Chapter Text
"Hey" the stranger says as she tries to catch her breath, the match just ended "Please I need to speak with you"
Alicent thinks it’s the desperation in her voice that does it for her, nobody has sounded as desperate for her time as this stranger -not that she´s surprised, by the way she´s been staring at her throughout the whole match-.
Alicent has been a nobody her whole life, a plain mundane girl, even at 15 she was aware of that fact. She was a well behaved, centered girl. She kept her school grades as high as her maximum effort could take her -some aspects where more difficult than others, like the whole social aspect of it-, she went to church and tried to be the best catholic girl she could manage -somewhat conflicted with the views of their older demographic about female alphas, her father mainly-, she practiced volleyball at the behest of her psychologist -because apparently sports are healthy for teenagers and their mental health and god knows Alicent needs all the help she can get to deal with her anxiety-, she even goes along with her father in his constant search for a good husband* -which fills her with dread-. She never complains, she knows the futility of it, but is desperate to find another way and she constantly feels like her own life will suffocate her to the point of drowning. Like everybody else, nobody.
Except today it’s not like that, not at all.
A friendly match was scheduled for today, Kingslanding HS were visiting them for the preseason, it has been years since the last time they had visited the old Oldtown Private Institute. Rich meet rich, as KLHS is known for their infinite resources and OPI for their deep old pockets. She’s always the first one to arrive -because she’s the starting setter and she needs more worm up- and today is no different, at least that is true of her team, because there is someone there before her but from the opposing team.
¨Hey" the stranger says -almost shouts-, what a beautiful stranger Alicent thinks "I’m from Kingslanding High, would you mind pointing me to the toilet? I need to clean my shoes before I start the worm up¨ every word offered so open, so careless.
And then Alicent realizes that this beautiful stranger from the opposing team has been walking up to her while speaking, she realizes because she can smell her. An alpha, a female alpha. And this should take her as less of a surprise, female alphas are very common in volleyball -there are two of them in their team- but Alicent has never smelled a scent like this.
"It’s over there" stiff. She stiffly points at the door at the end of the gym, as she stiffly answers that careless question. How dare this stranger show her such carelessness, it was absurd.
And like it was nothing worth mentioning the stranger follows her directions, her beautiful platinum hair messily chopped over the shoulders -broad ones- height just below her, missing the way the purple eyes ruminated over her body in a matter of seconds -studying her- as if taking a moment to measure her. She suddenly wanted to be enough. And a light whimper escapes through.
But she will not linger, there’s no way she’s thinking straight. Ironic. So she goes on, she starts with her stretching routine so she can move to her worming up exercises, she pays attention and is mindful. But then she sees the stranger doing her own stretching in the other side of the court, and she doesn’t look as if executing a practiced routine but an intentional ritual, it’s confident, its powerful, so quiet, so cared for, so alpha.
As she’s halfway through her exercises Alicent notices the stranger getting close to her again, she turns and seems to be glued to her spot. "You look like a setter" and is so imposing the damned carelessness in which she knows nothing about her and still takes such a risk "I’m a wing spiker, would you mind setting some early balls for me so I can take the new environment in? I’m not very picky with the execution" there are so many words exiting this strangers mouth without any second thought -evidently- so something so bold, and something clicks inside Alicent, something akin a challenge.
"What is your spike height?" her voice has never been this clear, as if it didn’t exist before.
Surprise flashes in the strangers eyes, not because she didn’t expect the challenge in return, she seemed pleased with the answer more than anything. "297cm" and then the stranger smiles, smiles big and expecting.
The first ball is a little off, Alicent can tell, and even then the stranger makes a perfect spike and lands with a bigger smile than before. The second ball is almost perfect, and the stranger lets out an enthusiastic scream as the ball courses in a perfect straight line shot. The third ball was perfect, and the charge that the stranger took for it was beautiful, so beautiful that life couldn’t let it through, because seconds before the stranger reaches her spiking height -Alicent was sure that the jump looked higher than 297- screams can be heard at the entrance of the gym as both teams were arriving simultaneously and she misses the swing. The stranger looked at her with tragedy in her eyes, they lost that beautiful ball.
They don’t exchange any more words, each to their team, as if that moment was just a common thing. But then the match started and Alicent knew that it wasn’t common, because she could feel the opposing stranger’s eyes hanging on her every move. She should be feeling extremely uncomfortable, because both their teammates were starting to notice, but no one said anything. Alicent was never the center of attention and now she was up for display like a pray in front of this stranger, exposing her to the rest of the people in the gymnasium. And no one said anything. No one could really, because it became clear in less than a few points into the match, Alicent was thriving under this stranger’s godly gaze.
Her plays were cutting, her attacks were excessive, no one would be at fault for mistaking Alicent with a brutalist. It was embarrassing, to be put in the spotlight like this and for her to respond with such crudeness, it felt cruel and delicious. In response she was given a display of pure control, the stranger made movements so precise that her technique took the game to a limit testing rhythm, as if she wanted to push everyone around her to take Alicent to her limit, almost demanding it. Everything with a careless smile on her face, looking like someone who was unwrapping a surprise gift from God, it looked like mercy.
The match ended with a close win for the KLHS -having a wing spiker with the strength of the stranger has surely won a lot of games Alicent supposes- in 3-2, with three sets surpassing the threshold of 30 points. It was monstrous, it felt like the highest stakes of their lives and it was just a friendly match, it was embarrassing. She heard one or two comments in regards to the strangers and Alicent’s weird intensity, but no one really seems keen on bringing it up. Maybe she should have controlled herself, her teammates were part of a very restricted number of people Alicent was able to talk to in school and she would prefer for them to not be weirded out by her, but as soon as that thought crossed her mind, the stranger spoke. Hey. Please I need to speak with you. It was the desperation that did it for Alicent, she knew that something was done to her right there.
"Sure" stiff again, but Alicent followed her stranger (hers?) to the side of the court that wasn’t surrounded by the other players, for it to be private but also appropriate for a pair of young -intense- athletes who happen to be an alpha and an omega.
"I’m Rhaenyra" she offers, intense again, and just like that the stranger, the wing spiker, the alpha, had a name. Alicent shakes the hand Rhaenyra holds up for her and as soon as their hands touch -a delicate touch- Rhaenyra takes her free one to cover the back of hers, with instinct and care. "I need you" and there’s no more carelessness, it feels different, but genuine all the same.
"What?" its rushed, this whole conversation seems to be.
"Sorry, I’m not good with words" and the alpha looks sheepish, uncomfortable all of the sudden.
"Luckily on court you don’t seem to need them" she comforts? Ridiculous, she can’t be comforting a stranger, she doesn’t know how to. But Rhaenyra lets out a tiny laugh, her shoulders relax, and Alicent feels herself untouchable.
"Let me start again" she tries, and she looks like a puppy content with the encouragement "You are the best setter I’ve ever met, I want to be the best outside hitter I can, it’s a family thing" she takes a deep breath, almost nervous "Is volleyball something you are considering for your future?" holds her breath.
"I-I’m not- best setter?" it’s all she can muster, for what else can her mind properly form?
"There’s no need for you to be humble about this" she says as matter-factly, so sure is almost rude "Your team stands no chance without you, you play like someone who really understands it, and you are fucking talented" and the words hold care. Ridiculous.
"Are you trying to poach me?" stiff, stiff, stiff.
"If possible, Mysaria is a perfectly adequate setter, but I’d rather play with you" so fucking genuine, and Alicent can’t be more on edge.
"First of all" she’s starting to get annoyed "you don’t even know my name, how could you possibly rather play with me" and she watches Rhaenyra barely react, shrugging her shoulders carelessly "and secondly, no, I’m not considering volleyball for my future" closes her eyes, drowning again "I can’t" it slips, she shouldn’t have.
"Cant?" worry and curiosity have the audacity to appear in this strangers face, but somehow Alicent feels like she owes Rhaenyra the answer, every one of them.
"My father, he-" how can she explain this without feeling so small, so under the weight of all of it "he has different views for what the life of an omega girl and has quite inflexible, he expects me to marry well." it’s so hard, and so liberating at the same time, to say this out loud and to know its real. "A career in anything other than motherhood is not something I’m allowed to" it’s so sad to hear her own voice.
And in that moment, for the first time she feels Rhaenyra’s scent shifting, anger pheromones. And Alicent expects for it to make her feel smaller because that’s how it should be, and it doesn’t. It comforts her, to feel surrounded by a feeling she doesn’t feel entitled to. The voice that comes out of Rhaenyra also takes her by surprise, so much care.
"And what about you? What would you choose given the chance?" it’s silly, because Alicent is 15 and barely knows much of herself, but it almost brings her to tears the fact that is the first time she’s been presented with the question. She stays silent for a few moments, she already knows the answer, but she’s looking for the courage to speak it out loud and Rhaenyra stands there in front of her, patiently waiting looking like she would wait forever.
"Law" barely above a whisper, but it’s out "I’d study law" and she feels her ears drum "but my father will never go with it and I don’t have the means nor the guts to do something about it" and she turns to leave the conversation, because what’s left to say, this stranger wants a teammate and she can’t.
"Please" as she’s grabbing her wrist, that desperate sound again "I need you" the touch is like fire but the words are an explosion, this stranger asking -needing- for her is almost alien. Also incredibly selfish, arrogant too.
"There’s nothing I can do about it, I can’t leave" her voice is angry and low, and she doesn’t want to be in this conversation anymore but her body doesn’t want to give up on being touched, held even, considering the care she feels in her skin. Rhaenyra is being so tender, even as she smells the anger in her scent. Ridiculous.
"Then let me come to you" ridiculous "I’ll transfer to OPI and we can get you into uni with a volleyball scholarship" as anger lets in anxiety, their teammates must be very confused about this whole situation, because they clearly look very weird -the air has pheromones scattered, Rhaenyra is still holding her- but no one wants to get involved apparently.
"You’ll transfer to OPI? Why?” She really doesn’t understand and Rhaenyra looked so pleading.
"So I can play with you, I need you" again, with desperation and a little tug to her wrist "I need you to be the player I want to become, I’ll do anything, I’ll be there for you to reach your own goals. Please, I’ll do anything" full of firsts was this conversation, because that -for the first time- felt like everything.
Suddenly Alicent didn’t want for the conversation to ever end, she wanted to be there forever -Rhaenyra holding her-.
"One condition" and Alicent saw the word anything about to fly out of Rhaenyra’s lips, so she rushed "You’ll be my work partner throughout school and uni" and Rhaenyra stands still, as if caught off guard, so A will offer clarification as rescue. "I find it difficult to talk to people and formal education requires an insufferable amount of group works, so it’s holding me back, I also happen to be in need of a partner" ridiculous "a serious one" and holds her breath, because Rhaenyra will have an answer for that and its terrifying.
"My uncle is head coach for the Dragonstone University volleyball team, we can get you scouted, we just have to show -excellent- enough results to support his future petition" she diverts her eyes, unsure maybe "You may have to become one of the best in the country" and the challenge shoots back, again. So ridiculous.
"I saw your worm up" and something drops in Rhaenyra eyes, disappointment? "You were serious. I saw the way you play" hesitation, but curiosity assaults Rhaenyra demeanor again "you were serious. I won’t presume to know you, but we are young and a clearly rich alpha and a young rich alpha can want every thing they wish but few seem driven enough to follow through with something like this" and raises her hands in order to stop the protest that is about to answer her words. "But as I said, I saw you" they stare at each other and Rhaenyra smiles so tenderly that she feels tempted to smile herself "so I’ll put my faith in you."
And just like that, a completely new path was presenting itself in front of her. And Rhaenyra hugs her, she embraces her, with so much care. All the care in the world. Ridiculous.
"Thank you" Rhaenyra voice is low and calm in her ear "I won’t disappoint you, I promise I’ll help you to build whatever future you want to be in" she doesn’t want Rhaenyra to let her go, it’s the first time she’s touching her and her sweet words are being tattooed into her soul, she doesn’t know what to make of it.
Rhaenyra suddenly laughs and dread fills Alicent, so sudden, so violently that in the back of her mind a panic attack is closing in. She stiffens again and Rhaenyra notices.
"Maybe this will come out the wrong way" and Rhaenyra lets go of her, as the panic boils and threatens to come out, to explode "but I really don’t know how to ask for your name without sounding like an ass"
Calming pheromones pump out of Rhaenyra, she clearly noticed her state and tried to help. And Alicent really should be rejecting this, the alpha is almost scent marking her, she’s sure everyone inside the gym could smell this. All Alicent can do is hold onto Rhaenyra again, tighter "Alicent Hightower" a whisper, weak and unsure, maybe now Rhaenyra will disappear as she hears her name. She doesn’t want to keep drowning.
"That’s a beautiful name" and her voice is strong again, filling Alicent with its strength as she takes the words in "it’s wonderful to meet you, I’m Rhaenyra Targaryen"
“Do they know each other?” one of Rhaenyra´s teammates asks, everybody utterly confused. Ridiculous.