Status: Completed!

The Best Thing

Present Day

"It's the last game. I know I said I would never ask you to see me in a hockey game ever again, but this is the last game of the Finals. After this, I'm either a champion or a loser, and in either outcome, I'm going to want your support."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Andrew asked, baffled. He followed me into the kitchen. "Just like that?"

"Yeah, just like that," I said, smiling. I stood on my tippy toes to place a light kiss on my boyfriend's lips before turning around to start cooking dinner.

"That was easier than I thought…" he admitted, coming up behind me and lacing his arms around my waist.

"Andrew, as much as I hate hockey, I hated not being there for your overtime goal even more. I'll be there. You just have to win to prove to me it's worth my time sitting in a rowdy crowd that roots for violence and bloodshed."

Even though I hated hockey as a sport, I still followed it in order to keep up with my favorite player. And I felt like an awful girlfriend when I wasn't in the stands cheering Andrew on. But I couldn't help it. Hockey still scared the shit out of me.

He laughed. "You know, the team is paying to fly down family members. My brothers can pay their way in if they wanted to, but I was thinking of having your family come down with my mom and dad."

I turned to face him and smiled. Dennis was able to run a mile now without any pain and he would've loved to see Andrew in action.

"Boy, I love you," I muttered before kissing Andrew greedily. Before things could get too heated I broke off contact and ordered him out of the room. No sex before game time was the team's official policy, and if I wanted my boyfriend to come out alive, I was going to follow all of the rules.

***

Game time.

I was sitting right beside Andrew's mother and father, cheering on their son and the Chicago Blackhawks. The series had been a tight one so far, from what I've learned, so every moment counted. Dennis and my family sat behind me and I spent most of the pre-game time talking to and catching up with them. Given my aversion to the sport, everyone was surprised to find me in the stands, except for Dennis. For some reason, he knew I'd be there.

"Hey Hannah, nice necklace."

I punched my brother in the arm before throwing my arms around his neck. The least my twin brother could have done was tell me that the necklace was a last minute addition by Andrew, but he didn't. Which is why I punched him. But the hug was because he knew I would've figured it out eventually, and it's that faith that he has in me that makes me love him so much.

The game is about to start and our section of the arena was chanting for their Blackhawks. I smiled as I heard Dennis chanting along; it may not be his dream anymore, but he sure still loved the sport. I furrowed my brows and turned around to study my brother.

How could you love something that took so much away from you?

But by watching my brother, I realized that he was the exact same person now that he was 5 years ago. Sure, he had been temporarily handicapped, but he was still my handsome counterpart rocking a great sense of humor and a big heart. His heart only grew in strength due to the accident, while my own cowered in constant fear. Hockey never took anything from him; he took away from it when he no longer returned to the ice.

I felt myself smiling when Dennis noticed me watching him. He nodded at me, as if asking what I was looking at. I shook my head and turned back around to face the ice. Maybe this game wouldn't be as bad as I thought.

Soon enough, the game started. I would be lying if I said I didn't watch Andrew the closest instead of the team as a whole, but could you blame me? The first period was almost over when the worst thing that could have happened, happened.

There was a collective gasp coming from the Blackhawks section in the stands as Andrew took a puck to the face and fell down, face to the ice. I felt nauseous as memories of Dennis in the exact same position came flooding back to me. I turned away from the scene and caught Dennis's eye— this time, he shook his head at me. Don't give up just yet seemed to be the message. I choked back my tears and faced forward again.

Andrew's team members and coaching staff were surrounding him, trying to get him to stand up. There was blood on the ice. Doug and Darlene, Andrew's parents, were clutching each other's hands in a solid death grip. My mother's hand was over her mouth and my father seemed to be holding his breath. It was like their worst nightmare being lived all over again.

The crowd was roaring, with Boston's fans jeering at the stopped time and Blackhawks fans trying to outcheer them and boost the morale. But everything seemed silent to me as our family waited for Andrew to get up and off the ice. As Dennis's hand came to rest on my shoulder, I decided that I had had enough.

I stood up, joining the rest of the people around me. Of course I had been the only one sitting at a time like this.

"Andrew Shaw," I yelled. "You get your ass up right this minute or I swear to-"

I doubted that he could hear me. The yelling was more for myself if anything. But either way, I didn't get to finish my sentence because Andrew had gotten up and started to skate off the ice. He seemed fine.

Oh my goodness.

I collapsed back into my seat and willed my heart to slow down. I took deep breaths in and out and felt all sorts of people staring at me as if I had grown another head. I began to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation and turned to find Dennis already smiling at me. He placed a quick kiss to the top of my head before whispering, "I'm proud of you, Hannah."

Giggling, I shook my head and shrunk further into my seat. I could not wait for this game to be over.

***

The team had been celebrating all night so it was early morning when I got Andrew to myself outside of the after party. Hands clasped, we made our way to the Boston hotel room that we were staying in. His face had crusted blood over the stitches on his cheek, and his cheek was swollen as if he were a chipmunk that had a fetish for golf balls. He had been growing a beard during the Stanley Cup, so to me he looked like a lumberjack who had a bad day. I smiled when he caught me staring at his face, looking at his injuries.

"I'm sorry you had to sit through that Hannah," Andrew started to ramble, offering an apology that I didn't really need. To stop him I placed one finger to the front of his lips, suggesting he stay quiet. We were stopped under a streetlight just down the street from our hotel.

"I'm glad I was there," I whispered. The night was so still that anything above a hushed tone seemed unnecessary and harsh. "Honestly."

"Are you okay?"

I grinned at the boy who was towering over me. It was just like him to wonder how I was doing when he was the one who took a puck to the face. I looked away from him to gather my thoughts while I admired our surroundings. The paths of the Boston Commons were lit up and I could barely make them out between the foliage of the surrounding trees. It was beautiful.

"Yeah," I answered. "I am. Dennis made me realize why hockey is so important to you. And that's why I'm okay now."

"What?! I've been trying to do that for years, how did he do that? What kind of deep conversation happened in the Garden, huh?"

We resumed our walk toward the hotel.

"We didn't talk about the meaning of hockey or anything like that, if that's what you're thinking," I laughed.

As we were waiting in the lobby for the elevator to retrieve us, Andrew turned me to face him.

"Then what changed?"

"I did."

He raised an eyebrow and we both walked into the elevator.

"I always thought hockey was this monster of a sport that took away from my brother and from my family but I never realized that nothing was taken away at all. Dennis is still himself and if anything, he's better than ever. A better person with a bigger heart and he still loves hockey. Which made me realize that I was the one who changed. I was the one who became afraid. And even though I'm never going to watch you get hit in the face with a puck again and you better never ask me to, I'm not as afraid anymore. I lost faith in the sport but I gained some of it back tonight after seeing Dennis, and I hate the game a little less."

I turned away from watching the numbers of the elevator change. Andrew was staring at me, mesmerized.

"Did I make sense?"

He simply nodded and smiled before kissing me. It was an awkward kiss because his cheek got in the way. I glanced at his cheek and back up at him before laughing.

"Oh, shut up."

He tilted his head the other way and resumed kissing me roughly.

By the time we had gotten to the room, it was clear what the rest of our plans were for the night. As Andrew struggled with the room key, I took a deep breath and frowned. Something had been eating away at me since I saw my family at the game and I needed to talk to Andrew about it.

"Andrew?"

"Hmm?" he asked between our lips. We made our way to the bedroom and he tossed me on the bed before climbing on top of me.

"Stop for a second, I need to tell you something."

He reluctantly pulled away and I noticed by glancing down at his pants that I didn't have much time for conversation.

"I think," I started to say, but was caught off guard by Andrew's lips on my collarbone. I moaned out in pleasure.

"I think that too," Andrew remarked. I could almost feel his smirk against my bare skin. He had pulled the shoulder of my dress down and was making his way south.

"No, what I meant to say was that I think I'm going to move back to Canada after I graduate."

There. I said it. Andrew stopped what he was doing and looked up at me in disbelief.

"Why?"

"I never liked Chicago. I was only here for school the first year and I probably wouldn't have stayed if it weren't for you joining me a year later. You made it easier. But now I miss home and I miss my family."

"You can visit them."

I smiled.

"What am I going to do here in Chicago? Honestly? I can get a job anywhere, why would I stay here?"

He looked hurt. "Because I'm here."

I frowned slightly before my slight smile returned to my face. I sat up, pushing him off me slightly, and wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist.

"Andrew, Chicago is the best thing that has ever happened to you. I can't ruin that. But I don't belong here. I'd rather live at home."

He looked so sad that I almost wished I had waited to have this conversation on another night.

"Are you breaking up with me?"

My eyes widened. "Jesus, Andrew, no! If your cheek weren't already swollen I would've slapped you for even asking such a thing."

"Then why are you telling me this now?"

"I just thought I should since I made up my mind during the game."

He nodded slightly before looking away from me. His arms were still tight around me, but I could tell I had upset him.

"Hey," I whispered, kissing the skin beneath his ear. "I love you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah," he said. "And I love you too, so I'm not afraid to tell you that you're wrong."

I sat back, confused. How could I have been wrong?

"Chicago isn't the best thing that has ever happened to me, you are. And nothing will ever change that. Sure, I said that winning the Stanley Cup was the greatest feeling ever, but I feel even better the nights when I have you moaning my name in my bed and the mornings after when I wake up to your beautiful face. You and I, we belong together. We always have and we always will. And even if you move back to Canada, you'll always be mine. And if Belleville is really what you want then I will make a long distance relationship work. But starting tonight," he said, finishing up his declaration of love by unzipping my dress and unclasping my bra in one fell swoop. "I'm going to try to convince you otherwise, that you do belong here in Chicago because you belong with me and I'm here and I love you."

My lips parted in shock. Not only was I ultimately turned on by the boy in front of me, but I was touched at everything he just said. My hand instinctively reached up and held the heart pendant that I wore every day. He who holds the key can unlock my heart. This hockey player who body chucked and threw punches for a living had complete and total access to everything I was, and he made the best sides of me come out whether he knew it or not. I smiled and leaned forward to gently place a kiss on his chipmunk cheek. I guess a tear must have fallen onto his face because the next thing I heard was

"Oh, for the love of all things holy, please don't cry!"

I simply laughed through the tears of happiness and fell back down on to the bed, pulling Andrew back down on top of me.
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Done! Comment and let me know what you thought! :)

Research.

More research... I really got into it lol