Master of Timing

"Dude." Kate was staring at her, wide eyed through the screen of her phone. Her mouth dropped open in shock before everything went distorted.

It took Lyndsey a couple of seconds to realise that her best friend was doing a happy dance and made no attempt to keep her camera steady. Checking over her shoulder to look back at the house, she could see that she was still alone in the backyard. Sidney had told her that Troy and Trina were going to come back to the house after dropping Taylor off at the airport, where she then suggested that he come home after his meeting with Adidas so they could all eat lunch together. Sid miraculously had the ingredient for lasagne in his kitchen, which was bubbling away in the oven.

"Okay, you need to stop."

Kate slowly came back into focus, leaning so far back in her chair that Lyndsey could only assume she had her feet resting on her desk. The fact that it was 11PM and she was still at work didn't seem to bother the Australian. Lyndsey almost wondered how she was still awake, seeing as she knew Kate didn't drink coffee.

"Actual declaration of love, though."

Lyndsey grinned, hiding her face behind her hand. "Uh huh."

"That's big. You said it back, yeah?"

Lyndsey paused. "Well..."

Her hesitation made Kate move again, frowning at the screen this time. It took a second, but when she came into focus it became obvious that she had rested her phone against something so that she could cross both arms. Extra judgey.

"I... I said that I thought I was. And that it might take some time," she reasoned, tucking her knees up to her chest when a slight breeze came though the yard. She glanced up as a door slid open, Trina waving before stepping outside.

"Because of your Dad?"

She nodded and shrugged at the same time. It wasn't really a topic of conversation she wanted Trina to overhear, so she quickly changed the subject.

"Hey listen, everyone's back so I've-"

"Everyone who?"

"Not Sid, just his parents," she explained, smiling when Trina took the seat next to her.

"Are they there with- hi Mister and Misses Crosby!" Kate called out loudly, waving at the screen. Lyndsey blushed and rolled her eyes, turning her phone a little in her hand to Trina's surprised face, who waved back with a laugh.

"Oh, hello!"

"This is Kate," Lyndsey explained. "Who has to be hanging up now-"

"Wait! Hang on! Mrs Crosby, I just wanted to say on behalf of Australia-"

Lyndsey muttered, "Oh, my God."

"Shush. On behalf of Australia, thanks for having your kid. Even though ice doesn't really exist here, some of us do actually appreciate everything hockey."

"Well," Trina grinned. "We did what we can. He's a freak of nature. That we love," she tacked on, sharing a wink with Lyndsey that made her wonder just how much Sidney had told her about them both.

Did they know that he loved her? How long for? Was it something that they were okay with and approved of?

"That he is. Okay, I've got about two hours’ worth of work to get through so I've gotta go."

Lyndsey turned her phone back to her face, shifting on the seat a little. "It's nearly midnight! Go home."

"Mate, there is so much to get through before the tour starts, I reckon I'll get a full night's sleep sometime in July."

As fun as Kate's job sounded sometime, there's no way that Lyndsey could ever work for a promotions company. She's used to slogging it out as a nurse, but continuous 20 hour work days for weeks on end leading up to and for massive tours was not something she thought she'd be able to handle.

"Well... don't drive home if you're super tired or whatever. I don't want to have to find out through Facebook you wrapped yourself around a tree because you fell asleep behind the wheel."

"Yes, Mom." Came the placating tone, before they both grinned and eventually said their goodbyes. Lyndsey phone was hot in her hand as she put it down on the arm of the Adirondack chair she was sitting in.

"What a wonderful morning," Trina commented after a few minutes. It was still spring weather but the sun high in the sky was warm enough, creating a dance of shadows through the branches of the trees in the backyard. Sidney's gardeners had clearly been through only recently; the edges of the grass around the stone by the pool trimmed neatly, the flowers and gardens beds and pruned back and turned over to give everything that "freshly planted" vibe.

It looked like something out of Better Homes & Gardens. Yet it seemed to fit the house and Sidney perfectly.

"It really is," Lyndsey agreed quietly, tipping her head back and closing her eyes.

It didn't take long for Trina to strike up a conversation; she mentioned how great the lasagne smelled in the kitchen, saying she'd take care of the salad once Sidney came home so that it was fresh to eat. The two ladies sat and talked about anything and everything, for long enough that they didn't notice how quick the time had gone.

Until Sidney and Troy decided to join them both.

"Oh my God, the lasagne!" Lyndsey panicked, putting her feet down to race back inside. Sid stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, pointing to Troy.

"I heard the timer go off when I was making a coffee. I turned the oven off but left it in there, it's all good."

She smiled in thanks, her heart still pounding a little bit as the adrenaline worked its way through her system. Sidney laughed, sitting down in front of her, moving his hand from her shoulder to her knee so that they could sit side by side. He handed over the extra bottle of water he had in his hands to her, before passing one to his Mom.

"How long have you two been out here?" He asked. A quick press of the home button on her phone told Lyndsey it had been close to an hour. She opened her mouth to answer but her stomach decided to make itself known, actually feeling hungry instead of just nauseous with the butterflies that had been hanging around ever since the two of them had breakfast. Sidney just snickered and ushered everyone inside, holding onto Lyndsey’s hand to help her stand up and giving her a warm smile, bussing a kiss against her already too-warm cheek.

Lunch was a subdued affair. Trina put together a salad while Sid relaxed a little and cracked open a bottle of beer with his Dad; Lyndsey stuck to her water. The younger of the four let Troy and Trina take the stools under the kitchen island, while they stood opposite them to eat their lunch over good food and conversation. It didn’t take too long after, while both she and Sidney were putting everything into the dishwasher, that he started yawning. There was an afternoon video session at the rink that the team had to go to, but Sidney mentioned that he wanted to get in a nap before then.

“Of course honey, you need all the rest you can get,” Trina commented.

“Come with me?” Sidney murmured to Lyndsey, catching her hand as she tipped out the glass of water that was mostly empty. Her eyes flicked to Troy and Trina and the back to him, trying not to let her face flush. He gave her a little shrug, kind of a ‘don’t worry about them’ face and kissed her quickly, saying he’d be back down stairs with enough time before having to head back to the rink.

“We’re going into the city, we’ve got to pick up some of those snacks for grandma likes so much,” Troy mentioned, picking up the keys to Sid’s Mercedes Benz. “We’ll see you for dinner?”

Lyndsey watched as they left the room quicker than Sidney had been planning to. She slowly shut the door to the dishwasher, listening for the beep of the car alarm and the groan of the roller door in the carport before she looked at the man still standing in the doorway.

“You just sexiled your parents.”

He burst out laughing. Full, hands on knees kind of uncontrollable laughter, making Lyndsey blush. They totally knew what their son was getting up to. With her. In his house. She’d never had or will have sex in her house while her Mom was home, she knew that she couldn’t do it. The fact that he was so comfortable with it made her second guess it for a second.

“What makes you think we’re going to have sex?” He asked, crossing his arms as he stood up to his full height. Lyndsey immediately flushed, looking down at her fingers that were twisting in her t-shirt. “I said I wanted to nap.”

She had no idea what to say. And there was no chance she was going to lift her head to look him in the eye, so she shrugged and turned her back to him to sit on a stool. It wasn’t like she was a fiend or anything. But her flight home was later that night and she really didn’t want to let an opportunity go by.

She thought they were on the same page. And she jumped when she felt his hands on her waist, never hearing him cross the tiles in the kitchen. His deep chuckle in her ear when she mumbled what was on her mind sent shivers racing down her spine. She could feel that hairs on her arms standing up as his lips found the silky soft skin behind her ear.

“I’m just kidding, love.” He raised a hand to turn her face to him, his fingers feeling like ice against her burning skin. His lips against her forehead calmed her racing heart a little bit. “C’mon.” He tugged at her hips, sliding his hand up her t-shirt slightly as she slid off the stool to stand in front of him.

“We can just nap,” She argued softly, pulling back on his hand when they got to the stop of the stairs. She shrugged when he looked at her blankly.

“You know,” He started, reaching out to hold both of her hands, walking backwards, “I try to be a gentleman. Treat everyone with respect, kindness.” He pushed the door shut behind her once she was through, only to crowd her back against it, dropping her hands in favour of pulling her shirt off her body. “But when my girlfriend wants what my girlfriend wants,” He smirked, slowly sinking down to his knees, his fingers deftly unbuttoning the top of her jeans, “Well, I try to be accommodating.”

She was naked except for her bra within in seconds, one hand going behind her against the door so that she had something to balance herself on. Lyndsey watched in awe as Sid slid his hands up her legs slowly, leaving a trail of kisses from high on one thigh to the other before moving back to the middle, nipping gently at her belly button before looking up and smiling. “Unless you had other plans.”

“Kiss me,” She gasped, fingers tangling in his hair as he bent forward, his breath ghosting over the apex of her thighs, warm and tantalizing.

“Here, baby,” He murmured, moving one of her legs to rest on his shoulders, giving her maybe two seconds to balance on one foot before he licked at her clit, groaning instantly at the taste and how wet she knew she already was. Lyndsey bit down on her lip, taking a deep breath as his face disappeared between her legs, his tongue running up and down her folds and clit like he was dying for it. “Let me hear you,” He spoke into her skin, and once she remembered that they were alone, Lyndsey couldn’t hold back; groaning and whimpering and crying out his name over and over as he went down on her.

Her orgasm snuck up on her quicker than she expected; Sidney showed no signs of slowing down as she gasped out his name. His left hand was holding onto the thigh over his shoulders so tightly she was sure she’d have bruises, and when he ran two fingers down her with his right hand, she knew she was almost there.

“Oh God, please,” She groaned, bending down a little, rocking her hips against his face. “Please, baby.”

The vibration of his own groan against her body was almost enough, and the hard press of his fingers against her g-spot when he finally slid them into her was her undoing; she gripped his hand tightly and held his face against her, moving her hand from against the door to the door handle so she had something solid to hold onto as her legs shook while she flew apart.

“Fuck,” She panted, her eyes having closed on their own volition so she didn’t notice that Sidney was just sitting back on his heels, one hand stroking the skin of her leg, pressing kisses into her thigh, his other hand gripping his cock tightly over his shorts. He was on his feet in an instant, pulling her up and off from the door, wrapping her legs around his waist as he carried her to the bed, his tongue searching for hers in a kiss so filthy she’d never had before.

“God, you taste so good,” He praised, pulling back so that he could pull his shirt off, hands going to his shorts before Lyndsey even knew what was happening. His cock was so hard it was almost completely vertical, head purple and leaking precum already. She rushed to reach behind her to unclasp her bra, and scrambled up to her knees to wrap her arms around his neck, bringing their lips back together in a harsh kiss as he pulled her legs back around his waist. “Ride me?” He asked, turning around to sit on the edge of the bed.

All Lyndsey could do was nod, taking a gasping breath as he slid into with a sigh, brushing her thumbs against his eyebrow as he stared back at her. His hands were large and firm on her ass, holding her in place and only once she started to roll her hips back and forth did he move them to her hips, her waist, her breasts. He gazed at her skin in wonder, closing his eyes every now and again when something felt particularly good, tightening his hold on her body and pumping his hips into hers occasionally.

It was some of the best sex she’d ever had.

“I can’t wait-” He broke off in a moan when she tightened up on him slightly, trying to find a better angle. “I can’t wait until we can have this all the time.” Sidney held her eye contact, nodding when she smiled, the both of them fighting for air as they moved faster and faster against each other. “You’re so fucking perfect.”

“You’re perfect,” She gulped, reaching between them to rub at her clit. It was still sensitive, too short of time passing between one orgasm and the next one building, but she wanted the burn. It was a pleasure sort of pain, and his reaction was enough to make her want to keep going. “I’m gonna cum again.”

“On me this time?” He asked, but it almost sounded like a promise. He laughed when she nodded, and she could feel her legs tightening, the quickening of her breath the more her fingers sped up. “Yeah, c’mon,” He grunted, lying back against the comforter so he could find leverage against the floor, pushing his hips up faster and harder into hers now that he had something solid to push against. He was so deep in her this way, and Lyndsey barely had time to slap her hands against his chest before she exploded, feeling her nails dig into the muscles of his pecs as she rode out her high.

“Fuuuuck,” Sid whined, his hands like a vice on her hips, “Oh God honey, I can feel it. Shit, oh shit, yeah!” He barked, thrusting his hips up roughly one more time as he came, head thrown back and his neck a long line of sweaty, flushed red skin that Lyndsey had to get her mouth on, leaning down to wetly kiss up and down his neck, his breath passing loudly past her ear as he lay beneath her.

She had no idea how long she kissed him for. She moved from one side of his neck to the other, following the path of his collarbones, reaching as far as his nipples before she physically couldn’t bend anymore with getting up off his lap. It was then that his hand reached for one of hers, pulling her up so that her face was level.

“I think you killed me,” She whispered, grinning when he laughed at her, reaching up to kiss her slowly.

“Uh, same,” He shrugged, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her down into a hug, sputtering when her hair fell across her shoulder and into his mouth. “Blergh.”

“Sorry,” Lyndsey giggled, flipping all of her hair onto one side, resting her chin on her palm to stare down at the man beneath her. She knew they’d have to move – hygienic reasons aside, her legs were starting to cramp – but she was happy for the time being, content and warm and completely worn out in the best of ways. “We need to shower.”

His answer came as a groan and then all of a sudden she was in the air, clutching to him tightly as he stood up off the bed. It took all the strength she had to get him to let her stand on her own two feet once they were in the bathroom, and the warm wet feeling she had between her legs was only slightly embarrassing. She was glad her face was still flushed so that he wouldn’t notice.

The water was a slight shock to her system as she stood under the spray, the both of them taking turns under the water while the other one soaped, then rinsing off separately. Even though they barely said a word, Lyndsey loved the fact that they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, shrieking and holding her hands up in front of her face when he shook his hair at her, trying to get her completely drenched from head to toe when she made of point of putting her hair up and out of the way.

“You’re an ass.” He nipped at her tongue when she poked it out at him, wrapping his arms around her when she tried to run away. It was like they were teenagers, poking and prodding and making each other laugh as they got into bed, before finally settling against the sheets and pillows and calming down instantly.

“Can I ask you something?” Sidney questioned, when there had been a couple of minutes of silence between them and Lyndsey’s eyes had slipped shut. They fluttered open to look back at him, his bare chest on display as he rested his head against his hand. Their other hands linked between them. Lyndsey shifted so that she was copying his pose and nodded. “Does it… does it make you uncomfortable when I tell you that I love you?”

His voice was so quiet and reserved, Lyndsey had never heard it sound like that before. He wouldn’t meet her eyes, choosing instead to play with the rings on her fingers or her fingers themselves. And he wouldn’t let her break free to reach for him either, so she just tugged on them to get his attention, smiling the best she could.

“Kind of?” She answered honestly, then letting her smile fall when he looked disappointed. “No, not like that!” She rushed, moving closer to him so that he would look straight at her. All she saw looking back was confusion. And possibly regret.

“So, like…”

“I mean,” She sighed, shrugging one shoulder. “I just – there haven’t been too many men in my life. At all, not just like, romantically.” She cringed, listening to herself. She never was too good at explaining her feelings. Ever. His pursed lips made her rush to continue. “I’m just not used to hearing it, that’s all. It’s not like I don’t want to hear you say it.”

“But you feel weird about it.”

“Yes – no. I don’t…” She huffed, rolling onto her back, taking her hands with her to cross her arms. “It’s complicated,” She reasoned. Once glance at the man to her left told her he thought it was all bullshit.

“So, uncomplicate it for me.”

“It’s not that simple, Sidney-”

“Look,” He interrupted, sitting up a little farther so that he could reach out with both hands. He rested them on her arms and stomach on top of the covers, rubbing back and forth comfortingly. “I love you,” He shrugged. She hated just how easy he made it look to that those three words. “I do. And I know you’re not there yet – or you want to be, but you just won’t let yourself – and I want you to know that you can trust me,” He pleaded, not breaking eye contact. She could barely breath. “I don’t know if it was because of your Dad, or some brother I don’t know about or whoever it was that made you think that all guys out there are like that but I’ll do whatever it takes to prove to you that I’m not them, okay?”

Lyndsey had no words. She didn’t even try to open her mouth to speak. His face looked at her so desperately, and she saw nothing but warmth in his eyes that all she could do was open her arms and let him come to her, wrapping him up around his shoulders as he laid his head onto the bare skin of her chest.

“Sorry to get all deep and heavy and shit,” He muttered, shifting around until he was completely comfortable. “I just… it’s all I think about, some days. Of whoever it was that has obviously hurt you so badly.”

She gulped, biting her tongue to not get upset. She knew she couldn’t cry about this every single time; she owed him honesty and trust and everything else he’d obviously shown her.

“I, uhm,” She cleared her throat, taking a deep breath. He moved a hand to brush his thumb against the skin of her tricep. “I do trust you. And you don’t have to prove anything to me, I know how good of a man you are.”

“But I-”

“Let me get this out.” He quieted down, taking a breath. Lyndsey stared at the ceiling, brushing her fingers through the hair at his temples while she gathered her thoughts. “My Dad up and left one day, when I was 14 years old. I stood by my whole life and watched him break my Mom’s heart over and over again until one day he went out to get milk and just didn’t come back.”

He didn’t really leave to get milk, but it was as good of a reason as any.

“I found out a few months before I graduated high school that he had this whole new family; wife, kids, white picket fence, dog. And he just… forgot my Mom or I even existed. He didn’t even try to keep in contact or anything. And it broke something, in me. He was my hero when I was little, he taught me everything I knew and then one day he was just gone-”

Sid sat up when she trailed off, frowning at the one tear she let escape. She sniffled, taking a second to compose herself before she looked him in the eye. “I haven’t let myself trust a man since – well, I trust Brent, but he’s as gay as the day is long and I guess I never really worried if he’d hurt me or not.”

Lyndsey almost couldn’t stand the way he was looking at her; pity and heartbreak and anger all rolled into one. It was why she didn’t tell many people her life story – it wasn’t something even she wanted to deal with, let alone anyone else.

“Lynds…”

“So, I’ll get there, okay? I will,” She promised, nodding at him. “I want to feel in love with you, so badly, I do. I just...” She shrugged. “I told you, I need time.”

He nodded slowly, leaning down to lie on her again, his arms much tighter around her than they were before. “I’ll be here,” He said, repeating his words from earlier that morning. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me to.”