Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Christmas
Jan 14, 2024 10:16:53 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by Sam Spade on Jan 14, 2024 10:16:53 GMT -8
Why was Sam so nervous?
Though Sam was an only child, he was the son of a coach. He was used to random guests around the house for the holidays. For his dad, it was seeing potential everywhere and trying to bring it out of kids. For his mom, it was the fact that she'd always wanted more children but never continued after Sam, she found all kinds of surrogate children in her husband's students. So if Sam was so used to having friends over for the holidays, why was he so nervous about Stella.
Plans for her to come to Christmas with the Spades had moved quickly, with Sam only inviting her the night before. But after the Cannons Christmas party, their talk on the pitch, exchanging gifts, and that word, Sam didn't want to suffer another holiday without her. He knew his parents would welcome her with open arms, but how would he even introduce her? His teammate? His friend? His girlfriend?
"Are you my girlfriend?" Sam asked her that morning. He'd woken up early to make her a big Christmas breakfast and had it all sitting out on the countertop when she came into the kitchen.
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Post by Estrella Quinn on Jan 14, 2024 11:32:58 GMT -8
Stella was used to big family gatherings, not just with the Quinns, the Solis family was also enormous. However, this year, everyone had plans and that left Stella alone. She could have made plans too but the Cannons were playing Christmas Day and she didn’t want to intrude on anyone else. Sam had invited her over the night before and it honestly didn’t take a lot of convincing. Stella really liked spending time with him and she was maybe a little nervous to meet his parents but also kind of excited. Everything he told her about them fascinated her.
Christmas Eve started out a bit rough but by the time they made it back to his apartment, she’d forgotten all about it. All she remembered was the Supernova, his words, and his kisses while he held her in bed. Stella had fought sleep, not wanting to lose a second with him, but eventually she drifted off. When she woke up in the morning the smell of food and coffee filtered through the air.
She walked to the kitchen, her smaller frame swimming in Sam’s Cannon hoodie, and she reached for a piece of fruit. She had just popped it into her mouth when he asked his question. Stella was surprised by it, but he was direct and she expected him to ask eventually.
“Yes,” she said without having to think about it. She didn’t think anything had to change if they wanted to label their relationship. Except maybe they could stop playing the matchmaking game. “Are you trying to figure out how to introduce me?”
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Christmas
Jan 14, 2024 12:53:32 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by Sam Spade on Jan 14, 2024 12:53:32 GMT -8
Sam had spent nights with Stella before, but none felt quite as official as Christmas Eve. He wasn't one to label anything, in fact, he'd never had an actual girlfriend-girlfriend before. At Midwest it was mostly rally girls who weren't passionate about anything but messing around with athletes. In college, it was artistic girls who didn't know the first thing about sports. He found a comfort in that for a while, as the anxiety of catching the attention of international scouts mounted. Being reminded that there was a world outside of Quidditch had been nice.
But Stella was different from the moment he met her. First, she was someone that he'd have to see no matter what, so even fooling around was a dangerous proposition. But what Sam had already learned about himself before he met Stella was that Quidditch was an inextricable part of his life. Maybe he wasn't looking for someone to fill a need in his life, but he'd found a partner in a place that was both obvious and totally surprising. She really had changed everything about Quidditch for him, to the point that he couldn't imagine playing the game without her.
"I hoped you'd say yes," Sam smiled, scooping a mouthful of pancakes casually into his mouth. There really wasn't any doubt that she would, but they'd never had a talk about labels before. They just were what they were. "I was kind of thinking about it," Sam admitted. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable if I was reading too much into something."
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Post by Estrella Quinn on Jan 14, 2024 13:05:24 GMT -8
It wasn’t that Stella felt like she was above dating at Hogwarts, the boys just weren’t very interesting. Most of her peers had been paired off by the time sixth year rolled around and Stella was fine doing her own thing. If she had been distracted by some boy that year, maybe Ravenclaw wouldn’t have won the cup. Seventh year didn’t bring her as much success but she managed to make a good impression when the scouts came around. The point being, Quidditch came above everything.
And she wouldn’t be here with Sam if she would have fallen for someone at school. Love made people crazy. Stella had witnessed two of her classmates run off to get married and end up pregnant. In the span of three months. No thanks. Stella liked Sam because they didn’t have any obligation to be together, they chose to because they liked each other.
“You can introduce me however you’d like. If you want to tell them we’re friends, I’m fine with that. Whatever’s comfortable for you.”
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Christmas
Jan 14, 2024 13:13:00 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by Sam Spade on Jan 14, 2024 13:13:00 GMT -8
Ah, yes, the little weirdo who was determined to get a reserve spot on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Sam couldn't remember his name (he wanted to say Weasel?), but he'd been a little weirded out that the kid had tracked him down. "You kind find anything on the Wiznet," Weasel had said. "It floats out there in space, you just need to know how to grab it." He hadn't expected to see the little weirdo show up in the Daily Prophet when his girlfriend had the first baby at Hogwarts in four hundred years. The Prophet talked some crazy shit about people.
"I like girlfriend," Sam said with a little nod of the head, then reached out to take her hand. "I also think you should know, since it's been eight hours, I still love you."
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Post by Estrella Quinn on Jan 14, 2024 13:22:18 GMT -8
Stella thought that she would feel like an impostor, like she was playing adult when she was barely even one, but standing in his kitchen with him holding her hand felt natural. Sam was older but he never talked down to her. He made sure to let her know he felt they were equals on the pitch and in life.
“I was starting to worry,” she joked then proceeded to move in closer. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling their bodies together as close as possible, and looked up to admire his face. “I think, maybe, possibly I still love you, too.”
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Christmas
Jan 14, 2024 14:07:56 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by Sam Spade on Jan 14, 2024 14:07:56 GMT -8
Sam never had to remind himself that Stella was younger than him. It was an age gap that might feel weird to some people, but would certainly shorten over time. Most of their adult experiences were the same--Quidditch, more Quidditch, and really high level Quidditch. Sam had a few years of college ball which effectively extended his adolescence three years. Stella was as much of an adult as he was--independent, good with money, and more emotionally intelligent than a lot of the middle aged moms who sent Sam fanmail. He didn't have to remind himself of their age difference, because it had never been a problem.
"What do you think," Sam started, processing the thought himself as it came out. "After the game, after tonight with my family, we go on a trip? Just pack our things up and have the California Christmas that I miss. Why couldn't we go to Mexico too?"
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Christmas
Jan 14, 2024 14:13:02 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by Estrella Quinn on Jan 14, 2024 14:13:02 GMT -8
Stella wasn’t the most spontaneous person, though she had surprised herself sometimes in the last few months. She always had a plan and followed through with it. Any deviations annoyed her. She had the next few weeks planned out already. They were getting a week break for the holidays and she was planning on doing some reading and staying home, a few workouts here and there. But none of that mattered when Sam made his suggestion.
“Really?” She asked, her eyes shinning with excitement. “You can show me your Pacific coast and I’ll you mine.”
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Christmas
Jan 14, 2024 14:22:15 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by Sam Spade on Jan 14, 2024 14:22:15 GMT -8
"I've been thinking about the coast since you told me about it," Sam said. "And I've been a little homesick, though...it's a lot easier being far from home with you. I'd love to go back and show it to you."
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Christmas
Jan 14, 2024 14:37:59 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by Estrella Quinn on Jan 14, 2024 14:37:59 GMT -8
Stella couldn’t imagine being so far from home, alone, for so long. Even though she was born in Mexico, she grew up in the English countryside, only visiting her maternal grandparents in the summers. “What are you most excited about?” Stella wanted to know everything there was to know about Sam Spade.
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Christmas
Jan 14, 2024 14:40:47 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by Sam Spade on Jan 14, 2024 14:40:47 GMT -8
"Aside from your hot bikini bod?" Sam laughed. "I want you to see the weather there. Christmases here are so dreary. I know that's what most people in the world expect, but I miss the sun."
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Christmas
Jan 14, 2024 14:44:38 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by Estrella Quinn on Jan 14, 2024 14:44:38 GMT -8
“Hey, I’m not the one who featured in Wizard Sports last year. Do you know how many times I had to see your picture in my dorm?” Stella playfully pushed him away. “I was going to take you to a beach, too.”
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Christmas
Jan 14, 2024 14:46:45 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by Sam Spade on Jan 14, 2024 14:46:45 GMT -8
"And I'll do it again," Sam laughed. "Maybe we can have a cover together? We can invite the crew out to the beach to shoot us."
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Seeker
Everything good happens after midnight. |
Steph
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Post by Estrella Quinn on Jan 14, 2024 14:50:04 GMT -8
Stella leaned on the counter, lightly biting her lip while she thought for a second. “I don’t know about the cover but how would you like to keep me company for my shoot? This is actually perfect timing, I was going to Mexico to shoot it next week. They called my agent a couple weeks ago.” Stella was trying to act cool about it, like it wasn’t a big deal for her. It seemed that it really was the year of the rookies.
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Year/Job
Chudley Cannons Chaser
"Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me about the rage inside me." |
Travis
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Christmas
Jan 14, 2024 14:57:45 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by Sam Spade on Jan 14, 2024 14:57:45 GMT -8
It occurred to Sam that crashing a Wizard Sports shoot with his girlfriend was likely a dream scenario for the publication and they'd probably want to get him involved in some way, but he pushed that little bit of egotism out and just smiled.
"I would support you through anything," Sam said gravely. "Hey, that's kind of a big deal though, right? They don't just pick anyone."
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