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Maeve nods, gripping Kira’s hand tightly in a shake that lingers and now they’re just holding hands.

Kira holds her eyes, and brings Maeve’s hand up to her mouth.

She kisses her knuckles. Then her wrist. Maeve’s body dances to life, electricity pulsing through her arms, down to her legs, her chest, her neck, as Kira presses her lips to Maeve’s skin.

‘It’s like you said. We never got to just hang out,’ says Kira. ‘We have never really had a normal conversation. As two people who are getting to know each other. And there’s so much I want to know about you.’

‘There’s so much I want to know about you too,’ Maeve smiles.

That’s what she finds most incredible about being around Kira, she realises.

It’s how she normally only feels when she’s playing, or maybe laughing with Adriana: Maeve feels fully alive with her.

Like she doesn’t know what’s going to happen next, but that, for once, that’s okay. It’s going to be okay.

‘I don’t know where to start!’ says Maeve.

Kira’s expression softens. She moves closer towards her. Slowly, deliberately, she reaches a hand out, and traces her thumb along Maeve’s cheek, her jaw, tipping her chin towards her own.

‘Well, you could start by calling me Kira.’

They hold each other’s eyes.

‘Kira,’ Maeve says, softly.

Their faces are close now, so close that Maeve can’t stop her lips from reaching for Kira’s, but Kira smiles, holding her just far enough away.

‘Maeve,’ she whispers, and kisses her.

Maeve feels like she’s floating. Kira pulls her in closer, and then their hands are under the other’s kit, stroking along each other’s sides, Kira’s thumb skimming the lines of Maeve’s sports bra, Maeve tracing the edge of her nails along her shoulder blades until Kira’s back arches.

She pulls Maeve onto her lap, straddling her, and as they kiss, harder, hungrier, Maeve barely even realises she’s grinding into her, their bones creating waves of pleasure through her, still wanting more.

Acting on pure impulse, Maeve starts tugging at the shorts between them, not knowing quite if they’re her own or Kira’s, just needing them off so there aren’t this many layers between them –

And then Kira stops her.

‘Believe me,’ Kira pants. ‘I could very happily carry on, and for a very long time. But firstly, we’re very much in a public space, and secondly – you wanted to meet with me for a reason that wasn’t just apologising and hooking up.’

‘Right, right,’ Maeve flushes, nodding. ‘Yes. You’re right.’

She looks down at Kira from atop her.

Maeve unstraddles Kira a little clumsily, and then they sit, panting, and then look at each other, and laugh.

‘Let’s pick that up again later, please,’ Kira grins, and Maeve laughs.

‘In a bed. When we won’t be disturbed and have time.’

‘Plenty of time,’ agrees Kira. ‘Which I intend to take.’

Kira grips Maeve’s hand, and Maeve’s crotch throbs and for a moment she really struggles to bring herself back. They kiss, gently, coming back to earth.

Then they both sigh, more serious now.

‘To business,’ Maeve tries to focus. ‘Adriana.’

‘Adriana,’ Kira repeats. ‘Serena told me about it too. Said she knew it was unconventional but asked if I knew what was going on, as it felt like it was coming from a personal rather than professional place.’

Maeve’s expression crumples, but she feels ever more grateful for Kira’s hand in hers, keeping her grounded, not losing herself to guilt instead trying to focus on finding a way through.

‘Adriana and I have drifted apart recently. I let her down, I’ve been so caught up in myself, I wasn’t there to see she was struggling.

I can see looking back there were these signs I should have picked up on.

I should have helped her earlier. But the least I can do is try to help her now.

The Tigresses need her, but I think she needs the Tigresses too.

Whether she wants to be captain or not is her choice, but I think she’d be brilliant. ’

‘Me too. I was actually someone Coach ran the idea by,’ Kira admits, rubbing the back of her neck.

‘That was really nice of you to back her,’ Maeve smiles.

‘Well, Serena said how she felt the team had fallen apart and said that to bring it together she thought the best appointment for captain would be Adriana, which I could totally see because she’s so selfless in always putting the team first. Apparently the only reason Hoffman didn’t offer it to Adriana before that match was because Jacob Astor had some hesitation? ’

Maeve frowns. ‘Jacob Astor?’

‘Yeah, apparently he’d been like, concerned that she hadn’t volunteered herself for the position, and that it should have been her choice.

Whereas, well, you know Serena, she acts fast and can be single-minded in her way,’ Kira laughs, self-deprecatingly pointing to herself.

‘Like someone else I know. Serena was sure Adriana would be honoured, so just ploughed straight in. Now she’s regretting it, obviously, in case it was the extra stress that made Adriana unwell. ’

Their hands are tightly clasped in each other’s. Maeve can only hope that this is the start of a more positive dynamic between them. But that’s not what they need to be focusing on right now.

‘I think I have a plan,’ Maeve tells her. ‘But I need your help.’