𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐒 𝐅𝐋𝐘 || 𝐂𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐊

shes insisting that friends look at each other like that

Media day had been a whirlwind of photos, interviews, and endless smiling. By the end of it, Lilly, Caitlin, and Kate were completely exhausted. They had retreated to the lounge area, seeking some much-needed rest.

Lilly was sprawled out on one of the couches, her head resting on Caitlin's lap. Caitlin absentmindedly played with Lilly's hair, her own eyes half-closed with fatigue. Kate was on the adjacent couch, scrolling through TikTok, occasionally letting out a soft laugh at something she found funny.

"Today was brutal," Lilly muttered, eyes closed as she relished the gentle touch of Caitlin's fingers in her hair.

"Tell me about it," Caitlin agreed, stifling a yawn. "I never knew smiling for hours could be so exhausting."

Kate looked up from her phone, smirking. "At least you two got to pose together. I was stuck next to that creepy mascot half the time."

Lilly chuckled, cracking one eye open. "Hey, don't knock the mascot. He's trying his best."

Caitlin grinned, giving Lilly's hair a playful tug. "Yeah, he's just misunderstood."

Kate rolled her eyes and went back to her TikTok feed. "Whatever you say."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, the only sound being the occasional noise from Kate's phone. Lilly felt herself drifting off, the warmth of Caitlin's lap and the soothing motion of her fingers lulling her into a light doze.

Caitlin looked down at Lilly, a fond smile on her face. "You look like you're about to fall asleep."

Lilly mumbled something incoherent, too tired to form a proper response. Caitlin chuckled softly, continuing to stroke her hair.

Kate glanced over, shaking her head with a grin. "You two are adorable, you know that?"

Caitlin shrugged, her smile never fading. "Just making sure she's comfortable."

Lilly's eyes fluttered open, just enough to look up at Caitlin. "You're the best," she whispered.

"Damn right I am," Caitlin replied, leaning down to press a quick kiss to Lilly's forehead. "Now rest up. We've got practice tomorrow."

Lilly nodded slightly, closing her eyes again. "Okay, coach."

Kate snorted from her couch. "If you two keep this up, the whole team's gonna be sick of your lovey-dovey nonsense."

Lilly managed a sleepy smile. "They'll survive."

"Barely," Kate teased, turning her attention back to her phone.

As the three of them settled back into their respective states of relaxation, the fatigue of the day began to melt away, replaced by the comfort of being together. Despite the exhaustion, there was no place any of them would rather be.

Kate continued scrolling through TikTok, her expression shifting from amused to surprised. She let out a low whistle, catching the attention of Lilly and Caitlin.

"Guys, the media is freaking out about you two," Kate said, her eyes still glued to her phone screen.

Lilly and Caitlin both looked up, confused. "What?" they asked in unison.

Kate turned her phone around, showing them a series of ship edits and clips from their recent interviews. "Seriously, look at this. People are going nuts over you two."

Lilly raised an eyebrow, squinting at the screen. "Again? This was all over the place when we played for Team USA."

Caitlin nodded, looking mildly amused. "Yeah, but we didn't have nearly this much media attention back then."

Kate scrolled through the comments, reading some aloud. "'They're so perfect together,' 'When are they gonna make it official?' and, oh, this one's my favorite: 'Just kiss already!'"

Lilly rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "People really have too much time on their hands."

Caitlin laughed, shaking her head. "It's not like we can help it. We're just close."

Kate smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Close? That's an understatement. You two are practically inseparable."

Lilly shrugged, still lying comfortably on Caitlin's lap. "What can we say? We're best friends."

"And maybe a little more," Caitlin added playfully, making Lilly blush.

Kate laughed, shaking her head. "Well, whatever it is, the fans love it. You guys are basically the 'it' couple of the team."

Lilly groaned good-naturedly. "Great, more pressure."

Caitlin gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry about it. We're used to this by now. Just be ourselves."

"Yeah," Lilly agreed, settling back down. "We've handled this before. No big deal."

Kate looked at them both, a mixture of amusement and admiration in her eyes. "Well, just so you know, you've got an entire fanbase rooting for you."

Lilly chuckled, her eyes closing again. "Good to know. Now can we please go back to relaxing?"

"Fine by me," Kate said, turning back to her phone with a smile.

Lilly looked up at Caitlin, a playful glint in her eye. "So, now the media is telling you too. When are you going to ask me out?"

Caitlin laughed, shaking her head in amusement. "Oh, so now you're taking cues from TikTok comments?"

"Maybe," Lilly replied with a grin. "Just curious if you ever listen to the fans."

Caitlin leaned down, her face just inches from Lilly's. "And what if I did ask you out? What would you say?"

Lilly's cheeks turned a light shade of pink, but she kept her playful demeanor. "Depends on how good your pitch is."

Kate, watching the exchange, shook her head and laughed. "You two are ridiculous."

"Hey, we're just giving the fans what they want," Caitlin said, winking at Lilly.

Lilly laughed, sitting up a bit. "Well, I guess they do have a point. You should make a move already, Clark."

Caitlin smirked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Oh, trust me, I will. But I'm going to do it my way, not because some TikTok comments told me to."

Lilly rolled her eyes but was smiling. "Fine, fine. Just don't keep me waiting forever."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Caitlin replied, giving Lilly a quick kiss on the forehead.

Kate groaned, putting her phone down. "Okay, seriously, you two. If you keep this up, I'm going to need a bucket for all the mushiness."

Lilly and Caitlin both laughed, finally pulling apart but still holding hands.

"Don't worry, Kate," Lilly said, grinning. "We'll tone it down. Maybe."

"Maybe," Caitlin echoed, squeezing Lilly's hand.

Kate shook her head, still smiling. "You two are impossible. But I guess that's why we love you."

"Right back at you," Lilly said, leaning her head on Caitlin's shoulder. "Now, can we please just chill for a bit?"

"Absolutely," Caitlin agreed, wrapping an arm around Lilly. 

AUTHORS NOTE:

guys little timeline confusion, I know we said that Lilly is a freshman and Cait a sophomore but lets just do a quick time skip and pretend that Lilly is a junior and Cait a senior. I love u all tysm for reading!!