The one with the gestures

"And then what happened?"

"I said...well, I said I'd love to, if that was okay with her." Kelley couldn't hold the laugh that came out if her mouth at Parkers response. Parker was on international duty and had been briefing Christen, Tobin and Kelley on what has recently gone on as they say in the dressing room waiting to go on the field. She'd consider these 3 the closest to her on the team, not that she didn't love all the girls, but these three are the girls she'd trust her life with.

"Parker I fucking love you." Kelley said, still trying to get her laughing under control.

Parker just shrugged and went through her routine.

"Did you see what she posted on Instagram?" Christen asked as she scrolled on her phone, talking to the other girls, assuming Parker would have seen it.

"Show me." Kelley demanded before leaning over Christens shoulder. "Awwww, little Parker is growing up! Look at her with her whole ass girlfriend."

Parker took a few moments for her teammates words to actually sink in. "Wait, what?" She mumbled before walking over to Christen who gladly held out her phone with said photo on the screen.

HaileeSteinfeld: missing you already.

It was a picture Griffin had taken off them as the siblings dropped her off at the airport so she could board her plane to Canada for the friendly, Hailee had joked that Parker wouldn't be able to board the plane if she has the extra weight in her baggage. Parker quickly proved her wrong when she proved she could walk around with ease with Hailee on her back.

"She totally just told the world that she's seeing you. Well, not you, because you can't tell...but also, who cares she totally just told everyone!" Kelley exclaimed as she ruffled Parker's hair. "Now, I love you, I'm happy for you, but I need you to do your weird superstition shit because we need you tonight." Kelley advised as she put her AirPods into Parker's ears.

Parker allowed Kelley to put them back in, thankful when her usual playlist began in her ears. She went by her routine, taking the AirPods out at the last possible moment before they had to walk on the pitch. If she's being honest she didn't hear much of the music, she was too busy focusing on Hailee's post. Kelley was right, she didn't tag Parker or anything because they haven't discussed that, however she openly posted about her. Openly admitting that she was with her...without admitting it was her. She knew it would be a conversation they'd have at some point, but for now, she wanted to show Hailee a gesture back.

As she lined up in the tunnel her mind flashed back to when she said goodbye to Hailee at the airport, she'd had her hand on Hailee's cheek and she kissed the inside of Parker's wrist, right over the pulse point. The team began walking out and Parker made up her mind.

As she approached the touch line, she turned backwards and tapped the okay symbol twice on her thigh, reassuring her dad that she's okay, where as she would usually turn back around, she instead brought her hand up to her mouth and placed a kiss on her innover wrist, directly on the pulse point. She knows Hailee is watching the game, she just hopes she sees and understands the small gesture.

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Hailee sat on the sofa with Griffin, both wearing there USWMT jersey with Hayes on the back that Parker had gotten them. The camera was close to the tunnel, watching the girls all walk on the pitch, some jumping on the spot, some waving to fans, some just watching the ground. She recognised Parker's figure near the back and clapped her hands together at the site of her girlfriend. She smiled to herself as she watched her go through her routine of walking backwards and doing her and her dads sign. She'd told her about it when they were cuddling at her house. But then she did something different, she lifted her hand up and kissed her inner wrist.

It didn't take Hailee more than a split second to recognise the gesture as the same thing she did to Parker in the airport, immediately making her heart beat faster.

"You two are so gay for each other, damn." Griffin mumbled from his seat as he sipped a beer.

"You shut your mouth, I'm still not friends with you." She hissed as she reached out to smack his arm.

Griffin rolled his eyes from his seat. "Maybe don't try and bone in the open."

"I was in my pool in my house, and also, shut up."

They watched the game together, celebrating when Parker was able to get an assist to an Alex Morgan goal. It was the 79th minute and Parker was breaking up the wing, pushing her body to sprint as quick as she could. Hailee watched as she shifted to the edge of her seat.

"Come on, Parks, go, go!" She shouted.

She seen Parker lift her head up to look for a pass before she carried on running. She felt Griffin move to the edge of her seat too, both having spotted the Canadian player catching up to Parker with speed. The player was shoulder to shoulder with Parker, which wasn't anything to slouch at considering her pace. They could see the two girls jostling as they ran, it looked like for a second Parker had managed to used her strength to push the other girl off her but as soon as there was space between them the opposition player slammed in to Parker shoulder to shoulder, pushing Parker off the ball. Parker lost her footing and went falling only to be stopped by the advertisement board.

The referee didn't blow the whistle as Parker sat there for a second catching her breath whilst she hoods her knee, feeling a pain shoot directly through her kneecap. The camera continued showing the game, only focussing on Parker once Alex had one the ball and kicked it out of play.

Parker stuck her arms out and looked at the referee, the challenge wasn't a disaster but it was most definitely excessive force. She groaned as the referee motioned for her to get up. She put her hands on the advertisement board and used it as leverage to pull herself up. She got to her feet and went to jog away, trying to run off the ache. As soon as her foot connected with the ground she felt a stabbing pain in her kneecap again, but the momentum of her body tried carrying her forward. She limped as her run came to a stop, Kelley, who was warming up with the other substitute, reaching her arms out and catching the girl before lowering her to the ground and motioning to the bench to get the medics over.

Parker gritted her teeth and slammed her hand on the ground as she lay back, fearing the worst when she's not long came back from a different injury.

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"Finally!" Hailee exclaimed when Parker answered her FaceTime call at last. "I've been looking for you."

Parker furrowed her eyebrows in apology. "Sorry...the medics here are a lot more thorough than the ones at club level. They did a bunch of tests before locking me in my room. I didn't mean to make you you worry, sorry."

Hailee ignored Parker saying the word she's banned her from saying, allowing it considering she could see her girlfriend was in pain. "What's the verdict?"

"Uhh, they think it's just a sprain to my knee. X ray and the scans came back clear, they don't think it's any muscle or tendons. So like 2 to 4 weeks of resting it then rehab...again. I'm on a plane home first thing in the morning."

Hailee could see how frustrated she was and wished for nothing more than to be able to take away her pain. "Bug, I'm so sorry."

Parker shrugged in response. "It's okay, it's just a fluke. Wasn't really a bad challenge but, what can you do yknow?"

"I get that." Hailee continued to inform the girl about her day, hoping that if she can't take the pain away, maybe she can distract her enough for her to forget about it for a short amount of time. "Oh, I saw your little signal."

Parker could feel her blush coming up her cheeks. "Was it okay? If you didn't like It I won't do it again, I just thought it was a way for you to know that I was thinking about you and dedicating it to you...but-I-I probably should of told you first, I'm sorry."

"Parker stop that." Hailee whined. "I loved it. It made me feel close to you when I couldn't physically be."

Parker grinned into the camera, chain dangling down her neck as she lay on her side. "Good. I Uhh, I seen your picture...on Instagram."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"And how'd you feel about it?" Hailee asked. She'd gone out on a whim in posting it and realistically knows she should have discussed it with Parker first. But it felt natural to her.

"Good." Parker answered with a smile.

"Yeah?"

"Mmhmm."

"I'm glad. So, whilst we're on the subject," Hailee paused to reposition herself on the sofa. "I know I posted that, but I wanna know what your boundaries are in terms of talking about...us?"

Parker cleared her throat whilst she tried to put her thoughts together. "I mean, I'm good for whatever. I didn't know how you'd feel cos you're not out. So It's sorta in your court."

Hailee nodded as she watched Parker reposition herself, grimacing when she had to move her knee. "I mean, I've never came out and said I'm straight, like I've never really confirmed what I identify as, and to be honest I'm not even sure, I might be bi, I might be Pan, I don't know. I've never really felt the need to. And I still don't, yknow? But I don't wanna hide you. I'm proud of you and I do wanna show you off. So i wanna do what's natural to me, if that's okay? I'm not sharing my sexuality, Im sharing us, y'know? I think as long as I'm happy, what does it really matter?"

Parker smiled as she listened to Hailee speak about not wanting to hide her and wanting to show her off. The only girls she's ever been close with have all wanted to keep her a secret and on the down low.

"Like, even tonight with that picture I wanted to tag you and shout that my damn girlfriend is representing the national team and she's fucking amazing. So, if it's okay with you, I'd like to just be..us? Do what feels right whenever it feels right? If you wanna hold my hand in public, then do it, if I wanna lean up and kiss your stupid face, then I'm gonna do it."

"I'd like that." Parker said simply, smile not once leaving her face.

Hailee smiled in return. "Now, let's talk about how I'm gonna take care of you. I'm thinking bubble baths?"

Poor baby Parker : (

Oh well, I'm sure she won't be too mad when nurse Hailee takes care of her.

Stay safe, love you all x