#Bayern Munich Stadium
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#Allianz Arena#4k#Munich#night#Flag of Germany backlight#Bayern Munich Stadium#Germany#Bundesliga#Bavaria#football#Bayern Munich FC#wallpapers
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football moodboard
*ೃ༄ my club, my one and only club .ೃ࿐
#moodboard#football#uefa euro 2024#uefa champions league#premier league#la liga#joshua kimmich#paulo dybala#fc barcelona#bayern munich#football player#football stadium
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youtube
UEFA EURO 2024 Stadiums
#uefa#euro 2024#germany#allianz#berlin#munich#hamburg#eintracht frankfurt#bayern munich#bvb#borussia dortmund#dusseldorf#leipzig#fussball#bundesliga#stadion#stadiums#stadium#soccer#tournament#Youtube
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new family
barcelona femení x kika nazareth x reader
summary: if your family cannot accept you for who you are, your new family will.
warnings: homophobia mentions, coming out, angst, comfort, very long fic
your new home.
the first time you step foot in barcelona, it feels like an entirely new world. at just nineteen, you've been given a rare opportunity to live across the atlantic ocean, far from home, far from the familiar comforts of family and friends to play for the best club in women’s football as a defender.
it's thrilling, this chance to explore yourself and form your own ideas without the weight of your past or family pulling you back. but it’s also terrifying, since you have to build your social life from the ground up.
the team welcomes you warmly, and before long, you feel like you’re a part of something special– a new family.
you bond quickly with your teammates, and learn your new rhythm of life in spain.
but to you there's one person who stands out more than the others—kika, the newest player at barcelona. she's full of life, happy, with a laugh that makes your heart race and a smile that lights up even the darkest days.
at first, you don't understand why you're drawn to her the way you are.
you’ve had crushes before, but this feels different, for many reasons.
your last crushes were on men, many years ago during your middle school days.
the feelings you have for kika are more intense, more real.
you find yourself watching her during training, lingering in her presence, and feeling a flutter in your chest whenever she talks to you. she asks you to be her partner during drills, and you always accept.
the whole thing is confusing, overwhelming, and a little scary, but also something you can’t ignore.
as the days turn into weeks and the weeks into months, your feelings for kika grow stronger. it hits you one evening when you’re both sitting on the blue barcelona benches after a late training session, the sky painted with the soft hues of an orange spanish sunset.
kika is talking about her family back home in portugal, her eyes sparkling with fondness, and you realize that you don’t just like kika—you’re Infatuated with her. in that moment, everything clicks into place.
you’re a lesbian.
it’s a realization that shakes you to your core, but also feels like a puzzle piece finally falling into place.
for the first time, you truly understand who you are, and it’s liberating.
you begin to accept it, slowly, carefully, letting the idea settle in your mind. it’s a part of you, a part that you hadn’t fully understood until now.
kika, oblivious to the storm of emotions inside you, continues to talk, and you smile, feeling a warmth spread through your chest. you don’t know when it happens exactly, but one day, she looks at you in a way that’s different from before—softer, more intimate—and you realize she feels the same.
it’s subtle at first, a brush of hands, a shared look that lingers a little too long, until one night after el clasico when you invite her over to your apartment, she kisses you.
it’s everything you’ve imagined and more—soft, sweet, and filled with love.
you pull back, breathless, staring into her eyes with a mix of disbelief and joy.
“is this okay?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper, and you nod, too overwhelmed to speak.
“yeah, it’s more than okay,” you finally manage, and she smiles, pulling you into another kiss, this one deeper, more assured. it’s the beginning of something beautiful, something that feels right.
it’s a crisp evening in january in munich, the air buzzing with the electric energy that only a champions league match can bring.
the stands are packed, fans draped in blaugrana, but with german red as well.
their cheers and chants echoing through the stadium. you’re on the pitch, adrenaline coursing through your veins as you face off against bayern munich, the intensity of the match pushing you to your limits.
the game has been tight, both teams fighting fiercely for dominance on the field.
you’ve been giving it your all, weaving through defenders, pressing high, stopping german forwards, creating chances, but the breakthrough hasn’t come yet.
the score is still 0-0, and you know that one goal for barcelona could change everything in the group stage match.
then, it happens.
a perfectly timed pass from alexia sends the ball back to your foot, just outside the box and after the halfway line.
as a defender, you notice gaps. bayern had a huge gap where you could launch the ball towards the goal– the only risk being their goalkeeper blocking it.
you take a quick touch, setting yourself up, and without hesitation, you strike. the ball sails through the air, spinning towards the top corner, and for a split second, time seems to slow down.
the breath in your lungs were held, watching as the bayern goalkeeper dives, her fingertips brushing the ball—but it’s not enough.
the ball hits the back of the net.
for a moment, there’s silence, as if the entire stadium is holding its breath.
then the roar of the away crowd erupts around you, deafening and exhilarating, and you feel a rush of pure, unfiltered joy.
you did it. you scored in the champions league.
as a centre back, this hasn’t happened with you much.
your teammates rush towards you after you put your hands up in joy, their faces alight with excitement and pride.
you’re grinning so wide it hurts, your heart pounding in your chest as they surround you, offering high-fives, smacks on the back, and hugs.
but it’s kika who reaches you last, on purpose– her eyes shining with a mix of awe and love.
before you can say anything, she’s wrapping her arms around you, pulling you into a tight embrace.
you can feel her heart beating just as fast as yours, her breath warm against your ear as she whispers, “you were amazing, y/n.”
and then, without a second thought, she presses a soft kiss to your cheek. it’s a sweet, tender gesture, full of affection and pride, and it sends a warm flush spreading through your entire body. the kiss lingers, her lips soft against your skin, and you can’t help the way your heart skips a beat at the contact.
her words stick to you. she didn’t mention the goal, she said that you were good.
you pull back slightly, just enough to see the wide smile on her face, and you’re sure you’re blushing, but you don’t care.
“thank you,” you murmur, your voice soft, almost shy.
the moment doesn’t go unnoticed. your teammates who got back in their positions start to giggle and cheer, their voices playful as they take in the scene.
“look at that!” ewa teases, a wide grin on her face. “our goal scorer’s getting some extra love.”
ona, who’s always quick with a quip, sidles up beside you, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
“y/n, you’re so in love it’s written all over your cute face.”
you glance at kika, who watched you with that same soft smile before setting herself up for the game, and you know you can’t deny it.
not when you feel like this—so happy, so content, so in love. you shrug, a playful smile tugging at your lips as you meet ona’s gaze. “i can’t help it,” you say, your voice full of warmth. “she’s kind of hard to resist.”
the match continues, but that moment stays with you—etched into your memory as one of the sweetest, most genuine moments of your life. and as the whistle blows on the field again, you can’t help but feeling like you’ve won twice in one evening.
being with your girlfriend is like a dream. she’s everything you could have hoped for in a partner—kind, understanding, and so full of love that it makes your heart swell just thinking about her.
your teammates notice the change in you, the way you light up whenever kika is around, and they’re happy for you.
alexia, your captain and neighbor, is especially supportive, always there with a knowing smile or a gentle word of encouragement.
living next door to alexia and her girlfriend, olga, has its perks.
the two of them have taken you under their wing from the moment you arrived, treating you like a little sister. alexia is the kind of leader who leads by example, and she’s always there to guide you, both on and off the pitch. her and olga’s relationship is something you look up to.
you spend countless nights at their apartment, talking about life advice, football, and everything in between.
alexia is your rock, she is the goat to everyone but to you she is another sister. someone you can lean on when things get tough, and olga is like another mother figure, always ready with a joke to lighten the mood, help you with dinner, or a hug when you need it most.
it’s during one of these late-night conversations that you find the courage to tell alexia about your true feelings for kika.
she listens intently, her eyes full of understanding, and when you’re done, she smiles softly.
“i’m proud of you, y/n,” she says, placing a hand on your shoulder. “i am happy that you’re being true to yourself– i had to go through the same thing. you and kika compliment each other very well.”
her words give you the strength you need to take the next step—to come out to your family.
it’s something you’ve been dreading, but you know it’s something you have to do. so, one evening, you call them, your heart pounding in your chest as you wait for someone to pick up.
your mother answers first, her voice warm and familiar, and for a moment, you almost back out.
but then you remember kika, the way she makes you feel, and you know you can’t keep this part of yourself hidden any longer. you wanted to show the world that you loved kika, and taking that step to tell your family first was important.
“mom, there’s something i need to tell you,” you begin, your voice trembling.
you can hear the concern in her voice as she asks what’s wrong, and you take a deep breath, closing your eyes as you force the words out.
“i’m… i’m dating someone–”
“oh my goodness, finally,” your mother cheers.
“i didn’t realize that you’d have suitors in spain– what's the fellows name!?” she continued.
your heart broke a tiny bit, knowing that it's not a man you’ll be telling her about.
“you’ve been watching my games, right?” you ask.
you couldn’t see your mom, but you could tell her eyebrows were raised.
“yes?”
“number 18 on my team, kika– she is the person i am dating..” you swallow.
there’s a long silence on the other end of the line, and for a moment, you look at your phone thinking that the call has dropped. but then your mother speaks, her voice cold and distant in a way that makes your heart drop.
“are you serious, y/n? is this some kind of phase?”
the words hit you like a punch to the gut, and you can feel the tears welling up in your eyes.
“no, mom, it’s not a phase. i’m a lesbian. i’ve always been, i just… didn’t tell you until now.”
“y/n, this isn’t… this isn’t what our parents raised us to be,” your younger brother’s voice cuts in, harsh and unforgiving.
“you can’t be serious about this. this has to be a joke. you’re throwing your life away for something that isn’t even right or makes sense.”
your heart breaks.
“it makes sense to me,” you whisper, but they’re not listening.
they continue to talk, their voices overlapping in a barrage of judgment and disappointment, and you feel your heart tearing apart with every word.
“please, just… try to understand,” you plead, but it’s no use. they’ve made up their minds, and there’s nothing you can say to change it.
“y/n, you need to think about what you’re doing or if you’re being manipulated,” your mother says, her tone final.
“we can’t support this or you. this is all wrong.”
the words echo in your mind, cutting deeper than anything you’ve ever felt before.
they don’t accept you, they don’t understand, and it feels like your world is crumbling around you.
“i… i can’t do this– goodbye.” you manage to choke out before ending the call, you quickly block your families numbers from your phones before the sobs hit your body– forcing you to collapse onto your bed.
you don’t know how long you stay there, crying into your pillow. the sun sets and now your room is dark, since you don’t bother getting up to turn on your ambient lamps.
eventually, you force yourself to get up when you notice the polaroid picture of you and kika sitting on your bedside table.
your legs are shaky, your heart feels like it’s been smashed into a million pieces, but you know you can’t stay here. you need to be somewhere safe, somewhere where you’re loved.
the family you grew up with will not be your family anymore. you refuse to associate with individuals that cannot accept you for who you are. Luckily you’re in another country so it won’t be as hard.
without thinking, you grab your keys and head to alexia’s apartment across the hall.
your hands tremble as you knock on the door, and when it opens, you’re shocked to see not just alexia and olga, but also ingrid, mapi, frido, caroline, and marta.
they’re all there, gathered around the living room, and as soon as they see your tear-streaked face, they jump up from the sectional couch and rush to your side.
“y/n,¿qué pasó?” alexia asks, her voice full of concern as she pulls you into a tight hug.
you try to speak, but the words won’t come out, so you just shake your head, burying your face in her shoulder as the tears start again.
“it’s okay, you’re safe now,” she whispers, rubbing your back as the others gather around, offering their own words of comfort.
“they… they don’t accept me,” you finally manage to get out, your voice breaking.
“they don’t understand, and they never will.”
there’s confusion from your teammates. everyone looks around to see anger and sadness in mapi’s eyes. she might not relate to it, but she knows exactly what you might’ve gone through.
“y/n, i’m so sorry,” mapi says, her voice thick with emotion as she reaches out to squeeze your hand.
“you don’t need them,” mapi continues firmly, her hand resting on your shoulder.
“what happened?” ingrid whispers in mapi’s ear.
“my family doesn’t want me to be with her, they don’t accept me ingrid.” you say, rubbing your eyes as you put your head up from alexia’s shoulders.
all of the adults in the room frowned.
“i am so sorry nina.” olga hugs you.
“we love you, y/n. everyone here, and everyone on the team, accepts you.” caroline rubs your shoulder as olga pulls away from your body.
“we’re your family now, y/n. we love you for who you are, no matter what.”
“and we always will,” frido adds, her voice soft but strong.
“you’re not alone in this,” olga says.
“not at all.” alexia finishes.
the words are like a balm to your broken heart, and you feel a warmth spreading through you as you look around at the faces of your teammates—your friends, your family.
they’re here for you, they love you, and they’re not going anywhere.
“thank you,” you whisper, your voice trembling as you look at each of them.
“i don’t know what i’d do without you all.”
“you’ll never have to find out niña,” alexia says, pulling you into another hug.
“we’re here for you, always.”
as the night goes on, you start to feel a little better, surrounded by the love and support of your teammates.
it doesn’t erase the pain of your family’s rejection, but it helps to know that you’re not alone.
kika comes over to alexia’s apartment when mapi contacts her, not giving much detail but saying that you needed her support.
when you tell kika everything– her eyes are wide, filled with a mixture of shock, worry, and something deeper—something that makes your heart ache all over again.
she steps closer, her hand trembling slightly as she reaches out to touch your cheek, wiping away a stray tear with her thumb.
“y/n…” she whispers, her voice breaking with emotion.
“i’m so sorry. i… i can’t believe they’d say that to you. you don’t deserve that. not at all.”
her words hit you hard, and you can see the pain etched on her face, pain that mirrors your own.
it’s clear that she’s hurting for you, that your heartbreak is tearing her apart just as much as it’s tearing you apart.
she pulls you into a hug, holding you so tight that you can feel her heart beating against yours, strong and steady, grounding you in a way that nothing else can.
“estou aqui, ok?” she murmurs, her breath warm against your ear as she strokes your hair.
“i’m here, and i’m not going anywhere. we’ll get through this together, i promise.”
you clutch her tighter, feeling a fresh wave of tears coming on, but this time they’re different—not just tears of sadness, but also of gratitude.
you don’t know what you did to deserve someone like kika in your life, someone who loves you so deeply and so fiercely, but in this moment, you’re thankful for every bit of it.
kika pulls back slightly, just enough to look into your eyes, her hands cupping your face with a tenderness that makes your chest tighten.
“they don’t get to decide who you are or who you love,” she says, her voice firm, full of conviction.
“you’re perfect just the way you are, y/n. and i love you, so much. don’t ever forget that.”
her words are saving, pulling you out of the darkness that’s been threatening to swallow you whole.
you nod, unable to find the right words to respond, but the look in her eyes tells you that she understands.
“we’re your family now,” kika continues, her voice softening as she presses a gentle kiss to your forehead. she smile, not knowing that alexia said the same thing a few moments ago.
“me, alexia, mapi, everyone here. we’re your family, and we’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”
the others nod in agreement, their expressions full of love and support, and you feel a warmth spreading through your chest, chasing away the coldness that’s been lingering since that painful phone call.
you’re surrounded by people who love you for who you are, people who will stand by you through anything, and that’s more than you could have ever hoped for.
“i love you too, so much kika” you finally manage to say, your voice shaking with emotion as you look into kika’s eyes.
“all of you. thank you… for being here, for loving me.” you say looking at your present teammates.
kika smiles, a soft, bittersweet smile that tells you she understands the depth of what you’re feeling.
she leans in, pressing her lips to yours in a kiss that’s full of love, reassurance, and a promise of better days to come.
it’s a kiss that reminds you that you’re not alone, that you have a family here in barcelona—a family that will love and support you no matter what.
when you finally pull away, you find yourself wrapped in the warmth of your teammates, their arms around you in a group hug that feels like a cocoon of safety and love.
your new home.
if you're struggling with similar feelings, just know that you're loved always. it might not feel like it, but we love you and support you for who you are!
my master list is here if you want to read more fics <3
#barcelona femeni#woso community#woso fanfics#woso x reader#fc barcelona#esmee brugts#aitana bonmati#salma paralluelo#kika nazareth#woso imagine#woso soccer#wlw#woso imagines#espwnt#futfem
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Wilted
Autistic Reader x Barça Femení
Another (13k wc) one shot, read the main story here!
Statistically, in your sport, you were one of the lucky ones. You had made it to 27 without spending more than two weeks at once out with an injury. Nothing too extreme, or painful. Just knocks here and there, a few minor muscle injuries, and the likes.
Unfortunately, in this line of work, a bad injury was inevitable. In just one movement, it felt like your Champion's League dream was over.
Should you have signalled that you needed to come off earlier, when you took your first knock just halfway through the second half, maybe the game wouldn’t have ended the way it had. Maybe if you weren’t so naively determined, you wouldn’t have ended up face down on the grass hours away from home in Munich, writhing in pain.
The first leg of the Champion’s League quarter-final was bound to be a tough game, especially playing away at such a dominant Bayern team. None of your teammates could have expected it to be so physical though, it was uncharacteristically abnormal for both teams. The tussle you had found yourself in when you had received a sharp, fast knee from side-on against your thigh really should have been the end of your game. But you weren’t one to give up, especially when the score was still 0-0, the tension had to come to an eventual end for one team at some point and you wanted to be there to make that happen. You ignored the dull ache in your muscle and continued playing.
You were too eager though, playing with too much pent-up frustration to just get a goal, that you were involving yourself in unnecessary battles and making unrealistic runs. One of those occasions had to go wrong at some point, and it absolutely did.
With a long ball thrown over the top of the Bayern defence by Patri, you managed to outpace Eriksson and were comfortably at least half a metre in front. The ball was yours, you’d shrugged off the defender that had been on your tail relentlessly for eighty minutes so far, and this could be the deciding play of the first leg. This was your moment.
You wanted to show you were giving it your all, wanted to show how badly you needed this UWCL trophy after years of failure with another team in a different German town. You wanted to prove that you could do it all, leave nothing on the pitch, and come out on top with the iconic gold medal to show for it after getting your team to the final.
Except, with the harsh cold rain battering down, the ball glided after its first bounce out of your reach, causing you to overstretch. After that, you clattered heavily against the wet grass as a searing pain ripped through your leg. The excruciating cry you let out could be heard throughout the stadium, a grimace on everyone’s faces as it didn’t take a professional to know that the injury was a bad one. One of your hands fell to the epicentre of the pain on the back of your thigh, the other hand grabbing a fistful of grass as you sobbed in agony.
The ball was out of play anyway, allowing the referee to appropriately halt the game as players from both your team and Bayern came over. There were hands on your back and words uttered your way, but the panic rising through your chest and the ringing in your ears paired with the pain still running rife through you were too much to comprehend at once. The world felt so big and overwhelming, all you could do was squeeze your eyes shut and pray it all went away. The pain, the people around you, the fans watching with their eyes and their phones, the implications of what this injury meant. You couldn’t do this.
“Hey, it’s me, it’s Ingrid, come back to me.”
That voice broke through the brick wall of your thoughts, one gentle hand rubbing up and down your back as the other brushed a few damp wisps of hair out of your face. Vaguely, in the background, you registered an authoritative voice ushering everyone away before the brightness of the stadium floodlights dimmed behind your eyelids. Unbeknownst to you in that moment, your teammates had formed somewhat of a wall to save you from the view of the fans.
Another figure kneeled beside you, murmuring quietly with the person next to them before a soft, familiar hand took yours from the back of your leg and squeezed it comfortingly. It's quite clear to any player that you've got a hamstring injury, and the extent to which the discomfort you're feeling is concerning for everybody on the pitch. The hearts of the two people that love you most break for you.
“Cariño, we know you're in pain, but we need you to come back to us. We want to help.” It's Alexia speaking now; she's got your hand in hers and the touch brings you back down a little. “The physios will be here soon.”
You reply with a minute nod as that's all you can manage, your cries slowing not out of choice, but exhaustion. The adrenaline had kept you running all game, especially after the clash earlier, but now you had hit a wall, or the ground rather, and everything had come crashing down on top of you.
Alexia and Ingrid notice your lack of noise and take it as a good sign, both of them shooting a glance at each other before the Norwegian takes the reins.
“Hey.” Ingrid said, her hand sliding from your back to your shoulder in an effort to roll you over, even just a little, so she could properly see your face. “What’s hurting? Something in your leg?”
You gave a pitiful nod, allowing the defender to lay you on your back, but you pulled the collar of your jersey over your eyes in a last attempt to hide away from it all.
“Is it your hamstring?” Alexia asked, her free hand falling to your hip and stroking the skin available with her thumb where your shirt had been lifted. A final nod from you confirmed Alexia’s worst fears; you had most likely torn your hamstring. The severity of it would determine how long you could be out for, but it wasn’t looking good.
Before she could say anything else, she was surrounded by not only the Barça physios, but the medical team at the ground too, a stretcher placed down just in case behind her. She knew, realistically, you would end up having to use it, but she also knew the mental repercussions it would have for you.
There was a certain way you processed things, and it was obviously different to the majority of the world. In this moment, where you lay in agony on a football pitch, you knew you were injured. But you hadn’t accepted that fact yet, hadn’t processed it or allowed it to be the truth. You could still reject that fate for yourself - hide behind your shirt, try to ignore the medical staff all around you, the concerned looks on everyone’s face, and shut everything out. The second you were transferred to the stretcher, you would have no choice but to come to terms with what had happened to you.
Alexia knew what you’re feeling now would pale in comparison to how you would certainly feel later that evening. In a hotel room in a different country from home, crutches by your bedside, a compression sleeve tight around your thigh, and ice atop that. Words of condolences fired your way, sorrow present in all the eyes that landed upon you, nevermind the throbbing pain that would persist. Constant reminders you couldn’t escape from would surely ruin you.
You still had time to reject it, pretend it wasn’t your reality.
“It-it’s not that b-bad.” You tried to argue, abruptly sitting up and wiping your tears before prying people’s hands off of you. “Let me up.”
“No, you can’t get up. Let the doctors do their job first, you don’t want to make anything worse, okay?” Ingrid lightly pushes you to lay back down, only for you to shove her hands away.
“No! I’m fine, I can walk it off. Lea-”
“Cariño, listen to me.” Alexia shuffled up closer, softly holding your face in her hands so that you had no choice but to listen to her. “You are injured. You have torn your hamstring, and it is very dangerous for you to do anything on that leg now. You will make it worse. Listen to us, to the doctors, and let us help. We are all here for you and we are not going anywhere. Please.”
To some, Alexia’s words might come across as blunt and harsh, rather than caring with your best intentions in mind. But she did have your best intentions; the moment required some tough love, if she sugar-coated anything then it would only cause more damage in the long-run.
“It hurts, Ale.” You whimpered, clutching at her forearm as you cried into your other hand.
“I know, lay back and they will give you something for it.” You found comfort in her voice and touch, making you feel safe and secure enough to follow her words and allow the medics to do what they needed.
In the blink of an eye, it seems, you’re in the away team physio room. There’s a lot of hustle and bustle around you, but at the same time you’re alone. No one is holding your hand, no one is reeling off words of reassurance, there’s not a soul at your side. It’s just doctors wanting to get their job done for the day. You had no idea how much of the game was left, so you didn’t even know when you could get a reprieve.
That horrible feeling of panic was rising through you like a tsunami wave. You felt trapped, claustrophobic, and to top it all off you couldn’t even see a light at the end of the tunnel, whose walls were quickly closing on you.
Alexia had lied to you. She had said that her and Ingrid were there for you and weren't going anywhere. But nobody was here with you right now. You were alone.
Anytime one of the doctors tried to talk to you, their words weren’t registering. Anytime they tried to put their hands on you, you flinched, only causing you more mental and physical pain. None of them could bridge the gap to help you. And, considering they were doctors, not a single one could see the severity of your emotional distress. It only led to tensions rising as they got antsy and irritated, and you got more and more worked up.
Alone. Trapped. Hurting. Alone.
That mantra circled dangerously around your mind. Alone: nobody was here with you. Trapped: you physically couldn't walk, you didn't know the stadium, and you wouldn't know where to go if you did. Hurting: the doctors hadn't given you any pain relief, Alexia had lied once more. Alone.
Alone, trapped, hurting, a-
Alone only until some time later, the door slammed open, and this time someone in the room did have the right to be angry.
“What is going on in here? Why is no one helping her!?” Mapi cried out, rushing over to where you were borderline hyperventilating into your hands and everybody else stood, watching. “Preciosa, it’s Mapi, I…”
She didn’t know what to do with the state you were in, it wasn’t something she had ever come across before. How could she help you if qualified doctors couldn't?
You seemed inconsolable and the panic running riot through you slowly began to seep into her, which wouldn’t help either of you. Mapi had no experience with anything of this severity, she'd seen Ingrid have panic attacks before but that was years ago, she hadn't had any in a long time. This didn't seem like a panic attack, and if it was a meltdown, she certainly had never dealt with one of those before. She'd only seen the aftermath of one, and it wasn't even her that had dealt with it.
It felt like all she could do was bide her time and hope that Alexia or Ingrid came in ASAP, but she knew she had to act sooner. By doing what, she wasn't sure. But she had to start somewhere.
“You’re okay, you’re okay.” Her eyes looked frantically around the room, noting that all the people that should be helping you were only staring with exasperated looks on their faces. “Hey, everyone out! Get out!”
They shook their heads as they left, filing out one by one and murmuring between themselves. Meanwhile, your state of mind hadn’t changed and Mapi’s concerns only grew. Cautiously, she tried to take your hands away from your face but somehow your strength was too much for her and they didn’t budge an inch. The worry Mapi felt grew tenfold and soon there was a tremor to her own hands. She felt like time was running out, as if you would implode the longer you spent in this detrimental state.
So, she decided on a different approach.
“Hey, sit up for me, preciosa. Come on, I need you to sit up.”
To her relief, you followed her instructions easily this time, and she moved you to sit up and swing your legs carefully over the edge of the bed whilst being mindful of your injury. Once in position, Mapi clambered onto the bed and sat behind you, her arms coming up to wrap around your chest and hug you tightly. She had learnt once, from Ingrid, that pressure helped to ease anxiety, and if her assumptions were correct, that was the primary emotion screwing you up right now.
“There you go, I’m here. Take some breaths now, in and out, it is just me and you.” She kept her embrace tight, baring her weight behind it and rubbing up and down your upper arms in a repetitive, reassuring motion. “We need to slow down, cariño, slow down that breathing. I’ll do it with you, hm?”
For the next minute or so, Mapi took exaggerated breaths behind you in an attempt to ground you, and it worked. At some point along the way, one of your hands had dropped from your face to Mapi’s on your left arm, covering it in a silent gesture of gratitude in a moment where you couldn’t verbalise it. It didn’t take long at all for you to come back to the room, but neither of you moved and instead opted to stay still. This was comforting, it was easy, and it was familiar.
Even after five minutes had passed by, Mapi didn’t leave. Her next approach was to distract you from all that had happened, and luckily for her she was blessed with a skill that for the first time in her life actually came in handy. Mapi could talk forever, so that’s what she did. She spoke about what she’d gotten up to recently, the newest coffee shop that had opened near the training ground, and somehow she even started relaying memories from her childhood. She spoke about anything and everything, and it worked.
Finally, you had removed both hands from your face and the tears had finally dried up. You were leaning back against Mapi, head resting on her shoulder as she showed off the many tattoos that were scattered across her hands and up her arms. Your physical pain had taken a backseat for all the mental torment you were going through earlier, but now it was returning in full force. You didn't feel able to talk just yet though, so failed to bring it up.
“You feeling okay now?” Mapi hummed quietly, you nodding somewhat uncertainly a few moments later. She gave a tight-lipped smile and kissed your cheek, tucking her chin over your shoulder and delving the pair of you into silence. There wasn't much else to be said or done.
Not so long after, commotion could be heard down the corridor outside the door and it didn't take a genius to figure out who it was.
“-should be in there, helping her!” The door swung open, revealing a confused Alexia. “Mapi, what's going on?”
“Come in and close the door. Leave them out there for now.” Mapi said calmly, squeezing your hand after sensing you tense up a little.
Alexia did as asked - she closed the door and came over to the pair of you. Her eyes roved all over you, noticing the way Mapi is holding you and how your eyes are red and puffy. She reached a hand out to land comfortingly on your uninjured knee, her thumb stroking the skin there in concern.
“What happened, cariño?” She wondered quietly, frowning at the slight shake of the head you give her.
“I think she had some kind of meltdown or panic attack thing. None of the physios or doctors were helping, they were just stood watching and making her feel worse. I kicked them out and calmed her down, we're okay now.” Mapi explained simply, looking at you as you kept your eyes averted from the woman in front of you and instead fidgeted with your hands.
Alexia blew out sharply, cursing in Catalan under her breath. Mapi can sense she's about to go off on an outraged tangent, so the defender stops her with just a look. The captain deflated immediately, shaking herself out of her frustration and taking a calming deep breath before focusing back on you.
“I'm sorry. I tried to come off with you but they wouldn't let me. I am so sorry.” Alexia said softly, raising a hand to wipe away the lingering tear tracks on your cheek.
“You weren’t here when I needed you.” You mumbled, a deep-set frown on your face that filled Alexia with guilt.
The pair of them share a glance over your shoulder. The captain looks hurt, really hurt, and Mapi can’t quite blame her for that. They understood your discontent, but they didn’t know how deep it ran. They thought it was possibly somewhat misplaced, and your judgement was just a little clouded by the day’s events.
Except, it wasn't.
When you trust someone, and you hand your heart over to them, what may seem to be the slightest mistreatment can lead to the biggest blowouts.
After years and years of discrimination, prejudice, and hatred all directed at your whole being, it's hard to trust people. Hell, only eight months ago did you tell your colleagues about your true self after being a footballer for what, thirteen years? Other people's foul behaviour in the past was not your fault, yet it's only you left facing the repercussions. And the current situation was a perfect example of exactly what that meant for you.
“Cariño, I…” Alexia started, but she quickly trailed off. She didn’t know what to say, where to go from here. She hadn’t really found herself in this scenario before, she was always the first person you came to for comfort, and not only had you had found it from someone else, you were annoyed with her too.
Her hands pulled away from you like she'd been burnt, a notion not lost on you or Mapi.
“Ale really did try, I promise. Jona wouldn't let her sub off.” Mapi tried to tell you, but you stayed silent. She tried to suppress her sigh behind you, but you heard it. Loud and clear.
“You can leave if you want to, Mapi. Thank you for helping me, I really appreciate it.”
You didn't mean for it to sound so apathetic and ungrateful. But that's how it came out. You couldn't change it now.
Mapi instantly pulled away with nothing but a nod, squeezing your hand before getting up and leaving. She gave Alexia an uncertain glance as she walked past her, the taller woman just nodding at her before the defender left.
It meant the pair of you were left alone now. There was a hushed voice from behind the door, no doubt Mapi lecturing the doctors. That wasn't at the forefront of your mind now, in fact there wasn't really anything you could focus on apart from the way you were acting. You'd treated two of the people dearest to you in an unkind way, yet you couldn't stop.
“I don't get why you weren't here. I don't get how Mapi was the first one to come to me.” You stated, eyebrows raised up in an attempt to act unphased by everything that had gone on. The tremble to your hands and the quiver to your lower lip told Alexia exactly how you were feeling.
“I tried. I really did.” Still, she didn't know what to say.
“Not hard enough, Alexia.” You looked up at her in what you thought was a disappointed glare, but really it looked forced with layers upon layers of hurt behind it. The use of Alexia’s full name too shouldn't have hurt her as much as it did. “You're the captain. You can bend the rules and get away with it. I mean, if it was the other way around, I'd be there for you in a heartbeat no matter the consequences. So why wasn't it the same for me? I really needed you.”
Despite your best attempts, you couldn't fend off the frown or the tears that forced themselves upon you. Regardless of how you'd acted towards her, Alexia instantly forgave you for it all. She knew, in this second, you were overwhelmed and assigning your anger onto everything in the world because of what it had done to you today. She'd take all the blame if it gave you a release.
“I didn't want to let anyone down.” Alexia whispered, holding back her own emotions.
“Well, you let me down. In the end.”
The words just kept tumbling out of you uncontrollably. Of course you knew it wasn't Alexia's fault, she most likely would have been sanctioned after all, but that didn't stop the dam from breaking and unleashing waves of frustration onto everyone. All Alexia could do was nod and take it, and hope that once you had returned to your normal mindset, this would just be water under the bridge. And it would, you already knew you were being quite irrational, but you were too far gone to stop now.
Hastily, the midfielder blinked back the tears in her eyes and reached a hand out to put on your shoulder. That one gesture was what cracked your demeanour; you leaned forward then, resting your forehead against Alexia's stomach and, for the second time that day, letting the tears flow freely from your eyes. Her arms immediately wrapped around your back as she ducked down slightly to place a kiss on your head. She squeezed her own eyes shut, trying once more to keep her cries at bay so she could help you through your own emotions.
Only the sounds of your sniffling could be heard in the otherwise silent room, your tears dampening Alexia’s jersey as she doesn’t move a muscle so she can uphold your peace. Every so often she’ll run her hand up and down your back as a sign that she’s still with you in the moment, even if her words didn’t convey as such. She waits patiently for you to feel able again, knowing that your mental health is so much more important right now than whatever was going on with your leg. In the back of her mind she could guess the physical pain was still high, and the fact that you hadn’t mentioned it once since she walked in was enough cause for concern in itself.
“I want to go home.” You muttered tiredly some minutes later, leaning back to wipe your face with the inside of your shirt.
“I know. The doctors need to check you out first though, and I’ll be right here beside you. I won’t let them do anything you don’t want them to do.” She reassured you.
“But what can they do? Nothing right now. We already know it’s a torn hamstring, so let me get back to the hotel. I know it needs, what, ice and compression? We can sort that easily. I’m tired. And I don’t feel comfortable here. Please, Ale, I need to get out.” You pleaded, looking up at her with bloodshot, teary eyes that near enough split her heart in two.
She pursed her lips and nodded reluctantly, kissing your temple this time before whispering, “Let me see what I can do.”
—
Turns out, there wasn’t much she could do. The Barcelona staff wouldn’t let you leave without being looked over, so after a minor disagreement and some amendments being made to the staff who would do so, you finally gave in and let them do their job. Just as you expected though, they really didn’t do much but confirm your thoughts. Ice, compression, and rest, before getting scans for it done when you landed back in Spain.
They were hopeful that it wasn't a full tear and it wouldn't require surgery, but you weren't going to give that hope a home in your heart. Your expectations were the lowest of low, it was the only way to prevent yourself from getting hurt more. After all, it is the hope that kills you.
And now, as you lay on your hotel bed, completely and thoroughly exhausted by everything, you feel helpless. Alexia is going around the room and tidying, her attempt at gaining back control of just something because she feels helpless too, and you're just there watching her. Sleep keeps trying to take over you, but you refuse to let it happen, instead focusing on anything that doesn't involve succumbing to your exhaustion. Because, really, you just want your Ale. But she can't keep still.
“Amor, I can see your eyes drooping, please try to get some sleep.” She comes around to your side of the bed and leans down to kiss your cheek, looking at you both pointedly yet softly.
“Don't want to.” You shook your head, hearing her sigh. “Only if you come to bed.”
You're itching to comfort her - you were well aware of the emotional discourse you had caused earlier and were desperate to make up for it.
“You promise? You really need some rest.” You nodded, suppressing a yawn, and saw her smile before giving in.
She had already helped you through a somewhat disjointed night routine before setting you up in bed. There weren't really any comfortable ways for you to sleep tonight apart from on your back, which really wasn't too comfy at all. The compression sleeve was uncomfortably tight and the painkillers you'd taken hadn't really done a thing, nor had the ice earlier.
So, after quickly getting changed, Alexia slid under the covers and flicked the lights off with the switch by the bed, before moving onto her side and shuffling closer to you. From then on, the room was still and serene. It was the kind of quiet that was audible, it had weight to it that meant it could be felt in the way it settled in the bones of everyone experiencing it, and perhaps that was the catalyst for you. It wasn’t empty, no. Instead, the muffled hum of the world outside the window collided with the combined breaths of you both to make it feel a little too alive.
To you, the silence was stifling and alarming. For Alexia, she was none the wiser to the sensory torment that was making you feel inexplicably worse. Every essence of the day - your injury, the aftermath, the future, the silence, your guilt - was hammering down on you now. Just like earlier, there was no escape. No reprieve. This was your present, though it didn’t quite feel like a gift, and there was no stopping it.
There was enough of a gap between you and Alexia to allow the emotions to build. You could feel the warmth from her, but you felt separated by all the words that had gone unsaid by you. They lingered, taunting and menacing, as if you didn’t have enough on your plate already.
But you didn’t give your girlfriend the credit she deserved.
When your breaths became slightly stuttered, and your eyes clamped shut a hair too tightly, Alexia sensed it all.
“Cariño?” She whispered, gently cradling your cheek and turning your head towards her. “What's wrong?”
You tried to talk, you really did, but all that came out was yet more stuttered breaths and tears from your aching eyes. Withholding a saddened sigh, Alexia leaned forward to rest her forehead against yours. Her hand on your cheek wiped away any tears that fell and rubbed soothing circles on the wet skin.
“I'm s-sorry, Ale. I r-really a-am.” You raised a hand to cover your mouth in an attempt to muffle the cries on their way out, but Alexia only shook her head and carefully pulled it away.
“No, cariño, don't apologise. You don't need to say sorry for anything.” Her lips pressed kisses against your nose, cheeks, chin, the corner of your mouth and your temple. She didn't need you to apologise, all she needed was for you to know she would love you no matter the circumstances.
“But I was so, so horrible a-”
“Shh.” She cut you off gently, leaning your foreheads back together to calm you. Throughout all of this, she still managed to maintain the quietness of the room, somehow making it peaceful and serene like it should have been the first time around. “I understand. You do not need to be sorry, I know how you were feeling earlier and neither me nor Mapi are upset about what you were saying. Just shh, relax.”
You nodded and took in a deep, shuddery breath, clutching her forearm and doing your best to do as she said. Both of you let a few minutes pass by, giving you all the time in the world necessary to calm down, the close proximity and her comforting touch helping you to reach a stable state of mind.
“I just wanted you to know.” You told her in an insecure voice some time later. She smiled and tilted her head up to kiss your forehead once more, holding herself there for a couple seconds to emphasise her adoration. Then she went back to her previous position and looked into your eyes with care and love in her own.
“I do know, I promise.” She stated with such conviction that it didn't leave you with much else choice apart from trusting her wholeheartedly. “I wasn't nice to people around me when I first did my ACL. Mapi was there to see it all, I had to do a lot of grovelling afterwards. When I could move about properly again, she made me clean her whole apartment.”
At that, you let out a wet laugh, only to suppress another yawn afterwards. Alexia smiled even more, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.
“You won't make me do that, will you?” It was her turn to laugh now and the sound of it brings a genuine smile to your face.
“Never.” She hummed. “I know how it feels to get a bad injury and I will never blame you for being upset. I will be here for you every step of the way until you're back on the pitch again, we all will. You're allowed to feel angry, sad, frustrated with the world, or however else you're feeling. It is unfair, but we will get you back.”
“You're sure?” You mumbled a few moments later. With her eyes gazing into yours and her thumb stroking your cheekbone lightly, she nodded. Then, to confirm her affirmation, she leaned forwards that bit more to softly leave a kiss to your lips.
“I am certain.” She murmured when she pulled back, lips brushing against yours. “We will get you there. The team will take us to the final, and you will be walking out onto the grass in Lisbon with not only the club, but the fans behind you too. I swear it.”
Her words were all the motivation you needed.
They echoed around your mind as you tried to sleep that night, and throughout the whole of the next day. It was tough to cope with, this (albeit temporary) new normal, and you loathed the sympathetic looks on everybody’s faces as they watched you slowly hobble from place to place on crutches. The flight home was a whole other story; for the life of you, you couldn’t get comfy, and in the end you had to sit sideways in your seat to give you the space to rest your leg across the empty middle seat whilst your feet ended up in Alexia’s lap.
Alexia tried to keep her face composed, knowing the effect everyone else was having on you, but it tore her apart to see the down-trodden frown on your lips and the constant furrow to your brow that conveyed exactly how you were feeling. For the duration of the flight, her eyes hardly left you, constantly checking to see how you were doing without trying to be too overbearing. This wasn’t even the trickiest part of the day, yet it was already proving to be a tough mental challenge.
However, there was one silver lining that came to light. Possibly, it was the best outcome of them all. It wasn’t even Alexia’s injury, but she felt like crying upon hearing the news. Even when she walked you into your apartment later in the evening, there was still an overjoyed smile on her face as the sentence played over and over in her head.
“It’s only a grade two tear, meaning the rehabilitation process will be easier, especially considering you don’t need surgery.”
On the other hand, you weren’t so positive. No matter the result of the scan, you still had to deal with weeks off from the one constant thing that never failed you. Except, it had failed you this time, to the highest degree so far. It didn’t matter that your comeback might be sooner than you initially thought, time off was still time off. From now on, there would be physio sessions, lonely days in the gym, matches missed, and even with the hard work you would put in, you might still miss the possible Champion’s League final, should your team get there. There was no doubt in your mind that they would get there. To miss a game like that at the peak of your career would irrevocably ruin you in any and all aspects.
Yet, again, Alexia of all people understood this. And the moment that you fully broke down, was the time she understood you the most.
“What if I don’t come back? What if I don’t play the same as I did? There’s no guarantee for anything, Alexia, and I just-”
The anxieties poured out thick and fast, but the captain was there to catch all of them and secure each one in the back of her mind, for when you were ready to tackle each one. She was seated behind you on the sofa, the sky a midnight blue out the window and the only light in your home being the warm white of the lamp in the corner of the room. Her arms were tight around your torso, her chin hooked over your shoulder with her cheek pressing against yours. Each time another sob ripped through you, her hand would be there in an instant to swipe away each individual teardrop and the quiet reassurances in your ear never seemed to end.
Your emotions subsided eventually, but the strength and security of the blonde behind you never faltered. With your head resting back on her shoulder and your sniffles sounding through the room periodically, she was running through every problem and solution that could come about in the upcoming weeks. Not a single possibility scared her away. She would get you through rehab and to Lisbon if it killed her.
Doubting you and your will-power was something Alexia would never do. In reality, she thought most people underestimated you. There wasn’t a single worry in her mind that you would work harder than anyone to be back for that one match you had dreamed of all your career. And if the team didn’t get there, well… for Alexia, she had never had a bigger motivation than the one in her arms right now.
And when she thought you had exhausted yourself once your sniffles had stopped and your breathing was even again, she voiced all that was on her mind. Just like the night before, her words were everything you could ever need. It was hard to be discouraged about getting your life back on track when such a prominent figure, who had been in a worse situation than you in terms of injuries, was so certain that you were going to get through this blip.
“We will get you back, I’ll make sure of it.” She began in the quietest whisper she could manage, though when her mouth was right beside your ear it wasn’t hard to hear her. “I will not leave your side, min engel, not for one moment. You are the strongest person I know, I’ve told you that before, but it’s true. I thought I knew what it meant to be strong, but you show me a new meaning of it every day I’m with you. I didn’t expect to fall in love with you, but how could I not?” She smiled to herself, flashes of all her favourite memories from the past eight months passing through her mind. “You give me everything I ever dreamed of. Being your girlfriend is the greatest honour of my entire life. Jeg elsker deg, cariño. Siempre.”
You heard it all. You couldn’t ignore her.
“Since when did you know bits of Norwegian?” You asked her. She stiffened under you, feeling like she had been caught red handed. With a giggle, you sat up and turned the upper half of your body to face her, careful not to jolt your leg. When you looked at her, there was a pink tinge to her cheeks and a small, sheepish smile tugging at her lips. All it took was one teasing grin from you for her to groan and throw her head back against the sofa cushions in embarrassment.
“I thought you were asleep.” She mumbled from behind her hands that had covered her face, only for you to laugh at her more. “Stoooop.”
Pushing through the pain, you gently flipped to lie on your stomach and, once comfortable, rested your chin on her chest. You gazed up at her almost in awe; it hit you, sometimes, that her love for you ran so much deeper than you’d ever realise. It ran through her veins, it had seeped deep into her bones, and filled her from head to toe. What she showed you on a daily basis was so much more than you could have dreamed of, but if you asked Alexia, she’d say it was only the tip of the iceberg.
“Why did you want to say it when I was sleeping?” You wondered quietly. She took her hands away from her face and looked down at you, her arms moving to rest atop your back.
“I just thought the moment was right.” She shrugged, her sheepish smile from earlier replaced by a soft one.
“You meant all of it?” You asked in a barely intelligible voice.
“All of it. All of it and more, cariño.” The blonde replied with zero hesitation. “These upcoming weeks, we will just take it step by step, okay?”
“I know. It just worries me.” You sighed, dropping your forehead to her chest. “So much to do. So much I don’t know. I might get re-injured straight after. I don’t want to do it.”
“I understand.” Alexia murmured, ducking her chin down awkwardly to kiss the top of your head. “It will be worth it though. When you come back, you will fall in love with football all over again. You will find joy in the basic things, like just running or doing kick-ups. It changes your perspective on a lot of things. Sometimes these things come our way, no matter how much we don’t want them to, and they change us for the better. You will see.”
—
With this injury, you literally did have to take things step by step. The next day was a recovery day for the rest of the team, and you had to tag along so that you could meet with Jona and the staff about creating a provisional rehab plan for you. Week one was just rest. Nothing else. You were ordered to sit at home all day, waiting for Alexia to come home like a sad puppy. Honestly, that was probably the hardest part to get through.
You were an active person, not a day went by without you doing some kind of exercise or physical activity. Being stuck on the sofa or in bed twenty-four hours of the day was not appealing at all. Rather embarrassingly, when Alexia left for the first day of proper training since the Bayern game, you had watched her leave with tears in your eyes. She would only be gone for a few hours, but knowing your team was working hard for the second leg at the weekend was killing you.
What you didn’t know though, was that Alexia had already planned the week out for you.
Ten minutes after she had left on day one, Alba showed up with bags upon bags of stuff. Snacks, face masks, gifts, flowers, your favourite candle, the right equipment for her to give you a manicure, and more. It was hard for your thoughts to be clouded by negativity when the brunette was there to meet each millisecond of a frown with something to take your mind off of it. Whether that was with words or a hug or something else, by the time Alexia got home, you’d had a pretty good day. Upon stepping into your apartment, she dropped her kit bag and slipped off her shoes before joining two of her favourite people on the sofa to watch whatever movie was playing on the TV. Alba tried to push her away to shower, but the blonde just grinned before scooching closer to her sister and wrapping her arm tightly around her. The scene on display before you then was much more interesting than the film, the two bickering for what seemed like forever until Alba eventually had to leave.
On day two, Alba came to visit again, this time bringing her little dog and one of Eli’s home cooked meals for lunch. The day played out much the same as the one before it, but it was still just what you needed to get through this first rough week of recovery. When Alexia got home, her cheeks ached with the smile that grew after spotting you asleep on the sofa with the chihuahua in your arms. Alba rolled her eyes at the lovesick gaze her sister gave, only for Alexia to flick her forehead before carefully laying beside you and wrapping herself around your sleeping body. It took a matter of minutes for her to drift off, and she was less than pleased when she woke up to a plethora of… inappropriate drawings on her face whilst you were left untouched.
The rest of the week went pretty much the same way, until you’d finally gotten through it and, before you knew it, you were seated in the Johan watching the second round of the match-up that had taken you out in the first place. Fortunately for you, the team seemed hungry, and you were treated to a great game of the sport you loved. Even if you were a player for one of the clubs watching, it was thrilling to see both teams fight it out like they did. But ultimately, there was no stopping your blaugrana teammates that day. And Alexia, she seemed reinvigorated. In all the time you had been in Barcelona so far, the Bayern game was the best you’d seen her play so far. She was on another level, and as you clambered your way down to the locker room with your crutches to greet them all, you were swelling with pride.
You’re understandably a little slow when half your body weight relies on two metal sticks, so by the time you’re heading into the locker room, most of the team are already in there after making the rounds with the fans. The music is playing already, each of them buzzing after successfully making it one step closer to the final, but their faces light up even more at the sight of you. They hadn’t seen you in the week that you had been posted up in your flat, so they couldn’t help but cheer as you hobbled in.
“Ahí está!”
Jana smiled brightly at you, instantly walking over to hug you tightly. Others soon followed, and before you knew it, you found yourself at the centre of a group hug that was difficult to partake in when your arms were still hooked into your crutches. You laughed unabashedly at them all and their dramatics, greeting them one by one when they finally broke away. There were still some missing from the room, specifically the one person you were looking for, but you happily chatted along with them and joined in with their celebrations whilst you waited.
“Back to work next week, sí?” Aitana grinned as you sat down in Alexia’s cubby, nodding up at her with a smile. “We have missed you in training, really!”
“She’s right, Mapi has been getting too big for her boots this week. You need to come back and start humiliating her in practice again.” Keira rolled her eyes with a huff, Aitana laughing beside her.
“Tell her she should count her days.” You smirked, watching as that very woman strolled into the room with Alexia and Ingrid behind her.
The three of them came over to you straight away, all with beaming smiles on their faces. Alexia sat down beside you and quickly pecked your cheek, managing to do so without catching the attention of the team members that would mock her. Everyone knew about your relationship, but Alexia didn’t feel like showing her utterly soft side as she would get teased for eternity.
“You guys played really well today.” You told the three of them, Alexia smiling to herself as she untied her laces.
“Almost like it is our job, preciosa.” Mapi poked your shoulder, only to receive an elbow to her side from Ingrid.
“Take the compliment, María.” She said, sending the pair of them off into a playful argument.
It left you and Alexia somewhat alone, despite being in a room of at least twenty people, but some peace nevertheless. For a minute or two, you observed her silently, watching on as she took a moment of respite for herself after the game. Then, she turned to you, a content smile on her face.
“You okay?” She murmured, putting her hand over yours that rested against the bench.
“Mhm. What about you, player of the match?”
Alexia rolled her eyes at your affectionate teasing, chuckling quietly. You grinned and bumped your shoulder into hers, resting your head there afterwards.
“Did you enjoy the game?”
“Yes, I loved it. You played so well. Honestly, your best game this season.” You told her, and the blonde woman's smile only grew. She'd been told countless times over her career how good she was, but there was something about you telling her that was just that more meaningful.
“Sí, and you know why?” Mapi butted into the conversation, looking pointedly at Alexia.
“Mapi, no-”
“Ale made the whole pre-game speech about you.”
You heard a scoff from the woman in question as you sat back up and glanced at her. She had turned her head away slightly, cheeks bright red as Mapi laughed giddily at her reaction.
“Really?” You smiled sheepishly. Mapi decided to run off to the showers at that moment, leaving her friend to explain that one.
“Maybe.” Alexia grumbled, only for her grumpy facade to crack the second she turned back to look at you. “I did. I told the team from now on, in the Champion's League, we play for you. It wasn't about just you. It was about… other things too. But also you.”
“You are so cute, Ale.” You hummed, hearing her groan quietly and shake her head.
“I need to get a restraining order from that diablo.” She huffed. Then, she softened, turned back to you, and whispered, “I did play for you though today. Just for you.”
—
The second leg of the quarter final was luckily on a Saturday, meaning Alexia was freely yours for the Sunday afterwards that had been made a rest day. Thanks to the good amount of rest you (reluctantly) gave your leg, a week onwards it was feeling better than you expected. Alexia still demanded that you used the crutches and she didn’t leave much room for argument, but what you did fight for was the opportunity to actually leave the four walls of your flat properly. Not just for a game, but for actual human social interaction. She agreed, not without a seemingly endless list of do’s and don’ts, but nevertheless she agreed.
It ended up being exactly what you needed. You got back home early afternoon feeling rejuvenated and ready for the first week of rehab that was waiting for you in the Barça gym. Sure, it might have just been a breakfast date at that same spot with the same person as that day all those months ago, and just a sluggish walk around some of your favourite local areas, but it was perfect.
Despite the ache in your arms and the slight heightened pain in your leg, you lay on the sofa back at your flat with a warmth in your heart, for the first time that week. Alexia found it rather amusing when she walked back into the lounge area to find you smiling to yourself with your eyes shut. Your sofa was pretty small, so when you lay down arm to arm it didn’t leave much space for anyone else. As she didn’t want to disgruntle you, Alexia decided it was best to sit on the floor in front of you instead. She put on the first football game she could find on the TV and watched it whilst picking from the bowl of fruit she had brought in. However, as you dozed off behind her, she couldn’t stop herself from glancing back every so often. Why wouldn’t she take all the time she could to gaze at the person she adored most? It was an easy conclusion for her to come to.
She looked at you with the same eyes as you walked in front of her into the locker room the next day. Even as you both went separate ways after changing, she didn’t dare look away from you until you finally turned the corner, despite it making her a tad late onto the pitch. The dreamy look in her eyes faltered a little, making space for concern, when she met you at the end of the training day and there was a frown on your face.
“Still have to use this one stupid crutch.” You grumbled when you saw her questioning look as you approached her in the corridor. “And I hardly did anything today apart from listen and stretch and get poked and prodded.”
After only two sentences from yourself, the heart shape returned to her pupils as she nodded in sympathy and wrapped an arm around your shoulders.
“It’s only day one, engel. It will get better, I promise.” She whispered into your hairline, before leaving a kiss there. “Let’s go home and relax. My flat or yours?”
As it turned out, injury rehab was quite difficult. And slow, painfully slow. That first day was barely a drop in the ocean. Perhaps it was Alexia who was the naive one out of the two of you about this whole journey, but nobody could fault her, she just wanted the best for you. Once she took off her rose-tinted glasses, she could see that this was going to be so much more difficult than she initially thought.
The routine difference was hard for you to adjust to, and not only that, but the schedule you were given was susceptible to change at any moment. One second of work could alter every part of the month’s timetable. It was that structural rigidness that had you on edge at all seconds.
Your temper was inexplicably short, you were snappy and blunt almost all the time, and it was as if one minor thing could trigger a meltdown if it caught you at the wrong moment. You wanted to work hard, yes, but with so much unknown, it was difficult to keep your concentration on the one goal you had. Everything else was getting in the way - your emotions, fears, anxiety, frustration - there were too many distractions.
And whilst the mask came down around the majority of your teammates, it was Ingrid and Alexia that received the brunt of your uneasiness. Every time you thought things were getting better and you started actually feeling optimistic, something would come along and cruelly knock your confidence right back down.
As the days rolled on, you became more and more exhausted with it all. And that was not what you needed during rehab.
Keeping up a facade that wasn’t true, forcing a smile that wasn’t there, and feigning determination that was dissipating by the day was so mentally damning. You nearly made it to the end of the week unharmed. Nearly.
“Snuppa, are you awake?” A voice called from outside your bedroom, followed by the third knock so far.
It was the first morning that you were waking up alone since your injury nearly two weeks ago. Apparently, your drained and morose mind was taking full advantage of that.
“Okay, I’m going to come in now, alright?” Ingrid gave it another ten seconds before she opened the door after getting no response. What she walked in on wasn’t so unfamiliar.
You hadn’t gotten out of bed yet. Getting up and facing the day ahead just wasn’t something you wanted to do. Thankfully, this wasn’t the result of a meltdown, but rather months worth of exhaustion built up to burn you out completely.
“Hey.” Ingrid said quietly, coming to sit on the edge of the bed beside you. “What’s wrong?”
There were a million things you wanted to come out and say, but that wasn’t going to happen right now. Ingrid understood that.
“Do you think you’ll make it out of bed today?” You could answer non-verbally, with simple nods or a shake of your head, and here you just shrugged a shoulder. “Okay. I hear today is supposed to be a good day though, the physios think you can ditch the crutches altogether now.”
Oh. You’d forgotten about that.
“You know, it doesn’t matter what time you go in. If you’re up to it, you can go in whenever you want, I will sort it with the staff. But if not, that’s okay too. It’s good to have a break every so often.”
Maybe a compromise could work? Getting rid of the crutch would be a great step in the right direction. But a break also sounds good too.
“Whatever works best for you, snuppa, we can do.”
It was planned for Ingrid to meet you that morning and take you in anyway, but to be honest you hadn’t expected to do anything but stay in bed, under the guise of darkness and a blanket for the day. A way to protect yourself from the world and all it could do. However, her proposal did sound easier to manage than what was originally planned for the day.
“If it’s too much for you at any time, either me or Alexia will be there to take you home.” She smiled sympathetically down at you, her hand coming up to hold yours that rested on top of the covers. “We just need to work out what’s best for you today.”
That was easier said than done. You did make it out of bed a little while after that, but only to eat breakfast and feel a little more human. At some point, Ingrid had messaged the staff to let them know that neither one of you would be in on time, and that it was currently a work in progress to get in at all. She also sent a text to Alexia too, who had a full morning of meetings before training, but she still somehow managed to blow up Ingrid’s phone a second later.
Thankfully, you did manage to make it in. It was a challenge, of course it was, but you made it and that was a win in itself. And then the wins kept coming.
You were cleared to walk, cleared to start doing proper exercises and workouts in the gym unlike the boring borderline yoga you'd been doing all week, and the best of all, you were another step closer to being back on a football pitch. That was enough to restore the smile on your face.
Though, you were still quite burnt out, that couldn't go away with just a bit of good news, so Ingrid had helped you make a plan with the physios over the weekend. The team was due to play on Saturday afternoon, with a day off again for the Sunday after it. Due to it nearing the end of the season where the schedule got more and more packed with high tension games, there were more rest days given to ensure all players were kept healthy, physically and mentally. For you, that meant you could take the whole weekend off without needing to go in for rehab - instead, the staff had given you strengthening exercises to do at home in the hopes that you would be able to somewhat relax and recover before Monday. That was more than okay for you.
Something had caused training to run a bit later that day, so despite your mishap in the morning, you were finished before practice was. So, with your newly restored ability to walk again, you carefully made your way from physio to the pitch. This was the longest you had gone in two weeks without seeing Alexia, and no matter how silly it seemed, you had missed her.
It didn't take long for the blonde to spot you once you had reached the sidelines, sat on a cooler box watching them all, and her whole aura brightened immediately, as if seeing you with a smile was a weight off her shoulders. All day, she had been silently worried for you, guilty and devastated that she wasn't there in the morning. But now all that was gone, and her lovesick gaze had returned.
Ten minutes passed before the end was called and the second it did, Alexia was jogging over. She wiped her face with the bottom of her jersey as it was a hot April day, then looked at you with a proud smile.
“Hi, amor.” She beamed, her eyebrows flying up in pleasant surprise at how easy you managed to stand up, unassisted. She gazed at you for a few moments, before gently wrapping you up in a tight embrace.
“Hi, Ale.” You giggled into her shoulder, your arms linking around her neck.
“I am so proud of you.” She whispered before sweetly kissing your cheek. Then she pulled back, her hands raising from your back to your neck as she smiled down at you. “So proud. Of you getting to work this morning, of your hard work. Of everything. So proud.”
You blushed and sheepishly averted your eyes to your shoes, only for Alexia to push your chin back up with her thumbs.
“Yeah, I get it, you're proud.” You mumbled light-heartedly, watching as she chuckled and nodded.
“I am, would you like to hear me say it again? I am so pro-” You interrupted her by covering her mouth, preventing her from talking. However, she out-strengthed you, so she easily pulled your hand away and shook her head. “I'm proud, and I love you.”
Despite there still being some of your teammates and staff members around, she cupped your cheeks and kissed you fervently. All care flew out the window; she was overflowing with admiration, and she had to make sure you knew it. With the way her lips moved against yours and how her hands held you, it took barely a second for you to become aware of that.
It was a great day, in the end. And though you did need a weekend off like you were given, by the time Monday came around, you were more determined than ever.
—
From that day onwards, time flew by. Weirdly, a dream scenario occurred. You grew hyperfixated on the progress you were making. Your doctors and the people around you were always there to ensure that it remained a healthy hyperfixation, which it did. Although there were a few situations where others had to gently intervene or check in with you, for the most part you handled your circumstance perfectly.
You had eventually grown into a comfortable routine that you stuck to by the minute everyday. And with your happiness, came that of others. Alexia was honoured to have a front row seat to it all. Like she had predicted, you had rediscovered joy in the small things, and it was evident to her and the rest of the team when you were lacing your boots up for the first time in weeks whilst sat on the grass. The simple, awfully familiar act had caused a smile to show on your face.
Your teammates were watching from afar, whilst Alexia and Ingrid were stood beside your trainers and chatting with them about the day’s plan. Today was the day you would be running on the grass again. It was the end of April, and tomorrow, Barça were due to play the second leg of the semi-final against Real Madrid in the capital. Nobody had said it, but they were all thinking it: watching you achieve this milestone was a huge boost in motivation for them to secure a place in the final.
Multiple of them had their phones out to record the moment, and you tried to school the giant smile that was fast on its way to forming when you took your first step of your run. It felt fucking good. A simple bit of running had never given you so much euphoria. There were no aches, no pains, no twinges or discomfort, everything was the same as it used to be.
Once you had done your first lap of the pitch’s width, you went back to the physios with a shy grin. Ingrid gave Alexia a teasing nudge as the older woman had a certain gloss to her eyes, and she groaned under her breath before blinking suspiciously quick. The pair watched you conversate with the trainers before they gave you the all clear to get started on some basic running drills.
By then, your other teammates were ordered to start practice, whilst Ingrid and Alexia wormed their way out of it a bit longer so they could be there for you. To your surprise, you grew tired quite quickly, though you supposed over four weeks of no cardio would do that to you. Yet, your leg still had no issues. It would be a bit longer before you went back to proper training, but you would happily take this. Because for now, you felt on top of the world.
Ingrid and Alexia bid their goodbyes, hugging you and whispering their pride, before jogging away to get to work. On your way into the building for yet more physio, you had to pass the rest of the squad, and of course there was a certain Spaniard that was unable to keep her mouth closed.
“La reina de la reina is back!” She shouted, both arms in the air like a toddler. Your teammates cheered along with her, making it known just how happy they were for you. You laughed at their show of affection, pushing down the bubble of emotions it kicked off inside you. Nowadays, you were almost certain you belonged with them.
Later on, you travelled with them to Madrid, but not before they all congratulated you and made jovial jabs that had you laughing until your stomach ached. Ultimately though, the excitement of it all and the physical exertion had tired you out. Alexia was more than happy to let you sleep on her shoulder for the whole journey through Spain.
You weren’t even playing in the game the next day, but from the moment you stepped foot in the city, you were wracked with nerves. It wasn’t that you didn’t have faith in your team, it was that if for some reason they didn’t get to the final, it would feel like all your hard work was for nothing. Yes, you would be back playing football and it would be an incredible personal achievement, but… the thought kept you up that night. Alexia slept soundly beside you, not a worry in her mind about it, and yet you were so anxious that a deep feeling of nausea set in.
Travelling on the coach to the ground was the same; that anxiety was still there, and whilst the rest of the team was pretty relaxed about it considering they already had a two goal advantage, your good leg was bouncing up and down rapidly. The blonde captain beside you noticed it when she looked away from her phone and she frowned, knowing it was a common thing you did when you were stressed. Mapi and Ingrid were chattering away between themselves across the table from you, none the wiser thus far.
“Cariño, are you okay?” Alexia asked quietly, her hand landing on your knee and breaking you out of your anxious trance. You gave her a tight-lipped smile and nodded, gulping and looking away afterwards. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Just nervous about the game.” You replied with a nonchalant shrug, which caught the attention of the pair in front of you. Mapi cut Alexia off before she could speak.
“Hey, after the final, why don’t we all go on vacation together in Portugal? Ingrid and I went last summer, it was perfect.” She suggested, Ingrid immediately lighting up and nodding excitedly.
“It really was, we should go together.” The taller woman bursted off into a ramble about the place they stayed in, Mapi cutting in every so often. It helped to keep you distracted and Alexia agreed on behalf of you both, the three of them delving into details.
Despite all that, the second the coach stopped, it all came rushing back. Thankfully, you were going to be sitting on the bench for the game rather than in the stands, though there wasn’t really anything to make you feel better until the final whistle was blown.
If circumstances were different and you were playing, chances are you probably wouldn't even be half as nervous. As a player, you have a certain amount of control over the outcome. As a fan, there's nothing you can do except watch. And bite your nails, and bounce your leg, and the sorts. Being around the team would surely be better than alone with the fans, so hopefully that would put you somewhat at ease. Yet, even if Barça scored ten goals throughout the game, until that whistle blew, you'd still be on edge.
That being said, the best thing about playing for FC Barcelona is that they're pretty fucking good at their sport. Granted, like Mapi said, it was their job (and yours too of course), but that didn't stop you from being blown away by the talent each player holds.
Being on the field with them is one thing, watching them is another. It's an art form, their style of play, and being in your position on the bench with Irene on one side and Jana on the other, the three of you have your jaws stuck to the ground. The game was flawless on the team’s behalf; zero goals conceded, zero yellow cards, and three goals to go with the two from the last game. Watching Alexia Maradona turn herself out of the triangle of las blancas players she'd been caught in might have been the most attractive thing you had ever seen. The free kick she scored, just like the ones you had seen her do morning after morning, topped that skill move as soon as it went in.
Moreover, Cata’s triple save in the dying minutes of the game to save her clean sheet really was the cherry on the cake. The referee signalled the end of the game after that, Mapi having taken the ball to the corner flag to let the clock tick down, and you were near enough in tears.
You had made it. You were in the Champion's League final. And with the way you were progressing in rehab, it was looking more and more likely by the day that you would at least get some minutes in the biggest game of your career.
Vicky tugged you up out of your chair and pulled you onto the pitch, where the rest of your team were celebrating. Yes, you were in this team too. That display they'd just put on, you were part of it. The badge on their chests, you wore it too.
It wasn't a moment of impostor syndrome like it had been in the past. Here, it was a moment of gratitude, disbelief. This was your team, and you were in the final of the most prestigious tournament for club football.
The younger attacker at your side swung your hands between you both in utter elation as you jogged to the huddle of blaugrana in the centre of the field. You don't know who was where or what was going on, but without a care in the world, you ran up to them and jumped on the back of the first person you could reach. Looking down, you realised it was Esmee, so you hugged her tightly whilst still on her back before jumping down carefully greeting her properly.
For a little while, it was just a heap of bodies, laughing and cheering and dancing to whatever music rang through the stadium’s speakers. However, at some point, you ended up in the middle of the group. And with this team's record, it was only a matter of time.
“Hey, hey, put her down! She's still injured!” Alexia shouted as she ran over from her media duties to find you being thrown in the air by them all. “Dios mío, estáis como una cabra. No usáis el cerebro? Ojalá tuvierais tanto sentido común como talento!”
“Cálmate, capi! Look how happy she is!” Jana slung an arm around Alexia's shoulders as the pair stood back and observed the chaos ensuing. Alexia huffed and crossed her arms. “You really did play for her, huh? You did it for loooove.”
“Vete al carajo, nena.” Alexia grumbled, leaving her side but not without a quick kiss to her cheek. “Oye, basta! Ahora!”
With you laughing away, the girls finally put you back on the ground as Alexia shoved her way through to you. You were none the wiser to her demands, so the second you saw her, you smiled brightly and went to hug her. The smile was immediately wiped away and replaced with a puzzled frown when her hands clutched your shoulders and her eyes roved up and down your body.
“Did they hurt you? Is your leg okay?” She questioned with a disapproving stare and a flare to her nostrils.
“No, it was just a bit of fun, I-”
“Good. I would have killed them if they reinjured you.” She mumbled, now giving you the hug you wanted in the first place. The tension in her muscles evaporated in your hold, and it was then you knew she wasn't actually angry. “We are in the final, amor.”
“We're in the final.” You echoed in a whisper, pulling back to gaze up at her with a childlike grin that failed to conceal the excitement bursting through you. “We're in the final!”
“Sí, a la final, min engel! Your final!” She met your giddiness with an intensity of her own, taking your hands in hers and intertwining your fingers. You went to step back from her, only for the captain to pull you back in until your noses were touching. Discreetly, hidden by the team around you, she kissed the corner of your mouth, knowing you were mostly out of view of the fans. Then, she moved so that you were cheek to cheek, her lips beside your ear. “That trophy is yours already. And I can't wait to play football with you again.”
The bashful smile you rewarded her sentiment with was far better than any accolade or achievement Alexia could ever get.
—
Life got pretty busy from that day onwards, it was full steam ahead to get the tail end of the season completed. By the end of May, you were back in full team training, and when you had completed your first session, your cheeks ached from smiling. Of course, once it had finished, a number of your teammates decided the best way to celebrate it there and then was to uncap their bottles and spray you down with sports drinks like it was champagne. If anyone asked what the teardrops on your cheeks were from, at least you had an excuse to cover your unwanted expression of joy.
And when the month of May was done and over with, it was time for the last game of your first season in Spain. What a game it was.
Stepping out onto the vibrant green grass in Lisbon for MD-1 training at the stadium was a memory you would treasure forever. Sure, when you were actually playing in the final the next day, that might overshadow it, but nobody could take that first step away from you.
The plan for the game was that you would be subbed on at any fitting moment from the 60th minute onwards. You didn’t care that it wasn’t a full game, that was ample time to make your mark and stamp your name into the footballing history books. You’d make sure that would happen if it was the last thing you did.
Except, things don’t always go as planned.
Being 1-0 down at halftime was not how the team wanted it to play out.
Frustration was written on everybody’s faces as the locker room filled up, wondering how on earth it had gone wrong like it had. With the way the other team was playing, the game plan had to be reworked. And boy, was it.
It was decided that you would be substituted on at half-time instead. Was it risky? Probably. But the trainers were okay with it, Jona was happy with it, and you were delighted at the change of events. Perhaps you shouldn’t say that to anyone else, considering your team was a goal down, but there was no hiding it. Alexia took one glance at your face and knew you were about to hold the opposition accountable for the tragic mistake they had made. Retribution was to be had, not just against the other side, but you were about to kick off your revenge tour. There was a sense of danger about you when you entered the field, and rightly so.
Within minutes of the second half, Pina scored to equal the scoring. Aitana was there to collect the ball from the back of the net and bring it back to the centre circle to restart the game. It was a one-sided affair from there.
Barcelona Femení had inflicted damage upon most teams in Europe by now, they had a reputation. Nobody should count them out, put them down, and most of all, underestimate them. With you added to the team, a fatalistic striker that had a deadly right foot, there was no chance that that trophy wasn’t going your way.
A fair amount of pressure was all it took for the other team to crumble. Their legs were tiring as a result of the constant pressing they faced, and their defence was quickly falling apart. A sharp, direct through ball from Caro was everything you needed. One swift strike of the ball later, and the white squares of the net rippled in tandem with the blaugrana fans that decorated most of the stadium.
Every low of the last two months suddenly didn’t matter when you were running off to one corner of the pitch, every member of your team following behind you. All the difficulties, all the meltdowns, all the sleepless nights, they were worth it.
Since you had a headstart in the celebrations, you came to a stop just before your teammates did.
For a split second, it was just you. You and the pride and the relief that pulsed through you at what you had achieved. There were still a number of minutes left of the game, but that didn’t matter. Not once in your life had you ever felt elation like it, you’d bottle it up if you could. Bottle it up, label it, and put it on your living room shelf as a constant, ever-present reminder of your ability.
Oh wait, you could just use your medal instead.
That moment of awe and wonder was quickly interrupted by twenty screaming bodies crowding around you - the on-field players as well as the substitutes, the staff, and god knows who else.
At the heart of the huddle? Alexia and yourself, just like it was in Madrid.
The midfielder was speechless, there was a million things she wanted to say but not one came out. Instead, she simply looked at you with her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish, before you put her out of her misery and jumped into her arms. She caught you with ease, holding you tight to her as your head span on a swivel looking at the thousands of Barça fans all celebrating you.
Still in the arms of the woman you loved, Mapi grabbed your arm and shook you back and forth in admiration.
“Preciosa, qué coño?!” She bellowed, Alexia laughing as she gazed up at you.
The captain carefully lowered you to the ground, hoping to finally get a word in, when your best friend wrapped her long Scandinavian limbs around you and squealed directly in your ear.
“I am so proud of you, søster! I can’t believe it!” Ingrid stated in one long continuous squeal, squeezing you to death.
The celebrations carried on probably far longer than they should, but soon you were making your way back to your starting position with Alexia almost glued to your side. When it had all calmed down, some softer emotions settled. Before, it was intense with adrenaline running fast and high. Now, a quiet, content sense of pride and disbelief draped itself, without much commotion, over your heart like a warm blanket. It was such a raw and strong feeling that, rather inconveniently, it brought tears to your eyes.
“Cariño, are you crying?” Alexia asked in an ever so slightly teasing tone. You shoved her away lightly, smiling when she gave a giddy laugh. “Come on, the game isn’t done yet! We might not even win.”
“Alexia!”
Playing the rest of the game after such an emotional high was probably harder than rehab itself. Your legs were about as stable as jelly, and everytime you thought you’d finally willed the tears away, your eyesight glazed over again.
Evidently, the world was on your side today.
Hearing that whistle blow evoked that same bottled up feeling from before as you fell to your knees in relief. The word ‘surreal’ never felt more fitting than it did as you slumped over onto your back, the sky above you coloured with the pink and orange of Lisbon’s setting sun. Weirdly, there wasn’t much on your mind, it was more of a quiet hum that brought peace, like a distant radio or the pattering of rain against a window. The only thing that stood out to you was the fact you had accomplished the one thing that always seemed to escape you. But not anymore.
It was in this moment where you realised that this dream of yours was never just about achieving your end goal - it was about becoming the person with the strength to get there. This victory isn’t just about what you’ve gained, but who you’ve become. You’ve honoured your potential in a way you never could have imagined, and though the road to get here was long, dark, and uncomfortably bumpy, you were now able to reap the benefits of your determination that had certainly reached new heights.
There was a phrase you first heard when you were younger: ‘it took a village.’ Back then, you would scrunch your nose up at it, unsure what it meant or what on earth a village had to do with anything. However, now as an adult with a support system that was built on an indestructible foundation of love, you knew that it truly did take a village to thrive.
It was embedded in human nature since the first generation of life that having a shoulder to cry on and a soul to confide in, as well as people to laugh and share the joys with, were the most important thing anybody could need. Where you might have pushed that away in the past and claimed it wasn’t what you needed, there isn’t a better moment to acknowledge that without that, this moment simply would not have happened.
And when you raise the trophy, with a gold medal around your neck, confetti in your hair, and your newfound family around you, you stand firm in the assurance that you are capable of anything.
—
let me know what you think :) for now at least, this is the last idea i have for this world, if there is anything you wanna see in a story, let me know! i love this world and will never be able to leave it alone, so you are welcome to bombard me with any ideas, big or small. im very very very thankful for all the love this little universe has gotten so thank you for reading it, i couldn't have imagined it would go like this! but it's been one of my favourite things ive done and that is down to all the lovely people reading it. lotta love for you all <3
#woso x reader#alexia putellas x reader#alexia putellas#fcb femení x reader#fcb femení#mapi león#ingrid engen#woso fic#woso
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Celebration || Alessia Russo x pregnant!reader
Request | Masterlist | Prompt list
Summary Alessia reveals your pregnancy to the fans after doing a celebration
A/N please send in any requests for this universe 🫶🏻
-> Part of the new adventure universe
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
It had been three weeks since you told the team about the baby and you and Alessia had decided it was time to tell the media and fans.
You were still coming up with the perfect time and way to do it.
You’d thought of everything: A simple picture with a baby grow and the scan pictures, maybe just uploading a picture of the scan photos on instagram, or maybe just announcing it in an interview?
None of them felt right though, you both wanted something that you’d remember.
You and Alessia had been wracking your brains trying to think of a way but nothing came to mind.
It was at the point where you were tempted just to let the paps get a picture of your growing bump and let the rumours take fire.
But something happened before you could do that.
Arsenal were playing Bayern Munich at a sold out Emirates stadium.
You were sat with Alessia’s family in a private box, right in the corner of the pitch.
It had been a thrilling match, the score being 3-3 with ten minutes to go.
Bayern Munich desperately wanted to win against Arsenal again and Arsenal desperately wanted to show Bayern Munich that they just got lucky back in October.
You were deep in chat with Carol when you gazed at the pitch, hearing the crowd get louder.
Kyra had just played a perfect pass through to Alessia who had made a run with the ball.
Alessia was one on one with keeper now.
It was like slow motion as you watched the ball leave Alessia’s feet, curling around the keeper and into the bottom corner of the goal.
You jumped up, cheering your wife as she ran to get the ball.
What on earth was she doing?
You watched as she ran to the corner you were sat in, placing the ball underneath her shirt and putting her thumb in her mouth.
The crowd went wild when they realised what Alessia was doing.
You smiled at her, blowing her a kiss as she blew one back.
It was a perfect announcement.
After the match had ended, you made your way to the tunnel, congratulating the team on qualifying for the next round of the champions league.
“Hi, baby. Hi, bubba.” Less greeted, kissing you before kissing your small bump. “I hope you didn’t mind my celebration. I just figured it was perfect timing.”
“It was perfect, lessi.” You said, chasing her lips again for another kiss.
“I’m gonna dedicate every goal this season to you and our bubba.” Alessia told you and you smiled at her gratefully, kissing her cheek.
“We love you so much, less.”
“I love you both too.”
#woso#woso community#woso x reader#woso imagine#womens football#woso fanfics#alessia russo#alessia russo fluff#alessia russo imagine#alessia russo x reader
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Fouled Dreams | L. Oberdorf
pairings: lena oberdorf x dutch!reader (+ plays for bayern) / netherlands national team x reader / german national team x dutch!reader
warnings: netherlands losing. crying. swearing. changed some things about the match, but the result is the same. fouls. mentions of bruising and swelling.
author’s: been obsessed with her lately so just had to write something. writing about nations league losses have become my thing I fear :(
masterlist
•••••••
February, 2024
They'd know beforehand that this situation could happen, yet when both their teams lost in the semifinals, it was hard to grasp the reality that one needed to beat the other in order to go to the Olympics in Paris.
Herself and Lena had played plenty of times against each other, with both their respective clubs and national teams.
However, this felt different.
Their previous international meetings had merely been friendlies in preparations for other competitive events like the World Cup a year prior.
This was for a spot at the Olympics.
Y/N had been at the previous edition in Tokyo with the Dutch team, where they had stranded in the quarterfinals against the United States on penalties.
Lena had never played at the Olympic Games, something she greatly wanted to achieve with her German teammates.
Both teams also wanted to redeem themselves after disappointing World Cup exits.
There were many things at stake.
Of course, headlines and articles had been made about how the couple was going to go head-to-head in a very important match for both sides.
Prior to their arrivals at the stadium, they hadn't seen each other for a few weeks. Lena played for Wolfsburg, while Y/N was a striker for Bayern Munich.
Although, Lena's upcoming transfer to Bayern would assure they would only have to miss each other during international breaks.
The young footballers had gotten together about a year prior, all credit to Lynn, Dom and Jill who had played matchmakers.
The distance was difficult at first, but they eventually found a nice balance. It sounded cliche, but communication really is the key to a good relationship.
Y/N was strolling around the pitch with her teammates when the German team appeared in the tunnel.
She didn't notice her girlfriend at first, too occupied in a conversation with Andries and Sherida.
It was Lynn, who so ''sweetly'' screamed for her best friend to ''get her ass over here'' that got her to excuse herself from the discussion with her captain and coach.
''Echte uitslover jij, waar was je nou weer over aan het lullen met hen?'' (''You're a real teacher's pet, what were you bullshitting about this time with them?'') Lynn teased her as she approached her, Lena, Jule and Lea.
Y/N sarcastically smiled at her fellow Dutchwoman. ''Jouw dikke kop!'' (''Your big head!'') She retorted, with Lynn playfully giving her a shove afterwards.
Her eyes lit up once she spotted Lena. Despite the tension of the upcoming match, seeing her face brought a sense of comfort amidst the nerves.
''Hey, everyone.'' Y/N moved to embrace Lea and Jule first, their proximity making them the easiest targets for her initial greetings. She let out an awkward chuckle as she made eye contact with her girlfriend again, but went in for the hug as well.
''Missed you.'' Lena whispered softly, her arms wrapping around her partner's waist in a comforting hold.
''Missed you too.'' Y/N replied, her voice equally gentle.
Their embrace was brief, acutely aware of the prying eyes of the photographers stationed around the field. It wasn't that they were afraid of showing public displays of affection, it was more the discomfort that came with the knowledge that every moment captured on camera would be scrutinized and analyzed by the media and fans alike.
They were far from being a secret- their relationship was an open secret among their teammates and the wider football community. Yet, the constant surveillance felt suffocating at times. So, when they could help it, they kept the PDA to a minimum, opting for subtle gestures and fleeting touches that spoke volumes in their own right.
''My mum and dad are coming tonight.'' Y/N said to Lena, the pair quickly disassociated to their own small bubble.
The German grinned. ''Yeah? That's nice, haven't seen them in a while.'' She replied, her tone warm and genuine.
Y/N nodded, a sense of anticipation building within her at the thought of her parents' arrival. She had a good relationship with her family, they'd been supportive of her love of football from the moment she started and went to almost every game if they could.
''My mum did make a small sign for you, cause she thought you might get upset with her.'' She playfully rolled her eyes at the recalling of her mother sending her a picture of the small poster that said 'Go Lena!'.
Lena chuckled at the mention of her girlfriend's mother's thoughtful gesture, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. ''That's very sweet, I can't wait to see it in person.''
''She's probably gonna want to take a picture of you with it, so you're warned beforehand.'' Y/N laughed, knowing her mother wanted photos of everything and everyone.
''I'll be sure to smile extra wide for the camera then, like this.'' Lena pretended to grin very big, showing off her teeth.
Y/N burst into laughter at her exaggerated pose, her eyes crinkling with amusement. ''Perfect, Obi! Exactly what she wants for a heartwarming photo.'' She teased, mimicking Lena's antics.
''Hey, you two,'' Lynn interrupted their moment, the entire group staring at the couple, ''the loser sleeps on the couch or what?'' The Dutch defender laughed.
Her national teammate mockingly rolled her eyes. ''Lynno, we don't even live in the same place. Idioot dat je bent.'' (''Idiot you are.'') Y/N responded.
Lynn chuckled in response, waving off her friend's playful insult with a dismissive gesture. ''Details, details,'' she replied, a mischievous twinkle in her eye, ''just make sure you've got that couch ready, wherever it may be.''
''I'm sure she has chosen a nice place.'' Lena retorted, chiming in on the banter.
Y/N's mouth gaped dramatically, and her eyes widened, exaggerating her reaction to the playful exchange. ''Actually, since you like breaking ankles, you can just sleep on the floor.''
Lena raised an eyebrow in mock surprise at her girlfriend's response, which drew another round of laughter from the group. ''Oh, I see how it is,'' she teased, ''floor it is, then. I'll bring my sleeping bag.'' She accepted.
She threw her arm around Lena at the feigned sadness over having to bring a sleeping bag, her pout being too cute to not fawn over.
It was a nice moment to have with the group, temporarily forgetting an important match would have to be played a few hours later.
There was a mixed atmosphere in the tunnel as both teams started gathering in a line, familiarizing themselves with their small mascots, who were all looking up at the players with wide-eyed excitement.
The Netherlands' usual captain, Sherida Spitse, had been forced to withdraw from the starting lineup due to a last-minute injury sustained during the warm-up. In her absence, Y/N found herself unexpectedly thrust into the role of captain for the crucial match.
As she entered the tunnel, the weight of the captain's armband felt both familiar and foreign at the same time. While she had stepped into the role of captain before, it had always been in moments of crisis, when Sherida was substituted during a match and Y/N was hastily given the band by one of their teammates.
It was not only a great moment for her, it would be one for her family as well. Though they weren't particularly patriotic, knowing that their daughter had been chosen by the entire Dutch team to lead them out for such an important match filled them with a sense of pride and honor.
Her usual spot in the line would be at the back, next to Lena. It had become almost routine for them to have a small chat before their matches, even when they were with Bayern and Wolfsburg, they were always the last players to enter the stadium.
Y/N held the pennant in her hands tight as she approached her girlfriend, careful to not make a big deal out of it since they were already filming the players as they waited for the officials to walk out.
A small pat on her arm was enough to grab Lena's attention, the German turning her head before a small, but nervous, smile broke out on her face once she noticed who it was.
''Hey, Captain.'' She grinned, her eyes briefly glancing towards where the armband was comfortably wrapped around her partner's bicep.
Y/N smirked once she noticed, but didn't say anything about it. ''Hi,'' she softly said, ''good match, alright? And please, don't break my ankles.'' She teased.
''No promises.'' Lena chuckled, playfully raising her eyebrow.
They shared a final glance before the striker made her way to the front of the line-up, only to be stopped by Dominique. ''Ze gaat sowieso je enkel breken.'' (''No doubt she's going to break your ankle.'') The Dutch defender said, a mischievous look in her eyes.
''Ik weet het.'' (''I know.'') Y/N sighed.
''Dom was right.'' The captain muttered under her breath as she was yet again taking to the ground by one of the German defenders.
It hadn't even been close to half-time yet and the Bayern Munich player had been assaulted from all sides. Funny enough, none of the challenges had been made by Lena- so far at least.
Danielle helped her get up from the ground, quickly checking in. ''I'm fine, Daan.'' Y/N reassured the older player, wiping her knees clean.
The first half proved to be eventful, yet no goals had been made by either side. The goalkeepers were making amazing saves, but both teams had also missed serious chances at scoring the opening goal.
Despite being deployed in Sherida's position as a defensive midfielder, Y/N managed to make an impact in the attacking third. She found herself with two golden opportunities to break the deadlock, however, luck was not on her side as both strikes rattled off the woodwork, denying her the chance to put her team ahead.
The opening minute of the second half was marked by a somewhat surprising moment:
Lena fouled Y/N.
The referee blew the whistle, signaling the late challenge made by the midfielder. Y/N, with a dramatic flair, collapsed to the ground, clutching her leg in feigned agony.
Recognizing the playful nature of the moment, Lena quickly understood that she was only hamming it up for the sake of a breather for her teammates and to ruin the Germans' momentum. However, she still bent down beside her girlfriend.
''You shouldn't go into acting anytime soon.'' Lena chuckled, briefly letting her hand caress over the part that 'allegedly' hurt so bad.
The captain let out a small smile. ''That's mean, you should get a yellow card for descent.''
The midfielder's eyes sparked with amusement as she helped her back up to her feet. ''Maybe later.'' She quipped, playfully nudging her girlfriend's shoulder before they resumed their positions on the field.
It didn't take too long for the fun to be over as Klara put in the first goal of the night, which had been assisted by Lena. About 10 minutes later, another Bayern teammate put one in the back of the net as Lea also got herself on the scoresheet.
As the game wore on, Y/N became increasingly determined to make a difference on the field. However, despite her best efforts, none of her attempts seemed to find the back of the net. Her teammates were not clinical enough, or the shots were deflected by the German defenders.
The more attacks she created, the more aggressive the fouls of the German grew on her.
They seemed determined to shut down Y/N's advances by any means necessary, resorting to increasingly rough challenges to disrupt her rhythm.
She managed to keep the ball from Nüsken, and send a pass to Esmee when a German player made a reckless tackle from behind, catching her off guard. The force of the challenge sent her crashing to the ground, a sharp pain shooting through her ankle.
A wave of concern washed over the stadium and the Dutch team as they watched their most vital player of the evening being abruptly taken out by Giulia.
People close to her rushed to her side, including Giulia who didn't have the intention to actually hurt her Bayern teammate. The referee swiftly intervened, issuing a yellow card.
''Shit, I'm sorry- didn't time it well.'' The midfielder apologized immediately, knowing right away it wasn't a great or necessary challenge.
Y/N made a gesture with her hand, which translated to ''it's okay, just give me space now,'' which Giulia understood, the pair having a great relationship at Bayern.
Lynn was the first of her teammates to reach her, shouting profanities at Giulia and the referee for letting the fouls on her best friend get to the point where she needed the medical team.
''Alles goed, meid?'' (''Everything okay, girlie?'') The Wolfsburg defender asked, concern etched on her face.
''Ik denk dat me enkel er elk moment gaat afvallen.'' (''I think my ankle is going to fall off at any moment.'') She sarcastically replied, rolling her eyes.
Lynn chuckled at her friend's attempt at humor, though the worry still lingered in her eyes. ''Ik hoop van niet, we hebben die nog nodig.'' (''I hope it doesn't, we still need it.'').
Meanwhile, the medical team arrived, quickly assessing Y/N's ankle to determine the extent of the injury. The other players quickly backed off so the staff could work in peace.
Lena noticed her club teammate's concerned expression and approached her quietly. ''How's she doing?'' She asked softly, her eyes flickering toward Y/N, whose ankle was covered in bruises.
Lynn sighed, her hand smoothing down her hair. ''I think she's trying to make it out as if she isn't bothered by it, but it's obvious it hurts- look at it, completely blue.'' The Dutchwoman motioned towards where one of the physios was icing her foot.
The midfielder nodded. ''I hope it's nothing too serious.'' She observed the way her partner was hissing at the way the staff was assessing her ankle, visibly agitated by the pain. She wished she could do more to help, but all she could do for now was offer her support from the sidelines.
The Dutch team held their breath as Y/N gingerly tested her weight on her injured ankle, her expression a mix of determination and discomfort. Every eye on the sideline was fixed on her, silently praying that she would be able to continue.
''As soon as the match is done, you're coming with us to the medical room. I'm surprised you can walk still.'' Their physiotherapist ordered her, glancing down at her iced and taped up ankle.
Andries sent her a thumbs up, asking if she was okay to continue. However, Y/N knew they had used up all their substitutes so there would be no use in forfeiting the game, so she confirmed with a nod that she would carry on.
She could walk on her own to the side of the pitch, though there was a limp in her step. The striker carefully jogged onto the grass as the referee gave her permission to join the match again.
A few tense minutes later, the shrill sound of the referee's whistle pierced the air, signaling the end of the match.
Amidst the disappointment of the Dutch team, the German players erupted into jubilant celebrations. They hugged each other tightly, their faces beaming with joy and relief as they reveled in their hard-earned victory.
The Oranje Leeuwinnen on the pitch dejectedly gave each other hugs and consolations, most with tears in their eyes.
Y/N had lowered herself onto the ice-cold grass, the throbbing pain in her ankle too much to bear. She winced as she cautiously propped herself up against the turf.
She suddenly felt two pairs of arms slip beneath hers, lifting her gently off the ground. Startled, she looked up to see Esmee and Kerstin, their expressions filled with concern as they looked at their captain.
''Kom op, meid,'' (''Come on, girl,') Kerstin gently said, ''je was echt een beest op dat middenveld.'' (''You really were a beast in the midfield.'') The Manchester City player chuckled, trying to lighten up the somber mood.
Esmee nodded in agreement, her grip firm yet gentle as she supported Y/N's weight. The two youngsters guided her towards the waiting medical staff, who had been watching the scene unfold from the sidelines.
Some of their teammates and staff patted their heads and ruffled their hair as they walked across the pitch, offering words of sweet nothingness.
With a reassuring nod from the physiotherapist, Esmee and Kerstin carefully lowered her onto the stretcher, ensuring she was comfortable before the medical team began to carry her inside the stadium for further examination.
The injured player could hear the applause from the bystanders, but it wasn't much solace as the pain and disappointment hit her like a truck. Unable to hold back her emotions any longer, Y/N felt a sob escape her lips, the sound muffled by her hands as she covered her face.
The staff of the Dutch team carrying the stretcher watched with downcast eyes, feeling for the young player who had literally given her body and soul this match.
After what seemed like an eternity of navigating the labyrinthine corridors of the stadium, they finally reached the treatment room. With practiced efficiency, they set to work assessing Y/N's injury, carefully removing her shoe and sock to examine her blue ankle.
As the physiotherapists administered treatment, taping up her ankle and applying ice packs to reduce the swelling, the striker remained silent, lost in her thoughts and emotions.
Once her ankle was securely taped and she was given the green light to proceed, Y/N wasted no time in making her way back to the pitch. The pain was barely noticeable anymore as she walked with quickness in her strides, simply wanting to be with her team.
Surprisingly, the German and Dutch players were still exchanging handshakes with one another, acknowledging each other's efforts or catching up with teammates.
The Dutch captain delicately walked onto the pitch again going for the officials who stood in the center of the big field. On her way there, she shook hands or gave hugs with either her national teammates or club teammates, each of them praising her performance of the night- though the striker didn't feel deserving of it.
With a firm handshake and a nod of acknowledgment, she greeted the officials. One of them had asked about her injury, but the player assured her that she was alright. With a suppressed smile, she turned away from them.
''Y/N…'' She heard a voice next to her, immediately recognizing whose it was.
The Dutch striker tried to beam the best she could, a strained grin plastered on her face. ''Hey.''
Lena hesitantly motioned for a hug, not confident in how to handle the situation. Her girlfriend nodded, opening her arms, and welcoming each other in an embrace in the center of the pitch.
''I know it doesn't look like I am, but I am very happy for you and the girls.'' Y/N mumbled into Lena's neck, her voice thick with emotion as she fought to hold back her tears.
The German midfielder brushed her fingers gently through her hair, a soft sigh escaping her lips. ''Danke,'' (''Thank you,'') she whispered in response, her voice quiet but filled with gratitude. ''I know you're happy for us, you don't need to say it.''
Their embrace lingered for a moment longer, each reluctant to let go. But eventually, they pulled back, their eyes meeting in a silent exchange.
''How's your ankle?'' Lena asked, discreetly peeking at her girlfriend's taped up ankle.
The Dutchwoman shrugged her shoulders. ''It's just very bruised, that's it,'' she dismissed, ''you played really well- nice assist, by the way.'' Y/N changed the subject, not wanting to linger on the topic of her physical well-being.
Lena's cheeks flushed at the compliment. ''Thank you. I meant to score, though.''
The German glanced around the stadium, scanning the crowd. ''Where are your parents sitting?'' She asked.
Y/N pointed towards a section of the stands where her parents were seated, their faces alight with pride and excitement as they waved to them from the crowd. The couple happily waved back at them, Lena lightly chuckling at the poster that her girlfriend's father hastily pulled out of his wife's bag, motioning it around for Lena to see.
''They're so sweet.'' She remarked, her voice filled with affection as she glanced back at Y/N. But as Lena turned her gaze back to her girlfriend, she noticed a sudden shift in her demeanor.
As Y/N watched her family in the stands, a flood of emotions washed over her. She felt a lump form in her throat as she took in the sight of them, their smiles radiating nothing but support for their daughter and her national team. However, it was once she glanced down at the fans around them, downed in orange decorations and clothing, that her true feelings about the outcome of the match came to the surface. The sea of orange seemed to mock her, a painful reminder of the missed opportunities and shattered dreams that had taken place tonight.
The team had fought tooth and nail to simply make it out of the group stages, the late drama at the match against Belgium had filled the squad with newfound confidence and resilience. They'd come so close to their ticket to the Olympics, it was practically in their hands before it had been taken away from them and ripped in millions of pieces.
She couldn't help but feel a sense of profound loss. The weight of the defeat lied heavily on her, feeling somewhat the most responsible for the defeat, as if she had been the only player on her team. Deep down, Y/N knew this was far from the truth- football was a team effort, and their loss was a collective outcome. But the pressure she had felt was immense, spurred on by the absence of key players like Jill, Victoria, and Vivianne.
In the eyes of the Dutch media, Y/N had been hailed as the team's ''saving angel,'' a title that now felt like a heavy burden on her shoulders. She had been the one to step up in critical moments, delivering crucial assists and last-minute goals that had propelled the Netherlands to victory in the past. But tonight, she couldn't replicate that success- something she feared she would be crucified for by the fans and pundits.
Lena's heart ached at the sight of her girlfriend's distress, the lines of worry etched into her brow as she struggled to maintain her composure.
With a gentle touch, she reached out to Y/N, her fingers lightly brushing against her arm as she offered silent support. Lena understood right away what she was thinking as she watched her observe the crowd, it's what she had felt at the World Cup, it's what she had felt when Wolfsburg were knocked out of the Champions League.
Utter and complete disappointment.
''Hey,'' Lena murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as she sought to break through the walls of self-doubt that surrounded Y/N, ''it's okay, you did well.'' She comforted as she pulled her into another embrace, her arms caressing the Dutchwoman's back.
Y/N buried her face against Lena's shoulder, her tears soaking into the fabric of her jersey as she clung to her girlfriend's warmth. ''I wanted it so badly,'' she admitted, ''and I played so fucking bad, missed so many sitters.''
It was frustrating for Lena to hear, especially since her partner was easily one of the best players on the field tonight, and was the sole reason the Netherlands were still in the game the entire match. ''Do you know how hard you made it for us? You kept taking the ball from me.'' She tried to convince her, her voice resolute.
Y/N sniffled, her breath hitching as she struggled to hold back her tears. ''But I could have- I should have done so much better.'' She lamented, her voice muffled against Lena's shoulder.
Lena pulled back slightly, cupping Y/N's face in her hands so she could look into her eyes. ''You did everything you could,'' the midfielder reassured her, her gaze unwavering, ''you were playing out of your position the entire time, you were constantly creating chances for yourself and for your teammates, you were my player of the match- and I'm not just saying that,'' she interrupted herself before her girlfriend could, ''you're a phenomenal player, and I was so proud watching you tonight.''
Y/N's eyes widened with surprise and disbelief at Lena's words. She had been so consumed by her own self-criticism that she hadn't realized how much her partner valued and appreciated her efforts on the field.
She wrapped her arms around her, giving a swift peck on the cheek. ''Love you.''
''Love you too.'' Lena reciprocated, landing a kiss on her girlfriend's cheek as well.
The Dutchwoman glanced to her side, seeing the German team starting to form a huddle with one another. ''Obi,'' she caught Lena's attention, signaling towards her teammates, ''go and celebrate, we'll talk tomorrow, alright?''
As Lena hesitated, Y/N gave her an encouraging smile. ''Seriously, go join them, you're going to Olympics, have fun with them. I'm gonna be mad if you don't.''
''Okay, but we face time tomorrow?'' The young midfielder asked, needing the reassurance.
Y/N chuckled softly, touched by her partner's concern. ''We will. Now go, and party- oh my God.''
With a final nod of understanding, Lena gave her girlfriend's hand a gentle squeeze before reluctantly turning to join the German team in their huddle.
As Y/N watched her disappear into the celebratory chaos, a bittersweet smile touched her lips. She could see her own team waiting for her, already standing in a circle.
She took the spot next to her best friend, as Lynn made space for her to join.
A slight grimace crossed her face as the entire team listened to Andries, prompting the defender next to her to furrow her eyebrows. ''Je enkel?'' (''Your ankle?'') She asked.
With a wry smile, Y/N shook her head. ''Nee, de rugpijn die ik ga hebben na het slapen op de grond.'' (''No, the back pain I'll be having after sleeping on the floor.'') She responded, a teasing smirk on her face.
lena requests are always welcome!
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Champion
Alessia Russo x Reader
Summary: You're riding a high and make sure to keep it going
The minutes on the clock were ticking down and you shifted on your feet.
Everything depended on this match and with Bayern Munich only up by one goal, it was up to you to make sure it stayed that way.
You hadn't had much to do during the first half but, after an early goal from Georgia in the second half, Lyon had begun to put on the pressure. You knew that you had certainly lucked out with your Champions League fixtures this year, with Lyon knocking out Barcelona in their semifinal match so you didn't have to go up against Bonmati, Guijarro and Putellas (who all frankly scared you to pieces) but by no means, was this final an easy match.
Twelve minutes of extra time had been added after Pernille went down with a calf injury halfway through the current half.
Your heart pounded as you watched a quick one-two from Van De Donk to Horan, who immediately began to sprint up the wing. You readied yourself in your box as there was a quick pass to Hegerberg, who slipped between your defenders and took a shot.
You grabbed it from the air, the power from the kick almost taking the breath out of you.
"Come on!" You yelled out your joy," Come on! Try me! I dare you!"
The Munich supporters went wild at your save and you spared a look up at the big screen that showed the friends and family box. Your parents were going wild but your focus was on your girlfriend.
Alessia was jumping up and down, screaming in joy. She looked absolutely stunning in your keeper kit and you had to tear your eyes away from her to roll the ball to Magda.
Your high from the save didn't last long when, seconds before extra time ended Lyon was awarded a penalty after Tuva took down someone in the box.
Hegerberg came to take it, looking at you with eyes that promised that she wouldn't miss like last time.
Your throat bobbed for a moment before you took your position on your line.
You knew that match was over the moment the ball left her foot. You couldn't explain how or why you knew, you just did.
The ball soared towards the top left corner and you leapt for it, stretching up before your glove curled around it and came to secure it to your chest.
The stadium erupted into cheers as you celebrated, running from your goal with the ball before booting it clear across the pitch.
You felt Georgia at your back, crashing into you before getting dog-piled by everyone.
It took a while to be released but, when you did, you didn't wait around to celebrate more. You passed Georgia, who had slipped onto the bench and pressed something very familiar into your hand, and headed with a single-minded purpose to the stands.
Fans called your name but you did nothing but give them smiles and waves before you finally came to a stop in front of your favourite fan.
Alessia smiled at you, cupping your tear-stained cheeks as emotions overwhelmed your body. "Hi, baby. That was a good game."
You nodded mutely before tugging off your gloves, throwing them aimlessly into the crowd before wrapping your arms around Lessi's waist and pulling her onto the pitch.
You both fell back at the action, lying on the pitch before bursting into laughter.
The fans screamed when you kissed, remaining where you had fallen with no concern in the world.
"My baby," She said fondly as she pressed another kiss to your lips," Best keeper in the Champions League. Congrats on your clean sheet."
You laughed, riding your high of adrenaline with pride. "What can I say?" You teased," Safest hands in the league too."
"You're silly," She said when you finally rose to your feet.
Celebrations were still going on around you as the officials rushed to set up the stage for the medal ceremony but nothing could quite compare to the woman in front of you.
"I'm very silly," You agreed," But you love me for it?"
"I love you for everything you do." Alessia grinned at you.
"Then I hope you'll love me for what I'm about to do now." You dropped down onto your knee and revealed the ring box Georgia had pressed into your hand earlier. "Alessia, I may have just won the Champions League but there's only one thing I want right now. Make me be the happiest person here...Marry me?"
Alessia didn't even reply to you. She grabbed you by the front of your jersey and tugged you towards her, crashing your lips together and resting your foreheads against each other.
"Was that a yes?" You laughed even as you slowly slid the ring onto her finger.
Her hand dipped into her pocket and pulled out her own ring box. "What do you think?"
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Silly Jealousy - Lamine Yamal
¡ request are open !
pairing: Lamine Yamal x fem!reader
summary: Lamine feels very jealous of a player after seeing how you talk to him, and when he tells you who he is, you can't contain your laughter.
warnings: use of the translator, jealousy, a bit of insecurity, and a suggestive joke at the end.
a/n: i really like to see Lamine and Musiala together, so why not make something of the two of them💖
From the beginning of the relationship, Lamine had been very clear about your great fanaticism for your favorite team, Bayern Munich. Your fanaticism extended throughout the team, but it was more focused on one player in particular, the great Jamal Musiala.
By the time you started dating as a couple, you had told him a few things about him, and Lamine could feel your excitement welling up in your body every time you talked about his plays, his movements on the court, and how he managed to dodge everyone so easily, he thought it was nice; he felt he could have someone to talk to a little football with besides his teammates, of course.
The problems began when the new champions league season was announced. With this new format, it was a little more difficult for you to watch the games of a favorite team you had (besides Bayern). but when all the clashes came to light, you couldn't feel more excited when you read 'Bayern Munich vs Fc Barcelona' on Bayern's Instagram. When Lamine came home from training that day you practically bombarded him with multiple questions, to which he only said 'I don't know honey' 'we'll see that day' or the old reliable 'I agree with you, love'.
Your emotions for the match were running high until the day these two teams were going to face each other. That day you were planning everything for the time of the game; your chosen clothes the night before were spread out on the bed, and you were taking the longest shower of your life so far. Your hair, clothes, and makeup should look perfect, although at the game you would probably look like a crazy crazy person after screaming and cheering for your boyfriend, or your favorite team.
the night before you entered into a debate, since you did not know what to use; you had different scarves and sweaters from the two teams in question on your bed. If you wore your boyfriend's jersey, you felt like a traitor who switches sides, but if you wore your team's jersey, you'd feel like a bad girlfriend for not supporting your boyfriend on the day of his game.
In the end, you decided to wear your team's jersey, and wear a big scarf with your boyfriend's name and face on it, so as not to look like a traitor on both sides.
when they arrived at the stadium with Lamine's family, they looked for their seats to get comfortable, their relationship was public, so when they saw the girlfriend of the young Barcelona star wearing a shirt of the rival team, they stared at you a little more than usual. You didn't take it too seriously, and you settled down to wait for the game to start.
During the first minutes of the match there were several scoring chances; A goal disallowed by Bayern, and their typical chances near the area, but nothing direct.
as the minutes went by, your hope of seeing goals from your team vanished, and it was replaced by the 4 goals of Lamine's team. Your excitement dissipated a bit the moment the match was over, your emotions went down a bit, but seeing the different Bayern players on the pitch, you couldn't help but call your boyfriend to do you a favor.
"Lamine, love, this way!" you called out to him from the stands while raising your hands to get his attention.
What you didn't know is that you had managed to capture his attention since he saw you sit in the stands with his family; that damn t-shirt with the name 'Jamal Musiala' on your back. He thought you'd wear his typical jersey with the big number 19, but no, there you were; wearing the damn jersey of another team and another player.
Lamine's jealousy kicked in instantly, and despite being focused on the game, he couldn't stop looking at you in the stands, as smiling and nervous as ever, but when his gaze travels to the shirt you're wearing, his mind is only filled with jealousy.
Despite all these thoughts running through his head, he forces a smile and walks towards you "you were amazing love!" you said with a big smile that overflowed with pride for him, although in your eyes you could see a little sadness for your team's defeat "thank you babe, although i see that you were supporting someone else" he says referring to your shirt. You laugh, waiting for him to laugh with you, but he just looks at you with those eyes and cocks a smile.
ok, that wasn't the reaction you expected. your face denoted confusion, but when you felt Keyne pull your shirt to make you pay attention to him, you tried to make the best smile in the world, even with your thoughts hovering in your mind. The plan to ask Lamine to bring him a shirt to sign the opposing team was totally out of the question, so you decided to do it yourself.
you waited patiently, while playing with Lamine's little brother, and seeing that the Bayern players were starting to come out, you looked for your shirt so that it would be ready at the time of signing. being on the side of the Barcelona fans, you attracted attention since you were near the exit corridor, so several stopped to sign your shirt; Muller, Kimmich, Neur and Davies were just some of the many signatures you had so far, you were only missing the most important, for you.
Musiala was greeting Lamine, he had seen you and you had seen him, but Lamine noticed your look, he knows how much of a fan you are of Musiala, and he had always felt this little bit of jealousy inside him, but this time that little bit became something big, bigger than he wanted and could bear.
Seeing you so excited and happy asking for a signature and chatting a little with player 42, made his eyes roll and he murmured something indecipherable even to him. He loved to see you happy, but not with another player that he knew they were a big, big fan, he wanted your attention to be just for him, to just scream and cheer for him, and he hated not being able to control that.
Lamine seeing that you finally put the Bayern player aside, went to the dressing room to change and celebrate this victory with his team, but something in his mouth felt bitter, and the emotion was not reflected in his eyes. his companions noticed this, and did not hesitate to bother Lamine a little "what's up brother? you have the face that your girl broke up with you," Hector told him when he saw his face, "stop talking shit, brother," Lamine replied with a defensive tone and leaving the locker room to go to the shower, his colleagues were surprised by the tone used by the dark-haired man.
during the drive to her house you didn't stop talking to her brother (even if he didn't understand you) about how excited you were about the interactions you had had at the stadium, and Lamine didn't stop rolling her eyes every time you mentioned Musiala's name, she swore that you mentioned that word once again and he would be thrown out of the car even if it was moving. their jealousy lasted until the moment you were both together in your room "today was an amazing day love, don't you think?" you told her as you plopped down on her bed, totally exhausted with emotion, "yes" was all she said, her jaw clenched from just remembering everything. "what's up honey?, it looks like you've lost 5-0 at the Camp Nou" you said while you took advantage of the fact that he was sitting on the bed and hugged him from behind, trying to lighten the atmosphere a little.
"I'm just tired," he said with his head down as he looked at his cell phone. You reached for his face and turned it around trying to look him in the eye: "I know you well, and I know something is wrong with you. You know you can trust me to tell me what's wrong with you," you said quietly, trying to get into your bubble of insecurity that you were creating. "I just don't know. Seeing you talk so excited with him made me feel less, as if I couldn't make you feel as excited and happy as he does." She told me in a sad tone, I had never seen it like this before "Who are you talking about, love?" I was confused, trying to think about who I was talking about, I hadn't spoken to another player or man during the match. or it may be that...
"I'm talking about Musiala y/n, you looked so excited to talk to him, hearts came out of your eyes when you saw him" He told you with sad eyes "It's like I took a back seat as soon as you saw him, and that made me feel like you didn't love me as much as you loved him," your boyfriend said, while hiding his face on your shoulder, shy that you would see him in that aspect. I had never done a scene like that, yes, he was jealous on some occasions, but he had never gone to that extreme.
"don't be shy about it, my love. you know that my love is only for you, and although I am a big fan of Musiala, he can never replace the place you occupy in my heart. You don't have to be jealous of him, I love you, we are a couple and we must have confidence to tell each other this kind of thing, so you don't have to feel that I am going to judge you for that, it is understandable that sometimes you feel that way." you said looking into his eyes, and then kissing him. a kiss full of feelings, which conveyed all the love they felt for each other.
"so, jealous boy, how about we snuggle up together, watch a movie, and eat ourselves to sleep?" you said with a playful smile on your lips, as I poked his ribs making him laugh. "I accept that plan only if it includes a kissing session" he told you while hiding his face on your neck and giving you a few kisses there "mmm, let me think about it" you said with a thinking face "I accept, but don't go overboard pretty boy, I'll be watching you closely" you said while pointing your finger at him in an accusing way "i swear, nothing will happen, just kisses," Lamine told you as she raised her right hand to her chest and then made them both laugh.
without a doubt, you were the most in love teenagers on the entire planet.
#lamine yamal#lamine yamal x reader#fc barcelona#lamine yamal fluff#lamine yamal x you#lamine yamal x fem!reader#lamine yamal one shot#lamine yamal imagine#lamine yamal x y/n
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Kidding? (Glódís Viggósdóttir x Reader)
A/n I was inspired by recent events. Also, yes, I am still writing, I promise. Apologies that this one is a little short.
Warnings: google translated Íslenska, a little more than suggestive.
----
It seemed too easy.
Three weeks early, and the league was yours.
The title belonged to Bayern.
You knew it was much less easy than that, of course.
The time, the preparation, the training.
Every drop of blood, sweat, and tears.
But still.
It was like you blinked, and the season was coming to an end, and the silver plate in your captain's hands, glittering in the midday sun, belonged to your team.
Speaking of said captain.
You can't help the way your chest fills with pride and love at the sight of the bouncing, overjoyed, Icelandic woman.
The screams of yourself and your teammates drowned out by just the sight of her this happy and carefree.
Don't get yourself wrong.
She was as relaxed as captains could be, but it was nice seeing the weight of a whole season lift off her shoulders.
The pressure of perfection is finally released as the team clinches its second title in a row.
And your heart beats faster when she looks over to you across the bouncing huddle.
The chants of
"SUPER BAYERN SUPER BAYERN!"
Just filling you with immense pride for the woman across from you.
She approaches you as the group disperses slightly, a pep in her step and a leap into your arms as she holds your face, grin wide and bright, your hands settling under her thighs to hold her up.
"Elskan mín" (My love)
You hum, her tone soft as she presses her forehead to yours.
"Ég er svo stolt af þér." (I am so proud of you)
Her nose brushes yours as a light dusting of pink cross her face.
"You've been practising?"
"Smá" (A little)
"Guð ég elska þig." (God, I love you.)
She groans softly as she drops down from your grip, hands gripping your shoulders as she looks slightly up at you, a small peck to your cheek and she drags you over to the now forming line in front of the away section in the Bayer Leverkusen stadium.
After that, everything happens all at once.
Team photos, media duties, everyone's got a phone recording or posting, media outlets are interviewing your girlfriend and the two goal scorers for the day, swapping between camera crews seamlessly.
You're dragged into several videos and tiktoks, jumped on, beer dumped on you, occasionally receiving a smile from the strawberry blonde you call yours, in the small moments of quiet.
When you're finally settled, it's in your seat on the flight back to Munich.
Everything on the bus is chaotic, so there's no time to really process anything by the time you've been ushered onto the plane to return to Munich in time for recovery the next day.
The exhaustion is set in quick, and you're all whisked away back home once again, nearly the whole team knocking out on the flight, which surprises you given a certain someone's red bull addiction and just the overall excitement of winning the league.
The alcohol is still flowing through all of you.
The alcohol that will still be there when you arrive home and inevitably get dragged out to clubs and parties, even with the looming DFB Pokal Final.
And such happens.
You barely get time to shower and change before you've got Georgia and Sarah banging on your front door yelling at you and Glódís to hurry up.
Much to the bemusement of your captain, who'd been occupied with her back pressed to the glass wall of the shower.
All of that, to end up here, sat back, leant against a bartop, watching as Glódís dances with your teammates, the care-free air flowling freely around her.
You'd stepped away to grab another drink and a small break from the constant dancing and jumping around you'd been doing for the past twenty-four hours.
Turning back to the bar, you take a couple long swigs of your drink.
After another minute or so of just watching the passers-by in the club, you feel an arm around your shoulders, hands caressing your shoulders.
Tensing up, but then recognising the voice pressed to your ear, you're met with deep brown eyes and a very tipsy loving smile.
"Halló!"
You chuckle softly at the Nordic woman, arm wrapping around her waist as she leans on you for support.
"Hi, my love, how are you?"
Asking with an amused tone, only just feeling the buzz of the latest batch of alcohol pumping through you as it seems to have hit your girlfriend much quicker.
"I feel amazing!"
She all but shouts in your ear, and you wince slightly, even with the thumping bass in the crowded room.
"I see that!"
She hums, settling her nose into the crook of your neck for a moment, and presses a few small kisses there.
She then tugs you towards the dance floor.
"Come dance with me!"
Downing the rest of your drink, you set the glass down swiftly and let the older woman drag you off.
You watch for a moment, taking in the woman before you, moving and swaying already before you're even fully engrained into the large crowd of your dancing teammates.
She immediately pulls you in as close as possible, body pressed right to yours, hands settling on the nape of your neck, and you lean down to let your head rest on her shoulder as your body moves in time with hers.
Her fingers tangle in the loose hair at the back of your neck, nails gently scratching at your skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake.
It continues like that before she's leaning in to kiss you, her lips smashed against yours roughly and a little sloppily.
You chuckle, slowing her down a little with hands on her cheeks, kissing her for a moment longer, though she does pout as you pull away amused.
"Slow down, baby, we've got all night."
She groans before you finally let her kiss you again.
This time, it's slower, and she relaxes into your hold, which shifts to holding her hips, pulling her into you further if possible.
It's when you prod at her lips with your tongue that she grows impatient again, your teeth taking her lower lip to nip at it lightly.
She all but drags you from the club at that, much to the amusement of your teammates as you give them loud goodbyes over the music.
----
It doesn't surprise you that she's conked out the moment you're both laying under the sheets, sweat sheened and heart racing.
Her head's buried in under your chin, resting on your chest, arm thrown over your waist, and soft puffs of air getting released into your neck.
The past two days just come whirling through you all at once.
The anticipation, the win, the celebrations, the exhaustion, the continued celebrations, the fact that you got drowned in so much beer at some point, you're pretty sure you gave someone contact innebriation.
It's all a lot to go over, and knowing you still have more to do before an even remote break becomes available for you all.
Despite the exhaustion, you can't help lying awake for another hour, just to take in everything.
To let yourself relax into your girlfriend's warm embrace.
It takes but a moment to realise just how much you love her.
How you would do this over and over again just to see that smile again and again.
Just to see her this carefree and relaxed.
Just to see her dark brown eyes light up within a moment of a single whistle.
Watch as she jumps into your arms again, holds you tight, and kisses you with fervour and pure joy.
Someone once asked you if you ever saw yourself with anyone else.
Your answer?
"Are you kidding? Hell no."
----
#woso x reader#woso imagines#woso imagine#glódís viggósdóttir imagines#glódís viggósdóttir imagine#glódís viggósdóttir x reader#glódís perla viggósdóttir imagines#glódís perla viggósdóttir x reader#glódís perla viggósdóttir imagine#woso#fc bayern imagines#fc bayern frauen x reader
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FALLING IN LOVE? - JAMAL MUSIALA
pairings: jamal musiala x fem!reader
summary: they were seen kissing at a party but she can't quite remember. now she wants to find out if does.
(i hate this and also english isn't my first language.)
(pictures are not mine)
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Perfection. Pure perfection. That was probably the only word that could describe his performance today.
My eyes were practically glued to the pitch as my gaze followed his every move. He was at his best today, making his way through the defenders, dribbling out every single one of them. That man was sickeningly good on the field, I had to admit as I watched from the stands. The atmosphere was loud, cheering and addicting. Not where I usually spent a friday night but I could get used to it. Especially when the view was this good.
At a party several weeks ago I had befriended another peer group of athletes, temporarly increasing my number of close friends from 2 to 7. Normal, right? Well, no, because when I woke up with a headache the next morning and checked my way-too-bright phone on the nightstand, it was blown up with messages. Whatsapp, Insta, TikTok... even Facebook. Photos, low-quality videos, theories. There were strangers on the internet speculating about me and a boy. That boy. The boy i later found out was Jamal Musiala. The pictures clearly showed me and him. Way too close. But the worst thing was: I couldn't remember what happened that night.
And that's what brought me here today, to the front row of the Allianz Arena. Because since that night, I couldn't help but wonder if he remembered me or anything that happened. I needed to see him.
The game was heated, the tension could've been cut by a knife. A winner wasn't yet clear when the ball made its way to Jamals feet again. Even from across the pitch I could see his expression fall into concentration as he skillfully turned and sprinted through the opposition towards their goal. It was like the whole stadium went quiet as the fans and rivals realised his chance. He moved to a perfect position to aim. Shot. Scored.
The south curve went wild. Fans spilled their beer. Plastic cups flew. Bayern took the lead in the 87th minute, now so close to a home win. The scorer wearing the number 42 on his back ran over to them to celebrate his goal. He was ecstatic, smiling as he got closer to the barricade.
That's when his gaze met mine.
It was sudden. Fast. But for that minuscule second I could see his eyes light up. A telling spark. Was it recognition? Our momentary connection was severed when his team mates finally caught up to him, engulfing him in a wild hug almost sending the young man to the floor. I smiled, deciding to push the heavy thoughts to the back of my mind for now and embrace the warm atmosphere.
..........
The game was over, proudly ending in a 2:1 for Bayern Munich. The masses hurried to the exits, hoping to avoid the cramped traffic after the win. I lingered around, taking my time to collect my things and also to circumvent the crowded halls of the stadium for a little longer. My mind was racing as the stands cleared out, only leaving trash and spilled beer behind. I was about to sip up my jacket when-
"Y/N?"
I practically whirled around at the sudden voice and my gaze (once again) was met by those chocolate brown eyes that belonged to no other than Jamal. He took a small step back startled by my movement and send me an apologetic look for the scare. Now there was a litte more than an arms-length between us.
"Uh-hey!" I answered nervously, a shaky smile painting my lips. This wasn't at all how I imagined our encounter. My eyes scanned his appearance, he wore a baggy tracksuit jacket over his kit, the grass residues on his shorts still evident from the many fouls he had to endure. He hadn't even made it to the locker room. My gaze lingered on his lips before locking with his eyes again.
His mouth stretched into a sweet smile "Hey..."
Awkward silence. A few beats passed. I looked around nervously, my eyes now darting to anywhere but him. What was I supposed to talk about now? The weather?
Jamal also shuffled around nervously, looking down at his cleats. It was clear we both beat around the bush. He looked back up at me, his gaze resembling that of a deer. "So...Why-I mean, what brought you here, I didn't think I'd see you again..." he asked carefully. A blush tainted my cheeks "Uhm, I just... wanted to see you." I started, embarassed "You know, after the party." pausing for a moment, I thought back to the pictures of us kissing, contemplating if I should ask the question and just get it of my chest. Yeah. Best option.
"Do you remember anything about that night? Like what happened exactly? Did we... do something?"
It tumbled out of my mouth, one ask fused to another. I watched as his posture shifted, his eyes slightly widening. "What? No,no,no." he shook his head. A small wave of relief washed over me but it couldn't tame the burning lack of knowledge about that night. "Then what happened, the only thing I know is that I woke up with a headache.". He took a step back, processing my words before answering. "We had a good night you know, dancing, drinking...kissing. It went well until some drunk incel pushed you and you hit your head on a door frame..." the man paused, anger flashing in his eyes for a second. "He knocked you out. I drove you to the hospital. Your friends picked you up."
My mouth opened to reply, but quickly closed when no good answer formed on my tongue. It wasn't what I expected, but I still didn't know what to think about it.
"You waited at the hospital?" I asked, now completely catching up to what he said.
"Yeah." Jamal looked down to the floor again, hiding the faint red that now tinted his cheeks. "I wanted to ask for your number but... after everything happened I didn't think it was appropriate..." He trailed off.
"Oh-OH..well..." I was taken aback. Caught off-guard. Then I suddenly felt confidence seep through my body.
"You could ask me now."
He looked at me, a beat passed, then his face lit up. He took his phone out of his pocket and handed it to me, ready to enter the digits. As I was about to give him the phone back, he cleared his throat.
"Are you free next friday? It's my free day and maybe we could meet up at a café?" He asked, also growing more confident now. I blushed, and nodded, still a little overwhelmed by what just happened. "Yes, yes I'd love to. 5pm? Hopefully this time I'll remember..." I chuckled and Jamal quickly joined in. The situation now blurred into a sweet moment as we stood in the stadium that was completely empty. I smiled as I looked up at him. His eyes drifted to my lips before they met mine again.
"You better stay away from the door frames."
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my first piece on here, yayyy ig
#jamal musiala#jm42#german nt#football#em2024#fanfic#author#writers on tumblr#bookblr#kenan yildiz#kenan yıldız#jude bellingham#oneshot#x reader#fc bayern
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𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 - 𝗺.𝗹𝗲𝗼𝗻
summary: moving from germany to spain is no easy feat, but luckily yn has frido and mapi to help
-> ingrid and mapi aren’t together for this, and never were
-> i apologise if any of the translations are wrong
𖦹 masterlist
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗘 𝗙𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 bayern to barcelona felt like it was insanely long, but really it was only two hours.
i got bored super easily and had no one to talk to for the time we were in the air. i was moving from bayern munich to barcelona, which was a big change for me.
i knew i wouldn't have a language barrier because i knew spanish but it was like moving schools. i have to learn a new city, where everything is and how to get places. and that not even including meeting new people.
i was a very social person, i loved to have company but that didn't stop me from being nervous when i had to make new friends or talk to people i'd never met before. and it didn't help that my new teammates were some of the best players in the world.
we got into the airport at 12:05 pm barcelona time and i ordered a taxi to my new apartment. it wasn't that far from the home stadium that i'd training at when i officially started at the club, maybe a 10 minute walk.
but first i had planned a trip to one of their home games to see what exactly i was getting into. their first game of the season was tomorrow night; the same stadium i lived by, and it was against valencia.
i wouldn't lie, i'm excited to see the players, especially knowing that frido plays here now. she was at the club for two years from 2017 to 2019 and we talked a lot when she was there. she moved to wolfsburg and then barcelona, so this was the first time i'd seen her properly in a couple of years.
the stadium was packed for the first game of the season, majority of the fans dressed in barcelona jerseys and waving flags around. it was exciting to see and think about the prospect that these fans would be cheering me on in a couple of weeks.
barcelona won that game, 6-0 with two own goals scored from valencia. i made my way down to the rail where i saw frido signing shirts. i waited until she was close enough and called out to her, she looked up and spotted me, her eyes widening.
"yn! what are you doing here?"
"here to see you, and meet my new teammates. care to introduce me?" i nodded over to where some other barca players were chatting.
she grinned, obviously putting the pieces together and understanding that i was moving to her team.
"absolutely. come down here."
she reached up to where i was and lifted me over the barrier. she signed a couple more things and took some photos before we walked to her friends. i knew they were staring at me the second frido lifted me on to the field.
"ale! mapi, irene, ingrid! i'd like you to meet someone."
they all turned to me, the four pairs of eyes boring into me. i threw on a smile and held out my hand to each of them.
"nice to meet you, i'm yn yln."
the shorter girl from the group perked up when i said my name.
“¿como yn del bayern munich?” (like yn from bayern munich?)
“la única. mapi leon, ¿verdad?” (the one and only. mapi leon, right?)
she nodded and i grinned, she looked slightly taken aback that i could understand and speak fluent spanish. the other three introduced themselves then.
"yn is joining us in a couple of weeks. she's moved from bayern to barca, a german international."
"thankyou frido, for the introduction. and yes i can speak spanish."
it was a great way to meet some of the team before my first training with them in two weeks.
the time went by quickly from when i first arrived in barca and then officially starting at the club, but i was excited to see the girls again and meet the rest of them. i walked down to the grounds and met frido out the front.
we walked to the changing rooms where i dropped my bag off and grabbed my cleats. then we walked out to field and over to the covered gym they had. the coach, jonatan met us there and introduced himself, before announcing to the whole team who i was and that i was joining the team.
mapi and alexia came up to us and welcomed me back, mapi practically bounced her way over and gave me a hug while ale was more relaxed.
we got straight into gym then finishing with some mini games between the players.
——
it had been a week since i was at barca, i was settling in nicely and really enjoying my time here. all the girls were lovely but i was especially close with frido, because we knew each other previously, and mapi, who had become very close over the time i'd been there.
we had a 'team bonding' event tonight as lucy liked to call it. her and kie were hosting it at their place and it was basically a night were the whole team comes and spends time together doing anything and everything.
mapi had offered to pick me up and i gladly accepted, becoming quite fond of the short spanish woman.
it was now the evening and i had grabbed my pre packed bag and phone and rushed downstairs and out the door to where mapi was waiting in her car.
lucy informed me that most girls left before it got too late but i was welcome to stay the night if i wanted to, so my bag was fully prepared if i did stay the night. i joined mapi in her car and she drove us to lucy and kies house.
almost the whole team was already there when we arrived, some turned up early to help lucy and kie prepare for twenty-two 'kids' running around their house.
"hola chicas!" (hello girls!) mapi burst through the door with me right behind her. she was always full of energy and i loved it. the team matched her energy and cheered when she made her entrance.
it was such a great vibe for the evening, with lucy and kie already ordering a bunch of food that we could eat for dinner. there was a list of movies that we voted on and ended up putting on some random disney movie.
by the time the movie was nearing the end which was only a couple of hours later, some of the girls were packing up their things to leave and go to their own homes. however me and mapi were still on a couch in the living room.
at some point in the film i'd gotten a bit tired and cuddled into mapi. i think the spanish woman had a heart attack because she didn't move for a bit, until i looked at her and smiled.
we spent the rest of the movie like that, cuddled into each other.
lucy and kie had retired to their own room, leaving the rest of the girls who were staying to make themselves comfortable. mapi and i stayed on the couch along with ona who was fast asleep. i think i had gotten real tired right at the end and shut my eyes for a bit.
i hadn't fully fallen asleep yet and could still hear things, it was more of a lucid dream state.
however my acting must have fooled mapi because she brushed my hair out of my eyes and slightly caressed my face. i made no move to stop
her as she spoke soft spanish to my 'sleeping' form.
"god you look so pretty, mi corazón." (my heart)
i heard her, loud and clear, although they were the last words i'd hear for the night. i fell asleep then and didn't remember much else.
——
lucy dropped me back home the next morning, since mapi was still asleep. i didn't want to wake her and lucy was already up so i left mapi a note and grabbed my stuff. once i was home, the only words flowing through my mind being mapi's words from last night.
it made me think of how close we had become during the time i'd been with the club, which was not a lot. however mapi made it seem like we'd easily known each other for years. i admired the shorter spanish woman and i knew that what we had was slowly changing from friends to something more.
i walked down to training the next day, fully prepared to talk to mapi.
after everyone had gone through training, i pulled mapi over, asking if she wanted to go out for coffee. she agreed and volunteered her car, simply because i didn't have one yet.
we were at a little cafe in the city, just sipping on our drinks when i decided i'd stalled for long enough.
"so, did i look pretty while i slept at lucy's, mi corazón?" (my heart)
my eyes were trained on her face the entire time, not wanting to miss her reaction. she immediately looked to me, eyes slightly widened and a somewhat shocked expression on her face.
"you thought i was asleep, didn't you?" i was now fully grinning with a mischievous glint in my eye.
"i can explain." she seemed extremely nervous, although she had no reason to be. i wasn't mad or angry or upset, i just thought it was funny how this turned out.
"yn, ilikeyoumorethanfriends." she rushed it out, although i had an idea of what she said.
"slow down, maria, i don't speak gibberish." she blushed when i said her first name.
"i like you more than friends, yn."
"much better."
mapi didn't respond, only sat looking at me for a bit longer.
"that's it? you're not saying anything?" she almost looked offended, like it was criminal not to like her back.
"well maria, you're in luck. i like you more than friends too."
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We got this pt. 2
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Arriving at the hospital you only left Vivianne’s side when she was in the MRI, waiting outside you shake your leg as you rub your palm together, sighting every now and then when you hear a door open but no Viv coming out of the room. It wasn’t your first time waiting for the Dutch outside of an examination room, back in Germany when you both played for Bayern Munich. You were more than willing to accompany her.
Thinking back to that time were you both were just twenty years old, your international career just taking off. You two were newbies in the team,didn’t have any connections, this being the link you clicked in an instant. Spending time after training sessions, doing exercises together, talking about everything that comes into your minds. You two meant to become best friends. Since you extended your contract another year, Viv made the step into the WSL signing with Arsenal. Watching her play in the English league made your heart full of pride and warmth indifferent if it was seeing her in the stadium or on the screen when watching the match. A message always finds its way to her after her game.
The snipping fingers in front of your eyes bring you out of your daydreaming but her voice still in the distant. “We’re getting back to the room, you’re coming?”
"Of course, adorable.” She scrunches her noise and squeezes her eyes shut, offering her hand for you to intertwine your finger.
Vivianne drags herself into her bed with your help moving to the edge and pats the spot next to her. A shy smile creeps onto your lips, and you rest next to her in the bed. Without hesitation, she places her head on your chest, her hands finding the hem of your shirt and starts to fidget it. Her healthy leg draped upon yours, and your arm slung around her shoulder, caressing her left upper arm. Her hand finding yours and holding it. “You got any pain in the moment?” Your voice breaks the comfortable silence.
"No,” her voice is small, “all good in the moment,” Viv adds.
"That’s good.” Meaning the IV works just fine.
She shuffles slightly getting more suited, her head never leaving its place. “You know I always looked up to you,” she slurs out.
"What do you mean?”
"Well, you’re talented and intelligent in the play. I did learn so much from our time together."
"Viv...”
"No, no, shut up,” she lays her head to rest on your shoulder. “You could read the opponents tactic on and off the pitch without the meeting and hours of analysing. How you always can picture which moves you can play and where they would pass. Your positivity helped me through a lot not only at Bayern but Arsenal. How you hyped me and I feel appreciated by you and seen and heard and loved."
Tears prickle in your eyes, “Vivianne.” You never call her that.
"I feel safe with you, home,” her eyes now burning on your skin. “Look at me,” she whispers, and your eyes wander from your tangled hands to meet her crystal blue ones.
"Please don’t,” you stutter a single tear streams down your cheek when her finger touches your skin as she dries it you feel the warmth flood your body leaving shiver on your spine.
"Y/N,” her voice like honey, hearing her say your name brings a smile to your lips and makes your heart fluster like years ago the fact that she makes you still blush, even if you’re not allowed the Dutch player has Beth. Eyes closed, you feel her inch closer.
"It’s the medicine speaking you’re blustered,” trying to convince yourself. “What about Beth?”
Her movement stops. “she’s a good friend.” She strokes a strand of hair behind your ear. Her mouth close to your ear, “there was always this girl,” connecting her lips with the skin of your neck. Another round of shivers ran through your body.
"Let's talk about it later you’re exhausted from the day. I’m leaving so you can get sleep.” You get up, and Vivianne sits straight on the bed. Her mouth fell open eyes wide as they were covered by tears.
"No. I can’t. I just,” she gulps, “I’m saying I have feelings for you and you want to leave?” tears finding their way out of her eyes.
"Sweetheart,” taking her face in your hands, you brush the tears away and leave a kiss on her forehead. “I’m not ignoring it nor doubting, but Anna, you had a heartbreaking day, resulting in an acl. You’re drained. You need rest. We talk about it tomorrow, okay?” Nodding as an answer, you push another kiss on her forehead, resting yours against hers afterward.
"Can you please stay?” Blue eyes shifting towards yours, a pout suits her face.
"Sure thing love,” Kissing the bridge of her nose, she scrunches it.
"Stop that it tickles.” Her words only make you continue the gesture. Her giggles fill the room, and your heart fills with love. “I hate you,” she brings out between giggles, heavy breathes shaking her body.
"Oh no, you don’t,” you wink at her. Vivianne closes up, your lips just centimetres apart, and your breaths mix up. Taking the chance, you place your lips on hers and close your eyes, moving in sync as you can taste her for the first time in all the years you longed for it. You had one hand on the bed as you leaned down to her, the other resting on her cheek.
"Wow,” she mutters against your lips a smile plastered on her lips.
"Now get some rest, my love.”
"Please stay here in my bed."
"It's way too small for the two of us.” Her eyes fall on her hands, her bottom lips trembling, and when your sights meet again, her eyes are flooded with tears. “Okay, okay, move,” you shove her, careful settling down next to her. Her head found its place back on your chest as you caressed through her hair. “Good night, sweetheart,” kissing her occipital.
"What are we?”
"We’ll talk about this tomorrow but everything you want.”
Through the night the injured woman moved from your body, and you sling your arm around her figure cuddling her tight. In the morning you tip toe out of the room and search for a bakery in the near neighbourhood. Placing the food on the trait in front of the bed, the scent of fresh croissants filling the air, you slip back into the bed and Viv’s head directly finds its designed place on your chest. “I thought you left,” her raspy voice hits your ear, her accent thick.
Stroking her back, you answered, “I would never.” Viv turns her body and her eyes now glued on your face, the corner of her lips curling up. “Good morning, beautiful.” Heat creeps into Viv’s cheeks, and she puts her hands over her face. “Hey why you’re hiding this gorgeous face? You can't stand the nicknames anymore?” reaching for her hands, you put them in yours and kiss her knuckles. “Oh, there it iiisss.” You peck her forehead then her cheeks, and at last, the bridge of her nose, giggles escape her mouth, and she tries to free her hand.
"It tickles,” she shoves your tangled hands against your chest, and you couldn’t reach her face anymore. “What did you get?”
"Have a look. I bet you’re starving.”
"Oooh, croissants a dream, thank you,” she pushes herself higher so you’re on eye level, and she gives your lips a shy kiss.
"You’re welcome,” you reveal two tiny bottles of Nutella out of your pocket. Her eyes lit up, and she reaches for one. “Stole them from the tablets for breakfast.” She rolls her eyes but still gives you a smile from ear to ear.
“We talk about it when you finished eating.” Sitting down next to the bed, Vivianne moves in her bed for another position, wincing when sharp pain shots through her body. “I get the nurse for medicine,” you leave her and shortly after arriving with the mentioned person.
"All right Ms. Miedema, it should set in a few minutes, if somethings bothering press the button,” the Dutch woman nods and the nurse leaves the room again.
"This all is so sweet of you.”
"Vivianne,” a raised eyebrow and your lips drag into a thin line, “eat in piece.”
"I am in peace,” she radiates brighter than the sun offering you her hand for you to intertwine your fingers.
She gulps, “I’m finished can we now talk?” giving you her best puppy eyes you let out a chuckle.
You straighten your back and clear you throat the football player releases a chuckle, “didn’t knew it was that serious.”
"Of course, ma’am this is dead ass serious.”
"Why so.”
"Well, I mean, it includes both of our hearts and life’s and wishes and dreams."
"You're so prescient. It’s kinda hot.”
"Ms. Miedema, I please.”
"I want you to be my girlfriend,” it explodes out of her. “I mean only if you want to,” she adds with a shaky voice.
"I'd love to but we didn’t even went on a single date.” Viv’s faces drops. “We make a deal, okay? You get your surgery I’ll visit you whenever I can and if you’re able we go outside every now and then and see where it gets us.”
"Sounds really nice,” Viv’s dimples become visible as her mouth turns up. “Now come here, please,” she opens her arms, and you cradle into them.
#woso#woso angst#woso blurbs#woso community#woso edit#woso fanfics#woso fluff#woso imagine#woso request#woso writers#woso imagines#vivianne miedema#viv miedema#vivianne miedema x reader#vivianne miedema imagine
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nobody's type
sydney lohmann x reader
summary: people wonder why you don't want to make the first move..
warnings: insecurities, overall sadness
you stand at the edge of the pitch, the crisp air nipping at your skin as the sun dips below the horizon, casting the bayern munich training ground in a soft, golden glow.
the stadium lights flicker on one by one, their harsh brightness chasing away the twilight shadows.
training has ended, and most of your teammates have already made their way inside, but you linger, your feet rooted to the spot as your gaze settles on sydney.
she’s the last to leave, her laughter ringing out like music as she jokes with a few others– tuva and pernille– who stayed behind. she looks so at ease, so effortlessly beautiful, that it makes your chest tighten with something achingly familiar—a longing that you’ve carried in silence for far too long.
it’s not that you don’t want to talk to her. it’s that you can’t. every time you think about approaching her, the words you want to say dissolve on your tongue, replaced by the bitter taste of insecurity.
sydney, with her easy confidence and radiant smile, seems like she belongs in a world far removed from yours. sometimes you wonder how you ended up on the same team as her. she’s someone who could have anyone she wanted, someone who would never look twice at someone like you. at least, that’s what you’ve convinced yourself.
after transferring from spurs to bayern munich in 2023, you found a bit of relief. you’ve always struggled with this feeling of inadequacy, this deep-rooted belief that you’re not attractive enough, not interesting enough, not enough in any way that matters.
you had confidence in your football ability as a striker– but still— you’re awkward and quiet, always feeling out of place even among people who know you best. you’ve never quite managed to shake the feeling that you’re somehow less than everyone else, that the flaws you see when you look in the mirror are just as obvious to everyone around you.
the idea of someone like sydney seeing you—really seeing you—fills you with a fear so intense it’s paralyzing.
so you keep your distance, blending into the background, watching her from afar like you have for months now.
you’ve learned to be careful, to avoid letting your gaze linger on her for too long when she’s nearby. but even then, it’s like your eyes are drawn to her, seeking her out without you even realizing it.
you watch the way she laughs, the way her eyes light up when she talks about something she’s passionate about, the way she moves with a grace that seems effortless. and every time you do, that same painful ache settles in your chest, a constant reminder of everything you want but can never have.
you’ve spent countless nights lying awake, staring at the ceiling as your mind replays every interaction you’ve ever had with her. you analyze every word, every glance, every smile, searching for some hint that maybe, just maybe, she feels the same.
but then the doubt creeps in, the voice in your head reminding you of all the reasons why that’s impossible. you’re not good enough for someone like sydney. you’re too plain, too shy, too broken. and so you push the hope away, bury it deep down where it can’t hurt you anymore, even though you know it’s still there, waiting to resurface the next time you see her.
the sound of footsteps approaching pulls you from your thoughts, and you glance up to see georgia walking toward you.
she’s one of the few people who seems to notice when you’re struggling, and even though you appreciate her concern, it also makes you feel exposed, like she can see all the things you’re trying so hard to hide.
“y/n,” she says softly, coming to a stop beside you. “you know your crush on sydney is pretty obvious to everyone, right?”
your heart skips a beat, panic flaring in your chest. “what? no, it’s not… i mean, it’s not like that,” you stammer, the words tumbling out in a rush as you try to deny it.
but georgia just gives you a look, one that says she knows exactly what’s going on.
“it’s okay,” she says, her voice gentle but firm. “but, y/n, you’re selling yourself short. sydney likes you. you’re attractive and she sees that but she’s been waiting for you to make a move.”
the words hit you like a punch to the gut, disbelief washing over you.
you shake your head, a bitter smile tugging at your lips as you try to process what she’s saying.
“there’s no way she could like me. i’m… i’m not enough. not for someone like her.”
georgia’s expression softens, her eyes full of sympathy and frustration. “y/n, you’re more than enough. you’re caring, talented, and honestly, anyone would be lucky to have you. but you keep convincing yourself that you’re not worthy of love, and that’s not true.”
you want to believe her, you really do. but the voice in your head—the one that’s been there for as long as you can remember, whispering that you’re not good enough, not pretty enough, not worth anyone’s time—drowns out her words.
you look away, your gaze drifting back to sydney, who’s now slinging her bag over her shoulder, ready to head inside. the idea of walking up to her, of telling her how you feel, seems impossible.
you’ve spent so long building these walls around your heart, convinced that no one could ever love you for who you really are, that the thought of tearing them down is terrifying.
“what if she doesn’t feel the same?” you whisper, the fear creeping into your voice. it’s the fear that’s been holding you back all this time, the fear that if you let her in, she’ll see all the things you hate about yourself and turn away.
georgia sighs, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. “you’ll never know unless you try. but, y/n, you’ve got to stop tearing yourself down. you’re incredible, and it’s time you start seeing that.”
her words resonate with you, but the insecurities that have rooted themselves in your heart are stubborn. they cling to you, wrapping around your thoughts like vines, choking out any glimmer of hope.
you want to be the person georgia thinks you are, the person who’s brave enough to take a chance, but every time you try to take a step forward, the doubts pull you back. they remind you of every time you’ve been overlooked, every time you’ve been hurt, every time you’ve convinced yourself that you’re not worthy of love.
you watch as sydney disappears through the doors, the opportunity slipping through your fingers once again.
you can feel georgia’s gaze on you, a mix of concern and sadness in her eyes, but you can’t bring yourself to meet it. instead, you stay silent, trapped in the fear that has held you back for so long, wishing you could be someone different—someone who could believe in themselves, someone who could believe that they’re worthy of love.
as the last traces of daylight fade and the stadium lights cast their artificial glow across the field, you turn to follow your teammates inside. the weight of your unspoken feelings, of your unfulfilled desires, settles heavily on your shoulders, and you can’t help but wonder if you’ll ever find the courage to break free from the chains of your own self-doubt.
for now, all you can do is hope that one day, you’ll find the strength to see yourself the way georgia does, the way sydney might if you ever gave her the chance.
but until then, you’ll keep your distance, hiding behind that brick wall you’ve built, afraid to let anyone meet the real you.
my master list is here if you want to read more fics <3
#sydney lohmann#sydney lohmann x reader#woso fanfics#woso community#woso x reader#gerwnt#bayern frauen#bayern munich
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"How they love our sport, how they love football in the stadium and how good they are informed about Bayern Munich, okay maybe because of Kim Min-Jae but they also know some other players so yes, football is my love and my passion and because of that, I try to continue as long as I can"
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