nhl one-shots | multi

im tired | m. barzal

Summary: Y/N has been in a toxic relationship with Hockey star Auston Matthews for months on end, what happens when she finally breaks and her best friend Mat is left to pick up the pieces? (Mentions Auston Matthews x reader)

Warnings: cheating

When Y/n was younger, she thought that she would always have the fairytale life- a big house with a white picket fence and a lover to come home to after a long day at work. She may be young, but she wanted a family- she wanted everything and for it to mean something. And for a while, she had that.

Auston and Y/N had started dating off and on shortly after he was drafted to the Toronto Maple Leafs. They would go out for a couple months break up due to distance and then reach out again and start the cycle all over again.

That was until Auston had turned himself around- once the excitement of being an NHL rookie had worn off, be promised to be more devoted to

Y/N. He promised that he would be home every night and that he would do whatever it took to prove himself to the girl. And she believed him.

They weren't good together. On the outside they could pretend they were perfect and that everything was fine- Their relationship was never public and Auston claimed that it was to protect Y/N, to keep her safe from people wanting to exploit their relationship and people that would send her hate.

If she was being honest, Y/N had forced herself to believe him. She knew that something wasn't right- and the fact that he wouldn't even tell his friends that he had been seeing someone should have been the first red flag.

Holding out for as long as she could, Y/N tried to put up with the secrecy and the stress that Auston came with. After all, she loved him- didn't she? It was no one's fault but her own when Y/N broke down one night- alone in her apartment with her best friend as her company. Mat Barzal was another NHL player, but thats not who he was to Y/N- to her, he was her best friend- family.

As she poured out her soul to Mat, the brunette man was struggling to keep himself from leaving her there on the couch and going to find Auston. In his mind, the best thing he could do right now was put his fist in Auston's mouth- maybe break some of his teeth. But as much as he wanted to defend Y/N's honour, he knew that she needed him there with her.

"How long are you going to let him do this for?" Mat asked carefully, he brought the girl into his chest- wrapping his arms around her and sighing. Running his hands through her hair, he wanted to keep her safe from the world- after all, thats what he's been doing ever since they were kids- ever since that day they met at public skate when they were young and she fell on the ice- he picked her up and wiped her tears then taught her how to skate the rest of the day.

Looking into his eyes, her own were glossy and red at the edges. Her nose was itchy from all the tissues she had used to rub at it. In that moment, Mat swore that he would never let Y/N get hurt again- he was going to take care of Auston next time he saw him, even if it earned him a couple game suspensions.

"I don't know mat... I just- he loves me and I love him, its not that easy." She tried to defend her relationship, but she couldn't even finish the sentence without letting out a choked sob.

Fuming with anger, Mat shook his head and sat her up straight. "Y/N listen to yourself! Look around! You're sitting here- alone in your apartment crying over a guy thats out fucking other girls- after he promised you that he had changed!' He couldn't help but raise his voice. He needed her to see that there was so much more out there and that she needed to let Auston go.

"He is not going to give you his respect you ever- so stop acting like her deserves yours." He spoke firmly. "You are too good for him, and he is too dumb to see it." He hugged her softly- frowning, he mumbled into her hair. "You deserve someone that is going to love you no matter what- and that won't even think about other girls when they are with you... someone like me." He slipped.

Immediately pulling away, Y/N looked up at him with a shocked expression. Mat liked her? But since when? Shaking her head, the girl clutched the tissue box- putting some distance between them. "Mat... I can't just leave Auston for you." She sighed- she could see what a good guy mat was and she loved him more than anything- but she had never seen him that way.

Mat's heart clenched, he knew that going into this. But something in his mind was telling him that this could be like the movies- that he would safe his best friend from the horrible bad guy and he would be a hero. That she would jump into his arms and they could be in love.

Nodding softly, the boy gulped. "I know Y/N... I'm not expecting you to eventually fall in love with me, and you don't have to- but please... stop waiting for Auston to change." He begged. "I'm tired of seeing him break you and then just as you've put yourself together- he comes back and ruins you again." He spoke bitterly.

The girl listened to everything he said, picking up her phone and opening Auston's number. Shaking terribly, she typed out a message- thinking over everything that had happened, from the very first time she found out Auston was cheating, to mat's confession. It had to be done. "I know that you've been cheating on me Auston. I'm not going to let you hurt me anymore- thank you for the good times in our relationship. I'll give your things to Mitch and he can give them to you. Goodbye." It may not have been the perfect breakup- but it was all Auston deserved at this point.

Once she had hit send, Mat started to get emotional. He was relieved that Y/N wasn't going to let that asshole hurt her anymore, but he was disheartened at the fact he couldn't have her right now.

Pulling the girl into his chest- he felt his own tears start to pour down his cheeks- they were both crying now, Y/N's sobs echoing through the apartment as she clutched at mat's sweater, curled into his lap ad her body shaking- he pressed his head into her neck and cried with her. He loved her so much and he couldn't believe that she wouldn't be his. But he wasn't mad. Because he loved her too much to ever be mad at her.

They both stayed close for the rest of the night- sharing in the heartache caused by love they couldn't have.