this daydream is dangerous | JENLISA

Chapter 11

By the second week of October, the Avalanche had completely turned their season around. They had five games left and a real shot at making the playoffs, since the top six teams made it and they were sitting at fifth.
 
But their final five games were going to be some of their more difficult challenges. They had to face the Houston Dash twice, a scrappy Chicago team once, a tough Washington Spirit once, and of course, the Portland Thorns in their final home game of the season.

Tonight, the weather forecast for the game was brutally cold and the game forecast was a brutal battle against the Dash.

"Bring your hand warmers if Marta subs you out, okay?" Jennie murmured, pulling the sides of Lisa's puffy coat together and zipping it up for her.

"You packed them for me," Lisa grinned, leaning forward and kissing Jennie gently.

"I'm just worried about you staying warm," Jennie shrugged, stealing another quick kiss.

"I'll stay as warm as I can, and then we can come home and make hot tea or something."

"I thought you were going to say make out," Jennie teased.

"Baby, I'll be doing that in the driveway before we even get out of the car," Lisa smirked before stealing another kiss.

With a soft laugh, Jennie gave her one final kiss, lingering in it and the feeling of Lisa's lips pressed against her own before leaning back.

"Go. Don't be late," she whispered, reaching up to cradle the corner of her jaw, brushing her thumb tenderly along Lisa's cheekbone. "Be safe. Play smart," she added, just like she did before every game.

"Stay warm in your fancy box," Lisa teased, taking off her own scarf and wrapping it around Jennie's neck.

"I've got Manoban's scarf, I'm set," Jennie teased right back.

"See you after. I love you," Lisa said, pulling open the door and jogging toward the stairs to get down to the locker room before Marta yelled at her.

Jennie's eyes widened as the three words settled around her in her now silent office. Her heart was hammering, her stomach was doing backflips, and she felt like she'd completely stopped breathing.

Lisa loved her. Lisa loved her and it was the single greatest feeling in the entire world.

"I love you too," she whispered with a beaming smile, one that made her cheeks start to hurt. She knew Lisa was long gone, not able to hear the words, but she wanted to say the words anyway.

And she couldn't wait for the game to be over so she could say them back to Lisa.

—

"Watch the jersey tugging, ref!" Marta bellowed from her place on the cooler, anxiously twisting her hands in front of her as the game raged on in front of her.

They were down 3-2 in the final twelve minutes of the game, and the Dash weren't letting up. No matter what the Avalanche threw at them, the Dash had an answer. Points-wise, they needed at least a tie tonight, so Marta took a bit of a gamble.

"Celia," she called out, gesturing the younger player over. "Go in out wide for Manoban, but stick her in the middle and let's pull Hank out. Tell her to play as high as possible and press everything. We need a goal."

When the ball went out for a throw-in, Celia switched on and gave Lisa the message.

"Can you sprint for eleven minutes?" Celia asked. "That's all we've got left and we need a goal."

"Got it," Lisa nodded, holding up a thumbs-up for her. She felt completely wrecked, bruised and tired and ready to go home and crawl into bed with Jennie, but she could do eleven minutes. She wanted the goal. She was dying for the goal, ready to push her body to its limit for the goal.