When Ali went back to the house the next day, James was waiting for her with open arms. She waited until their practice was over so she could thank Sidney again for everything he did to help her, and also so James would be home when she went back.

As soon as she stepped in the door, James’ lanky form enveloped her in a hug that seemed to speak for him. There were no overly-done phrases uttered, nor any sappy words spoken. It was a greeting that, for all intents and purposes, had been somewhat mellow. Ali and James knew the magnitude of that moment, and neither decided to give it any more attention than it needed. It was simply a ‘welcome home, please don’t leave again, please don’t do that again’ sort of moment. They both knew it enough not to say it.

In fact, that entire day was spent somewhat quietly. The couple sat together upstairs in their bedroom for a while, just lying together. James had watched Ali dump her dirty overnight clothes into the laundry bin, then held her as she climbed up and found a spot in his arm. They talked a little, but neither really knew what to say. James was afraid he’d do something to change her mind, and Ali was sore in heart and mind. The whole two days felt to her like the dull pain after a migraine; the worst was over, but the lingering throb reminded her it still happened.

They talked for a while like, laying together like this; James lazily tracing the lines of Ali’s smaller hand in his, soft words spoken with a dose of laughter now and then. Even now, Ali couldn’t help but laugh with James. His wit was one of his best traits, and maybe the one she loved most. For James, every time he heard Ali laugh, he felt a little less tense.

They had Chinese delivered for dinner, since neither felt like leaving. They ate it in the living room, taking turns sharing their food as they usually did. If an outsider saw them, they would never know that there had been trouble in the relationship just a day prior. They fell right in step with one another all over again, though each with a little more caution.

Ali was getting ready for bed later that night in their master bathroom when James joined her. He stood behind, wrapping his arms around her waist, the pair of them looking at their reflection in the mirror. Ali held onto his arms, feeling content in their strength. She loved the sight: her shorter frame held close by his taller, athletic frame. It felt right where she was, and she never wanted another reason to ever bring them apart. Thinking of this made her eyes cloud up with tears, but James never flinched. He knew what it was about, and he leaned his head down and kissed the one tear she let fall.

“Please don’t let me leave ever again, James.”

He closed his eyes, his head nestled against her neck and shoulder. “I won’t. Never again.”

“Promise me.”

“I promise you.”

“Because I don’t ever want to leave you.”

James kissed her temple. “I don’t ever want to give you another reason to.”

Ali smiled, holding onto his arms tighter. James looked into the mirror with her, and in attempts to lighten the mood, reached up and squeezed her breast through her shirt. Ali immediately slapped his hand, seeing his very guilty smile. They shared a laugh, and James just shrugged as if nothing was out of the ordinary.


* * *


Within just a few days, James and Ali were back to their normal routine. Their shared fears of making one false move around each other and causing more chaos passed. James went back to a single day road trip game in D.C., which was followed by three home games. All were wins for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ali went back to work, catching John up on all the drama that ensued during her days off.

“Good god, I don’t know how you do it.” John was shaking his head; one hand on his hip, the other on the desk. “But I bet I know why you do it.”

“The hell you do!” Ali said, laughing. “Look, it’s all good. It wasn’t a repeat of last time, and that’s the only thing that I’m focused on. Just some dumb puck slut, I guess.”

“Mmm hmm.”

The telephone rang, and John was quick to answer. This left Ali the chance to check her cell. She was responding to a text message when John was finished with caller.

“Loverboy himself?” he asked.

Ali finished typing before she looked up. “Ahh….Well, no…It’s actually Crosby.”

John threw his hands in the air. “You say that so casually!”

“What!?” She looked at him, mouth agape. “He’s just a friend!”

“He’s the face of the NHL, hon. He’s not ‘just’ a friend.”

Now Ali placed a hand on her hip. “John.”

He blinked at her, trying to hold back his smile.

“He helped me” she said. “I should text him every day and thank him for his support.”

“Uh huh.” John went back to his computer, giving her a little devious glance before doing so.

Ali’s phone vibrated again, so she let John and his sassy look alone and went back to her texts.

Glad everything’s back to normal. Was worried about you for a while.

She smiled, typing out a response: Thanks, Sid. How’s your house now that it’s back to being empty again? ;-)

He quickly responded: Not just empty, but boring. I guess that’s good, because it means you’re not upset anymore.

Ali sighed. She saw John looking her direction. “Yeeess?”

He shook his head. “Face of the NHL.”

“Friend” Ali shot back.

They were interrupted by some guests arriving from the airport, and there was no further discussion on the matter. In fact, the rest of Ali’s shift with John went by quickly, thanks to the weekend rush of travelers that came through. When her shift was over, Ali changed out of her work attire, happy to be free of her high heels. As she headed home, she realized it was the first time in a while that she was actually excited to go home. James didn’t have a game, so they had plans to just hang together. Now that some of the tension was gone, she looked forward to returning to a normal atmosphere again.

Two seconds after she came into their house, James was rounding the corner from the living room. He was shirtless, but had his black Pens sweatpants on, the band of his gray boxer briefs peeking out just enough to draw her eyes downward. If it hadn’t been for the immense grin on James’ face, her eyes would’ve stayed on his torso all night.

“Guess what!”

Ali was surprised at his level of energy. “Lay it on me.”

He stood in front of her, hands going to her hips. “I’ve made plans.”

The statement was so simple, Ali couldn’t help but giggle. “Wow. That’s……..that’s impressive, Neal. I’m proud of you.”

“Very funny.”

She shrugged and smiled. “Okay, okay - so you made plans…”

“I’ve made plans for the three day break I have after tomorrow’s game.” He squeezed her hips excitedly.

Ali searched his blue eyes for some sort of hint. “Should I ask where?”

He paused, biting his lip as he smiled. “Whitby.”

“WHAT! Really!?” She wasn’t expecting him to say that. He’s taking me home, ohmigod. “You want to bring me home with you?”

James nodded, eyes bright. “Whaddya say?”

“I say yes, of course!” He’s taking me home, ohmigod.

He hugged Ali tight, feeling her smile against his chest. “I can’t wait to show you everything. Mike will be there, since he has a couple days off, too. I can’t wait for him to meet you.”

Holy shit, his brother will be there. Ali broke the hug and looked at James with wonder. “So where’d all this come from?”

“Just saw an opportunity, since we play in Toronto afterwards. Plus, I think we could use a break from Pittsburgh” he said. “I already called my parents, and they’re more than happy to have us those days.”

“Whoa….you are a planner!” she said with a laugh. “When do we leave?”

“Sunday morning, whenever you want.”

“And you’re sure your parents don’t mind us just taking over their house like this?” Ali absolutely had to make sure he wasn’t springing this on them, or else she’d feel awful.

“If they let Mike in the house, they won’t even know we’re there.” He yanked her hips into his, his grin widening. “Which might be a good thing, because I know how you can get pretty loud—“

She barked out a laugh and pushed him away. “We are NOT fucking in your parents’ house!”

He looked at her, completely amused. “Really.”

“Yes.” She met his gaze, but couldn’t hold it. “Okay, okay, maybe not really.” She reached for him again, pulling him closer. She took a second just to admire what was in front of her. Each line of James’ muscles pointed to parts of him she wanted to touch, and just the mere mentioning of having sex somewhere in his parents’ house turned her on.

“Uh oh” James said, feeling Ali trace her finger past his belly button. “I know that look.”

“Good thing you haven’t forgotten it” she said, looking up. “It’s been what…a week?”

“Crazy, I know.” James petted her head, pushing some of her hair back from her face. “If the guys heard me say this, I’d never hear the end of it, but… it’s been nice to just, I don’t know…to just [i]be[/i] with you.”

“We’re officially an old married couple” Ali teased, but when she said this, she noticed James looked wounded. “Aww, don’t go pouty on me.”

“The Neal family does not pout.”

“Well this one most certainly does.” She patted him once on the chest. “And I bet Mike does too. Now I’ll get to find out!”

James’ eyebrows rose. “How is it that I pout?”

Ali pretended to imitate him by sticking her bottom lip out with an exaggerated frown. “But picture me with tattoos and a beard.”

“NOT funny” he exclaimed, wrestling with her in the kitchen. Ali almost had him in a hold, but James slid easily out of it, pinning her against the counter. “Think you’re tough, eh?”

“I’ve been known to leave marks.”

James tried to kiss her, but Ali pushed him, laughing hysterically as she tried to get away. He was too fast, and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back into him.

“It’s not fair! You’re like a foot taller!” she laughed.

“You blamed my height on losing our race, too” he said, letting her go. “When are you going to learn your lesson?”

“Hmmm…..maybe you should teach me a lesson, Mr. Neal.”

The way Ali said it drove the blood right out of James’ head and into his groin. “You keep talking like that—“

“—And if I don’t learn my lesson, I should at least get a spanking.” She looked at him, desire in her eyes. A subtle smirk appeared, and James felt her fingers tugging on the band of his pants.

“Shit, you are horny” he said, feeling himself harden the more her fingers moved over his skin. “You’re worse than me.”

“Does that make me bad?” Ali gazed up at him. “Tell me I’ve been bad.”

James was into this.
In. To. This.

“Instead of talking, I’d rather just show you just you.” He backed Ali up until she was half-sitting on their kitchen table, and in one swift move, grabbed her thighs and lifted her all the way up. She instinctually spread her legs while James grabbed a fist full of her hair, tilting her head back so her mouth was his to access.

In no time, Ali’s lips were red and puffy from the scruff of James’ beard, and she loved every second of it. As he moved his mouth down to her breasts, she felt the tickle of every hair that lined his mouth and jaw. He purposely rubbed over her most sensitive areas to get a rise out of her, and she squirmed a little. He dragged his chin over one of her hardened nipples and she moved again. He laughed against her skin.

“Someone’s sensitive…”

“You know exactly what you’re doing to me” Ali uttered. She was silenced again by his mouth, his tongue working hers deep inside. He lifted her shirt up over her head, and then her bra with a single snap. Pushing her down flat against the table, James got a good look at what he was about to fuck. He yanked Ali’s jeans and panties over her hips, peeling them down her legs, making sure to kiss as much of her smooth skin as he possibly could.

As he made his way back up, he slipped his own clothes off, letting her take a good long look at what she was about to fuck.

“Do you deserve this?” he taunted, his voice nearly a growl. He stepped up to her, lining the wide head of his cock with her wet slit. “Looks like you want it pretty badly…and it feels like you want it pretty badly…”

Ali felt the heat of his head slide along the length of her pussy, teasing her and causing her to lose most of what little thought she had left in her weakening mind. Her only response was to squirm, desperately needing to feel more of him.

James leaned down so his mouth was in line with her ear. “Does my bad little bitch need fucked?”

“Ahhyess” she moaned, feeling his mouth latch onto her neck.

“Say it again, baby.”

There was so much heat coursing through Ali’s body, she thought she might implode. “Yes, I want it…”

“What is it that you want?”

“I want you inside me, dammit.”

Ali cried out as James used one thrust to shove all of his length inside her, spreading her quickly and forcefully. Her back arched off the table in response, feeling the amazing pain and pleasure mix that James brought every time he entered her. Even James had to grit his teeth; her pussy was like a vault around his dick. It occurred to him then that it had been one very, very long week without sex. It seemed like an even longer time since he connected with her this way. Their connection…it was what drove him….it’s what he wanted all along.

Sighing, James couldn’t do it.

His thrusting slowed, and he lifted his head so he could look Ali in the eyes. They were both breathing heavily, but James was shaking his head slowly.

“I’m sorry…” he said, still breathing hard.

Ali placed her hands on the side of his face. “Babe?” She lifted herself up as much as she could, since James was still inside her. He helped prop her up the rest of the way so their eyes were level.

“I don’t want it to be like this.”

“Like what?” Ali was starting to get scared. “What’s going on, James?”

James withdrew himself, and then lifted Ali entirely off the table. He knew he must have looked stupid: his dick still slick, her body still heaving from her labored breaths, but he lifted her nonetheless. His right arm went under her shoulders, his left arm under her knees…and he carried her out of their kitchen and up the stairs.

Thoroughly confused, Ali wrapped her arms around James’ neck, still feeling his erection brushing against her ass as he walked her upstairs. He carried her as if she only weighed ten pounds, the curve of his biceps flexed as he held her.

“I don’t almost lose the most important person in my life, and then go and fuck her on a table.” He pushed through the bedroom door that was ajar. He laid Ali down on the bed, and crawled up with her.

“James…” Ali didn’t know what else to say. She was speechless. No one, especially James, stopped in the middle of sex because it ‘wasn’t right’.

“I know. You don’t have to say anything” James replied, and he smiled. He kissed the corner of her mouth, then her cheek, then her neck. “I love you and I want to show it the right way.”

This time, when James and Ali’s bodies connected, it felt right to him. It was no less intense, and it was no less boring. It was never boring with a girl like her.

His girl.


* * *


“So you take her home to Whitby?” Geno asked. “Wow. Nealsy make big move!” He nudged his linemate as they sat together on their locker room bench.

Pascal was standing in front of them, still sweaty and covered in padding from their morning practice. “If she doesn’t hate Whitby, man…you might as well marry her then and there.”

James laughed. “Pretty sure she will hate Whitby, and if she doesn’t, Mike will make her.”

Sid walked out of the showers, towel around his waist. “You going home, Nealer?”

James nodded, stripping off his jersey, revealing his black Under Armour compression top. “Tomorrow morning we leave. Coach said as long as I make it to the Dome by noon on Wednesday, he’d approve it.”

“One less ass to haul.” Geno smiled at him.

“And we all know Sid’s takes up the most room” Pascal chirped, giving Sid a slap as he walked by. “Any extra room helps!”

Sid attempted to slap Dupuis back, but he jumped out of his range. “So what brought on the trip home?” he asked James.

He shrugged. “I don’t know, just saw the big break in our schedule. Made sense, since we play the Leafs after that. I think it’ll be good for Ali and me to get out of Pittsburgh for a while. It’s been wearing on us.”

Sid knew that well enough. He drew a clean shirt over his bare chest and ditched his towel for boxers and jeans. “So how’s Ali getting back to town then?”

“She fly with us?” Geno looked at James hopefully. “I claim seat with her, Kuni sleeps whole trip. So boring.”

“She already booked a flight from Toronto back to the States, G…sorry. Guess you’re stuck with Kuni.”

“You know, I am standing, uh…….right here.” Kunitz said, flashing his good-natured smile.

James donned his salt-stained black and white Pens hat backwards over his damp hair. “I’m just worried my brother’s gonna scare her off.”

“Rebecca is the one you should be worried about.” Sid said, and he and James shared a laugh. They both knew which of James’ siblings was the real troublemaker, and his only sister was definitely it. “Has she met Ali?”

“Nope. It’s Show and Tell at the Neal house come tomorrow.”

“Should probably stick to more Show, and less Tell” Pascal added. “Waaaaay less tell.”

James stood up, head to toe black spandex covering every inch of his tall build. He gave Pascal a push as he headed towards the showers. Once he was out of earshot, Dupuis walked over to Sid. “What’s the over-under she breaks up with him after this trip?”

Sid knew Pascal was just joking, as was his usual style, but he couldn’t help but think of how ironic his question was. None of the guys ever found out, aside from himself and Paulie, about the drama that ensued between James and Ali. Sid kept it on the down low for him; plus, if any of the team found out that Ali had run to him for help, he couldn’t imagine what they’d all say.

“I’ve never been good at bets, Duper” Sid replied. “I better stay out of this one.” He looked at his friend and roommate with a smile. “You’d find a way to cheat me anyways.”

“Uh ohhh!” Dupuis laughed loudly. “Creature’s getting feisty over here!”

There was a whoop that went around the room; Dupuis getting the guys razzed as they got ready to head out. They would have only a few hours before they had to be back in their suits, then back in their gear, and then back on the ice to play the Lightning that evening. After that, they had a nice three-day break ahead of them.

Meanwhile, the Pens weren’t the only ones trying to get ready. Across town, Ali was digging through her closet, her cell phone cradled on her shoulder.

“Do I even bring a dress? All my dresses are too short for a trip to see the parents.”

“Isn’t it cold, anyways?” Brittany asked. “What the hell do you need a dress for?”

Ali stomped her foot. “For going out, maybe?”

“Right, but find something else.”

“Ugh.” Ali figured she was right. It wasn’t summer anymore, no matter how much she wanted to dress like it. “Okay, so just normal stuff for around the house and town. What should I wear for when I meet his brother?”

“Send me a pic of your choices!” Brittany’s tone of voice was sounding more excited. “I can’t believe he’s actually bringing you home with him. This is pretty huge, Ali.”

Ali slumped down into a pile of her clothes on the floor. “I know. I think he really does feel bad about what happened. He was right after all. Sid said so. And you know how shitty I felt after…”

“Yeah, but don’t think about that anymore. You’re going home with him!”

Ali looked down at the sheer blouse she was holding, smiling at that very phrase. She was happy with the way things had progressed since she stayed at Sid’s last week. It brought her and James together, and now her and Sid were even closer. She felt she made a better friend out of the ordeal.

“So which brother are you meeting, by the way? Doesn’t he have a couple?” Brittany asked. This brought Ali out of her daydream and back to the task at hand.

“Uhh….I think Mike. I don’t know which one that is though” Ali replied, looking around her at the circle of outfits. “What about an off the shoulder cowl neck sweater?”

“Color?”

“Red.” Ali waited as Brittany spent a second thinking.

“Send me a pic of you in it, but I approve.”

She laughed. “Thanks. It’s pretty, you’ll like it.”

“As long as you do, too! And be sure to send me pictures when you get there. I want to be along for the whole ride.”

“I’ll send whatever I can, when I can, but I’m not sure there will be much to see.” She held up a hanger that had a shimmery silver dolman sleeve top. Searching around her, she spotted a pair of tight black pants she wanted to pair it with.

“Well at least send me a pic of his brother” Brittany asked, her smirk audible over the phone.

“We’re not getting into that whole thing again, so don’t even.”

“Alright, alright.” Her voice sounded defeated. “It was worth a try.”

Ali smiled, tossing her new outfit towards her suitcase. “I better run, I have tons to do before tomorrow, and I’m not even close to beginning. Talk to you soon?”

“You bet! Have a fun trip.”

“Thanks, bye hun!”

She leaned back against the opened door of the closet and looked around. Scattered about her were several pairs of pants and many different tops in various gemstone colors. None of them seemed worthy enough of being packed. If she had the time, she’d run to the mall and pick up all new stuff, but it way too late for that.

Downstairs, she heard James come home. She didn’t bother moving, so when James made it upstairs, he stood staring at the mess on the bedroom floor.

“This looks serious.”

Ali looked up. “What do I wear?”

“To the couch tonight? To watch me play? Shit…let me see.” He put a finger on his chin, scanning the items. Ali gave him a sarcastic smirk, but he pretended not to notice. “I vote for the long purple thing over there, with this red skirt.”

He noticed her glaring, trying to hide her smile. “Uh oh. You don’t like?”

Ali tossed the shirt she had been holding at him. “Don’t tease! This is a big deal!”

“I didn’t realize this sort of thing freaked you out” James said, crossing his legs as he sat down next to her. “You’re worried about looking good for my parents?”

“And your brother, and your hometown friends…”

“You don’t have a thing to worry about.” He kissed the side of her head and rubbed her back. “Dress sporty like you always do. Dress sexy like you always do. Just be you and don’t freak out.”

Ali would never expect a guy to understand, so she was fighting a losing battle. She would just lay out some outfit combinations and text them to Brittany later.

“Hey.” James caught her thinking, staring at the clothes. He used his finger to pull her chin in his direction. “My parents already met you, and they loved you. My brother is a moron, so don’t worry about him. He’ll think you’re hot anyways.”

Ali made an ‘ew’ face, and James laughed. “You could be dressed in a paper bag and you’d be hot, so just pick some clothes and toss them in the suitcase and lets have dinner. I have an hour or so, then I have to head back into town.”

Standing up, James hopped over a couple pieces of her clothes that were in his path. When he turned around, he picked up a light sweater and tossed it at her, which knocked her lightly in the head.

“Food. Downstairs. Stat.”

Ali gladly surrendered and followed him, leaving the pile of clothes for later.


* * *

Notes

This may be a make-up for them....but I don't think the drama will stay in the 'burgh. Just saying!