Chicago City Lights

Evelyn had spent the last two weeks in a daze. She and Ben were together, a couple, but part of her still couldn’t believe it was real. She had gone from a school and work obsessed twenty-one year old to a hockey player’s girlfriend in a month. As before, the two of them had spent every minute they possibly could together, Evelyn hanging out at Ben’s apartment. She sat on his couch, as she waited for him to return from that morning’s practice, his second back with the team after his second concussion.

“Hey!” He greeted her, enthusiastically.

“You seem happy,” She commented, standing and walking to him.

He set his bag down and turned to her, “I get to play tonight, under the condition that if I’m dizzy, I’ll tell them and sit out the rest of the game.”

Evelyn grinned as he wrapped his arms around her, “That’s great!”

“Will you come?” He asked her.

She nodded and he kissed her, pushing her back down onto the couch, gripping onto her hips, pushing her Blackhawks tee shirt up slightly. She smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around him, as he moved one of his hands to her thigh, running it along her jean covered legs.

“Ben,” She said, putting her hands on his chest.

It came out as a moan, as he pressed his lips to her throat.

She said more firmly, “Ben.”

He pulled away and looked at her with wide eyes, “I’m sorry. I just… got caught up in - ”

Evelyn smiled, kissing him into silence.

“I know,” She told him. “It’s okay. Just… not yet. Okay?”

Ben smiled, pulling her to him, lying down so she was on his chest, “Of course.”

Evelyn snuggled into him, as he kept his arms wrapped around her, “What were you watching?”

“Days of Our Lives,” She laughed.

Ben rolled his eyes, “A soap opera, really?”

“Shut up.”

- - - - - - - - -

Evelyn gripped onto Samantha, Patrick Sharp’s girlfriend, as Ben skated onto the ice, taking his first shift. She knew he was only going to be on the ice for a few minutes, a couple shifts, just to test the waters, she guessed. Concussions were not things to be messed around with in the NHL, and Ben was willing to sit out as long as it took to be healthy again (even if it did drive him crazy).

Samantha laughed and shook her head at Evelyn.

“Lyn, He’s going to be fine."

Evelyn let out the breath she was holding, as he delivered a hit and skated away, leaving the Blue Jackets player on the ice. Samantha grinned and turned to Evelyn.

“See? Fine!”

And he had been, but the next game – after the All-star break - Evelyn turned to Samantha again, looking as if she was going to cry. The last few minutes of the second period brought a large scrum between the two teams. Ben was out there, of course, and Evelyn watched in horror as him an some Avalanche player, she didn’t know who, started fighting each other.

“Oh my god,” She gasped, as she watched Ben get punched in the face.

Instead of retaliating, he scrunched to the ground, holding his head. Samantha turned to Evelyn with her eyes wide, as she watched the smaller girl let tears stream down her face, bringing a hand to her mouth and choking back a sob.

“Lyn…”

But, Evelyn didn’t respond. She watched Ben get escorted off of the ice, by his teammates, him immediately entering the tunnel and heading to the locker room. Evelyn quickly left her seat and ran to the locker room entrance, the guard recognizing her and quickly letting her in.

Ben sat on the medical table, rubbing his temples, a black eye already formed. A fresh set of tears started when Evelyn saw him, and at the sound of her crying, he quickly looked up.

“Lyn!”

“Oh my god, Ben,” She cried, running toward him and flinging her arms around his neck.

“Hey,” He whispered. “I’m fine.”

She pulled away from him and looked into his bright blue eyes with her own dark brown ones. He pulled her closer and ran his large thumbs over her cheeks, wiping her tears, pressing his lips to each cheek as well.

“I- I got scared…” She barely whispered.

He grinned and pressed his lips to hers, “Baby, don’t worry about me, I’m tough. I can handle a punch.”

He had tried to joke with her, but he realized he failed when she didn’t laugh; she just stared at him.

“All these concussions you’re getting…”

He shrugged, “With that punch, I figure I’ll be out for a little while longer, now.”

She frowned, and rested her head on his chest, standing between his legs as he still sat on the medical bench. Another tear fell from her eye and Ben frowned.

“Hey, no more of that.”

She nodded and let out a light smile.

The medical trainer smiled at them, “Ben, you got yourself a good one, there. Don’t let her go.”

Ben grinned, as he slid off of the bench, kissing her deeply, “I don’t plan on it.”

She smiled, too, and waited for him to shower and change, sitting on the bench. A few minutes later, the team came in for their second intermission to see Evelyn sitting at Ben’s stall.

“Lyn,” Patrick Kane frowned, walking to her, tapping her on the shin with his stick. “You look like you’ve been crying.”

She smiled lightly, running her fingers below her eyes, “Yeah… I have been.”

“Why? Did Ben do something to you?” He asked, suddenly looking angry.

“Besides giving me a heart attack with that fight? No,” He sighed.

Kaner smiled and sat next to her, wrapping her in a hug.

“He scared me. I hate watching him fight,” She told Kaner, hugging him back.

Ben came from the showers, then, furrowing his eyebrows at his girlfriend and Pat Kane.

“You trying to steal my girl, Kaner?”

Kane shook his head, “Just comforting her.”

Evelyn stood and walked to Ben, wrapping her arms around him, as he bid his teammates a good night, tossing Evelyn the keys to his car.

“I think it’s safe to say, you need to drive.”

She nodded, “Come on, let’s get you home and to bed.”

Ben sighed and realized he would be out for another few weeks, maybe even a month, but he knew Evelyn was going to be there for him, no matter what. She always had been, and she always would be.