Always Fighting // Kyrie Irving

Disappointment

Kyrie- 

It's feels like it's just us in the whole entire arena. Obviously that's not true, the clean up crew is still here, some media members, a few stray fans who are talking to their friends. But really it feels like it's just Sabrina and me. 

With a sigh, I grab another basketball from the cart besides me and launch up another three, watching it clank against the back of the rim before falling to the side. I snatch a different ball and try to calm myself before releasing it, but this time it airballs. 

"Damn it!" I yell, smacking a fist against the cart, sending it rolling down the court. Sabrina pushes herself off of the chair and walks towards me, wrapping her arms loosely around my neck. 

"Ky," she mumbled against my shoulder, her lips tickling the skin where the sleeve of my shirt cut off. "Stop. For just a second." I twist my body so I'm looking at her impatiently. "Come here." She slips her hand into mine and pulls me towards the nearest chair. We sit down but she doesn't remove her hand. "You're frustrated."

"You're dam-"

"Let me talk for just a moment Kyrie." She takes a deep breath. "Do you remember what I said on that message I wrote you?" I nod my head yes. "What did I say you are? What did I say you will be?"

"A-a legend? A champion?" 

"Yes, now does that change because it 2-0? No."

"But it does, Sab. It changes everything. They're better than us. They have more firepower, more everything. Legends aren't stumped by those teams. 

"Ky, this isn't a best of three series. It's a best of seven. They still have to win two more games and we aren't going to let them win two more. We're still going to win us that championship, okay? I know, I understand you're frustrated that your shot isn't falling, but you can change the dynamic of this game by changing how you score. Don't stop and pull up for three, drive to the rim. Those are your shots, no one is better at that than you are." 

"But they are a three point shooting machine." 

"You have good three point shooters, too. Let them do what they do, but if your perimeter shot isn't working, go to the rim. Now, come here." She pulls me up again and walks to center court, grabbing a basketball off the rack and handing it to me. "You drive, I'll defend." 

"You can defend?"

"I'm better than you think, now drive." She plants herself firmly on the ground in front of me, her hand held out to elongate her reach. I inhale and dribble through my legs before driving to my left. To my surprise, she stays on me all the way to rim where I duck under and flick the ball up towards the basket. 

Swish. 

Sabrina has a grin on her face as she watches the ball bounce underneath the basket. 

"Good," she says. "Again." 

Sabrina- 

I hate to see Kyrie this despondent, and I wish I could just walk and up and tell him that it wasn't his fault, but I can't. That wouldn't work on him. He is an impassioned player and takes full responsibility for every loss. He believes he could have played better every game or he could have gotten those rebounds or given up the ball for that assist. 

I can see all these emotions on his face while he angrily snatches basketballs from the cart and launches them up the air. I can see the fear and sadness on his face when his three's don't fall. When I see him punch the cart and send it rolling, I know I have to do something. 

I walk over to him and stand behind him, wrapping my arms loosely around his shoulder and neck. "Ky," I say, but my voice is mumbled against the hem of his shirt. "Stop. For just a second." 

_______________________________

When we step back onto the court, I insist on practicing drives instead of threes. I know he does them in practice, but it seems like once he steps on the court, he feels like he needs three's instead. But if he can drive against the big guys, there's a good chance he could get an 'and one.' 

So we practice them. I used to play when I was in school, so I know how to guard and I try to stay as on top of him as possible. Actually having him cross me over makes me realize that although it may seems cool on TV it's even more amazing in person. The way he so easily maneuvers the ball wherever he wants it.  

Both of us are sweating, and I'm slightly out of breath, when one of the managers of the area tells us they are officially closing the stadium down. 

"Crap," Kyrie yells and sprints back towards the locker room. I follow behind him, wondering what he is doing. He pushes open the door, and it's pitch black inside. "Can you use your phone flashlight, Sab?" He asks and I fumble around in my purse until I feel it. Even though we've only been in the dark for a few seconds, the lock screen seems all to bright when it shines in my eyes. We walk around the room with the tiny amount of light my phone offers until Kyrie find his duffel bags of stuff. 

"Did everyone else leave?" I ask, surprised they didn't get him. 

"Tristan came out and told me they were leaving, but I guess I forgot and they couldn't wait any longer." He heaves his bags over his shoulder hangs his duffel against his chest. 

"Where is your hotel?" I ask. "Dani and I can drop you off." 

He tell me and we start walking out to the car. It's weird to walk through an empty building that was overflowing with people just a few hours ago. Slightly creepy too. If you talk too loud, you can hear the echo throughout the building. By the time we make it out to the parking lot, I've never appreciated the outdoors quite as much. 

"What the hell were you guys doing?" Danielle asks, rolling down her window when we make it too the car. 

"Practicing," I say and open the trunk so he can pile his stuff in. 

"Practicing what? Making babies?" She rolls up her window and I slam the trunk down, but before I can walk to the drivers seat, I feel Kyrie's hands on my waist. He lifts me up so I'm sitting on top of the trunk and kisses me very gently. 

"Thank you, Sab." He whispers thickly, when he pulls away, his eyes still closed. 

"It was no problem-" I start to say, leaning into him again, but he pulls back. 

"No, thank you. You don't know how amazing you've been this whole time. Helping me, coaching me, even. God, how did I get so lucky to have you?"

"How did I get so lucky to have you?" I ask, before Dani blows the car horn.