The mom friend
A platonic fic this time. Hope y'all enjoy! Constructive criticism is always welcome :D Find part two here! Find my masterlist here :)
Platonic pairing(s): UConn x female!reader Word count: 4k+ Summary: In which you takes care of your friends without needing anything in return. ------------
When you first arrived at UConn, people immediately had a prejudice against you. Dressed in all black, arms tatted, a resting bitch face and a quiet nature made people think one of three things. One, you thought you were way better than everyone else. Two, you were going to cause a lot of trouble, and not the good kind. Or three, you couldn’t care less about people.
Quite the opposite of that is true.
Though you don’t really look the part, you’re the mom friend of the group. Which the team found out quickly enough. Now when they need a shoulder to cry on, an unjudging ear to talk to, or something as simple as painkillers, they come to you.
You’re calm, level-headed, and always prepared. You also give the best advice out of the whole team. Not because you’ve been through the most shit, but just because you know when to be quiet and let people ramble and when to speak up and give advice or solve their issues.
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You’re currently sitting in the UConn bus on your way to an away game, headphones on as you stare out the window. You’re sitting in the front, where it’s a lot calmer than the back. The seat beside you is empty, just the way you like it. Of course, you love your team, but you like having an open seat in case anyone ever needs to talk about something a bit more private and wants to come over and chat.
You don’t pay attention to the screaming in the back of the bus or the objects soaring through the sky. You only focus on the slow strum of the guitar in the song you’re listening to and the cars flying by on the highway. Your mind is calm, not really thinking about the upcoming game or the exams that are fast approaching.
You sit up straight as your watch buzzes against your wrist. You rummage through your bag, grabbing the stuff you might need, before slowly making your way towards the back of the vehicle. Aaliyah, who’s seated not far behind you, already knows what’s happening, so she just sends you a quick thumbs-up. You nod at her with a small smile before continuing on.
The next person on your list of people to talk to is Azzi. The younger girl is sitting near the middle of the bus, noise-cancelling headphones on with a sleeping mask on her face. Her head is leaning against Paige’s shoulder, who’s trying not to be too loud or make too many movements. Which is pretty hard for the hyperactive athlete, so you give her a mental pat on the back.
Once you reach the couple, you give Paige a smile before crouching down between the rows of seats. You softly put your hand on the resting Azzi, gently rubbing her arm to check if she’s asleep or not. After a few seconds, she shifts, sleepily pulling off her mask before taking off one side of her headphones.
“Hey,” you say softly. “Have you taken your meds?” It takes her a few seconds to register what you’re saying before she shakes her head. Paige bends down to grab her bag, handing her her medication and some water. You give Azzi’s arm a tiny squeeze before continuing further towards the back.
It gets pretty wild as you reach the end. KK is riling up some of the other girls, jumping around from seat to seat, loudly singing a song off-key. Once she sees you coming with a look that says “calm down”, she sits back down with a goofy smile. You might be one of the only people that can get her to chill out a bit without her feeling like she’s being too much or being a bother.
“Have you taken your meds and vitamins?” You ask her, leaning against the empty seat in front of her. “Oh shit!” She curses, looking around for her bag. She searches around for a few seconds before looking at you awkwardly. You roll your eyes fondly, lifting up the bag from next to you.
KK beams as she lunges forward to grab it. You wait for a few moments to make sure she’s taking her medicine and not just getting distracted again. Though she finds her pill box pretty fast, she looks up again with an “oops, I did it again” look. “I forgot my water bottle…” she says with an apologetic smile.
You grin at her as you grab a bottle of water out of your cargo pants. You hand it to her, getting a loud “Thank youuuuu” in response. Once she’s taken her pills, you turn around and make your way back to the front. As you walk, your eyes scan over the seats, making sure that everyone is doing alright.
Before you sit back down in your seat, you nod at coach Geno, who’s already looking at you to see how the rest are doing. Once you’re in your spot, you lean your head back against the window and close your eyes, trying to get some rest during the remainder of the trip.
It doesn’t take long before you feel someone sitting down next to you. You open your eyes again, turning towards your teammate. Caroline gives you a soft smile, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. You pull your headphones down to your neck and look at her with a calm, knowing look. You don’t ask what’s wrong, knowing she’ll tell you when she’s ready.
Realizing you can tell something is wrong and there’s no point in hiding, Caroline drops her smile. “My head hurts,” she mumbles, clenching her jaw as another wave of pain pulses through her skull. “What kind of headache is it? A normal headache? A migraine? Is it from your neck?” you ask softly as to not hurt her head even more. You’re glad the back of the bus finally seems to have quieted down.
“My neck,” she replies with a sad frown. You rummage through your bag to find some painkillers, handing them to her without a word. You let her drink from your water bottle as you make eye contact with Aaliyah as she stands up to make sure Caroline is okay. You give her a look, letting her know you’ll take care of her, making her smile before she sits back down.
After putting your water bottle back, you lean back in your chair, letting Caroline lean against you. You rub her neck, trying to relieve some tension as she relaxes against you. It only takes her a few minutes to be fully knocked out against your shoulder.
The rest of the ride passes without any issues.
Once you arrive at the hotel, you wake up Caroline, who gives you a thankful smile as she loops her arm with Paige, who’s already waiting for her with a concerned look. You stay seated until everyone has made it out of the bus before making your way through the aisle to make sure that no one forgot anything.
You grab Nika’s lucky bracelet from the floor beneath her seat, putting it in your pocket before finally leaving the bus. The girls have already followed CD into the building, while Geno waits for you outside of the hotel. You smile at one another, making quiet conversation as you follow the team. You let him know Caroline was having issues with her neck and that everyone that needed to take medicine took it. When you join the group, Geno pats you on the back in appreciation.
CD explains that they’ve rented the whole top floor of the hotel for the team, but that that doesn’t mean everyone can cause chaos and mayhem. She gives KK and Paige a pointed look, making everyone stifle a laugh. She calls out the names of every girl, partnering them up with someone else to room with for the night. Two by two, the team starts dispersing into the elevator or up the stairs to go to their room.
Since the team is at an odd number, you get assigned to a room by yourself. You don’t mind, though, knowing that at some point everyone ends up hanging out in your room anyway. CD hands you your key with a smile and a wink, while Geno hands you a copy of the schedule. The schedule is somewhat modified from the standard one the rest have.
Your program includes more information than is really needed, but you like being informed. Your sheet is also the only one (outside the coaching staff) with the correct times on it. Though they are brilliant players with a high IQ both on the court and off, most of the girls struggle with being on time. Since it’s not an issue for you, seeing as you’re usually early, you’re the only one to get the correct timetable.
You take your time going up to your room, enjoying the peace and quiet, while also relishing in the faint sound of laughter coming from the team as you pass their rooms. Once you reach your room, you immediately start unpacking everything that needs to be unpacked, like your toiletries as well as your pajamas. When you’re all set, you lie down on your bed with a satisfied sigh.
Seeing as the whole floor has been rented, most girls left their doors open to easily be able to talk to each other and walk to each other’s rooms. Your own door has been left ajar, the only light in the room coming from the hallway and the streetlights outside. You lie on the bed with a satisfied smile as you listen to the giggles from your friends. You grin as you hear KK screeching and Paige’s boisterous laugh, knowing you’ll have to go tell them to quiet down soon before Geno gets mad.
Knock knock
“Knock knock,” a voice says as they knock on your door frame and lean into your room. You open your eyes and give Ice a kind smile. “Black pouch, left side of my suitcase,” you tell her. “What? I didn’t even say anything,” she replies, a confused frown on her face.
You sit up a bit, leaning on your elbows as you smirk at her. “You’re right, my bad. What’s up?” You ask. Ice squints her eyes slightly before mumbling, “Do you have any extra tampons?” Your smirk widens as you flop back down onto the bed, putting your arms behind your head. “Black pouch, left side of my suitcase,” you repeat.
“How did you know what I was gonna say?” She asks in disbelief. You shrug nonchalantly. “It’s the 13th of the month,” you reply, slowly getting up to grab a drink. “So what? You know my whole cycle?” She says with an unsure laugh. You shrug again. “I know everyone’s cycle,” you say before taking a sip of water.
“Azzi gets pretty bad cramps when she has her period, so she comes to me for painkillers. Nika gets bad headaches, so she often comes to me for some peace and quiet. KK becomes quieter and grumpier, Caroline becomes more emotional, and you always forget to bring stuff,” you finish with a smile.
Ice looks at you for a moment. “You’re pretty amazing, you know that?” She says, looking at you like it’s the first time she’s really seeing you. You give her a gentle smile, giving her shoulder a soft squeeze as you pass her. You leave her be as you start making your way down the hall, popping into every room to let them know it’s time for dinner soon and to get ready.
Once you’ve let everyone know, you walk back to your room to change into more suitable clothing. You pass Ice on your way back, giving her a wink and a grin. In no time, you’re ready to leave. You grab a small bag, putting in some more medicine, pads/tampons, bandages, and other stuff the team might need before leaving. You make your way towards the elevator, straining your ears to make sure everyone is getting dressed.
Once inside, you press the button to the floor below you. You stroll over to Geno’s room, knocking on the door and smiling once CD opens it. She lets you in, letting you sit in the chair in the corner of the room. You let them know everyone is getting ready and that the bus should be able to leave within the next 15 or so minutes.
Before long, everyone is back in the bus on their way to a nice restaurant nearby. You stand behind Geno in the aisle as you both do a quick headcount to make sure everyone is there. Most people would think this is unnecessary. Even some of the team have said that before. Well, they did before KK got left behind at a restroom stop, and they only realized she was missing when they realized no one was causing a ruckus.
Once satisfied, the bus driver drives off. You sit closer to the rest of the team this time, seeing as it’s only a short drive. You tease some of the newer players with the older girls, giving them a wink to let them know you’re just joking.
At the restaurant, you sit down at the end of the table, near Paige, Azzi, KK, and Nika. Your eyes scan the menu as you lean to the side to let Nika look at it as well. You listen to what everyone else is getting, shaking your head as Paige says her order.
“You’re not gonna like that,” you mumble as you glance up at her. “What? No, I like this stuff,” she says, nodding her head to convince you. “Remember how you said that last time and then spent the whole dinner pouting cus you hated it?” You ask not unkindly. “Yeah, okay, but this is different,” she says determinedly. “Alright,” you say, giving her a smile.
You order a spaghetti, knowing it’s a dish that Paige also likes, just in case you end up being right. Once everyone’s food and drinks arrive, you take a sip of your water, leaning back as you look at the blonde in front of you. Her face contorts the second she takes her first bite. When she catches your eye, she masks her expression, but it’s too late. You’ve already seen she doesn’t like it.
You give her an “I told you so” smirk before leaning over to switch your plates. “No, no! It’s fine, this is fine!” She stumbles. “Shut up, P,” you reply with a tender smile, swapping the dishes. You don’t notice the grins the rest of the team gives each other at the sweet moment. You share your dessert with KK, who claimed to be too full after dinner but seemed to suddenly have some more space after seeing the sweet treats on the table.
Once back at the hotel, you make your way to your room, knowing that the rest of the girl will soon start filtering in after getting into their pajamas. You know you should tell them to go straight to bed, since you’ve got a game tomorrow, but you can’t. You’ve always had a soft spot for them and struggled to say no to them in moments like this.
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The next morning, you have a quiet yet cozy breakfast with the team. Most of the girls are still too tired to feel the nerves of the upcoming game. You split your time between sitting with the players and the coaching staff, going over strategies and things you’ll have to pay attention to on the court.
At the gym, you do your usual game day ritual before checking up on the other girls. You give Aaliyah your extra arm sleeve when you see her rummaging through her bag with a frown. She doesn’t have to tell you what she’s searching for for you to know what’s wrong. When you see Nika nervously biting her nails, you walk over, handing her a strip of gum without a word. The tension leaves her body the second the minty flavor touches her tongue.
You play the game with your whole heart and soul. You shoot like your life depends on it, steal the ball like a thief in the night, and assist your team as much as you can. When a teammate goes down, you’re the first to reach them. To check that they’re okay or to simply lend a hand to help them up. Everyone plays amazingly. However, it’s not enough.
By the time coach Geno asks for the last time-out of the game, everyone is dead tired. The Huskies were good. Really good. But so was the other team. When you all huddle up, you see the exhausted faces of your teammates, hear their labored breaths, and feel the tension radiating off their skin.
You barely hear Geno talking as you look at the shooters of the team. One of them will have to take the final shot. One of them will have to deal with the crushing disappointment of not being able to score the winning point if it goes wrong.
The coach pauses as he sees the look in your eyes. The moment you decide what you’re going to do, he knows too. You nod at him. “Give me the ball,” you say resolutely. Everyone’s head snaps your way as the words leave your mouth. “You might miss,” Paige says, not trying to make you feel bad, but not wanting you to have to deal with the weight of the final score. “I might,” you reply in a way that shows you’re not changing your mind.
Everyone nods slowly before turning to Geno to listen to what he wants everyone to do. You clench your fists, jaw tight as you look at the floor. No matter what, you know every player did the best they could and that if you missed the shot, it would be okay in the end. However, that gave you little comfort at the moment.
When the final buzzer sounds, the Huskies’ shoulders sag as tears well up in the eyes of the younger players. 63-65 reads the final score. You weren’t able to make the basket. You try not to let the disappointment you feel show in your body language. You shake hands with the other team with a “good game”, you tell Jana her last layup was pure art, and you ruffle KK’s hair with a smile and a wink.
Most of the girls speed walk away when they see the media team appear. Nika doesn’t spot them soon enough before she’s asked to go to the pressroom. She sends you a desperate look that says “please don’t make me go alone”, which isn’t needed as you’re already walking over to join her. You’d rather sit in the locker room with the others than sit in a room with nosy jerks and flashy cameras, but you don’t want Nika to be alone.
The first questions are pretty civil and are aimed at your coach, so you spend your time keeping an eye on Nika and thinking of ways to make everyone feel better once you’re back home. When the first reporter to ask Nika a question starts talking, your head snaps up. The Croatian girl tries to answer to the best of her abilities, but halfway through her answer, her chin starts to wobble as her voice becomes shaky.
The tears in her eyes barely have time to form before you take over. You reply to the question, your voice serious. Though UConn didn’t win, you speak proudly about the team’s playing. Noticing Nika picking her nails in the corner of your eye, you slide your hand into hers underneath the table without a word. Your speech doesn’t falter as she squeezes your hand tightly, like you’re the only thing keeping her tethered to earth.
Once the press conference is over, you sling your arm around Nika and guide her to the locker room. The conversation inside is barely audible, only a few hushed voices being heard every once in a while. You head to the showers before getting changed into comfy clothes for the drive home. You then make your rounds.
You give some encouraging words to the crying players, hold an ice pack to Azzi’s knee, and give a hug to Paige, who looks like she’s holding the world on her shoulders. With every upset frown and sad pout that you’re able to turn into a smile, the weight on your chest lessens.
By the time you get into the bus, most girls have already somewhat recovered from the loss. Paige and Azzi are cuddled up near the back of the bus with lovesick smiles on their faces. Caroline is combing her fingers through the hair of one of the younger players, who’s smiling softly. Aaliyah is braiding Nika’s hair, and though both are silent, you can tell they’re okay.
The bus still feels uncomfortably silent, even with the soft chattering. Because it’s never this quiet. Not when KK is there. KK, the class clown, the prankster, the bright ray of sunshine.
You make your way towards the back of the bus, where the young girl is lying down with a defeated frown. While the girl is usually the happiest one of the bunch, she also has days when she feels like she has failed everyone.
You tap her leg, telling her to move so you can sit. You don’t say anything at first, checking to see what she needs right now. You could give her a big speech on how everyone did their best and that next time, you’d win. You could offer her the stat sheet from the game, showing her that she played better than she’s ever done. Though you know none of that is what she needs right now.
“Hey,” you say softly as you knock your knee into hers. She looks over, barely being able to contain her tears. You can tell she wants to tell you not to bother. That nothing you say right now will make her feel better. So instead, you rummage through your bag and hand her a box. She frowns in confusion as she looks at it.
“I’m thinking of getting a new tattoo,” you say, confusing her even more, since she was sure you’d try to make her feel better by giving a speech. “You wanna draw me one?” She lets her fingers trail over each marker as she shrugs. You give her your arm, telling her you were also thinking of getting your already existing tattoos colored in. Of course, you don’t really want them colored, but it’s a sure way to get KK’s mind off of the loss.
She starts drawing in silence at first. You just sit there, talking about small things that you saw throughout the week that reminded you of her and what video games you want to play with her. Before long, she’s quietly telling you about what happened in her favorite class and is making small jokes. You don’t expect her to become a ball of energy right away, but she doesn’t have to be. You just want her to be less sad.
Hearing KK’s voice and laugh makes the team look back towards the back of the bus. A soft smile is visible on everyone’s face as they see the interaction. The girl beside you doesn’t notice their looks, but you do. You send them a kind smile of your own, nodding as KK asks you something.
Coach Geno asked you if it was exhausting once. Being a good student, an amazing player (both on and off the court, when you help your team), and always taking care of your friends. You’d just shrugged. Of course, it was tiring. But so what?
As you lean back in your seat, KK blabbering nonsense in your ear and the rest of the team scattered out in front of you with calm smiles on their faces, the only thing you can think about is how it’s all worth it. You wouldn’t trade this group for the world, just as they wouldn’t trade you for it.