Better Together (Patrick Kane)

30| New Beginnings

Patrick

As September starts to come to a close and the season is just right around the corner I had a big decision to make.

I felt like I over stayed my welcome at the Bowmans and it was time for me to move out. They had been nothing but amazing to me. Cam and Will will forever be my biggest fans and I will forever be theirs. I'll cherish all the times we spent together and I'll always be there when they need me. Suzanne had taught me so many things about becoming independent. She taught me how to cook some and clean some and a lot of life lessons. She is incredibly strong and she does a lot for the family, things that go unappreciated. But I see them and I think they're just as important as all the other stuff she does. As for Stan, he taught me what it really means to be in the NHL. He's pretty hard core and stale faced, usually monotoned. But he puts a lot into this organization, a lot of it we don't see. But its there, I promise it's there. And he does it all while fighting cancer, that's true strength right there.

And Danny, oh Danny. Never would I have thought that I would fall so in love so freaking hard. But here I am, putting her above everything and just hoping for love in return. She shows me every day that love is not only real, but it's strong and more powerful than anything. I've seen her go through the toughest of times, watching the ones she loves most slips through her fingers, but she never gave up on love no matter how scared she was. She has grown so much and I am honored to be growing with her. Because behind the pretty face and brilliant mind was the sweetest most passionate girl I have ever met and now I have the pleasure of calling her my girlfriend.

And while it was time for me to move I didn't really want to do it by myself. I needed my best friend to be there with me but I'm not sure she would want to. Stan is doing a lot better with his treatments but the cancer is still there. The boys are older now to where they can hold their own but if those were my kids I would want them around Danny as much as possible. So I'm not sure what going to happen.

I already talked to Stan about moving out and he understood. He knows I have to come to my own and grow up sometime. Since I'm not some bright eyed boy in the city for the first time it wasn't such a bad idea to get a apartment this time around. He helped me find one that was still close and reasonably priced and now I just have to tell the one person I didn't want to.

I go up to Danny's room and knock on the door. I open it and find her with headphones bobbing her head to music as she did homework. It was actually really cute.

"Danny" I yell and she jumps. She smiles when she sees it's me and takes her headphones off.

"Hey Patrick" she smiles.

"Hey, I got a question for you" I start and she turns her head to the side.

"Must be serious because you're not making jokes first" she notices.

"It's pretty big" I admit. She joins me on her bed and I turn to her. This was a lot harder than it needed to be.

"I'm moving out" I say.

"Oh" she sighs.

"And I want you to come with me" I reiterate and her eyes go big.

"You want me to move out with you" she asks and I nod. She stares at me as she tries to figure out what to say.

"I'm moving because this isn't where I belong. I'm here to play hockey and I was blessed to be here with your family to start my career. Here I met you and Stan and his family and for that I am forever grateful, but I'm not going to live here forever. It's not my place to. They need time to just be a family instead of baby sitting me and it's time for me to break off" I explain.

"I get it. You're ready to live without my uncle watching over you and my aunt treating you like you're Wills age. But why do you want me to come with" she asks.

"I learned that everything in life is better with you by my side. And although I want to move out by myself, I want to be alone with you. I want to roll over in bed and see your jet black hair. I want to brush that hair out of you face and kiss your perfect lips then watch those long eyelashes separate revealing those sparking eyes. Then I'll know that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. I want to watch you cook because you always listen to music while you're doing it and it looks like you're having the time of your life. I want to stay up late and watch film with you, listen to all your sassy remarks about the mistakes I made then quickly tell me how to fix them. I want to see this world but I want to see it through your eyes. Because even though things have been hard recently I know that we rely so heavily on each other and if I don't have you around I will probably lose my mind" I admit. She suddenly presses her lips to mine and I forget what I was going to say next.

"Is that a yes" I ask and she giggles.

"Yes Patrick, I'll move with you. Because even though I'm scared, I learned that I can't keep avoiding the love I'm scared of. I should embrace it and that's what I'm going to do" she claims.

"Great. So I guess we start packing" I suggest.

"When are we moving" she wonders.

"Today" I shrug and she smacks my arm.

"Patrick! Why didn't say something earlier" she pouts.

"I don't know! I didn't think it would be this easy" I admit and she rolls her eyes.

"You're such a pain in the ass, you know that" she smiles.

"Only for you. But you can leave most of your stuff, we'll still be here a lot. Just pack some clothes and your essentials. We'll get your computer and desk over later" I explain.

"Okay, I can do that. Are you sure you want to me to move in with you" she asks.

"That ring on your finger is a set of promises that I want to be with you. I assure you, I want this" I say picking up her hand and kissing the back of it.

"I love you Patrick" she reminds me.

"I love you too" I smile.

We pack up what we need and Stan helps us get it over to the apartment. It was fully furnished so all it needed was food in the fridge and a few little personal touches then it was ready. After much contemplation I let Danny pick some things out for the apartment but we wouldn't get it until a later time.

We get all of our clothes out of Stans car and in our place in one day. He would bring over the bigger things later but this was a good start.

At midnight we decide that everything was where it needed to be and it caused for a celebration. I get a bottle of champagne and two glasses out before handing Danny a glass.

"Where the hell did you get this, you aren't allowed to buy alcohol" she giggles.

"It's was your grandpas going away present" I smirk.

"Of course it was, any reason to pop champagne and celebrate he's there. He's done it nine times now" she rolls her eyes.

I pop the top and she lets out a little cheer. I pour us some champagne and we clink our glasses.

"Here to new beginnings" she smiles.

"To new beginning" I repeat.