Training the Team (Dougie Hamilton)

Summer of Champions

July 4

I'm at a party with the guys, the music is turned up so loud I can't hear myself think, my boyfriend is holding my waist, and I am having the time of my life. This is truly the summer of champions.

Dougie kisses my hair softly as he asks if I want to go somewhere else.

"Okay," I smile. Dougie smiles down at me and slips away.

I wait a little bit, moving to the pounding music, and then follow him. We end up in a small room in the apartment, and Dougie wastes no time putting his hands on my hips and his lips on mine. I kiss him back, running my fingers over his now-smooth jaw and into his hair.

"I celebrate this holiday way too intensely for a Canadian," he chuckles against my lips.

I smirk. "Lucky for you, I'm an American, so we can keep this party going all night long."

Dougie smirks back at me. "Fantastique, chérie."

I lean up and kiss him again, and have no intention of stopping until I hear the door open and a familiar voice cry: "Wh- Kylie!!"

I break from Dougie to see Pasta holding the door open, his mouth open wide.

"Ty- a Hamilton-" Pasta gasps.

"Cela est tout simplement génial," Dougie mutters.

"-vy dva spolu chodíte-"

"-génial. maintenant, il sait-"

"-ach Kylie, to je tak vzrušující-"

"-maintenant tout le monde va savoir-"

I step in. "Okay, can everybody just speak English?" I ask, glaring at the two of them. "Because some of us aren't bilingual."

Dougie rolls his eyes. "Bien."

"That isn't English," I remind him.

"So you two are hooking up!" Pasta exclaims.

I sigh. "Yeah, we are."

"Kylie!" Dougie protests.

"What excuse were we going to give? None of us are drunk and he opened the door when we were mouth to mouth!"

Pasta's grinning widely, his eyes darting back and forth between us. "I knew it!" He exclaims.

"Okay, and?" I ask, bracing myself for taunting or demands in exchange for secrecy.

He looks at me blankly. "What?"

"Are you going to tell the whole team or something?"

Pasta gives me a puzzled look. "I mean, if you want me to. But I was thinking that maybe you didn't?"

"No, please don't! But you'll keep it a secret?" I ask.

He nods. "Yes. I swear."

I relax. "Good. Thanks, Pasta."

"No problem, Kylie." He winks at me. "Have fun!"

"He's such a punk," Dougie mutters as he walks away.

I smile at the back of Pasta. "Yeah, but he's a good kid."

I look back at Dougie. "Anyways, I think we were celebrating?"

Dougie smiles back, cupping my chin as he leans toward me. "I believe we were."

"Happy late Canada Day," I whisper into my boyfriend's ear, our bodies tangled under the sheets. He kisses my collar in return.