𝘩𝘰𝘵-𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 @ Jack Hughes x OC

episode 10

             "Hey you okay?" His voice was small and wavering- he was obviously worried. Lana had curled her legs to her chest and leant her forehead against her knees. Jack placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and she glanced up at him. 

              "Just cold that's all- who'd you talk to?" She brushed off Jack's physical support and swung her legs over the couch to catch her footing. 

              "Just my agent. He says a journalist posted a report on me and that it went viral and drove up my player and person ratings for the league!" His laugh rung out over the choppy water. 

              "Jack you know that was me right?" She rolled her eyes, "Plus you have to score that hatty tomorrow to really make me think you're good remember?" 

                His look was intense and calculated, a serious deadpan then curled into a smirk with one side of his smile gleaming in the night lights. He stepped towards the girl and squatted deeply into his knees so their faces were in front of one another. He took his left hand and fiddled with a lock of her wavy hair that had fallen out of her braid. He spun it around his fingers and tugged it behind her ear. His calloused hands made her shudder as they gently brushed her smooth face.

              "Challenge accepted, pretty girl," his words cool like ice, but his hands warm and nice. They cupped her cheek gently and tilted her head forward. Both their bodies craved it, and they knew it, but Lana broke torturously from the embrace once again.

             "How bout you score that hattrick and we can pick this up where we left off?" She played with his brunette  hair. He sighed and stepped off and towards the steering wheel.

              "You got yourself a deal,"

••••••••••••••••

                Lana and Bella rushed through the corridors of the Prudential Center together the next day, sprinting through swinging doors and slipping across smooth tile. Their heels rang out with a cadence that sounded similarly to a group of horses as they stormed through the halls. The pair jogged down steps and ran towards the camera crew that was set up in the opening corner of the locker room, where their was a perfect area to begin the Devils Broadcast with the warmups going on behind it. Bella immediately was thrown onto a camera and she slipped her way over to the bench to film some quick-post content on Instagram and Tiktok. Lana primped herself in a mirror, readjusting her hair and dusting off a few pieces of lint from her red blazer top, she finally made herself camera ready. Tony, a man on staff, handed her a microphone with a red ESPN logo on the side and started the countdown. Lana's opening remarks about warmups were always improvised and included the lines, how players looked in warmups, and what to expect during the game. She was given a countdown, then smiled, and began.

             "Welcome back to the Rock New Jersey Devils Fans, tonight we have a match up against Tage Thompson and the Buffalo Sabres, where the Devils look to get as many points as possible as they are racing towards a wildcard position in the playoff race. If the Devils win again today, they will gain a much needed handful of points in their race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Let's check in with the players after this short break from our sponsor!" 

              Lana dropped her television smile and has about three minutes to make her way to the ice to do her pregame player of the game interview, where she would congratulate them on milestones and ask them about their outlook on the game for a couple minutes. It was always randomized though- she never knew who she would have to interview. But of course, with just her luck, Jack Hughes bee-lined towards the bench and stopped aggressively against the boards, spraying the girl down with small ice shards on live television. She laughed and turned on her professional voice quickly when Tony started his countdown again. 

            "Keep this short and sweet for me, eh?" He ducked towards the girl in efforts to hear her better.

            "Oh New Jersey, it's Jacklyn Huge-ess! Defensive specialist and number 68!" 

            "Lana do you want me to skate away on national television?" 

Sorry it's so short! I just wanted to get something out! More coming tomorrow!

-author