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ilyasorokinn · 4 months

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home sweet home , erik johnson

note, this is dedicated to @comphyjost. i'm sad, you're sad, we're all sad. also, this fic is part of the "life with the johnsons" series. check out this masterlist for more. pair, erik johnson x reader summary, for the first time in 13 years, erik johnson is playing against the colorado avalanche. warnings, kids/children, pain word count, 1516 words

(gif not mine. by @mattymartin <3)

The entire flight back to Colorado, you felt like your heart was going to beat out of your chest. It was more of an excited/nervous. You were excited to be back and see all your friends.

Out of all three kids, only one wanted to come back to Colorado with you. Zach was the only one out of the three who wanted to come back, so you decided to let him miss two days of school and fly with you to Colorado.

When the Landeskogs heard you were coming with Erik, they insisted on picking you up from the airport. You still had your house in Colorado, but

You made your way out of the airport, one hand holding your suitcase and the other holding Zach's hand. You easily spotted the Landeskog's car. When the kids saw each other, they ran to greet each other, leaving their parents in the dust.

Melissa did the same and ran over to you, wrapping you in a hug, "All feels right in the world." She laughed.

"I've missed you guys so much." You squeezed her before pulling away and hugging Gabe, "Missed you, too," You smiled.

"How's Buffalo treating you?"

"Cold, but it's good." You smiled, looking back over to your kids, who were talking a million miles a minute as if no time had passed, "It's not here."

"That's for sure." Melissa looped an arm through yours, leaving Gabe to deal with the bags, as she led you over to the car and began catching you up on everything.

You weren't in Colorado for very long, so you spent the day catching up with old friends and doing everything you missed and couldn't do in Buffalo. You had lunch at your favorite restaurant with a few of the other girls, you visited some old coworkers and by that time, it was time to get ready for the game.

When you got home, Erik was also home and getting ready for the game. You smiled at the scene in front of you. It felt like old times, "This feels familiar." You hummed.

"Doesn't it." He smiled, "It's weird, isn't it?"

"A little. I've only been here for a day and it feels strange." You admitted, wrapping your arms around his waist and leaning your head on his back, "You ready for tonight?"

"No." He admitted, "But it's a game, just like any other game." He shrugged with a sigh.

"It is, but it's not." You shook your head, spinning him around so he was facing it, "Have fun tonight, enjoy yourself." You told him, helping him tie his tie.

"I will." He nodded, a smile on his face as he watched you, "You have fun tonight, too." He nudged you.

"I will. In between all the crying and cheering." You joked, wrapping him in a hug, "I'm so proud of you, EJ."

"None of this would be possible without you." He hummed happily.

Later that night, walking back into Ball Arena, you were having an intense sense of deja vu. Everything was exactly the same but felt new at the same time.

You made your way down to the ice with the Landeskog family, who had made a sign for Erik, which made you cry the first time you saw it. After Zach saw it, he decided he wanted to make one too, so you quickly bought supplies and made a simple sign that read 'We love you, dad' and had his number on it.

You waited by the glass, Zach standing in front of you, bouncing on the balls of his feet, the Landeskog family on either side of you with their own signs.

Zach looked up at you, gesturing for you to bend down to his level, "I miss it here." Zach whispered.

You pulled away and smiled sadly, pressing a kiss to his head and hugging him, "I miss it here, too." You hummed, hugging him. You danced around with Zach, waiting for warmups to start.

A cameraman stopped beside you and Gabe, asking if you wanted to be on the jumbotron, and before you could respond, Zach spoke up before you, "Yes!" So, before you knew it, the four of you were on the jumbotron, showing off your signs.

You heard the crowd's reaction to seeing their captain, but then also to seeing Zach Johnson and Linnea Landeskog in the arena. you kept your kids' lives private but not a secret so people knew about them.

You looked around the Sabres side of the warmup ice and saw a good amount of people with signs for Erik, which warmed your heart and brought a few tears to your eyes, "Oh no, it's starting." Gabe teased.

When the guys skated out, you easily spotted Erik. There was a loud cheer that you knew would only get louder as the arena filled with more people. He skated a few laps, spotting you on the 3rd go-around.

He skated up to the ice with a few pucks. He handed one to Linnea through the photo hole and gave Lucas a few fistbumps, then handed one to Zach and two more to you, which you would pack in your suitcase and bring back to Lila and Ivy.

He gave Zach and fistbump and blew a few kisses before skating off. You wiped a few tears as you watched him skate off, "Don't cry." Melissa pulled you in for a hug.

"It's only going downhill from here." You laughed, knowing that the tribute video was coming up later. You stayed for all of the warmups, watching and marveling at all the people.

You made your way up to your seats, where a few of the other girls were sitting. They greeted you the same way Melissa had, with big hugs. You took your seat and took everything in. There was a buzz in the air. It felt like home.

A little through the first period, the tribute video played. The video had barely started, and you were already crying. The video started and played the videos of him getting drafts, his best goals, winning the cup, everything. You were surprised to see a clip of you and him in the montage.

It was a short clip of you running up to him after they had won the cup and let all the families on the ice. You found him in the sea of people and jumped into his arms, hugging him. The audio in the video was a little busy due to the commotion around you, but your voices were clear.

"You did it!" You said, your voice muffled due to you shoving your face into his neck, but the microphone he was wearing caught it.

"We did it, baby.” He corrected you, squeezing you tighter and pressing a kiss to your head before shoving his head in your neck.

The montage ended with a video of celly's and the interview he did with Emily Kaplan after winning the cup and talking about how he thought he would have to retire and how proud he was of the team.

After the 'Thank you Erik Johnson' picture flashed on the screen, he skated away from the bench and skated around, raising an appreciative hand to the crowd, a thankful and proud smile on his face as he looked out into the sea of people.

Your phone was out the entire time, taking a shaky video as your hands shook. You couldn't stop smiling and only cried more when the crowd started chanting, "EJ, EJ, EJ!"

After the game, you made your way down to the locker room with Zach, who had fallen asleep halfway through the third period. You could see his eyes closing and then shooting open every few seconds before he finally crashed and fell asleep, his head in your lap.

You carried him to the best of your ability down to the locker room and waited for Erik. A few of the Avs (7 guys) came down to the guest dressing room to talk to Erik, but when they saw you, they changed directions and made their way over to you.

Eventually, Erik came out, and when he did, they all cheered and clapped for him. He smiled, setting his stuff down and hugging every single one of them. He talked with them for a few minutes before they all said their goodbyes and made him promise he would get lunch with them before he left.

Once they were gone, it left you and Erik alone. You stared at him, an overwhelmed look on your face as you thought about the events of the night, "They're letting me stay at home tonight again."

"Good." You nodded, wanting to spend a night with him before he would be gone again. You wrapped your arms around him the best you could without jostling Zach too much, "I'm so proud of you." You whispered.

"I love you." He mumbled into your hair, pressing a kiss to your hair.

"I love you, too." You pulled away with a smile on your face.

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holy-puckslibrary · 4 months

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━ 𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐟

˗ˏˋ𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ˎˊ˗

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 —grumpy!erik johnson x sunshine!nanny!reader 𝐰𝐜 — 1.1k 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 — in erik's absence, his nanny takes over staging the family's elf on the shelf in order to keep the magic alive for his children. results are... questionable.

𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 — i'm unhealthily attached to this made-up family send help

˗ˏˋ 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ˎˊ˗

JOSIE JOHNSON is thoroughly unimpressed by her Elf.

“Snow angels? In sprinkles? Groundbreaking.”

Dissatisfaction narrows her gray-blue eyes as she stands in front of the kitchen island.

Bernard, the Johnson family’s special scout from the North Pole, is lying limp against the marble countertop in a pool of red and green. The sugary spillage is low-effort at best, especially compared to his iPad drive-in movie yesterday and the miniature golf course the day before that.

Dumping a container of cheap sprinkles—and not even the expensive variety with confetti shapes and edible glitter—wasn’t going to cut it.

Someone was going to have to do better.

“Uh-oh! Looks like Bernard had a wild night,” Erik Johnson, her father, announces as he pads in from the dining room.

If he thinks he’s being subtle, he’s doing a terrible job. His daughter can see straight through him; his voice goes all sorts of wonky when he has a secret.

And his dye-stained fingertips aren’t doing him any favors, either.

“Wild for who? A first grader?”

Josie was in second grade now. She is far too smart to fall for his poor acting and, evidently, much too cool to bother with humoring him.

Erik cocks his head to the side. His kid could be snarky, but she typically postponed doling out remarks until the afternoon. Or until he’s had his second helping of caffeine.

Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today, he thinks to himself.

Aloud, though, he opts for a simple joke. “Well, I think it was wild. Do I look like a first grader to you?”

He sets his coffee mug beside the espresso machine and puffs out his chest like a peacock. Erik’s already 6’4 without trying, so when he raises both hands and lefts onto his tip-toes for emphasis, his head nearly brushes the ceiling. He’s grinning, wide and bright.

He expects his daughter to giggle at his antics like she did when she was younger or, at the very least, crack a reluctant smile out of second-hand embarrassment.

She does neither.

Rather than pearly teeth, Erik’s met with the whites of her eyes. If Josie had rolled them any harder, they'd have gotten stuck facing the wrong way. That’s what her older brother, Reese, told her whenever she did it.

The irony of the repeated red-lettered phrase "Be Nice!" on the white background of her Grinch-themed pajamas isn’t lost on him.

“Josephine Johnson, I thought I made myself clear the last time we talked about this; you do not roll your eyes at me. Or anyone, for that matter. It’s very rude,” he reprimands sternly. “What’s gotten into you?”

Josie crosses her arms, unphased, and fixes him with an unwavering glare. She could do this all day if need be.

“What’d she do this time?” Reese asks through a yawn as he strolls into the kitchen.

You, the family’s live-in nanny, are not far behind. You’re rubbing the sleep from the corners of your tired eyes when Josie darts to your side.

She looks up at you expectantly, eyes wide and pleading. Silently, they beg for you to agree to whatever she’s planning to say next.

“Can you be in charge of it again? Please, please, please?” she asks, so sweetly she might give herself a cavity.

Josie tugs on your arm to drive home her adolescent anguish when you aren’t instantly compliant.

Panic fizzles in your chest. There was no way she knew, right?

She couldn’t. No way. You were still a few years off from the dicey reveal. No one in her grade had spilled the beans yet, and the adults in her life were content to keep up the ruse.

Surely, she meant as the Elf’s supervisor or an assistant.

Wrong.

“Bernard looks so much cooler whenever Dad lets you set up his pranks instead of doing it himself. See? Look how lazy he was this time,” Josie explains while tugging you over to the scene of the crime. “All he did was spill my sprinkles all over the counter and set my Elf on top of the mess. Like, could it get any lamer than that? He’s probably all sticky now, and he’ll have to stay that way because he’d drown in the washing machine!”

“No, I didn’t,” Erik says a little too quickly, tone noticeably defensive. “Bernard—who is perfectly fine and not sticky at all, for the record—must’ve been way too tired when he got back from visiting Santa last night to do anything else. He didn’t even bother making it hard for you to find him this morning. I’d do something “lame” too if I spent the entire night flying home from far, far away.”

Bernard wasn't the only member of their household who spent the night up in the inky sky; Erik had been in an entirely different country only four hours ago. And, instead of going straight to bed like his body urged him, he spent an hour arranging the stupid little Elf into what he thought was a fun scenario for his daughter to find the following morning.

Now, he wishes he had just left Bernard on the mantle.

He blames you. They wouldn’t be in this mess if you hadn’t introduced her to the concept. Fuck your quirky childhood tradition. All it'd caused were problems.

“I’m not a baby anymore. I know Bernard isn’t actually one of Santa’s elves!” Josie shouts, growing angry.

Reese mumbles something to the effect of “Could’ve fooled me…” under his breath, and Josie’s face pinches with frustration.

Like the miniature teenager she’s rapidly morphing into, the youngest Johnson massages the fold between her eyebrows. Then, her outburst matures into an accusation. “I know you’ve been hiding him this whole time.”

Erik balks at the allegation.

Irritated, she continues, “I’ve been sneaking down to watch you do it since I was, like, five years old. It's not my fault you aren't very observant. Or that your footsteps sound like an elephant’s. But I don’t care about that. I don't care that I know, but I do care how much effort you put into it.”

Josie clutches your hand in hers and smiles. She could get away with murder with the deep dimples indented on either side of her mouth —and she knows it, too.

She also knows flattery can get her wherever she wants. “Which is why I want you to take over again. You did such a good job while he was away. The goldfish in the paper pond was super cute, and you even made sure he was watching my favorite movie at the drive-in!"

“Fine, you know what? You’re right,” Erik confesses, conceding to his eight-year-old with a toss of his hands. “And if it really matters that much, I’ll never touch the Elf again. Okay? I give up full control and responsibility.”

Josie positively beams. She always got her way eventually.

“So, how did you even figure it out, anyway?” Reese asks.

The question is garbled; he couldn’t wait until his mouth wasn’t full of Lucky Charms to make his inquiry.

“How could I not?” Josie retorts. Her facial expression is equal parts annoyance and ridicule. Reese’s eyes loop. His little sister clarifies with a huff, “Obviously, he isn’t a real elf, Reese. Santa needs all the help he can get to make sure everyone on the Nice List gets exactly what they asked for every year. Why would he send an actual elf, who should be building a bike or sewing a teddy bear, to spy on me for weeks?”

Fair point, you think to yourself.

“Wait a minute... If you knew he wasn’t real the entire time, why did you let us keep hiding him?” Erik asks, a quizzical dent in his forehead.

Josie perks up, apparently thrilled to clue them in on the motivation behind her feigned ignorance. “Mrs. Thornton says even adults need a creative outlet because it makes them happier. Especially when they’re grouchy. Clearly, you’re the exception, Daddy.”

Reese honks, sending milk across the room from his nostrils.

Your sudden amusement is muffled by your free hand.

If it were humanly possible, there would be steam billowing from Erik’s crimson ears.

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mourirderire · 1 year

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NHL Fic Rec list

Hiii!!! I just wanted to share a few fics that really made me feel strong emotions...

Oh and make sure to check the warnings before reading :)

Avalanche:

Four times You Run Into Cale Makar and the One Time He Runs Into You - @kailyn-writes

i miss you like the very first night (Cale Makar) - @mattyanonwrites

Mistletoe Magic (Cale Makar) - @the-penalty-box-imagines

Nothin' Like You (Cale Makar) - @ghstandpucks

Teach Me To Please (Cale Makar) - @pucksalotguys

Annoying Little Brother (Erik Johnson) - @ghstandpucks

Apartment 352 pt 1 (Erik Johnson) - @imaginingsoftly

Have My Cake and Eat It Too (Erik Johnson) - @mikkorantanev

Like Father Like Son (Erik Johnson) - @ghstandpucks

look what you started (Erik Johnson) - @mattyanonwrites

Only All the Time (Erik Johnson) - @antoineroussel-archive

Overwhelming Light (Erik Johnson) - @burkymakar

the nanny (Erik Johnson) - @holy-pucks

Two Slow Dancers (Erik Johnson) - @hockeywocs

The Turn In Our Relationship (Gabriel Landeskog) - @yourfavewriteress

The Second Time (Nathan Mackinnon) - @wyattjohnston

Till Forever Falls Apart (Nathan Mackinnon & Sidney Crosby) - @pucksalotguys literally heres their whole masterlist i encourage you to read them all

Blues:

Right Under Our Noses (Colton Parayko) - @yourfavewriteress

Bruins:

5 Times the Team Told David He Was in Love + 1 Time he Realized it (David Pastrnak) - @mainlypastrnaksbae

Canucks:

Coach Hughes (Quinn Hughes) - @matsmarts

Midnight Rain (Quinn Hughes) - @babydollmarauders

Milkshakes AU (Quinn Hughes) - @hugheshugs

Devils:

Lies (Jack Hughes) - @nolanmoylee

Kraken:

Four Times His Teammates Said "I love you," and One Time He Did (Vince Dunn) - @blueskrugs

Panthers:

Baby, It's Cold Outside (Matthew Tkachuk) - @raysofcrosby

Wish We Were Older (Matthew Tkachuk) - @sorryjustafangirl

Penguins:

By The Water, Euphoria (Sidney Crosby) - @flashyfucker

Illicit Affairs (Sidney Crosby) - @blueskrugs

Two Little Lines (Sidney Crosby) - @pucksalotguys

Maple Leafs:

What Once Was (Mitch Marner) - @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69

Sabres:

All's well that ends well to end up with you (Tyson Jost) - @mattyanonwrites

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laurenairay · 6 months

Note

Could we get EJ with a reunion kiss?

Reunion Kiss – Erik Johnson

Words: 1.1k

As soon as you requested EJ, I had this idea in my head. I hope you like it!

As the minutes ticked down, you found yourself tapping your foot, picking at your nails, barely able to concentrate on anything that wasn’t the arrivals board. Any moment now, your boyfriend Erik would be landing in Denver. Any moment now, he would be home.

He may be heading out to catch up with his former teammates tonight, but for the whole of today, he was just yours.

As soon as Erik had seen the schedule all those months ago, he’d started making plans with you. He’d gotten permission from his coach to fly out a day early, wanting to spend as much time with you as possible, and you’d be there to watch him play tomorrow as well. You weren’t sure how it was going to feel pulling on a Sabres jersey rather than an Avs one, even more so to wear it within the arena that you’d grown to know so well, but seeing him in person was going to be worth all of that strangeness, you knew that down to your bones.

It had been the hardest decision of your life to stay in Denver when he moved away to Buffalo. You loved your job, not ready to give it up and not able to work remotely, and Erik wasn’t ready to retire. There had even been a terrible moment when you’d thought that this was the end of your relationship, that being apart would be too much for your physically affectionate boyfriend, but he had insisted that the last thing he wanted was to lose you.

The last five years had meant too much to him, just as much as they meant to you.

Instead, you’d made the decision to try long distance – Erik’s contract was only for a year after all, and if he still felt that fire to play, if he got extended in Buffalo or picked up a contract elsewhere then the two of you would talk. Being apart from him really wasn’t what you wanted for the long-term, obviously, and he didn’t want that either, but for now it was the only option.

You missed him like hell though.

And if his long voicemails, copious amounts of gifts via shipping, and frequent video calls were anything to go by, Erik missed you too.

It felt like time dragged from the moment you saw his plane marked as ‘Landed’ to the moment he walked through the arrivals hall, but as soon as he spotted you waiting, he jogged over to your side. Erik wasted no time in scooping you up in his arms and spinning you around in the tightest hug, letting you squeal in his ear as you clutched him just as tight in return.

“Fuck I missed you.”

As he lowered you back to the ground, that was the last thing you heard before he captured your lips in a searing kiss. All you could do was to clutch at his shirt with both hands, leaning into his body as your knees felt weak, happily responding to the slow intense kiss over and over again until Erik pulled away with a sigh.

“As much as I don’t want to stop kissing you, we should probably get out of here before we get arrested for public indecency,” he mused.

“Come on Casanova, let’s get you home,” you laughed.

You looked up at him to see him mouthing the word ‘home’, which only made your heart twinge with the longing sadness that had been digging its claws into you. “I missed you too, if it wasn’t clear.”

Erik just took your hand in his, raising it to his lips to kiss your knuckles, making you smile all over again. It didn’t take long for the two of you to walk to where you’d parked the car, and it wasn’t until you were sitting behind the wheel that you spoke to him again.

“How does it feel being home, EJ?”

“Feels like I should’ve thrown you over my shoulder and dragged you to Buffalo with me,” he said, smiling sadly as he buckled his seatbelt.

Oh bless his heart.

“Hey, no, not the sad face. We knew this was going to be difficult,” you said frowning, taking his hand in yours across the parking brake.

“I didn’t think it was going to be this difficult,” he sighed.

A flash of cold dread filled your chest, and you found yourself inhaling sharply. Did he mean what you thought he meant?

“Is it too difficult?” you asked softly.

Erik took one look at your face and cursed under his breath, quickly unbuckling his seatbelt again to take both of your hands in his properly.

“No. Not like that. That’s not what I meant at all, sweetheart, I promise,” he said firmly.

Tension bled out of your shoulders, but you still needed more from him, which he saw clearly.

“The moment I saw your face, I realised exactly how much I missed you. Like, I already knew that I missed you, but actually seeing you in person? It magnified everything. Not being able to see your pretty smile whenever I want. Not hearing you laugh at my ridiculous jokes. Not waking up with you in my arms. Not seeing your awful dancing in the kitchen. Not hearing that incredible gasp you make when I slide into you. Not seeing you cheering my name at games like there’s nowhere else you’d rather be. I don’t get to have all of the things I love in my life anymore, all through my selfish choices.”

His words felt like a knife twisting in your guts, but hearing him say he was selfish? No, that you couldn’t stand for.

“You are not selfish, Erik Johnson. The last thing you could ever be is selfish. I know what I signed up for when I started dating you. We always knew this would be a risk,” you said firmly.

“Doesn’t make it any easier to only have you across the phone,” he said, voice thick with emotion.

“No, it doesn’t. We always said we would reassess this summer and I’m still sticking to that, okay?”

Erik nodded at your statement, smiling briefly, a little less sad than before. “Yeah, okay. Just need to remember what I’ve got waiting for me, right?”

“I will always be waiting for you, EJ, that I can promise. But you can absolutely make up for lost time right now,” you said, smiling innocently.

It was Erik’s sharp grin that sent a shiver through your body. There was the man you loved.

“Then you’d better buckle up and drive us home, sweetheart,” he said, voice rough.

The promise in his words only excited you more.

#my writing #lauren celebrates 1.5k #erik johnson blurb #erik johnson imagine #erik johnson fic #follower milestone

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fallinallincurls · 5 months

Note

can i possibly ask for an erik johnson blurb from prompt list #1 with prompt #16 which is “"he treats me well-" "okay good for you." "- but he isn't you."” I WOULD DIE 🥹🥹🥹

thank you for the request ah!! i had fun writing this one!

it wasn't supposed to be like this. you thought you were going to marry erik, move into his house in california, travel the world and start a family. but when it all came crashing down and those dreams turned to dust, only one person was there.

nathan.

you didn't expect to fall in love with him so quickly. especially not so soon after the heartbreak and misery that your relationship with erik had caused. and although there might've been a time where you would've felt guilty about dating his teammate right after, you don't feel that now. erik is across the country playing in buffalo and probably has no idea you're even with nate.

that is until the sabres come to denver to play the avs.

you know most of the guys are going out to dinner with erik the night before the game to catch up with an old friend. and despite nate's devotion to you, erik is still one of his closest friends. you decide to be friendly if you see him and luckily escape dropping nate off at the restaurant without seeing a glimpse of the tall blonde haired man you used to love.

you go out with some of the girls and get your mind off the raging emotions rolling through you and the millions of thoughts and memories that haven't died down since this morning. you feel confident you might not see him at all, but when you park the car outside the restaurant to wait for nate, your heart sinks.

outside, by himself, is no one else but erik.

you gather all your courage and take a deep breath as you step out of the car to approach him. there's no way he doesn't know about you and nate now so you decide the best thing to do is to clear the air. get some closure and finally move on.

before you can say anything, let alone an apology, erik starts speaking.

"nate told me. i had no idea. but i'm happy for you." although the words are supposed to be encouraging, erik's voice is flat and monotone giving away how he truly feels about the situation. the need to defend yourself arises, but so done a realization that you hadn't come to terms with until this very second.

"he treats me well-" you start before being abruptly cut off.

"okay good for you." erik says in a clipped tone. those familiar blue eyes that used to be full of adoration for you are now icy and cold.

"- but he isn't you."

erik is stunned for a moment, processing what you just admitted. that after everything, all the heartbreak and pain, you missed him. you still loved him even though you were with his friend. and knowing that nate could never compare gives erik a small dose of satisifaction.

"i still love you too. and miss you more than anything. but a lot has to happen if you want to give us another chance." erik states, a glimmer of hope in his gaze. and before you can respond, tell him that you want him back, that you would do anything to be his again, nate comes out onto the street with a beaming smile on his face.

"my two favorite people! ej, everyone is looking for you. and y/n, do you want to stay? it shouldn't be much longer."

just like that, the moment has passed. but you catch erik glancing back at you as a reminder of what just happened.

#asks #ask bre #my lovely mutuals #bre's 4 year tumblraversary!#erik johnson #erik johnson blurb #erik johnson blurbs #erik johnson fic #erik johnson fics #nhl fic #nhl fics #nhl imagines #nathan mackinnon #nathan mackinnon blurbs #nathan mackinnon fic

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wyattjohnston · 1 year

Text

looks a lot like forever - erik johnson

series: only all the time

word count: 1,655

note: for the anon who asked for gwen/erik domestic fluff! i hope this is what you were after :)

Gwen was on cloud nine when she arrived home, not even bothered that she struggled through the door hindered by shopping bags up to her elbows. They were her shopping bags, though, so complaining would be hypocritical.

Despite Erik’s car being in the garage, the house was dark and silent. Gwen headed straight towards their bedroom, knowing that she’d find him either in the shower or passed out on the bed. She got her answer when she heard the water running in the bathroom.

She dropped her bags on the bed, starting to empty them out and put away her new wardrobe while she waited for him to appear—and he did so about ten minutes later laughing at the bags littering the floor.

“Successful day?” he asked, walking towards her with just a towel around his waist.

Knowing that he wasn’t just making fun of her shopping spree, Gwen let a smile take over her face, “Yeah, I think I’ve found The One.”

She had gone full steam ahead with wedding planning; picking and asking her bridesmaids before the month of June was over and starting her search for The Perfect Dress as soon as they were settled back in Colorado; she’d seen too many brides take months to find their dress and she didn’t want to leave it too close to the wedding.

“Can I see it?”

Gwen hummed, wrapping her arms around his waist, her fingers disappearing below the top of the towel, and tilting her head up to silently ask for a kiss. Erik obliged without hesitation.

When Gwen pulled back, she smiled sweetly and said simply, “No.”

She patted his bare chest and moved to step away completely, only for Erik to catch her by the waist and pull her back in. His speed and his strength never ceased to amaze her, and, even though she rolled her eyes playfully, she let it happen.

“No?” he asked, the pout on his face small but present.

“It’s bad luck. You know that. Besides, it still needs to be altered and will need to be altered closer to the wedding. In the photo it’s pegged together at my back.”

“You know it’s The One, though?”

“Mel cried,” Gwen admitted, somewhat deliriously. “She hasn’t cried about any other dress.”

Erik laughed, “I’m a fucking goner then, aren’t I?”

Despite not being able to attend Mel and Gabe’s wedding, Gwen had been slated for a bridesmaid spot and thus had been present for all the activities being a bridesmaid entailed—including the dress shopping. Gwen had cried the second she saw Mel in the dress that would end up being The One because of how clear it was on Mel’s face that she'd found exactly what she was looking for. Mel had assured her that it was the same reason she’d cried seeing Gwen’s dress.

Gwen kissed Erik again and then directed him towards their closet so that he could get dressed, with a gentle reminder that they needed to think about leaving for the Landeskogs’.

She went about cleaning up the bags and tissue paper that had come from her shopping and joined Erik in the walk-in robe so that she could take in her wardrobe and what she needed to cycle out.

“Give me a hint?”

"It's white."

“Yeah, alright. I deserved that,” Erik conceded.

They were heading to the Landeskogs’ to look after Linnea and Lucas so that Gabe and Mel could go to the basketball—a horribly boring date in Gwen’s mind but some would probably say the same about her and Erik using their free night to look after someone else’s children. They didn’t often take on babysitting duties because there were young adults, and teenagers truthfully, who were much better suited for it, but it was fun when they did do it.

They inevitably taught Linnea at least one new behaviour that Gabe complained about—the most memorable and persistent being Linnea laying on her back on the hardwood floors so that Gwen and EJ could take turns spinning her in circles.

Gabe was insistent that the second Erik had a kid he was in for hell.

Linnea was waiting for them at the door, bouncing up and down in the window. She could be heard babbling and asking for the door to be opened, waving at Gwen and Erik enthusiastically. As soon as it was open, she was throwing herself at Erik who was ready to catch her.

“I don’t think people come here to see me anymore,” Gabe said, watching on as Gwen leaned into press loud kisses to Linnea’s face as she giggled and wriggled in Erik’s arms.

“We’ve never come here for you, you know that,” Gwen said, even as she kissed his cheek. “Where’s the love of my life?”

“Luke’s room. He’s being fussy because he knew you were going to come in and insult me.”

Gwen smiled, sarcastic innocence etched over her face, and left to find Mel and Luke.

The wailing coming through the hall as she got closer to the room let Gwen know that Gabe wasn’t lying about Luke being fussy. It was a sound that, to be frank, made her less sad about delaying having her own children, especially when Mel had described the colic both kids went through as newborns.

Mel frowned when Gwen walked into the room, where she was carrying Luke around in her arms, “He’s been like this all day. I really thought we were over the temper tantrums.”

“It happens,” Gwen said, holding her arms out to let Mel know she could handle Luke over if needed. “Everyone needs a good cry every now and then.”

Mel passed Luke over, rolling her shoulders. “I shouldn’t leave you to deal with this.”

“Yes, you should,” Gwen insisted, twisting away from Luke’s screams. “Go get your jacket and get out of here. He’ll see Erik and it’ll be fine.”

There was no argument from Mel there, because everyone knew that Erik had magical, baby calming powers. Before Mel left, she hugged both Gwen and Luke.

Gwen started bouncing Luke up and down, begging him to at least scream quieter before he burst her eardrum. Luke didn’t seem to care. When it was clear that there was no settling him down, and after Gabe poked his head in to say goodbye and apologise that Luke was already fussy and then hadn’t gone down for a nap which made everything much worse, Gwen sought out Erik.

He was gleefully playing with Linnea in the living room, a tiny, tiny table set up with a plastic tea-set with Erik sitting awkwardly at it. He looked up instantly at the sound of Luke’s crying, and he reached out to take him from Gwen.

“He’s so loud,” Linnea huffed, dropping her teacup to cover her ears with her hands.

“I know, hon,” Gwen said, helping Linnea to her feet so she could take her out of the room and away from her screaming brother. “I think it’s snack time, don’t you?”

Linnea’s mood lifted and she instantly forgot that she’d ever been annoyed at all.

They both stood in front of the open fridge, scrutinising the contents—Gwen knew that they would inevitably order pizza for dinner so whatever Gwen was going to prepare was going to be something like carrot sticks but a distraction was a distraction.

Luke’s crying could still be heard but it was more subdued, proving that Erik was as much a miracle worker as Gwen expected him to be. Erik brought Luke into the kitchen when he’d quietened down entirely, leaving the loudest sound being Linnea crunching away at carrot sticks.

“You’ll have to teach me how to do that,” Gwen said, peering down at Luke who was fighting to keep his eyes open in Erik’s arms.

“Our kids won’t be this loud,” Erik said assuredly. “Do you want to put him to bed while I organise dinner?”

Gwen hummed, gently taking Luke, and tilted her face up to Erik for a kiss, which he gave her. Before she left, she said, “My big strong man providing for me by making a phone call.”

“Even better,” Erik said, leaning into the joke and pulling his phone out of his pocket, “I’m going to order it on an app.”

“Swoon,” Gwen said as she fanned herself.

“What does ‘swoon’ mean?” Linnea asked, just in time for Gwen to duck out of the room and leave Erik to come up with something that would both make sense and not get him in trouble.

Gwen very much loved getting to spend time with Linnea and Luke, yet she still enjoyed the time when they went to bed and she and Erik sat on the couch together more.

It was horribly domestic, even if they were watching basketball, knowing that at any moment they could be interrupted by a child in need of attention. It rarely happened—both Linnea and Luke were kind enough to wait until their parents were home to rouse—and even if it was mildly annoying, it had Gwen dreaming of her own future.

Erik nudged her, gently, during a break in the game, and Gwen leant closer and hummed to let him know she was listening.

“What if I don’t want to see you in your wedding dress at the same time as everyone else?” he asked, solemnly. “What if I want it to be just for me? Can we make everyone stare at the altar?”

“That sounds a bit bridezilla-y,” Gwen said, cringing. “People do First Look photos. Before the ceremony, we meet in a little secluded place and it’s me, you and the photographer—there doesn’t even have to be a photographer there, I guess—and that’d mean that the only people who saw me before you were my bridesmaids.”

“We should do that.”

“Whatever you want, baby. Whatever you want.”

#erik johnson fic #erik johnson rec #nhl fic #nhl imagine #hockey imagine #hockey fic #homemade fic #only all the time fic #fic: avs

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senditcolton · 1 year

Text

You Always Have Been

summary: Brittany Hill imagined a different life for herself when she was younger. but now, celebrating her boyfriend Erik’s incredible achievement, she wonders why she ever wanted something else.

songs: X X word count: 974 (plus insta edit!) warnings: none! pure fluff!

The warm summer breeze danced across Brittany’s skin as she took a deep breath, inhaling the clear crisp Colorado air. Behind her, she can still hear the party going strong, hoots and hollers finding their way into her ears.

She was celebrating – there was no way that she was going to sit out a celebration of her boyfriend’s biggest accomplishment in his long career. Erik won the Stanley Cup. There was no better reason to throw a party.

And Britt was proud of him. Insanely proud of him. Even though they only met a little over a year ago, she knew how much this meant to him and she was just grateful she got to spend this time with him.

She loved Erik, loved recognizing his victory. But this moment, out here away from the commotion, was her way of commemorating the moment in her own way.

Now, on the bench on the edge of Erik’s property, Britt takes another deep breath, grabbing the old Nikon film camera hung around her neck, lifting it up and adjusting the settings before snapping a picture of the landscape in front of her. Looking down, she pulls the lever to advance the film, absorbed in her work that she doesn’t notice the presence walking up behind her until a pair of warm hands land on her shoulders.

A reactionary jump and a turn of her head reveals Erik, standing behind her, his thumbs caressing her warm skin.

“Sorry,” he murmurs, walking around the wooden bench before taking a seat next to her. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

Britt easily relaxes, leaning into his side as his strong arm wraps around her body, hand coming to rest on the top of her hip and she can feel the heat of his skin soaking through the soft linen of her sundress.

“It’s okay,” she replies with a sigh.

“What are you doing out here all alone?”

“Just thinking.”

“About what?” he questions, looking down at her with those gentle grey eyes.

“My high school crush, oddly enough.” Britt can’t stop the slight giggle that escapes her as she watches Erik’s brows pull together in confusion.

“Should I be jealous?” he asks, the teasing evident in his voice in response to her reaction.

“Not at all.”

“So, why were you thinking about your high school crush?”

“It’s stupid,” Britt shrugs, content to snuggle deeper into Erik’s side.

“Nothing you say is stupid,” Erik replies quickly. “Besides, out of the two of us, I’m the dumb one in this relationship.” Britt laughs again, pulling a similar chuckle from Erik’s chest, his thumb once again stroking over her skin. “Come on. You know you can tell me anything.”

Another sigh falls from Britt’s lips as she adjusts her position, coming to lay her head in his lap, looking up at him as the setting sun makes his blonde hair glow golden.

“Just sitting out here reminded me about the first high school party I went to. Filled with all the popular kids, my crush being one of them. I thought ‘wow, this is going to be the night everything changes for me. He’s going to notice me and we’ll fall in love.’ Instead, I spent the night sitting on a bench away from the party, being completely ignored.”

Erik adjusts his position above her, leaning closer and listening to her intently.

“And then I thought, ‘that’s okay, I can change. I can be better.’ And I spent so much of my life trying to be accepted, to be wanted. I hosted parties to buy people’s love. I starved myself to feel desired. And I got to feel that for miniscule moments but I tricked myself into believing that was enough.”

Britt exhales, shaking her head slightly as she goes back through her memories.

“I don’t know what eventually led me to snap out of it. I guess I just looked around and realized that it wasn’t fulfilling me the way I needed it to. And I wondered ‘why did I think this is what I wanted?’ So, I left. Left New Hampshire and came out here. Made myself a career doing what I love, found a place where I didn’t need the approval of others. I changed – for the better. And then I met you.”

With those words, she glanced back up at Erik with a soft smile on her face which he mirrors.

“I guess, it’s funny looking back and realizing that all of that led me here,” Britt concludes. Erik doesn’t say anything for a moment, just continues to stare down at her with that soft look in his eyes before he finally speaks.

“I kind of feel the same way.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Not in exactly the same way but, you know, after all the injuries and thinking I might be forced to retire… to being here, celebrating winning the Cup with my friends and family,” he pauses, shooting Britt the dorky wink that never fails to make her laugh. “With the most beautiful women in the world. Who I knew I couldn’t have done this without.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“I mean it. Think about it. The only difference between the previous seasons and this one is that I had you cheering me on from the stands every game.”

“I’m not that magical,” Britt laughs.

“Yes you are,” Erik quips back, his hand moving from it’s spot around her waist to cup her face, thumb brushing against her cheekbones. “The most remarkable person I’ve ever had the privilege to meet.”

There were no other words to say. Instead, Britt lifts her head up towards him, a silent request. Erik reads it easily, leaning down to capture his lips in hers. The two of them stay there, wrapped up in each other until the sun finally sets; a picture-perfect moment.

#nicole writes #midnights mashups #erik johnson fic #erik johnson imagine #erik johnson fluff #colorado avalanche fic #colorado avalanche imagine #nhl fic #nhl imagine #hockey fic #hockey imagine #i hate how my edits save so small so they really blurry on desktop #but should look great on mobile

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horsesandhockeyplayers · 2 years

Text

Fourth Line Grinder-- Part 11

Author’s Note: This beautiful header is courtesy of @whatishockey and her brilliant creative mind. We continue with ALL NEW content as EJ and Nell figure out their relationship. Please see the masterlist post to see the 2019 Pacific Classic as an example race

Word Count: 5118

Word Count TOTAL: 65,488

Song: Dark Horse - Aaron Watson

Synopsis: Nell Sayer, often called The Witch for her ability to heal horses that are deemed lost causes, is content with her life. With a job where she makes a good living and her two best friends, Nell is unprepared for the changes a meeting with a once-in-a-lifetime horse and his incorrigible owner brings, knocking her off her feet…literally. If only she were as good at listening to her heart as she is at listening to the animals she loves.

Tag List: @laurenairay, @danglesnipecelly, @hockeylvr59, @whatishockey, @thebookofmags, @princessphilly, @glassdanse, @tippedbykreider, @iangiemae, @kotkaniemi-caufield-mom, @marcoscandellas, @mac-blackwood, @fanficrecsby-e

Part 11

The feeling of kisses being pressed along my naked spine woke me. True to my word I had accompanied Erik to Denver when he signed the papers for the property. I was staying at his modest Denver home for four days before flying back to San Diego.

Grinder came out of the Eddie Read with no issues, in fact he was so fit he was beginning to get rambunctious in a way that had Dick considering what to do with him if he qualified for the Breeder’s Cup in the Pacific Classic. There were two full months between qualifying and actually racing in the Longines Classic.

But that was a problem for another day. Thick fingers slipped between my vaginal lips and I moaned into the mattress. EJ pushed two fingers inside me and down to probe my G spot while his thumb rubbed my clit. I came in record time as he laughed against my shoulder blades, his hand following my gyrating hips as I shook from the orgasm.

Mile high sunshine was starting to filter into the bedroom and I knew from experience it couldn’t be much past 5am.

Erik kneeled between my spread legs and he lifted my boneless body onto all fours by my hips. We both moaned as the head of his cock slid inside me. His pace was languid and lazy as he slid a hand between my breasts and lifted me up pressing my back against his chest.

I raised my arms and clasped them behind his head, pulling him down for a kiss. I liked any kind of sex with Erik, but I loved these relaxed mornings, lazy fucking and morning breath until we had our fill of orgasms and hunger sent us to the kitchen for breakfast. It was messy and wet and I made a mental note to get a generous gift card for his housekeeper.

He continued his lazy thrusts, his hand sliding down my body and across my lower stomach like he could feel his dick inside me. Continuing down, he swirled his middle finger around my clit and snapped his hips into mine. His voice was low in my ear, “I like it when you cum on my fingers, I love it when you cum on my cock.. You gonna cum for me, Peaches?”

I shivered at his breath on my earlobe and proceeded to shatter into a million pieces in his arms. Praise slipping from his lips, “That’s my good girl,” as he fucked me hard through my orgasm, chasing his own.

When I felt his cock twitch inside me, he buried his face into the crook of my neck as he groaned through his release.

The sun had long crested the horizon, bathing our kneeling naked bodies in golden light and I knew he looked like a god dipped in starshine.

He collapsed into a mattress that seriously felt like sleeping on a cloud, he twisted as he fell and I landed on top of him, his soft cock regretfully sliding out of me.

My muscles felt like warmed jello and I was putting more effort than should have been necessary into not drooling all over his smooth chest.

Within a few minutes he was snoring softly again and I watched the sun climb across the sky through the floor to ceiling east facing windows.

When relieving myself became more urgent than laying on top of 240lbs of prime Colorado beef, I tried to slip off of him as quietly as possible and ended up getting tangled in the sheet and falling off the bed in a heap.

Erik sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, his hair tousled from sleep and my fingers. The sheet was still tucked around his body and I found myself staring at his well sculpted torso. I blinked when he spoke, “Peaches? What are you doing on the floor?”

I sighed and leaned into his hand as he stroked my hair, “trying not to wake you up,” I replied in defeat.

He glanced at the expensive watch on his wrist, “We need to get a move on anyway. We have an appointment to walk to the farm and sign documents at 9 before it gets too hot.”

With frustrating ease he got out of bed and picked me up off the floor in one motion. As the sheet unwrapped from his body I was left clutching it to my chest staring at his ass as he walked into the palacious bathroom.

His whole house was just like him, annoyingly practical while being exuberant. It was an older home in the established but monied neighborhood of Cherry Creek. It was a traditional style that had been updated from the dated granite and honey oak cabinets. A photo of Erik and his Grandmother from when he first purchased showed the mid nineties decor. It was now clean and masculine with large dark furniture.

I heard the shower start and I felt warmth start in my belly thinking about that thing EJ could do with the showerhead.

Two hours later, my hair was still damp and hanging around my face, I had a venti triple shot latte cradled in my hands and I was feeling less like a blob of hot jello and more like a human being.

Erik of course had a sensible SUV and he drove toward the Rocky Mountains, the houses getting larger and farther apart. Flat city streets turned into two lane highways and rolling hills. Eventually, we turned and wove our way through the foothills until we reached a small valley. The entrance to the farm was marked with giant stone pillars and a beautiful iron gate that was open. The long tree lined driveway bisected two large pastures.

A small band of quarter horse broodmares and their foals snorted at the strange vehicle and trotted around the irrigated grass, their tails held high.

The property was well maintained and dotted with large trees, both natural pines and trees that were planted when the place was developed. The mountains rose steeply to the west.

I rolled down the window and the air just smelled like mountains, “What’s the elevation here?”

“Ummm..” Erik hesitated fingers, drumming on the steering wheel, “just over 6,000 feet I think? I’d have to check.”

It was a good 10 degrees cooler than Denver and I was regretting not bringing a jacket. We passed the breeding barn and I craned my neck trying to see inside. He chuckled and reached for my hand, “Peaches, you’ll get to see inside, I promise.”

The main barn was a massive structure in the Monitor style. There was a beautiful fountain in the front courtyard with a bronze rearing horse sculpture in the middle. There were ten stalls on either side with long forty foot runs coming out the back. The center of the barn had two clusters of 4 double sized stalls,with a tack room, wash stalls, and grooming cross ties.

Erik parked the SUV by the front entrance and I clambered out of the car and made my way inside the huge structure waving my hands in acknowledgment of whatever he was saying and not hearing a damn word. The stalls were huge 14x14 at least, with protruding European stall fronts that allowed even more room. The small Quarter Horses hung their heads over the fronts and I came to the conclusion I couldn’t have designed a better barn. Whoever built this place did so with the intent it was comfortable and functional for the horses.

Beyond the barn was a fully covered arena. It wasn’t the largest, but it was large enough for a full dressage court. It was attached to the barn with a covered walkway and textured rubber bricks for traction.

Erik caught up to me, “The realtor is just a few minutes late. What do you think?”

I leaned into him and sighed with contentment, “It’s perfect.”

When Erik disappeared into the office to sign papers I once again began to wander. I stopped in front of a sweet looking Palomino gelding, “You seem pretty content to live here, huh guy?”

He sighed and cocked a hind hoof to continue his morning nap.

“Can I help you?”

I turned toward the voice and there was a drug store box redhead whose Aquanet style would have made Dolly Parton jealous, “I’m sorry my… partner, just bought the place, he’s signing paperwork in the office.”

Her face changed and her southern accent became a lot more pronounced, “Hi there! I’m Peggy, my husband is Shane, he’s the trainer. Have you gotten a tour yet?”

“Just from the photos on the Internet I’m afraid.”

She scoffed, “Best way to get a tour is on horseback, you ride?”

“Just racehorses every day,” I answered with a smile.

“Think you can handle an old Quarter Horse,” she gestured to the sleeping Palomino behind me.

“I can’t remember the last time I rode something that didn’t want to kill me.”

She gestured to the pink halter by the door, “he’s my daughter’s horse. His name is Earl. Come on, I’ll give you an appropriate tour.”

20 minutes later, Earl was decked out head to toe in everything pink glitter and we were plodding next to Peggy on a fiery chestnut reiner. “How old is your daughter?”

She laughed, “10 and really loves pink in case you couldn’t tell.”

I sucked air through my teeth and nodded, “Yep. Thank goodness Earl doesn’t seem to think it’s an attack on his masculinity.”

“Earl here is the best babysitter I could have ever hoped to get.”

It became clear 5 minutes in that Peggy was a Talker with a capital T. But it wasn’t a hardship to listen to her as we rode the galloping track and she pointed out trail access points into the adjoining state park.

Suddenly, I could picture my life here and the vision was so clear I felt like I had been thrust five years into the future. Riding Grinder along these very trails, the pastures dotted with Thoroughbred mares and their foals. The main barn full of rehabbing horses and racetrack failures training for dressage and jumping or even out on these trails for endurance.

My phone trilled in my pocket with William Tell’s Overture and I dug it out of my pocket, “Hey Handsome.”

“Where did you disappear to?”

“Your tenant for the next few months offered me a tour.” Earl shook a rogue fly from his ear.

EJ gave a sigh, but I could hear his smile, “Are you on a horse?”

“Yes. His name is Earl.”

“You can’t keep Earl.”

“Of course I’m not keeping Earl. I’m not in the business of breaking little girls' hearts,” I scoffed.

Peggy turned her head and giggled into her hand and the chestnut mare she was on shook her mane.

“We’re on our way back.”

His voice was tinny on the other end, “Good. I don’t think Grinder would be happy if I went back to California without you.”

I rolled my eyes, “See you in a few.”

Peggy and I finished our impromptu horseback tour and I gave Earl a thorough grooming while Erik chatted with Peggy and Shane. I fished a tired peppermint out of my pocket when I returned him to his stall and the cellophane was almost impossible to peel off the sticky treat but he waited patiently.

I gave the golden gelding a pat and ruffled his forelock as he munched, his breath smelling like hay and mint. “Thanks for taking care of me today Big Man.”

Joining the small group I lifted Erik’s arm and slid underneath it. His shirt smelled like horse and sunshine with the faint hint of his laundry detergent. I got lost in my imagination looking around the barn thinking about where I was going to put my equipment, which stall would be Grinder’s, which of Erik’s broodmares I wanted to bring in first. Basically, building my business and the ERJ racing breeding operation in my head.

I got a hip in my side and EJ shook my shoulder realizing I wasn’t paying attention, “Did you like it?”

“Of course, it’s a beautiful property,” I replied nodding.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I took the case off and retrieved a sad and wrinkled business card that was pressed between the phone and the case, handing it to Peggy. “If your daughter ever becomes more interested in boys than horses, you give me a call and you can name your price for Earl.”

The redhead laughed as her husband growled, “She’s not dating until she’s 40.”

Erik just sighed, “I knew it.”

I gave him an elbow in the ribs, “Grinder will need a retirement buddy.”

We all shook hands and EJ pulled me toward the SUV, “I’m taking her home before she tries to buy all your horses.”

Peggy offered a wave as we got into the vehicle, “Y’all can come help Earl stretch his legs anytime!”

As we made our way down the beautiful driveway, I pulled one of EJ’s hands off the wheel and wove my fingers through his, giving a contented sigh.

He pressed his lips against my knuckles, “Are you going to buy every horse you fall in love with?”

I grinned and pulled my eyes from the stunning view flying by the window, “We can afford it.”

A small smile curled the corner of his lips and I enjoyed the Colorado Summer air as we headed back into town.

—————

Things started to fall into place as I stopped fighting with Erik, with myself, with the universe. I had decided to just let life take me where it wanted and if it all fell apart? Well I was certainly more wealthy than I had been, I had invested a lot of the money back into equipment to help me help more horses, I had Jesus and it would suck for awhile, but I would build everything back up again.

Grinder continued to train like a machine and we enjoyed our afternoons in the California sunshine.

I was sitting on him bareback as he grazed, just wearing a halter, the lead rope over his withers and dangling loose down his shoulder. My eyes were closed and I was meditating, breathing in and out to the count of his ripping and chewing of the grass.

To the shock of absolutely no one except myself, I found taking some time during my day to focus and center myself just for the sake of myself actually improved my work. Any lingering headaches soon completely disappeared.

EJ was fully on board with this new “Nell Takes Care of Herself” movement and regardless of time he was always pressing some sort of smoothie in my hand before I left the house in the mornings. I never asked what was in them because they were always palatable if not actually delicious and I didn’t want the illusion ruined knowing I was drinking raw blended chicken gizzards or something weird.

August on the Southern California Coast was absolutely gorgeous, foggy mornings gave way to mid afternoon sunshine and temps in the 80s. Erik was ramping up his training and come the end of the month, I knew he would be spending more of his time in Colorado than California.

My meditation fell apart as I began to worry about what was to come. We hadn’t talked about when I would be joining EJ in Colorado. Peggy and Shane had the property rented through December. But we had discussed bringing some of our horses earlier as they were only using a fraction of the stalls. They were looking for places close by and Peggy and I had a plan to keep their show stock on so they could utilize the covered arena in the winter. I was getting daily photos of Earl from her daughter Daisy and they almost always featured some sort of costume or hat. He really was the best babysitter.

Grinder snorted and shook his head bringing me back to the present. It was still midsummer and we had time. I pulled the big gelding’s head up from the grass and pointed him back to the barns, enjoying the feel of his large swinging walk.

My phone vibrated on my belt and seeing EJ’s dumb toothless face on my screen I swiped to answer it, “Hey, Grinder and I are just heading back to the barn.”

He cleared his throat, “Would you consider yourself a perfectionist?”

I felt my face scrunch, “Not really, but that’s a weird question.”

He hummed, “Ok what about a planner, would you consider yourself one of those?”

One of Grinder’s elegant black ears flicked back, listening to the conversation, “No more than anyone else? Erik, what’s up with the questions?”

I heard paper rustling in the background, “oh nothing I just found large, to scale drawings of all the barns with the names of horses in each stall, locations of your equipment, you even have a list of where each saddle is going to go in the tack room.”

My throat suddenly felt a little scratchy and I coughed, my voice a little high when I replied, “Um that is normal.”

“It’s not but ok, we can start making a plan after dinner, a lot of these mares I don’t want to haul out until after their breedings next season and we confirm they are in foal. Some I’d like to unload at auction.”

I sighed at having been caught, “Ok. I’ll be home in about an hour, do you want me to pick up dinner?”

Dishes clanked in the background, “Nah, Peaches, it’s lean protein and vegetables tonight.”

Wrinkling my nose, I made a mental note to pick up some Ben and Jerry’s on the way. I didn’t have to worry about being a professional athlete.

I felt better when I followed EJ’s diet with him, but at what cost?

When I got back to the Del Mar condo, pint of ice cream in my hand, he was in the kitchen cooking away, dish towel swung over his shoulder looking like he was the main course.

I tossed the dessert in the freezer and snagged the big man around the waist for a kiss. He gave me a pouty look, “I suppose you didn’t bring a pint for me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said feigning innocence.

He just raised a brow, and we settled into our little slice of domesticity. I sat at the island going through emails, texts, and pouring over my schedule while he cooked.

After dinner, he spread the plans on the kitchen island, “Shane and I have been talking, and I think they are going to move into that small house by the broodmare barn for the foreseeable future. We are going to have way more available stalls than we know what to do with for awhile and I don’t think having them on the property is a bad idea for a little extra income.”

I started erasing all the names I had written into the stalls, “I agree.”

EJ put an arm around my shoulders, his voice soft, “When do you want to move in?”

Frowning, I shifted in my chair. I had been expecting this conversation to happen at some point. “I don’t know. I mean there’s so much to do to get all the horses you want to winter out there ready. We have to buy blankets, order feed, bedding, we have to have guys on the ground ready for horses, we have to have guys here ready to pack up horses. There’s so much Erik.”

He kissed my temple, “It’s only August, Peaches, we have time.”

“I suppose you’re right,” I said, leaning into his kiss.

A large hand pulled the elastic out of my hair, “I am happy that you’re thinking about it though.” His voice dropped and the air became charged.

I offered a hum in response as his blunt fingers began to massage my scalp.

——

As August ticked by and we settled even more into a routine, even with EJ starting to spend more and more time in Colorado, to the point, I didn’t know what was going to happen when the season started. It would be questionable if he would even be available the day of the Breeder’s Cup, but first Grinder had to qualify.

The days marched toward Grinder’s first grade 1 stakes in his entire life and when race day arrived I was an odd mixture of nervous and confident.

Grinder’s story had spread among the race community and there was a feature article in that week’s Racing Forum about our weird little family. The horse no one wanted to take a chance on, the miracle worker, and the hockey player that was entranced by my witchy wiles.

Like all days on the California coast, this one dawned bright and perfect. After an early morning hack around the track property to stretch his muscles, I was banned from seeing Grinder before the race.

I sat in my truck in the parking lot, unsure of what to do with myself. I hadn’t booked any clients for the day, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to focus on them, and I was right. Erik had a handful of interviews to give and he left it up to me whether I was going to be tucked into his side like the dutiful girlfriend or throwing up in a trash can from nerves around the corner.

EJ climbed into the passenger seat without a word and handed me a large paper cup with a lid. I took the warm beverage gratefully and took a sip. I was expecting espresso mixed with milk and yummy syrup and I got something else entirely. He chuckled when I made a face.

“It’s herbal tea, Peaches. You don’t need anymore caffeine to tie your stomach in knots.”

I took another sip with a generous shrug because he was probably right.

Next, a breakfast burrito and a race program with a $100 bill tucked into it slid onto the center console of the truck.

My brow arched and I got a wiley grin in return.

“You had a smoothie at 5am. Eat the burrito and then we are going to play a little game.”

“I’m listening,” I replied before taking a bite of the egg-y, cheesy, potato-y goodness wrapped in a tortilla.

His grin got impressively wider, “There’s a handful of claiming races on tomorrow’s card, what you win handicapping with this $100 bill today, you will use to buy the horse of your choice tomorrow.”

I inhaled a piece of potato and started choking, “What?”

Erik gave me a slap on the back and I felt the piece of potato dislodge from my throat, “You need to be distracted and this will be a challenge, even for you.” He settled into the leather seat and reclined it, “better get crackin’ on that program, the cheapest claimer tomorrow is $7500 and the first post is in an hour.”

Staring at the $100 bill tucked into the program, I chewed thoughtfully. Turning $100 into enough to buy a horse with? How did he even get this idea?

Keeping the bill safely between the pages of the racing program I picked it up and thumbed to the first race.

An hour and a half later, Grinder was only occupying the furthest recesses of my mind as the horses of the first race flashed under the wire, in the exact order I picked them for the straight trifecta. I had just quadrupled my money.

EJ twisted his program in his hands and squinted at me from beneath the brim of his fashionable hat, “Should I call Gabe and just tell him I’m retiring now?”

I smacked him in the chest and disappeared to collect my winnings.

By the time The Pacific Classic was called to the post, I was up several thousand and I had put the whole kit and kaboodle on Grinder whose odds were reasonable at 10 to 1.

I had tucked the betting slip into my bra for safe keeping and idly wondered if it was still worth anything soaked in boob sweat. A large hand spanned the small of my back and I could feel the heat of the palm through the dress I had changed into. It was a simple jersey wrap around in a bright royal blue that matched the ERJ Racing silks. I had paired it with a suede heeled bootie and some hammered silver earrings and pendant. It was simple, it was elegant, and as always, it was machine washable.

EJ kissed my temple and my phone vibrated, it was a facetime from Carlos. I hadn’t apologized for my behavior and at this point I didn’t really know how. He wasn't speaking to me, but when I answered the facetime call, there was Grinder in all his glory, being saddled. Carlos kept the phone on him as they walked around the paddock and the call disconnected as the horses departed to the tunnel and made their way to the track.

“I see you’re still being stubborn and Carlos is still not talking to you.”

Grabbing his arm, I wrapped it around my middle, “ I don’t even know how to bring it up or what to say.”

I could hear the amusement in his voice, “Well I think you start with ‘I’m’ and end with ‘sorry’”

Heaving a sigh, I wondered if anyone would blame me for crushing his toes under the heel of my fashionable bootie this close to hockey season. “Thanks for the advice, smart ass.”

The horses started filing onto the track, nine gleaming thoroughbreds in various shades of red, brown, and grey. Then there was Grinder, marching across the dirt to the turf, his coat so shiny it almost looked like an oil slick. There were no bad vibes this time. These were good horses, real competition and somehow the big black gelding made them all look like scrawny mustangs gathered from the Nevada desert.

Large hands closed over mine and Erik pried my phone from my death grip before sliding it into his pocket, “Please try not to destroy anything with your hulk hands.”

Frowning, I looked at my hands, “They’re not hulk hands.”

“Peaches last time he raced and you held my hand I heard bones crack.”

There were 11 horses in the race, including Grinder. It was a decent field and I started to worry it was going to be too much. Too many horses, too much traffic, and if he did win, what about the Breeder’s cup where the field could be even larger?

The horses completed the post parade and started to warm up. I watched the horses, looking for weaknesses, lameness, anything that might give me peace of mind that my horse was the best. There was nothing. These were some of the best horses in the country and Grinder was amongst them.

Time stretched like a lazy cat and the warm up seemed to take forever, but all too soon the horses approached the gate and started to be loaded. Grinder had pulled the first post position and because of his running style, no one was a fan. Everyone wanted to be on the rail, to run the shortest race. That didn’t matter for Grinder, he was fit, he was a closer, but he could get caught in the mad rush. He could get bumped, or worse, stuck in traffic. I didn’t know what the ornery gelding would do if he was forced to run in the middle of the pack, Mikey and I had discussed it and we had both decided it was best to never find out.

Grinder was one of the first horses loaded, and I pressed the binoculars to my eyes watching his feet. They were flat on the ground and he stood like a statue while the rest of the horses were slotted into their spots. What was less than a minute stretched for eternity and finally the bell clanged and the gates opened. Grinder shot forth and I had to pull the lenses away from my eyes to blink before replacing them.

The big black horse was surging with the pack. He was on the rail and stretching to keep his nose in front of the competition. He broke fast and he was…. Leading?

“What the fuck?” Erik’s words spoke to both of us. I could tell from the body language both Mikey and the horse were surprised as well.

I let the small binoculars fall, resting in my hand against the wall of the owner’s box, “I mean, we wanted to keep him out of traffic. This is fine. As long as Mikey stays out of his way, this is fine.”

And shockingly it was. Mikey helped rate Grinder and the fractions were fast, but not otherworldly. The frontrunners in this race were decent but Grinder was faster and he held them off with ease.

Into the far turn, the field started to challenge him and every time a horse pulled alongside him, Grinder found another gear. The crowd roared as the big black horse headed for the finish, leading the field wire to wire.

I didn’t remember when I started screaming but I was still screaming when the rest of the field passed under the wire and Erik was spinning me around.

Time seemed stuck in fast forward as the ERJ Racing team took photos in the winner’s circle. There were interviews galore and my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. The whirlwind didn’t cease until the sun had long gone to bed and I was leaning on Grinder’s stall door with my elbows, watching the horse munch his evening hay.

A warm hand found the small of my back and Erik shouldered his way next to me, “he was spectacular.”

My cheeks hurt but I still couldn’t stop the smile, “yeah he is.”

“He’s spectacular because of you.” He nudged my shoulder with his.

“No, he was always spectacular. Just no one else saw it. No one else believed.”

EJ pulled me into his body and kissed my temple, “Come on Peaches, we got a big day of horse buying tomorrow and then I have to be in Colorado by Monday morning.”

And there it was, the kicker to my absolutely perfect day. September was starting and just as I felt I had gotten my footing in my new life, it was going to be changing again.

#fourth line grinder #flg #Erik Johnson #erik johnson imagine #erik johnson fic #erik johnson x ofc #Colorado Avalanche #colorado avalanche imagine #colorado avalanche fic #colorado avalanche rpf #Colorado Avs #avs imagine #Avs fic #avs rpf #Hockey Fanfiction #hockey fic #hockey imagine

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wildrangers · 2 years

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Setting the Scene // Erik Johnson

Word Count: 1.5K

Summary: Erik wants to teach you how to ride a horse. What could go wrong?

Warnings: Cursing, fluff

“I’m telling you, this is a bad fucking idea” you said, glaring up at Erik. He let out a loud laugh, throwing his arm around your shoulders and giving you a squeeze.

“Come on, babe, I would never put you in danger, you know that, right?” he questioned, pausing your walking so he could face you directly.

You sighed dramatically replying, “Sure. But I also don’t trust that you don’t think it would be hilarious to try to teach me how to ride a horse for shits and giggles, only for me to accidentally hurt myself because you didn’t think it through.”

He sighed, rolling his eyes playfully at you before pulling you in for a hug. “I get it, you’re nervous and normally, yeah, you’re right, I would definitely be into playing a little prank on you. But not when it comes to horse riding, which can actually be dangerous at times” he argued, placing a kiss on the top of your head.

You didn’t answer right away; you did trust your boyfriend but were also terrified of getting onto a horse. It was one thing to join Erik at races or help him around the barn but actually getting onto one? That was a whole different thing. He pulled you from your thoughts adding, “What if I sweeten the deal?”

This statement caused you to pull away and gaze up at him, curious as to what he would be offering up. You had been dating for almost three years and the whole time he’d tried convincing you that since you were around horses so often, you should really know your way around them. You had begrudgingly agreed and let him teach you how to care for, handle, and exercise them over the years but now was the final step—actually riding one.

“I guess it would depend on what you’re offering” you answered.

“Look, I know what a big step this is for you, so how about if you go through with it, we take a long weekend vacation?” he offered.

“Where were you thinking?” you asked, curiosity peaking even more. “Your choice as long as it’s in the country—it’s too close to hockey season to be flying anywhere” he explained.

What a smart, smart man. He knew how much you loved travelling and how much you disliked that his job limited how often you could explore together. “Fine, you have a deal” you said nudging him with your shoulder before confidently heading towards the practice area. You heard him whoop in excitement behind you, causing you to shake your head and smile at his antics.

He quickly caught up with you and just a few minutes later you were in the practice area, helmet fastened securely on your head. You listened carefully as Erik explained the basics about getting onto and guiding Landeskog. “Does that all make sense?” he questioned after finishing, to which you nodded.

He took Landeskog’s reins in one hand while holding out his other to help you onto the saddle. You took a deep breath as the butterflies in your stomach picked up again. “Y/N, you can do this. You’re going to love it, I promise” he smiled at you. You nodded again, taking his hand while placing your one foot in the stirrup. Before you could overthink things anymore, you leveraged your other leg over Landeskog and quickly found yourself upright in the saddle.

“Holy shit I did it!” you grinned, having to look down at Erik for once as you did so. “Fuck yeah you did, look at you babe!” he smiled patting your leg in encouragement. “Now, all we’re doing today is walking around this pasture, nothing crazy, okay? Just nudge him along like I showed you.”

Erik handed you the reins and you gave Landeskog a quick pat on his neck before using your heel to gently spur him on. He listened and began strolling, Erik never leaving your side as he did so. You took in the rolling hills around you that were lit up by the sun and couldn’t believe how lucky you were to be here in this moment with Erik beside you.

“I can’t tell you how much I hate it when you’re right” you said poking him gently on his cheek. He laughed looking up at you, “So you’re enjoying yourself then?” he asked.

You nodded, “How could I not? Plus, Landeskog is the best horse ever and will get so many sugar cubes when this is over with” you said leaning down to stroke his mane. “Once you really have it down pat, I have a special spot I want to take you to” Erik said. Before you could pose any questions, he quickly added, “Until then though, it’s top-secret information.”

You rolled your eyes playfully before responding, “Well, we better get going then, huh?”

About a month had passed since you began practicing on Landeskog and you were ready to ride together to Erik’s secret spot. It was the end of August, so the two of you rode out mid-afternoon once worst of the heat had passed. Erik had also packed a simple dinner and a blanket so you could enjoy a meal at your destination.

“Can I at least get a hint?” you asked once the two of you had set off. Erik thought it over before replying, “All I’ll say is it’s about an hour away on horseback.”

You hummed to yourself trying to map out where you started and what was within an hour’s ride but, unfortunately, geography wasn’t your strong suit. The two of you rode in a comfortable silence most of the way because the trail was mostly uphill and you had to focus on staying upright atop Landeskog.

“Okay, so we’re going to stop here, I’m going to set dinner up, and then lead you there, alright?” Erik asked, hopping down from MacKinnon. “Wow, you’re really setting quite the scene, aren’t you?” you teased him. His cheeks flushed slightly as he unhooked the sack that held dinner before tossing the blanket from your own pack over his shoulder.

“I’ve been hyping this place up for a month now, I got to sell it, you know?” he countered before taking MacKinnon’s reins and walking out of view. You pet Landeskog while allowing him to graze as you waited for Erik’s return. He quickly did but not before tossing you a small piece of cloth

“A blindfold? Really babe?” you laughed, even as you began tying it around your head. “Yes, a blindfold and no cheating, Y/N” he insisted as he took the reins from you and led Landeskog to your dining spot. A few moments later, he helped you down before walking you to the spot he had deemed worth all this effort and showmanship.

You felt him move behind you before he questioned, “Ready?” to which you quickly agreed. He chuckled to himself and untied the blindfold. Your breath caught in your throat as you took in the scene around you. Erik had led you to the crest of a grassy mountain overlooking a huge valley filled with wildflowers.

“Oh my god, how did you find this place? It’s so beautiful” you gasped, feeling him wrap his arms around your middle. As you leaned back into his embrace, he brushed a kiss against your cheek before replying, “That’s still top secret” which caused you to laugh and groan at the same time. “I have to keep some of the mystery alive Y/N” he teased, placing feather-light kisses down your neck.

“I’ll allow it only because I could look at this view forever. It’s so quiet up here too” you noted taking in the miles of rolling hills you could see from this vantage point. You were so lost in the beauty around you that you didn’t notice Erik letting you go until a few moments afterwards. You went to look behind you in confusion but stopped halfway as you saw him on his knee beside you with a ring in hand.

Your hand flew to your mouth as Erik began, “Y/N, the day I met you was the luckiest of my life. You allowing me to know you and love you over these last three years has been the biggest privilege of my life. You’re my best friend and the love my life” he said, choking up on the last couple of words. “Will you marry me?” he asked, eyes teary with a hopeful smile. You nodded excitedly, feeling your own tears slide down your cheeks. Erik’s smile widened into a grin and he stood up, placing the ring on your finger before pulling you into an embrace.

You held onto him, blown away by the sweet, mischievous, loving man that would soon be your husband. You pulled away just enough to capture his lips in a passionate kiss, your hands tangled in his hair as he arms wrapped his arms around your waist. After several moments, he pulled away to catch his breath, dropping his forehead to your own. As the sun slowly set, you gazed into each other’s eyes, as though seeing your future together there.

A/N: I know I said I'd post something this weekend but I'm super excited for the game tonight so here's a little something I whipped up for our favorite horse girl :) Let me know what you think or if you have a player you'd like me to write for!

#erik johnson x reader #erik johnson imagine #erik johnson fic #erik johnson #erik johnson blurb #nhl imagine #nhl blurb #nhl fic #colorado avalanche fic #colorado avalanche blurb #colorado avalanche imagine #colorado avalanche

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withwritersblock · 22 days

Text

Colorado (For the First Time)

~Colorado (For the First Time) by Daniel Nunnelee~

Author's Note: I'm lowkey really proud of this idea ngl Summary: Y/N returns to Denver after her breakup with Nate Warnings: none? Word Count: 3,935 Nathan Mackinnon x fm!reader

She hasn’t returned to Colorado since she broke up with Nate a year ago. It was a difficult time on her part, to break up with him right before he had a six away games but it was the only time she was able to move everything from their shared apartment to her new place in Seattle.

She didn’t want to go back to her hometown in Nova Scotia since she’s been away from it for eight years now. She couldn’t stay in Colorado because everything reminded her of him.

The street they lived on for eight years together, the coffee shop she would go to every morning and before every one of his games. The hike they would take together every weekend he was home. The friends she made were also his friends.

The signs all over Denver that talked about the Avalanche and Nathan. He was having the best season of his career, which was difficult to say because it seemed as though every season he was getting better and better.

She moved to Seattle because that’s where part of her has always wanted to live. She loved the ocean and the rain. It seemed as though it was the perfect place to live. Except, she missed everything about Denver.

Nate and Y/N’s relationship was perfect. She was happy with him and he was more than happy with her. Except they had been together since they were seventeen years old.

It’s silly to say but Y/N wanted to get married and have kids before she was thirty. She was twenty-seven and Nate kept telling her he wanted to wait until after his career was done to get married. Which was understandable but Nate could have a career that would last another decade.

Selfishly, Y/N couldn’t wait another decade to get married and start a family, she wasn’t even sure she could have children by then. She spoke to Nate about her wants and desires out of the relationship but he wouldn’t listen. He thought that she would drop it and then they’d go along his plan. But eventually, Y/N got tired of waiting around and just being his girlfriend.

If he wasn’t ready to settle down and start an official life as one, she needed to step away. He couldn’t say the words and she couldn’t stay with him anymore. Within a few days her entire life in Denver was behind her.

Except her friends. She missed her friends dearly. Melissa and Gabe have been begging her to come and visit. Alongside a few of the other wives and girlfriends. She wanted to go but she felt as though it would be going behind Nate’s back. She didn’t want to do that. But here she was with her suitcase waiting on her Uber to her AirBnb she was going to be staying in for a few weeks.

It was March in Denver and it was fifty degrees. It was beautiful and not too cold. Her Uber stopped in front of her, she double checked it was her own before she climbed inside. The driver was making small talk about why she traveled to Denver.

“Are you a sports fan? You should go see the Avs play tomorrow night,” he explained as he glanced towards her at a red light. She forced a polite smile.

“Yeah, I was thinking about it, I do love the Avs,” she mumbled as she took a deep breath before glancing at her phone to see Melissa had texted her.

“Nathan Mackinnon is supposed to continue the home point streak tonight, you have to go see it. He’s insane,” the driver explained.

Hearing his name, felt like a dagger in her chest. The driver had no idea but it was unbearable to hear about him.

~~~

He was lying on his apartment couch tossing a tennis ball into the air with a random movie on his TV screen. He had an optional practice today, and he decided that he needed a day of recovery. He spent the morning getting a few treatments done at the arena and he was ordered to lay down and do nothing. Which was weirdly harder than he thought.

Gabe left the arena at the same time as Nate and decided to invite himself over to Nate’s apartment. Nate was starting to feel like himself once the season went into full swing. Except he was still empty. His entire NHL career he had Y/N by his side, this was the first season he was without her. Except, he knows that she still watches every game.

He knows she was at the game in Seattle in November. She posted something on her Instagram story about being in Climate Pledge Arena. He got three assists on the night. All he wanted to do was call her and see her before he left Seattle.

He didn’t. He couldn’t. He was selfish and waited too long. Her mind was already set on not wanting to wait, he couldn’t change it.

“I’m trying to decide if I should tell you this or not,” Gabe muttered as he liftedh is gaze from his phone. Nate caught the ball and threw it for his dog, Maggie, before he switched his gaze to Gabe.

“Well now you have to tell me,” he let out with a huff of air as he sat up, leaning his head against the top of the couch. Gabe paused for a few moments as he dropped his gaze towards his phone again before he took in a long breath.

“Y/N in town for a few weeks,” he said, meeting Nate’s gaze. His eyes widened slightly as he became still. “Melissa has missed her a lot, she’s staying at a BnB near uh-here actually,” Gabe explained further.

Nate dropped his gaze towards his lap at the ball, Maggie dropped in his lap. He took it and threw it down the hallway. “Have you seen her?” he asked, his voice breaking while he spoke.

“Yeah, she saw the kids and stayed for a few drinks,” he said as he leaned forward, resting his arms on his hands. “She’s good, I mean she loves her new job in Seattle. Her and Johanna are still close, she sees Burky all the time. She loves it there,” he explains.

“That’s good, I’m-I’m happy for her,” Nate said hesistantly, forcing a tight lip smile while switching his gaze towards the movie. Gabe smiled half-heartedly as he lets out a dry chuckle.

“That’s a load of bullshit, you wish she was miserable,”

“That’s not true, I am happy that she is happy,”

“Oh come on, Nate, you know damn well you wish she was miserable like you are,” Gabe countered while throwing his hands to the side.

“I am not miserable, look at the year I’m having,” Nate argued back as he shook his head. “If she’s happy, I’m happy,” he repeated with a forced smile before leaning back. Nate dropped his gaze towards his hand as he watched Maggie drop the ball in his lap again. Gabe clenched his jaw as he looked over Nate’s hesitant frame. “Did she ask about me?”

Gabe smirked as he chuckled, “She asked if you thought it would be weird if she went to the game tomorrow,” Gabe met Nate’s eyes and his mouth fell open and he shook his head.

“Not weird,” he mumbled as he kept eye contact with Gabe, “It wouldn’t be weird at all.”

“Okay, good because she’s coming tomorrow, hanging in the suite with us,”

“Even better,” Nate mumbled as he tossed the ball for Maggie. Gabe furrowed his eyebrows as he stared towards Nate suspiciously.

“It doesn’t bother you one bit that the girl you’re probably supposed to be engaged to right now is staying at an AirBnB two streets over,” Gabe said as he paused the movie on the screen. Nate shrugged.

“What do you want me to say, Gabe?” Nate said as he clenched his jaw, “I had a ring ready but I made her wait too long and she left. What do you want me to do?” ~~~

Every morning, she’d go to the coffee shop on the same street her old apartment was on. She wanted to avoid Nate but it was inevitable that she was going to see him after the game tonight. Which Gabe convinced her to go to.

She walked up to the counter and Jeremiah was standing behind it with a wide grin, “Oh my god, Y/N! It's been so long! How have you been?” he said excitedly as he pulled out the large plastic cup and began writing the details of her usual drink on the cup. She returned the kind smile as she handed him her card.

“I’ve been good, I live in Seattle now,” she replied as she added fifteen dollars as a tip to her drink. His eyes widened as he smiled. There was no one waiting behind them so he pried some more information out of her.

“What happened to Nate?” he asked in a hushed voice, leaning closer to her. She let out a dry chuckle.

“We broke up, but I’m back in Denver visiting a few friends and my favorite places,” she offered as she met Jeremiah’s gaze. His eyes widened as his mouth fell open.

“You’re kidding!? You guys were soulmates, I’m sure,” he let out as he was handed back her coffee order. She took a hold of it, sipping it. Seattle had some amazing coffee but nothing was like her coffee shop directly across from her apartment. She’d spend many hours in the coffee shop working on her writing.

“Even soulmates don’t end up together sometimes,” she offered him a sad smile before she took a deep breath, “Seattle has nothing on your lattes Jeremiah,” she mumbled.

“You know, he still comes in before every home game. Tips fifteen dollars like you, but never smiles. He stopped smiling just around the time you stopped coming in. I knew it had to do with you,” he explained. She pressed her lips together as she tilted her head to the side.

“He only gets a two dollar coffee,” she let out with a dry chuckle. She glanced towards her watch. It was three hours before puck drop, Nate would be stopping by to get his coffee any minute. Jeremiah glanced towards his watch before glancing towards the door. “Well, I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow Jeremiah,” she mumbled as she began walking out of the coffee shop.

She shoved the door open and turned left to walk back towards the AirBnB. She glanced towards her watch before she lifted her gaze to see Nate standing dead in his tracks. She stopped walking as she met his gaze. His blue eyes were bright, even from a distance.

His nose was more crooked than before, she remembered the game he face planted against the panthers that messed up his jaw and his nose. He was wearing a navy suit, one of his many suits that pratically look identical. But if you’d ask him, he’d say they were a slightly different shade of blue.

He took a few steps towards her as he dropped his gaze towards the concrete. He admired the black leather pants she was wearing with her grey sweater with the words Avalanche written across it. Her lips curled upward once she met his gaze, it was almost a reflex. It was so natural.

He was only a foot away from her, maintaining eye contact with her as he had so many words on his tongue. Marry me? I love you. I need you. I haven’t been the same without you.

She kept staring at his nose, it was already crooked but it was much worse than before. “Your nose,” she let out, reaching her hand towards him, but she quickly dropped her hand to her side. His eyebrows raised as a smile formed to his lips. A real smile.

“Is it that bad?” he asked, scrunching his nose slightly when he asked. “Didn’t think it looked that bad,” he mumbled, raising his hand up touching it.

“Does it hurt?” she asked, concern still written all over her features. He shook his head as he scanned her features. “Can you even breathe with that, Nathan?” she asked, a small smile forming on her lips. His cheeks flushed red at the sound of his name falling from her lips. She rarely called him Nathan, or Nate for that matter, so when she did say his name it felt extra special. She also only called him that when she was being serious or flirtatious.

“I can breathe fine, my-” he cleared his throat, “I use a breathing strip sometimes, but I’m fine. No nose job needed, unless you think it’s too crooked now,” he muttered, rubbing his thumb across the bridge of his nose.

“Not too crooked, it fits you,” she mumbled as she scanned his features. He chuckled nervously as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

Seeing him felt like the first breath of air after being underwater for too long.

“How’s Seattle?” he choked out. Her smile faltered slightly as she took a deep breath.

“It’s great, but I do miss home,” she said as she tilted her head to the side, meeting his light blue desperate gaze.

His breath caught in his throat as he glanced towards the coffee shop behind her. He clenched his jaw as he dropped his head. “What if you stopped by after the game? Maggie would love to see you,” he offered, meeting her gaze.

She wished she would’ve contemplated a little longer but the words, “Yeah, of course, I’ve missed her a lot,” came out of her mouth before she could come up with an excuse. In all honesty she probably didn’t have any excuse. He smiled widely.

“Okay, I’ve got to go before I’m-”

“Off schedule, I know, I’ll see you later,” she muttered as he kept eye contact with her for a few seconds before he walked past her towards the coffee shop. Her heart fluttered like it did every day for a better half of a decade. She missed the feeling in her chest when was around.

He was her soulmate and she knew that but she was so tired of waiting around. She needed to step away. But here he was, the same person she fell in love with. Was it all worth it?

~~~

She was sitting in the suite beside Gabe as he was holding his son in his lap. The first period was underway and it was a lot of back and forth. Gabe bumped into her shoulder, “Are you okay?” he asked. She nodded as she watched Nate skate towards the penalty box. She lifted her gaze towards the jumbotron to see the penalty. She rolled her eyes as she turned her gaze to look at Gabe. “You’re like extra quiet,”

“Don’t have anything to talk about,” she countered, fighting the smile forming on her lips.

“Uh-huh, you’re smiling,” he muttered.

“I’m a smiley person,” she countered as she looked back towards the ice. She watched the penalty kill work.

“You haven’t been smiley in a while,” he observed as he looked back towards the ice watching twenty-nine skate back onto the ice. He smirked, “Did a certain someone help with that?” he teased.

“I saw him earlier when I stopped at my old coffee shop,” she muttered.

Gabe started laughing excitedly, “I knew it!”

The game ended in a disappointing shootout loss and the loss of his home game point streak. She waited outside of the locker room like she had done for their entire relationship. He walked out first, wanting to avoid the media frenzy. He smiled widely as he walked towards her. Making sure to keep his hands to himself.

“I’m sorry about the point streak,” she let out as she tilted her head to the side. He shrugged his shoulders.

“Stupid technicality, nothing to worry about,” he mumbled still with a wide smile. “Come on, Maggie is dying to see you,” he said as he guided her towards his car through the parking garage.

“You got out pretty fast,” she observed as she glanced towards the locker room to see a few of the other guys leaving. He nodded as he ran his hand across his chin.

“Was avoiding the questions about the home point streak. Honestly, kinda glad it’s off my plate,” he expressed.

“I’m sure it was a lot of pressure,” she mumbled as he stopped in front of his car to open the passenger door for her. Like he used to do every time they would drive together. She smiled towards him as she climbed into his car. It smelled the same of black ice car scent he’s had since he first ever bought a car.

He jogged to the other side of the car and quickly collapsed in the driver seat. “It’s nothing I can’t handle,” he let out as he met her gaze, he gave her an over the top wink before he turned the car on. “Mikko totally put it in the net though,” he mumbled as he started backing out of his parking spot. She chuckled.

“Gabe thought so too,” she mumbled as she tilted her head to the side as she looked out of the window as they pulled out onto the streets of Denver.

“When do you go back to Seattle?” he asked as he tilted his head to the side to meet her gaze at the red light. She clenched her jaw as she scanned his features, the cut on his lip got worse after this game.

“In two weeks,” she mumbled barely above a whisper. He nodded as he began driving back towards his apartment.

They remained in comfortable yet awkward silence. There were so many words she wanted to say to him, and he had so many words to say to her. After twenty minutes they walked up towards her old apartment. It was like deja vu as he pushed the door open and Maggie ran towards the door. She began to squeal and jump up on Y/N.

She laughed excitedly as she leaned down and let Maggie jump all over her. She got teary eyed as guilt consumed her. “I know, Maggie girl,” she mumbled as she glanced towards Nate who was smiling widely.

After a few minutes, Maggie calmed down and wandered away from the pair. She turned her gaze towards Nate. His eyebrows furrowed harshly as he reached his hand over to her and rested it onto her cheek. It was a reflex, “Hey, hey, hey,” he mumbled as he scanned her features. “What’s wrong?” he asked as he ran his thumb across her cheek. She shook her head as she pulled away from him.

“This was a mistake, I’m sorry, Nate. I should go-” she let out as she began walking towards the door. He shook his head as he reached his hand towards her again resting his hand on her waist. She squinted her eyes hard as tears fell onto her cheek.

“Don’t leave,” he mumbled as he pulled her towards him, she didn’t pull away as she rested her hand onto his chest. “Don’t leave,” he let out again as he looked deeply into her eyes. She had a small smile on her lips as she continued reading his light blue eyes. “Don’t leave,” he let out again, barely audible, before he leaned towards her and kissed her urgently. She gripped his suit jacket tightly as she returned the kiss.

He pulled away as he took a deep breath, breathing in her vanilla perfume. “How’d I manage to not kiss those lips for a year,” he mumbled before he pressed his lips against hers again. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she pressed her body against his. She needed to be close to him, and nothing seemed to be close enough.

She tugged his suit jacket from his body as she stumbled backwards towards the hallway that leads towards their, his, bedroom. “Wait,” he mumbled as he pulled away. She leaned towards him and kissed him again. He chuckled as he pulled away again, “I need to ask you-” he trailed off as he clenched his jaw, still panting hard as he kept his hands on her waist.

He swallowed hard before he took a sharp breath, “Did I do something to make you end things? I know I waited too long, I know I fucked up with that. I shouldn’t have-I just need to know if that’s actually the reason,” he muttered as he brushed a few pieces of hair away from her face.

She scanned his features, “You didn’t do anything,” she mumbled. He clenched his jaw as he nodded. He licked his lips before he pulled away from her, “Nate,” she muttered.

“Wait there,” he mumbled as he walked towards his bedroom. He clenched his jaw as he dug through his drawer next to his bed and pulled out the ring box. He walked confidently towards where she was waiting in the living room, still teary eyed. He opened the ring box and showed the ring inside the box.

Her eyes widened as she gasped, “Nathan,” she mumbled.

“I had the ring for months, I just thought that when I asked it didn’t matter. I didn’t realize how much it actually mattered to you and-and I should’ve realized it. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he explained, waving the box dramatically in his hands. “I wanted to ask you, of course I wanted to ask you,” he let out as he took another step towards her.

She met his gaze as she took short small breaths. “Nate,”

“Still do,” he let out as he scanned her features. She fought the small smile on her lips as tears filled her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t make you feel like I wanted to. I’ve spent every day since you left regretting I didn’t get the chance to ask,” he muttered.

“Ask me,” she let out, her voice breaking. His eyes widened.

“What?” he asked barely above a whisper.

“Ask me,” she let out as she nodded her head. He smiled as he kneeled down onto one knee without an ounce of hesitation.

“Will you marry me?” he asked.

“Of course, Nate, oh my god,” she muttered as he stood up from his kneeling position as she jumped into his arms and kissed him urgently. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he guided her towards their bedroom. She pulled away, resting her forehead against his, “It wasn’t just the ring, Nate,” she mumbled before she kissed him again, “I was worried you were bored with me that’s why you didn’t want to ask,” she let out as she ran her fingers through the short ends of his hair.

He shook his head slightly, “I love you, okay? I’m sorry I didn’t show it. But I’m going to do better, alright?” he reassured as he shoved open the door as he guided her towards the bed they once shared. She nodded as she hummed.

“I’ll do better too, I love you so much,” she mumbled as she pressed her lips hard against his as he slowly laid her down onto her back. He pulled away as he admired her features.

“Let me remind you how much I love you,” he whispered as he started to kiss her neck slowly.

#nathan mackinnon #nathan mackinnon imagines #nathan mackinnon x reader #nhl imagines #nhl #nhl x reader #nhl fic #hockey #colorado avalanche #colorado avalanche imagines #cale makar imagines #cale makar x reader #cale makar #erik johnson #erik johnson x reader #erik johnson imagines

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ilyasorokinn · 6 months

Note

happy tumblraversary!! could i request an instagram edit of celebrating halloween/spending the fall season with erik johnson? thank youu!

BUFFALO FALLS

first edit (of 2 lol) for my tumblr-versary! i hope you enjoy :) (i know it’s a little short, so i’m sorry about that. also, that title is not very creative 😭)

fc: tanya burr

yourusername

Liked by josty17, keepupwithkec and 34,294 others

yourusername life lately 🍂☕️🤎

tagged: @/6erikjohnson6

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mel.landeskog feels wrong without you 😢

↳ yourusername forever missing you ❤️

sabreswags 🕯️ god, i’ve seen what you’ve given others 🕯️

6erikjohnson6

Liked by landeskog.92, alextuch89 and 10,294 others

6erikjohnson6 first fall in 🦬.

tagged: @/yourusername

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sabresfan1 i love that his instagram is just a y/n fan acc 😭

↳ yourusername i’ve trained him well ☺️

avsfan1 still feels wrong.

↳ sabresfan2 get over it 🙄

(photos aren’t mine. they all belong to tanya!)

taylor’s tumblr-versary!

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equallyshaw · 5 months

Text

the one where - | nico hischier

─ nico x erik johnson oc sister

warnings: swearing, anxiety attack. angst, thats all i can say. a bit slow burning as well. sexual themes at end, but its like pg.

word count: 5.8K

shoe link.

dress link.

clutch link.

second outfit.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

the first time they met.

miranda stepped into the prudential arena for the first time since she had been hired by the management team. she followed the team assistant that had been waiting for her as soon as she walked into the staff wing, and the two made their way up to her office than she would be getting a personal tour of the arena. miranda johnson was hired as as the devils second in command to their head psychologist, thought she was hired for the social worker aspect. "is it true your erik johnsons little sister?" the assistant asked and the girl nodded towards the older girl. "yep unfortuntly." miranda hummed causing the blonde girl to giggle. "i have an older brother too- id like to kill him sometimes." and miranda laughed. "oh good lord, i want to sometimes as well. sometimes they need their lives threatened every once in a while." miranda joked as casey opened her office door.

four walls covered with grey paint, a desk, small leather couch, mini fridge, a tv, some fake succulents and a desktop computer filled the room. "home sweet home." miranda said softly, setting her bag down under the desk. "lets head down to the ice, I'm sure its different then denver." casey smiled and miranda grinned. "well for starters yall have no mountains." miranda joked. miranda had done her undergraduate and graduate degree at the university of denver, and as soon as her brother was traded she no longer wanted to be in denver. so she headed out to the east coast, looking for different jobs in the new york area and came across the devils. match made in heaven she thought, doing what she loved and working within the sport she adored. the two headed down talking about jersey and the team themselves, "i would say the captain does a great job of keeping the team together but he's also younger so sometimes it doesn't always work out." casey explained and miranda nodded. "good to know." she hummed, now walking down to the bench. the ice was clean, patiently waiting for the players. they sat on the bench taking in the quietness of the arena. "it definitely is different than ball arena." miranda commented, with slight sadness in her voice. the two spoke about the team, the coach and anything else casey had to say. they stood up just as some of the players began to filter out. "casey!" the boys said as they noticed the girls. they smiled at miranda before stepping out on the ice, and then nico stepped out. "hi casey!" he said and then stalled seeing the dark haired girl. casey noticed him trying to figure out who miranda was as she watched the players skate around. "oh this is miranda johnson, the new social worker we just hired for the team!" casey explained and miranda was pulled out of her trance and turned to look at nico. "miranda johnson, nice to meet you..." she trailed off as she held out her hand. he took off his glove and held out his hand, "nico hischier, captain." and she nodded before pulling back her hand. "hopefully we arent too much work." he joked and she waved him off, "nothing i cant handle." she smiled and he chuckled softly. "let me know if that's the case in a...week." he joked before stepping onto the ice. miranda looked at casey, "you're gonna hate jack hughes in a week." casey joked causing miranda to smile respectfully. "trust me, you will..." casey added, before the two headed back upstairs.

the time she ended up at his place. and one where she got fired.

it was saturday night, before a early afternoon game between her brother and the devils in jersey. she had been with the devils for about two months already and was enjoying her time, and most definitely understanding the chatter (mostly harmless) around jack hughes. he definitely had a lot to say, and most of the time it was just drama he wanted to talk about. she had to remind him many times, that she was a mental health professional not somebody who talked about drama all day everyday. he still came around, to do just that. but she enjoyed getting to know the other players and some of their wives, all of them wanting to meet the person on the team who had been knocking some sense into their men and who was making progress. like real progress. and creating an environment that made the team, staff, and everybody who came across her safe.

she smoothed down her black mini dress and stepped into her baby blue heels, making sure everything looked good before she left her apartment. she quickly made her way down to her car, sliding in and letting erik she was on her way. about 35 minutes later, she pulled up to the Italian restaurant in lower manhattan and pulled up to valet, letting them pull her car around back. she made her way in and greeted the hostess, and they took her towards her brother. "bean!" he said wrapping his arms around her 5'5 frame. "hi bear." she smiled, taking in the hug she had missed the most. they parted, and he pulled out the chair for his sister and she thanked him. "so tell me about jersey, how is it?" he asked as she sipped the wine he had ordered for the two. she smiled, "its good! i've pretty much have found my groove with everybody. i think they're really taking to my style of work and i think the way everybody has responded to it has been good. though." she paused giggling, "there is one guy that quite literally just wants to gossip with me, he knows my role and stuff but just wants to gossip. half the time its funny shit but others its like serious and so i tell him he cant go around blabbing his mouth but i know he doesn't listen." she said and ej laughed. "hows buffalo though, hows josty?" she questioned, a small smile forming on her soft pink lips. ej laughed, "he's great! he's happy to have me on the team...y'know he still asks about you." ej said grinning and miranda rolled her eyes. "last time i checked..isn't he the one that said we couldn't be together after he was traded? that he didn't want to do long distance?" she smirked, quirking an eyebrow. he shrugged, "i think because im now there, he realizes how much he's missed having a johnson in his life." he said with a toothy smile. she rolled her eyes, "alright big bear." she hummed.

as the dinner progressed, miranda's phone hadn't stopped vibrating in her clutch that sat next to her. erik took notice of it, but did not say anything at first. "hey randy, you wanna check your phone?" he asked slirping spaghetti in his mouth. her eyebrows creased in confusion, and she pulled out her phone to see multiple messages from nico as well as a few phone calls. she read the messages, nico clearly in some sort of distress. "do you need to take it?" ej asked and she looked up at him, "its one of the players." she said looking back down debating if she wanted to call or text. she chose the latter,

miranda: you ok?

nico: i dont know whats happening

miranda: whats going on? are you hurt? do you need an ambulance or me to call somebody?

nico: thats why i was calling you. my chest hurts, i cant breathe.

miranda sighed knowing what was happening.

miranda: do you need me to call?

nico: can you come over? i need to talk face to face with whatever this is

miranda thought long and hard, before looking back up at erik. "one of the players needs me to come to his place and i-i don't know." she paused to bite her lip, thinking if ethically she could. "ej-im sorry." she said looking up at him but he waved her off. "your job calls, don't worry randy. go, ill take care of the bill. ill see you tomorrow." he said standing up to hug the girl. the big bear wrapped his arms around her, kissing her head before they pulled apart. "ill let you know when i get home!" she said before taking off towards valet. she texted nico, asking for his address and he responded quickly. back to jersey.

she knocked on the highrise apartment, alerting the swiss inside. he stood up and dragged his feet towards the door and as soon as she saw the state of nico; she knew she was in for a long night. he opened the door wider for her, and she took in the surroundings. clean, crisp, and sleek, she thought. she turned around to face nico, keeping a bit of distant between the two. he took in her attire and then looked at her. "were you on a date?" he questioned, with somewhat of a distaste in his mouth. she shook her head, "no i was out with my brother. him and buffalo just got in." she said and he was confused. "my brother is erik johnson." and then nico's eyes went wide. "i had no idea, I'm so sorry!" he said feeling bad, his anxiety rising even more. she shook her head, "no no, its ok! i just want to make sure you are ok nico. whats going on?" she asked softly. he closed his eyes and sighed. she took in his composure and his inability to relax. may it be because he's the captain and he feels as if he can't show any weakness or maybe its pride. "take your time nico, you don't need to spit it out all at once i promise. whatever you feel comfortable with." she said trying to gage his reaction. he nodded, reopening his eyes, and looked towards the kitchen. "would you like some water?" he asked shooting himself in the foot, calling himself stupid for not asking it to begin with. "sure, ofcourse, thankyou." she said following him towards the kitchen now. she could tell that it was eating him up inside, and knew at some point she'd need to inquire about it. but tonight was not the night. she sat down at the island counter, and he pulled out a bottle of water for himself and her.

"how are you feeling right now nico?" she asked sipping a bit before setting it back down. he shrugged, "i feel a bit better, after you said you were coming i kind of calmed down a bit but my mind wont st-stop racing. which is causing my to be nervous about something, i have no idea." he rambled as bit and she nodded. "what are the thoughts you're having? are they about hockey, personal things, family?" she asked tilting her head to the side just a bit. he bit his lip, "its-its nothing." he said closing off, and she nodded "okay. in order for this to work nico and to understand more of why you called me, can you explain a bit about how you were feeling earlier?" she questioned, treading water. he was either going to answer it or retaliate and get upset. he sighed, "it felt like i had a weight on my chest or something, i couldn't breathe. my breathing was fast and shallow, i was sweating..i-i cried a bit." he said looking down at the ground. "I've never had that happen before though, it was a shock and so that made it worse." he said looking up at miranda. "well it is completely normal, nico. i can assure you that. sometimes our bodies can not always tolerate or compensate our anxiety. thus, leading to anxiety attacks. so we have chills, the sweats, overwhelming thoughts for various reasons. could be from work, could be our family or personal life or it can just be triggered for no apparent reason." miranda explained and nico nodded. "i don't want you to feel as if its wrong or that it means you are weak, because that is far from the truth. i like to say that when people have an anxiety or panic attack, it shows how strong mentally we are because to get to the point of an attack we would have had to gone through so much turmoil mentally and emotionally. and sometimes the only release is for those to happen. to think of how much you might have been taking on and that is remarkable in itself. besides, having an anxiety attack makes humans more resilient." and that made nico relax just a bit.

"well good thing you said that, i was feeling like a freak over here." he said cracking a small smile. she nodded, "yeah no, you are from a sneak i can assure you. if its considered to be a freak, then call me one. i don't wanna feel left out." she hummed, "you've had them before?" nico asked quickly. she nodded after realizing what she had said and the fact that she shared personal info, "uh yes. I've had them throughout my childhood and adolescence. its gotten better over my young adult years but i still get them occasionally. especially when i feel like a fraud at work or in my personal life." she said shrugging. "a fraud?" he questioned, moving towards the kitchen island and resting his elbows on it, their hands now only inches away from one another. she nodded, "yes. i believe and feel as if i don't belong where i have ended up. i believe that i don't know enough, have enough experience for the work i do. and then i don't feel as if i deserve the friends i have, especially the ones i made back in denver. I've always thought that if they did not know my brother, they wouldn't give me a second look." she said shrugging before she took some sips of water.

nico took in that information and his heart broke just a bit, she didn't understand what a god send she was. how kind, open hearted, always willing to help in any way she could and on top of that, she was hilarious. always had a joke or two to cheer up some of the guys. he didn't like how she sold herself short over friendships. "i don't buy that for one second." he said, "the friends part. you're pretty rad miranda." he hummed and she felt her cheeks heat up just a bit. "oh really? i guess ill add that to my case file." she said laughing, and nico chuckled softly with a smile forming.

"what do you like to do to relieve any stress or anxiety?" she asked, trying to regain focus on why she was here. he shrugged, "does hockey count?" he asked genuinely. she nodded, "ofcourse but that is also your job. so anything else that you do outside of work would be a good place to start." she said and he nodded. "i uh like to hang with the guys, um i read a bit, i like to workout and play video games." he said, "but i don't know if those count." he said but she nodded anyways. "ofcourse! anything you do to distract yourself in a healthy way and relieve stress are coping skills, the ones you have are great nico!" she said smiling and he nodded, mirroring hers. "i would stick with those but would not limit yourself to just those. there are so many out there, i can definitely offer some others when i go back into the office monday." she offered and he nodded.

"thankyou, i definitely am feeling much better now. you've relieved a lot of anxiety i had tonight, by just talking and listening to me." he stated and she nodded. "I'm glad nico, i find that talking about things in a safe place can do wonders. and having somebody understand you as well can be beneficial. would you like to come see at some point this week?" she questioned and he nodded. "yeah id like that." he said smiling. the smile he gave everybody closest to him. "great, ill send out a few times for you and we can go from there." she said standing up. he nodded, again taking in her outfit. "sorry, i came right from manhattan so i didn't have time to change." she said feeling self conscious, "nonsense..you look uh, you look really nice." he said. really nice? oh my god, he thought. "well uh thankyou nico, ill see you monday. text me if you need anything else." she said praying to the universe to get out of there as quick as possible. he nodded her walking her back to the front door, he thanked her once more and she slipped out.

she woke up the next morning to a text from her boss, stating the he needed to see her in the office today. she groaned as she stood up, her body feeling the effects of only getting 6 hours of sleep. she quickly got ready and stopped at starbucks before heading over there. when she walked into the arena, some of the players had just begun to arrive. she slipped between arena personal trying to get to her office. once she opened it, she saw nico sitting in one of the seat two seats in front of her desk. "ah hi nico, how can i help you?" she questioned setting her bag down under her desk and sitting down. "i wanted to apologize for calling you over last night. it was way outta line and it shouldn't have happened." he said feeling remorseful and guilty for the reprimand she was about to get, "oh uh, no problem nico. its all good." she said trying to reassure him but she could tell that by the look in his eye, it was not. "i have to go see larry, ill stop by and talk to you guys soon. just check in." she said as they both stood up. he only nodded before walking out. she sighed, placing her hands on her hips. what did all this mean? she did not have time to ponder anymore because larry knocked on the door. "hi larry! what did you want to speak about?" she questioned, her hand raising for him to sit down in front of her. he sat down sighing, not sure of how to say what he was about to say. "you're fired miss johnson, i'm sorry i have to do this. but you are not permitted to treat players at their residences." larry said feeling horrible, he really liked miranda but nobody from upper management liked that she did what she did. "wait-what? he was having a crisis! i went over there, besides. nobody wanted to tell me this, tell me what i cannot do?" she said as her heart beat began to rise. he shook his head, "it was in your contract." he stated and she shook her head. "larry excuse my language, but what the fuck? it was not!" she said taking out the contract she kept in her desk. she threw it on the table before them, "you no what no. I'm taking this." she said snatching it up and putting it in her bag. "seriously larry what the fuck. fuck you." she said angrily. she hoisted her bag up and threw open the door, and made her way down the hallway toward her car.

"miranda!" he screamed but she didnt budge. she continued walking faster now, weaving in and out of people. she sighed knowing that she was about to pass the lockerroom and most likely a group of guys playing soccer. "miranda!" larry yelled again, gaining some attention from people. "don't you fucking say another word larry. you guys will be hearing from my lawyer." she spat as she turned around to face him. larry froze taking in the words, and knew she was serious. the group of players looked up as soon as she had said that. all of them confused and looking at one another. she shook her head turning around and continued towards the exit. larry stood there shocked, and mentally panicking. they did not need a scandal to get out, and he quickly made his way out to find somebody in upper management.

the one where she confronts nico.

she sat at the bar, sitting next to a friend she had made in her time here in jersey. "i cant believe they didn't even give you a warning! fuck them, I'm never supporting them ever again." molly spat, and miranda chuckled. the two had had there fair share of cocktails the past 2 hours as they conversed. "but that means you can come work with me!" molly added causing the dark brunette to giggle. "we'll see. I'm sure erik would want me to come to buffalo." she sighed. "or ill go back to denver." she said shrugging. molly nodded before swearing, "you are fucking kidding me." she growled seeing some of the devils players walk in. miranda followed her eye sight before the taste of vile hit her throat. "fuck off." she mumbled, pinching her nose. "lets go." molly said looking at her phone calling an uber. "yes lets." miranda sighed, "lets head outside it'll be five minutes." molly said and they both stood up. as they began their dissent out, nico took notice of the dark haired girl. he immediately felt guilty and a sense of dread washed over him. "isn't that-" jack didn't even finish his sentence before nico was off to go talk to the girl. molly and miranda held hands as they filtered their way through and miranda felt a tap on her shoulder as they were close to the door. she turned around and looked up at nico. "oh no not you." she growled but he wouldn't let her leave that quickly. "wait miranda!" he said but she was not in the mood. "what do you have to say nico, huh? wanna let everybody else in the world know that i came to your place last night to talk? huh! you wanna tell explain to them that that was the only reason why i came over? you wanna tell management that that was all that happened? because they think other stuff happened and i'm you know quite disappointed in you, being the captain and all. let me know if you need some help, i know a great captain that can help you out if you need it." she seethed, molly and the rest of the team taking in the interaction between the two. nico felt like an ass watching her as she walked out. he felt like an idiot too for telling a trainer that they had seen each other last night. not thinking anything of it when they asked what he did over the two day break.

the one where nico apologizes.

miranda was back in denver by new years, taking on a new position with the denver hospital. she would be working in case management and was happy to be back with her friends and the organization that adored her. she worked part time for the avalanche, after nathan mackinnon begged for her to come on for the rest of the season. he accredited some of his work these past few years to her. even if she was just a student at the time, her advice had helped tremendously. it was right before all star break when the devils came into town and she was dreading the game. she stood down near the entrances that the players used to get to the lockerroom. she was chatting with the head sports psychologist about a research article they'd both read in the past when nico saw the girl. she did not notice him at first but when she heard jack, she knew that the devils were arriving. she turned to look when she heard the whiney voice call her name. barabra the psychologist laughed and then bid her goodbye until after the game. "if it isn't mr hughes." she said crossing her arms, "oh it is me johnson. I'm sure you've missed our gossip sessions." he said cheekily, smiling widely. she rolled her eyes, "not in the slightest, bud." she said smiling just a bit. he grabbed his chest where his heart was, "that hurts." he said causing her to giggle. she saw luke walk in and she smiled to him and he waved back with one. "hows luke doing?" she asked the older brother, and he shrugged. "taking it one game at a time. day by day." and she smiled. "well good, im glad." she hummed. nico stood by jack, waiting to continue their walk together but also hoped there would be a chance to apologize. "well jack, good luck with the game." she said bidding her farewell. he nodded, saluting her briefly before turning back around. as miranda was about to take off, she heard her name. "miranda!" nico called out, his thick swiss german accent sending shivers down her spine. she sighed stopping and turned around, "yes?" she asked curtly. "can we talk..in private?" he asked and she thought for a brief second. "come e're." she said motioning for him to follow. they walked off into a hallway over from the opponent's lockerroom that was deserted. "yes, nico?" she asked, and he sighed. he knew he didn't have much time, "im sorry." he blurted, and her lips turned inward. "im sorry i said something without clarifying what had happened. im sorry i didn't defend you or speak to management. i fucked up badly, i know that and i wish i could take it all back." he said taking in her reaction.

her arms were crossed per usual, her neutral stance. "nico, i-i cant talk about this." she said shaking her head. he knew why, he knew about the lawsuit going on. "yeah, i know. I'm sorry about it though." he said and she nodded. "yeah, thanks." she mumbled. " i really am, you were an asset to our team. larry couldn't crack half these guys in the time he's been here and it took you all of 2 days to. the guys miss you, especially me." he said the last part softer. her eyebrows crinkled, "you made my job easier ofcourse." he teased. "ahh gotcha." she said rolling her eyes playfully. "its unfortunate that you guys are the most affected by this. the constant in and out of psychologists and therapists is not good for the morale and the mental health of the team, so I'm sorry you guys are going through the ever-revolving door." she said and he nodded. "yeah its too bad. i don't particularly feel comfortable talking to any of them." he said non chalantly. alrighty, she thought. "i hope things get fixed soon nico, i really do. if any of the guys need a place to talk outside of larry, i can send some referrals out." she said looking at nico in the eye, and he nodded. "thankyou miranda and again...i really am sorry." he said genuinely. she nodded, "its all good." she said. "good luck tonight, you'll need it." she said grinning as she began to walk backwards towards her team. his face lit up in a cheeky smile one second and in the next she was gone.

the one where they confess.

molly and miranda laid out in the sun of sunny hawaii, as by week had finally rolled around for the nhl. molly jumping at the opportunity to join the girl, her brother and her brother's fiance. the two chatted for a while in the sun, sipping on some mimosas after brunch. miranda stood up, stating that she was going to get another. she walked from the private pool area where the villas were and walk towards the main one that had a bar. she took in her surroundings, lots of families, couples, and great, the familiar group of guys from jersey. she sighed hurrying towards the bar across from them, and she quickly ordered another mimosa and a water bottle. she tapped her fingers tapped the wooden bar and took in the slight chill that was coming off of the ocean just beneath them. "holy fuck- johnson?" she heard to her right and she turned to see john marino. "john!" she said smiling softly, "how are you?" she asked taking the mimosa and water bottle from the bartender. "good, good! can never be sad with by week." he mused and she nodded, "no you cant, or else i would knock some sense into ya." she teased and he laughed. "oh don't we know it." he said laughing. "randy!" she heard her brothers name from the left of her, and she turned to see him waving her over. "good luck with the rest of the season and have a wonderful rest of the week." she said before walking off.

she walked towards erik when she heard the group of guys talking loudly, all now looking over to see the girl. nico took in her two piece suit, the soft waves hanging off of her shoulders and the confidence she possessed. "whats up bear?" she asked erik, shielding her eyes from the sun. "dana wants to know if you guys wanna get dinner at 7." he stated and she nodded, "i don't see why not. we didn't have any plans." she said and erik nodded, "see ya bean!" and she smiled, "see ya big bear." and the two went their separate ways. nico watched as she went back to the private area with bungalows. he prayed to the universe he'd see her again.

it was 6:20 when molly and miranda went down to the hotel bar before dinner. the two had napped and sobered up since their mimosas and sun time. they stood there drinking some champagne, when molly had left briefly to use the washroom. miranda sat down on the bar stool and took out her phone. she heard the familiar deep voice of the swiss she hadn't seen for a few weeks. she turned to her right and saw him in black collard shirt, black suit jacket and black pants. he looked good, she thought. too good. she turned back to her phone and hoped molly would come back soon. "fancy seeing you here." she heard and she turned towards nico who had a toothy grin. "hi nico." she said setting down her champagne. "what can i do for ya?" she said turning towards him. "well for one you can let me join you." he said boldly and she was taken back, but found her self nodding softly. he sat down next to her, "how are you enjoying your by week?" he questioned, sipping his drink. "its been nice thus far, especially when i'm not the one footing the bill." she grinned and nico chuckled. "i told ej to spread the wealth one time years ago and thankfully he hasn't stop providing." she teased causing nico to laugh again. "all jokes aside, im extremely grateful for him. he just doesn't know how to take no for an answer." she said as nico looked at her. "oh really? so you're not a moocher?" he grinned, and she grinned. "not in the slightest!" she said placing a soft hand on his arm. he looked down at it, and then back at her. she didn't move it, especially not when he looked back at her. she left it there for a few seconds, before pulling away. "sorry, i should probably be finding molly. we've got dinner with my brother and his fiance." she said clearing her throat. nico nodded, a tad bit sad. "well i think she'll be a bit occupied for a while longer. saw john sneaking her into the elevator as i walked in." he mused and miranda's eyes went wide. "no way!" she said, her hand going back to the spot it had just occupied.

"things have happened since you left, that happened quickly after you screamed at me in the bar." he said and her face flashed through guilt and remorse. "yeah...sorry about that." she said biting her lip. he shrugged, "i needed it. it knocked some sense into me." he hummed finishing the rest of his drink. "well now i don't feel as badly." she grinned, enticingly. he looked at her, and she at him. her hand softly moved down his arm, her head cocking to the side. call it alcohol, call it the heat of the moment, or the fact that she'd been thinking about nico since she spoke to him in his apartment. "maybe you could also sneak me into the elevator." she whispered just loud enough for him to hear. nico had a mischievous look on his face, once he realized what she was getting at. "lets go." he said pulling her off of the bar stool by her hand.

as soon as they entered the elevator, nico placed his hands on her waist pulling her in closely. "god I've been waiting for this." he whispered in a husky voice. "oh really?" she teased innocently, catching the heat in his eyes. "hmm mmm. couldn't wait to tell you that i like you...the first moment we met i was a goner." he said as the elevator dinged to his floor. "is that so?" she grinned, feeling butterflies flutter in her chest. "uh huh. surprised you didn't notice that long stares, always finding ourselves in the same area and the smiles i reserved just for you." he said as they entered his room. "i thought you were just being nice, nico." she hummed, placing her hands on his chest. "oh no, only reserve those smiles for the girl who stole my heart one casual conversation at a time." he hummed sliding out of his suit jacket as she began to work on his buttons. "i feel quite flattered, cap." she grinned looking up at him with a glint of excitement in her eyes.

clothes were quickly discarded after that, teasing and many kisses were exchanged after that. "well its a good thing i like you too, nico." she said as she laid in his arms. she looked up at him with a smirk, before he leaned down and kissed her. "how bout i come to denver after the season ends?" he questioned and she nodded. "id really like that, really would." she smiled resting her head on his chest. they looked at one another for a minute more, "now tell me whats going on in that pretty head of yours." she smiled and he blushed. "where do i begin?" he smiled.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

pls like and reblog if you enjoyed, it would mean a ton!

@hischierhaze @nicohischierz @jayda12 @skatesnstuff

#nico hischier #nico hischier x oc #nico hischier blurb #nico hischier imagine #nico hischier fic #new jersey devils #erik johnson #john marino #jack hughes #nhl #hockey #nhl blurb #nhl imagine #hockey blurb #hockey imagine #queued post

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laurenairay · 2 years

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time to come together - E. Johnson

The second of five fics to celebrate The Avs winning the Stanley Cup!

Word Count: 848 words

A/N: this man is the toothless love of my life and I am so happy he didn’t retire last summer. Can’t even contemplate that right now because he deserves to be a stanley cup champion so much!

Drinks were flowing, music was pounding, Bo was taking a nap in a corner booth, and there were at least three half naked hockey players in your vicinity – the night was nowhere near ending, and there was nowhere else you’d rather be. Celebrating with your boyfriend Erik, the Stanley Cup Champion? Yeah there was no way you were going to be anywhere else.

He deserved this so much, the win and the celebrating, after so many years of pain and failure and self-doubt, and you were so unbelievably proud of him. This was everything he had been dreaming of, everything he’d been working towards since he was a kid, everything that he’d put his body on the line for over and over again, and you would happily accept his beer-soaked kisses if it meant he was going to be this happy.

Not that you weren’t going to take water breaks yourself though. This was the third bar after all. A few of the WAGs had joined you initially, most having drifted off after a glass or two, leaving just you and Mel alone at the bar, watching your drunk other halves having a drunk dance-off in the middle of the room. It was nice to see Erik let loose like this, to be honest – he deserved it, to have this much fun. You weren’t even going to record the ridiculous dancing either, not this time, even if this was a memory you didn’t want to lose.

As if he could read your mind, Erik looked over at you, and wasted no time in stalking over to where you were sitting at the bar. And it was stalking, because the intense look in his eyes was all-consuming.

“Well I think I’ll leave you to that.”

Mel smirked slightly, and you knew she knew that she’d broken you out of your thoughts, but instead of teasing you further she just sent you a playful wink as she walked away, leaving you in the company of your inebriated boyfriend, who was towering over you on purpose. Ass.

“Having fun celebrating with your boys?” you grinned, tilting your head up to look at him.

“You know I am. But…I can’t fucking wait to celebrate with you, later, just the two of us,” Erik murmured, the leer in his voice sending a shiver down your spine.

Fuck. You knew your reaction was visible by the smirk on your boyfriend’s face, but you didn’t care. You’d wanted to climb him like a tree since the final buzzer sounded, and you didn’t care if he knew it.

“Why wait until later?”

Erik’s stunned face, eyes wide and lips parted, made you grin, the very idea of your proposal making your blood sing. Hah. Two could play at this game. Even if all the beer and champagne and shots had made him forget that.

Huh, actually, that was something to think about.

“Can you even…you know…perform with all the alcohol?” you teased, trailing your fingers across his collarbone.

Erik’s dumbfounded face dropped into a glare, making you laugh. What? It was a legitimate question!

“There isn’t a moment in any day where I don’t want to fuck you,” Erik said firmly.

His words sent a hot flash through your body, but you weren’t giving in just yet.

“And if whiskey dick comes to play too?” you mused.

His glare shifted into a smirk, making your breath hitch in your throat. Oh you knew that look very well. Whatever was going to come out of his mouth next was going to be trouble.

“Then I can damn well get on my knees, can’t I?” he murmured, backing you firmly into the bar counter, pressing your bodies fully together.

Fuck what a picture. Erik swallowed your moan as he kissed you deeply, one hand looped behind your head to anchor the fervent embrace, the other hand over your hip like a burning brand. It was all you could do to throw your arms around his neck, kissing him back just as desperately, not caring that this was getting a little too intense for public. No, you didn’t care at all. You just wanted him.

Okay, yeah, he won this round. You could always get him back later. Much, much later. With that in mind, and with a racing heart and throbbing core, you broke the embrace, trying not to get distracted by the wild look in his eyes or the moisture on his slightly-swollen bottom lip.

“I need you now, Erik,” you said, the whine in your voice betraying exactly how desperate he’d made you.

He just groaned, hips jolting forward a little, showing you just how much needed you too.

“Fuck it, Gabe can hold down the party fort. Bathroom?” he said, a little breathless.

Not ideal, but you couldn’t wait. The party would be going on for hours yet, you knew that much, and there was no way you were waiting that long for your man to bring you to dizzying heights of pleasure.

“Let’s go,” you nodded, taking his hand in yours.

Erik just grinned.

#my writing #erik johnson blurb #the avs are stanley cup champions!#erik johnson imagine #erik johnson fic #erik johnson fanfic #erik johnson x reader

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fallinallincurls · 6 months

Note

43 from prompt list 3 with EJ 🫶 the most competitive golfer lol

you suggest mini golfing as a fun, different date idea and ej seemed so excited about it so you were looking forward to going. what you weren't prepared for was your boyfriend's level of competitiveness even in mini golf.

while you're playing for the fun of it, ej takes it a little too seriously and wants to win or beat you out on every single hole. you honestly don't mind because seeing his big toothless smile is worth it all and you aren't good at golf in any capacity so you came in expecting to lose. plus, the kisses he gives you after you sink the ball makes your heart flutter.

it isn't until the last hole that luck is on your side. because as ej struggles to get the ball in the hole in the correct amount of strokes, you miraculously get a hole in one. that alone stuns ej because he's so proud of you, but can't understand how he wasn't able to that too.

"i can't believe you got a hole in one! on the hardest hole of the whole course!" he says for the thousandth time since handing your clubs in. "maybe we'll have to get you out on a real course."

"there's no way." you laugh, kissing his cheek. "mini golf will always be more my speed."

#asks #ask bre #lovely anon #bre's 4 year tumblraversary!#erik johnson #erik johnson blurb #erik johnson blurbs #erik johnson fic #erik johnson fics #nhl fic #nhl fics #nhl imagine

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wyattjohnston · 2 years

Text

you're the king, baby i'm your queen - erik johnson

series: only all the time

note: hope you like fluff

word count: 1,392

The boys had been left behind at the Arena to celebrate in the locker room and the families had made their way back to the hotel where they made sure to start celebrating without them. The hotel party was no match for the free-flowing alcohol that was certainly turning the locker room into a swimming pool, but they were putting in a fair effort to match them.

When the boys did inevitably trickle in, all red-faced and wobbly, they were met with cheers and more alcohol. By the time Erik and Gabe arrived with the Cup Gwen was close to losing her voice.

She threw herself at him, having the wherewithal to keep her feet on the ground because she didn’t trust Erik to keep her up right in his state and she wasn’t in any position to balance them either.

Erik pressed his face right up against Gwen’s, forcefully tuning out the rest of the party.

“I’m gonna do it again,” he told her. “We are gonna do it again.”

“I know, baby,” Gwen said happily, kissing him so lightly it was more a breath against his mouth. “I’m so proud of you.”

In a moment of drunken solemnity, he said, “I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“You absolutely could have,” she laughed, moving her thumbs under his eyes, “but I’m glad that I was here to see it.”

He was visibly exhausted, as was the rest of the team, and despite the alcohol running through his body he moved with a stiffness that came from playing through pain. The breakdown of all his injuries but his knee had been causing him enough grief that he’d brought it up during the week so she’d been focusing on it and, despite her own drinking, she was having trouble not focusing on the way he was favouring it.

So, she tracked him around the room as he greeted every single person who hadn’t yet disappeared to their beds, drunkenly thanking them for their support and, in the case of parents, for raising their boys to be the hockey players they’d become. It was as heart-warming as it was amusing.

“What are the chances that Erik goes to sleep at all tonight?” she asked Mel and Sawyer, Bo’s girlfriend, who both looked like they were ready to call it a night themselves.

“If any of them get any sleep it’ll be a miracle,” Mel said, only to fondly roll her eyes when Gabe shouted her name across the hotel’s conference centre and wildly gestured for her to join him.

“Why do you call him Erik?” Sawyer asked. “Everyone else calls him EJ.”

“Yeah,” Gwen said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “that’s exactly why I call him Erik.”

Sawyer commented on it being so cute and so romantic and maybe I should call Bo ‘Bowen’—and Gwen didn’t want to be rude, but she was grateful when Sawyer disappeared shortly after to find Bo.

The reminders that she was getting older were becoming more and more frequent with the ages of the team seemingly drifting downwards—she wasn’t quite ready for her mid-life crisis to occur at thirty-three before she was even married and certainly not before she’d had any kids.

Mel returned to her side, though, and they stood in the corner looking very much like they were the women behind the Cup run. It had been a startling realisation for Gwen, who hadn’t spent all that much time around hockey given how long she and Erik hadn’t been together—in fact, they weren’t even at a point where their time in a relationship had exceeded the time they were broken up. All the ‘Better Halves’, as the social media crew called them, were treated with respect but there was something about Mel and Gwen that was venerable.

“Queen Melanie Landeskog looking over her subjects,” Gwen said, a long standing joke between them.

“Her Royal Highness, Gwendoline King, always right by her side,” Mel said back, swaying into Gwen playfully.

“Of course I’m by your side, I wouldn’t be here at all if it weren’t for you. Twice.”

“I’m glad I get to do this with you,” Mel said. “It feels silly because the boys are the ones who did it, but I think it’d be pretty hollow celebrating it if you weren’t here.”

Gwen pulled Mel into a hug, both of them swaying off balance at the suddenness of it. There was something to be said about platonic soulmates and they were each certain they’d found theirs.

Across the room, Erik drifted away from the Cup to let Newy have another turn hugging it. Gwen made eye contact with him, her heart racing when his smile grew impossibly bigger at the sight of her.

He raced towards her, his hands on her cheeks and brought her mouth closer to his in a breathtaking kiss, she gripped the front of his shirt just to keep steady as her feet left the ground before she was ready.

He started speaking before she was even back on the ground, “I’ve borrowed this. The real one’s at home and it’s the first time I’ve left home without it but this feels right.”

“How drunk are you?” Gwen asked, patting his cheek.

“Very, but—” Erik sank down to one knee, Gwen was largely concerned about the aching he’d been complaining about, and it took the sudden silence around in the conference room to make her realise what Erik was doing. “—I’ve made you wait long enough. Gwendoline Eileen King, will you marry me?”

“Erik, are you serious?” she asked breathlessly, before realising what he’d said at first and asked, “Who’s ring is that?”

“Mel’s. She’s going to want it back but I promise the ring I bought you is way better.”

Gwen stared down at Erik, at his stance, at Mel’s ring in his hand and shook her head in disbelief, “Jesus fucking Christ, Erik.”

“Can I get a yes? I can’t feel my legs.”

Gwen reached forward without hesitating to help Erik to his feet and cringed at the pained noises he made.

Erik, once standing, held the ring out to her again, pinched between his thumb and forefinger, and bowed his head to prompt her for an answer.

“Yes, Erik,” she scoffed because he surely knew the answer, “of course I’ll marry you.”

Erik slid the ring easily onto Gwen’s ring finger but she didn’t even look at it—it was symbolic, anyway—before she threw herself at Erik and trusted that he would catch her. He always caught her.

The room erupted, the complete silence shattered between one second and the next; Gwen didn’t open her eyes or break their kiss.

After being woken up only maybe two hours after going to sleep by Gabe at their door with the Cup, Gwen showered and changed with one eye open while they goofed around.

Though she had only worn Mel’s ring for a matter of minutes—Gwen wasn’t going to be the person who lost Mel’s engagement ring—her ring finger still felt like it was missing something. She walked out of the bathroom still looking at her finger, getting caught by Gabe who was trying to pass back through to the hallway.

Gwen laughed out loud when she saw that Erik had been left with the Cup in bed, naked only covered by the bed sheet.

She laid down in the empty space on the other side of the Cup, brushing her fingers over the names that were already on the cup and trying to imagine what it would feel like to brush over Erik Johnson.

Erik caught her hand, lifting it to his mouth to kiss the back of it, and asked, “Do you want to get married this summer? I’ve made you wait so long.”

“Erik, baby,” Gwen cooed. “I’ve known you and loved you for ten years; I would have married you in that first year if you’d asked and I will marry you if it’s the last thing I ever do. But I have waited all these years and I want my dream wedding.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“You’ve waited for me for so long that it’s my turn to wait for you, right? Everything from here on out is about you, Gwen.”

The ring Erik left at home (incl. wedding band)

#erik johnson fic #erik johnson imagine #nhl fic #nhl imagine #hockey imagine #hockey fic #homemade fic #only all the time fic #you will probably think i chose the title and shoe horned some stuff in but i didn't #the title was the last thing i did #fic: avs

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alltaternotot · 5 months

Text

Lucky Charm | E. Johnson

Erik Johnson X Fem!Reader

A/N: Inspired by Emily Kaplan’s interview with EJ after the Avs won the Cup. He’s so fine it’s not even funny.

CW: NSFW (blowjob, praise, exhibitionism if you squint REALLY hard), swearing, very limited knowledge of how horse racing/betting actually works, but I gave it a stab. Very VERY lightly proofread, pls excuse any mistakes, just doin this for funsies.

Word count: 2.4K

<><><><>

The summers in Denver were always perfect. It was finally time to relax and enjoy the warm weather after months and months of cold ice rinks and rigorous schedules, for you and your boyfriend both. EJ could finally take a step back from his intense training and long road trips, just for a few weeks, before it was back to the grind again.

You worked as a senior consultant in a successful Denver design firm, which was also the reason you met the tall blond. He commissioned you to design his newly renovated kitchen and living space, and invited you to enjoy a glass of wine with him when all was said and done. He had given you a soul-sucking kiss on the way out the door that night, leading to the best years of your life so far.

You were high up enough in the company now, around four years down the line, that you could somewhat make your own schedule. You followed Erik’s schedule most of the time. You would work hard in the months he was on the ice, and take a few weeks in the summer to enjoy the sunshine and your boyfriend.

That’s how you found yourself here, sitting on the shaded patio, watching the water in the backyard pool ebb and flow in the breeze and reading a new book leisurely. There was nothing like enjoying the soft sound of the water and a good book to pass the time.

You shared a routine during these days. He would join you outside with a tray of food and special cocktails he liked to make, spending the day reading or playing cards with some music on. On race days, especially the ones his horses were entered in, he insisted on sitting outside with a cigar (because there was no way he was getting cigar ash on his indoor furniture) with the back door open, plus sitting on the part of the sectional that faced indoors so he could watch and still enjoy time with you.

Today was a race day, and like clockwork, you could hear Erik open the back door, the sound of the TV in the other room coming through, and his footfalls coming up behind you. He leaned against the back of the deck sectional you were seated in, squeezing the back of your neck and laying a gentle kiss on your head.

“How’s the read?” He asked, coming to sit down with a tray of sandwiches, fruit, and the drinks.

“S’good so far, I’m about halfway through.” You answered, popping a raspberry in your mouth and flipping the page, “any news on MacKinnon yet?”

Horse racing was something that seemed to escape you interest-wise. You thought the horses were absolutely stunning, but the pedigrees going back to the dawn of time and the betting Erik liked to partake in were a bit much for you. He loved it though, so you kept up with his horses at least. You had met them all on trips to California and listened to his explanations about why they were so elite, all while petting their velvety noses and giving them carrots, completely losing the conversation after their grandparents had been brought up.

“Nothing yet, the race starts in 20ish minutes. The announcers have high hopes for him though.” He said, picking up the cigar and his little silver guillotine strait cutter, “his money pool is up to 30k right now, could be a big day for us baby.”

He put the cigar into the guillotine and clipped the end off, pulling out his nice zippo and holding it up. You loved how he looked lighting up his cigars, holding the cigar between the teeth he still had and gently grasping it with his hand. You loved the way the little fire would reflect on his sunglasses and cast soft shadows on his face. Every time he blew a puff of smoke out, it made you want to melt into a puddle, but you would never tell him that.

“That one smells pretty good.” You remarked as he leaned back, pulling you up against his side, the scent of tobacco and spice wafting around you.

“I think so too. Naz gave me a few after the parade.” He said, looking up towards the tv for the stats of today’s race.

You admired his profile as he looked at the standings, watching his eyes dart across the screen behind his sunglasses and the tendril of blond hair sticking out of his backwards ball cap. You admired his nose and his cupid’s bow, watching as he blew out more smoke and let it billow around him. You quickly learned to love the way his lip fell flat where his teeth were missing too, despite your friends feigning concern for your future make-outs. You loved everything about Erik really, but moments like these really did something to you. You thought you might get caught looking for too long, so you turned back to your book and dove in once again.

Your books were to you like Erik’s horses were to him. You loved romance novels most of all, you could laugh at the worst of them and squeeze your thighs together when they got good. You learned new things about yourself because of them too, Erik more than willing to try new things when you brought them up, on the rare occasions that you did. You weren’t the most adventurous in the bedroom by any means, but you had a few things you particularly liked when Erik did or helped you do.

This particular book was on the thigh-squeezing end so far, the slow-burn where the main character falls in love with the handsome rugged cowboy (who also happened to have an affinity for cigars) after finding herself stuck in a podunk little town. It had gotten very hot very fast. Images of a tall dark and handsome man pushing the main character up against a barn door and finally kissing her after 15 chapters went flashing through your mind. You continued down the page, imagining the clothes coming off and the sloppy kisses leading up to a risky, almost-public blowjob. He topped it all off with blowing cigar smoke into her mouth while she trembled under him.

Suddenly, your skin was on fire, and you were hyper aware of Erik’s fingers gently stroking up and down your arm, and the way he looked smoking that damn cigar. You could feel your heartbeat quicken, and you breathing became more ragged and shallow.

You craned your head up and placed a kiss on his neck, then his jaw, then his cheek, then the corner of his mouth. Your hand found his chest as you tried to sit up a little more, but Erik lifted you up just enough for a proper kiss, letting his hand fall on your shoulders, the other holding onto the cigar so he wouldn’t burn you or get ash on you.

“What’s this for baby?” He said, reaching out for another kiss, “your heart’s beating a million miles a minute…” he continued.

“Cant I kiss my boyfriend? I just felt like it…” you said, albeit with a ragged intake of breath.

He smiled a knowing smile, “did your book get good baby?”

“I just wanna kiss you…” you repeated, and he obliged with a few more kisses, noting the way a blush crept up your neck and turned your ears red like it did when you asked him to try something.

After the kiss slowed down, you laid down on the sectional, your head resting on Erik’s thick thigh. His eyes shot back to the tv again, observing the standings again. You tried to focus on your book again, but your mind traveled back to the blowjob up against the cowboy’s barn, and him blowing smoke into the main character’s mouth, your thighs squeezed together again. Erik began running a hand through your hair, brushing your scalp with his fingertips.

You placed gentle kisses on his thigh and began to slowly slide off the sectional, not wanting to take too much of Erik’s attention off the tv. You brought a pillow down with you, putting it under your knees so they wouldn’t scrape against the concrete of the patio. You reached for the knot holding his shorts up, and he inhaled sharply, his hand flying down to caress your face.

“Baby…” he said, and you continued trying to take the knot out of the tie, “baby you wanna do this now? Here?” He said, gently holding your chin so you would look up into his gaze.

You never wanted to do anything outside before now, you had a lot of anxiety about the media seeing you and Erik doing NSFW things and ruining both of your careers. He had asked before on a couple of occasions, but you found a way to steer things inside with the blinds shut. You were almost completely secluded here, it was the off-season, and it would take a real scumbag of a media person to show up at the house for a juicy scoop.

“Yeah, I want you so bad…” you said quietly, “you look so fucking hot with that cigar…” you admitted without thinking.

“You like the cigar huh?” He said, pushing his hips up so you could pull his shorts and boxers down just enough for his dick, already half hard from a few kisses and touches.

“You have no idea what you do to me with that damn thing…” you said, pressing kisses to the cut of his hip and his happy trail.

He groaned in playful frustration, spreading a little more so you fit better between his thighs. You finally grabbed his dick, running your closed hand up and down. He moaned and reached for your hair, running his fingers through it again. You stroked him until he was fully hard, watching the muscles tense under your touch.

You ran your tongue along the underside in a fat stripe, letting your spit coat his dick. You took the head in your mouth and sunk down slowly, using your hand to stroke what you couldn’t take. He fisted your hair, pulling back strands so he could see your face.

He loved looking at you when you blew him, there was nothing better. He loved watching his dick disappear into your throat and how expertly you took him. You looked up through your eyelashes at him, and saw he was slack-jawed with his eyes rolled back, absorbing all of the sensations.

“Mmm baby, you look so pretty taking me like that…” he said breathily, “holy fuck your mouth feels so good.”

You hummed, sending vibrations through his dick and bringing him that much closer. He had to control himself from fucking your throat. Everything about this was hot, the sight of you on the ground for him, the wet sound of your spit, the way your mascara was starting to run in the corners of your eyes.

He watched and waited for you to look up through your eyelashes again, then took a deep inhale of the cigar and blew it out, still holding onto your hair. The smell of the cigar just heightened everything further.

Suddenly the sound of a bugle announcing the beginning of the race, and a shot accompanied by the gates holding in the horses swinging open drew your eyes to the tv. You looked up to Erik again, watching his eyebrows slightly raise as MacKinnon pulled forward by a few feet. You took him out of your mouth, spit dribbling down your chin and all over his dick, and you took a moment to breathe while you stroked.

Focusing back on Erik, you knew he was close, you could feel his hard muscles tensing. His moans were getting higher and a little louder, but not too loud, he knew that would make you nervous about people noticing. His hands ran through your hair and gently held the back of your head when you took him back into your mouth, swirling your tongue around the head, eliciting a sharp whine from him. He took another puff of the cigar, sending you into a somewhat feral effort to get him there.

“I-I’m so close baby! God you feel amazing!” He said, watching you take his dick, “you’re so good for me, treating me so well…” he praised.

You sucked gently and bobbed your head a few more times before he finally shot his load down your throat, letting you swallow it. He moaned and writhed above you, tightening his grip on your hair before letting his fist loosen so your hair fell down around your face.

You leaned your head on his thigh and took a few breaths, trying to regain some composure. Seeing you like that always made his heart skip a beat, hair tousled from his hands and lips swollen and glossy. You even had a little speck of black soot from the cigar swiped across your cheek.

He hiked his shorts back up and offered his free hand. He pulled you up to straddle his lap, taking a deep inhale of the cigar again, watching your eyes and your swollen lips. He kissed you, letting the smoke fall out of your open mouths. You were both breathing heavy as you relaxed chest to chest, head falling into the crook of his neck. He rubbed soothing circles into your back as you tried to regain your breathing.

“Holy shit! Mackinnon’s about to break into first!” Erik said somewhat tiredly, and you turned around to see his beloved horse pulling forward in the final stretch of the race.

You both cheered as MacKinnon crossed the finish line, effectively winning Erik 30 thousand dollars and more bragging rights to his racing friends. You leaned down and kissed him again, not trusting yourself to get up and stand on your jelly knees quite yet.

“We should break open a vintage bottle tonight baby, we’re celebrating!” He said, standing up with you wrapped around his waist, “you’re my lucky charm baby, maybe we should do that for every race!” He joked.

“Trust me E, I can get on board with that… just keep that cigar around…” You teased, and he laid a deep kiss on your lips.

He walked you both inside and laid you down on the couch, tray of food and drinks (and the cigar) long forgotten. His hands already traveling down your body and in your hair.

“Let me show you now much I love you, my lucky charm.”

#Erik Johnson #Erik Johnson imagine #EJ fic #Colorado Avalanche #Avs fic #pls come back bestie we miss you #T’s imagines #nhl fic

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