#throwing this in her medical examiner verse c:

[chi1dofwoe]

@fragmcntdstars ( poison ivy ) asked : ❛ this place we're going to, what is it, exactly? ❜

｢ SNAP SNAP. ｣ —    it's late . moon high above the park , bathing the scene in an eerie light that somehow manages to perfectly highlight fluorescent yellow evidence markers adorned with black numbers to mark the location where a body had been only hours before . it had been ... difficult ... to convince investigators that she needed extra time with the body , that there was more to uncover that required a more in depth autopsy that would take privacy and time , a warning that perhaps there was something dangerous lurking under the skin ... spores that may spread , a poison that may sink into the bloodstream with nothing but a touch .

but the truth ?

she had seen something when her fingers had brushed against the skin of the dead man , something that did not quite make sense . she had recognized the flash of green ... unmistakable red hair ... but why ? the scene had not seemed to be covered in plants and she's fairly certain that they could not have been removed without leaving some sort of trace . however ... she had found traces of chlorophyll under the man's tongue . of course , it could be a coincidence ... but she did not believe in coincidences .

" i told you , clearly . a crime scene . what more do you need to know ? " frustration laces her voice as fingers tighten their grip around the woman's wrist , pulling her through the darkness towards the scene , offering a silent nod and a flash of her badge to the officer on guard . she's silent as she drags pamela towards the spot of pavement the body had been found , stopping short of the marker indicating the victim's head . she drops the woman's wrist , arms crossing over her chest as she turns her full attention to the redhead . " would you like to tell me what connection you have with emmett bowen and why i found chlorophyll coating his throat ? i would rather not send law enforcement after a fellow outcast , but my hands may be tied in a less than pleasant way . "

[gamergirl929]

I’ll Always Be Here To Bring You Back (Hope Solo x Reader)

@lena-t-oxton Request:  Love your fics, they have kept me going through quarantine. Can I request plz a Hope Solo fic with a buff reader who has come back from the military. Reader acts tough and sassy for a while, messes around with the team, yet is broken on the inside. She has a ptsd attack in from of the Uswnt when something happens (I will let you decide, could be a firework or someone jumping on her back.), Hope helps her through it. Thank you so much ily!

I was to be like 100% clear, I did a LOT of research for this story, but I am in no way a medical professional, I am not, well versed in PTSD and did the best I could with what information I could find, I just hope you all enjoy it!

Trigger Warning: PTSD, Mentions of blood. 

“Have you see the new trainer?” Emily whispers as she makes a beeline for the team, hazel orbs wide.

“Uhhh no... Why?” Lindsey snorts and Emily ducks down behind Hope, one of the goalie's perfect brows arched.  

“Listen, you scare me, but the new trainer looks like she could eat us all for breakfast.” She peeks around Hope.

“No one is eating me for breakfast.” Hope scoffs, blue orbs widening when she spots you making your way towards them, Vlatko Andonovski at your side, but you easily tower over the man.  

“BREAKFAST.” Emily whispers in terror and Hope smirks.  

You weren’t just tall, you were incredibly well built, your muscle tee straining around your biceps.  

The sun glints off what Hope can see is a pair of dog tags around your neck and briefly wonders what your position in the military was, most likely a Drill Sergeant.  

“Girls, I’d like you to meet Y/N Y/L/N, she’s our newest trainer.” Vlatko smiles slapping your back and you smirk.  

“It’s nice to meet you all, but I hope you’re ready...” You arch a brow and Emily squeaks, peeking out from behind Hope.  

You snort, your arms crossing across your chest, it’s then that your eyes lock with Hope Solo’s a smirk stretching across your face.  

“I’m sure we can handle whatever you throw our way.” The goalie smirks back and your brows arch.  

The team watches as you take a step towards the goalie, a good few inches above her head.  

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll see Ms. Solo.”  

The team’s heads are on a swivel as they look back and forth between the two of you.  

“Yeah, we will.”  

                                                            ***

Surprisingly, you weren’t as terrifying as you seemed, a bit on the brazen side, funny, but still large and incredibly intimidating.  

“COME ON LADIES, THIS ISN’T A FUCKIN’ NURSERY SCHOOL, LET’S GO.”  

“You were a drill sergeant, weren’t you?” Your eyes widen when you turn, smiling softly at an incredibly sweaty, red faced Hope Solo.  

“Why? Does it show?” You smirk and she rolls her eyes.  

“You did just say, ‘this isn’t a fucking nursery school’.” She quotes and you snicker.  

“Hey, made the recruits do what I needed them to do.” You nod towards the players, Emily swallowing hard when your eyes lock with hers.  

You wince when you see her ankle contort at a strange angle, and you leave Hope to go towards her, kneeling down beside her, her teammates following suite.  

You examine her ankle with a sigh, the woman wincing when your Y/E/C orbs lock with hers.  

“You know you don’t have to be afraid of me.” You give her a shy smile and one of her hazel orbs crack open.

“Wait, you aren’t going to literally rip my leg off and beat me with it?” She asks, earning a flick on the ear from Kelley.  

You shake your head.  

“I didn’t have it planned.” You shrug, moving to your feet, aiding the blonde in getting up as well. She gives you a toothy grin and you smirk.  

“I didn’t have it planned yet.”  

You turn away, moving across field, leaving Emily behind to stare at you go, wide eyed and pale.  

Hope snorts, shaking her head.  

“I think I like this one.”  

                                                            ***

You can’t help but smile when Hope takes a seat beside you at dinner a few weeks later, the goalie giving you a grin.  

“Are you following me Ms. Solo?” You tease and the woman grins.  

“Please, call me Hope.”  

The team couldn’t help but notice the two of you had gotten closer, the woman talking with you during every practice and making excuses so the two of you could spend time together.  

Hope noticed you jump slightly when someone drops a plate on the floor, your eyes slamming shut.  

“Hey.” Hope whispers, placing a hand on your back and you gasp, the woman’s brows furrowed. “Are you okay?”  

You clear your throat nodding, hand instinctively grabbing the cool metal dog tags around your neck.  

“Ye-Yeah, I’m fine.” You mumble, grabbing your drink and throwing it back.  

Hope eyes your profile intently in concern, the remainder of the dinner being quiet between the two of you, your body noticeably ridged.  

The two of you didn’t talk much after that.

                                                            ***

After the incident at dinner, Hope had started to pay more attention to you, eyes drifting toward you at practice and even during games when things weren’t happening near goal.  

She’d noticed the way when fans would cheer, you’d grab your dog tags, giving them a squeeze, your eyes slammed shut and on the off chance she was on the bench, she’d see you’d go noticeably stiffen after any loud, startling sound.  

“What’s on your mind?” Hope jumps at the sound of Tobin’s voice, the woman giving her a small smile.  

Tobin follows her gaze, her lips splitting in a grin.  

“Ohhhhhh...” She teases, giving the goalie a nudge and she rolls her eyes.  

“Shut up, she’s just...”  

“Attractive?” Tobin snickers.  

“Attractive and scary.”  

Hope’s eyes widen when she realizes every one of her teammates have somehow silently made their way over to her and Tobin.  

“She’s a little jumpy...” Alex comments, eyeing you across the field.  

Megan shrugs.  

“Ehhh, probably not used to all the screaming.”  

Hope hums, eyeing you intently.  

“Yeah, probably.”

                                                            ***

The crowd roars with excitement, the semi-finals of the She Believes Cups finally here, USWNT and Spain going head to head.

It’s right before the start of the game that Hope notices you’re slightly stiffer than usual.  

“Fuck.” You mumble, jumping slightly at the sound of a ball smacking hard against a goal post.

“Hey.” Hope whispers, making sure not to startle you any further, quickly realizing you’re again clutching your dog tags.  

“Take a deep breath.” Hope frowns and you do, through your nose, before exhaling loudly out of your mouth.

“Are you okay?” She asks, concerned and you nod, clearing your throat.  

“Yeah, I’m fine.”  

Hope’s eyes narrow.  

“But you just-

“It’s nothing to worry about.”  

Abruptly you take your leave, Hope watching you go with a frown, her heart aching with concern for the newest trainer.

                                                            ***

It’s during the USWNT’s She Believes Victory Celebration that she realizes it’s not nothing to worry about, not that at all.  

The second confetti bursts from the cannons on stage and the crowd screams, your eyes go wide, sweat forming on your brow as you stare forward.

“Shit. Not now...” You mumble, turning around and abruptly taking your leave, unaware that a pair of blue orbs are on you.  

Suddenly, you still when you see someone in camouflage gear, gun at the ready moving towards you.  

You shake your head, covering your face, the smell of blood filling your nose, the sound of gunfire piercing your ear drums.

“You aren’t real, you aren’t real. This isn’t real... I’m not here.” You mumble the mantra, moving forwards, eyes still closed.  

You eventually can’t walk anymore and sit in the sand, your back pressed against a building’s dilapidated wall and drop your gun, your arms curling around your head.  

“Y/N...” You hear a voice and shake your head rapidly.  

“No, no, no. You aren’t real. Get away from me.” You sniffle, your body trembling. 

“Listen to my voice Y/N, whatever you’re seeing it’s not real, it isn’t real... Give me your hand.” You open your eyes, realizing the solider in front of you has a pair of familiar bright blue orbs and you hold your hand out, your flesh stained with blood and covered in sweat.

Hope takes your hands between her gloved ones, caressing it gently.  

“Do you know where you are Y/N?” She asks and you shake your head.  

“N-N-No... I-I don’t...” You stammer, cracking one eye open to glance around.  

The sandy desert flashes, becoming an empty hallway for a moment before snapping back to the vast terrain, its sand’s soaked in blood.  

“You’re in Texas.” She whispers and you shake your head.  

“This isn’t Texas.” You sniffle. “I’m still there, I’m still there... Can’t you see the blood? I’m covered in it.”  

Hope feels a lump form in her throat and attempts to swallow it.  

“It’s not Y/N, you’re in Texas.” She whispers again and your eyes flutter open.

The desert still surrounds you, but instead of a random soldier in front of you it’s Hope Solo. 

She opens her arms.  

“Can I...?” She asks and you glance around turning away abruptly when you see an enemy solider getting shot down, falling to the sand beside you.  

You lunge forwards into her arms, the woman holding you tightly.  

You blink rapidly, your eyes slamming shut.  

“Senses... Senses, focus on senses.” You mutter under your breath, the feel of Hope’s sweaty jersey beneath your fingertips, the smell of sweat perforating your nostrils.  

Hope’s sweet voice in your ear, coos softly as she tries to calm you down, the woman rocking back and forth with you in her arms.  

The salty taste of your tears makes your eyes flutter open and it’s then that you see the bright neon green of her jersey.  

Slowly, the desert fades away, the back rooms of the arena you’re in swimming in your vision.  

You grab fistfuls of the woman’s jersey, her arms tightening around you.  

“You’re okay... It’s okay.”  

                                                            ***

You don’t talk after that.  

You, don’t talk to Hope, avoiding her at all costs, but after dinner one night, you can’t avoid her because she’s literally on your heels when you leave the dining room.  

“We need to talk about it.” She says obviously upset, and you shake your head.  

“No.” You mumble slapping the elevator’s button.  

Hope sighs sadly, glancing down at her feet.  

“Look, I won’t force you... I just want you to know that you aren’t alone.” She shrugs, turning her back to you.  

You swallow hard, staring at her back as she walks away, your heart clenching in your chest.  

You turn away, moving into the elevator.  

Maybe you did need to start trusting someone.  

                                                            ***

Hope startles awake that night to the sound of a scream, her tired eyes narrowed.  

She leaps out of bed and races out of the room to the one next to hers, knowing exactly who the scream belonged to.  

“Excuse me, is something wrong?” A nearby janitor asks and Hope turns to her, eyes wide.  

“Open the door, she has PTSD and I need to wake her up.”  

Surprisingly, without question she opens the door and Hope moves inside, shutting it behind her before making her way towards where you’re sleeping, thrashing around wildly.  

Well, were thrashing around wildly, because the second the door clicks shut you sit upwards, gasping loudly, slapping your hands over your ears.  

Hope flips the light on as she steps into the room, her hands in front of her.  

“Y/N.” Hope whispers your name and your eyes flash open.  

“H-Hope?” You swallow hard and she nods, slowly moving towards you.  

“It’s me.”  

You take a deep breath, covering your face with your hands, shaking your head back and forth. 

Blindly you fumble around the night stand, grabbing your dog tags and holding them against your chest.  

“H-How did you get in here?” You ask, trembling and Hope frowns, motioning to the bed, earning a barely visible nod.  

“Janitor.”  

You slowly nod, breathing through your nose, and out of your mouth to calm your heart racing.  

“You don’t have to be here... I’m... I’m sorry if I woke you.” You glance away sadly and Hope frowns, taking a deep breath.  

“I’m in here because I care.” You pick your head up, your Y/E/C orbs locking with her bright blues. 

You shake your head, glancing away again.  

“You shouldn’t... I’m just...” You shrug and Hope clears her throat, getting your attention so she can move closer.  

“I care Y/N, no matter what you’re going through...” She whispers and you swallow hard, one look in her blue orbs making you realize she’s being truthful.  

“It was hard over there...” You murmur. “The nightmares have never stopped.” You frown and Hope slowly nods, laying her hand on the bed, palm up.  

For the first time in a long time, you trust someone enough to take comfort in her, slowly sliding your hand into hers, dog tags still in your closed fist.  

“You don’t have to talk about it.” Hope smiles, placing her other hand over yours like she had a few weeks ago when she pulled you out of your PTSD episode.  

“Just know I’m here.” She whispers the last bit and you nod, licking your lips.  

“I do. I know.”  

                                                            ***

Hope gravitates closer to you, there to comfort you after each nightmare and each time a sound makes you jump.  

In all honesty, you couldn’t believe it, couldn’t believe someone wanted to comfort you... No one had ever gone out of their way to comfort you, not even your previous relationships, they wanted nothing to do with it, even going so far as to complain when you’d wake them with one of your night terrors.  

“Hey.” You turn to Hope, the sound of the woman’s voice able to pull you out of your trance without a violent reaction.  

You noticed quickly that she was becoming your anchor and that scared you to death, you’d quickly become attached to her. You knew it wasn’t healthy but you couldn’t help it, the woman being there for you when you needed her most, in your most vulnerable times.  

“I keep losing you.” Hope chuckles and you glance away with a small smile.  

“Sorry about that.”  

Hope shrugs.  

“It’s alright, I’m not going anywhere.”  

You quickly realized that if you were alone, you would’ve cried after hearing that. 

It was the first time you’d ever heard that, from anyone and it only made your attachment to her grow.  

                                                            ***

It’s later that night that you hear a knock at your hotel room door and move to your feet, slowly tiptoeing to the door and peering through the peephole.  

You immediately pull the door open, eyes wide when you see Hope standing behind it, wearing a small smile.  

“I thought you went out with the others...” You glance around and Hope shrugs.  

“I thought maybe you’d like some company. I’m sure there’s some shitty straight to T.V. movie we can watch.” She smiles and you chuckle, stepping to the side.  

“I suppose you can come in.” You wink and she snickers.  

“I suppose I can.” She winks slipping past you and you shake your head with a smile.  

You take a deep breath nodding to yourself before you close the door shaking your head again when you see Hope lounging on your bed.  

“Comfy?” You ask and she nods, smiling when you slip into bed beside her.  

“Yeah, now let’s find a movie.”  

                                                            ***

Hope’s presence brings you comfort, as per usual, though you note she keeps the T.V. low, seeming as if she knows loud noises bother you.  

You clear your throat, taking Hope’s attention away from the T.V. and to you.  

“Thank you.” You whisper glancing at your lap and Hope’s brows furrow, the woman muting the TV before turning to you.  

“For what?” She asks confused and you snort.  

“Seriously?” You ask and she nods.  

“I mean, I haven’t really done anything.” She gives you a tender smile and your lips split into a grin.  

“Yeah, you have...” You instinctively grab your dog tags, smiling.  

“You’ve been there for me in ways no one else has... And I can’t thank you enough.” You smile softly.

Hope looks at you for a minute, a look you’d seen before and you nod, the woman immediately shuffling closer, her arm against yours.  

“You don’t have to thank me.”  

You swallow hard, your cheeks flushing as you nod to yourself, grabbing your dog tags, something Hope notices right away, though before she can ask what’s wrong, you work up the nerve to rest your head on her shoulder.  

Hope’s eyes widen slightly, her cheeks flushing.  

A smile stretches across her face, her eyes fluttering shut as she rests her head on top of yours.  

“Is this okay?” You whisper and Hope hums.  

“More than okay.”

                                                            ***

Hope’s brows furrow, her tired eyes cracking open as she glances around the room, realizing the movie is well over.  

“Y/N?” She whispers, realizing you too are fast asleep. She smiles, resting her head against yours, her eyes again fluttering shut.  

Hope takes a deep breath, picking her head up.  

“Let’s get you laid down.”  

Delicately, Hope guides you back, your head eventually meeting the pillow behind you.  

“There we go.” Hope whispers, pulling the covers over top of you, the goalie looking down at you for a minute, smiling at the relaxed look on your face, the muscle in your jaw not jumping, your face not scrunched up in fear.  

Hope, against her better judgement cups your face, smiling when you don’t jump, instead staying fast asleep as she traces your jawline.  

“Goodnight Y/N.” She whispers before taking her leave, heading towards her own room next door.  

                                                            ***

You don’t have a single nightmare that night, sleeping through the night entirely for the first time in a long time.

The more time Hope spent with you, the better you start to feel, your symptoms, though still incredibly present, had tapered down when she’s near.  

In no way were you saying Hope Solo cured your PTSD, that was impossible, but you did feel a sense of calm when around her.  

Hope was there whenever she could be, a hand on your back as she whispered in your ear, staving off an episode with her hushed words.  

The team of course had noticed your relationship changing, but they didn’t know that it wasn’t as more than friends, at least at the moment.  

You’d be lying if you said you didn’t want more, your heart skipping a beat when Hope’s blue orbs locked with your Y/E/C orbs.  

Again, Hope is there for you when you need her most, the woman by your side when you wake from another nightmare, covered in a thin sheen of sweat.  

“Hey, I’m here.” Hope shushes you softly, waiting for your permission to take your hand, knowing that grounding yourself is important for you to start the process of calming down.  

Soon your ragged breathing slows, Hope’s gently caress on the back of your hand bringing you back to reality.  

“Th-Thanks...” You pant, giving Hope’s hand a squeeze.  

“Like I said before, you don’t need to thank me.” She grins, squeezing your hand back before moving to her feet.  

“Wa-Wait.” You hold her hand tighter, the goalie’s brows furrowed.  

“You...” You swallow hard, glancing away, your free hand again clutching your dog tags. “You could stay...” You mumble, afraid to look at the woman who you don’t see is sending you a soft smile.  

“If you want me to.” She grins and you turn to her abruptly, eyes wide.  

“Are you... Are you sure?” You ask, swallowing hard, your heart racing and she nods.  

“I’m sure.” She whispers and you bite your bottom lip to stave off a massive grin. 

Hope pulls the covers back and you clear your throat, cheeks flushing as you glance away.  

Thankfully for you in the darkened room Hope can’t see the scars that liter your body from your time on the battlefield.  

You can’t help but stiffen when she slips into bed beside you, clutching your dog tags tighter, but when your heart slows, her warmth brings a comfort you’d never really felt before, soon feeling drawn to her, wanting nothing more to be closer to her.  

Hope shuffles closer, her blue orbs on you, waiting for you typical nod of consent before she wraps her arms around you.  

You stiffen in her hold for a moment, the goalie about to pull back, but you shake your head.  

“Just... Give me a minute.” You mumble and she nods, your body eventually sagging when your brain realizes there is no immediate danger.  

Hope smiles when you duck your head, burying your nose in her hair.  

“This is okay?” You ask, nervously, gasping when Hope’s hands run down your back.  

“More than okay.”  

                                                            ***

Waking up in Hope Solo’s arms was something you would need to get used to, your body going into fight or flight mode, but the second the smell of her shampoo filled your nose your body immediately relaxed.

Hope nuzzles against your chest and you smile, your eyes again closing.  

Letting someone close was something you thought you’d never be able to do, or thought no one would want to do, but then Hope Solo came into your life and turned it upside down.  

“I can hear you thinking.” You jump at the sound of Hope’s raspy voice and you smile softly.  

“Sorry...” You mumble, grinning when Hope’s lips brush your collarbone.  

“Don’t be sorry.” She whispers, yawning as she shuffles closer.  

The two of you go silent again, the two of you snuggling, cheeks dusted pink and smiles stretched across both of your faces.  

You frown when abruptly, Hope shuffles backwards.  

“Are you okay what’s wrong?” You ask worriedly, eyes widening when Hope cups your cheeks, her thumbs caressing them gently.  

You inhale softly when Hope traces a small scar across your cheek.  

“What’s this from?” She asks and you lick your lips.  

“A bullet grazed my face.” You frown, a frown she returns.  

Your eyes widen when Hope leans in, pressing a kiss to the indented flesh.  

Hope’s pulling back when your hand slips to the back of her head, keeping her in place, her nose brushing yours.  

You close your eyes, leaning your forehead against hers.  

Hope’s fingertips stroke your jawline.  

Your heart ceases to beat as you lean in, your eyes fluttering shut. You can feel Hope’s hot breath on your lips, but before she can close the distance between the two of you, there’s a knock on the door.

“Shit.” You growl, your eyes fluttering open, Hope rolling her eyes as she slips out of bed and jerks the door open.  

Blue orbs widen when the lock with Vlatko’s the man’s eyes widening, his brows arched.  

Hope clears her throat, glancing at you, your eyes comically wide as you clutch your dog tags.  

Vlatko smiles.  

“I’d like you to come to my room before breakfast so we can discuss a few exercises.” He nods and you grin.  

“Ye-Yeah, I’ll be there.”  

He takes his leave with a smile, Hope kicking the door shut behind him.  

“Well that was uncomfortable.” Hope mumbles, but makes her way back to you nonetheless, falling in bed beside you.  

“Just a little.”  

                                                            ***

“Whoa, what’s that from?” Sonnett asks, her brows furrowed as she points at a deep scar running down your forearm.  

You’d had a habit of wearing long sleeve on the pitch, but today you’d decided to wear a cut off, Hope making you feel fine with showing off the scars you’d been hiding.  

Kelley flicks Sonnett in the side of the head and you clear your throat, glancing at Hope the woman nodding.  

“Shr- Shrapnel. Humvee... Ummm... Drove over a landmine and I didn’t move fast enough to get away from the blast.” You trace the scar, Emily’s eyes narrowed.  

You glance at Hope, the woman nodding with a grin. You’d told her how you wanted to open up to the team more, but your fears had held you back.

“What about that one?” Mallory points at the one of your bicep and you clear your throat, voice stronger than it had been before.  

“A graze I got during a fire fight.” You rub your bicep, smiling softly when you realize just how easy it was to open up to the group of women who were curious, but kind.  

Hope crosses her arms across her chest with a smirk, watching as you tell tales about each of your visible scars, her teammates listening intently.  

It’s a nudge that pulls her out of her trance, and she turns to Tobin who grins cockily at her.  

“Shut up Heath.”  

“Didn’t say anything Solo.”  

                                                            ***

It was inevitable, you knew it was inevitable, but you’d hoped and prayed it would never happen, but deep down, you knew it would.  

It’s at a practice when the inevitable happens, the loud pop of a firework making not only you freeze, but Hope freeze as well, her blue orbs darting to you.  

You shuffle backwards, your hands balled into fists as they shake uncontrollably, your hand jumping to grab your dog tags.  

“Y/N, what’s going on?” Vlatko asks in worry, a cacophony of voices asking the same question in different ways.  

Hope hurries out of goal, her teammates about to approach you when she holds a hand up.  

“Stay back.” She says sternly and they nod, watching as you drop to the ground, curling your arms around your head.  

“Y/N.” Hope drops to her knees a few feet in front of you, though you can’t hear her, the sound of gunfire piercing your ears.  

“Wh-What’s going on?” Emily asks, voice trembling and Kelley places a hand on her back.  

“I don’t know.”  

Soon, each and every one of them lower themselves to the ground, watching as Hope crawls towards you, stopping nearly a foot away.  

You shake your head, your breath hitching at the sound of your squad’s cries, the injured men crying your name, pleading for help, some even pleading for death.  

“Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. You aren’t real, this isn’t real.” You whisper over and over again, not realizing your team is a few yards away, in no way understanding what’s going on.  

Christen’s green orbs widen.

“She’s having a flashback...” She mumbles, everyone except for Hope turning to her.  

“Because the fire cracker?” Megan asks and Christen nods.  

“I think she has PTSD...”  

Hope glances over her shoulder, nodding.  

“She does, she’s just been scared to tell you guys.” She whispers before she finally reaches you, stopping a few inches in front of you.  

“Y/N, can you hear me?” She asks and you shuffle backwards, your arms uncurling from around your head.  

You stare at the soldier in front of you, shaking your head.  

“Yo- You’re not real...” You mumble, slapping your hands over your ears as you rock back and forth.  

“Y/N.” The soldier again says and your brows furrow, the man’s orbs a familiar shade of blue.  

“H-Hope...?” You swallow hard and he nods, the man’s appearance flashing between him and Hope Solo, the goalie knelt down in front of you.  

“It’s me.” She whispers. “I’m here. Focus on your senses.”  

Hope holds a gloved hand out and you take it, the glove’s material soft and sweaty beneath your fingertips.  

You take a deep breath, catching a whiff of the freshly cut grass.  

You shuffle closer to Hope until you’re in her lap, the woman whispering in your ear as she holds onto you for dear life.  

“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” She whispers in your ear, rocking you back and forth. 

You eventually still, body sagging in exhaustion, a bead of sweat sliding down your face as you bury your nose in her neck.  

“They saw...” You sniffle. “They’re going to think I’m crazy.” You cry against her neck, the goalie shaking her head.  

“We don’t think you’re crazy.”  

You pick your head up, realizing it’s not just you and Hope anymore, but her teammates as well, the women watching you with concern.  

“Guys, back up.” Hope growls at them, the women shuffling backwards, but you shake your head.  

“No, they’re fine.” You turn to Hope who looks at you for a minute before nodding.  

You catch your breath slowly, swallowing hard.  

“Like I told Hope when she helped me through my first episode...” You swallow hard, closing your eyes. “It was... Difficult over there... Certain noises set me off...” You glance away, ashamed.  

The team slowly gravitates towards you until they’re surrounding you, the women waiting for your consent before they all wrap their arms around one another, circling you in a group hug.  

You close your eyes, tears streaming down your face, never feeling so much love from this many people at once.  

“We’re here Y/N.” Tobin whispers and you sniffle, nodding.  

Emily’s hand runs down your back and you smile.  

“We’re not going anywhere.”  

                                                            ***

Hope sticks close as you follow the team to the locker room, her gloved hand in yours as the team, reluctantly heads into the locker room, each and every one of them sending you a worriedly glance before heading inside, leaving you and Hope behind.  

The goalie turns to you with a small smile, her blue orbs darting around your face.  

“We all care about you Y/N...” Hope swallows hard. “I care about you... A lot.”  

You lick your lips, taking a step towards her, the goalie’s blue orbs widening.  

Nervously, you cup her cheeks, the woman’s hands moving to cover your own.  

“I care about you a lot too.” You whisper, your eyes darting from her lips to her blue orbs and back.  

Your tongue swipes against your lips as you lean in, the last thing you see is Hope’s blue orbs fluttering shut.  

The second your lips meet Hope’s, the air is knocked completely from your lungs, the caterpillars in your stomach bursting from their cocoons, their fresh wings flapping wildly as the two of you kiss.  

The kiss is tender, passionate, everything in your life had led you to this moment, led to your lips pressing against Hope Solo’s, the woman holding you delicately as if she worries you may break.  

The two of you eventually part, eyes fluttering open at the same time, smiles stretching across your face, lips splitting into grins.  

Hope smiles, her hands leaving yours so she can slip her arms around your neck, your hand sliding from her cheeks, down her arms until you’re gently holding her waist.  

You swallow hard, your eyes downcast.  

“Are you sure I mean-

Hope silences you by leaning in, pressing a chaste kiss to your lips before she pulls back, her forehead resting against yours.  

“I only see you.” She whispers and you close your eyes, brushing your nose playfully against hers.  

“I want you to know, no matter what I’m always going to be here, no matter what you go through, I’ll always be there to bring you back.”  

You feel a tear streaking down your cheek as you close the distance between the two of you, the taste of salt on your lips as the two of you kiss.  

Again, the two of you part, your foreheads resting together again, your glassy orbs locked with her equally glassy blues.  

“Does that mean I get to take you on a date?” You ask, grinning and Hope beams, pressing another kiss to your lips.  

“Yeah, yeah it does.”  

“So?” You ask hopefully and Hope chuckles.  

“Did you think I was gonna say no?” She giggles and you shrug.  

“I mean I don’t-

Hope leans in, cutting your rambling off with a kiss.  

“It’s a definite yes.”  

Your eyes widen, a grin stretching across your face.  

“Really?”  

Hope rolls her eyes, leaning in for another kiss.  

“Really.”