“But yeah, Matthew’s definitely the best at oral,” Mitch says, straight faced, and Leon-- laughs out loud? “Oh come on, yeah right,” she says, grinning at Matthew over Mitch’s shoulder. She seems genuinely amused. Mitch puffs up, offended. “They made me come so hard I passed out once! Maybe twice. Haven’t you seen them chewing on their mouthguard during games?” Leon laughs again. “Having a huge fucking oral fixation doesn’t automatically mean you’re good at eating pussy, come on,” she says, disbelieving.

Landy is shaking his head next to him as he applies the scent blocker to his own upper lip. "I thought you guys were friends -- you've never smelled his heat pheromones before?" "What? I was friends with who?" Landy smacks Nate upside the head. "Crosby," he says, like it should be the most obvious thing in the world. Nate looks back out at the ice, where Sid is taking a faceoff, a bead of sweat dripping down his face. "Holy shit," he mutters.

All Leon wanted were some easy recipes, and instead he got this guy, this – Matthew Tkachuk, alias tkachukycheese, YouTube channel owner by bi-weekly afternoon and dietician who works a lot with school classes by normal profession. Matthew holds up a potato peel broken in two pieces. “And just remember, if it doesn’t work out perfectly, that’s fine. It’s all about practice and trying and enjoying the process. Perfection isn’t a prerequisite for being liked. Just look at the Oilers."

Leon can have little a maladaptive coping mechanism, as a treat.

Tkachuk’s trade from Calgary to Edmonton happened midseason, so he just shows up in the locker room on a Tuesday morning in early December with no announcement. He looks greasy and tired and wears a wrinkled suit. Leon can’t help but think that there's something odd about Tkachuk’s arrival in Edmonton. With all the effort that Tkachuk puts into establishing himself as a pest on the ice, he’s remarkably un-pest like on dry land.

“Shut the door,” says Draisaitl. “’Course you’re bossy like this,” Matthew mutters. But he shuts the door and, after a minute of hesitation, flicks the latch shut too. “McDavid gave me the talk, you know why I’m here, so if you want me to go—”

There’s an honor system to it: don’t pick too far below your weight class unless you’ve got an excuse, or too far above unless you’re trying to make a statement; if you’re going to pass or whine about it too much, be prepared to pay for it next time; if you’re going to be a dick, the guy you’re picking better deserve it.

Leon hates Matthew Tkachuk. Doesn't he? So then why isn't he turning him away, despite his heat?

"Leon." Matthew says. He can't remember wanting someone like this before, never in his life, like without them he'd explode. Leon is six-plus feet of warm skin and Matthew wants to ruin him. "Leon," he says again. "I promise I'll still hate you in the morning."

Arriving in Vancouver, JT Miller expected a lot of things. He did not, however, expect to meet the sub of his dreams. Nor that the courting would be so intricate. No, JT did not expect Jake Virtanen. But it’s worth it, for in every way Jake is what he’s been searching for. (or the Austen-esque BDSM romance novel)