"Thank you." Jo calls back into the car after stepping out, pushing the door closed before the Uber pulls back into traffic, laughing suddenly as two arms wrap around her from behind.
"Hi, baby." Michael's scruffy face tickles her neck as he buries his head into her shoulder, pressing a kiss to her skin.
"Hi." She sighs, spinning as he releases her, grinning up at him as he comes into view.
"Hi." He repeats, cupping her jaw and bending quickly to capture her lips with his, kissing her long and hard.
"As much as I'm enjoying this, we're on the street, and my bag is kind of heavy." Jo chuckles, pulling away from him.
"Come on, upstairs." He laughs, sliding his fingers into hers and he takes her bag, lifting it onto his own shoulder.
"I've missed you, Michael." She hums, leaning into his shoulder as they enter the fancy hotel.
"Two weeks from tomorrow tour is over, and I will be on a flight to you." He pulls her into his chest as they enter the elevator, kissing her softly again.
"About the end of tour, have you looked at my schedule? It's a long ass road trip the week after you finish." She frowns.
"It is?"
"We play in Chicago again the day you play your last show in Arkansas. And then we head to Indiana for back to back games, followed by DC, and Dallas, then straight to Seattle. I won't be home in Vegas between July 25th and August 8th."
"Well, maybe I'll meet you in Indiana then, or I'll be waiting on August 8th to welcome you home with a pamper day for my girl. Or both." He smiles sadly.
"I was hoping it would only be two weeks apart this time, but I think it will be three and a half." She sighs.
"Still better than six." He mumbles, kissing her again before the elevator opens on their floor.
"Ya, definitely better, but I was still hopeful for two."
"Me too, but once August hits we will have weeks before I need to be back in LA. What's the schedule like once you're back?"
"Three game home stand before playoffs start. We'll have the home court for the first two games at least, we've secured that."
"So five games at home? Perfect, I'll be sitting courtside for all of them." He smiles, slipping a keycard into a door, opening it once the light turns green.
"You're too good to me, Michael Clifford." She shakes her head at him.
"Why? Because I care, and I'm willing to travel to see you?" He chuckles.
"Because you haven't complained once about the fact that I have had zero chances to repay you for all the traveling you've done to see me. Because you are too understanding about my schedule and my life. I'm not used to it, and I'm scared one of these days we're going to break because I can't offer you the same right now."
"But you will, Jo." He frowns, setting her things aside and pulling her into his chest, "I know you'll do this for me too, when you get the chance. I understand that you're in your busiest time of year, that you can't just skip practice or games to fly wherever to meet me. I also know if you could you would."
"I really wanted to, when everything happened in Texas, I wanted to book myself a flight and be there physically for you while you had to deal with that."
"I know, but you did everything you could from a couple thousand miles away, and you did extra by helping Marg get to Ashton so fast. That was more than enough proof that you'd be making trips to see me if you had the ability." Michael brushes a bit of her hair back.
"I'm scared, Michael." She admits, burying her face into his chest.
"Of what, Jo?" He asks nervously, not sure where she's going with this.
She steps away as she sighs, her body language scaring him slightly, her eyes finally meeting his as she speaks up. "Everything in my life has always been a game, a goal, or a distraction. So which one are you?"
"A game." Michael answers confidently.
"So the truth comes out..." Her tone quite clearly tells him how hurtful she found his response.
"Let me finish." He smirks, "We are a game, Jo. We're endgame."
He can tell she wasn't expecting that answer, the way she started backwards slightly, brows creasing. "Excuse me?"
"We are endgame, Jo!" He repeats, stepping towards her again, "I don't care what anyone else thinks, what their opinions about us are, or how many times I have to say see you later in an airport while holding back tears. I believe with every part of me that what we have is special, and there is nothing that can break us unless we let it. From the moment I met you I was captivated, you became my best friend practically overnight. And for the last three months I've fallen asleep every night and dreamt of you. Whatever fears you have, whatever scars have been left, we will figure it out, together. They always say when you know, you know. Well I know, Jo. It's you and me, and we're going to be just fine."
"How can you know that when we've spent a total of five days together?" She shakes her head sharply.
"Ya, five days in person. The best five days of my life mind you. But we've logged hundreds of hours of call time, sent thousands of texts, I know you, Jordan Plum, better than probably anyone but Jackie. I know you're afraid because you were cheated on repeatedly by a long distance ex. I know you're scared because your dad keeps putting pressure on you, keeps telling you I'm the reason you're having bad games. I know you're trying to fight it all, and I know your feelings for me are strong, but it's okay to be scared. Fuck, I'm a little bit scared." He chuckles, "But I'm also falling in love with the beautiful basketball player I met in the airport, the girl with a dagger jump shot and a dangerous smile. Don't run scared please, Jo. Please, let me prove to you that we are endgame, that you deserve me, and that I will be everything you need and more. I don't think my heart could take it if you chose to break it at this point."
"I don't want to break your heart, Michael." She smiles softly, "I guess I just need reassurance. I've loved and lost before, and it hurt like hell. I don't want to experience that again..."
"I promise, baby, I don't want to break your heart either." He chuckles softly, "I would do anything to prevent that from happening."
"You really think we're endgame?" She chuckles, stepping into his personal space again, her hands tightening around the t-shirt he's wearing.
"No, I know we are, Jo. I knew the first weekend we talked that you were different, special, exactly what I'd been waiting twenty-six and a half years to have walk into my life." He mumbles, tugging her closer until they're chest to chest.
"It was there from the start for me too." She whispers, "But I don't trust myself enough to let go of all my worries."
"I'll kiss each one away, how does that sound?" He bends slightly, pressing his lips to her forehead first, and then her cheek, pressing his lips to every part of her face as she begins to giggle.
"I think it helped." She laughs as he finally pulls back slightly.
"If you ever need reassurance, just ask. Long distance is hard, but I promise you, Jordan Plum, there is no one else in the world that could hold a candle to you, not in my eyes." He smiles, finally pressing another kiss to her lips, letting it linger long and slow, "I love you, Jo."
"I'm falling dangerously hard for you too, Michael." She chuckles, wanting more than anything to say those three words to him, but something inside won't quite let her yet. Grateful as his lips attach more firmly to hers, his left hand moving to fist a handful of her hair, his right pressing into the small of her back.
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That was a little bit loaded... what comes of it?
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End Game
Fanfiction"Everything in my life has always been a game, a goal, or a distraction. So which one are you?" "A game." Michael answers confidently. "So the truth comes out..." Her tone quite clearly tells him how hurtful she found his response. "Let me finish...
