#futbol16

Request: Love your writing! Could you maybe write another part to Soccer Moms? I know the Barca team has mentioned that Claudia gets sick a lot, so maybe something with Reader and Alexia having to care for her and she doesn't want to be a burden or them finding out she's not feeling well during practice but she tries to continue anyways. Also, if you want to, could you maybe add Aitana as a sister, I feel like she'd fit in well (but if you don't want to, you don't have to). Also, sorry this is so long!

Word count: 3,9k (starting to realize that I enjoy these just as much as you do:)

Claudia lifts a spare shirt to her mouth as she tries to quietly clear her throat. Her eyes are alert as she peeks over the material, looking around as subtly as possible to see if anyone had noticed her. When no one bats an eye at her actions, she lowers the shirt from her mouth and with the same movement she shoves it back into her backpack.

She leans back in her cubby as she listens to the girls goof around before practice, but for once she doesn’t join them. Far too out of it to even think about such things.

This has been going on for a couple of days now, her state only worsening to the point that she now felt tired even before starting warm ups. 

“You coming, Pina?” her head shoots up at the sound of her name and she shoots Patri a questioning look. It’s only when she receives an equally confused look does she glance around the changing room, now noticing that most of the girls have headed out to the pitch.

“Uh yeah yeah” she nods, slowly coming to her senses. Patri eyes her with curiosity but the short girl dismisses her concern with a wave of her hand, opting to just follow behind her friend. 

Claudia clears her throat again as her and Patri walk out. The sun seems too bright as it hits her right in the eye and she almost groans aloud, wanting nothing more than to go back home and curl up under her blanket.

Patri turns at the noise but finds Pina looking down at her boots and she shrugs at her friend’s behavior. Maybe she just wasn’t having the best of days. 

With that thought Patri throws an arm around Claudia’s shoulders who’s taken aback by the sudden movement and she suddenly feels dizzy, not that she’d tell anyone. 

“Partners like usual?” she merely nods at the question, too busy with trying to come back to life. 

Even though her legs feel like bricks and she’s craving something hot to soothe her sore throat, the forward forces herself to act like she’s having the best time at practice. 

She almost lets a tear slip in relief when the end of training is called. She lets herself sit on the grass and breathe a heavy breath through her congested nose. The brunette lifts her gaze back onto her teammates, but when she notices you looking her way she instantly turns her attention elsewhere. 

Just as you start to walk towards her the girl quickly jumps up to her feet and clings onto Aitana’s arm who had been walking by. A muddled expression flashes across your face but you turn back to Alexia as she gives your hand a squeeze. 

Aitana however, looks at Claudia in a mix of surprise and bewilderment.

“Are you okay?” she timidly asks, not sure why her friend has been so quick to stick to her side. Claudia rapidly nods her head at the question, guiding Aitana towards the locker room. The midfielder takes notice of the slight redness of her eyes but decides against commenting on it. The two continue their way towards their stuff as they exchange a few words but Aitana quickly gets the impression that her friend is a bit too tired to continue any means of communication. 

By the time you and Alexia enter the changing room, having had to stay back for some coach-to-captains talk with Jonatan, most of your teammates have already left.

Only a few have hung back to bid their goodbyes and as you hug Mapi one last time, you notice another person still sitting by their locker. You motion to her when your girlfriend’s eyes connect with yours and Alexia approaches her. 

“Pinita?” she calls her name out softly as she crouches in front of the girl and Claudia hums at her in question, resting her head against the wood. 

“Is everything okay bebé?” the question makes her sit up straighter as if she just realized something and Claudia rubs her eyes as she slings the strap of her backpack over her shoulder.

“Sí, all good. I just didn’t sleep well last night so I’m a little tired.” she makes up the excuse on the spot and before either of you can open your mouths to interject, she presses a quick kiss to both of yours and Alexia’s cheek and she bolts out the door.

The two of you stare at the now closed door, wondering what had gotten into the young forward. Slowly turning to the brunette by your side you raise your eyebrows.

“That wasn’t weird at all.” your comment earns you a soft chuckle from Alexia.

“She’s just tired.” she wraps an arm around your waist as she pulls you into her body. “Speaking of tired, you wanna go home and cuddle up on the couch with Nala?” her voice is sweet and there’s a twinkle in her eyes as she gazes into yours that makes it impossible for you to not pull her down for a kiss. 

“Sí mi amor, siempre.” 

Meanwhile you and Alexia gather the last of your things in the changing room, Aitana is just about to get in her car when she hears someone sneeze. She stops halfway through opening the car door and she glances around her with her eyebrows furrowed. She had thought she was the only one here. Her eyes zero in on the ponytail sticking out above a car near her and she sneaks closer.

“Don’t tell me you’re sick again!” her voice startles Pina who lets out a loud shriek in return before she’s cut off by another sneeze. She taps at her pockets in search of something but Aitana hands her a tissue without a word. 

“Thanks.” the forward sniffles and then blows her nose out, cutting off Aitana who was about to speak again. Aitana watches on as her friend fills the tissue, a repelled look on her face. 

“Yeah, get it all out I suppose” she mutters, stuffing another tissue into Claudia’s pocket as she finally finishes.

“So?” 

“So what?” 

“Are you sick again?” Her silence speaks volumes and the ‘are you kidding me’ look on Aitana’s face isn’t helping her feel better. 

“I swear it’s not my fault-”

“Claudia you were sick like two weeks ago too!” she throws her arms up in frustration, frustration which roots from her worry for the brunette.

“Okay but…” Aitana raises an eyebrow, waiting for whatever excuse the young player had for now. 

“Nevermind, I don’t have anything.” Claudia shrugs nonchalantly before sniffing again. With the mother-like pose that Aitana is supporting with her hands on her hips and a disapproving look in her eyes, Pina knows what’s coming next. This time Aitana is cut off by her voice rather than her blowing her nose out.

“Please please don’t tell mi mamás, I don’t want to miss training and I don’t want to annoy them with this again. Pleasee!” her please catch Aitana off guard whose expression softens when Claudia reveals how she feels.

“You think you’d annoy Y/N/N and Ale?” her disbelieving tone makes Claudia huff out a breath through her nose.

“I don’t want to worry them. They smothered me with care last time and constantly came over to bring me soup and tuck me into bed and check my fever and-” she lets out a sigh. “You get it”

“So why not just tell them you don’t want that?” Aitana is utterly confused as to why the forward thought this was such a complicated situation.

“But I do want it!” Claudia all but whines, arms crossing over her chest in a defensive manner. Clearly her sickness had gotten her in a mood.

“Okay, I don’t get it” 

“If they know about this then they’ll worry about me-”

“Is that not a good thing?” Pina gives Aitana a look for being cut off.

“No, because it means they will spend their time worrying about me instead of being at training and getting ready for our next game. I don’t want them to pause their lives to take care of me” she finally admits and this time Aitana pulls her into a comforting hug, now understanding why this was such a difficult and overwhelming situation for Claudia.

“Wait actually, you’ll get me sick too” she pulls away from her and Aitana smiles when Claudia snorts at her antics. 

“But I understand now and I won’t tell them, even though they’re our captains and you probably should” she gives Pina one last look, waiting for her to change her mind but the brunette doesn’t budge. “Well, if that’s what you really want” she shrugs as she gives in to Claudia who thanks her profusely.

“Butttt, get some sleep today and take some coughing meds” 

“Sí claro. Gracias Tana!” Pina shouts after her friend who waves her off as she finally gets in her car.

The next day at training begins similarly for the young forward and she tiredly trudges into the locker room before letting her bag fall onto the bench with a loud thump. This time, many of the girls eye her with curiosity but Pina pays them no mind, the throbbing in her head far too painful to care. 

She’s just about finished getting ready and is tying her boots when someone sits next to her and leans down to her level with their hand situated on her back.

“If you don’t want the whole team to know before you could tell Ale and Y/N/N, then stop sniffling and blow your nose out.” Aitana whispers to her and she pushes a tissue into her hand.

Claudia glances up alarmed but when she notices that the two of you aren’t here yet, she calms herself down and excuses herself to the bathroom to blow her nose out. That way no one would hear just how congested she is and no one would tell on her.

When she re-enters the room she finds that the team’s captains have finally arrived, or more so just made their presences known because you’re both already dressed in your training kits and comfortably talking to Mapi and Ingrid. 

Claudia watches the two of you from her seat across you and her eyes wander over your form before she spots your hand on Alexia’s thigh. She watches as you rub soothing circles into the skin of your girlfriend’s thigh and how in return, the midfielder scoots closer to you and leans her head on your shoulder. 

She lets out a quiet sigh without knowing, wishing that she would also be receiving such comforting embraces, especially now that she feels under the weather.

For a second she genuinely considers walking over and plopping herself in between you and Alexia, but then she remembers that she’s trying to keep a secret from you. 

Alexia feels the young girl staring and she squeezes the hand that’s on her thigh to gain your attention.

“Pinita is staring at us” she whispers to you so as to not alert anyone else. “And I’m not sure if I’m seeing right, but are her eyes red to you too?” upon hearing her concerned voice you instantly turn towards the young brunette and your eyes scan over her clearly tired expression. Pina’s eyes connect with yours and she lowers her head to turn back to tying her boots, only to find that they’re already tied.

“Maybe she had another bad night?” it’s a valid suggestion from your part since it is the excuse Claudia had made yesterday. Even though Alexia can hear the uncertainty in your voice and she’s just as unsure, she nods at your words. 

“Yeah, maybe.” 

Minutes later when the team finally start their way towards the pitch, Claudia is quick to run after Aitana and Patri before Alexia can greet her with a hug. 

The bewilderment in her eyes as she joins you again, makes you knit your brows together.

“Is it just me or is she avoiding us?” Alexia voices her thoughts as she turns to you, a sad smile resting on her face. 

“Thought I was imagining things.” you confirm with the same expression and you press a small kiss to her cheek hoping to calm her racing thoughts. 

With the way Claudia has been behaving, Alexia keeps a close eye on the brunette the whole time during warm ups, so much so that you have to nudge her out of her staring contest with the back of Pina’s head. 

The team is almost halfway through practice, doing running drills when you hear a small sneeze behind you. Beyond being confused at the sound you abruptly turn around only to find Patri, Aitana, and Pina all staring at you with wide eyes.

“Who was that?”

“Who was what?” Patri tries to outsmart you, having picked up on Pina’s state.

“The sneeze. Who sneezed?” you narrow your eyes at one of them in particular and Claudia lowers her slightly bloodshot eyes. She stays silent knowing that if she were to open her mouth you would hear her nasally voice.

“Me! Me, it was me.” Aitana’s words are accompanied by nods and she wipes at her nose for good measure, utilizing all of her acting skills in front of you. 

You're not very convinced but you ignore your worry for the moment, choosing to instead focus on the drill when it is your turn. You don’t hear the breath of relief behind you, or Pina thanking Aitana for covering for her and you certainly don’t see the knowing look Patri gives her best friend. 

Pina steers clear of you after that, and Alexia, and basically everyone in order to keep up her act.

When Jonatan calls for a scrimmage she knows practice is almost over and she relaxes a bit at the thought of not having to pretend for much longer.

She ends up on your team and while normally she would be hanging off your neck in happiness, she only trudges over to your side in silence. 

Alexia watches from the other side of the pitch and by now she is beyond concerned for Claudia. 

The scrimmage is going well with your team two goals ahead of Alexia’s, you make sure to rub it in her face, only playfully of course. And truly all is good when Pina sends another cross your way and you control the ball as you try to outsmart Cata. 

Claudia’s feet come to a stop as she rapidly breathes in only to then hunch over and break out in a coughing fit. Her eyes prick with tears as her sore throat is abused by the loud coughs that rake through her body and she is barely able to get in a breath before she’s coughing again. 

Aitana’s eyes are instantly on the forward and she quickly walks over to stand in front of her friend, still trying to cover for her.

The noise however catches everyone’s attention, except yours because you’re too busy scoring a goal and hearing your own heavy breathing to hear Pina way behind you.

Alexia’s mom mode is immediately activated and she runs over to Claudia without a second thought. She places a comforting hand on her back and pats her gently to help clear Pina’s throat. When Pina is finished, she inhales a sharp deep breath and straightens up, coming face to face with her captain.

“Sit down Claudia” Alexia orders firmly, but the worry shines through her voice. Pina follows her instructions though and when a bottle is pushed into her hands she eagerly chugs it down.

By now you have also turned around and when you see half the team standing near something, you furrow your brows. Deciding it’s best to see what was up you abandon celebrating your goal and instead run back to where you can see Alexia towering over the others. 

“What happened?” you ask breathlessly, eyes searching your girlfriend’s for answers. She gestures to Claudia on the ground and you drop down to your knees next to the girl. 

Your eyes rake over her form, searching for any injuries but when you don’t find any you glance back up at Alexia.

“She’s sick and has a coughing fit. And by the sounds of it she didn’t get sick last night.” Alexia places a gentle hand on Pina’s head and she carefully sweeps the baby hairs out of the girl’s eyes.

Your expression morphs into worry, confusion, and then a slightly hurt look as you turn to Claudia.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” you don’t receive a verbal answer, only a guilty look and you sigh, instead raising the bottle back to her mouth and urging her to drink more. With one last look at the girl you stand back up, giving Alexia’s shoulder a squeeze and then you stand by to explain the situation to Jonatan. 

He agrees to call the end of practice a few minutes early and tells the rest of the girls to stretch and cool down, allowing the three of you to head inside to check out Pina. 

You remain silent on the walk to the changing room and Pina glances up at you every now and then but she stays firmly tucked into Alexia’s side, allowing herself to soak up the affection she’s been missing out on. 

“Go ahead and get changed, I’ll get the stuff from the medics.” you inform Alexia and she nods at you, pressing a quick kiss to your temple before letting you go. She guides the young forward into the changing room and sits her down in her cubby, draping one of your hoodies over the brunette. 

“Pinita” Alexia sits next to her with a small sigh, pulling her to lean into her. 

“When did all of this happen? You were sick just the other week” 

“I know, I know. I left the air conditioning running after I got home from training and…I guess sitting under it while still hot and sweaty- it wasn’t the best idea.” she admits regretfully and her captain chuckles along.

“Well, at least you know now.” just as Claudia thinks she’s off the hook Alexia continues.

 “But it wasn’t smart of you to continue training while you were clearly sick. This could’ve ended way worse Pina, you could’ve caused yourself serious stuff” she seemingly can’t find the right words, her mind once again consumed with fret.

The forward nods into her shoulder, wearing a guilty expression. Alexia lifts a hand to her forehead and Claudia jerks back at the coldness of it.

“You even have a fever, Pina!” she shrinks back at the tone of her voice.

“Why didn’t you tell us, or someone?” the midfielder questions further.

“I told Aitana, well technically she found out. But I didn’t want to worry you.”

“Pinita bebé, we’re always going to worry about you, no matter what.” Alexia tells her softly, rubbing the girl's shoulder.

“Sí, but I knew you would abandon everything else to take care of me. You would’ve missed training then and then maybe even a game.” she explains her reasoning and Alexia sighs.

“I would’ve rather missed a game than have you rip your lungs open in a coughing fit.” your voice rings out and it startles Claudia who hasn’t been paying attention to the door.

Your hands are full with what she could only assume were coughing syrups and other tablets and medicine for her. Suddenly she feels even worse for lying - or well keeping this from the two of you. 

“It wasn’t that serious-” she stops talking as you dump everything next to her and you move to take her temperature.

“It could’ve been.” you ignore the look you receive from your girlfriend but you do get the hint and with a deep breath in, you allow your softness to take over you.

“Querida, this isn’t something to joke about. You should’ve told Ale and I about how you were feeling, amor. We could’ve stopped it from getting worse.” you stroke her cheek as you look at the number on the machine, shaking your head when you see just how high her temperature is. Claudia melts into your touch and sinks even further into your girlfriend’s hold. 

“I didn’t want to be a burden.” she mumbles out as her eyes gloss over. Your movements halt at the hearing of her statement and you glance up at Alexia almost as if waiting for confirmation that you’ve really heard what you heard.

The midfielder tightens her hold on Pina.

“You’re far from being a burden Pinita, so far from it.” she mutters into Claudia’s hair. You crouch down in front of her and take her hands into your own, your thumbs running over her knuckles in a soothing manner.

“Worrying about you, taking care of you isn’t a chore, mi vida. We do it because we love you. Don’t ever think of it differently.” you tell her sincerely, your voice soft and comforting. Claudia nods at the two of you and she lets a tear fall before she physically lets herself fall into your arms, pulling Alexia with her.

The three of you stay in a tight embrace kneeling slightly uncomfortably on the floor of the locker room, but you and Alexia wouldn’t have it any other way if it meant Claudia felt safe.

“Thank you” she whispers as her grip on your shirts loosen. Alexia smiles at her and kisses her head in a motherly manner while you slightly pull back from the two.

“Okay, enough of this now, I can’t go another second knowing you’re sick and not do anything about it.” the laughs you receive instantly lightens the atmosphere and you offer a hand to each of your girls and pull them up to their feet.

“Drink some of this and then we can go home and cuddle up” you push the coughing syrup into Pina’s hand who pulls a face at it but quickly nods at your words, her mind already wandering to what movie the three of you could watch.

“I’ll make soup for you, bebé.” Alexia states and you smile at your girlfriend's enthusiasm to take care of your sick teammate.

Your arms wrap themselves around her as Claudia gathers her things and you press a lingering kiss to the underside of her jaw. Alexia’s eyes shine with adoration as she gazes down at you and just as she’s about to kiss you, you’re interrupted by Pina clearing her throat.

She gives the two of you a sheepish look.

“Can Aitana join us?” she fiddles with the strap of her backpack and your heart melts at her cuteness.

“Sure, go get her.” Alexia smiles at Pina without moving from your embrace and you watch as the forward skips out of the changing room. 

Later that evening, the three of you are all mushed together on the couch of the living room, Aitana and Patri squished onto the sofa chair as they share a bowl of popcorn, eyes intently watching the movie playing in front of you all.

Request: this is the combination of like 4 different requests and I hope it turned out good

Word count: 5k (so sorry;)

You let out a breath as you lean over your leg to stretch, the rest of your teammates doing the same as they cool down from the training you’ve just had.

Kyra is animatedly speaking to you on your right. The youngster is explaining how she thinks the two of you could link up the best for tomorrow's group stage game against Nigeria. The midfielder and yourself as a forward have had very good chemistry on the pitch in your previous game against Ireland and Kyra was excited to perform just as well against the African team. Your head is turned towards the brunette, however your gaze is locked onto another one. 

Emily and Steph are deep in conversation almost opposite you and Kyra and you watch as the defender stretches her hip flexor. Your eyes roam over her body as she pushes her hips deeper and you breathe in deeply at the motion, Kyra’s voice long forgotten.

You can’t tear your eyes away from her, the way her quads flex that bit, and the way her hips are moving. It’s her infectious laugh that breaks you out of your staring and brings you back to earth as Kyra’s voice becomes clearer next to you. As if she feels you looking, Steph turns to where the two of you are and she gives you a beaming smile, one that makes you bite your lip as you smile back at her, trying to withhold the massive grin that would otherwise spread across your face. 

“Alright ladies, that’s it for today. Get changed and lunch will be waiting for you in the cafeteria!” Tony announces with a clap of his hands. 

This time you make sure to actually listen to what Kyra’s saying as you make your way back towards the changing rooms for a quick shower and change of clothes. 

You’re one of the last ones to leave the locker room and you quickly tie your damp hair into a loose bun as you walk towards the cafeteria. Before you can take the last turn a hand grasps your elbow and pulls you away. Your eyes connect with familiar brown ones and you let her lead you away from where you were going. 

“I miss you” Steph confesses as the two of you come to a stop near the end of a hallway. You intertwine your fingers as you bring yourself closer to her, a cheeky smile on your face.

“I’ve been here the whole time” the defender in front of you rolls her eyes at the statement before gazing into yours again, her big brown eyes shimmering with nothing but adoration and longing.

“You know that’s not what I meant” she says quietly, almost like she’s afraid someone would hear the two of you.

You know what she means. The two of you hadn’t had the chance to have a moment to yourselves in the last three weeks of the world cup preparations and group games because you were always around your teammates. Despite seeing each other almost every hour of every day, the pair of you hadn’t been able to be close the way you could at Arsenal. 

“I know, I miss you too” you admit and Steph smiles at you, leaning into your touch as you lightly cup her face. Her hands slide lower on your body until they take their place on your waist and she pulls you into her embrace. You fight back from smiling onto her lips as the butterflies erupt in your stomach and Steph deepens the kiss as your other hand squeezes her bicep. The kiss is fervent and passionate as your lips meet over and over, almost desperate to be touching each other every time you pull away. The brunette gasps into your mouth as she feels your tongue trace her lower lip and you take your chance to slip it into her warm mouth. 

You’ve known your girlfriend long before you transferred to Arsenal from Lyon almost two years ago, thanks to the two of you playing together on the national team. But you’ve never tried anything with her until recently when she hurt herself and you realized just how much you cared for your friend.

Steph had pulled a muscle during a match against Man City and had to be subbed off in the second half. The second the final whistle was blown you were off towards the medical room insearch of your Aussie teammate. You eventually found her lying there but she didn’t seem to be in any serious pain. That didn’t mean you weren’t worried and you made sure to voice your concerns. At first you were confused as Steph only listened to your mini rant, her eyes never leaving you and her mouth slightly hung open. When you finally finished talking your eyes found hers again before they lowered as her tongue wet her lips. Before you knew it you were being pulled down and into a hot kiss by the girl. 

Both of you were so immersed in the feeling that you hadn’t thought about your other teammates possibly walking in on the two of you making out until someone’s shoes squeaked against the floor. You abruptly pulled away in panic and found Caitlin staring at the two of you with her eyes wide. She had come in search of the other two members of your Aussie trio at Arsenal to also check on Steph but it seemed like she was doing better than good.

“Woah…Mackenzie isn’t going to like this” were the words that left her mouth and made your blood run cold. 

That was the reason why you’ve been keeping your relationship a secret. The West Ham goalkeeper was your older sister and Mackenzie Arnold doesn’t play around when it comes to her little sister.

You made Caitlin promise you to not tell your sister about what she’d seen and the forward swore to secrecy despite her close friendship with Mackenzie. You knew that if your sister were to know about you and Steph she would go absolutely ballistic and her protectiveness over you would shine through even more. The two of you had a very close bond despite the five year age difference and if it weren’t for the goalkeeper you wouldn’t have become a household name so early on in your career. 

Like many of your national teammates you made your debut for the Matildas at the young age of 15. This and your talent earned you a spot on the roster for the 2015 World Cup the following year and despite your early exit in the tournament by the end of the summer you had scouts knocking on your front door. 

You didn’t want to leave Australia and more importantly you didn’t want to leave Mackenzie. She however, convinced you to sign for Lyon and after a heartfelt teary goodbye you left to join the French club’s B team.

With your sister’s words in your mind - ‘make a name for yourself sooner than later’- you started the 2016 season in Lyon’s senior team. From there you worked hard day in day out to earn your spot on every list and every roster and any award you could receive for your great achievements. 

It was difficult at first, being so young and in a foreign country with a weird language but the team helped the best they could. Still, you spoke with Mackenzie every chance you got and you missed her dearly which made you even more excited for international breaks. Your sister was just as eager to see you and made sure to keep you within reach at camps.

The brunette had displayed her protectiveness many times since you’ve left, whether that was in front of your Lyon teammates or the Matildas or just anyone, she was there glaring down at the person from behind you. And that was only if they looked at you the wrong way.

You couldn’t imagine how she’d act if she found out that one of her friends was dating her little sister. 

Steph chased after your lips as you pulled away and you gave her another peck before you moved elsewhere. 

“I’m so obsessed with you” the brunette’s heavy breathing in your ear made you go crazy and her words only spurred you on as her fingers pressed into your lower back. You nipped at her jawline, tracing the curve of it and then skimmed down her neck. 

“My pretty girl” you whispered into her skin and Steph immediately blushed as she buried her own head into the crook of your neck. Her arms moved around your shoulders and you breathed in deeply as you accepted her warm embrace. The two of you stood there hugging for a few seconds, just enjoying each other’s presence. The echo of a door being slammed shut made you come back to your senses and you pulled back from your girlfriend. 

“Come, they’ll be wondering where we are” Steph pressed her lips to yours once last time before the pair of you headed towards the cafeteria for lunch. 

Upon entering you heard your name being called and found your sister waving you over to her table. 

“What took you so long?” the goalkeeper asks you as you sit next to her, Alanna and Caitlin opposite to you.

“Aww don’t be so worried Macca, no one will kidnap me” you could only smile as your sister rolled her eyes.

“I don’t know who would want to” her joke made Alanna snort and you pushed at Mackenzie’s shoulder. “I brought you some food” she nodded to the tray in front of you and you clasped your hands to your heart.

“Chivalry isn’t dead” you gasped and the other two giggled. “Thank you” 

The day of the Nigeria match you entered the stadium in better spirits than you left it. The journey back to base camp and the hotel was relatively silent and although you scored one of Australia’s two goals you were disappointed in the way you played.

Your head rests against Caitlin’s shoulder and in any other case you’d be fighting back sleep. This time though your mind was preoccupied with thoughts of what you could’ve done better and how the team could improve for the next group game because the loss meant that now your place in the world cup was in danger. 

You’re anxiously picking at the calluses on your hand even though you take good care of them so they wouldn’t harden too much but you couldn’t care less at this moment, far too upset. 

A hand grasping your own forces you to stop and you sigh heavily as you turn to bury your head in the forward’s shoulder. 

Caitlin’s eyes meet Steph’s who sits in the row opposite and in front of you and she eyes your form in concern. As much as the captain wants nothing more than to take you into her arms and remind you football is a team sport, she cannot do such things in front of your other teammates, under your sister’s watchful eye. 

All throughout recovery day Steph’s eyes can’t seem to leave you and she finally gets her chance to talk to you as everyone is told where to go first. She slips in beside you as you exit the room with the others and you offer her a smile. Steph is just about to open her mouth to ask how you’re doing when a taller body joins your otherside. 

“What’s up nugget?” Mackenzie’s voice rings out and she pats your shoulder. Steph deflates slightly, knowing she won’t be able to speak to you privately and she’s left to listen to your conversation with your older sister.

You pray Mackenzie doesn’t notice the slight stutter in your voice when your fingers brush against Steph’s. The defender’s hand inches closer and grazes yours again but you don’t give into the temptation in fear that the keeper would notice. You’re so focused on trying not to hold her hand that you can barely pay attention to what your sister’s saying, once again too distracted by the defender.

A relieved sigh leaves Steph’s mouth when Mackenzie bids her goodbye to head towards the physios while the two of you continue towards the ice baths. This time you aren’t shy to take her hand into yours.

“Stephy baby” the brunette grins at you as she squeezes your hand and you lean into her slightly though still alert in case someone sees the two of you. 

“Are you okay?” she voices her concern and you beam up at her. 

“I am now” your words and the cheeky smile on your face has the brunette swooning and she presses a lingering kiss to your cheek before you open the door to the pools and the two of you reluctantly pull away. 

Alanna and Caitlin’s laughs reach your ears before you see them, the pair having also been instructed to start with the ice baths as recovery. 

“Come on mate, you’re so slow!” Alanna calls out to you from her place in one of the pools. you raise the shorts you’ve just pulled off into the air, threatening to throw it at her if she keeps rushing you. 

Your Arsenal teammates laugh at your antics, the brunettes already in their own pool. 

“Can’t even wait a second” you jokingly murmur under your breath as you round the pool to where Alanna is floating around. When you reach the edge you realize that she has made it into the deeper end of the pool but you’re too lazy to walk all the way back to the other side.

“Lani, help me in please” you reach your hands out towards the blonde who chuckles at your distress and paddles closer to the edge. Your hands settle on her shoulders while hers are on your sides as she helps you lower yourself into the cold water.

Upon entering a loud squeal leaves your mouth and the three are once again left to laugh at you. You instantly cling to your sister’s best friend who doesn’t mind it at all as she hugs you, continuing to laugh as your teeth chatter.

“So dramatic” she huffs and you shoot her a glare. “You are such a baby” you know she means no harm, jokes like this were pretty common amongst you.

“Yeah, well deal with it” 

Steph watches with a fond smile on her face, her own arms crossed over her body and she almost jumps in place when a smirking Caitlin appears in her line of sight.

“You’re not jealous are you?” If only Caitlin knew the reason she was staring so hard is because she wants to be able to hold you like that without a care in the world about who’s watching. “You know Lani’s like her second sister”

“And you’re her third” Steph adds with a chuckle as Caitlin smirks proudly, shrugging her shoulders as if to say ‘that’s right!’. 

It wasn’t unusual for you to be so affectionate with your teammates, especially the ones on your national team. When you first got called up as a young 15 year old, you stuck close to your sister’s side for the first few camps which meant you stuck close to her friends too. Alanna, Caitlin, Sam and Hayley were quick to take you under their wings and you were grateful for them. You basically grew up with the girls and you still maintained this close relationship. 

You missed them as well when you moved to Lyon but you were overjoyed when Ellie joined the French club too. 

When game day finally arrives you’re more than ready to show Canada just what you’re capable of. The team is well aware that the world assumes today will be an easy day in the office for the North Americans, but your team also knows just how wrong they are about that.

It is immediately clear that although the team is the same that won Canada their Olympics, they’re not playing like Olympians. Instead the ball remains almost only in the Matildas possession and it doesn’t take you long to ease the crowd’s nerves.

Just six minutes into the game Kyra catches a misplaced pass and sends it over to Caitlin who races up the field through the reds and then slides it over to you. You fool Buchanan with a body faint to the left and then move to her right before you rocket the ball past the goalkeeper. 

You’re off in a sprint immediately and you almost land on the corner flag as you jump in celebration. Caitlin catches up to you just a second before the others do and they dogpile the two of you, smiles blinding. You’re eventually pulled to your feet by Hayley who proudly kisses your forehead and you catch a glimpse of your benched teammates returning to their seats. 

The performance from the Matilda’s is one you know people will be talking about for years to come as Hayley and yourself each slot in another goal before the halftime whistle. 

“I’m so proud of you sis!” Mackenzie lifts you into her arms as you make your way off the field and your cheeks burn at the compliment. 

“Thanks Macca” she flashes you a big smile, one of those that you know is only reserved for a select few and she squeezes you one last time before letting you back on your feet. 

“My little hero, huh?” she quizzes jokingly and your sister pulls your head back into her chest as you near the tunnel. 

There really isn’t much to say during the halftime talk but Tony makes sure to voice his joy.

Your eyes shine bright as you listen to your girlfriend make her captain’s speech and you admire her in all her glory. She looked so good in the blue kit it made you drool and you’re knocked out of your trance by Caitlin’s elbow digging into your side. Steph finishes with a simple ‘let's continue keep going!’ but it has everyone pumped for the second half.

Despite the four fresh players on Canada’s side it doesn’t help them much with turning the game around and your heart almost leaps out of your chest in ecstasy when Mary gets her first goal of the tournament. The young City player was one of your good friends and you had been waiting for her to get her moment to shine and she has delivered it perfectly. 

It is clear that the Canadians are upset by the goal difference in just the 60th minute of the game. It’s getting to be near impossible for them to make it out of the group stages while the Matilda’s are cruising away with a seemingly easy victory. 

The reds start getting more physical, more aggressive and your blood boils when Hayley ends up on the ground for the second time in ten minutes. 

You’re determined to get payback for it and you get your chance to do so when Ellie sends a long ball towards you. You control it perfectly before Viens even gets to think about it and you speed off towards the goal.

Buchanan’s nostrils flare as she squares up like a bull. You’re coming in hot but she doesn’t hesitate to match your fire and she dives in without much thought. 

Everything goes silent around you as you watch the Canadian grit her teeth under you. A yelp leaves you as her studs slide across your thigh and her other leg knocks into the side of your other leg. You damn near do a side flip in the air before you land painfully on her foot that’s still raised, studs facing upwards. The crowd is screaming and it is almost deafening the referee whose whistle is fortunately still heard by the players. Your body flops limply off Buchanan as she pushes you away from her, studs still embedded into your side. 

The ringing in your ears is loud and your arm remains cradling your side, feeling absolutely winded. You gasp into the grass, attempting to force air into your lungs but it’s all too painful and your eyes water. 

Your sight is blurred with tears but you can see blobs of turquoise running towards you. Steph’s body is quivering with fear and worry as she reaches you first, closely followed by Caitlin and Emily. One of her hands finds your face as the other rests on your back.

“Breathe Y/N, breathe please” you don’t notice the shake in her voice but the other two do who jump into action trying to help you as best as they can.

Mackenzie stares at the big screen in panic as they replay the foul and she holds onto the goalpost knowing it is the only way she could stop herself from running across the field. However, as soon as she sees you on the screen and the blood on your thigh she abandons her post and races past the medics running onto the field. 

“Y/N!” she calls out as she arrives at the scene, the medics hot on her tail.

“I’m okay, I’m okay” you let out between gasps before you let your head fall against Steph’s thigh, the defender’s hand resting on the top of your head. The medics instantly move to assess the damage and one of them lifts your shirt as the other wipes the blood off your leg. 

“Oh what the…fuck” Mackenzie’s face contorts into sorrow as she recognizes the stud patterns on your ribs. By now the team is crowding you with the referee also standing close by just in case. 

“I’m good, it just hurts a lot” 

“So you’re not good” your sister deadpans and even though you’re in pain you find the energy to roll your eyes at her. 

“Y/N/N you’re going to have to go off” Alanna speaks from above your sister who nods along.

“No, I don’t want to” you shake your head, choosing to ignore the sighs both Steph and Caitlin let out from beside you. 

“Well you are” one of the medics interrupts before helping you sit up. Mackenzie is quick to stand by your side and with her arm around you, you’re led off the field and towards the bench. 

“Take care of her please” your sister nods towards Sam who’s already holding an ice pack for you.

There’s still 20 minutes on the clock and as the time ticks off the pain in your ribs seems to ache less. When you see your girlfriend step up to take the penalty in the 94th minute you’re on your feet by the sidelines. You know where she’s going to shoot it and she glances towards the bench to give you a smile before the whistle is blown. The ball sails past Sheridan smoothly  but all your focus is on Steph as she runs towards you. 

“YES BABY!” Your hands find her face as you scream into her face, her own arms spread as she braces for your teammates.

This time it’s Alanna’s turn to stare up at the screen as they replay the goal and then the celebrations. She squints her eyes as she tries to lip read, having not heard what you said. A moment later her eyes widen in shock and she glances behind her to where Mackenzie is standing in goal, wanting to check if your sister saw that too. The brunette seems to have her focus elsewhere and Alanna decides not to mention it even on the way back to the hotel, for your sake. And of course because the team is happily celebrating and shouting on the bus the whole 30 minute drive. 

Later that night you find yourself wandering into the common room of base camp and you smile to yourself when you see your girlfriend laid across one of the beanbags, her nose deep in the card album in front of her. 

“Well hello Stephy!” your warm voice makes her look up and a grin instantly takes over her expression. She’s glad to see you in much better shape and judging by the carefree look on your face, the medics have told you not to worry too much about the bandages on your thigh and side as it wouldn’t keep you out of the next match.

“Hey puddin’!” she pats the space next to her and you eagerly plop down and snuggle into her side. “Is everything okay, pretty girl?” 

You hum at her in answer as you gaze into her eyes. Your hand reaches out towards her and your fingertips skim over her skin, lightly tracing her cheekbone and Steph stares at you in a dreamy state. She sits up straighter to be closer to you and she cups your cheek to run her thumb along your bottom lip.

“I was so scared when you went down today” she whispers into the air between you, her eyes jumping across your face almost like she’s trying to memorize every detail. Just as you open your mouth to speak she leans in to claim your lips as hers. Steph kisses you deep and slow, pouring every ounce of her love for you into the kiss and you melt against her, turning putty in her hold. 

“You’re messing around with my little sister?!” the loud screech makes the two of you jump apart and you stumble to your feet as your sister comes into view.

“Macca…” you nervously call out to her. Alanna and Caitlin appear behind her too, alerted by the scream.

“Oh no, don’t try to save her guts!” your sister stares right past you to Steph who shuffles nervously on her feet, a petrified look on her face and you suddenly feel even more guilty.

“What is this Steph, hmm? Are you fucking my little sister?” she asks coldly and you frown at her. You turn to your girlfriend who lightly shakes her head at you, telling you not to try and stand up for her. Mackenzie huffs at the exchange between you and she chuckles humorlessly, staring deeply into the defender’s eyes.

“You know, when I told you and Caitlin to take care of her at Arsenal, this isn’t what I meant. I didn’t mean to date her!” she spits and you suck in a harsh breath at her tone. You were also unaware of the fact that she asked the two to watch out for you.

“Mackenzie.” Alanna’s voice makes her falter for a second and Caitlin takes this as her chance and she leads her club teammate out of the room before this could escalate even more. You whisper a small sorry to them as they walk past you.

“How long has this been going on?” you can’t lie to your sister, the both of you are very aware of that fact.

“Seven months” you shrink in your place as you see the frown on her face deepen.

“Unbelievable.” the goalkeeper shakes her head and you turn your gaze to the floor. “Why not Ellie, or Charli, or Kyra, the two of you are best friends anyway.” 

“Mackenzie!” an offended call of her name makes her look at you, well aware of how stupid her statement was. “Because I chose Steph and Steph chose me.” you tell her before your voice turns quiet. “And I’m in love with her”

Your sister stares at you in disbelief and she shakes her head again like she’s disappointed.

“I need a moment to think about this” she mumbles as she turns her back to you. Your expression breaks as tears threaten to roll down your cheeks.

“Macca-”

“Y/N, leave me alone.” she basically flees the scene and you’re left to crumble into a mess of tears in Alanna’s arms. 

“She’ll come around, give her a second” the defender murmurs into your ear and you nod into her shoulder as you calm down. Alanna’s lips form a small smile as she presses a kiss to your head. “I’m really happy for you though”

“Thank you Lani” you mumble.

You can’t fall asleep. You’re trying so hard to let your mind rest but you’ve been staring up at your ceiling for the past four hours. Finally coming to the conclusion that this wasn’t going to work out unless you eased your stress by what’s causing it, you wander down the hallway.

You knock quietly on the door and a few moments later the same defender that held you just a few hours ago opens the door for you. Alanna offers you a comforting smile as she lets you in.

“I was just about to go shower” you don’t comment on the fact that it’s 2am and she’s only now going to shower, because neither of you are supposed to be awake. You pretend not to notice the pointed look she gives your sister as she makes her way towards their bathroom.

You stand uncomfortably in the tensely silent room until you hear the shower start running and you finally look towards where Mackenzie is sitting up against the headboard. She stares at you for a second before slowly nodding her head to the space by her feet. You take her invitation and sit by her, waiting for her to say something. She never does though.

“Macca, please” you plead with her, your eyes tearing up slightly. The two of you rarely got into fights so not getting along was very overwhelming for the both of you.

“Please don’t hate me” you croak out. The statement breaks your sister’s heart and she looks at you guiltily as her face softens. 

“I could never hate you” she whispers as she opens her arms. You let yourself fall into your big sister’s embrace and she wraps her arms around you tightly. “You’re my baby sister, too important to me.”

You only nod into her neck, understanding exactly why she was so overprotective of you.

Still, you can’t help but ask that one question.

“Are you mad at Steph?” there’s a beat of silence before you hear her sigh.

“No, Y/N/N. I’m sorry I made you think I was.” Clearly whatever talk she had with Alanna just before you knocked on their door has payed off.

“So you’re okay with..” you trail off, not sure what reaction to expect from her.

“Yes, I’m okay with you and her.” you involuntarily let out a giggle of glee but Mackenzie follows with a laugh of her own. “Go to your girl, I’m sure she’s dying to see you”

You all but hop off her bed and she gives you a grin, realizing all she’s ever wanted was for you to be happy and if Steph was the one who made you happy then so be it. You give her a big kiss on the cheek and then you dash out of her room and back towards yours, knowing your girlfriend was bound to be somewhere close by.

You find Steph sitting on the edge of your bed, anxiously biting her nails as she stares off into the distance. 

“Stephy!” she’s up on her feet in an instant, and she catches you with ease as you barrel into her. A wave of relief washes over her as she takes in your excited expression, knowing that whatever had happened, it meant the two of you would be okay. 

“I love you so much” she breathes out, her brown eyes shimmering in the dimly lit room but you recognize the look in her eyes.

“I love you so so much” she repeats and she doesn’t let you answer as she dips her head and connects your lips, immediately deepening the kiss in desperate need to feel you close.

Resquests: part 2 to the steph fic? Please a part 2?

Part 1/2 of part 2 for I Miss You

Part 2/2

Word count: 4,6k ( i had to cut it into two parts because tumblr wouldn't let me post it but im posting both rn)

The match of the knockout stage was an important one, just like the ones before and the ones to come. It was a do or die, you either win or you can wave goodbye to your world cup dreams. 

However, you were confident in the team and with Australia backing up the Matilda’s you gave the fans a performance to celebrate. 

The crowd was loud as Caitlin scored the first goal of the match in her home city, the amazing through ball from Mary that cut through six Danish defenders being endlessly praised. To all of your pleasures Sam had finally made her come back and joined in the 80th minute. And to top it all off the team ended the game with another goal this time coming from Hayley and an assist from you. 

You gripped Steph’s hand tightly as the team celebrated in the locker room after the game but you still made sure to be subtle about it, aware of the cameras and phones recording. It was one thing that your sister and friends knew about the two of you, but you didn’t want the world to know just yet.

Steph hid the beaming smile on her face in her shoulder as she glanced at you and you pretended not to notice as you made brief eye contact with the camera lens of Charli’s phone. 

The joyous screams and shouts of the team told you one thing, this world cup was going to be Australia’s. 

Screams filled your ears as you lined up in the tunnel behind your girlfriend and in front of Caitlin. The small hand in yours is enough to ground you and you made sure to keep your focus ahead and not let yourself look over to the French. You knew if you did the calm in your head would turn into chaos seeing your former Lyon teammates again. Even Wendie’s big head of hair at the front of France’s line up was just a blur to you and to keep yourself busy while you waited for the referee's sign, you turned to the small girl next to you. 

Upon doing so you notice her shivering a little, her other hand pulled tightly to her chest in an unsuccessful attempt to keep herself warm. Your mascot barely looked the age of 7 and in spite of her lips slowly turning purple, she was visibly buzzing with excitement.

Taking one last glance towards the referee you kneel in front of the small girl who turns to you in surprise but you give her a big smile and she reciprocates it with a toothy grin.

“Are you cold, love?” your voice is warm, and as it reaches Steph’s ears in front of you she thinks that alone would be enough to warm up the little girl. 

“Mhmm a little” she mumbles, suddenly becoming shy but you continue smiling at her comfortingly. She clasps her hands together behind her back as you let go of them for a moment and she stares at you with big eyes as you pull off your gloves.

Caitlin grins down at the two of you, her own hand swinging her mascot's hand back and forth lightly. The forward’s eyes lift as her friend turns slightly and Caitlin doesn’t miss the way Steph’s eyes soften at the sight of you conversing with the little girl.

“My name is Grace” she tells you, this time a bit more confident. 

“You have a beautiful name Grace” her smile only seems to widen and she fiddles with her fingers behind her back as she stares at you with big eyes.

“Could you give me your hand pumpkin’?” Grace untangles her hands from behind her back and you put your gloves on each hand. Just as you finish, the referee signals that it’s time to walk out and you stand back up to grab Grace’s hand again, exchanging another grin with her.

When the national anthems come to an end and the mascots make their ways off the field, the girls beside you aren’t surprised to see your team coat hanging off the little girl’s shoulders instead of yours. Your focus is elsewhere as you clap hands with the French team, greeting past teammates with a smile as they move on and you hug Wendie and Selma before you take your place up front with Emily and Mary. 

The crowd is loud, the sold out stadium is standing tall for the Matildas and you take a moment to look around and breathe in deeply before you zero out the noise of the audience and compose yourself as the whistle is blown. 

The game is immediately off to an intense start and Tony can tell within the first 20 minutes that this would be a long game. You only hope you would be able to progress farther than you have the last two times you played in a world cup quarter final with the Matildas. 

Alanna and Katrina are playing their hearts out in the back, clearing balls after balls and you wonder just how surprised the French must feel. 

Going into the game you were well aware of the fact that France are ranked the better team, you knew it, the girls knew it, Tony and the fans knew it and the French were more than proud of their title. However, the Matildas show just how much numbers and lists are worth by keeping almost equal possession of the ball. Surely, judging by Hervé Renard’s reaction he expected his team to score early on. 

That wasn’t going to happen any time soon though.

Australia is playing the game of their lives with Caitlin making run after run and Kyra’s master dribbling, not to mention Mackenzie’s saves. 

The team head off the field with their heads held high and the score stuck at a 0-0. The cheering and shouts in the stadium are loud as ever and it only boosts the team’s confidence. You wondered if the atmosphere was similar in the other stadiums they were broadcasting the match in. 

“Come on girls! We’re doing great and I’m proud of all of you” Tony doesn’t waste time as he starts his half time speech and you eagerly listen to what he’s saying, twisting your bottle’s cap in thought.

“But we need to be quicker. Our defense is good but so is theirs and we saw how quick they were with their counter attacks.” the coach turns to the board in front of him as he points out different plays he thinks Caitlin and yourself could make, also handing out instructions to the midfielders and clapping the rest on the back. Tony ends his speech and your focus is shifted to your favorite defender as she stands. 

“When we go out there again, I want you to believe you’re winners. I want you to hear the crowd, to see the massive amount of fans out here. I want you to connect with each other and I want you to play like this is the last game you would ever play. And I want you to enjoy it, enjoy it and show them why we’re here!” Steph’s captain's speech makes goosebumps rise over everyones skin and a bigger fire is ignited in the girls’ eyes, a deeper desire to win. 

You nod to your girlfriend as your eyes connect in the team huddle and Steph nods back at you as her lips curl a little.

With a final ‘Up the Tillies!’ and claps to the back, Australia steps foot on the pitch for the second half.

As much as you try to bring Tony’s speech to life,you fall short to Caitlin. Half of the opposing team knows you from your four years spent in Lyon, they know you and they know the way you play. If that wasn’t enough, the other half of them were your rivals while playing in the French division and so the PSG players are aware of your skills and tricks too. It makes it practically impossible for you to even get close to the goal because you’ve got at least three defenders on your back at all times. Which in return makes it difficult for Mary and Emily beside you, and Caitlin who’s probably ran half a marathon by now. 

“Fuck off Élisa!” tension is rising between you and the defender who only smirks at you in return. De Almeida had just made a goal line clearance from Mary’s shot and less than a minute after play resumed, she was tackling you to the ground.

It angered you so much. You wanted to play well and to help your teammates but you simply couldn’t. Your heart is beating out of your chest and you huff out another frustrated breath.

“Hey, come on. Don’t be so hard on yourself” Caitlin’s arm finds its way around your shoulders as Karchaoui is treated by the medics and you throw your head back at her words.

“Cait, I want to play and I can’t do anything with them on my ass! Élisa has a boot shoved up there at all times and I basically have no influence on the game.” you explain to her in a rush. It was currently nearing the end of added injury time and the score was still an underwhelming nothing.

You couldn’t keep track of the amount of saves your sister has made and the number of shots Hayley and Sam had on goal, you didn’t need to though because the French keeper was there to save them every time and so it didn’t matter much.

“We’re playing as a team, bug. Your struggle is my struggle, my struggle is your struggle. You just wait Y/N/N, we’ll show them what ‘Never say die’ means.” Caitlin with her wise words again. The older girl rubs your arm and shoots you an encouraging smile as you join your teammates in a drink break before extra time would start. She was right though, there was no blaming one person for the scoreless game. 

A hand settles on your lower back as you listen to Tony and the assistant coach, slowly sipping on your drink. You turn your head just a little to see and big brown eyes shine in the lights of the stadium, a look in them reserved just for you. 

“Look at them…” Steph trails off as she nods towards the stands and you follow her instructions, lifting your head.

A sea of gold and green flooded the stands, excited yells echoing in the sold out stadium, smiles on faces and a glint in the young girls’ and boys’ eyes. Signs are held high and you notice just how many of them have your name on them, Y/n Arnold. The Matildas fans are decked out in yours and your teammates jersey and you swear your heart calms its rapid beating. They believed in you, they were here for you and they have your backs and they had faith in you, in every single one of you. 

“It’s so beautiful” you whisper to the brunette, somehow still being heard over the noise of the fans. Steph’s eyes remain on you however, a small smile playing on her lips as she squeezes your waist. 

“So beautiful” she concludes as well and you turn to face her, nodding to yourself.

“We are winning it for them, yeah” you’re rewarded with a proud smile and a determined nod from your captain. Eventually you retake your position on the field but you exchange a few words of encouragement with Mackenzie before you do so. And then you’re back in the game.

Fouls and corners are handed out one by one but none result in goals for either team, even Alanna’s own goal had thankfully been disallowed because of Renard’s foul on Caitlin inside the box. The look on the blonde’s face was priceless and if you weren’t fighting for your life in this match you would’ve laughed at her. 

Courtnee’s fresh legs instantly make an impact as she is subbed in for Hayley but it goes just wide and before you know it the second half of extra time has started. 

“Nugget, come on” Mackenzie has an arm reaching for you as you slowly walk towards the side lines, absolutely exhausted but you wouldn’t back down until your team would win.

You lean into her side as she wraps and arm around you and your sister momentarily rests her head on yours. The goalkeeper's presence brings you a sense of homely comfort and she smiles down at you while leading you towards one of the physios. You join Caitlin on the grass and the two of you get a quick massage to your hamstrings just to relieve some tension and for the pair of you to be able to continue on for the possibility of a penalty shootout. 

The French are attacking again but Mackenzie manages to tip the ball over the crossbar with a magnificent save and the crowd roars. Then not long after Steph takes a corner that Caitlin connects with but it’s deflected by the other team’s defense. 

This looks and feels like a game that is destined for penalties. 

Your eyebrows almost raise to your hairline as you see the French goalkeeper be subbed off and Durand replacing her. You look towards the rest in surprise and your eyes connect with Mary’s who’s sporting a similar expression to yours.

When a second later another substitution is announced you whip your head around to see the number 5 glowing in red. A near victorious smirk graces your lips as you watch De Almeida walk off angrily and Caitlin cannot help but laugh at your antics. Élisa being taken off makes your job a lot easier, if not for anything else at least she wouldn’t be there to annoy you and try to rile you up for the last few minutes of the match.

Your smirk is washed off your face when the whistle is blown and the referee instructs the two teams to line up for the penalty shootout.

A shallow breath leaves your mouth knowing just how much pressure would be on each of your teammates who would have to step up and take the penalty. You trusted Mackenzie enough to know she’d do her best but you were still nervous for the next shot. 

You stand between Alanna and Mini, anxiously shifting from foot to foot as Selma Bacha stands behind the ball. She pulls her leg back, fires and- a shout leaves you as you clap for your sister, Mackenzie has dived after the ball and made an immaculate save. Caitlin next and you squeeze Alanna’s waist.

“She’s got it” you breathe out watching as the forward doesn’t even look in the keeper’s eye.

“OF COURSE SHE DOES!” the blonde screams next to you when Caitlin celebrates and you feel yourself gain even more confidence in the team as the crowd erupts in cheers. 1-0.

Diani steps up, she takes it and Mackenzie barely has time to react. Your heart breaks a little for your sister who gets up from her knees with a deep breath. 1-1.

Steph, she’s been absolute class with penalties this whole world cup and all of you are certain she will fool Durand, easy peasy. She takes it, it goes to the right, almost an exact copy of Selma’s shot and the French saves it. Steph steps back with slight disappointment and your heart squeezes painfully at her misfortune. 1-1. 

Wendie Renard slots it past Mackenzie easily and you clench your jaw in frustration but manage to give your sister an encouraging nod. She’s got this. You’ve all got this. 1-2.

Your heart speeds up as your captain places the ball down, but just like with any other teammate, you all believe in her endlessly. And she doesn’t disappoint, how could the Sam Kerr ever disappoint? It goes past Durand’s outstretched hands and the net ripples. Sam celebrates, finally having a good touch on the ball after the past 126 minutes. 2-2.

Le Sommer, your former teammate reenacts Wendie’s goal but inverted it and the brunette in goal stays on her knees for a second to collect herself. The girls next to you are just as anxious, the whole line of Matildas is practically swaying left and right. 2-3.

“Come on Mare!” you shout after the girl as she walks by and you watch proudly as she gets her payback on Durand, shooting left as the French dives right. The fans are loud and you don’t blame them, knowing at this rate you’ll lose your voice before you get to finish the penalties. 3-3.

Perisset steps up, shoots- oh it hits the goalpost! You can’t contain the squeak that comes out of your mouth but you try to downplay your celebrations. It seemed like the goalpost was on Australia’s side tonight. 3-3.

And you take back that last statement immediately as Mackenzie’s shot hits the other goalpost. 

“Fucking hell” Alanna curses next to you and you can only agree with her when you see your sister deflate like an overused ball. 3-3.

Geyoro’s ball is almost saved and your mouth is hung open ready to cheer for Mackenzie but it goes just past her fingertips. The crowd boos as the French celebrate. 3-4. 

Katrina detaches herself from you and she takes her place behind the ball. It’s a rocket of a shot and the french keeper can’t stop it from going in. Australia screams along to your team’s celebrations and you grin as Mini mimics a rocking motion as she celebrates. That goal was dedicated to Harper. 4-4.

Just one more to go.

Karchaoui and it bounces off the crossbar and into the goal, Mackenzie’s fingertips just grazing the ball. The French team is going crazy next to you and you have to take a second to compose yourself and cling onto that strand of hope. 4-5.

 If Tameka misses the next one, Australia’s world cup dreams are over. They would be over and you wouldn’t even have silverware to give to the country. You shake your head to get rid of those thoughts, reminding yourself that you were professional athletes and were meant to be able to deal with these situations.

And deal with it is what Tameka does, sliding in that ball in the bottom left corner. The stadium goes wild and so does your team, all clapping her on the back and shouting praises at her.

She had just saved your asses and with what an amazing goal she saved it with. 5-5.

This had been the seventh penalty. At this point there’s no ‘just one more to go’ in your mind, with how it has been so far these penalties were going to be never-ending. 

Lakrar doesn’t waste a second after the whistle is blown and Mackenzie goes the wrong way as the ball goes down the middle. The players in blue are celebrating like they know they’ve just won it all and you swear you can feel De Almeida’s devilish smirk directed towards you, even though you’re faced away. 5-6. 

 Your sister is disappointed in herself, that much is clear but she stops you just as you move away from your teammates. 

“Take a deep breath Y/n, you know you can do it, we all know you can. I believe in you sis” she tells you sincerely as you look up at her and you bite the inside of your cheek at her words. Your time to give a reaction is cut short as the referee urges you to take your place behind the ball.

The fans are up on their feet, hands gripping the cold metal railing in distress and you feel all the nerves settle in even more. If you make it, you’re still in the game. If you don’t…you don’t even want to think about it. And to be the cause of your country’s loss, you’d never forgive yourself for that.

You get a few more seconds to get your shit together as the referee assesses Durand who has stepped off her line and you take in a deep breath, just like Macca told you to.

A wave of adrenaline washes over you and as the referee blows her whistle again you pull back and strike the ball with all your power. You don’t move an inch from your position at the penalty spot and your eyes follow the movement of the ball, the fans leaning forward in their seats. It goes straight towards the keeper and you feel your knees buckle underneath you, you’re ready to give up but then it curls harshly, the ball not even spinning as it hits the top right corner. 

It’s silent for a second, at least for you as blood rushes to your ears but then you’re back and you’re screaming and you are jumping into your sister’s arms and the fans are jumping up and down with you.

6-6. 

You saved your country from a loss. And a smile resides on your face as Kenza Dali takes her own shot, if she misses- well you know you’re going through, you’re confident in the girls.

Mackenzie dives and she pushes the ball wide, screaming towards the stands as she celebrates, the rest of you copying her. But your celebrations are short lived as the referee blows her whistle, instructing Kenza to redo the penalty. 

“What the fuck for?!” you yell in fury, upset that she might’ve just ruined this moment for your sister. When she announces that Mackenzie has stepped off her line your shoulders drop. As opposed to you, your sister stays calm and collected, she’s in complete control of the situation and you straighten up at that. She believed in you and you believed in her. 

“Just wait for it” Alanna turns to you, the defender is just as confident in your sister as you are and she shoots you a smirk. If anyone could save this crucial penalty, it was Mackenzie Arnold.

Dali strikes the ball thinking she might outplay your goalkeeper as she sends it in the same path as the previous one but Mackenzie hunts it down like a prey and Kenza holds her head as your sister stares down the referee. The cheeky bugger! Once the save is awarded to her she turns to the crowd yelling before she joins the rest of you. 6-6.

Courtnee glances back at the team once before focusing her attention on the ball. You know she’s going to score, she never missed a penalty before.

The crowd in the stadium are loud, already clapping her on before she even takes the shot. She runs up, leans forward and pulls her leg back, when it comes back down it hits the ball with power and it sails through the air.

Durand dives and the ball is there, the ball is there but Durand doesn’t get a hand on it- IT GOES IN! 7-6.

The Matildas are through to the semi-finals! If Australia was loud before, well they’re deafening now as they go wild in their screams of cheering.

Courtnee takes off in a sprint and the rest of you follow her as you scream her name and dog pile each other, a massive sense of relief and joy overflowing in your systems. The subs run in too and Courtnee finds herself in the middle of the group hug, eyes welling up. 

“YES VINEY!” “FUCKING YES MATE!” 

The atmosphere, you’ve never felt this before and your team celebrates wildly, jumping up and down, screaming and happy tears running down some of your cheeks. 

“Oh my god, we’re through!” your disbelieving tone makes Hayley chuckle and she takes your face into her hands, the smile on her face larger than you have ever seen it be.

“We fucking are, we are fucking winning this shit!” she brings you into a bone crushing hug and you let out a teary laugh at her choice of words.

You back away for just a moment, eyes searching for a tall brunette and when you spot her you see her also looking for you. You’re in your sister’s arms in an instant, tightly clinging on to her as she spins the two of you around, laughs escaping both of your mouths as you hug her head close to your chest.

“Macca, you’re my fucking hero!” you pull back just enough to see her face and she breaks out in a toothy grin, her eyes shining with pride and ecstasy and just about every emotion possible as she lets you back down to your feet. 

“No, you are my hero!” she counters as she cups the back of your neck, leaning down slightly to be at your height. Her words mean the absolute most to you, and the proud look on her face means even more, just like the proud look on yours- it makes both of your hearts swell.

A confused glint flashes in Mackenzie’s eyes as you take her gloved hands into yours but you only continue grinning as you get down on one knee, bowing your head in front of her gloved hands. Those hands have been the ones to save Australia’s ass so many times and you give your sister the praises she deserves even if it’s in the form of a silly bow. Mackenzie throws her head back with a loud watery laugh but the picture taken of the two of you makes headlines the following morning, newspapers filled with Vine’s diVine  game winning goal and Mackenzie’s amazing saves.

Celebrations are taken to the changing room and then to the bus until half the team passes out in exhaustion and the last 20 minutes of the bus ride back to camp is silent, hushed whispers the only thing heard from the few that are still awake, yourself included.

You finally had the chance to talk to your one and only, and that’s exactly what you were doing. 

Your arm is lazily hanging over Steph’s right shoulder as she whispers to you, her body turned towards you. You’re playing with the ends of her hair behind her back but you give her all your attention as you listen to her, the smile on your lips never leaving your face. 

“You did so good today, pretty girl” it makes her face flush and she looks away for a second, a massive smile taking over her features and you have to stop yourself from giggling at the lovesick look in her eyes.

“But I missed that penalty-”

“It doesn’t matter, you played amazing all throughout, Stephy. And that half time speech, my god!” you cut right in and tell her just how it was. The defender drops her head to your shoulder and then tucks it into the crook of your neck as your arms wrap around her to bring her closer.

“You were amazing too” she murmurs into your skin and you bury your nose into her hair.

Mackenzie watches the interaction from just a few rows in front of you, the ghost of a smile on her lips as she turns to Caitlin next to her.

“Why didn’t you tell me they’d be so cute?” she’s met with an incredulous look and a beat of silence passes before the forward next to her deadpans. 

“Because of your initial reaction!?” 

“Oh..right. Forgot about that.” 

The following days your training sessions are focused on defensive work and quick counter attacks. You were getting ready for the semi final against England, ranked second in the world.

Part 2 to I Miss you and Never Say Die¹

Word count: 3,8k

On the morning of the semi finals you’re found dancing around in the common room of base camp, a spiderman mask on your face as you attempt to moonwalk.

“Yeah, Harps! Shake that booty, shake it, shake it!” you exclaim to the small girl next to you who’s decked out in the rest of the spiderman costume.

The costume was gifted to the birthday girl but she left the mask laying there as she got up to do a happy dance and you pulled it on right away, with Mini’s okay.

 The now two year old is squealing excitedly as the two of you dance to the music in the background and you take her small hands into yours and fool around with the limited dance moves you know. 

Charli is giggling at the two of you from her place on one of the beanbags, a phone in her hand recording the two of you while Kyra and Mini are close to wheezing at your moves. 

“Go Harps, go Harps!” Charli cheers from behind the phone and you shoot her a cheeky wink as you level up your moves, though not like she can see that under your mask.

Kyra can no longer take it as she rolls off her beanbag, wheezing into the floor as your shoes squeak. You look absolutely ridiculous with your sister’s goalkeeper shirt and your Matildas shorts on and the spiderman mask on your head. At this point even Katrina isn’t trying to hold back her laughs and you eventually stop, dropping your hands to your sides as you lean your head to the side, looking at them defeatedly- more like attempting to see through the small holes on the mask.

Harper doesn’t seem to care much as she continues dancing in front of you and the three can only watch on with giggles. 

You end up reposting the video Charli has posted on her own story, wishing the mini Mini a happy 2nd birthday. By the time the rest of your teammates make it down to have their breakfasts you’ve already tired out the toddler and the two of you lay on the carpet at the back of the cafeteria.

Harper has crawled on top of you and her head is tucked under your chin with her small hands gripping your shirt. It isn’t only Katrina’s heart that melts at the sight but also Steph’s who smiles dreamily, momentarily forgetting about the toast on her plate. 

Kyra throws herself onto the ground next to you and then tucks herself into your side, your best friend laughing as you groan at the impact. The dreamy look is immediately wiped off Steph’s face as she stares on, trying to be subtle about the way she glares when Kyra’s nose brushes against your cheek. Just a moment later the three of you are joined by a blonde and Charli grins at Harper on top of you, the defender placing her head on your shoulder. 

“I’ve never seen you look jealous before” Emily breaks her out of her staring and her voice makes the brunette jump.

“I am not jealous” Steph is met with raised eyebrows, clearly Eve wasn’t buying a word she said.

“I’ve got nothing to be jealous of. She’s always been very close with them.” It sounds more like she’s telling herself and the blonde next to her chuckles at her tone.

“Exactly. And at the end of the day, she’s yours” Emily shrugs as Steph smiles, truthfully not worried about the situation at all. Before she gets to open her mouth a voice cuts in from the other end of the table, the goalkeeper’s voice loud and clear.

“Are you two talking about my sister?”

“What, no!”

Heavy breaths leave your mouth as you pant and you lean over with your hands on your knees to get more oxygen into your lungs. You had just sprinted the length of the field but before you could align yourself with the ball, it had been cleared by Alex Greenwood. 

Sam pats you on the back as the two of you make your way back to your side and you give her a grateful look. 

It was only the 50th minute of the game and with Ella Toone’s goal in the first half, England were currently leading. Both teams are very strong and although your legs are still somewhat sore from the quarter finals, you wanted to be ready for your team.

The Matildas have had their chances with Caitlin and Mary making amazing crosses but neither you or Sam have been very successful with your attempts, only two on target. But you knew this would never be easy, it was a world cup semi-final after all, the Matildas’ first one at that. 

You know Sam has it in her to turn the tables and clearly the fans want to see her world class skills as well. There’s a split second when you get the ball passed to you that you notice the space the English have left for you and you dribble the ball just closer to the halfway line.

You know your team has been relying too much on Sam in this game but she’s your best chance and frankly, the only one you see near you as you move away from Alex Greenwood.

Two defenders follow you close by and it gives Sam the opportunity to break free from her own defenders. You send the ball right in front of her and she takes off with it. When she gets just close enough she looks up at Mary Earps’ positioning one last time before the ball sails past Bright and Carter, Greenwood already hot on her trails. 

The fans celebrate as it goes above Mary’s hand and into the goal, Sam is running around and she cups her ear, shouting something about how the Tillies never give up and then she’s brought into a group celebration.

“There you go Sammy!”

The score is 1-1 at the 63’ minute and it is clear both teams are starving for a goal to give them the lead, perhaps the game winning goal.

England’s defense is crazy good and it takes one mistake from your team to give them the lead. Lauren Hemp had gotten herself on the ball and you knew how fast she was. You kept up with her for a good while but it wasn’t enough for you to actually get the ball away from her. When you see Ellie coming in hot from the corner of your eye you suddenly slow down and let her take over. The lack of your presence confuses Lauren who visibly stutters in her movements and Ellie attacks in this moment.

She goes for the ball, jumping from Hemp’s left side to the right but her feet just graze the ball and it doesn’t affect Lauren one bit as she slides to push the ball through the goal line. 2-1 to England in the 71’ minute.

 You groan into your shirt as the English run around in celebration but you make sure to get to Ellie and pull her off the ground. The blonde is wearing a dejected look, disappointed in her miscalculated moves and you clutch her bicep as the other team calms down.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it, it was a good try” she reluctantly nods at you and you add one last bit that has her nodding more confidently. “You’ll get her back”

And she does. Many times. You’re in awe of the way her and Steph seem to be connecting at the moment despite being on two different sides of the field. It is the third try England have at the goal but Ellie sweeps the ball away from Alessia before the other blonde can even think about scoring. 

You’re only following Tony’s orders, just like the rest of your teammates and so nearly every time you get the ball you try to set it up for Sam, you try to make space for her and you cross it to her each time.

It is clearly exhausting her out as well, the raven haired girl getting passes from everyone, all of you waiting for her to just equalize. You knew it wasn’t right to rely on her so much but you felt like time was running out and the girls were in slight panic. Your heart skipped a beat each time Sam was just a step away from scoring, each time Earps made a save. 

You can see how frustrated your friend is and you can’t blame her. Poor Sam had the whole world waiting for her to change the game. Her eyes connect with yours, they’re upset and slightly tired eyes and your heartbeat slows just a little. She had too much pressure on her, with three defenders on her at all times it was a miracle that she was even able to move away from them and receive each cross. 

“We should try it from the other side” the two of you walk side by side as you’re given a moment to breathe, Sarina subbing in Laura Coombs for Ella Toone. 

Sam seems to instantly understand what you’re trying to say and her face lights up just a little, more than open to any ideas that didn’t all end with her facing Earps one on one and three defenders glued to her side.

“Like in training yesterday? The Thach weave or whatever?” the forward replies enthusiastically, recalling how the set piece you named after an aerial formation had worked so well in the scrimmage you played. 

“Yeah, you on the left me on the right” you explain and nod to her rapidly as you part ways and jog back to your position. Sam raises a thumbs up into the air and a smirk plays at your lips, your game face back on. 

Just a few minutes after Coombs’ substitution, Kyra manages to rid the ball of her and she hands it over to Courtnee. Like every time before, she passes it to Sam and Carter is immediately on her. Millie Bright is on her way too however they’re both utterly confused when instead of moving forward Sam goes across the pitch and to towards the other sideline.

They follow her close by though and when you run by the three, yourself making your way to where Sam was just moments ago, the English players don’t realize Sam had slid the ball over to you and they follow her until she stops running. The cheeky smile on Sam’s face is everything as she watches you dive down on the side of the pitch, no one in sight, all of them having been focused on her and the rest of the England players were only trying to catch up to you. 

You force Mary off her line and you fake a shot as she gets closer. She drops to the floor to deflect it but the ball never comes and she can’t do anything as you instead chip it over her and into the goal. You’re buzzing as you jump into Sam’s arms and the girls in the dugout are up on their feet and celebrating your equalizer. 

“I fucking told you!” Sam is beyond ecstatic and you bask in her happiness for a moment as the pair of you get praised by your teammates. 2-2 in the 85’ minute of the match and you were close to the end. You could only pray that your team would manage to pull off another goal.

Nothing changes. Once again Sam is left alone at the front, yourself having to fall back a little and play a defensive role as well and your midfield are struggling with creating something. England are constantly attacking and you have subconsciously drifted back a bit to help out your defensive line which meant you were hopping around between Ellie and Emily, trying to block the opposition as much as possible.

Tension is rising and you’re all getting more aggressive though careful enough to not get carded. England aren’t playing nice either because they have started to be more pushy, shoving Caitlin and Sam any time they’re close. In the 90+3 minutes the match is called to an end and extra time is announced. As long as we don’t go into penalties, you thought, knowing how good England were at that.

You hang back a little, walking slower as you join the girls near Tony and take a drink. You squeeze yourself in under Alanna’s arm and listen to what the coach has to say.

Tony however, doesn’t change much in terms of tactics and he nods towards Sam, telling her she’s been doing good and to continue the way she has and that he’s counting on her. Your captain sighs heavily as she drops her head. It has been an exhausting match and you all have been relying almost solely on her, all the while she had defenders targeting her every second. 

Clapping each other on the back, you go back out onto the battlefield and squareup your shoulders, ready to fight.

Tony’s tactics aren’t doing good. England keep good possession of the ball and although Steph and Emily as well as Alex do a good job at chasing them down, the Matildas are struggling to make a move. 

Sam has been caged between Bright and Carter, Bronze hanging close by just in case but the Aussie captain is constantly sandwiched between them. 

By whatever miracle, the first half of extra time goes by relatively eventless. 

You take Kyra under your arm as you make a team huddle, Tony scratching his head in thought. 

Looking around at your teammates' exhausted faces, you feel a sense of disappointment shoot through your body, disappointed that you guys haven’t been able to change the scoreline. 

You usually wouldn’t butt into the coaches and captain’s tactical talks but the sudden rush of blood in your fingertips, the beads of sweat running down your forehead and the deep breaths let out from the girls around you prompts you to speak up.

You clear your throat, more in thought than asking for attention but Tony doesn’t hesitate to look towards you hopefully and you straighten up as you begin.

“I know it’s not looking too good for us right now and we’re all in our heads, but it's real simple. You got 15 more mins and that's it. And most of you have been playing this game for more than ten years. You got 15 more mins and that's it. After that we are going to the final and we won't leave until we win this world cup.” you start, making sure to hold eye contact with each and every one of your teammates, whether they still had influence on the game or they were subbed off and would most likely remain on the bench.

Your gaze connects with Sam’s again and you halt your speech for a moment. 

“I don’t care what we do as long as we win” it’s spoken with much determination from her and her eyes have a seemingly livelier look in them, ready for a change of tactics.

“Good. We need you in the middle, they are targeting you too much. We need the ball to go through you and they’ll be caught off guard when you don't immediately shoot. We need you to play an attacking midfielder role here. When the ball goes through you, and you pass it off to someone, they won't know what to do, they’ve got three players on you which means when you won’t have the ball they’ll basically be useless. Which then means the rest of us have 3 players less to worry about." Sam seems to be loving the idea and she enthusiastically nods along.

You’re pleased to find the rest of your team with expressions of similar determination and when you glance at Tony he shrugs with a smile, this could work. Steph swears she’s never felt more proud in her life and your passion for the game and for the team only made her fall deeper in love.

You add a few more points on where you think the team could improve for the following 15 minutes and then you end your speech with words so motivating, it would get anyone out of bed.

“I want you to take a moment and I want you to look each other in the eyes. I want you to put each other in your hearts forever, because forever is about to happen here in just a few minutes!” the shouts you receive are more than rewarding and your talk seems to reignite that last bit of fire left in everyone’s soul.

“NEVER SAY DIE!” 

You’re much more clinical in the second half of extra time, your defense is like the great wall of china and if that wasn’t enough, your sister was impersonating a brick wall in the goal. Sam had initially gotten back into her previous position, but that was good, you wanted to fool the English.

The time is ticking and you have got four minutes left, four minutes to change the score, to turn this game around, to not go into penalties, to continue your world cup dream. Everything would break or blossom from these last few minutes.

And fool them you did. 

Alex dives for the ball as it rolls from under Daly’s foot and she sends it towards Kyra. With a good play between Kyra and Caitlin, the ball gets to Sam and instantly Bright and Carter start to sprint with her, once again towards the goal. And Sam goes towards the goal but then the Australian lobs the ball out to the side, confusion setting in as seemingly she just passed the ball to no one.

No one is the someone who comes running like her life depends on it. The ball hasn’t even touched the ground yet and you half jump in your run, striking the ball hard, your laces connecting with it and it soars through the air.

A collective intake of breath is heard around the stadium, the Matildas fans rising to their feet in anticipation and Mary jumps after the ball.

She doesn’t reach it! She doesn’t reach it and it goes in just under the crossbar! 3-2 to Australia in the 117' minute.

Screaming and screeching you run towards Sam and she motions to you with a come hither motion. You understand what she’s hinting at and the two of you run together before hitting Sam’s favorite celebration in sync. The backflips make the crowd go even more insane and the girls surround the two of you in their own yells of joy. 

“We did it!” chants of your name makes you crumble to the ground and into Sam’s and Caitlin’s arms in the overwhelming feeling and they pull you into them, yourself clinging to the brunettes as it all sets in. Australia was going to the final. 

When you’re back on your feet a hand cups the back of your neck and pulls you into a bone crushing hug. You reciprocate it as you hold Steph close to you, the brunette’s tears wetting your shoulder.

“I’m so proud of you, Stephy baby! 

“That was such a beautiful goal, puddin’!” both are spoken at the same time and it makes the two of you laugh as you separate. The smiles on your faces are bright and you resist from intertwining your fingers with your girlfriends.

“I could literally kiss you right now” the defender breathes out with a chuckle and you bite your lip at the thought.

“Me too” but not yet, not here with the whole world watching.

You eventually find yourself making your rounds with the fans, a Bronze jersey hanging over your bare shoulder, having swapped with the England player. The two of you knew each other well from your time in Lyon and you comforted her while she expressed her joy for you. 

Kyra barrels into you with a laugh and the two of you hug once again before Kyra presses a sloppy kiss to your cheek. Clearly your best friend was overjoyed by the team’s win.

“You’re being obvious”

“She’s practically making out with Y/N’s cheek” Steph huffs out, arms crossing over her chest as she watches Kyra hug your shirtless body. Caitlin and Alanna laugh next to her and she rolls her eyes at the two.

You’re only slightly surprised when later you are cornered in the shower rooms by Steph.  She immediately latches onto you and kisses you hotly, the bruising kiss taking your breath away and making your world spin as you grip onto her waist. Her hands are all over you, her mouth claiming you as hers and you push yourself more into her.

The brunette tugs on your lip gently and then she sucks on it lightly to ease the slight stinging, your breathing picks up and you’re just about to reach under her shirt when you hear a voice just outside the door.

“Stephanie Catley, you better not be getting it on with my little sister in there!” Mackenzie shouts, making the girls in the changing room burst out in laughs. Steph groans and you give her an apologetic look, giving her another peck in exchange for your sister’s behavior. 

You almost forget about the media duties Sam and Tony have but you pay attention to the TV in the locker room as you pull on a clean shirt.

“They’re talking about you” your sister takes a seat next to you and she turns up the volume so you could hear what Tony was saying.

“I like it when Y/n takes control of a situation because the outcome is always good. These players have it in them, they know they can win but sometimes they need someone to unite them, and to remind them of what they are capable of, maybe to get their heads back in the game.  And Y/n is there to step up and take the lead” Tony’s words have you flushing as the girls cheer you on and you lean your head on Mackenzie’s shoulder.

“Do you think Y/n Arnold could be captain?”

“Oh most definitely-”

“One day” Sam intervenes, a good-naturedly teasing tone to remind you that she’s captain for now, and of course Steph. You wouldn’t have it any other way though.

With your hand grasped tightly in your girlfriend’s and her lips kissing your cheek, you fall into a peaceful slumber on the bus back to camp, too tired from today’s semi final to keep your eyes open for any longer.

“I love you” it’s whispered into your hair and you smile to yourself, leaning up slightly to kiss Steph lightly.

“I love you more”

Requests:  im sooooo loving the keira leah and georgia trio 😍😍😍😍 could I request a oneshot where the three have grown into Y/N’s older sisters and best friends. In their next game Y/N gets left bloody like Melanie Leupolz during the Chelsea match. Except this time the three see that the injury is much worse as Y/N is unresponsive, their favorite player who was happily playing with them 20 minutes ago now in danger

could you write something with leah keira and georgia being like big sisters to R? and like teasing her but also being very protective of her? thank you love your works

Word count: 4k

“GEE!!” a shriek accompanied by loud giggles echo through the corridors of the stadium and many of your teammates look back at the source of the sound. You’re running past Alex, a cookie in your hand and giggling like a maniac as you attempt to run away from Georgia who is chasing you.

“GIMME BACK MY COOKIE!” her booming voice only makes you throw your head back as you swerve in and out through the line of teammates filing into the stadium’s changing room. Georgia can’t help it anymore as she also breaks out in fits of giggles, her arms outstretched towards you as you just manage to slip away from her. 

The girls amusedly watch the two of you running around and they chuckle as you slip and fall on your bottom, Georgia crashing onto the ground too. You let out a loud groan as Georgia snatches the cookie back from you and in the same move she shoves the whole thing in her mouth. 

“Crackheads, those two, absolute crackheads.” Leah points to behind her as she grins at the camera, shooting it a cheeky wink that makes the cameraman laugh as he captures the England Lionesses arriving at the Brentford Community Stadium.

Georgia sticks her tongue out at you and you pout at her silliness, arms crossing over your chest. The brunette in front of you laughs at you and you look to the redhead approaching for help.

“Kie, Gee is being mean!”

“AM NOT!” she protests as Keira pulls you off the ground before throwing an arm around your shoulders. 

“Let’s go girls. Warm ups start soon.” she nods towards the changing room where most of your teammates are waiting and Georgia ruffles your hair before skipping off. You grumble as you try to fix your hair but Keira poking at your cheek makes you look at her. Upon doing so you’re met with a cookie in your face and a cheeky smile on her face as you take it from her. 

“Shh, don’t tell Gee” she winks at you and you hug her waist as the two of you enter the changing room, your mouth full.

Leah, Keira and Georgia have become your best mates in the England camps and you cherished your friendship with them very much. You were much younger than the other three, standing at a rough 19 years of age and they instantly took you under their wings when you made your debut for the national team earlier this year. The trio had unofficially adopted you as their younger sister which they had been teased for by the other girls but they would only smile at their words as they’d pull you into their side and ruffle your hair, saying something about how you were ‘the team baby’. 

 All four of you played in different positions with Leah all the way back in defense, Kei and Georgia as the midfielders and you upfront as a forward. You had only recently made a name for yourself but it didn’t take long for you to become a fan favorite.

You grew up playing for Arsenal’s youth teams and despite being moved to the first team a year ago, you hadn’t had the chance to show just how good you were. The tragic injuries of Mead and Miedema had forced Jonas to experiment with his other players though, giving you, Frida, and Stina more game time, which had proved to be the right decision. Within two months you went from a last minute substitute to a constant starter and being recognized as the young star of the Reds. 

Leah had watched you excel on the field since your very first few minutes of your debut and she felt immense pride when you got your first start. She’s still in absolute awe of your talent every time you step on the field and she has kept you close to her at Arsenal too. She was one of your favorite people and you had even been on vacation with her family. Her mother often jokes that you’ve officially become a Williamson. 

Jonas knew that if it weren’t for ‘the main force at the front’ - referring to the team’s three goalscorers - he wouldn’t know what to do since Arsenal had been cursed with so many injuries. Similarly to your debut for the reds, you got your debut for the England Lionesses because of the number of injured players as well. 

Sarina had kept an eye on you all of last season and as an Arsenal fan herself she was excited to see what you would bring to the team. She had instantly put you in the starting line up, which was shocking to not only the fans but you as well. Nonetheless, you didn’t disappoint as you served two assists in the same match and then being named the player of the match. You only got better after and it was a no brainer for Sarina to have you play in the final of the Finalissima. 

Your journey had only just begun and you were already suspected to be a future Ballon D’or winner. Keira loved to remind you of this and since joining Barca she has frequently brought your name up to Alexia Putellas. When she first mentioned your name Alexia had confirmed that she knew about you and would love to meet you, gaining you a face time that Kei had arranged with one of your idols. 

You stand by the sidelines with Leah behind you, her arms around your shoulders as the two of you watch the girls start warming up. Your fingers curl around the blonde’s forearms as you lean back into her, finding safety in her arms. 

“You ready for this game?” she leans down to whisper to you and your eyes scan over the Australian players as you nod.

“Yeah” you pause as you spot Steph waving at the two of you and you wave back at her with a wide smile. You loved Steph and you had great chemistry on the field. “I’ve never played Australia before.” 

Leah tightens her hold on you as she presses a kiss to the top of your head. 

“But it’s going to be fine and you’ll be great. Besides, it’s only a friendly so just in case you panic, remember that.” she tells you, knowing how much pressure you felt and your need to prove your worth to England. You nod again as you look up at her smiling.

“You too Lee.” you tell her seriously. Just like her, you also knew about the stress she was experiencing especially as captain. 

“Yeah” she assures you before Georgia and Keira come bouncing over. 

“Come on Y/N warm up with me!” Leah shoots the brunette a look as she brings you even closer to her, refusing to let go of you.

“You’ve had her for long enough! It’s our turn now!” the midfielder demands, ball in hand as she tries to tempt you with it. “Come Y/N, follow the ball”

“Gee she’s not a dog!” Keira laughs at her and you untangle yourself from Leah’s hold. She gives you a hurt look, dramatically slapping a hand against her chest and you giggle at her antics.

“I’ll be back but you go with Kei, okay?” you negotiate with the two while Georgia is shouting at you from a distance as she urges you to hurry up. They nod at you as you walk away from them and Leah leans into her best friend’s side.

“She should come to Barca” 

“Aww Kei don’t start” the blonde jokes as she throws her head back, smacking at her friend’s shoulder. 

“What? Jonatan already has his eyes on her. She’d fit right in.” she explains to Leah who nods, understanding. Leah knows you’re bound to join the club sooner or later in spite of being a die hard Arsenal fan, but it would be a great move for your career…somewhere down the line. 

“But Arsenal needs her more” she points out. Keira is about to open her mouth to interrupt again and tell her that Jonas won’t give you or any of this season’s players minutes once his main strikers are back, but Leah cuts her off. “Let’s go warm up, we’ve only got a few more minutes and Sarina won’t be happy with us.” 

You start on the bench for this game, which you don’t mind because it gives you more time to observe the Australians playing style before you would be substituted in. It’s clear from early on that Sarina’s new line up isn’t working as well as she had hoped. Leah and Esme can’t seem to connect in the defense, Millie is obviously greatly missed from there and every shot on goal is either wide or offside. Despite this, England still manages to keep more possession of the ball, but you worry that won’t mean much if you can’t get a goal out of it. 

If the number of injuries wasn’t enough, another is added to the tally in minute 28, but thankfully nothing serious as Lauren is subbed off for you. Sarina’s hand remains on your shoulder as you wait for Lauren to get to the sidelines, a silent encouragement that she has faith in you to change the game. 

On your run to your position you get pats on the back from Georgia and Keira, both throwing a word of encouragement after you. You slowly exhale as you look over the opposition and your eyes connect with another pair of eyes. You look away as you feel a wave of anxiousness crash over you and you focus back on the game at hand as the match is resumed. 

“Come on Y/N” you mutter under your breath, eyes trained on the ball. 

All it takes is one chance. And Kerr proves that to you as she runs after the ball, hot on Leah’s tail. Leah heads the ball down for Mary but it unfortunately bounces before she can catch it in her gloved hands and Kerr’s foot has already connected with the ball. It’s a goal for Australia. 

Leah walks back with her head hung low as she wipes at her forehead, disappointed in herself. While the Matildas celebrate you take the time to jog to your friend who has turned into an older sister.

“It’s a friendly, Lee. Remember that. You’ve been doing great” you assure her as you squeeze her fingers and she sniffles when she gives you an unsure smile. You nod back at her, telling her to believe you. 

“As long as we have you on the field, I’m not overly worried” she uses flattery as a distraction from her mistake but you see right through it. 

“We’ve still got time to turn this around.” is the last thing you tell her before getting back into position. You’re not too worried about your game because you have Keira and Georgia backing you up as well as your other teammates. Leah recognizes this as well and within a second she has her game face back, ready to face whatever would come next.

It took you a few minutes to get used to the Matildas’ football but you feel like you’ve figured it out. It instantly shows in your game because you’re creating chances for Chloe and Alessia whenever you can. The ball possession remains on England’s side as your team pushes forward and the Australians are visibly taken aback as shots are fired at them. None finds the back of the net until Kerr loses the ball from a pass that Raso gives her. You’re quick to pick up the loose ball and in a blink of an eye you’re sprinting towards their goal, sending a screamer into the top bins. You run towards the corner flag in celebration, patting the badge on your heart as your teammates surround you. 

“There you go!”

“Yes Y/N!” Lucy and Georgia scream in ecstasy. England keep the ball in their possession until the halftime whistle is blown three minutes after your goal. A giddy smile resides on your face, still happy about your involvement in the game and confident that the girls would come out victorious. 

Sarina’s halftime speech isn’t very long but everything she could say is said. When England reenters the pitch, Australia is already out and finishing up their drinks break. 

Arms make their way around your shoulders and you hear a whisper next to you. 

“I heard you got a crush on an academy player” Georgia’s voice is laced with a teasing tone as the two of you walk to the field. You abruptly pull back and turn to her, eyes full of questions.

“Who told you?” the brunette raises her eyebrows at your lack of denial but her expression quickly morphs into a smirk. She shrugs but you already know the answer.

“Leah” she says nonchalantly and another voice cuts in.

“She didn’t need to.” Keira’s arm circles your waist as Georgia’s arm is placed back around your shoulders. You look at the redhead in confusion and the girl on your other side decides to elaborate.

“Every time you tell us about your academy days you mention her name” you blush furiously as you remember the amount of times you had unknowingly flashed the girls a dreamy look when talking about your best friend from the Arsenal academy. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” A chuckle leaves Georgia, there’s the denial. She shares a look with Keira who is giving you the same knowing look.

“Freya Godfrey. Does that ring a bell?” you can feel your face heating up and you hide in Keira’s shoulder as you listen to the two giggling at you. 

“Get away” you joke with them, pushing the both of them towards their positions on the field as you retake yours as well. You can still hear their giggles until they stop, getting ready for the game to restart. 

All seems to be going well as England better their tactics and keep the Australians on their toes. All seems to be going well as Chloe, Alessia, and yourself make a run towards their goal. All seems to be going well as Alessia delivers a wonderful cross to you. All seems to be going well until nothing is going well. 

You jump forwards to head the ball into the net and at the same time Sam Kerr tries to intercept. She also jumps, leg outstretched towards the incoming ball but she misses and instead of the ball she gets you. You can feel her studs sliding across your face before you land on the ground with a big thump. Searing pain takes over you as you lay face down on the grass, eyes stinging, nose feeling like it’s not in place and your head throbbing. Then suddenly you feel nothing as everything goes numb.

Kerr looks down at you, a horrified look on her face but the referee hasn’t blown the whistle yet and she feels obligated to run after the ball. Alessia is immediately screaming for the referee as you lay still while Keira instantly runs to your aid. It takes the ref around two minutes to finally blow the whistle and by that time Keira and Alessia have managed to turn you on your backside.

Your face is covered in blood, so much so that they can barely make out where your mouth is. 

“Oh no, no no” Keira is panicking as she looks you over and she starts waving for the medics. 

Georgia and Chloe are the next to get to you, both gasping in shock. Georgia feels sick to her stomach and she turns away from the sight of you all bloodied, opting to lean onto Rachel for support. Keira’s hand is on your knee as she calls out your name, waiting for any sign that you’re awake.

By the time Leah gets to you the medics are already making their way past Georgia and Rachel.

Leah’s face pales at what she sees and she drops to her knees next to you in horror. 

“Leah” Keira’s voice is broken as she searches for her captain's eyes. Her eyes remain on you however and she reaches a shaking hand out to your face, moving a strand of bloody hair from your forehead. Medics push them back as they try to assess the damage. 

Your three sisters watch in almost slow motion as they lift your head and wipe the blood from your face. They watch as the medics feel for a pulse and their panic only rises until they get a thumbs up and they allow themselves to let out the smallest exhales of relief. 

“She’s -” Georgia can't finish her sentence as her eyes water. Another wipe of your face reveals the cut on your cheek and nose. It also reveals the swelling of your nose and the misplacement of it. A broken nose. It’s not a big injury and you’d recover quickly but the way your face is now adorned with small cuts is not a pretty sight and it only makes your teammates even more worried.

“Oh my god” Leah wipes her eyes before the tears can fall. You have still yet to open your eyes or give them any indication that you were conscious. 

“What’s going on?” Keira questions one of the medics as they load you onto a stretcher.

“She’s likely passed out from the pain. She’s got a broken nose and maybe a concussion but that’s about it. She’ll need stitches for two of those cuts. We’re taking her to the medical room” the team is briefly told as the medic rushes the words out before he runs off after his colleagues.

The three stare after them as the medics carry you off the field, sorrowful looks painted across their faces as it sets in. Georgia huffs out a breath of frustration for not being allowed to go after you while the other two reflect on just twenty minutes ago when you were running around and scoring. 

The loss of your presence is immediately felt as Australia scores seven minutes later though it’s called off as an offside. The rest of the game goes by in a blur and the second the final whistle is blown and the teams have shaken hands, the trio are off towards the locker room in search of you. Hoping that you’re okay and sitting in your cubby with one of their hoodies draped over you like usual, waiting for them to get back.

Silence and emptiness is what greets them when they open the door of the changing room. They turn on their heels, marching to where they think the medical room is, to where you’d be. However, before they can reach it Leah is pulled back by a hand on her arm and she looks to one of the staff members. He wears an apologetic look on his face and she knows what’s coming.

“Now?! They want me to do a post-match interview now??!” she aggressively barks back but calms herself as she follows the staff member, urging Georgia and Keira to find you.

“Good evening Leah, sorry to hold you back, we’ve only got a few questions.” the interviewer tells her but she couldn’t muster up a genuine smile even if she tried. She speed runs the basic questions she always gets asked, her feet thumping on the floor as she looks behind the camera every few seconds, waiting for the signal that she can leave.

“Do you feel this tie is a setback?”

“Uh no. Absolutely not. Sometimes you have to take blessings in disguise. This friendly allowed us to experiment with different lineups and strategies which I think could help us greatly for the world cup.” she nods along to her words.

“Facing one of the top teams, top player. How hard was it to stop Sam Kerr ?”

“As a footballer you expect to go up against those top teams' top players. Obviously it’s hard, it’s a challenge but yeah, I think we nullified the threat pretty well. Obviously gifted that goal..” she pauses for a second as they replay the clip where she headed the ball towards Mary, effectively giving a goal to Sam.

 “You play top teams - watching it again, thanks for having that in front of me” she lets out a nervous laugh as she rewatches the clip. Your words echo in her mind and she wills herself to calm her nerves. 

“You play top teams, you play top players and when they’re in form sometimes that punishes us, but I think this has fueled the fire in us. It gives you a bit of fire.”

The interviewer nods at her answer as she checks over her questions and once again Leah finds herself glancing towards the doorway in hopes of getting away.

“Y/N L/N took a rough hit tonight in a nasty collision with Sam Kerr. She’s a recent addition to the team, what can you say about her as a player?”

Leah’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of you, her mind replaying the scene in front of her as you fell to the ground, when she saw your blood covered face, how you were unresponsive. She clears her throat as she tries to clear the images from her head.

“She’s pure class, a very talented young player and I believe she has got a very bright future ahead of her.” she says, voice full of determination as her eyes twinkle with pride but also worry.

 “Speaking of, may I?” she points a thumb to the side, asking if they could wrap up the interview.

“Yes, of course. Thank you for your time!”

“Yeah, thanks” she rushes out before jogging down the corridor to where the medical room is, anxiety and nervousness rising in her chest.

Upon opening the door a squeal greets her.

“Leeeeee!” your voice is nasally but it brings Leah so much comfort she could fall to the ground in relief. Georgia and Keira are sitting on either side of you, both holding onto your hand as they smile at their captain.

“Hey babes” she breathes out, taking long strides to your bed. She takes notice of your wrapped up nose and the stitching on your cheek. She gently runs a finger over it before she leans down to press a big kiss on your hairline. You grin up at her, nodding to the space next to your legs and she sits down.

“So?”

“Mild concussion, broken nose-”

“Not anymore!” you cut off Keira’s medical report, giggling to yourself. Leah raises an eyebrow at your state.

“No more broken nose then but she has stitches on the bridge of her nose and her cheek - as you can see” Leah scans your face before resting a hand on your thigh and giving you a gentle smile.

“I feel like a hamster.” you announced, flailing around your hand and Georgia’s. “You know in my dream there was this big big green truck? I named it Weelah Liliamson.”

The girls burst out laughing at your words, the air becoming lighter.

“Oh yeah, and she’s high on meds.” Georgia states, chuckling at your offended expression.

“I don’t get high, I’m a football player you know? You know I’m a football player? I play football!” 

“Yeah, yes I know” she giggles along.

“Don’t take drugs kids, no drugs.” you shake your head at her, eyes wide and bleary. 

“Okay Y/N/N, we’re taking you home yeah? You’re sleeping at mine.” Leah pats your thigh to gain your attention and you sit up straighter.

“We’re having a sleepover?! YESSS!” you cheer before falling back.

“Shhh. Yes, sleepover.” Keira confirms, helping you drink. An amused look in her eyes, only happy that you were feeling beter.

“You guys are my bestest friends, man I love you all so much” you mumble out, eyelids suddenly getting heavy. The three look at each other with wide smiles, their heart melting at your words and they watch over you as you fall back asleep.

Requests: the things i would do for a part 2 (or more:)) for princess charming/rölfö 

pls pls plscan we get a part 2 to princess charming?

Please let there be a part two. 

Word count: 3k

The long awaited part 2 to Princess Charming. I hope it was worth the wait :)

It’s not often that Fridolina stays up late. She almost never does. She valued her sleep too much to be awake for longer than necessary and everyone knew this. Which is why it surprises not only Mapi but also Magda, who’s three countries away from her, when they both get separate texts at 1am. 

Truthfully neither of her teammates should’ve been awake at this hour of the night either, but as the blondes’ eyes scan over the text, they think this is more important than getting their full eight hours of sleep. 

‘When did you know you were gay?’

Mapi’s first reaction is to grin, she grins so hard her lips almost split. She knows exactly why the Swede was asking such questions, or more so, who made her question it all.

Magda eyes the text with curiosity though, her brows furrowed together and her mouth hanging slightly agape. Was this real?

Meanwhile, Frido stares at her contacts list in nervousness as she bites at her nails, anxiously waiting for an answer from one of the two. She almost drops her phone on her face when it buzzes with notifications but she’s quick to reach for the device again. 

She gets two very different answers and she resists from rolling her eyes at one of them, only for the purpose of this actually being a serious topic for her.

‘I wasn’t completely sure until I met Pernille, but I knew the moment I looked into her eyes. Why, has anything happened?’ read the first from her captain and then her eyes moved lower to Mapi’s text.

‘Always. Girls are hot as fuck, respectfully. You fancy the German?’ her phone buzzes again.

‘Y/N Y/L/N is who I was referring to’ this time she doesn’t hold back the eye roll, though just a moment later she inhales sharply as she pictures your cocky smile in front of her. The blush that rises to her cheeks is inevitable and Fridolina pulls a face at her reaction, unsure how to digest her feelings. 

With a frustrated sigh the blonde drops her phone onto her nightstand face down and with another sigh she pulls the covers higher up her body. Frido allows herself to relax, ready to finally succumb to sleep. That doesn’t happen though, because she can’t let her mind rest. Or rather, her mind doesn’t allow her to rest. Her thoughts force her to stay awake for the next hour until exhaustion takes over her and her eyelids finally stay shut. 

The following days pass by in a similar manner; the blonde’s head in the clouds and her nails ruined from her constantly biting them. After Mapi’s initial text message, Frido assumed she would receive nothing but teasing remarks from the defender. And she did, Mapi León never one to disappoint in that area. However, she was pleasantly surprised when her friend decided to help her out, to help her figure out her feelings and her sexuality.

It was a big thing. The whole sexuality question. She had never questioned that part of herself before, always assuming that just like it was pictured in the films she grew up watching, she would have her blonde prince charming walk into her life one day and eventually there would be a ‘happily ever after’. 

It was crazy to think that all it took was one person for Fridolina to change her mind. Truthfully, it took one smile, one flash of your dazzling smile for her to pause for a moment and think about why there were butterflies in her stomach. Then it took her five days to come to terms with the possibility that you might’ve been her gay awakening. And on that same day, she realized that on top of all of that, she definitely had a thing for you. 

Some kind of thing. That’s all she could call it for now because it was so new to her, feeling like this towards a girl when she had never for a second questioned her sexuality in any way before.

Slowly though, Mapi helped her to understand these foreign feelings. Fridolina, in a weird way, was incredibly thankful for having so many gay teammates because they were all there for her, ready to answer any questions she had, ready to tell her about their own stories of ‘gay awakenings’. 

By the end of the month, she was comfortable enough with the knowledge that she wasn’t heterosexual and she allowed her friends’ teasing to resume. 

“So? Are you finally going to tell me who caused you to have your first ever gay panic?” Magda raised an eyebrow at her national teammate who couldn’t help but smile back at the screen of her phone.

“I don’t know” 

“What do you mean you don’t know?” the captain’s voice cracked through the phone’s speakers. Fridolina bit back a smile, her mind already elsewhere as she thinks back to the night of that match against Bayern. The way you smirked at her after your goal, how your eyes sparkled in a playful way as she fell on you, hips flush together. 

‘Easy there, pretty girl’ your words echo in her head, your voice makes her go crazy in ways she didn’t think possible but she secretly likes the feeling.

“You’re thinking about her, aren’t you?” Magda’s voice snaps her out of her daydreaming and her head snaps back towards the screen to find her captain smirking at her. Clearly, the deep blush coating her cheeks and the prolonged silence from her end of the call didn’t go unnoticed by the Chelsea captain. 

A sheepish look spreads across Frido’s face and she shrugs lightly, her smile confirming Magda’s question. 

“Come on tell me about herrr!” the excited whine makes both of them snicker before the taller of the two lets out a sigh, thoughts again occupied by you.

“She plays for Bayern Munich. And she’s strong, very strong - but all of them are, it’s like a Bayern thing - anyway. She looks so good in red. She’s like the next Alex Popp-” she’s cut off by a gasp, followed with a smack.

“Y/N Y/L/N?! SHE’S THE ONE?!” Magda exclaims loudly, gaining Pernille’s attention who’s sat a few feet away from her in the living room. Fridolina’s eyes widen, her brows furrowing in confusion.

“How did you-”

“Oh come on Frido, she's the top scorer in the Bundesliga and all of the German news is about her. ‘Y/N Y/L/N is the successor of German legend Alex Popp’. How do you not know?” the Swede recites the latest news article she’s seen and Pernille chuckles behind her girlfriend. 

“That just makes it sound like she’s Popp’s daughter” Frido pulls a face, once again. Magda now looks at her girlfriend and the two share a knowing look as she attempts to divert the topic of the conversation.

“Good choice though, very good taste” Pernille comments, now standing beside Magda as she rests an arm around her shoulders. Magda’s mouth falls open in mock hurt but the Dane is quick to ease her outburst. “What? I’m just saying she could have liked some weird hippie or something - I don’t know - as her first girl crush. Y/N’s a great choice.” 

“Yeah, I gotta give that to you” 

“Guys? I’m still here” Fridolina jokes but the two instead chuckle at her pink cheeks.

“We know, we’re talking about you in your presence.”  Magda shrugs cheekily before realization dawns on her and she grins at her Swedish teammate. “But this is perfect actually, you’ll get to see her soon!” 

“What are you talking about?” Fridolina almost drops the device in her hands, a sudden nervousness overcoming her senses.

“You guys have a friendly against the Germans this international break” Pernille informs her, seemingly knowing her schedule better than the Swede does. The couple eye their friend with slight concern as her face pales and brightens a shade of red at the same time. 

“Oh shit” 

Sure enough, just a week later Frido finds herself walking out behind her national teammates, clad in her yellow kit. She’s anxious as she subtly fidgets with the end of her shirt, yet as she turns her head to glance at your face, she knows it isn’t the game she’s nervous about. 

The match is pretty intense with both teams in their best forms but Germany manage to have more shots on goal than the Scandinavians. Unsurprisingly, it is you who scores the first goal of the game and when you celebrate you make sure to run past Fridolina, a smirk resting on your face as you raise an eyebrow in her direction. Frido can’t find it in herself to get upset at your antics, instead the tips of her ears redden and she tries to conceal the small smile on her face. 

It’s only when her eyes connect with her captain’s does she put on her game face again. She’d have time to admire you after the match. 

As much as the tall blonde tries to focus on the task at hand, it becomes apparent very quickly that she’s struggling. Just like last time, her gaze never wanders from you. It’s like you have some pull on her and more often than not the blonde has to snap back to reality after staring at you for just a bit too long. Her distraction doesn’t show in her play however, which she is incredibly thankful for but it isn’t enough for Sweden to equalize. 

The team clad in yellow does get one last chance to equalize before the final whistle would be blown and it’s in the form of a corner kick. Both teams crowd in the penalty box area and Merle Frohms can just barely see through the mass of footballers. 

The pull you seemed to have on Frido is now working in the opposite direction as you find yourself standing directly behind the blonde. It’s a tight space with both her and your own teammates pushing to get closer to one another and the goal, but amongst the many bodies, your hands find a place on your favorite Swede’s waist. 

Your hold is gentle yet firm - the opposite of your aggressive and intense style of play - and Frido immediately freezes at the touch, her eyes slightly widened and a light blush coating her cheeks. She takes a small step back as Hanna Glas’ ponytail swings in front of her and she finds herself pressed closer to you, your body heat warm against her back. 

Your own breath gets caught in your throat at close proximity and if the girl in your arms were to turn around she’d be met with a blushing mess, a rare sight from you. You swallow hard as your fingers twitch against her curves but you do pay attention to what is happening at the corner flag. 

Frido silently thanks her teammate for misplacing the ball and the referee whistling at her to fix the positioning, because it allows her to feel you close for just that bit longer. 

Her hands slowly come up to her waist and your hold loosens as you think she’s about to push your hands off. Fridolina is quick to grab them before they can leave her body and she holds them for just a second, contemplating what her move was going to be. However, your hands slip out of her fingers as you jump and head out the incoming ball from near your team’s goal.

 The blonde forward has her mouth hung open at the seemingly sudden and unexpected action. She lowers her head in embarrassment of not realizing that the corner had been taken and not doing her job at trying to head it in the goal. 

There’s not much time to dwell about her supposed mistake as just five minutes later the final whistle is blown, signaling the end of the friendly.

“Go to her” a voice rings out next to her while she shakes Lea Schüller’s hand and Fridolina turns to her captain. Magda nods her head towards your direction and her eyes follow. 

She’s met with the sight of your arm around Jule Brand’s shoulders, the young player leaning into your stronger body. The smile on your face is big and warm as you listen to Jule whose eyes shine with wonder as you press a kiss to the crown of her head. 

Fridolina’s insides melt at the protective and loving behavior from you, her heartbeat quickening as a smile washes over her expression.

“Are you sure I should?” 

“Ja, go Frido. This is your chance” Magda pushes at her shoulder gently, an encouraging expression on her face as she offers her friend a comforting smile. 

“Talk to her. She wants you too” the blonde nods in thought, wondering how Magda would know that, and her feet carry her towards you before she can think about quitting and turning around. 

The Wolfsburg player’s voice comes to a sudden halt as she eyes the Swedish woman in front of her, her head still resting comfortably on your shoulder. When Jule lifts her head and turns to you, it only takes her one look at the way you’re gazing at Rolfö and the curve of your smile to decide that she should leave the two of you alone.

“Good game” you break the silence as you stick your hand out. Fridolina’s smile is hard to miss as she takes hold of your hand but it soon turns into a nervous smile as her hand remains in your own. You’re not one to complain however and instead of letting go you gently pull on her hand.

“Come with me” you gesture towards the tunnel, far too aware of the amount of people watching from the stands of the stadium. The blonde gives you a nod and the two of you walk side by side holding hands as you hide in the tunnel. 

Thoughts are running wild as Magda’s words echo in Fridolina’s head. ‘This is your chance’ and with that the taller girl clears her throat as the two of you come to a stop in the tunnel of the stadium. Your eyes snap to her and for a moment the blonde gets lost in the warmth of your gaze. 

“So um… I wanted to tell you..” she exhales lowly, wondering how she was supposed to do this thing. You squeeze her fingers and she nods to herself. 

“I- really, uhm, I just…” Fridolina closes her eyes in frustration, dropping her head before picking it up again. The corners of your lips tick upwards, finding her nervous behavior absolutely adorable. 

When her eyes flutter open she’s met with your shimmering ones, a look of adoration plastered over your face. A hand reaches out to her face but Frido’s gaze doesn’t move from you as you gently push a strand of hair behind her ear, it having fallen out of her ponytail.

“Don’t stress that pretty head of yours.” your voice made her bite her lower lip and you smirked at the sight. 

“Just do it how you would if I were a man.” it seems like you knew exactly what made this so difficult for her. It also seemed that you knew exactly what she was going to say. ‘She wants you too’ and now she believes her captain’s statement, otherwise you wouldn’t be encouraging her to continue. 

“I can’t.” she huffed out and you chuckled quietly. “It’s different.”

“What makes it different? Other than the obvious” you reveled in the small laugh you got out of her, the sound easing the nervous tension radiating off the beautiful girl in front of you.

“I’d let him make the first move” Fridolina admitted and your smile widened as she seemed to have finally found her voice. 

You carefully placed a hand on her waist and you looked up at her in silent question, asking if what you were doing was okay. When all you received was a dazed look and a slow nod, you proceeded. The butterflies in the Swede’s stomach were going insane as you gently pulled her closer to you and her hands landed on your collar bone. 

“You’re so beautiful” you whispered, not wanting to break the bubble the two of you have created. At the same time you were thankful that both of your teams seemed to be taking their time on the pitch. Fridolina’s cheeks burned a deep shade of red at your compliment and she tilted her head to the side a little. 

“I’m sorry. It’s just I’ve never- this is just all so new to me, but I want to…” she trailed off in her confession and you nodded at her, feeling special that she allowed you to see her this vulnerable. You understood that it was difficult for her to voice just what she felt for you.

“It’s okay.” you gave her waist a gentle squeeze and smiled at the girl in front of you, the sparkle in your eyes never faltering. “We can take it as slow as you’d like”

The assurance made Frido’s heart swell yet she wanted nothing more than to allow herself to fall into your embrace. Her eyes lowered to your lips and her own mouth parted slightly. You watched how her eyes darkened and your smile was replaced with desire. 

“Maybe we can go faster” Frido breathed out as she leaned closer, your own gaze tracing the curve of her lips.

“Whatever you want” and with that you closed the last bit of distance and connected your lips. It was tentative at first as you allowed the blonde to test the waters but it seems like she already knows what she wants.

Frido’s brows knit together as pleasure courses through her whole body and her arms made their way around your neck to bring you even closer, effectively deepening the kiss. 

In that moment, with your bodies flushed and your arms around her waist holding her close and her lips attached to yours in desperation, Frido knows she has nothing to question.

Request: I have been re-reading your fics and I was wondering if you could write for Jana. She's adorable and there's not enough fics for her but I don't have an idea for it. 

Word count: 2,9k

“You’re telling me you’ve never even thought about it?” Alexia looks at you with an incredulous expression as she reaches out towards your hands resting on the table. The midfielder’s eyes are wide as she stares, her mouth hanging open in a disbelieving manner as she raises her eyebrows. Your own eyebrows knit together in confusion.

“No. I mean yes, I haven’t thought about it, but why would I? She’s my best friend Ale, you don’t go around thinking about those things about Mapi, do you?” you fire back once you notice the knowing look on her. She pulls a disgusted face at your last question.

“Ew, no. She’s my best friend.”

“Exactly!” you reply with a huff, making it obvious that it was foolish of her to ask such things. The brunette sitting opposite you lets out a heavy sigh, wondering just how to get through to you. 

“I mean- listen, it’s just that the two of you already act like a couple - and don’t think I don’t see the way you look at her” she quickly continues as you open your mouth to cut in, leaving no room for discussion. You stay silent for a second too long and Alexia leans back with a satisfied glint in her eyes.

 The brunette had taken her role as team mom/big sister incredibly seriously regarding you but as you stared at your captain all you could see was a little girl excitedly meddling into your dating life. A chuckle leaves your lips at the thought of a young Alexia nagging her friends about their crushes. 

“We do not act like a couple, that’s stupid” you wave her off as you bring yourself back to reality. You don’t miss the eye roll from the older girl but before you can comment on it, a pair of arms make their way around your shoulders from behind. 

You recognize the touch immediately and you momentarily forget about Alexia’s presence as you turn around in your seat to face the person.

“Hola Y/N/N!” Jana flashes you a toothy grin as she greets you. Your eyes soften at the sight of her smile and your face heats up as you realize her arms are still around you, keeping you close.

“Hola Jana” you greet her just as brightly, your hands coming up to rest on her upper arms. You try not to act too bothered by the fact that her face is only mere inches away from yours. Most importantly, you try not to glance down at her inviting lips as she playfully brushes her nose against yours. 

“I wanted to ask if you would like to get sushi with me and the girls tonight?” she asks, referring to Bruna and Cata as the girls. 

Despite being best friends with the defender, the two of you were in different friend groups within the team. Of course that didn’t mean you disliked Bruna and Cata, they were your friends too, but you usually spend your time around Patri and Pina. 

“Yeah, sure” you agree without much hesitation and Jana’s smile widens even more - if that was possible. She eventually pulls away with a squeeze to your shoulders and waves her hand at Alexia as she walks away. Only then do you realize again that your captain is sitting with you…and she had watched the whole interaction. 

You turn back to her slowly, your lips pressed together knowing everything that just happened makes your last statement towards her sound very false.

“Never thought about it? Biggest lie you’ve ever told me” she chuckles dryly with a satisfied smirk resting on her lips. 

“Okay, maybe I had thought about it back when I was figuring out this whole sexuality thing. But that happens, right? You know, questioning if you find your friends attractive?” you tell yourself more than Alexia. 

“And apparently, I’ve also been thinking about it…in more recent times..” you admit quietly and the brunette’s face softens at your admission. She takes hold of your hands and gives them a comforting squeeze.

“That is okay Y/N, you’re allowed to feel things for Jana.” she whispers as she leans closer, well aware that you didn’t want your teammates to know about it even though it was blatantly obvious to everyone but the two of you. “And if I may have an input, I’m pretty sure she likes you back.” 

You lift your gaze as the words leave her mouth, an unconvinced wrinkle between your eyebrows. 

“Come, we’ll be late for training and we can’t have the captain get there last” you clear your throat as you divert the topic of discussion and you stand, tugging on her hand to get going.

Alexia doesn’t comment on your act, deciding to give you time to digest everything and she follows behind you. Though when you keep silent she wraps an arm around your waist to bring you into her side.

Like many nights before, your thoughts all revolve around one short brunette as you lay in bed. There’s a swirl of thoughts and emotions mixing in your head. Everything from the moment you met the little girl when she joined La Masia at 7 to the hug you shared today and the conversations you’ve had during dinner - the two of you almost forgetting that Bruna and Cata were sitting opposite you. 

You were introduced to Jana when the two of you were just barely starting school. On her first day at La Masia she had told you how she chose football over dancing and that her parents sent her to the best club in the world.

 The two of you instantly became the best of friends that day and you were beyond saddened to have to say goodbye to your new friend at the end of the day - just like she was. Even when Jana’s mother kept reassuring her daughter that the two of you would see each other again the next day, the young girl was reluctant to let go of your hand. After a long goodbye to each other, you climbed into the car where your father was waiting for you. Your gaze stayed on the red car a few meters away from yours and when a familiar looking red car turned the corner into your street just twenty minutes later, you were eager to see if it was Jana sitting in the back. 

Your childhood consisted of football at the Barca academy, hanging out with your best friend all day and then sitting in the back seat with her on the way home. You spent your teenage years jogging to the end of the street in the middle of the night and sneaking into Jana’s room through her window every time it got too much at home - your parents on the brink of a divorce - but your worries melted away as soon as the two of you snuggled up under the sheets.

It didn’t take long for Jana’s mother to catch onto this, truthfully she knew after your second time climbing through the window. She had spotted you while taking out the trash. After that, each morning Jana dragged you downstairs to the dining room and you sat next to her older brother as her mother plated your breakfast. 

They were your second family and Jana was your first home.

Your feelings however, they only turned into something less platonic and more romantic over the course of the last year. Well that’s what you supposed, but in all honesty you had been questioning yourself since discovering that you were gay at 17. 

“I don’t know how she doesn’t see it” Patri muttered from her place on the bench as she watched you and Jana, her team resting while the other two groups had scrimmage. Claudia smiles at the comment but her eyes remain on the way you move with the ball and how Jana tries to take it back.

“Which one?” Cata speaks up from Patri’s other side and the midfielder shrugs at the question.

“Either? Both?” they laugh at her words with a fond smile.

“Tell me about Jana. We know about Y/N, and we can see Jana too but the two of you know her better.” Pina reasons as she finally turns to Cata and the shorter girl next to the goalkeeper.

“She’s in love with her, she just hasn’t realized yet” Bruna informs the rest casually. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah. God you should’ve seen them last night!” Bruna laughs as she recalls how the two of you were acting while out for sushi. Cata smacks her knee in glee as she joins in on the laughter and Patri and Pina stare at them with curiosity.

“What happened?”

“Ahh, just the usual. But they kept giggling and whispering to each other. Like at one point I thought if we left they wouldn’t even notice. Oh and the constant hand holding under the table!” the goalkeeper explains, the four of them now far too deep into the topic to actually pay attention to your scrimmage.

“And they had that awfully adorable but sickening love stare! Every time they looked at each other! You know the one” Patri nods in confirmation at Bruna.

“They need to get together like yesterday!” Claudia jokes, earning a few laughs from the rest who agree.

The four of them aren’t able to continue with their goodhearted gossiping because their group is called up for the next scrimmage. Nonetheless, they give each other knowing looks when they see Jana and you sit down next to each other immediately. 

Later that week the team meets up for a bonding night at Mapi’s place but instead of your usual seat next to Jana, you sit between Salma and Alexia. The defender doesn’t know why but her eyes can’t seem to leave you, not for one second. The frown on her face is clear as day as she watches you and Salma conversing on the couch and when the younger girl reaches out towards your neck line, Jana thinks she’s ready to jump on her. 

“You’re wearing a J?” Salma runs the pad of her thumb over the pendant on your necklace, her voice soft so that no one else would hear. You watch her actions with a small smile and you momentarily glance towards your best friend who’s wearing a necklace similar to yours but with your initial.

“Sí, for Jana” you smile up at Salma as she releases your necklace from between her fingers. She gives you a similar smile, yet hers is slowly turning into a teasing smirk.

“Do you not realize how gay that is?”

“But I am gay?” you furrow your eyebrows, not getting her hint and she throws her head back.

“That’s not my point” she rolls her eyes, resting her cheek on the couch pillow as she stares at you. 

Jana’s foul expression only deepens as she keeps looking at the two of you, misinterpreting Salma’s staring and behavior as something else. Your best friend frustrated, bites at her lower lips and crosses her arms over her chest as she sulks. 

It is only when Mapi and Ingrid announce that the popcorn is ready for the last event of the evening does Jana look away from the two of you still deep in conversation.

Throughout the movie she manages to keep her eyes off you and Salma, hoping that her jealousy isn’t visible, but her attention isn’t focused on the movie. Instead, her thoughts are all over the place yet they solely revolve around you. 

She’s fast asleep by the time the film ends, much like a few other girls sprawled across the living room. This is a common occurrence after bonding nights and like every other time, the girls who are awake bid their farewells to the rest as they head home for the night while others are welcome to stay the night if they have fallen into a deep slumber. 

You’re not too surprised when you wake up in the dark living room, knowing that you were going to have a hard time staying awake. You are surprised to find yourself lying in Alexia’s lap though, her arm resting over your shoulders as she sleeps with her head leant back on the couch pillow.

 A fond smile overtakes your sleepy features as you carefully sit up, not wanting to wake the midfielder. As your eyes adjust to the dark, you can make out a sleeping Aitana and Laia on the soft carpet by your feet, the two wrapped up in a big blanket.

Just as you think about going back to sleep the dry sensation in your throat intensifies. You tiptoe out of the living room and into the kitchen and you open the fridge door in search of a cold bottle of water. You knew Mapi preferred them that way and you’re proven right when you reach out for one of the eight bottles on the side shelf.

You don’t hear the soft padding of feet behind you as you rid the bottle of its cap and take a drink. Gulping down the cold water you’re unaware of the girl now standing behind you until her arms wrap themselves around your midsection. A surprised sound escapes your throat but thankfully you don’t jump out of your skin or choke on the water as you recognize her hands.

“Jana” you whisper into the dark night, only receiving a faint hum as a reply.

When you take another swig of the water, your eyes almost pop out of their sockets when the brunette’s hands make their way under your shirt where it had risen. Her thumbs rub soft figures into the skin of your abs and you swore you heard her let out another hum as she nuzzled her face into the crook of your neck. 

“Jana” you whisper once again, now turning in her hold and you place the almost empty plastic bottle on the counter behind you. 

“Sí?” she whispers into your neck, now her palms flat on your back. It’s clear from her slow movements that she’s only just woken up but her voice is rather honey-like, a big contrast to the rough morning voice you’re used to from her.

“está todo bien?” your arms envelope her as you keep her close and you allow yourself to enjoy the warmth of Jana’s embrace.

“Sí” her answer is short but it is accompanied by a small kiss to your neck. You will yourself not to shudder in bliss. A moment later she lets go of you and grabs your hand in her own. “Dance with me?”

“Jana I can barely see you and there’s no music” you point out the obvious, well aware that you can’t put on any music in the middle of the night while your friends are sleeping in the living room next to you.

“We don’t need music” Jana whispers into the silent air of the night and she reaches behind you. 

With a quiet but swift move she opens the fridge door which lights up the kitchen just enough for the two of you to see each other. Your face heats up when you notice the look in Jana’s eyes and she smiles at you softly before leading you into a slow dance.

Your arms stay around her waist while hers remain locked behind your neck. Your whole body is on fire, and unbeknownst to you so is Jana’s. You will yourself to not look away in nervousness because the way she’s looking at you is driving you crazy in the best way possible.

When your grip on her waist tightens Jana blushes slightly and as you gaze at her face that is softly illuminated by the glow of the fridge light, you swear she’s the most beautiful girl you’ve ever laid your eyes upon.

“Y/N” she whispers, trying to gain your attention. Her lips split into a lovesick smile that you notice for the first time. Eyes widening in realization, a small grin makes its way onto your face and you gently tug the girl even closer to you.

“Yes?” you ask, patiently waiting for her to continue with what she was going to say. 

“Can you…” her voice fades as her eyes glance around your face in nervousness and her cheeks turn a darker shade of red.

 Her fingers play with the baby hairs at the nape of your neck but as her tongue darts out to wet her lips and her eyes stay glued to your mouth for just a few seconds too long - you think you know what she’s asking for. And you fail at fighting back your own love filled smile hearing your 17 year old self screaming at you to kiss the girl.

“Can I?” you whisper onto her lips as your hand cradles her face and she barely contains herself from falling into you as she nods, gaze focused on you and you only. 

When your lips claim hers Jana lightly tugs on your hair as she presses herself further into you and you don’t hold back either as you eagerly deepen the kiss. It’s like the two of you have been yearning for this since forever and your hearts finally calm as the two of you melt into one. Your foreheads remain touching as you pull away to catch your breath and your eyes glisten at the adoration shining in Jana’s eyes. 

A watery laugh escapes Jana’s lips as she cups your face and there’s one confession she makes before she pulls you back into her for another kiss. 

Request:  can I please request jealous protective anamaria over R?

Word count: 3k

Going into the Champions league semi final you were quite surprised to see that Barca would be going up against Arsenal. Nonetheless, you were excited. Especially because of how the last games ended two years ago. You knew the reds have improved their team and game a lot since then, but that didn’t stop you from picturing all the goals your team would send soaring past Zinsberger. 

You sat next to your usual bus buddy, Ana, on the way to the stadium and the two of you spent the bus ride laughing and sharing the snacks you were allowed to eat. 

“How many goals do you think we’ll score?” she questions with the same cheeky smile on her face that you are wearing, the both of you more than ready for the match.

“I reckon 2, maybe 3.” you nod confidently, following your statement by your own question. “What would you predict for the end result?”

“3-0” she shrugs nonchalantly and you chuckle at her antics, leaning into her side more. Your cheeks are dusted with a light pink shade as Ana keeps an arm around you.

 “Okay, 3-1 if we get unlucky.” You can only nod along to her words, knowing that the team is in its best form and a strong Arsenal won’t stop you from scoring.

Walking out into the tunnel already clad in your Barca jersey you take your place behind Jana. Your focus is solely on the pitch just outside the tunnel but you’re also aware of the stares of some players from the Arsenal line to your right. 

You breathe in deeply to calm your nerves and then you slowly exhale. Ana senses your slight distress from behind you and without a second thought she slides her hand into yours, giving it a squeeze. It seems like her gesture has the desired effect because the pounding of your heart is becoming less intense and you feel more at ease. Your thumb rubs over her knuckles in appreciation and the Swiss international’s heart swells at it. Just as quickly as her hand slipped into yours, you let go of it though and Ana’s eyes snap down to your hand in confusion, only to then be nudged from behind and she realizes the team has started walking out. 

The game is intense to say the least. It is apparent that even without Vivianne and Beth, Arsenal are more than capable of creating chances. Barca is doing good too and although the possession remains mostly in your team’s, Arsenal’s defense is proving to be hard to get through. 

You’re experiencing it first hand because as soon as you're near the penalty box, a certain defender takes you out in some way or another. Every single time. More than half of these tackles have been borderline fouls which frustrates you and your team on no end. Irene and Ana can barely contain themselves enough to not spring into action and give the defender a bit of their own medicine. 

The first time you were brutally side tackled, her boots catching a bit of your ankles, you thought you knew who it was. The flash of the red jersey and the aggression of the tackle is one you’ve experienced from an Arsenal defender before. However, when you catch sight of the name on her back, you’re beyond surprised to see it’s not McCabe who’s been trying to end your career. 

“Bloody hell, what has gotten into her?!” you mutter under your breath as Ana helps you up and the referee finally blows her whistle. There’s a fire in Ana’s eyes as she glares at Catley, one that you recognize in every other Barca player’s eyes too. They’re all ready for revenge. It’s a well known fact about Barcelona, any Barca team. If they mess with one if you, they won’t come out alive.

“What? Ref that was nothing, it was the ball! The ball!” Steph shouts in fury, mimicking a ball with her hands. 

“You might need glasses, honey.” Mapi retaliates and while Ingrid tries to stifle her laugh, Ana next to you doesn’t hold back. The referee interferes before it can go any further and hands the ball to Irene, telling her that the team is going to be awarded a free kick. Steph Catley’s expression falters slightly as she watches the ref write her name on the yellow card. 

“You confident to take it?” she raises an eyebrow with a small smile, knowing just how much you enjoyed shooting from long distances. 

As you stand behind the ball just halfway in between the halfway-line and the penalty area, your eyes rake over the players scattered around in front of the goal. Your gaze connects with Ingrid’s and all you need is the small nod she gives you before you’re sending the ball into another dimension with the force you kick it with. The Arsenal players expected you to line your shot up for a header but when the ball goes soaring above them and straight into the goal, they stare after it with wide eyes, their bodies still in a position that tells you they were ready to head the ball away. Dumbfounded, that’s what they were. All of them. 

In an instant you’re surrounded by the team as you do a knee slide in celebration before getting into the group hug. 

“I fucking told you they weren’t ready for you!” Ana shouts in your face as she touches her forehead to yours and you laugh at her words while your body heats up. Even as the team moves back into position, the winger stares after you with a prideful look.

Your happiness is short lived because barely fifteen minutes later and just before halftime, Frida manages to slot the ball into the goal, just out of reach for Panos. 

Despite the equalizer, the girls' heads are held high as you head to the locker room, ready for the halftime speech Jonatan would be giving. 

Ana-Maria’s hand subtly resting on your thigh grounds you enough to absorb everything the coach says like a dehydrated plant. Ana on the other hand, keeps most of her focus on you during those fifteen minutes and she doesn’t miss the pink tint of your cheeks as her thumb grazes your skin just below your shorts. 

Truthfully, the two had been dancing around your feelings for each other since the start of the season. It started when the team was out for team bonding and you ended up dancing with a girl at the bar - far too intimately you had to admit. It resulted in endless teasing from your friends and a scowl on Ana’s face. You didn’t understand why she was upset, and for the first few days neither did Ana. But as the weeks went by and her urge to be closer to you only grew, she had come to the realization that she had strong feelings for you. 

You shared these feelings, you’ve always found Ana attractive but you were scared to shoot your shot with the older woman, scared of the embarrassment you’d feel when you would be rejected. The blonde never made a move on you either, only giving small signs here and there that weren’t enough to give you a clear indication as to how she felt. She has only recently gotten as touchy as she was now, her hand rarely leaving you.

The second half of the game is a hard fought one. Frida and Stina are on the move any chance they get and Steph still hasn’t given up on trying to sprain your ankle. In spite of their clearly good advances on goal, your team has switched up their strategy as well. Zinsberger can’t catch a break in goal with each shot Caro and you send her way, and you’re proud to say that Sandra has stayed clean in your goal. The defenders are working extra hard to keep the ball away from the penalty box. 

Just as the clock hits the 60’th minute mark, Ana sends a through ball that ends up in front of Aitana’s feet who continues the pass towards you. You know you have to make a quick decision before Catley comes pouncing on you. Pass or shoot. The ball is still in the air. Pass or shoot. The red of Steph’s shirt appears in your peripheral vision, you can’t let her close. Shoot. 

With a jump, your back still facing the Arsenal goal, your foot connects with the ball in an overhead shot. On your descent towards the ground you merely manage to crane your neck and watch as Zinsberger attempts to punch it over the crossbar.

You aren’t given a second to react before a body lands on you, many following behind and you lay under the pile of blaugrana players with a satisfied grin on your lips.

“VAMOOSSS!!” 

The switch flips after that and Barca take advantage of Arsenal’s momentary discouragement. Another shot fires into the back of the goal, courtesy to Caroline and you don’t even bat an eye at the way Steph barrels into you when the game is resumed because it is only five minutes after that when the full time whistle is blown. Barca is through to the final.

You ignore the Arsenal players around you and the crowd as you dance around in happiness with your teammates, celebrating the win. 

“3-1 like I told you.” Ana winks at you and you roll your eyes at her.

“It’s not like I said it would be different.” she chuckles at you and then breaks out in a laugh when you gently shove her.

Once everything has calmed down a bit, you shake hands with the one red player you haven’t shaken hands with. You’re surprised when you’re pulled into a hug by the defender but you pat her back anyway. Steph pulls back from you though she keeps her hands on your biceps and looks you over with a smirk. 

“You made my job extra hard today, you know.” she informs you as her thumbs rub into your bicep and you let out a nervous laugh.

“Yeah well I didn’t know the yellow card McCabe’s spirit would possess you.” The Australian throws her head back as she laughs and her hands slide lower on your arm before her fingers graze over yours. 

You barely resist from pulling back from her touch, mildly uncomfortable in the situation you’ve found yourself in with the defender who’s been trying to separate your ankles from the rest of your legs.

“Do you want to swap shirts?” the heavy accent rings out close to your face and she doesn’t give you time to answer as she pulls the shirt over her head. You can’t refuse now though. Steph’s hands play with your Barca kit but she’s quick to put it on once you’ve handed it to her. 

Steph’s eyes remain glued to your toned abdomen as she continues lightly praising the way you’ve played. Just as her fingertips are about to make contact with where she’s been staring, a hand slides across your torso.

You let out a breath you didn’t know you’ve been holding as you recognize the arm and your body relaxes into hers. Ana’s hand remains on the waistband of your shorts, clearly displaying not only her protectiveness but also rubbing it into the defender’s face when her fingers softly scratch the skin of your abdomen, soothing you more than possible. 

Steph’s eyes finally part ways with your abs and her head snaps back up to your face. You almost laugh at the frightened look that washes over her expression. 

“Everything okay here?” That's not a question, all three of you know that.

The Swiss international stares her down, a mix of emotions swirling in her eyes but Steph can tell none of them are good. The brunette clears her throat in discomfort, averting her eyes back to yours as she rushes out a goodbye.

“It was nice to meet you - well formally, you know, apart from the many tackles.” she huffs out a laugh but stops when Ana raises a daring eyebrow, urging her to finish. 

“Erm, well thank you for the shirt and goodluck in the final” the Australian almost squeaks out and you decide to cut her some slack as you give her a quick hug. Still, the blonde’s hand remains on the small of your back and she gives Steph one last glare over your shoulder before the defender practically sprints back to her own team. Ana snorts at that and you lift your gaze to meet the older woman.

“Thank you” you tell her sincerely as you lean into her side and you discreetly press a small kiss to her shoulder. The winger’s face heats up right in front of you for the first time ever and she struggles to say anything for a second. A smile forms on your lips as you see her all flustered. You’d be lying if you said your knees weren’t close to giving out from the softness of her eyes and the seemingly star struck expression on her face.

“I’ll go catch up with Ingrid and Frida, okay? I will see you after” you give her arm a squeeze and Ana nods at you. She stares after you as you join your national teammates while you struggle to pull on the shirt and she chuckles under her breath when Ingrid gives you a helping hand. 

“Du bist eifersüchtig” A voice speaks up next to her and Ana jumps slightly. Lia grins at her with a knowing look and Ana can’t stop herself from rolling her eyes.

“Nein.”

“Ja. Don’t think I didn’t see whatever that was just now. Oh and the hand holding before the game?” the Swiss women share a look and then Ana sighs in defeat as she finally pulls her national teammate into a hug. However, she is quick to redirect the topic as she instead opts to ask about how her friend has been doing since the last time they’ve seen each other.

A few minutes later both teams start heading inside and you hug Frida goodbye as you detach from your Norwegian group. You lean your head on Ana’s shoulder, who without your knowledge glances down at you with a fond smile.

“Hi Lia” you greet the Swiss Arsenal player and she hugs you. 

“I also better get going. See you next time” she tells the two of you and then she gives Ana a teasing smirk who thinks she knows what her friend is about to say. “Sag ihr, dass du sie liebst!” the confusion on your face is one she expected but the blonde next to you had been totally caught off guard by what she said. But, a second later, she does give a small, shy nod.

“Come, let’s not make them wait.” you follow the blonde into the changing room and then onto the bus.

It doesn’t come as a surprise to you when by the time the bus leaves the car park, half the team is passed out and deep in sleep. The dark sky outside the window can only hint as to just how late it is. You’re sitting next to Ana in one of the last rows in the bus, like usual. 

Unlike the rest of your friends though, the two of you are wide awake. You’ve always been known to be very energetic so you can’t even think of resting your eyes. Meanwhile, Ana-Maria next to you is deep in thought about what Lia had told her. 

You linking your pinkies together is what breaks her out of her trance and she turns to you. The dimmed lights of the bus give you a halo and as the light from the street lamps shine through the window Ana recognizes the glimmer in your eyes.

“What’s got you lost?” you whisper, mindful of all the girls who are sleeping around you. The blonde’s eyes are dark with desire and the urge to tell you everything. She swallows hard as you patiently wait for her to say something.

“Look Y/N/N, I just really-” she stops mid sentence, wondering if it was the right thing to tell you. You reach out with one hand to cup her cheek gently, bringing her gaze to meet yours again. 

“You really what?” Ana opens her mouth again and her eyelids flutter at the way her body heats up when your thumb strokes over her cheek. She has never felt so flustered around someone. She can feel your breath fanning against her face, only now noticing that she has subconsciously leaned closer to you. “Ana?”

“I really like you” she chokes out and she’s ready to panic but your soft touch calms her slightly. “Actually, maybe I'm in love with you. I don’t know if that’s a wrong thing, I get it if you don’t feel the same way. Just like, an FYI” she rambles in a hushed tone and you swear you’ve never seen her act so nervous. 

The butterflies in your stomach are going crazy however and you’re overwhelmed with joy knowing that the Swiss woman feels the same way you do.

“Ana, I’m in love with you too” you tell her softly - although truthfully you thought it was obvious - and her eyes meet yours. The adoration in your gaze makes her blush deeper and you smile at her, your own face heating up at the close proximity as well as the confession.

“Just an FYI” the two of you giggle quietly and you press your face into her neck to muffle the sound. Ana lets you stay there for a second before she eases your head back and her eyes move to your lips. Your mouth falls open in anticipation and you gently squeeze her thigh.

“Can I?” Ana breathes out.

“You know you can” is all it takes for Ana to dive right in and claim your lips. You softly gasp into the kiss, your senses heightened and utterly in love with the way she kisses you so passionately, like she’s been waiting for decades. It’s only for a second that you pull away to take a breath and then you’re back in, lips molding together and moving against each other in a fervent yet loving way, uncaring of the people around you. 

“I’ve wanted to do this for so long.” Ana whispers against your lips while your fingers tangle in her hair.