Heat Lightening

The boat was swaying with each movement of the water. It was relaxing and slightly hypnotic. Steven should be asleep. It had been a crazy 48 hours. He'd lost the Stanley Cup, gotten exceedingly drunk, and been kidnapped by Harleigh. The latter of which was currently sleeping on top of him. His girl was passed out. Steven smirked to himself. Part of him wanted to climb onto the top of cabin of the boat and yell that she was his. But more of him wanted to stay right there in that tiny bed. Harleigh's blonde hair was a mess of tangles and curls. It ensnaring both of them. She had curled into his side with her head laying on his chest. One arm shoved beneath his pillow the other slung across his ribcage. Harleigh's legs were tangled with his. Laying like this she appeared small and fragile. Steven knew that wasn't the case. The sheet was ribboned between them across their waists just covering her torso because Harleigh couldn't sleep with her feet covered. Which meant Steven was only covered from his hipbone to the tops of his knees. He wasn't sure why she bothered with blankets. But it was so very Harleigh.


Steven glanced down at her. They slept in the same bed a lot. They snuggled. They watched movies. But this....this is what he had been missing. He wasn't sure why he had waited to so long. Steven moved a strand of hair so that he could see her face. She was absolutely fucking beautiful. And she was absolutely his. He was going to tell the Triplets, Bish, and Heddy to fuck off. She stirred. Harleigh made a contented noise and stroked her hand over his hipbone.


"It's creepy to stare at people when they sleep Stamkos" admonished Harleigh. He smiled down at her.


"I'm just making sure it's real and I'm not still passed out in a Chicago hotel room." replied Steven kissing her forehead.


"Not a chance Captain" she answered "You are stuck with me."


"Damn straight" he said rolling her beneath him. Harleigh didn't stand a chance. Damn those boys and their reflexes. Steven kissed her mouth gently. He caught her hands and pushed them above her head and held them with one large hand. He noticed he had left beard marks on her body. He kissed those marks even more gently "You should have told me if I was too rough Darlin'"


Harleigh wiggled beneath him. She was trying to free her hands. She laughed and winked at him "I'll let you know when that happens 91." Steven sat up and released her hands. She immediately missed the warmth and contact. She protested and he started laughing.


"You promised food with this kidnapping. So far I've had gatorade and Advil." he replied pulling on his trunks. He tossed his shirt to her. Harleigh dropped the sheet and caught the shirt. Steven groaned. "You are a devil woman."


"Me" said Harleigh innocently. Harleigh shrugged his shirt on and sat up on her knees to button the buttons. She heard Steven swear. He stalked back to the bed. "No Sir." she reminded "Food Stamkos." She put her hand on his chest and pushed him away. He stood at the foot of the bed watching her twist her golden hair up.


"Evil Harleigh Quinn" called Steven over his shoulder as he walked to the galley. Harleigh just smirked. He was finally relaxed. He was no longer tense. It was smooth golden muscle gliding across the wooden floor. If she was evil so was he. Damn the body on that boy.


"Awe Puddin' the feeling is mutual" called Harleigh in a sing song voice "Now feed me Mr. S."


Steven turned around and smiled at Harleigh. She never cut him any slack. She had just thrown his nickname for her right back at him without hesitation. She was currently sitting on the edge of that tiny bed in just his shirt. He was contemplating having that shirt framed like his jerseys. Steven was watching as she twisted her hair up in a knot. He'd watched her do it a thousand time. So why was he staring? Because she was fucking beautiful. And she was his.


"Stamkos" yelled Harleigh "You day dreaming about the Cup."


"Better" he replied smirking at her "I think the salads are done for. So we have steak, the good potatoes, rolls." Steven dug through more foil "And mac and cheese. You do love me."


"Of course and don't think you are eating all the carbs" she replied "But you can cheat a little." She scooted back on the bed.


"You aren't stealing my cheesy potatoes" he admonished "You planning on getting out of that bed."


"Nope" she replied shaking her head "You have to bring me food."


"I'm pretty sure the kidnapper is supposed to feed the kidnappee.


"That's not even a real word Steven" laughed Harleigh.


Steven stopped puttering around the kitchen and winked at her "Inconceivable." He heard peals of laughter. Harleigh was smiling at him ear to ear. She was so beautiful it made his chest tight. "I don't think that means what you think it does." she responded. Steven shoved everything but the chocolate lava cake in the fridge. He grabbed the cake, a couple bottles of water, and a fork and headed back to the bed. Harleigh quirked an eyebrow at him as he handed her the cake. "Just cake?"


"Just cake. You know you put up with dinner just to get to this cake. So just cake. I vote that for the next few days it's hedonism. No worries about the outside world, no worries about what I'm eating or drinking, and spending as much time as humanly possible here." Harleigh shivered as he ran his hand up the length of her leg. He moved his hand higher and she squirmed. "Or maybe here" he said as she clamped her legs closed. He started to laugh. He leaned in and captured her lips.


Harleigh managed to wriggle free "You promised we would eat." He kissed her quickly. Then kissed his way closer to her ear. "I could just eat you." he whispered.


"Has that line ever worked Stamkos?" questioned Harleigh.


"Don't know I'll let you know" he retorted "You make me say and do all kinds of stupid shit."


"Oh no Captain you aren't blaming me for your bad behavior" replied Harleigh "You'll have to come up with a better excuse by clean out day."


"No excuses" he said. Steven managed to move until he was sitting beside Harleigh. He grabbed the fork and dug into the cake. The liquid chocolate center was in a solid state. Steven poked at it with the fork. "Now I've screwed up the cake." he pouted. Harleigh leaned over and kissed his scruffy cheek.


"Poor Stammer" cooed Harleigh climbing out of the bed. She took the plate from his hand. Harleigh strolled across the wooden floor. She placed the plate in the microwave. She leaned a hip against the counter while she waited for it to reheat."Who's going to baby you in Canada this summer?" Harleigh asked turning around to face Steven "Who's going to buy you junk food, kidnap you, and let you whine about Scary Gary?"


Steven was reclined back in the bed. Arms over his head his head cradled in his palms.All muscles engaged. She would have accused him of posing but he lounged around like that all the time. She was used to this but Harleigh's brain short circuited for a moment. Her first thought was arm porn. Her second thought was fuck the cake. Harleigh was biting on her bottom lip. She was contemplating Steven vs the cake when Steven started laughing. "What?" she asked as the timer dinged on the microwave.


"What did I say while you were totally perving on me" asked Steven.


"I mostly certainly was not perving on you" retorted Harleigh "I'm not the one who draped myself over the bed like some kind of Nordic prince waiting to be served. And you said blah, blah, blah, and Nealer."


"Macedonian" he yelled "Not Nordic!"

"Blah, blah, blah" she said sticking her tongue out at him "I like the Nordic boys. I bet Heddy wouldn't mind me perving on him as you say." her face lit up "Or maybe Neal or even better Tori Lynn will introduce me to the Preds Mafia."


"You are not allowed to play with Tori Lynn, her rat pack, or her mafia." announced Steven "And I would have banned Neal if he weren't so in love with Tori Lynn."


"Just so that you are aware if Sam Hunt says "I love you! Be mine love forever." I'm gone." she teased. Steven's eyes got huge. He levered himself up right. If looks could kill she might be dead. "Don't give me that face off stare Steven Christopher Stamkos." He continued to stare. "I mean it quit mean mugging or no cake."


"This is my you are only allowed to date me face" groused Steven.


Harleigh carried the cake back to the bed. Steven was still giving her the evil eye. Harleigh sat the cake on the bed beside him. Harleigh stepped between his splayed legs. Sitting on the edge of the bed made them closer in height. Harleigh looped her arms around his neck. " I'm teasing."


"Logically I know that. But there are times when I want to kill Tyler, Bishop, and any of the other asshats checking you out." explained Steven "I've wasted a lot of time." His eyes locked on hers. "I'm completely serious about only dating me."


"Are you asking me to go steady?" asked Harleigh.


"Yes me and no one else" he said solemnly. He managed to pull her in for kiss. "mine only mine. Total commitment." He kissed are again. Harleigh gave him a cheshire smile. "Why are you smiling at me like a lune?"


"It's my I don't wanna be with anyone else face." she replied kissing him.

Notes