Written to Sia's "Candy Cane Lane"



In a quaint, idyllic neighbourhood, a small apartment building protrudes from the vast blanket of snow. The skies are grey, contrasting to the bright, white snow laid out on the roofs and streets of the neighbourhood.

Inside one of the apartments, German Rubtsov and Connor Bunnaman sleep soundly in their separate beds in one room. The alarm clock perched on the night table in between them jumps in the air and rings, causing the two hockey players to pop into sitting positions with elation.

They simultaneously spring out of bed and rush over to the square-shaped window.

Through the frosty window, the small city is seen stretching to the horizon, covered in complete whiteness.

Take a trip down Candy Cane Lane with me,

In Boston, Jake Oettinger and Dante Fabbro pull away from the white scenery through their window and exchange looks of excitement. They dart away from the window to prepare for the day.

It's the cutest thing I swear you'll ever see,

In Buffalo, the front door of the cute house swings open, revealing Casey Mittelstadt and Jeremy Swayman. The two step out onto the porch and gaze ahead.

Snow coats the small road and the houses lining it. The white fluff hangs on the cars, roofs, and tree branches as well.

It's the best,

In Syracuse, Taylor Raddysh, Boris Katchouk, and Brett Howden admire the winter wonderland laid out before their eyes from the porch. Taylor slips up to Boris and bats his eyes with a giggle.

Brett eyes his friend’s action and proceeds to pull out his smartphone and tap on it. He then holds the screen up to him.

Taylor peers at the phone’s content. It displays a photo of Ross Colton. Behind the phone, Brett points to it with an angry index finger.

With a sigh, Taylor slides away from Boris. Brett’s grin appears once again.

So get dressed,

In Philadelphia, Nolan Patrick and Carter Hart, both wearing trench coats, step down their porch and stroll down the pathway that cuts through their own decorated front yard.

I'll impress,

Light snow then drifts onto the scenery and the two. Carter gazes above as the white bits sprinkle on his contrasting light brown hair and black trench coat. He skips down the pathway, passing by his friend, as he tries to catch as much snow as possible.

With a huff, Nolan picks up his speed to follow after him as snow dots his grey trench coat and beanie.

You with the colors of the rainbow.

The snowfall increases along with the winds, swirling the thickening snow around the two and the scenery.

The white dots spin and settle down on a painted scenery. Through the glass, Kale Clague gazes with delight.

He lowers his snowball and peers behind his shoulder.

Drake Rymsha slowly raises his head from his pillow, his hair blond hair sprouted in all directions. He gives him a sheepish grin.

Kale puts the snowglobe on the night table beside his bed and exits the room.

Take a trip down the Candy Cane Lane with me,

Tanner Kaspick skips down the stairs before landing in the small, homey kitchen of Sam Ehlinger’s ranch house. Sitting at the round table is Sam, who has a plate of BBQ ribs in the middle.

With delight, Tanner approaches him and sits down across from him. The two take some of the ribs and begin munching on them.

It's so magical, let's go there in your dreams,

Meanwhile, in San Diego, Sam Steel and Max Jones are lying on lounge chairs on their one-story house’s grassy front lawn. They are wearing Hawaiian polo shirts, swimming trunks, and sunglasses.

It's the best,

With hands behind their heads, they tilt their heads to gaze at each other through their dark lenses.

So get dressed,

They then crane their heads up.

I'll impress,

Above them, on the house’s roof, is a scene of an inflatable Santa Claus on his sleigh with his reindeer. Dormant lights are lined and curved on the roof to say “Stay Christmas-sy, San Diego.”

You with the lights in all their windows.

Hands wrap chocolate boxes in colorful holiday-styled wrapping paper.

Red and yellow and pink and green,

Another pair of hands ties ribbon around the boxes and slap bows on them.

Orange and purple and blue,

Behind the hands are Pierre-Luc Dubois and Victor Mete, who are lying on the rug of a living room. They are surrounded by tape, wrapping paper rolls, strips of wrapping paper, scissors, ribbon, bows, wrapped boxes, and chocolate boxes waiting to be wrapped.

Christmas is waiting for you...
Christmas is waiting for you.

More hands refuel, polish, and dust a red vintage plane.

Red and yellow and pink and green,
Orange and purple and blue,

On an empty road, in the middle of the vast, cactus-and-jagged-hill-spotted desert, Dillon Dubé, Elias Pettersson, Lias Andersson, and Juuso Välimäki climb into the vintage airplane. Standing by the door are the three cowboys, Clayton Keller, Jakob Chychrun, and Tyler Steenbergen.

Dillon, from the cockpit, motions them to join them in the plane with a wave of his fingers over his shoulder.

The three exchange agreeing looks before climbing up into the plane.

Christmas is waiting for you…

In the cockpit, Dillon pulls his goggles from over his headwear and snaps them over his eyes.

He then flips switches, presses buttons, and pulls on levers.

Christmas is waiting for you,

The red vintage plane rolls down the empty road. It then lifts off from the ground and soars up into the pure blue skies.

Ooo….!

Down below in Big Bear Lake are rolling hills caked with snow. In the midst of the hills are Kale and Drake, dressed in winter coats, beanies, thick pants, and boots. Happily, they trudge down a hill before gazing ahead and halting.

At the bottom of the hill is a large crowd of all of the hockey players and one football player in a circle. They are tossing snowballs ahead at something obscured due to their bodies.

Candy Cane Lane,

Behind the crowd, Jack Kopacka makes eye contact with the two guys. He waves his fingers over his shoulder, signalling them to join the battle.

Bring a friend this holiday.

Kale and Drake exchange looks of delight before rushing up to the other skater. They scoop up snow in their hands and pack it into a ball.

Bring a friend who loves to play,

The two dash to an open space in the crowd and toss their snowballs ahead.

We'll eat all the candy canes.

The snowballs hit Cal Foote on his face, head, chest, back, and arms. Cal is stuck in fire’s way due to the snow packed around his legs.

Oh,

Cal chuckles heartily and grabs a pack of snow from his restraint. He then hurls it ahead of him with his eyes on his target.

Candy Cane Lane,

The snowball nails Brett in the stomach, knocking him onto the snowy ground. As more snowballs from Cal rain down on him, he curls up on his knees with his hands over his head.

Bring a friend this holiday,

Cal snickers wickedly, enjoying Brett’s panicked position.

Bring a friend who loves to play,

Taylor and Boris, who are next to Brett, create multiple snowballs. They then fling them at Cal relentlessly, exchanging turns.

We'll eat all the candy canes.

In alarm, Cal drops a snowball from his hand to cover his face with his arm as snowballs continuously pelt him.

The scene changes into a glade as a puck flies into a white, orange, and black catcher.

Oh,

Carter glances at the puck in his possession before tossing it to the side of the net.

Kale, who is behind the net, slides the puck into his possession with his stick. He gazes ahead before skating past the net and back onto the open ice.

Candy canes…

Juuso skates backward in front of Kale with his stick out. Kale darts his eyes to find an open receiver.

Tanner is struggling with Victor as their sticks clank against each other. Patrik Laine is across the ice with Jakob nearby.

Kale passes the puck toward Patrik.

The others who are not playing are sitting on the benches by the shore of the frozen lake, enjoying the game.

We'll eat candy canes…

Patrik receives the puck and bolts down the ice. He weaves past the three defenders before shooting at the net.

The puck flies pass Stuart Skinner’s blocker and into the net.

With a smirk, Patrik glides by the net.

The evening has settled, and the athletes are inside a cozy penthouse.

In the family room, by the roaring fireplace, Elias and Lias are on their stomachs, playing a game of chess.

Take a trip down Candy Cane Lane with me,

By the fireplace is a small stage, where Carter and Brett are standing. They have microphones in their hands as they sing to the lyrics displayed on the television from across the room.

I'll call Rudolph down to meet us in the street,

Synchronized, they slide off the stage with their free hands in the air.

We can dance,

By the side of the fireplace, Nolan is hanging up ornaments on the garland-lined mantel. Carter slips up to him and leans against the mantel, craning his head back to gaze at him with a broad grin.

Nolan rolls his eyes at him with a scoff before pushing him away.

He can prance,

Jake follows his eyes from the sofa as Brett approaches him and plops onto the armrest. Jake pulls him into a hug, making him squeak.

There's no can'ts,

Next to the sofa are two reclining chairs, which Sam and Max are occupying in their summer attire. They each hold up a white square with the number ten in black. Behind the squares, they beam at their performers.

'Cause here everything is possible.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Kailer Yamamoto, Boris, and Taylor are decorating their homemade cookies.

Boris picks up his cookie, which is shaped and engraved to have the face of Alex Barre-Boulet. Taylor picks his up, which is shaped like Ross Colton. The two look at each other’s cookies before bursting into laughter.

Next to them, Kailer groans and shakes his head.

Take a trip down the Candy Cane Lane with me,

Spiky blond hair rises from the edge of the countertop before a pair of blue teardrop-shaped eyes slips into view. The whole face then rises like the morning sun, revealing it to be Jesse Puljujärvi.

Jesse eyes a nearby bowl of white icing before reaching out to it and dipping his finger in it. He brings his finger back to him and pops it into his mouth.

Kailer scowls at him before smacking his head lightly with an oven mitt.

Let's get Santa out and get him on his feet,

Carter slides into view with his microphone, next to Kailer and Jesse.

We can dance,

Brett slides in from the other side with his microphone, nearby Boris and Taylor.

Holding hands,

Carter waves his pointer finger at the four.

Ain't no can't's,

Brett places his microphone down to take the baking sheet filled with the baked cookies into his hands.

'Cause here everything is possible.

Brett then bolts off. Carter laughs before following after him. Kailer storms after him as Taylor comes behind him.

Now in peace, Boris gazes at his beautiful Alex Barre-Boulet cookie. He then closes his eyes and presses his lips against it.

Suddenly, the cookie is torn out of his hands. Boris’s eyes fly open and gaze ahead.

Jesse, now fully standing up, has the cookie in his hand. He shoves it into his mouth.

Meanwhile, a pair of hands opens up an empty Christmas-themed bag and stuffs tissue paper into it.

Red and yellow and pink and green,
Orange and purple and blue,

Sitting back-to-back in their chairs in the family room, Casey pulls his never-ending long navy blue and baby blue scarf into the bag as Jeremy folds a Buffalo Sabres Santa hat into his bag.

Christmas is waiting for you...
Christmas is waiting for you.

One by one, a hand hangs orb-shaped ornaments of all colors of each NHL and AHL team on the branches of a Christmas tree.

Red and yellow and pink and green,
Orange and purple and blue,

Nolan reaches up to the top of the tree and places a white star on it. He plugs it into the tree; the star illuminates.

He then climbs down the step ladder and shuffles back with sparkling eyes of anticipating on the tree.

Christmas is waiting for you…

The towering tree is glimmering in all of its glory: its colourful ornaments glint in the white lights of the Christmas tree along with a red and white ribbon wrapped around it.

Christmas is waiting for you,

Carter comes up from behind Nolan and tugs at his sleeve. Nolan stays still, mesmerized by his beautiful work. He then pulls his sleeve, causing him to stumble backward as he is dragged away from the tree.

Ooo…!

In the dining room, plates of all sorts of holiday foods from ham roast to mashed potatoes to vegetables to biscuits to even BBQ ribs are passed around the long table.

Candy Cane Lane,
Bring a friend this holiday.

The athletes serve their chosen food onto their plates.

Bring a friend who loves to play,
We'll eat all the candy canes.

With the large quantity of food and company, the athletes are contently feasting.

Oh, Candy Cane Lane,
Bring a friend this holiday,

Each athlete is next to his friend or teammate. They exchange eager words and food.

Bring a friend who loves to play,
We'll eat all the candy canes.

Casey pulls out a holiday gift bag and hands to Jeremy, who is next to him. With excitement, Jeremy gives him another gift bag.

Patrik plops out boxes of chocolates with a small, yet content grin.

Everyone else begins handing their gifts to their closest friends and teammates.

Oh, candy canes…

Touched by their gifts, they smile, laugh, high-five, and hug each other.

We'll eat candy canes…

Although the dining room is warm and friendly, the outside is still frigid and dark. Soft snow swirls around the lonely cabin under the dark blue and grey skies. The only sources of light are from the cabin’s yellow windows piercing through the dark atmosphere and the dull moonlight through the clouds.

Jonne is then heard saying over the scene, “And they lived happily ever after.”

Pages flip over the scene before a red back cover of a book closes over it.

Holding the giant book is Jonne, who is sitting on an armchair by a fireplace. Behind him, his cozy living room is decorated with garlands, ornaments, and lights.

Sitting in front of him on the maroon-colored carpet is not only Brett but now the other young athletes. They stare up at him with expressions ranging from wonder and attentiveness to boredom and annoyance.

“The end.” A roguish smile grows on the storyteller’s face. “As you can see, children, boys, and Brettulet, Taylor Raddysh cheats on his heartfelt feelings for Rossling Colton with seeing Alex Barre-Boulet’s bae Boris Katchouk,” Jonne states.

Kailer gawks up at him. “Excuse me?”

“Did you know ‘bæ’ means ‘poop’?!” Lias exclaims with shock.

“I did.” Jonne leans closer to the crowd. “Boris is poop.”

“If I’m poop, you’re a shart, Tammela,” Boris grumbles as Taylor stares at him, dreamily and with a sigh.

“Did you just call us ‘children’?” Stuart asks, eyeing the storyteller.

Patrik leans over to Pierre-Luc with eyes on Jonne. He whispers, “You know, I’m less than a year younger than him.”

Pierre-Luc peers at him. “Same here.”

“I love you,” Taylor whispers to Boris, romantically.

Boris snaps his head to look at Taylor. “What did you say?”

Taylor shakes his head to clear it and looks away. “I just said, ‘I have hot glue’…on my fingers… Must be from the uh…” Taylor looks downward, seeing his clean hands. “I mean...shit.” He hangs his head, ashamed of his lie.

“You’re a terrible liar for one and for another.” Boris cranes his neck upward and shouts out, at the top of his lungs, “ROSSLING!!!”

“In your dreams ‘Katzy Boy,’” Jonne teases back, leaning back into his seat. “And Brettulet’s still a pretty princess!”

Brett shoots him a scowl with crossed arms. “Am not!!”

“Lying’s so not an Aries trait, Brettulet Howden…” Jonne eyes the tiara on Brett’s head as he rubs one of his index fingers against the other. “Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

“Good thing I’m good at lying.” Nolan nudges Carter. “Let’s go; G’s hosting a party tonight.”

Carter whirls to him, confused. “He is--?”

Nolan grabs his wrist, rising him and himself to his feet, and exits the room with him.

Jesse is sitting in the front row, crisscrossed. He has large, wondrous eyes on the Finnish storyteller as he holds his face up by his hands. “You have more stories? I wanna hear more!”

Jonne smirks down at him. “Did I tell you about the one where Vladdy Namestnikov dumped Otto Somppi for Ville Meskanen?”

A wave of groans echoes through the room before most of the athletes rise to their feet and shuffle out of the place. One of the only people left on the rug is Jesse, still in his position.

“Nooo…!” Jesse shakes his head. “Tell more!”

Jonne opens his mouth. “Maybe another time. I got tons of stories though. Especially on my favorite Brettulet Howden.”

Brett huffs with a large frown and crossed arms. “What a great Christmas present, Tamale.”

“Like I said, Merry Holidays, Brettulet Howden, ole buddy, ole pal!”


The End.

Notes

Dec 24
1 day until Christmas!
12/12

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Thanks once again to @EvelynaKitty for contributing to this one-shot! You can visit her Tumblr here

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