#n.blankenburg

I don’t like how this turned out tbh but I hope you all enjoy it :)

The sun peaked through the small gap in between both curtains, it was just blinding enough to wake nick up early that morning seeing you were still beside him curled up sound asleep.

Every morning seeing you beside him he counted as a good day, no matter how bad it could get after the sight of you beside him he knew it was good when you were there.

He carefully rolled out of bed deciding to get ready for workouts with some of the boys downstairs leaving you asleep. He had been spending time in the hockey house most of the summer and you visited him as often as you could.

You felt the bed get lighter, but you didn’t feel like waking up, it was almost just eight in the morning and you were still pretty exhausted from last night.

Nick got dressed before heading downstairs to make himself breakfast seeing some of them were already working out or doing summer online classes.

You finally got up out of bed after a couple of minutes hearing the sound of dishes clattering and loud chatter from downstairs. You slipped on some of nicks shorts and his shirt making your way downstairs to see the boys having breakfast.

“Why are you up so early?” Nick asked seeing you in his clothes was always a sight he never wanted to stop seeing, even if you looked ridiculous he loved it.

“You guys woke me up. I’m going to have a nap later today if you want to join.” You pressed a couple of kisses on his face before pulling away to find yourself some breakfast to make.

“You know I’ll be there in a heartbeat, but I have classes, workouts, and a meeting.” He pouted getting up from the chair after finishing his breakfast wrapping his arms around you from behind.

“Then I guess I’ll just have to cuddle with Becker.”

“No that’s not fair I’ll find some time for a nap.”

You never noticed his game ritual routine up until recent times when every time after the anthem he patted his heart three times then pointed to you.

You never thought much of it, you neve even asked nick what it meant, but one of the boys suggested including you once you hit three years because he knew you were a meaning in his life for so long that he wanted to put you in it somehow.

“I have to go soon,” nick mumbled into your shoulder pressing a kiss to your cheek, “okay, baby, can you wear my favorite tie tonight?” You asked playing with his head, he nodded getting up out of bed starting to change in front of you.

“Will you sit with my parents tonight? You obviously know they love you.” Nick slid on his dress pants grabbing his belt and he tossed you his knot of ties.

“Really, Nick? God.” You scoffed jokingly grabbing your favorite tie making him move closer to, he popped his collar letting you bring the tie around doing it for him.

“There you go.” You pressed a kiss to his cheek laying back down in his bed grabbing the sweatshirt he took off putting it on, “this is mine now, yes?”

“Whatever, I’ll see you. I love you.” He went to give you a quick kiss when you pulled him back in hearing the door open to his bedroom was when you pulled away, “I love you too, good luck.” You whispered as he slipped out of your grip, Nolan standing there at the door waiting. He closed it shut on his way out leaving you to go back to sleep before having to get up and go to the game.

—

You sat with his parents making it just before the anthem started, Nick had gotten worried you wouldn’t show up and his routine would be out of wack without you.

“We were getting worried you weren’t coming.” His mother hugged you and then you gave one to his father, “I over slept my alarm by a couple minutes.” You sat down next to his mom seeing him do his routine patting his chest three times then pointing to you.

“Why does he do that?” His mom asked looking over at you, you shook your head, “I have no idea.” You shrugged seeing her smile widen when it all clicked together in her head, “what?” You asked and she shook her head.

“My son loves you so much.”

—

The final buzzer had rang and Michigan won. The band started playing “Hail to The Victors” His mom was chatting with his father from beside you making your way up the steps. The thought of what nick did was still in your head and you couldn’t think of what it meant. It had some purpose in your lives that it meant to be directing to you, but nothing of it made sense.

“Still haven’t figured it out?” She asked, the three of you making your way to the tunnel to go see nick, “no I don’t know,” you said once you turned the corner you saw the big smile on his face happy about the win, your heart melted feeling butterflies erupt in your stomach.

That’s when it all made sense, he loved you. It was his way of telling you he loves you and you mean something to him from the ice. The three times was his heart beating for you.

“Hi—oh why are you crying?” He frowned giving you a hug, you closed your eyes not wanting to let him go from your embrace, “you love me?”

“Of course I do.” He whispered pulling away pressing a kiss to your forehead before going to give his mom and dad a hug, thanking them for coming to the game tonight.

His parents had left leaving you both alone down the tunnel, you played with the end of his tie in your hands, “when you umm do your ritual thing, and point to me what do you mean by that?” You looked up at him, his hair pointing all different directions from his shower, it bothered you that he never took the time to comb his hair before leaving the locker room.

“I think you know what it means.”

“I love you so much, nick.”

“I know you do.”

You were a bit early before practice was going to end so you found yourself a seat in the stands sitting there watching your older brother and his teammates practice. You rarely ever made appearances up to Michigan, but this week your parents were out of town, and you didn’t like being alone at home will offered to let you spend the week with the boys. You spent a few nights with a friend at their house before heading to Ann Arbor to spend the rest of the week with your brother and his lousy teammates, who so happened to be his best friends.

You sat on your phone for awhile answering your parents constant text messages of needing to make sure Will was really going to take care of you and was being responsible, but you weren’t seven anymore when he tried to teach you to ride a bike, but then got distracted by girls and let you fall and have a trip to the hospital.

“Mom, I promise you I’m going to be fine, he fed me breakfast and lunch I promise I won’t die.” You rolled your eyes hanging up the phone seeing practice had ended and Will was coming over to talk to you.

You got up walking over to the railing, “I’ll just be a few, it shouldn’t take long then we can go out for dinner.”

“Okay, that’s fine.” You nodded, the two of you parting ways and you sat back down where you were sitting going back on your phone, a couple minutes passing and you were bored out of your mind waiting for will.

“Hi,” you heard causing you to look up from your phone seeing a boy standing in front of you. He had a soft smile presented on his face and his hair was all patted down from his shower. You could almost feel your heart becoming puddy.

“Hi,” you whispered putting your phone in your pocket, “I’m nick, I didn’t we know we had open practice for cute girls today?”

You laughed blushing, he sat down the row in front of you, “I’m y/n, but I’m actually waiting for someone.”

“Oh, really? Who?”

“My brother.” You replied seeing a text from Luke saying Will had an interview so it would be awhile until he came up to get you.

“Oh okay, good I was worried for a minute.” He laughed nervously, you bit your lip shaking your head, “I don’t have one of those.” You could thank will for that. Any boy you ever liked he got your dad and brother on board to disapprove, it drove you nuts.

“Why’s that?”

“No reason, just never really thought about one.” You lied, of course you had, and right now you were thinking about how great it would be if nick was your boyfriend. Only having known him for about five minutes.

“Well you know I’m looking,”

“Really?” You asked resting your chin against the palm of your hand smiling to yourself watching parts of his hair that were dry bounce when he nodded his head, “yeah I’m looking at this very beautiful girl in front of me wondering why I have never seen her.”

“I can make a list of reasons if you would like.” You heard a very familiar voice causing you to look up seeing will standing there behind you, you both hadn’t even noticed him.

“I told you my sister was coming to practice at the end and not to talk to her. What did you go and do?”

“I’m sorry she wasn’t wearing her ‘I’m Wills little sister’ t-shirt today so I didn’t know.” Nick scoffed standing up and you did as well laughing at his little joke when will shot you a look quieting you.

“Come on, I can’t talk to him? I was bored waiting for you, I was happy someone wanted to talk.” You rolled your eyes. Will knew Nick had plenty of girls finding him attractive and he didn’t want his little sister thinking the same.

“By the way, my sister is not going to be your girlfriend. Ever.”

my heart went🥺(and btw for all y’all this about Blankenburg not Pastujov)

His arm draped around your stomach the night you both found out you were pregnant, his fingers gently stroking your stomach without even thinking, you smiled to yourself not even sure how you got so lucky that nick was willing to still be with you throughout all of this. You were scared, but he was willing to be the father and support system you needed most.

“I love you both,” He whispered before finally allowing himself to doze off into deep sleep and you did the same feeling his hand slip away from your stomach, but still holding you close to him.

For many months as your stomach grew bigger and bigger he did the same thing, his hand always resting on your stomach, stroking your stomach, talking to your stomach, anything he could think of to feel connected with the baby.

“I love you so much,” he whispered pressing a kiss to your stomach waking you up turning your head over to see nick sitting up, his hand pressed lightly onto your stomach, you were so used it by now it get natural to have his hand there.

“I think she loves you too,” you whispered causing him to look over at you, a smile on his lips, “I hope so.”

Up until your last final months of being pregnant his hands were always on your bump when you were asleep or cuddling together, you loved the feeling of them being there, and you knew how excited he was to finally have his hands holding her like he had been wanting for nine months.

“Here you go,” the nurse handed your daughter to nick and he took her carefully, her head resting against his bare chest, “hi,” he whispered, you sat there smiling watching them both together, “I’ve been waiting for you.”

His smile growing wider, her fingers reaching out for anything and he held out his finger when she grabbed it, “I can’t wait for you to join our cuddles, little girl.”

From when she got a bit bigger to finally be in your bed with you both she was in the cuddles, always close with nick, her head on his chest and she would be out. You loved watching them both sleep together, the smiles on both of their faces never got tiring to you. You would always cuddle close to nick on his other side, his one arm wrapped around you and his other around his daughters back.

That picture is so adorable 🥺

Nick was sleeping in the family room when he felt the blanket across him being stripped away from his body causing him to wake up seeing the blanket dragging across the floor and a little giggle causing him to get up carefully chasing after the blanket stepping on the end causing her to turn around, “where you going, blanket stealer?!” He joked picking her up in his arms walking into the living room seeing you setting the blankets up into a fort, “hmm so you were just going to not invite me?!”

You turned around a soft smile forming onto your face reaching your arms for her and he handed her to you, “I said be quiet, silly girl!” You pressed a kiss to her cheek and she giggled biting her fingers when nick pulled them away from her mouth.

“Can I join?” He asked and you nodded your head letting him put up the last blanket, “want to go get a movie, baby?” You turned to her seeing her run off to the movie room.

“Careful!” Nick called out hearing her little foot steps come running back into the room with the little mermaid in her hands, “alright!” He clapped his hands taking the dvd from her putting it in.

“I’ll go make some popcorn.” You got up pressing a kiss to both of their heads as your daughter climbed into nicks lap, her eyes getting wide and excited for the movie to start.

“Mermaid!” She pointed out moving closer to the screen pulling nick with her and he did so pulling her into his lap, her giggle echoing throughout the house.

“Here we are,” you came back in setting the bowl in front of you all and nick laid down with her still sitting on him, her tiny hands reaching into the bowl stuffing her face with popcorn.

She grabbed a bunch getting off of nick handing him some, “oh thank you, baby.” He said and she pressed a kiss to his lips, going back over and handing him some more, “I’m all set thank you.” He said and she sat back down on top of him continuing to eat the popcorn you provided.

She handed you some now, “oh thank you.” You said looking over at nick who had a smile on his face watching her hand you the rest of what was in the bowl before she collapsed against nick resting her head on his chest, “you tired of being nice?” He joked seeing her eyes close getting comfortable against him and you smiled seeing him close his eyes too.

Honestly I assumed you meant him but like ya never know(also I have no idea if nick roomed with Nolan and a few others last year so 🤷🏻‍♀️)

context

You both had no classes that day which meant you got to sleep in, you spent the night at nicks dorm like you usually did every day before game days, nick loved waking up in a good mood seeing you there, it was better to him than turning over and seeing his roommate facing him in his bed.

You woke up hearing nick groan and you felt the sheet pull a little until he rolled out of bed covering the blanket back over you again and you heard the shower run almost immediately after he got out of the room and you threw the blanket over your face with a grown curling into a ball trying to stay warm without nick. Almost minutes later the door opened again and nick retook the spot he was in running his fingers through your hair and you cuddled closer to him taking in the scent of his cologne that he must’ve just sprayed, “I’m going to go get breakfast, you want anything?”

“Can you just stay here?” You mumbled resting your head on his chest hearing his laugh vibrate against your body, “I wish, baby, but I have to get up.”

“Hmm no,” you pulled him close to you hearing him sigh giving in and you relaxed and that’s when he slipped away, “sorry, I’m hungry and a mans got to eat.”

“I hate you, Blankenburg.”

—

“Coffee! Coffee!” You banged on all the apartment doors and then walked into nicks apartment and all the boys flooded in, “I love you!” One of the boys hugged you before leaving and then nick grabbed the last coffee, “we are in major debt with you aren’t we?” Nick asked pressing a kiss to your cheek.

“Just a little bit.”

“Alright well I’m going to take a nap and then drink this. You are amazing.”

not Barry trading Nick Blankenburg for basically nothing pack it up grandpa