It's a scorching and humid summer day in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Carolina Hurricanes practice rink is empty for the offseason. You had been dying to put on your pads again and skate but you have been too occupied watching your boyfriend get all the action. You were the starting goalie on your high school team, being the only girl on a boys' team, showing you were tough enough to make it far in the hockey world. Putting on your old pads would feel great, and it would be nice for Freddie to have a break from stopping shots.
"Babe", he says as he catches you in the middle of your daydreaming of playing again. "What's on your mind?" You snap out of your thoughts to notice him with a puzzled look when you ignore his question. "Hello, Y/N, you there? What's going on in that head?" You answer with a shrug thinking of how to tell him you want to go skate. He knows you played, but not sure if you still do. Your set of goalie pads is stashed in the back of your closet.
"Tell me what's going on Y/N. What is it you want?" His pleading eyes make you melt and finally spit out an answer.
"I need to skate again, it has been too long since the last time I put on pads or even skates." His face of shock has you freaking out inside.
"Okay, let's go, grab your stuff." You are confused after he answered so calmly after seeming utterly shocked. He picked up his bag too.
"Oh, you're putting on your stuff too?" You ask already expecting a sass-filled response.
"You aren't the only one who needs practice," he grins. "Am I ruining your goalie moment, because I thought we could share it?" Wow, for once he wanted to share a moment with you that wasn't a movie on the couch or dinner, he wanted to go and do something with you. Freddie was always tired when you would see him that he wouldn't want to do anything. You knew the exhaust he would feel after games better than he thought you did. It was finally summer and you could finally do all the things you had wanted to do with him since the day you started dating. You pick up your bag from the back of your closet as well as your stick from the corner of your room. You peek on the top shelf in your room to pick one of the three masks up there to use for today's "special occasion". You finally decide and head out of the room with a bag almost as big as you at your side ready to somehow fit it out the door of your shared condo with Freddie.
"I can take your bag babe if you'd like, but I know my girl likes to be a strong independent woman." He was mocking you because he knows you wouldn't let him carry it no matter how hard he wanted to be a gentleman. You carry your bag out to the car struggling to open the trunk.
"Oh, does Y/N need help?" Freddie giggled. "Allow me or do you still not want my help." He crosses his arms, your arms begin to get a little wobbly, and the weight of your bag is a little too much to carry while opening the trunk of the car.
"Just open the trunk please," you say quickly hoping it will make him open the trunk faster. He opens it and you put your bag and stick in and slam it shut gasping for air. You hop in the passenger seat and plug in your phone and put on your music.
The parking lot of the rink is empty, with just one other car there. You get out of the car and grab your bag. It is easier to carry the second time and a much closer distance to the door of the building than from your bedroom to the car. As you approach the door you begin to get nervous, you didn't want to embarrass yourself in front of the guy you love. Freddie walks past you and opens the door,
"Here I got the door for you, go on in it's nice it's empty," you're completely frozen, he nudges you. You slowly make your way in waddling with your bag and pads. You walk to the locker room and kick the door open, you feel more comfortable as you find a place to drop your things. Freddie is hesitant to go into the locker room with you,
"You can come in Freddie I don't care, I'm not changing or anything," he blushes,
"I just wanted to make sure." You admire Freddie's considerate side, he mostly does what he wants but can tell that you are a bit nervous about your skate date. A few moments later you a ready to hit the ice after Freddie has already left the locker room, you look yourself up and down in the locker room mirror to make sure everything is correctly put on according to your liking. It's time for you to skate.
You start with a quick warmup lap while Freddie stretches,
"Wow look at my goalie girl go," he calls out to you.
"I'm blushing so hard under the helmet babe stop," you shout back. As you approach the final turn you go into a slide and bump into the now stretched-out Freddie. "My turn to stretch can't have my knee acting up," you felt so comfortable on the ice you forgot to tell Freddie about your knee injury which kept you from playing.
"What about your knee, are you okay, will you be okay, you'll be fine you're tough," he rambles.
"Wow thanks for the support," you say while going into a split. "I'll be ready to start skating again soon why don't you take a lap babe okay?" He listened to you and took a lap, you stood up as he zoomed around the last corner diving on his stomach and sliding right up to your feet. You watch him get up as you pull your mask up to let him see your rosy cheeks. He took his mask off and then began to pull yours off as well, you stop him.
"Helmet hair please don't," you say looking down.
"You think I care, you look beautiful in those pads." Your face is getting warm is it from the sweat dripping in your pads in just the short time at the rink or the butterflies Freddie is giving you? He pulls your mask off completely and tucks a loose strand of hair behind your ear. He keeps his hand on your head. You are feeling a little stuck now with all your padding on but let him continue. He repeats himself assuring you that you are meant to be in those pads. Suddenly he presses his lips against yours and you struggle to put your arms around his massive padding. You lose your balance as your leg pads bump into each other causing you to fall on top of him knocking Freddie to the ground.
"I am so sorry, are you okay?" you ask as his head is on the ice. He slowly closes his eyes and blinks once, "Freddie babe cmon answer me, can you see me hey stay with me." You panic thinking you have concussed him. You press another kiss on his lips thinking that will do it. He grins and opens his eyes.
"I had you there Y/N," he laughs. You shove him as you make your way back to your feet.
"Don't do that to me Freddie I was so scared you weren't going to be able to play for a bit." You scold him and then immediately regret it when he apologizes with puppy eyes. He gets into the butterfly position and tells you to drop. He is teaching you how to play goalie again, you let him even though being a goalie had never left you in your time off the ice. He was the happiest you had ever seen him when he was teaching you, telling him you didn't need his help would have crushed him. After an hour of skating and goofing off, you both agree that your legs are tired and need to go back to the loveseat in your apartment. "Y/N, I'm so glad I can share being a goalie with you now," You giggle at his cheesy statement. "I'm serious, I haven't found anyone yet that quite understands me like you, and now, even more, you get me." Your heart melts, you kiss him on the cheek as he sits down in the locker room thinking how did I get so lucky with him?
