Tyler Seguin One-Shots
Tyler's Daughter
“I’ll have a medium vanilla bean with caramel and…” Your eyes wandered towards the treats that were just mocking you. You knew better than to fall for your demons… but one cheat day wasn’t going to kill you. “I’ll also have two scones and a chocolate chip cookie.”
“That’ll be eighty forty-two.”
You handed a ten dollar bill, waited for your treats, and then walked towards the waiting area for your drink. You clumsily slipped the coins and receipt into your jeans’ pockets before you stopped and pulled out the chocolate chip cookie.
Before you could even take a bite out of it, you felt a tug on the bottom of your jeans.
You looked down and found an adorable, little girl with big, brown, puppy dog eyes staring up at you. You felt yourself swooning for her as you crouched down and asked, slipping your cookie back into the bag, “Yes?”
“Is that a cook-ie?” she asked in almost a whimper. Her eyes went surprisingly wide as a grin spread across her lips. “Can I have a wittle?”
It was early in the morning – probably around ten AM – and it was most likely a bad idea to give a child around four-year-olds sugar… but she just kept looking at you with those big, brown eyes. She meant no harm behind her intentions; she probably didn’t understand yet how rude it was to go up to strangers, asking for their food.
Right as you were about to pull out the cookie, the girl was scooped up and a tired voice followed by saying, “Taylor, this isn’t exactly a good time for you to be running off. I’m sorry if she bothered you, ma’am.”
“Oh, no,” you responded, shaking your head while standing up and dusting off your pants. “It’s fine. She was no bother.” You lifted your eyes to meet with Taylor’s father, only to practically gape at the sight of a young, twenty-something-year-old man holding her.
You would’ve thought he was a creepy pedophile trying to kidnap the little girl, but… the resemblance was uncanny. They shared the same big, brown eyes and dark brown hair. He even slipped on a pair of aviator shades that almost matched the one he slipped on himself. You weren’t sure if they were siblings with a large age gap… or if he actually was her father.
“Cute, uh…”
“Daughter,” he finished as Taylor began to squirm in his arms, looking like she was about to burst into tears. He looked over to her and murmured, “Tay, calm down.”
You should’ve just turned away and waited for your coffee in peace, but… “Want part of my cookie?” you asked, immediately reaching into your bag and breaking off a piece. You held a small enough piece that should satisfy her and prevent her young, really good looking father from yelling at you.
Taylor immediately perked and grinned at your question, rapidly nodding her head.
“You have to promise to not cry,” you said and she nodded her head again, snatching the part of the cookie from your hand.
“Uh, thanks,” her father said while she munched happily on her cookie. “You’re really good with kids.”
“It’s no problem. I sometimes babysit my neighbor’s kids, so it honestly was nothing.”
He shifted Taylor to his other arm and stuck out his now free hand to you. A charming smile spread across his face and he said, “I’m Tyler.”
“Y/N,” you responded, unable to help smiling back and slipping your hand into his.
He opened his mouth to say something else, but Barbie Girl by Aqua interrupted him. Red stained his cheeks while Taylor squealed and tried to sing along the best that she could.
You covered your mouth as a failed attempt to hold back your laughter while Tyler quickly pulled out and answered his phone to stop the ringtone. Your eyes met before the color on his cheeks darkened and he turned away.
He didn’t seem like one to be easily embarrassed, so you somewhat savored the moment.
“What?” he grumbled then groaned and threw his head back. He did a little jump to readjust Taylor while your name was called by the barista.
“Thank you,” you murmured, trying to listen to his conversation. All you heard was, “I was already on my way, but just so you know, I have Taylor with me… No, I don’t have a babysitter, ‘caues the one I had quit barely an hour ago. I told – I don’t care.”
You should’ve just turned around, mumbled a goodbye to Tyler and Taylor, and left… but instead, you stepped forward and voiced, “You need a babysitter? I don’t mind watching Taylor for you.”
Tyler’s head whipped back to you, his eyes wide in surprise.
You felt your cheeks burn as you realized how stupid you must’ve just sounded. You barely met the man less than five minutes ago and were already telling him to let you – a complete stranger – to watch his prized possession – his daughter. “I don’t mean that in a creepy way, of course. You just –”
He hung up on whoever he was talking to and slipped his phone into his back-pocket. “You don’t look like a killer and I’m actually desperate,” he breathed as his name was now called. He turned towards the barista and grabbed his coffee then turned back to you. “I don’t know if you’re busy, but do you think you can watch her at where I play? Practice will only be for a few hours and then I could drop her off at a daycare.”
Your eyebrows furrowed together and you tried processing his words. “What… is your job?”
Surprise raced through his eyes before a lopsided smile slipped onto his lips. “I’m a professional hockey player,” he said. “A centerman for the Dallas Stars, to be exact.”
“Oh.”
“Not a hockey person, huh?”
Your cheeks burned as you tucked your hair behind your ear. “No, sorry. I grew up a soccer chick,” you answered sheepishly. You hadn’t lived in Dallas long, but you definitely had heard of the Dallas Stars… but a player who was as hot as the man in front of you or named Tyler didn’t ring a bell.
“Well, if you don’t mind, I could turn you into a hockey chick,” Tyler said, his lopsided smile turning flirtatious. “Maybe after practice or after tonight’s game if you’re down to check it out.”
“I don’t have tickets.”
“I could probably sneak you in for free.”
“Daddy,” Taylor groaned, clearly irritated with the lack of attention on her. She buried her face into the crook of his neck. “I hungwy.”
You smiled and pet Taylor’s brown locks. “She’s adorable.”
“I have all her stuff in the car, which I can give you at the arena if you’re okay with meeting us there.”
“I’m not busy today,” you said. “I just came here after a run.”
“So fatty,” Tyler teased as you two started heading out of the cafe.
You laughed and playfully smacked his arm. “It’s a cheat day. You could probably relate.”
“I can, but I don’t cheat after I exercise. It’s counterproductive.”
“Well, I did just run here from my house, so I could just meet you at the arena on feet.”
“Then let me drive –”
“It’s fine. The arena’s not too far.”
You stopped at Tyler’s car while he opened the door and slipped Taylor in the carseat, handing her a sippy cup and a small bag of cereal. When she was satisfied, he pulled away and faced you with a cute smile.
“You know, most chicks pretty much run off after they see me with my daughter or completely ignore her.”
“She’s adorable and has an adorable dad. It’s actually an attractive sight,” you allowed slip from your mouth. You would’ve been embarrassed, but his cute smile grew.
“So, what about that date after the game tonight?”
You smiled back. “Only if I pay you back for the game’s ticket.”
“Nope. That’ll be part of the date.”
“Daddy!”
You both laughed and you stepped away from him and the car. “Well, I’ll consider it and get back to you at the arena.”
“I guess that’s only fair,” Tyler replied and opened the driver’s side. “But are you serious about walking?”
“I needa think long and hard about this date.”
Laughing, he slipped into the car and said, “Fine, but I hope the result of this long and hard thinking is a ‘yes.’”
You shrugged with a smirk, starting your walk down the sidewalk. “Who knows?” You did and it was clearly a ‘yes.’
