Chapter 25
The final whistle blew, triggering the relaxation of Alex's nerves. Tobin managed to play without incident and Alex was feeling light and happy following her realization in the stands moments before.
She was at Tobin's soccer game. Devotedly watching her love do what it was she loved to do, her life could literally not get any better.
It did though. Alex's eyes expectantly followed Tobin's as Tobin searched the expanse of the stadium obviously looking for her. Alex stands and smiles as Tobin finally reaches her section, flailing her arms haphazardly in efforts to gain Tobin's attention. Tobin's face stretches into a large smile as their eyes meet and Alex throws a thumbs up. She blushes as Tobin sends her a heart in return before blowing a kiss.
They stay like that for a while. Happy stares focused on each other before one of Tobin's teammates steal her away leaving Alex with a big pout.
"What's wrong?" Kelley starts off in a teasing tone. "Forget you two aren't the only ones in the stadium?"
Alex shoots her a an unamused glance.
"I love my girlfriend okay? There's nothing wrong with a little bit of eye sex, have you seen her?" Alex says deliberately trying to make Kelley uncomfortable. "Don't even get me started on real se-"
"Enough! I've been sufficiently scarred. I'm leaving. Good luck tonight, I have a feeling Tobin's team won't be the only ones scoring tonight." She adds with a wink, not giving Alex the satisfaction of having the last laugh.
True to her word, Kelley waves goodbye to Alex after spending a few minutes on her phone; obediently merging into the sea of departing fans.
"Send my love to Tobin, and be safe." She said, with Alex's eyes following her until she could no longer distinguish the body of her best friend.
Following along the trail of the field, Alex watches in interest as the fatigued players drift towards the section of what she assumes are dedicated fans all cheering for their home team who ceremoniously bow as the group sing louder and louder.
The area is all smiles and love as roses are distributed. Tobin gently wraps her knuckles around hers, closing her eyes to take it all in. The fresh aroma of the rose, the perpetually buzzing atmosphere, her first ever professional game - her girl in the stands who came to watch the whole thing. It was all so much, Tobin felt like breaking down right there, in front of everyone, the incessant calling of her name from the sidelines from a myriad of unfamiliar voices prevented her from doing so though. They were children. No more than 8 or 9, calling out to her with markers in their hands, looking for autographs she assumed. Humbled and flattered, Tobin happily made her way over to the children smiling and laughing along the seemingly endless stream of people that wanted her signature on a piece of gear, which she found odd considering she had only just started playing for the thorns.
Reaching the end of the line, Tobin was met with a familiar pair of hands, holding out nothing but an offering of a well deserved embrace which she happily accepted.
"Hey baby" Alex smiled, letting go of Tobin only to take her hands in hers.
"I love it when you call me that."
"And I love you. A lot, more than I originally thought in fact. I'm so proud of you and what you did out here tonight babe." Alex responded, reveling in the way Tobin's eyes lit up as she brought their joined hands to her lips for a slow kiss. Her hazel eyes locked on Alex's silently saying the words she couldn't in such a setting.
"I love you more." Tobin smiled. "And I'll be sure to show you tonight." She added in a whisper, careful of the little ears around.
Alex just chewed at the inside of now red cheeks at Tobin's comment. Knowing she couldn't do much about it here.
"So ... do you have anything for me to autograph? I'm kind of a big deal around here, I signed like two shirts and a poster."
"No I don't. I guess I'll just have to get that jersey from you later tonight."
"Noted." Tobin said, loving the mischievous glister in Alex's gaze.
"Tobin, stop flirting with the fans and come shower please, I can smell you from the half line."
"Allie, this isn't just any fan. This is my girlfriend, my lover, my legal wife, Alex."
Allie's eyes go wide before returning to their normal countenance. "Interesting .." she says, taking in the appearance of the woman she's heard so much about. If it were appropriate, she would pat her friend on the back for picking such a lovely companion.
"Allie - short for Alexandra Long. " She greets, holding out her hand for Alex to accept.
"Wow no way, mine is Alexandra too!" Alex says obviously excited.
"Woah Tobin. I love her already!" Allie smiles and Tobin reciprocates, knowing to two would get along just fine.
"ANYWAYS." Tobin announces, watching as the two already begin to get carried away in conversation.
"We have to go and shower. And I do believe that you, Alex Morgan, have a dinner to be making, as promised." Tobin announces, knowing that if she didn't stop them now, they'd be going for hours.
"Keep it up and you won't be getting any dessert Heath." Alex retorts, leaving Allie in stitches and Tobin wide mouthed in shock.
"I really like her Tobs." Allie says once they're a safe distance away from Alex. Swinging her arms over Tobin's shoulder she adds, "The perfect woman needed to tame you."
Tobin feigns annoyance, but on the inside she's the happiest she's ever been. In a matter of months the askew pieces of her life have all managed to come together into something faintly resembling how she had envisioned her life going once she finished college. Of course it wasn't quite the same, she wasn't any where near where she wanted to be in her soccer career and she ended up getting drunkenly married to a woman who hated her guts. She wouldn't change it for the world though. She was in love. She was happy. She was slowly but surely progressing in her soccer career once more. Everything was perfect.
**
Back at Tobin's house Alex had done herself the liberty of letting herself in thanks to Tobin's spare key placed discreetly under the welcome mat. Tobin had texted her a few minutes ago saying she would be on her way as soon as coach gave his post game speech and she could locate her left cleat.
Alex, knowing how careless Tobin could be with her things took her time preparing dinner and setting the mood inside of the house. She wanted dinner to be perfect. Although she knew that she could've just picked up McDonald's on the way, let the fries get cold and Tobin still would've called it perfect because she got to spend time with Alex. It gave Alex a great sense of self fulfillment to do nice things for the people she loved.
She plugged her phone into the excessively expensive sound system Tobin had impulsively purchased despite Alex's protest that she could have gotten a similar one for half the price, scrolling to find her favorite Spotify playlist - a sappy one she had put together with Tobin in mind. The chords of Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud begin to flow through the speakers and Alex, now satisfied begins her search for candles so she and Tobin could have a simple candlelit dinner.
After about ten minutes of searching through every drawer and cabinet in Tobin's house TWICE Alex hears the door jiggle and she's upset seeing as she still hadn't found the candles.
Tobin finds Alex on the floor, looking childishly defeated. She stands above her in amusement.
"Hey, what's going on?"
"Do you not own candles ?" Alex asks, looking up at Tobin who was freshly showered. Her hair was damp and fell over both of her shoulders giving her a goddess like appeal.
"Yeah, they're right in here." Tobin says bending down in the cabinet right in front of Alex to pull out a box of un touched candles.
"You've got to be fucking with me. I've spent the last fifteen minutes looking for candles so we could have a nice simple candle lit dinner and they're right there!??? I don't want them anymore." Alex dismisses and Tobin pops herself up from the ground to hold her hands out for Alex.
"Get up baby." Tobin says, and Alex complies, not letting go of Tobin once she's on her feet. She pulls her into a tight hug, getting lost in the extreme warmth and comfort provided by Tobin's body being so close to hers.
"You did so well today baby" Alex mumbles into Tobin's sweater.
"Thanks for coming. It really meant a lot to me." Tobin whispers, content to hold Alex in the little bubble they have created in the middle of her kitchen.
"Of course I came. I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Good." Tobin says and Alex could hear the on Tobin's list.
They stay like that - listening to the steady rhythm of each other's heartbeats until Tobin's ears light up at the song the follows on the speakers.
They lamely away from side to side as Taylor Swift's You Are In Love plays. Every once in a while Tobin spins Alex around loving the way her eyes shine with adoration as Tobin tries but fails to sing the words in a way the normal human ear would find acceptable. Between the butchered lines though Alex hears the next few decades of her life in Tobin's voice. It's all so much. She's so happy she could burst.
"I love you." She says, aligning her eyes with Tobin's.
Tobin doesn't respond. She doesn't need to. The look in her eyes says it all. She instead moves to close the minuscule distance between her lips and Alex's. Humming as their lips connect for what feels like the first time in forever.
"I love you more." Tobin smiles, licking her lips and tasting what vaguely tastes like pasta. "Especially when you taste like my favorite pasta."
"Oh, I almost forgot about that. Come let me feed you." Alex beckons.
Tobin does as she is told, sitting as Alex brings their two plates setting them down before taking her seat next to Tobin.
"Are you sure you want to be a vet? You would make a great house wife."
Alex rolls her eyes, "No I like being a vet just fine. Besides, everyday is a different challenge, and you never know what's going to happen." Alex says, winking at Tobin.
Tobin's insides heat up at Alex's reference to their encounter in her office a few days ago.
"Maybe we can reenact it for desert." Tobin perks up.
Alex's fork stops mid air as she looks up to Tobin.
"Definitely." She smiles and Tobin giggles out of excitement.
"So" Alex breathes, bringing up what's been on her mind all night. "I was thinking and there's a lot of things I want to do with you. I see you in my life for a long time. I'm really happy with you - I don't want to be with anyone else. I also don't want you with anyone else. I'm hopelessly in love with you and want to spend the good rest of my life with you. I'm not proposing. I'm just letting you know how I feel. When I'm with you, every bad feeling I have disappears and is replaced by a type of happiness only you can bring." Alex finishes, not knowing what to make of Tobin's shell shocked expression.
"Woah, when did you think of all of that?"
"At your game. You were on the bench for a good while." Alex teases.
"I'm glad that you said that babe. Because I've been thinking about us too. Literally the other night, I was drinking more than I should and had a great dream about you, me and our kids harvesting vegetables out in the garden." Alex raises her eyebrows but says nothing, so Tobin continues.
"And when I woke up the next morning, even in my terribly hungover state, I knew that a family with you was something that I wanted. I think we should get the annulment. Just so we could tie the knot properly in front of our friends and family. You make me a better person and love me with all four chambers of your heart. I couldn't ask for more. You're perfect." Tobin sighs, leaning over to seal her confession with a kiss.
Alex responds by deepening the kiss before pulling away.
"That was so cheesy." She mumbles against Tobin's lips, kissing her again, this time turning her body and gripping the back of Tobin's neck so she could get a better angle. Alex sighs when Tobin snakes her tongue into her mouth, moaning at the sensation of the warm velvet of Tobin's tongue against her own.
Alex takes Tobin's hands in hers, placing them securely around her hips, to which Tobin holds onto tightly. Alex moves her mouth to Tobin's neck, as Tobin maneuvers to give Alex more access, Alex falls out of her chair, landing with a large thump.
"Fuck."
Tobin quickly gets to her feet, helping Alex up.
"I can't believe you're falling for me again."
"Shut up. And carry me to bed."
Tobin doesn't think twice before lifting Alex bridal style, carrying her all the way up the stairs to her bedroom to continue what they had started at dinner.