Furthest Thing

Sidney's SUV came to a screeching halt as he almost missed the stop sign. Too far lost in his thoughts, Sidney had forgotten where he was for a moment. He was very familiar with this particular sign; it was the last one on the way to Juliana's. Her townhouse was just down the road now. Sidney breathed in the scent of the still hot Chinese food that waited on the passenger seat and his mouth began to water. Though, he wasn't sure if it was the delicious cuisine or if it was Juliana that he was anticipating.

Sidney put his vehicle into park and glanced at his reflection in the review mirror. His fingers ruffled his short dark curls a bit before he unbuckled his seatbelt. Before opening his door, he scooped up the take out bag and an expensive bottle of wine that Mario had given him as a gift quite some time ago.

Normally, Sidney would opt to simply let himself into Juliana's modest sized home, but he hadn't been over to visit in so long that he could barely remember when the last time was exactly. So instead, he pinned the glass bottle between his forearm and toned chest to free his left hand and knocked on the wooden door. Shifting his weight onto his other foot, he patiently waited.

Juliana made her way towards the front door. She made sure to move slowly to keep him waiting for just a few extra moments. Juliana didn't want to seem like she had been waiting for Sidney; even though that's exactly what she had been doing.

When she swung open the door, she was relieved to see Sidney wearing his simple daily attire; running shoes, light washed jeans and a hoodie. The woman hadn't bothered to dress up, or even touch up her make up and likely still smelt of cookies and chocolate. However, she was certain that Sidney didn't mind that last one.

"You're early," she pointed out, skipping the welcoming greeting entirely. Sidney raised his eyebrow and glanced at the expensive looking watch that he wore on his wrist. He thought to inform her that it was actually ten minutes past seven o'clock, which actually meant he was late, but instead he just kicked off his shoes beside the door and followed Juliana into the warmth.

"You've redecorated since the last time I was here," Sidney commented, his honey colored eyes taking in the new black throw rug that laid across the floor. Juliana followed his gaze and nodded before taking the bags from his hands.

"The old rug was dirty," Juliana mumbled, beginning to spread the take out containers on the bar counter that separated the kitchen and the living room.

"So you just got a new one instead of cleaning it?" Sidney laughed, amusement dancing in his eyes. Juliana turned away with a shrug to fetch two dinner plates. She figured it was best to leave out the fact that the beige rug was only dirty because she and Josh had spilt an entire bottle of Lambrusco on it just a few nights ago.

"Chinese and wine?" Juliana changed the subject with a laugh, "what a combination." It was now Sidney's turn to shrug as he took a seat at one of the bar stools.

"I figured we both could use a relaxing night," he explained with a smirk plastered on his lips. He watched as Juliana pulled out two crystal wine glasses and poured the dark liquid almost to the brim. Juliana let out an airy chuckle.

"Are you insinuating that you're stressed, Mr. Crosby?" Her voice was silky smooth while she rounded the counter and laid her small hands on his bulky shoulders. A barely audible groan escaped his lips as her fingers began to work out the tension in his muscles.

"My job isn't as easy as it seems," he murmured, letting his head hang forward to allow her hands to massage the back of his neck.

And Sidney was right. It seemed like lately, the pressure weight ten tons more than it usually did. He was constantly being critiqued by the city and media. After a hard loss to the Sharks, where Sidney hadn't managed to even bank an assist, accusations that he wasn't 100% had arisen. While Sidney tried to ignore the negativity, sometimes it was difficult. And considering playoffs were coming up faster than he could count the days, Sidney knew he had to step up his game.

"I've missed you so much, Jul," he breathed out just as Juliana's arms looped around his neck, her hands falling into his lap as she leaned into his back, hugging him from behind. A shiver rippled through her body at the feel of his dense muscles under his hoodie. His arms came up so his hands could hold onto her upper arms, causing the muscles in his back to shift against her chest. Juliana buried her face into the side of his warm neck. Intoxicated, she breathed in the husky aroma of his cologne.

"I know," her words were muffled into his soft skin, "I missed you too," she said as she pulled away from him. A breeze of cool air collided with her body, almost tempting her to wrap herself around Sidney once more.

After filling Sidney's plate, Juliana sat down across from him with her own dinner. The pair ate in silence most of the meal, but didn't bother either too much. That's another thing Sidney loved about her. She didn't feel the need to fill the air with unneeded chatter. In Sidney's eyes, silence was golden; and so was Juliana.

This was a new feeling for the young man. He saw Juliana in a new light as of recently. Maybe it was because he was getting older and therefore more mature. Perhaps his mother's badgering and nagging about her son's need to settle down finally got to him. But Juliana wasn't just any other girl and Sidney knew that from the moment he met her. If Sidney Crosby was going to settle down with anyone, it would be Juliana.

There was always something holding him back from making things official with the pastry baker. He was worried that he wasn't enough for her. It was no secret that Sidney's work wasn't just on the ice. He never rested; before bed, he ran through plays and after practice, he stayed on the ice until they literally forced him to leave. And if he wasn't focusing on the game, he was at charity events or fan meet and greets. Sidney simply didn't have the time. He never wanted to neglect Juliana's needs and he was worried that would happen. Therefore, he strayed and kept his distance. He feared if he let her get too close, she would only be disappointed when he couldn't be everything she longed for him to be.

Seeing his Juliana laughing with another man set a fire inside of him. His blood boiled to the core. Sidney just had to be everything she needed and he would make sure of it. Because never in his life had he met someone who made him feel like Juliana did. And if that didn't mean something then Sidney had no idea what love was. If Juliana wasn't the girl for him, then he would be doomed to be alone forever.

"Sidney," her melodic voice snatched him from his head. His eyes focused on her as she raised the wine glass to her lips. His tongue slid across his thick lips. Sidney loved the way she said his name.

"Sorry," he mumbled before quickly scrambling to his feet and carrying his plate to the sink.

"I asked if you'd like to watch a movie or something," she repeated herself. Sidney noticed her plate had already been cleared, as well as the take out boxes.

"Yeah, that sounds great," he answered. Her smile made his body feel like jello as she collected their glasses and carried them to the living room. When he didn't follow right away, she looked back at him over her shoulder. The gorgeous green of her eyes peaked at him under her thick black eyelashes and Sidney almost forgot how to breathe. But he quickly snapped himself out of her trance and made his way to the couch.

Sidney couldn't recall what movie she had picked for them to watch. He wasn't even sure if he had looked at the television screen at all that night. She sat beside him, on the next cushion, with her legs tucked under her. Sidney was mesmerized just watching her discreetly out of the corner of his vision. Her eyes went wide as the background music got louder, seeming to capture her entire attention. Sidney leaned back into the couch and slyly wrapped an arm around her waist. This caught her focus though and she sent him a tiny smile before she leaned into his hard body.

Juliana pressed her cheek against the side of Sidney's chest. Her eyes fluttered closed in pure bliss and she felt her body tingle. Just as she was beginning to feel comfortable, she was reminded that in this exact spot, just days ago, she spent the night giggling at Josh's stupid jokes. A pang of guilt shot through her.

She willed that feeling away though and enjoyed her time with Sidney. Juliana was well aware that times like these were few and far between. So just like that, she fell asleep wrapped under Sidney's protective arm.