The Games We Play

“On the count of three. One…..two…..three!”

Ali and Jessica threw their bouncy balls at James and Ethan who were across the room. Blanket were strung up between the living room furniture pieces, creating makeshift fortresses; the boys on one side, the girls on the other.

The balls went flying, and both James and Ethan ducked behind their blanket walls. Jessica and Ali quickly picked up the other two balls and counted to three again. This time, they stood faster and threw the balls at the boys even quicker. Jessica squealed with glee when James very gently aimed and bounced the ball off the little girls’ blonde hair.

“James!” Ali said with a laugh.

“What!?” He stood there with his hands open, his innocent grin fully present. “Look! She loved it!”

Jessica was bouncing up and down on the cushions that were set about to create a platform of sorts for their fort.

Ali met his gaze and nodded. “Fine – but you two have to win fair and square. No bouncing off of heads.”

James turned to Ethan and he ruffled the boy’s hair. “I think we can do that, right Ethan?”

“YEAH!” he yelled, clapping wildly. “Let’s go!”

“Let me count, babe.” James gave one of the balls to Ethan and they got behind their blanket screen. “Ready?”

“Ready!” Ali and Jessica huddled behind their blankets, smiling excitedly at one another.

“One…..two….”

“Throw now, Jess!” Ali whispered. The girls stood up and threw their balls towards the boys’ fort just as James was saying ‘three’, nailing them with the bouncy balls.

James immediately popped up. “Hey!”

Ali and Jessi were high fiving and doing a silly victory dance as the boys stood there dumbfounded.

“You cheated!”

“I prefer to call it anticipating the enemy.” Ali stuck her tongue out at James, and Jessi stuck her tongue out at her brother. While Ethan was laughing, James stood there with his hands on his hips, giving Ali a sharp smirk. The sleeves of his button down remained rolled to the elbows, but one side of his shirttail had become untucked at the waist. He'd also undone a few buttons near the collar of his shirt, giving him a slightly disheveled appearance.

All night, Ali was having trouble concentrating; if James was worried about impressing her, it sure didn’t show. He was beyond amazing with the kids, and was genuinely having a good time as the four of them constructed their blanket forts and played together. Now and then Ali would steal a glance his way, and James met her eyes every time with a look of love. In some weird way, she wondered if maybe she was looking at her future.

“I declare a misfire!” James said from his side of the room.

Ali busted out laughing. “You can’t declare a misfire!”

“Ethan!” James looked at his young partner in crime. “Do you declare a misfire?”

“YEAH!”

James shrugged. “Looks like it’s a misfire.”

Next to Ali, Jessica pulled on the waist of her t-shirt. “What’s a misfire?”

“Oh hunny.” Ali petted her head, wiping back the fluffy bangs that were always in her eyes. “It’s what big kids call it when they lose.” She looked over towards James, who now folded his arms over his chest.

They went on playing like this for the next half hour, until Becky arrived back at the house with her husband, fresh off their date night. They were impressed to see how excited their son and daughter was to have both Ali and James as their babysitters for the evening. Becky, most of all, thanked Ali for bringing James along, and told James personally just how awesome it was of him to make her kids’ day.

When they deconstructed the forts, James signed the bouncy balls they played with all night for Jessica and Ethan. Ali stood by, watching in awe. After all the fun they had that night, James went the extra length and did one additional thing he didn’t have to do. The looks on the little kids’ faces were enough to make the rest of Ali melt.

After an extended round of goodbyes, James and Ali headed out to their car. They were both quiet as they walked, but the minute they were inside the SUV, Ali was on James before he could even get the key in the ignition.

“Whoa…” He tried to say more, but Ali’s lips mashed against his. Her kiss was frenzied and hot. “Babe…”

“Shut up.” Ali grabbed his face, fingers feeling the bristly hair about mouth and jaw, which only made her hotter. She’d been waiting all night to release what had been pent up the entire night of watching him with the kids. “We need to go home.”

A soft laugh came from James’ mouth, where Ali hovered closely. “I see that, but what’s all this—“

Ali kissed him again, slower this time. She felt the contrast of his soft lips and his skilled tongue with the harsh beard that tickled her.

“You pass,” she whispered, kissing him again.

“I do?” James looked at her, his blue-green eyes full and bright, even in the darkness within the vehicle.

“You’re serious Dad Material, babe.”

James exhaled, his smile growing. “That’s what this is about?”

Ali nodded. She let her eyes trail down the ginger colored hair that covered half of his neck before it smoothed out to the pale skin of his chest. With her hands, she parted James’ shirt collar, exposing more of the muscle beneath. She placed a kiss here, near the spot where his heart was. "You were incredible."

“You really think so?” James asked.

Ali nodded again. “Effortlessly incredible.”

Inside, somewhere near his heart where Ali had kissed him, James had a new feeling emerge. He didn’t know what it was, exactly, but he knew it felt good. Really good.

“And now we need to go home,” Ali said softly. “Because I’m not sure how much longer I can last tonight, and the car just doesn’t have enough room.” She looked at him, hoping the spark in her eye was noticeable.

It was, and James liked it. He put the car in reverse, took Ali’s hand in his, and they headed home.

* * *

It was the first day of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the Pens would begin it on home ice. Their first round opponent was the Washington Capitals, and James felt more ready than ever when he woke up that morning.

He stretched his arms above his head, his muscles a little tight despite how relaxed he felt. Evidence I was used last night. Evidence I'm the luckiest guy in the world.

Ali was already up and about, since she wasn’t in the bed next to him. Even though the door to their bedroom was closed, James could smell the aroma of coffee and bacon, which was enough to rouse him from the comfortable spot on the bed.

“Is that bacon I smell?” he asked, shuffling into the kitchen.

Ali turned around, spatula in hand. “Happy Playoffs Day!”

James chuckled. “You’re the best.” He kissed her forehead, his eyes on the various pans on the stove. “Damn. A full spread, too?”

“Big boys need their breakfast on the first day of the playoffs.” She winked at him and went back to constructing their breakfast.

It was still dark outside, not even 6 am yet, but Ali looked like she’d been awake for hours. She was peppy and cheerful, humming to herself as she danced in place, flipping bacon and eggs to music no one could hear. Her hair was pulled up, showing a hint of her necklace chain before it disappeared below the neckline of her black lacy tank top. She still wore the gray yoga pants she’d slipped on last night before bed, accentuating the entire bottom half of her fit body as she danced over to the cupboard.

James watched her happily. He thought about her reaction from the night before, the way she’d looked at him all night at Becky's, and then the way she absolutely devastated him in bed once they got home. It was a hell of a way to start the playoffs.

Ali brought over two very full plates, sliding one in James’ direction. “Enjoy, babe.”

“Do I get to look forward to this every game from now until the end?”

She took a seat next to him. “Yep.”

“Did I mention I love you?”

“Yep.” Ali picked up a piece of bacon and bit into it.

James watched her chew, her smile present and her brown eyes sparkling. He really didn’t have much to say, he just realized how simple and perfect this particular moment was. There was nothing extraordinary or uniquely special about it: just him and Ali, eating breakfast before he had to leave for a morning skate. It was something they’d done almost every day since she moved in with him. But somehow, to James, it felt a little different.

Cupping Ali’s neck, he gave her closed mouth a kiss. “Thank you for this.”

“You’re welcome.” She pointed at his dish. “Now dig in before it gets cold.”

James had most of the plate cleaned in minutes, and Ali refreshed the dish without him even having to ask. In her mind, she was going to support him like this as much as she could during the playoffs. She knew how important the next few weeks would be, not just for him, but also for them as a couple. Tension was bound to happen, but Ali was hoping to at least start their last month as an unmarried couple on the right foot.

“Remember last year at this time?” James looked over as he ate another forkful of eggs.

“Fuck yeah. I was scared shitless.”

He laughed. “What?”

Ali was nodding, staring at her toast thoughtfully. “I had NO idea what to expect. You know…new boyfriend, plays hockey, Stanley Cup playoffs, your hair was all over the place, your schedule was all over the place…”

“But you were actually scared?” James couldn’t believe it. As he thought back to their first couple months together, and the first few rounds of the playoffs, he couldn’t remember Ali being nervous or scared or anything.

“Were you scared when I showed up at your condo really late after road games?”

“No, silly.” Ali smirked at him. “That actually calmed me. I guess I just didn’t know what to do. It was all so….new. And big. And scary.” It was almost funny at this point any time she thought back to those first few months. Oh how green I’d been. She remembered still being in awe that she was dating a Pittsburgh Penguin. It took her until the end of the playoffs to come down off the high she’d been on since February when they’d met. Once the Pens were knocked out of the playoffs, her and James hit the road to visit the Jersey Shore to relax and get away from it all. They did nothing but lay on the beach and have sex in their hotel, totally disappearing into one another.

Ali giggled out loud. “Remember our Jersey trip after the playoffs?”

“You mean our Jersey Fuck-a-thon?” He laughed with her. “Yeah, that was pretty nice.”

“BESIDES the sex.” Ali jabbed him in the side with her elbow.

“That’s what I meant!” His eyes went wide with innocence. “Honest!”

James was honest. After the disappointment of being knocked out of the runnings for the Cup, all he wanted to do was spend time with Ali. Whether she realized it in those early days or not, she comforted him in ways he wasn’t used to, and in ways he never wanted to lose. They’d spent an entire week just doing whatever they wanted, whether it was lying on the beach or swimming or browsing the boardwalk; it was summertime at its finest, and James felt whole again after they left. It had nothing to do with the sex, but had everything to do with the woman he was with.

“I think that was the first time you took care of me” James admitted. He shifted his eyes sideways, making sure Ali wasn’t laughing. Instead, she appeared even happier.

“Took care of you?”

“Yeah, I know. It sounds stupid.” James sighed. “But I was a wreck, you know? And for someone who claaaaiiimmss they were scared…” He tapped her on her nose and smiled. “You sure handled me well.”

Ali shrugged a shoulder. “I didn’t think of it as taking care of you. I thought of it as just another amazing week of my life I got to spend with you.”

They sat silently, thinking back to their early times together. James remembered all the times that he was scared. Hell, if he could admit it, there were times even now that he was scared. Just last night, he wanted to show Ali he could be…what did she call it…Dad Material? And he’d ‘passed’, but he would strive to earn her love every day, even if he didn’t need to.

“I was still a mess though” Ali said, giggling as she thought back to her old self. She could remember watching every single game James played in, worrying about injury, worrying he would meet someone better than her, worrying he’d second guess asking her out in the first place. Worry, worry, worry. “Honestly. You were kind of intimidating.”

“Intimidating!?!?” James barked a laugh and set his fork down. “Babe…”

“AH AH! No arguments!” Ali said, holding up a hand. “You were big. The NHL was big. And like I said….big, and new, and scary. So hush.”

“And now look at you” James replied, stealing a piece of her bacon. “Cooking like a pro at 6 in the morning on the first day of the playoffs.”

Ali smiled. “So weird, I know.”

“More like so good.” He crunched happily, his eyes taking on a greener shade than their typical ocean blue. “I’m excited. Are you excited?”

“I’m very excited.”

“And you’ll be up in the suite?”

She thought about it for a second. “I don’t know…I feel I should be closer…”

“Say the word – I’ll make it happen.”

“You think Maureen will be there, even if Kunitz…”

“Oh yeah. We’re a family, remember?” He looked at her over the rim of his glass of juice. "She'll be there."

Ali couldn't resist. “In two weeks, your beard’s going to be the same shade as that orange juice, babe.”

“Leave my beard out of this.” He gave Ali a wink. “You love the beard.”

“I do love the beard.”

They leaned in to one another, their lips meeting in a tender kiss.

“Just think” James said, “Next year, we’ll probably be sitting right here, eating the same thing, and talking about how scared we were right now, today, a month before our wedding.”

Ali smiled, feeling cozy at just the thought. James glanced over at the digital time on the microwave.

“Fuck.”

“Gotta go?”

He nodded. “Eat and run. Eat and run. Rinse, repeat.”

Ali giggled. “Go get’em superstar.”

* * *

Outside, the crowd was going wild. James could hear the new hype video playing, specially made just for the playoffs. There was a booming mix of music, cheering, and heart-pounding bass. It all added to the nerves James was currently trying to shake off in tunnel.

“You ready?” Dupuis asked, knocking him in the calf with his stick.

“As I’ll ever be.” He knocked him back on the opposite calf.

“Last playoff season as a single man.” Dupuis grinned, tapping James on the hip with his stick.

“And just another playoff season of you being an ass.” James tapped him back on Duper’s opposite hip, matching his grin.

Arrrrreeeee yyyooooooouuuuuu reeeaaaddddyyyy????

James rocked from side to side, head bent, absorbing the noise the crowd was making. Somewhere in that noise, Ali’s voice was cheering. He tried to envision her face at the moment they were called onto the ice.

Ladies and Gentlemen – Please Welcome to the Ice – YOUR…PITTSBURGH….PEEENNNGGGUUIINNNSS.

Fleury led the way, the rest of the team filing into their usual procession lineup as they spilled out onto the ice. James tapped his helmet hard onto his head, locked the strap, then felt the ice beneath his skates for the first time in the playoffs.

Looking around him, everyone in attendance was wearing white, and white towels were held up and shaking from every corner of the arena. James skated to the bench with the rest of the team as Crosby’s line stood at center ice for the anthems. He drew his eyes upward, looking for the suite Ali would be in. He felt excitement in his blood, the anticipation and the need to play coursing through him. This game and all games following, to whatever end, was the reason he played hockey.

*

In the suite, far above the ice, Ali stood with the rest of the women and men who came to support their husbands, boyfriends, and sons. Glancing around her, Ali felt at home. These were the people she’d come to know over the past season, some more than others, but all had accepted her as one of their own loved ones. They loved James, and now they loved Ali.

When they national anthems ended, the crowd went wild all over again. With her beer in hand and her nerves a completely knotted ball stuck inside her stomach, she watched the first face-off of what she hoped would be a long playoff season.

*

By second intermission, the Pens were up 2-1 over the Caps, but both teams seemed equally matched. They both played hard, played fast, had great penalty kills and power plays alike. It had been a good game so far, and Ali hoped the Pens could hang on through the remaining period.

She used the intermission time to head to the restroom, then to get a refill of beer and socialize a little. One thing she was learning was that this crowd took the playoffs almost as seriously as the teams did, so there was little chatter while the game was going. Most members, however, did lighten up during the intermissions.

“Hi, Allison?”

From her spot at the suite’s bar, Ali turned to meet the crystal blue eyes of Catherine Laflamme, Kris Letang’s fiancé.

“I don’t think we’ve met yet” she said, holding out her delicate hand. “Catherine Laflamme. Kris’s fiancé.”

“Oh yes, so good to meet you! I'm Allison Diserelli.” Ali had to blink to make sure this woman was real. Not only was she gorgeous, she was poised and polished. She wore a short sleeve peplam top in starch white, with black satiny-looking pants, and high heels. Ali also couldn’t decide who had better hair: Kris, or his fiancé.

“You and James are getting married, yes?” Her French accent was thick, but she spoke English very well.

“Yeah” Ali looked down at her ring bashfully. “Crazy, huh?”

“You must be so excited.” Catherine crossed one leg behind the other, standing as if she was posing.

Ali nodded. “I really am.” She’s a human doll. A living, breathing, human doll. “I’m assuming you and Kris will be coming to the ceremony, I hope?” she asked her.

“Oh yes, of course! That’s why I had to come and meet you.” Catherine smiled sweetly. “With little Alex, it’s been hard to get to games…so I am late to meet.”

“Oh, pfft” Ali waved her hand. “No worries, girl. I knew I’d get to meet you someday.” For some reason, she suddenly felt rough around the edges next to Catherine. Her white Neal jersey also now appeared as just an ill-fitting mesh dress next to Catherine's sophisticated attire.

The goal horn sounded, signaling the end of the second intermission. Catherine turned her head to see the jumbotron, noting the clock had wound down to 0:00. When she looked to Ali again, her blond curls seemed to float over her shoulders.

“Guess it’s time, non?”

“Let’s hope there aren’t half as many penalties this period, right?” Ali laughed. Catherine smiled again, not really laughing but enjoying Ali nonetheless. “We’ll talk more soon, I hope?”

“Definitely.”

Catherine hugged her tightly, giving the impression she truly enjoyed their meeting, though Ali couldn’t quite tell by Catherine’s subdued emotion.

She gave Ali a tiny wave of her fingers, then walked off towards wherever she had been sitting earlier during the game. Even the way she walked made Ali a little self-concious. Without hesitation, she downed three large gulps of her beer.

When Ali made it back to her seat, she was relieved to see Maureen was back.

“A refill for you” Ali handed Maureen a beer. “And a refill for me!”

They clinked their plastic cups together and watched as the guys spread out on their benches. Malkin’s line was up for this period’s first face off, putting James on the ice to start the final period, his back facing their direction. The puck dropped and they were off.

“I saw you were chatting with Cath” Maureen said, leaning over. “Whatchya think?”

“Does the word ‘stunning’ cover it?” Ali took another drink of her beer, her eyes never leaving number 18.

“I don’t think there’s a better word to describe her, really.”

On the ice, the whistle blew. Hybrid icing call on the Caps.

“Their son is just as pretty as they are.”

Ali looked at her. “Really? I only remember seeing a picture, but it was when he was just a baby. James was gushing over him.” She laughed and rolled her eyes. “I guess he told Alex that one day, they’d have a Hair Off.”

“Oh god, Neal would say that.” Maureen shook her head, eyes going back to the ice. They were silent for a moment, their attention on the game, but Maureen couldn’t resist holding it in any longer.

“You know......you two are going to have ridiculously cute kids too…..”

“What!?” Ali said with a laugh. “We’re not even married yet!”

“I KNOW, but isn’t it fun to think about?” She was smiling wildly.

"Maybe…" Ali let it go at that.

Below on the ice, the Caps were fighting hard against the Pens, causing yet another turnover and breakaway to the wrong end of the ice. Ali knew James hated when their team allowed this, so she wondered if he was losing his temper yet.

From throwing bouncy balls to losing his temper on the ice.

Ali smiled to herself and took another sip of beer. She glanced over at Maureen, wondering if she should share what she was thinking. She didn’t have to wonder long, because Maureen spied the look on her face.

“What?”

“It’s funny you mention the kid thing.” Ali looked at Maureen excitedly and set her cup on the floor. “Because this has been on my mind lately…moreso than before. I guess it’s because James and I babysat for a friend-slash-coworker of mine, and he was amazing, and…”

Maureen slapped both her knees with her hands as she fell into a fit of laughter. “Wait! Let me guess! Did your lady parts explode?”

Ali looked at her sheepishly. “Just shoot me.”

“Oh my god!” Maureen turned in her seat, pushing a piece of her loose hair behind her ear rather excitedly. “Listen to me – there is nothing sexier than seeing these doofuses, the same ones who fight over a piece of rubber and will knock someone’s dental work apart over it, play with children and revert back to their more sensitive sides. Am I right?”

“I couldn’t have put it better myself” Ali replied. “God, you’re good, Maureen.”

Maureen sat back proudly in her seat. “What can I say. I’ve learned a bit over the years.” She winked at Ali. “Now I know why you can’t take your eyes off him tonight.”

Maureen was right. Ali had been watching James more intently than usual. Maybe she was taking the playoffs just as seriously as the players. But no one else had the dialogue playing over and over in their mind that Ali currently had.

”I want to be a great dad.”

“Remember last year at this time?”

“It was the first time you took care of me.”

The beer wasn’t helping the butterflies, but Ali didn’t care. She studied her man’s every move on the ice that night, watching him dominate as he had all season. She’d never get bored of watching James. Never.

When the final horn blew, the Pens took home the first W of the quarterfinals.

* * *

Notes