You're My Schennshine

“You ok Luke?”

“I think so…No don’t let go!”

“I’m not gonna baby.”

“Oh ok…” I grinned, looking up at him as he sighed, looking around timidly. I bit my lip, holding his hands tightly. I kissed his fingers, holding him tightly as I skated backwards. He’d been working hard to get to this point, walking as much as he could, getting out of the chair to pace around the house. He had all the motions right, skating towards me slowly. I smiled, knowing I was helping by pulling him a little bit. His feet moved slowly, but he was pushing, he was skating.

“You’re skating baby.” I whispered. “You’re back here.” I smiled, biting my lip as I looked at him.

“I know.” He laughed, biting his lip as he looked down at me. I looked carefully over my shoulder, making sure I wouldn’t run into a wall or a person on the packed rink, before looking back to him. “I missed it so much.”

“I did too.” I smiled. “You light up when you’re on the ice…” I grinned. He rolled his eyes, kissing my knuckles, before quickly moving us back to our stable position so he wouldn’t lose his balance.

“You’re so sappy.” He laughed, using our hands to brush his long hair out of his face. “I love it.”

“Would you rather I not be sappy?” I smiled. “I could be a little gr…and a little less sympathetic.” I flirted. He shook his head immediately, looking truly worried.

“No…I like you the way you are.” He laughed. “I like that you stayed with me.” He leaned down to kiss me, jerking a little as he lost his balance. I laughed. Swinging my foot behind me to stop myself and brace my small body against his. He laughed as he wobbled on his skates, stepping and trying to keep his balance.

“You’re walking babe!” I advised. “Come on, you know how to skate.” I laughed, biting my lip and waiting for him to settle.

“I panicked.” He said apologetically. “I thought I was gonna fall.” I shook my head, leaning up, using my toe for height and an anchor so I could kiss him gently.

“I know.” I smiled, going back down to my edges and pulling back and starting to skate again.

“You know.” He smiled. “I wish I was skating behind you…I’m getting kind of jealous.” He said vaguely. I tipped my head, tucking my hair behind my ear as I eyed him.

“Why do you say that?” He laughed nervously.

“I’ve seen you skate backwards.” He laughed. “Your ass sways and it looks fucking sexy!” I rolled my eyes, hitting him in the chest, not hard enough to set him off and make him fall.

“I swear…it’s like this injury is a physical Viagra or something.”

“Oh you’re a brat.” He laughed. “It’s not like that at all…I just haven’t had all the TLC I deserve…I want you.” He grinned, leaning down and starting to slip again. I dug my blades into the ice again to stop sliding backwards and pushed myself up against him to keep us stable. He grinned, inches from my lips. “Thank you babe.” He whispered, kissing my lips and sliding us to the boards. He smiled and pulled himself away for just a moment, watching my eyes as he guided my back to the glass. He brought my hands to my sides, grabbing onto the little red trim piece and holding on. “I’m stable here.” He grinned, leaning down to kiss me.

I grinned, reaching up to cup his cheek in my palm, feeling the smooth skin there. I nipped his lip playfully, sliding up to sink my fingers into his hair. He’d not had a haircut since long before the accident, and overdue, he was much more rugged and weathered than I was used to, his hair not so well maintained and a little more floppy. I loved the way it danced in front of his eyes in just a tempting way to threaten to hide away his bright blue eyes. The way I could sink my fingers in and hold him close. He growled gently against my lips, and I heard his toe grind into the ice as he nudged himself a little closer, his body totally encompassing mine in his delicious embrace and devouring me with those pouty lips that were so soft that I could only wish them as pillows to engulf me.

A shrill whistle pierced the air and we broke, seeing the staff pointing at us rudely. I laughed, sighing and sliding my hands through my hair. I looked up at him, seeing a bright blush over his cheeks. I leaned up and kissed his eyes, hugging him and skating in front of him, holding his hands again.

“I can’t wait until you’re playing again.” I smiled, squeezing his hands.

“You’re not the only one.” He said with a shake of his head. “I miss playing. The team is good and all…but it’s not the same.” I smiled, looking up at him.

“When you start playing again, are you gonna stop with the Torrents?” I asked curiously. “I mean…desert them? After all they gave you?”

He shrugged, looking at his skates. “I mean, I don’t want to, I kind of like playing sledge…it’s different you know.” He smiled. “I mean, I’m sure Jason wouldn’t mind if I missed out because of road trips or practice or something.” He bit his lip. “I mean…I’m sure he’d rather me do playoffs with the Leafs than with them…he wouldn’t hate me for making that choice.” He grinned. “I might have to make that choice. It looks like I’ll be getting better just in time for round one…they got a whole schedule for me starting next week.” His eyes lit up then. “If I go at this pace, I’ll be playing in the second round latest.” I couldn’t help but smile, hearing the siren go off then.

“Time to go wonder boy.” I smiled crossing over and leading us backwards to the doors.

“Woo!” He laughed.

“What?” I laughed.

“That was some hockey crossing over style stuff right there!” He laughed playfully, biting his lip. “I didn’t know you had such smooth moves.” He laughed, squeezing my hands. I grinned up at him, before I’d lost track of where I was going and ran into the wall beside the door.

“Ow.” I grunted, closing my eyes.

“Smooth isn’t the right word, I guess.” He laughed, stepping off the ice, slowly walking to the bench where he could sit and put down his shoes. “Woo…I’m tired.” She smiled, shaking his head and sliding his hand through his hair as he started to work at the laces on his skates. I smiled as I stepped off and walked over to our locker to grab our shoes and plunk down onto the bench beside him.

“I was too busy looking at you.” I smiled. “I’m plenty smooth.” I laughed, elbowing him playfully. He giggled, elbowing me back, turning his body to pinch my hip. I yelped as I jumped, punching him in the arm. He laughed and hit me right back. I sighed, feeling the cool air in my lungs, and grinned at him.

I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding as the lights came up in the Air Canada Center after the opening video and the anthem. I blinked as I looked at the ice, taking another shallow breath. I nervously sipped my beer. The bowl was thick with blue jerseys…the entire stadium hummed with excitement. Plastered on the jumbotron was “STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS 2011.” The blue paint on either side of the blue lines declaring the occasion was a more than happy sight.

I nervously shifted from foot to foot, leaning against the railing on the edge of the club booth, holding my beer bottle in a white knuckled grasp. I was holding my breath again. I’d never been so excited and anxious at the same time.

Brian Burke was at center ice, a microphone in his hand. I bit hard into my lip as he waited for the shrill excitement of the crowd to subside before he spoke into the mic.

“We haven’t had a Playoff Run since the lockout.” He said solemnly, hearing a volley of boos resonate over the crowd. He waited again, and I grabbed the railing, trying to dig my fingers into the metal. “But Your Toronto Maple Leafs have turned that around!” He shouted into the microphone, his booming voice made a whisper by the roar of Leaf’s Nation. I winced at the decibel value as diehard fans that’d waited over a lifetime to have this chance let out their pent up frustrations and the blue and white contents of their swollen hearts.

“Now…for the ceremonial puck drop for this special occasion.” I saw him there, at the entrance to the ice, swaying a little nervously…eyes of an intensity I wasn’t all too familiar with. “Well on a way to rejoining your Maple Leafs…LUKE SCHENN.”

He left his cane at the ice entrance, blinking timidly against the bright lights and waving to the deafening crowd as he walked onto the ice, a bit stiffly, but dressed in a suit and his jersey…he looked like he belonged. A ref passed him a puck and he leaned over just as deep as Phil and Alexander Ovechkin did for the face off. I saw Phil mutter something, tipping his head up. Luke looked at him, before blinking and nodded, straightening up a little, before he dropped the puck. Even bleached by the lights, I could see that he was blushing, just the way his eyes lit up and the look on his face. Phil was laughing as he took the puck and handed it to Luke. His big blue glove fussed with his hair as they hugged tightly. Luke waved again to the crowd as he slowly left the ice. I could tell he was empowered, his heart was full and he was proud, walking hastily down the tunnel.

He left his cane by the door.