after dark | matthew tkachuk

1.0

Tapping his hands against the steering wheel of his car, Matthew sighed irritably. The traffic in Calgary had been terrible tonight. He felt the smooth black leather against his skin- worn and calloused with the years of hockey building up upon them.

Glancing at his reflection in the rear-view mirror, he scratched his jaw, covered in a scruff that he had been growing out over the last few weeks, he hated the itch that always came along with growing out his facial hair, but he quite enjoyed the look of it and he knew that the people in his life did too.

The slightly gleam of a silver band on his finger shined in the reflection- catching light off of the car headlights coming towards him.

Matthew watched as the vehicle turned around the corner, the snow on the ground having been shovelled off of the street a few hours prior.

If there was one thing he could praise the city of calgary for, it was that they often cleared the roads in the winter. It was something that was especially needed downtown due to the constant traffic.

Tonight was no exception, the Calgary Flames had played another game that night and Matthew was proud to say that he led his team to victory. Ever since he had adopted the embroidered 'C' onto his jersey, there was an added weight to his shoulders.

He always held Giordano in high regard, but now that the torch had been handed off to Matthew, the now seasoned hockey player had paid his former captain a much deeper level of respect.

Driving through the city and passing the glaring lights of various colours, Matthew found himself itching to get home. There was nothing he wanted more than to get out of his worn in game day suit and relax for the night.

A light snowfall accompanied the man throughout his journey, keeping him conscious and focused on the road. There were a few calls that echoed through the bluetooth speaker of his radio- press asking for comments about tonight's performance, coaches and players just wanting to check in.

Try as he might, Matthew wasn't able to stay interested. His mind was else where.

As the familiar sight of his neighbourhood came into view, he smiled fondly. Hanging up his final call, parked in the driveway- pleased to see that another vehicle was already parked along the curb. A deep burgundy shaded SUV.

Fixing his beanie on top of his head, Matthew already started to unloosen the tie around his neck, looking quite disheveled by the time he made it out of his car and through the threshold of his house.

"Honey, I'm home!" He called out. His voice carrying through the white pristine walls. There was a mess of shoes and jackets near the front door- all of various colours, he made use of himself and picked them up, setting them where they belonged.

The Hockey player lifted his head just in time as the sound of pattering footsteps rounded the corner.

"Daddy!!" a tiny voice squealed.

Matthew couldn't stop the smile from forming on his face, not that he wanted to anyways. Bounding towards him in quick succession was a pink coloured tutu and tiara with a child inside.

Madaline Tkachuk.

Sweeping the little girl off her feet, Matthew smiled brightly he kissed her on the cheek as he set her on his hip. "Hey baby girl." he cooed, looking at her little tutu and princess crown with a chuckle. "What are you still doing up?" he asked softly, poking at her belly and giving her a tickle.

The tiny girl laughed heavily in his arms- giggles flowing out of her with ease, she clutched onto her father, resting her head upon his shoulder as she smiled tiredly. She was three years old and Matthew's little angel, that girl could barely speak and she had her daddy wrapped around her finger.

Rounding the corner, Y/N came into view. A baby dawned in a blue onesie bouncing on her hip, the sight was astonishing, her pregnant belly popped out showing a slight bump and she had her son in her arms.

"Hey Sweetheart." Matthew hummed, walking forward and pressing a kiss to her lips tenderly. His free hand grasped her hip and he pulled her close, feeling the bump in hopes of a kick touching his hand.

Pulling away with a chuckle, Y/N watched as he kissed their son Drew on his head. The baby sucked on a soother but immediately gurgled at the sight of his daddy. "Careful now Matts, I think we have enough kids on the way don't you think?" she smirked.

Matthew chuckled softly, setting Maddie on the floor so she could run off to her room to get ready for bed. He took Drew into his arms and bounced him slightly so Y/N could take a break. He was beyond grateful for everything that his wife did for him, he just wished he could be home more of the time so it wasn't as hard on her.

"You never know... after the next one is born we might be wanting another one." Matthew teased.

Y/N tossed her head back with a laugh. "Yeah, say that again when you have to carry them for nine months."

After setting Drew in his crib and lulling Maddie to sleep with a bedtime story, Matthew was finally able to retire to his bed for the night. Crawling in next to his wife, he sighed softly. "Kids giving you trouble again at bedtime?" he asked sadly.

Smiling contently, Y/N shook her head, cuddling into her husband's chest. "No... I promised they could watch their daddy play tonight."

Matthew smiled deeply, pulling her into his chest. As much as he wanted them to get a good night's rest, there was nothing that made him happier than knowing his family was watching him play for thousands of fans.

At one point in time, hockey was Matthew's dream. But then he met Y/N and she became his dream.

But now with two kids in the world and a third one on the way, Matthew realized that his dream was to be a father and have a family.

And it felt damn good to see that dream become a reality.