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The movie had been Alexia's idea mostly because neither of you had the energy to do anything else.

You'd ordered food, neither of you had really tasted it, then somehow ended up stretched across opposite ends of the sofa while a film played in the background neither of you were paying much attention.

The events of the day had left you both drained, at one point Alexia disappeared and returned with a blanket, without a word she shook it out and pulled it over herself.

You barely reacted, still staring vaguely at the television, a few minutes passed, then you shifted, Alexia didn't think anything of it. Until suddenly you were moving closer, seeking out the warmth beneath the blanket.

You lifted the edge, slid underneath, then settled beside her close, very close. Alexia froze, because apparently your definition of sharing a blanket and her definition of sharing a blanket were very different things.

You tucked yourself into her side naturally, like it wasn't a big deal, like it wasn't doing catastrophic things to her ability to think. Your head found her shoulder, one arm loosely across her stomach eyes still on the television, completely oblivious.

Alexia, meanwhile, was trying very hard to remember how breathing worked, because you'd never done this before, not without Olivia wedged between you.

Her arm hovered awkwardly, half raised, half frozen, she was painfully aware of every point of contact. The weight of your head, the warmth of your body, the smell of your shampoo, the way you seemed completely comfortable.

Eventually, very carefully, she let her arm settle across your back, it was tentative, giving you every opportunity to move away if you wanted to.

You didn't, if anything, you shifted slightly closer a tiny unconscious movement seeking comfort, nothing more.

The simple trust in it hit Alexia harder than she'd expected, you let out a slow breath, the kind people made when they were finally relaxing after a terrible day and without even looking up, you murmured, "Thanks for staying."

Alexia's chest tightened, because she knew you weren't talking about tonight, not entirely.

You were talking about everything, she looked down at the top of your head, at the exhaustion written into every line of your body.

Then tightened her arm slightly, just enough for you to notice, "Always."

The answer came quietly, before she could stop herself.

You didn't seem to think anything of it, just hummed softly in acknowledgement.

Your eyes already beginning to droop, the movie continued playing, Alexia found herself staring at the television whilst being completely unable to remember a single thing that had happened on screen for the last twenty minutes. Because all she could think about was the fact you were curled against her side.

You must have drifted off not asleep, not fully awake either, just existing somewhere in between. The movie was still playing quietly when a cry crackled through the baby monitor, both of you stirred immediately.

Alexia looked down the hallway but you were already moving, "I've got her."

Alexia nodded, reluctantly letting the warmth disappear as you slipped out from under the blanket. A few minutes later you returned, Olivia was tucked against your chest, one fist tangled in your shirt, her face scrunched with the lingering unhappiness of a toddler who had briefly woken up and decided she hated it.

The second she spotted Alexia she lifted her head, "Aaaale."

Alexia immediately smiled, "Hola, guapa."

Olivia reached, demanding and insistent. You laughed quietly, "Apparently she has a favourite."

Alexia looked entirely too pleased about that, you crossed the room and carefully transferred Olivia onto her chest.

The toddler immediately settled, curling into Alexia like she'd found exactly where she wanted to be.

"There we go."

Alexia adjusted the blanket around her, one hand rubbing slowly up and down Olivia's back.

You dropped back onto the sofa beside them, pulling the blanket over yourself again, Olivia was lying on Alexia facing you now once again fighting sleep.

Still determined to stay awake despite the fact she could barely keep her eyes open.

You reached across automatically, your hand settling gently on top of her head, the familiar motion began immediately, your thumb stroking softly across her forehead back and forth.

The movement was almost automatic by now, one of the first things you'd discovered after the accident, it was one of the very few things that worked every single time.

Olivia's eyes immediately started getting heavier, another stroke, a slow blink, another, her tiny hand loosened where it was gripping Alexia's shirt.

You continued shushing softly, the same quiet rhythm you'd used hundreds of times before. Alexia watched you, the way your entire expression softened around the toddler and how your thumb never stopped moving.

The patience and gentleness, the complete instinct with which you cared for her. It still amazed Alexia sometimes, because this wasn't supposed to be your life.

None of this was and yet you'd stepped into it without hesitation, even when it had nearly broken you.

Olivia's eyes finally slipped closed, you kept going, a few more strokes, making sure.

Alexia smiled softly, "She's asleep."

You looked at Olivia, then at Alexia, then back at Olivia, "Maybe."

Alexia laughed quietly, "You don't trust her."

"I absolutely do not."

As if hearing her cue, Olivia's eyes opened briefly, both of you froze, the toddler blinked once, then immediately fell asleep again. Alexia pressed her lips together to stop herself laughing, "I stand corrected."

You smiled, still running your thumb gently back and forth but eventually that slowed. The three of you bundled together beneath one blanket, the movie had long since become background noise, neither of you were watching it anymore.

Olivia was sprawled across Alexia's chest, deeply asleep now, one tiny hand wrapped around your finger where it stretched across the gap between you.

Every now and then she'd twitch in her sleep tightening her grip, then relaxing again. Alexia smiled down at her, then glanced at you, "I've not had chance to ask about your date with Kika."

You hummed, there wasn't really much to tell, "It was nice."

Alexia waited, "And?"

You shrugged, "And nothing."

That got her attention, "What do you mean nothing?"

You smiled slightly, "Kika's lovely."

"She is."

"She's funny."

Alexia nodded, "Very."

You looked down at Olivia, "I think that's kind of the problem."

Alexia frowned, "What do you mean?"

"She reminds me of Sofia."

Understanding immediately crossed Alexia's face, "Oh."

You nodded, "Not exactly. But she's got that same energy. The same way of filling every bit of silence and making people laugh." You smiled softly, "Half the date I kept thinking about Sofia making the exact same stupid jokes." Alexia was quiet. "And that's not fair on Kika." Because it wasn't.

Kika deserved someone who was seeing her, not constantly being reminded of somebody they'd lost.

"She was incredibly sweet about it though."

"That sounds like Kika."

"Way nicer than she needed to be."

Alexia wasn't remotely surprised by that, Kika was many things cruel wasn't one of them.

Eventually you sighed, "To be honest." Alexia glanced over, "At this point I'll just be happy being on my own raising this little one with you."

Alexia's chest tightened, you sounded so matter of fact about it, like you'd already accepted it.

"It's been so long since I've had sex it probably isn't even done the same anymore."

Alexia immediately laughed, a hand flying to her mouth to stop herself waking Olivia, "Don't be daft."

You grinned, "I'm serious."

"It hasn't."

"You don't know that."

"I do." You rolled your eyes, Alexia was still smiling, "And you can't put your entire life on hold because of Olivia." Her voice softened, "Sofia and Marta wouldn't want that."

You hummed quietly, "It's finding the time."

"You should've just had one night with Kika." You stared at her, the audacity, Alexia merely shrugged, "I'm always free." She gestured vaguely toward Olivia. "You do me enough favours switching nights for me and stuff"

Alexia fully expected you to react badly, or tell her to shut up or throw a cushion at her, instead your eyebrows rose a slow smile appearing. Alexia immediately looked suspicious, you pretended to think about it. "So I switch nights so you can run around town with your little models."

Alexia breathed out a laugh.

"And I get the sloppy seconds?" Her eyes widened, "It's really tempting." You nodded thoughtfully, "Very generous offer." Alexia was trying and failing not to laugh, "But. I think I'll pass, thanks."

The sarcasm was impossible to miss, Alexia laughed so hard she nearly woke Olivia. The toddler stirred, both of you immediately froze, silence.

A few seconds passed, Olivia sighed dramatically in her sleep, then settled again. You both exhaled, then started laughing all over again, quieter this time.

Neither of you noticing how naturally the evening had become something neither of you would have imagined a few months ago, just the three of you, under one blanket, talking nonsense while Olivia slept between you.

🍼

The aquarium hadn't been a planned outing, most of them weren't anymore. Somewhere along the way, spending time together had become normal, not handovers or discussions about schedules and childcare.

Actual time together.

You'd take Olivia to the park, Alexia would text asking if you wanted company, sometimes you'd end up at a café, or the zoo, or nowhere at all. Just sitting in the apartment while Olivia turned the living room into a health and safety violation.

The three of you had slowly slipped into a routine one that neither of you seemed particularly interested in questioning.

Today's outing had been caused entirely by Finding Nemo, specifically Olivia's reaction to Finding Nemo. She had sat through the entire film without moving, making a sound, or attempting to climb either of you.

Just staring at the television completely captivated, by the end Alexia had laughed, "I think we need to take her to see actual fish."

So after training, you'd picked Alexia up, Olivia happily baby babbling in the back and ended up at the aquarium.

The pushchair remained completely empty, because Olivia had no chance in being in it. Instead she was perched comfortably in Alexia's arms, one arm wrapped around her neck, tiny trainers kicking gently against Alexia's hip.

Alexia carried her the entire way around, past sharks, jellyfish, stingrays, reading every information board to her she came across completely seriously, "...the giant Pacific octopus has three hearts."

Olivia stared through the glass absolutely fascinated.

Alexia nodded, "I know." Like they were having a genuine conversation.

You walked a few steps behind them, pushing the completely unnecessary pushchair, phone in hand occasionally snapping pictures.

Mostly because the sight was ridiculous, at one tank Alexia spent five full minutes crouched down so Olivia could watch a clownfish.

"Look." She pointed, "That's Nemo."

Olivia immediately smacked the glass.

Alexia looked horrified, "We don't hit Nemo." The toddler did it again, you laughed and Alexia shot you a look, "Don't encourage her."

You shook your head, still smiling as you lifted your phone capturing another picture. Alexia didn't notice she was too busy explaining fish to a thirteen month old.

And that was becoming the problem, a serious one, because you'd always thought Alexia was attractive. That had never been the issue, the issue had been everything else. The confidence, the flirting, the reputation.

The way she seemed able to charm absolutely anyone, the smooth talking. The version of Alexia you'd met years ago who always seemed to have something to say. You'd never trusted it, never particularly liked it either.

Somewhere along the way you'd started seeing other things, the woman who sat up all night with a sick toddler, who read bedtime stories using different voices. The woman currently explaining fish migration patterns to a child who couldn't understand a single word she was saying.

Alexia looked over suddenly, catching you staring, "What?"

You immediately looked away, "Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "You took another picture didn't you?"

"No."

"You absolutely did." You smiled so Alexia groaned, "I look ridiculous."

"You do."

"Delete it."

"No."

Alexia pointed at you, "You have hundreds."

You checked your phone, "Two hundred and fourteen."

Alexia looked genuinely offended, "That's insane."

"She won't remember any of this, it'll be nice for her to look back on"

You glanced down at the newest one, Alexia standing in front of a huge aquarium window, Olivia tucked securely against her side both of them watching a school of fish swim past, neither aware they were being photographed.

Your chest tightened unexpectedly, because the picture looked like a family and that thought should have been alarming, instead it just lingered. The worst part was you weren't entirely sure you wanted it to go away.

Ahead of you, Alexia pointed excitedly at something in the next tank, Olivia immediately copied the gesture. Both of them looking equally thrilled, you laughed quietly to yourself, then followed after them.

Trying very hard not to think about why seeing this side of Alexia was becoming harder and harder to ignore. The problem was that it kept getting worse or better depending on how you looked at it.

Every time you thought you'd finally figured Alexia out, she'd do something that completely ruined your carefully constructed opinion of her.

Like spending forty five minutes helping Olivia feed ducks because the toddler had become emotionally invested in one specific duck.

Or reading the same bedtime story six times because Olivia kept pointing at the cover and demanding it again.

Or sitting cross legged on the living room floor building block towers only to act genuinely devastated when Olivia knocked them over.

You'd always assumed Alexia's confidence came from arrogance, now you realised most of it came from certainty. She knew who she was, what mattered to her, who mattered to her, there was a difference a huge one, annoyingly, the more you saw it, the harder it became to ignore how much you liked being around her.

The aquarium wasn't a one off. Neither was the zoo or the picnic that ended with all three of you getting caught in the rain.

Or the Saturday afternoon spent wandering around a bookshop because Olivia had discovered books with flaps and Alexia insisted on buying her half the shop despite having no where for them.

Along the way, your favourite part of the week had become the days Alexia was around. You caught yourself looking for her, texting her, thinking about things you'd tell her later and that was dangerous.

Attraction was one thing, you'd always found Alexia attractive that wasn't exactly breaking news. The woman looked like she'd been designed by an artist with unrealistic standards.

The problem was everything else the way she made Olivia laugh, she remembered things, she'd started quietly picking up your favourite coffee whenever she grabbed one for herself. The way she always noticed when you were struggling before anyone else did, how she'd stayed after the hospital.

You were falling for her, slowly and reluctantly, completely against your better judgement and absolutely nobody could know.

Especially Alexia, because the second half of the equation made the whole thing ridiculous.

You knew Alexia the woman who could walk into a room and have three people flirting with her before she'd sat down. Who'd spent years being linked to models, influencers, actresses and women who looked like they belonged on magazine covers.

You remembered conversations from dinners years prior, Alexia grinning shamelessly, never remotely embarrassed about how open she was. The kind of confidence you'd never possessed.

Meanwhile you were you, a doctor who spent half her life covered in bodily fluids, perpetually tired and frequently stressed. Most of your wardrobe consisted of scrubs, hoodies and clothes covered in mysterious Olivia related stains.

You couldn't even remember the last time you'd gone on a proper date, the comparison wasn't exactly flattering. So every time your brain wandered somewhere dangerous, you shut it down immediately.

Because there was no point, Alexia wasn't interested in you. Why would she be? The thought didn't stop you noticing things though.

Like the way her eyes always found you in a room, how she smiled differently around you than other people, or how often she chose the apartment over her home lately.

Those observations got firmly shoved into the same mental box as every other hopeful thought, they were ignored, dismissed and forgotten, or at least attempted.

The irony being that Alexia was currently having almost exactly the same problem, because from where she sat across the living room, watching you help Olivia colour on a giant piece of paper spread across the floor, she couldn't understand how you didn't see what everyone else saw.

The kindness, patience, the intelligence. The fact you'd changed your entire life for a little girl who wasn't yours without ever asking for anything in return.

Alexia thought you were extraordinary and thought you could have anyone you wanted.

Somewhere in the middle sat Olivia completely unaware that the two adults raising her were slowly making themselves miserable by assuming the other one could never possibly feel the same way.

🍼

The weekly shop had somehow become another thing you and Alexia did together, it started because buying groceries with a toddler was a form of psychological warfare neither of you wished to undertake alone.

Then even when Olivia wasn't with you, you'd both kept doing it, today Olivia was at day care, just for the morning. Something you'd both agreed was important as much as she loved spending time with you and Alexia, she needed other children, other adults. A world bigger than just the two people raising her.

So while she finger painted and terrorised nursery staff elsewhere, you and Alexia were attempting to buy enough food to survive the week.

Attempting being the key word, because Alexia had disappeared three aisles ago, again.

You weren't even surprised anymore, one minute she'd been beside you the next she'd remembered something essential that wasn't on the list and vanished leaving you standing in front of a baking display.

You picked up a cake decorating kit turning it over, reading the back. It looked messy it was almost guaranteed to end with icing in Olivia's hair.

You smiled to yourself already picturing it then voices drifted down the aisle. "Alexia?"

A woman's voice warm, surprised, you didn't look up instead studying the cake box with suspicious concentration. Absolutely not eavesdropping. Not at all.

"Oh, hi." You heard Alexia laugh softly, the kind of laugh she used when talking to strangers.

"How's your aunt?"

Your attention sharpened immediately, this wasn’t a fan, "She's good." Alexia sounded genuinely relieved, "She's home now thankfully."

"That's wonderful."

"Yeah. She's still got a way to go but she's on the mend."

You smiled at the news, then continued pretending to read ingredients, there was another pause, then the woman laughed. "You owe me a dinner."

You kept staring at the cake mix very intensely reading the ingredients for the fourth time. "Oh." Alexia sounded sheepish, which was unusual. "You're right."

"You promised you'd rearrange when you called from the hospital.”

"I know."

"A text would've been nice."

"You're absolutely right." Alexia's tone was smooth, comfortable, confident, the version of her that had always irritated you, the woman who could charm her way out of trouble, "That's entirely my fault."

"Mhmm."

"It is." You could practically hear the smile in Alexia's voice.

"You disappeared on me." The woman sounded amused rather than annoyed.

Alexia groaned, "I know."

"You do know it's been nearly two weeks?"

"I've been a little distracted." You could hear the smile in Alexia's voice now, the one that always seemed to work on absolutely everyone.

"A little?"

"A lot."

The woman laughed. "That's still not an excuse."

You rolled your eyes, if you're aunt nearly dying wasn't an excuse that what would be? "No." Alexia sounded completely unbothered by being told off, which somehow was even more annoying. "It isn't."

You rolled your eyes at the cake mix, there she was the version of Alexia that had always gotten on your nerves, the smooth talker, the flirt. The woman who somehow managed to charm people even when she was clearly in the wrong.

"So are you actually going to text me this time?"

"I will."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

The woman laughed again and somehow, despite being completely in the wrong, Alexia had already managed to have the woman laughing too.

The conversation drifted onto other things before eventually ending, goodbyes exchanged, footsteps approaching. You immediately became fascinated by nutritional information again. Alexia appeared at your side carrying three things that definitely weren't on the list.

"You found anything good?" You held up the cake kit, Alexia smiled immediately, "Oh."

"I thought it might be fun."

"It'll be chaos."

"Absolutely."

Alexia nodded approvingly, "We should get it."

You placed it in the trolley trying very hard not to think about what you'd just overheard, because the thing that stuck with you wasn't the flirting, or the effortless charm. Or even the fact Alexia quite obviously still had a date waiting for her if she wanted it.

It was the realisation that she'd cancelled that evening because of you, not because she had to or because Olivia needed her, but because you'd admitted you didn't want to be alone and she'd chosen you.

Chosen sitting on your sofa, helping with bath time and chosen staying until you felt okay again, over, from your purely uninformed guess, guaranteed sex.

Your chest tightened unexpectedly, because that warm feeling was immediately followed by reality. The woman she'd been talking to was beautiful, confident, funny.

The sort of woman Alexia always dated, not you, it would never you. You shoved the thought away picking up a packet of sprinkles and followed Alexia to the next aisle.

Trying very hard not to think about why the knowledge she'd cancelled a date for you had affected you quite so much.

🍼

The apartment felt oddly quiet like something was missing.

You sat curled into one corner of the sofa, half watching some television programme that had been on for nearly an hour without you retaining a single detail.

On the floor, Olivia was happily entertaining herself, or trying to, every few minutes she'd look up, "Ale?"

You smiled, "She's not here, baby."

Olivia looked around, confused, then returned to stacking blocks. Thirty seconds later, "Ale?"

You glanced down, "Nope."

Another block, another minute, "Ale?"

You laughed, "Still not here."

The third day of Alexia being away had apparently become unacceptable at least according to Olivia.

The toddler stood, looked around the apartment again as though Alexia might suddenly materialise from behind the television, and frowned.

"Ale."

You put your head back against the sofa, "She's playing football in Italy baby."

Olivia considered that, then immediately asked again, "Ale?"

You sighed, "Honestly, same. I miss her too."

The words slipped out before you could stop them, the admission made your chest feel oddly warm. Olivia immediately nodded as though you'd finally understood the problem.

The second you'd said it, you realised it was true. You missed her.

Not just because she helped with Olivia or because things were easier when she was around.

You genuinely missed her, the stupid comments, the way she'd somehow become the first person you texted when something funny happened.

Your stomach did something strange, you ignored it.

On the floor, Olivia's bottom lip started wobbling. "Oh no." You immediately sat forward, "No, no."

The wobble intensified, you scooped her up before the tears arrived.

"I know." You settled her onto your hip "Shall we FaceTime her?"

Olivia's entire face lit up you grabbed your phone completely for Olivia's benefit obviously entirely for Olivia.

The fact you'd checked twice earlier to see if Alexia had messaged was irrelevant and spent most of the evening wishing she was sat beside you on the sofa was also irrelevant.

You pressed call, expecting a delayed answer, or no answer at all, instead the screen immediately connected.

Alexia appeared almost instantly, still in her training kit sitting cross legged on the bed in her hotel room.

The second she saw the screen her face brightened, "Hola."

Olivia gasped, "ALE!"

Alexia laughed a proper laugh, the kind that made her eyes crinkle. "Hola, princesca"

Olivia immediately started bouncing pointing aggressively at the phone as though worried Alexia might not have noticed she was there.

"I can see you."

More bouncing from Olivia whilst you found yourself smiling just watching them.

Alexia's attention shifted to you, "Hi."

The simple greeting shouldn't have affected you as much as it did, it really shouldn't, yet somehow it did, "Hi."

Something softened in her expression, the kind of look that lingered half a second longer than it probably should, "You okay?"

You nodded, "Yeah."

Alexia narrowed her eyes, not buying it.

You rolled yours, "I'm fine."

"Mm."

Olivia immediately shoved her face directly against the screen, Alexia laughed again, the sound filling the living room and the apartment didn't feel quite so quiet anymore.

For the next twenty minutes Olivia gave Alexia a detailed update on absolutely everything she'd done that day, mostly in a language only toddlers understood.

Alexia listened seriously as though every single word made perfect sense and while Olivia talked, you found yourself doing something you hadn't intended.

Just watching Alexia, watching her smile and laugh, watching her sit in a hotel room thousands of miles away and somehow still feel like home.

Which was a dangerous thought, a very dangerous thought indeed.

🍼

"No."

Alexia sighed dramatically, "You haven't even thought about it."

"I have."

"You haven't."

"I have."

She folded her arms, "Your answer was too quick."

You looked up from Olivia's dinner, "My answer is still no."

"Oh, come on." Alexia leaned against the kitchen counter, "It's a home game."

"I know."

"It'll be fun."

You shook your head, "I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why?"

You opened your mouth, then closed it again, because you didn't actually have a reason, not one you could explain, "I just don't."

Alexia watched you for a moment, then changed tactics, "Olivia." The toddler looked up from enthusiastically smearing mashed potato across her tray, "Do you want to come and watch Ale play football?"

Your head snapped up, "Alexia."

Olivia clapped, Alexia grinned smugly, "There we go."

"She'd clap if you asked if she wanted to pay taxes."

"Still counts."

It took another week, three more conversations, two accidental guilt trips from Alexia and one very cute picture of Olivia in a Barcelona shirt until eventually you gave in.

🍼

The atmosphere was unlike anything Olivia had ever experienced, she spent most of the warm up staring around the stadium with wide eyes.

Occasionally clapping because everyone else was, she wore tiny ear defenders, a Barcelona shirt that drowned her and sat happily on your lap throughout the match.

The final whistle blew, Barcelona won comfortably, before you'd even thought about leaving, Alexia was jogging across the pitch still breathing hard, hair damp with sweat.

The biggest smile on her face, "There she is."

Olivia squealed, "ALE!"

You barely had time to stand before Alexia scooped her up, the toddler immediately wrapped herself around Alexia's neck.

You smiled despite yourself, Alexia relaxed immediately, then disappeared.

You assumed she'd be gone for a minute, maybe two, instead she paraded Olivia around the entire pitch.

Introducing her to staff, to opponents, to players you'd never met, one teammate even kissed Olivia's head which she did not like.

Another balanced her on a hip and all you could do was sit and watch as Olivia threatened to cry reaching for Alexia until she took her back.

Alexia looked proud, ridiculously proud, like she couldn't wait for everyone to meet her.

The fans had noticed too, you could hear them even over the music, wondering who the baby was, taking pictures, videos, you heard one say how they were putting on TikTok to see if anyone knew who the baby was.

Every comment landed like another stone in your stomach, because she wasn't for sharing, she wasn't Alexia's to share, she wasn't yours to share.

She already had parents, they existed, they mattered, just because they weren't here anymore didn't mean they disappeared and you knew this wouldn't be what they'd want.

Something twisted painfully inside your chest, you wanted to walk out there, take Olivia back home, back to the apartment where nobody looked at her and nobody made assumptions.

Somewhere she could just be Olivia.

The drive home was quiet, too quiet that Alexia noticed, "You've barely spoken."

"I'm tired."

"You don't sound tired." You didn't answer.

🍼

The apartment felt tense the second you walked inside, Alexia finally turned, "What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Y/N."

You busied yourself taking Olivia's shoes off avoiding her eyes whilst Alexia waited.

"You've been quiet since the match." Still nothing, eventually she sighed, "Talk to me."

You stood up more abruptly than you'd intended, "You can't do that again."

Alexia blinked, "What?"

"You can't just walk around the pitch with her."

Confusion crossed her face, "I was just"

"You didn't ask me."

"I didn't think I needed to."

"Exactly." Your voice rose, "You didn't think of me yet again."

Alexia frowned, "I was celebrating, I wanted my teammates to"

"She's not a mascot, Alexia."

The words came out much harsher than you intended, Alexia stared, "I know that."

"Do you?" You were pacing now as Olivia crawled off into the living room practically climbing into her toy box, "I don't want thousands of people knowing who she is."

"They saw me holding a kid they don't know her"

"That's not the point."

"What is the point?"

"I don't know!"

The frustration cracked, because you didn't know, you just knew something about today had hurt.

Alexia's voice stayed calm, "I genuinely don't understand."

You laughed bitterly, "Of course you don't."

"Then help me." You looked at her, really looked at her standing in the middle of the kitchen still in her Barcelona tracksuitl completely confused and you appreciated how calm she was staying as you're anxiety was making you shake.

Suddenly everything you'd been trying not to think about all evening came spilling out.

"You're acting like she's yours." The room went still, you felt tears burning before you even realised they were there, "She's not." Your voice broke, "She's theirs." Another tear escaped, "They're her parents." You were crying properly now, "They should be here, they should be the one comforting her when you know how shy she is and you were shoving her at people like she was a prized puppy terrifying her!" Alexia just stared at you not saying a word letting you vent, "They should be here... its not fair" Your words dissolved completely towards the end of the sentence before you stormed away.

The guest room door slammed so hard behind you the picture frame hanging in the hallway rattled.

Silence followed, except it wasn't really silence, it was broken by the sound of you crying, not quiet tears or the sort you tried to hide.

The kind that tore through your chest until breathing itself hurt, Alexia stayed exactly where she was in the kitchen.

She looked towards the living room where Olivia had frozen halfway into her toy box. The little girl looked between the hallway and Alexia with wide, uncertain eyes.

"It's okay, guapa." Alexia's own voice was quieter than usual, she crouched beside her, "Y/N's just sad."

Olivia frowned and she picked Olivia up, holding her against her shoulder while the crying continued from down the hall.

It cut straight through her, she'd seen you cry before when you thought you were good at hiding it, but it was never like this, never this broken.

She gave you five minutes, because sometimes grief demanded solitude.

She distracted Olivia with a book, read every page twice, but the sobbing never stopped.

If anything it got worse, Alexia looked down at the toddler, "I'll be right back."

She settled Olivia in the middle of the rug surrounded by toys to which the little girl immediately became distracted by stacking cups.

Alexia quietly walked down the hallway, she knocked once very softly and got no answer, another sob escaped from the other side of the door.

Alexia rested her forehead against the wood for a second, then gently turned the handle.

The room was dim, the curtains still half drawn, you were curled on your side on top of the duvet, face buried into a pillow, shoulders shaking so violently your whole body moved with each sob.

Alexia's heart broke, she closed the door carefully behind her, said nothing and just crossed the room and sat gently on the edge of the bed.

The mattress dipped beneath her weight, you didn't acknowledge her, but didn't tell her to leave either.

Carefully... tentatively... she placed her hand against your back, slowly rubbing small circles between your shoulder blades.

The way she'd seen you soothe Olivia after nightmares, she stayed like that for a long time, just letting your cries gradually slow.

Eventually she spoke, quiet enough that it almost disappeared beneath your breathing, "Olivia deserves to grow up feeling loved like a daughter..." Her hand never stopped moving, "...not an obligation."

The words landed somewhere deep inside you, you broke completely., another sob ripped out of you. You pressed your face harder into the pillow, "I know." The words barely sounded like words anymore, "I know she does." Your voice cracked, "I just..."

You shook your head helplessly, Alexia stayed silent giving you room.

You swallowed hard, "I don't know how to miss them this much..." Another breath that refused to steady, "...and still be happy."

The confession sat heavily between you.

"I love her." Your voice was tiny now, "So much like she's my own and that makes me feel awful."

Alexia frowned gently, "It shouldn't."

"But it does." You finally rolled onto your back, your eyes swollen and red, "I only have her because they're dead." The words tasted poisonous, "I only..." Your voice wavered again, "I only have this life because they lost theirs."

You gestured weakly around the room.

"The routines. The bedtime stories. The milestones. The happiness she brings me" A tear slid into your hair. "You."

The word came out almost accidentally.

You stared at the ceiling, "I look forward to seeing you every day." You laughed bitterly at yourself, "And every time I realise that..." You closed your eyes, "...I feel guilty before for years they told me I'd like you if i gave you a chance."

Alexia listened without interrupting.

"I shouldn't get to be happy with their baby." You whispered it like it was a fact, "They don't."

The room was quiet, Alexia's hand rested on your forearm now, "You know..." She looked down at you, "I don't think Sofia or Marta would've wanted you to spend the rest of your life punishing yourself."

You shook your head immediately, "It feels like I'm replacing them."

"No." Alexia answered without hesitation, "They're irreplaceable." You looked at her, "but so are you."

The words caught you off guard.

Alexia smiled sadly, "Those things can both be true."

You blinked at her as she looked towards the hallway where Olivia was babbling faintly to herself.

"They trusted us. They chose us." Another tear escaped you, "They chose us when they couldn't be here."

"I know but every time I laugh..." You swallowed, "Every time I enjoy watching Olivia discover something new..." Your lip trembled. "I think about what it cost."

Alexia nodded slowly, "I think that's something we're probably both going to carry forever."

You stared at her, "You do?"

She smiled sadly, "I look at her sometimes..." Her eyes drifted towards the bedroom door, "...and I think about how much they would've loved watching her grow." She paused, "Then I remember..." Her voice caught just slightly, "...they chose us because they knew we would."

You started crying again quieter this time, not because the pain had gone, because someone else finally understood it.

Enough to know that joy didn't erase grief, that loving Olivia wasn't betraying Sofia and Marta. That carrying both love and loss in the same heart wasn't something to be ashamed of.

Alexia opened her arms without saying anything, an invitation nothing more. After only a moment's hesitation, you shuffled across the mattress and folded into her.

Your forehead against her shoulder, her arms wrapping around you carefully, holding you together while everything inside you still felt shattered.

Neither of you spoke again, there wasn't anything left to say.

Out in the living room, Olivia laughed to herself as another tower of cups fell over.

The sound drifted softly down the hallway, you listened to it through your tears, but as Alexia held you, you realised you weren't carrying it alone anymore.

The two of you stayed like that for a long while your breathing eventually steadied, the tears slowed, you'd cried yourself empty for now.

A tiny whine drifted in from the hallway, then another, you both looked up, Olivia crawled into the room determinedly making her way across the carpet.

She spotted the two of you on the bed and smiled, then immediately pulled herself upright against the mattress with a grunt.

Both hands reached up, "Up."

You laughed through your still puffy eyes, "Come here."

You lifted her onto the bed, she crawled straight between you, then stopped looking at you her little lips puckered dramatically.

You smiled immediately, "Oh." You leaned forward, "Kiss?"

She nodded solemnly you kissed her forehead and she giggled, then immediately turned towards Alexia pouting again.

Alexia laughed, "I get one too?" Another determined nod, Alexia pressed a kiss to her cheek, "There."

Olivia looked thoroughly satisfied for approximately three seconds then she looked between the two of you back and forth as though concocting something in her head.

Finally she planted one little hand against your cheek giving your face an impatient shove towards Alexia.

You blinked, "What are you doing?"

Another push, then she pushed at Alexia's cheek too trying to move your faces closer together.

Alexia started laughing first, "I think she wants us to..." She was laughing too hard to finish.

You looked at Olivia, "You are just like your mama, baby girl." Olivia clapped proudly.

"What?" Alexia turned towards you, "What was that?"

You smiled to yourself, "Oh, nothing."

"No." Alexia folded her arms, "I heard that."

You sighed dramatically, "Sofia spent years trying to convince me to make a move on you."

Alexia's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline, "What?"

You nodded, "I know."

"I did not know this." Alexia looked delighted, "So..." She smiled mischievously, "You have moves?" You groaned in response, "That would be interesting to see."

You laughed, "I'm not the prude you seem to think I am."

Alexia gave you a look a long, unconvinced look.

You stared back at her, "Alexia."

She didn't say anything, just kept looking.

Your mouth fell open in mock offence, "Alexia!"

She finally grinned, "Prove me wrong."

You barked out a laugh, "You've actually lost your mind."

Olivia, oblivious, had flopped onto her tummy between you, happily chewing on the sleeve of her own jumper.

You carefully stood up from the bed, "You've genuinely lost your mind."

Alexia watched you still smiling, "I have a work dinner with the club."

You looked over your shoulder, "So?"

"Be my date."

You blinked, then reached over dramatically to press the back of your hand against her forehead, "Are you sick?"

Alexia laughed, "No."

"Should I call the team doctor?"

"I think a doctor is already here."

You rolled your eyes, "I am serious."

"So am I." Alexia tucked one leg beneath herself, "I am just curious."

"Curious?"

"To see what Y/N is like on a date." She tilted her head, "And to witness these mysterious moves you apparently possess."

You couldn't help smiling she was impossible, you looked away, pretending to think, "As tempting as it is to find out what the great Alexia Putellas is like on a date you're forgetting there's a child behind you who needs at least one of us here."

Alexia glanced over her shoulder at Olivia currently trying to fit her entire stuffed rabbit into a pillowcase, "Does she?"

You laughed in disbelief, "Alexia. If you think—"

"We put her to bed and my mami or Alba could come over to sit here for the evening in case she wakes up." She looked back at you, "What do you say?"

You hesitated far longer than you should have, Alexia noticed immediately she knew that look. The one that meant your practical brain was already trying to find reasons to say no, while another part of you had already started saying yes.

A smug smile spread slowly across her face.

You pointed accusingly, "Don't."

"What?"

"Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you've already won."

"I haven't."

"You have that face."

"I don't have a face."

"You absolutely have a face."

Alexia laughed then reached for her phone, "Great."

You stared at her, "I haven't even said yes."

She was already unlocking her screen, "I'll just message the family group chat." She stood up walking towards the bedroom door, she looked back over her shoulder, "...while I do that..." Her eyes sparkled with amusement, "...you can practice those moves."

She disappeared before you could find something to throw at her.

You looked down at Olivia the toddler looked up at you, completely serious, then clapped once as if fully supporting Alexia's plan.

You sighed dramatically, Olivia giggled.

From somewhere down the hallway came Alexia's unmistakable laugh, "Alba said she will happily sit here for us, looks like you're coming"

As if she could see the turmoil on your face, she stood, carefully walking along the edge of the pool towards safer ground. And then sprinted. Full force. Right into you. You had enough wherewithal to brace before she slammed into you, and were glad when you managed to stay upright.

"You made it!" she said, squeezing her arms around your shoulders, grin massive on her face.

"Hi, babe," you sighed into her neck, keeping your arms locked tight around her waist. She smelled incredible, like that rose body wash she had always preferred. Not like a girl who had been sitting, baking, out in the Spanish sun for hours.

She pulled back just enough to take your face in her hands and kiss you. You moved in perfect sync with each other. Her pushing, you pulling. As her tongue explored your mouth, you were both hit with freezing cold water. You jerked away from her.

"What the hell?" You glared at Leila, who was standing next to you holding an empty cup.

"Get a room," she tossed out.

"If you say so," Alexia said. She held out her hand to you, and when you took it, lacing your fingers together, she led you into the house. "Is this yours?" she asked pointing at the suitcase by the front door. You nodded and she took it in her other hand, rolling it behind her. "I'll show you where you're sleeping." The two of you walked through the house and down a flight a stairs, coming to a door at the end of the hall. She pushed opened the door and stepped through with you.

There was a beautiful view of the ocean from the room. You took in the simple room around you - the king size bed, small side tables, the large mirror in the corner propped against the wall, and a few bags, already sitting in the opposite corner.

"I figured we could share a room. I hope you don't mind," Alexia said nervously.

You obviously didn't mind sharing a bed with Alexia. The two of you had shared beds hundreds of times over the year. You were also logical enough to know that you and Alexia would probably end up having sex on this trip. Sharing a room, sharing a bed, wasn't something you were concerned about.

But it was the way Alexia was looking at you. Nervously, like she wasn't sure if she had overstepped some unspoken boundary. Your favorite little crease was forming between her eyes as she watched you.

Not wanting her worry to drag on, you brought your linked hands up to your lips and pressed a kiss to her fingers. "Wouldn't have it any other way," you said, looking at her over the top of clasped hands. "Here, let me," you said gently, gesturing towards your bag. Taking it from her, you put it on the bed and unzipped it. You'd packed your swimsuits on top, knowing today was a pool day.

"I'll wait outside," Alexia said.

You didn't say anything, just let her go. You weren't shy, and the both of you had been in locker rooms with each other for years. But things were different now. Maybe that meant the rules were different too. You didn't think too hard about that. There was time to figure all that out still. A lifetime if you had your way.

You changed quickly into the emerald green bikini you had bought for this trip. It left very little to the imagination, leaving all your muscles on perfect display. Looking at yourself one more time in the mirror, you shut your suitcase and moved it off the bed.

Alexia was leaning back against the wall waiting for you when you stepped out into the hall. One of her long legs was bent, her foot resting against the wall under her. She let her eyes slowly work up you, taking in every detail that was now on full display. Your body had changed since you'd moved to England. Where before you were skinny, now your muscles had filled out. You no longer looked like a kid but had become a woman.

"This might be the best swimsuit you've ever worn," Alexia said.

"Thanks. It's new." You reached out to touch her hip. "Ready to go back to the pool?"

"In a minute." She looked up at you expectantly, waiting for you to catch the hint that she wanted another kiss. Smiling at her, you leaned down, letting your lips find hers. But only for a second.

"Last one to the pool has to make the bed all week," you said quickly, running in the direction of the pool.

"Cheater!" Alexia yelled, running after you.

You let Alexia win, grabbing her around the waist and canon-balling into the pool with her. She came up, sputtering and pushing her wet hair out her face. You grinned at her, your face already hurting from how wide your smile was.

"You asshole!" She pushed your shoulder and when you just laughed in response, she went for your head, dunking you under the water.

You took the opportunity while you were down there to graze your fingers over her thighs. She let you go almost immediately and you floated back to the top.

"Even?" you asked.

She just nodded at you, eyes wide, mouth slightly slack.

"You want something to drink?" you asked, swimming to the side and hoisting yourself out of the pool. You glanced down at Alexia and found her staring. "Babe? You want a drink?

Alexia dunked her head back under the water for a moment. When she came back up, she closed her eyes, tipping her head back to sweep her hair off her face. "I'll take a beer," she said, not opening her eyes yet.

"You got it." You went in search of the cooler. You found it tucked away in a shaded spot of the patio. Opening it, you dug around, looking for something you knew Alexia would like.

"Y/L/N," Vir said.

"Vir, hi. How you doing?"

"Better now that Ale is better." There was something sharp in the way she said it.

You grabbed the two beers and straightened, closing the lid of the cooler. "We cool?" you asked cautiously.

"We will be if you never break her again."

Your heart pounded in your chest. Tears burned the back of your eyes, an immediate response that you had no control over. Thinking about the last year, your heart hurt. For yourself and for Alexia. You both had wasted so much time. Had hurt each other so much.

"I love her, Vir. She's it for me." You looked across the patio, where Alexia had pulled herself out of the pool and was laying on a chair next to Leila. "I'll never break her again," you said with as much conviction as you could muster when your heart was in your throat. "At least on purpose. Because if I do, it'll break me too."

Satisfied with that, Vir nodded and left you standing there. You took a minute to yourself. The year without Alexia had been such a dark time for you. You had survived, finding people in London that you cared for deeply. But no one had filled the Alexia-shaped hole that was ingrained in your soul. No one could ever fill that hole other than Alexia. She'd been it for you since you were teenagers and now that you had her, you weren't ever letting her go.

Not intending on wasting any time, you went back over to her, pulling a chair closer to her. You held the beer bottle out to her. "Here you go."

She smiled at you, taking the bottle. Studying your face, she scrunched her eyebrow and reached out to rub a hand over your shoulder. You knew how tight it probably felt. "Everything okay?"

You looked at her, taking in everything about her face. The way the crease on the left side of her smile was deeper but longer on the right side. The way her eyes held yours, waiting for you, nothing but gentleness and kindness in those big beautiful brown eyes. The way her smile started to falter the longer you sat there, not saying anything. How had you ever let this break? This woman knew every bit of you and had shown up every day for you.

"All good, gorgeous," you finally managed. You dropped a kiss to her collarbone. "Ready to get this vacation going," you said easily. You turned in your chair, stretching out your legs in front of you.

"You're too far," she whined. Instead of waiting for you to move, she put a hand under your chair and pulled it towards her until your chairs were right next to each other, no space left between you. People shouted across the patio at her for causing such an abrupt loud noise.

"Well alright then," you said with a small laugh. You tipped your head back, letting it rest against the chair and closed your eyes, intending on taking a nap.

You made it 5 minutes. A hand landed on your leg. Your eyes snapped open and you looked down. Slowly, torturously slowly, it slid toward the middle of your thighs. Alexia's hand stopped just short of where you wanted her, just pushing on the boundaries of what their friends would likely tolerate from them. You glanced at her, eyes wide, but she was completely engrossed in her conversation with Leila. When her fingers flexed into your thigh, you bit back a groan. You adjusted your hips, trying to squeeze your thighs together without drawing any attention. You needed to relieve some of the pressure that was so quickly building. You saw the corner of Alexia's lip turn up into a smirk.

You barely registered Leila stand up, your mind hyper-focused on the hand between your legs. Alexia turned her body towards you, dragging her hand across the top of your thigh to rest in the space between you.

"Ale, what are you doing?" you whispered.

"Nothing," she said innocently. "Can't I touch my girlfriend if I want?"

"Yeah. On my head, my arms, my chest, whatever. But not there!" you hissed. "We're surrounded by our friends."

Alexia straightened, leaning her weight on her hands so she could get closer to you. "Just making sure we're ready for lunch."

"How is that going to help me get ready for lunch?"

"You're the lunch," she whispered. She pressed a kiss below your ear, letting her tongue touch the sensitive skin there.

Every nerve in your body short circuited. "Jesus." You looked around to make sure no one could hear your conversation. This was a new side of Alexia that you had never seen before. If you weren't already so attracted to her, the boldness would've sent you spiraling over the edge.

Alexia smirked, letting one of her fingers trail up your arm. This time you let the groan out rather than biting it back.

"Ale, it's a while before lunch. Keep your hands to yourself or I'm going to end up embarrassing both of us."

"Yeah, don't care." She moved closer, her body almost covering yours. Her chest met yours, wet bikini tops slightly sticking together. She cupped your cheek, looking at you for a minute. "I love you, Y/N." And then she kissed you. She pushed your shoulder back and moved to straddle your hips.

"Nope." You broke the kiss, pushing her backwards. "Nope, we're not doing it like this. Like two horny teenagers who can't wait."

"We've waited so long, baby." Alexia dropped her forehead to yours. "I can't wait any longer."

You'd thought about this, Alexia desperate and nearly begging. But this was wrong. You were in public. Your friends were around. You might already have a small pool forming between your legs, but you weren't going to let Alexia go further right now. Not this first time. Not when you'd both already waited so long.  

"Just a little while longer, gorgeous, and then I'm yours." You pulled her back into you for a brief kiss. But it was full of heat. Full of promise. "How about you sit here with me for a bit? I haven't gotten to spend nearly enough time just holding my favorite girl." You could tell Alexia liked that. She turned, positioning herself between your legs and melted back into you. You let your hands settle around her and pressed a few kisses to the side of her head.

And if over the next hour, you let your hands wander a bit, you told yourself you were just getting her back for working you up earlier.

The girls went inside about an hour later, needing time to get ready for their lunch. They had booked a private patio for a new poke place on the island. You and Alexia stayed curled on that chair.

When they were leaving, Vir came out to make sure you didn't want to go with them. You both smiled and politely declined. Vir gave you a look, like she knew why you were declining lunch, but left you behind anyways.

The house had been quiet for ten minutes before Alexia stood and held her hand out to you. You knew what it was, an offer to keep going or not. But you'd never been more sure of anything before. You wanted Alexia. Had been wanting her for a long time. You took her hand, lacing your fingers with hers. She pulled you up off the chair, giving you a kiss.

You had barely closed and locked the door to your bedroom before Alexia was attacking your mouth. You wrapped both arms around her waist to pull her closer. The movement brought her to her toes. You walked her backwards, until her knees hit the edge of the bed. Not wanting to break the kiss, you gripped her waist tighter and hurled both of you backwards on the bed. She moved backwards until her head hit pillows, dragging you with her deeper into the bed.

You started to wander down her body. Pressing your lips to her collarbone. The slight whimper let you know she liked that and you filed that information away for later. Years of thinking about her under you and now that she was here, you were starved for her. The edges of your brain were already going foggy, and you forced yourself not to pass out. Forced yourself to pay attention.

Running your tongue along the edge of her swimsuit top, you reached under her to untie the tiny string holding the bikini in place. In every scenario you'd run through of this in your head, none of them included peeling Alexia out of a tiny little bikini. You scraped your teeth lightly over the sensitive skin.

Alexia's hands came up, cupping the fabric to her and she moved back a little, breaking the contact between you.

"Hey," you said, sitting back slightly. You put a hand on her cheek. She leaned into the touch. "Are you okay?" Worry was settling in. Had you hurt her? Had she changed her mind? It was okay if she had. You wouldn't push her to do anything she didn't want to do.

She reached out, resting a hand on your chest. Her eyes were searching your face, for what you didn't know. "Have you ever done this before?" she asked quietly.

"No. I was waiting for you," you said honestly. She gave a small smile at that.

"I'm scared I'm going to do it wrong," she admitted. "Scared you won't like it."

"Baby, there's no right or wrong here. Just tell me if there's something you don't like or something you want. And I'll do the same. Okay?" you asked gently. "I'm already a mess for you."

"Really?" she asked, bewilderment clear in her tone. Her eyes skimmed down your body.

"Really. Look at me, babe." You waited until Alexia's eyes met yours again. You could still see the fear behind those beautiful brown eyes. "We can stop anytime you want."

"I don't want to stop. I'm just scared."

"We'll talk each other through it, just like we talk each other through everything else." Alexia nodded. "Can I please get back to what I was doing?" Alexia nodded again. "I love you." You leaned down to kiss her, waiting for her to settle again. Eventually her arms relaxed, the hand on your chest moving around your body to rest on your back.

You moved back to her chest, trailing open mouth kissies as you went. "Can I take this off?" you asked, hooking a finger under one of the strings. She looked up at you again, that fear still evident on her face. But she nodded. And that trust, that willingness to go forward despite her fear, made your heart turn in circles. Because her ewas Alexia, literally baring herself whole to you. You'd both seen every corner of each other's souls and this was the last barrier between you. Drawing the swimsuit away from her body, you took a minute to just look at her. She was so beautiful. Instinctively, her hands came up to cup herself again.

"Let me," you said, moving her hands to replace with your own. She didn't protest. Progress. Her nipples were already hard, pressing into the pads of your hands. Her hips involuntarily jerked under you when you rubbed your thumbs over the tips. "Okay?"

"That feels good," she said, watching your every move. 

Pushing her, you leaned down and took one of her nipples into your mouth. Your own stomach was filled with a thousand butterflies. Alexia tasted so good. You let yourself just feel her, flicking your tongue over her nipple a few times, seeing how she responded. With your hand, you gently massaged her other boob. You felt her fingers grip the hair at the base of your neck. You dragged your mouth to her other nipple, wanting to give it the same attention, encouraged by Alexia's reaction.

Needing to feel more of her, you moved your hand down her body, skimming her waist, her hip, and stopped at the top of her bikini bottom. "Can I?" you asked, looking up to meet her eyes. Your voice was thick, and you barely recognized yourself. She nodded once, her eyes unfocused, her lips parted, that crease evident between her eyes like she was trying to focus and failing.

Sitting back on the bed, you were careful not to break all physical contact with her. One hand stayed on her stomach. You were trying to make sure she stayed grounded in this moment. For now.

Swallowing, you ran a finger over the space where the fabric met the top of her thigh. She sucked in a breath. Testing, you tried it on the other leg as well. Same reaction. You trailed her finger to the top band, where fabric met her stomach.

"Y/n/N." You looked up. She was looking at you through hooded eyes. Don't pass out, you reminded yourself. "Can I see you?" she asked quietly, her hand moving up your side to play with your bikini top. She sat up, her hips shifting away from your hands. "I need to feel you." She waited, patiently, for you to nod at her before carefully untying the strings. You let the top fall away. Alexia's eyes moved hungrily over you.

"Fuck," she whispered. Your eyebrows shot up. Alexia rarely swore. "You're too beautiful, Y/n/N, it's driving me crazy." She leaned into you and greedily took one of your nipples into her mouth.

"Shit," you breathed out, hooking an arm around her shoulders to hold yourself up. You were certain your knees were going to give out any second. Her mouth on your skin was so much warmer than you anticipated, so much warmer in comparison to her colder hands. Her mouth was wet, creating a sensation that was wholly unfamiliar to you. Now you understood why Alexia had such a reaction to your earlier. You could feel yourself getting wetter every second that she worked your nipples between her hands, her lips, her teeth, her tongue.

Needing to see if you were having the same effect on her, you trailed your hand back down her stomach. This time you didn’t let the fabric stop you, instead moving back in, down between her legs, to the heat. The front of her swimsuit was soaked against the back of your hand. You moved your fingers down, trying to decipher what you were feeling while Alexia continued wreaking havoc on your chest. She was so warm, so wet, and when you accidently grazed her clit, she jerked so hard against you that you pulled your hand out.

"Are you okay?" you rushed out.

"More than okay. I need you to touch me, baby, I can't wait anymore."

Fuck. That was all you could think. No fantasy you'd had over the years had even come close to the real girl. Keeping your eyes on hers, you moved your fingers back down, through the heat, the wet. You tried to push one finger into her. And now you really were on the verge of passing out. Nothing had ever come close to the feel of Alexia squeezing around your finger.

"You're gonna have to move it, baby."

"Uh, right," you said, momentarily embarrassed that you had just stuck your finger in her and left it there. Refocusing, you leaned down to kiss her neck as your hand got to work. You moved in and out her slowly, your thumb starting to rub slow circles on her clit. Her hips were rolling into your hand with each movement. You bit down, maybe too hard, when you felt her fingers move into your bikini and through your folds. "Fuck, Ale." You bucked against her hand. "God, you feel so good."

She kissed you, hard, as you both kept moving your fingers, kept pulling different reactions, exploring each other's bodies for the first time. You were having a hard time holding on, a hard time focusing. But you couldn't stop, not when Alexia's body was moving under yours, when she was clearly getting closer to the edge.

Your entire body was tightening and you used what little willpower you had to keep yourself up on your knees. You'd never had an orgasm in this position and you were desperately afraid your body was going to give out and collapse on top of Alexia any second.

"Ah, shit," Alexia said, burying her face in your shoulder. "I can't hold on much longer."

"Let go, Ale." You circled your fingers around her clit, trying desperately to give her what she needed. Alexia's head fell backward just a second before her entire body started quaking. And when she let out the filthiest moan, your stomach tightened and the orgasm ripped through you. You tried to keep your fingers moving, to help her through her own orgasm but you blacked out for a second, collapsing down.

You came to with the feel of her fingers drifting up and down your back. Gently. Too gentle in comparison to what had just happened. You shifted so your weight wasn't fully on her, and propped yourself up your elbow to look down at her.

"You look pleased with yourself," you said, taking in the closed eyes, the softened features, the smirk.

"I made you pass out," she said. Opening her eyes, she looked up at you, cocky smirk still on her face. You buried your face in her neck, embarrassed beyond words. "Oh, I'm never letting you forget that one," she said, laughing.

And then you were teenagers again, laughing at each other, with each other, rolling over the bed as you tickled each other. You tickled the space under her ribs that was most sensitive. "Say mercy," you said as her laughter grew to silence and strangled breathing.

"Mercy mercy mercy," she said, throwing up both hands. 

"That's what I thought." You had ended up side by side. Rolling onto your elbow again, you rubbed a finger over the band on her bikini. She sucked in a breath, the air in the room immediately changing. "Can I take these off now?" She gave you permission and you slipped your fingers into the band to pull them down her legs. "God, you're so beautiful."

Alexia's hands went to your bikini. "Off," she sighed. You wiggled your hips, pulling them off and throwing them on the floor.

You leaned over, trailing your lips from her shoulder to her neck to her jaw, stopping to nibble just under her ear. "I need to taste you, Ale. Do you trust me?"

"With my life," she said.

You wrapped an arm around her waist and rolled until she was on top of you.

"Wha-?"

"Sit on my face," you said, more confidently than you thought you'd feel asking her for what you so desperately needed.

"I- Are you sure?"

Cupping her face in both your hands, you kissed her, tongues and teeth, messy, just bordering on the edge between so fucking good and too messy. "I want you to sit on my face. I'll take care of you, baby," you promised.

You could see the fear in her eye but also the curiosity, the excitement. Tapping her hips, you helped her get settled above you. She hovered over you, just out of reach. You could feel the heat of her on your chin and your mouth watered.

"Won't I crush you?"

"I'll let you know if I need to tap out." You wouldn't need to but if it reassured Alexia, you would promise her anything. Dragging your hands up her thighs, you settled them on her ass. "Ready?" Alexia gave the smallest nod and you yanked, pulling her flush down on top of you. Her hands flew to the top of the headboard to hang on.

Using your whole tongue, you licked from her entrance all the way up to her clit in one broad stroke. "You taste amazing," you sighed into her. You let your tongue explore, sliding up and through her folds, over the sensitive bundle of nerves that was already jerking. Closing your lips over her clit, you let your tongue swirl around it a few times before returning to the flat broad strokes. Alexia's taste was intoxicating.

Alexia gasped above her, one of her hands coming down to play with her chest. You glanced up, burning the image of Alexia into your mind. You moved her other hand to her chest as well, encouraging her to give into the feeling fully.

You continued your work, moving to pay her clit some attention before sliding your tongue down further, sliding into Alexia. Alexia was talking above you, no coherent sounds coming from her. You gripped her tighter as you felt her start to slide, her muscles clearly having turned to Jello above you.

You had one goal and one goal only - make Alexia fall completely apart.

Anything that pulled an extra twitch or moan out of Alexia got extra attention. When it started to become too much, Alexia reached down and grasped your hair, holding it tight. You slid your tongue back into her and Alexia moved her hips, fucking herself on your tongue.

It's how you knew she had finally given in. She wasn't worried about anything but pleasure now. And that drove you crazy. You squeezed your own thighs together, feeling the slick spread around your thighs. When Alexia's thighs tightened around your head, you dove deeper, trying to pull everything she had to offer, every bit of pleasure she had in her, out to the surface.

"Baby, I'm gonna cum." She said it like a warning.

You figured you weren't working hard enough if she was still saying full sentences. You drew away from her, letting air move between you. She whined at the loss of contact. Moving your hand between her legs, you pushed two fingers into her without warning and attacked her clit with your tongue. You set a furious pace, intent on making her lose her mind.

"Baby," she whined. Her hips were moving fast, trying to keep up with the pace you had set, that you weren't letting her out of. As her movements became messier, your own pleasure grew. Finally. She was giving in to you, to herself, to this feeling you were creating together.

The orgasm took you both by surprise, moving into her so fast it left her breathless, gasping. You fucked her through it, letting your fingers slow but giving her something to clench onto. You gave yourself the pleasure of licking through her a few more times as you withdrew your fingers. She whined again, pushing your head back.

"Too sensitive?" you asked. She nodded, unable to speak. Success. Wrapping an arm around her waist, you brought her down to lay next to you. When you could feel her eyes back on you, you lifted your fingers, the ones still covered in Alexia, to your mouth and sucked them clean. "Damn, Ale, you taste good," you moaned.

"Jesus," she said, when she could breathe again. "You're trying to kill me."

"Can't have that. We're just getting started."

"Oh obviously. I haven't even had my lunch yet."

The laugh was automatic. You didn't know how the both of you had managed it, but in your first time together, you'd found the balance between sexy and best friend, between breathy moans and laughter, between coming apart and coming together. It shouldn't have surprised you. You two had always been in sync with each other.

"I just need a minute," she said, sliding a hand up your thigh to rest at your waist. You bit your lip to keep the moan from escaping. Pleasing Alexia had turned you on so much you weren't sure how long you could hold on. But you wanted to. For her. For her to get the same pleasure of tasting you for the first time.

After her allotted minute, she turned her head to look at you, leaning her head towards you for a kiss. She grabbed your jaw in her hand, holding you in place, groaning as the taste of herself hit her tongue. Her hand moved down, stopping to squeeze one of your boobs before continuing down over toned abs to your heat. When her finger slid through, she broke the kiss.

"You're so wet," she said in fascination.

"That's what you do to me, babe."

"Oh my god." She moved her fingers through your slick folds a few times, unable to believe this was because of her. You moved your hips into her hand, trying to get her to touch you where you wanted. "Aren't you a needy girl?"

"I need you, Ale." You were on the verge of begging. "Please."

Alexia moved down the bed, positioning herself between your legs. You widened your legs for her, giving her room. She used two fingers to spread you open and used the flat of her tongue to swipe through you, causing your eyes to roll back in your head.

"Fuck, that feels so good."

"You taste incredible." She moved her tongue through you slowly, deliberately. You looked down to find her looking up at your face, which nearly sent you over the edge. She reached up for your hand, lacing her fingers with yours over your stomach. "Relax, baby," she mumbled when you strained against her.

Keeping her eyes on yours, she put her mouth back to work. But this time, there was nothing soft about it. Now she was devouring.

Her tongue moved quickly, searching, swirling, her lips closing over your clit to suck. You had lost your mind. The heat had spread throughout your entire body. Her tongue pushed into you, and you moaned, completely at her will.

It wasn't perfect. You were still learning each other. But it was so fucking hot. Alexia was eating you like it was her job. And she had always been really devoted to her job.

"Ale, don't stop. Don't - ah." Your body bowed back, your hand going up to grip the pillow below your head. She whined into you when your muscles tightened around her tongue. You was so close, barely hanging on. "I'm so close."

Alexia continued the same movements until you fell apart, your legs fighting to stay open and not kill Alexia between your thighs, your entire body pulsing. Alexia's moans vibrating against your clit making it more intense.

"God that was so fucking hot," she said when your body stopped shaking. She crawled up, hovering over you. "You're incredible." She leans in and kisses you, the taste of yourself on her tongue sweet. "You okay?"

"Perfect." You tipped your face back towards her, needing her to keep kissing you. She kissed, cupping your face to hold you to her.

When your body calmed down, you rolled off the bed. Alexia stared at you, nerves clear on her face. You leaned over and gave her a small kiss. "Give me a minute."

Not caring that you were completely naked, you walked out of the room to the bathroom across the hall and got a washcloth. You turned on the faucet, waiting for the water to warm and wet it, wringing out the extra water.

In the bedroom, Alexia was still laying on the bed, waiting for you. You nudged her legs apart and cleaned her up. She stared up at you in awe. You used the same washcloth to quickly clean yourself. Dropping it near the door, you climbed back onto the bed and pulled Alexia into you. You let your hands wander, left small kisses on her shoulder, her forehead, the side of her head. These touches weren't to turn her on. These touches were to comfort. To keep you connected.

She pulled the blanket from the bottom of the bed and covered both of you. Tucking her head into the curve of your neck, she threw her arm around your waist.

It’s late at night by the time your love arrives home from national camp.

You’re already in bed and Ona’s gaze softens as she sets her bag down quietly.

You are sleeping on her side of the bed, wearing one of her oversized t-shirts.

Ona doesn’t know it but the whole time she’s been away, you’ve been sleeping on her side of the bed, more often than not, wearing her clothes.

It is Ona’s familiar, comforting smell that you have grown to love, on her pillow and on her clothes that gets you to sleep when she isn’t there to hold you.

Your England teammates often teased you when you wore Ona’s clothes at national camp but you didn’t care.

It was rare for you to sleep without Ona, England camps being the only times you do so and she had never seen you sleep in your shared bed, without her.

This is the one exception because you had gotten injured, right before the international break.

A concussion had kept you from attending your national camp and had nearly kept Ona from hers because you had barely been able to convince her to go.

Your girlfriend had been very worried, anxiously wondering if it would be better for you if she stayed to look after you.

While her concern had melted your heart, you had insisted she go to Spain. Millie and Hannah would come and check in on you, you promised.

Still, Ona had called or texted you every chance she had. She made time in her busy training schedule to frequently remind you to take your medicine and rest.

You love her, you really really do. How could you not when she so clearly cares for and loves you as much as she does?

Ona finishes changing into a more comfortable set of clothes and then climbs into bed with you.

She lightly pushes loose strands of hair out of your face before kissing you awake.

Sleepily, you reach for her.

‘Need cuddles.’

‘Okay.’ Ona murmurs, more than happy to put her arms around you.

You press yourself closer to her, fingers closing tightly around the material of her shirt.

‘I missed your cuddles when you were gone.’ You admit.

The Spaniard brushes a feather light kiss onto your hair, ‘Spots was no help?’

That had been the other thing she had done, that had melted your heart, bringing new depth to the love you had for the brunette.

She had left the stuffed cheetah you had gifted her with, for her birthday last year, with you while she had gone for national camp.

The cheetah that she had been inseparable with for a year.

When Ona had video called you one night, during the international break, Mapi had expressed her displeasure at the absence of their designated team mascot.

Ona had simply flicked the older woman’s ear in response, saying that you needed Spots more.

Despite Ona’s efforts to leave you with some form of comfort in her keenly felt absence, it wasn’t the same as having your girlfriend with you.

And you tell her as much, mumbling, ‘She wasn’t good enough. Not as good as you mi amor.’

‘Naughty Spots.’ Ona teases.

Rather smugly, you say, ‘I put her in the laundry basket.’

Your girlfriend tries really hard not to laugh, kissing your forehead gently.

‘A wash will do her good.’

You huff, fingers slipping under Ona’s shirt in search of the skin to skin contact you craved with her, ‘I hope she drowns.’

At that, the Spanish fullback that you are oh so in love with is no longer able to hold her laughter in, dissolving into a fit of giggles.

‘I’ll forgive you for saying that simply because I missed you so much amor.’

Ona kisses you sweetly and makes sure you’re covered by the blanket before she settles down for the night.

With your love back beside you, it’s not long before you’re falling back asleep again, this time into a much more fitful rest, with a smile on your face.

Spanish Translations:

mi amor - my love

 a/n: this is a lengthy chapter and i guess a bit slowburn with a bit of world-building (?) so just buckle up cause it’s a looong ride but i hope u think its worth it

⋆˙⟡♡ "Nana, please, just hold still." You heard the exhaustion and exasperation in your own voice before you could soften it. You took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to keep yourself patient as your sister moved restlessly in her seat.

Sometimes, you couldn’t find it in yourself to be in a good mood in the morning no matter how hard you tried, especially when you’ve had maybe three hours of sleep and your body was still sore from your performance the night before. You usually still tried to stay composed and to not let the exhaustion get to you but ever since that night, it felt like your patience had worn even thinner. You figured that it was perhaps due to your frustration with yourself or maybe it was just how that night left you feeling uneasy. Whatever it was, it had been affecting your mood.

Your fingers worked through your sister's hair, fixing it into a braid. You decided on nothing elaborate today, just a simple hairstyle that would survive the school day without falling apart. 

“Just stay put please, Aina,” you pleaded, tone getting annoyed. “Rocío is leaving soon and I don’t want you to go to school with messy hair.”

Aina sighed dramatically. "But why can't you take me?" she said with a tone of annoyance. "You never take me to school anymore."

A pang of guilt pierced your heart, sighing through it. Aina wasn’t wrong. It had been a while since you took your little sister to school. You probably didn’t think about how much it meant to her; you just knew it was difficult for you to keep up with it. You needed those one or two extra hours of rest before your shift at the coffee shop and Rocío  was more than willing to take Aina for you. Even if you wanted to, you knew realistically that you’d tire yourself out if you promised to bring Aina to school more often, and that would just put you in an even more sour mood.

You steered her attention elsewhere. "Your birthday is coming up," you said, tone lighter, and felt genuinely pleased with yourself for the redirect. "You’re turning eight, almost a big girl now. Have you thought about what you want to do for your birthday? Want to invite some friends over and I can cook your favorite meals?"

It worked immediately. Aina forgot whatever speech she'd been building about you not taking her to school more often; she turned around to face you, which you hadn't quite anticipated mid-braid, but you managed. She looked up at you with those eyes of hers — wide and glassy like a puppy dog.  "Well," she started, a smile already on her face. "I don't really want a party..."

"No party?" You asked, urging her to turn around so you can continue fixing her hair. “How about a mini party with you, me and Rocío ? Like we did last year for Christmas?”

"No." She shook her head, seemingly set on something else. "What I actually want… is for you to sign me up to be a mascot for a Barcelona game."

You furrowed your eyebrows. "A mascot?"

"Yes." She nodded, very certain. "You know, the kids who walk out with the players at the start. Matteo from school did it last season and he said his mum just entered him in a raffle. He got to go on the pitch and meet the players and show up on TV and everything. He told me he even got a high-five from Lamine Yamal, which is cool and all, but I wanna meet Aitana."

You opened your mouth, already doing the mental calculation of how hard it would be to actually get a slot through a raffle. Surely, there were also a bunch of kids in Barcelona who wanted that opportunity. "Aina, a raffle means they draw names at random, I can't guarantee—"

"I know what a raffle is, YN," she said, with a small eye roll. You chuckled at the expression but felt a bit guilty cause you were certain she picked up the eyerolling from you. You mentally noted to be more careful about rolling your eyes around her especially when she was at the exact age where she absorbed and copied everything.

"I just want you to try," she added, and the eye roll was gone, replaced again by those huge, pleading eyes. "Please."

Something in your chest went soft. You reached out and pinched her cheek gently. She scrunched her nose but didn't pull away. "Okay, cosita," you said. "I'll try."

She threw her arms around you, hugging you tightly, pressing her face against you as she did. You held her, resting your chin on top of her head, already worried about this whole raffle thing before you could even look into it. After a while, you could hear Rocío  emerging out of her room, already holding Aina’s backpack.

She smiled at you two. “Ready, Nana?”

Aina pulled away but not without giving you a cheek kiss. "Yesss, okay, bye YN." She said merrily before running off to take Rocío ’s hand.

You gave Rocío  a small, grateful wave and she gave you a nod that suggested she understood completely. As the door closed, you felt your shoulders slump and an exhale make its way out of your lungs. 

How am I going to get her that slot?

⋆˙⟡♡ As soon as the morning rush at the coffee shop calmed, you grabbed your phone and began researching on this whole mascot raffle thing. You were now on the page of the agency that handled the raffle. You scrolled back to the top of the page and started again, certain you must have missed something, because surely the process could not actually be this convoluted. 

But it was, in fact, this convoluted. The more you read, the less it made sense. You groaned in frustration.

"You know," Rocío  said from behind you, stacking the last of the clean glasses into their spot. "You wouldn't have to be standing there torturing yourself over a raffle if you would just talk to a certain someone."

"Don't." You didn't even look up from your phone, rolling your eyes. "Don't start with me right now, Rocío ."

"I'm just saying—"

"I know what you're just saying." You scrolled further down the page with a growing sense of despair. "Why is this so complicated? I have to sign-up on their website to get to an email with the online form which I have to fill out and submit just to get the details on when the physical sign-ups would be, where I still have to queue, and all of that is just for the chance that my sister gets to stand next to a footballer for five minutes."

Rocío  leaned against the counter with her arms crossed, shaking her head "If only there was a much simpler solution available to you."

You locked your phone and dropped it into your apron pocket. "Absolutely not. I’d rather fill up a hundred forms and stand in a line for two hours than do what you’re thinking."

She sighed through her nose. You made a mistake telling Rocío  about that night at the club, thinking naively that sharing it would make you feel better. But since that night, Rocío  had been bringing it up at every opportunity she could, insisting that you should try to message Alexia or whatever.

"YN, honestly," she said. "I don't understand why you’re acting like it was  such a catastrophic thing. She asked for your name. She didn't ask for your bank details or your home address or your email password or anything that should have sent you running out of that room."

You shook your head. "It's not about what she asked," you said, picking up a cloth and running it along a section of counter that was already perfectly clean, just needing something to do with your hands. "It's about the principle of it. I work very hard to keep things separate — who I am at work and who I am everywhere else. That line exists for a reason. It's why none of the Somni girls come to the apartment anymore, even if I love those girls dearly. I just…  I don't mix those parts of my life and it's why the whole thing works at all. It’s how I protect Aina from ever finding out," You pressed the cloth a little harder into the counter. "The moment you start blurring that line, shit gets messy and right now, messy is the last thing I need."

Rocío  was quiet for a moment, watching you clean a counter that did not need cleaning, exhaling. "What exactly do you think Alexia Putellas is going to do with your first name?" she said, not unkindly but just inquisitively.  "Hunt you down? Steal your identity? Blackmail you in front of Aina?" 

You stayed quiet, not looking at your best friend because you knew she was making a point. And you hated it when she was right. 

Rocío tilted her head. "She probably just thought you were attractive and wanted to know who you actually were. Maybe she just wanted to ask you out."

That was the point at which Rocío's argument fell apart.

"She wouldn’t want to actually date me. And quite frankly, I wouldn’t want to go on a date with her either," you said, with a dry laugh. "I told you… it was supposed to be harmless. A small crush on a client, something fun, a way to blow off some steam when I could without it meaning anything.”

You exhaled, shaking your head at yourself. “And then I let my guard down for five minutes and nearly handed her myself on a plate." You said. “This is why I can’t allow myself to let loose and have nice things. I can’t control myself once I do.”

Rocío and you fell silent for a moment. You sighed.  "Besides," you added quieter, "she hasn't come back anyway. So it's done."

Rocío made a sound that managed to communicate considerable skepticism without using any actual words. Then she straightened up and picked up a water pitcher to fill up the customer's empty water glasses. 

"Well, good luck with the mascot registration, then," she said with a fake pleasant tone. "Because I will tell you, that child could not stop talking about it the whole way to school this morning, on and on about the players and the pitch and meeting Aitana. So, you better be sure you’re getting that slot.”

You sighed. 

⋆˙⟡♡ You owed Rocío a very nice dinner for this.

She had agreed to cover for you during the morning shift at the coffee shop without too much negotiation, which either meant she was feeling generous or she felt guilty enough about all the Alexia comments and was doing it to make it up to you somehow. Either way, you were grateful.

You had set your alarm for an ungodly hour, barely slept a wink, dragged yourself out of bed, and spent twenty minutes in the kitchen making sure Aina's breakfast was ready before she woke up and that you at least had a quick shower.

Then you left the apartment, stepping into the cold of the early morning, the sky still grey and the streets quiet. The offices where the physical registration was being conducted were not nearby. 

Of course they weren't. 

Which was why you were on the metro by six, standing because the seats were already taken by other people who looked equally as tired as you were, holding the overhead bar and trying to mentally prepare yourself for whatever queue situation you were about to walk into.

Your body ached more than usual. Last night had been brutal in a way you had not anticipated. It was a bachelor party for a group of rich, finance dudes so Pilar was extra highstrung, making sure everyone did their numbers well. 

And by some unlucky fate, one of your co-workers had gone down during warm-up, tripping off of the stage and landing on her wrist. You, being the only girl who knew her choreography having done it before, was now tasked with performing it, on top of all of your other numbers. 

So, here you were, calves practically throbbing and a headache beginning to develop. The fact that the guy beneath you in one of the seats thought it’d be smart to chow down on what smelled like a purely onion sandwich, the pungent smell wafting to you, making your head throb even more.

I could have just asked Alexia for a favour, said a small, unhelpful voice somewhere in the back of your mind. That way I wouldn’t have to worry about this.

You shut it down immediately. No. Absolutely not. 

You were not going to be the person who leveraged a moment of weakness — a lapse in professionalism, a line you should never have crossed — into a personal favour. 

Most especially, you were not going to let Aina's name be connected, even loosely and privately, to that part of your life. Your sister existed in a completely separate world from Somni and everything that came with it, and that was not a boundary you had any intention of softening, not even for something she wanted this badly, not even when the alternative was standing in a queue at six in the morning with what you were increasingly certain was the beginning of a headache forming somewhere behind your eyes.

You were going to do this the right way.

The metro doors opened and you joined the stream of people moving toward the exit, adjusting your bag on your shoulder, preparing yourself for whatever was ahead. You just really, deeply hoped the queue wasn't as long as you feared it was going to be.

⋆˙⟡♡ Aina’s shrieks pierced your ear.  Your sister excitedly jumped up and down the couch after you had told her that you’ve gotten the email that confirmed that she was chosen for the mascot position for Barcelona’s next game. 

If her shouts from getting the signed shirt and armband didn’t wake up the entire apartment building, the shrieks from now certainly would have startled them. 

Nana, who was wearing the signed shirt like a dress and a Barcelona-themed party hat, was jumping up and down, clearly filled with glee. “Best birthday ever! Best birthday ever!” She chanted.

Rocío excitedly joined in on the chanting, grabbing your sister off of her bed so they can now prance around hand-in-hand in circles as they chanted together. You sighed, feeling a deep satisfaction settle inside you watching your sister so happy, giving yourself a pat in the back.

“YN, join us,” Rocío  said before continuing in their circular chant session.

You shook your head at the offer and laughed. “C’mon, Nana, you still have to blow your birthday candles.”

She ran up to you, hugging you tightly. “No need, YN. You made all my wishes come true already.”

You bent down to hug your sister tightly, feeling warmth spread through you. Maybe all the hard work and effort was worth it because nothing could replace this feeling. 

⋆˙⟡♡ The morning of the game, you were up before your alarm.

You laid in the dark for a few minutes, looking over at Aina who was in her princess pajamas, still sprawled beside you. She had begged you last night to sleep in the Alexia shirt but you refused. You were only realizing now that your sister had still stubbornly managed to sleep with Alexia’s armband hanging on her small arms loosely. 

You sighed as you got out of bed, heading for the shower. You already took the night shift off at Somni the other night for Aina’s birthday which meant that you could not have taken a night off last night. This meant that not only were you tired  but also that you had to wake up earlier than usual to scrub off the remnants of your heavy performance make-up and the body glitter you all had to wear.

You had been thinking about today all week, excited for Aina but anxious about seeing Alexia again. 

The Somni costume and make-up was enough to differentiate your real self from Rubi. In all your years performing, no one has recognized you outside of Somni. There would be times where regulars of the club would find themselves in the coffee shop you worked in and they all looked at you with the expression of unfamiliarity.

But then again, none of them got that close for that long. None of them has seen you without a wig.  It was just Alexia. 

And that was why you were roughly scrubbing the body glitter off of you so hard you were practically peeling off the first layer of your skin as you did. Taking an extra precaution to scrub off anything that could connect you to Rubi.

That also meant dressing as far as you could from Rubi. You didn’t put any make-up, just a light balm and concealer under your eyes, and you borrowed Rocío’s clothes — a loose Barcelona shirt and cargo pants. You looked at yourself in the mirror for a long moment.

You looked okay, which was good. The last thing you wanted was to stand out; you just wanted to blend in. And thankfully, you did. You looked just like someone's random older sister at a football match, which was precisely what you were, which was precisely the point.

You went and made breakfast, bracing yourself for the day ahead.

⋆˙⟡♡ By the time you arrived at the stadium, Aina was practically bouncing with excitement, nonstop yapping about how excited she was to finally meet Aitana. She had been good and behaved over breakfast, contained enough to sit down and eat, but the moment you'd left the apartment, her energy had accelerated steadily and has now officially gone off the rails.

You took her hand, making sure she wouldn’t break free and run off. She held your hand but she was looking everywhere at once: at the stadium exterior, at the other children gathering near the designated entrance, at the staff in their bibs with their clipboards, at everything with the wide-open attention of someone who wanted to memorize all of it simultaneously.

"YN, look, that's where they come out," she said, pulling your arm in one direction. “That’s where we’re going to go.”

You nodded as you got your wristbands from the staff, trying to pay attention to both the staff and your sister, who was still going on-and-on about everything she saw. 

"And look at the size of this stadium! It’s massive, YN!” She beamed. “Everyone is going to be so jealous at school when I tell them all about today.”

She giggled, which was a good sound, and you squeezed her hand and tried to let some of her excitement be contagious. 

Still, there was that anxiety of seeing her again.

She probably won't even look at you, you told yourself to calm down. And if she does, she wouldn’t know who you were.

The noise level in the room shifted as soon as the players arrived. The kids collectively cheered as they arrived, tugging on their parent’s arms, gushing as they arrived.

“YN! YN! It’s Alexia,” Aina said, excitedly pointing.

You followed your sister’s gesture and that’s when you saw her.

You knew exactly who you were looking at and yet it took a while for it to register that that was the same Alexia you knew. Because the person walking out in the Barça training kit with her hair scraped back in a tight ponytail and her eyes already somewhere past the room looked so disarmingly different.

At Somni, she was so loose and easy-going, eyes dark and fixated on you. Seeing her now felt somewhat unfamiliar. You carefully looked at her, watched her eyes level and distant, as if already focused on the game ahead. She took a deep breath before finally greeting the kids nearby, crouching down, smiling at them. Even her smile looked so different, bright and wide, so professional.

Your attention was interrupted once the staff took Aina, shuffling her into a line.  She looked back at you from where she was made to stand, giving you a thumbs up. You chuckled, waving one last time before you moved to the side along with the other guardians.

You watched Aina talk to the player beside her, excitedly bouncing and likely already talking the player’s ear off. You sighed and turned to head out, not sparing Alexia another glance.

It was good that Alexia did not recognize you, that she didn’t even look your way. It was safe that way. 

And yet… part of you couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.

⋆˙⟡♡ Aitana had been paired with kids before. It was a regular enough fixture of the pre-match routine that she had a general approach to it: smile, crouch down to their level, ask their name, keep it warm and simple because they were usually too starstruck to do much more than stare at her for the first thirty seconds anyway.

This one was different. The little girl had begun talking before Aitana even had an opportunity to crouch down.

"Hi, I'm Aina which kinda sounds like Aitana but everyone calls me Nana and I'm so excited to meet you, I've been excited since my sister told me I got in and that was already a few days ago so I've been excited for a while—"

Aitana blinked and let out an easy laugh, a bit overwhelmed at the kid’s obvious excitement. "Hi, Nana. I'm Aitana." She interrupted, not knowing when else she could have an opportunity to speak in between the kid’s rambling.

"I know! " Nana exclaimed, raising her hands up. "You're my favourite player ever!"

"Yeah?" Aitana said with a smile.

“Yes, you’re my favorite because I really want to be a midfielder like you!” Aina said with a small jump. “And also, because you’re the smallest one in your team like how I’m the smallest in my team!”

Kika, who was just behind Aitana heard the statement, and chuckled. “How about me? Am I your favorite too?” She asked Nana.

Aina hummed, genuinely thinking for a while. “I think you’re my fifth favorite.”

Kika laughed at the honesty, feigning offense. “Just fifth?”

Aina, oblivious to Kika’s acting, listed them down. “Yes, it goes: Aitana, Alexia, Patri, Salma, and then, Kika!” She said excitedly before remembering. “Oh you know, my sister got me a signed shirt from Alexia for my birthday too but —”

Aina paused, unsure of whether or not she should continue. Aitana furrowed her eyebrows. “But what?”

“I’m starting to think it isn’t real,” she answered in a quiet voice, looking back to check if you were there. “Cause when I told my classmate Matteo about it yesterday. He said those shirts cost a lot of money and well… my sister has no money.”

Aitana found the little kid’s honesty amusing, chuckling a bit at the candor. “You know what, I think your friend Matteo is just jealous.”

Aina pouted. “Yeah?”

Aitana nodded. “Let me tell you what, how about I give you another shirt later and we can take a photo so that your friend Matteo wouldn’t ever doubt you.” She smiled. “As long as you can wait a bit after the game.”

Nana nodded immediately, doing a little hop in her place. "Yes! Please! I would really love that!” She stuck out her hand towards Aitana. “It’s a deal”

"Deal." Aitana kept her voice serious, acting as if it was a serious negotiation, shaking the little girl’s hands. “Okay, just behave now and I promise, I’ll give you it later. Good?”

Aina saluted and stopped jumping, standing up straight. Aitana laughed and took her hand. “Okay, let’s go, Nana. Let’s win this game.”

⋆˙⟡♡ Aitana grabbed a marker from Irene as she continued to explain why she was asking everyone around for a marker.  “She might genuinely be one of the funniest kids I've met in a long time so I just felt like I had to give her something."

“Yeah, she’s hilarious," Kika added, in the middle of getting changed. “She told Aitana she was her favorite because she was the smallest in the team.”

Esmee and Alexia laughed. 

Aitana frowned and added. "Which is crazy because I'm not even the smallest. Vicky is shorter than me,” she said. “Plus, she said it was because she wants to be a midfielder too but of course, you only heard the short part.”

Kika gave her a teasing shrug and Aitana rolled her eyes but laughed. She sat down on the bench near the lockers, propping the shirt on her knee, signing on the back of it. “Okay, now, I gotta give it to her and take a photo so that her classmates wouldn’t think it’s fake.”

“Fake?” Patri asked.

“Yeah, apparently her sister bought her a signed Alexia shirt for her birthday." She looked towards Alexia’s direction to make sure that she was listening. "And now she thinks it’s fake because her classmate said so.”

The people nearby gave their awws, feeling bad for the girl. “Her classmates are just jealous,” Patri commented before pausing to think. “Though, the shirt might actually be fake. I saw someone selling a shirt on ebay that I apparently signed and the signature looked nothing like mine.”

Alexia laughed, shaking her head, turning back to Aitana. “How old is she?” She asked in the middle of undoing her boots.

"Seven, I think?" Aitana answered, throwing on a fresh shirt. “You should meet her too, Alexia. She said you’re her second favorite player.”

Kika scoffed. “Lucky you, I’m just her fifth favorite.”

Patri laughed. “How about me?”

“Third.” Aitana and Kika answered at the same time. 

Patri smiled before turning to Kika to tease her. Alexia chuckled. “Yeah, I should give her something too, just so she can flex on her jealous classmates,” she joked, standing up to borrow the marker from Alexia.

Aitana stood up and readied the shirt, hanging it on her forearm. “I’ll head on outside cause I don’t want to keep the kid waiting,” she said. “But I’m telling you: you’re going to love that kid. She’s like a puppy dog.”

Alexia chuckled. “I bet.”

⋆˙⟡♡ Aina was practically bursting with excitement in a way you have never seen her before. You could tell she was trying to contain her energy, stay patient, but it was obvious how hyped she was.

The Barcelona social media manager had approached you after catching part of Aina and Aitana's interaction from a while ago, finding it adorable and asked if she could film a short clip of Aina receiving the shirt for a Children's Day post. You agreed, and she positioned herself between you and Aina to get the angle she needed, which was just perfect cause now you could hide behind her just in case Alexia passes by.

Soon enough, Aitana came out, a shirt in hand. Aina exclaimed the player’s name, rushing over to hug her tightly. Aitana chuckled, crouching down to hug your sister. You watched from behind the social media manager’s shoulder, smiling warmly at the interaction, watching how your sister’s eyes practically sparkled as she talked to the footballer. You couldn’t hear much of what was going on but Aitana was genuinely listening and chatting with your sister, genuinely enjoying the conversation and even laughing at Aina’s statements.

Rocío always joked that Aina got all the humor and the charm but you never found it offensive because she was right. That girl was just so loveable even when she was brimming with energy.

You finally stepped forward when the camera lowered, reaching them just as Aitana straightened up.

"Thank you, Aitana." you said, and meant it thoroughly, shaking her hand as you did. "She won’t ever forget this. I bet she won’t let us forget either. She idolizes you so much.”

"I believe it," Aitana said, with a chuckle. "She reminded me of myself at that age, honestly, just eager and full of energy.”

She looked down at your sister, giving her a small cheek pinch. “Nana here told me that she plays midfield too,” she gave your sister another smile before looking back at you. “You should look into La Masia for her training. Might be worth the shot.”

You nodded. "I'll look into it."

Aitana opened her mouth to say something else, then glanced back toward the door. "Oh — wait.” She said, turning to the social media manager, stopping her from packing up the ring light. “You should keep filming.”

The staff looked at Aitana who simply explained. “I told my teammates about Aina, and Alexia said that she’s coming out to give Aina something too."

As soon as you heard Alexia’s name the same nervous feeling returned to your gut. You shook your head. "That's really not necessary—" you started.

"Alexia is giving me something too?" Aina exclaimed loudly with amused disbelief. She spun around to look at you with the biggest smile on her face. “YN, did you hear that? I’m getting something from Alexia too!”

You closed your mouth, forced a smile, and gave a stiff nod. As soon as the social media manager turned the lights back on, you told Aina to wait for Alexia and very deliberately moved behind the social media girl, who had her phone raised again, and stayed there, watching Aitana pull your sister into one last hug before disappearing back through the locker room door.

You took a deep breath. Calm down, you told yourself. She has no idea who you are or what you actually look like. It’s no big deal. 

But all that self-soothing proved useless as soon as Alexia came through the door, causing your heart to beat at an unhealthily fast rate

She had changed out of her kit, wearing their sleeveless training kit, showing off her arms. Alexia’s hair was still damp at the edges from the shower. Even without make-up, she looked breathtakingly beautiful. She gave the lingering staff a brief, polite acknowledgement and then her attention settled on Aina, who was looking up at her, eyes wide and teeth bared into a huge toothy grin.

You moved, quietly, directly behind the social media manager, moving even further away just to be safe. Though, at that distance, it meant you couldn't hear a word of what they were saying, which was its own particular frustration, but it was the safest option.

Aina greeted Alexia, rushing into a hug. Alexia crouched down as she took your sister into her arms, hugging her warmly. You watched Alexia smile at Aina as the two began to talk, handing her a shirt, which garnered her another hug from the little girl.

"Aitana tells me you already have my signature," Alexia said as she slowly pulled away from the hug, tilting her head a bit.

Aina nodded. “Yes, I have three.” She said before holding out the shirt Alexia just gave her. “And now four!”

Alexia looked a bit taken aback, chuckling, thinking to herself that maybe this little girl’s sister had gone a bit crazy with a Sharpie one night. "Four? That’s a lot! You’ll have your own Alexia collection soon,” she joked.

Aina smiled but something about it carried a hesitation. She paused, looking behind her to see if you were within earshot before moving closer to Alexia. “Well, I’m not sure if it’s real,” she said to Alexia in a small, guilty voice. “My classmate Matteo said that maybe my sister got scammed on the internet since he doesn’t think the signatures are real but please don't say anything because it'll really hurt her feelings. I bet she saved a bunch just to buy me those."

Alexia gave her a small, exaggerated pout, tilting her head. "Really? What makes him think that?" she asked, feeling genuinely bad about the situation. "Maybe your sister really did get it for you though. Has she ever met me before?"

Aina shook her head vigorously. "No, my sister doesn't even watch football anymore cause she’s always working," she said bluntly with a sigh. "But she said she bought the shirt and armband online and that the paper was from when she met you at a restaurant. I don’t know if the last part is true either."

Alexia nodded slowly, manufacturing a thoughtful expression. "You know what, now that I think about it, I think I did sign something for a girl at a restaurant once," she said, which was a complete lie, but the alternative was letting this child go home thinking her sister had wasted money trying to make her happy, and she wasn't going to do that. “And I think the girl did look a lot like an older version of you!”

At the end of the day, at least, she’d have one real signature, Alexia thought to herself. I’m not crushing this kid’s happiness.

Your sister immediately perked up, eyes widening. “Really? Then that might be her! Everyone does say we look alike!” she exclaimed. “I really had my doubts, Alexia. Cause it was just on this crumpled receipt and Matteo said she might have just traced your signature or something."

Alexia laughed but paused, expression turning serious for a moment, as a memory snagged in the back of her head. She furrowed her eyebrows together, blinking as she remembered the interaction she had backstage, from the time the other Somni girls asked her to sign a receipt for Rubi’s sister. 

Alexia tilted her head. “Did it say anything on the paper?”

Aina nodded “It said: Força Barça, Nana!” 

"Nana," Alexia repeated. When Aitana had mentioned the name Aina earlier, it didn’t really bring up any recollection with Alexia. It was a common enough name. But Nana was something she remembered. She looked past Aina's shoulder, scanning, but couldn't find you. She brought her attention back to the girl in front of her, keeping her expression easy so Aina wouldn't notice anything had shifted. "Where's your sister now?"

Aina turned around. She looked around before finally locating you, hiding behind the social media manager. You watched helplessly as her little arm went up, finger pointing directly at you with an innocent smile on her face, totally unaware of the fact that you were practically panicking at that point.

What’s worse was the social media manager shifted just enough to expose you.

Alexia looked up. Her eyes found yours and her face went very still. You looked away, fixing your gaze somewhere past her, jaw tight. She held the look for one more second before returning her attention to Aina, and whatever she had just recognized, she kept it entirely to herself, her expression resettling into a warm smile.

She continued to engage Aina for another few minutes, talking to her about football, the match. The conversation went on and at some point, Alexia gave the social media manager a thumbs up, as if signalling them to wrap up. The girl in front of you turned off the small ringlight and lowered the phone before walking off, leaving you completely seen. 

Alexia looked at you once more from across the small distance between you. Without the wig, without the makeup, without any of it, you looked so different that she understood immediately why she hadn't placed it sooner. If it hadn't been for Aina and the receipt and the name, she likely wouldn't have connected it at all.

"Aina," she said, glancing down at your sister, "why don't you introduce me to your sister?"

Aina nodded before turning around, rushing towards you. She came back to you with her arms occupied with the merch from both Aitana and Alexia, absolutely beaming with pride. You smiled at her, still avoiding Alexia’s gaze, crouching over to take the stuff from your sister’s arms and carefully placing it into your totebag.

Alexia trailed just behind Aina. Close enough now that she could see the resemblance clearly: same hair, face shape, same lips. Alexia smiled at her own observation, eyes flickering across your face, biting her lip to stop herself from smiling too widely.

“Alexia, this is my sister,” Aina announced with excitement. 

You straightened up and looked somewhere in Alexia's general direction but not making eye contact. “Thank you. Aina is a big fan.”

"Of course." Alexia glanced down at Aina. "You should come to watch more games, Nana. I’d love to see you again.”

Aina grabbed your arm immediately. "Hear that, YN? Alexia wants to see me again!”

You smiled at your sister but internally you were cursing at the situation, fairly certain Alexia had just heard your name loud and clear. "Yeah, of course, we will," you said, already reaching for Aina's hand. "Okay, we should get going. We don't want to keep Alexia. I'm sure she's very busy.”

Aina was a bit startled at your urgency but just nodded and agreed. You turned already, holding Aina’s hand in yours, ready to leave. “Say goodbye, Nana.”

Aina, thankfully, didn't put up a fight this time. "Okay," she said agreeably but not before letting go of your hand and running back to Alexia to give her another hug. "It was really nice meeting you, Alexia!"

Alexia hugged her back, laughing softly. "You too, Nana."

You gave Alexia a brief nod, eyes down, and turned for the exit with your sister’s  hand back in yours. Aina was still craning her neck back, looking behind at Alexia, reluctant to let the moment end. 

Alexia waved at her. "Bye, Nana!"

You kept walking, focusing on the exit.

“And bye, YN.” Alexia followed up.

You didn't turn around, just kept your eyes on the exit and your pace steady, like you hadn't even heard it.

Shit.

⋆˙⟡♡ "Bye, YN," Rocío repeated back to you, mouth wide parted in disbelief. She huffed, nodding as if impressed with it. "Oh, she's good. That's slick. Really cheeky."

You groaned and dropped your face back into the throw pillow. As soon as you got home, you’ve been wanting to tell Rocío everything that happened but Aina took up most of the conversation, yapping on and on. Thankfully, she got the idea to call her friends and tell them about it too which finally gave you an opportunity to recount what happened to your best friend, still in disbelief.

"How am I this unlucky," you said, muffled, into the cushion. 

"Unlucky," Rocío repeated. "How is that unlucky?”

You groaned, lifting your head up and reaching over to the pizza box on the coffee table, pulling out a slice that had gone a bit cold. You noticed that Aina’s  Aina's plate was still sitting there mostly untouched. You sighed, figuring you’d let her talk to her friends first and just remind her to finish it later.

“I mean unlucky in a sense that nothing goes how I want it,” you explained. You were interrupted mid-thought by the sound of Aina’s loud laughter from her room. You sighed. “At least one of us is pleased with herself.”

Rocío  smiled in the direction of the door, chuckling. "Imagine how much happier she'd be if you started dating Alexia."

You turned to look at her flatly. "You gotta let that go. You're constructing an entire narrative out of nothing."

"Out of nothing," she said, giving you a look. "The woman came back with gifts for your sister, fully made out with you, then recognized you out of your Somni costumes, and made it a point to let you know that she was going to remember your name. Clearly that’s not nothing.”

You stared blankly at Rocío  who rolled her eyes. “You can’t seriously tell me that you think she isn’t a little bit interested at least.”

You shook your head. “No, I know she is but she’s interested in Rubi, not me. That's an important distinction that you keep choosing to ignore." You scoffed. “And well, if Rubi is the kind of girl she likes, then the real me is certainly not going to catch her attention.”

Rocío  waved her hand dismissively. "I think you're being ridiculous.”

"I'm being realistic. " You took a bite of the cold pizza, chewed, swallowed. "Besides, I've seen the kind of girls she goes for. Her ex was really into fitness, like seriously into it, marathons and pilates and all that. While I’m here on the couch with you, eating my third slice of cold pizza.”

Rocío chuckled but shook her head. “Please, I know you have this whole self-deprecation thing going but you literally make money off of how fit you look.”

“That’s different,” you responded. "Anyway, whatever, the point is that I’ve seen her ex and she could not be more different from me."

Rocío was quiet for a moment, and you thought maybe you'd finally managed to close the conversation, until she said slowly, "How do you know all that about her ex?”

You stopped chewing, not answering. Rocío shook her head and pointed an accusatory finger at you.

“You sly woman,” Rocío  said with a chuckle. “You totally stalked Alexia and her ex.”

"I wouldn't use the word stalk—"

"You absolute hypocrite," Rocío interrupted, tone delighted. "You sit here telling me that you don’t like that she recognized you, that you don't like her, or that it’s not happening, meanwhile you've stalked her enough to know about her ex going on marathons.”

You shrugged.  "I was just curious," you said with a small voice. 

"You actually want her," Rocío said simply. "You’ve got an actual, massive crush on Alexia Putellas.”

You put the pizza down and exhaled slowly before rambling. "Fine, okay, I think she's hot and she kissed me so fucking good that I started seeing stars and yeah, I did find it cute that she took the time to greet and talk to Aina a while ago even if she didn’t know her and yes, I kinda think I really like her. Are you happy?" You looked at Rocío but before she could say anything, you went on. "But what exactly am I supposed to do with that? She’s this famous football star and I’m a stripper. If she does like me, it’s lust and nothing more.”

"You don't actually know that," Rocío said, more gently this time, knowing that there were times you had opened up to her about your worries of never finding anyone who could like you for more than just your body. 

"I know enough," you said, shrugging. "And even if I didn't, getting closer to her is a risk I can't afford. You know that." 

You leaned back into the couch. "Besides, it doesn't matter. She hasn’t shown her face in the club anyway. If there was any interest before, it’s gone now.”

⋆˙⟡♡ You didn’t tell anyone else about how Aina met Alexia, especially not your co-workers at Somni. They had more than enough questions about the last time Alexia visited and you didn’t want to add more to that.

Thankfully, the interest in Alexia died off and most of them left you alone.

“Chiqui,” Adriana said, walking over to you from where you were standing in the dressing, in the middle of wiping off her make-up. “You did well tonight.”

You smiled, taking off your wig and placing it on the wig holders. “Thanks. The new choreography was so fucking hard to learn but I guess I figured it out eventually.”

Adriana hummed, tilting her hair slightly. “Yeah, but to be honest, I still like your old solo better. I think that one was way sexier,” she nodded, and waved her hand like that wasn’t the point.  “Anyway, I just came over here to ask you something.”

You paused from changing out of your costume, eager to just get home already. “Yeah?”

Adriana bit her lip, already smiling. “So, Alexia…”

“No, no,” you shook your head at Adriana, in the middle of putting on a tanktop. “I told you it was nothing. She’s just a client.”

Adriana nodded. “Good, cause Lorenzo’s cousin is moving to Barcelona soon and I thought maybe we should go on a double date. All four of us.”

You squinted. “Didn’t you say it was over for you and Lorenzo?”

The girl shook her head dismissively. “Whatever, it’s complicated,” she groaned. “Anyway, are you up for it or not? She’s really cute and very much your type.”

“I don’t know, chica. I mean, I barely have any time and you know how Aina gets when I don’t spend my weekends with her,” you said, trailing off a bit. 

“C’mon, YN. It’s been a while since you and I hung out outside of work,” she pleaded. “And Lorenzo’s cousin is really hot too. She’s like… an Italian Alexia Putellas.”

You scoffed. “An Italian Alexia Putellas?” 

Adriana rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean – athletic and hot with great abs,” she tried to explain before simply stating again, as if it was a selling point. “An Italian Alexia Putellas.”

You rolled your eyes, putting your costume back onto a rack. “I don’t know why you’d think —”

“You ladies talking about me?” 

The voice came from just behind the costume racks. You were startled, instinctively covering yourself even though you were already fully dressed, and turned to find Alexia Putellas standing there looking thoroughly amused.

She was wearing loose jeans and a cropped, black cardigan that exposed a sliver of her stomach. Her brown hair framing her face. She had an amused look on her face, clearly having heard part of your conversation. You and Adriana exchanged a glance.

Right beside her was your club manager. "Alexia's teammate is getting married," Pilar said, cutting straight to it the way she always did. "She stopped by to book a date and thought you'd have some input on the lineup." She looked at you pointedly. "Since you've been here long enough to know what works."

You looked again at Adriana who just gave you a shrug but had a small smile on her face “I, uh… me?” You asked, pointing at yourself. “I don’t… usually…”

"You've been here over half a decade. You'll manage." Pilar was already typing something on her phone. “I’ll leave you two to talk about it.”

She thanked Alexia before walking off, already typing away on her phone like she always did. You stared after her for a moment, then turned back to Alexia, who just gave you a meek smile. You gestured for her to wait as you chased  after Pilar whose eyes were still on her phone.

“Pilar,” you said, waiting for her to stop in her tracks, just out of earshot from Alexia. She looked at you, raising an eyebrow. “Pilar, you know I don’t do… client relations.”

Pilar scoffed. “Client relations? What are we – a Fortune 500 company?” She said sarcastically “It’s no big deal. Her teammate is having a bachelorette. All they want is just to see new performances, different from last time. Just string together some new and some old performances and call it a day.”

You paused, nodding. “Can’t I just text you my suggestions? I mean, you usually take care of events like this cause I don’t really have much free time and I gotta go home and take care of—”

“Aina, I know, I know,” she said, nodding understandably. “Look, Alexia requested that you coordinate with her. You specifically. I’m not gonna waste time explaining why that is. You’re smart enough to know why.”

You blinked. “What?”

Pilar tucked her phone under her arm and gave you a look that was almost fond, in her particular way. "YN. The woman is infatuated with you." She said it plainly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm not asking you to do anything complicated. Talk to her, find out what she's looking for, pass it to me and I'll handle the rest. She's paying well. If you help coordinate it, I'll split the managing fee with you."

You went quiet, doing the math without meaning to. Aina's tournament was coming up and you had most of it covered, but new boots would certainly be a great gift to surprise her with.

"Can I go now?" Pilar continued without waiting for your answer. "I've got a situation with the laundry service. Sol's boots came back still smelling like absolute shit and there’s no way I’m paying that much for boots to be coming back still stinking."

You nodded, looking back at Alexia now who was now talking to Adriana, laughing easily at something Adriana said. 

“And YN,” Pilar said, drawing your attention back to her. She put a hand on your shoulder and squeezed. "If I were you, I'd just enjoy it." 

She walked away, already calling someone as she did. You stood there for another moment, then headed back to Adriana and Alexia.

Alexia turned her attention back to you and gave a smile. “So, are we sorted? Are you up to help me with this bachelorette?”

“YN’s been here as long as I have," Adriana offered cheerfully. "She'll know exactly what to put together."

You nodded slowly. Alexia's gaze stayed on you, unhurried, and she said, "Yeah, she looks like a girl with great taste." Her eyes scanned you before settling back on your face and gave you a crooked smile.

Adriana widened her eyes. She mouthed oh my god at you from just over Alexia's shoulder. “Anyway,” she said out loud. “I’ll leave you to talk. Lorenzo’s picking me up.”

Adriana gave you one last wink before heading back to her station to grab her bag. 

You turned to Alexia and you nodded. "Okay, we should probably go over what you're looking for quickly cause I do have to get home soon,” you said. “It is a bit late.”

"Honestly, I mostly took care of it with Pilar already: pencil-booked and paid the deposit." She slid her hands into her pockets, easy about it. "Why don't I drive you home? We can talk about all the preliminary stuff on the way to your place."

You pressed your lips together. The sensible part of you already had a whole list of reasons to say no. First, she was a client. And that you’ve blurred enough lines as it was. Lastly, there was no real benefit to getting entangled with a famous footballer.

But the other part of you was much louder. It was too busy noticing how good she looked and thinking about how much you'd secretly wanted to see her again to even listen to the logical side of you.

You figured you'd spent enough time being sensible.

You gave her a small smile. "Yeah, okay."

⋆˙⟡♡ As soon as you got into Alexia's car, you pulled out your makeup wipes and started scrubbing your face clean, cursing yourself for not doing this sooner.

Alexia glanced over but said nothing. "Let me just input your address," she said, tapping at her GPS.

You stuffed the used wipe into your bag. "I’m kind of regretting giving you my actual address now,” you joked, looking over at her as she input it. “You're not going to turn out to be some crazy axe murderer, right?"

Alexia laughed softly. "Do I look like an axe murderer to you?"

"I genuinely don't know what axe murderers look like," you said. "Maybe they look like you do."

She chuckled, shaking her head, and you settled into an easy quiet before you broke it. 

"So… bachelorette party, huh?" you asked.

"Yeah." Alexia's expression warmed, nodding her head. "Our goalkeeper, Cata, just got engaged. She missed Irene's party and had massive FOMO, so I figured I'd put together something for her. It’s gonna be my engagement gift."

You hummed, nodding. "And you want a different lineup of performances?"

Alexia began pulling out of the lot, brow furrowed in thought. "I'm not entirely sure yet. That's why I wanted to talk to you about it." 

You hummed, tilting your head, biting your lip. You hesitated before finally saying. "For a second, I thought you were just finding an excuse to see me again."

She smiled at the road. "Hmm, well, seeing you again is a nice bonus."

You went quiet, feeling the blush spread through your cheeks. You bit your lip and looked out the window, trying to hide your pinked face. Alexia noticed and smiled to herself.

"So," Alexia said. "How's Aina?"

You smiled, feeling a bit warm at the mention of Aina, flattered Alexia had remembered her name. If Aina knew, she would be pleased. "She's okay. She still can't stop talking about the game." You nodded. "She wears your captain's armband to sleep, you know."

"That's so cute." She said, pausing before asking. "So, do you two live with your parents?"

You frowned at the mention of your parents. "I thought we were here to talk about the bachelorette." You said simply.

"You look tired," she said easily, shrugging one shoulder. "Work stuff can wait. Let’s just chat, get to know each other."

You hummed, pausing before shaking your head. “No, we don’t live with our parents.”

“Why is that?” She asked, eyes still on the road.

“Oh, uh, they passed.” You said simply, looking down into your hands. No matter how long it’s been, talking about your parents. It never got easy. 

“I’m sorry,” Alexia said, the car coming to a halt as you reached a stop light, she looked over to you, eyes sincere. “I had no idea.”

You shook your head. “No, it’s fine, it’s been years anyway,” You said, brushing it off. “So, yeah, it’s just me, Aina, and well, my roommate. We’re kinda like a small family.”

Alexia nodded. “Oh,” she said with a tone you could not decipher. “That’s good. So, uh, how long have you been with your roommate?”

"It’s been a while since she moved in with us," you responded, not catching what Alexia meant. "Honestly, she's been with us since I was twenty. So, I really can't imagine not having her around."

Alexia nodded slowly. The car went silent for a moment, except for the sound from Alexia’s GPS. She hesitated before asking. “So, doesn’t she get jealous? Like, considering what you do for work?”

You frowned, pausing before looking over at Alexia in confusion. “Why would she be jealous…”

Then it clicked. You looked at her, and the realization broke across your face in a smile you couldn't help. "Oh, you’re fishing," you said. "You are absolutely fishing right now."

"I'm just asking," Alexia said, trying to look casual and nonchalant about it but you could tell she was bluffing.

"You're trying to find out if I'm single." You said, just making it clear.

"...and what if I am?" Alexia responded, a smile growing on her face.

You laughed, shaking your head. For one, there was no way in hell you and Rocío could ever date; you were practically sisters at this point. Secondly, the fact that Alexia Putellas seemed a bit jealous for a moment….

"Alexia. I wouldn't have kissed you if I wasn't." The words left your mouth before you could think better of it. You felt your face go hot but you didn’t take it back. You really didn’t want to bring up the kiss and yet your mouth got the best of you.

Alexia glanced at you, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, and you quickly looked away.

"Well," she responded, tone light. "I thought maybe that's why you ran off so fast."

You sighed and shook your head. "No. No, that's not…" you exhaled, trying to get your thoughts straight before responding again. "Alexia, I don't usually do that with clients. I mean — I've never done that with a client. I should have been more professional. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Hey." Her voice was easy, looking over at you. “Relax."

You stopped, biting your lip.  She turned to look at you at the red light, and her expression was warm and sincere.  "It was nice," she said simply.

You held her gaze, taking the moment for what it was. Looking at her, face illuminated by the street lights and the faint red of the stoplight, accentuating her features. You cherished it: a girl driving you home, telling you she liked kissing you, making you feel giddy in ways you haven’t felt in such a long time. You wanted to hold it a little longer.

Unfortunately, your stomach growled and ruined the moment..

You covered your face with both hands. "Oh my god,” you said, embarrassment rushing through you. “That was not — that was not a fart, I need you to know that."

Alexia bursted out laughing, so much so that she almost didn’t notice that the stoplight had gone green. As she calmed down, she said, “Chica, you didn’t tell me you were hungry.”

You just realized that you hadn't actually eaten anything since noon, when you and Rocío split a sad little sandwich at the café before your shift. You meant to grab something before your shift at Somni but it must have slipped your mind.

Your stomach offered another confirmatory rumble.

Alexia tutted her tongue. "That's it. I'm not taking you home like this." She was already signaling to change lanes, going the opposite direction from what was directed in the GPS. "There's a place I know that's still open. Come on, my treat."

"I have to be up early," you said, waving your hands to gesture refusal "I still have to prepare Aina's breakfast —"

"I'll buy enough so you don't have to cook in the morning." She glanced at you, easy, like it was already settled. "You can't go to sleep on an empty stomach."

You looked at her biting your lip before letting yourself smile. There was just something so attractive about a girl who wanted to be with you so much that she’d find a solution to your excuse. You deserved to revel in it for a moment so you nodded and leaned back into your seat.

"Okay," you said. "Let's go."

⋆˙⟡♡ You moaned embarrassingly loud at the first bite of the fried chicken.

Alexia grinned across from you, her own wing already half-eaten. "Right?"

"This is so fucking good," you said, still chewing, covering your mouth with your hand.

"I know." She reached for a napkin, looking genuinely pleased with herself. "My nutritionist is gonna kill me if she finds out I’m eating fried chicken past midnight in the middle of a season.”

The place was small and loud, wedged between two clubs, full of drunk people who were too drunk out of their minds to notice that Alexia Putellas was sitting in the corner at 1 in the morning, splitting a plate of chicken wings with some random girl. 

You looked at her and thought about how absurd it was seeing her like this. The whole La Reina thing had always seemed like football hyperbole to you until you saw her like this, in an ordinary place, and understood that it wasn't really just about football at all. She had an almost regal aura, the type that just exuded effortless confidence. It didn’t feel like she belonged here.

She caught you looking. "What?"

"Nothing." You dropped your gaze back to your food. "I just didn't picture you as a fried chicken at one in the morning kind of person."

“Oh trust me, I’m not usually. I typically stick to a diet plan from my nutritionist.” She leaned back slightly, amused, tilting her head to the side. "But what did you picture I was like?"

You thought about it genuinely for a second. "I don't know. You seem like the person who only wines and dines,” you answered. “You know, steak, halibut, filet mignon.”

She fully laughed, her laugh melodic. “Filet mignon? I look like I only eat filet mignon?”

You couldn’t help but smile but still rolled your eyes. “I meant… it just seems uncharacteristic of you to be into fast food. At least from what I hear about you.”

“From what you hear about me huh,” she said, raising both eyebrows, face amused. “And what have you heard?”

You just gave her a shrug and continued to eat your chicken, afraid to accidentally slip and reveal that you have been secretly stalking her online since the first time you met. You didn’t want the fact that you did have a crush on her to get to her head.

“Well, I guess you’d learn there are a lot of things about me that might surprise you.” She said, a smile playing on her face as she took a sip of her water.

"Yeah? Like you regularly take strippers out on fried chicken dates?" You responded quickly.

She nearly choked. You watched her grab a napkin, pressing it to her mouth, shoulders shaking even as she tried to compose herself. She chuckled, coughs coming out as she did. She shook her head.  “I mean, I don’t but….” She coughed a bit more, making you chuckle to yourself. As soon as she calmed down, she exhaled and gave you a look, eyes slightly squinted. “Wait, so, this is a date?”

You could feel yourself blush, ashamed at the fact that you said that, but you just tried to play it cool, just giving the Catalan another shrug.  

She shook her head slowly, still smiling to herself. "You can call it a date," she nodded. "If you want to."

You put down the chicken wing you had been munching on onto the paper tray before grabbing a paper towel to wipe the sauce off of your hands. You sighed, shaking your head. "I don't think I want my first date in years to be me in an old, ratty tank top at a fried chicken shop full of drunk people."

Alexia’s eyes widened, in disbelief. "Years?"

You scoffed but felt a bit embarrassed. "I'm busy, okay?" You reached for your water. "I have a little sister and two jobs. You try living my life and let’s see if you’ve got time to date.”

Alexia held her hands up in surrender but she was still smiling, and you looked away feeling your energy shift a bit, suddenly feeling out-of-place. She must have noticed your expression because her face grew serious, straightening up her posture.

“Well, you know,” she started, tone careful. “If I were to actually date you, I’d take you somewhere more special, not some small chicken shop. If you’d let me, I’d love to—”

“It’s getting late,” you interrupted, nodding and avoiding her gaze. As much as you enjoyed tonight, how you were able to get to know her more, you knew that hoping for anything more than this was foolish. 

This wasn't going anywhere real. Not beyond this booth and this chicken and whatever had already happened between you. The distance between your lives wasn't the kind of thing you could close just by wanting to.

When you finally checked your phone, you sighed, seeing that it actually was way too late. "I really have to go."

Her face dropped but she just nodded. “Yeah, okay,” she said, nodding. “I’ll just order something for Aina then we can go.”

You crossed your arms and nodded, giving her a small smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes.

⋆˙⟡♡ Rocío headed to the moka pot, pouring herself a cup of coffee, looking curiously at you as you took out the reheated chicken from the air fryer. She furrowed her eyebrows together. "Fried chicken for breakfast?" Rocío asked. 

"Complaining?" you said, moving past her to the fridge. 

"No, just surprised." She turned to watch you, brown hair in a bun that bounced slightly as she walked towards you. "Good tips last night, I assume?"

You grabbed the orange juice and poured yourself a glass. "You could say that." You said with a suggestive tone.

She frowned and opened her mouth as if to say something but Aina came padding out of her room, hair still damp and unbrushed, nose already sniffing about. She stopped in the middle of the kitchen and looked at you.

"Do I smell chicken?” She asked.

You nodded. “Yeah, come, have some, I just heated the chicken up.” You smiled. “I packed you some for lunch too.”

Aina beamed, giddily getting into her chair, grabbing one with her tiny hands. “I thought you didn’t want me eating too much unhealthy food,” she said, sauce all over her mouth. 

You smiled. “I had some last night after work and thought it’d be unfair if you didn’t have any.” You responded. 

Rocío looked at you over the top of Aina's head with an expression that communicated that you were going to sit down and tell her everything the moment that child was out of earshot. You took a long sip of your orange juice and gave her a small smirk without saying anything at all, which she understood to mean she was completely right.

⋆˙⟡♡ You weren't supposed to be here today.

You had Mondays off and you usually spent your free day either catching up on sleep or treating yourself to a self-date or even a massage, if you had the money. Instead, you were coming to Somni to have a client meeting with Alexia.

Not that you had any complaints. You were going to get paid to plan and well, being around Alexia never really was all that bad. So, when Alexia asked if she could come over to continue planning, you didn’t hesitate too much.

The club was in its pre-shift chaos when Alexia arrived, walking up to you in your area where you were lazily scrolling through your phone and sipping on your coffee. To Alexia, the sight of you was a sharp contrast to everyone else who was moving in every direction, zipping each other up in costumes, gluing lashes and having multiple, overlapping conversations.

“Girlfriend alert,” Sol blurted out as she passed by your station, borrowing your setting spray without even asking.

You looked up from your phone to see Alexia walking towards you, dressed in a sleeveless black top and baggy jeans sitting low on her hips, waist showing and arms bare. Two of your coworkers noticed her before you could even get to her and you caught your co-worker’s looks as you did. You were going to hear about this later.

She smiled, then let her eyes drift around the room, taking it in. "Gets busy here, huh?"

"That was why I asked you to meet earlier," you said, and then immediately softened it because you hadn't meant it to come out quite that way. "It gets hectic here at this time."

"Yeah, but I really couldn’t meet any earlier. I had crazy meetings," She said with a shrug. Her eyes scanned you as she said it. 

You were out-of-costume today but you were slightly made-up today. You were wearing a strappy, black top and jeans. You didn’t have much product on your face since on your days off, you liked to let your skin breathe but you did have some tinted moisturizer and a light lip gloss. 

Alexia smiled, thinking to herself that she liked this version of you more. "We kinda match," She said instead, gesturing towards your outfits. “That’s cute.”

You chose not to engage with that particular observation but that didn’t make you blush any less. "Uh, I think we should go to the private room," you said, gesturing to the private rooms. "We're not going to get anything done out here with all this happening."

She nodded and let you lead the way.

⋆˙⟡♡ You headed to the same room you were in before. You pushed the door open and crossed to the light panel on the wall, turning on only the fluorescents instead of the red lights. You didn’t want to create too much ambience like you did last time.

Alexia closed the door from behind her. You settled onto the couch and pulled up your notes app, waiting for Alexia to sit next to you. Instead, she drifted toward the costume racks, fingers trailing along hangers, carefully looking through the clothes. 

You just let her explore, figuring it’d be less unnerving than with her sitting next to you, hazel eyes gazing at you as she did.

"Tell me about Cata," you said. "What does she like, music-wise? What kind of energy is she?"

"Uh, well, upbeat?" Alexia said, still moving along the rack, not looking at you. "I know she likes reggaeton, pop. Y’know, energetic music." She paused somewhere in the middle and her hand stopped moving, and then she turned around holding the Little Bo Peep costume out in front of her on its hanger, apron and crook and all. Her face beamed with amusement "Please tell me this is yours."

"No way. That was Sol’s," you said, waving the costume off dismissively before continuing in your questioning. "So... Cata likes upbeat, maybe something more dance-heavy. Would you want it to stay mostly in that lane or would you want a mix of different styles, because I was thinking of pulling in one of Sol's other pieces, there's this burlesque number she does with a giant martini glass. It’s very theatrical and classic but I do think it costs a bit more, given all the work that goes into it.”

"A mix sounds good," Alexia said, barely paying attention as she returned the costume to the rack. "Whatever you think works. Keep your solo in though. I liked it."

You made a note. She was already moving further down the rack. You watched her for a second before looking back at your phone.

A sound escaped Alexia’s lips, something that sounded a lot like delight, like she found something interesting. You looked up and she was holding out a blaugrana bikini top and tiny matching shorts, clearly a nod to Barça. "Did you–”

"Absolutely not,” you responded, interrupting her. “One of the retired girls wore that. It was from when I was new and before Pilar took over. The old director thought sexy and vulgar were the same thing. That whole performance involved sitting on giant footballs and making sex faces. I don’t think anyone liked the idea except him?”

Alexia laughed, shaking her head at the ridiculous idea. You smiled but tried not to get yourself too carried away from the planning.

"Have you worn any of these?" she asked, still at the rack.

You looked up at Alexia who was already anticipating your answer. She pouted a bit and raised her eyebrows. “C’mon, YN. Indulge me,” she said.

You couldn’t help the smile on your face. You looked down on your phone before rolling your eyes, standing up with a groan. “Fine, just cause you asked nicely.”

You walked towards the other rack beside it. You didn’t have to look for too long because it was immediately apparent what it was. You pulled it off of the hanger and showed it to Alexia

It was a neon pink, high-cut one-piece with ankle warmers tucked into the inner part of the hanger. It looked exactly as bad as you remembered.

Alexia stared at it, looking amused and full of disbelief. "That's an eighties workout instructor outfit."

"Well, It was an eighties workout themed dance," you said, sighing. "My first solo piece. I want you to know that I genuinely almost quit after my first performance. It was so, so bad.”

Alexia chuckled, nodding understandingly. "What kept you?"

"Pilar took over shortly after and retired the whole concept immediately." You put the costume back on its hanger, which was where it belonged, in the past with the rest of that era. "She had an actual vision. The old director just had a permanent boner and no taste."

Alexia laughed but then went quiet. You were half-way back to the couch when you heard Alexia hum. You looked back at her, seeing a small smirk on her face, eyes looking at you with a look you couldn’t figure out.

You tilted her head at her, waiting for her to say what she wanted to say.

"I want to see you in it," she said finally.

You shook your head and put a hand up at her. "No,” you said with finality. “Absolutely not.”

"Just to see what it looks like,” she asked again. “Please?”

"You're looking at it right now." You gestured towards the hanger. “You put it on if you want.”

She bit the inside of her lower lip and the pout resurfaced, eyes pleading. "It's for the bachelorette," she tried. "I need a full sense of what you can do."

You gave her a frown. "That doesn't follow logically."

She just looked at you with a pleading look. You looked away and shook your head, mostly in disbelief with yourself that for a second, you almost let a thirty year old giving you puppy dog eyes convince you to wear that.

"It probably won't even fit the same," you commented.. "I was like twenty when I last wore it."

Alexia shrugged. “I mean, you won’t find out if you don’t try.”

You looked at her and she just looked back at you, already waiting. Something told you that you weren’t going to get any planning done tonight if you didn’t give in to this one request.

You groaned.

"Fine," you said. "But you have to agree to actually plan after I try it on.”

Alexia nodded. “Of course, of course, this is all just part of it.

⋆˙⟡♡ The outfit fit better than you expected and now that your body had grown more mature, it looked even better than before: tighter across the chest and fuller through the hips. You took one last look at yourself in the mirror before adjusting your hair slightly. 

You bit your lip, thankful that you looked pretty good because part of you was worried that you’d look ridiculous, and ridiculous was the last thing you wanted to look like around Alexia Putellas.

You pulled back the curtain from the make-shift changing area and immediately saw Alexia who was now sitting on the seat in front of the stage, sitting forward to face you, alert in a way that was so genuine that it almost made you laugh.

When she saw you, her whole face beamed and she smiled, eyes taking you in as she did.

"Okay," you said, crossing your arms. "You've seen it. Can I change back now?"

Alexia stood up. “No!” She said, taking a step towards you. “I want to see your dance.”

"I don't remember the dance,” you lied, shaking your head

Alexia shrugged. “Then just show me what you remember."

You shifted your weight, suddenly self-conscious and shy. "I don't have the music either."

Alexia chuckled before walking towards you, gently taking your hand and guiding you to the stage. “I have a good imagination,” she shared as if to convince you. “I’ll fill it in.”

You stood there on the stage and looked at her and thought about all the perfectly reasonable things you could say next, all the ways you could redirect this back toward the planning you were supposed to be doing, and then you thought about the fact that it was your day off and you had come in anyway and she was sitting there looking at you like you were the most interesting thing in the room without apparently trying to, and you thought, fine. 

No harm in letting yourself have fun.

“Uh, I guess, there was some of this,” you said, starting off the choreography.

You did a power-pose before continuing the bits that you remembered. It was awfully a lot like those old workout shows except with way more bending over, squats and rolling your hips. Back then, you felt so grossed out every time you were performing it but now, with Alexia, you were kind of enjoying doing parts of the dance as you narrated.

"This part," you said, demonstrating a sequence of counted squats paired with a hip thrust on each beat. "I remember clearly that this was the part that got the most applause"

Alexia tried not to laugh, biting her lip. You pointed at her. “I’m serious,” you said, still laughing. “It was a banger.”

Alexia finally let herself laugh, shaking her head at the ridiculousness of it all. “There’s absolutely no way that this is the actual performance.”

You stopped and gestured at her. “Exactly!” You exclaimed. “I’m telling you. The old Somni just did a bunch of horny bullshit.”

Alexia continued to laugh. You smiled and stepped off the stage and talked directly to her chair, holding out your hand. "Yeah, you're doing this with me,” you urged. “You made me wear this. It’s the least you can do.”

She shook her head and yet allowed you to drag her on stage with you. "I don't know any of it."

“Just think that I’m those instructor ladies and follow,” you said, putting your hands on your hips. 

Alexia sighed, shaking her head but she smoothened her jeans before she got into the same position as you. You instructed her to spread her legs wide before telling her to follow your steps. Alexia did it with some self-consciousness and hesitation.

“Don’t think too much about it,” you reprimanded. “Just try it.”

"Okay, okay, I’m trying.” She said, chuckling. “It’s not exactly easy to do this in jeans.”

“Wanna switch outfits?” You joked.

“Sounds like a threat,” she quipped back jokingly.

You nodded. “It absolutely is. Now, lock in.”

Alexia followed along, struggling to keep up but you made her do all the squats and high kicks anyway. In the middle of it all, there was more laughing than dancing. You stumbled through it but by the time you got to the squats so deep that your bum touched the floor, Alexia was laughing so hard that she was inconsolable, clutching her stomach as she knelt on the stage.

You eventually gave up, sitting beside her, laughing together at the ridiculousness of it all. At this point, you two were too tired and out-of-it to even continue planning.

And yet, you couldn't make yourself care about it even a little bit.

⋆˙⟡♡ The planning sessions happened more often. 

You were seeing Alexia almost every other day, talking and laughing the entire night, barely getting any planning done which gave both of you an excuse to keep seeing each other to actually “plan.”

But you didn’t really mind. Hanging out with Alexia made going to work so much more enjoyable, even if it meant going home later and feeling more physically tired the next morning. 

All of it seemed worth it because every morning after those late-night sessions, you would wake up with an easier feeling. You seemed to have a much lighter disposition too.

You didn’t bother telling Rocío too much about it. You didn’t need her further feeding into your delusions. The last thing you wanted was to be carried away, and actually let yourself get too invested with Alexia. For now, it was light and fun, nothing too serious.  Just like you intended it.

And it worked out pretty well. You managed to keep it a secret and to convince Rocío that the reason why you were coming home late was because of some new promo Somni was doing. Rocío somehow bought it.

Which was why it was so shocking when Aina seemed to notice it before Rocío could even grow suspicious.

On your day off, while you were preparing dinner, Aina watched as you hummed along to the song playing on the speakers. She tilted her head, trying to make sure she was seeing and hearing you right. 

“YN,” she called over from her seat on the dining table.

You looked over to her, raising your eyebrows inquisitively. She paused, hesitating for a while as if she wasn’t sure how to ask, before continuing. “Are you seeing anyone?”

Rocío, who was setting up the table, let out a snort once she heard Aina’s question. You let out a nervous chuckle as you fully turned your body to completely face her, eyebrows furrowed. “Seeing anyone? Why would you think that, Nana?”

You turned back to the tomatoes, shaking your head, hiding the fact that your face was starting to grow pink. From her seat, Aina continued to just look at you, barely paying attention to the video playing on her iPad. She shrugged. “You seem happy lately.” 

You kept your eyes on the food. "What? But I'm always happy,” you tried to sound convincing but even you knew that you weren’t selling it.

"No, I mean like." She said, explaining as she pushed the stray hair from her face. "You’re like a different happy."

"Nothing's different,” you responded with a lighthearted tone. “Maybe I’m just excited for you to taste this pasta I’m cooking.”

Aina hummed, not buying it. You turned to check her reaction. She was looking up, as if thinking to herself. Rocío gave you an amused smile, now incredibly intrigued with the topic, looking at you with an expression of disbelief.

“No, cause you’ve also been coming home later,” she said. “When I wake up in the middle of the night to go to you, you’re usually in bed already. But lately, you don’t get home until even much later.”

Rocío chuckled. “You’ve got a point, Nana.”

Aina nodded, looking validated. “And the other night, YN, I was pretending to be asleep beside you when I heard you giggling while looking at your phone,” she said more accusatorily. “And I’m sure you weren’t just looking at memes.”

You sighed, trying to think quickly, wiping your hands on a kitchen towel. "I… have new friends at work. One of them sent me a funny photo,” you lied.

Aina squinted, still not buying it. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you had a girlfriend.  It’d actually be nice for you to have some romance in your life.”

At this point, Rocío was fully laughing at the sound of the little girl talking so maturely. Aina looked over to her then at you, shrugging as if she didn’t understand why you two were laughing at her. “I’m serious,” she commented, frowning and shaking her head. “I might get a partner before you do at this point, YN,” she looked pointedly at Rocío. “You too, Rocío.”

You and Rocío exchanged glances, as if you couldn’t believe what Nana was saying. 

You chuckled, thinking that you certainly had to be more careful around your sister now.

⋆˙⟡♡ You smiled to yourself as you read Alexia’s text after that night’s performance. She instructed you to wait for her in the private room, which was now becoming your regular space.

You changed out of your costume hurriedly and headed to the room, waiting patiently as you sat on the stage where you two usually liked to sit. Alexia showed up soon after, carrying a heavy-looking totebag, bearing a smile already.

You smiled at her, feeling your heart flutter as she flashed her smile at you. Alexia was so good-looking that you weren’t sure when you would get used to it. Weeks later and she was still giving you butterflies just by smiling at you.

“Took you long enough,” you jokingly said.

She shrugged. “Sorry, I had to get something from the car before I headed here.”

You raised your eyebrows, waiting for her to elaborate. 

She stopped in front of you before grabbing a bottle of wine from her tote bag. “Thought we could do some wine tasting,” she handed it to you before taking another one out of the bag. “I figured out you could help me decide which wine we should have for Cata’s bachelorette.”

You looked at the bottle then back at her and the giddy look on her face. “Pretty sure wine tasting  requires more than two bottles," you said to Alexia who was now sitting beside you on the stage. “You just wanna drink, don’t you?”

“And you don’t?” Alexia counterd

You chuckled. “Never said that.”

Alexia chuckled, pulling out two flimsy-looking, plastic wine glasses out of her tote bag and a wine opener. She smiled and took the wine bottle from your hand, opening it up and pouring you both a glass. 

You took yours from her. “Plastic wine glasses?” you said as you made a face at her before taking a sip of the wine.

She rolled her eyes. “Awful lot of complaints from a girl who's drinking 200-euro wine for free.”

You stopped drinking, shaking your head. “200 euros? What business do we have drinking wine that costs that much while on the floor of a strip club?”

She gave you a shrug and a chuckle. “I told you – wine tasting.” She gestured for you to clink glasses. “Salut.”

“Salut,” you said with a small smile, clinking with Alexia before taking another sip, finally able to appreciate it more now. “Mmm, smooth.”

Alexia nodded before grabbing the other bottle and opening it up. “Guess how much this one cost.”

You glanced at the bottle, seeing a familiar label, chuckling to yourself. “Oh I know a 7-euro bottle when I see one,” you smiled. “I’ve finished one of those all by myself several times before.”

Alexia smiled. “Then consider this a reunion between old friends.”

After you finished your glass, she refilled it with the cheaper wine. You swirled it around your glass, mimicking an actual wine taster, sniffing it before drinking it, smacking your lips pretentiously. “Ahhh, yes, tastes like supermarket wine.”

Alexia took a sip of hers and shook her head. “Personally, I don’t think I can tell that much of a difference,” she commented.

“Maybe that’s because the 200-euro one is something you’re used to,” you responded. “I can definitely taste the difference.” 

Alexia shrugged. “I like it better with some Pepsi anyway.”

You chuckled, rolling your eyes before trying to finish the wine from your glass just so you could taste more of the expensive one. It wasn’t everyday you could enjoy good wine with a gorgeous footballer.

Alexia took one more sip of hers, eyes fixed on you, before asking. “So, why don’t we make this wine tasting a bit more interesting?”

You hummed. “Hmm, are you gonna tell me you got some tapas hidden in that bag too?”

Alexia laughed. “Unfortunately not,” she said. “I meant… maybe we should get to know each other. Ask questions while we drink.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Haven’t we been doing that? I don’t think we’ve planned anything in the last few meetings we’ve had just because all we’ve done is get to know each other.”

She shrugged. “Not enough. All you talk about is work.”

You hummed, thinking as you sipped on your wine. “Okay, let’s do it only if we’re back to business next session. No more impromptu dance sessions and wine tastings.”

Alexia chuckled. “Yeah, promise.”

⋆˙⟡♡ The rules to Alexia’s drinking game were simple. You asked each other questions and if you didn't want to answer you drank instead without having to explain.

It started light. She asked you about your best and worst experiences working at Somni, about how you ended up here. She asked about Aina, how it felt like raising her, and how you met Rocío. On the other hand, you asked her about if all the fame and accolades got to her head. You asked about dealing with fans, the pressure of football.

But after you were halfway through both wine bottles, the questions got more personal and intimate, forcing you two to even drink more too.

Alexia hummed, an expression on her face that told you she was about to ask something scandalous. “Hmm, have you ever felt yourself get aroused while performing for a client?”

You hummed, making her wait for the answer. “I guess you can say that,” you responded, not wanting to drink. Alexia waited for you to elaborate but you waved her off. “You only asked if I had been and not how it was like.”

Alexia bit her lip, eyes heavy with inebriation and playful look on her face. At this point, she was resting on the stage, partially laying down and propping herself up with her hand by her side. “I have a good guess as to who though.” She said with a wink.

You rolled your eyes. “You’re too conceited.”

Alexia just chuckled. “Okay, your turn.”

You hummed, thinking your question through. You looked at Alexia, who was anticipating your question. You moved your head closer to her. "Is there actually a bachelorette or is it mostly just an excuse to come see me?"

Alexia’s smile dropped for a moment before it came back, a bit shyer. She chuckled as she looked down at her glass, just briefly, and then back at you. 

"I mean, there is a bachelorette,” she paused. “But… the planning is mostly bullshit.”

You chuckled. Alexia bit her lip. “Is that embarrassing to admit?" she asked, blush spreading across her face. You held the answer and sat with it for a second. Then you picked up your glass and drank.

Alexia widened her eyes, realizing she had wasted her question. “No, no fair,” she said. “You knew that wasn’t an actual question.”

You gave her a coy smile and a shrug. “Sounded like an actual question to me,” you chuckled. “My turn again.”

Alexia sighed, rolled her eyes but gestured for you to go on. 

You looked at her. The wine was sitting warm in you and you were suddenly aware of how close she was and of the way she was looking at you. You smiled at her before looking away again.

You paused before you finally asked. "Why didn't you just ask me out?" you asked. "Instead of making up this whole elaborate reason to see me."

Alexia looked at you for a moment before looking away again, shifting her focus on the wine glass. She swirled it around a couple of times. "Well, if I did," she said, pausing to lock eyes with you. "Would you have said yes?"

You held her gaze for just a moment, looking between both her eyes as she looked at you with a sincerity that could not be faked. You smirked at her before finally raising your glass to your lips, taking another sip.

Alexia exhaled a short disbelieving laugh, shaking her head. "That's not fair. This really is not fair.”

“You gotta learn your lesson, Putellas.” you teased.

“I’m drunk,” she reasoned out, pouting. “It’s hard to keep up with this game, okay?”

“You made it!” You countered.

Alexia huffed. “Well, I still hate it.”

You laughed at her. “Okay, my turn again.”

Alexia sighed and waited.

You leaned in closer to her, making her wait for the question. "Is it obvious…" you started. She turned to look at you, waiting, eyes flickering between your eyes and lips. You smirked before continuing. "Is it obvious that I want to kiss you right now?"

Alexia’s eyebrow raised a bit, smiling to herself. She held your gaze before putting down her glass then taking yours, setting it aside with hers. Then she just looked at you, biting her lip.

“Well?” you prodded. “Is it —”

Suddenly, Alexia grabbed your face, capturing your lips with hers. She moved closer to you and you let her, holding onto her shoulders now. Alexia snaked her arm around your waist, gently laying you down onto the hardwood stage as she made her way on top of you, parting your legs so that she could slot herself between it.

Her kiss wasn’t tentative at all. You could feel it: all the tension from the last meetings you’ve had in this room, the fact that neither of you acknowledged in detail what happened between you two before. It felt like she was holding onto it for so long and was letting all of it out now.

Alexia’s left hand found its way under your shirt, gripping your waist with a firmness that felt almost possessive. You felt her tongue swipe against your lips, waiting for you to part her lips more as her tongue entered it. You moaned as she deepened the kiss, arching your back into her.

You pressed your tongue firmly against hers, following her lead. Alexia’s moan vibrated in your mouth. Alexia’s lips gave yours one last peck before she pressed one on the cheek beside it, then your jaw, then your neck. A sharp inhale left your mouth as you felt her mouth form a suction on your neck, kissing it in a way you were certain would leave a mark.

You wrapped your arms around her, overwhelmed with pleasure. Alexia put both her hands behind you before swiftly and effortlessly lifting you up and smoothly changing your positions so that you were straddling her lap.

Her hands now settled on your hip, just above your denim shorts, gripping tightly before guiding your hips to grind against her lap. Alexia continued to kiss your neck as you did, a string of soft moans escaping your mouth.

You began to move your hips on your own, settling nicely with one of her thighs slotted in between your legs. You continued to grind against her, biting your lip and tilting your head back in pleasure. Alexia’s hands now moved to the bottom of your tank top, pulling it upward to take it off, leaving you completely topless.

“No bra,” Alexia hummed it against your neck, not as a question, more as a statement. She pulled away to look at you, to take in the sight of you, pupils practically blown out at this point. “You’re so gorgeous.”

Before you could react, her hands were on your body as she captured your breasts with her mouth. You moaned louder at the sensation of her warm mouth on your nipple, continuing to grind against her as you felt her tongue move against it, moving in circles before flicking it up and down.

You felt her bite at it lightly, eliciting a louder reaction from you, before wrapping her mouth once more around it. Alexia’s other hand moved onto your other boob, squeezing it against her hand before rolling your nipples with her hands, pinching lightly at it to mimic what she was doing with her mouth.

You were so overwhelmed by the sensation and the feeling of Alexia pleasuring your chest that it took you over a minute to realize that your phone was ringing. You frowned to yourself at first, thinking about what was making that annoying sound, before finally realizing that it was your phone.

Your eyes opened quickly, tapping Alexia to stop, getting up so fast that the room tilted a bit as you did. You grabbed your top from the stage floor, haphazardly covering yourself up with it, as you crossed the room quickly, rummaging through your bag to get your phone.

You cursed once you saw the time on the blindingly bright screen. It was almost 5 am – the time you typically woke up to prepare for Aina’s day. Rocío was calling.

“Hola? Yeah, is Aina okay?” You said, clutching the top closely to your chest.

“Yeah, she isn’t up yet,” Rocío said in a hushed but concerned voice. “Where are you? I woke up and you still weren’t here.”

You bit your lip and looked over at Alexia who was looking at you from the stage, looking equally frazzled. “I, uh —” You stumbled for a reason. “I was with a client.”

Rocío went silent. “It’s Alexia, isn’t it?” She asked. 

“Well,” you said, nervously bringing your thumb to your mouth, slightly nipping at the nail. 

“So, Aina was right,” Rocío said, tone pleased but also accusatory. “God, I can’t believe you’ve been hiding this from me. I hate you, ugh, but whatever, that’s besides the point. Aina’s gonna wake up soon and I don’t know how to explain to her why you’re not home yet at this time.”

“Uh, just tell her I went on a run,” you responded as you struggled to singlehandedly put your top back on. 

“A run.” Rocío deadpanned. 

“I don’t know, Rocío, but I’ll be there soon. Just take care of it before I get there,” You said, hurriedly grabbing your stuff, slinging the bag on your shoulder before hanging up. 

You turned to Alexia. “I, uh, I gotta go.”

She didn't argue. She was already reaching for her phone. "Clearly, I can’t drive us but I can book an Uber. I'm taking you home."

"You don't have to do that, I can book it myself.” You said, scrolling through your app lists.

"You're not getting a cab at four in the morning by yourself." She said it plainly, not like a discussion. "I’m gonna make sure you get home safe."

⋆˙⟡♡ You sat beside Alexia in the back of the car with her jacket pulled around you, watching the blocks go past, neither of you talking.

She was warm beside you, her arm against yours. She was looking straight ahead, watching the street.

When the car pulled up outside your building she got out with you, which you hadn't expected. You thought she was literally just going to drop you off. Instead, she shut the door behind her as the Uber drove off.

“How are you getting home?”

She shrugged casually, both hands in her pockets. “I can just get another Uber.”

You nodded, biting your lip as you stood facing each other on the sidewalk in front of your place, feeling the cold morning air nip at your exposed cheeks. 

"I should go up," you said as you took her jacket off, handing it back to her.

She nodded as she took it from you, not moving yet. She gave you a small smile and an expression you could not read. "Say hi to Aina for me,” she said.

You looked at her flatly. "I will absolutely not be doing that,” you responded. “She has no clue you and I are… hanging out. And if she finds out, I doubt I’ll ever hear the end of it.”

Alexia laughed. "Fair point."

After the chuckles dissipated, you both just stood there for a moment longer, as if neither of you knew what to say at this point. You crossed your arms, starting to feel more of the cold against your skin without her jacket. You watched a car pass on the street behind her before awkwardly looking down on your feet, trying to piece your words together as you did, still feeling a bit light-headed from the wine.

"Look," you started, trying to sound firm and serious. "I like this. All of this, the last few weeks, I've liked it more than I probably should have let myself." You nodded, watching Alexia’s expression. 

You sighed, looking away again, feeling uneasy with the way those hazel eyes looked at you so earnestly. "But I have a life that I actually have to be present for,” you continued. “I have Aina; she relies on me. I can't just lose track of time because I'm having a good night and roll through the door at four in the morning like I don't have anyone counting on me. I'm not in a position to be careless about it." 

You stopped. You hadn't entirely meant to say that much. But now, it was out there and you felt slightly exposed by it. You nodded, almost to yourself, as if urging you to get it done and over with.

“And quite frankly, I can’t keep playing flirty event planner anymore. I really enjoy it – I promise I do – but I don’t think it’s good for either of us to keep up this illusion that this is going somewhere,”  you said, exhaling as you locked eyes with her again.  “I just need you to understand that,"

Alexia was quiet for a moment. She hadn't looked away from you and there was nothing defensive or hurt in her expression. She looked like she was actually listening to what you were saying and taking it in, trying to understand your situation.

After a moment, she nodded. "I understand," she said.

You looked at her and nodded. "Good."

She gave you a small shrug then a small smile. "So then let's do it properly."

You frowned. “What?”

"No more showing up after your shift when it's already late. No more pretending the bachelorette is the point when we both know it's not." She said it calmly, like she'd been thinking about it too. "Let me take you out on a real date. I'll pick you up, we'll have a proper night, and I'll have you home before the clock strikes midnight.” She chuckled at her own joke.

You bit your lip, certainly not expecting Alexia to actually ask you out. You had said to yourself that you weren’t going to let yourself get too deep into this thing with Alexia, that you were going to keep your walls up and your boundaries clear. And yet, as she said those words, you felt an immense wave of relief, as if your subconscious had been waiting for her to ask you that.

"A real date," you said, almost to yourself as if just to hear it.

"A real date," she confirmed.

You stood there on the pavement outside your building, the wine mostly worn off now, the morning quiet enough that you could hear yourself think. 

You looked at Alexia again, taking the look of her in, and just how different she looked now. You noticed how the early morning made her hair look lighter, how she looked softer at this hour, how her eyes had a different glean to them.

You were used to seeing Alexia in the dark of the club, to seeing her as a client and to keep that line between you clearly drawn. And yet here she was – standing outside with you in the early morning, looking at you with the most genuine expression you had seen. You were, quite literally, seeing her in a different light.

And something about it was making it harder for you to stop yourself from giving in.

"Okay," you said quietly. "I'd like that."

The smile that crossed her face was small, almost private and restrained, as if she was trying hard not to react too much. "Good," she said with a nod. “That’s good.”

You felt your own smile grow on your face before you could stop it. You looked down at the pavement for a moment because looking at her again. "Good," you said back.

You stood facing each other awkwardly, not moving or saying anything for a moment. You laughed first, feeling a mixture of giddy and awkward at the situation. She caught it and smiled again, wider this time.

"I’ll text you the details," she said with a smile. “But for now, maybe you should get to your sister.”

You nodded. “Yeah,” you said as you took a couple steps back toward your building, biting your lip. “Guess this means I’ll see you soon?”

Alexia smiled wider. “Guess you will.”

You bit your lip, nodding before fully turning to walk back to your building. “Good night, Alexia.” you said one last time as you looked back at her.

She chuckled. "Good morning, YN."

a/n: ack long ass chapter. i'm sorry it took so long but i hope it was worth it. barely had time to proofread; ill do it after i post hahaha anyway, please comment if u want to be added to the taglist to be notified for the next part!

taglist: @krazyyoung @hjjc23 @putellasgirl @x-ani @l4c1f3r @ihavenolife1234 @liverpoolfan96 @natalia-alianovna-romanova84 @charlotteonpoint @vlt503 @mywomankatarina @ravenfcb @ainsley9967 @jenny0818 @fluffykitten11 @coxlong @ainoha @oohtobeagooner @justareader7 @sannyone @littlelvmb @sevenbasquiat @hella-hecka-gay @yamaris-reputation

⋆˙⟡♡ The last thing you expected on the night of what should’ve been your tenth anniversary with your boyfriend was to be wildly tequila-drunk in some club at Ibiza, making out with a gorgeous footballer.

If someone had told you a year ago that you’d end up single and kissing a girl — let alone a stunning, hazel-eyed goddess with cheekbones for days — you would’ve laughed in their face and probably told your boyfriend Matt how ridiculous that sounded.

But life had a funny way of blindsiding you right when you thought that you’ve got everything figured out. A year ago, you never would’ve imagined how completely your life was about to blow up.

And it all started when Matt broke up with you.

⋆˙⟡♡ You’ve been with Matt since you were thirteen. He sat next to you in art class and just randomly slipped you a note asking to be your boyfriend, and, somehow, you just… never broke up. You went through everything together from high school, college, and eventually, moving in together. He was your constant.

Even as life pulled everyone else away — first with your brother leaving for college, your dad passing, your mom traveling to cope with the loss — you stayed. Law school was the biggest change you allowed yourself, but even then, Matt remained the one stable thing in your life. It made you feel safe... or rather, secure. He was the reason why you felt no urge to step out of your comfort zone. 

You were mostly happy. But when your college friends started getting engaged, buying houses, having kids, you couldn’t ignore the creeping feeling of stagnation. While they were moving forward, you were still in the same town, with the same boyfriend, doing the same things you did ten years ago.

So, for the last year, you started dropping hints that you desired an engagement: a couple wedding Pinterest boards left open on your desktop, reposting engagement videos on Tiktok for him to see, mentioning that yet another college friend is getting married. You figured if you took that step, maybe things would shift, maybe you would finally feel like you were moving forward.

And you expected that he'd get the hint and pop the question before your tenth anniversary... only for him to drop a bomb on you.

"I think we need a break," he dared to say. "I just... think we're getting too comfortable and settled in our ways. We've grown boring."

He kept rambling about spontaneity, about trying new things, about how maybe time apart would magically make your relationship stronger… as if that made sense.

You sat there, irritation simmering under the surface. You were the one who put in the effort: planning dates, booking weekend trips, making sure things stayed somewhat interesting. And yet, somehow, that wasn’t enough. You never saw him make an effort on that aspect and now, he wanted an out? It was infuriating to you but you didn’t bother arguing. You were too busy thinking of a way to make him regret it.

⋆˙⟡♡Your brother was getting married in Spain in three months, to a beautiful and ridiculously wealthy woman named Inés. The wedding was set to be held at her family’s private resort on an island near Ibiza which meant that your whole family was flying in for two weeks of all-expenses-paid luxury. It was a dream… and the perfect opportunity.

This was your chance to remind Matt exactly what he was missing: some well-timed bikini thirst traps, fancy dinner photos that made it look like you were going on dates, and a couple of curated clubbing IG posts. Maybe then he’d realize his mistake.

But the idea of staying at home for a couple more months felt unbearable. So, you decided to head out to Spain earlier.

A couple of your close, younger cousins were backpacking in Europe for their summer break from college, and as soon as they heard about your little timeout with Matt, they pestered you about hitting Ibiza with them. 

So, you said fuck it. You drained the savings that you’ve been stupidly putting aside for a wedding, booked a last-minute flight, and landed in Spain with no itinerary or plans. 

How's that for spontaneity?

⋆˙⟡♡ You didn't like parties. Never liked clubs. Always hated the hangovers that inevitably came after drinking. 

But here you were, barely twenty-four hours into your trip, at a club in Ibiza with your college-aged cousins on your very first night and already two shots of tequila in. They dressed you up in their tiny strappy clothes and did your hair and makeup. You thought it was a tad too much, but now that you were stepping out of your comfort zone, you figured you might as well go all out and dive in.

Daisy slid another shot in front of you. “God, you’re so hot,” she said, hyping you up. “Stop looking so mopey, girl, Matt isn’t worth another thought.”

You forced a laugh, though your chest tightened. “It’s just… today was supposed to be our tenth anniversary.” You sighed. “I thought our anniversary would look more like a candlelit dinner where he’d propose. Not this.” You said, gesturing around the club.

“God, that was today?” Cam asked, biting her lip. “Why didn’t you tell us a while ago?”

“Well, duh, I didn’t want to really think about it but now it’s all I can think about.” You groaned, annoyed with yourself. 

“Two more tequila shots and I promise you, you will not be thinking about him for the rest of the night.” Cam said before eyeing the shot in front of you.

You chuckled before taking the shot and drinking it. You winced as the alcohol burned your throat. “How long until the memory loss kicks in?”

Your other cousin Daisy scrunched up her face. "I swear, cuz, if I were you, I would have forgotten about him like years ago." She commented. "He really isn't all that.

Cam nodded in agreement. “He's probably just wants a break 'cause he thinks he's gonna get to fuck around with models and shit. Little does he know you're as good as he can get."

"Gee, thanks, Cam." You retorted sarcastically at your cousin. She laughed at your reaction.

“I’m just saying,” she shrugged. “He’s an accountant from the suburbs who is a couple months away from a bald spot and he bagged you. You were practically doing charity work dating him for that long.”

Daisy snorted. “I hate when ugly men ask for breaks to go find themselves when really they just wanna find other women.”

Can scoffed. “All Matt’s gonna find is the fact that he’s made a huge mistake.”

"Fuck, that's so mean but you're so right." You responded. "I just wish I can show him precisely that — that he got lucky with me, that I'm the catch."

Cam hummed. "If I were you, I'd take a cheeky photo with one of those tan hotties by the bar," she pointed at the group of buff and tall guys, clearly looking around for their conquest of the night. "That's a way to show him."

Daisy burst out laughing. “Girl, please. I doubt she can even ask that guy to pass her a napkin.” She looked you up and down. “No offense, cuz. But you lost your game hanging out with Mister Tax Returns.”

You frowned. "I thought you said I can bag any guy I want."

“Yeah, but… you actually have to flirt,” Daisy said simply. “And I love you, but I don’t think you can. Dating culture has changed a lot since you were last on the market. Guys don’t always make the first move anymore.”

You turned to Cam for backup, but she winced. “Sorry, cuz. If you’re waiting for a guy to come up to you, your chances are about as good as Matt’s hairline.”

“Don’t feel bad though,” Daisy added quickly, patting your arm like she was softening the blow. “I mean, also like… you’re just too nice. You’re like the kind of person who wouldn’t wanna feel like you’re using someone to move on.”

You rolled your eyes, mildly annoyed. Sure, there was some truth to it. You were a little meeker than your cousins, a little more awkward. You could blame Matt for stunting your ability to socialize, but if you were being honest, you’ve always been like this. 

But that was the old you. The one who thought she’d be celebrating a tenth anniversary tonight.

You were rebranding. You weren’t the same small-town girl anymore. You were going to be spontaneous.

“Nah, fuck you guys,” you said, shaking your head as your multiple tequila shots warmed your veins like liquid confidence. “I bet I can flirt with anyone in this club tonight.”

Your cousins’ eyes widened, then slowly lit with amused disbelief.

Cam leaned back, grinning. “I’ll stake a hundred euros on that right now.”

Daisy nodded. "I'll match that bet… but only if you can get absolutely anyone to kiss you right now."

Cam wrinkled her nose. “Ew, not just anyone. Pick someone who is at least a seven out of ten. And you can’t just ask. You gotta work for it, like actually flirt.”

You hummed, considering the challenge. Technically, you were single, so it wouldn’t be cheating. And if you couldn’t even convince your cousins that you could be bold and spontaneous, how were you supposed to convince Matt?

You had to do this. Not just to prove it to them but to prove it for yourself.

“Okay. Game on.”

⋆˙⟡♡ All your confidence was slowly being chipped away with every failed flirtation attempt.

You went big for your first try: the tall, tan guy who looked like he belonged in perfume commercials or romantic erotica book covers. You walked up to him, determined to charm him and get him to kiss you. Only for you to stumble upon the first three words you said. In an attempt to save face, you just pretended to be looking for the toilet, too pussy to continue after fucking up your introduction.

You settled for another guy: someone who resembled Matt more, someone who looked like they could be a suburban guy. This one, at least, looked like he was a tourist too. There was less pressure to speak in your broken and barely practiced Spanish. But even your English failed you. 

"Hey," you smiled at him. "Are you here alone?”

The guy smiled. “I’m with friends.”

You hesitated, nodding. “That’s one thing we have in common then. We both have friends.”

“...Right.” The guy responded, unsure of what else to say as he looked at you with confusion. You stood still there for a moment, unsure of how to salvage the situation, before apologizing and walking away.

You were ready to give up when you made eye contact with another guy on the dance floor. Moderately cute, definitely fit, chest obnoxiously exposed, overly tan and hair gelled within an inch of its life. Basically a walking red flag, but at this point you were desperate.

He motioned for you to come over and dance with him. You gulped and nodded, trying to spread out the morsel of confidence left in your body. For a moment, it felt like shit was going well. You weren't speaking, which was good, because as verbose and well-spoken you were in your regular life, you seemed to have misplaced twenty IQ points on the plane ride to Spain. You followed the rhythm, dancing near each other.

You figured this could be your shot... until he touched your waist. That caused you to jump like a ghost and scurry off, uneasy over the physical touch from someone who looked like a herpes magnet.

You didn't have to look over to your cousins to know that those two were having the time of their lives watching you make a fool out of yourself. They were amazing girls who were always supportive of you but they did enjoy teasing you a bit. 

Those bitches, you thought as you dragged your feet to the bar, deciding that you should just settle for getting plastered instead of getting kissed. You figured you set too high a bar for your first night of spontaneity.

"Well, that was painful to watch." 

You turned around to see a girl walking up to you. She was tall, had light brown hair that was slightly curled, framing her beautifully chiseled face. If she wasn’t so intimidatingly pretty, you would've scoffed at her statement. "Excuse me?" You blinked.

"I've been noticing your little... attempts," she gestured lazily toward the dance floor. "I mean, I respect the hustle but... wow."

You sighed, resting your head in your hands that were propped up on the counter. "You noticed all of that, huh?"

You felt her step closer to you, resting her hand on the table space beside you. "Hard not to," she said with a low, teasing voice. 

A groan escaped your mouth, feeling a bit annoyed that this girl was all up in your busInéss but you knew she was right. "I'm just... out of practice, okay?"

The bartender set the shot of tequila you just bought in front of you. You quickly got it with a curt thanks and threw it back into your mouth. The taller girl looked at you with amusement. She smiled. "Yeah, clearly."

You turned to face her again as you set the shot glass back on the counter. This time, you got a better look at her... and she was even prettier when you took the time to notice.

She was tall and incredibly beautiful. Her muscular body was evident from her cropped vest top, which gave you a sight of both her abs and her sculpted arms. There was a small smirk on her face and a twinkle in her eyes that just added a bit more of an intimidation factor on top of all that. You gulped.

"What?" The girl asked you, raising her eyebrows as she noticed you staring.

You paused. "Nothing, you just look like someone who knows how to flirt." 

She laughed. Fuck, even her laugh is hot, you thought. "What makes you think that?" She asked. 

You shrugged in response. "I don't know. You tell me."

She shrugged back, mimicking you. "I guess I do okay when it comes to flirting." Her smile grew. "Better than you did, definitely. Not that that was hard to beat.”

You rolled your eyes and sighed. "Well, if you're so good," you dared. "Show me how."

She laughed again. "Show you?"

"Yeah, like, teach me."

She paused, taking a moment to eye you up and down. Her eyes scanned your face, then your small top, your skirt, your legs. Her gaze made you feel tense... but not in a bad way. A small shiver ran up your spine.

You bit your lip, breaking the tension that you were suddenly feeling. "Okay, I'll be honest," you said. "My cousins actually dared me to flirt with anyone, and they're paying me if I do it successfully."

She raised an eyebrow. "The two girls in the corner?" She nodded her head towards them slightly. "Yeah, they've been cackling at you the entire time."

You groaned. "Fuck, I know. Those two are my best friends... but they could be such bitches."

She laughed. "And how much is the bet?"

"200 euros," you sighed, knowing there was no way in hell you were winning that bet anymore. Could've used that money to buy new sandals, you thought to yourself sadly.

The brunette whistled lowly. "Damn. They really didn't believe in you, huh?"

"Not even a little," you shook your head. 

The girl looked at them surreptitiously before looking back at you. She paused, biting her lip as if considering something. "Okay, fine," she smirked. "Split the cash prize with me and I'll teach you."

"A hundred euros for an impromptu flirting lesson," you scoffed. "Sounds a bit steep."

She shrugged. "I think it's a fair price, given your current capabilities."

You squinted, feeling a bit annoyed with the teasing but you sighed and nodded your head. "Fine, deal."

The tall girl smiled moving closer to you. She moved her hand, touching and fiddling with the necklace on your neck with your initials on it. You were a bit startled by the sudden gesture but you stayed put.

"Physical touch is key," the girl explained as she continued to touch your necklace. "It can be as subtle as touching their shirt or their arm..."

She paused, moving her hand from your necklace, slightly grazing fingertips along the skin of your collarbones before moving to tuck a stray hair behind your ear. "Or, it can be as deliberate as this."

You gulped, looking away and nodding. You never thought of being attracted to girls before but suddenly, you were feeling a bit flustered already. Fuck, she is good.

Suddenly, the girl's hand was under your chin, tilting your head gently so that you'd look at her. Once your gaze met hers, she dropped her hand gently. "Also, eye contact is key," she said. "This makes the moment more intimate."

You nodded, feeling a bit hypnotized with the sight of her hazel eyes. They sparkled so slightly under the light from the dance floor, shifting colors as the club lights danced around the space. 

Alexia smirked. "See? I'm not even touching you and you already feel connected to me, right?"

You nodded. "Okay, is that it?"

She shook her head and chuckled. "No, you gotta ask them stuff too. Make it seem like you're absolutely interested in what they're saying even if it's a bunch of nonsense," she said. "Why don't we try it out? Just say a bunch of random crap and I'll show you."

You huffed a bit but acquiesced. "Uh, I don't know? Monkeys like bananas?"

The tall girl moved in closer and suddenly, her hand was resting on the curve of your waist comfortably as if that was where they always belonged. She bit her lip as a subtle smile grew on her face. "Yeah? Where'd you learn that?"

You felt yourself grow a tad flustered at the feeling of her body almost pressed against yours, her warmth wafting on to you. "Uh," your voice came out softer than you intended. "Grade school."

"Sorry, I didn't hear that," She moved in closer to you, so close that you could smell her shampoo. "Can you say that again?"

You gulped. "Uh, school..." you repeated.

She lifted her head back to her normal position, hand still on your waist. "See?" She said with a small smirk on her face, clearly enjoying how flustered you were by her.. "I'm pretty good at this, huh."

You sighed, nodding in agreement, unable to say anything more.

"Okay, you try."

"What? Now?" You said worriedly. 

She smiled. "I mean, practice... on me."

You paused. "Okay," you agreed. Slowly, you tried following her steps. You looked down on the hand on your waist, tracing it up with your gaze before your eyes settled on the tattoos on them.

You gently rested your fingers on her arm, tracing the outline of the tattoos, staring at them to admire the detail before looking up at her to look into her eyes. "These look so good," you complimented. "Where'd you get them?"

She smiled, silently impressed by how quickly you were picking up her lesson, integrating all three of her tips into one move. "Barcelona," she responded. "I actually live there."

You nodded, hand moving to graze her biceps a bit. "Yeah? What do you do there?" You asked. "Are you a bodybuilder or something?"

She laughed at your lame attempt at a compliment but she let it slide. "I'm not remotely buff enough for that," she responded. "But I am a professional athlete. Do you like sports?”

You paused. “Well, I used to watch my brother play Fifa when we were kids.”

She laughed. “Fifa, huh? You ever played?”

“God, no.” You were starting to get comfortable. “That was more of my brother’s territory.”

She hummed, eyes scanning your face again. “Do you mind if I pull you closer? I just wanna see how much you can take without getting completely flustered.”

You nodded, a little hesitant. Just moments ago, you’ve been easing into a sense of comfort, no longer completely on edge from her presence. And now, here she was, hands firm on your waist, guiding you closer. The warmth of her body, the scent of her perfume, the way your chest was nearly flush against her body. It was overwhelming. You worried for a second that she might actually feel the rapid beat of your heart with how close you were.

Awkwardly, you rested your hands on her arms, trying to steady yourself. Sensing your nerves, she gave your sides a reassuring squeeze, snapping you out of your thoughts. You met her gaze again.

"Relax," she murmured. "Don’t overthink it. You're doing great."

You nodder, feeling flustered but encouraged at the same time. "Uh, hmm," you paused before abruptly pulling away. "Would you like a drink?"

She smirked and let you break free from her grasp. "Didn't teach you that one but... I guess you're learning pretty quickly." She complimented. "Okay, I'll let you buy me a drink.”

With the help of some cocktails, you started to grow more comfortable with her, not tensing up so much whenever she’d touch your waist or said something a bit cheeky. You learned quite a bit about each other. You mentioned you were studying law, and that she studied Business Administration for sports. Even if your conversation was quite short, you could tell that she was very passionate about football. Her hazel eyes sparkled as she talked about it. 

This woman is insanely attractive, you thought as she passionately talked about her career. Is it even possible to be this interesting and this hot?

"You think your cousins bought it?" She asked, snapping you out of your thoughts.

You furrowed your eyebrows together. "Huh? Bought what?"

She laughed. "I mean, this whole teaching lesson. I bet that from an outsider's perspective, it definitely looks like regular flirting." She explained. "You think they bought it?"

You paused, not understanding her statement before it finally sunk in. She was "practice flirting" with you to make it appear that you were actually flirting.  "Oh!" You exclaimed. 

You took a quick glance at your cousins and just with a microsecond of a look, you could tell that they were absolutely invested with the sight of you flirting with this gorgeous woman. 

"Fuck, you might be a genius," you chuckled, shaking your head.

She laughed. "Yeah, the easiest hundred euros I've earned."

You bit your lip. "Well... about that..."

"Don't tell me it didn't work," she muttered.

"It wasn't just a flirting bet..." you trailed off, gazing away from her, feeling too awkward to say it to her face. "The dare was actually to get someone to kiss me after I flirted with them."

There was a silence between you and you were almost too sure this girl would call you a lying perv who was just trying to get kisses but when you turned to look at her, she had a lazy smirk and a half-lidded expression on her face.

 She snaked her hand around your waist again. "Well," she said, her voice low. "Let's give them a show."

Before you could even process her statement, she was leaning into you, capturing your lips with hers. In shock, you initially had your eyes open but it didn't take you long to melt into the kiss, wrapping your hands around hers as you allowed her to liplock with you, eyes slowly fluttering shut.

Normally, you'd probably push off anyone who wasn't Matt but this kiss... it felt good. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the adrenaline. But kissing this beautiful stranger felt almost as good as kissing your boyfriend. Maybe even better.

You didn't even know her but she knew exactly how to respond to your kisses. She knew to kiss you gently first before slowly intensifying the kiss. And there was also a different edge to her kiss.

Her lips were smoother. Her tongue in your mouth felt less imposing, less obscene. It felt... so natural and yet so foreign. 

When you finally broke the kiss, you were breathing heavily. You looked into the girl's eyes, flickering in between them as you held onto her arms. She smirked, but she didn't say anything.

You wanted to lean in for another kiss. Fuck, you wanted more than just a kiss.

But as soon as that thought entered your mind, you were snapped awake and it was as if all the alcohol in your system evaporated in a second. You blinked, stiffening up slightly. "Uh, I gotta go collect the bet now."

You let go of your grasp from her, feeling yourself tense up in embarrassment at the sudden intimacy with a stranger, as you rushed back to where your cousins were sat at the opposite end of the bar.

⋆˙⟡♡ "GIRL, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Cam practically barked at you as soon as you made your way to the table. "THAT GIRL WAS SMOKING FUCKING HOT. GET BACK THERE."

"But why?" You groaned. "I already won the bet and it was getting awkward..."

"It was NOT getting awkward until YOU made it awkward," Daisy scolded, shaking her head. "Did you at least get her number?"

You bit your lip. "No..."

"Ugh, okay, her instagram?"

You shook your head. "I forgot to ask her name."

Cam chuckled. "Y'know what, I'll give you that," she nodded. "Got a kiss before you got a name. Baller move."

Daisy growned. "No, Cam, don't coddle this lame behavior," she scolded. "She needs to go back there and ask that girl out on another date.”

Daisy pushed you slightly. You looked back at her and frowned, wanting to remind her that you were older than her, but you just walked on back. Besides, this girl did give you one of the best kisses of your life. You might as well give it a shot.

But as soon as you got to the bar, she was gone. If it weren't for your cousins witnessing the whole thing, you'd probably think you encountered a ghost. You looked around the area, peeking through the crowd, even asking the bartender in your broken Spanish but she was nowhere to be found.

Fuck, maybe I am an idiot

⋆˙⟡♡ You stared down at the leather sandals that your bet money got you. They sure were cute... but not as cute as that girl from the bar.

Almost a week has passed and you've visited countless clubs, attended various parties, hit all the hot spots in Ibiza and you still couldn't get the tall, brunette girl out of your head.

Something about the way she kissed you, the way it felt better than th way Matt kissed, the way she held you — it was all so good that it practically imprinted on your brain.

Your cousins teased you about it, simulating a scene from Inside Out as if they were the emotions in your head discovering a new core memory after that kiss. It was as amusing as it was annoying. You couldn't blame them. You chickened out and that was a hundred percent your fault. You sighed. At least I got slippers out of it.

"She's staring at her dumbass sandals again," Daisy rolled her eyes as she set down the smoothies you ordered on the table. "Girl, move on. You're acting more mopey about this girl than you were about Matt."

Cam got her smoothie and shrugged. "I'd rather her be hung up on the hottest woman we've ever seen in our life than the balding personification of boredom himself."

You rolled your eyes but couldn't help but smirk at the playful insult. "I just... feel like I had a chance to explore, y'know." You explained. "Explore that flirty side of me... and I completely fumbled it."

You groaned as you grabbed your smoothie. "I can't believe I'm only now finding out I like girls and instead of that making me cooler, it's making me mopier and lamer."

Your cousins looked at you with pity. "You're acting like she's the only girl ever," Daisy commented. "You proved to yourself that you can get a girl... why not use those skills to do it again?"

Cam nodded. "Yeah, maybe Ibiza is all about getting your lesbian on." She smiled then paused. "Maybe I should get lesbian too."

Daisy laughed. "Fuck it, let's all go lesbian!" She raised her arms. "Woooh! Lesbian holiday!"

⋆˙⟡♡ The concept of lesbian holiday was abandoned soon after. Later that night, Daisy found herself making out with a tanned guy who did not speak a lick of English, and every night, Cam seemed to find some random guy who would indulge her with drunken salsa dancing. 

Meanwhile, you were the only one who actually stuck to it – not that it felt like some noble commitment. Maybe it was because you were on a break from Matt, and this was your one chance to explore something you would have never let yourself consider. Maybe you were actually bi or something and just never realized it. Either way, you took advantage of the opportunity.

With the skills that stunning girl from the club taught you, you managed to almost perfect your flirting skills. It started off rocky but after a few nights out, you were practically a different person. 

And of course, you kissed girls – femme girls, masc girls, tall girls, short girls. Ibiza never seemed to run out of beautiful women..and yet none of them came close to her. 

No matter how many lips you tasted, nothing replicated that night with the tall, stunning Catalan. You’d go through the same motions of flirting as you did that night — the eye contact, the flirtatious touching, the feigned interest in whatever the other person was saying – but it just… did not feel the same. There were a lot of girls who were probably just as interesting and just as passionate about their careers but they never really made an impact on you. 

And, sure, plenty of those girls were great kissers. But the way she kissed you… it was something else. It felt like cliff diving, like free-falling, like discovering what kissing actually should feel like.

You wondered when you could ever feel that way again.

⋆˙⟡♡ Time moved fast, and before you knew it, your wild month with your cousins had come to an end. Now, you were on a yacht, sailing toward your future sister-in-law’s luxury resort in a nearby island.

The next month seemed more your speed:  private beaches, morning yoga, spa sessions. A welcomed change from Ibiza’s chaos, especially in the no more hangovers department.

You had done what you set out to do. Your Instagram was flooded with party clips, bikini thirst traps, and blurry videos of late-night adventures. You flirted, dance, and kissed with every pretty girl that caught your eye. There was no doubt that you had stepped out of your comfort zone — travelling and partying and making out with a stranger, things you’ve never done before — but all of it felt inauthentic. 

Perhaps Matt bought the illusion. Maybe even your cousins were starting to believe it too. But you knew it was what it was: just a façade. 

But now, it felt more than just that. You were beyond proving to Matt that you could be fun. You wanted to prove to yourself that you could be a complete, full person without him, without the safety net of your boring stability. 

And sure, you had learned things about yourself over the past month, like the fact that you hated flaming shots, that you could apparently do the splits while drunk, and that... you liked girls. But it still felt like you were only scratching the surface, dipping your toes in without truly diving in.

You had just over a month left in Spain before you’d be back in your same hometown, your same apartment, your same routine. And you knew yourself. Once you were back in your bubble, it’d be too easy to shrink back into old habits, to stop exploring, to let fear keep you from changing.

Maybe this was your chance... to get to know yourself in a quieter way, away from the sloppy make-outs with strangers, body shots and neon lights. Maybe being around your family again, seeing all of them together for the first time in years, would remind you of something you’d forgotten.

Maybe, in a different way, this next month could change you just as much as the last.

⋆˙⟡♡ You settled in pretty quickly with the help of the very hands-on staff of the resort. You knew from stories and photos that your brother's fiancé was loaded but you didn't know that she was this loaded.

The staff treated you like royalty, carrying your bags and escorting you. Not to mention that the resort itself was serene and beautiful; the kind of place you knew you could never dream of affording with your own money.

"Another smoothie?" The staff at the juice bar asked. 

Your eyes flickered to the clock on the wall. Your cousins were late again. They agreed to meet up and head to your family lunch together but of course, those two were taking their sweet time curling their hair and applying their lashes. 

You sighed and shook your head. "No, I'm good, thank you."

As you were about to dial up Daisy, someone behind you spoke up.

“Hey, don’t you owe me a hundred euros?”

You turned around, and your stomach dropped. It was her.

The girl from the bar.

After days of scanning every club, every crowd, hoping you’d run into her again, here was where you found her. And she looked even better than you remembered.

She smiled as she slid onto the stool beside you, casually ordering a smoothie like this wasn’t completely throwing your brain into disarray. Her hair was in a low bun, strands falling loose around her face, and she wore a white linen vest and matching shorts. The sunlight caught on her skin, golden and warm. She looked incredibly stunning.

You realized you were staring. “Oh my god,” you breathed before you could stop yourself.

Her smile widened, amused at your reaction. “So, should I give you my bank details, or do you have the cash on you?”

Your brain short-circuited for a second before you processed the teasing lilt in her voice. You chuckled. "Cash good?"

"I change my mind," she smiled warmly at you. "No need to pay me."

You narrowed your eyes. “Huh?”

“The sight of you in that dress is already worth a hundred euros.”

Your breath hitched. You thought that after all that flirting practice that you would be more chill about this but apparently not, not with her. Heat crawled up your neck, flushing your cheeks but you managed to roll your eyes, trying desperately to play it cool. “You really are a flirt.”

She grinned, taking a slow sip of her smoothie. “Yeah… but only with cute girls.”

You swallowed, gripping your glass a little tighter. You tried to think of something clever, something equally flirty to say back, but your brain was a static mess.

She must’ve noticed the way your confidence wavered because she let the moment linger before speaking again. She chuckled. “I really hoped that I’d see you again after that night,” she admitted, her voice softer now, more sincere. “I was so annoyed I didn’t get your number.”

Your fingers curled slightly around your glass. There was something about the way she said it – so effortlessly honest – that made your stomach flip. You exhaled, your voice quieter when you spoke, meeting her eyes. “I’ve been thinking about that kiss too.”

The brunette girl chuckled, tilting her head slightly. “Hmm. Are you just practicing flirting with me?”

You shook your head quickly. “No, I mean it.”

That made her smile. It didn’t look teasing or naughty. It looked genuinely, like she was relieved you’d say so.

“Yeah,” she said, watching you. “I believe you.”

You let out a small, nervous laugh, rubbing the condensation off your glass with your thumb. “I feel like such a wimp,” you admitted. “Sorry, but… yeah. It was a nice kiss.”

She hummed, like she was replaying it in her mind. You looked at her, noticed the playful glint in her eyes and the curve of her smirk. God, this woman is so beautiful. 

"You’re getting better at this, though.” She leaned in closer, brushing her knees against your deliberately.

You looked back at her, confused. “At what?”

She smirked. “Flirting," she answered, her tone back to a playful tone.

Your breath caught slightly. "Hmm?"

She tilted her head, eyes scanning your face like she was committing every detail to memory. “You actually held eye contact just now," she mused, clearly amused. "Last time, you could barely look at me without turning red.”

You pressed your lips together, trying not to react. "I did not turn red."

She smiled like she knew she had you exactly where she wanted. “Mmm.”

You scoffed, but the pink dusting your cheeks betrayed you. “Don't be cocky now.”

She shrugged, taking a slow slip of her smoothie. “I don’t know. I think I have a pretty solid case.” She chuckled. “But yeah, you’ve been practicing without me?”

You bit your lip, hesitating just long enough for her to catch it. Her eyebrows lifted in amusement before she pouted at you, clutching her chest in mock heartbreak. “Aww, that look just gives it away,” she sighed dramatically. “And here I thought I was special.”

You rolled your eyes, but the growing heat on your cheeks told a different story. “Hmm… I didn’t say anything.”

You hated how much she was enjoying this... and how much it made you flustered. 

She tapped her straw against the rim of her glass, watching you with the kind of interest that made your pulse stutter. “So,” she said, dragging out the word, “what brings you here? Aside from fate bringing us together as destined lovers, of course.”

A breathy laugh escaped you, shaking your head. “Well, aside from that, I’m here for a wedding.”

Her eyes lit up. “No way. I’m here for a wedding too.” She said, eyebrows furrowing together in genuine surprise.

Your gaze snapped back to hers. "You're joking."

She leaned in just a little more, a smirk playing at her lips. “Would I lie to you?”

Your heartbeat quickened. “I don’t know yet.”

She chuckled, leaning back and shaking her head. “But yeah, I am here for a wedding.” She nodded. “My friend’s getting married and they’re treating us with a mini vacation. I genuinely don’t think I can afford to stay here for more than a couple days without going bankrupt.”

You furrowed your brows as it sunk in. “Wait, so you must be Inés’ friend?”

She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could—

“Bunny, is that you?”

You barely had a second to react before a familiar voice cut through the conversation. You turned to see your brother Xavier making his way toward you, his face lighting up.

“Oh my god,” you muttered under your breath before standing up just in time for him to pull you into a tight hug. It had been two years since you’d last seen him, back when he visited home.

Even though Xavier was seven years older and had left home to study in Spain for college, you had always been close. Growing up, he had been more than just an older brother; he was your best friend. He was the kind of brother who was incredibly protective but also very caring. When you were little, he was the one who carried you on his back when you got too tired to walk, who stayed up with you when you were scared of the dark. He helped you with your homework, even when he was busy with his own. He was your number one person, even after you met Matt.

Although, in the past couple years, you did grow apart only. When he finished med school and got a job, he was always busy or exhausted. Your late night calls practically stopped when you entered law school too, with your own schedule becoming just as hectic. The last time you two saw each other was when your dad passed, and that has certainly been too long.

“Did you get taller?” he teased, patting your head.

You rolled your eyes and wafted his hand away. The last thing you needed was your new crush seeing you get treated like a kid by your brother. “You’re a doctor, Xavier. You know the answer is no.”

He chuckled before his eyes flickered to the brunette girl. He furrowed his eyebrows together, looking at you then looking at her. "You didn't tell me you knew Alexia?" He said with an amused tone.

You blinked and turned to face the girl who looked just as surprised as you did. "Alexia?"

Xavier nodded. "Yeah, I told you about her over call. Alexia's my best man... or, best woman? Best lady?" He corrected, chuckling. "I told you about her. She's my friend who is an absolute football superstar."

You looked at Xavier then at Alexia. You cursed yourself mentally, thinking you should have guessed it sooner. Alexia did briefly mention being a football player and being from Barcelona. And now that you were looking back, you were starting to remember Xav and Inés’ posts with their friends where you must have seen Alexia from before. After all, she did seem familiar. But maybe you were too drunk then and too nervous now to piece those two facts together.

After med school, your brother secured a job as one of the resident doctors for Barcelona FC. He mostly worked with the men's team until one of the women's team's star players got injured, and he was assigned to monitor her recovery. Xavier told you about her a bunch of times before, mostly in passing, either bragging about his friend won all these awards or talking about the women’s team. You just never really tuned into it. 

“When you told me about your sister, I thought she was a kid,” Alexia said, eyeing Xavier. “Is she really named Bunny?”

You groaned, shaking your head. “No, Xavier just calls me that because I used to chew like a rabbit when I was little.” You corrected, rubbing your elbow awkwardly as you turned to Xaviewr. "Alexia and I just met now, actually, Xavs. I recognized her maybe from one of your photos and we chatted just a bit before you got here."

Alexia cocked an eyebrow up at your made-up story. "Yeah..." She responded, going along with it without questioning you. "Your sister's shy, huh?"

Xavier ruffled your hair again much to your annoyance. “Yeah, she’s not a loud motherfucker like me.” He slung an arm around your shoulders. “Anyway, as much as I’d love for you two to hang out, I gotta take Bunny to the family lunch. Her cousins who we're supposed to pick her up ditched her.”

Alexia nodded, her expression unreadable. “Right. We’ll catch up later.”

You hesitated before following Xavier, sneaking one last glance at her. She gave you a smile and a look that you knew meant that you had some explaining to do.

⋆˙⟡♡ "My poor, sweet, angel baby," your mother cooed in an infantilizing tone as soon as you entered the restaurant. She wrapped her arms around you and took you in for a hug. 

Xavier furrowed his eyebrows. "Damn, mom, you haven't seen me in a while too but your greeting for me was way less dramatic." He feigned offense. "Favoritism much?"

Your mother pulled away and glared at your brother. "Well, you're not the one who got broken up with, right?"

Xavier blinked and the smile fell from his face. "What?"

You bit your lip. On the walk to the restaurant, you two caught up with each other — law school, his job, wedding prep — but the one thing you purposely left out was Matt.

Xavier and Matt got along pretty well. They used to go on jogs together and play video games. Another reason as to why you held onto Matt for so long was because he got along so well with your family, especially Xavier. 

You had no idea how to tell him that you and Matt were on a break. Or that you weren’t even sure if the break would ever end. You haven’t figured it out yet.

“You didn’t tell me you and Matt broke up,” Xavier said, his voice softer now as he placed a reassuring hand on your back.

Before you could respond, your mother took it upon herself to answer for you. “Oh, Xav, it’s even worse,” she sighed as she took her seat, the two of you following suit. “They’re on a break.”

Your aunties and cousins tutted their tongues in disapproval.

“It’s like relationship limbo, Xav!” your mother went on, shaking her head. “Imagine the horror of a breakup but without the certainty. It’s tragic.”

Cam seated across from you, wiped her mouth with a napkin before chiming in. “Don’t worry, Auntie. Your daughter has been managing well under Daisy’s and my care.”

Daisy nodded, grinning. “She’s moved on! Never mind that bum,” your loud-mouthed cousin exclaimed. “It’s her time to flirt and be free! You should’ve seen her in the clubs, especially our first night here when we met this gi—”

You shot her a wide-eyed look, shaking your head violently in warning. daisy hesitated before clearing her throat and turning her focus back to her salad. “Never mind,” she muttered, exaggeratedly poking at her salad. “Forget everything I said.”

Xavier let out a small chuckle but didn’t look entirely amused. “So… are you guys actually broken up?” he asked, tilting his head as he looked at you. “Like, for real?”

You exhaled sharply, picking at the napkin in your lap. “I don’t know,” you admitted. “It’s complicated.”

Xavier hummed, nodding slowly, but his expression was tight, like something about this didn’t sit right with him. He was always the traditional family guy. Not in a homophobic way, but in the way that made him sentimental about things that felt secure, structured. He liked the idea of you and Matt. Liked that Matt was a “good influence,” someone who pushed you to be your best, just as you had for him.

And now? Now it probably looked to him like you were throwing all of that away to mess around.

⋆˙⟡♡ Xavier pulled you aside after the family lunch. Even if you managed to dodge all the questions about Matt, you knew there was no escaping your brother. He was too… doting and protective, to say the least.

You sighed, already sensing where this was going. "Xavs, if this is about—"

"I just want to make sure you're okay," he cut in, arms crossed. His tone was light, but the concern was clear in his eyes. Xavier studied you carefully. "So are you…okay?"

You let out a small laugh. "Yes, Xavs. I promise."

“Okay, cause I didn’t hear much about how you’re coping with it,” He didn’t look convinced. "And it’s just that Cam was saying—"

You groaned. "Ignore Cam."

Xavier narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly not satisfied with that answer, but he let it slide. "Fine. But I just want to make sure you're coping healthily. And not just doing things to hurt yourself." His gaze flickered over your face, reading you. "Or others."

That last part made your stomach flip uncomfortably. You swallowed, shifting your weight. "I’m not."

"Good," he said, but he was still watching you, like he knew there was more you weren’t saying.

You tried not to fidget. Because if he knew, if he even had the slightest clue that you had kissed Alexia, that you had a crush on his best friend… how would he even react?

You cleared your throat. "Can I go now, or do you have more of your big brother wisdom to impart?"

Xavier huffed a small laugh but didn’t move. "Just… take care of yourself, Bunny. Okay?"

⋆˙⟡♡ Later that day, the rest of the family headed to go for a by-the-beach hangout but you just felt a little too out-of-it to join. You didn’t know why but maybe the fact that your entire family was now intrigued by your break was a factor.

You loved your family but they could be overwhelming. Plus, Cam and Daisy decided to ditch the whole gathering too after meeting a couple of the scuba instructors who looked exactly like their type. You figured that without them, you’d be the target of countless inquiries from your aunts and uncles.

So, instead, you decided to hit the bar which was on the opposite side of the beach. It was quiet, save from a few of what seemed like Xavier and Inés’ friends who were drinking beers and playing beach volleyball.

As you made your way toward the bar, your eyes immediately landed on a familiar brunette. A slow smile curled your lips before you could stop it. She was turned around, sitting on one of the stools with her phone in hand. She had changed into a light blue bikini, the sheer cover-up dress doing little to hide the toned lInés of her body. You bit your lip. God, she’s so fine.

Almost like she could sense you staring, Alexia turned her head, her lips already tugging into a knowing smirk. She pushed her shades to the top of her head to get a good look at you. "You planning on saying hi, or are you just gonna stand there and check me out like a creep?" she teased, reaching for her bag and pulling it off the stool beside her, signalling for you to sit beside her.

You let out a breathy chuckle, slipping onto the seat next to her. "You just looked so busy, Alexia," you said, letting her name roll off your tongue with deliberate ease.

She arched a brow, amusement flickering in her gaze. "Yeah, bunny?" she murmured, her voice dipping just enough to make you feel a bit tense. "You know, the way your brother used to talk about you… I would have thought you were an actual innocent little bunny."

You chuckled, shaking your head. “Yeah, you know Xavier. He’s protective and he genuinely still thinks I’m his baby sister.”

She hummed, bringing her straw in between her lips, taking a sip of her drink and not breaking eye contact. You felt your skin heat under her gaze, your fingers instinctively tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear.

"So, uh," you started, clearing your throat, "you never mentioned that you’re one of the most famous football players in the world."

Alexia wrinkled her nose, shaking her head. "No, no," she laughed, waving a dismissive hand. "I'm definitely not. I mean, I might be a little well-known, but Xav probably hyped me up way more than I deserve."

“Hmm, so a million instagram followers isn’t famous, huh?” You shot her an unimpressed look.  Suddenly, it was your turn to tease her. “So, that means that I must be a total nobody with my 271 followers.”

She smirked. "Oh, so you've been stalking me?"

You leaned forward, tilting your head. "If checking your Instagram counts as stalking, then yeah, whatever." You pulled out your phone, unlocking it to show her the proof. "Also, I don’t buy the whole 'I’m not that good' thing when your pinned posts are literally you holding the award that practically says Best Football Player Ever.”

Alexia pouted dramatically. "No fair. Your account is private."

You chuckled and pointed an accusatory finger. “Hmmm, sounds like someone tried to stalk me too.”

"Guilty as charged," she admitted, resting her chin on her hand. "But can you really blame me? It’s not my fault my best friend’s sister is fine as fuck.”

You bit your lip, a blush growing in your cheek. Alexia smiled, incredibly pleased by your reaction. “So, are you gonna accept my follow request or…”

You rolled your eyes, scrolling through your notifications to approve her request. “Here. Happy?”

Alexia beamed, immediately checking her phone to check out your account. She whistled lowly as she clicked on the photo you posted days ago of just your torso in a tiny, yellow bikini. She liked the photo immediately. You chuckled as you watched her scroll through more photos, liking each and every single one of them. 

You were mildly relieved that you archived all remnants of Matt from your profile or else, you’d be figured out by now.

“I think I’m your number one fan now,” Alexia teased, looking back at you before her eyes fell lower to scan your body. “Kinda a bummer you’re not wearing one of those bikinis from the photo now.”

You smacked her arm playfully. “I seriously don’t know if you’re messing with me–”

“I’m not,” She cut you off. You looked to meet her eyes and while she had a playful smile, her eyes looked warm and sincere. “I genuinely think you’re cute. I’m not just teasing you.”

You paused before nodding, averting your gaze. Fuck, she’s so charming. I actually don’t even know how to respond to this. “Hmm,” you said before turning your head back to look at you. “You better not let Xav hear that though.”

She furrowed her eyebrows and let out a weak chuckle. “Xavier?”

“Yeah, you know him, he still acts like I’m his baby sister.” You said, purposely leaving out the fact that that main reason why you didn’t want him finding out was because your brother had just warned you earlier that day about messing around while on a break with Matt. “He’s just… protective. Last thing I need is him breathing down my neck the entire trip."

Alexia hummed, dragging her straw through her drink before glancing at you. "Well," she said after a pause, "that’s a bummer."

You tilted your head inquisitively. She smiled. "I was gonna ask him if it was okay to take his younger sister out on a date."

You blinked, brain short-circuiting “Oh… what?”

Alexia let out a low chuckle, clearly enjoying your reaction. "Well, if you don’t wanna go out with me since I’m your brother’s friend and all—"

"No!" you blurted, a little too loudly. You clamped your mouth shut, feeling the heat rush to your cheeks. "I mean… no, I do wanna go out with you."

Alexia’s smile fully grew. “Good, cause that would’ve sucked if you said no.”

You smiled. “But… you gotta keep this from my brother, for now. He’s just extra tense about the wedding and he can be such a… bridezilla.” Alexia chuckled at your description, knowing fully well how much of a control freak Xavier was when it came to the wedding. You continued. “So, we can’t let him know… just for now. After the wedding, I’m sure he’ll cool off.”

Alexia nodded, understanding. “Okay, then that will make this more interesting.”

You forced a casual smile, relieved that she had bought your excuse. If she thought Xavier’s overprotectiveness was the only reason you wanted to keep this a secret, that was fine by you. You had a good feeling about the date, even with the circumstances. And surely, there was no way things would go wrong over just one date.

…Right?

⋆˙⟡♡ When Alexia said that she would pick you up from your hotel room at 5 in the morning, you didn’t know what to think or expect of that date. What was more intriguing was that she asked you to wear a swimsuit under your clothes. 

What kind of date is she taking me on? You thought to yourself, yawning as you put on a short, beachy dress on top of your bikini. Are we going to the Little Mermaid’s restaurant or something?

Tote bag in hand, you headed to the port where you agreed to meet Alexia. Your lips turned up to a smile when you saw her standing there in denim shorts and a crocheted white top. “We’re lowkey coordinating our outfits,” you remarked as you walked to her.

She chuckled. “You look stunning.”

A blush crept up your cheeks. "Yeah?" You bit your lip, glancing between her and the sleek boat behind her. "So… why are we here?"

She gestured to the fancy-looking boat behind her. “You mentioned yesterday that you haven’t seen much of the non-tourist sights in Ibiza when you were there with your cousins,” she said. “So, I figured we’d hitchhike on the bride’s boat going there.”

“What?” You said, unable to process what she just said.

"Inés’ bridal team has to pick up a few things in Ibiza, so I pulled some strings and got us on board." She gave a little shrug, like it was no big deal. "Hope you’re not prone to seasickness, because I kinda had the staff prepare breakfast for us too. Called in a special favor from Inés."

Your eyes widened. "Wait, she knows?"

Alexia chuckled. "Relax. I didn’t tell her about my secret date with her future sister-in-law." She shot you a wink before holding out her hand. "But we gotta hurry. I wouldn’t want us to miss any part of our itinerary today." 

You let her take your hand, heart skipping a beat, and let her lead you into the boat.

⋆˙⟡♡ The boat was spacious, the sea breeze light and refreshing as Alexia led you to a seating area with a cushioned booth and a small table. Waiting for you was a basket of empanadas and carafes of juice.

You slid into the seat beside her, eyeing the pastries curiously. "I’ve never actually had an empanada before."

Alexia’s head snapped toward you so fast you almost laughed. "Huh? No way. You’ve never had one?"

You shook your head, amused at how scandalized she looked. She grabbed a plate and served one for you. "That’s insane. Inés makes really good ones too. She usually makes some whenever I visit." She shared. “These ones are prepared by the hotel staff though.”

You took a small bite, eyes widening as you bit into the buttery pastry, humming with satisfaction. "Fuck, where has this been all my life?"

Alexia grinned. "Told you. You’ve been missing out."

You wiped a few crumbs from your lips, leaning back. "Story of my life," you muttered, more to yourself than anything.

She raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

You hesitated before shrugging. "I’ve never been to Spain before. Actually… I don’t really travel at all."

Alexia looked surprised. "Really? That’s the total opposite of your brother. He’s been everywhere."

You laughed softly, shaking your head. "Yeah, well, Xavier always was the more adventurous one. I mean, I’ve always wanted to do the same but I guess, life just always got in the way…" You trailed off, leaving out the real reason: how much of that was because of your ex. How you turned down trips, stayed behind, convinced yourself that you didn’t need to see the world because love was enough.

And now that it was over, you were realizing just how much you had missed.

Alexia studied you for a moment, then nodded, looking out at the ocean. "I travel a lot for work, but nothing ever compares to Barcelona. That’s home." She glanced at you. "Maybe it’s the same for you? Love for your hometown?"

You exhaled, shaking your head. "No," you admitted. "I think I just didn’t know what I was missing out on."

She smiled, something warm and knowing in her gaze. "Well, then that’s more reason for me to show you a good time today.”

The moment stretched between you, lingering just long enough to make your pulse quicken. Then, with a playful nudge, she gestured to the table. "Come on, cariño. Eat more of the empanadas before they get too cold."

⋆˙⟡♡ "I don’t know about this," you said, watching as Alexia swung a leg over the Vespa with effortless ease. You held the helmet between your hands, feeling iffy about getting on the motorcycle. “I’ve never really ridden a motorcycle.”

Alexia chuckled and gave you a playful look. “Come on, trust me.”

You hesitated, gripping the helmet a little tighter. The idea of speeding through unfamiliar streets made your stomach twist. But then you thought about what you had just been saying. You wanted to experience more, to stop holding yourself back. And here was your chance.

You met Alexia’s gaze, and even though you barely knew her, something about her made you feel safe. You exhaled, put the helmet on, and climbed onto the Vespa behind her.

She smiled, adjusting her grip on the handlebars. "Hold on, cariño."

As soon as the Vespa took off, your hands hovered awkwardly at her sides, unsure. But when the wind picked up and the city blurred past you, your instincts took over. Your grip on her waist tightened, and Alexia let out a quiet chuckle. You felt her laughter through your chest, warm and steady.

At first, the speed made your heart race. It felt even more frightening than a rollercoaster. As much as Alexia liked how close you were, clinging onto her for dear life, she felt like she was going to suffocate with how tightly you were hugging her waist. “Cariño, relax. I won’t be reckless, I promise.”

You took a deep breath before loosening up, hands still around Alexia. You straightened your back a bit before looking around, taking in the views around you. 

Alexia slowed the bike as you neared the farmer’s market. “Still full from the empanadas, cariño?” she called over her shoulder, her voice rising above the hum of the cars and the market’s chatter.

You looked at the farmer’s market and immediately spotted a booth that sold fresh smoothies. You could practically feel your mouth water at the sight of the seller slicing strawberries. “Never too full for a farmer’s market.”

Alexia laughed, pulling the bike to the side and parking it. She hopped off first, offering her hand to help you down. You hesitated, your heart picking up pace as she held your hand, guiding you gently as you dismounted.

A warm blush crept up your neck as she turned to you with a playful smile. “You don’t have to take my hand if you don’t want to,” she said, her tone softening. “I just don’t want to lose you in this crowd.”

You glanced at the market. There weren’t even that many people. Sure, it was busy but you doubted you’d lose her that easily. Still, you played along, taking her hand in first, allowing her to fit her fingers in between yours. The warmth of her skin emanated against yours, causing your blush to grow.

“So, what do you want to try?” Alexia said as she led the way.

You hummed, looking around. “I kinda want a smoothie but maybe we should go around first? See what else they have to offer?”

Alexia nodded, agreeing, keeping you close and not letting your hand go as you two weaved through the stalls. The two of you tried some cheese, cured meat, bread, and a lot of other goods, humming in delight as you indulged in the free samples. Alexia seemed incredibly intrigued by cherry wine, even taking note of the name of the seller to buy from them later on. 

You couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed, though. Everywhere you looked, there were tempting options. What to eat? What to drink? The variety was endless, and you didn’t want to fill up on something just to find something even better a little further down the path. As you were lost in thought, your eyes landed on an ice cream stall. The warm afternoon sun was starting to set in, and suddenly, the idea of a cold treat felt like the perfect answer.

Alexia noticed your lingering gaze at the stall, chuckling a bit. “Never thought you’d have a sweet tooth,” she commented. “Want to get some?”

You nodded shyly, feeling caught staring longingly at the ice cream. She smiled back at you, hand still entangled with yours, leading the way once more and taking you there. The stall owner, a small tan lady with short curly hair, gasped as you two approached their booth. 

“La reina! En persona!” The woman gushed, clearly starstruck by Alexia.

“Ah, sí, sí,” she said, offering a warm handshake with her free hand. The vendor practically shook with giddInéss as she continued speaking quickly in Spanish, her words tumbling out as she gushed about how amazing it was to meet Alexia in person.

You stood there awkwardly, trying to follow the conversation, but your Spanish was rough at best. You caught a few words — novia and guapa —and your cheeks instantly heated up. You bit your lip as you felt your face grow warmer, gaze falling to your feet. 

You only looked up again when Alexia squeezed your hand, eyes fixed on you with a soft expression. She gave you a small smile before looking back at the lady. “No, aún no…” She responded in Spanish but continued in English. “But who knows? Maybe soon?”

The vendor yelped out, giggling like a schoolgirl as she bounced on her feet, speaking in fast Spanish that you could barely catch a word of. But her body language and the way she teasingly pointed at Alexia then at you told you all you needed to know. Alexia just chuckled as she watched you blush even more.

“Okay, now, what flavor do you want?” She asked you. 

You almost forgot about the ice cream because of the exchange. You looked inside the display to see huge containers with simple labels, all in Spanish. 

You blinked, momentarily forgetting about the ice cream, your mind still stuck on the exchange. When you finally looked at the display, you saw a bunch of large containers with simple labels, all in Spanish. You hummed, feeling a little overwhelmed. “I have no clue. They all look so good.”

Alexia chuckled softly, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. “Would you mind if I chose for you?”

You  shook your head, not needing to think twice. “I’d prefer it either way,” you admitted with a shy smile.

Alexia continued talking to the vendor, and you watched the lady scoop generous amounts of ice cream into your cones. When it was time to pay, the lady was insisting that Alexia not pay, practically forcing Alexia’s money back to her pocket; the whole sight made you laugh. Alexia finally agreed not to pay but while the vendor’s guard was down, she slipped her money into the tip jar, throwing a cheeky wink at the lady.

“Okay, ice cream time,” Alexia said, smiling wide as she held up the cones slightly. “Fuck, these are heavy. I think she wants to give us a toothache.”

You chuckled and glanced at the flavors Alexia had picked. “Which one’s mine?” you asked, a little unsure.

“The strawberry and balsamic one,” Alexia replied, her smile widening as she nodded towards the cone in your hand. “I saw you practically lusting after those strawberries earlier, so I thought you might like this one.”

You raised an eyebrow, still skeptical. “Strawberries with balsamic… vinegar?” you said, voice cautious, not quite sure what to expect.

She laughed, the sound rich and warm. “Trust me, it sounds crazy, but it’s perfect. You’ll see.”

“Hmm, and what did you get?” You looked at her cone. “Looks like chocolate.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I got a basic flavor just in case you don’t like yours so we can switch.”

You couldn’t help but feel even more drawn to Alexia and the date had barely begun. She was just so unbelievably thoughtful, remembering you mentioning the strawberries from earlier, noticing you looking at the ice cream stall, even picking a flavor you would have never chosen for yourself. She just felt so confident about you liking it but still making sure to have a back-up plan in case you didn’t. It may have seemed like such a small thing but it said a lot about her to you.

Suddenly, you were thinking about Matt. You two were together for years and yet he had not ever displayed the same level of thoughtfulness as Alexia had, and you practically only just met Alexia.

Feeling a drop of ice cream reach your knuckles, you hurriedly licked up the drips on the side of the cone. A hum escaped your lips as you tasted the ice cream, eagerly eating more of it. Alexia smiled as she watched you, a soft gleam of pride in her eyes. “See, I knew you’d like it,” she said with a warm tone. 

“Mmm, s’good…” you said, having more of it. You paused, looking at her before offering. “Do you want to try some?”

She paused for a moment, looking at your face as if to study you before simply leaning in. You gently moved the cone towards her lips, watching as she took a delicate lick of the ice cream. It wasn’t seductive or sexual but something about it made your heart beat faster. You bit your lip as you watched her lift her head, lick her lips and nod approvingly. 

Alexia noticed your look, the redness of your cheeks, the way you were biting your lip and the bashful look in your eyes. She was about to tease you but before she could even say anything, you could hear the vendor giggling, a few meters away. The two of you turned to look at her and she just have you two a playful air swat and a head shake from behind her booth. 

“Looks like we got our first fan,” Alexia teased.

⋆˙⟡♡ After roaming a bit more around the stalls, you finally made your way back to the motorcycle. Alexia revved the engine, and you slipped on your helmet, even if you had been on the motorcycle early today, a part of you still felt nervous getting on it.

You asked as you two took the road, feeling the warmth of the noon sun against your shoulders. “Where are we off to?” you asked loudly, above the sound of the cars beside you.

Alexia kept her eyes on the road ahead. “It’s not too far,” she said. “You’ll know when you see it.”

You took a deep breath, suddenly feeling yourself get a bit nervous. You weren’t someone who had ever done this kind of thing: travelling abroad with beautiful women, riding a motorcycle, allowing said woman to decide your fate for the day, taking you to places you have never even heard of before. It was all new to you. 

And yet, despite the nerve-racking uncertainty, there was this other new feeling bubbling up inside you. Excitement. It was the kind of excitement you never really knew you were capable of feeling. It wasn’t the excitement you’ve known, like the kind of excitement you got for birthdays, going to Disneyland, or prom. It felt much bigger than that.

Alexia shifted slightly, adjusting her grip on the handlebars, her posture relaxed. She didn’t seem nervous at all. 

The engine revved again, and Alexia’s voice broke through your thoughts, a little louder now to cut through the wind. “Hold on tight, cariño,” she shouted over her shoulder, giving you just enough time to adjust your grip on her before she sped up, zooming up the inclined road.

You yelped as you felt the speed, holding on tighter to Alexia. You could feel Alexia’s body vibrate with laughter, clearly amused by your vaguely frightened screams. Normally, you’d be a bit embarrassed holding onto someone like this but you were too anxious to care; you weren’t going to risk falling off and cracking your head.

“Relax, cariño,” Alexia teased, her voice cutting through the rush of wind. “You’re safe with me.”

And just like that, suddenly, you felt your body loosen up a bit, becoming more relaxed. You straightened up a bit, hands still wrapped around Alexia. Now that you calmed, you could finally appreciate the wind, the sight of the trees you passed, the sight of the ocean just peeking past the trees. It was beautiful.

You still had no idea where you and Alexia were heading but if this was the journey towards it, the destination must have been out-of-this-world.

⋆˙⟡♡ “There is no way in hell that I am jumping off of that, Alexia!” 

The Cataln laughed at you, gesturing with her hand for you to come over. “Come on, it’s really fun, I swear.” She urged with a wide smle. “Besides, we’re not jumping off here. We’ll take a few more steps down there and jump off that cliff.”

She pointed at a cliff that was significantly lower than the one you first encountered during your hike up from where you two parked. You sighed deeply, contemplating whether or not you would still go with it. On one hand, the thought of jumping off was already making your knees shake and your hands clammy. On the other, the hike up here was already enough to knock the wind out of your lungs… and you did say that you wanted to be more adventurous.

“If you don’t want to, we can just hike back down to the motorcycle,” Alexia offered with a shrug, seemingly unaffected by the walk up. “It’s no problem.”

“No problem for you, you’re literally a world-class athlete.” You joked, shaking your head. You took a deep breath and peeked once more at the cliff Alexia was pointing too. The jump did not seem that high. The water seemed calm too. “How many feet is that?”

Alexia paused, looking over to the cliff. “Uh, I don’t know in feet but maybe a little over 3 meters?” She responded. “It’s gonna be fun, I promise.”

“If you’re nervous, I can go first, break the surface tension a bit. That will make it easier for you to jump in after me, soften the impact.” Alexia offered, sticking her hand out to you for you to take. “We can also swim back to where we parked from down there.”

The sun beat down, making the idea of jumping and swimming in the cool ocean pretty tempting. You bit your lip, then carefully took her hand, nodding. Alexia smiled warmly and led the way down toward the smaller cliff.

Alexia went first on the way to the cliff, carefully making her way downthe rocks that were conveniently shaped like steps. You took a deep breath as you used one hand to hold on to the rocks and the other to grip Alexia’s arm tightly as you stepped down. Finally, you were on the lower cliff and being closer to the sea, you could hear the soft sounds of the waves beneath you.

You looked over at Alexia who was now taking off her clothes to reveal a small white bikini underneath and suddenly, the nerves were replaced by a flustered feeling. There is no way that I’ll ever get used to seeing her body, you thought to yourself.

She caught you staring and laughed. “I know I look good, but you’re going to have to change into your bikini too,” she teased. “Swimming in those clothes would be way harder.”

You nodded. “But where do we put everything?”

Alexia held up a black bag. “I brought a waterproof bag for exactly that.” She grinned. “Just toss your shoes and clothes in here.”

Feeling a little shy, you slowly peeled off your clothes. The hard rock under your feet made you wince as you slipped off your shoes. You stepped closer, reaching over Alexia to place your things in the bag.

She watched you with a smirk, her eyes lingering appreciatively on your body before letting out a low whistle. You swatted her arm playfully. “No teasing,” you warned.

She chuckled softly. “I’m not teasing. I’m just saying you look great.”

Your eyes widened in surprise. “Says you?”

She raised an eyebrow, her smile teasing. “You haven’t said anything yet.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “Okay, fine. I think you look… sexy.” Your cheeks warmed as you admitted it.

Alexia laughed, clapping her hands together before rubbing them in excitement. “Gracias, cariño. Now, are you ready? I’ll show you how to jump without hurting yourself.”

“You’re telling me it’s going to hurt?”

She rolled her eyes, laughing again. “No! I said I’m going to show you how not to get hurt.”

She explained patiently, “Just step off the cliff and keep your legs straight and together. Don’t bend your knees or else, it’s gonna hurt a bit more when you hit the water…” She continued to explain, enacting how your position should be once you do jump. “Did you get that?”

You took a deep breath, feeling the nerves kick in. Never in your life would you have thought you’d end up where you were now: standing on a cliff in Ibiza, having a beautiful Catalan woman teach you how to jump off of it. The most daring thing you ever did in past dates was maybe eat deepfried frog legs in a state fair.

You looked over to Alexia who was walking to the edge, tightening her ponytail as she did. “I’ll go first just to show you how not scary it is.” She said, looking back at you. She smiled at your worried expression, finding it adorable you seemed with your hands grasping each other, eyebrows furrowed.

“Come closer, just to get a feel of it.”

You stepped cautiously as if every next step would cause the cliff to crumble. You took a sharp inhale, feeling the wind blow against your hair and trying hard not to focus on the sound of the ocean beneath you.

“I usually throw my bag or a rock first to break the surface tension,” you turned to Alexia who suddenly chuckled a large rock into the water, followed by the waterproof bag with both of your stuff in it . “Then as soon as I feel confident, I just jump.”

“You just do it?” You swallowed.

Alexia chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, it’s easy.”

“I don’t believe you.”

She raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit challenged. “Just watch me,” she said with a wink but before you could even react, Alexia stepped forward and jumped off.

A strangled gasp escaped your lips. “Oh my god!” You exclaimed as you looked over the cliff. Before you could even realize it, Alexia was already down there, swimming up to the surface.

She flashed you a smile and shouted. “Come! The water is warm!” She swam backwards, allowing you ample space to comfortably jump into. “Just don’t think about it.”

The normal you would have backed out. You would normally think about the potential consequences — injury, drowning, scraping against a rock or whatever. But the reason you came to Spain was not to be the old you. 

It was to be spontaneous, to actually live the only life you have — something that you have not done in the past couple decades you existed. 

It was time to just let go.

And just like that, you stepped off.

The feeling was nothing like you have ever felt before; it was exhilarating, overwhelming, amazing. It only lasted a couple seconds before you felt your body crash against the water.

Then it felt like silence. Just being enveloped by the silence of the ocean. You slowly swam to the surface, quickly being met by Alexia who swam towards you.

“Did you have fun?” She asked as she threaded above the waves with the waterproof bag floating behind her.

You could not contain your laughs. “Oh my god!” You exclaimed. “I wish I could do that again.”

She laughed. “I told you it was fun,” she responded, now mirroring your enthusiasm. “We can go again, if you want!”

“Hell yeah, I wanna go!” 

⋆˙⟡♡ The waterproof bag Alexia brought along turned out to be a little less waterproof than you thought. Water somehow got into the bag and drenched most of your clothes, including your towels.

So, Alexia and you figured that it was best to lounge on the beach for a while and let the sun dry you. 

Alexia laid out her damp towel beside yours on the shore, signalling you to sit down as she ran over to a nearby shop to buy you two some bottled water. You dropped your bag on the spot beside the towel and sat down, immediately massaging your sore calves.

The adrenaline somehow got you to climb up that hill real fast multiple times before jumping off. At the time, you didn’t feel tired or strained due to the adrenaline from all the cliff jumping but now your calves were killing you.

But even if your legs hurt like hell and your arms felt like jelly from all the swimming and threading, you didn’t regret it a single bit.

It felt exhilarating, like nothing you felt before, like you were finally living. You came to Ibiza, wanting to show Matt that you could be fun. But now that you were actually having fun, doing things you never thought you’d do, he didn’t even enter your mind once while you were running up that hill or when you were jumping off or swimming back to the shore. He was pretty much forgotten.

It wasn’t even just because of Alexia. Sure, you loved your date so far and ever since you met her, you’ve practically felt infatuation like never before but the biggest part of being able to forget and move on from Matt so quickly was discovering what you've been missing out on. It felt like you were living life for the first time.

You looked over your shoulder to see Alexia returning back, a large liter of water in hand, bikini-clad body still damp and hair dripping wet, looking a shade darker now that it was wet. You smiled at her.

“They didn’t accept cards and I only had a couple euros on hand,” she said, handing you the large water bottle. “Hope you don’t mind sharing.”

You chuckled, opening the bottled water as she sat beside you on the towel, moving close to you, stretching her legs on to the sand. “Why would I mind?”

“I don’t know, indirect kissing or whatever,” she said with a lilt to her voice. “Maybe you’re the type to care about that.”

You chuckled, feeling more at ease with Alexia after the cliff jumping. You couldn’t help but think that she was beyond clever for planning all that to get you to be more at ease and open to her. Something about jumping and adrenaline, you thought.

“Why would I mind an indirect kiss when I’ve already kissed you?” You retorted before drinking from the bottle.

She chuckled. “I don’t know. You might run off again.”

You nearly choked on the water as you chuckled. You shook your head. “Hey, not everyone can be like Alexia, the expert flirter.” You rolled your eyes. 

“Expert flirter?” She laughed.

You raised your eyebrows and nodded. “Yeah, exactly. It was so intimidating flirting with you for the first time. It was intense.” You opened up. “I’m honestly still a little bit intimidated by you, actually.”

She furrowed her eyebrows. “What? Why?”

You averted your gaze, handing the bottle for her to drink from it next. “I don’t know. You’re older, and apparently, a really famous footballer.” You started, pausing before looking back at her. “Doesn’t help that you’re actually so stunning, especially in that bikini.”

Her lips turned into a smirk. “Hmm, and I’m the expert flirter, huh?”

You chuckled and nodded. 

“I still don’t get it,” she said.

“What?”

“How you sucked so much at flirting when you look like that,” she responded, tone vaguely serious. “Don’t you ever flirt back home?”

You sighed, chewing on your lip, contemplating on whether or not you’d tell her about Matt. “Uh,” you paused, fidgeting with the sand beneath you. “I haven’t actually flirted much. Barely at all before I came here.”

It wasn’t the exact truth but it wasn’t a lie either. 

“I was in a really long term relationship,” you said, opening up just a bit more. “And, well, we broke up.”

“Oh, when?”

You paused. “A year ago.” You didn’t know why you lied but it just came out of your mouth. It felt like it would have been too awkward to correct it but also, it felt wrong that you were lying. 

She nodded. “Not so long ago,” she commented, face turning more serious. “Why’d you break up?”

You paused. “Uh, the feelings weren’t there anymore.” You paused, absentmindedly drawing patterns on the water bottle’s condensation. “Now, that I’m here. I’m starting to question if they were ever there in the first place. Part of me just feels like I settled because I felt comfortable.”

You looked over to Alexia and she had her eyes fixated on you, listening intently. You continued. “It was always stable, calm… stagnant. I don’t think I ever felt strong emotions during the relationship. I thought it was a good thing because that meant we barely ever fought but really, there just wasn’t any passion either.”

“Looking back, I feel like I was just staying because I thought that all relationships just… felt like that.” You sighed. “It felt like mechanically going through milestones together and I guess, eventually, we both just realized we were done living like that.”

“It was mutual?” She asked, eyebrows furrowed with curiosity.

“Yeah.” Another lie. Well, partially. 

Because you figured that even if Matt was the one who initiated the break, you figured that you’d want to be the one to put the last nail on that coffin, completely turning that break into a definite break-up.

The two of you fell silent. Alexia seemed to not know what to say after you had openly talked about your past relationship. You didn’t mind it; there was really nothing more to say. You were just glad that you partially told her about your situation.

You grabbed your phone, thinking about shooting Matt a quick ‘let’s talk’ text but as you tried to open it, you realized that the battery was drained.

Alexia noticed. “Oh no, the sun must have gotten to it.” She said, “My phone battery always drains quicker whenever I leave it out under the sun. I should have warned you.”

You sighed but returned it back to the bag. “No problem, that just means you have to keep me entertained.”

Alexia smirked. “Yeah, want me to entertain you now?” She said moving closer to you, reaching over to tuck hair behind your ear, making you blush. 

Your eyes flickered to her lips involuntarily but you just chuckled, feeling a bit too shy to initiate a kiss “Why don’t you tell me more about yourself?”

She smiled as she leaned back, resting her weight on her propped-up arms. “What do you wanna know?”

“Hmm… you take a lot of girls cliff diving?”

She laughed at your question. “No, no,” she responded, shaking her head. “It’s my first time doing this cliff diving date.”

“Why do I have a hard time believing that?” 

“I’m serious. Even ask Xavier,” she responded. “I haven’t gone on a date in months. I just never have the time.”

You nodded, understandingly. Of course, a footballer like her with her popularity would be busy. But you still couldn't comprehend how someone as stunning as her would be single. “So, when was your last relationship?”

“A year ago too,” she responded. “It was a pretty long relationship too – almost a couple years, I think? She ended things when she realized she was scared of commitment. That… honestly fucked me up for a while. Gave me trust issues.”

You gulped, suddenly feeling the guilt spread through your body. “Yeah? Why?”

She sighed. “Well, she lied to me.” She shrugged, seemingly unaffected by it. “She broke up with me, said she was scared of committing but then a month later, she was dating someone else. Some guy she knew back from college. Just felt like a major backstab.”

She sighed before looking at you again with a weak smile. “They’re engaged now.”

“Oh… I’m sorry,” you responded. “I feel bad for asking.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I’m over it.” She shrugged, before moving over closer to you. “Besides, I’m kinda dating this hot girl right now.”

She bit her lip as she leaned closer. A blush crept across your cheeks, feeling your heart flutter as she did. “Yeah?” It was all you could muster to say. She just had the crazy ability to make you feel too stupid to say anything.

“Great kisser too,” Her eyes were practically fixated on your lips now, zeroed in on them. Even if you already shared that kiss at the club, you still felt incredibly on edge with her being so close. Perhaps it was the lack of alcohol or maybe it was the fact that you were even more attracted to her now.

Alexia’s lips curled into a small smirk. “The only problem is that she's a bit of an overthinker at times.”

You bit your lip, feeling called out.

“I don’t mind though. I can help her with that,” She said in a lower tone as she moved her hand to cup your face as she leaned in, capturing your lips with hers. 

All your muscles unclenched and all your thoughts just fizzled away. Suddenly, all you could focus on was her lips on yours. It started off slow, tentative as if she was testing out the waters before her hand snaked around your waist, deepening the kiss as soon as she felt you reciprocate.

You wrapped your arms around Alexia, pulling her in close as you tangled your fingers into her hair. 

God, I could do this all day.

⋆˙⟡♡ While your clothes had mostly dried, they still weren’t completely comfortable to wear. They’d also taken on a weird, musty scent from not being able to dry properly. And, every step made you wince a little, with the damp fabric clinging to your skin in all the wrong places. It was just not an ideal situation.

“Okay, I can’t do this anymore,” you groaned loudly, tugging at the moist fabric of your clothes which had begun to cling awkwardly to your body. “This feels like wearing a cold rag.”

Alexia, equally uncomfortable, gave you a half-laugh, half-groan. “Remind me to never trust those ‘waterproof’ bags again.” She shook her head disapprovingly. “Let’s head over to those souvenir shops, pretty sure they’d have something decent. Just pick out whatever you want. I’ll pay.”

With that mutual agreement, the two of you wandered through the line of souvenir shops near the boardwalk. Most of the stores were packed with overpriced towels and tacky magnets… exactly what you'd expect from tourist trap shops. But tucked between all the novelty junk were racks of clothes. Mostly polyester shirts with tacky designs or corny phrases, and mostly overpriced… but at least, they were dry. That was all you needed.

You grinned as your eyes landed on a rack filled with bootleg football kits. You pulled out a clearly fake Spanish national team shirt with the logo slightly wonky and the color being a tad brighter than the original. 

“Would you be mad if I got one of these?” you asked, holding it up with a small smirk on your face. 

Alexia averted her attention from the rack of beachy, button-up shirts and looked over, immediately laughing. “Mad? No. But if you seriously want one, I’ve got like, a dozen at home. All legit. All worn in actual matches.” She said with a small shrug. “If I sign it, you might even get a couple hundred euros off of it.”

You chuckled and looked back at the dupe in your hands. “If you sign this, I bet it would fetch me five euros at least.” You joked before returning it back to the rack. As you hung it back, something caught your eye: a white jersey with golden details. 

“Okay, I’ve made my decision,” you announced, feigning innocence. “I really like this one. It’s got that classic, retro charm.”

Alexia barely glanced up at first, focused on looking at a rack of overpriced crocheted tops. “Yeah? Which one?”

You turned slightly as you held the shirt, keeping the logo out of view, but letting her catch just enough of the white fabric. “It’s cute, right? The crown on the logo makes it look regal.”

Her attention snapped fully to you now, eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Wait… show me the front.”

You bit your lip to suppress your smile and slowly lifted the hanger up, revealing the shirt in all its glory. A Real Madrid jersey.

The effect was instant. Alexia shook her head, furrowing her eyebrows as she walked over to you.  “Ay, por favor, not that.”

You tilted your head, feigning confusion. “What? It’s a nice shirt,” you said, looking back at it to pretend like you’re analyzing the details. “I mean, white goes with everything.”

She strode over and plucked it from your hands. “Absolutely not, you can pick anything else. Not this.”

“What?” you said, letting your voice rise with exaggerated hurt. “You said I could choose whatever I wanted!”

“I obviously didn’t think you’d pick that when I said it,” she said, hanging the jersey back on the rack. “I’ll buy you the Spanish knock-off instead. Dios mio, I’ll buy you all these ugly dupes before I buy that one.”

You couldn’t hold it in anymore and you laughed at her reaction. “Yeah, I’m just messing with you.” 

Alexia looked at you and shook her head slowly. “Oh, I can’t believe you,” she said with a tone of slight annoyance and amusement. “You’re just like Xavier, always messing with me.”

She reached over, pinching your cheek. “If you weren’t so cute, I would have been annoyed.” She teased. 

You shrugged and gave her a cheeky grin.

Alexia chuckled before taking your hand in hers. “Come on, I think I saw the perfect dress for you inside anyway.” She said, flashing you a playful smile. “Let’s get away from these ugly kits.” 

You beamed, comfortably settling your fingers into hers. 

⋆˙⟡♡ “This is just ridiculous,” you said as you looked at yourself in the mirror, clad in a white shirt-dress which had the illustration of a cartoon body with comically large boobs, an impossibly tiny waist, and huge hips. It supposedly gave the illusion of you having the body of a sexy cartoon lady.

Alexia exited the dressing room, wearing virtually the same thing except the cartoon body on hers was wearing a yellow bikini while yours was wearing a pink bikini. “It’s so stupid but I love it.”

You laughed at the sight of the two of you in the mirror. “What if a fan spots you and you’re wearing this horrendous shirt?”

She shrugged. “A real fan would embrace me for who I am — huge cartoon tits and all.” She joked, making you laugh. 

“Come on, let’s pay for it so we can get dinner sooner. I’m so hungry from all the swimming.”

⋆˙⟡♡ Originally, Alexia planned for the two of you to check out a more upscale bistro nearer the city center but you two eventually figured that you would rather spend more time together by the beach. 

Besides, you were pretty certain that the restaurant manager would not be pleased if you two showed up dressed in shirt-dresses that had big-breasted cartoon bodies on them.

So, instead, you settled for one of the restobar with an outdoor area by the boardwalk. The place also had a band playing some older songs, mostly in Spanish. Alexia and you sat side-by-side, angled toward the band and the ocean.

She took a slow swig of her beer, pausing before turning to face you. “So,” she began, “if you would give this date a score, what would you give me?”

Confused, you looked over to her. “A score?”

“Yeah, like a grade or a rating. Out of 100.” She grinned.

You chuckled lightly and took a bite of your sandwich as you thought it over. “That’s rough,” you commented, wiping some of the sauce off of the corner of your mouth. “I think… maybe an 89? Or an 87?”

Alexia gave you a crooked smile, lifting her eyebrows. “Not bad, I guess.” She said, nodding. “Why not 100?”

You let out a laugh. “Well, I have to leave some room for improvement, right? You might just end up outdoing yourself next time.”

Suddenly, the Catalan perked up, straightening her posture and eyes suddenly wide and bright. She was like a puppy who just saw a tennis ball. “Next time?” She repeated, practically beaming. “So you do wanna go on more dates with me, huh?”

You chuckled at her reaction. “Well, duh,” you shrugged. “I’ve got a huge crush on you and this has been the best date of my life. Of course, I want more of you.”

Her brow arched, lips curling into a playful smirk. “You want more of me?”

You playfully smacked her on the arm as you rolled your eyes. “Don’t be disgusting.”

Alexia laughed at your playful smack. She flashed you a genuine, warm smile and the way her eyes just sparkled as they gazed into yours… it was insane how much this woman made your heart beat so fast.

“Yeah, uh, I do wanna go out with you more,” you said, your voice quieter now, looking down at your sandwich awkwardly.

Her smile widened and her cheeks grew red. She looked almost flustered which was something you didn’t see much. She always was the more confident, bold one but now she was red in the cheeks and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Guess I gotta plan on some more dates then,” She said, locking eyes with you again.

⋆˙⟡♡ After you shared another drink, Alexia and you decided it was time to rush back to the dock to make the boat back to the island. The staff had prepared blankets just in case the cold sea wind nipped at your skin but you two opted to share one inside, sitting impossibly close as you draped the smooth blanket on top of you two, feet flirtatiously grazing each other beneath it.

You went back to your room almost with a pep in your step. If life was like a classic cartoon, you felt like you would have floated back to your room on a cloud with hearts in your eyes. You kicked off your shoes, humming the same song from the bar as you padded toward the bathroom.

You blushed as you rinsed off the saltwater and sweat from the day, smiling like a fool as you towel-dried your hair. You couldn’t stop grinning. You replayed everything as you took a bath and brushed your teeth. 

After you finished getting ready for bed, you sank onto the edge of your hotel bed, still feeling warm and giddy, now wrapped up in the hotel robe. You reached over for your phone, which you finally were able to charge after leaving it drained all afternoon, and finally lit up the screen.

Your smile faded almost instantly.

The screen was bombarded with text notifications… from Matt.

The first message startled you — an “I miss you” — and saw another one that started with “I know it’s late but…”

That was enough for you to toss the phone to the far edge of the bed, not wanting to deal with that mess right now. You rubbed your hands down your face and flopped backward, hair still slightly damp against the pillow.

You stared at the ceiling for a moment, exhaling hard. After your wonderful date with this girl who just made you feel things you never ever felt all those years with Matt, you just didn’t want to deal with drama right now. You weren’t going to let Matt ruin this feeling. Not after you’re realizing how much you’ve missed out, and how much you’ve realized about yourself.

“Whatever,” you muttered to yourself. “I’ll deal with it later.”

For now, you just wanna relish in this feeling, pushing all thoughts of Matt to the back of your head for you to sort out later on. 

⋆˙⟡♡ The next few days felt like a dream.

Alexia and you took advantage of the activities that the resort had to offer. After all, Inés did say this was an all-expense paid trip and you both figured you’d rather spend all of that on jetskis and paddle boards instead of wasting it on overpriced margaritas by the pool.

So, you and Alexia did it all. You went paddleboarding. You went snorkeling. You tried one of those inflatable rides wherein you both had to hold on to the flimsy straps on the inflatable as a speedboat skidded through the ocean, swerving in an attempt to get you to fall off. Basically, if the resort offered it, you two were there. 

And well… you kissed a lot too. On the boats. By the beach. In a small cove at the edge of the resort. Every hidden nook, tucked away, you kissed her.

You made sure you were in the more remote, hidden parts, not wanting your brother or anyone else in the family to find out about it.

It wasn’t that you were ashamed or anything. It just felt right to keep this relationship private for now. There was something intoxicating and thrilling about knowing that Alexia belonged only to you. She might have been Barcelona’s star player, your brother’s best friend, or everyone’s idol. But now, she was just yours.

You giggled helplessly when Alexia hovered above you on the sand, her hair falling into her face as she pressed light, teasing kisses along your neck.

“Alexia! Stop, it tickles!” You said, giggling while trying to push her away.

Alexia giggled, planting a few more feathery kisses around your neck and jaw before returning back to rest on her own beach towel beside yours. “Sorry, cariño, you’re just so yummy-looking right now.”

You rolled your eyes at her and put your sunglasses back onto your face, feeling the sun hit your eyes now that Alexia’s shadow wasn’t covering your eyes. “You say that when your stomach literally looks like a chocolate bar,” you teased back, playfully poking her abs.

Alexia chuckled. “This? Please, this is nothing. This is my off-season bod,” she said with a head shake. “You should see me during the season, when I get to work out everyday. That’s when I get really fit.”

You bit your lip, blushing. It was hard enough sitting beside her like this – half sun-drunk, half overwhelmed by how attractive she already was. The idea of her being somehow even more toned left you speechless.

Alexia smirked at your reaction. She paused, propping herself up on one elbow, scanning your face before saying. “I can’t wait to take you back to Barcelona.”

You blinked, caught off guard. “Take me back?”

Her brows furrowed, lips twitching into an embarrassed smile. “Does that sound too possessive? Sorry. My English. I meant that I want you to come to Barcelona.”

The soft stumble made you laugh. You reached out, cupping her cheek. “I’d love to visit you,” you admitted.

She leaned into your hand with a low hum, letting you caress her cheek. “Hmm, you want to?”

You nodded with a smile. “I have a break from law school anyway so I definitely want to spend that time with you.”

Her eyes brightened. “How long is your break?”

“Well, the earliest one I think is Thanksgiving? So, a little less than a week.” You said, trying to recall the academic calendar in your head.

Alexia looked at you with an offended look. “A week? You can’t possibly visit me for just a week?”

You chuckled. “I mean, I could always come back for Christmas. And isn’t a week enough to see Barcelona? It’s not exactly huge.”

“Hmm, let’s see. You’ll need one full day to recover from your flight.” She kissed your cheek gently.

“Two days for the tourist spots.” She kissed your other cheek.

“A day for shopping and food,” she continued, dropping a kiss onto your forehead.

“Another for your brother. He’ll want time with you too.” A kiss beside your ear.

“And then of course, I want you to meet my family and friends.” She moved to the other side, pressing her lips softly to the other side. You were giggling by then, heat spreading through you.

Finally, she met your gaze, biting her lip before her voice dipped lower. “And I’d need one whole day.” She leaned in to capture your lips in a gentle peck. “Just us. You, me… and my bed.”

You made a face, shoving slightly at her shoulder. “You’re so gross, Alexia.”

She feigned innocence, smirking all the while. “What? I only meant cuddles and Spanish movies. You’re the one with the dirty mind.”

You rolled your eyes, though your cheeks burned at how easily she unraveled you.

Alexia flopped back onto her towel, arms folded behind her head. “Maybe I should just visit you before the season starts.”

“There’s not much to do back home,” you admitted with a shrug. “It’s definitely no Barcelona.”

“I don’t care,” she said simply, turning her head to look at you. “I’m not going for the city. I’m going for you.”

You looked at her, analyzing her face. Alexia looked sincere and genuine, saying it so casually as if it wasn’t a big deal. You bit your lip, mostly flattered that she was becoming this interested in you.

But also, scared. 

It was easy being with her when you were here on some remote island in Spain, away from reality. But you had no clue how this relationship would play out in the real world where responsibilities, judgement, and ex-boyfriends existed. 

Alexia must have caught your worried reaction and your hesitation because her tone softened. “I mean, only if you’d want me there.”

You swallowed hard, then laughed at yourself for even doubting. Alexia made you feel things you didn’t even have words for yet, things that made your chest ache in the best way. “Of course,” you smiled. “I’d love to have you over.”

She returned your smile, before leaning in again to capture your lips. 

⋆˙⟡♡ Even if you and Alexia have technically only been dating for a short period, you’ve grown attached and clingy to her, wanting to spend every day and second with her.

But wedding duties came. 

Alexia had to go to your brother’s bachelor party while you had to go to Inés’ bachelorette.

⋆˙⟡♡ The boys chartered a yacht back to the main island to party at one of the big, high-end clubs. The entourage was a mix – players and staff from the club, a couple family members, Xav’s med school friends. Alexia knew most of them well enough to be comfortable being the only girl in the group, yet she couldn’t bring herself to relax. The loud music, the lights, the drinks… it all felt distant. In her mind, all she could focus on was her yearning to go back to the resort to be with you

Still, her quiet detachment went unnoticed. The others were too busy scanning the dance floor, competing over who was getting attention from the pretty girls at the bar.

“She’s definitely looking at me,” Lewandowski boasted, tipping his drink toward a girl across the room. “I’m the famous one here. It’s obvious.”

One of the staffers snorted. “Please. This isn’t the pitch. It’s a club. Looks are what matter.”

“Come on, bro, look at me.” Lewa countered, gesturing at himself.

Xav laughed at the banter ongoing about which of the guys was getting flirty smiles and looks  from the pretty, long-legged blonde at the bar. “You guys are blind,” he commented. “She’s clearly checking Alexia out.”

Everyone looked at Alexia who looked completely off guard, previously just spacing out as she stared at her glass of whiskey. “Me?”

The group chuckled. Xav nodded. “Yeah, go on, try and wave at her. Let’s test it out.”

Alexia frowned but acquiesced anyway, raising her hand in the smallest, most reluctant wave paired with a tight-lipped smile. Unexpectedly, the girl giggled and whispered something to her friend before biting her lip and waving back. The entourage practically hollered at the reaction, realizing that Xav was right.

“What are you waiting for? Go on!” Marc, one of Xav’s med school friends, urged, half-shoving her off her stool.

Alexia chuckled, cheeks warming, but shook her head. “No thanks. I’m seeing someone.”

Xav looked shocked. “Wait, huh? Since when?”

Alexia’s lips curved into a smirk and she shrugged, taking a swig of her drink, letting Xav wait for her answer. The rest of the crew shifted their attention elsewhere, more interested in the booze and the other girls than Alexia’s current relationship status.

“Just recently, seeing how it goes.” She said as she put her glass on the counter. She flashed Xav another lopsided smile, feeling a bit cheeky knowing that she was talking about his sister.

“You never told me,” Xav said with a shocked tone but flashed her a smile. “It’s good though. After… everything with your ex, it’s nice to see you giving someone a real chance again. She must be something special if you’re turning down blondes in a club.”

Alexia gave him a small shrug and a smile, not wanting to let him in on more of the details.

Xav playfully nudged her. “No, I’m serious ‘cause weren’t you just talking about flirting with other girls before the wedding?” 

Alexia responded to his inquiry with a head shake paired with a small eyeroll, forgetting she did mention kissing some girl (which turned out to be his sister) at a club in Ibiza. 

“So, this new girl really must be something, huh?” Xav asked again.

Alexia sighed and felt her cheeks warm.  “Yeah, this girl… she’s really great.” 

Xav seemed happy but tilted his head in confusion. “So, who is she?”

Alexia smirked, shrugging. “Just someone I met recently.”

He looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. “Is she someone I know?”

She just looked at him with a blank expression. His eyes widened as the silence stretched a beat too long. “Please don’t tell me it’s one of my cousins cause if it is, you gotta end it. Those girls are a mess.”

Alexia chuckled and shook her head. “No, no… I can assure you it isn’t them. I met them and I don’t thonk they’re my type. No offense.” She paused, pouring herself another drink from one of the several hard liquor bottles the group ordered. “But I’m sure you wouldn’t approve either way.”

Xav narrowed his eyes but didn’t push further. Deep inside, he thought it must be one of Inés’ Instagram influencer cousins or something. Little did he know, it was someone much closer to home the truth really was.

⋆˙⟡♡Across the island, the girls had gathered for something far tamer. Inés had never been the type for wild nights. She preferred green smoothies to tequila shots, yoga mats to dance floors. She was one of those holistic girlies who was more into health and well-being than anything else. So instead of a typical bachelorette party with male strippers and alcohol, her “last hurrah” was a yoga session followed by sound healing.

It wasn’t bad, exactly. 

The air was soft, laced with the subtle scent of the burning incense, the steady rhythm of waves carrying through the gigantic open window. You stretched and bent alongside the others, breathing through the motions. It was calming, if you let it be. (Daisy and Cam, however, looked as though they were being tortured, exchanging eye-rolls and pained expressions with every new pose. You were certain they’d rather be sneaking onto the boys’ yacht than holding some kind of “hip-opening pose.”)

And while you found some comfort in the stretches, you couldn’t fully commit either. 

Your mind kept slipping away, drifting inevitably back to Alexia. You felt like a silly highschooler with a crush. The instructor kept telling you to clear your mind and to let all thoughts go but even when you thought you finally succeeded, suddenly you’d be seeing an image of Alexia in your head. Or those beautiful hazel eyes. Or the sensation of her lips on yours.

By the time the sound healing began, you had resigned yourself to your distraction. You lay down on your mat, eyes closed as the instructor struck her bowls, sending gentle vibrations through the space. Your body was beginning to loosen and your mind was softening… until a buzz at the edge of your mat snapped you back. It was your phone.

Your eyes perked up and you surreptitiously grabbed it while the instructor was making her rounds with her bowl on the other side of the room.

It was a text from Alexia.

“Hey, meet me at the beach once you’re free?” 

You smiled, glancing at the instructor, biting your lip. Quietly, you got up and silently but swiftly made your way out of the room. Being seated right by the door made your escape easy, almost comically so. By the time the next bowl rang through the room, you were already gone.

⋆˙⟡♡ You ran over to the beach which was dark and windy. The area was completely vacant with everyone either asleep or in one of the stag parties. 

Goosebumps crawled through your skin as the cold wind nipped at your exposed arms.

You immediately saw Alexia who was sitting on one of the beach lounge chairs. You smiled, making your way to her.

She must have heard your footsteps because she immediately turned around, flashing you a grin. “That was quick.”

You chuckled, catching your breath a bit. “Yeah, I ran out of sound healing while the instructor wasn’t looking.” You responded. 

Alexia chuckled before standing up to take your hand with hers, quietly leading you closer to the shore. 

“How did you even get here?” you asked, glancing at her in disbelief. “I thought you all were partying on the main island.”

“I couldn’t take being away from you, so I had to swim back,” Alexia teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

You rolled your eyes, laughing. “Right. I totally believe you swam all the way back in the middle of the night.” You responded sarcastically. 

“Claro. I’m a professional athlete so it was easy.” she shot back proudly, with a playful smile on her face. 

As you shook your head, a cool breeze swept across the shore, raising goosebumps on your arms. 

Alexia’s gaze flickered down, and without a word, she shrugged off her blazer. She held it open, waiting. “Here, let me.” You hesitated, but the warmth of her expression made you give in. You slipped your arms through, and her hands lingered just a second too long on your shoulders as she adjusted the fabric. You smiled, a quiet “thank you” slipping from your lips.

“Better,” she said softly, before reaching for your hand again, glancing at the matching athleisure set you were wearing. “I like your outfit but it kinda reminds me of something Inès would wear to pilates.”

You chuckled, walking closer to her, feeling the sand sink slightly with every step. “She all sent these gift bags to our rooms before we met for her bachelorette and this set was a part of it.” You responded. “Must have cost her a lot of money. I can’t believe my brother bagged a sugar momma.”

Alexia chuckled. “Oh, he’s really lucky.” She paused. “But with you, I think I got luckier than him.” 

You rolled your eyes, bumping into her slightly. “You’re so corny.”

You looked at her as she shrugged and chuckled, before locking eyes with you. “I’m not lying.” She chuckled before moving closer to you, taking your hand with hers. She smiled and something about it was just so intense and intimate that it made your heart clench a bit.

You averted your gaze. “So, uh, why are you here again? I’m pretty sure all the guys are still partying it up tonight.”

“Well, yeah, the guys are glued to the clubs tonight so I doubt they’ll be home before tomorrow.” Alexia answered. “I’m just here cause I asked the boat guy if he could drop me back real quick. Told him I forgot my maintenance meds or something just to convince him.”

You laughed. “I’m surprised Xav let you go so easily. Or that he even believed you.” You said, knowing fully well what your brother is like. 

“Oh, please. Xav got wrecked the second one of the guys poured half a bottle of vodka down his throat. He won’t even notice I’m gone until tomorrow… maybe not even then.” Alexia said.

That made you laugh, the sound carrying across the water. But then your smile softened, a different thought slipping in. “Still, you ditched a whole night of fun to come back here.”

Alexia glanced at you quickly before falling silent for a moment, gaze eventually falling to the ground, watching the sand sink underneath your feet. “I told Xav I was seeing someone, you know.”

You froze mid-step.

Her lips quirked into a small smirk, squeezing your hand a bit to comfort you. “Relax. I didn’t tell him it was you.”

“Okay, good. For a second, I thought you snitched on me.”

“Not yet,” she teased before pausing. “Still, I do wonder what he’d think about us. He seems protective of you.”

“He is, which is why I really want to wait it out. I just know he’d have a lot of questions and concerns.” you admitted quietly. “But then again… he loves you. Even before I knew you, he spoke very highly about his polite, talented, and passionate best friend. He thinks the world of you so I don’t think it would be a problem.”

Alexia smiled at that, though she was quiet for a moment before finally asking. “But how about you?”

You turned your head. “Me?”

“Yeah. What do you think about me?” She looked at you with those beautiful hazel eyes. Her gaze was soft but almost pleading, as if asking you to let her into your thoughts.

The question caught you off guard, and you let out a nervous laugh, letting go of her hand to brush the hair that flew into your face as the wind blew against it. “What do I think…?”

You exhaled, thinking.

“Well,” you began slowly, a smile growing on your face. “I think you’re kinda crazy.”

She chuckled.

You continued. “But then again, I must be crazy too for letting you drag me into cliff-jumping, jet skiing, and all that crazy stuff that I never thought I’d ever do before.”

You hummed. “I think you’re confident and you carry yourself with a lot of self-assurance but also have this soft side,” you looked at her and she just gave you a head tilt to go on. “Well, my first impression of you was certainly…something to remember. But I also liked seeing you blush and get a bit shy with me.”

“I don’t get shy,” she denied but the slight flush on her cheeks gave her away.

You chuckled.

“I think you’re sweet, too.” You said. “You actually listen when I talk, and you remember the little things I say, which… most people don’t.”

“Hmm,” Alexia said. “That’s it?”

“And well… I think you’re beautiful.” Now, it was your turn to blush. “I like your eyes, the way they look almost golden under the sun. I like your laugh and how contagious it is. I like your smile…. I just… I think about that smile as I fall asleep.”

You looked at Alexia shyly, trying to see her reaction. She tilted her head, pretending to think. “Hmm. Sounds suspiciously like you’ve got a crush on me.”

You smirked, nudging her shoulder. “Don’t flatter yourself too much.”

You paused, “And you? What do you think about me?”

There wasn’t even a moment of hesitation.

“I like you,” Alexia said firmly, looking at you. “I really like you.”

The words landed so direct that you blinked at her, taken aback by the candor. “Yeah?”

She nodded, her voice steady. “And I don’t mean that in just a ‘summer fling’ or ‘find you sexy’ kind of way. I mean… sure, it started that way a bit.” She said honestly. “But now, I know for certain that. I like you a lot. I want to know you better. I want this to be more than just for the summer.”

Your heart thudded so hard it drowned out the waves. She was looking at you nervously now, waiting. “What do you think about that?” She asked.

You were speechless. It felt like your brain had no clue how to respond. It might be the lack of actual romantic experience or the intensity of all your emotions but you just blanked. Luckily, your body knew exactly how to respond. 

Before you could even realize it, your arms were wrapped around her neck and you were kissing her. 

You kissed and made out a lot but this time, it was different. It had the same intensity and passion as your first kiss in the club but this time, there was a tenderness and intimacy to it. Alexia deepened the kiss, holding you flush against her body.

By the time you two broke apart, you both were breathless, foreheads pressed against each other. Even if your brain was still going haywire, leaving you completely unable to say anything more, words didn’t seem necessary.

Not much more was said after the kiss. Alexia just asked if she could go back to your hotel room with you and you nodded, grabbing her hand as you two made your way back to your room.

The moment the room door clicked shut behind you, Alexia’s restraint vanished. 

Her hands slid over your body, tugging her blazer off of you with a sharp pull and letting it crumple to the floor. She pressed you against the wall, lips finding their way back to yours while her hand held your waist firmly.

A shaky breath escaped your mouth as you felt her body press against you, lips now travelling from your jaw to the base of your neck, wrapping themselves around the round of your collarbone. Her hands were just as demanding as her lips, tugging at the waistband of your leggings with impatient insistence. She kissed and nipped at your throat even as you wriggled free of the fabric.

Before you had time to steady yourself, with one swift motion, Alexia picked you up, hooking her arms beneath you. You gasped and your legs instinctively wrapped around her waist as she carried you to bed. She lowered you onto the sheets gently, crawling over you again, claiming your lips with a kiss as her hands found their way to the base of your sports bra. She peeled it off of you, struggling slightly as the athletic fabric clung to you, but that barely slowed her down. She was determined to see you bare before her, clad in just the thin fabric of your underwear.

Alexia scanned you with lustful eyes, biting her lip as she took in the sight, pupils blown wide. “Dios mio…” she whispered, voice thick. “I’ve wanted to see you like this since the moment I met you.”

Your cheeks warmed. You reached for her, tugging her down with your arms again, your lips meeting hers desperately. She allowed you to help her tug her vest top over her head, leaving her topless, the warmth of her skin pressed to yours.

Before you could even react, her mouth was back to attacking your neck, kissing you with a roughness that caused you to moan louder. Her lips found their way down to your breasts. She placed a kiss on your right breast before carefully taking it into the warmth of her mouth. 

You gasped as you felt her carefully roll it around her tongue before sucking slightly. Her hand found your other breast, mirroring the action of her mouth, twisting it with her fingertips and pulling slightly. 

You could feel your body move involuntarily, bucking your hips at the sensation, yearning for more of her touch. 

Alexia chuckled against you, the low vibration against your skin making you shiver. She pulled back just enough to murmur against your skin. “Paciencia, mi amor.”

God, I love it when she speaks Spanish.

She pinned your hips gently with her hands, forcing you to stay still as she looked down at you with hungry eyes. Her expression was intense, wild but still calculated, like a predator savoring the moment before the strike.

Alexia kissed you again deeply, tongue sweeping across yours. You felt her hand slide down, finding their way to your inner thigh, pinning it down slightly to keep your legs from clamming shut. You whimpered as she drew careful patterns on your inner thigh with her thumb, teasing touches as she moved up closer to your core.

She hummed against your lips as her hands found its way to your heat, feeling the moist fabric of your underwear clinging delicately to your wet core. You moaned as you felt her fingers gently move up and down, feeling the friction tickle your clit slightly.

“Please, Alexia, please.” Your voice cracked, tone sounding more desperate than you intended. You bit your lip and looked at her with pleading eyes, clutching her arms. “I want you… por favor, cariño.”

The Spanish slipped from your tongue awkwardly, but it made her freeze. Alexia perked up at the use of Spanish, feeling touched but also smug seeing you so riled up and impatient beneath her. “Tranquila, cariño,” she whispered. “Te voy a hacer sentir bien.”

She gave you one more gentle kiss on the lips before planting more kisses down your body, lingering slightly with a tenderness that caused your breath to hitch each time. She was deliberate and slow as if she wanted you to feel every second of her devotion, a sharp contrast from the impatience she was showing a while ago. A part of you felt like she was only slowing down because she liked hearing you whimper impatiently underneath her. It felt like she was teasing you.

Her hands rested on your hips as she moved closer to your core. She smiled before she planted a kiss on the wet fabric of your underwear, causing you to shiver. “Fuck, I don’t know how I can control myself.” She murmured against you, words vibrating softly against you.

“You don’t have to,” you responded quickly. “I can take it. I want you.”

Alexia looked up to you, her eyes dark but also soft. She looked pleased to be allowed access to you like this. There was gratitude in her gaze, as though you’d just entrusted her with something precious. You nodded quickly, bottom lip caught between your teeth.

You never had much experience before this. 

Of course, Matt and you had your fair share of sexual encounters but it left you vaguely unsatisfied every time. After your first time together, you were convinced that sex was something men enjoyed more than women. It became something you never really craved or wanted; you only ever acquiesced to Matt’s request whenever it was his birthday or whenever he begged. And, for the longest time, you thought all your friends were lying about the kind of sex they were having, thinking to yourself, “Surely, it can’t be all that.”

But god, were you wrong.

Alexia had barely touched you and yet, you were finally seeing what you were missing out on. She hooked her fingers gently at the edges of your underwear, pulling them down carefully, before setting it aside on the edge of the bed.

She lowered herself, leaving kisses from your neck to your collarbones to your stomach. 

“Look at me,” she ordered in a low but gentle voice. “Look at me while I show you how much I want you.”

You bit your lip and looked down at her, meeting her eyes. Suddenly, a gasp escaped your mouth as you felt her lips around your throbbing clit, carefully wrapping her lips around it before sucking it gently. You struggled to keep your eyes open as she continued, now drawing firm but slow circles with her tongue.

Alexia could have devoured you. You felt it in the restrained strength of her grip, the hunger in her eyes but she held back, choosing instead to take her time, to actually savour you. She wasn’t just trying to consume you nor to simply satisfy her own prurient desires. Instead, she wanted to give, to worship, to cherish you with every movement. She wanted to make you feel desired in a way that left no doubt in your mind about her feelings for you.

This was another way of her showing you that she wanted you.

Your fingers tangled in her hair, tugging, urging her closer to your core. Your hips shifted restlessly, grinding against her mouth as frustration bled into your desperation. She smiled against you, the curve of her lips sending another shiver straight through you, before she picked up her pace, her tongue working you more intently.

Then her hand slid lower, teasing along your entrance, the soft pads of her two fingers pressing gently until you were trembling again. You gasped, your head tilting back, and when she finally pushed inside, you moaned out, a bit overwhelmed by the sensation.

Alexia thrusted into you slowly, almost measured, all while her tongue continued its careful movement around your clit. Every flick of her mouth, every thrust of her fingers seemed designed not to overwhelm you. She was careful not to go too rough with you, even if she just wanted to absolutely ravish you.

“Feel good?” she asked softly, pausing just long enough to glance up at you. Her lips glistened with your nectar.

You nodded frantically. “Y-yes, Alexia.” You responded with a slightly strained voice. “You can go faster.”

“Hmm?” Her voice vibrated against you, making your core clench. “Faster?

“Yes, please, Alexia.” You begged, breath catching as you tangled your fingers in her hair. “I want more.”

And just like that, something shifted in her. It was as if a switch had been flipped. Her restraint was replaced by hunger. She pressed her mouth harder against you, her tongue moving faster, a tad messier, while her fingers drove deeper, curling until they found that tender spot that made your entire body jolt. The white sheets bunched beneath your fists, bed shifting as Alexia thrusted faster and rougher into you.

“Alexia!” Her name tore from your lips.

She answered with a satisfied, muffled sound, her pace only growing more urgent, eating you out as though she couldn’t get enough of you, as if only you could satisfy her hunger. Every thrust of her fingers pushed you closer to the edge, every flick of her tongue causing the warmth to build up in your stomach, the tension in you growing tighter and tighter until it was almost unbearable.

You couldn’t say any more. Suddenly, you were coming undone. You couldn’t form a coherent thought as the pleasure rippled inside you. You looked down at Alexia who was smiling widely, looking incredibly satisfied with herself. You felt a blush creep across your cheeks, a bit embarrassed by how fast you came.

“Oh my god,” you covered your face. “I - I didn’t know I’d finish that fast.”

Alexia laughed at your meekness, feeling endeared by you. She moved up to you, pressing a kiss on your cheek. “Cariño, it’s fine. It’s more than fine.” She chuckled. “I thought it was cute. You must like me a lot to orgasm that fast, huh?”

You giggled but still felt embarrassed. “I just… I just don’t think anyone has ever made me cum that fast…” you paused, hestitating.  “Actually, I don’t think anyone has made me cum ever.”

Alexia’s eyes widened. “You’re joking with me.”

You shook your head.

Her laugh was warm, disbelieving. She pressed a trail of quick, teasing kisses along your neck. “So that was your first orgasm?”

“Well… not my first.” You shifted, clarifying. “The first one someone else has ever given me.”

She smiled, looking extremely pleased with herself. “Hmm… well, are you ready for your second?”

You chuckled but bit your lip, giving Alexia a look that told her everything she needed to know.

⋆˙⟡♡ “Good morning, guapa.”

You blinked your eyes open, feeling the warm sun fill the room as Alexia opened the curtains. She was dressed in a robe and her hair was tied up into a bun.

You smiled groggily, still sinking into the warmth of the sheets. “Why are you up so early?” you mumbled, your voice heavy with sleep, furrowing your brows as the bed suddenly felt too big and empty without her beside you. “You’re not the type to cuddle after sex?”

Alexia laughed, shaking her head as she turned toward you. “We literally cuddled all night. What are you talking about?” She smiled. “Besides, I wanted to make sure we’d have breakfast, so I ordered room service.”

That woke you a little more. You shifted onto your side, propping your cheek against your hand. “Hmm. What did you order?”

“Well, I noticed you went back for seconds on the french toast at the buffet the other morning,” she said as she headed to you, sitting at the edge of your bed. “So I ordered that. And since I didn’t know what you’d want to drink in the morning, I just ordered a small variation of drinks.”

“You’re actually an angel.” You reached up, cupping her cheek gently with your palm. Her skin was warm against your hand, and she leaned into your touch without hesitation.

She carefully got into bed with you, resting her head on your bare chest as you wrapped an arm around her, tangling your fingers in her hair. You and Alexia certainly had a long night, to say the least. It was intense, intimate but never vulgar or impersonal. It felt almost vulnerable giving yourself to her over and over again, allowing her access to you.

You didn’t regret it one bit. 

The attraction with Alexia might have started a bit shallow. When you kissed her at the bar, you already felt that initial sexual attraction but back then, you wouldn’t have expected thst there would be to be more to it. Part of you was happy that you were a coward then, chickening out from pursuing her any more than just a kiss. If you gave in earlier, you weren’t so sure you’d feel the way you were feeling now.

You placed a kiss on Alexia’s forehead, soft and tender.

“I enjoyed last night,” you whispered. 

She hummed. “I did a great job?” She looked at you with a small smile.

You nodded. “Well duh.”

Alexia hummed back, smiling. “So, how about we have a little more fun before room service arrives.”

You playfully swatted her, making her chuckle.

Before you could add anything more, the room’s doorbell chimed.

“Saved by the bell.” Alexia stood up slowly, brushing her hair down. “You stay in bed. I’ll get it for you.”

You watched her walk to the door, your heart doing a funny little flip. You had just spent the night with the most beautiful person ever. And now, she was about to bring you breakfast in bed. You couldn’t stop smiling, overwhelmed with the thought: wow, how is this my life right now?

You heard the door open.

“Where did you go last– wait, huh? Did I get the wrong room?” The muffled voice from the door said.  “No, wait, I know you! Aren’t you that hot girl from the club?”

You recognized that voice. Your stomach dropped as you sat bolt upright, clutching the duvet to your bare chest as you crawled to the edge of the bed, peeking at the door. Your cousin Cam was standing in the doorway, eyebrows raised and a grin spreading across her face.

Shit. You were in so much trouble.

⋆˙⟡♡ You tightened the robe around yourself, heart hammering as Cam leaned against the wall outside your hotel room, arms folded. Her eyes were narrowed, but she looked more entertained than angry.

“So,” she said finally, tilting her head toward the door. “That’s the girl from the first night, isn’t it? The one who we had to pay you like, what, a million euros to kiss?”

You felt heat rise to your cheeks. “Cam…”

“Don’t even try to deny it.” She raised her brows. “I’d recognize that face anywhere. That was the face you were practically swallowing at that club.”

You winced, contorting your face in disgust. “God, can you not say it like that?”

Cam smirked. “So? Are you going to explain why the girl from the club is now ordering room service in your hotel suite?” She gushed, eyes widened. “I’m kinda impressed, cuz. You literally ran away from her in the club but now, you’ve quite literally been inside her cooch!”

You smacked her for her language. “Oh my god, shut up, Cam!”

She giggled. “How did you even get her here? I’m surprised they let a random girl into the resort.”

You hesitated a bit. “…Because it’s not just some random girl. It’s Alexia.”

Cam blinked. “And that means… what exactly? Should I know who that is?”

You ran a hand through your hair, groaning. “She’s Xav’s best friend.”

That landed like a bomb. Cam’s mouth fell open. “You’re kidding. The same Alexia who he was yapping about before? Like the soccer player?””

You nodded, crossing your arms cautiously.

“No, you’re actually kidding.” She laughed in disbelief, pressing a hand to her forehead. “Of all the people on this island, you managed to hook up with his best friend?”

You winced again. “It’s not like I actively targeted his best friend specifically.” You groaned. “You knew we met at the bar and then we got along hanging out here and I don’t know, okay? It just… happened.”

Cam looked like she just connected the dots. “Is that why you were rushing out of the sound healing last night?” She asked. “I can’t believe you left me and Daisy with that bowl-clanging lady while you were out here doing the nasty with your brother’s best friend.”

“I… I don’t know. She just told me that she bailed on the guy’s bachelor party and that she wanted to see me again and I don’t know.” You sighed. “It was just so unexpected.”

She paused, nodding. “So, it’s not just a hook-up?”

You bit your lip and nodded.

“So, you’ve actually been dating?” She asked.

You nodded again, sighing.

“Damn, I wanna see how Xav would react to this.” Cam asked with a small smile on her face.

“Cam, He cannot know.” You replied promptly. “You absolutely cannot tell anyone, especially not Xav.”

Cam sighed and just looked at you. “He’d freak out if he found out now, at his wedding of all places. That man is a Bridezilla.”

You bit your lip, lowering your voice. “…So you won’t tell?”

She studied you for a moment, then smirked. “Well, duh. I’m not saying a word but I just know this is going to blow up on your face.”

“Cam,” you warned, giving your younger cousin a dirty look, asking her with your eyes to take you seriously.

“What?” She shrugged. “It’s true. I mean, come on. You’re sneaking around with his best friend. At his wedding week, in the same hotel. And, right after he gave you that speech about making amends or whatever with Matt. It’s a mess, girl.”

You groaned, covering your face with both hands. “You’re not helping.”

Cam nudged you with her elbow, grinning. “Hey, on the bright side? At least she’s hot.”

You dropped your hands to glare at her. “That’s your takeaway?”

“Well, that and the fact that Daisy can never know,” Cam added quickly. “Because if she finds out, you’ll have the entire extended family updated by lunch.”

“Exactly. So this stays between us. No one else.” You emphasized. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m not gonna let anyone know until after the wedding.” She responded with an eye roll. “If anything, you kinda owe me twice now. One, for kinda setting up the conditions that landed you that absolute hottie, and now for keeping this all under wraps.”

You nodded. “I swear, I’ll make it up to you.”

⋆˙⟡♡ “So, luckily, she agreed to keep it a secret until the end of the wedding.” You shared with Alexia as she chuckled, shaking her head as she ate another bite from her own plate of french toast. 

You continued. “I’m just glad it was Cam who caught us and not Daisy… that girl would have blabbed already if it were her.”

Alexia nodded, a small smile on her face. “So, you’re really not gonna tell your brother until after the wedding?”

You gave a quick nod and took a sip of water, trying to sound casual. “Yup. That’s the plan.”

She pouted. “But what if I want to dance with you during the party?” She said with a teasing tone.

You chuckled and rolled your eyes. “We can dance but we gotta keep it lowkey, you know. I can’t have him suspecting anyway.” You said. “Not until all the festivities are over, at least.”

“Hmm.” She tapped her fork against the plate, thinking. “You do know that your brother already filed a leave from the club, right?”

You shook your head, tilting it slightly. “No, why?”

Alexia sighed, brushing the crumbs from her robe with the back of her hand. “Uh, he mentioned that Inés wanted their honeymoon in France since her family owns some kind of château there. Then he said maybe Germany after that for Octoberfest or whatever. Knowing them…” she chuckled, “…it probably won’t stop there. I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up honeymooning for half a year if no one stops them.”

You bit your lip, the thought sitting heavy in your chest. “Uh… then I guess we just tell him after they get back. I just don’t want him all bothered or irritated while he’s still in that post-wedding glow or whatever.”

Alexia hummed in acknowledgment, but her nod was distracted, almost absent. She reached for her coffee, wrapping both hands around the mug as if grounding herself. You watched her carefully, trying to read her expression. 

A part of you wanted to reassure her and comfort her that you weren’t keeping her a secret because she didn’t mean something. If anything, it was the opposite. You didn’t want your brother or other people thinking that you were treating her like some rebound, especially since you literally just ended your last relationship.

“Alexia?” You said carefully. “You good?”

She gave you a tight smile. “Yeah, yeah, of course.” 

⋆˙⟡♡ As the wedding came closer, there were more activities set for everyone: family bonding, drinks by the beach, dinners with the entire wedding crew. It was all fun and nice but it also meant that you and Alexia had less alone time together.

You two could get away with a casual conversation or walking together to grab some drinks. But whenever Alexia’s hands routinely slithered around your waist, you’d have to shoot her a look and carefully move away from her touch, not wanting anyone else to notice.

Today, there was yet another lunch with the entire family and all the other guests, this time in the open restaurant by the beach. Tables were arranged with a mix of both families. By some lucky twist, you and Alexia were seated at the same table.

She leaned in close, her perfume mixing with the ocean air, and slipped a hand onto your lap beneath the tablecloth. You looked around but everyone seemed too busy lining up for the food to notice her moving closer to you. “Hmm, you look really pretty.” She gushed, eyeing your face, gaze lingering too long on your lips.

You blushed, whispering back, “You don’t look so bad yourself.” You let your eyes sweep her over. Her hair was pulled into a neat bun, strands framing her face, and the backless brown dress she was wearing clung in all the right places. She looked absolutely stunning.

She smirked at you, leaning closer. “Yeah? Funny thing: I actually forgot to finish my makeup.”

You furrowed your eyebrows together. “Really? It looks really nice.” You said, looking at her face. “Not that you need any make-up to look good anyway.”

She chuckled, eyes glinting mischievously. “Mm, yeah… except I forgot to put on lipstick.”

You arched an eyebrow, not even noticing that she didn’t have lipstick on. “Oh?”

Her smirk deepened as she leaned even closer, voice low and eyes now fixated on your lips. “Yeah. Mind helping me out with that?”

“There you two are!”

You jumped, nearly knocking over your glass of water. Both your heads snapped up to see your brother walking toward the table, brows knitting as he caught your guilty expressions.

“You two good?” he asked, confusion flickering in his tone.

“Uh, yeah, yeah, Alexia was just asking me if her breath smelled.” You blurted out the first excuse as to why you were so close to each other. You chuckled nervously, cheeks burning. “She’s all good, if you’re wondering.”

He chuckled hesitantly, a bit confused. “Oookay, well, I’m sorry I have been a bit MIA lately. Groom duties, y’know?” He said. “But hey, you two seem like you’ve grown close. That’s great.”

You nodded. “Yeah, Alexia’s been… great.”

There was a pause, then he clapped a hand on the back of Alexia’s chair. “Anyway, I gotta make more rounds. Alexia, am I seeing you later? The guys from the club were saying there’s a local match on the main island. They kinda want to go on the yacht and head over there to watch.”

 Alexia nodded politely. “Maybe. I’ll see how I feel. Got a little seasick on that last trip.”

Xav chuckled and nodded, remembering the bachelor’s party when Alexia went home earlier because she said she got “seasick” on the way there. “Well, fair enough, just text me. And you –” he turned to you, ruffling your hair. “I’ll see you later, bunny.”

When he walked off to head on to the next table to make some small talk with the other tables, you slumped in your chair. “Fuck, that was close.”

Alexia smirked, unbothered. “Hmm. You know, it wouldn’t be so bad if he found out.”

You groaned softly. “You have no idea. Seriously. Don’t even joke about it.”

She tilted her head, clearly holding back something but letting it go for now. She sipped her water before glancing at you with mock seriousness. “For the record though… I really did forget my lipstick. Come with me to the bathroom?”

You nodded, grabbing your clutch and followed Alexia into the ladies’ room. You fished inside your clutch before pulling out a tube of lipstick. “I only have this one.”

“That’s fine.” She nodded, stepping closer. You handed it over to her but she shook her head. “Put it on me.”

You giggled nervously but you agreed anyway. “What are you, twelve?”

“Yeah, I’m twelve which makes you a pervert.” Alexia teased.

“You’re so inappropriate.” You rolled your eyes at her as you uncapped the lipstick and stepped close, steadying her chin with your hand. You carefully applied the lipstick on her but faltered a bit when you felt her arm slip around your waist, tugging you closer. 

You swiped a little too much on her bottom lip. “Wait, hold on, let me blot –”

Before you could grab the tissue, she caught your wrist. “No need.” Then she leaned forward, pressing playful kisses along your neck, smearing the lipstick and making you squeal.

“Alexia!” you laughed, swatting at her shoulders. “Not here, please. It’s gonna stain!”

She hummed against your skin, completely unbothered, her lips dragging further down toward your collarbone.

At first, it was sweet and funny but then, reality hit you. She knew you two had to head back out soon. Lipstick marks all over your face and neck would raise more than just a few questions. The nervousness in your chest twisted into irritation.

“Alexia, stop.” You said with a sterner voice, as you pushed her shoulder a little firmer.

She froze, blinking at you as if testing whether you were serious. When she saw that you were, the playful warmth drained from her face. She pulled back slowly, widening her eyes just slightly, and then gave the smallest shake of her head, like she couldn’t believe you’d ruined the moment. The mood instantly shifted.

You frowned and groaned. “Come on, Alexia, I told you…”

“Told me what?” She said, voice low but still sharp. “That I can only kiss you or hold you when no one’s looking?”

You looked at her, suddenly taken aback by the sudden outburst. 

“Look around, there’s no one here. And I still can’t kiss you?” She sighed. “Why do I have to be some secret anyway?”

Alexia shook her head, looking at the mirror to wipe off a bit of the lipstick that smudged off to the sides of her lips. “I understand not wanting to shock your brother but honestly, I think it’s a bit silly.” She said, candidly. “He’s not going to drop dead because his adult best friend and his adult sister are dating. Sure, he’s stressed right now, but he’s not irrational.”

You leaned against the counter, exhaling hard, running both hands through your hair. The thing was… she wasn’t wrong. She just didn’t understand the whole picture. You had only just broken things off with your ex of nearly a decade. Your family was just learning, still partly convinced it was just a short parting, a momentary falter. They’d think you were just using Alexia as some rebound. You couldn’t help but go back to what your brother said during the first day here about not involving anyone or hurting anyone’s feelings.

It wasn’t just about them, though. It was her. The last thing you wanted was for Alexia to think the same: that she was just the rebound, a distraction from your break-up. Maybe that first kiss had been exactly that but so much has changed since then.

But still, you understood why she’d be upset

“You’re right,” you said quietly, forcing yourself to meet her gaze in the mirror. “I’m sorry, Alexia. I like you. I want this. I really do.” You took a deep breath. “I promise I’ll tell him… during the reception. Okay?”

Her brows rose, skeptical. 

“I swear. We won’t have to hide after that.”

That softened her. She smiled, tugging you by the waist and kissing you gently. Suddenly, a toilet flushed behind you. You both froze.

Slowly, the stall door creaked open.

And out stepped your mother.

⋆˙⟡♡ Alexia excused herself after you signalled for her to go, giving her a look and a subtle tilt of the head that said go, i’ll talk to you later. She hesitated for a moment, wanting to get a word in, but ultimately decided it was best to leave it up to you and your mom. So, politely, she excused herself and stepped out.

Your mom didn’t seem all too bothered. She headed over to the sink, turning on the tap. “That Alexia girl’s real nice, isn’t she?” She said it so casually. “You know I’ve watched her play, when I visited Xav after dad died. She’s a great player.”

You just looked at her incredulously as she reached over the soap dispenser and lathered her hand. “Sorry, by the way,” she added. “I should’ve said something when you two entered but I was taking a dump.”

You chuckled awkwardly. “Look, mom. About what you saw…”

She raised her brows, shaking excess water off her hands before grabbing a towel. “Let me guess,” she said, completely unfazed. “You like Alexia. You two have been seeing each other, started dating a little, and you’re terrified your brother will have a meltdown about it if he finds out that his little sister, who he treats like a child and who just broke up with her boyfriend, is dating his best friend, who also just broke up with her ex.”

Your lips parted in surprise, and you could only nod. “…How’d you know?”

“I’m a mom.” She rolled her eyes lightly, like it should’ve been obvious. Then she gave you a pointed look. “And, well… I like to gossip. You two should be more careful because the staff were also starting to talk about you two galavanting about together. Alexia isn’t exactly incognito. She’s literally a famous athlete so people talk.”

You groaned, covering your face with your hands. “Oh my god.”

You sighed. “Mom, I know it looks like I’m rushing into things or whatever.” You started, wanting to rush before she got into a lecture. “But Alexia… she’s different. She’s amazing and I just… I feel like I’m seeing the world for the first time when I’m with her. Like everything finally makes sense.”

“I know it might seem soon to say that.” You paused. “But, trust me, I actually like her.”

Your mom hummed, fishing into her bag to grab her own lipstick. “You know, dear,” she said. “I never liked Matt all that much anyway. He was a little too boring for you.”

You blinked at her, head jerking up. “Wait, what?”

She gave a half-shrug, flicking her hand dismissively. “Don’t act so surprised.” She said. “Of course, I’ve always found him boring. I only liked him because I thought you liked him… which was why I was so upset when you said you two were on a break. I just thought you were upset.”

You nodded, understandingly. She continued, “Had I known that you were already taking interest in someone else, someone who actually excites you and makes you happy,” she stepped closer with a piece of paper towel, wiping the lipstick marks off your neck. “Then, I wouldn’t have been all too sad about you and Matt parting. If anything, it’s kinda exciting if you do end up dating Alexia. I’d have an excuse to drag you along with me to Barcelona.”

You chuckled, feeling a bit relieved that your mother seemed approving of the relationship. Your mother paused and looked you in the eyes. “But listen,” she said, tone growing more stern. “You need to sort that situation out with Matt first. I know a break is a break, but you gotta make sure there aren’t any loose ends. If Alexia’s who you really want, you need to settle things first before you pursue her. It’s what she deserves.”

You nodded. “I will,” you promised, though your voice wavered. “I’m just worried about Xav.”

“He’ll be fine,” she said, shaking her head. “You know how he is – romantic, traditional, very big on commitment and working things out like your father. But he loves you. He’ll be fine… or at least, he’ll come around. Besides, he can’t dictate what you do with your life. You’re not actually his pet bunny, y’know.”

You chuckled. “Yeah, I guess I was just being nervous about it.”

She smiled knowingly. “He’s not as neurotic now as he was before. Inés softened that man up, trust me. I wouldn’t worry too much.”

You felt relieved and also a bit ridiculous for caring too much about what your brother would think. Sure, he might worry and give you a whole lecture about commitment again but it was such a little thing. Alexia deserved to explore your relationship together publicly instead of keeping it all under wraps.

⋆˙⟡♡ The very next morning, you planned on telling your brother.

You stood outside your brother and future sister-in-law’s private villa, rehearsing what you were going to say to him under your breath. You hadn’t told Alexia about your plan; this was something you needed to do alone. You were the one who had pulled her into this mess, and you owed it to both of you to clear a way forward. But standing there, pacing on the stone path in front of the villa’s entrance, your stomach tied itself in knots.

“Chiqui!” 

You jumped and turned around to see Inés in a linen dress, her dark hair falling loosely around her shoulders. She tilted her head as she looked at you, narrowing her eyes. “What are you doing out here? Did Xavi rope you into helping with some wedding thing again?” She groaned. “I swear, that guy is too anxious about everything.”

You chuckled nervously, shaking your head. “I… uh…” 

She furrowed her eyebrows together, stepping closer to her. “Is everything okay?”

You opened your mouth to say yes, but the word stuck in your throat. “Yeah, I…” You stopped, closed your eyes briefly, then sighed. “No. Actually… I don’t know.”

Inés didn’t press, just slipped her hand gently around your wrist and steered you toward one of the woven hammocks strung between two posts by the villa. She sat down first, then patted the spot beside her.

“Sit. Tell me what’s going on.”

You hesitated, biting your lip. Then, cautiously, you asked, “So… you know Alexia, right?”

Inés blinked, then let out a laugh. “Of course I know Alexia. We hang out with her all the time. And every single time she has dinner at our house, she asks for an extra serving of empanadas to take home.” She shook her head fondly. “Why? Did something happen?”

Your chest tightened. You took a steadying breath. “Well, yeah… about Alexia. I, well, I–” You swallowed. “I like Alexia.”

Inés tilted her head, a little confused. “Yeah, that’s great. Xav has been saying that you two would get along.”

You shook your head and chuckled. “Uh, I mean… I actually like her.”

“Oh!” She exclaimed, finally realizing what you meant. She changed her tone to a more excited tone. “Oh, well, that’s amazing actually.”

You looked up at her.

“Alexia’s great. She’s really nice, passionate, and responsible.” She nodded. “Xav always told me Alexia was also really great to the people she dated. She’s loyal and she loves to take care of people. Funny girl, too. I can totally see that working. Why? Are you thinking of dating her?”

You bit your lip. “I kinda… already am.”

Inés looked shocked again but still kept the chipper tone. “Well, even better.” She said with a shrug. “I mean, it’s a little unexpected, sure. I wouldn’t have put you two together in my head. But unexpected doesn’t mean bad. It doesn’t make it any less great.”

She caught the way your shoulders remained tense, your hands twisting nervously in your lap. Inés reached over, laying her long, slender hand gently over yours in a comforting gesture.

“Hey,” she said softly. “I get it. But you don’t have to worry so much.”

You exhaled, your voice small. “Yeah, but… you know how it looks. I just broke up with Matt. Everyone’s still adjusting to that, and… Xavi was so close to him. He already gave me this whole lecture about commitment and not dragging anyone into a mess. I just—” Your voice cracked. “I’ve always looked up to him. And if he disapproves, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

Inés nodded slowly, her expression understanding. “I get it. Honestly, I’d be a little anxious too.” She squeezed your hand. “But listen, Xavi is like that because he means well. And right now, he’s wound up tighter than usual because he’s been planning this entire wedding basically on his own.” She smiled ruefully. “My fault, really. All I did for planning was buying my dress and booking my hair and makeup. Everything else was Xavier’s doing.”

You shared a laugh. 

“But it’s fine,” Ines continued, more serious now. “I support you. I think you and Alexia could be really good for each other.”

You felt a little bit more relaxed, nodding gratefully. 

But then, Inés hesitated, her smile faltering for a bit. “But, chiqui… I think you should wait to talk to him. At least for now.” She nodded, eyes filled with thought. “I need to speak to him about something first, okay?”

Your stomach dipped. “Why? What’s wrong?”

Before she could answer, the villa door swung open. “Hey, Bunny,” your brother greeted warmly, stepping out. His face lit up when he saw you. “What’s up?”

Out of the corner of your eye, you caught Inés giving the smallest shake of her head as if to say not now.

“Xav, come inside with me,” she said quickly, slipping her hand onto his arm. “I need to talk to you about something. Your sister can wait a few minutes.”

“What is it?” He looked confused.

“We just have to go inside now.” Inés said, tugging his arm.

“Okay, okay, but bunny,” He said, gesturing at someone to follow you. “Look who just dropped by.”

You looked behind him. Xavier stepped aside, showing who was lurking behind the villa door. Your stomach plummeted. 

It was your ex.

Matt gave you a lopsided smile. “Surprise, babe.”

Alexia was late, again, which, frankly, proved your point. You'd been arguing for months that handovers should happen at the training ground. Alexia insisted home was easier, you insisted home only worked when people actually arrived on time.

Today was a perfect example, at first you weren't bothered, you had nowhere to be, just a quiet evening with Olivia.

So when the agreed handover time came and went, you simply sat on the sofa and waited. Five minutes turned to ten, then came fifteen.

You sent a text.

Everything okay?

Nothing, you frowned but didn't think much of it, they were probably just off somewhere having fun together and lost track of time, traffic was bad, something normal.

Twenty minutes passed, then thirty, you checked your phone again, still nothing, a knot began to form in your stomach, s you sent another message.

Alexia?

No reply, you stood and started pacing, thirty five minutes came and went, then forty, you called. The call didn't ring, straight to voicemail and your stomach dropped, immediately.

You hung up and called again, voicemail, again, voicemail, a cold feeling spread through your chest, because this wasn't Alexia, late? Sure. Ignoring messages? not intentionally. Her phone completely unreachable? Never.

You stared at the screen then tried again, still straight to voicemail, a hundred possibilities immediately started running through your head.

Traffic, car breakdown, something happening to Olivia.

Your breathing became shallow, you grabbed your keys then stopped, because where were you even going?

You didn't know where they were. You didn't know what had happened. You didn't know anything. You called again and still voicemail, your pulse hammered in your ears.

You opened your messages and there was nothing, you found yourself staring at the photo Alexia had sent yesterday.

Olivia sitting in a laundry basket wearing one of Alexia's training tops on her head, happy and safe.

You swallowed hard, then immediately called again, still voicemail.

The apartment suddenly felt unbearably empty, since the accident that familiar terror began creeping up the back of your throat.

The one you thought you'd gotten better at controlling, because people didn't just disappear, until they did.

You were halfway through calling Alexia again when another notification appeared it was a text, not from Alexia but from one of the nurses you worked with.

Just had the weirdest celebrity sighting.

Under any other circumstances you would've ignored it, right now you almost did, then the second message arrived.

That footballer you fancy who you're raising Olivia with is even hotter in person.

Your stomach dropped, the floor seemed to disappear beneath you, your fingers immediately opened the message.

What?

The reply came back almost instantly.

She's in the emergency department with Olivia.

For a second you couldn't breathe the words slammed together in your head, your pulse exploded, you were already moving, grabbing your keys, wallet and your phone. Anything and everything, your hands shook so badly you nearly dropped them.

Another text arrived.

No idea why. Just saw her here when I started my shift just.

You were out the apartment door before you'd even consciously decided to leave.

The stairs felt endless, by the time you reached your car your heart was pounding so hard it hurt. Every worst case scenario you'd managed to suppress came flooding all at once.

You climbed into the driver's seat and immediately called Alexia again, straight to voicemail.

"Come on." Your voice cracked, "Come on, Alexia. Just call me!"

You threw the car into gear, the drive across the city felt endless, every red light felt personal, every slow driver felt unbearable. Your hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly your knuckles turned white.

Your mind supplied images you didn't want, an ambulance, blood, a head injury, a broken bone, something worse. You couldn't stop it, the closer you got to the hospital, the harder it became to breathe.

By the time the familiar building came into view your chest felt tight enough to crack.

You barely remembered parking, barely remembered getting out, one second you were in the car, the next you were running straight through the emergency department doors.

Someone called your name, you ignored them, your eyes scanned the waiting room desperately, looking for dark hair and a tiny blonde toddler. Because until you saw Olivia with your own eyes, every terrifying possibility still felt real.

You spotted them, Alexia was sitting in one of the cubicles, Olivia balanced on her knee, completely unharmed.

The relief hit so hard it nearly knocked the air from your lungs, you were moving before you could think, "Alexia."

She looked up, confusion crossed her face immediately, "Y/N?" You stopped in front of her, "What are you doing here?"

"You were supposed to be at the apartment an hour and a half ago."

Alexia blinked, then seemed to realise what you meant, "My uncle's partner was hit by a car, Y/N—"

"Then you text."

The words came out sharper than you intended, you'd spent the last hour and a half convinced something terrible had happened.

Your heart was still racing, "I've been texting and calling and getting nothing."

The cubicle had gone quiet, Alexia's mother looked up, her sister too, everyone suddenly very interested in the conversation.

"I thought..." Your voice cracked, you stopped, took a breath and forced yourself to lower your voice, "I thought you were dead."

The words hung there, Alexia's expression immediately changed, the confusion vanished replaced by understanding, "Oh."

She pulled her phone from her pocket looked at it then swore quietly, "I don't have signal." She looked genuinely horrified, "I didn't even realise what time it was. Her eyes found yours again, "I'm so sorry."

You rubbed a hand over your face, the adrenaline was still refusing to leave your system, before either of you could say anything else, one of the nurses from your department hurried toward you.

She looked relieved and terrified, "Thank God."

You frowned, "What?"

"I know you're technically off."

The look on her face made your stomach drop, the doctor in you immediately took over, "What's happening?"

"We have two doctors in today." She was talking fast clearly in a panic, "One's stuck in surgery and the other got called out to a major incident in the city."

Your expression hardened, "What do you need?"

"We're trying to keep her stable until Dr Diaz gets out." The nurse swallowed, "But I think we're losing her."

Only then did you properly look around, the cubicle Alexia's family occupied was overflowing with worried relatives. Their attention wasn't on Alexia, it was on the cubicle next door, the curtain open.

The woman inside looked critical, monitors bleeping in ways they shouldn't, too much blood.

Your brain switched gears instantly, "Get me a gown and her charts."

The nurse turned immediately, "Dr Diaz told us to keep her stable until he got here but then the surgery hit complications and—"

You were already moving, "Right." Your voice cut through the noise, sharp and authoritative, every conversation stopped, "If you aren't actively treating this patient, out of the cubicle."

People moved immediately, making room, creating space, you reached the bedside and did a quick assessment. Airway. Breathing. Circulation.

Then you looked toward the man standing closest to her, Alexia's uncle his face pale with terror, you touched his arm gently, "Sir." you'd never met any of Alexia's family, this wasn't how you imagined first meeting any of them

"I'm not leaving her."

The firm response came instantly, behind him a woman who sounded like his daughter started to say, "Dad—"

Neither of you acknowledged it, "I'm not asking you to leave her." You kept your voice calm, "I just need you to stay by her head so we have room to work." His eyes immediately filled, you glanced toward the woman in the bed, then back to him. "And so she can see you, okay? With the neck collar she can't see you here"

For the first time since you'd arrived, he seemed to calm just ever so slightly he nodded, stepping to where you indicated.

The nurse returned with the charts, you grabbed them, scanning them quickly taking in as much information as you could as quick as you could.

Alexia had heard stories, watched you answer work calls giving asked for advice at the apartment, but she'd never seen this.

Never seen you take control of a room, the second you'd stepped into that cubicle everything had changed.

Nurses moved faster, people listened, instructions were followed, not because you shouted or because you were intimidating, but because you knew exactly what you were doing and everyone else knew it.

Alexia stood near the back of the cubicle, Olivia asleep against her shoulder now, watching.

You never stopped moving, checking observations, already thinking three steps ahead.

The lead nurse appeared beside you, you asked for blood results, they appeared. You asked for imaging, someone was already fetching it.

Alexia found herself staring, because there was something almost frightening about how confident you looked, like even in the middle of chaos you knew where the next step was.

Ricard wasn't coping nearly as well, every time the woman's monitor alarmed his entire body tensed. Every grimace she made looked physically painful for him to witness.

Eventually things became serious enough that you needed more room, "Ricard."

The older man immediately shook his head, "No."

You met his eyes, "I need access to her chest."

"I'm staying."

"I know this is hard"

"No." His voice cracked, "I'm staying."

Before you could answer, Alexia's mother stepped forward, "Mama..." Alexia heard Alba murmur softly, but Eli had already reached him taking his hand speaking quietly.

Eventually Ricard's shoulders sagged, the fight leaving him, he kissed his partner's forehead before allowing himself to be guided out of the immediate treatment area.

You nodded gratefully before turning straight back to work, no hesitation, no wasted movement, a few minutes later new imaging arrived.

You took the films automatically, stepping across the cubicle, scanning them holding them up toward the ceiling lights. Alexia watched your eyes narrow, studying and thinking.

You turned, spotting the illuminated viewing board mounted behind her, Alexia realised a second later before started moving, instinctively trying to get out of the way.

You stepped forward and reached past her, "You’re fine." The words were quiet, as you stood close enough that she caught the scent of your shampoo, close enough that her stomach did something deeply inconvenient.

The films clicked into place, you stepped back, the lead nurse joined you, you pointed immediately, "There." The nurse followed your finger, "She has fluid around her lungs." The certainty in your voice was immediate, "That explains the breathing difficulties." You looked away from the image, "Set up for a chest drain."

The nurse was moving before you'd even finished speaking, behind you, Ricard's voice broke into the conversation, "What's going on?"

The fear in it silenced the room, you looked over immediately, your expression softened, "Let me do this first." You gestured toward the bed. "Then I'll come and talk to you properly when she's out of imminent danger, okay?" Ricard nodded, you took a step closer. "My main concern right now is getting her pain under control and stabilising her." You spoke calmly, making sure he followed every word, "When I do that, I'll come straight over."

Ricard swallowed hard, then nodded again.

You glanced toward the equipment being prepared, then back to him, "Just so you're prepared." The room seemed to hold its breath, "What I'm about to do is going to hurt her." Ricard's face crumpled immediately, you didn't sugarcoat it, didn't lie, "We don't have time to sedate her, she will probably cry out and it won't be nice to hear but I promise you she won't remember any of it afterwards ok?" The words landed heavily, "But if I don't do this, we can't secure her breathing."

The woman's oxygen monitor alarmed softly again, a reminder and warning.

You looked at him steadily, "It's about to get worse before it gets better."

Ricard closed his eyes, one hand covering his mouth, then finally nodded trusting you.

🍼

By the time you were finished, it was hours later, the adrenaline had long since worn off. Leaving behind the familiar exhaustion that always followed cases like this.

You stripped off your gloves as you walked out the cubicle, one of the nurses fell into step beside you, "They moved them."

You nodded, the cubicle had been needed almost immediately so the family were moved on, "Where?"

"Family room."

You thanked her quietly before changing direction, the family room door was half open. The second you stepped inside, every conversation stopped, Ricard was on his feet immediately.

The look on his face made it obvious he'd been waiting for this moment for hours, you didn't make him wait any longer for the words he wanted to hear, "She's going to be okay."

The relief was instant, his shoulders dropped, his eyes closed briefly one hand covering his face.

For a moment he looked like he might cry, "We've got her breathing under control."

Ricard swallowe, then asked the question he'd clearly been holding onto.

"Can I see her?"

"Soon." You nodded, "They're just cleaning her up and sorting the cubicle out, okay?"

He nodded immediately, happy to take anything, any good news.

You pulled a chair over and sat down opposite him, "I do need to prepare you for a few things first."

Ricard's expression became serious again.

You continued gently, "She has a tube coming out of her chest."

You saw several people tense, Alexia's mother reached for her brother's hand.

You kept your voice calm, "She had fluid around her lungs. It was affecting her breathing."

He nodded slowly, following every word.

"We've drained that and we're monitoring her closely." Your hands folded together, "The reason we're monitoring it is because we're trying to establish whether she has any active internal bleeding. If she does, we may have to take her to surgery"

Nobody interrupted or looked away.

"We'd need to identify exactly where that bleeding is coming from and stop it. But." You emphasised the word, "Right now we're happy with where she is." You saw several people visibly relax, "Her pain is largely under control as much as we can get it. She's mildly sedated, mostly to keep her comfortable and calm with the chest tube we can't have that move."

Ricard nodded again, a little more colour returning to his face now, you leaned forward slightly.

"She's by no means out of the woods yet." The honesty mattered, you'd learned that a long time ago families deserved the truth even when it wasn't easy. "But she's heading in the right direction."

The silence that followed felt completely different from before, Ricard finally sat down again. The tension that had been holding him upright for hours finally giving way and across the room, you caught Alexia watching you. Not as the woman she'd been arguing with over handovers a few weeks ago.

Not as Olivia's co-guardian, not even as the person she'd been spiralling over for days, but as the doctor who had just walked into a room full of terrified people and given them a hard message.

🍼

A few minutes later there was a knock on the family room door, one of the nurses stepped inside. "Ricard?" Every head turned, the nurse smiled softly, "She's asking for you."

The reaction was immediate, Ricard was on his feet before she'd even finished speaking, one of his daughters started crying, the quiet relieved sort, one that only came after hours of fear.

The nurse gave them a moment before gesturing toward the door, "Come on."

The family slowly filed out after her, Alexia's mother, her sister Alba, her cousins, until eventually the room was almost empty.

Just you, Alexia and Olivia.

The silence felt strange after the chaos of the last few hours, you sat down heavily on one of the sofas, then rubbed both hands over your face exhaustion was finally catching up.

Without a word, Alexia shifted Olivia toward you, the toddler immediately leaned arms reaching, making a small noise of complaint until you took her.

You accepted her automatically, Olivia instantly wrapped her little arms around your neck holding on tightly as though she'd decided she wasn't letting you go anywhere.

You rested your cheek against the top of her head, breathing in the familiar smell of baby shampoo.

"I'm sorry." Alexia's voice was quiet, you looked up, she was watching you, "If I'd gotten your messages or realised the time."

You nodded slowly, looking back down at Olivia, the toddler had one hand tangled in your shirt now, "Sorry I shouted." The admission came out quietly, you stared at the floor for a moment, then shrugged slightly, "Just..." You swallowed, "The last time I couldn't get hold of someone..." The room felt very still, you looked down at Olivia, "...I ended up identifying them in a morgue and taking home a child."

The words hung between you painfully honest, Alexia's expression softened immediately any defensiveness vanished, because suddenly it wasn't about missed messages or being late. It was about grief, the kind that didn't disappear and that waited for moments like tonight.

Before you could think too much about it, Alexia sat beside you an arm slipping around your shoulders, pulling you gently toward her.

You stiffened for half a second, then didn't to your surprise, a moment later you felt her lips press softly against your temple brief and tender.

It was the sort of affection that should probably have felt strange, instead it felt nice.

You hated how much you liked it, Alexia smiled slightly, "I obviously knew you were a doctor." You glanced sideways at her, "But I didn't know you were like..." She gestured vaguely, "A doctor doctor."

You laughed quietly, "What does that even mean?"

"It means everyone was panicking." Alexia looked toward the door the family had disappeared through, "And then you walked in and just took control of the situation and in the chaos was calm" You smiled and Alexia's eyes lingered on you, "I mean it." Her voice was softer now, "It was impressive watching you."

The compliment caught you off guard, you looked away you felt immediately uncomfortable.

Alexia noticed, a small smile appeared, "Also mildly attractive."

You barked out a laugh, "Cheers."

"I'm serious."

"That's concerning."

Alexia laughed, the first genuine laugh she'd managed all evening, Olivia looked between both of you then giggled too for absolutely no reason.

You and Alexia both looked down at her, the toddler smiled proudly, clearly pleased with herself.

"You should probably get her home."

The toddler was fighting sleep with every ounce of determination she possessed, her smile and giggle tried to hide the heavy eyes and slow blinks.

"She's well overdue her nap."

You adjusted her slightly, "She'll be okay." Alexia raised an eyebrow, "We'll stay a little longer."

"Y/N."

You looked away, suddenly finding Olivia's hair incredibly interesting, when you spoke your voice was quieter, almost embarrassed, "I just... I don't really feel like being on my own right now."

The admission hung in the air, Alexia's expression softened immediately, "Well I'll come with you."

You shook your head, "No. It's not your night." You shifted Olivia higher, "That's not fair."

Alexia rolled her eyes, "Honestly, it's fine." You opened your mouth to argue, she cut you off, "I think she's going to have a bad night after today and that's partly down to me." Before you could respond she pushed herself to her feet. "Let me go tell my family we're taking her home."

You sighed, knowing she'd already decided.

"I won't be a minute."

Then she disappeared out the door, leaving you alone with Olivia who was half asleep now, curled against your chest, tiny fingers tangled in your shirt.

You smiled, "She really isn't all that bad, is she baby?"

Olivia rewarded you with an incredibly slow blink.

You laughed softly, "Yeah."

You brushed some hair from her forehead.

"Your mama would absolutely freak out if she knew I was going around telling people I thought she was hot."

Another blink, you nodded, "Exactly." Olivia's eyes finally drifted closed.

Meanwhile, down the corridor, Alexia wasn't talking to her family, not yet. She was standing beside a vending machine staring at her phone, a contact already open.

One she'd spent most of yesterday arranging dinner with, for a moment she just looked at it, then pressed call.

The woman answered on the second ring, "Hey."

Alexia closed her eyes briefly, "Hi."

Something in her voice must have sounded wrong, "You okay?"

"Yeah." A lie, Alexia leaned back against the wall, "I'm really sorry." A pause. "Family stuff came up. My Aunt got into an accident"

Concern immediately replaced whatever excitement had been there, "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah." Another lie, or maybe not, "They will be" She rubbed a hand over her face, "I just can't make it tonight."

The disappointment on the other end of the phone was obvious, but so was the understanding. They never rearranged, but promised to talk later, then hung up.

Alexia stared at the dark screen for several seconds, the guilt should have been worse. Instead all she felt was relief, because the truth was she hadn't wanted to be anywhere else tonight.

She wanted to make sure Olivia was okay and if she was being completely honest with herself she wanted to make sure you were okay too.

Alexia slipped her phone back into her pocket, then pushed herself away from the wall, heading towards where she said she was going in the place.

🍼

Getting Olivia home was easy, getting Olivia back to sleep after waking her up getting her out the car however was not.

The bath had helped for approximately seven minutes, long enough for her to relax and for you and Alexia to think maybe she'd crash the second her head touched the mattress.

Instead she'd apparently decided sleep was for other people, she cried when Alexia left the room, cried when you left the room, cried when both of you stayed.

Refused her bottle, then wanted her bottle, then threw it, then cried because it was gone. By the time you'd retrieved it, she'd changed her mind again.

"She's overtired." Alexia spoke quietly from where she sat beside the cot.

You were bouncing Olivia against your shoulder, "I know."

"She's exhausted."

"I know."

Alexia smiled slightly, "You sound annoyed."

"You're stating the obvious."

The toddler chose that moment to yawn, a huge dramatic yawn, then immediately started crying again.

You stared at her, "You're doing this to yourself." Olivia disagreed loudly, Alexia laughed, which only made Olivia cry harder.

Eventually, after almost an hour of tag teaming bedtime, Olivia finally surrendered, her eyes drifted closed, her breathing evened out and neither of you moved.

Not for several minutes waiting, making absolutely certain.

When Alexia finally whispered, "I think she's asleep."

Carefully, very carefully, you stepped away from the cot and the floorboards creaked, nobody breathed, Olivia remained asleep.

You and Alexia exchanged identical looks of relief, then quietly escaped.

The second the nursery door clicked shut behind you, every bit of adrenaline keeping you upright disappeared.

You wandered into the living room collapsed onto the sofa and closed your eyes, a second later the cushion shifted beside you with Alexia dropping down too.

The apartment was finally quiet just the soft hum of the refrigerator somewhere in the background.

You leaned your head back, staring at the ceiling, Alexia did the same, for a while neither of you said anything, eventually Alexia broke the silence.

"Today was awful."

You laughed tiredly, "That's one word for it."

"You thought I died."

You groaned immediately,"Please don't."

"I'm just saying."

"I know."

Alexia glanced sideways, the corner of her mouth twitching, "You do care about me then? You just pretend not to?"

You covered your face with one hand, "Can we not talk about this now?"

"No."

"Alexia."

"No." You let out a long suffering sigh, the sofa shifted slightly when you looked over, Alexia looked just as exhausted as you felt,

"You know," you said quietly.

"What?"

"I'm glad you came."

The teasing was gone, just honesty, you looked away, toward the hallway, toward Olivia's room anywhere but directly at her. "Me too."

The first time you met Alexia Putellas, she flirted with the waitress while her date was in the bathroom, that pretty much told you everything you needed to know about her.

Your best friend Sofia had spent months insisting Alexia was “actually really sweet once you got to know her,” but all you saw was arrogance wrapped in expensive perfume and cocky charm. She always walked into rooms like she owned them, like people should be grateful she acknowledged them and worse she knew it.

Alexia thought you were impossible, too guarded, too stubborn, too quick to judge her before she’d even opened her mouth. Every dinner with your mutual friends ended the same way, sharp comments, eye rolls, sarcastic digs disguised as jokes.

The only reason you tolerated each other at all was because of Sofia and her wife Marta, Alexia’s long suffering personal trainer. They were disgustingly in love. The kind of couple who danced in the kitchen while cooking. The kind who left voice notes just to say “drive safe.” The kind who made everyone else at the table feel painfully single.

And then one rainy Thursday night, they were gone.

A drunk driver crossed the centre line on the motorway, neither survived.

You still remembered the way the hospital waiting room spun around you when the social worker gently explained there had been a will.

A plan in the event something happened to both of them.

You and Alexia had been named legal guardians of their one year old daughter, Olivia.

You actually laughed at first not because it was funny, because it made absolutely no sense.

“You’ve got the wrong people,” you told them immediately, voice numb, “There’s no way Sofia chose us.” But she had.

Apparently, months ago over wine and dinner and one of those stupid hypothetical conversations nobody thinks will ever matter. Who would take Olivia if something happened?

Marta had chosen Alexia, Sofia had chosen you, and together, they’d decided Olivia deserved both.

Which was how, three days later, you found yourself standing in Sofia and Marta’s apartment holding a screaming toddler while Alexia argued with a car seat instruction manual like it had personally insulted her.

“This is impossible.”

“It literally clicks in.”

“It does not click in.”

“You’re a professional athlete and you’re losing a fight to plastic.”

Alexia shot you a glare sharp enough to cut glass, “Why is she crying again?”

“She’s one, Alexia.”

“Well what does she want?”

You stared at her in disbelief, “You seriously don’t know?”

“I know footballers, not babies.”

Olivia’s cries only got louder, for one awful second, silence settled between you and Alexia, not angry silence. Scared silence, because underneath the fighting, resentment and grief, the truth sat heavily in the room neither of you knew how to do this and neither of you could walk away.

Olivia needed you.

So when Alexia finally looked at the baby trembling in your arms, eyes red from crying, something in her expression cracked. Just for a second, fear, real fear, “She keeps looking for them,” Alexia whispered quietly.

The comment hit like a punch to the chest, because she was right. Every time the apartment door opened, Olivia turned her head expectantly.

Every time a phone rang, she perked up, waiting, still waiting for her mothers to come home and suddenly your anger toward Alexia didn’t feel nearly as important as the tiny little girl caught between both of your grief.

“She liked when Sofia sang to her,” you murmured.

Alexia swallowed hard, “Marta used to bounce her when she got fussy.”

The baby hiccuped another sob, then slowly, awkwardly, Alexia stepped closer, “Can I…?”

You hesitated before carefully handing Olivia over, at first she looked unnatural in Alexia’s arms, all long limbs and uncertainty but then Olivia grabbed onto the front of her hoodie with tiny fists, and Alexia completely froze. Like that tiny hand had shattered something open inside her.

“She trusts you,” you whispered before you could stop yourself.

Alexia looked down at Olivia, devastated, “No,” she said softly. “This is Marta's”

------

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3