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Megan had always loved being on the ice. The sound of her skates scraping against it. The cool air in the stadium. The blood that rushes to her head when she throws her gloves on the ice, ready for a fight.
She’s been playing hockey since she was a little girl. Her mom always said she had too much energy for her to handle, so she did the most logical option, throwing her in a high contact sport.
If she was being honest, she’s probably spent more time in the box than actually playing this season. But it wasn’t her fault, really! It just so happened that people like targeting her new teammate Yoonchae. She was younger, the captain's little sister. If their captain, Sophia, wasn’t there to fight someone who bodychecked Yoonchae, you can damn well count Megan was.
“I need you on the ice, Skiendiel, not in the penalty box!” Coach Missy yelled, clearly angry.
Megan ignored her, she knew she was right, but that didn’t make her any less angry.
Team Hybe was almost completely undefeated. Key word, almost.
And it was all because of team Geffen. God dammit. Their main defender was a fucking killer. #13. Known for checking people into the walls. Rumor has it she’s sent a girl through the glass one time because she hit one of her teammates too hard.
Daniela "Bambi killer" Avanzini.
She got her name specifically from making newbies quit. She was good. Too damn good. Her parents were hockey prodigies, so in turn, she was amazing. She’s gotten everything she’s ever wanted. She’s just another rich girl playing hockey because it makes her look good. She’s never had to work hard like Megan had. Being raised by a single mother with her brother. It was unfair.
Nobody really knows how their rivalry started. Maybe it was from the first games they played against each other. Megan was already angry because they were losing, and Daniela was just too good at evading her, the puck always on her stick no matter how hard she tried to take it.
“I’m gonna fuck you up, Avanzini.”
“You’ll just have to catch me first, baby.” She smirked.
Megan hated her. Not like Daniela liked her much either.
“Who are we playing today, Captain?” Megan asked.
“Ummm.” Sophia looked at her phone, “We’re going against Geffen today.”
Megan grumbled something under her breath. Staring off into space.
God she hated her. Her and her stupid smirk and her perfect teeth and beautiful eyes-
Wait what
“Megan? Earth to Megan?” Yoonchae said, waving her hand in front of Megan.
“Huh- What? What’d you say?”
“I was asking if you were okay? You look like you’re about to combust?”
Megan shook her head back into focus.
“Oh yeah I’m fine.”
She heard Sophia sigh, drawing her attention.
Sophia got up and walked over to her.
“Meggy, I know you don’t like that Avanzini girl but I’m really going to need you to focus on this one. We need you on the ice today. We’re already down Ua , we don't need you in the box for half the game too.”
Megan groaned into her hands.
“I know, Soph. I know.”
Sophia nodded.
“Okay girls! We have two hours till our game! Let’s start preparing!”
Her team gathered around her.
“Okay, here's Coaches notes from the last game. Manon, you need to watch, not just wait.”
Manon was their goalie. She was a pretty damn good one too, that is, if she was paying attention long enough.
“Lara, you and Megan really need to work on your passes, your puck hogging is really driving us into the ground sometimes. You’re our wingers, you gotta make sure you’re passing to me if you’re in a jam, okay?”
Lara and Megan clasped their hands together.
“ChaeChae, I know you’re without Ua today but Hinari is going to step in for today’s game okay? You two will have to figure out how to work together. Did you practice at home while I was out?”
“Fifiiii” Yoonchae groaned. “You’re embarrassing me.”
Sophia gave her a look.
“No…” She admitted.
“That’s half an hour of extra practice for you little girl.” Sophia glared.
“That’s not fair!”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
“Um girls- Can we focus?” Lara asked.
Sophia nodded,
“Right, sorry. Yoonchae, you know what to do now?”
Yoonchae huffed and begrudgingly nodded.
“Alright. We have about an hour to practice and then an hour to prepare. I want to see everyone on that ice in ten minutes. If even one of you isn't, it's extra time for all of you. Break.”
The girls dissipated around the stadium, some tying their laces already in their gear, others having to go into the locker rooms.
Megan's thoughts wandered as she put on her skates.
She couldn’t disappoint Sophia again. She’s already spent way too much time in the penalty box, she can’t spend another five minutes for a major penalty again.
She recalls the last game, when Yoonchae genuinely, on accident, slipped her stick under an opponent's skates, tripping them.
The opponent threw their gloves down, already swinging, and Yoonchae went down.
Sophia had her gloves on the ice in a second.
But damn was Megan faster. She checked her into the barriers immediately, knocking the wind out of her.
Normally that would be fine.
But she didn’t get up. That was a first.
Five minutes in the penalty box.
“Damn it, Skiendiel!” Missy threw her clipboard onto the ground, the clacking echoing through the now quiet stadium.
Megan shuddered. She got scolded for the entire week.
She skated onto the ice, listening to the ice shred under her skates.
She sighed. The ice always calmed her.
Well almost always that is.
“Meg!” Lara hollered, sliding the puck over to her.
She caught it in her stick, rounding in a circle to pass it back to her.
She looked around, everyone was on the ice now, perfect, no extra practice, no scolding from Sophia.
—
Sophia made them practice extra anyways, which only gave them half an hour to rest before their game. Luckily it was a home game so it’s not like they had anywhere to be.
“Does everyone feel ready? I’m so nervous.” Yoonchae said, hugging herself.
Sophia wrapped her arm around her shoulder,
“You’ll be alright, this is like your third game, you got this.”
The locker room was too warm. Megan couldn’t wait to get on that ice, feel that cool air on her face, the sound of the crowd roaring.
“It’s time to go out there, is everyone ready? Don’t care, let’s fuck em up, Hybe!” Sophia yelled, slamming her helmet down.
She walked out first, all her girls following.
“And here’s your favorite teammm! The one, the only, TEAM HYBEEE!!” The announcer yelled over the intercom.
The crowd roared throughout the stadium, fans screaming and jumping.
“And today they’re playing their biggest competition yet. TEAM GEFFEN!”
There were still many fans for team Geffen there, so even though many fans tried to boo, it wasn’t audible enough over their own.
Everyone took their positions. The ref held the puck in the air, ready to drop it.
Megan looked over the team, eyes landing on Daniela.
Daniela was already looking at her.
The whistle blew and she snapped out of her trance, ready to play.
Sophia snatched the puck immediately, rounding it and passing it right to Lara, speeding away as quick as she could. Megan kept pace, watching her, ready to catch her pass if she chose to.
Bam, Sophia was right there. Sneaking in, taking the puck and slamming it right into the goal before anyone could finish a breath.
“That’s one point for Hybe!”
Megan smirked in Daniela’s direction, not even sure if she saw it. But she bore her eyes into the jersey labeled #13.
Megan focused back into the game, catching a pass from Lara, Yoonchae right by her side shoving away anyone trying to get to her.
Fucking hell. Daniela Avanzini.
She skated past her so quickly Megan didn’t even know the puck was gone before Daniela was already halfway down the rink.
Megan growled. Now she’s pissed.
Not even Yoonchae was able to stop her, she was too fast, too nimble.
Megan’s eyes stuck to her, she watched as Hinari smacked Daniela’s stick away from the puck, giving Sophia the chance to snatch it.
“That’s two points for Hybe!”
Megan went to give Daniela another smirk, but when she looked over her smirk quickly turned into a frown when she saw Daniela getting smacked by her teammate, their gloved hand hitting her helmet hard enough she lurched forward. She could hear Daniela’s teammate yell,
“What the fuck are you doing, Avanzini? Jesus you’re useless today!”
Daniela looked over to her. Something flashed in her eyes, before the usual hardened look returned.
“Megan?? What are you doing??” Sophia yelled.
Fuck, right, the game.
She skated across the rink, ready to catch a pass.
Focus, Meiyok. Focus.
Geffen scores a goal.
Megan’s only getting angrier.
Yoonchae steals the puck from Daniela again. Daniela tries bumping her away but Yoonchae sticks on her.
She loses it when she sees Yoonchae on the ground. And Daniela’s stick under her.
Did Daniela just fucking trip Yoonchae?
Megan’s gloves are already on the ground.
“Meg! Stop!” Yoonchae yells.
She throws the first punch. Fist landing straight into Daniela’s helmet.
She learned today that Daniela Avanzini throws one hell of a punch.
She holds her jaw as she looks back at Daniela, shocked.
Daniela is huffing at her, helmet flown off and angry.
She was beautiful.
Megan stared at her, she watched as the blood on her cheek dripped down the side.
Megan gasped softly.
“I didn’t mean-” She whispered, cut off by being checked into the barrier. Hard.
“Megan!” Someone yelled.
It was a fucking brawl on the ice. Sticks flying and gloves thrown.
Half of the team was in the box.
Sophia was in the box.
Sophia was never in the box.
“You didn’t have to do that.” Megan said.
“They hurt you and Yoonchae. I couldn’t just sit there.”
“We’re going to lose now.”
“I regret nothing.”
“You’ll regret it when Missy has our heads.”
“That’ll be a problem for later. Right now I regret nothing.”
Megan smiled.
As soft as Sophia was, she was a protector.
—
“The final scores are Hybe 2 Geffen 3!” The announcer yelled over the speaker.
Huge cheers erupted from the crowd, Geffens fans screaming as hard as they could.
Team Hybe all rammed into each other, patting each other on the shoulders in consolation.
“Locker room. NOW!” Missy said.
Oh they were so screwed.
Once they were in the locker room Missy let loose.
“Are you fucking kidding me?? What the actual hell was that?!”
She glared at Megan.
“I should expect this from you. But you.”
She looked at Sophia.
“Why the hell did you do that?! You’re supposed to be the captain, the one NOT getting in fights.”
“I was protecting my team.” Sophia hissed.
“Don’t fucking argue with me Laforteza do you want to be off of this team?” Missy growled back at her.
Sophia stayed silent this time.
Missy rambled on, but Megan was not listening.
She kept replaying it in her head.
The hit.
Megan thinks about it.
She didn’t want to hit Daniela. She just wanted to protect Yoonchae.
“Alright you crazy girls, get out of here.” Was the only thing Megan caught from Missy’s whole speech.
Missy left the locker room. Leaving everyone sitting there thinking about what they’ve done like they were a bunch of toddlers.
Megan was the last to leave. She always was.
She slung her bag over her shoulder, skates hanging from the straps.
She walked out of the room and her eyes immediately went to Daniela sitting on one of the nearby benches.
Daniela was sitting on her phone, probably waiting for a ride.
Megan stared. She stared at the steri-strip holding the cut on her face closed.
She did that.
Daniela finally looked up from her phone, making eye contact with Megan. Her face hardened into a small glare.
“What.” She said, already irritated.
Megan’s throat went dry.
“I’m sorry.” Was all she could choke out before she turned and walked away, leaving the stadium, and Daniela.
Daniela whose glare immediately fell the moment the words left Megan's mouth.
—
Megan woke up feeling like hell, she was sore from her workout yesterday and she already had a headache.
It’s been almost two weeks since their last game.
She was so tired. Tired of everything.
But yet, practice awaits them.
She looked at the clock.
“Shit!” She yelled.
She was already late.
—
Megan bursts through the doors.
“I’m here! I’m here!”
Sophia glares at her already.
“Megan, have you even looked at your messages??”
Megan shook her head.
“N-No I rushed over here when I realized I was late.”
She opened her messages.
“Oh cool! We’re getting a trade? Who’d we get?”
Yoonchae winced and Manon and Lara looked at each other knowingly.
“Well- you see” Sophia started.
She was cut off by the trade walking out of the locker room.
“It’s Avanzini.” Sophia finished.
Megan stared.
Of course it was.
Daniela looked at her, eyes piercing.
“Fuck” She whispered under her breath.
“Go get your gear on” Sophia demanded, irritated by her tardiness.
Megan changed as fast as she could and ran back out.
Sophia picked up a clipboard.
“Alright! Everyone round up!”
They all surrounded Sophia.
Daniela stood behind everyone awkwardly.
Sophia looked at her.
“You’re on our team now, c’mere.” She waved her hand over to her, urging her to join the circle.
Lara and Manon made room for her to shuffle into the group discussion.
“Okay, since we’ve got Bambi Killer over here on our team now, we’re going to alter formations a little.”
Sophia scanned over her papers.
“Lara, you’re gonna be on defence now instead of winger. You’ll be working with Yoonchae now that Ua is gone.”
Lara sighed but ultimately nodded.
“Then who’s gonna be my other winger?”
Sophia hesitated.
“She is.” Nodding at Daniela.
Megan’s heart dropped.
Fuck
She was waiting for Daniela's smirk at her. Her usual “Did you miss me baby?”. Her taunting.
But Daniela was just staring into space. Just nodding along to whatever Sophia was saying.
It was weird. Megan wasn’t sure if she liked it.
“Last time game was fucking rough, not gonna lie, but we’re going to do better next time. Okay, get out there.” Sophia said.
They all skated onto the ice, skating laps and practicing passes.
Megan held her stick in her hand. Practicing weaving her puck around the cones.
She looked up at where Daniela was, skating around awkwardly just moving her puck in circles.
She felt kinda bad.
She passed the puck she was holding over to Dani. If only Daniela had been paying attention. Because by some miracle the puck somehow managed to speed over perfectly enough to wedge under Daniela’s skate, sending her flying.
All eyes turned to Daniela on the ice. Then to Megan who was standing there, mouth agape, in utter shock.
Daniela picked herself up.
“Are you fucking serious? Skiendiel?” She skated over to her. “What the hell is wrong with you??”
Megan stuttered.
“I-I didn’t mean to! I swear! I was just trying to pass-”
“Save it.” Daniela hissed, skating away.
Sophia skated over to her.
“Megan.” She said, angry.
“Sophia. I’m serious, I genuinely didn’t mean to.”
Sophia pinched her nose.
“Can you look me in the eyes and tell me that?”
Megan stared into her
“I was genuinely just trying to pass it. I didn’t think that would happen.” She insisted.
Sophia sighed,
“Fine, fine. Just keep practicing. You get thirty minutes extra”
Megan groaned.
“But Sophiaa”
“Don’t start with me”
Megan huffed, but relented.
Practice was already two hours long. And Megan still had to stay an extra half an hour. Everyone already left, leaving just her.
She could probably just leave. Nobody would know.
Sophia would know.
Sophia always knew.
After her extra time she walked into the locker room to change.
Bag yet again slung over her once more she left, walking out of the stadium. Daniela was standing outside this time, cigarette between her fingers.
“You always stay this late after practices and games?”
Daniela rolled her eyes.
“I’m just waiting for the next bus before I walk over to the stop.
Something in Megan’s heart twisted.
“Oh.” She muttered. “Is it always this late?”
It’s been almost forty five minutes since practice ended.
“What does it matter to you?”
Megan shrugged.
She watched as Daniela lifted the cigarette to her mouth, taking a large puff before exhaling it out.
“What are you staring at?” Daniela asked, visibly irritated.
“Smoking is bad for you.”
Daniela scoffed
“Not the worst thing I’ve done.” She said, returning to what was on her phone.
Megan was hesitant to leave.
“Is uh- Is it gonna be here soon? I can give you a ride if you want.”
Daniela’s glare faltered for a moment, only for a moment.
“You don’t have to act like you care about me, Skiendiel.” She said, flicking the cigarette butt onto the ground.
“I-I’m not-”
“I’m fine. Go” Daniela muttered.
Megan scowled.
“Fine, whatever.” She walked to her car, unlocking it and throwing her bag in the trunk.
She backed out of the spot, driving past Daniela towards the exit.
She didn’t miss the way Daniela’s eyes followed her car.
—
Megan got to the rink way too early. She just wanted to practice a little bit extra. Practice didn’t start for another hour. Luckily Missy opens the rink at 5 am sharp so she doesn't have to worry about getting locked out. She was the first one there she assumed due to the empty parking lot at the rink.
She assumed wrong.
Daniela was already in there, drinking a cup of coffee that was way too bitter for it to be normal, laid across the couch.
Daniela looked up at her, then back down at her phone.
“Hello to you too.” Megan scoffed.
“Hey.” Daniela mumbled.
“Why are you here so early?” Megan asked.
“Why are you?” She threw the question right back at her.
“I wanted to get extra practice. What about you?”
Daniela hesitated.
“I had to walk so I left early.”
Megan squinted at her.
“You walked here? Why?”
“Why the fuck do you care, Skiendiel?”
Megan shrunk into herself at Daniela’s harsh tone.
“Okay, I’m sorry.” She muttered, leaving Daniela where she was on the couch and walking into the locker room.
And of course. Daniela walks right in behind her.
Great.
“Are you following me or something?” Megan asks.
“We’re on the same team. I need to put my stuff on too.” She scoffs.
Megan rolls her eyes at her.
Megan is pulling all her stuff out of her locker when Daniela joins her.
“What are you doing?” Megan questions.
“Grabbing my stuff, dummy.” She says, opening the locker right next to Megan’s and grabbing her stuff.
Okay, their lockers are right next to eachother
Even better.
Megan’s trying to untie the knot she made in her laces to tie her skates to her bag yesterday, but apparently during travel the knot got too tight and she kept breaking her nails trying to untie it.
“God fuckin dammit.” She hissed at the laces.
Daniela didn’t say a word. Just took the skates and worked at the knot for probably like ten seconds before unlooping it, throwing them back at Megan.
“Um, thanks.” She mumbled.
“Whatever.” She says before walking out.
Megan meets her on the ice.
Daniela is just doing laps right now, trying to get warmed up. Megan throws a few pucks into the center of the rink, hitting them into the goal to work on her aim.
She sets a puck against her stick, ready to hit it in, but when she does, Daniela speeds by, blocking the puck from landing in the goal.
Megan’s eye twitched.
Daniela brought the puck back over to her.
“What are you doing?” Megan said to her, irritated.
“Helping.” She muttered.
She squatted into position, the puck sitting between their sticks.
“Try to keep up, Skiendiel.”
She swiftly snatched the puck and skated away.
Megan immediately went after her. Trying to get the puck back.
Daniela wasn’t trying to make a goal.
She was just playing keep away.
A game of cat and mouse.
Megan grumbled, irritated by this charade.
Daniela started skating backwards.
“Gotta catch me, baby.” She winked before speeding off again, too fast, Megan knew, for her to catch her.
That wasn’t gonna stop her from trying.
She sped up as fast as she could, just trying to catch up to Daniela.
At this point they’re just going in circles around the rink.
But this lap, Megan cuts Daniela off by speeding off to the side of the goal.
She didn’t want to check Daniela into the wall.
So she just grips onto her shirt, pushing her backwards into it.
She yelped when her back made contact with the glass barrier.
She looked into Megan’s eyes through her visor, panting slightly.
“You caught me.” She huffed out.
They breathed hard against each other, sweating and gripping each other.
Her attention was pulled away by the doors to the building screeching open.
Yoonchae’s voice broke through her trance and she backed away, picking her stick up and taking the puck away.
Daniela stood there.
Heart beating way too fast for the rivals they were supposed to be.
—
Megan slammed her locker closed, skates tied in a knot way too tight again as she stepped out of the locker room.
She looked outside, the dark storm clouds covering the sky as it poured.
She huffed,
“Just my luck.”
She ran out to her car as quickly as she could, throwing her stuff into her bag.
She turned the car on and left the parking lot.
She was driving slower than she normally would due to the pouring rain.
She glanced at the bus stop she passed by, a girl standing there in the rain, cotton hoodie clearly soaked through.
She saw a glimpse of the bag.
Skates. Check. Stupid pins. Check. Curly hair.
Daniela.
Megan stopped her car, nobody was around right now, the rink being further out from the city.
She threw the car in reverse and stopped at the bus stop.
“Daniela??” She screamed as she rolled down her window.
Daniela looked up at her, teeth chattering, hair drenched, and pissed.
“Get in here!” She tried to wave her in.
“I’m fine Megan.”
Megan groaned.
Megan grabbed the raincoat on the floor of her back seats and stepped out of her car, running over to Daniela and attempting to cover them both with it, the jacket really only covering Daniela.
“Would you stop being stubborn for once and just accept the gesture?”
Daniela glared.
“You don’t have to act like you give a shit about me.” She said bluntly.
I do. She wanted to say.
“Maybe I just don’t want you to get the whole team sick after you inevitably get a cold from this.” She says instead.
Daniela stayed silent.
“Would you please just get in the car?” She was almost pleading.
Daniela looked up at her through her soaked bangs and Megan forgot how to breathe for a second.
“Fine.”
Megan finally exhaled and opened the door for Daniela to get in.
“You don’t have to do that.” Daniela mumbles.
“Just shut up and get in.”
Daniela sits down, shivering violently.
Megan opens the trunk quickly, throwing the raincoat back there and grabbing a spare hoodie.
She hopped back into the driver's seat and handed Daniela the hoodie.
“What’s this for?”
Megan blasted the heat in her car,
“It’s for you to change into, clearly you’re cold.” She said, pointing out her chattering teeth.
“I don’t need it.”
“Just take the damn hoodie Avanzini.”
Daniela reluctantly took the pullover and shed her dripping top layers off.
Megan had to really focus on the road right now and that did not help whatsoever.
“Where do you live?”
Daniela mumbled something.
“What was that?” Megan asked dramatically.
“Off Millard street. The apartment complex there.”
Megan nodded.
“I think Lara lives over there too.” She mentioned.
Daniela just nods.
When they get there Megan parks the car and waits.
“Listen, I know we don’t get along but if we’re going to be on the same team we’re going to have to try.”
Daniela side eyes her.
“Okay. How do you propose we do that?”
“Hang out with me. Tomorrow, after practice.”
Daniela was visibly hesitant.
“Fine. But you’re paying.”
“Okay.”
They looked at each other.
“Want me to walk you up?”
“I’m fine.”
“Okay-”
Then Daniela whips the door open, slamming it shut and walking up to her apartment.
—
Daniela shuts her locker, waiting for Megan to finish tying her skates in a knot that Daniela will inevitably have to untie.
“I don’t understand why you do that.” She mumbles.
“I hate carrying things in my hands. It irritates me.”
“It’s literally just to your car.”
“That’s still carrying it.”
“You’re just trying to make my life harder because then I have to untie it every morning because you can’t.”
“I know that you know you don’t have to untie it. You just like doing it.”
Daniela scoffs.
“Whatever.”
Then she walks out, not before Megan catches the smallest glimpse of a smile.
Megan shuts her locker and follows her out. Daniela is already standing by her car.
“I thought we could go get a drink and go shopping?”
Daniela’s face lit up for a second, before the normal hardened stare returned.
“Fine.”
Daniela got an iced americano with cream and Megan got herself what was practically liquid sugar in a cup.
“No wonder you have so much energy all the time.” Daniela says.
“No wonder you’re so bitter all the time.” Megan retorts, earning a signature glare.
“I’m not bitter all the time. I just haven’t had a reason not to be in a while.”
Megan frowns at that.
“I’m sorry.”
Daniela looks up at her.
“You don’t have to be sorry. It’s fine.”
Megan shakes her head.
“Nobody should have to feel like that all the time.”
A pang of guilt hits her, twisting her heart at the thought of Daniela being sad.
“I have two coffees for Megan!” The barista yells.
Megan skips over and grabs them, handing Daniela hers.
Megan doesn’t miss the way their fingers brush at the exchange.
—
“So you like shopping or something?” Daniela asks as they walk through the store.
“No, but you do.”
“How did you-”
“I looked through your instagram.” Megan grins.
“Creeper much?”
“Ungrateful much?”
Daniela rolls her eyes.
“Get what you want, I'll pay for it.” Megan mumbles.
“What, no, it’s fine. I was joking when I said you had to pay for anything?”
Megan smirks at her.
“Oh so you can joke now? Going soft on me Avanzini?”
Daniela hits her in the arm
“Never.”
Megan laughs, like really laughs.
Daniela stares, heart flipping at the sound and how Megan leans forward as she laughs.
Oh.
Megan returns to sifting through the clothes.
“Ooh, look at this one!” She pulls out a shirt from the rack, showing it to Daniela.
She hums,
“Do you have grey jeans to go with that? It’s not gonna go with the black ones you always wear, it'll clash too much.”
“How does something clash with black?” Megan questions.
“You’d be surprised.”
“Okay, so grey jeans next?”
They continue to look through.
Megan watches her as she picks up a pair of pants, eyeing it intently. Then looks at the price tag and puts it back.
As they walk past it Megan grabs it and throws it in the pile they have in their cart.
She does this probably four more times as they walk through the store. Daniela not noticing a single time, too focused on finding other clothes to see Megan do it. She hides them under her own clothes she’s picked out.
“Okay, I think I’m good.” Daniela says.
“But you didn’t pick anything out.”
Daniela shrugs.
Megan side eyes her as they get to the checkout.
The worker starts scanning everything they’ve bought.
That’s when Daniela squinted at a pair of jeans she saw earlier.
“Megan!” She hisses.
Megan acts like she knows nothing.
Then a shirt. Then another. Another pair of pants.
Daniela gapes at the total. Almost 230 dollars.
She stares as Megan swipes her card.
Megan picks up their bags, all three in one hand and pushes the cart back into the cart area.
“M-Megan I can’t pay you back for that.”
Megan shakes her head.
“I didn’t ask you to.”
Daniela fiddles with the cross necklace she has on.
“I-I um” She stutters out.
“Think of it as a peace offering.”
Daniela looks up at her, she’s holding her hand out.
“Truce?”
Daniela focuses back into reality. She narrows in on her hand, and takes it gently.
“Truce.”
—
Daniela misses the next practice. Sophia said she texted her that she was feeling sick today.
“Okay Meggy, you’re just gonna have to work alone today, we don’t have any covers for her.
Megan frowned.
Okay.
She could do that. She’s done it before, when Lara’s been sick.
But why did this time feel different?
—
When Daniela finally makes it to practice a few days later she’s there early again. They have a game right after this practice session and she’s already exhausted.
Megan finds her in the locker room already putting her gear on.
“Oh, hey.”
Daniela looks up at her.
She looks like death, to put it lightly.
“Are you okay?”
She nods.
“Just a little tired.”
Megan frowns at her.
“Are you sure?”
“I said, I’m fine Megan. Now can we please go practice?”
Megan nods slowly, hesitantly.
They all get onto the ice and practice starts.
Sophia is barking orders at them and working them hard.
Maybe a little too hard, because Megan glances over at Daniela and she’s pale and wobbling.
She skates over to her,
“Hey, are you okay?”
Daniela grumbles at her.
“Huh?” Megan asks.
“M’ fine.” She says. But she’s visibly woozy.
Megan lets it go.
The game starts and they get going.
They score two points quickly. This other team really doesn’t seem to work well together when team Hybe does, Lara and Yoonchae are able to sweep the pucks away from them far too easily.
They must be new.
And with rookies, comes arrogance.
“Hey Bambi Killer! You gonna finally get the puck or what??”
“Come on Bambi Killer, show us why you’ve got your name!”
Daniela is almost stumbling on her skates, Daniela never stumbles.
Megan is losing her patience with these arrogant morons. They’re not even good and they think they’re hot shit or something.
“Dani, do you need a sub?” Sophia asked during timeout.
She shook her head.
“I-I’m fine.”
Liar.
You could see the hesitation on Sophia’s face.
“I need your head in the game, okay hun?” She says.
Daniela nods.
“I’ve got it.”
They skate back out and keep playing.
The score is 3-1 now, Hybe is up.
They ready up and wait.
Whistle.
Sophia slides the puck right over to her. She skates away as quickly as she could manage, weaving around opponents.
She sees an opening to Dani, nobody is guarding her section, she slides it over to her.
She’s ready to catch it. Her stick is open.
But one of the rookies slams into her at full speed, sending her flying into the wall. You could hear the gasps in the crowds.
And gloves were already thrown down.
—
“You didn’t have to do that” Daniela says, watching Sophia close the now open gash on Megan’s eyebrow.
“Yes I did.” Megan mutters.
Daniela looks up at her, eyes tired and pained.
Megan’s eyes are so warm and reassuring she can’t help but feel warmer inside. She glances at Daniela's torso, the ice back she’s holding to her ribs, right below her bra. The wrap on her side.
Sophia looks between them, then clears her throat,
“Welp, looks like you’re all patched up, we’ll go over everything during practice.”
And she leaves.
Leaving them staring.
—
They finally have another game after a series of long practices and shared looks.
But this one felt different.
Daniela was already mad when she showed up.
Nobody said a word.
Daniela gets ready angry. She puts her skates on angry. She listens to Sophia’s pep talk angry.
She plays angry.
She’s weaving through opponents, in and out, stealing the puck and driving it away as fast as she could, passing it to Megan.
Megan nails a shot into the goal.
And get’s hit.
She goes falling onto the ice, the wind being knocked out of her. She gasps for air, she can’t breathe. Fuck she can’t breathe.
Sophia rushes over to her,
“Megan, slow down, I know you can’t breathe right now but I need you to push through.”
Megan can hear the sounds of helmets clanking, sticks hitting the ice.
“Dani! What are you doing??” Sophia yells.
Megan can just barely look up enough to see Daniela, gloves gone, on top of the girl that checked Megan, fists rattling her helmet against the ice. s
Her head falls back down against the ice, she can barely breathe now, just enough. Sophia helps her up.
“Avanzini! Three minutes!” The ref yells.
Megan stares at her as she skates over to the penalty box.
Daniela just fought.
She just fought someone.
For Megan.
Megan’s heart fluttered momentarily.
—
They won, 5-3.
The sound of the velcro ripping was all she could hear as she was alone in the locker room.
Then she walked in.
“She yell at you?” Megan asked.
“You have no idea.” Dani muttered.
“I definitely have an idea.” She chuckled. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes I did.” Was all she said, throwing her words back at her.
Then the impossible happened.
Megan looked over to her.
Dani smiled, full fledged, teeth visible.
Megan short circuited.
“Do I have something on my face?” Dani said, brushing a finger over her lip.
“Um- uh, no. I’ve just never really seen you smile before.”
Daniela sighed.
“Yeah, it’s been a while.” Before she closed her locker, ready to leave. She stopped in the doorway.
Megan stared at her as she turned back around.
“Bye, Megan.” She said, then left.
Megan’s heart skipped a beat.
—
The next game is in the next city over. And that means, the bus.
Megan hated the bus. They always made her nauseous.
Sophia told everyone to be there at 7:45 am sharp. So of course Megan shows up at eight.
She waltzes up to the bus like she isn’t late and Sophia writes a tick mark on her sheet.
“Late again.”
“Nuh uh.”
Sophia sighs.
“Okay, everyone's here! Load up!”
Megan looks over at Dani, who looks like she hasn’t slept in weeks.
“Are you okay?”
“My neighbor kept me up.” She grumbled
Megan nodded.
She hops on her feet before she loads onto the bus trying to prepare herself.
“What are you doing?” Daniela asks.
“I don’t like buses. Makes me nauseous.
“Ah, you should sit by the window then.”
And Dani takes her hand, pulling her onto the bus, Megan burns red at the touch.
She pulls Megan down just a few spaces from the driver's seat, by the window.
“Why are we all the way up here?” Megan asks.
“You said you get motion sickness? You need to sit up front, it’ll reduce the movement you feel, making you less nauseous.”
“Oh.” Megan didn’t know that.
Megan looks out the window, trying to distract herself. Everyone else is in the back of the bus, except them.
Not that she minded when the bus starts rolling and she feels Daniela’s head fall onto her shoulder.
She stops breathing for a second, waiting, too scared to move.
She breathes slowly, gently. Not wanting to move her shoulder too much in fear of waking Dani up.
“Are you guys seeing this??” Lara whisper yelled.
You could see the two up front, through the large mirror at the driver's view, the one meant for looking at all the passengers.
They were slumped against each other, sleeping soundly.
“I have got to get a picture.” Manon mused, trying to zoom in to capture it.
Megan woke up just before they got there.
She looked down at Daniela, twitching slightly at the motion.
Beautiful.
She brushed some of Daniela’s hair away from her face, making her stir.
She looked up at her, eyes bleary from sleep.
“Hey, we’re almost there.” Megan whispered.
Daneial nodded, yawning and stretching.
“Thank you.” She said,
“Uh for what?” Megan asked.
“Letting me sleep.” She yawned again.
God she was so cute when she was tired.
Megan’s heart raced as she stepped off the bus.
They won this game too easily.
—
“I demand a mandatory team bonding time on Friday!" Sophia yells after practice.
“Please explain.” Lara urges.
“There’s a lake by my house that is super frozen over right now, ice is thick enough to skate on.”
“Yes.” Manon says.
“Alright I guess we’re going then.” Megan laughs.
“I don’t think I can make it.” Daniela says. “I don’t have a way to get there.”
“I can pick you up.” Megan steps forward. All eyes go to her.
“Yeah see! Everything's fine, and this is totally mandatory so be there. I’ll bring Marzee too.”
“YES” Manon yells.
Once everyone disbands from the locker room Daniela looks over to Megan.
“Who’s Marzie?” She asks, taking a swig of her water.
“Sophia’s daughter.”
Daniel chokes.
“Her what?”
Megan nods.
“She doesn’t like to talk about it, so don’t ask, but she like, had a thing with this guy and he’s not in the picture anymore. Usually Marzie stays with Sophia’s mom while she’s at practice or games. She used to bring her to practices sometimes but since Marzie started first grade she hasn’t been able to.”
“So that’s why Sophia leaves so damn fast.”
“Yeah she has to pick Zee up from school.”
Daniela nods.
—
Daniela waits at the front of her apartment for Megan.
Megan’s car rolls up to the apartment and Daniela scurries in, closing the door quickly.
“Why are you standing outside? It’s literally freezing out.”
“Didn’t want you to wait.” She says, putting her bag down on the floor.
“I would’ve waited if it meant you were warm.”
Daniela finally looks over to her.
Oh
“Since when do you have glasses?” Dani asks.
“Oh um, I lost my contacts last night.” She mumbles, turning away.
Megan turns up the heat in the car when she notices Daniela shivering.
Then she notices her sweatshirt. Dani’s wearing her sweatshirt.
“You kept it.” She says, surprised.
“Oh- sorry- here you can have it back.”
She scrambles to take it off, pulling at the hem, but Megan stops her, pulling the hem back down.
“No. Keep it.”
“But it’s-”
“Keep it. It looks better on you anyways.”
The hoodie is a little too big for Dani, swallowing her hands and covering half of her thighs. But she makes it look good anyways.
Megan starts driving to Sophia’s house, she hands Dani her phone.
“What’s this for?”
“Music, it’s almost a half an hour drive and I’m not about to drive in silence.”
“But I don’t know-”
“021006”
“Why those numbers?”
“It’s my birthday.”
“That’s a terrible password, too easy to guess.”
“Exactly, I’ll forget if it’s complicated.”
Daniela rolls her eyes, but there's a faint smile on her face.
Daniela puts on her own playlist she found and sets the phone in the cup holder.
“I like it.” Megan says.
“Thanks.” Dani mumbles back.
—
Getting to Sophia’s house was a shock to say the least.
“Sophia lives here? This is fucking awesome!” Daniela gasps.
Megan chuckles.
“Yeah that’s what I said the first time”
They stepped out of the car and walked around the side yard to reach the lake behind the house.
Yeah. Very frozen.
All of the girls were already there, skating around.
“Took you two long enough!” Sophia hollered, holding a small girl's hands as she skated around.
“Sorry, would’ve been here earlier if someone didn’t take three wrong turns.”
“I haven’t been here in a while okay!”
“That’s why I told you to put on directions!”
“No, that's a hit to my ego.”
“And missing the turn isn’t?”
“Bossy.”
“Arrogant.”
Sophia laughs,
“Girls girls, you’re both pretty, now get your skates on and get over here.”
Daniela is visibly nervous when she reaches the edge of the ice.
“Never skated on real ice before huh?”
Dani shook her head,
“You?”
“Oh yeah, we do this like all the time, every time this lake freezes we’re here.”
She sounds so full of herself.
Daniela rolls her eyes.
“C’mon, I’ve got you.”
She holds her hand out for Daniela to take, already on the ice.
Daniela stares at it for a moment, then firmly grasps her hand.
Megan pulls her with her, closer to the other girls.
“See? Just like the rink.”
Daniela nods.
She misses the warmth when Megan lets go of her hand.
Sophia skates over, Marzie right next to her.
“Dani, this is Marzie, my daughter.”
Dani squats down,
“Hi there, Marzie. I’m Daniela, it’s really nice to meet you.”
She sticks her gloved hand out and Marzie’s little hand meets hers.
“Your hair is pretty.” She mumbles.
Daniela smiles.
“Thank you.”
Daniela looks at the open ice.
“Want to see something cool?”
Marzie nods, suddenly excited.
“Okay, watch me.”
Daniela skates away, gaining as much speed as she could, before jumping into the air and spinning twice, successfully executing a double axel.
She lands it and glides along the ice.
She skates back over to where Sophia and Marzie were standing, mouths agape.
“See? Told you, cool.”
Marzie lets go of Sophia’s hand, stumbling over to Daniela.
“Wow! How did you do that?” She asks, fawning.
“Lots and lots of practice, vegetables, and vitamins.” She winks.
“Wait so you’re saying if I eat the carrots I’ll be able to do that?”
Daniela shrugs.
Marzie turns back to Sophia.
“Mama where are the fucking carrots.”
“Woah there. Excuse me, Marziana Yoonchae Laforteza, who taught you that?”
“Aunty Manu!”
Sophia shot Manon and stern glare, who was purposely looking everywhere but them.
Daniela is trying so hard not to laugh.
“Hey, how about you give Mama a break and come skate with me?” Dani suggests.
Marzie grins,
“Yeah! Will you teach me how to do that??” She asks, eyes pleading.
“We’ll see, C’mon” Daniela holds out her hand for her to take, which she accepts graciously.
Sophia stands there gaping.
Manon skates over, shredding the ice into Sophia’s face.
“Agh! Manon!” She says, wiping the now melted ice flakes off her face.
“What the fuck just happened.” She whispered.
“I don’t even know but I have never seen Marzie latch onto someone like that before.”
Then she remembered.
“How dare you teach my daughter cuss words!” She made a grab for Manon, who skated away from her, desperate to get away.
Megan watched the entire thing slack jawed. The axel, the interaction she had with Marzie.
Lara skated up with Yoonchae.
“You okay girl?”
Megan nodded wordlessly.
Yoonchae closed her mouth for her.
“You’ll catch flies.”
“It’s too cold for flies right now, shut up.”
“Just ask her out?” Yoonchae suggested.
“What!? Why would I do that?”
Lara raised a brow.
“Because you like her?”
“W-what no I don’t!”
Yoonchae laughed,
“Yeah you do.”
Lara yelled,
“Megan has a crus-!” She only got that far before Megan lunged for her,
“Shut up oh my god!”
Then another chase began. Yoonchae just skated behind them, laughing wildly.
Daniela looked down at Marzie.
“Are they always like this?”
“Yeah. Mama says this is what family does. Even though my aunties are weird, they are always loving!”
“How many times have you rehearsed that?”
“Nine.” Marzie confirmed.
“You’re smart.”
“I know.”
Daniela continued watching, Megan trying to make a grab for Lara and Sophia holding on to Manon firmly.
Marzie looked up at her.
“You are aunty now too. You’re part of family now.”
Daniela hummed.
“Who’s your favorite aunty, it’s okay you can tell me, I won’t tell.” Daniela asks, squatting down.
“Well it was Aunty ChaeChae, but she ate my fruit snack this morning so now it’s you.”
Daniela gasped.
“M-Me?”
“Yeah, you’re the cool one. None of my other aunties can do what you do. I’ll call you… Aunty Dani! There! It rhymes!”
That hit Daniela hard.
“I want hot chocolate, let's ask mama.” Marzie said, pulling Daniela the best she could as she stumbled over her own feet.
Daniela let herself be guided.
She looked over to Megan,
How long had Megan been staring at her?
—
They all sat around Sophia’s living room, now sipping on hot drinks. Some chocolate, some tea.
“Mario Kart!” Marzie demanded.
“Oh you’re so on.” Megan said, setting the switch into the holder.
“Me too!” Manon said, grabbing a third controller.
Megan handed Daniela the fourth.
“Oh oh, no thank you I don’t know how to play.”
“C’mon this is how you learn!”
“I- I don’t know.”
Marzie scrambled over to her, putting the controller in her hands and setting herself in Daniela’s lap.
“Please?”
How could Daniela say no to those little eyes.
“Megan if you hit me with one more fuckin red shell I swear!” Manon yelled.
“Manon, please, not in front of her.” Sophia insisted.
“Sorry hun.” She mumbled, probably not really sorry.
Daniela was going backwards for probably about half the race.
“Um, I think you’re supposed to turn there.” Lara jokes as Daniela falls off.
“I’ve never played this before, stop making fun of me!”
Megan and Marzie are neck and neck, about to cross the finish line for first.
Daniela watches, she stares at Megan’s character, she sees how she slows down the slightest bit and Marzie crosses the finish line.
“Awww, darn it! How do you beat me every time!” Megan groans, flopping onto the floor.
Marzie stands onto the coffee table, pumping her controller in the air.
“Mario Kart Marzie is undefeated once again!” She yells.
Megan grabs her off the coffee table, hoisting her in the air
“Air jail for being mean about it.”
Marzie wiggles around
“Aunty MeiMei put me down!”
Daniela’s heart is racing.
Sophia leans over to her.
“Y’know you can just ask her out right?” Sophia whispers.
Daniela sputters,
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“You’re looking at her the way Manon looks at me when she thinks I’m not looking.”
“Are you two-?”
Sophia shook her head.
“Not yet. Manny’s too scared to try. So I wait.”
Daniela’s heart drops.
“How long have you been waiting?”
Sophia hums.
“How old is Marzie?” She jokes.
But she’s not really joking.
Dani can tell.
“Just don’t wait so long that it starts to hurt. That’s when it really sucks.” She said, patting Daniela’s shoulder.
Megan finally puts down Marzie. Marzie runs over to Daniela.
“Save me Aunty Dani! She’s trying to tickle me!”
Daniela laughs and picks her up,
“Well we can’t have that now can we.”
Megan walks over slowly, mock scowling.
“I just wanna talk to her.” She says slowly.
“I guess you’ll just have to catch me first, huh baby?” Daniela says.
And she bolts.
Megan chases after her.
“You’ll never catch me alive!” Marzie yells.
They run around the house, eventually Megan cornering her in a small office space.
“Nowhere to run.” Megan says.
Daniela must make an impossible choice.
She sets Marzie down.
“Run Marzie! I’ll hold her off!”
Marzie starts running away, Megan making a grab at her but failing due to Daniela tackling her to the ground.
They both land with an oompf as they hear Marzie laughing as she runs away, the laughter getting fainter by the moment.
Daniela opens her eyes to see Megan staring at her. They’re in a rather compromising position, Daniela having used her full bodyweight to pull Megan on top of her. Her arms were still wrapped around Megan’s neck. They were breathing hard from all the running.
“Caught you.” Megan mumbled.
Their faces were close. Too close, noses almost brushing.
“Hey- Where’d you guys go- WOAH” Sophia yelled.
They scrambled away from each other.
“It’s not what it looks like!” Megan yelped.
Sophia just closed the door, leaving them in there.
Megan was beet red, looking anywhere but Daniela.
“Sorry-” Daniela said.
“It’s totally fine, heat of the moment thing, I get it.”
“Yeah.”
It was silent for a moment.
“I’ve never heard you laugh like that.” Megan says.
Daniela brushed her bangs out of her face, fixing her bun.
“Yeah, it’s been a while. It feels pretty nice.” She said, smiling softly.
Megan couldn’t help but smile back.
“Your smile is really pretty.” She said,
Daniela’s eyes widened slightly.
“Oh” She breathed.
Daniela could hear Marzie yelling for them.
“W-we should probably-”
“Oh! Yeah, yeah”
They both grabbed the door at the same time.
“Oh uh sorry-” Megan laughed awkwardly, before opening the door and letting Daniela walk through first.
“Thanks.” She mumbled.
They both walked back out into the living room. And all eyes were on them.
“What were you two doing in there?” Lara joked.
“Nothing-” Megan said, a little too quickly.
“Um, Hello? It’s rematch time? I need to win again.” Marzie said.
Saved by the seven year old.
Megan rolled her eyes.
“Fine, but I’m not going easy on you this time!”
They all sit down around the couch, this time, Daniela sits right next to Megan, their knees almost brushing.
Megan lets Marzie win anyways.
“You know you’ll have to have her lose at some point right?” She whispers to Megan.
Megan sighs,
“Yeah. But right now she’s just a kid. Let her feel the magic.” She whispers back.
Daniela smiles at that. She smiles at Megan.
She lets herself smile. No longer forced.
She lets Megan be the reason she smiles.
—
“You need to stay out of the box, Megan.” Daniela says as they put their stuff in the locker room.
“We still won, it's fine.” She grumbles.
“You’ve spent over a hundred minutes in there this season, that’s not fine.”
Megan just shrugs.
They walk out the doors together.
“I don’t like it when you fight.” She says, pulling the cigarette box out of her bag.
“You fight too.”
“I have maybe ten minutes in there this season.”
“They shouldn’t have hit you.”
Daniela pulls one out and places it in her mouth, pulling the light from her pocket.
But before she can light it Megan takes it out of her mouth.
“I don’t like it when you smoke.” She says, phrasing it the same as Dani.
Dani reaches for the cigarette, Megan keeps pulling it out of her reach.
“Give it back, Megan.”
“Why do you?”
Daniela falters.
“Why does it matter?”
“Because you’re killing yourself and you don’t care. It’s scary.”
Daniela stops trying to reach for it.
“It doesn’t matter what happens to me. It wouldn’t make a difference.”
Megan has had enough.
“It would to me.” She admits. “Do what you want.”
That’s all she says before handing the cigarette back to Daniela and walking to her car.
Daniela watches as she drives off.
Daniela stares at the cigarette in her hand.
She puts it back in the box.
Then put the box in the garbage.
And starts walking
—
Daniela looks up when the doors open.
Megan walks in, looking more tired than ever, sipping a coffee that’s probably way too sweet.
She hands Dani a cup.
“What’s this?”
“Americano.” She mutters. “Little cream, no sugar.”
Dani takes the cup, staring at it.
“That’s-”
“Just how you like it.” Megan finishes before plopping down on the couch next to Dani.
They don’t have practice today, Sophia just insists that they hang out for another ‘Team bonding exercise.’
They were all supposed to meet at the rink so Sophia could drive them all to wherever the hell they were going.
“Thank you.”
Megan’s eyes keep drifting closed, she struggles to keep a grip on her cup.
“And you drove here? Why are you so tired?” She says, taking the cup out of Megan’s hands.
“Couldn’t sleep last night.” Megan mumbles.
Daniela nods.
Megan’s head keeps falling, then she jerks awake again.
Daniela scoots over to her, letting Megan’s head fall to her shoulder.
Her heart races just a little faster.
Her hand grazes Megan's, the touch feels electric, she almost pulls away. But she doesn’t and their hands stay there. Touching. The warmth rising to her cheeks.
“What are you doing to me, Skiendiel.” She whispers at Megan’s sleeping figure.
—
Turns out they were having a movie night at Sophia’s.
“I don’t understand why we couldn’t just all drive to your house, Soph.” Lara says.
“This is part of the experience! And plus this way I get to trap you here.” She laughs.
“Yoonchip just went shopping for the house so we have plenty of snacks and candy here too, and we can order a pizza and wings later.” Sophia continued.
Yoonchae nodded in confirmation that she did in fact, go shopping for this event.
“Okay, now I’m listening.”
Marzie was snoring in her carseat, it was just after school time so she was completely tuckered out.
She insisted that Daniela sat next to her, despite not being awake to talk to her at all.
But still, Daniela’s hand lay in Marzies’, her grip was unlike anything Daniela has ever experienced.
Daniela squirmed in her seat, almost all of Megan’s body weight against her as she also slept.
She was trapped. But honestly, she didn’t really mind.
Sophia put the car in park,
“Manu, can you get Marzie?”
Manon nodded, rounding the car to pick Marzie up from her car seat. She slumped into Manon’s arms after Daniela finally got her to let go of her hand.
Sophia unlocked the front door and they all walked in.
They gathered around the large living room once more, Manon sitting on the couch, holding Marzie in her arms.
Sophia watched from the kitchen. Heart aching.
“Have you talked to her about it before?” Daniela asked as she helped pull out snacks from the pantry.
“Once, back when we were like twenty one I think?”
“Soph, that's almost five years ago.” Daniela looked at her incredulously.
She just shrugged.
“She said she wasn’t sure. That was that.”
“How do you know she isn’t sure now?”
Daniela gestured at them on the couch. Marzie curled in Manon’s arms, Manon stroking her hair softly while scrolling through Netflix, talking mindlessly to the other girls.
“I guess I’m just waiting for her to tell me.”
Daniela smiles.
“If you keep waiting for the right time, the time will never come.”
Sophia glanced over to Megan, who was laughing at whatever Yoonchae just said.
“Maybe you should take your own advice.”
Daniela sighs as she stares at Megan.
“I know she doesn’t like me.”
Sophia laughed. Like full on laughter.
“Are you serious? You do know she’s been in love with you for months right?”
Daniela’s eyes bugged.
“What??” She said through gritted teeth.
“Yeah, she’s literally had a crush on you like almost before you joined the team I swear. She never shuts up about you. ‘Oh I wish Dani were here, oh Dani would love this, I miss Dani, Dani’s so pretty, do you think Dani would like me?’ God it’s non stop.” Sophia muses.
Daniela stares at her, shocked.
“You’re messing with me.”
Sophia shook her head.
Dani looked back over to Megan. She was still laughing, then Megan looked over to her, making eye contact with that million dollar smile.
And she forgets how to breathe.
Sophia snickers,
“C’mon lovergirl, let’s get those snacks in there before Manon has a stroke.” She jokes.
They walked in and set everything onto the coffee table.
“Babe, can you pass me the pretzels?” Manon asks.
Sophia hands her the bowl of pretzels wordlessly. Daniela looks at her and raises a brow. Sophia purposefully ignores her gaze.
She sits in front of Megan on the couch and Megan reaches over her to grab the small bowl of M&M’s.
She looks down right as Dani looks up.
They make eye contact.
But only for a moment, before Megan flushes and pulls back, bowl in hand.
“What are we watching?” Sophia asks.
“Nothing Barbie related.” Manon laughs.
“Just tell me you hate me.”
“You know I could never.”
“Save it for the wedding guys.” Daniela chuckles out.
Sophia turns to her, red faced.
Okay maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say.
Manon laughed though, that meant it was okay, right?
“How about that new horror movie that just came out?” Lara suggests.
The resounding no sealed her fate.
“Y’all are wussies.” She pouts.
“We have a child present.” Manon says.
“She’s sleeping though it’s fineeee.”
“Still no.”
Lara huffs and sits back.
“How about Oceans eight?” Yoonchae suggests.
“Didn’t you watch that last night with Hinari-”
“Shut up Sophia.”
Sophia goes back to snacking.
“I’m down.” Megan says.
“What’s that?” Dani asks.
“It’s a movie about badass women committing crimes and blaming it on men.”
Daniela hums.
“It has Cate Blanchett in it-”
“Turn it on.”
Yoonchae laughs and takes the remote, putting the movie on.
Daniela shuffled further back, leaning against Megan’s legs.
The movie played on, maybe more smash or pass was played than actually watching the movie though.
Daniela was starting to nod off the more movies they watched.
Megan tapped her shoulder,
“Here come up here, it’ll be more comfortable.”
Daniela nodded, scooting up to sit next to Megan. Daniela thought about what Sophia said.
She’s been in love with you for months
She leaned against Megan further.
Megan’s breath hitched.
It didn’t take long before the movie night turned into a sleepover, everyone gathered along the large couch. Manon and Sophia shamelessly cuddling with Marzie sprawled across them. Yoonchae and Lara leaning against each other.
Daniela had already fallen asleep against Megan as everyone else fell asleep.
Sophia looked over at her.
Megan looked terrified.
Sophia’s gaze urged her to look at her.
Megan finally looked up.
Sophia made an exaggerated breathing gesture.
Megan took a deep breath. She looked down at Daniela then back at Sophia, her eyes conveying an unspoken message.
Sophia smiled at her, nodding.
She breathed deeply once more, wrapping her arms around Daniela and leaning back further against the couch.
Daniela followed, nuzzling closer, grumbling something in her sleep.
Sophia turned off the tv, the sounds of soft breathing filled the room.
Too bad it wasn’t loud enough to drown out her heart beat in her ears.
—
Sophia gasped loudly in the locker room.
“Guys we just got invited to a party! Apparently Le Sserafim is hosting a get together tonight with all the hockey teams around.”
“Oh hell yes.” Lara said.
“Is anyone able to watch Marzie tonight?” Manon asked.
“I’ll ask my mom.” Sophia mumbled.
Daniela looked over to Megan.
“You wanna go?” She asked.
Megan shrugged.
“I’m not much for parties.”
Daniela frowned.
“Oh, yeah, okay.”
Megan walked over to her,
“Do you want me to go?”
Daniela avoided eye contact.
“Would you go if I asked?”
“Yes.” She said without hesitation.
Daniela finally looked at her.
“Pick me up at 7?”
“Always.”
Daniela smiled at her.
Megan closed her locker, walking with Dani out to the parking lot.
“Want a ride home?”
Dani sighed.
“I don’t really wanna go home.” She admitted.
“Why?”
“My neighbor has been driving me crazy. All he does is listen to rock music so loud it shakes the walls.”
Megan frowned.
“You can come home with me?”
Daniela’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“S-sorry nevermind. That was weird.”
Daniela shook her head,
“No No, it wasn’t I was just caught off guard.”
“So you want to?”
“I mean, I’m not opposed to it. I don’t want to impose.”
“It’s not imposing if I offer. And this way I won’t have to leave later to pick you up!”
Daniela hid her smile by looking away.
“Okay then.”
Megan grinned widely,
“Okay. Great.”
Megan rounded the car with a little bit of a skip in her step, opening Daniela’s door for her.
“So chivalrous.” Dani said.
Megan walked with Daniela up to her apartment door.
“Oh, um I should probably ask-”
“Hm?”
“How do you feel about dogs?”
Daniela tilted her head.
“Do you have a dog?”
“Would you leave if I said yes?”
Daniela shook her head.
Megan opened her door and walked in
“Cassie!” Megan yelled.
Daniela closed the door behind her and waited.
Megan squinted at the strange silence.
“CASSIE NO” She yelled running across the apartment into a room.
Daniela stood there stunned for a moment before slowly following her, she pushed the door open and saw Megan wrestling the large husky dog for the shoe she had in her mouth.
“Cassieeee you’re embarrassing me in front of my friendddd.”
Daniela smiled at the sight.
Megan was finally able to get the shoe out of her mouth and tossed it to the side.
She pushed the dog out of her room and back into the living room.
She leaned back upright and brushed her hair out of her face.
“Nailed it.” She huffed, out of breath.
“This is my baby, her name is Cassie.”
“I gathered that.”
Dani sat down in front of Cassie and waited.
Cassie ran up and sniffed her intensely.
“Yeah, it’s Dani, she’s cool huh?” Megan cooed.
Dani scruffed her fur
“Oh you’re just the cutest! Yes you are yes you are.” Dani said, her baby voice very prominent.
Megan sat down and smiled.
Daniela realized Megan was staring at her and cleared her throat,
“She’s um, very cute.”
Megan simply grinned at her.
“Wait! I don’t know what I’m gonna wear!” Dani gasped.
“Oh you can look through my closet if you want? Or I can take you home now.”
Daniela thought about it for a moment.
She didn’t exactly want to leave.
“Can I see what you have?” She asked.
Megan nodded excitedly and pulled her up dragging her back into her bedroom.
“Here’s my entire wardrobe!” She said, gesturing to the closet like she was presenting something.
Daniela chuckled and skimmed through.
“Hmm, not bad skiendiel.” She mumbled.
“Is it uh okay if I shower real fast? I don’t need to wash my hair, you can also shower too if you want, I know we just got out of practice, but like yeah if you want to you can, I have stuff in there, well obviously but like y’know-”
Megan cut herself off, inhaling deeply after rambling.
“I’ve been talking for too long”
Dani smiled softly at her.
She’s so cute.
“Yeah, go shower. And if you really don’t mind, a shower would be nice.”
Megan nodded, grabbing her towel and walking away into her bathroom.
Once Megan closed the door Daniela finally exhaled.
She looked at Cassie, who was just sitting there staring at Dani.
“Your mom’s gonna be the death of me Cassie girl.”
Megan was only gone for like ten minutes, changed into a new outfit that was rather fitting for her.
A short pair of black shorts, a grey top that really only covered her breasts, and a buckle choker.
Daniela gaped at her.
“Damn.” She breathed.
“You like it?” Megan said, spinning in a circle.
Daniela nodded.
“You pick something out?” She asked.
Another nod.
“Lemme see.”
Daniela shook her head,
“You’ll have to wait till I get out” She smirked.
Megan stood there stunned as Daniela walked by her into the bathroom, the door softly clicking shut.
Megan walked out to the kitchen to get something to eat, totally not to distract herself from the fact that Daniela Avanzini was in her apartment right now.
Megan is in the middle of taking a bite out of her noodles when Daniela walks in.
She’s wearing a pair of light blue jeans and a white bodysuit, showing the delicate curves of her hips.
Megan stares at her.
“Wow.”
Daniela smiles, a genuine smile at Megan.
“You’re beautiful.” Megan mutters.
Dani flushes immediately.
“Oh, um thank you.” She says.
Megan nods.
“I uh, made some food, are you hungry?”
She points at the other steaming bowl of noodles on the counter.
“Oh, thank you, I am.”
Daniela takes the bowl and sits right next to Megan.
—
They arrive at the party just after all the girls, just like always.
“Hey hey!” Lara yells.
Megan sees her immediately and walks over.
“Hey girls!” Megan yells.
Sophia hugs them both tight,
“Glad you’re here Soph, your mom able to watch Marzie?” Daniela asks
Sophia nods.
“Manon and I spent some time with her before we left since we’ve been so busy with games lately but we managed to convince her to let us leave.” She winked.
Daniela laughs, she was starting to get that Marzie was very clingy.
Manon came back with several bottles in her hand.
“Oh hey! Glad you both made it!” She handed them two of the beers she was holding.
Daniela took a couple swigs and clutched the bottle tightly.
“Is Yoonchae here? I wanted to talk to her about a game I was playing the other day.”
Sophia nodded.
“She’s inside, don’t be surprised if you find her making out with Hinari in there.”
Megan laughed loudly.
“Okay gotcha.” She looked at Dani, “Will you be okay if I go?”
Dani nodded
“I’m not new to parties, trust me.”
Megan flushed and excused herself to find Yoonchae.
Sophia smirked.
“So how’s it coming?”
Daniela exhaled.
“I just came from showering at her house and I’m wearing her clothes.”
Sophia gaped.
“Wow Avanzini, moving quick are we?”
She smiled.
“Shut up”
She glanced at Manon,
“Is there anything else to drink other than this? This is really not my style.”
Manon nodded, wrapping her arm around Sophia’s waist.
“Yeah, there's a whole bar in there girl.”
Dani nodded,
“Okay cool I’ll be right back.”
She walked into the building and found the bar area quickly.
Damn this team is fancy as hell they’ve got a whole bartender here?
The bartender walked over to her when she sat down.
“What can I get you?”
“Can you do a vodka redbull?”
A nod
“That’d be great.”
“Sure thing.”
Daniela looked around, the music was so loud in here. She could see a few people she recognized, from opposing teams, from her old team, nobody she really liked, or liked her for that matter.
“Hey there pretty girl.”
She turned her head, looking at the man that just spoke.
“Uh, hi.” She said, already uncomfortable.
“I’m Jonah, what’s your name?”
She sighed, she was not drunk enough to deal with this.
“Daniela.”
He reeked of cologne. His dumb toothy smile irritated her.
Not like Megan's.
“Ooh, pretty name for a pretty girl. Can I call you Dani?”
“No.” She said bluntly, hoping he’ll take a hint.
She sipped on her drink, which quickly turned into large gulps as she downed the entire cup.
“Ooh, feisty, I like it. Can I buy you another drink?”
She sighed.
“I’m really not interested dude.”
“Aw, c’monnnn, I’m fun I promise.”
Daniela rolled her eyes, getting up from her seat and walking away.
Why is this idiot following her.
“Can you leave me alone? Please?” She asked, turning around to glare at him.
“C’mon girl, I just want to talk.”
Daniela kept walking, she could see Megan across the large room, talking to some girl.
They were laughing together, and this girl.. was too close.
Daniela’s eye twitched when she saw her touch Megan’s arm.
Daniela was already angry at this imbecilic man, but seeing Megan with another girl?
Hell no.
She strided across the room, not listening to whatever stupid shit Jonah was talking about.
Megan saw her coming and turned to face her.
“Oh hey-”
Daniela grabbed her by the back of her neck, pulling her down hard and connecting their lips.
Megan let out a surprised squeak, her hands frozen before eventually settling on Dani’s hips as she kissed back.
She could hear the way Jonah mumbled something about “Fuckin dykes ruining everything”
She finally pulled away, breathing hard and staring into Megan’s eyes.
“I-I uh” Megan stuttered.
“Is she gone?” Dani asked.
Megan looked over Dani’s shoulder.
“Uh yeah.”
Dani nodded.
“Great. Two birds with one stone. That guy would not leave me alone.”
Megan’s face dropped.
“Ah. Right. Yeah.”
They don’t talk about it.
—
Megan hasn’t talked to her since. It’s been almost three days and Daniela was going crazy.
They’re the last two in the locker room again. They always were. Always taking their gear off painfully slow so that they could have extra time together.
They didn’t speak.
But they both felt it.
“Hey, are you okay?” Dani asks. “You seem, off.”
Megan just nods.
“Yeah, nice try.”
Daniela makes Megan face her.
“What’s wrong?”
Megan shrugged.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does to me. You know it does to me.”
Megan frowned. She tried looking away but Daniela caught her chin, making her make eye contact.
“What’s wrong?” She asked again.
Megan hesitated.
Dani brushed her thumb along Megan’s jaw, trying to reassure her, but it only confused Megan more.
“Why did you kiss me?” Megan finally asks.
Dani falters.
“I-It looked like that girl was bothering you, and that guy was bothering me, so I just thought maybe that would deter them. Which it did, so uh it worked?”
Megan’s eyes brimmed with tears.
“Is that the only reason?”
Daniela stayed silent for a moment.
“Why else would I have?”
Megan slams her locker door shut.
“You’re right, stupid me for thinking I ever had a chance.”
Dani panics.
“Wait what? Megan, wait!”
Megan is already walking away.
She closes her locker, running after her.
“Megan, wait, stop.”
“It’s fine, Dani, I get it.”
Dani grabs her hand, twisting her back around to look at her.
“Please.” She begs.
Megan huffs.
“Fine.” She rips her hand away from Dani’s
“Tell me. Seriously tell me, I want you to be honest. What did you mean?” Dani asks, eyes pleading.
Megan groans, bag dropping to the asphalt of the parking lot.
“God I don’t know Dani, have you ever thought that maybe I like you? That I like being close to you. That my heart races every time our hands accidentally touch. Have you ever thought of that?”
Dani gapes at her.
“I-I didn’t know”
Megan scoffs.
“Of course you didn’t. Why would you?”
“Because I’m a terrible person!” She yells. “I-I hurt people because I’m too scared to let myself be happy, and I run away when things get too hard, and I hide when I’m afraid.”
She’s crying now, tears spilling freely from her eyes.
“And- And you’re so amazing. You have such an amazing hockey team that you all call each other family, you love fast and you love deep. You’re always there for me even when I don’t deserve it. God, you drive me crazy! The way you always stumbled when you’re walking but never on the ice, the way you put your hair up when you play video games, the way you eat your food even when it’s too hot because ‘the flavor is worth burning your mouth for’, and your damn glasses that make me want to kiss you stupid! God it’s ridiculous!”
Megan stands still.
“You’ve made it impossible for me to not fall for you, Megan”
“What if I wanted you to fall for me?” She finally says.
Dani stares.
“God you’re so stupid sometimes.” Megan whispers.
Then she leans forward, pulling Dani in by her hips and kisses her. It isn’t perfect, it’s salty from their tears and Daniela stumbles backwards at the force Megan kissed her at.
But she couldn’t care because she was finally kissing Megan. A real, emotional kiss. Not one that she does for any reason other than the fact Megan wants to kiss her.
She threads her fingers through her pulling her impossibly closer. Megan’s hands slide under the back of her shirt, calloused finger tips against slightly bruised skin.
“I seriously thought Sophia was messing with me.” Dani said as they separated.
Megan groaned,
“Fuckk, she told you??”
Dani lets out a wet laugh and nods.
“At the movie night-turned sleepover.”
Megan hid her face behind her hands.
“That is actually so embarrassing.”
Daniela gently takes her hands away from her face.
“No, it was really sweet, I didn’t know you talked about me as I did you.”
Megan grins widely.
“You talk about me?”
Dani rolls her eyes adoringly and nods.
“Well damn.”
They’re still holding each other in the parking lot.
“So uh.. What do you wanna do? About this?” Megan asks awkwardly.
“How about you take me on a date first?” Dani grins at her.
Megan hums.
“Top ramen and a movie at my place?”
Daniela nods,
“Sounds perfect.”
Daniela leans up to capture Megan’s lips in hers again.
She pulled back far too soon for Megan’s liking, but still Megan had a dopey smile on her face.
“I could definitely get used to that.”
Dani smiles at her.
“It’s nice to see you smile so much. I’ve always loved your smile.”
Dani could only grin wider at that.
“I guess I finally have a reason to.”