you had made new friends and cherished them the same way you had to your oldest friends, but there was just something about that group of friends who had been through everything together with you.

so, with your birthday coming up, he decided to do something special for you. because they were your friends, he was in contact with them, asking them questions about what your favorite cookie recipe was from when you were a kid or where that place was that you went on vacation when you were five and had claimed was 'the best vacation ever'.

he enlisted them a few months before, making sure to clear their schedules and have their flights booked. they would, of course, stay in one of the many bedrooms in your house, and he would pick them up from the airport.

together, freddie and your three best friends managed to plan the best birthday dinner. freddie would drop off the three girls at the restaurant a few hours before, giving them time to set everything up with the help of the staff.

freddie would then go back home and get ready for dinner with you. he had told you it would just be a lowkey dinner between the two of you, and then the two of you would drive to the restaurant. then, you would be led into a small private room where your three friends were waiting, and everything would be right in the world.

a few hours before the dinner, freddie managed to get out of the house on the guise of picking something up from the store. he picked up all three of your friends, all of them gushing over how he was the best husband in the world, then they got dropped off at the restaurant.

arriving back home, he picked up the bag of fake groceries he had gone to the store for, and stored all the luggage in the garage somewhere you would never look. you greeted him with a smile as soon as he walked in, completely oblivious to his plan.

"so, what time is dinner tonight?" you asked, glancing up from your phone.

"we should leave around 5:45," he said, pressing a kiss to your head as he passed by the couch and headed into the kitchen, putting his fake groceries away.

"all right, i'll have enough time to get ready then." you hummed, going back to whatever was on your phone.

a few hours later, you were driving to the restaurant, still unaware of the surprise that awaited you. he parked the car and climbed out to the other side, opening your door.

"thank you." you smiled, leaning up and pressing a kiss to his cheek. you laced your hand through his, and followed his lead into the restaurant. it was one of your favorites, so you were already planning what you were going to get in your head.

"all right, mr. andersen, right this way." the waiter smiled, leading you furhter into the building. you were confused, it was only the two of you and you were being led into a private room.

"fred..."

"just wait." he stopped you with a smile, gently moving you in front of him so you were walking ahead of him. the doors opened, and you let out a gasp as soon as you saw was inside.

"oh, my god!" you dropped freddie's hand, and rushed into the room, practically jumping into their arms.

"surprise!" they all cheered, wrapping you even tighter in a hug. you pulled away, but no words came out; you were so surprised. you wiped your eyes, pulling them back into a hug.

"what're you guys doing here?" you finally managed to get out.

"well, freddie thought you could use some friends on your birthday." one of them hummed, a sad smile on her face as she wiped a fallen tear.

"freddie..." you hummed with a nod. you turned around to face him. a smile was on his face, one of those smiles that was full of love and nothing else. "thank you," you mumbled, wrapping your arms around him in a big hug.

you had been busy with work the past few days and had been missing him. you had seen him here and there, before you left and at night, but that had been it and you were missing yout boyfriend. for the first time in weeks, you were both free for a few hours and you wanted to spend that time with him.

as soon as you heard his car pull up outside, you were on your feet and making your way to the front door. you opened the door and watched as he parked his car and climbed out.

you were so excited to see him, you didn't see the look on andrei's face. since the moment his eyes opened, he was in a bad mood. he had a bad kink in his neck, he woke up too late and didn't have time to enjoy his breakfast, and instead he had to eat it in the car. when he arrived at the rink, it felt like the trainers and coaches were focusing on him more and pushing him harder than anyone else.

after practice, he got in his car and was low on gas, so he had to wait to get home eat lunch, and get gas. and now, here he was at home, and all he wanted to do was eat lunch and take a nap. he gathered his stuff from the passenger seat and headed to the front door.

"hi, drei." you greeted, a smile on your face. he mumbled something under his breath, pressing a quick kiss to your cheek. you followed him into the house, talking his ear off about god knows what. he didn't know what you were saying, and in his haze of hunger and exhaustion, he just wanted you to stop talking.

"can you just stop talking!" he finally shouted, practically throwing his stuff to the ground, and whipping around to face you. when he fianlly met your eyes, you were stadning there, shocked and wide-eyed.

your mouth was frozen in shock; it was almost like your body was stuck. never, in your entire relationship, had andrei ever raised his voice at you. he rarely ever got mad. you opened your mouth, then closed it again when no words came out.

"y/n, wait-" your brain started working the moment his voice went soft, and you reached for your keys, still in a confused daze. you slipped on the first pair of shoes you saw and walked right out the door, saying nothing to andrei. "y/n, wait!" he tried again, but you were walking at a speed he had never seen, and were out the door before his feet could catch up to his brain.

he followed you out the door and could only watch as your car drove further and further down the street and away from him. he closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. "damn it!" he cursed, going back inside and grabbing his phone.

for an entire hour, he tried to call you, but every time he called, it went straight to voicemail. his texts were delivered, so your phone was probably just off. he sat down and ate a sandwich, but with every bite, he couldn't taste anything.

after three hours, he heard your car pull up, and he was on his feet and out the door. just as you had a few hours ago, he watched you park and slowly climb out of your car. you knew he was standing there, but you didn't acknowledge him.

"y/n..." you walked right past him and into the house. he followed right after you, locking the door and turning off the porch lights. he followed you through the entire house before you ended up in your bedroom.

you said nothing as you got ready for bed, and all andrei could do was watch. when you finally climbed into bed was when he decided to break the silence.

"i'm really sorry." he said into the darkness. the lights were out, the noise machine was going, and all he could do was hope he could hear him and hear the sincerity in his voice.

you knew he meant it, but that didn't mean it didn't still hurt. you blew out a heavy breath and closed your eyes, getting your thoughts in order before responding.

"you really hurt me, andrei." at the use of his full name, he knew you were hurt and really meant it. "i never, ever, want to feel the way i did again." he said nothing, letting you speak and giving you the time you needed to get your thoughts out. "i understand you had a hard day today, but that doesn't meant you can take it out on me."

"i know, i understand." andrei nodded, closing his eyes and feeling tears prick.

"and if you ever treat me like that again, you'll never see me." you stated, looking over at him. he met your eyes in the darkness, and could see you really meant it.

of course, he kept up with his parents and his brother, and there were a few teammates who shared the same sentiment of feeling homesick, but it wasn't the same. he missed his home. he missed the food, his mom, the energy, and the most basic thing of speaking in his own language.

he was slowly learning english, but it was just enough to get through an everyday conversation and respond to a reporter who asked a question. and oftentimes, because english wasn't his first language, he felt like he was missing out on the big picture. on the joke that everyone else around him understood.

so, when he met you, it felt like, after so many years of feeling like he was the odd man out, he felt like everything was starting to make sense. you had met purely by chance, and it was quite cliché.

you met him at a russian grocery store. you were buying stuff to make dinner, and he was buying things in an attempt to replicate his favorite meal from home. you spotted him while you were walking down an aisle, and could see the clear confusion written across his face.

"do you need help?" you asked, stopping your cart right next to him, a kind smile on your face. andrei looked over at you and couldn't hide his surprise when he saw you speaking to him.

"yes." his surprise morphed into relief. not only were you speaking his language, but you were offering to help him. he glanced backd own at his phone where the list of ingredients had been. "i'm trying to make this, but i don't know what any of it is." he showed you the list.

you smiled, "what a coincidence, that's what i was making tonight." you hummed with a chuckle. "come on, i'll help you shop."

and from that moment on, you and andrei were practically attached at the hip. you helped him make the recipe he was looking at, even sharing tips you had learned from your mom, and offering to make him dinner every so often because he had confided in you that it was hard to be away from home. so, if you could offer him a little bit of comfort by making him a home-cooked meal, you would happily do it.

you let out a heavy sigh as you walked through the front door of your apartment. you had checked andrei's location, and saw he was at your house, so it wasn't a surprise when you walked in and heard him clattering around in the kitchen.

there was something playing on the tv and music playing at the same time. how he managed to listen to so many sounds at the same time was still something you were confused about, but it helped him concentrate more.

you set your stuff down, running a hand through your hair as you headed in the direction of the kitchen. you spotted him swaying from side to side in front of the stove, humming to himself as he turned up the heat and stirred whatever was in the pot in front of him.

you smiled to yourself, approaching him and wrapping your arms around his waist the second you were close enough to do so. you felt him tense up for a moment, then almost immediately relax the second he realized it was you. he hummed, setting the spoon down and turning around, giving you his full attention.

"how was work?" he asked, leaning down and pressing a soft but lasting kiss to the top of your head.

you hummed, leaning even closer into him, "okay." you responded with a shrug, "i did most of the work on that big project again, but i think my boss is finally starting to notice that i've been working on it all by myself."

"good." andrei responded with a nod. "well, i made your favorite." he gestuered to the stove behind him.

"i got your favorite too." you pointed to the hallway where your bag was sitting. "i saw you were here, but i didn't think you'd be cooking. stopped by that bakery and everything," you told him.

"i'll have it tomorrow, tonight, let me spoil you." he pressed another kiss to your head before turning back to the stove, keeping an eye on the pot. "now, go sit. it's almost done." he unwrapped his arms from around you, and nodded his head over to the table.

"all right, all right." you moved in the direction of the table, watching him cook from your spot at the table. you watched him, your head in your hands, a warm feeling in your stomach. "i love you, drei."

he looked over at you, surprised but he looked happy nonetheless, at peace. "i love you, too."

and in those five years, you had been to more hockey games than you could count. in recent years, since he had gone pro, you wanted to do your best to be there for every home game you could. and when the ducks clinched a spot in the playoffs, there was no doubt in your mind that you'd be in the stands, cheering on number 45.

as soon as their spot was secured, the discussion of jackets began. you had, of course, seen everyone talking about it online. it was all over your feed, and all anyone wanted to talk about. being so new, you stepped back and let the other girls make the decisions and would proudly wear it.

the only thing that gave you a bit of pause was being so open. of course, beckett had posted a few pictures of you on his instagram here and there for birthdays and anniversaries, and on the off chance that he actually opened the app and hit post, but for the most part, beckett was a private person and didn't touch social media unless he was contractually obligated to.

you were the same. your instagram was private, and you rarely posted. you used it mainly to stalk, follow your friends, and keep up with the important news. when you posted, an alert was sent out to the masses, and it was seen as an important event by your friends.

the wag jackets were something you had known about since the early stages of your relationship. you remembered, with a few of the girls wen beckett was playing in high school, going to a craft store and buying the cheapest decals and puff paint and putting something quick and easy together.

but the jackets in the professional league were something you hadn't even processed. it was much more different. his name was going to be on your back, and people were going to know who you were when walking around the arena, which was something you hadn't gotten used to yet.

when the jackets arrived, you didn't open the box for a few days, just because looking at it made it feel real. the past year had gone by in a flash, but getting to watch beckett play and live out his dream was an honor. and oftentimes, after games, he would tell you that it was crazy that this was his life and he was actually getting to do this.

when beckett arrived home after running some errands, he saw in the box sitting on the counter, and his interest was piqued. "what's in the box?" he asked, taking a sip of water and coming around the couch to sit down next to you.

"we got the jackets," you responded, blowing out a breath. beckett looked excited, almost like a kid on christmas. he looked like he wanted to rip open the box himself.

"and that's yours?" you hummed with a nod, "well, what are you waiting for? let's open it." he was reaching for your hand before you could respond, pulling you off the couch.

he leaned against the counter, watching you. you reached for the scissors, cutting open the box as carefully as you could. pulling out the jacket, you and beckett were both shocked. when you looked over at him, he was just as shocked and susprised as you.

"well, try it on!" he insisted, sitting down on the stool and watching you. you swiftly slipped the jacket on, feeling the material in your hands and spinning around.

"so? what do you think?" you asked, almost nervously. he hadn't said a word since you had spun around.

"it's perfect." he was almost at a loss for words. he opened his mouth, then closed it. he shook his head, blinking a few times. "i can't wait for playoffs to start." he laughed, reaching out and wrapping his arms around you.

"so, it looks good?" you asked, a teasing smile on your face.

making your way onto the ice, you found seth easily. you took a step back, giving his parents a moment to greet him. the moment they let go, he's turning to you, wrapping you in a hug so strong you're feet are off the ground for a moment.

"you did it!" you cheered, jumping up and down the second he set you back down on the ground.

"we did it!" he corrected you, the emotion thick in his voice. you smiled up at him, reaching out and wiping a few tears. you stared at him for a few seconds longer before someone ran up to him and pulled him in for a hug.

before long, there was a dogpile hug, and all of seth's friends were surrounding him, hugging, yelling, and cheering. you could help but laugh at the look on seth's face. this was what he had been playing for this past season, this moment.

the next few hours were even more of a blur. you hadn't even you hadn't even left t-mobile before you were being handed drink after drink. you lost track of who was handing you drinks, but you kept drinking.

somewhere in between you dancing on tables and seth singing at the top of his lungs, you ended up at a 24-hour chapel. whether it was the alcohol running through your veins that you would be feeling for months to come, or the spontaneity, you had agreed when seth asked you if you wanted to go on an adventure.

you had been together for almost three years so it wasn't like it was a complete spur the moment idea. you had been talking about it for a bit now, but this moment (in your drunken haze) felt like the perfect moment to do it.

so, you separated from the group, managing to bat them off and avoid their questions, and caught an uber to a chapel. as elvis as your witness, you walked out of there with two cheap rings, a plastic flower bouquet and a new title as mrs. seth jarvis.

the next morning, you woke up with a pain in your head like no other and hardly any memory past walking out of the arena and going back to your hotel. you looked over and saw seth still passed out, his head almost hanging off the side of the bed and shirtless, smelling like he had bathed in beer and sweat.

you made your way intot he bathroom, wincing with every step. as you took in your arepeance and reached for your toothbrush, you noticed the cheap ring now sitting in your finger and froze.

you closed your eyes and tried to think back to what had happened the night before. then it dawned on you. you had actually gotten married in a 24-hour chapel with an elvis impersonator as your officiant.

you rushed back into the bedroom, and shook seth away. he groaned, moving away from you, saying something you didn't quit eunderstand but sounded a lot like "not yet".

"seth, you need to wake up. i think we did something last night." he begrudgingly opened his eyes. things were blurry at first, but when his eyes finally focused, he saw you holding up your left hand, showing the ring that was now there that hadn't been 12 hours before.

"no way!" he didn't even try to hide his excitement, looking from your left hand to his. "we got married last night!" he exclaimed.

"seth..." you sighed, dropping your head in your hands.

"we've been talking about this for months." he reminded you, suddenly getting serious. he grabbed your hand and pulled them away from your face so you were looking at each other.

he knew how your mind ran. where he was goofy, go-with-the-flow kind of guy, you were the opposite. you liked having a plan and knowing what was happening. "i'm not upset we did this; if anything, we saved ourselves a lot of money," he tried to reason.

"but-"

"no 'buts'. I've wanted to marry you since the moment you spilled that coffee all over yourself on our first date. i even have a ring at home." you froze at that. "i'm serious, i'll give it to you the moment we get home."

"you're serious?" you asked.

"so serious." he nodded, sitting up and pulling you into his arms. you sighed, shoulders deflating. you, of course, wanted to get married to him, it was just a lot in one night.

"we're never getting that drunk again. next time, who knows. maybe we'll end up buying a house," you joked.

+ bonus

a few months had passed since the win and the season was just beginning, but everyone was still riding the high. seth fixed his hair and looked out at the sea of reporters around the room and glanced down at the line of players sitting in the press room.

"so, did anyone do anything crazy that night?" the reporter asked, looking around.

"jarvy did." someone announced, making the rest of the guys laugh. the reporters looked confused, but smiled, turning their attention to seth.

"yeah, i uh, ended up getting married," he admitted, running a hand down his face. laughter sounded throughout the room as the news spread. "i know." he looked down, embarrassed.

"one minute, they're standing with us, and the next, we're waking up, and they're telling us they got married." marty laughed, shaking his head.

"what can i say? we were celebrating!" seth shrugged. before the press conference was over, the news was trending, and everywhere knew.