Page 39 of Couple Goals

It finally feels like Kira’s completely at Maeve’s control, like she’d wish she would be in their competitions.

But then Maeve’s teasing at the band of Kira’s boxers, using her fingers, her tongue, and Kira’s moaning. She pulls down Kira’s pants, football is the last thing on her mind.

‘Pleasecan I use my hands now?’ whispers Kira. ‘I need to feel you.’

‘You only get one touch,’ Maeve says, still kneeling. ‘Use it wisely.’

Kira’s hand reaches down into Maeve’s hair, grasping the band of her ponytail, and twists deliciously hard. All thoughts of plotting or competition evaporate. Maeve is just lost in eating Kira out, wanting to make her lose some of that cool, wanting to draw out the sighs of pleasure that Kira had pulled from her.

Kira is panting, gripping her hair, and Maeve can tell she’s close, and Maeve’s both desperate to bring that for her, but also for the moment not to stop – when they hear noises on the other side of the door.

The chatter of the earliest teammates arriving and heading down the corridor, straight towards them.

Maeve looks up at Kira, her mouth wet, and for a second they just freeze.

‘Jesus Christ,’ Kira groans, looking like she wants to punch every single one of these early arrivals. Then their self-preservation action muscles kick in. Kira pulls up her pants and her shorts,lunging away from the door to one of the lockers. Meanwhile, Maeve has sprinted towards the sinks, and splashes her face thoroughly with cold water.

She still feels dazed when the door opens and Milo, Nat, Liv, and Adriana walk in.

They notice Kira first, and all hesitate still unsure about their new teammate. Kira’s reputation as arrogant has clearly ruffled feathers and much as the team admire or indeed fear her on the pitch, they haven’t had the opportunity to click with her socially. What Maeve might see as Kira working hard through their extra training hours has just been seen as Kira deliberately not making an effort to get to know the rest of the players.

Adriana is the only one to give her an attempt at cheeriness. ‘Hey Kira! Good weekend?’

Kira keeps her face in her locker, slamming it shut, and heads towards the showers to cool off. Maeve can tell that Kira is just so bamboozled and sexually frustrated by the unfortunately timed interruption that she can barely focus, but the others don’t know that.

‘Jeesh, what is her problem?’ Milo tuts.

‘Let’s give her the benefit of the doubt, guys,’ says Adriana, and Maeve feels a rush of affection for her kind friend. ‘Maybe she just woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning.’

‘God, maybe she needs to get a new bed,’ grumbles Milo. ‘Seems like every morning is the wrong side for her.’

Maeve’s stomach twists. She hates hearing anyone being talked badly of, it reminds her too much of being bullied herself when she was in school. The cool girls thought she was weird for being football obsessed,and maybe they could somehow sense that she was awkwardly closetted. But hearing Kira specifically being criticised feels a different level of sordid and complicated. Should she stand up for her? But if she did, then surely everyone would question why she’s suddenly defending her supposed rival for the captaincy? And, if they’re going to keep hooking up secretly like this, then it’s a good idea to maintain that she doesn’t like Kira either?

Shecouldjoin in, start criticising Kira too, because that would be a good cover to hide her real feelings. But she can’t bring herself to do that.

‘Like, I get that she’s a good player,’ Milo says, begrudgingly, still loudly enough for their voice to carry. ‘But whatever, we’reallgood players. She acts like she’s too good for us, just because she’s Hoffman’s special baby, and–’

Maeve can’t stand it anymore. Not really planning what she’s doing, she slams her locker shut loudly and heads into the changing room. The others all spin round noticing her for the first time, and all look guilty – even Adriana.

‘Good morning, team,’ Maeve interrupts, loudly.

‘Morning, Cap,’ Nat and Liv acknowledge her. Adriana avoids her eye, and Milo goes uncharacteristically quiet.

Maeve still feels tense and alert as she walks by them all to fill her water bottle, wondering if she should say something more, but then not knowing which side she should take. At least she stopped Milo from saying more, she thinks. It was a good defensive move.

They all go about changing into their training kit silently.

It’s only then that Maeve hears the shower turn on. Kira must have been close enough to hear the rest of the conversation.

Fortunately the tension in the room is cut short by the arrival of the rest of the team, and all their general chatter about their weekends, and talking about the upcoming fixture that week – their first of the new season, and first under Coach Hoffman.

Maeve remains on edge, waiting for Kira to return from the shower, feeling the same uncertainty as to their relationship as she’d started the morning. Will she be annoyed at her for not speaking up more in front of their teammates, or understand that she was trying to be secretive about their… relations?

‘Choksi,’ Maeve calls out, trying to sound casual, as the others have all filed out ahead. ‘You coming?’

‘I was very close,’ Kira calls back. ‘But unfortunately I got interrupted.’

Maeve flushes and heads out, unable to face her. She only hopes they’ll get a chance to carry on what they were doing another time very soon.

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