You Came From Nowhere

I woke up the next morning to see Ben laid on the couch watching TV "So can I take my favourite cousin down to the courts for a game?" he quizzed and I smiled as I tied my hair up. We had breakfast before getting ready, "Are you sure you should be doing this?" "What coach doesn't know won't hurt him and it won't hurt me either! Now let's get going" he said opening the front door and I walked past him.

We jogged to the college courts and Ben laughed at the fact I had a scarf and gloves on. I missed this, I'd spent a lot of time playing sport, exercising and down the gym with Ben. When I'd first moved and Ben found sport to be something we had in common he'd spend hours playing basketball or playing catch, he'd go jogging with me and I just missed him being there sometimes.

We walked inside and I threw my excess clothes down turning the lights and heating on, I grabbed a ball and we played as we talked and he held the ball above his head to stop me getting it. I laughed jumping up knocking it out his hand and throwing it smiling "I forget you're not small anymore!" "Yeah! You're about the only one who does" I answered as I tossed him the ball and he smiled.

"You know kid I miss you at home still, I half expect you to have dropped food off at my house everytime I get back. After all this time it's still weird to me" he admitted and I laughed as I blocked him stealing the ball shooting. "Ben I still send you food" I reasoned and he laughed nodding "Yeah I still get your food you send me and it's appreciated" he reassured.

I stole the ball again and he grabbed me putting me in a headlock as I laughed, he messed my hair up as I cursed him in German and he replied in German making me smile. He took me out to lunch and then he had to go training and I drove him down, "Hey stay and watch! You can sit with one of the others! Well as long as you promise not to give our play book to Amendola" he joked and I smiled.

I sat down as Ben ran over talking to someone before he motioned me over, "This is my cousin Lena! She lives out whilst she's at college and it's rare I get to see her. She's at college and when she's off I'm away training and preseason so I really appreciate you letting her stay. Lena this is Eric, he's one of the physio's" Ben explained and I smiled at the guy.

Ben disappeared leaving me to sit with the Eric guy, it was nice watching Ben play. Like he said I rarely saw him these days and when I did he was never doing this and this is what Ben seemed made to do. I picked his jacket up pulling it over mine as I tried to keep up with what they were doing but it never got me anywhere.

That night he had a meeting with his teammates and I was sat watching TV when my door went and I opened it to see Danny. "Hey! Are you busy?" "No, come in" I smiled and he walked past me, he looked around "No Ben?" "Nope! He's got a meeting, he'll be home later though. How are you?" I asked and he nodded. "I'm great, you?" "Oh I'm fine thanks!" I said sitting down and he say at my side as I threw Ben's stuff on the chair out the way, "Is he interrupting your clean and tidy?" he teased and I grinned.

"Nope, he tidies up after himself when you leave it so I do! Anyway how's training going?" I asked and we talked for awhile before I heard my phone and checked my emails on the laptop to see I'd been sent the updates fixtures for this year. I marked off the ones I thought would be difficult to make a note to train harder for them and to try and study their games previously.

"So I'm not going to lie, you remind me of Ben now I see you both together. You're very similar personality wise" he said and I smiled throwing the laptop on the chair "Thanks! Well I think it's a thanks! Part of me wants to get to know him better but part of me doesn't" "Why?" I said and he laughed "He'd kick my ass!" he laughed and I nodded. "He really would! He's all mean and moody sometimes but he's a cool guy, talk to him and he'll talk back!" I reasoned smiling.

I saw the time and sighed "I should get to sleep! I have training at 5.30" I complained and he nodded, "I should move but I swear I can't" he joked and I nodded against his shoulder. 20 minutes later and neither if us had moved, "Ergh it's going to be freezing out there isn't it?" he questioned and I nodded "You can stay here if you want?" I offered and I could almost hear him thinking it through.

"Ben won't kick your ass and I won't make you share with him!" I added and he laughed, "You sure on the first part?" "Yeah! It's up to you but I don't mind you staying" I said. Way to sound cool Lena!

He nods "If you're sure I won't get beat up and you're cool with it I'll stay " he answered and I nodded. I collapsed into my bed feeling tired when I heard Danny laugh, "Lena, what's this all about?" he asked and I looked to see him holding a teddy lion and I cringed. "Where did you get that from?" "It was in the pillow, with this around his neck" Danny replied and I took the note on some string from him.

'Look who I found in my room back at  home! I thought you had her at yours, anyway she told me to say 'Surprise Lena I've missed you and I apologise if I smell but Ben's kept me in his room and you always used to say he was a smelly boy! I've missed you mommy!'  I think your immature calling me smelly personally but I know it's because you've got no mean things to say! P.s she maybe used to hang out on the end of my bed after you left and by 'end of my best' I might mean my pillow' I read smiling. "Did you read this?" he shook his head "Good! Ben bought me this when I was younger, back in Germany he sent me it over. It's Lena the Lion" I laughed as I sat her on the bedside table.

'LENA'S HOME! Thanks Ben! You're such a girl sending notes like that! I've gone to bed so no singing drunk or anything! See you in the morning! Xxxxxxxxx p.s Danny's staying over so behave!' I texted him before turning the light out.  "Night Lena" Danny offered kissing my forehead and I smiled "Night" I replied as I felt his arm around my waist.