Guarded Hearts || A Nika Muhl Romance

09.

SMUT INCOMING ‼️ 🤭🫣

Lauren's POV

"You have the option to stay home for this away game," Coach Geno says, coming up to me after tonights game ends. It's been a couple weeks since I've started sitting on the bench with Nika and it's been nice. We've gotten used to each other by now and I would definitely qualify us as friends even. I just wish we could be something more.

"I think I'll stay," I say, looking over to Nika looking lonely in a chair. I went to the last away game and felt so bad leaving Nika to watch the game in her apartment alone. At least she can have the comfort of someone also not attending the game. I also just want to make sure she is okay because she's been acting super weird lately. It could just be around me though because she seems to be fine with Paige and her friends.

~~~~~

"I don't know, she just has been acting extra sulky," I say to Lexi on the phone. We're both eating ice cream straight out of the container in our pjs while watching Gilmore Girls together.

"Like Nika sulky or like sulky sulky?" Lexi asks.
"Like sulky sulky, after the games we would normally get food– and we still do– but she's just not too talkative."

"Hmmmm," Lexi says through a bite of ice cream. "Medicine maybe? I know those can definitely attack your mental health,"

"It could be," I nod, then getting distracted by an incoming call from, you guessed it, Nika. But she never calls so this is hella weird. "Wait Lex, I gotta go,"

"Oooooo, is your wife texting?"
"No," I roll my eyes. "Calling, but she never does and I want to make sure she's okay,"
"Sure, text me later, love you," She says, hanging up the phone before giving me a chance to say anything back. But, it's fine because it lets me pick up the call from Nika faster.

"Hey," I say. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," She says, shakily. So very clearly she is most definitely not fine. "I think I am, but could you bring some advil over,"

"Are you sure you're okay Nika?" I ask again, getting up from the couch and going to my bathroom to grab Advil.

"Yes, I'm fine,"

"Okay, stay right there, I'll be over in a second," I say, hanging up the phone and rushing out of my apartment.

~~~~~

I knock on the door, hand on my hip and waiting anxiously outside. I hear a faint "come in" and practically barge through the door, standing in her foyer I make my way to her living room where I find Nika curled up on the floor beside her couch. I rush to her side, already holding a water bottle in my hand.

"Nika what the fuck," I say worridly, lifting her up so her head is on my chest. "You said you were okay,"
"I am," She answers.
"Clearly you fucking aren't,"

"My arm hurts," She says quietly. "It hurts,"

I hold her head in my chest, rocking back with her softly as she takes the advil and water. We stay like this for maybe 10 minutes, just enough time for the medicine to kick in.

"You feeling better now?" I ask and she just nods in response. "Why don't we move up to the couch," I suggest, helping her sit up.

I sit beside her on the couch, handing her a water bottle and helping her drink it. Looking into her eyes, I watch as she sips the water, already looking almost normal honestly. "Better?" I ask, taking the bottle from her.

"Yeah," She nods, looking at me and then stopping. I don't know how long we stare, but it feels like hours as I fall into Nika's deep chocolate brown eyes and she stares in mine. Our trance is still not broken as we inch closer and closer until I am practically on top of her.