Ice Cream Love

**Hey guys! First of all, big thank you to the new followers and for your continous comments. Both are very greatly appreciated. Secondly, I have a friend who has a music page, and since she's too sweet to go around promoting herself to everyone, I'm doing it for her. Check it out. Her name's Krista, like me, so she's obviously awesome. That's all :)**


The sound of my phone ringing awoke me from my sleep, causing me to groan and stretch, lifting my head up and letting out a shriek from the pain that shot through my face as it was peeled off of the couch. I rubbed the tender skin, pouting as I looked around me, not sure how I or when I had fallen asleep on my couch, before stretching out an arm to grab the phone, clicking the talk button and lifting it up to my ear. “Hello?”

“I have amazing news!” Peyton shrieked on the other end, causing me to move the phone away from my ear. “I have a boyfriend.”

I was stunned by the news, taking a moment to blink a few times in surprise before replying to the news. “A boyfriend? But, what about Kris?”

Peyton laughed, “Hanna, Kris is the boyfriend.”

I winced in embarrassment, thankful that Peyton couldn’t see me. “Right, that would make sense.”

“Did you just get up?” She asked, raising her voice a bit as the background noise of her location seemed to grow louder for a moment.

“Yeah, apparently I fell asleep on the couch,” I admitted. “Are you calling me from work?”

“Sure am. It was really dead here, until some elementary school just showed up to rent the rink for skating lessons. Who gives skating lessons at school? Shouldn’t these weasels be learning math instead? Or maybe manners. Yeah, that’s directed at you, Mr. I’m going to pick my nose and flick it on the ground.”

“Peyton, tell me you did not just embarrass some tiny six year old boy!” I shouted.

“I didn’t! He’s at least eleven,” She assured me, earning a groan out of me. “Anyways, I guess I should go do my job now. I’ll call you once I’m home, which will be later since I have school tonight. Say hi to Sidney for me, ” She said, hanging up before I could reply.

I stretched my arms up above my head, rubbing my eyes afterwards and glancing around me. The TV was still on, and highlights from yesterday’s games were flashing across the screen. There was a plate of half-eaten spaghetti on the table, along with an almost full glass of milk next to it. I glanced up at the TV, seeing them flash the score from the Penguins and Thrashers game, remembering that I had come home from my first day at the bakery Vero’s dad owned completely exhausted, but also intensely determined to catch the last period of the game. I remembered seeing Sidney take an iffy penalty, watched him smash his stick against the penalty box door, and then…

I guess I fell asleep.

I stood up from the couch, picking up the dishes and carrying them over to the sink, leaving them there so I could head over to my room and change out of my clothes, checking to see how bad my make-up from yesterday looked before grabbing my purse from my bed and checking the time on my cell phone. I was supposed to call Vero once I was up so that the two of us could do some shopping, and for some reason, I felt like I needed the distraction.

-----------------------

“I feel like I got drunk yesterday,” I whined to Vero when we finally took a break from shopping to grab a cup of coffee.

She raised her eyebrows at me, pouring some cream into her cup. “Did you drink the baking rum at the bakery?”

I laughed, “No. I didn’t have any alcohol, but I passed out of my couch with no recollection of the night, and I have this dull throb just behind my temples, like a weak hangover or something.

“Maybe you are getting sick?” She suggested, taking a careful sip from her cup. “You missed the game then?”

I nodded, stirring in a package of sugar to my own cup. “I was home for the last bit of the second and the entire third period, but I only remember the penalty Sid took. Nothing past that.”

“He was not a happy boy,” She said, laughing. “It wasn’t too much of a game, from my perspective. The entire team seemed off, whereas Atlanta were all in synch. It was almost sad to watch. It’s probably for the best that you didn’t watch the entire thing, the crowd was giving Sidney a really hard time, especially after that iffy boarding call he took.”

“Crowds always give Sidney a hard time,” I reminded her, earning a small chuckle from her.

Vero smiled, running her finger around the rim of her coffee cup for a moment, looking out the window at the few people passing by. “My dad really likes you. He said you’re a very hard worker,” She told me, still smiling softly.

I laughed, “Well, I try to be. I’m not gonna lie, though, I already miss the ice rink. Not the job as much as the people. Now I can’t see the game at work.”

She nodded, “It’s hard, not being able to see every game that they play. It’s also hard to watch them go on the road games and not be able to come every time. It almost makes you feel hopeless, you know?”

“Well, I’m not that experienced with the whole thing, yet,” I reminded her, “but I do feel guilty if I have to miss a game. Sidney claims that it’s not that big of a deal to him, but I still feel bad.”

Vero nodded, “It’s hard. I’ve been with Marc-Andre for a very long time, before the NHL, and I still try to plan my work schedules around his game.”

I took a drink from my cup, sighing. “I didn’t realize how intense it would be to date a hockey player. I mean, I don’t know how Sidney doesn’t lose his mind over the things people in the media say about him, or how hockey fans could even think that he’s not as talented as he is. It makes my blood boil when they compare him to Ovechkin, but he never lets it get to him.”

“I would like to tell you that it gets easier, but it does not,” Vero admitted, giving me a half smile. “It’s a lot of adjusting. I’m just thankful that Marc hasn’t been traded yet. I couldn’t imagine moving again. I don’t even live out here all the time, just going between Quebec and back is hard enough for me.”

“Your family doesn’t live out here?” I asked, surprised. “But, your dad owns a bakery out here?”

“Yes, we stay here a lot. My dad wanted to have a business out here so that he didn’t have to take so much time off of work to come visit, and so that he could continue doing what he loves. He went to school to be a pastry chef, so he wanted to put that to use,” She explained quickly. “I go to school in Quebec, but I stay out here with Marc-Andre on weekends and any breaks the school gives.”

“I think I knew that already,” I admitted. “I never even thought about trades, or requests to be traded. I guess I didn’t think about a lot of these things before jumping into the relationship.”

Vero frowned, “Hanna, Sidney Crosby is not going to get traded. At least not anytime soon, he’s the face of the franchise,” She reminded me. “And as for everything else, you and Sidney can work through that. He doesn’t open himself up to very many people, and you’ve already become the closest to him. Don’t let a few complications ruin this.”

I smirked at her, “Are you going to school to be a counsellor?” I joked.

She grinned at me, “No, but I have a lot of knowledge. It’s part of my appeal.”

I rolled my eyes at her, taking another drink from my coffee.
---------------------------------

I had barely stepped into my place when Pascal started knocking on the downstairs door, causing me to toss my purse and the bags full of clothes I had bought onto the ground and race over to the door, unlocking it and looking up at Pascal.

He grinned, “Hanna bear, I brought you apples!” He shouted, holding up a bag full of green apples.

I accepted the bag, stepping back so that he could step into the living room, shutting the door that connected the upstairs to the downstairs behind him. I looked down at the bag of at least one dozen apples, frowning. “Thanks, Pascal, but I don’t even like apples.”


He threw his arms up in the air, “That’s what I told Maria, but does she listen to me? No!”

I laughed, walking into the kitchen and setting down the bag of apples. “Well, I guess I could make some apple sauce or something.”

“Yes! Then Maria can make pork chops, and I will be a happy man,” He said, letting out a sigh and placing a hand on his chest. “Anyways, I should go back upstairs and help with the children. If you have no plans for dinner tonight, you are welcome to join us.”

I smiled, “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass tonight. Maybe some other time?”

“You always say that. I’m beginning to think you hate my family,” He said, already heading towards the door that lead upstairs. “I will talk to you later, Hanna Bear!” He said, sending me a wave before disappearing behind the door.

I shook my head, trying to figure out what I was going to do with all of these apples, but finding myself instead trying to figure out where my cell phone was as I heard it start ringing. I walked back over to the front door, having to bend down to try and dig through my purse to find it, not checking the call display before I answered, “Hello?”
“Hanna, how are you?”

I frowned, looking at the call display for a second before bringing the phone back to my ear, “Mom?”

“Yes, mom! Did you not know who I was?” She asked, sounding hurt.

“No, I was…I was just so excited that it was you, that I could hardly believe it, that’s all,” I lied. “How’s it going?”

“Oh, it’s good,” She said. “I was just calling you to tell you that Cameron is here.”

I shook my head, “I’m sorry, mom, I think I misheard you. One more time?”

She sighed, “Hanna, don’t be like that. He and Elizabeth are out here visiting. He wanted to talk to us about the baby and maybe having her out here.”

“Her? They already know what they’re having?” I asked, walking into the living room and sitting down on the couch.

“Well, yes, she’s getting close to five months, silly,” She reminded me. “Anyways, I wanted you to make sure that you have some free time towards the end of June. Cameron and Elizabeth want us to come out to Prince Edward Island with them to be there for the birth, and then maybe you could stay a few days back in Vancouver with us?”

I stuttered for a moment, trying to think of the best way to tell my clearly enthused mother that I wasn’t sure I wanted to see my brother yet, or possibly ever. “Mom I-”

I just about jumped and screamed “Hallelujah!” when I heard someone knocking at the front door, pumping one of my fists in the air. “Sorry, someone’s at the door, so I have to go,” I told her apologetically. “I’ll talk to you some other time, okay?” I hung up before she could add anything more, tossing my cell phone onto the couch and heading over to the door and twisting the door knob so I could pull it open.

Sidney shot me a small smile, stepping inside immediately and shrugging off his jacket. “Hey,” He greeted, hanging the jacket on the small coat rack Tyler had bought me as a welcome present.

“Hi. I haven’t seen you in a couple of days,” I said, walking into the kitchen to grab us each a bottle of water, tossing one to him and watching in surprise as he wasted no time in twisting the cap off and chugging half of the bottle. “Wow.”

Sidney smiled, a little embarrassedly, wiping the moisture away from his mouth. “Sorry, I decided it would be a good idea to walk over here, but then I got really cold, so I ran the last couple of blocks.”

I shook my head at him, taking a sip from my own bottle of water. “Don’t you have a car?”

“Yeah, but I thought it seemed like a nice night for walk,” He explained, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly as he placed the bottle down on the counter top, looking at me for a moment. “How’s your new job?”

“Tiring,” I answered, making him chuckle. “I didn’t know baking was so much work. I mean, at home I make a couple dozen cookies and that’s that. There, I have to make three cheesecakes, three dozen tarts, five kinds of cookies, peanut butter bars and a carrot cake. It’s very stressful,” I explained, taking another sip of water before adding, “but I love it.”

Sidney grinned, “I’m glad to hear that. I’m really happy that you’re figuring things out here, since that was kind of the plan all along.”

“Yeah, and then I got all distracted by you and forgot about that,” I joked. “No wonder people hate you.”

“People only hate me because I’m beautiful, Hanna,” Sidney corrected. “Or because I don’t play for their team.”

“Both perfectly valid reasons,” I agreed, smiling at him for a moment. “So, speaking of hating people, my brother is in Vancouver with my parents.”

Sidney jerked his head back a bit in surprise. “Wow, that’s unexpected. Your parents don’t mind, do they?”

“I’m sure my dad is not so thrilled, but my mom hates how far away he and Elizabeth are and she’s always wished he move closer and try to reconcile everything,” I explained. “Anyways, they apparently want my whole family to fly out to PEI for the birth of their kid, and my mom wants me to go.”

Sidney nodded, “You should go. Maybe seeing your brother again is just another step forward in wherever you’re going.”

I made a face at him, “You make me feel like I’m in some children’s book when you say things like that.”

He laughed, “I’m just trying to be helpful. What do you want to do?”

I sighed, leaning against the counter on my elbows. “Honestly? I don’t think I want to see him. I mean, I know it’s childish and that he’s the one who seems to be making some sort of effort to make things better, but I’m still so bitter about all the things he’s said to me. And I can’t even imagine what he’ll say when he finds out I’ve moved to Pittsburgh and am dating a hockey player, no offence.”

Sidney shrugged at the comment. “I understand all of that, but how long do you want to let this thing go for? I mean, do you want his kid to be graduating and only know so because your mom sent you an email, or do you want to be a part of your first niece or nephew’s life?”

I groaned, “Sidney, why do you have to be so logical?” I whined, sighing as he laughed at me. “I need to think about it. I know that I should go because not only is it the responsible thing to do, but it will make my mom happy, but I also know I’ll be miserable the entire time.” I drummed my fingers on the counter for a moment before looking back up at Sidney. “I guess I have three months or so to decide. It’s not like I have to know now, right?”

He nodded, chugging back the last of his water and placing the empty bottle down on the counter. “Take some time to think about it, definitely. I’m sure your mom will understand if you explain to her why you’re not ready for the Cameron confrontation yet.”

I twisted my mouth to the side, nodding slightly. “So, how about that game yesterday?”

Sidney made a face, “I don’t want to talk about it. It’s one of the games I like to pretend never happened,” He said.

I sucked in my bottom lip for a moment. “I hear you got a boarding call for basically breaking Zach Bogosian’s back.”

He glared at me, picking up his empty bottle and lightly tossing it towards my head, making me duck and almost fall over with the laughter. “I don’t even know why I like you,” He said, walking around the counter to help me stand back up.

I grinned at him, “It’s probably because I’m a total babe.”

He rolled his eyes at me, trying to hide the smile pushing it’s way onto his face. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks even though it was only two days,” He said softly, brushing my hair away from my face.

I blushed, looking away from him as I shyly shrugged. “I am pretty awesome. It’s hard to fill a void as big as the one you must feel when I’m not there,” I joked.

Sidney laughed, a quiet laugh that barely seemed to reach my ears before he leaned down and placed a small kiss on the corner of my lips, stepping away from me afterwards and smiling. “Want to go get an ice cream or something? You can rant about your brother if you want, cause I can see you’re basically raging inside.”

“Did you just say ‘raging’?” I asked, “I feel like I don’t even know who you are.”

Sidney laughed, already standing by the front door. “Come on, I’ll even pay.”

I gasped, as if this was something new. “You’re willing to buy ice cream for me?” I repeated, grabbing my coat. “You must really like me or something.”

He smirked at me, waiting as I slid my coat on before he pulled open the door. “Yeah, something like that,” He mumbled.

I laughed, “Or maybe it’s just because you have a hockey rant you need to get off of your chest?”

He glanced at me sheepishly. “Maybe I’m a little mad about yesterday’s game,” he admitted, making me chuckle, “but I’m only buying you the ice cream because I love you.”

I blushed, even though he already said it before, it still made me swoon whenever I heard it. The blush almost disappeared entirely when he added, “but not enough to buy you two scoops.”

“Sidney,” I laughed, smacking his arm as he giggled, running away from me and down the sidewalk.