LOVE THY ENEMY - REECE WALSH.

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑻𝑾𝑬𝑳𝑽𝑬

As the team walked down the halls back to the change rooms, Reece was at the front, walking with a straight face, ignoring all the comments being made about how bad they lost. He tried to hide his anger and frustrations, but it was clear to Tatiana that he was seething, his body language and facial expression were cold and tense. Reece made his way into the change rooms but stayed leaning up against the wall.

Reece stood there with a deep scowl on his face, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He was fuming; anger was radiating from his every pore. It was a sight that would make anyone think twice before approaching him, but Tatiana took a deep breath and stepped forward anyway, approaching him cautiously. "Hey love—" Tatiana spoke out to Reece, her voice filled with hesitation. Reece's scowl only intensified as Tatiana spoke up, his jaw clenched tightly. He took a moment before replying, his words dripping with frustration and anger. "What do you want?" Reece snapped at Tatiana, not even bothering to look at her directly.

Tatiana paused for a moment, releasing a soft sigh. While his reaction was to be expected, she didn't feel good about Reece snapping at her. "Don't worry— next game will be better." Reece rolled his eyes upon hearing Tatiana's words, his frown deepening. Reece pushed himself off the wall and turned to face her fully. "You don't think I know that?" He retorted, his voice still bristling with anger. "Do you really think I want to lose? I don't need your damn pep talks, Tatiana. I already know we have to do better."  "I'm just trying to support and comfort you." The young woman shook her head at him with a frown.

Reece let out a scoff in response to her words. "I don't need comfort, Tatiana," he retorted, using her full name again in frustration. "I'm not some weakling. I'm a grown man, and I can handle my own damn emotions. I don't need you to baby me and tell me everything's going to be alright." Tatiana raised her hands up in surrender, she was understood why Reece was going off the way he did, but there was only so much she'd let him say before giving him an iconic Tati smackdown if he overstepped. Reece saw Tatiana raising her hands, but it only seemed to make his frustration grow. He took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them, his eyes narrowing at her.

"You think you can just raise your hands and I'll back off? I'm pissed off, Tatiana. This isn't just some minor inconvenience. We lost the damn game!" His voice rose, his anger taking over. Tatiana also took a step forward, shaking her head at him. "Baby I know that. I came to the game, I saw exactly what happened. Don't bite my head off just because you fucking lost." Reece's scowl deepened further as she stepped forward, matching his energy.

Reece's eyes locked onto hers, his body language radiating anger and defensiveness. "Well, what do you expect? This isn't just a game to me, Tatiana," he retorted, his voice filled with annoyance. "It's my whole damn life. I've worked hard to get where I am, and losing doesn't come easy to me. So pardon me for being pissed off." Tatiana went silent once more, closing her eyes as she did a breathing exercise that Reece once helped her to do through a panic attack. "You're angry you lost— so I'm not going to tear you a new one, but boy you better take the bass out of your tone when you talk to me." Tatiana spoke out with a firm voice as she reopened her eyes to look at her boyfriend.

Reece's facial expression softened slightly as he listened to Tatiana speak with a stern tone. He knew that when she got serious, it was safer to listen. His scowl faded a bit, but his frustration still lingered. "Fine," he muttered, his voice losing some of its harshness. "I won't bite your head off, but don't expect me to be all sunshine and rainbows right now. I'm pissed off, and I have every right to be." Tatiana sighed once more, placing her hand over his arm. "I know you do babe, you have every right.. But there's no need to lash out at me, because I know you will do better next game." Reece felt Tatiana'shand on his arm, and it immediately softened him a bit more. The warmth of her touch seemed to soothe him at least a little bit. He sighed, his shoulders dropping slightly as his anger began to subside.