Shawn Mendes Imagines

Hockey Lessons

(Requested. Thank you! 💕)

Besides our echoed footsteps, I could hear the distant voices of parents and their children from the entrance of the skating rink we had just walked into.
I turned my head and looked down at my five year old, noticing the tight grip his small hand had on mine. Liam looked up at me, with an evident look of nervousness on his face. Despite his nerves, I knew that he was excited to finally be playing his favourite sport. Hockey.
A flashback came to mind, and I pictured him at the early age of two standing in front of the television and watching a hockey game that had been on so intently. Ever since he turned five, he's been asking me to play.
"You are going to have so much fun," I assured him, gripping his hand a little tighter, "I promise."

When we finally could see the ice, I noticed all the other kids trying to balance on the skates they had just put on. One child was struggling to stand at all, as their skates kept sliding against the ice. Who I was assuming to be the coach, held her in place, trying to steady her on the slippery ice. His back was turned to us so I couldn't see his face, but I could hear his chuckling as he tried to help the poor girl out. I began to wonder if this was the little girl's first lesson too, just like Liam, as I had enrolled him late. There had already been two lessons. While speaking to the coach on the phone, he didn't seem to have a problem with the two lessons missed.
"There we go." I heard the coach say, when the new skater had found her balance.
I then pulled Liam to the edge of the rink, just before the ice, to speak to the coach.
"Excuse me," I called, causing him to turn on the skates he wore. He turned quickly, effortlessly, without a stumble. Truthfully, I had been taken aback. Not by the effortlessness of his turn, but by him. He was surprisingly attractive.

His eyebrows raised, and his full attention was on me. Embarrassingly, I rapidly blinked out of my surprise.
"I assume that you are the coach," I said, "Scott, right? We spoke over the phone."
"I am the coach," he replied with a smile, "but not Scott."
This left me confused, but he continued on to lessen my confusion.
"Scott can no longer coach, he got a job promotion that requires him to work weekday evenings," he explained, "so I'll be coaching this season."
I nodded, taking in this information.
"I'm Shawn." He said, extending out his hand for me to shake. I pulled my hand out from Liam's, reached for Shawn's hand and shook it.
"Y/N," I replied, "and this is my son, Liam."
I placed my hand on Liam's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"Liam," Shawn began, bending closer to his level, "this is your first lesson, isn't it?"
Liam leaned against my leg before nodding shyly, causing Shawn to chuckle. As did I.
"It's mine too." Shawn said, while averting his gaze from Liam onto me.
"Scott let me know that I'd be getting a new player." He said, smiling at me. Uncontrollably, I smiled back.
"Come on," he said, looking back down at Liam, "lets go and get your skates on."

After lacing up Liam's skates, with the worded guidance of his new coach, Liam was ready to take his first steps on the ice.
The other children's parents began to leave the rink, and while I had been lacing his skates, Liam took notice of it.
I was just about to lift Liam off from the bench, when he quietly spoke up.
"Mommy," he called, grabbing my attention.
"Yeah, Baby?" I questioned, crouching down to his level. It was then when I noticed the smallest of tears building up at the bottoms of his eyes.
"C-can you stay?" He stuttered, clinging onto my hand. "I don't want you to go." He whispered, before looking over my shoulder.

Since it was Liam's first lesson, I was planning to stay at least for the first fifteen minutes, but I wasn't sure if I would be allowed to stay the entire lesson.
Seeing how emotional Liam was, I wanted me to stay too.
"Would you like to stay for his first lesson?" Shawn asked, his voice heard from behind me. It was as if Shawn had read our minds, that or the look of fear on Liam's face gave it away. I looked over my shoulder, meeting Shawn's gaze. Looking back at Liam for the quickest moment, he was nodding his head already answering for me. I chuckled, turning my head to look back at Shawn. Grateful, I smiled.
"Yes, thank you." I answered.
"Of course." He said, smiling back.