The One with the Rugby

Spending her rare Saturday mornings off work standing outside in the freezing cold was not how she really wanted to begin her weekend.

But Jess was a good sister.

No, she was the best sister. And the best aunt. So when her brother had said he had a rugby match and her nephew had wanted to go and support his father and her sister-in-law had come down with a stomach bug Jess actually suspected was morning sickness, she volunteered to be the one to stand with the excited three year old on the sidelines, cheering on her big brother.

Except...

He wasn't the only person playing rugby that she recognised.

"Auntie Jess, Auntie Jess, look!" The gleeful little boy jumped up and down as he pointed at his beloved Daddy on the field (pitch? Jess wondered). "Daddy's so good!"

"Mmm hmm." Jess smiled at Johnny's hero worship of his father but her gaze wasn't focused on her big brother, rather his teammate who was working alongside him in what looked like a complicated play to get the rugby ball from one end of the pitch to the other. "He is, isn't he?"

The cold air made her shiver and she pulled her jacket tighter around her. Johnny was oblivious, but then she doubted he was staying still long enough to feel the chill on account of his enthusiastic bouncing and shouts of encouragement to his father.

"Hey, Jess." The voice made her jump, so focused had her attention been on both keeping one eye on her nephew while keeping one eye on the man playing rugby who was certainly not her brother. "It's been a while since I've seen you here."

Smiling at the other woman, Jess let her gaze drop down to the noticeable bump at her middle and grinned even more. "It's definitely been a while, Kim. Congratulations!"

"Thanks." Kim beamed, her hands resting proudly on her bump. "It's taken us a while but we got there in the end."

"Do you know if it's going to be a boy or a girl?" Jess asked, resting a hand on her nephew's head as she fought to keep her gaze on her new companion and not the players on the pitch.

"A boy," Kim said with both pride and affection. "A football player if the way he kicks is anything to go by but don't tell Gav. Football is a dirty word in our house."

Jess laughed, familiar with the argument. "We all know football is for wimps. Rugby is for the real men," she joked, though her gaze strayed back to the game going on and a warm blush rose in her cheeks.

"Hmm, I see you've spotted the newbie." Kim followed her gaze and sighed. "Though he's not really new; he's been playing for them for a few months now. Good friends with your brother from what I've seen," she added with an arched eyebrow. "So if you were angling for an introduction, you've got one up on the others."

"The others?" Her curiosity caused her to look at Kim, and then follow the direction of Kim's meaningful nod. Her eyes narrowed at the unusual sight of a few young woman she didn't recognise standing on the sidelines. "Who are they?"

"Sisters, cousins, friends." Kim shrugged a shoulder. "All it takes is one of them to mention there's a new, good looking player on the team who appears to be single if a lack of significant other at these matches goes for anything and word spreads like wildfire."

"He has a fan club?" Jess asked, wondering if she felt jealous or amused by the idea. Deciding she felt more amused – he would be too embarrassed for her to be jealous – she smiled wickedly. "Oh, I can't wait to tell him that."

"Tell him?" It was Kim's turn to look surprised, her eyebrows lifting. "Oh, has Mark introduced you two already?"

"No." Jess shook her head, smiling at the thought. "I already know him. We work together." And god help her if that didn't make her feel just a little bit smug. "I didn't know he played rugby, though. And especially not rugby with my brother."

"Ooh." Kim smiled again, her eyes lighting up. "So he doesn't know you're here?"

"Mark or Becker?" Jess asked. "The answer's yes for one and no for the other." She shrugged. "Jill's not feeling well this morning so I volunteered to bring Johnny. Or was volunteered." She shrugged a shoulder. "I'm still not sure what exactly happened there."

"Jill can be very persuasive when she wants to be." Kim nodded wisely. "So getting back to Becker. You know him?"

Jess nodded. "I do."

"How well?" The suggestion was clear, even without the waggle of eyebrows that made Jess laugh out load. "C'mon, Jess, put me out of my misery. Or at least let me put them," she continued, jerking her head at the rugby groupies on the sidelines, "out of theirs."

She thought about before answering; how well did she know Becker? Well enough to know he hid a lot under his carefully blank exterior, that he felt things deeply even though he didn't show it... She knew how it felt to be held close to him, to be carried around by him, to hear his heartbeat beneath her ear even as her own was starting to fade...

"Well enough," she answered eventually, shrugging a shoulder. She felt a bubble of anticipation as the match drew to a close and her brother – and Becker's – side was declared the victors much to the joy of the supporters gathered on their side of the pitch. "Well enough."

Barely noticing Kim excuse herself to visit to rugby ground's facilities, Jess watched as her brother, Mark, exchanged back pats and one-armed hugs with his teammates, watched as he saved Becker till last and the pair of them grinned like fools as they shared a manly hug and congratulated each other on a game well played.

She watched as Mark said something to Becker, and his grin dropped momentarily before he looked in the direction her brother had motioned and stopped mid-step.

And then the grin was back, much to Mark's bewilderment, and Becker arched an eyebrow at her as he crossed the field with her brother towards the sidelines.

"Daddy!" Johnny spoke up before either man could, lifting his arms to his father as Jess and Becker exchanged a smile. "You were 'mazing! I wanna play on the team! Can I play? I'd be a good player!"

"When you're a bit bigger, short stuff." Mark grinned at his son and scooped him up easily, balancing on his hip as he turned his attention to his baby sister and his teammate. "I'm glad Jill convinced you to come, Jessie. I wanted to introduce you to someone. This is..."

"Becker, I know." Jess rolled her eyes at her brother's not very subtle attempt at matchmaking her – not for the first time – with one of his teammates. "You can save the spiel, Mark. We've already met."

"You have?" Mark, surprised, looked at Becker for confirmation. "You know Jessie?"

"I know Jess," Becker corrected with a shrug, but his gaze was drawn back to Jess. "We work together."

"Oh." Mark clearly couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing as he glanced between them. Sensing something but not sure what, he frowned. "So."

"So?" Jess, tearing her own gaze from Becker, smiled innocently at her brother. "I thought I told you no more trying to set me up with your teammates."

Mark shrugged, but at least had the decently to look sheepish. "It's not a set up, exactly."

"Isn't it?" Becker asked drily, smirking at his teammate's discomfort. "You've been dropping comments about this sister of yours into conversation for weeks."

"Really?" Jess couldn't decide whether to laugh or glare at her brother. "Mark!"

"I didn't know you knew each other!" Her brother argued weakly in his defence. "But since you do... Awkward." He shrugged. "Sorry."

Jess felt Becker staring at her but couldn't bring herself to look back at him. Her earlier confidence began to ebb as she started to feel the way her brother had described: awkward.

"As it happens," Becker started, causing her to look up at him, "if you still need me to drop your sister back at her place, that's fine. At least I know the way," he added with a shrug and a smile at Jess, who found herself smiling back despite the blush she could feel blossom in her cheeks.

"Right." Mark, missing the look exchanged by the pair, sounded disappointed. "Well, I suppose we should get back home, Johnny. Mummy will be missing us."

The father and son duo said their goodbyes, with the latter waving enthusiastically at his favourite auntie as he was carried away.

"You don't really need to take me home," Jess said to Becker when her brother was out of earshot. "Kim and her husband are here – or were. You probably know Gavin from the team. They don't live too far away so –"

"I'll take you home, Jess." The tone brokered no arguments. Becker stared at her, seemingly oblivious to the members of his fan club watching from a short distance away.

"If you're sure?" She couldn't help but asking, throwing a not-so-subtle glance at the gaggle of females waiting for him to notice them. "Because if there's someone you want to stay and talk to..."

Becker's dark eyes never strayed from her. The fan club went unnoticed, much to their disappointment. "The only person I see is you," he told her quietly, and it suddenly felt like they were talking about something a lot more serious than a lift home.

Jess drew in a breath and then smiled, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering overtime as she did. "Then I would be pleased if you could take me home. Thank you."

Becker smiled then, and the butterflies took flight. "Good." He held out an arm for her and she took it, aware of the envious and disappointed glares being thrown in her direction but unable to bring herself to care.

She waved cheerily at Kim, who stood with her husband, grinning even as Gavin looked entirely perplexed, and let Becker lead her away.

(There's a line in this I may end up using in an original work. Just so you know I'm not plagiarising myself :))