Status: This is for Brinlee, so I hope you guys enjoy, too! :)

All I'll Ever Need

10. Locker Room

Sidney and Matty were waiting on me when I got out of class. It was a bit surprising, but they both looked happy. Matty was actually up front with Sidney, and they were laughing hysterically about something with milkshakes in their hand.

I climbed into the back and gave them both a death stare. “What kind of milkshakes are those?”

“Don’t worry, Mika,” Sidney smiled back at me. “We got you your favorite.”

And when he handed me a cookie dough milkshake, my eyes widened so much that they nearly popped out of my head. How had he known?

I realized far later than I should have that Matty probably told him, or maybe he remembered from that night we talked about ice cream. I didn’t really know, but I didn’t think much more on it. I just sat in the back and watched as Matty and Sidney talked like they had known each other forever.

It was a bit mind blowing. Already, after just a couple of hours together, those two were friends.

Then again, could I really say anything? Sidney totaled my car, and by the end of our first phone conversation, we were friends. I think anyways. We never really defined the friendship until later, but that’s what it felt like.

Sidney . . . he fit in my family as if he was made to be there, as if he had been there his entirely life. It didn’t make sense in my head—no one ever fit with my family, especially someone as good as Sidney.

But maybe that was it. Matty had always been the good in my family, so good and good fit. I wasn’t good, not by any means, but I wanted to be. I wanted more positive things in my life, so that’s why Sid and I got along as we did.

He fit because of Matty, because of my desire to be good.

Or maybe it was something else entirely. Either way, I didn’t say a word the entire way home. I just drank my milkshake and watched the two cut up with a smile. It was so natural and easy that I almost forgot they weren’t brothers or something.

When we got home, Sidney immediately hopped out and helped Matty step down into his crutches. Matty’s movements were stiff and rigid, so I knew it had been a rough day for him. We would talk later, so I fell out of the backseat and focused my attention on Sidney as he shut the passenger door and put his hands in his front pockets.

“So, I gotta get to practice,” he said. “I’ll be back by afterwards. You have work tonight, right?”

I made a face and nodded. “Yeah. Uh, how did rehab go?”

“He’s . . . showing improvement,” he decided after hesitating a moment to find the right words. “The therapist said having someone there seemed to help him a bit, so I think over time, he’ll start improving even faster.”

I hugged him again before I could think about it, but this time, he didn’t seem surprised. Actually, he was much faster to embrace me back, and it was more intimate and genuine. To feel so safe outside, in the middle of our dangerous neighborhood . . . it was a feeling I never thought I’d experience.

Sidney’s strong arms gripped me against him, and I knew anyone would be stupid to try and hurt me then. For the time being, I was safe from both physical and emotional pain.

Nothing could hurt me. Sidney wouldn’t let it. For the first time in over six years, I felt secure. I felt safe. I felt like maybe, just maybe, my life was turning out for the better.

Sidney had to let me go, and he mumbled a goodbye under his breath as he did. I smiled and said goodbye back, but I don’t think he heard me. He practically sprinted for the driver’s door, and he backed out almost as fast.

I didn’t understand. Usually, he drug out the leaving thing as long as possible, or the goodbyes. Not now, not this time.

Maybe because he had to get to practice? That seemed like a logical answer.
***

Sidney couldn’t get her out of his head.

As the days went on and the practice turned into a game, Sidney still couldn’t manage to shut her out. His mind focused in on hockey, but then hockey reminded him of her. He remembered how hockey changed her life for the worst, and he didn’t wanna do that.

He couldn’t do that.

When game time came, he finally managed to get her out, at least for the time they were on the ice. It was a hard fought game, but Sidney felt more defeated after it was over than he had in a long time. It was one thing to lose a hockey game. That was never easy for him.

It was an entirely other thing to lose in overtime after only scoring one goal. As captain, he should’ve done better. He should’ve fought harder and pulled his team through.

Yet he didn’t. They had lost, and Sidney felt like he was to blame.

Was it because he couldn’t focus? Was it because he couldn’t get some girl he had just met at the beginning of the month out of his head? Sure, during the game, he was focused in on hockey, but he hadn’t been all there at practice. He hadn’t been all there . . . well, more times than he was all there.

Sooner or later, he knew he had to come to terms with Mika. If he didn’t sort all of his thoughts and feelings towards her one way or the other, he would never be able to get her out of his head.

She had already made it clear. Right now, she wasn’t ready for anything more than what they had now, and Sidney was okay with that . . . if he knew. What if down the road she changed her mind, found someone else? He didn’t wanna spend his time wrapped around someone so wonderful only to be heartbroken when she decided she wanted someone else.

He had to talk to her, but how?

As Sidney headed towards the locker room, something caught his attention—someone, more accurately. Standing next to an average looking red head that Sidney didn’t recognize was none other than Mika herself.

When she saw Sidney’s gaze on her, her smile widened, especially as a smile actually came across his face, too. He didn’t really feel like smiling was right. After all, they just lost, yet he was smiling? It wasn’t right. He shouldn’t be, especially since there was so much spinning in his head when it came to this beautiful girl he found his feet walking towards all on their own.

But Sidney Crosby was smiling at the sight of Mika Dixon at his hockey game.

She threw her arms around his sweaty and padded up body, but she didn’t stay in the hug very long. As she pulled away, she crinkled her nose. “Definitely gonna need that shed.”

A breathless laugh pushed out of Sid’s mouth as his smile widened. “Right. I’ll get on that immediately.”

Mika smiled. “Well, I mean, you’ve got some time. Don’t rush on my account. It can wait until summer.”

Sidney didn’t really know for sure what she meant by that, but if she meant what he thought . . . . He shouldn’t get his hopes up, but his heart was already racing at the idea. It can wait until summer.

“Alright, summer it is,” he laughed. “Anyways, I gotta head back to the locker rooms. What are you even doing here?”

“Well, Suzie and Chuck were coming to the game, and I got off early today,” she said. “So, I tagged along. They’re gonna take me home, so don’t worry about me.”

“I promised Matty I’d stop by after the game, so I’ll see you in a little while,” he said, and he could’ve sworn he saw her eyes begin to sparkle at the mention of seeing him again. Maybe it was his own reflection in her eyes because surely the idea of seeing her again showed on the outside as vibrantly as he felt it on the inside.

Then again, if it did, Mika might’ve been put off. Surely she didn’t want someone who was just her friend falling for her as hard and as fast as he was.

She kissed his sweaty cheek and gave him a timid smile. An impulse action, something neither of them wanted her to take back . . . Sidney’s face felt ten times hotter than it already was. While Mika struggled to breathe steady, Sidney struggled to remain calm and hold himself back from everything he wanted to say and do.

Prove to her you’re not like all the other guys.

Sidney swallowed hard. “So, uh, I’ll see you in a bit.”

Mika nodded and scurried away adorably, in such a way that Sidney stopped heading for the locker rooms and watched her until she was out of sight. He could feel himself smiling, feel his breaths coming out unevenly as he did, but he didn’t really care if someone saw. Right now, he felt happy.

And he shouldn’t . . . because they just lost.

Sidney turned and bolted for the locker room. Man, was he in trouble. The guys went straight to the locker rooms, yet he stayed behind and talked to someone? After they lost?

Sidney stood towards the back of the locker room as Coach Bylsma gave them a speech that Sidney only halfway listened to—they played their hardest and had things to work on at practice Saturday morning. They would discuss everything that went wrong as they watched the footage.

It didn’t make any difference. A loss was a loss, and Sidney felt defeated again.

He started taking off his jersey and pads before anyone said something to him. He knew who it was that came up behind him, but he didn’t stop undressing.

“Yeah, Geno?”

“Who beautiful girl?”

Sidney stopped now—froze solid as guys around him stopped what they were doing too and looked to him. Of course Sidney had purposely not mentioned Mika. What would he even say? “Oh, there’s this girl I’m falling for, but we’re just friends.” And be constantly reminded that he was currently “friendzoned?” No. That wasn’t something he wanted to get himself into.

“Uh, what girl?”

Geno laughed his loud and friendly laugh as he slapped Sid on the back of the shoulder. “Come now, Sid. You know who I talk about.”

“Mika,” Sidney grumbled. “Her name is Mika.”

“You got a woman, Crosby?” Beau asked, and he was just one of the first to get a huge smile. “Well, it’s about damn time, Captain!”

Sidney felt his face flush as his eyes set on the ground in front of him. The AC in the locker room stung against his burning face, and it only got worse when they started cheering for him—Geno the loudest.

“Guys!” he exclaimed suddenly, and everyone got quiet. “Mika’s just a friend.”

Geno’s eyebrows rose. “I believe that like I believe when you ask what girl. I saw you look at her.”

I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter what I want, Geno. She’s not ready for more than friendship.”

“This is the girl Toews was telling us about, wasn’t it?” Brooks asked as he stepped into the locker room.

Sidney rolled his eyes. “Did Jonny keep his fucking mouth shut about it at all? Yes, she was the girl I talked to on the fucking phone every night at the Olympics.”

“And you’re not dating?” Beau snorted. “Come on, Sid. That sounds like dating to me.”

“Well, we’re not.”

“I am not convinced,” Geno said, and Sidney was taken by surprise as he laughed again. “Bring her to practice. We all decide if you two are dating.”

And when the entire locker room of guys cheered in agreement, Sidney’s face had never felt hotter in all of his life.
♠ ♠ ♠
The lyrics in the description are from Say You're Just a Friend by Austin Mahone. Not a fan of his, but the entire song pretty much fits this chapter.

Anyways, lemme know what you think! This was supposed to have more stuff going on in it, but it got too long to do everything I planned, so I cut it off, well, where I did.

More to come, I promise! :) I'm not gonna finish it tonight, but I'll get it up when I wake up tomorrow and finish it. So there's that.

I hope you continue to enjoy this. :) You've been so incredible so far with all your positive feedback and responses to this story. It means the world to me. I wrote this for Brinlee, ended up loving this story as much as she does, and it's been my most successful story ever. So thank you guys so much for that. :) You're all awesome. :D