"No matter where I go, I'm always gonna want you back. No matter how long you're gone, I'm always gonna want you back. I know you know I will never get over you." - Want You Back by 5SOS
"About last night."
Oh how cliche.
How utterly and completely cliche.
And you had set herself up for it. Practically held your own hand and walked yourself into it like a little old lady crossing the street.
"I thought we agreed we would talk after my heat." You couldn't decide if you were aggravated or not. You're leaning towards not.
Hindsight was 20/20 and in it you saw this conversation sneaking up on you from a mile (maybe even several) away.
"I'm impatient."
That was a lie. Hope was very patient. You assumed she had to be to be a goalkeeper for the USWNT.
"Okay. Talk." You were staring up at the ceiling, just about completely cowered underneath the duvet. Hope was laying next to you, way more relaxed.
"What the fuck was that?"
You didn't like that question. You had no idea how to answer it. You had done what felt right. Followed your gut or whatever it is normal people, who pointedly are not you, would say.
Oh. Well, you guess you could just say that...
"I don't know. Felt right, I guess." You played with your own fingers resting on your stomach.
"Oh. Like in an I'm in heat sort of way or..."
You couldn't help but chuckle, finally rolling over to look at Hope, only to discover she had been staring at you the entire time.
"We sound like stupid teenagers."
"We act like it too."
She was right. You two acted like teenagers so in love they didn't know how to properly function around each other.
In love.
Oh.
It wasn't a new thought. Not really. You never really fell out of love with Hope you're starting to realize. It was just maybe a bit intrusive. You had to take baby steps.
"I guess we do. And yes partially because Im in heat. But I still chose you. I was in heat and I wanted to be with you. Not some random off the street. Sure as hell not with Mackenzie. I want to be with you. I'm sorry it took me so long to say that outloud."
"I mated with my fucking hand for you."
Hope holds up her fist. Sure enough you can see the prominent bite mark where she had probably shoved her fist in her mouth in an attempt not to mate with you.
The mark would fade soon but it was still very funny, "Sorry. I hadn't thought about that being hard for you." You did little to hide your amusement. A few giggles away from full on cackling.
"I know. That's why I practically swallowed my fist for you."
Well now she was just being dramatic.
"You should have asked." You rolled your eyes playfully.
"You jumped me! I was caught off guard!"
"You liked it!"
"I did like it. I liked it a lot actually."
"Your giant hand will be fine. Besides, not like my heat is completely over yet anyway. That was just one night."
Hope raised an eyebrow, "What exactly are you implying?"
"I'm saying lets go with the flow of things. See what happens. If I don't knee you in the gut and just so happen to expose this gorgeous neckline I possess to you, hypothetically, and you just so happen to bite me and not your fist, then hypothetically, I will not be mad. Hypothetically."
Hope blinked, "Do you give yourself grades on how well you can confuse me with each and every conversation we have, because if so, that deserved an A+."
You pouted, "I'm not trying to confuse you. I'm trying to avoid saying what you want me to say because it makes me feel funny. There's a difference. Not my fault you won't read between the lines."
"Babe, the lines aren't parallel, they're perpendicular. The lines have crashed into, through, and back around each other. Twice. There is no longer an inbetween."
You whined, "Hope..."
She poked you in the side. You slapped her hand away, appalled. She knew you were ticklish and you hated it, "Stop it."
She poked you again, "Say it."
"No. Oh my God."
Another poke, you squealed. You did not find this entertaining.
"Say it, Y/N. I'm just going to bite my hand off if you don't say it outloud in plain words."
You grabbed her hand. She just poked you again with the other one.
"Okay fine! I want you to be my mate. As soon as possible."
Hope stopped poking you. You huffed and scooted away from her with a frown.
"Was that so hard?"
"Yes. You're not allowed to touch me ever again anymore."
Hope grabbed your arm and sort of just manhandled you back to her, "Well that contradicts what you just said, doesn't it?"
"My confession was coerced so you can't use it in court now."
"When were you ever under arrest?" Hope threw her arm around your waist. You didn't stop her but you don't stop her, you still needed to keep up the ruse.
"You haven't let me out of this bed. So I'm counting that."
"I haven't let you out of this bed? Who threw a tantrum when I went to the bathroom?"
You huffed, "I was a different person back then."
"You mean two hours ago?"
"Yes, now stop being mean to me."
Hope was quiet for a few moments. You were slipping back into that thick heat fog you hated being in. Though, you supposed you had fought it off enough to talk to Hope.
"You're serious, right?"
"I am. I think the fact that I'm still up under you is evidence enough. No more running away screaming. It always just brings me back to you anyway."
"Hm. I suppose it does."
"There's that ego. I was wondering where it had gone. You've been keeping it under wraps lately. Normally, you're extra cocky."
Hope got a look on her face.
"Uh oh. Bad joke incoming."
"I'll show you how coc-"
You rolled your eyes, "Anyway, as I was saying. I'm completely serious. I love you. Always have, always will."
Fuck baby steps. You're a grown woman. You only take grown woman steps from here on out.
"I love you too. But if you really loved me you would let me finish my joke."
"I said I love you. I didn't say anything about liking you enough to let you finish that horrid joke."
Hope poked you again.