A/N: I feel like this is kind of strange but I couldn't shake the idea once it came to me and I really hope you guys all like this one so here it is...

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"Alright," Stephens, the varsity head coach, said, clapping her hands together, "welcome and congratulations to everyone. You're all here which means you have been selected to be a part of the prestigious Simi Valley High School volleyball program. Here, we have two goals. One, we want you to improve. We hope every single player leaves at the end of the season better than they were when they walked in. Our second goal is that you all have fun. While we still expect the utmost dedication, the court should be a place to forget your problems and play, while putting in the necessary effort of course. This year, we will have one student assistant. He is a recent transfer from Walnut High School where he's played on their varsity team for the past three years."

Kaycee looked at Bailey next to her, both of the girls impressed. Someone playing on varsity starting as a freshman meant he must have been pretty amazing. He would likely be a good resource for the team.

"Everyone, please welcome Sean Lew!" Stephens announced, pointing to the line of coaches behind the teams. A boy Kaycee didn't notice before stood there, black sweatpants and a yellow sweatshirt. He smiled at the teams, giving them a smile wave and showing the dimples on his cheeks.

Kaycee had to admit that he was cute. He had jet black hair and dark eyes that she could see shining from across the gym. He seemed to survey the teams, his eyes racing over each person. His gaze seemed to rest on Kaycee, looking her up and down before his eyes settled on her face. She blushed under his gaze, turning back around to face the coach, finding out that the rest of the girls had already turned as well.

"Before we start, we have one more thing to take care of. Freshman, sophomore and JV, you should have seen your captains posted on the list yesterday, but varsity doesn't know yet," Stephens announced, turning to the twelve girls on her highest team, Kaycee among them.

"Being chosen as a varsity captain is a great honor and entails a large amount of responsibility. Not only will our captain lead the team on the court, but they will also be expected to represent our entire program through the halls and through the community. Over the past four years, all of us coaches have been watching all of you advance as players and as people. We are confident that the girl we have chosen not only showcases unmatched skill on the court, always conducts herself in a manner that makes us proud. So, your 2018 varsity captain," Stephens paused, clasping her hands together in front of her, "is Miss Kaycee Rice."

Kaycee buried her head in her hands, shocked that she actually heard her name. She was hoping for it, but she didn't want to count too much on it. Her sister had been captain too when she played. Kaycee would have felt inadequate going home with the same accolade.

Bailey hugged her friend from the side, bringing her back to reality. She thanked her coach, earning a proud smile in return. She looked around her at her team. All of the girls appeared to be proud of her. They all knew that it was well deserved.

"Let's get started ladies, we have a good season ahead of us."

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"What are you doing in here so early, Captain?" A voice said, startling Kaycee from her concentration. She flushed, confused as to why he would call her a nickname given that they had never spoken to each other before.

"I, um, I come in here to practice early sometimes," Kaycee said, looking around the empty gym. She checked the clock on the wall above the door. She still had half an hour before she had to get ready for class.

"Would you mind if I join you?" He asked, bending down to grab a volleyball from the ground.

"Sure," she said, focusing her attention back on the ball in front of her. She took a deep breath and held the ball up even with her shoulder. On her exhale, she threw the ball up, snapping her arm forward and connecting her palm with the ball at its peak. She watched it as it sailed over the net, landing about a foot inside the sideline.

"Nice shot," Sean said, watching the ball as it bounced to a stop near the wall.

"Thanks," she said, blushing slightly as she reached down to grab another ball. "I have to work on my serve if I want to keep my position as a starter."

Sean looked at her confused. "What do you mean? you're the captain," He said, his eyebrows knitted together on his forehead.

"I can't afford to get comfortable, I can't let the team down," she said, surprising herself. She didn't know why she felt so comfortable telling this to someone that she just met. There was just something about him that made her feel like she could tell him anything.

"Well from what I've seen so far, you've got nothing to worry about," Sean said, bouncing the ball he had in his hands a few times before serving it himself. It landed neatly in the corner of the court. She smiled at what he said, unsure of how to respond. Instead, she served the ball she had in her hand. She grimaced as she watched it go out by about three feet.

Politely, he didn't comment, watching discretely as she served another one, going out at the same spot. She huffed in frustration quietly. She picked up one more, the ball ending up in the exact same spot.

"Can I help you?" He asked her, knowing exactly what she was doing wrong and how to fix it.

"I'm trying to zone to the corner but I don't know what's going on," she said, annoyed with herself and embarrassed that he was seeing her mess up.

"You're turning your hips too much. You have to keep your core straight and let the movement be in your arm," he said, showing her his stance as he described it. He served once, watching the ball fall exactly where Kaycee was talking about.

Kaycee tried again, mirroring his stance. As she made contact with the ball, she could feel herself turning in the way that he told her not to. Again, the ball sailed out.

"Shoot. I felt it that time," she said, annoyance in her voice as she picked up another one.

"Here, let me help," he said, walking up behind her. He put his hands on her hips from behind, his grip strong, keeping her posture straight. He was almost completely pressed against her, close enough that she could feel his breath on her neck.

Kaycee fought the angry red blush that wanted to force its way up her neck. She had to calm her breathing before she threw the ball up in front of her. Forced to keep her hips straight, she twisted her arm, contacting the ball so that it went perfectly into the corner that she was aiming for.

"See? You have it, it's just the little adjustments," he said, stepping away from her. She immediately missed the warmth of him pressed against her.

"Thanks," Kaycee said, hiding her blush by using her shirt to wipe her forehead.

"No problem," Sean said, smiling at her and showing off his dimples.

Kaycee practiced a few more on her own, some going out but the majority ending up right where she wanted them.

"Do you come in here every morning?" Sean asked, taking a break.

"Pretty much, it's a nice place to practice," she said, reaching for her water bottle in her bag.

"I might have to come in then too. If you don't mind me crashing your private practice," he said, smiling at her.

"I wouldn't mind," Kaycee said, smiling shyly back at him. He smirked, undeniably attracted to her for a reason he couldn't quite place.

"I have to get going. Do you need help cleaning up?" He asked, looking around the gym at the scattered volleyballs around the floor.

"No, you go ahead, I'm going to stay in here for a few more minutes," she said, putting her water bottle back in her bag.

"Okay, I'll see you later Kaycee."

"Bye Sean."

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Kaycee let out a groan of frustration, shoving her phone back in her jacket pocket angrily. She couldn't help but think that she should've accepted Bailey's offer to drive her home but she had chosen to naively believe that her sister would only be five minutes late. Five minutes had turned into ten, then twenty, and now she wasn't answering her phone at all.

Kaycee sat down on the bench outside the school building, running through her options in her head. The rest of the team was long gone and Bailey had probably just made it home. She didn't want to ask her to come all the way back. Her parents wouldn't get off of work until later that night and obviously her siblings were a dead end.

As Kaycee braced herself for the ten-mile walk ahead of her when she heard the school door open behind her. She turned to look, seeing Sean walking out with his bag slung lazily over his shoulder and a water bottle on one hand. Car keys in the other.

He looked up and saw her, stopping in his tracks.

"What are you still doing here," he asked, noticing the frustration written across her face.

"My sister ditched me. Since my car is in the shop, I don't have a ride," Kaycee said, pulling out her phone again, checking, in vain, to see if her sister had answered her texts. Nothing.

"Do you want me to drop you off?" He asked, jingling the car keys in his hand. She smiled hoping he would ask.

"It's really no big deal. It's not that far of a walk from here," she lied, not wanting to bother him but also hoping he would call her out, force her to come with him like the gentleman that she thought he was.

Thankfully, he shook his head, "No way. Come on, I don't have anywhere to be anyway." He started walking to his car, motioning for her to follow him. Not willing to object again, Kaycee trudged after him, trying to catch up to his long strides.

He unlocked the doors and help hers open for her as she arranged her bags so they would all fit, waiting patiently as she situated herself in the seat. She blushed, thanking him before he closed the door. He rounded the car and got in as well, turning the key and letting soft music fill the car.

"I'm really sorry, I'll make sure to ask Bailey tomorrow, I don't know why my sister decided not to show up," Kaycee said, sending a quick text to Kylie that said she had found another ride home.

"Kaycee, don't worry about it. As I said, I don't have anywhere to be now anyway," Sean said, looking behind him to pull out of the almost empty parking lot.

"Well thank you then," Kaycee said, turning to look out the window of the car.

"You're just going to have to help me with directions," Sean said, coming to a stop sign.

"Oh, right," Kaycee said, rolling her eyes at herself for thinking that he would know where to go. "Take a left here."

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Kaycee sat on the cold wooden bench in the empty locker room, her eyes trained mindlessly on the locker in front of her. This was something that she did before every game and her team knew to give her the room. She needed five minutes alone to prepare, to get into the right mindset. Some people may think it was weird or annoying, but her team was her family and they all respected her process, Especially since no one could argue with the results.

The constant and steady ticking of the clock behind her kept her from getting completely lost in her thoughts as she took a few deep breaths. She was only a minute into her five-minute reprieve when she heard a small knock at the door. Confused, she stood up from her place on the bench and walked over, pulling her jersey sleeves close around her wrists.

She pulled open the heavy wooden door and couldn't help the smile that crept across her face. Sean stood there in his signature black sweatpants and a Simi Valley High School volleyball hoodie, his ever-present smile painted across his face.

Kaycee's smile faltered, confused as to why he would be waiting outside the girl's locker room. Even though no one was in there, Kaycee found her self closing the door slightly behind her as to obstruct his view from the room that he shouldn't be in.

"Hey, I'd figured you'd be in here, I wanted to talk to you real quick before the game started," he said, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants.

"What's up?" She asked, her small smile restoring as well as a noticeable blush.

"I wanted to wish you luck, even though I know you don't need it," he said, looking at her sincerely.

"Thank you, Sean," She said, leaning against the door slightly for support as her knees seemed to become weak.

"I thought everyone was joking when they said that you had a private pre-game ritual," Sean said, his tone teasing.

"Yeah, well, I like to clear my head. Make sure I'm in the right frame of mind and everything," she said, trying to defend her process as her blush intensified.

"Well, then I'm sorry for interrupting you, Captain," he said, pulling his hands from his pockets and crossing his arms across his chest.

"I guess it's okay, but if we lose today it's on you," she said, crossing her own arms and mirroring his stance.

"Oh come on, with all the training I've given you the past couple of days, they don't stand a chance out there," Sean said, earning a laugh from Kaycee.

"Right because before your training I had no idea what to do with myself," she replied, rolling her eyes jokingly.

"Well I better let you get back to it, I don't want to get blamed for anything," he said, ignoring her sarcasm.

"Okay, well I'll see you out there then," she said, putting her hand back on the door handle.

"See you," he said, turning to walk into the loud gym across the hallway. Just before she swung the door closed, he turned back around and caught it with his hand, catching the girl's attention.

"Just one more thing," he said, leaning in close enough that Kaycee could feel his breath brushing across her cheeks. For a moment, she thought that he was going to kiss her. Her mind went into overdrive as his hand went up to cup her cheek. Bashfully, Kaycee kept her head down, unable to meet the intensity of his gaze.

Undeterred, Sean bent down slightly and pressed a light kiss to her forehead as Kaycee's eyes fluttered closed. He kept his lips there for more than a few seconds, relishing in the feeling of her skin against his. What she thought would make her nervous and uncomfortable actually made Kaycee feel incredible. The electricity flowing from her head to her toes caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach and she was sure she was blushing.

He pulled away then and Kaycee let out a breath that she didn't realize she was holding. With his hand still on her cheek and their breaths still mixing, she felt his words more than she heard them.

"Kill 'em, Captain."

-----

"Not bad Kayc," Sean said, pushing himself up from his spot against the wall, startling the girl.

"Not bad? We won by ten points. I think that deserves a little bit more than not bad," she said, putting her phone in her pocket and crossing her arms.

"Sorry, what I meant to say was, you did really amazing. Six ace serves in a row. I don't want to take all the credit but it was kind of because of me," he smirked, looking to see her reaction.

She rolled her eyes, moving to walk past him and down the hall. He caught her arm and held her lightly. She was taken by surprise and she stumbled as he pulled her back. He caught her so that they were chest to chest, her arm grabbing his for stability.

"Sorry," she said, attempting to pull away and regain her balance. He didn't let her, keeping his grip firm on her arm. His other hand wound around her waist, keeping her pressed against him.

"Don't apologize," he whispered, their faces an inch apart. Kaycee didn't know what was happening to her. She didn't know him. She had met him only weeks before, and he had immediately become close to her. Their early morning practice sessions in the empty gym held lingering touches and longing stares, not unnoticed by either of them, but she still knew nothing about him. The only thing she knew was that it had been extremely hard for her to focus during the game when she could still feel the buzz of his lips pressed against her forehead. It was a miracle she was able to play at all.

And now, with his arm around her and his breath on her lips, she couldn't think of a reason she shouldn't want this. She forced herself to look up into his eyes, something she wasn't strong enough to do earlier. She inhaled sharply at the way he was looking at her. His eyes were trained on her lips, only moving to her eyes when he noticed her looking up at him.

"Sean," she whispered as if talking any louder would break the spell in between them. His eyes flickered back to her lips, a split second before he leaned forward, fitting his mouth to hers. She responded instantly, lacing her fingers through his black hair, his arms tightening around her waist.

She couldn't help the sigh that escaped her mouth and a blush painted itself across her cheeks. She wasn't sure if it was the embarrassment from the noise she had just made or it was the heat from the entire exchange catching up with her.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" He asked, pulling away abruptly but keeping his arms around her.

"What?" She asked, still dazed from the feeling of him pressed against her, not able to process the question.

"I meant to ask you before but I forgot. Are you dating anyone?" He asked her again, a hopeful glint in his eyes as he rubbed her back up and down.

"No. I'm not dating anyone," she said, smiling up at him.

"Good, because this could have been really awkward," he said, laughing quietly and kissing her lightly on the nose. She giggled in response, tucking her head under his chin as he hugged her to him.

"My sister's waiting for me outside," Kaycee said, not making any move to leave the comfort of his arms.

"I should get going too," he said, bringing his hands up from her waist to cup both her cheeks. He left a light kiss to her mouth. Sweet and hopeful.

"I'll see you tomorrow right?" Kaycee asked, forcing herself to pull away from his arms and walk towards the door.

"Same time same place Captain," he responded, putting his hands on the pocket of his sweatshirt.

Kaycee smiled to herself, turning around and walking through the doors to the school and out into the parking lot. She spotted Kylie's car and walked over, the smile not wavering from her face.

"Hey sis," Kylie said, unlocking the door for her. "Why are you smiling like that?" She asked, looking warily at her younger sister.

"We won," Kaycee said, only half true. They had won, but that wasn't the reason that she couldn't stop smiling.

"Kayc, that's great," her sister responded, taking her at her word. Kylie delved into a story about her time on the team but Kaycee only listened with one ear. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't drag her thoughts away from Sean, wondering if it was too soon to pull out her phone and text him.

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A/N: Okay. Well. I don't know. I play volleyball which is honestly the reason that I'm exhausted all of the time and don't have time to update but I wanted to try something AU and I figured that I might as well use a world that I know. I feel like you don't have to necessarily know volleyball to follow this which is what I was afraid might happen. But, please let me know what you thought, your comments mean the world to me and thank you all for the support recently even though I've been kind of