The Shoulder Kiss

The shoulder kiss

average mcdrai moment | 1 may 2024

what's in a name , jeremy swayman

note, i love them, i do. and i'm not even a boston fan. anyways, this fic is part of the "swinging with the swaymans" series. check out this masterlist for more. pair, jeremy swayman x reader summary, y/n surprises jeremy at practice with baby eli, where they then surprise linus (and the team) with eli's full name. warnings, babies word count, 1159 words

(gif not mine)

“Bye Bye,” Jeremy spoke in a baby voice as he said his goodbyes to Elijah. You watched, waiting to take your son from him when he was done. It was Jeremy’s first day back at practice, which, since Elijah was born, would be the longest they had been apart.

“We’ll be okay, won’t we, Eli?” You shook his little hand softly, “Tell Daddy we’ll be okay.” you smiled up at Jeremy, who looked nervous. Elijah babbled his baby talk, whining when he was moved from his dad’s arms and into yours, but quickly settled down.

"I’ll miss you both.” He frowned, leaning in and pecking your lips.

“I’ll miss you, too. And so will Eli, even if he doesn’t know it.” You smiled, leaning up and pecking him back.

“I love you both,”

“We love you, too, Jer.” You sighed, waving Elijah’s little hand as Jeremy picked up his bags. he slung the duffle bag over his shoulder then pressed one more quick kiss to each of your heads before he stared longingly at you and waved.

“Go.” You laughed, pushing him out the door carefully. Once he was gone, you set your plan in motion. You packed your bags and got Elijah situated in the car. You were thankful that he had distracted himself and wasn't screaming his head off.

You transferred him from the car seat to the baby carrier, making sure he was comfortable and warm, making funny faces at him and smiling when he giggled at them.

You greeted the security guards, who peeked into the baby carrier, making his own funny face, and smiled when Eli giggled at him. You decided to take the long way to show Eli around, even though he wouldn't remember or understand anything you were showing him.

You finally made it to the rink and couldn't but smile when you heard all the guys laughing and skating around. You carefully got Eli out of the carrier and pointed out all the guys to him.

Eli's eyes were wide as he took everything in. From the glass to the ice to the skates to the guys, "There's daddy." You pointed across the ice over to the other side of the rink where Jeremy was in front of the net.

Eli followed your hand but no look of recognition crossed his face, which made sense. Eli's attention was quickly taken when Charlie Coyle stopped in front of you and was waving to him. You could tell he was basking in the attention he was getting from the guys because of how big the smile on his face was.

Practice had seemingly halted as all the guys had skated over to say hi, which confused Jeremy. He couldn't tell what was going on from the other end of the ice, so he skated over.

Once he got closer, he finally saw who had distracted everyone. He took off his mask as he skated closer. Once Eli saw his dad, a look of recognition finally crossed his face and he smiled. A path was formed and Jeremy skated through, a smile on his face too.

"Hi, buddy." He beamed, waving and making funny faces at Eli, which sent him into a fit of giggles and laughs which, in turn, made Jeremy smile even bigger.

Eventually, an assistant coach came over and broke up the scene. You watched Jeremy skate backward, a pout on his face as you laughed and waved Eli's hand at him again. You pointed over to the general area where you would be sitting to watch practice and that seemed to brighten his mood.

You stayed for the rest of warmups, which was only about 20 minutes, but Eli fell asleep halfway through and was out. You sat in the bleachers, even after practice was over, waiting for Jeremy to come out.

While you waited, you talked to the security guard who was always by the glass during warmups. He entertained Eli with some funny faces, joked around with you, and showed you pictures of his grandbaby who had been born just a few months before.

Eventually, after about half an hour, Jeremy came out, which you were expecting. What you didn't expect was almost half the team to come out with him. Practically the entire team had come out of the locker room to see Eli.

"They wanted to meet him." He shrugged, setting his bags down and taking the baby from you. You smiled, accepting the hug from a few of the guys. You watched as all the guys fawned over Eli. Your heart warmed at the smile on Jeremy's face as he held Eli and showed him around the circle of guys.

"So, tell us, what's his name?" You broke through into the circle, stood by Jeremy, and smiled.

"His name is Elijah Linus Swayman," Jeremy stated, a proud smile on his face as he looked over at the other goaltender, who was standing there, frozen, as he took everything in.

The guys patted him on the back and cheered for him. Jeremy handed Eli over to you as Linus pulled him in for a hug. When they pulled away, Linus turned to you and pulled you in for a hug, careful not to disturb Eli too much.

"Do you want to hold him?" You asked. The look on his face melted your heart, and once he was ready, you set Eli in his arms. Linus began cooing over the baby and couldn't stop smiling.

Eli eventually went around the circle and each of the guys got to hold him, cooing and fawning over him. While all the guys were busy fawning over your baby, Linus turned to you and Jeremy with a smile on his face.

"Thank you both for this. I'm truly honored." He put a hand to his heart as he spoke, "This is the sweetest thing."

"Well, would you pass out if we asked you to be his godfather too?" Jeremy asked, laughing at the shocked look on his face once again.

"Really?" He asked, his voice squeaky.

"Really." You both nodded, laughing when he quickly pulled you both in for a hug. Eventually, the guys started saying goodbye and began filing out to leave.

You turned to Jeremy when it was just you and him, "This was a nice surprise." Jeremy smiled, setting Eli down in the carrier and wrapping you in a hug, "I wasn't expecting to see you two until after practice."

"Wanted to surprise you." You hummed, looking up at him, "I'm ready to go home." He smiled, kissing your head.

"Let's go home. We'll take your car and I'll catch a ride tomorrow."

"Yeah?" You raised a brow at him, throwing the diaper bag strap over your shoulder while Jeremy did the same with his own bag.

"Yeah. You can sleep on the ride home." He threw an arm around your shoulders while the other pushed the stroller.

-

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invisible string L. Hughes

Luke Hughes x fem!reader

synopsis - Luke had been one of your closest friends since childhood. Somehow, everything in both of your lives just came back to each other.

wc - 3.8k

contains - cursing, literally nothing, extremeeeeeeeee fluff, kissing, hugging, cuddling, (im just a girl ok), obliviousness, this is a bittttt cliche... THEY CONFESS AND KISS IN THE RAIN OK???? idiots in love, eating and drinking. TAKES PLACE SUMMER 2023 (like end of May???)

an - SLIGHTLY EDITED!!! im hunrgy. anyways THIS WAS SO FCUKINF CUTE TO WRITEEEEEEE. my luke baby is so invisible string😇😇😇😇. ugh i miss him. i (possibly intoxicatedly) karaoked better man by Taylor Swift the other night just fyi. my author notes are like my personal diary because i assume no one reads them. i could prob say my ss number and full name address and no one would ever know. do u guys know how fuckign embarrassing it is to reread a fic u posted a few days ago and find typos like u guys probably think im stupid and hate me now. this was not at all about Luke Hughes or Invisible String... ENJOY BABIES!!!!

-

green was the color of the grass, where i used to read in centennial park. i used to think i would meet somebody there.

You were what some would call a hopeless romantic. You loved love. You loved reading it, watching it, seeing it in real life, it was just beautiful to you.

You'd grown up with the Hughes boys. They were your neighbors during the summer, your family's lake house being next to theirs. You were the same age as their youngest son, Luke. You two were ride or dies during the summer, and when you finally got a phone in seventh grade, you two texted the rest of the year.

It was finally summer, your school year at Notre Dame had come to a close and you were able to fly home and go to the lake with your family all by May 13th. You watched the final Canes games against the boys, you were sad for them, but so proud of your best friend.

It was nearing June, and you were alone in the lake house, opting out of the afternoon boat ride for some peace and quiet. You walked through the halls, stopping at the dresser covered in summer photos. You and your brother, you and Luke, more you and Luke, and some of your brother and the Hughes.

teal was the color of your shirt, when you were sixteen at the yogurt shop. you used to work at to make a little money.

You noticed one of your favorite photos wasn't there, the one of you and Luke when you were about 16, you're both standing behind the counter at the ice cream place you two worked at during that summer. You spent all day with Luke during those days, and it was the best.

You opened the dresser the photos sat on, seeing more photos. The ice cream shop one, and one you weren't anticipating. You didn't know your mom had printed and framed it. It was you and Luke the summer you were 18, both smiling at the camera with the sunset in the background as you sat on his lap in an Adirondack chair in the backyard of the Hughes' house.

The photo gave you crazy butterflies. That summer was the last time you saw Luke during the summer. Last summer you two were both at the lake at different times, you'd seen his whole family, minus him. His mom told you how he was still with his college teammates on a different Michigan lake. You had to act like you didn't really care, even though you did, so much.

Since the picture was just sitting in the dresser, not on display, you decided to take it to your room. You placed it gently on your bedside table, smiling then leaving to go down to the pool.

time, curious time. gave me no compasses, gave me no signs.

It was weird how you and Luke always seemed to be pulled together. There was some driving force between you two that was unbreakable, not even if you wanted it to. When it wasn't the summer, you lived three hours from the Hughes family, so randomly bumping into Luke was even more bizarre than anything else.

You remember when you were 15, you and your mom were picking up dinner one night at a local place and in walks Luke, Jack, and Ellen. You squealed when you saw him, running over to say hey. The boys had been in town for hockey, weirdly enough.

Interactions like that happened way more often than normal, you randomly bumped into the boy at least once every two or three months for years.

were there clues i didn't see? and isn't it just so pretty to think,

You remember when you were surprised by Luke at age 17. He came and surprised you as your prom date and you were floored. He had flowers and a corsage for you, and his tie matched your dress perfectly. Your moms thought it was the cutest thing ever, how you both blushed and giggled when near each other.

all along there was some invisible string, tying you to me?

Even though you two couldn't seem to get away from each other, neither of you ever made a move romantically. It just didn't seem realistic, you already lived hours away from each other and were going to colleges even farther, well Luke was going to the NHL but you get the point.

You guys were just best friends, always best friends. Your families knew, especially his brothers. They were your biggest fans, probably because they saw how you made their baby brother, how soft he was with you. You made him gentle, but also made him more comfortable and talkative, which Quinn and Jack loved.

ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

Luke made you weak, and your family noticed. You could jokingly bicker with him, but when it came down to real disagreement, you never could with Luke. He just gave you those deep hazel eyes and you were melted on the floor. He was just that person for you. The one who could ask you to do anything under the sun and you'd do it for his praise.

You spent long nights with Luke, sitting in the backyard of one of your lake houses and watching the moon and stars and talking about anything. You could listen to Luke talk about property tax for hours and probably never get bored, that's how much you admired him.

bad was the blood of the song in the cab, on your first trip to L.A. you ate at my favorite spot for dinner.

You remember the weirdest instance of your bumping into each other, you were in Los Angeles with friends during the very beginning of winter break and saw Luke eating in the same restaurant as you with a couple of his friends.

You texted him, not believing what you were seeing. You asked him if he was in L.A. When he responded 'Yes just for a few days why' you were shocked. You stood and made your way across the noisy restaurant and went up to his table, where you put your hand on his shoulder and when he turned around, he was the most surprised he'd been in a long time.

You remember he jumped up, hugging you so tightly, pulling away with his jaw still dropped. You guys always told each other you had to stop meeting 'like this', but it never seemed to stop.

The next day, you two planned to branch out from your friends and meet up for lunch. You guys drove a little ways from Los Angeles, east into the country, and ate at the cutest restaurant that had a view of a lake. You two always found yourselves together by lakes.

bold was the waitress on our three year trip, getting lunches down by the lake. she said i looked like an american singer.

You remember how bold your waitress was at that restaurant, immediately boasting about how she thought you two were the cutest couple she'd ever seen. Your face was burning hot, trying not to have a breakdown in the middle of the restaurant. It got even worse when Luke didn't correct her and just said 'Thank you', instead.

That was the last time you saw Luke, you were hoping to see him very soon, though. It had been almost two weeks since the loss to the Canes, so it made sense for the boys to be arriving soon. You'd already seen Ellen and Jim a couple of nights on the back porch with your parents, but no 6'2 boys named Luke were to be seen.

time, mystical time. cutting me open then healing me fine. were there clues i didn't see?

You'd had two boyfriends in your life. One in your 8th-grade year and freshman year of high school, then one in your junior year of high school. You'd broken up with boyfriend #2 because you realized you compared him to Luke, every move he made, you compared to Luke. It made you feel terrible, but you were head over heels for another boy.

You and Luke had your senior sunrises on the same day during your senior years, and decided to skip them and drive to the lake to watch the sunrise together. Your moms were furious, but it was one of the best memories you had with him.

Your interest in each other was so painfully obvious that most of your and his family referred to you as his girl during the summer. 'Where's Luke's girl?', or 'We're just waiting for Moose's girl.' It was never when you two were in the same room, so your reactions were always priceless.

and isn't it just so pretty to think, all along there was some invisible string, tying you to me?

Your family was back from their afternoon boating escapade and you could hear them all bustling in. The second they walked in you heard your brother shout for you.

"Moosey's girl! Come down here!"

ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

You blushed madly, getting up from your bed and walking down the stairs with an annoyed look on your face. When you got to the bottom of the stairs you could see your sister-in-law slapping your brother across the back of his head, telling him to leave you alone.

"What do you want?"

You immediately went from annoyed to overjoyed when your almost two year old niece ran over to you, shouting out your name. You picked her up, giving her a kiss on her tubby cheek, embracing her sandy and salt water ridden love.

"We're going out to dinner in like, an hour and a half? Honestly just whenever we can get that little monster bathed and dressed."

You nodded but immediately jumped to defend your little best friend.

"This thing? This baby is an angel, aren't you?"

The little girl nodded, a sassy smile on her face as she tried to say 'angel, dada.' in her slurred toddler speech.

"See?"

Your brother gave you both a look, before springing into action to grab his baby, tickling all the giggles and sqeals out of her.

You talked and played for a little longer before getting ready to go. You quickly showered and dried your hair, putting on a little linen white summer dress, and your old pair of Birkenstocks. You drove with your brother and sister-in-law on the way to dinner, sitting next to your niece in the backseat.

a string that pulled me out of all the wrong arms, right into that dive bar.

You guys were seated immediately at the restaurant, you sat between your sister-in-law and dad at the table, just close enough to talk to your favorite niece.

The restaurant was a popular spot for locals and tourists near the lake. It had a big bar in the middle and lots of tables surrounding, it was loud, but not obnoxious, and very homey. You'd probably been there over a hundred times in your life.

You were watching a random golf tournament on one of the many TVs in the bar when your brother called out your name. You looked up and the look on his face was excitement and shock.

"Look who happened to show up!"

something wrapped up all of my past mistakes, in barbed wire. chains around my demons. wool to brave the seasons.

He pointed behind him, and your eyes followed the trail to the entrance, where you saw none other than Luke Hughes standing with his family, waiting to be seated. Your jaw dropped, and a smile came over you. You saw Quinn hit Luke and then point directly at you, and when your eyes met Luke's, you could've fainted. He was in khakis and a white polo and looked so handsome.

You stood up, mumbling something to your family before practically running over to the entrance, throwing your arms around Luke.

one single thread of gold tied me to you.

"Holy shit."

Luke had his arms wrapped around you so tightly, he was so surprised to see you. He knew he would have seen you tomorrow if not tonight but he still just missed you and was shocked.

"We have gotta stop meeting like this."

You giggled when you pulled away from him, as reluctant as you were on the inside. You quickly hugged the rest of his family, not without Jack whispering, 'hey Moose's girl' to you.

You pleaded with the bar staff to push more tables together so you could sit with the Hughes, and it didn't take much convincing, seeing they'd known you since you were 6.

You sat next to Luke after the readjustment for the new tables, now sitting between him and your niece, who had all but thrown a fit about how she wanted to sit by you, not her dad, which made you laugh in his face.

At some point, you'd taken the baby from her high chair and brought her into your lap. You and Luke were both in your little world with her, she was so cute and loving. You guys didn't notice how practically the whole table stared at you with knowing eyes, they all knew, everyone except for you two.

The food came, and the baby was back in her seat. You just talked and talked and talked to Luke. You'd last seen him in December, and there was just so much to say. You'd both had tons of stuff happen to you, his NHL career, your career, everything was so exciting to tell him about.

Luke was so heavily infatuated with you, it was funny. His brothers watched as he folded for you so easily, admiring every syllable that left your mouth, nodding like a man possessed. They mumbled to each other, making fun of their baby brother's obliviousness.

cold was the steel of my axe to grind, for the boys who broke my heart. now i send their babies presents.

At some point, dinner got a little bit boring so you pulled out your phone, and what popped up was the baby registry you were buying something off of for your ex-boyfriend's pregnant wife. It was funny, how everything boiled down. Luke saw the infant clothing on your phone and gave you a questionable look.

"'S there something you're not telling me?"

You looked up at him, then back to your phone, your eyes going wide at the insinuation.

"Oh my God, Luke, no! This is for Darren's soon to be born baby, with his wife.

"Darren? Like your ex boyfriend Darren?"

You nodded, laughing and explaining the whole thing to him. You'd somehow become friends with his now wife in your freshman year of college, her junior year, and with the way the world worked for you of course she was married to your ex-boyfriend.

The rest of the night was perfect, and ended with your whole family, minus your sleeping niece, in the Hughes' backyard around the fire pit. That night you ended up right back where you were in the picture on your nightstand, right in Luke's lap in your favorite Adirondack chair.

You spent the next week with the Hughes boys, specifically your Hughes boy. You drove the boat out on the lake, wake surfed, Luke even convinced you to go golfing, not that it took him very long because you would say yes to anything he asked.

gold were the color of the leaves, when i showed you centennial park.

You sat by Luke at the end of the dock while you two watched the very cloudy sunset. There was supposed to be rain soon, but it didn't mean the sunset wasn't still pretty. Your thighs were pressed together with how close you sat to each other, giving you both warmth in your chest.

Neither of you said anything, but you both felt something when you let your head rest on his shoulder.

"This is so pretty, Lukey. I missed this with you."

It wasn't much, but it was a way to say that you loved him without saying the real words. I missed watching the sunset with you, I've always loved you.

hell was the journey, but it brought me heaven.

"I missed you."

You closed your eyes, you just wanted to be with him, didn't matter where. You could be watching a sunset on the lake or climbing a mountain, if you were with Luke you were happy.

"Think it's gonna rain soon?"

You looked up at him when you asked, your head never leaving his shoulder. He looked down for a second, before looking out at the sky.

time, wondrous time. gave me the blues and then purple-pink skies.

"Probably, but let's just stay for a few more minutes, okay?"

"Okay."

You relaxed into him further. His arm went to your back, rubbing back and forth. It could probably be pouring down rain and you wouldn't even notice, not when you had Luke with you, like this, you were Moose's girl after all.

It started sprinkling, causing you to look back at Luke, waiting to see if he reacted. He didnt, so you just stayed. Rain never hurt anybody, you'd be the last person to ruin this moment complaining about rain.

This was so strange. It felt like you were stuck in time, the gentle rain made you feel encapsulated in the moment. You sat there, staring off at the sky, the sunset was not as clear now with the thick clouds rolling in, but the colors were still there. The rain kept on passing through, the drops gaining weight and speed.

Luke didn't mind the rain, but he didn't want you to feel like he was forcing you out here, so he shifted to stand, grabbing your hand.

"C'mon, you can't get sick during summer."

You sighed, letting him pull you to your feet. He didn't let go of your hand as he turned to pull you back to your house. You don't know what came over you, but the circumstances seemed perfect, you felt like you had to tell him. You pulled him to a stop, and he turned to look with a confused face.

"What's wrong?"

You looked from him to the ground, looking at your feet, the worn dock you'd run around on summer after summer, the lake you grew up swimming with him in. This place was so full of Luke, of you and Luke.

"I, I really like you Luke. Like literally since we were 12, and I, I just.."

You trailed off, looking anywhere but those eyes.

Luke was flabbergasted. That's the only word to describe how he felt. The girl he was in love with, just said she liked him since they were little. He just stared at her, not believing what he heard.

"Are you for real?"

You would've been embarrassed, had you not heard the pure hope in his voice. You nodded, feeling your face heat up. You covered your face with your hands self-consciously. If you could look at Luke's face, you would’ve seen how he was red all from his neck to his ears.

Luke gently grabbed your hands, pulling them away from your face, and replacing them with his own. He tilted your head back so you looked at him, staring at you for just a second before pulling you in, kissing you, finally.

and it's cool, baby, with me.

Holy shit. You were freaking out, you were probably gonna be jumping up and down whenever he decided to stop kissing you. He did pull away, after a long while, when the rain started pouring. The colors of the sunset had been drowned out by the thunderclouds but you two still felt all sunny on the inside.

There was a rumble in the far distance, while you stared at him, and him back at you. You couldn't contain your excitement, you felt like running a marathon.

"Oh my God."

Your hands went back to your face, and you literally jumped. Luke laughed as you surged with happiness. He felt the same way, his smile bigger and brighter than ever before.

You grabbed his hand, tugging him back to your house quickly. You were finally under the cover of your back porch, out of harm's way. You grabbed two towels from the outside cupboards and wrapped yourselves up, you dried your feet off before running up the stairs, Luke hot on your tail.

You two got upstairs and sat on your bathroom counter while you dried off. You talked quietly, giggling an awful lot.

Once you got dry enough, you led him to your bedroom. You grabbed one of his sweatshirts you had before going to take a pair of your brother's shorts, throwing them to Luke when you got back to your room.

"Here, go change so you don't get sick."

You noticed he had more than the stuff you'd just thrown at him in his hands, he had the picture that previously sat on your night stand.

and isn't it just so pretty to think,

"I like this picture, you have to send it to me, baby."

Baby? You could've died. You nodded, mumbling out an butchered agreement, gesturing for him to leave and get dressed again.

While he was gone, you changed into some sweatpants and another one of Luke's sweatshirts, one you'd had for almost two years. When Luke came back into your room, he'd noticed your sweatshirt immediately. It was from his travel team when he was 16, and it made him so happy.

all along there was some invisible string,

You smiled at him sweetly as he walked back over to you, grabbing your face and kissing you for the second time in the last thirty minutes. You got the same butterflies you'd had living inside you since you were a little girl. This boy had been living in your head since you'd known him, and he was finally yours after you'd been his girl for so many years.

tying you to me?

You both pulled away, wrapping each other in a hug. Luke rocked you two back and forth, leaving kisses on your head.

"I love you, Moosey."

"I love you."

ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh he-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

LATE NIGHT TALKING

WARNINGS: absolutely none. Just some pure, sweet content.

PAIRING(S): Quinn Hughes x Fem!Reader

SUMMARY: in which it’s part of his routine for Quinn Hughes to talk to Fem!Reader’s baby bump.

Quinn had never really been one for routines. It wasn’t as though life really let him have them with all the things it’s hurdled, but there were a few things he still managed to do regularly. Like his extensive skin care, and the way he had something sweet after lunch every day, or the way he kissed the tip of Y/N’s nose twice and then her lips before he got up every morning.

Most importantly, it was the way he tiptoed into the quiet house in the dead of night, making his way to admire the happy little nursery room they’ve put together while running his fingers over the soft blanket waiting for their baby's arrival, and then winded up curled by Y/N’s legs at the foot of their bed as he lifted her shirt over her swollen belly and planted a little kiss to her skin.

It was comical almost, with his tall stature and his long, muscled limbs, but Quinn made it work. He loved being eye level with their baby, even if he wasn’t really seeing them, and he wasn’t really sure where their eyes even were. But it was a set routine, one he cherished greatly, one that gave him just a semblance of something calm and soft and safe in his life.

"Hey, bubs.” Quinn murmured, rubbing soft circles into her baby bump as he spoke with his lips pressed against her skin. "Your mom hates when I call you that. It's why I’ve gotta do it.” He chuckled.

Y/N was pretty sure Quinn could think of a new pet name every day, that their child could very well grow up without hearing the same one twice for as long as he was around. His list never seemed to stop growing from new additions, and it won't.

"Today wasn't too interesting, you'd be bored.” Quinn sighed, almost like he was reliving the uneventful day he had. “Good thing you're all toasty in there.” He gave her skin a soft pat. “I’d live in here too if I could. Seems pretty nice. No bills to pay, free food, sleep whenever you want. You’re really living the dream life there, bubs."

Quinn planted another kiss to her skin, trailing pecks along until he met Y/N’s bellybutton. He smiled, letting himself relax for the first time all day as he closed his eyes and sighed as his figure sunk deeper into the mattress.

"Tonight’s game was rough.” Quinn huffed, lips curling slightly into a pout as he spoke. “No cool stories for you tonight, sorry about that. Tomorrow’s should be good, and I get to play against your uncle Trevor. That’s exciting.” His voice picked back up a spark at that, and then he felt a little kick under his palm. "You like Trevor, huh? Yeah, he's fun to pester.” Quinn laughed softly. “But you better not like him more than me. I’m cooler, funnier, and I’m way less annoying.” He rolled his eyes.

Y/N perked up at the sound of Quinn’s voice reaching her ears. She was woken up from her sleep with a tickling sensation around her body, steady breathing slowly hiccuping as she woke herself up. She felt a gentle graze on her baby bump, tickling the hairs that had grown long due to the changes her body faced. His thumb circled the swell of the stretched skin, peppering pecks along her body before planting his cheek to her belly.

"Quinn, please go to back sleep.” Y/N groaned. “It’s late, baby." But then her fingers slid into his hair, scratching gently at his scalp as he sighed softly at the feeling.

"Hey, I’m having a very important father and child bonding moment here.” Quinn insisted.

"Well, you can continue having it in the morning.” Y/N hummed and her voice lilted to a tease, barely noticeable with the sleep still lacing it but he clicked his tongue because he heard it, anyway.

"But you're even grumpier in the morning, you'll cut our time short. It’s very important to build trust and communication with your little ones if you want a healthy relationship. You should read more.” Quinn said matter-of-factly, and she almost wanted to kick him off the bed (though she was sure he wouldn’t really move if she tried).

"Our little one is gonna have chronic migraines from the womb if you keep this up.” Y/N muttered, and there was a giddy little grin across his face as she spoke, one she felt through his lips that were still pressed against her belly.

Her fingers didn’t stop gently stroking through his locks, and his palm was still rubbing slow circles against her skin. For a moment, even with an unborn child and a slightly irritated Y/N, Quinn had a picture perfect little family in his hands. One he never really thought would be his.

"I have to keep our baby updated, you know.” He murmured. “You’re too boring. They don't get fun stories all day when I’m not around."

“I don't think you're supposed to tell infants about what happens during some of those hockey games." Y/N muttered. “What if they have nightmares?"

"Can’t be worse than hearing you talk about which vegetables to get for dinner.” Quinn shrugged, chuckling lowly when she swatted at his shoulder.

Quinn wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his cheek lightly against her baby bump as he hummed in content. He couldn’t get over how beautiful she looked, how perfect her bump was and amazing she had taken to mother-hood before their baby was even here.

Tomorrow would be another day with new burdens and more uncertainties, but right here and right now, the world stopped turning for a moment and let him catch up, let him steal a moment without asking for anything in return.

"Someone has to be the responsible parent.” Y/N snorted.

"And someone has to be the cool one.” Quinn countered. One last kiss to her belly, and then he was shuffling up the mattress to be eye to eye with her now. She stared into his orbs for a moment, lingering on the slight glossiness that seemed to appear every night after he's had his routine conversation.

"At least we can say we're pretty balanced parents.” Y/N whispered, leaning in to press a soft kiss to his jaw. He smiled, and it was watery, relieved even, but still just a little bit unsure.

"We could say we're cool ones if it weren't for you.” Quinn teased, chasing her retreating lips and pressing his firmly against them. It was a soft kiss, one that poured love into her lungs. It was the kind that seeped into her skin and melted into her bones, the same love that came in a form of another kick to her belly. "Our baby thinks I’m cool. See? They’re trying to tell you.”

Y/N huffed, reaching for his hand and placing it over her bump. She watched his eyes soften at the pressure against his palm, watching the way his lips twitched upwards as joy painted over the canvas of his face. His stare locking with hers and even if she couldn’t see the lower half of his face, she knew that Quinn was smiling brightly. 

“God, you’re so beautiful.” Quinn whispered quietly under his breath, his soft smile growing with each passing second. Almost instantly, his other hand went right to the baby bump. The warm feeling of pure love spread through his veins just at the subtle touch of her smooth, stretched skin underneath his.

Quinn has never been in love until he met Y/N. He still remembered the first time her hand fit through his and squeezed when she knew he was nervous, and now it served as his reminder to exhale. He remembered how Y/N looked in his jersey with his name written across her back for the first time and the heat in his cheeks. He remembered the tremble in his fingers when he first asked to kiss her, and he still remembered the beat in his chest when she actually said yes and how gentle her fingers felt.

Quinn was becoming softer and warmer, he realized before he was rolling his eyes at his own lovesick thoughts. But a gentle sort of realization clicked into place when he looked at her this time and he had never been so sure of anything in his life when he muttered a quick, “I love you.” He felt his world settle into place when Y/N nuzzled closer to his chest because late nights like this made Quinn thankful that the first person he ever fell in love with, was her.

“You look so beautiful, sweetheart.” Quinn repeated sweetly, each word dripping in pure adoration while he drew light shapes on her belly and locked his gaze with hers. Even after three years together, his effect on her never wore off and her cheeks heated up with blush. “I love seeing you wear my clothes, you know.” He continued, a look full of wonder and happiness painted across his face.

Y/N’s eyes widened when she remembered the only thing she was dressed in was Quinn’s button up. He almost laughed at her expression, but he was still in complete awe of her. “None of my clothes fit anymore, so I was looking in your closest and I found this shirt. It’s really comfy and oversized enough for the baby bump. Hope you don’t mind that I stole it.” She explain sheepishly, cheeks becoming rosy.

Quickly, Quinn shook his head, making his messy hair fall over his forehead. A loving smile blossomed on his lips before he leaned in to kiss her deeply. His soft lips moved with hers for a moment and the rest of the world seemed to disappear. Gently pulling away and pressing a light kiss to her forehead, his beautiful eyes met hers. Admiration was evident in his gaze and he swore he had never been more in love than right now.

“I don’t mind one bit. Not only do you look breathtaking, but I’ll never get used to seeing your belly. Our baby’s in there. I still can’t believe that.” Quinn sighed happily, kissing the baby bump as delicately as possible. “This shirt just gives me more of an excuse to love on you and your growing baby bump.”

“I love you.” Y/N mumbled quietly, unable to find anything else to properly express her feelings for the man she adored. His smile reached his eyes, nothing but joy radiating off of him, and she couldn’t believe how lucky she was.

“I love you so much more.” Quinn whispered fondly, pecking her lips again before moving to her rounded belly. “And I love you too, bubs.” He spoke to the unborn baby who already had all his love. “Only a few months until I get to meet you.” He dropped his volume barely above a whisper as if the two were hiding a secret from Y/N. “Daddy’s going to love you so much.”

His hot breath hit her skin, slightly annoying her and making Y/N want to push his face away. Regardless, a warmth spread to her chest, making her heart flutter and her eyes to well up in tears. Her sniffle caught Quinn’s attention, interrupting a monologue that he was giving about ‘accepting them no matter who they choose to be.’

It's been said before, but it bears repeating: Quinn was a natural when it came to being a lover. He’d been by Y/N’s side through every trial and tribulation life has cruelly thrown at them. He’d willingly taken her pain during grief-stricken times and selflessly shared the burden. They’ve navigated the rollercoaster years of dating and parenthood with him, all the while watching him adapt to each role with unwavering patience and grace. Witnessing him be a dad-to-be made her firmly believe it was what he was made to do. It was written in the stars.

“What’s wrong?” The quip at the end released a sob from her, increasing Quinn’s concern. “Did I do something?”

Y/N nodded profusely, embarking Quinn to sit up where she was laying her back against the headboard. His hand situated itself on her lower back, rubbing softly as her back ached more than usual these months. She covered her mouth, her tears dripping down the moist skin, mumbling incomprehensible words. 

“What’s wrong? What did I do?” Quinn asked more urgently, stretching his arm to pluck a tissue from the nightstand table, still not used to the fluctuating hormones. “I’m sorry, baby.” He apologized repeatedly, impelling Y/N to suddenly squeeze his cheeks between her hands, his mouth pinched together, thinning his words that were both comedic and endearing.

Y/N wiggled his face slowly, needing time to fully admire his handsome features and caring nature and God, she cannot believe that he was going to be the father to their little baby. 

“Y/N?” Quinn questioned with a quirked brow, cheeks still compressed between her hands but his eyes glowed in amusement. 

“You’re going to be such a good dad. Our baby is going to love you more than me and I can’t even blame them.” Y/N murmured, and the way her fingers suddenly moved from his hold to trace along the outline of his cheek bone seemed to catch him off guard, watching his eyes widen slightly, then soften at the gentleness of her touch.

Quinn cooed, his heart thumping harder at the image in his head. "Our baby.” He repeated quietly, testing the sound on his tongue as though it was new.

"All ours.” She promised, pressing one more tiny kiss to his lips before resting her head on his chest. And if she noticed there was a skip in his heartbeat, Quinn was glad she didn’t say anything. And even if he wasn’t really a man of routine, this part of his day never ceased to repeat, and he thought it was his favorite.

Please! I need the mcflow

Connor, please bring this look back

You're so real. They're my top two teams too :'(

I'm going to be devastated no matter what

I'm checking out for round 2 because that's my top two teams playing each other, and I simply am not strong enough for that.