Chapter Text
Everyone on the team new that Kelley had crush on the big bad keeper, what none of them knew was that Hope felt the same pull towards Kelley. That feeling that left Hope with her heart on her throat every time Kelley went down with a tackle or that blinding smile that made her heart stop for a moment before an identical smile reflected on her face.
No one but Carli Lloyd who at the time was enjoying her new favorite way of passing time: torturing Hope Solo.
They were on the verge of going to camp before the world cup and with camp being just a few days away Carli flew to Seattle to spend some quality time with her best friend before the madness started. Or so she said to Hope. After Hope confessed to Carli after one to many tequila shots that one of the reasons behind her divorce was that she had fallen completely in love with the freckled number 5 of the USWNT Carli spent most of their time together trying to bring her best friend to admit it to Kelley O’Hara herself or making fun of her.
“Come on Hope you have to do something. You can’t just keep pinning for the Squirrel.” Carli jokes. “It’s been months since you told me why can’t you just tell her?” Carli asks while trying to move away from Hope who swats at her arm. “I can’t just tell her Princess. My divorce just came through and do I have to remind you of all the crap that surrounds me?” Hope says looking at the floor.
It was on that moment with Hope looking so broken that Carli really understood that her best friend feelings ran deeper than just a simple crush and though that it was about time to something about it “Hope… let’s talk seriously for a bit. Your divorce has been finalized for 7 months now and all the crap as you so respectfully put is just a bump in the road. And if Kelley feels for you a fraction of what her actions lead on she can be more than just a good friend and teammate”
Hope sat still in her seat really listening to Carli’s words. If anything Hope could always count on Carli to be straight when not brutal when she thought that Hope has travelling a wrong path. “You just need a little nerve to follow your heart” Carli said picking her phone and leaving Hope alone with her thoughts after kissing her on top of head and squeezing her shoulder for support.
What Hope didn’t know was that in Portland Alex phone was getting a text message from Carli while Tobin and Kelley were hugging.
_Doing my best with Hope you and Tobs better work some magic in your end baby horse._Carli
_Roger that_Alex
“So Kell are you ready for camp?” Tobin asks trying to avoid Kelley seeing Alex on her phone. “You know it! Can’t wait to be back with the girls” “Any one in special?” Alex asks with a smirk.
No… no of course no” Kelley says hesitating “I miss everyone”.
Both Alex and Tobin caught the hesitation and the small blush across her face leading to both of them to smirk and trying their hand at meddling with their best friend feelings. “Not even Hope?” Alex asks. “Hope?” ”Yea you know Hope” Tobin says with a small smile on her face “Hope Solo? The one with the number one jersey of the team, the big badass keeper?” Tobin finishes.
“I know who Hope is thank you very much. And why would I miss Hope more than the rest?” Kelly says with a little defiance in her voice. “Come on Kell, we both know about your feelings for Hope. So what I really wanna know is when are you gonna have the balls to tell her” both Alex and Tobin knew that if they wanted to have a serious conversation with Kelley O’Hara you had to jump into it without giving her a chance of changing the subject.
Kelley let a long breath out knowing that her best friends wouldn’t let her out of this conversation. “What do you want me to say Alex? That I am completely in love with Hope?” Both Alex and Tobin looked shocked. That was the first time that any one of them had heard Kelly refer to her feelings towards Hope as more than a crush. “Yeah, I said it. You two can stop with the fish imitation. I am in love with Hope Solo”
Tobin looked at Alex and after a couple of seconds and a silent conversation that so many years of friendship and romance you could achieve took charge of the conversation while pulling Kelley to sit in between of them cuddling. “You know that I, we love you and want the best for you right Kell?” after recognizing Kelley nod against her shoulder she kept going with a chuckle “I’m about to use your one words against you. Remember what you told me when I was fighting my feelings for Alex and you were my sounding board? You told me that in no circumstance with a friendship like the one that we had anything bad could happen. Because we were strong apart but would be stronger together. That we were happy as friends but would be so much happier if I just had the guts to tell her that I had feelings for her. Remember that?”
Kelley lifted her head from Tobin shoulder and looking at her nodded “So why can’t you just follow your own advice and take a chance at being happy with Hope?” said Alex softly from the other side “we all know that Hope is not the easiest person in the world but with you, when she looks at you or talks about you… She has the same look in her eyes that Toby or Ash have when they look at me or Ali.”
“It’s not fair to use my own words against me Toby”.
“The worst that can happen is that she’ll tell you no” whispered Tobin “but can you imagine if she says yes? We won’t push but you should think about it”.