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"She found home between his arms."
- Unknown
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Luna's POV
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Four Months Later
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Fiddling with the ticket in one hand, the necklace around my neck in the other, I linger near the public bathrooms. People come and go frequently, some alone, some in groups, many of them laughing excitedly. There's a good mix of men and women here, many of them dressed in either green and white or yellow and purple. There's definitely more green in the sea of people, which makes sense considering we're in Boston.
My phone finally rings and I jump at the buzzing in my hand. Quickly answering the call, I press the phone to my ear without checking the caller ID. I already know who it is. "Hello?"
"Hi, Little One."
A smile slips onto my face. "Hi, Oli."
"You here yet?" He asks, sounding a little nervous.
"I'm here. Where do I need to go again?" I ask, still unsure about this. I'm not important enough to be here. Maybe at the game, sure. But to see Oli before the game, I need to go to him. Which means meeting him in a private room out the back. That's not really an easy place to get to for the average person.
"Where are you now, Little Luna?"
"Next to the bathrooms. The middle ones."
"Alright, you'll need to head out into the main foyer. Head to a door that says staff only and has a security guy standing next to it. Go to him and tell him who you are, alright? He's our security, so I've already told him about you. He'll send you to me." He tells me carefully and slowly, his voice gentle and reassuring. Of course he knows I'm nervous.
I let out a breath, turning and heading in that direction. "Okay. You sure he won't kick me out? Or think I'm some crazy fan girl?"
He laughs and the sound flows through my veins, instantly putting me at ease. "You don't have to worry about that. Promise. I'm pretty close with the guys in our security. I'm pretty sure it'll be Rick stationed at the door right now. He knows all about you, Luna."
I furrow my brows, a hesitant smile lifting my lips. "What could you possibly be telling your security about me for?"
I can hear the smile in his voice when he replies, "You're kind of my best friend, Little One. Everyone on the team knows who you are."
A blush colours my cheeks as I walk out into the main foyer. I look around for a second, spotting the door Oli had mentioned. "Alright, I think I see the door."
"There's security standing outside it?" He asks for confirmation.
I nod despite the fact he can't see me and start heading towards the door. "A brunette guy with a beard. Tall, tattoos, buzzcut. Is that Rick?"
"That'll be him. Just let him know who you are and he'll take you straight to me." He reassures me once again.
I let out a breath, getting closer to him. "Okay, I'll see you in a minute then, Oli."
"See you soon, Little Luna."
I put my phone into my back pocket once the call ends, straightening my shoulders as I approach the tall man. He's broad and muscly and very intimidating. But when his gaze lands on me, his eyes are kind when he asks, "You alright, Darlin'? Need help with somethin'?"
I bite back a smile, "Yes, actually. I'm here to see Oli King. I'm Luna, his best friend."
His eyes flash with recognition and he gives me a little smile. "It's nice to finally meet you, little Darlin'. You won't believe how much Oli talks about you. Feels like I'm meetin' a celebrity."
I chuckle, "He really shouldn't have talked me up so much like it seems he has."
He shrugs, stepping away from the door so that he can open it up for me, "He just loves ya, Darlin'. Ain't nothin' wrong with that. I'll show you to him, yeah?"
I nod, quickly following him through the door. We walk down a dimly lit hallway and I ask, "Shouldn't someone else be on the door now that you've left?"
Rick turns to look at me over his shoulder, sending me a lopsided smile, "That was just for you. Oli asked me to watch out for you and bring you to him."
"So... you weren't supposed to be there?" I ask unsurely.
"Oh, I was. Whatever the players request, they get. Oli doesn't ask for much though. This is one of the first things he's ever asked of his management. Just your ticket and security to wait for you."
I feel a blush heat my cheeks once more, "He's ridiculous. Too selfless."
Rick chuckles, stopping at the end of the hall when we reach a door, "Oh, I think this was a little more selfish than you think. He's missed ya, Darlin'." He smiles at me and opens the door, gesturing for me to head inside.
I thank him softly, stepping forward and looking around the room. It looks like some kind of private room. It's small with a couch and a tv and a large table in the middle. It looks like it's some kind of meeting room. But I don't pay too much attention to the rest of the room when my eyes land on the lone person standing on the other side of the room.
A smile lights up my face when he turns to me, his body adorned in his purple and yellow Lakers uniform. He gives me a big smile, opening an arm up for me, "Get over here, Little Luna."
I move quickly, falling into Oli's arms as soon as I'm close enough. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I press myself close to him, loving the way his arms curl around my shoulders. He rubs his hand up and down my back gently, soothingly. I immediately relax into him, feeling as though I could fall asleep right here. I don't know what it is about him, but Oli's hugs have always felt like the safest place in the world. Ever since I was a kid, I've always felt so safe and secure in his arms - as though nothing and no one could ever hurt me when I'm with him.
After silently hugging him for a minute or so, I tilt my head back, my chin resting on his chest as I look up at him. He looks down at me with soft brown eyes. I feel his hand gently rest on the back of my head.
"Hi, Oli," I murmur, my smile growing on my lips.
A big smile pulls at his lips, one that I know is just for me. "I've missed having you at my games, Little One."
"I haven't seen you play since you were in high school," I shake my head, "not in person at least. It's been forever."
"We've got to put your good luck to the test then, yeah?" His eyes are bright, "It's not the same over the phone. Doesn't work as well. I haven't had a winning streak quite like back in high school, when I had you there every game."
I laugh, "You and that little superstition. It's not me makes you play well, Oli. You play for the Lakers. That takes a lot more than good luck."
He shrugs, "Maybe, but I'm not going to risk it now, am I?"
"How long until you have to go out there?" I ask, loosening my arms from around him.
His hand on the back of my head remains firmly in place, not letting me move away from him just yet. Darting his eyes away from me, he looks over my head and back towards the door I came from. It's then that I realise Rick's probably still there and has been watching this whole thing. Oli's eyes return to me. "I have a couple minutes," His brows furrow, "I though Alana was coming with you tonight?"
I shake my head softly, "She was going to, but she realised she got her dates mixed up. She has a paper due tomorrow and she can't afford to lose the time by coming here. She wishes you good luck though. Says she'll have the game on while she's working."
Oli smiles, understanding, "That's alright. You okay to sit by yourself though, Little Luna?"
"I'll be fine. Promise." I reassure him.
Nodding once, he replies, "Good. I know you said you didn't want front row seats, but you're in the second row, alright? I want to be able to see you easily when I'm playing. But I can get you a different seat if you want."
A smile lifts my lips, "If that's where you want me to be, that's where I'll be."
Rick clears his throat from behind us and I turn my head to face him. "You ready for me to show you to your seat, Darlin'?" He asks, hinting at the fact that it's time to go.
I nod softly before looking up at Oli when I feel his grip at the back of my neck tighten slightly. He crouches a little to get closer to my height and murmurs, "Give me that good luck, Little One."
I fight to keep the blush off my cheeks and gently reach up to grip his jaw with my hand. Angling his head to the right, I lean forward and press a kiss to his right cheek. It feels different to how it used to be, where his face used to be always clean-shaven, he now has slight stubble dotting his jaw. My lips press to his cheek quickly before I murmur, "You've got this, Oli." I hesitate for a second before saying my next words, "I love you."
I hate myself for hesitating, but I don't even remember the last time I said those words to him in person. It was probably this past Christmas, the last time I saw him, but I don't really remember. For years now we've shared quick messages of 'Love you' over text or on the phone. And it's not that I don't love him anymore. Of course I do, he's my best friend. It's just that sometimes I find myself forgetting that all that love I have in my heart is his. At times my heart feels empty and hollow, like he's taken that love with him and I won't be getting it back."
"I love you, Little One," He reminds me, eyes twinkling as he straightens up. And it's moments like these that my heart feels full. Because of course that love is reciprocated. I'm his best friend as much as he is mine. While my love is with him, his is always with me. Maybe I need to try a little harder to remember that.
I leave with Rick shortly after and he leads me to the stands, right down to my seat in the second row, as Oli promised. Once I'm sat in my seat, Rick gives me a smile before leaving, murmuring, "Oli never mentioned that he was datin' his best friend."
My eyes quickly widen at his words. "Dating!? No, no, Oli and I have been best friends since were were kids, I-" I swallow thickly, unsure of why a blush is heating my cheeks, "There's five years between us, we've never seen each other that way. Ever. That would be... weird."
Rick's eyebrows shoot up at my quick correction of his assumption, lips quirking into a little lop-sided smile. "Could've fooled me. Enjoy the game, Darlin'." And then he's gone, leaving me alone with my thoughts in a flurry.
He really thought that Oli and I were dating? But... I'm eighteen and he's twenty-three, we've known each other since we were kids. He's been my best friend for over ten years. I've always looked up to him and felt safe around him. Sure, I used to have a crush on him and I guess that never completely went away. But you can't really blame me there - even little eleven-year-old Luna wasn't blind to his looks. And he's five years older than me. He was my idol. As he got older, of course I noticed that he was tall and strong and kind and just... the most wonderful person I've ever met. I looked up to him so much, of course I had a crush on him.
But I'm not stupid. Oli's my best friend and the love between us will never be anything more than platonic. He's five years older than me, anyway. The age gap would just be too much. And I don't see him that way anyway. A crush is one thing, but having feelings for my best friend? That's out of the question.
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A/N
Hello incredible readers!
What are your thoughts on this chapter? What do you think will happen next?
Thank you so, so much for reading! I love you, have a wonderful day!!!
~ Pink Flamingo