ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴀɪɴ | ᴘᴏʟʏ

26

"Every word has consequences,
Every silence, too."
– JEAN PAUL SARTRE

Orlando Pride, hosting an outreach program for a local youth center, invited a youth team to join their training session that morning. It was an organized but chaotic scene. The so-called adults had quickly reverted back to children as they goofed around with the actual children.

Sure, some drills were run and there was a few pick-up games, the teams a mix between the real children and the children in adult's bodies. 

"YEE-HAW!" Alex yelled as she jumped on Logan's back. Her legs wrapping around the blonde's waist, her left arm across Logan's collarbone and her right pointing in the air like a triumphant general.

Logan, gripping Alex's thighs to keep her steady, began chasing after a little kid with the ball while Alex continued to yell nonsensically. The small, raven haired kid tries to ignore the Pride players and other children that were on the sidelines laughing at the duo chasing her in an effort to 'defend' their goal. The child couldn't ignore it for long before giggles erupted from her, her small body shaking with laughter until she trips over the ball and lands on her back.

Logan, dropping Alex, kneels next to the raven-haired girl, sighing in relief that the child seems to be fine - other than the constant giggles that leave her face red and her lungs begging for air.

"You're not getting a penalty for that." Logan shrugs indifferently, but with a small smile on her face.

"C'mon striker, on your feet." Alex grins, pulling the child up but her hands and setting her on her feet.

Logan rolls the ball to the kid and nods her head towards the goal, but the fit of giggles was replaced with a shyness as the child took note of all the eyes on her. The other kids weren't paying attention, too busy having fun of their own, but the other Pride players were watching the trio with fondness. Her little head immediately dropped upon hearing the chorus of 'aww's'.

Alex and Logan share a side glance before they each take one of the child's small hands in their own.

"People always watch the best players." Logan winked at the kid as she and Alex started to jog slowly, allowing the kid to keep up with them easily.

"You got this!" Alex smiled as the two players let go of the kid's hands. Her grin widened when Logan stood beside her, shoulder to shoulder, as they watched the child run toward Ashlyn, who was bouncing between the posts. The Pride goalkeeper dived theatrically when the child kicked the ball with all her might, and despite how slowly the ball rolled, Harris made a point of not getting too close to it.

"Yay!" The kid screamed, sticking her tongue out at Ashlyn before turning back to Logan and Alex and running straight to them and jumping into their arms. She cheered louder when the two players hoisted her in the air in celebration.

__________________________

"Damn. That was a long day." Logan yawned, leaning against Alex as the two stopped for coffee. The blonde's head dropping lazily to the brunette's shoulder.

"It was, but it was fun." Ashlyn grinned as she sat beside Ali. It was a quickly cemented tradition for the four, to stop for coffee after a long day. "You both were pretty attached to little Jamie."

Ali chuckled at the confused expression on Logan's face, "The little girl with the black hair."

"Oh." Logan nodded before sitting up and drinking her coffee in hopes of getting a caffeine buzz. "That's the stuff."