Sequel: The Right Thing
Status: Make sure to check out "The Right Thing" the full length this inspired!

Treacherous

This path is reckless...

I felt a bit like an intruder standing in his bedroom and struggling to zip my own dress. It was struggle, the act of raising my zipper completely on my own. Difficulty was not a surprise; it was kind of like him in a way. Stubborn and single minded.

But I could be very much the same way at times.

I found a wire hanger tucked away in a dry cleaning bag in his closet. I reached behind my back, bending at an awkward angle but eventually managed to hook the hanger through the zipper on my dress. Sid would have called me industrious if he’d been watching from his favorite place at the foot of the bed. Or maybe he would have said that I’d McGayver’d the shit out of it. I never knew with him. He could be incredibly well read one moment and the typical hockey player the next.

Tonight he would be well-read. I was certain of that much. The Captain would have to be on his best behavior for the sake of the organization.

My best friend had landed tickets for the evening and pushed them towards me as a gift, belated payment for the times I’d covered the rent when he couldn’t swing his half. Sidney laughed when I told him but I’d assured him that I would tell Sebastian to give them to another friend.

He’d looked serious at that moment, lying next to me with the moonlight that filtered through the window dancing across the planes of his face and chest.

“You don’t have to stop being a fan because you’re in love with me.”

He meant it. I knew that he did. The tone of his voice was much like it had been when he called me out of the blue just a few weeks after we’d met in Boston and invited me to spend two weeks with him in Cole Harbour. I hadn’t believed him then, not until my Blackberry alerted me to an email confirming my flight itinerary from Boston to Halifax.

I’d learned over the six-plus months that we’d been together to believe the words he spoke when he used that tone, regardless of how unbelievable or ridiculous they seemed.

“Besides, won’t he get suspicious if you turn them down?”

He was right about Sebastian. He only paid attention to hockey because I’d forced him to watch with me for years. He still didn’t really enjoy it and he certainly didn’t understand the intricacies of the game. If I’d denied the invite, especially with my mysterious boyfriend keeping me in Pittsburgh so much of the time, it would have raised more than a few questions. It would be best if I went.

Sidney and I preferred to remain a well-kept secret. We knew it wouldn’t last forever, but I loved the fact that I could spend weeks at a time with him in Pittsburgh and no one would notice. I’d tell Sebastian that I was in town, but he still hadn’t met the mysterious boyfriend I was keeping in the city. But no one else in my life, save from my father, really knew about us.

His teammates knew that I existed in the same way my friends knew he existed. Even Sidney couldn’t keep secrets that well. But only Geno and Kris had ever seen me in the flesh. The rest had no clue who I was, they certainly couldn’t have picked me out of a lineup.

I managed to get the dress zipped and smoothed the material against my stomach and hips. The soft flare of the skirt barely brushed the pinprick bruises on my hips that Sidney had left there the night before, the perfect impression of his fingertips upon my skin.

I smiled as I adjusted a blonde curl and slipped into my favorite silver heels. They were the ones that I’d worn the night before, shoes that he’d insisted I leave on even after all of my clothing had wound up in a pile in the middle of his bedroom floor.

I liked the way they made my calves look.

So did Sidney.

Sebastian would be picking me up any minute and he’d always given me crap when I took too long getting ready for things. But as my oldest and dearest friend, he was liable to give me crap about anything and everything which was one of the reasons my mystery boyfriend remained a mystery. It had been enough of a struggle to convince him to drive all the way out to Sewickley to pick me up for the event. He’d actually joked that I’d have to call a cab, though if I’d stepped out of line I was almost certain it would have quickly become the truth of my night.

“Why can’t your boyfriend be your arm candy for this benefit?”

He may have procured the tickets, but they were meant as a gift for me to take in their entirety. He’d had no intention of going along to a charity event that required a certain dress code.

“He’s working.”

It wasn’t a lie. I always tried not to lie if I could help it. I was choosing to misguide him, but I wasn’t actually lying. Sidney was working. He would be waiting tables while we enjoyed entertainment and food for charity.

“Besides, he isn’t a fan.”

It was a fine line that I was walking; I was liable to lose my footing if I wasn’t careful. But again, I wasn’t lying.

“A red-blooded American man living in this town who doesn’t like the Penguins? I might only watch for the French one and his hair, but I still watch. What’s his excuse?”

“He’s not from here originally.”

“Neither am I.”

I didn’t argue; the less he knew about Sidney, the better.

I wished that I was in Sidney’s car with the seat warmers keeping the chill away from my exposed legs. Instead I was riding in the Chevy sedan that Sebastian had been driving since high school. It was the car that we’d used to move to Boston the summer after our senior year. It was the one I’d watched drive away when he moved to Pittsburgh, leaving me alone in the apartment we’d shared through the last two years of college.

“When are you just going to pick up and move here? Stop spending so much on airfare and just settle here already. I know you don’t want me to meet this guy and mess things up for you, but if you’re serious enough to spend so much time here, isn’t it worth a look?”

I felt myself blush as Sidney’s voice crept into my thoughts. I covered my response by gazing out the window and into the twilight as we got closer to the arena. I shrugged in reply, thankful that Sidney’s lips hadn’t left a mark as they’d assaulted the skin of my neck the night before. I was no good at covering bruises with makeup and I hadn’t wanted to wear a scarf to an event that required cocktail attire.

I pulled my coat tighter to my body as the sound of his voice, husky with desire and exertion, resonated through my mind. It sent a shiver of want up my spine. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

“Move in with me.”

“In the middle of the season?”

“Tomorrow, next week, the day of the finals. I don’t care. I just want you to move here. I want you to be here like this every night.”

“You’re insane.”

“Never bothered you before.”

He used his lips to silence me; any intended response falling away only to be replaced with a weak moan has his hands traced my body in the darkness.

“Do you have a favorite that you want to be our waiter?”

Sebastian’s voice made me jump. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been drifting into thoughts of Sidney and the way his body fit with mine, but I’d clearly lost track of the conversation.

“Distracted much?” He chuckled.

“Daydreaming.”

“I hope we get the French one.”

“Which French one?”

“The one with the sex hair,” He paused for a moment. “Wait, there’s more than one?”

I couldn’t help but laugh as we pulled up to the valet. Sid had already texted me to tell me that Craig Adams would be our waiter for the evening. He’d also told me that Kris and Geno were sworn to secrecy and forbidden from treating me like anything other than the average dinner guest.

We didn’t want to become the center of attention at a charity event. It would be the wrong time for our coming out party.

I just hoped that I could keep my staring and drooling to a minimum. It was already clear that it would be a struggle. My thoughts of the night before made it hard to stay still. I feared that I’d come apart if he so much as looked at me the wrong way and I was sure that Sidney would be more than aware of that fact.

Sebastian escorted me inside as we checked our coats. He raised an eyebrow at the top of my dress. It wasn’t anything too showy, but my upper back and décolletage were mostly exposed, spaghetti straps keeping the navy frock in place. He didn’t say a word, but I could read his mind; he’d never seen me in anything even remotely revealing. It was one of the reasons that I loved winter, I could layer my clothes until only my face and hands were exposed and even that could be alleviated outdoors. He knew that I was a less is more sort of person, but I was feeling just a bit more adventurous of late.

We mingled and met the people we’d be seated with. Sebastian knew a couple of the single people at the table from work, the architecture firm where he worked having purchased the table for the evening. We were joined by others as well, eight people at the table in all. The friendliest were the retired couple across from us, Roy and Margaret. They, unlike the single people at the table, seemed to be more interested in the whole event and they were certainly more personable than some.

Margaret had almost immediately assumed we were a couple, fair enough given the circumstance of our arrival, but it was enough to make Sebastian choke on his water. I covered for him quickly, giving the short version of our origin story. Friends since childhood, went off to college together in Boston, him at Harvard and me at BU, and roommates until he’d moved to Pittsburgh for his job. My work as a graphic designer took me wherever I wanted to be which for the time being meant a mostly unoccupied apartment in Boston that felt terribly empty without my roommate. It had been two years, but I still wasn’t used to being alone in the apartment, it was one of the reasons that I’d met Sidney.

Sidney had been teasing me about getting rid of the place for months. It was barely furnished and I spent very little time there. It was a little ridiculous to still be paying rent. But it was always a playful mention of the situation during my many trips to Pittsburgh in the shortened season. But he’d never seemed truly serious about it, not until the previous night.

It was the same tone that he’d used when he’d booked my ticket to Halifax. He’d meant it. He wanted me in Pittsburgh permanently.

“I tried to give Wynnie the tickets, but she refused to take both.”

“My usual date is working tonight. I figured it would be just as fun to go with a good friend.”

“She just likes to make me wear ties when I’m not in business meetings.”

Margaret laughed as conversation trailed away from us and onto other subjects.

The introductions of our servers were made just before dinner was set to be served. I bit down on my lip as Sidney came through the tunnel and towards the makeshift ballroom. I’d know the way he moved from a mile away. I knew every inch of him, I’d taken the time to learn all there was to know. I’d know him by the way his skin felt against my own in the darkness.

It was the tuxedo that astounded me. He looked damn good in a white tie with his hair gelled out of his face. One stray curl brushed his forehead as he smiled and made his way to the table next to ours. He was so close that I could smell him. I could practically feel the heat radiating off of him.

It all felt very dangerous.

I spent my night trying to seem engaged in the conversations occurring at our table, but all night all I could hear was his voice. It was like torture with him so close, talking animatedly with the people at his table. I wanted to tease him about sitting down on the job, but I didn’t dare risk seeming too familiar.

Instead, I listened to the way his voice vibrated as it travelled from his chest through his throat.

He stood and made a path that took him directly behind my chair. I felt his fingertips graze the exposed skin of my back. I couldn’t control the chill that it sent through me. I shivered and could only imagine the victorious grin that was likely painted upon his bee-stung lips as he sauntered away from me.

My sudden response brought more attention than I would have liked. The eyes of the others at the table fell to me. Craig’s eyes followed Sidney as he walked away. He refilled my wine without a word. If he hadn’t known before, it had become abundantly clear that something was up.

I played it off as Craig followed Sidney towards the locker room with our empty wine bottles in his hands.

“Did you know he went to Harvard?” Sebastian asked, his eyes on Craig as he moved away from us.

I nodded. “He’s married.”

There was fear in the pit of my stomach. We were so comfortable with our quiet little existence and he was putting it all on the line. It was us against the world and the world didn’t even know it, but Sidney was running the risk of changing that.

He knew exactly what he was doing, teasing me to the brink of insanity, risking outing us for a little bit of fun and power. He’d do anything to win and I wasn’t even playing the game.

I’d give him hell for it later; that was if I hadn’t imploded by the time we both made it back to the house.

Craig returned with a fresh bottle of Merlot and topped off Margaret and Roy’s glasses quickly.

He knew who I was, I was sure of it. He cocked his eyebrow at Kris as the defenseman approached from the tunnel. I expected him to head towards his own table, but instead he stepped up in front of me. I thought Sebastian would fall apart as soon as he heard Kris speak in the accent that he loved so much.

“Bronwyn?” He asked.

He knew the answer, but I nodded in reply.

“There’s an important call for you, if you’d come this way.”

He led me away from the table as I sputtered something about a blonde moment and leaving my phone at home. I could see Craig shaking his head, regretting that he had any knowledge of the situation. I glanced at Kris as he stopped at the end of the tunnel.

“Straight down, second right.”

I nodded; fuming that Sidney would have put me in such an awkward situation. I was angry with myself for thinking we could pull it off. I shouldn’t have even gone along to the event. Sebastian could have easily found another taker, but Sidney had insisted that it would be fun and that I deserved quality time with a friend.

So far it had been little more than torture all in the name of Sidney enjoying the way he could make me powerless against his charms.

It was treacherous; dangerous but so terribly enticing.

Like they say; it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

I turned right and found myself pressed against a solid surface with another, just as solid, pressed up against me. The metal of the door was like ice on the exposed skin of my back and arms. The man pressed against me was like fire.

I reached up and slapped him on the arm. It did me no good, he merely grinned.

I wanted to be angry, we could be caught. At any moment someone could take a wrong turn and the lid would be blown off the whole thing.

But I’d lost my edge.

I was melting against him, one of his massive thigh pressed between mine was the only thing keeping me from sliding down the door and into a useless puddle at his feet.

His eyes were endless pools, layers of brown and honey that went on forever. I was drowning in them by the time his lips were pressed against mine.

He let out a throaty chuckle as I nipped at his bottom lip out of a combination of lust and frustration. I pushed against his chest with all my might, giving us some distance. But it wasn’t enough. He was still intoxicatingly close. I hated that he could capture me in those eyes and strike me dumb. I wouldn’t ever get used to it and I doubted I would ever develop immunity.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I hissed.

“I couldn’t help myself.”

“This is a charity event and you’re going to screw it up.”

“No one is going to demand a refund if they find out I have a girlfriend.”

“We can’t be the assholes who distract a bunch of people from the actual purpose of an event like this.”

“I don’t care anymore. Screw secrets.”

“This isn’t the time, Sidney.”

“You should have thought about that before you put those fucking shoes on.”

“I didn’t know my 25-year-old boyfriend had the self-control of a teenager.”

“I control myself a lot better than a teenager.”

“Sidney,” I scolded.

“You’d be screaming that right now if I didn’t,” he said with the upward flick of an eyebrow. “You never answered me last night.”

The look in his eyes made it clear that he was holding himself back though his hands were roaming freely upon the pieces of me that he could reach, setting trails of blazing heat upon my skin with every pass. I knew that if I pushed him just a little, played his game, our position could become much more compromising very quickly. We were walking a very fine line.

“I don’t recall being asked a question that warranted answering.”

He pressed his pelvis firmly against mine. The bruises on the ridges of my hips cried out as I bit down on my lip. I shouldn’t have been playing coy. He had the upper hand and I couldn’t win as his game continued. But he was egging me on and he knew it.

“Move in with me.”

“That isn’t a question.”

“Will you move in with me?”

“Can we discuss this later?”

“On the drive home.”

“Sebastian is driving me home.”

“Your boyfriend is driving you home.”

“Doesn’t my boyfriend have work to do?”

“For a little while, but he’ll pick you up at the valet after the auction.”

“You’re—“

He cut me off with another kiss. I refused to let things spiral and I pulled away from him.

“Insane, I know.”

He gave me another kiss, chaste and soft, unlike the ones before. He’d called off the game, just like that. He pulled away and brushed a curl out of my face. I stifled a whimper as the heat of his thigh and torso slipped away, leaving me feeling cold and exposed.

“Now, go out there and pretend everything is normal.”

“Nothing about this is normal,” I replied as I straightened my dress and glanced down the hallway hoping we hadn’t been seen.

“Just tell them that your boyfriend called and he got done with work a little early so he’s picking you up a little after 10 o’clock.”

I reached forward and straightened his boutonniere.

“You know I love you, right?”

There was that tone again. It was the only truly serious thing he’d said to me all night.

I let my hand slide up his jacket before brushing my fingers along his neck and cupping the side of his face. He leaned into the contact, his eyes fluttering closed for just a second.

“I know, Sidney. And I love you too.”

I denied myself the pleasure of another kiss, knowing that my lips were likely already swollen from his initial attack. I could feel his eyes on me as I walked away and made my way back to the table, relieved that I hadn’t worn lipstick for fear it would have been spread everywhere but my lips.

Kris caught a glimpse of me as I settled back in my seat. I saw him nudge Geno and grin. I averted my eyes. I had no interest in watching them enjoy how awkward I was feeling in that moment.

“Is everything okay?” Margaret asked as I returned, sounding truly concerned.

I smiled and gave a soft nod.

“Was it Patrick?”

Patrick. It was Sidney’s name on the phone, his name in my phone even. It was a way of referring to him without giving things away. There was no hint of who he was when I called him by his middle name. It was code that leant itself well to the depth of our little mystery.

“Yes,” I replied. I sent my explanation to the others at the table. “My boyfriend got done with work a little early and he’s going to drive me home tonight. That way Bastian doesn’t have to go so far out of his way tonight.”

Things at the table went back to normal as one of the singles; a woman named Laura began to ask us questions about Boston. I wasn’t sure the source of her curiosity, but both of us were more than willing to talk about the city we’d adopted after our escape from the Midwest. I admitted that I loved the city more than most other places I’d spent much time. I didn’t want to admit that my heart was in Pittsburgh, but it was the truth.

“Will you move here?” Roy asked.

Sebastian sighed. How many times had he tried to ask me the same question and gotten no response? But I smiled in reply.

“I think I’ll be here permanently before long.”

I felt Sebastian’s eyes on me as the conversation went elsewhere and the auction grew closer.

“When is he picking you up?”

“A little after 10.”

“Will I finally meet him?”

“Only if you wait at the valet with me after the auction.”

I was sure he wanted to go home, but he was a curious person and wouldn’t pass up the chance to meet my elusive better half, the one capable of making me uproot and move southwest, away from the coast that I’d grown to love so much in the years that I’d been in Boston. But Sebastian didn’t know how beautiful Nova Scotia was; he didn’t know I’d ever been. It made up for leaving Boston.

Sidney made up for leaving Boston.

But for all he knew, Patrick was a boring businessman who worked strange hours and hated hockey. I couldn’t blame him for wondering what on earth I was thinking.

We stood at the back of the room watching the auction. Neither of us had deep enough pockets for the items up for bid. I caught a glimpse of Sid as he walked towards the tunnel for the last time. The auction was still in full-swing, but he tapped the face of his watch, his eyes directed at me. I knew what he was signaling and I was glad.

We’d be gone before the place started to clear out.

“I think he’ll be here soon,” I murmured. “Want to wait outside?”

Bastian shrugged. I could tell he’d had his fill for the evening. Frankly, it was past his bedtime and it was likely he had work to do before he turned in for the night. We got our coats and stepped outside. He waited to have the valet retrieve his car.

The air was cool; the chill was stronger than it had been when we’d arrived. I would have had them get the car just so it would be warm for the drive back to his condo, but he didn’t have far to go. Besides, the comfort of Sidney’s car had started to spoil me.

Sebastian threw an arm over my shoulder and pulled me close as I shivered. “Your boyfriend won’t get jealous, will he?”

I laughed as a few people filtered out. I could hear the auction still going inside; it would be a while before the night was over for everyone else. I wasn’t going to ask Sidney how he got out of staying behind. I could only assume that there were times the Captain got privileges.

I doubted he took advantage of them often. He worked too hard to do anything the easy way.

It wasn’t his style.

I felt the butterflies rise in my stomach as the Range Rover pulled up to the curb. There weren’t any people filtering out and it was relatively quiet in front of the building. I still considered opening the door for myself but by the time I’d made the decision, Sidney was out of the car and moving towards the sidewalk where we were standing.

I moved out from under Sebastian’s arm as Sidney approached. He leaned down to kiss me quickly and reached out a hand towards Sebastian.

“I’m Sidney.”

“That you are,” Sebastian replied, taking Sid’s hand and shaking it firmly.

“Patrick. This is Patrick.”

Sebastian eyed me wearily. “His name is Sidney.”

“Middle name is Patrick,” Sidney said with a smile. “Secrets are easier to keep when no one knows your real identity.”

“He thinks he’s a superhero,” I chided.

Sid chuckled.

“You’re dating Sidney Crosby,” Sebastian deadpanned.

“So it appears.”

He shook his head. “I’m glad I decided to hang out with you tonight. After all, it was the only way to get introduced to him.”

“I’m sure we’ll see more of each other,” Sidney responded. “Especially if I can get this girl to move in with me.”

Sebastian smiled knowingly and sent the valet for his car. “Shouldn’t be too much of a struggle.”

“Ready?” Sid asked as I wrapped my best friend in a quick hug while he waited for his car.

I nodded as I pulled away.

“Nice to meet you, Patrick.”

“Same to you,” Sid replied with a lopsided grin.

He opened the door for me, helping me into the car. The shoes were gorgeous, but I was beginning to feel the pain that they tended to cause. No matter what Sidney wanted, I was taking them off as soon as
I was settled in the car and not putting them back on. He’d have to wait for another night to enjoy them again.

He joined me in the car and pulled away from the curb, sending a wave in Sebastian’s direction as the old green Chevy pulled to the curb behind us.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“You’re an asshole.”

“It wasn’t that terrible.”

“For you. You knew damn well what you were doing to me tonight. Did you bathe in that cologne tonight?”

“I know you can’t resist it.”

“I did.”

“Barely.”

I sighed. He always had to have the last word.

He laughed. “What did he mean when he said it wouldn’t be a struggle to get you here?”

I shrugged. “I was just thinking out-loud earlier.”

“About moving in with me?”

“Among other things.”

“Now who’s an asshole?” he quipped.

“You’ve earned it.”

“Have I earned anything else?”

“A night on the couch.”

“It’s my house,” he argued.

“Could be our house.”

His eyes flashed towards me in the darkness of the car. “You’ll move here?”

“Not until the season is over. Captain Lucky Cup doesn’t need anything to fuck up his mojo.”

“You could never fuck up my mojo, Wyn.”

“You haven’t lived with me yet. These have just been extended visits and I’ve been on my best behavior.”

“Really? Was last night your best behavior?”

He reached towards me in the darkness, brushing the bruises on my left hip with the same hand that had created them. His eyes were on the road, but he knew they were there. He knew every mark he’d left. But I knew the marks I’d left as well. Fingernail scratches on the solid muscle of his upper back and a light bruise left by my teeth on his left shoulder in an effort to stifle some of the animalistic sounds he was capable of drawing out of me. We’d simply been marking our territory in secret.

I blushed, heat rising into my neck and cheeks at the thought.

He let out a chiming laugh, the one that belied his size and the roughness of his speaking voice. It was like he could sense the things he was doing to me, the way he made my mind wander to activities long since over. Though I knew there was always more with us, boundaries to cross and new lines to draw for us to balance on.

There was always a challenge.

Always a game.

He wanted to win, but I knew sometimes he would let me have the victory, one for my own W column if only to give us a bit of balance.

We were entering a new game, or at least we would be when his season came to a close. We’d be crossing into uncharted territory. It was inevitable that our secret would stop being as such and the thought scared me, but I knew it would all be fine in the long run.

I took his hand in mine, knowing that there was always bound to be something unsafe about us, but it felt more than worth it. We’d find our balance, no matter how untrustworthy the footing.
♠ ♠ ♠
This story was posted on tumblr, meant to be a standalone one-shot sort of deal. I failed at that when I fell for these characters, but wanted to posted what is technically their "origin story" here. If you like them, please check out "The Right Thing" and feel free to let me know what you think!