"Finally."

Ali sat in her bathtub and didn't move for an hour. Her entire body was sore, inside and out. Her lips were raw, her legs were tight, her insides were still stretched and aching pleasantly, and her brain was exhausted. The past 18 hours had been a lot. Her body aches were evidence she'd had some of the most enjoyable, fulfilling, and fun sex she'd had in her entire life, while her brain aches were over the man she spent that time with. So many good things, so many truly amazing things, all condensed into such a small period of time. Ali couldn't get over it.

She sunk down into her bubbly bath water up to her chin, smiling like a loser.

James wants me as much as I want him.

He said we should be together.

US.

Together!

She blew at the bubbles circling close to her mouth, giggling as they spread out before her. Even bubbles were making her giddy now; everything in life seemed to be something cartoonish - mostly because she was in a steady state of disbelief at her luck.

And she still hadn't told anyone yet.

For the amount of time that Ali had known James, she'd told no one about him. The last thing she needed was her best friend telling her how 'silly' she was for attempting to be with a professional hockey player. She also didn't need her coworkers telling everyone they knew, either. In fact, she wanted to avoid all of that.

"You and me" James had said, and that's how Ali planned to keep it for now. No one else needed to know. Not even her father - who was a die hard Pens fan. She didn't want him, or her mother, or anyone she knew telling her she was getting mixed up in a scene that 'wasn't good' for her. They would probably try and make her feel like she was doing it for the fame or for the novelty of it all. But she was nothing like the girls who did that; the ones she thought players like James went for.

With a relaxed sigh, Ali and her blissful aches below her waist lay in a warm bath of satisfaction. In just a few hours she would be attending her first hockey game as...

...as what? she wondered with a small frown. What exactly are we? Am I his girlfriend?

She laughed out loud. It sounded so ridiculous.

Am I a hockey player's girlfriend? Is that what he meant by us 'being together'?

Ali hoped so. Being with James was fun and relaxing and comfortable; they already could talk about anything, joke around with one another and say anything they wanted without fear or judgement, and the sex was incredible. Ali had been waiting a long, long time for someone like him.

"You're what I've been waiting for."

James had said that to her that morning, but she was only now just remembering it. She'd been so totally overwhelmed by everything going on in that moment that it went in one ear and out the other, but his words were unmistakably burned into her memory.

"You're what I've been waiting for."

I'll tell him tonight, she thought with a smile. I'll tell him he's also what I've been waiting for, because he is. He really, really, is.

* * *

It had been at least two years since Ali attended a Penguins game. Not since the playoffs with her dad two seasons back had she watched a game live and in person…and, until that night, had never stepped foot inside the new Consol Energy Center. Her entire life and all her memories of attending games with her dad had taken place at the Mellon Arena, which was now in pieces and being torn down little by little every day across the street.

The new arena was impressive. Huge, well-kept, bright and flashy and spacious for the eateries and gift shops and seating that made up its core. Everything was bigger, newer, and cleaner. The faces of Penguin alumni and photos of the current team's players were everywhere. Sidney Crosby's face was everywhere. It was a hell of a thing to behold….especially since the Igloo had been full of nostalgia and history. The Consol Energy Center was as modern a venue as any, full of Penguin flare and hometown pride. Though it was different, Ali still very much approved.

With a little difficulty, she eventually wound herself around to the main entrance of the arena and headed straight to where James said she'd be able to claim her ticket.

At a long line of glass windows with ticket attendants waiting on fans, Ali waited her turn until she was next to be helped. She bent her head to speak into the small open space within the concession window. "Hi...ticket for Diserelli?" She watched as the attendant checked on the monitor for her name.

When the man saw it, he looked at her with a small amount of wonder. "Under Neal?"

"I guess so?" She really didn't know. If it wasn't under her own last name, then that would be her only guess.

The attendant pulled out an envelope from a separate location. "Just one, right?"

Ali nodded. "Yeah."

"One moment, please." He held up a finger before leaving his chair. Ali waited patiently, eyeing the commotion around her. Fans continued to enter in droves, the happy chatter of hundreds of people awaiting another hockey night in Pittsburgh.

As the attendant returned to his seat, Ali saw he was holding something black in his hands, along with a ticket that rested on top. He slid both items under the glass and looked at her with a knowing smirk. "There's a note for you. Have fun."

Ali gazed down in surprise. Not only was there a ticket waiting for her, but a black home jersey with the number 18 on it. A small yellow note was stuck to the ticket, folded over the center to disguise the writing. Stepping away from the glass and into the people who wound in and around her, Ali read the small black letters scribbled across the paper:

Hope a small fits you. Have fun staring at the back of my head all night. I'll try not to stare at you every time I come off the ice.

"He got me a fucking jersey" she said in awe. Holding up the ticket, she saw something she wasn't expecting: a single seat, smack dab in the middle of the row directly behind the Penguins bench.

Ali looked up with wide eyes. People continued filing into the building in an array of gold, white, and black colored jerseys and hats, all laughing and talking in great cheer as they took the escalators up to wherever their designated seats were.

No one knew the impact of what Ali held in her hands besides her. She wished she wasn't alone; she wanted to scream to the world that this guy, Number 18 for the Pittsburgh Penguins - the team they were all going to see play - had gotten her one of the best seats in the house...and a jersey with his name on it.

His jersey. He got me one of his jerseys.

Unfolding it in her hands, Ali let her eyes scan the black fabric, the huge white numbers, the name plate sewn across the back in white letters: NEAL.

Quickly and with great excitement, Ali tugged the jersey on over her head, pulling her long hair from beneath the neck. Gazing down, she had to laugh. Not only was a small entirely too big for her, but it covered up most of her curves and left her looking like a pizza box with legs.

When she looked around, she wasn't the only one with a Neal jersey. Though there weren't as many 18s as there were 87s and 71s, plenty of fans wore their Neal jerseys proudly. But none of them wore theirs quite as proudly as Allison did.

With a giant smile on her face, Ali took her ticket and made her way through security to see just exactly what her view was going to be the rest of the night.

*

From the ice, James could see her; there wasn't a chance he would miss a face like hers. Even in the seats directly behind the bench where tons of people came to take pictures while he and the guys warmed up, Ali's face was set apart from all the others. Her eyes shone bright despite their deep shade of chocolate, her long hair was pulled over one shoulder, her pink lips smiling at him as he made a pass around towards the bench before curving back towards the net. It was all the same woman he'd just spent the most incredible night with, and she was there to watch him and support him.

She got the jersey, I see, he thought proudly.

For the first time in a while, James felt nervous to be on the ice. The tightness he felt in his muscles from his and Ali's crazy-amazing night together seemed all but gone in a heartbeat compared to the tightness in his chest. When he saw her sitting in the stands, wearing his jersey in a seat he got just for her, he couldn't imagine her not being there in the future. As crazy as it felt or sounded, it was what James felt.

When the goal horn sounded for the end of warm-ups, the Pens exited the ice one by one. James made a point to shoot a few more pucks into the net before he retreated with them. Waiting until he was one of the last to leave, he skated towards the runway by their bench. His eyes connected with Ali's for the first time since they parted that morning, and James couldn't help but smile. Ali's cheerful expression was matched only by the pride in her eyes. It was the kind of pride James hoped he'd see, and once again - Ali didn't disappoint him.

Back in the locker room, James' nerves continued. He was antsy, ready to play, ready to prove to his girlfriend and his coach that he was good on a pair of skates. As he snapped the end of his helmet strap from one side to the other, his brain went into game mode. Before it did so, one thing struck him.

Is Ali my girlfriend?

With the back of his gloved hand, James wiped his mouth of the sweat forming on his upper lip. It was hot in the tunnel where they stood waiting for the hype video to end and the announcer to call them out.

I want her to be my girlfriend.

Tonight was like any other game night to James, except for one major difference. He had someone in the crowd that had gotten into his head and into his heart somehow, and he didn't want to lose her.

I want a girlfriend...and I want it to be her.

The announcer's voice could be heard now among thousands of fans cheering for them. Again, it was a carbon copy of any other night James stepped out onto the ice...from the goal horn to the anthems to the starting lineup announcement...all of it the same, except for that one little thing.

As James took his seat at the bench next to his line mates and waited for his first shift of the game, he glanced back briefly. Ali's eyes moved from the action on the ice down to meet his gaze. She gave him a smile and a wave - the same type of smile and wave she gave him in Denver - and his heart ached for her all over again. He gave her a tiny smile back, but his duty was on the ice. He did his best to keep his entire focus on the game, but it was the most difficult game for him to keep focused on.

Finally, halfway through the second period, James got the chance to prove himself. After a switch from Bennett to himself on the first line to help Kunitz and Crosby out, Sid made a beautiful pass across the ice to Kunitz, who tic-tac-toe'd it to James in the far corner. He had perfect positioning, and his slapshot was flawless. It buried itself in the net and Calgary's goalie didn't stand a chance.

When James scored, the entire arena roared. Ali jumped out of her seat and pounded the glass in front of her, her eyes looking upwards towards the giant screens suspended above the arena. The most ridiculous video was being played, and everyone around the arena screamed along with it.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN…..THE REAL DEAL….JAAAMMEESS NEEEAAALLL!

Ali's mouth hung open in laughter as she heard and saw the reaction of the crowd. The Real Deal??? she thought, her laughter spilling forth. Since she hadn't been to a game since James joined the Penguins, all of this was entirely new to her, and it was hilarious. It actually fit him, and she cheered right along with the rest of the arena as James came skating by the bench. When he bumped knuckled with the team, his eyes immediately darted upwards. Ali was ready for it, and blew him a kiss when he passed by. He laughed and shook his head as he continued on down the line.

What she didn't see was how Sidney Crosby had noticed James' gesture towards the row behind their bench. When he glanced back, he saw a girl blowing James a kiss. She had large, expressive eyes, long dark hair, and a brilliant smile.

That's that girl from Denver, he thought with some surprise.

She continued cheering as she took her seat again, laughing and talking with an older couple who sat next to her. Sidney didn't recognize anyone else in the row except for her, and he was convinced it was the same girl in the lobby of their Denver hotel: The hair. The eyes. The smile.

Little did James know, Sidney hadn't forgotten her smile, either.

* * *

James fell into Ali's arms when they met in the parking lot where he'd texted her to meet him. He was back in his suit, this time a dark grey and black pinstriped suit with a navy shirt and black tie. His hair was freshly fluffed and perfectly spiked, the longer pieces around his neck sticking out as they had under his helmet. His grin was as cocky and confident as his walk was. The muscles in his arms were evident even beneath his suit coat, and the muscles of his long legs were just as defined beneath the fabric. Ali had never seen a man so perfect.

"There's my babe" she said.

"Told you'd I'd score for you." As they parted from their hug, James looked into her sparkling eyes and grinned. "So see? You underestimated my skills."

Ali slung her fingers under his belt loops and give his hips a little shake. "Maybe so" she teased, leaning in as he bent his head towards her. "But I never will again."

As their lips met, her kiss was the most welcomed thing James had felt all night. From the perfectly soft lips to her warm tongue brushing against his, it felt better to him than the high he got after scoring a goal.

"Thank you, by the way" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"For whaaat?" His grin widened, giving her a clue that he already knew the answer.

"Ohhh, you know….for a little something I got to wear tonight….." Her eyes lowered playfully to the jersey she still had on, her smile growing as wide as his.

"You looked amazing in it" James said. "Glad you liked it."

"Liked it? Fuck, I LOVED it." Ali stepped into him, getting close enough to catch the scent of his gel mixed a little with his cologne. It was quickly becoming so very him, every time she caught a whiff of the combination. "Do I get to keep it?"

James brushed the hair from her shoulder, his eyes grazing down her body covered in the jersey he wore night after night. "Yeah, I think you should keep it." His eyes moved up to hers again. "As long as I get to keep you."

Weak in the knees from the line, Ali bit her bottom lip. "Deal."

*

From there, the plan was for Ali to head back to her place while James went and gathered a few things of his own and then stay at her place again that night. He wasn't about to let her request from that morning go unfulfilled; if Ali wanted him there, he would see it done.

While he went home, Ali had an idea. Because he surprised her earlier, she wanted to see if she could surprise him with something as well. Her first idea was the one she went with, and she put it into action on her drive back across town to her condo. By the time James arrived at her place and was knocking on the door, she had everything ready.

With a quick trip upstairs to check on her outfit, she decided to leave her skinny jeans on and exchange the jersey and Pens shirt she had on beneath with a deep U-neck t-shirt in the color she loved most: lilac purple.

At the sound of the doorbell, Ali was already waiting downstairs. She was anxious to be with James again, especially since their morning together seemed like it happened a year ago. She now officially had a craving for his arms around her, his eyes locked on hers, his large hands and their subdued strength memorizing her every curve. Most of all, she craved the bond she felt she shared with him…a bond, she hoped, he felt just as much.

As she whipped open the door, James stood there smiling down at her. He was also completely changed out of his previous attire, trading his oh-so-fine suit for an equally oh-so-fine white t-shirt and dark jeans. "Damn."

He raised an eyebrow in playful questioning.

"Still sexy as fuck." Ali pressed her lips to his briefly; their comfort level expanding with every time they embraced. "I have something for you" she whispered.

James smiled and followed her into her condo, shutting the door behind him. They went towards the kitchen where, to his surprise, he saw two plates already made up of what looked like some type of curry and white rice.

"Whoa." He looked at her, somewhat astonished. "Is this…"

"Thai" she said with a grin. "Thought you might be hungry, and I don't know the first thing about making it myself, sooo…."

He laughed, the food on the table officially making his stomach rumble. "Come here." Opening his arm, Ali snuck beneath it, her head resting against one of his pecs. He held her head against him gently, smiling at her. "You're amazing."

Ali shrugged. "It's the least I could do…you know, for the jersey and the ticket."

"You didn't have to do anything, though" he said in protest. "Really, babe."

"But you didn't have to do what you did either."

James felt her poke him in the stomach and he laughed. "Fine. How can I argue with that?" He bent and kissed her head. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She patted him on the stomach and then broke from his embrace. "Now let's eat, because I'm starving as well."

They wasted no time chowing down. James was as hungry as Ali, which meant very little talking in between massive mouthfuls of food. Ali did talk about the game with him a little, getting the full report from on the bench while she gave him the full report from behind the bench. James was interested to know that she'd made friends with a couple of season ticket holders that were seated next to her.

"Did you tell them who you were there for?" He smirked at her as he took another bite.

"It was my little secret all night" she replied. "In fact, it's kind of been my secret since I met you."

This really perked James' interest. "Oh yeah? You afraid to tell people about me?" He made it sound like a joke, and it mostly was…but there was a bit of true curiosity hidden inside it.

"Noooooo." Ali made a sassy face at him, and he made one right back while he chewed his food. "The truth is that…I wouldn't know what to tell them if I told them."

James chewed a little more slowly. "What do you mean?"

Go away, nerves. Go away. She set her fork down and gave him her full attention. "I'm just gonna be out with it, okay?"

He nodded. "That's one of the things I like most about you."

It made Ali smile, but her nerves were going to get the best of her if she didn't just come right out and say it. "I know we've gone pretty deep pretty fast…and you have gone especially deep, what…three times now?"

James had to laugh. "You know it." He said it in good fun, but his nerves were now starting to crop up inside him. "But….what exactly are you getting at? Something tells me not sex."

"Oh we'll get to that" Ali joked. "But before that, I just wanted to tell you how much I'm falling for you."

His heart nearly stopped beating.

"And I know you said last night that you thought we should be together, and I don't want to be that girl who wants to define a relationship right away--"

"--Yes."

Ali blinked. "Yes?"

"Yes, I'll define it, and yes - I want to be with you." James set his fork down and reached across the table to grab her hand. "When I said that last night, that was me telling you how into you I really am."

She breathed a sigh of relief as her fingers laced between his. "You've kinda been showing it nonstop since we first met."

Rubbing his forehead, James quietly laughed to himself. "Can I sound a little crazy right now?"

"I love crazy" Ali said with a smile. She watched as his eyes cooled to yet another new shade of blue she hadn't noticed before.

"I don't know what it was, because I could name just about anything I know about you now and it would be right, but…" He looked down at her hand in his, tracing the skin with the pad of his thumb. "I felt something that night, whenever I first saw you."

He lifted his gaze and Ali thought there was some fear behind his voice. She smiled and squeezed his hand. "I did too, James."

"It's why I waited for you" he said. "Really, I wasn't trying to be a creeper."

She giggled. "I know. You're too hot to be a creeper."

"Are creepers ugly?" James asked innocently. "Man, I thought they could be anyone--"

"--ANYways…." She shook his hand to get him back on track.

"Anyways…" The corner of his mouth lifted, the short beard following and framing it perfectly. Ali's eyes went straight to his full lips, wanting more than anything to feel them on her again for the second night in a row.

"What are you thinking?" His voice was full of pleasant suspicion.

She shrugged one shoulder. "How I kinda wanna make out with you now."

"Only kinda?"

James yanked on her arm enough to lift her out of the chair and pulled her onto his lap. One of his hands slipped into her hair while the other rested on her thigh. Their mouths met, and Ali finally got the kiss she'd been craving. "Mmm…"

"Change your mind?" he murmured.

"My mind didn't need changing, babe." She flicked the tip of her tongue over his lips, teasing him. "Just tell me one thing."

"Anything." James looked up at her as his hands slid over her ass.

"Can I be yours?" Ali asked softly.

"Yes." James smiled. "Can I be yours?"

Ali kissed him slowly. "Always" she breathed, and their mouths met again.

* * *

The pair didn't have sex that night, but instead, cuddled and talked in Ali's bed until they both fell asleep. James didn't even complain or joke about knocking his feet into the footboard.

They slept soundly, hardly waking at all through the night but to switch the position in which they lay in one another's arms. When the sun began to rise, James' eyes opened to greet the dim light filtering through Ali's lavender curtains. It didn't matter if he had practice or not, he always seemed to wake around the same time each day.

Lucky for him, practice that morning wasn't until 11, so there was no rushing out of the comfort of where he lay. That also meant he could spend the time that he lay awake next to Ali studying her peaceful form as she lay against his chest, hugging him with one arm. Her long lashes lay flat against her cheeks, her breathing rhythmic and steady as she lay there. James couldn't think of a place he'd rather be than there with her, holding her, sleeping next to her. Something just seemed to click between them, making these sorts of moments feel easier and more comfortable than it likely should have been.

James wasn't about to question it, however. He was still in a bit of awe over Ali asking him if she could be his last night.

She wants to be mine….when all I want is to be hers.

His heart beat just a little faster when he recalled that moment at her kitchen table, and his smile grew just slightly. Looking down at her, he wondered how he'd gotten so lucky. Even last night when they curled up in bed and talked the rest of the night away, neither wanting anything more than to just be with the other, it struck James as odd at how his circumstances had changed, literally overnight.

All because of her, he thought as he gazed down at Ali.

Unable to help the affection he was feeling, James began to very tenderly caress Ali's head. He ran his hand slowly over her hair, smoothing it even more than it already was naturally. He felt her breathing change just slightly at his touch; something he knew all too well about. His did the same every time she laid her hands on him.

Ali shifted slightly, her arm tightening about James' torso as she felt his hand run over her head in the most comforting of ways. A grand sense of protection came over her; she felt safe with James, laying there in his arms. When she felt him kiss her forehead, her eyes opened to see him smiling at her.

"Sorry." He looked at her with sarcastic guilt.

She closed her eyes and sighed contently. "I like it."

James continued to stroke her head, his fingers brushing against her face, petting her as if he touched too harshly she might break. It felt incredibly good to be this comfortable in a man's arms, and such wonderful arms they were.

"I think this might be my favorite thing we've ever done" Ali added quietly.

"Feels right, doesn't it?"

"It does."

He ran his hand over her head again, his smile growing. "I don't know what I'm going to do when we're back on the road tomorrow."

"Does Niskanen cuddle?"

James chuffed. "Not as good as you, no." He saw Ali smirk at this.

"You weren't lying, I have to admit."

"Lying?" he asked curiously.

Ali lifted her head, his fingers never leaving her hair. "You said hockey players were great cuddlers."

"No, no, I said we were the best cuddlers" James corrected her. His eyes were becoming more alive as they both continued to wake up further. "But I'm glad you believe me now."

"How long will I have to go without waking up to this?" Ali ran a finger down the center of his chest, her eyes passing over his athletic build with silent admiration.

James couldn't get enough of the way she looked at him. Any time he saw her eyes wander over his body, desire blossomed inside to show her more. "Five days total…"

She groaned. "That's like five years in Diserelli time." Looking up, she gave him a tiny wink. "But I can manage…I think."

"You better manage. I want something to come back to."

"Oh you'll have plenty to come back to."

Sliding over him, Ali now rested on top of his broad torso. Even then, James never flinched at her weight. "Just think of all the things I'll do to you to welcome you back off the road…." She rubbed her nose against his. "…all the things that I'll think about while you're gone and touching myself to…"

James' body was at attention. He felt the softness of Ali's body against the hardness of his own, her bare skin like silk as she slid forward until her hips were in line with his.

"…Probably going to have to leave you with something to think of before you go." Her mouth was just a whisper away from his.

James slid his hands over the fleshy curve of her ass, rolling the sweet mounds over as he rocked her hips against his. "Did you have something in mind?" He pushed his erection against her hard to let her know what it was that he had in mind.

"Mmm hmm." She licked her lips as she felt his dick pressing hot and firm against her. "I want to feel this inside me…"

James felt how wet she was the second she rolled her hips and her pussy rubbed against his length. It sent sparks throughout his entire body, his dick throbbing uncontrollably at this point. "All in due time" he teased, kissing her.

Ali pulled her head back and grinned evilly. "And when is that?"

"When I say so." He ran his thumb along her full bottom lip and Ali took it into his mouth, sucking gently. He felt it straight down to his toes and to the tip of his cock. Her mouth was a heavenly outlet for so many parts of him.

"Make me beg?" She kissed against his neck as his hand pulled on her hair.

"Yes."

"Fuck me like you fucked me two nights ago…" The more she felt his dick pushing against her folds, the more she wanted to slide on top.

"More, babe…let go for me…" James watched her breasts rise as she sat on top of him now, straddling his wide hips. She looked like a goddess above him, with her long hair and her dark eyes and full breasts, nipples erect and giving her desire for him away.

"Please let me ride your cock, James…"

He heard his name come out of her gorgeous mouth like a feral purr and he felt a dash of pre-cum leak from him. He knew he should've been balls deep in her by now, but he couldn't get enough of her talking to him the way she was. Ali was as dirty as she was playful, as risky as she was sexy. His mind officially stopped working the second he felt her reach behind and slip the head inside her tightness. He pushed inside her further, peeling her apart slowly, her moans filling his ears as she felt more of him slide inside.

"Look at me" he said, reaching up for her face. When Ali's eyes met his, they were full of the same amount of desire and passion he felt at that moment. "You're so perfect to me, Allison."

She bent forward as James withdrew and pushed back inside, pressing her mouth to his. "Take me, James" she said breathlessly. "I'm all yours."

* * *

Notes