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clarisse0o · 4 months ago

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Camp Wiegman-Part 34

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe : Military School

Words: 5k

Masterlist

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Saturday, January 9th, 8:35 PM - Bar

- Move it! We’re late! We said 8:30, for crying out loud!

- Oh, come on, it’s only 8:35.

- Five minutes too late, she grumbles. I’m not someone who’s late.

I smile at her reaction. Today has been very enlightening. I’m slowly starting to get to know the real Lucy, and I realize she’s not so different from the commander at the camp. So, I’m not surprised that she hates being late, both at school and elsewhere. I have to admit, though, I provoked her a bit. I took longer in the bathroom than necessary. It’s nerve-wracking, knowing I’m about to meet my supervisor’s friends. She tried to reassure me, but it was a lost cause. We just arrived in front of a bar with the sign *TheUnited* glowing in the dark. I hide my trembling hands in my jacket pockets. I distract myself by thinking about the end of our day. I loved spending time with her at the park, where she introduced me to the best smoothie of my life. Let’s not even talk about the exhibit. I still can’t believe she found that for me. I loved being able to chat with some of the artists, who were just a bit older than me. It was enriching to listen to their experiences, and it makes me more and more eager to pursue this path. Meeting people like that makes you realize that nothing is impossible. Given my situation, I should know that by now.

- Come on, Ona, are you going in or what? We’re already late, she says, annoyed.

- Sorry, I say, blushing.

- You know, they’re not going to eat you, she finally smiles. And it’s not like I’m going to leave you alone with them.

- Don’t say that. When Mapi tells me that, I always end up alone by the end of the evening.

- I’m not Mapi, as far as I know. I’ll stay with you, I promise. Now, are you going in, or do I have to hold your hand again? she teases.

I give her a stern look before walking into the unfamiliar establishment. The atmosphere of the bar relaxes my muscles. I wasn’t expecting something like this. The decor reminds me of Lucy’s living room, with a stone wall behind the bar. Plus, the ambient lighting adds a certain charm to the place.

- Come on, they’re over there.

I nod, still looking around. Lucy has to guide me forward with her hand on my back. Thinking about it, this is exactly the kind of bar I would like. Lucy and her friends have good taste. The anxiety I had begins to creep back as we approach a crowded table where I only recognize Jenni and Ingrid. At least Lucy wasn’t lying when she said I’d know some people.

- Here come the two latecomers, Jenni comments.

- Hey guys. Sorry, Miss here had a shower issue.

I blush as all eyes turn to me. It’s even more embarrassing since Lƒucy put me front and center by standing behind me. If she hadn’t done that, I would’ve definitely hidden behind her. We go around the table to greet everyone, and she takes the opportunity to introduce me to those I don’t know. I smile shyly as I reach one of her friends, who I recognize as the owner of the paintball place where Lucy took me. Beth, if I remember correctly. She seems to remember me, as do the rest of her friends, who don’t seem to consider me a stranger.

- I didn’t think you were so shy, Ingrid teases when I reach her. Come on, sit next to me.

She pats the empty seat next to her on the bench. I slide in, followed by Lucy. It’s strange to start a night sitting between my two instructors from school. I look at the new faces, trying to remember their names. Jenni, who’s sitting across from me, smiles. I smile back timidly. She’s sitting between Beth and someone I think is named Caroline. The ones at the end of the table are Aitana, who’s next to Lucy, and Mary, who’s across from her. They’re all pretty intimidating. If you ask me, these are the kind of people you avoid picking a fight with.

- So, you’re the famous protégé of Lucy? Aitana asks me.

- Don’t start, Lucy interjects.

- Bringing out the claws? Mary laughs.

- Want to see them? she challenges with her usual coldness, which no longer surprises me.

Her friend surrenders, raising her hands in a gesture of peace. I’m amazed at how much respect she commands here, just as she does with the students. It’s a good example that it’s not just about physical presence to be intimidating. I sink into the leather bench, trying to make myself as small as possible. Fortunately, Jenni changes the subject to ease the tension.

- How’s Alexia? she asks, making me smile softly.

- I don’t have a phone anymore, so I can’t text her, but she was doing great when I left her on Friday afternoon.

- You know her girlfriend? Aitana questions me.

- Uh, yeah... She’s my roommate at the camp.

- Small world, she chuckles. Who would’ve thought.

Her comment seems aimed at my supervisor, as if trying to rile her up. It seems to be working, judging by the way she looks at her. The waitress interrupts us, clearing her throat to get our attention. She was about to speak, but her gaze stops on Lucy, looking surprised to see her.

- Hey, Lucy! Didn’t think I’d see you here tonight. It’s been a while, huh?

- Hi Callie. Yeah, it’s true, it’s been a while since I could go out.

- Glad to see you back. What can I get for you and your girlfriend?

I quickly realize I’m the supposed “girlfriend” when I notice that we’re the only ones without drinks. All her friends have beers.

- She’s not my girlfriend, Lucy corrects. A beer for me. And you, Ona? she asks, turning to me.

- Same for me, I try.

- She’s only twenty. Get her a Coke, please.

- You’re no fun, I grumble.

- I’m responsible for you, she responds with a wink.

- Tsss... I’d prefer an iced tea instead of Coke, though.

- Got it, the waitress laughs. One beer and one iced tea, coming right up.

I pretend to pout, crossing my arms and puffing out my cheeks.

- Not cool, Lucy, one of her friends says in my defense. You’re not her supervisor outside of school.

- I have no mercy for her.

Of course, Lucy doesn’t buy my act and pinches my cheek to make me crack. I giggle and swat at her fingers to get her to stop.

- Did you just hit me? she asks, feigning outrage.

- You were hurting me! I retort.

I jump with a little yelp when she pokes my side. She raises an eyebrow, realizing what just happened before a certain gleam crosses her eyes.

- Hmm... So, you’re ticklish?

- Oh no, no... I see where this is going... I say, scooting closer to Ingrid. Don’t you dare!

I don’t have time to escape or block her hands before she attacks me with tickles. I squeal, writhing in all directions to escape her fingers, but it’s no use.

- St-stop! Please, please! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!

She laughs and finally stops under my pleas. I struggle to catch my breath. The waitress returns at that moment with our drinks. Before I can react, Lucy pays for them without asking my opinion. I bite my lip to avoid saying something in front of her friends, but I plan to make up for it with the next round.

- Do you know how to play pool, Ona? Mary asks me.

- No, I’ve never played, I admit.

- What a shame! Caroline responds. We’ll fix that. I’ll go get the gear. Everyone up for it?

This activity seems to be a regular thing for them, as the group responds positively. I would have preferred it if they weren’t. I slightly lied when I said I’ve never played. I’ve had the misfortune of trying before, and it was a complete disaster. The balls flew everywhere but the table. All her friends head to the pool table closest to ours while Lucy’s friend goes to get the equipment. But I haven’t found the courage to stand up.

- You coming? Lucy asks, having stood up herself.

- I-I think I’ll just stay here. But go ahead. Someone has to watch our stuff.

- What’s wrong? she smiles softly.

I shrug. I don’t dare admit that I’m terrible at pool for fear of embarrassing myself. I sigh when she sits back down next to me. My intention isn’t to ruin her evening.

- I don’t want to make a fool of myself. I’m a walking disaster when it comes to pool.

- Oh... That’s all? she chuckles.

- It’s not funny...

- I was going to teach you, you know. I’m not leaving your side, remember?

I nod, but I’m still not ready to change my mind. Lucy seems to notice, given the small smile she gives me.

- Is there anything else I should know?

- Your friends are impressive.

- I won’t disagree with you, she laughs. Don’t worry, it’s just an appearance. They’re very nice.

- I didn’t say otherwise! They’re nice... But they’re still very impressive.

- Do you want to go home? I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable.

- No! I’m happy to be here.

She looks at me skeptically, but I reassure her with a smile. We watch her friends, who have started a game. I urge her to join them, but she refuses to leave me alone. So, we sit and sip our drinks side by side.

- Want a drink? she offers me her beer.

- No, thank you. I’m not really into beer, I admit. I just wanted to tease you and see your reaction when I said I wanted one, I add, yawning widely.

- Very charming, she smiles foolishly. Are you feeling tired?

- No, not really. By the way, um... can I wake you up tonight if I can’t sleep?

- Of course. That’s exactly what I want you to do. Why didn’t you want to talk to me about it anyway? There are some things about you that I’ll never understand.

- I... I don’t know, I shrug. I don’t like to spread my problems around. I tend to want to solve them on my own... But having you there when I woke up yesterday reassured me, I finally admit.

- I’m glad you’re admitting it, she replies with a little smirk. We’ll have to find a solution at school.

- Alexia will be there.

- Are you going to sleep with her? she laughs. I should warn Jenni.

- No! I giggle. I didn’t mean that, but I know she’ll be there if something goes wrong... Until now, I made sure she didn’t hear me when I was awake... But, well, you know me... I have two left feet.

- Two left feet? she laughs. What did you do this time?

- Let’s just say a bedpost hurts a lot when you bump into it, I say, making her laugh even more. It’s not funny, stop it, I giggle, hitting her arm.

- You’re really not skilled.

- I can’t help it if I can’t turn on the light because of the instructor in the hallway! I’d like to see you do better! By the way, do you know who’s on duty on my floor?

- Should I get you a flashlight? she jokes. And no, I don’t know since we’re never in contact with them, but I’ll find out, it seems.

- You’re going to talk to them, aren’t you?

- You know I have to. If they catch you wandering at night, you’ll get in trouble for nothing.

- Fine... I suppose you’re right... Well, should we join your friends now? I feel ready.

- Coward, she smiles. You always run away when things get complicated, she says, making me blush. But if you insist, I’ll teach you how to play pool.

Oh, the sly one. I had forgotten how good she is at making me regret running away. With no way to back out, I stand up to accompany her to the pool table. Jenni and Aitan a were about to start a new game when they saw us coming. Her other friends are chatting and laughing with a beer in hand.

- You playing with us? Jenni offers.

- Of course, Lucy agrees. How about a two-on-two?

- Yep.

- Are you sure about this? I whisper to her. I wasn’t kidding when I said I’m really bad, you know!

- Relax, she laughs. I’ll teach you.

I shrink as Lucy explains my problem to her friends. They tease me a bit but quickly reassure me by saying there’s a first time for everything. The atmosphere is quite pleasant, after all. The background music is just loud enough to be heard but not too loud to disrupt our conversations. Now that I pay attention, there are a lot of young people around. Yet, I remain one of the youngest.

- Here, she says, handing me the pool cue. Show me what you can do.

I grimace as I take it. I move towards the game, which has already started. I lean against the table and strike the cue ball with the pool cue. There are giggles behind me when I miss. They don’t last long, and I understand why when I see Lucy’s stern eyes on our opponents.

- Get back in position, I’ll help you.

- I told you I’m a real disaster.

- It’s okay, she smiles. Come on, lean in, I’ll explain.

I get back in position without much confidence and listen as she shows me how to better place my hands on the cue. She leans in to help position my fingers at the end of the cue, so they serve as an aiming guide. Once I’m in place according to her, she shows the mobility of this new position by moving the cue back and forth.

- Good, now you just have to gauge your shot, she says, looking at me.

- Should we do it together? I propose hesitantly.

- If you want.

She focuses on the game again. I try to do the same, but it’s very difficult given our position. Her body is completely pressed against mine, and her hands cover mine.

- At least you have the best teacher, she whispers, making me laugh nervously.

Unexpectedly, she strikes the cue ball. We stand up to watch it hit a colored ball, slowly driving it into the pocket at the other end of the table. I can’t contain my joy and jump into Lucy’s arms. She has no choice but to catch me. I quickly come to my senses and pull away, but she doesn’t seem to mind, given the smile she gives me. She hands me the pool cue.

- Try it on your own now. Ours are the solid colors, so avoid sinking the stripes. Look, try this one.

She pulls on my sweater sleeve to make me follow her. Technically, it’s hers since I put on her sweater after my shower. I lean in, waiting for her to adjust my position before striking the ball. I hold back a cheer when it sinks into a pocket again. I leave my place to Lucy, not wanting to play the whole game myself. She plays without hesitation. I’m amazed when she manages to hit a ball I would never have been able to touch. I chuckle at the disappointed looks on her friends’ faces.

- Damn, you haven’t lost your touch, Jenni says.

- It’s something you don’t lose, Jenni, she teases. Ona, come here.

I join her without thinking. I’m actually enjoying playing for once. When I reach her side, I listen attentively to her instructions for our next shot. She takes the opportunity to teach me some new tricks. I’m starting to enjoy pool. It’s so simple with her. We continue until I make a mistake, giving the turn to the girls. We’ve nearly pocketed all our balls in one go, so it’s not a big deal. The girls take over. They tell me that Lucy is an expert at this game. I didn’t need their comment to notice. We easily win the game. To think it started with them teasing me. I mentally note to always team up with Lucy. Even with a beginner like me, she managed to lead us to a decisive victory. My eyes land on a small blue chalk piece at the edge of the pool table.

- What’s that? I ask Lucy.

- Oh, that. You put it on the cue tip. It allows you to add spin and be more precise.

I smile mischievously as I pick it up and draw a line on her cheek to get back at her for tickling me earlier. I take advantage of her surprise to draw a second line.

- Hey! Stop that! she protests.

- Or what? I taunt her.

- Or you’ll regret it, she challenges me.

No one can resist such a challenge. At least, not me. I try to draw a third line, but this time she’s ready and grabs my wrists. She turns me so that my back is pressed against her chest, reducing my movements by holding my arms. This position leaves me defenseless. She takes the opportunity to grab the blue chalk and attack me in turn. I laugh, squirming as best as I can.

- Okay, okay! I surrender!

- That’s too easy, she laughs. This will teach you not to mess with someone stronger than you.

She continues until our heads collide violently due to my squirming. A loud thud is followed by groans. Her grip on my wrists disappears, allowing me to rub the sore spot. We burst out laughing when I face Lucy, who is in the same posture as me.

- All this because of your antics! You’ll see if I have a bump! I joke.

- Poor thing, I giggle.

- You should worry if you both have one on Monday, Ingrid intervenes.

I calm down, not having thought of that. I remove my hands from my head at Ingrid’s request to check for damage. Lucy also comes closer. I grimace when she presses on it. Ingrid slaps her hand away before I can.

- Stop that! Show me your forehead too.

- I’m fine, don’t worry, she chuckles. But she needs ice, she points to me.

- You too, given how red you are, Ingrid retorts. You’re both lost causes! she mocks. I’ll get some ice. Go sit down.

I chuckle as I see her forehead indeed turning red. A few minutes later, we’re sitting side by side, each holding an ice pack on our bumps. The situation is rather funny.

- "This is your fault!" she retorts.

- "You didn’t have to hold me."

- "You’re the one who started with the chalk! I had to defend myself."

- "Maybe, but you kept it going!"

- "Hey, enough, you two," Ingrid grumbles as she arrives and sets down new drinks in front of us. "You two are like kids together, honestly!"

- "Grumpy."

I snicker at Lucy’s comment. Ingrid rolls her eyes in exasperation as my supervisor laughs along. It’s the first time Ingrid’s the one complaining while Lucy’s laughing. She calls us hopeless cases before turning on her heel to join the others.

- "I take back what I said... You’re not as uptight as I thought."

- "Well, I should hope not!"

- "I thought you were too old to let loose..."

- "I’m not old!" she exclaims, offended.

- "I’d love to say otherwise, but I still don’t know your age."

- "You’re not going to find out," she laughs.

- "Oh, come on! I know everything else now! Your first name, last name, where you live, your friends..." I listed.

- "Not everything, since you’re missing my age."

I sigh, leaning back against the bench. She smiles before taking a sip of her beer. I guess I can keep dreaming about finding out her age. At least, that’s what I thought.

- "Twenty-five."

- "Twenty-five?" I repeated. "That’s it?"

- "That’s it?" she chuckles. "That’s more than enough!"

- "No, but... Seriously? You told me you started working at Camp Wiegman four our years ago! You couldn’t have started at my age... right? And what about your studies?"

- "I was doing an apprenticeship part-time the first year. I was in my last year of school and would come after classes. Ingrid was the one who trained me."

- "Wow... You were young. What about the others then?"

- "Who?"

- "Ingrid and Jenni."

- "Well, Jenni did the same thing and was trained by White. But Ingrid is a year older than us, so she had just started her first year full-time."

- "Oh, I see."

- "Anyway, let me see your head, please."

I take off my ice pack and take the opportunity to apologize. It’s my fault we’re in this situation, though we did have a good laugh. The bump gave me a headache. I hope it’ll be gone by Monday. We continue chatting. She changes the subject by asking me what kind of parties I attend in Barcelona. Since I can’t lie, especially to her, I share some high school party memories since she already knows everything about my recent outings. They’re nothing like this one, and that’s a shame. Seeing that I was uncomfortable talking about it, Lucy decides it’s time to return to her friends.

- "Here," she says, handing me a twenty-dollar bill. "Can you order another round from Callie and return the ice packs, please?"

- "Yep, I’m on it."

- "Don’t hesitate to get something for yourself, too."

I head to the bar to order this round. It’ll be the third since we arrived. Jenni paid for the first one and Caroline the second. It’s a weird process. Where I’m from, everyone pays for their own drinks. I lean against the bar between two high stools, waiting for the waitress. I turn my head towards the group when I recognize my supervisor’s laughter. A smile spreads across my lips. I have no regrets about being here tonight.

- "Another round?"

- "Yes, please," I replied to Callie, handing her Lucy’s bill.

- "And what can I get for you? Lucy said it’s okay if you want a beer."

- "No, thanks. I’ll stick with iced tea."

She nods with a smile before heading off to prepare our drinks. I notice she’s already picked up the ice packs I had placed on the counter. I turn again to look at Lucy. She’s full of surprises, it seems. I wasn’t expecting her to let me have alcohol. She seems so at home here. I bite my lip as I turn back towards the bar. I need to stop staring at her more than I should. I’ve been feeling unsettled around her for the past few days.

- "I didn’t know you were so calm."

I furrow my brow at the familiar voice. I look to my right and am surprised to find Alex, the guy I met during my afternoon at the ice rink with Joan.

- "Alex? What are you doing here?"

- "Hi to you too," he smiles. "Glad you remember me."

- "And here’s the change," Callie interrupts us. "Should I take the drinks over?"

- "Yes, please."

She sets my iced tea on the counter with a wink before taking the tray filled with beers. I thank her before she heads off with the tray.

- "So? What are you doing here?" I pressed Alex.

- "I told you last time we hung out that I also have classes in Manchester. Don’t you remember?"

- "No..." I replied, feeling embarrassed. "Sorry, I don’t remember much from the night we spent together."

- "I’m not surprised," he chuckles. "Did you come with friends tonight?"

- "You could say that, yes."

I follow Alex’s gaze over my shoulder to the people I came with. I’m surprised to meet Lucy’s green eyes. Ingrid is talking to her, but that doesn’t stop her from keeping her eyes fixed on me. She only breaks our eye contact when her friend taps her arm to get her attention. I turn back as well.

- "I sent you some messages not long ago. Didn’t you get them?"

- "Oh, um... Actually, I don’t have a phone anymore. I broke it a week ago."

- "That explains why I didn’t get a response to my offer."

- "What offer?" I asked with a small, friendly smile.

- "I wanted to see you again. I guess now you have no choice but to accept if you want me to forgive you."

- "Who said I want to be forgiven?"

- "You’re hurting me," he says, clasping his hands over his heart, making me laugh.

- "Poor thing," I mocked.

- "Honestly, I’d really appreciate seeing you again, if you’re up for it."

- "I’d like to say yes, but it’s going to be tough. I’m at a strict school that only lets me out on weekends if I’m granted permission."

- "Oh yeah, your famous military school that you wouldn’t stop talking about all night."

- "Really? I couldn’t have mentioned it that much. You must be exaggerating."

- "No, I swear," he laughs.

- "Is there anything else I should know about that night?"

- "Oh, I don’t know. Maybe that you kissed me?"

- "How about the truth instead?" I replied, making him laugh.

- "Am I that repulsive?"

- "I didn’t say that."

- "Still, what you just said is kind of hurtful."

I bite my lip, hoping he’s not offended. He must have been happy I was talking to him, given the circumstances. I say nothing and prefer to come up with another excuse, something a bit funnier than the real reason.

- "Let’s just say your flirting style is outdated."

- "At least it’s straightforward..."

I give him a playful tap on the shoulder at his dejected look. I hope I didn’t give him false hopes during that night. I really do like him, but he’s on the wrong track if he thinks he has a chance with me. I tense up when I feel an arm wrap around my waist and a head rest on my shoulder. I relax when I recognize the dark hair cascading over my shoulder. This sudden closeness surprises me, but I say nothing.

- "Is everything okay?"

- "Yes, yes. Sorry for taking so long. This is Alex, someone I met in Barcelona. I must have mentioned him to you."

- "Hmm, probably. Hi."

She lifts her head to look at him. Alex returns the greeting, his expression somewhat puzzled. A palpable tension has formed out of nowhere. Everything had been going smoothly until now. A certain glint flashes in Alex's eyes, as if he's trying to prove something.

"It's funny though," he jokes, "you say my flirting is outdated, but you still talk about me."

"That doesn't mean anything," I reply with a smile. "Sorry, but I’m going to have to decline your offer. Like I said, I don’t have control over my outings with school, and I don't have a phone anymore."

"At least let me give you my number again, so you can text me when you get a new one, Miss Unreachable?"

"I guess I can do that, if you enjoy torturing yourself."

He laughs and grabs a napkin from the bar, scribbling his number on it before handing it to me.

"I was warned you were a lesbian, but... Well, you know where to find me if you ever want to hang out."

"Who told you that?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Your best friend. Mapi, I think?"

"Oh, I see," I roll my eyes.

"She told me I was wasting my time with you. Apparently, you’re already into someone."

He glances over at Lucy as he says this, making me grit my teeth and silently curse Mapi for this awkward moment. I don’t need her to scare off my would-be suitors. She really goes overboard when she wants to.

"Can we get back to my friends?" Lucy interjects.

"Yeah... we'll leave you to it."

"Just tell me if she was right," Alex persists.

"Alex, drop it," I reply, exasperated. "If Mapi was right about one thing, it’s that I’m not interested. Have a good night."

He wishes me the same. Lucy guides me with a hand on the small of my back. I don’t really understand why, since it’s not hard to spot her friends.

"Where’d you meet that guy?" she asks.

"I don't think it's worth mentioning."

"Hmm, that's what I figured. He seems pretty pushy."

"Totally," I chuckle.

"You two seemed to get along well, though."

"He's just a nice acquaintance. We’ve only hung out twice at parties, that’s all."

"Alright..."

I can tell she wants to know more, but neither of us says anything further.

"Let’s not stay too late, though, okay?" she says, surprising me.

"Can’t we stay a bit longer? I’m just starting to feel comfortable," I admit.

"No. It's getting late, and besides, I'm the one driving anyway."

"I should be the one driving after the drinks you’ve had."

"I only had three. I’m perfectly capable of driving, but thanks for the concern," she giggles.

"Well, I tried..."

"True," she smiles. "But the answer is still no. You’re not driving my car tonight."

I’m sipping my drink when we rejoin her friends. The night continues as usual. Another round of pool starts as we arrive. Lucy agrees that we can wrap up the night with this game. We split into two teams of four since there are eight of us. Naturally, I stay by the expert’s side to increase our chances of winning. It's also a chance to improve my skills. The game is accompanied by conversation, where they share memories of times they’ve spent together. I call Lucy a bad girl after learning all I did about her tonight. She’s got more spunk than I expected. She scolds me for drinking at parties, but it seems like she’s no better, even if she defends herself by saying it only happened once. And likely the last time, from what I understand. It’s a shame because I’d love to see her tipsy just once, just so I could give her a lecture in return. Eventually, we stay much longer than just one game. Each time she wanted to leave, her friends kept us around. She caved every time, agreeing to stay a bit longer. We ended up staying until the bar closed around one o'clock, when the waitress finally asked us to leave. Aitana suggested continuing the night at her place, but Lucy firmly refused on behalf of the both of us. So it’s late into the night when we finally get back to Lucy's place to crash.

Sunday, January 10th, 4:35 AM - Lucy's Place

It’s another night where I wake up in a cold sweat. I’ve been tossing and turning in bed for a good fifteen minutes. Lucy hasn’t barged into my room, which means I didn’t scream this time. That’s a good sign. Maybe my episodes are becoming occasional. Still, I can’t fall back asleep. I hesitate to go to her room. She encouraged me to wake her if needed, but I don’t want to disturb her again. I’m forced to do it anyway when I run out of options. I sigh, pushing the covers aside. I head to the living room first to grab a glass of water. The one she gave me yesterday helped calm me down. I lean against the counter, trying to clear the images from my head. It’s difficult, and they keep me fully awake. I finish my glass slowly before putting it in the dishwasher to erase any trace of my presence. As I walk back down the hallway, I’m faced with two options. The door on the right, or the door on the left. I curse myself as I push open the door on the left. The room is dark, with only the sound of soft, steady breathing. I close my eyes before moving forward in the darkness. I stop when I hear her shifting in bed. I let out a sigh of relief when I realize she just turned over.

“Lucy...?” I call out softly.

No answer. I gather all my courage to move closer to the bed. I call her name again. This time, she responds with a groan.

“I can’t sleep,” I murmur, hoping she hears me.

"Ona?" I hear her groggy voice.

I feel guilty for waking her. I bite my lip as she turns on her bedside lamp, blinding us both. She rubs her eyes, then checks her clock before looking at me again. It’s nearly five in the morning with all my nonsense.

"Again?"

"I-I'm sorry. It was a mistake. I shouldn’t have woken you," I stammer.

I try to leave, but she stops me before I can get too far. I freeze, too embarrassed to move. She sighs and sits up. Even in the middle of the night, she’s stunning, and that thought is starting to worry me.

"Don’t be silly. Close the door and get in bed," she grumbles. "And don't even think about arguing with me. I can get very grumpy when I'm woken up."

I smile shyly at her anticipation. She lets go of my wrist when I timidly nod. I close the door as she asked, then return to her bed, slipping in on the far side. She pulls the covers over me and turns off the light. Before I can do anything, she pulls me into the same position as last night. My back fits against her body as she rests her head near my neck. I pull the blanket up tighter, holding her closer. She must have noticed because she snuggles up to me a bit more. She wishes me goodnight, and with the same gentle strokes as last night, I finally drift off to sleep.

#woso #lucy bronze #woso community #ona batlle #barca femeni #woso soccer #lionesses #sefutbol fem #ona batlle x lucy bronze #fiction

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