After what felt like forever, but was really only about half an hour, Team Thatcher stepped away from the building. The old Englishman looked to the others smiling widely at them. They had managed to take the second and last rounds against the defenders, winning the match. He directed his attention to the Japanese man and laughed heartily, "Good job at the end there stalling Ela and giving me time to take out Val."
"Yes I was trying my best genuinely. They are quite the formidable opponents, those three." He said in quick reply, making his retreat to the surveying room.
Alibi made her way to the closest seat accessible, having spent most of the match running around, and trying to keep up with Caveira and Ela. Turns out not splitting up was also a horrific idea. They found that out the hard way when Cav snuck up on them, managing to kill everyone but Alibi with one mag of her SMG in the first round. The play immediately ended up invoking the mercy rule Six had spoken of earlier. After they split up, Alibi was the only one who could even try to take out the two fastest defenders in Rainbow. She ended up "dying" once after being outrun by Ela and not checking one of her corners.
She was huffing now as she tried to catch her breath, "How in the hell are those two so fucking fast? It's insane." She muttered to herself.
Thatcher, hearing her mumbling as he approached the bench she was on, pat her on the back and gave her a nod of approval. "They are the only two who can hope to keep up with Ash in a foot race, so I think you did exceedingly well all things considered." The older man said, trying to encourage his younger teammate.
"Thanks Mike, but I'm honestly just glad it's over so I can breathe without fearing Taina coming for my life."
"Yes, I would have to agree with you there," he chuckled, "but at least she only got you once and not twice. That woman is terrifying when she starts to interrogate you."
As he spoke Zofia approached the two and smiled at Alibi, handing her a water bottle. "Thank you. You kept up with my sister quite well. That is quite the accomplishment. You are quite the force on the battlefield." She said sincerely.
Alibi was taken aback slightly. It wasn't often that Zofia was impressed by someone's battle prowess, so to hear the praise directed at her, she almost didn't believe it. "Thank you.." she said looking up at the elder Bosak and failing to keep her smile concealed completely.
Zofia then turned to the eldest of the three and nodded her respect, "Thank you as well. It's always a pleasure to work with you Mike," she started, "I hope we can do it again sometime. Enjoy observing." She excused herself and retreated back to meet the next group to go.
"Always so direct and short, that one." Mike stated to her retreating form.
(^¤^)
"Hey, you ready for the next round El?" Meghan questioned her friend who was sitting down on a step. The blonde could see her seething from across the room. As close as they now were, Ela still hated being beat by her sister and Valkyrie knew that it could potentially set them up for more losses if her friend couldn't get it under control.
Ela looked up at her friend, not meeting her eyes, and smiled sarcastically, "Peachy," she retorted. The polish woman was in fact not ok. She had done so many things wrong. Choosing the wrong course of action for almost everything she did that match, and as always her sister was there to make her regret it. Whether it be through her sister's sheer tactical knowledge of her and her team, or Zofia actually being there to shoot her when her position was bad. She hated it. It reminded her that Zo was just Jan, their father, reincarnate. She couldn't stand how far behind her sister she still felt. She was always one level above her, looking down on her from their father's pedestal.
Meghan squatted, so she was at eye level with her friend,"Hey. Look at me." She could see the green haired girl getting lost in her self doubt. Nothing could make Ela Bosak insecure, but Zofia Bosak. She needed to intervene quickly so she didn't take much time to think before she started, "You know, it's not just you she beat. And, it won't just be you beating her next round." She was speaking in a tone that was playful, but genuine nonetheless.
She wanted to pull Ela away from the dark train of thought, while trying not to dismiss the girls feelings either.
It seemed to work slightly as the tempest's blues finally met hers. "Yea you're right. Sorry, I don't know why I still let her get to me like this." She admitted to the blonde. If it were anyone else she would've ripped them a new one and maybe hit them, but she knew her best friend was right. Her stomach started to flutter as Meghan flashed her one of her infamous sunshine smiles. She couldn't help but smile back and push the girls shoulder effectively pushing her off balance and to the floor. "Don't look at me like that idiota." She said as she got up and stepped over her blonde friend.
"Hey!" The blonde called after her from the floor, "Why can't I smile at you? Is it because it's too charming?" She flirted "harmlessly".
Ela rolled her eyes and continued to walk away from her friend. "More like annoying. C'mon, dumbass, let's go beat my sister."
•
They did. The first match went by quickly, team Valkyrie managing to invoke the mercy rule for both rounds against the attackers. Team Zofia for that match was Frost, Blackbeard, and Thermite. They were honestly awful, the very stubborn personalities of the two men clashing and creating friction. They never once had a shot land on the defenders and by the time the match was done they were both storming off to the lockers like angry children.
The match after that they had barely managed to pull off a comeback win against Dokkaebi, Twitch, and Jaeger. The first round made it seem like a loss, with Zo killing all three of them one after the other. Then, the second round had Ela and Valkyrie dead to Dokkaebi and Twitch's deadly seeking skills. Caveira was left in a 1v2 against Twitch and Jaeger and managed to get them by downing them both. The match ended with Ela coming back from a 3v1 against the three female attackers. Using her FO-12 for this round, she dumped each opponent with a chest of lead, clutching the match.
The last group to go was Finka, Doc, and Lion. The two gentlemen were known for not liking one another, but worked surprisingly well. They made their way through Caveira and Ela before Valkyrie had killed them both with a quick couple of shots to the head from behind. The other two attackers however had captured the point by the time she had done this. In the second round all three defenders managed to stay alive, all of them able to kill their target without them even knowing what hit them. The last round ended with Valkyrie being a slight show off for her best friend. She had both her teammates stay rotating around her as she moved through the map. When she noticed Ela staying where she could see her, she smirked and started to bait the attackers. Zofia was the only one who was brave enough to push her as she thought. Ela rolled her eyes and giggled as she watched her best friend use her Nitro Cell to blow up her sister. The seal then took out the other three one by one after luring them into the OBJ.
After that they heard Six over the intercom saying that was the last round for the night. "I will know who the participants are early tomorrow morning. For now you all are excused. Have a good night." Then she was gone and all the operators that had been observing were filing out of the room.
(^#^)
Meghan rose from her knee after finishing off Finka and securing the victory. She had a wide smile on her face, but Ela could tell she was exhausted. She watched as her blonde friend helped the others from the floor. She was panting slightly and had a thin layer of sweat covering her. Ela bit her lip as her stomach dropped.
"You know she's not a piece of meat right?"
Ela rolled her eyes and turned, not surprised in the slightest by who was making the joke. "Yes, Eliza, I am aware Meghan is not a piece of meat." She leveled the redhead with a slight glare, trying to show that she wasn't in the mood for jokes tonight.
The FBI agent raised her hands in surrender, "Gotcha." They fell into a satisfying silence as they watched the seal stroll over to them, her signature sunshine smile stretching across her face.
She locked eyes with Ela and if possible her features brightened even further. She came to a stop in front of the polish woman and her smile turned into a cocky smirk, her eyebrows raising in question, "So did I make up for the loss?" She asked slyly.
Ela tried to contain her smile as she pushed against the sailor's firm shoulder. "What happened to, 'It's not just one person's loss or win'?" She rebuked. Now letting a small smirk of her own grace her lips. Secretly, the sailor's confidence made her heart beat faster and her breath catch in her throat.
Meghan flexed her muscles and flashed her friend that smile she reserved for just her, "Right after I carried you through that round." She laughed as the statement earned her another hit, though this time the Bosak tempest struck with a closed fist and a little more force. Ela's face was the personification of overjoyed however, letting the blonde know she wasn't actually upset in the slightest.
Ela stared at her giggling companion. She couldn't place why, but she wanted to stay in this moment forever. Looking at the smile on the seal was like standing directly underneath the sun. I burned her entire being. It pushed against her and pulled her in at the same time. She could feel the warmth flowing into her and coiling around her. The warmth dug into her pores and traveled through her blood stream. She could feel it crawl into her heart and whisper a promise of safety and joy. It then sunk into the bottom of her stomach and settled there making her feel as though a million elephants were stampeding through her.
She heard the redhead next to her clear her throat. Her eyes snapped away from her best friend realizing that she had been staring for quite awhile. "I guess you can boast a little. It was pretty great to watch." She said, hoping Eliza wouldn't bring up the slightly awkward moment.
Eliza just looked on with a knowing smirk. She made a note to talk to her girlfriend later about the moment. "Well I just want to tell you guys good job, so I'm gonna head off now." She said as she took a couple steps backward. "And don't be too loud tonight some of us like to sleep." She added with a two finger salute. Then, she turned on her heel, leaving the two close friends to rejoin her girlfriend.
Meghan grimaced at the poor joke, but said nothing. She waited for Eliza to be out of earshot before she turned to Ela, her smile now gone, "I hate when she does that." She said, with annoyance. Her frown deepened as she noticed the overjoyed feeling she saw on the polish woman had faded and she now just looked exhausted. "C'mon. Let's get you a shower and a bed, yea?"
"Yes please." Ela sighed and slipped her hand into the blonde's and let herself be led towards the barracks.
They walked in comfortable silence, Ela let her guard down. The blonde could sense her entire body take on a whole different aura despite not being able to see her. She could feel the eyes of the polish woman on her. She squeezed Ela's hand lightly and she returned the affection immediately after.
She hummed in content when they finally arrived at Meghan's room. She could feel the blonde in everything around her and she finally let herself relax completely. Feeling the overwhelming sense of safety that radiated from everything in the room. She took a deep breath and steadied herself. Once they crossed the threshold she made a beeline for the small fridge in the kitchenette. She grabbed two bottles of water and threw one to Meghan as she leaned against the counter. Not missing a beat the blonde caught it. They cracked them open and for a long moment all that could be heard was a chorus of swallows and crinkling bottles. They both drank about half of their tumwater before they stopped.
Meghan wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. She licked her lips and watched Ela move around the room. The polish woman moved through the flat as if she owned it. She looked as if she belonged and Valkyrie couldn't help but smile. Her heart flipped as the taller woman opened her third dresser drawer. It held the blondes civilian shirts. She couldn't bring her tired mind to force her eyes away. As the polish woman started undoing her gear Meghan took another drink from her water, her eyes still never leaving the tempest's figure.
Ela could feel the seal's eyes watching her. She always knew when the blonde was watching her. The sailor had a particular chill that came with the intensity of her gaze. Normally however, her friend tried to hide her gaze. Her curiosity got the best of her and she flicked her eyes to confirm what she already knew. The blonde was staring, her bottle of water raised to her lips. She brought her eyes back to the task at hand and finished removing all of her exterior armor; her vest and holsters.
She undid her pants as she wondered how long the blonde would watch for. To say Ela was confused at this odd development would be an understatement. With what happened this morning she thought this would irk the blonde, but instead she seemed to be staring at the green haired girl with little emotion at all. Maybe the blonde was more exhausted than even Ela could tell. That would solve one side of her dilemma, but it didn't tell her why she wanted to keep the blonde's gaze on her. She didn't think about it. Simply stored away to think about later.
She continued to undress, pushing her pants down and stepping out of them. When she bent over to pull off her socks the blonde burst into a coughing fit. The polish woman turned around to address her friend. The blonde's back was now turned and she was hunched slightly coughing into her hand. "You ok?" she asked, strolling over and rubbing circles into the defined muscles of Meghan's back.
Meghan was in fact not ok. She hadn't meant to watch her friend as she undressed, but she was finding that her mind was more worn out than what she thought. She continued to cough into her hand as she held up a hand telling Ela to give her a moment. The tempest just proceeded to rub the sailor's back soothingly. Once she had control of her windpipe, she spoke, "I'm good. Sorry, I swallowed wrong. Did you want to take a shower first?" she rushed it out trying to cover up her lingering eyes.
The hand ceased and Ela stepped away. "Sure." She waited for the blonde to turn around before she pulled her tank top over her head and threw it at the shorter woman, successfully hitting her in the face. She laughed wholeheartedly, and she collected the clothing she had gotten out for herself. The sound was muffled as she disappeared into the washroom leaving a dumbfounded blonde to stare after her, the shirt still hanging from half of her face.
Meghan was frozen in place, her tired eyes following her friends underwear clad form. It was like she was in a trance. The door clicking shut was like her ice bucket. Her eyes ripped away. 'What are you doing Lt. Castellano? Snap out of it.' She didn't know why she was behaving this way. She would never let herself gaze so openly at the green haired woman. Her guard was down. Even she could now see she was acting strange.
As the polish woman showered Meghan thought about her day. She was pulling it apart trying to understand why she'd been so… not herself today. She came up empty handed. As she was deciding to drop the subject in her head the bathroom door opened and Ela strode out, wearing nothing but Meghan's shirt and a new set of lace green paties.
Meghan hadn't realized how long she had been thinking for and she added that to the list of things that were weird today. "Have you eaten today Meghan?" It was simple enough, but the blonde had honestly forgotten that she hadn't eaten that day. "No."
Ela laughed, "No wonder you've been acting like an idiot." She looked at the blonde and her face became slightly more serious, "What's been on your mind?" She was very aware that when overly stressed the sailor forgets to take care of herself. Oftentimes, no one would notice because of how good she is at maintaining her outward composure. It's the little cracks that give it away.
Ela stepped over to her still standing in the kitchen. The blonde was trying to look at anything but the polish woman. She pulled on the sailor's hand, "C'mon go shower and we'll get you something to eat, yea?", she whispered. She knew the seal, and she could tell from her body language that she needed to be gentle right now. The blonde was stiff, her eyes were darting around the room, her smile gone. Ela tugged a little harder now walking to the bathroom.
The first step seemed to snap the blonde out of her haze and she nodded. She dropped the taller woman's hand and went straight into the bathroom. The shower started a moment after and the polish woman went to the dresser to grab something for the blonde to wear. Opening the door as quietly as possible, she set the set of clothes on the floor just inside for the blonde to see. Her eyes lingered on the shower door for a moment seeing the vague silhouette of her unclothed and wet friend. She shook her head and closed the door softly.
Then she went to the fridge to see if the blonde had anything to eat. She found some sliced meat, cheese, and lettuce. She pulled out the bread as well and got to work. As she finished the third sandwich the blonde emerged from the steamy room. She looked at the seal, now dressed in yellow track shorts and a black tank top, her expression had become almost regretful. Ela raised an eyebrow at this, "You ok?"
"Yea."
She wasn't convinced, "Really?", she said with a knowing look.
Meghan plopped down at the small table and put her head in her hands. "I'm just tired El. Nothing serious."
"Ok."
"I'm sorry I'm snapping at you. I've had a bit of a long week. I think last night was the first time I actually slept." She dropped her hands to watch them shake. "I'm fucking exhausted."
Ela could see her friends shaking and was slightly worried for the normally unyielding Valkyrie. She stepped over to the table and set the plate with two sandwiches in front of the former swimmer. "Eat." Then she sat down across from her, "Then we can sleep."
The seal nodded and they ate in silence. Both of them wrapped up in their own thoughts. After they had finished and cleaned up after themselves, they crawled into bed much like the night before. Ela cradled tightly against Meghan's front, the latter falling asleep almost instantly.
A/N:Sorry it's taken me so long. My grandma got sick and my buddies decided they needed me to make an entire homebrew in a week. I'm stressy depressy, but I hope the chapter is somewhat worth it. I know this chapter is kind of all over the place, but I needed to get through the training and I didn't want to split it up into three and this chapter was gonna be over 15k it i wrotew them out like i wanted to. If you guys want me to write them into a different story let me know. Until next time ~Bosak