Airport Coffee

Untitled Part 1

"Get coffee with me."

"Huh?" Alyssa looked up from her book, shock written on her face. She was right in the middle of a huge plot twist when Julie's voice dragged her out of the world of fantasy and back to the airport terminal where they were waiting for a delayed flight back to Chicago.

"Come get coffee with me. We aren't going to be out of here anytime soon and I could use a pick-me up." The blonde pleaded, her big blue eyes shining despite the blizzard whirling outside.

"...Alright." Alyssa figured the plot twist could wait a little longer – they still had a long flight home she could finish the book on. Plus, she liked spending time with her favorite defender turned midfielder turned destroyer of anyone who dared get in her way.

"Yay!" Julie literally bounced with happiness as the older woman slid her bookmark into place. She had tried numerous things to keep herself busy while they waited, but her phone was dying so she didn't want to use it and she had finished the book she had brought for the trip. Christen was wrapped up in her phone texting Tobin and Casey was already napping. That had left the goalkeeper for Julie to turn to in order to help pass the time.

Julie's obvious happiness drew a smile to Alyssa's face after she stowed her book into her carryon. The older woman grabbed her bag and walked over to the forward.

"Hey Chris, will you watch this while I get coffee with Jules?"

"Yeah just throw it with my stuff." Christen glanced up to make eye contact before being drawn back into her phone when it buzzed.

"Thanks Chris. Want me to bring you back anything?" Alyssa stowed her bag on top of Christen's things.

"A bottle of water would be great. Thanks!" A grateful smile adorned the forward's face. Alyssa returned it before going back to the bouncing blonde.

"Alright Jules let's go scout out what kind of coffee this place has."

"Absolutely." Julie grinned again. She couldn't help it. They had won their friendly and she had finally gotten to play. Now she was out to get coffee with one of her favorite women and they had time to kill – it was the closest thing to alone time she had managed to snag with the goalkeeper for a while.

Her grin was infectious, Alyssa couldn't deny it. She found herself returning a smile to the blonde. Julie simply lit up the area around her with joy, wherever she was. It radiated from her, even dressed in her usual attire of sweats, a USWNT tank, and a beanie.

The pair wandered around the airport. Alyssa suspected Julie also needed to burn some energy. They weren't used to being trapped for so long without a purpose. They wandered up and down the different terminals while looking at the various restaurants and shops set up throughout the airport. Neither said much, simply happy for the company and someone to help handle the fans when they got recognized.

Alyssa was more than happy to take pictures for fans with Julie. She marveled at the younger woman's ability to put even the most nervous fan at ease. The older woman watched Julie strike up a conversation with both younger and older fans, asking them about their thoughts on the most recent game. It usually took them a few moments to answer, but Julie never rushed them. Her grin never left her face and she was always willing to take as many photos or sign whatever they had handy. She was truly wonderful to watch with the fans. Alyssa did her best to mirror what Julie did, but in her own way. She was more soft-spoken with the fans, especially the older ones but encouraged them all to chase their dreams, no matter if they were related to soccer or not. The ones who had her jersey (Breakers, Red Stars, or USWNT) always made her give a rare smile. She knew she wasn't as popular with the fans as Hope or Ashlyn, so seeing those who were in her corner brought her a spark a joy. Julie returned the favor and snapped the few pictures for those who requested them. The pair waved goodbye to a pair of college-age women who were returning home from a soccer tournament and continued on their quest to find some decent coffee.