The Compromise

"So, let me get this straight. You are living in another player's house?" Jackie asked Jessica one afternoon while both were free from summer classes.

"Yes, Sidney Crosby's," Jessica replied and sighed as she shifted positions on the bed in the guest room she and James were sharing.

"And James isn't there, and neither is The Kid?"

"Don't call Sid that, he's the same age as us. James couldn't close on his place before I moved here so we are living here temporarily."

"But James isn't there. I'm really confused."

"Yes, James is currently training in Toronto with a couple buddies."

"And you trust him?"

"Why shouldn't I? He's never given me a reason to not."

"And Sidney Crosby is just letting some strange girl stay in his house by herself while they train?"

"No, Sid can't train. He hasn't gotten cleared to do anything more than walking and light jogging."

"Oh that's right, he had those concussions! But surely he didn't stick around the city."

"Oh he has to, he can't really fly and driving bothers his vision. So he's been hanging out with me trying to understand the child psychology textbooks I have."

"We are crazy. Why didn't we take the summer off before starting school again?"

"Hey, my program is under two years. You're the one going to med school."

Jessica heard a light knock on her door. She clambered out of her bed all the while cradling her cellphone on her shoulder. She opened the door to find a disheveled looking Sidney.

"Hey Jaxx, let me call you back ok?"

"Ok love you! Bye!"

"Love you too, bye!"

She threw her phone onto the nearby dresser and opened her door wider. Sidney took that as an invitation to come in and marched right over to her bed, climbed in and covered his face with her pillow.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jessica asked softly as she joined him on James' side of the bed. She crossed her arms over her stomach and watched as Sidney's body shook. She knew he was crying and instead of pushing him to talk she let him just cry. She reached for him, but felt awkward as she was still trying to get to know the man who welcomed her into his home.

After what seemed like hours, but was only a few minutes, Sid lifted the pillow from his face and squeezed his eyes shut. Jess leaned across his body and turned off the bedside lamp that was causing some discomfort for the superstar. She returned to her original spot, but this time she lay down beside Sid. Before she knew it she had her arms wrapped around him and his face buried in her neck. She could feel the tears falling onto her skin and run down her neck. It was making her feel clammy and sweaty, but she knew that Sid needed comfort when all he has been getting has been bad news after bad news.

"Want to talk about it?" Jessica asked.

"No." The muffled response was barely whisper, but his crying seemed to have slowed as his shoulders weren't shaking.

"That's fine. We can stay here all day. I don't have any other classes. We can watch obnoxious Will Ferrell movies and veg out on the couches. I'll cook us something to eat." Jess made to get out of bed but Sid gripped Jessica closer to him.

"I can't jog anymore. Pat is scared I may never get to play again which has me second guessing whether I should retire or not and my grandmother has been diagnosed with cancer. I got all of that news in the last two hours." He shifted so his voice could be heard but made no effort to move away from Jessica.

"Oh."

"And please don't 'Oh, Sid' me because that isn't what I need right now. I just needed to release my frustrations and I can't do that any other way than to blubber like a little girl who just found out Justin Bieber is dating Selena Gomez."

"They are what? That is completely new information!" Jess nearly shouted in mock horror.

"Shut up," Sid chuckled and sat up. She continued to lay there and watch as he rubbed his eyes and push his hair off his forehead. She figured the best way to change the tension in the room was by making light of his pop star reference.

"No, no. It is. But what is more shocking is that a 23 year old man knows that and I do not." Jess folded her hands across her midsection and looked up at Sid waiting to hear a witty comeback.

"Hey, I have a little sister. She is just starting to get into hockey but she does still wish that she will one day end up with the Biebs."

"And I bet she was devastated when she heard the news." Jess grinned up at him.

"Traumatized for life." Sid finally cracked a smile, not the megawatt smile he usually shares, but just enough to show his sense of humor.

"You're a belieber aren't you?"

"I may have a song or two on my iTunes." Jess could sense the shift in Sid's mood. "But don't tell the guys, I have a reputation to uphold."

"Ha! And what is that? That you are a drunk who whores himself out to every available girl that is willing to spread her legs for you?"

"You can read me like a book." Just then Jessica's phone started blasting Jason Mraz and she knew it was James calling. She climbed over Sid as this was the fastest way to her phone and grabbed it just as the last chord of Lucky faded away. She had missed his call. This was the second time that day that she managed to just miss him. The first time was while she was sitting in her Internet in the Classroom class, and she knew he knew she was sitting in class.

Just as she was about to hit redial her phone started ringing again. She was able to answer it on the first ring this time.

"Hellooooo!" Jessica exclaimed into the receiver. She heard James chuckle and could see him rolling his eyes at her enthusiasm.

"Hey where have you been? I've been calling you for hours now." James seemed a bit annoyed by her and Jess noticed it.

"Well, the first call you made I was in class. The second time you called I left my phone on the dresser and when I finally got to it either you hung up or it had gone to voicemail. And I was about to hit redial when you started calling me back. So it hasn't been hours, it was two missed calls over the span of three hours," Jessica retaliated. She did not need him to get upset over something so ridiculous.

"Why didn't you call me back after class?"

"Because Jackie called me so I spoke with her for awhile. She and I got lost in talking about our new classes. I intended on calling you back after but I got interrupted."

"By what?"

"Jesus what is with the Spanish Inquisition here? Sid came in our room. He was upset and needed to talk. Are you finished acting like a psycho stalker boyfriend?" Jess gave Sidney a sympathetic look because she knew he didn't want the guys to know about his weaknesses. He was the captain after all.

"I'm sorry baby, I just couldn't get a hold of you and you are all alone in that city and I get worried." James was rambling.

"Well don't. Sid and I have been keeping each other entertained and well fed for that matter. And I've been busy with classes and you forget that I grew up just an hour outside of here. I know this place far better than you do remember?"

"Yeah I know. I’m coming down this weekend, don't forget."

"How long are you staying?"

"I'm flying in Friday and leaving Sunday night." Jessica was excited until he said just how long he would be there. Not long enough to really enjoy the time together. He had an appointment with his realtor to close on his house on Saturday and her brother’s law school graduation dinner was Sunday before he was scheduled to fly back to Toronto. She was disappointed and it showed on her face. She quickly turned away from Sidney and recovered.

"Good, my torrid love affair with Sid will only need to be on hiatus for two days." Jess heard Sid groan in the background and a frustrated sigh come from James. He continued without missing a beat.

"We are supposed to close, finally, on Saturday. That way I can get you away from him and keep some sense of sanity in the process." Jessica rolled her eyes causing Sidney to stifle a laugh.

"Please tell me you are joking, right?" Jessica walked out of her room leaving Sid on her bed and proceeded down the hall. She sat on the steps to talk more privately.

"Of course I am. I have nothing to worry about with you."

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?" Jessica felt her ears get hot. It sounded as if he was implying she wasn't good enough to be hit on and then emotions from when she was younger came flooding back.

"I'm just...what I mean is, well.."

"James spit it out! Are you trying to say I am not pretty enough to be hit on? Because my looks clearly worked on you at some point!"

"No Jess, you've got it all wrong. Stop being so stupid."

"Oh so now I'm stupid! Well, if I am correct I am pretty damn intelligent enough to graduate from a four year university! How dare you call me stupid!"

"Jess, stop. Shit, what the fuck is going on? I'm not..."

"No, James you stop. In two minutes you've managed to insult my intelligence and degrade me and make me so completely self-conscious that I am questioning what I am doing with an idiot of a hockey player like you!" Jessica yelled into the phone then promptly hung up.

"Ahhh!! He makes me so mad!" Jessica screamed as she dropped her face into her hands and pulled off her glasses. She felt someone come sit beside her on the top of the steps with her.

"Well, we are quite a pair huh?" Sid asked. Jess nodded, began to cry and fell against Sid's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her.

“You want a grilled cheese sandwich?” Jess sniffled and laughed at the same time. Sid continued, “It’s pretty much all I know how to make aside from scrambled eggs.” As if on cue Jess’ stomach rumbled indicating that she was hungry. She thought back to when she last ate, and realized she hadn’t had anything since the previous evening when they grilled out with the Lemieux’s.

“Come on, I like Swiss and provolone cheese in mine with a side of tomato soup. You better have those ingredients or I am making you walk through Whole Foods.” Jess was about to get up when her phone started playing Jason Mraz again. She hit the silence button and sighed in frustration. Not even a minute elapsed before her phone lit up again. James goofy grin showed up on her screen. She turned the ringer off and placed her phone in her pocket in her shorts.
Sid stood up first and reached for Jess’ hand to pull her to her feet when his own phone started ringing. He looked to see that James had given up on calling Jessica and now decided to try to reach her through Sid.

Without breaking eye contact, and providing a very sympathetic look towards Jess Sidney hit answer on his screen and slowly raised the phone to his ear. Jess gave him a death glare but did not move from the step.

“Uh, hey man…yeah I am standing right here with her…no I don’t think she wants to talk to you right now…she is pretty mad…dude I don’t know what is going on and I’d rather not…no it’s not my battle to fight…well maybe you shouldn’t have said that…did you try to tell her that? You did…huh…Look…fine, okay. Dude I’ll try to talk to her, but I am not promising anything.”

“Give me the phone, damnit.” Jessica reached for Sid’s phone.

“Oh, hey, wait…she wants to talk..” Sidney was cut off by Jessica ripping the phone from his grasp.

“James, don’t call Sid hoping he will patch up what you have done.”

“Then answer your damn phone.”

“I am not in the mood to talk now!”

“I am coming down tonight.”

“No, James just stick to your plan. If you insist on altering them then I will go to my parents’ house.”

“But you aren’t willing to listen to me!”

“Because I am PISSED OFF NOW LEAVE ME ALONE! I WILL CALL YOU WHEN I AM READY!” And then Jessica hung up on James for a second time.

Sid looked down at his feet and pushed his hands into his pockets feeling a bit awkward for being brought into the lovers’ quarrel. Jessica stormed down the steps towards the kitchen and was banging around for pots and pans before Sidney entered behind her.

“Please, if he calls you again tonight do not answer it. I don’t want to hear from him. And you do not need to be involved in our problems.” Sid walked over to the fridge to retrieve the cheese, he had promised a grilled cheese sandwich, and nodded without looking at Jessica.

Jessica would not admit it, but since being traded to Pittsburgh there had been a strain on her relationship with James. Anything and everything sets them off on each other and they fight more than they have in their entire relationship. She couldn’t pinpoint it, but part of her felt like she resented his pressuring her into moving with him. She was comfortable living on her own. She never liked being dependent on someone else, which is one reason why it did not faze her to move halfway across the country at eighteen for college. She knew her parents raised her to be so independent and focus on getting an education than worrying about relying on someone else.

She looked over a Sid as he stood next to his stove buttering the pieces of bread for the sandwiches. She smiled because if it hadn’t been for him, her only friend in the city, she would be lost. Granted she knew how to get around the city, but she knew no one there. And he didn’t ask for some random girl to waltz into his complicated life and compromise everything around it. He was happy living quietly and focusing on hockey. But he had been nothing but kindhearted and open-minded, and a great listener. She guessed much of that had to do with his needing to be distracted while he wasn’t allowed to set foot on ice. She wished James would show the same compassion as Sid did, but then she realized that James acted like he was twenty-three, whereas Sid acted decades older.

Sid speaking snapped Jessica out of her thoughts, “There should be cans of soup in the pantry. My mom insisted on stocking it the last time she was in town.” Jess walked into the small closet and found two cans of tomato soup.

“Thanks for making me lunch,” Jess said quietly as she poured the cans into the pot and filled the empty containers with water to add to the condensed soup.

“Hey, I may not know what is going on, but I know when comfort food is needed.” Sid smiled at Jess. A few minutes later he served up the sandwiches and poured the hot soup into two bowls.

“Let’s eat in the theater room. We can watch Anchorman and Talladega Nights.”

“You really know the way to a woman’s heart.” Jess fluttered her eyes in exaggeration.

“Eh, maybe just yours. Not many women really appreciate a good Will Ferrell movie,” Sid interjected as he walked ahead of Jess into the darkened room. He turned on the lights after setting the plates down on the coffee table in front of the reclining seats.

The pair settled in their seats and began eating in companionable silence as the first of the movies began on the screen in front of them.

Hours later a loud slamming of a door rattled Sidney awake. He was disoriented, but noticed the blue screen in front of him and realized he and Jess had fallen asleep in the lounge chairs. Sid began to panic when he realized someone was walking through the house. He usually set the alarm, but forgot in his distress earlier this afternoon.

“Jess! Sid!” Sid relaxed when he recognized James’ voice and heavy footsteps coming towards the back of the house. Sid then began to panic when he realized Jess was not going to be happy to see James. Jess stirred when she heard James yelling a second time.

“What the…? “ Jess sat up and became more alert when she realized that James was actually here, in the house.

“Jess.” She turned at the sound of his voice, stared, then turned back to Sid.

“Thanks for the lunch Sid. I had a feeling he wouldn’t listen to me.” Jess looked almost sad that James was there.

“Come on, up to our room. He doesn’t need to be stressed over us.”

Jessica brushed past James and continued through the house to the upstairs. The guest room the couple was sharing was on the opposite side of Sid’s room, so Jessica knew he wouldn’t be disturbed by the potential yelling. James followed like a lost puppy dog. Jess could tell he was tense and looked run down. He probably called her another twenty times and with that thought entering her mind she checked her phone. Sure enough fifteen missed calls, twenty texts, and a dozen voicemails. She let it go unnoticed because she did not have the vibrate mode on when her phone’s ringer was shut off.

They entered their room and Jess felt a sense of déjà vu. It all started like this just a few months ago. When he had asked her to move in the first place.

“Jess, please listen to me.,” James pleaded. He sat warily on their bed and ran his hands through his mess of hair. Jess felt a pang of guilt for being so angry earlier. She knew in the back of her mind that he didn’t mean what he said. He always had trouble articulating what he meant.

“This has been going through my mind since I got into my car and drove here. I didn’t stop but once just outside of Buffalo for gas. I need you to know how incredibly sorry I am for saying what I did. I have no idea what has caused this strain between us, but you need to tell me what is troubling you. You know I am never really good with words. But I want nothing more than to be the best man I can be for you. You are my everything. I live and breathe for you, not hockey. Hockey is my job. It’s a pretty damn good job and I love every minute of it, but even when I am lacing my skates or running drills or I score a goal I am consumed by you and how proud I am hoping you are of me. I may not have a college degree, but I am good at what I do. I want to be good for you too. But I can’t be good if you aren’t talking to me or refusing to tell me what is bothering you. Please, baby.” James finally looked up at Jess, she knew he wouldn’t cry. It wasn’t his style. But he looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown.

Jess hesitated at first. Then decided it was better to just air out her grievances. “I resent you for convincing me to move here. I hate that I am so dependent on you. I wasn’t raised this way and it scares the ever living daylights out of me that I am. And then you leave, which I expected because you were training last summer too, and I am stuck in Pittsburgh going to school and living with someone I barely know.”

“I can stay.”

“No, James. I am not going to interrupt your routine, but you have to get this whole house situation finalized and fast because I am hate intruding on Sid’s life as I am.”

“He probably doesn’t mind.”

“James.”

“No I know. It should be finalized. I am staying through next week, I’ve decided. I want to be here so we can get furniture and anything else we will need for our place,” James looked away, “This doesn’t solve our problems though.”

“No, but it’s a start.” Jessica sat down next to James and reached for his hand with her own. “I am incredibly proud of you. You handled the trade well despite playing awful. But I think a lot of that had to do with outside forces messing with your mojo. My being stubborn didn’t help.”

“Yeah, well as long as you are aware.” Jess punched him lightly in his shoulder. “Can we go to sleep? I am exhausted.”

“Let me get changed.” Jess got up from the bed and walked into the adjoining bathroom. She brushed out her hair, completed her nightly ritual of washing her face and brushing her teeth and grabbed her pajamas from the hook on the back of the door. She threw on the old boxers and t-shirt once belonging to James. When she exited the bathroom she found James had stripped down to his own boxers. He had resumed sitting on the edge of the bed and glanced up to find Jessica standing in front of him.

She leaned down and captured his lips with her own. His kiss tasted of lemon tea and bubblegum. She snaked her arms around his bare shoulders and felt his hands grip the back of her thighs. His grip pulled her closer to him and she felt he raise his hands to cup her ass through the thin material of her shorts. James lifted Jess so that she was straddling him without breaking their kiss. This action only brought their bodies closer together, touching in ways just kissing did not allow. Jess could feel the effect his kisses were having on her body and his hands roaming up and down her backside only escalated that feeling. She pushed her hips down and felt his length getting hard beneath her. He pushed her shirt up her body, breaking from the kiss long enough to toss the shirt to the floor. She pressed her erect nipples against his chest and felt him shudder at the feeling. His lips broke free to attack her right breast as his hand paid equal attention to the other one. His actions prompted her to rock gently against his erection and a moan escaped his throat.
“Shorts, now,” Jess panted as she felt the friction building in the pit of her stomach. She needed him inside of her and soon. He clasped her legs behind the knees and lifted her up as he stood up. He turned swiftly, placed her back down on the bed and grabbed the waistband of her shorts first. He pulled them off of her and did the same of his own. He pushed her legs apart and stood in between them. He fell over top of her and caught her lips with his own. Jess raked her fingernails down James’ back and squeezed his ass. He broke free from her kiss, stood straight up, grabbed her waist and pulled her center to meet him.

“Is this what you want, baby?”

Jess just nodded. She always felt awkward talking dirty with James. She usually left her answers short and sweet or gestured her responses. She felt him tease her with the tip of his cock. She tried to push down so that they would finally connect, but he pulled away enough so that she couldn’t feel him anymore.

“So nice and wet, you are very ready for me, huh?” Jess nodded again. James leaned down over her again and bit gently on her right nipple then grazed her collarbone with his nose to her ear. He bit her lobe then whispered, “Not yet.”

Jessica groaned in frustration.

“I want to hear you say you want it, baby.” James never pressured her to talk back.

“Please Jimmy. I want to feel you.”

“What do you want?” James asked and stood up straight. Jess watched in anticipation as James stroked his dick. She wanted him in her now.

“Fuck me, please!” Jessica moaned. James did not hesitate. He thrust into her roughly, and did not slow down to catch his breath. Jess might not feel comfortable talking dirty, but she loved that James knew she liked it a bit rough. After a few hard thrusts, he pulled out and flipped Jess onto her stomach. He entered her from behind and continued to assault her pussy with his cock. She felt his hand rubbing her backside and knew that a nice slap would be coming.

Sure enough, the sound of his hand connecting against her ass rang through the room. The only sounds echoing throughout the room were their heavy breathing and skin smacking against skin. Jess’ hands gripped the duvet cover as she was pressed into the mattress. She loved the feeling of being filled by him. She was beginning to meet him thrust for thrust when he stopped again. When he pulled out she whimpered, feeling the emptiness.

James stood Jess upright and spun her around to face him. He stared into her green eyes and ran his fingers across her cheek. It was touching and a bit romantic how he was looking at her. Without saying a word he helped her back onto the bed laying her head on the pillows. He hovered above her and finally pushed back inside of her. Jess shut her eyes and felt her jaw drop open. Every time he entered her body reacted like that. The feeling left her winded and wanting more.

“Open your eyes.” Jess obeyed. “I want to see you when you come.” James pushed in and out at a deliberately slow pace that it began to frustrate Jessica, especially when she tried to hurry his movements along. The pace was excruciating but the buildup was coming and Jess wasn’t sure how much longer she would hold on.

“Come for me baby, all over my dick.” James attacked her chest and thrust a bit harder. The nibbles on her breasts, along with the torturously slow fucking, were driving her crazy. She liked fast and an explosive finish.

“Jess I can’t hold on much longer, I want to come with you.”

“Let go baby, come in me,” Jess whispered. She reached between them and began to rub her fingers across her clit to speed up her release. James’ thrusts were becoming erratic, slow then fast, and with one last rough thrust he came with a low moan. Jess followed right after and wrapped her arms around his damp shoulders as he collapsed on top of her. She kissed his forehead and pushed the hair back.

“I love you Jimmy,” Jess said and she meant it. He kissed her collarbone and pulled out. He curled her into his side and settled to fall asleep without as much as cleaning up or getting dressed again.

“I love you too,” James whispered as he drifted off to sleep.

But Jess couldn’t fall asleep as she normally would after mind-blowing sex. Instead she laid curled up into James’ side and let her mind wander. She knew their problems weren’t resolved. Thinking about it, it seemed that both were having trust issues all of a sudden and of course resentment issues. She only hoped that settling into their own place would allow for some of the tension to ease and they could be happy again. She couldn’t help, though, as she did let sleep consume her to let her mind wander to a certain brown eyed troubled soul just down the hallway.

Notes