Stay

"Hey Lar!" Sidney Crosby yelled over to her as she dropped her bags and ran into his kitchen.

"Sid!" She screamed jumping into my captain's awaiting arms. I chuckled loudly as he swung her around, ignoring her ever present screams. As he set her down, she swatted at his shoulder.

"Rude," her face scrunched up before laughing. Her laugh was loud and happy. I've never, ever in my life, heard such a beautiful laugh as hers.

"What do you want to drink?" he asked her favorite question as I walked into the kitchen with my bags.

"Just point me to your alcohol and I'll be set." Sidney let out a chuckle before leading her to where he kept his alcohol.

"Staalsy!" Sid smiled at me, "beer?" I smiled back at him.

"Of course! Hey, are we in the usual room?" Lauren walked towards me with a smile attached to her lips as she sipped on the drink she made. She had a tall glass with a straw sticking out if, there were a few cherries floating on top of the liquid ombre concoction. Sid nodded at me and gave me a thumbs up before walking out the back door with two beers in his hand.

"I'm gonna go take my bags up to the room and change, okay?" She smiled softly before standing up on her toes and kissing me. Her soft lips grazed mine before walking away. She was wearing a pair of yoga shorts and one of my old junior league shirts. She grabbed her duffle bag and carry on then proceeded up the stairs to our room. I followed up quickly with the two rolling luggage. She brought the most even though we shared the carry on and our clothes were mixed together in the rolling luggage. I walked through the second floor of Sidney Crosby's lake house and went to our usual room. Ever since I was a rookie on the Penguins, I've been in the same room in this house for when I stayed here. Last summer Lauren declared it our room. It was her first time at the Crosby lake house. It was the first time I brought a girl here too.

"Baby, here's the rest of our luggage." Lauren turned around setting her drink on the dresser and walked towards me.

"Thanks baby," her voice was soft and full of love. She wrapped her arms around my waist and laid her head against my chest. I let my fingers run through her soft hair before kissing the top of her head softly.

***

Lauren laughed as she and Vero gossiped a few feet from me on the dock. The sun was setting and Lauren has been tanning since she changed. She's been alternating between alcohol and water. She's on her fourth Tequila Sunrise as she just finished her fifth bottle of water. She despised hangovers and any chance she had to prevent them, she would. Our eyes met as she took her hair out of the messy bun her hair was currently in.

"So, what's the deal with you and Lauren this summer?" I sighed as Max Talbot asked the question that the whole team wanted to know. That I wanted to know. Sid, Marc, and Geno looked at me with pointed looks.

"We're..." I glanced over to Lauren and Vero who were putting their feet in the lake, "we're, a thing." I shrugged, coming up with the best explanation of what we had.

"Bullshit," Marc spat out chuckling, "you two are more than that. I see how you look at her, dumbass." I sighed at his words. I wish we were more.

"I don't know if she wants a relationship!" I said the words and felt the pain in my heart. I want to be in a relationship with her. I want to be her everything.

"Problem you have," Geno tapped his beer bottle with my own then took a swig of it.

"You're right G, I do have a problem... I have a big one." I shook my head and put my face in my hands.

~~~

"Lauren, what the hell is up with you and Staal?!" Vero asked as she splashed some of the water towards me with her feet. A blush came over my cheeks.

"We're just... I don't know, having fun." I shrugged trying to play it off. I wish I knew what was up with Jordan and I. I know he says that I'm not a temporary thing but then why don't I know what we are?

"Do you mean friends with benefits?" She asked laughing.

"Vero," I shook my head laughing, "friends with benefits don't do what Jordan and I do." I brought my drink up to my lips. I glanced at Vero when I realized she wasn't responding. She had her head to the side thinking. "Don't put too much thought into it, V. It's really not worth it."

"Do you want to be more than what you two are now?" She asked as she put her legs deeper into the lake.

"Of course I do," I murmured softly before looking away from the lake and Vero. I turned around slightly and looked at Jordan and the boys. They were laughing and drinking beers on the patio. He definitely needed to be around them after a little over a month of off season.