"What a sweetheart!" Nat exclaimed.
She watched as the small American Bulldog puppy chased a ball around on the floor of the apartment. Raf had made the trip alongside the Lightning and he brought Sugar with him to keep Nat company for the week. At first Nat was hesitant to accept, but once Sugar got comfortable and Nat got a chance to hold her, she was beginning to think she wouldn't be able to give the dog back.
Raf had come back from the kitchen with a bottle of water. Seeing him again reminded Nat just how tall her friend really was. Raf stood at a respectable 6 '1, putting him around the same height as several NFA players. Raf himself used to play football, but due to a knee injury he suffered his sophomore year of college, he was forced to retire from the sport. It was this injury that put him on the path of sports medicine and becoming an athletic trainer. He may not be able to play anymore, but at least he can still work for the NFA all the same.
He ran his hands over his black undercut, "So Nasty, how have you been liking the bay?"
"It's alright. I've only been here for 2 weeks but I can't complain." Nat hadn't had much time to explore the city considering her work schedule, but at the very least she had all the same luxuries she had enjoyed in Los Angeles. From the food, to the scenery, San Francisco was in many ways just like the home Nat had known for so much of her life.
Raf nodded in response to Nat's answer and then replied, "How have you been liking the Pioneers? Everybody treating you right?"
Nat bent over to pick up the puppy so she could stroke her while sitting on the couch. "Yeah, the team's pretty cool. Deon can be a little frustrating but I'm happy that I made at least one friend." Nat thought of Nick Bosa and how kind he had been to her the past few days.
He sacked my ex-boyfriend 3 different times. God I can't wait to rewatch those highlights.
Raf joined Nat in the living room and sat next to her and Sugar on the couch. He patted the puppy on her head a few times then said "I'm really glad you're liking everything. Those Pioneers, they're different let me tell you. I've only been with the Lightning for a short time, but I can already see they don't act like a team the way the Pioneers do. The Pioneers just have so many players that are constantly pushing themselves and everyone around them. Like Bosa, that man is terrifying" Raf gave a small shudder
Nat laughed at the idea that other people would be intimidated by Bosa. Sure, she was nervous when she first met him, but it had more to do with how she felt rather than how he looked or acted. Now that she was getting to know Nick, all she was able to see was what a soft teddy bear he really was under all those muscles. Under all those big, endless muscles he had all over his body. Focus Nat.
She decided to turn the conversation to her friend, "Your mom's still doing okay? You said she was getting better, right?"
Raf sighed, "Yeah she's doing better, but she's still nowhere near how she used to be. Every day she smiles at me and tells me not to worry, that she's still doing her best to fight, but I don't know sometimes." Raf's voice began to tremble, "I just want her to be okay."
Nat reached her hand to Raf's knee and gave her friend a reassuring smile, "Raf don't worry, this is your mom we're talking about here. That woman once wrestled for an LG TV in a Best Buy with a man twice her size on Black Friday. I wouldn't underestimate her."
Remembering this made Raf laugh and eased the tension on his face. Nat had a wide arsenal of stories she could whip out to comfort her longtime friend. She already had a different story prepared of the time Raf's mom got into it with a police officer who tried to ticket her for illegal parking. The women did not know fear and Nat trusted she would do everything she could to resist the illness.
Raf shifted on the couch as he began to talk again, "Yeah I know she's a fighter. I just wish she didn't have to fight so much. After going through all this with her... I don't think I can see myself leaving her side anytime soon. Thank you so much for covering here in San Francisco for me."
Nat glanced away at her friend's words. While letting Raf be close to his mom was a big part of the reason she had agreed to swap places, it wasn't the only one. "I don't mind that. You know how I was feeling having to spend another year with the Lightning and with Dustin. Honestly your offer felt like the best thing that could've happened to me, I just wish it would've happened under different circumstances."
Upon hearing the mention of her ex boyfriend, Raf met Nat's eyes again. "How are you feeling about all of that? I can't imagine it was easy seeing him at the game."
Nat was silent for a bit before letting out a slight chuckle. "Well it got easier every time Bosa got a sack on him. That 3rd one definitely made me feel better than anything else I tried." Nat could feel the giant smile on her face and only hoped Raf wouldn't be able to read further into it.
Fortunately, his gaze was on the puppy again. "Like I said, that man is terrifying. I really hope he stays with the Pioneers a long time."
Nat knew Bosa was in his last year of his contract with the Pioneers, but she couldn't imagine him leaving. The team was starting to look like real contenders again and she knew how close he was with the other players. Coupled with the fact he was looking like he had another incredible year ahead of him, and it seemed like a no-brainer that the Pioneers would do everything in their power to make sure the defensive end stayed in the bay.
I'm the one who's not staying. Nat reminded herself. I'm only here for the year. I won't be sticking around long enough in Nick Bosa's life.
Raf had now taken Sugar from Nat and was letting her lick all over his face. "You better take good care of her Nasty Nat. I'll be coming back for her next weekend and I expect her to be in the same condition I'm leaving her."
Nat laughed as she shook the former thoughts from her brain. "Of course. Me and my niece are gonna have the best time, isn't that right my little sugar cube." Nat spoke as she went to pet the dog as well.
Raf handed Sugar to her new babysitter as he took a gulp of the water he got from the kitchen. "Well, the Lightning aren't gonna be heading back until the morning so I'm good to spend the night here. Should we get out some tequila?" Raf inquired.
Nat felt brief panic but tried to keep her cool exterior. "Nah, I don't really feel like drinking. How about we watch some Pioneer highlights on Youtube instead?"
...
The following day Nat took her seat next to Ellie as they awaited their post game meeting. Looking at the monitor Mr. Stoll had set up, Nat could see the next team they would be taking on was the Seattle Sparrowhawks, a divisional rival. Games within the division were always taken the most serious since they were the determiners of who would move on to the playoffs, so she knew this would be an all hands on deck situation. It was also given a primetime spot, meaning there would be a lot of late practices for the boys.
"We'll get the meeting started in just a moment, I'm just waiting to hear back from the coach regarding a few things." Mr. Stoll explained.
Nat looked over at Ellie who was scrolling on her phone. Nat could see she was picking out photos from the game to post online. She noticed a man with a mustache and shoulder length hair in several pictures.
"Is that your boyfriend?" Nat asked
Ellie looked up with a start but gave a quick laugh, "Yeah, that's my man. Are you snooping Ms. Casillas?"
Embarrassed, Nat could feel herself start blushing. "Sorry, it was either your phone or staring at the monitor for another 10 minutes."
Ellie giggled and showed Nat a picture of the two at the stadium. "This is Angelo. He's the other third of my heart."
"Third?"
"Yup, he has one-third. My mom has another. And Jeff Giordano has the last one" Ellie said with a passionate swoon.
Nat laughed at this, "Jesus Ellie he's a taken man and so are you!"
Ellie laughed more "I know I know... but Angelo has my permission to go for Zendaya if he ever meets her. Jeffy G is the one he allowed me"
Nat rolled her eyes but couldn't help but find the whole thing charming. She always felt the most secure relationships were the ones where they could joke like this. For her past 2 relationships, Nat had dealt with overbearing men who felt they controlled Nat to some degree. She was just glad Ellie seemed to have the complete opposite of that.
Ellie met Nat's eyes with a mischievous glimmer in her eye. "So since we're talking about our boys... What's with you and Bosa? I didn't know y'all were friends."
Nat gave a nervous chuckle. "Yeah we actually got close during the Stallions game. He's an angel."
Ellie smiled in response to that. "Aww that's so sweet. I don't talk to him much but his momma's the best. She always gives me a hug when she comes to visit. I hope she comes up soon for Nick's birthday."
What? Nick's birthday is coming up?
"Oh I didn't realize Nick had a birthday..." Nat started nonchalantly
"What?" Ellie gave her a blank stare.
"Shoot, I mean, I knew he had a birthday but like I didn't realize... Never mind. When's his birthday?"
Ellie shot her a suspicious look, "It's this Saturday. Poor thing probably won't get to celebrate since we have a game the very next day. That's why I hope his momma comes over. I know the team will probably do something, but I feel like you deserve someone special to be with you on your birthday. Angelo hasn't missed mine in the 4 years we've known each other." Ellie did another swoon but Nat would promise it wasn't as passionate as the one from earlier.
Dang... Should I get him something? What do you get for someone you've only known for 2 weeks? That you also like- I mean that you like but also shouldn't date. But like you also want them to know the gift is special. But special in a-
"Alright sorry for the delay everyone, let's go ahead and get started with the meeting. Ms. Casillas, do you mind taking notes?"
...
Nat paced the halls of the Stonestown Galleria Mall looking for the perfect gift for a man who made millions of dollars, more than Nat would likely see in her lifetime. She walked past several different stores, but so far the only thing she had to show for her efforts was a bottle of tequila to replace the one she had taken from Raf. Shopping for anyone is a challenge, but for a professional football player, this was like a herculean task. What made it even harder is Nat hardly knew the kinds of things Nick was interested in.
She decided she needed to take a break and gather some ideas before she went out to try again. She stopped at a nearby Starbucks and ordered a brown sugar shaken espresso and sat at a nearby table while she waited. Nat was scrolling through Nick's social media pages hoping to find some indication of anything he was a fan of. She saw he liked a few different shows and music artists, but she couldn't think of anything special enough she could get that would really impress him. She wanted to make her gift stand out by having a personal touch- something that only she could give him.
As she thought hard of what to get the smaller bear, she noticed a strange man staring at her from another table. The man was wearing a black baseball cap and sunglasses. Even though his eyes were hidden by the shades, Nat could clearly tell he was staring at her. Her suspicions were confirmed when he flashed her a dimpled smile and suddenly Nat figured it out.
You can't be serious. What are the odds...
Nat pulled up to the suspicious man. "Do I need to call the cops? I don't appreciate being gawked at."
The man cleared his smile. "Don't flatter yourself, I'm not here for you." he replied snarkily.
This irritated Nat slightly. "Oh I know what's better than calling the police," she dramatically put her hands on her cheek. "OH MY GOD!! ARE YOU JEFF-"
The man stood up in a flash and put his hand over her mouth. He looked around but it seemed like no one caught on to what Nat was trying to do. As he returned to his chair he lowered his glasses and met Nat's eyes.
"Alright you caught me Casillas. What are you doing here?" asked superstar QB Jeff Giordano.
Nat rolled her eyes and took a seat across from him. "It's my day off. I'm just shopping. The real question is what are you doing here?"
Jeff let out a big sigh, "My girlfriend wanted to come out and get some things. I told her I didn't like going out to public places like this but she started getting mad at me. I got tired so I just told her to text me when she's done, but she's been quiet for half an hour now." The quarterback finished off his beverage which he no doubt had been drinking since his girlfriend left.
Nat looked at the man before her with a touch of pity. She remembered what Ellie had said about her boyfriend and looking at Jeff she got the vibe his relationship was nothing compared to it. And it appeared it was starting to dawn on Jeff as well just how unsuccessful his relationship really was.
Nat decided she didn't want to play therapist so she pivoted the conversation back to herself. "Hey Jeff... this is a random question but if you could buy yourself anything right now, what would it be?"
Jeff looked at her as he furrowed his brow. "If? I can buy myself anything I want right now. I guess I would just get another coffee or something."
Nat sighed at his comment. He's right. Nick can buy himself anything and I don't think there's something I could get him that would be all that special.
Jeff seemed to read her desperation and followed up on his thought, "I guess if you, or someone, was trying to get me something... I don't know, I would just appreciate something thoughtful. Even if I don't use it, it would be nice for someone to get me something just because it reminded them of me."
Nat looked up at the quarterback's shaded glasses and picked up on his words. Even if I don't use it... that's it! I should get him something I like that way he'll think of me when he sees it! Nat flashed the quarterback a smile.
"Look at you G, you actually helped me for once."
"Glad someone appreciates me," Jeff said sarcastically.
Nat looked down at the man just as her drink was called. She went to pick it up but looked at the beverage and back to the quarterback. Reluctantly, she picked it up and brought it over to him.
"Here. You said if you could get anything in the world it would be another cup of coffee. It's your lucky day" Nat said as she handed Jeff the drink.
Jeff looked back with his eyebrows raised. "What? I wasn't being serious"
"Well I am. Consider it a thank you. I shouldn't even be drinking caffeine anyway, it gives me indigestion."
Jeff looked at the drink again and took a sip. "Espresso," he said with delight.
"Thanks again. Hang in there dude" Nat said as she walked away.
She began walking down the corridor with Jeff's advice in her mind. Something that reminds me of Nick. Well that's hard, a lot of things do. Italian food, Florida, bears. There has to be something, anything.
Wait. Bears. Malls. OH MY GOD
Nat made a beeline for the nearest Build-a-Bear workshop. Once she found it, she strode inside and picked out a cute bear with light brown fur, just like Nick's hair. The helpful attendant helped her through the whole process. From the stuffing, to the picking of the outfit, Nat had managed to build a dashing bear that she decorated with a jersey she picked out and even had the worker embroider his last name on the back. By the end, the bear was practically a mini me of the smaller bear she had come to know.
As Nat was checking out, the attendant added in, "You know, we can also add a voice box to the bear so that when anyone squeezes it, it'll talk. Are you interested?"
Nat's eyes lit up and she said "Yes". As the attendant prepared the box, Nat thought about her message and then settled on the perfect thing.
"Go get 'em Bosa" she said enthusiastically into the box.
...
It was Saturday before the game, Nick's birthday, and Nat was in the Pioneers front office dropping Sugar off with the team dogs. The two had bonded a lot since Nat first met her. She had contacted the team a few days before to see if she could leave the puppy with them and they were more than happy to receive a temporary guest. Since Nat and the team had been staying late to prepare for their primetime game tomorrow, Nat figured this was the best course of action to make sure Sugar wasn't neglected.
As Nat was saying her goodbyes to her furry friend, Nick Bosa entered the office with a "Good morning" to the staff in that perpetually chill and monotone voice of his.
Nat looked up at him and picked up Sugar. "Hey Nick. I have someone here who's a big fan of yours."
Nick's eyes lit up as he saw the puppy and in a voice that was a mixture of his soft spoken tone and a playful one said "oh hey there lil fella, it's nice to meet you." He took the puppy into his big arms and Nat felt every muscle in her body tense.
She stared at the giant lineman with a tiny puppy, not even the size of his forearm, and felt a wave of emotion wash over all of her body. Nick by himself was already an extremely handsome man. The only times he looked better than usual was when he was sweaty from working out or when he was fully decked out in a Pioneers uniform. But seeing him holding a dog. This was a life-altering image getting burned in Nat's mind.
She suddenly remembered what day it was and told Nick, "Happy birthday!! I hope you have a great day today!"
Nick looked back at her with a huge smile. "Thanks Nat. Is this my present?" he said, indicating to Sugar.
Nat laughed. "Sorry, she's not mine to give out. But I did actually get you a present, it's just in my car. I wasn't expecting to run into you here."
Nick grew a small smile. "Wait, you actually got me a present? You didn't have to, Nat" Nick said clearly pleased his friend had actually gotten something.
"Don't worry about it, I get presents for all my friends. I'll give it to you later today, maybe after practice is over." Nat said coyly.
Nick set the puppy down so she could go back to playing with the other 2 dogs. "Sounds like a deal," Nick said.
The two left the office and went their separate ways. Nat had a long day ahead of her. There were a handful of players on the injury list she tended to, and before she knew it the sun was already setting and she was handling some administrative tasks in her office. Ellie had joined her so they could work together as they waited for the day to be over.
Ellie looked up from her paperwork and held her hands to her face. "Man, I normally love what I do here but I always hate primetime games. It feels like we're here for-ever" said the blonde trainer in her southern drawl.
Nat looked away from her computer and nodded. "Yup. Any idea when the guys are gonna finish practice? I wanted to say happy birthday to Nick before leaving but they're taking forever."
Ellie exhaled at Nat's words, "Honey, you're better off leaving him a note like I did. Coach takes late night practice way too seriously. They'll be lucky to be out in an hour."
Nat scoffed at this. She knew she couldn't wait that long, mostly because she had to go pick up Sugar before the office workers left. She took a blank paper from her desk and folded it like a card as she began writing her note to Nick.
Ellie picked up her papers and began to stand up. "Well, I'll leave you to that sweetheart. I'm fixing to finish this up in my office. If I don't catch you, I hope you get a good night's sleep hon!"
Ellie bid her farewell and left the office. In the new silence Nat thought about what to write, but rather than do anything super emotional, she figured it would be better to write something simple:
Nick,
I hope you take good care of the smallest bear. He's officially
joining me in your corner. Whenever you need support, just
squeeze his belly. Happy Birthday big guy!
Nat signed the card with a heart and her name and she picked up the box the smallest bear was residing in. She walked to the locker room and saw it mostly empty. Sure enough, the players were still on the field practicing. She took it to Nick Bosa's locker and put the bear right in his locker with the note taped carefully on top. She looked at her work pleased and lamented the fact that she wouldn't get to see his live reaction. She settled for taking a picture of the gift in his locker and headed to the front office to pick up her temporary pet.
Once she got Sugar, she placed her in the carrier and headed back to her office to get some papers she had forgotten to fill out. She placed Sugar on one of the chairs and began gathering the necessary documents, which took longer than Nat anticipated because of how messy her desk was. She was gonna have to see about getting it organized some time after the Sparrowhawks game.
As she finally gathered all of the documents she needed, she was startled by a knock on her door followed by the entrance of the giant defensive end she had been hoping to see. Nick Bosa walked in holding the box with the bear Nat had given him along with the note. His face had excitement written all over it as he gave Nat that wistful look of his. Only this time, Nat could feel it more intensely than ever before.
"Hey Nat. I'm glad I caught you."
"Yeah well what can I say. We're here to serve you guys and that means staying here as long as necessary." Nat replied with a sarcastic eye roll.
Nick laughed and kept looking at her with the wistful gaze and a smile. If he was planning on saying something, it didn't look like he was in any rush to get it out. He just kept studying Nat with those beautiful brown eyes of his.
Nat broke the silence first, "I see you got my present. I hope you like it. I know it's a little silly but I couldn't help myself. Just picturing you holding it made me laugh."
Nick took a few steps towards her. "Yeah I appreciate it," he said. Nat could tell he was holding back the full extent of his appreciation. "Nat... this is probably the cutest thing anyone's ever gotten me. Thank you. I mean it."
Nat could feel her cheeks turning scarlet. "Well no worries small bear. I'm glad you liked it."
Nick took another step and was now right in front of Nat. She could smell that he had just showered.
"Nat... I've never had a friend like you. It's actually fun talking to you and you actually do things for me. Wearing my jersey, getting me a present. Why are you so nice to me?"
Nat looked back at him slightly confused. "You're my friend Nick. I told you, I don't really have anyone here and I know you don't either. I love doing things like this for my other friends, so I'm just glad I got to do it for you now."
Nick was now standing right in front of Nat, about as close to her as he was when she bumped into him on her first day. He put the box on the desk and pulled out the bear and gave it a squeeze. "Go get 'em Bosa!" shouted the stuffed doll. Nat chuckled and Nick smiled as he put it back into the box. His eyes were on Nat and she practically felt glued to the spot. The weight of his stare was enough to keep Nat grounded, the only part of her body moving was her heart's ever increasing beat.
Nick licked his lips and said "Nat... I have a problem. I don't think you can be my friend anymore"
What? Did he... not like the present? Nat tried opening her mouth to say something but was quickly silenced by Nick putting his left arm around her waist.
"Do you even know how amazing you are?" Nick said
Nick began to lean forward as every thought in Nat's mind vanished. All she could do was focus on his face as it got closer to her own. She saw Nick's perfect lips begin to pucker. He leaned in slowly until all at once, his lips had connected to hers, and all over her body she felt fireworks shooting from her lips to every inch of her skin. Nick's kiss was gentle, but steady. His beard touched and tickled her chin. He kissed her passionately, and then using his lips, parted open her own mouth as he went in again.
Once Nat realized what was happening, she wasted no time in responding. Using her own lips, she kissed the big, burly football player back with just as much passion. Nat completely forgot where she was, what time it was, everything outside of this moment had disappeared. All she knew were his soft lips touching hers and she kissed him back with increasing fervor. The two were full on making out, with Nick's tongue meeting Nat's as his hands explored her body. Nat draped her arms around Nick's strong shoulders and let herself get lost in the moment. The two were wrapped around each other for what felt like forever. No, the two would've kissed even longer than forever, if it hadn't been for the voice that reached out to them from the doorway.
"What's going on here?"