(Y/N's POV--apologies for it being short, I just wanted to randomly write an update and this idea popped into my head.)

It was a bright and sunny day just like any other, except you both knew what was coming up today.  Today was a day unlike any other and would be extraordinary awesome.  Birds are chirping in the background as you roll over in bed to look at your definition of perfection.  Just a peaceful moment before...

"BZZZ BZZZ BZZZ!" the alarm blaring stirs you both from slumber.  You roll your eyes in jest because of course he had to set an alarm for both your anniversary and Nathan MacKinnon's day with Lord Stanley's Cup.  

It wasn't his fault his day with the cup so perfectly aligned with your fifth dating anniversary.  While it agitated you at first, you knew that allowing your perfect boyfriend to live his dreams and experience all the glories of Lord Stanley in your new hometown was worth it.  

Especially since you got to show off your cooking skills.  Sure, you can somewhat grill chicken and make a decent meatloaf, but you can't show off where you shine.  After you tried to make him a simple meal of spaghetti with meatballs for your one month dating anniversary after a rough game against the Nashville Predators and he threw out the plate 'accidentally' on you, it's been something that's bothered you to no end.  Does your boyfriend even like the simplistic nutrient of carbohydrates?  

Nathan stirs in bed besides you and gets up and stretches.  He quickly goes downstairs without saying a word to you.  You sigh, knowing he's probably forgotten the original meaning of this day five years ago.  You lazily follow him down the stairs and go into the kitchen, where he is beginning to drink his morning water.  

"Good morning, Nate the Great, happy anniversar-"

His phone begins to ring and you go so quiet someone could hear the phone ring from a mile away.  Whoever he's talking to is somewhat important and humbles your boyfriend and wakes him out of his hazy morning mind.  

"Yes, I'll be there in fifteen, thank you Mr. Pritchard, I'll see you at the community center," Nathan quickly responds before hanging up.  

You look at Nathan as he chugs his water bottle quickly and chucks it in the recycling bin without missing a beat as he walks back up the stairs before you can say a word.  These moods where he just shuts you out drive you to the brink of breaking up with him, as it feels like his coldness locks you out of his heart.  However, you recognize that his coldness is just his passion for leading his team to victory and making the state of Colorado know that there is another team in Denver besides the Broncos.  

As you start to heat up the pancake griddle, you hear Nathan's shoes clomping down the stairs at a quick enough pace to make it to the garage.  You quickly hear the door open and the clanging of the bells as he slams the door shut.  The physical heat of the griddle is not the only heat causing you to sweat.  

"Damnit Nate!  You forgot that it was your turn to plan the anniversary," you yell out as you angrily mix the pancake batter.  

Ever since that one month fiasco, you've both agreed to take turns switching who makes the plans for what big events.  Besides each other's birthdays (due to Nathan being gone more often than not on your birthday), you swap who plans what.  He planned your first anniversary which was a private chef making you both dinner just before he went off to be a part of the NHL's media day.  You planned a lovely second anniversary full of cute animals (in your opinion) at the zoo and brought a picnic lunch crafted by your own hands.  The third anniversary of when you two started dating was his plan, disrupted by rain at the lake where you both grew up swimming and a catered lunch.  Finally, last year's anniversary was ruined by the pandemic running rampant through your home town.  

This one was set to be unremarkable just like the rest, except there were plans ruined by the Stanley Cup.  As you sat down to eat your breakfast, you thought about what all those plans had in common: food.  Delicious, if not a bit bizarre at times, but food was what brought you together.  You met Nathan, after all, in the drive thru of the local Tim Horton's when he was filming an advertisement there.  

You scarfed down your pancakes and got to work, making the most delectable meal in your life.  It was a twist on an old classic: spaghetti and meatballs, but you made the sauce from an old recipe handed down to you by your parents.  You crafted the soup just like you crafted the soup you brought to the local zoo all those years ago.  You created the dough of bread that would be delightfully like the dinner rolls served at dinner at your first year anniversary.  Everything that you made was with tips and memories from past anniversaries in mind.  

A yellow cake frosted with chocolate frosting just like the one you baked together last year, and to top it all off, you found the same water filtered through the lake just a few miles down the road.  Everything was just right to your liking just as the sun started to set in the sky.  After all, time flies best when one is busy!

The garage opens just as the crescent moon starts to rise in the sky.  You quickly take off your apron as Nathan opens the door to get back into the house.  He slams the door shut which makes the bells clang in time with your beating heart.  You take a deep breath and turn around, "Surprise, Nate..."

You couldn't finish your sentence that you crafted and rehearsed while cooking.  He had a big bouquet of wildflowers with a small card around them.  You immediately recognized them from the lake you two roamed two years ago.  Nathan was wearing the same black t-shirt and blue jeans as he did from your first anniversary and he was also holding a stuffed penguin from the zoo you both went to three years ago.  

"I'm sorry I couldn't get anything from last year, so I brought something home for you to see," he says as he places the bouquet of wildflowers and the stuffed penguin on the countertop.  You start to set the table for the two of you as he hastily opens and closes the door to your garage.  It isn't hard to see that Nathan is as flustered as you are.  He then wraps you in a big hug and says, "Turn around, love."

The Stanley Cup was in your living room.  You knew a bit about hockey but the silver trophy beckons to you.  

"You won this?" you ask him.

"Yeah, and I won something more, look inside of it," Nathan replies.  

Inside of the bowl portion of the Stanley Cup, a black velvet box laid there waiting.  You open it up to see a ruby and sapphire ring in it along with a matching necklace.  

"Will you be mine forever?" Nathan asks you.

Without saying a word, you sweep him into a kiss giving him all of the information that he needs to know about your response.

Five anniversaries down, forever to go.

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Hi everyone!  That was a long hiatus (longer than it should have been, but life is like that at times).  Comment below if there is a request you'd like to see written.  My goal is to write one per week as a way for me to gain my creativity back.  Thanks for reading this story so much!