Give Into Me

"Okay, your turn to tell me something random about yourself."

Kaelin and Sidney were sitting out on the back porch, looking at the beautiful, now frozen gardens behind the O'Connor's house. Where they now sat was where Kaelin had answered Ella's call and they were surrounded by elderly folks, murmuring about Paul and Tammy and the ceremony and the wedding party. The sun was beginning to set, casting long bars across the deck, although it didn't seem to contribute much warmth to the dusk. That was why everyone was huddled around the fireplace in their dresses and suits, shivering slightly. But Sidney and Kaelin sat off to one side, a plate of crackers and cheese between them.

Sidney thought for a moment, furrowing his brow. The look on his face was so ridiculous, it took Kaelin everything to keep from snorting as she attempted to stifle her laughter.

"What?" he smirked, making the face again. "I'm trying to think of something to say."

"It looks like hard work," she giggled.

His face split into a wide smile, something she had gotten accustomed to seeing over the past two hours. At the sight of it, she couldn't help grinning as well.

"Oh, I got one." The smile didn't fade as he spoke.

"All right. Shoot."

"My greatest passion is hockey."

This time, a snort did escape, giving way to a hailstorm of higher-pitched laughter from Sidney. Kaelin, though bright red in the aftermath of her embarrassing episode, laughed along with him, more at his laughter than what his "random fact" had been.

Finally, she said, through an opening in their snickering, "I can tell – you've said that at least four times."

"Well, it's true!"

"I know!"

The laughter started to die a bit as Kaelin tried to make him actually talk rather than regurgitate generic information he'd already told her. Thinking again, he scratched his chin, looking out at the gardens.

"Well, what do you want to know?" asked Sidney, only a hint of a smile on his lips now.

Following his gaze over to where icicles hung from a tree limp, all in a line, she thought of all the things she could tell him. About her family. About her past. About her last relationship. But the majority of it seemed like something you'd say on a first date and that was not what this was. They had just met at a wedding, for God's sake. Right now, all they were was friends. And that was how Kaelin wished it to stay. She was returning to California in a few weeks, anyway.

Just stick to the normal stuff you discuss with a friend, she thought.

"What about family?" she asked tentatively, wondering if that was too personal.

"Okay, family. Well, there's my dad, Troy. And my mom, Trina." Kaelin nodded with every name, urging him to keep going. "Oh, and my sister, Taylor. And, if you consider pets family, my dog, Sam."

"Of course, pets are family. They live with you and you care about them, right? They're at least close friends."

"And what about you? Your family?" he inquired, before stuffing a whole cracker and cheese sandwich in his mouth. Sidney was already quite comfortable around her, it seemed, as any form of etiquette was thrown out the window.

"There's my mom, Yvonne. And, I guess, my cat, Poe. I always kinda include Ella, my roommate, as family."

"No brothers and sisters then? Only child?"

This was where things got rough. Telling people about her dad, Stephen, and Laura was usually when people began to treat her differently. Like some fragile china doll that could break into hundreds of little pieces with a little shove in the wrong direction.

Biting her lip, she noticed Sidney's smirk vanished completely, his honey brown eyes staring into hers, much softer than they had been earlier. He tilted his head to the side, as if confused by her silence.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it."

"I'm all right, it's just . . ."

There were no words to describe it. The overwhelming emotions coursing through her. How could she just bare her history to someone she'd only just met? You don't tell everyone the tragedies of your past upon meeting them. But, at the same time, Kaelin felt so comfortable around him. Sidney was easy to talk to and a good listener. Someone she felt she could trust.

But still, she couldn't tell him. Yet.

Thankfully, he changed the subject.

"Poe? Like the panda from that kids' movie?" he said, apparently in reference to her cat.

"No way," she snapped, emphasizing each word. "Like the author."

Sidney gave her a confused look. It was kinda cute; the way his head cocked to the side slightly, one eyebrow lifted, and his jaw shifted a bit. She allowed herself a little smile as she subtly examined his features for a moment, before responding, remembering he was Canadian and probably not too familiar with her favorite author and poet.

"As in Edgar Allan Poe. He was an author and poet in Baltimore, Maryland," she explained. "He's my favorite author. Wrote poems like the Raven. That's why the football team in Baltimore is called the Ravens."

"Oh, yeah. The name does ring a bell."

Chuckling hollowly, Kaelin allowed herself one more self-indulgent glance at Crosby before looking out at the setting sun. There was no denying that he was an attractive man – strong, tall, and yet sweet. Even earlier when they were dancing along and she accidentally bumped him, he merely steadied her and continued dancing in his goofy manner, making her laugh even more.

The music from the dance floor softened a little, the DJ saying something inaudible into the mircophone before playing a slow song. All around Kaelin and Sidney, elderly couples began to pair off, making their way toward the rest of the party.

Neither Sidney nor Kaelin made any motion to leave where they currently sat, he tapping his foot along to the beat, she pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. But a moment later, an older woman and her husband approached them.

"Aren't you going to ask her to dance?" she said to Sidney. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights, giving Kaelin a nervous sideways glance.

"Oh, we didn't come together," explained Kaelin quickly. "We're not — "

"That doesn't matter," the man cut in. "You're together right now. Doesn't mean you shouldn't be asked to dance. No young lady should be left sitting during a slow dance."

He didn't say another word but winked at Sidney and followed his wife off to dance floor.

"All right, then," Sidney said, standing up and offering his hand to her. "Since it seems okay for two people who just met to slow dance together — Kaelin, could I have this dance?"

Just then, he flashed one of those smiles, the one where he squinted slightly from grinning so broadly.

"Um . . . I guess," she replied, standing.

"I guess?" Sidney retracted his hand before she could take it, feigning offense. "Only 'I guess'?"

Chuckling to herself and glancing down at her cold bare feet in embarrassment, she looked back up a moment later, instantly locking eyes with him. Those brown eyes seemed to warm every inch of her, melting her on the spot.

"Yes, Sidney, I will have this dance," she confirmed, taking his hand once extended it toward her again.

But instead of leading her off after everyone else, he pulled her close, placing his right hand on her hip, the other still grasping her right, and rocking back and forth to the music. She followed suit, remembering what her mother had taught her about dancing when she was younger, her left hand on his shoulder, letting him lead.

To say he was awkward about it all was the understatement of the century. Their faces only inches from each other, he could hardly look at her, let alone speak – he kept staring off over her shoulder at nothing in particular, seemingly biting the inside of his cheek. Kaelin just pursed her lips and examined his tie, which was almost annoyingly lopsided. It needed to be fixed urgently.

Finally, at long last, the song ended. But they kept rocking along to nothing until Sidney stepped on her toes, causing Kaelin to squeak.

"Now who's stepping on who's toes!" she cried, wincing as they pulled apart.

"I'm sorry, Kae. Are you okay?"

For the first time that evening, she saw Sidney's face turn bright red as he reached up to scratch the back of his head, looking worriedly at her foot.

"I'm fine, Sidney. Really."

Neither said a word as they returned to their seats. How could everything become so awkward in the duration of one song?

~

Shit, thought Sidney.

Everything had been going great. Perfect almost. Kaelin was funny, smart, a bit geeky, and pretty. When it came to her family, there was obviously something she wasn't telling him, but they'd only just met. Of course, she wasn't going to divulge her entire past to him.

But then he had to go and stomp on her foot, following a slow dance that had already been awkward enough. It was just that she made him nervous. Incredibly nervous. What was he going to do now?

Silence wasn't helping. He had to say something to try and fix it.

He didn't have the chance, though, as Tammy, closely followed by her bride's maids, came running over to them.

"There you are!" she shouted loudly, coming to a halt right beside them. "I've been looking all over for you two. Kae, we're gonna be doing the bouquet toss in a few minutes and, Sidney, the garter toss-thing is right after that. Then there's cake. So, you" – she quickly pulled Sidney to his feet and pushed him off in the direction of the house – "go find the boys. And, Kae, you can just come with us."

Tammy's voice trailed off as she sped past him with Kaelin in tow, glancing back at Sidney before disappearing into the house. He moved at a slower pace, weaving his way through the maze of seating in the family room adjacent to the dance floor, making his way back to the library, where he suspected the guys were hanging out.

Just as he'd thought, Paulie, Geno, Duper, Kuni, and Flower were standing around, each with a drink in hand. Somehow, they'd managed to get Tanger, Nealer, and Talbot in there, and gotten them to share in a conversation with the others. Everybody looked up as Sidney entered.

"And here's Romeo himself," said Duper.

"Our Captain finally returns," added Kuni. "So what have you been up to, Sid?"

"Find a chick?" Nealer asked, raising his eyebrows and giving Sid a knowing smile. "It's that redhead, huh? Fuck, Sid. You get her number – ?"

"Oh, her? That's who you've been hanging around with?" Tanger cut in. "She's pretty fucking sexy if you ask me."

"Hey, can we just watch the language for a bit?" Paul intervened. "There're kids running around. I don't want me nieces hearing that."

"Fuck, sorry, Paul," Nealer apologized, inadvertently cursing again. He seemed to realize it a moment later. "Oops. Sorry again. So, you gonna see her again?"

But Sidney's blood was boiling a bit. He didn't want them to even look at her, let alone think about her. Still, he had no reason to be this protective over her. It wasn't as if she were his girlfriend or anything.

"Um, I don't know," was all he said, hardly able to get in a word before the guys started talking again, the subject having moved on, as Sidney's love life wasn't really a matter of interest as it was practically nonexistent and nearly completely personal.

He wasn't really paying attention to what everyone was saying, though. Instead, he was thinking of Kaelin again. The thin contours of her face, her high cheekbones, that little hint of a smile she gave before bursting into laughter. Her laugh, not just a giggle, but an actual laugh. Her intellect and love of books. The fond way she spoke of her mother and all the little misadventures she seemed to always have with her roommate. His mind turned to the warmth of her soft skin when their hands had intertwined and the piercing hazel eyes that seemed to search for his gaze. He couldn't remember the last person who'd made his heart pound with a single glance – who'd made his legs weak with a single touch. When they had started dancing out on the porch, their bodies and faces so close to each other, Sidney hadn't been able to look at her for fear of giving something away or saying something stupid. There was no doubt in his mind about it. He liked Kaelin.

~

"Hey, Kaelin!" someone called out behind her as she stood in the entrance hall, about to call a cab to come pick her up and take her home. Since the wedding and reception had been an all day affair, she'd preferred not to leave her mother without a car. Now, later that evening, she was somewhat regretting that decision.

Turning, halfway through punching the number into her phone, she saw Sidney coming toward her through the rotunda, supporting an obviously drunk James Neal.

"Hey yourself," she said, doing everything to contain her laughter as Neal attempted to kiss Sidney's right ear, crooning to it like it was one of the blondes he'd been flirting with earlier. "Need any help with him?"

"Uh, no, I've got him and Geno can help me, too," he said, jerking his head in the direction of the tall Russian nearly carrying Max Talbot out the front door.

"Ah," she replied, nodding understandingly. "So you're not staying to see the bride and groom off?"

"No, I've gotta get these two home before they get any worse. And it's not like they're going to be gone for a couple weeks. We've got a game in a couple days so they're not doing their honeymoon until after the playoffs. I'll see him in a day or two. You neither?"

"Nope. I need to get home. My mom called and said she was planning a trip into the city for the day for the two of us. Some family time, I guess."

"Is she coming to pick you up?"

"No, I left her the car, but she doesn't like to drive at night since her sight started to go. I'm just taking a cab. I'm about to call actually."

"Why don't I give you a ride?" Sidney asked, rather quickly.

For a moment, Kaelin was slightly taken aback by the generous offer.

"Oh, no, I couldn't have you driving me. It's probably way out of the way. I can just call a taxi."

"Kaelin, I don't mind at all," insisted Sidney. "Really."

His eyes stared into hers, but she looked down at her phone, the number for the taxi service half dialed. She didn't really like being a bother to anyone.

"Do you not trust me?" he asked.

"Yes, of course," said Kaelin. "It's just that . . . I don't want to inconvenience you."

"Kaelin, honestly, it would be my pleasure," he said.

About forty-five minutes later, Kaelin was sitting in the passenger seat of Sidney's Range Rover, just the two of them now, having dropped off Geno moments earlier, who waved goodnight from the door of his huge, beautiful house and stepped inside, the porch light going out. The car accelerated down the street, making a left at the stop sign.

As they made their way across town, for the most part they were quiet. The windshield wipers flipped repeatedly, shoving the flecks of snow falling onto the car. The radio, volume so low individual words couldn't be identified, was probably playing commercials, the clock reading 10:47. Kaelin just stared straight ahead, Sidney doing the same, neither even risking a glance at each other for fear of catching the other's eye. That was, until they reached a red light, and Sidney turned his head to look at Kaelin. The words came out in a jumbled mess.

"Fun. It was . . . uh . . . fun. Tonight. I met you – I mean, I'm glad I met you," said Sidney, the two gazing at each other now. The more he spoke, the redder his face turned. "Again. We should do it again."

"Yeah," agreed Kaelin, unable to suppress her smile. Maybe he would be able to fix that awkward moment between them earlier. "It's a left up here, then a right on the third street, and it's the second house on the right."

"Got it," he responded, but not really sounding focused on the directions. Nonetheless, he seemed to remember them flawlessly. "So, you'd want to do something together again?"

Kaelin didn't know what to say. Was he asking her out on a date?

"Yes, of course." It all just tumbled out before she had the chance to think.

Nothing was said again until the car was in park in front of the unshovelled driveway. Even then, there was a moment of awkwardness.

"I'm sorry, if I made things awkward earlier."

"Not at all," she lied.

"It's just that, at most things like that, I, uh, kinda stick to myself. I'm not used to meeting people. Most girls just want a date or something. I'm glad we had the chance to just talk for a bit."

"More like three hours," she added, chuckling.

"I'm glad I met you," repeated Sidney. "When would you be able to go out?"

"Um, well, I guess it kinda depends on your schedule," said Kaelin, quite sure her calendar was completely empty save for the following day. "The next game you're home is . . . ?"

"Saturday," he said. "Actually, you could come to the game if you wanted, and we could go out to dinner after? If you're up for it?"

"Of course, I can't wait," she smirked, doing everything she could to contain her excitement but failing miserably.

"Great! Um, would you mind punching in your number? Just so we can keep in touch?"

"Yeah."

Quickly she entered her contact and a moment later, Sidney had already sent her a text message so she had his contact, insisting that his name in her phone be simply "Sidney" because:

"How many 'Sidneys' do you know? Why do you need my last name?"

Eventually, she gave in and was telling him goodnight when he suddenly jumped out of the driver side, ran over to the passenger, and opened the door.

"I gotta walk you up to the door," he demanded. "Who knows, there might be evil snowmen hiding in the bushes?"

"Evil snowmen? Where on earth did you get that idea?" she laughed as snowflakes fell into her hair.

"Those bushes look pretty sinister. They could be hiding plenty of evil little snow monsters. Like the ones I used to fight with my hockey stick when I was a kid."

"Seriously? Let me imagine this: mini Sid running around beating poor defenseless snowmen with a hockey stick. That's priceless!"

"Well, when you say it like that, I sound like the evil one."

"Wait! I got it. 'Sidney the Snowman Slayer'! Yep, that's it! That's what your contact ID will be. Sounds good rolling off the tongue."

"'Sidney the Snowman Slayer,' eh?" he repeated. "It's not too bad."

Thus, he was dubbed the Snowman Slayer as she added the title to his name as they stood huddled close together on her front porch. She could feel the warmth of his chest pressed against her as he read over her shoulder, his left hand on her left shoulder. They faced each other.

"Thank you so much again for a ride, Sidney," she acknowledged his generosity for perhaps the seventh time that evening.

"No problem, more time for us to chat, anyway," said Sidney, that big adorable smile on his face again.

Without another word, he pulled her into a full body, two-arm hug, she wrapping her arms around his midsection, below his which went over her shoulders. Sidney and Kaelin just stood there for a few moments, which felt much longer within the embrace. When they released each other, she moved toward the front door while he took a step in the direction of the porch stairs.

"Goodnight, Kaelin," he said, not looking away. "I'll talk to you tomorrow and see you on Saturday."

"Goodnight, Sidney," she replied, continuing to watch as he walked away. "Thank you again for everything."

The dark wood door separated them as Kaelin entered her mother's house, where all the lights in the entrance hall and living room were still on. She leaned back against it as soon as it shut, grinning to herself and closing her eyes, remembering his fresh scent as he'd hugged her.

But her thoughts were interrupted by –

"So who was that strapping young lad, hmm?"

Opening her eyes in a flash, Kaelin saw her mother enter the room from the hallway, a mischievous and knowing smile on her face.