the memory of elisa always lingers when someone brings up relationships in football. back when you played for wolfsburg, you thought you had it all—a solid career, a supportive team, and a relationship with someone who understood your life. 

the reality of being with elisa had been far from perfect. the constant arguments, the exhausting long-distance flights to paris just to spend a day together, only to fight over something trivial. you’d promised yourself after that breakup that you would never mix your personal life with the professional one again. 

footballers were off-limits.  

you were doing just fine sticking to that promise.  

that is, until vivianne came to manchester city.  

she arrived during the transfer window, making the switch from arsenal, and you knew her from the pitch—vivianne miedema, one of the best forwards in the world. you’d marked her countless times when you faced arsenal.

her skill, her strength, her composure—everything about her had been a challenge to contain. but off the pitch, you’d never paid her much attention. now, here she was, training alongside you.  

vivianne had an undeniable presence, one that made you notice her even when you didn’t want to. four inches taller than you, with striking features and an aura that made it hard to look away. you hated how easily your eyes would drift to her during training sessions, especially when she had her hair pulled back, focused, intense. it was distracting, and you didn’t need distractions.  

one day, during training, you crouched down to tie your laces, stealing a glance at vivianne across the pitch. she was standing near the goal, her long legs stretching as she practiced shots. you didn’t realize you’d been biting your lip until jill crouched beside you, smirking.  

“what is that?” she whispered, nudging your arm.  

“what iss what?” you replied quickly, fumbling with the knot in your laces.  

jill gave you a knowing look. “don’t play dumb. i saw you looking at viv. with the lip bite, no less.”  

“you’re imagining things,” you muttered, standing up and dusting your hands off.  

“sure, i am,” jill teased, following you as you jogged back into position. 

“just know, i’m onto you.”  

you ignored her, brushing off the comment as nothing. deep down, you hated that jill had caught you in a moment of weakness. because that’s all it was, you told yourself—a fleeting moment of attraction. nothing more.  

a week later, mary cornered you in the locker room.  

“so, how’d the date with penelope go?” she asked, sitting down beside you on the bench.  

penelope, a manchester lawyer who’s friends with mary and bunny. 

you sighed, pulling your hoodie over your head. 

“it was okay, but its clear that there won’t be a second one. she’s nice, mary, but it’s just not there.”  

mary frowned. 

“not even a second date?”  

“no,” you said firmly, shaking your head. 

“nothing happened, and nothing will.”  

as you spoke, you noticed vivianne nearby, tying her boots. her expression was unreadable, but there was something in her eyes as she glanced in your direction. 

you couldn’t tell if she was amused or curious. either way, it made you nervous.  

then came the game against chelsea—a match that could put manchester city at the top of the league table. it was a massive game where your efforts could push manchester to the top. 

four minutes in, you found yourself with the ball near the halfway line. the chelsea defense was pressing high, and you saw the goalkeeper off her line. instinct took over, and you struck the ball with everything you had. it soared through the air, arching perfectly before dipping into the back of the net.  

the stadium erupted, and for a moment, you couldn’t believe it. you threw your hands up in disbelief, running toward the sideline. before you could process what was happening, vivianne was there, wrapping her arms around you from behind.  

“that was fucking insane!” she said, her voice close to your ear.  

your breath hitched as you felt her hands on your waist, her grip firm but gentle. the rest of the team swarmed around you, pulling you into a celebratory huddle, but all you could think about was the way vivianne’s touch lingered just a second longer than necessary.  

despite the early goal, the game didn’t go as planned. chelsea fought back hard, scoring three unanswered goals by the final whistle. the loss stung, especially with how much was on the line. 

back in the locker room, the mood was somber. you sat on the bench, your head in your hands, replaying every mistake in your mind.  

“you okay?” a familiar voice asked.  

you looked up to see vivianne standing in front of you, her expression soft.  

“no, not really,” you admitted with a weak laugh, trying to mask your frustration.  

vivianne sat down beside you, her knee brushing against yours. 

“you played well. that goal was something I couldn't even have scored. it’s not your fault we lost.”  

you shook your head, staring at the floor. 

“it doesn’t matter. we needed to win, and we didn’t. i feel like i let everyone down.”  

vivianne tilted her head, studying you. 

“you know, it’s okay to feel like that. but you’re not responsible for the whole team.” 

her words were kind, but it was the way she said them—calm, confident, like she truly understood—that made your chest tighten. you looked at her, and for the first time, you noticed how her eyes softened when she smiled.  

“thanks,” you said quietly, feeling a blush creep up your neck.  

she leaned back, resting her hands on the bench. 

“if it helps, i think you’re one of the best defenders i’ve played with. and that’s coming from someone who’s played against a lot of good ones.”  

you laughed softly, the compliment catching you off guard. 

“you don’t have to say that.”  

“i’m not just saying it,” vivianne replied, her tone sincere. “i mean it.”  

the conversation felt easy, natural, like you’d known her for longer than just a few months. but as much as you enjoyed talking to her, there was a part of you that couldn’t ignore the warning signs. the promise you’d made to yourself echoed in the back of your mind—never date a footballer.  

and yet, as vivianne stood up and gave you one last reassuring smile before leaving the locker room, you couldn’t help but question that thought. 

however, you weren’t expecting the change in routine eiher. 

training had always been predictable—tough drills, friendly banter, and the same partnerships. bunny was your go-to partner for most exercises, a pairing that worked well because of your chemistry on and off the pitch. 

so, when vivianne approached bunny during warm-ups and asked if they could switch, you were caught off guard.  

bunny raised an eyebrow, looking between you and vivianne. “you want to pair with her?” she asked, her tone more amused than surprised.  

vivianne nodded, her expression calm but determined. “if you don’t mind.”  

bunny glanced your way, grinning. 

“nah, it’s fine. jill and i will dominate anyway.”  

you blinked, unsure what to say as vivianne jogged over to you. 

“guess we’re partners today,” she said casually, as if this was normal.  

“uh, yeah,” you managed, adjusting your socks to cover the flush creeping up your neck.  

vivianne’s presence beside you felt different—focused yet playful, with a subtle tension you couldn’t quite place. during the 2v2 drills, her skill and vision were undeniable. she found you with perfectly timed passes, and you worked seamlessly to outplay the other pairs. 

by the end of the session, you’d won the mini-tournament, earning a round of applause from the team.  

as you walked toward the locker room, still buzzing from the morning’s success, vivianne jogged up beside you.  

“you were amazing,” she said, her voice light but genuine.  

“you’re not so bad yourself,” you replied, smirking.  

she laughed, the sound warm and melodic. “listen, there’s this italian place down the street. want to grab lunch?”  

you hesitated, assuming it was a team outing. 

“sure, sounds good. is everyone going?”  

vivianne shook her head. “just us.”  

the simplicity of her words caught you off guard. you blinked, trying to hide your surprise. 

“oh. okay, yeah, let me grab my stuff.”  

twenty minutes later, you found yourself sitting across from vivianne in a cozy italian restaurant, the scent of garlic and fresh herbs filling the air. the setting was intimate, far more personal than you’d anticipated.  

vivianne was relaxed, her elbows resting on the table as she scanned the menu. 

“they do a great spaghetti carbonara here,” she said, glancing up at you.  

you nodded, suddenly hyper-aware of how shy you felt under her gaze. 

“i’ll try that, then.”  

the conversation started easy—training highlights, upcoming matches, favorite foods. vivianne had a natural charm that made you forget your nerves, her smile disarming and her laugh infectious.  

after a while, the dynamic shifted. vivianne leaned back in her chair, her tone turning playful. 

“so, bunny mentioned you went on a date recently. with a lawyer, right?”  

you blinked, startled by the sudden turn. 

“yeah, but it didn’t work out.”  

vivianne tilted her head, her lips curving into a teasing smile. 

“so, no lawyer girlfriend waiting in the wings?”  

you laughed, shaking your head. 

“nope. no girlfriend, no nothing. it’s been a few years since my last relationship.”  

vivianne’s expression softened, her curiosity genuine. “what happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”  

you hesitated, then sighed. 

“i was with elisa, elisa from psg. we were long-distance for most of it since i was still at wolfsburg, and it just… didn’t work. we argued a lot, and balancing our careers made everything harder.”  

vivianne nodded slowly, her gaze steady. 

“i get that. things with beth ended not long before i found out i was leaving arsenal. it wasn’t easy.”  

you reached across the table, squeezing her hand instinctively. 

“i’m sorry. breakups suck.”  

vivianne smiled faintly, her thumb brushing against your fingers. 

“they do. but sometimes they make room for better things.”  

your heart skipped at the subtle implication in her words, and you pulled your hand back, suddenly flustered.  

things progressed slowly after that lunch, though not without hesitation on your part. vivianne’s flirtations became more apparent—small compliments during training, lingering smiles, a touch on your lower back that lasted a second too long. 

part of you enjoyed the attention, but another part was terrified. you’d promised yourself never to date another footballer, and yet here you were, drawn to vivianne like a moth to a flame.  

it reached a tipping point one evening when you found yourself overthinking everything. sitting on your couch, surrounded by the flowers vivianne had sent over the past few weeks—bright arrangements that made your apartment feel warmer—you decided to seek advice.  

jill and kerstin, vivianne’s dutch teammates and your friends, were the first people that came to mind. you texted them to meet for coffee the next morning, and they agreed without hesitation.  

“so,” jill said, leaning forward with a mischievous grin as you sat down. 

“what’s this about?”  

kerstin smirked, already sensing where the conversation was headed.  

you fidgeted with your cup, struggling to find the words. 

“it’s about viv.”  

jill’s eyes lit up. 

“i knew it! go on.”  

“i don’t know if i should… go through with it,” you admitted, staring at the steam rising from your coffee. 

“she’s amazing, but she’s a footballer. after what happened with elisa, i don’t want to make the same mistake.”  

kerstin leaned back, her expression thoughtful. 

“vivianne isn’t elisa. besides, you’re on the same football team as viv so there is no distance. she’s one of the most thoughtful people i’ve ever met.”  

jill nodded enthusiastically. 

“seriously, she worships the ground you walk on. she talks about you all the time when you’re not around.”  

you blinked, surprised. 

“she does? the same way you talk about jana?”  

“oh, shut up! but yeah.. constantly,” jill said, laughing before grinning softly. 

“and don’t even get me started on the flowers.”  

“wait, you know about that?” you flared your eyebrows. 

“yeah, viv told the whole team about it!”

kerstin smiled knowingly. 

“she’s smitten, y/n. if you’re even considering it, i think you should give her a chance.”  

their words stuck with you as you headed home. maybe they were right. maybe vivianne was different.  

that same evening, vivianne invited you to dinner, something casual at a small bistro she liked. you dressed simply but thoughtfully, your nerves buzzing as you arrived. vivianne was already there, standing near the entrance with her hands in her pockets.  

“hey,” she greeted, her smile lighting up the dimly lit street.  

“hey,” you replied, feeling the familiar warmth in her presence.  

dinner was perfect—easy conversation, laughter, and a growing sense of closeness that made your chest ache in the best way. as the evening wound down, vivianne leaned forward, her expression more serious than before.  

“can i ask you something?” she began, her voice soft.  

you nodded, your heart pounding. the question was inevitable at this stage. 

“would you… want to be my girlfriend?” she asked, her gaze steady but nervous.  

you froze for a moment, the question hanging in the air. then, as a smile spread across your face, you leaned in, closing the distance between you.  

your lips met hers softly, the kiss tentative at first but quickly deepening as you felt her hand cup your cheek. when you pulled back, your cheeks were flushed, but you couldn’t stop smiling.  

“yes,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper.  

vivianne’s grin was brighter than you’d ever seen, and she leaned in to kiss you again. something that felt undeniably right for someone who thought this would never happen again.