#arsenal wfc imagines

[bloodyjuls-blog]

NOTHING MUCH(Russo's sister X Leah Williamson)

Kay Russo had always been Alessia’s shadow. Since they were little girls, Alessia was the star of the family: the one who shined on the football field, the one who made her parents proud, the one who had a solid group of friends who seemed to want to crush anyone who didn’t fit into their perfect world. Kay, on the other hand, was “the other.” It wasn’t that she wasn’t talented; it just never seemed like enough.

As they grew up, the differences became more pronounced. Alessia had a clear path: Manchester United, the English national team, and eventually Arsenal. On the other hand, Kay was stuck in mediocre jobs and awful comments from her parents and sister. “Why can’t you be more like Alessia?” was a phrase she heard all too often.

The relationship between Kay and Alessia was tense, but the breaking point came one night, when Alessia, along with a group of her friends, began to make fun of Kay in front of everyone at a family gathering.

“And you, Kay?” “What have you been up to lately?” Alessia said with a venomous smile. “Did you find a job or are you still living off of mom and dad’s money?”

Laughter echoed around the room, and though Kay tried to keep her composure, she felt her stomach churn with shame. That night, locked in her room, Kay collapsed on her bed with her eyes filled with tears. She knew she had to change something in her life and escape that toxic dynamic. It was then that while surfing the internet, she saw an ad for the Royal Navy: “Find a purpose. Discover your potential. Join the Royal Navy.”

Kay didn’t think twice. She knew that enlisting was her ticket out, but she also knew that her family would never understand. So she made a drastic decision: she didn’t tell them anything. The following week, the recruitment process began.

A few weeks later, Kay received confirmation: she had been accepted. The date to report was marked on her calendar, and as it approached, she felt a mix of nerves and relief. One night before she left, she decided she should at least tell her family something, but not everything.

“I’m leaving tomorrow, I’ll be gone for a while,” she said over dinner.

Her mother looked up from her plate with disdain.

“On ​​vacation? With what money?” she asked sarcastically.

Kay took a deep breath, trying not to lose her cool. “Never mind, I just wanted to let them know.”

Alessia laughed softly and murmured, “Always so mysterious.”

Kay gritted her teeth, finishing her meal in silence. That would be the last dinner she would share with them for a long time.

The day Kay left, she left home early, carrying a backpack and leaving behind a short note on the kitchen table: “I’m gone. I don’t know when I’ll be back. Take care of yourselves.”

The months that followed were a whirlwind. Basic training in the Royal Navy was brutal, but Kay held on to it with determination. Every physical exercise, every lesson, every grueling hour felt like a step toward freedom. Here she wasn't "Alessia's sister," she didn't have to endure her family's hurtful comments. Here she was simply Kay, someone trying hard to find her place.

After completing her training, Kay was given her first leave. She decided to return home, even though she knew it would be difficult.

When she arrived, the reception was cold. Alessia wasn’t even there; she was away on a trip with her team. Her parents barely showed any interest in hearing about her experience in the Navy.

“So what’s next?” her father asked in an indifferent tone. “Are you going to be here long?”

Kay felt the knot in her chest grow bigger. That night, as Alessia posted pictures on Instagram with her teammates, Kay sat alone in the backyard, wondering if she would ever truly belong in this family.

It was during one of those visits home that Kay met Leah Williamson. Alessia had invited some of her teammates over for dinner, and though Kay tried to stay out of the way, she couldn’t help but run into them. Leah was kind, something Kay hadn’t expected. They had a brief but meaningful conversation, and in that moment, Kay felt something she hadn’t felt in a long time: connection.

Kay returned to her base after that brief visit home. The experience only reinforced what she already knew: her family would not change. But one thing remained in her mind: Leah Williamson. They had exchanged a few words over dinner, but there was something about her warmth, the way she seemed to see Kay as a person, and not as a shadow of Alessia. Leah didn’t know her, she was unprejudiced, and that made her different.

The day Kay had her first chance to visit London while on leave, she remembered that Leah was playing for Arsenal. She decided to take a chance and attend a match. It was strange to be surrounded by thousands of fans excited about something that, until recently, had been a source of insecurity for her: football and the shadow of her sister. Alessia was not on the team yet, which made the experience a little more bearable.

After the match, Leah, who had played spectacularly, was surrounded by fans and media. Kay watched her from a distance, trying to convince herself that she would simply leave without saying anything. But Leah saw her.

“Kay!” she called from the field, waving excitedly.

Kay froze for a moment before shyly approaching.

“What are you doing here babe?” Leah asked, clearly surprised but pleased.

Kay shrugged, trying not to look nervous. “I was in town and thought I’d come to watch the game.”

Leah smiled, and something in her expression made Kay feel less invisible. “I’m glad you came. Do you have plans now?”

Before she could stop herself, Kay shook her head. That night, they ended up having dinner together at a small, low-key restaurant near the stadium. It was the start of something unexpected.

As the months passed, Kay’s visits to London became more frequent. She always found an excuse to see her, and Leah seemed to enjoy her company as much as she enjoyed Leah’s. They talked about everything: life in the Navy, the challenges of being a professional soccer player, and, occasionally, Kay’s family struggles.

One night, as they walked through the quiet streets of London after dinner, Leah stopped and looked at her seriously.

“Kay, why don’t you ever talk about Alessia much? I know you are sisters, but you almost seem to avoid mentioning her.”

Kay looked at the ground, feeling her chest tighten. Talking about Alessia was like opening a wound that never healed.

“It’s complicated, Leah. I’ve always been… different to them. Alessia’s the star, the one who shines. I… I just exist on the periphery.”

Leah took her hand, an unexpected but comforting gesture. “That’s not fair, Kay. You shouldn’t feel that way.”

Kay looked up, surprised by Leah’s sincerity. It was at that moment that she knew this connection was something special.

As her relationship with Leah grew stronger, Kay knew there would be trouble sooner or later. Leah was a public figure, and although she hadn’t revealed details of her personal life to the world, speculation was constant. The Arsenal team was full of rumors about who Leah’s partner could be, but no one suspected Kay. Alessia, still playing in Manchester, had no idea that her younger sister was getting so close to one of her friends.

Kay also knew that her family wouldn’t approve of the relationship, not only because of who Leah was, but because the idea that she could have anything valuable in her life seemed inconceivable to them.

Everything changed when Kay received the news of a new deployment abroad. It was a high-risk mission, and although she was used to challenges, this time was different. Now she had something to lose. When she told Leah, the reaction was immediate.

“How long will you be gone honey?” Leah asked, trying to remain calm.

“I don’t know but it could be months.” Leah nodded and cuddled her, but Kay could see the worry in her eyes. That night, as they said goodbye, Leah hugged her tighter than usual.

“Just promise me you’ll come back, okay?”

Kay didn’t answer, because she knew that was a promise she couldn’t guarantee.

During deployment, Kay was severely wounded in an ambush. The bullet that hit her back damaged her spine, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. Doctors told her she would never walk again. The physical pain was immense, but the emotional blow was even worse.

When she was finally able to reach Leah from the military hospital, the conversation was brief but full of emotion.

“I’m alive,” was the first thing Kay said, her voice shaking.

Leah, on the other end of the line, let out a sigh of relief, but she couldn’t hide her worry. “What happened, Kay? Tell me the truth.”

Kay closed her eyes, feeling the tears begin to flow. “I’m in a wheelchair, Leah.” I don’t know what’s going to happen to me.

The silence on the other end of the line was painful, but when Leah finally spoke, her voice was firm. “I’m going to be with you, Kay. No matter what.”

Kay spent weeks in the military hospital, facing the reality of her condition. Doctors stabilized her, but the words she most feared hearing finally came: she would never walk again. She wasn’t ready to face it. Her life as she knew it had changed forever. The military, her only refuge, was also out of reach.

London became her next destination. The medical staff recommended that she be transferred to a civilian hospital where she could receive specialized treatment and subsequently begin the rehabilitation process. When Kay thought about where she could stay afterward, only one person came to mind: Leah.

Leah waited for Kay at Heathrow Airport, visibly worried. Even though she had received constant updates about her condition, seeing her in person would be an emotional challenge. When Kay appeared in the wheelchair, pushed by a hospital attendant, Leah felt her heart tighten in her chest.

Kay wore a stoic expression as if she was using all her strength to keep her emotions in check. Leah could see past that, though. Kay’s eyes, once full of life, now reflected exhaustion and pain.

“Hi my love" Kay said quietly as she came to her side.

Leah leaned in to hug her, ignoring the fact that they were in the middle of a crowded airport. It was a long hug, one they both needed.

“Welcome home baby,” Leah said softly leaning against her and kiss her deeply.

Kay wanted to correct her, reminding her that London wasn’t her home, but she couldn’t find the words. Maybe, after all, Leah was the closest thing she had to a home.

Leah’s London flat was cozy but small, and the modifications needed to accommodate the wheelchair made the space feel even more cramped. Leah had worked tirelessly to get everything ready, installing ramps and rearranging furniture. Kay felt grateful, but also deeply uncomfortable.

“You didn’t have to do all this, Le” Kay said as she scanned the space with difficulty.

Leah, who was making a cup of tea, turned to her with a calm smile. “Of course I did. I wasn’t going to let you go through this alone.”

Kay nodded, but inside, guilt and frustration were growing. She wasn’t used to depending on anyone, let alone someone as important to her as Leah.

The first few weeks were a mix of intense emotions. Kay tried to keep a routine, attending physical therapy sessions and learning to adjust to her new life. However, every little failure—not being able to reach something, needing help with simple tasks—felt like a monumental defeat.

One night, while Leah was cooking, Kay decided it was time to talk about what had happened at the military hospital. It was a weight she had carried alone for far too long.

“Leah, can you sit down for a moment?”

Leah stopped what she was doing and sat across from Kay in the living room. The concern on her face was evident.

“What’s wrong, Kay?”

Kay took a deep breath, her hands shaking slightly. “There’s something I need to tell you about what they did to me in the Navy before all the injuries happened.”

Leah nodded, her expression becoming more serious. “I’m listening.”

Kay began to speak, her voice shaky at first, but gaining strength as she went on. She told him about the treatments she’d endured: the electroshocks they justified as “experimental therapy,” the times they’d left her alone for hours without help, and the “rehab” sessions that often included pushing her physically to the limit.

“There were days I thought… I wasn’t going to get out of there. They yelled at me that I needed to be strong, that if I couldn’t take it, I didn’t deserve to be in the military.”

Leah clenched her fists as she listened, her face reflecting a mix of anger and sadness.

“How could they do that to you?” she finally asked, her voice cracking.

“It’s the price of being weak in their world, Leah. They couldn’t stand someone like me not being “useful” anymore.”

Leah leaned forward, taking Kay’s hands in hers. “Listen to me, Kay. What they did was inhumane, and you have nothing to be ashamed of. You are one of the strongest people I know.”

The tears Kay had been holding back finally began to fall. Leah didn’t say anything else, she held her, allowing her to release all the pain she had built up over the months.

Alessia’s arrival at Arsenal added a new layer of tension to Kay’s life. Although both had avoided any confrontation, Alessia’s passive-aggressive comments were quick to appear.

One afternoon, while Leah and Kay were at home, Alessia arrived unannounced. Leah had forgotten to lock her door, and Alessia walked in like she owned the place.

“So this is where you’re hiding, Kay?” Alessia said, with a sarcastic smile as she looked around the apartment.

Leah, who was in the kitchen, quickly came out upon hearing Alessia’s tone. “What are you doing here, Alessia?”

“I just wanted to see how my long-lost sister lived. It seems you’ve been busy… or should I say ‘well-kept’?”

Kay, who was in the living room, turned to face Alessia. “What do you want, Alessia?”

“I want to understand how you went from being a ghost to… this.” She pointed at Leah with a nod.

Leah, clearly upset, stepped in. “Alessia, if you come here to cause trouble, you can leave.”

The exchange escalated, and Kay felt old wounds reopening. Alessia had always known how to touch her weak spots, and Leah was caught in the middle. Eventually, Leah had to ask Alessia to leave, leaving Kay emotionally drained.

Despite the conflicts, the relationship between Kay and Leah continued to grow stronger. The emotional connection they shared was evident, and small displays of affection—a hand on the shoulder, an unexpected hug—began to evolve into something more.

One night, while watching a movie together, Leah leaned slightly toward Kay, resting her head on her shoulder. Kay, surprised at first, allowed the gesture and smiled.

It was a small moment of intimacy, but to Kay, it meant more than Leah could ever imagine.

Winter had come to the city, and with it, the streets of London were filled with Christmas lights and decorations. Kay, however, barely noticed the festivities. Her days were divided between physical therapy, medical adjustments, and increasingly intimate moments with Leah. However, the conflict with Alessia and the memories of the abuse at the military compound weighed on her like a constant shadow.

One morning, as Kay tried to adjust to the new exercise routine her physical therapist had recommended, Leah received an unexpected text from Alessia. She wanted to “talk.”

“Is it a good idea to give her space after what happened here?” Kay asked from her spot in the living room, as Leah checked the message.

Leah sighed, leaving her phone on the table. “I think it’s not just you, Kay. Alessia… she has issues to work out with herself.”

Kay raised an eyebrow. “Don’t justify what she does. She’s always found ways to make me feel like I’m worthless.” Leah walked over and knelt in front of Kay, placing her hands over hers. “No one has the right to make you feel that way. Not even Alessia.”

Kay wanted to believe her, but the years of emotional abuse she had endured were not easy to forget.

That afternoon, Leah went to Arsenal Stadium to meet Alessia after training. Alessia, who had been in a bad mood all day, was quick to spill the beans.

“What the hell are you doing with Kay?” Alessia asked bluntly as Leah closed the door to the meeting room.

Leah, trying to remain calm, replied, “I’m looking out for her. Something no one else is doing.”

“Looking out?” Alessia let out a sarcastic laugh. “Since when do you need to play savior?”

Leah frowned. “This isn’t a game, Alessia.” Kay has been through things that neither you nor I can imagine, and instead of supporting her, you--

“Don’t lecture me!” Alessia interrupted, slamming her hands on the table. “Kay has always been a burden. Every time I tried to stand out, she was there, ruining everything.”

Leah felt her patience wearing thin. “You know what ruins everything, Alessia? Your inability to see her as anything more than a reflection of your insecurities.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Alessia hadn’t expected such a direct response, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

“This isn’t over, Leah,” she finally said, before leaving the room.

That night, Leah returned to the apartment emotionally drained. Kay noticed her expression and decided it was time to share something she had been holding back.

“What happened?” Kay asked as Leah plopped down on the couch next to her.

“Your sister… doesn’t understand anything,” Leah replied, massaging her temples.

Kay sighed and looked out the window. “It’s because she’s never seen me as her sister, Leah. I was always ‘the other Russo.’ The one with no talent. The one who didn’t fit in.”

Leah turned to her, surprised by the tone of vulnerability in her voice.

“You want to know why I joined the Royal Navy?” Kay asked, her voice shaking slightly.

Leah nodded, knowing Kay needed to vent.

“I saw an ad online while I was looking for a job. It seemed like a way to escape everything… from Alessia, from my family, from myself. I wanted to prove that I could do something for myself, something that no one could take away from me.”

Kay paused, her hands shaking as she recalled those days.

“But even then… it was never enough. And then… then came the hospital.”

Leah took her hand, giving it a gentle but firm squeeze. “You don’t have to tell me if you’re not ready.”

Kay shook her head. “I need to. Because if I don’t, those things are going to keep haunting me.”

Then, Kay began to speak, detailing the horrors she had endured. She described the time when she had arrived at the hospital very badly injured thinking that what had happened was her fault, or that it was all karma for being fragile and not facing things, where she would rather a thousand times have her die than have a partner who had a family that loved him.

“There was a doctor… I will never forget her face.” She told me I was a failure, that someone in a wheelchair was nothing anymore, that I was wasting valuable Navy resources that could be used on soldiers who would go back into combat, I… I can’t take it anymore.” Kay paused, taking a deep breath.

Leah hugged her tightly, unable to hold back her tears. “God, Kay… I can’t imagine what you’ve been through.”

“I don’t want you to see me as a victim, Leah.” Kay rested her forehead on Leah’s shoulder. “I just want to be someone who deserves… something.”

“You deserve everything, Kay. And I’m here to remind you of that every day.”

Despite everything, Kay began to find small moments of peace in her life with Leah. They began to spend more time together, sharing stories and laughing despite the circumstances.

One night, as Leah read a book on the couch, Kay leaned into her, resting her head on her shoulder. Leah smiled and set the book aside, putting an arm around Kay.

“You know?” —Leah said after a while. —I never thought I'd find someone I wanted to share so much with.

Kay looked up, surprised by the confession. —And me?

—You're that person, Kay. My person, my forever.

For the first time in a long time, Kay felt like maybe, just maybe, she had a place in the world where she truly belonged.

[willixmsonswife]

black swan/kyra cooney-cross

*kyra cooney-cross x fem!french!journalist!reader

*it's just an aftermatch interview with one of the new signings, what could possibly happen?

*word count : 2k

*a/n : this is part one of the black swan series, i'm still thinking about how many parts i'm going to do but yeah, this is more of an introduction and when they first meet so the next part is going to be the "actual beginning". let me know what you think :)

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you never really fit into your family. not that that was something you wanted to, god forbid, but it still hurts to think that you could've had a different childhood if you had learned to act differently. but who was supposed to show you how to "act different and more girly" like your father always said? you've never been someone who talks a lot, goes out every weekend but you've always been good at voicing your opinion, especially if it was to put someone (your father) back in their place. the moments were you and your dad agreed on something were rare and gave your mum some hope that maybe, just maybe your relationship wasn't completely ruined. but it was and she knew that, she just had a hard time accepting it. you had too, when you were younger. you had idolized your father like almost every other child idolized theirs but you soon realized that your father was not like your best friend's. it had started when you were about nine and your dad got a job in london which meant that you had to move there. it was easy for your parents but for you? you threatened your parents that you would never talk to them again if they were serious about the whole situation. they were, or at least your father was and your mum followed his lead, she always did. so they forced you to come with them, even though you insisted that you could continue to live in your small city in the south of france, you just had to move in with your best friend claire. your parents laughed at your multiple tries to convince them to stay so in the middle of the following summer you had to say goodbye to your sweet french life, your classmates and claire. many tears were shed but claire's mum promised that she would ask your mum for your address and your best friend pinky-swore that she would write you. as soon as your family stepped out of your old house, you stopped talking. not a single word left your mouth during the entire journey to the new and foreign country that was intended to become your home. your father called you immature quite a few times, which you thought was hilariously contradictory to say for a man who started to scream at you every time you didn't do exactly as he said. once you entered your new "home", you instantly knew that it was never going to become a home for you, it was just a house that you lived in.

since the day you moved in, fifteen years had now passed. you had studied journalism at a university in london and found your place in the world of journalism. you had decided to focus on sport journalism, women's football to be exact. the growth you were able to witness since you started watching the arsenal women at age 11 fascinated you more than anything, which made your decision pretty easy. for a few years you've now pathed your way in the industry and it was better than you could've ever imagined. the interviews, the thorough researches before, the matches you attended, it made everything worth it and you even caught yourself sometimes thanking your parents silently for moving here despite your protests.

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it was the day of the london derby, everywhere you look on the streets you only saw red and blue and kick-off couldn't come soon enough. you had made your way to the emirates stadium earlier today, now preparing your planned interviews. you would be interviewing the captain kim little before the match and another teammate after the match, but it was still unknown who would be willing to talk to the press afterwards. everything depended on how the match would go. you were called to the side of the pitch where you got mic'd up and excitedly awaited the arsenal captain. kim didn't let you wait for long and the interview started.

"hello to everyone who's watching, my name is y/n y/l/n and i am here with arsenal's captain kim little! first of all, hello to you kim how are you doing?"

"i'm doing good, mainly focusing on the game at this moment."

"this london derby will probably decide if arsenal will still have a chance in the wsl title race, how is the team feeling about that?"

"of course we're all excited for the match, everyone is in top form and will definitely be giving 100%. the team knows that this is a crucial game but i'm also very optimistic that we can secure our deserved place in the title race."

the interview continues, the first fans start to enter the stadium and you finished asking all of your questions.

"well that was it kim, thank you for your time and good luck out there!"

"thank you for having me!"

the camera sways over to film the arriving fans and the mics get cut. it wasn't your first time interviewing the arsenal captain so she stays around for a few minutes afterwards to catch up before she has to go back to the locker rooms.

"it's always nice filming with you kim."

"right back at you y/n. i have to get back to the girls now but enjoy the match and maybe we'll see you after!"

"i will thank you!"

kim turns to leave but you stop her for one last question.

"oh kim, i forgot to ask. it'd be nice if someone from the team could answer a few quesions after the game, so could you maybe ask around?"

"i'm sure one of the newbies is up for that. i already have someone in mind, i'm sure you two will get along. i'll send her your way later."

with that, she turns around and leaves. you slowly make your way up to the pressbox while you can't help but wonder if you really just saw a little smirk on kim's face or if you're starting to imagine things.

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the game went even better than you could've imagined, arsenal scoring their first goal in the 17th minute thanks to a corner kick from katie. the second one was quick to follow with steph assisting a beautiful header from kyra cooney-cross, one of the new signings. stina also got her goal shortly after half time and kyra made the victory clear with another amazing goal while leah got her second assist. after 98 minutes, the ref ended the match and the entire emirates stadium erupted into cheers. by the time arsenal finished their walk around the pitch, you already stood by the sidelines, mic'd up and just waiting for the arsenal player that kim promised to send your way. you didn't have to wait long because as you let your eyes waver around on the pitch, you saw kim talking to a younger teammate, number 32, aka kyra cooney-cross. interviewing the woman who was awarded player of the match and scored two goals in this important game would be the best thing kim could've possibly arranged. as soon as kyra nodded and started to make her way over to where you were standing, you felt yourself getting nervous. why were you getting nervous? you had done thousands of interviews with new signings, this was your almost daily routine.

"hiya, i'm kyra cooney-cross. i'm guessing your miss y/l/n?"

you snapped out of it as soon as you heard the soothing voice of the person who was standing right in front of you.

"i- yes, yes that's me. you can call me y/n though, nice to meet you." "alright, y/n it is then."

she looked at you and you could've sworn she had the prettiest smile you've ever seen. you felt your cheeks heat up a bit but tried to ignore it.

"i'm gonna guess kim send you over to answer some questions?" "yes, exactly." "okay, let's get started then."

you signaled your camera man to come over and took a deep breath, only focusing on the interview you were about to start.

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the interview went great, the conversation flowing like the camera capturing your every movement and reaction wasn't even there. maybe that's why you didn't care to control the blush creeping up your cheeks when kyra looked at you for just a moment too long. you forgot that every question you asked and every answer kyra gave you were being recorded live for the world to see, so when it came to an end you had to quickly pull yourself together to at least make the end seem somewhat professional.

"that was the last question, thank you for sacrificing your time kyra."

you gave her your sweetest smile which she swiftly reciprocated.

"thank you for having me y/n."

much to your dismay, you now had to turn your back towards kyra.

"thank you to everyone who's watching until now, i hope you have a great evening and will join us again next saturday when arsenal faces west ham at meadow park."

the camera man nodded meaning he had stopped filming and then walked away. you turned back to see kyra still standing there, looking at you with what you would interpret as pure admiration. you felt your blood rush into your cheeks, again, and mentally cursed yourself for blushing so easily.

"everything okay?"

"yeah, no, everything's fine, i just- how do you do that so easily? talk to the camera i mean."

you looked at her, almost shocked by the fact that she was impressed by someone like you.

"what do you mean?"

"when you talk, it's almost like you don't know that hundreds if not even thousands of people are listening to every word that's coming out of your mouth. it's crazy to watch that, you're really talented y/n."

oh god she was making this whole try not to blush thing really hard.

"when i talk to the camera, i know that people are listening. that's what calms me down, and that's why i do it. people tune in to watch these interviews because they want to listen to me, not because they have to. god, that probably sounds so selfish." you let out a small chuckle before speaking again. "i haven't really been listened to by anyone my whole life, so knowing that people now want to listen to me is just crazy to me. i try my best not to disappoint them."

"oh, i'm sorry to hear that." kyra looked down at her feet, not knowing how to continue the conversation after this.

"nothing to be sorry about, really. i'm better now." you offered her a small smile, which was immediately mirrored by her.

"sooo, don't you want to join the rest and celebrate your big win miss player of the match?"

"nah, they're probably not even missing me. i can stay a bit-" she was cut off by alessia jumping on her back. "kyra you're taking way too long! we're all waiting for you!"

she got down from krya's back and looked at you. "oh hi y/n! long time no see."

you got pulled into a bone crushing hug by the blonde and didn't even have time to answer her before she started to talk again. "i have the order to take you with me cooney-cross. we wanna celebrate your goals!"

as quickly as alessia appeared, she ran off again but this time with kyra. she turned around while running to wave at you and kyra looked at you sorrily before nearly tripping and deciding that looking forward while running would probably be for the best. you waved at them, feeling kind of disappointed because of your interrupted and therefore unfinished conversation with kyra but you decided that it wasn't worth the overthinking. she was just being nice, that's the type of person she is, you shouldn't read too much into it. right?

[wosoimagines]

Swap - Jessie Fleming/Reader

just a little something for you guys that i've had an idea about for way too long (thank the USWNT v Canada game for this cause it made me remember how much i love Jessie)

prompt: Jessie and R have a long standing tradition of trading jerseys, but someone gets in the way of that.

warnings: none

words: 1,256

(Y/N) POV

I grinned as I found Jessie in the crowd. I knew that the game didn’t actually end the way either of us wanted, but at least neither of us could be that upset since we didn’t lose.  

“Swap with me?” 

My eyes darted away from where they had locked onto Jessie to turn to Eriksson. I tilted my head in confusion. I had never actually talked to Eriksson before other than some light trash talk on the field. 

“You want my jersey?” 

Eriksson softly chuckled but nodded. 

One of the best centerbacks in the game wanted my jersey. 

It was still surreal that there were other players out there who would seek me out to get my jersey. 

“Well, I feel like it would be fitting considering how much trouble you give me during these derby games and when you play against Sweden.” 

“Oh.” 

I still didn’t make a move to take my jersey off though. My eyes darted to where Jessie was talking to a couple of her teammates. 

“So, how many of her jerseys do you have, and you still haven’t told her how you feel?” 

My eyes snapped back to where Eriksson was standing. She was watching me, but I knew that she was aware of who I was staring at. 

“I don’t know,” I shrugged as I ducked my head. It honestly was too high of a number to count now. We had gotten into the habit of trading our jerseys at least once a year when we played each other, and, honestly, even when we didn’t play against each other nationally, we still saved each other a jersey from the year. “We just kind of started as teenagers and never stopped. It’s our little tradition now when we play each other the first time of the year to swap.” 

“How about this,” Eriksson started, causing me to look over at her, “you go tell Jessie how you actually feel about her, and I’ll wait until the next time we play to swap with you.” 

I huffed a little at that. It wasn’t that I didn’t mind telling the world about Jessie and me, but Jessie was such a private person that I didn’t mind keeping our relationship from the world. Besides, our family and most of our friends knew. 

Well, at least most of my friends knew. If Jessie’s captain didn’t even know then I wasn’t sure who all on her club team knew. I didn’t even know if any of them knew. 

“I’d much rather just break tradition.” 

Eriksson raised her eyebrows at that.  

It wasn’t often that I would turn down a challenge. But if Jessie’s own teammates didn’t know, then I definitely didn’t want to risk them and the fans finding out about our relationship because I took Eriksson’s challenge. 

“Didn’t think it was like you to turn down a challenge.” 

“Not usually, no,” I said as I tugged my jersey over my head. “But there are some things that are better left the way they are. My friendship with Jessie isn’t one I’m going to risk for a jersey.” 

“Wouldn’t she be more upset that you’re not trading with her?” 

I shrugged at that. Jessie probably would be upset with me initially, but I figured she would probably get over it pretty quickly since I knew neither of us would be required to go in tomorrow. We always had the day after derbies off. 

“I’ll trade with her next derby. And maybe you could convince Harder to trade with me the game after that?” 

“I’ll mention it to Pernille.” 

I grinned at that as Eriksson finally pulled her own jersey off. I had been wanting to trade with Pernille Harder for quite some time, but I never had gathered the courage to ask the forward I looked up to. I handed mine over to her as she handed her jersey to me. I wasn’t surprised either when we were asked to pose for a picture with each other. 

Once the picture was over, I shook hands with Eriksson. 

“You should still tell her,” Eriksson said as she pulled me closer to her. “I think you might be surprised with how she feels about you too.” 

“We’ll see.” 

Eriksson gave me a pat on the back before she was off towards Harder. I sighed as I shook my head. I turned to try and find Jessie; I wasn’t surprised to find her still with Nimah as they talked with Lotte and Leah. I grinned as I weaseled my way in between Leah and Jessie, but it dropped a bit as Jessie’s eyes darted down to the jersey in my hands before looking at me. 

I didn’t pay too much attention to the conversation that the three English players were having as it was obviously more about their next camp. I nudged Jessie before nodding my head towards the tunnels. 

Jessie glanced at Nimah before she nodded. I smiled a bit wider at that as the two of us split off with waves to our respective teammates. Jessie stayed quiet as the two of us headed toward the tunnel. 

“So, my place or yours?” I asked. Jessie tilted her head to the side as she looked at me. “Well, normally the winner takes the loser home, but we drew.” 

Jessie slowly nodded at that. 

“Didn’t realize you still wanted to come home with me.” 

My brow furrowed at that. I had no real idea why Jessie would think that I didn’t want to go home with her. 

“Considering you swapped your jersey with someone else. Thought you of all people would keep with tradition.” 

“That’s not fair.” 

“You swapped with someone else.” 

I rolled my eyes at that.  

“Don’t roll your eyes at me.” 

I huffed because I was sure that we were attracting quite a bit of unwanted attention from fans. I grabbed onto Jessie’s arm as I dragged her into the tunnel finally before heading toward a more secluded area of the Emirates. 

“Look, I did it for you.” 

“Doing it for me would have been swapping with me.” 

“Are you jealous?” 

Jessie scoffed at that as she began to shake her head. 

“You are!” 

“Am not!” 

“Are so!” 

“You can sleep on the couch then.” 

I rolled my eyes at that. I knew that Jessie wouldn’t actually make me sleep on the couch, especially since we hadn’t been able to spend time with each other in the same place since the winter break. Facetime and phone calls only went so far. 

“She wanted me to tell you how I felt,” I admitted. Jessie raised an eyebrow at that. “Eriksson. I told her it was tradition for us to switch jerseys and she told me that I could switch with you if I told you how I felt. I didn’t want to put you in the spot where you either had to out our relationship to your teammates if you haven’t told them or where you had to act like you rejected me. I know you want to keep us private from the public eye. So, I figured I could just swap with Eriksson this time and we’ll swap next time.” 

“I get it the next time though,” Jessie said as she poked at my chest, “and I guess you can sleep in the bed with me since you did it to make sure that our relationship stayed out of the public eye.” 

I grinned at that. 

“Does that mean I finally get my kiss from you?” 

[worseforwords]

The Last Wrapper

(Leah Williamson x Reader)

Chapter 1: Absence & Anticipation

Cold air filled your lungs as you slowly took in your surroundings: a four-tiered bowl with about sixty thousand red chairs, a glass and steel construction establishing a roof over them, white chairs forming a trademark cannon in the lower level stands opposite the entrance tunnel you were standing in. For many, including yourself once upon a time, the Emirates had the welcoming feeling of home. However, to the opposing team in an upcoming London derby, it radiated immensity and intimidation. As you stepped onto the pristine pitch of North London, memories flooded your mind, reminding you of the first and last time your feet had graced this grass.

You were eleven years old, standing alongside your then friend and teammate Leah Williamson, as your Arsenal Academy coach gathered the team of potential future stars together on the center of the field amid the mesmerising arena. Audible gasps were heard as everyone took in the stadium of their dreams. 

“Take it all in. If you work hard enough, this right here could be your future. The fact that you are here now means you have talent and potential, or at least someone saw something in you. You’re all part of an elite selection, and while that’s already an accomplishment of sorts, it’s not enough to get you to the top. You’ll need to work harder than you have ever worked, and that hard work begins now. You’ll also need support, from family, friends, and everyone around you. Look around, some of you may be inclined to see each other as competition, but these people are your friends, and you’ll find that you need to have each others backs in order to survive. And lastly, unfortunately, you’ll need lots and lots of luck to actually make it to the top, which you have absolutely no control over.”

Hard work, support, and luck: a triad of elements determining whether a talented individual made it to the top. You’d never forgotten the speech your coach gave that day, as the following years taught you just how right she was. 

Over the years you and Leah became close friends; you even developed a pre-match ritual: you always got each other small sweets with some words of encouragement written on the wrapper before every match and you secretly ate them when the staff wasn’t watching. 

You worked together well, pushing each other to work the hardest you could, making tough sacrifices together and eventually, lifting up trophies together in several youth tournaments. You were adamant on making it to the top, together.

But fate had other plans.

Just when everything seemed to be falling into place, an injury during a critical match sent you crashing down. You had been taken to the hospital, and when you woke up after your emergency surgery, Leah was nowhere to be seen. Your dream was shattered, the future uncertain. And where was Leah, your supposed friend? Nowhere to be found. You were furious. You had expected her to be there for you, but instead, she had abandoned you when you needed her most. The injury was serious, and it took over a year of painful rehabilitation before you could even think about playing football again.

After months of gruelling physical therapy, you slowly began to climb back up. You trained harder than ever, pushing yourself to the brink of exhaustion day in and day out. The road to recovery was long and arduous, but you were determined to come back stronger than ever before.

Eventually you got back on the field, but by then, everything had changed. Leah had made it big, joining the senior team, and you were still struggling to get back into the game, having missed a crucial period in your development as a young athlete. You resented her success, and the fact that she had left you behind. 

One day, after hearing yet another story about Leah’s latest achievement, you snapped. You called her up and unleashed all of the anger and frustration you had been building up. The conversation ended in a bitter argument, with both of you hurling insults and accusations at each other. After that, you both avoided each other like the plague, refusing to be in the same room or even speak each other’s names. Your once close friendship had turned into bitter rivalry and you both hated each other with a passion.

Even though it had been mostly out of your control, it felt like she was winning, at football and at life, playing for Arsenal, making new friends and even dating one of their star players, but you refused to give up. You poured everything you had into your training, working tirelessly to improve your skills and perfect your game. Slowly but surely, your hard work began to pay off. Years after Leah had joined Arsenal’s first team, you also found your way into the WSL, by joining Brighton, hoping to move up from there. You worked hard and proved your worth at Brighton, eventually catching the eye of Chelsea scouts. 

The offer to join Chelsea was a dream come true, but it also meant crossing a line you never thought you would. The rivalry between Arsenal and Chelsea was well-known, and as a lifelong Gooner, it was a difficult pill to swallow. But in the end, you knew that this was the chance of a lifetime, playing alongside some of the best and brightest, and you couldn’t let it slip away.

So here you were, about to face your new team’s greatest rival, with your nemesis serving as their captain. You had crossed paths with her on the field before during your time at Brighton, and the encounter had been far from pleasant, but now, about to participate in a highly anticipated London derby, you didn’t know what to expect. 

As you stood on the field, thoughts flooding your mind, Millie approached you, her hand on your shoulder as she asked, “Are you ready?” You turned to face her, taking a deep breath. “Yeah, I think so.” you replied, your thoughts already consumed by the upcoming game. Before you could say anything more, Millie added, “I mean, are you ready to face Leah?” The mention of her name made you flinch. “So you’ve heard, huh?” you asked, a hint of bitterness creeping into your voice. Millie nodded sympathetically, “Yeah, she’s mentioned your history a few times at England camp.”

“What did she say?” you asked after a moment of silence. “I don’t think you want to know that.” Millie answered carefully. You sighed as you pushed the tip of your shoe into the grass and you thought about how everyone must view you, only having heard Leah’s side of the story. “Hey, we’re a team now you know. Whatever happens today, I’ll be on your side.” Millie said as she noticed your frustrated expression. “Thanks.” you said as you nodded slightly.

Two hours went by slowly as you got ready for the match. You walked towards the tunnel, heart racing as you saw Leah already waiting there. As you approached her, she refused to meet your gaze, her jaw clenched tightly. You both knew what was at stake in this match. 

You forced a smile and extended your hand for the customary pre-match handshake, which she reluctantly reciprocated. You could feel the tension between you and you felt a knot form in your stomach as you made your way to your position on the field.

The match started and it was clear from the first whistle that this was going to be a tough one. Dirty tackles and near misses flew from both sides, with tempers flaring and players arguing with the ref. You and Leah ended up coming head to head multiple times, both of you determined not to give an inch.

As you walked into the changing room at half-time, Emma looked stern and unimpressed as she began to lecture the team about their performance in the first half. You listened carefully, taking in every word. As Emma finished speaking, you could feel the determination welling up inside you. You knew that this was your chance to prove yourself and to show Leah and everyone else what you were made of.

Only, once again, faith had different plans, as about ten minutes into the second half, you felt a boot collide with your left knee, causing a sharp pain and sending you tumbling to the ground. You held onto your knee as you hid your face in the grass. It didn’t take long for the medics to arrive, and you immediately told them it was your bad knee that had just taken a hit. As they started their check up routine, you looked up to find Leah getting booked by the referee: a yellow, which somehow was only her first card of the match. Of course it had been her, hitting you right at your weakest spot, where the rivalry had once started.

To your surprise, she started to approach you, but she never got her chance to say anything, as Millie jumped in to stop her, staying true to her word. 

“I’m fine, I can continue.” you said after being forced to the sidelines. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” one of the medics spoke, signalling Emma you had to be subbed out. “No, please, I have to finish this.” But your plea remained unanswered, and much to your dismay, you were ordered to spend the remainder of the game on the bench.

As gruelling of a match this was, watching it from the sidelines was far more excruciating than playing in it. Your team became increasingly frustrated, resulting in foolish mistakes and unnecessary fouls. Defensively, they stood their ground though, until in the fourth of seven added minutes, the ball hit the back of the net, your net. And of course, it had been sent there by none other than Leah Williamson, with a glorious header. As the stadium erupted, you could feel the anger boiling inside of you like a volcano ready to erupt.

The final whistle blew a few minutes later, and you quickly shook hands with the opposing team, trying your best to be polite. You avoided Leah at all costs, not trusting yourself around her with your anger boiling just beneath the surface. She seemed to want to at least shake hands with you, but you had no interest in hearing what she had to say. You made a beeline for the changing room, feeling the urge to get away from the stadium and the memories it held. You quickly changed out of your kit, barely speaking a word to anyone, before making your way out of the stadium as fast as you could.

As soon as you got home, you slammed the front door shut and turned straight to the wall, punching it with all your might. The pain shot up your arm, and you winced as you looked down to see your knuckles bruising and swelling. Feeling defeated, you made your way to the bathroom and turned on the shower. The hot water hit your body, and you closed your eyes as you tried to calm down. After a few minutes, you got out and dried yourself off, then went to the kitchen to make some food.

Despite your body’s need for food after the match, you didn’t feel like eating anything, and you found yourself staring at the food without any appetite. Frustrated, you pushed the plate aside and slumped onto the couch, trying to find something to watch on TV. However, your mind couldn’t focus on anything, and you felt restless and uneasy. You knew you needed to do something to distract yourself, so you got up and grabbed your coat, deciding to go to a bar and drink away your misery.

You walked into the bar and made your way to the counter, taking a seat on one of the stools. You ordered a beer and watched as the bartender poured it for you. You took a sip and closed your eyes, feeling the cold liquid go down your throat.

As you sat there, lost in your thoughts, a stranger came up to you. “Hey there, you look like you could use some company. Is everything okay?” she asked. You looked up, surprised by her sudden appearance. A woman in her mid-twenties, with curly brown hair and a warm smile looked back at you questioningly. “Oh, uh, yeah, just had a bad day.” you replied. 

“Ah, I see,” she said, nodding sympathetically. “Anything you want to talk about?” You hesitated for a moment, but then decided to open up a little. “Well, I lost an important football match today.” you said. “You’re a footballer?” she asked, smiling. “I love football. Which club do you play for?”

“Chelsea, we played Arsenal today.” you answered, making her jaw drop to the floor. “Wait so you like, play professionally?” she asked, eyes widening. “Yeah, I just signed with them actually.” you said, a small smile finally appearing on your face. “Wow, that’s amazing, congratulations!” she exclaimed, “And hey, I’m sorry you lost a derby, but you’ll get ‘em next time, I’m sure.” She smiled. “Thanks.”

“So hey, sorry to be blunt, but could I maybe get your number?” she asked out of the blue, almost making you spit out your drink. “Erm, I’m sorry,” you started, “I don’t really date right now, too busy.” “Who said anything about dating?” she quipped, sending you a quick wink. 

“I’m sorry,” you said again, “but you should go find someone who’s more fun tonight. I’ll keep my sorrow company with a solitary drink or two.” “Okay suit yourself, Emily Dickinson, but if you ever decide to get out of that cloud of misery you’re sitting in, you can find me on the dance floor. I can be a great distraction you know.” she said as she sent you one last wink before she left you sitting alone once again.

You sat at the bar, quietly nursing your beer and trying to forget about the day’s events. Just as you were about to order another, the same stranger from before approached you again. You were a bit annoyed at first, wondering why she wouldn’t leave you alone, but she looked serious this time. “Hey,” she said, “I’m sorry to bother you again, but I saw someone in the bathroom who you probably know. She’s really drunk and crying her eyes out.”

You raised an eyebrow, wondering who she could be talking about. “Why would I know her?” you asked her. “Just go to the bathroom, you’ll see.” she said, sounding serious. You sighed and rubbed your temples. “Fine, I’ll go check on her,” you said, reluctantly getting up from your stool and making your way to the bathroom.

You rounded the corner and saw a blond girl hanging over a toilet, sobbing. You immediately recognised her, even from behind: Leah Williamson. “Of course.” you mumbled to yourself, very annoyed at the situation you had just found yourself in. You hesitated for a moment, wondering if you should just leave her there. But something in you wouldn’t let you. You took a deep breath and approached her. “Leah,” you said softly, “are you okay?”

Chapter 2

[enwoso]

PLAYING FOR KEEPS | leah williamson

💌 happy valentine’s day my loves x

masterlist

leah had always been proud to wear the captain armband from the moment she'd been handed it. it was everything she'd ever dreamed of as a little girl kicking a ball around with her brother in her back garden.

leading england, inspiring a nation and being part of something bigger than herself was everything she dreamed of. but as of lately the weight of that armband felt heavier than ever.

the loss to germany at wembley was still fresh, the sting of it sharp in her chest as she slumped in the changing room. around her the team moved in a haze - some quietly packing up while others tried to life the mood with half hearted jokes.

leah felt their disappointment as if it were solely her own and she knew it was her responsibility to rally them, even now. that was the job of the captain: to carry the burden, life everyone else, out the team above everything.

but everything included people like you, her girlfriend and leah wasn't sure when she stopped realising that.

leah glanced to her phone which was sat face down on the bench beside her. she hadn't checked it since halftime, knowing there'd be a text from you.

you not being able to make the match at wembley due to other work commitments but leah knew and understood and knew if you could've been you would've been the loudest one there cheering her on.

you made as many matches as you could, encouraging, supportive and loving. you were her anchor, always there to steady the blonde when the world sometimes became too much.

but anchors can only hold so much weight before they snapped.

leah sighed, running a hand through her wet hair as she grabbed her bag and muttered a quick goodbye to her teammates who barely noticed as she slipped out of the room.

mary was stood leaning against the white walls of wembley outside scrolling through her phone more than likely waiting for some of the other girls. glancing up when leah passed an eyebrow raised, "heading out already?"

"yeah" leah muttered, "need some air."

mary nodded as her expression softened but she said nothing. letting leah wander off down the hallway, wash bag slung under her arm.

as leah walked through the winding halls of wembley, her mind racing. she didn't want to go home, not yet. there'd be a post-match debrief tomorrow, tactics to dissect, strategies to reevaluate.

it was all consuming, but it had to be. the team relied on her.

except someone else relied on her too and the blonde had been neglecting that part of her life for a couple of weeks now.

you sat curled up on the sofa, having caught the last thirty minutes of the match but you were not able to sit with a hot mug of tea as your eyes flicked between the clock and your phone which sat perked on the arm of the chair.

the match now, had ended a couple hours ago. leah still wasn't home. but she'd sent a text earlier in the evening:

leah❤️ | 'sorry baby. be home soon, captain stuff. you understand x'

except with each moment when this would happen you were starting to understand less and less.

you'd been understanding for months, years even. you'd cheered leah on from the stands every minute you could, celebrated her victories and comforted her after each loss.

you'd sacrificed evening, weekends, and family commitments to make room for leah's hectic schedule. but the balance that once made your relationship with the blonde so special had shifted and now it felt like you were the only one willing to make the sacrifices.

finally after a few hours, longer than you expected her to be. leah closed the door to the apartment with a sigh, her body heavy from the loss and her mind reeling with what could've gone differently on the pitch.

the blonde barely having time to drop her bag before you appeared in the doorway of the living room, your arms crossed as you leaned against the doorframe, your expression a mixture of frustration and sadness.

"baby-" leah began but you cut her off before she even had the chance to give you another word. 

"no. don't. don't you dare try and act like everything is fine, leah."

leah froze, taken aback by the sharpness in your tone, "what are you talking about? i just-"

"no, you just ignored me again," you snapped. "i've been waiting all week for us to have some time together after you've been on camp, but you didn't even ask if i needed you after the match. instead i just got some generic excuse about 'captain duties' and left me here alone. again."

leah frowned, her defenses but also her stubbornness kicking in, "y/n, it not like i wanted to. but i had responsibilities-" 

"and what about your responsibility to me?" you interupted, your voice cracking. "what about us leah? or have we become less important than a post-match briefing?"

leah's jaw tightened, "no, no thats not fair. you know how much pressure i'm under. i'm doing this for the team - for the country! i don't have the luxury to just drop everything."

"and i'm not asking you to. you know i'm always proud of you, your biggest fan." your voice rising slightly as your frustration was beginning to build and start to spill over. "all i'm asking is for you to see me. to care enough to put me first sometimes. but instead, you keep proving over and over that everything else seems to come first; football, the team, being the perfect captain. i'm tired, leah."

you stopped as you sighed, your voice starting to feel a little shaky, "i'm tired of always coming in second."

leah stepped closer, her hands outstreched as if to physically hold you back from walking away. "y/n, please. don't say that. you're not second - i love you. i'm just.. i'm trying to do everything. i'm trying to be everthing for everyone.”

your eyes softened for a moment, but your voice remained steady. "you don't have to be everything for everyone, leah. you just have to be there for those who love you. but right now, i don't think you know how to do that and i don't think i can keep pretending like i'm okay with being left behind."

leah could feel her throat getting tighter and tighter by the second, panic beginning to set in with each word that left your lips. "so, i- what are you saying? you're leaving? baby? don't- please, don't do this." leah stutter out as she tried to reach out for you again as you brushed her off. 

you shook your head, a tear slipping down your cheek. "i'm not leaving, leah. i'm gonna go and spend the weekend at my mum's, i need some space. time to figure out if i can keep doing this, if we can keep doing this. i'll be back sometime on monday, but for now, i just need to breathe."

leah reached out grabbing your hand, her voice breaking. "y/n, please. i can't lose you. i'll do better - i promise. just.. don't go, please."

you gently pulled her hand away, you voice low and soft but firm. "i'm not leaving to punish you, leah. i just need some space. i'll see you on monday."

leah stood frozen as she watched you grab your bag which you'd obviously packed while she was taking hours to come home, as you grabbed your coat and left. the sound of the door shutting being and echoing in the now-empty apartment.

as you walked along the street towards the tube station, on route to your mum's house as the streets were gloomy lit as a cold breeze hitting your hands as your mind filled with thoughts but it was short lived as the sound of you phone buzzing snapped you out of your thoughts, glancing at the screen to see a message from beth. a link to no doubt another tiktok she'd found funny.

you hesitated before picking your phone up and typing a response, liking the message with the link before your thumbs moved quickly across the screen.

you | 'can we meet for coffee tomorrow?'

meado🐾 | 'course! the usual place at 10?'

meado🐾 | 'everything okay?'

you | 👍🏻

—

you walked into the usual coffee shop, your coat pulled tight around you protecting you from the winter air. as you spotted beth sitting at a small table near the back two cups of steaming cup of tea in front of her as she waved you over.

"you alright?" she asked as you sat down.

you paused for a minute, opening your mouth to try and say something before you shook your head, "not really," you voice heavy with emotion.

beth gave you a sympathetic smile, "figured as much, what's happened?"

you took a deep breath, your hands fiddling with the edge of your jumper. "it's le, she's.. i dunno. she's, just so caught up in every. being captain, the team, the media. i know it's important to her beth, i really do. but, but i feel like i don't exist in her world anymore.."

beth frowned, leaning forward. "she's has been distant, hasn't she?"

you nodded, your voice shaking. "she used to make so much time for us even when timings weren't great. but now? i'm lucky if i get five minutes with her where she's not thinking about football. and last night, she said she would be home straight away after the match but then she just.. disappeared. captain duties apparently."

beth let out a slow breath, the girl being out in a difficult position. leah was one of her best friends and admittedly had known the blonde longer but she knew you and how much her best friend was in love with you.

"that.. that sounds like leah. she's not the best at juggling things when she's under pressure. it's like sometimes she forgets there's a life away from the pitch"

you eyes filling with tears, "i’ve tried to be patient, beth. i've tried to understand but i feel like im screaming into the void. she keep saying she'll do better but it's always the same. and i- i don't know if i can keep doing this.."

beth reached across the table, giving your hand a squeeze, "listen, i love leah to bits but she can be stupid and stubborn but she's lucky to have you and she needs to realise that before it's too late. but just be honest with her, your not asking too much. your asking for what you deserve."

you sniffed, trying to hold back a sob. "what is she doesn't change? what if this is just.. who she is now?"

beth's expression hardened, "if she doesn't change she's the one whose going to lose but if i know leah, she's not going to let that happen."

you sighed, staring into the tea in front of you, "i feel like i'm failing her by even thinking about walking away. like i'm giving up on her.."

beth shook her head, "no your not failing her, your asking for what you need. relationships aren't supposed to be one-sided and if leah can't see how much this is hurting you. she's the one that needs to wake up."

you hesitated, you voice barely a whisper, "and if she doesn't?"

beth leaned back in her chair, her expression thoughtful. after a long pause, she said, "then that's a question only you can answer. but if there's not thing leah doesn't do and that's give up on those she loves. sometimes she just needs a little push in the right direction."

your lips twitched into a faint smile, "you really believe that?"

beth grinned, "i do and if she doesn't get it together then i'll personally give her a good kick up the backside for you"

that pulled a small laugh out of you, the tension in your shoulders easing slightly, "thanks beth, i needed this."

"of course," beth said raising her mug in a mock toast, "just remember your not asking for anything y/n, your asking for enough and leah? she'll figure it out."

—

leah sat on the sofa, where she'd spent the past day and a half. her head in her hands as her phone lay o her chest, her mind replaying the argument from saturday night, over and over in her mind. her chest ached with guilt and frustration and for the first time, she didn't have an immediate solution to fix what she had so clearly broken.

she'd spent the entire today, sunday, in her thoughts. she hadn't moved all day, nothing in the apartment had been touched or moved as the spent it just moping around as she checked her phone every ten minutes just in case you had messaged to say you were on your way home.

you hadn't. the last message from you was: 'got to my mum's okay.'

so simple and to the point. no usual goodnight message or a simple 'i love you' nothing. and while leah knew she deserved it, she would be lying if she said it didn't sting a bit as she stared back at the bright screen.

this time her when her phone buzzed she leaped up to grab it, it must be you. it was embarrassing really how fast she scrambled to get to her phone as it sat on the coffee table. but as she saw beths name, a little part of her sunk as she sighed and picked it up reading the message.

beth | 'you better be writing a long love letter and ways to apologise before i personally mess you up, williamson!'

leah | 'not now beth. i'm already miserable."

beth | 'good, as you should be. that poor girl. y/n deserves better than the leah williamson that you've been giving her. you need to get it together before she decides she's better off without you.'

leah stared at the message, her heart sinking with each word of beth's message she read. it was ture though. beth wasn't the type to sugarcoat thing, which is something as to why the two got along for so long. 

she set her phone down, her mind racing. she couldn't afford to lose you - not when you were the one thing that made all the chaos in her life go quiet. when she was with you, the whole world stopped and leah was at peace. but promises wouldn't be enough this time. she ahd to show you that she could change, that she could be the partner you needed and wanted.

for the first time in weeks, leah wasn't thinking about tactics or training. she was thinking about the person she loved and hoped she would get to spend the rest of her life with - and how she could win you back.

—

leah didn't sleep thay night. she lay in the bed, the one you usually shared together. the bed which usually felt too small as you'd cling to leah throughout the night as if she was you personal heater. the bed feeling that little bit more bigger now you weren't in it with her.

as she stared at the ceiling, the sound of your voice from the argument playing on repeat in her head.

'you don't see me anymore, leah. you see england. you see the armband. but you forget to see me.'

every word had been a dagger to the heart. a reality check for the blonde. and for the first time in her life, leah felt truly lost in herself. she had always prided herself on being a leader, someone who could hold everything together. but she was beginning to see that her leadership had coem at a cost and a big one at that and it was one she couldn't afford to pay.

by the time the sun began to rise, leah had already been pacing the apartment scribbling notes in a notebook she'd found lying on the dinner table. pages were filled with ideas, crossed out apologies and half-formed plans to fix what she'd broken.

flowers? no, too cliché.

a handwritten letter? maybe, but it wouldn't be enough on its own.

a proper date? but what would that even look like when you were still so hurt?

leah was mid-sentence in her brainstorming when her phone buzzed.

beth | 'have you started groveling yet, or do i need to come over and supervise?'

leah | 'i'm working on it. give me a break.'

beth | 'breaks are for those who didn't mess up. times a ticking williamson.'

leah couldn't help but laugh at the message, though the weight in her chest didn't lift. she stared at her notebook again, willing herself to come up with something that would show you just how much she cared.

you returned to the apartment late that same monday night, keeping your promise just like you said you would. but as you walked through the door, you stopped in your tracks as your bag slid down your arm. the living room looked completely different.

the coffee table had been cleared as it had been previously stacked with empty water bottles. now was covered with a neatly folded tablecloth and two plates of what appeared to be your favourite pasta dish. soft candlelights flickered as faint sound of music played from the speaker in the corner.

leah stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, wringling her hands. "i, uh.. i wanted to apologise properly." the blonde said, her voice usually so confident and full of herself was quiet and so uncharacteristically nervous.

you raised an eyebrow, your eyes scanning around at the setup, "you did all this?"

"yeah" leah shifted her weight from one foot to another as she looked more like a nervous schoolgirl than the captain of england.

“i know i've messed up, y/n. i realise now i've been putting everything else above us and it's not fair to you. you're the best thing in my life and i've been treating you like an afterthought. i'm so, so sorry my love."

your arms crossed, your expression unreadable to the blonde, "le, this isn't something you can fix with dinner and candles."

leah nodded quickly, "i know, i know this is just a small step. but i'm trying, y/n. i'm trying to show you that i want to be better, i want to put you first. but i can't just say it - i have to show it.”

you hesitated, your eyes softening just a inch, "but what's changed, leah? what makes you think this time is going to be different?”

leah took a deep breath, taking a second to steady her voice, “‘cause i’m not trying to be better for you, i’m trying to be better with you. i know i’ve so focused on being captain that i’ve forgotten how to be a girlfriend. but i don’t want to lose you, y/n. you mean far too much to me.”

you looked at her for a long moment before finally sighing, “your lucky i love you, le. but this isn’t fixed yet, it’s going to take time for me to trust that things will actually change.”

leah stepped closer, pulling you closer to her wanting to feel some sort of comfort in your presence which had been missing the past day and a half. “i know. and i’ll wait as long as it takes, as long as you let me prove it to you.”

later on that night after many stolen kisses and mumbled apologies, you were sat at the table slowly eating the pasta leah had made. leah’s phone buzzing with another message from beth.

beth | ‘so? did you manage to not screw up anymore?’

leah | ‘she’s giving me a chance, but i’ve got a long way to go.’

beth | ‘good, keep groveling or i’m still coming to mess you up!’

leah | ‘noted!’

leah looked up from her face a small smile tugging at the side of her lips as your brows furrowed in curiosity. “what’s tickled you?” you asked, the sound of your fork dropping to the side of the plate as leah put her phone to one side.

“just beth threatening to mess me up if i screw up again. but i’m serious about making this work” leah said her tone getting quieter as she looked for an expression in your face as an amused look appeared on your face.

“i know” you smiled, your tone softer, “but if you do screw up, i’ll mess you up first before beth..”

a small chuckle left leah’s lips but she knew from your tone you were serious but she wasn’t planning on screwing up so in reality she had nothing to worry about.

“noted!” leah nodded, determination settling in her chest. as she moved to your side of the table and planting her lips onto yours, “i love you” she mumbled against them before pulling you back in.

[pitchsidestories]

look at us now (2) II Renée Slegers x Reader

romantic masterlist | platonic masterlist | part 1 | word count: 1695

summary: the team tries to figure out if Renée and reader are in a relationship or just friendly with each other. requested

author's note: hi everyone, we hope you enjoy the fanfic as much as part one. 🫶🏻🫶🏻

disclaimer: Everything in this fanfiction is purely fictional and nothing corresponds to reality.

Rekindling your relationship with Renée had brought back the same feelings that you had when you dated her back in Sweden. Everything was easy with Renée. You felt safe and secure, loved and cared for. And you loved taking care of her too by making sure she didn’t work until late at night and took enough breaks. The only difference to back then was that this time you decided to keep it a secret.

It should have been easy. You two were professionals after all. But seeing Renée so deflated after Arsenal just lost to Chelsea, made it really hard not to walk over and put your arms around her.

As if she was looking for your closeness, she appeared next to you in the tunnel.

“We were so close.”, she sighed.

You gently put your hand on her upper arm, trying your best to stay positive: “Don’t be upset. It was a good game.”

“I’m not upset. Our team did well but what am I going to tell them? They will be sad and disappointed because of the loss…”

You studied her for a moment, unsure if she was actually talking about your team or herself.

“You’ll find the right words, Renée. You’re never at a loss for words.”, you smiled gently.

Renée didn’t answer. She turned towards the pitch, making sure that no one could see the two of you hidden in the dark hallway leading towards the dressing rooms. And then she kissed you.

It was quick and grateful. A small gesture to let you know that she was happy to have you in her corner.

When you pulled away, you quickly realised that you weren’t alone anymore.

The Chelsea coach passed by, her assistant by her side and to your surprise she winked at you.

“I think your players are looking for you two.“, she said with her strong French accent.

“Oh… uhm , thanks.”, you stammered, the shock of being caught still lingering.

She left with a knowing smile on her lips: “De rien.”

“I think what she wanted to say was you’re welcome. Come on, the girls need us.”, Renée grinned, seemingly unbothered by the interaction and dragged you with her back towards the pitch.

“Hope you have some ideas for your speech now.“, you laughed.

“I do.”

Before Renée could gather the team, Kim came up to you. She frowned, holding herself like she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. You weren’t sure if you had ever seen your captain so devastated.

“I’m sorry, coach. I don’t know why I tried to stop Lauren James in the penalty area.”, she apologized, her voice steady but not free of frustration.

Your heart ached for your captain.

“It happens and it’s okay. You were trying to help the defence out. Yes, maybe we lost the match today but also showed that we can keep up with Chelsea. And this is what we should take away from this game.”, Renée said patiently as more and more players formed a circle around you.

Leah clapped her hands with a determined face: “That’s right. We get up and learn from it. Next time, we’ll beat them.”

“Exactly that.”, Renée nodded. The blonde defender's words of encouragement seemed to lighten the load on the players' shoulders a little. Only one footballer looked completely miserable.

As you whispered in Kim’s ear, you hugged her gently:” Don’t be too hard on yourself, Kimmy.”

“I’ll try to.”, she replied with an unhappy smile.

“Promise?”

‘Sure,’ the captain shrugged before making her way to the changing room. It was heartbreaking to see her in this state.

On another evening you attended your first dinner with the team. Between the starters and the main course, Alessia asked you something private, to which you laughed awkwardly.

Reprovingly you clicked your tongue: “Alessia.”

“What I was asking you a simple question.”, she answered, sounding quite innocent.

“That’s not a question that belongs here.”, you stated.

The blonde immediately protested not without a smile:” If you’re seeing anyone? But you know everything about us.”

“Just because you tell her a lot about yourself doesn't mean she has to.”, Renée came to your aid.

With a teasing smile on your lips, you added: “And I never asked you to share everything with me. And I mean literally everything.”

“Hey, why are you looking at me while you said that?!”, Kyra pouted.

“Because I really don’t need to know what you’ve for breakfast. Every day.”, you chuckled.

The Australian midfielder couldn't help but burst out laughing too:” A girl likes to yap, okay?”

“Everyone here knows.”, Steph assured her, patting her lightly on the shoulder.

Caitlin, who was sitting next to them, confirmed it.

You needed a moment for yourself, so you went to the dimly lit restaurant’s bathroom, your girlfriend followed a few minutes later.

There was an amused twinkle in her brown eyes:” Our players are very interested in your love life.”

“I don’t know why though.”, you sighed as she hugged you from behind.

In a sincere tone Renée retorted: “Me neither.”

“When can we go to your place?”, you asked your girlfriend longingly.

“Not yet. They might notice.”

“Maybe we should leave around different times? So, it’s not too obvious.”, you suggested. co

The brunette thought about it for a second, then announced: “Good idea. I’ll leave first.”

After Renée was gone, Beth noticed: “Coach left early.”,

“You know her, there’s always work.”, you waved it off.

“And she likes to be prepared.”, Leah continued.

With a glance at the clock, you realized:” But it’s also late, girls.”

“Don’t say you’re going too.”, Kyra looked at you with big eyes.

“Yes, I am. Bye everyone.”, you told the players.

As soon as you were out of sight, Beth turned excitedly to her teammates: “Girls, did you notice how long the farewell hug was between Renée and our new assistant coach?”

“You’re overinterpreting here, Beth.”, Stina countered.

Quickly, Alessia disagreed: “I think she has a point.”                                 

“Oh, please.”, the Swede rolled her eyes.

“But she didn’t want to talk about it either.”, the English striker reminded the fellow blonde.

A smile lit up Leah's face when she admitted: “Yes, that was suspicious.”

Stina shook her head: “They’ve been over it for a long time.”

“If you say so…”, Beth shrugged, ending the conversation but the sparkle in her eyes was evidence enough that she wasn’t ready to drop the topic yet.

A week later, Arsenal faced Manchester City. The game was chaotic and all over the place. You could barely stay in your seat watching your players move around the pitch. Subconsciously, you cringed. Finally, you had enough. You got up and joined Renée on the sideline.

“Oh, I can’t look. This is turning into a basketball game, no midfield to be seen.”, you complained to her, desperately pointing towards your defensive and central midfielders trying to gain control of the game.

You could tell that Renée followed the game with growing concern but she turned towards you and joked: “If it was basketball, they would use their hands, y/n.”

You rolled your eyes and bit back in smile.

“Yes but still, where is our midfield? Get Lia on.”

Renée who had turned back to watch the game only glanced at you this time: “Calm down.”

“I am calm.”, you replied without taking your eyes off of your girlfriend.

“Good.”

Discussion over. You both focused back on the game.

The minutes passed and nothing changed. Finally, Renée gave in and called Lia over to be subbed in. You both shared a look before she entered the pitch. You raised your eyebrow to signal your girlfriend that you had told her so, to which Renée responded with a playful roll of her eyes.

With Lia on, the game started to stabilise. But still, it went back and forth between both teams. When the final whistle blew, Arsenal was one goal ahead, winning the game 3:4.

You snuck up to Renée and grinned at her: “See? Getting Lia in was a good idea.”

“Yes, but it wasn’t only that sub.”, she said cooly, still staring out on the pitch and reflecting on the game.

“Of course not.”

Renée finally looked at you and nodded once: “But important three points.”

“Yes, we got a lot to take away from it too for when we play them again in a few days.”

“Yes, a lot of work for us.”, Renée agreed.

“We can do that.”

“I’m sure.” Renées face softened and a smile tugged on her lips as she dragged you along with her towards the player’s tunnel. She kissed you in the safety of the darkness as she so often did after games.

All of a sudden you felt the eyes of your players on you and began to clear your throat nervously: “Uhm Renée the team is staring at us.”

“What?”, your girlfriend followed your gaze with an alarmed look on her face.

Barely audible you whispered:”I think they saw the kiss.”

“Oh no.”, Renée began to curse.

With a proud smile on her lips Beth turned to her teammates:” I told you so, I was right girls!”

“They’re so cute.”, Alessi chirmed much to your surprise.

An amused chuckle escaped your lips:” You know that we can hear you, right?”

“Yes, we do.”, Leah smirked.

Renée ran her fingers through her hair flustered, trying to take her players’ minds off the kiss: “We should give our thanks to our travelling fans.”

“Come on, coach. It’s fine. You don’t have to distract.”, Beth assured the Dutch woman.

The England captain quickly added: “Yeah, we’re glad to see you this happy.”

Without words, Renée picked up Beth, while both started to laugh out loud.

“I think you can tell that she’s happy.”, you remarked smiling.

A teasing grin played around your girlfriend’s lips: “Oh, can you? But yes, I am What about you, love?”

“Our team won, and I got a gorgeous woman on my side. I can’t complain.”, you replied cheerfully.

And this much was true, if you looked at the two of you now, you wouldn’t change a thing.

[alotofpockets]

All grown up | Alessia Russo x Irish Arsenal!Reader & McFoord x Platonic!Reader

Where you've been with the team since you were young and have always been seen as the baby of the group, even when you aren't the youngest by far, and the team finds out you've grown up when they figure out you're dating Alessia

Woso masterlist | Words: 1.6k

-----

When you first joined Arsenal, you were still a teenager, and quickly your nickname became “the baby” as you had been the youngest one on the team. Katie had taken you in when you made the move over from Ireland, you hadn’t played together a lot because she had a few years on you, but to have a fellow Irish around made you feel more at home. 

You were a shy kid, and had a tendency to follow Katie around, at least for the first few months that you were at the club. A lot had changed in all those years since, but you would always be seen as the baby of the group, even when you weren’t the youngest anymore by a long shot.

Moving out of Katie’s place hadn’t changed much to the dynamic the two of you had. The girl was like an older sister to you, and you still found yourself at her and Caitlin’s place more often than not. Besides the two of them, the team was your family away from family, and you could not be more grateful to have them in your life, but sometimes you would like to be treated like anything besides “the baby” of the group.

That is exactly what you found when Alessia joined Arsenal. It was refreshing to see someone treat you the way they treated the rest of the girls. Most girls that joined the team, easily fell into the rhythm of mothering you around, like you weren’t a grown adult yourself by now. Not Alessia though.

You had fallen into a different rhythm with her. She wanted to get to know you for you, and not the person everyone saw you as. It wasn’t long before the two of you fell for each other and started dating.

Together you decided to keep the relationship hidden from the rest of the team. You knew they would treat your relationship differently than any of the other girls starting one, and you didn’t want all the eyes that would be on you, to ruin what you and Alessia had started. 

“Hey Kiddo, are you still coming over for dinner tonight?” Caitlin asked with her arm around your shoulder on the way back to the locker room after practice. “Yeah, of course. You know I wouldn't miss it.” She patted your back and moved over to Katie.

You thought you and Alessia had been good at hiding your relationship. Making sure you were the last to leave training so you could slip into Alessia’s car unnoticed, but Beth had noticed how you would always take forever to get ready and had set her mind on figuring out what was going on. She dragged Steph to the side when they walked to their cars and explained her plan.

Together they watched you and Alessia walk out, happily chatting, and getting into Alessia’s car before driving off. After seeing this, she decided she was going to watch the two of you closely, to see if she could figure out what was going on.

When you arrived at Alessia’s apartment you immediately pulled her towards the couch to get in some much needed cuddles. “I hate having to keep my distance from you around the girls.” The blonde wrapped her arms around you and pulled you closer into her side. “I know, love. Have you given any more thought about telling them about us?”

You shook your head, “I don’t want what we have to change the moment everyone finds out. They are all so protective, all their eyes would be constantly on us, and I don’t want it to feel like our relationship is constantly being watched by the adults.” 

Alessia presses a long kiss to your forehead. She sighed softly while running her fingers through your hair. “I get it, they can be a lot. But you know that no matter what they say, I’m sticking around, right?” You smile and nod, “Yeah, I know.” You cuddle up to her further and start a movie.

Once the movie was finished, it was time to head over to Katie and Caitlin’s for dinner. “Want me to drive you home or to Katie’s?” Alessia asked as she got up and stretched her arms out. After checking the time, you opted for Katie’s. 

At a red light a couple blocks over, you took the time to kiss your girlfriend and thank her for driving you. So, when you got to Katie’s you got out of the car after another quick thank you, so neither Katie or Caitlin would see any of the couply stuff. 

And good thing you did, because the first thing Katie said as you entered the home was, “Was that Alessia’s car?” You froze for a split second, thinking she might be onto you. “Yeah, we were hanging out and she gave me a ride.”

Katie narrowed her eyes at you in suspicion, but didn’t press any further. “Alright, get in here Kiddo. Dinner is almost ready, and Cait is already complaining that I’m doing it wrong.” You chuckled as Caitlin’s voice rang out from the kitchen, “That’s because you are!” The tension you were feeling flooded away as soon as you stepped further into the home. 

After dinner, Katie insisted on driving you home to not let Alessia drive back and forth again. You knew that if you went against her offer, you would only be giving her signs that something was going on between you and Alessia, so you accepted the offer.

Once you got inside you called Alessia to fill her in and ask if she would still come over to your place. When she got there, you were pacing the living room. “Do you think she suspects something?” 

“I don’t know about Katie, but Beth and Steph are the ones I’m worried about.” Your head shot up. “Why?” Alessia sat down and shrugged. “Beth has been giving me these weird looks, like she’s trying to figure something out. And then when our eyes meet, she quickly starts chatting with Steph, and I don’t know, I just feel like they’re talking about us.”

Alessia realises she’s only worrying you more with what she’s saying, so she quickly gets up and moves her hands to your cheeks to get you to focus on her. “We can handle their teasing, and everything that they can throw our way. We’re going to be okay no matter what.” 

You take a deep breath. “No matter what.” You repeat her words. Alessia kisses you, before guiding you to your bedroom. “Now, let’s get some sleep.” 

The next day at lunch with the team, you sat between Caitlin and Alessia, with Katie, Beth, and Steph sat across from you. The atmosphere in the hall was great, conversations flowed easily at all the tables. 

Alessia’s knee brushed against yours and you were trying to focus on Katie’s words instead of the warm feeling that filled your body. Then all of a sudden Beth leaned forward with a sly smile, clearly ready to stir something. She looked directly at you, and you could feel your nerves kicking in instantly.

“So,” She began, looking from you to Alessia and back. “How long have the two of you been dating behind our backs?” The table went silent and the whole team was watching you after they heard your fork clatter on your plate.

“What?” You stammered, “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, don’t even try to deny it.” Beth smirked. “Steph and I saw you getting in the car with Alessia, looking a little too cosy if you ask me. We’ve all seen the way you two look at each other, and the lingering touches when you think we aren’t watching.”

You could feel the heat rising in your cheeks as you were being called out in front of the whole time. “I- We-” You tried to form a coherent sentence, but you had seemingly forgotten how to form one, so you just sighed in defeat and nervously looked over to Katie.

She was leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed, you thought she was going to be mad, but then her smirk grew, matching that of Beth’s. “Well, well, our baby is all grown up.” Caitlin jumped in as well, “Guess that means we can double date now, huh?”

The whole room erupted into laughter and teasing comments. All you could do was sink lower into your seat, and bury your face in your hands. Alessia reached over to squeeze your leg under the table, trying to ground you amidst the chaos Beth’s comment had created. 

You leaned into her side and buried your face into her chest, blocking everyone from seeing your reddened cheeks. Eventually, Katie reached over and ruffled your hair. “Relax, Kiddo. We’re happy for you. Russo, you’re coming to dinner next time, alright?” The blonde nodded, not having spoken a word, too afraid to mess up herself. “Yeah, ehm, I’ll be there.” 

You finally looked up, and glanced around the room. Despite their teasing, you found nothing but love and support on the faces of your teammates. Maybe Alessia had been right, telling them wasn’t so bad after all.

“Come on, love birds,” Caitlin said as she got up and put a hand on both of your shoulders, “back to training.”

-----

💗 If you enjoyed this fic, please consider liking, commenting, and reblogging! You can also supporting me by leaving a tip 💗

[woso-dreamzzz]

Helper:Christmas

Arsenal Women x Child!Reader

Summary: Christmas with Guppy

"I...I don't understand. What's...What's going on?"

"Just keeping holding it up," Codi whispers to Rosa, who looks like she's about to lower the tinsel that she's holding up.

"I don't get it. What's going on?"

"We're decorating the tree."

"No, I get that. But why are we holding it up in a line?"

On her other side, Leah huffs. "Because Lia's raising a kid who doesn't like mess and gets freaked out by Christmas trees. Ow! Lia!"

Lia's elbow, none too kindly, digs a bit further into Leah's ribs.

"Don't make fun of her!" She snaps, imaginary hackles raised in annoyance at Leah's dismissal before turning to Rosa to explain, much more kindly. "Guppy...She gets a bit overwhelmed about this kind of stuff and these cretins like to go overboard until the tree's a big mess. So, Guppy gets to pick the theme and then we all decorate. Leah's exaggerating."

"I'm just saying! Maybe exposure therapy will be good for her! I love her, Lia, I do. You know that. But you have to admit, this-"

Lia whips her beads at Leah in annoyance.

"Alrigh! Alright! I get it! Sorry!"

Lia's not finished though as she points to practically everyone in line in turn. "None of you are allowed to talk about that kind of stuff while y/n's in the room too, do you understand? She's sensitive and I'm not letting any of you make it worse!"

"I think they get it," Mario intervenes quickly," No one wants to make her feel bad."

Rosa's kind of glad that Mariona did. She's never seen Lia angry before. Annoyed, yes. Overtired, yes. But never angry. Not truly anyway but she's heard how protective Lia gets over you.

You're not really an oddball. You're not overwhelmingly weird either. But something that Rosa's noted is that you're very particular. She's never met a child so particular in her life. You like things done in a certain way.

You get all fidgety and anxious if you're not allowed to do things in the way you want and tend to start things over if it hasn't gone perfectly. You flick the lights on and off twice in whatever room you leave and you always knock on doors twice.

Rosa's seen you on the team bus, getting Lia to buckle and unbuckle your seatbelt twice over just before the bus sets off to whatever away match they need to get to.

You're just...

Different.

It's clear that Lia knows that too and a lot of her energy is put into making sure no one makes you think that you don't fit in.

"Alright!" Kim comes in holding your hand and from what Rosa strains to hear from Mario and Lia's conversation, this is normal too.

Kim helps you pick out the theme.

You both whisper together, Kim clearly going along with your childish wonder and happiness. She crouches down at your side as you look between Rosa and Kyra's tinsel.

Rosa's holding a red one and Kyra's holding a gold one.

Kyra wiggles it enticingly in your face but your features all scrunch up at once as you move away from Kim to take Rosa's hand and then to choose Codi and her matching green tinsel as well.

"Alright," Kim says," And what about baubles?"

"Er..." You look at the rest of the team and all the baubles they hold up to you, suddenly overwhelmed with choices.

You look at Leah's glittery baubles and shake your head.

"Not-Not glitter ones."

Then you catch sight of Lia and Mario, immediately breaking away from Kim to go crashing into them.

"Mummy!" You gasp," You bought the special beads from home!"

Wound around what looks to be an old piece of cardboard, is a long string of silver beads.

"I did," Lia says," Because our tree is too little for them this year. I thought we could use them on the Arsenal tree."

You nod, head bobbing up and down happily before you also take Mario's hand, dragging her into your little group of chosen people without even looking at the bauble in her hands.

"Nah!" Leah complains," This is so unfair! Why can't I be chosen?"

"Because you clearly didn't choose a good bauble this year," Beth teases," Not like me."

"Not Beth's bauble either," You say to Kim.

"Wait...What? Come on, come back!"

Decorating the tree is a team effort because while you may have been the one to make your selection, you're much too small to decorate it all by yourself and Rosa's found herself with you on her shoulders as you strain to put a candy cane onto the tree.

"Careful," Lia warns her," Keep straight or she'll fall."

"Rosa's doing fine," Steph says," And it's not like Guppy is going to start throwing herself around. She's very responsible."

"I am, Mummy!" You say," Very responsible! I helped Mrs Gina find the missing gluestick lid yesterday!"

So, Lia ends up worrying from a distance and insists on being the one to lift you up so you can put the star on the tree before letting you down and leading you from the room without any more preamble.

"What's happening now?" Rosa whispers as it looks like everyone starts sitting down on the floor in a little circle that she has no option but to join.

"Lia's been doing this since Guppy was born," Caitlin explains," We're getting presents now. It was pretty cute the first time, little gifts in baby y/n's hands. It was her handprint the year she was born and then it was like little keychains? She's old enough to give them out by herself now."

The present Rosa gets is kind of soft and squishy and it doesn't rattle or anything when she holds it up to her ear and shakes.

"No opening until Christmas!" You say once everything's been given out and everyone's attention is on you," Because that ruins the surprise! You can only open them on Christmas!"

The little Arsenal teddy bear you got her sits on Rosa's desk for the rest of the season.

[flemingology]

christmas request - you get sexy christmas lingerie and surprise leah with a lapdance (which inevitably leads to smut)

unwrapping you ─ leah williamson x reader

part of my christmas series. full masterlist here!

in which: you leave leah's best surprise for last

warnings: implied smut (18+), lap dance, language but also a whole load of fluff

wc: 3.9k

a/n: most unrealistic part in this fic is chicken soup and sandwiches being one of leah fav foods (god forbid that woman eats something colored). in other words... how does one write a lap dance????? this is not full-blown smut. i didn't really feel like including that in this series, but i hope i still did your request justice. <3

Your first Christmas with Leah had been perfect.

Your lover woke you up this morning to breakfast in bed, Leah wanting to make use of the fact she finally perfected the one recipe she knew – fluffy pancakes. You thanked her accordingly with a couple fierce kisses that soon turned into way more than either of you had planned, the two of you finally rolling out of bed a good two hours later, messy hair and flushed cheeks a testament to what you had been up to in bed.

You took a warm shower together, and then set foot outside for a light Sunday morning stroll through London's Christmas markets. You walked side by side, one hand occupied with holding Leah's, other hand nursing a hot chocolate. You took your time on each stall, admiring all the handmade ornaments, pieces of clothing and so many other things that were up for sale. You managed not to spend too much, not getting anything more than a small extra present for your sister and a cute little ornament you would add to your table decoration for the team dinner on New Year's Day.

Back home, you made a quick lunch. You heated up some leftovers from the night before, when you made chicken soup and some sandwiches, one of Leah's self-proclaimed favorite dishes that you made. You spent the rest of the afternoon lounging about, gliding from one Friends episode into the other, drifting in and out of sleep in each other's arms on the couch.

It wasn't until evening came around though, that the best part of the day took place. You had kept the best for last; the presents. Normally you weren't one to wait for the evening, but Leah claimed that it would be cozier, and you had to agree. Your apartment was coated in a warm glow from the mood lighting all around, a couple vanilla-scented candles adding to the cozy atmosphere, you and your blonde lover cuddled up on the couch, a pile of unopened presents ready to be attacked on your coffee table.

As promise to one another, neither of you went overboard. Leah had quite the tendency to spoil you, but you wanted none of that. And to your surprise, she actually stuck to her promise. There were 5 presents on the coffee table; 2 for your girlfriend and 3 for you. Unbeknownst to Leah, though, her 3rd and arguably best present of the night, was already unpacked and waiting for her under your layer of clothes.

A couple days ago, while Leah was at training, you ventured out into the busy streets of London for a final surprise for your girlfriend. You were more than happy with the two presents you had at hand, but you couldn't shake the thought in your mind that had been there for the past couple of weeks, to buy a new set of red, lace lingerie – one that you knew would drive her completely nuts.

So with that secret in mind, you and Leah started opening your presents. She insisted you opened the first one.

"For you, my love," she said, pressing a soft kiss to your lips as she handed you the first of her presents, the smallest one. You inspected the envelope, not able to make much from it on first glance. It looked elegant, though, a golden glow coming from the paper. You carefully opened the envelope, revealing a light green card with pastel accents. You couldn't really figure out what it was just yet, but with a little nudging from your girlfriend in the right direction, your eyes lit up as it dawned on you. "You booked us a weekend away?"

Leah nodded, a soft hum leaving her lips. "I know you've been wanting to get away for a little while," she started, taking one of your hands in hers. "I've been busy. You've been busy. But we can take a couple days for ourselves and for us. It'll be nice." Leah had a tentative look on her face, her eyes scanning yours, as if she was gauging whether you were actually happy with this.

Leah was right. The two of you had been extremely busy lately – your girlfriend's football schedule ramping up, and it seemed like the winter months had brought an influx of people wanting to buy estate, leaving you with a tremendous amount of work that you more often than not also took home.

You quickly gave Leah a fierce nod after you realized you got caught up in your thoughts, leaning towards her and pressing a soft kiss against her lips. "Thank you, I love this. I love you. We need it. It'll be good," you mumbled against her lips, your hand cupping her cheek and giving her another peck before you pulled away.

"My turn," you said excitedly. You grabbed the smallest one, a square box delicately wrapped in an elegant-looking black wrapping paper with silver accents. "This looks neat," Leah chuckled, and you bit your lip in apprehension as you handed her your first present. Unlike you, Leah wasn't so delicate with unwrapping presents. She was all ripping and tearing, nothing graceful about her movements. She'd never been a patient one when it came to things like these, and in all fairness, you couldn't blame her. Forever a kid at heart, Leah loved presents.

You got pulled out of your thoughts when you heard a faint gasp escaping your lover's throat. You searched Leah's eyes for any emotion but you couldn't read it, your heart starting to beat a little faster. "Babe, this is...," Leah inspected her present a little closer, "this is gorgeous." She carefully lifted the golden watch out of it's holder and held it in the light, the timepiece brightly reflecting the cozy hue in your apartment.

You'd first gotten the idea when you noticed Leah was online shopping the other day, looking for a new watch. You knew she liked to have a couple, alternating between them based on what outfit she'd wear. She'd been speaking about a new golden one for a while now, the one she had had lasted its time and she wanted a new one. Ever the observer, you'd made a mental note. A perfect Christmas gift.

Leah sported a bright smile, her gaze now pointed towards you. "Thank you, I've been looking at getting a new one, this is perfect," Leah took your hand in hers and gave it an appreciative squeeze, putting the watch back in it's holder and carefully placing the box back on the coffee table. "You could wear it with the black suit you have for New Year's Eve, it'd look really good," you said softly, Leah replying with nothing more than a suggestive wink.

Your blonde lover reached back over to the presents, grabbing a little silver bag and handing it to you. "We're staying in theme," Leah chuckled. You raised your eyebrows at her before your fingers made quick work of untying the knot, revealing a fine, silver necklace with a little L on. A smile tugged at the corner of your lips as you took in your present, admiring the way it glistened. "I know this seems like I'm basically claiming you, but I wouldn't have bought you this if you hadn't told me about a million times that you wanted one of these."

You let out a breathy laugh, throwing your head back against the couch. "Just for the record, I have no problem with you claiming me." You locked eyes with your girlfriend and saw a little twinkle in hers, to which you surged forward and pressed a firm kiss against her lips. "Thank you. You wanna help putting it on?" Leah nodded eagerly and twisted her body towards yours, clasping the necklace around your neck. Her fingers ghosted over the L that now hung between your collarbones. She kissed your lips once more, lingering a little before she pulled away again and sat upright.

Your next present for Leah was something you knew she'd be over the moon with. Arsenal through and through, your girlfriend had been collecting vintage Arsenal kits ever since you remember. Signed, worn, match kits, training kits, your wardrobe was full with her Arsenal memorabilia. There was one missing though, Arsenal's home shirt from the 2005/06 season, their last year at Highbury. You stumbled across it on Vinted a couple months ago and couldn't believe that it hadn't been picked up yet. The shirt was in perfect state, Thierry Henry's name and number splayed out on the back of it. You paid no mind to the price and ordered it immediately, knowing just how happy your girlfriend would be with it.

You passed her your second present. She felt around a little. "It's definitely clothing." She fumbled around a bit longer with the wrapping paper, before you interrupted. "Le, baby, how about you just open it and see what's inside instead of guessing." Her cheeks blushed a faint red but she complied nonetheless, once again very ungracefully tearing away at the wrapping paper.

Leah's eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she took sight of the burgundy shirt. You couldn't really tell with the lack of proper lighting in the room, but you swear you saw a couple unshed tears in her eyes. She quickly made work of the plastic layer around the shirt, holding it up in front of her. "Check the back," you said softly, reaching out towards your girlfriend and resting your hand on her leg that was slightly bouncing, testament to her excitement.

Leah turned the shirt around and you saw her smile growing impossibly bigger. "Babe, genuinely, what the fuck." You chuckled and shuffled closer to her, leaning your head on her shoulder and admiring the shirt along with her. "Nice one, eh?" Leah turned her face towards you and she cocked an eyebrow. "Nice? This isn't just 'nice', this is incredible," Leah scoffed. She turned the shirt back around, feeling the fabric, checking the label, as if she was still not sure whether this was real. "God, you've outdone yourself, y/n. I can't top this."

A smile tugged on the corners of your lips, pressing a soft kiss against Leah's cheek. "I knew you'd love it." Leah folded the shirt neatly and put it down on the coffee table next to the watch, turning her body towards yours. She cupped your cheeks and pressed a tender kiss against your lips, saying so much more than words could grasp. "You're amazing. I love you so much."

Leah pecked your lips another couple times before she retreated and set back against the armrest of the couch. "If I knew an Arsenal shirt was all it would take for you to be so expressive with you love, I wouldn't have waited this long," you said teasingly, earning a grunt and a playful swat at your thigh from your lover. "I am expressive with my love. Don't start on me!" A light giggle fell from your lips and waved away any further protest by grabbing Leah's hand and pressing a soft kiss against her palm. "You've got one more from me," Leah announced giddily, removing her hand from yours and grabbing the final present from the table. "This one's a bit more... sentimental."

You raised your eyebrows at your girlfriend, trying to read anything into her expression, but failing. "Sentimental...," you pried. "Yeah. Just open it. You'll see." You took the present from Leah's hands, the package laying relatively heavy in your hands. You carefully unwrapped it, each tear of the paper revealing a little more of Leah's final present. Eventually, you realized what it was. A handmade book of the last three years of your relationship. The book was littered with polaroids, screenshots of messages, souvenirs from places you went together, movie tickets, little notes you left for her to find on days you were out the country, and so many more. You could feel a stray tear making its way down your cheek as you scrolled your way through the book, catching it as quick as possible before it could fall on the paper and ruin anything. "Gosh, Leah,..." you mumbled, "sentimental is one way to put it, yeah," you said, muttering out the words past the obvious lump in your throat, sniffling a couple times as the memories unfolded underneath your fingers.

"You like it?" Leah's voice sounded small, and it almost agitated you, because you didn't even know how to begin voicing to her how much this meant to you. Leah wasn't one for the big romantic gestures, nor was she very showy with her affection, so for her to do something like this, to put so much time and effort into handcrafting this, it meant the world to you. You lifted your head and locked your gaze with your girlfriend's, a small frown etched between your eyebrows. "Le, please,..." you breathed, "do I like it?" You scoffed, and shook your head lightly at how ridiculous you found the question. "This means so much to me, Leah, you know that." You felt the blonde nudge a little closer to you, resting her head on your shoulder and looking at the polaroid your fingers seemed to linger on. "Remember that night?" she said softly, pressing a soft kiss against your shoulder.

"Of course I do," you said matter-of-factly. It was a polaroid you'd taken on the first time Leah slept over at your apartment. You'd been over at hers plenty of times, but somehow her sleeping over at yours felt like a step up. She'd come over and brought your favorite Italian take-away. Initially you both insisted on cooking together, but a long day at respectively football and work lulled you both into the comfort of having a meal prepared for you. You lounged on the sofa for what felt like hours, talking about everything and nothing until you settled for watching a film wrapped in each other's embrace. Somewhere during the night, though, you felt like the air had shifted a little. Touches lingered a little longer, kisses were a little sloppier, leading to the first time you made love to one another later that night. It was messy, clumsy and very nervous, but it was perfect. Perfect, because it was yours.

The memories flooded your mind and you couldn't help the jolt of arousal that coursed through your body upon remembering the events of that night. You leaned your head against Leah's, pressing a kiss against her temple. "As much as I would love to look through all of this right now, I've got one last present for you," you said softly, coaxing her head off your shoulder, carefully closing the handmade book and placing it on the coffee table. You tried to ignore the little insecurity that crept underneath your skin when you thought about Leah's final present. Deep down, you knew she'd love it, but you always felt a little apprehensive about things like this. The lingerie was one thing, the lap dance you were planning on giving her a whole other. "Another one? But it's not on the table?" Leah's eyes scanned around the room, clearly confused as to where you could've hidden another present. "It's not there, Le," you chuckled at the expression on her face. "It's upstairs. You stay here, I'll be right back," you put a hand on her chest and gave her lips a chaste kiss, standing up from the couch and making your way up the stairs before she could quip back a response.

You thanked your former self for having already put on the lingerie before Leah came home this afternoon, one less thing to worry about now in your nervous state. You slipped off Leah's your hoodie and sweatpants you'd been wearing, your girlfriend insisting that she wanted you to spend tonight in cozy clothing. You braved a look at yourself in the full-length mirror in your bedroom, and you felt some of the insecurities melt away. You looked good. The lingerie hugged your body in all the right places, accentuating all the curves you knew Leah loved so much. The longline bra was snug around your waist, the lace perfectly outlining the curve of your breasts. The thin red bottoms left little to the imagination, the waistband – accentuated with a little ribbon – just underneath your belly button. They gave prominence to your strong, tanned legs, likely your favorite thing about this set. You gave yourself an appreciative nod and pulled a robe out of your shared wardrobe, draping it over your half-naked body, giving Leah an extra layer to take off. You quickly decided to also pull a pair of red heels out of your wardrobe, putting them on and making your way out of the bedroom before you could doubt your choice of footwear. You stood at the edge of the stairs and took a steadying breath before you started making your way down. The clicking of your heels alerted Leah immediately, not able to delay her seeing you until you were downstairs.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she took in your outfit, and she put her phone down that she was mindlessly scrolling on to pass some time while you were upstairs. You could see a little glint in her eyes as you took the final step of the stairs, making your way back over to the couch at a tantalizingly slow pace. The air had most definitely shifted, Leah's intense gaze locking with yours as you slowed to a stop right in front of her. A smile tugged at your lips and you grabbed Leah's chin between your thumb and index finger, coaxing her face up towards yours and pressing a dizzying kiss against her lips. "I told you I had one final present," you mumbled against her mouth. "Why don't you discover what's underneath this robe?" You softly bit Leah's bottom lip as you let go of her lips, a lust-filled haze now clouding her eyes as she thought about what could be underneath the robe.

Leah's fingers made quick work of the knot tied around your waist, leaving the piece of clothing to fall to the ground, revealing your lingerie. "Oh," Leah's breath hitched in her throat and you would've grown insecure about her reaction if you hadn't seen the twinkle in her eyes. You were hit by a flurry of confidence and you twirled around, shaking your ass a little while your back was facing her before you turned back to face her. "Fuck, babe, this is..." Your girlfriend's words got caught in her throat as she let her eyes rake over your body once more, making sure she wasn't dreaming. You'd worn lingerie for her a couple times, after she had voiced how much she'd love it if you tried a couple sets. But never had it been a thing outside of the bedroom. You'd worn lingerie sets, worn sets underneath robes for her to discover, but it always happened in the comfort of your own bed. This, though, was a next step. A slight blush coated your cheeks as you felt Leah's intense gaze on you. She reached out one of her hands and looked up to you apprehensively, "Can I?" A smile tugged at your lips and you let out a light chuckle. "I'm all yours."

Leah's hands roamed all over your body, from your waist, to your thighs, to your lace-covered breasts, your calves, your ass, your girlfriend didn't leave a spot untouched. It wasn't long before her touches grew needy, and you put a hand against her chest to stop her, not wanting the rest of her surprise to get lost in her own excitement. "Le, wait," you said. Her eyes flicked up to yours, and you noticed how wide her pupils had gotten. A smirk made its way onto your face as to what would happen next. "You've been so good to me. Let me do this for you, okay?" You didn't await Leah's response. Instead you pulled Leah forward a little, and turned your body around, spreading your legs sitting yourself down on her lap. You couldn't ignore the doubts that crept in your mind about what you were doing, because you had never done anything like this. You'd sat on Leah's lap, plenty of times, but you'd never given her a lap dance. You did your research, naturally, you even watched a couple videos – although you had to click those off due to the abundance of secondhand embarrassment you experienced. Either way, you tried to calm your nerves by thinking how much Leah would love this, no matter how good you were at it. She never failed to voice her love for your bum.

Pulling yourself out of your thoughts, you leaned your back against Leah's chest and gave a tentative roll of your hips against her lap. The slight hitch of your girlfriend's breath didn't go unnoticed to you and it gave you the fire in your belly to continue your ministrations. You started grinding your hips against hers in a steady but slow rhythm. You alternated between moves, gently bouncing up and down Leah's lap or popping your hips every now and then, every reaction you pulled out of your girlfriend fueling your confidence. You could sense Leah was a bit unsure as to what to do with her hands, but as the time went on and she felt herself getting more and more aroused, she started guiding your body along with her hands. She aided your movements, pushing you down against her hips, loving the way your behind brushed her core with every gyration of your hips.

A couple moments passed and an idea popped into your mind. You leaned back into your girlfriend, your head resting on her shoulder as you looked up towards her and your gazes locked, a small frown etched on your face that was driving Leah wild. You locked lips with her and you couldn't hold back the breathy moan that escaped your lips at the feeling of her mouth against yours. The kiss was messy, all tongue and teeth, and it perfectly encapsulated the building pressure between the both of you. You tried moving your hips in an eight-figure, which pulled a groan from your girlfriend. "You're driving me crazy," Leah whispered into your ear, softly nipping at your earlobe as she kept her hands firmly on your waist.

You let out a breathy laugh that soon turned into a whimper as Leah's hands moved up towards your breasts, palming them and placing kisses against your back as you rolled your hips back into hers. One of your arms was placed on Leah's thighs, holding yourself up, and you threw the other around your girlfriend's neck, letting your nails rake over the skin on the back of her neck. Your moves grew frantic as you felt arousal building in your core, your gyrations less measured and less precise, the more Leah's hands started to wander all over your body. Any remnants of your earlier insecurity long washed away, you were more than pleased with how your final present for your girlfriend turned out. "God, Le, you feel so good," you breathed out as you let your head fall to her shoulder once again, pressing a kiss to the side of her neck. A particularly harsh thrust of your hips against hers caused Leah to groan again, digging her fingers into your sides as she whispered in your ear.

"Bedroom. Now."

[outsideratheart]

Blind To The Signs (Leah Williamson x reader)

A/N: Fun fact, I started this in 2022 and a line in the Gavin & Stacey finale inspired me to finished it.

You were sure that Leah Williamson was the person for you but the timing never seemed right. You had met her at the Arsenal academy when you were 13 years old and since then you were inseparable but the line between friends and something more never got crossed.

There was one night when you almost kissed. It was after the world cup in Paris, you were heartbroken having felt like you let the team down and Leah refused to leave your side. It was how you found yourself walking the streets of the French capital in comfortable silence with your best friend. It was your first time visiting the city and after a few days you realised why it was called the city of love. You wouldn’t be able to say for sure what it was but there was something in the air, something that made you want to be in love, to be in Paris with the woman you love. When you and Leah stopped at bench overlooking the river Seine you realised that you were. With your mind free of football it allowed your heart to tell you how you truly felt about your best friend.

The bench was small, in fact in barely held the two of you. Leah was sitting close to you and when she turned to talk to you she was inches away from you. In that moment you knew your mind was consumed by one thought, you wanted to kiss her. You leaned in but then ducked to the side at the last minute. You covered your true intention by saying that Leah had an eye lash on her cheek, this of course was a lie.

It did get you thinking though. If you were to have gone through with it, would she have kissed you back? Was she having the same thoughts as you? These questions freaked you out. How could you be thinking about Leah in this way, you had been friends for what felt like forever, this couldn’t happen. 

That was the last night you allowed yourself to see Leah in this light. 

A couple of months later Leah had told you that she starting dating Jordan and it was enough for you to know that Leah had your heart whilst Jordan had hers.

As time went on more people learned about your feelings for Leah. You never denied them but you refused to confess. There was too much on the line and you wouldn’t let your friendship be ruined should Leah not feel the same way. 

Then Jordan and Leah broke up leading your best friend to move in with you. Even though you didn’t think it possible, the two of you got closer. You would spend your nights cuddled up on the sofa watching whatever caught your fancy on the TV but your attention very rarely stayed on the screen for the blonde next to you had your attention. This caused the feelings you buried to soon come rising to the surface only they were stronger than before. 

You knew you were tormenting yourself with the what ifs so you told yourself that when you went back to London after Christmas break that you would tell her how you feel. Only thing is Leah never came home, she only texted you saying she would meet you at training and that she had something she wanted to talk to you about. Your stomach filled with butterflies at her response.

The next day you arrived at training earlier than usual. When you see Leah your body pulls you towards her. The hope in your heart soon fades when Jordan appears by her side, your gaze lowering when she reaches for Leah’s hand.

“Before training, we have something to tell you” Leah says as the rest of the team gathers around.

“£50 says they’re back together” Beth says from the side of you.

Deep down you knew she was right yet you choose to hold onto the hope that she was wrong so you agreed to her bet.

“We’re getting married!” 

Suddenly the £50 loss was the last of your worries. 

The two of them approached each player handing them an invite. Leah stops at you and you can tell she is trying to read your face.

“Congratulations Leah” you are numb. You don’t feel sad and you definitely don’t feel happy. In fact you feel nothing at all.

The white envelope felt heavy in your hands, almost as heavy as your heart.

Holding the invite you realise that you are too late.

The next few months both tested you and teared you down in the process. Leah wanted you to be involved in the wedding planning because she claimed that you knew her better than anyone including herself. You wanted to argue and say that Jordan should know her best but you knew it wouldn’t lead to anything good so you bit your tongue. 

When she asked you to be Maid of Honour you politely declined. You wanted Leah to happy, in fact that was the thing that meant most to you in this world. That being said you knew you couldn’t stand there and watch her marry someone when you truly believed it was you who should be standing opposite her at the altar.

The thought of losing Leah became too big of a burden to bare and as the big day got closer you began to shut off. The only way to cope was to ignore the wedding completely and hope that you would wake up to find that it was all a nightmare.

You never did send back the r.s.v.p. From the moment you received the invitation you never intended on going. Yes she was your best friend but sometimes there are moments that will destroy you into millions of pieces and you have to make the decision to put your wellbeing over doing what everyone else things you should do.

‘Y/N” Leah ran after you as you left St George’s park. It was the last camp before the summer break and her wedding. It was the last moment Leah would see you before she would say I do.

“Leah, whatever it is will have to wait. I have to be back in London for a meeting” it wasn’t a lie but you also didn’t share that the meeting was a evening meeting and it was only 11am.

It might have been small but Leah noticed how you called her by her full birth name. You never called her Leah, only Lee. Well you did call her Leah Catherine whenever she was in trouble but you hadn’t even called her that recently.

“I heard you talking to the girls. Can you really not come to my wedding?” 

Her tone broke your heart even more. You swallow deeply. You didn’t want to have this conversation with her but here you stand. Words failed you in that moment so you shook your head. It was the only way you could respond to the question.

“Are you sure?” Leah hoped that you would be able to change whatever event or meeting that was stopping you from attending. 

“I’m sure” two words, you could handle saying two words. 

“You know there will be a place for you if your plans change” Your best friend still remained hopeful that you would be there on her big day. That hope however was shattered into smithereens with your next sentence and it left her wondering what you truly meant.

“We both know I don’t have any plans” there’s no way that Leah could think you would miss her wedding if not for a very good reason. She had to have felt the connection you both had and you knew that if the roles were reversed then she would do the exact same thing.

With that being said you got into your car and Leah watched you drive away. Yes, you were leaving St George’s park but she couldn’t help but think if you were driving away from her as well. 

We both know I don’t have plans.

For weeks those 7 words played on a loop in Leah’s head. What did you mean by them? She was confused.

The night before the wedding you contemplated texting or calling her to tell her that you’re madly in love with her. You had seen the movies and this is one of the ways to get the girl. When you meet up with Jill a couple of days ago she made a joke that you should stand up and profess your love for Leah when the vicar asks if anyone has a reason why her and Jordan shouldn’t get married. You thought about it but ultimately the fear of rejection made your decision for you.

You buried your feeling in the bottle of whiskey that you opened the night you found out about the pending nuptials. It seemed fitting that you would finish the bottle the night before the ceremony.

With a freshly poured glass of the burning liquor, you make you way out to the balcony that looked out over the city of london. Even though it was late there were several people walking the streets. You thought for moment if one of them could be your person but you knew that there would never be anyone that compared to Leah. She was it for you. She might be your person but Jordan was hers or was she?

Your phone went off signalling you had received a text message.

I’m at your door.

The text message was from Leah.

You re-read it a couple of times as your mind tried to figure out what the best thing to do was. Your head was telling you to let her in and say nothing but you heart wanted to scream ‘I love you’.

The sight on the other side of the threshold took your breathe away. Leah was wearing a dress which was a rare sight in itself but then you remember that she had a meal with her and Jordan’s families.

You move aside so she can enter your home.

“I’m making a mistake aren’t I?” Her question is asked before you can shut the door. It has been a question that had been on her mind for most of the evening.

A couple of hours ago Leah found herself at a posh restaurant with her parents, her soon to be wife and future in-laws. Her father had off handedly mentioned your name and from that moment on you were the only person Leah could think about. It all became a bit much so she politely excused herself from the table. Jordan stood up prepared to go after her but Leah’s mum said she would go see if everything was ok. 

“Leah…”

“I’m getting married mum. Why aren’t I excited? Why don’t I feel the butterflies? You told me how you were the night before you married dad and this isn’t that” 

Amanda knew why and deep down she knew her daughter knew why as well. The only difference is that the older woman could see what was right in front of her and Leah, for some reason, was blind to it. Leah’s mum saw the way Leah had been with you for years and then she saw the way she was with Jordan. Sure it was love but it wasn’t true love. No, true love was the way Leah would talk about you and how her face would light up at the mention of your name.

“Why do you think? Sweetie, I cannot tell you why. You have the figure this out for yourself”

“That’s not helpful mum” Leah was growing frustrated. For the last couple of weeks she kept feeling overwhelmed and not in the way she should be. The excitement she once felt for getting married had died down.

“Leah you know why. You have told me that you’ve loved two women. Now is the time to figure out which one you want to spend your life with”

“You’re talking about Y/N? We aren’t really talking at the minute”

“And why do you think that is?”

“She’s really busy. She has taken more responsibility on lately”

“and when did this start?” Amanda knew when you had taken on all this work and she knew it had been a distraction.

“I don’t….” Leah thought about it for a brief moment “it was after me and Jordan got engaged” her mother nodded her head. Her daughter was a smart girl and she was getting close.

Just as Leah was about to say something else Jordan interrupted saying that their main course had arrived. Only now Leah had no appetite, nor did she want to back into the restaurant. 

This was your chance, she is giving you the perfect opportunity. All you had to do was be honest with her.

“What do you think is a mistake?” You were a coward.

“Marrying Jordan” She goes straight to your freezer as she takes the bottle of Vodka out and pours herself a glass. 

“Do you love her? Are you in love with her?” You asked her the questions hoping that she would answer the way you wanted.

“I do” 

For a split second you mind wanders. You are in the church with Leah standing opposite you, she says those same words before you kiss your bride. You quickly shake the thoughts from your head. 

“Then no, it isn’t a mistake” 

You couldn’t blame Leah for the way you were feeling, you were breaking your own heart.

“You think it is though? That’s why you have barely talked to me since I told I was getting married” 

Leah continued to push you. It felt like she wanted to you to tell her not to get married but you couldn’t do that.

“I won’t lie, it’s been hard. It has been me and you for the longest time, now it will be you and her”

This was another thing. You wasn’t only losing your one true love, you were losing your best friend. 

“It will still be me and you” 

“No it won’t. It hasn’t been for a while now”

“That’s not on me Y/N”

Leah was right, it wasn’t but it didn’t make it easier. The tension between the two of you was building and you knew it wouldn’t end well if the conversation continued so you decided to change the subject. You mind says something before you heart can stop it.

“What if I come tomorrow?” Why were you asking this? It wasn’t something you wanted.

“You had pla-“ Leah stops herself as she remembers what you said in the car park “You don’t have plans so why are you suddenly saying you’ll come”

“Do you want me there?” You pull the oldest trick in the avoidance book and answer her question with a question of your own.

Leah nods. Everything felt right when you were with her and she knew that she was getting cold feet although the reason why was lost on her. In that moment you do what you haven’t done this entire time and you put Leah’s wants and needs ahead of your own. 

“Do you want to come?” 

“What I want doesn’t matter” for the first time since she stepped foot in your apartment you look her in the eye. Oh those blue eyes. You see the ocean in her eyes but she sees pain and heartbreak in yours. In that moment, for the first time, she hears a small voice in her head telling her ‘you’re hurting her Leah’.

“Do you promise to come to my wedding?” Leah asks selfishly.

You hold your pinky out. Never in all the years of knowing Leah had you broken at pinky promise. 

You hold out your little finger but you don’t say the words, you can’t. You know that the night needs to end before you say something you cannot take back so you go to the door and hold it open for Leah.

For the first since you moved into your apartment, she doesn’t feel welcome.

“Y/N” she grabs your hand “What is wrong? You can tell me, we don’t keep secrets”

“Things change Leah” you pull away from her touch. Never have you spoken a sentence that held so many meanings. 

You watch Leah as she enters the elevator. Once she is out of sight you close your door. A mighty weight comes crashing down on you. This was actually happening, Leah was going to marry Jordan. She gave you the chance to stop and you didn’t take it. 

The next day you found yourself standing in the mirror. You had your emergency event suit on and you remember the irony that is that Leah helped pick it out. In that moment neither of you thought you would be wearing it to her wedding. 

The ceremony was at a small church in Milton Keynes. You thought about asking Millie if she wanted to carpool but ultimately decide against it. This way if you changed your mind at the last minute nobody would know. So far everyone in attendance thought you weren’t coming and you chose to keep it that way.

It felt as if you heart was shaking as you entered the church. All heads turned to face you and you could tell that they were all wondering why you were there. You took a place next to Jill and Viv and sat on the aisle. The two Dutchies were close friends of yours, they knew your feeling towards the bride to be but you also knew they would ask no questions. What you didn’t notice is that some of your England team mates sat in front of you.

“I knew you would come. You’re going to stop it, right?” Lucy asked in a hushed tone.

“I’m here to support Leah on her big day just as you all are” support was a strong word but it sounded like the right thing to say. What you didn’t expect was for those who were looking at you to do so with pity in their eyes. 

“Guys, it’s ok, really” it was delusion talking and that was confirmed when you locked eyes with Amanda who was sitting on the front row. She looked at you with an expression you did not recognise before proceeding to shake her head. What was she trying to tell you? Was she saying no? No to you being there? No to Leah not wanting to get married? You didn’t have a clue. 

The church grew silent and you know the wedding was starting. Jordan came down the aisle first and she looked beautiful then came Leah. You were on your feet and when you saw her you wanted to sit back down as it hit you that you shouldn’t be here. If not for Jill then you would have sunk into your seat for the Dutch had held you up. When you looked back at her she saw that your eyes had glassed over. 

“You’ve got this” she tried to reassure you and she was wrong but you didn’t have much of a choice. When Leah walk past you she smiled, she was happy. That made you return the smile. You kept telling yourself that if Leah was happy then you could be happy for her.

The ceremony itself was beautiful. Jordan spoke about Leah as if she hung the stars but there was something about the way Leah spoke. You had been there for the highs and lows of her and Jordan’s relationship. Time and time again you heard Leah speak about how Jordan made her feel and all the memories they had shared yet when it came down to the vows her voice was shaky. Something was wrong and once again Amanda looked your way. This time round the reason why she was shaking her head was clear. Leah didn’t want this. 

When the vicar asked if anyone had any objections you felt eyes on you from your left, right and some burning holes into the back on your head but no gaze felt as strong as your best friend. She was looking at you, she was begging you to say something but you couldn’t. 

What happened next was unexpected. Jordan leaned forward and whispered something in her ear.

“It’s her, isn’t it?” Jordan didn’t care for the church full of people. She wanted to know what was going on in Leah’s head. 

“I can’t marry you Jordan” whilst Jordan’s words were a whisper, Leah’s were loud enough for everyone to hear, yourself included.

With that being said Leah ran down the aisle and out of the church. Nobody knew what to do or so you thought. Turns out the mother of the bride knew exactly what needed to happen.

“Go after her” Amanda says. You look at Jordan wondering what is taking so long to go after Leah only that isn’t who she is talking to. “Y/N, go” 

Suddenly all eyes were on you. You didn’t know what to do. 

“Y/N” you turn to face Jill “this is your chance. You told me that you have loved Leah for years and now is your chance to tell her” 

You look at Jordan who still stood at the front of the alter and mouth I’m sorry.

Leah was almost at the car she came in by the time you reach the doors of the church. 

“Leah!!” You shout as you run after her.

“Why did you tell me to marry her?” Leah was angry at you but you didn’t understand why. In your eyes you were doing the right thing.

“Because you said you loved her. I can’t stand in the middle of that Leah”

“What if I love someone else more? I am going to ask you one more time and I want you to tell me the truth. No avoiding and no lies. Why didn’t want to come today?” 

Now is your chance. That is what Jill told you. Now, right now in this very moment, is the chance for you to tell Leah exactly how you felt. 

“Because I couldn’t stand there and watch you marry Jordan. I didn’t want to be in the audience as you vow to love someone for the rest of your life when that someone isn’t me. I love you Leah and knowing you were going to marry someone else destroyed me. I have been working myself to the bone to stay distracted so that I don’t think about it and about you. My heart has been in pieces since the day you told me you were engaged. I hoped that I could make myself get over you but it was impossible. I should have known that I couldn’t get over you in a matter of months when I hadn’t been able to do so in years. You’re all I’ve ever wanted Leah”

“You should have said something. The vicar gave you a chance to say something” 

“Oh you sound like Jill”

“Jill knows?”

“Lee, everyone knows I love you. It was only you that couldn’t see it”

There it was. No more Leah, it was back to Lee. Being with you in this very moment lifted a weight off of Leah that she didn’t know was suffocating her. Then again everything did feel right when she was with you. All of a sudden she notices the signs. There has been plenty over the years but you were right, Leah was blind to them all. How could she has missed something that has been standing right in front of her.

Silence grew between you. You could tell Leah was thinking and given every thing that had happened in the last ten minutes you gave her space. She has just ran out of her wedding leaving the woman she thought she loved behind. 

“I’ve made a mistake” 

You felt your heart drop as she finished her sentence. 

“I understand. It’s not too late to go back in there. We can say you got overwhelmed but you do want to marry Jordan” even now, after you have just confessed your love, you were willing to follow your best friend’s lead. 

“No, I made a mistake with Jordan. I knew I had feelings for you when I started dating her. She was a distraction but then I started to care for her. When she proposed it seemed like the right thing to do” 

“That’s not what you should feel when someone proposes to you” 

This is something she knew but when you have someone down on one knee in front of you it is hard to differentiate between what you actually want and what you think you want. 

“What do you want Leah?” You asked hoping she would be honest not just with you but also with herself.

“I don’t want to marry Jordan” confession number one.

“I don’t want to wear this dress anymore” confession number two.

Then came what she did want.

“I want to be with the girl that I love, truly and deeply love. I want to be with you”

You nodded your head with a huge smile on your face. Now it was time to act on what Leah has just told you. The blonde watched you dial a number in your phone.

“What are you doing?” 

“Rectifying the situation” you playfully wink at her.

You paced forwards and backwards as you wait for the person on the other end of the line to answer.

“Hi. Yes, Leah is with me. I think she is ok, Leah are you ok?” Leah nods “yeah, she is ok. There isn’t going to be a wedding Amanda. Leah doesn’t want to marry Jordan. You will? Thank you. Of course I will look after her”

Confession one, dealt with. Confession two might be a bit hard right now so you skip to confession three.

“Do you really love me? I know I just layed a lot on you and you are probably very overwhelmed right now”

In less than a second you feel Leah’s lips on yours. This act of intimacy was her way of answering your question and it couldn’t have been clearer. You didn’t want to take advantage of the situation but everything in you was screaming, begging, for you to deepen the kiss so that is exactly what you do.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since Paris” you remember the moment vividly and wonder if it would have felt this way back then or if it would feel different.

“Maybe if you did then it could have been us in that church today. We wouldn’t have wasted years being apart”

“Don’t worry Lee, I don’t plan on wasting another second” and with that you kiss her again but this time you kiss her with all the pent up love that you had buried deep down. 

[skipper1331]

Art // Leah Williamson

You loved playing football yet drawing and painting was your silent passion. A passion nobody really knew about.

It all started when you were a kid. After a bad day, lost match you would be so angry and disappointed that you would draw your anger away. It didn‘t matter if it was with pencils, crayons or acrylic, you didn‘t care if it was on paper or on a canvas. You just had to draw/paint.

Slowly, it not only started to reduce your anger but to become a daily thing. Over the years you got better and better and even sold some paintings.

When you moved to London, transfered to Arsenal from the german league you took your painting utils with you.

In your new apartment was an extra room which used to be a guest room - you didn't need it, so you set it up as a painting room. The floor was covered with foil as were parts of the wall while many canvases and tubes of paint stood on the newly built shelves. Your desk was full of paper, sketchbooks, pens, erasers, etc. everything an artist needed. It was your favorite room in your apartment.

As the weeks went on, you drew everything interesting. Such as the training facility, jerseys, the stadium and much more.

But If someone would have looked through your sketchbook they would‘ve noticed that there was one thing or rather one person which was drawn very often. Arsenals number 6. Leah Williamson. You couldn‘t explain why but she was incredible. Everything about her was perfect; her talent, her personality, her smile. You just could not not draw her. Often you only realized that you had drawn her after your drawing was already finished and when drawing number 12 of Leah was finished you knew you had a crush on her. What you didn‘t realize though was a) she also developed a crush on you and b) your face and hands covered in paint and pencil has not gone unnoticed. To find out why that was the team formed an alliance. When Rosa questioned why they simply didn‘t ask you her head was smacked from Kyra, Alessia and Vic. "It‘s much more exciting this way" Kyra replied mischievously.

Mission Colour had officially started.

On bus rides, plane flights, away games you would always have your 'away sketchbook' and one pencil with you just to calm down or to stay calm. Most of the time you sat next to Manu, your national teammate. She was like big sister to you and of course she knew about your drawing talent but what she didn‘t know was that a few teammates wanted to find out. As well Manu knew about your little crush, not because you told her but because she saw your sketch of Leah and connected the dots.

It was the next day when you came to training with a blue stripe on you forehead and hands covered with many shades of blue. This morning you worked on your current project (a painting of the ocean) and lost track of time. You hadn‘t had the chance to look in the mirror again after you rushed out of your flat to the car.

Fast forward, here you were in the training facility in bright red clothes while your skin was covered in blue.

"Looking like Papa smurf" Katie laughed, gently shoving you towards the mirror in the changing room.

Your eyes widened in horror, "Shit" aggressively you started to rub at the stripe of paint but it was too late. The stripe was already dry. Making your way to the bathroom, you wet the paper towel, not much hope about cleaning your face.

"Hey" you heard a voice beside you, your eyes locking with the blonde defenders through the mirror, "do you need some help?" Leah asked, already concerned by the way you aggressively rubbed your forehead, "hey, lemme-" the girl gently tugged at your wrist as she turned you to face her. She grabbed another paper towel, putting a tiny bit of soap on it before she put it under water. In silence, the taller girl started to clean your face. Her movements were slow and tender as she tried to stay cool while she was so close to you. In the meantime, you admired the blonde, scanned every feature of her face.

"Secretly a Chelsea fan, huh?" the gunner asked, trying to ease the obvious tension in the room.

"Gosh no," you chuckled, "I was working on my new proctect this morning and lost track of time" you admitted, Leah raising a brow in return.

"You must think I’m pretty unorganized, hm?"

"of course not!" She replied immediately, "i was just wondering, project? What project?"

"It‘s nothing much, just a painting project" you shrugged your shoulders, "the ocean."

"I didn‘t know you could paint" she stated, the dots connecting with all the paint stains that covered your clothes and body since you had arrived in London.

"Maybe you‘d like to see some of my works?" your voice was quiet, shy as you nervously scratched your neck.

"It‘s a date" the same moment, Leah dropped the comment, you heard Kim call, "training starts" which let Leah hurry out of the room, leaving you completely shocked and with a mix of nervousness and excitement alone. Was she serious?

-

"Leah, wait!"

Training had finished half an hour ago, the girls, including you, doing their usual routines, some had physio, some went straight to the showers or others that just changed their clothes happy to finally go home - Leah, one of the girls who preferred to shower at home after a particularly long cardio session.

"Were you serious about the date? Because if not that would be totally fine, but if so, I’d really like to go on a date with you" you rambled, "we could go out for dinner or i could cook for you or not, because I’m not the greatest cook, but maybe take out would be fine too?! whatever you like works for me!"

"Take a deep breath, love" she smiled, squeezing your hand, "i was serious" her cheeks slowly turning red, "sorry, could‘ve been a bit more romantic, i admit, but indeed, I’d be very happy to go on a date with you"

"Oh, really!" you were so surprised, shocked even that the Leah Williamson wanted to go on a date with you.

"Yes, really. What about this: I’ll go home for a shower and at-" she looked at her watch, "at 7, I’ll be at your front door with some food in my hands. Neither of us has to cook and we can have a nice and relaxed evening, how does that sound?"

"That sounds perfect, thank you"

"See you soon" she smiled, pressing a kiss to your cheek as she felt brave enough to do so in that moment.

Like in trance, you watched her walk away while your fingers touched the spot were lips had been a few seconds ago. Wow.

On the other hand as soon as Leah sat in her car, she did a little happy dance, finally getting the chance to spend some time with you alone and even better, being able to call it a date.

-

5 minutes early the defender stood in front of your door, two bags of food in one hand while the other hand held a bouquet of flowers.

With confidence Leah rang the door bell, she felt untouchable. She had a date with the prettiest girl and nothing would stop her from trying to be the best version of herself for you. She really wanted this to work out.

In all honesty, Leah had been crushing on you for quite a while. It all started with an international friendly where you both were captaining your nations. You fell in conversation easily, the blonde friends with some of your national teammates.

Since then the Lioness followed you on your socials, also enjoying watching you play football - something about your technic and brain for the game made her fall in love with football all over again.

When the announcement was made that you‘d join Arsenal, she was excited, overly so. She wanted to talk to you again, be your friend. But soon the thought of just being friends combined with her little crush on you that was getting bigger and bigger day by day was long forgotten. She wanted to get to know you, on a deeper level than just the typical friendly one.

"Hey! Welcome in" you said with a wide smile, stepping aside.

"Hi, these are for you" the defenders cheeks turned slightly pink as yours did too.

"These are beautiful, thank you so much" the bouquet was big mix of multiple flowers in multiple colours, "i didn‘t know what your favorite flower was, so i bought one of each they had"

"I love it and I really appreciate it" shy smiles were exchanged before your attention was brought back, "follow me. So this is my living room and as you can see, there‘s my kitchen. I hope you like wine? I found this one in my cupboard" you pointed at the bottle on your coffee table. "Here let me plate the food, make yourself a home" as you wandered off to the kitchen, Leah admired your home. It was tidy yet looked very cozy. Then her gaze fell to various of pictures and paintings you had in your living room. One in particular caught her attention, it reminded her of something that she couldn’t form in words, an familiar warm feeling filled her chest as she looked at it closely - something about this painting was special.

-

The night went on with an ease, everything felt so natural. Dinner was great, the conversation flowing, the tv long forgotten as both of your attentions were on each other. Throughout the night the two of you had moved closer, knees already touching as you shared jokes and stories about everything and nothing.

"I must say, i really like the paintings in here. This one especially" she pointed at your favorite.

"Thank you, that‘s very nice of you to say"

"How much did they cost you? They look so expensive!" she admired, quickly realizing what an rude question she asked, "oh I’m so sorry, that‘s not something I should be asking"

"No, don’t worry, you’re good" you assured her, "they didn‘t cost me anything, i did them myself" you said, "well, that‘s a lie, i had to buy the canvas and the paint but other than that i didn‘t cost me anything."

"No way! You really did these? Are you joking?"

You shook your head.

"Wow! These are amazing. Like seriously, you’ve got some serious talent!"

Soon you furiously started to blush, getting all shy as you looked away from the gunner.

"Can i see the ocean painting which you talked earlier about?" she remembered, hoping to get see more of your work.

"Sure, but it‘s not finished yet"

"That‘s fine. I‘d see anything you painted, really, this is so impressive"

"Stop" you buried your face in your hands, your cheeks as hot as ever, the tip of your ears a deep shade of red, "hey, no. Don’t hide that pretty face of yours" taking your hands out of your face, you stared at each other as everything around you fell silent. Both of you were so close, if you would just lean forward-

"Here follow me" you broke the silence, grabbing the lioness’ hand and dragging her to your art room, "don’t mind the mess" you said as you opened the door, showing Leah the inside of your heart.

For once, the defender didn‘t know what to say. Everywhere she looked where painting, sketches and drawings. It was like she not only stepped into your heart but also your brain.

"Wow" she whispered, in utter disbelief at what she saw. You did this. All of this!

Walking around the room Leah felt like she was at an art gallery, heavily impressed about the beauty she got to see in each painting.

"May i look in these too?" she asked once she was at your desk, sketchbooks across the table.

Slowly, you nodded. In that moment, you didn’t even think about the fact that you had sketched Leah too, and that more than once.

Every now and then, compliments slipped out while her fingers traced the lines and shapes of your art.

Then she stopped, silence deafening, "is that me?" she whispered, looking at more pages of herself.

"What? Shit, no, no, no." With a few quick steps, you slammed the book shut. Too embarrassed to even look at her, "you weren‘t supposed to see those" you muttered.

"So it was me?" she asked again, even though it was quite obvious that it was her indeed.

"Yes, I’m sorry. I‘m not a creep i promise! You‘re just- just so-" your brain went blank.

"yeah?"

"you‘re… you‘re just so amazing and i- I really like you. And i only realized that i sketched you once it was too late. I‘m really sorry! You weren‘t even supposed to see them. I‘m not a creep, I’m just in love with you and i never thought you‘d like me back and now you‘re here with me on date. Well at least that‘s what you said it was. But it‘s totally fine, if you don’t want it to be a date anymore or if you want leave now or-" in the middle of your ramble, Leah cut you off, with her lips gently pressing against your own, a perfect way to shut you up. Your body relaxed immediately as your lips responded to the new sensation. Leah’s hands fell to your hips while yours laid on her stomach, your brain not knowing where else to put them as it was completely consumed by Leah kissing you.

Here you were in the heart of your art with Leah, the most beautiful girl, who was kissing you, the artist.

And even though, most artist are only known for their work by everyone after their death, you weren‘t most and Leah surely wasn‘t everyone. She was the one.

"Wow"

"Indeed wow"

You both stared at each other in silence, loving the tranquil atmosphere you had created.

"So what should i call you now? Picasso? Van Gogh? Michelangelo? Da Vinci?"

You laughed at her comment, playfully hitting her chest while she pulled you even closer in return.

"While i did like Papa smurf, I’d eventually prefer my girlfriend" she smiled, leaning in once again.

[willixmsonswife]

rest/leah williamson

*leah williamson x fem!reader *the word 'rest' is simply not included in leah's vocabulary *tiny argument and mentions of her torn acl at the beginning but happy end :)

*2.75k words

.................................

"I tore my acl." Those were definitely not the words I wanted to hear from Leah when I walked into her room. I had watched her limp off the pitch during the match and I wasn't able to concentrate on the rest of it. I had to wait until she was in the hospital to see her because the security wouldn't let me. "She's my best friend, she needs me!" didn't really change their mind.

So I waited three hours in my apartment, car keys in one hand, phone in the other. I almost dropped my phone when it rang and immediately accepted the call. "Hello?" I tried to hide the worry in my voice but it was still very present. "Hello is this y/n y/l/n?" An unfamiliar voice answered. "Yes, that's me. Who is this?" Maybe it wasn't the call I was expecting. "I'm a nurse at the St. Marys Hospital in London and I'm calling for Leah Williamson. She would've called herself but she has to undergo an MRI at the moment. I'm calling you because your number was marked as the one to call if something happened and I think she really needs someone to be by her side." I felt my heart drop further and further while the nurse talked. Leah had to undergo an MRI by herself and I was probably the only person that knew that she was terrified of those machines. Plus, an MRI was not a good sign for her knee. "Okay, thank you for calling me. I'll be there in 15 minutes." I hung up and just stared at my phone. What if she really tore her acl? What if she couldn't play football for the rest of the year? That would be pure torture for her and it would absolutely destroy her not only physically but mentally. She worked so hard to be selected for the World Cup and wore the captain armband with pride every single time. I had to be there for her through all of it. I stood up and drove to the hospital as fast as I could.

.................................

"Excuse me? I'm here to see Leah Williamson. A nurse called me earlier saying that-"

"Ah yes, you are miss y/l/n right?"

"Yes, yes that's me."

"Miss Williamson is currently staying in room 204 which is just across the corridor on the right side." She pointed towards the direction and I thanked her before searching for the right room. 200, 202, 204. There it was. I took a deep breath. I had to be calm now, I had to pull myself together for Leah.

I knocked three times and heard her response soon after. "Come in." So I did. The first thing I saw as I entered were her jersey and her shorts, neatly folded on a chair at the other end of the room. I took a few steps towards her bed but she only looked at me when I stood directly next to her. "I tore my acl." Her eyes were bloodshot and I could hear in her voice that she already cried. "Lee, I-"

"No. Please don't say anything. I don't want to hear your encouragements and how everything's going to be fine! It's not! I'm not able to play in Australia and I'm gonna let the whole team down! It's not going to be fine!" Her voice became louder and louder while she talked and she screamed the last sentence. I was well aware that this anger was not directed towards me but more towards the fact that this happened to her, now, and that she couldn't do anything about it. So instead of telling her that, I hugged her tight. I could feel her tense muscles relaxing at my touch and she just gave in to her feelings. "Why did it have to be me? Why now?" She said in between sobs, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know Leah, I'm so sorry." I just held her and rubbed her back comfortingly while she cried.

.................................

This whole situation happened over two months ago. Leah was now past the surgery and had started rehab. It was going well but one thing bothered me extremely. "Leah?" I stopped the episode I was watching and sat up from the sofa. The apartment was completely silent now that the tv had stopped. "Lee?" I went upstairs and knocked on her bedroom door. "Yes?" I opened the door and was met by Leah standing in front of her closet, only dressed in shorts and a bra, holding up a dress and a blazer. My eyes instantly moved from her well trained body to the floor, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable. "Oh hi y/n. What's up?"

"I, eh- I called you from down stairs. Wanted to know what I should make for dinner."

"Oh right. You-" She turned around to face me and saw me looking down, embarrassment unfortunately still clearly written on my face. "You can look at me y'know?"

"Oh, I just- I didn't know if-"

"y/n, we're living together. We're best friends and room mates. I'm absolutely not bothered by you looking at me and it does not make me feel uncomfortable. Trust me." I lifted my head and her piercing blue eyes looked straight into mine. My cheeks immediately turned a bit redder but I tried to ignore it, hoping that she didn't notice. Unknown to me, she did and she wasn't upset about it one bit. "So, dinner. What should I make?"

"Actually, I'm going out this evening. You only have to cook for yourself."

"What? You're going out? Again? With who and where?"

"With Alex, she invited me as her plus one to this event and-"

"Lee you can not possibly be serious right now."

"What do you mean?"

"Leah, you had your surgery two months ago and only started rehab, It's going well, yes, but the doctor still said that you have to take things slow especially going out for so long. You already met up with over ten different people in not even two weeks! You have to rest and give your knee a break, please."

"Oh and you suddenly care about that? So you don't want me to return to my normal life and just have fun with my friends? You want me to stay home and just do nothing apart from the rehab? What great best friend you are!"

I tried my best to stay calm, not wanting to start an argument at this moment.

"That's not what I said and you know that. I just don't want you overwork your knee and set you back in you rehab because we both know that that's the last thing you would want right now. You just have to accept that your life is not the same as before right now but-"

"I know that it's not the same! I had to actually come to terms with the change, you didn't! You could just continue your life like nothing happened because nothing happened to you! You didn't tear your acl, you didn't have to undergo surgery, you don't have to go to rehab four times a week because your life didn't change one bit!" I did not expect her to start yelling at me. I just stood there and didn't move, scared that she would just snap again. I did not deserve any of those accusations and I was totally aware of that.

"You know what? Go to your event. Why don't you just stay at Alex' house for that matter? So you two can just party all night long and forget about everything."

I saw in Leah's eyes that she knew she had overstepped a line. "y/n-" She took a step forward and reached for my hand but I stepped back.

"No. You don't get to do that Leah. I know that your life is hard right now but I'm doing everything I can to help and support you. I cook for you, I drive you everywhere, I go to rehab with you because you don't want to feel alone and I even started to work from home just so you don't have to feel lonely in our apartment! And you know why I do that? Because I love you okay? I love you Leah and I would do everything for you, even tear my own acl just so you have someone who feels what you had to feel! I love you way more than I should and I'm sorry that I care about your health and your wellbeing so much."

With those words I left her room and stormed into mine, which was just across from hers. I slammed the door shut before she could even think about following me. Hot tears streamed over my cheeks as I sat down on the edge of my bed. Leah and I rarely argued which I was extremely thankful for. And normally we always apologized to each other minutes after it enden because we couldn't stand the thought of being mad at one another. But not this time. This fight was the biggest one we've had and I knew that it wouldn't just be solved by saying sorry.

Thinking about the fight, I realized what I said to her. Did I actually confess my feelings to her in an argument? Oh god. I let myself fall onto my bed and just wanted to turn back time. How could I be so stupid and let my emotions get the best of me?

.................................

About half an hour later I heard Leah's door open. I could hear her stop in front of my door and I imagined her standing there, only a few meters away from me, contemplating what to do or say next. Then she knocked. "y/n?" I couldn't get myself to answer and just continued to stare at my ceiling. At least I had stopped crying now. "I- fuck. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. That argument escalated way too fast and I- I don't even know what I wanna say. I'm sorry. I'm going now, Alex is waiting outside. Call me tomorrow, please."Her voice broke and I could hear that she was as close to crying as I was. And yet, I didn't answer. She was allowed to do whatever she wanted and I was not going to stop her. I listened to her steps as she walked downstairs, struggled to put on her shoes and finally left the house. She didn't slam the door like I did, she closed it carefully, like everything was normal. Except it wasn't. I had this weird feeling like something heavy was laying on my chest and I couldn't breathe properly. Maybe it was good that she left, maybe that was what we needed. A watery smile appeared on my lips when I thought about it. Who was I even kidding? I already missed her even though she only left 10 minutes ago. How pathetic was that? I slowly made my way out of my bed and carefully opened the door as if someone was still here that I could possibly bother. I took the same steps down stairs that Leah took only a few moments ago. The tv was still on pause so I just sat down and continued to watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S aimlessly. Just when I thought about calling Keira to tell her about everything that had happened, I heard someone opening the door. Who was that? The only person who had a spare key was Keira and the last time I checked she was in Barcelona. My eyes were fixed on the door. The remote In my right hand, I was ready to throw it at- "Leah?" I lowered my hand and looked at her confused. "What the fuck are you doing here? You're supposed to go out with Alex." My confusion was replaced by slight anger as I recalled the events from earlier. "Oh y/n, I- I didn't expect you to be downstairs. I thought-"

"What are you doing here Leah?"

She closed the door behind here and took her shoes off before she came to sit on the couch next to me. I turned so I could face her and watched her carefully as she placed a bag on the small table next to us. "Please let me talk y/n. I need to apologize to you."

I nodded, signaling her to continue and that I was listening.

"Okay so, I need to tell you that I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said any of the things that I said earlier because you don't deserve it. You did everything you could for me and I took it for granted which it's absolutely not. You didn't have to do that and yet you still did because you care for me. You stayed by my side during the time before the surgery, encouraged me right before it and were the first to visit me afterwards. You helped me come home and made me feel more at home than I ever felt before. I want to thank you for that. It might take more than just this apology but I'm willing to do everything for you that you did for me."

"Leah-"

"No, I'm not finished." She took my hands in hers and gently stroke her thumb over the back of my hand.

"During those couple months, I could always count on you, you were always there for me. You made me feel things I never felt before. I'm not the best at expressing my emotions and I think you're aware of that." I chuckled and a small smile made its way onto her face. "But this is different. Every time you drove me somewhere, rehab, the store, literally anywhere and put your hand on my thigh to comfort me, it felt like small fireworks exploded in my whole body. I had no idea why that was the case but I just always wanted to be close to you. Every single touch, every single look, every single hug wasn't enough because I wanted to feel you close the entire time. What I'm trying to say is, I think I fell for you. No, scratch that. I'm madly in love with you y/n and when you told me that you felt the same in my room, my brain just couldn't process the fact that you actually said that." She let out a slight chuckle and looked directly into my eyes. "I like you too y/n."

"I- wow. I did not expect that. Are you serious?"

"One hundred twenty percent." I smiled and leaned forward to hug her. "Thank you Lee, I really appreciate it." I felt her place a kiss on my temple and my heart swell at that small gesture. "So what's in that bag?" I asked as I let go of her. "Take out from the Japanese restaurant that you love so much. I thought you might don't wanna cook after this whole thing."

I just looked at her, sitting in front of me, eyes full of love. "Thank you Lee. It's perfect honestly." I grabbed one of the take out boxes and Leah got us two forks from the kitchen. We settled on the couch and continued to watch the episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S that I had started.

.................................

I finished before her and 'obliviously' put my hand on her thigh, tracing random patterns on it. I could feel her tense and just grinned. She placed her empty box on the table and I shifted in my seat until I faced her. She sensed my gaze on her and turned her head. "Do I have something on my face?"

"Nope, nothing." I moved my hand up a bit more and Leah's cheeks turned a dark shade of red. "So, I set off small fireworks in you?" I smirked at her teasingly and she just looked down, trying to hide her now crimson red cheeks. I lifted her head with one finger and leaned forward. "Was is too much?"

"Not at all Lee. I'm just glad to know that I'm not alone with that feeling." I whispered against her lips before I closed the gap and enjoyed her soft lips on mine. We parted after a few seconds and I rested my head on her chest. "It might take more than one kiss like that to convince me that you're not lying about this." I grinned and Leah let out a small laugh. "I think that's possible to arrange."

i'm baaack! this maybe took a bit more than a few day but eyyy, at least i finished it. i hope you liked it :)

and this whole text is not proofread so i apologize in advance for any possible mistakes

[wosoimagines]

Ausenals - Matildas/Reader

prompt: second part to You Didn't Know? but this time we see R with the Matildas after her move to Arsenal.

warnings: none

words: 2312

To preference again, I am not deaf or hard of hearing so if there is anything that I’ve gotten wrong, please let me know so that I can fix it (I tried to do as much research as I could). Anything that represents sign langue is in continuous italics.

I also ended up changing this prompt up quite a bit. It went from R talking about being born deaf to seeing R interact with the Matildas (and mostly the other Ausenals) while they're at national team camp.

(Y/N) POV

"Sit!” Steph finally snapped once I wrapped Kyra in a headlock. We both briefly froze as our eyes darted to Steph, who was glaring at us. “Both of you. Now!” 

I let go of Kyra as she gave me a small shove before we both scurried to sit down next to each other on Caitlin’s left side so we didn’t have to sit next to Steph who would surely ruin our fun. 

“(Y/N).” 

I whined as Steph pointed to the seat on her right. I wanted to sit by Kyra so we could at least play a game with each other to pass the time. 

“Now.” 

I sighed as my shoulders slumped forward, but I shuffled to sit next to Steph instead. I started to scuff my shoes against the floor. I knew the squeaking sound would drive Steph up a wall. Steph lightly swatted my arm causing me to look at her. Before she could say anything though, I pulled my processing units off so that I wouldn’t be able to hear her. I could see Kyra trying to stifle her laughter behind Caitlin as I gave Steph a triumphant grin.  

I was sure that it was a sight to see considering my processing units would just be hanging from my head since I didn’t pull the magnets away from my head while Steph was just glaring at me. 

I, however, wasn’t expecting Steph to sign to tell me to stop. I froze as I furrowed my brow because I didn’t realize that Steph knew Auslan. 

I grumbled as I leaned back in my seat. It didn’t take long before I crossed my arms and let my head roll back. This was going to be the longest layover ever. Maybe Steph would let me go get snacks. I perked up at that thought as I turned to look at Steph. 

I pointed over my shoulder where I knew that the little side stores were. Steph glanced over my shoulder before she shook her head as she said something. I deflated as I slid down in my seat again. 

I closed my eyes as I tilted my head back. Steph was starting to grate my nerves. Not only did she make us all leave early, but now that Kyra and I were awake, she wouldn’t even let us mess around. And now I couldn’t go get a snack. 

I didn’t open my eyes again until I felt a tap against my foot. I only cracked my eyes open to make sure that it was either someone other than Steph or our flight was boarding. It was Sam, who was standing in front of me. I glanced over at Steph who was already reaching to take the M&Ms that Sam was offering me. I, however, was faster as I snatched the handful from Sam and shoved them into my mouth. 

I only sent a triumphant grin at Steph before closing my eyes and signing, “I can’t hear you.” 

It wasn’t long before my foot was tapped again. I cracked an eye open again. I didn’t trust the others not to leave me behind. But it was just Sam who was sitting in the floor. She tapped at her ears when she saw me peeking. I raised an eyebrow at that but put my processors back into place. 

“You know, you could come join us on the better side of the North West of London. We won’t even mother you there.” 

I rolled my eyes at that, and it seemed that I wasn’t the only one who heard the comment. Steph had whirled to glare at Sam. 

“Oh, right! Like she doesn’t need someone to keep her in line,” Steph started. I had been forced to move in with Steph after the others on the team found out that I still hadn’t found a place to live. Steph had really taken on that role. “Wait for a few days after camp and then see if you still want to take her.” 

Sam’s eyes turned to me as Steph quickly delved into the mischief that I had been getting up to with Kyra lately now that my ear infection had cleared. I sent a smirk to Sam as I pulled my processors off again so that I didn’t have to listen as Steph lectured Sam. 

“I’m good,” I signed to Sam, who tilted her head, “You don’t have pretty Italians on the team.” 

I knew she wouldn’t understand but my eyes did catch the goalie who was sitting across from me. I didn’t miss the way Mackenzie’s eyebrows raised either. If there were any of my teammates who would understand me, it would be Mackenzie. She had proven that during the World Cup when she had found Theo and I having a conversation in Auslan and joined in. 

“Pretty Italians, huh?” 

I ducked my head at that. I had found myself spending a lot of time around Kyra, which meant spending time around Alessia and Vic. 

“I don’t wanna talk about it.” 

Mackenize held her hands up in surrender. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Kyra reached for my cup again causing me to slap her hands away. 

“Leave it alone,” I snapped at Kyra. She stuck her tongue out at me. “Kyra, stop it.” 

Steph moved in between us as she sent us both a glare. I turned my head before she started lecturing either of us to wave at the camera as we started up the stairs to the pitch. While I was, Kyra took my cup of water from me. My smile immediately turned into a frown as I followed behind Steph and Kyra.  

As we were getting near the sideline, Kyra stopped to take a drink causing Steph and I to stop with her. I reached out for my cup as Kyra pulled it away from her mouth. 

I huffed as Kyra hesitated to give me the cup before she pulled it back to herself and acted as if she was gonna spit the water back into the cup. I pouted as I took a hold of the cup. Steph slapped Kyra’s arm as the other girl finally swallowed the water in her mouth. I sent the camera a grin. 

“Don’t—” 

Steph’s warning fell on deaf ears though as I threw the rest of the water onto Kyra. Kyra froze as she blinked in shock. It gave me plenty of time to get a head start as I immediately headed for Caitlin. 

“Cait! Cait!” I yelled out when I realized that Kyra had finally moved to chase after me. While I knew that Mini would be the safer bet with the national team, Caitlin and Katie had been the ones to take Kyra under their wing. “Caitlin!” 

The other forward turned to look at me as I ran behind her. Caitlin held out her arms as Kyra rushed into her. I kept myself an arm’s length behind Caitlin as the forward didn’t allow Kyra to get to me. 

“What is going on?” 

“She threw water on me!” 

“She’s being a pest!” 

I was sure that was all Caitlin got from either of us as we both started to talk over each other. 

“Okay. Okay!” Caitlin yelled over us. Kyra and I immediately quieted down. Caitlin pointed at Kyra. “You, stop being a pest.” I stuck my tongue out at Kyra in victory. “And you,” Caitlin whirled around to look at me, “good job throwing water on the pest. But next time go to Mini or just deal with her yourself.” 

Caitlin started to move away from us, but I didn’t miss the glare Kyra was sending toward me, so I was quick to stay by Caitlin’s side. I didn’t miss how Mackenzie’s eyes caught mine. 

“No pretty Italian to save you?” 

I could only scowl at the keeper in response. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I grinned as I wrapped up the interview before I headed to the locker room. I had already made my rounds to see the fans.  

However, going to the locker room might have been a bad decision considering water was immediately dumped onto me the second I walked in the door by both Kyra and Charli. Once the initial shock wore off, I shoved the two away from me. 

“Hey, we just had to cool you off after that performance,” Kyra snickered. 

“Assholes,” I muttered under my breath. 

Most of the team congratulated me as I moved to my cubby. I couldn’t help but grin as I finally checked my phone. I hadn’t been completely surprised by the text from Alessia considering we had been texting since the start of camp. I sent Alessia a text back asking if she liked my airplane arms before tossing my phone back into my bag. 

I turned once I felt something hit my back. My eyes quickly found Mackenzie’s. 

“Had to put on a show for the pretty Italian, huh?” 

I rolled my eyes at the question but shrugged. 

“Can you blame me?” I signed back to her. “You’ve seen her. Pretty isn’t enough to describe her.” 

Mackenzie shook her head at me causing me to chuckle at her. But I couldn’t help it. As I moved to change, Kyra joined me.  

“What does this mean?” Kyra asked, drawing my attention to her hands. “I’ve seen you and Mackenzie talking about it since the airport.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” I brushed Kyra off. I knew that if she kept learning Auslan she would probably eventually figure it out, but I was in no rush to tell her. “It’s nothing bad. Just an inside thing.” 

“You sure?” Kyra asked. 

I raised an eyebrow at that as I studied her. She didn’t look too worried, just curious. 

“Ky, if anything bad happens, I’ll let you know,” I assured her. I pointed my thumb over my shoulder where I knew Steph would still be. “Someone has to help you keep Steph on her toes.” 

“Maybe she’ll start calling you a pest too.” 

I nodded along with the thought that brought a smile back to Kyra’s face. I didn’t really think that Steph would call me a pest. At least, not around Kyra. Not since we knew it drove her up a wall to think that no one thought I was as annoying as she was. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“So, you’re staying at Arsenal for pretty Italians?” 

I let my fork drop to my plate as I froze at the question. My eyes darted up to look at the person who had asked the question. Of course, it was Kyra. 

Once everyone else at the table had gotten over their surprise of the question, they turned to me. 

“Wonder how that would go if said Italian was told? I guess we’ll find out as soon as Alessia texts me back.” 

I didn’t miss the way Steph and Caitlin had tensed on each of my sides. They couldn’t be faulted, especially considering I shoved my plate away and tried to lunge over the table. I would have been successful too if the two hadn’t grabbed ahold of me.  

“I’m gonna kill you.” 

Kyra stuck her tongue out at me as she leaned back in her chair. 

“You, calm down,” Steph said, as she pointed at me. She took a deep breath before turning to look at Kyra. “And you, I really hope you didn’t text Alessia to tell her about (Y/N)’s feelings.” 

Kyra just slumped in the seat but didn’t say anything. She also decided to avoid all of our eyes. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I quietly said under my breath. I was well aware that most of the team was already looking at us due to my own display. I didn’t need the rest of them knowing about my crush either. “Forget it. I’m never going back.” 

“Kyra—” 

“What?” Kyra cut Steph off. “It’s not like it’s a lie. I saw her and Mackenzie both signing about it. So, I asked Theo what the signs meant because (Y/N) wouldn’t say.” Kyra had to have been paying attention to Mackenzie and me in the airport and yesterday at practice. “She gets to throw water on me and get away with it? But I just text a teammate and I’m in trouble?” 

“You didn’t just text a teammate, Kyra,” Caitlin scolded this time. Kyra’s eyes turned to Caitlin. Caitlin’s grip on me loosened as I leaned my elbows against the table so I could hold my head in my hands. “You broke the trust of a teammate.” 

“It’s just a joke.” 

“Kyra, it isn’t just a joke. (Y/N) didn’t even tell you—” 

“I didn’t even text her.” 

I slowly lifted my head to look at Kyra. This was all some stupid prank? 

“I just wanted to get back at (Y/N). So, I thought telling her that her crush knew about her feelings would be harmless.” 

I had a heart attack for nothing? 

“Is everything okay here?” 

I didn’t have to look over at Mini who had made her way to our table. I knew that she had the most experience with Kyra, so it didn’t surprise me that she came to check on her. 

“Yeah. Everything’s fine,” I assured Mini. Kyra finally looked up to meet my eyes as I slowly started to nod, my own plan forming. “Kyra’s just being a pest.” 

“I don’t think everything’s fine,” Kyra shook her head as she turned to Mini. 

My own eyes didn’t leave Kyra’s. But I waited until Kyra went to get up before I lunged over the table. This time I was successful as neither Caitlin or Steph had seemed to think that I would possibly make a move to get to Kyra again. But, honestly, they’d quickly figure out that I wasn’t one to let things go so easily. Especially when I was trying to get back at someone that I considered family. 

[worseforwords]

The Last Wrapper

Leah Williamson x Reader

Chapter 2: Blankets & Bitterness

Link to Chapter 1

Leah looked up at you, her eyes red and puffy. “What are you doing here?” she slurred, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. You shook your head. “I could ask you the same thing,” you replied, trying to keep the annoyance out of your voice. No matter how much you hated her, you knew you couldn’t leave her there. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.” you said, holding out your hand. 

“Leave me alone! I don’t need your help, I’m fine.” she blurted out, removing your hand with a weakened push. “Leah,” you said with a stern tone and a matching look, “you know I hate this just as much as you do, but you have to let me help you. You’re not safe here and no one should see you like this.” She looked up at you with a dazed look you couldn’t quite place, before eventually reluctantly accepting the hand you once again held out.

You helped Leah to her feet, and she leaned heavily against you as you made your way out of the bathroom. The stranger from earlier was waiting outside, looking concerned. “Is she okay?” she asked you. You nodded, not wanting to go into any details. “Yeah, she’s just had a bit too much to drink. I’ll make sure she gets home safe. Thanks for letting me know.”

You ordered an Uber and turned to Leah, asking for her address. However, she was in no state to answer, mumbling incoherently and unable to focus. Everyone you knew who might know her address was probably asleep at this hour, so you had no other option than to take Leah back to your place. It wasn’t too far away and you knew that it was the safest option. 

You helped her into the car once it arrived and the Uber driver started the short journey. Leah immediately passed out in the seat next to you, her head lolling to the side, onto your shoulder. The smell of her hair and the soft snores in your ear made a chill crawl up your back, but still you couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for her.

When you arrived at your apartment, you carried Leah inside and laid her down on the sofa. You went to the kitchen to get a glass of water, hoping that it would help to sober her up a little. When you returned to the living room, you saw that Leah had started to stir.

“Where am I?” she groaned, rubbing her forehead. You handed her the glass of water and she took a sip. “You’re at my place,” you told her. “Do you remember anything from tonight?” Leah shook her head. “Not really. I just remember feeling really upset and then everything’s a blur.” she still looked confused, frantically looking around trying to gather information about her situation from her surroundings. “Why am I here?”

You sighed, not sure what to do next. You didn’t want her to stay, but you couldn’t just leave her to her own devices either. You didn’t want to deal with her in the morning, especially if she was going to be hungover, but you knew that you had to do something.

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” Leah suddenly blurted out, making you turn your head and look at her confused. “Your knee I mean, I’m sorry I kicked it today.” she explained. “Sure.” You scoffed as you rolled your eyes. “I mean it. It was an accident, I swear.” 

“Look,” you said, sitting down next to her, “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but you need to get yourself together. You can’t get drunk in public like this. You are a professional footballer now, you have an image to maintain.” Leah looked at you, tears forming in her eyes. “I know,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry.” “Besides, it’s not safe for you out there on your own like this.” you continued, ignoring her apology and the current apologetic glare she was sending your way, probably because you actually said something considerably nice.

You stood up from the sofa again and walked over to the window, looking out into the darkness of the night. You knew you had to make a decision about what to do with Leah. On one hand, you wanted to just leave her there and let her deal with the consequences of her actions. On the other hand, you couldn’t bring yourself to abandon her in her time of need.

After a few minutes of silence, you turned back to Leah. “Look, you can stay here tonight,” you said, “but you need to promise me that you’ll start fixing whatever caused you to act like this tomorrow. This can’t happen again.” Leah nodded, eyes still filled with tears. “I promise.” she said, her voice hoarse.

You nodded, feeling like you made the right call, even though you had no idea if she’d remember any of it in the morning. At least she wasn’t going to be wandering the streets alone tonight. “Okay then,” you said, “let me get you something to sleep in.” You walked over to your bedroom and pulled a t-shirt and a pair of shorts out of the closet. “These should fit,” you said, handing them to her. “There’s an unused toothbrush in the bathroom cupboard if you want to brush your teeth too.”

Leah took the clothes from you and went to the bathroom to change. You took the opportunity to tidy up a little and collect some blankets and pillows for Leah to sleep on your couch.

When Leah emerged from the bathroom, she looked a little more composed. “Thanks,” she said, smiling weakly at you as she moved towards her previous spot on the sofa. “For everything.” You nodded, not sure what to say in response. The silence was awkward. Her mind was clearly occupied with something, but you didn’t want to push her to talk about anything she didn’t want to.

Instead, you sat down on the other end of the sofa and turned on the TV. You flipped through the channels until you found something mindless to watch, hoping that it would help both of you to relax, as you knew you had no chance at getting any sleep yet. 

After only about 5 minutes, you looked to your right to see Leah sound asleep. However, she lay in such an awkward position, her body twisted and contorted, that it seemed as if she had bent herself into a pretzel. You cursed under your breath as you got up and turned off the tv. You knew you couldn’t leave her like that so you reluctantly put your arms under her folded body and you gently laid her down on her side, putting a pillow under her head in the process.

You put a blanket over Leah and then you did wat might be the most immature thing you’ve ever done: you retreated to the bathroom to cleanse yourself of the Leah-ness that seemed to cling to you. As you washed your face and hands, you couldn’t help but shake your head at your own childishness, suddenly feeling the need to “wash off all the Leah” or something.

Eventually, you made your way to bed yourself, but your mind was still racing with thoughts and questions about the events of the night. After three hours of stirring, you gave up on the idea of sleep and got up to make yourself some tea. As you waited for the kettle to boil, you couldn’t help but think about Leah and what had caused her to act the way she did.

Just as you were about to pour the hot water over your teabag, you heard a noise coming from the living room. It was Leah, who had woken up and was now sitting on the couch, looking at you with bleary eyes. “You okay?” you asked, setting the kettle down and walking over to her.

She nodded, rubbing her eyes. “Yeah, I think so,” she said, her voice still a little foggy. “What time is it?” “Almost 4 AM,” you replied, glancing at the clock on the microwave. “Tea?” Leah nodded before letting out a groan. “I’m sorry,” she said, looking down at her lap. “I didn’t mean to keep you up all night.” “It’s fine,” you said, taking a seat next to her. “I couldn’t sleep anyway.”

Leah sighed and leaned back against the couch. “I just feel so stupid,” she said, her voice tinged with frustration. “I should know better than to let myself go like that.” You nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, it wasn’t the smartest move.” you said, trying to be supportive. Leah sighed again. “It’s just- there’s a lot going on right now,” she said, trailing off. You waited for her to continue, sensing that there was more she wanted to say.

“I- I lost someone close to me," she said, her voice catching. “And even though it’s been a long time since their gone and I thought I left it behind, I’ve recently come to realise that I am not over it. And it's been really hard to deal with. I thought I could handle it, but I guess I can’t.”

“I’m sorry to hear that Leah,” you said, “but it’s okay. Losing someone close to you isn’t something you can just get over, or leave behind, trust me.” She glared at you with a look you couldn’t quite place. It held a combination of pain, sadness but also sympathy. It was like she was looking for something in your eyes.

The two of you sat in silence for a few minutes, sipping your calming camomile tea and digesting the short conversation. Eventually, you stood up and stretched. “I should probably try to get some sleep now.” you said. “Right, yeah, me too.” she said blinking multiple times as she got up to put both your mugs in the sink. “Good night Leah.” “Good night.”

The next morning, after managing to get about four hours of sleep thanks to your camomile tea, you woke up to find an empty couch, except for a pile of neatly folded blankets and the shorts and shirt you’d given Leah the night before. As you went through the motions of getting dressed and doing your morning routine, there was a gnawing feeling in your stomach that you couldn’t quite put a finger on. The idea of her being in your house had been quite overwhelming, but now that she was gone, you couldn’t shake off the sadness that lingered. It confused you because over the past few years you had trained every fiber of your body to hate Leah, but something about last night’s conversation had left you feeling sympathetic towards her.

As you sat down to have breakfast, you found yourself conflicted about whether or not to reach out to her. On one hand, you didn’t want to have anything to do with her, but on the other hand, she had opened up about some personal issues and despite everything, you still wanted her to be okay.

You decided to give it some time and think it over before making any decisions. You went about your day, trying to push away any thoughts of Leah, but they kept creeping back into your mind and you kept checking your phone, secretly hoping she had reached out. Finally, realising you weren’t going to be able to put this aside, you made a decision. You picked up your phone and sent her a short message: “Hey, just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing.”

As you waited for a reply, you felt a sense of anxiety wash over you. What if she didn’t respond? What if she did, and you had to deal with her again? But before you could overthink it any further, your phone buzzed with a response from Leah. “Thanks for checking in, and thanks again for last night. I’m doing okay. How about you, did you end up getting any sleep?”

You sighed with relief, happy that she had responded. You sent a brief reply, telling her that you were fine and that you hoped she was taking good care of herself. As you were putting your phone away you noticed another incoming message from Leah: “Good, I’m glad. I��m really sorry I ruined your night, I won’t bother you again, I promise.”

Great, amazing. She was okay and she wouldn’t bother you again. Perfect. “This is good.” you said aloud to no one in particular, thinking saying it might make you believe it. But as the words left your lips, an uneasiness settled in your gut, conveying a very different message.

You couldn’t believe it. After years of holding grudges and wanting nothing to do with Leah, why did finding her a drunk, lonely mess suddenly make you want to see her again? Yesterday’s loss had left you feeling low, but this was a whole new level of frustration. You were pacing back and forth, trying to figure out why you were feeling this way. 

As you were about to resort to hitting walls again, you noticed the bruises from yesterday were still present on your fist, and you settled for a defeated sigh. This was a new kind of frustration. It consumed you, gnawing at your mind and heart, leaving you feeling lost and unsure. You had no idea what to do with yourself, and the confusion only grew stronger with each passing moment.

You despised yourself for it, yet it was like your fingers moved on their own accord, reaching for your phone once again to message Leah. You typed out several messages, before ultimately settling for a simple, friendly text: “It’s okay, really. Let me know if you need anything.”

A wave of anger surged through you as you hit send. Why did you feel obligated to help her? Wasn’t yesterday’s display of concern enough? You wanted to scream at yourself for your weakness, for your sudden inability to stay away from someone you loathed. But as much as your mind raged against you, your body seemed to relax, as if sending that message had eased some unknown tension within you. You were left feeling frustrated and confused, wondering why you couldn’t seem to stay true to your own feelings. You hated her, right?

The next few days went by in a blur of training and gym sessions, but despite being physically present, your mind was elsewhere. You couldn’t quite get Leah out of your head, and it was starting to affect your focus on the field. Millie noticed something was off and asked you about it during a break in practice.

At first, you tried to brush it off, telling her that everything was fine, but Millie persisted. She had been so nice to you so far, and you didn’t want to lie to her. However, you also didn’t want to put Leah in a bad light by telling her everything that had happened, which was a confusing sensation for you, as a week earlier, you would’ve probably jumped at the chance to put Leah in bad light.

In the end, you settled for a half-truth, telling Millie that you had a personal issue that was distracting you but that you were working on it. Millie nodded sympathetically, giving you a reassuring pat on the back. “Just remember, we’re all here for you.” she said before heading back onto the field.

For a few days, there was no reply from Leah, and you tried to convince yourself that you didn’t care. But deep down, you couldn’t help feeling anxious and worried about her, and about the message you had sent. You kept checking your phone, hoping for a response, until finally, a few days later, she messaged back: “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

You were surprised to feel a sense of relief wash over you. The two of you exchanged a few more brief messages, just checking in on each other, before the conversation came to a natural end.

You thought that would be it, but the days passed, you found yourself exchanging occasional messages with Leah. It felt strange to be communicating with her in such a formal and distant way, especially after all the resentment that had built up between you two over the years. And yet, there was something comforting about the exchange, like a small flicker of light in the darkness.

You were both polite and civil, asking each other about training and mutual friends, but avoiding any deep conversations. There were moments where you thought about bringing up the past, but you always held yourself back, afraid of what might happen. You couldn’t deny that it was frustrating, the way you tiptoed around each other, but at the same time, it felt like a relief not to have to deal with the tension and drama that had plagued your relationship in the past.

However, with each message you sent, you couldn’t help but feel that something had shifted between you and Leah. There was a new, unspoken understanding that had formed, one that made you feel uneasy and exposed. You tried to push it to the back of your mind and focus on your training, but the conflicting emotions inside you were becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

During the following week, as you were about to leave the gym after practice, your phone buzzed. It was Leah. “Hey, can we talk?” was all the message said. You panicked at the thought of it, your mind racing with worst-case scenarios. But despite your reservations, you replied with a tentative “Yes.”

Chapter 3

[helen-with-an-a]

Hi van you write Lucy Bronze x reader. Reader and Lucy both changed club. R at Arsenal and obviously Lucy at Chelsea. Can you write something about the first game against eachother. Reader is striker so she and Lucy are at battle a lot

Rivalry

Lucy Bronze x Reader

Description: It's the first London Derby for you and Lucy

TW: slight suggestiveness

“Now, remember, you guys do actually love each other,” Millie reminded, her eyebrow arched as she looked at Lucy.

Lucy crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, flicking a dismissive look across the room. “Not when she’s wearing red, I don’t,” she shot back, her lips pursed.

Millie sighed, rubbing her temples. “You’re literally married,” she deadpanned.

Before Lucy could shoot back, Erin bounded over, grinning from ear to ear. “C’mon, Bronzey. Time to do your worst,” she cheered, her hands landing firmly on Lucy’s shoulders. She gave Lucy an enthusiastic shake, encouraging the childish competitiveness.

"Remember, you’re married. You love her," Kim reminded gently, her Scottish accent warm and soothing as she placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder.

You shook her off with a dramatic shrug, glancing off to the side. "Not whilst she’s in blue," you said with a smirk, half-joking but also incredibly serious.

Kim raised an eyebrow, trying to hide her amusement, though a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"That’s what we like to hear," came Katie's playful response, clearly enjoying the spark of mischief in your tone. She leaned in with a wolfish grin, unfazed by the disapproving glance Kim shot in her direction.

“Honestly,” Kim muttered, rolling her eyes but unable to hide her amusement, “you two are impossible.”

You chuckled, exchanging a knowing look with Katie, who winked in return, thoroughly unbothered by Kim’s scolding.

The London Derby – a clash of colours, red vs blue, Arsenal against Chelsea. The stadium was electric, fans on both sides roaring as the teams took their places, the rivalry as fierce as ever. This wasn’t just any match; it was a battle of pride, a test of skill, a stage where heroes were made.

On one side, Arsenal’s new Left Winger, all determination and fire, an unstoppable force that already had 10 goals to her name. Across from her, Chelsea’s Right Back, just as new to the club but with a resolve just as sharp. One of the best defenders in the world, and ready to prove herself.

It was Bronze vs Y/S/N – a head-to-head destined to draw all eyes, both players back in the WSL and ready to prove they belonged.

You loved playing with Lucy – there was an undeniable rhythm when you were on the same side. Your link-ups at City and England were the stuff of legends and had followed you across to La Liga F. But playing against her? That was something else entirely. There was an excitement, a spark that transformed the entire field into a chessboard, a dance floor for you to twist and turn on.

You knew exactly how she moved, the subtle shifts of her weight before a sprint, the flicker of her eyes before she went for a pass. You could practically feel what was running through her head, and she’d always been an open book to you on the field. But it worked both ways. Lucy knew your tactics inside out, the plays you liked, the feints you tried to slip past her, even the tiny tells you had when you were about to break away. She saw it all.

This mutual understanding turned the match into something thrilling – a mental game layered onto the physical. Every pass you intercepted, every tackle she made, felt like a challenge issued and answered. It was a test of skill and instinct, one that you rarely found with other opponents. There was an intensity to it, a sense of pushing each other to the edge, each play daring the other to do better. Against her, you played your best.

“Loser’s tied up tonight?” Lucy whispered in your ear as you lined up for the corner, her hands grazing your hips in a way that set your heart racing, even if you wouldn’t show it.

“Bring it, Bronze.” You shot back, unfazed, letting your smile seep into your voice. You’d trained against her for years now; her mind games weren’t new territory. If anything, you were more amused than anything else.

Lucy let out a dramatic sigh, clearly ready to keep up the act. “Ugh, that’s Bronze-Y/S/N, thank you very much,” she whispered, sounding almost offended, but the glimmer in her eye gave her away.

“Well, the back of your shirt still says Bronze,” you replied, raising an eyebrow and glancing back at her with a smirk.

“And yours still says Y/S/N.” She countered. Before you could toss another witty remark back, you heard a voice cutting through the tension.

“Stop flirting and concentrate, Luce,” Hannah called out, her tone half-exasperated, half-amused as she tried to organise her back line.

You could see Lucy bite her lip, her cheeks tinged pink, a slight laugh escaping her. "Yeah, Lucy, wouldn't want flirting with your incredibly sexy wife to be the reason I score now would we." You winked, sticking your tongue out as you nodded at Katie.

You charged down the wing, adrenaline rushing through your veins as you collected a beautifully weighted pass from Leah from the edge of the box. Without breaking stride, you looked up, assessing the field. Lucy and Hannah were the only Chelsea players left between you and the goal.

The options whirled in your mind in seconds. A long-range shot? It would be ambitious, a shot from barely over halfway. You were still in the centre circle, but Hannah was off her line, hovering just far enough to tempt fate. The safer play would be to drive it forward, close the distance, but Lucy was waiting, ready to close in if you tried to slip past her. You could see her watching you, ready to pounce the moment your concentration slipped.

Your eyes flicked to the goal, a decision making itself for you. Steeling yourself, you brought your leg back, letting power build. Releasing it in a controlled strike, you watched as the ball launched from your boot, a perfect arc carrying it high and fast over the field.

Hannah scrambled back, her fingertips grazing the air, but it was too late. The ball sailed over her reach and crashed into the back of the net, sending the netting rippling in glorious confirmation.

For a single, suspended heartbeat, the entire pitch seemed to hold its breath. The impossible shot hung in the air, every eye tracing its perfect arc until it dropped, nestling into the back of the net. And then, the silence shattered. Cheers exploded from the stands, a roar that rolled over the field and settled into your bones, fuelling the rush already coursing through you. You let out a breath you hadn’t realised you were holding, a wide grin breaking across your face as what you had just done fully set in.

Turning back, you searched the field for Lucy, anticipation bubbling up in you. When you caught her eye, her expression was priceless – caught between surprise and reluctant admiration. Her mouth opened as if to protest, but then she closed it, lips twisting into a smile that was more fond than annoyed, even if it was tinged with a hint of competitive frustration.

For a moment, neither of you said a word. You simply shared that look, the quiet acknowledgment of having pushed each other, of knowing exactly how to get under each other’s skin on the field – and of enjoying every second of it.

"Is it too much to use the red ties?" you teased, a smirk tugging at your lips as you strolled up to Lucy, your voice dripping with teasing charm.

Lucy let out an exaggerated gasp, pressing a hand to her chest like she was utterly wounded. "My pride is on the floor, and yet you still kick me when I'm down!" she replied, though her eyes sparkled with laughter, making it impossible for her to sell the act.

You laughed loudly, thoroughly undeterred by her theatrics. "What can I say? London is red after all," you replied as you stepped even closer, closing the last of the distance. Without hesitation, you slipped your arms around her waist, pulling her against you. "And your arse will be too by the time I’m done with you," you whispered, your voice dropping to a seductive murmur as your lips brushed her ear.

Lucy’s cheeks flushed that perfect shade of pink, and she gave a nervous laugh, casting a quick, cautious glance over her shoulder. “We’re still in public, you know,” she murmured, though the deepening colour in her cheeks showed she wasn’t entirely complaining.

“Oh, I know.” You looked up at her with a wicked smile, savouring the moment, not quite ready to pull away just yet.

But before you could say anything more, Leah’s voice cut through the tension, loud and teasing. “Oi, stop with the weird foreplay and go shower!” she called, casting an exaggerated eye-roll in your direction and folding her arms, though a hint of a grin tugged at her mouth.

Lucy laughed, burying her face in your shoulder for a moment, clearly amused and a little embarrassed. With a small sigh, she gave you a reluctant smile. “Guess that’s our cue,” she muttered, squeezing your hand before finally letting go.

[enwoso]

Hellooo could you maybe write Alessia Russo x Reader

Where r is the new signing and Alessia simps for r and then Alessia finds out that they have to share a room for the pre season in the US

And there is just like this weird and sexual tension for the whole stay (you can make it smut if you want to but you can dicide and if your comfortable but if you do so could you please make Alessia dom)

SHARED SPACES | alessia russo

i uh may have got a little too carried away with this one, hence it being 5.1k words… but enjoy the slow burn😉

masterlist | contains slightly suggestive content!

you’d been at arsenal less than a month and were already the talk of the team. you were a shock move in the summer months of the transfer window — a one the media nor your teammates had expected.

you'd been happy at your former club of manchester city but you wanted a change, a challenge, a new environment.

you carried yourself with confidence and ease which is what set you apart from other players. you didn't like the attention all you wanted to was just play football.

alessia however couldn't seem to carry herself at all whenever you were around. from the first team meeting, your presence had thrown alessia askew.

your bright smile and effortless charm lit up the room, your laugh lingering in alessia's ears long after you'd left the room.

but it was more than that. you exuded an energy that alessia couldn't explain — a magnetic, undeniable and slightly maddening type of energy.

alessia had spent the better part of the last few weeks since your arrival fumbling through conversations, blushing at your casual compliment as she mentally berated herself for acting like a lovestruck teenager.

but now as the team had landed for their pre-season tour in the united states, alessia had one thing in her mind and that was to keep her cool.

two weeks in close quarters, across one city, with you? she'd manage.

or so she thought she would..

-

the team was sorting rooms for the next two week while on the coach to the hotel, alessia being handed the sheet which had everyone's name on and there roommate. the blonde expecting, kyra or lotte to be side by side her name.

so when she saw the sheet of paper, her heart sank, and leapt, at the same time when she saw whose name was next to hers.

your name written next to hers in bold black letters, taunting her. you were her roommate. for two whole weeks..

alessia caught herself staring at the paper for a beat too long, her brain trying to process what it actually meant.

you, the new summer star signing. you, who had walked into the first team with such quiet confidence, wearing it like it was a second skin. you, who was now alessia's roommate.

the blondes mind was racing, sharing a room with you meant sharing everything — space, conversations, moments of vulnerability, early mornings, late nights.

it meant seeing you at your most casual, relaxed and probably in tiny shorts or oversized shirts. you long legs stretched out on your bed. alessia's chest tightening just at the mere thought.

"less? you okay?" leah's voice jolted the blonde from her thoughts. turning slightly to face leah as she was watching with a smirk that suggested she knew what was going on, and had definitely played a part in it.

"i- yeah" alessia said quickly, folding the paper and tucking it into her pocket, "all good!" she smiled grabbing her water bottle to have a sip from.

"sure you are," leah said as her smirk widened, "don't worry i'm sure y/n doesn't bite- well not unless you ask her to"

"leah!" alessia hissed, her cheeks flaming as she grumbled words of complaint that were completely coherent to leah.

"relax" leah laughed as she assured the younger blonde girl she was just joking as she raised her hands in mock surrender, "just saying maybe it's fate"

"fate." alessia repeated flatly, knowing leah had something to do with the room arrangements but still her pulse was racing.

leah winked, "two weeks in close comfort, anything can happen!"

the nervous energy lingered for the rest of the day, by the time the team arrived at the hotel, alessia's stomach was a knot of anticipation and dread.

she waited by the door of the room, clutching the key card like it was a lifeline. you appearing a moment later, rolling a black suitcase behind you.

your hair tied up in a messy ponytail as you wore a loose tank top that clung to you in all the right places.

"looks like it's you and me" you said with a small smile, you voice tinged with amusement. you weren't stupid, you'd heard the teasing comments slung to the blonde who was now your roommate over the past weeks since you’d arrived. so part of you was excited for what the next two weeks had in store.

alessia managed a weak laugh as she waited for the key card to scan and the light turn green, "yeah, should be.. fun"

you pushed the door open and stepped inside, alessia now the one trailing behind. the room was modest, two twin beds pushed to opposite walls and a window that overlooked the city skyline. it was nothing special, but to alessia, it suddenly felt rather small.

you tossed your bag onto the bed closest to the window, stretching out as your arms reached over your head.

alessia tried her best not to stare, but her eyes betrayed her. her eyes tracing the lines of your arms, the subtle curve of your waist where your tank top rode up.

"clean space," you said casually, your eyes looking around the room until your were facing alessia, "you okay with this bed?"

"huh?" alessia blinked now realising she hadn't moved from the doorway, "oh- uh yeah, totally" she stuttered out as she hurried over to the other bed, tripping over her suitcase slightly in the process.

you chuckled softly, "you sure you're good?"

"i'm fine!" alessia squeaked, her voice going higher than she intended.

you didn't press, but alessia could tell you were watching her every move as she unpacked her beg with unnecessary precision, carefully fold and refolding her clothes just to give herself something to do.

while you lay in your bed, on your phone. glancing over ever so often as a silence filled the room. but not an awkward one, exactly but it was heavy and charged with an undercurrent which you couldn't quite name yourself.

every small sound - the zip of alessia's suitcase, the rustle of the sheets as you moved into a move comfy position, the faint tap of your fingers against your phone they all felt amplified.

alessia's pulse was a constant drumbeat in your ears, her mind was racing with thoughts as she desperately tried to suppress them. trying to not let herself get distracted. you were a teammate, nothing more.

a teammate who happened to be gorgeous, charming and as you currently lounged on your bed like a goddess who had descended from mount olympus.

"less," you said suddenly, your soft voice cutting through the thick silence. alessia turning, the sound of your sudden voice startling her, "yeah?"

you tilting your head slightly as your lips curved into a faint smile, "your actin' strange"

"i'm not acting strange" alessia echoed, but even she could hear the lie in her own voice.

your face changed as your brow raised, you weren't fully convinced. you'd seen the blonde around her friends and she didn't act in the way she was with you right now. "if you say so"

you lay back against the pillows, one leg bent, the other stretched out as you held your phone loosely in one hand. the glow from the bedside lamp casting soft shadows across your face, it highlighting your sharp jawline and curve of your cheek.

alessia forcing herself to look away as she pretending to fiddle with her suitcase again, finding herself wanting to say something but no words would leave her mouth.

"relax, less" you said after a moment, your voice calm and soft "i don't bite"

alessia's breath hitched, her stomach flipping at the words. which also happen to be the exact words leah had said to her just a few hours ago.

risking a glance at you as you watched her with an expression that was equal parts teasing and curiosity.

the air was thick and even heavier than before and alessia couldn't tell if she was imagining it or if it was real but your gaze lingered and your eyes had turned, dark and suddenly unreadable.

"right." alessia said finally, the words stumbling from her lips bearly above a whisper, "good to know."

your lips twitched as you were going to say something else but you let the moment pass as you settled back into your pillows with a sigh.

alessia finally climbed into her own bed, pulling the covers up to her chin and even though the room was warm. as she squeezed her eyes shut willing herself to fall asleep.

but her mind wouldn't stop racing, you voice, your smile and the way you looked at her — it was all too much, too close, too everything.

alessia had no idea how she was going to survive the two weeks..

-

after the first night of sharing room which to alessia had felt suffocating. but she could pin point if it was because of the summer heat, the jet lag or your very presence that had her heart racing and skin flushed.

probably definitely the last one..

the morning had started off slow, the team had been given the chance to adjust to the time zone so had the day off but with most of the girls not wanting to go out till later on in the day you found yourself lounging on your bed.

wearing nothing but an oversized arsenal training shirt and shorts which left far too much of your legs on show. your hair was still messy from your nights sleep as loose strands framed your face.

you phone in your hand, lazily scrolling as the faint glow illuminated your features and every once in a while your hum quietly to yourself, the sound low and soft enough to send shivers down alessia's spine.

alessia, in contrast was a wreck. she'd spent the morning unpacking, repacking and then unpacking — purely just to keep herself busy and anything to avoid looking at you for too long.

"less" you said suddenly, "will you sit down"

alessia didn't say anything just nodded but you weren't making it easy.

anytime alessia let herself glance over you were doing something harmless that somehow felt charged, whether that was stretching out on the bed, your shirt riding up just enough to reveal a strip of skin; biting you bottom lip as you focused on your screen or running a hand through your hair — a motion somehow effortlessly seductive.

"no less, seriously sit down. your makin' me dizzy" your tone changed as your phone flopped down on your chest as you looked over at the blonde who couldn't of gotten further from you if she tried.

alessia froze, "how?"

you sat up, your legs swinging over the side of the bed, "your pacing back and forth and your actin' as if you don't want to get within five feet of me, what's that about?"

"i'm- i'm not" alessia's mouth went dry as she stood up slowly.

"less have you seen where you've been sat-" you leaned forward as you pointed to the further corner in the room from where you were sat. resting your elbows on your knees as alessia looked down at her feet. "if i didn't know better, id say you were nervous"

"i'm not nervous-" alessia said quickly, too quickly as her tone of voice betrayed her.

your lips curved into a slow but teasing smile, "really.. then why are you blushing.” a loud groan left alessia's lips as she dragged her hands over her face, "i'm not-"

"you totally are" you voice was now soft, almost a purr, "its cute"

alessia stomach flipped, as she turned to face you fully trying to summon some resemblance of composure, "you're enjoying this aren't you?"

your smile widened as you grabbed your sliders, "maybe a little" you shrugged standing up from the bed.

alessia rolled her eyes, but the heat in her cheeks gave her away. she crossed the room to her bed picking up her phone.

"come on beth says everyone's waiting"

-

since you had arrived the teasing had began subtly but the past few days since landing in the in the us, it's had been relentless.

during training, the girls had seemed to have made it their collective mission to put both you and alessia on the spot. their remarks growing bolder with each passing day.

it wasn't exactly helping that you seemed completely unfazed by it all, brushing off the comments with a quick shake of the head with a smile which only made alessia's reactions stand out even more.

the team was running passing drills under the blazing american sun, alessia's focus was already fraying. you as usual was calm and composed as you slotted passes effortlessly as you laughed with beth and steph.

alessia on the other hand couldn't get through a single play without glancing in your direction which obviously didn't go unnoticed.

"less, your looking distracted" leah called out from the opposite side of the pitch, her voice dripping with mischief.

"i'm not!" alessia yelled back but her flushed cheeks betrayed her once again.

"oh leave her alone, leah!" katie chimed in smirking, "she's just tryin' to impress y/n!"

the ball was rolled to alessia and in her flustered state, she misjudged the pass as she sent it careening towards lia instead of kim. a chorus of laughter erupting around her.

"nice one less!" lia teased, passing the ball on, "maybe if y/n compliments you, you'll focus better"

alessia groaned, running a hand through her hair. "can we not?”

but the girls and their teasing were far from done. the group regrouped for the next set of drills, beth took her chance to join in.

"you know, y/n," beth said loudly enough for everyone to hear, "you might be arsenal's best signing in years. i mean, alessia's practically speechless around you."

you stood a few feet away, taking a big drink of your water as a chuckle came from you but you didn't even look up from where alessia was adjusting her shin pads. "speechless ay?" you said lightly, your tone as casual as ever.

"exactly that!" beth continued, the grin not leaving her lips. "you've got her all shy and blushing. poor less hasn't been the same since you arrived"

alessia was frozen in place, the heat rising from her chest to her face within seconds. feeling the weight of everyone's eyes on her and it only made it more flustered.

"i'm not- she's not-" alessia stuttered, her voice cracking slightly as she struggled to from a coherent sentence. "can we just focus on training.."

beth cackled and leah stepped in, her smirk was just as big as the grin on beth's face. "oh c'mon less. just admit it"

by now the coaches were looking over with mild curiosity but wisely stayed out of the conversation but still urging the players to get back in with the drills after an extra long water break.

you however remained completely composed. finally standing and stretching leisurely as you tossed a casual glance in alessia's direction.

"you lot love to wind her up?" you said, your tone light but your lips curved into a faint smirk, "poor lessi is just tryin' to focus"

"that's what makes it so fun!" leah replied, earning more laughter from the group.

alessia utterly mortified turned away and pretended to go and tie her laces hoping the ground would swallow her whole. but she could feel your gaze on her, warm and teasing but not unkind.

as they resumed the drill, you jogged over to alessia's side close enough that your shoulders almost brushed. "you okay?" you asked softly, you voice filled with care as you spoke loud enough only for alessia to hear.

"i'm fine." alessia muttered, though her cheeks were still red and flushed. you smiled, tilting your head slightly, "you know, you're cute when you're flustered"

alessia felt her breath get caught in throat and for a moment all she could do was stare at you as her heart hammered into her chest.

you winked at the blonde before jogging off to join the next group as you left alessia standing there, a stuttering, blushing mess as the teams laughter echoed across the training fields.

-

the team had just finished dinner and the players had been told to have some off-feet time ensuring they were fully rested before the game later tomorrow afternoon. the dinner of course had been filled with teasing comments but you had managed to escape the worst of it.

now you both were alone, back in the hotel room that had become a pressure cooker of unresolved tension over the past two weeks.

alessia was laid on her side, facing the opposite direction to you as she pretended to scroll through her phone, but her mind was elsewhere.

you were in front of the mirror, re-tying your hair into a loose bun. your reflection catching alessia's attention more than it should.

the room felt heavier than usual, the air thick with everything you both hadn't said, everything alessia had been too scared to admit to herself.

"your doin' that thing again" you said suddenly, breaking the silence as alessia looked up, startled.

"what thing?"

you turned to face her, leaning against the dresser with your arms crossed, you were still in your dinner clothes — a black fitted shirt which hugged you in all the right places and jeans that alessia definitely hadn't started at for too long earlier.

"where you don't speak, granted your a little shy," you teased, your lip curving into a small smile, "but tonight, you're on a whole new level"

alessia's face burned as she forced herself to look back at her phone, trying to ignore the way your gaze seemed to strip every ounce of composure she had.

"i'm just.. tired"

you hummed, "right" your tone was light and alessia could hear the hint of amusement, "so it has nothing to do with the fact that the team has been non stop teasin' us"

alessia let out a loud groan as she dragged a hand over her face, "they are the worst."

"or the best" you countered, pushing off the dresser and walking closer, "depends on how you look at it"

alessia glanced up as her breath caught. you were standing at the edge of your bed now, looking down at the blonde with an expression which was equal parts playful and serious.

"what do you mean?" alessia asked her voice barely above a whisper.

you tilted your head, your eyes searching alessia's face, "i mean, they're not wrong are they." alessia's heart stopping momentarily, "about what?”

you smirked as you sat your set down on the edge of alessia's bed, close enough that you were a mere few cm from the blonde. "about this" you smiled, festering between the two of you.

alessia felt her brain had short-circuited. she opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out.

"relax lessi," you said softly, you hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair behind the blondes ear. "you don't have to say anything."

your touch was gentle and almost hesitant but it sent a jolt of electricity through alessia's body. she looked up at you, her cheeks flaming as her heart was pounding so loudly she was sure you could hear it.

then before you could overthink it, you leaned in, slowly.

the kiss was soft at first, a tentative brush of the lips as if you were giving alessia a chance to pull away, to change her mind.

but alessia had no intention of pulling away, her heart racing in her chest, a wild, short beat that echoed in her ears. slowly, she leaned into the kiss, her fingers trembling as they found your waist.

the warmth of your skin through the fabric of your shirt grounding her and without hesitation alessia pulled you close the space between the tow of you dissolving.

the kiss deepening as your lips moved in a rhythm that felt familiar as though they'd been doing this forever even though it was the first time.

alessia's pulse is quickened as her sense sharpened, the faint smell of your vanilla shampoo and the way your breath kitchen when alessia's hand slipped up your side and the soft and almost inaudible sight that escaped your lips.

it was intoxicating and a moment which suspended in time and a world reduce to just the two of them.

when they finally broke apart, it wasn't out of hesitation but necessity. foreheads resting together as your breaths intermingled in the narrow space which was between the two of you.

alessia's eyes fluttering open and taking in the way your cheeks were flushed as your lips were slightly swollen from the kiss. she'd swear she's never seen anything more beautiful.

"you okay?" you asked, your voice low and slightly hoarse as if the words would cost you something to speak.

alessia nodded, her lips curving into a shy but undeniable smile. her voice was nearly above a whisper the words carrying an honesty she couldn't hide, "more than okay"

your gaze lingered on the blonde for a moment longer, your fingers brushing alessia's cheek in a gesture so tender it sent a shiver down her spine.

and for the first time in a long while, alessia felt completely seen as though you had unlocked a part of her she didn’t even know she'd been hiding. alessia couldn’t help but laugh softly, the sound light and nervous but also full of joy.

you smiled too, your thumb tracing absent circles on alessia's hip, "good" you murmured your lips quirking up into a grin that was equal parts relief and mischief. "because i have been waiting to do that since the start of the trip-“

alessia felt her chest tighten a mix of disbelief and elation, "you could have said something you know"

you giggled, "could've" as you slipped your fingers through alessia's hair, threading through the soft blonde strands, "but part of me kind of liked watching you squirm"

alessia shook her head with disbelief as a light giggle came from her as she melted into your touch, "your the worst."

"yeah but you love it" you grinned, kissing her hair as alessia rolled her eyes playfully, cuddling tighter into your built frame.

the two of stayed like that for a while, tangled together on the bed as the word outside seemed to fade away stealing kisses from one another.

the tension that had been building between them for weeks — glances held for a moment too long, casual touches which lingered, unspoken words hanging in the air had finally crack and given way to something softer, something warmer and something that felt like coming home.

you hands moved with a purpose yet there was such tenderness in your touch. you fingers brushing against alessia's neck tracing a delicate path up to your jaw before it slipped back down to the blondes collarbone.

your lips followed, leaving a trail of kisses, slow and deliberate each one pressing heat into alessia's skin. your kissing growing bolder as your lips left faint marks littler declaration of ownership and affection.

alessia shivered beneath you touch, both exhilarated and slightly exasperated. her mind trailing to picture the looks she'd no doubt get tomorrow.

"y/n" alessia murmured, her voice a blend of a whine and a laugh she couldn't hold back. she tilted her head slightly to meet your gaze, her warm blue eyes warm despite her words, "the girls are gonna have a field day with this tomorrow"

you pulled back just enough to look at her, an impish grin spreading across your face as you shrugged, mumbling a 'let them'

"you'll look so beautiful in the kit, plus i think the girls will love the evidence" your tone was smug as your hands now resting lightly against alessia's cheek.

alessia rolled her eyes, though the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her amusement. she reached up to tangle her fingers in your hair, gently tugging her closer.

"your impossible" she said through her voice was filled with such affection rather than annoyance.

"maybe," you whispered, your lips hovering teasingly close to alessia's, her breath warm against your skin, "but your stuck with me now"

the words hung in the air for a moment, not as a threat but as a promise, one that alessia found herself wanting to keep. without hesitation alessia pulled you down into another kiss, the kiss this time was softer, less urgent but no less meaningful. a slow unraveling of the walls alessia had built around herself.

the pillows around them had fell into a comforting space, as their laughter bubbled up between kisses. the sound mingled with the whispered promise they exchanged in the quiet room, the kind of promises you make in moments of vulnerability and trust.

as they lay there, limbs entwined and hearts beating in sync, alessia let herself smile. she could feel you tracing lazy patterns along her arms, a silence remind that this, whatever it was, is real.

she looked at you, who was looking at her with a mix of mischief and something deeper, something that made alessia's breath hitch. "i don't actually mind being stuck with you." the blonde admitted softly, her voice carrying the weight of truth she hadn't expected to say out loud.

you grin softened as you leaned down to press another kiss to alessia's forehead, "good"

-

the hotel breakfast buffet was bustling the next morning, with players milling around loading their plates and nursing cups of coffee.

alessia entered the room last, her hair slightly damp from her shower and her arsenal training hoodie zipper halfway up. the blonde keeping her head down as she made her way to the food, hoping to blend into the background.

but she could feel the girls' eyes in her almost instantly.

"morning less" beth's cheerful voice rang out from across the room, far too loud for alessia's liking at that hour of the morning.

"morning" alessia mumbled, not looking up as she grabbed a plate and began piling it with fruit she didn't even want.

beth and leah exchanged glances, kyra seated at the table closest to the buffet, leaned back in her shake her arms crossed.

“less" she called casually her tone dripping with her usually mischief antics. "did you get into a fight with the vaccum cleaner?" kyra trailed off, a teasing grin on her lips.

alessia froze in place, a peice of watermelon halfway to her plate, "what?"

beth smirked pointing to her own neck as if to indicate something, "you've got a little.. something.. right there"

alessia's eyes widened and her hand short up to her neck. her fingers brushed over the faint marks which you'd left the night before — marks she thought she'd covered with a bit of concealer but clearly hadn't done a good enough job as they still peeked through.

"oh god" she muttered under her breath, quickly zipping her hoodie all the way up, her cheeks burning.

too late. the table erupted into laughter.

“no way” katie said, grinning as she leaned close to inspect alessia’s neck, “is that-? oh it is!”

beth clapped her hands together and cheered, “i knew it, leah you owe me my ten quid!” a small grumble coming from the english captain as a small chuckle came from you from the side of the table at the fact they had been betting on when it was finally going to happen.

while alessia was ready to sink through the floor, grabbing her plate and darting to the nearest empty seat which just so happend to be next to you. as in the blondes humble opinion, you were looking far too composed for someone who had caused all the chaos.

“you could’ve warned me” alessia hissed under her breath as she sat down, you just shrugging as you took a sip of your coffee before turning to look at the blonde with your usual small and amused smile, “i think you look gorgeous”

alessia glared at you but the effect was ruined by the way your words affected her making her blush deeper, “your so annoying at times”

you giggled a little leaning in close to her as your voice was low enough only she would hear what you were about to say, “that’s not what you were saying last night lessi”

alessia opened her mouth to quip a response back but before she could beth’s voice rang out again. “so, y/n we need answers” beth said with a wicked grin on her face, “you finally made a move, didn’t you!”

the entire table turned to look at you as you shrugged nonchalantly as you took another sip of your coffee as if this was the most normal conversation in the world.

“maybe”

“maybe?” leah echoed, gaping at you, “that’s all we get?”

you just smirked, your gaze flicking over to alessia as she was burying her face in her hands, “what can i say, better to keep you all guessing”

“unbelievable” katie said shaking her head but still laughing, “you two are the worst-kept secret on the team”

alessia let out a groan finally peeking out from behind her hands, “can we just eat breakfast without all this?”

the was a chorus of no’s from the table, “are you joking we’ve been waiting for this for weeks” kyra said smirking as beth leaned forward, her eyes were sparkling with mischief.

“so what do we get next? the soft launch on insta? matching tattoos, oo maybe a-“

“beth!” alessia squeaked, her face somehow turning even redder as beth stopped her list mid way with a small frown as she muttered how nobody seemed to appreciate her efforts.

you were clearly enjoying every second of this as you sat back in your seat, actually enjoying your breakfast. reaching over to grab alessia’s hand under the table and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“relax” you whispered, your voice warm and reassuring, “they’ll get bored eventually”

alessia mumbled a response but she couldn’t help the small smile that crept into her lips as your thumb traced gentle circle on the back of her hand.

leah raising her glass of juice in a mock toast, “to y/n and less! may their love and our endless teasing never fade!”

and once again the table burst into laughter and despite the embarrassment that filled alessia she couldn’t help laugh along with them.

your hand in hers grounding her a silent that even with all the teasing and chaos that it was worth it — whatever the two of you were.

and as she glanced at you, who was smiling at her like she was the only person in the room, alessia decided she could live with the teasing.

after all, she’d gotten the you.