𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴: first date by blink-182
a/n: based on the rec "Natalie x shy reader dating fluff" @ashtonslefb0ob
content: secret relationship ooo, just straight fluff (as per request, i got you, babe), just a tad bit of angst, nightmares, 1.5k words
sweet secret / natalie scatorccio
now, since when did you ever care about soccer before? and what in the hell made you start? well, the answer is currently weaving a ball between her legs as she laughs on the field, lines of sheen sweat covering her forehead.
one of her signature cocky laughs falls from between her lips as she ends up kicking the ball past van, straight into the goal.
you had become assistant to misty, always helping out with setting up the field and coming along to away games as an honorary equipment manager. all for your girl.
"jesus, nat. again?" taissa says from the edge of the field, panting as she comes closer to nat, who was absolutely beaming at the third goal she made in a row.
she shrugged, fiddling with the ring on her finger that you had given her. "i just have my good luck charm on me today." her words are punctuated by a smile and a wink to you in the bleachers. and it's safe to say you are absolutely preening at the attention.
after about fifteen more minutes of watching her practice, coach martinez calls it for the day, and she immediately makes her way over to you.
"hey, baby." she whispers, leaning in close enough that only you could hear her. "how'd i do?"
your entire body is practically thrumming at the proximity and the gravelly rasp of her voice. it was one of your favorite things about her, how she always managed to just sound good. "mhm, you were great, nat."
she smiled, her fingers trailing over the cool edge of the bleachers, the space between you two growing smaller and smaller with each passing second. "just great? come on, you can do better than that, doll."
if you were blushing before, it was about ten times worse now. your fingers fall to your lap, messing with the hem of your pants as you glare at her through your brows, silently begging her to knock it the hell off. "you were phenomenal," you said through a smile, seeming to please her as she leaned away from you and grabbed her bag, plucking your fingers straight out of your lap and tugging you down the bleachers.
just like every day, nat walks you home (like a sweetheart, might i add). her hand is interlinked with your own, in typical 'best friend" fashion, of course. no one knows yet about the two of you being together, but she swears that she will tell people eventually. eventually just seems years away whenever you have to hide your love for one of the best things that's ever happened to you.
"so, the party tonight, are we all set to go?" she asks, her voice pulling you from the momentary wandering your mind had become so accustomed to.
a frown etches onto your lips, a gentle sigh falling from between your teeth. this was one of the many joys of high school for most, but for you? it was a patriarchal nightmare. and before you could even begin to voice your complaints, natalie beats you to it.
"we don't have to go," she reassures, which immediately sparks a rambling from you.
"nat, no--" that she is infinitely quick to cut off.
"it's fine, babe. we can have a sleepover at your place." she says, eyes coated with thick, smudged eyeliner meeting your own in the most sympathetic way possible. she knows how bad those parties can be for you and even feels slightly bad she had pushed to go to one with you in the first place. "we can watch some shitty romcom and make out and have the best night of our lives, no party included."
her words elicit a small warmth blooming in your chest, the tug of her hand in yours grounding you as you offer a small nod. "okay."
the copy of bound that you borrowed from your parents is finishing up as you pull away from nat, breathing heavily and laughing at some stupid comment she made. both of you are in a set of pjs you let her borrow, the bright colors looking way too good on her.
you sigh and check your clock on the side of the bed, seeing that it was well past 1 in the morning.
"shit," you mumbled, picking up the half-empty bowl of popcorn and bringing it to the kitchen as she followed, her steps ever so slightly hinting at a tired linger.
her arms wrap around your waist as you dump out the rest of the popcorn, nuzzling her face into your neck with a gentle murmur. "you're so soft."
a giggle releases from your chest, rolling your eyes as the bowl is forgotten entirely, and she drags you right back to your room. you could never get too far away from her. she shoves you down onto the bed, draping all of her limbs over your own, small kisses pressed to your neck as she mumbles something about being tired.
the peace of such a domestic moment has you feeling the same way, placing a gentle kiss on her head as you both drift into sleep.
the next day, you two wake up and board the plane, both still feeling the aftereffects of your grogginess in full effect against your bodies. a sharp jolt of the plane has you feeling slightly more awake, anxiously eyeing nat.
"did you feel that?" you whispered, to which she replied with a soft mumble that it was okay and just continued to rub your hand more.
you nodded, looking out the window to see the plane slightly angled downwards. that's not normal. a moment later, a red light flashes above the head, the sound of the PA ringing out in a warning that something had malfunctioned. you stopped listening after those words. all that mattered was that the plane was going down. fast.
nat's words become muddied in your ear as you feel the steady descent grow quicker and quicker, green trees coming into view as oxygen masks drop down in front of you. you quickly fumble to put yours on, tears beginning to sprout in your eyes, as you pull natalie closer.
the impact is jarring, leaving you ever so slightly dazed and dizzy. you feel a tightness in your leg as you try to follow natalie out, her tugging you up out of your seat. only, you are stuck, fighting against the metal that holds you down as you scream, pleading for help.
the sound of your own ragged breathing wakes you up, a cold sweat dripping down your shirt as the realization comes to you: you're in bed. safe.
tears still overcome you, a sharp ache in your head forming as your heart does absolutely nothing to stop its frantic pounding against your chest. you feel a hand grip your wrist, that same familiar rasp filling your ears.
"breathe, baby, breathe," she instructs, her free hand going over your chest and rubbing it. "tell me five things you can see." she starts, coaching you through the panic as your eyes meet hers.
"i can see…" you start, swallowing the spit that accumulated in your throat. "you, the window… the bed, my room, and…" you stop for a moment, tears flooding your vision. she waits for you to finish, just brushing her hands against your skin. "and… my hoodie on the floor."
she smiles, whispering ever so softly to you. "good job, that was great. four things you can touch." she prompts.
"You..." you say with a smile, immediately flicking back to that frown that had set in your face. "the comforter, my shirt, and… and the pillow."
she continues this for a while, allowing you to acclimate back to what you remembered. she questions you for a moment, trying to find out what had you coiled so tightly.
"the plane… i had a dream that it… crashed." you admitted, tears ready to spring from your eyes once more. she shook her head, brushing her fingers against your cheeks.
"doll, i promise, that won't happen. i'll be there with you the whole time, i swear. we'll be alright." she reassures, cool eyes meeting your own in an ocean of sapphire. a new pang arises in your chest as you whisper delicately,
"when are we going to tell people about us?" you ask. the question seems to take her back a bit, eyes widening and fingers stilling on your skin. she sighs, nodding slowly.
"after nationals, love. after we win." she promised, fingers tightening around your wrist once more before gently linking with your own. "we'll be okay; we'll do it together."
and with that, she helps you lie down, cuddling you up into her chest. you fall asleep to the sound of her gentle breathing and the prospect that yes, you will be alright. just the two of you.
what's the worst that could happen?
if you are ever feeling anxious, that method is called the 5-4-3-2-1 method and it works so well at grounding people. please use it if you need to.
au revoir! have a great day, a great night, or a great life! <3
