The Compromise

"I'm really here," Sid repeated as he coerced Jess back into her hotel room. She had a death grip on his neck, and his garment bag was heavy with extra clothes on his shoulder. Jess was still sobbing when he managed to close the door behind them, but released him enough to place his bag on the floor and remove his suit jacket. But even then she didn't stop touching him. Her hands were on his waist, touching his face or wrapped through the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Shh, it's okay," Sid said as he wrapped her in his arms and sat down on the bed with her in his lap. He gently rubbed her back and whispered soothing words to her as she continued to cry. But he didn't try to stop her, he knew that these last few days were going to be an emotional time for her and he was relieved that he could be there for her as she was there for James.

"I know these past couple days have sucked," Sid started, "nobody should have to go through this so young."

Jess sniffled and rubbed the tears out of her eyes. She shook her head as though telling him he was wrong. "I'm really crying because I couldn't reach you!"

"Now you probably think I am crazy or something," Jess said when Sid stopped his movements and stared down at Jess with an amused look on his face.

"I turned off my phone for the flight, I forgot to turn it back on," Sid explained. He pulled out his cell and showed Jess how it was powered off. "Is that really why you are crying?"

"It's what set off the tears. I was just thinking about how awful today was, and how tomorrow is going to be worse. And when I tried calling you I couldn't wait to hear your voice. Then you didn't answer," Jess trailed off. Tears started to trickle down her face again.

"Baby, I'm here. You can stop crying," Sid reassured. Jess just nodded her head and tried to stop the tears when a loud pounding on the door brought an abrupt stop to their reunion.

"I'll get it, go splash some water on your face or get a drink of water, something, okay?" Jess stood and walked into the bathroom as Sid went for the door.

"Where is Jess?" James asked angrily as Sid opened the door. Standing next to him was a tall blonde woman who looked equally as pissed as James was, "And what are you doing here?"

"I just got in, the whole team did," Sid explained. James stopped stewing for a moment to take in what Sidney said. And before Sid could let the pair at the door into the room, James pushed his way in and hugged him.

"Thanks man," James said choking on some tears. Sid patted James' back and pulled back from their embrace to notice the woman that followed James in. She had her arms crossed and she looked displeased with being there.

"Hey, I'm Sidney," he said as he extended his hand to shake hers.

"Kristy," she said completely disgruntled. She didn't return the handshake.

"Sid, who is it?" Jess said as she started to walk out of the bathroom. She had changed into her pajamas while in there and drained the tub she had filled. "Oh hey...you two."

"Listen, I brought kristy here to clear things up," James said, "So it's probably good that you're here too Sid."

"What needs to be cleared up?" Sid asked as he pulled Jess to his side throwing his arm over her shoulders.

"That nothing is going on with me and Jess. Kristy got the wrong impression on Sunday and has been pissed ever since," James explained.

Sid noted how Jess seemed to tense up at what James had said, making him curious to hear what was going on. "Alright, tell us what happened then."

Sid and Jess sat on the edge of the bed and Kristy took the desk chair. James chose to pace around the room. Jess jus shrugged her shoulders at Sid when he gave her a questioning look. She intertwined her fingers with his and squeezed his hand.

"So Kristy believes that Jess and I still have something going on as witnessed Sunday when she so gracefully barged into my room."

Jess' fingers tensed around Sid's hand, "Why? What happened?"

"They were in bed together!" Kristy snapped. Sid leaned back away from Jess and let go of her hand. He felt like the wind was knocked out of him.

"Sid, baby, let me explain," Jess pressed her hand to his thigh trying to prevent him from moving further away.

"You told me you slept on the couch," Sid said. He ignored the other two in the room and focused on the impending argument between him and Jess.

"I started out on the couch, but James came and woke me up."

"I did. She didn't need to sleep on the couch," James interjected onto deaf ears.

"You lied to me," Sidney directed towards Jess. She shook her head in disagreement.

"No! I just didn't tell you that I ended up in his room. I didn’t think it was important. Nothing happened!"

"You lied by omission. And what do you mean she didn't need to sleep on the couch?" Sid turned towards James.

"I told her originally to sleep in the bed and I would take the couch. Listen, I didn't come over here to argue about this. I came here to have Jess validate that nothing happened! We slept. That is it. We were back to back and fully clothed."

Jess nodded her head in agreement, but Sidney appeared to be as angry as Kristy. “I don’t care if nothing happened. I completely believe you that nothing happened; it’s the principle of the matter Jess. What happened to being completely honest with each other? Why would you think keeping that from me wouldn’t get back to me one, and two not make me angry?”

Jess was at a loss for words, she looked between Sidney to James with tears on the brink of spilling over again. “I didn’t avoid telling you on purpose! I forgot. I didn’t think she would flip out about it the way she did and have you find out like this!”

“I gotta get some air,” Sidney got up from the bed and walked over to the sliding glass door leading to a small balcony. He closed the door in order to block out anything else going on in the suite.

Jess turned towards James and Kristy, “I haven’t even spoken with James since before Christmas! Now I need to clean up this mess that could have been avoided if you weren’t such a little bitch about my friendship with my ex.”

“Well I am tired of playing second fiddle to you!” Kristy said with a raised voice.
“How is that possible? I don’t talk to James ever. I don’t see him. Saturday was the first time I have since before the New Year!”

“Stop! Both of you. Kristy I want things to work with you, but your behavior these past two days has been atrocious. I already did the whole petty high school relationships. I am done with drama. And Jess, yeah you probably should have told Sidney that we ended up sleeping in the bed, and he has every reason to be pissed about you lying to him right now!”

“I never said he was wrong in being upset! Can you guys just leave? Get out of here. I’ll see you tomorrow James. Kristy, have a nice life.” Jess pushed the pair out the door and turned the lock. She turned towards the balcony and noticed Sid leaning over the banister. She slowly walked over towards the door, opened the glass and quietly joined him in the cool evening air.

“Hey,” Jess whispered as she stood next to him. He didn’t turn to look at her, instead replying with just as quiet hey and pointed down towards the entrance to the hotel. Jess looked to where he was pointing and saw as James caught up with Kristy in the parking lot. They were too far away to see what was being said between the other two, but watched as the pair embraced, shared a kiss, and got into Kristy’s car together.

“I’m sorry I lied to you,” Jess said when she could no longer see their car. Sidney pulled her to stand in between the banister and him and he rested his chin on her shoulder. “I won’t do it again. I didn’t even realize that I did. We are going to be okay, right?”

“Yeah, we’re gonna be okay,” Sid said after a pause. “Things are going to start getting crazy, you know?” Jess nodded her head. “Let’s not spend our last real night together being angry with each other.”

Jess turned in Sid’s arms and studied his face. She ran her hands up his chest and around his neck, pulling him closer to her. “What do you have in mind?” Sid smiled his megawatt grin and pressed his lips against hers. They made their way towards the door without breaking their kiss and stumbled into the room, closing the door behind them.

Jess broke away from the kiss, “You are really here.” Sid laughed, pressed his forehead against hers and kissed her again.

“I love you,” Sid said after he broke free from her lips. She smiled at him.

Jessica pulled him back down and kissed him in a way she hoped would tell him how she loved him too. She tugged his shirt from the waistband of his slacks and over his head. Letting her hands roam the hard planes of his body, she fused her mouth to his and refused to let go. She'd never let go.

It's not until his body relaxed and he eased back into the kiss that she slowed, pulled back slightly. "Take me to bed, Sidney."

He didn't say anything else, her quiet demand seemingly stripping him of words. He scooped her up, and deposited her gently onto the king sized bed. Sometimes his strength astounded her. A strength that was evident in everything about him – his body, his character. He fought every day for his team and his fans. And now he's still fighting, but this fight was for himself. He will win; she knows he will. He was winning. A few months ago he may have lost this battle, but he pushed through instead of being swallowed by the thought of never stepping on the ice again. Strength. She didn't know if he realized how much he really has.

He set her on the bed and kissed her softly, his eyes never leaving hers. They hold a singular determination she's never seen in them before. He's not hurried or desperate or distant like he was just a short time ago. No, he's with her. Completely focused as he roamed her body with a gentleness that made her want to weep.
"God, you're beautiful," he whispers as he pulled her shirt from her body, leaving her nearly bare before him. Taking his time, he traced every curve and line of her body with his fingertips and then followed with his tongue, his eyes lazily finding hers whenever a sigh slipped out of her. And when he slid her bottoms and panties from her, he didn't go straight for her core like she expected, but returned to her mouth, his lips sliding over hers, tongue licking its way inside to dance with her own.

He tasted faintly of sugar and vanilla and she briefly wondered what goodness he was snacking on during the plane ride. But that thought drifted from her mind as his hand found its way under the lace of her bra to caress her breast. Between the slow, lazy kisses and the gentle ministrations of his hand, Jess felt like he's drugging her, slowing the blood in her veins until she's blind with need.

She hooks a leg over his hip to bring him closer to that ache thrumming between her legs, needing him to ease the pressure building there.

He smiled against her mouth. "Patience," he murmured, and then moved to that tender spot beneath her ear. She shivered and she could feel his smile again as he continued the slow, torturous assault on her senses, taking his time studying each hill and valley, each rise and shuddering fall of her breath. She knew what he was doing. He was making up for the lost time of this week and the chaos of the weeks ahead. Of course he would. He would feel like he has something to make up for, but the fire he was stoking inside her was making her burn for him. She squirmed beneath him, inching herself lower so she could run her hand over him through his slacks. The low groan that rumbled from him was so satisfying and told her that maybe she was not alone in the inferno.

Sid's head dropped to her shoulder as he pushed himself into her hand. Now it was her turn to smile. She unbuttoned his pants and pushed them down, allowing him to kick out of them and before he could protest, she wrapped her hand around him again, the feel of his silky flesh making the ache in her intensify tenfold.

He shuddered once – twice – before pulling out of her grip and continuing his path over her body, but this time – finally – he headed lower until his mouth covered that desperate ache. His skilled hands and mouth take her up until she is so mired in pleasure that she was sure she was going to break apart any minute.

And she does.

Into a million tiny pieces, he shattered her – white lights bursting behind her lids, limbs trembling violently as the orgasm rendered her helpless.

Sidney was sure he had never seen anything more perfect than Jessica mid-orgasm. He lifted his mouth from her the minute she began to tighten around his fingers and watched in awe as her body bowed up from the bed, breasts pushing upward in offering. Moving back up her body, he took her hand in his, brought it to his lips and kissed each knuckle while her body settled and her eyes refocused. He couldn't help the grin that tugged at his mouth.

How was it possible that one person could make such a difference – change everything so completely for him? Love. He saw it clearly in her misty eyes now as they twinkled up at him and his heart stumbled in his chest. This was how it should have been…how it always should be. His anger completely dissolved. This connection, being so in sync with her was how it was supposed to be, he thought as he sheathed himself inside her and closed his mouth over hers again.

He moved slowly, deliberately, drawing out the pleasure with each stroke, the air so thick and sweet around them as their breath mingled, churned between them. He tried to hold on, he really did, but the waves of pleasure he was riding threatened to overtake him. And then she was tightening around him again and he knew this was a battle he couldn't win. His hips speed, his thrusts sharpen. His heart thundered throughout his entire body and when she crashed over the cliff, he followed.

Notes