#william nylander

Divorced dad

Instagram baddie mom

Virtuemoir homewrecker uncle

Tax evader grandpa

TikTok dancer son #1

TikTok dancer son #2

Tiktok dancer son #3

Max domi

Round 1, Game 5, Leafs vs Lightning. May 10, 2022.

Not a favourite moment exactly (after Colin Blackwell got hit in the ear by a puck) but seeing these former Leafs (including Carberry and Keefe) on the bench is pretty wild.

Despite allowing 2 early goals, Soupy was incredible in this eventual 5 on 3 in the first period

William took a bad penalty first:

Then 90 seconds later...Gio got another penalty.

Dubas' reaction:

Keefe's:

But then William's penalty is almost over and he's ready to rocket out of there. He flies out and almost scores:

Here's the whole clip (Blackwell injury and both penalties) with lots of "Soup" chants: 🔊

May 10, 2022 - Round 1, Game 5, Toronto versus Tampa is one of those games. I could only find the entire game on the Steve Dangle channel. Moment #1 - JT giving William a push and having the same result as when Nick Robertson tried this in the 2024 (?) pre-season.

I had to leave the image of Nick Paul in the video as well just as point of healing from what he did to Leaf fans during this series.

The entire clip 🔊 :

This willy youtuber styles???

HONESTLY

and remember this trip

bsffr

Thank you!

I can´t lie I kind of forgot about that story, but I LOVED revisiting it

Exactly what you need pt. 2 – William Nylander

There was something strangely unsettling about being taken care of so consistently.

Not because you didn’t like it. You did. Maybe more than you had ever expected.

But the more William became part of your everyday life, the more obvious it became how little you had allowed anyone to help before.

It wasn’t intentional.

You had simply spent so many years being the dependable one. The organizer. The problem solver.

The person everyone called when something went wrong and apparently, your family had gotten very comfortable with that arrangement.

Which was probably why, two months later, you found yourself sitting at William´s kitchen island with your phone in your hand and a knot forming in your stomach.

He was making coffee when he noticed your expression.

“What´s that face?” he asked.

You blinked. “Nothing.”

He looked over his shoulder immediately. “Try again.”

You sighed. “My mom volunteered me for something.”

William set the coffee mug down. “Volunteered you?”

“Yeah.”

“For what?”

You rubbed your forehead. “My cousin’s baby shower next week.”

He frowned slightly. “I thought you told them we had plans?”

“I did.”

“We´re flying to Stockholm.”

You nodded. “I know.”

He studied your face for a second. “And?”

“And I can probably do both. We´re not flying until the evening.”

William stopped moving. “You can?”

“I mean if I rush…”

“No.”

The answer came so quickly that you paused. “No?”

“No.”

He walked over and leaned against the counter. “We made these plans weeks ago.”

“I know, but…”

“And your mother volunteered your time without asking, even though she knew.”

You shifted uncomfortably. “She didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Maybe not.” His voice stayed calm. “But she still didn’t ask.”

You stared at your phone. “Everyone will be disappointed.”

William folded his arms. “And?”

You looked up. “And I hate disappointing people.”

Something softened in his expression.

He walked closer and gently took the phone from your hand.

“You know what I hate?” he asked.

“What?”

“Watching you bend yourself in half so everyone else stays comfortable.”

Your throat tightened. “They expect me to help.”

“Because you´ve taught them to.”

The words weren’t cruel; they were simply true.

You opened your mouth to argue and immediately closed it again, because you knew he wasn’t wrong.

He sat beside you then, one hand resting on your knee. “Baby, when was the last time somebody in your family asked what you wanted before assigning you something?”

You thought about it and you couldn’t remember.

William nodded like your silence told him everything. “Exactly.”

You looked down. “It sounds selfish.”

“No.”

His thumb moved against your knee once. “It sounds heathy.”

He handed you your phone back. “Tell them no.”

Your eyes widened. “Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

“I can´t.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Can´t or won´t?”

You groaned. “You´re annoying.”

He grinned. “Send the text.”

“William…”

“Send it.”

You stared at him, then back at your phone, then back at him. “You aren’t giving up, are you?”

“Nope.”

Eventually, with him sitting patiently beside you, you typed: I´m sorry, but I already have plans next weekend, William and I are flying to Sweden, as I told you before. I hope everything goes well and I can celebrate with everyone another time.

You hovered over send, then your stomach twisted.

William held his hand out. “Give me your phone.”

“What?”

“You´re stalling.”

You laughed. “You can´t just take my phone every time I hesitate.”

“Watch me.”

You handed it over with a dramatic sigh.

He hit send, then immediately placed the phone face down on the counter. “There.”

You stared at him. “You really did that.”

“You wrote it.”

“But you sent it.”

“Because you would have spent thirty minutes rewriting it.”

Twenty seconds later your phone buzzed.

You instinctively reached for it, but William covered it with his hand. “No.”

“What if she´s upset?”

“Then she´ll still be upset in an hour.”

You stared at him, but he stared right back.

“I made coffee, we´ll have that first,” he decided.

You laughed. “You´re unbelievable.”

“Thank you.”

----

Three days later, you were sitting beside him on a plane to Sweden and for the first time in years, you weren’t carrying guilt around like extra luggage.

William had apparently decided that vacations counted as his personal responsibility, which meant he handled everything.

Flights, transportation, dinner reservation, even your passport has not been in your hand since you left the condo.

“You don’t trust me with legal documents?” you teased.

“I trust you.”

“Then you are you holding my passport hostage?”

“Because you´ll put it somewhere safe and forget where safe was.”

You gasped dramatically. “Rude.”

Unfortunately, accurate.

By the second day in Stockholm, you had completely stopped asking what came next.

William already knew.

He moved through the city with quiet confidence, one hand always finding yours, always guiding and you followed without thinking.

At one point, standing near the water while the sun reflected across the buildings, he glanced over and smiled.

"Is your head quiet?"

You smiled. "Very."

"Good."

He kissed your forehead. "That's the goal."

----

The trip ended too quickly and somehow, despite feeling rested, you knew reality would return eventually.

You just didn't expect it to happen the second you landed back in Toronto.

Your phone exploded with notifications.

Messages.

Missed calls.

Emails.

Family group chats.

Work reminders.

Your shoulders immediately tensed.

William noticed before you'd even unlocked your screen.

He sighed. "Absolutely not."

You looked up. "What?"

"Hand it over."

"We just got off the plane."

"Exactly."

"I should check…"

"No."

He held out his hand.

You hesitated. Then slowly surrendered your phone.

"Thank you."

He slipped it into his pocket. "You get it back after dinner."

You blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"I am a grown woman."

"Congratulations."

You laughed.

He grinned. "But right now you're overstimulated and trying to absorb fourteen things at once."

You sighed.

Because once again, he wasn't wrong.

----

A week later, his teammates invited everyone over for dinner.

Nothing fancy.

Just a casual night.

You recognized most of the partners by now and had finally settled into the group.

The problem wasn't the people.

It was your family.

Because somehow your mother had managed to mention, during a phone call earlier that day, that she still thought you should have canceled Sweden.

The comment sat in your chest all evening.

By the time dinner started, you had become quieter without realizing it.

William noticed almost immediately. Of course he did.

You were helping clear plates when he appeared beside you.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

His look said he didn't believe that for a second. "Try again."

You sighed. "Mom is just being mom."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning she thinks I should've stayed."

William took the plates from your hands. "And?"

"And maybe she has a point."

He stared, then he lowered his voice. "Come with me."

You blinked. "William…"

"Now."

There was no sharpness in his tone. Just certainty.

You followed him upstairs.

He closed the bedroom door behind you and crossed his arms. "Tell me exactly what she said."

You repeated the conversation. The whole thing.

By the end, you already felt exhausted.

William listened quietly, then shook his head. "She's wrong."

You blinked. "That's it?"

"Yep."

"William…"

"No, sweetheart." His voice stayed calm. "You took one vacation with your boyfriend."

"When you say it like that…"

"Because that's what it was."

You looked away. "I still feel guilty."

"I know."

He stepped closer. "But guilt doesn't mean you're wrong."

Something about that made your eyes sting.

William immediately noticed.

His expression softened. "Hey." He lifted your chin gently. "Look at me."

You did.

"You are allowed to have a life that doesn't revolve around everybody else."

A tear slipped down your cheek before you could stop it.

He wiped it away with his thumb. "And for the record?"

You sniffled. "What?"

"I loved Stockholm with you."

You laughed weakly. "Me too."

"We're going back."

"What?"

"Next summer. Longer, the whole off-season, like I usually do."

You blinked. "You already decided that?"

"Mm-hmm."

"You are ridiculous."

"Probably."

"But you'll come."

You smiled. "Yeah."

"I know."

Then he pulled you into his arms and just like always, your body relaxed before your brain caught up.

His hand rubbed slowly up and down your back. "You're okay," he murmured.

"I know."

"No."

He pulled back slightly so he could look at you. "I need you to hear me."

You nodded.

"You don't have to earn rest."

The words hit something deep. Something old. Something you'd spent years believing.

That rest had to be deserved. That saying no made you selfish. That taking up space made you difficult.

William seemed to see all of it on your face, because he smiled gently and pressed a kiss to your forehead.

"You know what I think?" he asked.

"What?"

"I think you've spent your entire life taking care of everyone else."

You swallowed. "And?"

"And I think it's somebody else's turn."

Your eyes filled again. "Yeah?"

He smiled. "Yeah."

Downstairs, someone shouted his name.

Probably one of the guys.

William sighed dramatically. "Duty calls."

You laughed. "Go."

He didn't move. "Not until you're smiling properly."

"I'm smiling."

"Barely."

You exaggerated the biggest smile possible.

He nodded approvingly. "Much better."

"You're impossible."

"And yet."

"And yet," you agreed.

He offered his hand. "Ready?"

You slipped your fingers into his. "Yeah."

And maybe that was the strange thing.

Not that he held things together for you.

Not that he stepped in when you couldn't.

Not even that he somehow always knew exactly what you needed.

It was that, with him, you never felt like a burden.

You felt chosen.

And every day, in a hundred quiet ways, William kept choosing you.

Again.

And again.