TMD; The Mighty Ducks; Preferences and Imagines

𝕊𝕜𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕀𝕥; 𝕃𝕦𝕚𝕤 𝕄𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕠𝕫𝕒

The kitchen was dim, quiet except for the faint hum of the refrigerator. A single light above the stove cast a soft glow across the counter where Y/N stood, staring at the clock. 3:17 AM. Still no sign of Rodrigo.

Y/N pulled Luis's old Ducks hoodie tighter around her as she paced. "He's never stayed out this late. He didn't answer my texts. Luis, what if something—?"

Luis came in from the hallway, slipping on his jacket. "He's not answering mine either. But I've got a feeling I know where he is."

Y/N turned toward him, arms folded, trying to stay calm. "He's never done this before. He always comes home, even after games."

Luis paused to press a kiss to her forehead. "I know. That's why I'm going now. I think he's at the old rink."

"You think this is about... her?"

Luis nodded. "Yeah. Y/N, I think she broke up with him."

Y/N's face softened. "He really loved her."

"I know," Luis said quietly. "I'll bring him home."

The old community rink was dimly lit, the buzzing of the lights echoing in the silence. Luis pushed open the side door and stepped inside. The cold bit at his skin, but he barely noticed.

There he was — Rodrigo — skating slow, aimless circles around the rink. Still in full hockey gear, his helmet tossed on the bench nearby, sweat glistening on his neck. His movements were tired, like he wasn't skating to stay warm — just to feel something.

Luis leaned on the boards and called out, "You trying out for a 3 a.m. league I don't know about?"

Rodrigo glanced over, eyes shadowed. "Don't, Dad. I'm not in the mood."

"Neither am I," Luis said. "But your mom's worried sick. I told her I'd bring you home. So... here I am."

Rodrigo let out a bitter laugh and kept skating. "I'm not ready to go home."

"I know. That's why I didn't bring the car engine running. Thought you might need to talk."

Rodrigo finally stopped and skated over. He didn't sit, just leaned on his stick and looked down at the ice. "She broke up with me last night."

Luis nodded. "I figured."

"She said she still cares about me, but she's 'not in the right place.' Whatever that means."

Luis raised his eyebrows. "It means she's confused. Or scared. Or both. Still sucks though."

Rodrigo shook his head. "It's like one second we're making plans for prom and summer, and the next she's just... done. I didn't see it coming."

He looked up at Luis, his voice cracking. "How do you just move on from that?"

Luis smiled faintly. "You don't. Not all at once. But you do get through it. Eventually."

Rodrigo scoffed. "Easy for you to say. You and Mom have been solid forever."

Luis chuckled. "You think I didn't have my heart broken before your mom?"

Rodrigo looked skeptical. "Seriously?"

"Oh yeah," Luis said, stepping closer and resting his arms on the glass. "Freshman year. Her name was Mindy. We dated off and one for about 3 years. She was funny, smart, made these ridiculous mixtapes. I was sure she was the one."

"What happened?"

"She got into UCLA," Luis said. "And I didn't."

Rodrigo frowned. "She dumped you because of college?"

"She said it'd be too hard, long-distance. Said she wanted to 'find herself' in L.A. I was crushed. I didn't even want to skate for weeks. But Coach Bombay — he told me something I never forgot."

Rodrigo raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Luis smiled softly. "He said, 'You can let this break you, or you can let it teach you who you are without her.' And that stuck with me. Because I had no idea who I was without Mindy. But eventually, I figured it out. And then I met your mom."

Rodrigo was quiet for a moment, his voice low. "What if I never get over her?"

Luis shrugged. "Then you never do. But that doesn't mean you stop living. You don't skate because the game's easy. You skate because it's who you are — even when it hurts."

Rodrigo finally sat on the bench, unstrapping his gloves. "She was my best friend."

"I know," Luis said, sitting beside him. "But you've still got people in your corner. Me. Your mom. Your team."

Rodrigo leaned back, exhaustion in his eyes. "Thanks, Dad."

Luis gave him a half-smile. "Anytime. But I gotta say, if I was gonna sneak out to skate at 3 a.m., I'd at least bring snacks. You kids don't plan ahead like we did."

Rodrigo laughed softly. "You were a mess, weren't you?"

"Total disaster," Luis grinned. "But I had great hair, so no one noticed."

They got home around 4:15 a.m. Y/N was still awake, sitting on the couch, her face lighting up when she saw Rodrigo walk through the door.

"Thank God," she breathed, rushing over to hug him.

"Sorry, Mom," Rodrigo said into her shoulder. "I just needed to clear my head."

"I know," she whispered, brushing his hair back. "Just... talk to us next time, okay? We love you. We worry."

"I know," he said quietly. "Love you too."

Luis leaned on the doorway, watching the scene, then caught Y/N's eye.

She mouthed, thank you.

Later, in their room, Luis sat on the edge of the bed, pulling off his shoes.

"He's going to be okay," he said.

Y/N looked over at him from her side of the bed. "You think so?"

Luis nodded. "He's hurting. But he's strong. He's got you. And me, I guess."

Y/N smiled. "I don't know what you said to him... but thank you for going."

Luis turned to her, voice soft. "I remember what it felt like. Being young. Thinking it was the end of the world. I had someone once, before you... her name was Mindy."

Y/N smirked. "Ah. The infamous Mindy. You've mentioned her once or twice."

Luis chuckled. "I was a wreck after that. But I'm glad it ended."

"Oh?" Y/N teased. "Why's that?"

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Because if it hadn't, I wouldn't have ended up here. With you. With our son. Who's figuring it out... just like we did."

Y/N wrapped her arms around his waist. "He's got a good dad."

Luis smiled and pulled her close. "He's got a good mom too."

And in the quiet that followed, with the echoes of heartbreak slowly fading into the distance, they both knew — just like the ice they'd both learned to skate on — love could be slippery, cold, even painful. But if you kept your balance, kept your people close, you'd make it through.

Even the hardest falls.