Proud

Summary - Erica helps Melanie prepare for a lacrosse game. Companion one-shot to Underneath it All in honor of National Girlfriends Day.

The thunderous pounding of helmets against lockers mixed with the hoots and hollers of the hyped up boys as they ran to the field. It filtered into the women's locker room, thankfully at a lower volume due to the thick walls. Melanie was already a quaking, nervous wreck. Getting her hearing assaulted by her pumped up teammates would ruin her concentration on the field and throw her off. She needed to be in top form if Coach Finstock was going to let her see the field against their toughest opponents yet.

"Mellie, sit still," Erica insisted with a huff. She stood up and put her hands on her hips. Her golden hair cascaded to one side as she frowned.

"Sorry, sorry," Melanie muttered. She stopped drumming her fingers against the bench but then a second later her leg began to jiggle. Erica's frown deepened. Oh well, Melanie wasn't bothering the manicure Erica had bestowed upon her the night before anymore.

"I can hear your heart beating like crazy."

"You don't need werewolf senses for that. I think they can hear it all the way in Florida."

"Why're you so worried? You're going to crush it like you always do," Erica said. She tapped the bottom of Melanie's chin, signaling for her to lift her head. "And yes, I can smell your worrying."

"This is the toughest team we've ever gone against, Eri," Melanie replied. She did her best to keep her head still as Erica carefully rubbed the mascara brush against her lashes. "If we beat them we'll become top in our Division. That's a big deal! We haven't been top in our division for a couple years now."

Erica snorted. "Because you didn't have a werewolf on your team."

"And me! I wasn't on the team then either," Melanie pointed out.

"Aren't you supposed to be modest?"

"I can't help it that I actually practice and am better than some of the other players. Lacrosse is serious business."

"Okay Jackson—close your eyes."

Melanie stuck out her tongue but did as he told. Her eyelids fluttered at the tickling sensation of Erica applying eyeshadow with a brush. Outside the locker room she could hear the excited chatter of spectators as they walked by and headed for the stands. She could imagine the signs and pom-poms they were carrying and the maroon and silver paint on their cheeks. Everyone came out for lacrosse. Most schools had football teams as their staple, lacrosse was it for Beacon Hills.

She sucked in a breath and let it out slowly to calm her racing heart. No matter how many times she went over the plays engrained in her mind—half due to repetition and half due to Coach Finstock yelling at them for not moving their fat asses fast enough—the thought of executing them on the field with opponents that stood over her like mountains made a shiver roll down her spine and a lump harden in her throat.

"Stop it," Erica said.

"I'm not doing anything," Melanie grumbled. Or she would have if Erica wasn't swiping a lipgloss wand across her lower lip.

"You're freaking out. That's not like you—rub."

"It's just…" Melanie paused and rubbed her lips together like she was instructed. "I don't want to fuck up. It's a big game."

"You'll be fine. You'll be great, even. You'll run faster than everyone and show up all the boys. And you're going to look amazing while doing it so they know that a girl crushed their fragile little egos into the dirt where it belongs."

Melanie laughed as Erica climbed up onto the bench she was sitting on and pulled her hair back. Her eyes fluttered shut and a low hum slipped from her mouth when she felt Erica's fingernails scratch against her scalp as she gathered up all her hair. That was her favorite part of her pre-game ritual, having Erica come in and tie back her hair in a special style to fit beneath her helmet. Every now and then Melanie would give in and allow her to put makeup on as well. Having Erica near kept her calm when all she wanted to do was run in the opposite direction.

"Can you do a French braid?" Melanie asked as she relaxed on the bench.

"Anything you want, Sunshine," Erica replied. Her fingers deftly slid her fingers through Melanie's hair and formed the braid with quick precision. "You know, Beacon Hills needs a cheerleading team. So I can be your cheerleader."

"You already are my cheerleader."

"Yeah, but then I can wear a sexy little skirt while doing it."

Melanie snorted. "Is that more for you or for me."

"Both."

"You'd only distract me."

"I know. That's the point." Melanie couldn't almost see the smirk on Erica's face despite not being able to see it.

"You want us to lose? Because that's how we'd lose."

"You'd still be coming home with me so, as far as I'm concerned, I'd still be winning."

Melanie lowered her head as far as she could, a pleased blush appearing on her face. She twisted her fingers together and kicked her cleat-covered feet back and forth. Talk about a role reversal. Erica took the changing of tides with ease but it still was a gradual descent for Melanie. Going from giving the pep talks to receiving them was a bitter pill to swallow for help wasn't a word in her vocabulary when it was directed at herself.

"Okay, I'm done," Erica announced. She jumped down from the table, her heeled boots clacking on the ground. "Try the helmet on." As she lifted the helmet the sound of the locker room door creaking open made them both lift their heads.

"Hurry it up, Crowe! Get the lead out of your ass!" Coach Finstock shouted through the door.

"I'm coming, Coach!" Melanie called back. "Had to deal with a lady problem!"

Her response was a series of spluttering followed by the creak of the door as it closed again. Erica sighed. "He really needs to get laid."

"Ugh, Eri! I don't even want to think about that!"

Erica grinned wickedly. "I bet he goes for the freaks. The ones that'll do anything in bed. The loud ones. Bet he likes it rough too." She leaned against a row of lockers as he thought. "D'you think he's into bondage?"

"Erica!" Melanie grabbed her helmet and stood. She sighed and shook her head. "Just kiss my helmet for luck, okay?"

"Well, I'd rather be kissing you, for the record," Erica replied, taking the helmet out of Melanie's hands. She made a sow of pressing her lips against the white helmet so when she pulled it away a lipstick mark was left behind. "But I don't want to mess up your makeup." She handed the helmet back to Melanie and then grasped her cheeks, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Now go out there and make me a proud girlfriend," she said, dipping her head a little to nuzzle her nose against Melanie's.

"I'll try."

Erica shook her head. "You never have to try. You always do."

Melanie grinned and lightly pecked Erica's lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

a/n - So. I was going to have Underneath it All updated on Sunday in honor of the final ten episodes of the season but some life stuff got in the way. So when I heard that today was National Girlfriends Day this idea came to mind. I hope you all like it! If you'd like to follow me on twitter the link is in my profile. If you'd like to follow me on tumblr and check out some extra goodies for my Teen Wolf character/universe, you can find me at ceruleanmusings.

Please read and review!

~Manning