Oh no, another fic appears! Sorry K, I'm not sure if you are into Red White and Royal Blue, but this is where your fic title took me <3 Thank you for the ask.
This fic title took me back to my rowing AU. I opened the doc, re-read it, hated it and then I basically re-wrote the entire middle scene as a result. Voila!
Catch & Release | RWRB | T | Firstprince
Henry isn't good at many things, but he is fairly good at rowing - something which is very deeply fine, until a transfer student from America turns up.
When Henry winds up being Alex's roommate on a training camp, they don't get off to a great start. Fortunately, their coach has other ideas.
OR
A slice of the rowing AU involving midnight training sessions, extreme physical exertion and just a little bit of Only One Bed.
Read on Ao3
Notes: As a former rower and rowing coach, I'm worried this could have gotten a little technical. I have put some diagrams at the end of the fic for assistance! Really, I just wanted to write about Alex and Henry in rowing suits/zoot suits.
Also, I apologise if some of the terminology is Australia-specific. I presume that we share a lot with England, but I know for a fact Americans call rowing 'crew' - so this is firmly Henry POV.
Title: Catch Timing (Orphan Black fic)- Part 14 (final chapter) (also on AO3)
Summary: College Rowing AU where Beth and the rest of the gang are on the crew team. Alison is a recent transfer to the school and her friend convinces her to try out as a coxswain.
*_*_*_*_*
Alison doesn't waste time. She walks, swiftly at first, towards Beth's dorm. Thoughts and words swirl and as she crests the hill near the dorm she realizes she started running at some point. She slows to a jog and all but assaults a scraggly looking Junior- yelling for him to hold the door for her as she slips inside behind him.
She takes the stairs two at a time. Her quads burn from the run and the stairs and when she reaches Beth's floor she realizes that this- the race to find Beth- is the only race today that matters.
She knocks 3 times, and her heart is practically vibrating it's beating so hard. The door finally opens, but the face that greets her is decidedly NOT Beth. "Who the Dickens are you? What are you doing here?"
"Um, well, this is my dorm room. Who the hell are you?"
Oh. The roommate, Alison realizes. What was her name? Jackie?- No, Jen. Jennifer. "Oh, sorry. I'm Beth's- uh... I'm a friend of Beth's."
Jennifer relaxes a bit, leans on the door frame. "Well, friend-of-Beth's, she's not here. Sorry to disappoint. I can, you know, leave a message for her if you like. Though she's honestly not here that often. I, like, never see her. She might as well be a ghost or something..." Jen rolls her eyes.
"No, that's fine, thank you. I'll probably see her before that."
"No, prob. See ya 'round," Jen says, closing the door.
Alison is alone in the hallway now. Where else... where else could she be?
Cafeteria?
Alison notes a throbbing in her toes. She looks down, realizing that her earlier shoe selection did not take into account "running" as one of the possible activities for the evening. She slips off the shoes- a cherry red to match her top- and shoves them in her purse, before focusing back on the task at hand.
Cafeteria. Right.
She takes off running.
*_*_*_*_*
Over the next hour, Alison crisscrosses the whole of campus looking for Beth. She searches all the obvious choices (Gym and Library were closed and the Cafeteria was empty) as well as less obvious choices (computer lab was deserted, as was the student lounge).
Alison’s feet are dirty and aching from making her way around mostly shoeless. One of her left toes has nice, stinging abrasion from where she tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. At least my shoes were spared though, she thinks wryly.
Her head hangs, defeated and as she clicks through the entrance doors to her dorm building and makes her way up the stairs, the swirl of worried thoughts and anxiety finally catches up to her.
I couldn’t find her and now I have to wait until tomorrow to explain myself. Why couldn’t she just listen to me- instead of jumping to all these negative conclusions??? And now I’m going to have to deal with Cosima asking me how it went, and Ramon and Felix and-
Alison’s thoughts come to a screeching halt as she exits the stairwell though. Her eyes fall on a familiar figure, sitting in the hallway, across from her dorm room door.
Beth catches sight of Alison and stands quickly, as if she was caught laying down on the job by a boss. “Hey...” She says, as casually as she can.
“Hey,” Alison echoes, still in shock that out of all the places she’s searched tonight, her own dorm room is where she finally finds Beth.
“How was the rest of the party?”
“I wouldn’t know. I left right after you did. I’ve been looking for you everywhere actually...”
“You have?” Beth asks, genuinely surprised.
“Yeah, I checked your dorm and the gym and the Caf, and... well everywhere. Where did you go?”
Beth rubs the back of her neck nervously, reluctantly meeting Alison’s eyes. “Yeah, I uh thought about grabbing my sneakers, doing a few laps around campus... it’s what I usually do when I need to clear my head a bit. But then I made a decision...” Beth sighs deeply, and stands up a bit straighter. “I decided to stop running. I mean stop running away from things that make me nervous or uncomfortable. I’ve always done that and I’m just...tired. I’m tired of running away. I’m tired of avoiding the things that scare me and I need to...” she chuckles, “I need to push outside my comfort zone. ‘Cause if I don’t, I’m not living, I’m just surviving. So... yeah. That’s why I’m here.”
“You’re here because I scare you?”
“Yeah- well, I mean, not you, but... shit.” Beth curses, turning away from Alison and leaning her back against Alison’s dorm room door, staring at the other wall instead. “I came here because you were right. We should talk about earlier today. So I’m just going to...uh...okay just listen, okay?” Beth takes a deep breath before continuing. “I kissed you. Earlier. In the van. So I’m sure this won’t come as a huge shock when I say that... I like you Ali. Like, a lot. And the more I’ve gotten to know you, the more intense it is. That is what scares me. Feeling that strongly about something- about someone- scares me because it’s out of my hands. I used to like being out of control because then I didn’t have to deal with anyone or anything, but in a relationship it’s not just you, it’s another person too. I know I shouldn’t have just kept on running away- I should have told you how I felt but I was just afraid of making things weird. I don’t want to make things weird, or whatever because you wonderful. You’re one of most amazing people I ever met actually. I liked you from the moment I met you and I don’t want to lose knowing you just because I have these feelings and-“
Beth’s words are cut off, interrupted by Alison’s lips. Lips that are kissing hers.
“Beth, just stop...stop talking” Alison says between kisses, her voice almost a growl. “I’ve wanted you *kiss* for almost as long...”
“Really??? I-“
“Shut up,” Alison says, kissing Beth deeply, and Beth doesn't even try to reply.
It's so amazing- even more so than she'd dreamed. So much better than a dream though, because she was real, and here. She could touch, taste, see and even smell the hint of shampoo from earlier this day. It was like being high. High on Alison. Beth's been high before, but not like this. Nothing has ever been like this. Every thought, every worry has been exiled, replaced by a single word, a mantra. Alison.
Alison is kissing her hungrily, all but devouring her. Beth is barely able to maintain composure with the smaller girl’s hands roaming up and down her sides, fingernails dragging lines down her back. But when Alison nips at Beth’s bottom lip, biting it just hard enough, Beth can’t handle it anymore.
She flips their positions, pinning Alison to the door instead. Beth’s thigh is between Alison’s and she presses against Alison’s center, eliciting a breathy moan from the coxswain that all but makes Beth’s head spin.
Alison’s hands find their way under Beth’s shirt, fingertips splaying over the bare skin of her sides, ribs, sliding up and over her-
Alison pulls back a bit, suddenly. “Do you want to...” she breathes, nodding her head towards the door to her dorm.
Go inside?
Beth can’t make words. She doesn’t even remember what words are. So she just nods, up and down quickly, like a bobble head doll.
Alison grins, and pulls Beth back to her, recapturing her lips. She fumbles with the key for her door with one hand, her other hand still grasping Beth tightly to her. The lock finally gives way and they all but tumble through the door and into her room, barely losing contact.
Both are so lost in each other it’s not until Alison hears the snicker from the other side of the room, that she realizes they’re not alone. She quickly jumps back, caught red handed. She can already feel the heat rising to her face.
On the other side of the room, Cosima and Delphine are sitting on the bed, their faces illuminated from the laptop set between them. Cosima smirks, eyebrow raised in wicked approval while Delphine continues to muffle her laughter politely behind her hand.
“When I planned to just watch a movie, I had no idea I’d be in for a show too...” Cosima smiles and scoots to the edge of the bed, extending her hand. “I’m Cosima and this is Delphine and I really, really hope you’re the Beth we keep hearing about.”
Beth shakes Cosima’s hand, thankful that it’s dark in the room because she’s sure she must be bright red. "Beth. Nice to, uh, meet you."
“I am so sorry!” Alison gasps at them both, before turning to Delphine. “Je pensais que vous alliez à la fois d'être à l'appartement ce soir de Delphine . Je suis vraiment désolé et-“
“-Il n'y a pas de raison de présenter des excuses! Vous êtes dans l'amour. Croyez-moi , je comprends.” She winks. Then addresses Cosima, “I think we will finish our movie at my apartment...”
“Really???” Cosima’s dreads sail as her head whips in Delphine’s direction at this.
“Oui. And tomorrow morning, perhaps you will make those, eh, blueberry waffles you speak so highly of...”
Cosima’s grin is all fangs. The dread-haired girl moves quickly, tossing a few items and her computer in her bag so fast Alison wonders if she’s worried the blonde will take back the invitation. Delphine doesn’t though, and gives Alison a small smile as she slips out the door ahead of Cosima. Cosima grabs her bag and heads to the door as well. “See you tomorrow Ladies. Have a good night...”
Beth’s back is turned so, much to Alison’s relief, the rower doesn’t see Cosima mouth “She’s hot!” or any of the accompanying not-so-lady like gestures she mimes before closing the door behind them.
With the soft click of the lock, they’re alone again- Beth standing on one side of the room and Alison on the other- having slumped down on the edge of Cosima’s bed, relieved to no longer have an audience for a moment.
Beth turns back to Alison. “So, your roommate... She’s g-.
“-Bi. Actually.” Alison finishes. “Yeah. And believe me, her sexuality is not the most interesting thing about her. Not by a long shot.”
“And her girlfriend... I didn’t know you spoke French...”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” Alison says, standing and slowly making her way across to Beth, “But I really, really, don’t want to do any more talking tonight.”
“I’m surprised you don’t want to talk about all this first...” Beth chuckles down at Alison as she arrives to her, only a few inches away now.
“For the moment, for tonight, I’d rather just keep it simple,” Alison says, hooking her fingers the loops of Beth’s jeans, pulling Beth flush to her.
“Simple huh?” Beth grins, circling her arms around Alison’s waist. Beth notes the wicked grin on Alison’s face, the glint in her eye- catalogues it. Memorizes it. If this is what I get for not running away... She grins at the thought.
“Yeah. Simple.” Alison says, pushing Beth back slowly until her legs bump against the edge of the bed. “Think you can manage that?”
Title: Catch Timing (Orphan Black fic)- Part 12 (also on AO3)
Summary: College Rowing AU where Beth and the rest of the gang are on the crew team. Alison is a recent transfer to the school and her friend convinces her to try out as a coxswain.
*_*_*_*_*
Alison feels numb, almost paralyzed with nervousness. She manages to go through the motions of the warm up once they’re on the water though. She even gets a few practice starts in before they reach the start line.
Alison's not sure if this is normal or not, but she's struck by how quiet everyone is in the boat. Not that they're usually talkative. In fact, after her initial verbal explosion a few weeks ago, talking in the boat was well under control. Usually there's a lighter feeling from the rowers though. At the moment, all she's getting from her crew is stony silence. She hopes that it's more about focus and not some sort of sense of impending doom that's settled over them.
"Hey- We’ve got this guys." Alison says, as confidently as she can manage. It's as much for herself as it is for the crew.
Alison takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly before stating “Sit ready,” into the mic. She’s in the middle lane, sandwiched by the other school’s two crews. She doesn’t look at them though- she focuses on listening for the official’s starting calls. She stares straight ahead.
Her gaze shifts from down the course, to the rower in front of her. She’s not sure how Beth can tell Alison is looking at her from behind the ridiculous aviator glasses, but she clearly does. Beth gives a quick smirk and an affirming nod, before flexing her fingers on the oar and letting her face settle into a neutral and focused expression as well.
“All boats- sit ready!” The official states, and Alison’s heart feels like it’s in her throat. “Ready all- ROW!”
And they're off.
Alison’s vaguely aware that she's screaming. Screaming calls at her crew. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she registers the noise of the other 2 coxswains, but ignores it. She's a zombie- no most correctly she's possessed. She barely recognizes her own words but whatever she's saying must be good because the boat is flying.
They’re moving fast- too fast in fact, and the motion is jerking the boat back and forth like a zipper. She remembers a practice earlier this week. Controlled Chaos- that's what they need. She calls for control on the slide and like magic all 8 rowers shift down. Slower, but just as strong, and the jerking in the boat gives way to smooth power.
Controlled Chaos.
She's talking- talking continuously- urging them on. Of the two St. Augustine boats, the B- Boat has fallen behind, but the A boat- the one Charlotte is coxing- is close. Charlotte’s boat is only a half a boat length ahead of them in the lane to the right.
Alison hears Charlotte call for a power 10 and sees that boat begin to make a move to leave them behind.
Oh no you don't. Not today.
Alison grits her teeth makes her own move. Her voice thunders into the mic, "I want a power 10 in two to take it back from them! ONE! TWO! GIVE ME TEN NOW! TEN! NINE!-" She barely recognizes her own voice. It's powerful and assured and sounds like someone who knows exactly what she wants.
Controlled Chaos.
At the end of the 10 strokes, they've walked the boat back a bit, catching back up. "I have 2 seat- now give me bow! Now JUMP-on it! JUMP-on it!" She calls in perfect time with their catches and feels the boat pick up out of the water- picking up speed and walking it back another two seats so she's just about even with the other coxswain.
Neck and neck, Alison notices the lane marker buoys change color, indicating they're in the last 500 meters. She finishes another power ten, and glances at the cox box. 300 meters left- SPRINT DAMNIT!
"300 meters left ladies! I want open water between us- give me open water! NOW! CATCH-and send! CATCH-and send!-" She roars into the mike and the fire in her voice sets the rest of the crew ablaze.
The rest is a blur. The rhythm, the noise- it takes over. They lose a half a seat of length, then gain it back- give and take, back and forth and as they pass under the finish line Alison is really completely and totally unsure who won. She calls the exhausted crew to drop down to paddle, and then to way-enough and stop.
She looks over the Charlotte's boat, and is relieved to see they seem just as unsure as she does.
"Hendrix! Did we have it?!?"
"Did we win???"
"I think we had it!"
The crew calls up to her between ragged breaths and she has no answer. Beth, in front of her, is slumped down over her knees. Alison can see her back rising and falling, heaving for air, hard.
Alison is worried for a moment but then Beth looks up, smiling through her gasps, and quirks and eyebrow as if to say, Well?
Alison looks to the officials on the side of the river- they signal for her to dock.
"Alright , bow four, pick it up in 2- were' going to dock," She says.
"But did we win?" someone mid boat asks.
"I'm not sure!" Alison barks into the mic, just as frustrated. That seems to quiet the rest, and the paddle into the dock in silence.
As the rowers reach out and catch the dock, slowing them to a stop, Coach S runs down the ramp, and up to the boat.
"YOU DID IT LADIES! YOU DID IT! YOU BEAT THEM!" She yells, and the race official trailing behind her nods, letting them know it's for real.
The yells are deafening. Nobody waits for Alison's call, they all leap out of the boat, scrambling up on shaky legs to hug and jump and celebrate.
Alison hops out as well and is barely on her feet before she's engulfed by Beth- who picks her up, spinning her and squeezing her so hard Alison feels her ribs creak.
Beth sets her down, but Alison is still spinning- drunk off adrenaline and high off the feel of Beth's body pressed to hers. The rower's face is effervescent. It's bright and alive and even though she knows Beth is probably ready to pass out, the look that she's giving Alison makes her think Beth’s hungry for more.
So many things are ready to be said. Now, Alison thinks. Now- not later.
She doesn't get the chance though.
Suddenly there are two sets of strong hands clamped on her arms and she's being dragged backwards.
"HEY! What's the meaning of this?!?!" Beth is grinning, following as Sarah and Helena continue dragging Alison toward the end of the dock.
Once they reach the end, the two sisters work in perfect unison: Sarah grabs Alison’s arms and Helena drops down to grab Alison's ankles, lifting them up so the small coxswain is hanging like a suspension bridge between the twins.
"Wait-" Alison yelps, her brain finally catching up to what was about to happen. "No no no no no-"
But with one big swing the two rowers heave Alison's light frame high into the air, sending her hurtling out over the water.
She lands with a splash, the icy water shocking her system. She resurfaces, gasping and when she turns back towards the dock, she sees her whole team clapping and whooping. Beth tries, unsuccessfully, to stifle her own smile, covering her mouth in an attempt to hold it in.
Alison wills her cold muscles to move and doggy paddles back towards the group. Helena and Sarah lean down, heaving her up out of the water and onto the dock.
"What the EFFING hell!!!" She screams, hugging herself to keep warm as a puddle already starts forming at her feet.
"I guess Childs neglected to tell you about that lil' tradition, yeah? The winning team always throws their coxswain in the river!" Sarah grins and punches Alison playfully in the arm. "Man, I'm glad she didn't though- the look on your face! Priceless Pinky! Priceless!" Sarah throws her head back laughing, and her Helena does the same. As they both turn and walk back towards the ramp, Alison can see Ramon with the men's team behind them, graciously carrying the boat up for the women. Another tradition?
Beth reminds behind, still smirking. "You really got some nice air there..."
"You know," Alison says as they begin to walk back towards the trailer as well. "It would have been nice if you told me about that particular tradition..."
"Well, like Sarah said- your face was totally worth it."
"Still, I could have been able to pack some clothes to change into. It's not exactly warm out here."
"Oh. Yeah.” Beth rubs the back of her neck nervously. “Didn't think of that.” She pauses though considering, before adding, "I have some spare clothes in my bag if you want to change into those. I always keep some spare stuff, 'cause you never know, right?"
"Yeah, you never know when someone's going to grab you and throw you in the river," Alison huffs, though it’s almost impossible to stay mad with Beth..
"True, true..."
They arrive at the trailer to the celebration already in progress. The boys have managed to de-rigged the boat in record time and are loading it on the trailer (“Probably anxious to get back and get to drinking”, Sarah speculates). Coach S makes them take about a dozen pictures (“She'll probably have them blown up a few feet and then send it to Coach Bowles”, Beth whispers). After a bit though, Beth and Alison are finally able to step away. "Come on, my bag’s in the van. You can change there," Beth chuckles as Alison starts to visibly shiver.
Beth unlocks the side door of the van and the two girls climb in, closing it behind them. Beth pulls her small duffle bag out from under the seat and hands it to Alison. “Here. There’s clothes inside you can change into,” she says, climbing back into the driver’s seat.
“And what will you be doing?” Alison asks, pulling items out.
“Keeping watch. Duh. Wouldn’t want anyone walking in on you, threatening your modesty or anything, right?” Beth grins before turning back to face the windshield.
Beth pretends to scan the parking lot for potential interrupters, when really she’s just trying to keep herself distracted. Distracted from the fact that the girl she hasn’t been able to stop thinking about is currently half naked, sitting a foot or two behind her.
Beth feels like things are slipping out of control with Alison, like she’s barely hanging on. She’s been fighting a battle with herself: A battle between what she needs and what she wants.
What she needs is to sit down and have a nice, calm, discussion about what exactly is going on between them, so everything can be out in the open. And maybe- just maybe- if she does that, then she can spare them both a lot of trouble and a lot of disappointment and awkwardness.
The flipside of the battle is what she wants, and what she wants is Alison. Alison, Alison ALISON and that’s the part of she’s fighting. The rash, impulsive, stupid part of her that hates talking and hates confrontation and would much rather just fucking DO SOMETHING rather than sit and parse it out first.
Unfortunately, that part of her has been the source of most of her issues in the past. Beth is always afraid of losing control again because... well because she likes it. She likes the feeling of losing herself, of giving up, giving in, because it’s easy. It’s so, so easy.
And what’s better than just saying ‘fuck it’?
Beth glances at her left forearm. The skin has healed over time, but the ghosts of the red angry lines are still fresh and visible in her mind.
Beth shakes her head. No. There are lots of things that are better. Losing control = not good. And while she doubts things with Alison, even if they went south, would make her totally fall off the wagon with those darker things, she doesn’t trust herself that it won’t.
And that’s all there is to it.
So Beth’s resisted doing anything impulsive, or has been trying to, all day. She resisted telling Alison before their race, that her smile makes Beth feel warm and happy from the inside out. Like drinking hot cocoa on a cold day. And she resisted- barely- the urge to tell Helena and Sarah to kindly fuck off so that she can continue holding on to Alison back on the dock... the girl’s skin- even soaking wet- burning under her fingertips, begging to be touched.
And currently, she’s resisting the urge to turn around, and say/do god knows what... but when the rustling of clothes stops and Alison mutters “This won’t do...” Beth just can’t help it. She turns around and is so delightfully surprised, she doesn’t even try to hold back her laughter.
Beth had the spare clothes in her bag so long, she’d completely forgotten exactly what they were. So she had no way to prepare for the image of proper Alison Hendrix sitting in Beth’s own worn out high school track shirt- complete with cut off sleeves, and her brothers’ hand-me-down basketball shorts. Both items are significantly oversized for Alison’s petite figure, making her look like she was dressed up in some giant’s clothing.
“It’s not funny!” Alison chirps indignantly, but the juxtaposition of her stern look and her ridiculously oversized clothing only makes Beth laugh harder. The rower falls out of her seat and into the aisle between seats, finally crawling up on to the bench seat beside Alison.
“Stop laughing- I KNOW I look ridiculous.”
“I dunno, I think this could be a good look for you,” Beth says- laughter slowing as she pauses to wipe a tear away.
“Oh please,” Alison rolls her eyes, her hand fussing awkwardly with her still-damp ponytail.
“No but seriously, you look adorable. ”
“I do not...”
“No, really Ali."
Something in the way Beth says it, the insistence of the tone... suddenly it feels as if someone has sucked the levity from the van. Neither girl dares to breathe, both suddenly all too aware of the little space between them.
Nobody moves, both afraid a stray gesture might set something off. Beth notices Alison is blushing (Seriously, is she always blushing?) and Alison glances down for a moment before looking up again, meeting Beth’s eyes through her slightly frizzy bangs. Finally breaking the silence, Alison bites her lip before starting, “Beth... I-“
But Beth can't. She can't resist any longer. Something inside her just snaps- collapses under the weight of feelings and actions not expressed, for so long.
“Shut up,” Beth breaths, before surging forward, their lips colliding and pushing Alison back against the seat.
And there’s relief. There’s always relief when she loses control. It’s a relief to have her lips pressed to Alison’s. Finally.
HOLY SHIT, Beth thinks. This is actually happening.
That initial pressured contact recedes slowly, and Beth lets her lips linger softly on Alison’s before backing off a few inches. As she moves back, both girls opening their eyes again, that feeling of relief recedes as well, and Beth is left to deal with the consequences and reality of her actions.
Oh shit. That actually happened.
Both of them stare at each other in shock. A moment of stunned silence passes before Alison blinks and breathes a quiet, “Oh my...”
“Oh shit...” Beth whispers grimacing, and Alison's face falls a little, concerned by Beth's reaction.
“Beth... listen... I-“
“Oh SHIT” Beth exclaims again, louder this time. She shakes her head like she just woke up, everything hitting her at once. “Oh shit shit SHIT! Why couldn’t I just- SHIT! I'm an IDIOT! Ali, I’m so sorry! I-“
“No no no!” Alison’s hands move up to comfort Beth, but Beth moves back some so Alison isn’t able to reach all the way out to touch her. “No, Beth- It’s fine. Really. Actually I-“
“It’s ‘fine’? It’s ‘FINE’??? I don’t want this to be just fine- No. No no no no Ali, it’s not. It’s-“
Beth doesn’t get much more out as the van door opens and the remainder of the women’s team files in. Third or fourth in, is Sarah who takes one look at Beth’s face and frowns. “What up Childs? We, uh, interuptin’ anything?”
Beth's mind is a tornado. This is everything she'd worried about, only worse. Worse, because instead of Alison slapping her, or yelling, or doing something that Beth could use to help her move past this- she says it's okay. It's fine.
Pity. It's almost worse than rejection.
“No.” Beth shakes her head, and wills her face to return to its normal nonchalant look. “Nope, it’s..." She glances at Alison once more before looking back to Sarah. "Everything's fine, actually. Uh, hey- why don’t you sit up front with me for the ride back?”
“You serious?” Sarah asks, looking from Beth to Alison as if to say, What about her?
“Yeah...” Beth replies, voice steady again. “Why wouldn’t I be?” She crawls forward between the two seats and back into her place behind the steering wheel. Beth can recognize that she and Alison could benefit from talking this out. Her rational mind knows that. But not right now. Beth needs to go on emotional lockdown for a little bit. She didn't think it would feel this bad, but it does. They'll talk, but definitely not right now.
Sarah quirks an eyebrow towards Alison, eyeing her current wardrobe. “Mixing it up with your look, huh? I’m still callin’ ya Pinky either way, if that makes a difference...” before smirking and crawling into the front seat as well. “Well this is good- I wanted to get some tunes going- get a little pre-game mood up in here to warm up for the shindig tonight.”
“I’m not going” Beth mumbles.
“Not going?” Alison adds from her spot on the bench behind, the last rowers filing in beside her.
“Like hell you’re not.” Sarah scoffs to Beth, ignoring Alison completely. “You are not pulling that melancholy bullshit tonight Childs. You’re really not. In fact, I don’t care if your brains start spontaneously oozing out your ears- you’re still going. We beat bloody St. Augustine! And I’m not lettin’ by best bud miss her victory party because of a case of the ‘mean reds’ or whatever shite it is goin’ on in that head of yours.” Sarah shoves Beth’s shoulder slightly. “So why don’t you drive us home already? Felix texted we need to help him clean up a bit before everyone comes over...”
Beth nods silently. For the rest of the ride back, she stares straight ahead, never once glancing towards the rearview mirror and never once catching sight of wounded and confused expression on the face of the coxswain sitting behind her.
Summary: Summary: College Rowing AU where Beth and the rest of the gang are on the crew team. Alison is a recent transfer to the school and her friend persuades her to try out as a coxswain.
Chapter 11:
*_*_*_*_*
This was early, even by crew standards, but St. Augustine's College boathouse was at least an hour away and S wanted them there with hours to spare.
Alison wanted to get to the van with time to spare as well. No matter what Beth had told her, Alison doesn't trust Sarah to just GIVE OVER her seat up front. Best to just get there first and claim it fair and square.
So when Beth pulls up with the women's team van- a white, 16 passenger monstrosity that has definitely seen better days- that's exactly what she does. Alison tosses her bag and coxbox in first before climbing up to take her seat.
" 'Morning Ali," Beth says, smiling slowly.
"Good morning," Alison replies, savoring the way her name sounds on Beth's lips. It's 3:30am and Beth's voice is still husky from sleep. Alison realizes it's possible that those are the first words Beth's spoken today and something about that- about Alison's name being the first thing Beth says in a day- rocks her to the core. It's intimate, but like all moments it ends- this time interrupted as Sarah climbs in the back of the van.
"Oi! For real Childs? Don't you two spend enough time sitting next to each other, making googily eyes in the boat?- Why you gotta give up my seat in the van too?"
"Hey, she called it and got there first," Beth shrugs. "Besides, it's not so bad in the back. I hear Stubbs is looking talk about some new theorem she came up with for one of her physics classes. Something about particle annihilation velocity angle... I can't remember- but it sounds right up your alley..." Beth grins in the rear view mirror.
"Toast Childs. Right after racing season is over, you're toast..." Sarah grumbles but takes a seat in the 3 row, all the way in the back, as the rest of the rowers pile in.
It's not long until they're on the road. It's pitch black out and all Alison can see is the finite distance ahead illuminated by the headlamps. It's eerily quiet outside and eerily quiet in the van as well. It's going to be a long boring drive at this rate, she thinks. Alison reaches for the radio to cut the silence but Beth stops her- laying a hand on hers as she reaches for the dial.
"Bit too early for music," Beth says, glancing from the road briefly to meet Alison's eyes.
"Really?" Alison chuckles, still looking at Beth but distracted by the hand still atop her own. "It's never too early for music, at least in my opinion."
Beth removes her hand, still staring straight at the road. "Fair enough, but I'm driving, and I say no radio yet."
Alison drops her hand from the nob, slightly miffed but not deterred. It's still quiet, but she's determined to change that. She turns around to face the rest of the van. “Hey, so what kinds of calls do you guys like best during a race?” she poses the question to her teammates.
“Ooo what a wonderful question! Well, personally, I really appreciate when-“
“Shut up Stubbs! This is important!” Sarah interrupts. The other girl shrugs, smiles, and goes back to the text book she's reading.
“Me, I like to be yelled at,” Sarah continues. “If you were allowed to swear, I’d want you to scream at us. Degrading, disparaging, drill sergeant type of shite, yeah? It really gets me going…”
“Hey Sarah, it’s all well and good you’re telling us about your sex life, but she asked about coxing calls!” Beth teases from the driver’s seat.
“If you weren’t driving…” Sarah growls back at Beth, but there’s a smirk on her lips.
“I like crisp power-10 calls. A different focus each time.” Rachel adds lightly, pausing to look up from her tablet. “And please do annunciate. Sloppy calls equate to sloppy catches…”
“Hey Childs, maybe your joke about coxing and sex preferences does translate!" Sarah leers. "Can’t you just see Rachel now, in the middle of shaggin' and she's all like ‘Yes, power ten for strong finishes- And please don’t be late. It is so irksome when you’re late’…” Sarah’s impression of Rachel’s posh accent is spot on, the rest of the team roars with laughter.
Rachel simply rolls her eyes and mutters what Alison thinks is a low string of obscenities, before returning to her iPad.
“Was it something I said?” Sarah smiles. “Childs- what about you. You’re stroke seat, so you should probably weigh in. What should our fair coxswain say to really get you going?”
Beth simply shrugs, “I’m happy with anything that moves the boat. If it's something that gets everyone to work their hardest, I’m good.”
“Oh Come on! We’re having a good discussion here about what everyone wants in bed- I mean the boat! " She chuckles. "I’m sure you have a favorite…”
Beth simply shrugs again, and Sarah backs off, not getting the kind of reaction she wants.
The van, and the girls in the front seat slip into silence once more and Alison's mind drifts. Her gaze drifts a bit to her left as well, and falls on Beth's hands. One grips the steering wheel, the other is casually draped over the arm rest. Alison thinks about those hands, how they're rough and strong, but deft and delicate too.
The heater in the van is going and the warmth and silence blanket her and make her eyelids heavy. She thinks about what those hands would look like on her. One hand grasping her own, the other casually draped over her stomach. She relaxes further in her seat and for once, she allows herself the indulgence of not resisting her own consciousness. She lets her mind wander further to a scene- a Sunday morning. Sunday morning in some other world- where she would wake up to find Beth asleep curled up to her. Alison would be reading the paper in bed quietly until the rustling stirs Beth, who raises her head. "Morning Ali," she'd say, her voice husky from sleep like this morning...
Only a short time passes before Alison drops off to sleep with a smile on her face. She doesn't bother wondering how it was she's gone from never thinking about having a girlfriend to imagining them together on a Sunday morning. Instead, she wonders exactly what would have to happen for her to be able to visit that world when she was awake too.
*_*_*_*_*
“Ali, we’re here…”
Waking up she has to take a moment to reorganize herself. “Oh…” she yawns, rubbing her eyes.
Beth grins, “Yeah, time to rise and shine. And be glad I didn’t let Sarah wake you up. She wanted to dump her water bottle on you.”
Both girls exit the van and begin walking towards where the team was set up.
“You know, I don’t believe you for a second you know,” Alison states, jumping in and restarting the conversation they'd left off an hour earlier.
“Don’t believe what?”
“I don’t believe you don’t have specific coxing calls you favor over others.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes. What I don’t understand is why you wouldn’t tell me. Sarah’s right- you’re the stroke seat. And besides that, I know you Beth. You’re super competitive and you live and breathe rowing. You MUST have favorite calls…” Alison’s surprised at her own insistence. Part of her knows that it’s more the idea of Beth keeping something from her, than a deep desire to know the rower’s preference for something so mundane, that is gnawing at her.
Beth raises an eyebrow also at Alison's insistence. “Well, I mean… yeah. I do. Sort of.”
“Well you’re going to share those sort of favorites then. If there’s anything I can do to help us all win, I want to do it.”
Beth chuckles as they arrive at the trailer site. She grabs a bin of seats and the two walk to the boat to put them on. “You’re awfully enthusiastic. You’ve come a long way from ‘I’m not sure crew is right for me’…”
“Yes well…I guess you can say, even though it’s only been a short while, I’ve sort of… fallen for it.” Alison blushes and it takes all she has to look Beth straight in the eyes. Purposeful in doing so.
Beth blinks and furrows her brow a bit. “Fallen…for rowing?”
And you. AND YOU. The words are there. On the tip of her tongue, but she swallows them. “Yes, for rowing.”
“Oh.”
Oh? Just Oh?
Alison can’t tell if Beth looks relieved or disappointed. Feeling like she may have gone off track, she backs up a bit. “Uh- yes. Yes. So how about those favorite calls you were going to share?’
Beth walks around the other side of the boat now, facing Alison and putting in one seat at a time. “Well, it’s not so much what is said, but how it’s said, really…”
“What do you mean?”
Beth bites her lip and her eyes leave Alison’s dipping down and keeping busy at the task at hand. “Well, I want fire. I want to… to hear someone wanting what they’re asking for, you know? It doesn’t matter if it’s a power 10 or crisp catches, or a sprint or what- I just want to hear whoever’s calling it want it so bad they make me want it too. Passion, you know? Fire. Nothing’s worse than a blasé coxswain. It’s like, don’t ask me for something- DEMAND it. TAKE it. I want it to sound like if don’t get those next few strokes, if you don’t see us give it all up those next few moments, you’ll just die…” Beth finally meets Alison’s eyes again. “Does that make sense? You know that feeling I'm talking about?”
Alison nods. She nods because she’s not exactly sure what will come out of her mouth if she opens it.
There’s little time to dwell on it either- Coach S walks up to the pair, and addresses Alison. “Come now Love, we have to go to the coxswain’s meeting.” Alison moves to say something to Beth, but thinks better of it. Not now, later. Later. And she falls in line behind S.
Beth had told her previously that during official regattas the coxswain meeting was a time for the officials to go through the course map with all coxswains, letting them know about traffic patterns, starting procedures and everything else....
This only being a "friendly" scrimmage meant that the coxswain meeting wasn't quite as official. As far as Alison could tell it seemed to be little more than an opportunity for Coach S and Ms. Bowles (the St. Augustine's coach) exchanging barbs. It makes Alison wonder if Beth's theory about them might actually hold water.
"You're looking well Marion," S intones. "Is Sheep still treating you well?"
"Shepard- my HUSBAND- is doing well, thank you for asking. I can only hope you find someone as lovely. About time for you to settle down, don’t you think? I'd hate to think of you as some lonely old lady with nothing but your precious records to keep you company..."
“I think we both know that me finding someone isn’t a problem. But unlike you, I’m not about to settle for anyone or anything...”
The two stare at each other for a full minute, looking like both contemplating homicide, before Alison jumps in, extending her hand to Mrs. Bowles “Hi, I’m Alison. I’m the new coxswain for our team...” Alison was used to adults behaving badly. She often had to smooth things over at her mother’s cocktail parties when inebriated guests had their middle-aged egos bruised and we looking to start an argument.
Alison’s interjection seemed to break the spell a bit, as Marion snaps her attention back to Alison. “Oh of course. And this-“ she waved a small girl over, who Alison hadn’t even noticed until this point, “-is my daughter Charlotte.”
Daughter? Alison thought.
“Daughter?” Coach S asked, as if reading Alison’s thoughts. “Is she old enough to be coxing for your team? College already?”
“Yes. She is. We adopted her, and she skipped a few grades. This is her first year at St. Augustine’s.”
Coach S appraises her for a moment. The girl did look very young, or at least quite small. She had dark brunette hair that hung loose halfway down her back, and dark eyes like she knew more than she saying. Coach S nods, accepting the explanation, and Coach Bowles continues on and explains the course and race.
Alison learns which lane she’ll be in and that St. Augustine will be racing not one, but two boats in their race: Their A Boat and B Boat. She also learns that Charlotte will be coxing the A boat.
By the time she and S get back to their trailer, the men’s team has already launched for their race and the rest of the women’s rowers are just returning from a warm-up run. Alison frowns, she wanted to wish Ramon good luck- I guess for now I’ll just a have to focus on my own luck.
Beth gathers the rowers around quickly. “Alright ladies- it’s go time! Everybody in uniforms and hands on the boat...”
“Uniforms?” Alison asks as Beth begins shucking off layers.
She doesn’t have to wonder for long. Rowers remove the sweatshirts and track pants from the early morning, stripping down to what looked like one piece wrestling singlet.
“Yeah,” Beth grumbles, stripped down to spandex herself. “Like ‘em? They’re terrible. Racing Uni... whoever came up with these can just eat it as far as I’m concerned. It always makes me feel like a cased sausage...”
Alison can help but run her eyes up and down Beth quickly. The spandex left nothing to the imagination, clinging to toned muscles that Alison wagers were ready to explode into action at a moment’s notice. She clears her throat, looking away a moment before adding, “I don’t think you look like a ‘cased sausage’ at all...” When lifts her gaze again, Beth is smirking.
“Thanks Ali.”
“I don’t, um, need to have one right?” She asks, feeling like coxing would be hard enough to do fully clothed, and feared she wouldn’t fair looking quite as good in the revealing clothing.
“Not this time. But, you should wear this,” Beth says, handing over her varsity jacket, “Dyad University Rowing” big and bold on the back.
“Oh, perfect,” Alison slips it over her head. It’s still warm from Beth.
“Childs! You can give her your pin and ask her to prom later!” Sarah jokes from where their boat sat in slings. “We have a race to get to!”
“Shut up Sarah!” Beth smiles, before returning attention to Alison. “She’s right though. We should go. But listen...” Beth starts, taking a deep breath. “Just know that you have this. I’ve never seen someone take to coxing and this sport so fast. You’re a natural. Just remember- we’re chaos. We’re the power behind the storm and you’re job is to control it. Your job is to harness it, tell us what to do and then ask for more. Bring the FIRE, Ali. You’re going to be awesome.”
Beth moves towards the boat but stops suddenly. “Oh, and don’t forget these.” She takes the aviator sunglasses off her head, and carefully places them onto Alison’s face. Alison watches through blue tinted glass as Beth takes a step back and appraises.
“Yup,” Beth grins. “Total Badass. Now let’s kick some ass.”
