thirty-six | you know how to ball

UNCONTAINABLE EXCITEMENT BUBBLED THROUGHOUT THE ALREADY ROWDY CROWD, ANTICIPATION BUILDING AS THEY WAITED FOR THAT WHISTLE TO BLOW. The roar of the stadium—being filled to maximum capacity—could be heard from across the city, she was sure of it. Queen street would be filled with echoes of their passion. Loud music played from the speakers, hyping the onlookers on; the months of build up had all finally culminated into creating this epic moment. She looked across at the sea of blue and maroon—herself being dressed in maroon, being the supportive girlfriend she was—in awe, amazed that so many people were willing to show up in support of their home state.

The decider. The match that would determine which state would reign supreme until we all decided to gather here again, next year to do it all over again. A tradition passed down through each great generation of footy players. No words could ever properly describe how electric it felt being in that stadium and the players hadn't even run onto the field yet.

Lucy Stanley—freshly tanned and back from her honeymoon in a place much warmer then Brisbane had been that winter night—stood next to her sister in Queensland the family and friends section close to the field, clad in a colour she deemed not for her ("Seriously, who wears maroon?"). The sisters, looking so alike under the jerseys Dionne's boyfriend had been so kind to let them borrow, wore identical smiles as they sipped their drinks (and no, it wasn't XXXX—there was only so much of the Queenslander spirit Dionne was willing to embrace before she had to put her foot down). His family, who she'd become quite well acquainted with after three months of exclusively dating, stood on her other side in a huddle of overwhelming support for their boy. Watching the troops rally behind her man always brought a smile to the brunettes face; it really did take a village.

The crowd began to stir, screams pouring from the mouths of teenage girls and middle aged men alike as the teams took to the field. Dionne's eyes immediately found their target, locked and loaded on Patrick Carrigan as he threw his arms around his teammates. Hand on chest, she stood with everyone else for the Welcome to Country and national anthem—eyes not once leaving him to look at the singer. It's all he'd been able to talk about since game two, which had resulted in a both teams having one win under their belt. Graciously, she'd just smiled and nodded, letting him repeat information she already knew over and over again. She knew this was more then a game to him—to most people in this stadium, actually—and she wanted nothing more then to watch him lift that trophy with his teammates once again.

She watched him from the third row. His meaty thighs flexed as he stood in the line, mouthing along the words passed down by generations. As it always was in games, the light brown hair that she loved running her fingers through was pulled back into a low bun. She'd once asked him, while they'd laid chest to chest in bed on a warmer night, why he didn't play with it out—like she'd seen some players do—and he'd told her he found it distracting, he'd find himself absentmindedly playing with it instead of focusing if it wasn't pulled out of the way (which wasn't a good look).

Her heart began to race as the anthem finished, allowing players to disperse into their positions for play. Any second now the referee would put the whistle between his lips and blow, setting one of sportings biggest rivalries ablaze once again. She held her breath, anticipation eating at her.

"Is it starting?" Lucy whispered, leaning over as the stadium came to a standstill. For a moment there wasn't a single sound and then the shrill sound of a whistle shattered it, reminding everyone to cheer and go mental over their teams.

Cupping her hands around her mouth, Dionne cheered loudly as they kicked off. The ball slapped against the kickers boot with a loud thump as it spiralled through the air. The fullback, clad in maroon, jumped as high as he could to pluck the ball from the air and ran full speed down the pitch. He only made it twenty metres before two Blues players tore him down, throwing their bodies on top of his. Throwing them off, he rolled the ball under his foot to his waiting teammate and they were off once again.

A lot of the first half was spent with Dionne having to explain the rules to her older sister, who'd been raised in the crowds of AFL games like herself. "Why do they only sometimes kick it?" She'd asked, perplexed by the lack of field goals being attempted.

Dionne heaved a sigh, hoping no one near them had heard the embarrassing statement that'd come out of lips (especially being in the family and friends section, most of their neighbours lived and breathed Rugby League). The game continued on as she launched into a detailed explanation on how the points system worked once again, knowing it would most likely go right over Lucy's head.

She cringed at an elbow crashing into the side of Patty's head, grateful that it didn't seem to have any sort of effect on him. "Jesus," Lucy had murmured through her fifth glass of wine, "you picked a tough one, aye?"

Dionne beamed at her, her chest filling with warmth at the reminder that he was coming home with her after the game. That was her many—finally, after everything. "I know, right?" She called back, eyes finding their way back to him again as he brought another opposing player down to the ground once again. "He's pretty great, I guess."

"Remind me again, who called it?" Lucy said back, quirking an eyebrow at her sister. A smile creeped its way onto her lips as Dionne's cheeks lit up pink.

Dionne placed a finger against her lips, pretending to think hard about her sisters remark. "Hmmm. . . You know, I just can't remember," she joked, earning a playful shove against the shoulder from Lucy.

"I just think I deserve some credit, you know?" Lucy continued, grinning. "I mean, I was the one who put the idea in your head."

Her sister rolled her brown eyes. "Actually, if I'm being completely honest here, I've always found him hot—since the first time I wrote a word about him," she told her, having never said those words aloud before.

Lucy made a triumphant sound, pointing her drink in the brunettes direction. "I knew it!"

Dionne waved her off, turning her attention back to the game before them once again. While he'd played great, on-field injuries had left them down a few tries with three minutes to spare until half-time. She couldn't help but gnaw at her nails as the ball was turned over to the Blues once again. Patty charged at Jerome Laui—who had the ball tucked under his arm as he stormed across the field—with his arms stretched out ready to grab ahold of him. She couldn't help but feel an immense sense of pride as he slammed the Samoan player face-first into the grass, tearing chunks up in the process. However, defence was all well and good but the seconds ticked by and the maroons still weren't close to scoring an equalising try.

Before she knew it, the sound of the half time horn blared through the speakers and the players froze. Gameplay siezed and all the teammates clambered together, patting each other on the back and offering words of reassurance as they headed for the sheds. Dionne wanted nothing more then to barrel across the field and go assure him that they would pull through in the second half but she remained seated, knowing that would be more of a distraction then help.

Well, actually, she remained seated for like ten seconds before Lucy turned to her and insisted the skip the half-time performance and go to the bar for refills. Shaking her head lovingly at her sister, she stood up and shuffled awkwardly past everyone else in their row. Allowing Lucy to drag her by the hand up the concrete steps, Dionne looked through their section for any familiar faces when her eyes locked with Herbie Farnworths.

Smiling warmly back at her he—along with the pretty blonde on his arm—stood up and made his way towards them. "Stanley," he greeted, staring down at her (how dare he be tall and British), "long time no see. Pat tells me you're not slandering him in the paper or interviewing players anymore—Broncos social media manager, eh?"

Dionne couldn't help but roll her eyes with how blunt he was. "Yeah, interviewed this British wanker and decided to retire," she retorted, smirking as his girlfriend snorted loudly at the comment.

"Must've been a Burgess brother," he said darkly, sending a scowl down at his girlfriend. "This is Lily, by the way. Don't think you've met."

Dionne offered her a smile before gesturing to an impatient Lucy, who was still set on going to the bar. "Nice to finally meet you properly," Dionne told the blonde, "this is my sister, Lucy."

"Bloody hell, there's two of them," Herbie joked, pretending to be alarmed.

"Oh, be nice you," Lily Pickles muttered, hitting him playfully across the chest. "We getting drinks or what?"

"I like you," Lucy cut in, offering her arm to the English woman who gladly accepted. "Your priorities are in the right place."

Laughing, Herbie and Dionne trailed behind them as they continued up the steep set of stairs. "So," Herbie said after a moment, wearing a grin that had Dionne predicting whatever he was about to say was going to make her roll her eyes at him. "You and Pat are like properly together now? At least, that's what the grapevine tells me."

And as predicted, she rolled her eyes. "The grapevine? Really?"

"I can't reveal my sources," he told her. "Isn't that what they teach you in journalism school?"

She scoffed, "wow."

"Wow isn't a yes or a no," he pointed out, holding the door to the bar room open for her.

"Have they cut you out of the inner circle since changing clubs?" She quipped, deciding to make him work for the answer a little, "this is information everyone who matters should already know."

The pair opted to wait off to the side as the other two ventured into the long, slow moving line. Leaning against the wall, Herbie scoffed at her insult. "Like I said, grapevine. Just wanted confirmation right from the source herself," he muttered, eyes darting across the room as he prayed no one would recognise him and bombard him for pictures—this was his night off, he was here as nothing more then a fan.

"Obviously we are," she huffed, tugging at her Queenslander scarf as someone opened the door and let in the cold breeze. "Why else would I be here, dressed like this?" Dionne gestured to herself, hands waving up and down at her body—she even did a spin to show off the big 'Carrigan' written across the back of her jersey.

Herbie breathed an impressed laugh. "I could probably point out thirty people in this room alone dressed the same as you, hoping he'll see them and take 'em home after the game," he joked, laughing harder at her unamused look at the thought of that happening.

"You're hardly dressed very festively," she replied, gesturing to the warm puffer jacket he wore over.

The Brit waved her accusation off. "I've got a jersey on under this but I'm supposed to be undercover," he told her, subtly doing a scan of the room again to make sure no one was staring at them. His shoulders sagged in relief as the other two returned, both holding two drinks.

"One double vodka orange for you," Lucy said, mimicking a waiter as she put the drink in his sisters hand.

Dionne sent her sister an accusing look. "A double?"

Lucy put her free hand up as she brought her straw to her mouth. "Your mans going to win this, gotta celebrate as hard as you possibly can," she instructed her as Herbie and Lily nodded along, leaning into each other for warmth.

The group made their way back outside just as the half-time show came to an end, bidding each other well before venturing back to their own seats. One of Patty's sisters, Tara, offered the girls a small smile as they took their seats beside her once again. "Any good?" Dionne asked, referring to the performer.

Tara shrugged. "Not really," she admitted.

A sudden roar of the crowd cut off any further explanation as the two teams came running out of the tunnels once again. Hardly any time was wasted as the whistle was blown once again, the action picking right back up where it had left off.

Whatever Billy Slater had said to the boys in the shed had most definitely worked as the Maroons came out with a certain ferocity they'd lacked in the first half. Their line was much stronger then it'd been before, hardly allowing the Blues to gain any metres past halfway before possession was turned over. Players like Reece Walsh and Hamiso Tubaui-Fidow lead the pack in attack, steam-rolling the opposition's defence and scoring a try each, which put the Maroona in a very narrow lead.

Dionne could feel herself waking up with no voice in the morning from how loud she cheered every time Patty gripped the ball, charging through opponents that struggled to bring him to a halt. In amongst all the action, stray strands of his luscious locks fell lose framing his chiseled face while sweat gleamed over every surface. It was hard to pay attention to anything but how otherworldly he looked (and, look, maybe the alcohol also had something to do with that).

Her gaze constantly flickered over to the time, watching the minutes tick by as they continued to maintain their lead. She didn't care if they didn't score again, they just couldn't let New South Wales gain anymore points and even the score up. As exciting as a golden point State of Origin decider would be, she didn't think she could take the stress.

Lucy had left and come back a couple of times to get them more drinks, leaving the brunette feeling quite lightheaded by the time they entered the final five minutes of the game. Both their voices were hoarse from cheering as he took possession of the ball again, throwing it back over Brian To'o for Kayln Ponga to catch. Dionne flung her arms in the air, jumping to her feet as the Knights player threw himself over the try-line just before the full-time siren filled their ears—although, the noise of the crowd almost drowned it out.

Her boyfriend has just assisted in a last minute try that moved their lead from close to comfortable and she couldn't be anymore proud. Climbing over the rows of now empty chairs, she joined the crowd that had formed at the barricade. Her heart filled with euphoria as she watched the maroon players hug each other, cheering loudly at the fact they'd retained the trophy for another year.

She saw him break away from the group hug, high on adrenaline as his eyes scanned the lower sections of the crowd. He didn't stop until he landed on her, their eyes locking in passionate staring contest. His cheeks were still red, chest heaving and his hair was plastered to his forehead, chunks of dirt caked in there but it didn't matter to her. In the blink of eye—at least that's how it—he was standing before her, not breaking eye contact as various members of his family bombarded him with hugs, kisses and praised. She waited patiently for her turn, her skin itching to be against his.

After his mothers third teary-eyed kiss on the cheek did he finally pull away, arms reaching for Dionne's who melted into him. His wide arms encased their way around her waist, firmly pulling her flush against his hard chest. Dionne's own arms found their way around his neck, fingers trapping his face between them. The prickle of his stubble against her palm—even under all the sweat—was a comforting feeling. His forehead pressed against hers as he tried to catch his breath, still wrecked after the game. Their breathing melted together and his fingers drummed against her lower back. For a moment, he just stared at her with those wide brown eyes that drove her mad.

"You did it," she whispered so only he could hear, beaming at him as his family looked on (not that she even remembered they were there in that moment, if she's being honest).

He nodded, holding back happy tears as he placed a kiss against her temple before moving from one cheek to the other. A giggle escaped her lips as he continued to kiss every surface of skin her face had to offer. Suddenly, he pulled his face back and looked at her with the type of intensity he normally saved for the final seconds of sex. "I love you," he told her, watching as her pupils turned bigger then they already were.

It was the first time either of them had said it and she didn't even have to hesitate in saying, "I love you," back before he pulled her in for a proper kiss. He bald pulled her over the barrier, so that she was higher up as his lips worked against hers. Their tongues danced together as his fingers pressed into her hips, most likely leaving a mark that she'd cherish in the morning—a reminder of how exciting this moment was. It could've been two seconds or it could've been two hours but they stayed like that, eyes squeezed shut as they kissed for the first time in somewhere so public.

It's not to say their relationship had been some massive secret but they'd tried to keep it away from the public as long as possible, wanting to enjoy each other before anyone could have opinions. She knew how it looked, the circumstances at which they'd fall in love under and she didn't need someone who'd taken over her old role to pick the timeline apart for clicks. (Though, she probably didn't have a leg to stand on and be mad over it when it inevitably would go to print in the morning).

💌

(@ppaattyycarrigan just made a post!)

liked by aligreer, jordanriki, qldmaroons & 113, 875 others.

PPAATTYYCARRIGAN: Three-peat.

view 7651 comments

USER1: I KNEW THEY WERE DATING

REECEWALSH: 🏆🏆🏆

USER2: omg pookie is off the market? i'm heartbroken rn, dhmu 💔

JORDANRIKI: Love wins
     ↳ PPAATTYYCARRIGAN: Sorry you had to find out this way

USER3: Is anyone else side-eyeing this rn?
     ↳ USER4: Thought it was just me. . . what a strange relationship
     ↳ USER5: Isn't she notorious for shit talking him or am I mixing that up with someone else?
     ↳ USER6: Here's a thought: let's let people live their lives how they want to !!! [liked by author!]

QLDMAROONS: ❤️

XAVIERCOATES: QUEENSLANDERR

USER7: nsw just don't get origin

EZRAMAM: Yeah brah!!!

THE CELEBRATIONS HAD LASTED WELL INTO THE SUN RISING ON THE NEXT DAY. It'd started out in the changing rooms, with families and friends screaming along to the team song with the players after the trophies and individual accolades had been handed out to those deserving. Then, after many XXXX's had been consumed by those ready to party the night away, there had been a massive migration of people next door to the already packed out Caxton Hotel.

See, Dionne had been to that pub before—as a random civilian wanting to join in the massive party in her youth, knowing very little about Stare of Origin or why people were so passionate about it—but she'd never gone in the special back way that allowed VIP's to skip the line (being included in the VIP list was foreign to her). Party-goers cheered loudly as the group emerged, offering handshakes and pat on the backs to any Maroons player they could get their hands on. The overwhelming sense of pride followed Dionne as she took countless photos of him with fans—the wide smile not once leaving her face. His win was their win, in her eyes.

When the mayhem of their arrival finally calmed down (and Reece Walsh was satisfied with the amount of shots he'd made everyone consume), Patty and Dionne took to the dance-floor. His hands had hardly left hers since the victory. As the bass vibrated through their bodies, they swayed back and fourth—well, as much as they could in such a packed dance-floor. She'd lost count of the amount of times he'd just bent down and kissed her, reminding her how happy he felt in that moment. Each kiss filled her with the same hoard of butterflies as the last did and she wondered if she'd ever stop being this in love with the man before her (she doubted it).

When the pub started emptying people out, calling for the last song, Patty took her by the hand and lead her back through the VIP exit where a bunch of other players waited. "Kick-ons at Kaufusi's," Reece Walsh called out, waving them couple down.

Dionne and Patty exchanged a look, silently deciding whether or not to join him in the Uber he'd just ordered. She'd made the mental decision before the night had even began to join him in whatever he wanted to do in celebration; this was his night, she wasn't going to rain on his parade by announcing she was tired. "Yeah, righto," Patty told him, pulling Dionne against his side as they waited for the car to get them. "I love you," he reminded her quietly, voice vibrating against her eardrums. He was grateful at how flexible she was being, knowing she normally got sick of partying by this time.

She squeezed his hand, tugging him towards the car that had just pulled up. Reece Walsh jumped in the front seat, shaking the excited drivers hand and thanking him for the numerous congratulations that spilled out of his mouth. Brendan Piakura—spawning out of nowhere—jumped into the back beside them, leaving Dionne very squished in the middle. The car reeked of XXXX with the amount that had been thrown around in the changing rooms during the team song, most skipping the showers and going straight to partying. She pressed her head into Patty's shoulder, giggling at the off-key singing the three Broncos produced as they sang along to the Taylor Swift song playing on the radio.

As they rounded into the nice neighbourhood on the Northside Felise Kaufusi resided in—an army, it seemed like, of people were making their way down the street to most likely join the festivities—Dionne decided she had never been happier with her life. Sure, work was still taking a lot to get used to but as for everything else—it was pretty close to perfect.

She looked up at Patty as he sang, the smile unable to be broken from her face.

💌

🌸 KARLA YAPS !

"daily updates" she said...

anyways,,, this chapter was super long purely because i want to win this writeathon i'm in lol. but this is the last full chapter of this book, which feels so bittersweet to say. i'm holding the epilogue hostage until double trouble hits 2k votes or more ! (look at me cross promoting) #fixtheratioplsplspls

i can proudly reveal the title of my upcoming kotoni fic: fresh out the slammer. chuck me a follow so you don't miss it !!! there are two other nrl fics (for way into the future) also hiding in my drafts, so also keep an eye out for those lol.

broncos finally got a win so i decided to change the outcome of state of origin (i'm still in denial) & i don't wanna see a single comment praising the roaches from down south <3