A/N: Hi! thank you for reading! This was my first ever commission and was originally commissioned as a standalone single part story. I with the permission of the commissioner have adapted the story into seven parts as a mini fic! Thank you!

Part 1

The numbness of a buzzing arena was something that took time to adjust to. The screaming fans, the shouting of managers and staff- the bruiting smell of athletes, the smallest things had such a major impact on the atmosphere of Ball Arena. Home to both the colorado avalanche and the denver nuggets, both teams were no stranger to an exhilarating energy on game night.

Alternate for the colorado avalanche, Nathan mackinnon had spent his entire adult life and quite a chunk of his youth in the spotlight. Having been an elite prospect in the world of hockey, the nova scotia native felt right at home =. The energy of game night was something he relished in, the lights, the waves, the sparks- everything felt like pure heroin to his veins. But over time, the buzz began to fade, the excitement started to drift and he was left feeling motionless as his adventures became routine.

With every passing year in the NHL, The young athlete found himself growing more and more comfortable with the industry, which was a good thing- but sometimes he wished that he could go back to his rookie years, when the excitement and passion was so fresh that his heart thumped and stomach twisted in anticipation at just the thought of getting on the ice in front of a crowd.

The drive home is a blur, Nathan can barely recall what happened that night. He knows that he showed up for work at 5pm. His usual arrival, before that he had spent the better half of his day napping and eating a pregame meal of spaghetti and meatballs. It was routine and tradition. The team had won, the game having practically ended in the second period where they secured a 6-0 lead. It was a fantastic night, so why wasn't he able to enjoy it all?

It was a regular occurrence. Nothing about the night had been unusual, Nathan knew exactly what to expect- he knew exactly which staff members would be standing where, which ones would give him a high five as he passed, and he knew which players would end up leaving first. Even the drive home felt all too familiar. Although he wouldn't dare, Nathan felt like he could close his eyes and that the car would take control of itself- having driven the same road so many times that the conditions never changed. He was coasting through his life and letting the world lead him.

When he gets into the house, the first thing he does is kick his shoes off at the door- an expensive designer cluttering to the floor, thrown in with his dirty running shoes like they were nothing. Sorry, louis vuitton. His hockey bag is discarded next- tossed in the coat room and abandoned as he walks through his house.

Nathan knows exactly how his night is going to turn out. He will unbutton his too expensive dress shirt and roll up his sleeves, stretching himself out before pouring a glass of bourbon, straight into a pre-chilled glass and served neat.

His house keeper has already finished for the day, his dinner sitting in the fridge on a platter and the fireplace lit to keep his house warm. He expects that when he sits down his phone will be filled with notifications, some from friends congratulating him on the game, others from family doing the same- in the mix of friends and family you'll find his lovers, current and or past. He wasn't a womanizer, but he was known to go out every once and a while.

As of recent times, he had only been seeing one lady lately- Her name was Angela but even with her beauty and wit, Nathan had been growing bored. It seemed like she didn't have anything he was looking for outside of physical attractiveness and sex.

She was nothing like Y/N. A specific woman in his phone that would probably hit him if he ever claimed anything of the sort about her.

Y/N had been his best friend for as long as he could remember, she grew up with him in Springhill and had been by his side since day one. She was the most important woman in his life besides his mother and sister.

While he was used to the congratulatory texts, Y/N's always made his night. She was special and the bond he had with her meant that she could never become uninteresting. When he picks up his phone, he's hoping to see her familiar victory message, mixed with emojis that he would never use, but takes pleasure in seeing when they are attached to her name.

However, instead he finds something else. A picture of a white pastry box, wrapped in a familiar red satin bow. "Guess what grandma sent me?" the text read. Instantly Nathan's lips stretch into a smile, his heart pounding in his chest.

"No way." he responds.

Another picture fills his screen of his favourite girl holding a cookie with a bright smile. "Brookfield bakery Oatmeal Date cookies! All the way from Brookfield Nova Scotia!" the caption told him.

The jealousy churns in his stomach. Oh how many nights he and Y/N had gotten up to trouble in brookfield. It was a small town with a population of barely 2000 and on the weekends when he had hockey competitions in the city, he and Y/N would take his father's truck and drive up, passing through the town and getting a box of date filled cookies on the way.

Rolling his eyes as he read the next text, Nathan flushed. "You'll have to come over if you want them!" Y/N texted him.

She was such a kind girl, always teasing and going out of her way to bring a smile upon his face. She was the one constant that he actually appreciated in his life.

As Nathan sat in front of the fireplace, the chilled bourbon sitting in his palm- he felt himself melt into his chair, the heat coating his skin and his eyes focusing on the flames. He wonders what his life would have been like if he had not taken hockey as seriously as he did.

There is no doubt that Y/N would still be his best friend. She was there before hockey and she would be there after.

He can't help but imagine having a more humble and down to earth life. If things had been different he and Y/N probably would have gotten together by now, maybe even gotten married and had a couple kids.

In the back of his mind, Nathan always thought that he and Y/N would eventually get together. They were best friends and knew each other so well and it was no secret that they found each other attractive, but asides from one kiss during a drunken high school game of spin the bottle, the two had never been romantically involved.

If they were a couple, they would most likely have some kids by now and he would make weekly trips up to grand lake to go fishing, and then help his kids learn how to ride a bike in the summer- they would probably have a cabin up near porters lake which is just passed dartmouth and he would be the crazy fun uncle to his sister's kids.

It sounded perfect. But things were different, he was a NHL All-star and he didn't have time for things like that. But what if he did? There were plenty of hockey players that had families and wives, why was he an exception?

It was in that moment that Nathan realized he knew exactly how his life would play out. The adrenaline from the game has worn off and hes tired, he knows that he'll probably only sit there for another minute or two before he heads to the shower- his drink will be forgotten and like many times before, he will leave it for the cleaner to take care of in the morning. After no more than ten minutes in the shower, he will crawl into bed and get ready to do the same thing the next day. It was never ending, his routine was simple and familiar but Nathan couldn't help but feel saddened by that revelation.

There was no real excitement in his life anymore. He had grown comfortable in the NHL and while that would always remain his dream, he had accomplished that part of his life and needed to move onto something new.

The idea of starting a family had always been prevalent ever since he was a kid, but he knew that his current relationship would not afford him that luxury. Angela was a great woman, she was beautiful, daring and adventurous- but she was not the romantic type, and certainly she would not want a marriage and a child. As the fire licked at the iron bars and cobblestone, Nathan started to really think about where his life was taking him. Why was he waiting around for something that would never happen? Surely Angela would understand that he wanted a family, but even if she considered the prospect of having a kid, Nathan wasn't sure he wanted her to be the mother. she lacked that kind and warm personality that Nathan had been so fond of in his own mother. Angela was not the one.

His mind drifted back towards Y/N. She had everything he was looking for. She was kind, smart, great with kids, detail oriented and more than anything, he loved her. They were bonded for life and he knew that she felt the same. There was no reason that they shouldn't be together.

There is no reason that it couldn't be Y/N. He had known her forever, she was the most stable thing in his life and she absolutely adored children- she had babysat the neighbourhood kids for as long as he could remember- she was well liked by his sister and his parents and she was always putting others first before her self. She had a job that she loves, future goals in mind and she never took anything for granted. She was the one. It was a rash decision but Nathan knew it was the one to make.

Setting his glass down he calls Y/N and tells her that he needs her to come over- he cant stop smiling and he knows for a fact that she is probably going to call him crazy, but why should they wait any longer?

Neither of them were getting any younger and they were perfect for each other.