ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇꜱᴇ ɴɪɢʜᴛꜱ

𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚁𝚃𝚈- 𝚃𝚆𝙾

Mason clicked the door shut and before Sophia could make her way round to her desk he reached for her hand, pulling her back to him, feeling her lips on his as she kissed him back.

He wasn't sure if she would.

He wasn't sure if she would already have her guard back up but it seemed like she wanted this as much as him.

He just knew he wanted to kiss her first, before she could say inevitably whatever was needed to be said. He wanted to feel what it was like to be with her once more before things would possibly have to change for them permanently

After his lips left hers he rests his forehead against hers, her nose tilting up to nudge against it, her resolve is almost all but gone.

The words she thought she would say when they walked in this room are basically nowhere to be seen. She doesn't even know if she can string any kind of sentence together at all.

Mason, wraps his arms around her back, one across the back of her shoulders, one around her lower back.

Its like he's shielding her from the outside world, shielding her from any harm that could be coming their way if they chose to continue this, even though he knows that probably isn't a possibility.

He clings to her tightly, her face dips down, resting her head into the crease of his neck as her arms wrap around his back, holding onto him with all she has. His head tilts down, his nose buried into her hair as he breaths her in, he will miss this.

Sophia can smell that distinctive aftershave of Mason's, she can feel the pulse point in his neck beating against her face, his heart thudding against his chest as hers does the same, she wants to savour this moment.

If anything she wants to bottle it up and keep it forever, if she could she would wrap him up and keep him here with her, never let him go, but its not as easy as that.

She allows herself a couple more minutes in his embrace, silently inhaling him, feeling his warmth on her skin as she feels herself gripping at the back of his shirt, she really doesn't want to let go.

She closes her eyes tightly, she pictures in her mind a world where they could work, where they didn't have any worries or fears of them being together.

She just isn't sure if that world exists for them.

Mason pulls back first, he can feeling her fingers trail along his back, sending a flutter up his spine, he will miss this.

He will miss the way his body reacts to everything Sophia does, he will miss the way she looks at him without saying a word and he knows exactly what she means, he will miss it all.

Sophia takes a step back, sitting down upon her table as Mason leans against the cabinet, looking directly at her, she tries to think of how to start this awful conversation, not wanting to end this, but feeling like that decision has been ripped away from her. But before she can speak Mason does.

"What does this mean for us?" he asks as he looks at her face, he can see the worry etched on her skin.

"To be honest Mase" she shakes her head, feeling like the weight of the world is on her shoulders "however much we both want this, we can't risk it at the moment" she feels a sickening feeling in her stomach "not while everyone is being looked at"

Mason feels a flash of hope in her words, she said at the moment.

It makes him think that there could be a time where they would work, just maybe not right now. However it dawns on him that they can't be with each other right now and he feels a pain in his heart.

"But I don't want this to end" he said in almost a whisper, feeling vulnerable from his admission but knowing he needs to tell her how he feels, even if she doesn't feel the same.

"I don't want this to end either" Sophia pulls a shy smile on her lips as she looks at him, his eyes staring intently into hers as she swallows hard as he takes a step forward.

"So, what do we do?" he asks as he get's closer to her, his hand reaching down to cup her jaw, tilting her eyes up to his.

It takes everything in Sophia to say what's coming next, she knows its not what she wants but she needs to put her professional head on, she needs to stop behaving like some love struck teenager, she needs to remember she's a 27 year old coach, she needs to try behaving like that, even if it's just momentarily.

"How about we put it on hold for the moment" the word moment rings in Mason's ears as Sophia speaks "let's get the Euro's out of the way and then see" she reaches her hand forward to run her palm down his clothes abs.

Mason thinks about it, she is completely right.

He needs to bring his focus to the Euro's and getting picked for the squad rather than possibly ruining his chances all because he can't control himself. He hates to admit that she's right, especially when it means he won't get what he wants, but he can wait, he thinks.

"Okay" he said as he smiled at her "but I know I'll still want you" he smirks as he sees her blush slightly.

"Just don't put your life on hold for us Mase" Sophia smiles at him, she tries to remain composed on the outside while the butterflies fly around her stomach at his words "like we don't know what the future holds so I don't want you stopping yourself from doing things or having a good time because you are thinking about us" she shrugs her shoulder.

"Soph, you are all I think about" he admits as he rests his head down towards hers again "but if that's the case I don't want you putting your life on hold either, what will be will be" he smirks as she lets out a laugh, feeling the tension in the air light and the mood lighten, it was always something Mason was capable of doing.

"What a way with words Mount" she smirks as he laughs loudly "no wonder you get all the girls with a mouth like that" she can't help but laugh too as she speaks, thinking of how they had only had the conversation the other night about how many girls he had been pictured with recently, Sophia commenting that he looks like a playboy which he laughed and said it's not his fault girls want him which had them both laughing.

"Got you didn't I?" his cockiness oozes out as Sophia shakes her head as his hand that was on her cheek, brushes her hair away from her ear as he leans down "besides, you love what my mouth can do" he whispers into her ear as she feels her body shudder at his words.

Mason smirks as he pulls back, looking at the blush on Sophia's cheeks now as she smiles at him "cocky shit" she mumbles under her breath as he laughs.

"Cheered you up though didn't I?" he smiles at her as she stands to her feet, closing the gap that had now been created between them as she wraps her hands round his waist.

"You always do" she said looking into his brown eyes, knowing this would be the last time for a while.

"One more kiss?" he asks as she smiles up at him, not answering him just drawing his lips in for a bittersweet kiss, she didn't want this to be over, he didn't want this to be over, however for the time being this was going to be put to rest.

Hopefully in time they could be together.