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1
It was June in Texas and the sweat was dripping down Dani's face. Her visor felt like a sponge and she knew the baby hairs were curling viscously out of her French braids. She leaned against the fence, watching the girls from the previous game clear out of the dugout. They had gone a little over, to 9 innings instead of the standard 7, so the tournament was running a little behind now. Dani was itching to get onto the field and get the game going, both with nerves and sweat. It was her last U-18 tournament of her career, and she knew all of next year was going to be of greater importance than this, but she still wanted to get her team a final win.
The team in their dugout had won, on a impressive pick out of the dirt by the first baseman to turn the double play after the throw from second had been short. Dani saw the first baseman now, clearing out with her teammates. She was fairly recognizable, taller than most of her teammates, bleach blonde hair cropped into a pixie. Dani shouted out to her as she passed. "Hey! First base. Nice play. Thanks for closing out the game for us."
The girl squinted into the bright sun, trying to get a good look, tongue sticking out of her teeth. She grinned after spotting Dani and jogged over.
"Thanks. It's Phil actually, First Base was my fathers name."
Dani snorted. "Well, good game, Phil."
Phil was really cute close up, too. The high points of her face were burned despite the visor and her blue eyes were vivid against it. Phil looked like she was expecting something, Dani was just staring, she couldn't think of what to say next. Phil's smile changed into something a little sharper, letting her eyes scan over Dani more completely. Dani was embarrassed to be this scrutinized when she was sweating so much, but at least she had done her makeup today. Phil noticed the bag at Dani's feet and gestured to it.
"Tennessee? You a big fan?"
Dani startled out of her staring, "Oh, no! I mean, I guess I am now, I'm going there. Starting in the fall."
Phil's grin stretched wide now, "Nice! I'm starting at Florida this year. Sounds like I'll get to run into you again, then." Phil was probably right, they were in the same conference and should be playing each other at least once a year.
Dani giggled. This girl made her feel like a ditz, what was happening? "Yeah, sounds good. See you next year then."
Phil was starting away with her team now, "And when I do see you next year I should call you…"
"Oh, Dani. My name's Dani."
Phil gave her a wink. "Good luck out there with the game, Dani."
2
It was late March and Dani and the Lady Vols were in Gainesville. It was about halfway through the season and Florida had the lead in the conference, but it was close. Less close now, it was Game 3 and Florida had won the first two games, but it was looking like Tennessee would be able to close this one up. It was the sixth inning and they were up 7-2.
Coach had put in one of the freshman relievers to get her some reps with the comfortable lead, and Phil Lester was at the plate.
Dani had been looking forward to the Florida trip, even if she wouldn't admit that to any of her teammates. She had remembered Phil, obviously, had been keeping up with her through the season (starting at first as a freshman, batting 0.380, just one error so far on the season), but she had no idea if Phil would remember her.
Phil had, chatting and joking with Dani when she made it onto first base in the 5th inning of Game 1, pulling her into a hug at the end of the game instead of a handshake. They had caught up quickly after that first game too, exchanged socials, but the blowout of game 2 and the messy slide Phil had done into Dani's second baseman had dampened the atmosphere between the teams.
Now, Dani was crouched behind home plate, and the girls had nothing to say to each other when Phil came up to bat, not even one of the deliberate ass wiggles Phil had pulled in her face in the first two games.
Just strike her out and let's get this game done with and go home. Dani locked eyes with her pitcher, signaled: fastball. She nodded. It was a bit high honestly, but Dani managed to frame it for a strike. She could tell from Phil's huff she wasn't happy with that. Curveball on this one then. Her pitcher nodded.
The curve ball didn't curve. It went straight into Phil's thigh. Phil ripped off her helmet and threw her bat to the ground. Shit.
"What the fuck?" The benches were yelling too.
It was an accident, of course it was. They had been upset about the slide yesterday, but they we're going to throw at her for that. Dani's poor pitcher looked mortified, Dani tried to grab at Phil to keep her back.
Phil whirled around jabbed a finger in Dani's face. "I can't believe you would call for that, you coward." Dani tried to explain but Phil wasn't hearing it. "You absolute bitch, I would have thought you were better than that."
Phil's coach was out by now, trying to hold her back. Dani just disengaged and walked away, not worth risking an ejection to give her an argument. She tried to calm down her pitcher instead. The Floridan bench finally got Phil calmed down, and she took her base.
What a mess of a game.
Tennessee managed to wrap up up the win, allowing just one more hit, and got on the busses to head home. When Dani checked Instagram she saw a new story from Phil, of a big ass bruise on her pale thigh with the caption "not very lady-like these Vols."
Whatever. Dani put her phone away and tried to shut her eyes for the drive. She only took her phone out a few more times, just to see if Phil had kept the post up.
3
It was the next year and this time Florida had come to them. The crowd was fired up this time, Phil's post after last years game had really inflamed the fans on socials, the rivalry between these two teams was stronger than it had ever been before. It didn't help that Florida had knocked Tennessee out of the postseason last year; today's crowd wanted revenge and they were screaming for it.
Dani wanted to win, but she also wanted a clean fucking game. She didn't want the thing to devolve into more fights and nasty moves. Phil didn't seem to believe that.
It was the third inning when Dani hit a single to first and spoke to Phil for the first time since last year.
Phil gave her a once over after she handed off her elbow and shin guards to the first base coach. "Please let me know if there's anything I could do today that would upset your precious sensibilities," Phil said batting her eyes. "I'd hate for anyone's feelings to get hurt over the big scary game of softball."
Dani rolled her eyes. "Did we really hit you so hard last year that it still hurts? That's the only reason I can imagine still bitching about this. It's old news, Phil, its a new season. Move on."
"Maybe I just think you haven't learned your lesson yet. Haven't heard a single apology out of you." Phil positioned herself as the pitcher got set.
Apologize for what? A wild pitch from a nervous rookie? "Oh, get fucked princess. There's your apology," Dani said, inching away from the base to take her lead. She saw the smirk from the side of Phil's face.
"If you're offering."
Dani couldn't help a snort at that. The batter hit a grounder through the gap and Dani took off running.
4
It was the end of that season and they had both made it to the World Series. It was game three, winner takes all. Phil was up to bat.
Tensions between the fans were still at an all time high, but since the last series things had cooled off between the teams, and Phil and Dani especially. The clean series that Dani had hoped for had helped, and she and Phil had been engaging a little bit more on Instagram again, likes here and there. An occasional fire emoji react to weight room selfie.
Maybe too many of those, Phil seemed a bit full of herself again today, wiggling her ass right into Dani's face as she settled into her spot at the plate.
"Alright Princess, watch the box," Dan said, amused.
Phil giggled and gave her a glace back.
Dani nodded, "Focus up babe, its the World Series."
Phil got set, her pitcher got set. Dani called for a curveball.
It was a beauty of a pitch, looked straight down the middle the whole way, dropped off just at the last second. Phil swung huge at it, aiming for the fences, but the ball wasn't there to contact. Her bat swung all the way around and into the side of Dani's head.
Dani wasn't totally sure what happened after that. When she blinked Phil was crouched over her, terrified. She blinked again and it was her coach.
"I'm fine." Dani stood up, staggering, shook her head and went to crouch back down at the plate.
"You're not," said the coach. "Dani, I can't leave you in. We gotta get you checked for a concussion."
Dani was crying. Her head was probably hurting but she didn't notice and she didn't care. It was Game 3 of the World Series. Her team needed her. She had gotten them all the way here, she couldn't leave.
She was trying to argue it but she was getting walked away anyway.
"I'm so sorry, Dani," Phil sounded distraught. Dani tried to turn back but her coaches had her shoulders locked in position. She wasn't trying to fight she just wanted—
Whatever.
The medical staff confirmed a concussion before the inning was over and they granted Dani permission to watch the rest of the game from the bench. Tennessee won, thank god. She would have been devastated to wonder the what-ifs if they had lost without her. She celebrated with the team but it didn't taste quite as sweet as if she had been the one to catch the pitch on the last strikeout. Instead she got to watch her backup embrace her pitcher in her place.
She caught a glimpse of Phil walking off after the game too. Her face looked just the same as it had when she was crouched over Dani's.
5
It was Dani's third year with the team now, and her fifth series against Florida and Phil. Florida had been fired up this year, time it was them seeking revenge, and they had managed to do it on Tenneesse home ground. Not a big deal, it was early in the season still, and Tennessee had a long way to go before they had to be worried about not making playoffs.
It was a fun series too, both teams firing on all cylinders, feisty but not angry with the chirping, or was it flirting? It was hard for Dani to tell sometimes with Phil. They had been chatting more off the field in the past year, just casually, ever since Phil had reached out to apologize for the accidental backswing. Dani had no hard feelings though, she didn't think Phil could have done that on purpose if she tried, and it worked out better for her than Phil in the end anyway, they were the ones who had come away with the championship.
Regardless, she was starting to think of Phil as a friend, even if they barely saw each other in person. Speaking of, she saw Phil jogging over from their busses.
"Hey," Dani said with a smile. "Good game."
"Thanks!" Phil's hair was still wet from the showers, it made her roots stand out way more than normal under her bleached hair. They seemed brown probably, maybe reddish or maybe that was just the glow of the incandescent lighting in the parking lot. "Hey, I wanted to ask you, are you going for the National Team this year?"
It was the year of the Olympics. Everyone was going for the National Team.
"Of course," Dani said with a laugh.
"Okay good!" Phil's smile was radiant. "It'll be fun to be on the same team."
"Phil, we both have to make it for that to happen." Dani could feel the crinkle in her eyes.
The tongue-smile was back again. That one was Dani's favorite of the Phil smiles. "We will. I've got a feeling."
+1
Phil's feeling had been right, they did both make it. Tryouts had been in the winter and they both red-shirted their senior years to train with the team all spring. Over the course of the year they had become super close. It was more than fun to be on the same team, they were basically inseparable. It had become a singular name when talking about them "Daniandphil," "Daniandphil".
"Oh sorry, those are Daniandphil's seats."
"Daniandphil said they aren't coming, they're watching a movie tonight instead."
"So Daniandphil are definitely hooking up, right?"
That last one was a no, but it didn't stop the entire team from joking about it. It wasn't that Dani wouldn't, it was just—she didn't know. This wasn't a hookup. Phil was her best friend. She was hot, but everyone on the team was hot, they were athletes for fuck's sake. And they were trying to focus on winning a gold medal, allegedly.
So she and Phil laughed along and never talked about it. But also never stopped spending all their time together.
That summer, when they finally got to the Olympic village they moved into their room. It hadn't even been a question, went without saying, Daniandphil were going to be roommates.
They lugged their personal bags and the giant bag of Team USA supplied merch into room and looked at the state of things.
"Well this is tiny," Phil said.
"I'll fucking say."
There were two twin beds (extra long, thank god), arranged on opposite sides of the room, a bedside table between each and the wall, and a narrow isle between the beds.
"Cozy," Dani said, sitting on the edge of one. If she kicked her legs up her heels would be touching the other bed.
"Maybe if we pushed the beds together we could optimize floor space a little?"
Dani looked up to Phil, who was scratching at the back of her pixie nervously.
"Phil."
"You know, room for the luggage? And like, walking. Have the space on the sides instead of the middle."
"Phil."
"Reminds me of freshman dorms, haha. I had mine lofted, that helped. They should loft these."
"Phil, look at me."
Phil finally looked at her. Her blue eyes were wide and she was chewing her lip.
Dani smiled, fond. "I don't give a fuck about the floor space."
Phil whispered back, "I don't give a fuck about the floor space either."
Dani stood up, walked to Phil and wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her close. Phil tentatively wrapped her arms back, around Dani's shoulders.
Dani leaned in, slowly, not worried, but still giving time to react. Phil tracked her with her eyes. Dani's lips landed onto Phil's bottom one. She pressed in, firm; Phil seemed a bit frozen. Dani pulled back, smiling. "Let's push the beds together."
They did, but after a few minutes, once Phil had recovered enough to kiss her back.