golden blonde¹

birthdays and bears

elena hadn't even realized that it was katie's birthday today. she accidentally slept in, only waking up to shrieking in the kitchen. she walked in on lia and caitlin running around the kitchen.

she takes in the scene slowly, her eyes still bleary.

"what is happening right now?" elena yawns.

"good! you're awake el. hurry, we have to finish decorating these cupcakes for katie." lia spoke quickly.

elena's eyes flicker to the clock on the oven.

"oh my god, we're going to be late it's already 8!" elena says alarmed.

"we have recovery in the afternoon if that's what you're worried about." caitlin chuckles.

"why is their frosting everywhere? why are you both up early if we have afternoon training, especially you." elena points suspiciously to caitlin. the australian looks apalled, being accused of something that she didn't even know she was being accused of.

"what!? what am i doing that deserved that glare?" caitlin exclaims.

"she's not glaring at you cait, she's cranky because you woke her up."

"i am not cranky! whatever that means." elena replies. but really, what did cranky mean. "why are there decorations on the counter?"

"we're celebrating katie's birthday today. so we just baked some goods to bring in to the training grounds. then we're going out for dinner as a team for my hundreth cap celebration." lia replies smiling.

"it's her birthday? how old is she?"

"twenty-seven."

"old," elena mumbles, retreating to the bathroom.

"hey! i'm older than her, what does that make me!?" lia shouts after the spaniard.

elena ends up only decorating one of the cupcakes. she hadn't really gotten to know the irish woman well, so she drew an irish flag and colored it in with icing.

she catches up with the irish woman during training though.

"happy birthday katie." elena says jogging beside the winger.

"aww, thank you elena. i didn't think you would know that it was today." she replies in a thick accent. elena furrows her eyebrows in confusion, taking a long moment to understand what she said.

"i bet you she figured out this morning," leah says jogging up to the two. 

"she's right, i did." elena confesses with a smile on her face.

"but, she did get you a present, isn't that right fernandez?" leah says confidently.

"i did?" elena asks the defender. leah stares at her wide-eyed, nodding rapidly. "right... yes. i got you a present... that i will give you tonight!"

"at dinner!" leah adds enthusiastically.

"right... at dinner." katie looks between the two of them suspiciously, before sprinting off.

"you're going shopping with me today, because i too, did not get her a present." leah says shamefully.

"hmm, i don't know. i only found out today, but you must have known for years. how did you forget?" elena teases.

"you're not gonna let this go are you?" leah asks in a defeated tone. elena shakes her head amusedly while leah hangs her head. "i'll buy you another shirt for the one i ripped as well?"

"i am still considering it..." elena smiles.

"i'll buy you dinner sometime?" leah asks hopefully.

elena jogs another lap in silence, with the english center back beside her.