Derek followed Kendall into the bedroom where he had proposed to her. The bedroom that was supposed to be theirs. But now was solely his. He closed the two doors behind them as they entered. “Did you buy the whole Restoration Hardware catalog?” Kendall smirked at him. Teasing him like she used to do. “Hey I am RH’s favorite customer, they jumped at the chance to decorate this house and add me to their clientele. And I wanted nothing to do with picking out furniture.” He could never stay in those stores for too long before wanting to blow his brains out.
She looked around the greyish walls, the white comfy bed that made you want to curl up and never leave. The rustic leather couch sitting on the opposite wall of the window seat filled with pillows. The carpet melted below your feet, it felt like heaven.

“They did a good job.” She nodded her head. “I would of done the same.” This was her dream house he knew it must be hard to be in here without living here. “I am glad you approve.” He muttered before picking her up and gently laying her on the bed. He smiled when he saw the way she was looking at him, like he was the only guy in the world, the way she used to look at him. “I’ve missed you so much.” She whispered. “I have too. Ask the whole team. I’ve been pretty much their charity case since Pre-season.”

He did something that he missed doing so much, he kissed her. Hovering over her as her arms wrapped around his neck. And before he could think about what was happening, he was unbuttoning her shorts, she was lifting his shirt above his head, and he was thanking god when he pulled off her tank top that she wasn’t wearing a bra. And for the first time in what seemed like forever, Kendall and Derek had sex. Something he thought would never happen again.

---

Derek woke up the next morning to the sound of Flo Rida’s Good Feeling the Rangers win song from a few years back. He always used it as his ringtone to wake him up and remember how good he had it. “Derek...shut Flo Rida up.” Kendall groaned next to him. “Yeah hold on.” He opened one eye and grabbed his phone off of the night table. He realized it was Ryan calling him and not his alarm. He clicked answer. “Steps get up! It’s a beautiful day for some sailing and some beers. We need bro time.” This time it was Derek letting out a groan. “Can we rain check for tomorrow? I am kind of busy! I’ll see you at the rink at 3.” He hung up before Ryan could guilt him into meeting him at the marina.

“Who was that? Your girlfriend?” Kendall opened an eye and smirked at him. “Yeah because I have time for a secret girlfriend I am stashing from everyone. It was actually my boyfriend Ryan. You might know him.” He smirked back at her. She let out a laugh. “What?” He kissed her neck. “Nothing, just the morning after the first time we had sex in like a year Ryan calls you. He was always the other woman in our relationship.” She let out a roaring laugh this time. “It’s not funny! Me and Ryan’s bromance is to be taken seriously.” He smiled. “Yeah so seriously. You guys should just get married, and Kaylee and I will get married. You love each other more than us.” He shook his head. “It’s not possible for me to love anyone as much as I love you.” She looked at him and rolled her eyes. “it’s too early in the morning for love approximations. Can you just make us your chocolate chip pancakes?” She smiled at him. “Yeah I’ll meet you downstairs.” He found his boxers on the floor by his side of the bed and slipped them on.

This was supposed to be a one-night thing, but seeing her in his bed cuddled up looked so right again. He walked down the cold stairs and found Shattuck racing behind him. Once the two of them got to the kitchen, he gave him a biscuit and his favorite bone and he laid down in his bed quietly. He grabbed the ingredients for his famous chocolate chip pancakes he learned from his college roommate Justin Shultz and started the griddle on his stovetop. He got the sound system started and was jamming out to Taylor Swift’s We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, when he heard footsteps behind him. And soon after Kendall had her arms around his waist.

“They smell so good.” She grabbed the bowl and started finishing off the mix with the spoon. “It’s not like Pancake mix is cookie dough it’s actually quiet gross...” He never understood some of the things she did. “Coming from the boy who will only drink milk if you soak Oreos in it.” He let out a laugh. “It’s the only way to drink it.” He flipped the pancakes off the griddle and laid them perfectly on the plates. She grabbed the maple syrup from the fridge. “Yes I knew you couldn’t come home without Canadian maple syrup from Staalsy.” He grabbed the cups filled with fresh coffee and sat down next to her at the marble kitchen island. “Duh that stuff is the stuff made from legends. Also Lindsay just pawns it off to us because he brings like a shelf full to the city every season. The guy can’t live without it.”

He took a bite. Perfect just the way they liked it, a little crispy on the edges but soft and fluffy in the middle.

For a couple minutes there it felt like nothing had changed, like they were still engaged and this was just another normal morning. Him in his boxers and a full cup of coffee, her stuffing her face with pancakes in his old ratty t-shirt. He had to remember that she wasn’t going to come home to him tonight, and that she wasn’t all his anymore. She lifted her legs off the stool and planted them on his lap like she always did at the loft, he felt sadness, they had a pretty great life before. “What are you thinking about?” She asked him. She always knew when something was off with him. “Us.” She took another bite of her pancakes. “Last night...and this morning felt like normal again. Like the last months I was living someone else’s life and I finally was in mine again.” She replied. She let a tear fall and stream down her face. He wiped it away with his thumb. “I know.” He muttered before kissing her again. “I wish we were at Shattuck again. 17 years old and completely in love with each other.” She whispered. He wished he was in that dorm room too, he wished with every fiber of being that they were 17 again.

---

Derek was sitting in his bed in the room he shared with his teammate Emerson Etem trying to study for the huge bio test that was hovering over him like a rain cloud. He kept tapping his fingers against the textbook, and checking his phone every two seconds. “Dude leave.” Emerson stated from his side of the room, he was currently enthralled in an English essay. “What?” He asked him. “You can’t concentrate because you and Kendall are official and all you want to do is run to her dorm room and be all disgusting like you are every day. So go, take a break from bio and leave me to finish this. Seriously Derek if you don’t go I am kicking you out.” Emerson turned to face him. “The door is that way...” He smirked at him. “Fine. I am leaving. I’ll be back later.” Emerson slow clapped. “Tell Kendall I say hi.” He nodded as he slammed their door shut.

He jogged down the steps of Dartmouth, their dorm and ran the five-minute walk to Branford, Kendall’s dorm. Cutting the time from five minutes to about two and a half. Once he got there and realized no one was around to let him in, he found a pebble and walked over to where Kendall and her roommate Laura’s room was. Once he found their window he threw the pebble, hitting the window a little louder then he thought it would. “What the fuck?” Kendall Screeched as she pulled up the blinds and opened the window to see him standing below it. “Rapunzel, Rapunzel throw down your hair.” He laughed as she smirked. “What are you doing here? Bio test Steps! You have to do well. Wisconsin is on the line!” He found another pebble ready to throw it at their room. “Wisconsin is locked down, just like you. I’ll study later. I need a study break. So let me in or this rock is getting thrown in your direction.” He let out another laugh. “Fine come by the door! I am coming down.” He nodded his head.

He waited by the entrance as she came down and let him in, intertwining her hand with his as she led him to her room. “Thank god Laura is working on a group project in the library.” He smiled. “Yeah thank god.” Once they were in her room he pulled her towards him. “I missed you today.” He mumbled kissing her. Her lips were so soft and tasted like vanilla. “Oh really?” Her eyebrow arched. “Yeah a lot.” He kissed her neck as his fingers slipped under her Shattuck Hockey t-shirt lifting it above her head and off. “Are you sure about this Derek? We’ve only been together two weeks...I don’t want to rush anything.” She told him, standing there in her black bra and Nike shorts. “I am so sure Kends. This has been ten years in the making. We’re prepared for this, and I want to be with you so badly. So badly more then anything. I just want to be closer to you.” His eyes locked on hers.

“Good because I’ve been thinking about this for two weeks. Shirt off.” She made him laugh. “Are you going to have your way with me Brooks?” He replied as he lifted his Wisconsin shirt up and off revealing his abs. “Yes, bed now.” He smirked at her. “I know we’ve been together for only two weeks. But it’s been the best two weeks of my life.” He whispered in her ear. “The last ten years has been the best being your best friend. But being your girlfriend wipes those ten years out. This is the best thing ever.” She whispered as she pulled him towards her bed. He unhooked her bra, she slipped off his jeans and they got under her comforter. “Are you sure about this?” He asked her. He wanted her to be totally okay with having sex with him, he didn’t want her to regret it. “Yes Derek, it’s not like we’re both virgins. I want to have sex with my best friend, I want to have sex with my boyfriend.” That made him smile. “Your mine Kendall Brooks.” He aligned himself with her and entered her.

---

An hour later they were under the covers, tangled in each other, Kendall’s head on his chest as he stared at her, his fingers in her hair. “That was the best sex I’ve ever had.” She whispered. “It’s because your with Derek Stepan now.” They both laughed. He slipped out of the bed to grab his boxers lying on the ground when Laura came walking in and let out a cry. He slipped them on so fast. “GUYS SERIOUSLY! I love you both but I don’t need to see Derek’s ass.” The two of them belted out laughing. “It’s not funny.” She cried still hiding her eyes with her hands. “Laura I am dressed.” He said laughing as he slipped on his jeans. “Thank god.” She cried out. “It’s a nice ass though right? It gets a 10 out of 10 on Hockey asses.” Kendall said laughing. He stared at her. He was already in love with her, the kid had no shot in hell of not getting hurt by her.

---

“Derek? Derek?” Kendall shook him as he came out of the trance of old memories. “Yeah sorry what?” He asked her as he finished his plate and put it in the sink. “I said we shouldn’t jump back in this. Too many people are involved, too many things have happened...” He nodded. “I agree.” He said. “So I think we should just go slow. Have dinners hang out. Get to know each other again. Start over.” He smiled when she said that. “Well then. I am Derek Stepan, nice to meet you.” He let out his right hand to her to shake. She shook it laughing. “Nice to meet you Derek. I am Kendall Brooks.” He smirked when they wouldn’t let go of each other and stood there for five minutes shaking hands. “So I can still do this right?” He pulled her arm, which pulled her closer to him kissing her. She let out a small moan when they broke apart. “Never stop doing that.”

Maybe them starting over, fresh, starting a new could possibly save what’s left of their relationship, and maybe get them back to where they were a year ago. “Dinner then? Tomorrow? I have bro night with Ryan tonight.” She nodded. “I should go I am going to be late for a shopping appointment at J.Crew with my mom.” He smiled. “Tell her I say hi.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thanks for the breakfast handsome.” She kissed his cheek and walked back upstairs to get dressed. He grinned at Shattuck. “I am close to winning her back bud.” He whispered to him. And this time he will never let her go again. Never. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow night.

Notes