Caitlin and Sam sat across from each other at a small, cozy restaurant just off campus, the soft murmur of other diners providing a comfortable background noise. Caitlin had grown more confident since the season ended, enjoying her rising popularity, but that also meant she was more cautious about keeping her relationship with Sam under wraps. They were careful not to draw attention, maintaining a delicate balance between public and private lives.

The drive back to Sam's apartment was quiet, the streetlights casting long shadows over the dashboard. Caitlin's mind was racing as they neared Sam's place. Finally, she spoke, her voice tentative but determined.

"I've been thinking a lot," Caitlin began, glancing over at Sam. "I want to ask you to be my girlfriend."

Sam's eyes widened in surprise, a smile tugging at her lips. "Cait, if this is your way of—"

"No, no, I'm not asking you right now," Caitlin interrupted, shaking her head. "I know you want a nice gesture when I do it, and I promise I will, but I just want to be clear about some things first."

Sam's smile faded into a more serious expression as she turned in her seat to face Caitlin fully. "Okay, now you're starting to make me nervous," Sam said, her voice light but with a hint of concern.

Caitlin sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It's not like that. I'm just... I'm not sure I want to be public about my sexuality, at least not yet. I don't know if I'm ready for that kind of attention."

There was a moment of silence as Sam absorbed Caitlin's words. She reached out, placing a hand on Caitlin's. "I understand," Sam said softly. "This isn't something you should rush into. I just want to be with you, Cait, whether it's a secret, in private, or public. We can take our time, figure it out together."

Caitlin nodded, her heart swelling with affection for Sam. She knew Sam was right—they didn't need to rush. Still, the fear of judgment lingered, and she couldn't shake the worry that being open about their relationship would change things. But in this moment, holding Sam's hand, Caitlin felt a little braver, ready to take things one step at a time.

Sam gave Caitlin a quick kiss before opening her door. "Don't worry about walking me to my apartment cause you and I both know you won't leave and I think Kate misses you. Goodnight, pretty." She said with a smirk.

"Goodnight, babe." Caitlin says while laughing.

The next day, Caitlin was feeling the pressure of planning the perfect way to ask Sam to be her girlfriend. Sitting on the couch with Kate, they tossed around ideas, none of which seemed right.

"What if I just, like, hold up a sign that says, 'Be my girlfriend' outside her apartment window?" Caitlin suggested, half-serious.

Kate burst out laughing. "That's a terrible idea, Cait. You want to make her swoon, not embarrass her! And that's a very public way to ask."

Caitlin groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Ugh, I'm so bad at this!"

After a pause, Kate offered, "We should ask Claire for help. She is her best friend, after all."

Caitlin smirked, narrowing her eyes playfully. "You just want to see her."

Kate tried to play it off. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Please," Caitlin teased, "I know you, and I know how you get when you like a girl."

Kate rolled her eyes. "I don't like her. I barely know her."

"Sure you don't," Caitlin said with a grin. "'Cause everyone stays up all night on FaceTime with a girl they barely know."

"You know what? Plan this yourself," Kate said, throwing her hands up in mock surrender, though her tone was light.

"Nooo," Caitlin whined, grabbing Kate's arm dramatically. "I'll call her, I'll call her!"

Not long after, Claire arrived, eager to help them plan the perfect way for Caitlin to ask Sam.

As they brainstormed, Monika suddenly walked into the apartment, using the key Caitlin had given her. Both Caitlin and Kate had completely forgotten they'd invited her over earlier.

Monika looked around, confused by the intense conversation. "Oh, what's going on here?"

Caitlin's heart raced. She had always been cautious about who knew about her relationship with Sam, and even though Monika was a close friend, revealing this to her felt like stepping into uncharted territory. The fear of judgment or misunderstanding was palpable, but so was the desire to be honest with the people closest to her.

Kate shot her a look, ready to change the subject, but Caitlin blurted out, "I'm planning how to ask Sam to be my girlfriend."

Monika and Kate both stared at Caitlin, shocked by her sudden confession. Monika quickly recovered, wanting to be supportive. "Oh, what's the plan?" she asked, genuinely interested.

Caitlin let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. The nervous tension that had been building in her chest started to ease as she saw the genuine curiosity and support in Monika's eyes. Kate squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, smiling with pride at Caitlin's growing comfort with her sexuality.

"We're planning to do it at the gym," Caitlin explained, her confidence slowly returning. "That's where we first met, and I want it to be special. Sam's a volleyball player, so I thought incorporating that would make it more meaningful."

Monika nodded, smiling as she listened. "And I take it there's a competitive element to this?"

Caitlin grinned. "Of course. Sam and I are both pretty competitive, and since she's making me do the asking, I figure she should have to work for it a little. The plan is to challenge her to a game, and if she wins, she gets the title."

Monika laughed, clearly amused by the idea. "I love it. It's totally you two."

Just then, Caitlin's phone buzzed. It was a call from Sam.

"Hey," Caitlin answered, trying to keep her voice casual.

"Hey," Sam said on the other end. "Want to come over?"

Caitlin's heart skipped a beat. The timing was perfect. "Yeah, I'll be there soon."

After hanging up, Caitlin turned to the others. "Okay, it's time. You guys head to the gym and get everything set up. I'll get Sam to come over."

Kate, Claire, and Monika nodded, all smiles as they grabbed their things and headed out. Caitlin took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment, but also the excitement. This was it—the moment she'd been planning and stressing over was finally happening.

Caitlin and Sam were currently tangled up in an intense make-out session on Sam's couch, the world outside of Sam's apartment fading into the background. Sam's hands roamed over Caitlin's back, pulling her closer as their lips moved together in perfect sync. Suddenly, Caitlin's phone buzzed on the coffee table, breaking the moment.

Caitlin hesitated but pulled away to check it. Sam laughed softly, "You're really checking your phone right now?"

Caitlin grinned sheepishly, "It's Kate. What if it's important?"

The text was short: "Gym's all set up."

Sam raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "Well, what did she say?"

Caitlin, quick on her feet, replied, "She just wanted to know how long I was going to be here."

Sam pulled Caitlin into a long, lingering kiss, only to teasingly pull away just as Caitlin leaned in for more. "I don't think you're ever leaving," Sam murmured against her lips before resuming their heated kissing session. But after a few more moments, Caitlin pulled away again, this time with a purpose.

"Okay, we need to go do something else," Caitlin said, standing up and taking a step back. "Because you won't let me do anything until I make you my girlfriend, but you're making it really hard for me to keep my hands off you."

Sam laughed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Then what do you want to do?"

Caitlin smirked, an idea already forming. "We should go to the gym. I can get some shooting practice in."

Sam chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. "Really, Cait? After all this, you want to go to the gym to practice shooting?"

Caitlin shrugged, her smirk growing. "Or we can play a game of volleyball... unless you're scared you'll lose."

Sam's competitive nature sparked at the challenge. "You're on," she said, a grin spreading across her face as they both got ready to head to the gym.

As they drove to the gym, Caitlin's heart pounded in her chest. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. The excitement mingled with nerves, making her hands grip the steering wheel a little tighter. Sam, oblivious to the plan, was humming softly along with the radio, completely at ease. Caitlin stole a glance at her, feeling a rush of affection. This was the woman she wanted to be with, and soon, if everything went as planned, she would make it official.

When they arrived at the gym, Sam noticed something was off right away. The volleyball net was already set up, which was unusual. She glanced around, spotting a rack of volleyballs already on the court. Assuming the last person there had been careless and hadn't put everything away, Sam walked over to grab a ball, already talking trash to Caitlin as she did.

"You better be ready to lose, Cait. I'm not going easy on you just because we're—" Sam's words trailed off as she reached the ball rack. All the volleyballs were white, except for one. The yellow one stood out instantly—it was her favorite color.

Curious, she picked it up, and as she turned it over in her hands, she noticed writing on it. In bold, playful letters, it read: "If you want to be my girlfriend, you have to beat me."

Sam looked up at Caitlin, her eyes wide with surprise and something else—excitement, anticipation. Caitlin stood there with a confident, almost nervous smile on her face, watching Sam's reaction closely.

"So," Caitlin said, stepping closer and taking the ball from Sam's hands. "What do you say? Think you can win?"

Sam's heart raced as she grinned back at Caitlin. "You're on," she repeated, her competitive spirit fully engaged.

Caitlin and Sam took their positions on opposite sides of the court, ready for a serving game—a favorite drill meant to sharpen their serving and returning skills. Sam, always competitive, called out, "First to 21?"

Caitlin smirked, "How about 11?"

Sam raised an eyebrow, teasing, "Eager to lose, aren't you?"

They began the game, the intensity rising with each point. Caitlin and Sam were both strong competitors, and the score quickly climbed. With Sam leading 10-9 and holding the serve, she grinned at Caitlin. "Match point," she said, her voice dripping with confidence.

Sam tossed the ball into the air and served it with precision. Caitlin moved into position, ready to return it. But just as the ball was about to reach her, she hesitated, then deliberately dropped her hands, letting the ball fall untouched to the floor.

The moment the ball hit the ground, Caitlin looked up to see Sam sprinting toward her. Sam collided with Caitlin in a joyful tackle, knocking her down onto the court as she showered her with kisses.

Between giggles and kisses, Caitlin managed to ask, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Sam paused just long enough to pull Caitlin into a deep, lingering kiss before whispering, "Yes."

Just then, the sound of party poppers and noisemakers filled the gym, startling them both, as that was not part of the plan. They quickly sat up, turning to see Kate, Monika, and Claire standing at the entrance with grins on their faces. Kate, holding a party popper in one hand, shouted, "Finally!"

As they all gathered on the court, Caitlin felt an overwhelming sense of relief and happiness. The fear and anxiety that had been weighing on her had lifted, replaced by the warmth of acceptance and love. Sam wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close, and Caitlin leaned into her, feeling that everything was right in the world. She had taken a risk, opened up in ways she never thought she could, and it had all been worth it.