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dinas-a-bird · 9 months

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For the Love of the Game

Pairing: soccer!Ellie Williams x soccer!fem!reader

Warnings: SFW, angst with a happy/hopeful ending, mean ellie and reader, Arsenal woso au, rivalry, hostility, first kiss, cursing, use of y/n

Summary: As a new sign on the Arsenal squad you seem to click with everyone, except the defender Ellie Williams. or i couldnt find what I wanted to read so I wrote it instead

Word Count: 4,005

A/N: this is my longest piece of writing yet and also probably my favorite. I kept the soccer terms to a minimum because I know they are difficult to understand if you've never played the sport. I've been meaning to write a woso au fic for quite some time mainly because i'm a huge fan of soccer and have played it my entire life, so i'm supper happy I finally got around to this. Sorry in advance for any spelling or grammar mistakes. Hope you enjoy!

quick sidebar: I am so upset about Australia not making it to the WWC finals.

Pt 2: here

You sat in the locker room, lacing up your cleats, your mind racing with anticipation for the upcoming training session. Soccer was your passion, your lifeblood, and being a new sign on the Arsenal team was both a dream come true and a challenge you welcomed with open arms. The energy in the room was a mix of excitement and seriousness, as your new teammates chatted and laughed, sharing stories and trading banter.

Katie, a fellow teammate, leaned over with a playful grin. "You ready to kick some ass on the field today, y/n?"

You grinned back, your eyes shining with determination. "You know it, McCabe. Ready to show 'em what I'm made of."

As the training session began, you threw yourself into the drills, your love for the game evident in every sprint, every pass, every shot on goal. It was a fierce battle, each player giving her all, striving for excellence. Amid the sweat and shouts, there was a particular presence that caught your attention—Ellie Williams. The enigmatic American player was a force to be reckoned with, known for her skill and her no-nonsense attitude. Your interactions had always been colored with a hint of hostility and rivalry, Williams sharp wit and biting remarks keeping you on your toes.

"Nice touch, y/n!" Leah Williamson’s encouragement broke through your concentration, and she sent a quick nod and smile in your direction.

After the grueling training session, you followed the team into the locker room. The energy had shifted, the air filled with exhaustion and accomplishment. You were quick to shed your gear, peeling off your sweaty kit, replacing it with a band tee and ripped jeans. As you looked around, you caught Williams' gaze—surprisingly not one of antagonism, but something different, harder to define.

"Like what you see, Williams?" Your playful remark caught Ellie off guard, and a smirk tugged at the corner of your lips as you moved toward your locker. You could practically feel Ellie's eyes on you as you changed, a mixture of curiosity and something else you couldn't quite place apparent on her face.

The banter continued as you and your teammates made plans for drinks later that evening. The idea of spending time together outside of the pitch was new, a tentative step toward forming friendships beyond the pitch. The mention of Williams' not wanting to go to yet another team bonding session didn't escape your notice, a reminder of your ongoing rivalry and tension.

As the evening approached, you found yourself in a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. The exchange with Ellie in the locker room had been different, a crack in the armor she had always presented. But you were cautious, unsure of what it all meant. Your heart raced as you stood in front of the mirror, getting ready for the night ahead. You chose an outfit that felt comfortable yet confident—black trousers and a light pink button-up, French-tucked for a touch of casual elegance.

Your phone chimed, and you picked it up to see a text from Leah. "I'm outside ready to bring you to team drinks dummy." You chuckled, sending a quick response that you were on your way. Soon enough, you found yourself in Leah's car, driving towards the nearby pub where the team was gathering for drinks and bonding.

The pub was alive with the chatter and laughter of your teammates as you entered. You greeted the girls and grabbed a drink before sitting down next to Leah, who gave you a knowing look. "You think Ellie’s actually going to come?" Leah whispered, her eyes glancing over to the entrance.

"Dunno, don't really care to be honest," You replied with a shrug. "She's been a right twat for as long as she's known me."

Leah hummed in acknowledgment, and the two of you settled into the lively atmosphere. Your eyes wandered over the group, spotting Ellie’s absence. You couldn't help but wonder if the tension between you had kept her away.

After a while, your impatience grew, and you checked your watch. "Damn, she really didn't want to come," you muttered under your breath, feeling a mix of annoyance and disappointment. You leaned back in your seat, your mind lost in your thoughts.

Leah noticed your mood shift and rubbed your shoulder gently. "What's wrong, y/n/n?"

You sighed, a hint of frustration in your voice. "Nothing, just thought maybe she'd actually show up for once."

As the minutes ticked by, your frustration turned into resignation. You finished your drink and decided to get another one. "I'm going to get another drink," you announced to the group, receiving nods of acknowledgment before making your way to the bar.

"One whiskey, on the rocks, please," you ordered, your tone weary. You leaned against the bar, waiting for your drink and watching the team engage in playful conversations. Your mind drifted, thinking about the complicated relationship you had with Ellie Williamson.

The bartender quickly served your drink, and you took a slow sip, the cool liquid offering a momentary distraction from your thoughts. You couldn't help but wonder why Ellie’s presence or in this case lack thereof, affected you so much.

As you continued to observe the team, your phone buzzed in your pocket. You pulled it out to see a text from Leah, asking if you were okay. You smiled faintly and texted back, "Yeah, just needed a breather. Don't worry, I'm good."

With your drink in hand, you found an empty stool at the bar and settled in. You watched as the team's laughter filled the pub. You took another sip of your drink, feeling a mix of emotions bubbling within you.

Lost in your thoughts, you didn't notice when someone sat down next to you until you heard a familiar voice. "Whatcha doing over here, mate?" Caitlin Foord's voice broke through your reverie.

You looked up, a surprised smile forming on your lips. "Hey, just needed another drink, that's all."

Caitlin chuckled, giving you a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Well, the teams missing you, might wanna head back over soon."

You couldn't help but appreciate Caitlin's attempt at lightening the mood. You finished your drink and thanked the bartender, making your way back to the group. As you approached, Katie McCabe greeted you with a big smile. "Look who finally decided to rejoin us!"

Your lips twitched into a smile as you took a seat among your teammates. The atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed, and you found yourself easing into the conversation. You exchanged playful banter with the girls, your guard slowly lowering as the evening progressed.

Ellie’s absence was no longer a looming presence in your mind. Instead, you found yourself immersed in laughter and conversation with the team. It was as if, for a brief moment, the rivalry and tension between you and Williams never existed.

As the night wore on, you glanced at your watch, realizing it was getting late. You excused yourself from the group, giving everyone hugs and promising to see them soon.

Outside the pub, you hailed a taxi with more success than the previous nights. You settled into the back seat, feeling contentment wash over you. The evening had been unexpectedly enjoyable, a welcome break from the usual tension.

When you arrived home, you thanked the driver and made your way to your apartment. You kicked off your shoes and flopped onto the couch, a small smile playing on your lips.

The events of the evening continued to replay in your mind as you lay on the couch. The unexpected sense of belonging with your teammates had provided a refreshing change from the usual tension with Ellie Williams.

As the days passed, your thoughts kept drifting back to that night at the pub. You found yourself analyzing every interaction, every word spoken between you and your teammates, including the moments when Ellie’s absence was conspicuous.

Training sessions were business as usual, the banter and drills had become familiar over time. You couldn't deny that a part of you was secretly hoping for another chance to interact one-on-one with Ellie, even if it meant more of your usual back-and-forth.

One evening, after a rigorous training session, you were walking to your car when you noticed Ellie leaning against it. You tensed involuntarily, your heart rate increasing as your palms grew slightly clammy. "What do you want, Williams?" You asked, your voice laced with a mixture of defiance and caution.

Ellie straightened up and crossed her arms, her expression guarded. "Just making sure you're not slacking off on your game, y/l/n," she retorted, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

You raised an eyebrow, annoyance and amusement flickering in your eyes. "Trust me, you're not the one I need to prove anything to."

Ellie’s gaze held yours for a moment before she seemed to relent, her posture relaxing slightly. "Yeah, well, don't get too comfortable. I'm not here to make friends."

You let out a rueful chuckle. "Trust me, the feeling's mutual."

As the weeks went by, you and Ellie continued your dance of hostility, your interactions marked by barbed remarks and wary glances.

One afternoon, after a particularly grueling practice, You found yourself sitting alone in the locker room, lost in thought. You were startled when the door opened, and Ellie walked in, looking uncharacteristically solemn.

"What do you want, Williams?" You said, your tone a mixture of annoyance and curiosity.

Ellie hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice lacking its usual bite. "Look, I may not like you, but I respect your dedication to the game. You're a damn good player, and you've earned your place on this team."

Your eyebrows shot up in surprise. It wasn't the response you had expected. "Thanks, I guess."

Ellie’s gaze held yours, her usually confident demeanor replaced by a vulnerability that caught you off guard. "I've had to fight tooth and nail to get where I am, and I won't let anyone make me doubt myself. Not even you."

You nod your head slowly. "I get it. We all have our battles."

There was a pause before Ellie spoke again, her voice softer this time. "Look, y/l/n, I'm not saying we're suddenly going to be best buddies or anything. But maybe... maybe we can find a way to coexist without tearing each other apart. For the team sakes if anything."

You studied Ellie’s face, seeing a sincerity that was unexpected. For the first time, you allowed yourself to truly consider the possibility of a truce between the two of you. "Yeah, maybe we can." The tension in the room seemed to ease slightly, replaced by a tentative understanding.

However, the fragile truce you had established was put to the test during an Arsenal v Arsenal scrimmage. The game was intense, with both sides fighting tooth and nail for victory. As the clock ticked down and the score remained tied, the pressure mounted.

You found yourself being subbed onto the pitch after halftime, your heart pounding as you chased after the ball. You maneuvered past defenders with finesse, your focus on the goal. Just as you were about to take the shot, Ellie’s foot came out of nowhere, intercepting the ball and sending it in a different direction.

"Fancy move, y/l/n, but you'll have to do better than that," Ellie’s voice taunted from behind you.

Your frustration flared, and you couldn't hold back your retort. "Maybe I would if someone didn't think they were the queen of the fucking pitch."

The game continued with both sides giving it their all. The tension on the pitch was thick, mirroring the tension that still lingered between you and Ellie. As the match entered the final minutes, you found yourself facing off against Ellie near the goal. The ball was within reach, victory hanging in the balance.

You dribbled past Ellie, your determination fueling your every move. You took the shot, the ball sailing towards the goal. But Ellie was there, deflecting the shot with a well-timed block. The whistle blew, signaling the end of the scrimmage with a draw.

As the team regrouped in the locker room, your frustration lingered. You couldn't shake the feeling that the rivalry with Ellie had affected your performance. You sat alone in front of your cubby, your thoughts a jumble of emotions.

Ellie approached, her expression unreadable. "You played well out there. But you've got to learn not to let your emotions get the best of you."

Your temper flared, the familiar resentment bubbling up. "Oh, I'm sorry if I don't have years of experience in keeping my cool like you."

Ellie’s jaw clenched, and for a moment, it seemed as though you were on the brink of another confrontation. But then, unexpectedly, Ellie sighed. "Look, I'm not saying this to be nice, but I know you're a damn good player, anybody with a decent set of eyes can see it. You just need to channel that fire in the right direction."

You looked at Ellie, surprised by the genuine advice. It was a side of her that you rarely saw—the vulnerability beneath the layers of hostility. "Thanks," you muttered, your pride making it difficult to fully acknowledge the concession.

Ellie nodded, her eyes briefly meeting yours before she turned and walked away. The encounter left you with a mix of conflicting emotions. Maybe, there was more to your rivalry than you had initially thought.

Weeks turned into months, and you and Ellie continued to navigate the delicate balance between rivalry and mutual respect. Your interactions became less charged, your exchanges more civil. Training sessions saw fewer verbal jabs and more focused drills.

And then, one day, it happened. It was a routine practice, but something was different. You found yourself looking at Ellie in a new light, noticing the subtle nuances in her expressions and the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled, even if it was rare.

During a break, as you were catching your breath, Ellie approached you. "Not bad out there today."

Your heart raced, your nerves betraying you. "Thanks, Williams."

Ellie hesitated for a moment before speaking again, her voice softer than usual. "You know, sometimes it's okay to acknowledge your strengths. It doesn't make you any less of a competitor."

You met Ellie’s gaze, seeing a glimmer of something more in her eyes. You felt a connection, a shared understanding that ran deeper than your rivalry. In that moment, you realized that you were more alike than you had ever wanted to admit.

As you both stood there, the tension between you had shifted. It was as if a new chapter had begun, one that held the promise of something beyond the animosity you had known. And in that small shift, you saw a glimpse of the possibility for a different kind of connection—one that went beyond the field, beyond the rivalry, and into uncharted territory.

The weeks that followed saw a gradual evolution in you and Ellie’s relationship. You both continued to challenge each other on the pitch, but there were moments of unexpected friendliness that seemed to catch you both off guard.

During a particularly intense training session, you found yourself locked in a one-on-one with Ellie. Her movements were precise and calculated. As you managed to get past Ellie and score a goal, you couldn't help but feel a surge of triumph.

Ellie’s expression was a mix of frustration and begrudging admiration. "Not bad. Looks like you've been working on your footwork."

You caught your breath, your heart racing from the exertion. "Well, someone has to score goals for the team."

Ellie rolled her eyes, but there was a trace of a smile tugging at her lips. "Don't get too cocky. This was just practice."

As the days turned into weeks, you found yourself increasingly drawn to Ellies presence. You couldn't ignore the way your heart raced whenever Ellie was near or the moments when your gazes lingered just a fraction longer than necessary.

One evening, after another successful game, the team decided to go out for a celebratory dinner. You found yourself sitting across from Ellie at the restaurant, your interactions surprisingly easy. You traded stories and laughs, and you couldn't help but marvel at the way Ellie’s sharp wit and dry humor had you smiling genuinely.

As the night wore on, the group began to disperse, leaving you and Ellie alone at the table. The atmosphere had shifted from hostility to something more complex, and you found yourself wanting to explore it further.

"You know, we've come a long way from where we started," You said, your voice tinged with both curiosity and vulnerability.

Ellie nodded, her expression more thoughtful than usual. "Yeah, I guess we have."

You hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like if we weren't rivals. If we could actually get along."

Ellie’s gaze held yours, her eyes searching for something. "It's not that simple, y/n. We've got history."

You nodded, understanding the truth in Ellie’s words. "I know. But maybe we could start over. Put the rivalry behind us."

Ellie’s guard seemed to momentarily waver, revealing a glimpse of uncertainty. "And why would we do that?"

You took a deep breath, your heart pounding as you voiced what had been lingering in your mind. "Because I think there's more to you than the tough exterior you show the world, Ellie. And I think we could actually be friends."

Ellie’s expression was that of surprise. For a moment, you held your breath, unsure of how Ellie would respond.

"You've got a lot of nerve, y/l/n," Ellie finally said, her tone defensive.

You met Ellie’s gaze. "Yeah, well, maybe that's what it takes to break down walls."

Ellie seemed to study you for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. "You're relentless, you know that?"

You grinned. "It's one of my best qualities."

The evening ended on a surprisingly positive note, with you and Ellie parting ways with a newfound understanding.

In the days that followed, you and Ellie’s interactions continued to evolve. You found yourselves sharing occasional moments of friendship, whether it was a congratulatory pat on the back after a tough training session or a shared joke that left you both laughing. However, the underlying tension remained, occasionally resurfacing in a sharp remark or a competitive challenge on the field.

One sunny afternoon, the team gathered for another friendly scrimmage. You and Ellie were on opposing sides, your rivalry intensifying as you fought for control of the ball.

During a break, you approached the sidelines to catch your breath. You glanced over to where Ellie was standing, her chest heaving from the exertion. Your eyes met, and you couldn't help but offer a nod of acknowledgment. Ellie responded with a curt nod of her own, a silent acknowledgment of the mutual respect that had slowly begun to form between you.

As the scrimmage continued, your mind drifted back to your conversation at the restaurant. You wondered if Ellie had taken your words to heart, if there was a chance for you to truly move beyond the rivalry that had defined your relationship for so long.

The opportunity to explore this newfound connection presented itself one evening after practice. You found yourself alone, yet again, in the locker room, lost in thought. You were startled when the door opened, and Ellie walked in, her expression that of annoyance.

"Can't believe you managed to score that goal," Ellie muttered, her arms crossed.

You raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in your voice. "Jealous, Williams?"

Ellie rolled her eyes, but there was a playful glint in her gaze. "As if."

Your lips twitched into a smile. "You know, we could make a pretty good team if we put our differences aside."

Ellie’s response was a mixture of surprise and skepticism. "You're actually suggesting we team up?"

You shrugged. "Why not? We both know how to play to our strengths. And imagine the look on everyone's faces if we actually worked together."

Ellie seemed to consider the proposition for a moment before relenting. "Fine. But this doesn't mean we're suddenly best friends or anything."

You grinned. "Of course not. Just allies on the field."

Over the following weeks, you and Ellie’s partnership began to take shape. You pushed each other to excel, your competitive spirit driving you both to new heights. The tension between you had transformed into a unique synergy, a blend of rivalry and friendship that was as unexpected as it was effective.

Off the field, your interactions continued to be marked by moments of both warmth and hostility. You found yourself enjoying Ellie’s company more than you would have thought possible, relishing the glimpses of vulnerability that occasionally surfaced beneath her tough exterior.

One evening, as the sun set over the horizon, you found yourself sitting on the bleachers of the empty stadium. You gazed out at the field, lost in thought. You were startled when Ellie appeared beside you, her gaze fixed on the same view.

"Enjoying the peace and quiet?" Ellie’s voice was unusually soft.

You smiled, a hint of nostalgia in your eyes. "Yeah, it's a nice change from the chaos of the game."

Ellie nodded in agreement. "You know, I never thought I'd say this, but... you've made training a little less unbearable."

You chuckled. "High praise coming from you, Williams."

The stadium was bathed in the soft hues of the setting sun, casting a warm and golden glow over the field. The atmosphere was tranquil, a stark contrast to the intensity of your usual rivalry. You turned your attention to Ellie, your gaze lingering on her profile. There was a vulnerability in Ellie’s expression, a crack in the armor that had always shielded her from the world.

"Who would've thought that we'd end up here?" You mused, your voice laced with a mixture of disbelief and amusement.

Ellie let out a wry chuckle, her eyes never leaving the horizon. "Yeah, it's a strange twist of fate."

The air was thick with unspoken emotions, a charged silence that seemed to envelop you both. Your heart raced as you found yourself inching closer to Ellie, your body moving almost of its own accord. Your shoulders brushed against each other, sending a jolt of electricity through your veins.

"You know, I never really knew you before all of this," you said softly, your voice barely above a whisper.

Ellie turned to face you, her gaze intense and searching. Your breath caught in your throat as your eyes locked. In that moment, the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of you in a bubble of suspended time. The months of rivalry, the animosity, it all seemed to melt away, leaving behind an undeniable connection that neither of you could ignore.

Without another word, you closed the distance between the both of you, your heart pounding in your chest. You pressed your lips to Ellie’s in a hesitant, gentle kiss.

As you pulled away, a mixture of surprise and uncertainty played across Ellie’s features. Your heart raced as you searched Ellie’s eyes for any sign of regret, but what you found was a flicker of something else—something that mirrored your own feelings.

"I... I don't know what this means," You admitted, your voice tinged with a touch of insecurity.

Ellie’s lips curved into a small, genuine smile. "I don't either. But I guess we'll figure it out together."

Your lips twitched into a smile of their own, a sense of hope blossoming within you. "Yeah, I guess we will."

You sat there in the fading light, side by side on the bleachers, the weight of your shared history and newfound connection hanging in the air. The stadium that had witnessed countless fierce battles between you both now bore witness to a different kind of victory—one that transcended rivalry and embraced the possibility of something more.

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wlw-imagines · 1 year

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The Ups & Downs of an Elevator Love Story - Alex Morgan/Reader (USWNT)

request: "Hey, could you write a Alex Morgen x reader. Where Alex and r shared a drunk kiss at one night. The next they are so nervous that they dont talk to eachother. After a couple of days Alex or r takes the risk and ask the other on a date. End with fluff" - by androgynousmoneyflowervoid

a/n: we love a really unnecessarily long title xoxo sorry for taking roughly 3 years to post <3 as alwasy, it is not checked because i am lazy ! so if it doesn’t make sense or it’s patchy, lemme know and maybe i’ll come back to it in 5 years time to edit it !

Retrospect is a fine thing. Because you’d be the first to admit that, looking back on last night, you would be so much better off if you hadn’t gone. If, when you’d been asked whether you were going on to the roof party, you would say ‘oh, thanks but best not!’. But no.

Let’s start at the beginning.

The World Cup! Never in your wildest dreams did you think that you’d be here! And with a gold medal around your neck. It felt… you weren’t entirely sure what you felt. Whatever it was, you’d quite like it bottled up so that whenever you were feeling down you could just take some of this energy and feel absolutely on top of the world.

You were standing out there, on the field still, with confetti falling all around. It was never ending, that confetti. It felt like you could stand there for weeks and there would still be little pieces of red, white and blue paper raining down on you.

Kelley came crashing into your side, her arms wrapped around your waist, and you instinctively wrapped your arms around her shoulders to keep steady. It didn’t keep you steady, it just meant that when you fell, she came falling down on top of you.

She rolled off of you and onto her back, laughing with you, “Can you believe this? Your very own World Cup-final goal, huh?” She asked, looking at you from where she was laying on the grass with pride shining in her eyes.

You rolled over onto your front and leant up on your elbows to look at her, "I... can't believe it. Is this real life?"

"You'd better believe it baby!" She shouted, leaning up to squeeze your cheeks, "Come on, it's my favourite time of any competition." Kel stood up and held her hand out to help you up.

"What's that?" You asked, putting your hand in hers and letting her pull you up to a standing position next to her.

She grinned and wrapped her arm over your shoulders, "Getting outrageously drunk and celebrating, obviously."

"Oh, this I have got to see." You grinned, letting her guide you to the dressing room.

The closer the two of you got, the more you could hear the thumping of the music and the loud cheers from your team. Kelley squeezed you into a side hug, "I have a lot to teach you about parties with the national team. You will never experience anything like it."

"Oh yeah? How come?"

She put her pointer finger up to count the first reason, "First of all, high adrenaline because we just fucking won the World Cup and two, all the free booze."

"Free?" You asked, raising an eyebrow. By this point you were standing in the dressing room, surrounded by your friends. Some were just chilling by the side, in a state of absolute shock and happiness, and some had already started on the alcohol.

"Oh, sweet baby Y/N." She parted from you and shot you a wide grin, "Give me one second, I'll be right back. I'll find something to drink, okay? Want anything in particular?" She asked as she was starting to walk away into the mass of support staff and team members.

You just shrugged and shouted after her, “Whatever you can find!” Then she was gone. You looked around the room and spotted your seat with your stuff under it. You sat down for a moment, leaning back and shutting your eyes. Just hours before, you were in this exact position, absolutely wrecked with nerves and anxious energy - ready to fuel into your performance on the pitch. And look what had happened.

You jumped slightly as someone sat down on the bench next to you and nudged you with their elbow, "Hey." You smiled at Alex’s voice and opened your eyes, gazing up at her from your slouched position.

"Hi." You straightened up and your smile grew even more. Just a few years ago, you wouldn’t have believed someone if they had told you that here you would be - winning the World Cup with Alex Morgan. Yet here she was, and here you were. You were sure that you would never be more in love with her than you were in this moment. But you’d thought that many times and somehow the feelings you had for her still grew.

She nudged you again, "What took you so long?"

"I don't know, I was just... soaking it all in, y'know?" You shrugged and gazed around the room, aware of her eyes on you, which immediately made your brain go a little numb and it felt like you couldn’t get your ideas out properly. "It's so different out there when there's no one else, I’m sure you know the feeling. Kinda magical."

"Magical?" She asked, turning her body more to face you.

"Yeah, it’s kind of unreal. Maybe I'm just being lame." You shrugged and you could feel the heat of a light blush across your cheeks.

"No, I know what you mean. There is something special about it." The two of you sat for a moment, taking one another in. You could swear that her eyes flickered down to your lips and that the way she had let her tongue slightly wet her lips had been intentional… but she cleared her throat and brought herself back to reality, bringing you crashing back too, "I- do you want a drink?"

You shook out the tension that you had suddenly held in your body and took a deep breath, "Yeah, I think Kelley disappeared to find something to drink but-"

Alex laughed a little and shook her head, "She's gone, I promise you. You will not see her again for another hour at best." She held her can to you, "Here, you can have this one. I only just opened it, I haven't started drinking or anything, promise. I'll get another." She nudged it towards you again but you hesitated.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, "Of course, take it."

"Thanks." You smiled, letting your hand linger over hers as you took the drink from her.

Her eyes twinkled, "No worries."

“Alex!” Pinoe’s voice boomed from the other side of the room, at the same time as-

"Y/N!" Sonny came racing up to you and ruffled your hair over-excitedly.

Alex laughed and squeezed your hand, "I'll catch you later."

"Okay." You just nodded, dumbly, and watched as she walked off.

Emily fell down beside you, filling the seat Alex had just left, and laughed drunkenly, "Dude! Fuck! Isn’t this insane, we’re gold medalists, baby!” She wrapped her arms around your shoulders in a kind of hug and shook you.

“I’m… it’s surreal.” You let out a laugh, loving the energy of a room full of gold-medal world champs.

Em let out an overly dramatic gasp and grabbed your arm, almost making you drop your drink from Alex, "You only have one drink? Come on! Are you really celebrating if you don't have like three drinks at any one time?"

You laughed and shook your head but you could already see it was too late, Emily was set on getting you more drinks. Your words went completely in one ear and out the other, "This will do for now, I'm sure."

As you predicted, she ignored you, shaking her head and already walking away, "I'm getting you another one. By the time I get back I'm expecting an empty can!"

Okay, see? Probably the first mistake. Because maybe if you hadn’t had so much to drink then the night wouldn’t have ended the way it did. Though, the alcohol didn’t do much of the heavy lifting, it was mostly you. You knew exactly what you were doing when you-

Anyway, carrying on.

After the glass was drained, you turned around and somehow, magically, another glass was being handed to you. And not even by Kelley, Emily, or Alex.

And this seemed to happen again, and again, and again. Until you were probably too drunk to still be accepting drinks… but this was the World Cup! How often could you get to drink on the night of winning the World Cup?

Somehow, the team had made it from the dressing room back to the team bus, having been kicked out by the stadium not long ago. You could hardly remember how you had made it but you think Alyssa may have given you a piggyback? You were sure there would be video evidence of the entire night somewhere that you could check when you were… less drunk.

"Hey, Y/L/N, you coming?" Emily grabbed your face and you just grunted. The bus had stopped outside the hotel and almost everyone was already off and heading in. “Y/N! Wakey, wakey!”

You lifted a heavy eyelid and raised an eyebrow, "Coming? Where?" You managed to grunt.

She shook you again, enough to properly wake you up, and shouted happily, "After party, baby!"

Stretching, you fumbled for your seat belt and undid it before practically rolling out of your seat, "I don't know, I don't think I have ever had this much alcohol. I am so drunk, oh my god." You groaned, lying down in the aisle of the coach.

Emily laughed and stepped over you, "Come on, get your ass moving."

You waved her away, "Yeah, yeah, I'll see you there. I just need a 5 minute nap and then I’ll be back up and ready to party."

"Hey, you alright?" Alex’s voice immediately made you open your eyes and you looked up at her, standing over you.

Em, tapped her on the shoulder, "Alex, you're on Y/N watch!"

"What?" She asked, looking between you and Sonnett. You just waved at her happily.

Em raced off and Alex bent down to join your level on the floor, you grumbled as you sat up to face her, "Why are you not as drunk as me?"

"I am sorry, do you want me to catch up?" She smiled, holding you steady as you hoisted yourself up to a standing position again.

You shrugged and leant into her, "It's the only right thing to do."

"Are you heading up to your room?" She asked, as the two of you walked off the bus. She had put her hand around your waist and some point and you just smiled for a second before remembering you had to respond.

"I... I think there's another party."

"The roof?"

Your eyes widened, "The roof! Oh shit, Em missed out that it was a roof party!" That was insane. You could count the amount of roof parties you had been to on one hand (none). This changed everything, you had to go to that roof party. "Are you going?"

"I don't know..." She chewed her lip and looked at you, “Are you sure you don’t want to go to bed?”

“No, I’ve found more energy! I want to go.” You put your hand in hers, "Come on, how can I persuade you?"

Her eyes sparkled again as she grinned, "Persuade me?"

"Yeah," You took a step towards her so you were more face to face. You vaguely realised that you were wrapped up in someone else’s jumper and you were pretty sure it was Alex’s own. You smiled, and drunkenly held onto Alex’s hips, "Alex, I will personally make sure that you do not regret coming to the roof. Come on, this is a once in a lifetime."

“I'll have you know, I've won the World Cup before." She rolled her eyes jokingly and you grinned. You could feel the heat coming off of Alex’s body and you let go, instead opting to walk hand in hand into the hotel lobby.

"Oh, yeah?"

"It's true, I have."

You shrugged and smirked slightly, "Well, you haven't won it with me before."

"No, now that is true."

"Would you like to come to an World Cup champions, once-in-a-lifetime-because-it’s-with-Y/N roof party with me?" You asked, now in the foyer of the hotel.

She looked over at you and her eyes were soft, "I don't know how you did it, but you have actually convinced me."

You took a hold of her hand and squeezed it gently, coming to a stop in front of the hotel’s elevator, "And would you look at that?" You said as it pinged open at the exact same moment the two of you had arrived.

"Perfect timing." She murmured, squeezing your hand back.

You stepped aside, not letting go of her hand, as you let her on the elevator first, "After you."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

The roof had slowly emptied as the night grew longer and turned into morning. And throughout, both you and Alex had stuck side by side - dancing, drinking and laughing.

As the night - morning- had grown longer, everyone else had started disappearing downstairs until only you and Alex were left on the rooftop. Someone had left a speaker, playing softly in the background, and you didn’t think you ever wanted to leave this little bubble.

The two of you were snuggled next to each other, sharing a pool side lounger. You had been just chatting for the past half hour and you were in a new level of comfrt right now. Alex softly played with your hair and you sighed, cuddling further into Alex’s side. You lifted your head so that the two of you were face to face. “Can we just stay here?” You asked, hopefully.

She smiled and rested her head back, “For how long?”

“Maybe a bit of forever?” You grinned, resting your hand on the soft material of her shirt.

She turned back onto her side so she was facing you again and laughed, “I think the hotel would kick us out eventually.”

You contemplated her words and eventually conceded, nodding, “Hmm, true. Okay.” You sighed, eyes connecting with Alex’s. She was chewing her bottom lip and you frowned, raising your hand and using the pad of your thumb to gently pull it out from between her teeth. She smiled with soft eyes and you watched as her eyes fell to your lips, before reconnecting with your gaze.

She blinked a few times, pulling herself out of her trance and cleared her throat. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” You slowly nodded, watching her sit up and stretch. You took your time in getting up, letting the moment fully sink into your memory.

Alex joined her hand with yours and gently squeezed, “You know, we shouldn’t let this just be a France thing.” She mumbled, her hair falling out of the ponytail she put it in and falling into her eyes.

“What do you mean?” You asked, as the two of you started your way back to the exit of the roof.

She hrugged and smiled, “We can do this back home too.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Your smile mirrored hers. You held your gaze until... you didn’t. She was literally just there and then- a wave of pool water splashed up at you and you gasped at how cold it was. You quickly began laughing upon realising that Alex, somehow, had fallen into the pool. She resurfaced to find you cracking up, standing where she had been just seconds ago.

"Oh my god." She mumbled, swimming to the side of the pool and pausing below you.

You tried to stop laughing to check on her, "Are you okay?" You asked, letting out another brief snort of laughter as she jokingly glared at you from the pool.

"I didn't even realise the pool was there!" She exclaimed, letting her glare melt into a grin.

You bent down on the ground so that you were closer to her level, "Alex, I think you're more drunk than I had first thought."

"No, I swear! The pool moved." She pouted, glaring at the edge of the pool.

You raised an eyebrow and nodded, "Oh, really? The pool?"

"It did!" She laughed.

"I believe you, I do.”

She stuck her tongue out at your sarcastic tone, “Just help me out?” She asked, reaching her hand out to you.

You smiled, standing up and planting your feet on the floor in an attempt to steady yourself before pulling her out. You reached out your hand to connect with hers, “Here.” Before you could steady yourself enough, Alex tugged on your arm and pulled you into the pool beside her. You managed to shout out an indignant, “Alex-!” before being fully submerged in the water.

As soon as the cold water had covered your body, you immediately righted yourself up at kicked off from the bottom of the pool, back to the surface to see Alex cracking up.

“I’m so sorry!” She said, laughing through the apology.

You let out a shocked laugh and swept the water out of your eyes, “That was so deliberate!”

She shrugged, and sheepishly swam slightly closer to you, “It was just so tempting.” She smiled.

You gasped and, as soon as she was close enough, began splashing her with water, “You are so mean!”

“I’m sorry!” She yelled through the walls of water being sent her way. She held her arm up to try and block the water, and swam closer to you, until she was close enough to hold your arms and stop the water being pushed her way. “It was funny though.” She mumbled, grinning.

You rasied an eyebrow and went to splash her again, “Oh, yeah?” She dodged the water and smiled, nodding.

“Just a little bit...” She held up her hand, motioning ‘tiny’ by putting her forefinger and thumb a little bit away from one another.

You had found yourself in the deep end and, although kicking to keep yourself up, you were tired. “I hope you know I’m already planning revenge.” You mumbled, before finding yourself bobbing underneath the water when you didn’t kick hard enough to keep you afloat.

Alex’s hands found their way to your hips and she pulled you up and closer to her. She wound her arms around your waist and swam the two of you to a shallower spot.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” She whispered, smiling. Your feet found the ground and, as you stood, you leaned into Alex’s embrace. “You okay?”

You nodded slightly. Looking into Alex’s eyes, you paused. The way the lights were twinkling in her eyes. The way she looked at you, and held you, and touched you. Your breath hitched in your throat and her steady gaze on you turned into a questioning one. You weren’t entirely sure what she was asking but you just nodded.

Alex’s eyes flickered down to your lips, and her nose gently bumped against yours as she moved closer to you. You were so engrossed holding her gaze that you found yourself startled when you felt her hand move against your waist and up through the water. You let out a little shiver. Her hand came to a rest on your cheek and you could feel her thumb swipe against your cheekbone.

"Y/N?” Alex almost soundlessly spoke your name.

“Alex.” You whispered back to her. You could see her smile, her eyes crinkling as she nudged your nose with hers again. She closed what little space there was left and you closed your eyes -- but all of a sudden, there was a loud noise that made the two of you startle.

You opened your eyes and jumped, swimming backwards in surprise when everything around you remained blank. You breathed a sigh of relief when you heard Alex murmur a little, "Shit. The lights went out." and you blinked, getting used to not being able to see your surroundings as clearly as before, but knowing that at least they were all still there. ”Y/N?” She called out and you swam slowly forward towards her voice, before gently colliding with Alex. “Hey, you good?” The two of you slowly blinked as your eyes began to adjust to the new light setting and you nodded at her.

“Yeah,” Your spoke, having to clear your voice when it was more shaky than you would have liked. She relaxed slightly and curled her arms around your waist again, holding on protectively. You let out a breathy laugh, "I, uh, think that might be a message they want us off the roof." She closed her eyes in, what looked like slight frustration, but nodded.

"I think you might be right." She smiled and the two of you swam to the edge of the pool, pulling yourself up and onto the side. The streams of water falling from your body and your clothes broke the silence of the, now dark, night. You sat by the side of the pool for a moment, shivering again.

Alex was the first to stand up and her movement caught your gaze. You looked up to her and, resting your chin on your knee, smiled, "We should go to bed. When's our flight?" Your teeth clattered slightly and you looked down, hugging your arms around your body in an attempt to warm yourself up.

"Early. I think we're leaving at 7." She responded. You turned to look at her again to respond, only to see her pulling her shirt off over her head. Your mouth gaped open slightly. She bent down to wring the water out of her shirt, twisting the material and letting it drip back into the pool. The sudden noise of water splashing into the pool brought you back to reality. You quickly realised you were staring, and quite literally gaping, at Alex so you made sure to (reluctantly) tear your gaze away.

You distracted yourself by looking down at your watch and you let out a small groan at the small numbers flashing back at you, "That's like three hours time, fuck." You rubbed your eyes and let out a small yawn, just now realising how tired you were. It had been a hell of a long day. You lifted your gaze to find Alex, wrapped in one of the blankets, looking down at you with a small, fond smile, looking like she was in some kind of daydream. You frowned, "You okay?"

She nodded, "Yeah, no, I'm good," She shook herself out of her trance and held her hand out for you. You stood up and she immediately opened the blanket, “Come here, you’re cold.” You stepped into her arms, and into the warmth of her embrace. After making sure you were completely surrounded by the blanket, she leaned back, a questioning look in her gaze as she pulled at your shirt. You just nodded again, trusting her.

The question was clearly, ‘Can I take your top off?’, which became obvious when she began to unbutton your shirt. Her fingers moved quickly and, once she got to the last button, she removed her hands and nodded to you to remove the soaked shirt.

“You’ll be warmer without it, I promise.” She smiled, taking the blanket as you quickly removed your top and mirrored her actions from earlier, turning around to twist your shirt over the pool, shaking out as much water as you could.

You jumped slightly as her warm hands pulled you back into her, and the blanket, moments later. She let out a warm, breathy laugh as you turned to face her in the warm bundle of blanket.

“I’m not going to push you in again, I promise.” She hugged you, moving your wet hair and tucking it behind your ears again, “I wouldn’t do that.” She held your gaze, smirking slightly.

“I know, you’d never do something like that.” You joined her in the joke, laughing.

She winked and smiled, entangling her fingers with yours before frowning, “You’re freezing.” She pulled your hand up to her lips and used her breath to warm your hands.

“Sorry.” You mumble, teeth clattering again.

She shook her head, “No, don’t be.” She gathered up the corners of the blanket, where she was holding it together and ducked out, handing them out to you, “Here, hold this and I’ll get us another blanket.” You gripped onto the blanket as she quickly grabbed the largest of the others and brought it back to you. You opened the blanket you were holding so that she could come back in and join you. She smiled, draping the second blanket across the two of you as well.

Now that you were starting to remember what it felt like to be warm again, you didn’t think it was too bad to stay for longer. As long as Alex was here. But it was late(/early) and you needed to be up soon. So you looked over to Alex, “Should we go?”

She smiled and nodded, "Just one moment. Let's just look at the view." You agreed, standing together - you in her arms, looking over the Paris skyline.

You looked to, what you thought could be, the East and nudged her, "You think we'd make it until the sun rises?"

Alex let out a small snort and shook her head, "No, you'd fall asleep."

You went to disagree with her but, to her credit, she was absolutely correct, "I definitely... would. Yeah, for sure." You grinned, nodding.

“It’s just so beautiful,” She glanced across the horizon one last time before turning to you with the same look of wonder in her eyes, "Come on then, let's go to bed."

The two of you started to make your way to the exit (attempt no. 2 to leave tonight) and you quickly steered Alex to the right, "Careful, there's a pool right there. I don't know if you noticed it." You winked at her and she gasped softly, nudgin you in the ribs.

"Shut up." She smiled but didn’t protest any more. She stopped you both at the elevator, and pushed the call button.

You frowned as the elevator started making it’s way up to your floor. "We are dripping wet, we can't go in the elevator." You paused, looking down at you shorts (still dripping pool water) and your shirt gripped in your hand (still, also, dripping pool water) and to Alex, who was in a similar situation. “The stairs are literally right there. We’re, like, four floors down.”

“And get the stairs all wet?” She raised an eyebrow. “Come on, I can’t be bothered with stairs.” She pouted, “It’s late.”

The doors opened up and Alex stepped in and turned around, waiting for you.

You paused for a few more seconds, before begrudgingly, and slowly, entering the elevator with her, “We’re athletes. Aren’t athletes meant to be all about taking the stairs instead of the elevator.”

Alex pulled you closer in by your blanket, “Y/N, my love,” She held your cheeks in her hands, and a blush instantly creeped up through your face, “We just won the World Cup, I think we can take a night off.” She turned around and pushed the button to the floor where the team were staying.

You couldn’t believe that someone’s words would have such an effect on you. Your heart clenched with emotion and you felt light headed. You cleared your throat and, as she turned back around to face you, asked, “Can you say that again?” Your whole body felt tense in anticipation, “Just one more time.”

“What that we’re world champs?” She grinned and you hesitantly shook your head.

“No, that... other bit?” You whispered. The grin slowly fell from her face when it dawned on her what you meant, and she raised an eyebrow.

Alex took a step closer to you, “Y/N,” She smiled softly and her gaze held the most tender emotion you might have ever seen, “my love?”

You couldn’t trust your voice so you nodded at her words. Before you could even try to say anything more, Alex’s lips were on yours and her hands had you pushed up against the wall of elevator. The blanket slipped from your shoulders as you reached to pull her closer to you. Her hair was still slightly dripping and you could feel small drops of water falling on you, you smiled into the kiss and she slowly pulled away, slightly breathless.

As she moved slowly back, you moved with her, pressing small kisses with a smile to the corner of her mouth as she smiled back at you.

Alex leant back into you, “Happy we took the elevator now?” She asked with a teasing smile. You responded by reconnecting your lips, and she had you back up against the wall. Just as the kiss was about to deepend- ding dong.

“Fuck-” You moved away, breathing slightly heavily. The doors to elevator started to swing open.

"It's-" Alex sighed, looking to check the floor number, "This is our floor." She didn’t move away from you, keeping her hands on you - until the doors started to close again and she had to dash to keep them open. You bent down to grab the fallen blankets as she held the doors.

The two of you walked down the corridor in a comfortable silence, aware of your sleeping teammates behind every door. Once she’d walked you back to your door, she started chewing her lip again. You raised your thumb to gently free her lip before reaching up to press a short kiss to her lips.

"Are you sure you'll make it all the way back to yours." You asked jokingly, a smile growing on your lips as you leant against your hotel room’s door.

She shook her head, "You know, I don't kn- what if I don't?" She whispered.

"I'll make sure you do." You promised, squeezing her hand as she started to walk backwards to her room.

She stopped at the room opposite yours, just far enough that you couldn’t reach on another, and smiled, "I think I made it."

"I'll see you in the morning?" You asked, looking at your watch again, “Two and a half hours!” You tried to pretend to be cheery about the fact that you were going to get literally no sleep.

“I’ll see you in two and a half hours.” She nodded.

"Night." You waved, opening your door. She silently waved back, opening hers at the same time.

You closed the door behind you and took a deep breath. What the fuck?

Emily shifted in her bed, raising her head and opening a sleepy eye, “Y/N?”

“Em, I’m fine, go back to sleep.” You whispered, walking round her bed to get to yours.

“Why aren’t you wearing a top?”

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Y/N... Y/N!" Emily shouted, her words piercing through your nice, comfy bubble of sleep.

You groaned and waved her off, "Yeah, yep, I'm up." You croaked out and stayed put, hearing Emily’s receeding footsteps and thinking you could get another 5 minutes of sleep, at least...

Something hit the back of your head, "Come on, we're leaving in ten." Emily’s voice sounded out, “I’ve packed most of your bag, but we gotta hurry.”

"What?" You took the duvet off, and turned around in bed to face the ceiling. It was bright, too bright for your liking.

Em was rushing around the room, "It's nearly 7, we've got to be in the lobby in ten minutes." She said, putting her toothbrush in her mouth at the same time as folding your clothes and stuffing them in your bag.

You groaned again, "Shit."

"Come on." She garbled out, through her toothpaste.

You sat up in bed and shook your head, "I think I'm still drunk."

"Yeah, join the club." She grined, throwing something else your way. “Come on, pack your bag.”

You wince and move off the bed, "Did I do anything stupid? I feel like I did something stupid." You said, frowning at your slightly damp hair and shorts. “Where’s my shirt?”

"Who knows? Probably. I was just as out of it as you. Anymore questions?" She raised an eyebrow and you shook your head, "Let’s go, I've packed everything from the bathroom. You've just got to clean teeth and get changed."

You slowly move from your bed to the bahtroom and do as you’re told as quickly as your body can function.

You popped your head round the doorway and looked in the room, "I thought Alex slept over last night?" You said, this time you were the one speaking despite the toothpaste filling your mouth.

Em rasied an eyebrow and shook her head, "Nope, just us. You're just dreaming about her I guess."

"Stop it, I'm not." You threw your toothpaste tube at her and she just ducked in time.

"You're blushing!" She shouted at you, putting the tube in your suitcase.

"Shut up," You cleaned your mouth out and cleaned your toothbrush before packing that too. "She walked me back to the room, I thought she stayed but obviously not."

"You wished she stayed." She threw the clothes at you to get changed but then hesitated, not throwing your shirt to you yet, “Wait, she walked you back? Miss not-wearing-a-shirt? Was Alex also perhaps not wearing a shirt?”

You glared at her, "I will empty your suitcase off of our balcony if you're not careful."

Em grinned, throwing the shirt, you turned around to get changed, "I’ll throw your suitcase down the elevator shaft then."

"Oh my god." You winced again at the memory.

"What?"

You put your hands on your head and shook it in slight panic, "I think I'm going to throw up."

Em made a face, "Alcohol does that to you. Just don't throw up on me."

"No, Em! I kissed Al." You turned to her, eyes wide.

"You wish you kis-"

You shook your head, throwing your shirt back at Em to shut her up, "Sonny. I'm not kidding. Fuck! We kissed."

"Wait, what? When?" She asked, expression matching yours now. She came and sat down on the bed next to you, putting your shirt on the pile of clothes you still needed to get changed into.

"Last night! She walked me down and-"

Alex leant back into you, “Happy we took the elevator now?” She asked with a teasing smile.

"Fuck!"

Em shrugged, "It's not that bad! I've been trying to get you to gain the courage to do something about you're massive crush for ages. Drunk you has the courage."

"No! Drunk me is dumb!" You put your head in your hands.

Em sympathised for a moment and then cleared her throat, "Okay, I know you're having a bit of a moment but we really need to go or we'll hold everyone up and they'll be pissed." She stood up, nudging your clothes towards you.

You bit your lip, "Em, what do I do?"

“Uh, get dressed?” She smiled, sitting back down for a moment, "It'll be fine, just talk to her about it. I've been trying to tell you that she likes you too. Kelley told me when we were drunk ages ago."

"I don't know."

"Oh my god." She held onto your shoulders and lightly shook you, “Dude, she kissed you. You kissed her. She likes you. You like her.”

"We were both really drunk." You shrugged.

"Yeah, you still are, dumbass."

"Emily..." You whined, not sure what you were going to say to Alex, or, worse, what she was going to say to you.

"It’ll be fine.” She ruffled your hair, “Just- come on, love bird." She grabbed your shirt and handed it to you, “But please don’t take each other’s shirts off this time.”

xxxxxxxxxxxx

You sighed, having just taken a team photo on the steps to your plane, a.k.a the thing you were going to be stuck on for the next however many hours alongside Alex. You trailed up the stairs, taking your time and trying to ignore the hangover. This was a big mistake.

No chairs left. How were there no chairs left, apart from-

"Can I sit here?" You asked Alex, motioning to the seat opposite her.

"Huh? Oh, I- sure, yeah. Here." She moved her bag and blanket off of it so you could sit down. You looked for any hint of what she was thinking in her eyes. They had been so easy to read last night. Whay was she thinking now?

You realised you were staring and sprang into action, sitting down in the now empty seat, "Thanks." You smiled, relazing into it.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, raising her eyes from her phone and over to you.

"I..." You gulped and shrugged, "I feel this is going to be the worst hangover of my life." You said, honestly.

Emily popped up from the seat behind you and leant over, "More drinks in the day keeps the hangover away." She grinned, her sunglasses covering her eyes as she held up a bottle of champagne.

You groaned and swatted her away, "Em, go away, you and Kelley got me into this mess."

"I'm here to offer you another glass of champagne - for our winning goal-scorer." She ruffled your hair again, "And how about a drink for the lover?" She asked, looking over at Alex.

"The what?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.

You gritted your teeth, "The what?" You glared at Em, trying to convey a very particular message. Don’t you dare.

She raised her eyebrows in innocence, "Hmm? I said... what about a drink for the... mother. How is Charlie? I bet she's missed you, huh?" She said, clearly thinking on her feet. Alex was about to answer when Kelley shouted across the plane.

"Em! Want a beer?" She asked and Em nodded, immediately getting up to run over to her.

"Yep, coming." As she passed Alex, she turned around to look at you.

'I'm sorry!' Emily mouthed to you with a massive grin that screamed that she was, in fact, not sorry. You scowled back at her but quickly smiled as Alex looked up to you.

"She's... weird." Alex said, after a long pause.

You quickly nodded, trying to forget this ever happened, "Yes, yep. Very weird."

"How... did you sleep?" She asked, locking eyes with you.

"Honestly, not great. I think I might still be asleep even though I'm walking and talking."

“Maybe we stayed up a bit too long.” She smiled and you mirrored it, nodding.

"Yeah, god, we must have, I mean, like... I only slept for like 3 hours."

"Less probably. I'm going to need a lot of lie ins to make up for this." She winced, rubbing at her eyes.

"I hardly remember what went on yesterday. Even, y'know, the whole soccer part is just one big blur."

"Oh yeah? No, same... We must have had some fun though."

You grinned, just now recalling the actual game rather than just replaying the kiss again and again, "I would happily win the World Cup again if I could have a repeat of last night."

"We've still got lots to come." She smiled, another soft smile like last night, and nudged your knee with hers.

You relaxed slightly and nodded, gulping down the fear and taking a deep breath in, “Yeah... Hey, Alex, about last ni-” But you were interrupted by her phone going off.

She picked it up straight away and her face broke into a grin, “Oh, shit, that’s Charlie. I said I’d call her and my parents before take-off, do you mind?” She asked, hardly sparing you a glance.

You shook your head, “No, no, of couse not.”

"Get some sleep, you’ll need it." She smiled and held up her blanket, "Want to share?"

Your palms went a bit sweaty as more memories from last night flooded your mind, "Yeah, sounds good. Thanks." You smiled, tugging it over the two of you.

She answered the call, pressing her phone to her ear as she said, “Hey!” You couldn’t help but smile at her joy, before turning over and desperately trying to get some much needed sleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Em sighed as she chucked a beach ball at Rose’s head, before flopping down on the lounger next to you. "Y/N! Come on, it's been days now. You still haven't talked to her about it?" She looked exasperated and you winced slightly.

"Yeah, okay, but technically she also hasn't said anything to me, so..." You trailed off, sitting up and shrugging.

Lindsey joined in the telling off. Emily had taken it upon herself to update anyone and everyone who wanted to listen about your love life. Cheers Em! "You just need to talk to her! You're being an idiot." Lindsey said, affectionately.

“But, like, I gave her the chance to talk about it and she clearly didn’t want to-”

Em hity ou over the head, “Neither did you! She probably thinks you are embarrassed and don’t want to talk about it.”

“I’m not embarrassed. But what if she is?”

“Oh my god.” Rose snorted, putting her sunglasses up on the top of her head.

You groaned. None of your friends were backing you up here, wasn’t that meant to be there job? "Do you think I could get away with never having to talk to her again?"

Kelley came to sit next to Em, hanging her up over her shoulders, "Honey, babe, I'm sorry to have to tell you this but... you're on media duty with her today." She looked from her phone, to you.

You rasied an eyebrow, "You what?"

"Yeah... you've literally got to sit with her, in close proximity, answering random questions for about... three hours." She said, before smiling.

"You're messing with me." You shook your head.

Kelley shrugged and gestured to her phone, "Did you not see the email?"

You frowned, “Email...?”

Rose looked over at you, “Yeah, you know... that thing they invented. It’s like sending a letter but... online.”

"You guys get emailed stuff?" You asked in disbelief. They were pulling your leg. This isn’t real.

"You don't?" Rose asked.

You shrugged and mumbled under your breath, "Well, I've never had one..”

“Give me your phone.” Em reached her hand out, gesturing for you to hand it over.

“Why?”

She rolled her eyes, “I’ll find the email for you.”

You huffed slightly but gave her your phone anyway, “I’m telling you, I didn’t get one.” You tried your best to convince everyone around you. Emily just handed back your phone. You frowned and she pointed at the screen. You looked down at the open email, "Since when do we get emails?" You asked, flicking through it and seeing yours and Alex’s names at the media section, "Fuck."

Em grinned, leaning back on the lounger and putting her legs up on Kelley’s lap, "I don't know about you guys, but I am having the time of my life right now."

"You, Emily Sonnett, are an asshole." You pointed at her, putting your phone down and standing up. You scooped her up and carried her over to the pool.

She wriggled slightly and shook her head, "No-! Don't you dare-" You dropped her in, grinning as you waited for her to resurface.

When she did, you shrugged down at her, "You asked for it."

“You’re the one who doesn’t know what an email is!” She shouted, splashing water at your feet.

You laughed and let your mouth drop open at the accusation, “I know what an email is, I- ah, Kelley, no!” You screeched as Kelley lifts you up, holding you above the water. You cling onto her, “Wait, we can talk about this. Don’t drop me!” You beg.

Kelley gets distracted, seeing her friend across the pool, “Alex!” She shouts and drops you so can she wave at her.

“Kel!” Alex shouted in indignation. You resurface, get dunked again by Em, before resurfacing and swimming over to Alex, who is now stnding next to Kelley. "Y/N?" She looks down at you, an eyebrow raised.

"Uh, hi." You smile and wave.

"Hey," She gazes at you a second before regaining her train of thought, "um, media starts in, like, half an hour."

Your heart sinks ever so slightly but you nod. Best get this over and done with, "Right, yes, I- will go get ready." You point towards the steps out of the pool. As you’re swimming she calls over.

"I can help you if you want?" She offers and you turn, swimming backwards.

“Sure, yeah.” You nod, before arriving at the steps an quickly climbing out. As you’re getting out of the pool, Kelley smirks at Alex next to her.

"I'm sure you can really help her." She winks and Alex blushes before quickly pushing Kelley into the pool. She walks over to you. You look back at the splash and Kelley resurfacing, grinning at you and Alex.

You frown, turning to Alex and point to Kel with your thumb, “Kelley... did she just-?”

“She fell.” Alex quickly responded, a blush still evident on her cheeks.

You nod, “Huh.” And quickly run to catch up with Alex, grabbing your stuff from your lounger as you go past, thanking Lindsey and Rose’s ‘Good Luck’ as you go.

By the time you do catch up with Alex, the elevator has already reached your floor, “Good timing.” She mumbles and then falters, “Um, after you.” She offers, staying back to let you go first.

You nod and smile, before hurrying in, trying not to drop everything, “Sorry, thanks.” You clear your throat to try and shift the awkward feeling in your chest, and say the first thing that comes to mind, “I feel like I’ll annoy the hotel staff by getting water all over the elevator.”

“Not the first elevator we’ve flooded.” Alex smiles as she leans on the wall of the elevator.

You flush at your stupidity - of all the things to say... “No, I guess not.”

“Um, about that...” Alex shuffles her feet, standing up and pushing off of the wall.

You notice her pause again, “The other night?” You prompt her, interested in what she has to say about it. You try to steady your breathing, hoping it’s the outcome you want, hoping she still means everything she said.

She takes a deep breath and reaches past you to push the floor you’re both staying on with the team.

“Yes, yeah, I didn’t mean to be awkward about it. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable or anything. It wasn’t my intention.” She nervously puts her hands in her pockets and flicks her gaze between you and the floor.

“No, you haven’t- I’m not...” Your heart sinks slightly, “I didn’t want to bring it up in case you didn’t want to talk about it or something.”

“And I thought maybe you- maybe we were just, I don’t know, like, high on adrenaline and alcohol so maybe it didn’t actually mean anything.”

“Exactly!” You take a sharp breath in, because that’s exactly what you were worried about too. It’s Alex, for god’s sake. She could have kissed anyone. Was it you because you were there? Or because you had both been celebrating together?

Alex was holding her body tensly the whole time and she suddenly seems to deflate, “Sorry, we can just forget it happened.” You frown, how did you get to this point?

The elevator only just jolts into life as it starts taking you down to your floor.

“Oh, right. Yeah, maybe that’s... for the best.” You frown again, you can’t help but notice the signs that show she’s disappointed. Or is she? You sighed, and steel yourself. You needed to just double chck, you’d forever kick yourself if you let Alex slip through your fingers, “Or-”

“Or?” She immediately repeats, gently lifting her gaze to yours.

You wince before you’ve even said it. Drunk you thought it was romantic but maybe this was corny and would comfirm your place as a friend only. Fuck it - “We don’t have to let this just become a France thing...?”

"It can be a home thing too?” A blush returned and she chewed on her lower lip, before letting out a giant grin, “We’re a bit fucking cheesy when we’re drunk.”

You smirked, relaxing, “You can say that again.”

Alex steps forward and your smile falls from your face slightly as she looks so serious. She pushes a strand of your wet hair behind your ears and you’re very aware that, once again, you’re drenched in water, you’re not wearing a top and you’re pretty sure Alex Morgan is about to kiss you.

She cups your cheeks in the palms of her hands and nudged your nose gently with hers, “Y/N, my love, we are the cheesiest drunks.”

“I think we’re pretty cheesy sober, too.” You mumble, before connecting your lips once more. You smiled of the, already familiar, feel of Alex’s hands on your hips as she swivelled you around so she could push you up against the wall. “This feels kind of familiar?” You briefly pull away to tease her. She only responds by kissing you more deeply, her hands starting to wander- “I think I should remind you that we’re in an elevator.”

“Right, yeah.” She replies this time, mumbling her answer into your lips, lifting her hands back up to your waist.

She pulls away, clear pride in her eyes as she smiles. You’re not sure you remember seeing her smile this brightly at you until now. And that warms your heart.

“Can I take you for dinner tonight?” She asks, hope in her eyes, along with a tiny little amount of fear.

You don’t even hesitate, nodding straight away, “Yes, yeah... I’d like that.”

“I won’t make you take your shirt off this time.” She grins, before looking down and looking back up at you, “...Not that you actually appear to have a shirt to take off...”

You blush, and look down, “Oh, yeah, I went swimming...” You try to reason your lack of shirt and pants. You’ve won the World Cup, doesn’t that win you the right to hang out in just your bikini for several weeks? At least?

“Or pants, for that matter.” Alex hummed, raising an eyebrow.

You smile and pull her back into you so her gaze returns to yours, “When did this become a conversation about my clothes?”

“Probably when I realised you weren’t wearing any.” She whispered, pressing a quick kiss to your lips.

“Bikini. A bikini is a kind of outfit.” You mumble, slightly disorientated by the whirl of emotions you’ve been through the past few days, and now here you are. Kissing. Sober - (Kind of).

The elevator comes to a stop and Alex takes a hesitative step away, “You should probably get some clothes on.” Her gaze momentarily slips, before returning back up to your eyes again, “For the media day.” She smirks and the doors open. She throws your towel over you and intertwines your fingers, walking out into the corridor.

No one is there to witness the chaos of the two of you coming out of the elevator in a state of undress - luckily. She pushes you gently towards your hotel door.

You lean on your doorway and pull her towards you, innocently cocking your head to the side, “I thought you told Kelley you were going to help me?”

“Haha.” She laughs sarcastically, shaking her head and checking the time on her watch. You raise an eyebrow, opening the door to your room and holding it for her to go in first. She hesitates for a moment, standing strong, before completely giving in. As she walks past you, she peppers your face with kisses, pulling you inside with her.

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