USWNT Oneshots

Dance With Me?

The first time she asked, I thought she was crazy. "Dance with me?" I raised an eyebrow at the tan midfielder. "What?" I asked. "Dance with me?" Tobin repeated. "Did someone spike your Powerade at practice?" I asked. Tobin pouted. "Please?" she whined. I rolled my eyes. "Fine." I said. Tobin took one of my hands and put her other hand on my waist. I copied her, and she led me as we slowly danced around the room. It became a routine for us. No matter how tired we were, whether it was after a game, or after a practice, or on an off day, we would dance together. I was mesmerized by Tobin. I would get lost in her warm brown eyes as we spun, and I often found myself imagining what it'd feel like to have those soft pink lips pressed up against my own. I was in love. One day, I finally worked up the guts to tell her. It was after a game, and I approached her. "Hey, Jedi." Tobin said, looking up at me. "Good job out there." "Thanks." I said. "You too. Listen, Tobin. I need to talk to you." "So do I." Tobin said, getting dressed in her casual clothes. "Let's go outside. "Okay." I said. We walked out of the locker room, out of the stadium. There was a man with long blonde hair and forest green eyes waiting outside the entrance to the stadium. "Hey, babe." he said when he saw Tobin. "Babe?" I asked. "Yup." Tobin said. "This is my boyfriend, Tristan." my heart broke into a million pieces. I felt betrayed. She had a boyfriend now? Didn't she know what she meant to me? Nevertheless, I smiled and shook Tristan's hand. "I'm Thalia Skywalker." I said. "Tobin's... friend." "Anyway, what did you have to talk to me about, Thalia?" Tobin asked. "Nothing." I said. "It doesn't matter." and I ran to the bus before Tobin could see me crying. On the bus ride back, I talked to Jill, and she agreed to let me switch roommates the next day. That night, after dinner, Tobin came into the room we shared. "Dance with me?" she asked. For the first time ever, I shook my head. "No." I said. "What?" Tobin asked, her brown eyes full of surprise and hurt. "I'm sorry, Tobin." I said. "I can't. Not anymore." "Why not?" Tobin asked. I said nothing, turning my back on her. Tobin grabbed me and turned me around to face her. "Why not?!" she demanded. "I just can't." I said, pulling away from her. "I'm sorry." "How about tomorrow night, then?" Tobin asked hopefully. I shook my head. "I'm switching roommates tomorrow." I said. "You'll be rooming with Becky. I'll be on my own." "But why?" Tobin asked, tears starting to fill her eyes. "I can't do this anymore." I said. "Fine, then!" Tobin said, anger filling her eyes. "Fine, Thalia Skywalker! I'm sleeping in Cheney and Arod's room tonight. You obviously don't care about me!" "Tobin, it's not like that!" I protested. "It's exactly like that, Thalia Skywalker!" Tobin yelled. "I hate you!" she stormed out of the room, leaving me alone. I packed my things up, tears in my eyes. I stole one of Tobin's UNC hoodies and packed it with the rest of my stuff. For many nights after that, alone in my room, I would cry myself to sleep, hugging the sweatshirt tightly to my chest. When I got home to Breckenridge, I put all the photos I had of me and Tobin in a box except for one. It was one that Cheney had taken of me and Tobin dancing together. The frame was engraved with the words "dance with me." at the next camp two months later, Tobin seemed different. She was more shy and cautious. She didn't laugh or smile. She didn't wear tank tops at training, and didn't go out with the team. We didn't talk to each other unless absolutely necessary. On the last day of camp, her boyfriend came, and she seemed terrified. That night, I was sitting on my bed looking at the photo of us, when someone banged on my door. I opened it to see Tobin. She was a mess. Her hair was out of its usual ponytail and was going all over the place, bruises stood out on her arms, and there were tears running down her face. "Thalia, please let me in!" she begged. "I know I'm not your favorite person right now, but I need you. Please!" I let her in, wrapping my arms around her and guiding her over to my bed. "What's wrong, Toby?" I asked, using the nickname I'd given her when we were friends. "H-he hurts me, Thalia!" Tobin gasped. "Who hurts you?" I asked, my fists clenching. "T-Tristan!" Tobin said. "He hits me!" at that point, there was another knock on the door. I opened it to see Tristan. "Where is she?" he spat. "Where is who?" I demanded. "Tobin!" Tristan hissed. "Where is she?" I stepped into the hall and faced him. "She's in there." I said. "And you can't see her." "And why not?" Tristan asked. "Because you don't know how to take care of her." I said. "Tobin Heath is the most beautiful, kind, talented person in the world, and I'm not going to just stand by idly while a douchebag like you abuses her!" Tristan laughed derisively. "I don't think you can stop me." he said, walking towards the door. I grabbed his arm, flipped him over my shoulder, and called security. "Later, douchebag." I spat as security dragged him away. I walked back into the room. "What happened out there?" Tobin asked. "I taught him a lesson." I said. "You're not still dating him, are you?" Tobin shook her head. "I broke up with him tonight." she said. "What was it that you wanted to tell me last camp?" "You remember that?" I asked. Tobin nodded. I took a deep breath. "I love you." I said. "I'm an idiot." Tobin said. "What makes you say that?" I asked. "Because I love you too." Tobin said. "And I was too blind to see what was right in front of me." she leaned in and kissed me. We broke apart slowly. "Dance with me?" Tobin asked softly. "I thought you'd never ask." I said.