#norwnt

“Oh, baby,” she cooed, a smile playing softly on her lips as she took in the sight of you. You looked utterly miserable - hair a mess, your cheeks flushed and the blanket pulled up to your chin.

“Hi,” you croaked. Ingrid winced, setting her bag down at the door and coming to your side.

“How you feeling, min kjære.”

“Not horrific,” your swallowed, the scratchiness in your throat definitely getting worse. “But not great either.”

Carefully, Ingrid kneeled, her arm coming to rest on the couch cushion. You blinked, feeling a wave of sleepiness settle over you.

Ingrid had this remarkable quality to make you relax, even by just being near her, your body settled, knowing that everything would be ok now that she was around.

Slowly, she reached over smoothing some hair off your forehead and pressing a gentle kiss there.

She hummed to herself, registering the burning temperature beneath her lips. “You’re warm, baby. I think you have a temperature.”

It was if her words had granted some secret permission for you to suddenly feel everything your body had been fighting off. You felt the tears prick at your eyes.

“I don’t feel good,” you whined, well aware of how pathetic you must have sounded.

“Oh, kjærlighet.” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she pressed a smattering of kisses against your forehead. “It’s ok.”

She sighed, her eyes scanning the length of your body. “Let’s get you in the shower, yeah? And then bed. Have you eaten anything?” You shook your head, already trying to disentangle yourself from the blanket. “Ok, when you’re in bed, I’ll come back and get some paracetamol and then I’ll make something for you, soup or toast or something.”

Ingrid helped you up slowly, keeping one arm firm around your waist as you shuffled toward the bathroom. The world tilted a little with each step, your head light and your body heavy in that strange, floaty way that only came with being sick. You leaned into her without thinking, letting her take some of your weight.

“There you go,” she murmured, brushing her thumb over your hip. “I’ve got you.”

The bathroom light felt far too bright, making you squint. Ingrid reached past you to turn it down slightly, then guided you to sit on the closed toilet lid while she ran the shower. Steam slowly filled the room, curling into the air and warming your chilled skin.

She crouched in front of you, untying the knot of the blanket still wrapped around your shoulders. “Let me help, yeah?”

You nodded weakly, letting her peel it away and set it aside. Your movements were clumsy, fingers slow as you tried to help with your clothes. She slipped your jumper over your head, careful not to tug too hard, then knelt again to help with the rest.

By the time you were standing under the warm spray, your muscles already felt looser, the ache in your bones easing just a little. Ingrid stayed close, adjusting the temperature and making sure you didn’t wobble.

“Too hot?” she asked.

You shook your head. “It’s nice.”

She smiled softly, resting her forehead against yours for a brief moment before stepping back. “I’ll grab your pyjamas and get the bed ready. Call if you need me, ok?”

“Ok.”

The water drummed gently over your shoulders, washing away the worst of the chill. You closed your eyes, breathing in the steam, trying to ignore the way your throat still burned and your head throbbed. Even so, you felt calmer now, safer.

When you finished, Ingrid was waiting with a towel already warmed on the radiator. She wrapped you in it and kissed your temple before guiding you back to the bedroom.

The bed looked impossibly inviting; fresh sheets, pillows fluffed, the blanket turned down. You climbed in slowly, sinking into the mattress with a tired sigh. Ingrid tucked the covers around you, making sure you were warm but not overheated.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” she said, brushing her fingers through your hair. “Try to rest.”

You were half-asleep by the time she returned, a mug of water in one hand and two tablets in the other.

She helped you sit up just enough to take them, then held the mug steady while you drank.

“There,” she whispered. “Good.”

She set everything aside and slid into bed next to you, pulling you gently against her chest. You fit there naturally, like you’d done it a thousand times before.

“You don’t have to stay,” you mumbled, though you made no effort to move.

She kissed the top of your head. “I want to.”

Your body relaxed further at that, your breathing evening out. Her hand traced slow, soothing patterns on your back, and you felt yourself drifting.

Some time later, you woke to the faint smell of broth. Ingrid had slipped out of bed again, moving quietly around the kitchen. You could hear her humming, low and gentle.

She returned with a small bowl and a slice of toast, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Just a few spoonfuls,” she said. “We’ll see how you go.”

You managed a couple, though your appetite was still small. She didn’t push, only smiled and set the bowl aside when you shook your head.

“That’s ok. We’ll try again later.”

She climbed back under the covers, pulling you close once more. Your head rested beneath her chin, her heartbeat steady in your ear.

“You’re safe,” she murmured. “I’ve got you. Just sleep.”

you were perched on the couch, your feet tucked under a soft blanket, sipping from a juice box while ingrid and alexia chatted lightly over their glasses of wine. the christmas lights still twinkled along the edge of the window, and the faint hum of music played in the background, setting a cozy new year's eve atmosphere.

you shifted slightly, your growing belly making every position a balancing act. ingrid’s eyes flickered to you often, her gaze soft and adoring. 

"how are you feeling, love?" she asked, her norwegian accent wrapping the words in warmth.

“same as this morning,” you replied with a small laugh. 

“still pregnant.”

alexia chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. 

“i don’t know how you’re still walking around. december eighteenth, then christmas—now new year’s eve? iris is really taking her time.”

you smiled, resting a hand on your belly. 

“if she doesn’t come by january second, the doctors said they’ll have to induce me. but she’s probably just waiting for the right moment.”

ingrid leaned over to press a kiss to your temple. 

“she’s dramatic already, just like her mom.”

“and patient, just like her mamma.” you respond. 

the three of you laughed, and you reached for another sip of your juice. the warmth of the moment made the days of waiting feel a little lighter.

then, as the clock ticked closer to 10:00pm, something shifted. you felt it suddenly—a strange, uncontrollable sensation. at first, you thought you might have peed, which was embarrassing enough, but when you excused yourself to the bathroom, the realization hit: your water had broken.

a rush of adrenaline swept through you, but you kept calm, padding quietly to the bedroom to change into more comfortable pajamas and grabbing the hospital bags you and ingrid had prepared weeks ago.

as you emerged from the bedroom, the sight of alexia and ingrid staring at you with wide, questioning eyes almost made you laugh.

“uh, my water broke,” you announced, holding up the bags as if to prove it.

ingrid was on her feet instantly, her wineglass abandoned. 

“what? now? are you okay?”

“yes, now,” you replied, feeling the first faint stirrings of contractions. 

“i’m fine, but we should probably get to the hospital.”

alexia jumped up, her usual calm demeanor replaced with an almost comical fluster. 

“okay, bags—car—uh, do you need anything else? snacks? more juice?”

you shook your head, smiling at her concern. 

“just the hospital bags, alexia. and maybe some shoes.”

within minutes, the three of you were in the car, the streets of barcelona unusually quiet for new year’s eve. ingrid sat beside you in the backseat, her hand tightly gripping yours, her face a mix of excitement and worry.

“are you sure you’re okay?” she asked for the fifth time, her thumb brushing over your knuckles.

you nodded, exhaling through another contraction. 

“i’m okay, promise. it’s not too bad yet.”

when you arrived at the hospital, things moved quickly. you were whisked into a delivery room, and ingrid stayed glued to your side, her presence a steadying force. 

alexia, after ensuring you were settled, made her way to the cafeteria, where fridolina joined her, both of them eagerly waiting for updates.

the labor progressed faster than you expected. by the time the clock struck 11:45 p.m., the contractions were intense, and the nurses were preparing for delivery. ingrid held your hand through every wave of pain, her voice soothing as she whispered words of encouragement.

“you’re so strong, mi amor,” she said, her own eyes glistening with emotion. 

“our baby is almost here.”

by 12:01 a.m., you were pushing. the effort was exhausting but focused, every ounce of your energy channeled into bringing your daughter into the world. ingrid’s voice anchored you, and after just three pushes, the room was filled with the sound of a newborn’s cry.

“she’s here!” the doctor announced, carefully placing your daughter on your chest.

tears streamed down your face as you looked at her tiny, wriggling form. ingrid was beside you, her face alight with wonder and tears of her own. the doctor glanced at the clock and smiled. 

“12:03 a.m. happy new year!”

“happy new year, baby,” ingrid whispered softly, leaning close to kiss iris’s forehead. the sound of her voice seemed to calm the baby’s cries for a moment.

you let out a tired laugh, looking down at your daughter. 

“of course she wanted her birthday to be a holiday.”

ingrid chuckled, brushing a strand of hair from your face. 

the moments after were a blur of joy and relief. alexia and fridolina came up to the room once things had settled, their faces lighting up when they saw ingrid cradling iris in her arms.

“she couldn’t wait for january second?” fridolina teased, leaning over to get a better look at the baby. 

“was 2024 not a good year to be born in?”

ingrid grinned, glancing down at iris.

“exactly what i was thinking. she had to wait for the new year.”

alexia laughed. 

“at least we’ll never forget her birthday. it’s a built-in celebration every year.”

you smiled, feeling the warmth of their words as you reached for iris. ingrid gently placed her in your arms, and you marveled at her tiny features—the button nose, the delicate fingers curling instinctively around your thumb. she looked just like ingrid. 

“she’s perfect,” you whispered, your voice thick with emotion. iris’s eyes were closed, her face peaceful as she nestled against you.

“she really is,” ingrid agreed, wrapping an arm around your shoulders as the two of you admired your daughter. 

“happy new year, mi amor.”

you leaned into her, feeling the overwhelming love and gratitude of the moment. despite the long wait and the unexpected timing, everything felt exactly as it should be. 

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You had been having your best season for Barca yet, and already adding onto the growing list of stats with two assists this match.

While you loved assisting your teammates, you really wanted to score one yourself today. One more goal and you would be the league's all-time top scorer.

Both your girlfriends had mentioned before the match that they felt like this could be the one. With Ingrid quickly adding, “No pressure to, of course.” to which Mapi quickly agreed.

They were always so supportive of your achievements, and you couldn't wait until you would be able to celebrate this one with them.

Then in the thirtieth minute it was time for a Barcelona corner. One look from Mapi, while she walked over to take it, said enough for you to know exactly what she was planning to do.

Sure enough, Mapi crossed in the ball right in front of you. All you had to do was win the header from your opponent.

While jumping up, you managed to create enough space between you and the defender. You headed the ball towards the far corner, watching it fly past the keeper in slow motion, not registering that you'd scored until the stadium erupted in cheers.

You ran straight to Mapi and jumped into her arms, the rest of the team jumping in on the celebration. A new record to your name, assisted by your girlfriend, how could your season get any better?

When everyone stepped out of the celebratory huddle, Ingrid was waiting for her own hug. “I am so proud of you.” She whispered into your ear as she spun you around.

You were on a high, 3-0 ahead, two assists, and a goal that made you break the record for all-time top scorer. Nothing could stop the excitement from this game. With your heart still pounding from the goal, you felt unstoppable.

Ten minutes later, you were rushing forwards to the goal once more. Only this time you had defenders running at you from all sides. Your teammates were trying to find positions for you to pass the ball to them, but each time they tried, they were shut down again.

So, you had to try to go through them yourself. You managed to get past one of the defenders, and tried running the ball around them, but they effectively tackled you. Only for the other defender that was rushing in to step onto your ankle after not being able to stop her run in time.

You didn't know exactly what happened, one moment you were tackled and the next moment you were screaming out in pain.

Tears were streaming down your face. You had never felt such pain before, you wanted to move but everything hurt. 

The next thing you noticed was Alexia sitting by your side, her eyes filled with worry as she was trying her best to comfort you. 

Her lips were moving but you didn't hear what she was saying. She wiped the tears from your face with one hand and with her other hand she held yours.

Then finally there was noise again. “You're okay. Just breathe.” You blinked up at her confused. Why did Alexia have Mapi's voice?

It must be because you were totally out of it from the pain. Then the medical team showed up, “Shh, we've got you.” You looked confused again, why did he sound like Ingrid?

Then it hit you, this was a nightmare. 

You fought to open your eyes, desperately wanting to wake from this horrible nightmare that is making you experience your injury all over again.

When you finally manage to wake you, you sit right up. Your breathing heavy and the tears you were crying in your sleeping state rolling down your cheeks in the real world too. The room around you was dark, and it took you a moment to realise where you were, but then you saw Mapi and Ingrid and it all started to make sense. It was the two of them talking, trying to get you to wake up.

“It’s okay, you’re okay.” Ingrid says as you lean into her side. Her arms instantly wrap around you. She nudged Mapi, who pressed a quick kiss to your head before getting up and leaving the room.

“It’s alright baby, let it all out.” She whispered as she held you tight, while rubbing slow, soothing circles on your back as you tried to steady your breathing. Your heart was still racing, the phantom pain of the injury lingering, but you were okay. You were in the safety of your home, in your bed, not on the pitch.

Ingrid’s quiet hums of comfort and your shaky breaths were the only sounds in the room until Mapi walked back in with a glass of water for you. “Here, amor.” She said handing you the glass before sitting down on the bed with you two again.

You take a few sips before you hand the glass back to Mapi, who places it on the nightstand. “Nightmares again?" She asks while placing her hand on your leg, wanting to offer you some extra comfort.

After taking a deep breath, you nodded. “Yeah, it was about my injury. I was reliving it again. It felt so real,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. “Like I was back there. The pain, the fear… everything.”

Mapi looked down at your ankle, the light scar showing the surgery you underwent in order to heal your broken ankle. But she knew that some scars aren’t visible, and sometimes those are the hardest parts of an injury to heal. She looked back at your face, and her heart broke a little at how much the mental side of your injury was still taking a toll on you.

“I’m sorry the nightmares keep coming, amor.” She moved up the bed and laid down on her back with her arms open, “Come here.” Ingrid presses a kiss to your temple before gently unwrapping her arms from around you, giving you space to settle into Mapi’s embrace. Quickly following herself once you were comfortable, holding you from the other side.

Laying in their arms felt safe. Mapi’s fingers slowly tracing patterns on your arm, and Ingrid pressing soft kisses onto your back. In their arms you started to relax more, almost forgetting about the nightmare all together.

“We’ve got you.” Ingrid said between kisses, and you believed it. With them you felt comfortable and safe. It didn’t take long before you found sleep in their comforting hold. This time without the nightmares that had been haunting your dreams.

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