Kendall woke up to the sun peaking through the shades in the bedroom. She made a small groan as she picked up her phone from the night table and checked the time. 7:00 am. So early. Too early. Derek slept next to her, on his stomach, his arm wrapped around her. She smiled. They were back together. They were a couple again. They were an official couple again. She had felt in limbo the last ten months that they weren’t together but now that they were back she felt like her old self. She looked over at him and ruffled the hair that he hadn’t lost to early balding. She was his, and he was hers. It didn’t mean though that things hadn’t changed, they had. They weren’t the same exact people they were when they first entered this relationship, or the people who had left it. They were different, but a good different. The split made them mature and grow independently from each other.

She quietly opened the nightstand drawer where she held hostage pictures of the two of them. Sometimes when she missed him, missed them, missed what they had she would open the drawer and peak at them. She went through a couple of them, their days at Shattuck, hanging out on the quad, at the rink, fooling around in their dorms. They were the cutest couple back then. She landed on a picture she hadn’t seen in forever. The day of the 2008 NHL Draft. The day Derek got drafted and their lives changed majorly. It her piggy backing on him, him wearing his Rangers draft jersey, huge ass grins on their faces. Usually the players getting drafted after the first round didn’t go to the actual draft but Derek wanted to go for shits and giggles. He didn’t think it was that much of a possibility because only two teams showed any interest and if he didn’t get drafted it would of just ended up being a fun weekend in Ottawa.

---

“Stop it.” Kendall told Derek as they sat in the stands of the Scotiabank Place, the Ottawa Senators arena. She was sitting directly in back of Derek, his parents and sister flanking him on either sides. She sat next to Derek’s best friend Ryan McDonagh as the rest of his family, aunts, cousins, uncles; grandparents filled in the two rows the Stepan’s claimed. They were higher up a bit back from the rest of the draft families, the first round had just ended and the second was going to begin any minute. Derek turned around. “Stop what?” He nibbled at his fingernails. “Stop what your doing. Your making yourself sick with nerves. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t we move on and we go to Wisconsin in the fall and you sign a contract when we leave. That’s how it works.” She was to the point and concise, she wasn’t going to beat around the bush and feel sorry for Derek if he didn’t get drafted today he could still make it to the NHL. “I know, I know. It’s just hard. I want it so bad.” He looked up at her with those blue eyes that just killed her heart. “I know you do D.” She kissed him. “Everything happens for a reason.”

Ryan on the other hand was more out of control then Derek, he had paced up and down the stairs leading to the seats, he had paced back and forth in the row, and he was now tapping the seat in front of him, which made Josie crazy. “Can you stop it also?!” She nudged Ryan as he put his foot down. “How about we go visit the Canadiens table? You can check in with them Ry, and I can go stop by the Wild table. I should check in with my father.” Ryan nodded. “We’ll be back.” She kissed Derek one more time before making there way down to the front lines. Security guards pushed them back. “Only personal on the floor, and draftees. No fans.” A guard told them. “Excuse me but this is Ryan McDonagh, he was drafted by the Canadiens last year and just wants to stop by their table to say hello.” She smiled at the guard hoping she would let them on the floor. “And she well she’s Minnesota Royalty. Have you ever seen Miracle? Herb Brooks? Her grandfather. The Wild would love to see her. Her dad’s a scout.” He lifted his eyebrows and pointed. “We’re big deals in Minnesota.” His accent coming in strong. “Fine whatever, go ahead. Don’t tell anyone I let you on.” They both grinned as they headed to the Wild table first.

“Hey Dad.” He was sitting next to the co-head scout, his head down, his forehead scrunched looking at a piece of paper like it might blow up in ten seconds. The table was bustling with the GM’s phone going off every ten seconds. He picked his head up and smiled at her. “Hey squirt, how’s Derek doing?” He pulled her in for a hug. “Wishing someone would draft him. Maybe the hometown team....” She knew this wasn’t going to work but she just had to try, one more plea. “Honey if it falls at the right time, it falls. Someone will pick him up.” She rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine.” She tried. “Just promise me if he’s still around at the fifty fifth pick you will think about it?” He smiled at her. “Go back to your boyfriend, he needs your support and the second round is starting up. I need to get back to work. See you back at the hotel squirt.” She nodded. She kissed the top of his head. “Love you Dad.” She whispered as Ryan pulled her towards the Canadiens table.

The GM was surprised to see him but greeted him with a huge fake grin on his face, no one had time for them, business was happening. She stayed off to the side, staring at where Derek was sitting, his eyes were darting from table to table as Gary Bettman made his way to the stage. “Mac we should get back to Derek.” She whispered in his ear. “Well my best friend is waiting for me Mr. Gainey.” Bob Gainey nodded. “He’s a great player, Shattuck player. Stepan. Just saying that fifty sixth pick would not be wasted on him!” They walked away. “At least we put it out there in the universe.” Ryan murmured.

They made their way back to the seats behind Derek and held hands. They were probably thirty times more nervous then Derek and he was pretty much shitting himself. She could not take this for another six rounds, he needed to be drafted in the second, she begged the hockey gods. “Here goes nothing.” Derek said leaning his head back to lock eyes with her. “It will be fine.” She whispered.

---

“With the fiftieth overall pick in the draft, the Colorado Avalanche choose out of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Ontario hockey league program, Cameron Gaunce.” The GM of the Av’s announced into the mic sitting on their table. “This is ridiculous.” Ryan let out. There were only twelve more picks left in this round, and then thirty minutes until the next round started. They were fed up. “The advisor said second round, did he not?” Ryan whispered into her ear. That’s what Derek’s advisor told him, maybe third at best. He wouldn’t drop that far. But now it wasn’t looking good. She could see Derek in front of her crumbling. “Colorado sucks anyways. Why would you want to go there.” She said nonchalantly. Derek turned his head and smiled at her. “Thanks babe.” She smiled. She unlocked her phone for the hundredth time that day and looked at the Draft template.

“Okay the Rangers pick next.” Brad, Derek’s dad let out a holler. He was drafted by the Rangers, they had a special place in his heart. She saw the Rangers table prepare to pick, and she breathed in. “Come on.” She whispered as she lifted her head and prayed. “With the fifty first overall pick in the draft the New York Rangers choose out of the Shattuck St Mary’s High School Program, Derek Stepan.” It took the whole group a couple seconds to realize what had just happened. “OH MY GOD.” She jumped up as Derek started taking off his suit jacket. He hugged his mom, then his dad, Josie, followed by his Advisor and other family members.

Before he jogged down the stairs to the floor, he turned around and went up the stair to her and Ryan’s row, hugging Ryan and pulling her into him. “Our first date. That game. It was fate.” He whispered her ear. She had tears running down her eyes, she was so happy he was getting to accomplish his goals. “Bright lights, big city.” She murmured the words she said back then. “I love you Kendall Brooks. More then you’ll ever know.” He whispered, as he stopped time kissing her passionately and deeply. She hung onto him. They broke away from each other for air, and he jogged down the stairs and towards the Rangers table. He did it. He was going to become a New York Ranger.

“Our boy did it Kend.” Ryan said, a few tears he quickly wiped away dropped from his eyes. She let the tears flow, as her throat tightened and she breathed in. Her boyfriend was a New York Rangers prospect. She never expected this when she accepted his relationship proposal eight months ago. She couldn’t stop crying, it was the Derek Stepan crying section, even Ryan let a few more drops fall until he got his act together. “Come on we have to meet him, he’s probably done with his interviews now.” She nodded. “Meet us out at the entrance kids, when you’ve got him.” Mr. Stepan said as the family started collecting themselves.

They went out into the concourse and asked a prospect or two in their draft day jersey’s where they were keeping the players hostage, they showed them to the locker room. “Thanks.” Mac let out as he looked at the second round picks. “I don’t see him.” Kendall let out. Where could he be? Right after they get drafted, they do interviews here and leave. “Turn around.” A voice she knew all too well whispered in her ear as she stood in the doorway of the away team’s locker room. She swiveled her head around to see him standing there. In a New York Ranger’s hat, and jersey, ’08 on the back with his name. That meant the Rangers knew they were going to draft him if he was available. He looked so official. He looked ready for this.

She hugged him tight never wanting to let him go. “I am so proud of you Derek Kenneth Stepan.” She whispered as he kissed her. “I am proud of you too Kends, don’t ever forget that.” She nodded. “Mac take a pic of us.” Ryan grabbed Derek’s iPhone and snapped a pic of them making out, he knew they both would want that one, a classic. “Hold on.” Kendall said as she made Derek lean down as she got onto his back, and wrapped her arms and legs around him. “Now that’s s’cute.” Ryan laughed as he snapped the shot. “Send me those so I can put them up on my wall at school.” He nodded. “Come on guys, let’s go find my parents and get outta here. We have a lot to celebrate.” They nodded in agreement. “And a sleepover in my room.” Kendall whispered in his ear, he looked at her and smirked. “What? Your so getting lucky tonight.” He let out a nervous laugh. “I love you.”

---

“What are you staring at.” Derek’s groggy voice let out, she looked over at him, he had one eye open. She turned the photo in his direction. He took it from her. “Wow we look young, I actually had a little more hair.” She let out a giggle. “Where did you find this?” He asked her. She looked at him and opened her night table’s drawer, grabbing a handful of developed pictures and tossing them onto bed. “Along with these.” He looked at the pictures, then at her. “I thought you would of burned these along with any of evidence of my existence.” He sat up, leaning against the headboard. “I would do no such thing, these pictures are still memories of my best friend and I.” She gave him a peck on the lips. “Kendall we need this to succeed, you and I. I can’t handle any more heartbreak.” She let out a sigh and laid her head on his shoulder. “We need to go day by day and work on our problems, and ourselves and I promise you Derek, in ten years when we have little Kendall’s and Derek’s running around we’ll laugh about this time in our lives and think of it as a speed bump.” He kissed the top of her head. “I hope so.” He murmured. “We have to get ready for training before Ryan drives over here and physically removes us from this apartment himself. So shower?” She nodded. “Be right there.” He got out of the bed and walked into the bathroom, starting the shower.

She was about to get up when her phone buzzed, it was a text from her friend Katie. “Hey girl! Hope your summer has been going well. We should hang out soon! I just wanted to tell you I found Derek on Tinder this morning, I guess he’s been pursuing new Minny girls. Don’t worry I didn’t swipe right!” She read the text over and over again. She stood there shocked. Why would he do this? Embarrass her like this? Looking for girls in Hastings who happen to be her friends? She couldn’t believe him. “Kends you coming?” He shouted from the bathroom. She was beyond pissed at him, she couldn’t breathe.

She saw his silver iPhone 6+ sitting on the night table flanking his side of the bed. She wanted so badly to get in there and see what he was really up to. She was hurt, just another dagger he had thrown at her all over again. “Kendall come on we have to leave soon!” He yelled again, she heard the shower stop and quickly after the door open. He had a towel around his waist and another one over his shoulders, his abs were memorizing but she had to look away. “What’s your issue? I know you too well to know your facial expressions.” She looked at him shaking her head. “One word Derek. Tinder.” He looked at her and breathed in.

Notes

D and K have some things to talk about!