#Emily Russo

[vicious-delicious]

Emily wearing KÖN.

[fightforthesoulofthecities]

Voices from the Frontlines & Strategy & Soul Theater Presents: The Old Oak directed by Ken Loach

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Voices from the Frontlines & Strategy and Soul Theater presents  The Old Oak Directed by Ken Loach  Thursday April 11th at 6pm  Strategy & Soul Theater 3546 Martin Luther King Blvd. Los Angeles CA 90008 We want to thank Emily Russo Co-President of Zeitgeist Films for making the connection between Eric and the Strategy Center team and Ken Loach and his film…

[enwoso]

FINDING HER WAY BACK HOME | alessia russo

i’m sure someone requested something with lotte and foxy from college era but i can no longer find the request or maybe i dreamt it idk but if not here it it anyways!

grumpy masterlist

alessia leaned back against the dorm room couch, her hand resting on her small bump as she watch lotte and emily animatedly discuss their future plans.

"i'm telling you," lotte said, pausing for a moment as both girls waiting for her to continue, "arsenal is where i'm heading after here. best club in england!"

emily rolled her eyes, "your so biased, arsenal's good sure but if you're really aiming for the best, you'd look across the pond. nwsl has the edge in-."

"emilyy, not again" alessia interrupted, laughing as she dragged out emily's name.

emily smirked, "fine but i'm staying in the u.s. anyway at least for now. but mark my words we'll all end up in london one day, we'll sign with a club together. it'll be epic"

"deal" alessia said softly, looking between her two best friends. "i don't care what club we're at as long as we're together again."

lotte grinned, "you'll have to hold out the talks with manchester united until you're ready to come back though."

"yeah, the deal with them is still early days" alessia said a wistful smile crossing her face. she loved the idea of returning to england and playing there but for now, football felt like a distant dream.

she had other priorities now - a tiny, growing priority who was going to depend on her for everything.

emily leaned forward, her serious side kicking in, "oh, speaking of priorities, less have you taken your prenatal vitamins today?"

a small groan came from the blonde, this had been the same conversation she would have with the american everyday. she wouldn't forget. "yes, emily"

"and the iron supplements? you've been looking pale the last couple of days."

"wow thanks em, but yeah i have"

"and you're drinking enough water?"

"yes, emily!" alessia said, exasperated but unable to hide her smile, her heart warming at the fact of how caring her friends were over her now.

emily raised an eyebrow, "don't 'yes emily' me you were standing for like two hours at that student center thing yesterday. you've got to take it easy less!"

lotte snorted, "your like her personal midwife"

"somebody has to be!" emily shot back, tossing a pillow at lotte as she giggled on, "she's carrying out honorary niece or nephew. i take my duties very seriously!"

—

after a long morning, and a few teary goodbyes mainly saying goodbye to lotte and emily who walked alessia to the further point they could in the airport before sharing a group hug, promising one another that they'd see each other soon.

alessia was finally settling into her seat on the plane, rummaging through her carry-on, pulling out the book emily had packed for her.

as she opened the front cover she noticed a bright pink sticky note with emily's neat handwriting sprawled on it.

‘make sure you drink water every hour, you're already bad enough at this on the ground, don't make me come 30,000 feet and lecture you! safe flight lessi.’ emily

a small laugh bubbled up despite her exhaustion, emily had never let up since the the moment alessia told them and alessia could never not be grateful for the two.

a couple hours later, the flight going somewhat smoothly apart from the fact alessia was finding it rather difficult to get comfy, as she kept having to get up every half hour to use the bathroom. luckily she was on the isle seat..

as the flight attendants handed out complimentary snacks, alessia reached into her own bag for her own stash she'd bought in the airport. as she unwrapped the granola bar another little sticky note fluttered out.

the one had a messier scrawl of letters on it, accompanied with a doodle of a football. alessia immediately knowing it was from lotte.

‘granola bar = good. chocolate = bad. unless you want me and em to tell your little one that their mum broke all the rule, only kidding. take care of yourself, okay? we love you.’ lotte<3.

shaking her head with a smile, alessia carefully folded the note and slipped it back into her bag. her journey back home continued as she found more and more notes that the two girls had hidden in her bag in unexpected places.

reminder to stretch her legs.

a reminder to take her vitamins (no guesses needed to guess who that one was off..)

a reminder to have a nap.

but finally she found a small handwritten card tucked into the side pocket of her bag, where she kept her headphones. the note being from both of them:

‘alessia, we're so proud of you. we can't even begin to imagine how hard this is for you but you're the strongest person we know. and we know that your little one is so lucky to have you as their mum, and we're are so lucky we get to have you as our best friend. don't forget we're only a call away — no matter what the time it is. this isn't a goodbye, just a see you soon. we love you so much! lotte and emily <3'

tears filled her eyes as she read their loving words. holding the note tightly as she pressed it to her chest, overwhelmed by the love and support they had shown her. looking up at the time left on her flight: ten minutes and she'd ben home.

—

when alessia finally stepped through the arrivals gate in london. her body ached for her own bed from the long flight and her mind was foggy with fatigue. yet her heart leapt when she saw her family waiting for her.

her brothers were the first to reach her, gio stood tall with a big grin on his face as he pulled her carry on from her hand. "what's this? didn't they charge you extra for the snacks you probably smuggled on board?"

"or is it baby stuff already?" luca added with a smirk, reaching to grab the trolley with her suitcases on, "bibs and tiny shoes?"

"hilarious" alessia said rolling her eyes playfully. normally she'd fire back with a quick comment of her own but she was simply too tired to engage as she let out a breathy laugh and muttered, "just make yourself useful and carry my bags would you?"

her lack of a witty retort made both her brothers pause, gio nudging luca with his elbow. "she'd either growing up or she's too jet lagged to care?"

"one hundred percent the second one," luca quipped back quickly.

mario was standing slightly behind them, giving her a warm smile as he silently pulled her into a hug. alessia closing her eyes as she leaned into his steady presence.

when he released her from the hug, he took one look at her tired face and gestured towards the doors of the airport, “let’s get you home, you can sleep in the car”

but before they could move any further, carol appearing rushing forward to envelop alessia into her arms.”

“oh my baby!” she cried, happy tears already spilling down her cheeks. her hands immediately going to alessia’s six month bump

“look at you, you’re glowing. are you eating enough? have you been taking those vitamins i told you about? and oh- names! have you thought about any yet? what about james or izzy? or-”

“mum,” alessia said with a tired laugh her voice soft but affectionate, “i’m too tired to think of names right now”

her mum wasn’t deterred, as she looped her arm through alessia’s and began walking in the direction of the car, her chatter filling the quiet night.

“that’s okay, we can talk about it tomorrow. did you know your gran suggested peter? i told her absolutely not and then your aunt said olivia, but that’s..” alessia let her mum’s voice wash over her, a small smile tugged at her lips.

she was home.

the drive back to kent alessia’s head was leant against the cool glass of the car window the air cool and a lot less sticky than the hot air from the states as alessia’s eyes half closed.

her brothers keeping up a low and playful banter next to her as mario hummed softly to the radio as he drove. carol keeping a watchful eye on alessia from the corner of her eye the entire way.

when they finally pulled into the familiar driveway of her childhood home, alessia felt a wave of emotion rise in her chest. her family bustled around her, her brothers unloading her bags as her dad quietly set up a spot for her to sit in the living room. her mum of course already started to plan where they were going to go for breakfast.

alessia sat back, her hand resting on her bump as she let the moment sink in. she was surrounded by love, laughter and warmth. this is what her baby was being welcomed into, a family surrounded by people who already cared so deeply.

for the first time in what felt like forever, she felt at peace. she was home and she couldn’t wait to welcome her baby into the world.

—

it was well past midnight when alessia finally sank into the soft cushions of her old bed, her body aching with exhaustion but her mind too restless to sleep.

her family has tucked her in for the night with promises of a big family breakfast in the morning, but the quiet hum of the house only made her miss lotte and emily even more.

reaching for her phone, alessia stared at the time. it was early morning in north carolina - ridiculously early. she debated whether to call, knowing she could leave a message and they’d get back to her later.

but before she could second guess herself, her fingers had already pressed the button.

to her surprise emily picked up after only two rings, her voice groggy but alert. “less? everything okay?”

“why are you awake?” alessia asked, startled at the americans accent and by the fact she actually answer the phone.

“it’s five thirty am,” emily muttered, “i have morning conditioning in an hour. why are you still awake?” alessia chuckled, that’s one thing she wasn’t going to miss in a hurry - the early morning sessions.

“i just got home and i- um couldn’t sleep. i wasn’t expecting you to answer. i was just going to leave a message.” alessia explained as emily had placed her phone down on the counter to fill up her water bottle.

“like i’d miss your call,” emily said her tone softening as the american glanced across her dorm room, “wait, here comes lotte.”

a moment later, lotte was on the screen a tired smile on her face but still filled with excitement to her see the blonde. “less! your home already? how was the flight? did baby behave? did you find the notes we left?”

“slow down lotte..” emily interrupted with a teasing smile, “let her answer one question at a time”

alessia laughed, warmth spreading through her chest, “yes i’m home. the flight was fine - long but fine. baby is all good, kicking my ribs but that’s usual these days. and yes i found all the notes. thank you for those by the way.” her voice softened, “i already miss you guys.”

“don’t make me cry at five am,” emily groaned, “it’s too early for emotions.”

“literally? who gave you the right?” lotte added, but her teasing tone couldn’t mask the affection in her voice.

alessia leaned back against her pillows, “it feels weird without you both. and em you’ll be happy to know my mum has already taken over your job”

"job?”

“mhm the constant reminders about vitamins and water” alessia replied a hint of amusement in her tone, “first you, now her. it like i have my own personal tag team of nagging.”

“poor you” emily dai, her voice mock dramatic, “you live such a hard life. imagine having people who actually care about you. must be terrible.”

alessia snorted as she rolled her eyes playfully, although the two on the other side of the facetime call could barely see by the blondes dimly lit room.

“don’t mind her less,” lotte said her voice light. “you know she gets snappy when she’s tired.”

“i’m not snappy when i’m tired.” emily protested as lotte and alessia both looked to each other and burst out laughing.

“you are..” lotte countered as she stopped her laughing, “but it’s okay we love you anyway.”

the banter made alessia smile so wide her cheeks were beginning to her. these two girls were her rocks, her family away from home. even though right now they were miles apart she felt their love and support as strongly as if they were sitting beside her — if not more.

“thanks for answering” alessia said softly, “i didn’t think you would.”

“of course we did.” emily said her voice losing its previous teasing edge, “we told you that you can call us anytime, less. even if it’s just to say hi, we’re here for you.”

“always,” lotte added, “now you need to sleep. you’ve got the whole growing another human thing to keep up with.”

alessia laughed as she could feel the baby kicking slightly, “okay okay, goodnight— or good morning.. i guess”

“love you less!” they said in unison making the blonde grin.

“love you guys too!”

as alessia hung up the room felt a little less quiet and her heart felt a little less heavy. even across an ocean her best friends were always there for her. with a content sigh she fitted off to sleep one hand resting on her bump knowing she’d never be alone in this journey.

[wosoloml]

— second chance || emily fox x reader

[ “I messed up by breaking up with you, because ever since then, I’ve been missing you everyday.” ]

summary: After having her heart broken by Emily, the reader decided to seize the opportunity for a fresh start in her career by moving to London. Little did she know, her worst nightmare wasi about to come true. But sometimes, nightmares have a way of transforming into the sweetest of dreams.

from this request

wc: 1,744 words. | masterlist

warnings: fluff, mention of heartbreak, angst, secret flirtings, jealousy, happy end

——-

"There is no future for us. I need to leave," were the last words Emily said to me as she walked out of our apartment. Well, not our apartment anymore.

This was the last thing I expected when I came home after interviewing the local handball team, excited to share some amazing news I had received at work.

I walked in with the biggest smile on my face, and we both said at the same time, "I want to talk to you about something." Little did I know that by the end of the conversation, I’d be alone in what used to be our home.

Usually, I’m the one who shares big news first, but this time, I decided to let Emily go ahead. I thought she’d need time to process the fact that the Arsenal Football Club had offered me a position on their media team. Letting her start felt like the considerate thing to do.

What a mistake that turned out to be.

If I’m honest, I don’t even remember how I survived the first night. Curled up in my bed, crying my eyes out, and consumed by the question, "Why?"

Everything began a few years ago when we met at UNC. It started with a little crush on the athletic girl, stealing glances every time we passed each other in the hallway.

After months of back-and-forth and a lot of help from our friends Alessia and Lotte, we finally started dating. It was never easy, especially with football becoming such a big part of Emily’s life, but she always treated me like I was the girl of her dreams. I couldn’t have been happier.

Doing long-distance was a significant challenge for us. She signed her first professional contract with Racing Louisville FC, while I was just starting my first year at the sports journalism academy. But our love was always stronger—stronger than any distance or circumstances. We were supposed to be a team.

Everything became so much easier and better when she finally moved back after joining North Carolina Courage. It felt like the greatest relief.

For days after she told me she was coming back, I fell asleep and woke up with the biggest smile on my face.

Eleven months, two cats, and one apartment later, here I am—without anything. I lost the love of my life simply because she "needed to focus on her career."

We were a team, but now she preferred a solo performance.

She was even too cowardly to come here and pick up her things when I was home. The only message I got from her was:

"When does your shift start, so I know when to get my stuff?"

- EF

EF? Is she serious? We spent the last six years together, went through everything, and shared so many firsts. And the only thing she adds to her message are her initials?

It's pathetic.

---

At 9:00, I arrived at the base camp of THE Arsenal Women's Football Club for this year's training camp in Spain.

It’s been a year and a half since I made the decision to start fresh and begin a new life. A year and a half since a certain American girl broke my heart. Coming to London was the best decision I ever made.

One of my closest friends from college is here with me. Without Lessi and Lotte’s support in those early months, I don't know where I'd be. I came to London with nothing but two cats and a suitcase. Now, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.

"Y/N!!" I heard a familiar voice shout my name. As I turned around, I saw my favorite defender.

"Lottee, my girl!" I grinned, my smile growing wider as I pulled her into a tight hug.

"How’s my favorite girl? Ready for today’s media day? The first one during training camp in Spain?"

She chuckled. "I can’t wait to get sunburned. You know my British skin isn’t used to that much sun."

As I followed Lotte to her first media date of the day, we passed the changing room, and I suddenly heard a familiar voice. My heart stopped. This can't be real. No, it's not real—maybe I just overheard something.

"What's up, Y/N?" Lotte immediately noticed the shift in my behavior, but I tried to play it cool.

"Nothing. I just thought I heard someone's voice, but that can't be real," I replied.

She nodded, but I could sense a slight change in her mood.

I’m just paranoid. That’s it, for sure.

"Y/N? Could you possibly anchor the 'First Day at Arsenal' segment with our new signing today? It's not public yet that she transferred to London, but we wanted to take advantage of our training camp in Spain to shoot some nice scenes," the media team leader said.

I looked at him, confused. "I didn't know we got a new signing."

"Really? Everyone knows that. Especially Alessia and Lotte Wubben-Moy—they already know her from previous teams. Funny, huh?"

No. I’m just paranoid again. I know it. This cant be happening.

---

"Hey y/n".

That's it. That's the moment I’ve been scared of the whole day. No, scratch that—I've been scared of it for the last 18 months.

I haven’t heard her voice since that specific day she left me in our old apartment. I thought I’d be okay hearing my name from her lips again. God, was I wrong.

"Since when are you here?" I had to hold myself back from laughing at my own question. The first thing I asked her after she cut me out of her life was when she came to Arsenal. If someone had told me this morning that I’d say that, I would’ve laughed in their face.

"My plane from North Carolina landed this morning. It’s not official that I’ve transferred, but they decided spontaneously that I could join the girls here at camp already. I didn’t know you were working here, I promise. I would’ve told you about the transfer."

It’s over for me now. A small chuckle escaped my lips. "You would’ve told me? What would you have said to me? 'Hey, Y/N, by the way, I’m moving to the club where you work, after destroying your life a year and a half ago. Ready to ruin your new life too?' Because that’s what you’re doing right now. You’re destroying my new life. I came to London with nothing. But not with me, Emily. This time, you won’t take everything from me. This is my home."

I slightly shouted at her. She just stared at me. I’m done with her now. Turning around, I left.

---

As the days pass, I have to admit that maybe I’m not completely over her.

It all began when we both became nervous around each other during the "First Day at Arsenal" segment, and it continued with secret touches on the beach and our eyes searching for each other in a room full of teammates and staff.

It’s been difficult to admit that I still get butterflies when she’s near, and that this chapter isn’t as closed as I once thought. Am I ready to let her in again? She hurt me in a way no one else ever has, and that’s something I’ll never forget. But I just miss her, that’s all. Nothing more... or is there more?

It was our last evening in Spain, and the entire staff and team went out for drinks at a local bar. This time, my mind wasn’t occupied by a certain brunette American.

Instead, it was an Irish defender who caught my attention.

It wasn’t the first time Katie McCabe and I had spent time together outside of work. I wouldn’t exactly call it flirting, but we always had a good time laughing together. She knows how to talk to a woman, and let’s just say she’s not hard on the eyes either, so it’s a win-win situation, isn’t it?

When Katie rested her hands on my waist, it was enough to set Emily off. She grabbed me by the arm and pulled me outside. I was too stunned by her actions to even react.

"Is she your new girl?" she asked, her voice sharp. I had to hide a smirk.

"What do you mean, Emily?"

"You heard me. Is Katie McCabe your new girlfriend?" I chuckled again, maybe a bit tipsy from the drinks Katie had bought for me.

"No."

Emily didn’t believe me. I could see it in her eyes.

"Then explain to me why you’re giggling at every statement she makes and why the hell are her hands allowed on your body?"

My face grew serious. "What’s this, Emily? Are you jealous of someone who’s just being friendly? You? The one who ended this relationship, if I may remind you?"

That was it. That was the boiling point for Emily.

"I messed up by breaking up with you, because ever since then, I’ve been missing you every single day," she shouted, her voice frantic. My eyes widened, and my heart melted at her words.

Without thinking, I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers.

"Finally!" Lotte and Alessia cheered from inside the bar. Finally.

The plane landed in London. Coming back home, my hands locked with the girl I’ve always loved. This is us now—forever.

[stargirlsfc]

FUN SILLY TIKTOKS WE ARE WINNING THE LEAGUEEEE

[mercurycft]

𝐀 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐄𝐅𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓 - 𝐋𝐖

## reader x leah williamson !! MINI FIC

hi pookies!! i’ve really been enjoying writing shorter and fluffier fics recently! somehow this ended up being a bit longer than intended! i hope you enjoy this! more to come. you’ll be able to find them under the “mini fics” section on my masterlist!! love always - RG x

2k words!

no warnings. pure in-love sweetness.

"so, what do you think, le?" you asked, eyes sparkling with excitement as you held up a newly-purchased jersey with the number six emblazoned on it.

leah looked up from her laptop, a smile playing on her lips. "it's perfect, lovie, just like everything else you pick." you replied with a sweet smile and a gentle eyeroll, folding the shirt neatly and pushing it to the side of the sofa which remains empty beside you.

the two of you sat in leah's living room, which as of a few days ago was now officially also yours too, cozied up beneath a blanket. you sat surrounded by boxes containing all of your beloingings, labelled by room and organised neatly into piles. re-runs of old shows playing on the tv ahead of you, casting flashes of colour across the room, overpowered by the lamp light from the corner of the room.

though you sat close together, leah had angled her body and screen away from you. tapping away on the keys with narrowed eyes of concentration. "what're you tip tapping away so furiously at?" you teased, lifting your head exageratedly to sneak a peak at her screen.

"hey, no peaking!" she quipped back, pulling the screen down to sheild it. "good things come to those who wait, love." she spoke after a second, lifting her hand and brushing her knuckles against your cheek gently.

"fine," you huffed, tilting your head to kiss her hand softly before turning back to the screen in front of you; attempting to drown out the noise of her tapping with the serene sounds of gavin and stacey.

the football season was in full swing, and your weekends were usually spent cheering from the stands, so a saturday in together was a rare but valued gift. you spent the time relaxing, allowing yourself to potter around. leah, on the other hand, seemed consistently distracted. whether that be by training, or whatever it is she seemed to be doing on her laptop or phone. you paid it no mind, aware of leah's growing responsibility. unbeknownst to you, that evening, leah had announced to the team her plans for the coming days.

you woke on sunday to leah leaning over you, training kit on and hair slicked into a ponytail at the back of her head. "good morning, love. im off in a minute, call me when you get up okay?" through the stirring of your sleep you murmured a small response and lifted to kiss her gently, before waving her out of the room.

it was past nine when you finally woke up fully. leah long gone and already at training as you made your way around the house carefree. after a swift call to leah, a lazy breakfast and a hot shower - you stumbled into the kitchen; towel still in hand and scrunching the last of the water out of your hair.

the sun shone through the kitchen windows, casting a warm glow on the gleaming counters. it was quiet without leah's usual 'morning country session' as you called it, and the sound of her soft singing echoeing through the hall. you grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table, scrolling through your phone.

your thumb froze mid-swipe when you saw a message from leah pop to the top of your screen. "hey, the girls keep bothering me about seeing you. wear your new jersey. love you x" you stifled a laugh at the thought of beth forcing leah to type and send the message, shaking your head softly and typing small reply.

you took your time getting dressed, slipping on the jersey adorned with leah's number six with a sense of pride. wearing it felt like a silent declaration of your support and love for her. as you made your way to the living room, the sound of the doorbell echoed through the house.

your face screwed together with confusion, taking a second to swipe your phone out of the back pocket of your jeans to check the time. half ten. "can't be leah then," you thought aloud as you made your way to the front door, you swung it open to reveal beth. stood in her kit and holding two take-away cups of coffee in her hands.

"good morning, my favourite wag." she spoke cheerfully, moving into the open space you had created by opening the door further to let her in. you shared a small hug as she came in, laughing at her comment.

"you know i hate when you guys call me that," you laughed, but shook it off, taking one of the cups from her as she thrusted them towards you. "you're the best, but can i ask what you're doing here and not at training?" you shut the door behind her as she advanced further into the house.

"i have a late start and leah said to come and get you because-"

"she took the car," you both said in unison, breaking into a small shared laugh over leah's predictability.

"give me two minutes and ill be ready to go, just have to go put on my jewellery."

you retreated back into the bedroom, as you reached for your necklace, the doorbell rang again. you huffed quietly to yourself, confused on who else could possibly be at the door.

"i got it," beth called from downstairs, opening the door.

"what was it?" you asked as you made it down the stairs, clasping the necklace around your neck and shaking your hair onto your back.

"just a parcel," she said shrugging, placing it on the kitchen counter and turning back to you. "ready?"

you nodded, grabbing your keys and checking for your phone one last time before flicking off the lights and locking the door behind you.

the car ride was quick, and you and beth chatted the whole way. once you arrived at the grounds, beth led you around to the side entrance, away from the usual doors at the front. "whats going on?" you questioned with a quizzical look, "leah said to bring you here." she replied with a seemingly unbothered shrug.

you followed her down the corridor and into the changing room, which was unusually quiet and empty. beth stopped you just before the double doors, forcing you to turn around and face her one last time. she smiled at you, with nothing over than love with a small hint excitement. "where is everyone? you lot are stressing me out." you laughed, attempting to break the confusing silence.

"they're all outside, probably running circles around your mrs." she teased, eyes flicked across your features and hair, then down to the jersey. you watch as a smile spreads across her features and she reaches for your phone out of your hands.

"you're scaring me, i dont want to go out there alone if everyone is out there!" you whined like an anxiety ridden child, taking a deep breath as beth pushed your hair off your shoulders and looked directly into your eyes.

"you'll be fine. trust me, go out there."

beth nudged you gently towards the doors, the sound of your heartbeat growing louder in your ears. you took a deep breath and stepped out onto the field, squinting against the sudden burst of light. once they had focused to the brightness, your eyes skimmed across the pitch searching for leah.

your gaze finally fell into the middle of the pitch where players and staff seemed to crowd around someone down. your face fell into concern when you realised leah wasn't standing with them, and instead they were stood around her.

"leah?" you called, eyes wide as you sped up to reach the group. the sound of your voice brought a hush over the crowd, who all shared the same concerned look as they concealed leah from your view. you tried to calm your breathing as you made your way closer, mind reeling with the worst possible scenarios of why leah is on the floor. "leah?" you called again, now close enough to reach for some of the girls to move them aside. as your hand extended to push past katie, the girls in front of you parted - finally giving you a full view of leah.

however, it was not the view you expected. you had expected to see her on the floor, injured and writhing in pain. instead, what you found had you stopped dead in your tracks.

leah, knelt on the grass, her eyes glued to yours. her hand outstretched, a small velvet box balanced on her palm and clasped between her fingers. you couldn't read her expression, and couldn't bring yourself to say anything. the world around you seemed to fade into the background as you stared at her, your eyes wide.

you watched as she took a deep breath and began. "i have loved you from the moment we met on this very pitch, during that first interview all those years ago. i have loved you everyday since and will continue to love you everyday for the rest of my life. since that first day, you have changed my life in ways i will never be able to explain to you. i knew from the first time you laughed at one of my stupid media trained jokes that i would marry you. so, im down on one knee, ready to love you forever. will you marry me?" leah's voice was shaky and hopeful, her eyes never leaving yours.

you felt like the air had been knocked from your lungs. your hand flew to your mouth to cover the shock that washed over your features. the crowd around you was silent, their eyes flicking between leah and you, their expressions a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation.

slowly, you stepped closer to her, the realization of what was happening settling into your heart. "are you serious?" you whispered, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes.

"as serious as i've ever been," she replied with a hopeful smile.

you dropped down to your knees in front of her, wrapping your arms around her and pressing a swift kiss to her lips. "yes," you choked out, the word barely audible but clear enough for the entire field to hear. the crowd erupted into cheers, their claps and whistles piercing the quiet air like a gunshot.

leah's face broke into a grin so wide it could've split her face in two as she watched the tears fall down yours. she brought the box closer to you, revealing the ring nestled inside. it was simple, a silver band with a small diamond in the center - but to you, it was the most beautiful thing you had ever laid eyes on.

you took the box from her, watching as she lifted the ring out and slipped it onto your finger. it was a perfect fit, as if it had been made just for you. "yes," you repeated, louder this time so that everyone could hear the conviction in your voice. "i'll marry you, leah."

the crowd around you grew closer as the teammates you had come to know so well rushed in to embrace you both. the warmth of their arms around you, the sound of their cheers in your ears. they wrapped around the both of you, all smiles and laughter.

as the congratulations died down, you took a moment to swat her shoulder with a stern look "i thought you were hurt!" you muttered, looking down at the ring sat perfectly on your hand, then looking back to leah who mirrored your wide smile. before you could continue back and fourth, the sound of renee's voice called everyone back to training.

"you two got something to celebrate," she said with a knowing smile, "but remember, we've got a game on tuesday." you both laughed, as well as the rest of the girls surrounding you as leah moved to give renee a quick hug. around you the team split back into their usual groups to continue with their session, but leah made her way back to you.

"mrs williamson. it suits you."

[chaotic-toasters]

Tunnel Vision

Arsenal Women x Teen! Reader

Thanks to @scribblesofagoonerr for helping me on this every time I got stuck (I got stuck a lot 💀)

TW: Graphic descriptions of injury and blood, allusion to a panic attack

----------------------

"Hi, Foxy!" you chirped, hugging the older American from behind. "Are you ready to kick Aston Villa's butt?"

"Hey, kid," she smiled fondly, squeezing you tightly. "I'm always ready. That reminds me, are you all packed for US camp next week?"

"Yeah," you responded with a grin. "I'm excited to see everybody."

Emily released you, ruffling your hair as everyone began lining up in the tunnel. "They're all excited to see you too, but let's focus on the match right now."

"Okay, Foxy." Just before you slipped into your match mindset, somebody else tapped you on the shoulder.

"Oi," the new voice whispered. "No hello for your old roommate?"

"Jordan!" you beamed, tackling the older girl in a hug. "I missed you!"

The Brit's smile was blinding. "I've missed you too, kid. We'll talk more after the game, okay?"

You nodded, hugging her again before stepping into line behind Frida. It was always nice seeing old teammates, but you had no problem beating them in matches.

-

With the score at 4-1 in favor of Arsenal, the gunners should have been having a great time. For some reason, though, your teammates wanted more. They were hungry for a bigger gap in the scoresheet, and it was messing with some of their heads. Steph was pushed up even farther than usual, Leah's tackles were unreasonably harsh, and Stina's shots were so powerful, it was almost like she was angry. The most noticeable change in behavior, though, was Alessia's.

The Englishwoman's challenges and touches to other players were far more fierce than they should have been, and some of the Aston Villa players were making a conscious effort to stay away from her.

You, on the other hand, didn't think the forward's aggression applied to you. That was why you didn't blink twice when Alessia sprinted towards you in the box, trying to open herself up for a pass.

It was unfortunate, to say the least. Most of the players on the field were crowded into the 18-yard box, so when Alessia accidentally slammed into your side, none of the players or officials saw it. Alessia herself didn't even notice, too focused on the ball and too high on adrenaline to feel just how hard she'd hit someone.

Play continued on as you went flying headfirst into the advertising boards, colliding with the signs with a sickening crunch, players too busy yelling and trying to push each other out of the way to hear or see. Not that you could tell. To you, the world was completely devoid of sound. The nearly sold-out Emirates Stadium was silent and dark, things around you terribly blurry and dim. You tried to pull yourself to your feet, but your hand merely shook on your chest as blood started creeping down your forehead. It was strange, you thought, how you could be bleeding like this, but not feel any pain. While debating whether it was a good or bad thing, you passed out.

-

It was Beth's scream of terror that caused play to die down. She'd taken up space on the wing, looking for a pass, but when she glanced up at the goal, her eyes instead zeroed in on your limp form laying in the broken pieces of the advertising board. The Englishwoman's guttural cry of fear had rung out over the roar of the crowd and instantly caught the attention of everyone on the field, and they'd all followed her gaze only to be met with the sight of you, a curtain of crimson slowly oozing down to your cheeks.

"What- what happened?" Emily's voice was weirdly high-pitched as Lotte tried to lead her away. "She- she was fine just a minute ago!"

"Don't look," the Lioness murmured, gently guiding the other defender away by the shoulders. "You'll just worry yourself more if you look."

But she couldn't. Your only American teammate at Arsenal couldn't help but stare as paramedics ran onto the field, surrounding you, talking quietly but quickly amongst themselves. She wanted to look away, she really did, but fear gripped at not only her heart, but her head. It forced her to watch on, to watch as you suffered and didn't respond to the paramedics. The fear was stronger than anything she'd ever felt before, and she was certain that it would be the strongest thing she would ever feel.

-

The gunners were evenly split. Half couldn't tear their eyes away from where the paramedics were lifting you onto a stretcher, and the other half were trying to get their shock-ridden teammates to look elsewhere.

Most of the players apart of the second half were successful in getting the others to direct their attention away from you, but there was one player who was stood inside the box, firmly rooted onto the pitch where she'd stood when the whistle was blown sharply.

Alessia. She'd realized what had happened as soon as she saw you. She may have only felt herself collide with you subconsciously, but she could still remember it. She could remember sprinting as fast as she could, tunnel-visioned on the ball but hitting you in the process, and it was as if she'd been tased with the terrible realization of it all.

She had been the one to push you. She had been the one to send you flying into the advertising boards. She had been the one to cause whatever horrific injury you had just sustained.

She'd been so focused on the game that she'd sent one of the sweetest and most innocent people on the team to A&E.

And for it to be you? You were only sixteen. You were always so happy and and positive, and now you were in bad condition because Alessia was too busy being greedy and wasn't paying attention to anything other than scoring.

As the paramedics carried you away on a stretcher, Alessia's legs gave out beneath her. Her breathing was rapid, guilt taking over every fiber of her being as she gripped at the grass beneath her. Some of her England teammates crouched next to her, speaking quietly, but she was too spaced out to notice.

What was supposed to be a simple match day had turned into a horror show. And there was no one to blame but her.

[theesasssyunicorn]

Arsenal WFC wallpapers/lockscreens

[wileys-russo]

my shaylas 🫶🏻 match day ready

[12woso12]

Angry Woman

Part 1

TW: Does have some very heavy topics so look after yourselves and don't read if you don't want to

You were 21 years old and completely new to London. Having grown up in the North of England, everything felt backwards...including Arsenal. At 15 you were Manchester United's wonder kid. You were scoring goals for the senior team at a rate that no teenager had managed before.

The day of your 18th birthday you captained the U21 Lionesses in a European final and scored the winning goal. And at 19 you made your senior Lionesses debut.

Defenders hated you.

Forwards wanted to be you.

And your fans?

Well, you weren't sure if they wanted to be you, screw you or take you out for coffee. You were on the front page of every newspaper in the UK, whether you were modelling, showing off your football prowess or caught in public with your popstar boyfriend, the public rarely ever escaped your face.

When you made the shocking transfer from Manchester United to Arsenal, the entire footballing world halted in its tracks. You were United's star pupil, if fans were shocked at Alessia's transfer, then they were in utter disbelief at yours.

You would have died for United.

You walked through hell to wear that red shirt every week.

Literal hell.

From the outside you were golden. Everything about you shone passion and potential, you were praised at each turn, awarded with each goal or neat piece of trickery. The only thing missing from your game was an ability to control your temper. It wasn't as if you were a mean person, you wouldn't hurt people maliciously. You just...lost control.

The media gave you some lenience when it came to your rage. The tabloids blamed it on your unstable childhood, bouncing around foster home to foster home with no real family to call your own. Pundits could be a little harsher on you, the older you got the more they would criticise your inability to reign in your rage on the pitch. It had been okay when you were a hormonal teenager, but now at the ripe old age of 21, you were picking up a lot of heat for it.

You never really bothered to listen to the voices outside your bubble at United. Sure, you were a little more enthusiastic on the pitch than was acceptable but it was your only outlet. Football was your only source of therapy, your only way of forgetting what was going on away from the pitch.

Your anger didn't come from your fucked childhood.

It didn't originate from a dead family or a famous boyfriend who snuck around behind your back.

Your anger came from a place much darker.

Hell.

To you, United behind closed doors was hell.

It started the moment you begun to get senior minutes at United. You were barely 15 and still wore thick braces, the kind of braces you would see the high school nerd get bullied for in American coming of age movies. Looking back, that's what confused you most. How could someone like that be so interested in someone like you?

He was a god. A saviour. A husband. A father.

David Coben was 45 years old when he first touched you. And he was 51 when you finally stood up to him. He used to tell you that you were special, that you wanted him to touch you, to do things to you that no one had done before. He prayed on a vulnerable girl with no family to protect her. At first you screamed and cried and tried your hardest to avoid him... but he never failed to find you. Whether it was in a private corridor after a match or in the isolation of your hotel room on away days. David Coben always found you. And worst of all, he always got what he wanted.

If you refused, he'd tear up your contract with United himself, that's what he told you. And at 15 years old without having built a strong name for yourself it seemed impossible to leave United for something more successful.

So, you stayed.

And you told no one.

You became a star, a constant talking point in woman's football. Your fame shot to new heights when you started to date a pop star and that's when the modelling jobs began to pour in.

And suddenly, you were rolling in money.

But you still took everything that David gave to you. And then you took it out onto the pitch and gave the world a new talent to obsess over. The older you grew, your game became better but your anger became near catastrophic. It wasn't until you finished a season with 5 red cards and a serious telling off from Sarina Wiegman at your latest England camp that you decided enough was enough. You couldn't do it anymore. You had to say no.

That's when you moved to Arsenal.

[drex223]

It’s important to make up after you’ve been wrestling for the entire game

[idontknowwfc]

"Play for the badge on the front of the shirt and they'll remember the name on the back."

[enwoso]

Emily fox teaching Lovie to read

BOOKWORM - alessia russo x child!reader

just a lil cute blurb as a treat after that wonderful start to arsenal’s uwcl campaign❤️🤍

grumpy masterlist

“so can you tell me what that word says?” emily asked as she had arranged the colourful letters into a words. she was sat with you helping to teach you to read.

alessia had tried so many ways to try and help you learn to read, she had used ways from google, tiktok, mum groups but non of it seemed to work. you would instead just get bored and rush off to do something else.

many of the other arsenal girls had also tried but you never seemed interested in doing it, instead finding something to avert your attention to.

but you’d been sat with emily now on the coach, a table in front of you for at least thirty minutes doing a letter game, where she would make a spell the letter for you but you had to read what it said. it so far seeming to work.

you sat with a concentrated look on your face as you tongue slightly poked out between your lips as you tried to work out the word emily had spelt for you.

“that’s a t- and a r” you said pointing at the colourful letters on the table as emily nodded on encouragingly with a smile on her face as you were close, “tr-tee no, tree!”

“yes! woo” emily cheered on as you sat with a proud smile on your face as emily moved the coloured letters once again, “should we try something a little trickier now?” emily turned to you as you paused for a second to think before nodding your head.

your mummy was watching on from the seats across the aisle, a small smile as she watched you thrive. you were learning and even though it had taken a few attempts with different people including herself she was glad you were finally getting it and having fun while doing it.

emily moved the letters to make a sentence, it going along the table, making sure you could make the words out. “right, you ready?” she asked as you hummed looking at the four words splayed across the table.

“um, t-h-e, the” you sounded the letters out as looked to the side slightly to see emily’s reaction knowing you were doing something right as she had an encouraging smile on her face. “the, d-o-g-, dog!”

“yes! your doing so well, keep sounded the letters out” emily encouraged as she pointed to the next letter of the new word.

“w-a-s.. um. was!” you got out after a few attempts of sounding the letters out as emily nodded pointing to the last letter of the last word.

“uh. u-p… s-e-t?” you sounded each letter out as you looked to emily a little confused as she gave you a few hints. “so try and say them together, up and set”

“upset?” you said a little hesitantly as emily encouraged you to carry on.

“get in tiny! now can you put all those words together to make the sentence” emily asked as you nodded, emily pointing back to the first word.

“the,, dog, was,, upset. the dog was upset!” emily cheered as you finished the sentence, a little face of surprise and shock came across you before a big smile overcame as emily high fived you.

an immense amount of pride filled you as you carried on talking and reading sentence out that emily placed on the table with the colourful letters.

you finishing up the last word of the sentence emily had splayed along the table, “your a superstar! that was excellent!” emily high fived you with two hands as you bounced up and down in your seat in excitement of your new skill.

“mummy!” you called out to your mum who was sat across from you and emily, busying herself with finishing some uni work in the spare time she had where her full attention didn’t need to be on you.

“yes baby?” alessia cooed as she looked up from her laptop with a small smile.

“i can read! emily teached me!” you said with such excitement as alessia corrected you on the word you butched slightly.

“that’s fantastic lovie, i’m so proud of you!” your mummy smiled proudly at you as your small heart felt all warm and fuzzy with a sense of accomplishment. “now you can start and read me a bedtime story” your mummy joked, it being a nightly routine that you wouldn’t fall asleep at home without a story but usually after the first few words you fell straight asleep.

you nodded, before making you way down the bus to tell everyone your new skill that you had mastered on the journey. the entire team being so excited for you.

“how on earth have you managed that foxy?” alessia asked, genuinely curious as the blonde had tried every way possible to teach you to read. emily just shrugging she hadn’t had a technique, nor had she ever taught a four year old to read before so she didn’t really know what she had done differently.

“you must of been a teacher in your past life!”

[pitchsidestories]

book lovers II Emily Fox x Reader

masterlist I word count: 1360

a/n: hi, this oneshot won the poll by far, enjoy. Plays in the same universe as Arsenal Book Club.

pairings: Arsenal Wfc x Reader (platonic), Emily Fox x Reader (romantic)

For the new season, Arsenal’s book club met again. Emily was excited, this time she would be the host.

She had prepared everything. From turning her living room into a cozy reading spot to organizing snacks and wine.

There was just one more thing to do. And for that she needed to ask her teammates.

“No, she can’t be part of the Arsenal book club, Emily!“, Leah cut her off because she could fully phrase her question.

Emily frowned at her teammate. She couldn’t understand why they didn’t want you around, only because you played for Chelsea.

“But I already invited her.“

Leah almost choked on her wine. The room went quiet immediately.

The blonde defender turned to the others: “Girls, you agree with me, right?“

No one dared to answer.

Kim finally looked up from where was busy setting up a laptop so Jen could join in from the US. She sighed: “It’s just a book club, Leah.“

“With Arsenal players!“, she replied, rolling her eyes.

“Viv and Jen are still part of it and they don’t play for us anymore.“, Beth countered with a casual shoulder shrug.

“But they’re former Arsenal players. They still belong to the family.“

The discussion was interrupted by Jens voice: “Cheers, mates.“ Her smiling face appeared on the laptop screen. She looked tired, her hair was tied up into a messy bun and she clearly sat in her kitchen with a mug in front of her.

“Hi, Jen. What time is it in Cali? Did you get up for this?“, Kim greeted the other scot.

Jen nodded proudly: “It’s eight in the morning but I’m ready. I got our book, a cup of coffee and I’m only slightly jealous of your wine.“

“And I’m jealous of your coffee so I think that’s fair.“, Kim smiled.

Beth appeared on her side and pressed her face closer to the screen: “Is that Deyna in the background?“

“Yes, she slept here. Why?“, Jen replied nonchalantly.

Beth played innocent: “Just asking.“

Deyna waved into the camera: “I loved the book. Jen and I read it out loud to each other in the evening. Would recommend doing that with your p-… friends.“

The Venezuelan football player blushed slightly.

Leah rolled her eyes once again, this time with a smile: “Sounds totally like something friends would do.“

“Shut it, Lee.“, Jen laughed.

While the other Arsenal players were busy discussing their former teammates’ love life, Emily sneaked out to let you in.

In the hallway, she greeted you with a long kiss.

“You’re here.“

“Of course. Sorry for being late, got some snacks.“, you smiled and apologetically held up a huge bag.

“You didn’t have to. We have more than enough.“

“I thought food might be the way to their hearts.”, you explained sounding hopeful. Noticing the two familiar faces who appeared behind your girlfriend made your grin grew deeper.

“Hi Lotte and Lessi!”

“Hey y/n.”, Lotte responded with a warm smile on her lips.

“Great to see you.”, Alessia chirmed pulling you into one of her famous bear hugs.

“It’s been forever.”, you nodded.

“Sadly, you’re not in our team anymore.”, the English defender sighed.

“What do you mean?”, Leah intervened curiously.

“We all played together for the North Carolina Tar Heels.”, the Blonde forward stated.

“You did?”, Vivianne threw in surprised.

“Yes.”, Emily confirmed.

“What a coincidence.”, the Dutch player remarked.

“It’s.”, your girlfriend agreed.

“And now we’re all reunited far away from North Carolina.”, you observed happily.

“All in London.”, Lotte stated.

“Disgustingly cute.”, Katie commented, wrinkling her nose.

“Can we get to the book now?”, Kim asked with a tortured smile on the face.

“Please.”, you replied.

“Yes, come on. Sit down.”, Emily requested, touching the empty place beside her on the comfy sofa. Gladly you sat down next to your lover.

“Cheers, y/n.”, Katie toasted you grinning.

“I almost thought you’d knock my head with your glass, McCabe.”, you shook your head laughing.

“You’re lucky I didn’t even though you play for Chelsea.”, the Irish footballer growled.

As an American you didn’t think much about the rivalry between Chelsea and Arsenal until you arrived in England and met people like Katie or Leah who took this very seriously.

“But we’re both Emily’s friends.”, you reminded her softly.

“You don’t have friends on the Chelsea team, huh.”, the Ireland captain joked teasingly.

“Not true. They just don’t like to read.”, you protested.

“Oh, these girls here don’t read either except for fellow bookworm Emily.”, Kim told you.

“What?”, Emily gasped.

“Yes, you’re our book nerd and apparently y/n is at Chelsea.”, Leah smirked amused.

“Sounds like a perfect couple to me.”, Beth chuckled at the blonde defender’s observation.

“Two book lovers. Yes, indeed.”, Jen added.

“Actually.”, Emily begun, her cheeks turning slightly pink as all the eyes of her teammates were on her.

“We’re.”, you continued.

“A couple. Who would have guessed.”, Katie rolled her eyes at the pair of you.

“Is no one surprised?”, your girlfriend wanted to know smiling.

“Do you want us to be?”, Beth returned the question in a sincere voice.

“The derby said everything to be honest.”, the lionesses captain admitted winking.

“The derby?!”, you exclaimed.

“Yeah, you were there?”, Leah questioned unserious clearly, she knew you were a part of that game.

“Yes, I remember it all too well.”, you confessed.

You bit your lip, thinking back to that day and wondered if you were really that obvious a few weeks ago.

Katie smirked at you: “And let’s just say it wasn’t only sportsmanship that we saw afterwards.“

“Trust me, some people would still say it was only true sportsmanship.“, Beth laughed.

Leah wrinkled her nose and teased: “Oh yes, a girl consoling another girl with a kiss, such sportsmanship.“

You felt the blood rush into your cheeks.

Embarrassed, you tried to hide your face in Emilys neck: “Oh god, you guys!“

Emily laughed, patting your back: “They’re always like this.“

“I think I like them… Still annoying though.“, you commented as you looked back up again.

Leah raised one eyebrow: “Says the Chelsea player.“

You looked at your girlfriend for help but she just shrugged: “Sorry, I can’t save you from this lifelong gooner, love, if you keep saying such things.“

“What about the love you until the day I die promise?“, you asked her, playfully pouting.

Beth grimaced in disgust and turned to Arsenals captain who looked like she was suffering: “Kim, I think they read too many romance books.“

Kim sighed in response: “I just want to have one book club where we actually get to read and that doesn’t turn into some kind of dating show.“

The book club ended without much reading so you and Emily read the book over the course of the next few days. Once you finished it, you placed both your copies onto your shared bookshelf. There was a large collection of books already and almost no more space.

As you turned away from the bookshelf, there was a loud crack, then an even louder thud. You let out an involuntary shriek before you took in the books at your feet.

The lowest shelf had collapsed under the weight of all those books.

“Uhm, Em?“, you called for your girlfriend.

“Yes?“, she yelled back from the kitchen.

“I think we need to make another trip to IKEA… or get rid of some books.“, you half joked.

“Why?“ She appeared in your living room and took in the situation. “Oh my god.“

“It broke under the weight.“, you explained.

Your girlfriend smiled fondly but shook her head: “Have you ever heard of an e-reader?“

You glared at her: “That’s nothing compared to ink and paper! Besides, I’m not getting one just because of your deal with kindle.“

“Okay, fine. We’ll go buy you another shelf.“, she laughed, defensively raising her hands.

You smiled: “Thank you. Food will be on me, you can choose whatever you want.“

Emily nodded slowly, already thinking about what to get at the Swedish furniture store: “Okay, we have a deal.“

“Better than your kindle deal.“, you laughed and stepped around the scattered books to kiss her.

[little-boyyyy-blog]

she’s so american

emily fox x reader

in which you meet emily through mutual college friends in a completely different country than home. only to quickly find an undeniable connection that stops all those calls back home.

pt.2?

it’s hard to actually pinpoint the start and end of your move ‘across the pond’; but you knew that it truthfully the best decision you could make for yourself. you had gotten a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity; working at a hospital in your dream country.

it wasn’t for the cute accents or the nasty beans as breakfast ; but for the weather. you absolutely loved the rain. your day was automatically made when you’d wake up and you could smell the rain holding in the air.

you knew it was weird, but you had always loved the rain. you never knew why; it being commonly know that others get more bleak or even sad when it rained. it made you the happiest.

you had been told to move to seattle or just somewhere with more rainfall than north carolina by many friends and family. but your heart had always been set on london.

london has be absolutely everything you had ever imagined; you loved the city, your job, your apartment, and you really enjoyed reconnecting with your old college friends. ones you never thought you would.

lotte and you met in your first year gen-ed history class. being sat next to each other in one of the largest classes there was on the campus. you actually started your friendship over a single conversation; one about your hope to move to england the second she spoke. her accent taking all of your attention away from the professor just to ask her a handful of questions.

lotte was easily the nicest person you had ever met; alessia was amazing too. meeting the blonde just days after being friends with lotte; the two brit’s being roommates made it inevitable.

lotte and you were great friends, causing you and alessia to become the same. for the first three years at unc there was never a week that went by without you hanging out with them. you of course had other friends as so did they, but lotte and you had seemingly always wanted to be with each other first before the others.

so that’s why it was hard once she had told you she was going back to england, wanting to sign with a team there and make the move she had been wanting to do for years. it hurt. but you felt as if you’d be okay, you at least had alessia.

you and alessia had grown thick as thieves as you became juniors. the mean girl mask she wore slipping around only her teammates and you.

but then alessia had told you the same thing. your two brit’s were leaving just how you met them. together.

no matter how you felt you never let yourself become selfish. you never once asked them to stay. and you never once questioned them on why a year sooner; you knew covid was a part of it but it had gotten better. and they seemed to love it here. but they left, and you only had messages and phone calls.

and as the years passed, and as you all entered your mid 20’s. things picked up for all of you. they became members of the lionesses, and you made your way through residency. becoming a nurse and working long days makes friendships hard, much less long distance ones. but you all never let it go too far. a message on a post or a quick text every once in a while meant much to both ends of the friendship.

so. the second you posted to your instagram story yourself at a local cafe in downtown london. it wasn’t just lotte who called you. less did too.

the group of the three of you met back up sooner than expected; it still being a little while as you combatted international games, club games, and 8 to 8’s. but once you did. it because a regular thing, something the three of you did often; even planned out. which is what led to the three of you wine drunk in alessia high rise apartment, until it was two.. or three in the morning. thank god for off days.

the night only halted by a knock on the apartments front door. your stomach dropping at the sight of the girl who alessia brought in with her.

it was absolutely a unc reunion.

the woman who came with another blonde quickly made her way into the apartment, giving lotte a hug before making her way to introduce herself.

“oh it’s so nice to meet you, i’m em-“

“emily fox. she knows; she’s from unc” lotte cut the brunette off, her hand coming and resting on your knee. only for you to pinch your friend on the wrist; her giving you a dirty glare but a smile. “really? are you american?”

“yeah i a-“

“yes she is!” lotte spoke over you again. your cheeks turning a light red as you become shy, not being used to being infront of emily. or being with an intoxicated lotte.

of course you knew who emily was, you had seen her before. you had asked about her before. she was one of the most gorgeous women you’ve ever laid your eyes on and it was not even close. you’ve had a far away crush on the fellow american since college, and she’s only gotten more attractive with age.

“ugh not another one of those accents.” the blonde by the door joked. alessia hitting the slightly shorter girl as you laughed lightly at the girl, emily taking the seat infront of you, you sitting in the corner of the L shaped couch with your legs straight over lotte’s lap. “you looked very familiar.”

“duh. unc. you probably saw her around with us.” alessia came and sat next to her, the other blonde following. only stopping in the kitchen for two more glasses before making her way to the couch. it seemed as they were staying. but with the expensive bottles of wine tucked under the girl’s arm, you were completely okay with that. “long time friends?” emily asked.

“yeah i’d say so” you replied.

“see she does have one of those accents” alessia joked, making the new blonde laugh as lotte tried to stifles hers.

“you’re the ones with the funny accents?” you quickly replied.

“says yall?” emily followed.

you both smiled over at each other and it seemed to be the start of something. as the night grew on , a few more of alessia’s and lotte’s friends showed up. you had learned that all the people coming over were the girl’s teammates, relocating to alessia’s after a night out, you didn’t complain. you had also learned the other blonde who came in with emily was named leah, the co captain of their soccer team? or football team. it’s the same thing.

as the night turned into the early morning, emily and you had seemingly fallen into this world of your own. both chatting about everything under the sun. starting with college, your careers, both of your moves to a new country, your past times, fashion. you name it? the pair of you probably touched on it, and there was no interrupting the two of you.

you were obviously nice and introduced yourself to the people who showed up later, it being kyra, caitlin, and katie. who did all show up all the same time, only an hour later but no matter what; you came back to emily. falling back into the ongoing conversation about everything and anything under the sun. the only time you stumbled over your words or became nervous was when she asked you about your dating history.

“so are with a guy? or girl? or whoever?..” she stuttered out, it being a question she only brought up once the rest of the girls made it into the kitchen.

“..i’m sorry i don’t know what you’re into.”

her cheeks were slightly red, her hand now lightly holding your legs onto her lap. you had placed them over hers once lotte got up, she never questioned it.

but she had her wrist resting on them before, now? her right hand was holding onto one of your calf’s as she looked away slightly. pretending to be interested in the noise coming from the kitchen as her cheeks had a light pink tint to them. “no im single, and gay..”

emily quickly turned back to look at you, a small smile coming across her face. “oh okay! well are you busy this weekend?”

“why fox?”

“we have a match this weekend!” lotte came back into there living room, a smile on her face as she falls onto the couch. the wine was speaking, not lotte.

emily’s blush deepened as the rest of the girls followed and made room for themselves too, causing emily to shift closer to you.

“what day?” you questioned, your arm coming to lay on the back of the couch as your touch neared close to emily. you could reach other and touch her shoulder but you didn’t. keeping your hand firmly on the top of the couch; seeing as her eyes drifted off to look at it. “sunday, and we both know you’re off. ” alessia butted in.

“well i just might have to go, how much are tickets?”

“leah!”

“leah!”

“lee!”

“what?!” leah came running out of the restroom at the call of the unc girls.

“get your bag!”

“why?” she was already walking to get it when lotte asked, but it still caused you to crack a smile

“you have a spare ticket for this weekend!” alessia spoke now, your eyes moving between your two friends. it had been something they’ve always done but it’ll never not impress you.

“she always has a spare ticket” emily whispered over to you, the feeling of her warm breathe lit a small fire in your stomach. leah brought over a ticket; red and white being the color of it as you quickly set it under your phone on the coffee table. “you coming to watch a match now?”

“i’ve watched some soccer games before, i mean i had to being friends with these two-“

“-ughhh” lotte cut you off.

“it’s football!” leah reminded you like a strict mother. hearing emily giggle to herself as you tried to hide your face in your hands.

“y/n we’ve been over this. football. you’re in england now.” your cheeks flushed red at the reaction of the girls.

“mate thinks we’re soccer players?” katie mocked an american accent as the rest of girls giggled.

“well i am” emily smiled down at you, causing you to smile up at the brunette. just admiring how beautiful she really was.

“one hell of a soccer player aye?” lotte asked you, your cheeks now being naturally red from a light burn. an easy cover up to the blush that was rushing to your well structured face.

you had made your way back to lottes flat after a weekend match, it had been the 4th match you’ve made it to since being in london. you had an undeniable attraction towards a certain american arsenal fullback. after the first match, you had become infatuated with emily. she was show-stopping on the pitch; taking not only the WSL by storm but also your heart.

she was easily the most attractive player; maybe even person. in your mind. especially while playing, which led to making post games even harder. you had really found yourself desiring attention for the virginian, finding a feeling only as comfortable as going home within her. and you desired it all the time. but it was so hard to be around her when she looked so good.

you actually had fought with a coworker about getting match day covered just so you could make it to a match, to watch emily play. and your friends too of course..

“she’s an amazing player.”

“everyone on the team is, but you’re only staring at her.” lotte teased, lightly rocking you with an elbow to your arm.

“lotte..”

“it’s fine to fancy her, you should do something about it. i think she thinks the same.”

emily was standing in the kitchen of lotte’s flat, talking with alessia and katie as tao was grabbing a drink. you had learned to love lotte’s boyfriend, he loved to cook for the girls who came around and he was a refreshing treat of normal. it was hard to come by when it came to being around all these celebrities.

you knew tao was famous in his own right, a grand tour winner as the youngest to ever do it made it impossible not to be known. but he lived a calmer life than the girls. he hung out with more friends than co workers and made it a mission to make you not feel left out while being surrounded by the arsenal women. when they talked about football, you both talked about your careers, your friends, your families. something that emily happened to be good at too.

but as always. the conversation of emily happened to show up, not to his or your own fault. but lotte’s.

tao never told lotte about your crush on the fellow american, but that’s because he never had to. the hopeless looks and the excuses to never be left alone with emily made it noticeable to the dutchie.

but there was one thing that none of them seemed to catch on too.

it was the fact that you and emily in fact could be left alone in a room together without you malfunctioning. and you did it quiet often.

it had first started small. you had asked her about her move to europe from america and how she had managed to unpack everything and settle down so swiftly one evening only to find out she hadn’t.

admitting to basically living out of boxes and her local market. you had offered to help her on a day off, only in hope for help in return. but she had only laughed it off so you hadn’t expected much. going out for coffee a few days later, you reminded her that the offer was still there.

but as the following friday night came and you had just gotten off work, you got a call from the american. she had shyly; almost sheepishly asked for your help unpacking her flat. you quickly agreed and found yourself at her apartment within the hour. spending that friday night opening up boxes and reorganizing emily’s house; a bottle of wine being the best thing for both of you at the end of the night.

you may have gotten a little too tipsy and as you found yourself in no form to drive home, and with it now being an early saturday morning. emily had insisted for you to stay the night.

you took the offer with little hesitation but she assured you that if anything, she enjoyed the company. admitting to you that she had actually desired for a while for someone to keep her company the way you had done tonight. only for it to continue a few days later. spending the night everyday too.

“goodnight emily thank you for letting me stay over” you had whispered. emily had just turned off the light on her nightstand, the brightness from her phone now being the only illuminating source in the room. it was probably the third or fourth night of you helping unpack and you two had fallen into a rhythm of some sorts.

she looked beautiful, your lips were parted as you looked over at the brunette. a cheeky smile crossing her lips as she looked over at you. “thank you for helping me unpack these last few days”

“it’s no big deal.” you quickly dismissed, your head resting comfortably against her pillow, closing your eyes as if to show how unbothered you were to have unpacked.

emily slid down the bed, looking over at you and her free hand touching your wrist. “still. thank you. i really enjoy you being around.”

“i like being around.” the touch wasn’t a big deal. it may have sent butterflies to your stomach and may have let you say some dumb things in your opinion. but as long as you repeated that it wasn’t a big deal. it would stay that way.

“i highly doubt she feels the same, but thanks for the encouragement lotte”

“who feels the same?” alessia had asked as she brought in a large takeaway bag. the spent group of the 7 girls (you, lotte, alessia, emily, leah, katie, and caitlin) and tao had chosen not the spend the saturday night drinking out on the town with the rest of the team. rather deciding to eat takeaway and relax with a few films back at lotte’s flat.

you quickly looked over at lotte who’s eyes widen, quickly stuttering out a bullshit excuse that nobody believed, yet nobody questioned. not caring enough to push the young girl.

emily took her spot right next to you, not thinking twice about another spot in the house. she hadn’t asked or offered someone else the seat, she just made herself at home next to you. your eyes meeting lottes as she noticed her teammates decision too.

as the group of you all dug into your food, side chatter began. allowing you and emily to fall into a comfortable conversation as normal. “you played amazing today.”

“thank you y/n. you looked amazing.” emily smiled over at you, grabbing her drink off of the table as she looked around the room to see if anyone had heard her. your cheeks were covered with a red tint, looking down sheepishly from her compliment. “as so did you em.”

“are you going back home tonight?” she questioned you. you shrugged, your mouth now being full with food as you tried to not allow yourself to say something stupid again.

“figured we could finish the movie we started on thursday? you could just stay at mine and i’ll drop you off at work when i go in for training?”

you nodded, never having a way of saying no to the brunette. “wait? are you two mates?” katie broke up the conversation, her loud mouth causing the whole group to look over at emily and you.

“uhhh, yeah? we’re here obviously?” emily asked confused. “no like you two hang out without the group?”

your face was probably as red as a tomato by this point, it wasn’t the fact the you and emily hanging out was a secret per say. but it basically was one.

“yeah?”

“how often?” katie continued.

“couple times a week?” emily asked at you, a quick nod coming from you.

“for how long??” lotte butted in at the new information.

“since february? maybe late january.” emily took another bite of her food as if it was nothing. making the pit in your stomach only grow bigger.

“FEBRUARY?! it’s april?!”

a small scoff coming from the girl next to you as the group started questioning the independent interactions.

“it really doesn’t matter to you guys, i enjoy spending time with y/n and that’s all that really matters.” emily quickly shut them down. placing a strong, unseen hand on the top of your thigh, underneath the blanket thrown across your lap.

“i’m sorry about tonight, i didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anythin-“

“why are you apologizing?”

you cut off emily, sitting on the edge of her bed only in a sports bra and a pair of unc soccer short; watching as she got ready to go to bed.

“i just don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable with everything that happened tonight. you’re the closest thing i have that feels like home and i really didn’t want the girls to ruin that”

you quickly motioned for emily to come stand in between your legs. wrapping your arms around her shoulders as you pulled her into you; her head falling into your neck as her hands rubbed against your bare sides as she pulled you into her by your waist.

feeling her sigh comfortable against you as you held her.

“you have nothing to worry about em, you feel like home for me too.” you whispered against her skin; rubbing behind her ear as her grasp became tighter. your skin was on fire.

you couldn’t tell if it was from the skin on skin contact with emily or if was due to the conversation being had. but the tension was undeniably there.

it wasn’t to say you hadn’t spent time in emily’s arms. you had shared many hugs, cuddling often and even sharing a bed with her multiple nights. never being more than just as a friend; which was what was very different about this hug.

holding her body against your was something completely different this time. you could feel her tight stomach hardening underneath you and you would be lying if you said you didnt find it attractive.

emily pulled back from the hug only to be standing infront of you, making you look up at her. her eyes were slightly darker than you’ve ever seen them. your hands fell down to rest on her waist, falling right on the waistband of her shorts.

rubbing your thumb against the exposed surface that was her hip bone made emily’s thoughts race, all the flirting and feelings that had been caused and shared had all lead up to this point. and as your fingertips pressed into her back, she found herself losing control. “can i kiss you?”

you had daydreamed about the fullback asking you that question; so once she did. you were absolutely ready. pulling her waist impossible close as you stretched up, emily took your eagerness to be close as a yes to her question and quickly ducked down. pressing her soft lips against yours as her hands held the sides of your face against hers.

it only took one action to release thousands of emotions through your body, but out of all of those emotions. the one that you felt the most was relief. kissing her back almost instantly and pulling her into you habitually.

you had desperately wanted this to happen for months, ever since that first night you had met emily honestly.

so as your lips worked against each other in a passionate kiss, your heart swelled at the thought of something being possible between you and emily.

pulling away only after being desperate for air; emily smiling down at you as you held a tight grip on her hips.

“woah” was the first thing spoke between the two of you; it slipping out from your lips as you looked up at the girl. “i’ve been wanting to do that for so long”

“so have i”

[woso4-life]

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace 5-0

Match photos