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What Team? Yours. (Joshifer One shot)

Oh it’s been a while hasn’t it? Much more than just a while! Thank you so much @keep-encouraged for sending me this prompt:

how did Jen get that Kentucky Against The World shirt? and/or Josh's commentary on how UK has basically taken that over as their mantra.

I’m not entirely sure how well I’ve answered either question, but hey I’ve written something! I hope you like it!

_______________________________________________

What Team? Yours...

I flop down on the couch completely ungracefully, matching my equally slob-like outfit of sweatpants and a sweater that is much to big for me, in their clumsiness. I tuck my feet up too, slipping my arm through Josh’s and resting my chin on his shoulder, looking at him with a smile I know is goofy and only partly purposely to make him laugh. He turns his head, and I smile wider, my lips stretching until my teeth show too.

“Hey.”

He feels warm, and although I’m not particularly cold here in his mom’s house, I bury and cling myself closer to him with a contented and almost silent sigh. We came here for Christmas and I’m still feeling full from all the food we ate yesterday (hence the sweats). It’s weird not being at my parents though, not seeing my brothers. A pang of guilt and something close to worry shoots through me when I think of my nephews; it’s been so long since I’ve seen them. But we promised we’d be there for New Years.

And I’d enjoyed it here with Josh and his family. I love his mom, and her cooking is wonderful. She’s still cooking now. She has another day with another full house to feed. Body’s fill every space in the room, everyone turning more and more towards the TV as the time creeps closer.

Because it’s game day. December 26th, Kentucky against Louisville. And here I am, the cat among the pigeons - or the Card among the Cats. Though, really, basketball rivalry is my brothers and my dad’s thing. I was just... there. And I’ve always supported Louisville as I’ve grown up; it was my team. But teams can change, right?

“Ready to watch your team lose, Jen?” Josh smirks and I scowl, before laughing.

“I bet you that the Cards are gonna hand their asses to your stinky Cats.”

Now he laughs. He gets closer to me and replies in a whisper. “Be careful, Jen. You’re in a room full of “stinky Cats”.”

His breath is hot on my cheek, it’s a miracle I even registered his words. Before he leans back, I move towards him and delicately press my lips to his cheek, just by his mouth, in a delicate, gentle kiss.

We’ve stayed here the last two nights and it’s just not the same as your own place. And although we’re here and we’re together, our ability to be jumping each other whenever and wherever we want in our limited time together anyway, doesn’t exist in your boyfriends’ mom’s house.

His hand moves up my waist and holds me tightly. Soon, he tells me with a look and I sling my arm across his torso as he sits back up.

“So what you willing to bet?”

“Huh?”

“Your Cards winning. You want to put your humility where your mouth is?” He grins.

I completely forgot about the game, I’m really not too concerned with who wins. But I like giving Josh shit, I like our stupid bickering and “rivalries” over college basketball - even though neither of us went to college, never mind Kentucky or Louisville.

“I’ll let you pick,” I mumble with a lazy smile, snuggling in closer to him, letting my eyes close over as his hand rubs my arm.

~

We lost. The Cards lost to the SmellyCats. And in a euphoric, winning-team induced mentality, Josh decided, with the support of the rest of his family and Cat’s fans, that I was to become one. For a whole month, this season. I had to support Kentucky.

My family are going to disown me.

“No. No ... That’s the ultimate betrayal, I can’t do that to the Cards!” I protest, but my tone is exaggerated and mocking, and I’m laughing too.

Josh shrugs with a smirk, and laughs too. “No my decision is final. You have to become a Cat.”

“For a month,” I add, setting the parameters.

“For a whole, long month,” he grins, before pointing out that the sweater of his that I’d thrown on for the day was already emblazoned with “UK”.

~

I had to leave too soon after New Year, flying out to Atlanta to take back up filming again. When I’d unpacked my stuff, I’d found the very shirt I’m wearing now. Josh’s, blue, soft cotton. And very much not even remotely Louisville. But it’s comfy, and soft and his. And I like throwing it on while I lie on the couch eating chips and watching TV until I can’t keep my eyes open any longer. I crunch down on another chip, and my phone buzzes beside me. I wipe my salt and chip dust covered hand on my sweatpants and reach for it.

Josh: you watching the game?

I smile. I’m not, and I’m going to love telling him that, while Dance Moms plays in the background.

Jen: what game? ;)

Jen: no. Nia has a solo this week and then there are too many petty fights I have to see on The Real Housewives :P

Josh: call yourself a Wildcat? We’re winning 17-8.

Jen: whatever. How was your day?

Our times are a little out of sync but not too drastically. It still makes it hard for us to get even a call in with each other more than once a day, especially if I have early morning or middle of the night call times. Texting is good, but it just makes me miss him more.

So before he replies, I reach for the TV remote and flip through the channels until I can find the one I’m looking for.

Kentucky 21, Alabama 10. I reach for my chips again and glance at my phone to see if he’s replied yet. I decide not to tell him I am actually watching the game now, but I smile that I can feel a little closer to him. Because we’re doing the same thing at the same time, almost, but not quite, together.

~

Jen: you watching the game?

Josh: what game? ;)

Jen: fuck you, like you’re not! What do you think?

Josh: we’re on fire, defense could be tighter, but the set pieces are looking amazing.

Jen: yeah, though the whole team needs to start covering that left pocket, it’s like they’ve forgotten it fucking exists!

Josh: woah, who are you and what’ve you done with my girlfriend?

I laugh and send Josh a selfie, captioned, “what?! it’s me!”. I have three chins, Cheetos hanging from my mouth and I’m pointing at my own face.

He’s right though. I’ve gotten infuriatingly more into basketball lately. More into Kentucky basketball. I’ve caught myself looking up statistics and knowing when they’re next going to be playing. And they play good, dammit. I tell myself it’s the bet. I’ll be back in red in no time.

~

Me not being a Kentucky fan had always been a bit of a sore spot with Josh, even when we were just friends. I had always found it more funny than a big thing. But Josh and his family are very much into their college basketball. And it was a big deal to him. I’m pretty sure he always hoped he’d have a family like that too; even if not going to every match, the whole family would be UK supporters, no questions, no disputing.

My laptop rings and a FaceTime notification comes through. I grin, and settle on to the cushions, hitting answer.

“Hey, Joshy!”

I’m smiling and waving and he smiles back at me too. I want to reach out my hand further and trace my fingers lightly down his face, over the slight shadow of stubble I can see on his jaw.

“Hi Jen!” He puckers his lips right up to the camera and I laugh loudly.

“Aw Josh, I miss you.”

He nods, somber. “I know.”

“Hey!”

Now he laughs and the sound fills my hotel room and wraps around me snugly.

“Do you know what day it is today?”

I frown, my eyebrows reach to meet each other and creasing my brow as I think. It’s not anyone’s birthday... “No, what?”

His smile spreads on to his face slowly. “Your last official day under the constraints of our bet.”

I hadn’t noticed. Had it really been a month? And why was I feeling kinda sad that it was over?

“Jen?”

I snap my eyes back to his with a blink. “Huh?”

“I said how does it feel going back to being a mere mortal? A loser... Kentucky against the world baby!”

I laugh and shake my head. “As soon as I go back to the Cards, your Cats winning will stop.”

He grins, looking like a child. “Nuh-uh. You’ll just go back to losing. Sarry. I guess it’s nice that you get to experience these things... ”

I flip him off, pulling a face. “What do mean Kentucky against the world anyway?”

His jaw drops. “You say you’ve been a Cat for a month and you don’t know about Kentucky ruling the planet?”

He’s half mocking but I can see one wrong move and I’m in for Kentucky Wildcats Supremacy 101.

“Guess I’m not a true Cat,” I shrug with a smile.

The next twenty minutes of our FaceTime is Josh detailing the rise of the Cats and how the basketball team have basically copyrighted anything with the word Kentucky in it. Bunch of arrogant, egotistical college basketball players.

But the Kentucky against the world shirt is cute.

That was the wrong thing to say too. I couldn’t stop him for another fifteen minutes, and this time there were pictures involved.

But seeing him so happy and passionate and all smart and clued up on this was nice, and it made me love him even more, even when he was going off on a mini tirade.

~

Filming got pushed back, my flight got delayed, I thought I’d lost my wallet, and my keys to my house were buried at the very bottom of my purse even though I’d deliberately packed them at the top. But I eventually made it home to LA.

And a few days later, so did Josh. I threw myself at him when he walked in the door, his lips feeling softer and tasting even more addictive than before. My hands fed into his hair as his dropped his bags and gripped at my waist, pulling me closer. It was so nice to be together with him again. And we’d resembled a happy, normal routine again.

I pull my hair back, glad to be able to get a hair tie around it again, grab my purse and my keys and make to leave. I poke my head into the living room, Josh siting on the couch, feet up, but his laptop out and his fingers typing away so I know he has work to do.

“I’m going to see Steph and I’ve got spin.”

He glances up and smiles. “Okay. I’ll be here.”

I smile and nod, opening up my sunglasses and beginning to turn away.

“You know you don’t have to wear it still?”

I’d ordered the stupid, Kentucky Against the World tee in the middle of Josh’s incessant talking about it and surprised him here by wearing it at the last Kentucky game. And I’m wearing it again now.

I smile faintly, turning back to him. He’s smiling slightly too. “Yeah. Well. I don’t want a divided house okay,” I reply, taking a step into the room now.

“We’re not even playing today,” he laughs.

“And? We’re playing tomorrow.” I fold my arms across my chest.

He snorts.

“What?!”

He looks up and sets his laptop down, swinging his legs off the couch and standing, walking towards me with a growing, shit-eating grin all over his face.

“You didn’t correct me when I said “we”. You’re officially a Wildcat babe.”

And maybe I am.

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