AN: Thanks for reviewing/story alerting! My first story so any feedback is loved!
This isn't going to turn into a Payson/Sasha story I'm afraid...but I'm working on another that hopefully will be! (If you've any ideas you'd like to see let me know...open to suggestions!) It's mainly a friendship tale between the girls, although Sasha will get his corner too!
I started writing this before I saw S3, so I'm ignoring it totally!
Kelly lounged on her bed with Kaylie, while Lauren redid her hair in the mirror, "Well, out with it Pay".
Payson pulled the blind up on the window, showing a view of the Olympic Village and London beyond, "When we leave here, what are we going to have to take home?"
"Our gold medals?" Lauren's face simply read 'duh'.
"Ok, other than that," Payson tried again, "When we're 30 or something, sure we'll have memories, videos, photos, but we have those from every meet we've been to. God, we have those from every training session we've had".
Kaylie frowned, "So what do you suggest?"
Turning away from the window, Payson looked at her friends, "Maybe, something a bit more…permanent…?"
Kelly sat up so fast she tipped off the side of the bed. When she had turned herself upright she stared at Payson, "Are you saying what I think you're saying Keeler?"
"I'm worried our minds do work in similar ways KP," the blonde gymnast said slowly.
"Jeez," Kelly's eyes were wide, "If I let you do this, your mom is going to kill me! Heck, she'll kill all of us! There'll be no necks to hang our gold medals around!"
Lauren waved her hands around, "Excuse me? Hello! What on earth are you talking about?"
"Keeler wants a tattoo!" Kelly dropped dramatically back onto the bed.
"You've actually been planning this haven't you," said Lauren, who had finally moved away from the mirror and was sitting in the armchair by the television.
Payson shrugged, still standing by the window, "I've been thinking about it. I know what I want, and where to go for it".
"How?" Kelly asked, incredulous that her docile, stickler for the rules, anti-rebellion friend had thought this through and not mentioned a word.
"You know the British gymnast, the guy who's awesome on pommel, Louis Smith? He's got this huge one on his back; you can see it above the neck of his top. Anyway, we ended up in the same lift about 2 days ago, when you lot bundled in the one with Jarrod Spear…" Payson was interrupted by Lauren, "He's super cute though! Just 'cause you like blonde guys Pay!"
"Anyway," Payson carried on firmly, "I asked him about his tattoo, and where he would suggest would be a good place to have one done. We chatted about it and he told me about this shop, Selfridges I think, apparently it's yellow, which is where he got his. He text me some directions, and then said he'd show us around London if we wanted it, with some other guys on the British team I think".
Once again Lauren piped up, "Someone's got a crush on Payson! Or do you like him? Maybe I was wrong about you liking blondes. I guess he is kinda cute though".
Kelly threw a pillow at Lauren, "Shuttup Lo, I'm sure Pay won't mind if you want him," she easily caught the pillow on its' return flight and handed it to Kaylie, "So, where are we going Payson? I'm changing before we leave the village though".
"You're actually saying you're coming with me?" the blonde looked at Kelly with a questioning expression.
Her friend and roommate nodded, "Damn right I am, I'm not letting you go alone! And, I think it's a pretty good idea".
Payson grinned, "Thanks KP".
"Hey! Don't think you're doing this alone, you two," Lauren announced, "I'm in".
Kaylie slid off Kelly's bed, "And me," she reached out and squeezed Payson's arm, "I really like it as an idea Pay".
"I don't want you guys doing this because of me," Payson interrupted the sudden movement around the room, "I want this, I've been thinking about it for a while and I'm certain. It's like, until now the only marks on me are from the worst thing in my life, the scars from my back injury, and I want to change that. I want the best thing in my life, this, being here and hopefully doing something amazing, to take over. A mark to show it, how lucky I am to have got here".
"I think we've all been thinking something similar," Kaylie said gently, "Just, no one knew how to say something, or what to say. We've all had something to overcome, I guess some of our stepping-stones were a little wobbly, but together we're here. And you're right Pay, this is the most amazing time of our lives, we're here, living our dreams and we can mark this in whatever way we want. You got the idea, now we're just helping it come true, like a team does. And sure, we might be muscling in on the way, but hey, we share a dream, lets share everything!"
Payson wrapped her arms around her friend, sniffing a little into her shoulder before raising her head, "Thank you Kay, that was…"
Slightly watery themselves, Lauren and Kelly barrelled towards their embracing friends and threw themselves into hug as well, cutting off the rest of Payson's sentence.
"All for one, and one for all!" cried Lauren with a smile, earning cheesy laughs form her friends.
"Wow, you've read the Three Musketeers Lo?" Payson teased, "I thought you were a strictly magazine girl!"
Lauren tugged on Payson's ponytail; "I think I had to read it for a class. I thought there were more than three though".
Kelly laughed, "There's always the part of the horse!"