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Practice had been going relatively normally, as far as Shauna was concerned. They warmed up, ran drills for an hour, and were almost done with their final scrimmage game of the week. Shauna had been going through the motions, slightly checked out as she looked forward to the weekend. She had a date planned and had been thinking about it since Monday.
The ball was currently further down the field, away from Shauna. She was tired and decided that stopping this goal could be someone else’s job. She was lazily walking toward the center of the field when she saw Lottie pull her foot back, firing the ball as hard as possible toward the goal. It didn’t really seem necessary, but Shauna couldn’t find it in herself to care. She was too busy planning what she wanted to wear tomorrow.
As she began filing through her closet in her mind, suddenly a loud yelp was heard across the pitch. Shauna quickly flicked her head up, expecting to see Van holding the ball clutched to her stomach, having not expected the blow.
But the ball had never made it that far. Someone else had stopped it before it could reach the goal. With their face.
Fucking junior year, hat wearing, blonde idiot— Melissa .
Shauna’s mind went blank for a moment, unsure how to react. She could vaguely hear Lottie freaking out and firing off a string of apologies— she could see Natalie and Gen hovering over Melissa, Natalie also freaking out while Gen seemed oddly calm.
Shauna thought it was strange. She figured Melissa’s best friend would be losing her shit, but instead Natalie was for some reason the one panicking.
Melissa was yelling at them, and only then did Shauna remember how to move again. As she got closer, she could see blood streaming down the blonde’s face, staining her grey practice shirt. Everyone was beginning to crowd around now, curious as to the damage Lottie had caused. Shauna was almost to them when she saw Nat reach out, gripping Melissa’s nose as Gen mumbled something while holding Natalie’s shoulders.
“Don’t you fucking–” Shauna tried to stop them, but it was too late. Her eyes widened in horror as the scene played out in front of her.
“HOLY FUCK!” Melissa shouted as Natalie suddenly jerked her nose to the right. “Ohhhh my god, oh shit,” Melissa was rolling on the ground now, her hand covering her nose as Natalie stared down at her, her blood covered hand still hovering where Melissa’s face had just been.
“What the fuck was that?” Shauna chastised as she dropped down beside Melissa, placing her hand on the girl’s shoulder in an attempt to get her to stop rolling around.
“I just totally fucked up your best friend’s nose…” Natalie muttered toward Gen, clearly in a state of shock.
Gen grabbed onto Natalie’s blood-covered hand, leaning in to whisper something into the bleach blonde’s ear. Shauna chose to ignore whatever was happening in front of her, much more concerned for the blonde shouting on the grass.
Melissa was groaning loudly, but Shauna could hear both Natalie and Gen begin to laugh over her agony, causing the senior to shoot daggers at both of them.
Gen rolled her eyes at her expression, causing Shauna’s eyes to narrow. She wasn’t used to anyone defying her like that, let alone the younger students on the team. “Mellie breaks her nose, like, twice a year. She’s used to that,” Gen explained, like what everyone had just witnessed was normal.
“She doesn’t seem used to it!” Shauna exclaimed, bending down closer to Melissa and attempting to pull her hand away from her face. Melissa complied, and Shauna felt her heart clench at the sight of her blood-stained nose, accompanied by tears forming in the corner of her blue eyes.
“It was Nat’s first time setting it,” Gen shrugged like it was nothing. “Figured she had to be initiated sooner or later.”
“She fucking sucks at it,” Melissa grumbled from the ground, causing Gen to bark out a laugh while Natalie shrunk in on herself.
Shauna felt herself growing even more confused as the scene played out in front of her. “ Initiated ?”
The question was directed toward Gen, but her best friend nodded from the ground, answering for her. “Friendship rite of passage,” Melissa was calming down now, so that was good. But since when was Natalie friends with them?
“To set your nose?” Lottie chimed in this time, panic still present in her voice.
“I’ve done it!” Mari called out, a shit eating grin on her face that made Shauna furrow her eyebrows.
“Me too…” Akilah nearly shuddered as she added to the conversation. She clearly hadn't loved that part of the junior quartet’s friendship.
“Are you all fucking insane?”
“Can someone take me to the nurse’s office?”
Shauna and Melissa spoke at the same time, causing their heads to whip in the direction of one another. Shauna just raised an eyebrow, growing amused though she was still slightly concerned for the girl now smiling shyly at her.
Gen began to crouch down, clearly prepared to help her best friend, but one sharp look from Shauna halted her movements.
“C’mon,” Shauna said gently, wrapping an arm around Melissa to help her to her feet. “Let’s get you to the nurse’s office, idiot.”
Melissa made a noise as she stood up, something between a groan and a whimper, that had Shauna frowning as she finally got her to her feet. Lottie hadn’t stopped apologizing, but finally calmed down once Melissa had given her a soft “ it’s okay, Lott, ” and Laura Lee had come to pull her away.
Shauna ignored the confused looks she received from most of her teammates, not bothering to even entertain Jackie’s questioning glance. Was it suddenly a crime to want to help her injured peers?
Shauna’s grip around Melissa’s waist tightened as the younger girl began following her lead off the field. As they got closer to the school, Melissa looked at her strangely, like she’d only just noticed Shauna was holding her up.
“It’s my nose, Shauna, not my ankle or something…” She gently tried to pull away, but one squeeze from Shauna’s hand kept her firmly in her spot against Shauna’s side.
“Just let me help you,” Shauna mumbled, and Melissa must have decided it wasn’t worth the energy because that was the end of that conversation.
As Shauna led them toward the nurse’s office, she felt Melissa leaning into her hold slightly, sighing quietly. The blonde’s shirt had ridden up at her hip, and the feeling of warm skin against Shauna’s cold fingers was enough to make her stomach flutter. She didn’t mean to touch Melissa like that, but she also wasn’t rushing to correct herself.
When they arrived at the door, it was clear the nurse had gone home for the day, but as usual, it was unlocked, so the two girls slipped inside. Shauna directed Melissa to sit on the examination table, and as she turned to search for supplies, she heard Melissa giggling to herself.
“What’s so funny?” Shauna turned to look over her shoulder, an amused smirk on her face.
“Nothing, it’s just—” Melissa waved her hand around lazily. “This feels like the start of a really bad porno,” Her grin only widened, even as Shauna felt her cheeks turning a dark shade of red.
Shauna turned back around in a poor attempt to hide her blush, continuing her search for supplies as she responded. “Jesus, maybe you lost more blood than I thought…”
Melissa huffed out a laugh from behind her. “It seems like a normal amount to me!”
As she spoke, Shauna found everything she was looking for, turning back to face Melissa with a handful of supplies. Melissa was sitting at the edge of the table, happily swinging her lanky legs back and forth like her shirt and face weren’t currently covered in blood.
“You’re a mess,” Shauna said softly, walking closer to the blonde. When she was right in front of her, Melissa paused her movements, letting her legs open just enough for Shauna to stand in between them. “What am I gonna do with you?”
“Kiss me?” Melissa pondered aloud, her face turning upward to look at Shauna with her best attempt at puppy eyes.
Shauna would have been shocked at the forwardness six months ago, but after countless secret dates and hidden makeouts with the (shockingly bold for being so socially awkward) junior, all she could do was roll her eyes at her girlfriend’s bluntness.
“Not when you look like you just ate out Carrie,” Shauna joked, and she felt slightly proud of herself when Melissa beamed at the fact that her girlfriend just referenced one of the horror movies she had just recently convinced Shauna to watch. “Let me clean you up, then I’ll consider it.”
Melissa nodded, inching closer so Shauna could begin wiping the now-drying blood away from her face with a wet towel. Shauna started around her mouth and chin, working the blood away easily. However, she faltered as she got close to Melissa’s nose. It was already beginning to turn a dark purple, and the thought of causing her even more pain made her pause her movements entirely.
Melissa, who had closed her eyes once Shauna started, slowly blinked them open as she sent Shauna a confused glance. “Babe?”
“Sorry, it’s just—” Shauna paused for a moment, her hand moving to cup Melissa’s jaw as her thumb gently traced her cheekbone, not too close to Melissa’s nose. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t,” Melissa insisted, shaking her head. “I’m used to it, I swear.”
Shauna hesitated for a few moments longer before nodding, moving the towel toward Melissa’s nose, and beginning to gently wipe below the area. “Speaking of,” Shauna began. “Why don’t we talk about the fact you let Nat fucking set your broken nose? And what was all that shit Gen was saying?”
“Gen was being dramatic! I don’t break my nose that often!” Melissa groaned.
“But you always let them set it afterwards?”
Melissa opened her eyes once more, a bashful look taking over her features as Shauna sent her what was clearly a judgmental look. “It’s a rite of passage…?”
“It’s a rite of stupidity, is what it is,” Shauna scoffed, though she immediately regretted it when Melissa winced slightly at her words. “Sorry, it’s just— your nose is too pretty for you to be letting those idiots fuck it up like that!”
“You think my nose is pretty?”
Shauna rolled her eyes, the fact that Melissa ignored everything else not lost on her. “Mel, I could wax poetic about that one feature of yours alone,” She admitted, smiling when Melissa’s cheeks turned rosy. “ But don’t ignore the fact that this was very stupid.”
Melissa’s shoulders slouched slightly, though her signature dopey smile never left her face.
“But isn’t it totally badass that I could handle her setting it?” Melissa asked hopefully.
“You were literally rolling around on the ground, cursing and nearly crying,” Shauna deadpanned.
“Whatever,” Melissa grumbled, closing her eyes again as Shauna continued to wipe the blood away from her nose. It was silent for nearly a minute before Shauna saw the edge of Melissa’s lips begin to quirk up. “At least I get the hottest nurse ever.”
Shauna sighed, though she couldn’t help the fact that her mouth began to match Melissa’s. “You’re insufferable, you know that?”
“Mhm, but you’re still here,” Melissa hummed.
Which, yeah. Shauna couldn’t really deny that. She also couldn’t deny there was nowhere else she’d rather be than right here, helping her dumbass girlfriend clean up after she allowed her even bigger dumbass friends to handle her broken nose in the worst way possible.
“All done,” Shauna whispered once she’d wiped the last drop of blood from Melissa’s face. “I was worried I’d find a cut under all that blood but you’re in the clear so no alcohol wipes for you.” Shauna held up the small wipes she’d searched for earlier before tossing them to the side.
Melissa slowly opened her eyes, reaching out to grab Shauna’s now free hands and pulling her impossibly closer. Shauna went easily, her arms moving to rest on Melissa’s shoulders as the blonde placed her hands on Shauna’s hips.
“You too embarrassed to go on a date with me tomorrow, now?” Melissa asked nervously, her thumb rubbing circles into Shauna’s side. “I know my nose is probably all swollen and ugly.”
With everything that had happened, Shauna had momentarily forgotten about the date they had planned for tomorrow. Melissa had surprised her with tickets to an art exhibit in the city on Monday morning, and up until her girlfriend had broken her nose, it’d been the only thing on Shauna’s mind.
Now, staring down at the purple, blotchy skin surrounding Melissa’s nose, Shauna figured she’d never seen anyone more beautiful. The art tomorrow couldn’t even begin to compare to the girl in front of her.
Whenever the two went into the city, they allowed themselves to let their guard down for a few hours. New York was far more accepting than Wiskayok, and the two always took advantage of that. Shauna would be damned if this broken nose stole that from her. As long as Melissa was still feeling up to it….
“If you’re still up for it—” Melissa’s mouth immediately opened to speak as Shauna said that, quickly giving her an answer before she could even finish her sentence. “Then, of course, I still want to go on a date with you.”
Melissa nodded excitedly, reminding Shauna of the blonde’s own golden retriever that Melissa resented bore any resemblance to her when Shauna brought it up. “One little broken nose isn’t gonna stop me from showing you off to whatever hipster snobs show up at that exhibit.”
“No?” Shauna tilted her head, laughing when Melissa pulled on her hips slightly. “I’ve been looking forward to this all week, so it won’t stop me either.”
“That’s good,” Melissa sighed in relief. “Now, since I no longer look like I just ate out Carrie…” She craned her neck up, and Shauna knew exactly what she was searching for.
“Has anyone ever told you that you have such a way with words?” Shauna mused, though she leaned down toward Melissa anyway.
“Hey, I’m only quoting what my incredibly intelligent girlfriend said earlier,” Melissa said quietly, one of her hands leaving Shauna’s side to reach up, cupping the back of her neck to pull her in.
Shauna went willingly, shoulders relaxing immediately when her lips met Melissa’s slightly chapped ones. She exhaled softly through her nose, tilting her head down slightly to deepen the kiss as Melissa leaned up into it. She allowed their mouths to move in tandem for a moment before pulling away, just far enough to rest her forehead against Melissa’s.
“Think you can spend the night?” Shauna questioned, her hand moving to play with the baby hairs at the back of Melissa’s neck as she spoke.
Melissa gave her the smallest nod in return, not wanting to pull away. “I definitely think that can be arranged.”
Shauna reluctantly pulled away first, cringing slightly when she took in the other girl’s still blood blood-covered shirt. She had momentarily forgotten about that. “Let’s get going then. You could use a new shirt and a shower, stinky,” Shauna teased.
“You gonna join me?” Melissa raised her eyebrows suggestively, standing up to follow Shauna.
Shauna laughed, reaching out to grab onto Melissa’s hand and tug her along. “Only if you promise to never let your friends set your nose again,” After a few seconds, she added on. “Actually, as long as you promise to never break your nose again.”
“I will literally wear a face mask for the rest of my life if it means you shower with me,” Melissa said quickly, nearly tripping over her own two feet at the thought, like she’d never seen her own girlfriend naked before.
Shauna tried to feign annoyance, but she knew Melissa was able to see right through her facade as they exited the nurse’s office. The two walked down the quiet hallway hand in hand, making their way toward the now surely abandoned locker room to collect their bags.
They approached the room in a peaceful silence, which explained why they bore witness to what happened next.
As they pushed the door open, Shauna’s jaw dropped open, and Melissa all but yelped as they witnessed Natalie and Gen against the lockers, mouths moving against each other in what could only be described as post-nose-setting fervor.
“What the fuck?” Shauna exclaimed as Gen shot off Natalie, who looked slightly dazed.
This explained whatever the fuck Shauna had seen on the field earlier. She thought it’d been strange at the time, but now the bloody hand hold and whispered words were beginning to make a lot more sense.
“Oh my god!” Melissa exclaimed, her eyes scanning over a now embarrassed Gen. “Mari totally owes me $10!”
Gen sent Melissa an unimpressed look, her eyes moving down to where Shauna and Melissa’s hands were still interlaced. “Looks like she owes me $20.”