A/N - I would like to wrap up this series sooner rather than later, as I don't want to just keep endlessly writing chapters to pad out the story. This chapter will focus on an entire season in the life of Daniel Cole, the tenth chapter will take place a couple of years in the future, the eleventh chapter a couple of years after that, and the twelfth chapter will focus on his later years, inevitable retirement and then what the future might hold. All in all, it'll be twelve chapters.
Proofreading and editing suggestions provided by OhDave1 as always for this chapter and the next three chapters too. My thanks to him for the assistance as always.
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I loved the first game of the season, that mixture of nerves and confidence that built up before running out onto the field for the first time. The pre-season had seen us win more games than losing but our form still hadn't been great. But I knew that I'd rather build form through the season, hitting our stride the closer it got to finals, rather than burst out of the blocks and then run out of steam by the end of the season.
Arriving at our training ground to take the bus to our home ground together, there were the usual new faces as there were always comings and goings during the off-season. We were usually informed when any major development happened and had gotten to know our new teammates during the trial matches. Rome wasn't built in a day, but certain players had been with the club for a while who were starting to believe things might be changing for the better.
Our first game of the season was at Accor Stadium against the Rabbitohs. It was the same stadium where the 2000 Sydney Olympics had been held. The opposition was coming off a successful season having made one of the Preliminary Finals (the two matches to decide who would play in the Grand Final) at the end of the previous year.
We'd played at Accor numerous times before. The previous season, they'd beaten us in one of our worst performances of the season, the sort of game where nothing seemed to go right, and even I would admit to making one too many mistakes. The sort of result where even the coach simply suggested we dusted ourselves off and just got ready to go again the next weekend.
"How are you feeling?" Graham asked me as I laced up one of my boots.
"Just eager to get the game started. Hate the off-season."
Eric, our captain, chuckled next to me. "Spoken like someone who hasn't been playing for years, without all the aches and pains that come with over a decade of experience."
"Yeah, but everyone knows you're an old man with all these youngsters now around us," Mike retorted, a fifteen-season veteran who we all knew would retire at the end of the season. We were already hoping to send him out on a good note.
Andy was still out injured so I still had to perform goalkicking duties, the coach already suggesting that my percentage stats were high enough that he'd consider me continuing the duty even after Andy returned. If there was one thing that I'd spent most of the off-season doing, apart from relaxing with my family and enjoying life, I was down at the local park nearly every day, spending a couple of hours putting the ball through the posts over and over again.
It turned into one of those turgid opening games of the season where both teams were still finding their feet. Far too many errors, too stop-start, and no real flowing footy for the game to be considered a spectacle. And with it being a rather low-scoring affair, we trudged off the field at full-time, having lost narrowly, wondering if anyone in the grandstands had actually enjoyed the game.
Kim, Wendy, Mum and my sisters were by the barriers as they always came to the first game of the season, no matter where the game was being played. They could sense my frustration immediately. I hadn't played all that badly, but it was one of those days where nothing seemed to go right for us as a team. The only thing that saved us was the opposition was barely functioning at the same time.
After hugging and kissing each of them, Mum told me that she'd follow the bus to the training ground to ensure I got home, and the rest would head home and wait for my return. Entering the dressing room, I wasn't surprised about the glum faces. Our coach had been happy enough with our performance, and it had been a narrow loss, but I knew we'd be pushed hard when returning to training on Monday.
Mum was standing by her car when I stepped off the bus a couple of hours later, sharing a quick goodbye with the guys, before I walked towards her. She hugged me tightly as always, no-one even giving us a passing glance. They knew that she was my mother, and I had no problems with her hugging me or kissing my cheek. "I thought you were wonderful today, baby," she whispered, "I know you have set very high standards for yourself though.",
"Just frustrating, that's all," I admitted, "Come on, let's go home."
Sliding into the passenger seat, Mum pulled up her skirt to show she wasn't wearing any panties. "If my son wants to play with me while I'm driving..."
"You're incorrigible sometimes, Mum."
"You know I get aroused watching you on the field. And I'm not the only one. Expect a few naked women to be waiting for you."
"Sure you don't want me to drive and you can play with yourself?"
The speed at which my mother pulled to the side of the road and had me driving made me chuckle once we were underway again, Mum perching one tiny foot on the dashboard, the other on my lap, as she started to play with herself. I loved how confident she was nowadays, and it wasn't the first time I'd sat back and just watched her masturbate. She knew how sexy I found her and the love we now shared was well beyond that of only a mother and son.
"I love hearing you orgasm, Mum," I whispered after she'd had me suck her fingers clean, leaning across to rest her head against my shoulder, "That first time we were together, and you enjoyed one... I knew I'd want to have that in my life going forward all the time."
"Never thought I'd fall in love with my own son, but I also knew I'd have to share that love with others. If you ever worry about any of us being unhappy, Danny, I promise you that all the girls talk. Yes, there are moments of jealousy, and it is to be expected. This is a very unusual arrangement."