#take the train to manchester
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Take the Train to Manchester
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The new Corduroy Institute album is finally available for download on Bandcamp—link in bio. This record contains nine songs which were created between December of 2019 and August of 2023— the longest span of time we have ever devoted to any of our releases.
Take the Train to Manchester coalesced around the principle of discontinuity. Every piece was crafted intermittently over a period of years, thus allowing audio recordings from different moments of our past intermingle to create compositions which we ourselves could have never foreseen. The end result is a document of alienation written to and from the forgotten.
As with previous efforts, the music was created through multitracked improvisations and the lyrics were derived from cut-ups taken from across the gamut of print media. During the course of our sonic research we employed the Bass VI, synthesizers, guitars, drum machines, samplers, guitar pedals, loopers, digital modular synthesizers, and even a microcassette recorder to create the sonorities on these recordings.
We invite you to listen, download, and provide your peer review.
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#corduroy institute#take the train to manchester#experimental pop#experimental music#san diego music#new music friday#new music#dream pop#post minimalism#ethereal darkwave#progressive electronic#art rock#art pop
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Some people will be out here writing shit like a Brit getting an overnight train (extremely rare) leaving at 11:30pm (most trains from major stations stop running between ~11pm and ~4am) on Christmas eve (trains don't run after 6pm on Christmas Eve/NYE and don't run at all on Xmas/NYD) between two UK cities that are a 3 hour trip at most and that's if you're hitting every tiny country station along the way
Meanwhile I'm checking that my character's brief distracted geological ramblings are factually accurate by checking a research paper on quartz inclusions and asking a geologist to proofread them
We are not the same
#am i insufficiently kinglike?#London to Cardiff has a direct line#which takes on average 2-2.5 hours#Manchester to Glasgow is 3.5 direct at the longest but usually shorter with a transfer#Glasgow to Edinburgh and vice versa is usually 45-1.5 depending if you get the express or the local#there is a regular lner service between London and Aberdeen which takes about 9 hours and that is the longest one I can think of#Edinburgh to York is usually 4#Edinburgh to London is usually 5#it takes less than 2 hours to get from Edinburgh to Newcastle#and NONE OF THEM RUN ON CHRISTMAS#you know what you can get? a bus. and it will cost you through the nose#actually you can get a bus between any of these locations because intercity buses are a pretty regular thing#and if it's not a holiday they're usually pretty affordable#the buses between Edinburgh and Glasgow are almost comparable to the train you're looking at a difference of maybe half an hour#they've got that shit down to a fine art#she did fix them for me too lol
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Getting up at 5.45 tomorrow to go to a work seminar in Manchester at 9 to hopefully get back home for around 6.30 so I have time to make it to Leicester so I can go cinema with my mum and watch the Edward Scissorhands ballet broadcast at 7 so I can get back home for probably around 11pm so I can go to bed and get up for work again the next day at 6.55
#Originally I was meant to be going on my own so I was gonna get the train up tonight and stop overnight#But then they say oh this coworker is going also :) and he can drive so you can both take the pool car :)#And he hates to be away from home so we just going to Manchester and back in a fucking day and doing a days work in the process#I'm gonna have to rack up about £70 in taxi fees and honestly I'm not even sure they'll approve the second taxi#Cuz that'll be from his home to Leicester which is like double the distance than my home#Which is really annoying cuz otherwise I could've got the bus for £2#God it's gonna be like 5-7 hours in transit tomorrow depending on traffic#I'm gonna be really annoyed if I miss the showing as well cuz that was planned in before the seminar#Oh and I don't get overtime so there's not really any way I can claim back those hours spent in travel#On god I need the financial stability to go down to 4 days a week 😭😭😭😭
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trenitalia really are awful though :(
meh. i've travelled on trenitalia and they are not significantly worse than whatever the fuck is going on with the rail service around manchester
but they are literally a quarter of the price so they could set me on fire and it would be like "this is fine"
#i mean i did take a train out of manchester once that did just. go on fire?#we made it a few stations out and it just started smoking like oh great that's happening now#it wasnt even surprising just annoying#an on-fire train in italy at a 75% discount is an attractive prospect
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ok so what are the chances of harry's family also being on my flight to edinburgh today
#gemma has a book event there today#i think the likelihood is not low#flying out of london city on an unintentionally luxurious flight 😂🤣#i'm so nervous about this flight dkkfdis#smallest plane i've ever been on#🤢#pray for me#we are going there for 4.5 days before taking the train to manchester#unrelated to gemma's book event#her schedule just aligned like that i suppose which is crazy
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.
#I have thoughts about the new tour yet I am not sure if I should share (given why I do so in tags)#I am not surprised to see denmark is absent#I am a bit surprised to see no scandinavian country AT ALL#not surprised to see germany and the uk have most dates (that's sadly something I've seen a lot from bands/artists I like)#a little befundled with the route he has scheduled for both germany and the uk dates#glad to see other countries like switzerland france and the netherlands get their debut#not surprised it is in october since that seems to be around the same time for his europe antics last year as well#all this said I am a bit conflicted what to do myself#I'd like to go to gigs on this tour#yet I've already run out of the country four times these past upcoming five months (three times to finland)#since it is quite expensive and maybe not something I will have time for given I hopefully get an internship in august#with that in mind I feel like I should probably go for only a few dates#and yet last time I felt very much like I was missing out and overlooked because I didn't go to “more than two shows”#and here is where I feel like my thoughts are probably not great#i was thinking about maybe going for hamburg as first priority since it is the closest (4 hours in train)#then have frankfurt and munich as second priorities making it a little mini tour#I am not sure if I'd physically and mentally be able to do more than three gigs in a row#yet if I am I sort of want to go to zurich too because I've never been there#two days to decide is not very long#I feel very stressed tbh#and I hope noone will take this in any wrong way#please I really dont want to feel shit again#I know my last concert related take was on the fence#(even though as it turned out the venue did worse than me in that regard)#but this one is really just me thinking about what would be the smartest plan#other possible options would be to go for zurich since it is in a weekend (sunday) and then - depending on whether or not I have work#either go home or follow jere to amsterdam (then maybe paris and brussels)#another option is berlin then hamburg and then to home from there (so two shows)#or london and bristol since its the weekend (maybe manchester as well if it is not far - so up to three shows)#the latter I am a bit concerned about since being trans in the uk is not great atm
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I may have missed the stress of a Formula 1 sprint weekend due to being away, but pls know I'm getting At Least my fair share of adrenaline from delayed trains and almost/missed connections
#got 7 mins to change at a very big station and that gap is getting smaller every minute#good job I know Manchester Piccadilly like the back of my hand#nic stuff#nic takes trains
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my product design teacher has given me a load of homework 😭😭😭😭
#the only reason i’m on my phone right now is because we’re allowed to use them to take photos#zad talks#i’m gonna have to do it at lunch or on the train to manchester 😭😭😭😭
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Corduroy Institute is pleased to finally announce the long-awaited arrival of our wearable merchandise. We are currently offering a limited run of Take the Train to Manchester shirts for 35 USD plus shipping. These black t-shirts are available in S, M, L, and XL on our Bandcamp page —as well as locally for our San Diego associates.
We commissioned our shirts in nearby Chula Vista, and we opted to capture the unboxing process shortly after obtaining them. Today we are happy to share this thrilling unboxing footage along with audio created by employing the principle of xenochrony to elements from the original Take the Train to Manchester multitracks and session videos.
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As the footage shows, the visual and tactile quality of their full-color transfer prints surpassed all our expectations. We trust you will also appreciate the aesthetic value of attire which contains the artwork to the finest experimental pop album of 2023.
#corduroy institute#take the train to manchester#merch#band merch#band shirt#experimental pop#experimental music#independent music#Youtube
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really fucking loosely inspired by this
Imagine dying with Soap. Complete strangers, a complete accident. You were on the crosswalk, the light was yours, but the car sped through anyways, distracted.
Dying in the same place and at the same time has a way of tethering spirits together. And in a short time, you find that you and Johnny get along famously. Shame you couldn't have met when you were alive. And thank god you died outside-- you'd hate to be housebound. So you follow Johnny when he wants to check on his mates. He's good company, and you get this feeling in the pit of your soul that you can't stray too far from each other anyways.
His best friend, Ghost, is not taking things so well. In fact, he's taking things very fucking badly. Terrible enough that Soap died-- it's made worse by the fact that his death was so random, so meaningless. He hadn't known it, but he'd made up his mind a long time ago that either he'd die in combat before Soap or they'd both live forever.
He fails to accept losing Soap to a random accident. Which, Johnny had predicted easily when you were on the train to Manchester. Man's gonnae be bloody inconsolable, I reckon. Probably lose all his sense, too. What he hadn't predicted is that you'd be a part of his breakdown.
Simon had always had a way of finding things out. And you're the latest subject of his obsession. He seemed to think that the accident had had something to do with you. It must've been that you were the target. There had to be a reason. There had to be more to this than some distracted driver. Before long, he knows everything that there is to know about you, but he's no closer to solving the mystery, because there is no mystery.
Something about death tends to make you take things less seriously. Soap is laughing his ass off about how Ghost is pretty much losing sleep looking at shit like your yearbook photos and work emails. Meanwhile, being unable to talk to anyone else in the entire world has made you and Soap a lot freakier. It probably takes less than a week for Soap to solve the eternal question of 'can ghosts fuck'. And he takes to testing what other limits his new form has. Simon won't react to anything you do at all, no matter how close Johnny gets when he's whispering in his ear. You get very slightly more success, for reasons not clear to either of you (you tell Johnny it's because you're not a fucking idiot, which prompts him to smack your ass).
You heard when you were alive that it was easier to psychologically suggest things to people by talking to them while they were asleep.
What this is all leading up to, really, is you laying on opposite sides of a bed with Ghost between you, whispering filth into his ear while running your spectral hands over him and watching him tremor and writhe while his cock twitches in his boxers.
#writing#cod fanfic#john soap mactavish#simon ghost riley#cod#john soap mctavish x reader#soap x reader#simon ghost riley x reader#ghost x reader#ghoap x reader#idk what this is really#kind of a successor to the you and ghost dying from a gas leak post#maybe
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scary dog privilege
simon "ghost" riley
cw: smut/pwp, loving!ghost, size difference/kink, body worship, praise kink, missionary
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“simon? a scary dog? no way!” you laughed as you had another sip of your coffee. you were meeting with a few of your friends and they were curious about your boyfriend. they had met him a few times and thought you two were a good match, despite simon's scary appearance. one of your friends suggested that simon was akin to a scary dog. and the notion made you laugh.
your simon? the one who brought you home flowers every time he returned back to england. the one who doted on you that one time you had a really bad headache. the same simon that figured out the recipe to one of your favourite childhood dishes! he went through all the trouble to contact your grandmother and find out exactly how to make it because he loved you that much.
“he dresses in all-black and is so tall. it's a little scary!” your friend admitted.
you laughed, “oh you guys are so funny. simon's a huge sweetheart! literally the other day he was nice enough to make me some homemade ice tea so i would have something cool to drink when i got home from work!”
your friends looked at each other, as long as you weren't in a situation you didn't want to be in. then who were they to judge, simon never laid a hand on you that you didn't want on you. however, they worried that the people who tried to push your boundaries were not as lucky as you. you continued to chat happily with your friends, your sweet coffee tasted good on your tongue. you were all cooing and blushing over your beloved boyfriend simon!
and during the course of your time with your friends, they were almost convinced that simon was less of a pitbull and more of a golden retriever. that was until the imposing soldier came through the front door of the cafe. the heavy steps of his boots could be heard as he approached the table you were seated at with your friends.
he definitely looked more like guard dog than a lap dog.
you looked over and your expression changed to one of glee as you put your drink down and reached for your boyfriend. you babbled at him about how you were talking about him, and he responded with short nods and not many words. you were for sure more of the talker than he was. you finished your drink, even sharing some with simon before you gave all your friends hugs and left with your scary boyfriend.
simon adored you, therefore you hardly noticed how tall he was, how big every part of him was, the medical mask he always wore, but you knew what was underneath. simon didn't scare you as he did others, he was your loving boyfriend of the last few years. he was a nerd about history facts and loved manchester united. he drank his tea black and his coffee with two sugars. he wasn't scary.
even though on your way home and you were giving some directions, simon was over your shoulder glaring daggers at the person receiving your instructions. afterwards you took simon's hand and swung your hands as you walked towards the tube station. you sat close to him on the train, his large arm over your shoulders and occasionally you kissed any exposed skin on his face.
you hardly noticed when simon was giving the death glare to someone else on the train who was eyeing you up and down. if you weren't at simon's side, he would've made himself known to the man eyeing you. made sure that the other man wasn't going to cause any problems. last thing he wanted was for it to get physical.
“si?” you looked at him curiously, noticing he hadn't moved in a good moment.
“don't worry, love. thought i saw something.”
you nodded and melted back into his side until it was time to get off the train. simon just adored you, he thought you brought the sunrise to him every morning. you had captured his heart quite easily. you were soft, not weak. you were far from weak, you could take anything and then some. but you were a lot softer than him, all the way down to your smooth hands that touched his scars. your heart was always in the right place and simon felt the need to protect you.
after dinner you were snuggled up with your big handsome boyfriend. you felt comfortable next to him. you spread your hand across his strong chest and pressed yourself up against him. you asked him, “si, do you think you're a scary dog?”
“a scary dog?”
“yeah, like when i walk down the street with you no one wants to approach us because you're so scary!”
he chuckled and pulled you closer to him, “well, i wouldn't say i'm scary. but you are.” he said as a joke, you wouldn't hurt a fly. literally, last time there was a fly in your flat you coaxed the insect out through an open window.
you chuckled and leaned up to kiss him, “well, i guess i have to protect you then.” you flexed your bicep and laughed some more. simon just pinned you to him and kissed the shell of your ear all the way down your neck. this only caused you to squirm against him as you laughed more.
“i guess so, maybe i should give you a ‘thank you’ for doing such a good job protecting me.” he said with a certain softness in his voice.
you held onto the front of his shirt and gave him a mischievous glance, “i guess you do. i do love rewards.” then leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. you then got out of your boyfriend's grasp and took him by the hand delicately and led him towards your shared bedroom. you could feel the flush in your cheeks. you couldn't help but giggle at how much you loved your boyfriend.
in the bedroom, simon grabbed you from under the pits and almost tossed you onto the big bed you both shared. you sat on it and quickly got your t-shirt off, followed by your sweatpants that you had rolled up to the knees. simon helped you get your socks off along with your bra. you then laid out under him in just a cheap pair of cotton panties.
simon's hands roamed your body, he was naked as well. his cock stood proud between his legs. enticing you. he really was so much bigger than you, he wasn't one of those dehydrated muscle guys. no, no, he had a bulk to him that was lined with muscles. he could easily lift two of you, if not more, with relative ease.
“you look like a dream.” he said softly, “every time i go away, i'm thinkin' about ya, love. thinkin' about those pretty eyes, your soft skin, the little scar on your cheek, those nice thighs. i'm thinkin' about every inch of my woman.” his words made your chest soar as you felt warmth in his presence. his hands continued to roam, feeling the valleys of your body before they rested on the the waistband on your underwear.
slowly he took them off with a little help from you. it left you both naked. simon leaned in and kissed you once more, his hands were on your breasts and he palmed them softly. he never wanted to hurt his beautiful girl. he could feel the heat radiating off your cheeks from how much you were blushing. simon left a few more kisses because he pulled back to grab you by the hips.
you wrapped your legs around your lover and smiled up at him. bright like the afternoon sun. he held onto your hips with one hand and the other was wrapped around his cock as he rubbed his length up against your sweet cunt. he shuddered and you wanted to cover your face with your hands. but you knew that simon loved when he was able to see you.
“ready for me?” he asked.
you nodded and shifted your hips a little. you winced a little when you felt the initial stretch of his cock. you exhaled deeply and relaxed as he slotted his cock snugly inside of you. you reached for him and held onto his shoulders as he pressed his strong chest against yours. you swore you could feel the race in his heart rate.
“you take me so well.” he purred, “you take me perfectly. nobody else can take this like you can.” he planted his hands on either side of you on the bed and pushing his cock up into you. he felt the sweat at the nape of his neck and it felt good all over.
“i'm made just for you, si.” you giggled as you squirmed a little bit, but simon's much larger body kept you pinned down onto the bed. you two moved against one another, there was sparse kisses shared between the two of you as the bed creaked under your movements.
simon felt like you other half, you couldn't believe that the man for you was a burly over 6ft tall soldier who loved and adored you. who'd do anything for you. you didn't understand dhow anyone could find him terrifying. he was just so doting on you. even his kisses were soft as he rocked against you. his cock nudged against some of your most sensitive areas.
the love making between you two continued, you kept your legs around your lover and let him shove his cock up into you. the kissed became heavier as the pleasure bloomed in your body. you panted a little between kisses and knew that orgasm was creeping up on you. there was something about simon that made you hot all over. he knew exactly how to love you.
“i love you.” he said softly. he placed his hands closer to your head and kissed you softly between heavy thrusts. his whispered praises you could barely hear against your neck as he felt the sweat on his back, his entire body felt hot but it was also an amazing feeling. he muttered, “i'm close.” and picked up his pace.
you met his thrusts and let the pleasure melt in your body. you clutched onto him and tightened your legs around his waist. your gummy walls felt so good around him and he buried his face in your neck as he gave a few more powerful thrusts. he came inside of you with a shudder but kept up the pace of his thrusts until you came as well. you held onto him, nails dug into his shoulders as you arched you back a little.
simon slowed down his pace until it came to a stand still with his softening cock still inside of you. the blond wiped the sweat from his forehead as he pulled you in for another hot kiss. he then slowly pulled out and took hold of you. his strong arms around you as you laid on top of the covers. his legs tangled in yours as you both tried to catch your breath.
“i don't think you're a scary dog, si.” you yawned as you got comfortable.
simon chuckled, his brown eyes slightly closed, “oh yeah? all the tattoos and dark clothes aren't scary enough for ya?”
you turned over to face him and presses a kiss on his crooked nose, “nope, because i know once we get out of bed you'll be getting me my favorite bowl and two healthy scoops of cookies n' cream ice cream.” then beamed at him.
“ah well, of course. only the best for my girl.” he kissed you on the cheek. he may be scary to everyone, but to you he was just a little lap dog. <3
#bunny writes#call of duty#bunny speaks#call of duty modern warfare#call of duty smut#reader insert#call of duty x reader#simon ghost riley#simon ghost riley fanfiction#ghost call of duty#ghost mw2#simon ghost smut#ghost smut#simon ghost riley x you#simon ghost riley smut#simon ghost riley x reader
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it's just platonic...
word count - 3k | summary - flirty leila x oblivious r
MDNI 18 + - not smut but 18+ themes
leila had always been affectionate, some may even say over-affectionate, but you just thought that was the spanish side of her. every time she greeted you she placed a kiss on your forehead, or wrapped her arms around your waist from behind, often holding you like that for several minutes. at one point you began to think that maybe those lingering glances or touchy moments meant something, but you knew she acted similarly towards other teammates too, definitely not in the same ways but you knew it meant this was just how she acted. so every touch, glance, innocent kiss was pushed to the back of your mind whilst you ignored the growing desire from the bottom of your stomach. it was just platonic, it held no meaning.
your days always started out the same, by purposely taking longer to get ready for training if it meant you got to have your usual morning interaction with leila. you sat in your cubby in the locker room, pretending to adjust your socks or pointlessly scrolling through your phone. Every time the door opened your head turned, and it was as if the room lit up when she walked in.
“good morning princesa” leila greeted you, just as she did every morning, cupping her hands on your cheeks as she leant down for her lips to meet your forehead, “how was your evening? did you sleep well?” she smiled, beaming down at you, a smile that felt like rays of sunshine had taken over the room.
it was just platonic, you reminded yourself.
“si, muy bien” your spanish response caused the spaniard to raise her eyebrows, she had been teaching you small bits of spanish since you transferred just over a year ago after telling her your goal of one day playing for barca.
“qué hiciste anoche?” she asked, pressing for another spanish reply, wanting to see if her lessons were paying off.
“umm sali a cenar uuh” you stuttered before pausing for a moment, your eyes squinted as you thought of what to say next to impress the spaniard “con una amiga”, content with your answer, you opened your eyes again to meet her gaze.
her reaction was to instantly squeeze your face in her grip as she quickly placed more kisses on your forehead, “you’re getting better everyday!” she said, her face beaming before her hands dropped and she made her way to her cubby, 3 spaces down from where you were sitting.
it was just platonic.
your cheeks had flushed a deep red colour, you cleared your throat before catching the eyes of jill who was sat across from you, her eyebrows raised at the obvious effect leila had on you. you furrowed your eyebrows and shook your head at her, dismissing any speculation she could’ve been making. jill shook her head, knowing how oblivious you were to the targeted affection you received from leila.
“you ready?” alanna said, stopping in front of you, completely snapping you out of your thoughts.
“yep” you were quick to stand up, breaking jill’s gaze, alanna’s arm wrapped around your shoulder as the two of you walked towards the pitch.
you had grown close to alanna after spending countless evenings with her, leila, laia and jill, especially when you first transferred. whilst you knew some of your teammates before transferring, the four of them had welcomed you with open arms, helping you settle into your new flat and manchester life. you and laia had bonded over being the younger members of the group, often ‘bullying’ the slightly older girls when one of them began to show their age.
“did you enjoy your morning greeting today?” she asked, pushing into your shoulder playfully. alanna was the only one you mentioned your confused feelings to, she tried to explain that she thought leila shared those feelings but you were set in your mind of not believing her.
“alanna it’s just how she shows affection, you guys are always walking around together, linking arms and everything” you rolled your eyes, continuing your walk to the training pitch.
“have you seen her acting like that with anyone else?” she questioned, grabbing your arm and stopping you in your tracks.
“well yes, maybe not everything but other things” you returned, shaking your head dismissively.
she immediately rolled her eyes at your comment, “there’s no way you don’t see how she acts differently with you, she’s all over you, literally all the time.” she emphasised. “anyone can tell you th-“
“lans stop” you cut her off, “i don’t want to get my hopes up, i know it’s platonic and i’ve accepted that” you sighed, before continuing to walk towards the pitch, leaving alanna stood in the doorway.
for a split second you turned around to see whatever alanna would be following you, however leila had quickly caught up to her and the two of them seemed deep in conversation. you brushed it off before going onto the pitch, ready to start your training session and forget about what alanna had mentioned.
you spent the entire session pushing yourself as much as you could, ensuring every movement flowed perfectly and every attempt was on target. everything you had was put into the session.
“you did well, mi amor” leila said, her hand resting on your lower back as you stood taking a water break, goosebumps instantly covered your body at the contact, “are you excited to go out later for alanna’s birthday?” she asked.
it was just platonic.
“of course, i’m excited to get a bit tipsy” you smiled, putting your water down as you spoke.
“only a bit though, you can’t get too drunk princesa, even if we have a day off tomorrow” she laughed slightly, her hand now drawing circles on your back.
“princesa this, princesa that, get a room” jill mocked, reaching for her water bottle and rolling her eyes. your eyes instantly widened and your cheeks went bright red.
“cállate, sabes que quiero compartir habitación con ella” leila spoke, aiming her spanish towards jill who probably didn’t know what she was actually saying. she spoke too fast for you to truly understand what she was saying other than telling jill to shut up and wanting something.
“oye leila, i heard that” laia announced, as she made her way over to the three of us. you were a bit lost at this point, not sure where the conversation was going and you could tell jill couldn’t really tell what was happening either.
“whatttt? it is true” she shrugged with a small smile and a laugh.
training had finished and you headed back to your flat, you had planned to just relax before you had to get ready for alannas birthday celebration but your phone pinged which peaked your attention.
laia - what are you wearing tonight?
you - hmm something tight and short probably
laia - perfecto i’ll pick you up at 7
you - gracias amiga
laia - those spanish lessons are really paying off, you must be paying a lot of attention ;)
you - shut up its for my future
laia - sure thing nena
you made a slow start on getting ready, doing exactly as you told laia by putting on something tight and short. as much as you told yourself it was platonic, you’d never miss out on a chance to purposely catch her attention, especially when it came to what you were wearing.
your attempt to slowly get ready meant at 6:55 you began rushing to do the final finishing touches, a knock on your door stopped the rampage you were on trying to find the right lipstick shade that matched your lip liner. you ran to the door, unlocking and opening it, not paying attention to the person standing behind it before running into the bathroom to finish your lipstick.
“laia im nearly ready i promise, i need like two minutes” whilst you didn’t hear a response, you heard the door close as the person stepped into your flat.
you leant forward over your bathroom counter as you did your lipstick in the mirror, focusing on getting it exactly perfect until a figure appeared in the doorway behind you.
your eyes widened at the person staring back at you in the mirror, “oh leila, i didn’t see you there”, spinning around to meet her eyes as you watched her eyes scan your body up and down.
“you look… incredible” she mumbled, her tongue flicking across her lips. like clockwork, your cheeks flashed bright red as your body instantly heated in response to her words.
“thank you” you smiled nervously, “you look really good” you added, taking a moment to take in the way her clothes fit her perfectly whilst her hair flowed down her shoulders. she thanked you in response, of course calling you amor in the process before leaving the two of you stood there in silence for a few minutes. strangely enough the silence wasn’t awkward, it felt comfortable and safe, even if your entire body was on fire.
but of course that meant nothing, because it was just platonic.
“are you ready?” she asked, breaking the silence, prompting the two of you to go down to laia who was probably getting tired of waiting in the car.
“uh yes sorry lets go” you smiled, she moved to the side allowing you to pass through.
you both made your way down to the car, now running ever so slightly late, trying to ignore the now building tension between you and leila.
it didnt take long to get to the dinner venue, instantly being greeted with a shot of vodka when you entered. you took the shot, winching at the strong taste, before spotting alanna and going towards her.
“happy early birthday” you smiled as you embraced your close friend, “how’s it feel to be basically middle aged” you joked, playfully hitting her shoulder.
“at least im not closer to the age of a child than an adult, so maybe you need to go do your homework and get an early night” she bit back, returning your playful shoulder hit. you rolled your eyes, laughing at the sassy response you were given from before stepping back to allow the others to greet her.
you watched as alanna whispered something in leila’s ear, leilas face lighting up as she spoke before the two of you glanced over at you. you furrowed your eyes slightly in confusion before the two of them broke apart allowing both you and laia back into the conversation.
“you look really good, are you trying to impress someone?” alanna directed towards you, your eyes slightly widening as your brain tried to think of some kind of response to that question.
“what? no i just made an effort tonight” you responded, shaking your head at her accusation.
“especially in that outfit, you must’ve heard leila likes short skirts” she teased, her and laia both laughing slightly whilst leila directed a smirk towards you.
the truth was you did, that's exactly why you did it, jill had relayed a conversation to you about things leila liked and that specific thing seemed to stick in your head so you decided to act on that information.
“i already told her she looks incredible” leila interjected, “i think i like the skirt the most though”, she added, her smirk only growing.
“no no, shut up, i just really liked this outfit, not to impress leila, shut up” you defended, diverting your eye contact from leila’s gaze, “i’m going to get a drink” you announced, avoiding the truth, before excusing yourself to the bar.
you sighed as you reached the bar, leaning on your elbows, your head into your hands as your heart felt like it was beating through your chest.
“everything okay?” jill said, patting her hand on your head before standing next to you.
you silently shook your head, before putting your head up to look at jill. “i think i need to get with someone, like anyone, i can’t keep doing this” you spoke, about to put your hand up to call the bartender over until jill grabbed your arm, pulling it down.
“im not letting that happen, you aren’t the type of person to just get with anyone, we both know that” she was right, you wanted to feel connection and love, not just a random body pressed against yours. your problem was that you wanted a specific person, a very specific person, who didn’t want you.
“there’s that saying umm erm” you stuttered, trying to remember the phrase, “it’s you have to get under someone to get over someone else, that’s what i need to do” you insisted.
“can you be for real right now? we can all see you like leila, and we all know leila likes you back, how can you not see it?” jill rolled her eyes as she spoke.
“i refuse to believe that jill, she acts the same way with everyone, it’s platonic” you interrupted her, trying to reason with her.
“she’s literally been dying to ask you out but thinks that you don’t like her back, i know you’re wearing that outfit because of what i said, you want her as much as she wants you” her words had left you silent, not sure how to process them. “what is it going to take for you to see that too?” she asked.
you shook your head dismissing her comment before turning to the bartender to order yourself a drink that had more alcohol content than you probably should’ve drank. it didn’t take you long to drink it, noticing jill leaving out the corner of your mind but not paying much attention to it.
“nena come and dance, you look too good to be there all night” laia prompted, mentally pulling you from your daze and physically pulling you onto the dance floor.
the alcohol had hit your bloodstream, you weren’t drunk by any means, or even tipsy, but compared to your previous state you had relaxed massively. you let yourself lose control as you joined laia and a few of your other teammates on the dance floor. it was like your ‘get under someone to get over someone’ attitude had disappeared and all you wanted to do was genuinely enjoy yourself, exactly as jill had predicted.
suddenly a pair of arms wrapped round your waist from behind, “you having fun?” they questioned, their breath on your neck instantly heating your body, but you recognised the voice and the tattoo arms that had a hold on you.
“of course i am, are you?” you questioned back, staying in her arms as you swayed in time with the music.
“si, it’s been fun watching you dance” she whispered, only furthering the heat that was spreading across your body. one of her hands travelled down your outer thigh, clutching the hem of your skirt, “this is very cute, is it for me?”.
you hadn’t seen this side of leila before, you were used to the touching, or the occasional cheeky comments that she would make but this felt like something else, you'd go as far as saying it seemed like she was flirting with you. whatever it was, it didn’t feel platonic.
her hands lay back on your waist as she spun you around so you were facing her, “i like this view a lot more”, she smirked, her eyes flicking between your lips and your eyes.
“leila, have you been drinking?” you asked, furrowing your eyebrows at the sudden confidence the spaniard had found.
“not at all, i’m just tired of you being so oblivious to every attempt i try to make” she commented casually, shrugging her shoulders as if she was telling me her shopping list.
you shook your head, "don't play with me, it’s not funny”.
she quickly looked around her surroundings before grabbing your hand, guiding you towards the entrance of the venue. you stood outside the front of the club looking at her as if she had six heads, confused as to why she’d rush the two of you outside.
“do you seriously not believe what everyone has been telling you?” she questioned with a small laugh as if she couldn’t believe the amount of attempts it was taking to get you to realise the attraction.
“no i -” you were quickly interrupted.
“i want you, more than i can describe, i’ve spent months trying to figure out if you felt the same and when lani told me you did it was as if nothing else mattered and i was so set on showing you how i felt. i’ve literally kissed your head every day for the past 3 months, and you just thought i was being friendly, when have you ever seen me do that to anyone else?” she rambled, confessing everything she’d been holding back, “i wanted to wait and take you on a date but you showed up tonight looking like this and i couldn’t stop myself, do you believe me now?”
you stood staring at her in shock for a few moments, everything you wanted her to say she had finally said and yet you couldn’t process a word she said.
“you like me?” you asked.
“yes, i really like you”
“more than friends?” you asked again.
“well yeah, that’s what ‘i want you’ means” she answered.
“so it’s not platonic?” you continued.
“if that word means the same in english and spanish then it’s not platonic, i want to be more than friends, i want to show everyone you’re mine in every way possible” she clarified.
“is this a good time to say i like you too” you commented, looking down at your hands, twisting your ring around your finger as if leila hadn’t just confessed everything she could.
she closed the gap between the two of you, using her finger to raise your chin so your eyes were meeting hers, “it’s the perfect time mi amor” she smiled, cupping your jaw before pulling you closer as your lips met in perfect sync.
i guess it wasn’t just platonic then.
(blame any spelling or grammar mistakes on google docs xx)
#woso#woso community#woso x reader#woso imagine#woso oneshot#leila ouahabi#leila ouahabi x reader#leila ouahabi fic#man city women#manchester city women#espwnt
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I don't know how much it fits but, keeping with the theme of butcher!simon's neighborhood being a bit dangerous:
where I grew up (rough neighborhood) there were often bars/pubs and even gas stations nearby that operated all afternoon/night and guys often congregated outside smoking cigarettes and what not. they never bothered the residents, but they damn well worked as guard dogs and warded off strangers.
so... idea: simon and his buddies hanging out outside the corner pub when reader is coming/going to her second job in the weekends, watching closely to make sure she makes it from the bus/train stop to the building door, especially after dark.
OR
alternatively!! simon who stays up and checks out of his window when reader is coming home after dark and doesn't let himself go to sleep until he hears her door unlocking and her making some type of sound (like closing her rickety door or whatever).
i dont think you understand….. reading this altered my brain so viscerally. guard dog simon. yeah.
-
“Still got yer balls in her purse?”
Simon lights his cigarette. The soft smoulder of it barely offsets the flickering streetlight above them, scarcely illuminates the sidewalk. It shines over his face, hanging from the threshold of his lips.
“Yup,” he hums. “Right where I want ‘em.”
Johnny cackles through the plume of smoke curling up and out of his lips. He pats Simon on the back, taking a long drag of his cig, and bumps his shoulder with Kyle’s.
“When’d’ya reckon he’ll let us meet the Bird?”
Kyle rolls his eyes. “When he finds someone to pay.”
“Put a sock in it,” Simon snarls. Taps the ash off his cig.
Photo is a generous word for it. But it was the only thing Simon had to testify to your existence. A blurry, smudgy picture taken on his phone. Half-eclipsed by his thumb which was accidentally in the corner of his camera. A picture of you leaving the lift—a shallow angle of you walking in some leggings, returning from work.
It was privy to Simon. A likeness to indulge in during his work days. But in a flitting moment, Johnny laid his eyes on it. Read him to filth for it.
And now, they’re here.
Off-white sheets of rain running off the canopy they’re situated under. Each holding a cigarette to their lips, resting against the wet brick of a hole-in-the-wall pub. The warm hum from inside pooling into the empty streets of Manchester.
A thin sound arises from it. The chime of a shopkeeper’s bell, signifying the door is being opened. Into the diving rain, you step out, clutching a backpack against your shoulder, your uniform sticking to your skin.
It’s a heavy mass of muscle you almost run into. You stop yourself with a hand split against their chest, against the fleetly rise-and-fall of their jacket.
You have to hoist your neck up to see him. It takes you a while to reorient yourself, to recognise the depthless copper of his eyes. And it takes you even longer to register the underside of his face. Bare, flooded under the soft light of streetlights.
“Simon!” You squeak. The succession of his heartbeat pumping under your palm. Two men hovering behind him, exchanging puckish smirks. “What are you doing here?”
Simon’s eyebrows purse like he’s confused. He tilts his head, looking at you like a puppy, and shrugs. “I’m here to pick you up.”
“Pick me up–” a chord of bemusement strikes you, collapsing your sentence. Your reservations catch up to you, hitting you like bricks. “Pick me up?”
Simon grunts. His eyes flicker down to your skirt, how it flurries in the wind, and pulls you beneath the awning.
“Getting y’rself all wet under there,” he grumbles. “Brought you this.”
Simon holds up an umbrella. He waits for you to take it before splaying his big hand on the hind of your spine and turning you around, shepherding you forward.
Your voice is warped with bashfulness when you speak. “Where’re we going?”
“Home,” he says. Three pairs of footfall tread on your heels. Each one more intimidating than the other. Sticky and wet as they trail behind you.
“Just keep walking, Trouble,” Simon mumbles. “‘m here.”
It’s a shield that keeps everyone away. The invasive eyes, the creeping men that usually accompany you on your walk home after work. But today, they’re silent.
The three men are a pack of dogs behind you.
Simon, kissing the ground before you walk on it.
#simon riley x reader#simon ghost riley#simon riley#simon ghost x reader#ghost x reader#ghost/reader#cod x reader#cod mw2#ghost writing#orion writing
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Struck By Love
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Hi guys!
I received a lot of really nice comments about my first fic with Steph and some of you wanted a second part of this story, so here it is :)
Please enjoy ♥
And Happy New Year!
TW : Injury
Chapter Before
You probably never have been so happy in your life until now. After Emily and Kat’s wedding, you came back to London to begin your life again. It was nice to see your family back in Australia, but you must admit that you were eager to come back home. Like this you will be able to see Steph again, because the girl went back to her family in Melbourne to finish her trip here.
You didn’t take your ticket the same day as Steph, you were on the plane with Caitlin, Katie and Kyra instead. Hayley is already back in London at this time. Steph is too, but you decided that she won’t come to greet you. As you said it will have her Arsenal teammates, so it was better that way.
In January, you took her to several dates in London, enjoying being able to have quality time with her. You went to restaurants, for some walks with Calvin and you even went ice skating together.
You love having time with her, getting to know her better. You have been very honest with her about the depth and the reality of your feelings for her since the beginning, and she doesn’t seem scared about it. Which is a real relief, even if you don’t expect anything from her at any time.
You are happy to just wait for her and you let her take the lead about what she’s ready to do. The dynamic works great like this and you are secretly very happy to see that you weren’t the only one eager to have moments together. When you don’t propose to see her for two days in a row, Steph asks you if you are free the same day.
You helped her to find a flat and she finally has found something with a garden for Calvin and not far from Arsenal’s training centre. It’s closer to your flat than where she was leaving before, too.
On the fifth date, you had this conversation about knowing what the other wants about your relationship and even if no one asked the other to be her girlfriend formally, you were both clear about the fact that you will be exclusive. It was obvious for you, but Steph needed reassurance, and you were happy to give it to her.
Like if you would be able to look at someone else anyway.
There are times where you can’t see each other for almost four days because of your schedule and the games, and it’s always a little hard when it is happening. It’s the case today.
You left for Manchester on Friday to play Saturday against United and Steph left with Arsenal on Saturday to play against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. You had your day off on Sunday, so you were able to watch Steph’s game, but you haven’t seen her for real since Thursday and it’s way too long for your liking.
It seems that is the case for Steph too, the girl is literally rushing to get her things in her bag and be able to leave the training centre. She almost doesn’t take the time to answer Kyra’s teasing while putting on her shoes and her coat.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” Katie arches an eyebrow, looking at Steph running around from her bench.
“I have a thousand things to do at home”
Steph answers casually and her answer seems to catch Beth’s attention. It is too casual to be real in the blonde’s opinion. But she doesn’t have the time to say something because soon Steph isn’t here anymore.
“What is she up to?” Kyra frowns at Beth.
“Dunno. That was weird”
Both look at each other before grinning and saying at the same time.
“We need to find out what is happening.”
********
You were far from this, finally parking your car in Steph’s street. You stopped in a local pizzeria to grab some pizza for the night, in a place you know that Steph likes. You very quickly learned her favourite things to eat or her command at Starbucks for example.
You don’t have to wait very long for Steph to open the door after you knock on it, it was only thirty seconds wait.
“Hello-ooo” you say before being grabbed by the collar of your jacket and taken inside.
Right after you feel Steph’s lips against yours and you put the pizza somewhere to be able to kiss her back easier. Your smile kind of broke the kiss but Steph doesn’t seem to mind. You kiss her cheek and her neck before taking a discreet but big breath of her perfume.
“I missed you” she whispers, and you hug her harder against you.
“Missed you too”
You still can’t believe that this situation is really happening. You never thought that you will be able to have this kind of relationship with Steph one day. You are scared to lose it now to be honest, but you try to concentrate on the present.
Steph finally drags you to her living room, where you just cuddle while eating your pizzas and looking at a film. Steph already took Calvin for his walk today and he’s peacefully asleep on his dog bed in the corner of the living room.
You aren’t really looking at the movie to be honest. You asked her a lot of questions to know how her four days really went. You wrote her messages, and you had her on the phone twice, but with her teammates around, it’s never really easy.
You are still secret for now, wanting to have this secret only between you two. You like it that way, finding Steph at the end of the day and being in your little bubble of love.
“That plaid is the best purchase I have ever made” Steph comments at some point.
You laugh while looking at the big and fluffy plaid who is big enough to easily cover both of you. It’s comfy and hot too. And it has the advantage of having Steph’s smell.
“I like it too” you smile, snuggling against her.
The pizza boxes are abandoned on the table with some pizza crusts inside. Like every time you command at this place, it was a great pizza. You haven’t eaten everything though, so if you are hungry during the night you will have something to eat.
“How are your hands still so cold?”
You smirk when Steph wiggle to get away from you, passing now both of your hands under her shirt.
“Babe stop” she giggles.
But you don’t stop, amused by her reaction. When your hands are hot enough against her skin, you kiss her, happily taking advantage of your position. She kisses you back and you kind of lose any notion of anything when she passes her arms around your neck to take you against her.
You are still kissing several minutes after, when Steph’s door is opened by a non-really discreet Kyra. But between the noise of the TV and what you are doing, it would be almost impossible to hear anything. Thank god, no one decided to burgle Steph’s house tonight.
Steph is now lying on you, still under the plaid, but during your making out session your hands never left her body. You have now one of them on her bum, while the other is in her hair. Steph’s hands are softly scratching your abs, a gesture that makes you half-crazy.
“Oh my god what the hell is happening here?!”
Kyra’s scream makes both of you jump and Steph avoids falling off the couch only thanks to your excellent reflexes. Seeing your reactions, Calvin jumps from his bed to start to bark at Kyra.
“No one ever taught you the use of a door?” Steph asks after having calmed Calvin.
“You weren’t answering! And I used the key you gave me” Kyra answers, pointing an accusing finger at Steph.
Steph groans and you silently nod somewhere in your head to take this key away from Kyra as soon as possible.
“What is happening between you two? I thought you were straight!” Kyra asks Steph, frowning at you.
You look at each other, not really knowing what to answer. You are both standing now in front of the couch where you were very intimate several seconds ago.
“Being engaged to a man doesn’t make me straight. And it’s none of your business.” Steph rolls her eyes at her.
The big sister versus little sister energy makes you smile, but you don’t show it too much, letting cowardly Steph deal with her pest.
“I just saw you with your tongue in her mouth, it’s totally my business now”
Little sister energy.
When you see that Steph is looking at you for some help, you don’t hesitate to stand at her high though, putting a hand on her back. You feel the nerves getting out of her body a little bit under your touch.
“Was it why you were in such a hurry earlier?” Kyra asks again, softer this time.
“Yes” Steph sighs “We have this… things going on since December and even if I haven’t talked about it to anyone it makes me really happy. I just wanted to keep it for us for now”
Steph throws a quick look at you when she uses the word “things”, and you answer her with a soft smile. Like you said before, you never put a real label on your relationship.
“Are you serious about it?”
It’s a little passive-aggressive now and the question is directed towards you. You arch an eyebrow, not really used to have to face an angry Kyra with arms crossed on her chest.
“I am” you answer calmly.
“Good. Because I let an asshole coming in her life once, I won’t let another one doing the same thing”
“God Kyra, shut up”
A pillow flows right in Kyra’s face. Steph seems to be really uncomfortable about Kyra’s statement, but you find it cute instead. And you are glad to see that Steph has friends like Kyra in her life.
“Will I have shared custody?” you joke to Steph, looking in Kyra’s direction.
“She’s Mini’s kid, not mine”
Later that evening, after having kicked Kyra out and making her swear not to say anything to anyone, you find yourself with Steph in her bed. You are scrolling on your phone and texting some members of your family in Australia while Steph is lying on your chest.
You are playing with her hair too. You are very comfortable like this and you could stay here until the end of the world. Steph seems lost in her thoughts, unless she’s falling asleep. But you don’t interrupt her, knowing that she will talk to you if she needs to share anything.
It’s only when she turns her head to look at you that you put your phone on the bed, your other hand still in her hair.
“Is everything alright?” you ask softly.
She hums for only an answer, before going up on your body to put her head on your shoulder and not on your chest. You let her, passing your hand around her waist and kissing her head.
“I missed you”
Like this afternoon you feel your heart miss a beat and you love the warm feeling her words provide in you.
“I missed you too Stephy” you smile at her. “What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing really, just that I hope Kyra will know how to shut her mouth”
“I’m sure she will”
You have a good feeling about it, Kyra might be a little pest when she wants it, but she’s very protective about the people she loves. And you know that even if you aren’t close to her like Steph or Mini, she loves Steph. And she will do what is needed for Steph’s good.
You kiss Steph’s hair again and when she looks up you put a tender kiss on her lips. You both are pretty tired after your weekend so you quickly both fall asleep after that.
********
In late February, you are back with the Matildas for the Shebelieves Cup. You made the journey with Steph of course, but also Kyra, Caitlin, Hayley and all the girls playing in England. You are a little sad to be seated next to Charli and not Steph, who is next to Mini.
You would probably have a better sleep if you were able to put your head on Steph’s shoulder, but the travel passed anyway. You are not with Steph either in your hotel rooms, this time sharing the room with Alanna. Steph is almost on the other side of the floor every time which practically prevents you from sneaking into her room at some point.
So you are a little bit moody this morning at breakfast, between the jet lag and the fact that you haven’t slept very well because Alanna is snoring like a damn combine harvester.
You are under your hood while eating your mountain of cereals alone, until Mini, Harper and Kyra come to sit with you.
“Hello sunshine. Mind if we sit here?” Kyra smirks.
You groan for any answer, making the girl giggle. You then put your eyes on Harper, who seems sulking too.
“Are you grumpy too because they don’t have any Froot Loops and only those disgusting Kellog’s?” Harper asks you, eyebrows frowned.
“Sure am Buddy” you answer. “And because no one told me that I will be sleeping with a tractor”
“Sorry, I thought that Lani’s snores were known by anyone” Caitlin says from the table next to yours.
Your other teammates are coming to have breakfast little by little around you now.
“What is known by anyone?” Steph asks casually, sitting in front of Caitlin.
Your apparition makes a funny thing in your stomach and you wonder quickly until when those butterflies will stay.
“That Y/N slept with Lani” Harper answers with all her innocence, making you choke on your cereal, Steph spilling her coffee and Kyra dying laughing. “But Lani did it like a tractor”
“Harper, you can’t phrase things like that” a laughing Mini intervenes.
“God” you mumble, holding your forehead.
You throw a tentative glance towards Steph, above Kyra’s head who is always laughing like crazy. She receives a slap behind her head by Caitlin, distracting everyone’s attention while you and Steph exchange a glance.
She doesn’t seem disturbed by what just happened, but on the other hand you never slept with Alanna. She even has an amused smile on her face.
That moment is quickly known by all the team of course, and it makes Alanna laugh too. You have to admit that it’s pretty funny and now that you know that Steph hasn’t taken anything badly, it’s easier to laugh about it.
You are more concentrated on not looking at Steph all day, though. Not for the same reasons as before. Before it was not to be caught by Steph herself. Now it’s to avoid being discovered by someone. You find it even harder now though, because you have the right to do it.
You don’t know if Steph’s smile will stay on her face all day, however, because all the team seems to take the joke really by heart. You received some comments about it all day, from your teammates but from people on the staff too. It even went viral on social media.
Alanna doesn’t seem to mind though, given the way she takes you by your shoulders to drag you back into your room before dinner.
“Come on Casanova, show me again some moves you got”
You roll your eyes but follow her anyway, taken away from any idea of sneaking out somewhere in the city with Steph. You haven’t been able to talk to her all day long and she doesn’t know you wanted to do that, but you still miss that plan.
Of course, when you are in the room you share with Alanna, she goes to her bed while you do the same. On yours. If it needs to be said, you never had any interest in the blonde, even if you like her very much. As a friend.
You always have a crossword book with you and that is with what you were occupying yourself when you feel your phone vibrating on your nightstand, where you put it to charge.
From Pudding 💞 Having fun?
You roll your eyes and disconnect your phone from the cable of your charging. You then sit cross-legged on your bed, your book forgotten.
From You No 🥺 I miss you What are you doing?
From Pudding 💞 Nothing much. Just watching Kyra and Charli misbehave with Harper
From You If I manage to escape my room, would you like to go for a walk? We have time to do it until dinner
From Pudding 💞 I’d love to 😌
You smile and you lurk towards Alanna to know what excuse you could use to get out of the room without being suspect.
“I’m going to take something to drink, do you want something?”
“Mh? No, thanks” Alanna mumbles back without looking at you.
From You I’m coming. Find me in front of the hotel?
You don’t wait for Steph’s answer before going up, putting your shoes and your hoodie back and going out of the room. You don’t see anyone when you reach the entrance of the hotel, or at least anyone from the Australian team.
Steph is already waiting for you, hidden in the corner of the building and you hurry your path to meet her.
Your first move is to go for a hug, but Steph stops you with a hand on your stomach.
“Someone still can see us here” she explains to you with a soft smile.
You nod and follow her steps, putting your hands in the pocket of your hoodie instead. Being next to her like this without being able to touch her is torturous for you. And you are together for only two months, you wonder how a couple can hide their relationship for years.
“How are you?” you ask her after several meters.
“Fine. It’s strange to be with you all day without being able to really be with you, you know?”
“Yeah. I feel the same”
You bite your lip softly, wondering how to approach the teasing you have to endure all day. You don’t know how she feels about it and you don’t want to assume anything. But it’s finally Steph who talks again first.
“But Kyra made me realise that not talking to you at all might be suspect for the others too. I mean we were friends before and we were quite close to each other, you know?”
You nod slowly at that. It was true, you went for example in the vineyard with her before your first kiss at Emily’s wedding.
“She’s right” you smile, relieved to realise that you are finally authorized to spend some time with her. “It’s weird that this advice comes from Kyra though”
Steph smirks and, now that you are away from the hotel, grabs your arm with hers. You let her do it, quickly kissing her temple.
“She might have teased me a little bit” Steph admits after some time.
“About us?”
“Yes, and that rumour about you and Alanna. And the fact that you seemed moody all morning too”
“I was, I really haven’t slept enough” you shrug before frowning. “But I’m sorry about the teasing”
“It’s okay” Steph smiles at you. “I know it’s not the truth”
You have to admit that Steph is way more chill than you are. Or maybe less jealous? Maybe both, because you totally remember about you being jealous when she was dancing and laughing with Mackenzie at Emily’s wedding for example.
You stay silent, a little bit ashamed about it. But your silence seems to tease Steph’s curiosity.
“It’s not true, right?”
“Oh, yes. Of course it isn’t” you hasten to confirm.
You free your arm to pass it around Steph’s waist, holding her against you. You were still walking, a little bit randomly to be honest. You haven’t really discovered the horizons; you had to travel a lot in the USA for the Cup, and you would rather be peacefully in your room than walking around.
“Do you want to grab a coffee?”
You turn your head towards the Café Steph is looking at and nod. You’re not a big fan of coffee to be honest, but you know that Steph is. You follow her inside, letting her pass her command first before asking for a tea yourself.
“How do you feel about tomorrow?” you ask the other Aussie when you are seated.
“Concentrated. We need to be if you want to win”
“I wasn’t asking my Captain” you smirk above your tea. “I was asking you”
Just like she does sometimes, she looks at you with a way softer look than usual, and a cute smile, and it makes you melt. So much that you have to be really concentrated to follow the next part of the conversation.
The next day, you are playing against Colombia and when you enter the stadium, you feel pretty confident. Not because you are sure that you will win, but because you know that the team will do as much as possible to win the game. You are starting, positioned just behind Caitlin Foord in the middle of the pitch. It makes you stand in the middle of the players but you still manage to have a good view of your whatever Steph is.
You managed to go back to the hotel without no one asking you any questions yesterday, Alanna easily believing your story about being asked by Kyra for a random Uno game.
The first part of the game went great, to be honest. Colombia is a tough opponent, but you are winning 3-1, thanks to two goals from Caitlin and a really well managed free kick by Steph. You even managed to have an assist for one of the goals.
Around the seventy-minute Steph got subbed, just like Caitlin for Michelle Heyman. Your teammate from Tottenham, Hayley, is still on the pitch, just like Kyra.
In the 76 minutes, Colombia managed to score their second goal making 3-2 and you knew from that moment that they will push as much as possible to score a third one. Mackenzie is able to make some great stops and at the 82 Hayley almost scores, the ball hitting the corner of the post before going right in the stands.
At the 84, Mackenzie stops a ball from a corner and throws it quickly in the front, where you are waiting with Michelle. The blonde catches the ball and you follow her, facing two Colombians. You easily catch the pass Michelle offers you and run towards the goalkeeper, not expecting a single second a tackle coming from behind.
That is what happens though, your ankle painfully trapped between two legs, making you fall on the ground. It hurts and between the pain and how hard you fall on the ground, you have trouble breathing completely again.
You don’t hear the chaos above you, Ellie and Mini screaming at your opponent, the red card she takes or even the referee trying to calm everyone down. You just try to breathe, focusing your attention on your throbbing ankle and the design of Kyra’s boots, protectively crouch somewhere near your head.
“Hey it’s okay, you're okay” she says to you.
“She’s bleeding, we have to take her shoe and sock off”
You don’t recognize which one of the paramedics is talking, but you groan in protest when they grab your ankle. You hear the referee asking them to take you outside the pitch and some of your teammates protesting something, but you don’t really care. You didn’t have to deal with a lot of injuries in your life, but this one really hurts. It scares you, to be honest.
You hear the applause of the crowd when you are taken inside the stadium on the stretcher, but you don’t really react, hiding your face in both of your arms.
It’s way quieter when you are inside the infirmary, where a nurse gives you something for the pain. You thank her quietly, drinking the fresh water she gives you soon after with appreciation.
“We have to put some stitches on before going to hospital for a scan. Given how she takes you down, you might have something broken”
“Great” you sigh, looking at the ceiling.
Your mind goes to Steph. You would like to have her with you, but she’s the captain and has other duties. You are only friends for the others and if one of them should come with you, it would be more logical for Hayley to come with you.
But you are happily surprised to see that it’s in fact Steph who comes inside the room almost twenty minutes later, while you are still waiting for the stitches. She looks worried, but you feel your body relax as soon as she’s here.
“How are you feeling?” she asks, frowning.
“Better. The nurse gave me some morphine. But I have to go to the hospital to make a scan”
She sighs and strokes your cheek tenderly, before the door of the room opens again, making her retract her hand like if your cheek was on fire.
You look at the nurse when she comes inside, followed by a man you haven’t seen before.
“Y/N if you are ready, we are too”
She nods towards the needles and compresses in the trail she just put on a table next to you, and you can’t help but make a grimace. You are totally not ready for it. You hate needles.
“It’s going to be okay” she says, putting her hand on your arm in a comforting gesture. “Maybe it’s better if you leave?”
She turns towards Steph who is still standing in the room and you put your eyes on her too, just in time to see her frowning gaze looking at the nurse’s gesture.
“Oh. Uh, sure. I just wanted to give Y/N her things”
She puts the bag she was holding until now on a chair and turns her heels to leave, but you don’t want her to. So, you call her, almost shyly.
“Can you stay with me and maybe hold my hand? Please?”
“Of course”
She doesn’t hesitate a single second before coming back near you, sitting on a second chair and grabbing your hand.
“Thanks” you breathe. “I hate needles”
“I didn’t know”
She tilts her head curiously towards you, and you shrug. It’s not really something you talk about during your first dates usually, until you are dating a nurse maybe. You look at the doctor who is preparing his things, totally ignoring you three. You are nervous, so much that Steph can feel the tension in your body.
“Look at me. Just concentrate yourself on me”
You take a deep breath and oblige, your eyes easily falling on her. She hasn’t taken a shower after the game; she’s still wearing her kit under her jacket. She still has her bun, and she looks effortlessly pretty, even after a game like this. If you were alone, you would have said to her how beautiful she is.
It seems that she understands really easily what you are thinking about though, because you see her cheeks becoming a little more red. It makes you smile and want to kiss her. It’s frustrating, but at least like this you kind of forget what is happening near your ankle.
“Finish” the doctor says before standing up. “Ellen here will come with you to the hospital, so you have a real follow-up. And I think one of the members of the Australian team will come too”
You don’t see Steph frowning at that. You nod looking at the doctor leaving the room and the nurse following to get everything needed.
“I’ll go take a shower and I’ll come to the hospital as soon as possible, okay?” Steph says softly.
You nod again and sigh, letting your head go against the pillow of the bed. You watch Steph when she stands to kiss you, making you smile.
“Thank you for coming”
“Of course” she smiles and kisses you one more time.
She gets up just in time, the nurse coming back with all she needs. She makes sure that you have everything you need before taking you to the ambulance for the hospital. You are already on crutches, and you had hoped not to have to take the ambulance, but it seems like it’s how things are done here.
A little bit dramatic in your opinion.
Ellen and Kate, your team nurse, talked your ears off during the journey to the hospital and are still doing it when you arrive in your assigned room. The team asked for one for you to be able to take a shower and you are really grateful for it.
“Do you need help?” Ellen asks.
“Uh. No, thank you” you mumble, feeling your cheeks getting a little red.
“Look at you, Casanova” Kate giggles. “Alanna wasn’t enough, you need someone else already?”
“Oh god” you sigh.
“Is Alanna your girlfriend?”
“No” you roll your eyes.
You let Kate explain the story behind it, ignoring the different laughs coming from it while texting your parents and the Matildas’ WhatsApp group. Then you write to Steph too.
From You Are you soon here? The Nurse proposed her help for my shower
From Pudding 💞 That is not funny
You don’t have any other answer from her, and you sigh softly before putting your phone on your bed. Time to shower. You take the fresh underwear that Steph packs you with a fresh shirt and shorts too. You are glad to avoid the shirt from the hospital though.
“If Alanna isn’t your girlfriend, you still can take my help” Ellen adds, apparently more seriously.
You hesitate a little about what to answer at that. She seems serious about her help, but still teasing-flirting a little bit too.
“I still have a girlfriend” you finally answer.
You don’t know if Steph will be happy with that, like you said you never put a label on your relationship. But at least Ellen will understand that you are not interested.
“Do you?” Kate asks you with a big surprise.
“Yes” you smirk. “But it’s very fresh and you are under professional secrecy so you can’t say anything to anyone”
“You have a girlfriend, and you make jokes about sleeping with someone else?” Ellen asks, raising an eyebrow.
“No, I… I’m not the one who started it” you try to defend yourself.
“She’s right” Kate has your back “The situation has somewhat escaped her”
Ellen hums, apparently not totally convinced about your answers, but you decide not to give too much importance. First because you have to take this shower before they come to take you for the scan. And second because you will probably not see her again and that you don’t really care about what she might think.
After the shower, you went for your scan with Kate, who walks you happily around the hospital in a wheelchair.
And when you are back in your room, you are happy to see Kyra and Steph waiting for you, sitting next to Ellen. Their hair are still wet from their shower.
“How are you feeling?” Steph asks.
“I’m okay” you shrug, passing from the wheelchair to the bed. “How was the end of the game?”
You already asked this to Kate when you left for the hospital, but you want to have your teammates’ opinion. The good news is that Australia won, even if it was a close one.
“I have to go” Ellen says after Kyra’s explanation. “Will you be okay there?”
“Yeah thanks” you smile politely at her.
“It was nice meeting you” Ellen squeezes your arm affectionately.
Your eyes cross Steph’s when she leaves the room, before looking at Kyra who seems to have the time of her life.
“Do you think I can eat something?” you ask Kate.
“Sure, I’ll go to the cafeteria to grab you a sandwich or something. Do you want something else?”
You shake your head and she gets up, imitated by Kyra who claims to be hungry too. You don’t know if it’s true or if she wants to leave you alone with Steph, but you are happy to be alone with her a little bit.
What you said earlier when it was only you with Kate and Ellen comes back in your mind and you wriggle a little bit on your bed.
“Why are you acting weird?”
“I’m not weird” you mumble without looking at her.
“Don’t you dare tell me she came to help you under the shower” she says sternly.
You wince at her tone but shakes your head, searching for her gaze this time. If you are weird, she seems tense. Like very tense. You don’t want to upset her, but it seems more important for you to tell the truth.
Steph had crossed her arms on her chest, still seated in the chair in front of your bed.
“It’s not that” you say, nervously passing your hand in your hair. “But I might said that I have a girlfriend to her”
Steph looks at you blankly for several seconds, so much that you start to think that she’s waiting for you to add something.
“How is that a problem?” Steph asks.
“Kate was here too”
“And… That’s all? You seem so uneasy because you told a girl who was hitting on you that you already have someone?”
She doesn’t seem annoyed anymore; you almost have the impression that she’s repressing a smile. And you don’t really understand what the hell is happening.
“We agreed to keep it hidden for several times and we never discussed about being girlfriend” you frown.
Steph is totally smiling now, finally leaving her chair to come sit in front of you on your bed. She was upset and now she seems… softened?
“I am glad that you put a stop to her flirting with that information” Steph grabs your hand while talking “And I know none of us asked the other officially, but I would love to make it a little bit more official. Not by saying it to everyone, but at least by putting a real word on our relationship.”
“So… If I, hypothetically, ask you to be my girlfriend, would you say yes?”
“Hypothetically, yes” she smirks
And she laughs when she sees you rolling your eyes. You are not mad at her for her teasing though, how could you when her laugh is the most beautiful thing ever? You decide to try one more time, a little bit more seriously this time.
“Stephanie-Elise Catley, would you please be my girlfriend?”
“I’d love to”
You have time to see her smile before she leans in your direction, and you finish the gesture to kiss her.
Steph Catley is your girlfriend.
You don’t know what you did to be so lucky, but the happiness you feel right now makes you pass your arms around her waist, and you take her with you when you let yourself fall on the bed.
She lets out a high short scream when you make her fall on you, but her lips are soon very occupied again.
Both of you are able to hear when the door of the room is open though and you turn your head, waiting to be facing Kyra. But it’s actually Kate, holding your scan in one hand and your sandwich in the other.
“Oh… New girlfriend. I see”
#woso imagine#woso x reader#woso fanfics#woso one shot#steph catley x reader#steph catley#steph catley imagine
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going on a bicycle ride
barcelona femeni x teen!reader
you score the best debut goal that barcelona has seen in a while
you step onto the pitch, your heart is racing a million times per hour.
the stadium screams around you, fans chanting, and your teammates are giving each other reassuring nods and pats.
for you, it's your first champions league season, your first taste of this whole thing. you're not a starter yet, but you're here. you belong. at least, that's what you're trying to tell yourself.
the last time barcelona played manchester city, it was a nightmare…a nightmare you’re glad you weren’t on the pitch for. now, weeks of training and preparation have brought the team here, ready to redeem themselves.
you’ve spent hours with the team rewatching game footage, dissecting every movement, every play. of course you did not play for that game in manchester, but you have been waiting for a moment to prove yourself, to show your new team that you’re not just here to fill space or warm a bench.
you warm up along the sideline, stealing glances at the match. it’s tense, fast-paced, and physical. manchester city presses hard, and the score sits at 1-1. thanks to vivianne at manchester and claudia.
when you hear pere call your name, you realize that your moment is finally happening.
your stomach twists with nerves and excitement as you pull off your warm-up top. ellie, ever her kindest self, gives you an encouraging pat on the back before you jog to the sideline, the assistant referee holding up the board.
you step on in the 71st minute, the floodlights beaming down as you come in for patri. you position yourself in the midfield, eyes scanning the field, soaking what is currently going on.
the minutes tick by, and the pressure seems to grow stronger. city’s defenders are relentless, blocking passes, cutting off runs. you feel the weight of the crowd’s expectation, their energy surging through you.
suddenly.. in the 80th minute… caroline picks up the ball on the right wing, her pace and control mesmerizing as she pushes past a defender. you’re just outside the box, hovering in space, looking for an opening.
laia, one of city’s center-backs, keeps her eye on you, shadowing your every move. you adjust your positioning, trying to shake her, but she’s relentless as her arms stay on yours.
caroline sends a cross into the box, and everything slows. the ball arcs perfectly, spinning toward you. instinct takes over. you turn, positioning your body, push laia slightly so she could not block.. and leap. the crowd gasps.
your legs kick out, and the connection is perfect. the ball rockets toward the goal, slicing through the air with power and precision.
the manchester keeper, keating, barely moves, frozen as the ball crashes into the back of the net.
the stadium erupts. for a moment, you’re frozen in disbelief, staring at the net before the realization hits you.
you did it.
taking off toward the corner, arms raised high, adrenaline flooding your veins. kika is the first to reach you, jumping onto your back, her arms around your shoulders as the rest of the team rushes to celebrate.
"are you kidding me?!" she shouts, her voice full of excitement.
you laugh, overwhelmed, as alexia, aitana, and the others surround you, hugging you, screaming in celebration. they can’t stop thinking about the goal, about how high you got, how incredible the bicycle kick was.
you glance at the scoreboard.
2-1 barcelona. your goal.
rest of the match is a blur. the final whistle blows, and the victory is yours. top of the table in the champions league group.. your teammates pull you into another round of hugs, their joy contagious.
in the locker room after the match, everyone is happy. esmee won’t stop teasing you about your goal, saying it’s the best debut she’s ever seen. alexia hugs you, her posture calm but warm.
you're a teenager, younger than vicky even... in your first season with barcelona, but tonight you proved something… not to them since they already knew… but to yourself.
you belong here.
masterlist
#barcelona femeni#fc barcelona#woso fanfics#woso community#woso x reader#esmee brugts#kika nazareth#alexia putellas#patri guijarro#ellie roebuck#aitana bonmati
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“i might hate you, but i couldn’t bare the thought of you spending christmas alone” for leah williamson
christmas confessions ─ leah williamson x reader
part of my christmas series. full masterlist here!
in which: your christmas plans are interrupted by the british weather conditions, leading to some unexpected confessions from your arsenal vice-captain
warnings: none
wc: 3.7k
A snowstorm. Of all things that could go wrong, a snowstorm was the one that seemed to put a hold on your Christmas plans.
Recently having transferred from Lyon to Arsenal, you'd gotten your head down and focussed on your football. Normally, you'd go home every couple weeks just to be back with your family, but with your recent move you wanted to make sure you secured your spot in the starting eleven. You worked relentlessly hard for weeks on end, not allowing yourself a break, and you were proud of yourself. Really, really proud. Your football journey hadn't been the nicest one yet – your academy years littered with injuries and setbacks, you were over the moon to have finally settled in Arsenal's starting eleven. But you were starting to feel the effects of your hard work, and you started feeling like you needed some time away. To be with your friends and family back home.
Finally, though, the winter break arrived. You had wrapped up the final training session of the calendar year a couple days ago, and you were now set to go home. A couple days, just the last week of the year, before you'd go back to England. A short flight, setting to depart at 3pm, arriving at a little before 5. Your parents would pick you up from the airport and you'd go for dinner, have a drink, before all going back to your childhood home and just enjoying each other's company. But that was without taking England's horrendous winter weather into accord.
It had been horrible the whole week. Freezing cold, snow and rain all throughout the week – it had already caused you a bunch of trouble in trying to get to the grounds in time, but you completely forgot that air traffic could also be affected by the weather. So here you were, in Heathrow, staring at the departure screen as flight after flight got cancelled. Not delayed, not moved, cancelled.
Left stranded, you called the first person you always went to when struggling, needing to rant about the situation.
—
Alessia was spending her Wednesday afternoon the same way she had done for the past 2 years since making her move to Arsenal; getting coffee and a pastry with Leah. The two blondes had grown closer since Alessia made the move to London, their friendship no longer held back by the distance between Manchester and the British capital.
It was nice, their little routine. Football training that day or not, they'd find themselves in a different coffee shop every week to try out their blends, or in Leah's case, their hot chocolate or tea. They would talk about anything and everything, catching each other up on whatever hadn't been said yet at the Arsenal training grounds.
The pair were happily chatting away over a coffee and a mint tea as Alessia's ringtone went off. The striker checked the caller ID and excused herself to Leah, answering the call. She knew you were meant to be on your flight right now, so for you to be calling there must be something wrong. "Y/n? Aren't you supposed to be-"
"Less, my flight got cancelled! The weather has gotten too bad in the past couple hours and everything's been cancelled. I've asked whether it can be rescheduled, but there's nothing free anymore this week. The next available flight was January 2nd, which is a joke! I don't know what I'm supposed to do right now, my family have been preparing for me to come over for the past couple days and I don't want to disappoint them. I just, I don't know-"
"Hey, hey, y/n, take a breath, it's okay." Alessia tried to calm you down, sensing your nerves through the phone. She shot Leah a look, who was sporting a confused frown. "The situation is out of your hands, love. You can't do anything about it. I know it sucks." Alessia heard you sigh on the other end of the call, probably feeling quite defeated over the whole situation. "I know you've been looking forward to seeing your family. As soon as everything's cleared again, we'll get you on the first plane to Germany. I promise you that. Football be damned."
You chuckled on the other end of the call, and Alessia was glad you managed to muster up a small smile. "Yeah, I guess. Thanks, Less." "Don't mention it. I'm here for you, you know that. Do you need me to come pick you up from the airport?" Alessia knew you packed quite heavily and it was going to be a chore to get all of your stuff into a taxi. "No, that's fine. I think I'm gonna sit down and have a coffee here, calm down a bit, and then call a cab. I'll be fine."
Alessia reluctantly agreed, only after having you promise that you'd call her if you needed her help, or if anything went wrong. She finished up the phone call a couple moments later and put her phone back into her pocket with a deep sigh. "She's gutted."
Leah cocked her eyebrows and let the silence linger a little longer, taking a sip from her hot chocolate. "You don't have to pretend with me, you know?" Alessia added. Confusion shot across the defender's face at her words. "What do you mean by that?" The younger girl chuckled and shook her head slightly. "Leah, I know why you're distant with her. But you don't have to be that way when she's not around, god she's at Heathrow Airport of all places. You can let your guard down."
Leah took a deep breath and set her cup down, visibly struggling with how to proceed with the conversation. "I don't know, Less. I just feel like if I don't talk about it, it'll go away. I know I'm being unreasonable, but I'm just protecting myself. I don't want to go through all that hassle again. Last time I dated someone in the work field, it didn't work out. I don't wanna put myself through that again."
"Who's talking about dating, Leah? I know you like her. I'm not saying you have to voice that, but you could at least be civil with the girl. She's overthinking it like mad. She asks me all the time whether she did something wrong. And she's nervous about it, seen as you're the vice-captain at Arsenal too. She thinks you don't like her and is scared she's gonna lose her spot on the team because of that. All I'm asking of you is a little human decency, to treat her like you treat other people."
Leah looked down and started fidgeting with the rings around her fingers. "Yeah, I don't know, maybe." Alessia put her hand on Leah's causing the defender to look up. "It's okay. Just don't be a dick, okay? It's not because you don't have one that you have to be one."
—
When you arrived home a couple hours later that day, suitcases still packed in the corner of the living room, sprawled out over your couch, her caller ID was the last one you'd expected to pop up on your screen.
Leah Williamson.
You sighed deeply and rubbed your hands down your face, not feeling like dealing with whatever your Arsenal teammate wanted to scold you about now. She was probably rewatching a game and felt the need to lecture you about all the things you did wrong, and you weren't in the mood for that. You were her defensive partner after all, and you knew damn well she had high standards, not only for herself but also for others, but it was the winter break after all. Tactics be damned.
You let the call run out, breathing a sigh of relief and settled back into the couch, impatiently waiting for sleep to take over to rid you of your foul mood. Not on Leah's watch, though. No more than a couple seconds had passed before you ringtone sounded through the living room again. Wanting to get it over with so you could get some rest, you decided to pick up.
"What's the deal, Williamson? I'd like to enjoy my break, if I'm allowed? You can lecture me all you want when we're back at the club." You knew you were being curt, maybe slightly unreasonable, but your heightened emotions combined with how the defender had treated you ever since you joined Arsenal made you snap.
"Hey, hey, chill, I'm not calling to lecture you, y/n. God, do you think I'm some fucking loser who does nothing but think about football on their break?"
You didn't like the way this conversation was going, despite only having spoken a couple sentences to one another. You sat up and rubbed a hand down the side of your neck, closing your eyes as you slowly inhaled and exhaled – trying to calm yourself.
"Sorry. My mistake. Why are you calling?"
You heard shuffling on the other end of the phone, the rustling of what sounded like a jacket and shoes being taken off. Of course. Coffee with Less. She probably overheard your conversation with her earlier.
"I was just with Less," she started. Bingo. "and I heard about your cancelled flight. I'm sorry, I know you were looking forward to seeing your family."
You weren't quite used to this sentiment coming from Leah, the England captain having barely said a civil word to you ever since you joined her childhood club. It's not like you didn't speak, it's just that she made it seem like a chore every time she had to string a conversation together with you on the receiving end. Short, blunt, curt, sometimes outright disrespectful. You'd learned to accept that not everybody was always going to like you, but the least you'd expect from people was some basic human decency – something you thought Leah lacked sometimes.
You audibly sighed. "Yeah, it's crap. But I'll be fine. Now that you got that over with, what's the real reason?"
You heard a quiet snicker coming from the other end of the call, struggling to see what was so funny about your conversation. "There's no... other reason, y/n. I just wanted to call and check in. You know, defensive partner and all, just calling to make sure you're not drowning in self-pity."
You could hear the smile that tugged at her lips as she spoke out those final couple words. "Well, thanks, I guess? Thanks for checking in. Have a good rest of your night, Leah." You lowered the phone and were about to end the call, wanting nothing more than to fall back in the cosy bundle of pillows and blankets you'd set up for yourself.
"Oi, wait! I wasn't done!" You grumbled something incoherently under your breath before bringing the phone back to your ear. "I'm listening."
"This is gonna sound really weird, I know, but just let me speak. I was wondering if, if maybe you, you know-" A couple moments of silence followed and you were about to speak up, but Leah interrupted those plans. "If, you know, if you were free to come spend Christmas Eve with me?"
You frowned, taking a moment to gather your thoughts. Leah Williamson, Arsenal teammate, who to your best knowledge absolutely despised you, is inviting you for Christmas Eve? A joke.
"Uhm, I guess, well-" You didn't get much further than that before the blonde's voice interrupted you. "Look, I know how it sounds. You're probably thinking I'm just doing this out of pity and sympathy, you know captain things and all that, but that's not it. I don't have plans, yours have been cancelled, let's spend it together."
If you weren't so caught up in your own thoughts, you would've noticed the slight waver in Leah's voice. She was beyond nervous on the other side of the phone. You'd never said this much to each other in such a short space of time, let alone the contents of what was being discussed. You'd never willingly been in the same room. If not for bonding nights, you'd probably never see Leah outside of the Arsenal training grounds.
You didn't get it, though. You'd spent countless nights wracking your brain as to why Leah would treat you like she did. But you blanked every single time. It gnawed on you. You wanted her to respect you, to acknowledge you, to treat you like she treated others. But she made that seem like the worst thing in the world. Unimaginable, even.
"So?" Leah's voice broke up your train of thoughts and you scrambled together a response without really thinking about what you were saying. "Uhm, sure. I guess. Yeah. Just text me the logistics and I'll be there." You didn't really feel like going, but you also didn't want to give Leah more reason to not speak to you. And in all honesty, you wanted the conversation to be over so you could finally get some sleep.
"Oh! Okay! Yeah, okay, that's great. Thanks. Okay. I'll text you. You text me too, okay? I'll see you then."
Your own goodbyes got interrupted by the tone of the call ending, a confused frown etched on your face at how nervous Leah had suddenly seemed. Not wanting to give it much more thought, you turned off your phone's ringer and threw it on the coffee table, finally drowning yourself in a very well-deserved sleep.
—
Tuesday night, December 24th. 5:23pm. Approximately one hour left until you had to be at Leah's. Of all people, Leah's. When you caught Alessia up about the plans the two of you had made, she reacted slightly suspicious. So much so that you thought she had a hand in it, but she quickly reassured you that was not at all the case. Still, she didn't seem surprised. If anything, she thought it was good. An opportunity for the two of you to just start all over again.
You couldn't lie, that sounded good to you too. You wanted to be friends with Leah, but you also wouldn't just forget how she treated you during your first couple months at Arsenal. That's not something you could forgive and forget through a pity invitation to spend Christmas Eve together.
Yet, you found yourself struggling to find something to wear. You wanted to dress nice, but not too nice, because you're just two friends spending the holidays together. Not lovers, not dating, god, probably not even friends. Teammates? Acquaintances, maybe. At best.
You finally settled on a light green dress. It complimented your body just right, accentuating your curves in all the right places but not too tight. You put on some light make-up and finished off your outfit with some accessories. You checked your appearance about twelve times in your full-body mirror in the living room, 'just to be sure', before eventually grabbing your car keys off the kitchen counter and exiting your apartment block. You debated walking to Leah's, it was a 10-minute walk tops, but that felt like putting too much trust in your pencil heels.
3 quick knocks on the door and a couple seconds later, you were met with a version of your defensive counterpart you'd never seen before. She was dressed in a pair of black slack pants, paired with a white button-up shirt. She had left the top two buttons open, offering a perfect view of the delicate golden necklace gracing her tanned skin. Definitely self-tanner, though, because God forbid the United Kingdom gets a sliver of sun anywhere past September – but you spare her the red cheeks by not pointing it out. Her hair was loose, falling graciously on her shoulders, a welcome change from the bun or ponytail she always had it in during training or games.
"Hey," you muttered, once you realized neither of you had said a word since Leah opened her front door. Unbeknownst to you, while you were eyeing her up, Leah also let her eyes glide over your figure, taking in your appearance. She thought you looked good. Really good. Too good for her own good. That good that she'd probably struggle to not mention it every 5 minutes, when conversation obviously dies down for the 30th time that evening. Because what does she talk about for hours with someone she always pretended to dislike?
Turns out, there's a lot to talk about. Uncomfortable silences? You two don't know those. And while it's been good, it's been comfortable and easy, you still felt quite apprehensive about the whole ordeal. And you could tell by Leah's body language that she was feeling similar to you. Conversation had been flowing easily, but it felt like you were just scratching the surface. Like there was something underneath that needed to be addressed, but neither of you felt like digging deep enough to be able to bring it up. If anything, you thought, that's Leah's job. After all, she was the one to invite you to spend Christmas Eve together after she spent months making you feel like she despised you.
And that's what she did. Eventually. After lots of coaxing and promises that you wouldn't be mad and you understood – you were quite mad and you definitely didn't understand – Leah finally mustered up the courage to talk to you about the past months.
She opened up about everything. How she'd been excited when she learned about your move to the club, at first. But when you came to visit the training grounds on your first day, that sentiment completely changed. Leah had always found you quite attractive, but that wasn't something that had to be dealt with seen as you were across the North Sea and not someone she had to deal with in her day-to-day life. So, even though nothing had been explored between the two of you, not even a single conversation strung together, she already started closing herself off.
She told you about how she kicked herself for it day after day, that she realized damn well how bad she was treating you. She knew that you didn't know where it came from, and that hurt her even more. She didn't want to hurt you, didn't want to treat you any less good than she did with the rest of her teammates, but she just couldn't let her guard down around you. Not with the way you looked, the way you carried yourself on and off the pitch, the way you worked so tirelessly to be the best version of yourself day after day after day. She admired you, really. But she didn't allow herself to feel that. To acknowledge that. To acknowledge you.
"I know it sounds stupid. Trust me, I know. You don't know how many nights I've laid awake just thinking about how poorly I was treating you. But I just couldn't bring myself to not do it. Because that would mean I'd eventually snap and just... tell you everything I've just told you."
You slowly nodded, not trusting your voice just yet after having just been quiet for what has been the best part of 20 minutes. You let her come to you, let her talk until she felt like she said it all, because you knew if you interrupted her she'd maybe forget things.
"And, for the record, I don't want anything in return from you. God, no, I just thought you deserved to know. And no, I didn't invite you out of pity tonight. I just saw an opportunity open up when I learned about your cancelled flight and I knew I had to take it. I couldn't let it go any longer and I needed to tell you. So hence, the invitation. I just hope I didn't ruin the rest of our night now, by confessing all of this."
You chuckled, slightly shaking your head before repositioning yourself a little on Leah's couch. You ran a hand through your hair and breathed out a shaky exhale, locking eyes with Leah as you looked back up at her.
"You're ridiculous, Leah. Honestly, I get it, I think, but treating me like that for this reason, is ridiculous. And I know you know it, but that doesn't mean that I can't tell you too, because-" Leah tried to interrupt you, probably to apologize again, but you held up your hand to signal that you weren't done speaking yet.
"Because, you made me feel like shit, Le. You made me feel like I wasn't worthy of that starting spot at Arsenal, despite knowing damn well that I was doing good in our backline. You made me feel like I didn't belong in the squad, like I did something wrong, like I did something to upset you. It was so conflicting, and it stressed me out. Real bad. It's not a nice feeling when your vice-captain doesn't like you. Or, rather, when you feel like your vice-captain doesn't like you. I know now that that wasn't the case, but that doesn't fix your case."
Leah looked down, fidgeting with her ring-clad fingers. You continued. "Look, Leah, it sucked. But now at least I know what was behind it. And I don't wanna keep being mad at you. Because truthfully, I want to be closer to you, closer with you. I wanna be treated like you treat other people, okay? We can explore whatever needs to be explored later, but first I just want us to be civil with each other."
The blonde defender looked up at you, hastily nodding when she realized you were waiting for some kind of response. "Yeah, yeah, god, yeah, that would be nice." She slightly stumbled over her words, trying to form coherent thoughts in a mind that was running at a 100 miles an hour. You scooted a little closer to her, closing a bit of the space that was between the both of you on the couch and slowly moved your hand closer to hers, that was laying dormant in her lap.
You searched her eyes for any uncertainty, concern, and then softly laid your hand on top of hers, giving it a slight squeeze. "Thank you for opening up," you said softly. "It means a lot to me. I know how you are with feelings." Leah twisted her hand and intertwined your fingers. "Thank you for listening. And thank you for giving me another chance. I promise I'll be better. Better for you."
"I know you will."
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