Status: drip feed updates slower than an IV.

Master of Timing

we are the champions.

She woke up with a start; her skin tingling on her stomach. It took her a second to realise it was Sid’s hand, his fingertips brushing against her gently before she felt the hot breath from his mouth on her thigh, his tongue soon after.
 
“Fuck,” Lyndsey whispered, reaching up to brush the hair off her face that had found its’ way there during her nap.
 
“Ah,” His voice echoed between her thighs, making them quiver. “She wakes up.” He bent down to kiss her over her panties, tightening his fingers into the skin of her hips. “God, you smell so good.”
 
She felt her face flaming red, enough to cover her eyes with a hand while the other reached for his fingers. “You’re insatiable,” She croaked out, gasping when his hands tightened enough to pull her down towards him further.
 
“I don’t think you understand just how into you I am,” Sid clarified, distracting her with tiny nips and kisses along the top of her panties before he slid a finger into her. “This,” He curled a finger up sharply and Lyndsey bit down on a moan, “Is what I can’t stop thinking about some days.”
 
She took a deep breath, staring at the ceiling as she felt him slip her underwear away from her. Dirty talk was so far out of her comfort zone, she didn’t know what to say or how to act. “You… you do?”
 
He didn’t answer; not verbally. The hard suck of her clit between his lips caused her to shout and tighten her legs around his face – her nails digging into the skin on the backs of his hands. The sound of their heavy breathing, plus the wet licks from his tongue filled the room and it was only when he sat up did she realise how loud her whimpers were.
 
His eyes were dark. His hair was all messed up from his sleep and he’d abandoned his shirt at some point between them falling asleep and him waking her up. His lips were glistening and some primal notion came over her that she made him this way. She was the one that occupied his thoughts; during the day, on long lonely nights on the road, random afternoons where he had absolutely nothing to do. She reached for him, digging her nails into the skin at the back of his neck and pulled him down to her, licking into his mouth and swallowing his groan.
 
One of her legs was on his shoulder. Lyndsey would never be the most flexible of women but the stretch made her feel wanton; one slip of his hips and he’d be inside her.
 
“I want you,” She whispered against his mouth, using her free hand to hold onto his ass and pull them together.
 
“Hang on.” He grinned, shuffling back to where he was between her legs. “I was busy.”
 
“But-” She began to pout, before he tossed a pillow that was at his side up to her.
 
“Bite on that. I don’t want the neighbours to hear.”

 She promptly hit him with it, but he was right – she shoved her face into the material as he went down on her. He used his lips, his tongue, his fingers, sucking hard and long on her clit and licking deep within her folds that she almost couldn’t stand it. When he put two fingers into her and curled them up against her g-spot, she scrambled to reach for him, grasping the strands of his hair in her fingers as she rocked her hips.
 
"God, right there," she panted, feeling the tightening in her stomach as her thighs quivered. He didn't let up, driving his fingers into her body in such a way that she had no other option but to claw her nails into the pillow she still held against her face. Lyndsey jerked as she came, moving herself away from his torturous lips when it all became too much. She could feel her heartbeat in her throat, her ears, her fingers.


Three orgasms in three hours was a lot.

"I could watch that for hours, y'know." The smug tone forced her eyes open, taking in the image of the shirtless, muscled man above her, his lips still glistening even as he licked them clean. He leaned down to kiss her slowly, brushing his tongue against hers. Lyndsey kissed him back with all she had, sliding one hand down from his neck to his chest, stomach and eventually his cock, brushing the precum away with her thumb as she stroked him teasingly. The answering groan against her throat had her grinning. "Please, Lynds..."

"What do you want?" She whispered, biting his earlobe gently.


Sidney pushed up on his arms a little to stare back at her. She squeezed her hand a little tighter on the down stroke, watching his hips stutter forward as he took a deep breath to glance at what she was doing to him. "I want all of you," he answered, reaching to take a her hair in his hand. "Jesus, that's so good."

Lyndsey smiled to herself, gently pushing him over so that he was lying down on his back, hands resting on her shoulders. She kissed his mouth, his neck, his chest before taking his dick in her hand and swallowing him down halfway, using her hand to cover the rest she couldn't reach. His cut off gasp told her everything she needed to know, and she worked her mouth up and down as best she could, only pulling away once she heard her name in an urgent tone.


"C'mon," She muttered quietly, looking up at him from beneath her lashes as she licked up and down his cock once more. He came with a groan, his hand holding tight to her arm as he breathed through it. She watched as it pooled on his stomach, finally letting him go when he reached for her wrist.

"You're a mess," She giggled, licking at her thumb just to see his reaction.


Which was to groan once more and swiftly roll to his side of the bed to sit up, facing his back to her. "You're a menace," He spoke softly, peeking back over his shoulder to run his eyes down her body, shaking his head as he stood up and strode across the room to the bathroom.

Lyndsey bit her lip, brushing hair back from her face as her eyes wandered over all the skin walking away from her. It was quickly becoming a favourite view.


*



It had been a rushed goodbye, later that evening. Sidney got a team minder to bring her down to outside the club rooms before he got dressed for warm ups, finding a surprisingly empty hallway to share a kiss and a hug neither of them wanted to let go from. Lyndsey had spent the latter part of the afternoon with Trina at home, watching a movie on the couch while Sidney had left for the rink to prepare for the game. It had been nice; the opportunity to really get to know her boyfriends' mother a little better, but without the pressure of said boyfriends' watchful eye. Trina was as soft spoken and polite as her son, and when Lyndsey had to say goodbye to them to meet the car outside of the arena that was going to take her to the airport, she was saddened more than she thought she would've been to say goodbye to her and Troy.

Sidney, the sneak that he was, had got hold of her booking reference and had upgraded her flight to a first class ticket. Lyndsey had settled into her seat, opening the NHL app to see if she could watch the beginning few minutes of the game before she had to switch to flight mode. Claire had already promised to pick her up in Edmonton, which of course meant that Lyndsey was going to have to give her the full run down of the entire trip - and get reprimanded for being stupid about her feelings, again, when she should've just been completely honest and got over it. Again.

Lyndsey thought back to the note she had left on the bed before she closed the door to his room (the OCD in her couldn't let her leave without stripping the sheets and remaking the bed) with stationary she had found in his still fire hazardous office. She liked the romantic notion of it - of notes left for loved ones. It felt far more personal than a text.

I can't wait to hear everyyyyyyyything!

"Would you like another drink, ma'am?"

"Oh, no I'm fine," She replied, the stewardess smiling politely before moving to the seat behind her.

I promise, I won't keep anything back. But I will need to sleep at some point, so I'm not staying up forever.

You need sleep because you spent four days banging your hot bf six ways from Sunday LOL

...Taking off now.

you can't ignore me, you know i'm right.

see you in a few hours

chicken shit.

Lyndsey laughed to herself, turning her phone off before picking up The Outsiders, thumbing briefly over the dedication page and her personalised message, before opening it up to the chapter she'd left off from.




*



Lyndsey bit her lip, running her thumb along the edge of her soup mug as she sat against her headboard. Claire was staring at her, she could tell. Not that she wanted to meet her eyes.

"You said.... what?"

"Well," She shrugged, "Technically-"

"Oh I know!" Claire waved her free arm dramatically, not wanting to spill her food all over Lyndsey's bedspread. "Lyndsey," She groaned, smacking her best friends' knee. "How many times are we going to go through this? Clearly, the man is head over heels for you! You have to let yourself have this!"

Lyndsey sighed. It wasn't hard to admit that Claire was right. She should just let herself have this. She should've said 'I love you too' and every other expression under the sun. She knows that.


Saying the actual words is difficult. 
 
“I don’t…” She sighed, looking up at the ceiling. A few moments later, Claire slowly moved to sit next to her, resting her head on Lyndsey’s shoulder.
 
And when the silence continued, clearly she was waiting for Lyndsey to continue.
 
“I don’t know how to trust myself to trust him completely. Does that make any sense?” She groaned, taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes in frustration. She was 28 years old. She wanted to be a better human being at this point in her life.
 
Claire hmmed, shrugging a little. “I think that’s part of the journey though. Like, sometimes it’s a risk to put your faith and happiness in someone who could potentially hurt you, but then sometimes the reward you get back is worth it more than you could’ve ever imagined.” She sat up, taking the now empty soup mug out of Lyndsey’s hands and picking up her plate that she’d used when she made herself a PB&J. “Everyone and their dog would understand why you’re cautious – clearly Sidney knows that too,” She pointed to Lyndsey’s phone, sat face up next to her thigh. Lyndsey nodded. “But I think you need to put all of that behind you. It’s been six months. You’ve gone there, he’s come here, the guy missed practice for you-”
 
“He didn’t miss practice, he was late-”
 
“Which has probably never happened, whatever. Lyndsey, you’re my best friend. I love you. You love him, it’s so obvious you’d be able to see it on the moon. And before all of this happened you told me how you weren’t sure where your life was going and if you wanted to stay at the hospital or go travelling or get a change of scenery – maybe this is the change you needed. Look at me.”
 
Lyndsey took a deep breath and opened her eyes, folding her hands petulantly in her lap, awaiting her orders. Claire rolled her eyes and kicked the bed frame with a smirk. “Think about this: I’m sure they need nurses in Pittsburgh.”
 
She left shortly after, waving herself out the door and leaving it ajar enough that Lyndsey could hear her saying goodbye to Lorraine. Sidney’s texts on the screen were a distraction enough, him telling her that she could never leave in the middle of a game again since the Pens had lost Game 2.
 
Maybe Claire was right. Maybe a change of scenery was what she needed, she just had to let herself believe it.
 
 

*

 
 

Why she decided to take on six shifts in a row the day after returning back from a vacation was beyond her understanding. It was beyond Jackie’s too, who told her she was certifiable and should probably be shot to save her from her future stupidity. There hadn’t been a single break since she got back – work had been hectic, patients were either losing their lives left and right in front of her or completely wasting her time over the most mundane of things she wanted to scream. Kate, Claire and Brent had all taken to texting her incessantly, asking when the wedding was (Kate), had she grown balls yet (Claire) and do you think he’d be the type to know gay hockey players because it’s not fair that she should get all the good stuff (three guesses who and the first two don’t count).
 
It had been enough for her to leave her phone in her locker on the last night. So she missed the notification telling her that the Pens were through to the next round, having knocked out the Rangers in 5 games at home. She squealed with joy and sent Sidney the most embarrassing snapchat of her dancing around an empty locker room when she’d gone down on her break, not caring if anyone walked in.
 
(which they didn’t – or she didn’t notice and she wasn’t sure if it should bother her more than it did.)
 
The euphoria lasted for another blissful 17 minutes, until she came out of the bathroom on her way back to her shift to hear an urgent page through the PA system to trauma room four, and she got knocked into the wall as two doctors ran past her. It was enough to have her sprinting after them as well, to be met with chaos as soon as she opened the door.
 
Blood was everywhere.
 
The patient was lying on the gurney, the white sheets stained red underneath a cut open pair of jeans and tank top. He had holes all over his chest, holes that could only be gunshot wounds. Clearly, whoever did this to him didn’t want him to survive long enough to get him to the hospital.
 
The shouting blended into a blur as Lyndsey moved into action. The gloves were on and her hands were covering the closest wound she could get to on his thigh, applying pressure even though she knew there wasn’t a chance. She counted six bullet wounds in his chest alone, each of them large and jagged – she instantly knew that he had been shot at close range. Lyndsey saw Jackie with her hands around his neck, and she heard her mention the carotid artery. Nothing could’ve been done. Voices were screaming over the top of one another, bandages and gauze and oxygen masks all blending into one as the entire ER team did their best to fix what parts of their patient that could reach. One quick glance at the monitor showing his BP readings was enough – he’d be lucky if his heart kept beating for another minute. Just as she had the thought, the doctor who was attending called for the nurses to stop, each of them slowly lifting their hands and taking a step back, before a time of death was called for and noted.
 
Lyndsey stood still. Her hands were still warm, and when she looked down, she saw that her shoes and the majority of her scrubs were soaked a dark red. Casey put a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it away roughly, tugging the gloves off her hands and hurling them at the open trash can, storming off past everyone and down back towards the lockers. She’d need to change before she went back out on the Emergency floor.
 
“Fucking BULLSHIT,” She screamed, slamming her hands against the metal lockers doors again and again, ignoring the throbbing pain in the heel of her palm, fighting away from the sudden grip around her upper arms, pulling her away. “No! Get your hands off me,” She struggled, feet kicking in the air until she was dropped down again.
 
“Lyndsey, calm down.”


“Fuck you, Simon,” She seethed, backing away until her elbows hit the brick wall behind her, the security guard she’d known since she’d first started at the hospital holding his hands out to placate her, to calm her down. She could hear her harsh breathing, feel how fast her heart was beating. “Just… fuck you.”
 
“I need you to take a deep breath-”
 
“I need you to get the hell away from me!” The door next to her opened, startling her and she snapped her attention away from Simon, taking a deep breath when Jackie stood next to her, frowning in that motherly way of hers. “I’m fine, Jackie.”
 
Jackie hummed and lifted her hand. She’d hit the lockers harder than she thought, and on something sharp because her hand was bleeding. “Clearly.”
 
Snatching her hand away, she stalked over to the scrubs covered and found ones her size, glaring at them both as she moved into the bathrooms to change. She hastily wrapped her hand up in toilet paper so that she could get into new scrubs, ignoring the hushed whispers coming from the other side of the doorway where Jackie was talking to Simon. The door opened and closed not too long after, not that it gave Lyndsey any motivation to move away from the sink she was currently leaning over, unable to stop herself from shaking.

“Lyndsey-”

“No,” She shook off the older lady’s hand, turning to face her. “I…fuck,” she muttered, stepping around her. “I’ve got to fix this up.”

“Hang on a minute.”

“What?” She snapped, turning on her heel. “What, Jackie?” She heard the tone of her voice and what it did to her friend’s face, blinking away before she could really let the guilt set in from how horrible she was being. The tension in the room could’ve been cut through with a knife, and when Jackie didn’t seem to have anything to follow it up with, Lyndsey made a stop by her locker to grab her coat and rushed back upstairs.

She knew she’d be able to find a supply closet and cover up her hand. And when no one seemed to notice her in the hallway, she turned right instead of left and made her way to the front of the building, muttering that she was taking a five minute break at the receptionist nurse before jogging through the sliding glass doors of the ER.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket as she found a clear spot on the curb side, far enough away from the doors to not be hit by any cars, but close enough that she could run back inside if she was paged.

you’re such a dork ;)

The winking emoji that followed it hit her like a slap in the face. There she was, sitting on the side of the road needing to get a little bit of fresh air after having four patients code and not survive on her, and her boyfriend was probably six beers deep, celebrating a hard fought win and none the wiser.

Just as she was trying to not grind her teeth down to nothing, his face appeared on the screen. It was the first time she’d ever truly considered not picking up when he called, because she didn’t know if she had it in her to really be the supportive girlfriend she knew he wanted to hear from.

But then again… their time together was never enough.

“Hey,” She answered, pressing the cold of the screen to her face. She shouldn’t have been outside, she could see her breath. “Congratulations.”

Thanks baby. Nice dancing skills,” he chuckled. She couldn’t find it in her to join in.

“…Yeah.”

He caught on pretty quickly, and Lyndsey scrunched her face up at how stupid she was being. And selfish and pathetic and dramatic all at once. She didn’t know when her life had turned into an episode of the Bold and the Beautiful.

What’s wrong?

“Why would anything be wrong?”

He scoffed and she could see his eye roll from a thousand miles away. “You don’t sound like you normally do.

“Maybe I’m just tired.”

I…maybe. Yeah, okay.”

She huffed, shoving her free hand into her coat pocket further and crossing her legs, hunching over to preserve as much heat as possible. She could’ve just stood up and walked inside, but no one had spoken to her for at least three minutes and it had felt like forever since she’d started her shift.

“I’m sorry,” She muttered. “It’s been a really shitty night. I don’t want to rain on your parade.”

There was some noise coming through the background of his phone line but then it was back to being silent again, and not for the first time Lyndsey wondered just where he was and what he was doing. Not because she didn’t trust him, or even because she was curious; because she wished with every fibre of her being to be with him.

Does my good night cancel out your bad one?” Came his eventual reply, and he sounded so unsure that it made her laugh a little, filling her chest with warm fuzzies. It was everything she didn’t know she needed.

“I guess it can. Where are you?”

He groaned and there was a rustling that could’ve only been bed sheets. Home then. When he confirmed her guess, she frowned to the empty parking lot. “Did you just leave everyone downstairs to talk to me?”

No,” He yawned. “I’m exhausted. They’ll either find somewhere to sleep or leave at some point.

“Sidney!”

What?

“You can’t just leave in the middle of your own celebration!”

Uhh, it’s a team thing, not my thing and I’ve done my captainly duties by giving the rookies some half decent booze. Now I can sleep until lunch time tomorrow. By which time, the cleaning company should’ve been and gone so I do not have to deal with the consequences.

“Sidney Crosby,” She murmured quietly, glancing around to check she was alone out of habit. “I thought you were responsible,” She giggled, rocking to her feet. She’d avoided the craziness long enough.

Lyndsey Jennings,” He mocked, and it made her heart sing to hear him sounding so carefree.

“…Yes. That’s my name.”

He groaned again, but it sounded happy and it wasn’t until she licked her lips that she realised her cheeks were hurting from smiling. He hadn’t even tried to make her happy, he was just able to do it.

I’m drunk, lea’me alone.

“You called me,” She pointed out. It took a few seconds for him to respond, enough for her to check that the phone call was still going.

Wish you were here. Coulda cuddled.

“We could’ve,” She agreed quietly. “Win me a big shiny trophy and I’ll be there to cuddle you then.”

Please don’t make me wait that long to kiss you,” He grumbled, before an arriving ambulance siren could be heard in the distance.

“Hey, I’ve gotta go,” She told him regretfully, and when she didn’t hear anything back for a few seconds, quietly told him goodbye and then hung up the phone, making a mental note to give him shit for passing out on her in the middle of a phone call.

A voice from just inside caught her attention, the nurse waving her in before turning back around. Lyndsey sighed, tipping her head back to look up at the cloudy sky before moving forward, praying that the night would end as soon as possible.

*


The Philadelphia Flyers were the official rival of the Pittsburgh Penguins. But the Washington Capitals came in close second. Sidney still couldn’t believe that they’d dropped the first game, in overtime to them, and that just when they’d thought they’d be able to close them out in game five, they shit the bed on that and had to take game six back to Pittsburgh.

The fact that they still didn’t close game six out in regulation frustrated him as the seconds wound down on the game clock at the end of the third. After a quick break, enough to get their heads sorted and for Coach to pump their tyres enough to get their heads on straight, they exploded back onto the ice. It was theirs. There was no way this series was going back to Washington.

Sidney has never loved anyone more than he loved Nick Bonino six minutes and thirty two seconds into OT. He threw himself over the boards as quick as he could, racing across the ice to slam himself into his team, all screaming their heads off to match the fans slamming against the glass as ‘Party Hard’ blared through the speakers.

The team found out the next night that they would be facing Tampa Bay for the conference final. The core had crowded into Geno’s theatre room to watch them shut out the Islanders at home in New York, while Sidney’s attention was distracted as he texted Lyndsey.

They’d been arguing having a minor disagreement about her coming down for a game that lined up with some of her time off. He didn’t know what to say to her to convince her to come back to Pittsburgh. He was missing her more than he thought he would. And he didn’t like the pit in left in his stomach.

“Okay,” A sigh came from beside him, his shoulders jostling as Patric slumped down onto the bean bag he was using. “Would you like to share with the class or should we guess, hmm?”

Sidney gave him a flash of a smile, sliding his phone back into his jeans. “It’s nothing.”

Patric levelled him with a pointed stare. “You know, you are very terrible liar.”

“I’m not… it’s nothing,” He repeated, adjusting his hat and slouching down further into the bag. “Nothing that won’t sort itself out.”

“Oooh, Cap’s getting all philosophical.”

“That’s a big word for you, little guy.”

“I know big words!” Guentzy argued back, he and Phil wrestling with each other.

Because they were all really just over grown children, it didn’t take long for the room to take sides, someone calling out a joke about placing bets and Geno calling for a referee. Sid glanced at the TV and noticed the game had crossed back over to Sports Center and considered that his sign to call it a night.

The chorus of boo’s and groans that followed when he stood up made him laugh, but he didn’t look back as he made his way through Geno’s house, stopping at the front door for his shoes.

“Hey, Sid.” Looking up, he spotted Beau who was leaning over the balcony of the landing. “You okay, man?”

He nodded, sliding his heel into his boot. “Yeah dude, I’m good. Just need to get some rest, that’s all.”

Beau didn’t look convinced and Sid kind of loved the kid for always going out of his way to check up on his team mates. He waved, making sure to flick the lock on the door before it shut and slid into his car, blasting the heat while he waited for the engine to warm up. His conversation with Lyndsey would have to wait until the morning.

*


By the time Sidney was on plane back to Pittsburgh after a brutal series against the Lightning, he didn’t think he had anything left in the tank. The injuries were piling up left, right and centre and even if every single guy on the team was committed to playing through them, their stats and adjustments to game play were all that was running through Sidney’s head nearly every minute of the day. Sidney glanced up from his chair as he was setting his jacket down, laughing at Brian who’d been tackled to the floor by half of the rookies, all still cheering for his goal that game them the inspiration to hang on until the final buzzer, sending them through to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in a long time.

Too long, if you asked Sid’s opinion.

The core, far too old and battered to consider themselves able to keep up with the kids anymore all settled down into the seats, taking a chance to kick their shoes off and unbutton their ties, ruining the lines of their suits as they slumped in the airplane seats. Marc-Andre had his eyes closed as he leaned against the window, but a smile on his face big enough to let anyone know who happened to walk by that he was very much awake and celebrating - just from his seat.

He and Lyndsey hadn’t spoken since game four.

On his way home from Geno’s house that night, Lyndsey had called him from home. It took the ten minute drive to his house for them to be full on arguing with each other; Sidney couldn’t understand how it was so hard to take a couple of days off, Lyndsey couldn’t understand why he didn’t understand that she had a duty of care to her patients and her job wasn’t just one she was willing to drop the second her boyfriend decided he wanted to see her.

He still wasn’t sure which one of them hung up on the other.

He had a couple of days off to rest before the Final round began - since the Pens finished higher than the Sharks, he was grateful the first two games were at home. It meant that if he had to, he could fly up to Edmonton. If that’s what it took, it’s what he was going to do.

Kuni, Flower and Tanger all thought that was a bit drastic. Geno had just grinned and told him to book the tickets when Sidney mentioned over a core dinner a couple of nights prior. He didn’t get the feeling that he’d be welcome if he flew up to Alberta, and didn’t want to make her angrier with him than she already was, so he was still undecided.

But it was killing him not knowing.

“You could just call her.”

Flower hadn’t moved, not that he needed to. Sidney would stop what he was doing to listen to his advice all day, every day.

“I feel like we need to talk face to face.”

Peeking one up open to the man on his right, the goalie sighed and shifted to get more comfortable. “Sometimes we don’t always get that choice, my friend. And there’s only so many times you can send flowers.”

“She has allergies,” He mumbled, thumbing his lock screen open and closed, too busy to notice the knowing grin Flower sent his way.

“Give her some time. You’re both too goo goo to let this little thing stop you from making up.”

“Goo goo?” Sid repeated, deflecting the arm that came across to smack him.

“Shut up.”

*


“You are so fucking dumb. I can not believe we are friends.”

“You’re a real charmer, Brent,” Lyndsey panned, reaching for her drink as he slid across the table. She turned to Claire.

Who just stared back at her.

“What?” She shrugged. “I completely agree with him.”

Lyndsey groaned, taking a gulp of the double shot vodka can that their bartender had been making so well all night. “Can one of you please try and see it from my perspective?”

“What perspective?” Brent asked, pointing at her. “He asked you to come see him - you have a roster schedule that allows you to do have some time off, who gives a fuck if it’s for a game or not - you’re both so stupidly into each other. Just… get on a plane!”

“Okay, look,” Claire interrupted, holding Lyndsey’s hand as she tried to throw pretzels that the man in front of her. Lyndsey huffed, slumping back down. “That man-” pointing to the TV, she drew Lyndsey’s attention to the game on the screen, game two half way through the first period. “Is probably very used to getting his own way. Mostly because he deserves it but also probably a little bit because people have been kissing the ground he’s walked on since he was like fifteen years old. I highly doubt he’s heard ’no’ much, especially not from girlfriends or whatever.”

Lyndsey felt the need to defend his honour, but stayed silent under the death glares from her friends.

“Of course he’s going to act like a spoiled brat not getting the particular toy he wants to play with!” Brent snickered, hiding behind his drink. Claire just rolled her eyes and carried on, “Listen, you stood up for yourself and made sure that he knew you’re not at his beck and call. You have an entire life and career and everything that you can’t just drop all at once whenever he clicks his fingers.”

“Call him,” Brent suggested, pointing to her phone sat face up on the table in their booth at the bar. Lyndsey just frowned and pointed to the TV.

“He’s currently occupied.”

Rolling his eyes, Brent picked up her phone to hand to her. “Go outside - yes, it’s not that cold, c’mon - leave him a voicemail saying how much you miss him and that you do still want to have his babies and he will call you back after the game.”

“He’ll be flying to San Jose straig-”

“Oh my God,” Claire exploded, shaking her friends shoulders. “Do you even hear yourself, honestly.”

“I don’t…” Lyndsey shrugged her arm away, swirling the straw in now the remnants of her drink. She needed another one. “It’s so complicated. Not- not right now. Just, the whole thing.” Brent and Claire just stared at her. “Long distance. Him,” She shrugged, pointing her chin at the TV, which was currently showing an advert.

“I love it, personally.”

“Yes Brent,” Claire answered, standing up. “We know you all love the hockey ass.”

“No!” He yelled loudly over the two of their giggles. “I meant this whole thing. Lyndsey being happy and in love and apart from right now enjoying her life. It’s been a while.”

Lyndsey smiled at him gratefully, nodding when Claire waved her empty glass. She swiped her phone out of Brent’s hands and shuffled along the leather seat, heading for the front doors so that she didn’t have to fight with the noise of the bar. The dial tone in her ear was quiet, and she walked a few paces down the street to hear when his voicemail kicked in.

Hey.

She waited scuffing her shoe on the pavement.

Lyndsey?

Her eyes grew wide, and she pulled the phone away from her face to see the seconds clicking over. “Sid?”

…Did you mean to call me?

“Uhm, yeah. Yes! Hi,” She grinned, looking out at the street in front of her. “Sorry, I thought I was getting your voicemail.”

Well I should’ve probably- hey! Get lost-” There was a chorus of yells coming through the speaker and Lyndsey felt all at once like she was back on that call from months ago, giggling as all of his team mates yelled at her through the phone. Children. “I wasn’t expecting to see your name, I kind of answered on autopilot.

“Oh,” She deflated, feeling like an idiot. “I’ll let you go-”

No wait, I’m sorry,” He rushed. It was quieter on his end, but not by much. “I didn’t mean it like that, I’m sorry. Please don’t hang up.

“I mean, you’re in the middle of game.”

I have a few minutes.

“I… okay,” She agreed, taking a deep breath. “I mean, we can talk about it all later but I just wanted to call you and say that I was sorry for being an ass. The last couple of weeks have sucked and I was being a jerk and… and you didn’t deserve that.”

He was quiet for a couple of seconds. “I might’ve deserved some of it. I was a jerk, too.

She laughed, biting her lip. “Okay, well I- oh my God, you’re in the middle of a game, hang up. Why did you answer?”

Are you only just realising?” His laughter was like music to her ears.

“No I know! I mean, I’m watching it but like, go back and do your job. Why did you answer, you’re an idiot.”

You know why,” He said softly, interrupting her ranting. She stopped short. “I’ll call you after we win?

“Call me regardless,” She made him promise, then laughed loudly as he cursed her for jinxing them.

She felt like a massive weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Two weeks of anxiety and panic and feeling like a fool, gone in the space of three minutes. And then she had to go back inside and prove Claire and Brent right and she immediately made a decision as she opened up the door to the bar that she was stopping by to get a shot of tequila first.

*


Lyndsey was almost sure she was about to go into cardiac arrest. Like, she couldn't regulate her heart beat and Trina boring holes into the centre ice next to her wasn't helping in the slightest. This was it. The last play of the game. The sixth game. The Cup in the building. They were up by one. The Sharks net was empty.

She was going to die.

The puck battle near the end boards of the Pens defensive zone lasted so long, Lyndsey was sure that her lungs were going to collapse. She was holding Taylor’s hand about as hard as any single person could, screaming along with every other person cheering for the Pens in the SAP Center in California.

Glancing at the clock, she could see that there was a minute and thirty seconds left. The Pens could win it.

The Sharks were desperate to tie.

A whistle blew as Matt gloved a shot on the ice, the energy buzzing through the arena like electricity. Trina hadn’t moved for two minutes, her face covered by her hands. Troy was wringing his in his lap, all four of them sitting on the edge of their seat, with the rest of the family and friends that had travelled for the game.

The ref dropped the puck and SAP exploded with even more noise than what she already thought possible. She was in a box and could barely hear the people sitting right in front of her.

"Go!" Taylor yelled, grabbing at her Dad's jacket at the same time Trina reached for Lyndsey's arm. Hornqvist was on a break away, Sidney right there on his left and from what Lyndsey could see, was screaming at him to keep going, turning suddenly to throw all of his weight into Couture with what was barely a legal check.

It was in.

Patric threw his arms in the air, on edge as he turned around and jumped into Sidney’s arms with just over a minute to go. The entire bench was celebrating, coaches, trainers and players alike all leaning forward to fist bump number 72 before resetting at center ice.

Lyndsey's eyes tracked Sidney as he came off his shift, smile still wide across his face as he and Patric laughed about something together.

"Oh God, I can't watch." Trina turned around and shook out her hands, trying to duck away from Taylor's hands when she looked incredulously at her mother.

"Yes you can! Lyndsey," she turned to look at her. "Hold her still."

There was a fire behind her eyes that Lyndsey didn't want to argue with, but she wasn't about to grab Sidney Crosby's mother and force her to look at the ice. That was too much.

Not that it mattered.

It was like everything started to move like it was under water. There was a siren. Not that you could hear it, because the crowd was reaching decibels Lyndsey was sure could cause major ear damage.

Everyone in a Pittsburgh jersey was on their feet. Hand were either in the air, or wrapped around the person nearest them. Just like the Crosby's were saying they dragged Lyndsey in for a hug. She tried to come up for air, but she felt paralysed.

It didn't matter.

The team was over the boards before the ref had even put his whistle to his mouth to signal the end of the game. It was over. The Stanley Cup had been brought home to Pittsburgh.

Lyndsey wasn't sure what happened. One minute she was caught in a hug with Taylor, shaking with relief and behind hugged by a crying Trina, the next they were waiting in a tunnel with the rest of the teams' family members.

"Lyndsey we won!" Maeva screamed, flying through the air into Lyndsey's arms, cheering and giggling into her ear as Lyndsey spun the both of them around in a circle.

"We won!" She echoed, laughing as all the Kody and Zoe both hugged her legs, Carol-Lyne watching with a careful eye. They were all about to join the team on the ice, it was not the time for any of the kids to go missing. Maeva jumped down but Zoe reached up to take her place, the five year old sucking on her thumb. "You okay, Zo?"

"It's loud," she mumbled from behind her hand, resting her head on Lyndsey's shoulder as the crowd of family in front of them started to move forward. She shook her head with a smile when Carol-Lyne offered to take her daughter back, adjusting her grip on Zoe's legs as Taylor linked arms with her on their other side, grinning like crazy.

"Don't let go of me, I'll slip in these," Lyndsey motioned to her heels. Taylor laughed at the look of worry on her face, promising to not let go until she got to hug her brother. Troy put a hand on the small of her back and promised he'd keep and eye out too and Lyndsey's heart swelled. She was almost certain that the three of them had no idea that there was a chance she wasn’t going to be joining them tonight, but she didn’t care. She was grateful for them before, but now couldn't imagine being anywhere else, with anyone else.

Standing on the ice of SAP Center, in shoes she probably shouldn’t have worn, was overwhelming. She thought back to their peaceful skating lesson on the ice of the PPG practise rink when it was just her and Sidney, and couldn’t believe that she was stood on an actual NHL arena rink.

Now, she had to share it with every man and his dog. Plus media and a zoo of kids all slipping and sliding on the ice in fits of giggles as they all tried to find their Dads.

Lyndsey had no idea how, because every where she turned there was six foot plus hockey players surrounding her, but Zoe spotted Pascal, screaming over the noise to her Dad who was bent down on one knee hugging Kody. Lyndsey let the five year old go, watching as she slipped her way the twenty feet over to Duper.

She was jostled as she stood back up, reaching out to grab the first white jersey she could find to save herself from falling straight to her butt in front of everyone and the media. Not that she had to worry about standing because as soon as she looked up, she realised that she'd grabbed Geno, who took great pleasure in picking her up off the ice and spinning in a circle, screaming her name in her ear.

"Congratulations!" She screamed back, holding on tightly as he set her back on the ice.

“We fuckin’ did it!” he laughed, shaking them both back and forth with unconfined happiness. She couldn't have been prouder of Pittsburgh's one-two punch, so it made the feeling of sweat against her skin easy to ignore. "Go, he look for you."

She turned to see where he was pointing to, seeing Sidney scan the crowd in front of him before his eyes locked on hers. He reached out for her, his arms falling from where he had them around his Mom in a hug. She hated the way he just pushed through the crowd on skates like he could walk on water, while she barely wanted to move from where she was for fear of falling over.

She could practically feel her face splitting in two from the smile she couldn't keep off her face, reaching for the shoulders of his jersey at the same time his arms went around her waist. "Congratulations baby!" She squealed, breaking off into a fit of giggles as he picked her up the same as Geno, his arms tight around her ribs as hers wrapped around his neck. Her legs moved to wrap around his waist as he turned them and skated the both of them back to his family, dropping her down on the ice a few feet away from his sister.

"You were amazing-“

"I love you," he interrupted. Then he cupped her face with his hands and bent down to kiss her, holding her against him as she gasped and went to pull away in instinct. It wasn't the first time he'd said those words to her, but it was the first time he had kissed her in front of a crowd. She could hear the clicks of cameras going off close to them and hoped to God that the dopey smile she could feel on her face when he pulled away looked somewhat attractive.

“I…I’m so proud of you,” she choked out, holding onto his hand as she walked carefully over to his family. Trina grinned and squeezed her shoulder.

"Sid, c'mon!"

They all turned to look at the voice calling them, Mark Potash waving at him with the piece of paper he seemed to always have in his hand, a microphone in the other as he stood in front of a camera crew. Sidney turned back and kissed her forehead, squeezing her hand before he let go and skated over, leaving Lyndsey with his family while he performed his Captainly duty.

"Let me take a photo of you two."

Trina was waving Lyndsey and Taylor together, holding her phone up while Taylor unfairly wrapped an arm around Lyndsey's shoulder.

"Just because you're taller," she grumbled, but smiled for the photo none the less. Trina seemed satisfied enough to let Lyndsey take a look around, her arm still linked with Taylor's just in case. The Stanley Cup Champions 2016 went around and around in circles on the screens in between the levels of the arena. 'Long Way to the Top' blasted out of the speakers. There were fans everywhere, some spots empty from where the San Jose supporters had begun to leave the building, everyone with a camera pointing in the direction of where they were all standing.

She could see where the red carpet was being rolled out, a table with a black cloth following just after, ready to sit the Cup on top for her boyfriend to stand next to and pose for a photo before he could lift it up for the whole world to see.

"Crazy, huh?"

Taylor hit the nail on the head, laughing at Lyndsey's eyes bugging out of her head. "I thought it was a circus when I'd watched it on TV. But this is something else." Lyndsey got the feeling she wasn't going to have a voice in the morning, not with the amount of screaming she was having to do just to have a normal conversation.

"Kris!"

Her attention was drawn to Letang, who had Alex in one arm and the other around Trina. They broke in a rapid conversation in French that Lyndsey quickly tuned out of, opening her arms to give Catherine a hug, the both of them bursting out with laughter. "I can’t believe this! I almost want to cry.”

"Then cry!" Lyndsey reasoned. "Who cares?"

"I do! I got my make up done for this," Catherine laughed, looking up at the scoreboard in an effort to keep the tears from falling. Alex reached over to grab his mother's hair, laughing as Lyndsey intervened and reached for him instead.

"Lyndsey!"

"Hey, little man!"

Alex had taken to Lyndsey like duck to water when they had met the day before. Most of the wives and kids were flown out to California, and when Sidney got wrapped up in interviews, Catherine said she could tag along with her and Carol-Lyn to the park near the hotel, so the kids could tire themselves out. Lyndsey was the one that went back to her room needing a nap.

"Daddy won!" He yelled out from underneath the Championship hat, Kris breaking from his conversation to take it back and slipping it backwards onto his head.

"Daddy did win!"

"And Uncle Sid?"

Lyndsey looked over to where the man in question was shaking a hand and looking at her, finishing up his conversation before making his way back over to them. "Yep, Uncle Sid too. Think he deserves a hug?"

"Uncle Sid!" Alex screamed, all but falling out of Lyndsey's arms and into Sidney's, bursting with laughter when he was thrown in the air.

"Oh, let me get a photo of you all."

"Mom," Sidney began to groan, but Catherine slapped him on the chest, telling him not to argue. She slid in next to him, her other arm around her husband. Sidney rested his free hand on Lyndsey's hip and drew her in closer to him, adjusting Alex in his arm so that Catherine wasn't blocked out.

It wasn't long before the crowd started to cheer even more. Lyndsey turned her head from where she was standing in tight next to Sidney, her heart racing when she clutched his jersey to get his attention. The cup was being lifted out onto the ice, the organisers neatening the table cloth.

"You're up," she noted, smiling into the kiss he gave her before he made his way up to the statue.

If there was ever a moment Lyndsey wanted to remember, it was the one that followed just after. The smile that adorned his face as he shook Mario's hand. The one that stayed permanently on his face as he lifted the cup from the table into the air, screaming along with his team, his fans, his family.

She couldn't imagine being anywhere else, ever again.

*


Lyndsey was sure that at some point the police were going to be called, until she saw actual police officers walk through the back fence to Sidney’s backyard, escorting more people through with grins on their faces. Sidney was one of the first to make his way over, shaking their hands and laughing, pointing over to the Cup that was currently sat by the pool.

A pool that occupied with about thirty people.

Lyndsey had heard of the epic post cup celebration at Mario’s house in 2009. Sidney decided that his house was the only house the Cup should spend its' first night back in Pittsburgh at, the center of attention amongst people Lyndsey wasn’t even sure that Sidney knew.

The music was loud, Troy and Mario had taken over the barbecue area and were just loading up trays and trays of meat as it was cooked. Almost everyone had a drink in their hand, dancing along to a song coming from the stereo or trying to one-up each other in the water. It was three AM, and some of the guys had decided to toss a football back and forth on the grass, tackling each other into the dirt every third or fourth spiral.

“Hey!”

“Hi!” She grinned, turning around to see Sidney right behind her, his eyes bright and shining despite the amount of alcohol in his system. He grinned back, catching her lips in a kiss that felt like it wouldn’t end, his one hand tight on her hip, the other sliding into the back pocket of her shorts. “Sid,” She giggled, breaking away.

“Did you get some food?” He asked, speaking into her neck and licking up to her ear.

“Yes,” She groaned. He had been running his hands and mouth over whatever part of her he could all night, beginning on the plane when he wouldn’t let her sit down anywhere except his lap, his hands high on her thighs and gripping tightly like he was afraid she was going to run away.

She would’ve been more embarrassed with Trina hadn’t actually laughed at the two of them, turning around to get herself another drink.

“I have an idea.”

He pulled back to look her in the eye, biting his lip to hide a smile. She rested her hands on his neck, playing with the long strands of his hair and the gold chain he never took off.

He’d lost his shirt about an hour before.

“Oh, you do?”

He nodded, waggling his eyebrows before bending down and picking her up, holding on tight as her legs went around his waist as he started to walk-

“No,” She gasped, clutching at his shoulders. “Don’t do it.”

“Do you have your phone?” He questioned and before she could think of a good enough response, she was flying through the air to crash into the water of the pool.

There was a muffled sound of someone jumping in next to her as she pushed off the ground of the pool and towards the surface, spluttering and wiping away the water from her eyes. The person next to her ended up being Sidney, and she laughed as he flicked his hair back off his forehead, the cheers of everyone around them fading away as he drew her closer into his arms, his hands resting in the pockets of her shorts.

“Mmmh, wet denim,” He joked, squeezing her butt. “Can’t wait to peel that off you later.”

“Sidney,” She hissed, slapping his wet shoulder.

“What?” He looked around. “No one cares.”

“I do! You’re an ass.”

“You have a great ass,” He countered, and she felt any fight (which wasn’t much) leave her at the look of content on his face. “I love it.”

She rolled her eyes. “I bet you do.”

“I do!” He insisted, kissing her quickly. “I love your butt. And your face.” He kissed her again. “And you.”

“I love you too.”

She paused, surprised at herself. He clearly was too, because the slow circle he’d been turning them in stopped suddenly, his jaw dropping a little.

It was the easiest thing she’d ever said in her life.

“…wait. Say that again.”

She huffed out a laugh, sniffling and wiping away the water on her face. She didn’t want to think of what the mascara under her eyes looked like. Thank God it was stupidly late and people were either too drunk or too tired to care about what a hot mess she was.

He had his arms around her waist and his mouth on hers before she even had a chance, holding her tightly as they swayed back and forth slowly to the music still coming from closer to the barbecue. Lyndsey pulled back, biting her lip and brushing his slightly dripping hair back off his face. He looked so young, carefree and innocent and she didn’t understand why she’d been so hesitant all this time if three little words made him look so beautiful.

“I love you.”
♠ ♠ ♠
OKAY.
FIRST OF ALL: I AM THE ACTUAL WORST PIECE OF HUMAN TRASH.
SECOND OF ALL: I'M REALLY SORRY. I DIDN'T ACTUALLY THINK IT HAD BEEN A WHOLE YEAR SINCE I UPDATED THIS.

For those of you that even care anymore: here's another chapter. I happened to get into a long distance relationship this past year, fly to America twice to see the guy, fall into what I thought was love, get actually heartbroken for the first time ever and completely lost interest in not only this story but like... men, love and the whole institution in general. And I feel really bad about that, because I have had some unbelievably sweet messages from so many of you and I really hope that this chapter somewhat does it justice.

I also didn't re-read half of this, so any mistakes please let me know. I have like... synopsis' of the future chapters written, each in their own individual files to make me kick my own ass into gear, but I don't think Lyndsey is going to let me go this long. It might be the reason she flies to Australia for the first time: purely to kick my ass. Dangerous snakes and spiders and sharks and all.

Please leave any feedback - again, I know I took way too long with this. If it's alright with you, I'd like to blame my ex for being an actual shitbag and has now had karma handed directly to him on a silver platter because I am NOT just someone you throw aside like a side piece.

One last thing - Sidney's pornstache. Are we liking it? Does it need to go? I think it needs to go.

BYE.