“Hi Vero, it’s Lily. I am sure you are crazy busy getting Estelle ready for the sitter and I am sorry about the inconvenience but I am actually going to be at Geno’s and not Sid’s before the game. Actually, if you want I can drive us to the game. So I guess just call me back. Uh, I am really excited to see you soon. Bye.”

I finished my awkward message hung up the phone right before I slammed the door to the car shut not caring that the car was on the receiving end of my rage and stomped up to Geno’s front door. The door was unlocked when I tried it and I entered without a thought, quickly shedding my shoes before making my way upstairs, heading to Geno’s bedroom.

Geno was in his bed, already mostly asleep again.

My phone call about 20 minutes ago had woken up the bear, apparently just enough for him to get up to unlock the front door before crawling back into bed. Normally, I would feel immensely guilty for having disrupted his pre-game nap, but I was way too wound up to care about that at the moment.

“Don’t ask,” I growled as I threw off the blankets on the opposite side of the bed and climbed in. I rolled onto my side purposefully not facing the Russian.

“Okay.” he sighed as I huffed and within minutes I could hear his light, even snores.

I glared at the wall, fuming.

Last spring, I had experienced ‘The Sidney Crosby Pre-Game Show’. However, the times I had witnessed the show, I had never been alone nor felt it at full force. Taylor or Trina or Troy were around during the playoff run, so I had either been out of the house during the majority of Sidney’s preparations or one of the three had kept me out of his way during the different parts of the rituals. At the time, I hadn’t even realized that his family was shielding me from...this.

But this time, THIS TIME, it was just him and me, so I finally fully experienced everything I had picked up from watching interviews or hearsay. Sure, I had seen some bits of how particular he could be, like how he had to have certain things organized or things done, but everyone had quirks, myself definitely included. All this pre-game talk, I had just thought people exaggerated things.

Yeah no.

I’d been in Pittsburgh for a few days after shifting things around in my schedule to make sure I would be here for the Penguin’s season opener. After I had left Sidney in August, I hadn’t seen him until after his Olympics training camp. Sid came to Colorado for a couple of days before he returned to Pittsburgh for the year. I then headed to Whistler for training and a first competition before this quick trip to Pittsburgh for the game. The competition felt good and I got great scores.

The first morning I was here, we had actually overcame a pretty huge hurtle that....two-people-that-were-going-out-together-in-a-romantic-sense normally faced.

“Sid,” I called as I stopped in front of the doorway into his walk in closet. I was on my way to the shower while he was getting ready to head out for practice, “Were you robbed or something?”

“What?” his voice sounded rather alarmed as I heard him approach the spot I was standing.

When Sid reached me, he peered around to look into his closet to stare at the spots that had drawn my attention. This normally highly organized and full room was had some painfully empty areas now.

“Oh that.”

“That?” I turned around confused at the change of tone in his voice.

Sidney was biting his lip, quite nervous all of a sudden.

“I moved some stuff around, you know, so you could leave some stuff in so incase you could drop by unplanned. You could leave some of your stuff here. I probably should have asked you before I did that, eh?” Sidney was looking anywhere but at me.

I stared up at Crosby. Leave clothes here? I didn’t even leave clothes at Geno’s house here in Pittsburgh or back in Magnitogorsk. And it wasn’t even that Sid was regulating my stuff to one small drawer or something; he was giving me actual closet space and several drawers. My mind was racing.

“How much time do you have before you absolutely need to leave for practice?” I asked, my mouth dry.

Sid looked confused as he glanced at his watch, “About 25 minutes. Why?”

I dropped my towel and grinned up at him before strutting to the bathroom.

It didn’t take long for him to follow.

So, everything was well until the morning of the game. Clearly, I was not prepared for being alone with the pregame preparations of Sidney Crosby.

First, this morning I had rolled out of bed before he did. I knew from the spring there was a very strong no sex on game day policy. Which, even though it didn’t agree with my own rules about competition, I would follow his lead as it was his game day. So to burn off my energy and sexual tension, I went for a long run. Sid was still asleep when I got back, so I hopped into the shower quickly and changed into a pair of sweats and one of his shirts before heading downstairs to make breakfast for the two of us. I was fixing breakfast when he had come downstairs and without as much as a ‘Good morning’ or even a ‘hi’ he bypassed in me in favor of the damn laundry room. He came back empty handed a few minutes later and a frown on his face.

“Lily, have you seen a gray towel?”

I made a face, all of the towels in his master bathroom were gray, “In your bathroom?”

“Well, yes,” he had a pained expression on his face, “But it’s a darker gray than the other towels.”

“Uh,” I replied not even really having noticed that there had been two different shades of gray towels in the bathroom.

“Did you use it?” he asked his eyes slightly bulging.

“Maybe? It’d be in the hamper then,” I shrugged.

He made a strange sound as he fled from the kitchen in a rush.

That was just the start of it. Apparently I also made the wrong protein shake flavor for a gameday. And I then picked up red bell peppers instead of orange for the post-practice chicken salad I was making for him.

But my breaking point was when after all this. I had remained level headed throughout all this despite all of the exasperated sounds and frustrated comments from him.

I knew he’d need something for after the game, so I decided to call his mother to ask for a chicken-pasta dish I knew he loved that we had had when I visited him over his birthday.

“Hello?” Trina answered, clearly surprised I was calling.

“Hi Mrs. Crosby,” I replied, “I know this is kinda random, but could you possibly give me the recipe for that chicken-pasta dish that Sid eats like, four servings of? I can’t remember the name of it.”

She laughed on the other end of the call knowing exactly what I meant and began listing out the ingredients. After we got done talking about the recipe, Trina inquired after me, asking how I was doing. It was strange, but I enjoyed talking to her. We’d been talking for a while when Sidney came in from whatever ritual he had just finished.

“Who are you talking to?” Sid mouthed to me, tilting his head.

“Your mom,” I mouthed back, smiling. What a step, I was having a good conversation with his mother. This is what two-people-that-were-going-out-together-in-a-romantic-sense normally did.

Sidney blinked a couple of times looking shocked and slightly horrified.

“You’re joking,” his voice was flat but loud.

My eyebrows scrunched together and I shook my head no.

“Hang up.” it was abrupt and harsh.

“What?” I said out loud at Sidney.

“Hang up, right now.” he demanded.

“Um, Trina, I am really sorry, but I have to go. Sid’s back.” I didn’t even hear what she said because my heart was roaring in my ears. How had I crossed a line? I mean, all I was doing was getting a recipe for him.

“What the hell?” I shot at him defensively.

“How could you call her? Today? Out of any day?” he glared at me. His eyes were full of anger.

“I was getting a recipe,” I retorted as I brandished the piece of paper with the ingredients and instructions.

“I can not believe you right now.” His voice was getting louder.

“And why is that?” I spat back.

“I can’t do this right now. I need to go take my nap. And I am already 3 minutes late.” Sidney said looking at the clock.

“Fine. Don’t let me be a bother anymore!” I yelled as I grabbed my purse off the counter and headed over to where he kept the keys to his cars.

“Where are you going?” he yelled back after me following me towards the garage.

“To someone who doesn’t care if I call his mother!”

Thus I drove to Geno’s, calling him on the way, and then Vero.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
I blinked several times realizing the noise was Geno’s alarm. I’d been laying here for how long fuming?

“Lily?”

“Mmm?”

“Did you two break up?” he asks still sleepy.

“No!” I said horrified, “I--I don’t think so. I just left. We both really mad at each other, and I didn’t know what else do. I came here. I breaking pre-game routine.”

I heard Geno fail to stifle a chuckle.

I didn’t say anything for a moment. I was scared to ask him what I was about to, so my words were quiet and I switched back into English to ask it, “Geno, do you really not want me to date Sidney?”

The bed shifted and I felt his hands around me, turning my body over to force me to look at him. Geno had severe bed head, but his warm brown eyes were very serious and so very filled with that familiar warmth I knew very well from him.

“You come visit all time now. I get to see you. You happy, smiling more. Plus, still my name you are wearing to games, yes? Who winning?”

I did my best to stifle a laugh, but Geno caught it and his grin made my heart warm.

“Sid just, he has crazy routine. He likes control because there only so much can control when game start,” Geno tried to explain, “And he little crazy.”

“You could have warned me.” I grumbled.

“You listen?”

I stuck out the tip of my tongue at him and Geno’s grin widened.

“I have question,” Geno started propping

“Okay. I need food,” he groaned as he stretched, “And bathroom.”

He got out of the bed and headed towards his bathroom.

“I’m going to need to borrow a jersey for tonight,” I called after him realizing I had left mine at Sid’s house.

Geno stopped, turning just to smirk at me.

---

The music in the club was so loud I couldn’t even hear myself think. I looked across the small table I was sitting at along with Geno, Paul, James, Vero, Marc, the little baby faced rookie Olli Maatta, and of course Sidney. Though, the rest of the team was scattered around the club
It was a mandatory celebratory outing for the team. Well, it would be because the home opener tonight against the NJ Devils was a shutout victory.

I felt a hand on my back.

“Let’s go dance?” Geno yelled into my ear.

I glanced towards Sidney who was deep in conversation with Paul about something or other.

We had said very few words to each other since I had stomped out of the house earlier today. The exact conversation was: good game and thanks. True, we were careful around everyone and in public, but this was all a bit ridiculous. My frustrations with him had dissolved over the pre-game meal I had eaten with Geno. Honestly, all I really wanted to do was head back home with Sidney and talk through all of this. But apparently Crosby was still put out about the entire affair.

Sighing and shrugging my shoulders, I took Geno’s offered hand following him on the dance floor.

Even drunk, Geno was a smooth dancer. It felt so unfair that someone that large could move so gracefully and be such a great dancer while I looked so completely awkward and I was the completely sober one. I followed his lead to the fast pace of the songs, feeling Geno’s hands resting respectfully above my hips, on my sides. His hands seemed to be stroking the silky material of the lose racerback tank I was wearing. I couldn’t blame him because it was all I could do to stroke the fabric. My brain made a note to ask Vero where she bought this top.

“Lily,” he said into my ear after a few songs, “I think Sidney is about to kill me.”

I finally looked up and saw that a bunch of the guys had been watching us, but my eyes were on Sidney. He was gripping his beer a little too tightly and he looked a little more uncomfortable than normal.
“I thirsty,” I yelled up into Geno’s ear as I gestured towards the bar, “Want anything?”

“We have drinks back at the table,” he yelled back at me.

“Not water.” I shook my head.

Geno shook his head, “You’re too serious during Olympic year. No wonder you and Sidney are so good together.”

I scowled at him, “See you soon,”

I made my way through the crowded area towards the bar. After a quick scan of the bar, I saw two familiar faces leaning against it, though one was on a phone.

“Hey you,” I directed my greeting at Robert Bortuzzo and gave a small wave to Beau Bennett who was very focused on whoever he was talking to on the phone. “Can a girl by you a drink?”

“Isn’t it supposed to work the other way?” Bortz asked grinning down at me.

“I wasn’t the one to pull an awesome win tonight,” I smiled kindly at the Canadian.

“If you insist, I guess just another beer,” Bortz said smiling.

I glanced at Beau who had a beer that looked about finished as well before leaning over the bar and flashing a big smile at the bartender. Whether because of who I was clearly friends with or because he knew me, he quickly came over.

“Two of whatever he has been drinking and a water please.” I pulled out cash and paid for the drinks.

“So, any idea why Crosby is staring at us?” Bortz asked playfully flipping my mess of hair.

I rolled my eyes as I leaned over to grab one of the bottles and the water and nodded to

“Say hi to Bortz!” Beau yelled suddenly catching us both off guard, “Bortz! Talk!”

Beau thrusted his phone at Bortz who took it, saying into “Is this really Victoria McKinley?” before he turned to try to hear whatever the person was saying.

The name rung a bell, but I couldn’t place it and before I could think about it more--

“IS that for me?!” Beau’s excitement interrupted my train of thought and before I could answer, the happy drunk continued, “And why is the captain glaring at us?”

“Not a clue,” I gritted my teeth as I held out the full beer, “And yeah.”

“You are the best! Lils!” Beau grabbed my arm, clearly his mind now on a completely different thought, and moved me so I was now facing in the same direction as he, “Do you see that total BABE over there.”

“Uh,” I scanned the crowd.

“The blonde, the blonde!” he added impatiently.

“Oh Beau Bennett,” I sighed. She was very pretty, but he could do so much better.

“Think she’ll go home with me for the night?” Beau was grinning cockily.

“BEAU!” Bortz was yelling and waving Beau’s phone around for him to take back.

Amid their distraction, I gestured back to where the rest of the team was and muttered, “I’m gonna...” Before I headed back to where the majority of the team was still sitting.

I slid back into the empty chair next to Paul not really paying attention to whatever the guys were all yammering on about.

“Lily,” James’s voice caught my attention. I glanced up and saw a very stern expression on Neal’s face for someone who had had as many drinks as he’d had tonight, “Don’t go breaking the hearts of my teammates.”

I choked on my water. Paul started hitting me on my back to attempt to clear my airway.

“Just cause you’re grumpy you didn’t get ice time tonight, don’t try to kill Lily,” Paul glared at James while he was busy saving my life.

“I just meant, first she was out with Geno, then she was busy over there with Sunshine and Borts. I don’t want her ruining everyones’ minds and hearts when they are playing so well,” James pouted like a child.

“Oh please, I think we all know who I am going home with tonight,” I said without even thinking.

Everyone at the table went silent. Maatta looked confused, while Geno, Vero, Marc, and Paul all smirked, and James glanced between Geno and myself with some odd look on his face that I didn’t really understand. I didn’t dare look at Sidney. ‘What a coward.’ my brain snarked.

“I want to dance,” Sidney was abruptly standing up. I choked on my water once again, but I was instantly glaring in his direction.

What the serious fuck. Me dancing with Geno? That was one thing, but him dancing with some girl in this club? A girl whose intentions would actually include to end up in our--his bed.

“Okay Sid,” James was grinning, “Which girl in here does the captain think he can catch for a dance?”

Even in this dim light I could feel his eyes fall on me. So did everyone else at the table.

“Are you kidding me?” James busted out laughing and put a hand on his forehead, “Lily? Lily won’t even dance with me and I’m her favorite Canadian. She’s Geno’s through and through.”

I stared at James. My anger with Sidney ebbed faster than any of the shots on goal tonight. I didn’t even realize I was out of my seat and standing.

“Crosby,” I growled, as I grabbed his hand and dragged him back to the dance floor.

Sidney was as awkward on the dance floor as I was. He was stiff and uncomfortable, and I wondered if he ever really danced before. I moved my ass back and ground into him, not quite being as scandalous as I could, but definitely being more intimate than I had with Geno.

“You’re a fucking idiot.” I yelled into his ear as I arched my head back trying to get it as close to his ear as I could.

“Are you really going home with Geno?” he growled into my ear.

“What?”

“Are you going home with Geno again?” there was something in his voice.

“You’re an idiot.”

His strong hands spun me around faster than I could think. His hands rested right above where the curve of my ass started as he had pulled me in close. All of the oxygen had whooshed out of my lungs in an audible awkward sound, though I wasn’t sure if he heard it above the noise of the music. My body betrayed me as I was total putty in his hands.

“Rivers,” there was definitely something about his voice.

“I just want to go home,” it wasn’t exactly a lie. Really what I wanted was to rip his clothes off, but to do that we needed to go back home.

“Home?” Sidney asked confused of the meaning of the word.

I shut my eyes knowing I had slipped up again and I felt like an idiot.

“I meant, your house.”
Sidney stared down at me for only a split second but the look was clear.

“Stay here.” His voice was rough and low.

I felt him leave and watched him head back towards the group. Sidney was gesturing as he talked, clearly in his captain mode by the way Geno, Paul, James, and Olli were all leaning in to listen to him. And then Sidney was headed back my way.

“I told them you were tired and that I was taking you back to Geno’s.” his voice was rough again causing me to bite my lip.

We barely made it to his car out back before we were all over each other.

---

Lazily, I opened one of my eyes. I knew it was much too early for my taste, but the warm soft lips making their way up my naked side really caught my attention. Sidney was really something I was happy to wake up to in the morning, even if he insisted on rising at unseemly hours.
“Mmm,” my moan was pleasant, more of a way to let Sidney know that I was actually awake.

I rolled from my side onto my back to offer him more access to my body. Instead of resuming his activity, I felt Sid lay his head, cheek side down, on my naked stomach. I didn’t mind the change of activities. Instead, I brought my hand to start playing with his thick hair. It was strange to enjoy being in this type of constant contact with someone. And I found I was sleeping better when I was around him.

“I’m sorry,” he sighed as we laid there.

“Me too,” I agreed, “But not for the angry make up sex. That was something else.”

“Lily,” Sidney turned his head abruptly so his chin was resting on my stomach. I tensed up quickly, not expecting the pressure of his chin in the middle of my stomach. Though my complaint was cut back as I was distracted by the seriousness in the depths of his eyes and the tightness of his mouth.

I tangled my fingers in his hair as I returned his serious look, “Sidney.”

“I know that some of my superstitions might be slightly over the top,” he began.

I gave him an incredulous look.

“Alright more than slightly. But I just, it’s just what I do.” Sidney admitted, “I’ve always done things this way.”

I inhaled deeply, filling my entire stomach with air before exhaling, “I know, I just wasn’t prepared.”

“And I don’t have a problem with you calling my mom. I actually think that is kind of great,” Sidney paused as if seeing if I was going to try to bolt or something. I resolutely remained as still as possible and waited for him to continue.

“It’s just calling her before a game,” his voice trailed off, “And then you went to Geno. Which I understand why, it’s just something I have to get over.”

I felt my face fall as I thought about what he said and what he meant and really what he wasn’t saying. Sidney still worried about Geno. Sidney worried that his insecurities would scare me away. He was the one worried about me leaving. I wanted to laugh. I wanted to laugh so much, but knew that wouldn’t be the right response.

“Lily?”

“How much time do you have before you absolutely need to leave for practice?” I asked, calculating some things in my head quickly.

His eyes sparked with desire and his fingers started moving tracing in circles along my hip moving south.

“Uh, no mister. Business first,” I gasped trying to focus on what was important instead of his fingers.

“What?” Sidney stopped, looking confused.

“You are going to write down, in exact detail, every little thing you do and need on game days so we don’t have anything like yesterday happen again. And for away games as well. I want to be Crosby-prepared,” I gave him a playful scowl, “And then if we have time.”

“You’d do that, for me?” he looked surprised at the suggestion.
I nodded, not quite trusting my voice.

Sidney gently rolled off of me and reached for his I-pad at the side of the bed so we could begin to compile the list.

Notes

Oh hey friends! Long time no chat!

Uh. HOCKEY STARTS SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!