For those interested in "Just Something.."

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RPF - Liukin/Johnson/Sacramone (1/?)

Title: Just Something... (1/?)
Author: DG
Fandom: RPF - USGWT
Pairing: (Conflicted) Liukin/Johnson/Sacramone
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: This isn't real. I own nothing.
Summary: For the sake of story (or perhaps lack there of) let's just say that everyone was together on the later stretch of the tour. Not entirely sure where this is headed, but it's a stab at RPF. Rip it apart if you like.

“There's something about her huh?”

--

The Tour – final leg.
The emotions were the same; the friendship just as tight knit and epoxied as it ever was. For the first time since the Olympics, members of the both the Beijing and World 2007 teams were reunited. It was a familiar, heart-warming sight that greeted the young Iowan native as she entered the pavilion where their performance would be held.

The group huddled in a loose circle, all clad in warm-up attire, all animatedly chirping. Each character filling their role appropriately. Sam was sprawled next to Alicia and Nastia – probably talking about everything and nothing at the same time; they were close – they’d always been close.

Next to Alicia was Chellsie who would occasionally be glancing their way then elsewhere, particularly towards the Old Guy of the bunch – Joe. Chellsie offered a candid smile at him. And he replied with a toothy grin. Shawn wished that they would just cement whatever it was that was going on between them.

Her eyes continued onward; next to Chellsie, Shayla hovered about drifting every now and then to Sam, Alicia and Nastia. Shayla was another cog of that group, she was close to them, but also had a life of her own. Shayla began catcalling the members of the Men’s Gymnastics team that had joined the mashed-up troupe. Shawn shook her head amused at that. Shayla, she reasoned, was one of those erogenous zones ready for a scritch from anyone willing to give it to her. Not that Shawn would know about such things. Why should she?

I’m Shawn Johnson. Ultra Q-T pie extraordinaire… Innocent, naïve… young.

Whatever.

She sighed heavily and her eyes continued to roam. Bridget entered with a Big Flyer Red-Wagon in tow. From the looks of it, Shawn assessed that it was full with today’s lunch. Bridget had already adopted a defensive posture, even going so far as to pull out a martial arts-styled battle cry as soon as anyone neared the wagon. That was ultimately, very Bridget-like.

Absently her eyes drew back towards Alicia and Nastia; she didn’t want to watch them, but she didn’t want to not watch them.

Sam had obviously said something funny, because she saw them laugh; Shawn’s brows knit tightly. Since this tour began, she felt like she’d lost footing with the two people she had grown implicitly fond of; then again, did she ever even get to that plateau to be called BFFs (she cringed at that term) with them? After all, it had always been Sam, Shayla, Nastia and Alicia – the older girls. The Fantastic Four.

She sighed.

But…Her eyes remained focused on her two friends. Shawn decided a long time ago that both Nastia and Alicia brandished two different types of beauty. Both types she learned to appreciate.

Alicia harnessed an inner fire with passion for what she did; it was difficult to not look at her. Harder still to quell the need to be next to her just to bathe in the spell Alicia wove. Shawn acknowledged that because Alicia was one of the eldest members of the team, she was definitely the most alluring with her womanly curves. But a simple truth rung out with finality… Alicia Sacramone was devastatingly attractive and everyone didn’t hesitate to proclaim that as gospel.

But as sure as Shawn was with her sexuality, (which she really wasn’t)… She loved Alicia as deeply as a friend can for another.

Nastia had shifted from her position catching Shawn’s attention. The blonde rose to her feet in with an easy fluidness of a dancer. Shawn’s head tilted slightly to one side, observing her one-time roommate. She was tall at least in comparison to Shawn, long limbed, and imperially elegant with her gestures. While Nastia didn’t have the exotic looks of Alicia, she held her own. Her beauty stemmed from that quiet intensity when she competed then slipped from her when off the podium. Nastia was just as much of a goofball as the rest of the team was.

Shawn liked that about Nastia, she melded both worlds; just one thing over countless she liked…

A faint smile touched the corner of her lips before a disembodied voice said, “It’s not a competition.”

She glanced abruptly over her shoulder and was met with the cutting profile of Valeri Liukin. His arms were crossed, his stance planted. Valeri’s gaze had been affixed to the floor where his daughter was, who’d already begun to run through her routine.

“Hi Mr. Liukin…I don’t think I…?” questioned Shawn as her smile waned.

“Always in competitions – always by yourself. It’s not a competition, no meet,” Valeri stated disjointedly, which oddly made sense. His hand rubbed genially at his chin, “So why are you standing here alone, Shawn?”

Shawn’s glance shifted from Valeri back towards the floor, then down to her flip-flop dressed feet. One foot began to scuff at the flooring. Her hands stuffed into her USA hoodie pockets. At the sound of familiar laughter she lifted her gaze and found Nastia and Shayla looking like they were in the middle of a tag-you're-it game, before Nastia ended up getting tackled by Alicia from behind. Irritably Shawn fought to tear her eyes from the play.

“I just… sort of,” shrugged Shawn, “…get distracted, sir,” she beamed her smile, “You know me…Teenager – too much on my mind – I get all deer-in-the-headlights.” She pantomimed pausing in place with wide eyes and open mouthed before she grinned, “No big.”

Valeri turned his ever-observant gaze on to Shawn. It made her inwardly cringe. He nodded after a while accepting her statement. “If that’s all…”

Shawn slapped on the effervescent Shawn-smile for good measure.

“You’re a good girl Shawn,” said Valeri and then reached out to give her a loose hug about her shoulders and added, “Nastia… just has a lot going on right now.”

Shawn stared at Valeri, touched with a look of confusion and unease on her face. She shook her head quickly and motioned with a jut of her thumb to the floor, “I should…”

He nodded – his gaze steely and unwavering on the floor; his daughter definitely inherited that look from Valeri.

“Sure, go on… and,” Valeri turned his attention briefly back towards Shawn, “…remind Nastia this is practice.”

Shawn jogged off with a bob of her head hearing that familiar edge in Valeri’s voice. The man was all business when it came to Gymnastics.

As she neared the group, Shawn was greeted with a series of, “Shawnie! ShawnJohn! Shawn-Jizzle! Woot, da Mighty Mouse!” She wrinkled her nose at each nickname. All terms of endearment, all she didn’t mind. They each engulfed her in a hug or gave her head-noogie, even Alicia joined in; when does she never? Alicia had a penchant for possessive grapple-hugs and a smacking of her lips to whatever body part was available for her to kiss. She loved doling them out at a whim.

Shawn always looked forward to the Alicia-smotherings. She felt comforted in the woman’s supportive arms and melted easily into the embrace; they came few and far between now that the Olympics and training had ended.

She didn’t want to think about that. To know that the road they traveled on for so long together was ending at the next bend. That was too much to take. Shawn breathed in, noting the faint scent of vanilla and cinnamon blanketing Alicia’s flesh, it was all about the here and now. Shawn will hold on to it as tight as she could before being forced to let go.

She liked that smell it was so Alicia… a melting pot of striking differences that made sense.

Shawn couldn’t help but try to nestle further into Alicia’s arms; as if feeling the quiet need… she felt the older woman’s arms grip about her smaller frame, tightly. A soft murmur touched her ears, “Babygirl.” For a little while, the world was right again.

But Alicia had been the first to loosen her grip and grudgingly the hug ended. And there was Nastia, quietly waiting in the wings.

Nastia had no nickname for her, nor was she ever truly, physical with her. It was always a simple…

“Hey Shawn,” softly said and accompanied with that brilliant smile and a quick, yet all-encompassing hug, then nothing more as she readied to breeze past her like she’d always been doing lately.

Shawn was a little troubled by that. The media had fostered their bond as rivals; they realized that they needed to defend each other and themselves from all the speculation. They were friends, and that friendship further grew at Stuttgart and she thought it solidified at the Olympics. But since the advent of the tour, it seemed…changed. Then again, her priorities ran opposite of what Alicia and Nastia did.

This was just Nastia’s thing, though. She seemed to refrain from being overly affectionate in public. But... Shawn’s logical mind argued that she’d seen clips and been a witness of Nastia being tackled by Sam and Alicia in tandem…in public. There was an instance where it looked like Alicia nearly planted her lips on Nastia’s own at nationals, televised no less – Shawn found herself YouTubing that. Moving it frame by frame, studying it, studying them…wishing... It bothered her that she yearned to see more; it bothered her even more that she had wished she were a part of that intimacy. It was her secret, her quiet guilt.

And when Nastia and Shayla were consistently whoring it up for mug shots on the tour, it didn’t help Shawn’s insecurities. Just the two of them, that’s how it went. That’s how it’s been.

Shawn was jealous. She needed to know that she ranked somewhere higher than how Nastia saw her… hell… even how Alicia saw her. Why didn’t she fit anymore?

This time before Nastia moved from her and without any hesitation, Shawn’s hand caught at the crook of the taller gymnast’s arm, stopping her. Nastia glanced curiously back to Shawn, meeting her gaze.

“Shawn?” Nastia asked concerned.

Nastia’s eyes were flecked with specks of gold and tawny among a sea of jade. Shawn never really saw that before. It was soul-rendering…

…and suddenly felt herself drowning in them.

Oh God.
Oh Cheez Whiz.

A spate of dizziness blanketed Shawn – it felt like vertigo. Shawn gave her head a little shake to clear her mind; it hadn’t worked, “Your dad,” she managed out, “…He kinda said t-to stop goofing off ann..d…”

Something was wrong, Shawn inwardly wondered why Nastia’s gaze changed from concern to frantic, then Alicia’s voice was sharply ringing out calling for her. Shawn’s gaze tracked Nastia’s and Alicia’s features, but they grew hazy and then…

Nothing.

Ficlet: Liukin/Johnson | Need

Title: Need
Pairing: Nastia Liukin & Shawn Johnson
When: In Beijing, athlete’s village apartments.
Rating: G/PG
A/N: Totally unbeta'd :( Forgive any and all mistakes. Please be kind!

--

Need to be Next to you - Leigh Nash
Been running from this feeling for so long
Telling my heart I didn't need it
Pretending I was better off alone
But I know that it's just a lie
So afraid to take a chance again
So afraid of what I feel inside

But I need to be next to you
Oh I, oh I
I need to share every breath of you
Oh I, oh I
I need to know I can see you smile each morning
Look into your eyes each night for the rest of my life
Here with you, near with you, oh I
I need to be next to you
Need to be next to you

Right here with you is right where I belong
I lose my mind if I can't see you
Without you there's nothing in this life
That would make life worth living for
I can't make it if you're not there
I can't fight what I feel any more

Cause I need to be next to you
Oh I, oh I
I need to share every breath of you
Oh I, oh I
I need to know I can see you smile this morning
Look into your eyes each night for the rest of my life
Here with you, near with you, oh I
I need to be next to you
I need to have your arms next to mine for all the time
Holding for all my life
I need to be next to you
I need to be next to you
Oh I, oh I
Need to be, need to be next to you
Share every breath of you
I need to feel you in my arms, baby, in my arms baby
I need to be next to you

--


As the door closed she pulled her complimentary iPOD headphones from her ears. The song quietly faded to black. She blinked a few times to get her bearing; finally the weighted glare of the cameras finally lifted from her. She could relax. Her knapsack slipped from her stocky, but oh-so-very petite frame as she began to dust her hands off from the excess chalk that still clung there.

Shawn wrinkled her nose. A few hardened calluses were already resident between the webbing of both her hands, nestled at her thumb and forefinger. She couldn’t help but pick and prod at them as if they were some scientific phenomena. But Shawn’s attention was drawn from her hands towards the soft moan of a door opening.

A bunned nest of gold poked from the recess of the bathroom soon followed by the sinewy form of her roommate. Soft green eyes warmly regarded her along with a welcoming smile.

It was so different from the pristine stoic picture she painted in competition. But no one else saw this side of her roommate. Shawn was one of the few that held this honor of knowing more than what the cameras shown. But being a roommate adds another layer of intimacy the outside world would never know.

“Hey you.”

The dulcet tone of her roommate’s voice broke her reverie. Shawn knew she was staring; quickly her eyes lowered to her feet searching for words that she had hoped were scribbled on her worn sneakers. Because at that moment, for no rhyme or reason, she felt her throat constrict. But Shawn forcibly lifted her gaze and managed to utter out,

“Nas…. You’re here.” Shawn stated the obvious; as if realizing that she amended her statement in rapid-fire succession, “Course you are, you just asked me a ques…” a pause was given when she realized she was rambling she huffed out, “Hey.”

Nastia looked at her questioningly, a thread of concern slipping onto her serene features.

“You ok? Not coming down with anything are you?” Nastia added, “Need me to get the nurse? I was about to head off for a bath…”

God I hope not. A wide grin greeted Nastia, “Me? Please.” Shawn flexed her bicep, “… Solid. Feel. Nothin’ fazes me.”

The delicate beauty chuckled. Her eyes lingered over Shawn’s frame before they flicked upwards and met Shawn’s gaze. Nastia casually walked over, closing the gap that rested between them and rested her hand on the taut muscle. “Oh… yeah… so studly, Shawn.” She grinned then pulled her hand back.

Shawn’s pulse quickened while Nastia was near her; compounded with the fact that the warmth of Nastia’s hand still radiated even after it left her flesh. It was only after the older teenager looked away that Shawn let loose the breath she didn’t realize she held. She watched Nastia move towards her side of the room – the Russian-born gymnast moved with simple elegance. Shawn envied that. Every movement looked effortless. She on the other hand, felt bulky.

Shawn Johnson was the adorable, yet stocky sweetheart of America, the anointed one to take the mantle of the Golden Girl for gymnastics. Terms that Shawn had grown accustomed to but never learned to like.

“I didn’t expect you’d be back,” commented Nastia .

“Already throwing me out, Nas? And here I thought we were connecting…” Shawn placed a hand on her chest, mock-pouting, “Was it me?”

Nastia stuck her tongue out and lobbed a pillow at Shawn, hitting her square in the chest. “Dork. I just meant I thought you’d be with your mom and dad,” she laughed.

Shawn caught the pillow successfully. She hugged it to her chest and buried her face into it. There was a faint smell of perfume – jasmine, maybe? Shawn assumed that the fragrance was something Nastia used – so like her, so unlike herself. Shawn inwardly reprimanded herself at that thought then hauled her body towards her bed, crashing ungraciously on to it.

“I, uh, Mr. Chow just had me train a bit more and uhm, I had you know, obligations and… ,” shrugged Shawn, attempting to not look at Nastia as she spoke, but her words were cut short when her roommate edged in.

“…Interviews?”

Shawn nodded slowly. While Nastia Liukin was her teammate and good friend, the older teen was her rival; she didn’t want Nastia to feel as if the world and its media no less, were on Shawn’s side solely. Which to be frank… seemed like the case. Because everyone was in Shawn Johnson’s face.

With her back facing Shawn, Nastia answered, “I thought you were great,” there was a significant pause, “Immensely cute…” the taller girl murmured, then glanced over her shoulder and added with a smirk, “…Chipmunk cute, really.”

Shawn’s cheeks had been burning. She was glad that the room they shared was poorly lit. It hid that infernal blush. And she just knew she was blushing. What Shawn had a hard time with was the reasoning to why she was.

“Oh, really?”

“Mm, yeah.”

“Well…so…”

“So…?” Nastia questioned, daring Shawn with her eyes.

“You’re so not cute,” sputtered Shawn; she tried desperately to recant that, but Nastia’s features gave a hint of hurt.

Nastia lifted a shoulder and absently rubbed her forehead, “Yeah… it’s my quote: Cro-Magnon like forehead, huh? At least that’s what I read online…somewhere.” she sighed and chuckled, “See… I don’t think they understand that I can’t get rid of it.” Nastia then beamed a smile, pointing towards her teeth, “I fizhhed zhis tho. I was hoping that would have upped my cuteness factor.”

Shawn furrowed her brow then shook her head, “No no… it’s not what I,” she sat up looking intently at Nastia, “…You really need to stop looking online. Really. I mean… it’s just where people get together and decide to stalk other people. Seriously, like… like those fanfic writers. Come on!”

That drew a half smile from the taller girl, followed by a stifled chortle. Still clothed in nothing but a wrap-around towel, Nastia crossed over towards Shawn’s space and settled herself on the edge of the younger teen’s bed.

Nastia stared at Shawn, nibbling on her lower lip trying to stymie a threatening outright laughing fit. After brushing a few errant strands from the younger gymnast’s face, she stated, “I wonder what goes on in your head – after all you’re always smiling.”

She had stiffened slightly at Nastia’s gesture - her stomach knotted. Shawn hoped that it was because she was hungry. But the back of her mind a voice cried out softly that it was much more than just hunger pains.

Shawn forcibly lifted a brow and playfully prodded, “always? Are you admitting to stalking me Nastia Liukin? Oh. Em. Gee. That’s oh my God, if you didn’t know.”

Nastia laughed body-checking Shawn. The blonde shifted her gaze down towards her feet, “It’s hard not to look at you Shawn. You’re…infectious.”

“Okay wait I thought I was the cute Chipmunk?” gushed Shawn. “You make me sound like a disease.”

“Hey, it’s better than being Big-Forehead girl.”

Shawn frowned, “…You’re not…”

“Cute?” Nastia grinned, “I know, I thought we settled this argument?”

“You didn’t let me finish. So, no.”

“Okay then…”

Without pretense, Shawn reached for Nastia’s hand. She squeezed, assuring the older girl and mostly for herself – The girl, her friend and rival had affected her on a level she couldn’t comprehend; she didn’t want this feeling to stop. Whatever it was.

Shawn cleared her throat and offered plainly while a heavy hue of rose began to dust her cheeks, “If I were a guy, not only would me being in your room be a very bad thing, but…you’re hot. I mean…smokin’ hot. The fact that you’re so flexible too, has got boys riled up. Or so I’ve been told.”

Nastia wrinkled her nose, “Yeah… I didn’t need to know that.”

“But since I’m not of the dangly bit species… this is me telling you,” Shawn took a breath, “I think you’re extremely beautiful, what you do makes me just catch my breath. You push me to be better every single meet. You make me better.”

Shawn dared not look back towards Nastia at this point, fearing that she’d see that stoic, indifferent perfection staring back at her. So she continued headlong…

“It’s because of you is why we’re where we’re at. Just you and me,” she drew up her courage and lifted her eyes meeting Nastia’s own and short of bearing her soul, softly echoed those simple lines from the song she heard not too long ago,

“Nas…I need to be next to you.”

Shawn wasn’t sure how long they sat looking at each other. Nor at how long the quiet had blanketed them, but in a blink of an eye, she felt her body engulfed in warmth. She was in Nastia’s arms. She was slowly losing herself in the embrace. But Nastia was the one to break it.

Quietly, Nastia rose from Shawn’s bed and headed towards their en-suite bathroom. The younger gymnast could hear her heart beat ring in her ears. Nastia hadn’t spoken and Shawn didn’t know what to do. She had offended Nastia. She must have.

“Nas… I didn’t mean to--”

Nastia paused in her trek and glanced over her shoulder. She easily silenced Shawn with just a look – the very same, patented look she used in competition. Softly she offered a coy remark, “I need you with me too.”

Shawn inhaled sharply.

It was followed soon with a smirk, “…I need someone small to wash my back.”

Shawn blinked and huffed, “You are such a putz, Nas.”

End.