9. team building

Leo pulled into Tim Hortons and joined the line in the drive thru.

"What do you want?" He turned to ask.

"I thought I was in charge of the snacks!" Kitt looked offended.

"You are." He laughed.

"Then YOU tell ME your order!" She demanded.

"How does that work in a drive thru?" He laughed again.

"Like this!" She unbundled and pulled herself across his chest to push the window button.

"Oh! OK. I would like a large double double." He rolled forward to the menu and speaker.

"Excellent." She said wedged between him and the stearing wheel leaning over to order out his window.

"Welcome to Tim Hortons. What can I get for you today?" The speaker crackled.

"Large double double, twenty timbits, and a large half french vanilla half decaff coffee." Kitt ordered.

"Please pull up." The voice crackled again.

Kitt flopped back into her seat as they waited for their turn at the window.

"How are you feeling after the weekend? It seems like it would be hectic." Leo asked as Kitt fished in her bag for her phone that held her debit card.

"It was more... complicated than I expected." Kitt admitted.

"Oh? How so?" He asked, pulling up another car length.

"It's just, Um, I guess I'm used to hockey just being hockey." Kitt said, looking out her window. He couldn't understand how her beloved game had become so much more, and the pressure of it weighed on her.

"And now it has become an elephant?" He said with a confused chuckle.

"Sort of actually." She nodded.

He pulled up, and she shot out of her seat a second before he stopped in front of the window. When he braked she fell against him. She could feel his warm chest against her arm she didn't rush to break the contact. It was the closest she was going to get to a hug in that moment, and it felt nice.

She paid for their order and flopped back again. She busied herself doing up her seat belt. Her arm suddenly felt cold where she had been able to feel his warmth a moment ago.

"You smell good." He said almost to himself.

"Thank you?" She said with a smirk.

"After games, I usually stink." He winked at her.

"Don't you shower?" She asked.

"Yeah, I do." He smiled.

"Me too." She said, hoping to indicate why she smelled like lavender.

"That's good." He pulled back out onto the road.

"So why is hockey an elephant?" He asked, referring back to their earlier conversation.

Remember, he is Director Thomas's God son! Her brain yelled at her.

Her blood ran cold. The thought zapped all of her warmth, and she shivered.

"It just felt really important." She tried to sound nonchalant. She focused on the box of timbits, searching through for her favorites.

"Don't be taking all the good ones!" Leo said, reaching for the box.

"Depends. Which ones do you consider 'the good ones'? She turned to move the box out of his reach so his hand landed on her thigh instead.

"Birthday cake, fritter, chocolate, sour cream, glazed, honey dip, sprinkle..." his voice trailed off.

"So all of them." She laughed.

"No! No plain!" He said like a kid on the playground.

"Why not plain? When was the last time you had one?" She asked, finding one amongst the sugary selections.

"It's... plain!" He smiled with a twinkle in his eye.

"So? So am I, and you seem to like me just fine." She said without thinking.

"You are not plain." He laughed.

She held up the doughnut and smiled.

"Here, just try." She suggested.

"No thanks, give me all the sugar." He shook his head, his eyes never leaving the road.

"Just try it!" She said, reaching over to pop the little treat into his mouth. He took it because he had no other choice.

"Harnmnfull," He said with his mouth full.

She turned to look and laughed.

"Humt?" He questioned.

"You have crumbs on your face. Come here." She made him lean towards her a little so she could wipe his face clean.

"Thanks." He smiled and looked at her briefly.

"You are a hot mess." She grinned back.

She lifted his hand from her thigh and flipped it over. For a brief moment, she wanted to interlace her fingers with his. She wanted to know how it would feel to have his palm against hers and his large hand, keeping her smaller one warm.

Instead, the knowledge that he was connected to Director Thomas won. She placed three sugar-coated timbits in his hand. She realized she didn't even know if he would want to hold her hand, but it didn't matter because she couldn't trust he wouldn't share her secrets with the enemy.

Kitt slid her feet out of her shoes and crossed her legs in her seat. She was tall but slim, so she barely fit, but she made it work.

"Comfy?" He smiled again and shook her knee that was over the center console.

"Supremely." She grinned.

"I'm surprised that there wasn't a section of family, friends, and hockey boyfriends slash girlfriends at the game." He said, turning onto a scenic country road.

"We don't actually have a lot of regular fans or supporters. Believe it or not, having a loud crowd is pretty new to us." Kitt shook her head.

"What? Really, it seemed pretty full today." He said skeptically.

"Half those people were the other teams who were still there but eliminated. Some were family and friends, I'm sure." She shrugged.

"No adoring boyfriends?" He brought it up again casually.

"You know we are female hockey players, right?" She rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, girlfriends." He corrected.

"See! That's why!! Everyone makes assumptions about us because we like a typically masculine sport!" She said emphatically.

"I didn't -" He started before she cut him off.

"But you did! Everyone does! I hate it." Kitt had a sore spot where this subject was concerned.

"So, no boyfriends or girlfriends?" He asked with a cheeky grin.

"Fuck off." Kitt snipped putting her feet on the floor again and looking out the window at the melting snow covered fields barely visible in the twilight.

"Are you offended if people think your gay?" He asked gently.

"Pfft no, it's the suggestion that I must be this thing or that thing. I am more than a stereotype, more than a two dimensional character made to check a box!" Kitt grumbled feeling the irritation crawling up her spine.

"Like what other things would be a stereotype?" He challenged.

"Dumb jock?" She replied, letting the frustration seep into her voice.

"Yeah, believe it or not I get that. A lot. When I tell people that I am actually in university they act surprised. Like I can be an athlete OR a student. But most of the time it is people whose opinion doesn't matter." He shared.

"Yeah some people have no idea how little their opinions actually matter." Kitt agreed.

So you never said about the boyfriends." He reminded her.

"Yeah, right. No boyfriend here, some of the girls have a person, but hockey actually takes up a lot of time believe it or not. And a lot of guys don't like that. So usually most of us are single, during the season at least." She remembered how Keisha got dumped over text last year because 'hockey just shouldn't be thT important'. Her ex was on the wrestling team at his school and it was his entire personality. He seemed to think his sports career was just more important than hers. Kitt growled a little and scowled as she thought about it.

"You are pretty cute when you get disgruntled." He laughed.

"Fuck off." She said again.

"Classy." He smirked.

It was completely dark out in the countryside because there was no moon. Kitt felt cozy and protected in the warm jeep with Leo. He made her feel comfortable around him.

"What are you going to do now that the season is over?" He asked.

"Not sure. Things seem to be pulling me towards, um, politics?" She struggled with how to say that she might be filling her time with fighting his God father.

"Like running for prime Minister?" She hid her smile in the dark as she turned to study the confused look on his face lit by the lights of the dashboard.

"No, not that." She let herself study his profile.

"Politics how?" He asked.

"It seems that I have been unceremoniously thrust into the unofficial position of equalizer. You know fighting the university for policy change?" She admitted.

"Yeah, yuck. That sounds awful." He made a face.

She leaned back against her seat facing him.

"But important." She said defensively.

"Yeah, for sure, I just mean, it sounds like a lot of work." He dismissed.

"So? So what if it is hard? So what if it is time consuming? So what if it seems impossible, and lonely and gut wrenching?" She felt like crying at the thought of it all.

"Hey, hey, hey! It will be ok. If you can't do it, or don't want to you don't have to." He said in his soft voice.

She instantly saw red.

"You don't think this is important enough to be a little uncomfortable for a while? Why because it is just girls sports? Or Are you saying that I personally can't handle it? Why because I seem weak? Because I don't have the broad shoulders and big muscles it takes to be taken seriously?" She practically snapped.

"Oh, no, none of that! Please don't think-" He was cut off again

"It doesn't matter any way!" She huffed and crossed her arms looking out the side window into the nothing filled blakness. Fighting the lump in her throat and the tears pricking at her eyes, she took a deep breath.

"What's wrong?" He asked reaching out to grab her elbow and giving it a gentle tussle.

"Nothing." She shrugged.

"Kitt! Don't do that." He said with a shake of his head.

"It's just a lot to think about." She admitted.

"I bet!" He nodded.

"I don't want to talk about it." She said before yawning.

"Do you want me to put on some music?" He offered.

"Sure." She nodded suddenly, exhausted.

He turned on the radio, and she brought her knees up cuddled sideways in her seat. He put his hand on the center console. So his pinky would gently brush against her knee as he tapped his fingers along with the beat of the song. It was a soothing feeling, and soon enough, she closed her eyes.

***

Kitt woke up feeling heavy. She was stiff and a bit sore. Her cheek was pressed against something warm and comfortable.

When her brain started to come around, she realized she was holding someone's hand, and her cheek was on their arm. She wanted to stay snuggled up, but her body was protesting.

Kitt looked up to see Leo's face highlighted in the fospheresent street lights. His jaw looked strong, and his profile was rugged and handsome.

"Sorry. I guess I was tired." She said sitting up. She looked out the window as she let her feet slide onto the floor.

"I wonder why!" He grinned. He kept her hand safely tucked in his.

"Sorry I don't know how I managed to capture your arm." She blushed furiously. Thankfully, it was dark, and he had to keep his eyes on the road.

"It's all good. You were really out." He smiled but didn't let go of her hand or try to pull away.

"Oh no!" she covered her face with her free hand.

"Your fine." He smirked and winked at her.

Her phone started to ring and she had to use both hands to retrieve it, meaning she had to let go of Leo's hand. She would never admit it, but deep down inside, she was a little disappointed.

"Hey, hope I'm not interrupting anything." Josie's voice had a smile in it.

"Yeah, actually, I was having a nap." Kitt  admitted part of the truth.

"Well the team wants to know if you are up for a celebration dinner?" Josie asked.

"Tonight? It is so late!" Kitt was surprised.

"No, dummy! It's like eleven thirty!" Josie laughed.

"Is it? Geeze! We still have over an hour home." Kitt said.

"Yeah, we are trying to figure out a dinner." Josie said again.

"Friday?" Kitt suggested.

"Ok I will tell them. Safe trip." Josie laughed a little.

"Oh, remind me to kill you." Kitt said with a cat-like stretch in her seat.

"You love me." Josie was smiling, Kitt could hear it in her voice.

"Bye, love your face." Kitt said.

"Love you." Josie replied before hanging up.

Kitt looked over at Leo who wad drumming his fingers on the steering wheel to the classic rock song playing over the speakers. No, she would never actually admit it, but she was secretly glad to have this time with Leo.