by Tara Wimble
They took their days to do Vancouver like they hadn’t when they actually lived there and if there was a distinct lack of tasty treats in their diet, well, that was just blamed on the build-up to training and not spoken about again.
Finally, the day came for them to meet up with everyone at the facility and Bella practically bounced in her seat the entire ride over to where they’d be staying for the next month.
“You excited?” Jacque asked wryly, turning into the parking lot. “Because I can’t tell if you’re excited or not and it’s worrying me.”
“Shut it.” Bella smiled back, not bothered at all by Jacque’s teasing. It was like the first day of school in her mind and she was mentally going over who all she was going to see. “Don’t be jealous.”
“Jealous?” Jacque laughed, side eyeing Bella hard. “What am I supposed to be jealous of now?”
“I’m totally going to jump Kathryn when I see her.” Jacque managed to park the car before she leaned her head against the steering wheel, feigning dejection. “Oh yeah, there’s that jealousy.”
“How am I supposed to go on?” Jacque bemoaned, reaching out a hand dramatically towards Bella, messing up her hair when she reached her. “Go on without me.”
Bella rolled her eyes, smiling at Jacque’s reaction. “Don’t hate, we can share her.”
Jacque didn’t even have an answer for that past her own eternal adoring exasperation with Bella, though she did love when Bella got goofy like this, it reminded her why she fell for her. Why she falls for her again every day.
“Get out of the car before you hit your head and suggest anymore strange bedfellows.” Jacque’s already out and getting her stuff from the trunk.
“Kathryn’d do it.” Bella mumbles, getting out of the car and grabbing her training gear from the car.
In a strange twist of events Bella doesn’t have to jump on Kathryn because she comes flying out of nowhere and nearly kills them jumping on Jacque’s back, with a screech that would surely rival a velociraptor. “Faves!”
She refuses to get off of Jacque’s back, and in turn Bella ends up carrying all of their stuff, but it’s only the beginning because the gangs all here.
It’s one big catch up and gab fest while they put on their shin guards and their cleats, Kathryn’s finally released Jacque at this point but has taken no less than ten pictures for later Instagram consideration and Bella is pretty sure they’ve made an Instagram video as well but she can never be sure.
Sadie’s already come up behind her and scared the shit out of her and she’s fairly sure that Ginny had been filming so she’s looking forward to seeing that on the next installment of Ginny Cam.
But it’s no attesting to how much they missed each other that training isn’t scheduled to start for another half hour and yet here they are messing around and catching up. It’s been a little while since the national team was all assembled and it’s good to be back in the Canadian red, no matter how briefly it lasts.
The chemistry from the first day carries over and Bella thinks truly, in the five years that she’s been a member of the national team setup, that they haven’t had a better residency than this one.
Competition for spots is heated and there are a few youngsters coming through that John is looking at to challenge for spots that veterans have held down.
Nobody is safe but it’s such a professional environment that it only drives them forth to work even harder towards that ultimate goal. The World Cup.
The reason why they’re here, hell, the reason why many of them are still playing and still waking up every morning to put the boots on and have the energy, the will, the drive to challenge for these positions.
A World Cup hosted in Canada. A final hosted in Vancouver.
She can see it in their eyes, she knows it’s in her own eyes. They all want to be there, they want to challenge for it.
They aren’t fooled by the mystique of the American team, not by any other international competition. John has done well in preparing them against the best for the best tournament in the world. And even in those losses they gained experience and a hardened exterior and again the power to rise up against their doubters and their detractors to gain a belief. The belief that a team has to have to compete on this level.
The belief that they can win. That they’re capable of it even if outsiders want to doubt the validity of that dream.
There’s no doubt by the end of residency when they’re all packing up to head back to their respective homes that the seed is growing.
They can do this. It’s hardly a pipe dream anymore.
And when they land back in Chicago, Sadie once again in tow, that’s the thought in the back of their minds.
Enjoy the rest of the offseason, train and stay in shape, rest and recover the body and the mind.
But keep an eye on the goal.
*
The arena is buzzing with excitement. Jacque had managed to snare tickets for them because her beloved Maple Leafs were playing against Chicago and there’s no way she was missing that, not when they were actually in town and had some time to see it. When she’d initially asked Bella if she wanted to go, her first reaction was to say ‘no’ but then Jacque had said something about taking Sadie and well- she’d prefer not to have them talking about something she has no clue on all night.
Bella smiles fondly at the sight of Jacque in her old trusty, and at this point, faded Maple Leafs jersey. Jacque had pouted when Bella didn’t want to dress up in Leafs gear with her but it was all worth it to hear Quenby’s jealous huff when Jacque came home with a brand new Jonathan Toews Blackhawks jersey for Bella to wear.
It matched well with the Blackhawks snapback she’d stolen off of Quenby so she was secure at least that she looked fly for the game.
Now they’re sitting in their, quite frankly, awesome seats just a few rows back from the glass and Bella is struck with the need to document this moment.
“Jacque.” She nudges her and Jacque stops watching the players warm up on the ice, putting her beer in the cup-holder between them. “Let’s get a picture.”
Jacque rolls her eyes. “Fine, fine. I know you’ll whine until I agree.”
“Hey!” She protests but pulls her phone out anyway. Bella extends her arm out as far as it can go. “How about that?”
Jacque goes to touch the phone but Bella just moves it. “We’re not even fully in the picture.” Bella tries again but fails. “Here, excuse me-”
The older couple in front of them wearing the Chicago Blackhawks jersey turn around at Jacque’s voice. “Hi, would you mind taking a picture for us?”
Bella pouts because they accept immediately and kindly stand up to take the picture on Bella’s phone. They each lean towards each other in their seat, grinning wildly for the camera, their hands just brushing. Two or three takes are shot for them to choose from and Jacque thanks them.
“I had it.”
“You had a shot of the top of my head and your face.” Jacque picks out the best photo and passes the phone back for Bella to do what she will with it. “I prefer to actually be in photographs with my face intact.”
Bella snorts. “Please.” She taps her screen and opens up Instagram. It’s a distraction to upload a photo of them ‘@bansar3 + @ jliresch4 (the traitor) at the game!’ than to sit through Jacque trying to explain the rules to her again. She’s resigned herself to the fact that it won’t stick.
Her picture posts and the distraction is over. Bella pockets her phone and soon takes to adjusting her cap until Jacque pulls her hand back down to the armrest between the seats. “You’re so bored already.”
“So not.” Bella argues. It’s a pointless provocation but she enjoys how flustered it makes Jacque trying to come up with a way to banter back.
Jacque just rolls her eyes and keeps her hand where it’s fallen over Bella’s knuckles and that’s the second reason she agreed to come. For the close contact and the pink that coloured Jacque’s cheeks when she’
d asked Bella to come to the game as if she were asking her on a date.
Considering Jacque paid for the tickets, the drinks and the ride to the arena? It kind of is.
Except it’s become a strange push and pull of who will admit it first.
The first period gets underway and Bella has to admit that she gets entranced with the back and forth up and down the ice. She doesn’t know much about the sport, despite the fact that Jacque has insisted on dragging her out through the years, but she does know a lot about Jacque and it’s clear from the way she’s partially out of her seat, still clutching Bella’s hand and taking her a bit with her, that the Leafs are doing well.
The annoyed glances from the crew of Blackhawks fans next to them help as well.
With a minute left in the first period the Maple Leafs score and Jacque goes nuts.
“JVR! JVR!” Jacque jumps out of her seat, nearly dumping Bella onto the floor. She plops back down into it with a fist pump, pulling Bella into a side hug. “Babe, JVR!”
Bella’s not exactly sure who or what a JVR is, she’s sure Jacque probably explained it to her, but it/he got Jacque’s arm around her shoulder and she decides that it’s her favorite too.
The period ends with the Leafs up by the one goal and there’s a nervous energy in the arena.
So promptly after the teams skate back to the dressing rooms the Kiss Cam starts going around the place, catching couples at the most awkward of moments. Bella smiles as a sweet old couple gives each other a peck on the cheek. And then she sees her own smile reflected back at her.
She and Jacque are framed in the little beating heart graphic and the music is urging her to ‘kiss the girl’.
“Oh sure!” Bella laughs at the view of them on screen. “This is some equal opportunity bullshit right here.”
“They can see what you’re saying.” Jacque uncrosses her legs and tips the front of her snapback down. “Here, just bring this over.”
“Ha haa-” Bella puts it in front of their faces as they get closer behind the cap and the people behind them call them out for cheating.
Jacque giggles but she’s leaning forwards. “They’re still on us.”
Bella’s hand weakens on the cap. “Yeah, they are.” It’s all too easy to then just drop the cap to her side and pull the back of Jacque’s neck into an unexpected but nowhere near unwelcome kiss that has the hockey crowd finally cheering for something.
Smiling into the kiss dissolves into her returning the kiss. Jacque tucks her fingers in the front of Bella’s Chicago jersey and she definitely gives the camera something worth their air time when the kiss deepens. All of this happens in a few seconds and the joy is captured on their faces when they pull back. Bella’s first reaction isn’t to look at the screen, Jacque does it for her, and waves to the cheers of the crowd.
“How is it that we’re always the ones caught on camera?” Bella jokes. The camera lingers on them just enough for Bella to flop her hands in her trademark awkward palm tree before they move back to the restart of the game.
Jacque puts her hand over Bella’s and grabs her hat back. “It could be worse.”
Bella slides her hand over and laces their fingers together. Ignoring the hockey crowd getting back into the game is easier when you still don’t know much about the rules and this game is slowly turning into a date by the second. “I guess. I could have been kissing a stranger.”
Toronto takes the game in the closing seconds after Chicago tries to fight back and they get up out of their seats to whistle loudly in appreciation.
Bella gets a little more conscious as they start to file out, holding onto Jacque’s hand tighter as they get bustled with the leaving crowds and start to spot various sports jerseys.
Oblivious to it Jacque just keeps them moving. “Do you want to go somewhere to eat?”
When they can breathe a little more, she moves her hand to Bella’s waist and keeps her close like that. It’s nice to be held like this. It’s different and in how physical they’ve become recently, it’s just enough to make Bella want to stay here, like this, for the rest of the night. Even in oversized hockey jerseys and hats that don’t quite fit with their style.
They mumble between themselves while they walk about the pros and cons of eating out straight after the hockey crowds are dispersing but when they walk past one of the local bars, who are apparently still serving food, and not as packed as they imagined, they don’t pass it up.
Bella insists on taking a few more goofy pictures of the bar and the food, just enough to send off to Kathryn and make her jealous, but other than that they’re relatively undisturbed. The night embraces a win for Jacque’s team and the good mood keeps them running even when their cab ride back takes longer than they’d thought it would with the traffic.
When they finally get home, all of the night’s emotions just fly from her. She can’t stop grinning and it’s more to do with spending time with Jacque than her team winning.
“I’m dead on my feet right now.” Bella tosses her keys into the living room and they land somewhere on the floor never to be seen until trodden on at some point tomorrow. “Are you staying up or going to bed?”
“I might-” Jacque trails off when Bella starts for her bedroom. Whenever they sleep in the same bed, it’s in Jacque’s room, Bella walking that way is a clear indication. “You’re not gonna sleep in the jersey.”
“I’m not?” Bella leans against the door but Jacque leads her back again.
“Nope.” Jacque steals Bella’s hat and puts it on the couch. “Because my team won.”
Bella’s words get caught up in her throat when Jacque places her hands on Bella’s hips. Casual and light, just tugging at the hem playfully while she stares at Bella in an odd wonder. She remembers this look on Jacque’s face but it’s taken her years to figure out what it means.
“Alright.” Bella lifts on her tip toes and back down. “You can take it off.”
Jacque grabs her hips, joking at Bella’s wide open banter, before she pulls the front of the Blackhawks jersey up. Bella has a shirt underneath it so there’s nothing about this to misinterpret but it sends a flutter through her chest to have Jacque pulling clothing off her body. Even if she does laugh at her when her head gets stuck in the collar.
“You ass.”
“You’re adorable.” Jacque takes her shirt and neatly folds it. “I just like to exploit it.”
Jacque bends to the side to put her jersey down. They’ve been taking it slow. Kissing and holding and sharing a bed again. They don’t really talk about what it all means. For now that doesn’t seem so bad. Not when Jacque is still wearing that look on her face, that completely confident enamored look that makes Bella grab the front of her Toronto jersey to give her the leverage to kiss her again.
There’s no camera pointed at them for once and it makes all the difference to have Jacque skip the build up to touch her and find a way to get Bella on her back on the couch.
“Ow-” Bella mumbles between kisses. “You head butted me-”
Jacque has an arm under Bella’s back and helps to push her further up the length of the couch. “Did not.”
It suddenly doesn’t matter when she’s under Jacque like this. Sighing and safe and completely in control of the situation. There’s no wandering hands or less than smooth gestures, just Jacque kissing her and creating the sweetest feeling in her stomach that this is what she’s been missing from the very start.
“Did you have a good time tonight?” Jacque asks, pressing her lips to Bella’s cheek while she talks.
Bella’s groan dissolves into a laugh. “Ask me tomorrow morning.”
“Promises, promises.” Jacque finally rests her weight on Bella’s body, getting comfortable. “You walked into that.”
“I had a good- great-” Bella corrects. “I had a great time.”
“Even though you lost?”
Bella rolls her eyes and she reaches down Jacque’s back to her jersey and within seconds it’s jo
ining Bella’s on the floor. “There. No one loses.”
She can see the words ripple in Jacque’s mind. Bella doesn’t even need to hear them and her body just gears up to be closer to Jacque. Jacque doesn’t need to say it because she knows. And maybe a part of her isn’t ready to hear it. Not until they’ve figured the rest of it out.
“Thanks for taking me out.” Bella settles back on the couch. She reaches for Jacque’s face and kisses her softly. “Even though I lost.”
There’s that look.
Jacque smiles. “You’re welcome.”
*
Jacque figures out that Bella is anxious about what their relationship is headed towards before she does. It comes out when Bella walks in on Jacque in the barest of gym wear; a sports bra that covers more than her shorts, as she fills the bathtub with ice cold water. Bella almost immediately sways back from her. It’s not enough of a flinch for her to feel offended but Bella stares deftly at all the skin she’s showing off, like she’s in shock, and Jacque is taken aback.
“It’s not- it’s not you, god no. I wasn’t expecting to see, I should have knocked-” Bella turns redder and redder when Jacque calls her out on it. “It’s just different than the locker room and I can’t even think about London, with you and me, because you know it, it just wasn’t good.”
Jacque makes a face. It wasn’t good emotionally. They were crumbling on all sides. Coming into each other breaking and trying to crawl to some sort of safety emotionally while they collided with a body physically. With Bella doing it for all the wrong reasons and Jacque never questioning it. But when Jacque strips the experience down to the bone, it was definitely more than the ‘good’ that Bella affords it.
“I didn’t mean like that-” Bella frowns at her expression. “It was everything surrounding it, and you know it.”
Jacque sits on the side of the bath and dips her hand into the water. Bella is still staring. “I do. But now?”
Bella shifts from one foot to the other. “Now I see you differently.”
The water is freezing and she’s going to hate every second of it. “In a good way?”
