The living room was quiet except for the soft laughter drifting between me and Renae. Caitlin and Jamie had been out for an hour, leaving us to entertain ourselves. Renae leaned in with a grin, her eyes lighting up as she launched into a story.

"Okay, so a few years back, Jamie and I decided to take this weekend road trip, right? She had just bought this tiny, beat-up car-it was bright yellow, and we named it Bumblebee because it honestly looked like a bootleg version of the Transformer."

I laugh, already picturing the car and the two of them piled inside.

"So, we're driving along this long, empty stretch of highway, middle of nowhere, and out of nowhere, this massive storm rolls in. I'm talking wild, howling wind, sheets of rain so heavy you can barely see. Jamie's clutching the wheel like her life depends on it, and I'm sitting there, slightly regretting not just staying home."

"Sounds cozy." I chuckle.

"Oh, cozy doesn't even cover it," Renae snorts. "Suddenly, there's this huge gust of wind that slams into Bumblebee, and the whole car starts vibrating. Jamie's screaming about how we're going to 'take flight,' and I'm laughing my head off in the passenger seat, which was...maybe not the best reaction."

She pauses, rolling her eyes, clearly reliving the memory. "And then, because we've obviously angered the storm gods with our lack of common sense, Bumblebee's little hubcap flies right off and rolls off into the rain."

My eyes widen. "No way."

"Yes way!" Renae laughs. "Jamie's like, 'We have to go get it!' So we're out there, soaked, trudging through mud, chasing after a runaway hubcap in the middle of a storm. We finally catch it, and by the time we're back in the car, we're covered head-to-toe in mud and look like absolute disasters."

I laugh, picturing the two of them soaked and shivering in the middle of nowhere. "And did Bumblebee survive?"

"Somehow, she did! She made it back with a battle scar-a missing side mirror-but she was still in one piece." Renae grins, shaking her head. "After that, Jamie upgraded to a car that wasn't about to get blown over by a strong gust of wind."

The front door opens just as she finishes, and Caitlin stepped in, an eyebrow raised at the two of us in some sort of barely-controlled laughter.

"Alright, you two. Get up and grab some jackets." Cait's tone was a little mischievous, a little too casual.

Renae and I exchange frowns, both of us glancing at the windows. The sun was already dipping below the horizon, casting a deep shade of blue across the sky. "Uh, Cait," I start slowly, "it's kinda late, don't you think?"

Caitlin just rolls her eyes with a playful smile. "Just trust me. Now, hurry up, both of you. Jamie's waiting in the car."

I shrug, knowing that once Cait was set on something, there was no changing her mind. Renae and I shared an amused look before grabbing our jackets and following Caitlin out the door.

The drive was quiet but full of anticipation. I settled into the backseat beside Caitlin, with Jamie and Renae up front, both of the sisters keeping annoyingly quiet about where we were headed. Cait had her arm slung over my shoulders, fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns against my arm, which only heightened my curiosity.

"Cait." I whine as I turn to face her and she also turns to look at me, our faces close together. I look into her eyes with an innocent look, hoping it'll convince her to tell me where we're going. "Where are we going?" I ask while holding her hand in mine.

Caitlin leans in a little closer and I'm sure she's about to whisper where we're going to me so Renae doesn't hear, but instead she says, "Cant tell you."

I huff and pull away from Cait. "Renae, they're kidnapping us." I tell the girl in the passenger seat infront of me while Jamie shakes her head at us.

"We're not." She replies.

"Feels like you are." Renae shoots back as she gives her girlfriend the look I'd given to Caitlin.

"Cait, please." I beg her as I sit back and turn to her again, but she only shakes her head at me and before I can huff again, she puts her arm around me, giving me a squeeze and a kiss on my forehead.

Finally, after what felt like forever, we turned onto a narrow dirt road lined with trees, their silhouettes dark against the deepening sky.

When we pulled up to a clearing, a flicker of orange glowed just ahead. My eyes widened as I saw a circle of familiar faces around a pile of wood. Steph, Hayley, Ellie, Sam with Kristie beside her, Alanna, Macca, and Kyra were all scattered around the clearing, bundled up in jackets, with the beginnings of a bonfire crackling between them.

I barely waited for the car to come to a full stop before I scrambled out, making a beeline for Steph, who was seated beside Kyra. "Steph!" I called out, waving as I jogged over.

Steph stood up with a grin and wrapped me in a big hug. "Els! Good to see you."

I pulled back, my eyes landing on Kyra, who was smirking slightly. "Hey, Kyra," I greeted, feeling that awkward excitement you get when meeting someone you kinda know but don't really.

"Oh, hey, Lioness," Kyra teased, nudging Steph. "Didn't know we were bringing one of them, Foord!"

Cait just shook her head as she hovered behind me for a while, watching as Kyra and I quickly bonded in our shared mission to annoy Steph. Before long, Steph was rolling her eyes as we giggled and whispered, the three of us easily falling into a friendly banter as we settled around the fire.

"I'm not gonna enjoy this at Arsenal. Els is already hard work on her own." Steph mutters and I furrow my eyebrows at her in question. "Kyra, tell her."

"Arsenal offered me a spot on the squad and I'm gonan sign for them in September." Kyra explains with a goofy smile.

"Steph's gonna hate that." I laugh. I feel someone poke my ribs and I squirm before turning around to see Kristie trying and failing to hide behind Sam.

"Kristie, I see you." I get up from the log and go kneel down infront of her, though she pulls me forward so I don't burn myself on the new coming fire.

"Thought you'd forgotten about me already," she jokes, the fire behind me roaring in her grey eyes that soften with a warm smile. She gives me that classic, lighthearted Kristie smirk, and I can't help it; I practically throw myself into her arms, squeezing her in a tight hug.

"Oh, come on, Mewis! How could I?" I grin, pulling away.

"Yeah, that'd be some memory loss," Sam chimes in, glancing over her shoulder and smiling at us as she reaches out to give my arm a squeeze. It's surreal, a comforting sort of reunion that feels like everything is perfectly back in place.

I slide down onto the log next to Sam, while Cait finally sits beside me after starting the fire and getting everyone settled. She leans over with a grin and gestures toward a blonde across the flames. "Hey, Els, meet Ellie Carpenter. She's another thorn in your Lioness side."

Ellie waves, laughing as she nudges her best friend, Hayley. "We've only played against each other, so, hi, officially!" she says.

"Nice to meet you, officially!" I say, laughing. "Honestly, you two were unreal in the World Cup," I admit, feeling a bit of pride. "Made us work for it out there."

Ellie flashes a grin. "We aim to please," she replies. "But don't get too comfortable; next time, it's all us."

Hayley just rolls her eyes, giving me a knowing smile. "Don't worry; I'll try to keep her from taking it too personally."

I chuckle, settling back into the log beside Cait, happy to relax. But the night air was cooling down, and I could feel goosebumps prickling along my skin. Almost out of instinct, I muttered, "Ugh, it's freezing."

Caitlin glances over, catching sight of my thin tank top and shorts. She tilts her head, amusement in her eyes. "Where's your jacket, Els?"

I shrug. "You were the one rushing us out the door!"

Caitlin just laughs, rolling her eyes as she shrugs off her own jacket. "You're a piece of work, Pugh," she says, draping it over my shoulders.

"I can't take your jacket!" I protest, even though I'm already pulling it closer.

She leans in, her voice a gentle tease. "Well, too bad. I'm making it my responsibility to keep you warm." She flashes a wink, her hand squeezing my shoulder. "Besides, I can't have my girl freezing out here."

I duck my head, grinning at what she called me. "Fine, but only because you insisted."

Cait wraps her arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. "See, I knew I'd get my way," she teases, her voice soft as her thumb brushes my shoulder.

For a while, I just lean into her warmth, Caitlin keeping me close as we all talked, joked, and passed drinks around the fire. Every now and then, between her conversations with her sister and her two best friends, Caitlin pulls me closer and kisses my forhead, her arm lingering on my lower back as she holds my waist.

I squeel when marshmallows get passed around and Caitlin looks down at me with a smile as I hold my marshmallow skewer close to the fire, trying to get that perfect golden-brown toast on it without burning it to a crisp. The other girls are chatting, passing drinks and laughing, but I'm way too focused on making this s'more just right.

Suddenly, I see the marshmallow start to bubble, just a little on one side. "No, no, no..." I whisper, shifting it, but somehow, it catches an ember and ignites.

"Oh my God!" I panic, waving the skewer a little too dramatically to put it out, and in an instant, my marshmallow flies off into the flames, completely gone.

Across the fire, Macca and Alanna start cackling, nearly falling off the log they're on, clutching their stomachs.

"Hey, it's not funny!" I huff, giving them an exaggerated pout as I grab another marshmallow to try again.

"Els, that's... that's the second one you've launched!" Macca manages through her giggles.

Determined, I poke another marshmallow onto my stick and try once more. But as I start assembling the s'more, everything falls apart again, the graham cracker slipping, chocolate starting to melt everywhere, and the marshmallow refuses to stay put. Macca and Alanna are practically crying with laughter now.

"Alright, that's it." I toss my hands up in defeat. "I give up."

"Oh, come here," Steph says, pulling me closer with a fond grin. "Can't have you starving out here." She expertly puts together a s'more for me, and I take a bite, sighing contently-until I realize there's a blob of marshmallow stuck to the side of my face.

I glance over, catching sight of Alanna and Macca absolutely losing it at my marshmallow mishap, pointing and laughing like it's the funniest thing they've ever seen. "Seriously?" I say, pretending to glare, but my lips are already curling up.

Cait, who's been watching from beside me, gives them a knowing look and just shakes her head. "Ignore them. You know what they're like." She reaches out, gently cupping my face, and wipes the marshmallow off my cheek with her thumb. "It's my job to keep you out of sticky situations, I guess." Before I can react, she leans in and gives me a soft kiss, making my heart do an actual somersault.

I blush, sinking back against Cait's shoulder. But I'm not done with Macca and Alanna yet. Snatching up a small twig from the ground, I toss it over their way, hitting Alanna's knee.

"Alright, alright, we'll stop!" Alanna laughs, lifting her hands in mock surrender, while Macca giggles beside her.

I cuddle closer to Cait, smiling as she wraps an arm around me. The fire crackles, the air is filled with laughter, and somehow, this small moment feels just right.

The night had settled comfortably around us, the fire crackling and casting warm, dancing shadows across everyone's faces. I was nestled into Caitlin's side like before, though I had gotten up to jump ontop of Steph's lap, who pushed me off her. I then proceeded to stand up and do the same to Kristie, who gave me a tight hug while Sam held my legs on her lap.

I was now lost in the quiet hum of laughter and conversation around us. The warmth of the flames softened the evening chill, but a gentle breeze still cut through, making me instinctively curl a bit closer to Cait.

I glanced over and noticed a small ember had drifted from the fire, landing right on Caitlin's sleeve. My hand moved before I even thought about it, brushing the tiny ash off her shirt. The feel of her skin under my fingertips-warm and familiar-sent a soft spark through me.

Caitlin's eyes flicked down, catching mine. A small smile tugged at her lips as she gently caught my hand before I could pull away. She intertwined our fingers, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. I felt my heart swell a little in that easy, natural way she always made me feel. I glanced down at our linked fingers, a small, silly grin spreading across my face.

"You're here to save me from rogue embers and stray marshmallows, aren't you?" she whispers, leaning closer with that teasing glint in her eye.

I laugh, nudging her with my shoulder. "That's me, always on rogue ember duty," I joke, though I could feel the blush creeping up as she looks at me like that, her gaze warm and soft. It was just a small thing, the way she was looking at me, but my heart was thrumming.

Without thinking, I rest my head on her shoulder, feeling her warmth settle into me, grounding me. Cait's arm slips around me, pulling me just that little bit closer. I could hear her soft, steady breathing over the gentle crackle of the fire, and it was like everything around us was fading. I close my eyes for a moment, taking it all in-her arm around me, the gentle brush of her thumb against my hand, the way her head was resting against mine.

She leaned down, brushing her lips softly against my temple. She stayed there for a second longer, just breathing me in, and I felt my heart skip at the simple sweetness of it.

"This," she whispers, her breath warm against my skin. "This right here... it's all I need."

I smile, my eyes half-closed as I turned to look at her, my heart feeling so full it ached a little. "Me too," I murmur, barely loud enough for her to hear, but I know she's felt it.

We sit there like that, just the two of us wrapped up in the warmth of each other, and I know I'd never feel more at home anywhere else.