Off The Ice | NHL Imagines

Loving You

Leon Draisaitl/Matthew Tkachuk
1498 words
Not requested

"Leon, please don't do this to me," Matthew cries. His sobs rack through his body, making him shudder. All Leon wants to do is move from where he's standing in Matthew's living room in Florida and go hug him, but he won't, he can't. Game seven is tomorrow and he wants to have Matthew on the ice when the cup is hoisted into the hair.

"Matthew, I can't do this anymore if you want to keep me in the shadows. I can't keep loving you in private. I want to celebrate with you and kiss you on the ice, but I can't if you're so scared of coming out," Leon sighs. He's crying too, but he won't fully know the extent of his sadness until he's away from Matthew and back in the hotel the team is staying at.

"I'm a legacy Leon! I can't come out! I have to be perfect or else everyone's going to be praying for my downfall, including my dad and I can't risk that," There's a moment where Leon knows where he's coming from, but then he notices. I have to be perfect.

"Matthew, you are perfect and if you think being someone you're not is making you better, it's not," Leon's voice shakes as he speaks. He can't stand this, stand Matthew.

"The league won't like it if I come out either, Matthew, but I want to do it so I can finally love you the way we deserve," Leon says. Matthew looks more desperate to say something, but Leon really isn't done.

"But, I-" Leon interrupts Matthew.

"Have you even thought about coming out?" Leon's question stuns them both into silence. The frown on Matthew's face says enough. Leon scoffs and turns to walk out of the house, slipping his shoes back on at the front door. Matthew chases after him, places a hand on his shoulder to turn Leon around and make him look back down the hallway he walked through.

Matthew kisses Leon desperately, as if Leon would change his mind if he remembered how amazing Matthew was at kissing him, but those kisses were always in private. Leon tastes Matthew's tears while placing his hands on the side of Matthew's face. He pulls away, a sad smile covers his face.

"I love you, Leon, please don't leave. Tell me this is some shitty idea to make me sit out next game because I'm too heartbroken to even look at the ice we both play on," Matthew's rambling, but then Leon silences him with his right hand moving through Matthew's unkept curls.

"I love you too, Matty. That's why loving and leaving you is so hard to do," Leon takes a step away from Matthew, leaving him with tear stains on his cheeks as he walks out of the front door and to the uber waiting for him.

"Chariot hotel on maple crest, please," Leon places a forty on the center council before the car speeds off.

...

Matthew plays the next day, but he doesn't win the cup like Leon implied during their fight. Not a fight, their breakup. Matthew's watching from the tunnel when Leon hoists the cup. There's tears streaming down his face for two reasons, both of them staring him right in the face.

He sees the wives and girlfriends of the team waiting to walk out on the ice to celebrate also and Matthew's gut fills with guilt. There's a hand on his shoulder, making him look away from Leon. Benny's standing behind him. He wipes Matthew's tears, the same way Leon would, and leads him back to the locker room.

"Get changed and then you can go out there," Bennett's words shock Matthew. He looks up at Sam with wide, broken eyes. Matthew shakes his head and looks back down. Sam pulls something from out of his bag and motions for Matthew to take it.

An Oilers jersey. Leon's.

"We broke up, Benny," Matthew admits. Sam knew Leon wanted to come out, Connor would talk about it all the time when he got drunk enough, which happened to be with Sam during last year's off season.

"Then go get him back," Sam sets the jersey next to Matthew and walks to the other side of the room. Matthew knows what he wants him to do. Matthew wants to do it too. He wants Leon more than the perfection he gives to the league. He wants the love of his life back.

Minutes later Matthew is in sweatpants and Leon's jersey with his skates. He's standing in the tunnel again, watching Leon with his team. Connor sees him, he knows he does, because one minute his arm is swung around Leon's shoulders and the next he's moving away to give Matthew an opening to get to Leon.

He steps on the ice and the world stops. People see him, his tears, and most importantly, the way he's looking at Leon. With love. Leon doesn't see him. He might as well be the last person to see him because almost everyone on the team is looking at Matthew and Leon's jersey on him.

Matthew places a hand on Leon's shoulder, the same movements as the other night when everything ended. Leon turns over and his breath is ripped out of his lungs. Matthew wraps his arms around Leon's neck, pulling him into the tightest, most love filled hug he could manage as the crowd screams. Leon's arms wrap even tighter around Matthew's waist, his head digging into the crook of Matthew's neck. Matthew can feel his tears. Matthew starts crying as well.

"I'm so proud of you, Leon," Matthew whispers. Leon cries harder. Matthew pulls away, his hands moving to the sides of Leon's face, pulling him into a kiss. Matthew can taste Leon's tears. He can feel how much love Leon puts into that one kiss and he knows that he's staying this time.

"I love you, Leon. I love you so much more than any- any stupid legacy," Matthew cries. Happy tears flow down both of their cheeks. Leon kisses Matthew's cheeks, wiping the tears that flow down his face.

"I love you too, Matthew," Leon sniffs, "Can I ask you something?" Leon questions. Matthew nods. He'd let Leon do anything if it meant keeping him. Leon moves away from Matthew, making him doubt his efforts of making his boyfriend again, but then Leon's down on one knee.

"Matthew, I planned on doing this for so long and yesterday was one big mistake. I didn't need you to be out with me for me to love you. All I needed to love you, was you and I'm sorry I didn't recognize that. I hurt you and I never want that to happen again. All I want is to love you. For the rest of my life I want to love you, cherish you, and give you anything you'd ask of me. Matty, will you marry me?" Leon's crying even harder now as Matthew's hands are covering his mouth in shock. This is why Leon wanted to be out. He wanted to propose to him on the ice and give him the love from not just him, but from the people they care about most with them.

"Oh, Leon, of course. Yeah, let's go get married," Matthew's smile makes Connor start cheering and Leon gets off of his knee. He didn't even have a ring in his hand until Connor skates over and hands him a velvet box.

"You forgot this," Connor giggles, "Congratulations you guys." And skates away. Leon takes Matthew's hand and places the ring on his ringer. Matthew kisses him before Leon can even look away from the ring on Matthew's finger.

...

"Matthew!" Brady yells when Leon and him are out of the center. Each of their families had been waiting for the two of them. Leon's family wouldn't have flown out if it hadn't been for him wanting to propose and he can't believe he almost ruined that. Matthew's mom engulfs the two of them in a hug before moving to hug Matthew alone. Leon's mom comes over and hugs her son.

"You both did so well tonight," She says (she's speaking to him in German but I literally will not google translate because I'm scared of messing up). Brady is hugging Matthew when Leon's mom backs away. He doesn't see Keith anywhere. He must have left.

"Wait," Brady pulls away from Matthew and eyes Leon.

"Matthew called me sobbing saying you broke up with him," Brady looks at the both of them sceptically.

"Yeah, that was a stupid mistake," Leon laughs nervously. Matthew rolls his eyes at Brady before moving closer to Leon.

"It doesn't matter anymore because we're getting married and love each other dearly," Matthew says like a teacher before kissing Leon on the cheek and running to his sister and mother. Brady hugs Leon before whispering, "I'm glad it was you. Matthew hasn't loved anyone more."