#for katie love jen

[gaveyouigaveyoui]

electric touch - for katie

[arayeee]

They could not have casted a better person

[katieemcdimples]

HER SMILE AND DIMPLES 😭🥰 SHE'S THE MOST PRECIOUS ADORABLE BEAUTIFUL BABYGIRL EVER 🤏 I LOVE HER SO MUCH ❤️

[reminiscingtonight]

Not Jen warning Katie that she should start low and Katie blurting out 20 with no hesitation

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

[mdemn]

so that was what love led to. to wound and be wounded.

brute: poems - emily skaja, belovéd - yves olade, lie from peripety (2008) - jen mazza, we are hard - margaret atwood, tumblr user @heavensghost, olivia (1949) - dorothy bussy (née strachey).

[musicalgifs]

i love women and i love musical theatre 💜

[wileys-russo]

Lia, at a (house) party, "how does it not get into your head that i like you??"

Thank you, i love your writing🫶

oblivious II l.wälti

"winners baby!" katie cheered, everyone joining in and holding up their slices of pizza with eager grins, the cup trophy sat in the middle of the floor as everyone took turns taking their photos with it.

"how has all of the plain cheese been eaten?" lia groaned in annoyance, having been held up with an interview in the tunnel and one of the last to join in the celebrations in the change room.

"why are you looking at me!" vic protested as the swiss narrowed eyes in her direction, a single finger pointing to the slice of pizza held in her hand. "this had pepperoni on it! i ate it first!" the dutch argued, kyra quick to back her up as lia only hummed.

"wally!" but her attention was captured as you came stumbling over, shooting a glare at beth who stuck out a leg to trip you, planting yourself on the bench beside the midfielder.

"you're welcome." you placed a pizza box on her lap and kissed her cheek, darting off as you were called over for a photo with stina and amanda.

lia frowned curiously as she cautiously opened the box, but it was quickly replaced with a smile seeing four pieces of cheese pizza safely tucked away and untouched.

"and you won't ask her out because..." beth chimed in with a whistle where she sat a foot or so away, having watched the little exchange play out as lias head whipped up and met her amused look.

"i have tried! she does not like me back." lia huffed grumpily, grabbing out a slice and sliding the box protectively into her cubby. "you have not!" beth argued with a roll of her eyes. "oh she has, trust me." leah now joined in as lia swallowed her mouthful of pizza.

"she just thinks i am being friendly." lia groans, beth shuffling a little closer as the swiss woman sought you out across the room, smile tugging at her lips as kyra tried to pour a bottle of champagne down your throat.

"well, kiss her!" beth shrugged, leah holding up a finger in agreement, her own mouth full of food as lia scoffed, wrenching her gaze away from you.

"i cannot just kiss her beth!" "why not?" "well because, because-i just can't!" lia huffed, frustration rearing its head as you and laura spun one another around as the music was turned even louder, family and friends now starting to trickle in to join the team.

"can't? or won't?"

~

the party was beyond full swing as lia arrived dropped off in an uber with steph and jen who'd flown in for the final, the trio some of the last to leave dinner to head back to one of the staffs house who'd so generously offered to host the afters of the celebrations which were seemingly intended to carry on late into the night.

"is that frida?" jen laughed at the blonde doubled over on the front lawn, her girlfriend emma with a phone to her ear and giving them a wave hello as the trio made their way up the driveway and down the side of the house to the backyard.

"odds on whose getting the most messy?" steph offered, her and jen beginning to discuss their bets as meanwhile lia was busy scanning the countless bodies packed in and around them trying to find you.

"she's there mate." a chuckle and a nudge to her shoulder and lia was following jens finger to where sure enough you were sat down in a little huddle with a few of your friends and teammates, but lia was far too focused on the mystery girl you seemed to be cosying up to.

"who is that?" lia asked with a frown, jolting as an arm fell over her shoulder and the smell of rum and coke followed, leah swaying a little as she drew her best friend in for a hug and amandas husband moved to block lias view of you.

"i was wondering if you were coming!" the blonde english woman grinned, dragging lia away to get a drink and chattering her ear off but the midfielder was only half listening, her mind unable to move past the image of you tucked into the mystery girls side, seeming to hang off her every word.

did you have a girlfriend you'd just been keeping to yourself?

"alright! where is your head at? helloooo." leah realised she was being ignored as she shoved a cup into lias hand and snapped her fingers in her face to try and gain her attention, the brunette wincing and pushing her hand away.

"who is that girl?" lia spotted you again across the yard, pointing you out to leah who had to squint to follow where she was supposed to be looking at. "less?" leah frowned as lia sighed with a shake of her head.

"no! that girl." lia gently twisted the defenders head so she was looking in the right direction. "oh the one all over your girlfriend? dunno!" leah shrugged, whining as leah smacked her arm and took a sip from the drink handed to her.

"she is not my girlfriend." "y'know maybe beths got a point. give her a kiss! call it a goal celebration." leah wiggled her eyebrows with a dopey grin as lia scowled.

"she clearly has a girlfriend leah, i cannot kiss someone who is taken!" "well how is she gonna know you're a better kisser then?"

with a defeated sigh lia gave up, shoving her best friend out of the kitchen and allowing herself to be dragged off to go and sit with her family, her own all still in switzerland as she plastered a half sincere smile on her face and began her greetings.

though unable to help it her eyes kept flickering to you, watching you laugh and grin and drape yourself all over the mystery blonde beside you, she felt a strange feeling settle over her, not dissimilar to the same sort of discomfort felt in her knee the last six months or so, but in her chest.

so determined to forget you and have the best night she could with everyone lia brought the drink made for her to her lips and downed it, quickly accepting leahs cousin jordans offer of another, and another, and another.

it had been hours now and lia had done the best job she could to forget you, the crowd beginning to thin out and lia having spent time with almost everyone except the one person she really wanted to celebrate with.

until finally you stumbled into her in the living room on your way back from the bathroom, or more accurately she stumbled into you, spilling her drink all down the front of her with a groan.

"wally! where have you been hiding? i was looking for you." you greeted with an excited smile, hurrying to steady her as the swiss woman lost her footing and almost hit the deck, and as her head lolled to one side you realised the drink down the front of her was clearly not her first.

"are you drunk?" you laughed with a surprised grin of delight, never really having seen her this far gone, the brunette normally one of the more sober of the team, often taking on the role of babysitter for the much more party inclined half of the group.

"no!" lia slurred with a roll of her eyes, trying to push away from you but losing her footing and again almost falling to the floor as your grip on her tightened and you carefully lead her over to the lounge.

"okay. lets just have a little seat for a second, and i will get you some water." you gently lowered her down as she mumbled something incoherent and you darted off to the kitchen to grab a bottle from the well stocked up fridge you'd all been given free reign to for the evening.

"come on, just a little drink please. you'll feel better!" you encouraged softly taking a seat beside her and trying to assist her to take a mouthful, pushing your body out of the way as lia shoved the bottle away with a grumble.

"lia. please, i will call you an uber home but you need to sober up a little first." you squeezed her leg and thats when lia became hyperaware of your hand settling on her thigh, groaning loudly as her head thumped against the back of the sofa.

"what?" you frowned cluelessly as she smacked your hand and mumbled for you to go away. "do you want me to get leah instead? or is your sister here? i didn't see her but-" you offered, and lia watched the way your eyebrows creased adorably with concern and could only groan louder.

"how does it not get into your head that i like you?" the midfielder moaned with frustration, the alcohol coursing the veins pushing the confession past her lips and out of her mouth as your frown only deepened.

"well i hope you like me, i just signed on for another two years so you are stuck with me." you teased with a smile as lia could only groan again and drag her hands down her face, head spinning but far too drunk to stop the words that came crashing out next.

"no. i like you! but you clearly do not feel the same so please go away." lia grunted, eyes fluttering shut as the room began to twist and turn and you were stunned into a brief silence, so much so lia actually thought you'd left until she opened her eyes again and jumped finding you still sat there.

"you like me?" you questioned in shock, eyebrows sky high with surprise as lia sighed heavily. "yes obviously! i have asked you out again and again but you always invite someone else, but i know now you have a girlfriend and-" lia began to try and stand, but that was far too ambitious of a task as she flopped right back down with a grunt.

"girlfriend? i do not have a girlfriend." you made a face as lias vision finally settled enough to make sense of it, turning her head to frown right back at you. "the blonde? you have been all over her." her jealousy reared its head with a roll of her eyes as you started to put the pieces together in your own.

"the-oh alice? alice is not my girlfriend. she is my best friend from home, she flew over with my parents from sweden for the game!" you laughed with a shake of your head, lias face now flushing red as she groaned again though clearly this time out of embarrassment as the reality of her actions came crashing down.

"oh my god. please forget about this and-" lia slurred with a shake of her head, again trying to stand as you quickly pulled her back down. "i did not realise you were asking me out. i am...i am not good at reading people." now it was your turn to blush, having had this problem for years now even before you'd come out prior to moving to england from sweden for football.

"i just invited other people because i thought you wanted to be friends, you were one of the first people to make me feel very welcome when i signed." you confessed with a soft smile, poking at her shoulder.

"but if you were still interested, i would really like to go out. with you! just you." you quickly clarified with a somewhat nervous smile, lias eyes almost bugging out of her head at your disclosure, mouth ajar with surprise.

"careful. the wind might change and you will be stuck!" you teased, her mouth snapping shut as a silence fell between the two of you, but lias head was anything but as beth and leahs words rang out inside it.

"can i kiss you?" the midfielder blurted out suddenly, once again the alcohol pumping in her system taking control as you looked a little taken aback and regret flooded through her instead.

"no i am so sorry i have had a lot to drink and i-" but she couldn't finish her sentence as you leaned forward, one hand gently falling to her cheek as you cleared the gap between you, a short but sweet kiss pressed to her lips making her head swim in a way not at all related to the alcohol.

"did you let leah be your bartender? you taste like a pirate." you whispered teasingly, moving a few loose strands of hair out of her face as lia blinked slowly and you grinned.

"a pirate?" "pirates drink rum. no?"

at that lia let out a laugh, relaxing just a little as you poked her nose and smiled, moving back to give her some more personal space, flashing a thumbs up at alice who held up her phone with the uber app loaded, pointing to you and lia with a raised eyebrow.

"come on, lets get you home." you stood and held out your hands to help her do the same. "but our date?" lia frowned in confusion making you laugh as you hauled her up, almost falling down as her body weight immediately swayed and crashed into you, both of you around the same height and build.

"how about you sober up a little wälti, get some sleep, and we can go for dinner tomorrow, on a date."

[wlwsoccerfics]

Hungover(StephCatleyXFoordReader)

Summary: you go out with Kyra, Alessia & Vic and your fiancee knows that you gonna wake up the next morning with a Hangover.

You came home at 1am. Completely wasted, that is the important part there. In your 27 years of life If was rare that you were so drunk. Maybe happend twice in your life before. But you were out celebrating your Engagement with some of your Arsenal Teammates/Friends.

Steph was out with Jen, Beth, Leah, Lia, Katie and your sister Caitlin. While you were out with Vic, Lessi & Kyra. Of course you two would have a big celebration with everyone soon. There was also a bachelorette Party planned before you would get married next year.

Steph wasn't home alone when you got back, no your sister, Katie and Leah were there with her. They were still chatting when they heard the Front door open and you stumbling in. Followed by Kyra who was the only one sober. You were hugging a bottle of Champagne.

"y/n, sit down and give me that bottle!" Kyra said. It was rare that she was the responsible one. One had to be. Because Vic & Alessia both were wasted as well. They stumbled in behind Kyra.

"my bottle." You said with a pout.

"what the f*ck!" Katie stated.

"No doubt the Hangover tomorrow will be bad!" Leah answered.

"never in my Life have i seen my sister so wasted!" Caitlin replied. Your fiancee didn't even know what to say. Vic & Alessia both had a bottle of Champagne as well. Nothing much was left in either of those bottles.

"damn, we can never let these three go anywhere alone anymore when it comes to drinking." Katie stated. You saw your girlfriend sitting on the Couch and stumbled into her lap.

"hi pretty Woman. Kyra is trying to steal my bottle. " You told her.

"Babe, i think you had enough of that happy juice, because you smell like a Mini bar!" She told you and took the bottle from you. Which earend her a pout from you. At the same time Kyra was Wrestling the bottle out of Alessias Hand and managed to sit her down on the couch. Leah sat Vic down on the Couch inbetween herself and Alessia.

"i am sorry this got out of Hand!" Kyra told your sister and sighed softly.

"this isn't your fault. they are all adults." Steph let her know.

"plus the Hangover they gonna have in the morning is gonna be such a punishment. I am sure they won't ever drink like that again!" Caitlin said.

"i am gonna call a cab so i can take Vic home with me!" Leah answered.

"and we gonna take Lessi with us!" Katie offered.

"good Idea! I didn't drink anything though so let us just drop you two of at your place, Leah!" Your sister informed Leah.

It wasn't long until they left and Kyra helped steph to take you upstairs into the bedroom you shared with your fiancee.

"we should grab a bucket, just in case, cause i am sure all of the Champagne is gonna come back up." Kyra suggested.

"good thinking. can you go grab it?" Steph asked Kyra.

"i don't need one, i am fine!" You tried to protest but it didn't have that much of an effect cause all of sudden you felt quite sleepy.

"sure." Kyra went to grab a bucket and put it besides the bed when you needed it.

"Thanks Kyra." Your fiancee said, offering her a soft smile. At this point you already have been asleep.

Kyra went to her own room and Steph laid down next to you. Watching you sleep.

"you gonna regret drinking so much, my Love." She whispered out, kissing your head gently, before closing her eyes and falling asleep. Not for long though. Two hours later she heard you throwing up. Hanging over the bucket.

"oh Babe." She said and rubbed your back. You whimpered softly.

"i feel like crap!" You sobbed out after having a break from vomiting like crazy.

"i know Love. No surprise there. You had quite alot to drink." Steph answered.

"never again, Steffy." You told her.

The night and morning was filled with you throwing up and your fiancee comforting you. It didn't look much better for Alessia & Vic.

Even the day after this when you went back to Training you could still feel that you weren't there a 100% there yet. And like that wasn't enough the three of you totally got teased by Caitlin, Leah and the others.

[alesandraelin]

𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚒𝚍, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚔𝚒𝚍 - 𝙰𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚆𝙵𝙲 𝚡 𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗!𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

Description: reader's parents kicked her out and she is struggling. The team is always there for her.

awfc x teen!reader Kim Little x teen!reader

*Homophobic parents, self worth issues, angst with a happy ending

Kim was the first to notice. Kim is always the first to notice if something is wrong, especially when it is something to do with her protégé.

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon when Y/n trudged onto the football field, her heart heavy with the weight of the previous night's events. Her parents' harsh words still echoed in her mind, each syllable a reminder of the home she no longer had. The field, usually a place of solace and escape, felt foreign and unwelcoming today. She tried to shake off the feeling, but it clung to her like a second skin.

As the team gathered for their morning warm-up, Y/n forced a smile, hoping it would mask the turmoil inside. Her teammates chatted animatedly, their laughter ringing out in the crisp morning air. Y/n moved through her stretches mechanically, her mind elsewhere. She was grateful for the routine, something familiar to hold onto amidst the chaos.

Jonas blew the whistle, signaling the start of a new drill. This one involved quick footwork and passing accuracy, requiring each player to move swiftly between cones while maintaining control of the ball. Y/n took her position, determined to push through the haze of her thoughts. She moved with the group, her feet dancing around the cones, but her usual grace was missing. The ball slipped away from her, rolling out of bounds.

"Come on, Y/n! Keep your head in the game!" Jonas called out, his voice carrying across the field.

Y/n nodded, forcing herself to concentrate. She retrieved the ball, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. As she resumed the drill, she caught sight of Viv and Beth, her teammates and a couple, working together seamlessly. Their movements were in sync, a testament to their understanding of each other both on and off the field. Y/n felt a pang of envy mixed with admiration. The ease with which they expressed their love was something she had always longed for, yet it was the very thing that had driven a wedge between her and her family.

Nearby, Katie and Caitlin, another couple on the team, were laughing as they practiced passing the ball back and forth. Their joy was infectious, and Y/n couldn't help but smile despite herself. Yet, the sight also served as a stark reminder of her own situation. While her teammates were embraced for who they were, she had been shunned by her own family for loving women. The injustice of it all gnawed at her, threatening to overwhelm her composure.

Jonas called for a water break, and Y/n gratefully took the opportunity to catch her breath. She sat on the grass, sipping from her water bottle, trying to steady her racing heart. Kyra and Vic had both attempted to talk to the girl only to be met with annoyed mumbles and blank stares. Teyah got the same treatment when she tried.

Kim watched on with a frown on her face, Jen coming to check on what she was so worried about.

"Just look at her, it like every bit of light has been sucked out of her. I can't bear it." Kim sighed as she watched you zone out, kicking at the ground aimlessly.

"You know her better than anyone Kimmy, go talk to her after practice." Jen encourages before they are all called back onto the pitch.

Training didn't get any better for the remainder of the day. Poor passes, sloppy in possession and way off target when shooting. It just wasn't good enough and Y/n knew that. The words of her parents from the previous night going through her head with every failed attempt on goal, every time she lost possession by making a silly mistake.

All the girls saw it, they noticed how sloppy her play had become. A stark contrast to her normal 110% effort every time she trained. It worried them all. They all made an effort to try and boost her up with pats on the back and words of encouragement but they were met with silence and no improvement.

Training ended as the afternoon air came in. The girl made their way off the pitch and back into the locker room. Y/n lingered back as she watched them all converse. Beth & Viv walked hand in hand into the locker room in front of y/n. This made her chest pang, it was jealousy, it was longing, it was sadness.

All the girls chatted as they got changed and packed up their stuff whilst y/n sat in her cubby trying her best not to cry. She was approached by Leah who knelt down to her height in her cubby.

"You alright chick?" The blonde asked, her brows furrowed in worry.

Y/n looked up at Leah, putting a small smile on. "I'm alright, I slept really rough last night thats all, I'm sorry for not being at by best today Lee."

"Don't apologise y/n, we all have off days. Try and get some sleep so we can get our happy girl back yeah?" Leah patted the girls shoulder as she stood up to go home.

With Leah gone, y/n looked around the locker room spotting no one there, she let her guard down and broke. Tears streamed down her face as she replayed the harsh words of the night before. Her parents' anger and disappointment had cut deep, leaving her feeling raw and exposed. She hugged her knees to her chest, seeking comfort in the small, enclosed space she had created for herself.

What y/n didn't know was Kim hung around to talk to Jonas about something and had just reentered the change rooms as y/n was crying. Kim quickly made her way over to the small girl, wrapping her arms around her, pulling her close.

"Y/n?" Kim's voice was gentle, filled with concern. "What's going on sweetheart?"

Y/n quickly sat up, wiping the tears away from her eyes. "I'm fine, just tired." She tried so reason as her voice cracked and tears continued to well in her eyes.

Kim shook her head, squeezing her a little tighter. "You don't have to pretend with me. I can tell something's wrong. Do you want to talk about it?"

Y/n hesitated, the words lodged in her throat. But the kindness in Kim's eyes coaxed them out. "My parents... they kicked me out last night. I finally worked up the courage to come out. They don't love me anymore Kim." The last sentence broke her as she cried again.

Kim's heart ached at the vulnerability in Y/n's voice. She reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Y/n's back. "I'm so sorry, Y/n. That must be incredibly painful."

Y/n nodded, her tears flowing freely now. "I just don't understand why they can't accept me. Seeing everyone else so happy and accepted... it just makes it hurt more."

Kim nodded, understanding the depth of Y/n's pain. "You deserve to be loved and accepted for who you are. And you are, Y/n. By all of us."

Y/n looked up, her eyes searching Kim's face for reassurance. "But where do I go now? I don't have anywhere else, I'm 17 I just want my parents."

Kim's expression softened further, her resolve clear. "You can stay with me, as long as you need. You're not alone. The team loves you and I love you. You are so incredibly brave and strong."

The offer hung in the air, a lifeline extended in Y/n's darkest moment. Gratitude surged through her, mingling with the sadness. "Thank you, Kim. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Kim smiled, her own eyes misty with emotion. "We're a team, Y/n. We look out for each other. Arsenal is a family. You're part of our family."

Y/n leaned into Kim's side, drawing comfort from the warmth and solidarity. The locker room, once a place of routine, had become a sanctuary—a space where she could be herself without fear of judgment.

"You're so strong, Y/n," Kim continued, her voice steady. "And we'll get through this together. You've got a whole team behind you, ready to support you every step of the way."

[gaveyouigaveyoui]

Can I request a pink Electric Touch edit please????? 💗💗💗

hello my love you absolutely can! here you go, i hope you love it! i love you!!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxo

[pixiesfz]

Kyra Cooney Cross x reader

plot: the reader throws an ugly Christmas sweater party for the Arsenal team to say goodbye to the 2023 season

warning: neck kisses, swearing, teasing and idk where this will take me

"Leah Williamson that is not an ugly sweater" you pointed at the blonde "Yeah ya look too good" Jen pointed out "Define ugly" Leah shot back as everyone looked at Kyra who had a thick turtle neck that had a little reindeer physically popping out of her chest.

"hey this is my mums!"

The team laughed as you poured more cocktails that you made, ignoring the photos that Katie was taking "I'm not being in the photo dump Katie" you laughed "fine I'll put it on my story then" she huffed before finding her way to Caitlin who was sitting next to Steph and Kyra.

When Katie arrived with a smirk on her face Caitlin rolled her eyes. "What did you do?" she asked and Katie shrugged "Nothin" she said, her Irish accent thick.

"Where's your mistletoe earrings gone" Caitlin pointed out and Katie looked away "Around" she answered "So that's why you went to go get a cocktail and not come back with one" Steph pointed out and Katie rolled her eyes.

"Sorry if I just want to put a certain two people in the team out of their poor love life mystery and somehow get them under a mistletoe so they can realize they both have feelings for each other" she huffed before pointing her eyes at Kyra who crossed her head.

"She doesn't have feelings for me" Kyra whisper shouted, now blushing that the attention is on her.

"Well just so you know, the mistletoe is in the hallway where the Christmas decorations are" Katie told her before Steph brought up a new topic about Calvin.

You however were sitting with Beth, Jen, and Leah, Viv was also in the room but she was helping make a salad so her concentration was fully on the greens in front of her.

"What are you doing for the holiday y/n/n?" Jen asked as she sipped her drink "I think I'm gonna go see my brother and his family in Australia" you told her as she smiled "oh you should go see Kyra then, she's going back" Beth smiled as Leah and Jen shared a look.

Your heart started beating a little bit faster "Why would I go see Kyra?" you asked

"Cause ya like each other" Viv piped up with a shrug and you turned to her

"Go back to your salad"

"hey!" Beth playfully hit your shoulder with a smile and you all laughed "No but seriously she doesn't like me" you said and Leah perked up "but you like her" she said and you just took a sip out of your cocktail as the three silently cheered.

Viv placed the now-finished salad next to you. "I say do it" she shrugged and you looked at her in shock as she realised her mistake "not do it do it" she panicked before looking down

"I'm never giving advice again" she muttered and walked off, Beth following her with a laugh leaving you with Jen and Leah as you changed the subject "Dinners ready!".

Dinner was yummy and you somehow ended up sitting next to Kyra. "Dinners good" she smiled at you once you finished and you turned to her with a smile "thanks, uhm I hear your going to Australia for holidays" and she nodded "yeah seeing the family" "nice, I'm going to Australia too" you told her.

You swore you saw her eyes light up at the news but you shook it off maybe she was just excited to have a friend in Australia.

You were both facing your body towards each other, blocking everyone else off as you talked. It always felt like that when you two were together, rather it was on the field or in team bonding you always found yourselves together.

"Earth to y/n!" a voice piped up and it was Alessia.

You popped your head up quickly as if you had been caught in the act of something and Alessia laughed "some of us are going now so we'd like to say goodbye.

"Oh yeah sure" You stood up and walked to the door, Kyra silently wished you didn't, she missed the body heat that radiated off you as you talked.

You said goodbye to some girls that were carpooling together, more girls behind them until there was just a small handful of girls left in your house.

"I can't believe nobody has fallen under the mistletoe yet" Katie whined to Caitlin as she rolled her eyes "do you want us to go under the mistletoe?" she laughed and Katie nodded, Kyra rolling her eyes as the two of them walked off.

"What mistletoe?" you perked up behind Kyra as she jumped slightly "Nothing" she quickly said and you laughed sweetly at her blush from being scared "I think Katie is just a little drunk I suppose," Kyra said and Caitlin and Katie came back, now being the last ones left beside Kyra "I think we're gonna head off" Caitlin laughed as Katie still sported the bon bon paper crown "get her to bed" you smiled "or a toilet" Kyra joked and you laughed.

"You two good here?" Caitlin asked, her eyes especially on Kyra

"Yeah ordered an Uber I'll be good" she replied and you nodded, excited that it would just be you and Kyra behind, even if was for a short time as you waited for her ride.

You watched Caitlin help Katie into the car as Katie sent you an exaggerated wink from the passenger seat.

You walked back inside to see Kyra under your Christmas decorations with a nervous demeanor whilst she looked at some of the pictures on the wall.

You joined next to her with a smile. "That's a picture of me and my brother when we were young" "you were such a cute baby" Kyra laughed "I know" you hummed "what happened?" Kyra turned to you and you dropped your moth open "Kyra!" you gasped and turned around before fake stomping away.

Kyra grabbed your wrist before you went too far and pulled you back under the decorations.

Kyra looked up with an expression you couldn't describe before you followed her eyes.

"A mistletoe" you breathed out with a smile as your heart raced. You were under a mistletoe with the girl you liked.

"I'm pretty sure the rules for being under a mistletoe with someone means that you have to kiss them" Kyra hummed as you looked down at her.

Did she want to kiss you?

"Or if you're uncomfortable you don't have to" she rambled on and you moved closer to her.

"I'm comfortable if you're comfortable" you said and she nodded "I'd say I'm pretty comfortable" she smiled before she leaned closer to you, her height being taller.

When your lips met you smiled, you had wanted to kiss her ever since she joined Arsenal and was your partner in her first team bonding exercise, she won you over with her accent in just a few sentances.

And now you were kissing her.

You both detached from one another whilst keeping eye contact, you both wanted this.

You both leaned in again but this time with more lust, you moved around your living room before placing Kyra on the couch and straddling her lap on top of her.

Kyra's hands tried to roam your body but she got frustrated when it was covered by a thick Christmas sweater, she tugged at it as you laughed at her neediness.

leaning back from Kyra you lifted your Christmas sweater and threw it somewhere in the room before attaching your lips once again that you knew were going to be swollen.

You moved your lips down her face as you reached her neck that was covered by the turtle neck she had decided to wear, but instead of taking it off you lifted the fabric down so you could kiss her lower, her neck strained back to give you more room as she lowered her hands to your ass and squeezed it.

"how long till your uber arrives?" you asked quickly as you found yourself growing hotter and hotter for the Australian.

"I never ordered it" she smirked as she attached her lips to you once more.

[woso-dreamzzz]

Treat You Better

Laia Codina x Reader

Summary: Laia thinks you're in a relationship with your best friend

"Don't do it," You warn Katie, nudging her with your foot.

"Huh?"

You jerk your chin over to Kyra. "Whatever you're going to do to her, don't."

"You're such a mum."

"One of us has to be."

You roll your eyes. You and Katie came from the same place, practically neighbours with each other. She and her sisters used to take you out to play with them when you were younger even though you were a few years Katie's junior.

Somewhere along the way, you ended up as the responsible one between the two of you.

"Er...What-What was she going to do?"

You're in the meeting room, waiting for Jonas to come in and start. Somehow, you've wedged yourself between Laia and Gio with Katie in front of you.

It's Laia that spoke and you have to steady your heart when you turn to look at her. There's something about Laia that always drew you in, continuing to circle her whenever you could. You called it a crush. Katie called it puppy love.

Either way, you're more than happy to reply to her.

"I don't know," You confess," But better to nip it in the bid early, huh? Who knows what Katie could do?"

You speak with such fondness that it throws Laia for a bit. She's only just joined Arsenal, still within her first two weeks and hasn't quite grasped the dynamics between everyone.

You're firmly entrenched in the thick of it. You float easily between players like Steph and Leah before turning to wiggle yourself into conversations with Jen and Lia.

But, one thing that Laia has picked up, is how close you and Katie are. She's not exactly sure what kind of relationship you have with your national teammate where you let her openly flirt with Caitlin in front of you.

It's strange and a little grating.

Laia knows deep down that she would definitely be a better girlfriend to you than Katie was. She knows that she would treat you way better than Katie ever would.

But, you just don't seem to understand that.

You stick your feet into the back of Katie's chair again when she makes another aborted move towards Kyra. Your shoes are off, tucked under your chair so you fold your legs under you when you retract your feet after Katie turns around to glare at you - something that you return with your tongue out.

You have a cute relationship with her, Laia surmises as her blood turns hot when Katie tilts her head to the side to lean against Caitlin's shoulder.

It's completely brazen to do in front of you, let alone in public.

Laia even sees you roll your eyes at the action and she can't stop herself from reaching out to hold your hand, just to offer a bit of support.

You jump at the sudden contact before meeting her eyes with a smile, readjusting your grip so you can lace your fingers together.

The action soothes Laia for a moment and she stares ahead of her with a silly smile on her face as Jonas finally begins the meeting.

But the happy mood she's in diminishes as she watches how Katie becomes more and more touchy with Caitlin the longer the meeting takes.

It starts off small, with little nudges and quiet inside jokes. It escalates to whispering in the ear, Katie's lips nudging the shell of Caitlin's ears in a clearly intimate action. Then it comes to Katie kissing Caitlin's neck when most people aren't watching.

But Laia sees it and she knows you see it too.

Her anger bubbles on your behalf and, when the meeting is over, she pulls you out by your joined hands.

You seem more than happy to go with her, willing to be pulled into a different, empty meeting room.

Laia releases your hand, pacing back and forth for a moment like she's trying to collect her thoughts.

"Laia?" You ask," Is something wrong?"

"I-You..." She shakes her head before trying again," Katie does not deserve you. If she cannot respect a relationship then she should not be in it."

"Laia, I don't understand."

Laia takes a step toward you, looking half-bold and half-scared-shitless. "Katie is going to cheat on you, with Caitlin, if she has not already. It is obvious and someone should tell you." Her hand reaches up as if she's going to touch your face before it's lowered again. "She does not deserve you and you do not deserve to be trapped in that relationship just because she's your national captain."

For a moment, you're still confused but then it all begins to make sense.

You laugh.

"I am not joking!"

"Laia." You step forward until you're chest to chest with her. "Katie...Katie is my captain, yes. We are close, yes. But...But I'm not dating her."

"You're not?"

"No." You shake your head. Boldly, you move to rest a hand on Laia's hip. "She's practically my sister. She used to knock on my door and ask if I was allowed out to play. Besides, I've got my eye on someone else."

"Oh..." There's silence for a moment before Laia finally seems to notice the way you're holding her. Her cheeks go a bit red. "Oh."

"Oh," You tease.

"Me?"

"You haven't noticed? Too busy staring at Katie?"

"I...Er..."

"Do you want to, maybe, go out with me for dinner? Or we could go somewhere? If you're not too angry at Katie then I'd love to take you to a place that she swears by."

"I'd like that."

[perfectly-imperfect82]

Is that a kid?- Shit

Arsenal was in the meal room, eating lunch. Caitlin has both of your plates as you carried your juice.

"Need help?" Caitlin asked, watching you concentrate as you walked with your juice. Watching you stop and slowly shake you head no, causing Caitlin to take a seat with your guys plates and watch you move slowly

"Does she need help?" Beth asked watching your slow steps as you stuck your tongue out in concentration

"No, she wants to carry it herself" Caitlin said

The next moment, they watched as you tripped over feet, falling on your stomach and dropping your cup of juice

"Shit" you said as you laid on your stomach, juice all on the floor in front of you.

All the girls looking at you in shock, not even acknowledging the mess in front of you. Everyone stop talking and looked at each other to make sure what they heard wasn't their imagination

"Did she.." Beth started with a smile.

"Yes" Viv said

"It's okay sweetheart" Katie said rushing to you and scooping you up in her arms you.

"My juice" you said staring sadly at floor as Katie shared a huge grin with Caitlin who was wearing a matching one.

"Let's go get something to clean this up with and then we with go get more" Katie said causing to nod in agreement before Katie walked away with you

"She spoke!" Kyra yelled excitedly, no one bothering to tell her not to

"Her voice, it's so adorable" Alessia cooed

"Her first words with us" Caitlin said with a smile as Steph wrapped an arm around Caitlin who couldn't stop smiling.

"And it was a cuss word" Leah said with a laugh.

"I told you guys she would repeat the cuss words said around her" Caitlin said with an eye roll.

"We are bringing back the cuss word jar." Kim said causing several people to groan.

"We can't have a toddler repeating our cuss words" Lia stated, agreeing with Kim.

"The money will go buying the kid a gift" Leah said, "that does not mean cuss so that the jar gets filled" she continued in her captain's voice.

"Thank you" Caitlin said.

"That's fine, we just buy her gifts because we want to" Jen said as Steph agreed

Katie came back with you with paper towels, cleaning up the juice as you "helped"

"All clean" Katie said giving you a high five

"Juice now?" you asked quietly, looking around at all the adults in hope someone would help you.

"Yes, let's go get some juice" Kyra said holding her hand out to you as you grabbed it, "I'll join you guys" Alessia said holding out her hand for you to also take.

Everyone watching as the two older girls walked away with you, swinging you as they walked with you.

"She's speaking!" Katie said excitedly, taking a seat next to Caitlin. "Her voice is so soft and adorable" Katie continued, gushing over you voice

"The cuss word sounded so innocent from her" Viv said causing Katie eyes to widen for a second

"Yes, she learned that from you" Caitlin said as walked up to up to her, Kyra holding your drink.

Caitlin looks to holding your arms up to her. Katie taking your drinking as Caitlin then picked you up and placed you on her lap.

"Thanks Kyra" Caitlin as Kyra ruffled your hair before siting down

Once you were comfortable, you held out your hands for your drink as Katie handed you back you drink. Receiving a smile from you before you took a drink from your drink and began listening to the adults in the room as they talked and ate. You happily drinking your juice.

"Love you, darling" Caitlin said quietly as she kissed your head, still feeling a little emotional from hearing you talk.

"Love you" you said looking up to her before turning back to your juice, missing the way Caitlin's eyes teared up she held you a little close to her.

Katie watching with a soft smile, wrapping her arm around Caitlin and placing a kiss to her temple

[putellasawfc]

exposed !

jen beattie x arsenal!reader

( a/n: omgggg this has been in the works FOREVER, before jen announced leaving arsenal which i am still not over tbh. but it’s finally here! especially dedicated to @mccabeswife since she requested it ! i hope you enjoy ! )

-

another media day at the arsenal training grounds meant a lot of bored footballers sat around waiting for their turn in front of the camera, the current youtube video being filmed was for three pairs only, another one of those ‘guess what the person is saying whilst you wear sound cancelling headphones’ videos that people went crazy over. the lucky girls who had been paired together for said video had been chosen at random, and you had ended up with leah with frida, manu with katie and viv with lotte which meant the rest of you were trying to entertain yourselves elsewhere.

which wasn’t really an issue when you were all shoved into a recreational room with an assortment of snacks, gossip and phones in hand. beth, the self proclaimed quidnunc of the group had been sat in between you and alessia for the last ten minutes, and had yet to stop telling you about the ongoing drama in the west ham team that she had found out about at an event over the weekend. you paid attention for as long as you could, sharing looks with alessia as you both struggled to keep up with the fast paced ramblings coming from the yorkshire woman but beth was none the wiser.

you felt a dip in the sofa to the left of you, the last bit of space being occupied by someone who threw an arm around your shoulder and when you got a whiff of the familiar perfume she sprayed on every morning, you knew exactly who it was.

you turned your head and smiled at the culprit, jen sat sporting her usual messy bun on top of her head and cheeky smile on her face. she pulled you further into her side and gently squeezed your upper arm, “she still talking your ear off?”

you huffed a laugh at that, looking to see if beth had heard but she was still too busy ranting and raving, now focusing her attention on alessia since you were now occupied elsewhere, poor girl.

“something like that.” you hummed, snuggling up to your taller girlfriend who was happy to let you lean on her. “you finished your influencer activities?” you teased, referring to the number of tiktok’s she had forced some of the girls to take part in since they all arrived.

“aye, i get a lot of love and appreciation from the fans for providing them with five star, behind the scenes content i’ll have you know.” she told you, “but yeah. letting steph take over for now, think she’s really getting into those football murder mystery filters.”

you glanced over to where she nodded towards, indeed seeing steph with her phone in her hand obviously recording herself, with kyra and vic sat either side of her laughing at the story that was unfolding on the filter.

“what happens when she steals your tiktok crown?” you asked with a sly smirk, knowing the older woman would have a meltdown if steph’s content starting getting more love than hers.

“don’t jinx it.” she shoved you lightly, “i’d have to post something outrageous to get me my title back. know i have some mugshots of you deep in my camera roll, i’m sure they’d come in handy.”

“you wouldn’t!” you gasped, sitting up slightly in your seat and the scottish woman laughed at your reaction.

you knew she had accumulated a hefty amount of embarrassing pictures of you over the year that you’d been together, ranging from you asleep with your mouth open to you pulling the ugliest faces whilst you awaited the impact of the ball to hit you during games.

“then you better hope steph gets bored quickly.” she shrugged.

you playfully rolled your eyes at that, finally relaxing back down beside her, grabbing ahold of her hand that was hanging over your shoulder, interlocking your fingers as you did.

“you’re so mean to me, sometimes i don’t know why i agreed to be your girlfriend.” you shook your head as if you were disappointed with yourself, trying your best to hold back the smile that was itching to come out.

that didn’t last long though, as only a moment later the defender jumped up from her spot on the sofa and leaned most of her body weight on you, her hands flew to grab either side of your face so she could get a good view of it as she began to lather every inch of your skin in kisses, her lips not leaving one patch of your face untouched. your squealed and thrashed wildly beneath her, your shoulder knocking into beth’s who finally halted in her gossiping at the interruption.

she kept going, stopping for a second to grin at your flushed state. “you fancied me too much to say no to being my girlfriend you goon.” and with that she continued her loving attack on you.

you wriggled around, laughing as you fought for breath and attempted to push her from you but she wasn’t budging.

“jen! stop, i can’t breathe.” you shrieked between giggles, hands gripping at her red jumper, “you’re right! you’re right, please let me go!”

finally deciding you’d had enough, jen let go of you and you caught your breath as you sagged against beth with a hand on your chest. “you could’ve killed me then, i hope you know.”

“so dramatic you are.” she tutted, pulling gently on your arm so that you were sat upright once again. “now gimme a proper one.”

you grinned, and gladly leaned in towards your girlfriend, giving her exactly what she wanted as your lips met halfway and you sunk into the display of affection almost immediately, your lips moving together in unison before you felt a harsh nudge in your side.

you yelped and pulled back, glaring at beth who only looked proud of what she’d done.

“not in front of the children please.”

-

the next day you arrived back at the training grounds, this time with a full day of practice ahead of you rather than a day in front of the cameras which you were very much looking forward to. media day was always fun, especially when you were partnered up with the right person and yesterday you were lucky enough to have gotten cloe as your pal for the day, so you had no complaints.

but you were excited to get back to doing what you loved, especially with an important match ahead of you. you wanted to get your head in the game and make sure you were one hundred percent ready to face the opposing team on sunday.

everything was normal for all of five minutes, you walked in and greeted some of the staff lingering near the entrance before you headed off to the changing rooms so you could change into your training kit, but before you even had chance to push the door open, a body came barrelling into yours, making you stumble on your feet and your arm fly out to steady yourself against the wall.

you looked to the person with furrowed brows, your jaw dropped in shock at the scare you’d just gotten. “christ steph, what’s up with you?”

she looked worried, as her hands gripped onto both of your arms and the aussie looked behind her where leah and lia were approaching, with much calmer demeanours. “i have to tell you something before you find out from someone else, but you have to promise you won’t be mad at me.”

you eyed her warily, your head cocking to the side before you looked over to the two other girls with narrowed eyes. “what is it?”

“no! you have to promise first.”

you rolled your eyes at that, beginning to panic a little as your mind ran wild with possibilities of what information steph could be withholding from you.

“fine, i promise. now tell me.” you told her, not really meaning it, you just needed her to spill the beans before you tired yourself out from overthinking.

“i kind of, may have, accidentally posted a tiktok that had you and jen kissing in the background of it.” she winced, waiting a beat to carry on. “but i promise it was a genuine mistake! if i had known it was in there i would’ve never, ever posted it i know you guys didn’t want your relationship to be public yet, and i am so sorry please don’t be mad at me.”

“what?”

a stupid question, most definitely but it was the only thing that you could manage to say at this moment in time. you didn’t know how to feel or what to say as you processed the information just given to you by steph who was still watching you carefully, as if she was awaiting some kind of wild outburst.

an array of different emotions passed through you simultaneously, you were annoyed at steph for outing your relationship on a platform that spread content like wildfire. no doubt screenshots and recordings of the tiktok had already been shared to the likes of twitter and instagram, posts made that couldn’t be taken back now. how could steph have let that happen? why did she not spot it before she pressed post?

you were also panicking. did jen know? would she be annoyed? would this change things between you? you’d both agreed when you first began dating, after months of mutual pining, that when you got together you would keep your relationship as private as you could, for as long as you could.

something that was unfortunately common amongst women’s football, was how invasive some fans could be in the players lives. you had seen how they could overstep boundaries and pry too deep into stuff they didn’t need to know about many times, which would then jump to them spreading their opinions without a care about who was on the other side of their sometimes vicious comments. you’d been witness to it ruining some of your friends relationships, and you didn’t want that to happen to you and jen. jen who you loved, who loved you back, jen who you could see yourself marrying one day in the future. so you had come to the smart, unanimous decision to keep it hush for as long as you could. but now, it was out there.

“does jen know?” you asked next, deciding that was the priority for you right now.

steph shook her head, “no. i was gonna tell her but she’s been talking to jonas since she got in.”

jen had set off an hour prior to you, with fans sometimes lingering outside the training grounds in hopes of getting a photo with some of you before you came in, you didn’t want to risk them seeing you and jen showing up together a few times too many and start to put two and two together, so more often than not you took separate cars and showed up at different times.

you nodded at that, and took in a deep breathe as you tried to think of what to do next. seeing as it was already out, there was no way you’d be able to backtrack or deny that you were in a relationship with jen, so the only real option you had left was to come clean to the fans about it all. you just weren’t sure how to.

“are you still my friend?” you were brought back into the present by steph’s quiet voice, her eyes were still scanning you warily and you probably would’ve laughed at how silly she sounded if you weren’t the person on the other end.

“course i’m still your mate steph.” you told her, and the blonde visibly deflated in front of you. “just wish you had the common sense to check what’s going on in your tiktok’s before you posted them.”

you were half joking, half serious. but when steph tutted and shoved you playfully, you didn’t have the heart to be upset with her anymore. it’s not as if she had posted it on purpose, and with how she reacted when she approached you, you were sure she’d been beating herself up over it since she’d realised what she’d done.

“see! told you she wouldn’t be mad, got yourself all worked up over nothing.” leah spoke up, and then you remembered her and lia were still lingering in the back.

“yeah well, i wouldn’t have blamed her if she was.” steph said, and you pulled the aussie in for a side hug.

“it’s okay steph, just gotta find jen now and spill the beans.”

-

it was only twenty minutes later when jen joined you all in the changing rooms, already clad in her arsenal training kit and with her water bottle in hand, she spotted you almost instantly and her face brightened when she realised you had arrived whilst she’d been busy.

“when did you get here?” she asked, pulling you into a hug which you gladly reciprocated.

“not too long ago.” you told her, rubbing your hands up and down her back. “got something i need to tell you though.”

she pulled back a little at that, looking down at you with a raised brow. “should i be worried?”

you shrugged, “i mean, it’s not anything to panic about but … i don’t know if you’re going to like it.”

you nodded your head towards the door, gesturing to the empty hallway on the other side where you could both have the conversation privately with nobody there to eavesdrop. jen nodded in agreement, retracting from your embrace and pulling on your hand to tug you in the direction you had just motioned towards.

now standing in the vacant corridor, you leaned your back against the grey wall and watched jen as she stood in front of you with her hands on her hips as she waited for you to speak, which you did after a sigh.

“steph practically ambushed me this morning, she um, did something stupid.” you began, scratching your head as you thought about how to put what happened into words. “you know all those tiktoks she was messing around with yesterday?”

you waited for jen to nod, which she did a second later so then you continued. “well she posted some of them and in one of them, it has you and i kissing in it, in the background. and it’s definitely too late for us to do anything about it.”

you stood with baited breath, similar to how steph had been when she was breaking the news to you, all of a sudden wishing you had the power to read minds as jen’s poker face came out in full force, the brunette not hinting to how she was feeling at all. at least she wasn’t tugging at her loose strands of hair, or biting at her nails, two big tell tale signs that she was stressing which you’d picked up over the months you’d spent together, which was a small win you were willing to take.

“well i guess the secrets out then.” jen shrugged, her hands remaining on her hips as you looked at her slightly puzzled.

“you’re not bothered?” you asked, half expecting a bigger reaction from the woman who was always so careful with how you interacted in public.

“i mean, it’s not great is it?” she asked, “but honestly, a part of me is kind of glad its out there now. i love our little bubble, not having to deal with people we don’t even know deciding whether we’re a good fit or not and all that stuff. but at least now, we don’t have to stress over the littlest things everytime we go out together.”

you listened to the points she made, nodding along with pursed lips in agreement with what she was saying. one of the most annoying things about have a relationship that wasn’t public, was having to be on guard everytime you both wanted to spend time with eachother out of the house, leading to the two of you just ending up having most of your date nights at home instead, not having the energy to make sure there were no prying eyes wherever you went.

“and we don’t have to watch what we post on social media. no more making sure our stories don’t give away that we’re at the same place, or triple checking that none of our stuff’s in the background.” she added on, and your lips quirked up in amusement at the amount of times you’d had to quickly delete a story or instagram post when you realised there was a beattie shirt in the background, or anything else that gave away who you were with.

“so this is kind of like a blessing in disguise?”

she grinned, “yeah something like that. but don’t tell steph i said anything, she’ll be gloating for weeks.”

you laughed at that, finally being able to relax properly for the first time since steph had practically jumped you whilst you were on your way to get changed. jen approached you, clearing the few steps that kept her away from you and pulling you into her warm embrace, pressing a kiss to your forehead as she did. “at least now we don’t have to do any big, relationship reveal post. you know how much i’ve been dreading that.”

you hummed, “think we should get steph to do a big post for us? i’m sure her drafts are stacked with videos of us.”

“we can ask. but not yet, wanna pretend i’m really mad at her for a bit so i can bribe her into pampering me for a bit.”

you scoffed at that, giving the scottish woman a faux disgusted look. “you’re evil beattie.”

“you love me.”

[pitchsidestories]

book lovers II Emily Fox x Reader

masterlist I word count: 1360

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“But I already invited her.“

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

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

No one dared to answer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beth played innocent: “Just asking.“

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

The Venezuelan football player blushed slightly.

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

“Shut it, Lee.“, Jen laughed.

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

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

“You’re here.“

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

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

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

“Hi Lotte and Lessi!”

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

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

“It’s been forever.”, you nodded.

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

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

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

“You did?”, Vivianne threw in surprised.

“Yes.”, Emily confirmed.

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

“It’s.”, your girlfriend agreed.

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

“All in London.”, Lotte stated.

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

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

“Please.”, you replied.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“What?”, Emily gasped.

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

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

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

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

“We’re.”, you continued.

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

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

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

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

“The derby?!”, you exclaimed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

You felt the blood rush into your cheeks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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