"Baby. Baby. Love. What's wrong?" I ask, sliding on my knees into her side. Holding her tight as she latches onto me, sobbing into my chest as Ash, Ali, Alex, Kling, Allie and everyone else Y/N is close with comes over. "Y/N, honey. What's wrong?" I ask and she lets out a loud sob before speaking. "I can't hear you baby. Come out of my neck. You need to breathe." I say, pulling her to sit with me, smiling as she turns and sits in my lap.
"I can't believe I did it."
"You didn't cry this hard after the World Cup." Alex says and Y/N looks up at her.
"I was on the field for twenty minutes back then. I was a rookie." Y/N says as Ash dries her tears. "I'm captain of a championship team. A professional team. That's all I've ever wanted since I was old enough to trot my happy little ass behind one of these." Y/N says, picking up a game ball that's yet to be collected.
"Girls! Come on!" Mark yells and I sigh. Kissing Y/N's temple.
"I gotta go baby. I'll pick you up from your hotel in the morning?" I ask and Y/N nods.
-
Alex
-
"Yo, who's got the Bluetooth?" Y/N says from where she stands in front of her locker, her jersey freshly tossed into the locker behind her.
"I got you." Steph says and Y/N pulls out her phone and a few moments later, music begins to play. "Not today, Thorns!" Y/N yells out, a huge, brilliant smile stretching my best friend's face.
"Is that the name of the song?" I ask and Y/N looks at me.
"Hell yeah it is. By twenty one pilots." She says and I nod, smiling as some of the girls sing along while they change. When we're all dressed, I chuckle as We Are The Champions plays while the entire coaching staff walks into the locker room, so Y/N turns down the music as Tom speaks.
"Congratulations, ladies. You're champions. Have fun tonight, I'll see you in January for preseason." He says before leaving again, the others have their speeches before leaving as well, when they finally leave again, Y/N turns up the volume on That's My Girl.
As we celebrate, I smile at Y/N who stands beside me, drinking a root beer. I tried to get her to drink, but she insisted to act like she was still underage.
"It has the word beer in it. That's the closest you'll get me to beer. Especially after Manhester. If you want the story, ask Carli."
Was Y/N's response. I wrap my arm around her shoulder, and she turns to me, smiling at me.
"We did it." Y/N says and I chuckle.
"Let's do it again in nine months, this time in France." I say, holding my beer up and Y/N nods, clinking her bottle with mine.
"To 2019."
"To 2019."
-
Y/N
-
In the morning, I groan as I wake up in the most awkward position ever, so I sit up and pop my back and groan a little louder than intend and laugh as Ash groans.
"Stop yelling, I'm hungover." Ash says and I laugh some more.
"Poor baby. I'll get Ali when I leave." I say, getting out of bed, showering and changing into sweats and my 'champions' shirt from last night, since I hung it out to dry last night. Once I'm dressed, I pack up my things and grab my medal and put it on, because if I put it in my bag, I'll never see it again. I put it under my shirt and grab my kit bag, putting on my Ash Harris hat because I gotta rep my hungover bestie. I go over and put my hand on Ash's back.
"What." Ash whines and I chuckle.
"I'm gonna go send Ali in. I'll see you in two weeks when we fly out to Columbia." I say and she groans, so I ruffle her hair and go get Ali, she follows me back to the room and I leave her with my room key before leaving her to deal with Ash's hangover because Tobin is waiting for me down in the lobby and she says that the Aussies are giving her hell. When I get to the lobby, I roll my eyes when I see that she wasn't kidding. "Aussies." I say as I walk over to Tobin.
"Cap." They respond in unison.
"Stand down from my girlfriend." I say and look at Tobin as she sticks her tongue out at them. "Tobin Powell."
"Oh shit." Alanna says and I look at her. "I'm gonna go." Alanna says and I turn back to Tobin.
"You're 30. Act it." I say and she sighs as I grab her hand with my free one, heading out to the Rover with her. She opens the back for me and I put my bags back there, closing the back and getting in the passenger seat.
When we get home, I pet Sortzen as I pass and set my bags in the living room before sitting down so he can fully greet me. Smiling as he stands on my shoulders and everything else before calming down and rolling onto his back, so I scratch his stomach.
-
Tobin
-
"So like, not gonna lie," Y/N starts as we lay cuddled up on the couch listening to the TV as we just talk about anything and everything.
"Uh oh. You and Ash got married?"
"No, I did propose though. We've yet to set the date." Y/N says and I raise an eyebrow. "Long story."
"Okay then. What were you talking about?"
"Last night."
"Okay?"
"As I said, not gonna lie, when we were in the shoot off and the entire stadium started chanting PTFC, I kinda joined in. It was a whisper but I was chanting it too." Y/N says and I smile.
"Oh, you traitor." I say and she rolls her eyes, pulling me closer by the back of the neck, kissing me softly.
"Shut up." Y/N says as she pulls away.
"I don't think I will." I say, laughing as she sits up, putting her hands against my collarbones as she sits on my lap.
"Then I'll just make you." Y/N says and I raise an eyebrow.
"And how will you do that?"
"Go outside with Sortzen." Y/N says, laughing as I sit up and wrap her in my arms, looking up at her as she chuckles with a raised eyebrow. "How do you like my boobs?"
"Eh, they're soft, but I like your eyes and smile better." I say, smiling as she blushes.
"Tobin."
"Yeah?"
"You're so annoying. Shut up." She says and I laugh, putting my hand on the back of her neck and laying back, pulling her with me, putting her forehead to mine.
"Never." I say and she smiles, kissing me again.
-
"Tobin!" Y/N screams, her nails digging into my shoulders and I smirk down at her. "Tobin!" She screams and I chuckle.
"Yes?" I ask and she glares at me.
"I swear to fucking hell, if you drop me in this pool, I will pack my shit so fast and head back to the hotel before you can move to help me out of the pool." Y/N says and I raise my eyebrow.
"Is that so?"
"Don't test me, Heath. I'll call Alex to pick me up." Y/N says and I move to drop her but catch her as she grips the back of my neck, letting out a small shriek. "Tobin fucking Heath! Put me the fuck down!" She yells and I put her down, watching as she storms into the house after shoving me a little, so I follow her in and up the stairs, opening the door that's slammed in my face.
"Y/N. Babe, come on." I say and she turns to me, just staring at me. "I'm sorry."
"No you're not, because you wouldn't have done it in the first place if you were sorry." She says and I walk over to her, grabbing her hands as I sit on the bed.
"I was playing babe."
"You play too much." Y/N says and I sigh, wrapping her in my arms as I lay on the bed. "I should kick your ass." Y/N mumbles as she buries her face in my neck, wrapping her arm around me, the other one moving to trace patterns on my side.
"But?"
"But I won't because I don't believe in domestic abuse." Y/N says and I wait for her to continue speaking. "I love you too much to do that to you." Y/N says, tracing patterns on my chest with the hand she's not laying on. "You don't deserve that." She whispers and I pick up my head to look at her, so she shifts her eyes up to meet mine.
"What do you mean?" I ask and she sits up, turning her back to me as she sits on the edge of the bed.
"I'm gonna go take Sortzen to get groomed." Y/N says, getting up and disappearing, so I follow her and see her in the living room kneeling in front of Sortzen, putting his leash on him.
"Baby." I say and she looks over at me before returning her focus to Sortzen.
"You muddy baby. Let's go get you cleaned, and then you're staying in until it dries up." Y/N says, standing up and walking over to the table where we keep our keys, grabbing her phone and wallet from there before grabbing the keys to the Rover.
"Y/N." I say, walking closer to her.
"I'll be back." She says and I sigh. "I love you." She says before leaving.
-
Alex
-
I smile at Blue as he runs around with Ash, but look down at my phone when I get a text from Tobin
Toby: Okay, I'm confused as fuck right now.
Me: Why?
Toby: Y/N and I were talking and domestic violence came up, then she just shut down.
Me: That's weird.
Toby: Please, Alex, if you know anything, please tell me.
Me: I'm sorry, Tobs, Y/N used to be skiddish as hell when it came to talking about past relationships. Even before she got with Danielle.
Toby: Do you think she'd tell Ash anything?"
Me: I can ask.
Toby: Please.
"Hey Ash." I call out to Ash, who stops running from Blue to look over at me.
"Yeah?" She calls back and I wave her over.
"Come here." I say and Ash tosses Blue's rope away a little before jogging over.
"What's up?"
"Tobin says Y/N is acting strange after they spoke about something."
"What were they talking about?"
"Domestic abuse. Did she maybe open up to you about anything like that?" I ask and Ash shakes her head.
"Nope. We'd start talking about past relationships and she'd just turn the conversation on me. Like she was trying to force something out of her mind or something. Never opened up about that stuff." Ash says and I nod as Blue hops up on Ash, his rope in his mouth. "I wish I had his energy." Ash says before taking it and running with it.
Me: No, she didn't tell Ash anything either.
Toby: Damn, alright. I'll just have to talk to her
-
Y/N
-
I sigh, running my hand through my hair as I sit, waiting as the groomers, well, groom, Sortzen, because bastard is muddy af. As they get Sortzen on a table to dry him off, I get a call, so I pull my phone out to see that Karen is calling me.
"Oh fuck, I knew I forgot to block a number." I say and smile as I hear her laugh on the other end. "How can I help you?" I ask.
"The team has a game on halloween, it's mostly an exhibition match, alumni vs current roster. The girls really want you, and the national team there."
"The entire national team?"
"Yeah. Hope and Abby too."
"Really? I can get the current roster, but those two?"
"No. I was kidding."
"Oh. Well, I know I can get Tobin there, and Allie, Klingenberg, Kreigs, Alex, Ash too, the others will be tricky."
"Really?"
"No, I just gotta send out a mass text and say that anyone that doesn't show up, I get butts up on them in Columbia."
"Oh, they'll definitely show up."
"Pinpoint accuracy, yo."
"You're ridiculous."
"I'm kidding." I say as Sortzen is brought out. "I gotta go. I'll call you back." I say before hanging up and getting up, paying and taking Sortzen's leash. I take him out to the car and put him in the passenger seat before getting in and driving home to see Tobin sitting on the couch with her head in her hands, so I let Sortzen off of his leash and go sit on the coffee table in front of Tobin. She looks up and wraps me in her arms.
"Y/N, baby, I'm so sorry." She says as I wrap my arms around her.
"Don't be, Tobs, I'm the one who shut down. You deserve an explanation."
"No, not until you're ready." Tobin says, pulling from the embrace and I put our foreheads together, nodding.
"Okay." I say, grabbing her chin and making her look into my eyes before kissing her. When I pull away, I smile when she does before standing up. "So I got a call from my high school coach."
"Okay?"
"She wants us in Malibu for the team's Alumni game on Halloween."
"Okay."
"The entire national team,"
"Oh wow."
"Well, the girls on the team want us all there."
"So we need to get texting?"
"Actually, you go pack your shit, we're leaving tonight to get there in the morning." I say and Tobin nods, disappearing upstairs as I text everyone on the team.
Me: Guys, we were just invited to Malibu to take part in their Halloween Alumni Game, anybody who doesn't show up gets a strike in the ass from everyone who showed up. Don't be dicks to these girls, they all specifically asked for you.
I send in a mass text to everyone on the team before heading up to pack as well. Once I'm done packing, I go ahead and book a hotel for the team, and make sure that the rooms are all on the same floor for tomorrow through the first.
"How much did that cost?" Tobin asks and I roll my eyes.
"Don't worry about it,"
"Worrying."
"It didn't break me."
"You just reserved an entire hotel floor for nearly two weeks."
"Rich grandparents." I say and chuckle as I hear Tobin scoff.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. Can't remember why they were so rich, but man, they were so rich it was insulting at times."
"Whatever you say. I'm paying for our flights though." Tobin says and throws a pillow at me when I try to protest.
"Rude." I say and Tobin shrugs before booking our flights.
-
When we get to LA, we take a taxi to my parents place, since our rooms wouldn't be open until tomorrow, and I smile, hugging my parents as they greet Tobin and I at the door.
"So, Tobin, you know where the guest room is." My dad says and I roll my eyes, grabbing Tobin's arm.
"Dad." I say, walking with Tobin to my room.
"I love you, honey." My dad says, poking his head into my room and I look over my shoulder at him.
"I know you do." I say, watching as he points at Tobin.
"Watch those hands, missy." He says and I groan, pushing his head out of my room and closing the door.
"Your dad's pretty funny." Tobin says and I sigh, laying on the bed.
"Don't encourage him babe." I say and Tobin laughs. "Now come cuddle me so we can sleep."
In the morning, we get up and head to Malibu to check into the hotel. After I've checked in, I text the team the address of the hotel and lay on the bed in mine and Tobin's room.
"Get up, you bum." Tobin says and I just flip her off. "Don't lie." Tobin says and I groan, sitting up on my elbows and looking at Tobin.
"Let me vegitate."
"No. Come on, the team just got here."
"I don't wanna."
"I will drag you."
"No, carry me like you love me." I say and Tobin rolls her eyes, walking off, so I hop up and rush after her. When we get down stairs, we get the room keys to the girls before letting them settle into their rooms.
At around noon, I get a call from Karen, so I step out on the balcony and take it.
"Hey." I say, sitting on one of the chairs.
"Hey, did you get word back from the girls?"
"Uh, yeah, we're all at the hotel right now. Except a few of the newer ones, they didn't say why they didn't come, so yeah, all but five showed. Don't worry."
"You're already here?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I'll get you some transportation." Karen says and I shrug.
"If that's what you want." I say and chuckle when Karen says so, then tells one of the Varsity captains to keep an eye on everything while she goes and speaks with the athletic director.
-
At 3, I get another call, so I reach over Tobin and grab my phone, answering it after seeing that Karen was calling.
"What's up?"
"Me and the bus driver are out front of the hotel you said you and the team said you were staying at." Karen says and I sigh, sitting up.
"We'll be right down." I say before hanging up. "Babe."
"Yeah?"
"We need to go to practice."
"Okay. Let's go get the girls?" She asks and I nod, so we go out and knock on all the doors, telling the girls to head down to the bus that's outside after grabbing their kit bags, and head down when we have our own, getting on the bus and I look at all my teammates and then at Karen, who's smiling like my mom does when she's proud.
"Stop it, Karen, you look like a proud mother."
"I feel like it too." She says as Tobin and I sit in the front with Karen.
When we get to the school, the bus parks by the practice field.
"So the girls are all either in class right now, or in the locker room, some are in the field house in class with Athletic training, so Y/N come with me." Karen says and I get up, following her off the bus. "So do we want to hide the team from the team or what?"
"I was thinking just have us practicing on the field like it's nothing and have you come to the field yelling at us to get off the field. Or like, the girls be practicing and the bus comes around with us on it and we just get off and get ready like there's not a bunch of fans staring at us."
"I like the second one better." Karen says and I nod, getting back on the bus with Karen following me, I sit back next to Tobin and she looks at me, so I point at Karen as she explains what's going to happen, before getting off, once she's off, the bus driver takes the bus around to where there's another bus, volleyball game I'm guessing. After a while, after school had let out, Karen texts me saying that both JV and Varsity are warming up now, so I tell the bus driver that he can take us back to the practice field, so he parks in the little parking lot by the practice field, and it works perfectly, since the girls couldn't see who was on the bus, and the bus was blocking us even after we got off.
"Okay, so just go, find an empty place and gear up, don't acknowledge the girls until you're all set." I say and the entire team nods, so I lead them around the back of the bus, onto the practice field, where we all plop down and start getting ready, and I smirk a little to myself as I hear the girls freaking out. Once we're all in our cleats and shin pads, I walk over to Karen and smile at her. "You called in some backup to help coaching?" I ask and she nods.
"Oh yeah." She says before shaking her head. "No, but I did call you guys."
"Ooh, ouch, burn." I say, shaking my hand before bumping my shoulder with hers.
"What's going on?" The girl who pointed out Tobin's tank top last time I was here asks and I look at her.
"Who are those girls?" I ask and she looks at the team.
"The national team."
"And where are we?"
"At practice, duh."
"Well, duh. We'll be helping you guys train all this week and until your Alumni game next Wednesday." I say and she nods, so I turn back to Karen and look at her. "Please tell me that airhead isn't on Varsity." I say and Karen chuckles.
"She may be an airhead, but she's a damn good center back."
"How are you guys doing this season?"
"Number two."
"You know why?"
"Because of her?"
"There's nothing up there!"
"Be nice." Karen says and I sigh.
"Alright, fine." I say before going back to the girls.
"Sharks!" I hear Ash yell and I chuckle a little, pointing to a JV girl who was wearing a 'Lady Sharks Soccer' shirt, so I walk over and take the JV player from Ash, sending the terrified girl back to practicing.
"Ash, I get you're excited right now, but you can't terrify children."
"She wasn't scared."
"She looked like she was gonna piss herself." I say and Ash sighs.
"Why didn't you tell me your school mascot was a Shark? I'd be calling you Little Shark instead of Little Fish."
"Because Little Shark sounds weird."
"Well, you're not a tiny fish that needs protecting anymore. You're Baby Shark." Ash says and I roll my eyes. This week is going to be a long one, high schoolers mixing with toddlers stuck in adult bodies. Oh boy.