betty

19

[mines-camren]

THE FIRST MEETING

Part 3

Summary: Just my take on Kate Martin and Caitlin Clark Meeting for the first time.

Rating/warning: 18+ (smut)

Kate Martin POV

After taking Caitlin to the Iowa football game we all decided to go to an after party. We wanted to show her a good time and so far by the looks of it she was having fun. Gabbie and Monika were keeping Caitlin busy most of the night, even getting her to dance, which she wasn’t the best at but looked adorable while trying.

I was standing off to the side in the corner and I couldn’t keep my eyes off her the whole night, something about her was special. As I was watching Caitlin and the girls out on the dance floor, a girl I use to hookup with often on the softball team named Amanda came up to me. “Hey,” she said “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

I finally tore my gaze from Caitlin and focused my attention to the short blond who was talking to me now. “Yeah sorry about that, basketball has been keeping me pretty busy.”

She leaned toward me and grabbed my waist, “well miss basketball star you don’t look busy now. Don’t you miss me?” She said as she looked up to meet my eyes. I couldn’t help but smile and looking at her now more closely I could tell Amanda had a couple drinks and was trying to be flirty.

I pulled her closer and bent down so I could whisper in her ear, “You know I miss you, but don’t start something you can’t finish.” I looked at her with a smirk, I liked teasing her and I know she loved it.

She bit her bottom lip and had a look in her eyes that looked like she wanted to devour me right then and there.

Amanda quickly grabbed my hand and dragged me through a crowd of people. I had no time to protest and honestly I didn’t want to, it had been awhile since I hooked up with anyone and it would be nice to release some of this tension I’ve built up.

I let her lead the way excited about what was to come but I took one last glance toward the girls and locked eyes with Caitlin. She looked confused, I could see her eyes looking back and forth between Amanda and I.

I quickly avoided her gaze, I didn’t care if Caitlin knew I was gay or not but I didn’t want her to think I was a person who sleeps around. Even though I’ve gained a bit of a reputation with the women’s softball and soccer team but she doesn’t need to know that.

As I was beginning to worry, Amanda finally found an empty room and pulled me in. As soon as the door shut I pulled her flush to my body and our lips crashed together in a messy kiss. All I wanted to do was forget about Caitlin and her stupid big brown eyes.

I pushed my tongue past her lips and Amanda gladly let me explore her mouth. As I ran my fingers through her hair we both moaned into each other mouths. I picked her up and put my hands on her ass to hold her as she wrapped her legs around my waist. I then walked us to the bed and laid her down without breaking our kiss.

We were both breathless when I broke the kiss to attack her neck, I nipped and sucked on her pulse point while grinding my hips into hers. Amanda moaned loudly, “fuck Kate, please touch me, I need you inside me.”

I grabbed her face to give her a hard kiss and bit her bottom lip. I whispered hotly in her ear,

“How do you want me to fuck you baby?” I told her breathless, “do you want my fingers or tongue?”

She cried out desperately, “your tongue, I wanna fucking cum in your mouth.”

Hearing that made my hips buck up hard into hers, Amanda was always good at working me up with her dirty talk.

“You know I don’t let many women cum in my mouth so you’re lucky I’m horny and miss the way you taste,” I said with a smirk as I began to unbuckle her jeans and just pulled her panties down at the same time.

She kicked them off and said, “oh shut up you love when I talk dirty.” Now that she was completely naked from the waist down, I spread her legs open and pinned them down to the bed.

I stared in awe at how wet she was, “fuck you’re so wet baby and your pussy looks delicious.” I couldn’t wait a longer, I brought my face to her dripping center and licked her from her entrance to her clit.

Amanda cried out and bucked her hips up into my face and I tightened my grip on her thighs to keep her still while I continued licking her.

I then dipped my tongue into her pussy as deep as I could. I started to fuck her with my tongue and my nose was hitting her clit, she couldn’t stop moaning. I loosened my grip on her hips so she could grind into my mouth and she started losing control.

“Fuck Kate I’m gonna cum,” she cried out and I don’t know why but at that moment the thought of Caitlin screaming my name like that crossed my mind. Once that happened I couldn’t stop myself, I thought about what Caitlin would taste like and if she would moan just as loud as Amanda or was she more quiet in bed. Hell I wondered if she’s ever been with anyone period.

I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind and focused on making Amanda cum.

She was shaking, “I’m cumming baby fuck don’t stop,” I let her ride out her orgasm as I cleaned up all her juices.

“God that tongue of yours is amazing,” she said out of breath. I wiped my mouth and laughed as I came up to give her a quick kiss, “you’re welcome,” I said.

She looked at me, “now it’s your turn, miss basketball” she smile and began to take my sweats and panties off.

I’m not gonna lie, I was horny as hell and wanted my release but Caitlin was still on my mind. I felt bad but not bad enough to stop so I found a loophole. I grabbed Amanda and kissed her deeply, “I wanna try something,” I told her. “Lay on her stomach, I wanna fuck myself on your ass.”

I thought if I didn’t look at her it wouldn’t be as bad. It’s all I could think of and she was more than willing. She got on her tummy and stuck her ass in the air, I licked my lips as I straddled her ass cheeks and lowered my wet pussy. I stared to grind down hard on her so my clit could get as much friction as possible.

I kept moaning while moving my hips faster back and forth, building up my orgasm. I was so close, I wanted to cum so badly but again Caitlin came into my mind and I thought of her big brown eyes and I couldn’t hold off anymore, I came hard.

“Holy shit,” I said as I laid down back on the bed tired as hell.

“So who the fuck is this Caitlin girl?” Amanda said as she stood up and started looking for her clothes.

I shot up from my place in bed, “What are you talking about?”

Amanda looked pissed, “really Kate, you’re gonna play dumb? You literally just moaned her name out when you came on my ass!” She shouted, I started to get up and tried to console her, “hey I’m really sorry, I didn’t even realize I did that.”

She pushed me away, “just get away from me Kate.” She got dressed quickly and left the room. Fuck I messed up bad, I got dressed and headed out the room. The party was dying down and I saw Gabbie, Monika and Caitlin talking so I walked up to them.

“Hey guys are y’all ready to go soon?” I asked as I put my hands in my pockets and avoided eye contact with Caitlin. She was staring at me, taking in my appearance which I hoped wasn’t too bad.

“Yeah it’s getting late we should call it a night.” Gabbie said and then Monika had to open her mouth. “Hey where were you most of the night. I couldn’t find you anywhere. Were you off hooking up with someone?” She laughed

“Oh shut up and let’s go!” I tried to play it off as we walked out the house.

I felt a tug on my arm, “hey can we talk for a little bit,” Caitlin said to me and I stayed cool. “Yeah of course,” I said. “hey guys I’m gonna take a walk with Caitlin we’ll meet up with y’all later.”

I was nervous about being alone with Caitlin but I was also kind of excited.

[mines-camren]

THE FIRST MEETING

Part 4

Summary: Just my take on Kate Martin and Caitlin Clark Meeting for the first time.

Rating/warning: none

Kate Martin POV

“What’s on your mind?” I asked Caitlin as we were walking around the campus pretty late at night now.

“A lot actually,” she answered as she looked to the ground. “I don’t know if I’m making the right decision.”

I looked at her and she finally looked me in the eye and all I wanted to do was hold her. She looked stressed out and overwhelmed, I wanted to protect her from all the pressure she felt.

“You have to do what feels right for you, what you think is gonna make you happy.” I said and Caitlin’s eyes started to tear up.

“I’ve already committed to Norte Dame, my parents have always wanted me to go there especially because it’s a catholic school and when they offered I thought it was a no brainer.”

I looked at her confused and a little hurt, “why are you here then?” I asked.

“I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision but I didn’t expect to love it here at Iowa as much as I do.” Caitlin frustratedly laughed, “the coaching staff is amazing and I just wanna be apart of something special.”

I watched Caitlin as she spoke with passion, “I wanna win championships, I wanna break records and take this team to places it’s never been before.”

I could see it in her eyes, Caitlin had an incredibly competitive spirit, she had a spark a certain kind of fire in her.

“Do you want me here?” Caitlin asked and I was a little taken aback.

“Of course I want you here, I want to win just as much as you. I’ll do whatever it takes and I know I’m not a 5 star recruit like you but I have heart and I work my ass off everyday to get better. Hell every girl on our team is like that and you’d be lucky to call them your teammates.” I said and Caitlin just stared at me with those big brown eyes and smiled, “well then it’s settled, I’m a Hawkeye. You’ve made a very compelling argument and I wanna be apart of your team.”

I smiled and wrapped her up in my arms and gave her a bone crushing hug, “you’re seriously gonna commit here?!”

“Yes I will, if you don’t kill me first!” She struggled to say and I let go, “sorry my bad, I’m just excited. I don’t know if you know but you’re a pretty big deal.” I laughed and Caitlin quickly replied, “oh trust me, I know.” She said with a sly smile.

This girl was gonna be the death of me, she was cute, funny and confident. I wanted nothing more in that moment than to kiss her and wipe that stupid grin off her face.

“How do you think your parents are gonna handle the news?” I asked and Caitlin groaned, “ugh please don’t remind me but I’m sure they will understand. They’ve always supported me in my decisions and I finally feel like I’m making the right one.” She said with a soft smile.

“You know,” I told Caitlin, “I’ve wanted to be a Hawkeye pretty much my whole life, I use to sleep with an Iowa women’s basketball poster above my bed so it was the first thing I saw when I woke up and the last thing I saw when I went to sleep. This is my dream, I’m happy I’m gonna get to share it with you now.” I looked at her and gave a warm smile.

“I promise you I’m going to give my all to this program, captain Martin.” She said and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I know you will and damn the coaches are going to go crazy once you tell them, they haven’t been able to shut up about you.”

I continued to tease Caitlin about her popularity but she ate it up, she loved being center of attention because she knows she deserves it. She’s earned all the hype around her.

As we got to the end of our walk and I had to drop Caitlin off to her room she was staying at for the night, as we were standing outside her door she asked me something that I wasn’t fully expecting.

“Hey that girl I saw you with earlier tonight, is she your girlfriend?”

My eyes went wide and if I had a drink I would have spit it out for dramatic effect but I composed myself and said, “no not at all, she’s just a friend.”

Caitlin smirked, “oh really, so you hookup with your friends a lot?”

This time I faked gasped and put my hand to my chest, “whoa what are you talking about, I would never do such a thing.”

Caitlin rolled her eyes, “well I saw your friend leave the party and she looked mad but she also had a pretty big hickey forming on her neck. I’m sure you had nothing to do with that.”

Caitlin was teasing me and I didn’t like that she thought she had the upper hand in this situation. I leaned closer and lowered my voice, “And what if I did? Are you jealous I didn’t give you a hickey?”

Caitlin lightly pushed me back, “you wish” she said and for a split second I thought about pushing her up against her door and kissing her.

But instead I said, “well then you’re lucky you’re gonna be my teammate now, I have a strict rule no messing around or falling in love with teammates!”

“That’s going to be very difficult for you Captain because everyone loves me.”

“Is that so?” I said, “you seem like you’re gonna be more of a pain in my ass actually.” I laughed and she hit my arm.

“Hey you better shut up or I’m changing my mind!” Caitlin pouted

“Okay fine, I’m sorry but you started it!” I said and she looked down shyly.

“I was just curious I guess.” She mumbled and I reached out to gently lift her face and I made her look at me.

“Hey it’s okay, we are gonna be teammates you can talk to me about anything. I wanna be here for you, we all will.” I added quickly and she nodded her head in approval.

As Caitlin turned to open her door and head in for the night I couldn’t help but smile. I was excited for what the future held and I was ready to make the most out of this opportunity.

Right then and there I told myself I wouldn’t do anything to mess this up. My feelings or whatever they were for Caitlin would not get in the way. The team was the most important thing and as Caitlin turned to me to say goodnight, I gave her a quick hug and said my goodnight too.

As I walked away and headed to my dorm room, I felt like I was on cloud 9. We got one of the top recruits in the country and yeah I may have a tiny crush on her but our team just got 10x times better. I couldn’t stop thinking about Caitlin and when I finally fell asleep, she was in my dreams. And in my dream we were meeting again for the first time.

[kidovna]

no final outfits slander on my watch, not when they’re in so much green!!

[thewisewill80sbyers]

Other fics probably more popular idk

[greenpleats]

1/30

[caitlinsclark-deactivated202411]

GOOD LUCK BABE! caitlin clark PART I. IT'S FINE, IT'S COOL caitlin clark x reader ✰ bree's notes: bet y'all weren't expecting this one yet mwahaha. had to write about this specific game.. for no specific reason! you'll see xoxo gotta keep you on edge. as always, i hope you all love it! thank you for all the support, you guys make me love writing again, i adore you. word count: 3.2k series masterlist masterlist and tag list

“You’re gonna be there early tonight, right?” Caitlin cringed at the longing tone that always somehow slipped in when she was talking to you. She was thankful she’d called you so you couldn’t see the way her palm hit her forehead in a silent scolding.

You remained perfectly unaware on the other end of the line, the same way you’d remained unaware the last few years. The brunette could’ve watched a closed gallon of paint dry in the time it took you to notice that she was hopelessly in love with you.

“Of course!” Your sweet voice had her forgetting entirely about the slip up, “I’m just running out with Luke and then I’m on the way.” 

Any joy from talking to you was suddenly washed away by the  natural disaster referred to as your boyfriend Luke. Luke, who you’d been with for three years now.

Three long, agonizing, pitiful years and counting that Caitlin had been skillfully avoiding a gag at the mention of his name. 

The brown eyed girl didn’t know when exactly the light changed and she suddenly saw you in a rose-tinted lens, surrounded by hearts and rainbows every time her gaze met yours. 

If she had to think, it was probably years ago during high school, a time where you were both unexperienced and eager to get your firsts done. You were just as attached to the hip as you were now, only Caitlin wasn’t knowingly burdened with the weight of loving you yet.

As you did many nights in your high school years, the two of you were having a sleepover tucked away in the comfort of your room. You were being entertained by the screen of your phone in the late hours of the night, texting an older guy in one of your classes. He’d offered to come pick you up and take you for a drive if you were willing.

As a teen who had never done anything remotely rebellious, you jumped at the opportunity to agree. You’d peaked over next to you, finding Caitlin deeply asleep and cuddling into your side. She had her head laying on the edge of your shoulder, undisturbed by the bright light of your phone when she was so cozy with your skin against hers.

You leaned over to kiss her head softly in an apology, sliding out so slowly from under her and replacing yourself with a pillow. Being so careful to be quiet despite Caitlin being one of the heaviest sleepers you knew, you tiptoed over to bathroom to make yourself look presentable and freshen up.

It was only two minutes later when the door gently pushed open and Caitlin groggily entered the bathroom with you, a blanket draped around her shoulders and her ponytail askew. 

“What are you doing? How did you even wake up?” You looked at her in the mirror, confused on how she woke up so fast.

She put her head on your shoulders, keeping her eyes closed as she used her arms around you to make sure the blanket enveloped both of you.

“Go back to bed, Cait,” You giggled, rubbing moisturizer onto your skin as you looked at her tired figure, “you’re so tired.”

She nodded without argument, “Okay,” and wrapped her fingers around your arm to tug you back with her. You tried to fight against her hold, softening at her childish pout.

“Dave wants to pick me up,” You informed, too busy to see how her face fell when you started applying lip gloss. She shifted on her feet, suddenly a lot more alert at the mention of the boy you’d been fawning over.

Maybe it was manipulative at best but Caitlin needed to stop you from going, “You’re not scared he’s gonna make a move on you? What if you’re not ready?”

You frowned, anxiety now building at the possibility she pointed out, “Do you think I’ll be bad?” Toying with your rings, you started to bite your bottom lip and Caitlin couldn’t stop her eyes from focusing on the action.

“Even if you are, you’re too hot for him,” She put her hands on your shoulders encouragingly and squeezed them, “But we can always try really quick to get your nerves down.” Caitlin spoke far too casually for what she was proposing and you did a double take at her in the mirror. 

Though she kept her eyes on you in the reflection, trying to gauge your reaction and you tried not to shake under the intense gaze. 

“Stop.” You shook your head like she was kidding, continuing to brush product onto your skin. Though she could tell you were doing this out of nervousness as you started fumbling around and looked anywhere but her.

She grasped both your hands in hers, successfully stopping you from ignoring her, “I’m offering.” Regardless of your previous nervousness, the sure look in Caitlin’s eyes had you and your heart beat settling down in the blink of an eye.

It would be a lot less embarrassing to be told nicely that you suck at kissing by your best friend than a possible boyfriend making fun of you. Worst case scenario, you were still more comfortable taking the leap with Caitlin than anyone else.

With the confirmation that she wasn’t kidding, you leaned into her and exhaled out slowly as her hands slip down to hold your hips. 

The gentle touch of your hands on Caitlin’s face was committed to memory, an intimacy she could still imagine to this day if she tried. But the softness of your lips was a feeling she kicked herself for not being replicate.

And the fear of how much she enjoyed it kept Caitlin from ever mentioning it again. The fragility of how close to her heart she held that moment could never hold up if you were to downplay it in a conversation.

“He’s not coming to the game though?” The athlete shook away from the everlasting memory and held her breath, closing her eyes and crossing her fingers during the moment of silence.

“No,” You sighed and Caitlin has never felt more apologetic for being so ecstatic at your disappointment, “him and Courtney are working on a pitch tonight.” 

The brunette thanked whoever the hell Courtney was and moved on, impatiently changing the topic to something that couldn’t be poisoned by the mention of that guy.

“Are you ready for game day?”

Tonight was a game that had both of your nerves rising. You could taste the redemption calling to you, eager to beat New York Liberty after having been bested the last three times before. 

“Wait, can I FaceTime you really quick?” You’d asked and it was a little embarrassing the speed in which Caitlin said yes. But the opportunity to see your pretty face wasn’t one she’d ever pass up.

She didn’t answer the second call right away when her screen flashed the contact picture, pausing instead to admire it as it continued to ring. It was a picture from the draft, when you’d exited the stage to see her standing and waiting for you. The matching Fever jerseys in each of your hands were proof of your dreams being within reach, the fabric wrapping around you both as you jumped into Caitlin’s arms unexpectedly. You were wearing beaming grins in the picture, as you pulled back just slightly to be face to face with her and say a small, sentimental ’we did it’ when the flash went off. Courtesy of Kate. 

Caitlin shook out of her infatuation fueled daydream and pressed accept, patting herself on the back when she got rewarded with the sight of your dazzling smile so close to the camera.

You set the phone down, doing a quick twirl in frame to show off your outfit, “Does this look good?” The black pantsuit hung off your figure deliciously in Caitlin’s eyes, framing you perfectly with a white cropped top showing off your soft skin. 

If the way she was ogling you didn’t answer the question, the stuttered ‘yes’ she let out did. You’d giggled, stepping out of frame to slightly fan yourself at the sudden heat spreading unexplainably through your body. 

“Thank you,” You had black heels in your hands, ready to slip them on when Caitlin stopped you.

“Wait,” She bit her lip at the idea, wondering if she was basically torturing herself at this point but she couldn’t stop, “Do you have those beige ones?” 

To the side she glanced at her outfit laid out, almost a reverse of yours. She had her beige set and black heels planned for about a week, though you had no idea.

You paused to scrunch up your face mid thought, Caitlin bit back her smile when your tongue poked out like it always did.

“I think so,” and you disappeared off camera for a moment while ruffling could be heard from little ways away. You walked back into frame, hair slightly messy and adorable in Caitlin’s point of view, with a pair of beige heels in your hand that managed to match the shade of Caitlin’s outfit. 

You slipped them on and took a step away, doing another twirl to show off the completed look. Caitlin started clapping from the other end of the line when you posed, cheering and wolf whistling loudly in a way that had your face heating up bashfully.

“Alright, alright,” You waved her off with a laugh, “I’m gonna see you to walk in, right?” 

She loved the fact that you knew she’d be waiting, confident like you didn’t even have to ask, “Right, I’ll be waiting.” And the tiny sigh that she let out afterward held all the dreaminess she’d been clinging to for the last 3 years she couldn’t speak on.

And you were about to respond when a knock rang out on your door. Right on time, Caitlin hid her growing smile behind her hand as you excused yourself to get the door.

When you came back, you were not only sporting a large bouquet but possibly an even bigger smile that made your eyes crinkle and face scrunch up.

“Caitlin.” You said with a monotone voice, trying not to let excitement overwhelm you as your insides lit on fire with a blazing adoration. She swore she even saw a row of tears start budding on your waterline, wishing she was there to wipe them away for you.

“What are these for?” You clutched them to your chest, a beautiful array of dipped roses that had a little navy blue bow on them.

She simply grinned, a sweet sight that you took a live photo of, “I wanted to wish you luck today. And I made sure they were safe for cats too so Perry would be okay with them.”

The outward ‘awe’ you let out was loud and still incapable of showing how touched you were, as you brought the phone to your lips and kissed the screen with a louder ‘mwah’.

She did the same back, hating the way she craved for it to be real. You lifted the gray cat up off the ground where he was circling your feet, “That was the sweetest and most thoughtful thing ever. Perry says thank you too.”

Caitlin took her own live photo, her heart growing in size as she admired you while you held the flowers tucked in one arm and cuddled the furry animal in the other. 

“Just as pretty as you,” She muttered just loud enough for you to hear, slipping your face behind the flowers to try and shield the fact that you were most definitely reacting to the praise.

Your best friend knew you too well, chuckling on the other end and you knew that she knew, “I’m gonna go finish getting ready, I’ll see you in like five days.” Caitlin groaned the last part dramatically all while you watched with an amused delight.

“I’m seeing you in like three hours, not days, C,” You laughed with a small head shake. You set the flowers in a vase as you side eyed the camera and put them on display in the center of your table where they deserved to be.

She still kept up her disappointment, “Feels about the same if it’s time without you.” 

“I’ll see you in a little bit,” You promised, sending her an air kiss which she caught obediently and saluted to you. If you had to hang up quickly to giggle like a school girl, that was no one’s business.

You’d sat dazed with a lingering smile as you slipped your phone into your side pocket. You hummed a tune, in a delightful sort of daze and you twirled a petal of the rose between your fingertips. Your blissful environment was halted by the presence of an incessant buzzing and you groaned at the caller ID of your mother. You went into the living room and sat on the couch, debating letting it go straight to voicemail.

Luke had walked in at the same moment, barely saying a word to you as he headed right into the kitchen. He popped his head out a few seconds later as you were preparing to press the green answer button

“Who are those flowers from?” 

The first thing that he’d cared to speak to you about and you stopped from rolling your eyes. Your voice came out monotone and hesitant, “Caitlin.”

He made a face you couldn’t quite describe and nodded before disappearing back into the kitchen. With fingers pinching the bridge of your nose, you tried to get back even an ounce of happiness you’d felt earlier.

“Hi.” You’d spoke curtly into the phone, trying not to sound too displeased, though you most definitely were. And talking to your mother never helped that.

“What is the attitude for?” She questioned, already adding a layer of tension and you muted the call to scream into a pillow before unmuting it.

“Sorry, I was just moving laundry, out of breath.” You’d rolled your eyes at your own lie, “What’s up?” The quicker you could get off the phone the better.

She made a noise like she didn’t believe you, “How are things with you and Luke?” There was no segway to the conversation, treated like a simple business interaction of information rather than a comforting mother and daughter exchange.

Should have expected it, you thought as you squeezed your eyes shut, “We’re great, he’s working on a big project at work right now.” With a silent prayer that the conversation would stop there, but it never did.

“I don’t see why you and Luke haven’t gotten married already, you’re settled in the league, he has a steady job, he loves you. What more are you looking for?” 

Opening your mouth for a rebuttal, you couldn’t find one in your chest. What more were you really looking for? In reality, you were content with the way your life was going. You were playing professionally basketball with your best friend in the world like you’d dreamed, you had a healthy and adorable little cat, and you had a steady boyfriend. Though your face scrunched up at the order in which you casted your priorities. 

“I don’t know, I’m not in any rush. We haven’t been spending much time together with his work and mine.” You hated having to clue her into any part of the negativity that your relationship had been facing.

You loved Luke, you truly did, but you felt like he resented the fact that you had gotten into the WNBA. Things had shifted once you got drafted and it seemed like Luke was the only one falling behind. It was a stark difference to the way he’d supported you in your career during college and you weren’t a fan of the change.

Your mother made yet another hum of disapproval, “You know, your father and I aren’t going to be around very long. You should be rushing to get married and having a family for us to see. As long as I can remember, you’ve always run away from people who treat you better than you deserve. You’ll never find someone else like, Luke.”

You could’ve mouthed the words in sync with her, knowing exactly what the conversation was going to come to, “I’ll keep that in mind while I’m prepping for one of the most important games of my season, mother.” A bitter undertone slipped its way in and you quickly hung up the phone with a loud groan.

The white picket fence life was one that was forced onto your mother, one that she seemed not too happy with. And it showed in the way she forced it onto you since such a young age. Find a nice man, get married, have kids. Nothing else in between or after mattered to her.

You were tense and rigid when Luke entered the room again about twenty minutes later, with your head in your hands and tears forming. It didn’t seem like he had any idea of your state, or maybe he did and didn’t care.

“You look hot,” Luke commented and you lifted your head to stare at him for a silent minute. When he didn’t seem to have anything else to say, you nodded in weak acknowledgement.

It was a quick decision, moving away from his lustful eyes that seemed to devour your figure. You wished it made you feel the way it used to, the way you used to melt and have to shy away from his gaze purely because it made you nervous. Now you shied away from his gaze because it made you anxious. 

“You excited for the game today?” Luke put his hand on your waist now that you were standing and you resisted the urge to protest by running far away, “You’re playing the Knicks right?”

You couldn’t help the sigh, a difficult swallow to hold back the words you wanted to say, “We’re playing Liberty. The Knicks are the NBA.” It was a gentle reminder, but the tiredness was evident in the way you spoke.

Luke had the audacity to look surprised, “Oh, you didn’t tell me that.” He squeezed the skin of your waist and you suddenly started to feel suffocated.

You did the other three times you played them. But that was beside the point. A sigh was your response as opposed to correcting him, turning to grab your keys from the kitchen counter.

You were about to completely leave when you noticed the absence of a very colorful and bright part of your day. The flowers that Caitlin had delivered were missing and you almost ran around your apartment looking for where they could’ve been moved.

“What happened to my flowers in the kitchen?” The question was frantic when you approached Luke on the couch, a little too frazzled but those were beautiful flowers. 

“They were dying, so I replaced them with new ones,” Luke smirked with a shrug, seemingly unapologetic as he nodded toward the trash. The attitude he had made you more mad than anything. 

You sped walked over to the can, ripping out the cartons littered on top of the beautiful flowers Caitlin had gotten you. A part of your heart broke when you saw half of them bent and broken.

“These were brand new, Luke,” You scolded him like a child, sighing in disappointment as you laid them out on the counter to save them the best you could.

“And those will kill Perry.” You sighed with a point to the flowers he had gotten. Not even feeling the slightest bit bad as you pulled out the Lilies and tossed them in the trash to replace where Caitlin’s used to be before heading out the door.

taglist: @lovermcres @glorioushamsterqueen @miedmead @blueagle45 @pbloverr @cavillary @elizabethkitley @1-800-fantasy @into-f0lkl0re @mysticchildsuit @sapphicmermaid @ureleesian

series taglist: @wnbaforthewin @stefanshope @sewiouslyz @kaelaheartsyou @caitlin-clark-obsessed @trinscam @julienbakerloverr @muhlsfilm @paigebueckresfan8282 @sadie-bug7 @madismadmad @dinosaurstrandedonnublarisland @kenzlovesyou @gaydonutdino @jujubuckets @elliewilliamsthang @princes21w

[caitlinsclark-deactivated202411]

GOOD LUCK BABE! caitlin clark PART III. BUT YOU KNOW THE TRUTH caitlin clark x reader ✰ bree's notes: so bc I wanna spoil you guys there will be a part 4! enjoy loves <3 not proofread. word count: 2.8k series masterlist masterlist and tag list

Caitlin’s hand hadn’t stopped gripping the ring in her pocket since the second you’d exited the locker room. She was sure that she could visualize it down to every curve, based only on the indent left in her skin from squeezing so hard.

“Ready?” Your eyes looked up at her with excitement for post win press, where they got to have fun with the questions and bask in the victory.

Drowning out your voice, she couldn’t help but think back to the rings you had jokingly discussed through as you grew up, dreams of weddings that were supposed to be far, far away. Now it seemed like a cruel present for only one of you. 

The color of the ring set off alarm bells in her head, Caitlin would have at least known to match the rest of your jewelry unlike someone. The bitterness crept into her veins, silently plotting all the details that she would knew she would be more wary of than Luke when it came to your dream day. You had pretty much planned them together years ago, after all.

All this conspiring of a wedding that she wasn’t apart of, all while you walked ahead of her toward the press room without a single clue. You slowed to stay by her side as you got closer to the door, nudging the arm that was stuffed in her pocket. A few of your teammates passed by you, watchful eyes fondly gazing at you and Caitlin which you took note of.

“I usually can’t get you to shut up after you make a few three’s,” You tease her lightly, “You get a triple double and you’re all shy now?” 

The brunette blushed from your unwavering attention on her, your eyes flittering over her nervous features in suspicion. She forced a laugh, a far cry from the normal, confident boasting one she let out unfiltered.

"Is everything okay?" You reached out to touch her arm, console whatever was bothering her.

Your focus was solely on Caitlin, ignoring the unknown body you stumbled into if not for the way Caitlin’s face soured immediately. Your head turned to find the cause, shocked to see Luke standing with his lips set in an unamused line.

Your footing was lost as you whipped around and you tripped back into Caitlin, heavily aware of the way her hands landed on your ass to hold you up. 

You expected her to move away immediately, but she made no move to. You caught a ghost of a smirk on her lips by the time you looked at her, your warming face contradictory to the off guard expression you wore. 

She took a step back as if it was casual, not bothered by the stare she was receiving by Luke, nor the one she was receiving from you. Her eyes refused to leave the blonde man’s as she settled closely next to you. 

You cleared your throat as you looked around for cameras, "So, what exactly made you decide to come, Luke?” 

In a split second you became overly aware of the ring that you’d put in your bag. A tingle went down your spine and you adjusted your feet at the memory you’d been blocking out since it happened.

Caitlin’s side was pressed up against yours, doing little to help the fuzziness of your brain since the second she’d glared at Luke, worsened by the way she helped you stay upright.

She only moved her attention to you when you shifted uncomfortably, hands moving to play around with the strap of your bag on your shoulder that seemed to weigh a ton. Luke kept his eyes trained on the brunette, watching her as she watched you.

“How nice of you to come for our fifteenth game, admirable!” Her hand clapped him on the back, a hostile undertone tainting the friendliness of her words. The man glanced at the hand on his back, his eyes expectantly moving to you but you remained silent in a panic.

“Hello,” Another voice cut in, the agitating voice from your childhood that bloomed all of your insecurities. The voice of reason that you never needed to develop on your own, because your mother always did that with her opinion.

You sighed and tried to hold down a grimace, “Hi, mother.” The phone call from earlier replayed in your head, the first signs of a migraine forming behind your eyes.

Your mother swung her hand back and forth in the air, swatting at nonexistent flies as if she were being bombarded, “Where are all these coming from?”

“Your imagination, we’re inside.” You deadpanned, receiving a warning look from Luke who tried to console the woman. But you never had the will to deal with her dramatics.

She pushed him away slightly, ignoring how he wiped his hands on his pants in defeat to play it off, “Pressing matters to discuss.” Your mother began walking away with only a flick of her hand as if she expected you to follow.

Luke eyed Caitlin up and down, lingering on where you were both conjoined by your hips. His mouth stayed shut, but the look in his eyes was screaming at you.

“I have to do press first,” You brushed off the two of them and turned toward the closed doors that concealed the group from the media. Luke followed closely behind you, calling out your name in protest but you silenced it with a quick hand gesture.

The flashes intensified with the arrival of your team and coach, everyone hyped from the win and from Caitlin’s record breaking achievement. The questions had started off light, being fielded to Aliyah and Lexie which gave you a moment to clear your head. 

“Is that yours?” Caitlin whispered as the attention was shifted to your coach for a question, though the impending lenses of the press still remained trained on your every move. She had already been looking at you once you when you glanced over discretely, her eyes shifting toward your water bottle as a signal. 

You nodded absentmindedly and she quietly thanked you before grabbing the bottle from in front of you and taking a few needed gulps. Though you remained blivious to the show she was putting on for Luke in the back, holding direct eye contact as she drank from your bottle.

In more important news, you tried not to let yourself get stuck on the way the definition in her arms glistened in the light. You had been seemingly noticing more and more about Caitlin lately, an intimate awareness that seemed to be prompted by the brunette.

Your will power wasn’t a match for the alluring sight, leading your pokerface to break when you got shocked out of your haze by a question.

The reporter spoke your name, “How do you maintain a level head during these intense games?”

“I’ll take this one,” Caitlin scooted over her chair, neck and body extending into your personal space so she could use your microphone despite her own being perfectly functional. 

You tried to lift up your hands from your lap, but she didn’t let you and you were left with her entire body weight leaning on you, trapping you in. 

The spectacle left some of the media laughing, but you could feel Luke fuming despite the entire stage length distance between the two of you. Caitlin seemed right at home in your personal space, yet something felt off as she insistently put on a show. 

Her bun smacked you in the face causing you to puff air out of your mouth and turn your head to the side with a small laugh. She was undeterred, in fact she might’ve cuddled closer at the sign of your gleeful response.

“It’s hard to always keep your head on straight,” She flickered her gaze to yours, “But it’s a lot easier when your teammates are around to help.” 

Caitlin slowly leaned back in her chair, leisurely like she didn’t wanna stray from where she leaned against you. And if you looked in her mind you would know that she would’ve done anything to extend those last few seconds.

Your head was swirling with similar thoughts. You had never wanted press to last the way you did now as the media started to disband. Luke suddenly became a lot more present in the room with how many people filed out and you resisted the urge to flea desperately.

Caitlin was quick to steal your plan and exit as well, her hands shoved in her pockets and back hunched in defeat. You wanted to follow after her but Luke blocked your path like a boulder, which left your shoulders sagging.

But your mother was dragging you by your arm like a toddler before he could even get a word in, “I have feet, you know?” You grimaced as she yanked on your arm.

“I know, I birthed you.” She responded dryly, “I think I know your limbs.”

You breathed out slowly, “Okay, then.” The grip on your arm dropped after you had separated from the crowd and you shook out your shoulder. Finally away from the prying looks, you felt a sense of relief and let your limbs loose. The silence was nice for a few seconds and you even let your eyes fall closed in a false sense of calm.

“Your publicist and I spoke, and you and Luke are getting married.” The words cut through the air and ruined any laxness your body had acquired. 

You tried to open your eyes in a way that didn’t convey shock, but by the unamused look on your mother’s face you failed, “No I’m not.” The denial rang out like clockwork, a quick attempt to shut down any thoughts of an arrangement like that one.

“You’re an impulsive decision maker,” She completely brushed you off, barely even looking at you as she ruffled through her purse, “It's what you do. Every marriage starts like this, a little unhappy but you can’t let your flight response get to you again.”

Your face scrunched up, feeling like an objection was necessary to set this straight, “I don’t have a flight response, I’ve never wanted to leave him?"

"But you’re worried about leaving him now that marriage is in the question, no?” Your mother tapped your face and left you speechless, her attempt at some sort of affection, “Stop thinking, you love him.” 

“But mom, I,“ You didn’t know what you were going to say, something about Luke, something about Caitlin, something about the conflicting back and forth your mind had been doing for days.

“I’m so proud of you for knowing what’s best.” The first five words had been something you lacked for years now from your mother. They didn’t leave room for additional commentary when she walked away and toward the exit.

You were dazed when you slumped from the spot your mother stood in and slowly made your way toward Luke. He began talking a mile a minute, not a single word caring to register in your head.

“Can I get changed first?” You interrupted his ramble about needing to talk with a sigh, your feet shuffling again as you tried to look anywhere but him. You found yourself worriedly staring after the door Caitlin left out of.

There wasn’t much of a wait for his answer before you took off, heading toward the empty locker room to collect your stuff and thoughts. Your footsteps slowed and eventually stopped when you heard the brunette’s voice speaking freely.

Though you missed the beginning of the conversation, only walking in as the words left Caitlin’s mouth, “She doesn’t know what she’s doing, she’s been impulsive like this since High School.”

You had seen Caitlin playing with the strings of her pants anxiously as she casually mentioned your name to whoever was on the other side of the phone.

“I didn’t mean to grab it,” Her voice held guilt, a layer of anxiousness that you hadn’t heard from such a confident personality in a while.

Caitlin’s shaking fingers toyed with the ring beside her, just barely out of your view, a sick glimpse at a future she’d ached for but knew she’d never get. She always imagined a different scenario where she’d be nervously holding a ring with you in mind, not this one.

A sigh left her mouth and carried the sound of sorrow down the hall, “I don’t think she knows what’s best right now, especially a marriage.” 

You took a step into the locker room and slammed the locker in front of her shut, an unamused expression on your face as she whipped around to look at you.

The hand holding the phone to her ear lowered slightly, her thumb instantly pressing the red button.

“Thank you so much for your concern,” Your mind was clouded by the  negativity in her voice, hurt by the fact that Caitlin showed the same doubts as your mother, “I don’t think you know what’s going on but I’m fine with my choices.” 

“You are?” She challenged for the first time with animosity overly present in her words, an emotion that felt foreign for the two of you to share. 

Your eyebrows furred at the defensive switch, feeling like her opponent when all you had ever been was teammates. You had never been on different sides, not for basketball and for goddamn sure not in a fight.

Despite how weak it was, you still asserted yourself, “I am.” You tried to hold onto the eye contact she was giving you, but you found something much more interesting. The glimmering ring that belonged in your bag casually laid on her sweatshirt, definitely not where you had left it.

Your finger gestured to the piece of metal, “Where did that come from, Caitlin?” The assumptions running through your mind were unnecessary, begging for yourself to be proven wrong.

The phone call slowly began to piece together.

Her hesitance was loud, a telling sigh that had you snatching the ring back and turning toward the door. In seeing your frustration, the point guard scrambled for something to say.

“You’ve never known what you wanted.” She continued ruthlessly, knowing that it was a harsh push but her mouth couldn’t stop, “This is another impulsive decision.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” You felt like screaming, a hand resting on your forehead to soothe the pounding sensation beginning.

“Because it’s what you do,” The brunette was screaming mentally, a failed attempt to keep in the flood of judgement but she could only watch as it washed over you. She knew she was being unfair.

Caitlin had felt heartbreak many times mostly due to the love and passion she had for basketball, the one that left her feeling empty after a bad game. 

But the look etched onto your face was enough to compete with every hard hitting loss she’d ever faced. Leaving her speechless at your dry swallow, an attempt to hide the overwhelming emotion from her.

The words of your mother synced up with Caitlin’s in your head, a painful reminder that had your heart clenching in your chest. They might as well have been shouted in your face with the internal reaction it was invoking.

You nodded your head slowly, as if the words were being processed with each movement, a flick of pain gathering in your chest the more you sat on it.

The sour taste in her mouth urged her to elaborate, forcing the words out, “I was just trying to look out for you.” It didn’t do much to cool the burn of her outburst and left you rolling your eyes.

You shook your head and let it tilt back, “I didn’t ask you to,” The pain in your voice caused a crack as confusion flooded your mind from all that’s happened today.

“And you never had to ask me to,” Caitlin insisted, her incredulous expression showing a similar fire that you were familiar with on the court. She took a step closer, a crack in her demeanor when you matched it and took a step back.

“I didn’t even get to say what I wanted yet.” Your words came out as a plea, wishing for a single person to ask you where you stood. Today had been a mess of different people with different agendas.

She followed behind you as you attempted get as far away as possible, a sickening feeling pooling in your stomach as your name shouted and echoed through the halls.

Your fleeing was halted by her gripping your waist, your body forcibly being turned to look her in the eyes. With all the courage you had, you shifted your gaze to her own, finding something unknown swirling in her irises. 

“You’re saying and doing all this,” Your eyes had to shuffle between hers, “looking out for me as a friend?” You hesitantly questioned with emphasis on the last word, knocking all the wind out of her body. 

taglist: @glorioushamsterqueen @miedmead @blueagle45 @pbloverr @cavillary @1-800-fantasy @into-f0lkl0re @mysticchildsuit @stydiaownsmyheart

series taglist: @heart4caitlin @fortheloveofwbb @wnbaforthewin @stefanshope @sewiouslyz @sapphicmermaid @kaelaheartsyou @caitlin-clark-obsessed @trinscam @julienbakerloverr @muhlsfilm @paigebueckresfan8282 @sadie-bug7 @madismadmad d @dinosaurstrandedonnublarisland @kenzloveyou @gaydonutdino @jujubuckets @elliewilliamsthang @zolofts @elizabethkitley @princes21w @bookendsandbrokenhearts @mayghosts @isntthatsweetiguessso @cookiecrunchyum @hellokitty-6996 @slutforpaige @the-other-half @simp4panos

[caitlinsclark-deactivated202411]

GOOD LUCK BABE! caitlin clark PART II. YOU CAN SAY THAT WE'RE NOTHING caitlin clark x reader ✰ bree's notes: tw: A MAN A MAN A MAN A MAN A MAN (sorry just had to add that) enjoy my loves!! I've missed writing for you fr <3 word count: 4.7k series masterlist masterlist and tag list

The sound of things in your bag clunking together echoed throughout the hallway as you ruffled through them, a breathless groan that reiterated all the building frustration from your day prior. In the haste of escaping the stressful situation, you'd forgotten your sneakers. 

You could play barefoot right? It wasn’t technically an advantage, you tried to reason with yourself internally to not have to enter the apartment again. 

What a joke, you scoffed as you rubbed your forehead, feeling like an intruder in your own home. With one hand on the door knob, you sighed and pushed it open quickly, believing that the quicker you did it the quicker it would be over.

Luke called your name when you passed by him sitting in the living room, his stupid bouquet of flowers clutched dramatically to his chest where his heart was rumored to be.

Of course, they were still in perfect condition too. You bitterly mumbled under your breath as you went right into the bedroom, ignoring his half assed attempts at reconciliation. 

“If those flowers even get near you,” You gently pet the cat lying on your bed as you whispered, “I’m blending them into a smoothie and he’s gonna drink it.” Your voice heightened in pitch toward the end, an affectionate boop on the nose to the furry animal before you went into the closet to retrieve your shoes. 

You were rustling around when something dropped, an echo of a hollow box hitting the ground grabbing your attention. It was a small felt box, something that didn’t belong among the shoes in the closet and definitely not something of yours. 

When you bent down to open it, you found yourself wishing you had gone with the decision to play barefoot. The intimidating glimmer of the diamond ring sucking all the light from your body, completely opposing how reflective it was.

Basketball clearly hadn’t taught you enough defense, leaving you startled when Luke had entered the room. The sudden imposing figure in your line of vision had you gasping, quick reflexes kicking in and throwing the ring into your bag to hide it. Your foot kicked the empty jewelry box underneath the dresser just in time for him to turn the corner.

Luke stared hard at your agitated figure, suspicion lacing the words he spoke, “You’re back. Let’s talk.”  He turned around without another word, assuming you were going to follow.

It didn’t seem to be a question, and you weren’t going to let it be. Especially with the frazzled buzzing of your head that had skyrocketed to a pulsating sensation.

“Nope, I can’t do this now.” The ring felt heavy in your bag, an unpleasant and scarily unwelcome milestone that prompted your blood running cold. Your sensible mind told you that it was your shoes adding that weight, but your mind didn’t let up.

Your feet carried you hurriedly out of the door again, not even taking a second to pett the whining cat near the door on the way out. That’s how you knew you were absolutely fucked.

The pounding in your head may have been attributed to the upcoming stakes of the game, but you feared it had more to do with the metaphorical weight making it difficult to get a full breath in. The pressure that lingered as a reminder of the man living in your apartment, if the 5 missed calls lighting up your phone and the ring stowed away in your bag weren’t enough.

You tried to sit in your car for more time than you wanted to admit, an attempt at collecting yourself before facing any of the cameras. Flashes that would probably read directly into your soul, prompting narratives that might not only be speculation and hearsay.

The physically sickening feeling was almost a happy distraction from the grief your mind had been relentlessly succumbed to since the phone call with your mother.

You couldn’t quite place what changed when you entered the building, what had your buzzing senses slowing to a steady and comforting pace but it surely couldn’t have been the entrance of your best friend to your left.

You gasped at the smug smirk on Caitlin’s face as you took in your correlating outfits, not torn away from her despite the flashing cameras. It made sense why she’d asked earlier if you had tan heels as you took in her tan pantsuit.

“You look amazing,” She hummed, grabbing both your hands and spinning you wistfully toward the press. She left you laughing and holding onto her arms for stabilization as you slowed to a stop.

Caitlin gladly indulged in your hands on her biceps, leaving a lingering warmth even after they slid down to her elbows. 

You wiped your forehead dramatically, letting out a puff of air at the show you two had just put on for the cameras, “I wonder where I got the recommendation from.” With an inability to take a compliment, you hid your warming face from her despite the smirk she held, signaling she’d already caught you.

One of your arms nudged her own wordlessly and she childishly did it back to you. You stumbled in your tall heels, saved  like clockwork when she pulled you against her before you could fall the other way, quick and effortless like the action took no thought.

You continued side by side walking down the hallway when Caitlin carefully linked your arms together. You turned your head at the contact and gave her a small adoring smile, one that had her turning to direct her grin at the ground so you wouldn’t see her red cheeks behind her hair.

The harmonious glimmer in the air was something you only felt in Caitlin’s presence, a bond that went unsaid as you both had learned each other too well. A blissful comfort your mind and body welcomed after the anxiety your prior day.

Warm ups came and went, a fleeting comfortability of distraction that went all too fast. As you walked off the court, the prominent cameras and microphones flocked to you as if they were seagulls fighting over a scrap of food. 

Your head hadn’t cleared since the discovery you made in the closet earlier, added with the pressure of their cameras pushing into your face. You tried to find something to train your eyes on, something to focus on and keep your nerves down.

You realized how bad of an idea that was when your other option was Caitlin as she waited, with her unwavering and intimidating attention focused on you. Her stature exuded confidence, legs spread as if she owned the space, her arm laid on the back of the chair beside her with a powerful grip on the metal that had the veins in her arm showing.

“Sorry, could you repeat that?” You slowly blinked at the reporter, licking your lips to get rid of the dry feeling in your mouth. The brunette watched you shuffle on your feet, a nervous tell.

A gasp left your lips when a water bottle entered your side view, too focused on avoiding Caitlin’s distracting gaze to notice that she’d waltzed up with her water bottle for you. Her eyebrows were raised in an expectant manner when you took more than a second to grab it, simply knowing you all too well. 

You laughed and took it from her with a gentle ‘thank you’, ignoring the rush of giddiness when she decided to stay against your side as you took a small but much needed sip. 

The reporter repeated his question and put the mic toward your own mouth once he finished, though you deflated at the clearly narrative driven journalism that he showed.

“Do you think Liberty is coming into the match today looking down on your team for the previous three losses?” 

You resisted the urge to side eye the brunette to your left, who you felt gently squeeze the arm behind your back in a silent acknowledgement hidden from the cameras.

“I don’t think they can look down at us, most of us are pretty tall,” You shrugged off the question, sharing a mutually playful and amused look with Caitlin beside you. Her hand moved to rest on your back in encouragement, another small squeeze that was hidden from the reporters, meant for only the two of you.

The man looked down, an attempt at hiding from the antagonizing laughs that the rest of the journalists let out. Your head turned, your temple resting on Caitlin’s shoulder as you tried to hide the unprofessional giggles you were sharing with your teammate.

Your laughter died down slowly when Caitlin lifted her phone up to her mouth like a microphone, mocking the media right in front of their faces, “Pressing question, what is your favorite movie of all time?”

You leaned into the device, now putting your hand on her shoulder to get closer to the microphone, “My favorite movie of all time is Spider-Man.” Caitlin nodded as you spoke, eyes trained on you with an intent expression at your answer.

“That upside down kiss scene changed my brain chemistry, how do you even realistically do that?” You added absentmindedly with a laugh, noticing immediately how the athlete beside you perked up like a dog who’d heard a box of treats shaking.

“I think I can hang upside down from the hoop, if you wanna try?” Caitlin smirked at you, a cockiness tainting her words that had you wanting to melt into the floor.

Her brown eyes basked in the shy tilt of your head away from her as your cheeks warmed at the words. You stumbled for some kind of response and could only settle for a dismissive laugh despite a few seconds of troubleshooting.

“Stop,” Your words were cushioned with a laugh, hands gently pushing her stomach to get some distance, ignoring how much muscle you felt in such a small interaction. 

You fumbled with your hair, suddenly feeling hot and ] went back to looking at the camera to calm the increasing and intimidating beat of your heart. With a small sigh, you tried to move past the light-hearted teasing she always hit you with, but her comforting warmth against your side sucked you further in. 

It was in her nature to be an instigator anyway, you tried to tell yourself as you gave your full attention to the journalist.

If only you knew that everything she’d said to you in the last three years had been anything but light-hearted. The line of Caitlin’s teasing had been long forgotten in her mind when her words had simply become scattered truths disguised with a playful attitude.

She rocked back and forth on her heels silently and tried not to pettily pull away from your alluring presence, feeling rejected yet accepted at the same time. She couldn’t find it in herself to tear apart from you, too comfortable in the warmth of your touch. Perhaps she had earned a sadist title as she let herself fall into you once again, knowing damn well you weren’t hers. 

And it was a brutal reminder as you swallowed nervously and made the decision put some separation between your bodies.

The nerves began to set in as you sat in the locker room, messing with your hair as you tried to mentally prepare. Caitlin watched you from her corner, ignoring the way her teammates giggled at her repetitive glances in your direction.

Erica leaned over to whisper to Aliyah as Caitlin finally stood up and trailed across the room to sit next to you, the two giggling like school girls over gossip. The glare that the point guard sent them only made them laugh more, hiding behind their hands to communicate. The brunette’s scrunched up face was a dead giveaway to her worry for you, only hearing bits and pieces of your conversation on the phone.

“They were brand new flowers, Luke,” You insisted quietly, set on not allowing him to make you feel bad. This piqued Caitlin’s interest further when she realized what you were talking about, trying to tie her sneakers silently. She couldn’t help the way her eyes still flew to you.

“I can get you new flowers, I don’t know how to fix this,” He sounded anxious and it made your guilt spike up. You tried to ground your spinning head and give yourself a subtle reminder that this was a matter of ignorance, not incompetence. 

The confusion in his voice seemed genuine, as if he was searching for a way to read your mind. Maybe you hadn’t been clear enough?

You rubbed your forehead, your closed eyes being hidden from the light not doing much to ease the headache forming, “It’s like if I threw away a Play Station gift card you hadn’t used yet because I assumed it was expired.” 

The immediate ‘oh’ that left his lips in understanding was bitter sweet, an exhausting cycle of having to dumb things down as if you were babysitting a child and having to teach them respect and consequences.

“I’m sorry I made you upset,” He followed up and you felt like all the explaining you had just done had tumbled down upon analyzing his wording, “You know I’ve just missed you so much since you went pro, I don’t wanna fight when we barely talk as it is.”

The physical therapist would have yelled at you with the way your head fell aggressively back against the lockers, posture slumped and eyes still shut to shield yourself from reality. Defeat consumed you, the circles your mind had been running in paling in comparison to the circles you’d been talking in with Luke.

The hand holding your phone tiredly fell down to rest on the bench despite Luke’s voice still sounding from it quietly. There was no flinch when the device was taken from your hand, a familiar soft grasp settling on your wrist that assured you who it was. You assumed she had hung up for you when his voice was cut off abruptly.

“You’re gonna do great,” Caitlin’s voice was still easily recognizable behind your closed eyes, like a song you knew from the first beat. She didn’t miss how your lips quirked up.

“And whatever, or whoever,” the words were absolutely bitter to Caitlin’s own ears, “is upsetting you isn’t important right now.”

You peaked one eye open to glance sideways at her, “Sounds like the easy and confident words of a record breaking rookie expecting a triple double tonight.” 

“It’s whatever,” she brushed off what you said, more focused on your nerves than her accomplishments. It left you baffled, shoving her shoulder to which she grasped your hand to defend another attack. 

You still scoffed, giving her an incredulous look as if she’d just offended your first born, “That’s ridiculous, be proud of yourself for five seconds please.”

She silently counted five seconds in her head and you squinted at her unimpressed as you realized what she was doing. When the five seconds was up, you couldn’t help but share a laugh at her persistent sarcastic nature with a slight shove to her shoulder.

“You deserve more than five seconds, Cait,” You scolded, but laughed with her regardless.

“You should trust me, we’ve got this,” She barely acknowledged the praise and put her hand on your knee, you didn’t have to look away as you laid yours on top, “Ready?” 

The nerves regarding the game seemed to dissipate, insignificant when she held out her hands and pulled you up from the bench to chest bump quickly. You landed on the ground with a breathless chuckle, turning your attention to Coach as you prepared to go out onto the court.

The game started off with a buzzing crowd and ethereal energy that didn’t seem quite real. Fans were donned in an overwhelming amount of red, eager bodies jumping at the sight of the team exiting the tunnel.

You and Caitlin had been bouncing off each other since the first whistle blew, handing the ball off to her and watching as she drained her first 3 pointer only 30 seconds into the game. 

Only 5 minutes in and you couldn’t help but nudge Caitlin’s side with a glimmering smile as you passed her on the court, finding it impossible not to soak in the glory of a great lead and defense so far. 

The scoreboard still lead in Fever’s favor, reading out a cheerful sight of 15-6. The straight set look on her features broke when she looked at you, sharing the moment of excitement bashfully with no extra convincing, just the influence of your smile.

By the end of the first quarter, Fever was still off to an 8 point lead. This had you and Caitlin conjoining hands excitedly when the buzzer sounded, a quick celebration amidst the chaos of the crowd and game.

The second quarter was a give and take, feeling like every shot you made, Liberty would quickly answer back with. It’d grew to a score of 33-32, Fever being only one point ahead. That was until Sabrina stepped back to drain another three, putting Liberty in the lead and lighting another fire within the players on the court.

Your eyes subconsciously flittered around until they landed on the number 22 jersey you always looked for. Finding her gaze already on yours was comforting, like she knew you needed that subtle pick me up.

3 minutes into the last quarter and you could tell that your team was giving its all. With a close score in Liberty’s favor of 66-57, it was safe to say that the final 7 minutes were crucial.

You were already on the move to the opposite end of the court when a missed shot by Thornton bounced off the rim and fell into Caitlin’s possession, marking the triple double she had been working towards.

The crowd’s screams bounced off the walls, echoing and hurting your ears in a way that you welcomed gleefully as you cheered along.

Even though you were still running toward your own basket, Caitlin caught the moment as you turned your head back in her direction with a proud glimmer shining in your eyes, a look only reserved for her. The point guard was thankful for the fact that you’d needed to turn away so she could focus back on the game. And not on the way that a new fire had ignited within her just from your wordless praise.

The ball in her hands passed to yours flawlessly, charging up to the basket as the cheers from the fans watching continued relentlessly. The whistle blew as you attempted your layup, a foul called on Thornton in your favor with the referee granting two free throws.

The roars of the crowd couldn’t stop Caitlin from taking advantage of the whistle to jog over to you, being the first to check on you despite being the furthest away. She knew what she had just accomplished, but the way you were holding your arm with a slight grimace was more of a priority.

Caitlin thought of the cameras picking up on the hand that she kept on the arch of your back all the way to the free throw line, but she truly couldn’t find it in herself to care.

“You okay?” She spoke lowly, eyebrows furred in concern as her eyes flickered over your face, lingering on the taunting view of your lips, so close yet so far.

You weren’t focused enough to notice as your hand squeezed her arm, the excitement of her triple double ranking far higher than preparing for the shots. 

She set her hands on her hips and stepped back to watch you closely, less fueled by the score and more by the fact that you were the one shooting. The brunette put her arms out when the crowd continued to go wild, a clear gesture to silent the cheers and they somehow listened. Peering eyes watching her but she only focused on giving you a small nod of encouragement, now ready to take your shots and thankful for her dissipating the distracting screams. 

The crowd’s energy roared again when you’d drained both shots, another push toward closing the gap in score during the intense back and forth. With only nine seconds left and a 5 point advantage, Fever was running like a cohesive machine. The crowd began cheering when Liberty’s shot bounced off the backboard and Caitlin grabbed the rebound eagerly, only dropping it when the final buzzer sounded, marking the official victory for your team.

You hopped into her open and awaiting arms the second she’d dropped the ball, a bundle of force that she welcomed and expected. Her arms came to wrap around your thighs, lifting you so high up in the air that you had to squeal and hold onto her shoulders. 

Your forehead leaned to rest on the top of her head, “You are unreal.” Your voice amounted to less than a whisper, encompassing how proud of her you were. 

It was terrifying how simple it was to tune out the booming volume of the crowd for Caitlin when you spoke to her in that reserved, soft voice. The brunette didn’t answer verbally, setting you on the ground gently and burying her face in your chest. Her arms slid up to your waist and you loosely wrapped yours around her upper body, cradling her head against you as you swayed back and forth.

She let herself be consumed you for just a moment, a moment where Luke didn’t exist and you were celebrating as her girlfriend. The familiarity of her body against yours could’ve had her fooled, an unsaid and unaddressed intimacy you’d both been lacking with others. 

But for that split second, it went beyond words, a conscious choice to bask in the victory with only one another. Caitlin couldn’t keep the grin off her face and neither could you. Her touch only heightened the bliss you were working off of as the team retreated back to the locker room.

Caitlin was busy looking at the reporters in front of her and you took the chance to fondly flutter your eyes over her features, an enamoring glow radiating through her smile that only a win could provoke.

Her arm hung around your neck and yours around her waist, footsteps in a slow synchronization as you took your time walking down the hallway.

“I can’t believe we did that,” She breathed out, using her arm to pull your face just a little too close to hers in a fleeting moment of pure adrenaline.

You couldn’t help but admire how humble the girl in front of you had grown to be, a remarkable sense of team in a game that some played selfishly.

“Yeah,” You pretended to think and savored her gaze concentrated on your expression, “I guess you did enough to make it a ‘we’ situation.” One of your free fingers poked her stomach, indulging when she sunk right back into your side after shying away.

“Triple double, how does it feel?” A reporter cut in, walking backwards to match the pace of you and Caitlin. You cheered, your hands circling your mouth to echo the sound even louder as Caitlin laughed.

“Like another one of these,” She tugged you closer underneath her arm to make a ‘W’ with her hands, covering your overly cheesy grin from the camera, “Shoutout to the fans though, they kept us going in that second half.” The brunette couldn’t help but add humbly.

Entering the locker room felt like an orchestrated sneak attack, Caitlin thought as you lead her into the abnormally quiet area. Her teammates sat with incriminating grins, Coach standing at the front of the room with two empty spots directly beside her.

Like clockwork, the pair of you sat beside one another, a bashful grin appearing on Caitlin’s face at the building anticipation. You couldn’t help but join in on the giddiness, tinting her cheeks red when you gave her a teasing nudge.

The entire room was watching the two of you silently, fondly eyeing one another.

“First time for a rookie to get a triple double in franchise history!”

Screams erupted before Coach Sides could finish her sentence. The two of you being bombarded by a flood of cold water, courtesy of the bottles held by your teammates who ran around like sugar crazed children in the name of Caitlin’s accomplishment.

She leaned back against you fully, letting the water rain down on both of your bodies. Though the liquid was freezing enough to leave you shivering as it dripped down your jersey, you only focused on the warmth of Caitlin’s back against you and her radiant smile as the team cheered her on. 

Your loud and proud hollers were her favorite. Your voice standing out to her more than the rest of the room, prompting the bashful grin and light flush of her cheeks as she rested her head back against your shoulder.

The towel you wrapped gently around her shoulders was a weak comparison to the way you’d been wrapped around her. She tried to imagine the feeling again, the ghost of your touch haunting her the second it strayed away.

She got pulled around the room by the rest of the team, but her eyes refused to stray from you every few seconds. There had only been one person she wanted to celebrate with and she was currently packing her back in the other corner. “Good job everybody,” Caitlin called out, holding up the basketball in her hands toward the rest of her team with her radiant smile on full display. 

“Did you wanna do something after we get done with press?” She passed the ball back and forth between her hands, her nervousness making her movements rapid and causing her to stumble slightly.

“The franchise record breaker doesn’t have a hot date to tend to tonight?” You squinted, fumbling around with items in your bag, oblivious to the exasperation coating Caitlin’s features.

She had one particular in mind, she just wasn’t sure if the other party would consider it a date. Her hands clutched the towel on her shoulders to gain some self control back.

She’d went to open her mouth to reply, aiming to not sound overly desperate. The idea of desperation flew out the window when a tiny clink traveled into her ears courtesy of the small object that slipped out from your bag. 

You had no idea, rambling on about how proud you were, something about taking time to appreciate herself. But nothing could be heard over the deafening ringing intruding on Caitlin’s senses, eyes zoned in on the diamond ring staring tauntingly back at her. A nod to a milestone that she would never reach with you.

Caitlin stayed painfully still, not even allowing her eyes to stray from the sight, scared that moving would make this moment set in reality. You were a blissful level of unaware of the war going on in her head, while the sides of morally right and corruptively gray teetered back and forth.

“Alright,” You breathed out as you hiked your bag up on your shoulder, ignorant to the glittering ring just centimeters from your foot, “I could use a drink.”

With an expert like timing, the girl waited for you to head toward the door, back facing her for just enough time to allow her to scoop up the ring in her grasp. She squeezed her eyes shut as she rose to her full height again, a silent prayer for a good segway into playing this off.

“You coming?” You turned around to ask, facing Caitlin just in time to see her standing up in a rushed movement. One hand fiddled with her hair while the other was gripped in a fist, clasping tight to hold in all the secrets that threatened to break loose.

“Coming.” Her legs carried her to you with no further hesitance, a pit of dread slipping into her stomach, in unison with the harrowing ring sliding achingly into her jacket pocket.

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