If You Could Love

Alex danced from foot to foot as the last two minutes ticked by painfully slow. Finally, when the buzzer sounded, she let out a jubilant scream along with every other fan in the building. The entire arena shook from the noise as the Predators clinched their spot in the Stanley Cup Final.

She wiped at the tears in her eyes when she spotted James with a huge grin on his face, hugging all his teammates. She turned and hugged the other wives and girlfriends she sat with and they all started crying and laughing together before they headed downstairs to wait on the guys.

Alex was filled with anticipation as she waited for James and she tried to not watch the clock by talking to some of the other women instead. They could hear the guys hollering and enjoying the moment in the locker room and eventually as they started to spill out into the hall.

James ambled into the room forty five minutes after the game. He didn't see Alex but she saw him as he entered and she rushed towards him, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly before kissing him.

“I'm so proud of you!” She gushed. “I'm so proud of everyone!” She kissed him again and James lifted her up into another hug and laughed.

“You two are gross,” PK said as he came through the door.

“PK!” Alex squealed happily. She let go of James and embraced him. “I'm so proud of you!”

“Are you gonna tell everyone that?” James chuckled.

“Yes!” She shot back, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Let me have this moment, man,” PK chided him, squeezing Alex. He kept an arm around her shoulders and held her against his side. “Where should we go celebrate?” He asked her.

“Is everyone going?”

“Of course they are! The first rounds on Neal.”

“Thanks, Nealer!” Austin Watson called out from across the room.

“I never said I was getting the first round,” he shouted back.

“Yes he is,” Alex called out, laughing conspiratorially with PK.

“Are you driving your boyfriend insane?” Pekka asked as he entered.

Alex hugged him fiercely. “I'm so proud of you, Pekka!” She gushed.

“She's proud of all of us apparently,” PK told him.

“Yes I am proud of all of you. It's not everyday that the hockey team you are friends with goes to the Stanley Cup Final.”

“But are you driving your boyfriend insane?” Pekka asked again.

“Of course,” she giggled. “And in case these chuckleheads haven't told you, you're freaking amazing!”

“Thank you,” he smiled as PK tugged Alex back to his side.

“Let's go!” PK called out, starting for the door. They were out in the hall when James fell into step beside them, grabbing Alex’s hand in his.

“Stop stealing my girlfriend,” James complained. “It's bad enough she's wearing your face on her chest.”

The WAGS had all gotten together and decided to wear matching jean jackets throughout the playoffs, emblazoned with their player's number and last name on the back, decorated with patches and the like that represented the player or something special to their relationship. They were also wearing t shirts with each of their significant others on it. Except Alex. She had her shirt of James but she had also really gotten to know PK since January and counted him amongst her closest friends now. She felt bad that PK didn't have a girlfriend so she bought one of his shirts and wore it to games with her jacket.

She had only once switched to her other shirt to make James happy. They lost that game, their first home loss in the playoffs. James told her to wear PK for the rest of the playoffs after that.

PK shrugged. “Could be worse.”

“What could possibly be worst?”

“Could be Tavares,” he replied, winking at Alex.

She laughed, her head against PK’s shoulder as James frowned. “It's not funny,” he muttered.

“You're the one who told him,” Alex pointed out. “I was messing with you that day; I didn't know you were going to repeat it to PK Subban of all people. Or that you were going to be so damn jealous of John.”

“I’m not jealous of John,” James grumbled.

“Yes you are,” PK laughed. “It's freaking adorable though. I hope I grow up to be as cute as you two.”

“Next season,” Alex promised. “We’ll find you the perfect girl.”

“Imma hold you to that.”



Three days later, James and Alex sat beside each other on the couch, her fingers wrapped tightly in his as game seven of the eastern conference finals went into it's second overtime period. A few of his teammates were scattered around the room as they all waited to see who they would play next. Nearly ten minutes into the period, they finally got their answer.

Almost immediately the guys began talking about the Penguins. Alex turned to look at James as he watched the television silently.

“So this is awkward,” she said quietly. “How many of those do you still talk to?”

“A few,” he answered. “But it's fine.”

“They traded you.”

“It's been three years.”

“They beat Paul last year and made me cry.”

“Guess I'll have to strive for no tears for you this year.”

“Please and thank you,” she smiled, leaning in to kiss him lightly.

“Can you wait until we leave?” PK interrupted loudly. “Some of us are single and don't need your happily ever after thrust upon us.”

“You're just jealous,” James shot back.

“Of you? Hardly. All I gotta do is leave Alex alone with Tavares in an escape room for an hour and she'll forget you ever existed.”

James frowned. “Fuck you.”

“Such language,” PK replied, his eyes glittering with mischief.

The others laughed and conversations began to swirl around the room again until Roman looked over at James and asked him how he felt about playing against the Penguins.

“It was a long time ago.”

“But it's weird, right?”

James shrugged. “Maybe. But Nashville is my home now. It's where my life is and I think it's where I was always meant to be. Besides, they made Alex cry last year and no one makes my girl cry.”

Roman looked at her quizzically and Alex shoved James. “Thanks a lot.”

“What?! You did.”

She rolled her eyes at him and looked back at the others. “I was upset that Paul lost; I got to know him really well when him and James were teammates and I really wanted the Sharks to annihilate those flightless birds. I didn't realize how emotionally invested in the series I had become.”

“But no pressure guys,” James grinned as he hugged Alex to him. The others laughed and they went back to talking about the upcoming games. Alex got up a few minutes later and started clearing the empty beer bottle. PK got up and followed with empty pizza boxes.

“Thanks for having us all over,” PK said, hugging her and kissing her cheek.

“You're welcome anytime,” Alex told him.

“Why are you always touching my girlfriend?” James groused as he walked into the room.

“What can I say? She likes me better,” PK smirked.

“You're two degrees to John and he's one,” Alex added.

James groaned as he left the room, PK and Alex's laughter following him. “What's so funny?” Ryan asked as James passed him.

“My girlfriend loves John Tavares,” he muttered.

“Yeah, he's definitely better looking than you,” Ryan replied, clapping James on the shoulder.

“Fuck you!” James said as he shoved him. Ryan laughed as he walked away.

Alex came up and hugged James from behind. “Love you,” she whispered close to his ear, rocking up onto her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

“I love you too,” he said, turning and wrapping her in his arms. He kissed her deeply and didn't care who saw.

“Get a room,” PK joked as he walked back to the living room.

“We will as soon as you all get out of my house,” James shot back.

Alex blushed, hiding her face in James’s shoulder as PK laughed. “Come on boys, it's time to go,” he told the others. Everyone got to their feet and Alex disentangled herself from James to hug them each goodbye. PK was the last one out the door and he whispered to Alex making her giggle before he waved goodbye to James who finally closed the door behind the last of his teammates.

Alex grabbed the last of the trash and headed for the kitchen, James following with the leftover food. “We can do that tomorrow,” James said as Alex loaded the dishwasher.

“Or I can do it now,” she replied. “Then I start tomorrow fresh.”

He leaned against a counter and watched her with a smile. When she finished, she looked up, catching him staring. “What?” She asked.

“Nothing. Sometimes I just can't believe that this is my life.”

“Yeah, because how did you land me?” She teased.

“I don't know but thank god I did. You make me better.”

“James, that's so sweet,” she gushed, reaching for his hand and squeezing it. “You make me better too.”

“You'll come to Pittsburgh for the games?”

She smiled softly. “Of course. Kathryn already told me she's got the shop covered and if I didn't go to every game that she'd murder me herself.”

“Good. I'm going to need you to keep this from getting weird.”

“I thought you said...”

“I lied a little. I am happy to be here and but it does hurt to get traded, and you want to be better than your best whenever you go back and this is the biggest stage. Everyone's going to be asking how it feels, everyone is going to compare the trade. I don't want to rehash it but I don't have a choice. But knowing I have you, that'll keep me sane.”

“I will always have your back, James.”

“I know; that's why having you there, just knowing you're there, it makes it okay.”

“Let's go to bed,” she suggested. “So I can cuddle you so hard.”

“I could definitely go for a good cuddle. And some making out.”

“That can be arranged,” she winked.