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withwritersblock · 4 months

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Say, Isn't it Strange pt. 1

~Strange by Celeste~

Part 2

Author's note: I've always wanted to write something to this song :) It's just so beautiful. Warnings: Swearing, implied smut, :) Word Count: 8,136 Cale Makar x fm!reader | Tyson Jost x fm!reader

Say, Isn’t it strange?

January 26, 2022

It was well past midnight when the group of hockey players entered the bar. It wasn’t just a handful of players, it was the entire roster. Each player was wearing their formal attire they wore before games as they loudly made their way throughout the bar. Sydney beside her stood up from her seat in the booth table they were sitting at. She walked towards JT, who had a wide smile on his lips once he saw her. She followed towards the bartop, gladly to get another drink.

Y/N stayed in her spot still nursing the cocktail in front of her. Her fingertips grazed the glass as she observed the crowd of professional hockey players waiting for their drinks. Being Sydney’s best friend came with a lot of wives and girlfriends rituals; despite not being involved with any of the players on the team. She was still invited to the suit and to the pre and post game events. Sydney always dragged her along, which could be exhausting when everyone is happily in love around her.

Sydney and JT saunter over to the booth together with Cale and Tyson close behind. She’s hung out a lot with Tyson as he and JT are best friends. Sydney even tried setting the pair up but they lacked the romantic chemistry. Which makes them great friends instead. Cale was someone who she hadn’t had any conversations with despite him being a part of the team for a few years now. Cale was always quiet, keeping his train of thought to himself.

Which is why it surprised her to see him with JT and Tyson and willing to socialize. Y/N looked up towards the four of them squeezing into the four person booth that Y/N was already sitting in. Cale pulled a chair from another table, realizing it wasn’t going to work very quickly. Tyson squeezed closely beside Y/N and fist bumped her before engaging in conversation with the boys again.

Y/N took another long sip of her drink while keeping her head low, “What’s wrong?” JT asked Y/N, interrupting a joke Tyson was saying. She blinked a few times before meeting his gaze, she nodded.

“Yeah, just thinking about how I’m out drinking on a Wednesday when I have to teach a bunch of teenagers tomorrow at eight in the morning,” she said while smirking. JT chuckled, “Maybe we’ll have a movie day,” she let out while raising her glass and taking a long sip.

“Caler, Y/N here teaches high school English,” Tyson said while slapping his hand against Cale’s arm. “Can you imagine having someone that hot as your teacher?” he asked while huffing out a breath of air. Cale raised his eyebrows while nodding, his cheeks flushing in the process.

Y/N smacked him against his arm, “Will you stop,” she muttered before drinking the rest of her drink. “Move it,” she shoved him slightly as she needed to get out of the booth for another drink. Tyson chuckled as he stood up from the booth, keeping his beer in his hand. Cale stood up from his chair, already finished with the beer that was on the table.

“I’ll join ya,” he mumbled, following behind her towards the bartop. They reach the bartop that has slowly dissipated as the players dispersed into their usual groups. The bartender was talking on the phone while writing on a small notepad. She smiled towards him as she tapped her fingers against the top of the bar.

“I’m Y/N, I don’t think we’ve ever actually spoken before,” she let out while tilting her body to face him. He smirked as he leaned his body against his elbow on the counter.

“Cale,” he mumbled with a smile. “How long have you and Josty been together?” he asked, striking up a conversation. Her eyes widened as her mouth dropped open. She shook her head.

“Josty? Yeah, no we’re not together,” she explained.

Looking towards her suspiciously, he asked, “I just thought that him calling you hot so casually meant you guys were together.” he chuckled before continuing, “-And the fact that you guys are always together.”

She sighed, “We tried dating, but there was no-” she lingered as she tilted her head back and forth deciding the right word, “There was no chemistry,” she trailed off as she looked into his blue eyes. He let out a sudden laugh while leaning forward.

Isn’t it strange?

I am still me

You are still you

She sat at her desk sifting through papers as her students started piling into the classroom. Her first period was always the most talkative of the day. She never complained as it was always a good way to wake up in the morning.

“Did you watch the Avs last night?” her student, Logan, asked her other student, Harry. They both walked into the room and sat down in their assigned seats beside each other.

“It was insane,” Harry replied while shaking his head, “Yo Ms. Y/L/N, did you watch it?” Harry asked Y/N. She lifted her head from her desk and smiled towards the boys before looking back down at the graded essays in her hand. She was there with Sydney in one of the suites watching the game.

“I was actually at the game last night,” she said while pulling out their essays. She stood up from the desk and walked towards the pair. Their eyes widened as they stared towards her.

“No way, you’re lying,” Logan said while leaning back into his chair tapping his pencil on the desk. She dropped the essays on their desk, shifting her gaze towards the large friend group walking into her class. It was nice to see that the majority of her class was friends, which made her life a lot easier. “Trey, Ms. Y/L/N was at the game last night.”

“Shut up, seriously!” Trey replied as he sat in his corner seat by himself.

Y/N chuckled while she walked towards her desk to take the stack of essays and walked around the classroom dropping the papers face down on all of their desks. “I’m allowed to do things other than be a teacher, you know,” she let out while laughing.

“So you saw Cale Makar’s goal in person?” Noah asked as he took a hold of his paper, glancing at it before he dropped it back on his desk.

Y/N tried to stop the chuckle rising in her throat as she recalled her events of the night before. Said famous Cale Makar and herself talking all night like they’ve been friends for years. Or the fact that JT Compher drove her home from the bar. It was a fun secret.

“I did,” she mumbled as she walked back towards her desk, glancing at her watch.

“Did you take pictures? Can I see?” Logan asked, standing up from her desk. Y/N turned around furrowing her eyebrows while shaking her head. A laugh leaving her lips. She did take pictures, many of which were with the wives and girlfriends of the players. As well as with the players themselves. Tyson stole her phone and took many pictures together. She had yet to delete the hundred he took.

“Logan, sit down,” she said while laughing.

“Come on, Ms. Y/L/N, Makar is the best player in the league right now,” Logan begged at the foot of her desk.

The bell to signal that class was about to start rang as the last few of her students walked into the classroom. Slightly out of breath.

Lifting her head, she met the gaze of the boy and shook her head, “Sit and maybe I’ll show you in a bit,” she said while laughing. The memory of Cale and how he bought her many drinks last night; for the amount of times they had hung out without actually speaking.

Logan groaned before he walked back to his seat. The final bell rang as he sat down.

“Good morning, I’ve returned your essays with very detailed suggestions on things to change and edit. Please spend this period working on changing the things you need to change. Once you’ve finished doing that, print them out and turn them into me by class on Monday.” she explained, shifting her gaze towards the students who all had eyes on their papers. “What movie do you guys want to watch in the background?” Y/N asked as the projector was slowly starting to turn on. Many eyes widened at the mention of a movie.

In the same place

February 11, 2022

She leaned back on the couch, leaving the essays on the coffee table. The words were starting to blend together as she has been grading for the last three hours.

Suddenly, her phone started ringing beside her, Sydney was calling her. She smiled softly before pulling the phone against her ear. “Syd,” she said simply.

“Y/N! It is Friday night and you are alone in your apartment,” Sydney said, slurring her words slightly. It was past ten at night. Y/N chuckled while shutting her eyes.

“Yes, very lonely. What can I do for you?” she sarcastically asked Sydney while running her hand across her forehead. Her eyes danced around her apartment, it was dark beside the small lap beside her. She shook her hand and clenched it and unclenched it multiple times.

“Come to Josty’s,” she begged.

“I promised my kids their grades would be submitted by Sunday. I’ve got like forty papers left.”

“Booo, come over, we’ll order that nasty pizza you like too,” she continued to beg. Y/N took a deep breath in before standing up from the couch and wandering towards her room to get ready.

“Fine, give me like an hour,” she mumbled while she hung up the phone. Tyson lived in the same apartment building as she did.

She walked into her bedroom staring at the mess. Her job has kept her busy over the course of the few days. It was nearly impossible to get her life back together. She walked towards her closet and pulled out a pair of light wash jeans and a black t-shirt.

She quickly changed before she walked towards her vanity. It didn’t take long to freshen up her appearance. A simple makeup look that turned into a full face of makeup without realizing it. She sighed while adjusting her hair before standing up from her vanity chair.

The walk towards Tyson’s apartment was quick as it was only two floors below hers.

Without announcing herself, she walked into the apartment. Expecting to see Tyson, JT, and Sydney only. But to her surprise it was full of the team. She could only assume they were celebrating something but her mind was drawing a blank. Her eyes widened as she looked at all of their faces, each of them greeting her as she walked through the apartment. Sydney’s eyes widened as she walked towards Y/N.

“Y/L/N!” Tyson shouted from the kitchen area. He had his armed wrapped around a blonde girl who she’s met a few times. Her name drawing a blank on her mind. She gave them a small wave while walking deeper into the apartment.

“Sydney, I thought it was just going to be a few people,” Y/N said while walking towards Sydney and JT. She stared towards her while shaking her head. Y/N sighed while mentally preparing to socalize. A task she was not hoping to do tonight.

“Oh it’s fun, enjoy yourself,” Sydney said while hugging her before following JT. Leaving Y/N alone in the center of the party. A sigh left her lips.

Her eyes scanned the living room, seeing the wives and girlfriends hanging around their players while they were all talking to each other laughing. It was surprising to see each player in the apartment, there were always a handful that avoided any team building. Tyson was leaning against the countertop talking with Logan and Kendra. She watched him loudly laugh at something Logan said.

Her eyes landed on Cale who was sitting alone while scrolling on his phone. A plain white t-shirt and black shorts covering his body.

Isn’t it strange

How people can change

He was one of a few people who didn’t bring a date to the party. Without someone by his side, he stuck out like a sore thumb. Pretty much how Y/N feels all of the time as she’s just friends with JT and Tyson. It was always awkward to explain why she was invited to some of the events as she was always deemed to be an outsider.

She walked towards him and sat down beside him on the small loveseat. He lifted his gaze and smiled towards her as he dropped his phone in his lap. She leaned her head back against the loveseat while looking towards him. “Not having fun?” he asked.

Shrugging, “I just got here, didn’t realize it was a team thing,” she mumbled while she looked into his soft eyes. He nodded, his gaze searching her features. Taking note of the makeup to her features.

“I’m surprised everyone came. Normally when Josty’s hosting it’s just OC, JT, Newy, and I that show up.” he said, a small chuckle leaving his throat. His cheeks shaded to red. “He buys the cheap stuff, that’s why,” he mumbled as he leaned closer to her, showing her the budlight in his hand. Y/N laughed while looking away from him. Her eyes admired the couples throughout the apartment.

Sydney and JT were standing against the wall, talking to each other as Alex and his girlfriend were talking to them. The four of them have gotten close as the season progressed.

Mikko and his girlfriend stood next to EJ and his girlfriend as they were laughing at something Mikko said.

The rest of the apartment was full to the brim with couples excitedly chatting and being lovey-dovey with one another. She dropped her gaze to her lap.

It was hard not to feel a pit of jealousy as she surveyed the scene. “My students were raving about you the other day,” she mumbled, turning to face him. A shy smile formed to his lips as he dropped his head.

“Oh yeah?” he let out. She nodded her head dramatically.

“They were obsessed with your goal against the Bruins,” she explained. His face reddened at the statement while he pulled his lips between his teeth. “They were even more shocked to find out I was there to witness Cale Makar in person,” she said with hand gestures, emphesising each word of his name. He laughed.

“I’m sure they'd be even more shocked to find out,” he paused for dramatic effect, “We’re sitting on the same couch,” he expressed, his tone laced with sarcasm. Their eyes remained connected as she shook her head while laughing.

“I think their heads would implode at the sight,” she teased as she looked deeply into his blue eyes. He nervously turned his gaze towards his lap as he licked his lips.

“So are a lot of your students Avs fans then?” he asked.

From strangers to friends

“So many, it’s hard to keep track. I’ve got this student, Logan, who’s committed to DU. I had them write this essay a few months back about their life goals. You know to get them used to writing in long form-that doesn’t matter.” she paused while pursing her lips forward, “He wrote about how he wants to play for the NHL and how you’ve been a big inspiration for him. He spent a whole page talking about how he tries to be like you,” she explained.

His eyes softened the more as she spoke, hearing her talk about him. He could tell the passion she had towards teaching and the students she had in her classes.

“Give me your phone,” he said, holding out his hand. Her eyes furrowed as she stared towards him suspiciously.

He smirked as he ushered his hand towards her. She turned her phone on and handed it to him. “I want you to call me when you’re at school so the guys and I can talk to him.” he suggested as he began typing his information into her phone.

He opened her camera and took a quick selfie and made it his contact photo on her phone. Her eyebrows furrowed as a smirk crept on her lips. “In case you forget what I look like,” he mumbled as he handed her phone back to her. Rolling her eyes, she texted him a quick message so he could have her number.

“Like I could forget, your face is all over Denver right now,” she mumbled. He dropped his gaze to his lap, shyly.

“I wish it wasn’t,” he defended, chuckling softly.

“You’d actually speak to Logan?” she asked. He nodded while bringing his beer to his lips. “That’s amazing,” she mumbled as she reached over to him and gave him a quick hug. Standing up from her seat. She pointed towards the kitchen as she started walking towards it.

He stood up and quickly followed her towards the kitchen. They squeezed through the collection of players. “Y/N, you remember Ila?” Tyson said as he pointed towards the blonde that was hooked to his side. Y/N nodded towards her before she walked towards the fridge. Cale followed behind her.

“Want another one?” she asked, holding out the Budlight bottle. He held his hand out and she gladly handed it towards him. She pulled out a White Claw and opened it while shutting the fridge door behind her. She smiled towards Cale.

He popped open the drink before he took a long sip before he leaned against the counter waiting for her. His eyes scanned her frame before she walked towards him. His eyes met her eyes before he tilted his head towards Tyson, “Have you met that girl before?” Cale asked. Y/N looked towards Tyson and Ila curious how long it was going to last.

“She hung out with us a few times but she’s super quiet.” she explained as the pair approached the small group talking.

“It’s starting to get hard to keep track of which girls which,” he mumbled before they approached them. Y/N stifled a laugh while fighting off a smile.

“You look tired,” OC offered as Y/N approached, Kendra slapped his arm delicately. “What I meant to say-“ he gave Kendra a pointed look, “Josty was saying you were grading papers all day. He was begging for you to come hang out.”

Y/N glanced towards Tyson who was already looking towards her. Ila beside him was glaring towards him. “Yeah, I’m so tired of reading about the Great Gatsby in slightly different words,” she explained.

“Why’d you assign it then?” Tyson asked teasingly. Y/N rolled her eyes before she sipped her White Claw. Her eyes meet Cale’s in the process.

“If I could’ve assigned another book I would’ve,” she mumbled before she looked towards Ila who was glaring at Tyson still. “I’m going to go find a couch to sit on,” Y/N said as she raised her eyebrows. She delicately brushed past Cale.

Cale smiled towards the small group before he followed Y/N like a lost puppy throughout the crowded party. Y/N turned around to see Cale behind her, a smile formed to her lips. They sat down on the loveseat together both sipping their drinks.

“Don’t think she likes me very much,” Y/N mumbled as she leaned towards Cale. He pressed his lips together as his cheeks pinked up.

~~~

The following Monday, she had texted Cale to make sure that he was available to talk to Logan. She glanced towards the clock, watching it hit the final minute before class ended. “Thank you guys for your hard work today, have a great rest of your day,” she said, a wide smile to her lips. Her eyes landed on Logan, a sad smile on his face as he was talking with his friend beside him. “Logan, can you hang back for a bit? I’ll write a note for your next period teacher,” she said as she pulled her phone from her pocket.

Logan's eyes widened as he nervously finished packing up his stuff. She stared at the text from Cale.

Ready :)

She smiled at the message before the bell went off. “Bye!” she yelled as they all started leaving the classroom quickly. It was quickly just Logan in the room awkwardly waiting by her desk.

“I know I talked a lot today but-”

“Logan, you’re not in trouble,” she let out with a chuckle, “Remember how you begged to see pictures of the Avs and Bruins game I went to, a few weeks ago?” she asked. He nodded nervously.

“Yeah, but you never did,” he let out while laughing.

“Can you keep a secret?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. He nodded slowly. She slowly pulled up her camera roll and started showing him some pictures of her hanging out with Sydney, Tyson, and JT. “Well for starters, my best friend is dating JT Compher-”

“Shut up,” he said excitedly as his eyes stared towards the screen.

“And I know how much you love this team and I wanted to introduce you to someone,” she explained as she pulled the phone away from his line of sight. She quickly switched over to her FaceTime app and called Cale. It only took a few seconds before he answered with a wide smile on his face.

Logan’s eyes went wide as his shaky hand took a hold of the phone, “Hey Logan!” Cale said into the phone.

“What’s up man?” OC said into the phone, peeking his head into view. Y/N smiled softly to herself as she started tuning out the conversation. Letting Logan enjoy the moment. She lifted her gaze as she watched Logan smile widely as he spoke to the guys.

It had been a few minutes of them talking and Logan was still excitedly pacing the empty classroom. Since Y/N had a planning period for her second period. “We want you to come to the game tomorrow against Dallas,” Cale said as he held up five tickets, enough tickets for him and his family.

“Wait really?” he mumbled.

“Yeah, we’ll have these tickets at the front box office for you. We’ve got to get to practice, but I’m glad we got to talk to you,” Cale said over the phone.

“Th-thank you so much,” he mumbled as they hung up the phone. Logan walked towards the desk, delicately placing the phone on her desk. “Ms. Y/L/N, you are now my favorite person ever,” he said as he leaned down and hugged her. She smiled towards him.

“I thought you could use that,” she said as she leaned back into the chair.

“You know there’s no way I’m keeping this a secret, right?” He said, eyes wide. She chuckled while rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, sorta figured,” she mumbled while she started writing him a late pass. She handed it towards him, “Now get to your next class,” she handed him the note.

“Thank you so much,” he said as he jogged out of the classroom. She smiled to herself as she turned her gaze towards her computer screen.

March 15, 2022

Tyson never called during school hours, she stared at his incoming call on her watch and ignored it. She stood at the podium, taking notes on the Kahoot! game her students were playing. He called her again. Something was wrong.

“You guys keep playing, I’ll be right back,” she mumbled as she dropped her gaze towards her watch. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she brought it to her ears. “I’ve got a class right now-” she started as she left the classroom, delicately shutting the door behind her.

“I’ve been traded, Y/N,” Tyson said, teary eyed.

“What? Where?” she asked, her breath catching in her throat.

“Minnesota, I’m waiting to catch a flight,” he took a deep breath.

She stared at the white tiled floor, trying to fully grasp everything he was saying. Sydney was her best friend but she was always with JT. Which left her to hang out with Tyson, he was also her best friend. She couldn’t imagine life without him.

“Ty, I’ll miss you so much,” she mumbled into the phone, keeping her teary eyes at bay. There were a handful of voices on his end of the phone.

“I’ll miss you too but-uh- I gotta go, I’ll call you once I’m settled,” he explained before hanging up. She slowly dropped her phone from her and placed it into her pocket. She blinked away a few tears from her eyes. She brushed her hair away from her face as she cleared her throat.

Returning to her class, sitting and talking quietly. There were still five questions left on the Kahoot! game. Logan never told anyone about the little secret she shared with him, despite wanting to brag that he spoke to many Avs players. And brag about how amazing Ms. Y/L/N was for setting it up.

“Alright, who’s winning?” Y/N asked, keeping her gaze on the projector, sniffling. “Nice job Nikki,” she mumbled as she returned to the podium, keeping her gaze on her laptop, avoiding the eyes of the many Avalanche fans in the classroom.

“Dude, no way,” Noah mumbled, staring at his phone, “Tyson Jost just got traded.”

Y/N clammed up, not entirely shocked that the news already broke. She clenched her jaw while blinking rapidly. “Who even is this guy?” Noah continued as he looked through the details of the trade.

“Josty is so much better than him,” Trey mumbled while staring at Noah’s phone.

“Boys, talk about it after class please?” Y/N asked as she finally lifted her gaze to give Noah and Trey a look. They shuffled in their seats, Noah dropping his phone into his hoodie pocket. Logan lifted his gaze from his computer to look towards Y/N and nodded his head.

“This is the first move that Sakic has done that’s awful,” Trey spoke out.

“She said after class, dude,” Logan interjected. Trey looked towards him confused.

A couple of hours later, she was still in her classroom. She was grading a few extra credit assignments. Her phone began to ring again with Cale calling her. She answered the phone and put it on speaker. “Hey, how are you doing?” Cale asked. She took a sharp breath.

It was starting to be normal for the two of them to talk on the phone or text constantly. They’ve even started hanging out more one on one as the weeks progressed. It was a crazy few weeks with the majority of the games being away games. Cale always made time for the two of them to talk.

“Not great, I didn’t get to say goodbye,” she mumbled as she continued adding grades to the online gradebook. Each student got a random 100% on an assignment they didn’t realize was one.

“Didn’t expect him to go,” Cale said into the phone.

“What time do you guys play?” She asked, wanted to change the subject. He took a sharp breath.

“I think it’s six back in Colorado. You watching?”

“Yeah, heading to Syd’s to watch it. I’m actually supposed to be there now,” she said with a chuckle. She began to type the last of the grades into the grade book faster.

“You’ve got a couple hours,” he mumbled.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at the arena by now?” She questioned shutting her laptop.

“Walking in now, smile at the camera,” he mumbled, his cheeks pinking up as he walked past the camera girl sitting on the floor. Y/N rolled her eyes as she shoved her computer into her pocket.

“You’re an ass,” Y/N teased as she stood up shoving different items into her backpack.

“I try,” he shot back, there were a few muffled voices on his end of the phone. “I’ve got to get ready, but I’ll call you after the game?”

“I’ll be waiting,” she said with a smile. He rolled his eyes as he hung up the phone. He dropped his phone into his suit as he brought his coffee to his lips.

“Who was that?” Nate asked Cale as they met up at the doors before the locker room.

Cale ran a hand along his mouth, covering his smile. “Y/N,” he said, avoiding Nate’s gaze.

“How’s she doing with Josty?” Nate asked, ignoring the obvious smile to Cale’s lips.

“She wanted to say goodbye but she didn’t get the chance.” Cale explained as he wandered to his stall.

“You planning on comforting her?” Nate asked teasingly. Cale threw a small towel at him. Nate dodged it with a chuckle. “I’m just saying-“

“You’re just saying nothing,” Cale interrupted before wandering away from his stall.

~~~

March 18, 2022

Y/N has called off work the past few days in order to help Tyson pack up his apartment for him since he was gone. They were sitting in the kitchen putting different pots and pans into boxes.

“He doesn’t even cook, what does he need all this shit for?” Sydney joked as she placed bubble wrap inside one of the boxes. Y/N laughed while rolling her eyes.

“Maybe he’ll start,” Y/N shrugged as she continued placing all of the silverware into a small container. “I hate that his living in a hotel,”

“I’m sure he loves it, all the room service he can get,” Sydney joked, lightening the mood. Y/N smiled politely as she taped up one of the boxes. “You know, the boys come home tonight,” she started off but trailed off letting the music play around them.

“Yeah, Cale’s coming over tomorrow,” Y/N said nonchalantly as Sydney’s eyes widened but quickly she turned her gaze back towards the cabinet behind her.

“Is he now?” she countered.

“Yeah, we’ve been talking a lot and he’s come over a few times,” Y/N explained, a small smile to her lips.

“Are you officially a part of the club?” Sydney asked excitedly.

“We’re just friends,” Y/N said as she took a hold of the box and carried it towards the living room. The kitchen was finally all packed up.

“I hate when you say that,” Sydney said with a dramatic eye roll. They began walking towards his living room to pack up the books and a few of the decorations he had around the area.

“You hate it because it’s always true,” Y/N said as she pointed her finger towards it. She rolled her eyes again.

“Not always, you and Tyson weren’t ‘just friends’ for a while,”

“We’re better off as friends,” Y/N said, and she meant it. She loved Tyson, platonically. Throwing romance into something that worked so well as a friendship was so detrimental. It was too hard to try to make something romantic when there was nothing there to make romantic.

Sure, they could kiss and everything would feel great but anything more than a peck on the lips felt forced. It wasn’t going to work, and they worked better as friends. A relationship that they were content with despite Sydney and JT’s constant protests for them to keep trying. You can’t keep trying something that will always fail, Tyson and Y/N would’ve ended up getting hurt and never would’ve still been friends.

Cale, on the other hand, he was different. She smiled any time he would show up on the screen during the games. She would cheer extra loud if he scored. She found her cheeks heating up whenever he was talking. The sound of his voice gave her butterflies. But of course, she would never tell Sydney that. Since Sydney would tell JT and JT would tell OC and then it would get back to Cale instantly.

She couldn’t let that happen. Her phone began to vibrate in her pocket, she pulled it out to see Cale was calling her. His profile picture is the same tipsy selfie he took at Josty’s party a few weeks back. A small smile formed to her lips as she admired the pink cheeks and the squint in his eyes.

She pulled the phone to her ear as she wandered towards Tyson’s packed up bedroom, for some privacy. “Hey,” she mumbled.

“How are you feeling?” his voice rasped as he spoke, evident that he just woke up fom a nap. She liked hearing his voice like that, it was different. She smiled to herself, her mood instantly lifted.

“I’m doing better today, Josty’s place is officially almost done. I’m also happy that you guys will be home finally,” she explained, running her fingers through her hair.

“Yeah?” he asked, a smile evident to his lips. “I’m glad you're doing better,” he mumbled.

She was quiet for a moment, listening to the quiet ruffling sounds on his end of the phone. She liked hearing his voice everyday. Hearing him talk to her was like a breath of fresh air. It made her mind clear and her body relaxed.

“Hearing your voice helps,” she let out, her mouth dropped open and clamped shut at the sudden words leaving her lips. “Oh my god,” she mouthed as she pulled the phone away from her ear.

“Really?” he questioned, his cheeks pinking up. She stayed quiet for a moment, contemplating what to say.

“Yeah,” was all she could muster up after the complete and utter embarrassment coursed through her veins.

“Why do you think I call you before my games?” he asked, forming a wide smile to her features. She pursed her lips forward as she tried to suppress the giddy smile to her lips.

“Well, I’m glad I can help,” she spoke teasingly. He chuckled.

~~~

April 13, 2022

March flew by. Every day that Cale was in Denver he spent it with the team and Y/N. The team barely having days without one another, which meant the wives and girlfriends, and Y/N were dragged along. Y/N never complained, any excuse to be with Cale, she would take.

The games were great, only two losses during that whole stretch. They were elated but filled with so much drive and determination. All they ever spoke about was hockey, but it was nearing the end of the regular season, so Y/N never minded the constant talk of hockey.

Now there are eight games left of the regular season. Tonight solidified that they were favored for the cup. A 9-3 win against the Kings where Cale had four points. It was one of the best games she has ever seen them play.

She stood beside Sydney, waiting for JT and Cale to emerge from the locker room. It was filled with voices of the players leaving, excited to see their loved ones after a huge win. Cale and JT walked out at the same time with wide smiles on their faces. Cale took fast steps towards Y/N engulfing her in a hug.

“Wow,” she mumbled against his chest, he chuckled before he pulled away.

“I’m so glad you were here,” he mumbled with a wide smile. She looked into his blue eyes, they were so bright. She kept her hand on his chest running her fingers along it before she hugged him one more time.

“It was incredible,” she mumbled against his chest. He tightened his grip around the center of her back, pulling her tighter.

“You’re never allowed to miss another game, we can’t lose with you in the building,” he whispered.

“Caler! Are you going to EJ’s?” Bo shouted from down the hallway. Y/N pulled away from him and looked back towards the small crowd of players with their partners.

Cale rested his hands on her arms and looked into her eyes, “You up for it?” he asked. She nodded. “Yeah, I’ll meet ya there,” he shouted back. He looked back towards her, fighting the grin to his lips.

“What?” she asked innocently. He shook his head as he let go of her.

“Did you drive or ride with Syd?” he asked as he started walking backwards, she followed him.

“Syd drove me,” she mumbled.

“Good,” he mumbled, pulling her arm delicately so she could follow him faster, “C’mon, I’ve got to go home and change.”

“Cale, what are you doing?” she asked laughing.

“EJ has a hot tub and we are using it. We have to get there before everyone hogs it,” he explained as they continued down the path towards the parking garage.

“I don’t have my swimsuit with me,” she countered. He raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes.

“Do you really need one? I mean it’s the same as-”

“It is not the same thing!” she said with a gasp leaving her lips, she delicately shoved him away. He chuckled.

“We can stop at your place to get one,” he smiled sweetly before they continued to his car that was only a couple feet away.

“What if I don’t want to go in?”

“Who doesn’t want to go into a hot tub?”

“It is freezing outside, Cale,” she said, wide eyed.

“It’s the perfect hot tub weather,”

“You’re awful,”

“I try,”

~~~

Cale was right, she didn’t want to admit it but it was the perfect weather for a hot tub. The air was freezing but the heat from the hot tub created a beautiful misty fog that hovered above them creating a false sense of warm air.

Alex and his girlfriend, Bo and Kailey were also in the hot tub with them. Each pair in their own little world.

“Don’t make me say it,” he mumbles as he watches her tilt her head back and take a deep breath. Her hands created little waves in front of her. She tilted her gaze towards Cale and fought off a smirk, “Told you so,” he whispered towards her ear. She rolled her eyes as she leaned towards him.

“What are we going to do when we get out, huh?” she shook her head slightly, “It is thirty degrees,” she mumbled teasingly.

“We’ll figure it out,” he teased looking deeply into her eyes. She dropped her gaze to his lips for a brief moment before she looked back into his eyes.

She wanted to kiss him. She’s wanted to for weeks. After every home win, he’d hug her so tight and look at her in a way that made her think he wanted to too. He never tried anything and she didn’t either. It was too scary to think that her feelings, or whatever she was feeling, weren’t reciprocated.

The way he was looking at her right now. At this very moment it seemed like he wanted to. His eyes were looking into her own so deeply, it’s as if he was reading her thoughts.

Maybe it was because she swears he was leaning towards her and his gaze was now on her lips, or the fact that her own gaze was watching his. He was close, closer than he’s ever been. It wouldn’t take much to take a hold of his cheek and kiss him.

“If you want us to leave we can do that,” Bo teased, Y/N turned her gaze towards the blond man sitting across the hot tub from her with his arm around Kailey. He mimicked getting up out of the hot tub but he quickly sat back down. Cale dropped his gaze and pulled his lips in between his teeth, his cheeks and neck bright red.

“Looking pretty cozy over there,” Alex mumbled while raising his eyebrows. Cale rolled his eyes as he ran his wet hand over his dry hair.

“You too,” Y/N said pointing a finger between Alex and Bo, striking a laugh between the small group in the hot tub. They moved away from each other as they were laughing hard.

“We should all get home soon anyway, we’ve got a game tomorrow,” Cale mumbled as he stood up from the hot tub, starting to climb out. Y/N looked towards him, her smile faltering. Her lips left unkissed and her heart beating out of her chest.

She watched him pull up his swim trunks, taking note of the muscles in his back tensing as he continued moving around. She reluctantly stood up and climbed out of the hot tub herself.

The cold air shocked her body as she reached for a towel on the table. Her teeth were shattering as the towel didn’t help much. “This is awful,” she mumbled, Cale laughed as he watched her jump up and down.

“It’s not that bad,” he teased.

“You are an athlete, I am not,” she said while jumping slightly.

“What does that have to-” he asked laughing but she interrupted him with a death glare. He stifled a laugh as he delicately placed his hand on her lower back and guided her inside the house where it was warm and their clothes were.

It took another thirty minutes for them to say their goodbyes to everyone before they got into his car. He put his playlist on shuffle. They sat quietly as Cale drove out of the long driveway.

“The hot tub was nice,” she mumbled as she turned and looked towards him. He nodded as he kept his gaze on the dark road in front of him. “I’m sure your body needed it,” she mumbled, dropping her gaze to her lap as she nervously spun the ring on her middle finger.

“Definitely, especially on a back-to-back,” he mumbled, glancing towards her.

The drive back to her apartment only took ten minutes, he pulled into a parking spot in her parking garage as he looked her body up and down. She smiled shyly.

“Do you want to come upstairs?” she asked. His eyes lit up as he nodded his head almost instantly. She laughed as she quickly started to climb out of the car. He followed in pursuit, shoving his keys into his hoodie pocket.

He walked slowly as he watched her in front of him walk confidently towards the elevator several feet away. He admired everything about her from afar. The way her hair flowed as she walked. He watched her spin around and meet his gaze, her eyes softened as she smiled towards him.

“Caler, come on,” she mumbled as she tilted her head to the side.

“Y/N,” her name fell from his lips as he watched her stop in her tracks. She lifted her eyebrows as she pursed her lips forward. She hummed as she reluctantly walked towards him. He dropped his gaze to the floor as he cleared his throat. “You know I probably shouldn’t,” he let out. He clenched his jaw as he avoided her eyes. Her smile fell from her lips as she looked towards him.

“Oh, okay,” she let out barely above a whisper.

“With the game tomorrow, I should probably go home and get some sleep,” he explained while avoiding her eyes. She nodded while biting her bottom lip nervously.

“You could sleep here, you don’t have morning skate until nine,” she offered. He met her eyes, tilting his head to the side as he fought the smile forming to his lips.

“You live in a one bedroom apartment,” he countered. Her mouth fell open as she tried not to laugh.

“You’re an ass,” she said as she shook her head.

“I try,” he mumbled before licking his lips as he followed her once more towards the elevator. “If I’m sluggish tomorrow, I blame you,” he said while pointing his finger towards her.

“The Cale Makar? Sluggish? Never,” she teased. He bit his bottom lip as he took a hold of her arm and pulled her towards him. Forcing her to walk beside him. She laughed as they reached the elevator. She pushed the button as she turned her gaze towards him. He was already looking down towards her. “You know that didn’t take a lot of convincing,”

“You’re hard to say no to,” he mumbled, rubbing his hand across his lips.

“And why is that?” she asked, smiling. He lifted his gaze, his mouth falling open. His cheeks started to pink up as he searched for the right words. He shrugged. “Come on,” she dragged the words out, “Tell me,”

He stared towards her, the soft hum of the elevator being the only noise for a few moments. Her eyes scanned his pinked features as she took a step towards him. The elevator doors opened to her floor and the pair started to walk out, Y/N dropping the question as they walked past a few apartments before they reached hers. They stepped inside and it was immaculately clean.

“Do you have any grading that needs to be done or anything?” he asked, wanting to change the subject away from him. She shook her head as she unzipped her jacket from her body and placed it onto the small barstool. Cale did the same thing.

“They are currently working on a book report of their choosing, it’s a huge project that takes the majority of April to get it done. I kinda sit there and answer questions for multiple weeks on end. My least favorite assignment but I have to give it to them,” she explained.

“Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, I hated English class,”

“Most people do,” she said with a chuckle, “My students don’t seem to hate it, especially since I can talk about sports with them. Oh and the fact that Logan let it slip the other day that my best friend dates a guy on the team. Or the fact that he spoke to Cale Makar because of me,” she ranted.

“Sounds like a plus, I’m sure they’d freak out about this,” he mumbled as he followed her towards her bedroom. She chuckled as she shut the door behind him. He was already wearing comfy clothes, and didn't need to change. He sat down on the mattress, trailing her actions with his eyes.

“I know,” she said in a whisper, “Cale Makar is on my bed,” she whispered sarcastically. He laughed as he ran his fingers through his hair. She pulled out a t-shirt and pair of sweatpants and walked towards her bathroom to change, “You stay right there,” she pointed a finger towards him. He raised his hands up defensively with a wide smirk.

After a few minutes she reemerged from the bathroom in her new outfit, it wasn’t flattering in any way but she saw the way Cale looked at her. He looked like he wasn’t breathing, “You okay?” she asked him. He cleared his throat as he nodded. She sat down beside him, their knees bumping into one another.

She looked into his eyes and saw the blue brighter than ever, his eyelashes were curled slightly. A detail she would’ve never noticed before. “Cale?” she mumbled, he hummed in response as he leaned towards her subconsciously. “I’m glad you were at the bar that night,” she mumbled. He smirked.

“Why’s that,” he let out barely above a whisper.

Friends into lovers

Leaning towards him she took a hold of his neck and kissed him. It was slow and hesitant at first. He kissed her back as he delicately placed his hand on her waist and turned her body closer and towards him. She hummed as she placed her hand on his neck, pulling him closer.

He pulled away, looking over her features with such admiration all over his features. He stood up, looking down towards her. Motioning for her to slide up the bed more, giving them both more space. She listened while maintaining eye contact. He climbed on top of her, holding himself up with both of his hands on either side of her head. He leaned down and kissed her, more urgently this time.

Her hands found his neck again, gliding through the short shaven pieces of his hair. “I’m glad too,” he mumbled against her lips before he sat up, she saw his pinked cheeks. A constant detail to his skin that she adored. He pulled the hoodie away from his body.

“I hate that Nate was right,” he mumbled as he leaned back over her. His eyes scan her features.

“What was he right about?” she asked as she ran her fingertips along the base of his neck.

“You,” he mumbled, “He knew I liked you before I did.”

#cale makar x reader #cale makar imagines #cale makar #tyson jost #tyson jost x reader #tyson jost imagines #nhl imagines #nhl fic #nhl #colorado avalanche imagines #colorado avalanche

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typical-simplelove · 2 years

Note

22 from the prompt list with Josty? - @ahockeywrites 🥰

22. "Give me a brush. I'll fix your hair for you" with Tyson Jost Claudia's Debut Season of Heartfirst Writing

You hadn't meant to fall asleep.

After you came home from the hair salon, with your hair freshly straightened, you sat on the couch and immediately began to flip through Netflix to find something to watch There were still a few hours before you needed to get changed for the photo shoot, so you figured that taking a couple hours to start a new show would be okay.

But then you fell asleep.

You were woken by Tyson who was gently stroking and prodding your arm. "Hey, beautiful, you have to wake up."

Suddenly, you shot up, confused. Tyson couldn't help but burst out into laughter.

"You have to get changed so we can leave for our engagement photos," he tells you, taking you out of your confusion.

Still trying to wake up, you stand and walk towards your bedroom. After changing, you head to the bathroom to brush your teeth and do your makeup. When you see your hair and what taking a nap made it look like, you scream. Instantly, Tyson rushes into the bathroom.

"What's wrong? If it's a spider, then we need to have another discussion about whether it's appropriate to scream like that."

"My hair," you say, your voice wobbly. Sure, it wasn't that big of a deal considering you could spray some detangler and brush it, but you were a tad bit cranky and not quite fully awake. As of right now, this was the biggest issue, and it felt like the catalyst to you and Tyson's upcoming nuptials failing. "It's ruined."

Tyson wants to tease you, but when he sees the expression on your face, he refrains. "Hey, let me help you."

"No, Tys, I can't take our engagement photos looking like this."

"Yes, sweetheart, you can," he says, sweetly. "Give me a brush. I'll fix your hair for you."

Slowly, you grab the brush and detangler and push them towards Tyson. He sprays a few sprits in your hair before gently combing and brushing out the knots. Slowly, your hair starts to look like it did when you came home from the hair salon.

Releasing a deep breath, you say, "thanks, Tys. I don't know what would have happened without you here."

"Overreacted and not realize that this was an easily fixable situation?" he teases, amusement on his face.

You glare at him which only makes Tyson laugh. "It's not funny."

"You're right; it's not," Tyson mockingly agrees, trying to suppress his laughter.

"Tyson!"

"I'm sorry! You screamed like a mad person because your hair was messy. It's funny!"

All you do is roll your eyes. "I'm using this as ammunition one day."

"No, you won't. I will. My spouse scared the living shit out of me because their hair was messy."

"Tyson!"

"I'm sorry; I'm sorry. I won't bring it up ever again."

"Good," you proclaim, starting your makeup.

And he didn't. He never brought it up again.

Claudia's Debut Season of Heartfirst Writing (requests close June 24th!)

#claudia's debut season of heartfirst writing #claudia writes #tyson jost #tyson jost imagines #tyson jost x reader #tyson jost imagine #tyson jost fic #hocke #hockey fic #hockey imagine #nhl fic #nhl blurb #op: 2022

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bqstqnbruin · 2 years

Text

Buffalo Sabres

Main Masterlist

If the links don’t work, please let me know!

This is just Tyson so have fun

Tyson Jost

Fics:

Family Dinner and Paranoia

The Biochemistry of Smell

Four times you knew it wasn’t forever + one time you thought it might be

Paper Rings

From the Ground Up

Always be my plus one series masterpost

4 times you ruined his plans + 1 time they were ruined on their own

I don't miss you anymore

Blurbs:

The classic friends to lovers while you’re watching Always Be My Maybe

You and Tyson go home for your cousin’s kids Christening

You’re tired while out with Tyson and the guys

Tyson wants Christmas year round, you only want it in December

You and Tyson move in together

Tyson makes you his teammate for a game of manhunt with the guys

It’s the night before your wedding and you need to hear Tyson’s voice (Part 1) // It’s your wedding day and everything is going wrong (Part 2)

It’s right before your wedding to someone else when your real feelings for Tyson come out

You and Tyson have to room together on a group trip to NOLA, but, oh, there’s only one bed (PART 1) // Now everyone is convinced when you go out, you and Tyson are going to hook up (PART 2)

Valentine’s Day is the worst so Tyson tries to make it better while he’s on a road trip

Your date is a no show so Tyson saves the day

Tyson is leaving for a road trip and tries to do something nice the night before

You can’t find anything to wear while getting ready to go out with Tyson

Tyson takes you to his cousin’s wedding

You need to leave but Tyson wants you to stay

You’re trying to get ready to go out with friends but Tyson isn’t having it

Tyson freaks out when a girl is flirting with him

You have something to tell Tyson

Trade rumors.

You and your ex are let alone in the ski cabin

You go to all of Tyson’s games as way to avoid outwardly professing how you feel about him

You and Kacey are close and now she wants you and Tyson to get to know each other

You and Tyson are at a holiday party and both of you are single for the first time

HCs

Tyson is colorblind and you forget that when you do a gender reveal

#tyson jost imagines #nhl imagines #hockey imagines #buffalo sabres imagines

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fallinallincurls · 2 years

Text

Tyson Jost Masterlist

Fics

Four Times Tyson Almost Kissed You And One Time You Actually Kissed Him

#tyson jost #tyson jost imagine #tyson jost imagines #tyson jost fic #tyson jost fics #tyson jost blurb #tyson jost blurbs #tyson jost fluff #tyson jost masterlist #nhl fics #hockey fic #hockey imagine #nhl fic

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laurenairay · 2 months

Text

Summer days pass me by - T. Jost

“I feel like I’m stuck, doing the same thing over and over with the same nothing at the end. I need to do something new. Wanna help me make this the best summer ever?”

“You do know that sounds like the start of a coming of age film, right?”

Summary: Mollie Thomas has been friends with Tyson Jost since they were children – but this summer by the lake could change everything.

Warnings: childhood friends to lovers, some bad language, a little angst

Word Count: 9.5k

A/N: I love Tyson Jost so much – this is a super indulgent fic that I started back in August 2020, and it’s been one hell of a journey writing it, including a complete rewrite about 2/3 through. This OC was actually the first one I ever attempted on hockeyblr, although I’ve since written a fair few in stories I've since posted over the years, and she holds a special place in my heart.

This Tyson blurb I wrote in July 2022 is what inspired me to rewrite this story (and thank you @bqstqnbruin for all the encouragement to finish it!).

If there was one thing about summer that Mollie Thomas loved the most, it was being by the lake. As soon as the weather was good enough, she would head up there with friends to relax, have barbecues and mess around on the water. Being by the lake simply was the epitome of summer, sunshine and friendship – she’d grown up doing it, her parents trusting her to go alone since the age of 15, and now 10 years later (despite some friends moving away), she still loved nothing more than watching the days roll on by from the lakeshore.

Utter bliss.

Mollie had been teaching history at the local Kelowna high school ever since graduating from the local college three years ago, and when the weather started getting consistently sunny, she even went up to the lake some evenings after work, depending on who was around. But now that the end of the school year was approaching, she would no longer be restricted to the occasional evening after work, and she honestly couldn’t wait.

Why? Because soon one of her best friends would be coming back to Kelowna for the summer. Tyson Jost.

Mollie had known Tyson ever since he’d moved to Kelowna to live with his grandparents when he was 13, his family's house being down the road from Mollie’s family. Her older brother John had been on the same hockey team as Tyson, so he’d always been around – but with John being a couple of years older than them, Tyson and Mollie had become fast friends.

Sure, things had become harder when Tyson had gotten more serious with ice hockey. When Mollie’s brother John had quit playing, choosing to focus on school instead, Mollie had been worried that they wouldn’t want to hang out any more – but that wasn’t the case. Hockey or no hockey, Tyson had always been there for her, and she knew she could count on him for anything.

He was the guy that encouraged her to get out of her comfort zone. He was the guy that turned to her for help asking out his first girlfriend Sarah Cooper. He was the guy that punched her first boyfriend for kissing Jenny Prince behind her back. He was the guy that made her laugh down the phone when college had been stressful. He was the only guy that she would wear another team’s colours for whenever he played against the Canucks. He was the guy that called her with a broken heart when the Avs had traded him. He was the guy that she looked forward to seeing most every summer, and she couldn’t wait to see him this year.

She missed him – who could blame her?

It was a Sunday afternoon, just about to head into the last week of the school year, and Mollie was soaking up the sun by the lake with some of her best friends; Bryony, Louis, Michael, Chase and Allison. There had been other people hanging out with them in the morning, including Mollie’s brother John and his wife Michelle, but the remaining six were the tightest group. So tight, that they’d all chipped in to rent a cottage together this summer, Allison’s uncle owning a couple in the area and offering them first dibs. Naturally, they’d all sprung at the chance of having a summer home base, even if not all of them were there all the time, so Mollie had that to look forward to starting next weekend, the moment that the school year ended. Bryony, Louis and Michael were also teachers, although across various different schools to Mollie, so at least she wouldn’t be the only one up at the cottage during the weekdays.

“Anyone for a refill?”

Mollie turned her head to the camping chair next to her, watching Bryony stand up and wiggle her empty can in the air. Mollie nodded, smiling at her friend, and a few others nodded too. As soon as Bryony walked away, Allison plunked down in the vacated seat, turning to Mollie with a grin.

Allison was probably Mollie’s closest girlfriend in Kelowna – also living on the same street as Mollie’s family – and while the two of them couldn’t have looked more different (Allison a curvaceous insta-airbushed blonde compared to Mollie’s chestnut hair and tomboy runner’s body), Allison had encouraged Mollie to be as confident and friendly as her, and Mollie was forever grateful. Sure, Allison was an incorrigible flirt and flitted between jobs, and sure Mollie had her moments where her anxiety got the better of her – but Allison was as close a friend to her as Tyson was, and Mollie loved that.

Even when Allison’s grin spelled troublemaker, like it did right now as Allison got comfy in Bryony’s vacated chair.

“So you know how my Uncle’s got me helping out with administration for his holiday home rentals this summer, in exchange for us getting our cottage for a lower price?” Allison prompted.

Mollie raised an eyebrow at the glee in her friend’s voice. Whatever it was, clearly she was excited about it – and considering that the cottage had been a good deal, clearly this was good gossip.

“Yeah, I remember…why?” Mollie mused.

“Well, a couple of cottages on this side of the lake have been rented…one of them by someone you know very well…”

Mollie knew her friend meant well, but this cryptic stuff was not helping.

“Out with it, Ally,” Mollie said bluntly.

“Tyson rented the cottage closest to ours for two months,” Allison grinned.

What?

Holy shit.

“He’s going to be here all summer?” Mollie asked, excited.

“Yep! As far as I’ve heard, Tyson’s got some buddies coming up to stay with him at various points, and probably his sister too. I don’t know when or for how long, but there’s definitely enough rooms for all of them in that cabin to be there together so it’s going to be so much fun!” Allison told her, “Now that I think about it, I probably wasn’t meant to tell you. Tyson was probably keeping it as a surprise. Oops.”

Mollie just giggled, too happy to care that Tyson hadn’t said anything to her about his plans. It had been too long since she’d seen her childhood friend – summers just weren’t enough time with him – and knowing that he was going to be around for two solid months just made her heart soar. This was everything.

“Oh man, this is going to be the best summer,” Mollie sighed happily.

“Maybe this summer you and Tyson will finally admit how much you love each other.”

Mollie rolled her eyes, shaking her head. For some reason, Allison (and the rest of their other friends) had it in their heads that her friendship with Tyson was more than platonic. Sometimes it got really annoying because honestly nothing had ever happened between them (not even a hint of an almost) but she tried not to let it bug her. She knew where she stood with Tyson – yeah, he was incredibly handsome, with a good heart and a wonderful smile, but she wouldn’t trade their friendship for anything. Ever.

“We’re just friends, Ally-cat,” Mollie sing-songed, rolling her eyes.

“We’ll see,” Allison sing-songed back.

Honestly. Troublemaker.

Mollie ignored her friend’s laughter as she pulled out her phone, opening up her text thread with Tyson.

From: Mollie

A little birdy tells me you’ve rented a cabin by the lake for the summer…

Mollie barely had to wait a couple of minutes before her phone buzzed with a reply.

From: Tyson

I swear Ally can’t keep her mouth shut.

I was trying to surprise you!

Mollie giggled to herself, ignoring Allison’s wriggling eyebrows.

From: Mollie

Trust me, I’m surprised.

School finishes next week – I can’t wait to see you!

It really had been too long.

“Tell your future husband we miss him!” Allison crowed.

“Oh you’re texting Tyson? Say hi from me!” Chase grinned from across the chair circle.

Mollie stuck her tongue out at him as Allison cackled next to her. Her friends were such dicks sometimes.

From: Mollie

The gang say hi and that they all miss you

“Done, happy?” Mollie said dryly.

“Extremely,” Allison grinned, looking like the cat that ate the canary.

“I don’t know why I like you at all,” Mollie said bluntly, although her smile gave away her lie.

Allison just wriggled her eyebrows again, earning laughter from the whole group and another eye roll from Mollie.

From: Tyson

Hi back from me!

I miss them too

I miss you the most

Mollie’s eyes widened slightly, a light flush warming her cheeks. What? Why was she reacting like this? Tyson said that all the time. Kind of. No, stop it. Mollie swallowed heavily, keeping her eyes down to avoid a reaction from their friends.

From: Mollie

I miss you too

With that, Mollie shoved her phone back into her pocket, just in time for Bryony to arrive with a fresh round of beers, which Mollie was more than grateful for. What was that all about?

“I am so ready for a drink.”

“Make it two,” Mollie mused, grinning at Allison’s words.

“Make it three,” Chase laughed, “I can’t wait to cool off in the lake, it’s too damn hot today.”

That was an understatement. The temperature was sweltering and even just thinking about jumping into the cold water was almost too much to bear. Mollie been waiting all week for this Friday evening – while the four of them who were teachers had been up at the lake during the week every day since their schools finished for the summer a week ago, Allison and Chase had weekday 9-5s, so Mollie had volunteered to drive back into town to bring them out for the weekend, finally bringing their big friendship group together in their rented cabin for the summer. Of course Mollie had visited her family (with her brother John and his wife Michelle reminding her they wouldn’t be up at the lake until next week) to fill the time while she waited for Allison and Chase to be ready, as well as stocking up on supplies, but now Mollie was more than ready to kick back and relax.

After she’d been in the water, of course.

Thankfully Mollie had put a bikini on underneath her clothes, just a simple little red thing, before picking up her friends today, so as soon as she’d parked outside their cabin, brought the cooler of drinks and snacks into the kitchen, and dumped her duffel bag by the stairs, she stripped off her clothes as she walked towards the tempting water. Bryony wolf-whistled as Mollie walked past the three who were already there, and Mollie just flipped them all off with a grin, kicking off her shoes quickly before taking off in a run down the dock and diving into the water.

Bliss.

Allison and Chase, both having stripped down to their swimsuits too, wasted no time in joining Mollie in the water, and all Mollie could do was smile as she resurfaced. This was summer. All of them together in glorious weather at the most beautiful place in Kelowna. What more could she ever want?

“LOOK WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN!”

Mollie turned her head at Michael’s hollering, grinning at the sight of the familiar figure walked over from the neighbouring cabin. Tyson. Mollie eagerly hauled herself back up onto the dock, slipping back into her shoes and picking up a towel from the stack at the beginning of the dock to dry herself off with as she walked back to the cabins, waving hello as she got closer.

“There you are.”

Mollie just grinned and threw her arms around Tyson’s neck, him just laughing as he picked her up, swinging her round in a circle, not seeming to care that she was getting him wet.

“You’d think you were happy to see me or something,” Tyson teased, setting her back on her feet.

“Oh hush, you know I am,” Mollie sighed happily, running the towel over her wet hair, “Are you happy to be back here?”

“You know it,” he nodded, smiling sweetly at her, “even more so knowing that I’m nowhere near Buffalo and that you’re here.”

Well Mollie would never say no to a bit of Tyson charm.

“Flattery gets you everywhere, Mr Jost,” she mused, trying to calm her racing heart.

It wasn’t fair that nothing about him had changed at all and yet somehow his pretty curls and pretty face were even more handsome since she’d last seen him. So unfair.

“HEY LOVEBIRDS!”

A shout from Bryony broke Mollie out of her thoughts, and she saw Tyson blush fiercely as they both looked at the group by the chairs to see them all smirking at the two of them. And to think it was usually Allison who was the troublemaker. Mollie just flipped them all double birds, earning laughter.

“We’d better go before people start talking eh?” she laughed, trying to hide her blush.

“Let them talk,” Tyson grinned, but starting walking over to the ring of chairs anyway.

It wasn’t fair that her stomach filled with butterflies at the simple sight of his smile.

As Louis handed Mollie a cold white claw, Tyson already having one in hand, she took the empty seat at Tyson’s side. By the time that Allison and Chase hauled themselves out the water to join the group, they were all well on their way to catching up.

They talked about Bryony and Louis still being together, their relationship going on 5 years strong. They talked about Allison losing another job, her uncle having taken pity on her and letting her do his administration for the summer cabins he owned. They talked about the school year, how parents and kids were a stressful nightmare most days now. They talked about Tyson’s season, sort of, Tyson just saying that he was happy to be back up from the AHL. They talked about Tyson’s sister Kacey, how she was kicking ass and taking names. They talked about Chase’s hard-earned promotion at work, finally getting the recognition he deserved. They talked about all the plans they had for the next two months here at the lake and the more they talked and drank and laughed, Mollie just sank back in her chair, taking everything in, soaking everything up.

This really was heaven.

Tyson noticed her relax back in her chair and just smiled at her, earning a genuine smile back. Yeah this was going to be a summer to remember, she could feel it.

Another couple of days passed at the lake cabin, Chase and Allison heading back into town while Tyson stayed at his place, and Mollie couldn’t be happier. Happy enough to make breakfast pancakes and bacon for Bryony, Louis and Michael after she showered following her early run around the lake, leaving it all in the oven for them with a note while she cleared up. Breakfast she could handle – it was the little things. She knew her friends would appreciate it anyway.

As she was taking out the trash though, she spotted Tyson doing exactly the same from his cabin, and waved enthusiastically at him, grinning as he laughed. He was clearly still adjusting to waking up early, same as she was – he still looked a little bleary eyed as they walked towards the end of their driveways.

“Good morning Tys!” she said cheerfully.

“Morning!” he mused.

She jogged over to him, Tyson catching her in a hug as she reached his side, making her laugh and squeeze him back tightly. Mornings like this were exactly what she had missed while he was away. As she pulled away though, her phone buzzed with a series of texts, and she pulled out her phone only to frown at the sender. Her ex. Ew. He really wasn’t getting the hint.

“Who’s making your face do that?”

Mollie cursed under her breath and tucked her phone away with.

“It’s no-one,” she said simply, willing him to let it go.

“No-one doesn’t make you grimace like that,” Tyson pointed out, “And it doesn’t make you hide it from me. So who is it?”

She really couldn’t pretend around him, could she? And it wasn’t like he hadn’t heard about her terrible ex boyfriends before.

“It’s my ex. Justin. It’s been six months since I caught him texting other girls with all the things he wanted to do to them, and while I don’t know if he physically cheated, I still kicked him to the curb the moment I found out. Every now and again he blows up my phone, even though I never answer him,” Mollie explained, “His mom even knows and yells at him for bugging me. He’ll get bored soon enough.”

Yeah, this latest ex wasn’t exactly one of her finest choices.

The deep frown that shifted onto Tyson’ face was an interesting reaction though.

“If he doesn’t leave you alone, tell me. I still know enough people in this town, and I can hunt him down and punch him if he doesn’t back off.”

A rush of heat went through her veins at his words, a flush spreading across her cheeks.

There was a flashback in her mind to when they were 15, when Tyson found out that her first boyfriend Todd kissed Jenny Prince behind her back, and sucker-punched him at school in her honour. It was a beautiful memory. And to know that he’d still defend her like that?

“You always were my knight in shining armour,” Mollie teased.

But Tyson just shrugged. “You know I’ve got your back no matter what. That’s what best friends are for.”

Such a sweetheart.

Something about his tone though, how seriously he’d taken her words, made Mollie keep her eye on Tyson throughout the day, and by the time that late afternoon rolled around when their barbecue was in full swing, she finally cornered him again. There was just something in his eyes that looked…tense. It wasn’t the Tyson she knew and it worried her that even in the most relaxing place in Kelowna, he still looked so stressed.

“Hey, Tys, fresh beer?”

Tyson smiled his thanks, taking it with a nod. There was no one else standing too closely so she didn’t feel bad for confronting him like this, not at all.

“So are you going to tell me what’s going on with you?” she said softly.

Tyson’s eyes widened a little, before he huffed out a laugh.

“There’s no point hiding anything with you, is there?”

Just like her with him. But Mollie winced. “If there’s something you don’t actually want to talk about, then I’m not going to push. That’s the last thing I want.”

Tyson just nodded, taking a sip of his beer, as if to steel himself. Clearly this was more than passing worry. What was going on?

“Every summer I’ve ever had has been the same. Arrive back to Kelowna, get sympathy and pitying smiles for how shitty the season was, hanging about by the lake, train, start hockey again. I’m tired of it,” Tyson groaned.

“Tired of it?” she asked, confused, trying to understand what he meant.

Surely he didn’t mean he was tired of hockey? She knew how much the sport meant to him.

“I’m tired, Mollie. I feel like I’m stuck, doing the same thing over and over with the same nothing at the end. I need to do something new or I feel like I’m going to go crazy,” Tyson sighed.

Okay, okay that she could manage.

“It must be so frustrating, pouring your whole heart into the sport you love, and not getting the reward you deserve. And the fact that you still feel like this in the off season? That’s not good, Tys,” Mollie murmured, “What can I do to help?”

He sent her a sad smile.

“I’m not sure, really. If I don’t know what I can do, I don’t know what anyone else can do,” he said softly, “But being here with you right now, talking with you like this, I appreciate it. I don’t exactly trust many people with my full thoughts like this.”

That both saddened her and made her heart soar. The fact that he didn’t really have anyone else he could really talk to was devastating…but the fact that he trusted her enough? That was everything.

“Then we can talk and vent and rant and scream as much as you need. And we’ll build your happiness back up, just like you deserve. I’m here for you, Tyson,” she said firmly.

“Yeah?”

That smile would be the end of her, she just knew it.

“Yeah, I mean it,” she nodded, helpless to do anything but smile back.

“Wanna help me make this the best summer ever?” he grinned.

“You do know that sounds like the start of a coming of age film, right?” Mollie teased.

Tyson nudged her with his shoulder, earning a nudge back.

“Is that a yes?” he asked, hope filling his voice.

“Obviously,” she grinned.

How could she say no to him?

But as she looked into his eyes, there was something in his gaze that made her breath hitch in her chest, her grin sliding from her face. Tyson seemed to be caught in the moment too as his own face drifted into neutral, his eyes locked on hers in return. She didn’t realise how close they had shifted until her fingers brushed against his arm, Tyson’s eyes darting down to where they were touching before he looked back up at her. Her heart was pounding, ears full of a rushing sound, her thoughts filled with nothing but the dazed look on Tyson’s face.

It was when his gaze flicked down to her lips that she jolted out of her reverie, just in time for a couple of shrieks and splashes came from the end of the dock.

Fuck. Fuck.

What was that? What the hell was that?

“Mollie…” Tyson murmured, fingers brushing against hers finally.

“I’m going to get some more food,” she said quickly, stepping backwards.

It took all her strength to turn away from the confused hurt expression on Tyson’s face, and walk over to join Bryony and Louis at the barbecue, plastering a smile on her face as her head whirled, desperately trying not to panic. Tyson had almost kissed her. She had almost kissed Tyson. Tyson wanted to kiss her. She wanted to kiss Tyson. Did she want to kiss Tyson?

Of course she wanted to.

But since when did she give into fleeting desires around him? And since when did he ever look at her like that? No, she couldn’t deal with this. She wouldn’t, not tonight. Maybe not ever. What the hell, Tyson?

Tyson and Mollie didn’t talk about the moment they shared at all. The first two weeks of their two month summer, almost a full week since that fateful night, passed quickly and the longer they went not mentioning it, Mollie found herself burying the topic completely. From Wednesday morning to Friday midday, Mollie, Tyson, Bryony, Louis and Chase all quickly fell into a routine that she knew would carry on for the rest of the summer. Mollie did her usual run along the lake front each morning, with Bryony and Tyson joining her for a yoga session today, the Friday morning. She spent each day cycling through swimming, sunbathing, and reading, all of the group taking it in turns to cook dinner while sorting out their own lunches. She kayaked with Chase and Tyson for a couple of hours before lunch on Thursday, the three of them paddling in a comfortable silence most the way, taking pictures to make their friends jealous of the beautiful views.

And now Bryony and Louis were back from their grocery run for the barbecue tonight, to celebrate Mollie’s brother John and his wife Michelle coming up for the weekend, as well as Tyson’s friends Mat and Dante arriving ahead of their own week’s stay. They’d all met Mat and Dante before, the two of them joining Tyson for a few summer’s now (and Dante joining on his own the year before that started) so Mollie was well prepared for the chaos those two always seemed to bring. At least in comparison to the peace and calm that Tyson’s friend JT brought when he visited (which he would be doing for two weeks after Dante and Mat left).

It was going to be an interesting stretch of time, that was for sure.

After Tyson had gotten his friends settled in, they immediately joined Mollie’s group to chill on the clearing by the dock, relaxing for a few hours before they needed to start prepping for the barbecue tonight. Chase and Allison wouldn’t be joining them until later, and neither would John and Michelle, but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t have fun before then.

“We’ve got snacks and fresh fruit and cold beers, help yourselves,” Michael grinned, waving towards the coolers on the back decking of their cabin.

Mat, Dante, and Tyson saluted, making them all laugh, Tyson carrying over their own crate of beers to add to the coolers too. Mollie just stayed silent, offering Tyson a small smile, to which he sent a hesitant one back. Great. He was still going to be awkward around his friends too. With a quiet sigh, quiet enough that no-one else heard it, she laid back down on her deckchair, eager to let the sun wash away the underlying tension she was desperate to ignore.

Maybe with his friends here, Tyson would get over the awkwardness and they could return to normal. At least, she hoped they could. She didn’t know what she would do if they didn’t.

“So, Mollie looks good, huh?”

“Don’t even think about it Barzy,” Tyson scowled.

Dante and Mat looked at each other only briefly before bursting into laughter.

“We know she’s yours, Josty. Chill,” Dante snickered.

“She’s not mine,” Tyson shot back, narrowing his eyes.

His friends just laughed harder.

“Yeah okay, and you totally weren’t distracted when she was sunbathing in that tiny pink bikini this afternoon, right,” Mat teased.

“I swear, I will throw you in the lake.”

The weekend was…odd, to say the least. Mollie didn’t spend nearly as much time with Tyson as she normally did, mostly because he looked like he didn’t know what to say to her and she didn’t have a clue what to say to him. She got away with it though, having her brother and sister-in-law up at the cabin, and Tyson having his friends to distract him. She had to get over this weirdness. She needed to.

On the Sunday evening, when her brother John and Michelle drove back into town, she followed them back, staying at her apartment for a night ahead of a family dinner their mom had insisted on for the Monday night. It wasn’t a hardship to take a little break from the cabin, using the time to pamper herself with a long bath and a face mask, giving herself the time to refresh. And Monday she spent giving her apartment a giant deep clean, driving all thoughts from her mind until she only had enough time to shower and change before heading over to her parents house.

“Mollie! Baby! Are you eating enough?”

Mollie just rolled her eyes fondly at her mom’s greeting.

“Nice to see you too mom. I brought wine,” she mused, stepping into her childhood home.

“Ooh, I do love a good cabernet, thank you darling. John and Michelle are already here – they’re with your dad in the den,” her mom said cheerfully, “I’m just finishing up in here!”

“I’ll help you, mom. It’s been a while.”

Mollie’s mom just beamed at her, kissing her cheek before wandering back into the kitchen. She followed with a smile on her face, heart bursting with the love that only a mom could cause, her mom especially. Mollie put on the apron that her mom passed her, the two of them chopping vegetables for the salad in a comfortable silence, Mollie just enjoying her mom dancing along to the radio while they worked. True to her word, they didn’t take long to finish preparing everything, and in no time at all, her mom was calling everyone to the table for dinner.

Incredible chicken pot pie, with creamy mash, a variety of greens, and homemade gravy, with a fruit cobbler for dessert. This was exactly what she needed.

What she didn’t need was her brother opening his mouth the moment that they finished eating.

“So mom, has Mollie told you about Tyson yet?”

What the hell?

“No? Is everything okay?” her mom asked, voice full of concern as she turned to look at Mollie.

She kicked her brother under the table but he just smiled sweetly at her. Her older brother was such a child.

“He’s fine mom. A little stressed after the season, but fine,” Mollie said, as calmly as she could.

“I was talking about all the flirting actually,” John said innocently.

“Shut up, John! There hasn’t been any flirting!” she hissed.

He was a dead man. Michelle could move on happily.

“Flirting?” her dad frowned.

“Flirting?!” her mom cried happily.

For fuck’s sake. She needed to nip this in the bud before her mom pulled out her scrapbooks.

“There is no flirting. John is delusional, maybe a touch of heat stroke. You really check that out for him, Michelle,” Mollie said firmly, her sister-in-law just sending her a pitying smile, “Tyson and I don’t flirt with each other.”

“It’s been different this year and you know it,” John shot back.

Michelle elbowed him, but other than a grunt he didn’t react at all, his smirk staying put.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. He’s one of my best friends and you know it,” Mollie scowled.

“Me thinks the lady doth protest too much,” John sing-songed.

“Oh you assho-”

“That’s enough,” their mom interrupted, gaze firm. Mollie snapped her mouth shut, John doing the same. “Johnathan Neil Thomas, cut it out. If Mollie says they’re still just friends, then that’s that.”

Mollie smiled triumphantly, earning an eye roll from her brother.

“And Mollie Eliza Thomas, if there ever is a change between you and Tyson then you know you can be open with us.”

Ugh.

“Mom!” Mollie hissed.

John just threw his head back and cackled, not even flinching at the elbow from his wife this time. How was he 27 years old?

“Alright, alright, I’m stopping,” their mom grinned, “and so is John.”

Seriously. It was bad enough that her head was messed up from whatever the hell had happened at the lake the other day, whatever the hell had been happening since Tyson came back this summer, but she didn’t need her family adding to it too.

“Cheer up buttercup. Whatever happens, happens,” her dad shrugged, smiling.

Mollie didn’t know if that made things better or worse. Sure, John could be doing the opposite, getting defensive and shutting down a ‘potential’ relationship between her and Tyson (not that there was anything) but this wasn’t helping.

“I’m disowning you all,” Mollie grumbled, “not you Michelle. As always, you’re an angel.”

Her brother’s wife just beamed. “If John doesn’t want to sleep on the sofa tonight, he’ll stop.”

What an angel she was indeed.

Her dad tactfully changed the topic to his upcoming fly fishing trip, finally giving Mollie some peace, but she was lost in her head from there on out, Michelle just filling up her wine glass in solidarity. By the time John and Michelle went home, Mollie had drunk a couple of glasses too many to safely drive home, so she crashed in her childhood bedroom, her mom thrilled that she got to fuss over her for another day.

Her dad promised to make her a hearty breakfast.

While she got ready for bed, doing her usual skincare routine after she changed, Mollie finally let herself embrace her thoughts. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, John’s teasing had gotten under her skin.

It’s been different this year and you know it.

Because it had been different this year. This summer had been full of all of this tension that hadn’t been there before that she didn’t know what to do with. This was her and Tyson. If she couldn’t figure out what it all meant to her, then where did that leave them?

Oh.

Oh no.

John was right. He’d been right all along. It was different this year. Everything with Tyson had felt different this year, the flirty teasing, the innocent touches, the way her heart had skipped at his smile. But why? What had changed?

And what could she do about it?

Tyson had never said anything to her about being more than friends in all of their years of knowing each other, not even as a joke in passing. There’d never been a moment like that almost moment before the barbecue the other day. There’d never been anything that had flared Mollie’s feelings into a tailspin like this, but now? Now she didn’t know what to think.

Breathe. Take a moment.

Mollie inhaled shakily, running her trembling hands through her chestnut hair. It was like a dam had burst, her emotions rushing over like a tidal wave, her heart racing and her breathing getting ragged. This had changed everything. How could she not think about Tyson differently now that the floodgates had opened? How could she ignore that he was her everything now that she’d admitted it to herself? What the hell was she supposed to do now?

“Mollie? Is everything alright?”

Mollie snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of her mom’s voice through the door, clearly having seen her light was still on. Damn it. Damn it damn it damn it.

“Yeah mom, just doing some yoga!” Mollie called back, hoping that the lie wasn’t too obvious, that her voice wasn’t too shaky.

“Alright sweetheart, get some rest! I’ll see you in the morning,”

Mollie just squeezed her eyes shut tightly, balling her fists at her sides as she curled up under her duvet. This wasn’t fair. All these years she’d maintained an amazing friendship with Tyson, a constant steadiness that she cherished, but now…could it really stay the same? Could she stay the same, knowing her feelings were actually real, when he didn’t feel the same? Could she pretend to be normal?

Could they even stay friends?

At the lake, unbeknown to Mollie, Tyson was going through his own emotional turmoil, sitting with Dante and Mat in the living area of his cabin.

“What’s going on with you and Mollie?”

“It feels different this year,” was all Tyson could offer to Dante’s question.

“Different…how?” Dante frowned.

Tyson sighed, running a hand over his face, missing the look that his friends exchanged.

“Tys, seriously. You and Mollie have always been so close, and yeah we tease you about it…but has something happened?” Mat said softly.

“I don’t know. There have been some moments. Like, emotionally-charged moments. That first weekend when we first saw each other again, she was wearing this tiny red bikini and she just looked so carefree and beautiful and so goddamn hot that it completely blew past all my defences. I couldn’t help but flirting and she flirted back. Talking to her felt like my heart was clenching and there was something in her eyes that said it wasn’t just me. And the other day at the barbecue, I just…I don’t know. We almost kissed and then she basically ran away,” Tyson said miserably.

Mat laughed softly, making Tyson whine in protest.

“This isn’t funny!”

“Oh it’s kinda funny. Why is it that everyone can see the connection between you two other than you?” Mat mused.

“We’re just friends. That’s all she wants, clearly,” Tyson sighed.

“That’s all she wants? Are you saying that you want more?” Dante asked, grinning.

Tyson just whined again at his friend’s excitement, dropping his head to rest in his hands. He couldn’t deny it, not any more. Not now that things felt so different, so…new. How could he?

“So you’re admitting that you like her. Finally. Are you sure that friendship is all Mollie wants? Have you even said anything?” Mat asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Why would I say anything?!” Tyson yelped, lifting his head up again.

Was Mat crazy?

Both Mat and Dante rolled their eyes. “You literally said that it wasn’t just you that had that emotionally charged moment,” Mat pointed out.

“I know but…”

“If there’s another moment like that, why don’t you just take a chance?” Dante interrupted, before Tyson could spiral into a panic, “if things are stressing you out this much, then maybe she’s feeling the same.”

Tyson bit his bottom lip, contemplating his friend’s words. Could he really do that?

Mat sighed, seeing Tyson’s hesitation. “Look, bud, you never know until you try. The friendship that you and Mollie have is so solid – even if things don’t happen between you two, nothing will change that.”

“I guess you’re right. She wouldn’t be weird about it, even if it is just me with feelings,” Tyson murmured.

Mat frowned, opening his mouth to argue, but Dante just elbowed him in the ribs, making him grunt.

“I don’t think it is just you, but yeah, you really should act on this, before you get too in your head about things. I know it’s scary and I know that you’ve got to take a risk, but I honestly think it’s going to pay off. It’s Mollie, Tys. How can things not?” Dante said warmly.

Mat nodded enthusiastically, making Tyson laugh softly.

“You really think I could take a chance?”

“Absolutely. You’re Tyson fucking Jost – you’ve got this!” Dante grinned.

Tyson smiled weakly, trying to put on a brave face. He wasn’t convinced, not with how much was on the line. Mollie was too important for him to lose. But maybe, just maybe, he could gain even more?

The week went on with Mollie no closer to an answer to what her next steps should be. At least Tyson was a little more relaxed around her, offering her genuine smiles rather than the awkward ones he’d been giving her since their almost moment. On Mat and Dante’s penultimate day, Allison arranged for a four jet skis to be sent up to the lake as a surprise, and they all took turns in racing each other on them, no-one getting too drunk to make sure they stayed safe.

After a few races on the jet ski, Mollie took a break, letting Louis take over to race Bryony, Mat and Dante, while Michael cheered them on and took photos. She could see her phone lighting up with jealous messages from Allison and Chase – FOMO was a bitch – so she could already predict that Allison would be extending their rental until after the full weekend had passed so she could have a go herself.

Mollie headed back out of the cabin with a book, a bottle of water, and some sunscreen, ready to relax for a little while now that she’d pulled some shorts back on, only to see Tyson already sitting where she had been planning to sit. Maybe it was fate. Maybe this was the time they needed, apart from the others. Maybe this was a sign.

Then again, Tyson had been fairly quiet today so far, letting Mat and Dante take the reins in conversation.

“Hey Tys. Mind if I join you?”

He jolted, looking up at her like she’d surprised him, making her frown slightly.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Sure.”

Okay, not quite the reaction she’d been expecting. Even for him, this was weird. Still, she sat down in the chair next to him, reapplying her sunscreen before opening up her book. But the way that Tyson was sitting silently next to her, just staring out at the lake, was unsettling.

“Is everything okay?” she murmured, putting her bookmark in her book.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

His answer was so short, almost distant, unlike any way he’d ever spoken to her, and it hurt a little to hear that tone in his voice. Maybe she was just missing something, but him brushing her off like that on top of all of her emotional turmoil lately was just enough to make tears spring to her eyes.

It was all she could do to swallow heavily to keep her composure, and she stood up, dropping her book on her chair.

“Where are you going?” Tyson frowned.

“I don’t know. Just need to clear my head, I guess,” Mollie shrugged, attempting to keep her voice light.

“Can I come with you?” Tyson blurted.

That would be the opposite of helpful right now. But when he looked at her so hopefully, how could she say no? Maybe he’d actually open up, and his attitude was all a big misunderstanding? She could only hope. She couldn’t take him pulling away from her, if that’s what this was.

No, she had to have hope.

With a quick glance over her shoulder to check that their friends were all occupied, Mollie started to walk in the opposite direction down the lake front, knowing that Tyson would be following her. She wandered, a little aimlessly, trying to clear her head as she’d said to him, but nothing helped knowing that it was his footsteps following her.

Eventually she slowed to a stop at a little cove, ducking into it to get out of the harsh light of the sun, and Tyson stopped next to her, offering her a small smile. She had to return it – this was the place they’d dubbed ‘their spot’ after all. Back in Tyson’s first summer, she’d found him here after a difficult training session, full of frustration and homesickness, and it had been one of the things that bonded them so quickly. She’d never told anyone about this place, that it was hers and Tyson’s. Mollie hadn’t intended to come here, but clearly her subconscious had other plans.

Tyson took a step towards her, slipping slightly on a rock, and Mollie’s hands darted out to stead him, Tyson clinging to her forearms as he regained his balance. It was only when she laughed and looked back up at him that she realised they were standing so close that she could count his eyelashes, and she froze.

No, no she couldn’t do this. She needed less drama, less intensity, less…

“Mollie,” Tyson murmured, voice breathy.

“Tys, I…I can’t,” she choked.

Her head was swirling as she jerked out of his grip, trying not to slip herself as she stepped past him, but Tyson grabbed her hand to stop her leaving.

“Mollie, please don’t go! Just listen to me!” Tyson begged.

The desperation in his voice made her stop in her tracks. She closed her eyes, keeping her back to him as she tried to control her racing heartbeat, jumping slightly as his hand move to touch her shoulder. Against her better judgement, with a gentle squeeze of his hand, she turned back around to face him, biting her lip at the devastation in his face.

“Tys,” she whispered, a little helplessly.

He’d never looked at her like that before, like she had the power to destroy him completely. She wasn’t sure if she liked it.

“Mollie, sweetheart…”

Sweetheart. He trailed off at her whimper, running a shaky hand through his unruly curls before he looked into her eyes with such determination that butterflies erupted in her stomach.

“You’ve got to know how much I like you, Mollie. Seriously. You’re one of the only people I keep in touch with from home, one of the only true friends I can count on, and you know how much our friendship means to me. But you’ve got to know how our friendship has evolved. It’s…more now, right? You feel it too?”

Mollie’s breath caught in her throat. He…what?

How much I like you.

How much our friendship means to me.

Our friendship has evolved.

You feel it too?

“Please. Say something,” Tyson begged.

How could she deny him that? After everything she started admitting to herself? She closed her eyes, swallowing heavily, only opening them when her heart cracked open a little. If he could be honest, as much of a dream as it felt, then so could she.

“I do feel it, Tys. I just…I didn’t let myself hope that you felt the same,” she whispered.

There it was. She’d finally said the words out loud. Tyson let out a wounded noise, low and sad, but Mollie didn’t say anything. What else could she say without losing all composure?

“I’ve liked you for so long, Molls. I just never let myself act on it because I didn’t think you felt the same. But now…”

Tyson trailed off again into nothing, letting out a whoosh of breath. The hope and wonder in his voice sent a thrill through Mollie’s body, her heart beating a little bit faster. Tyson liked her. He really liked her! And she’d told him how she felt about him too? She’d never thought this moment would actually happen. Definitely not since her emotional realisation a few evenings ago. But now that it was? It felt mindblowing. Was this really happening?

But there was still that niggle of doubt she couldn’t deny. So Mollie gathered her thoughts while Tyson stayed silent, hoping they wouldn’t bite her in the ass.

“I can’t do this if it’s just for the summer,” Mollie blurted, “I can’t be only a fling for you, Tyson. I wouldn’t be able to cope with that. Not with you.”

Tyson quickly shook his head, reaching out to clasp both of her hands in his, making her gasp softly at the warmth in his grip.

“You could never be a fling. This is the real deal between us, Mollie. I know it is. You know it is,” Tyson said firmly.

Mollie just nodded, choking out a laugh, unable to stop the tears welling up in her eyes as she smiled at him, earning a hopeful smile back. He was right. Deep down, no matter how her insecurities whispered, she knew that their friendship meant a solid foundation. It wasn’t a temporary wavering summer-fun. It was…everything.

“So what are you saying?” Mollie murmured, trying to blink away the tears.

Was this really happening?

“Will you be my girl?” Tyson asked, his voice full of hope.

Mollie choked a laugh, her voice thick with the tears that wouldn’t leave. “Yeah, Tys. I’ll be your girl,”

Tyson let out a whoop, throwing his head back, making Mollie laugh again. What a ridiculous guy. She liked him so much. He rested his forehead against hers, one hand rising to cup her cheek, making her inhale sharply as his eyes went more serious.

“Can I kiss you now? Finally?”

Mollie tilted her head up to press her lips to his in answer.

Being with Tyson was easy, easier than Mollie could’ve ever imagined. Somehow that transition from friends to boyfriend and girlfriend was seamless, with not even a little awkwardness like she’d feared there would’ve been. She attributed that to Tyson mainly though – he was such a driving force of happiness, and now that she’d allowed herself to feel all those thoughts she’d subconsciously pushed down before, it was like everything had clicked into place. It was almost like it was fate.

Fate that she was seizing with both hands and never letting go.

The moment that they’d returned to the cabins from the cove, Dante had taken one look at them and demanded Mat to ‘pay up’. Bryony had immediately pulled out her phone, typing away furiously, until she groaned and admitted that Allison had won their pool. Tyson had just laughed when he realised that everyone had been betting on the two of them, Mollie hiding her face in his chest with a groan. Somehow she wasn’t surprised – it was their friends after all – but that didn’t make her feel any better in the moment.

Nor did John’s smug texts – Michelle’s happy ones soothed that a little. She wasn’t surprised either when Tyson came to her after the weekend and admitted that John had given him a shovel talk in private, one that he refused to share the details of (so she knew it had to be violent), but when she’d texted John to berate him, all her brother said was that he approved and that Tyson was a good guy.

That much she knew already, thank you very much.

The rest of their summer raced by. After Mat and Dante left, JT stayed for two weeks, just as thrilled for them as Tyson’s other friends had been (especially since he won the bet he had with Alex Kerfoot about them). After JT left, Kacey and Tyson’s mom came up to stay for a week, and their genuine heartfelt welcome to the family talks left Mollie more emotional than ever, Tyson just smiling with watery eyes (that he later denied).

And obviously her parents were thrilled, Tyson being dragged down to a couple of family dinner over the remaining six weeks of summer, in between his intense workouts, getting him ready for the upcoming season.

But those six weeks flew by faster than Mollie anticipated, the end of summer drawing closer, and Tyson only had few weeks before he needed to get back to Buffalo for training camp. His time at his cabin had come to an end, as had Mollie’s, so he’d come to stay at her apartment with her while he figured out what he wanted to for his remaining time.

The more time Mollie could spend with him, the better, so she wasn’t going to complain. Especially if it meant waking up in Tyson's arms in the mornings. Even if it meant Tyson watching her with adoring expressions as she shuffled through old lesson plans to see which she could spruce up ahead of the upcoming school year.

A few days into them living in her apartment together though, Tyson made breakfast for them both and sat down opposite her with a serious expression on his face, making her a little nervous. They ate mostly in silence, the radio playing in the background, and it wasn’t until he’d put their plates in the sink that Tyson was ready to talk.

“Everything’s been so good between us, right?” he blurted.

The nervous expression on his face made her heart twinge, and not in a fun way.

“It has for me?” she offered, wincing.

“It has for me too, I promise,” he said quickly, taking the edge off her anxiety, “I just…I’ve been thinking a lot. About our future. Where we could end up. Where I want our relationship to end up.”

She tried valiantly to ignore how her heart started beating a little faster.

“What have you been thinking?” she prompted, hoping her voice didn’t sound too shaky.

“I don’t know where I’m going to end up with hockey in the future. The Avs didn’t want me, it didn’t work out with the Wild, and who knows where I’ll be after this coming year with the Sabres after all the up and down this past season. I don’t know where I’ll be playing or what city I’ll be in, but…will you come with me?”

Mollie’s jaw dropped slightly, her breath catching in her throat. He wanted her to go with him? To leave Kelowna? Tyson saw her shock and immediately reached across the island counter to take both of her hands in his, desperate to ground her as he knew she needed.

“I know this is fast, or at least it would be by normal relationship standards, but with how long we’ve known each other and with how right this feels…I just can’t bear the thought of another 9 months without you. Especially not in Buffalo,” Tyson said, his eyes wide and honest.

Go with Tyson? Uproot everything she’d ever known, move away from all her friends, her job, her life?

“Tyson, I…”

She trailed off, biting her lip, unsure of how to continue as her thoughts swirled. But as soon as she did, she noticed how Tyson’s shoulders slumped slightly, his grip on her hands going limp.

“No, you’re right. It’s too soon, isn’t it? I couldn’t ask you to give up your whole life, just like that, that's not fair on you,” Tyson sighed, finally dropping her hands.

Her breath caught in her throat at the defeat in his eyes. That, more than anything else, she hated. How he second guessed himself? His lack of self confidence? That devastation, it just wasn’t right. So Mollie shook her head, taking his hands back in hers.

“Tys, I need a moment to process, yeah?”

He nodded, a glimmer of hope entering his eyes again, making her smile slightly. Mollie huffed out a breath, running her thumbs over his knuckles, as she tried to process his words. Moving with Tyson – moving in with Tyson fully – would change everything. It would be the biggest step she’d ever taken with a relationship, but with Tyson it would be…

“Tell me what’s going through your mind,” Tyson begged, interrupting her flow.

“You just can’t stand the silence huh,” she teased, unable to resist.

“You know I can’t,” he laughed.

But the laugh was strained, making her sigh. Time to be honest.

“I guess…the main thing going through my mind is that this is such a big step,” she admitted.

“Yeah it is. But it’s also exciting? And I wouldn’t have asked you if I wasn’t sure it would work,” Tyson said honestly.

She couldn’t help but blush slightly. The fact that he was so certain about their relationship was refreshing. And she knew that Tyson always put his whole heart into everything, which was exciting - no-one else had ever had this conviction.

“What about my job? My friends? My family? And a visa? I’ve never even left BC, you know I haven’t,” Mollie prompted, going through all her doubts.

Tyson tilted his head back slightly, averting his eyes as he chewed his lip, clearly deep in thought. She couldn’t help but smile – he really was putting so much effort into this.

“I know you love teaching, even though the school you’re at right now has terrible parents…but I know you’d also smash any teaching job in any place, so I think that part is solvable? Family and friends though…that’s the big sacrifice. And I know, because it sucks leaving mine at the end of every summer. It’s sucked leaving you at the end of every summer, even though we were only ever just friends before. I don’t want to leave you again, but I understand if only seeing everyone else a few times a year outside of summer is a deal breaker,” Tyson sighed, “The visa thing I can work out with my agent, so that shouldn’t be an issue. And I know that you haven’t ever left BC – but there’s so much of the world I want to show you, even if that starts with Buffalo.”

Mollie huffed out a breath at his words, knowing he was speaking from the heart. But what should she do? Tyson watched the frustration play out across her face and smiled sadly, squeezing her hands in comfort.

“Hey, whatever you decide, just know that it won’t change how much I love you, yeah?” he said softly.

He loves her? Of all the times to drop that declaration, so simple and sweet. How could her heart not sing at that?

“My god, Tys, I love you too. So much. And you’re right, it would suck to watch you leave again because everything is so different this year. I finally have you and to lose you?”

Mollie frowned, shaking her head as she cut herself off. How could she let him go?

Tyson saw the change in her expression, a wide smile spreading across his lips. “So…?” he asked hopefully.

She laughed at his prompting, and squeezed his hands back.

“Yeah, Tyson, I’m willing to try this, to try us,” Mollie nodded, smiling, “I’ll move with you, to Buffalo, and then wherever you go after that.”

Tyson whooped and stood up from his chair, making her laugh again as he ran around to her side of the island, which quickly turned into a squeal as he threw his arms around her and picked her up to spin her in a circle. The joy in his face was just pure happiness, and Mollie knew right then that she’d made the right decision.

“I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us,” Tyson grinned, resting his forehead against hers.

There was so much to think about, with moving, with getting a visa, with her job, with her apartment in Kelowna. But a future with Tyson? That was all Mollie wanted - and she couldn’t wait to see what the future held for them either.

#my writing #tyson jost fic #summer days pass me by #tyson jost imagine #tyson jost fanfic #tyson jost x oc #nhl fic #nhl imagine #hockey fic #hockey imagine

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holy-puckslibrary · 6 months

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here's everything i published in the month of OCTOBER.

˗ˏˋ main masterlist ˎˊ˗

★ THE ONE (18+)

pairing — fwb!ANDREI SVECHNIKOV x reader wc — 8k synopsis — the reader is andrei's favorite girl, but she isn't his only. for awhile, the arrangement was comfortable. he'd show up whenever he was in town, they'd fuck, and then he'd leave. rinse and repeat. so how will andrei react when their routine comes to a screeching halt?

★ CLANDESTINE (18+)

pairing — dbf!SIDNEY CROSBY x reader wc — 4.5k synopsis — when sidney catches the owner’s daughter hooking up with a rookie during a swanky event, he feels compelled to save an old friend some embarrassment. reminding showing her what a real man can do is just a bonus.

— INAUGURAL SLUMBER PARTY tags: #oct 23 // #lights camera action

★ sharing is caring deets series masterlist

★ thoughts/feelings re: kinktober

★ lucky charm hidden object teaser game

★ re-visiting cameo and the remaster series masterlist

— 1989 (GRACE'S VERSION) tags: #1989 (grace's version) // #1989 (GV)

★ TRACK ONE — OUT OF THE WOODS (quinn hughes) the crush verse masterlist

★ TRACK TWO — THIS LOVE (erik johnson) the nanny verse masterlist

★ TRACK THREE — I KNOW PLACES (sidney crosby) the sugar sugar verse masterlist

→ next month’s round-up

⤑ to my inbox💌

⬸ back to the catalog

⬸ back to the main blog

All of the stories and fantasies written or discussed on this blog by the owner or by followers are purely fictional and are not intended to offend any parties.

©2023 holy-pucks, all rights reserved. I do not give consent for any of my work to be copied, re-posted, or translated here, on Tumblr, or on any other platform. Reproduction of any content from this blog is considered plagiarism.

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ohmyeyesmyeyes · 6 months

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'MARTHA'S IS PRETTY ROMANTIC' MASTERLIST - t. jost

summary: 2 best friends on vacation to martha's vineyard...they might kiss (they will).

warnings: swearing, self-doubt, confused feelings, mat + fictional gf (toni) meddling

PROLOGUE (15/12/23)

the sabres host an end-of-season meal and tyson's not himself; some good-natured concern for a friend goes a long way...to martha's vineyard.

CHAPTER ONE - COMPLICATED? (23/12/23)

the vacation at martha's kicks off in full swing, but one comment that apparently came from tyson's mouth not only sends your mind spinning, but throws your entire focus out of whack (+neon dinosaur undies)

CHAPTER TWO: JEALOUSY, JEALOUSY (18/01/24)

a lot can happen over two days, but the stand-out event just had to be that time you went to that restaurant and discovered that you didn't really enjoy seeing tyson flirt with other people. also: who the fuck is jamie?

CHAPTER THREE: THE HEART WANTS WHAT THE HEART WANTS (6/3/24)

“If you haven’t understood by now that I like you as more than a friend, then I don’t even think I can help you to understand what’s going on.”

#tyson jost oneshot #tyson jost x reader #tyson jost imagine #nhl imagine #nhl fic #nhl oneshot #hockey fic #martha's is pretty romantic masterlist

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butgilinsky · 10 months

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i should’ve fought harder | tj

warning; language, mentions of drinking, mentions of violence (its hockey babe)

summary; What happens when you both find out that your messy breakup was the biggest mistake of all?

word count; 5k+

this is for @typical-simplelove as a part of @wyattjohnston summer fic exchange💓i hope you enjoy it bb

You’d be lying if you said you cut him off entirely after that night. It was nearly impossible to cut him out of your life after all you’d gone through together. Sure, it only spanned over a year in all actuality, but it felt like you had spent an entire lifetime by his side. Now you were expected to do a complete 180 and pretend like none of that ever happened? It didn’t feel possible.

You’d also be lying if you said you wanted to cut him out of your life. You weren’t the one that wanted to end things in the first place. You tried to work through all of your differences, tried to work through the different lives the two of you led. You tried everything you could possibly think of, but none of it was enough to save the life you’d built with Tyson.

It also didn’t help that you had heavily intertwined your lives before breaking things off. You were one of the first things that grounded him in New York. Too many nights were spent with him expressing gratitude for your presence helping him adjust. Despite your many reminders that he had friends on the island and in the city, his appreciation was always given to you.

You still got questions about him, despite all of your friends knowing that you weren’t together anymore. It didn’t matter that the break up was messy, nothing was enough to get people to stop asking. It probably didn’t help that you still hung out with mutual friends.

He experienced the same thing to a certain degree. It was a weak spot for him. His teammates only used it as fuel when he was having an off day. He'd never admit it, but it was the one thing that really set him off when he was on the ice.

He was always able to step away from his personal life when he was on the ice. He used to be the best at it, but with the newfound ammo, there was something that would set off Tyson Jost every single time.

It's not like he advertised it, telling every other team in the league that the only thing they had to do to rile him up was mention your name. Once one person caught on, it felt like every hockey player in North America knew about the boy’s soft spot.

He'd gotten into two fights this week alone, which wasn’t like him. It might have been more than two if Jeff hadn’t been there to talk him down from the ledge on more than one occasion.

He didn’t know you still watched his games. In fact, he thought you’d rather drop dead than show up to another hockey game. He didn’t know that you’d asked Jeff to get you into the first few games after the breakup, since you’d sworn the winger to secrecy each time he helped you.

Eventually you resorted to watching their games in your living room, wrapped in the last sweatshirt he left at your apartment, a bottle of wine sitting on the coffee table at the ready. You didn’t even bother to pull out a glass.

The first fight, although confusing, was written off by you initially. He played hockey, fighting was practically inevitable. It wasn’t a part of his game usually, he wasn’t the most violent player, especially in New York. The second fight of the week, however, raised some concern in your chest.

Jeff had texted you after both games, assuring you he was okay and that the game just got the better of him. You weren’t sure it was true but appreciated the sentiment anyways. Tyson had been on edge for weeks, but Jeff wasn’t going to tell you that. He didn’t think it would do either of you any good.

Then there was the night that he was on the end of a nasty hit, one that had him hunched over on the ice for longer than anyone wished he’d been, gripping onto both sides of his head after violently ripping off his helmet.

You were at work, hand over your mouth as you stood at the bar, frozen in place. There was a tray of drinks sitting in front of you, getting warmer with every passing second, but you couldn’t move.

“Y/n.” Reyna, your best friend at work, gripped your elbow gently to tear your focus away from the screen. “I'll take these. You go check your phone.”

You mumbled the table number to her quickly before flying to the back room, fishing your phone out of your bag quickly and trying to think about how to go about this.

You couldn’t call him. He'd be confused at best. He probably wouldn’t answer. You couldn’t call Jeff, he was still on the ice. In fact, every other person you thought of calling was out on the ice. Even Mat was in the middle of a game. You’d have to wait for intermission.

So you texted Jeff, knowing you wouldn’t get a response quick enough, but figuring it was better than any other option you had.

i’m at work, but i saw the hit. just please tell me he’s okay.

You had to go back out and clear the rest of your tables. It weighed heavily on your chest for the rest of your shift. Two more grueling hours had passed by, and when Tyson never came back out onto the ice, you knew something was wrong.

You lunged for your phone after clocking out, ripping it out of your bag and fumbling to punch in your passcode.

minor concussion, massive migraine. he’ll be alright, but he’s out for a few weeks.

You pinched the bridge of your nose, sighing heavily both out of relief and in slight distress.

You remembered a time where you’d spend nights running your fingers through his hair gently, massaging and softly scratching at his scalp to soothe his migraines. You’d sit in the dark for hours, barely even speaking while soft music filled the room.

His head would sit in your lap or on your chest, your nails running up and down the span of his back. Then there were the days where he was so sore he could barely move. You’d spend hours rubbing out knots from his muscles and doing anything you could think of to help him relax.

You couldn’t do any of that anymore. It wasn’t your job anymore.

You thought it would get easier. You thought that it would get worse before it got better, but as weeks turned into months, you began to realize that things may never get better. You couldn’t let go of him.

His words would replay over and over again in your mind, a loop that had no ending, it seemed.

“I’m tired of fighting, Tys.” you sighed, your shoulders slumping as you watched him lean back into the couch.

“Maybe if you didn’t stick your nose in my business all the time, we wouldn’t have to fight.” He lifted the hat off of his head and ran his fingers through his hair, not missing the way your eyes followed his hand before he placed the hat back onto his head.

“I'm sticking my nose in your business? You haven’t spoken to me in almost three weeks!” your voice raised again, earning a guttural groan for the boy as he rose to his feet, standing just above you.

“Talking to you is exhausting sometimes.” His voice was calmer than yours, and he didn’t have the same wall of tears built up in his eyes that you did. He was angry at you for whatever reason and your heart was breaking. This might be the final nail in the coffin of your relationship.

Your bottom lip wobbled as you looked down at your feet, feeling him brush past you as he headed towards his bedroom. There wasn’t a single touch or glance as he hurried by.

“I don't think this is working out.” you shook your head, sniffling in an attempt to suppress the tears that threatened to spill over.

“You don’t mean that-”

“Yes, I do. What don’t you understand, Y/n? I don't want to be with you anymore. I don't want to deal with this shit anymore.” The venom dripping from his voice was hard to shake off. He never sounded like that with you. Disbelief flooded your senses as you stared at a boy you weren’t even sure you recognized anymore. “Just go, y/n.”

“Tyson, please-”

“Just get the fuck out, y/n!”

It seemed like a bad dream every time it replayed in your mind. The way he slammed the door shut behind you. The way he waited two weeks to call you, only in search of a sense of comfort that he knew you’d be willing to give him.

You ended up in Tyson’s bed three times after that, each one breaking your heart even further as you neared the realization that he wasn’t going to change his mind. It was a hard pill to swallow, and the void was still a large hole in your chest, but you had come to the understanding that you and Tyson needed to be separated in order to get through this.

He returned back to the ice as soon as he was cleared to play, throwing himself into it more than he ever had before. He barely talked to anyone outside of the team, and people were running out of ways to reach out to him.

The first time the two of you ended up in the same room together was completely accidental. Tyson had made sure he didn’t end up at your restaurant on nights out, always too scared that you’d be working the same night. even on days he knew you never worked, he didn't risk it.

You let your friends pick the bar that night, which seemed to be a mistake now. You should’ve just picked one. You would’ve picked one you knew he never went to. But as your luck ran out, you found yourself pressed against the bar, flagging down the bartender when a hand landed on your back.

You turned over your shoulder, not being able to stop the wide grin that spread across your lips. You threw your arms around Mat’s neck, hugging him tightly and listening to him chuckle beside your ear.

“Haven’t seen you in a while.” Though you hadn’t seen him in a few months, you had heard from him just last week.

“I know.” You stopped yourself from scanning the bar over his shoulder and settled on letting your eyes settle on the boy in front of you.

Mat and Jeff were two of the only mutual friends you shared that still reached out. The rest of the sabres had taken obvious sides to “keep the peace”. Jeff knew you better than they had so it was difficult for him to cut you out. Especially when he knew how your brain worked when you were alone. He knew you needed some line of connection to Tys.

Mat’s situation was a little easier. Though New York wasn’t all that large, being on a different team made it easier for Mat to separate you from Tyson in his mind. It wasn’t often that he saw Tyson between their schedules, and he’d never stop pointing out the obvious.

Mat introduced the two of you when Tyson moved to Buffalo. He knew he needed good people around him after his hectic years since Colorado. You l didn’t live far from Tyson, and Mat’s raving review of your restaurant put the final stamp of approval on it all.

“You can ask, you know?” you shook your head, chewing on your bottom lip nervously.

“I don't need to ask, Jeff. I know he’s here, and I know that he probably knows that I'm here. It’s not like I can ban him from stepping foot into the same building as me.” Even if you wished you could. Your head snapping back to the bartender as he sets four cups on the counter in front of you.

You reached for your wallet just as your wrist was caught in Jeff’s grip. He told the bartender to put it on his tab that he had started not too long ago. You thanked him and he waved you off quickly.

“How is he?” Your curiosity got the best of you, seeing as you hadn’t spoken to Tyson in so long that you weren’t sure how he was truly doing off the ice.

“Awful.” Jeff offered you a sad smile, letting a heavy sigh pass his lips. “He fucked up, y/n. Maybe beyond repair, but he hasn’t been the same since the two of you split.”

You took a sip of your drink, hoping that the alcohol would wash away the nerves growing in your chest. You knew Tyson had at least some regret from the way things ended. You had drunk voicemails to prove it. That didn’t mean you were ready to jump back into something that ended the way it did. Part of you never believed it was entirely genuine.

“I have to go back to my table, but it was nice to see you, sunshine” he nodded, letting you wander off with one last smile.

You flung yourself into the empty seat at your table once you returned, throwing your head back against the wall as you let out a heavy sigh. It caught the attention of your friends, who were quick to ask what was wrong before you heard a gasp from beside you.

“Out of all the bars in the fucking city?” you nodded, following her line of sight only to be filled with instant regret.

He was laughing, a wide grin on his lips as his head tilted back ever so slightly. You felt your stomach twist, nausea mixing with nostalgia as you longed to hear the sound he was creating.

“Drink this.” you turned to your friends, head slightly foggy as you pulled yourself out of your current headspace.

You don’t know when they got shots, but you were quick to throw one back, and one more before Selena was gripping onto your hand and pulling you out of your chair.

You could barely hear the song, just feeling the bass in your hips that moved sensually. You laughed loudly at your friends around you, pressing themselves against you in an attempt to distract you. It had been slightly successful and you almost forgot about the boy’s presence at the bar.

You hadn’t thought much of it as you told your friends you’d be back after a bathroom break. They stayed in the middle of the crowd, though they did keep their eyes on you as you slipped into the hallway with the bathrooms.

When you walked out, wiping the excess water off onto your jeans, you almost ran right into someone, eye level with their chest as you almost sputtered out an apology.

Almost.

Your breath caught in your throat at the sight of him, right in front of you for the first time in months. He clearly didn’t know what to say anymore than you did, because it took a minute for you to spit out a coherent thought.

“Hi.” you spoke softly, wanting nothing more than to kick yourself for being such an idiot.

“Hi.” his voice was just as soft, barely reaching your ears over the loud music.

You froze then, your mind void of all thoughts you previously had. You didn’t know what to say, and you didn’t know if you should say anything. You hadn’t spoken to him in months, what were you supposed to say now?

“Y/n, listen-”

“Y/n!” you turned to the sound of your name being called, eyes landing on selena who stood at the other end of the hallway with hands on her hips. “We ordered shots!”

Selena knew what she was doing, and you and Tyson both knew that. She wasn’t trying to be all that discrete, her eyes burning holes into the side of Tyson’s head as she silently tested him. She expected Tyson to try to fight back against her, fight to keep you in front of him for just a moment longer, but he didn’t.

You nodded, glancing at Tyson one last time before walking towards your friends and grabbing your savior’s outstretched hand. You squeezed it softly, thanking her for helping you once you were out of earshot.

You probably had three more shots before the boys saw you again. You were level headed enough to walk, but your filter had completely left you as you let your muscles finally relax.

Your night had taken a turn for the better until you felt an unfamiliar set of hands land on your hips, gripping you tighter than you wanted to be held. You turned over your shoulder, moving out of the grip of the man you were unfamiliar with.

“What's wrong, gorgeous?” you rolled your eyes, annoyed with the fact that he felt entitled to a reason why you didn’t want his hands on you.

“Don’t touch me.” you shouted over the music, turning back around towards your friends when you felt his hand back on you.

This time his hands were off of you before you had even moved, confusion flooding your system as you turned around. You were drained of any intoxication you currently felt as you jumped to pull Tyson back, not wanting him to get caught in a bar fight just after he returned to the league.

“Tys, stop.” you moved in front of him, your hands flat on his chest to keep him away from the other guy. His nostrils flared in anger, his eyes not even looking down at you as he looked over you to glare harshly at the guy behind you.

“You can’t get into a fight right now. You just made it back to the league.” his eyes snapped down to you then, his face draining of any anger he previously felt as a soft smirk inched up his lips.

“You’re keeping tabs on me?” you rolled your eyes then, huffing in newfound annoyance as you dropped your hands from their place on his chest.

You took a step towards your table, only to be pulled into a familiar pair of arms. you avoided his eyes until he brought a hand underneath your chin, tilting your head back far enough to look up at him.

“Come home with me.” you sighed softly, eyes fluttering shut when his hand moved from your chin to your cheek.

He smiled when you leaned into his palm, pressing a soft kiss to the heel of his hand before looking back at him. The phrase of denial sat on the tip of your tongue, threatening to fall past your lips despite you wanting to give in more than anything.

You looked over his shoulder, catching sight of your friends who had different expressions adorning their faces. Selena clicked her tongue in disapproval, shaking her head gently at you and watching your shoulders slump in defeat.

“I can't.” you pulled his hand away from your face slowly before walking past him, towards your friends but not stopping to address them.

You gathered your things from your table and grabbed your card from the bar before walking out of the bar, leaving your friends and Tyson back in the bar behind you.

You shouldn’t have been all that surprised when he ended up in your restaurant just a week after that, letting profanities slip underneath your breath when Reyna gave you the heads up that they were in your section.

She offered to take their table, but you told her you had it under control. Besides, it’s not like he came alone.

You couldn’t help but smile when they clapped at the sight of you. The loud interruption wasn’t all that surprising for the tables around them, given that it was a sports bar in New York. There were always people screaming and clapping from tables.

Tyson sat in the aisle seat, which you noticed within seconds of seeing their table. Jeff sat beside him, offering a warm smile when you finally reached the table. Mat and Anthony sat across from them, and you noticed another table of hockey players just beside them, another table in your section.

“What did I do to land all of you guys in my section?” Your smile was refreshing for Tyson to see.

He hadn’t been able to get you off his mind for the past however many months, but the last week was brutal. After having you right in front of him, leaning into him like you used to do, he knew there was no going back. Any progress he made, which wasn’t much, was lost the second you pressed a feather soft kiss against his hand.

“We asked for you.” Owen beamed at you from the next booth over, hissing out in pain when Jeff reached over the back of his booth and hit the back of his head.

“You weren’t supposed to tell her that, idiot.” you laughed at the interaction between the boys before your head fell to the side.

“Can I get you drinks?” they all fired numerous drink orders at you, but you took mental note of them before smiling warmly and telling them you’d be back in a minute.

You tended to your other tables as well as theirs, bringing everyone drinks quickly before you stood in front of their table with a pen and a notepad, writing down their orders with ease.

When your eyes landed on Tyson, a corner of your mouth curled up gently.

“Same thing?” he nodded, smiling when you scribbled his order down from memory.

You didn’t notice that every time you’d check on them, you’d set a hand on Tyson's shoulder, the other resting on your hip as you looked over the eight of them. It was usually quick, but Tyson felt a fire underneath his skin every single time.

You had expected him to ask something similar to what he asked you the week before. It shocked you to find two empty tables, multiple checks left on the table with various different messages written across them.

The only thing he left you with was an uneven heart at the bottom and a tip that had your eyes practically popping out of your skull. It was something he jokingly did when you were dating, but that was then, and this was now.

In theory, you should’ve probably called him. You should’ve reached out, even if it was just to scold him about the tip that he left you. He was hoping you’d call, checking his phone every five minutes for the rest of the night while his leg bounced in anticipation, but you never did.

He was disappointed, but he thought that was selfish of him. You didn’t owe him a phone call. He'd broken up with you, after all, and you were the one that made this entire process easier than it should’ve been.

You should’ve screamed, should’ve pushed him away after all he’d put you through. The two of you had ups and downs, riding an emotional roller coaster all the way to the end. but you couldn’t push Tyson away. You couldn’t cut him out even if that had been what you wanted.

You couldn’t get rid of him, and you didn’t want to.

Jeff had practically choked on his drink when you told him you planned on coming to their next home game. He had to drop his phone into his lap in order to finish coughing up a lung, assuring his teammates he was fine and the liquid had just gone down the wrong pipe.

Tyson gave him a hesitant look, not exactly believing that nothing had triggered Jeff’s coughing fit, but didn’t push the subject. If Jeff wanted to keep things from him, he would. There was no breaking that boy once he told himself he’d keep a secret.

Tyson had no idea you were sitting in the crowd. You were a few rows away from the glass, the jersey you’d usually wear still stuffed in the back of your closet. The hoodie you wore, however, did have the familiar logo on the front of it, with the same name and number that you used to wear every other night draped across your back.

It wasn't until he had scored a goal with two minutes left in third period, screaming at the top of his lungs and skating around the back of the net that he saw you. He stopped dead in his tracks, eyes locked on you even while his teammates tackled him with massive hugs.

Jeff turned to follow his line of sight, smiling widely and waving at you. you waved back, watching Tyson turn towards Jeff and mumble something before the shorter boy shrugged, laughing when Tyson shoved him playfully.

He turned back to you, eyes filled with a slew of emotions you weren’t able to unpack in the short moment. His lips moved, mouthing a desperate ‘please don’t leave’. You nodded, assuring him you’d stay put after the last buzzer filled the arena.

You kept good on your promise, staying in your seat even as the people around you filed out of the arena. you expected to wait for a while, given that he’d no doubt have to do a media run before he’d be given the chance to shower and change, so you were surprised when he came barreling down the stairs not even twenty minutes later.

You laughed gently when he almost flew right past you, his momentum making it difficult for him to stop on the right row of seats. He watched you stand up and make the short distance over to him, his jaw dropped and mind reeling too fast to form a coherent thought.

“Hi.” you spoke first, seeing the mental roadblock he was currently facing.

He didn’t know why talking to you right now was so difficult. He has just spoken to you two weeks ago, sitting in your restaurant for hours, and that didn’t seem as daunting as this did. maybe it was because you were wearing his name across your back. maybe it was because this is the first game he’d seen you in months.

Maybe it was because he was still head over heels in love with you.

“Hi.” it came out in a breath, almost like he couldn’t believe that he finally got a single syllable past his lips. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see Skinner.” you shrugged your shoulders, waiting for a second before a wide grin spread across your lips, a similar one finding a home on Tyson’s.

“I thought I’d never see you in here again.” it shouldn’t have knocked the wind out of you, shouldn’t have come as such a surprise.

“Well, here I am.” he nodded, unsure of where to go from here. He didn’t know what this meant, but he was desperate to find out. “Tys-”

“I’m so fucking sorry. About everything I ever said or did that crossed the line. I'm sorry I wasn't the boyfriend you needed me to be, and that I didn't love you hard enough when things went to shit. I’m sorry I fucked it all up, because I swore U wasn’t going to. I told you I was going to be there for you even when it seemed impossible, and I didn't follow through with that and i’m sorry.

“Not a single day passes by that I don't think about you, that I don't miss you. I love you with everything I have and I should've shown you that when we were together, but I didn't. I don’t know how to make up for all of that time, but I need you to know how fucking sorry I am.”

He barely even realized he was rambling, shooting off at the mouth too fast to think about what he was saying. He missed the smile inching up your lips as you listened, letting him get everything off of his chest.

“I should’ve fought harder. I shouldn't have let hockey get in the way of it all. We both had our own shit we were dealing with and instead of trying to help each other through it, I thought isolating myself and shutting you out would make it easier. I was an idiot, y/n, and I know that’s no excuse, but-”

Your hands reached for his head, holding it between your palms and bringing him down to meet you halfway. His lips felt familiar, a sliver of home that you had been missing for months. The rhythm came naturally, moving against each other like you had never been apart to begin with.

You were both slightly out of breath by the time you pulled back, foreheads resting against one another as you both smiled like idiots.

“I love you. I always have, and I always will.” you whispered softly, leaning up to place one more kiss to his lips. This one was softer and shorter, but it was enough to have Tyson’s heart beating at a mile a minute.

“I don’t think I'll ever be able to love another person the way I love you.”

You tilted your head back, just enough to disconnect your foreheads so you could look up at him properly. Your thumb ran across the skin of his cheek, and he leaned into your hand just like you had done at the bar. His lips were soft as they pressed to the pad of your thumb, sending a jolt of electricity down your hand and through your arm.

“Take me home.” you whispered softly, watching his lips turn up in a smile wider than one he’d ever worn before.

“I’ll take you anywhere you want me to.”

#tyson jost #nhl fic #hockey fic #nhl imagine #buffalo sabres #tyson jost x reader #summer fic exchange 2k23

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senditcolton · 5 months

Text

maybe this Christmastime, you'll realize

song inspo: santa doesn't know you like i do word count: 3k warnings: none, just pure holiday fluff (christmas centric)

a/n: i'm back!! and what better way to celebrate the conclusion of my graduate degree by giving you all a barely edited, written last night, self-indulgent fic to feed my delusion of Tyson Jost being madly in love with me. glad to be back and can't wait to write for you all again!!

The heat that blasts from the oven is a welcome sensation, considering that your old apartment often struggled to keep in the warmth from your central heating. You lean in, your oven mitt clad hand reaching and grasping the cookie sheet.

You’d be the first to admit that you weren’t much of a baker. That was never your ‘job’ during holidays with your family. But you figured you would try this year since you wouldn’t have the opportunity to enjoy the homemade goodies your family crafted.

That was the reason you chose to bake cookies. The reason you chose to bake almond butter cookies was because of someone else. Someone who also wasn’t able to enjoy the comforts of home this year.

As if he could hear your thoughts, a knock echoes through your apartment. You quickly finish transferring the cookies from the still hot baking sheet onto the cooling rack before wiping off your hands and running towards the front door. You swing open the worn wood and you can’t help the smile that tugs at your lips when you see Tyson standing there.

“Hey. Happy Christmas Eve Eve.”

“Is that the official name?” he laughs, walking into your apartment like it was his own. Which considering how often he was over at your place, it might as well be.

“You haven’t seen that episode of Friends?”

“Guess not,” he shrugs, taking off his coat. “Smells nice in here.”

“Thanks. I tried my hand at baking.”

“And you didn’t burn the apartment down?” he smiles and you wish you could stop the way your knees weaken at the sight.

“Ha, ha, very funny,” you laugh, playfully shoving his shoulder. “You better be nice to me or else you won’t get any almond butter cookies.” This time, you didn’t want to stop the trill of your heart at the way his eyes brightened at your words.

“Almond butter?”

“Yeah,” you nod towards the kitchen, a silent invitation for him. He took your encouragement in stride, breezing into the other room and you were thankful that he was out of earshot when you said your next words.

“I made them just for you.”

You did. You also opened your home to him, welcoming him any day during this, the week of Christmas. But that was just because you didn’t want him to be lonely. That was all. That was the only reason.

It definitely wasn’t because of the crush you had been harboring for him since the first day you met.

No, absolutely not.

You take a deep breath before following Tyson into the kitchen, turning the corner only to find him already munching on a cookie, a grin on his face and some crumbs stuck on his facial hair.

“I know they’re probably not as good as Grandma Jost’s but –” Tyson cuts you off with a gentle call of your name.

“Stop. These are delicious. You did a really good job.”

“Thanks,” you say. It’s only then that you spy the backpack that he carried in with him, one that was now placed on your kitchen table. “What’s that?”

“Oh,” Tyson says, as if he just remembered it himself. You are even more curious when you see the blush spread on his cheeks, the rosy color having nothing to do with the lingering cold from outside. “I need your help.”

“Okay?”

“You mentioned that you were in charge of wrapping presents at your house for the holidays. And I’m really bad at it. I mean, usually I struggle through it or just put everyone’s gifts in bags…”

You gently interrupt his explanation with a laugh of your own, your brain goes over all the gifts Tyson has given you; mostly presented to you in gift bags.

“But since I can’t go home this year, I kind of want to – I don’t know – make more of an effort. Make it more exciting for whenever my family does get their presents. If that makes any sense.”

“That makes perfect sense, Tyson,” you reply. “Sit. Eat your cookies. I’ll get the wrapping paper.”

Only a few short moments pass before you find yourself sitting next to Tyson, wrapping the stockpile of presents he brought over and listening to him talk about anything and everything: details about the gift you were currently wrapping, his shopping adventures, the hockey season so far, friend and family updates, anything. You occasionally interrupt with questions about how he wants the presents decorated but he gives you a lot of creative freedom which you slightly admonish him for.

“Tyson, they should feel like they’re from you.”

“I’ll pick out the bows.”

That was how you continued, your focus on the folds and creases of the paper in front of you while Tyson talked.

You had gone through most of the gift he presented to you, your concentration entirely on the folding and taping that you perfected long ago. Tyson had gone quiet for a moment but you weren’t that concerned as you were still able to hear him rustling around in the bag that held all your bows, finding whatever color he chose for the current gift. You are just about to put the last piece of tape on when you feel Tyson’s fingers gently press against your head.

Your eyes snap back to him, only to see that adorable crooked grin on his face. You are pretty sure you knew what happened and your thoughts are only confirmed as you reach up and feel the paper of the bow pressed onto your hair.

“Is this the one you want for this gift?”

“It looks pretty cute on you,” he says and you once again have to force yourself to take a deep breath before your body acts of its own volition, revealing your feelings in probably the worst way.

“I’m sure it’ll look much better on the present,” you quip, taking it off your hair and replacing the tape before sticking it onto the silver paper. “Ta-da!” You push the present off to the side, adding to the slowly growing pile. “What’s next?”

You turn your attention to Tyson, but this time, he’s the one distracted. His fingers tap against his phone, typing out few quick messages, a small grin appearing on his face occasionally. You wait for a few minutes, just watching him until he feels your gaze and looks up towards you.

“Huh?”

“Which present is next?”

“Oh, last one,” he says, pulling the final gift out of his backpack and handing it to you. “This one is for Kacey.”

“Was that who you were texting?”

“No um, that was Mikayla. She’s this girl I matched with on a dating app a little while ago. We’re just getting last minute details ready before our date tonight.”

His words give you literal pause as your scissors stall on the wrapping paper, your smooth precise cut turning into a jagged edge.

“Tonight?” you ask, your question answered with an affirmative hum from him. You try to act nonchalant, a shrug lifting your shoulders as you attempt to focus back on the task at hand. “Seems a little odd – so close to Christmas.”

“Yeah, but it was the best day for her and I don’t have anywhere else to be, y’know?”

You try not to let his words sting, knowing he doesn’t mean them maliciously. He wasn’t with his family and you were just a friend. He didn’t have any commitments because he wasn’t committed to you. That was the simple truth.

“Yeah, I know,” you say, forcing your attention onto the cherry red wrapping paper in your hands; the one thing you could control. “I think a gold bow would look good on this one.”

“Whatever you say, boss,” Tyson replies, typing out one last quick message before diving back into the bag to find the color you requested.

A few short minutes later, the presents are wrapped and placed back into Tyson’s pack, safe and ready for their return to his apartment. You watched from your couch as his throws his coat over his broad frame before swinging the backpack onto his shoulder.

“If you want, you can always come over tomorrow. I need some help finishing off those cookies,” you playfully tease, trying not to let your heart get too attached to the idea of spending Christmas Eve with him next to you.

“I might take you up on that,” Tyson says, shooting you a gentle smile before opening your door and leaving, the chill sneaking in from the outside and finding a way to wrap around your heart.

You know you had no right to be upset. Tyson wasn’t yours. He didn’t know the way you felt about him and there was no certainty that he would even share your feelings. He might only ever see you as a friend and if that was the case… he should be free to find someone who does love him.

But there was this stubborn part of you that couldn’t imagine anyone else loving Tyson as much as you loved him. You’ve been there through the good and bad. You knew his favorite songs. You knew how to make him laugh. And you would always pick up when he called.

Who else could say that?

You sigh, gently telling yourself that there was nothing you could do about it tonight.

Perhaps Christmas Eve might bring forth some holiday magic. Or maybe you should just throw in the towel, pray for New Year’s to come quickly so you could leave this heartache behind along with the holiday season.

You weren’t sure which to wish for so you just crawled into bed, feeling bluer that ever before as you fell asleep, trying not to think of someone else’s lips pressed against Tyson’s.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The lights in the tree blurred as you try to hold back you tears. You always seemed to cry during the holidays; you never really knew why. It just always came about this time of year. ‘Tis the season, right?

But this year, you could pinpoint the exact person that caused your tears to fall. Tyson Jost. The worst part about it was that it wasn’t even his fault that you were crying. It was all yours.

You woke up after a listless night of sleeping. When you went to check your phone, you hoped to see a message from Tyson but to your disappointment but not surprise, there was no notification on your screen. You managed to roll yourself out from underneath your covers and go about your morning routine before sending a text to him, saying that you hoped his date went well and that the offer to come over tonight was still on the table.

That was over twelve hours ago and all you received was radio silence from him.

Perhaps that is why you found yourself curled up underneath your tree, staring up at the lights in the boughs, trying to push back tears. It was a stupid reason to cry just like it was stupid to fall for your best friend. Stupid to think that he could ever see you as anything more. Stupid to think that maybe this Christmas would be the one where it all changed.

Stupid to spend your money on a new watch, wrap it up for him with a note documenting your feelings in the hope that he would open it tonight, here, underneath your tree while you both ate the cookies you made specifically for him.

Your fingers trace over the silk ribbon, fidgeting with the bow as the minutes tick by, your hope dwindling with them.

The receipt for it was still in your closet in one of your purses. You could return it on Tuesday, pretend like you never had this grand scheme and go back to being friends with Tyson. Give yourself another year to get over him. Maybe next year you finally would.

A heavy sigh escapes you as you spare one last glance down at the parcel in your hands before placing it back underneath the tree with all the other presents that your friends and family had sent to you.

It was a silly idea, an almost childish Christmas dream and now, you had to wake up. Tyson was dating other people and sooner or later, he would find someone who could give him everything you could and possibly more. Perhaps he found her last night and woke up this morning to her curled up in his arms and that feeling of love just struck him and if so, there was nothing you could do and –

The knock on your door startles you out of your spiraling thoughts, your hand hitting a few ornaments hanging down from the branches. You quickly grab them, stabilizing the fragile decor before you lift yourself off the floor, your blanket pooling beneath you before you wander to the front door.

You had no idea who was knocking at this time of night but you must have been too exhausted, both physically and emotionally, to care because you opened the door without a second thought. It took you a minute to fully register the person standing on your doorstep but when you saw those chocolate curls and those big brown eyes, you feel a sense of calm sweep over you.

Tyson always pulled that feeling from you. Even when he showed up unannounced on Christmas Eve.

Although you were happy to see him, the expression on your face was one of confusion. Why was he here, now, without a word of warning, after ignoring you for almost a full 24 hours? You are about to ask those questions but before you could get a word out, Tyson speaks.

“I’m sorry.”

His words catch you off-guard, the meaning behind them not yet clear to you.

“For what?” you ask him. Your breath shallows as he turns his gaze to you and you are struck by the earnestness reflecting in his eyes.

“For not seeing you,” he replies, stepping over the threshold of your apartment and closer to you. “For not seeing how wonderful and amazing and beautiful you are.”

“Wha – what’s happening?” you question, his words sending shockwaves through your body.

“I think a part of me always knew; that you were the one. But I ignored it for whatever reason. Fear, indifference, whatever. But last night, when I was on a date with another girl, all I could think about was you. How you make me laugh, make me smile. Pick me up and encourage me when I’m down. Do silly inconsequential things for me without expecting anything in return.”

Tyson continues to speak, becoming more assured and confident with every word, punctuating each sentence with a step closer to you.

“How you went out of your way to make cookies that remind me of home so I would feel less alone this holiday season. No one else has done anything like that for me.”

You had to be hallucinating or dreaming or something. This felt straight out of goddamn Hallmark movie – it couldn’t be real life. It was a fantasy brought on by sugar and heartache. But when Tyson reaches out to you, gently grasping your hands in his, you can feel the warmth of his touch run through you, warm and as real as it ever was.

“And I realized last night, alone in my bed, that I didn’t need the cookies, the presents, the bows and ribbons to feel like I was home,” Tyson confesses, his voice becoming softer as he pulls you closer. “Whenever I’m with you… that’s when I’m home. You are home to me. And I’m sorry for not being able to tell you sooner. I’m sorry it took this long for me to realize it.”

Tyson silences, looking into your eyes and you know he’s waiting for your answer but you were still trying to fully understand this whole situation. Still trying to wrap your head around the fact that the man in front of you, the man that you had a crush for almost an entire year, just came to your house in the middle of the night and confessed his feelings to you.

Your body slightly jumps at the sound of your front door closing, the breeze pulling it shut but Tyson gently rubs his thumbs over the back of your hands, soothing you. A small jingle of a bell sounds from above you, brought on by the gust of air from the door. The noise pulls both you and Tyson’s attention away from each other towards the ceiling and you feel your cheeks warm at the sight of the green leaves with white berries, tied together with ribbon, hanging above you. The warmth intensifies as Tyson turns his gaze on you once again, that mischievous look in his eyes.

“Mistletoe? Really?”

“It’s tradition,” you mutter, your tongue finally being able to twist itself into words.

“Well, it is Christmas after all. I guess we shouldn’t break tradition,” he grins.

You force yourself to breathe as Tyson leans closer to you, your eyes fluttering shut when you feel his forehead press against yours. You can feel the warmth of his breath fanning over your cheeks but his movements stall and when you don’t feel the gentle press of his lips against yours, you slowly reopen your eyes.

Tyson is still standing there, his lips only mere centimeters away from yours. It’s only then that you realize you’ve never given him a response to his confession. Haven’t yet told him that it was everything that you had been hoping to hear from him. But how could you possibly respond when it didn’t feel like there were words in the English language to describe the depth of your feelings?

The answer was simple.

You respond by lifting yourself up those final inches and pressing your lips against his. You pour every emotion you felt into that kiss and you could feel a piece of you settle when Tyson kissed you back with as much passion.

And you knew that this – wrapped up in Tyson’s arms underneath the mistletoe, his lips against yours – was the best present you could have ever received this year.

#nicole writes #tyson jost fic #tyson jost imagine #tyson jost fluff #buffalo sabres fic #buffalo sabres imagine #nhl fic #nhl imagine #hockey fic #hockey imagine

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comphy-and-cozy · 10 months

Note

🦋anddd could i request prompt 45 with tyson jost as a blurb?? can’t wait for these!!

xoxo love you @fallinallincurls

Prompt: #45 "I'm marrying that sweet son of a bitch."

Pairing: Tyson Jost x Reader

Word Count: ~530

Warnings: Alcohol use and chaos

This is inspired entirely by that video of Mel yelling at Gabe for being an idiot before their wedding (if anyone has it pls send me the link bc I looked for it forever but couldn't find it)

It's a perfect July day. The sun is out, with not a cloud in the sky. Music plays through the speakers, some kind of backyard-BBQ-easy-listening playlist on Spotify that keeps the mood light, fun, ready for a party. Well, an even bigger party than the one you’re at—this is like the pre-party to the pre-party.

You’re getting married this weekend, and to accommodate your friends and family who have traveled from far away to be here for you, your fiancé reserved a large (read: huge) Airbnb for everyone to gather. One thing turned into another, and somehow it’s become the pre-game for the welcome dinner, taking place later tonight. Your entire wedding party is here, along with a few scattered members of each of your families, milling about in the pool, playing cornhole, catching up with one another after a summer apart.

But by the looks of it, and judging by the overflowing bin of empty seltzer cans and beer bottles, this gang might not be making it to the welcome dinner tonight. Barzy, Dante, Kacey, and Jesse are engaged in an intense chicken match, sloshing water across Gabe, who’s shouting complaints about messing up his hair. Beside them, JT’s shirt is off, his shoulders fried, and you’re about to yell at him to put on some sunscreen because the best man can't look like a lobster on the wedding day, when you catch sight of a curly head darting around, zooming by on a children’s tricycle—where did that even come from?

“Tyson, I swear to God, if you break your face, I’m going to kill you,” you shout at him, immediately envisioning him falling over, scraping up his handsome face the before the wedding, leaving your poor photographer to frantically photoshop out the inevitably gruesome skid mark on his face.

But he’s not listening, his eyes set on the ramp that Nate is standing proudly beside. “Babe, watch this!”

You watch in horror as he pedals his legs faster, zooming up the ramp and launching off of it before Nate is tossing a beer at him. Tyson catches it in mid-air, pouring only a small stream into his mouth before he’s flying into the water, the splash sending water whooshing over the edge of the pool. He surfaces a few moments later, shaking the water out of his curls amid loud guffaws and cheers from his mates, shouting, “Tyson! Tyson! Tyson!”

Shaking your head, you laugh, amused at his stupidity, and thankful his little stunt didn't end in a disaster. But then, a moment later, you feel a pair of strong arms lifting you up off the ground and you’re shrieking, arms flailing around. The flash of red hair is the last thing you see before they release you and you’re falling, soon crashing into the water yourself, submerged beneath the rippling pool.

When you rise to the surface, it’s your name that everyone’s chanting, and soon enough, Tyson’s swimming toward you to lift you up in his arms and plant a wet, sloppy kiss on your lips.

Pure happiness and mirth fills your soul, smiling so hard your cheeks hurt, and you can’t help it when you exclaim, “I’m marrying this sweet son of a bitch!”

#tyson jost blurb #tyson jost fic #nhl imagine #hockey fic #tyson jost imagine #c's 1k celly #fallinallincurls #asks

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ilyasorokinn · 2 years

Text

welcome to new york , tyson jost

note, i am sad once again, but not as sad as i was when he was first t-worded to minnesota. as always, i am wishing tyson the best of luck with his new team and will forever support him wherever he goes. another note, this fic is part of “the jost family” series. check out this masterlist. pair, tyson jost x reader summary, tyson jost gets signed with a new team. warnings, children, pain, dramatics word count, 1303 words

(gif not mine)

Tyson getting placed on waivers was so out of left field, you didn't even see it coming. Tyson let you know that it would happen a couple of hours before it was announced so you could process it.

The thought of having to uproot your entire life again stressed you out. Even if he wasn't signed with a team and was signed to the AHL team, that was still in a different state.

You sat both Noah and Rory down on the couch, "So, we have some news for you." You and Tyson both looked at each other nervously.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Well, we have some news." Tyson let out a nervous breath, "I got put on waivers." They both looked confused, "Do you know what that means?" Noah both shook his head while Rory still looked confused, "Well, it means that..." He was clearly struggling to find the words as he looked over at you.

"Well, it means that the Wild are letting other teams sign daddy." You explained, which didn't help due to the perplexed look on your children's faces.

"They're letting me go, bud." Tyson cut in, "And it means that any other team in the league has a chance to sign me in the next day."

"We have to move again?" Noah asked, his eyes filling with tears and his bottom lip wobbled.

"I'm sorry, buddy." Tyson picked him up and sat him in his lap, hugging him.

"But we just got here."

"I know." You could tell Tyson was beating himself up about the whole waivers thing. Rory climbed off the couch and waddled over to you, seeking comfort in your arms.

The entire rest of the day, you tried to do things that would occupy your mind and most definitely avoided social media. You ordered food in and watched movies for the rest of the night, or until Noah fell asleep.

You looked over at Tyson and could see the cogs turning in his head, "Hey." He looked over at you, "Stop doing whatever you're doing. Stop blaming yourself, 'cause it sure as hell isn't your fault." He nodded but looked unconvinced as he looked down at his lap.

The most you could do with a sleeping child in your arms was reach over and grab his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He looked over at you, "We're not done talking about this."

Before you both went to bed, you had a long and lengthy talk about what you would do if he were to get signed to a new team. If it was in America, you would fly out with him, wherever that might've been, and stay with him for a few days to watch him officially sign and watch his first game, then go home.

If it was a Canadian team, he would fly out alone and sign by himself, but you would watch from home, cheering him on.

The next morning, you continued with the game routine as the day before, doing tasks that would take your mind off of the anxiety coursing through your veins.

Noah was pretty much oblivious to the stress you and Tyson were both having, which was for the better. You didn't want him to worry about that.

You were halfway through your second movie of the morning when Tyson's phone buzzed on the table. You and he immediately looked over at each other before he picked it up.

He read the caller ID, then looked over at you and nodded, "I gotta take this." He stood up and walked into the kitchen. You looked down at Rory and Noah, who were already looking at you.

"Nordy?" Rory asked. Nordy was the Wild's mascot, and the easiest way to explain to her that daddy was on a business call was just to tell her that it was Nordy.

"Yeah, it's Nordy." You kissed her head as you all turned your attention back to the TV. A few minutes later, Tyson came back into the room, looking a lot less stressed and nervous.

"So? What's the word?"

"We're gonna need to pack a few bags." He told you.

"We're still in the States?" You asked.

"Buffalo." He smiled, "We're going to New York."

You let out a breath that had been waiting to be let out since yesterday, "We're going to New York." You chuckled.

"Alexa, play "Welcome to New York." The intro to the Taylor Swift song began playing and before you could even blink, Tyson grabbed your hand and pulled you off the couch, and started rocking back and forth dramatically to the music.

Rory and Noah joined in, dancing around you and Tyson as the music kept playing and even after "Welcome to New York" stopped playing. The rest of the morning was filled with more laughter, a great shift from the day before.

After lunch, you were packing a few bags and flew off to New York, where you were greeted warmly at the airport by Sabretooth, the mascot, and a few other members of the Sabres staff.

After getting changed, you headed over to the arena to officially sign the papers. Photos were taken of him shaking hands with the owners and all the important people and his new captain.

After getting all the important stuff out of the way, Kyle Okposo, the Sabres captain, turned to Rory and Noah, "Welcome to the team, guys." He bent down to their height and gave them high fives. You knew cameras were on you but kept your focus on Rory and Noah.

"As a welcome to the team, we got you a couple of things." Someone walked over with two bags in hand and handed them to Kyle. He pulled out two Sabretooth stuffed animals and handed them to both kids.

"Look, mommy." Rory turned around to you and showed you her new stuffie.

"Wow, look at that." You bent down next to both of them as he pulled the next thing out. Two jerseys with 'Jost' and '17' on the back, "These are for you two." He handed one to Noah and the other to Rory.

You looked over at Tyson, a shocked look on your face when you saw the number on the back of the jersey. He only smiled and nodded.

There was a game on the day you flew into Buffalo, but things were too last minute, so Tyson's Buffalo Sabres debut was pushed back a few days.

While Tyson trained with the team, you made a quick trip to the store to create a sign with Noah and Rory. You wrote 'Welcome dad. We love you!' then let Noah and Rory draw all over it.

You got them changed into their new jerseys and bundled in many layers before heading off to the arena. You got through security and got your family passes, then made your way down to the glass.

You sat in the seat in front of the glass, Rory in your lap, while Noah stood in front of you, holding the sign.

The lights dimmed, and you watched as, one by one, each of them skated out. You waited until you saw Tyson skate out, "There he is." You pointed this out to both kids.

Noah held the sign up higher, trying to get his father's attention. Tyson looked around every side of the glass before he finally clocked you, and he skated up.

Noah beamed brightly as he and his dad did their special little rituals. Before he skated off, he tossed a puck over the glass for Noah, then one for Rory.

You caught them both and handed them to each child, before looking back up and Tyson, and blowing him a kiss. He smiled and blew an exaggerated, dramatic one back to you.

my taglist: @kolsmikaelson @ashleymarine @typical-simplelove @kidlnthedark @bowen-power @nhlrbs @lam-ila @stars-canucks @iwantahockeyhimbo @2manytabsopen @owenpowersglasses @calermakar08 @hamilton160 @pierrelucduboiis @thescooby-gang @huggybearmylove43 @sammysworldddd @corneliaskates @mista-svech @samanthasgone @hockeyboysarehot @nicoleloveshockey @thedukes-56-5 @nickblankenburgg @sidcrosbyspuck @kaydenissleepy @Yagetintoit @seventieswhore @MichelleKirby30 @jamieeboulos @Coffeeandteaandflowers @bibella8swan @cuttergauth @boqvistsbabe @sophia-bordeleau @madison-nhl @jayda12

add yourself to my taglist!

i also don't know if he's number 17, but I'm really hoping he is. he can't be 10 cause someone else is also 10, so we can only hope he's number 17 again :)

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withwritersblock · 4 months

Text

Say Isn't it Strange pt. 2

~Strange by Celeste~

Part 1

Author's Note: final part :) I love it when things don't have happy endings lol. Also, italics are flashbacks Warnings: Swearing, implied smut, bad boyfriend behavior, yelling Word Count: 3,934 Cale Makar x fm!reader

And strangers again?

February 28, 2023

The air was thick with resentment. He stood still clenching his fists as he kept his gaze on the floor. Avoiding her gaze. She was crying so hard her eyes swelled. He was so frustrated with himself and the season, he didn’t see it. He couldn’t see what he was doing to her.

She took a sharp inhale before she walked out of the bedroom, they’d practically have shared the last few months. His season was littered with injury that himself and the medical staff were pushing him to get back on the ice. This time it took for the worst. Two concussions back-to-back because he went back too soon.

“This is it?” he asked, his voice cracking. He followed her out of the room, his eyes tearing up. She shrugged her shoulders dramatically.

“What do you want me to say?” she questioned, “I’m tired, I’m so tired.” she mumbled before she reached for her purse on the counter.

“Baby-”

“Don’t,” she raised her hand up as she shot him a harsh look before she walked out of her own apartment. Leaving him alone.

“Fuck,” he whispered as he stood still in the apartment, looking at every inch of the place. His eyes landed on the photo of himself with her at the Stanley Cup parade.

Back to this room

Back to our roots

It was later in the day where the team were in the bar that Cale and Y/N spoke for the first time over a year ago. Except this time, he was on the opposite end of the bar from her. He was nursing the beer, taking the smallest sips known to man. He watched her smile despite the lack of joy behind it.

He did that.

He dropped his gaze towards the small bubbles in the drink as Devon slapped Cale’s back before he sat down beside him. “How’s your head?” he asked before taking a long sip of his soda. Cale shrugged. Devon nodded slightly as he looked at Cale for a while longer before looking towards Y/N across the bar. “What’s going on with you guys?”

“I think it’s done,” Cale said barely above a whisper.

“Seriously?” Devon asked, his eyes widening. Cale nodded slowly before leaning back in his chair. A huff of air left his lips as he looked across the bar to meet Y/N’s gaze. Her lips purse forward while blinking slowly before returning her gaze to OC sitting across from her.

“She’s flying out to see Josty next week,” Cale said before he brought the glass to his lips and took a long swig of the beer, drinking half of it.

“You guys broke up over that?”

“We’re not broken up,” Cale spoke fast as he met Devon’s eyes. He rolled his eyes before listening to Cale again, “They used to date, I just don’t like the idea,” he mumbled as he looked towards Y/N a wide grin to her lips. He sighed, “I also haven’t been a great boyfriend recently.” His gaze dropped once more.

What did we lose?

May 10, 2022

Cale smiled sleepily as he watched Y/N walk out of her bedroom in his practice hoodie and a pair of tiny shorts. She smiled towards him, cocking her head to the side. “How are you feeling?” she asked as she sauntered towards him.

“Exhausted,” he rasped. She pouted as she sat beside him, resting her head onto his shoulder. He took a loose hold of her head as he planted a kiss to the top of her head. He ran his thumb along her cheek before she took a hold of his hand and kissed the back of it.

“I’m glad you’re home,” she mumbled, turning her gaze to meet his eye. He smiled softly.

“Me too,” he said before he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. She slowly started climbing onto his lap, she straddled his body. Cale’s hands quickly landed on her waist as he toyed with the ends of her hoodie.

“Are you too tired for this?” she asked as she pulled her lips from his watching him lean towards her. She smirked as her hands rested on the base of his neck. Playing with the small ends of his hair, it was longer than normal.

“I’m never too tired for this,” he said, a blush rising to his cheeks. She leaned down and kissed him softly as she arched her back into him. “Baby,” he mumbled. She hummed against his lips as her hand trailed from the base of his neck down his chest. Goosebumps rose on his skin at the nails delicately running along his chest. “I have a meeting in an hour,” he mumbled.

She kissed him slowly, once more before she leaned away from him. Her lips still hovering over his lips for a moment. “I’ll make you some breakfast,” she said before she planted one more kiss on his lips before climbing off of his lap. He smiled softly as he watched her walk towards the kitchen.

He stood up from the couch, “Thank you, Baby,” he mumbled before walking towards her bedroom. She smiled to herself as she pulled out the carton of eggs.

What did we lose?

June 29, 2022

They sat in the bar sitting beside one another, her head resting on his shoulder. His hand ran up and down her inner thigh slowly. The boys have been drunk since the night they won the Cup. It was so relaxing to see them finally let loose after being held on tight leashes for the majority of the season.

Obviously, that didn't stop them from celebrating big wins. Hockey was finally off their mind and the fact that they were champions was on it.

It was close to midnight at that point, they had a day of drinking ahead of them tomorrow as the parade was ahead. It didn’t stop the boys from wanting to do it well into the night.

Cale, of course, was amongst them in the activities. He was so happy that Y/N was there to experience it all with him. He delicately pressed his lips to the top of her head, causing her to lift her gaze towards him. He smiled as he looked over her tired features.

“You okay?” he asked, louder than he intended. She smiled and her eyes widened as she nodded. “You sure?”

She raised her hand and ran her thumb along his red cheek. Her hand rubbed against the small scruff of his beard was a different sensation than she was used to on his face. She liked it. “Yes, Pretty Boy,” she mumbled. He leaned his head into her hands, shutting his eyes. His head became slightly dead weight in her hands.

“What about you, are you feeling okay?” she asked a small chuckle leaving her lips.

He lifted his head, eyes popping open. He blinked hard several times while nodding. “Yeah, ‘m good,” he replied as he kept making shaky eye contact.

Y/N eyes widened as she nodded, trying to keep eye contact. “Yeah?”

He nodded again, “Yeah,” he mumbled before leaning down and pressing his lips against hers. She laughed and pulled away from him, keeping her hand on his cheek.

“What,” he whined as she pulled away.

“Cale baby,” she teased as she pulled away.

“Kiss me,” he begged as he reached his hand to delicately place his hand on her cheek. He pulled her towards him, she giggled as she delicately kissed him back.

“Cale,” she whispered against his lips, he hummed in response. “You’re drunk,”

“Have been for a few days, I think,” he mumbled before tilting his head back. She rolled her eyes playfully.

“Do you want some water?” she asked as she delicately ran her from his cheek down his chest.

“I want-” he mumbled before tilting his head back, “Yeah, some water.” She smiled towards him before delicately patting his cheek.

“I’ll be right back,” she said before kissing his cheek and standing up from their booth they were sitting in alone.

If I could

I’d pull your strings

For one more dance

September 1, 2022

She swayed her hips to the song playing in the background as she continued to mop the floor of her apartment. It was a slow country song she has never heard of before but it was easy and helped her maintain focus on cleaning.

The door to her apartment opened after a few knocks to reveal Cale walking inside with a bag of takeout Chinese food. She spun around to meet his gaze, he smiled widely as he shut the door. “You need to lock that,” he mumbled before he placed the brown bag on the counter. He dropped his keys beside the bag.

The song changed to a song they both knew very well from the several weddings they’ve attended together over the summer. All Your’n by Tyler Childers started playing. She smiled at the familiar song before meeting his gaze, she delicately placed the mop against the wall before she carefully made her way towards the kitchen counter.

Cale looked her body up and down, admiring the white tank top and black shorts covering her frame. Her usual cleaning outfit. He bit his bottom lip as he took a hold of her waist and pulled her towards him.

“What are you doing?” she asked, laughing. Her arms landed on his chest as he slowly started to sway them together to the song playing. He held his hands loosely on her waist as he started pulling her backwards to the living room to give them more room.

“Dancing,” he mumbled with a wide smile. He delicately took a hold of her arm, pulling her into a spin. She giggled as she found herself resting her hands on the base of his neck. He continued guiding her body to dance to the music, she slowly started enjoying it more as she kissed him as they continued to sway together.

“You hate dancing,” she said as she rested her head on his shoulder while they rocked to the new song playing in the background.

“When other people can see me doing it,” he teased as he pressed his lips to the side of her head.

She lifted her head, a fake gasp leaving her lips, “Do I not count as people?” she asked teasingly. He bit his lip as he lowered his grasp from the middle of her back to her lower back while guiding her backwards towards her bedroom.

“No you do not,” he mumbled before he leaned down and kissed her urgently. She smiled into the kiss as she took a hold of his cheeks as they stumbled down the small hallway.

“The food-”

“Can wait,” he finished her sentence as he pushed the door open to her freshly cleaned room. He planted his lips on hers again as they soon collapsed on the mattress.

But I can’t

March 1, 2023

She sat on the couch with Josty on FaceTime on her laptop beside her as she was finishing making an assignment for her students. “Are you still thinking about coming to visit?” He asked, breaking the long-term silence.

She lifted her gaze towards the small screen where Josty’s face was on FaceTime. She took a long breath as the memory of her and Cale’s argument yesterday. She hasn’t spoken to him since.

“What’s this?” Cale asked as he walked past the kitchen counter where Y/N’s computer screen showed plane tickets. She lifted her gaze from the book she was reading before looking back down.

“Flights to Buffalo,” she said nonchalantly.

“Why?” Cale asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. She tilted her gaze back towards him.

“To visit Tyson?” she said in a questioning tone. He pulled his lips together between his teeth while nodding. “I’ll probably won’t go until he has a long home game stretch, don’t want to stress him out,” she explained while standing up from her seat on the couch. Leaving her book overturned on the seat she was in.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were planning on doing this?” he asked, trailing her movements.

“I just did,” she said with a shrug.

“I saw it on your computer, Y/N,” he countered while running his fingers through his hair.

“Fine,” she mumbled while taking a deep breath. She looked in his eyes, the past few months really draining the light that was once in his eyes. “I didn’t know how you'd react. I was going to tell you after I bought them,” she said, shrugging.

His eyes widened as his mouth fell open. His lips clamped shut as he ran his hand over his lips. “Afterwards? You were going to wait to tell me after you bought the plane tickets to visit your ex-boyfriend?” he asked, his tone filled with frustration.

“We never dated, Cale. You know that,” she said, pointing an accusing finger.

He rolled his eyes, a huff of air leaving his chest. “I don’t like the idea,” he said, shaking his head.

“I haven’t seen him since July,” she crossed her arms over her chest.

“I don’t like the idea, Y/N,” he stated again, his voice raspy.

“Why not? He’s my best friend, I am allowed to want to see him,”

“I thought Sydney was your best friend,” he spat.

She pulled her head back as she furrowed her eyebrows harshly. Swallowing hard before she spoke, “She is but so is Tyson. Who do you think I hung out with when Syd was busy with JT? I don’t know why we’re arguing about this! You know how close Ty and I are, you knew that before we even got together!”

“I didn’t know that you two had sex, Y/N. I didn’t know that you had feelings for him. You told me there was no chemistry! Those are very different things!” his voice started getting louder as he spoke.

“Because we didn’t! We were better as friends! Why does that bother you?!” she walked towards him, reaching her hand over to touch his arm. He quickly pulled it away as he walked away from her.

“I don’t want my girlfriend staying with another guy for a week? What’s wrong with that?” he asked harshly.

“Josty isn’t another guy! He’s my-”

“Best friend, right,” he let out with a dry chuckle.

“Cale, come on,”

“No, you, come on! I don’t want you to sleep in the same bed as a guy who’s seen you naked! You know how weird that is to me?!” he was yelling now. She was sure her neighbors could hear him.

Her eyes started filling with tears, she’s never heard Cale raise his voice like that. Not even if he was frustrated about something in a game. She took a deep breath, “Why don’t you trust me?” she asked quietly.

He paused for a moment, watching her eyes tear up. He bit his bottom lip as he tilted his gaze upward. “I do, I do trust you, Y/N.”

“Clearly you don’t! Otherwise you wouldn’t doubt me! I would never cheat on you!” she shouted back through tears.

“I don’t trust him, alright?!” he shouted back, clenching his fist at his side. “He-he’s Josty, he could try something-”

“If you don’t trust him then you don’t trust me!”

“I never said that-”

“It’s the truth! You can’t trust me to tell you that nothing will happen between us,” she said while wiping her eyes of the tears falling from her eyes. She walked away from him towards her bedroom.

“Where are you going?” he asked, following her. She spun around and stopped him in his tracks. She dropped her gaze towards her watch, Tyson was calling her. If she’d answer she knew it would strike up a bigger issue. “Y/N,”

“What!” she shouted back.

“You can’t go,” he stated simply. She clenched her jaw as she nodded her head slowly.

“You don’t get to say that!” she shouted while shaking her head. “He’s had a god awful year, I haven’t been able to be there for him!”

“Oh come on,” he said laughing dryly.

“I’ve been busy making sure you don’t implode for a few bad games and your injuries. While he’s struggling on finding his footing in a new city, again!” He stayed quiet as he watched another tear fall on her cheek. “I am in love with you, Cale,” she let out while biting her lip. “But I love him too. He’s my best friend.”

He stood still, clenching his jaw repeatedly as he ran his fingers through his hair. He licked his lips before lifting his gaze to meet her eye.

“You buy those tickets, it’s over,” he muttered, meeting her eye.

A sad smile formed to her quivering lips tilting her head to the side. “Cale I-” she paused, shaking her head as she looked deeply into his eyes, watching them tear up. The first time the whole conversation. He was standing close to her, all she wanted to do was reach over and curl up in his arms and forget about every bad thing that’s happened during their relationship.

If none of that happened, it would still be perfect. Perfect. They used to be perfect. Everything used to be so damn perfect.

“I think it’s already over,” she muttered as she rubbed her hand on the back of her neck.

His eyes widened as he looked over her features for a moment before he tried to reach over and touch her. She deflected his touch and she began walking out of the room.

“This is it?” he asked, his voice cracking. He followed her out of the room, his eyes tearing up. She shrugged her shoulders dramatically.

“What do you want me to say?” she questioned, “I’m tired, I’m so tired.” she mumbled before she reached for her purse on the counter.

“Baby-”

“Don’t,” she raised her hand up as she shot him a harsh look before she walked out of her own apartment.

“Yeah, think so,” she mumbled to Tyson on FaceTime. Her eyes teared up as the memory flashed in her mind.

“Caler coming with?” he asked, hopeful.

“No,” she cleared her throat as she clenched her jaw. “I think we broke up,” she mumbled, her lips quivering. His eyes widened, giving her his full attention.

“What do you mean you think?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she didn’t want to tell Tyson that the cherry on top to their failing relationship was the flight to Buffalo.

“No,” he let out, realizing the truth without her even saying it, “Was it me? He’s not a jealous guy. It can’t be because of how close we are, can it?” he asked.

She licked her lips as she took a deep breath. “There were a lot of things Ty,” she let out.

“Wait, you said you think you guys broke up?” he asked. She met his eyes on the screen as she felt her eyes tear up more.

“He said if I bought the plane tickets it's over. I told him I’m pretty sure it was already over.”

Tyson stared at her through the screen, watching her fight the tears filling her eyes. He’s watched her go through break ups, three to be exact. She’s never looked this distraught before, he hated that a friend he used to care a lot about did this to her.

“I’m in love with him, Ty. All I’ve wanted these last months was for him to get healthy and back to the Cale I fell for,” she explained.

Say, isn’t it strange?

Isn’t it strange?

“Do you think it’s really over?” Tyson asked. She shrugged her shoulders. “Do you want to fix things?”

She wanted to, of course she did. Sometimes things aren’t worth fighting for. All she’s done these past few months have been fighting to feel loved. It didn’t need this much effort over the summer. It was easy, she craved the ache in her chest she got when he kissed her. Or the smile that would form to her lips when he looked into her eyes. The feeling of her lips against his, she missed kissing him.

“I’ve spent so long trying, I’m tired of trying, Ty,” she explained, smiling sadly towards him. He returned the sad smile.

“Maybe you do need a break? A little break from your life? Stay with me for a few weeks,” he offered. “You could love New York,”

“I’ll think about it,” she forced a smile as she looked towards her lap.

A knock hit her door pulling her from her conversation with Tyson. “I’ve gotta go,” she muttered before ending the FaceTime call. She shut her computer and walked across her apartment to the door. She looked through the peephole to see Cale standing wearing his long grey jacket. His hair dishelved.

A sob stuck in her throat at the sight of him. She reluctantly pulled the door open. He lifted his gaze to meet her eye. His eyes were baggy, his cheeks pale with his nose red from the chilly air from the Denver air. His hands were deep in his pockets as he looked into her eyes. She watched as tears filled his own.

“Can I come in?” he asked, his voice scratchy as if he hasn’t spoken much today. It was seven at night. She stepped to the side letting him walk inside of the apartment. She shut the door behind him, leaning against it.

You look at me

I look at you

With nothing to say?

There were too many words to say, that needed to be said that it was impossible to let it out. Cale’s lips quivered as he tried to formulate words. She watched him squirm in place.

The air was tense as it was mixed with anger and love and resentment; it was hard to breathe. It was hard to look at one another without wanting to scream or kiss or both. It was impossible to decipher how they were feeling.

They had no idea who the other person was anymore.

“I’m sorry,” he clammered out after several minutes of silence. She nodded her head slightly as she walked towards him. She scanned his features as she took a sharp intake of breath. Her trembling lips pressed together as she slowly reached her arms around his neck.

Pulling him towards her, he loosely wrapped his arms around her waist. He knew that she couldn’t forgive him, but feeling her against his chest was everything he needed and more. The vanilla scent to her shampoo engulfed his nose. He slowly ran his hand up and down her back as he let a tear fall onto his cheek.

“I love you, Caler,” she mumbled into his ear. He squinted his eyes harshly.

“You were everything to me, you know that?” he mumbled as she finally pulled away, leaving her hands on his neck. She nodded. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t better,” he let out with a sad smile to his lips.

“I’m sorry too,” she mumbled again before placing a kiss to his cheek and slipping away from his grip. Slipping away from him for the rest of his life. She walked away from him again, towards her bedroom leaving him stranded in her living room.

Isn’t it strange?

How people can change

From strangers to friends

Friends into lovers

And strangers again?

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