I Just Found This Edit. It's So Tuff.

candycool

6 months ago

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Cabin Fever (S.I)

Summary: You've always admired Sabrina on the court with her dominance on the court and confident persona. But meeting her for the first time, she's a completely different person.

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: lots of fluff.

You had always been close with your sister, Betnijah. She was only a few years older than you, but ever since her high school days, you followed her basketball career like her number one fan. As a kid, she was your idol. Even though you were close in age, you still looked up to her, aspiring to carry yourself with the same confidence and determination she had.

The moment she was drafted to the New York Liberty, you knew you were going to follow her wherever her career took her. She had become a staple in your life, and you in hers. You were the definition of sisters.

You attended as many games as possible, becoming friends with some of the other players and their families. But one player stood out more than the others. She was young, likely one of this year's rookies the Liberty had drafted.

You’d heard her name before, Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon’s pride and joy, who had been breaking records left and right. At first, you hadn’t paid her much notice but the way she played the game enticed you. The way she moved with such confidence on the court, left you eager to see her play every time.

It all started innocently enough. You had been hanging around outside the locker rooms, waiting for your sister after yet another liberty win. Unfortunately your sister was one of the first one in, last one out kind of person which left you standing there for quite some time.

Leaning against the wall, scrolling through your phone, you felt a pair of eyes on you. Looking up, you noticed Sabrina standing a few feet away, mid-conversation with one of her teammates. Sabrina wasn’t saying much, just nodding along, giving the occasional “mhm,” while her eyes kept flickering in your direction.

As your gaze met hers she immediately looked away, her body stiffening as if you’d caught her doing something she wasn’t supposed to. She nervously tugged at the hem of her t-shirt, a gesture that struck you as oddly out of character for someone who seemed so dominant on the court.

JJ’s voice broke through sabrina’s thoughts. “Dude, just go talk to her,” she muttered, loud enough for you to hear. Sabrina shot her a look, her brows furrowing.

“Talk to who?” Sabrina mumbled, clearly trying to act nonchalant.

JJ rolled her eyes. “You know exactly who I’m talking about—Betnijah’s sister. You’ve been staring for like… ten minutes, rookie. Either go talk to her or stop being weird about it.”

A few beats passed before Sabrina took a deep breath, steeling herself. With slow, tentative steps, she started walking toward you, nerves radiating off of her.

“Hey, you’re Betnijah’s sister, right?” Sabrina asked, her voice much softer than you expected. Her frame towering over you, her hands were shoved deep into her pockets as she tried to make eye contact but failed.

“Yeah, that’s me,” you smiled warmly. “And you’re Sabrina.”

“Yep, that’s me,” she repeated with an awkward chuckle, her usual charm conspicuously absent. “I’ve, uh, seen you at a few games,” she added, her eyes briefly meeting yours before darting to the wall behind you.

You nodded, trying to ease the tension. “Yeah, I try to come when I can. You’re a great player, by the way! You make the game a lot more fun to watch.”

Sabrina’s cheeks flushed a deep shade of red as she quickly looked away, biting the inside of her cheek. “Oh… thanks. That means a lot, really.”

There was a brief pause in the conversation. The interaction could have naturally ended but sabrina stayed rooted in her spot, her eyes flickering between you, the wall, and the floor. She looked like she wanted to say something else but whatever it was, she couldn't quite bring herself to let the words out.

“So, do you come to a lot of the away games too?” Sabrina asked after what felt like an eternity, scrambling to find a reason to keep talking to you.

“Not too often. Depends on work and stuff, but I try to make it when I can,” you answered, noticing how her nervous energy was almost endearing.

She nodded quickly, glancing around, her fingers fidgeting with her sleeves. “Cool, cool. It’s nice how supportive you are of your sister. I think that’s awesome.”

The conversation ended after that, neither of you saying much more. Betnijah emerged from the locker room, calling your name. Sabrina glanced your way with a shy, awkward smile before stepping aside, letting you go. You smiled back, feeling a strange warmth from the interaction.

After that, every time you saw Sabrina at games, she’d wave or flash a quick smile. She always acknowledged you but never said much beyond a simple greeting. It wasn’t long until you started noticing a pattern.

Whenever you weren’t around, Sabrina was totally in her element. Joking with her teammates, hyping up fans, laughing loudly at just about anything. But the second you were nearby, her confidence seemed to crumble. She could barely string two words together when you were in her vicinity.

One night, after yet another Liberty game, Betnijah invited you to celebrate with the team at a bar downtown. Everyone was in high spirits, taking shots and dancing to the loud music. You sat at a table with some of the players sipping your drink, when you noticed Sabrina approaching the group. Mid-conversation with a teammate, her eyes immediately found yours.

You weren’t sure if she even realized it, but her focus on the conversation clearly faltered as she got closer. The only open seat was right next to you. She hesitated, glancing around before awkwardly sitting down, leaving a noticeable gap between the two of you.

“Hey,” she leaned in, her voice barely audible over the thumping base. “You having a good time?”

“Yeah, it’s fun,” you smiled, trying to ignore the sudden rush of butterflies in your stomach. “You played great tonight.”

Her face lit up at your words, a wide grin spreading across her features. “Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed the game.”

“Well, it’s hard not to when you’re playing,” you said, the words slipping out before you could stop them. Sabrina’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushing that familiar shade of red as she quickly looked down.

For a while, the conversation stilled. Sabrina sat beside you, clearly trying to compose herself but still fidgeting nervously. She barely spoke the rest of the night but stayed close, her eyes flickering toward you whenever she thought you weren’t looking.

It was oddly sweet, watching someone so confident on the court become so modest around you.

A few days later, you sat on the couch, talking to your sister over the phone.

“C’mon, Y/N, pleeeease?” she begged through the phone. “You’re seriously going to leave me alone with a bunch of couples this weekend?”

You laughed. “Why can’t Jordan go with you?”

“He’s got some work thing he can’t miss,” she groaned. “Come on, just do me this favor. It’ll be fun, and it’s not like you’ll be the only single person there.”

“What do you mean?” Your brows furrowed in confusion.

“Well, Sabrina’s single,” Betnijah said, her voice teasing. “And I think she might have a crush on you, by the way.”

“What?” you scoffed, your voice raising in disbelief. “No. Sabrina can barely look me in the eye, let alone like me in that way.”

“Uh huh, sure,” your sister teased. “So is that a yes to the cabin trip?”

You hesitated, weighing your options. You could stay home, alone and bored, and spend your break watching rom coms that make you feel lonely… or you could take a risk and go on a relaxing trip that might bring you and Sabrina a little closer.

“Fine, I’ll go,” you sighed, earning a loud cheer from your sister.

"We’re short one room," your sister muttered, holding up a printed layout of the cabin. "I thought there’d be enough for everyone…”

"Looks like someone’s gonna have to share," one of the other players chimed in, looking around at the group.

There was a moment of hesitation as everyone exchanged glances, clearly not wanting to be stuck sharing a room. You were about to suggest that maybe you and your sister could bunk together when Sabrina’s voice cut through the silence.

"I can, uh, share," she said, her voice a little shaky. Her eyes flicked nervously between you and your sister. "If, uhm y/n doesn’t mind, I mean."

You looked over at Sabrina, surprised by her offer. She was standing a little off to the side, her hands fidgeting with the strap of her bag, her face flushed slightly as she avoided making direct eye contact. It was clear that she was nervous about her own idea, but there was also a hopeful gleam in her eyes as she glanced at you.

Your sister, oblivious to the subtle tension in the air, shrugged. "Yeah, that works. Thanks, Sabrina."

And just like that, it was settled.

Sabrina made her way towards you and silently grabbed your bags, offering a small smile before diverting her gaze and making her way to the room.

The room itself was pretty cozy with a queen size bed nestled up against a window overlooking the lake.

Sabrina carefully placed the bags on the floor before sitting at the edge of the bed, her posture stiff and awkward. still unable to meet your eyes.

“You sure you're okay with this?” you asked, trying to ease the tension with a smile.

Sabrina’s head snapped up, her eyes wide before she nodded quickly. "Yeah! Yeah, of course. Totally fine." She paused, biting her lip as if reconsidering her words. "I mean... unless you’re not okay with it. Then i could—"

"It’s fine," you interrupted gently, chuckling a little. "I’m fine with it. Don’t worry."

Sabrina let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, nodding again as she smoothed out the bedspread beneath her. "Okay, cool. Just checking."

The silence stretched for a few moments before you made your way back to the group. The evening was spent playing board games and nursing drinks with drunken giggles. By the time everyone bid goodnight, Sabrina seemed a little more relaxed and less tense as you crawled under the covers beside her.

You and Sabrina lay side by side in bed, the soft glow of the moonlight streaming in through the window. The cabin was quiet, save for the occasional creak of the floorboards and the distant sound of the lake lapping against the shore.

You could feel the warmth radiating off of her body, though she had kept a respectable distance between the two of you, her hands rested on top of the covers. The silence was comfortable, in a way, but there was still a lingering feeling in the air.

After what felt like an eternity, you took a deep breath, preparing yourself for what you were about to say. Sabrina glanced over at you, noticing the sudden change. In a voice barely above a whisper, you spoke. “Im sorry”

“For what?” her brows tightened in confusion.

“You just always seem so tense and nervous when I'm around, I'm sorry that I make you uncomfortable” you mumbled quietly.

“What? No, it's not… it's not you, I'm just…" she stammered, "I just don't know how to act around you” she finished.

“Why?” you pushed gently, now turning to get a better look at her.

“I don't know,” she laughed softly. “Maybe it's because you're so pretty? It's like whenever I see you I'm suddenly three years old and learning how to form sentences. I just get so anxious because I don't want to say or do the wrong thing around you and embarrass myself I guess” the glow of the moonlight illuminated her features as she stared at the ceiling.

“You think i'm pretty huh” you teased softly

“I just admitted my feelings for you and that's the only part that stuck?” she laughed nervously.

You shifted closer, resting your head on her shoulder. “I like you too, you know,” you admitted softly, feeling her arm wrap around you gently.

She turned her head to look down at you, a large smile gracing her face. “I just wish it didn't take so long for you to say something,” you added quietly.

Tentatively, sabrina reached out to take your hand resting on her stomach in hers, interlacing them gently. The rest of the night you two lay there, holding hands under the soft moonlight. Neither of you spoke much but there wasn't much that needed to be said. The weight of the unspoken feelings between you had finally lifted, replaced by the quiet comfort of finally being close to each other.

As your eyes drifted shut, your mind filled with dreams of the same toothy smile of the girl who held you close. You dreamt of what was to come next, hoping that those dreams would soon come to life.

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I Just Found This Edit. It's So Tuff.

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Cabin Fever (S.I)