Favorite Mistake

FM 11

It's a lazy Saturday morning and they don't have training today. It's 10am but neither of them felt like getting out of bed, both contented simply in lying close to each other, hugging. Sometimes talking, but most of the time spent in silence, feeling each other's heart beat.

Ly had one arm propped behind her head while the other was wrapped protectively around Den in an embrace. Den had her head on Ly's chest as she encased her in a hug. Their arms and legs entwined with the other's.

"What are you thinking of?" Den asked as she noticed Ly fall into another silence.

Ly kissed the top of Den's head as she tightened her embrace.

"Can you believe 1st sem is ending soon? In a few weeks, UAAP 73 will start and you will be making your debut.."

Den lifted herself slightly so that she can look at Ly's eyes. "Why do I sense a little sadness in your tone?" She asked, kissing Ly's chin.

"I guess I'm just a bit disappointed that we won't get to spend our rookie year together."

"Well, that's a small payback considering all the other things."

"What other things?" Ly asked confused.

"Being in the same school, playing for the same team. Having you this way again. Things we couldn't have if you stayed with UST."

Ly smiled before giving Den a quick kiss. Den closed her eyes and sighed contentedly, before laying her head in the crook of Ly's neck.

"Yeah, you're right. But I hate the feeling of not being in court to protect you."

"You don't need to do that, can't you see these?" Den flexed her biceps like a bodybuilder which made them laugh so hard. Ly nuzzled her face in Den's neck before resuming their previous position.

"But seriously Den, I always worry about you being converted to Libero."

"Why? Don't you think I'm good enough?" Den felt a bit offended, and leaned up on her elbow so that she can look at Ly.

Reaching out to touch Den's face and calm her down, Ly spoke "Of course I believe in you, babe. It's just that you dive and roll like you sometimes don't even care if you'd get hurt." She got Den's hand, intertwined it with hers and kissed it. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"But that's my job.."

"I know.. But it scares me.. Still. I can't help it. I just love you so much."

Den felt her heart sore at how candidly Ly tells her she loves her. Like it's the most casual truth in the world.

"Sometimes I worry about you too, you know?" Den replied.

Ly creased her eyebrows in confusion.

"I worry that you're too good and beautiful, that I don't know how many people I'd need to fight to keep you." Den teased her.

"10,000" Ly replied.

"What?!?" Den pinched Ly's waist.

"Ouch!!!!" She tried to wriggle out of Den's hold but couldn't stop laughing "I meant, 10,000 people would wish they could be you, but there's only one spot in my heart. And it is already occupied" she leaned down and gave Den a wink, which made her blush.

Again they went back in silence, both of them had their eyes closed, just listening as the sound of their breathing mixed with the others.

Ly felt herself dozing off when she heard Den speak.

"Ly?... I wish we could stay this way, inside this room when we can freely love each other. When I can hold your hand and kiss you and tell you how much I love you. Instead, outside, in the real world, I'm forced to pretend to stay away from you, when all I want to do is hold you every second and never let you away from me."

When Ly still did not respond, Den snuggled her head closer to Ly's chest. "Sometimes I'm scared of how much I love you... But I can't help it, I just do. Someday Ly... Someday.. I'd be strong enough to fight for you.." And she closed her eyes as she fell asleep.

She didn't notice that a tear had fallen from Ly's eyes.

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"Can you believe that this is our last shakey's game for this tournament?" Their team captain, Jem, asked them as they were entering the dug-out.

"Woo-hooo, and in 2 weeks, we go back to UAAP baby!!!" Dzi replied back, and gave high fives to their other teammates.

"Ok everyone, you know how it is, One big fight as always..." Jem told the team as they huddled.

"Fight!" Everyone screamed, clapping their hands as they made their way to the court.

Den walked slowly behind Ly, and when no one else was looking, whispered "goodluck baby. I love you." Then she quickened her pace to get ahead of Ly.

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4th set and the game is close. There is a long rally and Den dived and popped-up the ball, rolling on the floor in the process. She held on to Ly's back so that she could stand up. As Jem set the ball high for Ly, she took a few steps back and then the thing that everyone dreads happened.

Ly made her approach towards the ball, and as she jumped, she slipped on the part of the floor where Den landed previously. Her feet lost traction and she skidded to the other side of the court, sliding under the net, and slamming down on the floor and into the legs of their opponents. For a moment, Ly did not move as she laid motionless in between the legs of the other players.

Den was closest to her, but she could not move. She was frozen, arms in front of her, eyes wide in shock, she was stuck in the position. While their other teammates were quick to rush to help Ly, she just stood there. She felt cold white dread encasing her. Even when she saw Ly slowly standing and being helped up by Fille, she just felt lost in the moment staring at Ly.

Was she even breathing? She didn't know. All she knew was that her heart stopped beating the moment she saw Ly flying off after that jump.

For a moment, she felt how it might feel losing Ly again, and her world stopped.

Coach Roger substituted Ly so that the PT's can check on her. At the same time, Den went out of the court as the libero was out of the rotation.

The PT's were busy checking on Ly while Den just sat beside her, stoic and catatonic.

"Hey, are you ok?" Ly asked Den

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"I'm ok, just a few bruises, but I'll live" Ly smiled, nudging their shoulders together.

Den nodded her head, but slowly, she started crying, until she was bawling like a child.

"Hey, come here..." Ly held her shoulders and hugged her.

"I was so scared Ly... I thought you got hurt.." She continued crying as Ly rubbed her hands on Den's back to soothe her.

"I'm ok now baby, don't worry" Ly whispered in Den's ear.

As Ly continued to hold Den, one person in the crowd caught her attention. While everyone was cheering and having a good time watching the game, a pair of eyes sternly locked gazes with hers. She was clearly not watching the game, but had her eyes focused on Ly and Den the whole time. Squinting her eyes, Ly's heart skipped when she identified her.

Even with the distance from where she was seated in the Lower Box section of the arena, Ly could not be mistaken. It was Arlene Lazaro.

"I'm not going anywhere" Den didn't catch the firmness in Ly's tone.

Den hooked her arms around Ly's neck to pull her closer as she continued crying.