Bless you
From the moment Mapi stepped onto the pitch, it was clear that today was going to be a disaster.
She sniffled, rubbing at her nose with the back of her hand, blinking rapidly as if that would somehow stop the burning in her sinuses. It did not.
Ingrid, standing next to her, gave her a sideways glance. “You okay?”
Mapi waved her off, sniffing again. “Estoy bien.”
She was not bien.
Not even five minutes into warm-ups, she sneezed so violently that she nearly lost her balance, stumbling forward. Alexia, who had been stretching next to her, snorted. “Dios mío, Mapi.”
Mapi scowled, sniffling again. “Shut up.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Patri asked from behind, already grinning because the entire team had noticed the fit of sneezes that had plagued her since they’d stepped outside.
“Allergies,” Ingrid answered for her, watching in amusement as Mapi groaned and wiped at her nose again.
“I hate them,” Mapi muttered, her voice slightly stuffy.
“Clearly, they hate you too,” Alexia quipped.
Mapi shot her a glare, but before she could retort, another sneeze ripped through her, causing her to double over. Ingrid patted her back, biting back a laugh as Mapi let out a string of frustrated curses in Spanish.
“You sure you’re okay to train?” Ingrid asked, though she didn’t look all that concerned. More entertained, really.
Mapi sniffed loudly. “Sí.”
“That was disgusting,” Patri said, wrinkling her nose.
“Do you need tissues?” Ingrid asked, ignoring Patri as she reached for her jacket pocket, already prepared.
Mapi glared at her. “No.”
Ingrid just raised an eyebrow, pulling out a small pack of tissues and holding them out.
Mapi stared at them. Then at Ingrid. Then at the tissues again.
With a heavy sigh, she snatched them from Ingrid’s hands. “I hate you.”
Ingrid grinned. “No, you don’t.”
Mapi grumbled something under her breath, but whatever it was got lost in another sneeze.
By the time training actually started, Mapi was miserable. Every few minutes, another sneeze hit her, leaving her sniffling and irritated.
It was impossible for the others to ignore.
“Okay, no offense,” Pina said as Mapi sneezed for what had to be the tenth time in a row. “But that is starting to sound painful.”
“Are you sure you’re not sick?” Aitana asked, dodging Mapi as she nearly stumbled into her mid-sneeze.
Mapi groaned, rubbing at her face. “It’s allergies!”
“You sound sick,” Ingrid said, biting back a smile as she placed a hand on Mapi’s lower back.
“I feel like I’m dying,” Mapi admitted, and Ingrid had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.
“Poor baby,” Ingrid cooed, far too amused.
Mapi shot her a glare, but it didn’t last long because the moment she opened her mouth to argue, another sneeze cut her off.
That was it. The team lost it.
Patri doubled over, hands on her knees as she wheezed with laughter. Alexia was clutching her stomach. Even the coaches were shaking their heads, struggling to keep straight faces.
Mapi groaned, tugging the collar of her training top up over her face in embarrassment. “I hate all of you.”
“You hate allergies,” Ingrid corrected, rubbing her back in soothing circles that really weren’t all that soothing when she was still clearly amused.
“I hate both.”
“You’re very dramatic,” Ingrid mused, smirking.
“You love me,” Mapi shot back, voice still muffled by her shirt.
“That I do,” Ingrid admitted, pressing a kiss to the side of Mapi’s head before nudging her toward the sideline. “Come on, my love. You’re sitting this one out before you sneeze yourself into oblivion.”