Different Stars

“That goofy grin, Sid. You can’t hide anything from me.” Marc-Andre winked as he lifted his mask and stood next to Sidney.

When Sidney didn’t say anything Marc-Andre laughed loudly and lifted his stick in salute. “Ah, finally, you understand.”

Sidney turned to look at him sharply. “Understand what?”

“You understand what it is with me and Veronique. Why we are together all this time through all this shit.” He gestured around the arena.

Sidney shook his head a little. “I’m don’t think we’ve gotten that far into our relationship yet.”

“Really? You have not spent this much time with a girl since…well, since I have known you. And I’ve known you a long time, mon ami.” Flower said with a mocking laugh.

Sidney shrugged. “When I’m with her, it’s just that. It’s not about anything else. She’s just my girlfriend - I’m not famous with her. She doesn’t even think about it.”

Flower nodded. “I’m lucky, you know, not to be the one. The next Gretzky, so I don’t know what you mean exactly. But she probably is feeling a little bit of the same. She’s Cadence Hadley, and you’re you. Perfect if you think about it.”

Sidney paused with a furrowed brow, his thoughts shifting to an earlier comment from Flower. “Why haven’t you married her yet?”

“I have trouble with commitment.” Flower said before skating off. Sidney laughed and knew that he was lying. There was more to their story, he was sure of it. Regardless, he was right. Cadence understood his life more than most people could because she was also going through it. She was just as famous as he was, maybe more, so she could relate to being in the spotlight. She never seemed to let it get to her, even when she was dealing with pesky reporters. Maybe he could learn a thing or two from her.

==

“And that movie makes you tense how exactly?” Sidney asked with a laugh. He’d sat through Titanic and found it surprising entertaining. Although when she threw the diamond into the ocean with nothing more than an “oops” he couldn’t stop laughing out loud which earned him a glare from Cadence.

“Are you kidding? I know that there is no chance that all of them will survive, but I just keep hoping that the ending changes.” Cadence told him honestly with a shrug and a slightly embarrassed smile.

“It’s a movie that is based on history. Almost everyone on the Titanic died.” Sidney couldn’t help but touch her cheek gently, as he tried to hold back more laughter. She looked so worried over something as simple as a movie. He loved it.

“I know. But sometimes I like to think of other endings. Things that could have happened differently. In my ending they both made it on a lifeboat and lived happily ever after.” She said, and Sidney couldn’t hold back anymore, he dissolved into all out laughter.

“Hey!” She picked up a pillow and smacked him across the face with it. He grabbed it out of her hands and threw it on the floor.

“Hey what?” He asked, finally catching his breath.

“Why was that so funny?” She asked as she put her hands on his knees and leaned closer to him.

“Who makes up new endings to movies?” There was still laughter in his voice. She moved her hand to the inside of his knee. “It’s just a movie.”

“I do. Girls think about these things, Sid.” She told him.

“Girls are weird.”

“Boys have cooties.” Cadence told him. He smiled at her playful expression. She made him happy. It felt nice to be with someone that didn’t want anything from him other than that he was himself. He couldn’t remember meeting a woman like her. Not that he let women get this close to him normally, but Cadence didn’t make him worry. He felt like he could trust her.

“I have my cootie shot. I got it in third grade.” Sidney pushed a lock of hair from her forehead.

“Good. Because if you had cooties, you wouldn’t be getting any bootie.” Cadence told him then dissolved into laughter at her own joke. Sidney tried not to laugh, but it didn’t last long. He paused to watch her. She was half laying on him giggling hysterically and practically shaking the whole couch. He thought that if he could just keep this moment forever, he’d be a happy man indeed. She finally stopped and gathered her breath.

“I made a rhyme.” She told him with a tilted grin.

“I heard. I’m impressed.” He said then moved so that he lay on top of her. He felt the change in her body. She went soft and looped her arms around his neck.

“You should be. It was poetic magic. I mean, I managed to rhyme a word with bootie. That is not an easy task.” Cadence told him. He shifted his leg so that it was pressing against her crotch.

“I am.” He said, not really thinking about what he was saying. He was focused on the way her eyes were changing, taking on a look of desire. He ground his knee into her and he felt her hands tighten on his neck.

“Sidney…” She said then bit down on her lip causing him to bend down and kiss her. Her hands moved to peel off his shirt and he let her gladly.

-----

Being in Pittsburgh with Sidney was all that Cadence needed to totally convince her that she was in love. She didn’t want to leave him, to get back on the road. But real life forced her into it. She’d been back on tour with the band for two months and had managed to see Sidney a few days here and there.

She’d never been in love before. She was beginning to realize that love was a confusing mix of emotions. She felt vulnerable and wide open; it made her uncomfortable. Aiden would tell her that it was because she’d just never met someone that deserved to be loved by her, and she would tell him that he was crazy. However, she loved Sidney, that much she was sure of. She knew that Sidney was a great guy, and was not the type to cheat on her, but she was beginning to get tired of keeping their relationship a secret. Secrets only led to problems.

“You seem very happy.” Jane told her as they sat around waiting for the show to start. They were in Chicago tonight. Cadence was happy, but at the same time she was miserable.

“I am. Sidney’s…great.” Cadence crinkled her brow. “Do you ever look at Ben and think about your life before him?”

“We’ve been together since high school.” Jane joked. “But I think about my life without him. Especially now.” Cadence watched Jane gently stoke her slightly rounded stomach.

“So he’s the only guy you’ve ever been in love with?”

“Yes. He is.”

“And you’re totally happy with that? You’ve been together for so long. You never think about it or worry about what he does on tour?”

“I have. But I trust him and if he tells me that he hasn’t done anything, I believe him. What other choice do I have?” Jane said with a small smile. “He loves you too. I may have only met him one time, but he didn’t seem like the sorta man that cheats. He’s too honest.”

Cadence smiled widely. “I know. He just…he’s so private.”

Jane shrugged. “It’s give and take, Cadee. The man can’t be perfect, even if his body is.”

Cadence let out a loud laugh at her unexpected comment. “It is pretty spectacular. I keep thinking I’ll get used to seeing it, but no, I’m always shocked by it.”

Jane laughed too, but was interrupted from talking when their tour manager, Carl, came into the room.

“There’s a VIP meet and greet tonight. If you don’t mind, would it be ok to do it before?” The band regularly met fans before shows. Cadence preferred it to meeting them after because she was usually pretty tired by the time the shows were over and she wasn’t at her best. She’d rather fans saw her at her before she was all sweaty and worn out.

“Of course!” She said enthusiastically. Carl left room and Cadence turned to Jane. “Thanks for listening to me. I know that you took a break from working to come on tour, but I’m glad. I need a woman on tour with me.”

Jane shook her head. “You’ve lived with these boys forever, but thanks for letting me into ‘the circle’ as Aiden says. Your secrets are safe with me.” Then Jane pulled Cadence into a hug before leaving the room.

-

“Your VIP tonight is some hockey player and his girlfriend.” Carl said as he walked Cadence to the area where selected fans were allowed.

“Whoa there.” Cadence stopped Carl by putting her hand on his arm. He looked at her, a little annoyed. He was a busy man and this was a delay he couldn’t afford. He looked at his clipboard.

“Brent Seabrook and Calista Morgan.” He said then left her to enter the room.

No one knew she was dating Sidney, so this was a weird situation for her to say the least. She took a deep breath then entered the room.

She’d heard the name Brent Seabrook, but wasn’t that familiar with him. She assumed he was the very tall and solidly built man standing next to a beautiful brunette. She studied the pair, eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Thanks, Babe. I know this is your night off.” The girl said with a grin.

“Eh, it’s nice just to be home.” He winked at her as he said it. “I like the band too. You should know, you introduced me to them.”

“And Megan introduced me to them. She’d say it was the ‘circle of life.’” She said, with a small frown.

“About that, I was thinking. You should visit her. You have Thanksgiving break and I’m on the road.” He said and instantly the girl’s expression brightened. She hugged him, practically having to jump to reach around his neck.

“That’s a perfect idea!” As the two were hugging, Cadence decided she should stop being a weird eavesdropper and walked over to them.

“Brent and Calista?” Cadence offered her hand for them to shake.

“Hi, call me Callie.” The brunette offered and took her hand eagerly. Brent gave Callie a smile that showed his love and happiness with her and Callie wasn’t even looking. He wasn’t smiling at her as much as he was simply looking at her and his emotions were coming through. Cadence couldn’t help thinking of Sidney - wishing he would look at her that way, not worried about who would see it.

“Brent.” He said when he offered his hand.

“You actually met my friend. You probably don’t remember though. Her name was Megan, and she was hit -

“by my shoe.” Cadence finished. “I do remember. She’s in St. Louis.” Cadence smiled thinking about meeting Megan. Megan was…slightly odd, but Cadence appreciated her honesty and complete disregard about the fact that she was talking to a famous person.

“Yeah. I’m sad that she left Chicago, but she needed a change.” Callie said with a frown.

“She got my best pair of shoes out of the deal, so she shouldn’t be complaining that much.” Cadence told her. Brent laughed and Callie blushed. Cadence knew there was some secret to this. “She still has the shoes, right?”

“She has them. Callie doesn’t like what Megan calls them. At least not in public anyway.” Brent said, before looping his arm around Callie’s shoulders. Again, Cadence couldn’t stop the small bit of longing that went though her at his small gesture. Sidney always walked a small distance from her in public, and he definitely would never touch her.

His comment caused Callie’s blush to intensify.

“Now you have to tell me what she calls them.” Cadence said, trying to shake her feelings.

“She calls them her stripper shoes.” Callie said in a whisper. Cadence grinned widely.

“That’s the polite version of what I called them.” Cadence said. She saw Brent smile and she realized that he already knew what her name for the shoes were, but Callie just looked intrigued.

“What did you call them?” She asked.

“My-” Cadence started to say, but Brent interrupted her.

“I’ll tell you later. I’ll even buy you a pair.” Callie just looked a little confused, and she shook her head.

“It was nice meeting you two, but I should get going.” Cadence said.

“No problem. It was nice to meet you.” Callie said.

Before she left the room, Cadence turned around to look again at Brent and Callie. He was talking to Callie in a low voice with a sexy lopsided grin. He said something that made Callie gasp then turn bright red and laugh. Cadence assumed he'd just told her that Cadee had called the previously discussed shoes her fuck me heels.

===

“Something. The Beatles.” The reporter had asked what song she thought was the most romantic song ever written. Cadence didn’t even have to think before answering. For her, that song had always touched her. Her stepdad listened to all kinds of music, but specifically the Beatles. On long car trips they'd listen to them for hours. For the longest time when she heard the song, she felt like there was something out there that was bigger than anything she’d ever experienced. Now she understood it. She pictured Sidney laying in bed, slowly waking and still groggy and her stomach clinched with longing.

“Whoa. That was a look. Did I strike a nerve with that one?” The reporter asked. “Thinking of a boyfriend?”

Cadence crinkled her brow and looked at the man. “What?”

“That look. You seemed liked you were thinking about something else. Maybe a love interest?”

The question was simple enough, but Cadence was at a loss for words.

“It’s a simple question. Has the unstoppable Cadence Hadley finally settled and been stopped?”

She gulped audibly, she knew the Sid would not appreciate her exposing their relationship. “I don’t really see what this has to do with the band.”

“Everything. You expect your people to believe that you aren’t in love? There are three possibilities. You’re in a secret romance, you’re a lesbian, or you are a serial dater/slash whore. All of which are possible.”

Cadence sputtered a little before answering. “I’m in a relationship. It’s really not your business to know more than that.”

“You’re a public figure. That means your personal life is something that I can report on and that the public want to know about.”

“Well then, I’m in a relationship with a guy.”

“A serious relationship?”

Cadence shook her head in irritation, but answered anyway. “Yes.”

“Does he have a name?”

“He does.” Cadence said sarcastically, but not giving the reporter more information.

“Is he why the band relocated to Pittsburgh?” The reported asked with a mocking smile. Cadence wanted to hit him. He knew the answers to all these questions. That much was clear from his expression.

“It’s a nice city. Change is good.”

“And you have “friends” there?”

“Of course.”

“You’re not sharing more than that?”

“No. If you want to ask me about something not related to my personal life, I’d be happy to answer those questions.” She said uncharacteristically short. The reporter just nodded and smiled.

“I don’t have any further questions.”

+
Cadence was finally on her way to see Sidney. After such a long time on tour, she couldn’t wait to get home. They’d decided that she should just move in with him while she was in Pittsburgh. The thought of seeing him and sleeping in a bed that she considered her own, brought a smile to her face. She expected Sidney to be happy too, but was instead confronted by him quickly.

“You can’t talk about us on tv.” Sidney told her the second she walked through the door.

“What do you mean? It’s nice to see you too.” Cadence threw him a confused smile.

“That interview. I told you that I don’t like sharing my public life.”

“You mean the interview where he asked if I was dating someone and I said yes?” Cadence shook her head in annoyance. “It’s not like I said, I’m dating Sidney Crosby. I just said that I was in a relationship.”

“Then you said that I’m the reason you moved here.” Sidney’s hands were on his hips and he was clearly upset. Cadence gritted her teeth.

“It sounds like you saw the interview, and he pretty much forced me to answer those questions.” Cadence paused then set her stuff on the floor. Usually he took it from her, but clearly he had other things on his mind today. “And he does have a point. The public should know, if they ask. It’s not a secret. I’m not ashamed of you, of us.” Cadence said the last part quickly. It was how she felt, but she was scared to see his reaction.

Sidney rolled his eyes. “I’m not ashamed either. I don’t think that people deserve to know anything about what I do off the ice.”

“Really? You’re a celebrity and people are curious about your private life. Wouldn’t it just be easier to say that we’re a couple if people ask? You say that you aren’t ashamed, but it really feels like you are.”

“Cadence I am NOT ashamed of you.” Sidney said emphatically. He smiled and shook his head before moving close to Cadee and grabbing her hand. “Honestly, sometimes I wonder how a guy like me managed to get a girl like you. Other people will too. I’ve never felt like I had to share my personal life. I don’t want you to ever think that’s it because I’m ashamed of you. It’s because I’m neurotic about my privacy.”

“Eventually people will find out. I’m not marrying you without people knowing.” Cadence said, thinking toward the future like women always do, or like Sidney always seemed to.

“We’re getting married?”

“You have to ask first. I’m just letting you know for the future that eventually people will find out. And it won’t be the end of the world.” Cadence squeezed his hand to soften her point.

“Just give me some time. That’s all I’m asking. I’m not sure you realize how famous I am in Canada. They will care even if people in America don’t.”

“That’s true. But YOU should also remember that I’m famous all over the world and I don‘t care what they think.”

“It’s not good if people think I’m indiscriminately sleeping with women. I’m here to win the Stanley Cup.” Sidney told her.

“Women? Last time I checked it was just me and you. I was the only woman in your bed. Is this you or your agent talking? Because this doesn’t sound like you.” Cadence said with a furrowed brow. Sidney’s pause confirmed her suspicions. His “people” definitely had something to do with this. At least they brought the interview to his attention.

“They’re right. I don’t need the distraction of dealing with all the press. It's how I feel, not them.” Sidney said, but immediately could tell that he’d said something wrong.

“A distraction?” Cadence pulled back like he slapped her. She was appalled.

“You’re twisting my words.” Sidney crinkled his brow and looked at her, his expression earnest. “You know what that one reporter was like?” causing Cadence to shudder. “Imagine that ten times. Prying into our lives.”

Cadence wanted to argue, but he had a good point. For now she would let it go. After all, relationships were built on compromise and trust, weren’t they? She was beginning to question whether or not she could handle the secrecy.