Chapter Text
It's a Thursday evening and Carina is happy to be sitting with her friends and her brother at Joe's. The shift was long and exhausting. It felt like all the women in Seattle decided to give birth on the same day and time. Six bambini were born that day with her help. All of them were healthy as well as their mamas.
So she thought that was enough reason to go out to have drinks and celebrate a very good day at work. Andrew was quick to agree as well as Teddy and Jo. The two women, however, are there for more than just the drinks and the company.
They are on a mission to convince Carina DeLuca to join their softball team.
“Carina, come on! We need one more person.”
“I don’t like team sports, no! The last time I played anything I was still in school.”
Andrew laughs, knowing exactly what his sister is talking about. He knows very well that it has nothing to do with her skills. Oh no, Carina has great skills. The problem is the Italian temper.
The memory of Carina playing football and arguing with the referee and the coach to the point that she got a red card is still so vivid.
“Trust me, you really don’t want her to play!”
She rolls her eyes at her brother but doesn't fight him on that. Not when his comment might help her escape her friends' absurd plan.
“Exactly! See!”
Teddy shakes her head, insisting on it.
“Carina, you won’t need to play. You’ll stay on the bench, we just need another person to register so we have enough people.”
“I don’t know…”
“Please! Pretty please!”
The cardiothoracic surgeon is now begging and Carina is most definitely surprised.
“Teddy, I had no idea you were this big a fan of softball.”
The blonde woman smiles brightly, glad to explain her unusual passion for the sport.
“Henry is a former pro baseball player. He taught me how to play it and I started to love it. It's a great sport. I promise!"
Against her better judgment, Carina's strong stance falters as she slowly starts to give in.
Jo sees right through her and insists further.
“Come on, Carina. It's going to be fun. Please…”
The Italian throws her arms up, in an exaggerated gesture of defeat.
“Okay, okay! I'll register. But I won't play. Promise me.”
Teddy almost jumps out of her chair in excitement, startling Jo.
“I promise! Yes! We’re gonna kick Seattle Pres' ass this time.”
Andrew, who was quietly observing the situation, now chuckles.
“Oh, I can’t wait to see that.”
“See what?”
The voice makes Carina turn around so quickly that she almost gets whiplash. Her eyes find bright blue orbs. Her girlfriend is there.
Before she can say anything, her brother is answering the question. Carina can hear the smirk in his tone.
“Your girlfriend playing softball.”
Maya's eyes grow wide in surprise.
“What? How did you convince her to do that? I’ve been trying to take her to a batting cage for weeks!”
“First of all, I am right here. And second, I won’t play. I’ll just stay on the bench.”
“But you'll still wear a uniform?” Maya asks, wiggling her eyes and leaning in to kiss the OB.
Carina smiles and is happy to return the kiss over the sounds of annoyance from her brother.
“Oh come on!”
The two women break the kiss. Carina rolls her eyes as Maya laughs at the man.
“Such a bambino, Andrea,” Maya says in her not-so-great Italian, mocking the younger DeLuca.
Carina feels that familiar warm and happy wave wash over her as it does every time Maya speaks - or tries to - her native tongue.
Andrew smiles at the blonde daringly.
“Careful, firefighter Barbie.”
Maya’s laugh stops suddenly and she glares at him. She already has to hear that from Amelia. She can't have another person calling her that.
Carina interjects. Mio dio, she thinks, they could behave like children sometimes, always teasing and bickering.
“Andrea, go get us another round.”
“Why me?”
“Because it’s your turn and also because I want to kiss my girlfriend the way she deserves and I don’t think you’d like to see that.”
The man is quick to get up, clearly annoyed.
“Madonna mia! Certo, certo! I’m going!”
Once he is on his way to the bar, Teddy and Jo start chatting separately, clearly giving the couple some privacy. Not that Maya and Carina are paying attention to anyone or anything but each other.
“So, you in a uniform uh?”
“Didn’t know it was something you liked, bambina.”
“Oh, I like everything that you wear. I like everything about you.”
Carina smiles at the words and Maya’s eyes widen at the realization of what she just said, her face quickly turning red. It's just the second she openly admits her feelings for Carina. The brunette just brings the firefighter closer, their noses touching in a caress that now has become a thing for them.
“I like everything about you too, bella.”
The huge grin on Maya's face at her words makes Carina's heart beat faster in her chest.
They quickly get lost in their bubble, completely oblivious to their surrounding. Only when Andrew comes back juggling drinks that they look around as if just now realizing they are in public.
“Oh no, they have been like this the whole time?”
The younger DeLuca asks Teddy and Jo, not even looking at the couple.
“Yes, it’s adorable!” Jo replies, laughing.
Carina looks guiltily at her friends and mouths sorry to them.
“So, softball. How did that happen?” Maya asks, taking a seat next to Carina.
Teddy talks excitedly about it. She explains the all-women’s tournament that recently started and how they already had three losses against Seattle Pres.
“We have to win this year. They are so smug!”
The group talks laughs and drinks for hours until they finally all agree it’s time to head home.
All the doctors had a considerable amount of alcohol but Teddy is the drunk one. So much so that she called her husband to pick her up, ignoring Maya's invites to drop her home.
When Henry finally arrives, he smiles kindly at his wife, greeting her and quickly noticing that she is drunker than he first thought.
“Honey, we have enough people for the team now! Carina is going to play.”
"That's great. I can see you're very excited." Henry replies with a giggle, nodding to his wife's friends.
Carina mumbles, slightly tipsy. “I’m not playing.”
Maya, the only one sober since she is the designated driver, tries to reassure Teddy.
“We’ll practice, don’t worry.”
At the comment, Teddy jumps in excitement, startling everyone around her.
“Oh my god! You should join our team! We can hire you for a day!” The woman then turns her attention to her husband. “Henry! Maya is an Olympic Champion! She should be on our team!”
“I know she is, babe, but they forbade us from doing that - again!” He laughs, placing a gentle kiss on her hair.
Teddy giggles and leans close to Maya as if telling a secret.
“We did that once, hired Henry for just a day, and they changed the rules." The woman pauses to hold back laughter. "But they still let him be the coach.”
“They do." He agrees before watching Teddy stumble on a bench as she takes a step. "Okay, honey. Let’s go home!”
They all say their goodbyes and the rest of the group makes its way to Maya's car as the fire captain promised to drive Andrew and Jo home.
After some bickering between Andrew and Maya, very similar to a sibling's bickering if anyone asked Carina, the couple finally heads to Maya's place. The Italian is looking out the window, her hand on Maya's thigh - a habit she thinks she'll never want to lose.
“You know, I can help you with softball. We can practice, so you’re ready in case they need you to play.”
The brunette turns her eyes back to her girlfriend.
“Oh no, Teddy was clear when she said I wouldn’t play.”
“Still, it might be a good idea. It can be fun too.”
She can see the way the American's fingers tap the wheel. Carina can hear the eagerness and slight nervousness in Maya's voice.
“You really want to teach me how to play softball, don’t you?”
The giant grin on Maya’s face is adorable and it makes Carina want to grab her face and kiss it hard.
“Maybe a little?”
Not a lot of people know that, but Badass Captain Maya Bishop can also be incredibly cute.
“Fine, bambina. But I better get something in return.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
Carina's hand slowly moves up the blonde's thigh.
“I don't think you'll have a problem figuring it out. You do know all the ways to make me feel very appreciated and happy.”
“Do I now?”
“Oh yes. You, your fingers, your mouth, and your tongue…”
The Italian's voice is so low that makes a shiver run through Maya, her body quickly responding to her gorgeous girlfriend.
“Carina, I will crash this car if you don’t stop…”
“So maybe you should drive faster, capitana.”