#rileyandersenxreader

~ Fingers Tangled ~

Riley Andersen x Hockey!Girl reader

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We were walking home from school, the sky painted pink from the setting sun. The air was chilly, and I pulled my jacket tighter around me, but honestly, I wasn’t cold.

You were walking right beside me, and I kept stealing glances at you, wondering if you felt the same fluttery weirdness I did.

Then, suddenly, your hand brushed mine.

I didn’t pull away.

Instead, I reached out, fingers trembling a little, and gently wrapped my hand around yours.

You looked up, surprised, eyes wide. Then you smiled — the kind of smile that made my whole world spin.

We walked the rest of the way like that, fingers tangled, hearts racing, saying everything without a single word.

And somehow, that was exactly what I needed.

~ Acting Normal (But Not Really) ~
(Riley’s POV — The Post-Hand-Holding Disaster)

After we held hands, I swear my brain short-circuited. Like, big time.

We were sitting in class, and I tried so hard to focus on the teacher, but all I could feel was your hand lightly squeezing mine.

I kept pretending to write notes but mostly just doodled little hearts in the margins. Totally obvious hearts.

You glanced over and caught me staring, and I freaked. I dropped my pencil (thankfully it didn’t roll away), and you laughed—like a soft, cute laugh that made my cheeks burn even more.

Then the teacher asked me a question and my voice cracked so bad I thought I’d turn invisible right then and there.

Later, in the hallway, we both tried to act cool, but instead we ended up walking way too close and bumping shoulders like idiots.

You whispered, “We’re terrible at this.”

I nodded, grinning. “Yeah. But at least we’re terrible together.”

~ Confession Chaos ~


You and Riley were sitting on the bleachers after practice, the rink mostly empty except for a few late stragglers.

Your heart was pounding. So was hers.

You glanced at her, took a deep breath, and started, “I—”

At the same moment, Riley said, “I—”

You both froze, eyes wide, realizing you tried to say the same thing.

You both laughed nervously.

“Uh… you go first?” you said, trying to smile.

“No, no! You!” Riley said, waving you on like it was some kind of awkward game show.

You both giggled and tried again—this time, you accidentally spoke over each other.

“I like—”

“I like—”

“YOU!”

“YOU!”

You burst out laughing, cheeks burning bright red.

Riley shook her head, smiling wide. “Wow. We’re the worst at this.”

You grinned back. “But at least we’re the worst together.”

“Does that count as a confession?” she teased.

You teased back. “Definitely.”

~ The Real Confession ~

You and Riley were sitting on the bleachers again, the rink quiet except for the faint sound of skates scraping the ice.

This time, no rushing, no talking over each other. Just two nervous hearts.

You took a deep breath, looked into her eyes, and said, “Riley… I really like you.”

She smiled, cheeks pink, and whispered back, “I really like you too.”

You both laughed softly, the tension melting away.

She reached out, taking your hand gently in hers.

“No more messing up, okay?” she said, grinning.

“Okay,” you agreed, squeezing her hand.

And in that quiet moment, it felt like everything was finally right.

~ The Awkward Hug ~

You and Riley were standing outside the rink after practice, the cold air swirling around you both.

Riley shuffled her feet, glancing at you nervously.

“So… uh… can I hug you?” she asked, voice barely above a whisper.

You blinked, surprised but happy. “Yeah… yeah, sure.”

She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around you—but only halfway, like she wasn’t totally sure what she was doing.

You both froze for a second, awkward as heck.

Then you laughed softly and squeezed her tighter.

Riley relaxed and hugged you back properly, warmth spreading through you despite the cold.

“It’s nice,” she said quietly.

“Yeah,” you agreed, smiling against her jacket.

• Part One

• Part Two

• Part Three (Both Povs)

• Part Four

• Part Five

• Part Six

• Part Seven

~ Post Practice Quiet ~

Riley Andersen x Hockey!Girl reader

Summary: After a late practice, you and Riley linger on the ice a little longer than you probably should.

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After a late practice, you and Riley linger on the ice a little longer than you probably should.

The rink was almost empty now.

Practice had ended twenty minutes ago, but you and Riley were still out here — skating lazy circles around each other while the Zamboni guy pretended not to care.

"You know they're gonna kick us off soon," you said, gently nudging your stick across the ice toward her.

Riley grinned, that familiar spark in her eyes. "Let 'em try," she said. "I like it when it’s quiet."

You understood what she meant. No shouting coaches. No clashing sticks. Just the soft scrape of skates and the way your breath fogged in the cold air.

Riley drifted closer, her skates gliding easily over the ice. You'd always admired the way she moved out here — smooth and confident, like the rink was home in a way no other place could be.

She slowed until she was right in front of you, her smile softening.

"You played great today," she said.

You scoffed lightly. "I tripped over the blue line. Twice."

"Yeah, but you also blocked my shot. Which is like, impossible, by the way." Her grin widened. "So… you win."

You shrugged, cheeks warming despite the cold. "Guess I’m just good like that."

She laughed under her breath. Then, gently — almost without thinking — she reached out and tugged at the sleeve of your jersey.

"I like skating with you," she said. Her voice was quiet now, like the ice itself might be listening. "Even if it’s after practice and we’re supposed to be gone by now."

You smiled, heart beating a little faster.

"I like it too."

For a moment neither of you moved. You could see the soft color in her cheeks — not from the cold — and you were pretty sure yours matched. The rink lights buzzed softly above you. The world outside felt miles away.

Riley shifted closer, fingertips brushing yours where your glove rested on the stick. "Wanna stay a little longer?" she asked.

"Yeah," you said. "Just a little."

So you skated. Slow, quiet circles. No hurry. No noise. Just her smile, the faint sound of blades on ice, and the comfortable hush that filled the empty rink.

~ The Great Almost-Confession Fail ~

Riley Andersen x Hockey!Girl reader

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You and Riley were sitting on the bench after practice, sipping your hot chocolates. The steam curled up in the chilly air and made everything feel cozy.

You wanted to say the thing. The BIG thing. But your brain was doing somersaults.

“So… uh…” you started, then stopped. What even was the thing?

Riley looked at you, her cheeks pinker than usual. “Yeah?”

You took a deep breath. “I mean… I like hockey.” Smooth, right? Real smooth.

She blinked. “Yeah. Me too.”

You both laughed nervously.

“Wait, I meant…” you scrambled for words. “I mean, I like, um… you. Like… you-know.”

Riley’s eyes went wide. “Oh! You mean… hockey?”

“No! Not hockey!” you said, face heating up. “I mean you. Like, like-like.”

She giggled. “Like-like?”

“Yes!”

Riley nodded slowly, smiling. “I like-like you too.”

You felt like your heart was gonna burst out of your chest.

Then you both looked away at the same time and knocked your hot chocolates over.

“Oops,” Riley said, grinning sheepishly.

You both laughed and reached for napkins.

“Maybe confessing isn’t our thing,” you joked.

Riley shrugged. “We’re better at hockey anyway.”

You smiled, your fingers brushing hers under the table.

And honestly? That was way better than words.

~ The Almost-First-Kiss ~

— So close, but not yet

You and Riley were sitting on the couch after another snowy day of hanging out. The room was warm, but your heart was pounding so loud you were pretty sure Riley could hear it too.

You both looked at each other — eyes locked, cheeks pinker than usual.

Riley slowly leaned in, her breath shaky. You leaned in too, your brain screaming DON’T MESS THIS UP.

Your noses brushed.

Your hearts flipped.

But then—

Thump!

Riley’s phone buzzed loudly from the coffee table, breaking the moment.

You both jumped and pulled back, laughing nervously.

“Uh… false alarm,” Riley said, cheeks flaming.

You wiped your sweaty palms on your jeans and smiled sheepishly.

“Maybe next time?” you whispered.

Riley nodded, grinning. “Definitely next time.”

And even though you didn’t actually kiss, that moment felt like the best thing ever.

~ Accidentally Noticing ~

It was one of those days where everything felt kinda normal — lockers slamming, people talking, the usual school chaos.

I was walking down the hall when I caught a glimpse of you from across the way.

And wow. Just wow.

Your hair was all messy in the best way, like you’d just come from hockey practice but still looked… honestly, really pretty. Like, made-my-heart-flip pretty.

I blinked and tried to act casual. But I’m sure I totally failed.

Then I noticed you were looking at me too.

Your eyes met mine, and I swear I saw your cheeks turn pink.

Okay, so maybe I wasn’t the only awkward one here.

You smiled nervously and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.

I felt my stomach do a flip-flop.

“Hey,” I said, trying to sound chill.

“Hey,” you replied, voice a little breathy.

We both looked away quickly, pretending to check our phones but definitely still thinking about how pretty the other one was.

Honestly? It was a total mess.

But a good mess.

Because even if we couldn’t say it out loud yet, we both knew.

~ Trying to Say the Thing ~

— The Awkward Confession Attempt)


We were sitting in the cafeteria, just after lunch rush had died down. You were sitting across from me, laughing at something stupid I said, and honestly, my heart was doing backflips.

I wanted to say the thing. You know, the thing.

But my brain had other plans.

“Hey,” I started, then stopped. My mouth felt all dry.

You looked up at me, eyebrows raised.

I tried again. “So… uh… do you think maybe—like—uh…”

Why was this so hard?

You smiled encouragingly. “Maybe what?”

“Maybe we’re… um… like, you know…”

Your smile got bigger, but you didn’t say anything.

I panicked inside. “Like, I mean, like-like. You know. Like more than hockey teammates.”

Your cheeks turned pink.

“Yeah, I know,” you said softly.

I felt like I’d just won the gold medal in awkwardness.

“Okay. Cool. Just… wanted to say it.”

You laughed. “You said it.”

~ The Goofy Hockey Practice ~

Riley Andersen x Hockey!Girl reader

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The rink was buzzing with the usual noise — skates scraping ice, sticks clacking, coaches yelling stuff no one really hears.

Riley and you were supposed to be “just teammates,” but honestly? That was hard today.

From the second you stepped on the ice, your brain was like: Don’t trip. Don’t trip. Don’t trip.

And guess what? You totally almost tripped.

Riley skated up beside you, trying (and failing) to look chill. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, but also, probably, from nerves.

“Hey,” she said, kind of awkward but smiling.

“Hey,” you replied, your voice cracking just a little. Ugh.

During drills, you kept bumping into each other—accidentally, of course. The third time Riley “accidentally” grabbed your arm to steady herself, your heart nearly exploded.

“You okay?” you asked, trying to sound casual but probably failing.

“Yeah! Totally,” Riley said too fast. “You?”

“Uh… yeah.”

The puck slid loose near the boards and you both went for it — and bumped heads. Oof.

“Ow!”

“Sorry!”

“Me too!”

You both laughed, and suddenly it didn’t feel so scary to be around each other.

Coach blew the whistle and yelled, “Focus, girls!” but you were just smiling at each other like, “This is fun.”

At the end of practice, Riley skated over, grinning.

“Wanna grab hot chocolate?” she asked.

You nodded fast. “Definitely.”

And maybe on the ice you were a little awkward and goofy. But off the ice? You felt like you could be yourself.

~ The Awkward Avoidance Era ~

Riley Andersen x Hockey!Girl reader

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The next day at school was weird. Like, super weird.

Riley saw you at your locker before first period and her heart jumped like crazy, but she totally panicked and pretended to dig in her backpack for nothing. Like wow, look at this crumpled math worksheet I definitely need to stare at for five minutes. So interesting.

She wanted to say “hi.” She almost did. But then she remembered last night — your mitten in her mitten, your quiet “I think I like you” in the snow — and her brain exploded AGAIN.

What were you supposed to say after that?!

She snuck a peek. You were at your locker, facing the other way. Were you ignoring her? Were you avoiding her too?

Yeah. Probably.

At lunch, you sat at the other end of the table. Not next to her like you always did. Riley stabbed her sandwich with her straw and didn’t eat it. Joy inside her head was trying to be all positive — “It’s fine! Just talk to her! Be normal!” — but Fear was like NOPE NOPE NOPE and Anger was yelling “WHY ARE WE LIKE THIS?!”

It sucked.

You were quiet in hockey practice too. Usually you joked around and bumped her shoulder on the ice, but today? You stayed on the other side, skating laps by yourself.

Riley hated it.

Did you regret holding her hand? Did you think it was a mistake? Did she make it weird?!

At the end of practice, when everyone was changing, Riley finally blurted:

“Hey… um… you good?”

You froze, halfway pulling off your jersey.

“Yeah. You?” you mumbled, looking at your bag.

“Yeah. Cool. Totally.”

Silence. So awkward.

Riley picked at the strap of her skate. “About… y’know. Yesterday…”

You stuffed your jersey in your bag real fast. “We don’t have to talk about it. If you don’t want.”

“No, I… I want to. I just… don’t know how.”

You finally looked at her. Cheeks all red. “Me neither.”

For a second, you just sat there. No talking. Just... staring at the gross locker room floor.

Riley sighed. “We’re dumb.”

You smiled. “Yeah. Kinda.”

It was quiet again. But not as heavy this time. Like maybe it was okay to be confused. Maybe it didn’t have to be figured out right away.

Maybe you could both be weird about it. Together.

Riley felt a tiny smile creep onto her face. “See you tomorrow?”

You nodded. “Yeah. Tomorrow.”

And that was enough.

For now.

~ Talking Again... Kinda ~

— The Weird Start Over

It had been, like… three days. Three days of weird looks, weird silences, weird everything. Riley thought her stomach was going to permanently stay in knots.

Every time she saw you in the hallway, she wanted to say something. But her mouth didn’t work.

But today? Today she finally had to.

Because you were sitting on the bleachers after hockey practice, lacing up your boots alone. No music. No other girls around. Just you. And Riley’s brain screaming “SAY SOMETHING YOU LOSER.”

She stood there for a second, holding her helmet. Sweaty. Nervous. Heart going bam bam bam.

“Hey,” she said.

You looked up. Your eyes went all wide, like you weren’t expecting her. Duh. Of course you weren’t. You probably thought she was avoiding you forever.

“Oh. Hey,” you said, tugging at your skate lace. “What’s up?”

Riley shrugged. “Nothing. Just… y’know. Tying skates. Existing.”

Smooth. What was she even saying.

You snorted. “Wow. Cool life.”

She smiled. YOU smiled. Okay. This was… not terrible.

“Sorry I’ve been weird,” Riley said, staring at the floor. “I just… didn’t know what to say.”

You sighed, flopping back on the bleacher. “Me neither. I thought maybe you didn’t wanna talk anymore.”

“What?! No. I do. I just… I freaked out. About, y’know. That night.”

Your face went pink. “Me too. Like… I’ve never liked a girl before. I think. Maybe. It’s weird.”

“Yeah. Super weird,” Riley said. But she was grinning now. For real. “But like… not bad weird.”

You laughed softly. “Yeah. Not bad.”

For a second you just sat there. Then you scooted over, bumping her shoulder with yours.

“So... wanna come over? Play video games or something? Be awkward in my basement instead of here?” you said, grinning sideways.

Riley smiled big. Like stomach-flip, butterfly, yes big.

“Yeah. That’d be cool.”

And just like that, it felt a little more normal.

Still weird. Still confusing. But normaler.

And that was enough.

~ Wait.. Do I Like Her?? ~

Riley Andersen x Hockey!Girl reader

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It was snowing. Like, a LOT. Thick flakes were sticking in Riley’s hair and melting on her eyelashes as she stood outside the hockey rink with you, waiting for your parents to pick you both up.

You were bouncing on your shoes, cheeks all red from the cold, and Riley was trying really hard not to stare. But it was hard. You looked cute. Not that she liked you or anything. That would be weird… right?

“Your hair’s all frozen,” you said, giggling as you pointed at Riley. You reached out and gently pulled a piece of her hair down so it uncurled from the frozen chunk it was becoming. Your mittened hand brushed her cheek.

Oh. OH.

Riley felt her face go warm, even in the freezing cold. What was that? Why did her stomach feel all fluttery? That was… weird. Like… super weird.

“You okay?” you asked, grinning like you knew something she didn’t. Ugh. Why were you smiling like that? Why was it cute?

“Yeah, fine!” Riley blurted, way too fast. “I’m just… cold! Really cold! Haha!”

You laughed. It was the best sound ever. Wait. NO. Not best. Just… good. Or… whatever.

“Hey… um… do you ever think… like… what if you liked a girl?” you asked suddenly, kicking at the snow with your shoe. You weren’t looking at her. Your face was super red, but maybe that was just the cold.

Riley blinked. Her brain stopped working. Completely. Like someone hit the OFF button.

“Uh…” she said, heart going CRAZY in her chest. “I… I dunno… maybe? Sometimes? Like… maybe…”

Why was her voice so high. Why did it feel like her whole face was turning into a tomato.

You looked up, eyes wide. “Me too. I think. Maybe. I dunno.”

Silence. Except for the snow falling. And Riley’s brain screaming.

“Do you… like anyone?” Riley asked before she could stop herself. Your heart was POUNDING.

“Maybe,” you said, shuffling closer. Your glove bumped hers. Neither of you moved away.

“Me too,” Riley whispered.

Your pinkies touched. Stayed there.

Neither of you said anything.

“I think I like you,” you said really fast, eyes on your shoes.

Oh. Ohhhhhh.

Your brain exploded. Like total fireworks.

“I think… I like you too,” Riley mumbled, so soft you could barely hear. But you did hear. You smiled. Like really big.

And then, you held her hand. Like, really held it. Like fingers twined together, mitten to mitten.

And neither of you let go.

Even when your parents pulled up, honking. Even when your heart was going CRAZY.

Maybe this was what liking girls felt like. Maybe that was okay.

You didn’t really know. But you knew holding her hand felt really, really good.

And right now? That was enough.

~ Why Is My Brain Screaming?! ~
(Riley’s POV)

It was so cold. Like, freeze-your-nose-off cold. Riley could barely feel her face. But you were standing right there, bouncing on your skates and smiling like the snow didn’t even bother you, and she couldn’t stop looking.

Why were you so cute when you laughed like that? STOP. Brain, STOP.

“Your hair’s frozen,” you said, reaching out and tugging a little icicle-y chunk of her hair. Your glove brushed her cheek and Riley forgot how to breathe.

Her whole face went hot. WHAT. It was freezing out here. Why was she sweating?! What was that fluttery thing in her stomach?? Ew. Or maybe not ew. She didn’t know.

“Uh—I’m fine! Totally fine! Cold! Just… cold!” she said way too fast. Why did her voice sound so weird?

You were grinning at her. Like you knew something. Uh oh. Why were you looking at her like that.

And then you said:

“Do you ever think… what if you liked a girl?”

OH. OH NO.

Riley’s brain exploded. Like literally she could hear Headquarters going nuts. Joy running in circles. Fear fainting. Anger screaming. Disgust going “Ugh” so loud. Sadness probably lying on the floor.

Say something. SAY SOMETHING.

“Uh… maybe?” she croaked. “Sometimes? I guess?”

Wow. Smooth. Not.

But then you said:

“Me too. I think. Maybe.”

Riley felt like she was going to fall over in her skates. What was happening. Was this real life.

“Do you like anyone?” she blurted. Her heart was POUNDING. Like boom boom BOOM BOOM BOOM. She was gonna die. Right here. In the snow. Goodbye world.

You shuffled closer. Your glove brushed hers. You said, “Maybe.”

Riley’s brain: Screaming. Like so loud.

“Me too,” she whispered. Why was her mouth so dry??

Your pinky touched hers. You didn’t move away. She didn’t move away either.

And then. THEN.

“I think I like you,” you said super fast.

OH MY GOSH.

Her brain exploded AGAIN. Joy and Fear probably crashed into each other.

“I think… I like you too,” Riley mumbled. Quiet. But you heard. You smiled. And she almost fainted right there.

And then you held her hand. Actually held it. Like real hand holding. Like mitten-fingers twisting together.

OH NO OH NO OH NO THIS WAS REAL.

Her heart was flipping. Like somersaulting. Like she just scored the winning goal or something.

Was this what liking a girl felt like? Was this okay?

Her brain didn’t know. But her hand in yours felt really really really good.

So maybe that was enough.

~ First Grip ~

Riley Andersen x Hockey!Girl reader

Summary: After practice, you and Riley finally find the courage to do something you’ve both been secretly wanting: hold hands.

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The locker room had gone quiet, the rest of the team long gone. You and Riley were the last two left, tying the laces of your boots slowly, like dragging out the moment because neither of you really wanted to leave.

"Cold out tonight," Riley said, glancing at you with that small smile she always gave when she was feeling a little nervous. Like she had something in the back of her mind but wasn’t ready to say it.

"Yeah," you said, trying not to sound just as awkward. You pulled your jacket tight around your shoulders. "Good thing we’ve got each other to suffer through it."

She laughed, soft and warm. "Guess so."

The walk to the parking lot was quiet, your breaths puffing in the cold air. Your hands were jammed in your pockets, but every so often your glove brushed against hers, swinging as you walked side by side.

You felt it first — her hand brushing yours again, but this time the contact stayed a little longer. Like she wasn’t pulling away.

You glanced at her.

Riley was staring straight ahead, her face a little pink, pretending she didn’t just do that on purpose.

Your heart jumped. Should you grab it? Would that be weird? Maybe she didn’t mean to—

But then Riley glanced sideways at you. A little smile. A tiny nod.

That was all the invitation you needed.

Slowly — carefully, like you were holding something breakable — you reached out and slipped your hand into hers.

Her fingers curled around yours immediately, warm and nervous but steady. Like she’d been waiting for you to do that forever.

Neither of you said anything.

No jokes. No teasing.

Just quiet, shared smiles as you kept walking through the cold together.

Her thumb brushed gently against your knuckles. You squeezed her hand back, heart racing but in the best way possible.

It was simple. Small. But for some reason it felt like everything.

"Finally," Riley whispered under her breath, barely loud enough for you to hear.

You laughed softly, bumping your shoulder into hers.

"Yeah," you said. "Finally."