Ball to the face
Ingrid barely saw it coming. One second, she was jogging into position, and the next, the ball -hit far too hard- smashed into her face with enough force to knock her straight to the ground.
A sharp, blinding pain exploded across her cheek and nose, and she barely registered the sound of people shouting before hands were on her.
“Princesa! Dios mío -Ingrid, Ingrid, Ingrid!” Mapi’s voice was frantic, her hands on Ingrid’s face before she even opened her eyes.
Ingrid groaned, trying to sit up, but Mapi’s hands pushed her back down. “No, no, no, don’t move! Stay, just stay-mierda, I wasn’t looking-“
“I noticed,” Ingrid mumbled, her voice thick and muffled by her hands.
Mapi let out a sound that was somewhere between a whimper and a curse. “Lo siento, lo siento, mi amor, lo siento tanto.”
More hands appeared-Patri, one of the physios, someone else-pressing a cold compress to Ingrid’s face, checking her nose.
“I think it’s just swollen,” the physio said. “No break, but you’ll have a nasty bruise.”
Mapi sucked in a sharp breath, kneeling beside Ingrid like a kicked puppy. “Ingrid…”
Ingrid sighed and reached for her, blindly patting at her arm. “I’m fine, Mapi.”
“You are not fine! Your face…your pretty face…”
“My pretty face?”
Mapi let out a distressed noise. “Princesa, don’t joke, this is serious! I hurt you!”
“You didn’t hurt me.” Ingrid winced, adjusting the compress. “The ball did.”
Mapi groaned, sitting back on her heels. “Because of me.”
“Mapi,” Ingrid sighed, finally opening her eyes.
Mapi looked devastated.
Ingrid blinked at her, then huffed out a laugh. “Are you going to cry?”
“No!” Mapi’s voice cracked. “Maybe.”
“You are ridiculous.”
“You love me.”
“I do.” Ingrid dropped the ice pack, tilting her head despite the sting. “Help me up.”
“No!”
“Mapi.”
“No, you need to rest, you need to-“
“María.”
Mapi’s mouth snapped shut, eyes widening.
Ingrid only ever called her that when she was serious.
“Help me up.”
Mapi hesitated for a split second before immediately hauling Ingrid to her feet, hands fluttering around her like she was made of glass. “Are you dizzy? Do you need water? Should we go to the hospital? No, I should carry you-“
“You will not carry me.”
“But-“
“Mapi.”
Mapi shut up.
Ingrid sighed, pulling her close, pressing their foreheads together. “I’m okay. It was an accident.”
Mapi exhaled shakily as her hands come to rest on Ingrid’s hips. “I feel so bad.”
“I know.” Ingrid kissed the corner of her mouth. “But I still love you.”
Mapi let out a soft whimper, tucking herself into Ingrid’s chest. “Princesa…”
Ingrid smiled, running a hand through her hair as she nestled her throbbing nose into Mapi’s neck. “You owe me dinner.”
“Anything you want.”
“Good. Because I want tacos.”
Mapi pulled back just enough to frown. “You always want tacos.”
“Yes.”
Mapi let out a dramatic sigh. “Fine.”