One dictionary definition of insanity is doing something you know is extremely foolish, and Michael fit that definition perfectly as he sat himself on his sofa. A beer in one hand, dinner plate in the other, his eyes track the dark bun currently moving across the middle of his large tv screen. His heart leaps as the angle changes and he can see her full face for the first time in just over a month. Setting his plate down carefully he tugs at the neck of his hoodie, situating it more comfortably around his throat as he gets settled. Sierra had tried to hide the hoodie when she'd done his laundry for him, but he'd found it folded nicely in the back of the guest room closet behind the stack of extra towels after only three hours and twenty-seven minutes of panicked searching. If she'd really wanted him not to come across it so easily she should have hidden it better, or taken it back to their house.
"Alright, this is round two, game one, of the WNBA playoffs. The number one seed, your Las Vegas Aces host the Seattle Storm tonight. The Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury in two home wins last week while the fourth seed Storm sent the Washington Mystic back to the eastern time zone in the same number of games." Michael focuses on the announcer's commentary as he watches.
"The real test today will be on the high low teams I think. The Storm's combination of Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart against the Aces Jordan Plum and A'ja Wilson playing head to head for dominance on the floor."
"These teams have met four times already this season, the Aces winning all but one of those games, their last match up happening right here in Vegas only two weeks ago. The Aces won that game without JP, who was still out with a shoulder injury at the time. Do you think the limited minutes JP has been playing since making her return against Phoenix will factor into the way the game goes tonight?"
"If anything I think it will make Plum hungry to make her mark while she's on the floor. Especially with the collection of NBA executives here presumably to watch mostly her performance."
"I agree with that actually, in attendance tonight is JP's father, William Plum, a member of the executive board for the Chicago Bulls. And seated alongside him on the court tonight is junior executive with the San Antonio Spurs, Spencer Wilkinson. Wilkinson worked closely with the Stars organization while they were in San Antonio before the team transitioned to Las Vegas. Some of these players know him quite well, Plum maybe the best of the lot. The two of them shared a romantic relationship through her last year in college and her rookie season."
Michael doesn't hear anything else, his eyes focused on the piece of shit sitting beside Jo's dad on the screen. "Fucking Jackass." He mumbles, anger coursing through his body at the idea that her scummy ex is sitting courtside at such an important game for Jo's career.
A moment later Jo appears near the two men on screen, saying something to her dad, Michael can tell it isn't nice by her facial expression. Spencer clearly says something to her next, though his face is blocked enough by Jo's body for Michael to be unsure what. He's slightly surprised a moment later when Spencer is on the receiving end of the bird from her in return for his comment, "That's my girl." He chuckles, eyes flickering down to his hoodie for a moment.
It was true, Michael still felt the need to claim Jo as his, he wasn't ready to give up on her or them yet. His issue was he had no idea of how to convince her that she was capable of loving him, and had no idea when he'd get the chance to try. He'd spent the first two weeks following her departure from his home crying and drinking, not something he was entirely proud of. But after Luke and Sierra had got him straightened out, cleaned up, and sobered, he realized drinking away his pain would only cause her decision to be final. That was something he could not allow. So, for the past couple weeks he'd been trying to devise any possible plan to prove himself to her, to convince her to share any part of her heart with him. That was why he'd turned on the game tonight, wanting to see her again, to see what he could detect from her facial features or demeanor; to see if she was visibly hurting still from letting him go. It wasn't necessarily a smart plan, seeing as she's in game mode, and further in playoff mode, but it was the best he could do. He was far too proud to beg Jackie for any kind of information about Jo, and this was the only other option available to him.
Speaking of Jackie, the cameras pan to her as the announcers discuss what public names are in attendance. Michael laughs as he sees her eyes staring daggers through Spencer's skull, only softening when she realizes the camera is on her, offering a kind wave to it before it pans away. Clearly Jackie is surprised to see Spencer there and if Jackie didn't know he was coming, Michael would make big bets Jo didn't either. His heart clenches for the girl who owns it as the thought crosses his mind, wishing he'd been there to comfort her in this instance.
Watching the game is kind of like watching a train wreck, at least if your entire focus is on Jo that is. Michael, of course, is watching Jo, so to him the entire game is a disaster. She plays only twelve minutes total, scores only five points, and has the same number of turnovers. While she's on the bench she's got a towel over her head, face buried in her own hands. It's like she's not even there, not mentally at least. Michael would be worried about her injury if it weren't for the smug bastard sitting close by with a far too exuberant look on his face. No, Jo's performance tonight has everything to do with Spencer being there unannounced and nothing to do with her shoulder. And when the final buzzer sounds, he's not surprised that the Aces lost, or that Jo makes a B-line out of the arena before anyone else does.
His heart aches for her, knowing she is blaming herself, knowing she missed enough shots that she feels she could have changed the outcome of the close game score. He knows she's crying, or will be shortly, over her performance. And he would give anything to crawl into her bed with her tonight and kiss away all the negative thoughts she's having about herself.
He is surprised twenty minutes after the game ends. when his phone starts ringing, his heart jumping into his throat as he sees the name on the screen. The plate he's rinsing clattering to the bottom of the sink as he dries his hands quickly before picking up the phone.
"J-Jo?" He questions nervously, not believing there is any world where she'd be calling him at this moment in time...
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Oops, what next????
I'm seeing 5sos at Madison Square Garden in August and I am still in shock! 😭🥹 I can't wait!!!
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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...
