Chapter 20 - Tomlinson

The world stops around me the moment she jumps into my arms, laughing and with her eyes shining, so happy. But then the world starts spinning when she grabs my face and kisses me.

I honestly didn’t see this one coming.

Nothing else matters, no one else exists because Robin is in my arms and she’s kissing me. And I’m kissing her back, of course, holding her even tighter and pushing the shock at the back of my mind. The taste of her lips against mine, the way she’s holding on to me with her hands ruffling my hair, her legs tightly wrapped around my hips, all this is driving me crazy. And it’s not even enough. The adrenaline of the recently finished match is still running in my blood, making this kiss frantic and a bit desperate, like none of us can have enough of the other. I’m sure we’re putting on a great show, but I couldn’t care less.

I tilt my head as I deepen the kiss and slowly put her on her feet again just to press my hands on her back and pull her against me even closer. We hug so tightly that she bends backwards a bit as she still holds on to me with my hands travelling all up and down her back.

I’m running out of air but I can’t stop kissing her. This is what I’ve been craving for so long, this is what I’ve dreamt of so many nights, this is what I’ve wanted since I saw her the first time and I can’t believe it’s actually happening.

I had made my mind to ask her out after this game, I just couldn’t hold it any longer. I guess she beat me and I’m so glad she did. This is better than what I had planned.

I pull back two seconds just to take a deep breath and kiss her again. I don’t think I can stop, she is intoxicating, addictive and simply sublime. This kiss is making the triumph of this match even sweeter, perfect.

She pulls back and I know I should let her but I can’t, I really can’t. I kiss her again, and again; short and fast kisses just to get a little taste again. And even if we break the kiss, I don’t really pull back. I still hold her tightly in my arms, I press my forehead against hers. One of my arms is firmly around her, the other hand rises so I can cup her face as I try to even my breathing. Pretty much what she’s doing, as well.

“Congrats,” she says with a raspy voice, breathing heavily. “You… you were amazing.”

“You’re amazing,” I blurt, not even minding that I can’t control my tongue.

She chuckles and I smile wider, leaning just a little bit to peck her lips again. I still can’t believe I’m doing this.

“I… I’m sorry I jumped like that and that I… uh…”

I know she’s feeling uncomfortable so I make my mind to tell her now so she can understand once and for all.

“I’m crazy about you,” I blurt out and I feel her freezing in my arms so I hug her a bit tighter. “I… don’t apologise just… ugh… Robin,” I ramble before I lean in again and kiss her deeply because I don’t have words to tell her how I feel, to express all I’m experiencing right now. The euphoria of this victory and Robin in my arms is just too much for me to handle.

She kisses me back although I feel her reluctance at the beginning. Or maybe it’s confusion and shock after my confession, but she gets over that quickly.

“I… I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” I whisper against her lips, my eyes still closed. The way her fingers are ruffling my hair is highly distracting and it’s hard to concentrate on what I want to say.

“Why didn’t… why didn’t you do it before?” Robin asks kissing me briefly again. “I wouldn’t have stopped you.”

I chuckle at her statement. “I was giving you time, I didn’t want to push you or anything,” I reply honestly and she smiles. I pull back a bit just to appreciate her beautiful smile.

“Sometimes you’re too thoughtful,” she says with an amused grin and I laugh.

“So you’re going out with me, right?” I ask next which makes her laugh.

“Of course not, I just kissed you to congratulate you,” she replies ironically and it’s my turn to laugh. “That’s what I always do.”

“Then I better always score all the goals,” I joke along.

“Then I won’t have any other option but jump at you and kiss you after every game,” Robin carries on.

“Our lives are so hard.” We both burst out laughing and I’m about to kiss her again when I feel a hand on my shoulder.

I turn around, taking into notice the rest of the world again, remembering we’re still on the field, with all the other players around, the cheerleaders, the audience and everyone else. Robin and I break our embrace but my hand reaches to hers, not bearing the thought of not being touching her at all.

“You did a great job, Tomlinson. I knew you could do it,” Coach Meyer says to me with a squeeze on my shoulder.

“Thanks,” I reply so happy I can’t even think of what else to say.

Now that Robin and her proximity are not clouding my mind I remember the game and our victory and the rush comes back all over again. We won, I scored the goals that took us to this new victory. I played as forward and I did a good job. We had an amazing game.

Once the rest of the team see the coach is congratulating me many others approach and hug me, congratulate me and celebrate with me.

We won!

Robin is still around but we break contact when my teammates pull me apart, dragging me for a while, just to shout and celebrate the whole team. After a few minutes I manage to escape and run back to where I last saw Robin and she’s with Harry, Jamie and another guy I don’t know.

“Congrats!” Harry shouts throwing his arms in the air with a big grin. “That was one hell of a game, mate!” And he hugs me next, patting my back. “And I saw you with Robin,” he whispers in my ear. “Double congratulations.”

I laugh as we pull back and then Jamie is in front of me, congratulating me and she introduces her boyfriend, Gerald, who also congratulates me.

And after that, my sole attention is on Robin who’s smiling so lovely. I approach her, our eyes locked and I take her hand, pulling her a bit towards me. Her smile is coy yet still beautiful. “So… will you go out with me?” I ask again not because I don’t think she won’t, but because I want her to hear her saying it. Because I want it to be crystal clear.

“Of course,” she replies and I lean to kiss her again but remember our friends are around and it’s never nice to see others snogging. Plus, I’m sure the attention is completely on us.

So instead of kissing her again —and although I’m dying to— I pull her next to me, my arm around her waist keeping her by my side when I turn around to see our friends, and as I thought, they are watching us. Jamie and Harry both have knowing grins and I know I would normally blush but I’m just so happy with all what has happened today that I can’t stop grinning. I don’t feel embarrassed, not a single bit.

“We have to celebrate, that was a sick game. Mate, the last goal… woah,” Harry exclaims so happy and excited that I chuckle. “Amazing. It’s like you came out of nowhere!”

“You were incredible,” Robin supports next to me and I turn to meet her eyes, my smile completely different this time. “I almost had a heart attack.”

“I think I’m starting to understand why Robin loves football so much. It was incredible!” even Jamie compliments, sounding really genuine. “The best game I’ve watched.”

“Thank you,” I reply and pull Robin a bit closer. A part of me still can’t believe I have her next to me like this. “And I agree with Harry. We have to celebrate.”

So I go to shower, apologising to Robin for just hugging her when I was all sweaty but she said she didn’t mind at all. I’m about to run to the showers when she calls my name.

“Louis!” I turn around to meet her eyes and she hurries to catch up with me.

Before I can ask her what’s up she grabs my face and standing on her tiptoes she kisses me. I forget even why I was hurrying to the showers.

“We’ll see you at the parking lot, okay?” she instructs and I nod like an idiot. Her hands are still on my face, cupping my cheeks. “You were incredible today, really. Congratulations on your victory.”

And I know it’s silly but I feel like I won so much more today. It’s like today I got all I wanted and I don’t even know how to feel. I’m certainly overwhelmed with all the happiness inside me.

“Thanks,” I say leaning to kiss her one more time.

We finally separate and I go to the showers where I meet my other teammates. Again, they congratulate me and we all are so happy for this victory. For a moment I swear I thought we were going to lose but we managed it. We did it, all of us. I never felt more connected to my team than what I felt today on that field.

“Tomlinson!” Tom approaches and wraps one arm around my shoulders in a rough embrace. “Great job, mate! That was sick.”

“We did it,” I tell him and he shakes me a bit, so excited, laughing.

“We did it! It actually feels like we all did it. It was so much better without Connor. To be honest, I’m glad Coach Meyer didn’t let him play today and he didn’t even bother to come.”

“Yeah,” some teammates support, hearing our conversation.

“Coach Meyer’d be wise to put you in his position instead. You and Tom are a better duo. You were unstoppable,” Spencer, our goalkeeper and captain says.

“It was so much better with you, Tomlinson,” Tom adds and I feel a different kind of happiness, one that comes from the recognition, from the acceptance of my teammates.

“We all did it, it was a great team work,” I offer and I see their smiles.

I know for a fact that Connor’s never been like this. He’s always thought he’s above us, way better. Like this is his team and we are here to his use. That’s not the right attitude. That’s why he’s never made captain, because he doesn’t really care about the team. Everyone knows that and the coach told him that when Connor demanded to know why Spencer was still captain when he was the best player. That day is one of my favourites, along with today.

“We’re all going to celebrate to the usual bar,” Spencer speaks up. “You better be there, Tommo. You were the star of this game.”

“I’ll be there,” I promise with a huge smile. And I won’t go alone, which only makes me smile wider.

-:-:-

Thank you to all of you who were concerned about me. Let's hope things get better in Uni.

Dedication to @AnnaliseHart for your kind words (:

Bel, xx

NU: Thursday (3K for early update)