Chapter Text
Chapter 11
Sunday December 24th
"What if I bring over some s'mores?"
"I don't have a fireplace."
"So what?"
Tobin smiles into the phone and nods her head as if Alex could see that across the line.
"Okay."
"Need anything else?"
"Nope, but don't buy too much."
"No guarantees." Alex hangs up the phone and Tobin goes back to cleaning up her place. She's honestly never had this many people at her place, especially for the holiday, but it's nice. Being surrounded by people she likes on a holiday. She hasn't had a good one in too long.
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"Ali get the door? It's probably Alex!" Tobin yells from inside her room. Ali's been helping Tobin clean by laying around and doing nothing. Not that Tobin minds. It’s just funny that Ali’s such a lazy person.
“You want me to get up?”
“Yes.”
“Fine.” Ali gets up from her position on the couch and drags her feet towards the door. She unlocks it and throws the door open without even looking at the guest and starts making her way back towards the couch.
“I don’t even get a ‘hello’?” Ali stops mid step and as if she was a cartoon she twists around and throws herself into Ashlyn’s arms.
“That’s better.” Ashlyn drops her bags and holds Ali. It’s a full hug. Ashlyn’s got her arms tight around Ali’s waist and Ali’s got her head buried into Ashlyn’s shoulder. “Mphm mmm hmm.” Ali’s words are purely mumbles because she’s got her face hidden in Ashlyn's neck.
“Babe you’re going to have to be more clear.” Ashlyn's making fun of her girlfriend, but she’s nothing but happy that she’s got Ali back in her arms.
“What are you doing here?” Ali’s finally lifted her head back up, but doesn’t step back or remove her hands off Ashlyn.
“Well, I got a phone call yesterday and then I was on the next flight here.” Ashlyn looks pointedly at Tobin when she says phone call and Ali gets it. Ali turns her head, still refusing to detach herself from Ashlyn’s body, and looks at Tobin. “Why’d you call her?” Ali questions.
“I don’t think you should spend Christmas away from her.” Tobin just smiles at the two. Even if she’s never really gotten to know Ashlyn and this is her first step forward in trying. Tobin recognizes that calling Ashlyn was the first step towards reconciling things with Ashlyn and Ali as a couple and even if Ali hasn’t mentioned much of Ashlyn when they talk she knows that Ashlyn’s just an extension of Ali. Tobin still knows Ali better than she's known herself and Tobin knows that Ali loves deeply and relentlessly and she knows this because she feels it too.
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"Hey, just leave the stuff in your car when you get here? And text me when you're here. I think we should take a walk."
Tobin called Alex from her room because Ashlyn and Ali are cuddled up on the couch and she didn't really want to intrude. As much as she's trying she's still got a long way to go before she's comfortable.
"Yeah. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. Just need some fresh air." The sound of Alex's genuine concern still is new to Tobin. Tobin's not sure if she'll ever get used to anyone other than Ali caring, but Tobin just made a huge leap forward yesterday by admitting to Ali that Alex is different. Maybe Tobin just needs to sit down and figure this out. Today's not that day though, it's almost Christmas. The first Christmas in a long time that Tobin's actually rejoicing.
The problem is that Tobin used to take her faith to heart, but she's strayed and she doesn't know that she could follow His path again. She doesn't know if she trusts His word after what her own father did and after He took her dad away for good.
It’s all too much to think about. Tomorrow she’ll act like other people and celebrate Christmas as a consumer in America rather than a Christian.
Her phone buzzed her and took her out of her busy thoughts. She looked and saw that Alex was here. Tobin grabbed her jacket and put it on before grabbing her keys and wallet. She rushed out of her room and as she was running out of the front door yelled back at Ali and Ashlyn that she’d be back later.
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“I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’m surprised she called at all.” Ashlyn replied. She pulled Ali closer to her body and sighed.
“Me too, actually.” Ali closed her eyes and kissed Ashlyn’s tattoo covered shoulder softly.
“How’s she been?” Ashlyn’s a lot more intuitive than anyone ever gives her credit for. She’s a match for Ali because she’s immature. spontaneous and brash, where Ali’s calculated, caring, and passionate.
“It’s been a rollercoaster for her since she’s left home. Lately she’s opened up again and I think something about Alex is doing it.”
“Alex?”
“Yeah, the forward for Yale that we played against that day. She was with Tobin after the game."
“Oh, the pink pre-wrap girl.”
“Yeah, she’s opened her up a lot.”
“Tobin’s closed off from what I remember about her.”
“Yeah, she always has been.”
“So what do you think it is?”
“I think Alex matches Tobin. I haven’t spent much, if any, time with her yet. That will change after the next few weeks, but I think Alex is a lot like me. That sounds weird. Okay, she’s got the patience and the innocence that Tobin needs right now.”
“I guess we’ll know soon what they’re like together.”
“Ash?”
“Hmm?” Ashlyn nuzzles her face into Ali’s hair and squeezes the hands she’s holding.
“Why do you care?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re being a big softie and you’re never a softie.”
“I am when it comes to you.”
“And?”
“Tobin’s a big part of your life right now.”
“I love you.”
“If you tell anyone back at Stanford I’ll kick you out of our bed for a week.”
“Liar.” Ali laughs and gets on top of Ali. Ashlyn responds by tickling her.
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Tobin jogged down the stairs and out the front to meet Alex at the parking lot. “Hey!” Tobin waves.
Alex smiles in response and starts walking towards her. “You know it’s winter and extremely cold, right?”
“Alex Morgan doesn’t like the cold?!” Tobin laughs at the huff that comes out of Alex’s mouth.
Tobin begins to lead them towards the nearby path. She keeps her hands tight in her pockets and breathes into the air only to see the fog that it makes.Alex remains quite.
“Was Christmas big for you?”
“We didn’t have the snow in Cali, but we did buy tons of gifts. We have a big family and all. It was mostly for bringing the family together not really the church celebration or anything.”
“That’s really cool.” Tobin wants to get better at caring for Alex too. She wants to know her better.
“Was it big for you?”
“Yeah.” Alex takes Tobin’s short answer as a hint and proceeds walking.
“We should head back and get that food started.”
“Tell me you didn’t buy the entire store.”
“If that makes you feel better.”
Alex laughs and begins running back towards the direction of the apartment. Tobin smiles and chases after her. It’s slow, but it’s progress.
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“What’re we making?”
“I bought mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, bread, pasta, and a bunch of other stuff. I figure tomorrow we can make more stuff, but tonight can be fun...and a test run because I can barely cook.” Alex starts taking everything out of the bags.
“Lucky that Ali can, she refuses to cook for me anymore because she says I treat her like a housewife.”
“Ash!”
“It’s true!”
“I can’t cook either so.” Tobin just smiles at the joking and leaves Ali and Alex to it.
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Tobin and Alex sat next to each other on one side of the table and Ali and Ashlyn on the other.
The dinner consisted of back and forth flirting between Tobin and Alex, in Ashlyn’s opinion anyways. She observed as the two Yale students’ body language and saw how Alex became bolder and bolder as time went on. How Tobin allowed Alex to grab her band and how they laughed. It reminded her a lot of how she and Ali were.
So Ashlyn, deciding it was the best way to speed things along, comes up with a plan for Christmas day.
Monday December 25th
“We’re opening presents now!” Ali yells as she runs around Tobin’s small apartment screaming.
“Babe, you’re such a brat sometimes.”
“I thought I was your princess, Ash.” Tobin doesn’t think she’s ever seen Ashlyn blush before, but leave it to Ali to make it happen.
After separating presents, each girl had two to four presents in front of them. They each took turns, Ali going first, refusing to allow anyone else the opportunity. She opened up the gift from Tobin, a Yale scarf and an old copy of one of her favorite books, a letter tucked inside for her to open later. She gave Tobin a hug and opened up Ashlyn’s gift; a sterling silver necklace with a simple A on it. She gave Ashlyn a small peck. Ashlyn’s turn went by fast enough, since Tobin invited her on short notice and wasn’t able to give her anything.
Alex anxiously watched as Tobin opened her gift. She had gotten Tobin a writing set, with a pretty pricey pen. She watched as Tobin smiled and gave her a hug. Tobin had gotten Alex a soccer charm and a sweatshirt from the pizza place they always went to. Tobin, after receiving the gift from Alex had immediately felt like she hadn’t done enough. Nevertheless, she hugged Alex and expressed her thanks.
The rest of the day passed with them laying around Tobin’s and watching TV. Tobin doesn’t know exactly how it happened, but she ended up on one side of the couch with Alex tucked into her arms in front of her and Ali and Ashlyn in the same position across from them. She doesn’t know what to make of it, but allows it to be.
After dinner Tobin tells Alex she’s promising to go to the park the next day. Alex wonders if she should bring her soccer ball.
Tuesday December 26th
"You didn't have to do all that." Tobin’s referring to everything Alex has done, but especially yesterday’s gift and last night’s admission.
"I did what I wanted."
“What exactly is it that you want Alex?”
Alex looks at Tobin thoughtfully. She’s not really prepared to answer that. She shrugs it off because they came out here for a reason.
“I want to play soccer.”
Tobin responds by sitting down on the hard frozen grass. Alex juggles the ball and doesn’t attempt to do anything serious. This isn’t meant to be practice. It’s meant to just get Tobin out here and talk to her about soccer. Alex isn’t concerned about their relationship. The concern is focused on Tobin’s well-being and a little bit on Alex’s own curiosity.
“How’s that grass feel?” Alex loves winters in New Haven. Kelley found it hard to adjust to at first, but Alex liked the snow. She thinks it something about the cold and how alive that can make you feel. Your bones are chill and you remain numb, but once heat settles in you’re suddenly feeling all the air moving around you and warming you. The snowflakes and the stale winter air. It’s all something that’s unique and Alex can see the beauty in things like that.
“Like needles.” Tobin responds with her eyes closed.
“Why don’t you play anymore?”
And okay, the question is slightly random, but it matters. Especially now. It really matters.
“Why do you take an interest?”
“Why do you find books interesting?” Tobin smiles, her eyes still shut.
“They’ve got stories.”
“You’ve got stories too. I’m interested.”
"I should apologize for what I put you through when you first came here. I don't know exactly what to say or how to rectify it."
"I mean my gut was right. So that was nice." Alex smiles and continues juggling the ball.
“I don’t really get any of it, but I’m glad you did.”