The Final Goal

The ride to Fleury's house was a short one. Skylar told Patric about a few of the things that happened in Washington and he told her about some of the things she had missed while away from Pittsburgh.

"What exactly happened to Downie?" Skylar asked, suddenly wondering why he was no longer a Penguin. She hoped it wasn't her fault he left, but was definitely happy he was gone. He had always acted like an arrogant jerk, so maybe it wasn't her fault he was gone after all.
"He was gone at the end of the season. He had tons of penalty minutes last year anyway. It's difficult to play the game when you're always killing a penalty. Downie also had a cheap hit on Crosby a few years back," Patric said, gripping the steering wheel as he turned onto Fleury's street.
"Really? That must have been weird for Crosby, being forced to play with someone who did that to you."
"Yeah it was probably a little difficult," Patric admitted. "He never said too much about it though. The hit happened before I came to Pittsburgh anyway, so I'm not very sure what his impression of Downie was before he got here".

They pulled into Fleury's driveway and Skylar got out, shutting the car door behind her. Walking up to the house, she followed Patric onto the porch and waited for Fleury after Patric rang the doorbell. Suddenly, the door was pulled open and Skylar smiled, jumping on the man standing surprised in the doorway. She wrapped her legs around his waist as his arms wrapped around her, not wanting to ever let go. She desperately pressed her lips against his, craving the feel and taste. Skylar rested her head against his shoulder and said, while holding back tears of joy, "I missed you".
"I missed you too," Fleury said, resting his head against her hair and breathing in the smell of her shampoo.

They stood like that for awhile, almost forgetting the world around them, until Patric cleared his throat.
"Can we go inside now?" Patric asked, annoyed at having to stand outside in the cold. Skylar lowered herself to the ground, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. Moving out of the doorway, Fleury let Hornqvist walk past him before shutting the door. Fleury walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, searching for beverages. Skylar peered over his shoulder and chuckled seeing how empty it was on the inside. Fleury turned around with a sheepish smile, "I guess water will have to do".

Sitting at the kitchen table with water glasses set in front of them, Fleury looked at Skylar.
"When did you get in? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Skylar took a sip of water before replying, letting the cool liquid slide down her throat.
"I wanted it to be a surprise! I didn't tell Patric either," she said, smirking. Patric rolled his eyes, "Yeah and I'm her brother!"
"How was it?" Fleury asked, referring to the art program.

Skylar told Fleury all of the things that happened, not leaving anything out. They talked for hours, catching up on everything and Skylar realized Fleury did seem like his usual self. Glancing at the clock on the wall Hornqvist interrupted the conversation.
"Hey it's 3:00 already and I have to be at the rink for tonight's game."
Skylar saw Fleury's eyes darken slightly, probably wishing he could be out on the ice, playing with his teammates. "Okay I'll see you," Fleury said, watching Patric make his way towards the front door. Skylar watched Patric stop, turn around, and call back to her.
"You coming?"
Skylar looked at Fleury and shook her head, "No I think I'll stay here". Patric shrugged and left, giving Skylar some much needed time with Fleury.

"You didn't want to go?" Fleury asked, making Skylar turn her gaze back to the handsome man sitting before her.
"Watching a different goalie in the net just wouldn't be the same," Skylar said. "Plus it's New Years Eve!"
"Oh yeah I forgot!" Fleury said, laughing. He had been so caught up in his injury that he completely forgot what day it was. "So what are your resolutions?" Fleury asked, propping his elbow onto the table and resting his head against his hand.
Skylar had to think for a moment before responding. Resolutions were never really her thing. Why make a resolution that's bound to be broken?
"I don't really have any at the moment, but I should probably work on spending less money on shoes. How about you? Any resolutions?" Skylar asked, directing the question to Fleury.
"I'm always late, so I should work on that," Fleury said, stretching in his seat.

Getting up he moved to the living room and took a seat on the couch. "Want to watch a movie before the game?" he asked, hoping to kill some time. Skylar smiled, "Yeah sure!"

They spent the next few hours watching the movie and then watching the game. They both cheered with joy at the end of the game, when the Penguins won 5-2. Turning to some channel with the countdown until the new year, Skylar laid her head on Fleury's shoulder and watched the people perform. Personally, she thought they were crazy for wearing short skirts and dresses when they were performing outside in the cold.

When it was 12:00 AM, Skylar looked up at Fleury, who was looking down at her. "Happy New Year," he said, before leaning down and kissing her. Skylar smiled into the kiss, missing the feel of his lips on hers. Her hand wrapped around the back of his neck and she ran her fingers through his hair, loving the soft, silky feeling. Her tongue pushed into his mouth as the kiss became deeper and more heated. Pulling back for a second, Fleury gasped for breath and turned off the TV. Turning back to Skylar, she saw the lust in his eyes and felt butterflies in her stomach, floating up her body until they landed in the warmth of her chest. Fleury picked her up and Skylar instantly wrapped her legs around his waist, her body hot with desire, watching the hallway flash by as he carried her off to his bedroom.

Setting her on the bed, Fleury pushed her back and climbed on top of her, kissing her yet again. His lips left hers and made their way down Skylar's neck, causing her to moan slightly at the intense feeling. His hands found her shirt and he pulled it over her head, throwing it somewhere in the room. Skylar's hands worked as fast as possible, taking off his shirt in record speed before moving on to his pants. Unzipping them, she quickly pulled the rest of his clothes off and gasped, still not quite used to his amazing physique. Setting her eyes on him always took her breath away and Fleury used this moment to his advantage, slipping her pants of as well. Lying underneath him, Skylar looked up at Fleury. The warmth radiating in his eyes reflected the feelings she had for him, and she kissed him passionately, wanting to remember this moment forever. In that same moment, Fleury pushed himself inside her and she leaned her head back, loving every second.

After they finished, Skylar, extremely tired after what they just did, curled up next to Fleury and pressed her body against his, craving his body heat. The feelings Skylar felt when she was next to Fleury were unbelievably intense. Leaving him had taken all of her courage; all of her strength. When she was in Washington, she would lay awake at night, aching for the man who made her feel loved. Not wanting to think about the somewhat dark days Skylar spent without him, she laid her head on Fleury's chest and listened to his heartbeat. The melodic sound had her eyelids slowly closing shut and before she drifted off completely she heard Fleury say, "Good night, Skylar," before falling into a much needed deep sleep.