Obligated Hockey.

The papers were blowing up with him taking Monroe into the arena at the area. Some were seeing it as a date, others as a charity thing he was doing on the side. He hadn’t talked to press today but he was shooting down both options when it came up- even if the guys were digging him a bigger hole by yelling random stories in the locker room for all to hear. Monroe wasn’t his date nor was she a charity, she was his friend, plain and simple as that.

His eyes shifted to the paper before him though with a scowl. The t.v. was on and Monroe was listening to it as she cooked for him. Since the game the two nights ago he’d spent most his time as Monroe’s apartment. Smiling weakly he flipped the paper open to finish reading the lie of an article only to stop at the new announcers voice bringing up Ellie on the current news of his possible cheating.

Monroe stopped as Sidney did at the simple lie that seemed to ease of Ellie’s lips as she talked to the local reporter, clearly looking busy before a photo-shoot – one in which Sidney was skipping at the moment against her demands – and looked relatively calm on the screen.

“That bitch.” Monroe seethed. Sidney choked on his spit at her words. He’d never heard Monroe swear that he could recall. “I’m not a charity!” She snapped. “She’s as crazy and judgmental as her mother.” She added, going back to chopping vegetable viciously.

“You’re not a charity, we both know that, everyone who’s worth it knows that.” She turned to him slightly as she listened to him talk and his chair scrap against the floor. “And when I talk to the media, I’m calling her out on her lies. I’m not going to let her lie about this. You’re my friend, not my newest charity case. I only do charities were small children and hockey are involved.” He teased lightly. Placing his hands on her shoulders he leaned down towards her. “Last I checked, you’re not a small child, nor can you play hockey.” She snorted at him. “Even if you were both, you’re still my friend…” Leaning against the counter next to her, he watched her carefully.

“I could play hockey if I wanted.” She mumbled.

“That’s about as smart as me purposefully taking a puck to the face.” Sidney countered. She scowled.

“I don’t mean with…I meant I can ice skate.” She shot back. Sidney bobbed his head.

“That I understand, confused, but understand. Actual hockey, different story. You’d have me terrified if you tried to actually play hockey.” She laughed and nodded.

“I can pretend, I mean I do need a hockey stick when I ice skate simply to make it safely around the rink.” She clarified. Sidney paused. “Or hold onto someone…” She added.

“I actually wanna see you skate with you when you have a hockey stick…” He mused slowly. She smacked him easily with a huff. “What? I’m not saying…if I lined you up right would you hit Geno or Jordan when told to swing?” She smacked him again a bit rougher. “It’s just a question.” He laughed.

“You’re an asshole.” She grumbled.

“One that’s going to make sure you’re sister doesn’t call you a charity cause.” Monroe’s mouth floundered. “That’s what I thought.” He poked her gently with a laugh. “Why’d you say she’s like her mother?” Monroe curled one lip between her teeth and sighed. “Do you not like your mother?” He was curious.

“She’s not my real mother. Ellie has a different mother than the rest of us. She maybe older than I am but we haven’t different parents.” She stated. Sidney frowned. “My dad married her mother, and her mother brought her into our family.” Sidney nodded slowly.

“So she’s not related to you at all…” He mused. Monroe shook her head.

“But my dad adopted her openly and still takes care of her even though he’s no longer married to her crazy mother.” Sidney frowned.

“Why?” He asked stunned.

“Because she’s been a daughter to him since she was six.” Sidney bobbed his head. “And she has serious daddy issues.” Sidney only snorted at that understatement. “I get why she does but it’s a little much since my dad divorced Linda, her mom.”

“What makes you understand it?” Sidney whispered confused.

“She was there when her dad left.” Sidney mumbled and stumbled still confused. “He hit her and kicked her saying he wished she was never born when she tried to stop him from leaving.” Monroe licked her lips. “She was five, that leaves some emotional and mental scars.”

“That makes sense as to why she’s crazy.” He grumbled. Monroe laughed.

“No. That has nothing to do with the crazy, the crazy comes from her psycho, drug addicted, predigest, mother.” Monroe paused. “Her mother hates anyone who can’t afford a newer car and doesn’t have a career that pays well. Anyone that has a disability…” her hand waved in front of her face as she turned to Sidney. “Is a disgrace on society and should be put down.” His mouth opened.

“You’re not a disgrace on society!” Sidney barked. Standing up he pulled her into hug. “Crazy ass woman.” He grumbled to himself. “why’d you dad marry her?”

“He didn’t know…. She hides it well till she has to spend more than a night with one of us.” Sidney kissed the top of her head without thinking.

“I think people like that should…should be checked.” Monroe giggled, pushing him away and went back to cooking for him. “I’m sorry you grew up with that.”

“I didn’t have to deal with it long, only Ellie who her mother has instilled and planted those ideas and ideals into her head.” Monroe sighed. “She wasn’t so bad growing up, only once she saw our parents falling apart and tried to keep them together only getting the worse of her mother and revisiting her daddy issues. Never been the same since.” Sidney groaned.

“That sucks. Let’s not talk about it anymore, it’s depressing.” Monroe laughed. “No one should judge another person without knowing them.” He stated as a final word.

“Agreed.” Monroe smiled. “And lunch is ready.”

“Finally!” He groaned dramatically. It earned him a grin. “Let’s eat.” She giggled more at him. “What? I’ve been starving over here for the past twenty minutes!” He gasped dramatically again with a smile. She placed the back of her hand to her forehead and faked deep gasp. “Exactly.” He teased.

“Say it ain’t so! I made a big ol’ superstar like Sidney ‘the kid’ Crosby starve for a whole twenty minutes! Say it ain’t so.” She teased back.

“Don’t make me get you.” Sidney warned. She snorted.