Pleased to meet you... again

Thirty-Seven

Casey smiled as she put Dawn to bed. Eager for her daughter to sleep so she could go to her own bed and call the soccer player. Her heart was singing.

"Mom?"

"Yeah."

"Were you going to kiss Xander?"

"What gave you that idea?"

"It looked like you were going to kiss them. Like the way people look at each other on tv."

"Right. How would you feel if I was to kiss Xander."

"I think it would make you both happy. So I'd like that."

The blonde smiled and kissed her daughter on the forehead. "Well we will just have to wait and see what happens. Time for you to get to sleep it's way past your bedtime."

"Okay. Night mom."

"Night bug."

Casey closed the door so it was slightly ajar before moving to her own room and changing for bed.

Xander lay in their bed playing cookie jam. They thought about the fact they were Alex and they smiled. They were meant to be with Casey. That's why nothing else felt right, no one else ever came close.

Their phone rang. "Hey, I didn't mean like right away but I'm not complaining." The brunette smiled.

"Oh sorry I just thought." Casey sounded a little worried.

"Do you want to do this on FaceTime? It would be great to see your face."

"Yeah." The blonde agreed.

They spent all night together over a video call, both moving at different times to plug in. They talked for hours about where the last seven years had taken them.

It was a little before 3am when Xander asked if the Casey and Dawn wanted to go to the fair that night. The blonde agreed and they both decided to keep it a surprise.

"I better let you get to sleep?" Xan yawned down the camera.

"Don't go. I want to hear you sleeping beside me. I've missed you being here so much." Casey said.

"What just leave the camera running all night?"

"Yeah."

"I might snore with my nose like this."

"I don't care, I just want you to be close. I wish I was in your arms. I always felt so safe and loved there."

"I wish I was holding you." Xander didn't miss a beat. "Good night, beautiful."

"Good night babe."

When Xander awoke she noticed the Casey had left the camera on and it was now in the kitchen with her. They watched as the blonde made a coffee. The way she glided about the kitchen. The shape of her body. They smiled as the teacher moved a strand of their hair and moved it behind her ear. Xander smiled as they remember the rainbow braid that Casey used to wear.

"Morning." The soccer player shouted.

"Morning sleepy head. So you still sleep to almost midday."

"Only when someone keeps me up all night. And it's only coming up for nine thirty."

"Dawns at school, do you want to come over?"

"You meant to be working?"

"Yeah admin and marking."

"So... em are you planning to mark me?" Xander smiled.

"Oh I'm sure you'd get a gold star."

"You know I'm going to like all this teacher talk." Xander smiled. "But as much as I'd love to, I can't. I have to go to work."

"Work?"

"Yeah well it's my job. Training then some marketing stuff, it was meant to be a photoshoot but I have a bit of a black eye this morning so... they'll probably photoshop me. They usually do make me presentable."

"Oh dear. Even with that bruise you're cheekily handsome." Casey almost stuttered the words out.

"Why thank you." Xander grinned, "and you're stunningly beautiful."

Casey went noticeably red.

"It's true. But before I get too gushy. I better get up go for a shower, hey did you take me for a shower this morning?"

Casey tried to hide her smile.

"You did and I slept through it." The soccer player shook their head. .

"Well you were pointing at the ceiling. But I didn't want you to wake up alone.

"Thank you." Xander looked down the camera and knew exactly what they were going to do. "Look I better get ready to go. I'll see you this evening."

"Yeah, looking forward to it."  Casey smiled.

Xander gave a wave and closed the phone down.

Casey took her coffee back to her desk and heard the droning sound of a Teams call.

She answer a call from the English department team. Casey smiled and pretended she hadn't completely forgotten about the meeting.

The blonde took notes and the teachers agreed the marking criteria for the midterm assessments that they would set their students later in the term and the reading materials from the curriculum that they would study.

She sat up and excused herself from the meeting, "sorry there is someone at the door."

"Hey" Xander smiled.

"Hi I'm on a Teams call."

"That's okay I just wanted to stop to give you this." The brunette moved forward and pressed their lips against the blondes. Feeling Casey respond they withdrew the kiss slowly and smiled. "See you later. Have a good day." They stole another quick kiss before walking away with a smirk on their face.

Casey stood at the door a moment watching the soccer player stride away. The blonde couldn't stop the smile which appeared on her face as she recalled the feeling of the tender kiss. It was magical, such a simple act had made her feel invincible, happy, fuzzy and light like she was walking on air as she re-took her seat in front of the screen. The smile just wouldn't subside.

"So who was at the door that put that smile on your face?" One of her colleagues asked.

"Xander Hopkins."

"The soccer player?" Her department head smirked. "Never picked you as someone into the jocks."

"They're not a jock..."

The team laughed. "You're smitten." One of her colleagues said. "You should see your face."

"Yeah well anyway."

"No, not anyway. You've been working with us nearly four years and we finally get to see you get some romance."

Casey shook her head, "look it's something really new."

"How'd you meet a professional soccer player anyway?"

"They live along the road and we shared a room in college for a bit."

"And they were roommates, aww"  her manager laughed. "Right well now we all know Casey actually is a romantic being, maybe we should get on with the task in hand. So reading choices?"

"Oranges are not the only fruit." One of the teachers laughed.