10 years

Chapter 15

Rowan woke up the next morning almost in a panic, until she realized the guy laying next to her wasn't some celebratory, drunken mistake. When she remembered what had happened the night before all she could do was smile and move to get her clothes off the floor.

Before she could get out of bed she was pulled back down into Sidney's chest.

"Stay," he grumbled, "it's cold in here alone."

She smiled at his gravelly morning voice and deshuvled hair, "Sidney I have to go."

"No."

She rolled her eyes at his pleas but got up anyway and slipped her dress back on from the night before.

Considering it was about 6 a.m. Rowan closed the door as quietly as she could, but to no avail.

"Good morning, Rowan!" Nathan Mackinnon chirped as he opened his neighboring room door.

"Shut up Mackinnon." She walked away.

He smirked at her already apparent hickeys and smudged makeup, "Have fun last night?"

"Don't fucking tell anybody what you saw, or I swear to God, I will do physical harm." She threatened.

By the time Rowan was back at her room she had 3 missed calls, 2 from her Dad and one from Deirdre, wishing her a happy birthday. She called her dad back and talked for a little bit. Mostly about the championship game and how sorry he was he couldn't make it.

Then she Skyped Deirdre. That got interesting.

"What'd you do to celebrate? How drunk did you get?"

"I didn't drink that much. Today was fun I wondered around the city, it was nice."

"That's all you did? That sounds a lot more tame than the Rowan I know."

Rowan didn't look at the screen for a few seconds.

"What did you do?"

"I got into bed with Sidney last night." She admitted, biting her lip.

"Wha- Ho- What, what happened a-after you crawled into bed with Sid?"

Rowan let out a breathy laugh and smiled.

"Eeeeeeee!" Deirdre squealed.

"Why are you so happy?"

"Because, everybody's been waiting for this since you guys met 10 years ago," Deirdre blurted, "I mean my mom and I have had bets about when you guys would finally do it."

"Seriously?!"

"Yeah," She replied with no shame, "anyway I gotta go sweetie, but happy birthday and have fun in Prague." Ending with a wink, she hung up.

"Why are we friends?" Rowan questioned to the empty room.

By the time Rowan made  it down to the breakfast area Sidney was already sitting with a few other guys.

"Hey." She asked casually.

"Hey." He replied taking a bite of his toast, "how was your night?"

"Good. Yours?"

"Pretty good."

Oh how the morning after is awkward and fun, but mostly awkward.

Once breakfast was done Rowan headed up to her room, and found herself, once again, alone with Sidney.

"Sidney I have a question." She admitted sitting on the couch in her room.

"Anything." He sat down next to her.

"What did you mean, last night, when you said 'you don't know how long I've wanted you to say my name like that'?"

Sidney looked down at his hands, "It meant that I've been falling in love with you for 10 years, " he admitted, "And I never had the courage to tell you until now."

"Sidney..." She trailed off.

"I don't want this to be awkward between us."

"What do you want, Sid?"

"Row, I'm certain I want 3 things in this world, I want myself and my family to be healthy and happy, I want to win several more Stanley Cups, and I want you." He said looking into her eyes. "I want you." He repeated, "I would trade any Gold Medal just for a night with your heart. I want to score goals with you, and win Cups with you. I want to have little curly haired, mini me's with you that I can teach to skate and show off to the world. I want to know about your life goals and your future, fuck, I wanna be your future Rowan. I want you more than I've ever wanted anything, hell, I need you more than anything. I want to be yours and you to be mine. Rowan, I love you."

Her response of silence was enough to make Sidney get up and make his way to the door.

"Sid." She called after him, and he stopped.

"While I wouldn't say I've been in love with you for 10 years, I never said I didn't feel the same way," she looked into his eyes, "I love you too."

If Sidney were to have keeled over and died right there he would have been perfectly okay with it.

"God Rowan," he pulled her into his broad chest and kissed the top of her head, "I don't care what others think, or what happens, I'll love you, forever."

She didn't need to respond verbally, her loving kiss was enough.

I guess sometimes waiting 10 years for the right spark of magic is worth it.