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plot: in which, sydney is the only person who has the privilege of seeing the real side of her teammate

trope: teammates to lovers

pairings: wbb! reader x fever! sydney colson

warnings: um none

a/n: love me some syd 🙂‍↕️ okay, do we want jessica shepard or shakira austin next? OR do we want an enemies to lovers alyssa thomas fic? (y'all still gettin' that skylar fic cuz it's halfway done and it eats 😋)

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Y/n was a very quiet, reserved person. Everyone who watched women's basketball knew this. She could get thrown across the court and she'd still have a straight face. She didn't react to anything. She didn't talk trash. She didn't joke or laugh with her teammates. She didn't even crack a smile after someone told a joke.

She'd been in the league for a while now, a couple championships under her belt. One with the Phoenix Mercury and two with Seattle Storm. She was one of the best point guards in the league. But, she needed a change in her career. After Sue retired, she went back to the Mercury to play with Diana again before her time in the league was up. Now she was left alone, Sue and DT no longer her vets.

She considered retirement herself. Mercury were going in a different direction, and they weren't going to resign her so she had to make a decision. She was on the phone with Diana when she got the call from the Indiana Fever. They wanted her on the team. She told them no, even informed them about her retirement plans.

It was maybe a week later when her former Phoenix teammate, DeWanna Bonner, a woman she'd always been close with, called her. She managed to change her mind.

Another year wouldn't hurt. Maybe she could be to Caitlin Clark what Diana Taurasi was to her.

Indy was very welcoming to her. The whole Fever team was welcoming to her. She was excited for this new chapter in her career, even if her face didn't show it.

When Sydney Colson found out y/n was gonna be her teammate on the Fever, she was beyond thrilled. She'd been crushing on her for years. The only reason she never asked her out was because they were on separate teams, and in different states. But now? Yeah, there was nothing holding her back. She was gonna make this woman hers.

It was the first day of training camp. She and y/n had already met and practiced together with Caitlin and some of the others before this. But they hadn't actually had a conversation that wasn't about basketball plays. It was interesting because she had tried to talk to her and crack jokes but she'd receive nothing back. Literally nothing. Not a smile. Not a word. Not even an eyebrow twitch. She was incapable of showing any emotion.

A lot of them joked about it when y/n wasn't around. They even made bets to see who could get y/n to laugh. Nobody ever won. They were taking a water break when Caitlin nudged Syd. "I'll give you fifty bucks if you can make y/n laugh."

Syd scoffs, "nice try. We all know she's secretly a robot."

Caitlin laughs, "yeah, a robot that you wanna ask out." She received a side eye, but no efforts to deny the claim. "Just ask her out to dinner. The worst thing she could say is no."

"The worst thing she do is not say anything at all and walk away from me." Syd retorts, and that was actually a big fear of hers.

Caitlin called DB over, the tall woman walking over with a bottle in hand. "What's up?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder to see where they were looking, immediately spotting it was y/n. "Hey so, you're friends with y/n. What do you think she'd say if Syd asked her out? And, is she single? I don't think we've clarified that yet."

"Uh, yes, she is single. And, I'm pretty sure she'd say yes." DeWanna answered honestly. The last time she remembered y/n having a girlfriend was years ago. She kept her love life almost completely private.

"And you can guarantee she won't just walk away and pretend she never heard me?" DeWanna wanted to laugh at the question but stopped when she realized Syd was being serious. "Oh, um, yeah. She wouldn't do that."

Caitlin pushed her forward in an encouraging manner. "Come on. Go ask her out."

She took a deep breath for confidence and made her way over. Y/n was leaning up against the padded walls, a bottle of Gatorade in her hand as she stared at the ceiling. She felt Sydney's presence, the woman stopping in front of her, hands nervously behind her back. She took her eyes off the ceiling to face her newest teammate. She had no expression so Syd couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"So uhm..I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go on a date with me..?"

She blinked, still expressionless as she replied with, "okay."

Syd's face morphed into shock, "wait- really? Uhm-- how's tomorrow night? We could also just do it tonight if that's what you feelin'."

Steph called them back to continue practice and y/n just nods at her words. "Tonight." She walks away and Syd turns to give Caitlin a thumbs up. The brunette grinned, jumping up and down excitedly for her.

Later that night, Sydney pulled up to y/n's apartment, and they lived in the same building so she didn't need to go far. She knocked on the door, and it took a couple seconds before the door opened. Her jaw went slack, pupils dilating as she looked her date up and down slowly, taking it all in. She honestly didn't expect her to dress this good given she only wore sweats and t-shirts in the tunnel.

So, seeing her in this state was definitely different, and she was not complaining.

"You--you look absolutely beautiful," she voiced, completely starstruck.

Only furthering Sydney's shock, y/n smiled at her compliment. It was a closed lip smile but it was still an expression. "Thank you. You look good too."

They got down to Syd's car and she opened the door for her. She stepped inside, setting her purse on her lap before pulling on her seat belt. Syd turned to her, "um, I'm like still new to the city but I got a suggestion from CC and Lex, so if the food sucks, you can't fault me." She laughed, nodding her head, "I won't fault you."

Syd smiled to herself, obsessed with the fact that she actually got y/n to laugh at her joke. She had the cutest laugh. And honestly, she was glad nobody else got to see or hear it. She got it all to herself. As she drove, they put some music on, the volume low but high enough to hear it. "I uh, I heard a rumor that you was retirin', is that true?"

"Oh, yeah. I was planning to before DB convinced me to come to Indiana. I still want to retire though, so this might be my last year." She explained, pretty much already in terms with her plans. She didn't see it as a big deal. She had a good career. The new generation was coming in. The league was in good hands.

"Really? What do you plan to do after you retire?" Y/n actually really liked that she asked that rather than question her about the retirement like most did. She was getting a little tired of explaining herself. The fact that Syd just immediately understood was very sweet. "Honestly, I have no idea. I figured I'd already be married by now so I could just spend it traveling with my wife."

"Well, I'd love to be apart of your plans when you figure out what they are." Was it bold? Yes. But she knew what she wanted and y/n liked that about her. She was real.

"We'll see how the rest of this night goes."

They got to the restaurant, and it was very nice. They got seats right by the windows that overlooked the city. Even Sydney was impressed with it. As they overlooked the menu, the first date questions began. "What's your favorite thing to do when you got a day off? And you can't say go to the gym 'cause nobody likes doin' that on their day off. But- if you did say that, I won't judge you...verbally at least."

She chuckled softly, glancing down at the menu so she didn't see Syd biting her lip. "Honestly, I don't really do anything. I would love to, but I don't have anyone to do stuff with and I feel like a lonely middle aged woman when I do go places by myself. Which I pretty much am." What Syd heard was basically that she needed a woman. And she was happy to be that woman. It was meant to be.

The waitress came over to take their orders, and they didn't get a whole lot so it was quick. "I uh..I do have one question for you though."

"Me?" Syd raised her brows, pointing to herself as y/n nodded with a small smile.

"I seen you talking to Caitlin before you came up to me. And I guess I'm just wonderin' if maybe, you only asked me out as a joke..or dare?"

"What? No. No. Absolutely not." Syd was quick to deny that, hating that she even thought that. "We were talking about you- but it wasn't like anything bad. I was just nervous that you'd reject me if I asked you out 'cause you're so quiet and mysterious. It's hard to read what you're thinking."

"That's good to know, but I am still confused. Why did you ask me out?"

"For one, I really really like you. I've always liked you, since we met at the draft if I'm bein' honest. I just never asked you out or talked to you much 'cause we were always on different teams." She smiled, loving how honest and upfront she was about her feelings. She could've lied and said she just found her attractive but she didn't. "Anything you else you wanna add?"

Syd nods her head. "Absolutely. You remind me of batman and I love batman."

She laughed, quick to cover her face with her hands. "That is the most romantic thing someone's ever said to me."

The rest of the date was perfect. It couldn't have gone any better. She walked her back to her door, hand set on her lower back as she unlocked the door. Before pushing it open, she turned to face her. "You wanna come inside?" Of course she did. But, she couldn't seem too willing, yet. "Are you sure?"

She nodded slowly, hypnotizing eyes gazing into hers. She reached for the handle behind her and pushed open the door. She stepped inside, still facing Syd who was fighting for her life not to pull this woman into the bedroom. Although she probably wanted that. Syd wasn't tryna do all that until she made her, well, her girlfriend.

She hand slid down her body to grab at the bottom of her shirt, bottom lip between her teeth. "I really like you. You're funny. You understand me. And you're hot." She voiced, playing with the button that kept her shirt together. "I want you. Do you want me?"

Syd nodded, her heart beat speeding up the longer this continued. "I want you," she replied in her raspy voice.

Y/n smiled, and there it was, that smile she was so obsessed with. The smile that came everytime she laughed. It was so addicting. She had it all to herself. She couldn't wait to ask her. She had no patience for that. It had to happen now. She had to lock it down now. "You wanna be my girlfriend?"

Her eyes softened, and she nodded with a bright smile. "I'd love to be your girlfriend."

That was all she needed to hear. She leaned down to capture her lips into a hungry but tender kiss. One of her hands rested on her cheek, the other curled around her waist to bring her body closer.

Thank God she didn't retire.

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The next day, the team was in the locker room, just getting ready before practice started. Lexie and Caitlin assumed the date didn't go well. And some of the others suspected the same because y/n was literally still the same. No emotion on her face whatsoever. Not a pep in her step at all.

Caitlin furrowed her brows, leaning over to nudge Sydney. "How'd the date go?"

Syd blinked, the memories of last night coming to mind before she blinked them away. "It went good. We're dating now. She's my girlfriend. Thanks for the rec though, she loved it."

That completely took Caitlin by surprise, the brunette quick to share a look with the equally confused Lexie. "Wait- hold on. You're dating now?"

"Mhm." She glanced up from her shoes to get her girlfriend's attention. "Hey babe." Their eyes all shot up to see what reaction she'd have. They got nothing. Not a smile. Not even an eye twitch. She just lifted her hand to return a little wave before putting her attention back on her shoes.

Caitlin pursed her lips awkwardly, setting a sympathetic hand on Syd's back as AB and Kels were trying to silently plead with her. "She deserves the truth," she mouthed to the two before turning her attention back to Syd. "Listen, I hate to be the one to tell you this but...I don't think your girlfriend likes you very much."

Syd furrowed her brows in confusion, "what do you mean?" This was all really hilarious to her given she had that woman screaming her name last night and nobody had a clue.

Before Cailtin could respond, y/n had gotten up and held her hand out to Syd. "We'll resume this later. Duty calls." She quickly took her girlfriend's hand and she pulled her out of the locker room as they watched in confusion.

Aliyah smacked Caitlin's shoulder, "you can't just tell someone their girlfriend hates them!"

"What? Someone's gotta tell her! Did you see that? She didn't even smile at her." Caitlin argued, making a pretty good point to them.

"You're right but it was a little out of line," Kelsey added.

DeWanna was just laughing her ass off, leaving them to all look at her in confusion. "Y'all are hilarious."

Caitlin raised a brow, "do you know something we don't?"

"I might."

"Spill," Lexie pleaded.

"Just 'cause she don't show emotion around other people don't mean she don't show emotion around Syd. I bet Syd has her laughing 24/7."

Caitlin scoffed in disbelief, "laughing? Y/n laughs?"

"Girl, they're probably in a closet laughing about y'all right now."

Syd grinned as her girlfriend laughed into her chest, trying to stop to catch her breath. Of course she had jokes about the moment in the locker room a minute prior. Y/n only pulled her in this closet to share a kiss so the fact that the opposite was happening was hilarious. "Nah 'cause did you see their faces when you didn't reply to me? They really thought I was delusional."

She giggled, pressing a kiss to her neck, feeling Syd's arms wrap around her with a smirk. "Mmm, I love makin' you laugh," she mumbled into her neck, that rasp in her voice sending shivers down her spine as she was peppering little kisses down her jaw.

"The irony of us kissing in a closet," she mumbled.

Syd pulled away to laugh, "I think I'm rubbin' off on you."

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