Filles de Fleur

Beau couldn’t breathe right as he looked at Sylvie, smiling and laughing at something his father had said. He had explained to his parents when they arrived just how crazy he was about the petite French-Canadian, making his parents swear to be civil. But as he saw his mother squeeze her hand, giving Sylvie a beaming smile, Beau knew they were just as swept up in Sylvie as he was. He couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off his face as he just looked at her, taking in every detail so he would never forget how beautiful she looked tonight.

“And then they pulled out the last card, and the Prime Minister says ‘D, eh!’” Sylvie threw out the punchline, watching with a satisfied smile as Beau’s parents started laughing hysterically. His father didn’t seem to be afraid if anyone heard him, while Beau’s mother had a more refined giggle. All her nerves had vanished when she approached the table only to be wrapped in a hug by the Bennett clan. She knew Beau must have talked to them, and the thought of his that concerned about her fears made her smile.

“Well, you’re much more fun than any other French people I’ve met.” Mr. Bennett laughed. “I can see why he’s crazy about you.” Sylvie turned bright red, blinking rapidly as words tried to make their way from her lips, only escaping as fragments. Finally she just shut her mouth tightly, not wanting to embarrass herself.

“She’s so cute!” Beau’s sister reached across the table, pinching Sylvie’s flushed cheek tightly. “Aww, she’s blushing!”

Beau chuckled, about to go save his beloved when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Marc standing behind him, a pained expression on his face. His goalie’s jaw was tensed as he simply nodded his head towards the locker rooms. Beau took one last look at Sylvie, who looked like she had recovered alright as the family found something new to discuss. So he forced himself to turn away, following her brother in law to the halls outside the locker rooms.

“I need to talk to you.” Marc said ominously. He took a deep breath, running a hand over his hair. “I have to admit, I’m always terrified when my sisters take an interest in someone. It always means there’s a chance of them getting hurt. I had to watch Margaux go through it for ten fucking years. And I’ll kill myself before I let the same thing happen to Sylvie.” Marc’s dark eyes settled on Beau, the ice in them making the blonde swallow nervously. “She may not be my blood relative, but I love her like she was.”

“Marc I-”

“Let me finish Sunshine or I’ll never be able to get this out.” Marc said abruptly, rubbing his forehead. He sighed deeply. “You love your sister, right? You’d kill anyone who hurt her?”

“Of course I do.” Beau muttered.

“I just…” He sighed. “I'm always going to see them as little girls, All three of them. You know running around in princess dresses singing Spice Girls music at the top of their lungs," Marc shook his head, licking his lips, "If I let go of that, if I just let them fend for themselves and they get hurt…I've failed as a big brother. You know better than anyone that when you have a sister your only job is protect them.” He looked at Beau and finally the blonde understood.

“You think that because you let Margaux get hurt the same thing will happen to Sylvie.” He concluded. Marc let out a short, loud huff.

“Margaux is so fucking stubborn I don’t think I could have helped her.” He laughed humorlessly, both of them glancing towards the door where they could hear the Fleury table laughing wildly, Sidney’s deep chuckle mixed in. “But I know Sidney will take good care of her. Even if I will always see that awkward stick boy.” They both chuckled softly at that. “Marlene is with someone I can trust too, which leaves you.” The icy glare returned. Beau stood his ground however, knowing he couldn’t lose Sylvie over intimidation, and that he had to tell the truth.

“Marc. The night we were at the bar… Sylvie and I…” He stopped, his cheeks flushed as he struggled for how to continue. “We… got a bit carried away and-” Marc threw his hands up softly, shaking his head.

“Vero told me, which is why I’m worried.” His glare returned, the intensity causing Beau to squirm, despite his best efforts. “She told me she went to check on our baby sister and Sylvie was in tears, sobbing uncontrollably on the floor because she thought you hated her for going too far. I was about ready to go out and kill you, and I still am tempted to-”

“Look Marc.” Beau snapped, finally finding his courage as his voice echoed through the silent hallway. “I know I fucked up. I should have taken it slow with her, made her realize that she’s the world to me before I ever touched her. Do you think it didn’t kill me? Seeing how she couldn’t even look at me without tearing up? I know I’m not the poster boy of morals like Sid, I know you will never think I deserve her.” He took a deep breath, his next confession slowing him down, though only momentarily. “But I love Sylvie.” His swore, his voice trembling. “Can I promise we’ll get married and live happily ever after? No. I can’t. Can I promise that fans of mine won’t constantly bombard her with hate because they want me for themselves? Again, no.” He swallowed, taking a step towards Marc and setting a hand on his shoulder. “But I can promise I will never hurt her. Not as long as there’s still air in my lungs. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I refuse to lose that.”

There was a long, tense silence between them as the background noise of laughter and clanking plates seemed mute. Both men just looked at each other before a small, sly smile spread across Marc’s lips. Beau blinked quickly, a bit taken aback before Marc set his own hand on Beau’s shoulder.

“That’s exactly what I needed to hear.” He said, smiling. “But now I think you have to tell her.” Beau smiled, the two men walking back out to the ice together. Beau looked over at Sylvie, who caught his gaze and smiled, waving. He felt his heart flutter wildly in his chest, knowing his declaration would be better suited for tonight, when it was just them and then he could finally make her his. He turned back to marc, a broad grin on his face.

“Don’t worry, I will.”



“Come here, I have a surprise for you.” Sid smiled as he slid his fingers in-between hers and lead the way back to the locker room, “You know, how the other night you told me you wanted to tell me you loved me at my eighteenth birthday party?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, that wasn’t exactly our only near miss opportunity.” he chuckled, biting his lip as he stopped outside the door and took both her hands in his, “I didn’t just offer to drive down from Rimouski for your prom, I made the drive, even after you told me you were getting back together with Rick, I…I don’t know, I guess I thought maybe I could persuade you otherwise.

"So I put on that rented tux and drove the five hours from Rimouski to Sorel, it was the same night as the prom at Harrison Trimble, but I didn’t care I was missing it. I had it all planned out in my mind, I would go in there and when a certain song came on - and I knew it would come on because at the time it was the best song ever, still is - I was going to ask you to dance and before it ended I was going to tell you something I should’ve told you years ago. When I got there, the dance had already started and once I finally found you, you and Rick were slow dancing to that song and you looked happy with him so I turned around and left.”

“Sid-“ Margaux’s bottom lip quivered and Sidney smiled reassuringly at her before leaning in and kissing her.

“Open the door.” he whispered, nodding behind him at the locker room. Margaux glanced back at him as she pulled the door open, gasping as she stepped inside. The only light in the room came from a canopy of light strands.

“You didn’t need to do this.” She leaned into Sidney’s chest when she felt his arms wrap around her waist as she fought back tears.

“Of course I did.” he chuckled, kissing her cheek before letting her go and stepping over to the media unit hidden by Dan’s play board. He hit play on the iPod he’d stashed their earlier and smiled as the room filled with the sound of music.

Margaux chuckled, still tearing up as she wrapped her arms around Sidney’s neck and he wrapped his around her waist like two teenagers at prom.

“Beauty queen of only eighteen, she had some trouble with herself. He was always there to help her, she always belonged to someone else. I drove for miles and miles and wound up at your door.”

“You have to admit, this was a pretty perfect choice.” Sid chuckled as Margaux leaned her head against his chest.

“It is.”

“I don’t mind spending every day, out on your corner in the pouring rain. Look for the girl with the broken smile and ask her if she wants to stay a while. She will be loved, and she will be loved.”

“Margaux,” Sidney whispered and she looked up at him as he smiled down at her, sending those same school girl butterflies he always gave her into overdrive, “I love you.”

“Oh my god.” she huffed and he chuckled as she buried her face in his chest.

“Oh my god was what I was going for.” he kissed the crown of her head as he pulled her in tighter to his chest.

“I love you, too.” she added after a moment of silence between them and he beamed as he rested his chin on the crown of her head.

“I really don’t think I’m ever going to get used to hearing that.”

“My heart is full and my door's always open, you come anytime you want. I don't mind spending every day, out on your corner in the pouring rain. Look for the girl with the broken smile, ask her if she wants to stay awhile.”

“Sid?” He glanced down at her and frowned when he noticed her quivering lip.

“What’s wrong?” he whispered, pulling away slightly to get a better look at her face.

“You…you haven’t spent all these years waiting for me, have you?” she asked, voice shaking as she squeezed her eyes closed tight, dreading his answer.

“No.” he shook his head and she let out a sigh of relief as he wrapped her in his arms again, “I’ve been waiting for someone who could make me forget the way I feel about you.

“There were a few girls, but they never made it past a second date. I could just feel it in my gut that I would just be wasting their time and leading them on and that wasn’t fair to either of us. But no, I wasn’t waiting around hoping for you to miraculously end things with Rick and show up at my door. I genuinely wanted you to be happy and if that was Rick, I was happy for you.”

“I am happy.” She declared a moment later, smiling as she glanced up at Sid. She chuckled as he tipped her back, kissing her before pressing his forehead to hers and beaming with pride.

“I’m kind of happy I didn’t get to do this at eighteen. As awkward as I was, I would’ve found a way to mess it up.”

“Was? I’m sorry but you’re afraid of selfies.” Margaux giggled as he rolled his eyes and righted his girlfriend. He slipped his phone out of his pocket and a few taps of his screen later, he held it out at arms length as he leaned in and kissed her again.

Margaux’s heart skipped a beat when he showed her the photo, Marc and Vero had a billion photos like this, most couples did, but there was something about this one. Her inner sixteen year old was screaming, jumping up and down and collapsing onto her bed in a fit of excitement that finally the boy of her dreams, as awkward and dorky as he had been back then, was looking her way.

“There.” he beamed, shoulders back, chest puffed out in pride as he snapped her back to reality in time to watch him send the photo out to the entirety of the Pens snapchat friends list.

“You did not just do that.”

“I did.” he smirked, pocketing his phone and pulling her into his arms again as she shook her head. She blushed, knowing that any minute that photo would spread through town like wild fire, everyone would know their beloved captain was in love.

Their secret was officially out.

“Jennifer is going to kill you.” Margaux smirked as Sidney shrugged. He’d never given their PR Lady much trouble, announcing their relationship with a harmless photo wasn’t nearly as scandalous as the exploits of most of his teammates.

“So worth it.”

“And she will be loved, and she will be loved, and she will be loved, and she will be loved.”