Last Game

The End

When player number 2 finally reunited with his team mates after a heartfelt conversation with his bird, they were gathered in the locker room after the end of the third quarter, looking glum and mopey.

"Hey!" he scolded, loud and strong, standing with his head held high and gleaming an air of confidence that of the captain they had followed to the final game of the cup and would finally to the end of it all. "What's with the long faces? We haven't lost this game yet!"

"There's only 16 minutes left and we're 20 points behind" his little brother who normally clung to the last rays of hope complained, seemingly lost his drive too after witnessing his older brother so down earlier.

"So? We just have to score 10 points, that's less points than minutes! We can do this! We've been cornered before, we've been in tougher situations before. We're the 'Pirates'! You gonna let them beat us at our last game?"

"What changed?" Trafalgar asked, but wasn't all too concerned with the answer, his smirk was knowing and his golden hues were teasing; when his best friend and co-captain didn't respond, he spoke in support of his energy. "You heard him — this game isn't over yet so you all better not give up until it is"

Cheers and chants of their team mates echoes in the locker room, their energy regained by no more than a few words of encouragement by their captains and before long they had taken the court again, except this time they paced like they ruled it.

Heads held high and movements too swift for their opposition to keep track of. They stole the ball and they scored loot like the pirates they were labeled as.

Their cheerleaders from the sidelines seemed just as hyped for their rising return as well as the renewed cheer in their own captain.

Finally with a few seconds left to the game and a minimal score of two points separating them from their opponent, the ball would fall into their Ace player's hands.

Voices rung all around, urging him to make the three pointer, to score and win the promised cup but one was heard above them all, silencing the rest as he isolated it in his mind.

"Come on, Ace!" she called out and he threw the ball; with a swoosh it fell down the loop and into the basket, a whistle blowing and loud yells and laughter filling the stadium as the freckled star was swooped up above his team-mates shoulder, golden cup in hand and echoes of his name bellowing all around.

He did it.

They won.

As soon as his feet touched the ground again, his eyes searched the crowd for a particular strawberry blonde head, dismissing all the many congratulations with polite smiles until silvery hues spotted her, standing shyly in a distance not too far off the crowd; her own indigo eyes having been focused on him the entire time, she couldn't help the blush creeping to her cheeks as he walked towards her, cup already left within the hold of his team-mates so his arms could be free to hold her and just her.

"It's you" he said causing her eyes to widen but she needn't ask what he meant this time as he was quick to explain. "It's always been you too. The one I choose, the one I want by my side if all my dreams come true or if they don't. It's you, Rosa. I want to be with you. That's my choice. You're my choice"

And there it was, the adorable innocent and happy giggle he had been deprived of hearing, like rain falling down on a dry desert, it had been music to his two ears and without further adieu, tiny figure was lifted up into his arms, tightly and protectively held within his embrace so she may never slip from it again, then spun around while their laughter rung above all the noise.

A nearby click of flash seemed to snap them both of their own secluded little piece of heaven to the surrounding reality, both pair of eyes shifting to their lingering nearby friend, grabbing her trusted companion aka her camera and wearing her signature grin.

"I found my front page photo" Kodak chirped causing the couple to burst into laughter again — they were embarrassed and flustered but most of all, they were in love.

They laughed like they were laughing for the first time, they held each other like they had never been apart, the loved like ecstasy was all they've ever known and all they would know forever and always.