’t highlights from old games the NHL had been broadcasting since hockey came to a halt.

It was a special on hockey families– the Howe’s, the Sutter’s, the Sedin’s, the Staal’s, the Hughes’s, and of course, the Tkachuk’s. You were able to tune it out as you scrolled through your Instagram feed, eventually switching to Twitter. You’d even look over every once in a while when they said something that caught your attention but only for a second. However, the moment they started talking about the Tkachuk boys, you rested your phone on your stomach and looked at Nick.

“Can you turn that off?”

“Alright, what’s up with you?” Nick asked, looking away from the screen as the familiar face of Keith Tkachuk popped up.

“I have a headache, turn it off.” He didn’t look away from you as he pointed the remote at the TV and only turned it up louder. Keith was talking about his teammates changing Matt’s diapers.

You lunged over at him, not caring if you managed to knee him as you reached for the remote, but he leaned away, successfully keeping it away from you. You groaned and sat up, pushing yourself off of the couch in defeat.

“Wait, no! I’ll turn it down, but only if you tell me what’s wrong.” Nick sighed, turning the volume down. “There, see?”

You sat back down and brought your legs back onto the couch, turning towards him. “That zoom call I was on with Professor Robinson? It was about next school year. UCalgary decided to do 50/50 for next semester and I have to decide if I want to go up there for the school year or stay down here and do it all from home.”

“Easy, stay here.” He replied, shrugging his shoulders.

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” You groaned, letting your hands fall into your lap in frustration. “First Matt and now–”

“Ha!” He smiled, pointing at you. “So this is about Matt!”

“He said the same thing you did. That I should stay here because I’ll be alone up in Calgary.”

“And that’s bad…why?”

You brought your legs up and hugged them to your chest. “Because…” You really couldn’t come up with a logical reason, because there was none. Plenty of people were choosing to stay home and work from home. There was no shame in it, especially now. You had completely overreacted and you knew it. “Damn it.”

“Let me guess,” Nick laughed, turning towards you fully. “You and Matt got into a fight because he suggested you stay home and you said, ‘no, I’m independent!!!! I can go off to another country by myself!!!’ in true you fashion, overthinking?”

You found yourself glaring at him, seeing right through his smile. “He called you, didn’t he?”

And of course, his fake innocent smile turned into a smirk. “Maybe.” You slumped into the couch and he leaned over, grabbing your knee. “Care for my take?”

“Why? You’re just going to tell me to stay home because I’m a loser who can’t be away from her family since we all grew up cult-like with everyone there for every second of our lives,” you huffed, looking at him. “Am I wrong?”

“No you’re right…kind of,” he laughed, scooting closer and bumping his knee with yours. “No that’s not what I was going to say.”

“Fine, go ahead.” You replied, crossing your arms after waving him off.

“I think that you should stay home, give it a shot–” you went to cut him off and he shook his head. “Not because I don’t think that you can’t survive by yourself. Though your trips home during undergrad were kind of concerning.”

You reached across and smacked his shoulder, making him laugh. “But because I think with everything that happened in the spring, you’re just scared.”

“Great, make me sound like a loser.”

“It’s not loser to be scared right now, Y/N. I mean, think about it, we’re a really close family. Matt tells you he loves you, then a month later you guys got into that first big fight. Then all of this COVID shit happens and then Charlotte had to give birth to the twin monsters alone. You were stranded in Calgary, I was stranded in Michigan–”

“Hold on a second,” you said, sitting up and furrowing your eyebrows. “How did you know about the love confession and our fight.” Your eyes widened as it sunk in. “Did he call you?!”

“We’re like best friends now, Y/N. Get with the program.” He replied, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, I think for you, life changed so rapidly and you had all of these big milestones happening so drastically…that you’re scared. Like, what’s life’s next big twist for you?”

You sat there, staring at Nick and wondering when the hell he went from being that kid who used to shove cheerios up his nose so he could blow them out…to this guy sitting in front of you, being all philosophical.

“I’m not telling you you’re right.” You said, hugging your arms closer to you.

“Fine, then tell me this. Do you want to go to Calgary and do in-person classes?”

“No. Not when everything is so up in the air on how to keep people healthy.”

“Then there’s your answer.” He nudged your leg with his hand, a smile on his face. “I think you already knew what you wanted to do, but when you wanted an opinion and Matt said one before you could even say anything– you got all rattled and freaked.”

You rolled your eyes and reached out, ruffling his hair. “Ew, when did you get so wise?”

“Please,” he scoffed, nudging your arm away. “I’ve always been the smartest sibling. Everyone knows it.”

“Whatever.” You reached over him and grabbed the remote, turning the volume up just as they showed the first game Matt and Brady played against each other.

“So…are you going to call Matt back?”

“I don’t know. I think I kind of ruined everything, at least for tonight.” You sighed, sinking back into the couch.

He shoved you off the couch and grabbed the remote, pausing the program. “If you don’t apologize now, I swear I’ll disown you. Don’t ruin this relationship. Do you realize how cool it would be if I got to say he’s my brother-in-law?”

“That’s all I’m good for?” You laughed, standing yourself up.

“Basically,” he replied, reaching across the couch for your phone and tossing it to you. “Now go call him.”

You rolled your eyes and walked to the stairs of the basement, walking up and eventually out into the hall before making your way to the front door. You unlocked it and stepped outside, the cool night breeze greeting you as you shut the door and walked to the railing of your wrap-around porch. Unlocking your phone, you went to your messages with Matt, your fingers hovering over the keypad.

Apologizing over text was never really your guys’ thing, so instead, you opted to FaceTime him. The last time you did, he answered in two rings. This time, it just kept ringing…and ringing…and ringing…until it said that the call couldn’t be connected. “Okay, cool. Good job, Y/N,” you sighed, locking your phone and turning back towards the front door.

Just as you reached for the doorknob, your phone rang and you immediately looked down to see that Matt was FaceTiming you. You slid your thumb across the screen, walking back to the porch as his face popped up onto the screen. “Hi.”

“Hey, sorry,” he huffed, running his hand through his wet curls. “I just got out of the shower and I thought you were Brady calling me back for something.”

“It’s okay,” you replied, watching as he rubbed the towel over his curls before walking out of the bathroom and then plopping down onto his bed, holding the phone out ahead of him. “I’m sorry…for getting upset earlier.” You said, breaking the silence.

“No, I shouldn’t have just chosen for you like that,” he said, shaking his head.

“You were right though. It would be a lot easier for me to do school from home…at least for the first semester. I was just, I don’t know,” you sighed, waving your hand aimlessly off-screen.

“Stressed from looking at the repainted walls of your former childhood bedroom that’s now your technically, not bedroom?” He joked, resting his chin on his forearm.

“It’s the worst. It feels like walls are screaming at me to get up and do 100 crunches or something.” You laughed, shaking your head.

“I could do that for free y’know. Except I’m cuter to look at and I’d opt for squats and then we could compete to see who could do the most.” He smiled. “But really, what’s up?”

You sighed, resting your chin on your arm and holding him out ahead of you. “I talked with Nick and we went all philosophical on me. He was saying that I was scared because of how fast everything happened at the beginning of the year and it was all of these big things, so he thinks that I took it badly and I only got mad at you because I knew I was scared, but you said it or something like that.”

“Well, whatever you choose, I’ll support you.” Matt laughed, nodding his head. “I’d even come up there and spend those extra months before the new season with you.”

“Technically, you can’t, I don’t think. I mean, I can because of my student visa. But you on the other hand…who knows. Even with dual citizenship.”

“Please,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I’m Matthew Tkachuk. I can pull some strings.”

The two of you laughed and then it soon faded out, the comfortable silence taking over as you watched him play with his comforter. “I miss you already.” You mumbled, sticking out your bottom lip.

“I miss you too,” he sighed, turning the camera to show your side of the bed. “It’s weird being able to actually spread out in my own bed for once.”

“Oh please,” you rolled your eyes. “Mr. you always steal my pillow from right beneath my head.”

“I do not,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“Do too! I should go to a chiropractor and then send you the bill for all of the stiff necks you’ve given me.”

“Why go to a chiropractor when you’ve got me to give you free massages?” He smiled, even through the screen you could see that mischievous glint in his blue eyes.

“Yeah, okay.” You snorted.

“What? My massages are good and innocent,” he pouted.

“Maybe because your free, innocent massages always end up with you getting a little more handsier in places that don’t need massaging.”

He grinned, knowing you caught onto his trick. “That’s what you think. I think they could always use a massage every once in a while.”

“Yeah? Well, I’m feeling a little stiff right now, where would you start first?” You replied, wiggling your eyebrows. Matt didn’t expect your response and that was obvious by the flustered look on his face and his pinking cheeks.

“Please, for the sake of my ears, don’t continue the phone sex until I’m far away from here.” You looked to your right to see Brady walking up the front porch steps before stopping beside you.

“What are you doing here?” You laughed, looking at him.

“I come bearing an apology gift from my idiot brother.” He replied, handing the to-go bag and milkshake from Shake Shack out to you before leaning into the frame. “You owe me $25.”

“$25?” Matt asked, sitting up. “The order was literally $15 Brady!”

“Yeah, well I’m a good tipper and you owe me gas.”

Matt rolled his eyes. “It’s literally right down the street.”

“Well, then you owe me for tearing me away from On My Block,” Brady replied, rolling his eyes before turning to you. “Have you gotten to season 3 year?”

“No, because she’s waiting for me! We’re only on episode 6 of season 2!” Matt replied, speaking louder as Brady ignored him.

Brady rolled his eyes. “If you want to watch it with Taryn and me, we won’t tell.”

“I’ll make it $30 if you leave right now.” Matt groaned, gaining Brady’s attention.

“$40.” He smiled.

You laughed as the two brothers faced off, Matt glaring before smiling. “Well, Y/N. I think I’d have you roll over onto your stomach and start rubbing up and down on that spot you love and–”

“GOODNIGHT!” Brady yelled, scoffing before looking at her. “You’re dating a perv.”

“Bye Brady, drive safe!” You called out, waving goodbye.

“Bye, Y/N. And Matt, I fully expect $30 to be venmoed to me by the time I get home!”

You watched as Brady got into his car and drove away, making sure he was out of sight before looking down at Matt. “You had Brady get me Shake Shack?”

“I know it’s a comfort food for you and when I called Nick, he said you skipped dinner.” He sighed, propping himself up on his elbows. “I felt bad, but like I said, I have connections.”

“I love you,” you laughed, looking down at the bag of food.

“I love you too.”

“So…you talk to nick about me, huh?” You smirked, easily embarrassing him.

“How about we go back to the FaceTime sex instead?” He asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that now that I’ve got dinner to eat.” You replied, holding up the bag of food. Matt groaned and rolled over, his head sinking into the pillow. “I might go eat with your new best friend and see if I can dig up what else you two have talked about.”

“Okay, I see you,” he laughed, rolling his eyes. “Don’t think I don’t know about you talking to Taryn and Brady about me.”

You walked towards the front door, walking inside and closing it behind you, locking it. “I’ll call you when I go to bed, okay?”

He perked up, a grin on his face. “Does this mean what I think it means?”

You rolled your eyes, smiling. “Goodnight, Matthew.”

“Night babe, I love you.” He smiled, holding the phone above him.

“Love you too.” You replied, ending the phone call as you made your way down the basement steps and over to the couch where Nick was still sitting. He must’ve finished the special hockey families program because now he was watching Youngblood.

You placed the bag of food on the table in front of you guys and plopped down next to him. “What the hell?” He asked, looking at the food.

“Brady brought it. Courtesy of one Matthew Tkachuk.”

Nick smacked his teeth and brought out his phone. “Let me try.” He typed and then stopped, staring at his phone before groaning. “Addie said no and to go get it myself.”

You reached into the bag and brought out your burger and fries, holding the fries out to him. “I can share.”

“Best big sister ever,” he smiled, grabbing a few.

“I’m telling Charlotte.” You joked, resting the fry container between the two of you before grabbing your burger.

“Go ahead,” he laughed, grabbing another fry. “You’re giving me an NHL player for a brother-in-law. She gave me two monsters who pull my hair and try to stick their booger-covered fingers into my mouth.” He popped the fry into his mouth before grabbing another. “Guess who wins?”

( AUGUST )

In all of your years of growing up in a hockey-loving family, you’d come to know how stressful playoff hockey could be. Hell, even watching the Blues make their run for the Stanley Cup was stressful. But this? Having two people you cared about, being in the running for the Stanley Cup final was enough to make you go to the grocery store every day and buy at least two bottles of wine. The exhibition games in late July didn’t go well for either Matt or Nick. Both Calgary and the Blues lost with their opponents scoring 4 goals. Only Calgary was lucky enough to score at least one back.

It was hard trying to understand how the NHL had decided to do their seeding for the tournament. Hell, even listening to Matt and Nick explain it didn’t ease it up any and they were the ones playing in it. So, instead of trying to give yourself a headache by trying to understand, you just figured out what times they were playing and tuned in to watch. Nick told you he would go and watch Matt play, just like Matt had kept his promise and filmed Nick’s every move on his NHL debut in July. You could even hear the familiar voices of Sam and Johnny in the background, feeling a little happy that they’d tagged along.

It was ugly from the get-go– the first game Calgary played against Winnipeg. Everyone could see that it wasn’t intentional- the way Matt’s skate hit the back of Scheifele’s heel when he went to backcheck him. Matt looked like he’d lost control, but wanted to finish his check through and just…clipped him. It was an awkward landing for Scheifele that unfortunately resulted in an injury that kept him from returning to the game– 6 minutes into the first period. And not even 2 minutes later, Matt was fighting Winnipeg’s Captain.

You and Chantal both downed that bottle of red wine in record timing during that game, which resulted in a 4-1 win. What came afterward though, was enough to make your skin boil. The way that Winnipeg’s coach was calling Matt a dirty player and that he did it intentionally, every word that left his lips, soaked with venom.

Unlucky for Matt, he got a drunk you ranting about it on that FaceTime call before he went to bed. He laughed every so often at the slurred curse words that would come out of your mouth, only calming you down once he told you that he was okay and he’d reached out to Scheifele. Still, you kept hammering him with positive tweets that tore the Winnipeg coach to shreds, while coming to Matt’s defense. And before you went to bed, he made you promise to go easy on the wine with his Mom next time. Especially since she was sending him texts too.

From then on, it was like your entire world revolved around hockey. If Nick wasn’t playing that day, Matt was. You were getting snapchats from both boys with videos of the other playing. And thankfully, it was Matt who gave you the slight heads up about how Nick might be feeling after that first Round Robin loss to Colorado. So when Nick FaceTimed your family after the 2-1 loss to Colorado, though you tried…you found it hard to try and talk to him. Especially since all your family could really focus on was Nazem Kadri’s 0.1 buzzer winner.

You found it almost hard to try and stay positive throughout the Qualifying Round and the Round Robin. Nick and the Blues had gone winless, earning themselves the #4 seed, while Matt and the Flames had won their series against Winnipeg, earning themselves the #8 seed.

Add in the final game in the Round-Robin against Dallas where they lost in a shootout and it was worse. Suddenly, you felt kind of bad for joking with Nick about being in the presence of the notorious hottie, Tyler Seguin.

When the first round started, your family, the Johnson’s and the Tkachuk’s had formed a pretty nice routine when it came to watching the games. You’d switch between your home and the Tkacuk’s home, always careful about wearing your masks and keeping a good distance between you all so you could watch the two boys play for the ultimate prize.

Tonight, the second game in Calgary’s series against Dallas, the watch party was at your house.  Much to your delight, Colton and Charlotte showed up to the house with the twins sporting the matching Flames shirts Matt had promised he’d get them. And as always, you and Chantal were indulging in a little red wine, both promising to keep it a secret from Matt. And after witnessing the five fights he’d been in since the two of you had started dating, you were also starting to understand why Chantal always poured herself a glass of wine whenever she watched him play.

It was absolutely nerve-wracking and his fight against Perry in game 1 of the series didn’t help. Though you were always quick to compliment him on his fights. Nerve-wracking? Absolutely. Sexy as hell? Abso-fucking-lutely.

Game 2 was proving to be just as exciting as the first. Sure, the Flames were down by two at the end of the second, but going into the third you had a feeling that they’d make a comeback. And at first, Andrew Mangiapane’s goal five minutes into the period seemed to be the start of it…until it was reviewed and deemed that he’d kicked the goal in. But the announcers didn’t settle on that for long, because the next thing you knew they were talking about Matt.

And then the fleeting moment that the camera skirted by as Andrew raced towards the next, was being replayed in slow motion. Matt turned as Jamie Benn came up for a hit as Andrew skated by– and unsuspecting to him, Jamie Oleksiak was on the other side of him, coming in for a check. In seconds flat, he’d been sandwiched between two of the biggest guys on Dallas’ team before stumbling back against the glass.

“Oh God that had to hurt,” Colton said, sucking in a harsh breath.

“Why did it have to be those two?” You mumbled, the replay showing once more, only this time it followed Matt skating off of the ice slowly before he stumbled to step up onto the bench, clearly shaken up from the hit.

“He’s got a hard head, he’ll be fine,” Keith said, reaching out and patting your shoulder with a reassuring smile.

And sure, you wanted to believe him as Matt was helped down the tunnel by one of the trainers. But when he failed to come back onto the bench after five minutes, you were less confident. As everyone kept their focus on the game, you brought out your phone and sent him a simple text, knowing that it’d probably be rare to receive a reply before the game was over.

you: you okay? 😕

You couldn’t focus on the rest of the game, barely finishing your wine as the Flames came out with a 5-4 loss, Oleksiak scoring the game-winner in the last 40 seconds. You reached out to Nick to see if he’d been able to cross Matt’s paths after the game had ended and when he went back to the hotel, but he hadn’t. Your nerves must’ve been super obvious because when everyone packed up to leave, Chantal had pulled you aside as her family walked out the front door.

“He’ll reach out, okay?” She smiled, holding onto your arms. “Don’t get yourself super stressed about it, you’ll make yourself sick. Trust me, I’ve been there far too many times than I’d like to.”

“I’m trying,” you sighed. “But why did it have to be the two mack trucks of their team?”

That earned a laugh from his Mom and she nodded. “After watching them play all these years, I’ve asked myself the same thing.” She hugged you and pulled away, turning towards the door. “Get some sleep tonight, Y/N. Matt’s in good hands up there.”

You found yourself staring at your phone every few minutes from the moment everyone left up until you were lying in your bed, the tv in your room showing a replay of a criminal minds episode. Matt hadn’t replied but instead of being worried, you’d found comfort in Chantal’s words. Matt was in good hands up there with the team trainers and if there was one thing you’d learned growing up around sports– it was that sometimes after a hard game, the best thing to do is just give the person a little bit of space to think.

So you placed your phone down onto the small table by your bed and rolled over onto your side, open to falling asleep without getting a reply back from Matt.

Yet the moment you heard your phone ring, you felt the ease your body had gone into, disappear before practically jumping out of bed to reach for your phone. You felt relieved when you saw Matt’s name at the top of the screen and slid your thumb across the screen, answering his FaceTime call.

He was laying in his hotel bed, his wet curls peeking out from beneath the gray hood on his head and the dim light from his cell-phone screen being the only light in his room. “Sorry I didn’t reply.” He mumbled, squinting as if he was trying to take in your surroundings. “Did I wake you up?”

“No, I had just rolled over,” you replied, rolling back over onto your side and looking at him. “How are you feeling?”

He let out a sarcastic laugh, running his hand slowly down his face. “Like I got hit by a fucking truck.”

“Two, actually.” You said softly, earning a small smile from him. “It looked rough. I downed the rest of my wi– uh water when they kept replaying it.”

“I know you drank the wine,” he laughed softly. “Brady’s snap story of you almost spilling it after Sam’s tying goal.”

The two of you sat there in comfortable silence and you could see even through the dim lighting that he was tired. Whether it be from life in the bubble or the games, you weren’t sure. Based on what you’d heard from the two of them, you knew that life in the bubble was nothing like they thought it would be. Nick’s description was a little biased, only because he really didn’t have a clue as to how it felt being and playing in the NHL compared to this. Matt was a little more brutally honest, comparing it to a sort of prison.

“You can go to sleep you know,” you whispered, tucking your hand beneath your head. “Tonight seemed rough, so there’s no need for a 3 hour FaceTime.”

“The 3 hour FaceTime is what makes my nights better, helps me sleep.” He replied, his eyes squinting again as he looked away from the screen.

“Matt, what’s wrong?” You asked, unsure if you wanted to hear the answer. “You didn’t come back out so I’m assuming you were with the trainers from the moment you walked off the ice until you called me.”

He kept his face out of the screen for a little longer and you could hear his breathing quicken, only to slow down again as he took deep breaths. And when he finally looked back at you, you could see his eyes were glossy.

“Concussion,” he sighed, shaking his head. “I’m out for the rest of the series.”

+

Despite Matt’s concussion, he still managed to make his way to watch Nick’s games– which you knew Nick appreciated more than anything. Especially since he was starting to get more opportunities to get out onto the ice. The Canucks were leading the series 2-0 going into their third game and when the third period ended with a tied score of 2-2, the anxiety only grew.

“Tell him to stop being an idiot and just score,” you huffed, glaring at Matt’s face on your screen.

“Yeah, let me just shout that all the way up here from the box. I’m sure he’ll love it.” Matt laughed, a mask on his face as he turned the phone towards the ice where they were set to begin overtime. “Do you want to end our lovely five-minute FaceTime so you can watch on the TV or do you want me to live broadcast it for you?”

“I don’t think I can even watch.” You grumbled, crossing your arms as you peered in through the cracked open glass sliding door, seeing everyone sitting around the living room. “They’ve never given him this much ice time before.”

“He’s been doing great. Taking advantage of every opportunity they’ve given him,” he said, turning the phone back to him and shrugging. “Rob says he fits right in with everyone.”

“And here I was hoping he’d be a total social pariah,” you joked, rolling your eyes.

“Well, he says they give him shit sometimes because we’re dating,” Matt laughed. “All in good fun though. Rob says it’s the easiest way to chirp him and get him riled up.”

“Please, don’t I know it. He about lost his mind when I told him to tell me about the guys,” you laughed. “I just want to know who to blacklist for messing with him.”

“He’s still bitter you told him to get Seguin’s autograph,” he laughed, tossing his head back softly. “Should I be worried?”

“Oh shut up, I was joking,” you replied, rolling your eyes, noticing as Matt sat up in his seat… “What? What is it?”

“He’s in the game,” he said, letting out a breath of disbelief. “He’s on with O’Reilly and Sanford.”

“Not fucking way,” you said, shoving the glass door aside and staring into the living room and sure enough, Nick’s 15 was on the television, sending a pass to O’Reilly. “Nope, I can’t watch.”

“Come on, yes you can.” Matt laughed, shaking his head. “Annnnd there he goes, end of shift. You know, how are you supposed to witness his first goal or fight or assist if you refuse to watch him play?”

You sighed, resting your back against the glass door. “Is it bad that I’m hoping he doesn’t get to so I can be there to witness it next season?”

“Actually, yes.” He laughed. “Very bad.”

“I know,” you groaned, looking back into the room. “I guess I’ll let you go so I can watch the little twerp play. Keep the videos coming and I’ll talk to you tonight. Love you.”

“Love you too, Y/N.” He laughed, hanging up the call.

You walked back into the living room, closing the door behind you and walking back to the couch, sinking yourself down in between Taryn and Brady. There were six minutes left in the first overtime and you were getting anxious once you saw Nick get back onto the ice with O’Reilly and Sanford one again.

Oh, God, why did it have to be them? You just knew that deep down Nick was probably fangirling on the inside and you just hoped that he’d be able to shut it down and make something good of the opportunity.

And then the breakaway happened.

A stolen backpass from Hughes and the next thing you knew, Nick was on the screen and headed towards Markstrom, the Canucks goalie. For a few seconds, it was just the two of them– but that was all he needed.

He took a shot and the puck sailed high by Markstrom’s glove side and into the net, scoring a goal.

His first NHL goal.

Everyone jumped out of their seats, cheering wildly as you all watched the celebration taking place on the screen. The broadcasters were going nuts, saying over and over how Nick, a rookie, had just had his first goal in the NHL resulting in the OT win and giving the Blues their first win of the postseason.

It was a mess of hugs and phones pointing towards the screen. Your Dad rewinded it just so you could all watch it again. The puck hitting the back of the goal, Nick throwing his arms in the air as he stopped against the glass with a smile on his face. Player’s he’s idolized for years, coming up and hugging him, tapping his helmet and you could even see a few mouthed ‘fuck yeahs’ in there.

You were shaking from excitement, tears in your eyes as the camera was zoomed in on your younger brother’s smile, O’Reilly standing beside him and patting his shoulder as he spoke. Brady had just hugged you when you felt your phone vibrate in your hand and you didn’t even have to look to know who it was.

“IT WAS FUCKING AWESOME!” Matt cheered, still standing in the box at the game. “They didn’t even see him and he just snuck in there and whoosh goal!”

“If you see him tonight you need to tackle the shit out of him and tell him I love him.” You said, the two of you laughing.

“Will do,” he smiled, shaking his head slightly. “Now go back to celebrating, I’ll talk to you tonight.”

You hung up again, sinking back into the couch and staring at the TV as they went to the studio, waiting for the post-game press conference. You opened your messages with Nick and sent him a reply as your family group chat, your sibling group chat with the Johnson’s and then your sibling group chats with the Tkachuks started to blow up. There was no doubt in your mind that he was going to pick up his phone to hundreds of text messages, hard to respond to all of them, but you still typed yours up anyway.

you: i’m so fucking proud of you!!!

you: literally i’m in tears right now.

you: you truly are the superior L/N sibling, i’ll finally admit it

you: but only this once.

you: i love you 💙

When the press-conference finally came onto the screen, you couldn’t get yourself to focus for the first few minutes, expecting to hear the voices of veteran players or maybe even the coaches. But after the first three questions, you had finally focused back in and saw a post-showered Nick sitting alone at the table.

“I can imagine that you’ve got your entire family back home tuning into the games. Did you get any text messages once you got back into the locker room?” A voice off-screen asked.

“Actually, yeah,” he laughed, rubbing the side of their face. “I guess they’ve been doing this thing during the entire postseason, having masked and socially distanced watch parties with our good family friends, so I got a few pictures of that. I think they’re the ones who texted me so much that my phone froze.”

A few laughs filled the conference room as Nick looked off to his left at another reporter. “Were you able to read any of them? Any stick with you?”

“Only one before my phone froze. It was from my older sister, the second oldest.” He said, resting his arms on the table. “It was simple, her saying how she’s proud and that she loves me. Though she did finally admit that I was the superior sibling, so I’ll probably never let her live it down.”

“Is it bittersweet not having your family here to experience the beginning of your journey in the NHL?”

“Definitely, but I think it’s like that for all of the guys, even the Vets,” Nick replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Post-season is definitely a special time, no matter if it’s your first, third, or tenth season. And I think everyone wants to share that with those close to them.”

“Could you go further into that?” The same reporter asked. “You’ve said before that your family is really close and that you credit getting here all to them. Does that mean you’ve got them to thank for that goal?”

“Absolutely,” he shrugged. “Both of my parents were athletes and they always taught us to work hard and do our best. You can technically say that I grew up with two older brothers and two older sisters since our longtime family friends grew up so close with us. And then just being able to poke around and learn a few things from Matt, Brady, and Keith the last few months has been great too. But really, being the youngest and only boy with two older sisters does a lot.” He laughed and leaned on the table. “They definitely didn’t take it easy on me growing up, but it made me tough and it made me push myself even harder. I’d give them most of the credit, but then I’d never hear the end of it.”

They asked him a few more questions before he left the table and three more came on. Your families kept the channel on but were busy on their phones, texting and calling whoever they wanted to tell the news to. You felt your phone vibrate again and you looked down to see that Nick had actually replied to your message and you smiled.

lil pest: i love you too 💙

lil pest: can we facetime later? i miss bothering you 🥺

you: of course 💙

+

Hockey sucks. Plain and simple.

Within a day of each other, both Matt and Nick had been eliminated from the Playoffs. Matt never saw the ice again after his concussion and a clip of him sitting in the box watching the Flames lose game 6 to Dallas 7-3 went viral for his frustrated reaction. On a lighter note, Nick had managed to snag a bit more ice time and another goal before the Blues got sent home in their 4-2 series loss.

Either way, you weren’t really sure how to talk to both of them after their early exits from the postseason. Nick had only gotten a small taste of what he could potentially experience full-time next season and Matt…well just based on texts alone, you could tell that Matt blamed himself for the Flames exit. Even if he wasn’t on the ice for the last four games.

The only good thing to come out of it was that now everyone could relax until next season. You didn’t have to worry about Matt’s concussion and any potential future injuries in the postseason. That, and Matt stayed behind in Edmonton until Nick was packed up and ready to leave so they could fly back to St. Louis together.

Which is why you were standing outside security at 3 PM. There were a few groups of travelers coming and going from security, but since the pandemic was still happening, there weren’t a lot of people comfortable with traveling in a metal tube full of circulating air. You’d been tasked to pick up both boys, while everyone set up a small get-together back at the Tkachuk’s. A sort of, welcome home we love you and congratulations Nick, party in one. Addie was the only one who asked if she could come along and you were welcome to the idea.

You could tell she was getting anxious standing there waiting for him. She’d been bouncing on her heels for the last five minutes and it only reminded you of Charlotte and Colton back when they were the same age. That constant eagerness to see each other and be around each other– never getting tired of the other’s presence. And sure, you were feeling the same thing, wanting nothing more than to tackle Matt the moment you saw him– but you decided to keep those feelings hidden.

“Is that him? Does it look like him?” She asked, standing on her toes. “That looks like him, right?”

“You’ve asked that every five minutes, Ads.” You laughed, tugging on her arm. “Their flight landed three minutes ago. Give them some time to get off the plane.”

She sighed, nodding her head as she tucked her hands into a St. Louis Blues sweatshirt your family had ordered, complete with his last name and number on the back. “How are you not bouncing off the walls right now?”

“I am, I’m just…trying to stay cool.” You laughed, shrugging your shoulders. “I guess I’m kind of used to the whole being gone thing too.”

“That’s right, you lived with Matt,” she smiled, nudging her elbow into your side teasingly. “I guess I should be too, especially considering the last two years of our relationship has been long distance for 9 months out of the year.”

“It gets easier, but it’s still hard,” you replied, giving her a small smile. “But it’s definitely worth it when he comes home.”

“Please don’t go into the details of your post-roadie sex life,” she laughed, stopping. “Actually, no do. It’s been a while since we had girl talk like this. Probably since Charlotte got pregnant.”

“Because it’d jinx the shit out of us,” you laughed, shaking your head and looking out towards the security exit, spotting a familiar plop of messy dirty blonde curls hiding beneath a hood.

“You two are so getting married,” she laughed, rolling her eyes. “And then poor Mason’s going to be left out of the loop.”

“Shut up,” you blushed. “We haven’t even been dating for a year, marriage is way, way, way off on the horizon.”

“Still…I see the way he looks at you and how the two of you are together. It reminds me a lot of Colton and Charlotte,” she looped her arm through yours. “Who by the way, totally got married.”

You shoved her aside and laughed, looking back towards the security exit as another clump of masked people made their way towards you. In a break, you saw a familiar flop of messy, dirty blonde curls peeking out from beneath a hoodie and you turned to Addie.

“They’re here, I see Matt.”

“Where?” She gasped, snapping her head in the direction of the exit only to bounce on her heels again for a few seconds before rushing towards the exit as the clump of people broke up– immediately finding Nick.

You laughed and walked slowly as Matt walked by the two of them, meeting him halfway. He had a backpack on and looked like he’d just woken up. “I contemplated making a sign. Something cute and silly like, ‘have you seen my suitcase?’ or ‘missing suitcase last seen with this man’ but I figured I was cute enough.”

You could tell he was smiling, by the way, his eyes crinkled, even if you couldn’t see it from behind his mask. But the smile never reached his eyes fully and you could tell that he was still feeling the pressure and upset of the Flames early exit.

“Come on, give me a hug.” You smiled, opening your arms.

He walked towards you and wrapped his arms around your neck, pulling you into him. He didn’t need to say anything for you to know that he’d missed you, because the moment you found yourself pressed against him, he ducked his head down on top of yours and just melted into your embrace.

You could’ve stayed there forever if it wasn’t for Nick walking up behind the two of you.

“Hello? I’m your brother? Where’s my hug?” He whined as you and Matt pulled away.

“Boyfriend trumps brother for this second,” you laughed, hugging him as Matt and Addie hugged. “But I guess I should give you some leeway since you said, oh what was it?” You looked at Addie and Matt before looking back at Nick with a smile. “That you give Char and I most of the credit for reaching the NHL?”

“I knew I’d regret those words the moment they left my mouth,” he groaned, hugging you. “But I meant it, so whatever.”

“Come on you two,” you sighed, pulling away from the hug and patting them both on the shoulders. “We’ve got baggage to pick up and then a surprise waiting for you at home.”

+

It was a nice small get-together they’d planned. Matt and Nick both seemed to enjoy it and it had even perked Matt up a bit being back in the presence of his family. It wasn’t extravagant by any means— some food your Mom, Chantal, and Mrs. Johnson had prepared a cute little cake for Nick, but it was enough for them to love and appreciate.

When the time came for everyone to go home, you found yourself wanting to stay around the Tkachuks for just a little while longer, but decided that you’d ultimately give them the time with Matt since he’d just gotten home.

Your family had stayed up a little while longer once you got home, glad to have Nick to yourselves and wanting to hear his experiences and his stories from being in the bubble. It was weird hearing him talk about the other Blues players so casually.

Dunner brought his streaming gear.

Colton— no, not you colton, the better colton, had gotten me into watching Indy, it’s pretty cool.

Rob is super cool, he’s been looking for apartments and might need a roommate, we got along really well!

And when you asked him if he told Pietrangeo about Matt getting him his signed jersey?

…he figured it out the moment he found out I knew Matt. It was embarrassing.

When the family had finally gone to bed, you and Nick lingered around for a little while longer as he told you anything and everything about your experience. But once your guys’ yawns grew closer together, you both said goodnight and went to bed.

It was 11 o’clock when your phone vibrated on the bedside table and through blurry vision, you saw Matt’s name.

matt 💞: i’m kind of sitting outside the back door of your basement…can you come get me? 🥺

you: of course 🥰

You laughed and put your phone back down before getting out of bed and walking out of your room, down the stairs, and eventually into the basement— where you saw the door was already open. You slowed down your steps as you walked towards the door only to bump into someone.

“Shit!”

“Nicholas?!”

Your brother stood at the top of the stairs, reaching out to turn on the light. “What are you doing up?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” You replied, crossing your arms.

He rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish smile on his face. “Addie’s waiting out by the basement door.”

“Please tell me you’re not bringing her over for a late-night booty call.”

“What? No!” He scoffed, rolling his eyes as he started to walk down the stairs, you following behind. “I’ve just missed her is all. Now, what are you doing down here?”

“Oh you know, nothing. Couldn’t sleep and thought I’d sit down here for a bit.” You replied, contemplating sending Matt a message to divert away from the door.

Nick rolled his eyes and walked to the door, opening it to reveal Matt and Addie both standing there, obviously waiting to be let in. He looked back at you and laughed. “What? Were you gonna have your late-night booty call down here in the basement?”

“No, shut up,” you replied, walking by him and grabbing Matt’s hand as Nick pulled Addie into the room. “This never happened, capiche?”

“Crystal clear.” Nick and Addie nodded.

The four of us walked back up the basement stairs, Nick turning the light off behind him and closing the door. We were quiet as we walked back up the main stairs, Nick and Addie continuing to his room while Matt and I walked into mine.

“Sheesh, you weren’t kidding about the whole gym vibe.” He said, looking around your room as you closed the door. “I feel like I need to drop down and do 20 push-ups.”

“Did you think I was lying?” You laughed, walking towards your bed.

“No, just a little dramatic.” He smiled, walking to the other side of your bed and kicking off his sandals before climbing under your sheets.

“Yeah, well I told you,” you sighed, climbing underneath the sheets and lying next to him. “It’s like I’m just a guest, you know? And I know I am and that this pandemic turned everything upside down…but I don’t know, it just speeds up my process of thinking about getting my own place.”

“Doesn’t sound all that bad, honestly.” He replied, taking a deep breath and exhaling as you scooted closer and linked a leg across his and an arm over his chest.

“So you send me an unsuspecting text when it’s almost midnight, saying you’re outside my house…is this a booty call, Matthew?”

He laughed, turning towards you with a smile on his face. “No, it’s not a booty call.”

“Then to what do I owe this visit?” You replied, leaning up and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “Miss me that much?”

“Actually, yeah.” He replied, never breaking eye contact. “I couldn’t sleep. I actually haven’t been able to sleep peacefully since I got the concussion…so I figured I’d come home and sleep in your make-shift gym bedroom.”

You rolled your eyes, ready to roll over until he wrapped his arms around your waist, trapping you against him. “Well, I for one am glad you came over because I’ve missed you too.”

He closed his eyes for a few seconds as you brushed his hood off of his head and ran your fingers through his curls, scratching his scalp. “I will admit though, I was kinda surprised to see Addie there when I walked up.”

You laughed, Matt resting his head on your chest as you kept massaging his scalp. “I thought she was gonna run out of her shoes, she was so excited to see him. Guess it goes both ways since he brought her over here because he missed her so much.”

“They’re totally getting married.” He mumbled, wrapping his arms tighter around you. “That’ll be the second wedding we attend together.”

“Do you know something I don’t?” You laughed.

“It’s just the way they look at each other, like how Colton and Char did at their wedding.” He replied, exhaling deeply. “Definitely getting married.”

“It’s funny that you say that because Addie said the same thing about us.”

You felt Matt tense for only a second before relaxing against you again. “Oh?”

“Mhhm,” you sighed, resting your head against your pillow. “Is there something I need to know? Should I be prepared for some crazy outrageous dance mob proposal?”

He laughed and so did you at your joke before he propped his chin on your chest looking at you. “Is that the kind you want?”

“Absolutely not, no.” You replied, shaking your head.

“Then what would you want?” He said, smiling at you. “Y’know, for future reference.”

Your heart thudded against your chest and you were more than positive that he’d felt it since his smile grew. “Oh, well…I don’t know, I guess.”

“Come on, you don’t have some Pinterest board full of dream proposals and wedding ideas?” When he saw you tuck your chin into your neck he laughed. “I knew it, come on, tell me.”

“It’s nothing crazy,” you replied, rolling your eyes. “I guess I’d want my family involved in some way, it doesn’t have to be big but I think I’d want them there. Definitely want a photographer or two hiding in plain sight, snapping those cute unsuspecting pictures.” You brushed his curls out of his face, shrugging your shoulders. “Otherwise I just want something from the heart, you know? It doesn’t have to be extravagant or something straight from the movies…but personal and heartfelt, like there was a lot of thought put into it.”

He leaned forward and kissed you before laying his head back down onto your chest. “Noted.”

The two of you laid in silence as you continued to play with his hair, Matt relaxing against you as his breathing got deeper with each passing moment. “Hey, Matt?”

“Hm?” He replied, sleep heavy in his voice.

“Do you think Nick got me my Seguin autograph?”

He laughed, not moving from his spot. “Can’t say.”

“I figured,” you replied, rolling your eyes. “Okay, you can go back to sleep now.”

Except based on his deep breathing and total relaxed state against you, you already knew he was fast asleep. This was what you’d missed the most since the two of you had left Calgary. Sure, the alone time for sex was something you’d missed too, but this topped the list. Just being able to lay there with him and talk about life at all hours of the night before falling asleep beside each other or in each other’s arms.

Yeah, you’d definitely be looking into getting your own place soon. Maybe even flip the table and ask Matt to move in with you this time.

( SEPTEMBER )

When September rolled around, you were starting to get more involved with school and severely missing your free-time that quarantine and the summer had given you, but which you so poorly took advantage of. Nick spent most of his time rubbing it in your face that the only commitment he had was working out and staying in shape by hanging out with some of the Blues players who lived in St. Louis during the off-season, Brady and Matt.

In the early weeks, as you were getting adjusted to your zoom schedule for both taking classes and helping Professor Robinson teach them, Matt and his family traveled up to Keith’s home state of Massachusetts. A trip Matt said they took yearly every summer and was always one of his favorites. He originally had invited you along, wanting you to meet the family you hadn’t been able to during All-Star Weekend, but you couldn’t since you wanted to focus on getting used to the whole new schedule.

And when he said ‘okay, next summer then,’ you couldn’t even begin to explain how crazy the butterflies were in your stomach. It’s not like you saw your relationship ending anytime soon, in fact, it was the opposite. The two of you were going strong and you knew in your gut that it would last. But it felt different knowing that he had thought the same.

They came back the day before Brady’s 21st birthday and Brady had Matt drive him over to your place to tell you that you were invited to come bar crawling with them tomorrow and Nick, Addie, and Mason were as well. He was rambling and part of you figured he was celebrating a little early since the look on Matt’s face read pure annoyance mixed with entertainment. Matt drove him away as Brady was yelling that he’d text the group chat, out of the passenger window.

Matt came over that same night, sneaking in through the basement door and up to your room. After that first night back from the bubble, it was an every other day occurrence. There were a few moments of heated make-outs, but it never went further than that. Because really, the two of you just wanted to have that same comfort you’d had in his apartment back in Calgary of being able to roll over in the middle of the night and feel the other’s presence.

Which only made your search for an apartment when you were in between classes, more frequent.

He left the next morning through the basement door and said he’d be back later that afternoon to pick you up when it was time to start Brady’s bar crawl. Which had your group chat with the Tkachuk’s and Johnson’s blowing up. Between the birthday wishes, the excitement about getting Brady trashed, and both Charlotte and Colton expressing their desire to get drunk and everyone ragging on them for having kids– it was a great time.

But not as great as the bar crawl. Now that, that had turned into quite the show by the second bar you’d hit. You were straddling the line between wanting to get drunk with Brady, but also wanting to stay slightly sober so you could have video evidence of it all and send it to him later on. So you and Matt made a deal to alternate what drinks you’d get. If you got alcohol at one bar, you’d either get water at the next or just not drink altogether, and so on. But that didn’t stop you guys from continuously buying Brady drinks and enjoying the blabber that came out of his mouth.

It was also the first time that you really got to hang out with Brady’s girlfriend, Emma. She was choosing to do what both you and Matt were doing, wanting to stay slightly sober so later on when the bar crawl came to an end, she’d be able to help Brady if he needed anything.

It was one of the best days to come out of 2020, even if Brady was too drunk to open his presents once the party returned to the Tkachuk house. You guys had a plan of just crashing and hanging out in the living room, but Brady was insistent about going down into the basement and didn’t give a reason as to why. You all agreed because he wasn’t that drunk…or at least didn’t seem like it. But the moment he stepped foot on that last basement step, it was like a flip switched and he was absolutely trashed.

So, you guys decided it was time for him to go to bed, which Brady was struggling to get out of Matt’s grasp as he tried to move Brady towards the steps and away from the couch where you, Taryn, Nick, and Addie had been sitting.

“No, no!” He twisted around as Matt tried to grab both of his arms. “I want Y/N!”

Matt sends you a pleading look and you sighed and got up off the couch and walked towards the two brothers. “Yes, Brady?”

“Listen,” he slurred, getting an arm out of Matt’s grip before tossing it over your shoulder and bringing you into his side. “I love you, okay?”

“Brady, cut it out,” Matt said, reaching for his arm.

“Pfft not like that Matthew,” Brady rolled his eyes and ducked out of his reach, getting his other arm free. “Though I’m sure she thinks I’m the better Tkachuk.” He looked towards you and whispered. “Right?”

You laughed, wrapping an arm around his waist and placing a steady hand on his stomach, keeping him balanced. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.” Matt sees your look for help and stands on the other side of Brady, copying your arm and hand placements as you guys moved towards the basement steps.

“No, no, no but wait, you’re going to be the best sister-in-law, o-kay?” He hiccuped, almost tripping on the first step. “Like seriously–”

“Brady!” Matt snapped, his cheeks and neck starting to turn a dark shade of pink as he glared at his brother.

“That’s very sweet, Brady. Thank you.” You laughed, taking another step up.

“No, no listen,” he said in a loud whisper, leaning more against you and resting his head against yours. “Like, he wants to marry you. He loves yo-you so mu-much that he’s told–”

Matt tugged Brady more towards him and away from you, his face beet red as he grabbed onto the back of his brother’s shirt, but Brady doesn’t go down without a fight and tries to twist his way out of his own shirt. “M-My Dad, your Dad, our Mom’s– he’s literally in love with you!”

Brady’s head was settled underneath Matt’s arm as he held him in a headlock, removing him from your assistance and trying to force him upstairs. You weren’t sure what to say. You were flattered and couldn’t quite ignore the butterflies in your stomach once Brady’s words sank in. And Matt was obviously embarrassed by his brother’s drunk ramblings, which only made the situation that much more adorable.

“Girlfriend and future wife!!” Brady cheered, tugging Matt’s arms off of him and stumbling up the stairs where Emma was standing, ready to come down with two bottles of water. He wrapped her in a hug once he reached her and turned back towards you and Matt. “Now t-tell Y/N how Matt wants to marry her!”

Emma looked at the two of you with wide eyes, her eyes lingering on Matt’s as you heard him curse under his breath before she turned to Brady and patted his chest. “I’ll get him to bed. You guys can go back to what you were doing, I’ll be back.” She looked at Brady with a smile, wrapping one arm around his waist. “Brady, we’re going to your room, okay?”

Brady giggled and looked at her, pressing his face against her cheek. “Do I get birthday sex?” He probably thought he was whispering, but his voice couldn’t have been more clear and Emma’s reddening face only got worse before she turned around and walked Brady out.

“I hope you get whiskey dick!” Matt snapped, his tone of voice hinting some kind of playful tone.

“Don’t be mad at me b-because you’re too scared to say you want to marry Y/N!” Brady laughed before Emma led him out of sight.

Matt had his back to you since he was about five steps higher and when he turned around, you smiled, still able to see his reddened face. “Well…today was fun.” Matt turned right back around and rounded the corner and you groaned. “Oh come on, Matt!”

“You get him, we’ll be in the living room.” Taryn laughed, as she, Nick, and Addie came up the stairs behind you.

You nodded and walked the rest of the way up the basement stairs, making your way through the Tkachuk house and up the stairs, walking the familiar path to Matt’s room. His door was half closed and you nudged it the rest of the way open to see him lying face down on his bed.

“How’s the oxygen down there?” You asked, walking over to his bed and sitting down next to him.

“Great.” He mumbled into his pillow, barely audible.

You reached over and started to run your fingers through his curls, laughing. “Come on, he’s absolutely trashed, Matthew. There’s no need to be mad at him.”

“I’m not mad.”

“What was that?” You asked, well aware of what he said.

“I’m not mad.” He mumbled louder.

You rested your hand on his upper back and sighed. “Hm, I can’t hear you.”

“I said,” he lifted his head from his pillow and rolled over, bridging his hands behind his head, a pout on his face. “I’m not mad.”

“I know, but I got you to roll over didn’t I?” you smile, patting his chest as he rolled his eyes. “Okay, what’s up? Is it what Brady said?”

Matt kept his gaze on the ceiling as he chewed on his bottom lip, ignoring the question as you sighed. “He’s drunk, Matt. You can’t take what he says to heart. It’s just Brady being Brady and he just said it to mess with you.”

You could feel his heart beating beneath your hand as he took a few deep breaths, exhaling heavily. “He wasn’t lying.”

“What?”

“Brady.” He said, taking a deep breath and exhaling as he finally looked at you. “He wasn’t lying.”

You removed your hand off of his chest and sat up, laughing. “So does this mean if I go and look in your underwear drawer I’ll find a half-carat diamond ring?”

“Really?” He scoffed, face twisting as if the idea insulted him. “You’re worth at minimum 2.”

You choked on your own breath, eyes bugging. “Matthew those start out at like 5 grand.”

He shrugged and brought his hands to his face, dragging them down as he groaned. “Ugh, I hate him right now.”

“No, you don’t.”

“No…I don’t, but I’m pissed.” He sighed, keeping his hands on his face. “We haven’t even been dating a year yet and he’s going on and on about me planning to propose to you.”

“So…you don’t want to marry me?” You laughed.

“I do, someday. But he just made it seem like I sat our parents down months ago and was talking about us getting married! It didn’t even happen like that.” He mumbled into his hands, shaking his head.

You sighed and straddled him, sitting back on his thighs and resting your hands on his hips. “Okay, then tell me what it was.” Silence. “Matt, come on.” You reached up for his hands, tugging them down as he let them fall on his stomach.

“It was last month after I came back from the bubble. That surprise party you guys all threw.”

“Yeah? What about it? I don’t remember hearing about a marriage talk.” You said, your thumbs rubbing against the skin visible from the bottom of his shirt.

“When I came downstairs to get ready to help with that slip and slide with you guys wanted to do, my Mom, your Mom, and Mrs. Johnson were all just sitting there talking and making sangria in the kitchen. I stopped and grabbed us water and my Mom made a comment about me being thirsty and I said that the waters were for us. Mrs. Johnson said something along the lines of how she’s never seen you this enamored before.”

He gave you a teasing grin and you rolled your eyes, poking his stomach. “Go on.”

“Then my Mom chimed in too saying the same thing and then your Mom was like ‘oh and at the wedding? That was just too sweet!’ Which made Mrs. Johnson start joking about us getting married and that’s when my Dad, your Dad, Nick, and Brady walked in with that extra grill stuff.”

“I can’t believe I missed all of this,” you said. “But I really did want to go on that slip and slide.”

He laughed, nodding. “My Dad was like ‘wedding? Who’s getting married?’ And then my Mom made it worse by saying ‘oh no, we were just talking about how enamored Matthew is with Y/N.’  and I really just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.”

“Hey, marrying me isn’t that bad.”

“No, but when your Dad started to stare daggers into my head, it is! He looked like he wanted to kill me.” He pouted, reaching down for your left hand and grabbing it.

“My Dad loves you, Matt,” you laughed, intertwining your fingers with his.

“Yeah, well then my Dad chimed in saying that he agreed and that he’s never seen me so in love before. Then Nick said he wouldn’t mind having me as a brother-in-law and your Dad was like ‘you’ve only been dating under a year, it’s a little too early to get married, isn’t it?’ In his super intimidating voice. To make matters worse, your Mom was like ‘oh when you know you know’ and it’s like all of them were planning this huge wedding in front of me and I snapped.”

You stared down at him, taking in his frustration before laughing softly, only for him to groan in response. “It’s not funny, Y/N! They all looked at me like I had nine heads!”

“What did you even say?” You said, reaching for his other hand and intertwining your fingers, playing with his hands.

“I just said that I love you a lot and that I did see a future with you. That one day, with their permission I’d ask you to marry me, but that’d have to be after you finish school, get settled in your professional life, and get everything that you wanted to, done.”

The smile appeared on your face and you let go of his hands, leaning forward and wrapping your arms around his neck, resting your body against him. Matt welcomed your hug, wrapping his arms around your waist before burying his face into your neck and kissing it, just holding you against him.

You leaned up, your hair falling over your shoulders with Matt quick to reach up and brush it away from your face. “I love you,” you whispered, leaning back down and kissing him softly.

Matt sighed into the kiss before nudging his nose against yours. “I love you too.”

You smiled and booped his nose with your index finger, a smile on his face. “And just saying, but I’d totally say yes to marrying you. Small carat, big carat,” you brought a hand up to his cheek, relishing in the feeling of his scruff against your palm. “It’s a yes from me.”

He held you tighter as he leaned his head up and kissed you, one of his hands brushing up your back as you deepened the kiss. He pulled away and kissed your forehead and rested his head in the crook of your shoulder, allowing you to completely melt against him.

You brought a hand up, your fingers massaging his head as you felt him bury his hands beneath your t-shirt, his thumbs rubbing soothing circles against your skin. The toll of walking around St. Louis all day was taking its toll as the two of you both started to take deeper breaths and relish in each other’s company and the quiet. Easily able to fall asleep.

“Oh uh, am I interrupting?”

You both looked up to see Taryn standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. “No, what’s up?” Matt asked, his voice hinted with tiredness since the two of you were close to falling asleep.

“Brady’s passed out, so Mom and Dad are ordering pizza and watching home movies before it gets here. I was just sent to take preference for toppings.”

“Pepperoni,” you both said.

“Yeah, Brady was right, you two are so getting married.” she laughed, turning to walk away.

“Wait!” You said,  sitting up. “Do these home movies involve embarrassing moments of Matt and Brady?”

“Pfft, those are only the best ones.” She smiled, walking away but peering back into the room. “Well, besides the one where I finally grace the family, those are really the best.”

“Count me in!” You called out, crawling off of his lap.

“Hey, where are you going?” Matt pouted, propping himself up on his elbows as you stopped at the door, turning back.

“I might as well see what I’m in for when we have little Tkachuks of our own, shouldn’t I?”

Matt sat himself up before getting out of bed.“I was an angel.”

“No, he wasn’t!” Taryn called out, her voice drifting from the stairs before her footsteps echoed.

Matt walked over to you and draped an arm over your shoulder, pulling you into him and kissing the top of your head. “You’d really settle for a small carat?”

“I’d settle for a piece of string if it meant I got to marry you.” Matt smiled and kissed you, pulling away as the two of you started to walk out of his room. “Though now that you’ve said I’m worth at minimum 2, I might change my mind.”

( OCTOBER )

Life had kind of gone back to normal towards the end of the year. Well…a new normal. A normal where there was more knowledge on covid than there had been 8 months prior. It seemed as if the world had settled into a routine of knowing how to prevent the spread and to keep yourself and others safe. And while it wasn’t the normal life everyone had been aching for to return, it was still something.

School was actually going a lot better than you thought it would. There were definitely frustrations when it came to zoom classes and during that super stressful time of needing to write a bunch of papers and then having technological issues, you were really glad that you’d chosen to stay home for the time being. But, the bright side was that the semester was flying by. Last week were your midterms and you’d spend the better half of this week helping Professor Robinson grade.

You’d also spent the other better half of the month looking for your own place. After that initial night of Matt sneaking over back in August, you’d sat down and talked to your parents later that week and talked about moving out. At first, they were both uneasy about it, simply because not only were you doing it in the middle of a pandemic but because the only income that you had, was coming from what you earned being Professor Robinson’s T.A. Part of you thinks they might’ve felt a little blindsided about it all. You’d spent those six months with them without a mention of it and now you were telling them that suddenly you didn’t want to stay there anymore.

That, and they might have felt guilty once you told them about how it felt moving back into your new room…non-room. Matt walking down the stairs looking tired as ever also might’ve helped your case…at least with your Mom. With your Dad, he only glared at Matt for the first minute until your Mom pinched him in his side. It didn’t bother you though, because you knew this is what needed to be done, to happen.

They’d turned Charlotte’s room into a guest room once she moved out. You just had the unfortunate pick of the draw to get yours turned into a homemade gym for Nick.

Nonetheless, they were supportive of it by the end of your talk. Maybe your Mom more than your Dad, but she had pulled you aside later that morning to explain that he wasn’t as against it as you thought. By all means, he wasn’t ready to just get you out of the house full time either, but you were his daughter and you were wanting to go ahead and move out on your own. College was one thing, but an apartment was another. Especially since you were in a pretty serious relationship with Matt. He had his oldest daughter move out and later get married and now his second daughter was going down the very same path.

In short, “it makes him feel old and sad” were her words. So you did what you knew he’d love and you asked him if he wanted to help you look– made him feel involved. And boy did he love it. He was telling you all the mistakes that your parents had made when they got their first place, the mistakes Charlotte and Colton had made, and was helping you decide what you wanted and making it known what you needed for an apartment to have.

He was the one who suggested you look into a townhouse. It was just a random out of the blue thing one day while you were sitting in the living room waiting for Matt to come over. The apartment search had been good, but nothing was ever perfect. And according to him, he’d been doing research and had found a few small communities with townhomes for rent that were obviously filled with everything you wanted. Which is how you widened your search for both.

Matt was pretty helpful too, often lounging beside you and swiping at your computer screen like it was tinder and he was approving or denying what popped up. You hadn’t told him your intentions of moving out, at least not fully. How you were going to ask him to move in with you and instead of constantly having to travel between both of your parents’ houses, you guys could have your own space together in the off-season. You’d wanted to do it from the moment you started looking, but there was hesitance.

A hesitance called, ‘You graduate in the spring and don’t have anything tying you down to Calgary but Matt’ and getting a job was also on your to-do list, but you’d been unsuccessful so far. Still, he helped you look and you let him. But you were also helping him constantly look at furniture he said he’d wanted to get to replace his furniture back in Calgary because he was going to go ahead and give it to some of his teammates who were looking for their own places as well.

And when you asked why he even wanted your opinion, he just shrugged, smiled, and said “we share the space and I love your opinion. Besides, consider it practice for picking out the furniture for your new place.”

All of that searching led you to today, your one-year anniversary with Matt. He’d been out of town visiting friends for the last week but came back earlier in the week but he never could hang around long enough, always saying that he was busy.

So you automatically knew he was up to something.

But today was strictly for the two of you, something he’d made clear last night in a text saying that he hoped you didn’t have any plans. You originally did in the morning, but the plans had changed and what you had planned on doing was currently lying down next to you, curled into your side.

A four-month-old Beagle named Shiloh.

It was a cliche, sure, but it was also a little tidbit of both of your pasts that you’d tucked away in the back of your mind from one of your late-night talks when you first got to Calgary. The two of you had originally planned on spending Matt’s day off going around town, but instead, you guys never left the couch in his apartment and spent most of the day tangled up on the couch alternating between watching Dance Moms, sleeping, talking, and kissing.

It was in one of those talking moments when he had asked what your dream pet as a kid would be. It was embarrassing to admit, just because it was so cliche. But when you told him that you’d always wanted a beagle to name Shiloh ever since you read the book in fourth grade. He had sat up so fast he almost knocked you onto the floor. And in-between laughing he said that he was the same, but since their family was always so active in sports, a pet was out of the question.

The two of you often joked about getting a pet since then and it even seemed more frequent once the talk about getting your own place picked up. Funny enough, you came across an old friend from high school’s post on Facebook while taking a break away from looking for a new place to live. Her Beagle had puppies and after four months, she was looking for good homes for them to go to. She’d named them all after dogs from books and once you saw Shiloh’s face in her individual pictures of the puppies, you’d made your mind up and sent her a message.

You probably could’ve gotten a speeding ticket with how fast you raced to her place, but you took this as a sign from the Universe that you needed to get him. It was a spur of the moment, but you never regretted it from the moment she led you to where she was keeping the puppies and Shiloh had been the only one left. When she let you into the play pin he’d been in, he instantly ran up and jumped at your shins, his ears flopping with each jump. And once you picked him up, he was excitedly squirming in your hands and licking your face.

Oh yeah, he was definitely going home with you.

It was hard hiding Shiloh from Matt when he came over last night, but Addie was more than willing to keep him over at her place until the coast was clear. Matt had come over with his gifts for you, the both of you choosing to exchange them then instead of the next day since apparently it was “going to be a busy day.”

You’d gotten Matt other presents too for your anniversary. Your Mom, Chantal, and Charlotte had helped you make a scrapbook that just kind of summarized your guys’ journey together from when you first met to now. He’d been complaining about getting a new wallet, so with advice from Colton, you’d gotten him a nice leather-bound wallet with his first and last initial pressed into it. As well as some fancy shiatsu neck and back massager he’d used at the Giordano’s place at that cute Thanksgiving you guys’ had, fighting back and forth with Sam on who could use it longer.

You had one more present for him, asking him to move in with you when you eventually found a place…but you were going to keep it a secret and ask him at dinner the next day.

Matt loved everything you gave him and said he was nervous for you to open your gifts cause he wasn’t sure what to get you, but you knew you didn’t need to be. Matt was observant and he was thoughtful, so there was no doubt in your mind that he’d done an amazing job at whatever he chose to get you. Though, being with him was enough for you. Just getting able to experience his hugs, kisses and hearing that silly laugh that he only did when he was close to tears from laughing so hard.

He was crazy for being so nervous about you opening your gifts because you loved everything he gave you. A cute little booklet called ‘what i love about us’ filled with stories in his handwriting. A gold dipped rose, which you had shown him a Tik Tok of back in the earlier days of quarantine and said how sweet it was. A customized Spotify acrylic plaque, complete with its own stand.  The picture he’d chosen was one of your many favorites from the Heritage Classic, one that Chantal had snapped– Matt holding onto both of your hands and skating backward, pulling you along. The two of you were laughing, you were actively telling Matt not to go any faster, knowing he was going to try and whip you around and Matt…because he’d been caught and was still going to do exactly that. The song he’d chosen was one the two of you’d come across while listening to an old country playlist on Spotify while cleaning the apartment sometime in January– The Keeper of The Stars by Tracy Byrd. Matt had replayed it once it finished up and made you stop what you were doing and dance with him in the middle of the living room. And in between the soft moments and laughter, he whispered, “I think this is our song” and it was solidified at that moment.

 His last gift was a book called ‘our bucket list’ and the excitement on his face when he said that he thought the two of you could fill it out together, could only be compared to that of a child being told they’re going to Disney for the first time.

Addie still had Shiloh since Matt had stayed the night and you were set to pick him up later that night after you told Matt about his surprise gift of his childhood dream pet.

When you woke up this morning and walked downstairs, expecting to see your parents in the kitchen like always, but instead saw Matt wearing oven mitts and an apron, cooking you breakfast. Apparently, Matt had sent your parents out to breakfast, his treat, so that the two of you could have a nice morning together full of your favorite breakfast foods. It was a nice and sweet beginning to your day, which Matt had been telling the truth– you would be by each other’s side for most of it.

There were no extravagant plans except for dinner. So really the two of you spent your time going to furniture stores and helping Matt pick out new furniture for the apartment back in Calgary. He kept sliding in comments about being excited to help you pick out furniture for your place, joking about how the two of you would have matching furniture if he kept taking your opinion on what to get. But that excitement crashed down two days prior when you checked your email to see that your application hadn’t been chosen for the townhome. It couldn’t have come at a worse time and you felt exhausted just searching for a new place to live, but being with Matt and Matt’s surprise breakfast had really helped a lot.

The two of you had only been separated for two hours at most and that was so you could both go home to get ready for your dinner date. When you asked what you needed to wear, Matt said it didn’t need to be super fancy, but definitely something comfortable. You opted for a floral halter dress and a pair of nude ankle strap heels, keeping your hair pinned back out of your face, but otherwise down.

When he picked you up, he was wearing the navy suit you always made a point to tell him was your favorite, skipping out on a tie and leaving the top button on his dress shirt, undone. He’d cut his long curls shortly after Brady’s birthday and while you missed being able to run your fingers through the messy tresses, you really loved the short hair on him. Your parents, like it was your senior prom all over again, made the two of you stand by the front door and took pictures of you both until you finally sent your Mom a pleading look for them to stop.

“Oh hush, you’ll appreciate having all of these pictures one day when you’re married,” your Dad said, taking another picture.

That comment surprised you and Matt both, the two of you laughing about it once you got into his car. Another surprise was that he made you wear a blindfold the moment you got into the car because you were going to a ‘top-secret location.’ He held your hand and the two of you talked about the upcoming NHL season in January and how Matt thought it was all going to play out. When the car stopped, Matt had you stay put until he could walk around and help you out of the car.

He kept one hand on the small of your back while holding the other, leading you to this ‘top-secret location’ while making sure you also didn’t fall flat on your face. When you came to a stop, Matt told you to stay put and you heard him rustling around before feeling him back at your side.

“Okay, ready?”

“Is it Tyler Seguin? Is he here for my autograph?” You joked, a small smile crossing your lips.

“You already got your autograph from Nick,” he groaned, his fingers sliding beneath the elastic of the sleep mask he’d placed on your face. “Open your eyes on 3, okay?” You nodded as he lifted the mask off of your face. “1, 2…3.”

You opened your eyes and were immediately met with a red door with a welcome sign hung on the outside of it. Your eyebrows furrowed, only because you recognized this door. When you looked around, you realized you’d recognized the entire area.

You’d applied to rent a townhome in this same exact neighborhood.

You turned and looked at Matt who was simply just smiling at you. “What are we doing here? What is this?”

“This is your surprise,” he smiled, kissing your cheek and walking you over to the door, opening it and leading you inside.

“I’m sorry, what?” You were in disbelief as he walked you through the front entrance, already seeing furniture set out.

“Come on, let me give you a tour.” He laughed, ignoring your question and leading you into the living room, the kitchen, and then down the hall showing you each of the three bedrooms before leading you out onto the back patio, which had a small yard that was fenced in with a view of a pond.

You were in awe of everything you saw. Every room except for two bedrooms had been decorated and filled with furniture…the same furniture you’d spent weeks helping Matt pick out for his apartment back in Calgary. The master bedroom even had the mattress that the two of you had joked about getting for his apartment when you took a break in the middle of IKEA.

“So? What do you think?” He smiled, waving out towards the pond as he stood in front of you.

“I-I don’t understand,” you replied, still confused. “I mean, I applied for a townhome, but it was two bedrooms and I didn’t get it.”

He sheepishly smiled as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, uh, your Dad and I may have had a role in that.” When you looked away from the pond and back at him he laughed. “He had you fill out some paperwork, saying it was for that application…but it was really for this one. He gave it to me and I told the realtor to cancel yours and I…well we applied for this one instead.”

You still couldn’t wrap your mind around it. Matt…and your Dad, both conspiring against your townhome plans– so that the two of you could get this together. A place of your own back in your hometown. You hadn’t needed to worry about the whole worrying about if he wanted to move in with you here since this was probably where you’d be spending most of your time.

Because he had wanted to move in with you the entire time.

“…So, this is ours?”

He pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it, showing you the official forms that turned the both of you into renters. “It’s ours…well, we’re renting it…together.”

You held the papers in your hands and sure enough, both of your signatures were on it, naming you both as renters for the property. You smiled and jumped at him, wrapping your arms around his neck and hugging him. “Oh my God, this is so cool!”

He laughed, hugging you tightly before placing you back on the ground. “So you’re not mad?”

“Are you kidding?” You squealed, grabbing his hand. “I was sad I got denied for the one I applied for, but this…this is just, really sweet Matthew.”

“Well, as nice as living rent-free in my parents’ house is every off-season,” he smiled, placing his hands on your hips. “I enjoyed living with you in Calgary too much to not do it in the offseason too.”

You stood up on your tippy-toes and reached a hand around the back of his neck, pulling him into you and kissing him. When you pulled away, you smiled. “I got us a puppy.”

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly. “What?”

You laughed, this not being the way you pictured him finding out. You dug into your clutch and pulled out your phone. “A friend from high school’s dog had puppies and I saw this one and…well, I got him.” You turned the phone to him and showed him the original picture of Shiloh you’d seen. “Meet Shiloh, our 4-month-old child.”

If his smile could’ve gotten any bigger, it would have taken over his face. He hugged you again, picking you up and spinning you around. “Where is he? I want to see him.”

“He’s with Addie right now, but I planned on picking him up after dinner.” You laughed as he put you back down. “Speaking of…aren’t we going to be late? Didn’t you have reservations?”

“Actually…dinner is here.” He grabbed your hand and led you into the house, all the way back to the dining room table in between the living room and kitchen you’d passed over. “I was going to cook us dinner here, our first dinner in our new place.” He came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, resting his chin on your shoulder. “And then I was thinking we could break in our new bed…and the couch, maybe even the counter.”

You laughed and turned around, wrapping your arms around his neck. “You’re insatiable and I love you.”

“I love you too,” he smiled, kissing you softly as he cradled your face. “But dinner can wait, let’s go get our child” He mumbled against your lips, kissing you again.

You grabbed his hand and followed him out of the front door, Matt locking it behind you before you guys walked back to his car. “Hey, neighbors!!”

You turned and looked to the left at the driveway, only to see Brady and Emma standing by his car. “Shut up, really?” You squealed, looking at Matt.

“He copied me,” he laughed, rolling his eyes. “But yeah, they’re next door. Emma just got an internship here in St. Louis pays a lot better than Ottawa, so she’s staying back this season.”

“Rent-free was nice for a while, but–” Brady said, fading off as you nodded.

“But it’s a lot nicer to be able to live with each other,” you wrapped your arms around Matt and leaned into his chest. “Yeah, I know.”

“Guess this means we’ll be having a lot of wine nights, huh Y/N?” Emma smiled. “We can finally watch the Bachelor and Bachelorette like we’ve been wanting to.”

“This just got so much better.” You squealed kissing, Matt’s cheek.

“Alright, we’ll see you guys later. Y/N got us a dog and I need to go hug my puppy.” Matt said, ushering you both into the car, barely hearing Brady’s question about a dog before he closed the door.

“This has really been the best day of my entire life,” you sighed, leaning back into your seat as you sent Addie a text saying you were coming to get Shiloh.

“Nah, I’ve got a feeling it’s only going to get better from here.” He smiled, reaching across and resting his hand on your leg.

“Oh yeah?” You asked, raising an eyebrow. “And why’s that?”

He shrugged, turning to you with a smile. “I don’t know…just a gut feeling, I guess.” He leaned in and kissed you softly before pulling back. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” You replied, reaching up and brushing his cheek before he turned his attention back to the road.

You rested your hand on top of his, turning it over and intertwining your fingers together. When you looked at him, you felt those same butterflies you had from when you met him for the first time outside of Starbucks when you guys were exchanging suitcases. Your conversations flowed just as easily as they had from the beginning. And if even possible, you felt higher than ever before every time you kissed him, feeling a sense of bliss you had from the very first kiss at Charlotte and Colton’s wedding.

It was comical sometimes, whenever you thought back on how the two of you met and how your relationship had transformed into what it was today. For one, you were 100% certain that fate existed, because it felt like way more than a coincidence that you happened to pick up the wrong suitcase that day and that Matt happened to just be using Taryn’s– who had an identical set to yours. And second, you laughed at all of the times you thought you’d been in love before.

Because none of those times ever felt like this. They never made you feel the way Matthew Tkachuk could with just one dimpled smile.

And you wanted to love him for the rest of your life.