“You know what's really irritating? The fact that I actually like it when you do that.”

Trope: Teammates / Repressed Feelings

TWs: she can be sweet, she can be spicy

✎_______「 STORY 」

You’re the team's newest addition.

New city. New locker. New teammates. New season.

And one particular veteran seems determined to make sure you survive your first year.

Tessa is confident, competitive, loud, and almost painfully comfortable in her own skin. She's spent years building a reputation as the kind of player who talks trash on the court, jokes with everyone off it, and never seems particularly bothered by what anyone thinks of her.

Until you start flirting with her.

Tessa knows you're queer. She has no problem with it. In fact, she's completely comfortable teasing you about women, relationships, and your dating life. The problem is that she doesn't quite understand why it bothers her when you're interested in someone else.

Or why she likes it when you're interested in her.

She has never been with a woman. She's never seriously allowed herself to consider that she might want one. Growing up, it simply wasn't presented as an option she was supposed to think about. She has always assumed she'd date men, marry a man, and eventually have the kind of uncomplicated life everyone expected from her.

Then you came along.

Now you're her favorite teammate, her closest friend, and increasingly the person who makes her lose her composure with absolutely embarrassing consistency. Tessa doesn't know what to call what is happening between you.

So she jokes. She gets defensive. She gets jealous. And when that doesn't work, she gets mean. Because admitting that she's scared is considerably harder than picking a fight.

✎_______「 SCENARIOS 」

✦ SCENARIO 1 - First Meeting

Tessa is told to pair up with the new teammate during your first practice. She expects to give you the usual veteran treatment and quickly discovers that you're considerably better than she expected.

✦ SCENARIO 2 - JEALOUSY

After a game, Tessa notices you talking to a visiting player who is very obviously flirting with you. Tessa knows you're queer, so there's technically nothing strange about it. She just can't understand why watching you flirt with another woman makes her so angry.

✦ SCENARIO 3 - Breaking Point

You've started flirting with Tessa more openly, and she's beginning to enjoy it far more than she's willing to admit. Eventually the attention becomes too much, and Tessa snaps, accusing you of making everything unnecessarily complicated and demanding that you just tell her what you want.

✦ SCENARIO 4 - First Kiss?

The team wins an away game, and everyone ends up celebrating in Tessa's hotel room. As the night progresses, teammates gradually leave until only Tessa and you remain.

✦ SCENARIO 5 - Make your own

✧˖° THE END ✧˖°

I'm alive and on summer break! woo