Soccer, Secrets, and Love

The Kiss

MAL POV

I wake Ashley up around 12:30 and I'm definitely shocked that she's slept this late. I'm very eager to talk to her about the whole Julie situation so I jump up on her bed and shake a little bit. Which prompts her to wake up panicking and pulling her gun out from under the pillow which granted I deserted. "Whoa whoa chill out there trigger finger. It's just me yano Mal your best friend. We gotta talk about this whole immediate reaction pulling the gun thing cause that would be hard to explain to Julie." I jump off of her go to her closet and grab some clothes to toss at her while she calms down and puts her gun away. "Well Mally you didn't have to scare me like that I mean come on you know I sleep with a gun for reasons." I nod my head in agreement and apologize for scaring her. I let her get changed before I spring the important stuff on her.

"So Ashyyyy here's the thing I mean you know damn well I woke you up for a reason so just hear me out. I know you have feelings for Julie and you're not going to admit it because you're scared for multiple reasons I get it. However after seeing her come out of your room this morning and then hearing from her what happened I know you caught the feels so here's the game plan. Tonight I'm staying with Rose I'll leave around 3 because I gotta fill her in on the Lindsey drama because she'll read me like a damn book at the training with the USWNT if I don't tell her. So just take this time to get to know her." I see Ashley thinking and I'm hoping she doesn't get mad at me.

"Alright Mal you're right there are some feelings and I can't believe I'm saying this but I do think I'm ready to let someone in you're right it's time. I'll still need to take things slow and cautious though given my job. I know I'm not going to tell her the truth at least not yet because I don't want to scare her off and yes I know staring with a lie could ruin things but I want her to get to know me for me and not a FBI agent." I'm shocked at how easily she admitted feelings but I think she knew I wouldn't leave her alone. I get where she's coming from with the hiding her secret and no matter what I'll support what she does. I let her know that and then head out of the room to make some food and get ready to leave.

ASHLEY POV

I'd be lying if I said I weren't kind of excited for a night alone with Julie. I'm falling for her hard and I barely even know the girl so I know I'm in trouble for when I really get to know her. I do my physical therapy for the day and send some emails to my work so they know how my progress is going. I also do some research into the guy we'll be watching for in France. After I finish up with my work I put my work laptop back in my safe along with my badge and my second gun that's hidden in my room. I hide them with my silencers on them so if something happens I won't alert the whole building with a gun shot going off.

Mal comes into my room to say bye to me and let's me know that Julie should be back from the store any minute. I decide to head to the living room and play some video games while I wait for her to get back. She gets back about half an hour later so I shut down my video game, take a deep breath, and collect myself I don't want to ruin this night.

"So Julie are you hungry? I can whip up some food real quick I could make homemade pizza or some pasta or we can wait to eat I don't care either way." I see Julie slightly blush when I offer to make us some food. Julie decided she wanted pasta so I said I'd make it from scratch and even teach her how to do it. When we're making the pasta she throws some flour at me and I throw some back. We get in a flour war and next thing I know my leg buckles and she's catching me. Our faces are pretty close and I think of closing the gap as I see her looking at my lips but I decide not to as I pull away and go back to making the pasta.

About an hour and a half later the pasta is cooking and so is the sauce I made. We talk about anything and everything she talks about how excited she is to be on the World Cup roster and she tells me everything about her family and it makes me smile seeing how passionate she is about it. However the dreaded question comes up about my family and how she's never heard me talk of them. I pull up the last picture I took with my parents and show it to her. "There was well an accident and both my parents unfortunately died, I didn't have any siblings but growing up so close to Mal she's been like a sister to me my whole life. When my parents died Mals parents stepped up and they now act like my parents even invite me to all their family gatherings and I couldn't be more appreciative. Now Julie wipe the facial expression off that says you feel bad for asking and don't bother apologize because I have no issue talking about my parents I mean sure it sucks and I miss them everyday but know they're watching over me and couldn't be prouder" I see shock in Julies eyes because I know she's shocked I was able to read her emotions like that, and I also see some sadness in her eyes which is natural after a story like that. Luckily we don't have to talk about it anymore since the food is done.

After we get done eating we decide to head to the couch to watch some Netflix. It's around 7:45 so we decide to watch a scary movie. It was Julies idea but I don't mind because I know it means she'll cuddle up to me. Nothing really scares me that much anymore after the things I've seen doing my job so I have no issue watching scary movies or shows. As predicted about half an hour into the movie Julie keeps jumping so I wrap my arm around her and pull her closer to me she seems to appreciate it and cuddles up to me. I have my legs propped up on our ottoman so I'm not taking up the whole couch so that prompts Julie to lie down with her head in my lap and hiding her face in her hands when she gets scared.

Once the movie ends we decide to watch a comedy so she can go to sleep not scared. I let her choose a movie and she put on her favorite one which is Step Brothers which also happens to be one of my favorite movies cause I love Will Ferrell. When the movie ends it's around midnight and I can Julie is pretty tired we talk a little bit more and I tell her the stories of my softball career and all my injuries. We decided tomorrow that we could watch some of my highlight reels but tonight it's best if we go to sleep. "Hey Julie I had a lot of fun tonight. I know we didn't do much but I'm more of a home body and I mean I just I kinda I'm not good with the feelings things but I really do like you and..." next thing I know I'm cut off by the softest pair of lips every kissing me. It takes me a second to realize what's happening but I kiss back and can't help but smile into it. I grab her waist and push her up against her bedroom door as she wraps her arms around my neck. After passionately making out for about 10 minutes I pull back and stop myself from doing anything else. I feel myself blushing and Julie speaks up. "I really like you too Ash...but I'm pretty tired no so I think I'm gonna go to bed and maybe tomorrow we could go on an actual date. Goodnight Ashley." With that she gives me a good night kiss and goes into her room. I can't help but go to bed with a huge smile on my face.

I'm suddenly woken up when I hear a crash come from the living room, I also swear I heard a muffled scream. I immediately jump up and grab my gun from under my pillow and grab my small body camera out of my nightstand and hook it onto my shirt. I hope I won't end up needing these but I have to be safe about it.

I quickly jump out of bed and get into my protective stance as I creep out of my room quietly and peer around the corner into the living room with caution to see what's going on.

All I think is shit this isn't going to be easy as I see a clearly disgruntled man gripping Julie with a hand over her mouth and a gun pointed into her side. I take a step around the corner and clearly surprise the man.

We stand there staring at each other definitely sizing each other and the situation up. All I see is pure fear in Julies eyes and I know I'm about to save her.