trekronorswedes - Tumblr blog

trekronorswedes · 2 years

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To Sail Beyond the Sunset ft. Sidney Crosby | Chapter 2

gif credit @/hannovers

A/N: As always, I can't wait for you guys to read this chapter. I know it's very early on but I would love to know what you guys think of the flashback scenes! TW: parental emotional abuse

“Alright my lovely ladies, are we ready to dance?” June asked as she stepped into the studio she worked out of for the past five years, smiling at all her students lined up and stretching on the barre just as they always did when they came in. Their pink tights, dance dresses, and pointe shoes brought back so many memories for her every time she stepped in the room.

“Yes Miss June!” they sung out in unison, taking their usual places in the classroom and assuming first position.

June smiled at them warmly. While there were only eight girls, they were a great bunch. June had been teaching all of them since they were pre-teens. They’d essentially grown up with her, and she cared about them on more than just a ballet level. “How was your week, girls? Anything exciting happen?”

“I aced my last chemistry test before our exam,” Franny Louton said.

“Good for you, Franny!”

“And I got a 90 on my English essay, Miss June! The one I was so worried about!” Isabella Bouchard was giddy just speaking about it.

“I told you you’d ace it!” June smiled. She waited a moment to see if anyone had anything else to say. “How are we feeling, girls? Are we good? Is there anything bothering us? Not just physically – anything I should know before we begin?”

June asked these questions because she wished someone had asked her these questions when she was taking ballet classes growing up. Nobody had ever really cared. Not her instructors and definitely not her mother. It was all about dancing and perfecting technique instead of mental and physical health. She wanted the girls (and their parents) to know she wasn’t going to be that type of teacher – that she couldn’t be that type of teacher. It definitely made for a healthier environment, and an environment where the girls actually wanted to come to ballet class. And with these girls – the cream of the crop – it meant more opportunities for them, more auditions and performances. In fact, almost all of them had already been to auditions or sent tapes for various ballet companies around Canada, and they were all anxious to hear back.

“We’re all just anxious to hear back from the companies, Miss June,” Anna Fitzgerald said. “Have you heard anything?”

June shook her head. “I haven’t, girls, but be patient,” she encouraged them. “It’s going to take a few weeks, especially those of you who auditioned with the National Ballet. You were very lucky to get those invitations to audition, anyway.”

“Cause it’s not like you were the best principal dancer they ever had, and now we’re learning from you,” Franny commented with a cheeky smile. “I’m confident in us, ladies!”

June couldn’t help but giggle. “That’s the spirit! Now let’s begin, girls. Aaaaaaaand tendu…tendu…tendu…first arabesque…”

***

Sidney woke up that morning and went straight to a training session with Andy O’Brien. It was gruelling, but it always was – nothing he didn’t expect. And because Nate was still in the playoffs with Colorado, he was alone, which meant Sid only had to deal with his own ultra-competitive nature, and not Nate’s too. Colorado was playing a game tonight though, so he’d still “see” Nate, maybe even get a phone call from him, depending on the outcome, while he did whatever he thought to do tonight. Sid thought about inviting June over and grabbing some takeout before heading to his house. Now that it was the summer, he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible – as much as his workouts, media commitments, interviews, commercial filming, and training allowed. He also had to keep reminding himself that June couldn’t just drop everything and be with him at his beck and call, either. She had her own commitments – studio time, paperwork, auditions, correspondences, and other important things to do with her work.

During the half way point in the workout, Sid and Andy took a hydration break. Sid sat on one of the benches and drank half of his water bottle in one go, with Andy wiping the sweat off his brow as if he was the one doing all the work. “What are you up to the rest of the day?” Andy asked.

Sidney shrugged. “Lunch. Wash up. Probably go surprise June and her ballet class.”

Andy couldn’t help but smile at the mention of June. It took longer than usual, he thought. “When’re you gonna make an honest woman out of her and marry her?” he demanded.

“What?!” Sid exclaimed. “Andy, come on.”

“You know I’m right,” Andy shook his head, chuckling at Sid’s reaction. “You’ve known each other since you were kids. She’s a beautiful girl, Sid. You know everything about one another, she’s always been there, you guys spend all your time together, she’s the only other person who’s as competitive as you are and who knows what it’s like to be at the level you are…Sid, I’m telling you – you’re in love with that girl and you don’t even know it.”

“She’s my best friend, Andy. It’s not like that at all,” Sidney bit his bottom lip. Andy’s words made him think about how others perceived them. Did everybody think this way about them? Was it only Andy? His teammates had said some things to him before, but he thought they were all in good fun – it was just ribbing him…right?

“I think it is like that and you’re just too stupid to realize,” Andy said, giving Sid a look. “Anyways, break’s over. Let’s go.”

***

“Relevé…wait for the cue…aaaand one-two-three-one-two-three-one-two-three-aaaaand-one-two-three…good ladies!-two-three-one-two-three-pirouette and hold! Good! And one-two-three-one-two-three-and-one-two…girls…girls why are we giggling? What’s so funny? Girls, I—”

“Behind you, Miss June!”

June whipped her head to look behind her. She saw Sidney in the doorway, a giant goofy smile on his face, dressed in jeans and a zip pullover sweater. “Oh, you’re here!”

“Hi Mr. Crosby!” the girls all said in unison. They knew that Miss June and Sidney Crosby were best friends – June told them early so it didn’t come as a surprise if he did something like this, dropping into their classes unannounced. He’d done this at least once a summer since they’d been her students, and every time he did, they giggled like schoolgirls. Sidney would end up staying and watching the end of their practice, and afterwards he’d take pictures and sign autographs if they wanted it. The girls’ brothers were always extremely jealous – June would often see them the next day in the car with the parents during drop-off, which was hilarious.

“Hi girls,” he said, nodding at them as he stepped into the room carefully, knowing he wasn’t allowed far with his shoes on. He noticed June walking towards him. “Hey Junebug.”

“Take off yo—”

“—Take off my shoes, I know,” he said, slipping out of them and pushing them away from the doorway so no-one would trip on them. “Can I watch the end of class?”

“Yeah of course,” she nodded, smiling slightly. “God, their brothers are going to be so jealous again when they get wind of this.” June turned around to address her class, who still had some giggles and smiles left in them as they watched June and Sid whisper with each other. “Would you girls like to show Sid what we’ve been working on?”

“Can we show him our Swan Lake numbers instead?” Claire Dempsey asked.

June checked her watch. Though it was cutting it close, she could indulge them with five or ten extra minutes of her time. “Well, alright. I think Sid will be very impressed.”

Sidney remembered Swan Lake. He remembered Swan Lake because at one point in her life, it was all June could talk about. He even remembered the music – well, the more popular pieces – and how much June would practice. But June’s girls now were so much different than she was at their age. They were so much more well-adjusted, and that had to be 50% their parents not being as bad as Miss Hockley, and 50% June’s teaching and mentoring methods. Having gone through hell and back, Sid knew that June wanted better for these girls, and she’d told him as much when she got into teaching. She didn’t want history to repeat itself with any of them.

While June loved ballet, and was ultracompetitive just like Sidney was with being the best, there were definitely times it turned more into a love/hate relationship. Another reason why they understood each other so well was because of their similar experiences. Growing up and getting a lot of attention in hockey, there was bound to be negative attention too – from parents, kids, teammates, and various other people. There were times where Sidney felt like everything was completely out of his control. He didn’t understand, especially as a kid, why some people were so angry with him, why so many people wished him ill, complained about him, told their kids to target him on the ice. It was the same for June. Some of the girls could be vicious, and they were vicious because they knew they could never be at her level. They resorted to mental tactics to try to tear her down.

But nobody was as bad as Miss Hockley herself.

June had a tough time with her mom while developing as a ballet dancer. Miss Hockley always expected excellence from June, and when she didn’t get it, she’d get disappointed or mad – and she definitely let June know about it. When Sidney lost a game in hockey, he’d be more disappointed than his parents. They’d talk to him in the car and tell him it was okay and that they were still proud of him, and all would be well. If June placed second in a competition or fell out of a turn, June would never hear the end of it from Miss Hockley.

1996.

Sidney didn’t know why Miss Hockley was so upset. She kept shaking her head as she sat in her seat, muttering to herself words that he couldn’t quite make out. She sat down the row, and it was hard to see in the dim lighting since all the light was focused on the stage, but he could tell she was angry. June had just performed her dance, and she was amazing. Even Trina thought so. Miss Hockley didn’t.

When all the dancers in the age group were done, the lights turned on and everybody started to get up. Trina got up from her seat and held out her hand for Sidney. “C’mon, we can go backstage now and see June.”

Sid jumped up and held his mom’s hand. He was thankful that the dance competition just happened to be at the local high school, which meant that he could go. But the school was much bigger than his own elementary school, so he was a bit spooked. “Is Miss Hockley going to come, too?”

“Of course she will,” Trina said, eyeing down the row, only to see Miss Hockley almost already out of the auditorium and on her way to the classrooms, which were being used as dressing rooms. “Miss Hockley will talk to June first and then we can go in, okay?”

Sidney nodded, and they made their way through the crowd. There were girls everywhere in sparkly, fancy costumes; they were dressed up as princesses or sailors or even baseball players. Some of them even had lots of makeup on, so much that even Sidney could tell. Sidney saw that June’s lips were red on stage, which meant she was wearing lipstick. He wondered what it would look like up close.

As he and his mom approached the classroom, even amongst all the chatter outside, Sidney could hear yelling. Yelling from Miss Hockley. “You turned out of all your turns!!! ALL OF THEM!!! How are you so stupid, Juniper?!”

“I d-d-didn’t mean—”

“How often did we practice?! How often?! And then you go out on stage and you perform like an amateur!!! You made yourself look like an idiot!!!”

“B-b-but mommy—”

“I don’t want to hear your stupid excuses, Juniper. And you can cry all you want – you’re not getting any sympathy from me. You don’t even deserve to place. I want to hear nothing from you on the way home, do you understand me?! Not a word. You’re an embarrassment.”

Sidney and his mom were waiting against the wall outside the classroom, hearing every word. Trina was standing behind him and had placed her hands over his chest, hugging him to her. They watched silently as Miss Hockley burst through the door, marching off in the opposite direction, not even seeing them. He could feel his mom take a deep breath before she bent down to be at eye-level with him. “I think you should go in first,” she said, her voice so much more soothing than Miss Hockley’s. “I think June will appreciate that very much. You can tell her how much you loved her dance.”

Sidney nodded, and his mom let go of him so he could go inside. He closed the door behind him. He looked around the classroom to see June curled up in one of the chairs, knees to her chest, sobbing. “Hi Junebug,” he said, loud enough that she could hear over her tears.

June raised her head slightly to see Sidney. Her makeup was running down her face, and her red lipstick was smudged. “Hi S-S-Sid,” she managed to say through a sob, trying to wipe away her tears but only smearing her makeup more.

“Are you okay?” he asked, even though he knew she wasn’t. He didn’t want her to know he’d heard everything her mom said. June shook her head, trying to compose herself and keep in her sobs. “You looked beautiful out there…” he tried to say.

June’s face scrunched up, and no matter how hard she tried to hold it in, she let out another sob. “No I didn’t,” she huffed out, tears streaming down her face.

“Yes you did!” he said. “I thought you looked beautiful. And your dance was amazing!”

She shook her head. “I f-fell out of all my t-t-turns. It was so bad. I’m not going t-to place and now my m-m-mom is mad and I…I…I just ruined everything!”

Sidney realized he couldn’t say any encouraging words that would get through to her. Nothing he could say would make a difference. But then he remembered a saying his dad always said to him, about bullies on the ice. “Actions speak louder than words.” It meant that his skills and what he did on the ice would always speak louder than any names other kids would call him to try and get in his head. Sidney knew that he was only nine years old, but he knew that it could be applied in this situation, too.

So Sidney did the only thing he could think of: he wrapped his arms around June and hugged her tight. She wrapped her arms around him too, hugging him just as tight, and she cried and cried and cried.

“Okay girls, let’s set up for the Dance of the Cygnets,” June announced as Claire, Franny, Zoë, and Malika stepped forward, joining hands and assuming position. When June started the music, the girls began moving, dancing in almost perfect sync with each other. Sidney remembered this dance – it was one of the dances a pre-teen June knew how to do as a teenager. She’d perfected it in no time, and her teacher had pressured the other girls June was paired with to be up to her standard. None of the other girls could reach it; they found it impossible.

1998.

“Sidney! June’s here!” Sidney heard Troy call out from the front door as he was reading in his room. If it was any of his other friends, he would have heard their loud footsteps making their way through his house and towards his room. But this was June, and she was a ballerina in every sense of the word – she moved like one everywhere she went, which meant there were no loud footsteps. She practically floated. It was only when he heard his bedroom door open that he realized she had moved through the house.

“Hey Junebug,” he said, setting down his book spine-up so he didn’t lose his page. He noticed she brought her dance bag with her, flung down beside his door before she closed it (Sidney’s parents allowed the door to be closed only with June because, well, it was June), which meant that she had just come from class and Miss Hockley was probably going in for a shift at work at the supermarket.

“Hey,” she said, looking away from him.

“How was dance?”

She shrugged her shoulders in response. “What’re you reading? Is that for our book report?”

Sidney tried to get a good look at her, and when he did, he saw something that he always hated to see. “Why’re your eyes red?” he asked. “Were you crying?”

She was caught. There was no use hiding it anymore. June could only nod. “Yeah, I was. Just a bit.”

“Why were you crying?”

“I got yelled at a lot today because my pirouettes were horrible,” she informed him.

Sidney’s eyebrows furrowed. That was the stupidest thing he’d ever heard, considering what he knew about June and her dancing ability. “Didn’t you tell me you’re the only one in your class who can even go up en pointe?”

“Yeah.”

“Well then why would they be mad? How could they even be mad if you’re the only one that can do them?”

June couldn’t help but smile slightly at his tone of voice, even letting out a slight chuckle at how incredulous he sounded. “Because I was doing them perfectly just yesterday. And now all of the sudden I can’t do them. I’m not doing the dance bad on purpose, I swear. I just—I need to be more consistent.”

Sidney wanted to roll his eyes. That was Miss Hockley or her teacher talking, not June. June was one of the most consistent people he knew – like him. “Well I bet they were great,” he said, ending the conversation so he didn’t upset her even more. “What book are you reading for the book report?”

“It’s this new book I found at the library. It’s called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Have you heard of it?”

Sidney was clapping loudly, another giant, dumb grin on his face at what he just saw. “Wow girls, that was impressive!” he exclaimed. “You guys were so in sync!”

“You’ve seen Miss June dance when she was our age, Mr. Crosby. Are we as good?” Zoë asked as a joke, already knowing the answer.

“Aaaaalright alright alright,” June cut them off, laughing along with them. “Don’t put him on the spot like that. Now go change girls, I’m sure your parents are waiting outside.”

“Will Sid—”

“—Yeeesss, Sidney will take pictures and sign autographs for you outside,” June said, placating them. The girls were antsy as they scurried away to the dressing room, leaving Sidney and June alone in the studio. “They all have massive crushes on you,” she told him, if only to get him riled up.

“Oh geeze,” Sidney blushed, shaking his head. “Don’t say that. I’ve known them since they were, like, twelve.”

“That’s exactly why. You always visit.”

He shook his head, his smile still on his face. “Wanna get takeout and watch Netflix tonight?” he asked. “You pick the food.”

June frowned. “I wish I could,” she began, “but I have to work late.”

“Work late? Really?”

June nodded. “Some of the girls are actually coming back tonight for some extra sessions. They all just had their auditions so they want to fine-tune everything, you know…”

June had never stayed late at work before. She was always done by a specific time. Part of him was suspicious, because it was so out of character for her to stay so late at the studio, even if the girls asked for extra lessons. But he guessed the reason was plausible enough – the girls did just have their big auditions for various ballet companies. “Well, okay then,” he nodded.

“You’ll have to choose the food on your own,” she joked.

“Well, if it’s not too late, feel free to come by,” he offered. “I’m sure I’ll have leftovers. You know me and how I order.”

“It will be late, and you know how I don’t like to drive in the dark,” she said. She could see disappointment in his face, and she was disappointed, too. But what she had to do had to be done. “We can meet tomorrow for lunch if you’re not with Andy,” she offered.

“Yeah, for sure,” Sidney nodded, looking down at the ground to find his shoes. “I better get out there. They’re probably waiting.”

As he signed autographs and took pictures with all the girls, hearing chorus after chorus of how this would make their brothers soooooo jealous, Sidney kept thinking about his reaction in the studio. Why was he so suspicious of June? She told him she had work to do and she was going to do it – she wasn’t going to skirt out on a responsibility. He had to accept that, and he did. But why was his first feeling suspicion? She’d never lied to him before, and he had no reason to not believe her.

June eventually came out and had an amused look on her face, as she always did when watching the girls interact with Sid. He watched as she stepped away behind her desk at one point, typing vigorously into her phone. When the last of the girls left, he watched as she scrolled and typed, scrolled and typed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Junebug,” he said softly, not wanting to startle her too bad since she seemed so concentrated.

When she heard his voice, she gave him her complete and undivided attention. “For sure,” she nodded. “I’ll call you. Don’t order too much food.”

“I can’t make any promises.”

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trekronorswedes · 3 years

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𝖒𝖞𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖞 𝖔𝖋 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊 - part two.

pairing: sidney crosby x reader word count: 5.2k warning(s): curse words, sexual innuendos, thirsting over sid’s thighs note: things will start picking up pace from here i promise! i just hate heading into the story without establishing some sort of base. once again, as we head into the 2021-2022 season, all events will be fictional unless stated otherwise

There have not been many instances in life that Noor's run herself to the ground trying to make a remarkable first impression on someone, but college students are terrifying, and they can be mortifyingly brutal with their opinions. Of that, Noor is certain because she was in their very shoes only a few years back, and she knows first hand that running on four hours of sleep and a carton of Redbull leaves you with no filter whatsoever.

The sight of the Pitts campus in itself is enough to make Noor unsteady on her feet. Like most centuries-old Universities across the country, the buildings echo the sentiments of medieval European castles or cathedrals (although these buildings are dated pre-World War II when designers resembled Greek or Roman antiquity) and boy, oh, boy, if it isn't a beauty. The pictures or the virtual tour Pitt website offer doesn't do it justice.

Brown, Noor's alma meter, resembled an Old England mansion, and while she'd spent a good couple of years admiring its homely beauty, what stood in front of her was undeniably an architectural beauty.

On her way to the Chancellor's office first thing in the morning, she spotted the bronze statue of the Panther and was told to rub its once on Fridays before their football games for good luck by her fellow tour guide, another professor from the fine arts department.

No hockey for them? She couldn't help but snicker.

Her first class rolls in at nine-thirty in the morning, and by now, Noor's halfway through her second cup of coffee. They all stroll through the door, still hanging off from the weekend, yawning and rubbing sleep off of their faces. She lets them all settle into their seats, their attention still not having fallen towards her just yet.

She can only assume she looks rather small, standing with her hips perched against the desk, brown eyes scanning the muddy red seats being filled up one by one behind her round specs before their tired eyes finally land on her in the middle of the room.

A chorus of whispers begin to spill across the room, and Noor takes it as her cue to step forward and introduce herself. Shaking off the way her heart threatened to fall out of her mouth, Noor balances her weight between her feet, suddenly thankful for the way the stilettos she'd chosen inflict pain on her toes, just enough to keep her mind distracted.

"Good morning, everyone," Her voice cuts through their hushed tones, successfully silencing them, "I hope you've all had a good weekend and a wonderful summer."

She smiles, the way she used to smile at the strangers walking into Molly's for the first time or the single mother that lived across the hallway. She smiles at them in hopes of reminding herself that despite the promise to hate this stupid city, she wants to make it work. She doesn't just want to wake up every morning, dreading to step inside the campus and go back to her apartment in hopes of being able to string a few words together. She wants to live and love even the most mundane moments of life, just like she used to.

"I am Noor Anwar, and I will be your professor for Introduction to Fiction."

"Aren't you too young to be our professor?" A distant voice inquires from the safety of the crowd, and Noor can see the entire class freeze in anticipation within her frame of vision.

She purses her lips, "Perhaps so," she has no desire to mull over her age throughout the whole semester, "But it has nothing to do with my ability to do my work. Rather I hope it will be easier for you all to communicate with me."

A beat of silence passes. Noor nods in satisfaction, "Good, let's begin."

After the initial tension washed away, the ice quickly began to melt, and Noor found herself eased enough to start connecting with the class. Before long, whatever she'd scribbled down on her lesson plan was ditched, and now their conversation ranged from a discourse regarding their favourite authors to them telling her all about Pittsburgh.

"Do you watch hockey, professor?" Jackson, as Noor has just learnt, calls out from the second last row.

"Uh, no," Instantly, series of disapproval rings in the room, "But, but, I am going to my first hockey game tonight," She glances around with her brows raised, and a few of them cheer. She'd almost blissfully forgotten about that.

"Let's go, Pens!" And the howl that follows has to be shut down by Noor before someone comes running, wondering who died.

As the cheers die down, someone insists on teaching her all about ice hockey. "After all, you can't be a Pittsburgh native without it," and more times than she could count, Sidney Crosby's name came spilling out with the most starstruck and admirable eyes.

They all love him, she thinks: they've been with him through every loss and every win. They support him like he's their annoying older brother.

"Now, don't forget about the paper!" Noor calls out as the students begin to file out of the room, "And I deserve a fair warning if it's on Bukowski or Fitzgerald!"

"It's not due tomorrow, is it?" A redhead, whose name was slipping from Noor's mind, inquiries, "We'll be glued to the Pens game tonight - just like you!"

She rolls her eyes playfully, "Just get it to me by the end of the week."

Who knew Literature majors enjoyed hockey so much?

Noor's about to head out herself as the last clutter of students disperse out, collecting her folder that ended up being useless and her tote bag before hearing tentative footsteps behind her.

"Diya, right?" She guesses, racking her brain, hoping to connect the names to the faces. The girl seems startled at first, clearly not expecting her to notice her, but she recovers quickly and almost in a flash, she's standing right in front of Noor.

She must be an athlete. Noor takes in her height; even in her heels, Diya has at least four inches more on her.

"Hi...Sorry, I am not interrupting, am I?"

"No, no, you're alright. I haven't got anywhere to be for a while, except I suppose find good coffee somewhere around here, "Noor scrunches up her face, grasping onto the to-go cup that was still heavy with caffeinated liquid. The Pitts cafeteria needs to start working on that.

"Yeah," Diya laughs, eyeing that cup with as much discontent as Noor felt while drinking it, "That's just brown water. There's a coffee shop two blocks down. It's pretty much an honorary Pitts establishment."

She nods at the suggestion with gratitude, "Thank you, I will be keeping that in mind."

"Is there anything you wanted to speak to me about?" Noor smiles.

"Yeah," She clears her throat, diverting her eyes to her feet, "It's a bit silly, but I read your book when it came out last year, and I just wanted to come by and say that I loved it."

Diya's cheeks burn, eyes glued to the floor, missing the way Noor's glancing her way as if she's just told her she won the Pulitzer Award.

"You have?" She manages to squeak out, her heart thrumming in her ears.

Someone's read her book! She is no Sally Rooney or Stephen King, hell she might as well be at the bottom of the barrel, but hearing someone tell her they've read one of her books, whom she considers to be her first two babies, let alone love the product of her blood, sweat and tears puts her on cloud nine.

"I picked it out at the bookstore - well, my friend did. I finished it in two nights," She chuckles, tentatively glancing up to gouge her professor's reaction. She was stunned. She takes it as her cue to continue: "I was really struggling with college. Dealing with a new city, new crowd and everything, and your book really helped."

Noor presumes her silence must've been eating her because she quickly adds, "Sorry, was that weird? I just recognised your name, then you spoke about your life back in Manhattan, and everything just clicked - "

Unable to find the right words to convey her emotions, Noor pulls her into a hug.

Anna wolf whistles, spotting Noor trudging her way from the stairs in her heels towards the empty seat. Thankfully, they'd left the one by the aisle for her. Cath gets up from her spot, wasting no time taking the girl's arm and playfully giving her a spin.

"Don't you look sexy!" Cath grins like a Cheshire cat, and Anna follows suit with a remark of her own, "The captain won't know what hit him."

"We might have to hide you away until after the game," The blonde continues chirping, and Noor rolls her eyes behind her glasses. Ever since she'd walked in on the pair conversing in her kitchen, she was hellbent that something was cooking between them and from the looks of it, she had managed to rope Anna in as well.

"You both are hilarious," She chuckles, her tone lacking humour but desperate to drift the discussion elsewhere. "My last class rang longer than I expected, so I hadn't had time to head to my apartment and change. How hockey appropriate is this?"

Her eyes trailed down to her white ribbed tube top, matched with a pair of white dress pants, topped with a teal and blue blazer - which seemed to be the only thing shielding her from the cold inside the arena. She wasn't expecting that.

Cath whistles again, giving her a once over before finally settling back down to their seats. "Aren't you a sexy professor - I bet you already have secret admirers piling up!"

"If one of those sixty-year-old bald-headed professors on tenure at the uni starts sending me flowers, I'll come to you both seeking bug repellent spray," She scrunches up her face, making the two women guffaw at her words.

"Might have to warn Sid that he has competition," Noor doesn't miss the way Anna's voice lowers to just above a whisper at Sidney's name, seemingly out of their seat neighbours' earshot.

"I highly doubt he cares," Her retort drowns out in a sea of cheers and gasps as soon as the boys adorned in their black and gold jerseys make their way out of the tunnel.

"Oh, yeah?" Despite keeping her focus on the ice, Noor can hear the smirk on Cath's voice, "You might wanna take a look at who's coming over."

Woah. The first question that pops into Noor's awestruck head is how the hell is he skating so fast? She's seen those thighs and calves up close. There is no way in hell he can float around the ice like a graceful angel with them.

"Noor?"

A pinch to her waist pulls her out of her head. "Sorry - what?"

Ignoring the knowing glances and snickers being shoved her way, Noor drifts her attention towards the source of her affliction. And lo and behold, Sidney Crosby is bent against the boards, stretching right in front of them.

Keeping her eyes on him, Noor leans back towards the two, "Does he always end up putting on a show before the game?"

"I think this one is just for you."

"This is basically porn with clothes on. What the hell?" She all but shrieked, her face heats up the moment his eyes glance upwards, seemingly in their direction, and he gives them a little wave.

Cath drapes her arm around Noor's shoulders, seemingly to keep her from bolting out of her seat after Sid's little stunt that no one else will bat an eye towards.

"Keep it in your pants till after the game, sweetie."

This time, Noor's mouth remains shut.

Sidney is neither blind nor foolish to deny that Noor is a beautiful woman. He's thought so from the moment Sam decided to tackle her to the floor at the Letang's. However, seeing her seated in the stands amongst the WAGs, endearingly out of place at a hockey game in her thick blazer but more herself as she converses with Anna and Cath, causes that unfamiliar feeling to stir in his gut once more.

It's Dumo that points her out in passing as they tumble out of the tunnel one by one for the warmups.

"You good?" Geno's voice breaks him out of his trance, and he quickly diverts his focus back on stretching his legs. He's starting to have a real staring problem.

"Yeah, yeah," Sid shakes his head in dismissal, "just a little in over my head."

He doesn't have to glance over his shoulder to see the frown on the Russian bear. He needs to focus now more than ever. With the regular season now looming right around the corner, he can't afford to be distracted. Especially when a pretty professor will be watching from the stands, anticipating a goal for her sake.

"Cath's friend is here," Geno points out, lying himself down on the ice right beside the captain, "you might want to put on a show for her tonight. I see the way you look at her."

And put on a show he did.

The Penguins beat Columbus Blue Jacket 4-3 into overtime with Sidney's empty netter tying their scores. It took every ounce of his willpower to send the game puck flying in Noor's direction because he really really wanted to show off.

"Let's fucking go!" They burst into the locker room, sweating their asses off and buzzing with electricity from winning their last preseason game. It's always a good sign heading into the regular season with a winning streak - especially when the next team you're about to play has been holding the Stanley Cup Champions title for the past two seasons.

"Good game, boys," Sid, ever the dutiful captain, exclaims, shaking hands with his teammates as they all scurry off to all to their own. He knows he has to hit the showers before the cameras come barging in, asking their typical five questions.

"Oi, Sid!" Tanger exclaims, pulling his compression shirt over his head across the room, seemingly about to head to the showers. "Geno and I are heading out to Diesel after this. You're coming with."

Sid opens his mouth to argue, not in the mood to engage in a public outing when Kris interjects, a knowing look on his face. "No arguments. You're coming, and you won't regret it."

He's gone before Sidney has a chance to make his case. He turns to Geno, hoping he'd be able to get him out of going to a club, but he merely shrugs, his eyes glimmering and something tells Sidney they're both in on it.

"Our neighbour's on babysitting duty," Geno bumps his shoulder against his, "And you might catch the pretty professor."

Oh, so that's what all that was about.

He's known both Tanger and Geno and their frankly terrible matchmaking skills for far too long to be surprised at their attempts to make something out of him and Noor. Only this time, he actually has an urge to make an effort. God, they're wearing him down.

Anna and Cath are busy chatting about some charity thing they do as WAGs when the boys come barreling out of the locker room like soldiers dressed in fancy suits. Noor spots him before he does, and she's glad for the traffic that conceals her from his view, because dear god, he looks good.

He's laughing at something his teammates said, and his nose scrunches up as his eyes flutter shut adorably. His hair is still wet from the shower he must've taken after the game, and Noor has the urge to curl her fingers around the stray strand dangling over his forehead.

Cool it, Noor, she has to remind herself. It's the second time she's lost her mind staring at him, and having to spend a few more hours with him so close to her after watching him on the ice was no good for her mental stability.

"Noor?" Anna gives her elbow a gentle squeeze, bringing her back to the present, only to find him standing right in front of her.

"Hey," She clears her throat, shuffling on her feet and praying to whatever entity there is that her cheeks aren't flushed. "Sorry, long day," She chuckles nervously before her eyes meet Sidney's, "great game today."

"Thank you," He's attempting to fight a grin, and it almost makes her feel as if he could read her mind. He would have to put a restraining order against her then. "How much of the game did you actually get?"

"I mean, I cheered when you guys scored goals," Sidney laughs, and his nose scrunches once more, and Noor can't help but smile in triumph. She makes a mental note to make him laugh more often.

"I should hope you cheered the loudest for my goal," Sidney doesn't know where all of this is coming from, but it feels natural - easy - talking to her, "that one was for you, after all."

It's her turn to laugh, and it's the most beautiful sound Sidney has heard in a while. Unknowingly, they've both backed themselves into a corner, separated from the group that's watching them from a distance with keen interest.

"Yeah," she fixes her glasses over her nose - did she wear glasses the last time? No, she didn't, but they made her all the more adorable, "You should've seen the glares I received. I'm surprised I didn't burst into flames or something."

She's jesting, but Sidney's smile disappears all the time. It's a painful reminder, bringing him back to earth as to why the prospect of whatever he wants to happen with Noor is all too complicated to become a reality.

"I am kidding," Noor lifts her hand, giving his arm a reassuring squeeze, "Besides, if they knew Sidney Crosby's out there scoring goals for me, it would be them bursting into flames of jealousy."

"Why do I feel as if you'd enjoy that?"

"Because I totally would, Sidney." Sidney has never been more grateful to be interrupted by his friends because otherwise, he would keep thinking about how good his name sounds coming from her lips, and he might die right then and there.

By the time the pair join their friends on their way out, Cath's grinning at her as if she's won the lottery and Noor's racking her brain to come up with excuses to ditch their plans.

"You know, I think I should really start heading out," Noor calls out, loud enough for all five of them to hear, and instantly, a string of disagreements begin flying out.

"Come on, just for an hour,' Noor's about to protest, coming up with some lousy excuse, but Sidney shoots her an encouraging smile, and the words die down in her throat.

"Fine," She resigns, "just for an hour." Fuck.

When it comes to splitting up to head to Diesel, Sidney's quick to offer Noor a ride, the words tumbling out of his mouth before his brain to process his request, and Noor's staring at him with big Bambi brown eyes that has Kris choking on a laugh before she mumbles out a small, "yeah, sure."

The short walk to his car is silent, with Noor spending the entire time trying to get her brain to cooperate. It's been going off the rails far too often nowadays for her liking, and it seems as if whenever it detects Sidney's presence nearby, her entire system just shuts down.

"So you just drive around town with this beast?" Noor's eyes widen at the Range Rover, wondering a) how the hell she's supposed to climb into the passenger seat and b) how to do it without twisting her ankles in her heels.

Sidney shrugs his shoulders, taking a step back from the door to the driver's seat to admire his car- nay, truck. "I've grown used to it. Most guys suggested getting a sports car, but I fell in love with this when I saw it at the dealership."

"Right," Noor hesitates before calling out, deciding there was no other option, "This is going to sound ridiculous, but I need some help getting into this thing."

She squeezes her eyes shut in embarrassment, but instead of hearing the laughter as she had expected, Sidney shuffles to her side, glancing at her expectantly to see what he could do.

"Goodness, you're tiny." Noor wants to argue she's average-sized but standing beside the Range Rover that looks like it might engulf her whole doesn't help her case, so she resorts to shooting him a scathing glare.

"You're an enormous hockey player. Everyone is tiny in comparison to you."

"You got me there," He chuckles, raising both his hands in mock surrender before asking, "Now, may I help you?"

Noor clutches onto his wrist as if her whole life depends on it, not letting her mind dwell on the way his large palm covers her hand or how their palms fit against one another. Instead, she focuses her attention on her footing, making sure she doesn't lose her balance and end up knocking her teeth out in front of Sidney Crosby.

"Holy shit, you're strong," Noor giggles when he all but lifts her up into the passenger seat, and her hold on his hand tighten out of surprise.

"I'd be worried if I wasn't," He jests, and she gives his arm a playful shove. "You all set?"

"Yes, captain."

Sidney scurries off to the driver's seat before he ends up doing something he'll regret.

He starts the car and drives out of the parking lot without a word. The silence that looms over them isn't uncomfortable or awkward. A sense of tranquillity lingers in the air, and Noor takes the opportunity to sink into the car seat, her back all but melting into the expensive faux leather, and she closes her eyes shut.

Despite whatever life throws her way, Noor has always known stability. She knows she's brave and capable enough to handle whatever dire circumstances she has to deal with, which is perhaps why Noor hasn't given herself enough time to think about everything she's left behind in New York ever since stepping foot in Pittsburgh.

She's spent most of her days unpacking all of her belongings, trying to bloom life into her apartment that has more windows than she could've ever dreamt of. Unlike the one corner window that poured sunlight into her bedroom in Manhattan, warm golden rays spill into her new home from all over, and the first morning she made the discovery, Noor nearly cried herself a bucket. Admitting the beauty of the new place she has to call home felt like a stab in the back to her former life.

It's hard adjusting to this new way of life. The lack of routine or familiarity around her leaves her feeling defenceless as if she has walked straight to the enemy's front line and stripped off of her armour. Even with the newfound companionship of Cath and Anna, who have been more than generous by extending their friendship, Noor finds herself struggling to reciprocate on the same level as them. She hates herself for it.

"Are you okay?"

Then there's him, Sidney Crosby, the golden boy of Canada and the idol of every average person that walked the ground in Pittsburgh. Shamefully she'll admit she found her way to his Wikipedia page after returning from dinner at Cath and Kris' place.

Noor has to remind herself to be careful around him because it will be terrifyingly easy to fall for him: his girlish laugh, endearing smile, kind brown eyes that she could spend hours admiring, his salt and pepper hair that she can't stop wanting to run her fingers along. His personality resembles the one of a golden retriever - just like his dog, Sam, and something about him makes Noor want to curl against him in a ball give him all the happiness that the universe has to offer.

It's a dangerous thought, and something tells her she's already slipping.

"Noor?" He calls out again, concern penetrating into his voice, and Noor hums in response to put him out of his misery.

"I am fine," She lies through her teeth, not opening her eyes, "just a little tired. These seats are comfy."

She's grateful when he decides not to grill her for her lie. She's always been a terrible liar.

Noor wills herself to open her eyes just as Sidney pulls over to Diesel. Killing the engine, he ditches his suit, leaving him in his dress shirt, and somehow that's almost worse. She takes off her own blazer, the atmosphere suddenly too warm for the additional piece of garment and drops in on the backseat of his Rover just as he circles around the corner and opens the door to her side.

"Such a gentleman," She teases, graciously taking his hand and tentatively pressing the other to his shoulder. She lets out a squeal, feeling him wrap an arm around her waist and lower her down onto the ground.

"Is that one of the perks of having Sidney Crosby chauffeur you around?" Sidney's hand rests on her back, the heat of his touch searing her skin through the material of her shirt as he leads her inside.

"Nope. That one's just for you."

Before she can dwell on his words, he adds, "Is it okay if we go through the kitchen door?"

Tilting her head sideways, Noor catches a glimpse of his face. He's nervous, his brows knitting together as his pale face is swallowed by a faint flush.

That's the baggage he has to carry with him everywhere he goes, and he's evidently embarrassed by his request. Despite the politeness of his question, Noor knows there's only one correct answer.

"Yeah, of course. That's perfect," Noor beams and instantly, relief washes over him.

The staff doesn't bat an eye as Sidney walks through the door, apparently used to the celebrity appearance in their establishment. However, it's hard to miss the way some of them do a double-take at her as she trails behind him, with Sid grasping onto her hand as if he'd lose her in the crowd.

She's almost disappointed when she spots their friends, selfishly having enjoyed Sidney's alone company far more than she's ever willing to admit.

Cath's wriggling her eyebrows at her as Noor drops down onto the chair beside her, with Anna on her other side, dramatically blowing the blonde a kiss before diverting her attention to the conversation flowing around the table.

"What's the difference between the regular season and preseason?" Noor finds herself asking, taking off her glasses and resting them on the table. Kris takes it upon himself to answer her query and can't help but notice Sid's absence, presuming he's gone to the bar to get drinks for himself. The others have seemingly already had a few from the empty glasses littered across the wooden table.

"So, essentially, "She purses her lips as Kris finishes his explanation, just as Sidney makes his way back, "there was no point in winning tonight's game?" She narrows her eyes in thought, and the three players let out a laugh.

"Technically, but not really," Sidney slides a bottle of cider in her direction, the same brand she'd been drinking at the Letang's and Noor only smiles at his recollection.

Accepting the drink, she tilts the bottle towards him before taking a swig, letting the coldness of the drink wash down her throat. "Does that mean I am getting another goal on a real game soon?" A teasing smile lingers on her lips as Sidney shakes his head, unable to fight the grin from forming on his face.

"For someone who doesn't know anything about hockey, you sure do care about the goals a lot," He retorts, taking a sip of his own beer.

"Hey, I am learning!" Noor defends herself, her veil faltering as a laugh leaves her throat, "I even let my class of sophomores explain what's icing, wrist shots and shootout to me for forty minutes."

She takes another sip, keeping her focus solely on his smile, "Half of which they spent talking about you."

If it was possible for sunshine to practically melt into someone's face, that's exactly how Noor would describe the smile sweeping across Sidney's face at her words. He's blushing, his eyes cast downwards on his feet, but she can still see his lips curving upwards, and it's frankly the most beautiful sight she's ever seen.

"That's...That - " He's sputtering, at a loss for words, and Geno puts his arm over Sid's shoulder, swinging his body sideways while mumbling something Noor can't quite catch.

It's hardly the first time he's heard something like this: after all, he's lived in this city for fifteen years and played for the Penguins for just as long. But each time he hears it, it takes him by surprise all the same.

"Seriously though," Noor begins softly, leaning closer with her elbows resting atop the table, "You should've seen the way they talked about you. They admire you so much."

He deserves to know the fruits of his hard work because something tells her he carries far too many burdens and indulges in far too little of the outcome. Sidney smiles at her in gratitude, a silent conversation taking place between them as she returns the gesture.

When the night comes to an end, Noor hugs the four of them goodbye at Diesel - Sidney having insisted on seeing his chauffeur duties to completion by dropping her to her apartment.

"This is me," Noor announces, glancing up at the burnt orange townhouse apartment she now calls her home as Sidney takes in the quaint neighbourhood she's situated in.

"Thank you for the ride," She announces, drawing a breath before adding playfully, "and for the goal, of course."

Sidney's eyes light up at her words, and before she knows, he's hurrying to the backseat of his car, calling out to give him a minute as he digs through what seems to be his hockey kit.

"This is for you," He hands her a black rubber disk, "It's from tonight's game."

"To remember your first ever hockey game by," Taking the puck in her hands, Noor examines its weight in her grasp, eyes darting to his face to find him smiling down at her; so brightly and genuinely she can't help but wonder if his cheeks ever hurt from smiling.

Wordlessly, Noor closes the gap between them and snakes her arm around his neck, giving his body a warm squeeze, and Sidney responds almost immediately by wrapping an arm around her waist, accepting her embrace. She's hoping the gesture translates the thousand different emotions she can't express through words.

"Thank you, Sid," Her lips brush against his slightly stubbled cheek before she disappears into her apartment.

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