USWNT 3.0

57

After the game, it took a pretty long time for the girls to recover. 

The finale against France was in one week from now on, but the girls weren't thinking about this. After each congratulating Christen and Julie for their engagement, they went out in Lyon. It was their last night here, before they would head in Paris. The party was very pleasant, but at one point Tobin saw Kealia getting out of the room. She told Allie she was going for a breath of fresh air, and went out of the room. 

The blonde was looking at the view, lost in her thoughts. When she felt Tobin's presence only centimeters away from her, she jumped and turned around. 

"O-oh, it's you" Kealia let out, trying to gain her breath again. "Sorry, I didn't see you coming."

Tobin awkwardly stood here. 

She wasn't good with people, romantically speaking. She only had two or three love stories, but nothing similar to this : she dated a guy she didn't like, and a girl that just left her hanging before dating another person. Anyway, the point was that she didn't know how to react, especially when the girl she liked just kissed her hours ago. She didn't know what to do, so she remained silent. 

The silence that was establish the two of them made Kealia feel uncomfortable. She faced Tobin at one point, and said :

"Look, it doesn't have to be awkward, it-" she started.

"Why did you kiss me ?" Tobin interrupted her quickly. 

Kealia's eyes went wide. Well, she's direct. The blonde shook her head, before looking everywhere but at Tobin. Her eyes ended up on the midfielder again, and she sighed loudly. 

"Did I misread the signs or something ?" she nervously asked, trying to look composed. "I-I don't know, I just felt like you wanted us to.. I mean, something to happen between us, but if I am wrong then-"

"Signs ?" Tobin asked, frowning. 

Shit, was I that obvious ? the middy asked herself, panicked. The last thing she wanted to do was being in trouble. 

"Yah" Kealia said, trying to find the right words. "I know it's you. I mean, you told Mark to put me on the team, and then switched positions with me so I would start. I just.. I don't know why you did this for me." 

Tobin didn't know what to say. She looked down, slightly blushing. Shit, am I twelve years old again ? Where did my game go ? I was good at flirting ! When she remembered Kealia was still standing in front of her, she looked up. 

Before Tobin could say anything, Kealia cracked a smile. 

"Listen, maybe now is not the time." she said, and her smile just gave Tobin trouble to breathe. "Maybe we should wait until after the finale. But you must be the one asking me out, otherwise I will think-"

"Waiting is okay" Tobin let out.

They caught eyes, and Kealia smiled even wider. 

"Okay, then."

They went back to the party, and totally changed the subject of the conversation so that it wouldn't be awkward. But Tobin couldn't stop looking at Kealia when the blonde wasn't looking her way. 

She couldn't help it. 

° 

The former players were all sitting in a room together.

Of course, Pinoe couldn't make it because of some family stuff ; she was now in Minnesota after her dad died, and her fiancé told them how sorry she was to be missing on such an event. Another absent is Heather Mitts, that couldn't make it in France since her contract obliged her to stay in the US to comment the games. So here they were - for those that were able to make it - sitting on the couches.

The rest of the team was at practice. Servando was the one calling the meeting, because he knew his wife would be happy with seeing everybody again. The pregnant woman was looking at her friends' kids playing around. Maisie Harris-Krieger was looking at her moms with lightened eyes ; the kid was now ten, and the most adorable daughter one could have. She loved her moms more than anything in the word. The funny thing about this was that she already was bestie with Cassius Dwyer and Gordon Lloyd-Solo. The trio actually was having fun all day long together, while their parents were patiently looking after them from the couch. Hope had made herself comfortable for Carli, who was exhausted by some interviews she had to give. The keeper closed her arms on her, and Carli just seemed to have reached heaven.

Alex was kinda worried, though. It had been several days since she had pain in her stomach - not the little pains, like, the big ones - and she didn't know if it had something to do with her baby. It probably had something to do, right ? Serva, on the other hand, was totally panicked : he had read many books talking about how mothers had had serious injuries because of pains like those. She still didn't want to go on the hospital, claiming to be fine.

Lauren and Arod, that were sitting on the opposite side of the room, were looking at their former teammates with loving eyes.

« I can't believe it's been four years since we won this thing » Lauren commented, feeling nostalgic for a while.

Amy rested her head on the taller girl's shoulder. The pair had been best friends for a very long time now ; Lauren was Amy's kids' godmother, while the blonde was Lauren's daughter' godmother too. They were each other's maids of honor at each other' marriage, so let's say they were pretty close.

They started laughing.

« Whenever I look at Mallory, it reminds me of how quickly time flies » Amy said, sighing. « I feel like that kid had grown up too fast. »

« They are no kids anymore » Alex took part into the conversation. « I mean, look at Moe and Linds... They're grown-ups now, both have girlfriends, and- »

« GIRLFRIENDS ? » Lauren yelled, standing on her feet. « MOE HAS GOT A GIRLFRIEND ? WHO IS IT ? I HAVE TO SPEAK TO HER SO THAT SHE WON'T HURT HER ! PLEASE TELL ME IT'S NOT A BITCH OR- » she went on, until Servando just burst out laughing. She glared at him meaningly. « What ? Do you know who that girl is for me ? She's my mini-me ! And kind of my daughter too ! So, who's that girl she's dating ? »

« I'm not sure they're actually dating or anything... » Alex mumbled, conscious she had made a mistake.

« Alex » Lauren said, impatiently walking toward the forward with a determined face on.

The brunette looked at her friends, but all she earned was Carli's smirk while Hope was shrugging. « Fine, it's Cari. » Alex blurted out. « But you didn't hear it from me, Cheney ! »

« Cari as in Cari Roccaro ? » the taller girl asked, frowning. Servando was the one nodding. Lauren seemed extremely surprised, but also kind of angry that her little baby Moe hadn't told her anything. « Poor thing, I really liked Roccaro. I guess I will be less of a bitch with her than I would've been with anyone else »

Amy rolled her eyes.

« Have you seen them together yet ? » Ash asked, really amused by the whole situation.

« Of course not, I would've noticed if they were eye-fucking each other right in front of me » Lauren said.

« They're so cute » Ali commented, playing with her wife's fingers. « Cari is such a sweetheart with Moe. They are meant to be. »

« Maybe Roccaro isn't that good and she will hurt Moe and- » Lauren said, panicking a little bit. « I gotta find them. »

Before anyone else could say anything, the brunette already was out of the room. Next thing they heard was Moe's voice, and then Lauren's. The two girls were yelling at each other - they used to do this a lot, since their relationship was more of a mother-daughter relationship - and the girls on the room saw Cari quickly walking toward her room, as her now girlfriend was fighting with her 'mom'.

When Cheney came back, there was so sign of Moe. She sat back down, and faced her friends.

« I approve their relationship. » she claimed in a confident tone. « I mean, she told me she 'loves her', so I guess it's real. Right ? Moe never told me that when she was dating Eric, or that other douche... What's his name again ? Never mind. »

Arod smirked. "You're so weird."