Two.

Rae's POV

In the morning, Sid wakes up to his alarm like normal, and also like normal he tries to get it after the second beep to try and not wake me up. And like usual, it doesn't work but I hold still, letting him think it does. He goes through with his normal routine, getting showered and taking his bags downstairs, and then coming upstairs once again to say goodbye to me.

Sid's a man of routine, and I love that about him. I always know what to expect, and he never lets me down. But what happens when expectations are raised and then aren't met? Not because of a failure of effort, but simply because the other half doesn't know the bar has been raised? I know Sid loves me, and I love all the little gestures he does for me, but every now and then I hope he thinks out of the box, and does something special. But it never happens.

He sits down gently on the bed next to me and takes my left hand in his, toying with my wedding ring that I only take off when I shower. After a few seconds, he brings my hand up to his lips and kisses my ring ever so slightly before gently lowering my hand back where it was before. He then pushes my hair back from my face before placing the sweetest, most delicate kiss on my forehead.

It's after all of this that he finally attempts to "wake" me up. He nudges my arm slightly, and I do my best acting job of trying to wake up for real. When my eyes flutter open, I see him smirking down at me, and it's in that moment that I know things are rough between us now, and we will have to work, work really hard to try to get back to what we use to be, but I'm okay with that and even more I want it.

"Good morning," he greets softly, once again taking my left hand and kissing it before laying it back down and stroking the backside of it while I continue to wake up.

"Good morning," I reply before bringing him down for a kiss, a kiss more passionate that would normally happen on the morning of a game day. But what surprises me the most is the fact that he doesn't hold back either. In fact, he deepens the kiss, pushing me down into the covers.

Before it's all said and done, he's lying on top of me, and I can feel exactly why he's a little reluctant to leave now. But knowing he has to, he finally breaks his lips apart from mine and gives me a sly grin.

"When I get back," he laughs before trailing his hand down from my breast to the string of my panties and playfully snapping it, "you better be waiting right here."

"And if I'm not?" I counter back.

"I caveman. I hunt you down," he plays while stomping on all fours on the bed up towards me again, which has me in more than fits and giggles, until he finally has me down on all fours and I'm at his surrender. As if I wasn't before..

"Aww honey," I coo while sliding my hand down his face across his baby-smooth skin. "Don't compare yourself to Ovechkin," I add while pulling his face back down to mine. "Because you are way better looking."

He laughs and hops down off the bed, leaving me with the perfect opportunity to slap his bubbly butt, which I take. He laughs again before leaning down to kiss me one last time.

"See you when I get back. Right here," he finishes before pointing to the bed.

"Okay caveman," I giggle.

And with that, he's off. And I know for now that we are okay.