#lenogabe

november 4, 2024

everly's currently on the phone with ryan. they're fighting.

'i don't understand why you're making such a big deal out of this.' he said on the other line, pacing in his and gabe's bc dorm room.

'you had your arm around her, ryan.' she said.

she'd seen a picture earlier that made her feel really uneasy. it was after a bc game, and ryan had his arm around a girl she had never seen around before.

'so?' ryan said.

that's the problem. she asked. not because she thought he was cheating; she knows him better than that, but because it was someone she didn't know and it made her a little uncomfortable. but instead of talking her down, he just decided to get defensive and pick a fight.

since she's been in montreal and not back at bc with him and gabe, she's become a little on edge when it comes to things like that. and it pissed ryan off because she's not normally like that. she's overreacting, in his eyes.

'so? so?! i tell you i don't want you hanging out with girls i don't know, and all you say is 'so?'' she asked. 'maybe you are cheating on me.' she said.

'ev, i'm not fucking cheating on you. jesus!' ryan started yelling on the other end.

'sure seems like it.' she shot back.

'i'm not fucking cheating. relax.' he said, rolling his eyes. he still wasn't reassuring her, really.

'relax? you know what? fuck you, ryan.' she said.

then he heard the line click. 'ev? ev? everly!' he said into the phone. she hung up on him.

he threw his phone onto his bed, falling onto it and groaning into his hands. he shouldn't have let it get that far. but that's what happens when they fight. he's hot headed, she's stubborn; together it's just not a good combination.

gabe walked in from where he'd been standing in the hallway, listening to the fight.

'ry, what the hell was that?' he asked.

ryan just groaned into his hands again, dragging them down his face. 'i don't know.' he admitted.

'you don't know?' gabe asked. 'well, if you don't know, then maybe you shouldn't have let it happen.' he said.

he walked out. he's gonna go call will. everly is probably losing it, and will's always been the one to be able to calm her down, or who she goes to when she's upset, so he'll get him to call her while he deals with ryan.

he called will, explaining what's going on. and the other information ryan failed to tell everly, so that will can relay it to her. that girl? that's their new goalie's sister. that picture? it's a screenshot from a video of ryan saying hi to her and telling her where her brother was.

in montreal, everly was crying to lane on their couch. she really does hate when they fight, even if they can't control it half the time.

her phone buzzed on the coffee table. will, this time. lane picked it up and handed it to her.

'hello?' she said when she picked up, not even hiding that she'd been crying.

'hi, sweetheart.' will said on the other line. 'you okay?' stupid question he knows.

'no.' she said.

'i know.' will said. 'gabe told me what happened. ryan's an idiot.'

'i hate him.' she cried.

'no, you don't.' will said.

'no, i don't. i love him.' she said, crying more.

'i know, baby. you wanna know what actually happened in that picture?' he assumed her silence meant yes. 'that's girl is goldie's sister.'

'who the hell is goldie?' she asked.

'the new goalie. that girl is his sister.' he said. 'nothing's going on there.'

she was silent for another second. 'i feel stupid.' she said.

'you're not stupid, baby. ryan's still an idiot.' he said. that made her giggle through her tears. 'i love you, okay? you'll work it out.'

'you're so lucky i'm even doing this for you.' lane said when he picked ryan up from the airport.

gabe and ryan had come up with a plan. ryan booked the earliest flight to montreal he could. gabe had ripped into him. and so had kylie, lane's girlfriend. will vote had sold him out on that one when she came looking.

so, here he is now. in lane's car, flowers in his lap, as lane drove him to his and everly's apartment.

she's home. gally's with her. she'd been going to practice for the past few days, but everyone could tell she was miserable, even if she didn't say it outright or tell anyone (besides gally and lane) why.

she looked up from the couch when lane walked in, but didn't clock that he left the door open at first. not until ryan rounded the corner, flowers in his hand. then she stood up. but she didn't say anything and waited for him to speak.

'hey, ev.' he said first. 'i am so, so sorry. i should've just told you the truth instead of you getting defensive. i shouldn't have your brushed you feelings off.' he said.

she still didn't say anything. not yet.

then... 'put the flowers down.' she said.

he reached over, gently laying them on the counter. then she was walking towards him. and... she pushed him. which he deserved. but then she was wrapping her arms around his waist, head settling on his chest.

'i missed you.' she whispered. she'd already forgiven him.

'i missed you, too. i'm sorry.' he said, kissing the top of her head as she kissed his chest.

he tilted her head up so he could kiss her, but he was interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

he looked over and brendan gallagher was standing there, arms crossed, looking less than impressed.

'ryan.' he started. 'i know i'm only just meeting you. and you might not even listen to what i have to say since you've known her a lot longer than i have; but if you hurt her, i will kill you.' he said. 'you understand?'

ryan nodded. 'yes, sir.' he said.

'good. now, lane, let's leave these two alone.' gally said, leading the way to the apartment door.

ryan actually kissed her as soon as the door was closed fully. then he was picking her up into his arms.

'makeup sex?' he asked.

she threw her head back in a laugh as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

'you're ridiculous.' she said.

february 24, 2025

mac was walking through the halls of the hospital. it's her twentieth birthday. but it's also a very important day besides that. brendan and emma had their baby.

ever since she step foot into montreal at the beginning of the season, brendan had been the closest thing to a father she'd ever had. he'd taken her under his wing, shown her the kind of love a father is supposed to show his daughter, and has always considered her a part of their family.

she knocked on the door of emma's hospital room on the maternity ward before peeking her head in.

'hi. i hope i'm not interrupting anything.' she said as she stepped inside and gently closed the door behind her in an attempt to not make too much noise and wake the baby.

'there's the birthday girl.' emma said, pink bundle in her arms.

'come in. come meet your sister.' brendan said, holding his arm out.

'sister?' mac asked, coming closer and settling on brendan's knee like a daughter would her father.

emma gently reached over, placing the baby girl in mac's open arms.

'do you wanna know her name?' emma asked as brendan kissed the baby's forehead.

'everly mona della gallagher.' emma said. mac looked up. what?'

'mona and della after our moms. everly after...' brendan started.

'me.' mac realized.

she didn't even realize she was crying until brendan wiped away some of the tears and kissed her temple, brushing some of her hair back away out of her face.

'thank you.' she said through her tears.

'no other name made sense.' emma admitted. 'and you don't go by everly so it won't get confusing.'

mac giggled through her tears. brendan patted her thigh as a signal for her to stand up. she did, and he took everly and gave her back to emma.

'we have a gift for you. well, i have a gift for you.' he said. 'it is still your birthday, too, after all.' he said.

he dug through his bag and pulled out an envelope to hand to her. 'i already talked to your mom about it.' he said.

mac slowly opened the envelope and read the paper that was inside of it. her jaw dropped just a fraction and her heart started racing.

'you wanna adopt me?' she asked after a minute of silence.

he nodded. 'i know you're twenty now, and technically the papers doesn't really mean anything right now-' she cut him off by throwing her arms around him.

'thank you.' she said, crying even more now; for someone who's not a crier.

she never imagined she'd ever have a dad, or even that kind of relationship with anyone. her own father had walked out on her mother before she was even born; mac hadn't ever even known his name. but now... brendan's here. and he wants that. wants her.