NBA ONE SHOTS 2.0

That's Flirting..? (Ben Simmons) -Maria-

Aye, first real chapter of this story! This one's for my fave kingsmaria ! She made the cover for this story. Thanks once again for that, Maria! I hope you like this (:

-Maria's POV-

I struggled to zip up the back of my dress.

"Mom, I don't understand why you made me wear this damn dress. I don't even think it fits,"I mumbled, trying to lift the zipper while looking in the mirror.

My mom laughed and effortlessly zipped it up from behind. "Maria, come on. We came all the way to Australia for your aunt's wedding. Be kind,"she said.

I huffed, smoothing my dress down. My heels actually weren't hurting my feet....for now.

My mom instructed,"Let's go see your aunt now before the ceremony. Make sure to stay close by after the wedding. We have to get to the party afterwards." I nodded and followed her out the door.

-3 Hours Later-

The wedding just ended and it was so sweet. It was quite cheesy, but I still shed some tears. I'm a romantic, what can I say?

After the ceremony, I went back to the hotel with my mom and got changed into a slightly more comfortable dress and some simpler heels.

At the party venue, it was so crowded and loud. The atmosphere was fun, but I felt a bit uncomfortable with so many people around.

A really tall guy was looking at me from the other side of the room. He was cute, but I didn't recognize him that well.

I decided to step out of the large building and take in some fresh air outside. It was so quiet and peaceful outside compared to inside. The only sounds were my heels clicking against the pavement as I walked.

I felt someone following me, so I turned around. There was the cute guy from earlier. Now that he was closer and in better lighting, I recognized him. Ben Simmons.

God, please don't let me embarrass myself in front of him.

He gave me a soft smile. "Hi, I'm Ben."

"Yes, I know that. I'm a big basketball fan. By the way, I'm Maria."

"Well Maria, you look stunning,"he said.

I blushed a bit. "Oh, thanks Ben."

"Wanna walk with me?"Ben asked, gesturing down the path. I nodded,"Sure."

As we started walking, I said,"It was so loud in there. I couldn't hear myself think." We both laughed. "Honestly, I thought I was going deaf,"he agreed.

We continued walking in silence for a bit. I stopped when I realized I had no idea where we were. Ben didn't look worried at all.

He looked back at me, confused. "What happened?"he asked.

I wondered,"Do you know where we're going?"

Ben replied,"Yeah, I grew up around here. I know where things are."

We continued to walk again, talking about our interests. Most of this discussion just had to do with basketball.

As we were about to turn back around and head to the party venue, Ben spotted a basketball court. "Let's go there,"he said, pointing to it. I laughed a bit, following him to the court.

"Why's there a random court here?"I asked, looking around. This is so random...

Ben found a basketball behind a tree and started dribbling on the concrete. He made some shots, with me just standing there and quietly observing. Finally, I asked,"Can I play too?"

Ben looked at me surprised. "In heels and a dress?" I smiled, stretching my arms. "Trust me, I can do this,"I assured.

Ben hesitantly passed me the ball. I shot from where I was standing at the 3 point line and scored.

"Damn, Maria,"he mumbled. I laughed, running to grab the ball. I passed it to Ben and he missed a shot.

"C'mon Ben. You're supposed to be in the NBA,"I teased, dribbling.

He shook his head, grinning. "I'm honestly really attracted to you right now,"he admitted.

I found myself thinking 'Who the fuck just says that the first time they see someone?' But I just gave him a look and laughed.

Ben slowly walked over to me and grabbed the ball. He chucked it away and took my hands into his.

"What're you doing?"I nervously giggled.

He started leaning in. My eyes widened and I moved away. "Woah, pretty boy. Calm yourself,"I said, holding my hand out.

"Aye Ben! There you are!"a girl exclaimed. I turned around and saw Ben's sister, Liv. "Oh shit, sorry. Did I interrupt something?"she asked quickly.

I laughed a bit, walking over to her. "No, you didn't. Hi, I'm Maria,"I smiled.

Liv grinned. "Hey pretty lady. I'm Liv."

Ben said,"Shut up Liv. I was trying to flirt with Maria before you so rudely interrupted."

I looked at Ben. "Are you serious? That was you flirting?"I joked.

Liv burst out laughing. "I like you,"she said, putting her arm around my shoulder. "Don't pay attention to Ben. He ain't even that cute."

Ben retorted,"We got the same genes, so that speaks for both of you too." I just laughed, watching them bicker for what seemed like hours.

Finally, I said,"Okay, okay. Chill guys. I'm gonna go back to the party now." Ben replied,"I'll come with you." "Me too,"Liv added.

The three of us walked back to the venue and sat down at one of the tables. Soon, Liv left Ben and I alone.

"Okay, I need to quickly ask you for your number just in case I never get to see you again,"Ben said.

I laughed, pulling out my phone. "Okay, Ben."

We exchanged numbers before I got a text from my mom, telling me to meet her outside as we were about to leave. "I have to go,"I said, standing up.

Ben stood up as well. "I wish I could've spent more time with you. You're perfect,"he sighed.

My cheeks heated up when he said that. "Uh, I'll see you in America, okay?"I awkwardly spoke.

Ben chuckled and nodded. "Yes, definitely."