imagine this: nba

happy ever after » luke walton

// you will look back in a few years and be absolutely perplexed and awed by how every little thing added up and brought you somewhere wonderful — or where you always wanted to be. you will be grateful that things didn't work out the way you once wanted them to.

He remembers how he met Janine. He replayed that day over and over in his head. At the time, it seemed nearly impossible to even think about her but somehow, he'd managed to pull it off.

Kobe had brought her to one of their games and the first thought that popped into his mind was how beautiful she was. But then Kobe proceeded to introduce her as Pau's girlfriend and his hopes were crushed in a matter of seconds after meeting her.

She was sweet. She had the brightest smile and the softest voice ever. She was so gentle with everything and everyone around her that it seemed a little off to him that she was dating one of their most aggressive players on the team.

Of course, he knew he'd get his ass kicked if anyone ever found out that he had fallen for the girl who had the most striking eyes with the heart of an angel but he just couldn't stop himself either.

Over time, he found out everything he needed to know to confirm that he was a hundred percent in love with her. Knowing her even deeper also meant that he had to keep up with her rambling over Pau's romantic gestures and as a good friend, he'd go along with her and talk highly of Pau; which was something he did a lot, so it wasn't anything new at all.

But then, the day came. The storm had finally arrived to their peaceful location — her and Pau's relationship. She'd started calling him after a fight, showing up at his doorstep in the middle of the night, and then staying over until they've made up. She'd never talk about what they fought about but he had come to a conclusion that he should just mind his own business.

He didn't understand why she kept going back to him either. Why would she wanna continue staying in a relationship where all they did was fight? It was frustrating to hold her sobbing figure at night then watch her walking hand-in-hand with him the following day as if nothing had happened.

At long last, they finally did break up. It'd been a mutual break up but then she disappeared from the face of the Earth for quite some time.

Then she returned a couple months later for Kobe's birthday party. She looked as stunning as ever, and possibly even happier than she ever was when she was with Pau. She'd approached Luke first and apologized for taking off like she'd done.

He asked if her if Pau knew she was coming and she said that he was the one that had invited her in the first place. His heart dropped when he heard that, but the hope in his eyes flashed back the moment she told him that they agreed they'd be just friends.

He knew loving her would be a risk — she'd just gone through a breakup and that breakup was with his teammate. Her going through a breakup was one thing, but the fact that she'd date his teammate months prior was another.

Dating her would be against the bro code.

And it sucked. It sucked feeling something so strong for someone but having to hold back because your gut told you that it was wrong and insensitive to ever go for his teammate's ex-girlfriend. It'd break the team's chemistry and that was the last thing he wanted.

They got back into the rhythm of things. She came to their practice and games regularly, they hung out before and after games and she stayed over at his place when it'd gotten too late.

It was only a matter of time when his teammates had caught up with his feelings. So when Pau caught him off guard before a game, all of the avoiding he'd been doing off the court was a total bust.

"I know you like her," Pau said softly as he kept his eyes on the court where their friends were practicing. "I knew you liked her. You were what we fought about."

That sucked even more; knowing that you were part of the reason a couple broke up. He didn't mean no harm. He was at a loss of words when Pau had told him straight up. "I-I'm sorry."

Pau shook his head. "It's okay. I see the way you look at her man, and you don't have to hold back anymore."

Luke was confused. Pau had dated the girl for half a year. He did not just tell him that he didn't need to hold back his feelings anymore. "She's your ex. Of course I have to hold back."

"If you're talking about the whole bro code shit, I'm gonna kick your ass so hard that you land in another galaxy," Pau laughed. Pau got up from his place and shrugged. "She's my ex, not my mom. She's not out of your league, bro."

"Shouldn't you be mad that I liked her while you guys were dating?" Luke bent down to push the loose ball back onto the court to Kobe then got on his feet as well. "You guys were dating."

"And I'm giving you the green light," Pau rolled his eyes playfully. "She talks about you all the time now. We're just friend. Go get her before someone else does. I'd be damned if she didn't end up with someone like you."

So he did. He tell her how he felt. Fortunately, she did feel the same way. It'd been the sole reason she and Pau had broken up, anyway.

Pau knew it was time to let her go when he started noticing the smallest bit of change in the way she was acting around him.

But it all turned out okay.

A few years later, he proposed to her and then they got married. There had been a heartwarming speech from Kobe, not forgetting to mention how Luke stumbled over his words trying to ask her out, and a heart wrenching one from Pau.

A couple more years later, he has little children jumping and hopping on their bed, waking them up because it was christmas morning.

He opened his eyes as his children dived and squeezed themselves between the small space between him and his wife. And when she opened her eyes, grinning slightly back at him, he's completely in awe by the way things had turned out.

It seemed just like yesterday when his heart felt like it was being crushed in someone's hand because he was convinced he'd never get a chance with her — but he did.

And waiting was the best decision he'd ever made.

YOOOO SHOUTOUT TO qveenpariah FOR SPARKING UP THE LUKE WALTON FEELS I DIDN'T KNOW I EVEN HAD. AND WOW THIS WAS A NEW FORMAT TO WRITE IN, BUT I'M PROUD OF IT.