You showed up to the Tank in your favorite Sharks jersey, expecting nothing more than a good view and maybe an overtime win. But during warm-ups, William Eklund skates by, eyes locking with yours through the glass-and he doesn't look away. He slows, smirks, and taps his stick right in front of you, like it's a challenge. The air crackles. Every game after, he finds you. A look here, a smirk there-his gaze lingering like a secret. You weren't planning on becoming his favorite distraction, but now? He's making it very clear he wants to be yours, too.

it's the little things that get to him. the way she remembers his favorite snacks, the way she gently teases him when he's being serious, and how she gets a little shy when they share a moment of silence. will doesn't know how to explain it-but every moment with her feels like something he wants to hold onto forever.

"𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈'𝐦 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬." 𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫. In the Lover Collection Universe, not the collection TW: This story contains mentions of drug abuse, sexual assault, assault, mental health, anxiety, depression and death. Please read carefully. Will Smith x OC x Macklin Celebrini Why Choose Romance + Next Door Neighbor Slow Burn start date: February 12, 2025 end date:

SYDNEY is a figure skater who's all about that Olympic dream. She's got tunnel vision when it comes to her goals-no partying, no boys, just ice and grit. But if there's one thing she can't stand, it's the cocky hockey players who think they own the rink. Especially Luke Hughes, the campus golden boy who acts like he's too cool to care about anything that doesn't involve a puck. Luke's the type of guy who gets whatever he wants-girls, attention, a free pass to do whatever the hell he feels like. He's tall, hot as hell, and so confident it's annoying. But he's also carrying a load of pressure no one knows about, and he's damn good at hiding it. Everyone thinks he's the guy with no worries, but the truth is, he's cracking under the weight of living up to his brothers' NHL legacy. That's why Sydney hates him. They're supposed to hate each other, but the tension between them is so thick you could cut it with a skate blade. And once that tension snaps, all bets are off. It's dirty, it's raw, and it's nothing like either of them expected. They can't keep their hands off each other, but when the dust settles, they're both left wondering if this is just a fling or something that's gonna fuck up everything they've worked for.

He's got two minutes in the box-and he's using every second to win her over. When she lands her dream job as the San Jose Sharks' new social media manager, she expects early mornings, late nights, and maybe a few awkward run-ins with players. What she doesn't expect? William Eklund, golden boy forward with a jawline sharp enough to cut through playoff tension, who suddenly can't seem to stay out of the penalty box. At first, it's coincidence. A tripping call here, a roughing penalty there. But soon, it's clear: Will's racking up minutes on purpose-and he's using every chance to flirt with her through the glass. He's all charm, cheeky grins, and broken-English pickup lines. She's all rules, boundaries, and trying not to get fired. But when feelings start to blur with content strategy, and TikToks turn into real moments, one thing becomes obvious: She's so off-limits. And he's so into her.

Y/N never expected a spilled drink on hockey star William Eklund to spark a rivalry, but from that moment on, their lives became tangled in teasing banter and undeniable tension. William, confident and charismatic, wasn't one to let things slide-and Y/N wasn't one to back down. Their constant back-and-forth soon became a regular occurrence. Everything changes when William unexpectedly offers her a job as his personal assistant. Thrown into his fast-paced world of games, travel, and media chaos, Y/N starts to see another side of him-one that's driven, thoughtful, and far more complicated than she imagined. As they grow closer, the line between enemies and something more begins to blur. What started with sarcasm and rivalry slowly transforms into trust, connection, and unexpected romance. By the time the season hits its peak, Y/N isn't just the girl who challenged him-she's the one he can't imagine life without. *This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual people, groups, etc. is entirely coincidental.*

Lorelei Sanders has never had time for distractions. Her sights were set on graduate school, tutoring was just another line on her résumé...until she's assigned to Luke Hughes. Luke Hughes, Michigan hockey's golden boy. Off the ice, his grades start to slip, and tutoring is the only shot at keeping him eligible. He thinks it'll be easy, forgettable, but what he gets instead is Lorelei. As autumn deepens on the Ann Arbor campus, what starts as reluctant tutoring shifts into something neither of them saw coming-a slow-burn connection that threatens to upend everything they thought they knew about each other, and about themselves. The problem? Falling for each other was never part of the plan. LUKE HUGHES x FEM OC ੈ✩‧₊˚

｡°✩ | ˗ˏˋ ☆ ˎˊ˗ | 𝘁𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 "with you by my side forever tethered evermore" ❝ you don't get to pity yourself. you caused this ❞ ❝ i don't know how to fix it ❞ luke hughes x oc irl x social media © blond43d 2024

｡°✩ | ˗ˏˋ ☆ ˎˊ˗ | 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 "but you always really knew i just want to be with you" ❝ i love her but she won't forgive me ❞ ❝ i think she will ❞ quinn hughes x oc irl x social media © blond43d 2023