Master of Timing

It was the shift in the bed that woke him. It wasn't enough for him to open his eyes and maybe, if he tried, he'd be able to fall back to sleep. Especially when he felt Lyndsey's arm snake around his torso, the featherlight touch of her lips kissing his bare skin between his shoulder blades. He laid still, wanting to know just what she was up to when she thought that he was asleep. Granted, he was usually the first awake out of the both of them whenever they shared a bed, but the harsh reality of how his nights were filled with more and more restless sleeps the longer he spent apart from her made him want to ignore the urge to get up and start the day. He peeked an eye open to look at the watch face on his wrist near his face; yeah, he had plenty of time to lie in before he had to get up.

Lyndsey didn't do much more but slowly sneak a leg in between the both of his, brushing her thumb ever so slightly against his chest before she stilled again, her warm breath settling in between his shoulders. He could tell from how she hadn't stopped moving her thumb that she was still awake, so he gently move his own hand down, linking their fingers together before settling back comfortably against her.

"You awake?" She whispered into his skin, peppering small kisses all across his back.

"Yeah," he replied, clearing his throat as he lifted their linked hands to his mouth so he could kiss her fingers.

"Sorry."

“Don’t be,” he had to assure her, shifting so that he could roll over and not break their hands apart. She had her eyes closed still, but there was a sweet smile across her face. Sidney took in the messy bun she had on top of her head, the way that some tendrils were falling out of it and across her neck. From there down she was covered in one of his t-shirts, but he didn't care in the slightest. Might've even thought that she looked better in blue than he did.

"Stop staring at me." She still had her eyes closed, but the smile was getting a little wider.

"Nope." Sidney wiggled he free hand out from under neath his pillow and reached forward to brush the hair from her forehead, stroking her hair back as he ducked his head forward to kiss her nose. "It's my favourite view."

She mmhed, pushing further into his hand before opening her eyes. The soft, sleepy blinks made him smile. "I thought your favourite view was from the centre of Consol, raising the Cup," she teased, poking her tongue out.

“…Okay, it's my second favourite."

He was prepared, taking his hand back from her hair in time to catch the slap that was aimed at his shoulder. He giggled as she tried to struggle, but took pity when she pouted and claimed she was too tired to put up a fight, rolling as he eased her back, resting on one elbow while the other hand occupied itself with restring on her hip under his shirt, feeling how warm the skin was there. She smiled brightly at him and he felt the tightness in his chest disappear, the feeling of relief flooding through his system. Relief from what, he didn't know, but at this point he was going to put it down to just having with him. It was his favourite off season by far.

"Hey." She drew him out of his thoughts with a scratch of her nails through his new hair cut. He’d gone back to his regular barber to clean everything up, now that pre-season training had started. Lyndsey wasn’t happy about it.

He grinned, leaning down to brush his lips with hers softly, the hand on her hips tightening without his permission.  He had the option of trying to wake the both of them up with a little more vigour, but he kind of just wanted to morning to be quiet before the craziness of the day began, so he pulled back slowly, eyes locked on hers. “Hi."

Lyndsey winked back and tried to roll away, frowning at him with a laugh as he trapped her still. "Let me up. I can make us some pancakes for breakfast.”

He shook his head, kissing away the pout before he cuddled into her chest, wrapping her up in his arms, closing his eyes against the gentle heartbeat he could hear through her skin. It took her a few seconds to catch up, but soon enough one arm was around his shoulders, the other scratching through his hair in a way he knew there was no way he'd ever be able to live without again.

"Just..." He sighed, tipping his head back to kiss her neck quickly before tucking his face away to breath and speak into her skin. "Later. Stay here with me, for a bit.”

He was satisfied with the hum he got in return, their breathing evening out soon enough that he was almost lulled back to sleep. Sid knew that it wouldn’t be long until his alarm would go off and his day would start with training and back to back meetings with sponsors, agents, team mates alike, so he took their little moment of perfection and locked it away for future reference; for when he missed her on the road, for when they stopped talking because they were still shit at not being able to fight.

God, he loved her. His eyes flew open when he realised that he knew, deep down, he had everything he'd need right there underneath him. He tried to settle himself when she shifted slightly, holding him tighter with her arms for a second before lying still. She had moved to brush her fingers through his hair softly when his eyes slipped shut again. He’d known from the second he found her on the ice, once Geno turned her around so he could see her face. She was so happy, her smile brighter than any of the lights in the building and the rush of tenderness he felt when he’d kissed her for the first time in front of everyone drove the point home. He didn’t want to be without her.

He pushed up on one hand and looked down at her, drawing her eyes from the ceiling to his face with a grin. He gave her one of his own and kissed her gently, dipping his tongue into her mouth gently before pulling back, petting her hip as he told her he was going to have a shower and that he’d love pancakes with syrup and bacon.

She swatted his ass as he crawled out of bed, but made moves to get up herself so he considered it a win.



She heard the sound of the garage door going up, so she turned down the volume on Inside Out that she was re-watching again for about the hundredth time. It wasn’t long before the familiar sound of keys hitting the kitchen counter and a bag dropping in the hall before he appeared through the doorway.

“Hi,” She said gently, smiling up at him. He shuffled forward, pulling his hands out of his pockets before he face planted onto the couch next to her, moving himself up until his head was resting on her thigh. She watched in amusement as he reached up blindly for her hand, taking it and putting in onto top of his hair, before he settled back down again, turning his head into her hip and taking a deep breath.

“I guess skate went well,” She mused, but he just shook his head as noncommittal as he could, tucking one arm underneath himself, the other reaching around her back to hold onto her other hip. She giggled when he pushed her shirt up with his nose, kissing the bare skin of her stomach before lying still once more.

They didn’t say anything for a while. Not that she minded. She was happy to spend any time with Sidney, soaking up as much free time with him as she could before the regular season got underway and she would lose him until Christmas. He breathed a deep sigh when she started brushing her fingers through his hair, so she turned back to her movie, moving her other hand down to reach underneath the collar of his t shirt to scratch at the skin between his shoulder blades. She smirked at the groan her let out, leaving her hands there.

She almost thought he’d fallen asleep; that’s how long he laid there for. His breath was steady against her skin, his thumb that was moving back and forth against her other hip had long fallen still. She thought that she was going to be okay, but the scene where Riley starts crying to her parents about missing home got to her every time and she sniffled before she even knew she was tearing up.

Incidentally, Sidney noticed.

“What the hell are you watching?” His gruff, almost sleepy tone made her laugh before she hit the ‘mute’ button on the remote. He pushed himself up and around so that he was sitting next to her on the couch and reached out to pull her into his lap, wrapping her up in his arms, tucking his head underneath her chin and taking a deep breath.

“It’s just a kids’ movie,” She answered, resting her cheek against his head, the movie still playing on the screen somehow watchable without making her upset with the sound. He pressed a kiss into her collarbone and tightened his arms around her waist. “You okay?”

“Missed you. Missed you so much,” He replied, pulling his head back to lean up so that he could kiss her, moaning gently when Lyndsey moved a hand to his cheek, holding him theres she pressed back against him. She licked at his lips, sighing when his tongue met hers gently, trading back and forth lazy kisses while he rubbed his hands up and down her back.

“You’ve only been gone for four hours,” She pointed out, brushing a thumb over his eyebrow, down his cheekbone to his lips. He looked at her, his honey brown eyes meeting her dark chocolate ones, his lips red and full and all hers whenever she wanted. She grinned, leaning back down to peck his mouth gently, eyes slipping closed once more.

He eventually pulled away, resting back on the sofa with her still in his lap, his head to the side to that he could rest his cheek on her forearm behind his head. He looked his age, for once. Maybe even younger. Cute, joyful - someone without worry. She loved it.

“Hi,” She whispered, touching her forehead to his. Whatever peaceful, calm state they’d been in before had been replaced with playful, giggly.

Like two teenagers.

“Hey.” The smirk her gave back looked exactly like something Flynn Rider gave to Rapunzel. The Sidney Crosby Smoulder. It took all her willpower to not burst out in giggles.

“How was training?”

“Oh God.” He sigh practically spoke for itself, his head shake just driving the point home. He didn’t normally come home from skate or training and just want to lie down, so clearly something was up. “Don’t come tonight.”

“Why?” She always went to his home games if she wasn’t working. She had spent a lifetime of watching the ones she could on TV, there was no way she was giving up the chance to go and see him play. Ever.

“It’s gonna be a shit show. We’re a mess.”

“It’s only pre-season,” She tried to reason, giving him a pout when he frowned. “Why’s it a mess?”

She held on as he tipped them sideways, falling so that she was on her back, one of his arms underneath her torso. Her legs were both still over his, but he rested his head on her chest, at a perfect angle for her hands to go back into his hair, which she was slowly figuring out was his favourite way to calm down.

“It just is,” He muttered, sliding a hand up her shirt, resting on her rib cage. “I know something that would take my mind off it…”

She huffed out a laugh, gripping his hair tight in her hand and pulling his head back so she could see him. He was grinning, which wasn’t fair. He knew what his smile did to her. What his everything did to her.

“What about lunch?”

“What about it?”

“You’re not hungry after a full morning of working out and being all athletic and gross and sweaty?” She teased, easing the hair out of her fingers, toying with the muscles in the back of his neck.

“Well,” He groaned, rolling over so that he was fully on top of her, ducking his head to nip at the skin underneath her ear, making her giggle. “I’m not hungry for food.”

Lyndsey scoffed, although she didn’t do anything to stop the way both his hands were now under her shirt, pushing it up so that he could mouth at the skin on her stomach. Her body slowly starting to look the way it used to. “You’re such a boy sometimes,” She chastised, even if they could both tell she wasn’t being serious.

“I think,” He countered, sliding a leg in between hers, moving back up to kiss her deeply, his hips rocking into hers with each brush of his mouth. “That you’ll find I’m all man, actually.” He grinned, giggling a little to himself when she rolled her eyes, pushing at his shoulder. “C’mon, baby. I missed you.”

She moaned gently, her hands reaching down for the hem of his shirt. “Missed me? Or you missed this?”

“You,” He breathed, reaching for her hand, kissing her fingers before he linked them together. “You first, always.”

And well, alright. If he was going to be all sweet and romantic and handsome and there, she wasn’t going to say no. The answering grin on his face told her that he could tell, standing quickly to pull her up, bending down to carry her fireman style towards the stairs. before she even knew what was happening.



Even though it was pre-season game, the locker room was full of chatter, cheers and chirps. Balls of tape being thrown at heads, players stick handling with tennis balls and at least one guy walking around without any gear on because that was just his way of getting ready.

Flower and Muzz were heads down in a corner, an iPad shared between them as they broke down plays from training to be used once the puck dropped. Sidney was finishing tying up his skates when Geno sat down next to him and bumped his arm, grinning.

“Surprised at you,” He started, rotating his elbow cuff the right way. When Sid did nothing by raise an eye, Geno winked. “Seem to be not tired.”

“Why would I be tired, Geno,” Sidney pandered, rolling his eyes and standing up to put his own pads on.

“Lyndsey finally here. Busy getting… busy.” The Russian wiggled his eyebrows and let out a booming laugh when Sidney shoved him aside, smirking to himself despite his friends’ rudeness.

“I’m feeling fine, thanks for the concern.”

Unfortunately, he let that sentence out when there was a lull in the conversation, and it took less than half a second before 20 overgrown children were cooing and making kissing noises much to their Captain’s annoyance. He rolled his eyes and waved a hand to quieten them all down, yelling that they should get themselves ready for warm ups and to stop focussing on his love life.

“Awwh, c’mon Cap.” Jake Guentzel threw an arm around his shoulder. “We’re just letting you know we’d get it if you need to take it easy. Been a busy few days, like Geno said.”

“Go away,” Sid laughed, shoving his team mates off him and heading out to the hallway to grab his stick. The cackles of laughter he left behind echoed off the walls, and he decided to keep himself occupied until the warm ups started by making sure everything was taped correctly.

He couldn’t fault the locker room, though. It had been a busy few days and he’d be the first to admit that he’d gladly been missing a few hours of sleep. By some miraculous turn of events, his concussion symptoms had either gone away completely or they weren’t actually concussion related in the first place because he had managed to sleep through every single night that Lyndsey had been next to him. Not that she was a cure for brain injuries, but Sidney couldn’t help but wonder if he’d maybe been subconsciously freaking himself out and making a mountain out of a molehill, being stressed out even more than usual.

The Consol Energy Center wasn’t full. That’s what happens for the first pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres. He hadn’t managed to convince Lyndsey to stay home, and even if it was a pre-season game, he still wanted to play well. The reigning Stanley Cup champs couldn’t rest on their laurels and just let a team who almost won the draft lottery in the offseason to come into their building and show them up.

So, he knew that she was up in the family suite. Probably with a glass of wine in one hand, possibly Alex Letang sitting on her lap. Duper hadn’t showed, still in his summer house in Quebec, working through the beginning of a forced retirement and not quite ready to make it back to the city he could still call home. While Sidney had played plenty of games without him, he felt taken a back for half a second by the fact that it was the first season in what felt like forever that one of his best friends wouldn’t be suiting up next to him each night for the next nine months.

Mike called for everyone to gear up and get ready, the warm up music loud and pumping down the hallway to really set the mood. Sidney nodded at Geno and gave him a fist bump, taking his place in the line up before taking the few steps forward to the ice, letting the sights and sounds take him over as his twelfth pre-season began.



They both quickly settled into a very easy routine as the pre-season wore on. Sidney’s headaches and dizzy spells gradually reduced, just like his doctors and trainers hoped they would. Each morning, Lyndsey would snuggle into him and kiss what part of him she was resting on; his back, his shoulder, his chest. He’d find a way to worm an arm around her and pull her closer, sighing deeply and taking just a few minutes before he’d get up and start his day.

It was his day off mornings he liked the most. He’d be up before her most of them, getting in a workout in the basement and come up to smell what Lyndsey had been cooking. It was always the same: he’d finish off one water bottle, grab another full one from the fridge and sneak a kiss against her cheek, grinning when she protested and wiped it off with disgust at ‘how sweaty you are, please shower!’. He’d wink and take the stairs two at a time, rushing through getting ready so he could join her back downstairs and begin their day.

He had plenty of obligations to get through still. Interviews, meetings with his management team about charity work and promotions throughout the season, signing off on the final Tim Hortons ad (and losing it with laughter over Zoom with Nate about how ridiculous the two days of filming were). Photoshoots - for the Pens, his sponsors, the Foundation calendar. Doing the annual Season Ticket Holder drop off (which was one of his favourite days out of the year).

But when he wasn’t busy, he and Lyndsey were out of the house and he was showing off the city that had long become his home. One of their first stops was to Mario’s - not just to check in with the team owner, but to have a sit down lunch and have his former captain tell embarrassing stories about the years he lived under the Lemieux roof. He’d take all the chirps if it meant he got to watch Lyndsey’s face light up, her cheeks red and eyes shining with with laughter.

They would spend afternoons at Mount Washington, taking the cable car to the top and stopping for lunch. Or spending a whole day at the zoo when Kris called and said he was on Alex duty and asked if they wanted to tag along. While he and Kris eventually got to talking about the team and who their next opponent is, Sidney watched on with a smile as Lyndsey and Alex walked hand in hand and stopped at every enclosure, waving to the tigers or the polar bear or chimpanzee high up in a tower, eating happily. And when Alex got tired of running around, he laid his head down on Lyndsey’s shoulder as she held him in her arms and fell asleep, a twirl of her chocolate hair curled around his fist.

“This is becoming a habit, I’m so sorry,” Kris mentioned as they got back to their cars. Lyndsey shushed him and held Alex a little closer.

“You say that I’m really put out or something.” When Kris held open the back door, she pouted, before relenting and putting the sleeping four year old into his car seat. She stood back and shook out her arms once he was all buckled in, smiling at the little boy as his father closed the door almost silently and they said their goodbyes.

Sidney slipped an arm around her waist and waved as Kris drove off, glancing around the parking lot before turning Lyndsey towards him and kissing whatever the next thing she was going to say out of her mouth. Her noise of surprise was quickly quashed and he walked her backwards up against his Range Rover, taking his time to kiss her deeply. She moaned quietly, and it wasn’t long before he could feel her hands in his hair, pulling hard enough to make him lean back.

“Not that I’m complaining,” She panted, licking her lips. He ran his thumb against her bottom lip, feeling how flushed she was against his palm. “But what was that for?”

Sidney raised an eyebrow. “I can’t kiss you?”

Lyndsey giggled, biting his thumb slightly. “Not like that,” She looked at him like he was out of his mind. “Not in public.”

“Well then,” He nodded, taking a step back and opening the car door for her. She quirked an eyebrow and got in the seat. “Let’s go home.”



Sid wasn’t sure what woke him. Lyndsey was snuggled up next to him, her forehead resting against his shoulder her hand on top of his on his chest. Leaning over slightly, he tapped the screen on his phone to check the time: 5:46AM. Far too early to be up for an off day. He took a deep breath and turned his face towards hers, hoping for sleep to come back to him quickly.

It had been a chaotic couple of week. The pre-season games had gone as expected - working out the kinks with new players, learning a new-ish style of game now that Beau was gone and Pascal retired, getting back into the rhythm of another season. The Pens had spent four days on the road and he’d returned early that morning after midnight. So he was unsure why he was awake so early or why he felt so rested. He may have only played 16 minutes the night before but still. Five hours of sleep was cutting it, even for him.

He reached for his phone again.

5:59AM.

As someone who could normally get back to sleep pretty quickly, he took his 15 minutes of overthinking as a sign and got out of bed slowly, grinning when Lyndsey rolled into his spot and pulled his pillow into her chest.

It was still warm, by Pittsburgh standards at least, this late into September. So while Sid was brushing his teeth, he glanced out at his backyard below and decided that if he was up so early he may as well get a work out in. He changed out of his pyjamas and headed downstairs, sliding open the French doors to his alfresco area, diving into the pool.

Lyndsey found him there half an hour later, steadily swimming freestyle laps back and forth. He reached the shallow end and paused, spotting her out of the corner of his eye when he checked his watch for his lap time.

“Hey,” He gasped, catching his breath. He pulled his goggles off to rest them on the side of the pool. “You’re up early.”

Lyndsey shrugged, moving from the deck chair to sir next to where his arms rested, feet dipping into the water. “I got cold,” She pouted and he gave her one in return.

“My sincerest apologies.”

She nodded gravely, handing him her mug when he reached for it. “That’s okay. This view is more than making it up to me.”

Sid grinned from behind his sip of coffee, taking one more and handing it back. “Oh yeah?” He stood up to full height, flexing his abs and settling his hands either side of her legs as she laughed.

“Morning,” She whispered, leaning forward to kiss him. He took another half step closer and kiss her back, savouring it slowly as his hand drifted up underneath her shirt.

Or rather, his shirt. He didn’t think Lyndsey had worn any of her own pyjamas to bed in the two weeks she had been with him. Instead, preferring any number of his - if she wore any to bed at all.

“G’mornin’,” He replied gruffly against her mouth, smiling into their next kiss. “I missed this.”

“Me too,” She nodded, pushing his wet hair back off his forehead. “What time did you get in?”

She hadn’t woken up when he got home. He found her curled up on the couch, so after unpacking his gear bag and locking up the house he carried her upstairs and tucked her in, sliding in next to her and burying his face in her hair as he quickly fell asleep.

“About 12:30.” He brushed the skin of her ribs with his thumb and drew his hand back, pecking her lips quickly.

“You gonna nap later?” She asked behind a yawn, stretching a little and tucking her hair behind her ear.

He followed her hand and watched as she sleepily blinked up at him, smiling so adorably he couldn’t help but kiss her again.

“Only if you join me.”

She hummed and sighed, leaning more into his kiss and opening her mouth against his, her hands running through his hair. He straightened up and pulled her legs around his waist, moaning softly as she pulled herself up higher, hanging onto him as he started to bend his knees and lower them both into the water.

He didn’t know if the gasp she let out was from the temperature of the water or his tight grip on her hips, but he moved down to kiss her neck, relishing in the feeling of her nails against the skin of his shoulder.

“God, I missed you,” She breathed, reaching down herself to pull his now soaking wet top off, it landing with a splat next to the forgotten goggles and coffee. He pulled her up slightly, sucking a wet nipple into his mouth and savouring another moan as she tightened her legs around his hips.

Signed had gotten used to missing her, in a long distance sense. The back and forth from Pittsburgh or Halifax to Edmonton was a part of their relationship that was an unavoidable non negotiable.

And he thought that being on the road for the upcoming season may just be more of the same since he was used it it. But nothing could have prepared him for how it felt to have been only in DC or Philly and knowing that Lyndsey was lying in his bed, waiting for him in his home.


Wearing his clothes.


“Get these off,” She whined, reaching down to begin to untie his board shorts. He panted into her mouth as her fingers worked deftly on the elastic tie, groaning into her kiss once her hand slipped inside and took hold of his cock, squeezing gently. He wrapped her hair around one hand and jerked his hips up, angling them towards her.

“I need you,” He whispered, pushing his shorts down with his free hand, while Lyndsey pulled her panties to the side, moaning behind a bitten lip as he slid into her. He breathed out against her skin, waiting until she started rolling her hips down before he worked himself back against her.


The high hedges and trees around his backyard meant that no one could see in, but didn’t offer any protection from sound travelling. So when Lyndsey slid her fingers into her underwear and started working them against her clit, he quickly kiss her to muffle her moans, swallowing her pants as she worked to get herself off.


He risked a glance down and bit his lip. The blurred sight of him disappearing into her while he couldn’t see her hand completely undid something in him and he sped his hips up, crashing their mouths together as he moved hard to get them both to the end.

“God, you feel amazing,” He moaned against her tongue, using the still hair wrapped hand to angle her head to the side to kiss her neck. “I’m so fucking close.”



“Please,” Lyndsey begged, one hand still digging her nails into his shoulder, the other working furiously between her legs. “Please.”

He felt his stomach go hot and choked on a breath, pulling her closer and kissing her again as he came, slowing his hips down as his lungs worked hard to get oxygen in. Her legs were still tight around his hips and he could feel the faint bump of her knuckles against his abs, still searching for her orgasm. When Sid pulled back, he caught her eyes as she bit her lip, closing her view from him as she tipped back and began to roll her hips.

“C’mon baby,” He whispered, leaning down to suck the pool water off the skin of her shoulders, off her tits. “Let me feel you cum on me.”

“So close,” Lyndsey whimpered in return, back far enough that the hand once on his shoulder now clinging to the back of his arm.


Sid glanced around. They were still near the edge of the pool. Without a second thought, he stood back up to his full height and sat Lyndsey on the stone, ignoring her gasped protest as he slipped out of her.

He reached for her underwear, the lavender lace almost see through now from the water and pulled it down and off her legs, wasting no time in pushing her thighs apart and burying his face between them.

“Ohhhh,” Lyndsey moaned loudly and Sid pulled back to give her a warning look. “Don’t stop!”

“Keep it down.” He grinned, which was promptly wiped from his face as she reached for his hand, not hesitating to suck two fingers into her mouth. He got the memo and moved back down, his other hand holding onto her left breast so tightly he thought he may be leaving welcome bruises.

“Oh, God,” She whimpered from underneath his hand, threading her fingers back into his hair to pull him even closer to her, rocking her clit against his tongue. It hadn’t taken long, already built and desperate to let go, but Sid clung to the sensation of her coming against his mouth, just like she was clinging to his hair, closing her legs around his head as the force of her orgasm caused her chest to rise off the ground staring down at him in awe before she collapsed back.

Sid never broke eye contact.

Lyndsey still rolled her hips slightly, gasping for air against his hand that she still kept near her mouth. His free hand had moved back down to his dick where he gently squeezed it. He couldn’t come again so quickly, he wasn’t 18 anymore, but the sight of her coming undone so forcefully against his mouth was still a turn on none the less. His cock, still hot to the touch, was full but not quite hard.

“You’re evil,” Lyndsey panted from above him, gingerly pushing herself up to sitting. He kept his hand on himself, stroking slowly as she parted her legs for him again.

“You’re gonna be the death of me, woman,” He told her, honestly believing it. Especially when she reached a hand down, knocking his out of the way to stroke him a little harder than he was himself. “Baby…”



“I like making you feel this way,” She whispered, leaning forward so that their foreheads touched, looking down at her ministrations together. “I like knowing I do this to you.”



“Every day,” He panted, squeezing her thighs beneath his hands. He couldn’t control his breathing and when she tightened her fingers on him even more, he shuddered, knees buckling slightly. “God Lynds, just a little more.”

“Like this?” She teased, twisting her wrist and pulling up. He moaned, eyes slipping closed but he forced them open. “Or like this?”

She took one of his hands and pulled it towards her, slipping his fingers against her clit and folds, letting him feel how wet she was and not from being in the pool. He fed two into her.

“This is what you do to me,” She whispered, her hand speeding up and he couldn’t take it anymore, mouth dropping open as he came unexpectedly again, painfully and almost dry. She kept her hand going until he moved his hips back, sliding his other hand out from between her legs at the same time.

She grinned at him, the both of them staring at each other before she launched herself forward, wrapping herself around him in a koala hug so that they sunk beneath the surface, faces joined in a kiss. He pushed them off the bottom of the pool to bring them up for air, gasping and laughing and wishing nothing more than for that moment to last forever.

“I love you,” She giggled, wiping drops of water from his face.

Sidney stared back. Her hair was all tangled, lips red and swollen from their kisses and her eyes dancing with happiness and laughter.

He knew right then and there that he wanted moments like this, with her, for the rest of his life.

“Love you more, baby.” He kissed her deeply, holding her close to him as they spun in circles. “Love you more.”