NHL Imagines

Zach Werenski

You rolled over, smiling as you watched Zach sleep peacefully beside you. You studied his face, your heart grateful when your eyes skimmed over the scar under his right eye. Reaching out, your fingertips traced the scar softly; the coarse scar tissue a contrast against the soft skin of his cheek.
Zach's eyes fluttered open slowly as he took a deep breath. "What are you doing?" he mumbled softly, his warm eyes settling on yours.
"Looking at you." you replied.
"When did you become such a creep?" he smiled, lifting his arm above his head, stretching. He yawned your eyes falling back to the dark strip of skin.
Your mind raced, thinking about how badly the injury could have ended up. He could have lost his ability to play hockey; he could have lost his sight. Every time you spent more than second staring at that scar you were taken back to the night it happened; constantly reliving the anxiety of seeing him take a puck to the face, the fear of watching him take the ice almost immediately after. Your eyes brimmed with tears, thankful that he was okay.
"Babe, what is it?" he asked, bringing his arm down and wrapping it around your waist, his fingers trailing lightly up and down your spine.
"I'm just glad you're okay." you sniffled.
"What do you mean?" he inquired, his brow furrowing. "I here with you, how could I not be okay?"
"Your cheek." you said. "If I think about it too long, if I look at your scar for too long; it just takes me back to when it all happened. How scared I was, how helpless I felt watching you." you admitted, a tear slipping down your cheek.
"Baby." Zach breathed, his hand sliding up your back, his fingers twisting in your hair as he gently brought your face closer to his. His warm lips found their way to the corner of your mouth, stopping the tear in its tracks. "It wasn't that bad." he said, resting his forehead against yours.
You jerked back, your eyes locked with his. "It wasn't that bad? Zach, you left a trail of blood across the ice." you said in disbelief. "They took you back to the locker room and they wouldn't tell me what was wrong, they wouldn't even tell me if you were okay. Then minutes later they tell me you're back on the ice, only be to taken off again. By the time we got home, it looked like you had been hit by a train." you continued, the words falling out of your mouth. "Every time I brought you medication, food, anything; I could see the pain in your eyes; you could barely talk without flinching. Seeing you in that much pain broke my heart. You couldn't even kiss me without grimacing. I hate seeing you in pain.... I'm just glad you're okay." you repeated, tears falling steadily down your face as you rolled onto your back, and out of Zach's grasp.
"Baby, I-I didn't know you were that upset about it." he said, shocked by your outpouring. He scooted closer to you, his arm falling across your stomach. "I... wow." he trailed off, unsure of what to say.
"How could I not be upset by it, Zach?" you said, letting out dry laugh, your hands coming to rest on his arm.
"You never said anything. You just kept bringing me pillows and ice packs, made sure I was comfortable... why didn't you say anything?" he said, his eyes not leaving your face.
"What was I supposed to say? Good job blocking that puck with your face? Don't play hockey ever again? There was nothing I could say to change what happened or change how you would act going forward. The only thing I could tell you was that I love you... and try to help you manage the pain." you shrugged, one hand swiping at your tears before resettling on Zach's arm.
"Is that why you wouldn't let me kiss you?" he asked softly. "You thought it would hurt me too much?" You turned your head to face him, noticing the small smile that tugged on the corners of his lips.
"It did hurt you." you said in your defense, shoving his lightly on the shoulder. "You couldn't smile without it cringing, you couldn't lay your head down on a pillow. I felt you wince when I kissed you."
He nuzzled his head into the crook of your neck, his short hair tickling your cheek. You felt his warm breath on your shoulder. Goosebumps rose on your skin as his lips found your jawline, pressing soft kisses down your neck, a final kiss lingering on your shoulder before he spoke again. "Your kisses could never hurt me." he whispered, pulling you closer to him.
"You're a liar, Werenski." you smiled quietly, rolling over in his arms to face him.
"I'm not." he said sincerely. "When I come home after a long road trip, a bad day, or end up with a minor facial injury..." he said with a wink. "The only thing I need is you and your kisses and I know everything will be fine." Your eyes fell closed, a smile spreading across your face.
"I just worry about you." you said, opening your eyes slowly. You turned, leaning closer to him, your lips ghosting over the scar on his right cheek.
"I know you worry about me. I just don't want you to think I'm reckless or I'm not thinking about us when I end up injured." he confessed, guiltily. "I get worried, too. What if I can't play hockey and support us anymore? What if I take 4 more pucks to the face and look like mangled mess? What if the distance— fuck." he muttered, his voice trailing off, coughing lightly to keep his emotions in check.
"It doesn't matter. None of it matters." you said cupping his face in your palm. "I have a job, a good one. We've worked through the distance issues. And your face? No matter how scarred it may get, I'll love it just as much as I do now. Because I love you."
His arms tightened around you, pulling you flush against his muscular chest. His lips found yours, kissing you softly before you felt him let out a shuddering breath trying to keep his emotions even. When his lips connected with yours moments later, your heart rate picked up as he kissed you more passionately than before; your hands slipping up his chest, your fingers catching in the soft locks at the nape of his neck as you kept him close. He pulled back, his breathing heavy as his gaze met yours. "Stay with me." he whispered. "I don't have a ring right now, but I'll get you one. Any one you want." you said, his eyes searching yours. "I love you... so much. Marry me, (Y/N). Please?" he asked.
You let out a small laugh of disbelief, tears once again welling in your eyes. "Of course, I'll marry you. Zach."
You'd never seen a bigger smile on his face. Rolling on his back he pulled you on top of him; laughing with joy as he kissed you again, his fingers tangling in your hair. "I love you, baby. I can't wait to spend forever with you."