3rd & Long

Chapter 15: Two-Minute Warning

The last of Nat's things slipped from her hand as they fell into the box on her desk. Nat sighed as she took a look around her empty office. She was never the one to put up too many decorations, yet seeing the now bare room filled her with melancholy. It was like walking out of your favorite class on the last day of school. She hadn't cried yet, though she knew when the time came to say goodbye to Nick she certainly would.

Nick was still in the locker room packing up his things. One of the parts about a season ending that still surprised Nat was the speed at which everything happened. The NFA wasted no time when it came to wrapping things up. Players got a day to recover then were expected to report back to their team to discuss post season details, work out any last minute logistical items, and of course clean out their lockers. For majority of them, they would also be packing up their apartments and leaving to go stay wherever it was they called home. For Nick, that meant returning back to Florida, meaning Nat would officially have no reason to stay in the bay area any longer.

Now I get to go live with my mom again. Yay.

Nat picked up the first of the two boxes and walked it to the parking lot. If she would have a job waiting for her in the fall, it would make the most sense to pack the essentials and leave everything else. But Stoll made it clear right after the Pioneers lost to the Vultures that Nat would be expected to vacate her office and return her badge at the same time the players would be cleaning out their lockers. Callaghan kept true to his word and got rid of Nat as soon as he could.

After loading the first box into the back seat of her car, Nat walked back to Levi's to fetch the rest of her things. As she walked down the familiar hallways, she felt a strong dejection. Never would she have thought she would care so strongly about the San Francisco Pioneers, and yet walking down those hallways, all she could think about was how much she loved the team. The players had always treated her with respect and some even managed to weasel their ways into her personal life. The staff, save for the coach, had always been cordial with her. Here with the San Francisco Pioneers, Nat found an environment where everyone cared about each other and wanted the best for the team. Nat never knew a team so put together, but what she did know is that she would likely not find another. She still didn't have a job, but she had the whole off season to work on that.

Right before she opened her office door, she saw the one and only man of her dreams walking in her direction looking down at his phone. He seemed to be lost in thought, deep in whatever he was reading as Nat could clearly see his lips moving, practicing every syllable. She thought about calling out to him, but knowing Nick she knew he would look up eventually. Which is what made it all the more shocking when he bumped into her.

Nat was pushed several steps back but she managed to avoid falling over by holding onto the wall. Even though Nick only had a couple of inches on her, his full weight at a walking pace would've easily knocked her over had she not had something to steady herself with.

This man is literally just muscle. How have I not gotten used to how his body feels yet?

Nick looked up in horror once he realized what he did. His beautiful brown eyes bugged out of their sockets and this was one of the few times he showed any sort of emotion. He reached out his big hands to help Nat regain her posture, but even once Nat was back standing up straight, she could still read the guilt in his eyes.

"Never thought I'd have to tell you to watch where you're going" Nat said, trying her best to sound playful.

"Sorry. I guess there's a first for everything." Nick replied. Nat had no clue how to read his tone.

She instead opened the door to her office and let Nick inside. He immediately went up to the box of her things and began picking them up, examining them one by one. Nat was both surprised and impressed with how small all of her desk toys looked in his massive hands.