Her. | Riley x Reader

𝟮) 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗰𝗲

The sun dipped below the horizon as Riley found herself back onto the ice for the second practice of this week. Despite her earlier embarrassment, she was determined to make up for yesterday's mistakes.

As she laced up her skates, Riley took a deep breath, letting the cold air calm her nerves. She glanced over at you. You were practicing drills with some of the other teammates. Riley shook her head, trying to focus on her own task—getting her game face back on.

"Hey, Minnesota," Val teased as she skated over. "Feeling better today?" Recalling yesterday.

Riley forced a smile. "Yeah, just a little off yesterday. I'm good now."

Val raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "If you say so. Just try not to stare too much today, okay?" She said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Riley rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up!"

Practice kicked off with Coach Roberts running them through the usual drills. Rileys determination paired off as he was locked in, weaving in and out, passing the puck with precision, and scoring effortlessly! The thrill of the game took over, pushing all other thoughts to the back of her mind. All the emotions in her head cheered as she regained her focus back to her priorities.

"Looking sharp, Andersen!" Coach Roberts called out, nodding in approval.

As the practice thrill winded down, Coach Roberts gathered the team into a circle, center of the rink. "Alright, great work today, everyone. We have a scrimmage coming up this Friday, and I expect you all to bring your A-game. And don't forget, we have the team bonding event tomorrow after school. It'll be a good chance for everyone to get to know each other even better."

The team dispersed, chatting excitedly about the upcoming event. Riley lingered on the ice, practicing a few more shots by herself. She noticed you skating towards her, her eyes widened.

"Hey, Riley, right?" you said, recalling her... embarrassing introduction yesterday. "I just wanted to say I thought you did really well today."

Riley's cheeks warmed at the compliment. "Thanks. You too. You were amazing out there."

You smiled, your e/c eyes sparkling under the rink's bright lights. "I'm still getting used to everything here, but everyone seems chill. It's good to be part of a team again, makes me feel included."

"Yeah, the Firehawks are great. You'll fit right in sooner or later" Riley assured you, feeling a surprising ease in the conversation.

"Cool. I'm looking forward to the bonding event tomorrow," You said while glancing down at the white skates you wore. "Maybe we can hang out more then?" You proposed, taking interest in Riley.

Riley nodded right away, a dorky smile spread across her face, exposing her braces, excited as hell. "Yeah, that sounds fun. See you tomorrow!"

You took the cue, skating away, getting ready to go home. Riley felt her face flush as soon as you turned around. She then made her way to the locker room. Riley started to remove her skates, Val nudged her shoulder. "Saw you talking to Y/n. How'd it go?"

"Good" Riley replied, trying to act nonchalant since it was Val she was speaking to but clearly was unable to hide her dorky smile. "I think I just made a new friend." Riley giggled happily, glancing at Val. "Or maybe more than a friend?" Val teased, flicking Riley's forehead.

"Ow!" Riley laughed, feeling lighter than she had since yesterday. "We'll see, Val. We'll see."

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

That night, Riley lied in bed, feeling a sense of calmness wash over her ever since she spoke with you. Sure, she was nervous about tomorrow, but also hyped, silently cheering and jumping up and down in her mind. Getting to hang out with a pretty girl like you is a dream!

The chaos in her mind had quieted, and she knew that whatever happened she'd figure it out, she didn't give a fuck! She's ready to let herself be open to new opportunities both on and off the ice, especially with you, slowly she drifted off to sleep with these thoughts of you and her. Andd... Riley's out!

Let's not forget, Anxiety and Fear weren't quite done with their meeting.

In the control room Anxiety paced back and forth, clutching a stack of papers labeled as "Y/n's Analysis." Holding all the information Anxiety gathered based off of only the two day-interactions and encounters You and Riley have had. Fear sat across the table, fidgeting nervously with a pen in his hands.

"Okay, so let's review... New girl, Y/n, is here, and Riley can't stop thinking about her. What should we do? Well, It's crucial we prepare for all possible scenarios."

Fear nodded, eyes widening wide. "What if Riley embarrasses herself again tomorrow? Or what if Y/n doesn't actually like her?"

"Exactly! We need to be ready for anything," Anxiety said, flipping through the tall stack of papers. "Riley managed to talk to her today, which is good, but that doesn't mean we should let our guard down."

Fear scribbled notes furiously. "And what about Val? What if she gets suspicious and starts teasing Riley more? That could lead to more panic." Anxiety sighed, glancing at a diagram made by both, Fear and Anxiety, labeled "Potential Social Disasters."

"We have to make sure Riley stays calm and collected. That means reminding her to breathe, focus, and not overthink everything."

"But what if Y/n's not interested in being more than friends? That could crush Riley's confidence." Fear imputed.

Anxiety paused, considering the possibility. "We need to manage expectations. If we keep Riley grounded, she won't be as devastated if things don't go as hoped."

Fear nodded, feeling a bit more reassured. "Right. So, focus on friendship first, keep expectations in check, and remind Riley she's amazing as she is."

Anxiety leaned back, satisfied with their plan. "Exactly! As long as we stick to the plan, we'll be ready for whatever happens tomorrow."

Meanwhile, in the larger room of Riley's mind, Joy peeked out from her door, listening to the meeting. She smiled softly, appreciating Anxiety and Fear's cautious approach. Although their concerns were valid, Joy knew that Riley had the strength to handle whatever came her way.

With the firm plan in place, Anxiety and Fear ended their meeting on a good note, hopeful that their preparation would help Riley navigate the uncertainty of her strong feelings for you.