Off The Ice | NHL Imagines

Something Different

Cole Caufield
975 words
Not requested

A/N: im putting the link to the edit that made me feral over Cole Caufield.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR3RsVPu/

Cole Caufield was never a person if interest to y/n. He was always just there. During the 2022 off-season, Cole was never any different to her. He was always the funny friend who you could joke with and never get bored of. But then 2023 rolls around and the second y/n walks through the doors of the Hughes's lake house, her heart stops.

Cole was there and he was different.

Well, his hair was about the same length and he hadn't grown much, but he seemed... confident. The way he walked around the house and eventually sat down made y/n's heart do flips. It was like a whole another person, but it was just Cole. It was just Cole, but every move he made seemed to be hotter than it normally would be, at least to y/n.

y/n finally announced her presence to the group of people. She left her suitcase by the door as she walked into the house and made a bee-line to the kitchen where most of the boys were. Trevor's eyes were on her first, then he yelled her name and everyone else looked over at her. She smiled and got hugs from various people, including Cole, and even though she wasn't going to admit it, the places he touched on her skin was still burning.

"So y/n/n, how was Toronto?" Cole asks. y/n shrugs. She wasn't trying to look shy, but she could feel her cheeks heat up as Cole spoke. Clearly, he saw it, but he didn't say anything. He just slouched farther back into his hair.

"It was fun. Working all the time wasn't, but it is what it is. I got to do something I've always wanted to do, so I don't know why I'm complaining." y/n says. She tried to steady her voice, but both her and Cole pick up on the waver it has.

"That's good. I knew you've always wanted to help out with a team, but I've always thought you'd go to a team that one of us is at." Cole makes a hand motion to the boys wrapped in their own conversations around the two. y/n sighs.

"I wish I could have, but sometimes you've just got to deal with it. Toronto offered me more... benefits that I really needed rather than money. I know I could have paid for everything I wanted if I could have made the money, but starting out somewhere else would have been rough. I wouldn't have had a place to live while I get myself on my feet." y/n says. It's not that Toronto didn't offer her a lot of money, but she could have made a lot more. Toronto offered to get her a place to stay, to cover any starting expenses, and to give her medical help if she were to ever need it. Other places didn't give her that.

She knows Cole understands by the way he's looking at her. His eyes are soft and he isn't really smiling. He's taking in her words and y/n can't help but wish she was always talking to him.

"Montreal offered you a lot of money didn't they?" Cole asks with a raised eyebrow. y/n nods.

"You could have stayed with me." Cole says. By the look on his face, he means it too. He looks sincere. If y/n wouldn't have known any better, she could have burst into tears right then and there because of how beautiful Cole looked. They way he made her feel cared for only escalated those feelings. Heat rose to her cheeks as she began to speak again.

"I wouldn't want to intrude. Plus, I don't know the Montreal area like I do Toronto. And everyone there speaks english." y/n jokes a little bit to hide her flustered state. Cole laughs a little bit too. If only y/n could hang on to that sound forever.

...

Soon enough everyone is outside sitting on the grass, in a chair, or laying on the grass like Cole and y/n are. Cole and her have been talking non stop for the past couple hours and y/n wishes it could be like this all the time. Cole's voice made her feel a different way than it had before and she really liked it, no matter how embarrassing it was to admit.

"You know, I've always like you." Cole suddenly blurts. Before y/n can jump to conclusions, she stops herself.

"Well, I've always liked you too." y/n says, still confused by the sudden outburst. Out of the corner of her eye she can see Cole shift to look at her.

"I mean, like like. I wasn't ever going to tell you, but I feel like you like like me too." Cole says. y/n moves her head to look at the boy next to her with wide eyes. He was laying on his side and he had a hand propping his head up.

"There's something different about you this year. I can't place it, but it really makes you stand out. And I think I do like like you." y/n says. Cole gives her a soft smile before leaning in and planting his lips so softly against y/n's that she thinks they barely touched. y/n brings her hands to the sides of Cole's face to pull him back in.

"If Montreal's offer is still valid, I'll go." y/n says. Cole's eyes widen in shock and excitment.

"Really?" He asks.

"I'll go for you." y/n says. She means it too. If Cole likes her and would want her with him, she'd go to Montreal.

"I'd love that." Cole says before leaning back into y/n and pressing his lips against hers.