Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You stared at Ryan with a loving smile as she jumped up and down in excitement. You put the car in park, in your designated place in Tobin's driveway; behind Christen's car so Tobin could come and go freely without either of you needing to move.

You could hear Ryan scrambling to undo her seatbelt, then reach for the door.

"Don't even think about it." You warned as you grabbed your purse and turned off the car.

"But it's Mama's driveway!" Ryan whined, throwing her long arms into the cabin.

"Ry. What are the rules?" You turned around in your seat to look her in the eye.

You could tell she was trying not to roll her own, "Wait for an adult to open my door. No matter where we are. When can I sit in the front?"

You laughed, getting out of the car and coming around to open her door, "You just need to be a couple inches taller and a few pounds heavier. Don't worry, it probably won't be long knowing you. You grow like a weed."

"Because I'm long like Mama?!" Ryan hopped out of the car, bouncing on her feet.

You grimaced, remembering just difficult it was to push your long ass baby out of you seven years ago, "Yeah. Like your Mama."

Ryan skipped excitedly toward the front door. She didn't bother knocking, she knew the door was unlocked for her, so it was easy to let herself in. In her excitement she almost let the door close on your face.

You kept your eye roll to a minimum. It had been years since you had felt this excited to see Tobin of all people. Though, you knew Ryan's excitement was more akin to you seeing your own mother than anything else.

You stepped into the house, closing the door behind you. Ryan didn't bother kicking off her shoes like you did. As soon as she spotted Tobin standing in the doorway of her livingroom, that was a wrap.

Ryan ran full speed at Tobin. Tobin, who was used to this, braced herself for impact. She caught Ryan and swung her around to sit on her hip with a grunt of effort.

"Mama! Guess what! I made the big kid team!"

"That's amazing, little cub. I'm so proud of you." Tobin gave Ryan a congratulatory kiss on the cheek.

You and Christen developed congruent looks of disapproval. Though, for different reasons.

"Tobin. Stop picking her up, she's getting too big and if you keep picking her up, she's going to expect me to keep picking her up." You crossed your arms over your chest.

Christen sidled up next to you, her pose similar, "Babe. You're going to throw out your back."

Tobin and Ryan wore identical scowls. At times, it was freaky just how alike they looked. Quite frankly, it annoyed you. You were the one who carried her for nine months, and all she got from you was her hair texture and attitude.

Tobin hadn't done anything laborious but fuck you. The scarred over mark on your neck burned uncomfortably. You scratched at it subtly.

"You know, when we got divorced I was under the impression you wouldn't act like my wife anymore...and Chris, my back is fine." As if to prove her point, Tobin adjusted Ryan so she was on said back. Ryan just giggled.

You rolled your eyes harshly, "Whatever. Why didn't you tell me Alex lived here now?"

"Most people start conversations off with a 'Hi. How are you?'." Tobin said as she finally placed Ryan back onto the ground.

Tobin had never been this sassy when you were together. If you rolled your eyes again, they'd surely fall out of your head.

"Hi Tobin, Christen. Why didn't you tell me about Alex?"

Ryan seemed to get bored of the conversation, she grabbed a water bottle from the kitchen then headed toward the game room.

Tobin gave you a look you couldn't quite decipher, "Since when do you care about Alex Morgan's whereabouts?"

It was a great question. You didn't really have an answer. Your past with Alex was complicated to say the least. You spent most of your career competing for the same roster spots. And when you weren't doing that, you were either too close to be considered friends or on opposite sides of the country.

Then you started dating Tobin. And she started dating Kelley. Then you stopped caring. And you hadn't started caring again until you saw her three days prior. Now, you cared a bit too much.

"Well, I don't know. You're pretty good friends so I thought it would just come up in conversation. Like 'hey, b-t-dubs Alex is here and she's coaching our daughter's academy team. Anyway, when did Ry stop liking lucky charms'."

Tobin's odd look persisted. She exchanged glances with Christen. They were having a conversation. You used to be able to do that. Now, Tobin might as well be a stranger to you.

"We don't really talk that much, Y/N." Tobin spoke slowly like she was trying to break the news to you gently. It didn't stop the realization from hitting you like a car.

"Yeah, okay. Sorry, I asked."

"To be honest, I figured you knew. I mean wouldn't you have heard about that since you work for the Thorns?"

You shook your head, "I'm an analyst, quite frankly, the goings on of anything under U-17s is below my pay grade."

Tobin looked as though she was about to say something, however, Ryan called for her from the game room.

"Mama! My switch won't connect to the TV!"

Tobin smiled fondly, "Duty calls."

"You spoil her."

Tobin's smile widened even further, "You know it."

When Tobin left the room you turned to Christen. For a woman who was 5 months pregnant, she didn't look haggard in the slightest.

"Christen, you're glowing."

Christen laughed softly, "Thanks, doesn't feel like it."

You nodded in understanding, "And it won't until at least three years after they're born. Your wife makes big babies. Especially their heads."

"Epidural?"

"Numb that shit up, sister. I regret rejecting it to this day."

The two of you shared a hardy laugh, before you said your good byes and vacated the premises as quickly as you could.

"So, how's the baby mama and step wife?"

Your nose scrunched at the titles Destiny insisted upon for Tobin and Christen, "You mean Tobin and Christen? My ex-wife and her wife?"

Destiny took a hearty sip of her cocktail, "We're saying the same thing. Answer the question."

You sat back in your seat with a huff, taking your own swig of the alcoholic beverage in front of you.

Your surroundings made themselves obvious as a rowdy group of frat boys entered your favorite Portland dive bar. Your nose scrunched up again, but this time in distaste as the smell on the alpha men wafted over to you. Destiny wasn't fairing much better.

"They're okay. Tobin still insists on picking Ry up. Christen looks fucking magnificent. Like always." It was hard to keep your jealousy to a minimum. Luckily, Destiny wouldn't comment on it.

"You seem more on edge than normal. Did Tobin say something at drop-off?" Destiny's phone pinged with a text message. It was flipped onto its screen. Something Destiny didn't do around you...

Though, if she had the decency to not comment on your obvious misplaced jealousy, then you should have the decency to not comment on her being a general whore.

"Tobin always says something, but that's not it. It's-I don't know."

Destiny's dark eyes narrowed at you. She was reading you. Since the day you met in lamaze class, you had unearthed a certain telepathy. Destiny's favorite book was your mind.

"Is it because of Alex?"

Your eyes narrowed. How could she have possibly guessed that? You had never shared any information regarding your...association...with Alex to anyone. Though, at times, you think Ali and even Kelley had suspected something.

"What do you think you know?"

Destiny sipped at her drink again. A small smile playing at the corner of her mouth, "I don't think I know anything. I know I know something, though, I'll keep it to myself for now."

"Yeah, it'd be in your best interest if you did."

Destiny hummed away your meaningless threat easily.

Out of the corner of your eye you notice someone closing in on your table. Seconds later a passing waiter set a shot down in front of.

"Oh, we didn't order-"

The waiter shook his head and stopped you with a soft laugh, "I know. The woman at the end of the bar did. She tipped me really well too."

The waiter left with another easy going laugh and a pat to Destiny's shoulder. You eyed the direction he had pointed.

The woman, clearly an alpha, was relatively attractive. She was the normal height and build you usually went for. She didn't immediately creep you out when she made eye contact with you. But something was still...off.

You turned back to Destiny who had already thrown back your gifted shot. She knew you well enough to know your tells for being done for the night.

"I'm not sure why you're still staring at me and not halfway to being on your knees in a restroom stall right now."

You shook your head lightly, "I don't know why either..."

"Look, Babes, you may be a mother, but you're still hot, relatively young, and most importantly, single. The kid is with her mother, Ali is on the way to pick me up, and when you weren't looking I gestured for her to come over here. You've got 5 seconds to look enthusiastic."

You couldn't help the smile that threatened at your lips, "You want me out of your hair because you're fucking Ali, aren't you?"

"Six ways to Sunday."

You out right laugh at that, "Whore."

Destiny shrugged happily, "I'm trying to get you like me. Look, in all seriousness, I'm not saying you have to go home with this stranger, but loosen up, if she doesn't make the cut, just call Alex."

You gasped at her smugness, "You don't know anything!"

"Night, Babes. Text me when you get to someone's home." With that Destiny vanished into the dim bar light. You didn't even have a second to recover before someone was talking to you again.

"Is this seat taken?"

Fuck. Her voice. It was slow and calm like Tobin's, yet raspy in the way Alex's could get.

And suddenly, it hit you like a wave. Either this woman was some kind of magician, or fuck, it had just been that long. Eithet way, you were very interested in seeing where the night led.

Your eyes drift to her lips, "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

The lips you're eyeing curl into a mischievous smirk.

20 minutes later, the predicament Destiny wanted for you, became a reality. And you became aware of just how untaken that seat was. Well, until it's taken by you.

Alex stared at the back of Ali's head with a small smile playing at the corner of her lips.

They were supposed to managing the roster, so they could give to the equipment managers by the end of the day, but Alex had gotten bored of that activity around fifteen minutes prior.

She currently was preoccupied with catching Ali off gaurd. It would be a much better use of her time.

"So, what's going on with you and Y/N's friend?" Alex primed her voice to sound as casual as she possibly could.

Ali spoke without even looking up from her paperwork, "What's going on with you and Y/N?"

Alex sputtered, "What? Nothing's going on. Why do you even ask?"

Ali finally turned around with a smile of her own, "Why did you ask about Destiny?"

"Fine. I'll drop it."

Ali chuckled lightly, she flicked her pen at Alex, "Yeah, for the next 15 minutes maybe. It's casual. We're both adults with needs."

Alex's grimaced deepened, "Since when do you do casual?

"Since my divorce from the woman who cheated on me." Alex looked back down at her paperwork.

"Ali..."

Ali rolled her eyes, "I don't want to hear it, Alex. I'm an adult. I know what I'm doing."

"Okay, well...use protection."

Ali's smile returned, "You too."

"I'm not-"

"Not yet. It's inevitable."

Alex shook her head. Ali was delusional on the best of days.