Touch Football mega thread

[nola_eleanor]

There was a field not too far from Phoenix Effect that was too small for all the various sports leagues in the city to have snapped up for weekend practices or games, but big enough for the fairly flexible game of touch football, so that's where they played. People came and went for most of the afternoon, though the game itself only lasted an hour and change. Almost everyone played, but there were several people watching, choosing to cheer or heckle or talk amongst themselves as it suited them.

When everyone got together enough to actually start the game, they divided into two teams, with Matteo as the referee. Zach's team was made up of Hazel, Max, Hanne, Nori, Nick, Alex, and Oliver; Kyle had Elspeth, Joel, Carrie, Caleb, Irene, Sam, and Elena on his team. It wasn't a blowout, but Zach's team won by a few touchdowns and were crowned the victors. Despite a couple minor accidents, everyone came out of it in one piece. More or less.

Comments

[nola_tristan]

“Hanne,” he touched her arm, gently. “I wasn’t, either.” How could he?

[nola_yvaine]

“I’m not good at feeling vulnerable like this,” she admitted, or apologized, or maybe warned.

[nola_tristan]

“I think we both ought to sit down,” Max suggested, not that he was the kind of person who ever said the word ‘ought.’

[nola_yvaine]

"Yes, let's...yes." They were just outside Phoenix Effect now, and there was an empty little table set a little apart from the others. Hanne sat in one of the chairs and leaned forward, her forearms on the table, not wanting to create any extra space between her and Max.

[nola_tristan]

Max sat comfortably in the other chair, looking at Hanne. “So, did we just get way too ahead of ourselves?”

[nola_yvaine]

Hanne laughed sheepishly, fingers twisting together so they'd have something to do. "That is a very kind way of putting it, yes."

[nola_tristan]

Without thinking, Max reached out and took one of Hanne’s hands in both of his. “Let’s slow down. There must be something in the air.”

[nola_yvaine]

She cupped her other hand around their joined ones and took a deep breath, trying to do just that: slow down. "There has to be. This isn't usual."

[nola_tristan]

“I’m blaming the touch football,” Max said, smiling a little.

[nola_yvaine]

"Sports are very dangerous." Hanne rolled her eyes, mostly playful. "God, if this happened every time someone tripped me or I fell down, my life would be a much bigger mess."

[nola_tristan]

“What if it does happen every time?” Max grinned. “Am I just another man who knocked you out of the sky?”

[nola_yvaine]

"You didn't knock me out of the sky, you just found me after I had been," she argued, thumb absent-mindedly rubbing over his knuckles. "And you're the only one who ever has."

[nola_tristan]

“Well,” Max said reasonably, “it’s not every day you catch a star.”

[nola_yvaine]

"Max. Would you please just kiss me already?"

[nola_tristan]

Yes. Of course he would. Max leaned over the table, their hands still joined, closed his eyes and kissed Hanne.

[nola_yvaine]

First kisses didn't usually feel like you'd kissed this person a million times before and also never. First kisses didn't usually break apart your reality and simultaneously make it all make sense. First kisses didn't usually remind you that you were a woman that was also a star, or maybe a star that was also a woman.

This one did. "...oh."

[nola_tristan]

Well, they had definitely kissed before. Well. Well. Well. “I knew you were a star,” Max said, because what else do you say?”

[nola_yvaine]

Hanne was a little lost for words. More than a little. "Tristan?"

[nola_tristan]

“Yvaine?” Although, it was true. It was clearly true.

[nola_yvaine]

She smiled and left her chair to slid into his lap like it was the most natural thing in the world, like they weren't outside at a cafe with a potential audience. "Hi." Her hands dropped his, but only so she could frame his face as she kissed him again, this time with the added joy of knowing exactly who she was kissing.

[nola_tristan]

There she was. Max saw it so clearly now. He kissed her back, a protective arm around Hanne on his lap.

[nola_yvaine]

It was back, that feeling from earlier that she was glowing, and now she knew exactly what it meant: she was a star, and she was in love. It didn't matter that she didn't literally glow anymore, it was still the same. "I missed you."

[nola_tristan]

“Where did you go?” Max asked Hanne, smoothing her hair back.

[nola_yvaine]

"I don't know." The last thing Yvaine remembered was being a star again, both of them set in the sky together. But Hanne had lived a whole life.

[nola_tristan]

Max kissed the top of her head. “Me either.”